Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Harrison Barnes

Western Notes: Hachimura, H. Barnes, Mavs, Grizzlies

June 27th, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura has decided not play for Japan in this year’s World Cup, according to a press release from Japan Basketball. Hachimura apologized to fans in his home country and called it a “very difficult decision,” but explained that he wants to focus on resolving his contract situation and preparing for the coming NBA season after the Lakers made a deep playoff run this spring.

Hachimura will be a restricted free agent later this week, assuming the Lakers issue him a qualifying offer, which is expected. Although the 25-year-old will have the ability to sign an offer sheet with a rival suitor, reporting in recent weeks has indicated that Los Angeles fully intends to bring him back, either by matching an offer sheet or by directly negotiating a new deal with him.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • The Kings have discussed a possible contract extension with Harrison Barnes within the last few weeks, a league source tells James Ham of The Kings Beat. However, those conversations “went quiet,” according to Ham. Barnes remains extension-eligible until June 30 before officially becoming a free agent.
  • Heading into last Thursday’s draft, there was speculation that the Mavericks would trade their No. 10 overall pick for a veteran. Instead, they ended up with a pair of first-rounders at No. 12 and No. 24, which they used on Dereck Lively and Olivier-Maxence Prosper. They also swapped out Davis Bertans for Richaun Holmes as part of their draft-night dealings. “We feel like we killed the draft,” GM Nico Harrison said, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic, who takes a closer look at how Thursday night’s moves set up the team for the rest of the offseason.
  • International reporting suggests that the Grizzlies are attempting to hire former NBA player and FC Barcelona coach Sarunas Jasikevicius as an assistant. According to Home of Glory (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando), Memphis offered Jasikevicius a three-year deal worth an estimated $6MM.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Notes: Barnes, Burks, Livers, McGruder, Hayes, Sasser, Thompson

June 26th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s been plenty of speculation about the Pistons making offers to restricted free agent Cameron Johnson and unrestricted free agent Jerami Grant. The Athletic’s James Edwards III believes another forward might make a nice fit in the short-term — Kings unrestricted free agent Harrison Barnes.

Edwards doesn’t think a big one- or two-year offer to Barnes is out of the question, noting that the veeteran could provide a stabilizing force to the team’s young core.

We have more on the Pistons:

  • In the same piece, Edwards said the Pistons are likely to bring back several veteran reserves. It’s expected they’ll exercise their teams options on Alec Burks ($10,489,600) and Isaiah Livers ($1,836,096). Unrestricted free agent Rodney McGruder could also return, presumably on a veteran’s minimum deal, for a fourth consecutive season.
  • It’s not only unlikely the Pistons will pursue a rookie scale extension with Killian Hayes, the 2020 lottery pick may have to scrounge for playing time, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press opines. With the addition of Marcus Sasser in the draft, Hayes will have to fight for minutes off the bench with the rookie and Burks behind starters Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham. The Pistons will also have plenty of options at the wing, including rookie Ausar Thompson and Bojan Bogdanovic, so the Pistons may use fewer three-guard lineups.
  • GM Troy Weaver has placed a premium on high character, low-maintenance players since he joined the franchise. Thompson and Sasser fit that mold, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. “These two young men represent what we want to be about here in Detroit,” Weaver said. “We doubled down hard with these two. These two young men are about the right things.”
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Hawks, Pacers Active On Trade Market As De’Andre Hunter Deal Breaks Down

June 22nd, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are working to shake up their roster, but a potential deal with the Pacers appears to have fallen apart after the teams were moving toward an agreement Tuesday night, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Atlanta would have sent De’Andre Hunter to Indiana in the proposed trade, sources tell Fischer. Although more details on the deal aren’t available, the Hawks reportedly want to move into the top 10 in the draft. Sources tell Fischer that the Pacers weren’t willing to part with the No. 7 pick to acquire Hunter.

Fischer adds that Indiana is in the market for a starting forward, and he hears that the team has reached out to the Warriors about Jonathan Kuminga. He adds that the Pacers may wait until free agency and target players such as Harrison Barnes, Kyle Kuzma and Grant Williams.

The Hawks are among the league’s most active teams in pre-draft trade talks, according to Fischer. He states that Hunter appears to be involved in most of the deals, but John Collins, Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela could be available as well.

Sources tell Fischer that Dallas might be open to trading the No. 10 pick in a package involving Atlanta’s No. 15 selection, depending on who’s still left on the board. Fischer hears that the Mavericks‘ willingness to move down may change if Cam Whitmore or Taylor Hendricks is still available.

The Hawks made several offers to the Raptors for Pascal Siakam, including at least one three-team deal, sources tell Fischer. Rival teams believe Toronto’s high asking price is the biggest impediment to a deal for either Siakam or OG Anunoby.

The Raptors seem to be considering moves both up and down the draft board, Fischer adds. He hears from sources that Toronto, which holds the No. 13 pick, has talked to the Magic about No. 11, the Warriors about No. 19 and the Nets, who have Nos. 21 and 22.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Stein’s Latest: Pacers, Barnes, Anunoby, Hawks, Lively, Beal

June 19th, 2023 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

If the Pacers aren’t able to trade for a starting-caliber forward, either using the No. 7 pick or other assets, they’re expected to turn to free agency in an effort to land that sort of player, Marc Stein writes at Substack.

One player Indiana has some interest in, league sources tell Stein, is Kings forward Harrison Barnes, who will be an unrestricted free agent next week. As Stein points out, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle coached Barnes in Dallas, while point guard Tyrese Haliburton played with the veteran in Sacramento, so Barnes certainly has fans within the organization.

Stein classifies Barnes as a “strong” candidate to change teams this offseason, though he hears from one source that a return to the Kings hasn’t been ruled out.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • A team with interest in acquiring OG Anunoby described the Raptors‘ feelings about trading him as “strong reluctance,” Stein writes. While Anunoby has no shortage of potential suitors – including teams like Indiana, Portland, Memphis, and Sacramento – Stein says the early signals suggest the Raptors may end up once again holding onto him, like they did at the trade deadline.
  • The Hawks are “known to be interested” in Duke big man Dereck Lively and have spoken to Dallas about trades involving the No. 10 pick, according to Stein. While Stein doesn’t go into detail about how the possibility of Atlanta landing Lively would affect the team’s current big men, such as center Clint Capela, that frontcourt would be getting awfully crowded.
  • A veteran personnel executive tells Stein that Bradley Beal getting to be the third option with the Suns should “suit him very well.” Beal was probably miscast as a franchise player in Washington, but made a career-best 50.6% of his shots this past season as he increasingly shared the scoring load with Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma while his shot attempts per game dipped to 17.6 (his lowest mark since 2016/17).
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Scotto’s Latest: VanVleet, Anunoby, Middleton, DiVincenzo, G. Williams

June 18th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

New head coach Ime Udoka’s desire to land a veteran point guard makes the Rockets a strong contender for Fred VanVleet in free agency, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Houston will be part of a large group of teams expected to pursue VanVleet, who remains open to re-signing with the Raptors, Scotto adds.

The Suns expressed interest in VanVleet the last time he was a free agent, Scotto notes. Chris Paul appears to be on the way out of Phoenix, as Scotto’s sources say the team has discussed a number of trade scenarios, including a proposed deal reported Saturday that would send him to Washington as part of a package for Bradley Beal.

The Lakers would also like to add VanVleet, according to Scotto, but would probably need to work out a sign-and-trade with the Raptors to make it happen. That would require Toronto to have interest in D’Angelo Russell, who is also a free agent.

VanVleet has also been linked to the Magic because president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman previously worked in Toronto, but Scotto cites skepticism that Orlando is ready to make a big free agent move while the core of the team is still young.

Scotto passes along more inside information:

  • The Grizzlies are a team to watch if the Raptors decide to part with OG Anunoby, Scotto states. Memphis is offering future first-round draft picks to add a wing player, according to Scotto’s sources, and Anunoby would be an attractive target if he becomes available. Scotto notes that the Grizzlies were willing to give four first-round picks to Brooklyn in February for Mikal Bridges, and the need for wing help has increased with Dillon Brooks not expected back next season.
  • League executives tell Scotto that they expect Khris Middleton to re-sign with the Bucks for about $130MM over four years if he turns down his $40.4MM player option. Milwaukee is hoping to re-sign Brook Lopez as well, Scotto adds, but the veteran center will likely get an offer from the Rockets.
  • Donte DiVincenzo is expected to turn down his $4.7MM player option and receive better offers than the Warriors can match. One executive told Scotto that DiVincenzo is likely to be offered the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is well above the four-year, $23.2MM deal that Golden State can give him due to cap restrictions. Scotto hears that the Warriors have also received interest in Jonathan Kuminga from several teams that believe he can be more successful with an increased role.
  • The Mavericks have expressed interest in Celtics free agent forward Grant Williams, who has the same agent as Luka Doncic, sources tell Scotto. Dallas has also considered bringing back former Maverick Harrison Barnes, Scotto adds.
  • League executives expect the Bulls to re-sign center Nikola Vucevic, likely for about $65MM over three years, according to Scotto.
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Fischer’s Latest: Kuzma, Pacers, Rockets, Draft, Raptors, More

June 16th, 2023 at 11:14pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns have been targeting Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma for “several seasons,” league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, but it seems unlikely he’ll be headed to Phoenix this summer.

Kuzma, who has said he plans to decline his $13MM player option in search of a bigger payday, has been linked to the Pacers and Rockets — a couple of teams with cap space — ahead of free agency, says Fischer.

The 27-year-old averaged a career-high 21.2 PPG in 2022/23, along with 7.2 RPG and 3.7 APG (another career-best) in 64 games (35.0 MPG). However, his scoring efficiency left something to be desired — he posted a .448/.333/.730 shooting slash line for a below-average 54.4 true shooting percentage.

It’s unclear if Washington’s new front office will have interest in retaining Kuzma. The prior regime was obviously high on the combo forward, as the club decided to hold onto him through the February trade deadline.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up for Yahoo Sports:

  • Outside of the top three selections, there’s a lot of uncertainty about how the rest of the lottery will play out, Fischer writes. He suggests that Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin and Metropolitans 92 wing Bilal Coulibaly are worth keeping an eye on as somewhat unexpected top-10 picks. Several teams are reportedly considering moving into or out of the lottery, and sources tell Fischer the Thunder (No. 12) should be added to the list of teams open to moving back in order to add multiple first-rounders.
  • According to Fischer’s sources, while the Raptors continue to weigh various approaches to their roster construction, they still view Scottie Barnes as a franchise cornerstone. Multiple league executives tell Fischer the Raptors are expected to keep investigating pathways to move into the top three of the draft, and they’ve also contacted the Rockets about the fourth overall pick.
  • Moving into the top three or four would almost certainly require the Raptors to part with Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby, Fischer notes. Toronto has had previous trade talks with the Trail Blazers, who control the third pick, centered around both forwards, sources tell Fischer. Both players are entering the final year of their contracts, so presumably any team acquiring either player would have to secure a long-term commitment — they’ll both be extension-eligible this offseason. Fischer hears the Raptors have told rival clubs they declined Portland’s overtures for Anunoby in exchange for the seventh overall pick in 2022, but obviously last year’s seventh pick has a different valuation than a top-three selection in a draft that is viewed as having three standout prospects.
  • Multiple sources tell Fischer that Anunoby is “very much” open to staying with the Raptors if he can land a bigger role in the team’s offense under new head coach Darko Rajakovic. However, he suggests that might change if Siakam and Fred VanVleet remain on the roster alongside Barnes next season. The Kings are among the teams interested in Anunoby, Fischer writes, with Harrison Barnes‘ future up in the air ahead of free agency.
  • Despite opting out of his player option, VanVleet is still open to re-signing with the Raptors, per Fischer. $90MM over three years appears to be VanVleet’s floor for a new contract, according to Fischer, who adds that fellow guard Gary Trent Jr. will likely command “at least” $20MM annually in free agency. Trent is expected to decline his own player option, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. The deadline on Trent’s decision was reported to be June 14, but may have been pushed back — ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) now lists that deadline as June 29.
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Free Agency, Parity, RSNs, Finals Matchup

June 2nd, 2023 at 5:09pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA executives who spoke to Alex Kennedy of Heavy.com are split on how they feel about the 2023 free agent class. While one Eastern Conference exec referred to it as “very weak,” an East general manager suggested there should be a “strong group of rotational pieces” available this offseason. That GM added that we shouldn’t necessarily expect future free agent classes to be stronger than this year’s.

“This free agent class is a reflection of what future classes could look like with the new extension rules,” he said. “There will likely be even more extensions done moving forward with the new rules, which will water down the free agent classes.”

In a separate article for Heavy.com, Kennedy ranks the top free agents of 2023, while over at The Athletic, Danny Leroux considers which free agent will receive the most guaranteed money this summer. As Leroux observes, many of this year’s best potential FAs many not sign lucrative long-term contracts due to concerns about their age and/or injury histories. That group includes James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, and Khris Middleton.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Frank Urbina of HoopsHype takes a look at a few free-agents-to-be whose playoff performances negatively affected their stock, including Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Nets guard Seth Curry, and Lakers teammates D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley.
  • His comments about Ja Morant made the most headlines, but commissioner Adam Silver also discussed multiple other topics during his press conference prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. Silver spoke in support of the increased parity the NBA has seen in recent years (link via RealGM) and referred to the ongoing issues with regional sports networks as “a problem we have to fix” (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files).
  • A series between the Nuggets and Heat may not have been the Finals matchup that league advertisers fantasized about, but it’s great for the NBA, contends Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. As Krawczynski writes, Denver and Miami have been the two “best, most determined and precise teams” in the playoffs and will allow the league to “embrace the game over the glitz” in the Finals.
  • David Aldridge of The Athletic argues that the Nuggets‘ and Heat‘s success this spring is proof that being patient – rather than reactionary – following postseason heartbreak can pay off in the long run.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Western Notes: Landale, Grizzlies, Towns, Gobert

May 12th, 2023 at 7:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Backup center Jock Landale, who will be a restricted free agent if Phoenix gives him a qualifying offer, hopes to remain with the Suns long term.

“This is a city and a fanbase and an organization I’d love to be a part of for the rest of my career if I could,” Landale said (Twitter video link via PHNX Suns).

The 27-year-old Australian had relatively modest numbers in the regular season, averaging 6.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 69 games (14.2 MPG).

However, after making just one brief appearance in Phoenix’s five-game series against the Clippers, Landale made his mark against Denver, as Phoenix was plus-34 over his 106 minutes in the series, with a positive plus/minus in five of his six games despite the club losing four of those contests and ultimately getting eliminated.

Here’s more from the West:

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Bucks, Cavaliers, Brooks, Vucevic

May 6th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Since the Bucks dismissed Mike Budenholzer on Thursday, we haven’t heard much about which head coaching candidates the team may be eyeing to replace him. Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Friday (YouTube video link), Adrian Wojnarowski said he thinks Milwaukee can afford to be patient and perhaps wait for more teams to be eliminated from the playoffs in case a veteran coach employed by one of those clubs becomes available.

“Is there a coach or two who either becomes free with the team they’re at or there’s a conversation to be had with a team about a potential coach?” Wojnarowski said. “Because this is a Bucks team with Giannis Antetokounmpo, it’s an incredibly attractive job.”

It’s unclear which coaches Wojnarowski might be referring to. There was some speculation entering the postseason that Nuggets coach Michael Malone could be on the hot seat if Denver exited the playoffs quickly, but Malone’s club has looked pretty good so far.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Kings Notes: Defense, Sabonis, Barnes, Vezenkov, Murray

May 5th, 2023 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings‘ 118.6 offensive rating this season was easily the best mark in the NBA, but their 116.0 defensive rating was the worst of any of the 16 teams that made the playoffs. It’s no surprise then that general manager Monte McNair identified upgrading the defense as a top priority for Sacramento this offseason, per Eduardo Razo of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Still, McNair made it clear that he doesn’t want defensive upgrades to come at the expense of the Kings’ NBA-best offense, stressing that the front office will need to find a way to balance those efforts.

“You always want to continue to shore up your deficiencies, but you don’t want to pull on one string and you lose another,” McNair said. “So we’re going to have to do it in a way that we were able to put all the things we need on the floor for both offense and defense. So, yeah, I don’t know, delicate balance. Everybody has the same challenge, but yes, we need to maintain and improve. We can’t just make trade-offs that keep us in the same spot.”

Here’s more on the Kings:

  • Domantas Sabonis will be extension-eligible this summer and the new CBA will allow the Kings to give him a 40% raise (instead of 20%) in an extension offer. Still, that may not be enough to entice him to sign a deal, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. An extension for Sabonis could be worth up to $27.1MM in 2024/25, whereas his maximum salary as a free agent that summer may exceed $42MM. “Domas is a huge part of what we do,” McNair told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re going to do all we can to keep him here and build around him.”
  • Asked about Harrison Barnes‘ possible future in Sacramento, McNair referred to the free-agent-to-be as “a pretty fantastic part of our team,” per Slater, and suggested the Kings will have conversations in the coming weeks about retaining Barnes.
  • McNair praised the season that draft-and-stash prospect Sasha Vezenkov has had in Greece for Olympiacos and told reporters that a decision on the standout EuroLeague forward will be made later in the summer (Twitter video link via Deuce Mason). Vezenkov is under contract with Olympiacos through 2025, but could be bought out of that deal.
  • Keegan Murray didn’t come close to averaging 20 points per game in his first NBA season like Rookie of the Year winner Paolo Banchero, but McNair made the case this week that the Kings forward was the standout player in his draft class for another reason. “A rookie who started seven games in a playoff series, was, I believe, the most winning impact rookie on the court this year,” McNair said, per Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. “While we didn’t ask him to come in and shoot 30 shots, he certainly could have, he was the leading scorer in college basketball last year. But to come in and know what we need, which was to actually defend multiple positions, hit shots, cut to the basket, play off of our veterans, I thought it was a fantastic year for him.”
  • Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee explores whether it’s realistic for the Kings to attempt to emulate the Warriors’ championship blueprint.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts