Knicks Sign Obadiah Noel To Exhibit 10 Deal
5:32pm: New York has officially announced the signing of Noel to an Exhibit 10 deal (Twitter link).
1:12pm: The Knicks intend to sign free agent guard Obadiah Noel to an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
It will be the first NBA contract for Noel, who went undrafted in 2021 after four college seasons at UMass-Lowell. The 24-year-old has spent his first two professional seasons playing in the G League.
During the 2021/22 season, Noel played for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate. He held modest averages of 6.2 points on .393/.232/.783 shooting in 22 regular season games (17.1 minutes).
The 6’4″ guard began the ’22/23 G League season with the Raptors 905 during the fall Showcase Cup, but his minutes were further reduced, and he caught on with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s affiliate. He had a solid showing during the regular season, averaging 10.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals on .487/.382/.689 shooting in 29 games (26.8 minutes).
With a crowded backcourt and all three two-way slots filled, the most likely outcome is that Noel will be waived by the Knicks before the season starts. In that scenario, he would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Westchester in ’23/24.
Hornets Waive Xavier Sneed
The Hornets have waived forward Xavier Sneed, who was on a two-way contract, per a team press release.
Sneed, 25, spent most of the 2022/23 season with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s NBAGL affiliate, appearing in a total of 44 games with the club across the Showcase Cup and regular season. In 32 regular season appearances (31.2 MPG), Sneed averaged 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per night with a .393/.318/.738 shooting line.
He received a 10-day contract from Charlotte at the end of last season and then signed a two-way deal just before the season ended. He appeared in four games with the Hornets, averaging 4.3 points in 12.0 minutes.
Sneed, who also had brief NBA stints with the Grizzlies and Jazz, has spent the bulk of his three-year professional career playing in the G League, primarily with the Swarm. The former Kansas State product went undrafted in 2020.
As our roster count shows, the Hornets currently have 14 players on standard contracts (12 guaranteed), a pair on two-way deals after releasing Sneed, two unsigned restricted free agents (P.J. Washington and Theo Maledon), and one unsigned draft pick (James Nnaji, who was selected 31st overall).
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Signs One-Year Deal With ASVEL
Free agent wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot is returning to his native France, having signed a one-year deal with ASVEL Villeurbanne, the team announced in a press release.
“It’s a great honor to attract one of the very best French players of the moment,” ASVEL president Tony Parker said, per BasketNews.com. “I know Timothe perfectly, and I have no doubts about everything he can bring to the team. I’m very happy he trusts our project, and I can’t wait to see him wear our jersey.”
Luwawu-Cabbarot, 28, was drafted 24th overall by Philadelphia in 2016. He spent six seasons in the NBA, playing for the Sixers, Thunder, Bulls, Nets, and Hawks from 2016-22.
In 2021/22, the 27-year-old appeared in 52 games for Atlanta, averaging 4.4 PPG and 1.6 RPG on .398/.361/.854 shooting in 13.2 minutes per contest. He holds career averages of 5.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 328 regular season games.
The veteran swingman signed a training camp deal with Phoenix prior to last season, but didn’t make the team’s roster and was released before ’22/23 began. He wound up returning to Europe, signing a deal with Italy’s Olimpia Milano. His contract expired in April, making him an unrestricted free agent.
ASVEL competes in both the LNB Pro A — France’s top basketball division — and the EuroLeague, which is widely considered the second-most competitive league in the world.
Nets Sign Trendon Watford
3:25pm: Watford’s contract is non-guaranteed, per NetsDaily (Twitter link).
2:27pm: The Nets have signed free agent forward/center Trendon Watford, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, Watford received a standard contract (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the deal is guaranteed.
Watford was surprisingly waived by the Trail Blazers at the end of June before his minimum-salary contract for 2023/24 became guaranteed. He went unclaimed and became an unrestricted free agent a couple days later.
The 22-year-old averaged 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists with a shooting line of .560/.391/.720 in 62 appearances (19.1 MPG) in 2022/23.
Watford, who played two seasons of college ball at LSU, went undrafted in 2021 and caught on with the Blazers, initially signing a two-way deal. His contract was converted to a standard deal in February 2022 during his solid rookie season.
After officially signing Watford, the Nets are now carrying 17 players on their roster — 15 on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.
Vancouver, Montréal To Host October Preseason Games
The Canadian cities of Vancouver and Montréal will each host one preseason game in October as part of the NBA’s ninth Canada Series, the league announced in a press release.
According to the NBA, the Raptors and Kings will face off on October 8 in Vancouver, while Montréal will host the Thunder and Pistons on October 12.
Three Canadians will take part in the games — Trey Lyles (Kings), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Luguentz Dort (Thunder). Dort will be playing in his hometown.
“After growing up and learning to play the game of basketball in Montréal, it will be a special experience to play a preseason game in my hometown,” Dort said. “Canada and Montréal are home to some of the best basketball fans in the world, and I’m looking forward to taking the floor at Bell Centre.”
The Canada Series has featured 15 NBA teams in 16 preseason games across six cities since it launched in 2012. The 2023/24 regular season tips off on October 24.
Atlantic Notes: Rajakovic, Randle, R. Williams
In a fascinating profile, Eric Koreen of The Athletic details Darko Rajakovic‘s journey to becoming the Raptors‘ new head coach.
Rajakovic got his NBA start thanks to his relationship with Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti, first in the then-D-League and later with Oklahoma City. Presti met Rajakovic in Europe as a young executive with the Spurs, and was impressed by his attention to detail, passion and work ethic, Koreen writes.
“He’s fought himself all the way to this point,” Presti said. “I think there is a level of toughness that comes with that, to work that path the way that he did, to get to the point where he’s the head coach of an NBA team. I don’t know how you can’t respect that and also be extremely happy for him.”
As Koreen notes, one of Rajakovic’s strengths is his adaptability, which should come in handy with Toronto’s roster in a somewhat precarious position entering 2023/24. It’s an excellent article and I highly recommend it for those who subscribe to The Athletic.
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Left ankle problems plagued Julius Randle to end last season, but the Knicks‘ All-NBA forward believes undergoing arthroscopic surgery a couple months ago may have been a blessing in disguise, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays. “Me and my trainer were just talking about this, we were talking about prime years,” Randle said Wednesday as a guest on The Shop Uninterrupted. “And I feel like your prime is when your mental and physical kind of meet. And physically I feel like this is going to be my best year. But mentally I feel like I’ve taken a tremendous step because I’ve had to slow all the way down. I wasn’t allowed to train.” Randle also said he drew inspiration from teammate Jalen Brunson due to the point guard’s diligence and focus, per Bondy.
- What’s next for Robert Williams following the arrival of Kristaps Porzingis? The Celtics big man needs to become more aggressive offensively, dribble more often, and add a short-range jump shot to keep opposing defenses honest, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Of course, the biggest question mark surrounding Williams might not be his on-court play but rather his health, given that he has appeared in just 209 regular season games over his five NBA seasons, including 35 in ’23/24.
- In case you missed it, the Knicks, Raptors and Celtics all officially made roster moves on Tuesday.
Central Notes: Toppin, Catlin, Pistons, Bucks
Forward Obi Toppin, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is currently eligible for a rookie scale extension, says he’s looking forward to playing for the Pacers in 2023/24 after being acquired from New York in a trade last month. Part of that is Indiana’s “family-type environment,” but he also thinks it’ll be a good fit on the court as well, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
“That’s my game,” Toppin said at his camp in Dayton. “Everybody knows my game. In the open floor, I run the floor really hard. We’re gonna play with a fast pace. That what’s the league is. We’re not slowing it down. They’re trying to get a bucket in the first 10 seconds of the shot clock. I feel like that’s good for us, getting us as many easy buckets as we can.
“I just feel like Indiana’s vision is going to be playing me to my strengths. I feel like they’re going to allow me to get back to what I do best, which is put pressure on the rim, attack the rim.”
Here’s more from the Central:
- Longtime Pacers staffer Vance Catlin, who previously held the title of director of pro scouting, has been promoted to vice president of pro scouting, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Catlin is known as a tireless worker and has been with the organization for 20 years, Agness notes.
- How do Pistons fans feel about the team’s offseason? Are they confident in Detroit’s direction? James L. Edwards III of The Athletic received over 1,500 votes from subscribers for his annual survey, and fans seem to be cautiously optimistic for the most part, despite the Pistons winning just 17 games last season. Notably, fans are bullish on Cade Cunningham‘s potential and the hiring of new head coach Monty Williams. Fans are less optimistic about Marvin Bagley III and James Wiseman, but Edwards believes the former No. 2 overall picks likely won’t have major roles, as Jalen Duren is firmly entrenched as the center of the future.
- The Bucks have a new head coach in Adrian Griffin and he will face some tough rotation decisions entering 2023/24, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Starting shooting guard and backup point guard are the two spots that appear the most tenuous at the moment. In fact, Milwaukee doesn’t have a traditional backup point guard on its 15-man roster, which makes Nehm wonder if the team will eventually take the “simplest” route by addressing the position with a trade or free agent addition.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, J. Richardson, D. Robinson, Gallinari
Restricted free agent P.J. Washington and the Hornets remain at an impasse in contract negotiations and there have been “no indications” of that changing anytime soon, league sources tell Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Boone examines the team’s roster and depth chart entering the 2023/24 season, writing that No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller projects to come off the bench behind veterans Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward.
Assuming Washington is on the roster, he’ll have the inside track for the starting power forward position, with Miles Bridges suspended for the first 10 games. However, Boone wonders if the Hornets will eventually pivot to Bridges if they get off to a slow start.
2021 first-round picks James Bouknight and Kai Jones will likely find minutes tough to come by, Boone adds.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Appearing at the Heat‘s youth camp on Wednesday, returning swingman Josh Richardson said Damian Lillard is the best player he’s played against, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel relays. Lillard’s status, of course, has been one of the primary stories of the offseason, as the longtime Trail Blazers star requested a trade to Miami. Richardson, a free agent signee, said his game is malleable and he’s ready for whatever role he’s given. “I mean, you know how (head coach Erik Spoelstra) Spo is, he’s kind of like, ‘I can put you out there and do anything,’” Richardson said of not sweating how the roster or his role ultimately could shake out. “So it’s kind of what I’m good at. I’m kind of a jack of all trades. Our talk was good before, but I’ll guess we’ll see more concrete once the games get started.”
- In a subscriber-only mailbag for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman notes that while losing Max Strus‘ shooting could make Duncan Robinson more valuable to the Heat, the latter certainly isn’t irreplaceable. Robinson’s name has popped up in trade rumors for several months and he could be used as a salary-matching piece in a possible Lillard deal.
- Wizards forward Danilo Gallinari, who was acquired from Boston as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, says he’s looking forward to competing against the Celtics next season, according to Daniel Donabedian of Clutch Points. “I can’t wait to play against Boston,” Gallinari said on the Italian A Cresta Alta podcast. “When the schedule will be unveiled, I’ll put an X on the games we will play at Boston against the Celtics.” Gallinari grew up idolizing Celtics legend Larry Bird and hoped to win a title in Boston, but missed all of last season after tearing his ACL last year.
Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. On Andre Iguodala’s Future
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. told Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area that while the Warriors are open to Andre Iguodala returning to the roster for a 20th NBA season, the team isn’t actively recruiting him like it did last offseason and doesn’t necessarily expect him back.
“My sense is Andre’s probably got some other stuff going,” Dunleavy said in a Dubs Talk interview that will be released next Tuesday. “But he has my number. The phone is always on.”
When Iguodala announced his return to Golden State for 2022/23, it was widely reported that the veteran wing would retire after the season concluded. However, unlike Udonis Haslem, Iguodala technically hasn’t closed the door on playing another season by confirming his retirement since the season ended. When Poole recently asked Iguodala about his status, he said he was “unemployed.”
As Poole writes, the 39-year-old was disappointed by how last season played out. Iguodala spent nearly half of ’22/23 working himself into shape, and he only made eight appearances before fracturing his left wrist in March, which required surgery and caused him to miss the remainder of the regular season and the entire postseason.
“We’ve communicated some this summer already,” Dunleavy said. “We’ll see. We’re not going to close the door on anything. But my guess, and my belief, is that he won’t be back.”
“But it’s Andre Iguodala,” Dunleavy added. “So, you never know.”
Raptors Sign Garrett Temple To One-Year Deal
AUG. 1: Temple’s deal with the Raptors is official, per team release.
JULY 31: The Raptors are signing free agent wing Garrett Temple to a one-year deal worth $3.2MM, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Based on the terms of the agreement, Temple will be receiving the veteran’s minimum in 2023/24 for a player with 10+ years of experience. We’ll have to wait to see whether or not the contract is fully guaranteed.
Temple, 37, was waived earlier this month by the Pelicans before his $5.4MM salary became guaranteed. He reached unrestricted free agency a couple days later when he wasn’t claimed off the waiver wire.
Toronto will be Temple’s 12th team as he enters his 14th NBA season, having spent the past two seasons in a limited role with New Orleans. He holds career averages of 6.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.7 APG on .402/.345/.740 shooting across 716 regular season appearances (288 starts, 20.9 MPG).
Temple is known for being a good locker room presence, notes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). The Raptors currently have 15 players signed to standard contracts (14 guaranteed), so Temple will fill the 16th roster spot and potentially the 15th on a guaranteed deal.
If his contract is guaranteed, the team would be about $1.9MM below the luxury tax line, Murphy adds. Toronto also has all three of its two-way slots filled, as shown by our tracker.