Southwest Notes: Markkanen, Lamb, Grizzlies, Mavs’ Staff
The Mavericks would be happy to acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls if he would agree sign under market value so they could fit him into their $11MM traded player exception, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic. In that sign-and-trade scenario, the Mavericks likely wouldn’t have to give up a rotation player.
The alternative would be to offer Markkanen a three-year deal in the $44MM range. The Bulls have some interest in Maxi Kleber, Cato adds. Kleber has a base salary of $8.75MM next season and his 2022/23 salary is non-guaranteed. However, the Mavericks would be giving up a rotation piece and replacing him with a player with a higher salary.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets have made a two-way qualifying offer to Anthony Lamb but he hopes that he proved in summer league play he deserves a standard contract, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. “Hopefully, I convince them I deserve more,” Lamb said. He averaged 7.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 1.8 APG and played strong defense in five outings at Las Vegas.
- The Grizzlies have become a proverbial dumping ground for teams looking to move contracts they’re trying to shed, says Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Their recent acquisition of Patrick Beverley – who is being flipped to Minnesota – and Rajon Rondo from the Clippers demonstrates that strategy. Memphis has made a number of similar moves in recent years, stockpiling first-round draft picks and opening up cap space after this season with the hope landing another star to join Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
- The Mavericks are looking to add another assistant to Jason Kidd’s staff, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, who tweets that they’ve interviewed at least two female candidates with the aim of hiring one of them if the right candidate is found. Dallas had a female assistant last season in Jenny Boucek, who joined Rick Carlisle‘s staff in Indiana.
Pistons Sign Jamorko Pickett To Exhibit 10 Contract
AUGUST 18: Pickett’s Exhibit 10 deal with the Pistons is official, according to RealGM’s transactions log.
AUGUST 2: Jamorko Pickett has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pistons, Jon Chepkevich of Stats Perform tweets. The pending signing has been confirmed by Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link).
Pickett went undrafted after playing four seasons at Georgetown. The 6’9” forward averaged 12.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.1 APG in his senior season. He started 109 of 119 games during his college career and made 36.5% of his 3-point attempts, adding to appeal.
An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a standard deal or a two-way pact before the regular season, though the players who sign them often end up becoming affiliate players for their team’s G League squad. If Pickett ends up playing for the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, in 2021/22, he could earn a bonus worth up to $50K.
Dalano Banton Signs Two-Year Contract With Raptors
2:30pm: The signing is now official, the Raptors confirmed in a press release.
8:21am: Dalano Banton is signing a two-year, $2.5MM contract with the Raptors, Shams Charania and Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweet.
It’s a minimum deal for a rookie and will be fully guaranteed in the first year and partially guaranteed in the second year, Murphy reports in another tweet.
The second-round pick has averaged 7.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 2.0 BPG in three summer league contests in Las Vegas. Banton spent two seasons in college, first at Western Kentucky and then at Nebraska after sitting out a year due to the transfer. He averaged 9.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.9 APG for the Cornhuskers.
The 6’9” forward, who was chosen with the No. 46 overall pick, projects to spend a good chunk of his rookie season with the franchise’s G League team, Raptors 905.
Bruno Caboclo Signs With Brazilian Team
Bruno Caboclo, who played for the Rockets last season, has signed with Sao Paulo in Brazil, according to the team, Hoops Rum0rs’ JD Shaw tweets.
The 6’9” Caboclo played in France with Limoges CSP at the end of last season.
He has appeared in 105 NBA games since he was drafted in the first round by the Raptors in 2014. He’s also played for Sacramento and Memphis.
Caboclo saw action in six games with Houston before he was waived in mid-January in order to clear a roster spot after the James Harden multi-team blockbuster. He also played eight games for Houston at the end of the 2019/20 season after being acquired from the Grizzlies at the trade deadline.
Central Notes: Pacers, Stanley, Green, T. Antetokounmpo, DeRozan
The Pacers are looking to add a third point guard after trading Aaron Holiday to the Wizards, according to J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star. They’ve been trying to move wing Jeremy Lamb and his expiring $10.5MM contract but have yet to find any takers.
Those factors contributed to the decision to pull a qualifying offer from two-way player Cassius Stanley. However, Stanley’s time in the organization isn’t necessarily over. He’s been offered a training camp invite, though it’s uncertain if he’ll accept it or attempt to hook on with another team.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Javonte Green‘s two-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Bulls is fully guaranteed and doesn’t include any options, Keith Smith tweets. Green was acquired in March and entered the month as a restricted free agent after Chicago extended him a qualifying offer. The signing was made official on Wednesday.
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo received a player option in the final year of his two-year contract with the Bucks, Ian Begley of SNY.TV tweets. He signed a two-year deal worth approximately $3.6MM.
- DeMar DeRozan will make $26MM in the first season of his three-year contract, somewhat below what was initially reported, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. DeRozan, who was acquired by the Bulls in a sign-and-trade, will make $27.3MM and $28.6MM in the final two years, for a total of $81.9MM, according to Smith (Twitter link). The contract is fully guaranteed without any options or bonuses.
Suspended Jalen Harris Signs With Italian Team
Jalen Harris, who has been suspended by the NBA for violating its anti-drug program, has signed a one-year deal with Italy’s Vanoli Cremona, the Italian team tweets (hat tip to Sportando).
The NBA dismissed and disqualified Harris on July 1 and he’ll have to wait a year to apply for reinstatement.
Harris played for the Raptors on a two-way contract last season after being selected with the 59th pick in the 2020 draft out of the University of Nevada. He averaged 7.4 PPG in 13 games and was a standout on the Raptors’ G League team in his seven games with the 905, averaging 17.6 PPG on 50% shooting from 3-point distance.
The day after the suspension was announced, the Raptors waived Harris, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Thus, Toronto no longer holds his rights and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent if and when he’s eventually approved for reinstatement.
Bulls’ Devon Dotson Signs Qualifying Offer
Free agent guard Devon Dotson has signed his qualifying offer from the Bulls, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Dotson will be on a two-way contract and the qualifying offer includes a $50K guarantee. Chicago still has its other two-way slot available.
Dotson, 22, was also on a two-way deal last season when he appeared in 11 games with the Bulls as a rookie, averaging 2.1 PPG in 4.5 MPG. Dotson averaged 13 PPG and 5.6 APG in 10 G League games with the Canton Charge.
He’s currently averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.0 APG in 22.2 MPG through three summer league games in Las Vegas.
Western Notes: Azubuike, Jackson, Wright, Green
Jazz 2020 first-round selection, big man Udoka Azubuike, was hampered by a severe ankle sprain in his rookie campaign, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. Azubuike suffered the injury during the Salt Lake City Stars’ first game in the G League bubble last season. “It was tough, it was really tough for me going through that injury, that process,” Azubuike said. “Not being out on the court practicing or learning, doing what a regular rookie like me would do.” He’ll likely compete for backup center minutes this season with veteran acquisition Hassan Whiteside.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The King’s young players are not the only ones going through a learning process during summer league action. Bobby Jackson, the team’s summer league coach, is also gaining valuable experience, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. “I can get better in late-game situations, understanding who to have on the floor, the substitutions, all the stuff that comes with it,” Jackson said. “But me and my stuff, just like the players have to do a better job, we’ve got to do a better job of making sure we have the right personnel on the floor. But it’s a growing experience for me, I love it.” Jackson was also recently named the head coach of the G League’s Stockton Kings.
- McKinley Wright IV received a two-way deal from the Timberwolves last week. The former Colorado standout grew up in Minnesota and is thrilled to play in his home state, according to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I didn’t know that I was going to be coming home,” Wright said. “I didn’t know that Minnesota was this interested in me. … I told my family, ‘We didn’t hear my name called how we initially planned, but this is better for me, going undrafted, betting on myself, and I continue to look forward to proving people wrong.”
- Jeff Green’s versatile offensive game, which is built around 3-point shooting and elite finishing around the rim, should be a major boost for the Nuggets’ second unit, Eric Spyropoulos of the team’s website writes. The veteran big man signed a two-year deal with Denver in free agency.
Pacers Withdraw Qualifying Offer To Cassius Stanley
The Pacers have withdrawn their two-way qualifying offer to Cassius Stanley, making him an unrestricted free agent, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star tweets.
Stanley played on a two-way contract as a rookie. He saw action in 24 games, averaging 1.5 PPG in 3.9 MPG.
Stanley, 21, was chosen with the No. 54 overall pick in 2020 out of Duke. He competed in last year’s Slam Dunk competition prior to the All-Star game.
He averaged 12.6 PPG and 4.9 RPG in his lone season with the Blue Devils.
Indiana has both of its two-way slots filled by Amida Brimah and Duane Washington.
Mavericks Sign Eugene Omoruyi To Two-Way Contract
The Mavericks have signed rookie Eugene Omoruyi to a two-way contract, the team’s PR department tweets.
Omoruyi went undrafted after spending one season at Oregon and three at Rutgers. Dallas’ decision to ink Omoruyi to a contract was reported right after the draft and the franchise obviously likes the 6’6” small forward enough to hand him one of its two-ways.
Omoruyi averaged 17.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG on .473/.376/.765 shooting in 28 games (30.6 MPG) with the Ducks. In two summer league contests, Omoruyi is averaging 16.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG.
The Mavs’ other two-way slot is occupied by guard Nate Hinton. Dallas now has a full 17-man roster, though the club can add up to three more players to its offseason squad.