Nets Waive Brandon Rachal
The Nets have waived guard Brandon Rachal, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. Because the move was technically completed on Monday, Rachal is on track to clear waivers later today, assuming he goes unclaimed.
Rachal, who went undrafted out of Tulsa in 2021, spent his first professional season with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. He averaged 13.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.8 SPG in 28 appearances (27.3 MPG), posting a shooting line of .542/.233/.569.
Since the Nets already held Rachal’s NBAGL rights, the purpose of signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal and then waiving him was presumably to ensure that he receives a $50K bonus for returning to Long Island this season and spending at least 60 days with the G League club.
Brooklyn has one open spot on its 20-man training camp roster.
Bulls Exercise Patrick Williams’ Option For 2023/24
The Bulls have picked up their 2023/24 team option on forward Patrick Williams, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions.
The move locks in the cap hit for the fourth year of Williams’ rookie scale contract, ensuring that his $9,835,881 salary for the ’23/24 season will be guaranteed. He had already been assured of receiving his $7,775,400 salary for the coming ’22/23 season.
Williams, 21, missed most of last season while recovering from wrist surgery. He appeared in a total of 17 regular season games, averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG on .529/.517/.732 shooting in 24.8 minutes per contest.
Further development and growth for Williams could be crucial for the Bulls as they look to build on last year’s 46-win season. The former fourth overall pick is one of the team’s most talented defenders and has the potential to be a two-way force if he continues to improve.
With his fourth-year option now exercised, Williams will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2023 offseason.
Southwest Notes: Aldama, J. Green, Mavs, Pelicans
Santi Aldama, the 30th overall pick in the 2021 draft, has started at power forward for the Grizzlies in both of their preseason games so far and looks like the favorite to occupy that spot when the regular season tips off, with Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot) sidelined, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
As Cole writes, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins pointed to shooting, play-making, defensive versatility, and chemistry with the starters as the four biggest keys for that power forward spot.
Aldama’s shooting and play-making numbers certainly didn’t jump off the page as a rookie, when he made just 6-of-48 threes and had nearly as many turnovers as assists, but the team believes in his ability and he has shown growth in the preseason. The 21-year-old recorded four assists in his first game and made four three-pointers in his second game. He also leads the team in points (34) and rebounds (14) in those two contests.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Mavericks coaches and players are continually pointing to former first-round pick Josh Green as the player who came to camp in the best shape and improved the most in the offseason, according to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News, who notes that a leap from Green would be huge for a Dallas team that lost Jalen Brunson.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic is bearish on the Mavericks‘ chances of matching or exceeding their 52 wins from last season, projecting the team to finish eighth in the West at 46-36.
- The Pelicans‘ 2021 offseason looks much better in retrospect than it did at the time, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. The Pelicans let Lonzo Ball go and missed out on top target Kyle Lowry in free agency, but with Ball injured and Lowry perhaps losing a step, New Orleans is better off having instead fortified its backcourt by acquiring CJ McCollum at the 2022 deadline, according to Clark. That move wouldn’t have happened if the team had retained Ball or signed Lowry.
Clippers Waive Juwan Morgan, Michael Devoe, Lucas Williamson
The Clippers have cut three camp invitees, announcing today that forward Juwan Morgan and guards Michael Devoe and Lucas Williamson have been placed on waivers.
Devoe, Morgan, and Williamson were all in camp on Exhibit 10 contracts, making them long shots to earn spots on the Clippers’ 15-man regular season roster.
Assuming they don’t find other NBA opportunities, all three players look like good bets to eventually join the Ontario Clippers, L.A.’s G League affiliate. They’ll be eligible for bonuses worth $50K if they spend at least 60 days with the NBAGL club.
The Clippers now have 17 players under contract. Fourteen are on standard guaranteed contracts, with Moussa Diabate on a two-way deal and Moses Brown and Xavier Moon still in camp on Exhibit 10 deals.
There’s plenty of time between now and October 17 for Los Angeles to continue making signings and cuts, so nothing’s set in stone yet. But for the time being, it looks like Brown and Moon could end up vying for the Clippers’ open two-way slot if the team opts not to carry a 15th man on its standard roster.
Kings Notes: Starting Lineup, Barnes, Sabonis
While De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Harrison Barnes are locked in as starters, two spots in the Kings‘ starting lineup remain up for grabs, head coach Mike Brown said this weekend.
“Obviously, Fox is going to start for us. Domas is going to start for us. HB is going to start for us,” Brown said, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “But we’re kind of up in the air a little bit with the two and the four spot, and there are some guys that we feel have a real good chance to start for us in those spots, but we’re going to keep mixing those two spots around to see what we can get.”
Kevin Huerter started as shooting guard during the Kings’ presseason opener vs. the Lakers on Monday, while KZ Okpala got the nod at power forward. However, neither player had a big night, while Malik Monk and Keegan Murray – two other contenders for those starting spots – combined for 24 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals.
Brown won’t make any decisions based on one night, but with the start of the regular season just two weeks away, every preseason game will be an important one as the Kings consider their options.
Here are a few more notes out of Sacramento:
- Barnes, who is entering the final season of a four-year deal, isn’t oblivious to the fact that his name has popped up frequently in trade rumors over the last year or two, but he’s preparing to spend his full contract year in Sacramento, Anderson writes for The Sacramento Bee. “You know how the NBA is,” Barnes said. “I check Woj. I check Shams. They’ve still got me here, so as far as I’m concerned, this is where I’m supposed to be and I’m going to give it my best effort.”
- Speaking to Mark Medina of NBA.com, Sabonis discussed the Kings’ playoff chances, his chemistry with Fox, and how having the defensive-minded Brown on the sidelines will impact the team. “He’s a defensive coach, and he’s definitely trying to make life easy for us in terms of the terminology,” Sabonis said of Brown. “The defensive stuff we’re doing is going to help us out. It’ll depend on us. He’s giving us all the answers and the system of how we want to play as a team. Defense is about effort and competing. If we compete every game, it’s going to be tough.”
- Making the play-in tournament is a “completely reasonable goal” for the Kings, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who previews Sacramento’s season and projects the team to finish 10th in the Western Conference with a 37-45 record.
NBA GMs High On Cavs’ Offseason Moves, Bucks’ Title Chances
The Cavaliers‘ acquisition of Donovan Mitchell made their offseason the most successful of any NBA team, according to the league’s general managers. In his annual survey of the NBA’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 41% of the GM respondents picked Cleveland as having made the best offseason moves, while 59% chose the addition of Mitchell as the move that will have the biggest impact.
The Timberwolves and Jazz were on opposite ends of one of the summer’s other blockbuster trades, but the two clubs tied for second (along with the Sixers) in the GM vote for which teams made the best overall offseason moves. Minnesota’s trade for Rudy Gobert was the second-leading vote-getter for the offseason’s most impactful single acquisition, earning 31% of the vote.
The team viewed by the majority of GMs as the title favorite for 2023 didn’t earn any votes for having the best offseason. According to Schuhmann, 43% of the poll respondents picked the Bucks to win next year’s Finals, with GMs apparently betting on continuity in Milwaukee. The Warriors (25%), Clippers (21%), and Celtics (11%) also received votes.
Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:
- NBA general managers expect the Clippers – who will have Kawhi Leonard back – to be the most improved team in 2022/23. L.A. received 41% of the vote, with the Cavaliers and Pelicans at 17% apiece.
- The Celtics‘ trade for Malcolm Brogdon earned the most votes (28%) for the summer’s most underrated acquisition. The Sixers‘ signing of P.J. Tucker and the Clippers‘ addition of John Wall were the runners-up, with 14% each.
- Asked which team has the most promising young core, NBA GMs overwhelmingly chose the Cavaliers (41%) and Grizzlies (38%). The Pistons (10%) were the only other club to get multiple votes.
- NBA GMs view Magic forward Paolo Banchero as the best bet to win Rookie of the Year (79%) and also chose him as the 2022 draftee most likely to be the best player in five years (31%), narrowly edging Thunder big man Chet Holmgren (28%). As for the steal of the draft, GMs were split between Pistons big man Jalen Duren and Rockets forward Tari Eason (14% apiece), among many others.
- Mavericks star Luka Doncic was picked as the favorite to win MVP, earning 48% of the vote from NBA GMs. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks came in second with 34%.
Simmons, Kawhi, Murray, MPJ Returned To Action On Monday
Nets guard Ben Simmons, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, and Nuggets stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. all made their preseason debuts on Monday, returning to an NBA court for the first time in 2022.
Simmons missed all of the 2021/22 season due to a holdout, mental health issues, and back problems; Leonard and Murray sat out the season while recovering from ACL tears; and Porter was shut down due to a back injury last November after playing in just nine games.
In addition to being Simmons’ first game in 470 days, it was also the first time he has suited up for his new team since being traded from Philadelphia to Brooklyn. Simmons played 19 minutes against his old team, and while the Sixers beat the Nets by 19 points, the former No. 1 overall pick said he felt “amazing” being back on the court, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.
“I’m grateful just to be able to step on that floor,” Simmons said after scoring six points and dishing five assists in 19 minutes. “Step on an NBA floor again. I had a lot of fun out there.”
Leonard, meanwhile, was playing for the first time since being injured in the second round of the playoffs against Utah in June of 2021. He had 11 points and four rebounds in a victory over Portland in Seattle, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. While Leonard acknowledged that he probably won’t be playing 35-plus minutes out of the gate this season, he – like Simmons – said he was more excited than nervous to get back on the court.
“It was great,” Leonard said. “Just being able to put all that hard work that I did throughout the, 14, 16 months, just able to put it to (the) test and playing against NBA talent, it was good. Just being out there with the guys and talking, I missed it. It was a great experience for me.”
As for Murray, he called his return vs. Oklahoma City – his first game in 539 days – “a lot of fun” and told reporters that he “felt like a rookie out there” (Twitter links via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports and Mike Singer of The Denver Post). He and Porter will need more time to find their rhythm, but both players came out of their preseason debuts feeling good, Singer writes in a full story for The Denver Post (subscription required).
While Simmons, Leonard, Murray, and Porter made their long-awaited returns on Monday, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is poised to do so on Tuesday after missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a broken foot. Kevin Durant said after the Nets’ loss on Monday that having all these stars healthy again is great news for the NBA.
“Being away for a year, you get a lot of anxiety not playing,” Durant said, per Friedell. “I know I did. Just anxious to see how I’m playing, where I’m going to play, what my role is on the team. But as a fan of the game, Kawhi being back is great for basketball, Jamal Murray being back is great for basketball, all the guys that have been out injured and being able to play again, it’s a great feeling seeing them out there.”
Nuggets Exercise Bones Hyland’s 2023/24 Option
The Nuggets have picked up their team option on Bones Hyland for 2023/24, reports Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). The move locks in Hyland’s $2,306,400 salary for his third NBA season.
The No. 26 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Hyland enjoyed a successful rookie season that saw him establish himself as a regular part of Denver’s backcourt rotation. The 22-year-old averaged 10.1 PPG, 2.8 APG, and 2.7 RPG in 69 appearances (19.0 MPG), with a shooting line of .403/.366/.856.
Even with Jamal Murray returning to action this season, Hyland is expected to once again play a key role for the Nuggets, who traded away point guard Monte Morris over the summer.
Denver’s next decision on Hyland – on his 2024/25 option – will be due next fall. Assuming that option is picked up, Hyland will become extension-eligible during the 2024 offseason and would be a restricted free agent in 2025 if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.
The Nuggets are also exercising their 2023/24 option on Zeke Nnaji. We’re tracking all of this year’s rookie scale team option decisions right here.
Contract Details: Fernando, Herro, Nance, Adams
The Rockets used a portion of their mid-level exception to give Bruno Fernando a four-year deal and a guaranteed salary of $2,717,391 for the 2022/23 season, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Fernando’s salary will dip to $2,581,522 for 2023/24 before rising back up to $2,717,391 for ’24/25 and increasing to $2,853,260 for ’25/26. As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets, the second and third years of Fernando’s deal are non-guaranteed, while the fourth year is a team option.
Here are some details on a few more new contracts from around the NBA:
- Tyler Herro‘s four-year extension with the Heat will pay him annual salaries of $27MM, $29MM, $31MM, and $33MM beginning in 2023/24, for a base value of exactly $120MM, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The deal also includes $2.5MM in annual incentives that are currently considered unlikely.
- Larry Nance Jr.‘s two-year extension with the Pelicans will pay him $10,375,000 in 2023/24 and $11,205,000 in ’24/25, tweets Anil Gogna of NoTradeClause.com. Because Nance’s second-year raise exceeds 5%, he’ll be ineligible to be traded during the 2022/23 season.
- Steven Adams‘ two-year extension with the Grizzlies features a flat base salary of $12.6MM in both 2023/24 and ’24/25, with no options or incentives, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Adams’ new deal doesn’t exceed the extend-and-trade limits, so he’ll remain trade-eligible this season.
- As expected, the recent contracts signed by Kaiser Gates (Nets), Brandon Rachal (Nets), and Sacha Killeya-Jones (Thunder) all included Exhibit 10 language.
Celtics Sign Blake Griffin
OCTOBER 3: The signing is official, the Celtics announced in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 30: The Celtics have agreed to a deal with free agent big man Blake Griffin, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Griffin will sign a fully guaranteed one-year contract with Boston.
The deal will be worth the veteran’s minimum, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe confirms (via Twitter). Griffin will earn $2,905,851, while the Celtics will take on a cap hit of $1,836,090.
Griffin, 33, spent last season in Brooklyn, averaging 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game for the Nets in 56 appearances (17.1 MPG). His shooting line was just .425/.262/.724.
The six-time All-Star’s role and production have declined significantly since his prime years with the Clippers and Pistons. Last season was the first time he came off the bench more often than he started, the first time he averaged fewer than 25 minutes per game, and the first time he averaged fewer than 11 points per game.
Still, the Celtics won’t be expecting Griffin to recapture his All-Star form. Boston simply needs more reliable depth in a frontcourt that has already been hit hard by injuries. Danilo Gallinari is expected to miss most or all of the 2022/23 season while recovering from a torn ACL, while Robert Williams will be out until at least November or December following knee surgery.
Multiple reports leading up to training camp indicated that the Celtics wanted to take a look at their in-house options before deciding whether to sign a veteran free agent. Several days into camp, it seems the team had seen enough to recognize that another veteran was necessary.
The Cetlics had no shortage of options in free agency — LaMarcus Aldridge, Carmelo Anthony, Hassan Whiteside, DeMarcus Cousins, Tristan Thompson, and Dwight Howard are among the unsigned veterans still on the market. But the team attended Griffin’s recent workouts in Los Angeles and liked what it saw there, per Himmelsbach.
Boston has a full 20-man training camp roster, so the club will need to waive a player in order to make room for Griffin. I’d expect one of the six players on a non-guaranteed contract – Noah Vonleh, Jake Layman, Justin Jackson, Brodric Thomas, Luka Samanic, or Denzel Valentine – to be cut to open up a spot.