Bismack Biyombo Re-Signs With Suns
JULY 3: Biyombo has officially re-signed with the Suns, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. That means it’s a minimum-salary deal for the veteran big man, since minimum signings can be completed during the July moratorium.
JULY 2: The Suns are re-signing free agent center Bismack Biyombo, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Biyombo, 29, appeared in 36 regular-season games last season for Phoenix, averaging 5.8 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 14.1 MPG. Biyombo, who spent the bulk of his NBA career with Charlotte, also appeared in nine playoff games last season.
Biyombo provides depth in the middle with Deandre Ayton‘s status with the franchise still very much up in the air.
Biyombo joined Phoenix last season on a 10-day contract, then signed a rest-of-the-season deal in early January for the prorated veteran’s minimum.
And-Ones: Wembanyama, Take Fouls, Grant, Trade Requests
Victor Wembanyama, the top-ranked prospect for the 2023 draft, has opted out of his contract with ASVEL Villeurbanne and is signing a two-year deal with Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 from Paris, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports.
The 7’3” Wembanyama was also pursued by the G League Ignite, Australian NBL, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Basket and many others, Givony adds. While the terms of the latest contract were not disclosed, it’s logical to assume he’ll have an opt-out clause after the first season, so that he can play in the NBA during the 2023/24 season if he chooses.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Players being intentionally fouled to prevent fast break buckets has been a point of contention in recent seasons. The NBA is addressing that issue in Summer League games, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Those fouls will result in one free throw, plus the ball. It’s likely a precursor for what’s to come, Reynolds adds, with the Board of Governors expected to make the final change regarding transition take fouls later this month.
- Olimpia Milano has parted ways with former NBA guard Jerian Grant after one season, according to Sportando. Grant has 279 NBA games on his resume, mostly recently during the 2019/20 season, when he appeared in six Wizards contests.
- Kevin Durant‘s desire to be traded after signing an extension which doesn’t kick in until next season is something the owners want to fix, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. It has been suggested that owners may want to recoup money the earlier a player is into his contract and a trade request is honored. However, it may be impossible to have a punitive enough deterrent for players who are signing massive deals.
Pistons Sign Lottery Pick Jaden Ivey
The Pistons have signed lottery pick Jaden Ivey to his rookie scale contract, the team tweets.
The Purdue point guard was chosen with the No. 5 overall pick. Ivey’s deal, assuming the usual 120% of the rookie scale, will be for four years and $32,951,083. His first-year salary, under those terms, will be $7,252,200.
Ivey is expected to jump right into Detroit’s rotation and pair up in the backcourt with last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham.
Detroit is also acquiring No. 13 overall pick, center Jalen Duren, from a draft-night trade. However, it cannot officially sign Duren until that trade becomes official.
Grizzlies Sign Three Draft Picks, Kenneth Lofton Jr.
The Grizzlies have signed first-round draft picks Jake LaRavia and David Roddy to multi-year contracts, the team tweets.
LaRavia, who played for Wake Forest last season, was acquired by Memphis with the No. 19 overall pick pursuant to a draft-night trade with the Timberwolves. His rookie scale contract, under the latest salary cap, could go four years and can be worth up to $14,763,367.
Roddy, who played for Colorado State last season, was acquired by the Grizzlies with the No. 23 overall pick after a trade with the 76ers. His rookie scale deal can go four years and be worth up to $12,985,886.
[RELATED: Rookie Scale Salaries For 2022 NBA First-Round Picks]
The Grizzlies also announced that wing Vince Williams Jr. and big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. have signed two-way contracts (Twitter link).
Williams Jr., the No. 47 overall pick of this year’s draft, was selected to the 2021/22 All-Atlantic 10 First Team during his senior year at VCU.
The Grizzlies’ decision to give Lofton a two-way deal was previously reported. He was named to the All-Conference USA First Team during his sophomore year at Louisiana Tech last season but went undrafted.
With Williams and Lofton on two-way deals, the Grizzlies have waived guard Tyrell Terry, who signed a two-year, two-way contract last season. Terry, drafted by Dallas in 2020, appeared in two games with Memphis in ’21/22.
The Grizzlies still have one unsigned draftee, No. 38 pick Kennedy Chandler. His deal will likely be completed once the July moratorium ends.
Western Notes: Clippers Roster, DiVincenzo, Nuggets, Monk
After landing John Wall, the Clippers have one opening on their 15-man roster. There’s no rush to fill it, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes. While they could use a backup center, the team is more interested in staying flexible rather than quickly adding a player. The team is already looking at a $143MM tax bill for next season and another signing would add to that.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Donte DiVincenzo was believed to have offers for the full taxpayer mid-level exception of $6.479MM. However, he chose the Warriors’ offer of two years and $9.3MM with a player option. The option was key to his decision to take a $4.5MM salary next season, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He has a chance to join a championship team and pump up his value. If he does that, he can re-enter the free-agency market. If he doesn’t, he’s protected with a second-year player option worth $4.8MM.
- Nuggets GM Calvin Booth is carrying out his stated agenda of improving the team’s defense, Mike Singer of the Denver Post notes. By trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, agreeing to sign free agent Bruce Brown, re-signing Davon Reed and drafting Christian Braun and Peyton Watson, Booth targeted players who could switch on defense, disrupt passing lanes, play bigger than their height and stay on the floor in the postseason.
- Malik Monk has been friends with De’Aaron Fox since high school. That played a role in his decision to ditch the Lakers and agree to a two-year, $19MM contract with the Kings, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reports.
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.