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Latest Salary Guarantees: D. Lee, Reed, Hartenstein, Sykes, M. Thomas

January 7th, 2022 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors swingman Damion Lee will have the rest of his 2021/22 salary guaranteed, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The news doesn’t come as a surprise, as Lee has been with Golden State for four seasons and has been part of the regular rotation for three of those.

Lee, who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, will now have his $1,910,860 cap hit for ’21/22 locked in. The Warriors are also guaranteeing Gary Payton II’s rest-of-season salary, so the team won’t have create any new openings on its 15-man roster.

Here are more updates on players who are affected by today’s salary guarantee deadline:

  • The Sixers will keep Paul Reed through the deadline, guaranteeing his salary, tweets Scotto. Reed, who is earning $1,517,981 in 2021/22, also has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for next season before he becomes eligible for restricted free agency in 2023. The 6’9″ forward has averaged 2.3 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 19 games (9.4 MPG) for Philadelphia in his second NBA season.
  • Clippers center Isaiah Hartenstein will have his full-season salary guaranteed, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Hartenstein, earning $1,729,217, was always one of the safer bets to survive the salary guarantee deadline, since he played a key role in L.A.’s frontcourt, putting up 7.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.3 BPG in just 16.4 MPG (29 games).
  • After recently signing a two-year contract with the Pacers, Keifer Sykes will have his rest-of-season salary guaranteed, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sykes, who made a strong impression in the G League, is off to a strong start at the NBA level too, averaging 10.4 PPG and 3.6 APG in his first five games (26.8 MPG). Since he didn’t sign until December 27, Sykes’ prorated rookie-minimum salary is worth just $558,345.
  • The Bulls will hang onto sharpshooter Matt Thomas, guaranteeing his minimum-salary contract for 2021/22, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Thomas has only appeared in 13 games for Chicago and his three-point rate (34.6%) is well below his career rate (40.5%), but the team apparently values his ability to stretch the floor. He’ll make $1,669,178 this season before becoming eligible for restricted free agency. The Bulls will also have to make a decision today on Alfonzo McKinnie‘s non-guaranteed contract.
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Warriors Notes: Poole, Wiggins, Klay, Lesser-Paid Players

January 5th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Rory Maher

At 29-7, the Warriors have the best record in the NBA, a half-game ahead of the Suns. One key to the team’s success this season has been the maturation and development of third-year guard Jordan Poole, who’s being groomed to become Golden State’s new sixth man, as Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic detail.

Poole’s situation on the club is unique, in that he’s the only young player to have a consistent rotational role. He describes the dynamic as being akin to a middle-child.

“The dynamic is what you see,” Poole said. “I’m not the youngest. I’ve been around for a little bit, but I’m kind of like the only one in the middle of the pack. The older bros have been through it. Sometimes we’re gonna throw you with the young guys, sometimes you can come with us. Essentially, it’s the middle-child treatment.”

Slater and Thompson write that Poole is known for having an excellent work ethic; the Warriors have data showing he’s in the gym more than any player on the team. Veteran Andre Iguodala, the team’s former sixth man, has taken Poole under his wing. As a third-year former first-round pick (28th overall in the 2019 draft), Poole is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.

“The new sixth man is getting $20 million a year,” Iguodala said. “That’s the bottom offer for a guy like that, the Tyler Herros and Jordan Pooles. You got those few guys who are starters but for teams they are on, they’re sixth men. You don’t have a problem with going above and beyond taking care of them because you know they’ll be a staple player for your franchise.”

In 30 games (28 starts) this season, Poole is averaging 18.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists in 30.1 minutes per contest. He also sports a .454/.348/.887 shooting line, good for a 59.3 true shooting percentage.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

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COVID-19 Updates: Porzingis, SGA, Garland, Valanciunas, More

January 3rd, 2022 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and has been ruled out for Monday’s game vs. Denver, the team announced today (via Twitter).

The Mavericks got good news over the weekend, as Luka Doncic was cleared to play for the first time since December 10 and led the team to a win in Oklahoma City on Sunday. But now Porzingis is at risk of missing a few games due to the health and safety protocols, and he’s not the only Mav affected — the club still has four other players in the protocols too.

Here’s more COVID-related news from around the NBA:

  • Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is no longer in the health and safety protocols, acting head coach Mike Wilks said today (Twitter link via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman). Gilgeous-Alexander only entered the protocols on Saturday, so he may have registered a false positive test.
  • Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, who had been in the COVID-19 protocols since last Tuesday, was able to practice today, per head coach J.B. Bickerstaff (Twitter link via Kelsey Russo of The Athletic).
  • Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas has cleared the protocols and will be available for Monday’s game against Utah, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
  • Damion Lee and James Wiseman have exited the protocols for the Warriors, per the NBA’s injury report. Wiseman remains sidelined while he recovers from right knee surgery, but Lee is no longer on the injury report at all, and Golden State doesn’t have any players in the protocols.
  • After briefly clearing the protocols, Hornets forward P.J. Washington reentered them on Sunday, according to the team (Twitter link). He’ll miss Monday’s game vs. Washington (Twitter link).
  • Lonzo Ball and Alfonzo McKinnie of the Bulls have both exited the health and safety protocols and will be available to play on Monday vs. Orlando, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
  • Nets rookie Kessler Edwards is no longer in the COVID-19 protocols, according to the NBA’s injury report. Brooklyn was hit hard by an outbreak in December but currently has no players affected.
  • Lakers assistant David Fizdale, who briefly served as the club’s acting head coach during Frank Vogel‘s stint in the protocols, has now entered the protocols himself, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
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Hawks’ Huerter, Warriors’ Lee Placed In Protocols

December 22nd, 2021 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks guard Kevin Huerter and Warriors guard Damion Lee are the latest additions to the long list of NBA players in health and safety protocols.

Huerter is the sixth Atlanta player to be sidelined because of COVID-19, writes Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He joins Trae Young, Clint Capela, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who have all entered the protocols since Sunday.

Huerter is averaging 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists through 28 games. The Hawks had been hoping he could carry a larger share of the scoring load with so many rotation members out of action.

Atlanta is also without De’Andre Hunter, who is recovering from an injury to his right wrist, and Solomon Hill, who’s sidelined with a torn right hamstring. Lance Stephenson and Malcolm Hill, who were both added to the roster today under the hardship provision, are expected to be available for tonight’s game with the Magic.

“It’s an adjustment that we have to make, we can’t allow this to be a distraction,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We have a game to play tonight. We have to come out with that energy and that effort we’ve been talking about, no matter who is in uniform. We have to play this game harder than we’ve played here lately. We’ve got to execute better, even though we’ve got a few new faces that will be out on the floor.”

The Warriors are listing Lee as being in the protocols in their latest injury report, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He becomes the third Golden State player affected, joining Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. Lee has been a dependable bench player for the Warriors, averaging 8.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 25 games.

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Pacific Notes: Ariza, Bradley, Howard, Jordan, Lee, Iguodala, Kerr

December 2nd, 2021 at 6:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers forward Trevor Ariza participated in his first non-contact practice since preseason ankle surgery on Thursday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Coach Frank Vogel says Ariza will need a “build-up” period before he’ll play. Ariza was projected as a starter after signing a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Lakers guard Avery Bradley will not need surgery on his sprained right thumb, Bill Oram of The Athletic tweets. Bradley will be available to play on Friday but he’ll require a splint to protect the injury. Vogel is unsure whether he’ll play Bradley or to give him more time to recover.
  • It’ll be one veteran center or the other in the foreseeable future for the Lakers, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets. Vogel plans to use either Dwight Howard or DeAndre Jordan on a game-by-game basis. Howard will get the start against the Clippers on Friday, so Jordan probably won’t play.
  • Damion Lee will return to action on Friday for the Warriors, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Lee, who last appeared in an NBA game on November 24, left the team for the birth of his first child. Andre Iguodala will miss his eighth consecutive game due to right knee soreness.
  • Despite winning multiple championship, Warriors coach Steve Kerr hasn’t lost his competitive spirit, as he told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “Part of what allowed me to stay in the NBA for 15 years as a player is that losing humiliates me, you know? My competitive desire drives me,” he said. “But like a lot of players at this level, the fear of losing is an even bigger motivator. So even though I don’t stop and think about legacy or anything like that, I just want to (bleeping) win, you know? It burns in me.”
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Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Moody, Lee, Atkinson, Bjelica

October 29th, 2021 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a possibility that Jonathan Kuminga – who has been dealing with a right knee injury – will be active for the first time on Saturday, head coach Steve Kerr said today (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Kuminga went through a 3-on-3 workout today and the club will likely make a decision tomorrow on his status.

As for the team’s other lottery pick, Moses Moody was assigned today to the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League. However, after playing in Santa Cruz’s game tonight, he’ll back with Golden State on Saturday, tweets Slater. If Damion Lee, who is questionable with a shoulder contusion, is unable to play tomorrow, Moody could see some action, Kerr said (Twitter link via Slater).

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • It’s just not Warriors players who are on the mend from injuries — assistant coach Kenny Atkinson injured his leg during a recent workout and will be off the bench indefinitely until the injury heals, according to Slater (Twitter link).
  • Nemanja Bjelica has been known primarily as a shooter since entering the NBA, but he’s proving this season with the Warriors that he has a more well-rounded game, writes Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s a great passer, and just a really good basketball player,” Kerr said. “… I think that’s who our team has always been. That’s why guys with good feel have always been a great fit with us. He’s absolutely a great fit. The guys love playing with him. The ball moves when he’s out there, he spaces the floor, and he forces the defense to react. He’s a fun guy to play with.” Bjelica signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the club in August.
  • In case you missed it, Golden State exercised its 2022/23 team options on Jordan Poole and James Wiseman, guaranteeing their salaries for next season.
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Warriors Notes: Bradley, Payton, Lee, Green, Myers, Wiseman

October 14th, 2021 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

With just one preseason game left on the Warriors‘ schedule, they may be down to three choices for their 15th roster spot, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic: Avery Bradley, Gary Payton II, or luxury tax savings.

As Slater outlines, Bradley looked like the frontrunner early in the fall, but he hasn’t wowed the team during the preseason, leaving the door open for Payton to push for a roster spot following his return from hernia surgery. Payton had a strong debut in Tuesday’s contest vs. the Lakers, scoring 12 points and providing energy and solid defense off the bench. He’ll have another opportunity in Friday’s preseason finale vs. Portland to make a case to stick around.

The Warriors have just 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, since swingman Damion Lee only has a partial guarantee, so technically two roster spots could be up for grabs. But Lee showed on Tuesday why he has been penciled into that 14th spot, as he put up 16 points and nine rebounds in 22 minutes of action as a starter.

“He’s had a great camp, and he’s a guy on our team who we kind of take for granted,” Kerr said of Lee, per Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s such a pro. He’s such a rock-solid player. He’s ready every night, whether I play him 20 minutes or whether I don’t play him at all. He’s always prepared.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio (video link), Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers explained why he didn’t feel the need to talk to Draymond Green about comments Green made on a podcast over the summer. Green said in the podcast that the front office mishandled its response to his on-court confrontation with Kevin Durant during KD’s last season in Golden State. “He’s allowed to feel how he feels about that and so is Kevin,” Myers said. “I’ve been through too much with him. I’ve watched that guy win three championships with us. I can’t get upset about (his comments) — I just won’t. … Him and Kevin, the good they’ve done for me and our franchise way outweighs anything like that.”
  • Once James Wiseman gets healthy, the Warriors don’t intend to shuffle him back and forth between the NBA and G League, Slater writes for The Athletic. The team might send Wiseman to Santa Cruz as he gets back up to speed, but once he gets recalled to the NBA, the plan is for him to stay there, according to Slater, whose article takes an in-depth look at assistant coach Dejan Milojević‘s developmental plan for the young center.
  • The 20-year-old Wiseman is only the third-youngest player on a roster that includes a pair of teenagers, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga. Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer explores the challenge Golden State will face as it tries to focus on winning games while also developing its young lottery picks.
  • Shaun Livingston and Zaza Pachulia, who both have roles in the Warriors’ basketball operations department, spoke to team broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald about how their experiences as players in Golden State made it an easy decision to rejoin the franchise once their playing careers ended.
  • In case you missed it, we published our recap of the Warriors’ offseason on Wednesday night.
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Damion Lee To Remain On Warriors Roster, Receive $500K Guarantee

August 13th, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors guard Damion Lee‘s roster spot is safe, ensuring he’ll receive a $500K partial guarantee, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

Lee needed to remain on the roster through this weekend to receive the guarantee. The remainder of his $1.91MM contract for next season remains non-guaranteed, though the team views him as one of the 14 players with a guaranteed roster spot entering next season. The final roster opening will likely be determined in a training camp battle, Slater adds.

Lee, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, has appeared in 153 games during his four-year career, mainly with Golden State. He came off the bench in all but one of 57 appearances last season, averaging 6.5 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 18.9 MPG. He also shot a healthy 39.7% from 3-point range.

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Pacific Notes: Warriors, Armstrong, Paul, Anthony

August 10th, 2021 at 12:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

A $659K contract guarantee kicks in Wednesday for Gary Payton II, which may affect the Warriors‘ decision to keep him on the roster, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. There’s an expectation that Golden State will release Payton with the hope of re-signing him if he clears waivers, Slater adds. That would give him a chance to win a roster spot in camp on a non-guaranteed deal.

Payton finished last season with the Warriors, appearing in 10 games after signing a pair of 10-day contracts in April. Slater points out that the team could use a defensive specialist like Payton to make up for the losses of Kelly Oubre and Kent Bazemore.

Golden State’s roster will be nearly set heading into camp, Slater notes. Thirteen players have guaranteed contracts and a large part of Damion Lee‘s deal will become guaranteed if he remains with the team through August 15, which is expected. Payton may wind up competing for the final roster spot with Mychal Mulder, whose contract is non-guaranteed. A source told Slater that the Warriors are “still monitoring” the free agent market in hopes of adding another veteran.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Former NBA center Hilton Armstrong has joined the Warriors‘ coaching staff, Slater adds. He will work in the video department and has been involved with the Summer League team in Sacramento and Las Vegas.
  • Suns guard Chris Paul should be healed in plenty of time for training camp after having surgery on his left wrist after the NBA Finals, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “For Chris, it was something minor,” general manager James Jones said in an ESPN interview. “He’ll be ready in a couple of weeks to get back out on the court with these guys as we start to try to get back after this short offseason.”  
  • Carmelo Anthony is thrilled to finally team up with his long-time friend LeBron James on the Lakers, per Mark Medina of USA Today. They have both been in the league for 18 years, but are teammates for the first time after Anthony agreed to a one-year contract with L.A. “Most people would say you should’ve gotten together years ago or earlier in our careers. But we were in two different lanes,” Anthony said. “We were in two different paths. Everything comes full circle.”
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Pacific Notes: Ibaka, Kuzma, Fox, Lee

May 10th, 2021 at 8:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Serge Ibaka has joined the Clippers on their road trip, leaving open the possibility he will play before the postseason, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. However, Ibaka won’t play against Toronto on Tuesday, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The veteran center, who holds a $9.72MM option on next season’s contract, hasn’t played since March 14 due to a back injury.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Kyle Kuzma was held out of Sunday’s game due to lower back tightness, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Kuzma, who signed a three-year, $39MM extension in December, shot 2-for-11 from the field on Friday in a loss to Portland. The Lakers forward is averaging 12.8 PPG.
  • Kings guard De’Aaron Fox would like to see the team’s front office exercise some patience, he told Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated. He’s weary of the constant tinkering of the roster. “If you’re not winning as a team, guys get traded, guys who were barely hanging on … get cut and are out the league and coaches get fired,” Fox said, while adding that the top teams have “players play together longer and develop chemistry, and coaches continue to grow and trust all their players.” Fox also spoke in the interview about his recent experience with COVID-19.
  • Warriors guard Damion Lee got up some shots on the court Monday for the first time since clearing the league’s health and safety protocols, Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Coach Steve Kerr said he’s unsure when Lee will return to game action. Lee contracted COVID-19 even after he had been fully vaccinated.
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