Thunder Sign Jack White To Two-Year Deal
JULY 20: The Thunder have announced in a press statement that the team has officially signed White. Oklahoma City waived veteran forward Rudy Gay to open up a roster spot.
JULY 1: The Thunder are signing free agent forward Jack White to a two-year contract, agent Sammy Wloszczowski tells Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).
White had been a restricted free agent after being issued a qualifying offer by the Nuggets. Based on Charania’s wording, it sounds like the Thunder are confident they won’t face resistance on the deal, whether that means Denver won’t match an offer sheet or the Nuggets are dropping the QO, making White unrestricted.
A 6’7″ forward out of Australia, White played four college seasons at Duke from 2016-20 but didn’t have a significant role. He had a bigger opportunity playing for Melbourne United of the NBL, which he used to garner NBA attention.
White played for Denver’s Summer League team last year and impressed, earning a two-way contract from the Nuggets. While he only made 17 appearances for 66 minutes in 2022/23 as a rookie for the reigning champions, he’ll get his ring and now lands a standard contract with OKC.
The 25-year-old had a strong showing for the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver’s G League affiliate) in the ’22/23 regular season, averaging 19.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 0.9 SPG on a .544/.409/.737 shooting line in 15 games (31.3 MPG). He was even more efficient during the fall Showcase cup, averaging 17.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 BPG and 0.9 SPG on .600/.500/.818 shooting in 12 games (32.5 MPG).
Thunder Waive Rudy Gay
JULY 20: The Thunder have officially released Gay, per a press statement.
JULY 19: The Thunder are waiving forward Rudy Gay, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Gay, who turns 37 next month, has been traded twice this offseason. The Jazz sent him to Atlanta in the John Collins deal, and then the Hawks moved him to Oklahoma City in a salary dump.
As Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets, releasing Gay will open up a roster spot, which the Thunder will use to officially sign Jack White. The two sides agreed to the terms of a contract on July 1, but OKC made some trades to add draft assets, temporarily putting the deal on hold.
Gay has had a long and highly productive NBA career, often popping up on lists of the best players to have never been an All-Star. He averaged at least 17 points and five rebounds per game in 10 consecutive seasons from 2007-2017 with the Grizzlies, Raptors and Kings.
While the 17-year veteran was still a solid performer as recently as 2020/21 with the Spurs, he battled injuries over his two seasons with the Jazz, appearing in just 111 of a possible 164 regular season games. His production slipped as well, with Gay posting career lows in virtually every major statistic over the past two campaigns.
Overall, Gay has appeared in 1120 regular season contests, including 779 starts, with career averages of 15.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.7 BPG on .452/.346/.799 shooting in 30.9 MPG. In ’22/23, he averaged just 5.2 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .380/.254/.857 shooting in 56 games (14.6 MPG).
Gay is virtually certain to go unclaimed on the waiver wire, as he’ll earn a guaranteed $6,479,000 in ’23/24, which is the final year of his contract. The Thunder will be on the hook for that full amount in a couple days if he isn’t claimed, while the former UConn star will become an unrestricted free agent.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic previously identified the Warriors as a team that might be interested in Gay if he were to hit the open market.
Thunder’s Williams, Holmgren Among Players Joining USA Select Team
Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of the Thunder and Jalen Green of the Rockets are among the young players joining the USA Select Team ahead of the upcoming FIBA World Cup, league sources tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Those three players will be eligible to travel with Team USA to the Philippines and could potentially be added to the 12-man national team roster in the event of an injury, per The Athletic.
Williams, Holmgren and Green will be joined by Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Kings forward Keegan Murray for Team USA’s training camp in a couple of weeks, where they will practice and scrimmage against the main roster, according to Charania and Vardon. As many as 12 players could end up being named to the Select Team.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported (via Twitter) that Cunningham would attend the training camp. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick was actually offered a spot on the senior team’s roster, according to Wojnarowski, but decided to forgo the opportunity in order to focus on the 2023/24 season. Cunningham was limited to 12 games last season due to a shin injury which required surgery.
Williams, the runner-up for the ’22/23 Rookie of the Year award, is coming off a stellar first season with OKC, averaging 14.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.4 SPG on .521/.356/.812 shooting in 75 games (30.3 MPG). Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick last year, missed the entire season due to foot surgery, but he’s healthy again and recently played during Las Vegas Summer League.
Green, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, averaged 22.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.7 APG on .416/.338/.786 shooting in 76 games (34.2 MPG) for Houston last season. Murray was the fourth pick of last year’s draft. The former Iowa product averaged 12.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG while shooting 41.1% from three-point range during his All-Rookie First Team campaign.
The Americans will start training camp for the World Cup on August 3 in Las Vegas, with their first game scheduled later that month in the Philippines.
Davon Reed Signs With Ukrainian Team
Free agent wing Davon Reed has signed with Prometey BC, the team announced on Instagram (hat tip to Dario Skerletic of Sportando). Former Hornets forward Arnoldas Kulboka will also be joining the Ukrainian club, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link).
The 32nd pick of the 2017 draft out of Miami, Reed spend his rookie season with the Suns, who released him prior to the 2018/19 season. He caught on with the Pacers on a two-way deal before spending the next couple seasons in the G League and playing international ball in Taiwan.
Reed returned to the NBA in ’21/22 on a two-way deal with the Nuggets, having a solid season as a 3-and-D bench member, averaging 4.4 PPG and 2.3 RPG on .503/.430/.667 shooting in 48 games (13.9 MPG). Last summer, he signed a two-year contract for the veteran’s minimum to return to Denver, but only the first year was guaranteed.
The 28-year-old saw his minutes reduced in ’22/23 with the additions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and Christian Braun, as Reed averaged just 9.0 MPG in 35 games for the Nuggets. He was sent to the Lakers at the February trade deadline, and was subsequently waived on the last day of the regular season.
According to Prometey BC, Nuggets players insisted that Reed be given a championship ring after Denver won its first title last month. The Ukrainian side also said Reed drew EuroLeague interest this summer, but no deals came to fruition due to his lack of experience in Europe.
Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Prometey BC, also known as Prometey Slobozhanske, spent last season playing in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, which will continue in ’23/24. The team finished first in its group during the ’22/23 EuroCup competition, ultimately losing in the semifinal.
Kulboka, another former second-round pick who has spent most of his career in Europe, appeared in two games with Charlotte in ’21/22 on a two-way deal. The Hornets didn’t give him a qualifying offer last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent, and he signed a one-year deal with Greece’s Promitheas Patras.
The Lithuanian guard/forward averaged 14.9 PPG and 6.0 RPG on .453/.426/.800 shooting in 18 EuroCup games last season.
Heat Promote GM Elisburg To Executive VP Of Basketball Operations
The Heat have promoted senior vice president of basketball operations and general manager Andy Elisburg to executive vice president of basketball operations, the team announced in a press release. In addition to his new title, he will retain his dual title of GM.
Elisburg has been with Miami since the team’s inception in 1988. He has served as senior VP of basketball ops and GM for the past 10 years.
“Andy is so deserving of this promotion,” said president Pat Riley. “Working together for 28 years has brought so many great transactions that have improved the franchise multiple times over the years, both on and off the court. More importantly, Andy’s knowledge and work ethic are second to none, he’s been involved with everything we do at the HEAT and we look forward to continued success.”
While Riley is frequently (and justifiably) credited for the Heat’s success over the past two decades, Elisburg has been an instrumental behind-the-scenes figure who is said to be a shrewd negotiator and a CBA expert. Miami has won three championships and made seven NBA Finals appearances since 2006, when the team won its first title.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 7/20/2023
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 12:00 pm Central time (1:00 pm Eastern).
Rockets Notes: Brooks, Whitmore, Smith, Samuels
The Rockets were facing competition for Dillon Brooks on the free agent market, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes in a mailbag column. Houston raised its offer beyond what was originally projected, eventually signing the defensive-minded swingman to a four-year contract that could pay him up to $90MM if he meets incentives.
The Mavericks were “seriously in the mix” for Brooks, sources tell Iko, and the Bucks were watching him closely in case they weren’t able to re-sign Khris Middleton. Brooks had a meeting with the Lakers, Iko adds, but L.A. didn’t have enough cap space to give him the kind of offer he wanted and wasn’t willing to arrange a complex sign-and-trade like Houston did.
Iko understands that many Rockets fans are surprised by the money they gave to Brooks, who landed a yearly salary close to what Bruce Brown did in free agency and now has a contract similar to Jordan Clarkson, Terry Rozier and Malcolm Brogdon. However, Iko points out that Houston had to overpay to get any significant free agent considering its dismal record over the past three years, and there’s hope that Brooks can transform his approach, especially on offense, while playing for a demanding coach like Ime Udoka.
There’s more from Houston:
- Summer League MVP Cam Whitmore played mostly at small forward, which Iko expects to be his primary position during the upcoming season. Iko has the 20th overall pick listed behind Tari Eason as the backup small forward on his projected depth chart and says it’s hard to predict how much he’ll play as a rookie. Iko states that Whitmore has the talent to create a steady role for himself right away, but the Rockets don’t have to rush him with their revamped roster so he may be sent to the G League to get consistent minutes.
- In a separate story, Iko talked to some of the league’s best defenders throughout the season about what Jabari Smith has to do to become elite in that area of the game. The Rockets were happy to land Smith with the third pick in the 2022 draft because of his defensive potential, combining the size of a center with the quickness to stay in front of smaller players. “Watch a lot of film,” advised Nets forward Royce O’Neale. “Try to study guys as much as you can. This league has a lot of great scorers and different guys like doing different things. Learn and watch other guys. Don’t be afraid to ask guys who are defenders how they guard certain people and little tips like that.”
- Jermaine Samuels appears to be the most likely unsigned member of the Rockets’ Summer League team to get a training camp invitation, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston has two roster slots and a two-way spot open, and Feigen lists Nate Hinton, Matthew Mayer and current two-way player Trevor Hudgins as others who helped themselves in Las Vegas.
Knicks Notes: Embiid, LaVine, Towns, Fournier, Free Agency
Trade speculation involving Sixers center Joel Embiid shows why the Knicks have decided to be patient in building their roster, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Team president Leon Rose has been collecting assets to eventually use in a trade for a star, but that player will have to be a good fit for the organization to go all in, Katz adds.
When Rose pursued Donovan Mitchell from the Jazz last summer, he placed a limit on what he was willing to offer, according to Katz. The Cavaliers outbid New York and were able to land Mitchell in a late summer trade. The Knicks also contacted the Bulls about Zach LaVine, but a source tells Katz that Chicago’s asking price was “giant” and the teams never got close to a deal.
New York has been viewed as a logical destination if the Timberwolves decide to trade Karl-Anthony Towns because of his connections to Rose and CAA. However, Katz hears that Minnesota’s price for Towns is also “sky high,” and another source tells him that New York hasn’t expressed interest in acquiring Towns.
Embiid would represent both the talent level and the fit the Knicks are looking for, but Katz states that management isn’t focused solely on him. With a collection of young talent and all its own draft picks available to trade, plus protected first-rounders from the Mavericks, Wizards, Bucks and Pistons, New York will be in position to make a significant offer for any star who becomes available.
There’s more from New York:
- Evan Fournier‘s recent comments to a French news outlet may complicate the Knicks’ plans to trade him, observes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Fournier began the season as a starter, but he only played 27 games and wasn’t used at all in the postseason. He expressed dismay at Tom Thibodeau’s decision and said his feelings were shared by Derrick Rose, who suffered a similar fate. Fournier said it would be “a disaster” for his career to spend another season in New York, but Braziller notes that the trade market is slow right now even for stars, so any Fournier deal may be a long way off.
- The Knicks haven’t added a backup power forward since trading Obi Toppin to Indiana, and Ian Begley of SNY.tv is skeptical that they’ll find a replacement before training camp opens. Begley notes that Thibodeau prefers to use a nine-man rotation, and those nine players appear set already.
- Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggests a few bargains who might be available for the Knicks on veteran’s minimum contracts.
Suns To Launch New G League Affiliate
The Suns are planning to have a G League affiliate, possibly by the 2024/25 season, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Once the Trail Blazers launch their G League team this fall, Phoenix will be the only NBA franchise without a direct affiliate in the league. The Suns used to operate a team in Northern Arizona, but former owner Robert Sarver sold it to the Pistons in 2020.
“Bringing a G League team to the Valley has been a priority for us, and I am excited that we have begun the process and the wheels are in motion to have a team in Phoenix as early as the 2024/25 season,” owner Mat Ishbia announced. “Not only will this allow us to develop young players within our winning culture, but also will serve as an opportunity to expand our reach and connect with even more basketball fans across the region. This investment further strengthens our connection with the community and continues to elevate Phoenix as the epicenter of basketball.”
The new franchise will be located somewhere in the Phoenix area, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. During their four seasons in operation, the Northern Arizona Suns played in Prescott Valley, which is about 90 minutes away from Phoenix.
There are several criteria an NBA team has to meet to acquire a G League affiliate, Rankin adds, including having a lease agreement with an arena that complies with league standards. Those standards involve having enough locker rooms, approved ceiling clearance and available dates for 24 regular season home games. The G League doesn’t designate a minimum number of seats for its arenas.
Before they can begin their new franchise, the Suns will have to hire coaches, staff members, a team president and a general manager.
Without a direct affiliate, any Phoenix players who get sent to the G League are assigned to another team. That affects control of how the players are used and removes the potential benefit of developing them in a system that’s similar the one that the Suns operate.
Ishbia teased the announcement Monday during an appearance on the Burns and Gambo radio show, per Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports 98.7.
“We believe in developing young players,” Ishbia told the hosts. “… In the very near future, hopefully we’ll be able to announce a different strategy on that.”
Olson notes that the Suns have rarely sent their two-way players to the G League since selling the Northern Arizona franchise.
Assistant Coach Bryan Gates To Join Sixers, Not Mavs
After working on the Suns’ staff under Monty Williams for the past two seasons, veteran assistant coach Bryan Gates appeared poised to leave Phoenix for a job in Dallas this offseason. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported early in July that Gates had agreed to join Jason Kidd‘s staff.
However, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Gates won’t be a part of the Mavericks‘ coaching staff after all. Instead, he’ll be hired by the Sixers as an assistant under new head coach Nick Nurse.
The Mavericks have yet to officially announce their coaching staff changes for the 2023/24 season, so it’s unclear whether Gates actually completed any formal paperwork or just had a verbal agreement with the club. Either way, the Mavs agreed to free up Gates for a new opportunity in Philadelphia, according to Wojnarowski, who says Gates will have a “significant step up” in role with the Sixers.
Gates began his coaching career way back in 1997 with the Idaho Stampede of the Continental Basketball Association. He bounced around a few more non-NBA leagues and earned D League Coach of the Year honors in 2007 and 2008 before catching on with the Kings as an assistant in 2009. He has since held similar roles in New Orleans, Minnesota (twice), Sacramento (again), and Phoenix.
It’s unclear if the Mavericks will head back to the coaching market in search of another assistant who could fill the role they envisioned for Gates, or if they’ll be satisfied to stick with their current group.
As for the Sixers, they’re still filling out their new-look staff under Nurse. Bobby Jackson, Rico Hines, and Doug West are among the other assistants reported to be joining the team.