Southeast Notes: Yurtseven, Bouknight, Haslem, Magic
Heat center Omer Yurtseven has gone through his fair share of highs and lows during the team’s summer league in Las Vegas this month, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.
Yurtseven, a promising 23-year-old from Turkey, recently signed a two-year contract with the Heat. Miami envisions him as part of its future, featuring him heavily throughout summer league to this point.
“I think it’s been a lot of learning, like watching the film and taking it all in,” Yurtseven said. “I’m still making those adjustments inside the game. All the coaches have been in my ear and also, OG, Udonis Haslem has been with us like for the last two, three games just giving advice.
“More reps and more reps, it’s just going to translate into the regular season.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets rookie James Bouknight was recently inspired by a surprise phone call from team owner Michael Jordan, Jonathan Alexander of the Charlotte Observer writes. The 20-year-old had a poor game on Monday, spoke to Jordan and bounced back for Thursday’s game against San Antonio. Bouknight finished with 23 points and eight assists against the Spurs.
- In his latest “Ask Ira” mailbag for the Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explores whether Udonis Haslem could get more minutes with the Heat this season. The 41-year-old Haslem recently re-signed with Miami, committing to his 19th NBA season.
- The Magic‘s less proven players are looking to make their marks in summer league, Josh Cohen of NBA.com writes. “I think it’s a great opportunity,” said coach Jamahl Mosley. “We talked about it coming into summer league. Talking about guys learning the habits, getting the fundamentals down. Try to see the things that we are putting in place and how do they respond to it. With Jalen [Suggs] being out, how do other guys get their opportunity to do things that we’ve asked them to do.”
Atlantic Notes: Petrusev, Knicks, Begarin, Celtics, Sullivan, Ujiri
Sixers second-round pick Filip Petrusev is eager to join his teammates in Philadelphia, but the team will likely keep the 21-year-old overseas as a draft-and-stash player, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
Petrusev, the No. 50 pick in the draft, is coming off an impressive season with KK Mega Basket in Serbia. He averaged 23.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, impressing Philadelphia enough to draft him — but not enough to bring him over just yet.
“My intentions would be obviously to come over as soon as possible,” Petrusev said. “But it’s not up to me.”
The 6’11” Petrusev can technically opt out of his contract with Mega before next season, but that remains unlikely given Philadelphia’s intentions.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division today:
- By signing Julius Randle to a four-year contract extension, the Knicks improved their chances of becoming an intriguing free-agent destination down the road, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic writes. New York is also set to sign Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier while keeping most its returning playoff core from last season.
- Celtics second-round pick Juhann Begarin asked president of basketball operations Brad Stevens if he could play summer league with the team this month, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “Normally after the draft, I normally come back (to) France,” said Begarin, whose wish has been granted. “But I asked Brad Stevens to play the summer league and show them if I can play in the NBA, and after the summer league I will see what’s happened.”
- Speaking of the Celtics, the team is hiring Bucks assistant Ben Sullivan to Ime Udoka‘s coaching staff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Sullivan started his NBA career as a video intern for the Spurs, then became an assistant coach with the Hawks in 2014. He joined the Bucks in 2018.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet examines Masai Ujiri‘s new deal and title with the Raptors, noting that Ujiri’s new “vice chairman” position won’t give him a stake in team ownership.
Bulls Re-Sign Javonte Green On Two-Year Deal
AUGUST 11: The signing is official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
AUGUST 6: The Bulls are re-signing Javonte Green to a two-year contract, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter). Chicago recently issued Green a $1.9MM qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.
Green appeared in 16 games with the team last season after being acquired in a three-team, trade-deadline deal back in March. He started the campaign with Boston and appeared in a total of 41 games between the two teams, averaging 3.6 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 11.5 minutes per contest.
Chicago has made significant upgrades to its roster this year, trading for All-Star center Nikola Vucevic before the deadline and reaching sign-and-trade deals to land Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan this week. The team also agreed to a four-year contract with Alex Caruso.
Green is expected to provide depth for the franchise as it competes for a spot in the playoffs next season. The 28-year-old swingman went undrafted back in 2015 and holds 89 games of NBA experience.
Nets Trade Landry Shamet To Suns For Jevon Carter, Day’Ron Sharpe
AUGUST 6: The Suns have officially acquired Shamet from the Nets in exchange for Carter and the rights to Day’Ron Sharpe, the team announced in a press release.
JULY 29: The Nets have agreed to trade sharpshooter Landry Shamet to the Suns in exchange for Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick in Thursday’s draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
As a result, Brooklyn now owns the 27th, 29th, 44th, 49th and 59th picks in the 2021 draft. Carter, a 6’1″ point guard, will provide backcourt depth behind the likes of Kyrie Irving and James Harden, assuming he stays with the team.
Phoenix wasn’t interested in using the No. 29 pick on a player who likely wouldn’t have played much, preferring to add a more proven veteran to the mix, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets. The Suns are coming off their first NBA Finals berth since 1993 and third berth in franchise history.
Suns coach Monty Williams is a strong supporter of Shamet, dating back to when he coached him as an assistant with the Sixers, Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter). The 24-year-old Shamet averaged 9.3 points per game in 61 contests last season, shooting 41% from the floor and 39% from three-point range.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), the trade won’t be completed until August 6 at the earliest. Shamet’s salary will increase from $2MM to $3.76MM for next season, while Carter will make $3.65MM in 2021/22. Shamet also becomes eligible for a rookie-scale extension on August 6.
Nets Sign DeAndre’ Bembry
AUGUST 8: The Nets have officially signed Bembry, the club announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 6: The Nets have reached a one-year agreement with free agent swingman DeAndre’ Bembry, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). While terms of the deal weren’t reported, Brooklyn is currently limited to minimum-salary commitments.
Bembry, who joins Patty Mills and James Johnson as veteran free agents to commit to Brooklyn this offseason, spent the 2020/21 season with the Raptors. He appeared in 51 games, averaging 5.7 points on 51% shooting from the floor and 26% shooting from deep, providing defensive versatility and athleticism off the bench. He was waived on Tuesday before his 2021/22 salary became guaranteed.
The 6’5″ Bembry was also the No. 21 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent the first four years of his career with Atlanta, mostly playing off the bench.
In addition to Bembry, Mills and Johnson, the Nets also reached new deals with two of their own free agents this summer: Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown. The team has built a formidable roster around the likes of Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant as it seeks its first-ever NBA championship.
Warriors Sign Moses Moody To Rookie Contract
The Warriors have signed swingman Moses Moody to his rookie scale contract, the team announced on social media today.
Moody, 19, averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per contest (32 games) as a freshman at the University of Arkansas last season.
Golden State picked Moody with the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft. The Warriors also held the No. 7 pick in the draft, choosing to select G League Ignite player Jonathan Kuminga.
The Warriors dealt with numerous injuries last season and finished with a 39-33 record. Having young pieces such as Kuminga and Moody will be imperative for the future, though the team remains focused on contending with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson,and other veterans in the present day.
Moody is set to earn $3.56MM next season and $17MM in total on his four-year rookie contract. As we previously relayed, the Warriors signed Kuminga to his rookie scale deal as well. It will pay him $5.46MM next season and $24.85MM in total.
Warriors Waive Alen Smailagic
AUGUST 4: The Warriors have officially waived Smailagic, the team announced today in a press release. He’ll clear waivers on Friday, assuming he goes unclaimed.
AUGUST 1: The Warriors plan to waive big man Alen Smailagic ahead of his August 6 guarantee date, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Smailagic had two more non-guaranteed seasons left on his deal.
As Slater notes, waiving Smailagic frees up an extra roster spot for the Warriors ahead of free agency. Golden State is expected to target veterans on the open market, with former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala mentioned today as a possibility.
Smailagic, 20, was the No. 39 pick in 2019. He appeared in 29 games for the team, averaging three points, 1.5 rebounds and 7.7 minutes per contest.
Teams and players can begin negotiating free-agent deals starting Monday at 6:00pm ET.
Heat Pull Qualifying Offer On Kendrick Nunn
The Heat have pulled the $4.74MM qualifying offer on point guard Kendrick Nunn, making him an unrestricted free agent, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Miami no longer has the ability to match an offer for Nunn, who can now sign outright with a new team.
Nunn, 26, is coming off an inconsistent stint with Miami, seeing his role fluctuate during his two seasons with the team. He still managed to average 15 points and 3.0 assists in 123 regular-season games (29.4 MPG), shooting 46% from the floor.
The Heat signed Nunn at the end of the 2018/19 season, developing him as a young player behind starting point guard Goran Dragic. Miami is also expected to deal Dragic as part of a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry, the team’s prized free-agent acquisition of the summer.
In addition to Lowry, the Heat agreed to re-sign four of its own free agents and landed P.J. Tucker on a two-year, $15MM contract. The team has 10 players under contract and will likely fill its remaining roster spots on minimum-salary deals or something close to it — in addition to two players on two-way contracts.
DeMar DeRozan Plans To Meet With Clippers
Free agent shooting guard DeMar DeRozan plans to meet with the Clippers on Tuesday, according to a report from Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.
DeRozan, a native of Compton, California, is also receiving interest from the Bulls, Haynes confirms. Any agreement between DeRozan and Chicago would likely feature a sign-and-trade, one that could land sharpshooting big man Lauri Markkanen in San Antonio.
As Haynes notes, the Clippers don’t have the cap space to sign DeRozan outright, meaning they would need to be creative in landing his services. The team only has a $5.9MM mid-level exception and probably can’t realistically acquire DeRozan via sign-and-trade since it would create a hard cap on the team’s spending.
DeRozan remains one of the league’s most accomplished scorers and top players still available in free agency. He held per-game averages of 21.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and a career-high 6.9 assists last season, also shooting 49.5% from the floor.
The downside to signing DeRozan, of course, is his three-point shooting. He’s only made 35 threes in his last three seasons, though he remains a lethal mid-range scorer who can finish through traffic and create looks for teammates. He’ll be entering his 13th season.
Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard is likely to miss part of next season rehabbing a partially torn ACL, making DeRozan more appealing for Los Angeles as it looks to return to the playoffs in the spring.
Pelicans Sign Didi Louzada To Four-Year Contract
AUGUST 13: The Pelicans have officially re-signed Louzada, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
AUGUST 3: The Pelicans have agreed to a new four-year contract with swingman Didi Louzada, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
New Orleans had been hoping to keep Louzada after declining his $1.5MM team option for 2021-22 last weekend. By declining the option and re-signing him on a new deal, the team now has the ability to keep him for years to come.
Louzada, 22, was the No. 35 pick in 2019. He signed with New Orleans toward the end of last season after spending two years overseas, appearing in three games.
The Pelicans finished the 2020/21 season with a 31-41 record — the 11th best in the Western Conference. The franchise parted ways with head coach Stan Van Gundy at the end of the campaign, hiring former NBA guard Willie Green in his place.