Wizards Sign Anthony Gill To Two-Year Deal
JULY 1: Gill has officially signed his contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. That signals that his two-year deal is worth the minimum, since minimum-salary contracts can be finalized during the July moratorium.
JUNE 30: The Wizards are re-signing forward Anthony Gill to a two-year contract, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Gill was a restricted free agent after Washington extended a qualifying offer. It’s most likely a veteran’s minimum deal, though terms have not been disclosed.
The 6’8″ Gill, 29, went undrafted out of Virginia in 2016 and spent most of his professional career overseas. He signed a two-year contract with the Wizards in November 2020.
Gill came off the bench in 44 games last season, averaging 4.1 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 10.5 MPG.
Latest On Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
Kevin Durant‘s trade request increases the chances of a Kyrie Irving trade to the Lakers, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic report.
A straight Irving for Russell Westbrook swap would not work financially, so the Nets would either have to add another contract or include a third — and perhaps fourth team — for salary-matching purposes. Irving would be a better fit for LeBron James and Anthony Davis than Westbrook, providing better spacing offensively.
A potential deal could also lead the Lakers to part with first-rounders in 2027 or later.
If the Nets don’t want Westbrook’s salary, a third team could take that contract, with one of the Lakers’ picks and potentially Talen Horton-Tucker and/or Kendrick Nunn being involved.
A source told the Athletic that the chances of the Lakers landing Durant in a deal involving Davis is “zero.” Their focus, apparently, is on Irving.
We have more on the Durant/Irving situation:
- The Nets don’t appear to be interested in Deandre Ayton, sources told John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Thus, a potential trade with the Suns may not include the restricted free agent or it would have to involve a third team.
- Irving is “fully supportive” of Durant’s trade request, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (hat tip to RealGM). Irving knew Durant trade request was possible when he opted in to the final year of his contract.
- Ben Simmons would be the major impediment to the Nuggets getting involved in the Durant sweepstakes, Mike Singer of the Denver Post notes. League rules stipulate that teams can’t have two players on a rookie scale max extension that have been acquired via trade. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. would both fit that description.
- In the days before Irving’s choice to opt-in, sources close to Ayton raised the possibility of an Ayton-Mikal Bridges deal with the Nets, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. It was unclear at that time whether or not Durant was going to ask for a trade.
- In the same piece, Alex Schiffer says he’s heard the Nets want multiple All-Stars in any deal for Durant.
Nuggets Sign Davon Reed To Two-Year Contract
JULY 9: The Nuggets have officially re-signed Reed, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
JUNE 30: The Nuggets are re-signing Davon Reed to a standard two-year deal, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets.
Reed appeared in 48 regular season games with Denver last season, including five starts. He averaged 4.4 PPG in 13.9 MPG.
He was on a two-way contract and received a qualifying offer this week, making him a restricted free agent. The terms of his new contract aren’t yet known.
Reed couldn’t play in the postseason because of the two-way deal. However, he earned high praise from coach Michael Malone.
“Every time Davon Reed has gotten a chance to play this year, he’s found a way to help this team,” Malone said late in the regular season.
The 6’5” guard has made 39.1% of his 3-pointers in his 79-game NBA career.
Wizards Sign Delon Wright To Two-Year Contract
JULY 6: The Wizards have officially signed Wright, the team announced today in a press release.
“Delon’s versatility as a playmaker, scorer and defender will help us solidify our backcourt rotation,” Wizards president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said in a statement. “His size allows him to play and defend both guard positions and will give us flexibility with our lineups.”
JUNE 30: The Wizards have agreed to a two-year, $16MM contract with point guard Delon Wright, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Both years are guaranteed, David Aldridge of The Athletic tweets.
The contract will eat up a good portion of Washington’s $10.49MM mid-level exception.
Wright is the second significant point guard acquisition made by Washington this week. The Wizards are acquiring Monte Morris in a four-player deal with Denver. Journeyman point guard Ish Smith is being shipped to the Nuggets as part of that deal.
A report surfaced earlier on Thursday that Washington was interested in Wright.
The 30-year-old has played for six organizations, most recently the Hawks. He was a regular in their rotation last season, appearing in 77 regular-season contests, including eight starts. He averaged 4.4 PPG, 2.4 APG and 1.2 SPG in 18.9 MPG.
Nets Acquire Royce O’Neale From Jazz
5:34pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from both teams.
2:05pm: The Jazz are trading starting forward Royce O’Neale to the Nets for a first-round pick, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Brooklyn is using a $11.3MM trade exception it created in the James Harden trade with Philadelphia to take on O’Neale’s salary, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. The Jazz will create a trade exeption worth O’Neale’s outgoing salary.
The pick headed to Utah is a 2023 first-rounder, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Brooklyn is sending the lesser of its own, Houston’s, or Philadelphia’s first-round pick, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.
The Sixers sent their first rounder for next season to the Nets in the same Harden deal. Houston has the right to swap its pick with Brooklyn’s next season, courtesy of the four-way swap in 2021 that landed Harden in Brooklyn.
O’Neale has a $9.2MM salary next season and a $9.5MM salary for 2023/24. However, the last year is guaranteed is only guaranteed for $2.5MM.
O’Neale, noted for his defensive prowess, has been a fixture in Utah’s lineup for the last three seasons. He averaged 7.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 2.5 APG in 31.2 MPG this past season while appearing in 77 regular season games.
The acquisition of O’Neale will likely diminish the possibility of the Nets re-signing free agent swingman Bruce Brown. On the flip side, Utah’s decision to trade one of its starters signals that other moves are on the way. The first-rounder will give it an asset to dangle for another trade.
Taurean Prince Signs Two-Year Extension With Timberwolves
JUNE 30: Prince’s extension is now official, according to the Timberwolves (Twitter link).
JUNE 28: Taurean Prince is returning to the Timberwolves on a two-year, $16MM extension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Prince was headed to unrestricted free agency but had expressed a strong desire to remain in Minnesota, and the team is locking up to an extension that will keep him off the market.
Shortly after the season, Prince said he planned to return, adding that the strong camaraderie in the Wolves’ locker room is something he hasn’t experienced since college. He praised head coach Chris Finch, comparing him to Mike Budenholzer, who coached Prince in Atlanta at the start of his NBA career.
The second year of Prince’s new contract will be non-guaranteed, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. It’ll represent a slight pay cut for Prince, who signed a two-year, $25.25MM contract with Brooklyn in 2019 and earned $13.3MM this past season.
Prince averaged 7.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG on .454/.376/.756 shooting in 69 regular season games (17.1 MPG) during his first year in Minnesota. The Wolves held his Bird rights, so they had the ability to go over the cap to re-sign him without using any other exceptions.
Jazz Waive Juancho Hernangomez
4:03pm: The Jazz have officially waived Hernangomez, the team announced in a press release.
3:01pm: The Jazz are waiving forward Juancho Hernangomez, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Tony Jones (Twitter link).
His $7,307,130 salary for next season would have fully guaranteed if he had remained on the roster beyond Thursday. The move was expected and gives Utah more room to manuever as it reshapes its roster.
Hernangomez, 26, played for three teams while getting dealt four times last season. He played 18 games with Boston, five with San Antonio and 17 with the Jazz. He saw action in 17 games with Utah, including nine starts, and averaged 6.2 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 17.5 MPG.
Western Notes: McGee, Towns, Wiseman, Williamson, Trent Jr.
JaVale McGee could wind up with another Western Conference contender next season. The Mavericks are very interested in the veteran free agent center and could offer him the two-year deal he’s seeking, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM tweets. McGee, 34, averaged 9.2 PPG and 6.7 RPG for the Suns last season while appearing in 74 regular season contests.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The biggest priority for the Timberwolves this summer is to lock up Karl-Anthony Towns with an extension, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports. Towns is eligible for an extension of up to four years and roughly $211MM. “I can’t wait to sit down with him and his representation ASAP and keep this thing going,” new president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said. “He’s special and deserves everything that is going to come his way.”
- James Wiseman would actually benefit if the Warriors are able to re-sign free agent Kevon Looney, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Their skill sets would mesh as the team’s center duo and it would ease the pressure on Wiseman, allowing him to focus on his development.
- The Pelicans’ extension talks with Zion Williamson could take some time to sort out, as Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times Picayune explains. The two sides need to figure out is how much of the extension will be fully guaranteed. Clark’s sources believe there is a possibility that negotiations could drag on longer than anticipated due of this issue. Williamson sat out last season due to a foot injury.
- The Jazz have expressed interest in Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr., according to Ian Begley of SNY TV. Trent’s cap hit for next season is $17.5MM and he has an $18.5+MM option for 2023/24. He averaged 18.3 PPG in 35 MPG last season.
Spurs Expected To Waive Danilo Gallinari
The Spurs are expected to waive forward Danilo Gallinari now that their blockbuster trade with the Hawks is official, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Gallinari is part of the Dejounte Murray deal. His partial guarantee was increased in order to complete the trade.
His $21.45MM salary next season had only been partially guaranteed for $5MM. His partial guarantee is believed to have been increased by an additional $5-6MM or so to match Murray’s incoming salary. San Antonio will get some cap relief by waiving him before his full salary becomes guaranteed.
Gallinari, 33, is expected to draw interest from contenders in both conferences. The Bulls, Celtics, and Heat are among the teams that have already been linked to him, and Gallinari has interest in those clubs, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, who tweets that the forward will be seeking mid-level type money.
Gallinari is a 38.1% career 3-point shooter and has averaged double digits in points since his second NBA season. He averaged 11.7 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 25.3 MPG over 66 regular season games (18 starts) last season.
Brett Brown Returns To Spurs As Assistant
Brett Brown has returned to the Spurs as an assistant coach, the team announced in a press release.
Brown was on Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio for 11 seasons from 2002-13, first as the club’s director of player development, then as an assistant coach.
“I’m thrilled to be able to hire such a good coach, human being and dinner partner,” Popovich said.
Brown left San Antonio to become the head coach with the Sixers. He patrolled Philadelphia’s sidelines through the 2019/20 season.
Brown joins Mitch Johnson and Matt Nielsen on Popovich’s staff. Given that Popovich is 73, it’s fair to wonder if Brown will emerge as a candidate to eventually replace Popovich when he retires.