Kings Signing Kent Bazemore To One-Year Deal
The Kings have agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent swingman Kent Bazemore, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether the deal is guaranteed, but Bazemore is set to join Sacramento for the second time in his career.
Bazemore most recently played for the Lakers, appearing in just 39 games last season. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per contest, shooting 32% from the floor and 36% from deep.
Before that, the 33-year-old played for the Warriors, Hawks, Blazers and Kings. Along with the Kings, Bazemore holds two separate stints with the Warriors (2012-14 and 2020-21), plus the Lakers (2013-14 and 2021-22). He owns career averages of 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
The Kings currently have just 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so even if Bazemore’s deal isn’t guaranteed, he should have an opportunity to compete for one of the final spots on the team’s 15-man regular season roster.
Sacramento is coming off a 30-52 season, having missed the playoffs for an NBA-record 16th straight year. The team has a core of De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, Harrison Barnes, Domantas Sabonis and others that likely won’t finish drastically better than it did last season.
Doron Lamb Signs In Italy
Former NBA guard Doron Lamb has decided to sign a one-year deal in Italy with Scafati Basket, the team announced on social media. This is Lamb’s second trip to the country in the past year, as he most recently played for Victoria Libertas.
Lamb’s professional career has spanned over a decade. He won an NCAA title with Kentucky in 2012, then became the No. 42 pick of the draft that year. After that, he made NBA stops with the Bucks and Magic, as well as G League trips with Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Texas Legends and Westchester Knicks.
Lamb has spent much of his career overseas. He last saw G League action in 2017, playing 42 games with the Knicks’ affiliate. At 30 years old, time is gradually starting to run out for him to make an NBA comeback, though it’s unclear how hard of a push he plans to make.
Lamb has also played in Montenegro, France, Greece, Turkey and Poland. He averaged 12.9 points per game during his last stint in Italy, shooting an efficient 48% from the floor and 45% from deep.
Western Notes: Porter Jr., Williamson, Engelland, Spurs, Thunder
If the Rockets and Kevin Porter Jr. agree to an extension this offseason, it’ll likely have to be a team-friendly deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports. Scotto relays Houston is looking to preserve salary cap space for next summer.
Porter is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.6 points and 6.2 assists per game, shooting 41.5% from the floor and 37.5% from distance. At 22 years old, he’s shown he can be an electric scorer and ball-handler, but he’s dealt with maturity and discipline issues throughout his career.
It’s unlikely Houston would want to offer much more than Porter’s 2023 cap hold ($9.65MM) as a starting salary on an extension. If the two sides don’t work out a deal by opening night this fall, the 22-year-old would be eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Before joining the Rockets, he was the No. 30 pick in 2019 and started his career with the Cavaliers.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- William Guillory of The Athletic examines how Pelicans star Zion Williamson can fit in with the new-look team that emerged during his 2021/22 absence. Guillory explores how much we may see Williamson serve as the de facto point guard or small-ball center, and whether he can work together with co-star Brandon Ingram.
- The Spurs are turning a page with the departure of shooting coach Chip Engelland, Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News writes. Engelland spent 17 years with the Spurs under Gregg Popovich, having a major impact on the team’s overall success and culture. He recently agreed to join the Thunder.
- As part of his latest mailbag for The Oklahoman, Joe Mussatto explores whether the Thunder can make a push for the play-in tournament next season. Oklahoma City has a young core of Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and others, one that’ll most likely improve as time goes on. The team finished just 24-58 last season.
And-Ones: Williams, Sabonis, Valanciunas, Greece, 2021 Draft
Former NBA player Alan Williams has decided to sign a one-year deal with the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix, the team announced in a press release. This marks the fourth overseas stint of Williams’ career.
At 6’8″ and 265 pounds, Williams has carved out a role as a bruising big man. He started his career in China after going undrafted in 2015, spent time with the Suns from 2016-18, then played for the Nets in 2018/19. After that, he made a brief return to China and played three seasons in Russia.
Williams played 67 games during his time in the NBA, averaging 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per contest. The 29-year-old also shot an efficient 51% from the floor.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Kings big man Domantas Sabonis and Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas are now allowed to join the Lithuanian national team during practices, as relayed by EuroHoops. As the report notes, an agreement exists between the NBA and FIBA that allows players to join their team 28 days before major FIBA tournaments and 14 days ahead of the Olympics.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo discussed the Greek national team, offering an honest assessment of where the club stands. “Judging from yesterday’s practice, we are not yet ready for a medal, but we have our chances,” Antetokoummpo said, according to EuroHoops. “It doesn’t matter what the world expects, it’s what the team expects. In all the competitions I’ve been to with Greece, we didn’t even reach the quarterfinals. We’re not ready for medals or cups. We need to create chemistry and the right atmosphere. Let’s go and do our best. I have realistic goals, I need to get better. We have three weeks to bond. I will adapt to what the national team needs from me and not the opposite. Our coach [Dimitris Itoudis] is doing an amazing job and we have to do the best we can.”
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic re-drafted the 2021 NBA draft class, examining where players like Scottie Barnes should have landed. The top three selections in the real draft, of course, were Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley. Barnes was selected fourth, while Jalen Suggs was chosen fifth. In his re-draft, Vecenie swapped Barnes and Green, while moving Franz Wagner up to No. 5.
And-Ones: Shumpert, Tampering, 2023 Free Agency
Veteran NBA guard Iman Shumpert was arrested last Saturday at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, according to The Associated Press. Shumpert allegedly tried to bring six ounces of cannabis past security, leading to his arrest.
Shumpert also had a magazine with 14 rounds in his backpack, but no gun was found, the report states. The call came in around 3:40 pm local time and he was arrested for felony possession of marijuana.
Shumpert has played 10 NBA seasons, making stops with New York, Cleveland, Sacramento, Houston and Brooklyn. He didn’t play this season, but at 32 years old, he could make a return to the league one day.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA’s investigations into the Sixers and Knicks‘ potential tampering need to produce clarity, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. Hollinger notes it’s difficult to determine what constitutes tampering and the league’s actions will impact future teams. Both the Sixers and the Knicks’ deals with respective free agents P.J. Tucker and Jalen Brunson appeared to be finalized before free agency officially began, which may result in tampering penalties.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider-only) previews what to watch for during the 2023 free agency period. Marks examines Lakers superstar LeBron James (who’s now extension-eligible), the Warriors‘ tax bill and much more. Among the other topics Marks explores are former teammates Kyrie Irving and James Harden, as both players can become free agents next summer and are hoping to re-establish themselves as max players before then.
Eastern Notes: Haslem, Robinson, Wizards, Pistons, Pacers, Washington
The Heat have a standing offer out to veteran big man Udonis Haslem, which means it’s up to the 42-year-old if he wants to return next season, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel confirms in his latest “Ask Ira” mailbag.
Haslem has played fewer than 20 games in each of his past six seasons, but he plays an immense role in developing the team’s young players. He’s also served as a locker room leader, owning 19 years of NBA experience and winning three championships. He’s previously stated he has no interest in coaching.
Within the same article, Winderman also considered Duncan Robinson‘s status as a trade candidate, suggesting that Miami is unlikely to move Robinson for only a modest upgrade. With Robinson set to make $17MM this season, the Heat would likely need him for salary-matching purposes in order to acquire an impact player, so the club will be patient as it explores the trade market.
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- In a story for The Athletic, Josh Robbins projects the Wizards‘ rotation, depth chart and position battles ahead of the season. It’s reasonable to assume Monte Morris, Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis will start for Washington next season, but the other two starting spots may be up more up for grabs. Robbins, unsurprisingly, believes Will Barton and Kyle Kuzma are the current frontrunners to start alongside the trio.
- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic examines a number of Pistons-related topics in his mailbag, including what Killian Hayes needs to show the team this season and which players could be in danger to due to Detroit’s roster crunch. Edwards believes Saben Lee and Rodney McGruder could end up battling for the 15th roster spot.
- The Pacers wanted to keep Duane Washington Jr. for training camp, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, but apparently weren’t willing to offer him a two-way contract. Washington was seeking a better opportunity and ultimately signed a two-way deal with the Suns. He spent time with the Pacers on a two-way deal last season, earning a standard contract in April before getting waived earlier this month.
Thunder Officially Sign Mike Muscala
The Thunder have officially signed veteran big man Mike Muscala, the team announced in a press release today. Oklahoma City originally agreed to re-sign the 31-year-old during the initial hours of free agency on June 30 and now has a full 20-man offseason roster.
Muscala, 6’10”, played 43 games with the Thunder last season. He averaged 8.0 points and 3.0 rebounds, playing 13.8 minutes per contest. He also shot 45.6% from the floor and 42.9% from deep.
As of now, Muscala is the oldest player on Oklahoma City’s roster. He and Derrick Favors, also 31, can serve as mentors to young players such as Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren and Aleksej Pokusevski — whether on the court or in the locker room.
Muscala first joined the Thunder as a free agent in 2019. Before that, he was drafted No. 44 overall in 2013 and played for the Hawks, Sixers and Lakers. He’s expected to provide frontcourt depth for a team that finished just 24-58 last season.
Assuming Muscala signed a fully guaranteed contract, he’s the 17th Thunder player with a guaranteed salary for 2022/23. Vit Krejci also has a partial guarantee, so the team will have to trade or release three players before opening night to get down to the 15-man regular season limit.
Community Shootaround: Nets’ Future
With the futures of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant unclear, the Nets have a number of important decisions to make in the coming weeks and months. Durant requested a trade from the organization just over a month ago, while Irving reportedly hasn’t asked to be dealt since exercising his player option, but neither player is a lock to open the season in Brooklyn.
Durant and Irving — alongside DeAndre Jordan — first joined the Nets during the summer of 2019. The team has had a championship-caliber roster more than once since then, but injuries, availability and chemistry issues have hampered its chances of winning a title.
According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider-only), many figures around the league believe it’s virtually impossible to trade Durant. The 33-year-old has four years left on his contract and is a consensus top-five player in the world, making it difficult for rival teams to match Brooklyn’s high asking price. The Nets, according to Lowe, are hopeful Durant realizes this and eventually retracts his trade demand.
If the Nets find a way to trade Durant, the team would likely acquire high-level talent and a significant amount of draft capital. They would still have Irving, Seth Curry, Joe Harris, T.J. Warren, Ben Simmons, Nicolas Claxton and others, unless any of the players are included in the deal, of course.
We want to know what you think. If you were the Nets, what would you do? Would you shop around Durant and Irving with hopes of rebuilding, or would you only look to trade one player? Should Brooklyn consider moving any other players? If Durant retracts his request, are the Nets good enough to win a championship? Take to the comments section below and voice your opinions!
Eastern Notes: Heat, Hachimura, Avdija, Celtics, Durant
The Heat have an effective offseason program — and players such as Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry are certainly working on their craft — but Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel questions how much stock should be put into it right now, particularly given the team’s roster situation.
Miami still has a strong core, one that includes Tyler Herro, Victor Oladipo and others outside of the aforementioned names. However, the team lost starting power forward P.J. Tucker to Philadelphia and hasn’t re-signed forward Markieff Morris, raising questions about who else will start in the frontcourt.
The Heat did re-sign Caleb Martin and have second-year player Haywood Highsmith, but Martin is viewed as an undersized power forward and Highsmith is still in the process of proving himself. Miami can use a starting-caliber forward alongside Butler and Adebayo — and whether it happens may directly impact their level of success this season.
There’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Wizards forwards Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija are quietly giving the team hope, Ethan Fuller of BasketballNews.com writes. Washington finished 35-47 last season and missed the playoffs, but if the club fails to make the postseason again, it’ll still have Hachimura and Avdija for the future. Hachimura (24) was the No. 9 pick in 2019, while Avdija (21) was drafted ninth overall in 2020.
- The Celtics‘ biggest concern with a potential Kevin Durant trade could be Jayson Tatum, Sherrod Blakely of Full Court Press writes. If they were to acquire Durant, the Celtics may be taking the ball out of Tatum’s hands more, which would require time to sort through. This type of major addition has succeeded before (ie. LeBron James joining Dwyane Wade in Miami), but it requires time, patience and players willing to sacrifice for the team.
And-Ones: Russell, Sotto, Douglas
With legendary center Bill Russell passing away at the age of 88 today, figures across the sports world have paid their respects through statements and social media posts. Among those is Tamika Tremaglio, director of the National Basketball Players Association.
“Bill Russell embodies what it means to be a champion in every sense of the word. His on-court accomplishments, including the unfathomable 11 championships and five MVP awards — all achieved with distinct grace and swagger — are entrenched in our NBA culture as the standard to which all inspire,” Tremaglio said as part of a larger statement, as relayed on social media.
Russell’s passing has also drawn statements from other notable figures, including Magic Johnson (Twitter link) Celtics star Jayson Tatum (Twitter link) and Barack Obama (Twitter link).
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In addition to players and figures around the sports world, many teams released statements about Russell’s passing. Those teams include the Celtics, Kings, Warriors and Suns. Russell impacted generations during his life — both on the court and off.
- Kai Sotto will remain in the NBL with the Adelaide 36ers next season, as relayed by Sportando. The 20-year-old averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season.
- Former NBA guard Toney Douglas has agreed to a deal with Benfica in Portugal, according to Martim Figueiredo (hat tip to Sportando). Douglas last played in Greece. He’s played 394 NBA games during his career, making stops with New York, Houston, Sacramento, Golden State, Miami, New Orleans and Memphis.