Hawks Notes: Young, Capela, Gueye, Djurisic, Risacher
As expected, the Hawks moved one of their two starting guards this offseason, sending Dejounte Murray to New Orleans while hanging onto Trae Young. Veteran center Clint Capela also remains on the trade block, sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link).
If the Hawks end up trading Capela, the 25-year-old Young could become the oldest member of a starting lineup that also features Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu, Lowe suggests, noting that Daniels’ secondary play-making and elite defense could pair well with Young’s skill set, allowing Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter to lead the second unit. In that scenario, the three-time All-Star could “lead a fun, up-tempo team that might be ready to peak by the middle of his prime,” Lowe writes.
Still, Lowe wonders if that path to eventual contention might progress too slowly for Young’s liking, especially since the team doesn’t control its own first-round picks for the next three years, hindering its ability to continue adding young talent. On the other hand, going all-in by trading their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks for veteran help would probably be too aggressive an approach for the Hawks.
If Atlanta remains stuck in the middle of the Eastern Conference, it could lead to an “inevitable decision point” with Young, Lowe says. The star guard is under contract for at least the next two seasons, with a player option for 2026/27, and trade interest from teams like the Spurs and Lakers has “cooled” in recent months, sources tell ESPN, so it’s a safe bet he’ll open the 2024/25 season with the Hawks. But depending on how the coming year plays out, it may just be a matter of time before Young is once again the subject of trade speculation.
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- Atlanta is optimistic about Mouhamed Gueye‘s chances of earning a rotation spot as early as this fall, sources tell Lowe. The 2023 second-round pick was limited to just six games as a rookie, largely due to a lower back stress fracture and a UCL sprain, but the team remains high on his potential.
- Agent Misko Raznatovic has provided an update on his client Nikola Djurisic, who sustained a left foot fracture in Summer League play. According to Raznatovic (Twitter link), Djurisic is undergoing surgery this week and the plan is for him to get back on the court by the end of September. That timeline suggests the 2024 second-rounder could be ready for training camp in the fall if he signs an NBA contract, though I’d expect the Hawks to take a patient, cautious approach with his recovery.
- Marc J. Spears of Andscape spoke to Zaccharie Risacher and his father Stéphane about the elder Risacher’s long, successful career as a basketball player in Europe and the impact it had on his son. “That was the first player I ever watched,” Zaccharie said. “When I started to grow and I got my first iPad and iPhone, I would go to watch my father’s highlights on YouTube.”
Offseason Observations: Apron Impact, Rockets, Spurs, Okogie
The NBA's offseason is far from over. As we saw last summer, when Damian Lillard was traded to Milwaukee in late September and Jrue Holiday was flipped from Portland to Boston on October 1, the trade market stays open into the fall.
We also could still see impactful moves on the free agent market occurring much later in the offseason, as was the case a year ago when Derrick Jones and P.J. Washington - two key members of the Mavericks' team that made the NBA Finals - signed their respective contracts during the second half of August (Washington signed with the Hornets before being traded to Dallas later in the season).
Still, the pace of the offseason action has certainly slowed down since the start of July, giving us an opportunity to look back and reflect on all that's gone down in the last few weeks.
From one of the biggest storylines of the summer (the impact of the new tax apron rules) to some under-the-radar developments (like the structure of Josh Okogie's new deal with the Suns), we're taking a closer look today at some of the more curious offseason subplots.
Let's dive in...
Has the impact of the new apron restrictions been overstated?
The concept of the tax apron has existed in the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement for years, and a second apron was implemented in 2023, but the 2024 offseason is the first time all the new apron-related restrictions introduced in the current CBA have been in place. Those new restrictions affect the trade market most significantly, with teams operating over the first tax apron not permitted to take back more salary than they send out and teams over the second apron prohibited from aggregating player salaries.
While it's true that these rules have made it challenging for teams with high payrolls to make moves as easily as they used to, I think they've also become a convenient scapegoat for teams to justify certain roster decisions.
2024/25 NBA Roster Counts
Although NBA rosters are limited to 15 players during the regular season, teams are allowed to carry up to 21 players during the offseason. Expanded offseason rosters allow clubs to bring in players on contracts that aren’t fully guaranteed, giving those players a chance to earn a regular season roster spot or getting a closer look at them before sending them to their G League affiliate.
In addition to the usual 15-man rosters, NBA teams are permitted to carry up to three players on two-way contracts. Two-way deals essentially give clubs the NBA rights to three extra players, though they often spend much of the season in the G League rather than with the NBA team. While two-way players don’t count toward the 15-man regular season roster limit, they do count toward the 21-man offseason limit.
Over the course of the 2024 offseason and 2024/25 season, we’ll keep tabs on how many players are on each NBA team’s roster, breaking them down into a few groups. Here are the various categories you’ll find in our list:
- Official: These players are officially on standard contracts, with salaries that are guaranteed for the rest of the season.
- 10-day: These players are signed to 10-day contracts, with the expiry dates of those contracts noted.
- Two-way: These are players signed to two-way contracts. Unless otherwise noted, these deals are official. You can find a specific team’s two-way players right here.
- Reported: These are players whose contract agreements have been reported but haven’t been made official. We’re expecting them to be finalized, though it’s possible that some will fall through or were reported erroneously.
- Total: A team’s total roster count, taking into account all of the above. In some cases, this number may exceed 18, since not all of the players in the categories above are officially under contract.
Here are the NBA’s roster counts for 2024/25, which we’ll continue to update through the rest of the offseason and regular season:
Updated 4-14-25 (3:05 pm CT)
Atlanta Hawks
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Boston Celtics
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 2
- Total: 17
Brooklyn Nets
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Charlotte Hornets
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Chicago Bulls
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Dallas Mavericks
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 2
- Total: 17
Denver Nuggets
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Detroit Pistons
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Golden State Warriors
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 2
- Total: 17
Houston Rockets
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Indiana Pacers
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Los Angeles Clippers
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Los Angeles Lakers
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 2
- Total: 17
Memphis Grizzlies
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Miami Heat
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Milwaukee Bucks
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
New Orleans Pelicans
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
New York Knicks
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Orlando Magic
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Philadelphia 76ers
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Phoenix Suns
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Portland Trail Blazers
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Sacramento Kings
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 2
- Total: 17
San Antonio Spurs
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Toronto Raptors
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 2
- Total: 17
Utah Jazz
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Washington Wizards
- Official: 15
- Two-way: 3
- Total: 18
Khris Middleton Recovering From Two Ankle Surgeries
After Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said on ESPN’s Summer League broadcast on Tuesday (Twitter video link) that Khris Middleton underwent surgery this summer, Shams Charania and Eric Nehm of The Athletic have provided the details. According to Charania and Nehm, Middleton is actually recovering from two separate procedures.
The first was an arthroscopic surgery on Middleton’s left ankle to address an injury that plagued him throughout the 2023/24 season. The Bucks forward originally sprained the ankle on February 6 and said a month later that he had never experienced a sprain as bad as that one — it ultimately kept him on the shelf for nearly a month-and-a-half, costing him 16 games.
Middleton also underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right ankle, per The Athletic’s duo, to clean up a lingering issue. He sprained his right ankle in Game 2 of the team’s first-round postseason series vs. Indiana.
The procedure on Middleton’s left ankle occurred shortly after the Bucks were eliminated in the playoffs in May, while the second procedure on the right ankle was completed in mid-June.
Although it may not be welcome news for Bucks fans that Middleton – whose effectiveness has been compromised by injury issues in recent years – is recovering from surgeries on both ankles, Charania and Nehm say the recovery process is going well.
The 32-year-old was walking around without pain or discomfort in Las Vegas over the weekend and has already begun light on-court workouts, league sources tell The Athletic. The expectation is that Middleton will be ready to go for the start of the 2024/25 season.
Middleton’s numbers are down over the past two regular seasons as he has struggled to stay healthy, but he performed more like his old self during the postseason this spring, helping to keep the Bucks in the series vs. the Pacers with Giannis Antetokounmpo unavailable and Damian Lillard sidelined for two games. He averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in those six games, making 48.2% of his shots from the field and 90.0% of his free throws.
Hornets Notes: Chemistry, Bridges, Gibson, Jackson, M. Williams, Black
LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Grant Williams, and several other Hornets players were in attendance at Tuesday’s Summer League game alongside new president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and player enhancement coach Kemba Walker, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Summer League head coach Josh Longstaff said it “speaks volumes” to have the team’s veterans in the building “coaching up” and “cheering on” the Summer League squad, while guard Nick Smith Jr. added that it felt good to have “my big brothers (there) to support us.”
“It’s special, man,” Grant Williams said. “We are just trying to support one another, make sure we understand that team is first and team matters and really, really just committed to getting better and improving and making it a premier organization in the league.”
There are other signs of positive vibes around the organization this summer, according to Boone, who notes that co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin hosted a dinner event on Monday night in Las Vegas that included all of the Hornets’ players as well as a significant number of team personnel. Veteran big man Taj Gibson, the newest member of the roster, was among those impressed, Boone writes.
“It was really nice,” Gibson said. “To be honest with you, just meeting the ownership alone … First you see the ownership, the ownership is so welcoming. Those gentlemen, their energy is just vibrant in how they move and how they already circled and brought all the pieces together last night. It was like a family reunion, because that’s how relaxed we were. Talking, laughing, talking about what it’s going to be like. It was great, just to have that dialect.”
Gibson added that the team’s budding chemistry was on display at the event: “I’ve been to many of those dinners where every guy is over there, guys are over there. But (Monday) night, everybody was mixing. Everybody.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- Bridges’ new three-year, $75MM contract with the Hornets has a descending structure, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The deal, which is fully guaranteed with no options, is worth $27,173,913 in 2024/25, exactly $25MM in ’25/26, and $22,826,087 in ’26/27.
- Gibson’s one-year, minimum-salary deal is partially guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned. Gibson is assured of receiving at least $1,082,270 and would lock in his full $3,303,771 salary if he remains under contract through the league-wide guarantee deadline of January 7.
- While the signings of Gibson and Seth Curry bring the Hornets’ roster count to 15 players on standard contracts, that number could dip to 14 soon, Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer, noting that Reggie Jackson is considered unlikely to open the regular season with the team. The expectation is that Jackson will be cut at some point to allow him to try to catch on with a team closer to contention, according to Boone.
- In a pair of exclusive interviews, Boone spoke to Hornets center Mark Williams about his efforts to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2023/24 season and to two-way player Leaky Black about his desire to earn a place on Charlotte’s standard 15-man roster.
Central Notes: Trent, LaVine, Donovan, Harris, Holland
Gary Trent Jr. had multiyear offers worth approximately the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception ($5.2MM) on the table in free agency, league sources tell Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. However, the 25-year-old swingman ultimately decided to accept a one-year, minimum-salary offer from the Bucks in order to reunite with former teammate Damian Lillard and contend for a title in Milwaukee.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, who had a preexisting relationship with Trent through his father (Gary Trent Sr.), flew to Miami earlier this month to help recruit the free agent wing to Milwaukee, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.com.
While Trent’s three-point numbers last season (2.5 per game on 39.3% shooting) fell a little shy of Malik Beasley‘s marks (2.8 makes on 41.3% shooting), Eric Nehm of The Athletic believes there’s reason to believe the newcomer can boost those stats even further when sharing the floor with stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard.
As Nehm writes, Trent also isn’t just a catch-and-shoot player — he has the ability to put the ball on the floor a little and attack closeouts on offense. And while he’s not the most consistent defender, Trent has had his moments on that end of the floor and should benefit from having Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez protecting the rim behind him.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- A source who spoke to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times referred to DeMar DeRozan as someone who has acted as a “buffer” between Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and star guard Zach LaVine for the past three seasons. According to that source, with DeRozan no longer around, the team would risk a “dysfunctional” locker room next season if it brings back LaVine.
- After signing a two-year, $52MM contract with the Pistons earlier this month, veteran forward Tobias Harris said his biggest goal for the coming season is to “be the best leader I can be for this group” and trying to help his younger teammates reach their full potential, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “I’m going into year 14,” Harris said on Tuesday’s Summer League broadcast on NBA TV. “I’ve had a lot of experience in this league and one of the most satisfying things is seeing the young guys come up for us to figure out how good we can be as a group and have the best type of team chemistry and flow for us.”
- Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Pistons rookie Ron Holland discussed his Summer League experience, his goals for his rookie season, and the NBA players he wants to model his game after (including Mikal Bridges and Jaylen Brown). Meanwhile, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press takes a look at what Holland has shown in his Summer League games so far, noting that the 19-year-old’s impressive tools and his room for growth have both been on display.
Adam Silver Talks Apron Rules, Expansion, Dolan Letter, More
Executives from teams like the Clippers, Nuggets, and Lakers have cited the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement and its new tax apron rules this offseason when explaining their inability to retain key players or to make roster upgrades. The apron has also been blamed by some league observers for a perceived decline in blockbuster trades, given the various new restrictions that apron teams face when trying to make deals.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, including ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, NBA commissioner Adam Silver defended the apron rules, suggesting they’re having their intended effect and disagreeing with the notion that they’ve made the offseason any less exciting.
“What I’m hearing from teams, even as the second apron is moving to kick in, the teams are realizing there are real teeth in those provisions,” Silver said. “I don’t know how to view this, but I know reports have come out that the summer was boring from a fan standpoint. I don’t certainly think it was. We still saw a lot of critically important players moving from one team to another as free agents.
“But at the same time, I think this new system, while I don’t want it to be boring, I want to put teams in a position, 30 teams, to better compete. I think we’re on our way to doing that.”
Silver also pushed back on the perception that the NBA is trying to break up dynasties or discourage teams from being able to win two or three titles in a row.
“As long as we can create something close to a level playing field in terms of the tools available to teams to compete, I’m absolutely fine with dynasties and I’m fine with new teams emerging every year,” Silver said.
Here’s more from the commissioner:
- The NBA is still putting the finishing touches on its new media rights deals, according to Silver, who reiterated that the league will turn its focus to possible expansion when those agreements have been finalized. “I will say (expansion)’s a bit more complicated than is suggested sometimes,” Silver said, per Holmes. “Just think of the new media deals, for example. Once they’re completed, when you bring in new partners, you’re diluting those payments to teams. Sometimes it seems as if we’re printing money when we expand. Actually, it’s no different than selling equity in any business. I think there needs to be a fair amount of modeling at the league office, working with existing owners and really thinking through the long-term prospects, again not just economically but also for potential of dilution of talent.”
- Silver confirmed that Knicks owner James Dolan sent a letter to the NBA office and the rest of the league’s teams criticizing the new media deals, acknowledging that the contents of that letter were discussed at Tuesday’s Board of Governors meeting. However, he declined to go into any more detail, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes. “My response is we try to keep these issues in the family,” Silver said. “… I don’t think it’s appropriate to get into the specifics of what was discussed at our meeting.”
- According to Holmes, Silver referred to Wyc Grousbeck‘s announcement that the Celtics are up for sale as “bittersweet,” lauding the current ownership group for the work it has done with the franchise over the past couple decades. “I understand the family circumstances and why he and his family have elected at this moment to sell the franchise,” Silver said. “I’m frankly saddened by it, just because not only have they won two championships, but beyond that they’ve operated the team in a first-class manner and he’s been a first-class owner in this league.”
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Westbrook, Hendricks, Dozier
Asked on ESPN’s broadcast on Tuesday about what holes still need to be filled on the Nuggets‘ roster, head coach Michael Malone pointed to the backup point guard spot, saying that Denver could use “somebody to play behind Jamal Murray,” according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). Malone added that general manager Calvin Booth is “all over it.”
The point guard who has been linked most frequently to the Nuggets this offseason is former MVP Russell Westbrook — he and Denver reportedly have mutual interest, and the Clippers are looking to move the 35-year-old. However, it’s unclear if the Nuggets and Clippers will be able to work out a trade that makes sense for both sides, so Westbrook is considered more likely to join Denver as a free agent.
Westbrook would be a logical fit in Denver if the team can find a way to add him, says Tony Jones of The Athletic. As Jones outlines, Westbrook’s ability to put pressure on defenses off the dribble is something the Nuggets didn’t have enough of last season. The team could also benefit from his passing, his on-court “swagger,” and his ability to play significant rotation minutes, which would allow Malone to lean less heavily on his starters, Jones adds.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Nikola Jokic shouldn’t be happy with the Nuggets‘ offseason so far, according to Sean Keeler of The Denver Post, who argues in an opinion column that the front office has made several missteps in the past year or two and that many of Denver’s conference rivals have improved their rosters while the Nuggets have arguably gotten worse.
- Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune is concerned about Taylor Hendricks‘ underwhelming Summer League performance, including a three-point, five-rebound showing on Monday that saw the Jazz forward go 0-of-6 from the floor and fail to make a defensive impact. Hendricks is still just 20 years old, so there’s plenty of time for last year’s No. 9 overall pick to show improvement, but he’ll have to make major strides to warrant a rotation role next season, Larsen contends.
- PJ Dozier‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Timberwolves is partially guaranteed for $1MM, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North (Twitter link). Dozier will be assured of his full salary (approximately $2.6MM) if he remains under contract through the league-wide guarantee date of January 7.
International Notes: Porter, Nnaji, Splitter, Parker, Nunn
A federal judge has denied Jontay Porter‘s request to play for for Promitheas B.C. in Greece during the 2024/25 season, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Porter, who was permanently banned from the NBA in April for violating the league’s gambling rules, pleaded guilty last week to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for December 18 and he faces the possibility of 41-51 months in prison, based on sentencing guidelines.
The former Raptor had to forfeit his passport under the conditions of his pre-sentence release. He and his lawyers had filed a motion asking to modify the terms of his release to have the passport returned to him so that he could travel to and around Europe, live in Greece, and play professional basketball in the Greek League.
“The proposed modification would allow Mr. Porter to pursue a very fortunate — and quickly diminishing — opportunity to earn income through his primary skillset,” Porter’s lawyer Jeff Jensen wrote. “Mr. Porter, and more importantly his agent, believe such an opportunity is unlikely to arise again. As you may know, Mr. Porter was recently banned from the National Basketball Association.
“Mr. Porter’s primary skillset and means of earning a living involve playing professional basketball. He left college early in 2020 to enter the NBA Draft and has not yet finished earning credits towards his college degree. Since being banned from the NBA there have been no other opportunities available to continue his basketball career. Mr. Porter has a limited window to earn an income through professional basketball during his prime earning years as a professional athlete.”
Both Jensen and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment after the motion was denied, per Vorkunov.
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Nigerian center James Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in the 2023 draft, had hoped to make the leap to the NBA this offseason after playing in Spain in 2023/24, according to Jose Ignacio Huguet of Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to Sportando). However, those plans changed when Nnaji underwent back surgery this spring, rendering him unavailable for Summer League play and ensuring that he’s not in the Hornets‘ short-term plans. As a result, Nnaji will remain with Barcelona for at least one more season, per Mundo Deportivo’s reporting.
- Former NBA big man Tiago Splitter has been named the new head coach of Paris Basketball, the French team announced this week (via Twitter). Splitter, who played in the league from 2010-17 (primarily for the Spurs), became an NBA assistant coach in 2019. He spent four years on Brooklyn’s staff, then was an assistant under Rockets head coach Ime Udoka in 2023/24.
- Neither Jabari Parker (Barcelona) nor Kendrick Nunn (Panathinaikos) exercised the NBA exit clause in his contract, according to reports from Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to Sportando) and BasketNews.com. With those opt-out deadlines now passed, Parker and Nunn – both former NBA players – are expected to remain with their respective teams in Europe for the 2024/25 season.
Team USA Notes: Brown, White, Australia Game, AD, Kawhi
Appearing at the Las Vegas Summer League on Monday, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown was asked about his reaction to not making USA Basketball’s Olympic team, either as one of the initial 12 players or as a replacement for Kawhi Leonard. Brown made it clear that, despite his apparent frustration, he was proud of teammate Derrick White for taking Leonard’s spot.
“I called Derrick right away,” Brown said, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. “Just to make sure there’s no confusion, my love for you and all of that. He knew that, and he did. You don’t always gotta make everything public. Me and D-White are good.”
Still, Brown – who said he “wasn’t surprised” at being passed over for Team USA – reiterated that he believes Nike was involved in that decision. As Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes, Brown has criticized Nike over the years and isn’t sponsored by the company, whereas White is.
“I do for sure,” Brown replied when asked if he thinks Nike influenced the roster decision. “There will be more stuff to come with that. As of now, I’m not gonna comment on it.”
Here’s more on Team USA:
- As Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays, White told reporters in Abu Dhabi over the weekend that he was scheduled to be on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, but that he’d “much rather” be with Team USA. “I got the call and I was ready to go,” White said. “… I just had to talk to the family and try to figure out how we can make it work and as quickly as possible. I’m super thankful and grateful and excited to be here.”
- Team USA still wasn’t at its best in Monday’s exhibition game against Australia, but key contributions from Anthony Davis and Anthony Edwards helped the team secure a six-point victory, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and The Athletic’s Vardon detail.
- With Joel Embiid still trying to round into form and Davis having been the team’s most effective big man through two exhibition contests, head coach Steve Kerr may face a tough decision when determining his starting center for the Olympics, Vardon writes in another story for The Athletic.
- Team USA is still playing NBA basketball, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who says the squad will need to adjust to better the international rules and style to ensure it wins gold in Paris.
- Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said on Monday that he and the Clippers were “very disappointed” with USA Basketball’s decision to replace Leonard on the Olympic roster, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Frank’s comments are noteworthy, since even though Team USA managing director Grant Hill took responsibility for the move, reporting at the time indicated that Leonard’s camp and the Clippers were involved in making the decision, too. “No, it was USAB’s call and I was quite frankly very disappointed with the decision,” Frank said. “Kawhi wanted to play. We wanted him to play. I was there the first two practices, he looked very good. Was a full participant in everything that they did. I wasn’t there for the third practice where ultimately that was the point where they decided to go in a different direction (last Wednesday). I expressed to them I really wish that they would’ve given Kawhi more time.”