Southeast Notes: Magic, Adebayo, Ware, Lambert
After tearing down the iteration of the team that featured the likes of Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, the Magic are finally moving toward where they want to be in the league’s hierarchy, Keith Smith of Spotrac writes. Headlined by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, the Magic made the playoffs as the No. 5 seed. And while they didn’t necessarily go all-in this summer, they added an NBA champion and top-tier role player in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Banchero asserted recently that the Magic belong in the conversation about the East’s best teams. Assuming he, Wagner, Suggs and others continue to progress in linear fashion, that might be true. As Smith observes, the Magic don’t have a single untradable contract.
On the flip side of things, Orlando is still very young and added 2024 first-rounder Tristan Da Silva to a group of deep-bench reserves that also features Anthony Black and Jett Howard. While they aren’t necessarily on a two-timeline approach since their stars are all in their early 20s, the Magic continue to have intriguing upside for growth beyond their biggest names.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat‘s selection of center Kel’el Ware in this year’s draft could put the team in position to play Bam Adebayo at the power forward position more often. However, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel believes that Adebayo won’t push for such a move and would be content with any opportunity to simply expand his game. Adebayo shot 35.7% on 42 three-point attempts last season and could increase that volume this season.
- In a separate, subscriber-only story, Winderman ponders whether Ware is ready for – or deserving of – regular minutes as a rookie. The No. 15 overall pick averaged 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in Summer League, but ultimately Miami will decide when he’s ready for responsibility at the NBA level. In my view, the Heat have done an excellent job in assessing which rookies have been ready to contribute right away. For example, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez quickly established themselves as rotation pieces despite varying levels of college experience. On the other hand, the club took a more patient approach to Nikola Jovic‘s insertion into the lineup while he fleshed out his defensive game.
- The Hornets are hiring Ryan Lambert as their director of amateur scouting, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Lambert was previously with the Thunder since 2012, working his way up to a senior amateur evaluation scout position last season.
Javonte Green Signs With Pelicans
AUGUST 22: Green’s addition is now official, the Pelicans have announced (Twitter link).
AUGUST 20: The Pelicans are signing free agent Javonte Green, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 6’4″ wing with power forward versatility closed last season with the Bulls.
According to Charania, the deal is for one year. William Guillory of The Athletic adds that it will be a guaranteed minimum-salary contract (Twitter link). Since Green has five years of NBA service, his deal will pay him $2,425,403 while counting for $2,087,519 against the cap.
Green went undrafted in 2015 but caught on with the Celtics ahead of the 2019/20 season. He spent one-and-a-half years with Boston before being traded to the Bulls.
The Radford product was a key part of the 2021/22 Bulls, averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 65 games (45 starts). He wasn’t re-signed by the team after his contract expired in 2023 but he eventually caught back on with the organization last season when he signed a pair of deals with the Bulls to close out the year.
In his nine games last season, Green averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. In 195 career games, he holds averages of 5.4 points and 3.1 boards while shooting a .541/.345/.754 line.
Once Green’s deal is official, the Pelicans will have a full 15-man roster of standard contract players, with 13 guaranteed salaries. All three of their two-way spots are also occupied.
With Jonas Valanciunas out of the fold, New Orleans added several bigs to their bench in Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic and Daniel Theis. While Green doesn’t have the same size as those players, he provides another strong rebounding presence (6.8 rebounds per 36 minutes).
International Notes: Jones, Garuba, Tillie
Carlik Jones has had two terrific summers in a row while playing for South Sudan’s national team. He had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the United States in an Olympic tune-up this summer, becoming the first player to ever record a triple-double versus the U.S. Olympic team.
Due to his stellar play, Jones was considered a candidate for an NBA roster spot. He previously spent parts of two seasons in the league, appearing in 12 total regular season games. However, Jones will instead play in the EuroLeague for the first time in his career.
According to a report from Eurohoops.net, Jones did in fact receive NBA interest from teams this offseason.
“There were a few offers from the NBA, but not as many as reported,” Jones said. “Many people were worried and nervous, but you shouldn’t believe everything that is written. It’s true that I received some offers, but I knew from the beginning that Partizan was the ideal club for me. It seemed like the best decision.”
Jones said he appreciated that KK Partizan, the team who signed him, was straightforward about his potential role.
We have more international notes:
- Former first-round pick Usman Garuba recently signed a contract with Real Madrid, marking a return to the club for the former Rockets and Warriors forward, who was born and raised in Madrid. “It’s an incredible feeling to return to what has been my home since I was 10 or 11 years old,” Garuba said, as relayed by Eurohoops.net. “Being able to come back here is a dream for me. I’m very happy and looking forward to it. For me, Real Madrid has been everything from the very first moment. I have developed here in every sense, both academically and as a player. I have to thank this club for everything I am today,” Garuba averaged 2.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 105 games.
- Former Grizzlies forward Killian Tillie signed with Unicaja Malaga in Spain, as Eurohoops.net relays. Tillie played in 54 games with the Grizzlies between 2020-22 and most recently participated in Summer League with the Celtics. Tillie’s return to professional basketball comes after two-and-a-half years of rehab from various injuries, including back surgery. He reportedly drew interest from NBA teams earlier this offseason.
- In case you missed it, former Bucks guard Jaylin Galloway is returning to the Sydney Kings, the NBL team he played for before making the jump to the NBA.
Knicks Notes: Randle, Rotation, Kolek, Yurtseven, Bridges
Any hypothetical trade involving Julius Randle, who has a player option for 2025/26, is difficult because no team seems to value him more than the Knicks do, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes in part two of his mailbag. He has a fair contract worth $28.9MM this season, but any team who trades for him would have to extend him and wouldn’t want to give up a package that would seem suitable for New York.
As Katz relays, there’s no indication New York even wants to trade Randle, who averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season.
Katz compares the situation to what is currently happening with Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans. Because New Orleans values Ingram too much to give him for nothing, it makes it difficult to trade him to other teams who don’t want to sacrifice many assets if they have to pay him big money. Still, as Katz writes, making such an attempt to move Randle doesn’t make sense at this juncture for one of New York’s most important pieces.
We have more from the Knicks:
- Randle might man the center position more often this season, Katz writes in the same piece. He’s in prime position to take the role Isaiah Hartenstein filled last year in terms of taking dump-offs from Jalen Brunson and using his ball-handling skills in the middle.
- New York has always been strict about handing out minutes to rookies, making sure that said minutes are earned and not given. While Tyler Kolek could impress early, Katz doesn’t see the Knicks’ 34th overall pick playing much right away, especially since the team signed Cameron Payne to fill the third point guard spot on the roster.
- As we’ve written in recent days, Omer Yurtseven has an agreement in principle to join Greek club Panathinaikos. He originally worked out for the Knicks in early, who extended him a contract offer, according to SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). However, Begley writes that the offer from New York wasn’t something he would seriously consider, which seems to indicate that the deal may have been a non-guaranteed offer to join the team in training camp.
- Mikal Bridges‘ impact on the Knicks is being overlooked before the season starts, argues The Sporting News’s Scott Davis. In Bridges, the Knicks are getting one of the best defensive wings in the league who doesn’t have to be the No. 1 option for the franchise. He’ll be able to lead reserve units, for sure, but he’ll also be able to catch and shoot while being a strong backside cut option.
And-Ones: 2024/25 Awards, Gaston, Underrated Offseason Moves, Thomas
Entering the 2024/25 season, the top three finalists for last year’s MVP appear to once again be the leading candidates for the award. A panel of ESPN’s sportswriters and analysts predict how the upcoming season’s award season will pan out and Luka Doncic received 48% of first-place votes for Most Valuable Player (ESPN+ link). Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander round out the top three.
Neither of the 2024 draft’s top two picks crack ESPN’s top five Rookie of the Year predictions. Houston’s Reed Sheppard is the overwhelming favorite among the finalists, earning 62% of first place votes. Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan round out the top three. As explained in the article, Sheppard potentially playing big minutes right away for a team with playoff aspirations may have factored into the voting.
Another race ESPN’s writers don’t think will be close is that of the Defensive Player of the Year award. Victor Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite with 67% of first-place votes, with Bam Adebayo (14%) and Rudy Gobert (5%) rounding out the top three. Wembanyama made an immediate impact on the defensive end last season, putting up multiple outings with video game-level box scores en route to averaging 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks as a rookie.
As usual, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player and Coach of the Year had less of a consensus in terms of preseason favorites. Malik Monk and Alex Caruso lead the way for the Sixth Man award, but Naz Reid, Jaime Jaquez, T.J. McConnell and Bobby Portis all earned at least 10% of the first-place votes. Wembanyama and other young players were atop the list of Most Improved candidates, while Coby White, who finished second in MIP voting last season, also ranked highly. After his team made several moves this offseason, New York’s Tom Thibodeau led the way in votes for the top coach spot.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Former CEO of Family First agency, Chris Gaston, is making the move to Octagon Basketball, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Gaston is the agent of former NBAers Damyean Dotson, Chris Smith and Josh Gray. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo are among current NBA players repped by Octagon.
- The Mavericks trading Tim Hardaway Jr. and second-round picks for Quentin Grimes is one of the more underrated moves of the offseason, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. Moving Hardaway not only brought in a young wing in Grimes but it also set the stage for Dallas to have enough cap flexibility to sign Naji Marshall and acquire Klay Thompson. Another underrated move in Hollinger’s eyes was Phoenix adding Tyus Jones, which gave the Suns a starting-caliber point guard without sacrificing any further draft capital. Other moves Hollinger liked were the Warriors‘ additions, The Rockets‘ draft capital maneuvering and the Timberwolves‘ trade to move into the top 10 of this year’s draft.
- Brodric Thomas is the latest player to join the G League United roster for the September exhibition tournament, as announced by the league (Twitter link). Thomas has appeared in 44 games across two NBA seasons with Houston, Cleveland and Boston. The tournament is set to take place on Sept. 4 and 6 against KK Mega Basket.
Heat Notes: Herro, Ware, Larsson, Christopher
While the Heat didn’t make any splashy free agent moves this offseason, guard Tyler Herro still views the team as one the Eastern Conference’s best, Mat Issa of Forbes writes.
“I don’t see why not,” Herro said when asked if he viewed Miami as a contender. “We have everything we need.”
Herro was a critical part of the Heat’s NBA Finals appearance in 2020 as well as their push in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022. While he played just one playoff game in the 2022/23 season, he averaged 20.1 points in the regular season for the team that went on to the Finals.
“I’m really excited for this season. Obviously, there are a lot of teams in the East that think they have externally improved. But I think we’ve improved internally,” Herro said. “It may look a little different, but we have young guys that we hope will continue to get better. Bam Adebayo and I are young guys who are starting to become full-fledged veterans in this league. Terry Rozier is healthy now and ready to compete. Then you have Jimmy Butler, who is extra motivated after not being able to play in the playoffs last season.”
The Heat bowed out of the playoffs last season to the Celtics, losing 4-1. The team was riddled with injuries up and down the roster, and Herro himself only appeared in 42 regular season games.
“We haven’t been healthy yet,” Herro said. “But we feel like when we do get healthy, we have a very deep team – a team that is deep enough to make a run in the East and ultimately win the NBA title.”
Herro said he’s trying to get stronger and continue to increase his scoring efficiency while upping his volume. Check out Issa’s full interview with Herro at the link above.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- An anonymous veteran coach and scout praised the Heat’s 2024 draft class, headlined by No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “They got a steal with Ware,” the scout said. “Everyone questioned his motor at Oregon; nobody questioned the talent. And people are going to be disappointed they didn’t take him [before Miami selected him 15th].” Ware averaged 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in eight Summer League games.
- Pelle Larsson, Miami’s second-round pick, averaged 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in Summer League action, looking like a player who could crack the rotation sooner rather than later. “[Larsson is] smart as heck. He just knows how to play. If Jaime Jaquez is a 10 on the know-how-to-play scale, this kid is right there with him,” the anonymous scout said, per Jackson. “He’s not as physically gifted as Jaquez, but he can shoot. And he’s got a great feel for the game.“
- The Heat recently added Josh Christopher to their roster after he came away with Summer League MVP. The scout Jackson interviewed was also impressed by the former Rockets first rounder. “He can really score,” the scout said. “He played in some competitive summer league games and showed late in games that he could be a threat. From talking to people who have worked with him, it wasn’t like he balked at going to the G League. He took the challenge to learn how to distribute and become a better player in the G League when asked to do that. His defense can improve. He has the elements to make him a very switchable, tough defender. He doesn’t back down from a player he would have to switch on.“
Community Shootaround: Best Two-Way Contract Players
Every year, several two-way contract players outperform their current deals and wind up playing more minutes than expected for their respective organizations. However, two-way players are limited to 50 games on their contracts and aren’t eligible for the postseason.
[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]
Once top two-way players approach their 50-game limit or it’s clear they’re either a part of the organization’s future or making an immediate impact, a team will often convert their deals. Some teams have to wait longer than others due to financial reasons or a lack of roster spots, however.
Take the Heat, for example, who often begin seasons with 14 players on standard deals as opposed to the maximum allowable 15 due to their position against the tax. That’s what they did in 2021/22 when they had Caleb Martin on a two-way deal before signing him at mid-season, when his salary would be prorated and allow them to squeeze under the tax line.
Still, we’re almost certain to see several players converted from two-way to standard contracts this season. Last year, Vince Williams, GG Jackson, Keon Ellis, Craig Porter Jr. and Duop Reath were among impact players who were converted sooner rather than later. Martin, Aaron Wiggins and Sam Hauser are other good in-season examples for recent years.
The Heat could repeat history with a two-way player who may see minutes relatively early in the season with Keshad Johnson. Miami signed Johnson to a two-way deal right after the draft and he played well for the team this summer after ranking as one of the best undrafted free agents. With Martin gone, minutes are open along the wing and at the forward spot for the Heat and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson fill in.
The Wizards have a roster glut to sort through before making any such move, but since they’re likely to be active at the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Justin Champagnie get brought up at some point. Champagnie has appeared in 56 NBA games and impressed in the G League.
The Kings may have one of the best trios of two-way players in the league with Mason Jones, Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones. The latter two players went undrafted in 2024 but were rated among the best available rookie free agents after June’s draft. Mason Jones, meanwhile, has impressed in the league before and posted a .502/.459/.833 shooting line in the G League last season. Sacramento could have an opportunity for minutes early with Devin Carter dealing with a shoulder injury and the team light on depth.
Cleveland has been filling out its two-way slots over the past week, bringing in JT Thor and re-signing Emoni Bates. Thor is still just 21 after having three seasons of NBA experience. Bates impressed last season in the G League, averaging 21.6 PPG and making 37.0% of his 10.5 three-point attempts per game. With the Cavaliers still having three open standard roster spots, it’s possible their rotation is a bit shallower to begin the year even if Isaac Okoro re-signs.
Utah is another team with several “veterans” on two-way deals between Jason Preston, Oscar Tshiebwe and Micah Potter. Tshiebwe, in particular, was the G League Rookie of the Year last season after pulling down 16.1 rebounds per game. The Jazz are a young team that could give minutes to as many young players as possible to see who sticks.
That brings us to our question of the day. Which player currently on a two-way contract do you see earning a promotion this season? Are there any players who you think are underlooked? Which players are primed to earn minutes right away?
Take to the comments to let us know. We look forward to your input!
Keyontae Johnson Agrees To Deal With Hornets
Former Thunder forward Keyontae Johnson is signing with the Hornets, according to a social media post from his agency, Priority Sports (Instagram link).
It’s unclear what sort of deal Johnson is signing with the Hornets. Charlotte has one open standard roster spot and one open two-way slot, so he could theoretically be signing into one of those open spots. A two-way deal or an Exhibit 10 contract feel like the most likely outcomes for the former Kansas State forward.
Johnson was the 50th overall pick in 2023 and spent his rookie season on a two-way contract. He averaged 1.2 points in nine games last season but played more in the G League, averaging 19.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 38 games with the Oklahoma City Blue.
Johnson began his collegiate career at Florida, where he played from 2018-22. He was a member of the All-SEC First Team in his sophomore season after averaging 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds. Then, in 2020, Johnson made national headlines after collapsing on the court and falling into a coma. He made a remarkable recovery over the next two years before returning to basketball in 2022/23 as a member of Kansas State. He had a terrific season for the Wildcats, averaging 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, and was rewarded with an NBA contract for his efforts.
The 6’6″ forward continued his impressive play into the G League last season where he made 40.4% of his three-point attempts.
Signing Johnson would bring the Hornets to 17 players on their offseason roster out of a maximum 21. They have 14 players on standard contracts (13 guaranteed), a pair on two-way deals, and Johnson, whose deal has yet to be specified. The team has also reportedly agreed to sign undrafted free agent Raequan Battle to an Exhibit 10 contract.
Western Notes: Mills, Booker, Mavericks
New Jazz guard Patty Mills is a respected veteran who has been a key part of several contenders and championship winners across the span of his 15-year career. That’s what made him an appealing target for Utah, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes.
As Jones observes, Mills and Jazz coach Will Hardy crossed over in San Antonio and Hardy observed as Mills worked hard to become the player who helped the Spurs win a ring in 2014. Mills isn’t the player he was a decade ago, but his hard work and veteran guidance could help aid Cody Williams, Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and others in their professional development.
Jones notes that the Jazz have been interested in Mills for a while now and almost acquired him at the February trade deadline. The guard was eventually bought out from Atlanta and finished the 2023/24 season with Miami. While the Jazz won’t officially announce the signing quite yet as they continue exploring taking in salaries from trades, it says a lot about Mills that he was able to land a guaranteed deal with the team.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Stars like Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant rightfully dominated Olympic headlines as the U.S. brought home the gold, but there were impressive showings up and down the roster. One such “unsung” player is Devin Booker, Doug Haller of The Athletic writes. Haller ponders whether Booker will gain more respect as he enters his 10th NBA season, arguing that he isn’t as “strongly appreciated” as he should be outside of Arizona.
- Bucks guard Damian Lillard praised Booker for his role on the Olympic team, saying he was able to put his head down and fill various team needs, Dana Scott of Arizona Republic writes. “Watching the games, I thought it was extremely obvious that he went into it with that mentality,” Lillard said of Booker. “Like, ‘I’m gonna pick guys up, I’m gonna get into the ball, make open shots, I’m gonna compete for the team.’ I think it takes a special type of person to take that role when there’s so many outside voices and people talking about every little thing, and he definitely did that.” Lillard sees the Suns superstar as holding a critical role on the 2028 iteration of Team USA.
- The Mavericks are holding their training camp in Las Vegas this year, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com relays. They’ll train on UNLV’s campus from Oct. 1-4 before returning to Dallas, where they play Memphis in their preseason opener on Oct. 7.
JT Thor Agrees To Two-Way Contract With Cavaliers
Former Hornets forward JT Thor is signing a two-way contract with the Cavaliers, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link).
Thor, the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft, spent the first three years of his career with the Hornets. He didn’t play a major role with Charlotte, but earned a handful of spot starts across his tenure with the franchise. He averaged 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 165 games (11 starts; 12.2 MPG) with the Hornets from 2021-24.
The former Auburn standout earned some first-round buzz in the 2021 draft after a freshman season that saw him average 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals while stretching out to the three-point line as a 6’10” forward. At 21 years old, he still has some untapped potential.
Thor most recently impressed in the Olympics, playing for South Sudan’s national team. He averaged about seven points and five rebounds for South Sudan.
Thor is the first reported two-way signing for the Cavs, giving them two other spots they can choose to fill. They have a two-way qualifying offer out for Emoni Bates, who finished last season on a two-way contract with the team.
Pete Nance and Isaiah Mobley also finished the 2023/24 season on two-way deals with Cleveland but are both unrestricted free agents, free to sign with any team.