Clippers’ Ballmer Unsure Whether Kawhi Will Play In 2021/22
After undergoing surgery in July to repair a partial tear of his right ACL, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has no set timetable for his return to the court. Addressing Leonard’s health in a conversation with Mark Medina of USA Today, team owner Steve Ballmer said it’s “possible” the star forward will be back on the court before the end of the 2021/22 season, but he isn’t willing to make any guarantees.
“Nobody knows at this stage,” Ballmer said. “Nobody knows. It’s possible. For sure, it’s possible. But it will depend on what the doctors say and what Kawhi says.”
When a player suffers an ACL tear during the fall or winter, it typically ends his season, but a player’s recovery timeline is less clear when the injury occurs at or near the end of the prior season. For now, it seems safe to assume that Leonard will at least be sidelined for most of the 2021/22 campaign. However, Ballmer still believes the Clippers are a “very good team,” telling Medina that he expects to be in the hunt for a championship again if Kawhi can make it back in the spring.
“We’re coming in this year looking for a title,” Ballmer said. “Obviously not having arguably one of our two best players, that hurts. We’ll see when we get Kawhi back. But you think through a three-year stretch, we got all of these guys under contract for this year and next year. I think it gives us a lot of opportunity to compete.”
Ballmer, who made the media rounds in advance of breaking ground on the Clippers’ new Inglewood arena, conveyed a similar sentiment to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
“Every year I want to win,” Ballmer said. “Some people will talk about, ‘We’re taking a step back’ or ‘We got an injured year.’ No. Our fans can count on the fact that we are going to try to win as many ballgames as we can every year. Now, we took a little setback. We got to get Kawhi healthy. And when he’s back, we’re back at full strength.”
In conversations with Medina, Shelburne, and other reporters, Ballmer stressed that moving out of the Staples Center and into the Intuit Dome in 2024 represents the Clippers’ desire to create their own “identity” outside of the Lakers’ shadow.
The Clippers’ have long had a reputation as the Lakers’ overlooked little brother, but Ballmer told Medina he thinks his team has become a “great free agent destination” in its own right. The next steps for the Clippers, Ballmer says, are winning a championship and getting their own building.
“There’s 30 teams in the league. There’s 29 others. And we got one that happens to be based in L.A.,” Ballmer told Shelburne. “And we got our fans. We use our expression, ‘L.A. Our Way.’ And we’re building our own presence, identity. And if the other guys (the Lakers) feel a little threatened — the other guys’ fans, I mean; the players are actually a little different deal — but if they feel a little threatened, that’s OK. It means we’re doing good.”
Kevin Pangos Signs Two-Year Deal With Cavs
SEPTEMBER 17: Pangos’ deal with the Cavaliers is now official, the team announced in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 8: Former Gonzaga guard Kevin Pangos, who has spent the last several seasons playing in Europe, has agreed to a two-year, $3.5MM contract with the Cavaliers, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
The first-year salary of $1.67M is fully guaranteed, Marks adds. Cleveland’s interest in Pangos was reported last month and he chose to make the move to the NBA despite reportedly drawing major offers to remain in Europe.
Pangos, 28, emerged as one of the top point guards in Europe in recent seasons. He has spent time in Spain, Lithuania, and Russia since going undrafted in 2015.
In 2020/21, he averaged 13.5 PPG and 6.6 APG on .449/.390/.845 shooting in 39 EuroLeague contests (28.9 MPG) for Zenit Saint Petersburg, earning a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team.
Cleveland had been looking to add point guard depth even though it acquired Ricky Rubio earlier this offseason. With only 10 other players on guaranteed contracts, the Cavs had the flexibility to add Pangos.
Eric Gordon Would Be Open To Trade
Rockets guard Eric Gordon hasn’t asked team management for a trade, but sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic that Gordon would be open to moving to a club closer to title contention.
Like fellow guard John Wall, Gordon is a veteran with multiple years left on his contract who likely doesn’t have a place in Houston’s long-term plans as the team pivots to a rebuild. The Rockets and Wall have reached an agreement to hold the point guard out of games while they seek a new home for him, but it doesn’t sound like it will come to that with Gordon.
As Iko details, the Rockets have communicated in meetings with Gordon’s representatives this offseason that they’ve love to have the shooting guard stick around. And Iko refers to the 32-year-old as a “consummate professional” who will play whatever role is asked of him and won’t push the team for a trade. Still, Gordon acknowledges that it will be a challenge playing for a retooling club after having gotten accustomed to contending for a championship.
“It’s tough for a person in my situation,” Gordon said. “It’s tough going from going to the Western Conference Finals against one of the best teams of all time and being very competitive each year. And now, it’s a restart with no high expectations at all. So it’s much different.
“… But my ultimate goal is to just go out there and play, help, show that I’m healthy and gravitate to these guys to get better.”
Gordon is under contract for three more years, but his final year is non-guaranteed, so he’s essentially only owed about $37.8MM over the next two seasons. That will make him much easier to move than Wall if the Rockets want to pursue a deal, though he’ll have to show he’s healthy first.
[RELATED: John Wall Situation May Not Be Resolved Anytime Soon]
In 2020/21, Gordon was limited to just 27 games due to knee and groin injuries. He has made it a priority to get back to 100% this offseason, in terms of both health and conditioning.
“Physically and mentally, I’m definitely in a good spot,” Gordon told Iko. “Looking forward to training camp with the team and don’t have to really worry about any setbacks or whatnot.”
When healthy, Gordon can still be an effective role player on a playoff team. Although he has struggled with his three-point shot during his last two injury-plagued seasons, he averaged 16.8 PPG with a .364 3PT% during his first three years in Houston from 2016-19. Last season, he recorded 17.8 PPG, but made just 32.9% of his threes.
Mavericks Sign Frank Ntilikina
Ex-Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina has signed with the Mavericks, the team’s PR department tweets.
A report surfaced on Tuesday that Dallas was expected to ink the point guard and now it’s official. The Mavs have a full 20-man training camp roster.
It’s believed to be a minimum contract, according to Marc Stein of Substack. The Mavericks already have 14 other players on guaranteed deals, plus Moses Brown on a partially guaranteed contract.
During the 2020/21 season, Ntilikina earned $6.2MM in the fourth year of his rookie deal.
The 6’4″ guard, still just 23, suited up for 33 games with the Knicks last year under head coach Tom Thibodeau. He averaged just 2.7 PPG and 0.9 RPG across 9.8 MPG.
The defensive specialist, who is shooting 36.6% from the field for his career, averaged 6.3 PPG and 3.0 APG in 20.8 MPG during the 2019/20 season.
Dallas already has Jalen Brunson and Trey Burke as rotation options behind Luka Doncic, so Ntilikina doesn’t project to play much even if he’s on the 15-man roster this season.
Jazz Waive Forward Jarrell Brantley
The Jazz have waived forward Jarrell Brantley, according to a team press release.
The 6’7” Brantley appeared in 37 games over two seasons with Utah, averaging 2.4 PPG and 1.3 RPG in 6.3 MPG. He also saw action in four postseason games.
The No. 50 overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Charleston had a big year with the Salt Lake City Stars in 2019/20, posting averages of 18.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 3.7 APG in 33 games (32.4 MPG) to earn All-NBAGL First Team honors.
Brantley, a two-way player in 2020/21, had accepted a qualifying offer of $1.66MM from the team in early August. The Jazz will only incur a cap hit of $84,414 by waiving Brantley, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
Utah now has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Miye Oni, Derrick Alston, and MaCio Teague on non-guaranteed deals. The team also has a two-way slot open, with guard Trent Forrest occupying the other spot.
John Wall Situation May Not Be Resolved Anytime Soon
The Rockets reportedly intend to hold John Wall out of games until they can find a new home for him, which suggests the team is hopeful that there’s a deal to be made in the not-so-distant future. However, a number of NBA reporters aren’t so sure that the Wall situation will be resolved anytime soon.
Appearing on ESPN (video link; hat tip to Clutch Points), Adrian Wojnarowski said he believes trading Wall will be “almost impossible” unless Houston is willing to attach multiple first-round picks, which the team has resisted thus far. Wojnarowski adds that he thinks Wall will be in Houston for “a while” unless the point guard becomes receptive to giving up a significant amount of salary in a buyout.
On the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast, ESPN’s Zach Lowe also expressed skepticism that there’s a deal out there for Wall and his oversized contract (two years, $91.7MM). Lowe told fellow ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon that he expects we’ll be waiting a long time for a resolution, with an eventual buyout representing the most likely outcome.
“I think it’s, ‘Hurry up and wait until next summer,'” MacMahon responded, per RealGM. “I think that’s what ends up happening.”
These reports are hardly surprising. Wall’s $44.3MM cap hit for the 2021/22 season is difficult to match for most teams, especially since newly-signed contracts can’t be moved right away in trades. And the clubs that are in position to package two or three players to match Wall’s salary may not want to give up those players for a former All-Star who has been slowed by injuries in recent years and didn’t look quite like his old self in 2020/21.
If the situation does drag out for months, it will be interesting to see whether the Rockets reconsider their stance of having Wall sit out games for the entire 2021/22 season. While that may be the safe approach to keep him healthy, the 31-year-old could perhaps boost his trade value a little if he returns to the court and proves he can still be productive.
Isaiah Thomas To Work Out For Warriors
Free agent point guard Isaiah Thomas will work out for the Warriors next week, sources tell Jorge Sierra and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Thomas, who has only appeared in 55 total games over the last three NBA seasons with the Nuggets, Wizards, and Pelicans, has indicated he’s fully recovered from the hip problems that bothered him for years and is looking to get back into the league. He recently worked out for the Lakers and Mavericks in the hopes of securing an NBA deal.
Rumors surfaced this week linking Thomas to EuroLeague club CSKA Moscow, but those reports were either inaccurate or were the result of a misunderstanding — both Thomas and his agent Bernie Lee took to Twitter on Wednesday to shoot them down and to stress that the 32-year-old remains focused on playing in the NBA rather than going overseas.
The Warriors, meanwhile, have been working out some free agent guards as they consider possible candidates to come to training camp and compete with Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton II for the 15th spot on the team’s regular season roster. Darren Collison and Ryan Arcidiacono are among the players who have recently auditioned for Golden State.
Timberwolves Re-Sign Jarred Vanderbilt, Jordan McLaughlin
SEPTEMBER 15: The Timberwolves have officially announced their new deals with both Vanderbilt and McLaughlin, confirming the signings in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 10: Restricted free agent forward Jarred Vanderbilt has agreed to stay with the Timberwolves on a three-year, $13.8MM contract, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Vanderbilt’s contract starts at $4MM and include some likely and unlikely bonuses, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. It’s fully guaranteed for the first two years and partially guaranteed in the final year of the deal, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype tweets.
Vanderbilt played 64 games, including 30 starts, last season. He averaged 5.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 17.8 MPG. He was limited to 28 games combined in his first two seasons, including a stint with the Nuggets.
The Timberwolves are also re-signing another restricted free agent, Jordan McLaughlin. He’ll receive a three-year, $6.5MM contract, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. The first two years are guaranteed.
McLaughlin, who is entering his third season, appeared in 51 games last season, including two starts. He averaged 5.0 PPG and 3.8 APG in 18.4 MPG and adds depth at the point guard spot.
Grizzlies Officially Waive Marc Gasol
After acquiring him from the Lakers last Friday, the Grizzlies have officially waived center Marc Gasol, as expected, per a press release from the team.
The trade that sent Gasol from Los Angeles to Memphis was a salary-dump deal that saw the Grizzlies acquire a future second-round pick and cash. Despite Gasol’s history with the franchise, the plan was never for the Grizzlies to keep him — Memphis has too many players on guaranteed contracts, and the 36-year-old big man wanted to remain in Spain with his family rather than playing in the NBA this season.
A report over the weekend indicated that Gasol intends to sign with Girona, the Spanish team he owns. His NBA release today frees him up to officially complete that move.
A three-time All-Star and the NBA’s 2013 Defensive Player of the Year, Gasol spent the 2020/21 season with the Lakers, but his relationship with the team soured after L.A. signed Andre Drummond as its new starting center in the second half. The Lakers didn’t re-sign Drummond this offseason, but added centers Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan, paving the way for Gasol’s exit.
The Grizzlies’ release of Gasol briefly reduced their roster count to 19 players, allowing the team to complete its one-for-two trade with the Celtics. After that deal, Memphis is back to the 20-man offseason roster limit.
Grizzlies Trade Hernangomez To Celtics For Dunn, Edwards, Pick Swap
SEPTEMBER 15: The trade is now complete, according to press releases from the Grizzlies and Celtics.
The Grizzlies, who completed another trade since agreeing to this one, officially waived Marc Gasol in order to create room on the roster to finalize this deal.
SEPTEMBER 3: The Grizzlies and Celtics have agreed to a trade that will send forward Juan Hernangomez to Boston, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Sources tell Wojnarowski that the deal will send Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards, and a 2026 second-round pick swap to Memphis.
The trade can’t be completed until September 15, when the aggregation restriction on Dunn lifts, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Dunn was traded from Atlanta to Boston on August 7.
By trading two players for one, the Celtics will clear a minor roster crunch. The team had been carrying 16 players, including 15 on fully guaranteed deals. This move will give the team the flexibility to keep Jabari Parker on its regular-season roster or leave its 15th spot open to start the season. Dunn, acquired last month, wasn’t in the team’s plans, and Edwards hadn’t evolved into a reliable rotation player since being selected 33rd overall in the 2019 draft.
Hernangomez, meanwhile, will give Boston another frontcourt option. The 25-year-old stretch four had a mediocre year in 2020/21, averaging 7.2 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .435/.327/.619 shooting in 52 games (17.3 MPG). However, he has flashed some potential in the past, making 35.9% of his career three-pointers prior to last season.
As for the Grizzlies, they appeared to be moving closer to setting a 15-man regular season roster last week when they bought out Rajon Rondo, but this deal has them heading in the other direction once again. When it’s complete, Memphis will have a full 20-man roster, with 18 players on fully guaranteed standard contracts.
While it’s possible Dunn or Edwards is in the Grizzlies’ plans for 2021/22, that’s probably not a safe assumption, given the way Memphis has been moving on from recently-acquired players in recent weeks (Hernangomez, Rondo, and Patrick Beverley). As John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets, this trade saves Memphis a tiny bit of money and earns the team a 2026 second-round pick swap — those small gains may have been all the motivation the Grizzlies needed to pull the trigger.
The Grizzlies have traded away their own 2026 second-round pick, but control the rights to either Indiana’s or Miami’s pick (whichever is most favorable). The swap with Boston will likely allow them to trade that pick for the Celtics’ 2026 second-rounder if they so choose.
Hernangomez, Dunn, and Edwards are essentially all on expiring contracts. Hernangomez has a non-guaranteed salary for 2022/23, Edwards has a team option, and Dunn will be an unrestricted free agent.
No team has completed more trades this offseason than the Grizzlies — this will be their sixth deal since the regular season ended. It will be the Celtics’ fifth offseason trade.