Cavs Sign Mfiondu Kabengele To Second 10-Day Contract
The Cavaliers have re-signed big man Mfiondu Kabengele, bringing him back on a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. His initial 10-day deal, signed on April 10, expired on Monday night.
A former first-round pick, Kabengele caught on with the Cavaliers after being waived by the Clippers. During his first 10 days with Cleveland, he saw limited action, recording a total of five points and five rebounds across three games (21 minutes). However, he showed enough to earn another 10 days with the team.
Kabengele’s second 10-day deal with the Cavs, like his first, will be worth $99,020. Because Cleveland waited an extra day to complete the signing, the contract will cover the club’s next six games instead of just five. Once it expires, the team will have to either let Kabengele walk or sign him to a rest-of-season deal.
The Cavaliers now once again have a full 15-man roster. They do have an open two-way contract slot and are expected to fill it at some point before the end of the regular season.
And-Ones: Wright-Foreman, B. Johnson, Canada, Banchero
A pair of former NBA players who were on two-way contracts during the 2019/20 season have signed new contracts overseas.
Point guard Justin Wright-Foreman, the 53rd overall pick in the 2019 draft, has joined Chorale Roanne Basket in France for the remainder of the season, the team said in a press release. Wright-Foreman spent all of ’19/20 on a two-way deal with the Jazz, but appeared in just four games and wasn’t retained in the fall. He played for the Erie BayHawks in the G League bubble this winter.
Meanwhile, small forward B.J. Johnson, who appeared in 10 games last season while on a two-way contract with Orlando, has inked a rest-of-season contract with the Brisbane Bullets, the Australian team announced. Like Wright-Foreman, Johnson hasn’t played in the NBA at all in 2020/21, but participated in the NBAGL bubble, averaging 18.4 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 14 games (31.1 MPG) for the Long Island Nets.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Blake Murphy and Eric Koreen of The Athletic take a look at which players might represent Team Canada in its Olympic qualifying tournament this summer. If they’re healthy and interested (and some have already expressed interest), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Andrew Wiggins, RJ Barrett, Luguentz Dort, Kelly Olynyk, Dillon Brooks, and Chris Boucher would be among the roster’s headliners. Twenty-four teams will participate in four qualifying tournaments, with the four winners advancing to the Tokyo Olympics and joining the eight countries that have already secured their spots.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic examines how the NBA G League’s players union – the Basketball Players Union, formed in 2020 – is putting more power into the hands of its players.
- Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) has updated his mock draft for 2022, moving Duke commit Paolo Banchero up to No. 1, as Chet Holmgren – who committed this week to Gonzaga – slides to No. 2.
Pacers Sign Oshae Brissett To Three-Year Deal
APRIL 21: The Pacers have officially re-signed Brissett, the team announced today in a press release.
APRIL 20: The Pacers and forward Oshae Brissett have agreed to a three-year contract, a league source tells J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).
Brissett initially inked a 10-day contract with Indiana on April 1, then was re-signed to a second 10-day pact on April 11. That second deal is set to expire tonight. Because teams can only sign a player to two 10-day contracts in a season, Brissett would have become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow if the Pacers hadn’t been willing to sign him to a standard deal.
Brissett spent the 2019/20 season on a two-way contract with the Raptors, appearing in 19 games with the team last season after going undrafted out of Syracuse.
He reunited with former Toronto assistant Nate Bjorkgren in Indiana earlier this month and has made a positive impression on the Pacers in a limited role, averaging 4.8 points per game on .688/.571/.750 shooting in six games (8.2 MPG). His best game came last night, when he put up 13 points and six rebounds in a loss to San Antonio.
Because the Pacers haven’t yet used any of their mid-level exception yet this season, they were able to use a portion of it to go beyond a two-year deal for Brissett. While we don’t know the exact terms of the contract yet, the rest of this season’s salary will be fully guaranteed — years two and three will almost certainly be worth the minimum and are unlikely to be guaranteed.
Once they officially re-sign Brissett, the Pacers will have a full roster of 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.
Injury Notes: Lillard, Durant, Fox, Hornets
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who has missed the team’s last three games due to right hamstring tendiopathy, intends to return on Wednesday night vs. Denver, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
The Trail Blazers will welcome Lillard’s return — after squeaking out a one-point win in San Antonio, the club lost its next two games without him. Portland remains in the No. 6 seed in the West, but now has just a 1.5-game cushion over the seventh-place Mavs.
Here are a few more injury-related notes and updates:
- A pair of sources confirmed to Brian Lewis of The New York Post that Kevin Durant‘s thigh injury is considered minor. Durant remains with the Nets on their current road trip rather than having returned to Brooklyn, and head coach Steve Nash said the star forward is “day-to-day.” The latest update from the team on James Harden wasn’t quite so positive, as we relayed last night.
- Kings head coach Luke Walton said after Tuesday’s game that point guard De’Aaron Fox tweaked his ankle on Sunday, per Sean Cunningham of ABC10 Sacramento (Twitter link). It doesn’t appear the injury will sideline Fox for now, but it explains why he was limited to 28 minutes in the club’s loss last night — those 28 minutes were the fewest he has played in a game since January 15.
- There’s still no set timetable for LaMelo Ball, Malik Monk, or Gordon Hayward to return to the Hornets, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Although Monk’s return isn’t imminent, he’s believed to be closer than Hayward, says Bonnell. As for Ball, while a Monday report suggested he could be back as soon as early next week, head coach James Borrego wouldn’t confirm that, but he did say it seems that Ball wouldn’t be at risk of worsening his wrist injury if he returns this season, which is good news for Charlotte.
Kai Sotto Signs Multiyear Deal with Adelaide 36ers
Kai Sotto, a 7’2″ center from the Philippines who was a member of the G League Ignite, has signed a multiyear contract with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League, the Australian club announced in a press release.
Sotto will join the team for the 2021/22 season, having signed a two-year deal with an option for a third year. While he could decide to declare for the NBA draft as early as 2022, it’s unclear if his new contract includes an NBA out that would allow him to come stateside before it expires.
Sotto was one of several young prospects who joined the Ignite, the NBA G League’s new select team, for its inaugural season in 2020/21. However, he didn’t end up appearing in any NBAGL games, having left the Ignite in January to train with the Philippines National Team at the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Qatar. That event ended up being canceled, but Sotto and the Ignite decided not to have him report back to the Walt Disney World bubble due to the compressed schedule and the quarantine protocols that would have delayed his return.
A four-star recruit in 2020, Sotto remains somewhat of an unknown commodity, as he opted to forgo college and has yet to play in any professional leagues. His time in Adelaide should give him an opportunity to showcase his skills for NBA evaluators.
Pacific Notes: CP3, Suns, Oubre, Kings, Metu
The Suns, who last made the NBA postseason 11 years ago, remain very much in the hunt for the top seed in the Western Conference, as their 41-16 mark puts them just a game-and-a-half behind the 43-15 Jazz. While the ongoing development of several young Phoenix players has been a major factor in the team’s improvement, the offseason arrival of Chris Paul was arguably the key turning point in making the Suns a legitimate contender.
“I don’t have enough time to talk about everything he’s done,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said of Paul, per Royce Young of ESPN. “He’s brought such a — he’s improved the winning mentality. All of our guys want to win. But when you see a guy that has done it from afar and then you look at how he does it, from his diet to the exercise routine he has every day, and then in game when he’s able to be in those situations and really lift the level of our team, it’s pretty cool to watch.”
In addition to impressing Williams, who said he has “story after story” about the impact Paul has had in Phoenix, the veteran point guard has made a lasting impression on his young teammates, including fellow All-Star guard Devin Booker.
“I’m inspired every day. I tell Chris that every day. It’s not something I’m going to take for granted,” Booker said of his Suns’ backcourt mate. “I pick his brain. I listen to him — closely. I watch how he moves, and even when he’s not talking or leading us, I just watch how he goes about his business. There’s so much respect for him and not just from me, but leaguewide and worldwide.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Warriors forward Kelly Oubre made some comments in March suggesting he wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of coming off the bench, but he accepted a reserve role in stride upon his return to action on Monday, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters (video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Oubre’s role as a sixth man gives the second unit a boost this season and could be a preview of next season’s rotation if the 25-year-old re-signs with Golden State, writes Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area.
- The Kings have been in a brutal slump this month, but their deadline additions continue to look good, as Delon Wright and Terence Davis played key role in a Sunday win that snapped a nine-game losing streak, writes Jason Jones of The Athletic.
- Kings big man Chimezie Metu, who missed nearly a month-and-a-half earlier this season due to broken wrist he suffered when he was thrown to the court by Jonas Valanciunas, said he’s not holding a grudge toward the Grizzlies center, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee relays. “It is frustrating looking back on it at times because who knows what could have happened in those six weeks for myself and what that could have meant for my career or for the team, for the team’s success,” Metu said. “… It’s tough looking back at it. It was tough in the moment, but I hold no hate in my heart for Valanciunas.”
Southwest Notes: S. Brown, Mavs, Louzada, Eubanks
Rockets wing Sterling Brown was jumped outside of a club in Miami late on Sunday night, according to Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic, who say Brown was hit in the head with a bottle and required medical attention into Monday. Brown, who was admitted to a local hospital early Monday morning, suffered facial lacerations in the incident and was discharged later in the day, per Charania and Iko. The 26-year-old didn’t know the assailants.
While Brown was ruled out of the Rockets’ game on Monday in Miami, that was the fifth straight game he has missed due to left knee soreness, unrelated to Sunday’s incident. It’s not clear whether the attack will push back his potential return date at all.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The Mavericks have fired director of player personnel Tony Ronzone, sources tell Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. It’s unclear when the dismissal occurred, per Townsend. However, Ronzone was accused of sexual assault in 2019 and that allegation became public last year. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Mavs fired Ronzone after learning new information related to that allegation.
- While signing draft-and-stash prospect Didi Louzada to a rest-of-season contract will benefit the Pelicans from a cap perspective, allowing them to fill their 14th spot while remaining out of tax territory, John Hollinger of The Athletic questions whether the 2019 second-rounder is ready for the NBA. Louzada, 21, has struggled with his shot in Australia’s NBL and signing him now will make him a little more expensive in 2021/22, when New Orleans will likely be up against the tax line once again.
- Several members of the Spurs‘ young core are thrilled to see big man Drew Eubanks thriving in an increased role lately, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Eubanks has averaged 10.6 PPG and 9.2 RPG in just 19.8 MPG in his last five games, including his first career start on Saturday. “He’s out there killing it,” Keldon Johnson said after Eubanks put up 13 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday’s win. “I can’t be any happier for Drew. He works so hard.”
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 4/20/2021
Our weekly Tuesday chat took place as usual today, beginning at noon central time (1:00pm ET).
Today’s transcript can be found right here. If we didn’t get to your question today, join us again next Tuesday afternoon!
Eastern Notes: Stevens, Pacers, Heat, Raptors
Having already said in March that he had no intention of leaving Boston for the Hoosiers, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens addressed an Adrian Wojnarowski report that stated Indiana University was willing to offer him $70MM over seven years to become the program’s head coach.
“I was never offered a package. That’s all news to me. Secondly, I wasn’t going to leave anyways,” Stevens said, per Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. “I was never offered that. I don’t know where that came from.”
While Stevens’ comments read like a dismissal of Wojnarowski’s report, it’s worth noting that there’s not actually any contradiction between what Stevens and Woj are saying. Wojnarowski reported that Indiana was “prepared” to make that seven-year offer to the Celtics’ coach, but if the Hoosiers got word that Stevens wasn’t interested in the job, it makes sense that the offer was never formally submitted.
Here’s more from around the East:
- As the Pacers near the end of what has been a disappointing season, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) looks ahead to some big questions the team will have to answer in the offseason, including potentially finally deciding to trade one of Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis.
- The Heat now have the ability to sign a 15th player to a rest-of-season contract while staying below the luxury tax threshold. With that in mind, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald considers some of the team’s options, whether it’s a veteran, a developmental player, or a promotion for one of Miami’s current two-way players.
- The Raptors are stuck in an odd spot, caught between tanking and competing for the final play-in spot in the East, as Blake Murphy of The Athletic writes. The team appeared prepared to throw in the towel, having sat a handful of veteran players within the last week or two. But if tanking is the goal, the Raps aren’t having much luck so far, writes Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. Toronto has won three games in a row and is just a half-game back of Chicago for the No. 10 seed.
- Doug Smith of The Toronto Star explains that the Raptors received their $25K fine from the NBA over the weekend because they said Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby would miss Friday’s game for “rest” purposes, but head coach Nick Nurse said they were bothered by foot and knee issues, respectively. Those ailments weren’t noted on the injury report at all prior to Friday’s game.
Draft Notes: Hyland, Cockburn, Mobley, Wheeler, More
VCU guard Nah’Shon Hyland has opted to declare for the 2021 NBA draft and will sign with an agent, signaling his decision to go pro, he announced this weekend on Twitter.
The 20-year-old known as “Bones” had a breakout sophomore year in 2020/21, averaging 19.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.9 SPG with a shooting line of .447/.371/.862 in 24 games (31.9 MPG). The performance earned him Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors. Hyland currently ranks 68th on ESPN’s big board, making him a borderline candidate to be drafted in July.
Here are a few more draft updates:
- Illinois sophomore center Kofi Cockburn, who tested the draft waters a year ago, has once again declared for the draft, he announced on Twitter. Cockburn, who averaged 17.7 PPG and 9.5 RPG in 31 games (27.0 MPG) in 2020/21, didn’t explicitly state that he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, but his statement strongly suggests that.
- Like his brother Evan, USC sophomore forward Isaiah Mobley will enter the 2021 NBA draft, he announced on Twitter. While Evan – a probable top-four pick – is definitely going pro, Isaiah will test the draft waters, maintaining his college eligibility throughout the process.
- Georgia sophomore guard Sahvir Wheeler is entering the NCAA transfer portal and will simultaneously test the draft waters, he told Jonathan Givony of ESPN. A member of the All-SEC Second Team in 2021, Wheeler averaged 14.0 PPG and 7.4 APG this season, and is considered one of the best passers in the NCAA, says Givony. However, his 115 turnovers were the second-most among D1 players.
- Auburn forward Allen Flanigan, a projected second-round pick, has decided to return to school for his junior season rather than entering the draft, he tells Givony. “The tremendous unwavering support these fans and university show is one of a kind and one of the best in the country,” Flanigan said. “The NBA has always been my lifelong dream and goal, but I couldn’t pass up being a part of something special.”
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his big board for the 2021 NBA draft, writing that you could make a reasonable case for any of Evan Mobley, Jalen Green, or Jalen Suggs as the No. 2 player in this year’s class. Wasserman ultimately gives Green that spot, with Cade Cunningham continuing to hold the No. 1 place on the board.