Lonzo Ball Expected To Miss Camp, Doubtful For Start Of Season
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues to experience pain and discomfort in his surgically repaired left knee and is expected to miss training camp, sources tell Jamal Collier and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. According to ESPN’s duo, he’s also considered doubtful for the start of the 2022/23 regular season, which begins on October 18.
Ball had surgery in January for a torn meniscus and was originally expected to return before the end of last season. However, a bone bruise interfered with his rehab process, and unfortunately it appears as though it might still be impacting his recovery.
According to ESPN’s duo, Ball has seen “multiple specialists” in an effort to determine the cause of the lingering pain and discomfort, and to seek possible treatments. A source tells Collier and Shelburne that Ball’s knee is “structurally sound,” but he continued to struggle with the knee this summer while rehabbing in Los Angeles.
Ball will be evaluated by team doctors in Chicago next week, per ESPN.
The Bulls have been vague regarding Ball’s status throughout the offseason, with coach Billy Donovan and executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas saying that he was “progressing” back in July, but they did concede that his recovery was going slower than they’d hoped, and evidently that’s still the case.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago recently said on the Bulls Talk podcast that the team appeared to be a bit more optimistic about the 24-year-old lately, though he cautioned that the situation remained fluid.
“I’m not saying that means he’s out there opening night. I’m not saying he’s playing all 82,” Johnson said. “What I’m saying is the skepticism that was earlier in the offseason has moved a little bit toward the optimism side.”
It sounds as though Johnson’s report is right on the money, with Ball’s status for the season opener very much in jeopardy.
Ball had a major impact on the Bulls when he was healthy last season, averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 42.3% from three-point range and playing strong defense in 35 games (34.6 minutes).
As Collier and Shelburne note, the Bulls were 27-13 when Ball played his last game on January 14, but faltered down the stretch, going just 19-23 the rest of the way before losing their first-round playoff series against Milwaukee.
Jazz Continue To Engage In Trade Discussions
The Jazz have traded three starters from last year’s roster so far this offseason, but even after moving Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Royce O’Neale for a boatload of draft picks, the team isn’t necessarily done with its offseason work.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz continue to engage in trade conversations about a number of their remaining veterans, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson.
In the latest episode of his Please Don’t Aggregate This podcast, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report confirms that Bogdanovic, Conley, and Clarkson are “definitely on the trade block.” Fischer says he has also gotten the impression that the Jazz would “love to move off” Rudy Gay and has heard Leandro Bolmaro‘s name come up in some trade rumors.
Even beyond those five players, Utah would likely be willing to listen to inquiries on many others members of their roster, including Malik Beasley, according to Fischer. Jarred Vanderbilt is another player the club could theoretically move, though Fischer says a team might have to “knock Utah’s socks off” to acquire the young forward.
Based on the deals they’ve made so far this summer, it’s safe to assume the Jazz would be prioritizing draft assets as they continue to gauge the trade market.
Among Utah’s veterans, Bogdanovic might be the one with the most trade value. He’s on a reasonable $19.55MM expiring contract and is a talented frontcourt scorer, having averaged 18.4 PPG over the last three seasons (204 games) with the Jazz. The 33-year-old forward is also a major threat from beyond the arc — he has made at least 38.7% of his three-point tries in each of the last five seasons.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported on Thursday that the Suns had inquired on Bogdanovic, but Phoenix is hardly the only team with interest. Gambadoro tweeted late last night that several teams, including the Lakers, are eyeing Bogdanovic.
Any trade sending Bogdanovic to the Lakers would have to involve Russell Westbrook for salary-matching purposes, and would require at least one or two other players to go to Los Angeles — the Jazz would likely try to pry away the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in that scenario, though L.A. has been reluctant to attach more than one first-rounder to Westbrook.
Bogdanovic’s cap hit of nearly $20MM will make it tricky for certain teams to seriously pursue him. For instance, while he might be a good fit in Boston following Danilo Gallinari‘s injury, the Celtics probably can’t make a viable offer for him that doesn’t include at least one key rotation player whose value matches or exceeds Bogdanovic’s.
Danilo Gallinari Diagnosed With Torn Left ACL
The news for Danilo Gallinari and the Celtics has gone from bad to worse, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Gallinari underwent further evaluation on his injured left knee and has now been diagnosed with an ACL tear.
After Gallinari injured his knee playing for Italy in a World Cup qualifying game last week, reports indicated that the Italian national team’s medical staff determined the ACL was intact. The veteran forward was later diagnosed with a torn meniscus, but additional examinations have revealed a more serious injury.
It’s a brutal turn of events for Gallinari and the Celtics. A torn meniscus is a significant enough injury on its own, but there was a chance that the 34-year-old could return from that ailment in a matter of weeks, or at least at some point during the 2022/23 season. An ACL tear is likely to keep Gallinari on the shelf for the entire year.
A 13-year NBA veteran, Gallinari spent the last two seasons with the Hawks, averaging 12.4 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .434/.392/.915 shooting in 117 games (24.7 MPG) during that time. He was traded to San Antonio this summer in the Dejounte Murray blockbuster, then was waived by the Spurs before his salary for 2022/23 became fully guaranteed.
Once he reached free agency, Gallinari signed a two-year, $13.3MM deal with the Celtics, who used their full taxpayer mid-level exception to bring him aboard. He was expected to provide some scoring punch in Boston’s frontcourt, but now seems unlikely to contribute until 2023/24.
The second year on Gallinari’s deal is a player option — it looks like a safe bet he’ll end up exercising it, since he’s unlikely to do well on the free agent market next summer as a 35-year-old coming off a torn ACL. He tore the same ACL in 2013 as a member of the Nuggets.
With Gallinari likely to miss all of ’22/23, the Celtics will have the ability to apply for a disabled player exception, which would be worth 50% of his salary (about $3.2MM), notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
A disabled player exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade, as long as the team has an available roster spot to accommodate the addition. The exception can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.
Details On Knicks’ Trade Offers For Donovan Mitchell
In the wake of the agreement between the Jazz and Cavaliers on a trade that will send Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, details are trickling in on what the Knicks – long rumored to be Mitchell’s top suitor – offered for the three-time All-Star.
Not every outlet is entirely in alignment on what the Knicks put on the table for Mitchell, but the various reports paint a pretty clear picture of what it would’ve taken for the Jazz to send the 25-year-old to New York. Here’s what a few key national and local reporters are saying:
According to Wojnarowski, before extending RJ Barrett, the Knicks balked at including Quentin Grimes in a package that already featured Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 first-rounder (top-four protected), two second-round picks, two pick swaps, and a pair of expiring contracts from a third team.
When the Knicks wanted to replace Grimes in that package with Immanuel Quickley, the Jazz insisted on a third unprotected first-round pick, which the Knicks weren’t willing to give up, according to Wojnarowski, who says New York would’ve sent Evan Fournier and a first-round pick to a third team in order to spare Utah from having to take on Fournier’s multiyear contract.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Wojnarowski’s report is his claim that the Knicks made an offer in early July that would’ve included Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson (via sign-and-trade), and three unprotected first-round picks. When the Jazz turned down that proposal, Robinson re-signed with New York, which took him out of the mix for any further negotiations between the two teams.
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports:
Goodwill’s intel is similar to Wojnarowski’s — he hears from sources that the Jazz and Knicks got close to a deal that would’ve included Barrett, Grimes, expiring contracts, two first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 pick, a pair of pick swaps, and two second-rounders. However, New York felt that price was too steep and decided to extend Barrett instead.
Marc Berman of The New York Post:
One of the Knicks’ last offers to Utah included two unprotected first-rounders and three conditional picks along with Barrett, according to Berman, who says it’s unclear whether the team was offering three unprotected first-rounders in permutations of the deal that didn’t include Barrett.
Berman suggests (via Twitter) that the Knicks withheld Grimes from all of their offers. That’s a little hard to believe, given how many different versions of deals the two sides discussed, but it sounds like New York wasn’t interested in adding the second-year guard as a sweetener to offers that already included Barrett and significant draft capital.
“(The Knicks) thought they had (Jazz CEO Danny) Ainge and Utah over the barrel,” one league source said to Berman. “They held back on best offers of picks and players and Danny got his three unprotected.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News:
Bondy confirms that the Knicks weren’t willing to give up three unprotected first-round picks along with Barrett.
However, he says the team was open to moving any of its top prospects, including Grimes — again, presumably if they were going to include Grimes in certain iterations of their offer, the Knicks would’ve wanted to remove another asset or two.
According to Begley, the Knicks did make offers for Mitchell that included three unprotected first-round picks, but Barrett wasn’t part of those packages.
Begley also reports that the Knicks offered different combinations of players in their proposals that featured two unprotected first-rounders and the Bucks’ lightly protected 2025 pick — some of those offers included Barrett and some didn’t (while Begley doesn’t confirm this, it sounds as if Grimes was probably put into some offers that didn’t include Barrett).
At one point, Begley writes, the Jazz asked for a package that included Barrett, Evan Fournier, three unprotected first-rounders, additional draft picks, and at least one other young Knick player. New York opted not to meet that price.
It’s worth noting that the Knicks themselves are likely to be one of the primary sources leaking these after-the-fact details. The Jazz wouldn’t have much incentive to leak packages that they could’ve had instead of Cleveland’s, whereas the Knicks may be hoping to convey the impression they made a strong play for Mitchell and made fair proposals.
With that in mind, it’s worth taking these reports with a grain of salt — it’s possible a key detail or two is being omitted. Still, there’s a pretty consistent message that the Knicks were, at the very least, willing to trade Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, and some additional draft compensation for Mitchell.
It will be fascinating to follow the trajectories of Barrett and new Jazz players like Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji in the coming years to assess whether Utah made the right call by passing on the Knicks’ offers and pulling the trigger on the Cavs’ deal.
Suns Express Interest In Bojan Bogdanovic
With a full-out fire sale seemingly transpiring in Utah, it makes sense that the Jazz will be listening to offers for the rest of its veterans. The Jazz have thus far traded All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, wing Royce O’Neale, and point guard Patrick Beverley, all in separate deals, for younger players and future draft equity.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports that the Suns inquired about the availability of forward Bojan Bogdanovic in the wake of today’s deal that will send Mitchell to the Cavaliers. To match the 33-year-old veteran’s expiring $19.3MM salary, Phoenix would need to include multiple players in a trade, as well as future draft equity, Gambadoro speculates.
Last season, the 6’7″ veteran averaged 18.1 PPG on 45.5% shooting from the floor, along with 4.3 RPG and 1.7 APG across 69 games for the Jazz while starting as the team’s power forward. Bogdanovic could help spread the floor for the Suns, and is an efficient shooter at the charity stripe. He connected on 38.7% of his 6.8 triples per game for Utah, as well as 85.8% of his free throws.
Though the Suns had a league-best 64 wins, they flamed out in the playoffs, falling in a seven-game Western Conference semifinal matchup against the Mavericks. The Suns have made few moves this offseason thus far. When the Pacers tendered a four-year, maximum offer to restricted free agent starting Phoenix center Deandre Ayton, the Suns opted to match, making the big man ineligible to be traded until January.
Knicks Officially Announce RJ Barrett’s Extension
The Knicks have officially signed forward RJ Barrett to a rookie scale extension, the team announced today in a press release.
While the Knicks’ didn’t specify the terms of the deal in their announcement, previous reports indicated that Barrett’s new four-year contract, which will go into effect in 2023/24, will include $107MM in guaranteed money and could be worth up to $120MM with incentives related to All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive selections.
“We are thrilled to announce a well-deserved extension for RJ Barrett, a core piece of our team’s foundation,” Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose said in a statement. “At only 22 years old, he has elevated his game each season, solidifying himself as a force on both ends of the court. We believe he will continue to improve because of his passion for the game and dedication to his craft. We want to continue to build our team and culture around players like RJ who possess these values and qualities.”
Fittingly, the Knicks announced Barrett’s extension at almost exactly the same time word broke that the Jazz were trading Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland. The Knicks and Jazz reportedly had extensive discussions about Barrett as a possible centerpiece in a trade for Mitchell, with New York setting a Monday night deadline to either agree to a trade or extend the former No. 3 overall pick.
Barrett’s extension didn’t rule out the possibility that the Jazz and Knicks could work out a Mitchell trade, even one involving Barrett. However, it put those trade discussions on the back burner at least temporarily, opening the door for the Cavs to swoop in and finalize a trade for Mitchell themselves.
With Mitchell no longer available, it’s a safe bet Barrett will be a Knick in 2022/23. If he’s not included in another trade for a star down the road, he’s on track to remain in New York all the way through at least the ’26/27 season — his new deal reportedly doesn’t include any player or team options, so he won’t be eligible for free agency until the summer of 2027.
A former star at Duke, Barrett has steadily increased his scoring average in his three NBA seasons with the Knicks, registering a career-high 20.0 PPG in 70 games (34.5 MPG) in 2021/22. He also contributed 5.8 RPG and 3.0 APG while shooting .408/.342/.714 last season.
Those shooting marks were a step down from his career bests in ’20/21 (.441/.401/.746), but the presence of newly acquired point guard Jalen Brunson this season should help boost Barrett’s scoring efficiency.
Gary Harris Undergoes Arthroscopic Surgery On Left Knee
Magic wing Gary Harris has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee, the team announced in a press release. Harris, who recently tore his meniscus, underwent a meniscectomy, according to the Magic.
The recovery period for a torn meniscus can vary significantly depending on the severity of the injury and the form of treatment. When a player undergoes surgery to repair the tear, he typically misses several months — that’s how meniscus tears for Jaren Jackson Jr. and Collin Sexton have been treated within the last couple years, limiting Jackson to just 11 games in 2020/21 and Sexton to 11 appearances in ’21/22.
However, a meniscectomy involves removing either the full meniscus or a part of it, rather than repairing it. The procedure typically requires a shorter recovery period.
The Magic said in their announcement today that Harris’ return to the court will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment. It’s possible his absence will be measured in weeks rather than months, though Orlando has shown a tendency to take a conservative approach to its players’ recovery timetables.
Harris, who will turn 28 this month, appeared in 61 games (28.4 MPG) for the Magic in 2021/22 after being sent to the team in the Aaron Gordon trade at the 2021 deadline. The veteran shooting guard averaged 11.1 PPG on .434/.384/.864 shooting last season, earning a two-year, $26MM contract extension just before free agency officially began.
Only the first year of Harris’ new contract is guaranteed, so he’ll be motivated to get healthy and have a good season. A strong showing in 2022/23 would either convince the Magic to retain him for ’23/24 or would set him up for another solid payday as a free agent next summer.
Knicks’ Reddish Seeking Change Of Scenery?
Knicks forward Cam Reddish would prefer a change of scenery, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who hears from a league source that Reddish is seeking a larger role after seeing irregular minutes with the team last season.
Reddish, who was traded from Atlanta to New York in January in exchange for a heavily protected first-round pick, only appeared in three of his first 11 games with the club, logging 21 total minutes during that time as he returned from an ankle injury.
Reddish began to see the court more regularly in February when Quentin Grimes went down with an injury and Kemba Walker reached an agreement to sit out the rest of the season. However, the former Duke Blue Devil suffered a separated shoulder on March 7, prematurely ending his season. In total, Reddish averaged 6.1 PPG on .415/.258/.906 shooting in 15 games (14.3 MPG) for the Knicks.
A full offseason with the Knicks could theoretically pave the way for Reddish, who is celebrating his 23rd birthday today, to earn a more significant role in 2022/23. But he has been mentioned in some trade rumors this offseason, and Berman’s source is skeptical that Tom Thibodeau envisions the forward as an important piece in New York’s rotation.
“The Knicks didn’t have a plan for him,” the source told The Post. “They traded for him without one and still don’t have one. He would like a bigger opportunity somewhere.”
The Lakers reportedly explored the possibility of acquiring Reddish prior to the February trade deadline, and have been mentioned again this summer as a possible suitor.
If the Klutch Sports client ends up in Los Angeles, it might be as a small part of a bigger three-team deal that sends Russell Westbrook to Utah and Donovan Mitchell to New York. It’s also possible that Reddish could be traded to Utah as part of a package for Mitchell, but Berman says there’s no indication the Jazz are targeting the former 10th overall pick.
Reddish also reportedly sought a change of scenery out of Atlanta before being dealt to the Knicks. His minutes per game had dipped to 23.4 MPG with the Hawks in 2021/22 prior to the trade, a step down from the 28.8 MPG he averaged in ’20/21. Following the trade, he expressed a belief that he could become a “legit star,” but for now he’ll just have to prove that he can be a reliable rotation player.
Raptors Sign Josh Jackson To Non-Guaranteed Deal
3:00pm: Jackson’s contract is non-guaranteed, a source tells Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link).
2:26pm: The Raptors have signed free agent swingman Josh Jackson, the team announced (via Twitter). While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, it would be surprising if Jackson received a fully guaranteed contract.
The No. 4 overall pick of the 2017 draft after one season at Kansas, Jackson has struggled to gain traction in the NBA after being a highly touted but raw prospect.
Jackson was drafted by Phoenix, where he spent his first two seasons, then was traded to Memphis in the 2019 offseason. Memphis declined the team option on the fourth year of his rookie contract, so despite being a high pick, he only spent three of a possible four years on his rookie deal.
Jackson signed a two-year, $9.77MM contract with Detroit ahead of the 2020/21 season, but his on-court results were a mixed bag. He was in and out of the Pistons’ rotation last season and was later traded to the Kings at the February deadline in the four-team deal that sent Marvin Bagley III to Detroit.
Unfortunately, Jackson played even less for Sacramento than he had for Detroit, appearing in just 12 games for a total of 123 minutes.
In 291 career games, including 92 starts (23.1 MPG), the 25-year-old holds averages of 11.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.8 APG on .416/.292/.680 shooting. Jackson has good size (6’8″, 207 pounds) and above-average athleticism for a wing, but struggles to score efficiently, turns the ball over a lot (two more turnovers than assists in his career), and isn’t a great defender even though he has the tools for it.
The Raptors currently have 17 players on standard deals, including 13 with fully guaranteed contracts, according to our roster count. Jackson will likely be among the group that includes Dalano Banton, Justin Champagnie and D.J. Wilson as players battling for the final spots on the 15-man roster.
Montrezl Harrell’s Felony Charge Reduced To Misdemeanor
Veteran NBA big man Montrezl Harrell, who was arrested in Kentucky earlier this year on marijuana charges, had his felony trafficking charge reduced to a misdemeanor possession charge, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
If Harrell remains in good legal standing for the next 12 months, the misdemeanor charge will be removed from his record, Haynes adds. Harrell was initially charged after police found three pounds of marijuana in his vehicle during a traffic stop in Richmond, Ky.
The reduced charge is good news for Harrell, who remains unsigned nearly two months after the 2022 free agent period opened. While the 28-year-old’s production has slipped in the last couple seasons since he earned Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2020, his ongoing availability seems more about his legal situation off the court than what he can provide on the court. Now that Harrell is facing a less serious charge, he could be in position to find a new NBA home before training camps begin in September.
A seven-year veteran, Harrell appeared in 71 total games for the Wizards and Hornets in 2021/22, averaging 13.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 2.0 APG on 64.5% shooting in 23.1 minutes per contest.
The former Louisville standout is a talented scorer, but doesn’t stretch the floor on offense and isn’t a rim protector on defense, limiting his appeal to some extent. Still, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t find a spot on an NBA roster this fall.