Latest On Kyrie Irving
As long he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving would have more value in a market where he could play all 82 games than he currently does in Brooklyn, where a local vaccine mandate would prevent him from playing in more than half of the team’s games this season.
However, even if the Nets were to explore the trade market for Irving, they may not find a ton of enthusiastic suitors, according to Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks of ESPN, who suggest the 29-year-old wouldn’t be a sure thing to report to a new team. Marc Stein of Substack conveys a similar sentiment in his latest article, writing that there’s a belief “in some corners of the league” that Irving would seriously consider retirement if the Nets were to trade him.
Irving’s unpredictable, mercurial nature is probably one reason why the Sixers, according to Stein, haven’t shown any interest yet in a exploring a trade involving Kyrie and Ben Simmons. Even if Irving were willing to join a new team, his ability to hit free agency in 2022 may diminish his appeal to potential suitors, including Philadelphia, says Stein.
Here’s more on Irving:
- Nets general manager Sean Marks previously expressed interest in signing Irving to a contract extension this offseason, but those discussions are “on ice” for now, sources tell Bontemps and Marks.
- The Nets explored the possibility of moving their practices outside of New York City to accommodate Irving, but decided against it for a variety of reasons, including a desire to have access to all their facilities, per Bontemps and Marks. Head coach Steve Nash has also said the Nets haven’t been in communication with Irving about his personal workouts while he’s away from the team. “It’s not something we’ve discussed,” Nash said.
- James Harden stated on Thursday that Irving’s absence would hurt the Nets, since he’s “one of our best players and one of our leaders,” as NetsDaily relays. However, while Harden said he “of course” wants Kyrie to be on the team, he added that he’s not disappointed by his teammate’s stance. “It’s not disappointing at all. It’s not disappointing,” Harden said. “Kai believes in what he believes in. His family is behind him, we’re behind him. That’s all that it is.”
Nuggets Exercise 2022/23 Option On Zeke Nnaji
The Nuggets have exercised their third-year team option on Zeke Nnaji‘s rookie scale contract, a league source tells Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). The move guarantees Nnaji’s $2,617,800 salary for the 2022/23 season.
Nnaij was the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft, joining the Nuggets after playing his college ball at Arizona. The 20-year-old wasn’t a major part of the team’s rotation as a rookie, but did get into 42 games, averaging 3.2 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 9.5 minutes per contest.
With Nnaji locked in for his third NBA season, the Nuggets will have to make their next major decision on the young forward a year from now, when they’ll have to either pick up or turn down his $4.3MM fourth-year option for the ’23/24 campaign. If that option is exercised, Nnaji would become extension-eligible during the 2023 offseason.
Our tracker of 2022/23 rookie scale option decisions can be found right here.
And-Ones: Marijuana Testing, Toronto, Fraud Case, NBA Academy
The NBA won’t subject its players to random marijuana tests during the 2021/22 season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The NBPA sent out a memo this week informing players of the news.
Random marijuana testing had been a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the players’ union, but the two sides agreed not to resume those tests during the 2020 bubble in Orlando and has stuck with that policy ever since.
While the NBA will continue to test players for performance-enhancers and drugs of abuse, it wouldn’t be surprise me if the NBA and NBPA eventually agree to end random marijuana testing permanently.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- NBA players have been informed that if they’re unvaccinated and violate quarantine guidelines while visiting Toronto, they could face criminal charges in Canada, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Unvaccinated players will be able to play in Toronto, but can only leave their hotel for team activities. The Raptors have indicated they’ll be fully vaccinated for the season.
- Joe Vardon of The Athletic provides a few more details from the indictment against 18 former NBA players accused of defrauding the NBA’s health and welfare benefit plan. According to Vardon, Tony Allen, Glen Davis, and Tony Wroten submitted claims for root canals purportedly performed on the same teeth on the same day.
- In an Insider-only story for ESPN, Jonathan Givony checks in on the NBA Academy program, five years after its inception, to evaluate whether it has been a success so far and to consider where it will go from here.
Pistons Hire Ben Wallace In Advisory Role
The Pistons have given Ben Wallace a formal role within the organization, hiring him as a basketball operations and team engagement advisor, according to a press release.
Wallace’s new position will see him assist general manager Troy Weaver and the front office, as well as head coach Dwane Casey and the coaching staff. He’ll be a mentor and a “development asset” for players at both the NBA and G League level, according to the team.
“Ben is a Hall of Famer and a Pistons legend who has continued to come back home and support our team and our organization,” team owner Tom Gores said of Wallace, who won a title with the franchise in 2004. “He embodies everything we are building here and will be a real asset to Dwane, Troy and the rest of our staff. Ben helped set the standard for what it means to be a Piston and will be a tremendous influence for our young players.”
Although Wallace didn’t have an official position in Detroit’s front office until now, he has remained connected to the team in recent years. In 2018, he became a part-owner of the Grand Rapids Drive, a G League franchise that was the Pistons’ affiliate up until last season.
Grand Rapids has since rebranded as the Gold and is now affiliated with the Nuggets, so Wallace has divested himself of his stake in the NBAGL franchise in order to officially join the Pistons, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Detroit has a new G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
Grizzlies Sign Romeo Weems, Waive Shaq Buchanan
The Grizzlies have made a minor change to their 20-man preseason roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed forward Romeo Weems and waived guard Shaq Buchanan.
Weems averaged 7.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 18 games (28.6 MPG) for DePaul as a sophomore in 2020/21, knocking down 36.6% of this three-point attempts. He agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies shortly after going undrafted in July and has now finalized that deal over two months later.
Buchanan, who has signed Exhibit 10 deals with Memphis in three consecutive years, has spent the last two seasons with the Memphis Hustle in the G League, averaging 11.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .426/.349/.657 shooting in 48 games (24.8 MPG). He’s a good bet to return to the Hustle this season, and Weems appears likely to join him.
Following their moves, the Grizzlies still have a full 20-man roster, with 16 players on guaranteed contracts, two on Exhibit 10 pacts, and a pair on two-way deals.
Hornets Waive D.J. Carton, Xavier Sneed
The Hornets have cut a pair of training camp invitees, announcing today in a press release that D.J. Carton and Xavier Sneed have been placed on waivers.
Carton, a 6’2″ guard, played for one year at Ohio State before transferring to Marquette last season. He averaged 13 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game as a junior, then signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Charlotte in August after going undrafted in July.
Sneed, who went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2020, signed a training camp contract with Charlotte last offseason and then was waived at the end of the preseason. The 6’5″ wing played in 13 games (23.3 MPG) for the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ G League affiliate, averaging 8.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, and 1.8 SPG with a .360/.279/.875 shooting line.
Both Carton and Sneed seem likely to end up playing for the Swarm this season.
Charlotte now has 16 players on guaranteed contracts and a pair of players on two-way deals. The club will need to trade or release at least one player on a guaranteed contract before the regular season begins. The Hornets may also continue to move players in and out of their two open roster spots in order to secure their G League rights and/or ensure they receive an Exhibit 10 bonus.
Southwest Notes: Doncic, Porzingis, Spurs, Grizzlies, Rockets
Asked by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith during an appearance on First Take about rumors that there has been some friction between Mavericks teammates Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, head coach Jason Kidd dismissed the idea that there are any issues between the team’s two leading scorers (video link).
“I think we all heard in the NBA circle that there was tension between the two, but I would have to say that’s fake news,” Kidd told Smith. “… There were some other issues that I thought they did a great job of keeping in-house that had nothing to do with those two.
“I’m excited, I think the relationship between the two of them is at a high level. They’re basketball players who want to compete and who want to win. For a coach, I have to put them in that position to be successful. But I think their relationship is great.”
Smith didn’t press Kidd on what those “other issues” in Dallas were that didn’t involve Doncic or Porzingis, but it’s possible the Mavs’ new head coach is referring to some of the conflicts that were outlined in a report from The Athletic back in June. Presumably, given the way the front office and coaching staff were overhauled this summer, the franchise believes those issues are in the rear-view now.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison spoke to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News about how Mark Cuban first approached him about taking a front office job with the team, his view of the Doncic/Porzingis tandem, and how he’ll pitch players on coming to Dallas.
- Some people around the NBA believe the 2021/22 season could be Gregg Popovich‘s last as the Spurs‘ head coach, but others say he has been revitalized by the team’s influx of young talent, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. In his look at potential contenders to succeed Popovich in San Antonio, Fischer mentions former Spurs assistants Brett Brown and Jacque Vaughn, along with several of the same candidates identified last week by ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
- Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal evaluates whether Kyle Anderson or Desmond Bane makes more sense as a fifth starter for the Grizzlies, assuming Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson, Dillon Brooks, and Steven Adams occupy the other four spots.
- In a pair of stories for The Houston Chronicle, Jonathan Feigen examines the positive steps Kevin Porter Jr. is taking as a play-making point guard and notes that Kenyon Martin Jr.‘s versatility could help him carve out a rotation role.
Latest On Ben Simmons
Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum and Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon are two players widely viewed as potential fits for the Sixers in a Ben Simmons deal, but no trade scenarios involving either player have gained real traction with Philadelphia so far, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link).
According to Charania, the Sixers asked the Trail Blazers for a package that included three first-round picks and three pick swaps, which Portland rejected. While Charania’s wording isn’t entirely clear, it sounds like Philadelphia requested all those draft assets in addition to McCollum, so it’s not surprising that the Blazers weren’t interested.
As has been reported repeatedly throughout the offseason, the Sixers’ dream scenario would be to trade Simmons to the Blazers in a deal involving Damian Lillard, but the Oakland native never asked to be dealt and Portland has zero interest in moving him unless that happens. “You’re waiting on a prayer,” one source said to Sam Amick of The Athletic, referring to Philadelphia’s desire to land Lillard.
According to Amick, there has been some chatter around the league about the possibility of the Sixers and Blazers working out a Simmons deal for a package that includes McCollum and Robert Covington, plus draft assets, but the two sides don’t appear anywhere close.
Here’s more on Simmons:
- The Sixers’ front office, head coach Doc Rivers, and agent Rich Paul have continued to discuss the idea of Simmons ending his holdout and reporting to the team, but the three-time All-Star remains “resistant” to that idea, according to Charania.
- Charania says Simmons has clearly “mentally checked out” from the Sixers and even if he were to report to the team, it would be with “short-term intentions.” A source who spoke to Amick said essentially the same thing: “Even if (Simmons) shows up, I think there’s no chance of him ever mentally being back in Philly.” Simmons has packed up his belongings from his Philadelphia home, per Charania.
- David Aldridge of The Athletic believes the Kings make sense as a trade partner for Simmons and has heard the 25-year-old would have no problem going to Sacramento. However, sources have told Amick that the Kings want to see what their current group looks like in the regular season and haven’t seriously revisited the possibility of a Simmons trade since speaking to the 76ers months ago.
Spurs Sign Jaylen Morris To Non-Guaranteed Contract
The Spurs signed free agent guard Jaylen Morris to a contract on Thursday, according to the official transactions log at RealGM. It’s a non-guaranteed training camp contract, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.
Morris, 26, has played in the NBA, the G League, and multiple international leagues since going undrafted out of Molloy in 2017. He appeared in a total of 10 games for Atlanta and Milwaukee in 2018 and has played 78 games at the G League level, averaging 13.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 2.5 APG on .527/.325/.732 shooting in 32.3 minutes per contest for four NBAGL clubs.
Morris also played in Greece in 2019/20 and in Israel in 2020, and suited up for San Antonio’s Summer League team this August.
The Spurs are carrying 17 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so there’s no path to a 15-man roster spot for Morris. Since he last played for the Austin Spurs, the 6’5″ shooting guard will likely return to San Antonio’s G League affiliate this season. Assuming his deal contains Exhibit 10 language, he’ll earn a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with Austin.
Atlantic Notes: Iverson, Sixers, Watanabe, Raptors, Celtics
Former Sixers star Allen Iverson would be interested in working for an NBA team, he said during a conversation with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report (video link; hat tip to RealGM). Iverson told Rooks that he’s “forgotten more basketball than some people know” and would love to put his expertise to use by helping current NBA players — especially if he could so in Philadelphia with his old team.
“I’m a Sixer for life. I’ve got Sixer blood pumping through me. Everybody knows that I want to help that organization,” Iverson said. “I’ve been retired, what, 11 years? I don’t know how I’m not a part of that staff (in) some kind of way.”
Iverson added that he’s not necessarily interested in being “the guy that’s right up front” (ie. a head coach) and that even just being a consultant for the Sixers would make him happy.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Addressing reports that the Sixers and Pacers have discussed a potential Ben Simmons trade, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer says that if the 76ers can get Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, and a future first-round pick in exchange for Simmons, they should pull the trigger. Philadelphia and Indiana have reportedly discussed both Brogdon and LeVert, though it’s unclear if either club has made an offer along those lines.
- Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe is battling a left calf strain and won’t be available for Thursday’s game in Philadelphia, tweets Blake Murphy of The Athletic. As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweets, the injury is considered minor, so hopefully it won’t affect Watanabe’s standing as he fights for a spot on Toronto’s 15-man regular season roster.
- While Scottie Barnes is drawing far more interest, the Raptors‘ “other” rookies – Dalano Banton and Justin Champagnie – are also vying for playing time, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca details. Given the team’s roster turnover and injury issues, there are opportunities in the rotation available for the taking, Grange writes for Sportsnet.ca.
- Al Horford‘s return to Boston reunites him with Robert Williams, who considered Horford a veteran role model during his previous stint with the Celtics. Jared Weiss of The Athletic spoke to the two big men about their relationship during Williams’ rookie year in 2018/19 and how they can help one another going forward.