Eastern Notes: Russell, Carter, Magic, Oladipo
Nets All-Star D’Angelo Russell was cited last week after it was discovered he was hiding marijuana while trying to board at a New York airport, but this distraction won’t prevent him and Brooklyn from coming together on a new deal this summer, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
“It’s not an issue,” one league source told Lewis. “I’ve had a cell phone ticket that was more [costly].”
Russell, who’s coming off a career season with the Nets, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1. Brooklyn will likely offer him a lucrative multi-year deal, especially if the team strikes out on recruiting some of the top free-agent players.
Russell won’t be suspended by the NBA for his first-time action, as stated in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. He’s heading into free agency as one of the most talented backcourt players, coming off a season that saw him average a career-high 21.1 points, seven assists and 1.2 steals in 81 games.
“We got a little lucky: We got him in the right time frame and the point in his maturity,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said of Russell on a Bleacher Report podcast last week. “He never expected anything. When we had our first conversation with him, I was authentic with him and honest that you’re going to have to earn it. And I think that was a continuing conversation. I think our communication helped.
“There was nary a text, never a ‘Hey coach, can I talk to you? I’m not happy.’ There was zero of that. I think he knew he had to earn it, take stock of how he was playing, and was honest with himself. … He tells me that all the time: ‘I really learned how to be a pro here.’ ”
There’s more out of the Eastern Conference today:
- Matt John of Basketball Insiders examines potential landing spots for veteran guard Vince Carter, who becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Carter has played for three different teams in the past three seasons, good for eight different teams in his 21-year career. John speculates that Carter could be a good fit on many different clubs, including a potential return in Toronto.
- Sean Deveney of Sporting News outlines the offseason focus for the Magic, including free agency, the draft and more. Orlando has a major decision to make on whether they want to retain All-Star center Nikola Vucevic on a new deal, with the 28-year-old also set to reach free agency in July.
- The Pacers need Victor Oladipo to pace himself in order for them to maximize their potential next season, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star writes. Oladipo suffered a season-ending torn right quad tendon in January and is pushing to get himself ready for next year, though it’s imperative that he doesn’t rush the process and risk suffering a setback. Indiana finished with the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference at 48-34 this season despite Oladipo only appearing in 36 of those games.
Nets May Try To Keep Gianluca Pascucci
- Gianluca Pascucci, who serves as director of global scouting for the Nets, is being considered for an executive position with AC Milano in Italy, but the organization may try to hold on to him, tweets NetsDaily. Pascucci could be a candidate for assistant GM in Brooklyn if Trajan Langdon leaves. Langdon was considered for front office positions with the Timberwolves and Pelicans and is rumored to be a candidate with the Wizards.
Nets’ Allen Crabbe Opts In For 2019/20
Nets shooting guard Allen Crabbe has exercised his player option for the 2019/20 season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move locks in his $18.5MM salary for next year, putting him on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2020.
Crabbe initially signed a four-year offer sheet worth nearly $75MM with the Nets back in 2016. The Trail Blazers matched that offer and retained Crabbe for the following season, but traded him to Brooklyn in a salary-dump deal during the 2017 offseason.
The 27-year-old’s play during his two years with the Nets has been somewhat underwhelming. After shooting 41.1% from three-point range in Portland, he has made 37.8% of his attempts in Brooklyn, albeit on a higher volume of shots. In 2018/19, he was limited to just 43 games due to knee issues and averaged 9.6 PPG in 26.3 minutes per contest.
Given his modest production, there was never a doubt that Crabbe would opt into the final year of his contract, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s a lock to be on the Nets’ roster next season. Michael Scotto of The Athletic suggested earlier this week that he wouldn’t be surprised if the club explores the trade market for Crabbe, perhaps dangling Denver’s late first-round pick or an early second-rounder in an effort to sweeten the deal.
As long as Crabbe remains on the roster, his $18.5MM cap hit will limit the Nets’ ability to make major moves in free agency this summer. With that money – along with cap holds for D’Angelo Russell and their first-round picks – on the books, Brooklyn projects to have up to about $30.3MM in cap space, which wouldn’t be enough for a maximum salary contract for a veteran player (with seven-plus years of experience).
[RELATED: Maximum Salary Projections For 2019/20]
If the Nets don’t find a trade they like for Crabbe and want to create a max slot, waiving and stretching him could also be an option. Doing so would reduce his 2019/20 cap hit to just under $6.2MM, though it would add identical charges to the team’s books for the following two seasons as well.
Crabbe is the latest in a string of veterans who have picked up player options since the regular season ended in April, joining Jeff Teague, Kent Bazemore, Dwight Howard, and others. The full breakdown of this year’s player option decisions can be found right here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
D’Angelo Russell Cited For Marijuana Possession
Nets guard D’Angelo Russell was cited for marijuana possession at LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday before flying from New York to his hometown of Louisville, reports A.J. Perez of USA Today. The TSA found the marijuana stashed in a hidden compartment of what appeared to be an Arizona Iced Tea can.
When Russell was questioned by police about the bag of weed, he claimed it was his brother’s, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The All-Star guard ultimately received a summons for possession of under 50 grams of marijuana and was released to fly home.
Although possession of marijuana is still illegal in the state of New York, the legal ramifications are unlikely to be significant, and Russell probably won’t face any real discipline from the NBA. As Perez notes, a player is required to enter the league’s marijuana program if he is convicted of possession of marijuana in violation of the law, but he isn’t subject to a suspension until his third violation of the NBA’s policy.
The Nets, who will hold Russell’s rights as a restricted free agent this offseason, issued a statement confirming they’re looking into the matter, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
“We have been made aware of the situation involving D’Angelo Russell and are in the process of gathering more information at this time,” the team said in the statement.
Jared Dudley Would Be “Shocked” If Nets Don’t Get FA Meetings With Durant, Irving
Jared Dudley, who will be a free agent this summer, said it’s “possible” that he returns to the Nets next season, as he tells Marc Stein of The New York Times (via the scribe’s latest newsletter).
“I do think if it was up to (head coach) Kenny (Atkinson) and even (GM) Sean Marks, I think they would like me back,” Dudley said. “But they’ve got a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C — as they should. That doesn’t mean I can’t fit into that. But they’re close…
“It’s just set up for one All-Star player to come in and take this team from a six seed to a two seed within one year. They have the infrastructure — good owner, good GM, good coach. The practice facility is one of the best in the league. The arena is one of the best in the league. You’ve got draft picks, cap space, you’re in New York City. And the young talent — when it comes to 25 and under, if it’s not the best talent in the league it’s second or third.”
Brooklyn has just $32MM in guaranteed contracts on the books for next season against a $109MM projected salary cap. That figure does not include Allen Crabbe‘s $18.5MM player option, which he’s likely to invoke.
Dudley added that he believes the top free agents will consider the Nets, telling Stein that Brooklyn should be placed in the conversation among the marquee destinations in the NBA.
“The Clippers can do two max slots. So can Brooklyn,” Dudley said. “I didn’t promote every team I’ve ever been on…I’m not here just to toot Brooklyn’s horn. I’ve sold Brooklyn to other players just because you’d want the same thing. Players want to know the good organizations from the bad.”
The Knicks are also expected to open up two max contract slots. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are rumored to be their top targets, but Dudley believes the Knicks won’t be the only team in town to get a meeting with each player.
“I would be shocked if the Nets don’t get a sit-down,” Dudley said.
Nets' Jared Dudley Reportedly Interested In Joining Celtics
- Veteran NBA forward Jared Dudley has interest in joining the Celtics this summer, a league source told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Dudley, who’s coming off a successful season with the Nets, is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency on July 1. Dudley turns 34 this summer and averaged 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 20.7 minutes per game with Brooklyn this year, shooting 35% from 3-point range.
D'Angelo Russell Tops Nets' List Of Offseason Decisions
- The Nets can create enough cap room this summer to reshape their roster, but they’ll have to determine how many of their own free agents they want to keep, observes Tom Dowd of NBA.com. The most significant decision will involve point guard D’Angelo Russell, who will be a restricted free agent after a breakthrough season. Brooklyn can match any offer that Russell receives, but the front office will have to prioritize how much to pay another guard with Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie already in place. “He’s obviously one of our more talented players,” GM Sean Marks said of Russell. “You said we’ll have decisions. D’Angelo is going to have decisions, too. That is a little bit of the nature of this business.”
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Scott, Butler, Harris
Sixers star Joel Embiid expects to play more minutes in the conference semifinals, even though he is still bothered by tendinitis in his left knee, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Embiid averaged just 24.8 minutes in five first-round games against the Nets and was often a literal game-time decision. The limited minutes make his line for the series – 24.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 blocks per night – look even more impressive.
“It’s still not there. It’s still trying to get better,” Embiid said at today’s shootaround. “But that’s an issue that’s going to be there at least all playoffs until I actually get some real time to get some rest and work on myself. … But, we did a good job managing it. Obviously I only averaged about 24 minutes last series, so this one I’m definitely going to need way more than that.”
Embiid isn’t on the injured list as the series begins, so the Sixers are confident about his prospects. He has been dealing with knee issues for the past two months, missing 14 of 24 games regular season games after the All-Star break.
“It’s hard because I’m known for playing through anything and pushing, pushing it,” Embiid said. “And in some situations like Game 3, I couldn’t go because it was too much. But like I said, I just got to keep managing it and see how I feel and then go from there.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- The Sixers have another injury concern in forward Mike Scott, McMenamin notes in the same story. Scott was wearing a walking boot today because of a heel contusion and plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Coach Brett Brown indicated that rookie Zhaire Smith may have an expanded role while Scott is sidelined.
- Representatives for Jimmy Butler met with Sixers GM Elton Brand before and after a November deal that brought him from Minnesota to express his interest in a long-term contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Butler is expected to opt out of a $19.8MM salary for next season and test the free agent market.
- The Nets will target Sixers forward Tobias Harris in free agency, but a report Friday indicates that the competition for his services will be intense, relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The Grizzlies, Jazz and Mavericks will all consider pursuing the Long Island native, and the Sixers will have his Bird rights, meaning they can offer more years and higher raises than any other team. Lewis adds that Harris’ performance against the Nets in their playoff series increased Brooklyn’s desire to sign him.
Community Shootaround: D’Angelo Russell’s Nets Future
With the Nets‘ season over following a first-round postseason loss to the Sixers, the focus turns towards Brooklyn’s summer plans. Among the most watched storylines this offseason will be what D’Angelo Russell‘s future holds.
Just 23 years old, Russell is coming off his best season as an NBA talent. A serious candidate for Most Improved Player, Russell set career-highs across every major category, including games played (81 games), PPG (21.1) and APG (7.0).
“He’s obviously one of our more talented players,” general manager Sean Marks said in his exit press conference, per the New York Post. “You said we’ll have decisions. D’Angelo is going to have decisions, too. That is a little bit of the nature of this business. But at the end of the day, our job is to continue to put talent on the floor for Brooklyn.”
There are several directions in which this offseason can go. Brooklyn could just lock up one of its youngest, most dynamic players immediately and avoid a drawn-out discussion on what should be done. Or, the Nets could let Russell explore the market, using their right of first refusal to ultimately match any offer sheet he signs, if they so choose.
Before joining the Nets, Russell had just come off two mostly disappointing, if not controversial, years with the Lakers. In the two seasons since, Russell has become a leader in the Nets’ locker room and been praised around the organization for his maturity and development. Additionally, the Nets figure to be major players for some of the premier free agents on the market this summer — and pairing them with Russell is an enticing possibility.
Tobias Harris Will Draw Plenty Of Interest In Free Agency
Tobias Harris bet on himself by turning down a four-year, $80MM contract extension from the Clippers last summer. That decision will pay off in the open market in July, as Shams Charania of The Athletic names several teams likely to show interest in the Sixers forward.
League executives expect the Grizzlies, Jazz, Mavericks and Nets to explore making a run at Harris, Charania hears. Harris has already indicated that he’d strongly consider remaining put, as he told Charania last month.
“It would be selfish of me to not come into this situation with an open mind to make this work for the long term,” he said. “That’s where my mindset is at. I’m a loyal guy to where I am, and if I feel that loyalty back, that is how I operate.”
Philadelphia, of course, can pay Harris more than any other team. He will be eligible to sign a five-year, $189.7MM contract with the Sixers or a four-year, $140.6MM deal with another franchise. Harris is averaging 17.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 4.2 APG thus far in the postseason.
The most surprising team on Charania’s list is the rebuilding Grizzlies, though adding Harris to a team with Mike Conley, Jaren Jackson Jr. and another high draft pick might be enough to get them back to the postseason.
Utah’s brass knows it has to make changes after another early-round exit. Adding Harris to a mix that already includes Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert would give the Jazz a much-needed offensive boost.
It’s no secret that the Mavericks want to add another big piece to complement Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, while the Nets have plenty of cap space and want to bring in top-shelf free agents.