Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 7/14/2022
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Northwest Notes: A-Rod, Jazz Staff, Russell, Murray
Alex Rodriguez said he has been welcomed around the NBA, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Rodriguez is part of the Timberwolves’ ownership group and will eventually become the majority owner along with business partner Marc Lore.
“I mean, I come at it from a different perspective, being in baseball for about a quarter of a century, and now it’s interesting to take my experience from Major League Baseball, from broadcasting and now being here as an owner,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been great. The NBA has welcomed me with open arms.”
He has been especially impressed with the league office.
“Team ownership is 365, 24/7,” Rodriguez said, “I knew that (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver and his team were great, but they’re even better than what they project. His senior management team, all the way through, they’re really incredible, they add tons of value. And I think they’re great at welcoming people, whether you’re a player, media, owner, executive into the room, and they know how to do that better than anyone.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- New Jazz coach Will Hardy might retain holdovers Bryan Bailey and Irv Roland on his staff, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports. It was previously reported that Alex Jensen and Lamar Skeeter could remain on the staff. The Jazz are also in the market for a top assistant, Jones adds.
- D’Angelo Russell is eager to get an extension this offseason, as he told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “Obviously every player wants an extension, and you want to be in a position to do that,” the Timberwolves guard said. Russell, who has been the subject of trade rumors, added that his representation has had some dialogue with Minnesota’s front office. He’s also eager to play with the frontcourt duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. “For myself, I’ve always realized that if you put a shooter and a roller next to me, I can make the game easier for everyone around me,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to bringing that to the team.”
- Load management will be the way the Nuggets handle Jamal Murray coming off his major knee injury, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. Murray’s minutes will be limited to the 20-30 minute range at the start of next season and he’ll also have some games off.
Raptors Sign Justin Champagnie To Two-Year Contract
The Raptors have signed Justin Champagnie to a two-year contract, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets.
It’s a minimum-salary deal with a $325K partial guarantee for the first year, Murphy adds.
The structure of the contract means Champagnie will still be competing for a roster spot in camp. D.J. Wilson got a similar deal from Toronto last week.
They will compete with Armoni Brooks and David Johnson for the remaining roster openings. Rookie Ron Harper Jr. holds one of the two-way contract spots. That signing is now official, according to the NBA transactions log.
Champagnie held a two-way slot at the end of last season and received a qualifying offer, which made him a restricted free agent. The size of his new partial guarantee makes him ineligible for a two-way slot with Toronto this season, Murphy adds in another tweet.
Champagnie fractured his thumb during Summer League practices, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets, but is expected to fully recover by training camp,
The undrafted wing, who turned 21 last month, appeared in 36 regular-season games last season. He averaged 2.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 7.8 MPG.
Wizards Notes: Davis, Morris, Wright, Kuzma
Wizards lottery pick Johnny Davis hasn’t looked sharp in Summer League action and an injury could be to blame, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes.
Summer league coach Zach Guthrie said Davis is dealing with back tightness, which could explain why he’s struggled to get past defenders and hasn’t been driving to the basket.
“That’s a question for Johnny, and I’m sure if you asked him, he’d say no,” Guthrie said. “That’s the type of kid he is. He’s a no-excuses, tough-nosed type of player.”
Davis tried to downplay the issue. “It doesn’t impact me at all,” Davis said. “I just make sure I keep the heat pack on it and make sure I’m not sitting down so it doesn’t get tight on me.”
We have more on the Wizards:
- Monte Morris, acquired from the Nuggets to solidify the point guard position, says he’s embracing a leadership role, as he told Ava Wallace of the Washington Post. “I’m not going to be scared to speak up. I’m not going to be scared to give my experience with me playing a lot of playoff games,” Morris said. “… Guys are going to be looking at me to speak up and give my knowledge because I’ve played in the playoffs every year I’ve been in the league.”
- The other major addition at the point, free agent acquisition Delon Wright, said he’s looking forward to an expanded role after backing up Trae Young in Atlanta last season, Robbins relays in a separate story. “(There’s an) opportunity to grow with the franchise,” Wright said. “Over the past couple of years, I’ve been playing behind All-Star point guards, so it’s been hard to kind of show everything I can do. So initially that was something that I wanted to get out of free agency: somewhere where I can go and just spread my wings more.”
- Wright’s teammate in college, Kyle Kuzma, was pivotal in convincing him to sign with Washington, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. “He knows what I can do. That was his recruitment pitch,” said Wright, who signed a two-year, $16MM contract.
Adam Silver Unhappy With Durant Situation
NBA commissioner Adam Silver isn’t happy about Kevin Durant‘s trade request after signing an extension last season, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes.
Silver said that players need to “meet their end of the bargain” after a franchise provides them with long-term security.
“This needs to be a two-way street,” Silver said. “Teams provide enormous security and guarantees to players, and the expectation in return is that they’ll meet their end of the bargain. There’s always conversations that go on behind closed doors between players and representatives and teams, but we don’t like to see players requesting trades and we don’t like to see it playing out the way it is.”
Silver said there will be negotiations with the Players’ Association regarding possible remedies to discourage players from seeking a trade after signing multi-year contracts, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.
“Its one of those issues that as we move into this collective bargaining cycle – we intend to discuss with our players association and see if there are remedies for this…We don’t want to see it playing out the way it is now,” he said.
Silver also addressed a number of other topics after the Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday:
- With load management increasing every season, Silver would be in favor of rewarding players contractually for playing more often. “I’m all in favor of guaranteed contracts,” he said. “But maybe that on top of your typical guaranteed contracts, some incremental money should be based on number of games played and results of those games.”
- He’s pleasantly surprised that league revenue topped $10 billion for the first time and basketball-related income reached a record $8.9 billion. “The numbers did surprise me to a certain degree because it exceeded projections, and the projections represent where we think our business is going,” Silver said. “I think it’s quite remarkable from where we came 2 1/2 years ago.”
- The league is nearing “the last stage” of its investigation into the conduct of Suns owner Robert Sarver, Reynolds tweets.
- Symptomatic persons will still test for COVID, but Silver could also see “pre-COVID protocols” becoming more of the norm again, Reynolds adds in another tweet.
- Silver favors the age limit for the draft dropping from 19 to 18, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets, and is “optimistic” that it could happen during the next collective bargaining cycle.
Central Notes: Duren, Caruso, Dragic, Garland
The youngest player in the draft, Pistons center Jalen Duren, is making his presence felt in the Vegas Summer League, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Duren, the 13th overall pick acquired via a three-team deal, had 13 points in 26 minutes against Washington on Saturday.
“When he’s in the game, I think you can feel it,” summer league coach Jordan Brink said. “You can feel it in the gym. They’re not as likely to try to attack the rim. And he’s a constant lob threat every time he’s on the floor. He spaces the floor because he’s a lob threat every time he rolls. So I’ve been ecstatic with the way he’s playing and the way he’s taking coaching.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Alex Caruso‘s first season with the Bulls was marred by illness and injuries, most notably a fractured wrist that sidelined him 22 games. He hopes to improve his durability next season, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “Just trying to gain a little weight, a little muscle on the lower extremities, a little bit on my back,” he said. “And then just, you know, grinding on my game. I’ve been in the gym (for the) last month, month and a half.”
- Caruso is excited by the free agent additions of Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic and rookie Dalen Terry, Schaefer writes in a separate story. He’s especially looking forward to absorbing knowledge from Dragic, as they might share the backcourt at times. “I’m excited to get to know him and be his teammate,” Caruso said. “Savvy. That left hand of his is deadly. You let him get to his left, he’s a really, really good player. Good shooter outside, experienced postseason player. I think he’s just a good addition to help the core and the overall team mindset of what we’re going to expect next year.”
- Darius Garland signed his five-year max extension over the weekend but the Cavaliers value him for more than just his on-court contributions, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes. “Darius has proven to be a tremendous basketball player and someone who embodies everything a franchise would want in a young player,” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said. “We’ve quickly seen Darius grow into an NBA All-Star and an integral core piece in our pursuit of sustainable success. Both on and off the court, Darius has demonstrated a strong commitment to this organization and the community.”
Atlantic Notes: McBride, Randle, Stevens, Tucker
The addition of Jalen Brunson could make playing time scarce for Miles McBride but he’s trying to remain confident, Zach Braziler of the New York Post writes. The 2021 second-round pick played in 40 games last season and projects as the Knicks’ third-string point guard behind Brunson and Derrick Rose. “Doing whatever I can to be on the floor [is my mindset],” he said. “If that means making shots, bringing the ball up, finding the open man, playing defense, I’m doing anything I can to be on the floor.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Julius Randle showed his leadership by inviting young players Jericho Sims and Feron Hunt to summer weight and cardio sessions in Dallas, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News notes. “It was cool. He wanted me to come down, so I said, ‘Hey, he’s a big-time player, why not get close to him, build that relationship,’” Sims said. Randle is trying to improve an image that was tarnished during a disappointing season for him and the Knicks. He’s at the beginning of a four-year extension.
- Brad Stevens is happy with his current status as the Celtics’ top executive but he’s not ruling out coaching again someday, as he told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “I’ve enjoyed both roles I’ve been in. I love the people I’ve worked with in both roles, and my family loves it, so, yeah, we’re really happy,” he said. “I’m not going to try to predict the future. I have no idea. No idea. I don’t know if I’d ever coach again. We’ll see.”
- Toughness, durability and 3-point shooting are among the attributes that P.J. Tucker brings to the Sixers. Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com breaks down all the aspects of Tucker’s game and the intangibles he adds to the table as the veteran forward transitions from one Eastern Conference contender to another.
Play-In Tournament Approved As Regularly Scheduled Event
JULY 12: The Board of Governors has approved the adoption of the play-in tournament on a full-time basis using the same format that was in place for the 2020/21 and ’21/22 seasons, according to a league press release. The play-in tournament next season will take place from April 11-14, between the last day of the regular season on April 9 and the start of the playoffs on April 15.
The Board of Governors also approved the heightened penalty of a free throw – which may be attempted by any player on the offensive team in the game at the time that the foul is committed – and possession when a defensive player commits a “transition take foul.”
JULY 11: The NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to approve the play-in tournament as a regular part of future league seasons, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Final approval is expected during Tuesday’s ownership meetings at the Vegas Summer League.
The NBA had held the play-in tournament during the last two seasons and there’s enough support from the Board to turn the event into a regular component of the league’s schedule. An announcement regarding the tournament’s permanent status will be made after the meeting, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press confirms (Twitter link).
The play-in tournament has involved the teams with the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th best records in the respective conferences. The survivors serve as the No. 7 and 8 seeds. It’s designed to curb tanking and keep more franchises engaged longer into the regular season. Up until this point, it has been approved on a year-by-year basis.
The NBA believes that the tournament, along with the flattening of lottery odds for teams with the worst records, has discouraged more teams from tanking in order to improve their lottery position.
An in-season tournament will also be a topic of discussion at Tuesday’s meeting. Both the play-in and in-season tournaments need to be collectively bargained with the union.
The league sees the in-season tournament as another major source of revenue. A proposal has been made to shorten the regular season to 78 games in order to accommodate a tournament that would culminate before Christmas.
The Board of Governors are also expected to pass a rule that penalizes the “take foul” on fast breaks with a free throw and possession. The league has experimented with the new rule during Summer League games. The offensive team would get to choose who shoots the free throw, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.
Modifications regarding the enforcement of proper bench decorum will also be mulled by the Board, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Stiffer penalties could be assessed to teams, with the issue of players standing up at the bench for extended portions of the game a particular point of contention. Fans with tickets near the benches have complained about obstructed views due to players standing in front of them for extended periods of time. The Mavericks were fined a total of $175K during the 2022 playoffs for violations of bench decorum.
Bucks’ Middleton Had Surgery For Torn Wrist Ligament
Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist in early July and is expected to be fully recovered near the start of the regular season, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Adrian Wojnarowski report (Twitter link).
This is a different injury than the one that kept Middleton out of all but two postseason games. He suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee during Game 2 of the opening round against the Bulls.
The wrist injury dates back to March when he missed some games due to soreness in his left wrist.
Middleton averaged 20.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 5.4 APG in 66 games during the regular season. Middleton is in the midst of a five-year, $177.5MM contract that runs through the 2023/24 season. He’ll make $37,948,276 next season.
Pelicans Rookie Liddell Has Torn ACL
Pelicans second-round pick E.J. Liddell suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a Vegas Summer League game on Monday, according to a team press release.
An MRI on Monday night confirmed the injury, which occurred during the third quarter of a game against the Hawks. A date for surgery has not yet been determined and he’ll be out indefinitely.
Liddell, who was selected with the No. 41 pick, was unable to put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the floor. Liddell also felt some knee pain in the first half but it subsided and he re-entered.
The former Ohio State forward averaged 19.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 2.6 BPG over 33.2 MPG last season and was projected as a first-round pick. He has yet to sign a contract and the Pelicans don’t currently have an opening on the 15-man roster, though they have a two-way slot available. It’s unclear how New Orleans will handle the contract situation regarding a draft pick who will likely be out most or all of next season.