Central Notes: Nesmith, Pistons Lineup, Middleton, Drummond
Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith is nursing a foot injury and his availability for opening night is in question, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.
Nesmith is expected to play a second-unit role after being acquired from the Celtics in the Malcolm Brogdon deal. Coach Rick Carlisle said the former first-round pick has “a plantar fascia issue.”
“He’ll miss some time,” he said. “The hope is that there’s a possibility he could be back for the opener, but we don’t know for sure. As the days go on, we’ll have a better feel for that.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons could alter their frontcourt lineup depending on matchups, according to Mike Curtis of the Detroit News. Recently acquired Bojan Bogdanovic will join Saddiq Bey at the forward spots with Isaiah Stewart in the middle against certain teams. When a bigger lineup is desired, Bogdanovic could come off the bench with Marvin Bagley III sliding into the starting five.
- Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Khris Middleton is “making progress” but “he’s still got a ways to go,” Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The Bucks are hopeful Middleton will return early in the season after undergoing surgery in August to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist.
- Bulls backup center Andre Drummond is looking to become a 3-point threat, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes. “It’s something that I spoke to the coaching staff in the summertime when I signed here, that it’s something that I’ve worked on, that I want to be able to stay on the floor, and I want to be able to add different facets to my game to be able to help this team win,” Drummond said. “And if I’m able to make that corner 3 when I’m wide open, it adds another element to our team.”
Lakers Notes: Schröder, Davis, Wembanyama
Dennis Schröder claims he never declined a four-year, $80MM offer from the Lakers during his first stint with the club, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
“There never was a contract, never rejected anything,” said Schröder, who signed a one-year, $2.64MM contract last month. “I don’t know who brought it up, but that’s the media, you know? But at the end of the day, no contract and I’m just happy to be here. Like you said, unfinished business and we just got to take care of the stuff and win a chip [championship]. That’s, I think, the goal, and other than that, with the contract, that’s not true. “
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN notes, it’s likely a case of semantics. When L.A. broached a conversation about an extension in February 2021, Schröder’s reps said they would rather wait until the offseason to discuss a contract. In other words, the Lakers were presumably willing to put a lucrative extension offer on the table, but may not have been given the chance to formally do so.
Schröder, who wound up signing a one-year, $5.9MM deal with Boston in 2021, hopes he’ll get another contract offer from the Lakers.
“Of course, it would be great to sign a big deal and a longer-term deal, and that’s my goal still,” he said. “But the end of the day, we are here now and I’m going to do everything I can right now to just help my teammates win ballgames.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Schröder practiced for the first time on Monday and will see a few minutes of action in Wednesday’s preseason game against Minnesota. He looks forward to fighting for minutes with Patrick Beverley, Turner writes. “I’ve played against him a couple of times. I seen today already he’s a little different, and I mean, I like it,” he said. “We all competitors, and we try to get after it.”
- Will Anthony Davis start at power forward or center? New coach Darvin Ham said that Davis playing the ‘five’ spot is a real possibility, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets. As Ham put it, it’s “definitely on the table.”
- The stir caused by probable 2023 top pick Victor Wembanyama could benefit the Lakers, Goon opines. Non-contenders may be more willing to move quality veteran players. Salary matching with Russell Westbrook’s $47.1MM contract would still be a challenge but potential trade partners might be less demanding regarding Los Angeles’ 2027 and 2029 first-rounders.
Heat Notes: Robinson, Highsmith, Cain, Mulder
Duncan Robinson is in the second year of a five-year, $90MM contract. The first year of the deal didn’t go well for the Heat swingman, as he lost his starting job late in the season and was the subject of numerous trade rumors.
Robinson is ready to hit the reset button, as shown by his 29-point outing against the Grizzlies on Friday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
“Just based off of how last year went — lots to learn from, lots to grow from,” he said. “So just to be very discerning over what it is I want to take with me, what I want to take from the experience and how I can actually be resourceful and use it to better myself, better the team, better myself as a player.”
Robinson has worked on improving defensively and becoming a more diverse offensive player.
We have more on the Heat:
- Haywood Highsmith only has a partial guarantee on his contract this season but he’s impressed coach Erik Spoelstra in the preseason, according to Nekias Duncan of Basketball News. “I don’t view him as a young player,” Spoelstra said. “I understand he doesn’t have an extensive NBA experience — but he’s played some very good basketball in the G League. He has had to grind and earn everything and every opportunity that he’s been given. He just continues to get better each year.”
- Rookie forward Jamal Cain earned a two-way contract with his performances during camp and preseason games, according to Spoelstra. as Chiang relays. “Over the course of the last several weeks, we’ve been able to see his work ethic and how much he’s improved because of his approach and work ethic,” he said. “Then he had several good moments in training camp and the last two preseason games.” Miami is expected to keep a roster spot open and waive its players currently on Exhibit 10 deals — Mychal Mulder, Jamaree Bouyea, Orlando Robinson and Dru Smith — then have them join its G League team.
- Mulder is in his third stint with the organization and Spoelstra compares him to former swingman Rodney McGruder due to his “perseverance and grit,” Chiang writes in another story. “You might not be the 20-year-old prospect, but you’re still a prospect in our eyes,” Spoelstra said of Mulder. “We value Mychal’s makeup. His game certainly fits. His ability to catch and shoot off the ball, but his makeup, how he carries himself, his progression, these are the kind of things that we want to go out of our way to try to help him. It might be here, it might be somewhere else.”
Mac McClung Waived By Sixers
The Sixers have waived guard Mac McClung, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
McClung joined the organization last week on an Exhibit 10 contract. It’s anticipated he’ll join the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League team, once he clears waivers. The Blue Coats acquired his G League rights in a trade with the South Bay Lakers.
McClung has already passed through waivers since training camps opened. McClung was previously waived by the Warriors.
McClung was an undrafted rookie in 2021. He signed a couple of 10-day hardship contracts with the Bulls in December and January, but only appeared in one NBA game for just three minutes. He also played one game for the Lakers at the end of his rookie season on a two-way deal, but wasn’t extended a qualifying offer.
The 23-year-old guard spent the majority of last season in the G League with the Lakers’ affiliate, South Bay, where he was named NBAGL Rookie of the Year.
Pelicans Add Martin, Smart; Waive Butler, Petty Jr.
The Pelicans signed forward Kelan Martin and guard Javonte Smart while waiving two-way forward John Butler and guard John Petty Jr., according to a team press release.
Terms weren’t disclosed but Martin and Smart likely signed Exhibit 10 contracts. They would presumably be candidates for the team’s open two-way slot, since Butler had his camp deal converted to a two-way last week.
Otherwise, they’ll likely be waived and join the G League Birmingham Squadron, which would make them each eligible for a $50K bonus if they spend at least 60 days with that club.
Martin has appeared in 96 NBA games since 2019 with Minnesota, Indiana and Boston, averaging 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists. Martin appeared in 30 games last season with the Celtics and Pacers.
Smart, who went undrafted in 2021 out of LSU, appeared in 17 games with the Bucks and Heat last season, averaging 3.0 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists.
Butler played last season at Florida State, where he averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 31 games. He saw action in one preseason game.
Petty Jr. appeared in 31 games for the Birmingham Squadron last season. Petty was on an Exhibit 10 deal and will likely return to the Squadron, with Butler joining him.
Magic Waive Alex Morales, Sign Drake Jeffries
The Magic have waived guard Alex Morales in order to sign guard Drake Jeffries, the team announced. Both players received Exhibit 10 contracts from Orlando.
Jeffries, whose deal with the Magic was first reported in July, averaged 10.3 PPG and 5.4 RPG while converting 40.9% of his three-point looks for Wyoming in 2021/22, his senior season. After going undrafted, Jeffries appeared in one game for the Nuggets’ Summer League team.
Morales officially signed on Saturday after going undrafted out of Wagner. The 24-year-old was voted NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season and spent Summer League with the Warriors.
Like Morales, Jeffries is likely to be waived before the regular season starts and headed to Orlando’s G League affiliate in Lakeland. The Exhibit 10 language in their deals means each player could earn a bonus of up to $50K if they spend at least 60 days with Lakeland.
Spurs Pick Up 2023/24 Options For Devin Vassell, Joshua Primo
The Spurs have exercised their 2023/24 team options on former lottery picks Devin Vassell and Joshua Primo, the team announced.
Both players figure to have bigger roles in ’22/23 after Dejounte Murray was traded to Atlanta over the summer, so it was a mere formality that their options were picked up. Vassell will earn $5,887,899 in ’23/24, his fourth season, while Primo will make $4,341,600 in his third.
Vassell, 22, was the 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft after two seasons with Florida State. After a fairly modest rookie campaign saw him average 17 minutes per contest in 62 games, the wing increased his numbers across the board last season, averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals on .427/.361/.838 shooting in 71 games (32 starts, 27.3 minutes). He recently expressed excitement about the opportunity for an expanded role in ’22/23.
Primo, 19, was the 12th overall pick of last year’s draft after one season with Alabama. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 50 games (16 starts, 19.3 minutes) as a rookie last season, but struggled with efficiency, posting a .374/.307/.746 shooting slash line. The versatile Primo, who views himself as a “positionless player,” is currently dealing with a sprained MCL in his left knee, but he should be ready for the regular season opener on October 19.
Lakers Waive LJ Figueroa, Sign Bryce Hamilton
The Lakers have waived wing LJ Figueroa and signed undrafted guard Bryce Hamilton to replace him on the 20-man training camp roster, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). ESPN’s Dave McMenamin notes (via Twitter) that Hamilton will be on a training camp contract.
Hamilton, who turns 22 next month, went undrafted in June after four seasons at UNLV. He had a productive college career, having earned a spot on three consecutive All-Mountain West Conference teams. Hamilton averaged 21.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.2 APG on .430/.346/.768 shooting in 32 games (32.3 MPG) as a senior last season. He most recently played for the Heat during Summer League.
Figueroa spent his first two college seasons with St. John’s before transferring to Oregon for the 2020/21 season. The 24-year-old went undrafted in 2021 and signed a training camp deal with the Warriors, was waived, and then spent his first pro season with Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, averaging 16.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .494/.323/.781 shooting in 32 games (23 starts, 27.6 MPG). He suited up for the Hornets in Summer League.
While the terms of the contracts for Figueroa and Hamilton were not disclosed, it seems likely that both deals included Exhibit 10 language, which would make them each eligible for a $50K bonus if they spend at least 60 days with the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ NBA GL affiliate. Spears confirms (via Twitter) that Hamilton is expected to be waived before the regular season and start his pro career in the G League.
Nuggets Sign Chasson Randle To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Nuggets have signed guard Chasson Randle to an Exhibit 10 deal, the team announced. Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports was the first to report the signing (via Twitter).
Randle, 29, has appeared in a total of 119 NBA regular season games for the Sixers, Knicks, Wizards, Warriors and Magic since making his debut in January 2017. He holds career averages of 5.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .401/.361/.799 shooting in 16.1 minutes per contest.
Last October, Randle signed a training camp deal with the Suns and appeared in four preseason games, but was waived before the start of the regular season. He later signed with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League in December, holding modest averages of 7.8 points and 1.4 rebounds on .371/.315/.793 shooting in 17 games (19.4 minutes).
Randle, who has also played in China and Spain, is ineligible to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way deal because he holds four years of NBA experience, so the most likely outcome is he’ll be waived before the regular season opener and head to Denver’s G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold. In that scenario, he could earn a bonus of up to $50K if he sticks with the Gold for at least 60 days.
Western Notes: Poole, George, Kawhi, Collins, Pelicans
If he was negatively affected by the leak of the video of teammate Draymond Green punching him in practice, Warriors guard Jordan Poole certainly didn’t show it on Sunday, as he poured in 25 points with six assists in just 23 minutes vs. the Lakers. According to head coach Steve Kerr, that performance illustrated why the team didn’t consider requiring Poole to take any time off following last Wednesday’s altercation.
“There’s a reason Jordan is who he is right now,” Kerr said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Especially considering where he was coming out of Michigan, a late first-round pick, struggling his first few months in the league. There’s a reason he’s in this position, about to sign a big extension, hopefully. He’s just tough. He’s mentally tough and physically tough and ultra confident in his game.”
After suggesting that Poole could be “about to sign a big extension,” Kerr later acknowledged that it remains to be seen whether the Warriors will work out a new deal with the 23-year-old in the next week. Still, it certainly sounds like a long-term extension is in play for Poole. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by the October 17 deadline, the fourth-year guard will become a restricted free agent in 2023.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- With both stars healthy again, Clippers forward Paul George is happy to play second fiddle to former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard on offense this season, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Everybody says, ‘Kawhi (and) you are 1 and 1, (or) 1A, 1B,'” George said. “I’ll publicly say, I’m the 2. Kawhi’s the 1, I’m the 2. So that part we nipped in the bud. Like there’s no ego when it comes to that.”
- Spurs big man Zach Collins has entered the concussion protocol, tweets Michael C. Wright of NBA.com. Collins won’t travel to Utah for Tuesday’s game and his status for the Spurs’ preseason finale on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City is up in the air.
- Even though John Hollinger of The Athletic thinks the Pelicans‘ decision to extend CJ McCollum “feels like a double-down on an iffy bet against Father Time,” he likes the team’s potential to take a major step forward in 2022/23. Hollinger projects a 48-34 record and a sixth-place finish in the West, writing that New Orleans could realistically get to 55 wins if Zion Williamson stays healthy and “everything clicks.”