Bucks Sign Pat Connaughton To Three-Year Extension
JULY 18: Connaughton’s extension is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
The deal has matching annual cap hits of $9,423,869, for a three-year total of $28,271,607, Hoops Rumors has learned. As noted below, the final year is a player option.
JULY 12: The Bucks and swingman Pat Connaughton are finalizing a three-year contract extension, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The deal will lock up Connaughton through the 2025/26 season.
The extension will be worth $28.5MM and includes a player option, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that the two sides have reached an agreement.
Last month, Connaughton chose to put off free agency by opting in to the last year of his current contract. He’ll make $5,728,393 next season.
His option decision was somewhat surprising at the time but an extension was apparently already in the works. He was eligible to sign a contract extension for up to four years and approximately $58MM after opting in, so Milwaukee managed to secure his services for a lesser amount.
Connaughton, 29, had the best season of his seven-year career in 2021/22, averaging 9.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in 65 appearances (26.0 MPG). He also established new career highs in three-pointers per game (2.2) while knocking them down at a 39.5% clip.
And-Ones: In-Season Tournament, Lillard, Beal, Williams, Ferrell
Earlier this week, the NBA’s Board of Governors decided to make the play-in tournament a regularly scheduled event. At the same meeting, the Board also discussed the possibility of an in-season tournament, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
According to Charania, the format would have all 30 teams competing, with eight teams advancing to a single-elimination round to determine the winner. The NBA’s “Final Four” would be held at a neutral site. However, the in-season tournament won’t happen until at least the 2023/24 season.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- It’s inevitable the extensions given by the Trail Blazers to Damian Lillard and by the Wizards to Bradley Beal will come back to haunt those franchises, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. Lillard is projected to make a cap-killing $63MM in 2026/27 when he’s 36, Hollinger notes. The Wizards gave Beal a five-year deal that pays him $70MM more than he could have gotten elsewhere and they added a no-trade clause, both of which could doom the franchise to mediocrity.
- Former NBA forward Derrick Williams has agreed to a one-year deal with Panathinaikos Athens, according to Sportando. Williams played for Maccabi Tel Aviv last season. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2011 draft hasn’t played an NBA game since the 2017/18 season.
- Former NBA guard Yogi Ferrell is re-signing with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, according to Sportando. He averaged 12.6 PPG in ABA Liga games, 15.3 PPG in EuroCup and 13.8 PPG in domestic league contests for the Slovenian team last season. Ferrell played for the Clippers in the 2020/21 regular season and playoffs before going overseas.
- From stars sitting out regular-season games to high draft picks getting shut down in the Summer League, the league has a major problem with its recognizable players simply not playing enough, argues Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Hawks Sign Second-Rounder Tyrese Martin
The Hawks have signed second-round draft pick Tyrese Martin, the team announced in a press release.
It’s a two-year contract, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
Martin, the No. 51 overall pick, was acquired with a draft-night trade with the Warriors. Martin was dealt to Atlanta, along with cash considerations, in exchange for the draft rights to Ryan Rollins, the No. 44 pick.
Through four Summer League contests, the former UConn swingman is averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 1.8 APG in 24.2 MPG. He had a game-high 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the floor in Atlanta’s 95-88 win over Miami on July 12.
Martin saw action in 29 games for the Huskies last season, averaging 13.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 1.9 APG in 32.1 MPG. He transferred to UConn following a two-year stint at Rhode Island.
Martin is the 14th Hawk to receive a standard contract for 2022/23.
Latest On Donovan Mitchell
A potential Donovan Mitchell trade could be an “extended process” rather than an imminent event, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (video link).
Utah is “talking throughout the league,” but there are not everyday negotiations going on involving the All-Star guard, according to Wojnarowski, who says the Jazz have “time on their side” due to Mitchell being signed through the 2025/26 season (including a player option in the final year).
Utah exec Danny Ainge has a reputation of waiting teams out to get the best possible trade package. “I think it’s going to be the same thing with Donovan Mitchell,” Wojnarowski said, though he added that the Knicks are a “motivated suitor.”
We have more on the Mitchell trade front:
- According to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, the notion that the Jazz were not open to offers for Mitchell prior to this week is a false narrative. They had discussed Mitchell trades before Rudy Gobert was dealt to the Timberwolves.
- ESPN’s Insiders look at five potential Mitchell deals involving the Knicks, Heat, Raptors, Thunder and a four-way swap. Responding to ESPN’s proposed trades, Larsen tweets that the proposed packages from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Oklahoma City would all fall short of what the Jazz are seeking. ESPN’s hypothetical four-team deal involving Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Deandre Ayton might’ve appealed most to Utah, according to Larsen, but it’s no longer an option now that Ayton is back under contract with Phoenix.
- With the Knicks apparently ready to give up a boatload of assets for Mitchell, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post looks at past deals for star players that failed to turn the fortunes of the franchise.
- Dealing Mitchell would be the best thing for the Jazz, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News opines. After dealing Gobert, the Jazz would have to give up numerous assets in trades just to remain in the playoff picture if they retain Mitchell.
- A group of ESPN analysts explored some potential trade packages for Mitchell on NBA Today (video link).
Markus Howard To Sign With Baskonia
Free agent guard Markus Howard has agreed to a two-year contract with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
The news that the two sides were close to an agreement was first reported by Home of Glory.
Howard played last season with the Nuggets on a two-way contract. He became an unrestricted free agent when he was not extended a qualifying offer.
The undrafted guard out of Marquette suffered a sprained knee early last season, then appeared in 31 regular-season games after he returned. He averaged 4.1 PPG in 5.7 MPG.
During his rookie season in 2020/21, Howard has averaged 4.3 PPG in 37 games with Denver. He also saw action in nine postseason contests.
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.