Former Spurs Guard Joshua Primo Goes Unclaimed
Joshua Primo went unclaimed on Monday after the Spurs placed him on waivers on Friday night, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
It’s not surprising, given the circumstances surrounding San Antonio’s decision to cut ties with Primo, the 12th pick of the 2021 draft. Primo had multiple allegations of indecent exposure lodged against him. A former female Spurs employee has hired legal representation after Primo allegedly exposed himself to her.
San Antonio exercised its $4.3MM option on his contract for the 2023/24 season shortly before it waived Primo, who had a $4.1MM salary this season. If a team had claimed him, it would have been obligated to pay him this season’s salary as well as the $4.3MM option for 2023/24 that the Spurs picked up.
Now an unrestricted free agent, Primo has pledged to focus on his mental health treatment. He played 50 games as a rookie and made 16 starts. He was used off the bench in four games this season, averaging 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 23.3 minutes per game.
Jazz Notes: Sexton, Conley, NAW, Bolmaro, Strong Start
Jazz point guard Mike Conley has taken new teammate Collin Sexton under his wing and is helping him see the game in a new way, according to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. With 16-year veteran Conley held out of the second game of a back-to-back set, Sexton received his first start of the 2022/23 season in Saturday’s win over Memphis, recording 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and four assists in nearly 32 minutes.
“We’ll walk through, and he’ll be like, ‘Alright, what are you doing in this situation?’ And I’ll let him know, and then he’ll be like, ‘Well, in this situation, I think you should do this. Just try it,’” Sexton explained. “During the game, he’ll be like, ‘OK, you got to the basket — now let’s see if you can pitch [the ball] behind two or three times.’ And I’ll do it. And then he’s like, ‘Alright, now the next time, try to see if you can get all the way there [to the rim].’ It’s opening my mind to multiple ways of playing, and also multiple ways of seeing the game, too. I know he sees it from a different angle than I do.”
As Walden writes, the Jazz have been cautious not to overextend Sexton after he only played 11 games last season with a torn meniscus, which required surgery. He’s technically not on a minutes restriction, but that’s partly why he’s only averaging 19.0 MPG.
Sexton is eager to prove his worth after inking a four-year, $71MM deal as part of the Donovan Mitchell sign-and-trade with Cleveland, but he recognizes he’ll have more opportunities as the season goes on, per Walden.
“Just giving [it all in] the time that I’m out there and just making an impact. And I might play four-minute spurts, so in those four minutes, giving it all I can, whether it’s pressuring the ball or pushing the ball and changing the pace of the game, whether it’s on the defensive side or offensive side,” Sexton said. “Just trying to use the little time that I’m given just to make sure that they know I’m out there, you know what I mean? Because I know once the season continues to go, more minutes, more time [will come].“
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- Little-used guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker got an opportunity for extended run with Conley sidelined against the Grizzlies, and he showed that he can be a positive player when given the opportunity, writes Sarah Todd of The Desert News. Alexander-Walker played solid defense against Desmond Bane and Hardy was pleased with his effort, as Todd relays. “He came in with such a fire,” head coach Will Hardy said of Alexander-Walker. “He really got into the ball with Desmond Bane and I think he got two steals on the ball, just taking the dribble. He has really good instincts and really long arms and he did a good job of just trying to speed up their ball handlers, which I thought was great…It’s a difficult situation. He hasn’t played that much and he got thrown into a big game with Mike out, and I thought he handled himself great.”
- Second-year guard Leandro Bolmaro, who recently had his third-year option declined by Utah, has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and is out for Monday’s game against Memphis, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Rudy Gay and Simone Fontecchio are still in the protocols. Rookie center Walker Kessler (non-COVID illness) has also been ruled out for the contest, according to Jones (Twitter link).
- How have the Jazz gotten off to a 5-2 start? Tony Jones tackles that topic for The Athletic, concluding that the team’s depth, offensive pressure, floor spacing, and key adjustments from head coach Will Hardy have been instrumental to the surprising seven-game stretch.
Sixers Lose 2023, 2024 Second-Round Picks Due To Gun-Jumping
After discovering that the Sixers held early free agent discussions with forwards P.J. Tucker and Danuel House prior to the permitted date, the NBA announced today (via Twitter) that it has rescinded the team’s 2023 and 2024 second-round picks.
The league noted that Philadelphia “fully cooperated” with its investigation into tampering, or “gun-jumping.” The Sixers released a statement confirming the news (Twitter link via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps).
“The Philadelphia 76ers fully cooperated with the NBA’s investigation and acknowledge the league’s ruling. We’re moving forward, focused on the season ahead.”
As Shams Charania of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), while the NBA did dock the Sixers for the early discussions with Tucker and House, it found no wrongdoing with James Harden‘s significant pay cut, which gave the Sixers the flexibility to use their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Tucker and their bi-annual exception to sign House. Both players previously played with Harden on the Rockets under former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who is now Philadelphia’s top basketball executive.
Some around the league have wondered whether the Sixers and Harden already have a future deal in place, which is against the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Such a handshake agreement would involve declining his player option in 2023 and signing a lucrative new contract at that time.
Marc Stein first reported that the Sixers were likely to face a tampering investigation, and he was also one of the first reporters to link Tucker to Philadelphia, with rival teams reportedly convinced that Tucker was signing a three-year deal for the mid-level multiple days before free agency officially opened.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the NBA and the Players Association are expected to discuss tampering and the punishments that teams face when found guilty, as early free agent discussions are “rampant, but hard to police and largely impossible to eliminate.” The two sides are currently in early negotiations for a new CBA.
Warriors Exercise 2023/24 Options On Wiseman, Kuminga, Moody
2:50pm: The options have been officially picked up, the Warriors announced (via Twitter).
12:29pm: The Warriors are exercising their 2023/24 rookie scale options on center James Wiseman, forward Jonathan Kuminga and wing Moses Moody, sources tell ESPN’s Kendra Andrews (Twitter link).
All three players will have their contracts for next season fully guaranteed. Wiseman will earn $12,119,440 in year four, while Kuminga and Moody are set to make $6,012,840 and $3,918,480, respectively, in year three.
Wiseman, the second pick of the 2020 draft, has been limited to 46 career games due to a series of knee injuries and setbacks, but he’s back and healthy again to start the ’22/23 season, averaging 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds through seven games (14.6 minutes per contest). The 21-year-old will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer after having his fourth-year option picked up.
Following a promising rookie year that saw him average 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 70 games (16.9 minutes), Kuminga has struggled to gain traction early in his second season, averaging just 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in six games (10.8 minutes). Still, the seventh pick of last year’s draft just turned 20 years old earlier this month, so he has a lot of time to improve.
Moody played less as a rookie compared to Kuminga last season, appearing in 52 regular season games (11.7 minutes), but he’s playing more in year two, averaging 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 36% from deep through seven games (17.0 minutes). Moody was the 14th pick in 2021.
Today is the deadline for teams to exercise ’23/24 rookie scale team options. As our tracker shows, the defending champions were the last team with decisions to make.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week for October 24-30, the league announced (via Twitter).
Gilgeous-Alexander, the Western Conference winner, led Oklahoma City to a 3-0 record in victories over the Clippers (two times) and Mavericks with averages of 31.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks on .500/.500/1.000 shooting in 37.4 minutes per contest. The Thunder now sit with a 3-3 record after Gilgeous-Alexander’s stellar performances.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo, the East’s winner, averaged 35.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.7 blocks during Milwaukee’s 3-0 week. The Bucks defeated the Nets, Knicks and Hawks, and are now 5-0 to start the 2022/23 season.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Desmond Bane, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic and Keldon Johnson, while Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young were nominated in the East. Antetokounmpo, Booker, Banchero and Mitchell were all nominated for the second consecutive week.
Injury Updates: Davis, Ayton, Leonard, Noel
One downside to the Lakers‘ first win Sunday night was continuing back pain for Anthony Davis, writes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Davis, who had been listed as questionable for the game, was grimacing and limping around the court, Hernandez observed. Afterward, he admitted being in a “pretty good amount of pain.”
Davis sat out Friday’s game due to lower back tightness, and his health is a constant concern after playing a combined 76 games over the past two seasons. On Sunday, he told reporters that he doesn’t know what to expect regarding his back from day to day, adding, “It kind of just comes and goes.”
An eight-time All-Star, Davis is crucial to any success the Lakers hope to have this season. He’s averaging 23.8 points and 10.6 rebounds through five games, along with 2.4 steals and 2.0 blocks.
“AD’s impact is not only huge defensively, but also very efficient offensively, giving us possessions at the rim, knocking down the jumper, just all around very efficient tonight,” LeBron James said.
There’s more injury news to pass along:
- The Suns are grateful that Deandre Ayton‘s sprained left ankle wasn’t more serious, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Ayton got hurt Friday when he landed on the foot of Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas after taking a jump shot. “When you look at the play, just one of those plays that should’ve been called a foul,” Phoenix coach Monty Williams said. “Just kind of go from there, but for me, I’m just grateful it wasn’t worse. We will look at it in another week to make sure he’s ready to go.”
- Injury management continues for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Leonard sat out Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans to protect his surgically repaired right knee and won’t play tonight against the Rockets. He has only played twice this season, coming off the bench both times, and is averaging 12.5 minutes per game.
- There’s a chance Nerlens Noel could make his debut with the Pistons tonight, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Jalen Duren didn’t travel with the team to Milwaukee after rolling his ankle in Sunday’s game, and Marvin Bagley III remains out with an MCL sprain. Coach Dwane Casey has said Noel, who is reconditioning after plantar fasciitis, might be available to play in an emergency.
Warriors Notes: Rotation, Thompson, Looney, Wiseman
The Warriors haven’t looked like defending champions in their three road games this season, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State dropped to 3-4 after losing a pair of games this weekend to the Hornets, who were playing without their starting backcourt, and the Pistons, who were 1-5 before Sunday night.
Coach Steve Kerr is searching for answers as he tries to develop an effective bench. James Wiseman committed three fouls in four minutes at Charlotte and wasn’t used in the second half, but he looked better in Detroit. Two-way players Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb both saw action Sunday, and Jonathan Kuminga logged a season-high 19 minutes.
While Kerr sorts through his reserves, Draymond Green said it’s up to the core of last season’s title winners to make sure the team stays successful.
“It’s not their fault,” Green said of the younger players. “It’s not solely their fault that we’re not playing well defensively or offensively. When you are playing younger guys, it makes it tougher to execute on both ends of the floor. But by no means is it the young guys’ fault. They have a part in it just like we all have a part in it.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Klay Thompson sat out Sunday’s game after playing 32 minutes Saturday night. Kerr doesn’t plan to keep him out of back-to-backs entirely like he did after Thompson returned from his injuries last season, but it will continue until the veteran sharpshooter regains full conditioning, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
- One positive sign is the recent rebounding surge from Kevon Looney, notes Monte Poole of NBC Sports. Looney had nine rebounds in 22 minutes against Detroit’s big frontline after pulling down eight against Miami on Thursday and nine in Charlotte.
- In an interview with Katie Heindl of Uproxx Sports, Wiseman said he’s starting to feel like himself again after the long recovery process from a meniscus tear in his right knee. “When I first got injured, I was crying so hard I couldn’t even get to my mom’s apartment,” Wiseman recalled from when he hurt his knee in April of 2021. “My mom had to carry me to her apartment. I was just crushed. Having a lot of nights where I was crying a lot, like a lot of times where I had thoughts like … I wish this happened differently.”
Central Notes: Turner, LaVine, Bogdanovic, Duren
Appearing on a podcast with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Pacers center Myles Turner said the Lakers should take “a hard look” at a deal that would bring him to L.A. (Twitter link). A trade rumor that simmered for much of the summer had Turner and Buddy Hield headed to the Lakers in exchange for Russell Westbrook and the team’s unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. The deal reportedly didn’t happen because of the Lakers’ reluctance to part with both draft picks.
“That’s such an intriguing question,” Turner responded when Wojnarowski asked if the Lakers should make the trade. “… We all know picks are so valuable in this league, and someone like myself, I’m heading into the last year of my deal and you want to make sure you’re getting a return for your assets. If I’m the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you’re in. I know what I can provide for a team.”
Wojnarowski recently reported that the Lakers don’t expect to make any trades until at least Thanksgiving, so it doesn’t appear a Turner deal will happen in the immediate future. The Pacers have been managing Turner’s return from an ankle injury, and he has only played in two games so far.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bulls could benefit by creating more motion for Zach LaVine, suggests Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who notes that LaVine has just seven possessions in four games as a shooter after an off-ball screen, Coach Billy Donovan admits he reduced those situations for LaVine last season in response to lingering left knee pain, and LaVine believes they will eventually return as the offense evolves. “We have to look for them. I have to try to look for them,” LaVine said. “And then everybody off the ball has to recognize who we’re screening, who we’re pinning down on. That’s going to be the process of us starting this offense.”
- Bojan Bogdanovic‘s two-year extension with the Pistons will pay him $20MM in 2023/24 and $19.03MM in 2024/25, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Only $2MM is guaranteed for the final year, but it will become fully guaranteed in late June of 2024, Marks adds. As we noted in our story on the deal, Bogdanovic remains trade-eligible since his new deal doesn’t exceed the extend-and-trade restrictions (and couldn’t have done so, since he was just traded last month).
- James L. Edwards of The Athletic examines Jalen Duren‘s journey from a 13-year-old basketball prodigy to a lottery pick in his rookie season with the Pistons.
Cavaliers Notes: Mitchell, Knicks, LeVert, Garland
The Cavaliers knew they were getting a star when they traded for Donovan Mitchell, but so far he’s been better than anyone anticipated, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Mitchell had 38 points and a career-high 12 assists Sunday night as Cleveland won its fifth straight game, topping a Knicks team that spent much of the summer trying to acquire Mitchell from the Jazz. Even though he’s a three-time All-Star, Mitchell is exceeding expectations.
“We already had such a great group, but I think he just elevates us to another place,” Kevin Love said. “A guy that has experience, a guy that is a star in this league is playing some really great basketball right now. … We don’t see any signs of him slowing down.”
Through six games with the Cavs, Mitchell ranks fourth in the league in scoring at 32.2 PPG and is in the top 10 in assists at 7.3 per night. Both numbers would be career highs by a wide margin if he can sustain them for an entire season. Mitchell doesn’t feel like he’s a different player since the trade, but says he was often overlooked in Utah.
“We were in Mountain time. No one really watched us, so you kinda fall under the radar,” he said. “I feel like I’ve just been doing this nonstop, and I just continue to get better and more efficient. … I think this has been my best stretch in my career, but I gotta keep going.”
There’s more from Cleveland:
- Mitchell, who at one point during the offseason was convinced he was going to wind up in New York, told Steve Popper of Newsday that he wasn’t trying to deliver any kind of message to the Knicks in Sunday’s game. “It’s easy to point to the summer and say that [it was payback], but I’m pretty much friends with everybody on that team, so it’s always good to play against your guys and I have nothing but love for them,” Mitchell said.
- Caris LeVert impressed Mitchell with his 41-point outburst in Friday’s win at Boston, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. LeVert won the competition for the starting small forward slot, but is currently being used at shooting guard while Darius Garland is sidelined with an eye injury. “I played against Caris in Brooklyn and nothing against him last year, he had the injuries, but I think this is the Caris we all know,” Mitchell said. “He looks healthy and looks different. He was due. He’s been an animal. He led us by example.”
- Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the swelling in Garland’s eye has gone down and the team is waiting for him to become more comfortable with his vision, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Ham, Mikan, Beverley
The Lakers picked up their first victory of the season on Sunday night, and Russell Westbrook may have finally won over the L.A. fans, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. In his second game coming off the bench, Westbrook seemed to fully embrace the role, posting 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and displaying more energy and confidence than he has in a long time.
Westbrook also looked like an effective complement to LeBron James, who scored 26 points, and Anthony Davis, who had 23 points and 15 rebounds, giving the Lakers the Big Three they envisioned when they traded for Westbrook in the summer of 2021.
The performance was enough to get the fans on Westbrook’s side, helping to change an atmosphere that has gotten so bad that at one point he asked his family to stop coming to home games. There was plenty of support for Westbrook Sunday night, and the crowd responded when he urged them to stand up and cheer while Davis was at the free throw line.
“I love seeing my teammates flourish, honestly,” Westbrook said. “I get a joy by seeing others do great. My whole career, what lifts me up is to see others do well. And tonight was that night to see guys making shots, competing and that’s all you can ask for.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- When Darvin Ham was hired as head coach during the summer, he promised to unlock the best version of Westbrook, Goon adds, and Sunday’s game suggests that moving him to a reserve role was the right call. “One of the biggest things about me getting this job was for him to get that respect that he deserved because a lot of what went on last year was not his fault, and everything, all of the blame, was placed on him,” Ham said. “And so I told him, ‘Man, just listen to me. Believe in me, bro. I’m gonna put you in a position to succeed with the group. But you have to put the group first. It can’t be about me or I or mine. It’s gotta be us, ours, we.’ And he’s done that.”
- The Lakers retired number 99 on Sunday in honor of George Mikan, the NBA’s first star center, Goon states in a separate story. Mikan never played in Los Angeles, but he led the franchise to five championships in Minneapolis.
- The NBA has issued a warning to Patrick Beverley for violating its anti-flopping rule (Twitter link). The league’s announcement included a video of the play in question, which happened Friday against the Timberwolves.