Rockets Sign Trhae Mitchell
The Rockets have signed Trhae Mitchell, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
While Feigen didn’t specify, it’s likely an Exhibit 10 deal.
The 6’6” Mitchell, 25, played for Houston’s G League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, last season and averaged 10 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 28 games, including 23 starts. He also appeared in five games for the Rockets’ Summer League team.
It’s likely Mitchell will soon be placed on waivers, then return to the Rio Grande team. If he has an Exhibit 10 deal, he could earn a bonus up to $50K.
Nate Pierre-Louis Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Lakers
Guard Nate Pierre-Louis has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers, Adam Zagoria of NJ.com tweets.
Pierre-Louis was a member of Los Angeles’ Summer League squad and appeared in seven games. He averaged 4.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 16.1 minutes in those contests.
He played for the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, last season and started 28 of 32 games. He averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 32 appearances.
He’ll likely be waived soon, then return to the South Bay club with the possibility of earning a bonus up to $50K if he sticks with that team for at least 60 days.
Pierre-Louis played three seasons at Temple and went undrafted in 2020.
The Lakers waived Bryce Hamilton to create an opening on the 20-man roster for Pierre-Louis, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. Hamilton’s next step is probably South Bay as well.
Frank Jackson Waived By Suns
The Suns have waived guard Frank Jackson, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Jackson signed a non-guaranteed contract with Phoenix last month. He appeared in two preseason games.
Jackson, 24, has five years of NBA experience, though he missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury. He was an early second-round pick in 2017 and spent his first three NBA seasons with the Pelicans. He played the last two seasons with the Pistons.
Jackson averaged 9.8 PPG in 40 games during his first season in Detroit and made 40.7% of his 3-point tries. He averaged a career-best 10.6 PPG in 53 games last season but his 3-point shooting cratered to 30.8%.
Jackson became a free agent in late June when Detroit declined its $3.15MM option on his contract. He’ll return to the open market later this week, assuming he clears waivers.
Rockets Release Theo Maledon
5:00pm: The Rockets have officially waived Maledon, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
3:53pm: The Rockets are releasing guard Theo Maledon, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Like Maurice Harkless, Maledon was acquired by Houston as part of the eight-player swap with the Thunder, and will now be waived as the team eats his $1.9MM salary for 2022/23, which is fully guaranteed.
Once the two transactions are complete, the Rockets will still have 16 players on guaranteed standard deals and Willie Cauley-Stein on a non-guaranteed contract, and they’ll need to reduce the standard roster down to 15 players before the regular season starts.
Maledon, 21, was the 34th overall pick of the 2020 draft. He appeared in 116 regular season games (56 starts, 23.3 MPG) with the Thunder over the past two seasons, averaging a combined 8.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 2.9 APG on .371/.322/.766 shooting.
Evidently neither the Thunder nor the Rockets were high enough on the French point guard to keep him around, despite his above-average size (6’4″) and youth. Since he only has two years of NBA experience, Maledon is eligible to sign a two-way deal if and when he clears waivers on Thursday, and that might be more likely than another guaranteed standard contract at this point considering a couple of rebuilding clubs decided not to retain him.
Rockets Claim Ex-Heat Forward Darius Days
The Rockets claimed forward Darius Days off waivers and may give him their available two-way contract, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Days was waived by the Heat on Sunday, right after his two-way contract was converted to an Exhibit 10 deal. Miami was hoping Days would clear waivers and that he’d join its G League affiliate in Sioux Falls. However, the Rockets had other plans for him.
Days was given a two-way contract in mid-July after a strong Summer League showing with the Spurs. The strong play of rookie Jamal Cain this season led Miami to give him the two-way slot Days previously held.
Days, a 6’7″, 245-pound forward, played four seasons at LSU and averaged 13.7 points and 7.8 rebounds for the Tigers last season.
Rockets Waive Maurice Harkless
4:30pm: Harkless has been officially waived by the Rockets, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.
3:33pm: The Rockets intend to waive veteran forward Maurice Harkless, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Harkless was traded three times during the offseason. The first deal saw him head from Sacramento to Atlanta as part of the Kevin Huerter deal, then he was dealt to the Thunder in a cost-cutting move that put the Hawks under the luxury tax, and finally he was part of the eight-player trade that saw Derrick Favors land in Houston.
The Rockets have 18 players on guaranteed standard contracts, so they were facing a roster crunch, because the regular season limit is 15 players. They decided that having a 29-year-old on the roster when the rebuilding club’s depth chart is already overflowing with forwards didn’t make a lot of sense, so they’re cutting Harkless and eating his $4,564,980 salary for 2022/23, which is fully guaranteed. Harkless will clear waivers on Thursday, assuming the move is made official today.
A 10-year veteran, Harkless has played for the Magic, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Knicks, Heat and Kings since being selected with the 15th overall pick in 2012. Known as a solid defender, Harkless hold career averages of 6.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 0.9 SPG on .474/.320/.624 shooting in 621 regular season games (371 starts, 22.6 MPG).
LaMelo Ball Has Grade 2 Ankle Sprain
Hornets All-Star guard LaMelo Ball has a Grade 2 ankle sprain and will miss some games early in the regular season, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Ball underwent an MRI that confirmed the initial diagnosis of a left ankle sprain, which he suffered during Monday’s preseason game, the team’s PR department tweets. His return to full basketball activities will be determined by his response to rehab and treatment.
According to InStreetClothes.com’s Jeff Stotts (Twitter link), some other notable guards such as Mike Conley, Ja Morant, and Trae Young have suffered similar sprains in recent seasons. The average time lost is seven games or 19 days.
There’s a measure of relief in the Charlotte organization that the injury wasn’t more severe, Charania adds in another tweet. The injury occurred during the third quarter against Washington when his foot was stepped on by the Wizards’ Anthony Gill as Ball was driving the lane.
With Ball sidelined, James Bouknight, Dennis Smith Jr. and Cody Martin could see additional backcourt minutes.
Pacific Notes: Ayton, Williams, Suns, Lakers, Roberts
After Suns head coach Monty Williams downplayed what from the outside appeared to be a somewhat contentious relationship with Deandre Ayton – the two hadn’t spoken for months during the offseason after Ayton was benched in a Game 7 blowout to Dallas and then entered restricted free agency – the center says he’s communicating with his coach again.
“I mean, we talk, man,” Ayton said, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscription required, hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “At the end of the day, it’s like we’re trying to contribute to a win. Everything is back to normal. Nothing has changed to be honest.
“Yeah, I may have come to media day just bland, but I wasn’t trying to give nobody no damn story or nothing, but it flipped on me. So, I can’t really say nothing. Just let everybody run away with it. All I know is we’ve been in here working. We’ve been battling each other, beating up each other in training camp. Coach has been loving it.”
Of course, it would be strange if Ayton and Williams hadn’t resumed speaking considering they have to interact with each other regularly, but calling these answers — and his demeanor — “bland” (video link) is a little disingenuous, since his replies were curt and he certainly looked like he’d rather have been anywhere else at the time.
Still, he’s under contract for four more years and can’t be traded until January 15, and Williams signed a long-term extension over the summer, so the two will have to work together for at least a few more months, if not longer, so it’s only natural to try and make the best of the situation. Evidently that’s what Ayton is trying to do.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic questions whether it was the right decision for the Suns to essentially run things back two years in a row, especially after a disappointing second-round playoff exit, and expresses skepticism about the team’s depth. He also thinks Phoenix might find it difficult to land a “win-now” replacement for Jae Crowder, which could further compromise the depth chart. Ultimately, Hollinger believes the Suns will take a significant step back from last season’s league-leading 64 wins, predicting that they’ll finish with a 50-32 record, tied for the fourth seed in the West.
- In another article for The Athletic, Hollinger previews the Lakers‘ 2022/23 season. He thinks that Kendrick Nunn‘s return to action will be a boon for L.A., and believes they made some decent moves around the edges, but a lot of things will have to go right for them to return to contention. Hollinger predicts the Lakers will go 40-42 this season and finish as the ninth seed in the West.
- Former Warriors assistant coach Joe Roberts has passed away at age 86, the team announced (via Twitter). A former NBA and ABA player, Roberts coached the Warriors from 1974-79, including the team’s first championship-winning club in 1975. Roberts served as head coach for the final 44 minutes of the series-clinching Game 4 after Alvin Attles was ejected, the Warriors noted in their press release. We send our condolences to Roberts’ friends and family.
Central Notes: LeVert, Bagley, McGruder, Dragic
The Cavaliers haven’t decided on their starting small forward, but Caris LeVert appears to be the favorite to win the job, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. LeVert has put together a strong preseason, and he gives Cleveland a third dynamic scorer to team with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
“He’s been as selfless as you can imagine, just trying to make it work,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of LeVert. “Sometimes to a point where we want to push him to do more, and that’s going to be a matter of time. When you’re playing with Donovan and Darius, he understands that he’s going to do more facilitating at times, but he also is going to recognize that we want him to play to his strength.”
When training camp began, Bickerstaff said six players had a chance to claim the final starting spot. Dylan Windler has been out for the past week with an ankle injury, Lamar Stevens hasn’t played much in the preseason and Cedi Osman is struggling with his shot. Fedor believes the battle is down to three players, with Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro as LeVert’s main competitors.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- After a disappointing start to his career in Sacramento, Marvin Bagley III welcomed a second chance with the Pistons. In an interview with Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, Bagley talked about the trade that sent him to Detroit and the new contract he signed this summer. “I came in with an open mind. I didn’t know what to expect when I got traded here,” he said. “When I got here, I played my game and was able to be myself. Coach (Dwane) Casey helped me out a lot. The guys on the team welcomed me when I got here. I feel like I caught up pretty quickly and was able to go out, play and be a part of the games towards the end of the year. To start off the season with the team and go through a full training camp is exciting.”
- Rodney McGruder is enjoying his role as a veteran leader on a young Pistons team, writes Mike Curtis of The Detroit News. That role factored into Detroit’s decision to re-sign the 31-year-old guard, Curtis adds.
- At 36, Goran Dragic is savoring the latter part of his time in the NBA, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “This means I just want to enjoy basketball,” said Dragic, who signed with the Bulls in August. “I’m probably close to the end of my career. I just want to enjoy it and win games. I think this is a really awesome group that I’m a part of. Everybody is such a nice guy and having fun. And of course, now it’s all on us to start winning and it’s going to be much easier.”
Marcus Garrett To Miss At Least Four Weeks With Wrist Fracture
Heat guard Marcus Garrett has a fractured right wrist, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The team announced that Garrett is wearing a cast and his condition will be reevaluated in four weeks.
A wrist injury derailed Garrett’s rookie season and forced him to have surgery in January. He was released from his two-way contract following the injury, but he signed a new two-way deal this summer.
Coach Erik Spoelstra refused to speculate on whether Garrett could lose his roster spot again after the latest injury, calling it a “business decision,” tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel.
If Garrett is released, Miami has several candidates for the two-way opening, including Haywood Highsmith, who is with the Heat on a partially guaranteed contract, and Mychal Mulder, who signed with the team over the weekend. The other two-way slot is held by Jamal Cain, whose Exhibit 10 contract was converted on Sunday.
Garrett, 23, appeared in all four Heat games during the preseason, averaging 3.3 PPG in 18.4 minutes per night. He got into 12 games with Miami last season before the injury.