KJ Simpson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Fields, Murray, Hawks, Magic

July 12th, 2024 at 1:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Australian swingman Josh Green told Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer that he was asleep when his agents phoned him around 3:00 am to inform him he was being traded to the Hornets.

The 23-year-old, who is on the Australian national team that will compete in the Paris Olympics, was sent to Charlotte from Dallas in the six-team mega-deal that saw Klay Thompson land with the Mavs. He says he’s “super excited” for a fresh start.

“It’s such a young team and they play at a fast pace,” Green said, “and I think I’m able to thrive in transition, being able to pick up the ball and play defense and just continue to grow my game. I’m still a young guy and it gets fun to be around older guys in Dallas and learn from them, and take that to Charlotte and just come in with a winning mindset, and, yeah, be ready to go.”

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Boone also recently spoke to the Hornets‘ 2024 draft picks, Tidjane Salaun (No. 6 overall) and KJ Simpson (No. 42). French forward Salaun, who doesn’t turn 19 until next month, says he didn’t watch the NBA growing up as he didn’t think he’d make it to the league. He says being a lottery pick is a surreal experience. “Yeah, it’s weird. Yes.” Salaun told Boone. “For sure because before I became a professional I was in (France) with my teammates, some guys we go to school every day without crowds. And now I have some fans … just all of this is crazy. Just to have a practice facility … I have a practice facility that’s different than the arena. Everything, everything. The weight room. They have many things to be the best possible and in shape.” Simpson, meanwhile is nursing a hamstring strain that will sideline him for all of Las Vegas Summer League, but he’s still actively involved on the sidelines, encouraging teammates and analyzing film. The 6’0″ guard, who is on a two-way contract, says he wants to hone his decision-making and defensive skills, according to Boone.
Hawks GM Landry Fields says it was a tough choice to trade Dejounte Murray, but ultimately it was a necessary one, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was a hard decision,” Fields said. “It was challenging. We knew that where we ultimately want to be was gonna require some challenging decisions. Just not being at that point, currently, where we felt like we can continue on with what we have. So wanted to reshape some things and this is an unfortunate part of the of the business. Dejounte is a fantastic player. … But we’re also very excited about the guys that we got back, got a few assets with it, too, which are going to be helpful for us to continue to build, so I wish him nothing but the best. He and his family have been great with us.” Fields also acknowledged Atlanta is facing a “roster crunch” after acquiring four players for one in the deal. The Hawks have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts now that Vit Krejci‘s four-year deal is official, plus Bruno Fernando on a non-guaranteed contract with a early guarantee date of August 1.
In a subscriber-only story for The Orlando Sentinel, Jason Beede lists five things to watch for the Magic heading into Las Vegas Summer League, including second-year guard Anthony Black‘s growth as a leader. As Beede writes, Orlando’s Summer League squad features recent first-rounders in Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva, plus a handful of former NBA veterans trying to make it back in the league (such as Jarrett Culver and Theo Maledon).

Hornets Notes: Smith, Lee, Offseason, Simpson

July 10th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Nick Smith Jr., a first-round pick in 2023, is hoping to carve out consistent rotation minutes in 2024/25 under new Hornets head coach Charles Lee, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

The 20-year-old appeared in 51 games as a rookie last season, averaging 5.9 RPG, 1.4 RPG and 1.2 APG on .391/.432/.867 shooting in 14.3 MPG. He pointed to solid defense as his path to regular playing time.

“That’s what’s going to get you on the court,” Smith said. “I’m a guard, small guard, at that for the NBA. I’m 6-3 and have a long wingspan, but I’ve got to be able to guard the best guards in the country, and the best guards in the NBA, and the best wings at times. And I want my team to count on me to get those stops, because I want that challenge.

“And I’m pretty sure everybody knows I want that challenge, too. So, it’s just repping it each and every day, especially coming out here and just not taking any games lightly, it’s playing with the team. The team understands that winning comes first, defense comes first and Coach Lee has definitely preached that.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

First-year head coach Lee is drawing rave reviews from his players even though he’s only been around the team for a handful of weeks, according to Boone. Lee decided to lead the summer league squad after finishing out last season as an assistant for the title-winning Celtics. “No. 1, I’m so excited to be part of this Hornets organization and also love the game, love to coach,” Lee told The Observer. “And I feel like I’ve been away from the guys as I went on that playoff run. And now’s my opportunity to start building with them, start learning some terminology, learning the players and also just create an environment of, ‘We’re all going to get down to work like nobody’s above anything.’ And so I was just ready to hit the ground running.”
The Hornets have been very active this offseason, making changes to the back end of the roster and agreeing to re-sign Miles Bridges to a three-year, $75MM contract. Those series of moves suggest that new head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and new co-owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall are focused on improving the team’s talent pool rather than going with the status quo, Boone writes for The Observer.
Rookie guard KJ Simpson, the 42nd overall pick of last month’s draft, signed a two-way contract that covers two seasons, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). A two-time All-Pac-12 honoree during his three-season stint with the Colorado Buffaloes, the 6’0″ Simpson averaged 19.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.9 APG and 1.6 SPG in ’23/24.

KJ Simpson Signs Two-Way Deal With Hornets

July 7th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

5:25pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

4:01pm: Former Colorado point guard KJ Simpson is signings a two-way deal with the Hornets, sources inform Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Charlotte selected Simpson with the No. 42 overall pick in last month’s draft.

A two-time All-Pac-12 honoree during his three-season stint with the Buffaloes, the 6’0″ Simpson notched career-best averages of 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in 2023/24.

Simpson is most valued for his offensive upside with the club, especially as a scorer and play-maker, but could struggle on the other end as an undersized guard.

He’ll join former two-time ACC All-Defense North Carolina guard Leaky Black among the club’s two-way signings, leaving one open slot.

In the first round of the draft, Charlotte selected 6’9″ former Cholet Basket power forward Tidjane Salaun with the sixth overall pick.

Southeast Notes: Valanciunas, Salaun, Simpson, Wagner, Heat

July 1st, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reaching a three-year agreement with 32-year-old center Jonas Valanciunas seems like an odd move for a rebuilding team. So why did the Wizards do it?

As Josh Robbins and William Guillory of The Athletic see it, Valanciunas’ presence will allow second overall draft pick Alex Sarr to develop at a slow and steady pace. Sarr needs to add bulk and muscle to his seven-foot frame and Valanciunas can match up against more physical centers. The veteran can also serve as a role model to the team’s other younger players.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets lottery pick Tidjane Salaun suffered a minor laceration near his knee but is expected to be available for the start of Las Vegas Summer League next week. However, he will unavailable when the team begins mini-camp in Sacramento on Tuesday. Second-round pick KJ Simpson won’t play during either the Sacramento or Las Vegas Summer Leagues as he continues to rehab a hamstring injury suffered during the pre-draft process. He is expected to be fully recovered and available at the start of training camp this fall, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).
The Magic have reached an agreement with backup big Goga Bitadze but they’re still interested in re-signing Moritz Wagner, who reciprocates that interest, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. Orlando declined its $8MM option on Wagner’s contract prior to free agency.
Other than reaching a two-year agreement with Kevin Love, the Heat haven’t done much in terms of their 15-man roster during the first two days of free agency. It’s a product of the team’s salary-cap crunch, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. They don’t have much to offer to outside free agents and new restrictions in the CBA make it harder to pull off a trade. Miami also doesn’t have much draft capital to facilitate those deals.

Southeast Notes: Atlanta, Young, Butler, Ware, Hornets

June 28th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hawks‘ trade of Dejounte Murray will make the roster cheaper, more coherent, and a better fit around star guard Trae Young, The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes. However, it’s not clear whether Young remains in the franchise’s long-term plans.

While the roster might fit better together now, the Hawks have gone 161-157 over the past four seasons and don’t necessarily appear any closer to being a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, due to the original acquisition of Murray, the Spurs control the Hawks’ first-round picks for the next three drafts (unprotected in 2025 and 2027 and an unprotected swap in 2026)

That’s why, Hollinger writes, the Spurs are the most logical trade partner for any deal involving Young. San Antonio is looking for an elite point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama, and the combined salaries of Devonte’ Graham (whose guarantee date was just pushed back), Zach Collins and Tre Jones match Young’s, Hollinger points out.

Outside of Young, offers for the likes of Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter have been lacking, Hollinger hears from league sources, but more moves out of Atlanta are expected.

For now though, this is Young’s team and the trade of Murray allows for more roster flexibility, including unlocking the non-taxpayer mid-level exception as a result of ducking under the luxury tax line.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Heat star Jimmy Butler is planning to play out the 2024/25 season and then opt out of his contract and hit unrestricted free agency next year, without signing an extension. While it isn’t the ideal outcome for either side, it represents a middle ground that allows Butler to bet on himself and buys the Heat time to figure out their future. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Miami understands Butler is the key to any postseason success this season. Still, Guillory wonders if it might make more sense to turn the page on the Butler era as the team quietly continues building a strong young core.
The Heat introduced the newest member of that young core to the media on Friday, with No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware making his press debut. “We feel very fortunate that we were able to get the specific player we wanted, that can complement our team, can complement Bam [Adebayo],” Heat president Pat Riley said, per the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Ware immediately becomes the tallest player on Miami’s roster.
The Hornets waiving Seth Curry and declining the team option on JT Thor‘s contract suggest they’re preparing to operate as a cap room team if they lose free agent forward Miles Bridges, Hollinger writes in a separate post. The Hornets could create up to $23MM in cap space if they waive the non-guaranteed contracts of Aleksej Pokusevski and Bryce McGowens.
The Hornets also introduced draft picks Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson on Friday. The duo represents vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson‘s first two pieces of his roster vision and culture. “[Salaün and Simpson] just embody everything that we want to be about,” Peterson said, per The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone. “They are extremely unselfish. They work, they understand the importance of putting the time in. It’s the only way you are going to get the results that you want. They compete and they just have an amazing outlook and approach in terms of how to get better on a daily basis. So these two guys just embody exactly what we want to be about going forward.“

Scotto’s Latest: Hartenstein, Knicks, Kuminga, Holmes, Missi, Lakers, More

June 24th, 2024 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Because they only hold his Early Bird rights, the Knicks are limited to a four-year offer worth approximately $72.5MM for Isaiah Hartenstein, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears from league sources that New York is expected to put that full offer on the table for the free agent center.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv previously reported that the Knicks are considering other options at center, including Goga Bitadze, in the event that they’re unable to retain Hartenstein. Scotto confirms as much, writing that free agent big man Jonas Valanciunas and potential trade target Nick Richards of the Hornets are among the other fives on New York’s radar. There’s also an “outside chance,” sources tell Scotto, that the Knicks would consider pursuing Andre Drummond if they can’t bring back Hartenstein.

Here are several more highlights from Scotto’s aggregate mock draft at HoopsHype, which features many other items of interest that we passed along earlier in the day:

Jonathan Kuminga, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, is expected to remain with the Warriors for the foreseeable future unless the team has an opportunity to acquire an All-NBA caliber player, writes Scotto.
While there have been rumors that Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II received a draft promise from the Nuggets, Scotto hears that there’s no truth to that chatter, adding that multiple executives believe Holmes will be drafted before Denver picks at No. 28.
Baylor center Yves Missi is among the prospects who have worked out for the Lakers and is someone to keep an eye on at No. 17, Scotto writes.
Scotto’s aggregate mock draft has KJ Simpson coming off the board at No. 49, but he says the Colorado guard is a potential target to watch for the Timberwolves earlier in the draft. Minnesota currently holds the 27th and 37th overall picks.
Kyshawn George has some fans within the Cavaliers‘ organization, according to Scotto, who suggests that the Miami guard could be “an upside pick for the future” at No. 20.
Brendan Sabean, who most recently served as the assistant general manager of the Austin Spurs, is expected to be hired as the GM of Phoenix’s new G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, league sources tell Scotto.

Rockets Rumors: Clingan, Sheppard, No. 3 Pick, Smart, More

June 20th, 2024 at 1:43pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets have UConn center Donovan Clingan and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard at the top of their board heading into next week’s draft, league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Houston controls the No. 3 overall pick.

According to Iko, Clingan seems to have the edge over Sheppard, but it’s not a sure thing the 7’2″ big man will be available with the third pick. ESPN recently reported that while Zaccharie Risacher remains the favorite to go No. 1 to the Hawks, Atlanta is also high on Clingan, who may be Risacher’s top competition. Ken Seguira of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also heard the Hawks are high on Clingan.

The Rockets already have Alperen Sengun at center and he shares an agent with Clingan, Iko writes. Those factors — plus the trade deadline addition of Steven Adams — would seemingly work against Houston selecting Clingan, and the team has been unable to get him in for a private workout to this point. Sheppard, meanwhile, will visit the Rockets this week, sources tell Iko.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently suggested Houston might not have much leverage if they decide to trade the No. 3 selection due to a perception that there’s a minimal difference in value between that pick and those later in the lottery. However, Iko has heard differently, writing that there’s “rapidly growing interest” from rival teams in Clingan and Sheppard. Those teams may also be motivated to move up ahead of the Spurs, who control the Nos. 4 and 8 picks.

While several teams have shown interest in the third pick, team and league sources tell Iko the Hornets, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers have been “the most vocal” in their pursuit of the selection, with Memphis and Charlotte particularly “aggressive.”

Iko hears all three clubs are fans of both Clingan and Sheppard. The Hornets control the 6th and 42nd overall picks; the Grizzlies control Nos. 9, 39 and 57; and the Blazers control Nos. 7, 14, 34 and 40.

Here are some more Rockets rumors, all from Iko:

In an ideal situation, Houston would prefer to use the No. 3 pick as part of a package to acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell, but there hasn’t been much league-wide “activity or movement” when it comes to stars this offseason, according to Iko. The Pelicans are rumored to have floated a proposal of Brandon Ingram for Sengun, but Houston has “no interest” in that deal, team sources tell Iko. Iko also hears New Orleans discussed Ingram with the Sixers.
If the Rockets can’t land a star and still decide to move the third pick, Iko wonders if a Grizzlies offer centered around Marcus Smart and the ninth pick could make sense for both sides. According to Iko’s sources, GM Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are fans of Smart, who played under Udoka in Boston. In a move-back scenario, Houston might be interested in selecting Tennesee forward Dalton Knecht, says Iko.
Houston also controls a second-round pick (No. 44) in the upcoming draft. San Francisco’s Jonathan Mogbo, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Illinois’ Terrence Shannon, Colorado’s KJ Simpson, UCLA’s Adem Bona and Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro are among the prospects who have been discussed at that spot, though Iko acknowledges some of those players might get drafted before then. Clemson forward/center PJ Hall, Texas forward Dylan Disu, St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins and Washington State forward Jaylen Wells are among the players who will work out for Houston this week, Iko reports.
For free agency, Iko hears the Rockets have placed a high priority on adding shooting, but the team is only interested in two-way contributors — Alec Burks, Gary Harris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Saddiq Bey are names to watch. Bey, however, will be a restricted free agent if he’s given a qualifying offer, which complicates matters (he’s also recovering from a torn ACL). A source close to Eric Gordon tells Iko that the veteran guard is “50-50” on exercising his player option to remain with the Suns, but the longtime former Rocket is also open to a reunion with Houston. The Rockets will have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to dangle in free agency, Iko notes.

Central Notes: Pistons, Ham, Bucks, Cavaliers

June 10th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Reports that the Bulls, Trail Blazers and Grizzlies are all interested in moving up in the draft could create some trade options for the Pistons with the No. 5 pick, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. He explores potential deals with all three teams that would still leave Detroit with a first-round selection.

Edwards’ proposed trade with Chicago is a swap for No. 11 in this year’s draft, plus a top-four protected pick in 2027. That would allow the Pistons to pick up some future draft capital and still wind up with a prospect such as Colorado’s Cody Williams, G League wing Ron Holland or French forward Tidjane Salaun.

Edwards suggests helping Portland clear cap space by taking Jerami Grant, the No. 14 pick and possibly Matisse Thybulle in exchange for No. 5. That could speed up the Blazers’ rebuilding process by giving them two selections in this year’s top seven while saving them about $40MM next season.

With Memphis, Edwards proposes parting with the fifth pick in exchange for the ninth choice in this year’s draft and a top-four protected pick in 2025. That gives Detroit an extra selection in what’s projected to be a stronger draft next near, while Memphis has a better shot to land a center such as UConn’s Donovan Clingan.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Darvin Ham, who was fired by the Lakers last month after their first-round playoff loss, will rejoin the Bucks as the top assistant to Doc Rivers, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Before being hired by L.A., Ham spent four years in Milwaukee, where he built a reputation as one of the league’s top assistant coaches.
Eric Nehm of The Athletic kicks off a series of Bucks draft previews by looking at guards who could still be on the board at No. 23 and 33. Nehm profiles Pitt’s Carlton Carrington, Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, A.J. Johnson, who played in Australia this season, UC Santa Barbara’s Ajay Mitchell, Creighton’s Trey Alexander, Houston’s Jamal Shead, UConn’s Cam Spencer and Colorado’s KJ Simpson.
Speaking on the Wine and Gold podcast, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said he doesn’t expect Dan Hurley‘s decision on the Lakers‘ coaching job to impact the Cavaliers‘ search. Fedor considers James Borrego to be the current front-runner in Cleveland, and he speculates L.A. will turn to J.J. Redick if Hurley declines the team’s offer.

Northwest Notes: Williams, Blazers, Wolves, Hayward

June 4th, 2024 at 7:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

As Bulls forward Patrick Williams heads into restricted free agency, look for the Thunder to make a run at him, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry reports. A league source tells Mayberry that Oklahoma City has “great interest” in the 22-year-old.

Williams, who has failed to live up to his draft billing as the No. 4 pick in 2020, would give the Thunder more size at power forward. Oklahoma City’s stash of draft picks could entice Chicago to negotiate a sign-and-trade with the Thunder. Williams was limited to 43 games this season due to a foot injury.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers hosted six draft prospects on Tuesday — Daniss Jenkins (St. John’s), Dillon Jones (Weber State), Spencer Jones (Stanford), Jared McCain (Duke), Noah Penda (JA Vichy-Clermont) and Armel Traore (Ada Blois), Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets. Out of that group, McCain is the most highly regarded by draft pundits. The point guard is currently rated No. 15 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list. Portland controls the seventh and 14th overall picks, along with No. 34 and No. 40.
The Timberwolves were also busy evaluating draft prospects on Tuesday, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link). Sy Chatman (Buffalo), Enrique Freeman (Akron), Pelle Larsson (Arizona), KJ Simpson (Colorado), Justin Webster (UNLV) and Moses Wood (Washington) visited Minnesota’s practice facility. Larsson (No. 44), a shooting guard, is the highest-ranked prospect among that group on ESPN’s list.
In his latest player report card, The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto evaluates the forgettable half-season that Gordon Hayward spent with the Thunder. Hayward is headed to unrestricted free agency and Mussatto opines that the forward might be looking at veteran’s minimum offers the remainder of his career.

Northwest Notes: Edwards, Malone, Simpson, Zanik

May 25th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Edwards was so dominant in the first two rounds of the playoffs that it’s easy to forget he’s only 22. However, his age and postseason inexperience might be catching up to him in the Western Conference Finals, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. The Timberwolves guard is shooting just 11-of-33 from the field so far against the Mavericks, who have thrown him off his game by mixing up coverages and using multiple defenders.

“It’s not harder to get (to the basket). They just pack the paint once you get there,” Edwards said. “So, I mean, you’ve got to make the right play because there’s three, four people in the paint. You’ve got to watch the game, so it’s all about just making the right play, and my teammates are open.”

History shows that players in their early 20s don’t enjoy a lot of postseason success. Hine points out that Edwards is going up against Kyrie Irving, who’s a decade older and has a championship ring, and Luka Doncic, who’s in his sixth NBA season and reached the conference finals two years ago. It’s difficult for Edwards to compensate for that difference in experience, but he has to figure out something quickly before the series slips away.

“With Anthony, he’s gotta pick up his decision making,” coach Chris Finch said. “I think Kyrie is actually a good example — he’s playing quick off the catch, he’s trying to beat our defensive pressure with everything on the catch, going quickly.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Nuggets coach Michael Malone admits he probably overused his starters, which led to their exhaustion at the end of Game 7 against Minnesota, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Durando notes that Denver’s starting five was on the court together for 958 minutes during the regular season, which was more than any other group over the past six years. “On one hand, we got the two seed,” Malone said. “And on the other hand, I’m watching our players play in Game 7 in the second half, and our guys looked dead tired. I think you guys probably saw the same thing. So did I run our players into the ground? I’m sure that’s definitely part of it.”
Colorado’s KJ Simpson had a pre-draft workout with the Nuggets this week, tweets Tyler King of The Denver Gazette. The junior point guard ranks 51st on ESPN’s big board. Denver holds the 28th and 56th picks in this year’s draft.
Jazz general manager Justin Zanik returned to work this week after recovering from a kidney transplant, per Alex Vejar of The Salt Lake Tribune. A spokesperson for the team said Zanik had been targeting a return shortly after the draft combine.