Rockets Notes: Wall, Wood, Porter, Theis, Vaccines
The Rockets and John Wall mutually agreed earlier this month to hold him out of games and work together on finding a trade, but the veteran point guard believes he still has a role to play with the team off the court.
Wall reiterated several times during his Media Day availability today that his main priority is to serve as a veteran mentor to Houston’s young players, and also stated that he’s 100 percent healthy entering the new season (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle).
Wall, who isn’t sure which team he’d like to be traded to, told reporters on Monday, “My job is to be here with this team, stay healthy, and see what the future holds” (Twitter link via Kelly Iko of The Athletic).
General manager Rafael Stone and the Rockets’ front office are in lock-step with Wall, a stark contrast to the situation in Philadelphia. Stone says that the communication between the two sides has been great, stating, “In terms of our communication it’s been easy. The challenge was what works for everyone long term. It’s not like our communication ends today” (Twitter link via Iko).
When asked about the possibility of a buyout with Wall, Stone said he doesn’t expect that to happen anytime soon, if at all.
“Organizationally we don’t have any interest in this at this time,” Stone said (Twitter link via Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston). “I don’t think that makes sense for John and I don’t think that makes sense for us. We’re gonna find things that make sense to both parties.”
There’s more from Houston:
- Forward/center Christian Wood, who was a borderline All-Star last season prior to injuring his ankle, says he’s fully recovered from the injury and is 100 percent healthy entering the season (Twitter via Kelly Iko).
- Kevin Porter Jr., whom the Rockets acquired from the Cavaliers last season, is beyond grateful to the Rockets. “This organization saved my life,” Porter told reporters today (Twitter link via Iko). “I needed a new change of scenery and they picked me up when I was down.” Porter went on to add that basketball wasn’t an escape outlet in Cleveland because he was depressed at the time, but coming to Houston represented a total 180 for the young player (Twitter link via Iko).
- Free agent addition Daniel Theis appears optimistic about partnering with Wood in the Rockets’ frontcourt, expressing optimism that the two big men can play alongside one another and telling reporters that he wants to be the anchor of the team’s defense (Twitter link via Iko).
- The Rockets are 100 percent vaccinated, Stone told reporters today (Twitter link via Iko).
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Signs With Turkish Team
SEPTEMBER 27: Hollis-Jefferson has signed with Besiktas, agent Adie von Gontard confirmed to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Givony, Hollis-Jefferson’s contract with the Turkish club will include an NBA out clause.
SEPTEMBER 23: Veteran NBA free agent forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is expected to sign with Besiktas of Turkey, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
The 23rd overall pick in the 2015 draft, Hollis-Jefferson had a productive first four seasons with the Nets from 2015-19, showcasing athleticism, energy, defensive versatility, and strong rebounding for a player his size (6’6″). He put up 9.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 23.6 MPG over those seasons, with a .444/.223/.739 shooting line. The 22.3% on three sticks out, but it was on just 0.8 attempts per game.
Hollis-Jefferson also had a nice run off the bench for Toronto a couple of years ago, but struggled to catch on with NBA teams last season, playing in just 11 games for the Trail Blazers on a couple of 10-day contracts before finishing out the season with the team.
It’s a little surprising that a player who’s had a solid track record and is still just 26 years old couldn’t find another NBA home this summer. However, the league has trended away from players similar to Hollis-Jefferson in recent years, as his unique skill set isn’t as valued without a reliable outside shot or the size to match up against true centers.
Urbonas notes that Besiktas features several former NBA and G League players, and will be participating in the Basketball Champions League, which begins on October 4.
Knicks Add Wayne Selden To Camp Roster
SEPTEMBER 25: The signing is official, the team tweets.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Knicks signed shooting guard Wayne Selden to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
Selden spent parts of three seasons in the NBA from 2016-19, seeing action in 124 games. He holds career averages of 7.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 19.1 MPG. He spent last season with Ironi Nes Ziona of the Israeli Super League, and most recently played for the Knicks’ Summer League squad.
The move brings the Knicks to a full 20-man camp roster, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts.
Clippers Notes: Leonard, Ibaka, Preston, Offseason Grade, New Coaches
The Clippers made it to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history last season, but they’ll have to wait quite a while for Kawhi Leonard to return from the partially torn ACL he suffered in the playoffs — possibly until the 2022/23 season.
President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank says the team doesn’t even broach the subject of Leonard’s recovery timeline, stating that “no one knows” when he’ll return, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
In the same piece, Youngmisuk relays that Serge Ibaka, who’s recovering from back surgery, will be limited to non-contact drills at the start of training camp, according to Frank.
Youngmisuk also notes that rookie Jason Preston, the 33rd pick in the draft, suffered a foot injury in a group workout recently and will not be available for the start of training camp, which begins next Tuesday, September 28th. Frank said team physicians will determine the severity of the injury in the next couple of days.
Frank declined to say whether all of the players and staff members on the team are fully vaccinated, per Youngmisuk, although he did say that he’s a “huge advocate of the vaccinations.”
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Zach Harper of The Athletic gave the Clippers a B-minus for their offseason moves. He liked their draft picks and thought Justise Winslow and Harry Giles were decent “buy-low” pickups, but states that ultimately their offseason will depend on how Leonard and Ibaka recover from their surgeries.
- The Clippers announced in a press release that Brian Shaw and Jay Larranaga will be assistant coaches under Tyronn Lue. The team also promoted Shaun Fein to assistant coach. Shaw’s and Larranaga’s additions were reported in July. Shaw played 14 seasons in the NBA and was the former head coach of the Lakers and Nuggets. He spent last season as the head coach of G League Ignite. Larranaga was an assistant with the Celtics the past nine seasons.
- In the same release, the Clippers said former NBA player Wesley Johnson will be joining the team in a coaching and development role, along with Cookie Belcher.
- Frank loves Patrick Beverley and said it wasn’t easy parting with him, but he’s excited for what new addition Eric Bledsoe will bring to the team, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).
Bucks Sign Javin DeLaurier, Waive Mamadi Diakite
The Bucks have signed Javin DeLaurier to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (via Twitter), and waived Mamadi Diakite, per our JD Shaw (Twitter link).
DeLaurier, a 6’10” forward/center, spent four seasons at Duke prior to going undrafted in 2020. Last season he signed an Exhibit 10 training camp contract with the Hornets, was waived, and then played seven games for Hornets’ G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. He most recently played for the Hawks’ Summer League squad. It’s worth noting that he played just 11.1 MPG for the Swarm — roughly in line with his college averages.
Diakite, a 6’9″ forward, played four seasons for Virginia prior to going undrafted in 2020. Diakite signed a two-way contract with the Bucks and put up strong numbers in the G League, averaging 18.5 PPG/ 10.4 RPG/ 2.0 APG/ 2.1 BPG (27.7 MPG) with a .580/.500/.750 shooting line in 12 games for the Lakeland Magic (he was assigned to the Magic because the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, elected not to participate in the bubble last season). He played in just 14 games for the Bucks but had his two-way contract converted to a standard contract in April.
Diakite had a partial guarantee of $100K that the Bucks will be on the hook for unless he’s claimed off waivers by another team.
The two moves leave the Bucks with 19 players for their training camp roster, with 13 on fully guaranteed contracts. 2021 60th overall pick Georgios Kalaitzakis has a partial guarantee of $462K for the upcoming season, so he might have a leg up on the competition for the 14th spot, but the remainder of his contract is non-guaranteed.
Kings Notes: Mitchell, Fox, Ranadivé, Sarin, Coleman III
Many around the NBA world were surprised when the Kings selected guard Davion Mitchell with the 9th pick of the 2021 draft, not because they thought Mitchell was undeserving, but because two of the Kings’ best players last season were De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, both slender guards.
However, Mitchell quickly showed his value in Summer League, spearheading a dominant defensive effort en route to the championship, winning co-MVP in the process. Fox believes Mitchell’s defense-first mentality will be “great for the team,” and “he’s definitely going to come in and help us change a lot of that,” in regard to turning around the team’s 30th ranked defense, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
There’s more on the Kings:
- Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé announced today that he bought out the shares of several minority owners who were essential in keeping the team in Sacramento, per James Patrick of The Sacramento Bee. It’s worth noting that the move was made in part because the former owners believe the team is stable now, with no plans to relocate.
- The Kings are hiring Saagar Sarin as a scout, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sarin served as the Timberwolves’ scouting coordinator the past two seasons and previously worked with Kings general manager Monte McNair in Houston. Anderson adds that the move was unrelated to the recent firing of Gersson Rosas.
- McNair believes players want to play for coach Luke Walton and credits him with the the team’s ability to re-sign free agents as well as the return of Alex Len, per Jason Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- The Kings have officially signed Matt Coleman III to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Coleman played four seasons for Texas and was a two-time All-Big 12 member for the Longhorns. James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area confirms the contract will be a standard Exhibit 10 (via Twitter). The move was first reported in July by Jeremy Woo of SI.com.
Rockets Waive Matthew Hurt
The Rockets are waiving rookie Matthew Hurt, per Alykhan Bijani and Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hurt had been signed to a two-way contract.
Hurt, a 6’9″ forward who played two seasons for Duke, had a very productive sophomore season for the Blue Devils in 2020-21, averaging 18.3 PPG and 6.2 RPG (32.7 MPG) with a stellar .556/.444/.724 shooting line across 24 games.
Hurt went undrafted before signing the two-way deal with the Rockets. The move leaves the Rockets with 19 players entering training camp, with their one opening now a two-way contract.
Hurt should be able to catch on with another team, whether it be on a two-way or an Exhibit 10 contract, although with training camp fast approaching, roster spots are filling up very quickly.
Pistons Plan To Sign Cassius Stanley
The Pistons are planning to sign second-year free agent Cassius Stanley, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic (twitter link).
Stanley was drafted 54th overall in the 2020 draft by the Pacers and signed a two-way contract with the team, but only saw game action in a total of 93 minutes across 24 games – an average of 3.9 MPG. The Pacers withdrew their two-way qualifying offer to Stanley last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.
An extremely athletic but raw player, Stanley is perhaps best well known for participating in the 2021 Slam Dunk Contest. He also played 12 games for the Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, averaging 12.7 PPG/3.3 RPG/1.7 APG in 27.8 MPG over 12 games, with a .413/.267/.533 shooting line.
Edwards doesn’t specify what type of contract Stanley will receive, but the team doesn’t currently have a two-way slot open, so a standard contract, perhaps with Exhibit 10 language, seems likely. As has been previously noted, it’s possible the team could convert Luka Garza‘s two-way contract into a standard contract before the regular season, which would free up a two-way slot, and Stanley is two-way eligible. That may be his best path to sticking with Detroit.
If Stanley does sign an Exhibit 10 contract, he would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
Central Notes: Cavs, Simmons, Bucks, Pistons
Given how frequently the Cavaliers have been linked to Ben Simmons during the past few months, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com contemplates what it might take for the Cavs to acquire Simmons — and whether they should.
Fedor notes that the Cavaliers, as currently constructed, aren’t an ideal fit for a player with Simmons’ skill set, because they lack the shooters necessary to open the floor for his open-court driving and passing. So even if they did acquire him, they would almost certainly have to make more moves in order to build the team around him.
Fedor speculates that a package of Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, and a pair of protected first-round picks might not entice the 76ers more than other offers they’ve received, or ones they could receive in the weeks ahead. He also adds that while the Cavs have no “untouchables” on the roster, rookie Evan Mobley and improving point guard Darius Garland are the closest bets, and are considered very unlikely to be moved.
Fedor says that there are ultimately more questions than answers to the issue of whether the Cavs should go all-in for Simmons, adding that the team should be patient in its approach to see if the 76ers’ asking price might lessen over time. The article is worth checking out in full.
There’s more from the Central division:
- The Bucks recently held a free-agent minicamp for their last remaining training camp spot, per our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Former NBA players Allonzo Trier, Antonio Blakeney, Chris McCullough and Josh Gray were among the participants. The Bucks currently only have 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts, so winning a training camp battle could very well be a viable pathway to making the team.
- The Bucks‘ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, recently named Chaisson Allen as their new head coach. Allen was a highly regarded college player for Northeastern and spent five seasons playing internationally. He spent last season as an assistant for the Long Island Nets. In the same press release, the Herd also announced that Tony Bollier will serve as the team’s general manager and Arte Culver will be the new assistant general manager.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores what the Pistons should do with their open roster spot. The team currently has 14 players under guaranteed contracts after acquiring and buying out DeAndre Jordan. Langlois posits the team could convert Luka Garza from a two-way contract to the main 15-man roster, though the plan is for him to spend significant time in the G league. Langlois notes that converting Garza would free up a two-way spot for summer league standout Jamorko Pickett, who’s currently on an Exhibit 10 deal. Langlois also says the team could keep the spot open for maximum roster flexibility, perhaps adding a 15th man later in the season.
Hawks Sign Jahlil Okafor To Non-Guaranteed Contract
SEPTEMBER 22: The deal became official on Tuesday, per RealGM’s transactions log.
SEPTEMBER 16: Former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor is signing with the Hawks, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via twitter). The contract will be non-guaranteed.
In a follow-up tweet, Hawks beat reporter Chris Kirschner of The Athletic notes that Okafor and recently-signed Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who is also on a non-guaranteed deal, are the most likely candidates to claim the 15th and final spot on the team’s regular season roster.
The team currently has 14 players on guaranteed contracts and 19 players signed to its training camp roster, so Okafor will be their 20th man on the roster, with no corresponding moves necessary to add him.
It’s worth noting that the Hawks could have claimed Okafor off waivers when he was released by the Nets last week, but doing so would have meant taking on a guaranteed minimum contract for the upcoming season. Waiting until he cleared waivers gave them the opportunity to sign him to a non-guaranteed deal, granting the team more flexibility with their roster.
Okafor has bounced around the league in recent years and struggled to break Detroit’s big man rotation last season before being traded to Brooklyn in the offseason. However, he does hold career averages of 10.4 PPG and 4.7 RPG in just 19.5 MPG, so he’s capable of packing an offensive punch when given the opportunity.