Atlantic Notes: Thibodeau, Robinson, Noel, Lowry, Davis
Tom Thibodeau‘s impact on the Knicks was apparent in their preseason opener at Detroit on Friday, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. They were energetic on defense, forcing 22 turnovers and contesting shooters on the 3-point line. They also controlled the boards, out-rebounding the Pistons 54-41. The Knicks were relatively quiet in free agency, so their biggest upgrade is seemingly at head coach, Berman adds.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Free agent addition Nerlens Noel started ahead of Mitchell Robinson at center for the Knicks and the early returns were promising, Berman writes in a separate story. The two big men combined for 15 rebounds and four blocks, and Robinson also made four steals. “When you have two bigs that are like that, it’s a big bonus,” Thibodeau said. “And they’re very similar. I’m not sure who I’m going to start, but I like both of those guys, and I’m going to need them to play well to play well as a team.’’ Noel joined the Knicks on a one-year, $5MM contract.
- Raptors guard Kyle Lowry will remain in the team’s temporary home in Tampa this weekend and miss games in Charlotte on Saturday and Monday, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star relays. The team didn’t give a reason for Lowry’s absence, so it’s unclear whether it’s related to the COVID-19 protocols. Lowry, who will make $30.5MM in the upcoming season, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
- Terence Davis‘ lawyer is seeking a dismissal of the criminal case against him, Rick Westhead of The Sports Network tweets. The Raptors guard was arrested in New York City in late October and faces seven charges. Davis allegedly hit his girlfriend in the face, then grabbed the victim’s phone and broke it during the incident. The woman’s son also allegedly got knocked down during the altercation. Davis made a court appearance remotely on Friday and was told he must “stay away” from his alleged victim but that he can have contact with his son.
Community Shootaround: Harden Saga
The Rockets found a way to accommodate Russell Westbrook, essentially swapping him for another burdensome contract in John Wall. Will they be able to do the same for James Harden?
On paper, Harden does not seem to have much leverage. He’s got three years and $133MM remaining on his contract, including a $47MM player option in the final year. But when was the last time a superstar wanted to be traded and didn’t eventually get his wish?
Harden wants to go to the Nets, Sixers, Bucks or Heat, but that’s not a simple task. Brooklyn would seemingly have the assets to pull it off and create a fearsome trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Harden but it could also turn out badly with three headstrong perennial All-Stars trying to mesh their talents.
The Sixers would likely have to give up Ben Simmons but would a pairing of Harden and Joel Embiid work better? New coach Doc Rivers believes he can find ways to maximize the talents of Simmons and Embiid.
The Bucks would seem to be an unlikely destination unless Giannis Antetokounmpo demands it as an incentive to sign a supermax extension. Even then, Milwaukee probably wouldn’t have the assets to pull it off.
Pat Riley has never shied away from bold moves but he seems to have a good thing going. Would the Heat president gut the rotation and go all in on a Harden-Jimmy Butler–Bam Adebayo trio? It’s more likely Riley will wait to see what the free agent market brings next summer.
That leads us to our question of the day: Where do you believe James Harden will wind up this season?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Eastern Notes: Harden, Cavs, Embiid, Burke, Snell
James Harden has reportedly added the Bucks to the teams he’d be willing to play for but acquiring the perennial All-Star guard would be very complicated even if Milwaukee wants him, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic points out.
Milwaukee can’t move nearly half of its players on guaranteed contracts since the club added six players via trades or free agent signings. Most of those players aren’t eligible to be dealt until late February. The Bucks’ proximity to the hard cap also makes it nearly impossible to trade multiple players for Harden unless a third party is involved or Houston tosses in some minimum salary players.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- While the league has trended toward smaller lineups in recent seasons, the Cavaliers could go with a jumbo lineup at times, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. Coach J. B. Bickerstaff plans to utilize Larry Nance Jr., Kevin Love and Andre Drummond in certain situations. “We expect there are going to be times where we throw that big lineup out there,” Bickerstaff said.
- Sixers center Joel Embiid has bonded with assistant coach Dan Burke, who ripped him as a Pacers assistant last season. Burke claimed then that Embiid “gets away with a bunch of (stuff).” Embiid doesn’t harbor any grudges, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I think he’s a great guy,” Embiid said. “We’ve actually been very close since we got here. I think him and the whole coaching staff is going to kind of look at me to kind of be the driving force of the defense.”
- Tony Snell is currently not with the Hawks, since he’s self-isolating, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. He hasn’t tested positive for COVID-19 but was deemed a close contact to someone who did. Snell was acquired from the Pistons this offseason.
New York Notes: Smith Jr., Perry, Irving, Chiozza
This could be a make-or-break season for Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. and he has impressed coach Tom Thibodeau in the early days of camp, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post. Smith could be a restricted or unrestricted free agent next offseason, depending upon the Knicks’ desire to extend him a qualifying offer. He’s also been subjected to trade rumors.
“I think he’s come into camp and he’s been very aggressive,” Thibodeau said. “I think each day, he’s gotten better and better. That’s what we’re asking him to do — to run his team, keep us organized, take advantage of what your strengths are, your ability to get downhill to force people to collapse, and then make the right play.”
We have more on the New York City teams:
- Nets veterans have been impressed with the work ethic of rookie big man Reggie Perry, Tom Dowd of the team’s website writes. Last season’s SEC’s Co-Player of the Year at Mississippi State is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, which could be converted to a two-way deal. “He’s a young kid who works very, very hard, who knows the game of basketball,” forward Jeff Green said.
- Kyrie Irving and the Nets have been fined $25K apiece for failure to comply with media access rules, ESPN’s Malika Andrews relays. A defiant Irving called the media “pawns” unworthy of his attention on an Instagram post on Friday, according to NetsDaily.com. Irving has declined numerous requests to speak to reporters since the beginning of training camp on December 1.
- Nets guard Chris Chiozza declared that he had some two-way offers from other teams, but preferred to stay with Brooklyn, seeking an opportunity to win a championship, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Chiozza played on a two-way contract with Brooklyn last season but rolled the dice prior to camp this month, signing a one-year non-guaranteed deal.
Jazz Sign Trevon Bluiett To Camp Deal
DECEMBER 11: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
NOVEMBER 30: The Jazz are bringing back Trevon Bluiett on an Exhibit 10 deal, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.
Blueitt was with the club in training camp prior to last season but got waived. He’ll likely wind up with G League’ Salt Lake City Stars if his longshot bid to make the opening night roster doesn’t pan out.
The 26-year-old swingman played for the Stars last season. He saw action in 41 G League games, averaging 14.9 PPG.
Bluiett spent the previous season with the Pelicans on a two-way contract.
Nuggets Promote Wes Unseld Jr. To Associate Head Coach
The Nuggets have promoted Wes Unseld Jr. to associate head coach, according to a team press release.
Unseld begins his sixth season with the Nuggets coaching staff and will continue to oversee the defensive game plans.
He interviewed for the Rockets’ head coaching job this offseason. Houston wound up hiring Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas. He was also a candidate for the Bulls’ coaching vacancy, which was filled by Billy Donovan.
“Wes is extremely deserving of this promotion. He is one of the hardest working people I’ve come across in this league and he has been an integral part of my coaching staff since we both arrived in Denver in 2015,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said in a statement. “I’ve said many times over the years that Wes is ready and deserving of a head coaching position in the NBA and it’s only a matter of time until that day comes.”
Prior to joining the Nuggets, Unseld spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Magic. He has also spent time in the Warriors and Wizards organizations.
Knicks Add Skal Labissiere, Will Sign James Young
DECEMBER 9: The signing of Labissiere is now official, the Knicks have tweeted.
DECEMBER 7: Big man Skal Labissiere is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Knicks, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. According to Stein, James Young is also headed to New York’s camp, apparently on a similar deal.
Labissiere and Young will receive $50K bonuses if they’re on the roster of the Knicks’ G League affiliate, Westchester, for at least 60 days.
Naturally, both former first-round picks hope they can make an even bigger impression in camp. Labissiere became an unrestricted free agent when the Hawks declined to extend a qualifying offer last month.
Labissiere, 24, played 33 games for the Trail Blazers last season, averaging 5.8 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 17.2 MPG. He suffered a knee injury in December and never suited up for Atlanta after it acquired him in a trade deadline deal.
Young, 25, was the 17th pick of the 2014 draft by Boston. He hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2017/18 season, when he made six appearances for Philadelphia. He played in Israel last season.
The Knicks already have the maximum of 20 players in camp, so they’ll have to open up roster spots to sign the duo.
Nuggets Sign Monte Morris To Three-Year Extension
DECEMBER 9: Morris has officially signed his extension, the Nuggets announced today in a press release.
DECEMBER 7: The Nuggets have agreed to a three-year, $27MM extension with guard Monte Morris, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The deal will be fully guaranteed and includes incentives that could bump the value to $9.4MM annually, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets.
Morris would have been an unrestricted free agent next offseason without an extension. That’s because Morris was credited with a year of service under CBA rules when he signed a two-way contract in 2017, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter links).
It’ll be a big raise for Morris, who is due to make $1,723,707 in the upcoming season.
Morris appeared in three games during the 2017/18 season and has become a valuable member of the rotation the past two seasons. He appeared in all 82 regular-season games during the 2018/19 season and 73, including 12 starts, last season. He has averaged 9.6 PPG and 3.5 APG in 23.0 MPG in those 158 appearances.
He averaged 9.1 PPG and 2.7 APG during 19 postseason games in Orlando during Denver’s run to the Western Conference Finals.
Denver signed Euro star Facundo Campazzo last month as another option behind starting point man Jamal Murray but the extension displays the Nuggets’ commitment to Morris.
Morris’ extension will make him ineligible to be traded before the 2021 trade deadline, as Marks explains (via Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
And-Ones: Coaching Attire, G League, Selden, Luxury Tax
NBA coaches were permitted to wear casual attire during the restart. They’ll be allowed to wear polo shirts once again during the upcoming season but they’ll also have to mask up, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). NBA coaches have traditionally worn suits but they’ll no longer be required to don sports jackets. However, track pants will not be allowed.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The Wizards are in discussions with the Pelicans to combine their G League teams — the Capital City Go-Go and Erie Bayhawks — at the proposed Atlanta bubble, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. That would allow the NBA teams to split the costs of the proposed condensed season. The entry fee per team is anticipated to be in the neighborhood of $500K.
- Former NBA guard Wayne Selden has signed with Israel’s Ironi Ness Ziona, as Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia relays. Seiden played a combined 75 games with the Grizzlies and Bulls during the 2018/19 season. He saw action in 11 G League games last season after a stint in China.
- The Warriors have a projected luxury tax penalty of $147MM based on their current 2020/21 salary obligations, according to the numbers crunched by Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The Nets ($59MM) and Sixers ($24MM) are the only other teams with tax bills above $9MM. However, those projected penalties will get reduced based on revenue loss this season and roster cuts by opening night, Marks adds.
- Despite a long list of COVID-19 protocols, the NBA will face plenty of challenges during the upcoming season without the protection afforded by the Orlando campus, Steve Popper of Newsday writes. No matter how many precautions the league institutes, it will need plenty of luck to pull this season off.
Latest On Harden: Fertitta, Destinations, Warriors, Silas
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta remains hopeful that James Harden will win a championship with his team, he said in a CNBC interview (video link via Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston).
“James Harden, I have all the respect in the world for,” Fertitta said. “James Harden wants to win a ring during his period as a basketball player. … Hopefully, he’ll do it with the Houston Rockets.”
We have more the Harden drama:
- Harden is reportedly open to trade to another team besides his preferred destination, the Nets, with the Sixers among that group. A group of writers for The Athletic speculated on potential off-the-radar destinations and named the Clippers (with Paul George as part of the return package), Timberwolves (D’Angelo Russell) and Pelicans (Brandon Ingram or Lonzo Ball) as potential fits.
- Prior to Klay Thompson suffering a season-ending torn right Achilles’ tendon, the Warriors were among the teams who discussed the possibility of pursuing Harden, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. They mulled whether Harden could slide into Kevin Durant‘s former role but ultimately realized that the short-term gain wasn’t worth the long-term issues it would create, Poole continues. The Warriors felt Harden would be a poor fit in a culture that demands accountability and schemes that require collaboration, Poole adds.
- Coach Stephen Silas is relieved that Harden has arrived in Houston, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. “We’re doing this day by day,” Silas said. “And just to have him in the building is good. Obviously, it wasn’t a good start to it. But that’s the NBA. The NBA isn’t going to be roses every day and there’s going to be issues and there’s going to be things that you’re going to have to work through as a group. That’s what we’re going to do. Him being here shows a level of commitment to what we have going.”