Eastern Notes: Bickerstaff, Allen, Travers, Bey, Sixers
It didn’t take long for J.B. Bickerstaff to find a new job after being fired by Cleveland, having been hired by the Pistons as their new head coach. At his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Bickerstaff discussed why he found Detroit’s vacancy appealing, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
“It was my conversations with (president of basketball operations) Trajan (Langdon), to begin with,” Bickerstaff said. “I had a great feeling that this organization was heading in the right direction and was being led by the right people. For me, going through some of the things that I’ve gone through in the past, the people that you work with … being of a shared vision and willingness to commit to one another and partner with one another, I thought this group, as a whole, had a great vision. (team owner) Tom (Gores) has given every resource to go out and execute that vision.
“Then, obviously, you study the team. I took a deep dive as soon as I could. Obviously, I have experience of playing against them four times a year for so many years, but I knew the players well. I believed in their ability and talent. There is a steps process that we have to take, and we’re really aware of that and Trajan and I are united in that. It just doesn’t happen for everyone overnight.”
Bickerstaff pointed to his success with Cleveland as proof that he can turn the Pistons around, writes Larry Lage of The Associated Press. Detroit finished with the worst record in the NBA last season. Langdon said he was looking for a veteran coach to lead a young team, as Lage relays.
“You want somebody who can come in here and hit the ground running, and who’s done this before,” Langdon said. “Especially with a young team coming off a difficult season, positivity was important. We felt experience was important. The players needed to feel like the person coming in here knew what he was talking about.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Cavaliers have been receiving trade inquiries on former All-Star center Jarrett Allen, but they continue to rebuff those overtures, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link). Allen, who averaged 16.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.1 BPG in 77 games last season (31.7 MPG), will earn $40MM over the next two seasons.
- Australian wing Luke Travers, a second-round pick (No. 56) by the Cavaliers in 2022, is dealing with a sore hamstring that sidelined him for the team’s Summer League opener in Las Vegas on Friday, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Travers has expressed a strong desire to come stateside in 2024/25, though it’s unclear if he’ll be able to earn a roster spot.
- New Wizards forward Saddiq Bey will earn $6,440,678 in 2024/25, $6,118,644 in ’25/26, and $6,440,678 again in ’26/27, a source tells cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). Bey will likely miss most — if not all — of his first season with Washington after tearing his ACL in March. The 25-year-old’s new three-year deal also includes $1MM in incentives.
- Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer argues that free agent signee Caleb Martin will bring a much-need infusion of “Heat Culture” to the Sixers, pointing to the 28-year-old’s success with Miami as evidence. According to Sielski, the 76ers have had plenty of talent in recent years, but the team has often lacked an identity, which Martin should help fortify with his willingness to make winning energy plays.
- Former NBA forward Demetris Nichols has joined the Sixers as a player development coach, per Mike Waters of Syracuse.com (subscriber link). The No. 53 pick of the 2007 draft, Nichols appeared in 18 NBA games with Cleveland, Chicago and New York before spending several years overseas. The 39-year-old was an assistant with Wake Forest last season, Waters notes.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Fields, Murray, Hawks, Magic
Australian swingman Josh Green told Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer that he was asleep when his agents phoned him around 3:00 am to inform him he was being traded to the Hornets.
The 23-year-old, who is on the Australian national team that will compete in the Paris Olympics, was sent to Charlotte from Dallas in the six-team mega-deal that saw Klay Thompson land with the Mavs. He says he’s “super excited” for a fresh start.
“It’s such a young team and they play at a fast pace,” Green said, “and I think I’m able to thrive in transition, being able to pick up the ball and play defense and just continue to grow my game. I’m still a young guy and it gets fun to be around older guys in Dallas and learn from them, and take that to Charlotte and just come in with a winning mindset, and, yeah, be ready to go.”
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Boone also recently spoke to the Hornets‘ 2024 draft picks, Tidjane Salaun (No. 6 overall) and KJ Simpson (No. 42). French forward Salaun, who doesn’t turn 19 until next month, says he didn’t watch the NBA growing up as he didn’t think he’d make it to the league. He says being a lottery pick is a surreal experience. “Yeah, it’s weird. Yes.” Salaun told Boone. “For sure because before I became a professional I was in (France) with my teammates, some guys we go to school every day without crowds. And now I have some fans … just all of this is crazy. Just to have a practice facility … I have a practice facility that’s different than the arena. Everything, everything. The weight room. They have many things to be the best possible and in shape.” Simpson, meanwhile is nursing a hamstring strain that will sideline him for all of Las Vegas Summer League, but he’s still actively involved on the sidelines, encouraging teammates and analyzing film. The 6’0″ guard, who is on a two-way contract, says he wants to hone his decision-making and defensive skills, according to Boone.
- Hawks GM Landry Fields says it was a tough choice to trade Dejounte Murray, but ultimately it was a necessary one, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was a hard decision,” Fields said. “It was challenging. We knew that where we ultimately want to be was gonna require some challenging decisions. Just not being at that point, currently, where we felt like we can continue on with what we have. So wanted to reshape some things and this is an unfortunate part of the of the business. Dejounte is a fantastic player. … But we’re also very excited about the guys that we got back, got a few assets with it, too, which are going to be helpful for us to continue to build, so I wish him nothing but the best. He and his family have been great with us.” Fields also acknowledged Atlanta is facing a “roster crunch” after acquiring four players for one in the deal. The Hawks have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts now that Vit Krejci‘s four-year deal is official, plus Bruno Fernando on a non-guaranteed contract with a early guarantee date of August 1.
- In a subscriber-only story for The Orlando Sentinel, Jason Beede lists five things to watch for the Magic heading into Las Vegas Summer League, including second-year guard Anthony Black‘s growth as a leader. As Beede writes, Orlando’s Summer League squad features recent first-rounders in Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva, plus a handful of former NBA veterans trying to make it back in the league (such as Jarrett Culver and Theo Maledon).
Hawks Sign Vit Krejci To Four-Year Contract
July 12: Krejci’s four-year deal is official, the Hawks announced in a press release.
July 10: The Hawks are re-signing Vit Krejci on a four-year, $10MM contract, agents Alex Saratsis and Phillip Parun tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Atlanta issued Krejci a qualifying offer last month, making him a restricted free agent. The 24-year-old, who hails from Czechia, was the 37th overall pick of the 2020 draft.
There was speculation late last season that Atlanta might promote Krejci from his two-way contract to a standard deal in order to make him eligible for the postseason. That did not occur, but Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported at the time that the Hawks hoped to re-sign Krejci on a four-year deal, which is now about to come to fruition.
A 6’8″ combo guard, Krejci spent his first post-draft season rehabbing a torn ACL. He signed a multiyear contract with the Thunder prior to the 2021/22 season, playing 30 games for the club as a rookie.
Oklahoma City traded Krejci to Atlanta in a September 2022 move that was mostly about finances for the Hawks. He appeared in 29 games for Atlanta in ’22/23, averaging a modest 5.3 MPG.
The Hawks waived Krejci last August when he was on a non-guaranteed deal and the team was facing a roster crunch. He later signed an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with Minnesota, but was cut before the ’23/24 season began.
Krejci returned to the Hawks on a two-way contract in December. In part due to injuries, he became a rotation regular down the stretch last season, averaging 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists on .490/.412/.833 shooting in 22 games, including 14 starts (24.6 minutes per contest).
Based on the reported terms, Krejci almost certainly received a minimum-salary contract. Since he has three years of NBA experience, Kreji’s four-year deal will technically pay him $10,185,213, though we’ll have to wait and see how much of it is guaranteed.
Trail Blazers Sign Bryce McGowens To Two-Way Contract
6:12pm: McGowens’ two-way deal with the Blazers is official, according to the team (Twitter link).
2:22pm: The Trail Blazers are signing free agent wing Bryce McGowens to a two-way contract, agents Kyle McAlarney and Mark Bartelstein tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
McGowens, 21, was the No. 40 overall pick of the 2022 draft after spending one college season at Nebraska. He spent his first two NBA seasons with the Hornets, who waived his non-guaranteed contract on Saturday to create more salary cap flexibility.
In 59 games with Charlotte in 2023/24, McGowens averaged 5.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 0.9 APG with a .439/.333/.776 shooting line in 14.9 MPG.
As our tracker shows, Portland currently only has one player — Justin Minaya — signed to a two-way contract. McGowens will fill the second of three total two-way spots.
If he stays on a two-way deal for the entire ’24/25 season, McGowens will earn a little under $579K. He will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2025, assuming he isn’t released before then.
Mavericks Add Jazian Gortman On Exhibit 10 Deal
The Mavericks have signed free agent Jazian Gortman to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The move is official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.
A 6’2″ guard, Gortman went undrafted in 2023 after playing for the YNG Dreamers in the Overtime Elite program. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks last summer and was waived before the 2023/24 season began.
The 21-year-old spent last season in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee’s affiliate) and the Rip City Remix (Portland’s affiliate). In 41 combined games between the two clubs, he held fairly modest averages of 9.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 3.6 APG on .408/.308/.719 shooting in 18.4 MPG.
An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.
Hawks’ Bufkin To Miss Summer League With Shoulder Injury
Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin sustained a right shoulder injury during practice on Tuesday and he will not participate in the Las Vegas Summer League, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).
Bufkin underwent an MRI which revealed “findings consistent with a right shoulder subluxation.” He is expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp this fall, per the team.
It’s another unfortunate setback for the 20-year-old, who missed extended time during his 2023/24 rookie campaign due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe. The 15th overall pick of the 2023 draft, Bufkin appeared in just 17 games for the Hawks last season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG and 1.6 APG in 11.5 MPG.
Bufkin, who is left-handed, also appeared in 14 regular season games for Atlanta’s G League affiliate (the College Park Skyhawks) last season, averaging 23.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.9 APG and 1.4 SPG on .444/.356/.829 shooting (32.0 MPG).
The former Michigan guard will be among a group of players vying for backcourt minutes in ’24/25 after the Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans.
Heat Withdraw Two-Way Qualifying Offers To Swider, Williams
The Heat have withdrawn their two-way qualifying offers to Cole Swider and Alondes Williams, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Both players are now unrestricted free agents instead of restricted.
Swider and Williams finished the 2023/24 season on two-way contracts with Miami before they were tendered qualifying offers. Those QOs were for two-way deals covering one year.
However, all three of the Heat’s two-way slots are currently occupied (by Keshad Johnson, Zyon Pullin and Dru Smith), and the team can’t sign another player to a standard contract without going over the second tax apron, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter). Both Swider and Williams are playing for Miami’s summer league squad.
Swider, a 6’9″ forward, and Williams, a 6’4″ guard, went undrafted in 2022 out of Syracuse and Wake Forest, respectively. While neither player made much of an impact for the Heat in ’23/24, combining for a total of just 103 NBA minutes, both excelled playing for Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Williams was named the NBAGL’s Most Improved Player and was runner-up for the MVP award while earning a spot on the All-NBA G League First Team. Swider impressed with his long-distance marksmanship, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists on .485/.471/.846 shooting in 21 Showcase Cup and regular season contests for the Skyforce (38.3 MPG).
It’s possible that Swider or Williams — or even both — could eventually re-sign with Miami on two-way deals if the team decides to make changes to those roster spots. Two-way contracts don’t count against the salary cap or luxury tax and players can be swapped in and out until late in the regular season.
Both players are 25 years old.
Heat Notes: Butler, Offseason, Johnson, Bryant, Two-Ways
If Jimmy Butler decides to leave the Heat when he becomes a free agent in 2025, he’ll still likely need the team’s help to join a viable contender, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
As Jackson explains, there are currently no playoff contenders who project to have enough cap room to sign Butler outright next summer. There are a few teams who could create enough space in 2025/26 if they make cost-cutting moves, but none fit the bill as of now.
Even a potential sign-and-trade would be tricky, Jackson observes, since an acquiring team would become hard-capped at the first tax apron, limiting further roster-building moves.
There’s no indication that Butler wants to leave Miami in the first place — the opposite has been reported multiple times. And the Heat also aren’t looking to trade Butler, a source tells Jackson.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- In another story for The Miami Herald, Jackson examines what’s next for the Heat this offseason following a relatively quiet first wave of free agency. According to Jackson, the team plans to be patient and opportunistic as it waits for players to become available on the trade market. However, Miami has a fairly limited pool of assets, particularly in terms of future first-round picks, which will make acquiring a star-level talent difficult.
- Rookie forward Keshad Johnson believes he’s a strong fit with the Heat and he made a strong impression in his third summer league game on Wednesday, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Johnson, who went undrafted before inking a two-way contract with Miami, racked up 21 points (on 8-of-14 shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks in 30 minutes during the Heat’s four-point victory. “I’m a Heat culture guy,” said Johnson. “Throughout my career, I just want to keep making an emphasis that I’m willing to do everything, that I’m gritty. I just want that to be my identity. I just want to make an example of how much of a Heat culture guy that I am.”
- Veteran center Thomas Bryant tested unrestricted free agency by declining his player option, but he ultimately re-signed with the Heat on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum. He recently discussed his free agency foray, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Me and my agent, we both talked and we thought just for us was just to look out the market and just see what was available,” Bryant said. “For us, it was never about any misfortune or anything like that. I love the Miami Heat, personally. I love the way their culture is, the coaching staff, the guys that they have around each other. It was just about, for myself as the player and everything, individually, of just what else might have been out there, what potentially could have been out there.”
- Due to their proximity to the second apron, the Heat’s standard roster appears to be set for now, with 14 players under contract. However, as Winderman writes in a separate story, Miami’s three two-way spots could see some movement before the ’24/25 season begins. All three two-way slots are currently occupied, but the team also has two-way qualifying offers out to Cole Swider and Alondes Williams, Winderman notes.
[Update: The Heat have withdrawn their QOs to Swider and Williams.]
Timberwolves Re-Sign Daishen Nix On Two-Way Contract
The Timberwolves have re-signed free agent guard Daishen Nix to a two-way contract, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype was first to note the news (via Twitter).
A former McDonald’s All-American who went undrafted in 2021 after one season with the G League Ignite, Nix spent his first two NBA seasons with Houston. The Rockets waived him in June 2023 before his salary for the 2023/24 season became guaranteed.
Nix, 22, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Timberwolves last September and then was converted to a two-way contract in October. He only appeared in 15 NBA games last season for a total of 50 minutes.
Nix appeared in 13 Showcase Cup and regular season games in ’23/24 for Minnesota’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, putting up impressive averages of 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.5 steals in 36.3 minutes per contest. He struggled with scoring efficiency, however, posting a .397/.244/.643 shooting line.
As our tracker shows, Nix fills Minnesota’s third and final two-way spot, joining Jaylen Clark and Jesse Edwards.
Hornets Notes: Smith, Lee, Offseason, Simpson
Nick Smith Jr., a first-round pick in 2023, is hoping to carve out consistent rotation minutes in 2024/25 under new Hornets head coach Charles Lee, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
The 20-year-old appeared in 51 games as a rookie last season, averaging 5.9 RPG, 1.4 RPG and 1.2 APG on .391/.432/.867 shooting in 14.3 MPG. He pointed to solid defense as his path to regular playing time.
“That’s what’s going to get you on the court,” Smith said. “I’m a guard, small guard, at that for the NBA. I’m 6-3 and have a long wingspan, but I’ve got to be able to guard the best guards in the country, and the best guards in the NBA, and the best wings at times. And I want my team to count on me to get those stops, because I want that challenge.
“And I’m pretty sure everybody knows I want that challenge, too. So, it’s just repping it each and every day, especially coming out here and just not taking any games lightly, it’s playing with the team. The team understands that winning comes first, defense comes first and Coach Lee has definitely preached that.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- First-year head coach Lee is drawing rave reviews from his players even though he’s only been around the team for a handful of weeks, according to Boone. Lee decided to lead the summer league squad after finishing out last season as an assistant for the title-winning Celtics. “No. 1, I’m so excited to be part of this Hornets organization and also love the game, love to coach,” Lee told The Observer. “And I feel like I’ve been away from the guys as I went on that playoff run. And now’s my opportunity to start building with them, start learning some terminology, learning the players and also just create an environment of, ‘We’re all going to get down to work like nobody’s above anything.’ And so I was just ready to hit the ground running.”
- The Hornets have been very active this offseason, making changes to the back end of the roster and agreeing to re-sign Miles Bridges to a three-year, $75MM contract. Those series of moves suggest that new head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and new co-owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall are focused on improving the team’s talent pool rather than going with the status quo, Boone writes for The Observer.
- Rookie guard KJ Simpson, the 42nd overall pick of last month’s draft, signed a two-way contract that covers two seasons, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). A two-time All-Pac-12 honoree during his three-season stint with the Colorado Buffaloes, the 6’0″ Simpson averaged 19.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.9 APG and 1.6 SPG in ’23/24.