Drew Eubanks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western FA Rumors: D-Lo, Lakers, H. Jones, Suns, Warriors

June 30th, 2023 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

There are “strong” indications that the Lakers are trending toward a new two-year deal with free agent point guard D’Angelo Russell, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, that two-year contract could be worth in the neighborhood of $40MM in total, though the second season may be a team option or non-guaranteed.

While the Lakers have interest in re-signing both Dennis Schröder and Lonnie Walker, it’s unclear which one the club is prioritizing, Fischer writes. Schröder will likely require a raise that exceeds the Non-Bird exception, so if Los Angeles uses its mid-level exception on an outside free agent, the team may have to allot its bi-annual exception to him, Fischer explains. In that scenario, it’s unclear whether the team would have enough room to re-sign Walker to a market-value deal as well while remaining below a hard cap.

Another potential path would see L.A. splits its mid-level between Schröder and a frontcourt player such as Mason Plumlee, sources tell Yahoo Sports. If Schröder doesn’t end up back with the Lakers, a reunion with Bulls coach Billy Donovan in Chicago is possible, Fischer writes. Donovan previously coached the point guard in Oklahoma City.

Finally, Fischer is one of a handful of reporters who have linked free agent forward Cam Reddish to Los Angeles. The Lakers were said to have some trade interest in Reddish – a Klutch Sports client – during each of the past two seasons. He’d be a minimum-salary target, Fischer notes.

Here are a few more free agency rumors from around the Western Conference:

Two forwards who had their team options declined by the Pelicans on Thursday figure to take very different paths this summer. According to Fischer, Herbert Jones will likely end up back in New Orleans on a four-year deal worth a little more than $50MM, which would presumably be his Early Bird maximum. Willy Hernangomez, on the other hand, is considered a good bet to accept a lucrative offer from a EuroLeague team rather than seeking another minimum-salary NBA deal, Fischer reports.
The Suns intend to bring back several of their own free agents, including Torrey Craig, Damion Lee, Jock Landale, and Josh Okogie, according to Fischer, who says agent big man Drew Eubanks is another strong candidate to end up in Phoenix. Fischer is also the latest reporter to link Yuta Watanabe and Mike James to the Suns.
The Lakers and Warriors are among the teams eyeing free agent guard Shake Milton, per Fischer. Free agent forward Dario Saric has also received “strong” interest from Golden State, sources tell Yahoo Sports.

And-Ones: Felicio, Howard, Silver, Eubanks

June 11th, 2023 at 1:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former Bulls center Cristiano Felicio is re-upping with Spanish club Covirán Granada for a second straight season, reports Dario Skerletic of Sportando.

After going undrafted in 2014, the Brazilian big man eventually made enough of an impression on Chicago with his performance on the club’s 2015 Summer League team. He joined the Bulls on a two-year minimum deal in 2015.

Prior to the existence of the Bulls’ own NBAGL affiliate club, the 6’11” vet logged developmental time with Cavaliers’ then-D League affiliate, the Canton Charge, on assignment from Chicago. He would also go on to get some run with the Bulls’ G League team, the Windy City Bulls, throughout the rest of his Chicago tenure.

Felicio inked a generous four-season, $32MM contract to stick with the team in 2017, but fitness and health issues prevented him from ever becoming a major part of the Bulls’ rotation. Across his six seasons in the NBA, all with the Bulls, Felicio averaged 4.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 0.7 APG in 252 total contests.

He went on to continue his career internationally. Felicio first latched on with German club Ratiopharm Ulm in 2021/22, before joining Covirán Granada last year. During his first season with Granada, Felicio averaged 12.8 PPG and 5.0 RPG across 22 MPG.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

During an interview with TVBS News Taiwan (YouTube video link), 18-year NBA pro and future Hall of Fame center Dwight Howard has claimed he may need to take a significant pay cut to stick with the Taoyuan Leopards in 2023/24. “I was offered a contract which was 65% less than what they gave me the first time to come to Taiwan,” Howard said. “I felt like that was very disrespectful.” Per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, Leopards CEO Chang Chien-wei revealed that there would be a new calculus for determining Howard’s salary in the ensuing season. Across his 20 healthy games last year, Howard averaged 23.2 PPG, 16.2 RPG and 5.0 APG.
During a recent conversation on The Dan Patrick Show (YouTube video link), NBA commissioner Adam Silver touched on the controversial involvement of the Saudi Arabian government in international sports, including how he felt it could impact basketball (h/t to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic for the transcription). “When the Saudis invest in sports, it gets outsized attention,” Silver said. “We allow funds to invest in teams but not control teams, not to have influence over teams… So to own an NBA team there has to be an individual with a certain percent of the team to control it.” The NBA changed its rules last season to allow sovereign wealth funds to invest in up to 20% of an NBA team, meaning the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund could theoretically purchase a portion of a club in the future.
Trail Blazers big man Drew Eubanks may be able to play for Italy’s national team in international team competition. Per Orazio Cauchi of Basket News, the Italian federation has been looking to potentially naturalize Eubanks. The 6’9″ center/power forward, a free agent this summer, has Italian familial ties, though sources inform Cauchi that it remains unclear whether or not that will be enough for him to earn a passport and be able to play for the club. The 26-year-old averaged 6.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG across 78 games last season.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Northwest Division

March 6th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Rory Maher

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Northwest players.

Jordan Clarkson, G, Jazz

2022/23: $13.34MM
2023/24: $14.26MM player option
Stock: Up

Clarkson is expected to decline his player option to land a long-term contract in free agency, which makes a lot of sense. He’s averaging career highs in points (20.8) and assists (4.4) per game and has matched his career best in rebounds per night (4.0) while posting a .444/.338/.816 shooting slash line (.558 true shooting percentage).

The veteran guard will turn 31 years old in the offseason, so this might be his last chance to land a major multiyear payday. He is an all-around poor defensive player, but his play-making has improved this season, and his shot-creation ability is widely coveted.

I don’t have a great feel for how much Clarkson might get in free agency. His representatives could point to the contracts signed by Anfernee Simons (four years, $100MM) and Jordan Poole (four years, $123MM guaranteed) last summer, for example – Clarkson is much older and has less upside, but his strengths, weaknesses and production are fairly similar to those players.

If I were a GM, I would be very hesitant to pay Clarkson that much money, but he has earned a raise on his current deal, that much is certain.

Udoka Azubuike, C, Jazz

2022/23: $2.17MM
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Down

A former first-round pick (No. 27 overall in 2020), Azubuike has unfortunately dealt with a few significant ankle injuries in his brief NBA career, which has impacted his development. Utah declined its fourth-year team option on the 23-year-old big man before the season started, sending a strong signal that he wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans.

Azubuike has only appeared in 26 games this season for an average of 5.9 minutes per contest. It’s hard to get much of a read on someone who plays so little, but he is a limited offensive player who struggles at the free throw line (he shot 41.6% in four college seasons and is at 55.2% on very low volume in the NBA).

The remaining 17 games will essentially serve as an audition for Azubuike. How he performs — and if he gets minutes — could very well determine whether or not he’s able to land a guaranteed contract in the offseason. The odds of that happening seem lower than 50/50 at the moment.

Naz Reid, C, Timberwolves

2022/23: $1.93MM
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Up

Reid’s per 36 numbers have been quite consistent in each of his four seasons. So why is his stock up?

The primary reason is he’s shown that his game is scalable, meaning his production doesn’t suffer with more playing time. The 23-year-old is averaging 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 block in 11 games as a fill-in starter (26.1 minutes), with the team going 6-5 in those contests. Playing well against reserves is one thing, but doing it over the course of a full game against starters is something entirely different.

Reid has slimmed down considerably since going undrafted out of LSU in 2019 and has shown that he is a quality backup center capable of spot starts. Something in the range of $8-11MM annually seems within reach — a massive increase on his current minimum-salary contract.

Jaylen Nowell, G, Timberwolves

2022/23: $1.93MM
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Down

I liked what I saw from Nowell last season and thought he should have gotten more minutes at times. He is shifty with the ball with a quick first step, and shows some nascent play-making ability.

Something has been off with him for nearly the entire ‘22/23 season, which is unfortunate because he had a big opportunity to establish himself after the Rudy Gobert trade freed up backcourt playing time.

Maybe that’s part of the problem. He often looks like he’s trying too hard and forcing the issue instead of letting the game come to him, often a sign of a player pressing. The steep decline in three-point shooting — from 39.4% last season to 29.3% in ‘22/23 — looks like another mental hurdle, as he hesitates at times even when he’s wide open, instead of trusting himself and letting it fly.

Nowell is only 23 and on a minimum deal. He will get more than that in free agency, but probably not as much as he was aiming for before the season began.

Drew Eubanks, C, Trail Blazers

2022/23: $1.84MM
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Up

Another player on a minimum-salary deal, Eubanks plays within a clearly defined, limited offensive role of setting hard screens, rolling for the occasional lob, and crashing the offensive glass. His averages of 6.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks don’t exactly jump off the page, though he is shooting an impressive 68.3% from the field through 62 games (19 starts, 19.9 minutes).

However, he is an above-average defensive player who moves his feet well for a big man, allowing him to switch onto smaller players better than most centers. The 26-year-old is also a solid rim protector, making up for his relative lack of height (he’s 6’9”) with powerful leaping ability and solid timing while challenging and blocking shots.

Eubanks isn’t the type of player who is going to land a major payday in free agency, but I do think he’s solidified himself as a quality backup due to his consistent energy and the self-awareness he brings of knowing his role. The Blazers have been better when he’s on the court, which is always a positive sign. A multiyear deal in the range of $4-7MM per season seems pretty reasonable.

Blazers’ Nassir Little Out Six Weeks With Hip Fracture

December 2nd, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Nassir Little exited Tuesday’s loss to the Clippers with what was initially deemed a right hip strain. Further imaging revealed that Little had sustained a mild femoral head impaction fracture, and he’s expected to miss six weeks, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

Little, 22, signed a four-year, $28MM rookie scale extension before the 2022/23 season started (it kicks in next season). Through 21 games (15.3 minutes per night) for Portland, he’s averaging 5.5 points and 2.4 rebounds on .473/.372/.667 shooting.

Part of the reason Little accepted a relatively team-friendly deal is because he wanted “security” and “peace of mind.” But he also admitted that his injury history had played a factor.

“I’m not gonna lie, I think my talent level is worth more than that,” Little said of his $28MM contract. “But with me having an injury history, and them still taking a chance on me, I want to be here. I’ll probably perform at a level that’s worth more than that, but being in Portland is what I want.”

Little was having a breakout third season in ’21/22 but it came to an early end when he underwent surgery on February 1 to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. In May, he underwent abdominal surgery to repair a core muscle injury.

Overall, he averaged 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds on .460/.331/.734 shooting in 42 games (25.9 MPG) last season.

The Blazers are dealing with several injured players at the moment (Twitter link). In addition to Little, second-year guard Keon Johnson (left hip pointer), star guard Damian Lillard (right soleus strain), and guard Gary Payton II (return to competition conditioning) are out Saturday at Utah, while wing Josh Hart (left ankle sprain) is doubtful and center Drew Eubanks (right hip contusion) is questionable.

Lillard is reportedly targeting a Sunday return at home against Indiana.

Payton, a key free agent addition, has yet to play this season after undergoing core muscle surgery in September. It was initially thought that he’d be available for the start of the regular season, but his progress has been slower than anticipated. The last update on his status was two weeks ago.

Portland had a great start to the season, going 10-4, but has lost seven of its past eight games to currently hold an 11-11 record, the 10th seed in the West.

Contract Details: DiVincenzo, Brown, Warren, Eubanks, Pinson

July 9th, 2022 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

Donte DiVincenzo‘s new two-year contract with the Warriors includes a 15% trade kicker, Hoops Rumors has learned. Golden State signed DiVincenzo using a $4.5MM chunk of its taxpayer mid-level exception, leaving a leftover portion of $1,979,000 on that MLE. DiVincenzo’s second-year player option is worth $4,725,000.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts:

Bruce Brown‘s two-year deal with the Nuggets is worth the full taxpayer mid-level exception ($6,479,000), with the maximum allowable 5% raise for his second-year player option ($6,802,950), Hoops Rumors has learned.
T.J. Warren‘s one-year contract with the Nets is worth the veteran’s minimum, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Warren will earn a $2,628,597 salary while Brooklyn takes on a cap hit of $1,836,090 for the veteran forward.
As expected, the new one-year contracts Drew Eubanks (Trail Blazers) and Theo Pinson (Mavericks) are also worth the veteran’s minimum. Both deals are guaranteed.

Trail Blazers Re-Sign Drew Eubanks

July 1st, 2022 at 11:54am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 7: Eubanks’ new contract with the Blazers is now official, per a team release.

“Drew’s work ethic and style of play left an imprint on us last season,” general manager Joe Cronin said in a statement. “His toughness and ability to finish at the rim will be assets to our frontcourt depth.”

JULY 1: Drew Eubanks will return to the Trail Blazers on a one-year contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal was confirmed by Eubanks’ agent, James Dunleavy.

Eubanks started last season with the Spurs before being shipped to Toronto at the trade deadline. He caught on with the Trail Blazers in late February and remained with the team through the end of the season on five 10-day contracts. Eubanks started all 22 games that he played for Portland and averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per night.

The 25-year-old big man signed with San Antonio in 2018 after going undrafted out of Oregon State. He spent more than three seasons as a backup for the Spurs before being traded.

Blazers Sign Eubanks, Dunn To Rest-Of-Season Hardship Deals

April 3rd, 2022 at 2:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

2:45pm: The Blazers have officially signed Eubanks and Dunn for the remainder of the season, the team announced.

11:08am: Drew Eubanks and Kris Dunn will sign hardship contracts with the Trail Blazers that cover the rest of the regular season, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Eubanks has taken over as Portland’s starting center after signing with the team in February. He has inked four 10-day contracts, the last of which expired Saturday night. In 18 games, he’s averaging 14.1 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 64.9% from the field. Eubanks became available when the Spurs traded him at the deadline to the Raptors, who immediately waived him.

Dunn hadn’t played at all this season before signing a 10-day deal with the Blazers on March 14. He was given a second 10-day contract on March 24 that expired last night. Dunn has appeared in 11 games, averaging 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 23.5 minutes per night.

Portland has a full 15-man roster, but qualifies for several injury-related hardship exceptions due to all the players who are out for the rest of the season. Reggie Perry is also under contract on a 10-day hardship deal.

Drew Eubanks Signs Fourth 10-Day Deal With Blazers

March 24th, 2022 at 9:13pm CST by Rory Maher

9:13pm: The signing under the hardship exception is official, according to a team press release.

12:40pm: The Trail Blazers intend to sign center Drew Eubanks to another 10-day contract, which will be his fourth consecutive deal with the team, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The 25-year-old has performed well through 13 games (28.1 minutes) with Portland, averaging 12.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .624/.286/.880 shooting (only seven attempts from deep). He’s started all 13 games in place of the injured Jusuf Nurkic.

Most of this year’s 10-day hardship contracts have been completed using the COVID-related hardship exception, but Eubanks has been signed multiple times using an injury-related hardship exception. A team qualifies for an injury-related hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three or more consecutive games, as long as those players project to remain sidelined for at least the next couple weeks.

Portland has at least six such players – Nurkic, Damian Lillard, Nassir Little, Didi Louzada, Joe Ingles, and Eric Bledsoe – and possibly as many as seven, if Anfernee Simons isn’t expected to return soon. That’s why the club is eligible for the hardship exception.

Eubanks’ last 10-day deal expired overnight. His new 10-day contract will pay him $99,380.

Blazers Officially Complete 10-Day Hardship Deals For Eubanks, Dunn

March 14th, 2022 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have officially signed big man Drew Eubanks and guard Kris Dunn to 10-day contracts, the team announced today in a press release. Both deals, which were previously reported, were completed using hardship exceptions.

It’s Eubanks’ third 10-day deal with the Blazers. He has started seven games at center for the team, averaging 9.6 PPG and 8.1 RPG in 26.0 minutes per contest.

Dunn is a new addition, having been called up from the G League’s Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario. The former No. 5 overall pick spent last season with the Hawks, but was limited to four games due to an ankle injury. He was traded from Atlanta to Memphis in the offseason and was subsequently waived.

Most of this year’s 10-day hardship contracts have been completed using the COVID-related hardship exception, but Eubanks and Dunn were signed using injury-related hardship exceptions. A team qualifies for an injury-related hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three or more consecutive games, as long as those players project to remain sidelined for at least the next couple weeks.

Portland has at least six such players – Damian Lillard, Nassir Little, Jusuf Nurkic, Didi Louzada, Joe Ingles, and Eric Bledsoe – and possibly as many as eight, if Anfernee Simons and Justise Winslow aren’t expected to return soon. That’s why the club is eligible for multiple hardship exceptions.

The new deals for Eubanks and Dunn will run through March 23, covering the Blazers’ next six games. Eubanks’ 10-day contract will pay him $99,380, while Dunn earns $111,457.

Portland’s roster count now temporarily stands at 19 players — 15 on standard contracts, two on 10-day hardship deals, and a pair on two-way pacts.

Trail Blazers Signing Drew Eubanks To Third 10-Day Deal

March 13th, 2022 at 9:26am CST by Arthur Hill

Drew Eubanks will sign a third 10-day contract with the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Eubanks, whose second 10-day deal expires tonight, has been productive during his short time in Portland, averaging 9.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 10 games. The fourth-year big man turned in one of the best games of his career Saturday night with 20 points and 12 rebounds in a win over the Wizards.

Players are normally limited to two 10-day contracts with the same team in a single season, but the rules were relaxed this year in light of the COVID-19 outbreak that swept through the league. The Blazers, who are missing several players due to long-term injuries, completed Eubanks’ first two 10-day deals using an injury-related hardship exception, so he can continue to play under 10-day agreements.

The Trail Blazers’ next game is Monday, so if he signs his new contract tomorrow, Eubanks will be eligible for six games over the next 10 days.