Warriors Have Discussed Extension With Stephen Curry
The Warriors have discussed a possible contract extension with Stephen Curry, the two-time league MVP told The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link) and other media members.
Curry’s current contract runs through the 2021/22 season. He’ll make approximately $43MM during the upcoming season and $45.78MM in the final year of the deal.
The deadline for a veteran extension for a player who isn’t in the final year of his current contract is December 21.
“We had conversations,” Curry said. “Everything’s on the table. … I’m fully committed.”
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, a three-year, maximum-salary extension for Curry would total $156MM (Twitter link).
The fact that the Warriors have no plans to undergo a rebuild makes Curry comfortable with the possibility of signing an extension.
“It’s just understanding what the landscape is and what the situation is going into the future,” he said. “We want to be competitive, we want to be in a situation where we’re competing for champions every single year. I want to be a part of it.”
Curry, 32, appeared in just five games last season after breaking his hand. The 23.5 PPG career scorer is entering his 12th NBA season.
Check out our 2020/21 Contract Extension Tracker, which keeps you up to date with all extensions signed around the league.
NBA Updates Protocols On Resting Healthy Players
4:18pm: The memo sent out by the NBA on this subject gives teams some leeway to rest players in non-nationally televised games, especially at the start of the season, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
According to Bontemps, clubs would be permitted to rest certain players in back-to-back sets, including if those players had “a substantial role on a team that advanced deep into the 2020 playoffs” or if they’re “returning to full strength after recovering from COVID-19.”
11:36am: The NBA is updating a previously-established policy in an effort to further discourage teams from resting healthy players, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (all Twitter links).
As Haynes explains, the updated policy will prohibit teams from resting healthy players for any high-profile game that is being nationally televised. Clubs who violate the policy could face fines worth up to $100K.
Additionally, absent extenuating circumstances, teams will be discouraged from resting multiple healthy players for the same game or sitting healthy players on the road, Haynes continues. If a team does decide to rest a healthy player, the player should be “visible to fans,” Haynes writes.
Reducing “load management” for healthy players has long been a goal for the NBA. And, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets, this year’s protocols won’t actually be too different from the ones in place last season.
Still, it’s a little surprising that the league would make the issue a priority in 2020/21, when teams will be playing a compressed schedule and many clubs won’t be hosting fans in their arenas at all due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Of course, with fewer fans than ever able to attend games in person, those nationally-televised contests will be of greater importance for the NBA in the coming months, so it makes sense that the league doesn’t want to see star players sitting out of those games.
Harden Misses Rockets’ First Practice, Tells Team He’ll Report Soon
1:51pm: Asked again today about Harden’s absence and possible arrival date, Silas replied, “There is no timetable, as far as I know. It is a setback. You want your best player to be here.”
Silas added that he’s not sure whether or not Harden is in Houston (Twitter links via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).
7:49am: Rockets star James Harden missed the team’s first group practice on Sunday due to not having cleared the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Head coach Stephen Silas said after the group practice that he expected Harden to participate in an individual workout on Sunday night, but the former MVP didn’t return for that workout either, per MacMahon. However, Harden did tell Rockets management that he’ll report soon, a source informed ESPN.
Harden’s situation is worth keeping an eye on, since he reportedly sought a trade during the offseason. Silas told reporters last Thursday that he was giving the superstar guard “space,” as reports on that same day indicated that Harden wasn’t in Houston while the team took part in individual workouts. TMZ later reported that he had been in Atlanta for rapper Lil Baby’s birthday party.
The NBA’s coronavirus protocols called for players to quarantine at home last week except for essential activities, as well as workouts and COVID-19 tests at the team’s facility. Players were required to return three consecutive negative PCR tests before being cleared to participate in individual workouts.
It sounds like Harden will probably report to the Rockets and receive clearance within the next few days, at which point he’ll likely speak to reporters for the first time. His commitment to the Rockets figures to be the primary focus during that first media session — so far, his teammates and head coach have bore the brunt of those inquiries.
As MacMahon details, new Rockets point guard John Wall said this weekend that he had a “great talk” with Harden and “for sure” believes his new backcourt mate wants to play for the Rockets this season. Silas, meanwhile, said last Thursday that he expected Harden to be “all-in” with Houston for 2020/21. Asked again on Sunday about Harden’s commitment, Silas replied, “That’s a question you’re going to have to ask him when he gets here.”
Tyrese Maxey, Two Other Sixers Tested Positive For Coronavirus
5:00pm: Mike Scott and another unidentified Sixers player are also waiting to clear coronavirus protocols after testing positive, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
3:41pm: Sixers rookie Tyrese Maxey has been held out of training camp after testing positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets.
Bodner notes that Philadelphia anticipates the 6’3″ combo guard out of Kentucky, drafted with the No. 21 pick last month, will join the team within the next few days.
Maxey averaged 14.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 0.9 SPG in 34.5 MPG for the Wildcats across 31 games. In his lone collegiate season, he made the All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team.
The 20-year-old Maxey was new Sixers team president Daryl Morey‘s first selection for Philadelphia. A strong defender projected to be able to operate both as a lead ball-handler and an off-ball option, Maxey had already worked out with Sixers All-Star guard/forward Ben Simmons ahead of team practices.
Rudy Tomjanovich Joins Timberwolves As Consultant
Never underestimate the heart of Rudy Tomjanovich. The two-time title-winning former Rockets head coach has joined the Timberwolves as a player personnel consultant, the team announced today in a press release.
According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Tomjanovich worked to scout and evaluate talent for the Wolves ahead of the 2020 draft.
Tomjanovich was a five-time All-Star as a forward from 1970-1981. He spent his entire league tenure with the Rockets. He was drafted out of Michigan with the second pick by the Rockets when the team was still based in San Diego. Upon retiring, he was an assistant coach for Houston from 1983-1992.
A 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, Tomjanovich holds a 527–416 record as a head coach. He served in that capacity with the Rockets from 1992-2003, and with the Lakers for the 2004/05 season.
Tomjanovich won his titles with Houston in 1994 and 1995, with teams fronted by Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, plus point guard Sam Cassell and power forward Robert Horry.
Former Rockets director of player performance Javair Gillett is also among the Timberwolves’ new basketball operations additions, having been named the team’s VP of sports science and player performance. Joseph Blair (assistant coach), Aaron Blackshear (director of analytics), and Josh Gershon (college scouting coordinators) were among the other hires announced by Minnesota.
Trail Blazers Close Practice Facility After Positive COVID-19 Tests
The Trail Blazers organization discovered three positive novel coronavirus tests among its personnel across the last four days. The club will be closing its Tualatin, Oregon practice facility, it announced in an official tweet.
In a team press release, president of operations Neil Olshey further addressed the COVID-19 test results. “Out of an abundance of caution, having completed contact tracing, we are closing our practice facility today for deep cleaning while we run confirmatory tests,” he said.
The identities of the personnel afflicted were not disclosed, in accordance with league guidelines for coronavirus testing disclosures. The Trail Blazers held limited practices and media sessions this week.
Portland has shored up its front court and wing depth this offseason. The Trail Blazers have added versatile three-and-D forward Robert Covington, defensive-oriented wing Derrick Jones Jr., and high-upside center Harry Giles III.
The Trail Blazers also retained forward Carmelo Anthony for bench scoring and brought back reserve center Enes Kanter, who enjoyed an impressive playoff run with the club in 2019.
According to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee, the league will decide whether to move forward with the Blazers’ scheduled preseason games against the Kings, set for this Friday, December 11, and the following Sunday, December 13.
Cavaliers Unsure When Kevin Porter Jr. Will Report To Camp
Cavaliers forward Kevin Porter Jr. continues to work through his legal issues and there’s not a definite date for him to join the team for training camp, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Porter was arrested last month after a single-car accident in which police allegedly found a .45-caliber handgun and suspected marijuana in his vehicle. A judge dismissed the marijuana charge Wednesday, and a grand jury will determine what to do with the gun charge.
The Cavaliers are working with Porter, his agents and the league to try to resolve the matter and are hoping he will eventually be able to return with a clean record. However, there’s no way to know when that might happen. The organization is committed to helping Porter get through this incident, Fedor adds.
“We’re in the human being business. And no matter what our ups and downs are, our responsibility is to look out for one another and take care of one another and try to help one another as best we possibly can. And we’ll continue to do that,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “So we won’t give up on anybody. We’ll continue to give people the best opportunity to make themselves into the best version of themselves that we possibly can until you leave that door, and then even then we’ll maintain relationships with you and try to help you if we ever possibly can. But we’re all in on all of our guys. And that won’t change.”
Porter, 20, was the last pick of the first round in the 2019 draft. He showed flashes of promise during his rookie season, averaging 10.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 50 games.
The Cavs also started camp without JaVale McGee, Matt Mooney and Levi Randolph, Fedor adds. McGee, who was acquired in a trade with the Lakers, is expected to join the team soon and Bickerstaff believes he will be able to contribute right away.
“JaVale is a guy who has helped teams win titles and protects the paint and I think he benefits our young guys in a major way,” Bickerstaff said. “His ability to protect them on the defensive end of the floor and then his ability to roll to the rim, I think he fits. Obviously Dre (Andre Drummond) can do those things as well so we think it’s a really, really good pairing.
Randolph played in the AmeriCup Qualifying tournament and didn’t sign with Cleveland until Tuesday. New NBA guidelines require anyone with a new contract on December 1 or later to undergo separate COVID-19 testing protocols before being cleared for workouts. Fedor states that his restrictions could be lifted in a few days. Mooney, who inked a two-way contract, may join the team today.
Buddy Hield: “No Regrets” About Speaking Out
Kings guard Buddy Hield didn’t have any second thoughts about going public with his displeasure over his situation last year and doesn’t believe his relationship with head coach Luke Walton needs to be fixed, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
“I have no regrets,” Hield said today during a Zoom session with the media. “There’s nothing to be worked on. I never had a problem with nobody here, so everything that was being heard, it wasn’t put out by me. I love everybody here in this franchise and this organization, so I don’t regret nothing I said. I’m going to keep it 100.”
Hield’s unhappiness first emerged when Walton began leaving him on the bench in the fourth quarter of some close games, and it got worse when he was removed from the starting lineup in January. Hield contributed as Sacramento won 13 out of 20 games prior to the shutdown, but he remained upset about how Walton was using him.
The departure of Bogdan Bogdanovic, who signed an offer sheet with Atlanta that the Kings didn’t match, may open the door for Hield to become a starter again. However, Walton wasn’t ready to commit to that as training camp began.
“Even last season, Buddy started more than half of the season, and when he didn’t start, he played a huge role for us coming off the bench and being a dynamic 20-point-a-night scorer,” Walton said. “Every decision is always based on what I feel is best for the group and best for the team, and with this training camp, this is part of what we have to see. What do we have? What groups are playing well together? Who complements who? And at the end of the day, every decision that gets made will come down to what I feel as the head coach is best for this team and giving us the best chance of winning.”
Hield responded to Walton’s statement by saying he’s ready to earn a starting role and will do anything the coaching staff asks of him.
“I always love competing and it doesn’t matter,” Hield said. “That’s not my job. I don’t control that. The head coach controls that. They brought me here to play basketball and win basketball games, so whatever they need me for, I’m going to do it and try to compete at the highest (level) I can.”
Doc Rivers Urged Austin Not To Sign With Sixers
The Sixers were interested in signing free agent guard Austin Rivers before his father, new Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers, decided a reunion wouldn’t be in anyone’s best interest, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Rivers coached his son for three and a half years with the Clippers and thought it was best that Austin remain independent.
“He was high on Philly’s list before I took the job,’’ Doc Rivers said. “It was one of the guards they wanted. When I took the job, I said, ‘You don’t want that. You got too many other things we have to deal with.’ For Austin it’s better. He’s his own player. Unfortunately for him, me being the dad, he’s just an easy guy to target. I have felt since the separation, it’s been really good for him.’’
Rivers reached a three-year, $10MM agreement with the Knicks and was acquired from the Rockets in a sign-and-trade deal. That came after he turned down a player option with Houston that would have paid him the veteran’s minimum of $2.4MM.
Doc Rivers, who played for the Knicks in the 1990s, stayed with Austin during free agency and explained the benefits of playing in New York City.
“I kept telling him, ‘New York is a great place,’’’ Doc Rivers said. “I had a great experience there. That’s what I shared with him. It’s a tough city — in a positive way. He said, ‘What do you mean by that?’ I said, ‘It’s similar to Boston and Philly. Their fans are real. They want you to play hard, give you everything you can and play like a team.’ I told him, ‘The Knicks fans are still Red Holzman’s Knicks fans. They remember how that basketball was played. They want team basketball, hard-nosed, tough basketball.’”
Berman notes that the Knicks tried to attract Austin when he was a free agent in 2015, including a dinner with former team president Phil Jackson, but Doc Rivers convinced the Clippers to give him a contract that was a year longer than New York’s offer.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who served on Rivers’ coaching staff in Boston, is among the beneficiaries of Austin choosing New York this time. He spoke to Doc Rivers about his son before the deal was reached.
“Tom just likes competitive players — always has,’’ Doc Rivers said. “We’re very similar — give us 12 competitors, we’ll figure it out. Whenever we talked about Austin — and we will a lot less now — Thibs loves competitors.’’
Russell Westbrook Declines To Discuss Trade Request
Addressing the media for the first time since joining the Wizards, Russell Westbrook refused to confirm that he asked the Rockets for a trade, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“I’m here in Washington,” Westbrook replied when asked if he wanted to be traded. “Happy about where I’m at and understanding that this is a new journey for me and understanding how important it is to focus on where I’m at, focus on the team, focus on the organization, the community, the people here.”
Westbrook joined his third team in 17 months this week when Washington acquired him in exchange for John Wall and a future first-round pick. He had mixed results during his year in Houston after being brought in to form an all-MVP backcourt with his long-time friend, James Harden.
Westbrook averaged 27.2 points per game, his best scoring numbers in four years, and was a third-team All-NBA selection. However, his poor outside shooting was an issue throughout the season and he struggled in the playoffs after suffering a quad injury during the restart.
A few weeks after the Rockets were eliminated in the second round, stories emerged that Westbrook and Harden had both asked to be traded. Although he didn’t comment on his relationship with his former teammate, Westbrook told reporters that his methods of motivating himself on the court often cause him to be misunderstood, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“The way I play the game kind of misconstrues people of who I am as a person, who I am and what I believe in and what I stand for,” Westbrook said. “Obviously, how I play and off the floor are two different people. When I am on the floor, I don’t have any friends, I am not trying to be friendly. … I ain’t got time to try to shake hands and do all that. I don’t have time for it, and I am never changing that.”
Westbrook has played alongside All-Star teammates throughout his career and he’s looking forward to teaming up with Bradley Beal as part of what could become the league’s highest-scoring backcourt. Beal told reporters Friday that he isn’t worried that his new teammate will be “trying to run the show and just do everything by himself,” and Westbrook agrees that they can mesh their talents without conflict.
“I’m super excited about it,” Westbrook said. “Brad is a superstar talent. … My job is to come in and continue to uplift and push him to be better. That is all I am here for. I am happy to be his counterpart and try to make it easier for him.”