Nets Promote BJ Johnson To Assistant GM
The Nets have formally announced a series of additions and promotions within their basketball operations department. Among those moves, the most notable is the promotion of BJ Johnson to an assistant general manager role.
Johnson, who initially joined the franchise in 2016, had served as Brooklyn’s senior director of college scouting and player evaluation for the past two seasons. General manager Sean Marks suggested in April that Johnson could be in line for a promotion following the departures of assistant GM Jeff Peterson and executive director of basketball and business operations Ryan Gisriel for new jobs in Charlotte.
In his new role, Johnson will lead and oversee all of the Nets’ amateur scouting efforts. Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who first reported the promotion, notes that Johnson has been credited for pushing the Nets to draft players like Nic Claxton (2019) and Jalen Wilson (2023) in the second round of their respective drafts.
Johnson will work directly under Marks and alongside fellow assistant GM Andy Birdsong, Lewis writes.
Here are some of the other additions and promotions announced today by the Nets:
- Makar Gevorkian has been promoted to vice president of basketball operations alignment and strategic planning.
- Glenn DuPaul has been promoted to VP of basketball analytics.
- Former MLS executive Justin Bokmeyer has been hired as the director of basketball operations.
- Former Kings assistant coach and director of player development Dutch Gaitley has been hired as an assistant coach.
- Jim McDonnell has been promoted to head video coordinator.
- Geoff Staton has been hired as head athletic trainer.
The full list of basketball operations moves can be found within the Nets’ press release.
Troy Brown Working Out For Warriors
Free agent swingman Troy Brown will audition for the Warriors this week as part of a handful of veteran workouts, a source tells Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 15th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Brown has spent time with the Wizards, Bulls, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pistons since entering the league six years ago. Last season, the 25-year-old averaged 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game across 37 outings (three starts) for Minnesota before being sent to Detroit at the trade deadline in a deal for Monte Morris.
Brown, who posted a .441/.369/.864 shooting line with the Wolves, saw more playing time with the Pistons down the stretch, starting 12 of his 22 games and averaging 19.0 MPG. However, his shooting numbers plummeted to 29.6% from the floor and 28.1% on three-pointers, so his scoring average remained at 4.2 PPG in Detroit.
The Warriors have been working out veteran free agents lately as they mull the possibility of extending training camp invitations to unsigned players. Bruno Caboclo and Davis Bertans are among the other vets who have reportedly gotten a look from the club (Caboclo has since joined Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel).
Golden State is carrying 14 players on standard contracts and doesn’t currently have room under its hard cap to add a 15th man. However, two of those 14 players – Gui Santos and Lindy Waters – are on non-guaranteed deals, so if the Warriors decide they’re not fully committed to either player, there could be a regular season roster spot up for grabs.
Players signed to contracts that include Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 language don’t count against the salary cap until the regular season begins, so bringing in camp invitees on those deals would allow the Dubs to fill out their preseason roster, which currently stands at 18 total players.
And-Ones: Hines, NBL Blitz, Diamond Sports, Milestones
Former UNC Greensboro standout and four-time EuroLeague champion Kyle Hines announced on Wednesday that he has decided to retire as a player at age 38 (Instagram link).
Hines, who won a pair of EuroLeague titles with Olympiacos (in 2012 and 2023) and two more with CSKA Moscow (2016 and 2019), also spent time with Veroli (Italy), Brose Bamberg (Germany), and Olimpia Milano (Italy) during his 16-year professional career.
The 6’6″ forward was named to the EuroLeague’s All-Decade team for the 2010s, claimed Best Defender honors in 2016, 2018, and 2022, and will retire as the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in games played (425). He also excelled in domestic competitions, winning three Italian League (LBA) championships to go along with six titles in the Russian League (VTB United) and one in the Greek League (GBL).
“When I didn’t get drafted (in 2008), what I thought would be one of the biggest disappointments in my life turned out to be my biggest blessing,” Hines wrote within a longer statement. “Coming to Europe gave me the opportunity to grow as a person. It allowed me to compete at the highest level. It allowed me to become a competitor, a leader, and champion. Off the court it has given me the opportunity to travel the world, meet so many great people, and share in some amazing memories that will last a lifetime.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Australia’s National Basketball League is expecting 25 NBA scouts and executives – representing 22 separate teams – to visit the Gold Coast to attend the league’s preseason tournament, the NBL Blitz, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The eight teams not sending representatives are expected to scout NBL talent at a later date — the Trail Blazers, for instance, will instead attend the HoopsFest in Perth later this month, per Uluc. Nets general manager Sean Marks is among the most notable NBA executives expected to be at the NBL Blitz, according to Uluc, who notes that NBA teams will be able to scout draft-eligible prospects for 2025 and 2026 in addition to veterans who could eventually come stateside.
- A federal bankruptcy judge signed off on Diamond Sports Group’s new agreements with the NBA and NHL on Tuesday and approved the company’s parting of ways with the Pelicans and Mavericks, reports Anthony Crupi of Sportico. The same judge will preside over a status conference in early October, with a date for a final confirmation hearing expected to be set at that session. Diamond Sports – the owner of the Bally Sports networks that will regionally broadcast 13 NBA teams’ games in 2024/25 – is looking to exit bankruptcy this fall.
- An ESPN.com story explores a handful of individual NBA milestones that may be reached during the 2024/25 season, including Lakers star LeBron James potentially passing 50,000 career points (for the regular season and postseason) and becoming the league’s all-time leader in regular season minutes. James needs 1,364 more total points and 850 more regular season minutes to achieve those feats.
2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic 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 begin our series today with the Atlantic Division…
Boston Celtics
- 2023/24 record: 64-18
- Over/under for 2024/25: 58.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Baylor Scheierman
- Lost: Oshae Brissett, Svi Mykhailiuk
How many games will the Celtics win in 2024/25?
-
Over 58.5 70% (413)
-
Under 58.5 30% (180)
Total votes: 593
New York Knicks
- 2023/24 record: 50-32
- Over/under for 2024/25: 53.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Knicks win in 2024/25?
-
Over 53.5 59% (326)
-
Under 53.5 41% (228)
Total votes: 554
Philadelphia 76ers
- 2023/24 record: 47-35
- Over/under for 2024/25: 52.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Sixers win in 2024/25?
-
Under 52.5 52% (282)
-
Over 52.5 48% (264)
Total votes: 546
Toronto Raptors
- 2023/24 record: 25-57
- Over/under for 2024/25: 30.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Raptors win in 2024/25?
-
Under 30.5 59% (306)
-
Over 30.5 41% (215)
Total votes: 521
Brooklyn Nets
- 2023/24 record: 32-50
- Over/under for 2024/25: 19.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Nets win in 2024/25?
-
Over 19.5 54% (252)
-
Under 19.5 46% (212)
Total votes: 464
Just One Team Has Used Full Non-Taxpayer MLE So Far
As long as a team is operating below the second tax apron, it has access to at least some form of the mid-level exception, a tool designed to allow clubs to add talent without using cap room to do so. As we outline in more detail within our glossary, one of the following MLEs is available to a team below the second apron of $188,931,000:
- Taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,183,000): For teams operating between the first and second tax aprons.
- Non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12,822,000): For teams operating above the cap and below the first apron.
- Room exception ($7,983,000): For teams who operate under the cap and use up all their room.
While four teams – the Celtics, Suns, Timberwolves, and Bucks – currently have salaries above the second tax apron, the other 26 clubs have access to one of these three mid-level exceptions. However, only a small handful of those clubs have actually taken advantage of the exception, as our tracker shows.
The Warriors are the lone team to use the full portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception so far in 2024/25, having signed free agent guard De’Anthony Melton a one-year contract worth $12,822,000.
Four other teams have used at least some portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but still have a chunk left over for one or more signings later in the league year. That group includes the Bulls (approximately $4.25MM remaining), Mavericks ($4.25MM), Clippers ($3.3MM), and Wizards ($6.38MM). They used part of their MLEs to sign Jalen Smith, Naji Marshall, Derrick Jones, and Saddiq Bey, respectively.
The Nuggets used the entire $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception to add Dario Saric in free agency, while the Sixers re-signed Kelly Oubre using their full $8MM room exception.
The remaining 19 teams have yet to dip into their mid-level or room exceptions at all.
In some cases, it’s not practical to do so. For example, the Heat and Lakers technically have access to the taxpayer MLE, but are so close to the second apron that they can’t realistically use it without shedding some salary.
Other teams are close enough to the luxury tax line that it wouldn’t make sense for them to spend their mid-level exception and become a taxpayer. The Nets and Hawks, for instance, have yet to touch their MLEs, but they’re each less than $2MM away from the tax threshold, so it’s safe to assume neither team is on the verge of bringing in an MLE-level free agent.
Still, there are plenty of teams that have more than enough spending flexibility to use some or all of their exception. That group includes every club with access to the room exception, including potential contenders such as the Thunder and Magic.
The 2024/25 season represents the first league year in which teams are permitted to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the room exception to acquire a player via trade rather than just to sign a player to a contract, so some clubs may be waiting until mid-season to see if a better opportunity arises on the trade market. Others may use some of their leftover exception money to pursue a free agent on the buyout market in February.
Cavaliers Stretched Rubio’s 2024/25 Cap Hit
The Cavaliers used the stretch provision to spread Ricky Rubio‘s $1,274,015 dead-money cap hit for 2024/25 across three seasons, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Rubio will now count against Cleveland’s books for $424,672 annually through ’26/27.
Rubio was bought out by the Cavaliers last January with two years left on his contract, announcing at that time that his NBA career was over. He gave up $5.4MM in that agreement, leaving Cleveland with cap charges of $3,722,327 for 2023/24 and $1,274,015 for ’24/25.
The Cavaliers didn’t use the stretch provision on Rubio’s post-termination salary at the time of his release, but as Marks explains, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement allowed them to stretch the second-year salary across three seasons as long as they did so prior to the Saturday (August 31) deadline. Under the previous CBA, using the stretch provision was only permitted at the time of the waiver request.
The move generates an extra $849,343 in cap flexibility for Cleveland this season. That may not seem like much, but it gives the club a little extra breathing room below the luxury tax line as the front office negotiates a deal with Isaac Okoro. If the goal is to re-sign Okoro to a multiyear contract, sign a 14th man to a minimum-salary deal, and remain out of tax territory, that extra $849K could come in handy.
The Cavaliers are now approximately $10.6MM below the luxury tax line, meaning they could offer Okoro a first-year salary of roughly $8.5MM and avoid becoming a taxpayer. That would allow them to go up to about $27.5MM for three years or $38.1MM over four years for the last unsigned restricted free agent on the market.
Even if they end up going slightly into tax territory to fill out the opening night roster, reducing Rubio’s 2024/25 cap hit will make it easier for the Cavs to duck the tax with a trade later in the season.
NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Oklahoma City Thunder
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Free agent signings
Isaiah Hartenstein: Three years, $87,000,000. Third-year team option. Signed using cap room.- Isaiah Joe: Four years, $48,000,000. Fourth-year team option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights after team option was declined.
- Aaron Wiggins: Five years, $45,000,000. Includes an additional $2MM in unlikely incentives. Fifth-year team option. Re-signed using Bird rights after team option was declined.
Trades
- Acquired Alex Caruso from the Bulls in exchange for Josh Giddey.
- Acquired the draft rights to Dillon Jones (No. 26 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for either the Celtics’ or Grizzlies’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable); the Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick; the Timberwolves’ 2027 second-round pick; either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Heat’s, or Pacers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Heat’s, or Pacers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is third-most favorable).
- Acquired the draft rights to Quinten Post (No. 52 pick) from the Warriors in exchange for Lindy Waters.
- Acquired the draft rights to Oso Ighodaro (No. 40 pick) from the Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to Quinten Post (No. 52 pick) and cash.
- Acquired the draft rights to Ajay Mitchell (No. 38 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Oso Ighodaro (No. 40 pick) and cash ($500K).
Draft picks
- 1-12: Nikola Topic
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $23,030,849).
- 1-26: Dillon Jones
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $13,460,725).
- 2-43: Ajay Mitchell
- Signed to two-way contract.
Two-way signings
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Bismack Biyombo (unsigned)
- Gordon Hayward (retired)
- Keyontae Johnson (Hornets)
- Mike Muscala (retired)
- Olivier Sarr (unsigned)
Salary cap situation
- Went below the cap to use room.
- Now operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
- Carrying approximately $159.2MM in salary.
- Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
- Full room exception ($8MM) available.
The offseason so far
Despite maintaining significant cap flexibility and controlling the NBA’s deepest collection of draft assets, the Thunder have operated extremely patiently in recent years, preserving most of those future picks and continuing to gradually build their roster through the draft.
That patience was on display again this June, when Oklahoma City used its lottery pick (No. 12 overall) in the 2024 draft to select Nikola Topic, a player who will spend his rookie season recovering from an ACL tear. Topic isn’t expected to make his NBA debut until the fall of 2025, which is perfectly fine with the Thunder.
The Thunder’s patient approach has reflected the front office’s desire to avoid skipping steps and its goal of building a roster capable of contending for the next decade — not just for a two- or three-year window. But after the team took a huge step forward in 2024/25 by winning 57 regular season games (the most in the Western Conference) and a playoff series (the club’s first series win since 2016), Sam Presti and his top lieutenants acknowledged with a pair of offseason moves that it was time to push down on the gas pedal at least a little bit.
The first of those two moves was a trade that sent former lottery pick Josh Giddey to Chicago in exchange for three-and D standout Alex Caruso. Giddey showed real promise as a ball-handler and play-maker in his first three NBA seasons, but his subpar outside shooting and defense made him a playoff liability, and he was never an ideal fit on a roster led by another ball-dominant guard (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).
With Giddey eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, the Thunder were faced with a choice on whether to pay him or trade him. They took the latter route and got terrific value by finding a trade partner – the Bulls – who badly wanted to land a young point guard.
Caruso is on an expiring contract himself, so he’ll be due a pay raise for 2025 too. But unlike Giddey, he’s not the type of player who will be played off the floor in the postseason. In fact, he should thrive in big games as a shooter, cutter, and secondary ball-handler next to Gilgeous-Alexander, lessening the burden on Oklahoma City’s star by defending opponents’ top guards. The Thunder had the NBA’s fourth-best defensive rating last season and Caruso should only make them better on that end of the floor.
The Thunder’s other major offseason move saw them use up virtually all of their cap room ($30MM) to sign center Isaiah Hartenstein away from the Knicks. Hartenstein will help shore up a frontcourt that was led admirably by Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren last season but needed another rebounder — OKC placed 28th in the NBA last season with a rebounding rate of just 48.4%.
It will be interesting to see exactly how the Thunder intend to use Hartenstein. NBA teams typically don’t award $30MM salaries to players they plan to bring off the bench, but Holmgren obviously won’t be moved to the second unit either. Whether or not Hartenstein starts, it’s a safe bet he and Holmgren will share the court frequently, which should make for some fascinating looks on both ends of the court.
The former Knicks center will also provide OKC with crucial insurance at the five in the event of a Holmgren injury, though the big man didn’t miss a game in 2023/24 after sitting out the entire ’22/23 season with a foot issue.
Outside of trading for Caruso, signing Hartenstein, and drafting Topic, the Thunder made a handful of interesting under-the-radar moves this summer, including turning down team options on both Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins in order to re-sign the two rotation wings to team-friendly long-term contracts. The threat of exercising those team options presumably gave Oklahoma City some leverage in negotiations with Joe and Wiggins, who will now earn eight-figure salaries instead of the veteran’s minimum in 2024/25.
Oklahoma City also surrendered a whopping five future second-round picks in order to acquire the No. 26 pick in the draft to select Dillon Jones. It’s the third straight year in which the Thunder took advantage of their excess draft assets to make a trade to nab a player they really like.
That strategy worked out well in each of the past two years. In 2022, the Thunder were reportedly concerned that Jalen Williams wouldn’t make it to them at No. 12, so they traded for the No. 11 pick (they technically used that one on Ousmane Dieng, but the deal ensured Williams was available at No. 12). In 2023, Oklahoma City traded up in the lottery to select Cason Wallace, who emerged as a reliable rotation player as a rookie, making 41.9% of his three-pointers and playing excellent defense.
Will Jones become the Thunder’s next draft-day-trade success story? Maybe, but I wouldn’t necessarily pencil him in for a substantial role in year one, given how deep the roster looks.
Up next
A pair of key Thunder guards are technically extension-eligible, but likely won’t sign new deals before the regular season begins. Gilgeous-Alexander has met the super-max criteria but needs one more year of service in order to officially signed a designated veteran extension, so he’ll almost certainly wait until 2025 to re-up with Oklahoma City.
Caruso, meanwhile, could be extended anytime, but until December 21 (six months after the trade), he’ll be limited to a maximum deal of three years and $48.9MM. Those numbers would increase to four years and $81.1MM at the six-month mark. While it’s not necessarily a sure thing that he’ll receive that maximum four-year offer, Caruso is better off waiting until Dec. 21 to maximize his bargaining position in negotiations.
Big man Jaylin Williams may actually be the best OKC candidate for a preseason extension, but with his role projected to decline following the arrival of Hartenstein, it would likely have to be a pretty team-friendly deal for the Thunder to pull the trigger.
The Thunder actually have one open spot on their projected 15-man roster and plenty of flexibility to make a move using that roster spot, since they’re still more than $11MM below the luxury tax line.
There aren’t really any free agents left worth splurging on (OKC’s $8MM room exception wouldn’t be enough to pry Isaac Okoro away from the Cavs), so I expect Presti and the front office to continue scouring the trade market to see if there’s a target who makes sense. The team can afford to be patient, perhaps starting the season with a 15th man on a non-guaranteed contract and then revisiting the trade market in January or February.
NBA G League Announces Schedule For 2024/25 Season
The NBA G League has officially revealed its schedule for the 2024/25 season, per a press release.
As usual, the regular season won’t begin until after Christmas, with the league holding a separate event in the fall leading up to its Winter Showcase in December. In the past, this 16-game fall event has been known as the Showcase Cup. It has been rebranded this year as the Tip-Off Tournament.
The Tip-Off Tournament, which begins on Friday, November 8, will see the league’s teams split into four regions. Each team will play 14 games and the four clubs with the best winning percentage in each region, along with the next four best teams from any region, will advance to the single-elimination championship tournament at the Winter Showcase in Orlando from December 19-22.
The G League’s regular season will consist of 34 games and will run from Friday, Dec. 27 to Saturday, March 29. The top six teams from each conference will make the postseason and compete in the G League playoffs in the spring.
There will be 31 teams in the NBAGL for the upcoming season, matching last season’s record. However, with the debut of the expansion Valley Suns, this will be the first season in which all 30 NBA franchises have their own G League affiliates. Following the folding of the G League Ignite, the only unaffiliated club left in the league is the Mexico City Capitanes.
While Phoenix’s G League team is the only new addition to the league, the Clippers‘ affiliate has relocated and rebranded ahead of the 2024/25 season. Formerly known as the Ontario Clippers, the club is now the San Diego Clippers and will play its home games at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, rather than the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif.
Here’s the full list of G League teams for the 2024/25 season:
- Atlanta Hawks: College Park Skyhawks
- Boston Celtics: Maine Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets: Long Island Nets
- Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm
- Chicago Bulls: Windy City Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland Charge
- Dallas Mavericks: Texas Legends
- Denver Nuggets: Grand Rapids Gold
- Detroit Pistons: Motor City Cruise
- Golden State Warriors: Santa Cruz Warriors
- Houston Rockets: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Indiana Pacers: Indiana Mad Ants
- Los Angeles Clippers: San Diego Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers: South Bay Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies: Memphis Hustle
- Miami Heat: Sioux Falls Skyforce
- Milwaukee Bucks: Wisconsin Herd
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Iowa Wolves
- New Orleans Pelicans: Birmingham Squadron
- New York Knicks: Westchester Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City Blue
- Orlando Magic: Osceola Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers: Delaware Blue Coats
- Phoenix Suns: Valley Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers: Rip City Remix
- Sacramento Kings: Stockton Kings
- San Antonio Spurs: Austin Spurs
- Toronto Raptors: Raptors 905
- Utah Jazz: Salt Lake City Stars
- Washington Wizards: Capital City Go-Go
- No NBA affiliation: Mexico City Capitanes
Pacers Sign T.J. McConnell To Four-Year Extension
SEPTEMBER 3: The Pacers have officially announced McConnell’s extension, confirming the deal in a press release.
“It is safe to say that every team in the NBA would like a player that possesses the same intensity, competitive spirit, and passion for the game and his teammates as T.J. McConnell,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “T.J. has become a steadying veteran presence for our team both on and off the court, and his value to our franchise cannot be overstated. He was an integral part of our success last year and we’re happy that he will continue to be a part of what we’re building here.”
AUGUST 30: The Pacers and veteran guard T.J. McConnell have reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension worth $45MM, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The deal will begin in 2025/26 following the expiration of McConnell’s current contract, which will pay him $9.3MM this season. In total, he’ll be owed $54MM for the next five years, taking him through the ’28/29 season.
McConnell, who has been with the Pacers since 2019 after spending the first four years of his NBA career in Philadelphia, began last season out of Indiana’s crowded rotation. However, it didn’t take long for him to reestablish himself as one of the team’s top reserves.
The 32-year-old ended up appearing in 71 games, averaging 10.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game. He posted a .556/.409/.790 shooting line and earned Sixth Man of the Year votes, then played a key role off the bench in the postseason, putting up 11.8 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 3.1 RPG in 17 games (20.5 MPG).
With Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard cemented as building blocks in the Pacers’ backcourt, it was unclear how aggressively the team would pursue an extension with McConnell as he nears his mid-30s and the cost of the roster continues to rise. However, today’s news signals that the front office remains as confident as ever in his ability to be a positive contributor for many years to come.
When we discussed McConnell’s extension candidacy in our recent Offseason Check-In story on the Pacers, we identified Mike Conley‘s recent two-year, $20.75MM deal as a potential point of comparison for the Indiana guard. Now locked up for $54MM over five years, McConnell will earn an annual salary slightly above Conley’s for a significantly longer term.
While McConnell is four-and-a-half years younger than Conley, it’s still a little surprising to see the Pacers make such a lengthy commitment to a bench player at this stage of his career. We’ll have to wait for the full details, but it wouldn’t be surprising if some of McConnell’s salary on the back end of the deal is non-guaranteed.
McConnell is the fourth Pacer to sign a long-term contract worth at least eight figures annually this summer. Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin received lucrative four-year deals a free agents, while Nembhard inked a three-year extension that ensures he’ll be under contract for the next four seasons.
With McConnell locked up, just one of the top eight players from Indiana’s postseason rotation is entering a contract year — starting center Myles Turner will become extension-eligible in January.
International Notes: Days, Lin, Napier, Luwawu-Cabarrot
Former LSU forward Darius Days has signed a one-year contract with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).
Days, who will turn 25 next month, signed a two-way contract with the Heat after going undrafted in 2022, but was waived by Miami prior to the 2022/23 season. He was claimed off waivers by the Rockets and spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Houston, though he appeared in just four NBA games for the club. He inked a new two-way contract during the summer of 2023 but was cut by the Rockets last October at the start of the regular season.
The 6’7″ forward spent far more time over the past two seasons with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate. Last season, Days averaged 16.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game across 45 outings for the Vipers, then joined the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League in the spring. His deal with Illawarra will represent his first time playing overseas.
Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:
- Former Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin will continue playing in Taiwan in 2024/25, having re-signed with the New Taipei Kings, he confirmed on Twitter. The veteran point guard appeared in 480 regular season games in the NBA from 2010-19, spending time with eight teams, including New York, Houston, and the Lakers.
- Veteran guard Shabazz Napier, an NBA first-round pick in 2014, is reportedly joining Bayern Munich in Germany for the upcoming season. As BasketNews.com notes, Napier’s agency deleted a social media post announcing the agreement. However, Matteo Andreani of BasketInside.com (Twitter link) says it’s a done deal and will be formally announced shortly. The 33-year-old played for six NBA teams from 2014-20, appearing in 345 total regular season games.
- Former NBA first-round pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot said that input from fellow Frenchman Guerschon Yabusele helped convince him to sign with Baskonia in Spain this offseason after he spent last season with ASVEL in France. Yabusele previously played for new Baskonia head coach Pablo Laso at Real Madrid. “(Yabusele) told me only great things about Pablo,” Luwawu-Cabarrot said (story via BasketNews.com). “I guess I need to make my own impressions. It’s been only a week, so I’ll be able to tell in a year, but I know already that we’re going to have a great year and a great relationship.”