Suns Notes: Crawford, Okobo, Jones, Anderson
Following rumors of the Suns being interested in Jamal Crawford, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7FM has reported that the team has indeed offered the 18-year veteran a contract. Interim general manager James Jones expressed his interest in adding Crawford to the team, telling the sports radio station, “I like Jamal. I know him personally. He’s a great player, he’s a great guy.”
Crawford averaged 10.3 points and 2.3 assists per game with the Timberwolves last season and is known for being instant offense off the bench, regardless of which team he is playing for.
For the Suns, Crawford would be another veteran ball-handler the club could rely upon offensively alongside Devin Booker. However, Crawford would surely hamper the team’s defense, especially alongside players such as Booker, T.J. Warren and Ryan Anderson.
Should the Suns add Crawford, they would stand at 18 players on the roster and would then need to cut that number down to 15 by Monday afternoon.
There’s more out of Phoenix:
- Speaking of Crawford, Ryan Anderson believes that the 38-year-old would be a good fit with the team. “Obviously having another veteran guy with his abilities – another vocal guy – who can come in and teach these young guys, especially at the guard position, would be really helpful for us,” Anderson said, per Duane Rankin of Arizona Central.
- Rankin also points out that – while answering a question about defining success for the upcoming season – interim GM James Jones specifically mentioned Elie Okobo as part of the group of key young players of the future. Despite Okobo’s struggles in the preseason, it’s clear that Jones likes the young guard out of France.
- Finally, Jones addressed the issue of his place in the organization following Ryan McDonough‘s ouster. As Gina Mizell reveals (Twitter link), Jones isn’t focused on earning the Suns full-time GM job, though he’s viewed as a frontrunner. “[Job] titles don’t mean anything to me,” Jones said. “The only title that matters is an NBA title.”
Southeast Notes: Rivers, Clifford, Zeller, Mahinmi
Early in the summer the Wizards traded Marcin Gortat to the Clippers in exchange for Austin Rivers, a move that boosted the team’s backcourt depth and provides another option in small-ball lineups. The trade kicked off a busy offseason for Rivers, who has worked to adjust to life on the East Coast while adding a child to his family.
As Zach Rosen writes for the team’s website, Rivers will look to provide a consistent scoring punch off the bench and be a key cog in lineups alongside John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter and Markieff Morris. That five-man unit will space the floor on offense and should be flexible on defense, which is a priority for Scott Brooks this season as he works to modernize the Wizards on both ends of the floor.
Rivers is coming off a career year in 2017/18, averaging 15.2 points and 4 assists per game while hitting 37.8% of his 3-pointers (he attempted nearly six per game). Rivers can both run the second-unit offense or be a secondary ball-handler when on the floor with the team’s All-Star guards, which will further diversify the Wizards’ attack. As Rosen points out, Brooks’ focus for the upcoming season is on 3-pointers, layups, dunks and defense, which should allow Rivers to fit right in.
As one of the team’s key additions, along with Dwight Howard and Jeff Green, Rivers will play an important role as the Wizards look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign in 2017/18.
There’s more from the Southeast division:
- As he begins his first season as head coach of the Magic, Steve Clifford continues to tinker with possible lineup combinations. As John Denton writes for the team website, Clifford has specifically explored lineups that include both Mohamed Bamba and Nikola Vucevic on the floor. In such a lineup, the Magic would rely on Bamba to guard quicker power forwards due to his mobility. On offense, both bigs could play on the perimeter at times, given their shooting ability.
- As the Hornets look to bounce back from another disappointing season, Cody Zeller will be a key piece to the puzzle. As Rick Bonnell points out for The Charlotte Observer, the Hornets have struggled mightily without Zeller, posting a 35-59 record in the games he has missed over the past four years. Zeller provides stellar two-way play and experience at the center position, which is exactly what the Hornets will need this season.
- Finally able to go through a healthy offseason, Ian Mahinmi has looked much better in the Wizards‘ first two preseason games. As Chase Hughes writes for NBC Sports Washington, Mahinmi has started in place of Howard throughout the preseason and has had the sort of defensive impact the Wizards hoped for when they signed him during the 2016 offseason.
2018 Offseason In Review: Cleveland Cavaliers
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Signings:
Standard contracts:
- Rodney Hood: One year, $3.47MM. Accepted qualifying offer as restricted free agent.
- Channing Frye: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- David Nwaba: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Two-way contracts:
- Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Bonzie Colson: One year, minimum salary.
- Levi Randolph: One year, minimum salary.
- Kobi Simmons: One year, minimum salary.
- Isaiah Taylor: One year, minimum salary.
- Note: Isaac Hamilton, Scoochie Smith, and JaCorey Williams also signed non-guaranteed camp contracts, but were later waived.
Trades:
- Acquired Sam Dekker, the draft rights to Renaldas Seibutis, and cash ($1,247,494) from the Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko.
Draft picks:
- 1-8: Collin Sexton — Signed to rookie contract.
Contract extensions:
- Kevin Love: Signed four-year, $120.4MM extension. Starts in 2019/20.
Departing players:
Other offseason news:
- Discussing contract extension with Larry Nance Jr.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap.
- Carrying approximately $115.7MM in guaranteed salaries.
- Full mid-level exception ($8.64MM) still available.
- Full bi-annual exception ($3.38MM) still available.
Check out the Cleveland Cavaliers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
In a move that was neither as shocking or as heartbreaking as the first time he left Cleveland, LeBron James walked away from the Cavaliers this summer for the bright lights of Los Angeles. James’ departure put the Cavs in a precarious position, one in which they could have shifted their long-term plan to a rebuild centered around first-round draft pick Collin Sexton.
Instead, the team extended Kevin Love and focused on retaining or adding young role players around him in the form of Rodney Hood, David Nwaba and Sam Dekker. However, the Cavaliers also brought back veteran forward Channing Frye, signaling their desire to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.
LeBron’s departure is even more damaging for the Cavaliers as a result of their roster being constructed around his playmaking abilities. In recent seasons, the Cavaliers have focused on adding shooters and players who thrived as off-ball contributors around James. Those players will now face more pressure to create their own shots and initiate the offense.
George Hill, Sexton, Hood, and Cedi Osman figure to increase their usage on offense and shoulder the burden of offensive creation when the ball isn’t in Love’s hands. Speaking of Love, this will be his first opportunity to be the featured offensive player since he was routinely averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game with the Timberwolves.
How the rotation shapes up around Love and the role players will be interesting, as the Cavaliers don’t have a plethora of intriguing young talent. Instead, the roster is heavy on veterans who are either in their prime or exiting their prime in the near future. Will the emphasis be placed on player development? Or will the Cavaliers look to make the playoffs at all costs and avoid a rebuild for at least another season? The Cavs’ intentions aren’t clear, making them an intriguing team to watch in the upcoming season as they navigate the post-LeBron waters for the second time.
Central Notes: Jackson, Lopez, Dunn, Casey
The Pistons have been focused on returning to the playoffs after bringing in Dwane Casey as head coach and banking on a clean bill of health for players such as Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin. With Casey, the Pistons are getting a head coach that is focused on ball movement and off-ball actions in hopes of revitalizing the team’s offense, which ranked just 19th in the league last season.
As Keith Langlois writes for the Pistons’ website, such a focus on diversifying the offense may lead to someone other than Jackson leading the team in assists, which Casey is comfortable with. Casey even went further to express his desire for a player such as Griffin to lead the team in assists: “That’ll free Reggie up to get off of the ball, to move without the ball a little bit more. That means other players are cutting, moving, and we’ll be harder to figure out and predict and scout.”
Griffin is one of the better passers in the frontcourt, as he averaged 6.2 APG in his 25 games with the Pistons last season. Jackson has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons, as he has played in a combined 97 games in the past two seasons.
Casey is also focused on implementing a more modern offense in Detroit, with an emphasis on playing at a faster pace and eliminating shots from the mid-range. So far, the result have been promising — 159 of the 173 total Pistons’ shots have either come from beyond the 3-point arc or inside the paint in their first two preseason games. A more modern offense that is heavy on ball movement and diverse playmaking could be the key ingredient for the club to return to the playoffs this season.
There’s more from the Central division:
- Speaking of Casey, another difference that Pistons players have been getting used to is his calm demeanor on the sidelines. As Vince Ellis writes for the Detroit Free Press, the players have enjoyed Casey’s positive approach and the fact that he doesn’t direct outrage or disappointment on one player. For a team that is returning a large portion of the same roster, the change at coach may prove to make the largest difference this season.
- Early returns for Brook Lopez‘s fit with the Bucks have been promising, as Jim Hoehn points out for The Associated Press. Lopez will provide a vast majority of his value on the perimeter as a floor-spacer to draw defenders away from the paint as Giannis Antetokounmpo looks to attack the rim. With the Bucks also adding Ersan Ilyasova and coach Mike Budenholzer, they are also looking to modernize their offense and become a true contender in the conference.
- As he continues to build on a much-improved sophomore campaign in the league, Kris Dunn has impressed the Bulls (and specifically coach Fred Hoiberg) with his leadership. As Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times, Dunn’s solid play on the floor and control of the offense in preseason has been a bright spot for a Bulls team that is dealing with injuries and inconsistent defensive play.
Pistons Waive Chris McCullough
The Pistons have announced in a press release that they waived forward Chris McCullough. McCullough was signed to Detroit’s training camp roster on September 25, but did not see any time in the team’s first two preseason games.
After being drafted with the 29th pick in the 2015 draft out of Syracuse University, McCullough has appeared in 59 NBA games with the Nets and Wizards. For his career, the 23-year-old forward has averaged 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He’ll now look to find his footing in the NBA on another team or in the G League.
The Pistons entered the preseason with 15 players on guaranteed contracts and two on two-way deals, so McCullough was always a long shot to make the regular season roster. The club is now carrying 19 players in total, including Zach Lofton and Johnny Hamilton on non-guaranteed contracts.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Nets, Stevens, Raptors
With training camp kicking off this week, on-court expectations the Knicks aren’t particularly high for the upcoming season. As Marc Berman of the New York Post explains, the organization has shifted its focus to player development and building a strong culture for the 2018/19 campaign.
After years of misguided attempts to make the playoffs, team president Steve Mills is excited about what the team is building, laying the groundwork with the recent hirings of Scott Perry as GM and David Fizdale as head coach.
Berman points out that all summer the discussion throughout the organization has been about patience, process and not skipping steps, words and phrases you would expect to hear from a team that is finally focused on building a contender in a more efficient manner.
With Kristaps Porzingis expected to miss a good chunk of the season, Fizdale will have the opportunity to work and develop the young players on the team, including 2018 first round pick Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina, the talented defensive point guard.
The Knicks have their own 2019 first round draft pick and significant space under the salary cap to spend in free agency should they look to contend in the 2019/20 season. For now, the focus is on player development and instilling a successful culture behind the scenes in order to set the organization up for sustained success in the future.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson is focused on Brooklyn’s defense in the upcoming season, as he believes it’s the area the team can show the most improvement. Brian Lewis of the New York Post points out that such improvement will have to come organically, as the Nets didn’t add any standout defenders in the offseason despite the plethora of moves they made to improve their roster.
- Despite all of the offensive firepower and talent on the Celtics‘ roster, head coach Brad Stevens still has concerns heading into the upcoming campaign. As Steve Bulpett writes for The Boston Herald, Stevens wants to make sure the Celtics don’t simply go through the motions on the offensive end of the court as a result of their talent and depth.
- From their change in head coach to the addition of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors are preparing for a training camp and season like no other, says Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. All eyes will be on the Raps this season as they look to not only compete for a championship, but also work to convince Leonard to re-sign in the 2019 offseason.
Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Nowitzki, Gentile
The Grizzlies will hold their annual media day on Monday and Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian is looking at six key questions that loom over the team’s upcoming campaign. Among them are how much Mike Conley and Marc Gasol can still contribute, what rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. can provide and how the rotation will play out in the backcourt and on the wing.
After a disappointing, injury-riddled 2017/18 season that saw the Grizzlies win just 22 games, the team added Jackson, Kyle Anderson and Garrett Temple (among others) in the offseason in hopes of returning to the playoffs. All of Memphis’ offseason additions point to a return to “grit and grind,” the style of play that brought the Grizzlies a lot of success over the past decade, including four playoff series victories.
Conley will play a deciding role in the team’s success. Back in 2016/17, he was a borderline All-Star averaging 20.5 points and 6.3 assists per game while knocking down over 40 percent of his 3-pointers. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a significant foot injury, but if Conley can produce at that level this season the Grizzlies will be competitive.
The same can also be said for Gasol, the 33-year-old center who looked disengaged throughout most of last season as the team shifted its focus on developing young players and maximizing its draft pick. With the addition of several veterans in the offseason and the return of his point guard, Gasol should bounce back and continue to be a force in the middle for the Grizzlies.
Despite all of their additions and a clean bill of health, it will be very tough for the Grizzlies to make it back to the postseason given the improvements that several teams in the Western Conference made, including Denver, Dallas, and the Lakers.
There’s more from the Southwest division:
- While Mavericks big man Dirk Nowitzki has made no clear indications that this upcoming season will be his last, Rick Carlisle told Dwain Price of Mavs.com (Twitter link) that he believes there’s a real chance Nowitzki will call it quits after this campaign. If Nowitzki does indeed retire after the 2018/19 season, he will join another future Hall-of-Famer in Dwyane Wade, who announced that this upcoming season will be his last.
- Speaking of Nowitzki, Carlisle also revealed that the 40-year-old will likely come off the bench, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). This would pave the way for Carlisle to start Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, Luka Doncic, Harrison Barnes and DeAndre Jordan, and would allow Nowitzki to be an offensive focal point for the Mavericks‘ bench units.
- With the Rockets starting training camp on Tuesday, the team released the roster of players participating in camp this season. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) pointed out that Alessandro Gentile is not on that roster, despite previous expectations and wishes for him to join the team and try to make the jump to the NBA this season. Gentile, who was drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft, has been recovering from hand surgery and will likely have to wait another year in his attempt to make it to the NBA.
Community Shootaround: Milwaukee Bucks
Having hired Mike Budenholzer as head coach and acquired several players who can help space the floor around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks appear poised for a breakout season in the Eastern Conference. With LeBron James taking his talents west and depleting the Cavaliers’ chances of competing, the Bucks will look to take the next step and become a serious playoff contender.
After adding Eric Bledsoe during the 2017/18 season, the Bucks continued to struggle with inconsistency despite Antetokounmpo blossoming into a perennial MVP candidate and Khris Middleton enjoying a breakout season alongside him. While Bledsoe fit in well and averaged 17.8 points, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game to complement Middleton and Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s supporting cast failed to provide quality depth and a mediocre defense continued to hold the team back.
After finishing 25th in the NBA in 3-pointers attempted per game last season and 22nd in the league in 3-point percentage, the Bucks focused on adding shooting and floor-spacing bigs in the offseason. They were successful in achieving this goal, signing Ersan Ilyasova to a three-year, $21MM deal (the last year is non-guaranteed) and Brook Lopez on a one-year, $3.4MM contract to fill in at center.
Both Ilyasova and Lopez are capable shooters, providing more offensive weapons for Budenholzer to use alongside Bledsoe, Middleton and Antetokounmpo. Ilyasova shot 36% from beyond the arc in 2017/18 for the Hawks and 76ers, while Lopez hit 34.5% of his 3-pointers last season, attempting 4.4 per game.
With Budenholzer brought in as head coach, the Bucks should implement a more diverse and modern offense, utilizing the increased floor spacing and ball movement to maximize the talents of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Bledsoe.
However, the more pressing issue regarding the upcoming season for the Bucks will be their defense, which must improve if they hope to become a legit threat in the playoffs. If Thon Maker can show more development this season and earn more minutes at center, Milwaukee would be able to utilize a more switch-heavy defensive scheme, a scheme in which Bledsoe, Middleton and Antetokounmpo could thrive.
The Bucks will also need strong supporting contributions from Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell and John Henson, while recent draft picks D.J. Wilson and Donte DiVincenzo will look to buck the recent draft struggles Milwaukee has had.
With a more modern offense and improved defensive strategies implemented, the Bucks could make a big jump in the Eastern Conference. Competing for the third seed in the conference isn’t out of the question, and the Bucks should certainly be aiming for home-court advantage in the playoffs this season, although the top three Atlantic teams and the Pacers will provide tough competition.
How do you think the Bucks will do this season? Do you think they had a strong offseason? Weigh in below with your thoughts and predictions on the Bucks.
Andrew Bynum Working Towards NBA Comeback
After last playing in the NBA during the 2013/14 season, Andrew Bynum is working to make a comeback in the league this season. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), Bynum has hired representation as he looks to schedule team workouts in the coming weeks, with training camps around the corner.
Bynum is still just 30 years old, but it remains to be seen how much he can provide NBA teams at this point of his career, especially given the league’s trend to small ball and centers that can keep up with guards on the perimeter.
Bynum struggled with injuries throughout his career, preventing him from developing into a perennial All-Star during his prime. Bynum played seven seasons with the Lakers and averaged 11.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, making the All-Star game during the 2011/12 season.
After being traded to the Sixers as part of the Dwight Howard trade in the 2012 offseason, Bynum continued to have issues with his knees, which prevented him from suiting up during the 2012/13 campaign. After his contract expired following that season, the 76ers didn’t look to bring Bynum back, allowing him to explore options as an unrestricted free agent.
Bynum signed with the Cavaliers in the following summer, but was quickly traded to the Bulls during the 2013/14 season, who subsequently waived him to receive luxury tax relief. While Bynum later struck a deal with the Pacers that same season, he continued to struggle with knee issues and only appeared in two games with Indiana.
A former top-10 pick in the draft, Bynum showcased a varied post game and ability to defend the rim when with the Lakers. Any team in need of rim protection or a scoring option at center could look to bring Bynum in for a workout during training camp, but clubs will certainly be cautious about giving him a roster spot, given his injury history and the trends of the league.
Pacific Notes: Ferrell, M. Wagner, J. Robinson, Evans
By waiting out the initial wave of free agency, the Kings were able to add another young rotational player in the backcourt, further bolstering their depth at guard, writes James Ham of NBC Sports. In Ham’s training camp profile on Yogi Ferrell, he notes that Ferrell’s speed, quickness and knack for scoring make him one of the team’s significant additions in the offseason.
Ferrell initially agreed to a deal to return to the Mavericks, but backed out and signed a two-year, $6.2MM deal with the Kings, the second year being non-guaranteed. The 25-year-old, who is entering his third season in the league, is coming off a solid – if unspectacular – season with the Mavericks in which he averaged 10.2 points, 3.o rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, playing a career-high 27.8 minutes per game.
While the Kings have several capable guards to fill backcourt minutes, Ferrell should open the season as the team’s primary backup point guard and may fill in at both guard positions if injuries strike. With De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Frank Mason, Ben McLemore and Bogdan Bogdanovic all capable of playing in the backcourt, Ferrell will likely see a decrease in minutes and usage this season.
In a pinch, Ferrell can be the spark-plug scoring guard off the bench, a role Sacramento could certainly use in the upcoming season. With the additions of Nemanja Bjelica and Marvin Bagley alongside Ferrell, the Kings were able to add to their young core and boost their offensive potential in the offseason.
There’s more today from the Pacific Division:
- Two rookies in the division were able to secure shoe deals, with Moritz Wagner of the Lakers signing with the Jordan brand and the Clippers‘ Jerome Robinson signing with Nike. Both players were first round picks in the 2018 Draft and could become key parts of the young cores on their respective teams in the upcoming season, although the veteran depth ahead of them will likely limit their playing time in the immediate future.
- After being selected by the Warriors at No. 28 in the 2018 Draft, Jacob Evans III is preparing for the upcoming season, one in which he may be called upon to provide depth at multiple positions. As Mark Medina writes for The Mercury News, Evans is looking to accelerate his learning curve by hanging around the Warriors’ practice facility and meeting everyone that he can in the organization. With the Warriors failing to address their lack of quality wing depth in the offseason, Evans may be in line for a larger role than expected, especially throughout the regular season as the team keeps its focus on the playoffs.
- The Clippers‘ G-League team (the Agua Caliente Clippers) held open tryouts this weekend, as hopefuls worked to earn a spot on the squad, per Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Last season, the organization’s NBA team was bolstered by contributions from players such as C.J. Williams, Tyrone Wallace and Jamil Wilson, who split their time between the G-League and NBA. Attendees had varying levels of basketball experience, but are looking to earn a spot on the roster and perhaps continue the team’s success for the NBA club.