Hornets Waive Kobi Simmons
The Hornets have waived guard Kobi Simmons, according to a team press release.
Simmons, 26, signed a two-way contract with the Hornets in March after spending most of the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. The former Arizona guard then saw his two-way contract converted into a standard deal in April. His minimum salary for ’23/24 was fully non-guaranteed.
Simmons averaged 19.2 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 46 regular season and Showcase Cup games for the Swarm in 2022/23, shooting 38.1% from deep. Last season was actually Simmons’ third playing for the Swarm. However, Simmons only made five NBA appearances in ’22/23, scoring just five total points in that span of time.
Simmons is a seasoned G League veteran, having played in 159 games in the NBA’s developmental league since going undrafted in 2017. The 6’5″ guard began his career with the Grizzlies on a two-way deal back in the ’17/18 season, averaging 6.1 points in 32 games (12 starts) with Memphis. However, the Grizzlies cut ties with him following the season.
The next year, in ’17/18, the Cavaliers signed Simmons to a 10-day contract and he appeared in a single game, but he didn’t stick around in Cleveland. After that, Simmons played for the Swarm in three of the next four seasons before landing his two-way deal with the team.
After signing P.J. Washington to a deal, Charlotte’s roster quickly became crowded. Having cut Simmons, Charlotte is down to 15 players on standard contracts (JT Thor and Frank Ntilikina have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals). The Hornets also have two players on two-way deals (Leaky Black and Amari Bailey) and four more who are reportedly joining the team for training camp (R.J. Hunter, Angelo Allegri, Nathan Mensah and Tre Scott).
The team drafted James Nnaji with the No. 31 overall pick this year but he has yet to sign and may be stashed. Theo Maledon remains a two-way restricted free agent.
Hornets Sign P.J. Washington To Three-Year Contract
AUGUST 29: The Hornets have officially re-signed Washington, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
AUGUST 26: Restricted free agent forward P.J. Washington has agreed on a new three-year, $48MM deal to stay with the Hornets, LIFT Sports Management agent Kevin Bradbury and Washington Sports Group’s Paul Washington Sr. tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Washington was the only standard unsigned restricted free agent this summer and one of the most prominent available names in all of free agency, ranking 11th on our top-50 list.
There was some concern earlier in the offseason that Washington and the Hornets wouldn’t be able to come to terms on an agreement. Forward Miles Bridges and Charlotte didn’t agree on a long-term deal and he ended up signing his qualifying offer, putting himself on track for unrestricted free agency next year. Washington was believed to have been considering a similar route.
Other teams, such as the Cavaliers, were also monitoring the Washington situation. Now, the Hornets will bring back the 25-year-old on a three-year deal that pays $16MM annually.
Washington is an integral part of the Hornets’ promising young core that includes LaMelo Ball, 2023 No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and more. The Kentucky product averaged a career-high 15.7 points per game last season. The Hornets drafted Washington with the No. 12 overall pick in 2019 and he started 73 games for Charlotte last year.
The Washington signing will give the Hornets a packed roster. He’ll be the 13th Charlotte player on a guaranteed deal, with JT Thor, Kobi Simmons and Frank Ntilikina all signed to non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts.
James Nnaji, the No. 31 overall pick in 2023, hasn’t officially signed (though he may be stashed). The Hornets also have two players on two-way deals (Leaky Black and Amari Bailey), and Angelo Allegri, Tre Scott, Nathan Mensah and R.J. Hunter are all reportedly joining the Hornets on training camp deals. So while Charlotte has some flexibility, there are more moves to come from the Queen City.
World Cup Notes: Neto, Jones, Doncic, Bogdanovic
Brazilian guard Raul Neto ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee during Brazil’s 2023 FIBA World Cup opener against Iran, Eurohoops.net reports. Neto will miss the rest of the World Cup.
It’s a brutal blow for Neto, who recently signed overseas with Turkish club Fenerbahce. In a recent interview with Eurohoops, the veteran spoke about his excitement for joining one of the top overseas clubs. Neto, who played in the NBA from 2015-23, didn’t rule out a return stateside, but said he was a bit disappointed not to receive a contract offer.
Neto averaged 8.7 points per game with the Wizards in 2020/21. After leaving Washington in 2022, he signed with the Cavaliers, where he spent all of last year, but he didn’t play much.
“I just think that the NBA season… it’s very hard if you aren’t a role player,” Neto said. “It’s hard on you. You don’t play much.”
Neto, 31, was hoping that his time with Fenerbahce would allow him to see the floor more and show that he’s still got his guard skills, according to his interview with Eurohoops. However, this recent injury puts his time with Fenerbahce in doubt. Patellar tendon ruptures typically take six-to-12 months to recover from, so it’s safe to say that Neto’s ’23/24 season is in jeopardy.
The Brazilian guard was poised to be a significant part of not only Brazil’s national team, but also Fenerbahce, as he was essentially signed to replace Nick Calathes.
We have more World Cup notes:
- Bulls guard Carlik Jones, playing with South Sudan in the World Cup, put up a record-breaking performance in the team’s opening loss to Puerto Rico. Jones recorded 38 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and four steals in the defeat, hitting four of his nine attempts from downtown. According to HoopsHype, that is the best scoring mark for any African national team at the World Cup. He also recorded the first 30-point, 10-assist game in tournament history. This was South Sudan’s World Cup debut. Jones is signed to a non-guaranteed deal for the Bulls — it becomes partially guaranteed for $250K if he makes the opening-night roster.
- Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic made a statement in Slovenia’s opening game of the World Cup, putting up 37 points in their matchup with Venezuela. Doncic’s 37 points were a tournament high briefly before Jones had his record-setting performance. Former NBA center Mike Tobey had a terrific game for Slovenia, putting up 21 points on 9 of 9 shooting.
- Serbia’s World Cup experience has been a roller coaster so far. While the team blew out China 105-63, it also lost center Filip Petrusev due to injury. Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the leaders on Serbia’s team and spoke about its World Cup experience thus far in a recent interview with Eurohoops. “We expect the next two games to be much harder than the first against China. They’re both experienced teams, with a lot of good players,” he said of the schedule. Serbia takes on South Sudan and Puerto Rico next. In the interview, Bogdanovic talked about his main goal for the World Cup, which is to qualify for the Olympics and medal in the event.
- In case you missed it, we had more World Cup notes on Friday.
Three Candidates To Be Promoted From Two-Way Contracts
While there is still a bit of time before NBA training camps open, we have a good idea of what most team rosters will look like to begin the season. As we recently detailed, 70 of the league’s 90 available two-way contracts are currently filled. Since those players only have $75K in guaranteed money, however, teams have plenty of flexibility to make changes, whether those come in the form of cuts or promotions to standard deals.
Since the inception of the two-way contract in 2017, dozens of players have been called up from two-way deals to standard contracts. Players like Paul Reed, Chris Boucher and Alex Caruso are among the players to cash in their two-way deals into big standard contracts with their impressive play and development over time. The Heat made waves in the 2023 NBA Finals when several rotation players on their team made big contributions, many of whom spent time on two-way deals, including Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin.
While the Heat are an extreme case of two-way players becoming highly paid standard contract players, more and more teams seem to be recognizing the value of these developmental spots. Almost every team currently has a G League affiliate and those who don’t have committed to adding one. And this year, the NBA increased two-way contract spots from two per team to three, creating 30 new roster spots.
As noted above, teams are still figuring out what to do with those spots, but there are currently players signed to two-way deals who seem poised to continue the trend of promotions making an impact. With that said, here are three prime candidates to be elevated from their two-way deals to standard contracts sometime during the ’23/24 season, whether or not it happens during the preseason process.
Lester Quinones
Quinones wasn’t on many public top 100 big boards ahead of the 2022 NBA draft, so it was a mild surprise to see him signed to a two-way contract right after the draft. Though he was signed, Quinones was an example of a two-way player getting shuffled around in the preseason, and he ended up getting cut before the season began.
More roster shuffling occurred in March and Quinones penned a 10-day deal before being signed to a two-way deal to close out the year. During the time in between, the Memphis product put up terrific numbers for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League, averaging 20.2 points in the regular season and showcase and he shot 37.5% from deep on 7.7 attempts. Quinones continued dominating in the summer during Las Vegas Summer League where he averaged 21.2 points and 5.2 assists. The Warriors re-signed Quinones to another two-way deal in late July.
The Warriors have a ton of roster flexibility moving forward. They have just 13 players signed to standard deals and only Quinones occupies a two-way deal. Preseason and training camp seems like an ample opportunity for the 6’5″ guard to reverse his fortunes from a year ago and get promoted to the main roster.
Lindell Wigginton
Like Quinones, Wigginton is a guy who has been lost in Milwaukee’s back-end roster shuffling. Wigginton has been in Milwaukee’s system for two seasons, playing for the Bucks on a two-way deal in 2021/22, not being re-signed, then later being added to another two-way deal at the end of the ’22/23 season.
Wigginton averaged 19.2 points and 5.9 assists last season in the G League across 38 regular season and Showcase Cup games. The 6’2″ lead guard also has 26 games of NBA experience (one start), holding averages of 5.0 points and 1.4 assists.
The Bucks don’t have a logical way to add Wigginton to their main roster before the ’23/24 season begins. Their 15-man roster is set and a trade or cut prior to the season doesn’t seem likely. If the Bucks make a move at the trade deadline, Wigginton could be a logical option to call up if Milwaukee sends out more than they take in. If not, it’s entirely possible the Bucks sign the Iowa State alum to a standard deal in the offseason, much like they did with A.J. Green this year.
Jamal Cain
As we mentioned, Heat players have historically been elevated from two-way contracts. In fact, they’ve promoted a two-way player to a standard deal in every year (or following offseason) since their inception in 2017 (Derrick Jones in ’17/18; Robinson in ’18/19; Chris Silva in ’19/20; Vincent and Strus in ’20/21; Martin in ’21/22; and Orlando Robinson in ’22/23). Cain is the next logical candidate for a promotion.
Cain was reportedly waiting for a standard contract offer before ultimately re-signing with the Heat on a two-way deal earlier this month. The Oakland product impressed last season, averaging 5.4 points in 18 NBA games and 20.5 points in 25 G League games last year.
The Heat are still waiting on the Damian Lillard situation to shake out, but they still only have 13 players signed to standard deals. Miami needs to sign a 14th player prior to the season and Cain would be a logical option if a Lillard trade doesn’t materialize before then. If not, it seems likely they’ll bring him up at some point during the season.
Atlantic Notes: Maxey, Petrusev, Sixers, Knicks, Raptors
The James Harden trade request and public comments regarding the Sixers this offseason are certain to have a ripple effect on Philadelphia’s roster throughout the season, with or without a trade materializing. While much of the public spotlight has been on how reigning MVP Joel Embiid will respond, rising star guard Tyrese Maxey is one of the players most impacted by Harden’s request.
A potential roster without Harden, the 2022/23 leader in assists per game (10.7), would see Maxey with an increased responsibility in making plays for the Sixers.
Appearing on his own “Maxey on the Mic” podcast (Spotify link), the fourth-year guard said that he would be prepared to play on or off the ball and that he’s ready for any potential change to his role.
“I’ve been able to be kind of adaptable in whatever situation I’ve been thrown into,” Maxey said. “It’s just funny, every single year it’s been something new. … If anybody has taught me that, it’s [Harden]. That’s the funny part about it. I know if he’s not playing he’s going to be rooting for me to be the best version of myself because that’s just the type of brother that he is. He’s a great person.”
Maxey is close to Harden and understands what he’s going through but recognizes that with training camps on the horizon, it’s time to lock in sooner than later. The situation is comparable to the Ben Simmons situations just two years ago which, according to Maxey, is helping the team deal with the magnitude of Harden’s trade request.
“It’s crazy to say this, but it’s not our first rodeo,” Maxey said. “That’s funny to say, but that’s life. James is his own individual and he’s able to do whatever he pleases. I’m preparing right now to play with him or without him. … and I love James. If James decided he’s going to come back and play for us, there’s nobody in this organization that would be upset about that.”
Regardless of what happens with the Harden situation, Maxey said he and the rest of the Sixers refuse to look at this upcoming season as “a wash” in preparation for the 2024 offseason, when Philadelphia should have significant cap flexibility.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers center Filip Petrusev, who is suiting up for Serbia for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, suffered an ankle injury during Serbia’s opener against China on Saturday, according to Eurohoops.net. Petrusev, who signed with Philadelphia last month after being stashed overseas for two years, suffered the injury to his right ankle and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest. It remains to be seen what the severity of the injury to Petrusev’s ankle is, but the Sixers did already lose center/forward Montrezl Harrell to an ACL injury that he recently underwent surgery to address.
- This fall, Philadelphia City Council members will vote to decide the fate of the Sixers‘ proposal to build a new arena in Center City, according to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer. Groups hoping to push City Council toward passing a new arena are making their voices heard, including the Business Industry Association, according to the report. Members of the group said that a new arena at 10th and Market Streets would generate jobs during construction and upon completion. The Sixers have been playing in Wells Fargo Center since 1996.
- The Knicks recently filed a lawsuit against the Raptors, alleging that a former Knicks employee took “proprietary information” with him to his new job in Toronto. Eric Koreen, Fred Katz and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic teamed up to answer several questions about the lawsuit, noting that people in the league office were surprised when the suit dropped, because the NBA usually handles situations like this. One team suing another distinguishes this from a typical tampering case.
Sixers Notes: Cap Space, Embiid, Harden, Investigation
It’s no secret leaguewide that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is maintaining cap flexibility with an eye toward 2024 free agency. Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker are currently the only two players who look like locks to have salaries on the books next offseason, with Embiid owed $51.4MM next year and under team control until 2026, and Tucker possessing an $11.5MM player option for 2023/24 he seems likely to exercise.
It goes further than just having two players under guaranteed money next season, however. The Sixers had the opportunity to extend rising star guard Tyrese Maxey beginning July 1 but haven’t done so, in order to maintain said flexibility. Maxey does have a cap hold of around $13MM, though. The James Harden saga illustrates that the Sixers were unwilling to give Harden a max contract that would have affected their ’24 cap space. All signs point toward the Sixers aiming to add a star or two to pair alongside Embiid next summer.
In a recent piece, The Athletic’s Danny Leroux looks ahead to next year’s offseason and considers some of the names the Sixers could target. If the Sixers look to a star player in free agency, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Jrue Holiday are among the max-level players Philadelphia could aim to sign. There are pros and cons to signing each player, but Leroux suggests Anunoby would be the best outcome here, despite less star-power than the other options, due to his on-court ability and age.
Leroux also writes that the Sixers could package their space, which he speculates could be as much as 35% of the total cap, and sign two players whose contract sums equal one max. The biggest names in this category include DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson, though both come with their fair share of risks and seem unlikely, at this time, to depart their incumbent teams. Miami’s Caleb Martin and Charlotte’s Gordon Hayward are two sleepers Leroux believes the Sixers could sign away next year.
Lastly, the Sixers also have the option to swing a trade for a star rather than signing one. But Leroux also notes a few issues with this approach. For starters, it would be difficult for the asset-depleted Sixers to match salaries or send out enough to entice a team to trade a star. However, Leroux notes that waiting until free agency is often a risky situation and that they could opt to trade for somebody if they can navigate their assets, especially if an opposing star asks for a trade, which seems to be an inevitability in the modern NBA.
Philadelphia has to be careful with how it approaches the next year. Failing to surround Embiid, who will be 30 after next season and has a history with injuries, comes with risk. Leroux calls this next year Philadelphia’s “one bite at the apple” and a “roll of the dice,” which could end poorly if the Sixers don’t add talent that helps propel themselves into the next tier of contending teams.
We have more from Philadelphia:
- Speaking of Embiid, Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill writes that the saga between Harden and Morey could have a lasting impact on the franchise’s relationship with its MVP. While Embiid is saying all of the right things publicly, Goodwill writes that many around the league expect him to request a trade sooner rather than later and think that Morey is secretly hoping for a full-blown rebuild. Things could get ugly fast when or if Harden reports for training camp with the Sixers, which could have residual effects on Philadelphia’s performance and Embiid’s state of mind, Goodwill writes. Miami and New York are teams that are keeping a close eye on Embiid’s situation, according to Goodwill.
- In case you missed it this morning, the league is launching an investigation into whether Harden’s comments on Morey implicate either party in engaging in a handshake agreement last summer on a future contract. Marc Stein of Substack (subscriber link) recently discussed the topic before the investigation launched today. If the league determines Harden’s comments referred to a contractual promise from Philadelphia last summer, the Sixers will certainly face league discipline, Stein writes. However, if Harden’s comments are about the Sixers promising to trade him and then reneging on that promise, there is not a violation of league rules. According to Stein, it’s difficult to see Harden being punished for his comments in China, since he didn’t publicly demand a trade and no league rules prohibit him from speaking down to a high-ranking executive in an organization.
- Stein suggests in the same Substack article that the Sixers still have the upper hand in this situation, given the language in the league’s collective bargaining agreement that limits Harden’s ability to become a free agent next summer if he doesn’t play out the final year of his contract. One thing that could change that, Stein notes, is if Embiid sides with Harden in this ordeal and doesn’t buy into the Sixers’ plan of taking a step back this season before aggressively approaching the 2024 offseason.
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on The Hoop Collective (YouTube link) stated that the Clippers and Sixers haven’t had any substantive discussions on a Harden trade, his preferred destination, which echoes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski’s report from this morning. Goodwill, whose reporting backs this up, writes that Morey actually isn’t stuck on receiving Terance Mann in a deal with the Clippers, which had been reported as one hold-up between the two teams. Morey is believed to be more interested in adding first-round draft picks to his cabinet, according to Goodwill. Stein writes that despite this and the fact that he can’t sign an extension there, or with any team that trades for him, Harden’s desire is still to be dealt to the Clippers.
And-Ones: Big3, Schedule, Washington, National Games
The basketball world never sleeps, even in the NBA’s offseason. While we’re between NBA seasons, several other leagues and competitions are coming down the stretch of their respective seasons. From the WNBA season to the 2023 FIBA World Cup, basketball is in no shortage. The Big3 is one such league that enjoys its seasons during the summer, a 3×3 league where numerous retired NBA players square off.
The Big3 has continued to grow since 2017, adding partnerships and viewers year after year. However, the league has had a rocky relationship with the NBA. As The Athletic’s Jason Jones writes, Ice Cube, the league’s CEO and founder, has said on multiple occasions that the NBA has little to no interest in investing in the product.
According to Cube, he and business partner Jeff Kwatinetz asked the NBA to become business partners in 2017.
“We have been supportive of the Big3 since its inception, but we declined to invest,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said to The Athletic.
Cube sees several opportunities for the two leagues to coincide, with the Big3 offering a chance to help develop players according to Cube. The relationship between the two leagues isn’t completely shattered, with the Big3 playing games in NBA arenas, but Cube still wants to continue building a partnership with the NBA.
Jones writes that while the Big3 doesn’t see itself as a direct competitor to the NBA, the thought of any potential conflict between the two leagues has prevented some NBA investors in putting money into the Big3. Cube said that his league has historically performed better on CBS than more established sports leagues but is dismayed at the lack of media attention the league gets. He also said the NBA discourages such coverage and support for his league, according to Jones.
“Those claims are not true,” Bass said.
Jones notes that Cube has experience working with other professional sports leagues, as he’s working with the NFL. The NFL partnered with Cube’s Contract With Black America Institute to increase economic equity and partnerships with Black-owned businesses.
According to Jones, Cube wants to continue expanding the Big3 to a point where it can put teams in cities and has teams controlled by their own ownership groups.
Cube has been encouraged by the support of some NBA players for his league, such as Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown. Still, Cube also wants to see more players continue to vocalize their support for the Big3.
“I would love to see more of them on board, more current NBA players who already have a name in hoops,” Cube said. “But if not, we’ll be here when they want to play.”
I recommend reading the piece by Jones in full. There are several interesting tidbits about the growth of the league that features retired NBA players such as Joe Johnson, Michael Beasley and Jason Richardson.
There are other notes from around the basketball world:
- More planning goes into developing the NBA’s regular season schedule – released earlier this week – than meets the eye. The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov interviewed Evan Wasch, the NBA’s executive VP of basketball strategy and analytics, about the making of the schedule (podcast link). Wasch discussed numerous aspects of the NBA’s game calendar including the new in-season tournament, calculating rest days and rotating opponent matchups. Wasch said that his team of schedule-makers started with the Christmas games as an anchor point and worked backward from there.
- The Thunder waived TyTy Washington Jr. on Friday, but The Athletic’s John Hollinger believes some team should take a hard look at signing the 21-year-old point guard (Twitter link). Washington was the No. 29 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and appeared in 31 games last year with Houston, averaging 4.7 points. However, Washington played well in the G League, averaging 23.1 points and 6.1 assists to lead Houston’s G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the 2023 NBA G League Finals. Hollinger doesn’t see a team placing a waiver claim on Washington, since clubs could get more favorable contract terms by signing him to a minimum deal. Still, Hollinger thinks Washington would be a good fit on a rebuilding team or a team with an extra roster spot that could afford to develop him.
- The Athletic’s Mike Prada put out a list of every team’s national TV games for the ’23/24 schedule (Twitter link). Prada notes that the Warriors lead the way with 28 national TV games while the Hornets, Pistons, Rockets, Pacers, Magic, Trail Blazers, Raptors and Wizards all have just one apiece. The Lakers, Suns and Celtics join Golden State as teams with 25 or more national TV games. It’s important to note that Prada’s count doesn’t include NBA TV games.
Four Candidates To Be Promoted From Camp Contracts
Although the NBA added an additional two-way contract for every team for the 2023/24 season, teams haven’t been quick to sign players to such contracts. Only 11 of the league’s 30 teams have three players signed to two-way deals and several haven’t begun adding players to Exhibit 10 contracts.
The start of training camp is still several weeks away, so teams have plenty of time to add players to two-way and Exhibit 10 deals. However, many teams use training camp as an audition of sorts for players to earn two-way or even standard contract spots. Not earning a spot isn’t the end of the line for these players. If players signed to camp deals are waived before the ’23/24 starts, they’ll could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with their club’s G League affiliate.
Here are four players who have a chance to be promoted from their current Exhibit 10 contracts and onto a team’s two-way slot or standard deal.
Landers Nolley II
The Pelicans did well after the draft to reach agreements to add players on camp contracts. Nolley, Tevian Jones, Liam Robbins and Trey Jemison make up New Orleans’ reported camp deals. Any one of those players could end up on a list such as this as some of the more accomplished collegiate players who went undrafted in the 2023 draft.
Of course, Nolley may not end up on the Pels’ final camp roster, but if his reported deal is finalized, he makes perfect sense as a developmental piece for New Orleans. Nolley is a protoypical 3-and-D player, having averaged 16.8 points last season for Cincinnati while shooting 41.7% from deep.
Nolley played for New Orleans’ Summer League team this year, averaging 8.0 points and shooting 50% from deep on 4.0 attempts across five games. At 6’7″, Nolley is a good bet to at least stick around the NBA’s radar for a few seasons. The Pelicans have two open two-way contract spots, with Dereon Seabron occupying the other.
Matthew Mayer
Mayer impressed with the Rockets in Summer League, averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in four appearances. His showing earned him an Exhibit 10 deal with Houston, who has plenty of remaining flexibility on its training camp roster despite having three players signed to two-way deals.
Like Nolley, Mayer fits what teams look for in terms of positional archeypes, and Mayer’s ability to stretch the floor at 6’9″ is likely to be a coveted as a developmental piece. Mayer hit 33% of his 6.2 3-point attempts in college last year with Illinois and 43.5% of his 5.8 attempts from downtown in Summer League.
The Rockets have Darius Days and Trevor Hudgins signed to two-way contracts at the moment, two players who impressed en route to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers’ 2022/23 G League Finals appearance. Additionally, Jermaine Samuels currently occupies the Rockets’ third two-way roster spot. However, the Rockets have two open standard spots and could move players around, which would give Mayer a realistic shot at making their roster.
Duane Washington Jr.
Of the four players listed here, Washington is the one with the most NBA experience to his name. He has 79 NBA appearances and 10 starts to his name before his third season in the league. Washington has been on both two-way and standard contracts across his two years, playing with Indiana and Phoenix before ending up with the Knicks. Washington has averaged 9.1 points on 37.1% shooting from deep for his career.
It’s a bit surprising that Washington hasn’t caught on with a roster for the long haul with his extensive game experience and impressive counting stats. The Knicks signed Washington to a two-way deal in February but he never made an appearance with them. During the team’s roster shuffling this offseason, New York waived Washington from his two-way pact before re-adding him on a camp deal.
However, the Knicks have three players signed to two-way deals already, Nathan Knight, Dylan Windler and Jaylen Martin, the latter of which is signed for two years. It’s not impossible that New York waives or signs one of those players to their 15-man roster, but it will be an uphill battle for Washington to make New York’s roster. Look for other teams to either claim Washington or sign him at a later date.
Cole Swider
A Heat player was bound to end up on this list given their resume of turning camp guys, like Max Strus once was, into rotation NBA players. The Heat signed a bevy of players to camp contracts last week, including Justin Champagnie and Alondes Williams, two players with NBA experience, but Swider seems the most likely to make the jump to Miami’s season roster.
Swider wasn’t the most prolific collegiate player and didn’t appear on many public big boards, so it was a bit surprising to see him ink a two-year, two-way deal with the Lakers last year. However, he answered any questions in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 15.9 points and hitting 43.6% of his 7.6 deep-ball attempts in the regular season. Despite this, the Lakers waived Swider earlier this offseason.
The Heat two key sharpshooters this offseason in Strus and Gabe Vincent, while Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, three of the team’s best shooters, have been involved in heavy speculation regarding a potential Damian Lillard trade. In any case, Miami could help replenish its stash of 3-point shooters by keeping Swider around on either a two-way or standard deal. The Heat already have three players signed to two-way deals, but they have just 13 players on standard contracts and have the flexibility to keep Swider around if they choose.
Of course, other players not listed here will likely be promoted at some point onto a team’s active roster. Additionally, players not yet signed to a team’s camp contract could also end up on a two-way or standard deal. This is just speculation, but I believe players like David Duke Jr., Trevor Keels, Louis King, Tyrese Martin, Skylar Mays and Xavier Moon, to name a few, did enough either last season in the G League or during Summer League to earn a look from a team on a camp deal.
NBA Launching Investigation Into James Harden’s Comments On Daryl Morey
The NBA is launching an inquiry into James Harden‘s public callout of Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
Harden made waves earlier this week when he called Morey a “liar” during his marketing tour with Adidas in China.
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, the league office is attempting to gain an understanding of whether or not Harden plans to hold out in 2023/24, which would be in violation of the league’s collective bargaining agreement. The league office is also trying to determine whether the former MVP was referencing past contract discussions with the Sixers that would constitute salary cap circumvention.
ESPN’s report suggests that Harden has privately indicated that his public comments calling Morey a “liar” were a response to the Sixers ending trade discussions regarding Harden and Morey’s expectation that the star guard would report to camp and start the season with the team. Neither the Sixers nor Harden would be in violation of league guidelines if that ends up being the case, Wojnarowski and Shelburne note.
While Harden’s comments were surprising, he never outright made public allegations of a previous handshake agreement being in place with the Sixers on a future contract, Woj writes.
Harden signed a two-year contract worth $68.6MM with a player option in ’23/24 last season, accepting a short-term pay cut on a deal that allowed Philadelphia to bring in P.J. Tucker and Danuel House.
After those dealings, the NBA investigated the Sixers and stripped them of two future second-round picks after determining that the team had premature conversations with Tucker and House. However, the league did not uncover any evidence of Harden or the Sixers agreeing to a future contract contingent on his pay cut at that time, according to Wojnarowski.
Harden exercised that ’23/24 player option in June, with an expectation that Morey would work with him to find a trade that would send him to the Clippers, his preferred destination. Wojnarwoski reports that the Sixers and Clippers engaged in numerous conversations but never gained traction on any deal.
Morey, who faced a similar situation with Ben Simmons, isn’t willing to make a trade involving Harden that negatively impacts the Philadelphia’s chances of contending next year.
The Sixers continue to deny that the organization ever agreed upon an illegal future deal with Harden, Wojnarowski adds.
And-Ones: Clippers, Player Tiers, World Cup, Schedule
While the NBA appears to be putting an emphasis on giving teams more rest between games, the Clippers likely won’t be reaping those benefits. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports put together his list of schedule tidbits after today’s reveal, a handful of which involve the Clippers. Helin notes that Los Angeles will travel 50,670 miles next season, the most by any one team. That figure is well above the 47,066-mile trek the Nets, the team that travels the second-most next year, will take on.
The Clippers also have the most instances of having three games in four nights, with 25. The Nuggets have the fewest with 16. Los Angeles also has 10 matinee home games next year, which Helin notes helps explain owner Steve Ballmer‘s desire to build a new arena.
Lastly, Helin notes that the Clippers are included in what he calls the NBA’s “rivalry week,” from Jan. 23 to Jan. 27. That week, the Clippers take on the Lakers while the Heat play the Knicks, and Brooklyn and New York face off.
Helin has other notes on the NBA’s schedule, including Denver having the easiest strength of schedule, though the difference is marginal. The Warriors start and finish the season with big road trips and the Celtics have the most rest-advantage games this season. Helin also writes that, as usual, the NBA didn’t schedule any games during the NCAA’s men’s tournament finals on April 8, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving and Nov. 7 for election day.
We have more notes from around the basketball world:
- Seth Partnow of The Athletic has been breaking the NBA’s top 125 players into tiers. His tier five included 45 players, his tier four featured 41 players, his third included 21 players and now, he’s revealed his second tier, which encompasses 12 players, from Nuggets guard Jamal Murray to Lakers forward LeBron James. The six players in tier one will be revealed in the coming days.
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst appeared on SportsCenter (YouTube link) to discuss the 2023 World Cup Team and how coach Steve Kerr helped construct the roster. Windhorst says that while the team doesn’t have much collective FIBA experience, it has come together quicker than expected due to no questions about individual roles. The Americans are 3-0 in their three exhibition games thus far.
- With the NBA’s schedule coming out today, writers from both ESPN and Yahoo Sports came together to discuss some of the key matchups and reunions for the coming season. ESPN’s panel debates the most interesting opening week games, the most exciting reunions, and most difficult 10-game stretches, among other topics. The most probable NBA Finals preview matchup was another topic debated by ESPN’s panel and while there was no consensus, the Nuggets, Bucks, Celtics, Suns and Knicks seem to be the early favorites. Meanwhile, Yahoo Sports lists out every noteworthy game this coming season. Highlights include a Jan. 1 matchup between the Rockets and Pistons that features a clash between Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, Chet Holmgren‘s likely NBA debut against Chicago on Oct. 25, and a rematch of the electric Kings and Warriors playoff series from last year on Oct. 27.