Pacific Notes: Booker, Schröder, Lakers, Harkless, Kings
Suns star Devin Booker confirmed on a Twitch stream on Sunday that he’s currently dealing with a case of COVID-19, as Kellan Olson of 98.7 Arizona Sports relays (via Twitter). The team had announced over the weekend that Booker was in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss at least part of training camp.
According to Olson, Booker said on Sunday’s stream that he tested positive about a week ago. He has experienced some symptoms – including losing his senses of taste and smell – but said he’s feeling good now and expects to be back soon.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Addressing the oft-repeated rumor that he could’ve signed a four-year, $84MM extension with the Lakers during the 2020/21 season, Dennis Schröder said today that he technically never had that contract offer in front of him to sign. That may be just a matter of semantics, since it sounds like there was a time when the Lakers were willing to put that offer on the table. However, Schröder said that he never felt like he fit in 100% in Los Angeles, adding that “money isn’t everything” and he still got a “nice deal” for him and his family (Twitter links via Keith Smith of Spotrac and Jared Weiss of The Athletic). Schröder signed a one-year, $5.9MM contract with the Celtics.
- Kings forward Maurice Harkless said he didn’t explore other opportunities when he became a free agent, preferring to work out something quickly with Sacramento (Twitter link via James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area). Harkless agreed to a two-year, $9MM deal with the team on the first night of free agency.
- The Kings have a new jersey advertisement sponsor, announcing today in a press release that they’ve partner with Dialpad and will wear the company’s logo on their uniforms in 2021/22 and beyond.
Nets Notes: Irving, Harden, Millsap, Aldridge
Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who reportedly hasn’t received the COVID-19 vaccine, deflected questions about his vaccination status when he spoke to reporters on Zoom today, as Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN write.
Irving presumably wasn’t able to attend Brooklyn’s Media Day in person due to New York’s regulations prohibiting unvaccinated individuals from indoor venues, but he repeatedly requested privacy when asked about that issue, telling reporters he’d provide more information at a later date.
“I know that I’ll be there every day no matter what and just be present for my teammates as one of the leaders on the team and be there for my growing tribe off the court,” Irving said. “I know the focus has to be at an all-time high, no distractions. This is the last thing I wanted to create, was more distractions and more hoopla and more drama around this. I’m doing my best to maintain this with good intentions and a good heart.”
The Nets’ training camp is taking place in San Diego, so Irving will be able to take part in it. However, once the team returns to New York, he won’t be able to practice at Brooklyn’s facility or play in home games unless he gets vaccinated or receives an exemption.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Both Irving and James Harden confirmed they’ve talked to the Nets about potential contract extensions, but indicated they’re not rushing into new deals. “I’m focused on trying to bring a championship to the city. But as far as an extension, I’m just being patient with it,” Harden said, per Adam Zagoria of Forbes. “I went through a lot last year and I want to make sure I’m in the right mind set and knowing long-term that ultimately I want to be in Brooklyn for the rest of my career. So it’s no rush.”
- Irving offered the following comments on his own extension talks, according to Zagoria: “I’m just taking it one day at a time, and I’m same as James, just being patient and we’re still openly communicating and just wait and see. We know that the future is on our side, just being able to maximize our potential in these next coming years.”
- Speaking today to reporters, Paul Millsap said he chose to sign with the Nets in free agency because earning a championship ring is his top priority and he believes it’s “definitely possible” in Brooklyn (Twitter link via Zagoria). Millsap drew interest from a handful of teams as a free agent, including some that might’ve given him a larger role.
- LaMarcus Aldridge said he talked to one other team in free agency, but preferred to return to the Nets, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Aldridge added that he announced his retirement in the spring following his health scare because he didn’t want to leave the Nets hanging while he figured out his situation (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). Once he had more time to evaluate all his options this summer, he realized he wanted to resume playing.
Thunder Notes: Favors, SGA, Vaccinations, Krejci, Deck
After being traded from a title contender in Utah to a fully rebuilding team in Oklahoma City this offseason, Derrick Favors admitted on Monday that the idea of not reporting to his new team and/or asking to be sent elsewhere crossed his mind. However, he said he didn’t “want to be that guy,” as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman relays (via Twitter).
Favors likely isn’t part of the Thunder‘s long-term plans, but he’s under contract for another year beyond this season, so the team likely won’t consider buying him out or releasing him anytime soon. As they did with veterans like Chris Paul and Al Horford, the Thunder will likely try to build up Favors’ value as much as they can before perhaps pursuing a trade at the 2022 deadline or next summer.
Here’s more out of Oklahoma City:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed the last two months of the 2020/21 season due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot, has “no limitations at all” entering training camp, Thunder general manager Sam Presti said last week, according to Paris Lawson of OKCThunder.com. Presti admitted the team took a “conservative approach” to the injury last season in the hopes that Gilgeous-Alexander would be 100% now.
- Presti also said last week that all of the Thunder’s players are vaccinated against COVID-19, per Lawson.
- It has now been a full year since rookie guard Vit Krejci tore his ACL, and he said today that his knee isn’t giving him any problems, tweets Mussatto. Krejci was selected with the 37th pick in the 2020 draft, but spent the year rehabbing his injury and didn’t sign his first NBA contract until this offseason.
- There were rumors in international outlets over the summer that Gabriel Deck, who is on a non-guaranteed contract with the Thunder, might return to Spain this offseason. However, Deck denied those reports today. “The rumors are not true,” he said, per Mussatto (Twitter link). “It was always my plan to be here with the Thunder.”
Sixers Sign Shaquille Harrison To Camp Deal
3:04pm: The Sixers have officially signed Harrison, the team announced today in a press release.
8:51am: Free agent guard Shaquille Harrison is signing a training camp contract with the Sixers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Harrison, who will turn 28 next Wednesday, appeared in a total of 34 games last season — 17 for Utah and 17 more for Denver, plus nine playoff contests for the Nuggets. Although he provided his usual stellar perimeter defense, he struggled offensively, averaging 2.1 PPG on .333/.188/.818 shooting in 9.8 minutes per contest during the regular season
Harrison, who has also spent time with the Suns and Bulls, has put up 5.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .436/.283/.717 shooting in 173 career games (15.2 MPG).
It seems unlikely that Harrison will find his way onto Philadelphia’s regular season roster, since the team has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Paul Reed on a non-guaranteed deal. But he’ll get a chance to make an impression in training camp and perhaps the preseason — a strong showing would increase his likelihood of catching on with another team if he’s cut by the 76ers.
Harrison will be the 18th player on the Sixers’ preseason roster. The team has also reportedly agreed to sign Haywood Highsmith, but would still have an open roster spot if and when that deal gets done.
Tyrese Maxey Denies That Reps Want Him Out Of Philadelphia
Shortly after word first surfaced in August that Ben Simmons intended to hold out this fall in an effort to force the Sixers to trade him, one report indicated that fellow guard Tyrese Maxey might be included in any Simmons trade. The thinking, according to that report, was that agent Rich Paul – who represents both Simmons and Maxey – preferred to have both his clients out of Philadelphia.
However, asked at Media Day on Monday about that rumor, Maxey denied it, telling the media that he and Paul were “sitting there laughing at it.” Maxey added that he has no desire to leave Philadelphia (Twitter link via Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
“I don’t know where that came from,” he said (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Athletic). “… I love being here and I love the city. I can’t wait to get started.”
As we noted when we relayed that August report on Maxey, the idea that Paul had the desire and the leverage to get the 20-year-old included in a Simmons deal always seemed a little far-fetched. Maxey is entering just the second season of his four-year rookie contract and showed plenty of promise as a rookie, reducing the likelihood that the 76ers would be strong-armed into moving him.
If Simmons continues to hold out and the Sixers don’t find a trade in the short-term future, Maxey figures to take on a significantly increased role to start the 2021/22 season. Head coach Doc Rivers strongly hinted earlier today that Maxey would become Philadelphia’s starting point guard as long as Simmons remains AWOL.
Southwest Notes: Zion, Vaccinations, Temple, Harrison, Brooks
Addressing reporters at the Pelicans‘ Media Day on Monday, star forward Zion Williamson expressed a desire to remain with the franchise for the foreseeable future.
“I love it here. I love the city of New Orleans,” Williamson said, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). “I don’t wanna be anywhere else.”
An offseason report suggested that some of Williamson’s family members want him out of New Orleans, while a more recent story suggested he and Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin aren’t on particularly great terms. However, after dismissing the idea that he wants to leave the Pelicans, Williamson also downplayed the idea that there’s any frostiness between him and Griffin.
“It’s all love with me and Griff,” Williamson said. “… We’re both competitors, we both want to win. Do we disagree on some things? Yes. But no one agrees on everything.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Griffin said today that there are one or two players left on the Pelicans‘ roster who remain unvaccinated, while Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said his team is 100% vaccinated (Twitter links via William Guillory of The Athletic and Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News). Meanwhile, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd estimated that his players are about 90% vaccinated, adding that the goal is to get that number to 100% by opening night (Twitter links via Callie Caplan and Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News).
- Veteran Pelicans guard Garrett Temple said he’s interested in getting into coaching or front office work after he retires, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Temple added that his preference would likely be a front office role, since coaching can be “finicky.”
- Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News shares an in-depth profile of new Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison, detailing the long path Harrison took to becoming Dallas’ lead basketball decision-maker.
- Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks will be a full participant in training camp, head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said today (Twitter link via Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian). Brooks was out for eight weeks this summer after breaking his hand in two spots, tweets Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian.
Kings Confirm Deal With DJ Steward, Set 20-Man Camp Roster
The Kings have put out their 20-man training camp roster, as Sean Cunningham of ABC10 relays (via Twitter), and it doesn’t include any surprises. In addition to the 19 players who were already under contract with Sacramento, the 20-man squad includes undrafted rookie guard DJ Steward, whose contract agreement with the team was reported way back in July.
Steward declared for the draft this spring after just one year at Duke. In his only college season, he put up 13.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.4 APG with a shooting line of .426/.341/.811 in 24 games (30.8 MPG), earning a spot on the ACC All-Freshman team. After going undrafted, he suited up for the Kings during the Las Vegas Summer League last month.
While terms of the Kings’ deal with Steward weren’t disclosed, an Exhibit 10 arrangement seems likely. That would put him in line to earn a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived by Sacramento and then joins the team’s G League affiliate in Stockton for at least 60 days.
The Kings are now carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, four on non-guaranteed deals, and two on two-way pacts.
Daryl Morey, Joel Embiid Discuss Ben Simmons’ Holdout
As expected, Ben Simmons wasn’t present at the Sixers‘ Media Day on Monday, and his absence was the subject of plenty of discussion during the press conferences with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, head coach Doc Rivers, and star center Joel Embiid, among others.
As Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com tweets, Morey confirmed that Simmons and his camp asked the team for a trade as far back as the draft combine in Chicago this spring. However, Philadelphia’s head of basketball operations insisted that the club didn’t want to make a trade then or now, suggesting that there’s still “a lot of hope” for reconciliation (Twitter link via Chris Mannix of SI.com).
Morey pointed to this year’s standoff between the NFL’s Green Bay Pacers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers – who is still with the team – as an example of how a relationship that seemed destined for an end can still be mended (Twitter link via Michael Lee of The Washington Post). According to Morey, he hasn’t talked to Simmons himself in about six or seven weeks, but remains in frequent communication with the 25-year-old’s representatives (Twitter link via Neubeck).
Asked about next steps if Simmons remains away from the team, Morey hinted that fines will be coming, telling reporters that it’s “very clearly spelled out” in both Simmons’ contract and the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement what will happen (Twitter link via Neubeck). For what it’s worth, sources have told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that Simmons isn’t concerned about the potential fines and that money is playing “no role” in his decision-making.
Here’s more out of Philadelphia:
- Asked today about Simmons, Embiid replied, “Of course we want him back, he’s a big piece of what we’ve been building the past few years” (Twitter link via Neuebeck). The star center added that he’s “disappointed” with how the situation has played out. “I really hope he changes his mind,” Embiid said. “… I do love playing with him because he adds so much to our team. We’ve been building this team around us. I don’t see it as ‘This is my team’. I don’t care about any of that” (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Athletic).
- Embiid said today that dealing with trade rumors is something all players have to learn to deal with (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). “If the Warriors called and offered Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson) for me, do you think the Sixers would say no to that?” Embiid asked. “… I wouldn’t say no to that.”
- Embiid confirmed that he and some teammates tried to travel to California to meet with Simmons. As The Athletic reported over the weekend, Simmons turned down that meeting. “I guess we got to let him be himself,” Embiid said (Twitter link via Neubeck).
- As Darryn Albert of Larry Brown Sports relays, Danny Green – in the most recent episode of his podcast – also discussed that attempted sit-down with Simmons. “This has nothing to do with the organization,” Green said. “This has to do with us. We just want to meet with him on a personal level, on a human being, friend level. If he still considers us friends, we don’t know if that’s the case yet or not.”
- Rivers declined to state his plans for the point guard position if Simmons doesn’t return, but strongly implied that Tyrese Maxey would be in line for the role, tweets Bontemps.
2021/22 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division
The 2021/22 NBA regular season will get underway in just over three weeks, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to resume an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.
With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
In 2020/21, our voters went 17-13 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’21/22?
As a reminder, the NBA played a 72-game schedule in 2020/21, so a team that won 41 games last year finished with a 41-31 record. This year, a club that wins 41 games would be a .500 team (41-41). For added clarity, we’ve noted the record that each team would have to achieve to finish “over” its projected win total.
We’ll turn today to the Southeast division…
Dallas Mavericks
- 2020/21 record: 42-30
- Over/under for 2021/22: 48.5 wins (49-33)
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Reggie Bullock, Sterling Brown, Frank Ntilikina, Moses Brown
- Lost: Josh Richardson, J.J. Redick, Nicolo Melli, Tyler Bey
How many games will the Mavericks win in 2021/22?
-
Over 48.5 55% (203)
-
Under 48.5 45% (164)
Total votes: 367
Memphis Grizzlies
- 2020/21 record: 38-34
- Over/under for 2021/22: 41.5 wins (42-40)
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Grizzlies win in 2021/22?
-
Over 41.5 50% (159)
-
Under 41.5 50% (156)
Total votes: 315
New Orleans Pelicans
- 2020/21 record: 31-41
- Over/under for 2021/22: 39.5 wins (40-42)
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Pelicans win in 2021/22?
-
Under 39.5 65% (201)
-
Over 39.5 35% (110)
Total votes: 311
San Antonio Spurs
- 2020/21 record: 33-39
- Over/under for 2021/22: 29.5 wins (30-52)
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Spurs win in 2021/22?
-
Over 29.5 54% (184)
-
Under 29.5 46% (158)
Total votes: 342
Houston Rockets
- 2020/21 record: 17-55
- Over/under for 2021/22: 26.5 wins (27-55)
- Major offseason moves:
How many games will the Rockets win in 2021/22?
-
Under 26.5 71% (240)
-
Over 26.5 29% (98)
Total votes: 338
Previous voting results:
- Brooklyn Nets (55.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (51.5 wins): Under (70.0%)
- Boston Celtics (46.5 wins): Over (58.1%)
- New York Knicks (42.5 wins): Over (65.1%)
- Toronto Raptors (36.5 wins): Under (50.6%)
- Milwaukee Bucks (54.5 wins): Over (63.7%)
- Indiana Pacers (42.5 wins): Under (58.2%)
- Chicago Bulls (42.5 wins): Over (68.3%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (26.5 wins): Under (50.5%)
- Detroit Pistons (25.5 wins): Under (52.6%)
- Miami Heat (48.5 wins): Under (53.6%)
- Atlanta Hawks (47.5 wins): Over (62.2%)
- Charlotte Hornets (38.5 wins): Over (54.5%)
- Washington Wizards (34.5 wins): Over (54.9%)
- Orlando Magic (22.5 wins): Under (53.8%)
- Utah Jazz (52.5 wins): Over (61.7%)
- Denver Nuggets (48.5 wins): Over (69.3%)
- Portland Trail Blazers (44.5 wins): Over (53.0%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (34.5 wins): Under (57.1%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (23.5 wins): Under (65.0%)
- Los Angeles Lakers (52.5 wins): Over (58.2%)
- Phoenix Suns (51.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
- Golden State Warriors (48.5 wins): Over (50.3%)
- Los Angeles Clippers (43.5 wins): Over (51.2%)
- Sacramento Kings (36.5 wins): Under (66.0%)
Clippers Re-Sign Amir Coffey To Two-Way Contract
SEPTEMBER 27: Coffey’s deal is now official, the Clippers confirmed in a press release announcing their 20-man training camp roster.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Clippers are re-signing free agent wing Amir Coffey to another two-way contract, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters today (Twitter link via Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times).
Coffey, who was the last remaining restricted free agent on the market, received a qualifying offer from the Clips back in July to make him a restricted free agent, so his options were limited. He’ll likely get a little guaranteed money on his new two-way deal, and Frank suggested he’ll also get a chance to compete for the 15th spot on Los Angeles’ regular season roster.
Coffey, 24, has spent the last two seasons on a two-way contract with the Clippers, averaging 3.2 PPG and 1.0 RPG on .433/.387/.673 shooting in 62 total games (8.9 MPG). He appeared in 44 regular season games and another 10 playoff contests in 2020/21.
The Clippers will now have a full 20-man roster for training camp, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts, four on non-guaranteed deals, and Coffey and Jay Scrubb on two-way contracts.
Given how far the team is over the tax line, I wouldn’t be surprised if L.A. only carries 14 players on its standard roster to start the season. Even if the club opts for a 15th man, Coffey may be hard-pressed to beat out camp invitees like Harry Giles and Isaiah Hartenstein, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he simply remains in the two-way slot to start the year.