Sixers Sign Grant Riller To Two-Way Contract
AUGUST 30: The Sixers have made it official, announcing in a press release that Riller has signed a two-way deal with the team.
AUGUST 18: After opening a two-way slot by waiving Rayjon Tucker, the Sixers have reached an agreement on a two-way deal with Grant Riller, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Riller, 24, was a two-way player for the Hornets last season. He got into just seven games and averaged 2.6 PPG in 3.9 minutes per night. He played 11 games during the abbreviated G League season, posting 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Greensboro Swarm.
Charlotte took Riller with the 56th pick in the 2020 draft, but didn’t make a qualifying offer before this year’s deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Philadelphia’s other two-way contract is held by rookie wing Aaron Henry.
Suns Eyeing Thaddeus Young
The Suns are among the contending teams that have pursued veteran forward Thaddeus Young, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Young, who will earn $14.19MM in a contract year in 2021/22, was sent from the Bulls from the Spurs in the sign-and-trade deal that landed DeMar DeRozan in Chicago.
Young is coming off a productive season, having averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG with a career-best .559 FG% in 68 games (24.3 MPG) for the Bulls in 2020/21. And his expiring contract at a reasonable rate makes the 33-year-old a relatively safe investment.
However, it’s unclear whether he’s in the Spurs’ plans or if the team simply acquired him as part of the DeRozan return for salary-matching purposes and would happily flip him. Charania suggests that San Antonio is expected to receive “strong interest” in Young from playoff teams.
Phoenix could use some extra depth at the power forward spot since Dario Saric is expected to miss most or all of the 2021/22 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. Any offer the Suns make for Young would likely start with Saric (who is earning $8.51MM) for salary-matching purposes and would have to include another asset or two.
The Suns would have to add a little more salary to Saric’s $8.51MM to sufficiently match Young’s cap hit, and many of their lesser-paid players aren’t yet trade-eligible since they were recently signed. As such, second-year center Jalen Smith looks like a potential candidate to be included in any offer for Young, though that’s just my speculation.
Charles Bassey Plans To Sign Required Tender From Sixers
Rookie center Charles Bassey, one of the last unsigned players from the 2021 draft class, intends to sign his required one-year tender from the Sixers, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Bassey and the 76ers have thus far been unable to agree to terms on a longer-term deal.
In order to retain the rights to a second-round draft pick, an NBA team must submit a “required tender” to him. That tender is equivalent to offering a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract covering just a single season, so it provides no assurances or security to the player.
Bassey, the No. 53 overall pick, may view signing that tender as his best path to either earning a 15-man roster spot with the Sixers or forcing the team to waive him before the season begins, allowing him to catch on elsewhere.
The Sixers only have 14 players on standard contracts for the time being, so Bassey could theoretically become the team’s 15th man for the regular season. However, Philadelphia may prefer to keep that last spot open to reduce its projected tax bill — it’s unclear if the 76ers want to stash Bassey overseas or in the G League, or if the rookie simply hasn’t been satisfied with the years and dollars the team is offering.
If he signs his tender and then is released by Philadelphia before the regular season starts, Bassey wouldn’t be eligible to sign a two-way contract with another NBA team during the 2021/22 league year, which would significantly reduce his options.
Bassey, 20, played his college ball at Western Kentucky, averaging a double-double (17.6 PPG, 11.6 RPG) as a junior in 2020/21 before declaring for the draft.
Nets, DeAndre Jordan Exploring Possible Buyout
The Nets and DeAndre Jordan are working toward parting ways via a potential contract buyout, according to Shams Charania and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic.
While Charania cautions that the two sides haven’t made any final decisions, he says the veteran center is “increasingly unlikely” to remain in Brooklyn going forward. Schiffer conveyed a similar sentiment last week. A buyout appears to be a more likely outcome than a trade, since the Nets would have to attach an asset or two to unload Jordan’s contract to another team.
Jordan joined the Nets at the same time Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving did, signing as a free agent during the 2019 offseason. He received a four-year contract worth approximately $40MM at that time. However, while Durant has signed a new extension with Brooklyn and the team is working to extend Irving too, the big man’s days with the franchise appear numbered.
Jordan did start 43 games in 2020/21, but his 21.9 minutes per contest represented his lowest mark since the 2009/10 season. He fell out of the rotation altogether late in the season and didn’t play a single minute in the postseason.
Jordan still has two years and $19.7MM left on his deal with the Nets — it’s unclear how much money he’d be willing to give back in a buyout. He’d likely draw interest from other teams in need of frontcourt help if Brooklyn lets him go, though probably not for more than the veteran’s minimum.
Sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the Lakers are one potential suitor to watch if Jordan becomes a free agent, echoing an earlier report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Zach LaVine To Switch Agents Entering Contract Year
Bulls star Zach LaVine has made the decision to leave agencies BDA Sports and Innovate Sports, as first reported by K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
LaVine is expected to sign with Rich Paul‘s Klutch Sports Group, which represents players such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons and John Wall. Paul also represents Lonzo Ball, who joined the Bulls via a sign-and-trade agreement earlier this month.
LaVine had been co-represented by Bill Duffy and Nima Namakian. The 26-year-old is entering the final season of a four-year, $78MM deal signed with Chicago in 2018, which means he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021/22 campaign.
LaVine is coming off the first All-Star season of his career, averaging 27.4 points, five rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. He also shot a career-high 51% from the floor and 42% from deep during those contests.
Lauri Markkanen Happy To Get “Fresh Start” In Cleveland
Lauri Markkanen had been hoping free agency would bring a new opportunity and now he has it in Cleveland, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Markkanen got the contract he was looking for — $67MM over four seasons — from the Cavaliers, who officially completed a three-team trade earlier today.
“I don’t think I’ve hit close to my ceiling yet,” Markkanen said after the deal was announced. “… The last couple years have been mentally pretty tough. I’ve grown as a person because of that, so I wouldn’t change it. I’ve learned a lot. But I just felt like I need to get back to the old me and how I know I can play the game. I think this is a good opportunity for me to do that.
“I’m happy. I’m really excited and looking forward. We kind of felt like I needed a fresh start. And I appreciate all the people who were involved to help facilitate it and make it happen.”
Markkanen once appeared to part of the foundation for a rebuilding Bulls team. He was included in the return when Chicago traded Jimmy Butler to Minnesota, and he earned first-team All-Rookie honors in 2018 after averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. However, his next three seasons were filled with injuries that limited him to 52, 50 and 51 games.
Markkanen, who turned down an extension offer before the season began, ended his stay in Chicago coming off the bench regularly for the first time in his career. After the Bulls acquired centers Nikola Vučević and Daniel Theis at the trade deadline, coach Billy Donovan opted for a bigger, more rugged starting lineup.
“I think obviously I’m most disappointed we didn’t make the postseason one time when I was there. We tried our best obviously. That’s what we’re paid to do. It didn’t work out,” Markkanen said. “I think I had good moments as a player, and I had some inconsistencies. But I’m looking ahead.”
Markkanen is entering another rebuilding situation with the Cavaliers, who went 22-50 last season and landed the third overall pick in the draft. At age 24, he will be one of the more experienced players in an organization filled with young talent. Markkanen will likely move back into a starting role in Cleveland, and he believes he’s joining the franchise at a good time.
“I think I fit in well — young core, exciting point guards. I’m looking forward to playing with those big guys in the frontcourt. They’re all young, talented guys. I think we can grow together,” Markkanen said. “And I can’t wait to learn from a player like Kevin Love. Just learn aspects of the game from him and the mentality of the game, how he approaches it. I’m looking forward to that as well.”
Cavaliers Acquire Lauri Markkanen In Three-Team Sign-And-Trade
AUGUST 28: The trade is official, the Cavaliers announced in a press release.
“We are extremely fortunate as an organization to be in a position to acquire another young and talented player with the skill-set of Lauri Markkanen,” said Cleveland general manager Koby Altman. “He has the proven ability to play multiple positions and stretch the floor from the perimeter and, at 24-years-old, we believe his best basketball is in front of him. We are committed to establishing a winning culture in Cleveland that can be sustained over time and Lauri helps elevate that description.”
AUGUST 27: The Cavaliers will acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that also includes the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Portland will receive Larry Nance Jr. in the deal, according to Wojnarowski, and will send Derrick Jones Jr. and a 2022 protected first-round pick to Chicago. The Bulls will also get a Nuggets 2023 second-rounder from Cleveland.
The trade ends a long wait for Markkanen, who had been looking for a new team since free agency began on August 2. He will receive a four-year, $67MM contract from the Cavs, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link), and the Bulls get the first-round pick they were seeking in return for the 24-year-old restricted free agent. That pick from Portland will be lottery protected through 2028, Woj adds (via Twitter), and will become a second-round selection if it’s not conveyed before then.
Markkanen’s four-year contract is valued at $18MM in the final season, but only carries a $6MM guarantee, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).
The deal leaves the Cavs $4.7MM under the luxury tax with 14 players under contract, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Blazers are $1.3MM above the tax threshold with 13 players signed and will likely be $3MM over once they add a league-mandated 14th player. The Bulls are $6.4MM under the tax and $11.8MM below the hard cap with 13 guaranteed contracts, Marks adds (Twitter link).
Markkanen’s outgoing salary only counts as $7.79MM, rather than the full amount, due to base year compensation rules, Marks notes (via Twitter). Chicago had hoped to get a player in the $9-10MM range, which it did by acquiring Jones. Markkenen’s incoming salary from the Cavs’ perspective will be the full amount of $15.58MM.
Markkanen fell out of Chicago’s starting lineup last season for the first time in his four years in the NBA and played a career-low 25.8 minutes per night. His averages of 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game were all the worst of his career.
He had been hoping for a “fresh start” and will get it in Cleveland, where he will likely be the new starting power forward. The trade allows the Cavs to solidify a position of need and gives rookie big man Evan Mobley more time to develop.
Nance, 28, is under contract for two more year at $10.69MM and $9.67MM. He averaged 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season and will bring a defensive presence to Portland’s front line. New coach Chauncey Billups has spoken repeatedly about the need to upgrade the team’s defense.
Jones, 24, has an expiring $9.72MM contract for the upcoming season. He averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 58 games last season and adds another versatile forward to Chicago’s rotation.
Rajon Rondo Bought Out By Grizzlies, Likely To Join Lakers
Rajon Rondo and the Grizzlies have agreed to a contract buyout, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Rondo was traded to Memphis in a three-way deal that sent Eric Bledsoe to the Clippers.
According to Charania (via Twitter), the 35-year-old two-time NBA champion could be on his way back to Los Angeles, though not to the Clippers. Charania reports that the Lakers are the frontrunner to sign Rondo. If the point guard does return to the Lakers, it would be his third season with the team — he won a title with the team in the 2020 bubble.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) confirms the Lakers’ interest. Rondo will clear waivers on Monday, and Wojnarowski says he will likely be signed into one of the Lakers’ final roster spots.
While the Lakers did an impressive job filling out their roster following the trade for Russell Westbrook, the backup point guard spot was one notable hole. Rondo was unable to replicate his success with the Lakers in this year’s playoffs run with the Clippers, but should provide a solid, competent play-maker off the bench, especially as young guards Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn are both more likely to see time at the shooting guard spot.
Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (via Twitter) that Rondo was never asked to report to the Grizzlies or take a physical, calling it as sure a sign as you can get that a subsequent move would be made. In a separate tweet, he says that the same is true for Spanish forward Juan Hernangomez.
Kevin Love Uninterested In Buyout
Kevin Love is uninterested in a buyout with the Cavaliers at this point, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“There have been no talks with Cleveland on a buyout, nor is there any interest from Kevin in doing a buyout,” Love’s agent Jeff Schwartz told Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski writes that Love remains open to a trade, and that the Cavs have explored the market for him periodically, but have yet to find a deal to their liking.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets that any buyout discussions will have to be initiated by Love, who would have to give up a significant portion of his remaining salary, which is currently $60.2MM over the next two seasons.
Love has only played in 103 games over the last three seasons, though he’s still been productive on the offensive end in that time, averaging 16.2 PPG, 9.4 RPG and 2.8 APG while shooting nearly 37% from three. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, will be paying Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen (deal still pending) a combined $35MM+ this season, while also trying to develop number three overall pick Evan Mobley, which will likely leave Love on the outside of the rotation.
Love is thought to have interest from teams, including contenders, should he reach free agency, but it’s unlikely the Cavs will be able to trade him outright without sacrificing assets to do so.
Dellavedova Seeks Eventual Return To NBA
When Matthew Dellavedova signed with an Australian team this summer, it was fair to assume he had played his last NBA game.
That’s not necessarily the case. Dellavedova hopes to revive his career in his native country, then return to the NBA, according to Kane Pitman of ESPN. Dellavedova, who played for the Cavaliers last season, signed with Melbourne United in early July.
“My goal is to get back to the NBA. I feel like I’ve got a lot more left in the tank, a lot of things to improve on,” Dellavedova said. “There were some talks with NBA teams, nothing concrete at this stage. Overseas there were pretty significant offers, but I’ve always wanted to come and play here.”
Dellavedova, who turns 31 next month, had a rough NBA 2020/21 campaign. He appeared in just 13 games due to a variety of ailments, including a concussion, whiplash, an emergency appendectomy, and a neck strain. He then entered the summer as an unrestricted free agent.
Better health has Dellavedova feeling optimistic about his future.
“The body is feeling great. That’s the main thing, I feel like I just need to put a good chunk of time together training but also games,” he said. “Playing a lot of minutes and having the ball in my hands, making decisions and things like that. I’m going to have a great opportunity to do that with United.”
In 447 career NBA games, Dellavedova averaged 5.5 PPG and 3.7 APG. Melbourne United is the NBL’s reigning champion.
He played for the Australian national team in the Olympics but had a limited role.