Atlantic Notes: J. Brown, Sixers, Raptors, Anunoby
Now a crucial part of a Celtics team vying for a championship, Jaylen Brown recalls seeing club owner Wyc Grousbeck get booed by fans on draft night in 2016 when Boston used the No. 3 pick to select and keep Brown rather than using it in a trade for Jimmy Butler or another established star.
“(Wyc) had to defend, like, ‘This is who we’re going with. You guys just gonna have to live with it.’ And I was like, ‘This is crazy.’ These guys have never seen me play before or, you know, I haven’t even got the opportunity,” Brown said, per Michael Pina of SI.com.
As Pina writes, Brown’s development into an All-Star-caliber player has been a major part of the Celtics’ return to the NBA Finals. And at age 25, the standout swingman isn’t necessarily a finished product, meaning his best could be yet to come.
“I think the organization has known the type of ability that I’ve had for a long time; even when casual fans thought they were crazy for not trading me for X, Y and Z, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens knew,” Brown said. “They seen me every single day, knew what I was capable of. Not to say I’m anywhere close to those guys yet, but I’m continuing to work and I’m excited that we’re here in the Finals now, going through this journey.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirms a report which stated the Sixers have explored trades involving the No. 23 pick in the draft and Danny Green‘s expiring contract, explaining why such a move would make sense for the club.
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic explores what an ideal offseason for the Raptors might look like, laying out a scenario in which the team re-signs Chris Boucher and Thaddeus Young, drafts Wendell Moore at No. 33, brings in Malik Monk using the mid-level exception, and locks up Fred VanVleet to a long-term extension.
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Koreen wonders whether Raptors wing OG Anunoby‘s career path will look more like Jerami Grant‘s or Andrew Wiggins‘. As Koreen writes, Grant left a three-and-D role in Denver for a starring role on a lottery team in Detroit, while former No. 1 overall pick Wiggins has thrived in a complementary role in Golden State, earning an All-Star nod and helping bring the team within one win of a title.
Draft Rumors: Top 3, Kings, Sharpe, Wizards, OKC, Hornets, Bulls
In his latest 2022 mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) still has Jabari Smith going to the Magic, Chet Holmgren to the Thunder, and Paolo Banchero to the Rockets.
Givony says the Magic continue to cast a wide net as they evaluate their options at No. 1, but rival executives “overwhelmingly” expect them to ultimately land on Smith. The Rockets, meanwhile, watched Banchero work out in Memphis and then brought him to Houston for an individual workout, according to Givony, who writes that the team seems “high on (his) talent, skill, and fit.”
While Givony’s newest mock doesn’t include a shake-up in the top three, there are some changes elsewhere in the lottery and further down in the first round. ESPN’s draft guru also shares a handful of draft-related tidbits. Here are some of the highlights:
- According to Givony, Keegan Murray‘s chances of being the No. 4 pick may be gaining momentum, since Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and incoming head coach Mike Brown reportedly like him and Sacramento isn’t Jaden Ivey‘s preferred landing spot. However, Givony notes that the Kings have been willing in past years to draft players they haven’t worked out — plus, the pick is considered to be available via trade if there’s a team that wants to move up to snag Ivey.
- Although Shaedon Sharpe is viewed as a legitimate candidate to be selected at No. 5 by the Pistons, he didn’t separate himself in a recent 3-on-3 workout that also included Bennedict Mathurin and Dyson Daniels, Givony writes. ESPN’s new mock has Mathurin and Daniels going sixth and seventh overall, ahead of Sharpe at No. 8.
- The Wizards‘ lottery pick (No. 10) is widely thought to be available in a deal that would send a “proven backcourt player” to D.C., per Givony.
- The Thunder are reportedly looking to trade up from No. 12 to acquire another pick in the top half of the lottery, according to Givony, who says Ivey and Sharpe may be among Oklahoma City’s targets.
- Rival teams don’t believe the Hornets will keep both the 13th and 15th overall picks. Givony has also heard from rival clubs that the Bulls don’t love their options at No. 18 and are open to trading that pick, possibly in a package with guard Coby White.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Workouts, Jokic, Wolves, Roddy
The Jazz hosted another free agent mini-camp this week, bringing in 20 players on Monday and Tuesday for a closer look, as our JD Shaw relays (Twitter links). While not all of the invitees have NBA experience, there are a handful of noteworthy names in the group, including former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker. Big man Reggie Perry, swingman Denzel Valentine, forward Bruno Caboclo, and guards Langston Galloway, Sindarius Thornwell, and Grant Riller were among the other players to audition for Utah.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- The Jazz are working out six more draft-eligible prospects on Wednesday, according to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune, who tweets that Collin Gillespie (Villanova), Tommy Kuhse (Saint Mary’s), Josh Minott (Memphis), Darryl Morsell (Marquette), Henri Drell (G League), and Jermaine Samuels (Villanova) will be in town.
- Nuggets star and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic has committed to playing for the Serbian national team this offseason, the Serbian Basketball Federation announced on Wednesday (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops). Jokic likely won’t participate in the qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup that will take place in a couple weeks, but he’s expected to be available later in the summer for the 2022 EuroBasket tournament.
- Colorado State forward David Roddy, who went to high school in Minnesota, is working out for his hometown Timberwolves on Wednesday, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Roddy, the No. 30 prospect on ESPN’s big board, could be an option for the Wolves in the first round at No. 19 or in the second round if he slips — Minnesota holds the 40th, 48th, and 50th overall picks.
2022 NBA Offseason Preview: Philadelphia 76ers
With his offseason trade request unresolved by the time the Sixers‘ season tipped off last October, the Ben Simmons saga was the dominant storyline looming over the franchise for the first half of 2021/22. The former No. 1 overall pick, citing mental health issues, didn’t just want to be traded — he didn’t want to ever play a game for Philadelphia again. He chose to sit out indefinitely and give up game checks while he waited for a deal to materialize.
The Sixers, led by a healthy Joel Embiid, held their own in the Eastern Conference playoff race without Simmons. And when they finally found a taker for him in February, they were able to pry former MVP James Harden away from the Nets, securing a more substantial return for their disgruntled All-Star than many league observers anticipated. With Embiid and Harden leading the way, the 76ers looked like legitimate title contenders.
Or that was the plan, at least. In actuality, Harden – perhaps bothered by a lingering hamstring injury – only occasionally looked like his old MVP self after arriving in Philadelphia, posting career-worst shooting averages (.402 FG%, .326 3PT%) in 21 regular season appearances as a Sixer and failing to elevate his game in the playoffs. Additionally, the 76ers’ depth, which was already somewhat lacking, took a hit in the Simmons deal when the team surrendered role players Seth Curry and Andre Drummond.
Embiid’s MVP-caliber play was enough to get the Sixers past the first round, but their season ended in the Eastern Conference Semifinals when they failed to solve Miami’s defense, registering an offensive rating (105.0) that was eight points below their regular season mark.
While the 76ers will be happy to have the Simmons standoff behind them, there are plenty of new questions for the front office to answer this offseason as Philadelphia attempts to get back to the NBA Finals for the first time in over two decades.
The Sixers’ Offseason Plan:
Harden was still an elite play-maker after joining the Sixers, averaging 10.5 assists per game down the stretch. But his shooting numbers and his relatively modest scoring average (his 21.0 PPG represented his lowest mark since he was a sixth man in Oklahoma City) are somewhat concerning for a 76ers team that will have to decide how significantly to invest in him this offseason.
You could talk yourself into the idea that Harden simply needed some time to adjust to a new team and a new system while dealing with the after-effects of a hamstring injury. And if you believe that, a long-term, maximum-salary contract this offseason is justifiable.
On the other hand, if you feel as if Harden’s declining numbers were more about his age (he’ll turn 33 in August) and you’re skeptical that he’ll ever recapture his Houston-era form, the prospect of paying him an average of $50MM+ per year for the next four or five seasons is worrisome, to say the least.
Harden has a $47.4MM player option for 2022/23 and will have to make a formal decision on it by June 29. Philadelphia’s ideal scenario might see Harden opting in for next season and giving the team an extra year to determine what his next contract should look like, but I suspect the 10-time All-Star won’t pick up that option unless he knows an extension is coming.
If the Sixers are reluctant about putting a lucrative long-term extension on the table, Harden could attempt to force their hand by opting out and becoming a free agent — he’d just need to be confident that at least one rival suitor would be prepared to seriously pursue him, creating leverage and putting pressure on Philadelphia to make a long-term offer.
Given how fond president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is of Harden, I expect the two sides will reach an agreement of some sort. It may not be a fully guaranteed five-year maximum-salary contract, but it feels like Harden has at least one more big payday coming this summer.
Re-signing Harden will ensure the Sixers operate well over the cap this offseason, so their options in free agency will be limited. Assuming Harden opts in or signs a new maximum-salary contract, Philadelphia would have to get creative in order to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or to acquire players via sign-and-trade (doing either would hard-cap team salary at around $155MM).
Taking the cap situation into account, the trade market may be Morey’s best bet to pursue roster upgrades, though the Sixers aren’t exactly loaded with trade assets either. The team has already sent out its 2023, 2025, and 2027 first-round picks and won’t want to part with breakout guard Tyrese Maxey.
Inexpensive young players like Matisse Thybulle, Jaden Springer, Shake Milton, Paul Reed, and Isaiah Joe would have value, but the 76ers may view some of those players as long-term keepers rather than trade chips. The club will soon have to make a decision on which category Thybulle, who is extension-eligible this offseason, falls into. Philadelphia has been reluctant to include him in trades to this point, but he hasn’t proven he can be a consistent two-way threat — he was a liability on offense in the postseason, barely warranting any attention from opposing defenses.
Of course, to acquire veteran talent, the Sixers will need to start with a more substantial salary-matching piece than those low-priced youngsters. Danny Green‘s $10MM expiring contract is one option, but it’s non-guaranteed, meaning it would count as $0 for outgoing purposes. The team could partially or fully guarantee that $10MM to make it more useful for salary matching, but the larger the guarantee, the less it’ll appeal to potential trade partners, since Green may not play at all in 2022/23 as he recovers from a torn ACL.
The Sixers have a more intriguing potential trade candidate in Tobias Harris, who is under contract for nearly $77MM for two more years. He’s far more expensive than Green and is on a multiyear deal, but he’s also healthy and would be a useful on-court contributor in ’22/23.
The 76ers would probably love to turn Harris’ salary slot into a more impactful third star, or perhaps into multiple rotation players with more reasonable cap hits, but doing so won’t be easy. At $38MM+ per year, Harris is – at best – a neutral value and will likely be viewed by most teams as a negative asset. Getting a solid return back for him would require the Sixers to attach young players and/or draft assets.
Because the Nets opted to defer their acquisition of the Sixers’ first-round pick to 2023, Philadelphia does have the No. 23 pick in this year’s draft, which could be used either in a trade or to add another affordable young player to the roster. I suspect Morey would prefer to trade the pick for a win-now piece — if the team goes that route, it’ll have to wait until after the draft to officially complete the deal, due to the Stepien rule.
Georges Niang and Furkan Korkmaz are two more possible trade candidates, though Korkmaz is coming off a down year and has two guaranteed seasons left on his contract, reducing his appeal to teams seeking flexibility.
Morey is known for his willingness to think outside the box, so it won’t be a surprise if the Sixers do some creative roster shuffling this summer and manage to add some solid complementary pieces, including perhaps a replacement for Green on the wing and a reliable backup center behind Embiid. But the team won’t have as much flexibility as it would like to make that happen.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap figures are based on the league’s latest projection ($122MM) for 2022/23.
Guaranteed Salary
Tobias Harris ($37,633,050)- Joel Embiid ($33,616,770)
- Furkan Korkmaz ($5,000,000)
- Matisse Thybulle ($4,379,527)
- Georges Niang ($3,465,000)
- Tyrese Maxey ($2,726,880)
- Jaden Springer ($2,125,200)
- Charles Bassey ($74,742) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.
- Charlie Brown Jr. (two-way)
- Total: $89,021,169
Player Options
- James Harden ($47,366,760): Bird rights
- Total: $47,366,760
Team Options
- Shake Milton ($1,997,718): Bird rights
- Total: $1,997,718
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Danny Green ($10,000,000) 1
- Isaiah Joe ($1,782,621) 2
- Paul Reed ($1,782,621)
- Charles Bassey ($1,488,776)
- Total: $15,054,018
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
- Myles Powell ($1,616,044 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $1,616,044
Draft Picks
- No. 23 overall pick ($2,553,960)
- Total: $2,553,960
Extension-Eligible Players
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2022/23 season begins.
- James Harden (veteran) 3
- Tobias Harris (veteran)
- Isaiah Joe (veteran)
- Shake Milton (veteran) 3
- Matisse Thybulle (rookie scale)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Mike Scott ($9,510,165 cap hold): Bird rights 4
- DeAndre Jordan ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Paul Millsap ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Kyle O’Quinn ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 4
- Total: $14,944,713
Offseason Cap Outlook
Letting Harden walk would actually open up a not-insignificant chunk of cap space for the Sixers, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario where that happens. If Harden simply opts in, all that cap room goes away and Philadelphia will have over $136MM committed to just eight players, putting team salary well on its way to approaching or surpassing the projected luxury tax threshold of $149MM.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $10,349,000 5
- Bi-annual exception: $4,050,000 5
- Trade exception: $1,669,178
Footnotes
- Green’s salary will become fully guaranteed after July 1.
- Joe’s salary will become fully guaranteed after the first day of the regular season.
- Harden and Milton would only be eligible if their options are exercised.
- The cap holds for Scott and O’Quinn remain on the Sixers’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- These are projected values. If the Sixers approach or cross the tax line, they may not have access to the full mid-level exception and/or bi-annual exception and would instead be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception ($6,392,000).
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Early NBA Salary Guarantee Dates For 2022/23
A player who has a non-guaranteed salary for a given season will, by default, receive his full guarantee if he remains under contract through January 7 of that league year. Because the league-wide salary guarantee date is January 10, a player must clear waivers before that date if a team wants to avoid being on the hook for his full salary.
However, a handful of players who have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts for 2022/23 have earlier trigger dates. Those players will receive either their full guarantees or an increased partial guarantee on certain dates before January 7, assuming they’re not waived.
These dates are fairly malleable — if a player and team reach an agreement, a salary guarantee deadline can be pushed back.
For example, if a player’s contract calls for him to receive his full guarantee on June 28, his team could ask him to move that date to the first or second week of July to get a better sense of what will happen in free agency before making a final decision. The player doesn’t have to agree, but it could be in his best interest to push back his guarantee date rather than simply being waived.
Those agreements between a player and team aren’t always reported right away, so our list of early salary guarantee dates is a tentative one. When a player’s salary guarantee date passes, our assumption is that he received his guarantee, but it’s possible he and his team negotiated a new guarantee date that simply hasn’t been made public yet. We’ll update the info below as necessary in the coming weeks and months.
Here are the early salary guarantee dates for 2022/23:
June 21:
- Mason Plumlee (Hornets): Partial guarantee ($4,262,500) increases to full guarantee ($9,080,417). (✅)
June 24:
- Zach Collins (Spurs): Partial guarantee ($3,675,000) increases to full guarantee ($7,350,000). (✅)
June 25:
- Josh Hart (Trail Blazers): Non-guaranteed salary ($12,960,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
June 28:
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Wizards): Partial guarantee ($4,888,118) increases to full guarantee ($14,004,703). (✅)
- Note: Caldwell-Pope was subsequently traded to the Nuggets.
June 29:
- Chimezie Metu (Kings): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,910,860) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Max Strus (Heat): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,815,677) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Gabe Vincent (Heat): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,815,677) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Omer Yurtseven (Heat): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,752,638) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
June 30:
- Juan Hernangomez (Jazz): Non-guaranteed salary ($7,307,130) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Theo Maledon (Thunder): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,900,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Kelly Oubre (Hornets): Partial guarantee ($5,000,000) increases to full guarantee ($12,600,000). (✅)
- Moritz Wagner (Magic): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,878,720) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
July 1:
- Haywood Highsmith (Heat): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,752,638) becomes partially guaranteed ($50,000). (✅)
- Ish Smith (Wizards): Non-guaranteed salary ($4,725,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Note: Caldwell-Pope was subsequently traded to the Nuggets.
July 3:
- Maxi Kleber (Mavericks): Non-guaranteed salary ($9,000,000) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- John Konchar (Grizzlies): Partial guarantee ($840,000) increases to full guarantee ($2,300,000). (✅)
- Isaiah Roby (Thunder): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,930,681) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
July 4:
- Dalano Banton (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($150,000) increases to $300,000. (✅)
- Frank Ntilikina (Mavericks): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,036,318) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
July 7:
- Nick Richards (Hornets): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,782,621) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
July 8:
- Danilo Gallinari (Hawks): Partial guarantee ($13,000,000) increases to full guarantee ($21,450,000). (❌)
July 10:
- Eric Bledsoe (Trail Blazers): Partial guarantee ($3,900,000) increases to full guarantee ($19,375,000). (❌)
- Terry Taylor (Pacers): Partial guarantee ($625,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,563,518). (✅)
July 15:
- Duane Washington (Pacers): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,563,518) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
July 20:
- Naz Reid (Timberwolves): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,930,681) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
August 1:
- Armoni Brooks (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($50,000) increases to $250,000. (❌)
- Tre Jones (Spurs): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,782,621) becomes partially guaranteed ($500,000). (✅)
- Jalen McDaniels (Hornets): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,930,681) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
August 15:
- Luke Kornet (Celtics): Partial guarantee ($100,000) increases to $300,000. (✅)
Team’s first game of regular season:
- Dalano Banton (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($300,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,563,518). (✅)
- Keita Bates-Diop (Spurs): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,878,720) becomes fully guaranteed. (✅)
- Justin Champagnie (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($325,000) increases to $825,000. (✅)
- Matthew Dellavedova (Kings): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,628,597) becomes partially guaranteed ($250,000). (✅)
- Haywood Highsmith (Heat): Partial guarantee ($50,000) increases to $400,000. (✅)
- Josh Jackson (Raptors): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,133,278) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Isaiah Joe (Sixers): Non-guaranteed salary ($1,782,621) becomes fully guaranteed. (❌)
- Tre Jones (Spurs): Partial guarantee ($500,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,782,621). (✅)
- Luke Kornet (Celtics): Partial guarantee ($300,000) increases to $1,066,639. (✅)
- Chima Moneke (Kings): Partial guarantee ($250,000) increases to $500,000. (✅)
- Markieff Morris (Nets): Non-guaranteed salary ($2,905,581) becomes partially guaranteed ($500,000). (✅)
- KZ Okpala (Kings): Partial guarantee ($250,000) increases to $500,000. (✅)
- Edmond Sumner (Nets): Partial guarantee ($250,000) increases to $500,000. (✅)
- D.J. Wilson (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($250,000) increases to full guarantee ($2,133,278). (❌)
December 1:
- Haywood Highsmith (Heat): Partial guarantee ($400,000) increases to $700,000. (✅)
December 10:
- Markieff Morris (Nets): Partial guarantee ($500,000) increases to $1,000,000. (✅)
January 1:
- Justin Champagnie (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($825,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,637,966). (❌)
FA/Trade Rumors: Ayton, Centers, Turner, Beal, Saric, Lakers
Echoing comments made last week by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article that Suns center Deandre Ayton – a restricted free agent this summer – may be the biggest name to change teams in the coming weeks.
Phoenix is “increasingly expected” to explore sign-and-trade scenarios involving Ayton, according to Stein, who says there’s plenty of skepticism around the NBA about the team’s desire to make a significant financial commitment to the young center.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report conveys a similar sentiment in his latest round-up of NBA rumors, suggesting there’s “considerable skepticism” that the Suns will re-sign Ayton. The Pistons, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Hawks, and Raptors have all been mentioned as possible suitors for the former No. 1 overall pick, Stein notes.
Here are a few more updates from Stein and Pincus on some of this year’s top free agents and trade candidates:
- According to Pincus, some sources believe that the Spurs (Jakob Poeltl), Bulls (Nikola Vucevic), Hawks (Clint Capela/John Collins), and Pacers (Myles Turner) are among the teams that could be willing to move their current centers in a package for one of the offseason’s top available big men (Ayton, Rudy Gobert, etc.). Grizzlies center Steven Adams also may be a summer trade candidate, though he’s well-liked in the locker room, says Pincus.
- While both Pincus and Stein have talked to sources who believe the Pacers are likely to keep Myles Turner, Stein notes that the situation could change if the big man wants to play out his expiring contract rather than agreeing to an extension, since Indiana may not want to risk losing him for nothing next year.
- According to Stein, one or two teams hopeful of landing Bradley Beal believe the All-Star guard wants to be the Dirk Nowitzki of D.C., sticking with the Wizards for his entire career.
- While Dario Saric‘s $9.24MM expiring contract makes him an obvious trade candidate, Pincus writes that the Suns are hopeful the forward can return to form after missing last season due to an ACL tear, and may not be looking to move him.
- If the Lakers have any hope of trading Russell Westbrook without including a first-round pick, they’ll likely have to take on at least one or two players earning $15-25MM annually on multiyear deals, Pincus writes, citing veterans like Davis Bertans and Duncan Robinson as hypothetical examples. Rival executives and agents don’t expect the Lakers to get clarity from LeBron James on his long-term intentions before the draft or free agency, which will complicate L.A.’s decision-making process — the team would be more comfortable taking on pricey multiyear contracts with a guarantee that LeBron is sticking around long-term, Pincus observes.
Raptors Rumors: Anunoby, VanVleet, Boucher, Young, More
The Raptors aren’t actively looking to trade forward OG Anunoby, Michael Scotto said in the latest episode of The HoopsHype Podcast. According to Scotto, it would require a “substantial” return for Toronto to consider moving Anunoby, along the lines of a significant upgrade at center or a top-10 draft pick. That’s similar to what Jake Fischer has recently reported.
Scotto’s guest, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet 590 The Fan, agrees that it would take “a lot” for the Raptors to seriously considering moving Anunoby, noting that assistant GM Dan Tolzman recently expressed skepticism when asked if the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft would develop at the same rate and with the same ceiling as Anunoby.
While Murphy acknowledges that Anunoby would be an obvious trade candidate if the Raptors attempt to trade for an impact player, he believes the team would rather enter the 2022/23 season without a traditional center than include Anunoby in a trade for a center who isn’t as well-rounded and versatile a player as the 24-year-old forward.
Murphy and Scotto also point out that Toronto is high on Precious Achiuwa, whose role would be cut back if the team added a starting center to play 30-35 minutes per night.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Fred VanVleet and the Raptors are expected to discuss a possible contract extension this offseason, league sources tell Scotto. If VanVleet were to decline his 2023/24 player option, he could extend for up to four years and $114MM this summer. However, Murphy doesn’t think there will be a rush to get anything done, since Toronto will hold VanVleet’s Bird rights and would be in the driver’s seat to re-sign him if he opts out in 2023.
- The Raptors have interest in re-signing both Chris Boucher and Thaddeus Young in free agency, according to Scotto. Murphy observes that the team should have about $31MM in wiggle room below the luxury tax line, which could be used to bring back Boucher and Young and fill out the roster, possibly using the mid-level exception. A deal in the mid-level range ($10MM) might make sense for Boucher, Murphy adds.
- Addressing Boucher’s free agency in his own story today, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggested that it seems safe to “pencil in” the big man’s return to Toronto.
- Svi Mykhailiuk‘s decision on his $1.88MM player option may go down to the wire, according to Scotto, who says June 22 is the deadline for Mykhailiuk to opt in.
- Murphy would be shocked if two-way restricted free agent Justin Champagnie doesn’t remain with the Raptors, perhaps on a two-year, minimum-salary deal.
O’Connor’s Latest: Sixers, Collins, Blazers, Cavs, Magic
The Sixers are exploring potential trades involving the No. 23 pick in the 2022 draft and Danny Green‘s expiring $10MM contract, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports within his latest mock draft.
Because they owe their unprotected 2023 first-round pick to Brooklyn, the Sixers can’t trade their 2022 first-rounder until after it has been used. However, they could reach a tentative trade agreement on or before draft night and make that pick on another team’s behalf, officially completing the deal after the draft.
Using Green’s expiring contract as a salary-matching piece would also be a little tricky, since it’s currently non-guaranteed, meaning it would count as $0 for outgoing purposes. The Sixers could guarantee some or all of Green’s $10MM salary to make it more useful in a trade. But the more money they guarantee, the less appealing it will be as an asset to a potential trade partner, since Green is expected to miss most or all of next season after tearing his ACL.
Here’s more from O’Connor:
- The Hawks are looking to acquire a lottery pick and are dangling John Collins, league sources tell The Ringer. It sounds like Atlanta also wouldn’t be opposed to including the No. 16 pick in the right deal. The Trail Blazers, who hold the seventh overall pick, are one of the teams the Hawks have talked to, says O’Connor.
- O’Connor is the latest reporter to hear from sources that the Cavaliers would like to re-sign Collin Sexton and bring back point guard Ricky Rubio, and to confirm that the Pistons are among the teams with interest in Sexton.
- Chet Holmgren “has some supporters” within the Magic‘s front office, but O’Connor believes “all indications” point to Orlando selecting Jabari Smith with the No. 1 overall pick.
Grizzlies Sign Taylor Jenkins To Contract Extension
The Grizzlies have signed head coach Taylor Jenkins to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced today in a press release.
“Taylor has done an outstanding job leading our team and this extension is well-deserved,” executive VP of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said in a statement. “The year-over-year progress under Taylor speaks for itself, but his growth-oriented, selfless and competitive approach has been a driving force in the establishment of a sustainable culture. We have full confidence that Taylor will steer us to Memphis’ first championship.”
A former assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee, Jenkins was hired by the Grizzlies in 2019 to replace former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. He led Memphis to a 34-39 record in 2019/20 and a 38-34 mark in ’20/21, earning consecutive play-in spots. The team made the playoffs in 2021, but lost in the first round to Utah in five games.
Jenkins’ Grizzlies broke out in a major way this past season, putting up a 56-26 regular season record and winning a playoff series for the first time since 2015. Jenkins finished second in Coach of the Year voting behind Monty Williams, whose Suns were the only team to post a better record than Memphis.
In total, Jenkins has a 128-99 (.564) regular season record and a 7-10 mark in the playoffs since becoming the Grizzlies’ head coach.
The terms of Jenkins’ contract aren’t known, but the extension was classified as a multiyear deal. Even if we conservatively assume Jenkins had just one year left on his previous contract and got two new years on his extension, he’ll be under contract for the next three seasons — I’d guess the new deal locks him up for even longer than that.
Draft Decisions: Dieng, Jovic, Besson, Kamagate, L. Miller, More
The players who declared as early entrants for the 2022 NBA draft have until 5:00 pm Eastern time on Monday to decide whether or not to keep their names in this year’s draft pool.
Since the NCAA’s own withdrawal deadline passed earlier this month, today’s deadline doesn’t have a real impact on most college players — if they were going to withdraw, they’ve probably done so already to avoid forgoing their remaining NCAA eligibility. However, today’s deadline is an important one for non-college prospects, including those who are playing in professional leagues in Europe and around the world.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has provided a series of updates on top international prospects who are finalizing their early entry decisions today. Let’s round them up…
(Note: The country listed for each prospect is where he has been playing, not necessarily where he’s from.)
Staying in the draft:
- Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003) (ESPN story)
- Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003) (Twitter link)
- Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002) (Twitter link)
- Ziga Samar, G, Spain (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Gui Santos, F, Brazil (born 2002) (ESPN story)
Dieng, the No. 12 player on ESPN’s big board, and Jovic, ESPN’s No. 24 prospect, are considered good bets to be first-round picks, so it comes as no surprise that they’ll remain in the draft. The other players in this list may not be first-rounders, but most of them have a good chance to be drafted.
Besson comes in at No. 38 on ESPN’s board, while Kamagate is No. 40. Procida is the 52nd on player on ESPN’s list, but has received “strong reviews” during the pre-draft process, according to Givony.
Samar, the No. 61 player on ESPN’s board, has also gained traction recently due to his strong workouts for teams and the fact that his NBA buyout is flexible and inexpensive, making him an appealing draft-and-stash option, Givony explains.
Santos is the No. 76 player on ESPN’s top 100.
Withdrawing from the draft:
- Zvonimir Ivisic, F/C, Montenegro (born 2003) (Twitter link)
- Karlo Matkovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003) (ESPN story)
- Matthew Strazel, G, France (born 2002) (Twitter link)
Miller, the No. 43 prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2022, will sign with the G League Ignite, he tells Givony.
“My decision to withdraw from this year’s draft is based on what’s best for my long-term development,” Miller said. “With another year of development both on and off the court, I will put myself in an even better position for the 2023 draft. Going through the pre-draft process, I learned about what it takes to be a successful professional. Whether it’s the daily on-court work, off-court work, diet, or recovery, I have gained a much greater understanding of the habits it takes to get to the top of this field.”
Givony is bullish on Miller’s chances of boosting his draft stock for next year, tweeting that the young forward will likely be a top-20 pick in ESPN’s next 2023 mock draft.
Matkovic was the No. 60 prospect on ESPN’s board, while Ivisic was No. 63, which made them borderline candidates to be drafted. Strazel was unranked.
A total of 37 international prospects declared for the draft as early entrants and typically no more than about 10 or 15 of those players keep their names in the pool. In other words, it’s a safe bet that many more players on our list of international early entrants will withdraw by today’s deadline, even if it those decisions aren’t reported immediately.