Lakers Waive LJ Figueroa, Sign Bryce Hamilton
The Lakers have waived wing LJ Figueroa and signed undrafted guard Bryce Hamilton to replace him on the 20-man training camp roster, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). ESPN’s Dave McMenamin notes (via Twitter) that Hamilton will be on a training camp contract.
Hamilton, who turns 22 next month, went undrafted in June after four seasons at UNLV. He had a productive college career, having earned a spot on three consecutive All-Mountain West Conference teams. Hamilton averaged 21.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.2 APG on .430/.346/.768 shooting in 32 games (32.3 MPG) as a senior last season. He most recently played for the Heat during Summer League.
Figueroa spent his first two college seasons with St. John’s before transferring to Oregon for the 2020/21 season. The 24-year-old went undrafted in 2021 and signed a training camp deal with the Warriors, was waived, and then spent his first pro season with Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, averaging 16.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .494/.323/.781 shooting in 32 games (23 starts, 27.6 MPG). He suited up for the Hornets in Summer League.
While the terms of the contracts for Figueroa and Hamilton were not disclosed, it seems likely that both deals included Exhibit 10 language, which would make them each eligible for a $50K bonus if they spend at least 60 days with the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ NBA GL affiliate. Spears confirms (via Twitter) that Hamilton is expected to be waived before the regular season and start his pro career in the G League.
Nuggets Sign Chasson Randle To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Nuggets have signed guard Chasson Randle to an Exhibit 10 deal, the team announced. Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports was the first to report the signing (via Twitter).
Randle, 29, has appeared in a total of 119 NBA regular season games for the Sixers, Knicks, Wizards, Warriors and Magic since making his debut in January 2017. He holds career averages of 5.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .401/.361/.799 shooting in 16.1 minutes per contest.
Last October, Randle signed a training camp deal with the Suns and appeared in four preseason games, but was waived before the start of the regular season. He later signed with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League in December, holding modest averages of 7.8 points and 1.4 rebounds on .371/.315/.793 shooting in 17 games (19.4 minutes).
Randle, who has also played in China and Spain, is ineligible to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way deal because he holds four years of NBA experience, so the most likely outcome is he’ll be waived before the regular season opener and head to Denver’s G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold. In that scenario, he could earn a bonus of up to $50K if he sticks with the Gold for at least 60 days.
Thunder Sign, Waive Jahmi’us Ramsey
OCTOBER 8: Ramsey has been waived, the Thunder announced. He’s likely to join the Oklahoma City Blue once he clears waivers.
OCTOBER 7: The Thunder have waived forward Robert Woodard II and signed guard Jahmi’us Ramsey, the team announced (Twitter links).
Woodard, who was just signed on Tuesday, was the 40th pick of the 2020 draft. He spent the majority of his first two seasons on a standard deal with the Kings, but had a very modest role, playing just 87 total minutes across 25 NBA games. The 23-year-old was waived by Sacramento in February and signed a two-way contract with the Spurs in March, but they opted not to bring him back.
Ramsey’s situation is very similar to Woodard’s, having spent the bulk of his first two pro seasons on a standard contract with the Kings after being selected with the 43rd pick in 2020. Like Woodard, he had a limited role, appearing in 32 total games for a total of 228 minutes, and was waived in February.
Both Woodard and Ramsey made appearances for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate, after being waived by the Kings in 2021/22. Ramsey averaged 17.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.0 SPG on .429/.364/.783 shooting in 11 games (27.7 MPG) for the Blue.
While the terms of the contracts weren’t disclosed, it seems likely that both players received Exhibit 10 deals and are headed back to the Blue again in ’22/23. Assuming their contracts included Exhibit 10 language and Ramsey is also waived before the regular season starts, Woodard and Ramsey would be eligible for bonuses worth up to $50K if they spent at least 60 days with the Blue.
Central Notes: LeVert, Pangos, LaVine, Terry, Bone
Cavaliers swingman Caris LeVert knows he has to play strong defense to win the starting small forward job, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. LeVert isn’t known as a strong defender, but it will be required of him due to the team’s defensive identity.
“That’ll definitely be something I’m gonna have to lock in on. I have been locked in on it for the past couple of weeks, just knowing that I’m gonna have a big assignment every night on that end of the floor,” LeVert said following practice on Thursday afternoon. “It’s something I look forward to and it’s something I like doing.”
LeVert started Cleveland’s first preseason game, posting seven points (3-of-5 shooting) and three assists in 14 minutes against Philadelphia. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff says he likes what he saw out of the 28-year-old, Fedor notes.
“I think he’s a threat,” Bickerstaff said. “You watch the way that teams play him, and people respect him because of his ability to score. He didn’t get a lot of looks early, but that didn’t stop him from making unselfish moves and unselfish plays. I think he finished with like three assists and could have like five or six if guys would have made the shot. I think from that standpoint, offensively, he did a really good job of fitting in, and still we’re learning where he can find his moments to attack. Then defensively I thought he did a great job. I thought he was active. He was in the right spots. He put pressure on the offense.”
LeVert’s $18.8MM contract will expire at the end of the 2022/23 season, so he’ll be a free agent next summer unless he signs an extension.
Here’s more from the Central:
- Even though he struggled in his first NBA foray after a long and very successful career in Europe, Kevin Pangos has nothing but good things to say about his time with the Cavaliers in ’21/22, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. “It was awesome, I really enjoyed it. I loved my time in Cleveland, the organization was great, and the team and players were awesome. I learned a ton. I’m happy to be here now this year and play for Milan,” Pangos said. The 29-year-old appeared in 24 games with Cleveland last season, averaging just 6.9 minutes per contest. He signed a two-year contract with Italian club Olimpia Milano as a free agent this offseason.
- Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says he hasn’t noticed a change in Zach LaVine‘s behavior after he signed a five-year, $215MM contract as a free agent this summer, calling him “a really grounded guy,” according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. However, Donovan says LaVine’s knee injury limited him on defense last season, and says “there’s another level he needs to get to” on that end of the court, per Cowley.
- Donovan likes Dalen Terry‘s energy and competitiveness, but he’s not sure if he’ll have a spot in the Bulls‘ rotation, Cowley adds in the same piece. Donovan didn’t hesitate to play rookie second-rounder Ayo Dosunmu last season, so he seems to be quite fair about allotting minutes based on merit rather using a prescribed rotation, so Terry, Chicago’s first-round pick this year, could have a chance at playing time if he performs well.
- The Bucks‘ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, recently acquired the returning player rights to Jordan Bone from the Delaware Blue Coats in exchange for the rights to Rayjon Tucker. Our JD Shaw was the first to break the news (via Twitter). The 57th pick of the 2019 draft, Bone played 24 NBA games on two-way deals with the Pistons and Magic from 2019-21. He spent last season in Spain and Turkey.
Magic’s Jalen Suggs Suffers Apparent Knee Injury
Magic guard Jalen Suggs left Friday’s preseason game against Dallas in the first quarter after suffering what appears to be a left knee injury (video link via Chaz NBA). Suggs’ knee appeared to buckle and hyperextend after being shoved by Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
Suggs was on the ground for a while after the play holding his left knee and was helped to the locker room with assistance. Hopefully the injury was just a hyperextension and Suggs will be able to return to action sooner rather than later, but it certainly didn’t look good.
The 21-year-old was the fifth overall pick of last year’s draft after starring in college for Gonzaga. His 2021/22 rookie season was unfortunately plagued by injuries: Suggs sustained a fractured right thumb last November that caused him to miss 20 games, dealt with a right ankle sprain and a right ankle bone bruise in the second half of the season, then underwent right ankle surgery to repair a “slight” stress fracture in April.
Perhaps due in part to the injury-disrupted nature of his season, Suggs struggled in his pro debut, averaging 11.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 4.4 APG with a subpar .361/.214/.773 shooting line in 48 games (27.2 MPG). Still, he was a highly-touted prospect and Orlando is certainly hoping for big things from the athletic combo guard.
The Magic announced (via Twitter) that Suggs suffered a “lower left leg injury” and won’t return to the contest. He will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Randle, Robinson, Reddish
Guard Jalen Brunson is already making an impact on the Knicks both on and off the court, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Brunson was New York’s primary free agency target, inking him to a four-year, $104MM deal.
“I love the way he can control and manage a game,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said after Brunson scored 16 points (7-for-9 shooting) and handed out five assists on Tuesday. “To me, that’s the No. 1 function of a point guard. So he doesn’t get sped up, he doesn’t get rattled. I love the way, Julius (Randle) the third quarter, that was terrific. So I think it’s a calming influence.”
According to Begley, Brunson has begun connecting with the team’s younger players, giving advice and spending extra hours with them in the gym. He’s been shooting with Immanuel Quickley at night, and Quickley calls him an “encouraging presence,” per Begley.
“He’s tremendous. From the moment he signed, just being in the gym everyday. He’s not a rah rah type guy (as a leader),” Thibodeau said. “He just does all the right things and when he gets out there, he’s ready to execute.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Thibodeau isn’t the only member of the Knicks praising Brunson. Power forward Julius Randle recently raved about his new teammate, as Peter Botte of The New York Post relays. “He just makes the game easy,” Randle said of Brunson after Thursday’s practice. “I’ve said it all the time, he’s such a smart player. He understands the rhythm and flow of the game, how to look for guys in certain situations, how to go get his own, so he’s a really good player. He’s a basketball player. I think you can put him anywhere and he will play really well, just because he understands the game so well.”
- After re-signing with the Knicks on a four-year, $60MM deal, center Mitchell Robinson is poised for a big fifth season, Botte writes for The New York Post. “I think the athleticism is special, but I also think the strength component, when he added that piece to it, he can take a hit and get through that. He’s shown that,” Thibodeau said of Robinson. “But I think a lot of other areas of his game have improved also — the rim protection, that part is obvious. But I think he’s starting to grow now offensively.”
- Cam Reddish should receive minutes in the preseason as the Knicks evaluate the fourth-year wing, Begley notes in another article for SNY.tv. Quentin Grimes is dealing with foot soreness and the team is being cautious with Evan Fournier after a silver medal run with France at EuroBasket, creating an opening for Reddish. The 23-year-old suffered a sprained ankle in Tuesday’s preseason opener and didn’t return (Twitter link), but he’s starting on Friday night, Begley tweets.
Warriors GM “Doesn’t Think” Draymond Green Will Be Suspended
Warriors general manager Bob Myers “doesn’t think” Draymond Green will be suspended by the team for punching Jordan Poole during Wednesday’s practice, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Myers said Green apologized to the team on Thursday morning and his punishment will be handled internally (Twitter link via Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic).
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Green was likely penalized for “conduct detrimental to the team,” with the maximum fine being $50K.
Myers discussed a number of topics related Green, Poole, and the incident (All Twitter links courtesy of Mark Medina of NBA.com):
- On Green: “He’s been over that line. But he always comes back. He’s a unique guy. He helps us win.” Myers added that he has “confidence that (the altercation) won’t erode the fabric of our team.”
- Myers said he doesn’t believe the incident occurred due to tension with the two players’ extensions looming, having been told that the dialogue leading up to the altercation was “not anything more than normal bickering in a scrimmage.” He also said he’s having “ongoing” discussions with Poole’s agents about an extension, and the incident wouldn’t impact the talks with either player.
- Green left the facility after apologizing and didn’t practice, but head coach Steve Kerr said he’ll rejoin the team on Saturday (Twitter link via ESPN’s Kendra Andrews).
- Myers said the team has had its best preseason “vibe” during his tenure, and contract situations aren’t affecting team morale. Kerr refuted a report stating that Poole may have been the cause of some tension. “Someone put out there that Jordan had an attitude during camp — that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Kerr said, according to Andrews (via Twitter).
Magic Notes: Banchero, F. Wagner, Lineups, Preview
Magic forward Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s draft, is trying to adjust to the NBA’s extensive use of pick-and-rolls, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link). As Price notes, only 64 of Banchero’s pick-and-roll possessions ended with him shooting in 39 games with Duke last season, a figure that is sure to rise as a rookie in 2022/23.
Banchero had mixed results as both a ball-handler and a roll man in his first preseason game, and he acknowledges the speed of the pro game will take some getting used to.
“In college, a lot of it was isolation, so that’s what I’m used to making a lot of my reads out of, pure isolation,” Banchero said. “I got to get used to making a lot more reads out of the pick-and-roll as the handler and the roller, and speeding that up. I felt like I made my reads a lot slower than usual.”
The 6’10” Banchero believes he’s already making progress after watching film and getting more practice reps, Price adds.
“Watching the film, I didn’t look sped up. I didn’t look like I was super uncomfortable. Knowing I can get to wherever I want to get to is really encouraging. Now I’ve got to make the right decision when I get there,” Banchero said as part of larger quote.
Here’s more on the Magic:
- Second-year forward Franz Wagner is expected to make his preseason debut against the Spurs on Thursday, Price writes for The Orlando Sentinel. The Magic are being cautious with their promising youngster after a busy offseason saw him help Germany to a bronze medal at EuroBasket, Price notes.
- Head coach Jamahl Mosley said Orlando plans to play “a bunch of (lineup) combinations throughout the preseason” in order to have everyone on the roster comfortable with each other (video link via Price). In a story for The Orlando Sentinel on the topic, Price explores six preseason lineups Mosley might deploy, including a jumbo combination featuring Banchero, Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., Mohamed Bamba and one of Bol Bol, Chuma Okeke or Caleb Houstan.
- In his season preview for the Magic, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes that while Wagner and Banchero have All-Star potential and things might be better in the future, he believes Orlando will struggle in ’22/23 and finish with a 21-61 record, the worst in the East.
Trail Blazers Exercise 2023/24 Option For Keon Johnson
2:55pm: The Blazers have officially picked up Johnson’s option, per the team.
2:12pm: The Trail Blazers are exercising their third-year team option on guard Keon Johnson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Johnson’s $2,808,720 salary for the 2023/24 season will now be guaranteed.
The No. 21 overall pick of last year’s draft after one season at Tennessee, Johnson was technically drafted by the Knicks, who traded his rights to the Clippers for No. 25 overall pick Quentin Grimes and a 2024 second-rounder (via Detroit). Johnson was later sent to Portland in February as part of the deal that saw Robert Covington and Norman Powell head to Los Angeles.
An explosive athlete who broke the combine records for both the standing vertical (41.5 inches) and max vertical leap last year (48 inches), Johnson didn’t see much playing time as a rookie for the Clippers, appearing in just 15 games for a total of 135 minutes. However, he got more playing time for the Blazers who went in full-blown tank mode after injuries to Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic decimated the roster, averaging 9.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.0 SPG in 22 games (25.5 MPG).
Many talent evaluators thought Johnson would be a top-10 pick last year but he wound up falling mostly due to concerns about his shooting and overall skill level. He struggled mightily with his shot in ’21/22, posting an overall slash line of .353/.340/.804 (.453 true shooting percentage).
With Lillard and Simons back healthy, and the additions of Josh Hart (trade deadline), Gary Payton II (free agent) and Shaedon Sharpe (No. 7 overall pick in June), Johnson might struggle to crack Portland’s rotation in year two.
L.A. Notes: Clippers, Coffey, George, Lakers, AD
John Hollinger of The Athletic previews the Clippers for the 2022/23 season, writing that with the league’s deepest roster and stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back and healthy, they should be among the best teams in the league. Hollinger predicts the Clippers will go 54-28 and finish as the No. 1 seed in the West, but thinks the Warriors have a better shot of making the NBA Finals.
There are a couple of question marks on the roster, even though it’s very deep, especially on the wing. According to Hollinger, the Clips need either John Wall and/or Norman Powell to step up and be a “third star” to complement Leonard and George, with shot creation and getting to the free throw line top priorities.
The other weakness of the roster is center, with only Ivica Zubac as a true five on the 15-man roster. Hollinger thinks it might be a tall order to have Robert Covington play full-time backup center in the regular season, and wonders if the team might use its last standard roster spot on a traditional center.
Here’s more on the two Los Angeles teams:
- Amir Coffey, a Minnesota native who played college ball for the Golden Gophers, says he fulfilled a lifelong dream by signing a three-year, $11MM contract as a restricted free agent. “It’s a dream come true,” Coffey told Marcus Fuller of The Star Tribune. “Just playing in the league and doing something I’ve been wanting to do since I was a kid. Just putting all that work in and having it pay off is a good feeling.” Coffey had a breakout third season in ’21/22 after spending the bulk of his career on two-way deals, averaging 9.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 1.8 on .453/.378/.863 shooting in 69 games (30 starts, 22.7 MPG).
- George recently sat down for an interview with Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (video link) and discussed a number of topics, including joining forces with Leonard, his health, leadership, recruiting Wall, and more.
- The Lakers started Patrick Beverley and Austin Reaves in place of Kendrick Nunn and Damian Jones during Wednesday’s preseason game against Phoenix as coach Darvin Ham was taking a look at a small-ball lineup, tweets Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. Star Anthony Davis sat out the game for “precautionary” reasons due to lower back tightness, Goon notes (via Twitter).