Spurs Waive Tommy Kuhse
The Spurs have waived guard Tommy Kuhse, the team announced today in a press release.
Kuhse, 24, joined the Spurs on an Exhibit 10 deal in August after going undrafted out of Saint Mary’s and playing for Orlando in the Las Vegas Summer League. He averaged 12.2 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 3.7 RPG on .494/.450/.808 shooting in 34 games (30.0 MPG) as a “super-senior” in 2021/22.
Kuhse played in two preseason games with the Spurs this month, averaging 6.0 PPG and 1.5 APG in 9.0 MPG. He’ll likely become an affiliate player for the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League team.
The Spurs now have 19 players under contract. They’re still expected to complete a reported Exhibit 10 deal with rookie free agent Jalen Adaway at some point, though it’s unclear if they’ll do so right away using their newly-opened roster spot — they still have seven days to set their regular season roster, so they could make several moves between now and next Monday’s deadline.
Grizzlies Sign Matthew Hurt, Sean McDermott
The Grizzlies have made some changes to the back end of their 20-man preseason roster, announcing today in a press release (via Twitter) that they’ve signed forward Matthew Hurt and swingman Sean McDermott. The team waived camp invitees Jacob Gilyard and Justin Bean to open up roster spots for the new additions.
The transactions are unlikely to have an impact on the Grizzlies’ projected regular season roster. Gilyard and Bean were in training camp on Exhibit 10 contracts and are safe bets to join the Memphis Hustle, the team’s G League affiliate. Hurt and McDermott will likely be waived before next Monday’s roster deadline and report to the Hustle as well.
Hurt, who signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies a year ago after going undrafted out of Duke, spent his first professional season with the Hustle, but a knee injury prevented him from appearing in any NBAGL regular season games.
McDermott, who went undrafted out of Butler in 2020, has spent the last two seasons in the Grizzlies’ organization. He was on a two-way contract as a rookie, then was an affiliate player with the Hustle in 2021/22. He has appeared in a total of 18 regular season games in the NBA and 17 in the G League.
The Grizzlies once again have a full 20-man preseason roster. They have 16 players on standard contracts (15 fully guaranteed, plus Danny Green with a partial guarantee), Hurt and McDermott presumably on Exhibit 10 deals, and Vince Williams and Kenneth Lofton Jr. on two-way pacts.
Lakers Notes: Davis, James, Westbrook, Brown, Ryan
With Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook sitting out at least two games apiece so far this preseason, the Lakers have yet to get an extended look at their three stars together. The trio was available in the first preseason contest last Monday, but Davis missed the next two before returning on Sunday, while James and Westbrook have rested for the last two games.
Injuries often prevented Davis, James, and Westbrook from sharing the court last season, but head coach Darvin Ham isn’t worried about his stars not getting enough time together before opening night. As Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times writes, Ham said that the team is sticking to its plan and that the rotations in the final two games of the preseason will look more like what we should expect in the regular season.
Davis, who was dealing with some lower back tightness last week, looked good in his return on Sunday vs. Golden State, pouring in 28 points in 21 minutes en route to a 124-121 win. As Woike observes, it was the Lakers’ first preseason victory since 2020.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Within the same story, Woike notes that Troy Brown, signed as a free agent in July, is unlikely to be available for the start of the regular season due to a back injury. “He’s right on schedule with what he’s supposed to be doing,” Ham said. “When we do get him back…we’re excited about him. He was having a great summer before he hurt his back.”
- Camp invitee Matt Ryan had a big game for the Lakers on Sunday, knocking down six three-pointers and scoring 20 points. “He may have gotten himself a job today,” Ham said after the game (Twitter link via Woike).
- As Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report tweets, the Lakers have 12 players on standard guaranteed contracts, and Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel look like safe bets to make the team on non-guaranteed deals. That would leave the 15th regular season roster spot available for Ryan, assuming L.A. is willing to increase its projected tax bill by carrying a 15th man to start the regular season.
Eastern Notes: Suggs, P. Williams, Sixers, Bridges
After battling health issues as a rookie, Magic guard Jalen Suggs was frustrated to sustain another injury during the preseason, so it came as a relief when his diagnosis wasn’t as serious as it could have been. Suggs has a left knee capsule sprain and bone bruise.
“Those things really can either go one of two ways — they can be the worst or be things that are really manageable,” Suggs said on Sunday, per Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. “Thankfully, it was one of those really manageable things.”
Speaking to Price in a separate Sentinel story, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tony Wanich said Suggs was fortunate to avoid an ACL injury and suggested that the second-year guard could be back on the court in November.
“A capsule injury usually heals in about two-to-four weeks,” Wanich said. “But the bone bruise usually takes a bit longer and closer to the six-week timeline depending on how extensive that bone bruise is.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Bulls head coach Billy Donovan downplayed his decision to remove Patrick Williams from the starting lineup for the team’s two most recent preseason games, but the significance of that move is “clear for all to see,” argues Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Javonte Green, who earned the start in Williams’ place on Friday, has scored 50 points in 60 minutes this preseason and is playing like the Bulls want Williams to, Mayberry writes. “When you put Javonte out there, you know what you’re going to get,” Donovan said after Friday’s game.
- Following the Sixers‘ release of Trevelin Queen, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice believes Isaiah Joe looks like the “clear frontrunner” for the team’s final regular season roster spot, ahead of Charles Bassey.
- The preliminary hearing for Hornets restricted free agent Miles Bridges was pushed back for a fifth time, to October 12, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscriber-only link). That hearing for Bridges, who has pleaded not guilty to three felony domestic violence charges, was initially scheduled for August 19.
Jazz Waive Saben Lee, Sign Darryl Morsell
9:09pm: The Jazz have officially waived Lee and have completed their Exhibit 10 deal with Marquette guard Darryl Morsell, the team announced in a press release.
Utah’s agreement with Morsell was reported shortly after he went undrafted in June.
4:40pm: The Jazz are waiving guard Saben Lee, according to Tony Jones and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee spent his first two NBA seasons with the Pistons, first on a two-way contract and then on a standard deal. He appeared in 85 total games for the team, averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .434/.265/.731.
Lee was part of the trade that sent Bojan Bogdanovic to Detroit, heading to Utah in the deal along with Kelly Olynyk. He was included for salary-matching purposes, with the Pistons sending the Jazz the exact amount of cash necessary to cover his guaranteed salary for 2022/23 ($1,752,638). That was a sign that he might not be in Utah’s plans for the season, and Jones later stated that Lee would likely need to have a “hell of a camp” to stick with the team.
The move is the first of several the Jazz will have to make to clear their roster logjam before the regular season begins later this month. Once Lee is officially waived, Utah will still have 17 players with fully guaranteed salaries, plus Cody Zeller, who is vying for a regular season roster spot on a non-guaranteed deal.
Cutting Lee will open up a spot on Utah’s 20-man roster for the team to officially sign Micah Potter to a two-way contract, Jones notes (via Twitter). Porter’s agreement with the Jazz was reported last month.
And-Ones: Wembanyama, Henderson, Satoransky, Randall
Star prospect Victor Wembanyama will play for France’s national team in November during the next round of World Cup qualifying games, per an Associated Press report. The French club is set to face Lithuania on November 11 and will play Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 14.
Wembanyama is coming off a pair of eye-opening exhibition performances against the G League Ignite this week, as he solidified his place as the No. 1 player in the 2022 draft class by pouring in 73 points and blocking nine shots in the two games. The 18-year-old big man, who told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that his goal is “to be like something you’ve never seen,” is drawing rave reviews from many of the NBA’s biggest stars.
“He has the chance to be one of the best — not in his age, not in Europe — but one of the best to ever play this game,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Wembanyama, according to Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com. “We have never seen someone like that before. I think it’s a good challenge for everybody in the league, to have somebody who’s 7-foot-2 and is able to shoot over you and dribble like he’s a guard and block shots and run down the floor fast. We gotta get ready for this kid, you know? He’s going to be really good.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- While Wembanyama is considered a generational talent and earned more buzz this week, star Ignite guard Scoot Henderson isn’t ready to concede the top spot in next year’s draft, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. He also downplayed the idea that he’ll have a long-standing rivalry with the Frenchman. “I’m not worried about him,” Henderson said. “I’m worried about the next level. I’m worried about guarding Steph (Curry).”
- Jonathan Givony’s latest 2023 mock draft at ESPN (Insider-only link) has Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson as the No. 3 pick behind Wembanyama and Henderson, followed by Arkansas’ Nick Smith and Villanova’s Cameron Whitmore.
- Speaking to Alex Molina of Eurohoops, veteran guard Tomas Satoransky expressed pride that he can say he was an NBA player, but admitted that he went through some “ups and downs” in the league. Satoransky said that he’s happy to be back in Europe, playing for Barcelona, because his new deal offers more stability for him and his family than he would have had in the NBA.
- Former UT Martin guard Craig Randall, who averaged 26.7 PPG for the Long Island Nets last season, tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN that he turned down NBA camp offers that included guaranteed money. Randall instead opted to head to Australia’s National Basketball League, where he’ll have a chance to play a significant role for the Adelaide 36ers. Randall and teammates Antonius Cleveland and Robert Franks all have NBA out clauses in their contracts with Adelaide, according to MacMahon.
Western Notes: Hart, Alvarado, Rockets, Jazz
The Trail Blazers have made a decision on their starting small forward job, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, who hears from a source that Josh Hart has won the training camp competition.
Hart had been competing with Nassir Little and Justise Winslow for the right to start at the three for Portland this season, alongside a backcourt of Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons and a frontcourt of Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic.
Hart, whom the Blazers acquired in last season’s CJ McCollum blockbuster, has earned praise from head coach Chauncey Billups for his effort on defense and his basketball IQ, as Fentress notes. The veteran swingman is entering a potential contract year — his 2023/24 salary is currently non-guaranteed and he also has the ability to opt out of his deal after the season.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Second-year Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado has long admired Tony Parker‘s game and got the chance to work with the former Spurs star this offseason, meeting Parker at the Las Vegas Summer League and then traveling to San Antonio to train with him. “Actually, I (direct messaged) him and said, ‘I’m a big fan of you,'” Alvarado said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “‘Is there any chance me and you can get in the gym this summer? I would love that.’ He replied right away.”
- Kelly Iko of The Athletic takes a look at where things stand with the Rockets‘ rotation, noting that Tari Eason is making a strong case for regular playing time, while Bruno Fernando appears to have passed Usman Garuba on the depth chart at center. Iko also isn’t sure that any of the players acquired in last week’s trade with Oklahoma City (Derrick Favors, Theo Maledon, and Maurice Harkless) will make the regular season roster.
- Given how significantly they overhauled their roster this offseason, the Jazz will likely need more than just a few preseason games to develop a real sense of chemistry, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “It’s going to take us a while to get used to everyone and learn everyone,” Jordan Clarkson said. “We’re still just getting the basics down. We’re not even at the point of knowing guys’ spots and individual games.”
Mavericks Eyeing Facundo Campazzo
The Mavericks are weighing the possibility of signing free agent point guard Facundo Campazzo, according to Marc Stein, who tweets that the team has yet to make a decision one way or the other.
Stein first reported over a month ago that the Mavs were considering adding another ball-handler after having lost Jalen Brunson in free agency. Superstar Luka Doncic and veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie will handle the majority of the point guard responsibilities, but the club is short on reliable veteran options behind those two.
As Stein notes (via Twitter), the Mavericks came into training camp intending to give their in-house backups a shot to claim point guard minutes behind Doncic and Dinwiddie, with Frank Ntilikina, Josh Green, and Tyler Dorsey among the players in the mix. However, the fact that the team is still mulling adding Campazzo or another veteran suggests that none of those players has put a stamp on the role so far this fall.
The Mavs have 14 players on standard guaranteed contracts, so if they don’t mind the additional luxury tax penalty that would come with carrying a 15th man into the regular season, they could comfortably add one.
Campazzo, 31, spent the last two seasons with the Nuggets after establishing himself as one of the best point guards in Europe in his 20s. He averaged 5.6 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in 130 appearances (20.1 MPG) across his two seasons in Denver, making just 37.2% of his shots from the floor.
Following the expiration of his contract with the Nuggets, Campazzo looked like a candidate to head back overseas, but he spoke in August about wanting to continue playing in the NBA. He’s still an unrestricted free agent, as he continues to exhaust all his options stateside.
As Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News observes (via Twitter), Campazzo has one notable connection to the Mavericks — he’s good friends with Doncic, having played alongside the All-NBA guard with Real Madrid from 2015-18.
Rockets Sign Willie Cauley-Stein
OCTOBER 9: The deal with Cauley-Stein is official, the Rockets announced in a press release.
AUGUST 12: The Rockets and free agent center Willie Cauley-Stein have agreed to a one-year contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but Charania suggests that Cauley-Stein will compete in training camp for a spot on the regular season roster. That means it’s almost certainly a minimum-salary deal and likely won’t be fully guaranteed.
Cauley-Stein, who will turn 29 next Thursday, appeared in a total of 20 games last season for the Mavericks and Sixers, playing a limited role. In 2020/21, the big man averaged 5.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG in 53 contests (17.1 MPG) for Dallas. He has also spent time with Sacramento and Golden State since entering the league as the sixth overall pick in 2015.
The Rockets currently have 20 players under contract, so they’ll have to waive or trade someone in order to make Cauley-Stein’s signing official.
Kemba Walker Continues To Await Next Opportunity
Appearing at the Hornets/Celtics preseason game at Greensboro Coliseum on Friday, point guard Kemba Walker confirmed that he hasn’t gotten a satisfactory buyout offer from the Pistons yet and is remaining patient as he waits for his next NBA opportunity, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
The Pistons, who have 16 players on guaranteed contracts, are widely expected to waive Walker before the regular season begins, whether or not he agrees to forfeit any of the $9.17MM he’s owed in 2022/23. It doesn’t make sense for the veteran to give up money in a buyout agreement until another team offers him a guaranteed contract, and there’s no indication that has happened yet. But Walker feels healthy and believes it’s just a matter of time until he gets a shot from a new team.
“I’ve got something in the tank for sure,” he said. “I feel great. I’m going to be honest. I’m going to have my opportunity. I’m not in any rush right now. I’m just grinding and trying to feel as good as I can. And right now, I feel great. I feel as good as I’ve felt in a long time. I’m just waiting for the opportunity.”
A four-time All-Star, Walker has started every game he’s played since the 2014/15 season, but recognizes that after battling knee issues for the last few years, he can’t realistically expect to continue in that role going forward.
“I just want to be able to play basketball again; I don’t care if it’s the bench or not,” he said, per Washburn. “I started off my career playing basketball coming off the bench. Who cares? I just want to be able to play ball like I love to do, being around some great, great teammates and just have fun.”
There haven’t been many potential suitors connected to Walker this offseason, but one team rumored to have some interest is his old club in Charlotte. While it sounds like Walker is open to rejoining the Hornets before his career is over, he wants to make it clear that he doesn’t think he’ll be retiring anytime soon.
“That would be special,” Walker said when asked about a return to the Hornets. “(But) as far as closing my career, I’ve got a few more years left, in my opinion, so I’m not thinking about that yet. We’ll see. I’m just waiting. (Nobody’s) reached out to me. I’m just waiting.”