Celtics Notes: Bates-Diop, Green, Azubuike, Madar, G. Williams
Keita Bates-Diop and Javonte Green could be a couple of relatively low-cost options for the Celtics in free agency, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.
Bates-Diop posted career highs in several categories with San Antonio in 2022/23, including points (9.7), assists (1.5), three-point percentage (39.4%), free throw percentage (79.3%), games played (67), starts (42) and minutes per game (21.7).
However, a league source tells Deveney that the Spurs might just re-sign Bates-Diop or possibly look to sign-and-trade the 27-year-old combo forward.
As for Green, he started his NBA career with the Celtics and “would welcome” a return to Boston, a source tells Deveney.
Although he’s undersized for a forward at 6’4″, Green is an explosive athlete and a tenacious defender. He played well for the Bulls the past few seasons, but unfortunately he struggled to return from knee surgery during ’22/23, which leaves his future up in the air.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Free agent center Udoka Azubuike, a former first-round pick who spent the past three seasons with the Jazz, will be suiting up for Boston’s summer league squad, a team source tells Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Azubuike dealt with major ankle injuries during his tenure with Utah, but Weiss believes he could be a candidate for a two-way deal if he can improve in a couple areas.
- Draft-and-stash prospect Yam Madar, an Israeli guard who has been playing overseas since he was a second-round pick in 2020, could be another option for a two-way contract, multiple league sources tell Weiss.
- The Celtics are still actively involved in trade talks to improve their roster, Weiss adds.
- A rival front office executive is skeptical Grant Williams will get more than the full mid-level exception in free agency, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “There are definitely teams that like him, but I think no matter how it plays out and where he winds up, he’s probably going to come in for about mid-level exception money, around $12 million a year,” the executive said. “I don’t think he’s a cap-room offer — a guy you use room under the cap to sign. He’s more of an exception slot guy. I’m not sure you want to burn cap room on Grant Williams.” The Celtics recently issued Williams a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent, but it will be tricky to keep him around if they want to avoid the second tax apron after trading for Kristaps Porzingis. Still, Williams recently said he was open to returning — assuming it works out financially for both sides.
Pelicans To Exercise Team Option On Naji Marshall
The Pelicans plan to exercise their $1.93MM team option on Naji Marshall, keeping him on the roster for 2023/24, reports Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Marshall went undrafted in 2020 out of Xavier, originally signing a two-way contract with the Pelicans that was later converted into a standard deal. A hard-nosed defensive player, the 25-year-old small forward was rotation regular in his third season in ’22/23, averaging 9.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 2.5 APG on .433/.303/.789 shooting in 77 games (21 starts, 23.3 MPG).
Once his option is officially picked up, Marshall will be on track for unrestricted free agency in 2024. We’re still awaiting team option decisions on center Willy Hernangomez and guard/forward Herbert Jones, as our tracker shows.
Free Agent Rumors: Brown, Lakers, Bridges, Cavs, Heat, Love
The Lakers are “increasingly confident” about their chances of signing Bruce Brown using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, multiple sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
The Denver Post first reported on Wednesday that the Lakers have “significant” interest in Brown. A subsequent report suggested that the Nuggets‘ free agent guard may receive offers worth more than the mid-level, which would be virtually impossible for L.A. to match. However, Buha’s latest report suggests the Lakers still feel good about their odds of landing the versatile guard.
As Buha details, there’s a path for the Lakers to re-sign D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura while also using the full mid-level exception, which would hard-cap their team salary at approximately $172MM. That path would require the club to decline Malik Beasley‘s $16.5MM team option and waive Mohamed Bamba, whose $10.3MM salary is non-guaranteed.
Here are a few more free agent rumblings from around the NBA:
- The Cavaliers have interest in Hornets restricted free agent Miles Bridges, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. However, with only the mid-level exception to offer, Cleveland is a long shot to land Bridges, given that Charlotte would match a mid-level offer sheet “in an instant,” Fedor writes. Sources tell Cleveland.com that Bridges’ camp is expecting a significantly higher per-year salary.
- Elsewhere within his look at the Cavaliers‘ options in free agency, Fedor says Max Strus would be near the top of the team’s wish list if he’s attainable with the mid-level exception, which he may not be. Fedor adds that Cleveland is in the market for more forward depth in addition to a two-way wing, naming Georges Niang as a possible target.
- The Heat and Kevin Love have mutual interest in working out a new deal, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami only holds Love’s Non-Bird rights, so he’d likely have to accept a minimum-salary contract or something slightly above that if he wants to return.
- In an entertaining piece for GQ.com, Howard Beck speaks to a number of anonymous team executives about their expectations for the NBA’s 2023 offseason.
Hawks To Guarantee Garrison Mathews’ Contract
The Hawks intend to guarantee Garrison Mathews‘ contract for the 2023/24 season, a league source tells Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
Today was the deadline for Atlanta to determine what to do with Mathews, whose $2MM salary was non-guaranteed. According to Williams, Mathews will now receive his full salary after being acquired via trade in February.
Guaranteeing Mathews’ deal makes sense for a few different reasons. The Hawks could simply value what he provides on the court, as he draws a lot of attention with his outside shooting (36.7% career from three on high volume) and gets to the free throw line at a solid clip. The guard’s salary is slightly less than the projected cap hit for a player on a veteran’s minimum salary, making him very affordable.
Keeping Mathews also means he could be included in trades in the future. The Hawks hold a non-guaranteed $2.23MM team option on his salary for ’24/25. Overall, the 26-year-old had a modest role with Houston and Atlanta last season, averaging 4.8 points while shooting 35% from deep in 54 games (12.7 minutes per night).
Rockets Waiving Daishen Nix
The Rockets are waiving guard Daishen Nix, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The move is a money-saving one for the Rockets, who would’ve been on the hook for Nix’s full $1,836,096 salary if he had remained on the roster beyond today, as our list of early salary guarantee dates shows.
Nix, 21, signed with the Rockets after going undrafted in 2021 and appeared in 81 games for the club over the last two seasons. He didn’t make a significant impact at the NBA level during that time, averaging a modest 3.7 PPG and 2.1 APG on .355/.283/.606 shooting in 14.5 MPG.
Nix did flash some potential in the G League in 2021/22, putting up 20.6 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 5.9 RPG on .486/.400/.592 shooting in 18 regular season appearances (34.2 MPG) for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s NBAGL affiliate.
Nix’s contract included a team option for the 2024/25 season, but it was also non-guaranteed, so the Rockets won’t owe him any additional money once they officially waive him. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Saturday.
Rockets Frontrunner For Kyle Kuzma?
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report hears from league sources who say the Rockets have momentum on a possible deal for free agent forward Kyle Kuzma, who declined his $13MM player option last week to hit the open market.
Sacramento radio host Carmichael Dave was first to report the Rockets were the frontrunner to land Kuzma (Twitter link).
The veteran forward has also been linked to the Pacers and Kings, two other teams with cap room. It seems like those teams are pursuing other targets instead (Max Strus for Indiana and re-signing or extending Harrison Barnes for Sacramento).
Kuzma was first linked to the Rockets by Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports earlier this month. Houston has the most cap room in the league (around $60MM) and intends to be aggressive in free agency in an effort to start winning games.
However, Marc Stein recently reported that the Rockets were expected to use nearly all of their cap room to sign free agents Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. It’s unclear if that means Kuzma is a fallback option or if they plan to pursue all three players. Landing all three would almost certainly require a sign-and-trade for one of them unless someone is taking a below-market deal.
Kuzma, who turns 28 next month, averaged a career-best 21.2 points per game in 64 contests (35.0 MPG) this past season, posting a shooting line of .448/.333/.730 and contributing 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per night.
He would be a curious fit with the Rockets, who already have Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Jae’Sean Tate at the two forward spots and drafted Cam Whitmore in the first round last week. That list doesn’t include Brooks either, another player who primarily plays forward.
Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson To Pick Up Player Option
Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson intends to exercise his $14.26MM player option for 2023/24, avoiding free agency and keeping him off the open market, league sources tell Sarah Todd of The Deseret News (Twitter link).
As Todd notes, by picking up his option, Clarkson would become extension-eligible immediately. He was eligible for an in-season extension in ’22/23 as well, and multiple reports said that scenario was discussed.
However, Clarkson can earn more money on a potential extension in a couple days due to a change in the new CBA, which allows veterans to receive 140% of their current salary in the first year of an extension instead of 120%. If the Jazz don’t make further roster additions in free agency, it’s possible they could use some of their cap space to renegotiate and extend Clarkson, which would give him a higher base salary in year one with a declining structure in subsequent seasons. That’s what the Pacers and Myles Turner did during the season.
Clarkson, who turned 31 earlier this month, averaged career highs in multiple categories in 2022/23, including points (20.8), assists (4.4), rebounds (4.0; tied with two other seasons) and minutes per game (32.6) in 61 contests, all starts. His overall shooting slash line of .444/.338/.816 was very close to his career averages (.440/.338/.826), but his efficiency was up a tick because he attempted more three-pointers and free throws.
While Clarkson can score on anyone, he’s also a poor defensive player and over 30, which limits his upside. Hoping to reach an extension makes sense if he’s comfortable in Utah, though it’s worth noting that he’ll be trade-eligible after opting in. If he signs an extension that places him under contract for more than three total seasons, includes a raise greater than 5%, or includes a renegotiation, he’ll become ineligible to be dealt for six months.
The Jazz also decided to keep big man Kelly Olynyk, whose $12.2MM contract for ’23/24 was only partially guaranteed at $3MM. Since he wasn’t waived last night, his contract is now fully guaranteed. The news was expected, as GM Justin Zanik said after the season ended that he anticipated having Olynyk back.
The full list of player option decisions for 2023/24 can be found right here.
Celtics Tender Qualifying Offer To Grant Williams
The Celtics have submitted a qualifying offer to Grant Williams, officially making him a restricted free agent, reports Jared Weiss of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Williams’ QO, which is essentially a one-year contract offer, is worth $8,486,620. Williams will have the option of accepting that offer, which would put him on track for unrestricted free agency in 2024. However, it’s more likely he’ll negotiate a longer-term contract, either with the Celtics or another team.
As long as the QO remains on the table, the Celtics will have the right to match any offer sheet Williams signs with a rival suitor. One recent report indicated that Boston and Williams plan to negotiate with one another in hopes of reaching a deal, but will be prepared to explore sign-and-trade opportunities if they can’t find common ground.
The Celtics’ acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis is expected to reduce the odds of a return to Boston for Williams, since there will be fewer minutes to go around in the frontcourt and a new deal for Williams would likely push the team’s salary well beyond the restrictive second tax apron.
Williams and the Celtics reportedly explored a four-year extension worth in the neighborhood of $50MM last fall, but the 24-year-old decided to forgo a new deal at that time and take his chances in restricted free agency.
Pacific Notes: Paul, Warriors, LeBron, Schröder, Walker
Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are looking forward to teaming up with longtime rival Chris Paul, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Paul’s ball-dominant style will bring a new look to Golden State’s backcourt, but Curry believes the combination can be successful.
“Every team that CP has been on gets better,” he said. “That’s the most consistent thing about him, and who he is and what he brings to the team. Everybody’s going to talk about the age. It’s on us to put that all together and figure out how all the pieces work.”
Thompson called Paul one of the best players of his generation and speculated that having him on the court should lead to better shots for everyone. He admits it will be “a little weird” to have Paul on his team after battling him in the playoffs for nearly a decade.
“I think he’s just going to add such a calming presence and leadership component that we need,” Thompson added.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Warriors have been a popular destination for free agents throughout their run at the top of the league, but their reputation will be tested in this year’s free agency, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Golden State’s financial crunch, early playoff exit and the loss of general manager Bob Myers may make veteran players less likely to accept veteran’s minimum contracts to join the team.
- LeBron James won’t pressure the Lakers to make any specific signings or trades during free agency, according to Mark Medina of Sportsnaut. Medina adds that despite his retirement talk after the Western Conference Finals, James is fully expected to play next season in the final year of his current contract.
- Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is committed to keeping the roster that finished last season intact, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. has five free agents and must decide by today whether to guarantee contracts for Mohamed Bamba and Malik Beasley. “Teams are going to be aggressive,” Pelinka said. “There’s a lot of parity in the league right now, and everyone smells an opportunity to chase the championship, but we’re going to try our best to stay in that pack or at the head of that pack.”
- The Lakers are hoping to re-sign Dennis Schröder and Lonnie Walker IV, even though they’re both unrestricted and the team doesn’t have full Bird rights on either player, states Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Stein’s Latest: Barnes, Reaves, Rockets, Harden, Irving, More
The Pacers‘ interest in signing Max Strus may be an indication that free agent forward Harrison Barnes will remain with the Kings, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.
Stein reported recently that Indiana was interested in adding Barnes, who has huge supporters in Rick Carlisle, his former coach in Dallas, and Tyrese Haliburton, his ex-teammate in Sacramento. However, the Pacers only have $30MM in cap space, and Stein assumes Barnes is no longer in their plans if they’re preparing an offer for Strus in the $16MM range.
Sacramento radio host Carmichael Dave tweets that Barnes’ return to the Kings is “picking up major steam,” but the final details of a new contract still have to be worked out.
Stein offers inside information on a few more free agents:
- Even though the Lakers are reported to have significant interest in Bruce Brown, Stein believes somebody will offer the Nuggets free agent more than the mid-level exception. L.A. appears certain to match any offer for restricted free agent Austin Reaves, who is eligible for nearly $102MM over four years from a rival team. A source told Stein that it should be considered an “automatic match.”
- Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are increasingly expected to commit to the Rockets shortly after the start of free agency, according to Stein, who says there would be “legitimate leaguewide surprise” if it doesn’t happen. Stein hears that Brooks will likely get a two-year contract with an annual salary in the $14-16MM range, while Houston is prepared to make a two-year, maximum-salary offer of $83.6MM for VanVleet. Stein states that the Rockets are confident new coach Ime Udoka can maximize Brooks’ game while limiting his excesses, while VanVleet is viewed as a leader and culture setter for a young roster.
- The “prevailing expectation” is that Sixers guard James Harden and Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will re-sign with their current teams, according to Stein. He added that it remains difficult to project the length and dollar value of their new contracts as of Thursday morning.
- According to Stein, multiple rival teams expect Andre Drummond to join the Mavericks, who added two new centers last week by drafting Dereck Lively II and trading for Richaun Holmes. Sources tell Stein that free agent Christian Wood and JaVale McGee are no longer in the team’s plans, though McGee has one more guaranteed year left on his contract, along with a $6MM player option for 2024/25.
- Free agent guard Damion Lee is considered likely to sign a new deal with the Suns, Stein adds.