Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jimmy Butler Among Stars Warriors Monitoring

September 13th, 2024 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

After missing out on targets like Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this offseason, the Warriors remain on the lookout for stars who might become available on the trade market, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who said on The TK Show (YouTube link) that Heat forward Jimmy Butler is among the players Golden State is monitoring.

“Jimmy Butler’s going to be a free agent next summer, didn’t get an extension done,” Amick said. “The Warriors, as you know, have interest there and I think probably made a couple calls during the summer.”

As Amick observes, the Warriors aren’t in position to pursue top free agents due to their salary cap situation, so if they’re going to acquire a star to complement Stephen Curry, they’ll almost certainly need to do so via trade. Golden State will be hoping for the “wheels to fall off” for a would-be contender, resulting in an All-Star caliber player seeking a change of scenery, Amick notes.

Butler, who will turn 35 on Saturday, is entering what could be a contract year in Miami. Although by all accounts he remains committed to the Heat, the six-time All-Star has reportedly told the team he won’t sign an extension before next summer and will reevaluate his options next offseason, when he holds a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26.

If the Heat get off to a poor start this season, it’s possible they’ll consider the idea of moving Butler at the trade deadline, though there’s no indication they’ve seriously considered that possibility to this point.

Should Butler finish the season in Miami, there would be myriad options available to him next summer — he could re-up with the Heat (either on an extension or a new contract), he could decline his option to sign elsewhere, or he could work out an opt-in-and-trade deal that sends him to a new destination. That last scenario would be the most viable path for him to land in Golden State. The Warriors explored a similar arrangement with George before he declined his player option in June.

Amick also names Lakers forward LeBron James, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as some other players the Warriors are likely monitoring. However, he acknowledges that they’re long shots and could only emerge as possible targets if they sour on their current situations.

“It’s that level of a player, where you just kind of hope that one of them starts looking out for greener pastures,” Amick said.

Extensions For Warriors’ Kuminga, Moody Don’t Appear Imminent

September 12th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Rory Maher

In an effort to minimize stress heading into the 2024/25 season, the Warriors decided to hold training camp in Hawaii. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes, that’s not to say there’s no stress, particularly for a couple of former lottery picks.

Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, both members of the 2021 draft class, are eligible for rookie scale extensions until Oct. 21, the day before the season begins. While things could certainly change over the next five-plus weeks, there is currently a gap in negotiations, with no “significant progress” in contract talks for either player, league sources tell Slater.

Kuminga will earn a little over $7.6MM in ’24/25, the final season of his rookie contract, while Moody will earn about $5.8MM. Both players will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2025 if they don’t sign extensions.

Slater’s article primarily focuses on Kuminga, who is reportedly seeking a five-year, maximum-salary contract that would pay him 25% of the salary cap starting in 2025/26 (a projected $224MM). According to Slater, the Warriors aren’t inclined to offer that — or any deal that approaches $44.8MM per year.

There’s still a possibility that an extension between Golden State and Kuminga could be reached, assuming the 21-year-old forward is open to accepting less than the max. Slater suggests a deal in the range of “$30-ish” million annually could be a “reasonable middle ground.”

Sources tell Slater the Warriors’ front office has been preaching “patience and pragmatism” this offseason as it focuses on roster flexibility. And extending either player would subject them to the poison pill provision, potentially making it very difficult to move them in a major in-season trade. Again, that doesn’t rule out possible extensions, but it’s certainly something the Warriors are cognizant of.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Butler, Martin, Baker, Plowden

September 9th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Could Ausar Thompson and Simone Fontecchio be part of the Pistons’ starting lineup? James Edwards III of The Athletic speculates that could be the case, noting that Thompson’s defense and Fontecchio’s shooting would mesh well with Cade Cunningham‘s skills and responsibilities. That would leave summer acquisitions Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. on a much improved second unit. Edwards takes an educated guess on how the team’s depth chart will shake under a new coaching staff.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Heat are unlikely to make a substantial move prior to the season, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman doubts there will be an upcoming blockbuster deal in the league on the scale of the Damian Lillard trade, which occurred just ahead of training camps last September. Depending on how Jimmy Butler’s contract situation plays out, the Heat could do something big before the February trade deadline or just wait for Butler’s opt-out decision next offseason. Butler said early this summer he wouldn’t sign an offseason extension.
The Nets‘ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, traded their 2025 first- and second-round draft picks to the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves‘ NBAGL squad, in exchange for the returning player rights to forward Tyrese Martin last week. That could be a prelude toward Martin receiving a training camp deal from Brooklyn, according to NetsDaily.com. The G League trade opens the door for Martin to sign an Exhibit 10 contract. Martin was the most productive player on the Summer League roster whose rights weren’t controlled by Brooklyn, the story notes.
The Magic‘s NBA G League team made a trade, acquiring the returning player rights to big man Robert Baker II and a 2024 second round NBA G League draft pick from the Hawks’ G League club, the College Park Skyhawks, the Osceola Magic announced (via Twitter). The Skyhawks acquired Daeqwon Plowden‘s returning rights. Baker, 26, played five games in the Las Vegas Summer League for the Skyhawks, averaging 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds. Plowden signed a two-way deal with the Warriors this season. Atlanta won’t be able to use those returning rights unless he’s waived by Golden State. It’s possibly a sign that the Warriors don’t plan to retain Plowden.

And-Ones: Curry, Near Trades, Payton Sr., West Teams’ Weaknesses

September 8th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Curry, who recently signed a $62.6MM extension for the 2026/27 season, has already made more money in the 2020s than any player in any decade in NBA history, HoopsHype tweets.

The Warriors superstar has already racked up $229MM in this decade through the 2023/24 season. LeBron James made $226.4MM in the 2010s, while Kevin Garnett earned $215.5MM in the 2000s.

We have more from the basketball world:

Remember in 2019 when Paul George and Russell Westbrook were dealt to the Raptors? Do you recall back in 2007 when Garnett was dealt to the Warriors? Or in 2011 when the Lakers added an in-his-prime Chris Paul? Of course, none of those trades actually came to fruition. Mark Deeks of HoopsHype looks back at some of the biggest near trades in NBA history.
‘The Glove’ has found a head coaching job in the junior college ranks. Former NBA star Gary Payton Sr. is the new head coach at the College of Alameda, according to Marc Spears of ESPN (Twitter link). Payton, inherits a program that went 7-21 last season while playing in the Bay Valley Conference. Payton, 56, has also been coaching in the Big3 league since its inception in 2017.
The Nuggets need to add more 3-point shooting, Tim Bontemps of ESPN notes. They lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who shot over 40% from deep in two seasons with Denver, in free agency. In the subscriber-only story, Bontemps also looks at the biggest weaknesses on the Lakers, Timberwolves, Pelicans and Kings rosters.

Pacific Notes: Vanderbilt, LeBron, Bronny, Clippers, Valley Suns

September 7th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The foot issue that sidelined Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt for most of last season may not have improved during the summer, analyst Mike Bresnahan said on Spectrum SportsNet’s “Lakeshow” podcast (hat tip to Lakers Nation). Vanderbilt, who became the team’s starting power forward after being acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, was limited to 29 games last season and didn’t play at all after February 1.

“Vando is gonna be interesting,” Bresnahan said. “I’m not sure he’ll be ready for training camp or even for the preseason games. It’s a foot injury. He opted not to have a procedure in-season when he got hurt in February. So we’ll see if he’s ready to go. I don’t have a lot of details on it but I’m not sure he’ll be ready for training camp. Regular season is a different story, hopefully he’s ready by then. But nothing concrete on him yet.”

Vanderbilt suffered a right midfoot sprain midway through the season and was never able to return. He received medical clearance for the final game of L.A.’s playoff series, but didn’t see any action.

The Lakers invested heavily in Vanderbilt last summer, signing him to a four-year, $48MM extension. They were counting on an offseason of rest to fix the problems with his foot, but it sounds like that didn’t go as planned. Vanderbilt was used mostly in a reserve role last season, contributing 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20 minutes per night.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

On the latest episode of “The Shop” podcast, LeBron James talks about the thrill of being the first NBA player ever to team up with his son (hat tip to Silver Screen and Roll). The Lakers took Bronny James with a second-round pick after one season at USC. “I am so excited for training camp,” LeBron said. “Having your son work with you, it’s like the greatest thing. I can’t wait for this moment. I really cannot wait to hit the floor for him. It’s going to be pretty surreal for me. That might be the first time I sit back and, like, out of my whole career, finally get an opportunity to sit back and be like, ‘Oh s–t, this is really cool.’”
The Clippers are receiving $750K to hold training camp and an exhibition game in Honolulu, according to Duane Shimogawa of Island News. He cites public records showing that the Hawaiian Tourism Authority will receive several marketing opportunities with the team and will be named an official partner of the L.A. Clippers. In addition, Clippers officials will conduct several community events during camp, which begins October 1 and wraps up with a game against the Warriors October 5.
Brendan Sabean, general manager of the G League’s newest team, the Valley Suns, talks to PHNX Sports about the challenges of trying to assemble a roster from scratch.

Davis Bertans No Longer Working Out For Warriors, Received Overseas Offer

September 7th, 2024 at 10:56am CST by Earnest Marshall

After initially planning to accept an invitation to work out for the Warriors, forward Davis Bertans will no longer audition for Golden State, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), who confirms the veteran free agent has received a contract offer from Dubai BC. While Stein’s tweet doesn’t indicate Bertans has already signed this offer, all signs seem to point toward him doing so.

Some details about Bertans’ contract offer are already in and an earlier report from Sport24.gr (relayed by Sportando) indicating Bertans would sign with Dubai BC signals the deal is on track to being finalized. According to Stein, the offer is for a multiyear contract with “out” conditions that would allow him to make an NBA return down the line.

Bertans, 31, is an eight-year NBA veteran who has played professionally since he was 19. The Latvian forward debuted in the NBA in 2016/17 and has made stops with the Spurs, Wizards, Mavericks, Thunder and Hornets. In 475 career games (41 starts), he has averaged 7.7 points while making 39.6% of his 2,234 career three-point attempts.

After beginning his NBA career with the Spurs, Bertans showed promise before being traded to the Wizards. With Washington, Bertans had the most prolific year of his career, averaging 15.4 PPG and 4.5 RPG while making 42.4% of his 8.7 three-point attempts per game, developing into one of the premier outside threats in the league.

Bertans was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension, but after a year in which he finished in 11th for the Most Improved Player award and eighth in Sixth Man of the Year voting, his production gradually declined. He bounced between the Wizards, Mavs and Thunder as a fringe rotation piece before landing with the Hornets this past season.

Bertans rebuilt his value in 28 games with the Hornets, averaging 9.3 points on a 36.7% clip from deep in his last 24 appearances of the season. While that led to some reported NBA interest from the Warriors, Bertans is ultimately heading overseas for the first time since 2015/16.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Olympics, Oubre, Ingram

September 4th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Along with winning a gold medal in his first-ever Olympics, Stephen Curry tells Natasha Dye of People Magazine that the experience was memorable because he got to team up with long-time rival LeBron James. Like many others, Curry was impressed by the intense work ethic James displayed with Team USA.

“All the battles we’ve had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever, but in high stakes basketball with a lot on the line … I think there’s a deepened respect and friendship there,” Curry said. “Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not.”

Curry added that he’s especially excited as the start of his 16th season with the Warriors draws near. He’s eager to prove that the team can stay in the hunt for a title without Klay Thompson, who left for Dallas during the offseason.

“I love the fact that people don’t think we can keep the pace with some of the other teams that they’re picking in the West,” Curry said. “And I just love that challenge of stepping into a training camp and being able to create your own success — that gets me going. And obviously coming off of this Olympic experience, I’m trying to channel that energy all year.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

During an appearance Tuesday on “The Today Show,” Curry expressed a desire to finish out his career with Golden State, relays Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. Curry didn’t indicate that he plans to call it quits any time soon, but he said he wants to be remembered as a one-team player.
Michael Pina of The Ringer examines the Warriors’ chances of making another title run before Curry retires. He notes that the front office unsuccessfully attempted to trade for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this summer, leaving Curry with no teammates capable of playing at an All-Star level. Pina observes that Curry’s one-year extension gives general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. more time to upgrade the roster, but it doesn’t ease the sense of urgency that exists with the team’s top star heading for his 37th birthday before the season ends.
Golden State’s cautious approach to roster building dates back to an ill-fated trade for Kelly Oubre in 2020, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. After Thompson was lost to a season-ending injury, owner Joe Lacob was “the driving force” behind acquiring Oubre despite objections from then-general manager Bob Myers and the coaching staff. Since then, Poole adds, the organization has concentrated on moves that complement the core of the team rather than trying to expand it. Through that prism, sources tell Poole that Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is viewed as too risky, and Poole describes the chances of an Ingram trade as “minuscule.”

Troy Brown Working Out For Warriors

September 4th, 2024 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent swingman Troy Brown will audition for the Warriors this week as part of a handful of veteran workouts, a source tells Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 15th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Brown has spent time with the Wizards, Bulls, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pistons since entering the league six years ago. Last season, the 25-year-old averaged 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game across 37 outings (three starts) for Minnesota before being sent to Detroit at the trade deadline in a deal for Monte Morris.

Brown, who posted a .441/.369/.864 shooting line with the Wolves, saw more playing time with the Pistons down the stretch, starting 12 of his 22 games and averaging 19.0 MPG. However, his shooting numbers plummeted to 29.6% from the floor and 28.1% on three-pointers, so his scoring average remained at 4.2 PPG in Detroit.

The Warriors have been working out veteran free agents lately as they mull the possibility of extending training camp invitations to unsigned players. Bruno Caboclo and Davis Bertans are among the other vets who have reportedly gotten a look from the club (Caboclo has since joined Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel).

Golden State is carrying 14 players on standard contracts and doesn’t currently have room under its hard cap to add a 15th man. However, two of those 14 players – Gui Santos and Lindy Waters – are on non-guaranteed deals, so if the Warriors decide they’re not fully committed to either player, there could be a regular season roster spot up for grabs.

Players signed to contracts that include Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 language don’t count against the salary cap until the regular season begins, so bringing in camp invitees on those deals would allow the Dubs to fill out their preseason roster, which currently stands at 18 total players.

Just One Team Has Used Full Non-Taxpayer MLE So Far

September 4th, 2024 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

As long as a team is operating below the second tax apron, it has access to at least some form of the mid-level exception, a tool designed to allow clubs to add talent without using cap room to do so. As we outline in more detail within our glossary, one of the following MLEs is available to a team below the second apron of $188,931,000:

Taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,183,000): For teams operating between the first and second tax aprons.
Non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12,822,000): For teams operating above the cap and below the first apron.
Room exception ($7,983,000): For teams who operate under the cap and use up all their room.

While four teams – the Celtics, Suns, Timberwolves, and Bucks – currently have salaries above the second tax apron, the other 26 clubs have access to one of these three mid-level exceptions. However, only a small handful of those clubs have actually taken advantage of the exception, as our tracker shows.

The Warriors are the lone team to use the full portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception so far in 2024/25, having signed free agent guard De’Anthony Melton a one-year contract worth $12,822,000.

Four other teams have used at least some portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but still have a chunk left over for one or more signings later in the league year. That group includes the Bulls (approximately $4.25MM remaining), Mavericks ($4.25MM), Clippers ($3.3MM), and Wizards ($6.38MM). They used part of their MLEs to sign Jalen Smith, Naji Marshall, Derrick Jones, and Saddiq Bey, respectively.

The Nuggets used the entire $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception to add Dario Saric in free agency, while the Sixers re-signed Kelly Oubre using their full $8MM room exception.

The remaining 19 teams have yet to dip into their mid-level or room exceptions at all.

In some cases, it’s not practical to do so. For example, the Heat and Lakers technically have access to the taxpayer MLE, but are so close to the second apron that they can’t realistically use it without shedding some salary.

Other teams are close enough to the luxury tax line that it wouldn’t make sense for them to spend their mid-level exception and become a taxpayer. The Nets and Hawks, for instance, have yet to touch their MLEs, but they’re each less than $2MM away from the tax threshold, so it’s safe to assume neither team is on the verge of bringing in an MLE-level free agent.

Still, there are plenty of teams that have more than enough spending flexibility to use some or all of their exception. That group includes every club with access to the room exception, including potential contenders such as the Thunder and Magic.

The 2024/25 season represents the first league year in which teams are permitted to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the room exception to acquire a player via trade rather than just to sign a player to a contract, so some clubs may be waiting until mid-season to see if a better opportunity arises on the trade market. Others may use some of their leftover exception money to pursue a free agent on the buyout market in February.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Hield, Melton, Podziemski, Trades

September 3rd, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Curry — NBA owner? That’s one of the goals for the Warriors superstar guard after he retires. Curry discussed his desire to own a piece of an NBA team on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” as Jessica Golden of CNBC relays.

“For me, that’s definitely on the table,” said Curry. “I think I could do a pretty good job of helping sustain how great the the NBA is right now and what it takes to run a championship organization.”

He’s in no rush to make it happens. Curry just signed a one-year, $62.6MM extension that will take him through the 2026/27 season.

“I know I have a lot more to accomplish on the court before I move into other roles in the league,” he said.

We have more on the Warriors:

Who will be Curry’s backcourt partner in the starting lineup this season — Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton or Brandin Podziemski? That’s just one of the five big questions hanging over the Warriors as training camp approaches, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Lack of frontcourt size is another issue that may have to be addressed.
The front office is still plugging away, looking for upgrades to maximize Curry’s remaining playing career, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. A league source told Bulpett he thinks the Warriors are still hoping to make a “big” move. “From the talks they’ve had — or tried to have — it sounds like they want to do something big,” the source said. “But they also don’t want to break things up too much. Moving Klay (Thompson) was big for them, but it wasn’t as big a trade as they probably wanted it to be. They want to add around Steph and Draymond (Green), but they’re finding that’s hard to do.”
The Warriors are hard-capped at the first tax apron of $178,132,000 and are less than $1MM away from that hard cap. That means they can’t sign another player for even a veteran’s minimum standard contract until later in the season unless they shed some salary. Get the details here.