Nikola Vucevic Talks Future, Trade Rumors, LaVine, More
Speaking to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Substack link) at Goran Dragic‘s farewell game in Slovenia recently, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic clarified his recent comments about wanting to play for four more seasons.
“I think that kind of came out wrong. It wasn’t that I want to play four more years. It was just more so that … they were asking me, like, am I thinking about retirement? I was just like, ‘Retiring?’ In my mind I have at least four more years and then I want to see from there what I can do,” Vucevic said. “But it came out as, like, I want to play four more years.
“I have two more years in this contract (with the Bulls). And hopefully I’m able to get two more after that, which will take me to 37. And at that time, I’ll have to see what I would like to do. This is more so four years of me being at a high level. Maybe in two years I’ll say four more. I said it in the moment; I didn’t think it’d turn into such a big thing.”
Vucevic, who has been with the Bulls since 2021, was the subject of trade rumors this offseason, but no deal materialized. It’s possible that will change before the season begins, but for now he projects to be Chicago’s starting center on opening night.
In his conversation with Stein, Vucevic discussed how he handles those trade rumors, the Bulls’ potential for 2024/25, Lonzo Ball‘s comeback chances, DeMar DeRozan‘s departure, his dip in three-point efficiency, and several other topics.
The interview is worth reading in full if you’re a subscriber to Stein’s Substack, but here are a few more highlights:
On dealing with trade rumors:
“I’m used to it at this point. Since I’ve been with the Bulls, I’ve been in a lot of trade stories, especially last summer as well throughout last season. So it’s just part of it. If things were going well and we’re winning and everything was great, that wouldn’t be the case. But because things weren’t going that well, we weren’t winning and we weren’t achieving our goals, then obviously change is bound to happen.
“Honestly, I know it’s a pretty basic answer, but you don’t have much control over it, so you kind of just wait and see. If they decide to change and trade me, it’s on them to do. Just like a year and a half ago I was a free agent and I could have chosen to go elsewhere. … I chose to stay and I felt like we had something to prove and unfortunately we didn’t do it. But now it’s a new team and I’m excited to play with these younger guys and I think we can play better than people think.”
On what he expects from Zach LaVine after a down year in 2023/24:
“I spoke to him a couple of times over the summer. He’s good health-wise. I think he’s in a good place mentally. I’m sure, knowing him, he’ll come back motivated to show that he’s still a great player — that maybe he kind of had a weird year last year with the injury and everything. I think he’s motivated to show people that it was just one season and that he’s a really good player.”
On the impact of DeRozan’s offseason exit:
“It’ll definitely be a little bit of an adjustment just because obviously we all know what he brought to us on the court. But I think also just his presence in general. DeMar was really liked and obviously very well respected in the locker room … kind of the guy that everybody gravitated towards and was always the storyteller of all these veteran stories and all these things and the young guys really gravitated towards that.”
Grizzlies Sign Four Players To Exhibit 10 Contracts
The Grizzlies have signed guards Miye Oni and Yuki Kawamura, forward Maozinha Pereira, and big man Armando Bacot to contracts, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). According to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link), the four deals include Exhibit 10 language.
Oni, the 58th overall pick in the 2019 draft, appeared in 80 NBA games across two-and-a-half seasons with the Jazz before being traded to the Thunder, who waived him. The former Yale star signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans in February 2022, but didn’t play a game for the team and hasn’t been in the NBA since then. He spent the 2022/23 season with the London Lions in the British Basketball League and ’23/24 with the Osceola Magic in the G League.
Kawamura, a 5’8″ guard whose agreement with the Grizzlies was reported earlier in the offseason, has spent the past five seasons playing in the B.League in Japan. The 23-year-old earned MVP honors in 2023 and averaged 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 30.6 minutes per game last season for the Yokohama B-Corsairs. He also played for Japan at this summer’s Olympics, pouring in 29 points in a near-upset of France in pool play.
Pereira, a 24-year-old from Brazil, signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Grizzlies last season and and appeared in seven games for the club, averaging 6.9 PPG and 5.3 RPG with a .514/.385/.700 shooting line. He spent most of the season with the Mexico City Capitanes in the NBAGL.
Bacot is coming off a decorated five-year college career at North Carolina, where he became the men’s basketball program’s top rebounder for both a single season (511 in 2021/22) and a career (1,715). He averaged 13.9 PPG and 10.1 RPG over the course of 169 college games for the Tar Heels and earned All-ACC honors four times, including First Team nods in 2022 and 2023.
The Grizzlies’ offseason roster is now full, with 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, three on two-way deals, and the four newcomers reportedly on Exhibit 10 pacts.
While one or more of Oni, Kawamura, Pereira, and Bacot could have their contracts converted to two-ways before the regular season begins, they’re more likely to be waived and then to report to the Memphis Hustle. Their Exhibit 10 deals will make them eligible to earn bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate.
Cavaliers, Tristan Thompson Agree To One-Year Deal
Free agent center Tristan Thompson has reached an agreement on a one-year deal to return to the Cavaliers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links).
The fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Thompson spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Cavaliers before bouncing around the league and spending time with the Celtics, Kings, Pacers, Bulls, and Lakers from 2020-23. He returned to Cleveland last season, signing a one-year contract with the club almost exactly a year ago and appearing in 49 games in 2023/24.
Once a fixture in the Cavs’ starting lineup and one of the NBA’s top rebounders, Thompson played a limited role last season, contributing 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in just 11.2 minutes per contest during the regular season.
The 33-year-old, who was suspended for 25 games from January to March for an SPED (steroids and performance enhancing drugs) violation, averaged 8.7 MPG in 10 postseason appearances off the bench.
Although Thompson is no longer a major contributor on the court, the Cavaliers value his leadership, Wojnarowski notes.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com suggested last month that the team remained on the lookout for a “cost-effective, playable, end-of-bench veteran” who could be a locker room leader like Thompson was last season. It now appears the Cavs may simply have Thompson fill that role again, though it’s unclear whether his new contract will be fully guaranteed. It at least seems safe to assume that it’s minimum-salary deal.
Prior to officially signing Thompson, Cleveland is carrying 12 players on standard contracts, with Isaac Okoro still a restricted free agent.
Cavaliers Officially Announce 2024/25 Coaching Staff
The Cavaliers issued a press release on Thursday formally announcing their coaching staff under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, who was hired in June to replace J.B. Bickerstaff.
There are no real surprises within the Cavaliers’ release, as the majority of their hires were reported at some point this summer following the addition of Atkinson. However, those hires are now official.
Here are Cleveland’s assistant coaches:
- Johnnie Bryant, who spent the past four seasons as the Knicks’ associate head coach and six seasons before that as a Jazz assistant. He worked closely with Donovan Mitchell in Utah and has been named the Cavaliers’ associate head coach.
- Jordan Ott, a former assistant for the Lakers (2022-24) and Nets (2016-22). He worked under Atkinson in Brooklyn for three-and-a-half seasons.
- DeMarre Carroll, a forward in the NBA for 11 seasons, including two in Brooklyn playing for Atkinson. Having transitioned to coaching following his retirement, he spent the 2022/23 season with Milwaukee and the ’23/24 campaign with the Lakers.
- Mike Gerrity, who has coached the Cleveland Charge (the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate) for the past two seasons.
- Trevor Hendry, who was with the Nets from 2014-24 in a variety of roles, including assistant coach (2022-24) and head video coordinator (2018-22). He worked under Atkinson from 2016-20.
- Omar Cook, a longtime professional player who was hired as an assistant coach for the Charge in 2022 and promoted to an assistant/player development role with the Cavaliers in 2023.
- Bryan Tibaldi, who has been a player development/video assistant for the Cavs since 2021.
- Nate Reinking, a returning assistant coach who was the Charge’s head coach from 2016-21.
The Cavaliers announced a few more hires within their press release, including Alex Sarama as their director of player development and Patrick Licursi as an advance scout.
2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division
With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.
With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?
We’ll continue our series today with the Southwest Division…
Dallas Mavericks
- 2023/24 record: 50-32
- Over/under for 2024/25: 49.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie
- Lost: Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Derrick Jones, Markieff Morris
- Note: Morris may still re-sign with the Mavericks, likely replacing A.J. Lawson in that scenario.
How many games will the Mavericks win in 2024/25?
-
Over 49.5 78% (298)
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Under 49.5 22% (84)
Total votes: 382
Memphis Grizzlies
- 2023/24 record: 27-55
- Over/under for 2024/25: 47.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells
- Lost: Ziaire Williams, Yuta Watanabe, Lamar Stevens
How many games will the Grizzlies win in 2024/25?
-
Under 47.5 66% (235)
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Over 47.5 34% (123)
Total votes: 358
New Orleans Pelicans
- 2023/24 record: 49-33
- Over/under for 2024/25: 46.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Pelicans win in 2024/25?
-
Under 46.5 61% (217)
-
Over 46.5 39% (141)
Total votes: 358
Houston Rockets
- 2023/24 record: 41-41
- Over/under for 2024/25: 43.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Reed Sheppard, AJ Griffin
- Lost: Reggie Bullock, Boban Marjanovic
How many games will the Rockets win in 2024/25?
-
Under 43.5 51% (185)
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Over 43.5 49% (175)
Total votes: 360
San Antonio Spurs
- 2023/24 record: 22-60
- Over/under for 2024/25: 36.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, Stephon Castle
- Lost: Cedi Osman, Devonte’ Graham, Dominick Barlow
How many games will the Spurs win in 2024/25?
-
Under 36.5 53% (200)
-
Over 36.5 47% (178)
Total votes: 378
Previous voting results:
- Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
- New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
- Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
- Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
Lakers Sign Alex Fudge
The Lakers have signed free agent forward Alex Fudge to a contract, the team announced in a press release.
While the terms of the deal weren’t specified, it’s highly likely to be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, since Los Angeles already has 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and three on two-way deals. The move pushes L.A.’s offseason roster count to the maximum 21 players.
Fudge, 21, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers last July after going undrafted out of Florida. He appeared in just four games at the NBA level for the team and was waived in January before his two-way salary could become fully guaranteed, but he was on the roster long enough to secure a lucrative bonus when L.A. won the in-season tournament.
Fudge caught on with the Mavericks in March on a two-year, two-way deal and finished the season in Dallas before being waived last month. He appeared in two games for the Mavs for a total of six NBA outings in his rookie season.
The 6’8″ forward, known more for his defense than his offense, played a more significant role in the G League for the South Bay Lakers and Texas Legends, averaging 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game across 33 contests, with a shooting line of .480/.235/.550.
Assuming Fudge’s new contract includes Exhibit 10 language, he could be converted to a two-way deal before the regular season begins or could qualify for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by the Lakers and then spends at least 60 days with the team’s South Bay G League affiliate.
Jazz Sign Patty Mills To One-Year Contract
September 5: Mills’ contract with the Jazz is now official, the team announced in a press release.
August 14: The Jazz have agreed to sign veteran point guard Patty Mills to a one-year contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Wojnarowski says it’s a $3.3MM deal, which is equivalent to Mills’ minimum salary for 2024/25 ($3,303,771). It will be fully guaranteed, Woj adds.
Mills, who turned 36 on Sunday, will be entering his 16th NBA season this fall. The 2009 second-round pick has appeared in 892 total regular season games for five teams and spent most of his prime years in San Antonio, where he won a title in 2014 and overlapped with current Jazz head coach Will Hardy from 2015-21, when Hardy was an assistant on Gregg Popovich‘s staff.
Mills has seen his playing time and production fall off in recent years. In 2023/24, he appeared in 32 games for the Hawks and Heat and averaged just 4.0 points, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game while shooting 35.1% from the field and 27.6% from the beyond the arc, far below his career averages of 42.4% and 38.6%, respectively.
However, the Australian showed during this year’s Paris Olympics that he still has something left in the tank. He averaged 16.5 PPG with a .409 3PT% over the course of the Boomers’ four games.
Mills figures to serve as a locker room leader and a mentor for the Jazz’s young players, including second-year guard Keyonte George. He projects to fill the 15th and final spot on Utah’s regular season roster, providing depth at point guard.
The club is carrying 14 other players on standard guaranteed contracts, as well as three players on two-way deals. While it’s possible the front office will continue to wheel and deal during the rest of the offseason and preseason, the Jazz’s roster will essentially be regular-season-ready once Mills is officially signed.
Sixers Sign, Waive Jared Brownridge
SEPTEMBER 4: Brownridge has been signed and waived, a team spokesman told Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). He’s expected to return to Delaware for this season.
SEPTEMBER 3, 8:00pm: The deal is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2:01pm: The Sixers are signing veteran shooting guard Jared Brownridge to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The move will almost certainly be a procedural one, lining up Brownridge to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K once he’s waived by Philadelphia and then spends at least 60 days with the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate.
Players who sign Exhibit 10 contracts are sometimes promoted to two-way deals before opening night or can even earn regular season roster spots if they impress in the preseason. But that’s not likely to be the plan for Brownridge, who has been a Delaware mainstay since 2018, spending the past six-plus seasons with the 76ers’ NBAGL team.
After winning a G League championship with the Blue Coats in 2023, Brownridge appeared in a career-high 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games last season, averaging 8.4 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game while posting a shooting line of .407/.417/.667.
Brownridge is known as a sharpshooter and floor-spacer, having made 39.3% of his career three-point attempts in the G League. The former Santa Clara standout ranks third all-time in NBAGL regular season three-pointers (603), behind only Andre Ingram (845) and Reggie Hearn (674).
The Sixers currently have 19 players officially under contract, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to add Brownridge, since teams can carry up to 21 players during the offseason.
Super-Max Candidates To Watch In 2024/25
The NBA's Designated Veteran rule, as we explain in our glossary entry on the subject, allows players to qualify for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap before they gain the required NBA service time.
Typically, a player is ineligible to receive a maximum contract that starts at 35% of the cap until he has at least 10 years of experience, but the Designated Veteran rule gives a player with between seven and nine years of experience the opportunity to do so if he meets certain performance criteria. This has become colloquially known as signing a "super-max" deal.
The performance criteria are as follows (only one of the following must be true):
- The player was named to an All-NBA team and/or was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
- The player was named the NBA MVP in any of the three most recent seasons.
Since the NBA introduced the concept of the Designated Veteran contract in 2017, 13 players have signed them across eight offseasons. Celtics star Jayson Tatum became the latest player to join that group this summer when he signed a five-year extension projected to become the first $300MM+ contract in NBA history.
Tatum will be the only player who signs such a contract this offseason, but it's worth taking a peek down the road to see which players are the best candidates to join the list of super-max recipients in 2025.
Here are some players to watch during the 2024/25 season:
Grizzlies Say GG Jackson Will Be Reevaluated In Three Months
Grizzlies forward GG Jackson underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to repair a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot, the team announced (via Twitter). The procedure had been expected after the club confirmed the injury last week.
According to the Grizzlies, Jackson will be reevaluated in approximately three months, which means he’s expected to miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season.
There’s also no guarantee that the 19-year-old will be ready to return at the time of the reevaluation, so it’s possible his absence will extend beyond that.
The timeline doesn’t come as a real surprise, given the nature of the injury. Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes (Twitter link) recently noted that players who have suffered similar injuries missed an average of about 42 games, which works out to roughly three months of the season. As Stotts observes, metatarsal injuries can occur in various ways and in various locations, so recovery times differ from case to case.
It’s an unfortunate setback for the Grizzlies and for Jackson, who enjoyed a promising rookie season after being selected with the 45th pick in the 2023 draft. The former South Carolina standout, who was the youngest player in the NBA last season, averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 25.7 minutes per game across 48 outings (18 starts), posting a shooting line of .428/.357/.752.
Even with several players returning from injuries this fall, Jackson figured to play a regular role in the Grizzlies’ frontcourt to open the season. Instead, he’ll get a late start and may have to fight to reclaim minutes once he’s healthy enough to get back on the court.