Rockets Pursuing Hawks’ Kent Bazemore?
The Rockets are interested in dealing for the Hawks’ Kent Bazemore, according to Kelly Iko of RocketsWire.
While the addition of Carmelo Anthony after he clears waivers seems like a foregone conclusion, the Rockets are in the market for a defensive-minded wing. Bazemore fits that bill but Houston would have come up with a package that would interest the Hawks.
Presumably, the Rockets would deal Ryan Anderson’s contract to make the numbers match up, but they’d have to attach a draft pick and/or young player to entice Atlanta’s front office. Anderson has two years and $41.7MM left on his deal with no options; Bazemore has two years and $37.3MM left on his contract but holds a player option for the final year.
A package of Anderson, Chinanu Onuaku and a 2019 first-rounder would be feasible financially but Atlanta doesn’t view Onuaku as a ‘move-the-needle’ player, according to Iko.
Bazemore averaged 12.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.5 APG and 1.5 SPG in 65 starts with Atlanta last season.
The Pelicans are also looking at Bazemore, according to Iko, but Atlanta doesn’t want Solomon Hill as part of the deal.
Western Notes: James, Batum, Katsikaris, Jones
LeBron James seriously considered joining the Sixers and Rockets before signing with the Lakers. In an extensive interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that was relayed by Dave McMenamin, James addressed a variety of topics, including which teams he considered during free agency.
“I definitely thought long and hard about the possibilities of lining up alongside Ben [Simmons] and [Joel] Embiid or lining up aside [James] Harden and Chris [Paul],” he told Nichols.
The Sixers had the salary-cap space to sign James but the Rockets would have likely required a sign-and-trade with the Cavaliers to acquire his services. James also insisted he doesn’t see next season as a rebuilding year for the Lakers.
“We have an opportunity to do something that a lot of people don’t think we can do, and we love the notion of it’s another rebuilding year and we don’t have enough. So that will motivate the guys that we have anyways.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The Rockets are actively seeking a defensive-minded player on the trade market and are willing to take on a long-term contract, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN in comments relayed by digital journalist Ben DuBose. Houston would presumably move forward Ryan Anderson, who has two years and $41.7MM left on his deal. The Hornets’ Nicolas Batum would be a logical target, as Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype notes. Batum has three years and $76.7MM remaining on his contract, which includes a player option in the final year.
- The Jazz have hired Fotis Katsikaris as an assistant to Quin Snyder, the team announced in a press release. Katsikaris becomes the first-ever native Greek NBA assistant coach. He was a head coach in Spain last season and served as head coach of the Greek national team from 2014-16.
- The Warriors are unlikely to pick up center Damian Jones‘ fourth-year option, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State must make a decision on the $2.3MM option prior to the start of the season. If it’s declined, Jones will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Community Shootaround: Leonard And The Raptors
The early returns on the Raptors’ gamble by trading for Kawhi Leonard have been promising.
No one was quite sure how Leonard would react to playing in Toronto next season after his acrimonious feelings toward the Spurs convinced San Antonio to trade him. Leonard met recently with new Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and seemed to be genuinely excited about Nurse’s plans for him.
“It was fun to listen to his take,” Nurse told the Toronto Star about his 45-minute meeting with Leonard. “He asked me, ‘How are you going to use me? Where are you going to get me the ball? What do you see?’ And I told him, ‘Listen. To me, you can do pretty much everything. You can post. You can drive. You can handle it up the floor. You can play screen and roll. You can come off pindowns.’ I said, ‘Did I miss anything?’ He’s like, ‘No, that’s about it.’ I said, ‘You’ll probably be doing all that stuff.’”
The ultimate goal for the Raptors is to convince Leonard to stay long-term. Leonard can opt out of his contract next summer and become an unrestricted free agent. It’s well-known that he longs to play in Los Angeles and could join forces with LeBron James on the Lakers.
However, the Raptors have nearly a year to change his mind, just like the Thunder did after trading for Paul George. OKC’s roll of the dice paid off, as the Thunder organization made such a positive impression on George that he opted to stay put.
The Raptors are more dangerous team with a healthy Leonard but that, too, is a big unknown. Leonard played just nine games last season due to a nagging quad injury and he could easily miss a large chunk of the season if he re-injures it. The path to the Finals should be easier for Leonard in the Eastern Conference, especially with James out of the picture.
That leads us to our topic of the day: How do you think Toronto will fare next season with Kawhi Leonard? Do you think he’ll stick around or leave for Los Angeles or another destination next summer?
Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.
Celtics Waive Guard Rodney Purvis
The Celtics have waived guard Rodney Purvis, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The move was expected, as Boston didn’t have any plans for Purvis after acquiring him from the Thunder in a trade last week.
Boston’s motivation for acquiring Purvis was to save some cash. By trading Abdel Nader to the Thunder instead of waiving him, the Celtics avoided approximately $675K in tax penalties and another $450K in salary. Purvis had a non-guaranteed $1,378,242 salary.
Purvis, who played college ball at the University of Connecticut, was acquired by OKC from the Magic just a few days earlier in exchange for forward Dakari Johnson.
Purvis, 24, joined the Magic down the stretch last season, parlaying a pair of 10-day contracts into a rest-of-season deal. The 6’4″ shooting guard posted 6.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 16 games (18.1 MPG).
The Celtics opened up a spot on their 20-man offseason roster by waiving Purvis. The team is currently carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts.
Treveon Graham Signs Two-Year Deal With Nets
JULY 30: The Nets have officially signed Graham, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 17: The Nets have reached a two-year agreement with swingman Treveon Graham, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. The first year of the contract will be fully guaranteed, Charania adds. The deal is expected to be worth the minimum.
The 6’5” Graham had drawn interest from the Cavaliers and Timberwolves, among other teams, during free agency. Graham, 24, appeared in 90 games with the Hornets over the past two seasons.
He was a rotation player last season, seeing action in 63 games, while averaging 4.3 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 16.7 MPG. Graham hasn’t shot many 3-pointers during his short career but he’s made 43.8% from long range.
Graham will try to break into a wing rotation that includes Joe Harris, Caris LeVert, DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe.
Western Notes: Capela, Durant, Leonard, Williams
Clint Capela‘s new five-year contract with the Rockets on Friday, initially reported to be worth $90MM, is technically guaranteed for $80MM with $10MM in incentives, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Those annual incentives include $1MM for reaching the Western Conference finals, $500K for finishing with a 30% defensive rebounding rate, and $500K for shooting at least 65% from the free throw line, according to Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Kevin Durant‘s decision to take a one-plus-one contract with the Warriors kept his options open beyond the upcoming season, as he explained to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Durant will make $30MM the first year with a $31.5MM player option for the 2019/20 season. “The [one-plus-one] was the perfect thing for me to do, to keep things open for me — financially and what I want to do,” he told Charania. “It’s just one of those things.”
- The Celtics offered at least two of the first-round picks they own from other teams for Kawhi Leonard, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN. Those picks, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports writes, include the higher of the Kings’ and 76ers’ pick next summer, unless it’s the top overall pick; the Grizzlies’ first-rounder, which is top-eight protected next summer and top-six protected in 2020; and the Clippers’ pick, which is lottery-protected the next two summers and then converts to a second-rounder. The Spurs instead decided to take another All-Star, DeMar DeRozan, in a package for Leonard. The way the Spurs organization treated Leonard may have had more to do with his departure than any issues with his teammates, Feldman notes in a separate piece, relaying reporting from Lowe and ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
- C.J. Williams is a perfect waiver claim candidate, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Williams, who was waived by the Clippers on Friday, is on a $1.4MM non-guaranteed contract with $125K in protection if he’s not waived by opening night, Marks continues. His $1.6MM salary in 2019/20 has a $200K guarantee if he’s not waived by the first game, Marks adds.
- The Nuggets’ second unit will likely be led by Mason Plumlee, Isaiah Thomas, Trey Lyles and Torrey Craig, Chris Dempsey of the team’s website predicts. Dempsey dispenses his views on recent developments involving the club in his latest mailbag.
Harden: Carmelo Would Fit In With Rockets
James Harden isn’t worried about Carmelo Anthony fitting in with the Rockets, Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports reports. Anthony, who was traded by the Thunder to the Hawks in a salary dump, is expected to join Houston once he clears waivers. Anthony stated this week that he never really fit in with Oklahoma City’s roster but Harden believes he’ll do just fine in the Rockets’ high-powered attack. “Everybody in the world knows what Carmelo brings, how gifted and talented he is, and he still has a lot more to go,” Harden said. “If he comes to Rockets, we’ll bring the best out of him, and I’m sure he’ll bring the best out of us as well. We all know how easy Melo scores the basketball. … Things aren’t always going to be perfect but as long as you have that communication, good things will happen.”
Harden offered more insights on a variety of topics:
- He feels the Most Valuable Player award gives him validation after starting out with OKC as a sixth man. “I don’t know anybody else who did it. But that’s just a testament to how many guys out there that are coming off the bench, and not getting as much playing time, that you could still be that guy. It feels great, all the work that I put in, to be able to hold that trophy up.”
- He’s motivated by the Rockets’ heart-wrenching series loss to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals after being up 3-2: “It’s on my mind every day. It’s Game 6, Game 7, that’s what drives me every day.”
- Despite Golden State adding DeMarcus Cousins, he’s confident the Rockets can knock the Warriors off their perch. “If you don’t get better in this league, you get passed up pretty quick. We’re not done. But what we have right now is for sure good enough.”
- He gives a big thumbs up to the Rockets and center Clint Capela agreeing on a $90MM extension, Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated tweets. “Obviously we love the game of basketball but to be able to provide for your family for generations, that’s what we do it for. I’ve seen him work his butt off these last few years. He listens, learns, competes. I’m happy for him.”
Atlantic Rumors: DeRozan, Casey, Lowry, Fizdale, Bird
The former Raptors’ leading scorer and head coach are mad at team president Masai Ujiri, Josh Lewenberg of TSN reports. DeRozan publicly criticized Ujiri on social media after being traded to the Spurs in the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster, feeling that Ujiri misled him during a summer-league conversation. DeRozan said during USA Basketball minicamp that he’s not interested in reconciling with Ujiri. “No reason to have a relationship,” he said. “I’m done. I’m done. It’s just done for me, from my end.” Dwane Casey, now the Pistons’ head coach after getting fired by the Raptors after the season, also has lingering issues with Ujiri, according to Lewenberg. They haven’t spoken since the firing and Casey still feels plenty of resentment toward Ujiri, Lewenberg adds.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- DeRozan’s former backcourt partner, Kyle Lowry, doesn’t sound thrilled about the trade, according to Lewenberg. Lowry claims he has no relationship with Leonard and has yet to speak with him. Lowry was evasive when asked specifically about the trade. (Twitter links).
- New Knicks coach David Fizdale met with star player Kristaps Porzingis in Latvia and appears to be building a strong relationship with the rehabbing power forward, Ian Begley of ESPN writes. Fizdale said he’s trying to keep Porzingis in the loop as he works his way back from knee surgery. “We’ve talked about his rehab. We’ve talked about how we want to play, our style of play,” Fizdale told Begley. “Talked a lot about the culture that we’re building. We want to make sure that he comes back strong and healthy and we don’t want to rush it. … I’ve tried to make sure that he’s – we’ve been in communication on every decision that we’ve made.”
- The Celtics’ signing of Jabari Bird is an example of how two-way contracts should work, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Bird played for Boston on a two-way contract last season after getting drafted in the second round. The 6’6” swingman showed enough development to earn a spot on the 15-man roster, getting signed to a two-year contract this week.
Sixers Re-Sign Demetrius Jackson To Two-Way Deal
The Sixers have re-signed guard Demetrius Jackson to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Philadelphia originally signed the former Notre Dame point guard to a two-way deal in January. He saw action in just three games with the Sixers, averaging 2.7 PPG in 5.7 MPG. He also made 10 starts with their G League affiliate, the Deleware 87ers, averaging 13.0 PPG and 4.6 APG in 25.5 MPG.
Jackson was selected by Boston in the second round of the 2016 draft. He was waived by Boston last summer and signed a two-way deal with the Rockets. Houston terminated Jackson’s contract and then signed him to a 10-day deal but decided not to offer him another contract.
The 6’1” Jackson appeared in 12 games with the Rockets, playing an average of 5.3 MPG. He played five games for Boston as a rookie.
The Sixers filled their other two-way slot earlier this week by signing rookie SMU guard Shake Milton.
Hornets Sign Joe Chealey
JULY 27: The Hornets have officially signed Chealey, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 26: The Hornets have agreed to a deal with undrafted guard Joe Chealey, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets.
The terms of Chealey’s deal weren’t specified, but it figures to be a training camp contract with little to no guaranteed money. The Hornets have an open spot on their 15-man roster but both of their two-way contract slots are filled. Center Mangok Mathiang, and shooting guard J.P. Macura hold the two-way slots.
Chealey played for the Hornets’ Summer League team.
The 6’4” Chealey, 22, played all four college seasons at the College of Charleston. He averaged 18.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 3.6 APG as a senior and led them to the NCAA Tournament. He scored 32 points in an overtime win in the Colonial Athletic Association championship against Northeastern but was held to two points by Auburn in the NCAAs.