Danuel House Vying For Roster Spot With Warriors
- With Patrick McCaw still unsigned, there may be an opportunity for Danuel House to earn a regular season roster spot with the Warriors. Anthony Slater of The Athletic (subscription required) takes a closer look at House’s case for a place on the 15-man squad.
Suns Rumors: Nash, Morris, Connelly, Point Guards
Former Suns guard and Hall of Famer Steve Nash has no interest in replacing GM Ryan McDonough, who was abruptly dismissed on Monday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Though Nash is a favorite of owner Robert Sarver, Nash does not want the time-consuming responsibility of running a front office, Wojnarowski adds. Nash is currently a Warriors consultant. Vice president of basketball operations James Jones and assistant GM Trevor Bukstein have taken over GM duties in Phoenix on an interim basis.
We have more from Phoenix:
- Former Suns Markieff Morris and Mike James voiced their distaste for McDonough on social media, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays. McDonough infuriated Morris, currently with the Wizards, and his brother Marcus Morris by trading Marcus to the Pistons in the summer of 2015 after they signed team-friendly contracts with Phoenix. “Bout time lol,” Morris tweeted after learning of McDonough’s dismissal. James, who was waived last December after signing a contract two weeks earlier, tweeted, “I don’t think he was the right person for that job.”
- Suns assistant GM Pat Connelly and director of scouting Courtney Witte were also fired on Monday, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets. Connelly was the Wizards’ director of player personnel before he was hired by Phoenix in 2013. More front office changes could be on the horizon, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN (Twitter link).
- Isaiah Canaan, Shaquille Harrison and rookies De’Anthony Melton and Elie Okobo continue to compete for point guard duties and none has emerged, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports. First-year coach Igor Kokoskov admits that he needs to see much more from all of them. “A lot of mistakes,” he told Rankin and other media members. “There’s a lot of room for improvement.”
- The timing of McDonough’s firing is an example of how Sarver has made a mess of the franchise, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post opines. The Suns will probably never reach their potential with Sarver heading the organization, Bontemps adds.
Warriors Sign Will Cherry To Exhibit 10 Deal
OCTOBER 8: Cherry has signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Warriors, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, adding that the guard is expected to end up playing in Santa Cruz.
SEPTEMBER 19: The Warriors are expected to add Will Cherry to their 20-man offseason roster, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. A source tells Carchia that Cherry is set to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the defending champions.
Cherry, who went undrafted out of Montana in 2013, appeared in eight games for the Cavaliers during the 2014/15 season, but has otherwise spent most of his professional career playing overseas. Having played in Lithuania, Germany, Turkey, the 6’0″ point guard last suited up for Croatian club Cedevita Zagreb.
In 25 ABA League games last season, Cherry averaged 11.1 PPG and 3.2 APG. He also posted a team-best 11.8 PPG and 4.1 APG in 15 EuroCup contests.
The Warriors technically only have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, but Patrick McCaw figures to eventually become the 14th, and the team will likely start the season with an open roster spot to avoid increasing its projected tax bill. As such, Cherry may end up with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate.
Looney Received Calls From Five Teams
- Warriors forward Kevon Looney drew lukewarm interest from a handful of teams in free agency, he revealed to Mark Medina of the San Jose Mercury News. The Rockets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Sixers and Hawks made contact but “nobody really offered,” Looney said. He was an unrestricted free agent after Golden State declined to pick up his option last fall but he settled for a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal.
Knicks Viewed As Legit Suitor For Durant In 2019
Kevin Durant‘s next opportunity to reach free agency is nearly nine months away, but speculation about his decision has already begun. And according to various reports compiled by Dan Feldman of NBC Sports, the Knicks are viewed by many insiders around the NBA as a legitimate candidate to challenge the Warriors for Durant.
“The New York Knicks have a very good shot at luring KD away from the Bay Area,” Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports said during an appearance on FS1’s Undisputed (video link). “His business partner, Rich Kleiman is based in New York, huge New York Knicks fan. Their business is located and based in New York. KD’s dad is a big New York Knicks fan. The same allure that LeBron [James] had toward the Los Angeles Lakers – just the building, the culture – is the same thing, the same way, I know, that KD feels about the Knicks.”
Having named New York as a viable landing spot for Durant, Haynes cautioned that the Warriors will still “obviously” have the edge to re-sign him. Golden State will hold Durant’s Bird rights at the end of the 2018/19 season, and because he’ll have 10+ years of NBA experience, he’ll be eligible to earn a starting salary worth 35% of the cap.
Based on current cap projections, that means the Dubs could offer a five-year deal worth up to $221.27MM, giving them a significant upper hand. Any rival suitors with the cap room necessary to sign a maximum-salary free agent could only offer a four-year contract worth a projected $164.05MM.
[RELATED: Durant plans to be open, honest about 2019 free agency process]
Still, Haynes isn’t the only national NBA reporter hearing buzz about the Knicks and Durant. As Feldman details, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post and Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports both conveyed similar sentiments during Bontemps’ recent appearance on Mannix’s podcast.
“I’ve been really surprised at how many people are – NBA types that I talk to on a regular basis – are convinced it’s going to be New York,” Mannix said. “There are a lot of people, Tim, that believe the Knicks are a prohibitive favorite to land Durant.”
If the Warriors win their third straight championship next spring, it’s hard to imagine Durant jumping ship. Of course, if Golden State falls short of a title, leaving also may not be a great look for the two-time Finals MVP, who was criticized for leaving the Thunder after they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Warriors in 2016. Throw in Golden State’s ability to offer the most years and money, and it makes sense that the Dubs would still be considered the odds-on favorites. Still, it sounds like Durant’s 2019 free agency won’t be a mere formality like it has been the last couple summers.
Warriors Notes: Green, Looney, Durant, Livingston
Draymond Green may be kept out of action for the rest of the week because of pain in his right knee, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn’t believe it’s a serious condition, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Green won’t play against the Kings in Friday’s game, but he will travel to Seattle with the team.
“Just being careful,” Kerr said after today’s practice. “He still had a little inflammation this morning.”
Kerr added that Green underwent an MRI, which came back clean. Free agent Jonas Jerebko is expected to take Green’s spot in the starting lineup on Friday.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- Kerr was concerned that center Kevon Looney would be lost in free agency, writes Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area. Looney was an unrestricted free agent because the team declined his fourth-year option of nearly $2.23MM. He re-signed with the Warriors for the minimum, which was about $700K less than his option. “When we didn’t pick up his option and then all of a sudden he had a great camp and a great start to the season and a great finish, it was a little nerve-wracking thinking we might lose him,” Kerr said. “But it all worked out in the end for us. I’d really like to see him make some money and do really well for himself. He deserves it. And hopefully that’s here.”
- Kevin Durant plans to be open and honest about the free agency process next summer, relays Nick Friedell of ESPN. Durant said he believes he handled things the same way in 2016, even though he received a firestorm of criticism after leaving Oklahoma City to join the Warriors. “I’m like, ‘Man, there’s so much attention on me because I switched teams,'” he said. “I thought I did something wrong, but I knew deep down in my heart that was the perfect decision for me and I know that now I just got to stand on that, outwardly say it, and that will stop the speculation from a lot of people.”
- Shaun Livingston is focused on enjoying the upcoming season without worrying that it might his last with Golden State, Poole writes in a separate story. Livingston has a partial guarantee on his $7.7MM contract for next season, and the Warriors will have to pay him just $2.2MM if they waive him before July 1. That would save the team almost $20MM in luxury tax.
Latest On Patrick McCaw
Three months after 2018’s free agent period opened, Warriors shooting guard Patrick McCaw remains unsigned, having let his qualifying offer deadline pass this week without accepting that QO. In an in-depth look at McCaw’s situation, Anthony Slater of The Athletic attempts to make sense of what the restricted free agent is thinking.
According to Slater, McCaw’s representatives have urged him to take one of two options — either accept his $1.71MM qualifying offer or sign a two-year offer from the Warriors that included a $2MM+ starting salary and a non-guaranteed second year. However, the 22-year-old didn’t sign his QO prior to Monday’s deadline and has thus far been unwilling to accept Golden State’s multiyear offer.
While McCaw’s stance is a surprising one, the former UNLV standout appears to be prioritizing opportunity as much as – or more than – his 2018/19 earnings. If he remains with the Warriors, McCaw would have “limited playmaking responsibility and no guaranteed nightly role,” writes Slater.
Sources suggest to Slater that both McCaw and his father Jeff believe that a “more expansive” role would be in the youngster’s best long-term interests as he looks to develop his game and increase his value in advance of his next free agency.
At this point in the fall, most teams around the NBA are fairly set in terms of their 14- or 15-man rosters for the coming season, so it’s not clear if any clubs are willing to make a play for McCaw as long as he remains restricted.
It will be interesting to see which side blinks first in the standoff between McCaw and the Warriors. If Golden State eventually decides that the contract dispute isn’t worth it, the club could pursue other free agent wings, with Jamal Crawford, Arron Afflalo, and Nick Young among those still on the market.
NBA GMs Weigh In On 2018/19 Season
NBA.com has completed its annual survey of NBA general managers, with John Schuhmann of NBA.com asking each of the league’s 30 GMs to answer an array of questions about the league’s top teams, players, and coaches. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors are once again viewed by the NBA’s general managers as the overwhelming favorites to be the last team standing, with 26 of 30 GMs (87%) picking Golden State to win the NBA championship for the fourth time in five years.
While there are many responses in the GM survey worth checking out, we’ll focus on rounding up some of the more noteworthy ones related to rosters and player movement. Let’s dive in…
- LeBron James (30%) and Kevin Durant (27%) are viewed as the frontrunners for the 2018/19 MVP award, but two younger players led the voting for the player GMs would most want to build a franchise around starting today. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (30%) and Pelicans big man Anthony Davis (23%) led the way in that category. Interestingly, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t receive a single vote this year after leading the way with 29% of the vote in 2017.
- The Lakers‘ signing of James helped them earn 70% of the vote for the team that made the best overall moves this offseason. The Raptors, buoyed by their acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, finished second at 20%.
- A ton of different signings and trade acquisitions received votes for the most underrated addition of the summer, with the Pacers‘ signing of Tyreke Evans barely leading the way with four votes. The Spurs‘ trade for DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls‘ signing of Jabari Parker, the Pelicans‘ addition of Julius Randle, and the Thunder‘s acquisition of Dennis Schroder received three votes apiece.
- DeMarcus Cousins‘ decision to join the Warriors (35%) was considered the most surprising move of the offseason, followed by the Spurs/Raptors blockbuster trade (29%) and Paul George remaining with the Thunder (19%).
- While Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is the strong frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, GMs expect Suns center Deandre Ayton and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to be the best players five years from now. Meanwhile, the Clippers‘ selection of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 11 was viewed by the most GMs as the steal of the draft.
- The Sixers (47%) and Celtics (33%) dominated voting for the teams with the most promising young cores.
Warriors Notes: Kerr, Myers, McCaw, Thompson
As the Timberwolves make an effort to handle Jimmy Butler‘s trade request, Tom Thibodeau‘s dual role as the club’s head coach and president of basketball operations may be a complicating factor — Thibodeau reportedly has no interest in rebuilding or in making a deal that would see the Wolves take a major step back on the court.
While Thibodeau has plenty of power – for now – in Minnesota, not every NBA head coach is envious of his extra responsibilities. As Chris Hine of The Minneapolis Star Tribune details, Warriors coach Steve Kerr is one coach who has no interest in assuming both of those roles at once, despite having previously served as an NBA general manager.
“It wouldn’t work for me,” Kerr said of holding both jobs at once. “It depends on the circumstances, the situations. It depends on relationships within the organization. Everybody is going to be structured a little differently, but having sat in both chairs, I would not feel comfortable doing both jobs.”
Here’s more on Kerr and the Warriors:
- As Hine relays, Kerr offered a few additional thoughts on why he’s happy simply coaching the Warriors: “One of the reasons I wanted to coach is because frankly it’s easier than being a GM and facing some of those choices. I’m lucky. I’ve got a great GM. Great friend in Bob [Myers] and when we’ve been faced with difficult decisions, the collaboration and the process we’ve had has been sound. … We’re lucky to be where we are, and it’s been smooth. We’re all going to face our moments. It’s the NBA, and it’s tough out there.”
- One issue that Myers and the Warriors’ front office are currently dealing with is Patrick McCaw‘s restricted free agency. McCaw let Monday’s qualifying offer deadline pass without accepting his QO, a decision that is both “risky and mystifying,” according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
- Asked by Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link) whether he’d be interested in having his “own team,” 2019 free-agent-to-be Klay Thompson questioned that concept, noting that he doesn’t believe the Warriors are any one player’s team. “I just want to be on a great team,” Thompson added. “I don’t want to necessarily be the focal point at all times.”
Klay, Draymond Can Qualify For Super-Max With All-NBA Nods In 2018/19
- Marks also notes that several players will have a chance to become eligible for super-max contracts with their current clubs if they make All-NBA teams this season. That list includes Anthony Davis (Pelicans), Draymond Green (Warriors), Klay Thompson (Warriors), Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers), and Kemba Walker (Hornets). Additionally, Devin Booker‘s new extension with the Suns would start at 27.5% of the cap if he’s named to the All-NBA Third Team, 28.5% if he’s named to the Second Team, and 30% for First Team.
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