NBA Investigated Clippers After Deal With Kawhi
The NBA conducted a formal investigation into the Clippers last summer following the team’s free agent agreement with Kawhi Leonard, three sources with knowledge of the situation tell Sam Amick of The Athletic. As Amick explains, complaints surfaced during Leonard’s free agency that his uncle Dennis Robertson was asking teams for improper benefits.
According to Amick, the NBA was told following Leonard’s free agent decision that Robertson had asked team officials for an ownership stake, a private plane, a house, and a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money they could expect if Kawhi joined their team. As Amick rightly notes, all of those requests would violate the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
A source with knowledge of the Lakers‘ talks with Leonard tells Amick that Robertson repeatedly made those requests to owner Jeanie Buss, who made it clear the perks were illegal and wouldn’t be considered. Sources tell The Athletic that similar requests were made of the Raptors, which aligns with what we heard out of Toronto at the time.
The presumption among rival teams is that Robertson asked the Clippers for similar perks, but the league’s investigation didn’t turn up any evidence that the Clips granted any of those requests, per Amick.
Leonard’s free agency process was believed to be the motivating factor for the NBA’s decision to introduce new anti-tampering guidelines and penalties this fall. The league has also asked the players’ union to re-emphasize that only certified player agents are permitted to negotiate directly with teams, a rule that teams are expected to stress on their ends going forward as well.
“This is all because of Uncle Dennis,” one team owner said of those measures to cut down on tampering and cap circumvention, according to Amick. A prominent agent offered a similar assessment: “This is because of Dennis. He didn’t know the rules.”
Although the Lakers are comfortably atop the Western Conference with a 24-6 record, the team is still upset by how the Leonard sweepstakes played out, says Amick. For a short time, there was a strong belief within the Lakers’ organization that the Finals MVP would choose them, but they came to suspect that Kawhi’s camp was using them for leverage.
For what it’s worth, a source tells Amick that the Raptors never believed the Lakers were truly an option for Leonard. Amick adds that there was also some skepticism within the Clippers’ organization that Kawhi would join the Lakers, albeit not from the club’s top executives.
Brogdon: Pacers Valued Me More Than Bucks Did
When Malcolm Brogdon reached free agency last summer, the Bucks had the ability to match any offer sheet he signed, but opted instead to send him to the Pacers in a sign-and-trade deal in exchange for a handful of draft picks. Speaking to reporters on Sunday when he returned to Milwaukee, Brogdon said he realized in the weeks leading up to free agency that he might not be the Bucks’ top priority.
“I had a pretty good inkling that things may not work out and things may not go in the direction that I thought they were going to go in, so I started to change my mindset and started to identify different teams and prepare myself,” Brogdon said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “I would’ve loved to play for this team (the Bucks), if they had wanted me. If they had valued me the way the Pacers value me. That’s all I gotta say.”
Despite suggesting that the Bucks didn’t value him like Indiana did, Brogdon expressed no hard feelings toward his old team. Milwaukee has an NBA-best 27-4 record so far this season, while Brogdon – in the first season of a four-year, $85MM contract – is having a career year, so it may turn out to be a win-win outcome.
Although Brogdon’s efficiency numbers have taken a bit of a hit so far this season, he’s averaging career highs in PPG (18.3), APG (7.6), and several other categories. Perhaps most importantly, he has a starring role for his new team in Indiana after being a complementary player for his first three NBA seasons in Milwaukee. Brogdon acknowledged that was a factor in his willingness to move on from the Bucks this past offseason.
“It’s about a new opportunity, a new challenge,” Brogdon said. “Sort of being a leader of a team now is a totally different role, it’s a way bigger role for me, but it’s something I’ve been molded into and something I’ve prepared myself to do over the past three years.
“This is, I think, something that every respected NBA player wants. They want a team that they can call theirs, they want a team that they can still win at a high level, but they have the ball more in their hands and they can control more of the game.”
Hollinger’s Latest: Bertans, 2020 Draft, Celtics, G League
While Tommy Sheppard‘s claim that the Wizards intend to retain Davis Bertans through the trade deadline and beyond this season could be viewed as a leverage play, John Hollinger of The Athletic sounds inclined to believe the first-year general manager. As Hollinger writes in his round-up of chatter from the G League Showcase in Las Vegas, all signals indicate the Wizards are serious about keeping Bertans.
Hollinger points to the Wizards’ recent promotion of center Anzejs Pasecniks as one more sign that the Wizards are committed to Bertans. Pasecniks, who signed a two-way contract with Washington, is a Latvian like Bertans, and the two big men share an agent, per Hollinger.
Hollinger passed along several more tidbits from Las Vegas, so let’s round up some of the most notable items from the former Grizzlies executive…
- Teams around the NBA aren’t particularly high on the 2020 NBA draft class, leading Hollinger to surmise that contenders won’t be averse to including 2020 first-round picks in trades this winter.
- While center is widely viewed as the Celtics‘ biggest need, most logical trade targets at that position earn $20MM+ and would be difficult for Boston to acquire. As such, one source who spoke to Hollinger thinks the C’s might actually pursue another perimeter player, perhaps a wing or forward. The thinking is that the Celtics often play four of their top five perimeter players – Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Gordon Hayward – together and could benefit from adding another reliable contributor to that group.
- Rayjon Tucker, a guard for the Wisconsin Herd, looks like a prime candidate for an NBA call-up, according to Hollinger, who notes that Tucker was getting buzz even before his 34-point game at the G League Showcase. Hollinger’s other top candidates for potential call-ups include DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (Oklahoma City Blue), Jeremiah Martin (Sioux Falls Skyforce), Dedric Lawson (Austin Spurs), and Simisola Shittu (Windy City Bulls).
Wizards, Johnathan Williams Close To Deal
The Wizards are close to a deal with former Lakers two-way player Johnathan Williams, sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, Katz cautions that the signing won’t get done immediately.
The injury-plagued Wizards have already qualified for one extra roster spot via the hardship provision and used it today to sign Gary Payton II. Now, per Katz, they’ll apply for a second extra roster spot to accommodate Williams.
As we explained in our story on Payton, the NBA can grant a team a hardship exception when that team has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. If a team has five players who fit that bill, a second additional roster spot can be granted.
Assuming the Wizards get approval for that second extra roster spot, they’ll use it on Williams, who was a two-way player for the Lakers in 2018/19, spending most of his time with the South Bay Lakers in the G League. The young forward/center averaged 15.3 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 36 NBAGL contests (27.3 MPG), and appeared in 24 games for the NBA club, posting averages of 6.5 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 15.5 minutes per contest.
As a free agent this past offseason, Williams signed with Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion, where he had averaged 12.2 PPG and 10.4 RPG in nine Israeli League games.
The Wizards have had some success in recent years with big men who were former Lakers prospects, as Thomas Bryant and Moritz Wagner have both blossomed in Washington. Williams is unlikely to replicate their success, but could help bridge the gap for the Wizards until they start to get healthier.
Wizards Sign Gary Payton II
The Wizards have signed veteran guard Gary Payton II to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move had been expected, with a Saturday report indicating that the two sides were closing in on an agreement.
Payton has spent the 2019/20 season so far playing for the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League affiliate. In 16 games (32.4 MPG) for the club, he averaged 21.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 6.8 APG, and a league-leading 3.2 SPG, making his case for a call-up.
The 27-year-old, the son of former SuperSonics star Gary Payton, has appeared in 32 total NBA regular season games, spending time with the Bucks, Lakers, and Wizards since the 2016/17 season.
The Wizards had a full 15-man roster before signing Payton, but didn’t need to make a corresponding move to open up a roster spot, since they qualified for a hardship exception.
The NBA can grant a team a hardship exception when that team has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. A hardship exception allows the club to add an extra player to its 15-man roster, increasing its roster limit.
John Wall, C.J. Miles, Thomas Bryant, and Jordan McRae are out with long-term injuries for Washington, with Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, and Moritz Wagner all banged up as well.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Wiggins, Craig, SGA
A combination of injuries and head coach Ryan Saunders‘ desire to play matchups have resulted in the Timberwolves using 11 different starting lineup combinations this season. While those changes have often been made out of necessity, Jeff Teague believes the lineup juggling has impacted the club’s chemistry, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details.
“We haven’t been healthy all year, so it is difficult to try and get a rhythm,” the Timberwolves’ veteran point guard said. “Seems like every four games something happens. It’s part of the NBA. Just try to keep adjusting, keep making things happen. Hopefully we can get all on the same page one of these games.”
Since starting the season with a 10-8 record, the Timberwolves have lost 10 consecutive games and dropped to 13th in the Western Conference, so Saunders may continue tweaking the lineup until the club finds a combination that works.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins and Nuggets forward Torrey Craig have each signed with CAA Basketball for representation, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link). Craig had previously been represented by Tony Dutt, while Wiggins had been operating without an agent.
- Mike Singer of The Denver Post looks into whether the Nuggets should be trying to make a trade, what sort of move would make the most sense for the team, and what obstacles might stand in the way of a potential deal.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s 32-point performance in Sunday’s win over the Clippers was the latest sign that the Thunder‘s Paul George trade was a blessing in disguise, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
- When Al-Farouq Aminu returned to Portland as a member of the Magic on Friday, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian took the opportunity to talk to the veteran forward about what this season would have looked like if the Trail Blazers had kept most of last season’s roster intact.
Hawks’ Chandler Parsons Talks Role, Contract, Future
Chandler Parsons, who is earning $25.1MM in the final season of the four-year contract he signed with Memphis in 2016, is technically the highest-paid player on the Hawks‘ roster this season, but has only appeared in four games for the team so far, logging just 43 total minutes.
Speaking to Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, Parsons raved about the upside of Atlanta’s young core and said it’s “cool” to be a veteran on a young team with room to grow. However, he also acknowledged that not getting more of an opportunity has been tough.
“It sucks. It really sucks,” Parsons said. “Obviously, I want to play. I want to help. I’m healthy and I’m in a contract year so I want to show the team that I’m healthy and I can play and I can definitely help this team win. But at the same time, I understand the objective here and I understand the operation and knowing that development, so I’m just staying ready.”
In his conversation with Kalbrosky, Parsons offered some interesting insight on the criticism he has taken since signing that four-year, maximum-salary contract in ’16, and what his future might hold going forward.
Here are some of the highlights from the discussion, which is worth checking out in full:
On how Parsons’ max contract and health problems impacted the perception of him:
“I think anybody with a brain in my situation would have taken the contract. It’s funny. People that are hating on it, if they were in my shoes or if their son was in my shoes, they would have told them to do the same thing. Right? Should I have predicted that I was going to be hurt and took less or took half the money? That’s psychotic.
“Now the contract is what it was and obviously, I didn’t live up to it. I think if I was healthy, I fully would have done that and I think it was on the path of being a really good player in this league and people are judged off of their salary and I understand that and that’s how it goes. It was out of my control as far as injuries go and not being able to play as much as I wanted to in Memphis sucked. But it’s silly when people hate on it. Anybody in their right mind would’ve done the same thing.”
On what he thinks he can still bring to an NBA team:
“I know that in today’s NBA I can definitely be a stretch forward. And I feel like, with these lineups, I can also even play the five. Also: twos and threes are the same positions so I can play two through five. And I can bring the ball up, I can shoot the ball and I’m 6’10”. There’s not a lot of people that can move like me who are this height. I’m tall, man.
“It’s always been about health with me and I’m the most healthy I’ve been in a long time. I’ve just got to sustain that and keep managing it. My knees feel great, my body feels great. Hopefully, it’s just a blessing in disguise that I’m not playing now and I’ll be ready. It sucks, but at the same time preserving my body and like I said… I’m dying to play but it’s out of my control.”
On what the 2020/21 season might hold for him:
“I think just to get on a team next year, on a financial friendly deal, it changes the whole look of you to the fans as well as you to the media and just you to everything. You see a lot of guys that do that. Dwight Howard on a max deal was awful. Dwight on an interim deal is phenomenal. Someone like Andre Iguodala, when he goes to say, the Lakers for minimum, he’s going to be this huge value and people are going to love him. That’s just how it goes. I have no complaints. I’ve played basketball in the NBA. I set up my future here. I still think there is still time to just show I can still play. I just turned 31. It’s still young and technically I should be in my prime.”
Latest On Dion Waiters
Dion Waiters‘ latest six-game suspension with the Heat will be over after tonight’s game, but there’s no resolution in sight for the standoff between the team and the veteran guard, writes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link). Miami wants to find a way to move on from Waiters, but is reluctant to waive him outright and has had no luck finding a trade partner.
“The Waiters contract is as close to untradeable that I have ever seen in the NBA,” one league executive told Marks.
That might be an exaggeration, as Waiters’ $12.1MM cap hit this season and $12.65MM salary for 2020/21 aren’t as onerous as the figures we’ve seen on some multiyear contracts moved in the past. Still, Waiters certainly has negative trade value, and the Heat are unwilling to attach any of their promising young players like Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, or Duncan Robinson to make a deal happen, Marks writes.
Miami’s ability to offer a first-round pick as a sweetener is also limited, since the team owes a pair of future first-rounders to Oklahoma City. On top of that, the Heat don’t want to take on any money that stretches beyond next season, since they want to keep their books as clean as possible to pursue a star free agent such as Giannis Antetokounmpo in the summer of 2021. And they can’t take on any extra salary this season due to their hard cap.
All those roadblocks add up to make a Waiters trade a difficult proposition, but a buyout appears no more viable. According to Marks, every team he spoke to at last week’s G League Showcase in Las Vegas believes that Waiters’ NBA career is likely over, so the 28-year-old won’t be motivated to give back any of his salary.
With Waiters set to become eligible to return from his latest suspension after Monday’s game, we’ll see if the Heat take any action with him this week — having him remain away from the team while still receiving his salary would be one option. Barring an unlikely turn of events, he has probably played his last game for the franchise.
Nets’ David Nwaba Suffers Torn Achilles
7:27pm: Nwaba underwent surgery Friday afternoon, according to a team press release.
7:45am: Nets swingman David Nwaba suffered a torn right Achilles tendon during Thursday’s loss in San Antonio, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Nwaba will undergo surgery on Friday to repair the tear.
While neither Charania nor Haynes offers a timeline for Nwaba’s recovery, it seems safe to assume he’ll miss the rest of the 2019/20 season. There’s also no guarantee he’ll be ready to go by opening night next fall, given how long it usually takes players to recover from Achilles tears.
“I just wish him the speediest recovery,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “There’s no guy on the team who does things more perfectly in terms of preparing for a game, preparing for a season. You just feel ill when you think about it.
It’s a tough blow for Nwaba, who had recently established himself as a regular contributor for Brooklyn. In the club’s first 19 games, he only appeared in 11 and averaged just 10.8 minutes per contest. Since then though, he had appeared in all nine games and never played fewer than 14 minutes during that stretch.
While the 26-year-old had been averaging a career-low 5.2 PPG, his shooting percentages were very good (.521 FG%, .429 3PT%) and he provided the Nets with strong perimeter defense.
With Nwaba out, Lewis wonders if the Nets will turn back to Iman Shumpert, who was recently waived due to a roster crunch but would provide a similar skill set. To re-sign Shumpert, Brooklyn would likely have to trade or waive Nwaba or another player to open up a spot on the 15-man roster.
Nwaba’s contract includes a July 7, 2020 trigger date for his non-guaranteed $1.82MM salary for the 2020/21 season, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Even if the Nets waive him before that date, they’d be responsible for paying his ’20/21 salary until he’s fully healthy and able to return to the court.
The Nets are now eligible to apply for a disabled player exception (and have done so), but since Nwaba was on a minimum-salary deal, the value of such an exception would be limited to just $839K.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA Sends Proposal For Tournament, Schedule Changes To Teams
6:53pm: The NBA has sent the proposed changes for the 2021/22 season to all teams, including a 78-game regular season, an in-season tournament, a play-in tournament for the No. 7 and 8 playoff spots, and reseeding the playoff semifinal teams based on regular-season record, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
A $1.5MM bonus would be given to the coaching staff of the in-season tournament champion, Charania adds. He also provides a few more details on how the proposed in-season tournament would work.
4:00 pm: As the NBA ponders ways to make an in-season tournament work, one idea being discussed is a payout of $1MM per player to the winning team of that tournament, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. As Wojnarowski explains, the league is hopeful that such a significant financial incentive would motivate players to “treat a new tournament with a competitive fervor.”
Per Wojnarowski, the NBA is mulling the possibility of a tournament that would begin with pool play as part of the regular-season schedule. The six divisional winners – based on pool-play records – and the two teams with the next-best records in pool play would then advance to an eight-team, single-elimination tournament. The club that wins all three of its knockout-round matchups would be the tournament champion, and each of that club’s players would receive $1MM.
The idea comes with some potential complications. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), about half the NBA’s players earn less than $4MM and would likely be highly motivated by a $1MM prize, but it’s not clear whether stars making upwards of $30-40MM per season would fully buy in. According to Wojnarowski, there’s a belief that some players might prefer the five-day break – for teams that don’t qualify for the single-elimination tournament – rather than trying to compete for a winner-take-all financial prize.
Team owners, particularly in large markets, are also concerned about whether an in-season tournament would generate enough revenue to make up for potentially losing two regular-season home games, says Wojnarowski. If a tournament is introduced, most teams would likely only play 78 or 79 regular-season games.
The NBA’s Board of Governors appears to be more aligned on the concept of a postseason play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth seeds and the idea of reseeding the conference finals, Woj notes.
The league continues to work toward instituting scheduling changes for the 2021/22 season. In order for that goal to be achieved, the Board of Governors would have to approve them at their meeting in April, per ESPN. At least 23 of 30 teams would have to vote in favor of the changes, and the players’ union would need to be on board as well.