Five Key Stories: 7/27/19 – 8/3/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Warriors forward Draymond Green agreed to a four-year, $100MM extension. The free agent class next summer took another hit as Green decided to stay with the team that drafted him. Green potentially could have signed for much more next summer with either Golden State or another team. However, the defensive specialist elected for long-term security before hitting the market. His decision may have been influenced by seeing Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant suffer serious injuries just before hitting free agency.
The Blazers signed shooting guard C.J. McCollum to a three-year, $100MM extension. McCollum still has two years left on his current deal but both sides were eager to make a longer commitment. McCollum, who has averaged at least 20.8 PPG in each of the last four seasons, won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2024. Portland locked up McCollum’s backcourt partner Damian Lillard with a four-year, super-max extension earlier this summer.
Pelicans top executive David Griffin said he was miserable running the Cavaliers’ front office when LeBron James was there. Griffin was quoted in the Sports Illustrated article as saying that he and others were unhappy there because “LeBron is getting all the credit and none of the blame. And that’s not fun for people.” He also questioned James’ desire after Cleveland won the championship. Griffin later clarified his comments on ESPN’s The Jump, saying he was miserable in his former job because of the pressure to build a title team, not because of a rift with James. He also said James proved he didn’t lose his desire by reaching the Finals again.
Forward Patrick Patterson was bought out by the Thunder and plans to sign with the Clippers. Patterson’s playing time and production diminished last season but he’ll rejoin Paul George on a serious title contender. Los Angeles is limited to offering the veteran’s minimum, which is roughly $2.3MM for a player with Patterson’s level of experience. He had one year and approximately $5.7MM left on his deal with OKC.
Carmelo Anthony is hoping another NBA team will give him a chance to extend his career. Following a brief and unhappy experience with the Rockets last season, Anthony finds himself in limbo. The 35-year-old forward says he’s ready and willing to play a reduced role and is “in the gym every single day” as he awaits another opportunity. He also denied that he was looking for a farewell tour.
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from the past week:
- A showdown between the Clippers and Lakers headlines the Christmas Day schedule.
- Shooting guard Nik Stauskas signed with a Spanish team.
- Guard Ron Baker signed with CSKA Moscow.
- Shooting guard Lance Stephenson, who was on the Lakers’ roster last season, opted to play in China.
- The Grizzlies signed Euro guard Marko Guduric to a two-year contract.
- The Hornets signed brothers Cody Martin and Caleb Martin.
- Several teams showed interest in trading for Pacers big man Myles Turner prior to the draft.
- The Heat waived forward Yante Maten.
- Center Timofey Mozgov signed with a Russian team.
- Blazers big man Zach Collins is recovering from an ankle injury suffered this offseason.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hawks Notes: Carter, Roster, Parker, Spalding
The Hawks have left open a roster spot for Vince Carter but it’s still unsure whether the 42-year-old will rejoin them, as Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details.
Carter doesn’t want to just ride the bench if he plays a 22nd season, which would be an NBA record. However, lottery picks De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish and free agent signee Jabari Parker will all see significant action, which would cut into Carter’s minutes. Carter is taking a wait-and-see approach.
“Just waiting for the right opportunity, and nothing has changed as far as that goal, and that dream of mine is to still play,” Carter said. “It’s just a patient thing. I get it. I’m older. Teams are going younger. Hopefully, within the coming days, we’ll have something figured out.”
We have more on the Hawks:
- The Hawks plan to keep one roster spot open entering next season in order to facilitate trades, Kirschner reports in the same piece. They plan to use their approximate $5MM in remaining cap space to help make a trade before February’s deadline to collect future draft picks.
- Parker used his abbreviated stay with the Bulls as a learning experience, as he told Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. Parker signed with the Bulls last offseason on a two-year, $40MM deal that included a team option. He lost his rotation spot and was traded to the Wizards, who declined the option this summer. He then signed a two-year, $13MM contract with the Hawks. “It was really good because now I can relate to every kind of player,” Parker said of playing for Chicago. “When I talk to kids, I can talk to them about everything – from being the best player on a team to being the player who isn’t even playing. I’m just grateful for that experience. It allowed me to see things differently.”
- Forward Ray Spalding said the Hawks sought him out after the Suns declined to sign him after summer league play, as he told Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “Phoenix set up different contracts with different players. My agent thought maybe it would be time to look elsewhere,” Spalding said. “So we did that and the Hawks reached out. He really liked what the Hawks said about me and offered me so I felt like this would be a safe place to start.” Spalding signed an Exhibit 10 contract.
Community Shootaround: East’s Most Underrated Team
The current odds posted by VegasInsider.com shows a wide gap among Eastern Conference teams.
The Bucks and Sixers are virtual co-favorites to reach the Finals next season, with Milwaukee posted at 5-4 odds and the Sixers at 3-2. The Celtics are a clear-cut third choice at 15-2.
Those are the only teams listed at single-digit odds. Even though Kevin Durant is expected to sit out next season, the Nets are co-fourth choices with the Pacers at 12-1. Indiana could be dangerous if Victor Oladipo can come back strong from a serious leg injury.
The Raptors are 25-1 and the Heat, with the addition of Jimmy Butler, are rated at 40-1. The Magic, who made the playoffs last season and re-signed their top free agents, and Bulls are posted at 80-1.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the Pistons, who also reached the postseason and didn’t lose any key players, are listed at 120-1 along with the youthful Hawks. The remaining Eastern Conference teams — the Knicks, Cavaliers, Wizards and Hornets, are all posted at 400-1.
It would certainly be a surprise if any club other than Milwaukee, Philadelphia or Boston gets out of the Eastern Conference but all those teams are vulnerable to a certain degree.
That brings us to our question of the day: Which Eastern Conference team is the most underrated heading into next season?
Please take to the comments section below to voice your opinion. We look forward to your input.
David Griffin Clarifies Comments On LeBron
Pelicans executive VP David Griffin clarified on Friday his comments in a Sports Illustrated article that indicated he was miserable running the Cavaliers when LeBron James was there, according to an ESPN report.
During an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, Griffin said he didn’t have any issues with James and that his problems in Cleveland were centered around the pressure of building a championship team.
In the SI story, Griffin was quoted as saying it was frustrating working for an organization where “LeBron is getting all the credit and none of the blame. And that’s not fun for people. They don’t like being part of that world.”
Griffin and a confidant of James spoke after the SI story was published, according to ESPN, and Griffin claimed some statements were taken out of context.
“The fact that there was so much scrutiny in everything that we did, when I was speaking about being uncomfortable and being miserable, it was my inability to deal with that media scrutiny,” Griffin said. “It wasn’t the man himself. It was everything that came with a team led by LeBron James. It had nothing to do with being miserable with LeBron. We had and have a very positive relationship.”
Another controversial part of the SI piece was that Griffin seemingly questioned the future Hall of Famer’s desire to win after the Cavaliers won the championship.
Griffin put the blame on himself during the TV interview for failing to instill a sense of urgency following the title run.
“My fear at that time was that [James] wouldn’t have that same animal-like desire to win. And what we’ve seen is he’s gone to multiple Finals since, so it was an unfounded fear,” Griffin said.
You can watch some of the Griffin interview here.
Raptors Waive Two-Way Guard Jordan Loyd
5:01pm: Loyd has reached an agreement to play overseas with Valencia Basket, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets.
4:48pm: The Raptors have waived guard Jordan Loyd, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link) and other media members.
Loyd was one of the team’s two-way players. He appeared in 12 games last season, averaging 2.4 PPG in 4.6 MPG. Loyd, 26, excelled at the G League level last season, making the NBAGL First Team.
Loyd, who went undrafted in 2016 out of Furman, averaged 22.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.0 APG and 1.8 SPG in 41 games for Raptors 905.
Toronto reduced its roster count to 19 players with the move and both of its two-way slots are now open. Murphy speculates that Loyd received a big overseas offer and the franchise didn’t want to hold him back (Twitter link). The parting was a mutual decision, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets.
Pacers Sign JaKarr Sampson To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 2: The Pacers have officially signed Sampson, the team confirmed today in a press release.
The guarantee details on Sampson’s deal have yet to be reported, but it’s probably safe to assume it’s not fully guaranteed unless we hear otherwise.
JULY 24: Forward JaKarr Sampson has agreed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Pacers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Sampson had signed to play overseas with Shandong in the Chinese Basketball Association, so either that deal fell through or he had an out clause. He played six games with Shandong last season and 24 G league games with the Windy City Bulls.
Sampson, 26, has bounced around since making his debut during the 2014/15 season with Philadelphia. He’s also played for Denver, Sacramento and Chicago. In four games with the Bulls last season, he averaged 20.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in 31.8 MPG. In his career, Sampson has played 173 NBA games, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 16.0 MPG. He’s a career 25.7% shooter from beyond the arc.
The 6’9” forward will add depth at both forward spots behind starters T.J. Warren and Domantas Sabonis.
Blazers Notes: Hood, Kanter, McCollum, Aldridge
Shooting guard Rodney Hood surprised the Trail Blazers by accepting the $5.72MM taxpayer mid-level exception, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports.
Portland was hoping to bring back center Enes Kanter at that number, but he balked. Blazers GM Neil Olshey thought Hood wanted more in free agency but was pleasantly surprised by Hood’s decision.
Olshey then shifted gears to finding a starting-quality center and got involved in the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade to Miami, winding up with Hassan Whiteside by dealing Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard.
We have more on the Blazers:
- Backcourt partners CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard are now locked up long-term after McCollum signed a three-year, $100MM extension and they’re excited about that prospect, as he told Quick in a separate story. “It’s a special time,” McCollum said. “(Lillard and I) talked about being in Portland, making a staple here and winning a championship here, and all those things. We’ve crossed off a lot of goals individually and collectively, but I think that both of us being here for the long haul, and both of us being able to grow together and win together is something that people will remember for a long time.”
- Pau Gasol, who recently signed with the Blazers, said former Spurs teammate LaMarcus Aldridge has spoken highly of Portland and may want to play there again, Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report tweets. Aldridge said last season he and Lillard had spoken about the prospect of becoming teammates again. Aldridge’s $24MM contract for the 2020/21 season is not guaranteed, so it’s conceivable that could occur as soon as next summer.
- If you missed the details on McCollum’s extension, you can find it all here.
Community Shootaround: Chris Paul
Insurance spokesman Chris Paul finds himself stranded in Oklahoma City at the moment and State Farm can’t help him.
Considered for many seasons as the world’s premier point guard, Paul is stuck on the rebuilding Thunder until GM Sam Presti can find a way to deal his monstrous contract. The Thunder granted Russell Westbrook his wish to be traded in the wake of Paul George‘s trade demand. Presti send the team’s longtime floor leader to the Rockets for Paul, a couple of first-round picks and the right to swap two others.
Paul has played most of his career with contenders that have fallen short in the playoffs. He’s now in an awkward spot with the Thunder, who are looking to build around young point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the top player acquired from the Clippers in the George deal. Dennis Schroder, the team’s sixth man, is also a natural point guard.
The remainder of the roster won’t strike fear into the hearts of opponents. The Thunder will be fortunate to win 30 games next season.
Moving Paul to another team won’t be easy. He’s due $38.5MM next season, $41.4MM in 2020/21 and $44.2MM in 2021/22 if he exercises his player option.
Perhaps a younger Chris Paul was worth all that money but age (34) and injuries have led to a decline. He averaged 15.6 PPG on 41.9% shooting, both career lows, last season.
Paul will probably begin the season with the Thunder and have to wait at least until mid-December, when the latest crop of free agents become trade eligible, to get rescued. A point guard injury could motivate a contender to bring in Paul to save their season.
The Heat have been mentioned as the most likely trade partner but they’d want a couple of first-rounders tossed in to ease the burden of Paul’s salary-cap swallowing contract. The Pistons have also been considered a possible suitor, since they could pair up Paul with former pick-and-roll partner Blake Griffin. However, they’re not keen on Paul’s contract, either, especially with Andre Drummond potentially headed to free agency next summer.
That brings us to our question of the day: Do you think Chris Paul will be on Oklahoma City’s roster all of next season? If not, which team will trade for him?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Burke, O’Quinn, Smart, Fizdale
Despite the loss of J.J. Redick, the Sixers have plenty of perimeter shooters on their current roster, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic details. Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson, Mike Scott, Al Horford, James Ennis, Trey Burke and Raul Neto loom as long-range threats but mainly in catch-and-shoot situations. That means Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons need to create and open up space for their perimeter players.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Point guards Trey Burke and Raul Neto could be useful members of the Sixers’ rotation but big man Kyle O’Quinn will have regain the form he showed earlier in his career with the Knicks to make a meaningful contribution, Mike O’Connor of The Athletic writes. O’Connor breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of the incoming reserve trio and how they’ll fit in.
- Marcus Smart admits the Celtics were a dysfunctional team last season, he said on ESPN’s The Jump this week. Many players were uncomfortable with their roles, according to Smart. “It’s hard for anybody to have to look themselves in mirror and sacrifice something,” Smart said.
- The fact that the Knicks didn’t re-sign any of their nine free agents reflects poorly on coach David Fizdale, the New York Post’s Marc Berman opines. The teams sold player development over the team’s win-loss record last season, yet didn’t consider any of those players worthy of another contract, Berman notes.
Grizzlies Sign Guard Marko Guduric
5:30pm: Guduric’s deal is worth $5.3MM over two years, according to Omari Sankofa II and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian notes (via Twitter), the team used a portion of its bi-annual exception to complete the deal, which is fully guaranteed.
4:31pm: The Grizzlies have signed guard Marko Guduric, according to a team press release.
Multiple reports out of Europe earlier this month indicated that he would sign a two-year contract with Memphis and now it’s official.
The 6’6” Guduric, 24, has played the last two seasons for Fenerbahçe in Turkey. Last season, he averaged 9.4 PPG while shooting 54.9% from the field and 47.7% from three-point range. He also helped his team win the 2019 Turkish Cup.
The Serbian native previously played four seasons for KK Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade but went undrafted in 2017. He’s also a member of the Serbian national team.
He’ll provide depth at shooting guard behind Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen, among others. Memphis already had 15 players with guaranteed deals, a couple more with partial guarantees, plus a pair of two-way players. Thus, the club will have to make some more roster moves before opening night.