Cavaliers Eyeing Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Cavaliers have interest in Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr., Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said during an appearance on Jake Fischer’s Please Don’t Aggregate This podcast. Fedor identified Hardaway as a possible target for Cleveland after Fischer discussed the team’s interest in Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
“I would add another name,” Fedor said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “The Cavs believe this player is available, and my sources tell me that he could be had. It’s, again, at the right price. And it’s a little bit tricky, because he’s on a team that’s fourth place currently in the Western Conference.
“Tim Hardaway Jr. is somebody that the Cavs have been watching and they’ve been keeping an eye on. And I think if the Cavs had their choice, it would be very, very close. And they’re not going to have their choice, it doesn’t work that way, but if they had their choice, it would be between Bojan and Tim Hardaway Jr.”
The Cavaliers have two All-Stars (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell) in their backcourt, with All-Star center Jarrett Allen and last year’s No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley up front. The small forward spot is the only one in the starting five that remains a question mark, with players like Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Lamar Stevens, and Dean Wade cycling through it this season.
Fischer, having reported earlier this week that the Cavs are in the market for a defensive-minded wing who is also an outside shooting threat, likes the idea of Hardway for Cleveland, especially since LeVert would probably have to be included in a hypothetical trade (his $18MM+ salary is within $1MM of Hardaway’s). The Mavs kicked the tires on LeVert before Cleveland acquired him from Indiana a year ago, according to Fischer, who also suggested that Dallas has been seeking another shot creator to complement Luka Doncic.
Fedor believes a trade centered around Hardaway and LeVert would be a “logical stylistic swap,” though he acknowledged that there could be some obstacles. Hardaway is under contract for two seasons beyond this one, so the Cavs may be reluctant to make that sort of commitment before seeing how he fits (LeVert is on an expiring deal). Both Fischer and Fedor also agreed that the Cavs may want an extra asset as opposed to making a one-for-one trade.
Here are a few more Cavs-related notes from the podcast:
- “I’ve been told that the Cavs are not going to trade Isaac unless they get a significant piece back in return,” Fedor stated, referring to Okoro. Fedor initially said he’s not quite sure what sort of player would fit that profile, but agreed with Fischer when he suggested Raptors forward OG Anunoby. It’s difficult to imagine the Cavaliers having enough ammo to land Anunoby even if they were willing to include Okoro, since they can’t currently trade any of their future first-round picks.
- The Cavaliers are about $2.5MM below the luxury tax threshold and are unwilling to go into the tax this season, per Fedor. That will be a factor to watch as Cleveland consider possible deals.
- Neither Fischer nor Fedor gets the sense that Suns forward Jae Crowder is a target for the Cavaliers, and Fedor said he also heard that the club is “not all that interested” in Magic wing Terrence Ross.
- The Cavs won’t make a trade just to make one, Fedor said, adding that some people within the organization want to see what it looks like if Wade gets an extended shot at the starting small forward job. Wade made nine starts earlier in the season, but has been out since December 2 due to a shoulder injury.
Spurs Sign Gorgui Dieng To 10-Day Contract
10:57am: The deal is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log. It will run through Tuesday, January 17.
7:14am: Just days after waiving him, the Spurs have agreed to re-sign big man Gorgui Dieng, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). A source tells Wojnarowski that San Antonio is bringing back Dieng on a 10-day contract.
Dieng, who will turn 33 later this month, signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with San Antonio over the summer. The former Louisville standout played sparingly for the team in the first half of the season, averaging 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 13 appearances (11.6 MPG), and was perhaps valued more for his veteran leadership in the locker room than his contributions on the court.
Because the Spurs had a full 15-man standard roster, they had to cut a player when they agreed to acquire Noah Vonleh and cash in a salary-dump trade with the Celtics. Dieng was the odd man out, despite having a fully guaranteed salary.
Having already locked in his full-season $2.64MM salary, Dieng will now get the opportunity to double-dip with the Spurs on a 10-day deal, which will pay him approximately $152K.
No corresponding roster move will be necessary for San Antonio to open up a spot for Dieng, since the club waived Vonleh shortly after trading for him. Assuming the signing becomes official today or tomorrow, Dieng will be eligible to play in the Spurs’ next five games, starting with Monday’s contest in Memphis.
Suns’ Cameron Payne Out At Least Two Weeks With Foot Sprain
Suns guard Cameron Payne has been diagnosed with a right foot sprain and will miss at least two weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.
Payne missed nine games in mid-to-late December with right foot soreness, and then aggravated the injury in just his second game back during Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland. He was sidelined for last night’s loss to Miami as well.
It’s a tough blow for the Suns, who continue to be hit hard by injuries. Payne is an important member of Phoenix’s backcourt, with averages of 12.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.3 APG and 0.9 SPG on .412/.378/.776 shooting splits through 28 games (14 starts, 24.0 MPG). The points and assists per game both represent career highs.
The Suns are already without star shooting guard Devin Booker (groin strain) and starting power forward Cameron Johnson (torn meniscus and subsequent surgery). Johnson has been making progress in his rehab, but he hasn’t participated in contact work yet, per head coach Monty Williams (Twitter link via Bourguet).
Williams also said Chris Paul is considered day-to-day with right hip soreness, and another update will be provided on Sunday. The veteran point guard missed 14 games earlier in the season with right heel soreness.
The Suns have dropped eight of their past nine games, including five straight, to move to 20-20 on the season. Their upcoming schedule over the next two weeks won’t do them any favors — they’re home against Cleveland on Sunday, then go on a four-game road trip against the Warriors, Nuggets, Wolves and Grizzlies, followed by home games against the Nets and Pacers.
With Payne, Booker, and potentially Paul sidelined, look for guards like Landry Shamet, Damion Lee and Duane Washington to get more minutes and shot attempts.
No Extension Talks Yet, But Grant Not Planning To Leave Blazers
Six months have passed since Jerami Grant was traded from Detroit to Portland, which means the Trail Blazers‘ forward is now eligible for a contract extension that could be worth up to $112.65MM over four years.
Negotiations between general manager Joe Cronin and Grant’s agent Mike Kneisley haven’t yet gotten underway, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. However, Quick says there was optimism from “all corners of the organization” on Friday about the possibility of Grant remaining in Portland long-term, including from the forward himself.
“I definitely like it here; love it here,” Grant said. “The guys have been very welcoming, it’s definitely a family environment, everybody is super cool, got good guys on the team, great organization — Joe, (head coach) Chauncey (Billups), everything. I’m definitely enjoying it here.”
When told that his comments didn’t paint the picture of a situation a player would want to leave, Grant laughed and replied, “I ain’t really plan on leaving.”
As Quick outlines, Blazers star Damian Lillard and Grant became close when they played for Team USA at the 2020 Olympics. As U.S. teammates, they discussed ways to get Grant to Portland, and Lillard said on Friday that it “wasn’t the plan” for the 28-year-old to leave Portland as a free agent.
According to Quick, Lillard doesn’t believe that Grant – who has played for five teams since entering the NBA in 2014 and has never spent more than three seasons with a single franchise – will be looking for another change of scenery as a free agent this summer.
“I’m sure at this point in his career he’s looking for a home,” Lillard said. “He’s not looking to be on another team, so in my mind, I just assume it’s more than likely that he’ll be back.
“… I think (Grant) understands it’s a good situation for him,” Lillard added. “He’s been able to play free … the game has come pretty simple for him … we’ve welcomed him. Right now we are 19-19, but we are capable of being a winning team … It’s a good situation for him, and that speaks louder than anything else.”
The Blazers have until June 30 to sign Grant to an extension and would be in the driver’s seat even if he opts for free agency, since they’d be able to offer him more years and more money than any other team — four years and $112.65MM are Grant’s in-season limits, but Portland could offer up to $233MM over five years in free agency. The possibility of exceeding $28MM per year on his next contract could be a consideration for Grant, who will also weigh his family, his role, and his team’s chances to compete for a title, writes Quick.
“It’s a lot of stuff that goes into it, that’s why I’m kind of taking my time right now,” Grant said.
Raptors Sign Joe Wieskamp To 10-Day Contract
JANUARY 7: The Raptors have officially signed Wieskamp to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through January 16, covering Toronto’s next five games.
JANUARY 6: The Raptors are signing free agent swingman Joe Wieskamp to a 10-day contract, agents Kyle McAlarney and Mark Bartelstein tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Wieskamp, 23, was drafted 41st overall in 2021 by the Spurs and spent most of his rookie season on a two-way contract with the team. The 6’6″ wing was converted to a rest-of-season standard contract in March, then re-signed with San Antonio in August on a two-year deal that included a guaranteed $2.175MM salary for 2022/23. However, he was the victim of a roster crunch and was waived by the Spurs in October just before the regular season tipped off.
A former Iowa standout, Wieskamp appeared in 29 games for the Spurs in his first pro season, playing a very limited role for the NBA club. He averaged 2.1 PPG and 0.5 RPG in 7.1 MPG.
Wieskamp has seen more of the court at the G League level in the last two seasons. After playing for the Austin Spurs in 2021/22, he was the second overall pick in this season’s NBAGL draft and has spent this season with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s affiliate. In 11 Showcase Cup games for the Herd (28.5 MPG), he averaged 17.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG on .504/.406/.842 shooting.
The Raptors won’t need to make a roster move to clear space for Wieskamp, since they have an opening on their 15-man squad after waiving Justin Champagnie last week.
KZ Okpala’s Contract Guaranteed By Kings
The Kings are keeping KZ Okpala on their roster, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link), who hears from a source that the forward had his contract guaranteed for the rest of the season.
The 32nd overall pick of the 2019 draft, Okpala spent his first two-plus seasons with the Heat. However, Miami traded him to Oklahoma City last February and he was subsequently waived by the Thunder.
The 23-year-old signed a two-year, $4MM deal with the Kings ahead of training camp, but it was only partially guaranteed for $250K. The guarantee increased to $500K when he made Sacramento’s regular season roster.
Okpala started the Kings’ first three games in 2022/23, but he hasn’t played a whole lot since. Overall, he’s appeared in 25 games for an average of 7.8 minutes per night. Head coach Mike Brown is a fan of Okpala’s defense.
Kings To Guarantee Matthew Dellavedova’s Contract
The Kings plan to guarantee Matthew Dellavedova‘s contract for the remainder of the season, a league source tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Dellavedova was signed to a partially guaranteed deal for the veteran’s minimum, so he will earn $2,628,597 in 2022/23. However, the Kings will only carry a $1,836,090 cap hit, as our Luke Adams details here.
Sacramento just waived Chima Moneke, another player with a partially guaranteed deal, ahead of tomorrow’s guarantee deadline. KZ Okpala is the last remaining player whose contract is partially guaranteed, but he has appeared in more games than both Dellavedova and Moneke, so it would be a mild surprise if he’s released.
A nine-year NBA veteran, Dellavedova spent most of his career with the Cavaliers, winning a title in 2016. He also spent two-plus seasons with the Bucks. However, he was out of the league in 2021/22 — he played for Melbourne United in his native Australia.
Kings head coach Mike Brown coached Dellavedova when he was a rookie with Cleveland back in ’13/14, and that familiarity played a big factor in him landing another NBA deal. The 32-year-old has appeared in just 15 games with Sacramento for an average of 6.7 minutes per contest.
Kings Waive Chima Moneke
The Kings have waived forward Chima Moneke, a source tells James Ham of ESPN 1320 and TheKingsBeat.com (Twitter link).
Moneke was one of three players on Sacramento’s roster on partially guaranteed contracts — Matthew Dellavedova and KZ Okpala are the others. The deadline to waive partially and non-guaranteed deals before they become fully guaranteed is tomorrow, January 7.
The 27-year-old rookie out of Australia only appeared in two NBA games this season for a total of eight minutes. He spent the majority of the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, averaging 17.6 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.6 SPG and 0.8 BPG in 16 games (36.3 MPG) during the Showcase Cup.
After going undrafted in 2018, Moneke played internationally for teams in France and Spain, first competing in the French LNB Pro B league before receiving a promotion to Orléans Loiret Basket of LNB Pro A, the top league in France, in 2020/21.
Last season he played for Baxi Manresa of Liga ACB, the top Spanish league, averaging 14.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 1.6 SPG on .521/.290/.735 shooting in 36 games (30 starts, 24.1 MPG). He was also named the MVP of the Basketball Champions League with Baxi Manresa in ’21/22.
Moneke was on a standard contract, so the Kings now have 14 players on their 15-man roster, with both two-way contracts filled.
Lakers Sign Sterling Brown To 10-Day Contract
12:56pm: The Lakers have officially signed Brown to a 10-day contract, according to the team.
The first recipient of a 10-day deal in 2023, Brown will be eligible for the team’s next five games — his contract will expire after the Lakers play Philadelphia next Sunday (January 15).
11:26am: The Lakers are “progressing toward” signing free agent wing Sterling Brown to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Brown, 27, is playing with the Raptors 905 after being waived by the Thunder before the start of the season. He has appeared in six games for the G League team.
Brown spent last season with the Mavericks, averaging 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per night while seeing limited playing time in 49 games. During the offseason, he was sent to the Rockets as part of the Christian Wood trade and was later shipped to Oklahoma City in an eight-player deal.
The Lakers currently have a roster opening, so no corresponding move would have to be made before signing Brown.
Lakers’ Walker, Reaves Each Out At Least Two Weeks
The Lakers shared some bad news on Friday, announcing that two of their rotation players will be sidelined for at least the next couple weeks due to injuries.
As Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet tweets, Lonnie Walker has been diagnosed with left knee tendinitis and Austin Reaves has a left hamstring strain. The plan is for the team to reevaluate both players in approximately two weeks, Trudell adds.
While neither injury will have as significant an on-court impact as the foot ailment that’s keeping star big man Anthony Davis on the shelf, Walker and Reaves have been the Lakers’ most-used players this season outside of Davis and LeBron James.
Walker has started all 32 games he has played for the Lakers this season and has averaged 29.8 minutes per contest, the club’s third-highest mark. He’s enjoying a career year so far, with 14.7 PPG on .455/.384/.875 shooting.
Reaves, who ranks fourth on the team with 28.9 minutes per game, has averaged 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on .488/.360/.896 shooting in his 36 appearances.
With the two guards out of action until at least later this month, the Lakers will have to lean more heavily on the likes of Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schröder, and Patrick Beverley, as well as Juan Toscano-Anderson, who started Wednesday’s game. Kendrick Nunn and Max Christie will also move up the depth chart and could have a shot at cracking the rotation.
Troy Brown is another candidate for an increased role, though he’s dealing with a left quad strain and has been downgraded from questionable to out for Friday’s game vs. Atlanta, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.