Atlantic Notes: Timme, Diawara, George, Lawson
The Nets need to trim their roster before opening night. Drew Timme, who has a non-guaranteed contract, would seem to be a likely candidate to get waived. However, the former Gonzaga big man has strengthened his case during Summer League competition, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
In his first two Summer League games, Timme averaged 26.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. He’s taking nothing for granted regarding his roster status.
“No, not really. I’m honestly [still fighting],” Timme said. “I mean, it’s great and I love it, but I’m fighting. I’m competing. I want to stay here. I think I belong here, and I’ve got to prove it every single day that I do belong here. So it’s all about just fighting that battle every single day. And I like it. I like being the underdog. I like having to force my way into a situation. So, it’s fun.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Another player who has looked good in Las Vegas is Knicks rookie Mohamed Diawara. The French forward was drafted No. 51 overall last month and it’s uncertain whether he’ll join the Knicks next season or remain overseas for the 2025/26 season. “I’ve been really impressed with Mohamed,” Knicks Summer League coach Jordan Brink told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “His ability to rebound and run, to push off misses and makes. I thought he was really solid [in Sunday’s loss to the Celtics]. Pretty active defensively, still learning the defensive system and low-man principles.”
- How will Paul George‘s latest ailment impact the Sixers? George underwent surgery on Monday after injuring his left knee during a workout, though he’s expected to return in time for training camp. It might further motivate the Sixers to come to terms with restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, who can play either wing position, Tony Jones of The Athletic opines. It may also solidify Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s spot in the starting lineup and heighten the importance of free agent signee Trendon Watford, who is the team’s only natural power forward on a standard contract.
- Raptors guard A.J. Lawson has a non-guaranteed, $2.27MM contract for next season but he’s making a strong case for himself in Summer League action, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Lawson is averaging 21.5 points per game while shooting 60 percent overall through two contests. He was promoted to a standard contract late in the regular season.
Numerous NBA Owners Don’t Want Expansion In Near Future
Expansion might not be coming soon after all, if certain NBA owners get their wish. There is not overwhelming momentum to immediately expand beyond the current 30 teams, Mike Vorkunov and David Aldridge of The Athletic report.
The league’s Board of Governors are meeting on Tuesday and expansion is one of the topics anticipated to be discussed.
As one might expect, the lack of enthusiasm among some owners regarding expansion is due to money. The league’s new 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal begins next season and several owners would rather begin collecting and splitting that new revenue among the existing teams, rather than giving a share or shares to incoming franchises.
Each current team is set to collect hundreds of millions of dollars over the life of the new rights deal, which will be a boon to franchises who have lost many millions in revenue due to the collapse of the regional sports networks. Adding two new teams within the next year or two would dilute the potential revenue from the national TV networks over the next decade, The Athletic duo notes.
However, there is some incentive for the current teams to bring in new teams. With valuations of current franchises continuing to rise, expansion fees are certain to go well beyond the previous projections of at least $5 billion per new franchise.
Seattle, which lost its franchise to Oklahoma City, remains a top candidate for a new or potentially relocated team. Las Vegas has also been prominently mentioned as a prime candidate to get a franchise.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver indicated last month that expansion may not be as much of a priority for the league as some fans are hoping, saying that it’s not “automatic” that the league will decide to add more teams. Silver cautioned at the time that there are concerns among the current owners about bringing in more partners to divide up revenues.
Hornets Waive Josh Okogie
The Hornets have waived Josh Okogie, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports. Okogie’s $7.7MM salary for next season would have been guaranteed if he had remained on the roster beyond Tuesday.
Charlotte had looked to trade the wing but couldn’t find a partner, Boone writes. The two sides agreed to push back Okogie’s guarantee date beyond the original June 30 deadline to give the front office more time to seek a trade involving the 27-year-old wing.
Okogie appeared in a total of 40 games last season (15.6 minutes per contest), averaging 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .448/.348/.741 shooting. Okogie was acquired by the Hornets, along with three second-round picks, from Phoenix for Nick Richards in January. He appeared in 16 games (six starts) with Charlotte, averaging 8.9 PPG and 2.7 RPG.
Charlotte has to make several more moves to ease its roster crunch. The Hornets will still have 18 players on standard contracts and all three of their two-way spots are filled once Drew Peterson‘s two-way deal is official.
DaQuan Jeffries, who also doesn’t have a guaranteed contract, and Nick Smith Jr. are among the players who could lose their spots if the Hornets don’t make more trades.
Grizzlies, Santi Aldama Finalize Three-Year Deal
July 15: Aldama’s three-year contract with the Grizzlies is now official, according to a press release from the team (Twitter link).
June 30: The Grizzlies have taken care of their two big pieces of offseason business within the first half-hour of free agency. After striking a deal to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s contract, the club has reached a three-year, $52.5MM contract agreement with restricted free agent forward Santi Aldama, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Even with a limited number of teams able to open up enough cap space to make a competitive offer beyond the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Aldama was expected to attract interest on the market. The Pistons, in particular, were heavily linked to the Spanish big man. He’ll now stick around in Memphis after a breakout season.
While the full terms of the agreement haven’t been reported yet, it’s quite possible the contract will be heavily frontloaded, cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets. The Grizzlies could start it as high as $19MM since they have so much luxury tax flexibility. They’ll go over the cap to re-sign Aldama after using their cap space on Jackson’s renegotiation.
Aldama became an RFA when the Grizzlies extended a qualifying offer to him on Sunday.
In 2024/25, he averaged 12.5 points, 6.4 points, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 36.8% from three, all career-high numbers. He also averaged 13.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG while shooting 41.7% from three in the Grizzlies’ four playoff games this spring.
Jackson, Aldama and 2024 lottery pick Zach Edey — currently recuperating from ankle surgery — now figure to be the key big men in Memphis for years to come.
Brook Lopez Thrilled Clippers Reached Out, Signed Him
Brook Lopez chose the Clippers in free agency partly because he believes they’re poised to win a championship, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
“Looking at my options, I was just thrilled the Clippers reached out and were one of them,” Lopez said. “They’ve been a great team for quite a while now. They have a ton of great players, obviously Hall of Famers, All-Stars, great young players. My guy Zubi (Ivica Zubac)! And there is a great chance to win a championship here.”
Lopez has ties to the area. He grew up in southern California and played one season with the Lakers before winding up in Milwaukee for seven seasons. A starter throughout his stint with the Bucks, Lopez projects as a backup to Zubac with the Clippers. Lopez believes he can also share the court effectively with the Most Improved Player runner-up.
“I think we complement each other extremely well,” he said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “Obviously, we’ll be very big. I think we’d be great defensively just dominating the paint, sealing the paint off and then, offensively, we complement each other there as well. I’ll spread the floor for him, give ’em all the room and the paint for him to go wild.”
Lopez, 37, signed a two-year, $18MM contract with the Clippers, who used a chunk of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to acquire his services.
Despite his age, Lopez has been both durable and productive in recent seasons. He played in 80 games last season with the Bucks, averaging 31.8 minutes per game. He averaged 13 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 blocks, while shooting 50.9% from the floor and 37.3% from 3-point range.
Lopez says he’ll accept whatever role is asked of him. He believes the situation he’s stepping into is a “perfect fit” for him.
“I’m just trying to come in and help the team win,” Lopez said. “Whatever that may look like, that’s what I’m here to do. Wherever my minutes may come from when I’m on the court, the beginning of the game, middle of the game, end of the game, I’m trying to be out there trying to help my team win and beat the other team on the court.”
Bucks, Hawks Interested In Horford?
The Warriors are considered the heavy favorite to sign veteran big man Al Horford if he doesn’t retire. However, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reports that a couple of Eastern Conference teams are interested in his services (hat tip to Brian Robb of Masslive.com).
The Bucks and Hawks, along with the Lakers, have looked into signing the Celtics free agent. Atlanta could hold some intrigue for Horford, since he has a home there.
“Golden State obviously expected him to sign last week, he didn’t [sign],” Spears said on ESPN’s NBA Today. “Lakers, Milwaukee, and Atlanta, I believe are also interested in a nearly 40-year-old guy who also has retirement on the table. He’s still considering retiring, he’s not in any hurry. He’s got a sixth kid coming on the way, he lives in Atlanta and Boston in the offseason. I’m hearing that whether it’s Golden State and a lesser extent to the Lakers, being away from the family that far isn’t going to be in that decision.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said earlier this month that it’s “unlikely” Horford returns to Boston, though Stevens did say the team made offers to both him and Luke Kornet (who signed with San Antonio).
Milwaukee’s reported interest is somewhat surprising, considering it has landed Myles Turner in free agency and re-signed big men Bobby Portis and Jericho Sims.
Atlanta would make more sense, considering the offseason departures of Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. The Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis, but would be relying on youngsters like first-round pick Asa Newell and Mouhamed Gueye for depth purposes behind Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu in the frontcourt.
Eastern Notes: Robinson, Richardson, Embiid, Dadiet
The Pistons defeated the Heat three times last season in hotly contested games and that made a strong impression on Duncan Robinson, who was acquired from Miami by Detroit in a sign-and-trade.
“Heat versus Pistons, it feels like every single one had some sort of crazy finish,” he told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “The thing that sticks out about this group is the physicality, the toughness and how hard they play. And honestly how they share the ball. That’s the type of system you want to play in, those are the types of guys you want to be around.”
Robinson will be joining forces with Caris LeVert, who was signed to a two-year deal as a free agent. They were teammates at the University of Michigan.
“Caris and I were really good friends in college and we’ve kept up that way pretty much across our entire careers,” Robinson said. “He’s an incredible player obviously. One of the best people I’ve ever been around in terms of a teammate. I’m excited to be back with him. Outside of competing against him I didn’t really know any of these guys too well and they’ve been super welcoming. It is nice to have somebody joining me who also will be new who I do know really well. So that’ll be good.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Jase Richardson is making his presence felt in Summer League competition. The Magic rookie guard has averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in two games. Richardson slipped to the No. 25 pick after some believed he might go in the lottery. “I can do a lot of things in that [position],” Richardson said about driving downhill, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “I can score for myself, I can get my teammates involved and a lot of different ways I can get a bucket for the team.”
- The Sixers‘ roster is being built with the notion that the team will have to overcome inevitable absences of superstar center Joel Embiid, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. That includes the drafting of VJ Edgecombe in the lottery, the addition of free agent power forward Trendon Watford and the injury return of Jared McCain. Those additions should provide additional offensive versatility to complement star guard Tyrese Maxey.
- Knicks 2024 first-rounder Pacome Dadiet had an injury scare in Summer League. The 19-year-old wing departed a contest with left foot soreness. It turned out to be a big toe issue but there was no structural damage, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets.
Sixers Forward Paul George Undergoes Knee Surgery After Workout Injury
Sixers forward Paul George underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee Monday to treat an injury suffered during a recent workout, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
George will now begin a rehab program and be reevaluated prior to start of training camp, Charania adds. The Sixers issued a statement confirming George’s surgery, which was relayed by PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck (Twitter link).
Sources informed Neubeck that the surgery was an “arthroscopic cleanup” that did not involve major ligaments (Twitter link).
It’s another health-related setback for the franchise and for George, who was the Sixers’ front office’s prized signing last summer, when he inked a four-year max deal. George was supposed to be the missing link in the franchise’s championship puzzle but Philadelphia didn’t even make the playoffs after an injury-riddled season.
Knee and groin injuries limited George to just 41 games during his first season in Philadelphia. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 43 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from long range. He had averaged at least 21.9 PPG in his previous nine seasons, including five full seasons with the Clippers.
George played 74 regular seasons games in his last season with the Clippers but he dealt with a laundry list of ailments during his time in Los Angeles. During his first four years with the Clippers, he never appeared in more than 56 games.
Holdover Justin Edwards and recent free agent acquisition Trendon Watford could play key early-season roles at power forward if George isn’t fully healthy by the season opener.
Ryan Saunders To Become Lead Assistant For Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are hiring Ryan Saunders as their lead assistant under Tuomas Iisalo, Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian tweets.
The former head coach of the Timberwolves, Saunders had been an assistant with the Nuggets under Michael Malone since 2022. Saunders was one of several Denver assistants whose contract was not renewed after the season. He also previously worked for the Wizards.
Saunders became Minnesota’s head coach during the 2018/19 season after Tom Thibodeau was let go. He compiled a 43-94 record before losing his job in February 2021. He took some time off before landing the Denver assistant coaching job.
Iisalo had the interim tag removed as the Grizzlies’ head coach in early May. Iisalo compiled a 4-5 regular season record followed Taylor Jenkins’ surprising dismissal. After finishing as the eighth seed, the Grizzlies lost to Golden State in the first round of the play-in tournament, but advanced to the playoffs with a win over Dallas. They were swept by Oklahoma City in the first round.
Wizards Waive Richaun Holmes
The Wizards have waived veteran big man Richaun Holmes, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Holmes’ $13.28MM contract for next season only had a partial guarantee of $250K. He averaged 7.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 17.2 minutes over 31 games (seven starts) last season.
Holmes will be an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers. Given his age — 31 — and lack of playing time last season, it’s no surprise that Washington would clear salary by cutting Holmes loose.
Holmes declined a $12.88MM option on his contract last summer in order to sign a two-year, $25.9MM contract that included the partial guarantee on year two. He had been acquired during the trade deadline from Dallas in the deal that sent Daniel Gafford to the Mavs. He appeared in 17 games for Washington that season, making eight starts and averaging 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per night.
Holmes was once one of the most sought-after big men in the league. He was signed by Sacramento on a four-year, $46MM contract in 2021 and averaged in double digits in three consecutive seasons for the Kings.
Once the Wizards signed free agent Marvin Bagley III to back up Alex Sarr, it was clear that Holmes was no longer in the Wizards’ plans. He should draw interest from teams seeking frontcourt depth.