Nets Sign Michael Beasley As Substitute Player
JULY 9: The Nets have officially signed Beasley, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 8: The Nets and free agent forward Michael Beasley are moving toward a contract agreement, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The second overall pick in the 2008 draft, Beasley hasn’t played in the NBA this season, having last suited up for the Lakers during the 2018/19 campaign. He averaged 7.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 26 games (10.7 MPG) for the Lakers before being traded to the Clippers at the ’19 deadline. The Clips subsequently waived him.
Beasley, who averaged 19.2 PPG for the Timberwolves back in 2010/11, has always been an effective scorer, but isn’t a particularly strong play-maker or defender. Still, the 31-year-old’s ability to put the ball in the basket could benefit the depleted Nets.
As a result of injuries, opt-outs, and positive coronavirus tests, Brooklyn will be missing Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince, Wilson Chandler, and Nicolas Claxton when play resumes this summer.
Dinwiddie, Jordan, Prince, and Chandler are eligible to be replaced by substitute players, and Brooklyn has already reached agreements with Justin Anderson and Jamal Crawford. Assuming they strike a deal with Beasley too, the Nets would still be able to sign one more substitute player — they’re said to be eyeing a frontcourt piece, perhaps Amir Johnson or Lance Thomas.
Beasley – who has a strong relationship with Durant, according to Charania (Twitter link) – would sign a minimum-salary, rest-of-season contract with Brooklyn if the two sides finalize an agreement. It wouldn’t count against the club’s cap and the Nets wouldn’t have any form of Bird rights on Beasley at season’s end.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out (via Twitter), Beasley was hit with a five-game suspension in August 2019 for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. He has yet to serve that ban and would have to do so if he signs with Brooklyn. Still, the club would have him available for its final three seeding games, plus up to two play-in tournament contests and the entire postseason, assuming the Nets make it.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pistons Hire Bucks Exec David Mincberg As Assistant GM
JULY 9: The Pistons have officially hired Mincberg as an assistant general manager, announcing the move today in a press release.
JULY 7: The Pistons are hiring Bucks executive David Mincberg to fill an assistant general manager role in their front office, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Mincberg, who previously worked in the Grizzlies’ legal and scouting departments, has been in the Bucks’ front office for the last three years under GM Jon Horst. As Wojnarowski notes, Mincberg most recently served as Milwaukee’s vice president of basketball strategy.
It’s the first front office addition the Pistons have made since hiring new general manager Troy Weaver, who presumably played a role in the pursuit and hiring of Mincberg. Detroit has lost two assistant GMs this year, with Malik Rose leaving the team for a job in the NBA’s league office and Pat Garrity departing the organization as well.
Given both of those losses, Mincberg won’t be the last executive hired by the Pistons to fill out Weaver’s new-look basketball operations department. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) hears that the club will likely make “at least” two more hires.
Hawks Name Tori Miller GM Of G League Team
The Hawks have promoted Tori Miller to the role of general manager of the College Park Skyhawks, the team announced today in a press release. The move makes Miller the first woman to ever hold the title of GM in NBA G League history.
Miller, a native of Decatur, Georgia, began her career as a basketball operations intern with the Suns. She eventually joined Atlanta’s G League affiliate – then the Erie BayHawks – as the club’s manager of basketball operations before being named the Skyhawks’ assistant GM in July 2019.
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic published a profile of Miller shortly after last summer’s promotion, noting that her goal is to eventually become the general manager of an NBA team.
“I want to create that path,” Miller told The Athletic at the time. “I want to be the one person where others say, ‘Hey, Tori Miller did it. I want to do it as well.'”
In addition to Miller’s promotion, the Hawks and Skyhawks announced a handful of other promotions and hires. Notably, former Skyhawks GM Derek Pierce will remain in the organization and will continue to oversee Atlanta’s scouting department as the Hawks’ VP of player personnel.
Atlanta also promoted Dwight Lutz to senior director of basketball strategy and analytics and Zac Walsh to director of team operations, among other moves.
Central Notes: Brogdon, Pacers, Giannis, Pistons
Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon tested positive for the coronavirus when the NBA’s mandatory testing program began in June, but announced today (via Twitter) that he’s “feeling well” and is “ready for Orlando.”
The Pacers are one of eight teams scheduled to travel to the Walt Disney World campus on Thursday, and with Brogdon’s quarantine period now over, there’s hope that he’ll be able to accompany the team on that trip. According to Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports (Twitter link), Brogdon has to return another negative COVID-19 test before getting the go-ahead to travel with the Pacers to Orlando.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star explores how Victor Oladipo‘s absence will impact the Pacers‘ rotation this summer, writing that Aaron Holiday and Edmond Sumner are the best bets to see increased roles.
- Asked today if he has any concerns about teams tampering with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the NBA’s campus in Orlando, Bucks GM Jon Horst replied, “Zero,” tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Horst went on to joke that such tampering would “technically violate the social distancing rules” of the campus.
- It’s not clear yet what responsibilities new Pistons assistant GM David Mincberg will take on, but the veteran executive is “something of a jack-of-all-trades addition” for the team, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, who notes that Mincberg has experience in scouting, analytics, salary cap management, and legal counsel.
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Thunder’s Isaiah Roby Out For Season
Thunder forward Isaiah Roby won’t play this summer when the NBA resumes, as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes.
A team spokesman said today that Roby is out for the season after undergoing a minor procedure on his right plantar fascia, per Mussatto, who notes that the 22-year-old has dealt with plantar fasciitis since his days at Nebraska.
According to Mussatto, Roby won’t travel with the Thunder to the NBA’s Walt Disney World campus. The club also can’t sign a substitute player to fill his spot on the roster, since injured players are ineligible to be replaced. Oklahoma City will simply enter the summer restart with 16 players instead of the maximum 17.
Roby, a second-round pick in 2019, was traded from Dallas to Oklahoma City in January. He appeared in just three games for the Thunder, logging 11 total minutes, so his absence won’t impact the team’s rotation.
Roby averaged 8.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 17 G League games (20.2 MPG) for the Texas Legends and OKC Blue as a rookie. He remains under contract with the Thunder through 2023, though his salary isn’t guaranteed beyond the 2020/21 season.
Key 2020 NBA Offseason Dates, Deadlines
In a typical year, the NBA’s annual draft would have already taken place and the majority of the summer’s top free agents would have come off the board. However, 2020 is about as far from a typical year as we can imagine, which means the league’s usual offseason calendar has been upended.
We still don’t know exactly when the 2020/21 NBA season will start – or even whether the league will be able to safely finish the ’19/20 campaign – but the league has re-established new dates and deadlines for a number of offseason events.
With the help of information from ESPN’s Bobby Marks, here’s a breakdown of many of the NBA’s important dates and deadlines over the next few months:
August 3
- Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility (10:59pm CT).
August 15-16
- Possible postseason play-in games take place.
August 17
- NBA playoffs begin.
- Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59pm CT).
- Note: For more information on draft-related dates and deadlines, check out our full breakdown.
August 25
- NBA draft lottery.
October 13
- Latest possible end date for the 2020 NBA Finals.
November 8
- Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00pm CT).
November 18
- NBA draft day.
November 19
- Last day for decisions on player, team and early termination options (4:00pm CT).
- Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
November 20
- Last official day of the 2019/20 NBA league year.
- Teams can begin negotiating contracts with free agents (5:00pm CT).
November 21
- Official start of the 2020/21 NBA league year.
- Moratorium period begins.
- Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
- Teams can begin signing players to rookie scale contracts, minimum salary contracts, and two-way contracts.
- Third- and fourth-year rookie scale options for 2021/22 can be exercised.
November 22
- Moratorium period ends (11:00am CT)
- Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades.
- The two-day period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins.
December 1
- Training camps open
December 9
- Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2020/21 salaries.
December 21:
- Last day for players eligible for rookie scale extensions to sign new contracts.
- Last day for players eligible for super-max extensions to sign new contracts.
- Note: Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only player who fits this bill.
- Last day for players eligible for veteran contract extensions to sign new contracts (unless they’re in a contract year).
As gaps in the NBA’s late-offseason calendar get filled in, we’ll update this page with the latest info.
International Notes: D. Williams, Harrison, Singleton, L. Brown
While the NBA’s 2020 free agency period is still a few months away, teams in Europe are already making offseason roster moves in preparation for the 2020/21 season, and a number of former NBA players are in the news. One of those players is Pau Gasol, who is reportedly in serious talks with Barcelona about a potential one-year deal, as we relayed earlier today.
Here are a few more updates on former NBA players lining up new deals overseas:
- Spanish team Valencia has reached an agreement to sign former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams for the coming season, the club announced in a press release. Still just 29 years old, Williams has appeared in over 400 NBA regular season games, but has spent the last couple seasons in international leagues, playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey in 2019/20.
- Olympiacos BC in Greece has officially announced the signing of Aaron Harrison, the former Kentucky guard who played for the Hornets and Mavericks in the NBA from 2015-18. Harrison, who spent the last two seasons with Turkish team Galatasaray, signed a two-year contract with Olympiacos.
- Former first-round pick Chris Singleton, who last appeared in the NBA in 2014 with the Wizards, has signed a multiyear contract extension with Turkish club Anadolu Efes, the team announced in a press release. It’s a two-year deal with a third-year option for the veteran forward, who joins Rodrigue Beaubois in agreeing to an extension with Anadolu Efes this week.
- Turkish club Fenerbahce is eyeing veteran guard Lorenzo Brown, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Brown last played in the NBA during the 2018/19 season before being waived by Toronto.
Pelicans’ Gentry Cleared To Travel To NBA Campus
Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has been cleared to travel with his team to the NBA’s Walt Disney World campus, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link), Gentry received the call from the NBA today just minutes before the Pelicans were set to board their plane to Orlando.
Gentry, who is 65 years old, is one of the head coaches who has received extra scrutiny from team doctors and the NBA due to potentially heightened health risks if he contracts the coronavirus. The restart agreement gives the league the right to prohibit certain red-flagged individuals from accompanying their teams to Disney.
The NBA has assured coaches they won’t be red-flagged based on their ages alone. However, if there are also underlying health issues that will put them at greater risk, they can be held out of the restart — that was the case for Lakers assistant Lionel Hollins, for instance.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, 71, is expected to travel to the NBA campus on Thursday, per Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, 69, also said this week that he hasn’t heard anything suggesting he’ll be prohibited from heading to Orlando (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle). D’Antoni is still waiting the official OK from the league, but there’s optimism he’ll get it, tweets Wojnarowski.
While the Pelicans got good news on Gentry, the club will be without associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik won’t be with the club this summer. He decided to stay in New Orleans and work remotely after consulting with team doctors and CDC regulations.
In addition to Bzdelik, the Pelicans will be missing assistant Jamelle McMillan, who is staying behind to care for his newborn son, according to Lopez (Twitter link).
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Tatum, Nets, Thomas, Knicks, Kidd
Sixers center Joel Embiid and guard Shake Milton are among those who have expressed some reservations about the NBA’s restart plan, though both players will participate this summer, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Embiid’s concerns stem from a suspicion that not all of his fellow players will follow the restrictions and protocols put in place by the league.
“There’s some guys that like to go out, there’s some guys that like to do stuff, there’s some guys that like adventure,” Embiid said. “I know myself. I know I’m not gonna put everybody else at risk. But the question is, is everybody else gonna do the same? Just being around this business, I surely don’t think so.”
Milton, meanwhile, was less concerned about the health and safety guidelines in place than about his belief that the resumption of the NBA might draw attention away from the ongoing fight for social justice reforms.
“I don’t really think we should be playing,” Milton said, per Bodner. “I feel like… there’s an issue going on right now in the world that is way bigger than the sport, way bigger than the game of basketball, and I feel like we’re on the cusp of finally having people tune in and really try to listen and try to understand more about the things that are happening in our country. I feel like the moment is too big right now, and I don’t want the game of basketball to overshadow it.”
Despite their apprehensions, both Embiid and Milton stressed they’re committed to helping the 76ers compete for a championship in Orlando this summer.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Celtics forward Jayson Tatum isn’t overly enthusiastic about restarting the season at the Walt Disney World campus and only recently finalized his decision to play, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “There’s a multitude of reasons why I wasn’t comfortable,” Tatum said. “… (I’m) still not excited about it, not thrilled. Obviously, what we’re fighting for (in society), against racism and social injustice and (for) equality. Obviously the virus is still very well and alive and continues to rise in Florida. For me, just being away from my son for two or three months, that’s what’s really bothering me. … Especially when they’re that young — their growth, they change every week. Just knowing I’m going to miss out on that.”
- Veteran forward Lance Thomas, who was with the Nets last fall, is among the veteran free agents receiving interest from the team, league sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Brooklyn is eligible to sign three substitute players to replace DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Taurean Prince, who all contracted COVID-19. The club is also said to be eyeing Amir Johnson.
- Marc Berman of The New York Post explores Jason Kidd‘s candidacy for the Knicks‘ head coaching vacancy, noting that some insiders believe he’s the best “long-shot threat” to presumed frontrunner Tom Thibodeau. However, opinions on Kidd are mixed. “I wouldn’t hire Jason Kidd if he was the last coach standing,” one NBA source (who has worked with Kidd) told Berman. “It would be a terrible choice. There’s a reason Milwaukee is in the place where they are right now — coaching.”