Nate Bjorkgren Back With Raptors As Assistant
The Raptors are listing Nate Bjorkgren as an assistant coach, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca tweets.
Bjorkgren was at Toronto’s training camp as a consultant and it seems the club has rehired him in his previous capacity. Bjorkgren was on Nick Nurse’s staff until he was hired as the Pacers’ head coach prior to last season. His tumultuous one-year stint ended in June when the team fired him.
Bjorkgren reportedly had major communication issues with players and coaches alike in Indiana and the front office opted to bring back Rick Carlisle for a second stint. Bjorkgren had one more guaranteed year on his contract.
He was an assistant on Nurse’s Team Canada staff this summer.
Timberwolves Pick Up Options On Edwards, McDaniels
The Timberwolves have picked up their third-year options on Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Both options are for the 2022/23 season.
The moves were a mere formality as Minnesota guaranteed the contracts of two of the team’s key players from last year’s draft.
Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick, averaged 19.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 2.9 APG in his stellar rookie season. He pumped in 23.8 PPG after the All-Star break.
McDaniels, the No. 28 pick, averaged 6.8 PPG and 3.7 RPG. He also ramped up his production after the All-Star break and is expected to start at power forward this season.
Edwards’ salary for 2022/23 will be $10.73MM, while McDaniels will get $2.16MM.
Ayton, Sexton Among Players Who Don’t Agree To Extensions
While 11 players received rookie scale extensions this offseason, many notable players didn’t reach an agreement with their respective teams prior to Monday’s deadline.
As we detailed earlier, the Suns couldn’t come to terms with the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft, Deandre Ayton. Phoenix was unwilling to offer Ayton a full max contract, which short-circuited any hopes of an agreement.
The Suns raised the concept of a shorter maximum contract — presumably for three or four years instead of the full five years — but never formally made the offer or broached the idea again with Ayton’s reps, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst report. Ayton is unhappy with the franchise’s consistent stance that it simply doesn’t view him as a max player, the ESPN duo adds.
That adds an intriguing subplot to Phoenix’s drive to make the Finals again. Ayton will be headed toward restricted free agent next summer. Will he be motivated toward proving the front office wrong or will his unhappiness create a major distraction? Ayton could be the most attractive free agent on next year’s market and receive a giant offer sheet, which would force the Suns to decide to match it or let their franchise center walk away.
Ayton has some company among his peers. The Cavaliers and guard Collin Sexton were unable to reach an agreement and he’s headed toward restricted free agency, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. Even though Sexton posted impressive offensive stats last season (24.3 PPG, 4.4 APG), his name was frequently mentioned in trade rumors this summer, a signal that the Cavs aren’t sold on the eighth pick of the 2018 draft as their long-term floor leader.
Sexton was hoping for a $100MM+, multi-year deal that aligned with his production over the first three years, Fedor reports. At one point this offseason, Sexton used De’Aaron Fox‘s five-year, $163MM extension in 2020 as a baseline. The Cavs were unwilling to go anywhere near that number and optimism waned in recent days about reaching an agreement.
The Hornets and swingman Miles Bridges also couldn’t come to terms, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets, nor could the Spurs and Lonnie Walker, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News tweets. Bridges averaged 12.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG last season, while Walker contributed 11.2 PPG in his third year.
Donte DiVincenzo, a key member of the Bucks’ rotation last season until he suffered a torn ligament in his ankle in July, is also headed to restricted free agency. DiVincenzo averaged 10.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3.1 APG last season. Some of the other notables who didn’t sign an extension or were not offered one include the Kings’ Marvin Bagley III and the Magic’s Mohamed Bamba.
The list of players who did and did not receive rookie scale extensions can be found here.
Hawks, Kevin Huerter Complete Four-Year Extension
5:54pm: Huerter has officially signed his extension, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
4:31pm: The Hawks and Kevin Huerter have agreed to terms on a four-year rookie scale extension worth $65MM, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal is fully guaranteed, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).
This continues Atlanta’s trend of locking up its young core. Trae Young signed a five-year max extension in August. John Collins inked a five-year extension this summer and Clint Capela received a two-year extension.
Overall, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link), the franchise has handed out more than $400MM in contracts this offseason — Young’s $172.5MM, John Collins’ $125MM, Huerter’s deal and Capela’s $46MM. Atlanta could certainly be confronted with luxury tax issues in future years but the ownership group appears willing to do whatever it takes to keep their top players in the fold.
Huerter, 23, is one of the team’s key wing pieces. He’s a 37.6% 3-point shooter over the first three years of his career. He averaged 11.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 3.5 APG last season in 69 regular season games, including 49 starts. During the Hawks’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals, he started 10 of 18 games and averaged 11.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 2.8 APG.
Huerter’s extension is similar to the one the Clippers wing Luke Kennard received last winter.
Warriors Claim Dowtin, Make Him Two-Way Player
The Warriors have claimed Jeff Dowtin and converted his Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.
The Magic waived Dowtin on Saturday.
Dowtin, a 6’3” shooting guard, played for G League’s Lakeland Magic last season and was also a member of Orlando’s Summer League team. Dowtin, who went undrafted out of Rhode Island in 2020, averaged 6.5 PPG and 2.5 APG in 15 games (19.7 MPG) for Lakeland last season and 7.2 PPG in five games at Las Vegas.
He also saw action in three preseason games this month. Golden State’s other two-way deal is held by another guard, Chris Chiozza.
Spurs Claim Cacok, Hand Him Two-Way Deal
The Spurs have claimed former Lakers and Nets forward Devontae Cacok off waivers and converted his deal to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Brooklyn placed Cacok on waivers over the weekend after choosing to sign David Duke Jr. to a two-way contract. Cacok was signed to a training camp deal last month.
Claims are relatively rare in the NBA, so the Spurs apparently believe Cacok, 25, could contribute this season. Swingman Joe Wieskamp has the Spurs’ other two-way deal.
Cacok, who went undrafted out of UNC Wilmington in 2019, spent his first two professional seasons on a two-way contract with the Lakers. He played sparingly as a rookie, but appeared in 20 regular season games in 2020/21, though his playing time was limited. He averaged 2.0 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 4.9 minutes per contest.
He excelled in the G League in 2019/20, putting up 19.3 PPG and 11.9 RPG with a .660 FG% in 33 games for the South Bay Lakers.
Brooklyn’s G League team, the Long Island Nets, acquired his rights on Friday. The Spurs’ two-way contract will override those returning rights. However, Long Island would still have his returning rights if he’s waived and signs a G League contract.
Spurs Exercise Options On Johnson, Vassell
The Spurs exercised their fourth-year option on forward Keldon Johnson, as well as their third-year option on swingman Devin Vassell, for the 2022/23 season, according to a team press release.
Johnson will make approximately $3.87MM next season, while Vassell will take in nearly $4.44MM.
Neither move came as a surprise.
Johnson has emerged as one of the team’s top players. He appeared in 69 games last season and averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.8 APG in 28.5 MPG. Johnson, the 29th pick of the 2019 draft, was a member of this summer’s Team USA squad that captured the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Vassell, a lottery pick last year, averaged 5.5 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 17.0 MPG over 62 games during his rookie campaign. He projects to be one of San Antonio’s mainstays on its second unit this season.
Cavs Convert Fall, Nembhard To Two-Way Deals; Waive Three Players
1:13pm: The Cavaliers have officially announced all the moves outlined below.
10:45am: The Cavaliers are signing center Tacko Fall to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The team is also converting RJ Nembhard‘s contract to a two-way deal, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.
Additionally, Cleveland is trimming its roster by waiving Justin James, Kyle Guy and Mitch Ballock, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. They are expected to join the Cleveland Charge once they clear waivers, Fedor adds.
Fall was signed to a non-guaranteed contract in early September. The 7’6” big man appeared in three preseason games and made enough of an impression to earn the two-way deal. He spent two seasons with the Celtics, averaging 2.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 0.9 BPG in 26 games.
Nembhard was also signed to a non-guaranteed contract in early September. He played for Miami’s summer league team after going undrafted. Nembhard was a redshirt junior for TCU in 2020/21 and averaged 15.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 4.0 APG in 24 games (34.9 MPG).
Brodric Thomas, who had been a two-way deal last season, was waived this week.
Raptors To Sign, Waive Ashton Hagans, Breein Tyree
The Raptors will sign Ashton Hagans and Breein Tyree to Exhibit 10 contract, then waive them, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca tweets.
Hagans was on the Raptors’ summer league team in Las Vegas but missed games due to an ankle injury. He was a two-way player for the Timberwolves last season but was waived in February.
Tyree has played for Toronto’s G League team, Raptors 905. He’s working his way back from a torn ACL, suffered at the G League bubble in Orlando last season.
Both players would receive a $50K bonus if they’re on the G League team’s roster for at least 60 days.
Nuggets Waive Tarik Black, Two Others; Sign Nik Stauskas
10:13am: Black, Reed, and Bezhanishvili have officially been released, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
9:45am: The Nuggets are trimming their roster by waiving Tarik Black, Davon Reed and Giorgi Bezhanishvili, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. All three were on training camp deals.
Black played four years with the Lakers and Rockets, but has not appeared in a regular season game since the 2017/18 season. He has career averages of 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 220 games.
Reed was a second-round pick by the Suns in 2017 and played 21 games in his rookie season. He spent the following year with the Pacers on a two-way deal and holds career averages of 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 31 games.
Bezhanishvili, who was just signed this week, went undrafted this summer after logging three seasons with the Fighting Illini. The 22-year-old averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 95 contests with the club, including 57 starts.
The trio could wind up on the Nuggets’ new G League team, the Grand Rapids Gold in Michigan, once they clear waivers.
The team has also signed Nik Stauskas to an Exhibit 10 deal, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. Stauskas, who holds career averages of 6.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.5 APG across 335 games, will likely be waived and join the Gold as well.