Charania’s Latest: Simmons, Markkanen, Blazers, Brooks
Although the Sixers have told teams they’re comfortable bringing back Ben Simmons for the 2021/22 season, rival executives are skeptical, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says those execs think it’s just a matter of time before Simmons is moved. All signs continue to point to Simmons’ career in Philadelphia coming to an end, Charania writes.
Still, while the Sixers have held “expansive” discussions with multiple teams, they haven’t gotten close to completing a deal yet. The Timberwolves and Raptors are two teams in the mix for the three-time All-Star, per Charania. However, sources tell The Athletic that the Wolves’ assets may not appeal to Philadelphia and they might need to find a third team to get something done, while Toronto’s proposals haven’t piqued the 76ers’ interest yet.
As has been reported previously, the Sixers’ dilemma is complicated by the fact that they’d love to use Simmons as the centerpiece in a Damian Lillard offer, but the Trail Blazers‘ point guard appears set to open the season in Portland as he continues to evaluate the team’s present and future, writes Charania.
Here are a few more highlights from Charania’s latest article for The Athletic:
- Although the Bulls never seemed focused on signing Lauri Markkanen to a long-term deal, the high asking price they set in sign-and-trade negotiations sent a message to executives around the league that they valued him and weren’t willing to lose him for nothing, writes Charania. According to Charania, the second-round pick the Bulls received from the Cavaliers in the Markkanen trade had been a sticking point in negotiations.
- Markkanen “fully expected” to be signed-and-traded to the Spurs in the Bulls‘ acquisition of DeMar DeRozan, but Chicago is believed to have pulled him from that package, sources tell Charania.
- Before getting involved in the Markkanen deal to acquire Larry Nance from Cleveland, the Trail Blazers had interest in Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks, sources tell Charania. One report suggested that Memphis was willing to listen on inquiries about Brooks.
Darren Collison To Work Out For Warriors
Former NBA point guard Darren Collison will work out this week for the Warriors, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Collison made a surprise retirement announcement in the summer of 2019, citing family and religious reasons. In his final NBA season in 2018/19, he averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.0 APG with a .467/.407/.832 shooting line in 76 games (28.2 MPG) for the Pacers.
There were reports that Collison might return with the Lakers or Clippers during the ’19/20 season, but nothing came of those rumors and he later said they were overblown. However, the 34-year-old reportedly worked out for the Lakers earlier this summer, signaling that he’s open to the idea of a comeback.
L.A. is on track to sign Rajon Rondo to bolster its backcourt, likely taking that option off the table for Collison, but Golden State makes sense as a possible suitor.
Although the Warriors have 16 players under contract, three of those players (Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder, and Gary Payton II) don’t have fully guaranteed salaries, and the team could use some reliable depth at the point behind Stephen Curry. For now, Payton, Jordan Poole, and two-way player Chris Chiozza are among Golden State’s best backup options.
Bulls, Clippers Among Teams Interested In Paul Millsap
We can add a couple new teams to the list of clubs eyeing Paul Millsap, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Bulls have pursued the veteran power forward and the Clippers have also expressed interest.
Charania confirms that the Warriors and Nets remain in the mix for Millsap, who has previously been linked to the Hawks, Pelicans, Sixers, and Timberwolves as well.
Millsap’s decision could ultimately come down to which factors are most important to him, since some teams cited as suitors could offer more money than others, some could offer a bigger role, and some are in better position to compete for a title right away.
The Bulls, for instance, still have their $3.7MM bi-annual exception available, so they could offer Millsap more than a handful of teams limited to the minimum salary exception. The Clippers, on the other hand, are limited to a minimum-salary offer, but are closer to title contention than Chicago.
Both teams could have regular frontcourt minutes available for someone like Millsap, since the Bulls just lost Lauri Markkanen and the health of Serge Ibaka remains a question mark for the Clippers. Chicago has just 13 players on guaranteed contracts, while Los Angeles is carrying 14.
Suns Eyeing Thaddeus Young
The Suns are among the contending teams that have pursued veteran forward Thaddeus Young, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Young, who will earn $14.19MM in a contract year in 2021/22, was sent from the Bulls from the Spurs in the sign-and-trade deal that landed DeMar DeRozan in Chicago.
Young is coming off a productive season, having averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG with a career-best .559 FG% in 68 games (24.3 MPG) for the Bulls in 2020/21. And his expiring contract at a reasonable rate makes the 33-year-old a relatively safe investment.
However, it’s unclear whether he’s in the Spurs’ plans or if the team simply acquired him as part of the DeRozan return for salary-matching purposes and would happily flip him. Charania suggests that San Antonio is expected to receive “strong interest” in Young from playoff teams.
Phoenix could use some extra depth at the power forward spot since Dario Saric is expected to miss most or all of the 2021/22 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. Any offer the Suns make for Young would likely start with Saric (who is earning $8.51MM) for salary-matching purposes and would have to include another asset or two.
The Suns would have to add a little more salary to Saric’s $8.51MM to sufficiently match Young’s cap hit, and many of their lesser-paid players aren’t yet trade-eligible since they were recently signed. As such, second-year center Jalen Smith looks like a potential candidate to be included in any offer for Young, though that’s just my speculation.
Charles Bassey Plans To Sign Required Tender From Sixers
Rookie center Charles Bassey, one of the last unsigned players from the 2021 draft class, intends to sign his required one-year tender from the Sixers, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Bassey and the 76ers have thus far been unable to agree to terms on a longer-term deal.
In order to retain the rights to a second-round draft pick, an NBA team must submit a “required tender” to him. That tender is equivalent to offering a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract covering just a single season, so it provides no assurances or security to the player.
Bassey, the No. 53 overall pick, may view signing that tender as his best path to either earning a 15-man roster spot with the Sixers or forcing the team to waive him before the season begins, allowing him to catch on elsewhere.
The Sixers only have 14 players on standard contracts for the time being, so Bassey could theoretically become the team’s 15th man for the regular season. However, Philadelphia may prefer to keep that last spot open to reduce its projected tax bill — it’s unclear if the 76ers want to stash Bassey overseas or in the G League, or if the rookie simply hasn’t been satisfied with the years and dollars the team is offering.
If he signs his tender and then is released by Philadelphia before the regular season starts, Bassey wouldn’t be eligible to sign a two-way contract with another NBA team during the 2021/22 league year, which would significantly reduce his options.
Bassey, 20, played his college ball at Western Kentucky, averaging a double-double (17.6 PPG, 11.6 RPG) as a junior in 2020/21 before declaring for the draft.
Nets, DeAndre Jordan Exploring Possible Buyout
The Nets and DeAndre Jordan are working toward parting ways via a potential contract buyout, according to Shams Charania and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic.
While Charania cautions that the two sides haven’t made any final decisions, he says the veteran center is “increasingly unlikely” to remain in Brooklyn going forward. Schiffer conveyed a similar sentiment last week. A buyout appears to be a more likely outcome than a trade, since the Nets would have to attach an asset or two to unload Jordan’s contract to another team.
Jordan joined the Nets at the same time Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving did, signing as a free agent during the 2019 offseason. He received a four-year contract worth approximately $40MM at that time. However, while Durant has signed a new extension with Brooklyn and the team is working to extend Irving too, the big man’s days with the franchise appear numbered.
Jordan did start 43 games in 2020/21, but his 21.9 minutes per contest represented his lowest mark since the 2009/10 season. He fell out of the rotation altogether late in the season and didn’t play a single minute in the postseason.
Jordan still has two years and $19.7MM left on his deal with the Nets — it’s unclear how much money he’d be willing to give back in a buyout. He’d likely draw interest from other teams in need of frontcourt help if Brooklyn lets him go, though probably not for more than the veteran’s minimum.
Sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the Lakers are one potential suitor to watch if Jordan becomes a free agent, echoing an earlier report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Atlantic Notes: Bullock, Knicks, Wainright, Sixers
Despite enjoying one of the best years of his career in New York in 2020/21, Reggie Bullock called it an easy decision to leave the Knicks for the Mavericks in free agency, as Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. Bullock received a three-year deal worth a little over $30MM from Dallas.
“When I played against the Mavericks last year, I liked the way that they competed as a team,” Bullock said. “They got great players, so it was an easy, no-brainer for me. Being with the Knicks last year, we made it to the playoffs but I see (the Mavericks) as a team that’s taking that next step to be in the postseason.”
New York re-signed Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson this month, making Bullock the only key free agent who got away. A source tells Berman that Bullock would’ve been open to returning to the Knicks if they’d been willing to get something done quickly, but the team asked him to wait. The veteran wing wasn’t interested in waiting — his deal with the Mavericks was reported about 75 minutes into free agency.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Blake Murphy of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at Raptors camp invitee Ishmail Wainright, a selfless, hard-working player whom Murphy describes as a “walking culture-builder.” Wainright, who has played in Europe since 2018, has a partial guarantee and is vying for a spot on Toronto’s regular season roster. As Murphy writes, the 6’6″ forward is determined to stick in the NBA. “I’m here to stay,” he said. “I don’t plan on going back overseas. Ever.”
- The $8.1MM trade exception the Sixers generated in last offseason’s Al Horford trade is set to expire on September 7, Derek Bodner of The Athletic observes. Bodner also explores how much of the mid-level exception Philadelphia still has available and the team’s current roster breakdown, which includes 14 players on standard NBA contracts.
- In case you missed it on Sunday, we relayed some details on new contracts signed by the Celtics and Knicks, and examined the impact the Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk signing will have on the Raptors‘ roster battles.
Contract Details: Forbes, Richardson, R. Williams, Randle
As expected, the Spurs used their room exception to finalize the signing of shooting guard Bryn Forbes, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Forbes’ deal with San Antonio, which is worth $4.5MM, only covers one year, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2022.
Although Forbes’ contract technically doesn’t use up the Spurs’ entire room exception, the amount left ($410K) isn’t big enough to be used on a second player. It’s possible it could come in handy very late in the season, when the prorated portion of the room exception exceeds the prorated minimum salary, but I’d expect it to just go unused.
Our full breakdown of how teams are using their mid-level/room exceptions this season can be found right here.
Here are a few more contract details from around the NBA:
- The one-year extension that Josh Richardson signed with the Celtics is worth $12,196,094, which represents a 5% raise on 2021/22 salary ($11,615,328), tweets Smith. Because Richardson was traded to Boston just a few weeks ago, extend-and-trade rules limited his raise to 5% of his previous salary.
- Smith also provides the specifics, down to the dollar, of Robert Williams‘ rookie scale extension with the Celtics (Twitter link). We took a closer look at that deal, along with details on some of the incentives, last week.
- Julius Randle‘s new four-year extension with the Knicks includes a 15% trade kicker, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Unlike several other deals with 15% trade kickers, Randle’s contract is well below the maximum, so he’d be in position to earn a sizeable bonus if he’s traded in the coming years.
Knicks Sign Julius Randle To Four-Year Extension
AUGUST 27: Randle’s extension is official, the Knicks announced (via Twitter).
“Julius Randle embodies everything you want your star player and leader to be about, and we couldn’t be happier about the long-term commitment we made to each other,” said team president Leon Rose. “His hard work and dedication to his craft are second to none and what he did last season won’t be forgotten by New Yorkers any time soon. We can’t wait to see what’s next for him.”
AUGUST 5: The Knicks have agreed to sign forward Julius Randle to a contract extension, tacking on four years to the one season left on his existing contract, agents Aaron Mintz and Steven Heumann tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal will include a player option for 2025/26, per Wojnarowski.
While Wojnarowski reports that the four-year extension will be worth $117MM, that figure includes some incentives — the extension will have a base value of about $106.4MM and could max out at just over $122MM if Randle earns all of his bonuses in every season of the deal (which is very unlikely). It’s the most the Knicks could have offered Randle this season.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), the incentives in the contract are related to making the playoffs, earning an All-Star nod, and making the All-Defense team. Randle earned the first two in 2020/21.
Randle, 26, had his best year as a pro this past season, establishing new career bests in PPG (24.1), RPG (10.2), APG (6.0), and 3PT% (.411), among several other categories.
The former seventh overall pick appeared in all but one regular season game, averaging an NBA-high 37.6 minutes per contest and helping to lead the Knicks to a No. 4 seed in the East and their first playoff berth since 2013. He was named Most Improved Player for the 2020/21 season and made the All-NBA Second Team.
Because Randle would be eligible for a longer, more lucrative contract if he waited until 2022 to reach free agency, there was some uncertainty about how willing he’d be to discuss an extension with the Knicks this summer. However, Wojnarowski writes that the former Laker and Pelican was eager to commit long-term to a team and city “he has come to adore.”
Randle also wanted to give the Knicks some financial flexibility rather than pushing for a higher salary in a year, per Marc Berman of The New York Post and Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter links). Of course, locking in a new deal now gives him some security in the event of an injury or regression next season.
It has been a busy week for the Knicks, who agreed to multiyear deals with free agents Evan Fournier, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Derrick Rose. All of those players are signing either three- or four-year contracts with team options in the final season. The club also intends to sign Kemba Walker, who should hit waivers soon after reaching a buyout agreement with the Thunder.
Randle’s deal represents one of several lucrative contract extensions agreed to around the NBA this week. Stephen Curry (Warriors), Trae Young (Hawks), Jimmy Butler (Heat), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) have all agreed to long-term deals worth well into the nine figures, while Luka Doncic (Mavericks) is set to finalize an extension following the Olympics.
Pacers Notes: Duarte, Jackson, Warren, Pierce
Pacers first-round pick Chris Duarte likely won’t be a starter to open the 2021/22 season, but the team is increasingly confident he’s capable of playing his way into that role, according to J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star.
Michael suggests that Duarte has already displayed an “it” factor that will be impossible to overlook and has exhibited the sort of leadership skills the Pacers were lacking in 2020/21. The 24-year-old, one of the oldest and most NBA-ready players in this year’s draft class, looks capable of making an impact and helping to improve Indiana’s defense right away, Michael writes.
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- While Duarte has turned more heads so far, the Pacers are also high on their other first-round pick, Isaiah Jackson, Michael says in the same IndyStar story. As Michael writes, Indiana is eager to see how the shot-blocking Jackson looks alongside the team’s other rim protector, Myles Turner.
- T.J. Warren has had a career year in his first season with the Pacers in 2019/20 (19.8 PPG on .536/.403/.819 shooting), but had a lost season in 2020/21, when foot surgery limited him to four games. Entering a contract year, Warren is in position to put himself in line for a huge payday if he can bounce back and recapture his ’19/20 form, writes Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com.
- Former Atlanta head coach Lloyd Pierce, recently hired by the Pacers as an assistant, spoke this week about what he’ll bring to Rick Carlisle‘s staff, including an ability to stay calm in the face of adversity, as Akeem Glaspie of The Indianapolis Star details. “I don’t stress and people that know me know that I don’t stress, this is just basketball,” Pierce said.
- In case you missed it, Indiana signed undrafted rookie DeJon Jarreau to a two-way contract earlier in the week.