Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Zion, Luka, Washington, Rockets
Star point guard Ja Morant believes back-to-back college Player of the Year Zach Edey will have a strong debut season in the NBA, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Edey, who played four years at Purdue, was selected by the Grizzlies with the No. 9 overall pick in June’s draft.
“Definitely rookie of the year,” Morant said of his expectations for Edey. “I think easily, too.”
As Cole writes, Edey worked out with his new teammate earlier this summer and Morant came away impressed.
“For him to come in and say he wants to work out with me and then getting through the workout throughout the whole week, it was big-time for him,” Morant said. “It made me excited to have him on the team. His skill set is even much better.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of last season, played nine games, and then suffered a shoulder injury which required season-ending surgery in January (Memphis went 6-3 with him and 21-52 without him). However, he was cleared for contact work in early July and is fully healthy ahead of training camp, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Morant estimated he was at 75% strength in late July. Fellow Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, who was limited to 20 games last season due to a litany of injuries, also makes ESPN’s list of key player returns to monitor for 2024/25, as does Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who is fully recovered from the left hamstring strain he suffered late last season, per Andrew Lopez.
- Jack Tien-Dana of RealGM weighs the pros and cons of Mavericks star Luka Doncic being physically stronger and heavier than he was when he first came in the league, writing that the 25-year-old and Dallas will need to “reconcile a series of contradictions” to get the best out of the All-NBA guard deep in the playoffs.
- In a subscriber-only story for his Substack, Dallas Hoops Journal, Grant Afseth says Mavericks forward P.J. Washington could be the team’s “X-factor” heading into 2024/25. In order to optimally complement Doncic and Dallas’ other starters, Washington will need to become a more consistent outside shooter, Afseth observes. Washington entered last season with a career mark of 36.6% from three-point range, but shot just 32.0% from beyond the arc in ’23/24.
- The Rockets brought back Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday because they showed they could be productive when called upon last season despite having inconsistent roles, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). The two veterans are also valued for their leadership, Feigen notes. The Rockets opted to guarantee Green’s $8MM salary for 2024/25, while Holiday re-signed with Houston on two-year, $9.6MM deal in free agency.
Nets Sign Tyrese Martin, Killian Hayes
The Nets have signed free agents Tyrese Martin and Killian Hayes, the team announced (Twitter links).
The seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft, Hayes spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Pistons before being waived in February. Hayes’ agreement with the Nets was first reported in late July. While Hayes is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, he’ll reportedly be given an opportunity to earn a regular season roster spot.
Martin’s agreement with the Nets was not previously reported, but had been speculated after Long Island traded for his returning rights from the Iowa Wolves a couple weeks ago. That indicates that Martin, who played for Brooklyn’s Summer League squad in July, likely signed an Exhibit 10 deal as well.
A 25-year-old wing who started his college career at Rhode Island before finishing at UConn, Martin was the 51st pick of the 2022 draft. He spent his rookie year on a standard deal with the Hawks, but only appeared in 16 regular season games for a total of 66 minutes, having spent most of the campaign in the G League.
Atlanta released Martin last summer, making him a free agent. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Minnesota last fall, was waived before 2023/24 began, and spent all of last season with the team’s NBAGL affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. In 39 total games with Iowa (33.5 MPG), Martin averaged 16.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.2 APG and 0.9 SPG on .447/.331/.831 shooting.
Unlike Hayes, Martin only has one year of NBA service time, making him eligible for a two-way contract. Exhibit 10 deals can be converted to two-way contracts, and Brooklyn has one two-way opening after signing Yongxi Cui.
The Nets now have 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit, with several other reported agreements that have yet to be finalized.
Yongxi Cui Signs Two-Way Deal With Nets
The Nets are signing Yongxi Cui to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The move is official, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Also known as “Jacky,” Cui is a 6’8″ wing who graduated from the NBA Global Academy and played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association this past season. He went undrafted in June, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The 21-year-old also suited up for China’s World Cup team last summer before posting solid numbers in the CBA in 2023/24 — he averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 56 appearances for Guangzhou, with a .520/.365/.783 shooting line.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Cui would be signing a two-way deal with the Nets covering two seasons. Cui worked out for Brooklyn prior to the draft, per NetsDaily, and played for Portland’s Summer League team, seeing limited action in three games.
Cui joins Jaylen Martin as players on two-way deals with the Nets. The team now has one two-way opening.
Raptors’ Bruce Brown Had Knee Surgery, Out At Least 3 Weeks
Veteran swingman Bruce Brown underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery on Thursday and will be reevaluated in three weeks, the Raptors announced in a press release.
Brown will miss most — if not all — of training camp and preseason. Three weeks from today would be Oct. 11, and that’s when he’ll be checked out again, not when he’ll be ready to play. The Raptors will head to Montreal for camp from Oct. 1-5, then will stay in Montreal for their preseason opener vs. Washington on Oct. 6. The preseason schedule concludes Oct. 18.
As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, Brown has been dealing with a right knee injury for the better part of a year, and had hoped that resting and rehabbing over the summer would be a suitable solution. Obviously, that didn’t go as planned. Brown told Lindsay Dunn of CityNews Toronto (Twitter link) after the season ended in April that the injury was “very frustrating.”
“It’s been tough,” Brown said. “I mean I really couldn’t bend my knee much I really played on one leg the entire time. I just wasn’t myself since December, but next year I will be fine.”
After playing a crucial role off the bench for the Nuggets during their 2022/23 championship season, Brown drew significant interest as a free agent last summer and eventually signed a two-year, $45MM contract with the Pacers. Indiana sent him to Toronto in January as part of a trade package for Pascal Siakam.
In 67 total appearances (44 starts) for the Pacers and Raptors, Brown averaged 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .478/.323/.824. Brown is considered a solid, versatile perimeter defender who is a good fit next to more ball-dominant players on offense.
The Raptors picked up their $23MM team option on Brown’s contract at the end of June. The 28-year-old, who has been the subject of several trade rumors since Toronto acquired him, will be a free agent again next summer.
Nets, Patrick Gardner Agree To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Nets are signing free agent big man Patrick Gardner to an Exhibit 10 contract, agent George S. Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Gardner, 25, went undrafted last year after playing for three different colleges, the most recent being Marist in 2022/23. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets last fall, was waived, and spent his first professional season with their G League affiliate in Long Island, averaging 7.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .500/.364/.731 shooting in 28 Showcase Cup and regular season contests (14.8 MPG).
A 6’11” center who plays for Egypt’s national team, Gardner will likely be waived before the season begins and head back to Long Island, which would make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the NBAGL club.
It’s worth noting that Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts — the Nets have a pair of two-way openings, so if Gardner impresses in camp and preseason, perhaps he could be promoted.
Gardner is one of several players to reach Exhibit 10 agreements with Brooklyn, as our Luke Adams noted yesterday in a story about former Hornets guard Amari Bailey, who will also sign with Brooklyn. None of those deals are official yet, but the Nets currently have five openings on their offseason roster, so they could make several transactions at any time.
Suns Sign Jaden Shackelford To Exhibit 10 Deal
11:30pm: Shackelford’s Exhibit 10 deal with Phoenix is now official, per RealGM’s transactions log.
3:32pm: The Suns are signing free agent guard Jaden Shackelford to an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Phoenix’s new NBA G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, recently acquired Shackelford’s returning player rights in a trade with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate.
Shackelford, 23, went undrafted out of Alabama in 2022. He has spent the past two seasons with the Blue, averaging 14.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 3.0 APG on .379/.356/.733 shooting in 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games in 2023/24 (29.0 MPG). The low field goal percentage requires some context: 77% of his shot attempts came from three-point range.
Shackelford will likely be waived before the season begins and head back to the NBAGL. If that comes to fruition, the Exhibit 10 language in his contract would entitle him to a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his regular G League salary) if he spends at least 60 days with the Valley Suns.
The Suns have reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with Boo Buie, Tyrese Samuel, and Mamadi Diakite in addition to Shackelford.
Justin Holiday Reportedly Worked Out For Warriors
Justin Holiday is among a group of “several” veteran free agents who have worked out for the Warriors in recent weeks, league sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater also confirms that Nassir Little worked out for Golden State, as previously reported.
Holiday, 35, spent last season with the Nuggets. He averaged 4.0 PPG, 1.2 RPG and 1.2 APG on .454/.404/.750 shooting in 58 regular season games with Denver in 2023/24 (14.9 MPG).
Holiday is the definition of a journeyman, having played for 10 NBA teams over the course of his 11 seasons in the league. One of his first stops was with the Warriors — he played for Golden State in ’14/15. He holds career averages of 8.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 1.4 APG on .400/.365/.817 shooting in 680 regular season games, including 296 starts (23.1 MPG).
However, a reunion seems pretty unlikely. According to Slater, the Warriors have no plans to fill their 15th standard roster spot to open the season due to their proximity to the first tax apron, at which they’re hard-capped for the ’24/25 campaign. While it’s possible that a veteran could outplay Gui Santos or Lindy Waters — both of whom are on non-guaranteed deals — in training camp and preseason, Slater expresses skepticism that the Warriors will release either player.
Slater also provides an update on No. 52 overall pick Quinten Post, who remains unsigned. According to Slater, Post has been earmarked for a two-way contract, which means one of Golden State’s three two-way players — Pat Spencer, Reece Beekman or Daeqwon Plowden — will have to be cut soon.
It’s worth noting that Atlanta’s G League affiliate recently gave up a second-round NBAGL draft pick in a trade to acquire Plowden’s returning rights. While G League draft picks (especially second-rounders) aren’t all that valuable, it still seems unlikely that the College Park Skyhawks would’ve given one up if they expected Plowden to remain with the Warriors all season, since he’d continue to play for Santa Cruz in the NBAGL as long as he remains on his two-way deal with Golden State.
Poll: Will Markelle Fultz Open 2024/25 On An NBA Team?
A year ago, things were looking up for Markelle Fultz. In 2022/23, the former No. 1 overall pick posted career highs in several categories with the Magic, including points (14.0), rebounds (3.9), assists (5.7), steals (1.5) and minutes per game (29.6) while shooting a career-best 51.4% from the field in 60 regular season contests, all starts.
Sure, there were still holes in his game. He rarely attempted long-range shots, converting just 31.0% of his 1.5 three-point attempts per game — and that represented the most accurate mark of his career. While he had a good deal of success on mid-range looks, having a guard who can’t space the floor isn’t ideal for a team’s offense.
2023/24 was a big season for Fultz, as he was set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. But instead of building on his success, he was once again plagued by injuries and inconsistent play.
Fultz only appeared in 43 games last season, making 18 starts (21.2 MPG). He averaged 7.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.0 SPG, shooting 47.2% from the field but only attempting 18 threes all season (he made four, or 22.2%). He played pretty well in Orlando’s first-round playoff loss to Cleveland, but his minutes were cut back even further (15.0 MPG).
With training camps set to open in the next couple weeks, Fultz is the best player available on the open market, according to our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents. He came in at No. 43 when the list was published in June and is the only player in the top 50 still looking for a new team.
When healthy, Fultz brings plus size and athleticism for a lead guard, and he’s a crafty ball-handler, play-maker and finisher, on top of being a solid defender. He’s also only 26 years old.
Fultz has made 87MM+ over the course of his seven NBA seasons, but at this point in the offseason, he’ll probably only get non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract offers, similar to those signed by veterans like Landry Shamet, Marcus Morris, Lonnie Walker, Tristan Thompson and Talen Horton-Tucker. The fact that Fultz has only played 234 regular season games in seven seasons doesn’t help his cause.
The Magic renounced their free agent rights to Fultz when they used cap room to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this summer. Orlando could technically still re-sign Fultz, but with Caldwell-Pope, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, Gary Harris and Cory Joseph already on the roster, the team’s backcourt looks pretty full. And the Magic already have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, making a reunion unlikely.
I’d be surprised if Fultz doesn’t play in the NBA at all in ’24/25. But there aren’t many roster openings around the league, and the season begins in just over a month. If he receives — and accepts — a training camp invite, will he make a team’s regular season roster?
That leads us to today’s poll: Will Fultz open the 2024/25 season on an NBA team? If you believe he’ll be on a roster, head to the comments section and let us know which team it will be.
Nets Notes: Carter, Simmons, Koch
The Nets will retire Vince Carter‘s No. 15 jersey on January 25, 2025, the team announced in a press release. The ceremony will take place in Brooklyn during a 6 p.m. matchup with Miami.
“We’re thrilled to honor former Nets player Vince Carter, who contributed so much to this organization both on and off the court,” said governor Joe Tsai. “He’s an important part of Nets franchise history and we look forward to welcoming him to Barclays Center this season to celebrate his legacy.”
Carter, who will be formally inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame next month, played parts of five seasons with the Nets, averaging 23.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.7 APG and 1.2 SPG on .447/.370/.806 shooting in 374 regular season games (37.9 MPG). He earned three straight All-Star nods (2005-07) with the Nets, joining Jason Kidd and Buck Williams as the only players to make three or more All-Star appearances during their time with the team.
According to the Nets, this will be the seventh jersey retirement in franchise history, with Carter’s No. 15 joining Dražen Petrović (No. 3), Kidd (No. 5), John Williamson (No. 23), Bill Melchionni (No. 25), Julius Erving (No. 32) and Williams (#52) in the Barclays Center rafters.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Ben Simmons is seemingly healthy after undergoing a second back surgery in March. How will that impact the Nets, who could be one of the worst teams in the league this season? Net Income of NetsDaily explores that topic, writing that instead of rooting against the former No. 1 pick, fans would be better off cheering for Simmons and hoping that he can resurrect his career after it was derailed by back issues.
- David Koch Jr. is now a basketball operations assistant for BSE Global, the Nets’ parent company, as Net Income relays. Koch was part of the ownership group — led by his mother, Julia Koch — that purchased a 15% stake in BSE in June. Multiple reports have indicated that Koch Jr. is interested in owning and operating an NBA team in the future.
- In case you missed it, Brooklyn was one of the teams with interest in Isaac Okoro before he re-signed with the Cavaliers.
Cavaliers Re-Sign Isaac Okoro To Three-Year Contract
SEPTEMBER 17: Okoro’s new deal is official, the Cavaliers confirmed today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 14: The Cavaliers are re-signing restricted free agent Isaac Okoro to a three-year, $38MM contract, agents Michael Tellem, Jeff Schwartz and Marcus Monk tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Okoro, 23, came in at No. 20 on our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents, making him the top remaining player who had yet to sign a new deal. It took more than two months, but the NBA’s lone restricted free agent has reached an agreement to return to Cleveland.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Okoro’s $11.8MM qualifying offer would have expired on Oct. 1, though he still would’ve been a restricted free agent had a deal not been reached by that point. The Cavs were approximately $10.4MM below the luxury tax line before accounting for Okoro’s new contract, Marks adds.
According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Okoro’s three-year deal features $33MM in guaranteed money. Sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that Okoro’s contract features some unlikely bonuses tied to his team’s success (Twitter link).
The No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Okoro averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting a career-best 39.1% from three-point range in 69 regular season games in 2023/24, including 42 starts (27.3 minutes per contest). The 6’5″ wing is primarily known for his defense, particularly on the ball, where he’s frequently tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.
When we polled our readers about Okoro’s situation last week, 59% of those who voted thought he would end up accepting his qualifying offer — essentially just a one-year contract — to hit unrestricted free agency in 2025. About 17% thought he would re-sign with the Cavs on a multiyear contract.
Scotto reports (via Twitter) that the Nets and Hornets were among the teams that showed sign-and-trade interest in Okoro before he agreed to a new contract with Cleveland.
Once Okoro’s signing is official, the Cavs will have 14 players on standard contracts, though only 11 of those deals are fully guaranteed. Tristan Thompson and Sam Merrill are on non-guaranteed contracts, while Craig Porter Jr. has a $1MM partial guarantee on his $1.89MM salary. All three of the team’s two-way slots are filled.