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NBA Announces Official Rosters For Summer Restart

July 20th, 2020 at 5:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has announced the official summer rosters for each of the 22 teams involved in the resumption of the 2019/20 season. A total of 350 players make up the 22 squads, with only eight clubs carrying the maximum allowable 17 players. The Trail Blazers have the smallest summer roster, with just 13 players.

Injured players who didn’t make the trip to Orlando – such as Nets stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant – don’t show up on the official rosters list, but injured players who traveled with their teams – including Mavericks big man Dwight Powell and Pacers swingman Jeremy Lamb – are included, even if they won’t play this summer.

Besides players who are injured, voluntarily opted out, or were ruled out after contracting COVID-19, there are a few more notable omissions on the list, which we’ll round up here:

Houston Rockets: William Howard
- A two-way player, Howard recently reached a two-year deal with ASVEL Basket in France, so it makes sense that he won’t be playing for the Rockets this summer.
Los Angeles Clippers: Johnathan Motley, Mfiondu Kabengele
- As previously reported, Motley and Kabengele didn’t travel to Orlando with the Clippers and won’t be playing this summer.
Milwaukee Bucks: Cameron Reynolds
- The Bucks only brought one of their two-way players (Frank Mason III), as Reynolds doesn’t show up on their official roster. The reason for his absence is unclear.
New Orleans Pelicans: Josh Gray
- Darius Miller also isn’t listed on the Pelicans’ roster, but he’s injured, so it appears that Gray – a two-way player – is the player being replaced by Sindarius Thornwell, who was signed as a substitute player earlier this month. That would mean that Gray was one of three Pelicans players who contracted COVID-19 in June.
Philadelphia 76ers: Ryan Broekhoff
- Broekhoff was signed as a substitute player to fill the Sixers’ open two-way slot, but later announced that he hadn’t traveled to Orlando because his wife, who is “high risk,” tested positive for COVID-19. Based on his omission from Philadelphia’s roster, it appears that Broekhoff won’t be joining the club after all.
Phoenix Suns: Tariq Owens
- The Suns left one of their two-way slots open and apparently didn’t bring their lone two-way player to Orlando. The reason for Owens’ absence is unclear.
Portland Trail Blazers: Moses Brown
- Despite only having 13 players available in Orlando, the Trail Blazers won’t have Brown – their second two-way player – with them. The reason for his absence is unclear.
Washington Wizards: Gary Payton II
- Like the Pelicans, the Wizards signed a substitute player (Jarrod Uthoff) without announcing who he’d be replacing. It appears that player is Payton, who reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

Central Notes: Bledsoe, Cavs, Boylen, Bulls

July 20th, 2020 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Like most other NBA head coaches who have been asked about players not yet in attendance at the league’s Orlando campus, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer was somewhat cagey on Sunday when asked about Eric Bledsoe‘s situation. However, as Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, Budenholzer sounded optimistic about his point guard, who recently tested positive for COVID-19.

“The NBA has protocols that I think are trying to keep us all in our best place, our safest, to have a positive experience,” Budenholzer said. “When he clears those and when there’s something new to share with you guys we will, but we do feel like he’s on the closer end of the spectrum (to returning) than the longer.”

According to Velazquez, the expectation is that Bledsoe will be able to rejoin the Bucks before they resume play on July 31, though it will likely take him a little more time to get up to full speed. George Hill and NBA G League MVP Frank Mason III figure to handle point guard duties until Bledsoe is ready to go.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Jason Lloyd of The Athletic explores how Dan Gilbert‘s decision to take Quicken Loans public could impact the Cavaliers, noting that there’s no indication Gilbert has any intention of selling the franchise. Within the story, Lloyd adds that the Cavs owner is “turning up the pressure” on the team to show improvement next season in the third year of its rebuild.
Bulls head coach Jim Boylen said last week that he’s encouraged by his relationship with the team’s new top executives (link via WGNTV.com). K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago takes a closer look at Boylen’s comments, noting that the head coach dined with Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley in Chicago earlier this month, and both execs have been watching the individual voluntary workouts taking place at the Advocate Center. Boylen’s status for 2020/21 remains unclear, but the longer the Bulls go without making any announcements, the more likely he seems to keep his job.
In a pair of articles for NBC Sports Chicago, Rob Schaefer looks at how Kris Dunn and Ryan Arcidiacono performed in 2019/20 and what sort of future the two guards might have with the Bulls. Dunn is a restricted free agent this fall, while Arcidiacono has a guaranteed salary for ’20/21 and a team option for ’21/22.

Bucks’ Connaughton Tested Positive For COVID-19, Not Yet In Orlando

July 20th, 2020 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks wing Pat Connaughton revealed today, in a statement to ESPN and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that he recently tested positive for the coronavirus and has not yet reported to the NBA’s campus in Orlando (Twitter link via Matt Velazquez of The Journal Sentinel).

“I am healthy and I feel great and I am excited to join my teammates in Orlando once I meet all the NBA protocols,” Connaughton said.

Connaughton, 27, has been a key part of Milwaukee’s rotation in 2019/20, appearing in 61 games and averaging 5.1 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 18.3 minutes per contest. This is his second season with the Bucks after he began his NBA career by spending three years in Portland.

The Bucks are missing two rotation players due to COVID-19 — Eric Bledsoe also hasn’t yet reported to Orlando after testing positive earlier this month. While it remains to be seen whether either player will be ready for the Bucks’ first of eight seeding games on July 31, the club will be more concerned with making sure both players are back to 100% by the time the postseason begins in mid-to-late August.

The 53-12 Bucks have a 6.5-game lead on the Raptors and have essentially already locked in the No. 1 seed in the East, so they’re unlikely to be going all-out during those eight seeding contests.

Eric Bledsoe Tests Positive For COVID-19 Away From Orlando Campus

July 16th, 2020 at 7:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe tested positive for COVID-19, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN.

“I am asymptomatic and feeling fine,” Bledsoe said. He has not been in Orlando at all since the Bucks arrived to the NBA’s restart campus at Walt Disney World last week. Bledsoe expects to rejoin his teammates once he has cleared all protocols.

An extended absence for Bledsoe, the Bucks’ defensive-minded starting point guard, would be a major blow to the team with the best record in the NBA. The 30-year-old made the 2018/19 All-Defensive First Team with Milwaukee, and was enjoying a similarly productive season for the 53-12 Bucks, who lead the league in defensive rating at 101.9 PPG allowed per 100 possessions.

In his 56 games played (of a possible 65) this season, Bledsoe is averaging 15.4 PPG on 48.2% shooting from the field, including 34.8% from three-point land (on 3.6 attempts a night) and 81.3% from the free throw line. He also boasts 2019/20 averages of 5.4 APG and 4.6 RPG.

Bledsoe hails from a starry 2010 Kentucky team that also featured future NBA All-Stars DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall, plus league journeyman Patrick Patterson and short-term NBA pro Daniel Orton. Bledsoe has been with the Bucks since a midseason trade from Phoenix during the 2017/18 season.

The 6’1″ guard is in the first season of a four-year, $70MM extension he signed with the Bucks in 2019. Though Bledsoe has underwhelmed for Milwaukee in past playoff appearances, his athleticism has made him an essential contributor on both sides of the ball. Backup point guard George Hill, in the midst of a terrific shooting season, should get more shine if Bledsoe misses extended time as he recovers.

The 34-year-old Hill has been an imperative role player for Milwaukee in his 12th NBA season. The 6’3″ IUPUI alum is shooting 53% from the field, 48% from deep (on 2.9 attempts per game in just 21.2 minutes), and 83.1% from the free throw line.

Bucks' Williams Signing Could Have Playoff Impact

July 15th, 2020 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer explores how some roster moves from back in February, including the Bucks‘ signing of forward Marvin Williams, could impact the Eastern Conference playoffs this summer.

Giannis' Super Max Numbers Likely To Shrink

July 10th, 2020 at 7:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The changing landscape of the NBA, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has made Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future decisions regarding free agency a little more complicated, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks breaks down in great detail. The super-max contract the Bucks will offer this offseason, now scheduled for October, will drop in value due to shrinking revenue that will reduce the projected salary cap for the 2021/22 season.

The original projection was a $125MM salary cap for that season, the first year of Antetokounmpo’s super max extension should he choose to sign it. Antekounmpo’s super max would likely turn Milwaukee into a taxpayer team. However, the NBA revenue drop could aid the Bucks’ cause, since Giannis’ potential suitors would see their salary cap space shrink.

The Pistons have hired David Mincberg, the Bucks’ former director of basketball strategy, and his role as an assistant GM could be broad, as Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press explains. Mincberg’s responsibilities could have a jack-of-all-trades feel to it, since he brings experience in scouting, analytics, salary-cap management and legal counsel.

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Seeding

July 10th, 2020 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

Although the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference will still be up for grabs when the NBA’s eight “seeding” games begin on July 30, that race has lost much of its luster as a result of the injuries, COVID-19 cases, and opt-outs that have decimated the Nets‘ and Wizards‘ rosters.

Technically, the Magic (30-35) are the No. 8 seed at the moment, but they’re just a half-game back of Brooklyn (30-34) for the No. 7 spot and seem likely to pass a Nets team that will be without at least seven players, including Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and DeAndre Jordan.

That would leave the Nets to hang onto the No. 8 seed by holding off the Wizards (24-40), who will be missing Bradley Beal, Davis Bertans, and John Wall, but could force a play-in tournament if they finish within four games of Orlando or Brooklyn. Washington is also currently without Thomas Bryant (coronavirus), Gary Payton II (coronavirus), and Garrison Mathews (personal), though some or all of those players may eventually rejoin the team.

While that race for the seventh and eighth seeds may not be quite as dramatic as the NBA would like, there could still be some interesting jockeying for position further up the standings in the East.

The 53-12 Bucks have a 6.5-game cushion over the 46-18 Raptors, so Milwaukee will likely clinch the top seed even if they’re on cruise control during the seeding games. But Toronto’s lead on the third-seeded Celtics (43-21) is just three games, and Boston’s eight-game schedule looks less daunting than the Raptors’ slate.

Five of the Celtics’ eight games are against the Nets, Wizards, Magic, Grizzlies, and Trail Blazers, all of whom are at or near the bottom of the playoff race. The Raptors, meanwhile, will face Orlando and Memphis, but also have games against the Lakers, Heat, Nuggets, Sixers, and Bucks. The Celtics and Raptors face each other as well, in a game that will have important tiebreaker implications.

That No. 2 seed isn’t as important as it once was, given the lack of home court advantage available, but it could mean facing the Magic instead of the Pacers, which should be a more favorable matchup even with Victor Oladipo sidelined.

Speaking of the Pacers, they’re currently tied at 39-26 with the Sixers, with the No. 5 seed up for grabs. Clinching that fifth seed would likely mean securing a first-round matchup with the fourth-seeded Heat instead of the Celtics or Raptors.

The Heat, meanwhile, are 41-24, putting them two games behind Boston and two games ahead of the Sixers and Pacers. They seem like a relatively safe bet to hold their position in the No. 4 vs. 5 matchup, but a hot or cold streak in Orlando could affect their spot in the standings, especially with games vs. Boston, Toronto, and Indiana (twice) on tap.

What do you think? What do you expect the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference to look like by the time the playoffs begin? Will they look relatively similar to the current standings, or will there be some shuffling that results in some unexpected first-round matchups?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Pistons Hire Bucks Exec David Mincberg As Assistant GM

July 9th, 2020 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 9: The Pistons have officially hired Mincberg as an assistant general manager, announcing the move today in a press release.

JULY 7: The Pistons are hiring Bucks executive David Mincberg to fill an assistant general manager role in their front office, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Mincberg, who previously worked in the Grizzlies’ legal and scouting departments, has been in the Bucks’ front office for the last three years under GM Jon Horst. As Wojnarowski notes, Mincberg most recently served as Milwaukee’s vice president of basketball strategy.

It’s the first front office addition the Pistons have made since hiring new general manager Troy Weaver, who presumably played a role in the pursuit and hiring of Mincberg. Detroit has lost two assistant GMs this year, with Malik Rose leaving the team for a job in the NBA’s league office and Pat Garrity departing the organization as well.

Given both of those losses, Mincberg won’t be the last executive hired by the Pistons to fill out Weaver’s new-look basketball operations department. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) hears that the club will likely make “at least” two more hires.

Horst Not Worried About Giannis Tampering At Disney

July 8th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked today if he has any concerns about teams tampering with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the NBA’s campus in Orlando, Bucks GM Jon Horst replied, “Zero,” tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Horst went on to joke that such tampering would “technically violate the social distancing rules” of the campus.

Bucks Close Practice Facility Following Rounds Of COVID-19 Testing

July 5th, 2020 at 5:54pm CST by JD Shaw

The Bucks have shut down the team’s practice facility following results from COVID-19 testing on Friday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Milwaukee isn’t expected to re-open its facility for workouts before the team travels to Orlando on Thursday for the NBA’s resumption, Wojnarowski adds.

Along with the Bucks, the Clippers, Heat and Nuggets have all been forced to close their facilities within the past week due to positive coronavirus tests. The Suns and Nets also had to shut their facilities down in June.

The Bucks currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings at 53-12, winning six of their last 10 games before the season was indefinitely suspended on March 11. They hold an impressive 28-3 record at home, going 34-5 against teams in the East this season.

Milwaukee is slated to play its first game on July 31 against Boston. To this point, only individual workouts have commenced at team practice facilities — group workouts won’t be allowed until the 22 teams enter the NBA’s campus in Orlando.