Dillon Brooks Has Fractured Left Hand, To Be Reassessed In 2-3 Weeks
The Grizzlies have announced that swingman Dillon Brooks is still recovering from a left hand fracture and will be reassessed in 2-3 weeks.
According to the team, after normal imaging was conducted on players ahead of the 2021/22 season, the Grizzlies decided that Brooks should undergo further treatment for the hand to heal. The 25-year-old was originally sidelined for eight weeks earlier this summer after breaking his hand in two locations.
The 6’7″ wing out of Oregon averaged a career-best 17.2 PPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.2 SPG last season, to go along with 2.9 RPG, playing 67 out of 72 games for Memphis. He also posted a shooting line of .419/.344/.815.
Brooks has missed all of the Grizzlies’ four preseason contests thus far as a result of a sore right thigh.
Lakers Sign Sekou Doumbouya To Two-Way Deal
3:38pm: The Lakers have officially signed Doumbouya to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
2:03pm: The Lakers are making progress toward signing free agent forward Sekou Doumbouya to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Doumbouya, 20, was the 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft and spent the first two years of his NBA career in Detroit. However, he struggled to score efficiently during his time with the Pistons, averaging 5.6 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .384/.254/.691 shooting in 94 games (17.3 MPG).
The Pistons sent Doumbouya to the Nets in their DeAndre Jordan trade last month, and the young forward was subsequently flipped to the Rockets, who waived him last Thursday. Because Doumbouya only has two years of NBA service under his belt, he remains eligible for a two-way deal.
The Lakers, meanwhile, filled both their two-way slots early in the offseason when they signed undrafted free agents Austin Reaves and Joel Ayayi. However, Reaves has since been promoted to a standard contract, opening up a two-way slot. Camp invitees Mac McClung and Chaundee Brown had been viewed as candidates for that spot, but it appears L.A. will go outside of the organization to fill it.
Cavaliers Waive Mfiondu Kabengele, Brodric Thomas
The Cavaliers have trimmed their roster by waiving center Mfiondu Kabengele and guard Brodric Thomas, the team announced in a press release.
Kabengele signed a pair of 10-day deals with Cleveland in April before inking a contract for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 16 games, averaging 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per night. He also played 23 games for the Clippers last season.
Thomas signed a two-way contract with the Cavs in late February and appeared in 32 games, putting up 4.1 PPG and 1.8 RPG. After exploring free agency, he accepted his qualifying offer last month, which was the equivalent of another two-way deal with a $50K guarantee. Thomas played four games for the Rockets last season before coming to Cleveland and spent time in the G League as well.
The moves bring the Cavaliers down to 18 players on the roster, with 11 guaranteed contracts. The team now has a pair of open two-way slots.
Terance Mann Signs Two-Year Extension With Clippers
The Clippers have signed guard Terance Mann to a two-year contract extension worth $22MM, according to Marc Spears of ESPN.
Under the agreement, Mann’s $1.9MM option for 2022/23 becomes fully guaranteed and he will make $10.576MM in 2023/24 and $11.423MM in 2024/25, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. A second-round pick in 2019, Mann will earn $1.782MM this season.
The 24-year-old swingman is coming off a productive second season in L.A., averaging 7.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 67 games. He took a major step forward in the playoffs after Kawhi Leonard was injured, including a 39-point performance in a close-out win over the Jazz in the second round.
“It is with tremendous honor and pride that I sign this extension with the Clippers,” Mann said. “The faith and commitment in my development and contribution thus far will provide me the motivation I need as I continue to be a pivotal part of our championship run. I want to thank the front office for this opportunity to remain a part of the Clipper Nation. I would also like to thank my coaches and teammates for believing me and allowing me to grow both on and off the court.”
If Mann hadn’t signed an extension, the Clippers would’ve faced a difficult decision on his team option next summer, since exercising it would’ve put him on track for unrestricted free agency in 2023 — turning it down would’ve allowed the team to negotiate with him as a restricted free agent, but would’ve meant he received a significant pay increase one year earlier.
As a result of the extension agreement, L.A. will get Mann at a bargain rate for an extra year and won’t have to worry about holding off rival suitors in 2023.
Nets Won’t Permit Kyrie Irving To Be Part-Time Player
The Nets have decided that they’re not comfortable with guard Kyrie Irving only playing in half the team’s games due to his vaccination status. Brooklyn issued a press release today announcing that Irving won’t play or practice with the team until he can be a “full participant,” with general manager Sean Marks explaining the organization’s stance.
“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose,” Marks said in a statement. “Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability.
“It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice. Our championship goals for the season have not changed, and to achieve these goals each member of our organization must pull in the same direction. We are excited for the start of the season and look forward to a successful campaign that will make the borough of Brooklyn proud.”
Irving is the only player on the Nets who remains unvaccinated against COVID-19. A New York City executive order requires individuals who work in the city to have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine in order to enter indoor venues such as Barclays Center.
The Nets appeared to catch a break last week when the city deemed the team’s practice facility, the HSS Center, a private office building, allowing Irving to practice both at home and on the road. However, there was no wiggle room on his ability to play in games in New York.
Taking into account the Nets’ 41 home games and their two games at Madison Square Garden, Irving would be ineligible to play in 43 of 82 regular season contests this season as long as he remains unvaccinated and the city’s executive order remains unchanged.
Although Irving would have been eligible to play in Brooklyn’s other 39 games, it would have been a very stop-and-start process, especially since the Nets have seven home stands this season of three games or more. The team has decided it would be untenable to have the point guard only available on the road, a decision that involved stars Kevin Durant and James Harden in addition to Marks and team owner Joe Tsai, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (link via RealGM).
Now that the Nets have clarified their position, it’ll be fascinating to see what comes next. Irving could immediately end the standoff by agreeing to be vaccinated, but if he digs in his heels, the team will have to determine whether it will indefinitely suspend the seven-time All-Star.
Exploring the trade market is another option the Nets could consider, since Irving would be eligible to play in all 82 games in most other NBA cities. However, the 29-year-old isn’t expected to have a ton of trade value, given his mercurial personality and his expiring contract.
Sixers Surprised By Timing Of Ben Simmons’ Return
Although the Sixers had become increasingly optimistic about the possibility of Ben Simmons reporting to Philadelphia, they’d expected it to happen sometime later this week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who says the club was surprised to see Simmons return to the arena on Monday to take his mandatory COVID-19 test.
“All of the sudden, near the opening tip tonight of that Brooklyn/Philly preseason game, I’m told that (general manager) Elton Brand gets a text message essentially saying, ‘Hey, Ben’s outside the building, he needs to get in and come take his COVID test,'” Wojnarowski said during an appearance on Sportscenter on Monday night (video link). “And that’s how the Sixers found out that Ben Simmons – after two weeks away in the preseason – had returned to Philadelphia.”
Simmons’ holdout may be over, but it remains to be seen what exactly comes next for him and the team, according to Wojnarowski, who says it’s unclear whether the three-time All-Star plans to “merely report to team or truly rejoin the team.”
A league source recently told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that Simmons still doesn’t intend to play in a game for the 76ers, but head coach Doc Rivers remains optimistic about getting the 25-year-old back on the court.
“We’ve said from Day 1 what we wanted,” Rivers said before Monday’s game. “That we would love to get him back. … My guess is if and when he comes, I think he will be ready to play.”
Sources tell Wojnarowski that there’s an expectation Simmons will meet with franchise leadership on Tuesday at the team’s practice facility. The discussions that take place during that meeting should help determine the next steps for the two sides.
Here’s more on the situation:
- Pompey provides a few more interesting details in his report, writing that Simmons has officially put both of his Philadelphia-area residences up for sale and noting that Sixers fans in the nosebleed section on Monday chanted, “(Expletive) Ben Simmons!” late in the game.
- If Simmons is willing to reintegrate with the Sixers, his camp and the club are expected to discuss the possibility of him recouping some of the money he lost when he was fined for missed practices and games over the last couple weeks, per Wojnarowski.
- The 76ers haven’t come close to finding a trade they like for Simmons and don’t have any traction on a deal at this point, sources tell ESPN. However, Wojnarowski acknowledges the trade market could “shift quickly” once the regular season gets underway.
- Asked on Monday about Simmons’ potential return, star center Joel Embiid, who admitted he hadn’t talked to his All-Star teammate over the offseason, provided the following response, per Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com: “It’s unfortunate the whole situation happened, but we’re a better team with him on the floor. I think there are going to be some adjustments, but it doesn’t need to be awkward. We are professionals, we want to win. I want to win. He gives me the best chance to win, so that’s what I’m going to go with. But as far as coming back and all that, we’ve made a few adjustments, and he’s just got to come in and buy in and we’re going to be fine. Last year we were the No. 1 seed. You just got to buy in and we’re going to be fine.”
Ben Simmons Arrives In Philadelphia
It appears Ben Simmons is rejoining the Sixers. He has arrived in Philadelphia and took a COVID-19 test, as required by NBA protocols, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The organization wants Simmons back on the court once he clears protocols, but that remains to be seen, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.
Simmons’ return seemed imminent when Wojnarowski reported earlier Monday that 76ers team officials and Simmons’ agent Rich Paul had made progress in discussions about ending Simmons’ holdout. What’s not clear yet is whether Simmons intends to suit up or just sit out games until the team works out a trade. Wojnarowski’s earlier report indicated the front office would continue exploring the market for a potential Simmons trade.
Coach Doc Rivers said on Monday the team would “love to get him back.” Rivers also said his teammates would not hold his earlier stance of refusing to report to camp against him, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
“Other than those first 10 minutes of welcoming back and taking the (razzing) from your teammates about missing camp and stuff, guys want to win. They do,” Rivers said. “I’m telling you, especially if you’re on that type of team where you have a chance to win. They want to win, and they look at Ben as a guy that can help them do that.”
Simmons had a strong monetary incentive to at least show up. The three-time All-Star was losing approximately $360K for each game he missed.
He wasn’t expected to be able to recoup that money down the road and a report last week indicated that those financial ramifications were starting to hit home for Simmons and his camp. It’s unknown whether the negotiations between Paul and the club would allow Simmons to get back some of that money.
Simmons has four years left on his max contract. Things went sour during last season’s playoffs when he was reluctant to shoot and performed disastrously at the free throw line.
Hawks Release Jahlil Okafor
Veteran center Jahlil Okafor has been cut for the second time this offseason, as the Hawks announced in a press release on Monday that they’ve requested waivers on the big man. Atlanta now has 19 players under contract.
A former third overall pick, Okafor spent last season in Detroit, averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.4 RPG in a very limited role (12.9 MPG) across 27 games. The big man has also spent time with the Sixers, Nets, and Pelicans since entering the NBA out of Duke in 2015. He was traded from Detroit to Brooklyn in September and was subsequently waived by the Nets before catching on with Atlanta for training camp.
Okafor was on a non-guaranteed contract with the Hawks, so he was never a great bet to make the team’s regular season roster. However, Atlanta only has 14 players with fully guaranteed contracts, so someone with a non-guaranteed deal could still make the 15-man squad. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and DaQuan Jeffries are among those in the mix.
Okafor, meanwhile, will be looking for another opportunity if and when he clears waivers on Wednesday.
Spurs Waive Luka Samanic
The Spurs have moved one step closer to setting their 15-man roster for the regular season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived forward Luka Samanic.
San Antonio’s decision to part ways with Samanic is an acknowledgement that the team swung and missed on the 19th overall pick of the 2019 draft. While the No. 29 pick in that same draft – Keldon Johnson – is emerging as a cornerstone player for the Spurs, Samanic didn’t show in his two NBA seasons that he warranted a regular rotation spot.
The 21-year-old Croatian appeared in 36 total games as a Spur, averaging 3.8 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .430/.294/.576 shooting in 9.9 MPG.
Samanic had a $2.96MM guaranteed cap hit for 2021/22, which San Antonio will be responsible for unless another team claims him on waivers. If he goes unclaimed, his $4.57MM team option for the 2022/23 season will disappear and the Spurs won’t carry any dead money beyond this season.
Even after cutting Samanic, the Spurs will have to trade or release one more player on a guaranteed contract before the start of the regular season, since they still have 16 of those players. Al-Farouq Aminu and Keita Bates-Diop are among those considered to be most in danger.
Talen Horton-Tucker Undergoing Thumb Surgery
Talen Horton-Tucker has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Charania that the Lakers guard will undergo surgery to repair the ligament.
Horton-Tucker, who will turn 21 next month, emerged as a regular rotation player for the Lakers in 2020/21, averaging 9.0 PPG, 2.8 APG, and 2.6 RPG on .458/.282/.775 shooting in 65 games (20.1 MPG). He signed a three-year contract worth nearly $31MM during the 2021 offseason, with the team making a big bet on his continued development.
While a recovery timeline for Horton-Tucker hasn’t been provided yet, it seems safe to assume he’ll be sidelined to open the regular season. Recovery from a thumb surgery is typically measured in weeks or months, not days.
It’s another blow to a Lakers team that will be missing Trevor Ariza (ankle) for several weeks to start the season. Head coach Frank Vogel said on Sunday that Malik Monk will also be out for “probably about a week” due to a strained groin, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), so the Lakers’ backcourt and wing depth will be tested early. Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, and Kendrick Nunn could see increased roles.