Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, McHale, Harden, Morey, Raptors
Kristaps Porzingis‘ plantar fasciitis recovery, though not season-ending, is going to be an extensive process that requires planning by the Celtics, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes. Porzingis’ injury will sideline him for the entirety of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and he’ll be out of commission for at least four-to-six weeks.
The Celtics are no stranger to serious injuries taking place during international play. Just last season, Boston lost Danilo Gallinari for the whole year after he tore his ACL in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. The Italian forward never ended up suiting up for the Celtics. Thankfully, in Porzingis’ case, the Celtics are hopeful history won’t repeat itself.
Weiss writes that the next steps for Porzingis include gearing up for the start of training camp, which his injury timeline syncs up with, and playing in Boston’s preseason games. Even though the timeline seems to work out well for Boston and Porzingis, there is still some cause for concern, Weiss opines.
The Celtics didn’t play Al Horford or Robert Williams on back-to-backs last season, but it would be hard to replicate that system with Porzingis unless Williams is ready to play every night. Boston’s approach to Porzingis’ injury goes beyond simply when he plays, but also how the Celtics are able to utilize him on offense and defense. Having Porzingis drop on pick-and-rolls on defense and allowing him to be a spot-up shooter on offense could prevent the 7’3″ Porzingis from suffering further injuries, Weiss writes.
The Celtics traded long-time rotation piece Marcus Smart to bring in Porzingis, a move with an eye toward raising their floor. According to Weiss, Porzingis should be viewed as a franchise cornerstone and his injury is nothing to take lightly.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- In an interview with Heavy Sports’ Steve Bulpett, former Rockets head coach Kevin McHale offered his perspective on the fallout between the Sixers‘ James Harden and Daryl Morey. McHale coached Harden and worked under Morey at the same time between 2012 and 2015 and gave unique insight into the situation. “James wanted a big extension from Philly, and Philly wouldn’t give it to him, and that’s not a Daryl decision,” Morey said. “Daryl’s got a part of that, of course, but that’s an owner decision. So (Harden) was really mad, saying Daryl lied to him, but, you know, maybe they saw Game 7 against the Celtics (9 points on 3-for-11 shooting in a 24-point loss) and said, ‘I’m not interested in that.’” McHale went on to discuss numerous aspects regarding the situation, including how it impacts Joel Embiid and Nick Nurse, as well as detailing his own experiences with coaching Harden. I recommend reading the interview in full, as McHale delves deep into his personal dealings with both members of the fallout.
- Weiss also offered his perspective on the situation regarding Harden and Morey, juxtaposing the Sixers and the Celtics. Harden marks the latest player to want out of Philadelphia, joining the likes of Markelle Fultz, Horford and Ben Simmons before him. The Celtics haven’t been faced with such issues in a while, but Weiss writes that they have their own problems to take care of. Malcolm Brogdon and then Smart both felt blindsided by the Porzingis trade, Weiss writes, and general manager Brad Stevens needs to make sure he doesn’t lose his locker room after such incidents.
- The Raptors have the fewest U.S. nationally televised games in the NBA in the 2023/24 season. Toronto has one TNT game and three NBA TV games. This upcoming season marks the fewest U.S. nationally televised games the Raptors have had in a decade, since the start of the Masai Ujiri era, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Kennard, Smart, Schedule
The Grizzlies, like every team in the league, released their schedule for the 2023/24 season on Thursday. This year’s schedule is particularly crucial to the Grizzlies, who are without star guard Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season. Morant was suspended after a video surfaced of the Grizzlies star with a firearm earlier this summer.
We now know when we should expect Morant’s return: Dec. 19. That date marks the first game in which Morant is eligible to return from his suspension, a matchup in New Orleans against the Pelicans. The game between the two Southwest Division foes will be nationally televised on TNT.
Memphis finished each of the past two years as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but Morant didn’t play more than 61 games in either season. The Grizzlies went 20-5 in 2021/22 and 11-10 in ’22/23 without Morant, though the play of former guard Tyus Jones helped allay any concerns about the play of the point guard position. Jones is now a member of the Wizards.
We have more from the Grizzlies:
- Being without Morant for an extended period of time means the Grizzlies have questions to answer about their rotation. Unlike previous seasons, Jones isn’t there to help take the reins of the point. Dillon Brooks also departed in free agency, leaving Memphis with several possibilities to flesh out the rotation. The Commercial Appeal’s Damichael Cole writes that Luke Kennard is the safest fit to join the starting lineup.
- Cole notes that players like David Roddy and Ziaire Williams, for example, might be more natural fits from a positional standpoint, but Kennard’s shooting is a known commodity while Roddy, Williams and others are younger and aren’t as projectable. Lineups including both Kennard and fellow Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane had a net rating of +33 and an effective field goal percentage of 59.9% last year in their first round series against the Lakers. Cole also sees Kennard as a good fit next to Marcus Smart, who will join the starting lineup after being acquired this offseason.
- Smart’s first game as a visitor against the Celtics is on Feb. 4 on ESPN. Smart spent the first nine years of his NBA career in Boston before being traded this offseason in a move that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the C’s. Before being moved, Smart was the longest-tenured Celtic and only Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Draymond Green, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry had spent as much or more time than Smart did with the team that drafted them.
- In case you missed it, the Grizzlies open up the season at home against the Pelicans. Memphis has 13 nationally televised games in ’23/24.
NBA Roster Situations To Watch
NBA training camps are still several weeks away, but rosters for many teams are starting to take shape. Teams like the Pacers, for example, don’t have much work to do in the way of setting their regular season roster. Indiana already has 15 players signed to standard contracts and three more on two-way pacts. Other teams, however, have much more work left to be done.
For most teams, it’s simply a matter of deciding which players are attending an organization’s camp roster or are getting a two-way contract. The Suns, for example, have 15 players signed to standard deals (two of which are not fully guaranteed) but have one open two-way roster spot.
We previously took a look at some teams that are facing roster crunches in late July. Here are other teams who have roster battles worth monitoring and either have to, or seem likely to, make moves to their standard contracts, in the coming weeks:
Dallas Mavericks
While their roster does abide by offseason roster limits — 15 players signed to standard contracts (Derrick Jones Jr.‘s signing is not yet official but is included here) and three signed to two-way deals — the Mavericks still appear likely to make another roster move before the season.
Of course, this is all speculation, but Marc Stein at Substack reported that Dallas is likely to offload JaVale McGee before the start of the regular season. Such a move hasn’t happened yet, so it’s possible he may stick around. However, McGee didn’t pan out last year after signing a three-year, $17.2MM deal in 2022. With Dallas bringing in Richaun Holmes and Dereck Lively II this offseason, it appears there won’t be any playing time available for McGee anyway.
Miami Heat
Like the Mavericks, the Heat have a full offseason roster of 21 players signed to their team. Unlike the Mavericks, however, the Heat don’t follow the NBA’s rules for a regular season roster. Miami has just 13 players signed to standard deals, three two-way contract players and five others signed to training camp contracts.
As The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang notes, the Heat still need to add at least one standard contract player to its 15-man roster. Starting this season, teams can have fewer than 14 standard contract players for no more than 28 total days or 14 consecutive days at a time.
The Heat could always look to promote one of their two-way players, such as Jamal Cain, who reportedly sought a standard contract before re-upping his two-way pact with Miami. Cole Swider, who just signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Heat, is also reportedly going to be given a chance to compete for a standard deal. They could also look to add a player outside their system, like Christian Wood or Kelly Oubre.
Chiang also notes that the Heat could make changes to their two-way deals. Dru Smith and Jamaree Bouyea currently accompany Cain on two-way contracts. Barry Jackson reported that Summer League standout Chase Audige agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with another team (Twitter link), but it’s possible they look to bring him back on a two-way at a later time.
Toronto Raptors
Barring a Pascal Siakam trade, Toronto’s roster looks relatively set. However, a classic roster battle is set to take place between Jeff Dowtin and Garrett Temple. Dowtin spent last season with the Raptors, impressing in stints and averaging 2.4 points and 1.2 assists. The organization signed him to a non-guaranteed deal that becomes guaranteed for $900K if he’s included on the opening day roster.
Temple, a 13-year NBA veteran, signed with the Raptors this summer. Temple averaged 4.3 points across two seasons with the Pelicans. His one-year, minimum-salary deal is fully guaranteed.
There’s always a chance that the Raptors make an additional move outside of those two, but Dowtin and Temple appear to be the most likely to duke it out for a spot on the 15-man roster as of now.
Others
Several other NBA teams have standard roster moves yet to make. The Rockets, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics are among the teams who have 13 or fewer players signed to standard deals.
Houston signed several players to their training camp roster and could be auditioning some for standard spots. Jeenathan Williams, in particular, impressed in limited time with the Blazers last year after averaging 10.6 points in five games.
There’s tons of uncertainty left with the Blazers due to the situation with Damian Lillard. It appears as of now that Portland is keeping its options open in case the team takes in more players than it sends out in a Lillard deal. If Lillard isn’t traded before the season begins, players like Justise Winslow, Kevin Knox and Skylar Mays, who all spent time in Portland last year, could make some amount of sense.
Golden State has a number of different directions it could go in. There are seemingly no reports regarding what the team plans to do with Anthony Lamb, whom Steve Kerr played 19.3 minutes per game. Andre Iguodala hasn’t officially announced his retirement, so it’s technically possible he returns, though that seems unlikely at this point. Lester Quinones or another training camp player could impress enough to earn a standard spot. The Warriors also continue to work out several veterans, including Glenn Robinson III.
The Lakers’ interest in adding another big man to their roster, such as Wood, is no secret. It seems likely that the Lakers will go in this direction sometime before the season. Wood was recently reported to be waiting on a resolution on the Lillard situation before deciding his next steps.
Cleveland is a curious case. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that the Cavaliers could swoop in on P.J. Washington like they did with Lauri Markkanen two summers ago. It’s also possible they promote a two-way player to a standard deal or bring in a different veteran.
Stein reports the Celtics are interested in re-signing Blake Griffin, which would give Boston 14 players on standard deals. Griffin is Boston’s only remaining free agent after Mfiondu Kabengele signed in Greece.
As mentioned, there are also several teams who have more than 15 players signed to standard deals. The Clippers, Grizzlies, Wizards, Spurs and Thunder are among those teams.
Community Shootaround: NBA Schedule
The schedule for the NBA’s 2023/24 season released on Thursday, giving fans plenty to look forward to beginning in the fall. From the number of nationally televised games to the league debuts of several players, there’s no shortage of storylines to track this coming season.
As always, there are a number of reunions to keep an eye on. Bradley Beal makes his return to Washington on Feb. 4. Kevin Durant, who won two rings with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, plays in Golden State in front of fans on Oct. 24 for the first time since leaving in 2019. Jordan Poole returns to Golden State on Dec. 22. Chris Paul plays in Phoenix on Nov. 22 for the first time since joining the Warriors. Fred VanVleet plays against Toronto for the first time on Feb. 9.
Outside of returns to previous stomping grounds, there are also several matchups of note. A 2023 NBA Finals rematch between the Heat and Nuggets is scheduled for Feb. 29 in Denver.
The showdown between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in each year’s draft class is always a date to circle. However, a 2022 offseason foot injury to Chet Holmgren prevented fans from seeing Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft square off against Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall selection in the same class who went on to win Rookie of the Year. Now fully healthy, the pair is set to face one another on Feb. 13 in Orlando.
The top of this year’s draft is equally intriguing. While there was no denying Victor Wembanyama would go No. 1 overall, plenty of debate ensued regarding the No. 2 selection. Brandon Miller ended up going second overall to the Hornets, while Scoot Henderson went third to the Trail Blazers. The careers of all three players will be followed with great interest.
Wembanyama squares off against Miller for the first time on Jan. 12. Miller plays Henderson for the first time on Feb. 25. Henderson, who previously played against Wembanyama in an October G League showcase, plays the French big man for the first time in the NBA on Dec. 28.
Outside of that, the Christmas Day games and opening night games appear to be as stacked as ever, with nearly every contender getting a primetime appearance.
It also seems as though the NBA is actively attempting to hand out more rest days to its stars. The biggest issue teams and players alike had with previous schedules is the amount of back-to-back games on a team’s schedule. According to BasketballNews.com’s Alex Kennedy (Twitter link), the team average for road back-to-back games this season is down to 9.0, a record low, down from a then-record low 9.6 back-to-back games last year.
This leads us to our question of the day. What aspect of the ’23/24 schedule excites you the most? Who are you most excited to see make their NBA debut? What is going to be the most exciting matchup? Were any teams snubbed from nationally televised games? Are you planning on attending any specific games?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
World Cup Notes: Doncic, Brunson, Ntilikina, Kerr
Luka Doncic isn’t playing for the Slovenian national team when they take on the United States in tonight’s showcase game, the club announced (Twitter link). Doncic isn’t playing for precautionary reasons after suffering a blow to his left knee in the second quarter of a game against Spain on Friday.
Doncic’s injury likely isn’t serious, given that he completed the second half of the game in which he suffered the injury, finishing with 17 points in about 25 minutes. Still, it’s a disappointing result for Doncic, his team and even USA Basketball. Jalen Brunson, who is on the USA’s World Cup roster and played with Doncic from 2018 to 2022 on the Mavericks, was looking forward to squaring off against his former teammate.
“That’s my brother,” Brunson said of Doncic, per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. “We got drafted together. I’ve been watching him grow since meeting him for the first time, seeing the player he is now. He’s gotten better and better each year to the point where he’s a top-five player, an MVP candidate, year in and year out, so whenever I get a chance to share the court with him, either with him or against him, it’s always been special. I’ve got nothing but love for him.”
The exhibition game between Slovenia and the United States tips off today at 3:30 p.m. EST. Former NBA players Zoran Dragic and Mike Tobey are among the Slovenian players who will take the floor against the United States.
There are other notes from the World Cup:
- New Hornets guard Frank Ntilikina will miss the 2023 FIBA World Cup after suffering an injury in a friendly between France and Lithuania, Eurohoops reports. Ntilikina injured his hamstring and no timetable was given for his return to play. Ntilikina signed a one-year contract with the Hornets earlier this month.
- Thirty-seven years ago, Steve Kerr was a player for the 1986 USA Basketball World Championship Team, the precursor to the modern World Cup. Kerr’s team played in Malaga, Spain, where the USA is scheduled to play over the coming days. In another piece from Vardon, Kerr reminisces over the time he spent as a player in Malaga and said he wants the Team USA players he’s now coaching to take this experience all in. “Part of this experience has to be the cultural part of it,” Kerr said. “We’re getting to travel the world and see places we may never see again. So, you know, we are going to encourage our guys to get out. A lot of them have family in. Most of them went out to dinner with their families and friends last night. Yeah. We encourage that. It’s a great time to see the city of Malaga, but also prepare for a couple of important games.”
- In case you missed it, Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be playing in this year’s World Cup because he’s still recovering from a minor knee surgery.
Jazz Notes: Point Guard, Streaming, Fontecchio
While most of the Jazz‘s starting five is known, there’s still a bit of mystery surrounding who will take the reins of the starting point spot. Tony Jones of The Athletic breaks down five options Utah has at the spot, including Kris Dunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, Jordan Clarkson (if he doesn’t start at shooting guard), Collin Sexton and Keyonte George.
There are pros and cons to every option. Horton-Tucker offers the physicality and athletic tools that Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler and John Collins do, but he’s still raw at playing the point. Clarkson allows Utah to play with its lineup options but gives the team just one ball-handler in its starting lineup and affects their point-of-attack defense. Jones believes that Dunn’s ability to defend and willingness to defer make him the most natural option to start at point guard.
I recommend reading the piece in full, as Jones provides in-depth insight for each option. Regardless of who ends up taking over the 2023/24 starting spot, Jones says that George could very well be the starting point guard of the future.
There’s more Utah:
- The Jazz announced they have partnered with technology company Kiswe to begin a streaming service that will be available to fans as soon as this upcoming season, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News reports. According to Todd, the price point and release date will be revealed in late September, right around when the product goes on sale. This is the latest in a flurry of moves by Jazz owner Ryan Smith in making games more accessible to fans. For example, the team announced in June that Smith Entertainment Group, the parent company of the Jazz, was partnering with KJZZ to bring games to television again.
- Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio is suiting up for Italy in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Italy has gotten off to a hot start in their prep games, with Fontecchio scoring 17 points against Greece. In a recent interview with Eurohoops, Fontecchio spoke about his team’s current success. “We want to do our best and play well,” Fontecchio said, “You need to be lucky, to arrive in the perfect condition and play one game at a time. We have a good group.“
- In case you missed it, the Jazz are projected to have the third-most cap space in the 2024 offseason, with Spotrac contributor Keith Smith projecting Utah to have $41.6MM in space, behind the Spurs and Magic.
PJ Dozier Signing With Partizan In Serbia
Former Kings wing PJ Dozier is signing with KK Partizan in Serbia, according to Eurohoops. It’s a one-year deal for Dozier, who is heading out of the U.S. for the first time in his professional career.
Dozier spent part of last season with Sacramento, first inking a pair of 10-day deals with the team and then signing for the rest of the season. The 6’6″ wing played a modest role for the team, averaging 1.4 points in 4.9 minutes per game across 16 appearances. The Kings waived Dozier on July 8.
Before landing in Sacramento, Dozier had stops with the Thunder, Celtics and Nuggets. He went undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft out of South Carolina. Dozier played on two-way contracts with the Thunder and Celtics, appearing in just eight games from 2017 to 2019, his first two seasons in the league. He broke onto the scene with the Nuggets, where he spent the majority of his career. Dozier signed with the Nuggets for the 2019/20 season and impressed enough to stick around onto the ’20/21 roster.
In ’20/21, Dozier averaged 7.7 points for the Nuggets in 50 appearances in six starts. He was on track for another productive season in ’21/22 but his campaign was cut short due to a torn ACL. Later in the season, the Nuggets traded Dozier to the Celtics, where he was re-routed to the Magic and then waived. Dozier caught on with the Timberwolves for training camp last season and his stint with their G League team, the Iowa Wolves, impressed the Kings into signing him.
Now, Dozier takes over for a Partizan club that lost Dante Exum, who signed with the Mavericks earlier this offseason.
This deal has seemingly been in the works for several days. Before being confirmed by Eurohoops today, a report from Sportal.rs suggested Dozier and Partizan were close to an agreement, and Eurohoops cited an earlier report from Mozzart Sport.
Trey Jemison Agrees To Exhibit 10 Contract With Pelicans
Former UAB center Trey Jemison has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pelicans, according to Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link).
Jemison, a 6’11” center, played in Las Vegas Summer League with the Suns, averaging 8.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23.1 minutes across five games.
There was some speculation that Jemison would end up with Phoenix on a two-way deal. Jemison agreeing to an Exhibit 10 with the Pelicans suggests Phoenix wasn’t ready to hand out such an offer at this time. However, that doesn’t rule out the possibility of him ending up with the Suns at some point in the future.
Jemison joins a group of three other players who reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with the Pelicans: Landers Nolley II, Liam Robbins and Tevian Jones. None of these deals have been made official yet, so it’s possible one or more of them fall through. The Pelicans have a pair of open two-way contract spots, with one occupied by Dereon Seabron. For what it’s worth, the Suns have just one open two-way contract spot, with two spots being occupied by Udoka Azubuike and Saben Lee.
Even if he doesn’t make the Pelicans’ roster, Jemison could earn some money via the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus. If he’s waived by the Pelicans and then spends at least 60 days with the Birmingham Squadron, their G League affiliate, he’ll earn a bonus worth up to $75K.
After spending his first two collegiate seasons with Clemson, Jemison transferred to UAB, where he became a full-time starter. Jemison spent three seasons in UAB and was invited to the annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, an event for draft-hopeful college seniors. Jemison impressed there, leading to his summer league stint with the Suns.
New York Notes: Knicks Future, Hart, Quickley, Nets Picks
With Josh Hart under contract well into the future, the Knicks could turn to extending another core member of their rotation, SNY’s Ian Begley writes. An Immanuel Quickley extension is the logical next step for the Knicks to take before he becomes a restricted free agent next summer. Begley notes that if Quickley and the Knicks are able to come to an agreement on an extension, it would give the Knicks seven players under contract through at least 2024/25, all of which are rotation pieces.
The deadline for the two sides to reach an agreement on an extension is on the eve of the ’23/24 season.
Signing Quickley would put the Knicks on track to surpass the luxury tax line, according to Begley, but owner James Dolan has never shied away from spending luxury tax money in the past.
The Knicks are hard-capped at the first tax apron this season, meaning they can’t spend more than a total of roughly $172MM in team salary. The Knicks are roughly $6.6MM shy of that apron at the moment, according to Begley, which they could use to augment the roster further. If Quickley signs an extension, it would be difficult to trade him until his extension kicks in. Hart is ineligible to be traded until the 2024 offseason.
Begley notes that while Hart’s $81MM of total salary appears large, it won’t account for more than 14% of the team’s salary cap in any year of his deal, which Begley argues is fair value for a starting-level rotation piece.
We have more from the state of New York:
- Peter Botte of the New York Post also writes that the Knicks should sign Quickley to a new deal before he becomes a restricted free agent. Quickley, a Sixth Man of the Year finalist, is in the final year of his rookie contract, which is worth approximately $4.17MM. The 6’3″ guard averaged 14.9 points and 3.4 assists per game last season while knocking down 37% of his 5.6 attempts from downtown per game.
- Hart’s new four-year, $81MM extension with the Knicks includes a team option on the fourth and final year, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). That means just $58MM of the contract is guaranteed, with the option being worth $22.3MM in 2027/28. Hart’s extension kicks in during the 2024/25 season.
- In a recent article, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn ranked every traded future NBA first round draft pick. In total, Quinn ranks 56 picks that have shifted hands via various trades. The 2029 Suns first round pick grades out as the most valuable in Quinn’s eyes and that pick belongs to the Nets by virtue of the Kevin Durant trade at last season’s deadline. Quinn argues that it’s hard for teams to win championships and that Phoenix doesn’t have much room to improve beyond the next couple of years since the franchise traded virtually every pick it owned in exchange for Durant and Bradley Beal. In total, Quinn ranked two incoming Nets picks in the top three, and Brooklyn controls four of the top six picks Quinn ranks. The 2029 Mavericks first round pick that now belongs to the Nets via the Kyrie Irving trade comes in at No. 3, while the Suns also owe Brooklyn their unprotected 2027 first round pick and a 2028 first round pick swap, which rank No. 5 and No. 6 in Quinn’s list.
And-Ones: Wembanyama, Hall Of Fame, Cap Room, Prospects, Europe
Victor Wembanyama‘s first NBA game takes place on Oct. 25, one day after opening day, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). The Spurs play the Mavericks on the second day of the regular season, pitting Wembanyama against Dallas star Luka Doncic.
The Spurs’ offseason revolved around developing their young corps, featuring players like Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan, along with taking in big contracts in exchange for draft capital. Meanwhile, the Mavericks made several moves in free agency and in the draft to help them rebound from a lackluster 2022/23.
Stein also tweets that the full ’23/24 schedule release is expected next week. Shams Charania reported the NBA’s opening day lineup and the slate of Christmas Day games earlier today.
Here are more notes from around the basketball world:
- With the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 induction taking place this weekend, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov explored candidacies of several players for the Hall. Vorkunov evaluates DeMar DeRozan, Paul George and Kyrie Irving‘s respective cases. Even though he lists all as “near locks,” DeRozan and Irving could be on the cusp. In total, Vorkunov lists 41 players, breaking them into tiers for their likelihood of reaching the Hall. Vorkunov predicts some are obvious locks to be named, like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while others like Rajon Rondo and Blake Griffin, might not make it. Vorkunov also discusses players who are on track to be named to the Hall, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bam Adebayo, and breaks down why Derrick Rose will be the only MVP to not make the Hall of Fame. I recommend reading the article in full, some picks may surprise you.
- Spotrac contributor Keith Smith made his first pass at 2024 cap space projections (Twitter link). Smith lists seven teams that are projected to have over $20MM in cap to work with. The Spurs lead the way with projected 2024 cap space, sitting at $55.3MM, according to Smith, while the Magic are close behind with $51.3MM to spend. The Jazz, Hornets, Pistons, Sixers and Wizards round out the top seven. Pascal Siakam, LeBron James (player option), James Harden and DeMar DeRozan are among the players who could be available next free agency.
- The FIBA U18 European Championship took place from July 22-30. The event is a great tool to evaluate future NBA prospects, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who says that more than four first-round picks per year participated in the event between 2011-21. Givony lists his top 10 prospects from the event (subscription required). UCLA-bound Aday Mara, Mohamed Diawara and Mario Saint-Supery are among the players who crack Givony’s top 10. Givony lists 17-year-old Hugo Gonzalez as his pick for best player at the tournament, as he impressed with his blend of size, frame, shot creation and feel.
- Players like Kemba Walker, Willy Hernangomez and Raul Neto are among those who made the move to play in Europe next season. In recent years, we’ve seen players like Nikola Mirotic depart the NBA in the middle of their primes in order to pursue opportunities in Europe. Jabari Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, recently signed overseas and is one of the highest-selected draft picks to do so. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (subscriber link) explores why players are making such moves overseas and why European basketball might be an appealing alternative to the NBA or other overseas leagues for players.