Hawks Owner Ressler Pressed For Free Agent Spree
Majority owner Tony Ressler instructed the Hawks’ front office to pursue numerous free agents last month, leading to the team’s big spending spree, as Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details.
Following a three-year rebuild, Ressler told GM Travis Schlenk in a meeting prior to free agency to use all of the team’s cap space to fortify a young roster with quality veterans. The meeting also included coach Lloyd Pierce, assistant GM Landry Fields, and assistant coach and former Pacers head coach Nate McMillan.
“I said this to Travis: What’s the point of having all of this cap space if you don’t use it? That’s like looking at a fancy toy that you could never get your hands on. … We used every bit of that cap space,” Ressler said. “He did exactly what he was supposed to do, and I’m here with great confidence.”
The front office provided Ressler with a list of veteran players who would be good fits with their returning players, and the Hawks ended up getting several of their top targets, according to Kirschner.
The Hawks added Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn in free agency. Bogdanovic received the biggest deal, a four-year, $72MM offer sheet the Kings didn’t match. Gallinari (three-year, $61MM contract) was acquired in a sign-and-trade with Oklahoma City, while Rondo and Dunn signed two-year deals.
Ressler told Schlenk to flaunt the team’s ability to sign multiple free agents.
“I think Travis wanted everyone to know he had the most cap space in the NBA, and he (darn) well expected to use it. I think that was the message he sent when free agency began,” he said. “I didn’t know if he was going to be able to use it, but to his credit and really the entire basketball ops’ credit, they used it.”
Ressler drew the line on Monday when the team didn’t reach a rookie scale extension agreement with one of those quality young players, John Collins. However, Ressler does expect major improvement after spending all that capital.
“The objective is not, emphatically, to be the eighth seed in the playoffs and pound our chest and say, ‘Mission accomplished,’” Ressler said. “There’s a plan here, and this is clearly one step in the plan, which is to get appreciably better off a shortened 20-win season.”
Spurs Sign Derrick White To Four-Year Extension
7:12pm: It’s official, according to a team press release.
5:08pm: The Spurs have reached an agreement on a four-year extension for guard Derrick White, agent Mike Lindeman tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). It’ll be worth $73MM, per Wojnarowski.
San Antonio’s strong commitment to White comes after a season in which he was just a part-time starter. White averaged 11.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 3.5 APG in 24.7 MPG in his third year in the league. He started 20 of 68 games after starting 55 of 67 games in his second season.
However, the Spurs recently signaled their intentions of retaining the combo guard long term when coach Gregg Popovich remarked, “He’s somebody we plan on for the future.”
White was the 29th pick of the 2017 draft. The Spurs backcourt is now set for years to come as they signed Dejounte Murray to a four-year extension worth up to $70MM last year.
With several veteran players coming off the books after this season, San Antonio will still have plenty of cap flexibility next summer. Factoring in White’s cap hold, the Spurs only sacrificed $6MM in space for the 2021 offseason. San Antonio could still have $50MM in cap room even with White’s extension factored in, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
White is currently sidelined after undergoing left toe surgery this fall.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hawks Fail To Reach Extension Agreement With Collins
The Hawks failed to reach a rookie scale extension agreement with big man John Collins, who will enter restricted free agency after the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The Hawks felt like they made a competitive offer to Collins, and will still be interested in retaining him, according to Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Collins has previous started he should be in the conversation for a max deal, Spencer adds. Atlanta’s front office obviously wasn’t yet willing to commit that type of capital in an extension.
“I definitely would be a little disappointed, but business is business, sometimes you don’t get exactly what you want, or things don’t happen the way you planned,” Collins said on Monday on the possibility of not reaching an extension agreement. “But I was planning on playing all of these games, these 72 games, that are coming up this year anyway, so that’s just going to be the plan is to just lock in on those and make sure as the season’s over, I have the best ability to do whatever, in that case.”
Collins, the 19th pick of the 2017 draft, will certainly attract plenty of attention on the free agent market. He averaged 21.6 PPG and 10.1 RPG while shooting 40.1% on 3-pointers last season in 41 games.
How high the Hawks will go to keep him in restricted free agency could hinge on his defensive improvement, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Collins has proven to be an offensive force and will be even more dangerous if he improves his ball-handling. But his long-term fit with Trae Young is in question since he hasn’t legitimized himself yet as a rim protector and perimeter defender, Kirchner notes.
Collins could theoretically be the centerpiece of a deal to acquire another star player, Kirchner adds.
Raptors Sign OG Anunoby To Four-Year Extension
5:34pm: Anunoby’s extension is now official, the Raptors announced in a press release.
“OG is the epitome of the skilled, powerful, determined player we want in our organization long-term. Remember, he doesn’t shoot to miss,” general manager Bobby Webster said in a statement. “We’re really pleased that OG will be with us for seasons to come.”
4:52pm: The Raptors have agreed to sign forward OG Anunoby to a four-year contract extension worth $72MM, agent Omar Wilkes tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The final year of Anunoby’s new deal will feature a player option, Wojnarowski adds. According to Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link), the extension is structured to increase by the maximum 8% annually to allow Toronto to maximize its 2021 cap room. It won’t include any bonuses or a trade kicker, Murphy adds (via Twitter).
While the extension will cut into the Raptors’ projected cap space to some extent, the difference in minimal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who notes (via Twitter) that Anunoby would have had a $11.7MM cap hold as a restricted free agent. Instead, he’ll have a starting salary of $16.1MM, reducing Toronto’s space by just over $4MM.
The Raptors have now locked up three key young pieces for the next several seasons. Pascal Siakam‘s extension kicks in this season and keeps him under contract through 2023/24. Fred VanVleet was re-signed this offseason for four more years, with the last one including a player option.
Anunoby’s extension could turn out to be a bargain if he continues to improve, and the Raptors will still have cap flexibility next summer, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports notes (Twitter link).
Anunoby averaged a career-best 10.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 29.9 MPG as a starter last season. He’s also considered a defensive stalwart and averaged 1.4 SPG.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Knicks Exercise Contract Options On Barrett, Knox
The Knicks have exercised their 2021/22 contract options on recent lottery picks RJ Barrett and Kevin Knox, the team’s PR department tweets.
Barrett, the third pick of last year’s draft, will make approximately $8.6MM in his third season. Knox, chosen ninth in the 2018 draft, will make $5.85MM in his fourth season during the 2021/22 campaign.
Barrett was the third-leading scorer among rookies last season at 14.3 PPG in 30.4 MPG while appearing in 56 games.
Knox’s playing time and production regressed dramatically in his second season, but the Knicks’ new regime thinks enough of him to lock in his salary through the next two seasons. He has averaged 9.9 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 140 career games.
Notably, the Knicks’ announcement didn’t mention recently-acquired big man Omari Spellman, the team’s other player with a 2021/22 rookie scale option. New York has until December 29 to make a decision on Spellman, but teams generally announce all their exercised options at once, so the team may be declining that one.
Nets Fail To Reach Extension Deal With Allen
The Nets and center Jarrett Allen were unable to reach a rookie scale contract extension, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Allen will thus become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
Allen’s qualifying offer next offseason, which would allow the Nets to match any offer sheet, is $5,661,538.
Allen, who will make approximately $3.9MM this season, has established himself as one of the top young centers in the league. He has started regularly the past two seasons after being a part-time starter as a rookie.
Last season, he averaged 11.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG and 1.3 BPG in 70 regular-season games, including 64 starts.
The Nets are projected to be a taxpaying team this season and next year and added to the payroll this offseason by re-signing Joe Harris to a four-year contract. They also picked up their option for the 2021/22 season on young guard Landry Shamet. Giving Allen an extension would have significantly increased their tax bill for next season.
Allen would be an attractive trade piece if Brooklyn went in that direction as part of a package for another superstar such as James Harden.
Malik Beasley Enters Guilty Plea On Violence Charge
Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley has entered guilty plea for threats of violence stemming from a late September incident, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter).
As part of the agreement, felony drug charges lodged against him were dismissed, his attorneys Steven Haney and Ryan Pacyga told Charania (Twitter link).
Beasley’s potential incarceration, or home confinement, will not exceed 120 days and will be served at end of this season. Upon successful completion of probation, the threat of violence charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor, Charania adds.
The guilty plea will likely result in league discipline against Beasley. The league typically awaits the outcome of court proceedings before taking action.
Beasley was originally charged with fifth-degree drug possession, along with threats of violence. A family alleged that Beasley pointed an assault rifle at them when they were stopped at the side of the road outside his home.
After obtaining a search warrant for Beasley’s home, officers found three firearms – including one matching the description of the assault rifle – and more than 835 grams of marijuana, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Beasley, who was traded last season from Denver to Minnesota, averaged 20.7 PPG and shot 42.6% on 3-pointers in 14 games with the Timberwolves. He signed a four-year, $60MM contract with the Timberwolves last month after entering the market as a restricted free agent.
Bulls Exercise Options On White, Carter, Hutchison
The Bulls have exercised the third-year team option on guard Coby White and fourth-year options on Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison for the 2021/22 season, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic tweets.
Chicago’s decisions on White and Carter, lottery picks and members of the starting five, were mere formalities. The Bulls’ decision on Hutchison wasn’t a slam dunk, though he’s projected to be a rotation player this season.
White, the seventh pick in last year’s draft, will receive $5,837,760 during the 2021/22 season. White averaged 13.2 PPG and 2.7 APG in 25.8 MPG as a rookie.
Carter, who was taken at the same spot in the 2018 draft, will receive a guaranteed $6,920,027 in 2021/22 while Hutchison will make $4,019,459.
Carter was limited to 43 games last season due to a thumb injury. He averaged 11.3 PPG and 9.4 RPG in 29.2 MPG.
Hutchison underwent shoulder surgery in March after play was halted. Hutchison, who was the No. 22 pick in 2018, had both of his two professional seasons cut short by health issues. In total, he has appeared in just 72 games (19.8 MPG), averaging 6.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG on .458/.295/.595 shooting since arriving in Chicago.
Southeast Notes: Bryant, Hayward, Collins, Magic Bench, Rozier
Wizards center Thomas Bryant has been fined $45K for repeatedly making inappropriate contact with an official on Thursday, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Bryant, who received a technical foul as part of the incident, was aggressively attempting to confront Pistons forward Blake Griffin, who had committed a Flagrant Foul 1 against Bryant.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets’ prized offseason acquisition, forward Gordon Hayward, is hopeful he’ll play opening night despite a fractured right pinky finger, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Hayward tested out his injury on Friday with some shooting and ball-handling. He won’t play in the preseason finale on Saturday but believes he could return for the regular-season opener against the Cavaliers on Monday. “Certainly, I’m going to be doing everything I can to be ready for the opener,” Hayward said.
- The Hawks are still hopeful of getting a rookie scale extension done with forward John Collins by Monday’s deadline, Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. If a deal doesn’t get done, Collins will be a restricted free agent next offseason. Team owner Tony Ressler recently remarked that he would “love to see” Collins remains in Atlanta for years to come.
- Rookies Cole Anthony and Chuma Okeke provide the Magic with a potent offensive duo off the bench, Dan Savage of the team’s website writes. They combined for five 3-pointers in Orlando’s preseason game on Thursday. “We obviously need to have balance with the starting five and the bench,” Magic shooting guard Evan Fournier said. “They’re going to have a huge role to play, so hopefully the (young) guys can figure it out and help us win.” Okeke missed all of last season with a knee injury, while Anthony was chosen with the 15th pick in this year’s draft.
- There’s no upside to trading Terry Rozier this season, Bonnell opines in a separate article for The Observer. Though the Hornets selected LaMelo Ball in the draft, Rozier is a steady producer, a strong locker room presence and adds intangibles that rub off on other players. It would make more sense to deal Rozier next offseason for a draft pick or young veteran when he’ll be entering his walk year, Bonnell adds.
Derrick Walton Signs With French Club
Walton, 25, made his NBA debut with the Heat back in 2017/18. He spent most of the ’19/20 season with the Clippers, averaging 2.2 PPG and 1.0 APG in limited minutes (9.7 MPG) over 23 games.
L.A. sent Walton to Atlanta at February’s deadline in a salary-dump trade and the Hawks subsequently released him. He caught on with the Pistons for a 10-day deal in February, but didn’t finish the season on an NBA roster.