Bob Myers Reportedly Nearing Deal With ESPN
Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers appears headed to television rather than another NBA front office. Sources tell Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post that Myers is close to a deal to become an analyst for ESPN’s “NBA Countdown.”
Myers announced in May that he was leaving Golden State at the end of his contract after spending 12 seasons with the organization. He put together a roster that won four NBA titles and has been able to sustain a high level of success for most of the past decade. Myers, who also was named the team’s president of basketball operations in 2016, is a two-time Executive of the Year winner.
There has been speculation that other teams would pursue Myers, even though he stated that he wanted a break from the league when he announced he was stepping down from the Warriors. He reportedly turned down offers from Golden State that would have made him one of the NBA’s highest-paid executives.
Glasspiegel notes that Myers has a previous connection to ESPN through a “Lead By Example” podcast that he hosted last season. ESPN distributed the show on its multimedia platforms.
ESPN has made several changes to its coverage team since the NBA playoffs wrapped up in June, Glasspiegel adds. It was reported this week that Malika Andrews will replace Mike Greenberg as “Countdown” host for the NBA Finals, and longtime analyst Jalen Rose was released as part of the network’s layoffs earlier this summer.
Also, ESPN decided to shake up its top announcing team, replacing Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson with Doris Burke and former Sixers coach Doc Rivers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Play In World Cup
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo announced on Twitter that he will miss the FIBA World Cup because he’s still recovering from minor knee surgery.
Antetokounmpo had a clean-up procedure in late June to remove loose cartilage in his left knee. Since that operation, it has been uncertain whether he would be able to represent Greece in the tournament, and team doctors were reportedly working with Milwaukee’s medical staff to reach a final decision.
“Everyone knows my passion and love for my National Team has and never will change,” Antetokounmpo wrote in his tweet. “Since the conclusion of my NBA season I have been pushing my body to the limits to be the player I need to be to help our team achieve the goals we set. But after months of work and multiple meetings with medical staff it is clear that i am not ready to compete in the level that I need to be to participate in the World Cup.”
Antetokounmpo’s decision is a huge setback for a Greek team that can earn an automatic bid to the Olympics by finishing as one of the top two European teams in the World Cup. Greece could still reach the 2024 Paris games through other qualifying tournaments, but Antetokounmpo’s availability for those competitions will depend on his NBA commitments.
The absence of Antetokounmpo will also affect Team USA, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. America and Greece will be in the same pool for the first round of the tournament in the Philippines, and while the U.S. is a heavy favorite to advance regardless, facing Greece without Antetokounmpo makes that task much easier.
Antetokounmpo indicated that the status of his knee left him little choice about trying to play. The Bucks will open training camp in about seven weeks, and the start of the regular season is a little more than two months away.
“This was not a choice but my only option in ensuring I get back to the level of basketball I have worked so hard to achieve so far in my career,” he added. “I am extremely disappointed in this outcome but this was a decision made with the medical staff. I’m going to continue to push myself to be ready for the next time my name is called. My personal, and our ultimate team goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics games and it will be an honor to represent my National Team next year.”
New York Notes: Knicks Future, Hart, Quickley, Nets Picks
With Josh Hart under contract well into the future, the Knicks could turn to extending another core member of their rotation, SNY’s Ian Begley writes. An Immanuel Quickley extension is the logical next step for the Knicks to take before he becomes a restricted free agent next summer. Begley notes that if Quickley and the Knicks are able to come to an agreement on an extension, it would give the Knicks seven players under contract through at least 2024/25, all of which are rotation pieces.
The deadline for the two sides to reach an agreement on an extension is on the eve of the ’23/24 season.
Signing Quickley would put the Knicks on track to surpass the luxury tax line, according to Begley, but owner James Dolan has never shied away from spending luxury tax money in the past.
The Knicks are hard-capped at the first tax apron this season, meaning they can’t spend more than a total of roughly $172MM in team salary. The Knicks are roughly $6.6MM shy of that apron at the moment, according to Begley, which they could use to augment the roster further. If Quickley signs an extension, it would be difficult to trade him until his extension kicks in. Hart is ineligible to be traded until the 2024 offseason.
Begley notes that while Hart’s $81MM of total salary appears large, it won’t account for more than 14% of the team’s salary cap in any year of his deal, which Begley argues is fair value for a starting-level rotation piece.
We have more from the state of New York:
- Peter Botte of the New York Post also writes that the Knicks should sign Quickley to a new deal before he becomes a restricted free agent. Quickley, a Sixth Man of the Year finalist, is in the final year of his rookie contract, which is worth approximately $4.17MM. The 6’3″ guard averaged 14.9 points and 3.4 assists per game last season while knocking down 37% of his 5.6 attempts from downtown per game.
- Hart’s new four-year, $81MM extension with the Knicks includes a team option on the fourth and final year, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). That means just $58MM of the contract is guaranteed, with the option being worth $22.3MM in 2027/28. Hart’s extension kicks in during the 2024/25 season.
- In a recent article, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn ranked every traded future NBA first round draft pick. In total, Quinn ranks 56 picks that have shifted hands via various trades. The 2029 Suns first round pick grades out as the most valuable in Quinn’s eyes and that pick belongs to the Nets by virtue of the Kevin Durant trade at last season’s deadline. Quinn argues that it’s hard for teams to win championships and that Phoenix doesn’t have much room to improve beyond the next couple of years since the franchise traded virtually every pick it owned in exchange for Durant and Bradley Beal. In total, Quinn ranked two incoming Nets picks in the top three, and Brooklyn controls four of the top six picks Quinn ranks. The 2029 Mavericks first round pick that now belongs to the Nets via the Kyrie Irving trade comes in at No. 3, while the Suns also owe Brooklyn their unprotected 2027 first round pick and a 2028 first round pick swap, which rank No. 5 and No. 6 in Quinn’s list.
And-Ones: Wembanyama, Hall Of Fame, Cap Room, Prospects, Europe
Victor Wembanyama‘s first NBA game takes place on Oct. 25, one day after opening day, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). The Spurs play the Mavericks on the second day of the regular season, pitting Wembanyama against Dallas star Luka Doncic.
The Spurs’ offseason revolved around developing their young corps, featuring players like Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan, along with taking in big contracts in exchange for draft capital. Meanwhile, the Mavericks made several moves in free agency and in the draft to help them rebound from a lackluster 2022/23.
Stein also tweets that the full ’23/24 schedule release is expected next week. Shams Charania reported the NBA’s opening day lineup and the slate of Christmas Day games earlier today.
Here are more notes from around the basketball world:
- With the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 induction taking place this weekend, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov explored candidacies of several players for the Hall. Vorkunov evaluates DeMar DeRozan, Paul George and Kyrie Irving‘s respective cases. Even though he lists all as “near locks,” DeRozan and Irving could be on the cusp. In total, Vorkunov lists 41 players, breaking them into tiers for their likelihood of reaching the Hall. Vorkunov predicts some are obvious locks to be named, like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while others like Rajon Rondo and Blake Griffin, might not make it. Vorkunov also discusses players who are on track to be named to the Hall, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bam Adebayo, and breaks down why Derrick Rose will be the only MVP to not make the Hall of Fame. I recommend reading the article in full, some picks may surprise you.
- Spotrac contributor Keith Smith made his first pass at 2024 cap space projections (Twitter link). Smith lists seven teams that are projected to have over $20MM in cap to work with. The Spurs lead the way with projected 2024 cap space, sitting at $55.3MM, according to Smith, while the Magic are close behind with $51.3MM to spend. The Jazz, Hornets, Pistons, Sixers and Wizards round out the top seven. Pascal Siakam, LeBron James (player option), James Harden and DeMar DeRozan are among the players who could be available next free agency.
- The FIBA U18 European Championship took place from July 22-30. The event is a great tool to evaluate future NBA prospects, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who says that more than four first-round picks per year participated in the event between 2011-21. Givony lists his top 10 prospects from the event (subscription required). UCLA-bound Aday Mara, Mohamed Diawara and Mario Saint-Supery are among the players who crack Givony’s top 10. Givony lists 17-year-old Hugo Gonzalez as his pick for best player at the tournament, as he impressed with his blend of size, frame, shot creation and feel.
- Players like Kemba Walker, Willy Hernangomez and Raul Neto are among those who made the move to play in Europe next season. In recent years, we’ve seen players like Nikola Mirotic depart the NBA in the middle of their primes in order to pursue opportunities in Europe. Jabari Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, recently signed overseas and is one of the highest-selected draft picks to do so. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (subscriber link) explores why players are making such moves overseas and why European basketball might be an appealing alternative to the NBA or other overseas leagues for players.
Celtics-Lakers, Bucks-Knicks Among 2023/24 Christmas Day Games
The full Christmas Day game schedule is now known thanks to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). As usual, the holiday features five games, including a matchup between the rival Lakers and Celtics in Los Angeles.
Additionally, the Knicks host the Bucks, the Sixers and Heat play in Miami, the Mavericks and Suns square off in Phoenix, and the Nuggets host the Warriors.
Both the Celtics and the Lakers are expected to be title contenders next season. The Lakers revamped their roster, while the Celtics did the same. Boston made a huge switch-up when they moved longtime Celtic Marcus Smart in a trade that brought in Kristaps Porzingis. By moving Smart, the Celtics committed to playing a bigger lineup, with Porzingis, Al Horford and Robert Williams all expected to have major roles. The Celtics also lost Grant Williams but added Oshae Brissett to help fill the void.
The Bucks and Knicks are both interesting players in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee fell to the Heat as the No. 1 seed last year, but brought back the majority of their roster, including Brook Lopez to a two-year, $48MM deal and Khris Middleton to a three-year, $98MM deal. Jae Crowder also re-signed. Robin Lopez and Malik Beasley joined Milwaukee in free agency while the team drafted Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston.
New York didn’t have many moves to make in free agency, with most of their roster under contract. Josh Hart recently extended with the Knicks and they brought in Donte DiVincenzo, who will be squaring off against the team who drafted him. While the Knicks might not end up winning the chip, there’s thought that they improved on a roster that was the No. 5 seed last season.
The Heat and the Sixers may look vastly different by the time Christmas rolls around. Both teams are facing trade requests, but on different sides. Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard asked Portland a trade, with Miami as his preferred destination. There’s no telling when or if the Heat and Lillard will unite. If they do, the Heat immediately become one of the best teams in the NBA, pairing Lillard with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. If not, they’re likely worse off. Even though they added Josh Richardson, Thomas Bryant and Jaime Jaquez Jr. to their roster, the Heat lost Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, two key playoff contributors. The Heat did make the NBA Finals last season but did so after scraping past the play-in tournament.
Meanwhile, the Sixers saw James Harden request a trade out of Philadelphia and reportedly express a desire to be sent to the Clippers. That hasn’t happened yet, and Harden remains a member of Philly. There’s a chance the Sixers could bring Harden to camp and into the season, but it would be surprising if he was a member of the team by the time Christmas arrives. The Sixers won 54 games last season but losing Harden would hurt. Their best move this season has been to re-sign Paul Reed, but they have no avenue to adding additional talent and any Harden trade to the Clippers is unlikely to bring back a star return. That means an even bigger plate for last year’s MVP Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. Additionally, Patrick Beverley and Mohamed Bamba signed with the Sixers this offseason.
Any matchup between the Sixers and Heat is of note, considering Butler’s history in Philadelphia and the unofficial rivalry between the two teams.
The Suns added a new star to their roster while the Mavericks kept their co-star this offseason. While Dallas finished last year outside of the playoffs after trading for Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks doubled down on his pairing with Luka Doncic by signing him to a new three-year, $120MM contract. Dallas fleshed out the rest of the roster by adding Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Richaun Holmes and Derrick Jones Jr. while drafting Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
The matchup between the Suns and Mavericks features a battle between former Nets teammates Kevin Durant and Irving.
We went over the new-look Warriors and defending-champion Nuggets in a previous story.
Charania revealed the opening day matchups earlier today, which likely means the full schedule will be revealed sometime in the near future.
Heat Notes: Wood, Lillard, Shooters, Robinson
Christian Wood is one of the most prominent names left on the free agent market. Wood’s stats last year, 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, would typically lead to an offer in the opening days of free agency. But nearly a month and a half into the 2023/24 league year, Wood remains on the market, with little more than minimum contract offers available. However, according to Heavy’s Sean Deveney, Wood has options.
While Wood could accept a veteran’s minimum offer (worth approximately $2.7MM for a player with seven years of experience) from the Heat or the Lakers, it would be significantly less than what he made last year: $14.3MM. According to Deveney, Wood has hope that a higher offer than $2.7MM will emerge but, at the very least, he has that minimum contract to fall back on if that doesn’t pan out.
“There is no reason for him to hurry, the roster spots are there and unless there is a chance the Lakers make a move to sign someone else, why not wait to see if something better becomes available?” a league executive told Heavy. “What if Miami makes the [Damian Lillard] trade and winds up with a little more [luxury-tax] space? They could make a better offer. Not a ton more, but it is not the minimum. That’s the wild card for [Wood].”
According to Deveney, the Lakers are viewed around the league as the favorite to land Wood but there are multiple routes for Miami to create more cap flexibility in a potential Lillard move. If the Heat wind up sending out all of their trade-chip major salaries, Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, they could create more space under the $182.5MM second tax apron to sign Wood at a salary slightly above the minimum.
Even if not all of those pieces are moved, there are ways for the Heat to create space to sign Wood to a deal around $5MM annually, according to Deveney. Deveney says that if a trade involving Herro, Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic occurs, the Heat could look to sign Wood to the aforementioned $5MM.
Wood’s summer seems to have two potential endings, as of now, according to Deveney. If a Lillard trade occurs and the Heat wish to sign Wood, he’s likely Miami-bound. If a Lillard trade doesn’t happen or the Heat wish to fill out the roster with only minimum contracts, Wood would likely head to the Lakers.
We have more from Miami:
- While Miami is Lillard’s only reported preferred destination, it doesn’t automatically mean that he’s going to be sent there. Lillard could stay in place to open the season or he could be sent elsewhere entirely. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) makes the case for the other 28 teams in the league to make a trade for Lillard. Winderman breaks the other 28 teams in the league into categories. He lists 16 teams as already having their point guard of the future, three as being on different timelines than Lillard and four lacking necessary trade assets, leaving five other realistic potential suitors. Winderman lists the Celtics, Nets, Pelicans, Sixers and Jazz as the teams who could realistically make a move for Lillard. However, I wouldn’t count out the Raptors from making a move for the seven-time All-Star.
- Winderman, writing in a recent mailbag, argues that the Heat need to have three-point shooting insurance in the event that Robinson and Herro are moved. In that scenario, the Heat would have lost Herro, Gabe Vincent, and three-point specialists Robinson and Max Strus, in the same offseason. Cole Swider and Drew Peterson have the potential to turn into that, but both have currently just verbally agreed to training camp contracts. Winderman argues that keeping Robinson could be a priority, so that the Heat maintain some consistency with their shooters.
- In another recent mailbag, Winderman explored reader questions about potential obstacles that would cause the Heat to not make a trade for Lillard. A possible fine or other punishment from the league following their recent memo can’t be ruled out. Additionally, the Heat could be wary of sending out all of their young assets, such as both Jaquez and Jovic. However, Winderman doesn’t view either of those as legitimate roadblocks.
Warriors To Add Jayce Johnson On Exhibit 10 Deal
The Warriors are signing center Jayce Johnson to an Exhibit 10 contract, Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). Johnson spent the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League with the Warriors, averaging 5.6 points and 6.8 rebounds across those two events.
Johnson, a 7’0″ center out of Marquette, went undrafted in 2020. He spent a year in Romania and later joined the Santa Cruz Warriors for the 2022/23 season. Johnson averaged 8.6 points and 11.9 rebounds in 43 G League appearances, leading the G League in rebounds.
According to Charania, Johnson will compete for a two-way spot in Warriors training camp. Golden State currently has two open two-way contract spots, with Lester Quinones occupying one. Javan Johnson and Jerome Robinson are reportedly set to join the Warriors in training camp on Exhibit 10 deals, but those haven’t yet been made official.
If Johnson is waived by the Warriors, he will also be able to earn a bonus of up to $75K by re-joining the Santa Cruz Warriors and spending at least 60 days with that NBAGL club.
Nuggets Host Lakers, Warriors Host Suns On Opening Night
Four heavyweights in the Western Conference will play on opening night of the 2023/24 season, according to Shams Charania (Twitter link). The defending-champion Nuggets will host the Lakers on Tuesday, October 24, while the Warriors host the Suns. Both matchups will be aired on TNT.
The Nuggets and Lakers squared off in the Western Conference Finals last season, with Denver winning via sweep before going on to win the NBA Finals. Denver’s roster is similar to last season’s. The Nuggets lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, though Green only averaged 4.1 points in 17.2 minutes in the playoffs last year. Losing Brown is huge, but Denver has several players who can help take over with larger roles, such as Christian Braun. Denver also drafted Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson while adding Justin Holiday in free agency.
While the Lakers lost to the Nuggets last year, they only lost one game by double digits. Their average margin of defeat was by six points. Los Angeles moved quickly to bring back several key rotation pieces from last year’s team, such as Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura. While they lost the likes of Dennis Schroder, Malik Beasley and Lonnie Walker, the Lakers brought in multiple free agents, including Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince. Los Angeles also drafted Jalen Hood-Schifino in the first round.
Both the Warriors and the Suns made it to the second round last season, but both teams opted for major offseason shake-ups. The Suns made headlines when they acquired three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to their roster, giving them one of the most top-heavy and expensive teams in the league. Phoenix was active in the opening days of free agency, re-signing Josh Okogie, Ish Wainright and Damion Lee, while bringing in a multitude of minimum-contract players, like Yuta Watanabe, Eric Gordon and Keita Bates-Diop.
The Warriors also turned heads when they traded young scorer Jordan Poole in a move to acquire Chris Paul, who had been involved in the aforementioned Beal deal, from the Wizards. The Oct. 24 matchup marks Paul’s first against the Suns since the trade. Paul spent three seasons in Phoenix.
While rumors circulated about Draymond Green potentially moving on in free agency or Jonathan Kuminga being traded, both players remain on the team (Green courtesy of a new four-year, $100MM deal). Golden State brought in Cory Joseph and Dario Saric in free agency and drafted Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, both of whom could play their ways into rotation spots.
More schedule news will trickle in in the coming weeks. The Christmas Day games, as well as other marquee matchups, are typically leaked before the full schedule release, which happened on Aug. 17 last year.
Raptors Notes: Anunoby, Barnes, Siakam, Achiuwa, Lillard
The Raptors reportedly received offers of multiple first-round picks for OG Anunoby at the February trade deadline, but the “upside value” of those picks is “believed to have been low,” according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Anunoby made his first All-Defensive appearance in 2022/23. Still just 26 years old, he led the NBA in steals per game last season (1.9) while averaging 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists on a .476/.387/.838 shooting line in 67 contests (35.6 minutes).
However, Anunoby’s trade value is likely mitigated by the fact that he can become a free agent in 2024 if he turns down his $19.9MM player option for ’24/25, which is basically a lock. His floor for a new deal could be the five-year, $160MM contract Jerami Grant signed to remain with Portland.
The Raptors have reportedly been unwilling to take calls on Anunoby this summer, so there’s no sign they’re trying to move him right now.
Here’s more from Toronto:
- With Dennis Schröder as the only proven point guard on the roster, the Raptors will likely lean more heavily on Scottie Barnes for play-making duties, Charania adds. The ’21/22 Rookie of the Year averaged 4.8 assists against 2.0 turnovers last season.
- In a mailbag for The Athletic, Eric Koreen states that while top basketball executive Masai Ujiri has the “reputation of a big deal-maker,” Koreen considers Ujiri’s normal mode of operation as being closer to “conservative opportunism.” In addition to highly valuing their own players, that may explain why the Raptors haven’t made further roster moves, despite fans clamoring for the front office to pick a path.
- Why didn’t the Raptors accept the Hawks’ reported offer for Pascal Siakam? According to Koreen, they simply think he’s worth more than that, and will have more value to either Toronto or another team on a new contract, as opposed to his expiring deal.
- Precious Achiuwa is the player on Toronto’s roster most likely to have a breakout season, Koreen writes. He also explains why a Damian Lillard trade between Toronto and Portland wouldn’t make much sense for the Raptors or the Trail Blazers.
Five Two-Way Restricted Free Agents Remain Unsigned
As of July 18, there were 12 two-way restricted free agents who had yet to sign new contracts.
Over the past three-plus weeks, six of those players — Lester Quinones (Warriors), Kendall Brown (Pacers), Trevor Keels (Knicks), Duane Washington (Knicks), Dominick Barlow (Spurs) and Ron Harper Jr. (Raptors) — returned to their clubs on two-way deals.
Keels and Washington were subsequently waived to create roster space for Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler, respectively. Washington re-signed with New York on a training camp contract, while Keels is an NBA free agent (the Knicks retained his G League rights).
A seventh player — Jeff Dowtin — returned to Toronto on a one-year, minimum-salary contract that is fully non-guaranteed. He would receive $900K if he’s not waived on or before October 21, but may face an uphill battle to claim a roster spot, as the Raptors now have 15 players with guaranteed deals on their roster.
That leaves a total of five two-way restricted free agents available, as our up-to-date list shows. Those players are as follows:
Trent Forrest, G, Hawks- Theo Maledon, G, Hornets
- Jamal Cain, F, Heat
- Matt Ryan, F, Timberwolves
- Terry Taylor, F, Bulls
Of the five-player group, Maledon had the largest role last season. The 34th pick of the 2020 draft appeared in 44 games for Charlotte in 2022/23, averaging 6.7 points, 3.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.
If they’re willing to accept their one-year, two-way qualifying offers, four of these five players seemingly have an easy path back to the teams that hold their rights — the Hawks, Hornets, Heat and Wolves all have an open two-way slot available.
That is not true for the Bulls, however — all three of their two-way slots are filled. If Taylor accepts his QO, Chicago might just release him, similar to what happened with Washington and Keels.
Some two-way RFAs have managed to earn standard contracts this offseason. Cain has reportedly been discussing that possibility with rival teams, but Miami has been reluctant to give him a standard deal.
It will be interesting to see if any of the five players are able to land a standard contract instead of another two-way deal. However, being RFAs hurts their leverage to negotiate with rival teams, and offer sheets for two-way restricted free agents essentially never happen.