Nets, Knicks, Warriors Affected By Local Vaccination Policies
Unvaccinated NBA players in markets where local governmental policies prohibit unvaccinated individuals from entering indoor venues won’t be permitted to enter their home arenas or practice facilities without an approved medical or religious exemption, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
As Charania explains, this means that players in New York and San Francisco – members of the Nets, Knicks, and Warriors – won’t be able to play in home games unless they’re vaccinated or have an approved exemption. Visiting players would be exempt from the vaccination requirements in New York and San Francisco, Charania adds.
After dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, the NBA is still determining how to handle the virus in ’21/22 now that vaccines are widely available. The league won’t make vaccinations mandatory for players, but is requiring personnel who interact with players – including referees – to be vaccinated. Charania reports (via Twitter) that fans within 15 feet of the court must also be fully vaccinated or register a negative COVID-19 test prior to the game.
While New York and San Francisco are the two major NBA markets with local restrictions in place on unvaccinated individuals, it’s possible more cities could join that list before or during the regular season. It’s also possible New York’s or San Francisco’s policies could be adjusted at some point. In each case, the NBA would have to abide by the market’s local regulations.
NBPA executive director Michele Roberts told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports in early July that 90% of players had been vaccinated, and it’s possible that number is even higher by now. Still, there are likely a handful of holdouts, so it will be interesting to see whether any players are impacted by these rules once the season begins.
Kings Aren’t Active In Ben Simmons Trade Talks
The Kings haven’t talked to the Sixers about a possible deal for Ben Simmons for several weeks, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
During their initial conversation, Sacramento made it clear that De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton wouldn’t be made available, which has also been reported by other outlets. A source tells Amick that the Kings will stick to that position and consider their roster virtually set heading into training camp.
There are no ongoing trade talks involving the two teams, Amick adds, and Sacramento shouldn’t be considered a realistic possibility for Simmons unless Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey lowers his asking price.
If a deal is eventually reached with the Kings, it’s more likely to involve Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley, according to Amick.
Trade rumors involving Simmons have heated up again after a report on Tuesday that he plans to hold out of training camp if the Sixers don’t ship him elsewhere. The Kings, Timberwolves, Clippers and Warriors have been the most frequently-mentioned possibilities.
Hawks Sign Clint Capela To Two-Year Extension
1:08pm: The Hawks have officially announced Capela’s extension, issuing a press release to confirm the move.
“Clint is one of the premier defensive and rebounding big men in the league. His presence in the paint and voice on defense had a tremendous impact on our success last season,” Hawks president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk said in a statement. “He is a great teammate who leads by example and we are excited to have him as a part of our team long-term.”
11:55am: Capela will make about $20.6MM in 2023/24 and $22.3MM in ’24/25 on his new extension, tweets Marks. That works out to a base value of $42.9MM over two years, with another $4MM in total incentives, so the deal could max out at $46.9MM, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
10:52am: The Hawks and center Clint Capela have reached an agreement on a contract extension that will add two years and $46MM to his current deal, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Capela remains under contract for two years entering the 2021/22 season, so his new deal will go into effect beginning in ’23/24 and will keep him under team control for four years in total.
Capela, 27, was acquired from the Rockets by the Hawks at the 2020 trade deadline, but was unable to play at all for Atlanta that season due to a foot injury. He proved his value to the team in 2020/21 though, averaging 15.2 PPG and an NBA-leading 14.3 RPG to go along with 2.0 BPG and a .594 FG% in 63 games (30.1 MPG).
The anchor of the Hawks’ defense, Capela finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and helped lead the team to a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals with playoff series wins over the Knicks and Sixers.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), Capela is earning base salaries of $17,103,448 and $18,206,897 in the final two years of his current deal. Since he’s eligible to earn up to 120% of his 2022/23 salary in the first year of his extension, the base salaries of his new deal would be $21.85MM and $23.6MM (an 8% raise on year one) if Atlanta offered the maximum possible amount.
However, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic suggests (via Twitter) that the base value of the two-year extension is closer to $42MM, which indicates those numbers will come in slightly lower.
Capela’s contract also features $2MM in annual incentives, $1.5MM of which are currently considered “likely to be earned,” since he received them in 2020/21. He got a $1MM bonus for making the Conference Finals and $500K for a defensive rebounding rate above 30%, but missed out on a $500K bonus for shooting below 65% on free throws. Those annual incentives will be included in Capela’s extension as well, potentially boosting the total value of the deal by up to $4MM.
Capela will be the second Hawks player to sign an extension this summer, joining Trae Young, who inked a maximum-salary rookie scale extension at the start of free agency. Kevin Huerter remains eligible for a rookie scale extension up until October 18.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk Signs With Raptors
SEPTEMBER 1: The Raptors finalized the signing of Mykhailiuk on Tuesday, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log. As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets, the two-year deal is worth the minimum salary.
AUGUST 28: The Raptors have reached a two-year agreement with free agent Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal was confirmed by his agency, Sports International Group.
The contract will include a player option for the second season, according to Charania (Twitter link), who states that several contenders were interested in signing the 24-year-old swingman.
Mykhailiuk finished last season with the Thunder after being acquired from the Pistons in March. He averaged career-best numbers with 10.3 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 30 games with Oklahoma City while shooting 43.8% from the field and 33.6% from three-point range. He was originally a restricted free agent, but became unrestricted when OKC pulled his qualifying offer.
Mykhailiuk was selected by the Lakers with the 47th pick in the 2018 draft and was traded to Detroit midway through his rookie season.
Once the signing becomes official, Toronto will be up to 19 players, one short of the roster limit heading into camp. The Raptors now have 12 players with guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots filled.
Tyrese Maxey Likely To Be Included In Any Simmons Trade?
With the odds of a Ben Simmons trade seemingly increasing, Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears from a source that there’s a “high chance” fellow Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey will be included in any deal involving Simmons.
As Dumas explains, both Simmons and Maxey are represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. Dumas suggests that Paul would prefer to have both of his clients out of Philadelphia.
[RELATED: Ben Simmons Tells Sixers He Wants Out, Doesn’t Plan To Report To Camp]
In a separate tweet, Dumas says that some Philadelphia-based organizations were interested in partnering with Maxey on community events, but were told to cancel those plans, since Paul doesn’t want the 2020 first-round pick to establish substantial roots in a city he may soon leave.
The 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft, Maxey showed promise in his rookie year, averaging 8.0 PPG and 2.0 APG on 46.2% shooting in 61 games (15.3 MPG) for the 76ers. He’s on an affordable rookie contract for three more years and Philadelphia was reportedly reluctant to include him in packages for James Harden in January and Kyle Lowry in March, so he certainly wouldn’t be treated as a throw-in in any Simmons trade.
While Simmons appears likely to be moved at some point in the coming days, weeks, or months, I’m not quite as convinced that Maxey will join him. Philadelphia’s point guard depth already figures to take a hit if Simmons is dealt, so the team won’t give away another of its top options at the position just to appease Paul. The 76ers may consider trading Maxey, but the decision will ultimately come down to the quality of the return and the club’s ability to avoid creating a hole on its depth chart.
Ben Simmons Tells Sixers He Wants Out, Doesn’t Plan To Report To Camp
During a meeting in Los Angeles last week, Sixers star Ben Simmons told team owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand, and head coach Doc Rivers that he doesn’t want to be part of the team any longer, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sources tell The Inquirer that Simmons doesn’t plan on reporting to training camp with the 76ers in four weeks.
According to Pompey, the Sixers’ brass told Simmons they want him to come to camp and be part of the team, but the three-time All-Star – who knows he can be fined for not showing up – apparently intends to take a drastic approach in the hopes of forcing the team’s hand. Money won’t be a factor in Simmons’ decision-making, a source tells Pompey, who notes that the 25-year-old has four years and nearly $147MM left on his contract.
Simmons has been considered a trade candidate since the 76ers’ season ended in the second round of the playoffs against Atlanta. The former No. 1 overall pick turned in a poor performance against the Hawks, showing a reluctance to shoot or even to have the ball in his hands late in games. He made just 15-of-45 free throws in the seven-game series vs. Atlanta and connected on only 34.2% of his total foul shots in the playoffs, the worst mark ever for a player with more than 70 attempts in a single postseason.
Although the 76ers have publicly indicated all summer that they’re happy to bring back Simmons and work with him on improving his game, the team has reportedly engaged in trade talks with several potential suitors, including the Timberwolves, Raptors, Cavaliers, Pacers, Kings, Spurs, and Warriors. A Monday report suggested that executives around the NBA believe it’s just a matter of time before Philadelphia pulls the trigger on a trade.
[RELATED: Ben Simmons “In Step” With Sixers’ Trade Efforts]
The Sixers’ efforts to find a suitable deal for Simmons have been hindered by Morey’s high asking price, per Pompey. Simmons’ lack of a jump shot and his significant struggles in the postseason have caused his trade value to diminish, but Morey has sought a trade package commensurate with a 25-year-old who has made three straight All-Star teams and remains under contract for four years. Pompey’s sources are skeptical that price will be met.
“Think about three months ago when the Sixers are willing to give up Ben Simmons. You are like, ‘Let’s see what we have to do to get him,'” one Western Conference executive told The Inquirer. “Now, the difference is Ben Simmons says he refuses to play for the Sixers. He wants to go to three California teams. There’s so much bad blood between him and the team. … I’m not giving you what you’re demanding.”
[RELATED: Warriors Rejected Sixers’ Offer Of Simmons For Wiseman, Wiggins, Four First-Round Picks]
As we’ve written multiple times in recent weeks and as Pompey notes in today’s report, the belief around the NBA is that the Sixers have been hoping Damian Lillard will request a trade from the Trail Blazers, putting Philadelphia in position to use Simmons as a centerpiece in an offer for Portland’s star point guard. However, all indications this month are that Lillard appears content to continue evaluating the Blazers’ present and future this fall.
If the Sixers feel compelled to get a deal done sooner rather than later, targeting another Blazers guard – CJ McCollum – might make sense, Pompey writes. However, he cautions that both teams highly value their own stars, which may make it difficult for them to find a deal that appeals to both sides.
The Simmons situation is similar to one Morey’s old team in Houston found itself in a year ago, when James Harden requested a trade during the offseason and didn’t report to the Rockets for the start of camp. Harden eventually showed up and began the year with the Rockets, but was traded less a month until the season.
Morey’s Sixers were in the mix for Harden right up until the 11th hour, offering a package headlined by Simmons. Less than eight months later, Morey will have to consider whether to let Simmons’ trade request linger into the season like the Rockets did with Harden’s, or if it makes more sense to complete a deal before training camp — even if the return falls well short of Philadelphia’s initial asking price.
Lakers Sign Rajon Rondo To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 31: The Lakers have officially signed Rondo, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
AUGUST 30: Point guard Rajon Rondo intends to sign a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Lakers after he becomes a free agent, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). Rondo, who will clear waivers today, will sign his new contract on Tuesday, Wojnarowski adds.
Rondo agreed to a buyout with the Grizzlies and was released by the team on Saturday, with reports at the time indicating the Lakers would likely be his next destination. According to Wojnarowski, Rondo will still earn $7.5MM this season, which was the base salary on his previous deal, so it sounds like he gave up about $2.64MM (his minimum salary) in his buyout agreement.
Rondo, 35, signed with Atlanta during the 2020 offseason, but had a limited impact in 27 games with the Hawks, averaging just 3.9 PPG and 3.5 APG in 14.9 minutes per contest — those numbers all would’ve been career lows.
The veteran guard was traded to the Clippers in a midseason trade and finished the 2020/21 campaign with the team, appearing in 18 regular season games and 13 playoff contests. L.A. then sent him to the Grizzlies in a deal for Eric Bledsoe earlier this month, but he was only included in that swap for salary-matching purposes and was never in Memphis’ plans.
Rondo will now rejoin a Lakers team with whom he won a championship in 2020. He spent two seasons with the Lakers from 2018-20. Los Angeles will have 13 players on guaranteed contracts once the signing is complete.
Aaron Gordon, Nuggets Hope To Agree On Extension
The Nuggets and forward Aaron Gordon are optimistic about reaching an agreement on a contract extension, possibly as early as this week, sources inform Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
Gordon, 25, qualifies for a four-year extension worth up to $88MM, which would be tacked onto his $16.4MM salary for the 2021/22 season.
However, Denver is apparently not quite looking to ink the 25-year-old to a full maximum extension, Singer indicates. A source tells The Denver Post that a deal may in the range of $20-21MM annually for two or three years.
Gordon, a versatile forward who can play both positions, was acquired in a trade with the Magic at the deadline during the 2020/21 season to essentially replace Jerami Grant. Grant left the Nuggets in a sign-and-trade during his own free agency in 2020, eyeing a larger role with the Pistons on a three-year, $60MM deal that Denver offered to match. Gordon may wind up with a very similar new contract to the one first tendered to his predecessor in 2020.
Though Gordon proved to be an underwhelming addition on offense upon first arriving to Denver in a pandemic-truncated 2020/21 season, he exhibited plenty of athletic promise on defense playing alongside ascendant forward Michael Porter Jr. during his brief tenure with the Nuggets so far.
After averaging 14.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.8 BPG and 0.6 SPG on .437/.375/.629 across 25 games for a lottery-bound Orlando club, Gordon’s counting stats and three-point efficiency declined when he arrived on a team with serious playoff aspirations. In 25 games with Denver, he averaged 10.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 0.6 BPG on .500/.266/.705 shooting.
With starting point guard Jamal Murray most likely sidelined for the start of the season, Gordon could be featured more in the Nuggets’ offensive sets, behind 2021 MVP Nikola Jokic and Porter.
Darren Collison To Work Out For Warriors
Former NBA point guard Darren Collison will work out this week for the Warriors, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Collison made a surprise retirement announcement in the summer of 2019, citing family and religious reasons. In his final NBA season in 2018/19, he averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.0 APG with a .467/.407/.832 shooting line in 76 games (28.2 MPG) for the Pacers.
There were reports that Collison might return with the Lakers or Clippers during the ’19/20 season, but nothing came of those rumors and he later said they were overblown. However, the 34-year-old reportedly worked out for the Lakers earlier this summer, signaling that he’s open to the idea of a comeback.
L.A. is on track to sign Rajon Rondo to bolster its backcourt, likely taking that option off the table for Collison, but Golden State makes sense as a possible suitor.
Although the Warriors have 16 players under contract, three of those players (Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder, and Gary Payton II) don’t have fully guaranteed salaries, and the team could use some reliable depth at the point behind Stephen Curry. For now, Payton, Jordan Poole, and two-way player Chris Chiozza are among Golden State’s best backup options.
Bulls, Clippers Among Teams Interested In Paul Millsap
We can add a couple new teams to the list of clubs eyeing Paul Millsap, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Bulls have pursued the veteran power forward and the Clippers have also expressed interest.
Charania confirms that the Warriors and Nets remain in the mix for Millsap, who has previously been linked to the Hawks, Pelicans, Sixers, and Timberwolves as well.
Millsap’s decision could ultimately come down to which factors are most important to him, since some teams cited as suitors could offer more money than others, some could offer a bigger role, and some are in better position to compete for a title right away.
The Bulls, for instance, still have their $3.7MM bi-annual exception available, so they could offer Millsap more than a handful of teams limited to the minimum salary exception. The Clippers, on the other hand, are limited to a minimum-salary offer, but are closer to title contention than Chicago.
Both teams could have regular frontcourt minutes available for someone like Millsap, since the Bulls just lost Lauri Markkanen and the health of Serge Ibaka remains a question mark for the Clippers. Chicago has just 13 players on guaranteed contracts, while Los Angeles is carrying 14.