Kyle Anderson

Pacific Notes: Curry, K. Anderson, Zubac, Huerter, Kessler

October 28th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry‘s sprained left ankle represents the first bit of adversity for a Warriors team that had been on an upward swing since training camp, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.

Curry underwent an MRI Sunday night to determine the severity of the sprain, but Thompson notes that Rick Celebrini, the team’s vice president of player health and performance, tends to be cautious with injured players. Even if the sprain is mild, Curry is likely to miss back-to-back games with New Orleans on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Thompson, and may be given a full week off.

Thompson notes that Curry’s absence will be a test for the “strength in numbers” approach adopted by general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. after failing to land another star during the offseason. With a wealth of wing players, coach Steve Kerr has been using a 12-man rotation early in the season to keep everyone involved. That means there will be some nights when players don’t get their expected minutes, and Kerr singled out Kyle Anderson for understanding that Sunday night.

“I only went to Kyle for four minutes,” Kerr said, “and he was amazing the second half on the bench, leading everybody, talking to guys. That’s what you have to have if you’re going to do this and play a lot of people. Everyone’s got to be on board. I couldn’t have been more impressed by Kyle’s professionalism.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Ivica Zubac posted 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists Sunday as the Clippers topped Golden State to continue their surprising start, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Zubac has scored at least 20 points in each of his first three games, joining Bob McAdoo as the only centers in franchise history to achieve that feat. “It’s only been three games, but I’m trying to bring the consistency,” Zubac said. “I’m trying to keep it up as long as I can. I’m trying to bring the same stuff every night for my teammates so they can count on me. They can count on me on the defensive end and the offensive end and count on me to rebound, to protect the rim, score in the post, finish around the rim. So I’m trying my best to bring that intensity.”
Kings guard Kevin Huerter scored 14 points Saturday night, marking his first productive game since having surgery on his left shoulder, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. After being limited to two points on opening night, Huerter was relieved when he got his first three-pointer to fall. “Yeah, it felt good to get the first one,” he said. “It always does. That long of a layoff, you just need to see it go in, so it felt good to get that.”
In a recent video, Jovan Buha of The Athletic suggests Jazz center Walker Kessler as a trade possibility for the Lakers as they look for a reliable big man to pair with Anthony Davis (hat tip to Jared Koch of Sports Illustrated).
The Lakers‘ G League affiliate in South Bay recently announced its training camp roster. Familiar names include two-way players Armel Traore, Christian Koloko and Quincy Olivari.

Warriors Rumors: George, Markkanen, Towns, Expectations

October 22nd, 2024 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who spent a year as teammates with Paul George in Indiana in 2010/11, “led the charge” in the team’s efforts to acquire the star forward from the Clippers in June before George declined his player option and became a free agent this summer, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

As Slater outlines, Dunleavy got Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr involved in the recruitment of George, who was on board with the idea of picking up his player option and getting traded to Golden State. However, the Clippers decided they’d be better off not taking on significant salary in a trade with the Warriors.

“Paul George wanted to come here,” Green said. “So shout out to Mike. The Clippers just wouldn’t do (an opt-in and trade).”

There’s still some “fading frustration” within the organization about the failed pursuit of George, according to Slater, who says the Warriors may argue the Clippers underestimated their chances of losing the forward for nothing in free agency.

While Golden State’s subsequent pursuit of Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was viewed as a Plan B after missing out on George, Slater says it was actually part of Plan A and that the Warriors initially wanted to land both players.

“The conversation was always about that possibility,” Green said. “You get both of those guys, you make a huge splash. But the Clippers weren’t really willing to play ball. Then (Jazz CEO) Danny Ainge was being Danny Ainge.”

The Warriors had hoped they’d be able to acquire George while preserving enough assets to meet Ainge’s asking price for Markkanen, Slater explains. They still talked to Utah about Markkanen after striking out on PG13, but at that point Dunleavy felt it wasn’t the right move for the team to go all-in for the Jazz forward.

“Mike is very sensible,” Kerr said. “He just said to me, ‘It doesn’t make sense to sell your entire future for a team that you think can be pretty good, but isn’t awesome, right?’ Especially at this stage with the ages of our stars.”

Here’s more out of Golden State:

The Warriors also spoke to the Timberwolves about a possible Karl-Anthony Towns trade before he was dealt from Minnesota to New York, league sources tell Slater. However, the Wolves targeted a specific Knicks package that the Warriors couldn’t replicate.
Despite striking out on top trade targets this summer, the Warriors are high on the players they added – Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and De’Anthony Melton – and are more bullish than outsiders about their chances this season. According to Slater, the Warriors’ internal models have them in the top six in the West and there has been talk within the organization that 50-plus wins should be the expectation.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Warriors won’t continue to keep an eye out for a chance to acquire an impact player who could help take them to the next level. “We’re sitting about as good as we could, subject to the point that we didn’t catch the big fish that we were going after,” team owner Joe Lacob told Slater. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t. It just means we didn’t yet.”
Dunleavy told reporters on Tuesday that the Warriors aren’t concerned about not having reached an agreement on a contract extension for Jonathan Kuminga before Monday’s deadline, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). “Not much has changed in regards to our hopes for his future with this team,” Dunleavy said. “Sometimes these things get done, sometimes they don’t. … Hope to get something done in the offseason.”

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Threes, Stotts, Lineup

October 11th, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Tristan Tucker

One of the longest-tenured players in Warriors history switched teams this summer when Klay Thompson departed for the Mavericks. Franchise icons Stephen Curry and Draymond Green honored Thompson’s request to not go to management to try to intervene in his decision, but it finally hit them that their former long-time teammate wouldn’t be joining them this season when they got to training camp, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes.

“[Klay] would usually enter the practice facility coming off of his boat,” Curry said. “With his Dockers on, whatever outfit he had on. He just had a presence about him, a lightness when he came in the room. And his one-liners were always great. … [I’m] talking about him like he died, [which is] super weird. … Life throws a lot of curve balls in sports. You’re used to seeing people change places and teams. [However] up until but a week before he decided to sign Dallas, we never really thought it was going to end.”

The Warriors added a trio of veterans to help replace Thompson’s impact from beyond the arc and on the perimeter, signing Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson as free agents. Those three will compete for minutes and a spot in the starting rotation.

“One of the reasons we are excited to get Buddy Hield is because we will run some of the same stuff that we ran for Klay for Buddy,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Draymond and Steph will be looking for him on the perimeter when they’re playing with him. And then the other new guys, Melton, Kyle Anderson — there’s a reason we targeted them too. They fit any lineup, such smart tough players that they’re easy to play with.

“So I don’t anticipate a really difficult transition basketball-wise. It’s more just the emotional void of Klay being gone after being so close with him and going through so much with him. That part is really sad. But you have to move on.”

We have more from the Warriors:

The new-look Warriors continued their habit of hitting fast threes and playing in transition when they made 28 of their 52 attempts in a Wednesday preseason game against the Kings, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews writes. That would have been a franchise record for threes in a regular season game. The Warriors were fairly good at making outside shots a priority last season, ranking fourth in the league in attempts at 38.9 per game. But as Anthony Slater of The Athletic points out, the teams that ranked first (Boston) and second (Dallas), both reached the Finals. Slater reports that the Warriors are talking like they want to lead the league in three-point attempts. “I feel like it’s a little different in that we have more guys who can shoot the three besides Klay and Steph,” Brandin Podziemski said.
While the on-court additions for the Warriors look strong already, new assistant coach Terry Stotts is also making his impact felt this preseason, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Hield in particular should thrive with Stotts, who helped the Trail Blazers make the conference finals in 2019 behind hot three-point shooting from Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. “The stuff that we’re putting in with Terry, the Portland stuff, you saw some of that in the second half,” Kerr said. “The flares, Buddy is built for that.“
The Warriors have been cycling through several lineup combinations and possibilities in training camp and the preseason, Slater tweets. On Thursday in practice, the starters appeared to be Curry, Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Anderson and Green. The lineup changed across both preseason games as well, with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Melton starting alongside Curry, Kuminga and Green in the first game before Kevon Looney and Podziemski took over in the second.

Warriors Notes: Offseason Moves, Curry, Kuminga, Starters

October 2nd, 2024 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

After being linked to big-name trade targets like Paul George and Lauri Markkanen during the offseason, the Warriors ended up not making a major deal and focused instead on bringing in a handful of role players at mid-level prices, including De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson. The team’s defensive anchor, Draymond Green, told reporters this week that he was on board with that decision, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN relays.

“One move in this league, it can pretty much set you up for how the next 10 years of your organization is going to go. Sometimes the best deal you can make is to not make a deal, and I think we did a great job in going out and getting pieces that are going to help this team grow,” Green said. “… Championships are won six through 10. Championships aren’t won one through five.”

Green compared the summer additions to the ones the Warriors made in 2021 when they brought in Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II, and Nemanja Bjelica to bolster their depth ahead of a championship season. That doesn’t mean that Golden State will be a title team in 2024/25, but Stephen Curry believes the newcomers can help the club move toward that goal.

“All three guys we brought in all are veterans,” Curry said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Established veterans that know how to play the game. Good pieces that you need to be a championship-type team. Does that mean we’re there? I don’t know.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

After a disappointing 2023/24 season that saw Golden State finish 10th in the West and bow out of the postseason in the first play-in game, Curry said he’s coming into training camp with an “open mind of how we’re supposed to play” and that he’s embracing the idea of “evolving and pivoting” to figure out what works best for the current group. “I know there’s a Warriors mentality and culture of how we do things, there’s a system that we ran for a decade plus that has worked,” Curry said, according to Andrews. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how this team needs to play. We have to have kind of antennas up and an openness to accept what this team’s strengths are, what our weaknesses are, and kind of lean into those.”
Jonathan Kuminga, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 21, said he will “hopefully” reach a deal with the Warriors but that he won’t be worried if it doesn’t get done this fall, Slater writes. Kuminga would be a restricted free agent in 2025 if he doesn’t sign a new deal before the season begins. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. That’s not my concern,” he said. “I’m just happy to be here, happy to start a new season. Fourth year. I’d love to have it, but I’m not really concerned about it. If I get it, if I don’t, it’s cool. I’m still going to be me. I’ll just go out there and perform.”
In a separate story for The Athletic, Slater evaluates the candidates for the starting shooting guard position, noting that the Warriors could go the defensive route with Melton, the floor-spacing route with Hield, or the long-term route with Brandin Podziemski.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stressed on Tuesday that shooting guard isn’t the only opening in the Warriors’ starting lineup, telling reporters that there’s an open competition for basically every spot besides point guard, where Curry will start. “There is competition across the board,” Kerr said (story via Andrews at ESPN). “It’s not as simple as, ‘Who is going to be the two?’ It’s got to be — ‘Who is going to be the five? Who’s the four?’ We know that Steph is the one. But what’s the combination? … The starting lineup is going to have to be dependent not only on the first five fitting, but the second fitting as well. We’ve got a lot of work to do to figure out lineups. All the guys can do is compete, play their ass off.”

Warriors Notes: Podziemski, Kuminga, Curry, Green, Moody, More

August 7th, 2024 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors viewed the Jazz‘s asking price in trade talks for Lauri Markkanen as one that would have made it a “bad deal” if they’d met it, sources tell Kendra Andrews of ESPN, which is why discussions between the two teams stalled. Those talks officially came to an end on Wednesday when Markkanen renegotiated and extended his contract with Utah, making him ineligible to be dealt until the 2025 offseason.

Confirming previous reporting from The Athletic, Andrews says the Warriors aren’t feeling any urgency to shift their focus to a new trade target now that Markkanen is off the board, citing team sources who say the club isn’t “hot on” any of the players currently available on the market.

The negotiations with Utah also showed that the Warriors intend to hang onto young players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga “very tightly,” Andrews writes, and would only be willing to move one or both of them in an “overwhelming” deal that made the team better in the long run.

For now, Podziemski, Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis all appear poised to take on larger roles with the Warriors in 2024/25, though nothing will be handed to them, a source tell Andrews, meaning they’ll have to show that they deserve increased minutes and possibly starting spots. While Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are, of course, penciled in as starters, the other three spots in the starting five are considered “wide open” entering training camp, Andrews reports.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Curry and Green want to be consulted on the Warriors’ roster moves, but they’ve made it clear they don’t want to be “final decision-makers,” sources tell ESPN. “Steph has said, ‘Look, I do not want to be making those decisions. It puts me in a different spot than all of my teammates. I do not want that,'” one source said to Andrews. While the two stars are still adjusting to the fact that Klay Thompson is no longer on the roster, they’re excited about the moves Golden State has made this offseason, Andrews adds.
With Thompson and Chris Paul exiting Golden State this summer, adding scoring was the team’s top priority, which was the impetus for the addition of Buddy Hield in particular. The Warriors also expect Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton to contribute in that area while helping to solidify the defense, Andrews writes.
The Warriors haven’t engaged in any serious rookie scale extension discussions with Kuminga or Moody yet, but general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has expressed interest in exploring deals for both players. Andrews suggests Moody’s next deal could be in the range of $11-13MM per year.
One front office source told Andrews that it was “actually really fun” to be able to operate below the tax aprons this offseason for the first time in years. That allowed the Warriors to use their full mid-level exception (on Melton) and acquire two players (Hield and Anderson) via sign-and-trade.
“Diversifying” the coaching staff and bringing in fresh faces was a goal this offseason, which led to the additions of Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse. A source referred to head coach Steve Kerr and Stotts as “kindred spirits” and said Kerr appreciates the offensive acumen and communication skills the former Blazers head coach will bring to the club. Stackhouse, meanwhile, is expected to team up with assistant coach Chris DeMarco in focusing on the defensive side of the ball, says Andrews.

Contract Details: George, Martin, Wiseman, Isaac, Hield, More

July 8th, 2024 at 6:49am CST by Luke Adams

Following the end of the July moratorium on Saturday, teams wasted no time in officially finalizing many of the contracts they’d agreed to up until that point.

Now that those contracts have been completed, we have the official details on many of them. Here, via several reporters – including Keith Smith of Spotrac, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, and cap expert Yossi Gozlan – as well as our own sources, are some of those notable details:

Players with trade kickers:

Lakers forward LeBron James (15%), Knicks forward OG Anunoby (15%), Sixers forward Paul George (15%), Sixers forward Caleb Martin (15%), Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson (15%), and Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (5%) received trade kickers on their new free agent deals, while Celtics guard Derrick White (15%) got one on his contract extension.

As an aside, James’ exact starting salary in 2024/25 is $48,728,845, which is $1,258,873 below the maximum he could have earned.

Players who waived their right to veto a trade:

A player who re-signs with his team on a one-year contract (or two-year contract with a second-year option) is typically awarded the right to veto a trade, but has the option to waive that option.

Heat center Thomas Bryant, Rockets guard Aaron Holiday, Raptors wing Garrett Temple, and Magic teammates Gary Harris and Moritz Wagner all surrendered their right to veto a trade in 2024/25 and could be moved freely.

Unlikely incentives:

Nets center Nic Claxton ($97MM base + $3MM incentives), Pacers forward Obi Toppin ($58MM +$2MM), Suns forward Royce O’Neale ($42MM +$2MM), and Sixers forward Martin ($35,040,704 + $5,256,106) are among the players whose contracts include unlikely bonuses that would boost the total guaranteed salary if those incentives are reached.

As cap expert Albert Nahmad observes, the structure of Martin’s contract helped the 76ers maximize their cap room, since his unlikely incentives don’t count toward the cap once he signs.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Martin’s “unlikely” incentives are easier to earn than a typical player’s incentives would be — I don’t expect them to be for making an All-Star team or anything like that. An incentive is considered unlikely for cap purposes if the player wouldn’t have met the criteria the year before. For example, as Nahmad suggests, a bonus related to Martin making 24 or more starts would be considered unlikely because he started 23 games last season. Martin’s bonuses – considered “unlikely” for cap purposes but perhaps “likely” to be earned in reality – could have served as a way to strengthen the Sixers’ offer without sacrificing that extra cap room.

It’s also worth noting that a player’s unlikely incentives can’t exceed 15% of his guaranteed base salary, and Martin’s $5,256,106 in incentives represent exactly 15% of his overall $35,040,704 salary.

Partial or non-guarantees and options:

James Wiseman‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pacers is guaranteed for $500K in year one, with a team option for 2025/26. That team option would be guaranteed for $569,041 if exercised (ie. the same percentage as his first-year salary).

Luka Garza got a similarly structured two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Timberwolves, except his first year is fully guaranteed prior to his second-year team option. That 2025/26 option would be guaranteed if picked up.

As previously reported, Isaiah Hartenstein‘s three-year, $87MM deal with the Thunder includes a team option for 2026/27. It’s worth $28.5MM, with $58.5MM in guaranteed money across the first two seasons.

Magic teammates Harris ($7.5MM) and Wagner ($11MM) each have second-year team options on their two-year deals.

The Rockets used their full bi-annual exception to give Holiday a two-year deal worth $9,569,400 that includes a second-year team option ($4,901,400).

Neemias Queta‘s three-year, minimum-salary contract with the Celtics is fully guaranteed in year one with a partial guarantee of exactly 50% ($1,174,789 of $2,349,578) in year two, plus a third-year team option for 2026/27. The third-year option ($2,667,944) would be guaranteed for 50% ($1,333,972) if exercised. Since his minimum deal covers more than two years, a team wouldn’t be able to acquire Queta via the minimum salary exception if he’s traded down the road.

Jonathan Isaac‘s new long-term deal with the Magic is partially guaranteed ($8MM of $14MM) in 2026/27, with non-guaranteed salaries of $14.5MM in 2027/28 and $15MM in 2028/29. However, each of those salaries would become fully guaranteed if Isaac plays at least 52 games in the prior season. For instance, if Isaac were to appear in 54 games in 2026/27, his $14.5MM salary for ’27/28 would be fully guaranteed.

Sign-and-trade contracts:

Interestingly, Kyle Anderson‘s and Buddy Hield‘s new contracts with the Warriors have the exact same salaries for the first three seasons: $8,780,488, $9,219,512, and $9,658,536. Anderson’s three-year deal is fully guaranteed for the first two years and non-guaranteed in year three.

As for Hield, his four-year contract is fully guaranteed for the first two years, with a partial guarantee of $3MM for year three. His fourth year is a $10,097,560 player option that would be partially guaranteed for $3,136,364 if exercised.

Klay Thompson’s three-year contract with the Mavericks comes in at exactly $50MM, as reported — it starts at $15,873,016 and features 5% annual raises.

Jonas Valanciunas‘ three-year contract with the Wizards is worth $30,295,000 in total, beginning at $9.9MM (which is the amount of the trade exception generated for the Pelicans). It’s fully guaranteed for the first two seasons and non-guaranteed in year three.

Cody Zeller got a three-year, $11,025,000 deal in the sign-and-trade that sent him from New Orleans to the Hawks. The first year is guaranteed for $3.5MM, with two non-guaranteed seasons after that.

Finally, as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, new Nets guard Shake Milton got a three-year, $9,162,405 contract that has a guaranteed first-year salary of $2,875,000, with two non-guaranteed years after that ($3MM in 2025/26 and $3,287,406 in ’26/27). His teammate Mamadi Diakite, who was also sent to Brooklyn in the trade, had his $2,273,252 salary partially guaranteed for $1,392,150.

Milton’s $2,875,000 salary, Diakite’s $1,392,150 partial guarantee, and Bojan Bogdanovic‘s $19,032,850 salary add up to $23.3MM, which is equivalent to Bridges’ salary — the exact amount of outgoing salary the Knicks needed to send to avoid being hard-capped at the first tax apron.

Klay Thompson Sign-And-Trade Completed As Six-Team Deal

July 6th, 2024 at 9:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks announced on Saturday that they’ve acquired longtime Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson via sign-and-trade in the first six-team deal in NBA history (Twitter link).

“We’re thrilled to have Klay join us in Dallas,” Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison said in a statement. “As one of the league’s greatest shooters who competes on both ends, we feel Klay is a perfect fit for our team. He adds a strong, experienced veteran voice that will help us continue to build on the success we’ve seen in recent years. Klay’s championship experience, clutch performances and calm demeanor under pressure exemplify what it takes to win in the NBA at the highest level. He will help us continue to grow towards our goal of winning another championship.”

The Hornets, Timberwolves, Sixers, and Nuggets are also involved in the trade, with separate agreements involving Kyle Anderson (Minnesota to Golden State), Buddy Hield (Philadelphia to Golden State), and Reggie Jackson (Denver to Charlotte) all folded into a single mega-deal.

As best we can tell, the terms are as follows:

Mavericks acquire Thompson (sign-and-trade) and a 2025 second-round pick.
Warriors acquire Anderson (sign-and-trade) and Hield (sign-and-trade).
Hornets acquire Josh Green, Jackson, the Nuggets’ 2029 second-round pick, and the Nuggets’ 2030 second-round pick.
Timberwolves acquire a 2025 second-round pick, a 2031 second-round pick swap (from Warriors), and cash (from Warriors).
Sixers acquire the Mavericks’ 2031 second-round pick.
Nuggets acquire cash (from Hornets).

There’s at least one minor adjustment from the original agreements. Because the Warriors benefit most from turning multiple deals into a single trade (they can use Thompson’s outgoing salary to salary-match for both Anderson and Hield, allowing them to give the two players a higher combined salary than what Thompson’s will make), they’re no longer receiving a second-round pick from the Hornets. It appears that pick is being rerouted to the Wolves, who needed to send or receive an asset from another team besides Golden State.

We don’t yet know the exact details of the 2025 second-rounders being acquired by Dallas and Minnesota, but it looks like one of them is the 2025 Nuggets pick that Charlotte initially agreed to acquire as part of the Jackson trade and one of them is the 2025 Sixers pick that Charlotte already controlled. The Hornets were always going to send out two second-round picks for Green — they’re just going to Dallas and Minnesota now, instead of Dallas and Golden State.

There may be more moving pieces here though, since none of the announcements from the six teams involved have shared the full details, so we’ll keep an eye out for updates.

For more details on all these trades, be sure to check out our original stories:

Mavericks to acquire Klay Thompson (story)
Warriors to acquire Kyle Anderson (story)
Warriors to acquire Buddy Hield (story)
Hornets to acquire Reggie Jackson (story)

Warriors Notes: Hield, DeMarco, Thompson, Anderson

July 5th, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors conducted their recruitment of Buddy Hield while the veteran sharpshooter was in Valencia, Spain, where he’s looking to secure an Olympic berth for the Bahamian national team. According to reporting from The Athletic, Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco – who is the head coach for the Bahamas – served as a “helpful ally” for Golden State’s front office in those recruiting efforts.

Hield’s decision to join the Warriors had been trending in that direction for a couple days before he made up his mind, per The Athletic. A late Wednesday call from Warriors head coach Steve Kerr helped seal the deal for Hield, who slept on it before finalizing his decision on Thursday.

As Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes within the same story, Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson are three veterans with varying skill sets who will help the Warriors solidify their rotation, but the club is still probably “a large move away from being considered any type of fringe contender.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

When the Warriors negotiated the Klay Thompson sign-and-trade with the Mavericks, they had the option of taking back Josh Green or another one of Dallas’ mid-sized contracts (likely Maxi Kleber), but they preferred to use the Thompson trade exception to go shopping in free agency for a player they liked more, sources tell Slater of The Athletic.
While Anderson averaged 22.6 minutes per game during the regular season for Minnesota last season, his playing time declined to 15.4 MPG in the playoffs. Slater suggests that – as long as the Warriors’ roster is healthy – the forward’s playing time in Golden State may end up closer to that postseason average.
Thompson took to Instagram on Friday to send a heartfelt farewell to Warriors fans and his longtime franchise. “Oh Bay Area, there are not enough words and images to convey how I really feel about y’all,” he said as part of a longer statement. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life. It was such an honor to put that Dubs jersey on from day one. … Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened. Until we meet again. Sea captain out.”
Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic takes a closer look at the legacy Thompson leaves behind in the Bay Area following his 13 years and four championships with the Warriors.

Kyle Anderson Headed To Warriors Via Sign-And-Trade

July 2nd, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent forward Kyle Anderson is headed to the Warriors via a sign-and-trade transaction with the Timberwolves, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link). He’ll be signing a three-year, $27MM contract. The third year is non-guaranteed, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

The Timberwolves will receive a future second-round pick swap and cash in the sign-and-trade, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).

Anderson will slot into the traded player exception created in the Klay Thompson three-team deal with Dallas and Charlotte. The acquisition will put the Warriors a projected $3.2MM below the $170.8MM luxury tax line with 13 players rostered, cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets. They’ll be hard-capped at the first tax apron ($178.1MM).

It had been speculated that Anderson, always a solid role player, would be difficult for Minnesota to retain due its salary-cap issues. The Timberwolves are a second-apron team, severely limiting their flexibility. They won’t be able to use the TPE generated by the Anderson sign-and-trade because of the restrictions for second-apron teams under the current CBA.

Rated No. 30 on our list of top 50 free agents, Anderson will jump right into the Warriors’ rotation. He appeared in 79 regular season games last season, including 10 starts, averaging 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per contest.

The 30-year-old is highly regarded for his defensive versatility, intangibles, and ability to serve as a secondary ball-handler, though he doesn’t provide much offensive punch. Anderson averaged double digits in points just once in a career that began in the 2014/15 season and is a 33.8% career 3-point shooter.

Wolves Notes: Connelly, Anderson, Edwards, McDaniels

May 31st, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly reportedly has an opt-out in his contract. Amid an ownership dispute, there has been speculation that the veteran executive may exercise that opt-out clause.

However, he told reporters on Friday that he’s “super excited’ about the team’s future and doesn’t plan to leave Minnesota, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune (subscription required).

“I mean, moving [from Denver] wasn’t fun,” Connelly said. “I’ve had a blast here. Feels like we have roots here. It’s pretty special. That’s the goal. It has been a great couple years, and hopefully, we can make it a much longer couple years.”

Connelly said he’d be comfortable no matter which group ultimately gains majority control of the franchise, Zgoda adds. Longtime owner Glen Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, is on one side of the dispute, with minority stakeholders Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez on the other. The matter is heading to a three-person arbitration panel.

“Ownership is obviously in a unique place right now,” Connelly said. “Whatever happens is kind of a level up. I trust whatever happens will be the right path. We’ve all shared great moments throughout this whole season. There are conversations that we’ve had, and they’ll be ongoing. Now that we’re officially in the offseason, we’ll get a better sense of what we might do.”

The Timberwolves were eliminated from the Western Conference finals after being blown out by Dallas in Game 5 in Minnesota. It was just the second time the Wolves have advanced that far in the postseason, and Connelly believes they’re capable of advancing further in the future, according to Zgoda.

“When you’re a home-court team and a final four team, all those teams can win a championship,” Connelly said. “So I don’t know if there is any linear path to that next step. I don’t think there is one singular answer. A lot of it is match-ups and health.”

Connelly praised Karl-Anthony Towns, who had an otherwise solid playoff showing but largely struggled against the Mavs. Minnesota’s top basketball executive also discussed the team’s future payroll, suggesting the Wolves would be willing to be a taxpayer, but not on a repeated basis due to the restrictions of the new CBA.

“It’s a big task for ownership,” Connelly said. “It’s a lot, a lot of money. Relative to the impact on our flexibility, I think the jury is still out. It’s not a place you want to be long-term. It gets more and more harsh each year. Dipping your toe in it, it could have relatively limited impact on what we can and cannot do. But we’re learning it like the other 29 teams.”

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Veteran forward Kyle Anderson, who has been rotation regular for Minnesota the past two seasons, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Retaining him will be a real challenge, considering how much money the Wolves have tied up in their other players. While Anderson said he enjoyed his time with the team and wants to return, he acknowledged he might be headed elsewhere this offseason, tweets Dane Moore. “I don’t know where I’ll be… but obviously (I) want to be back here,” Anderson said.
Star guard Anthony Edwards, who will be playing for Team USA at the Olympics in Paris this summer, said he plans to do some extra training this offseason to prepare for 2024/25, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes (subscriber link). “I’ve never played this deep into a basketball season,” Edwards said. “So now I know, like, OK, in order for me to be dominant in the third round, and if we get past this and finally go to the finals, I’ve got to train like I’m going to go to the playoffs. So I can’t be missing training days, I can’t take days off, you know what I mean? I’ve got to be ready. So I know what it takes, and I’ll be ready.”
Consistently unlocking Jaden McDaniels offensively is an offseason goal for Minnesota, says Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune (subscriber link). McDaniels’ lucrative rookie scale extension begins next season. He earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team this season, but often wasn’t involved enough on offense, Reusse observes.
Mark Deeks of HoopsHype provides his offseason preview for the Wolves. In addition to Anderson, veteran point guards Monte Morris and Jordan McLaughlin will also be unrestricted free agents, and so will forward T.J. Warren. Big man Luka Garza will be the club’s lone standard RFA.

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