Western Notes: Zion, Blazers, Okpala, Thunder
Zion Williamson‘s strength and conditioning coach, Jasper Bibbs, tells William Guillory of The Athletic that the Pelicans forward is “in fantastic shape” with the 2022/23 season around the corner.
“He’s been committed to putting in the work day in and day out,” Bibbs said. “I’m really proud of what he’s been able to accomplish. He’s a better athlete now than he’s ever been.”
Williamson missed the entire ’21/22 season due to a broken foot, so ensuring that he’s healthy and fully recovered from that injury is a crucial first step. The former No. 1 overall pick has also been plagued by questions about his weight throughout his NBA career, and while Bibbs declined to say how much Zion weighs, he expressed optimism about the forward’s physical condition.
“… (His body composition) has improved at an extremely high level,” Bibbs told Guillory. “That’s all I’ll say.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- The Trail Blazers have officially announced a series of additions to their basketball operations staff, including Jonah Herscu as an assistant coach, David Adkins as director of player development, and former WNBA star Tina Thompson as a scout. Herscu previously worked for Sacramento, Adkins was with the Clippers, and Thompson was the head coach of Virginia’s women’s basketball team.
- The two-year, minimum-salary contract KZ Okpala signed with the Kings is virtually identical to the one Chima Moneke received earlier this offseason, as our JD Shaw reports (Twitter links). Okpala has a $250K partial guarantee in 2022/23 that would increase to $500K if he makes the opening night roster. He’d receive a partial guarantee of $250K for 2023/24 if he plays at least 1,000 minutes this season and Sacramento wins 41 or more games. His full ’23/24 salary would become guaranteed if he’s under contract through June 30, 2023.
- If the NBA and NBPA agree to remove the one-and-done rule for prospects, as has been rumored, there will be one super-sized draft class during the year in which players become draft-eligible out of high school. Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman explores what it might mean for the Thunder, who have loaded up on future picks, if that happens in 2024. Oklahoma City holds its own pick, the Clippers’ pick (unprotected), the Rockets’ pick (top-four protected), and the Jazz’s pick (top-10 protected) in the first round of the ’24 draft.
Robert Williams To Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On Knee
The knee injury that Robert Williams sustained near the end of the 2021/22 season continues to be an issue for the Celtics big man, who will undergo arthroscopic surgery on that troublesome left knee, reports Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links), the procedure is expected to require a recovery period of four-to-six weeks. Williams will miss training camp and the preseason, but the hope is that he’ll be back in the Celtics’ lineup early in the regular season, Woj says, adding that the plan is for him to have the surgery later this week (Twitter link).
Williams initially underwent surgery on the knee in March after tearing his meniscus. He was able to return to the court less than a month later and played a part in the Celtics’ run to the NBA Finals, though he wasn’t at 100% in the postseason. The 24-year-old sat out five games in the second and third rounds of the playoffs and reportedly required extensive treatment as he dealt with fluid build-up.
Williams enjoyed a breakout season in 2021/22, establishing new career highs in PPG (10.0), RPG (9.6), BPG (2.2), games played and started (61), field goal percentage (73.6%), and several other categories. He also helped anchor the NBA’s top defense.
As Deveney writes, the hope was that Williams would be ready to go this fall after resting the knee during the offseason, but it appears that won’t be the case. The procedure will leave the Celtics – already missing Danilo Gallinari due to a torn ACL – shorthanded in the frontcourt to open the season.
Al Horford, Grant Williams, Luke Kornet, camp invitee Noah Vonleh, and two-way player Mfiondu Kabengele are among Boston’s top available big men heading into training camp. As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), we’ll likely see Jayson Tatum play plenty of minutes at power forward in the early going to help fill the gaps in the depth chart.
Anthony Edwards Fined $40K For Social Media Comments
The NBA has fined Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards $40K for his use of “offensive and derogatory language” on social media, per a press release.
The fine is in response to a now-deleted video that Edwards posted to his Instagram account earlier this month. Edwards used homophobic language in the video, disparagingly describing a group of people as “queer.” After removing the video, the former No. 1 overall pick apologized for recording and posting it.
“What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry,” Edwards wrote (Twitter link). “It’s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way, there’s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!”
The NBA noted in today’s announcement that Edwards “acknowledged that his actions were inappropriate,” suggesting his apology was taken into account as the league weighed potential discipline.
The $40K fine for Edwards is in line with the penalties other stars have faced in recent years for homophobic remarks. Nikola Jokic was fined $25K in 2018 for making such a comment during a post-game interview, while Kevin Durant was fined $50K in 2021 for directing homophobic language toward actor Michael Rapaport on Twitter.
Atlantic Notes: Layman, J. Jackson, Celtics, Raptors, Sixers
When they signed with the Celtics, Jake Layman and Justin Jackson both received one-year, minimum-salary contracts that are non-guaranteed. However, the terms of those agreements are slightly different — Layman got an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract, while Jackson’s deal is an Exhibit 9, Hoops Rumors has learned.
Both Layman and Jackson are ineligible to have their contracts converted into two-way deals because they have too many years of NBA service under their belts. But Layman’s Exhibit 10 contract makes him eligible to receive a $50K bonus if he’s waived before the season and then spends at least 60 days with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League team.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- As part of their efforts to honor the late Bill Russell this season, the Celtics have painted his No. 6 in the free throw lanes of their home court, the team announced on Monday (Twitter link). Boston will also wear Russell-themed City Edition jerseys for some of the team’s games in 2022/23 and will hold two nights in his honor, including October 18’s home opener.
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic projects which Raptors will play the most minutes in 2022/23, with Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and Fred VanVleet leading the way. Interestingly, Koreen predicts third-year guard Malachi Flynn will see more action than frontcourt veterans Otto Porter Jr., Thaddeus Young, and Khem Birch.
- Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice takes a closer look at who will claim the back-end spots on the Sixers‘ 15-man regular season roster, speculating that Charles Bassey and Trevelin Queen could end up being the odd men out. Philadelphia currently has 13 players on guaranteed contracts, with Bassey, Queen, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 9/20/2022
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 12:00 pm Central time (1:00 pm Eastern).
Click here to read the transcript, and join us this Thursday for our next live chat!
Cavaliers Sign Mamadi Diakite To Camp Deal
The Cavaliers have signed free agent forward Mamadi Diakite to a contract, per the team’s official website. It’s a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, Hoops Rumors has learned.
One of several free agents to work out for the Cavaliers earlier this month, Diakite has appeared in a total of 27 regular season games for the Bucks and Thunder since going undrafted out of Virginia in 2020. He spent most of his rookie season on a two-way deal with Milwaukee before being promoted to the standard roster down the stretch. In 2021/22, he signed three separate 10-day contracts with Oklahoma City.
Diakite has averaged 3.7 PPG and 3.4 RPG in his 27 NBA contests (12.2 MPG). He also put up 18.5 PPG and 10.4 RPG in 12 G League appearances (27.7 MPG) for the Lakeland Magic during the truncated 2020/21 season, earning a place on both the All-NBAGL First Team and the league’s All-Defensive Team.
There could be a path for Diakite to earn a regular season roster spot in Cleveland. The Cavs only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade on non-guaranteed deals.
The terms of Diakite’s agreement mean he can’t have his contract converted into a two-way deal, since it doesn’t include an Exhibit 10 clause. That absence of Exhibit 10 language also suggests the Cavs don’t anticipate him playing for their G League affiliate – the Cleveland Charge – if he doesn’t make the NBA squad.
The Cavs now have a full 20-man offseason roster. The team has also reportedly agreed to sign guard Sharife Cooper, but will need to trade or waive a player to make room for him.
Suns Rumors: Crowder, Payroll, Bogdanovic, Johnson
As team owner Robert Sarver begins serving his year-long ban from the NBA, the Suns‘ front office continues to explore ways to upgrade the team’s roster before the regular season gets underway. Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today (video link), Brian Windhorst confirmed that the Suns are active in trade discussions, with many of those talks involving forward Jae Crowder.
“(They’ve been) very active within this last week. They are conducting business, they’re in trade negotiations right now. A lot of them are centered around Jae Crowder,” Windhorst said. “Jae Crowder is a player who is available on the market right now. Whether or not there’s going to be a deal for him that materializes between now and next week’s trade deadline, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Obviously, this season’s trade deadline won’t arrive until February, but Windhorst may be suggesting that the Suns will see if they can get something done before training camps begin.
Crowder, whose name has been mentioned in trade rumors off and on throughout the offseason, is in the final year of his current contract. The 32-year-old will earn approximately $10.2MM in 2022/23 before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- Sources who have spoken recently to Windhorst don’t get the sense that the Suns are unwilling to increase their payroll by taking back more salary than they send out in a trade. General manager James Jones and his front office won’t be bringing deals directly to Sarver to approve this season, but interim governor Sam Garvin presumably has a sense of how much the Suns owner is prepared to spend on the roster. Team salary is already well above the luxury tax line.
- While Windhorst doesn’t explicitly confirm any specific trade targets for the Suns, he says he wouldn’t be surprised if the team makes a play for Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic. Phoenix’s interest in Bogdanovic has been previously reported, though a handful of teams are believed to be eyeing the veteran, who is on an expiring deal.
- Windhorst also confirms that the Suns are engaged in rookie scale extension talks with sharpshooter Cameron Johnson. The two sides have until October 17 to reach a deal. If Johnson hasn’t signed an extension by that point, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2023.
Bucks Waive Iverson Molinar
The Bucks have waived combo guard Iverson Molinar, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.
Molinar, who went undrafted out of Mississippi State, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks after averaging 17.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.2 SPG on .454/.252/.868 shooting in 34 games (34.1 MPG) as a junior in 2021/22. He also played for Milwaukee’s Las Vegas Summer League squad in July.
A member of last season’s All-SEC First Team, Molinar appears likely to spend his first professional season with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate. His Exhibit 10 contract will put him in line for a bonus worth $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Herd as an affiliate player.
Molinar will likely team up in Wisconsin with Alex Antetokounmpo and Rob Edwards, who have also been signed and waived by the Bucks within the last week.
Following Molinar’s release, Milwaukee now has 19 players officially under contract. Restricted free agent Jordan Nwora still doesn’t have a new deal in place with training camps right around the corner.
2022/23 NBA Over/Unders: Recap
Over the last two weeks, we’ve been examining projections for all 30 NBA teams for the 2022/23 season, publishing polls asking how many games each club will win. With the help of lines from professional oddsmakers, we’ve had you vote on whether each team will go over or under a given win total, from the Celtics (55.5) all the way through to the Thunder (22.5).
Here are the full results of those votes:
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics (55.5 wins): Under (56.1%)- Brooklyn Nets (51.5 wins): Under (64.5%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (50.5 wins): Over (76.1%)
- Toronto Raptors (46.5 wins): Over (65.7%)
- New York Knicks (40.5 wins): Under (63.0%)
- Milwaukee Bucks (52.5 wins): Over (75.5%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (47.5 wins): Over (73.4%)
- Chicago Bulls (44.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
- Detroit Pistons (28.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
- Indiana Pacers (23.5 wins): Under (62.8%)
- Miami Heat (50.5 wins): Under (56.6%)
- Atlanta Hawks (46.5 wins): Over (53.6%)
- Charlotte Hornets (36.5 wins): Under (63.0%)
- Washington Wizards (35.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
- Orlando Magic (26.5 wins): Over (55.3%)
Western Conference
- Denver Nuggets (51.5 wins): Over (58.1%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (49.5 wins): Over (64.7%)
- Portland Trail Blazers (40.5 wins): Under (57.0%)
- Utah Jazz (25.5 wins): Under (65.5%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Over (54.2%)
- Golden State Warriors (53.5 wins): Over (69.2%)
- Phoenix Suns (53.5 wins): Over (60.2%)
- Los Angeles Clippers (52.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
- Los Angeles Lakers (45.5 wins): Under (66.6%)
- Sacramento Kings (34.5 wins): Over (62.0%)
- Memphis Grizzlies (49.5 wins): Over (68.7%)
- Dallas Mavericks (48.5 wins): Over (63.7%)
- New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): Over (61.2%)
- Houston Rockets (24.5 wins): Under (61.8%)
- San Antonio Spurs (23.5 wins): Under (67.5%)
Our voters were most bullish on the Central and Pacific, picking the “over” for four of five teams in each of those two divisions. Conversely, they were bearish on the Atlantic and Southeast, choosing the “under” for three clubs in each of those divisions, including presumed contenders like the Celtics, Nets, and Heat.
In total, our voters went “over” for 18 teams and “under” for 12, which is a pretty standard divide. It’s only natural at this time of the year to view certain offseason roster changes in the most positive light, before we get a chance to see which ones will backfire. And with most teams fully healthy at this time of year, it’s also impossible to predict which clubs’ seasons might take an unfortunate downturn as a result of an injury or two.
These were the five “over” bets that received the largest vote shares:
Philadelphia 76ers, 50.5 wins: 76.1%- Milwaukee Bucks, 52.5 wins: 75.5%
- Cleveland Cavaliers, 47.5 wins: 73.4%
- Golden State Warriors, 53.5 wins: 69.2%
- Memphis Grizzlies, 49.5 wins: 68.7%
There are some interesting picks in this group. The enthusiasm for the Cavaliers is presumably related in large part due to the recent acquisition of Donovan Mitchell, which raises the team’s ceiling in a major way. But the Sixers, Bucks, Warriors, and Grizzlies didn’t make any additions nearly that significant this offseason — Philadelphia’s signing of P.J. Tucker is perhaps the most impactful short-term acquisition made by any of those clubs.
In the cases of Milwaukee, Golden State, and Memphis in particular, it appears our voters are counting on continuity and returning talent winning out.
Here are the five “under” bets that received the largest vote shares:
- San Antonio Spurs, 23.5 wins: 67.5%
- Los Angeles Lakers, 45.5 wins: 66.6%
- Utah Jazz, 25.5 wins: 65.5%
- Brooklyn Nets, 51.5 wins: 64.5%
- New York Knicks, 40.5 wins: 63.0%
These teams fall into two general categories — the Spurs and Jazz are rebuilding franchises that may not mind winning only 20 games this season in order to get a shot at a top prospect like Victor Wembanyama. The Lakers, Nets, and Knicks are big-market clubs whose projections may be slightly inflated by oddsmakers in order to encourage more betting action.
Most of these picks make sense to me, though I wouldn’t feel especially confident betting on the Spurs’ under. San Antonio’s roster isn’t exactly loaded with talent, but Gregg Popovich‘s teams always seem to find a way to outperform preseason expectations.
The Lakers and Nets, conversely, have enough talent to easily exceed their projected win totals, but it’ll come down to how often their stars are able to play together. Last year, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons combined to miss more games (230) than they played (180).
Here are the five picks that were closest to 50/50:
- Washington Wizards, 35.5 wins: Under (50.8%)
- Chicago Bulls, 44.5 wins: Over (51.6%)
- Detroit Pistons, 28.5 wins: Over (51.6%)
- Atlanta Hawks, 46.5 wins: Over (53.6%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder, 22.5 wins: Over (54.2%)
The splits on these teams are logical ones. We haven’t yet seen Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis play together for the Wizards. We have no idea how much Lonzo Ball will be able to play for the Bulls this season. Dejounte Murray‘s impact on the Hawks and his fit alongside Trae Young remains to be seen. And it’s unclear whether the Pistons and Thunder will once again be as bad as they were a year ago — Detroit could be ready to take a step forward, while Chet Holmgren‘s injury means Oklahoma City could be in for another long season.
What do you think of our picks in general? Are there any results above that you strongly disagree with? Did you make any over or under votes within the last couple weeks that you’re second-guessing now? Jump into our comment section below and weigh in with your thoughts!
NBA, NBPA Discussing Next Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NBA, led by commissioner Adam Silver, has already engaged in “extensive talks” with the National Basketball Players Association, led by executive director Tamika Tremaglio, about the league’s next Collective Bargaining Agreement, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The NBA’s current CBA runs through the 2023/24 season, but both the league and the players’ union have the ability to opt out of the agreement before then. If either side exercises its opt-out clause by December 15 of this year, the CBA will instead expire on June 30, 2023.
There’s no indication at this point that the NBA is headed toward a lockout. Charania describes the conversations to date as “positive” and says top officials from the league and the union will hold an important in-person meeting next week.
According to Charania, one area of focus for the NBPA in negotiations with the league is the idea of creating lasting equity for its players beyond their standard contract earnings.
“Creating generational wealth is critically important in this next chapter of the union. … We know that the uncertain lifespan (of an NBA career) makes it crucial to plan for what happens after the ball stops bouncing — creating this generational wealth,” Tremaglio told The Athletic. “Thinking about the players’ contributions to the game and how they can be compensated for it will mean there will have to be more equity structures in place.
“It could be the sale of a team. It could be the deals they are entering where they are receiving equity beyond the four or five years that a contract exists. It’s much broader, and I don’t think historically we’ve looked at it. It’s been the here and now.”
Here are a few other issues the two sides are discussing, per Charania:
- The NBA and NBPA are expected to allow players to enter the draft at age 18 instead of age 19. That would reopen the door for top high school prospects to directly enter the NBA rather than having to spend a year playing in college or in a non-NBA league.
- The NBA and NBPA are discussing the idea of including mental health designations on injury reports similar to the way that physical injuries are reported, as well as expanding the mental health treatment options provided by teams.
- The league and some team owners are in favor of introducing more punitive luxury tax penalties. It’s unclear whether changes to the luxury tax system will be mere tweaks or could be more wide-ranging, but Charania says some team executives believe it will be the biggest issue to resolve in the CBA negotiations.