Moritz Wagner Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Olympic Notes: Kawhi, Durant, Coulibaly, Germany

July 12th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The decision to remove Kawhi Leonard from the roster for the U.S. Olympic team was made by USA Basketball, managing director Grant Hill told reporters this week (story via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). Reports on Wednesday suggested that Leonard’s camp had expressed concerns to Team USA about the forward’s knee, but Hill took responsibility for the move to replace Leonard with Derrick White.

“We just felt that we had to pivot, and not to get into the particulars, in terms of what went into the decision, but we just felt it was in our best interest, but also in the Clippers’ and Kawhi’s best interest, to move into a different direction,” Hill said. “We tried. I think we all tried and we gave it a valiant effort, and unfortunately, we have to move forward.”

Asked directly if Team USA made that call, Hill replied, “We did. Ultimately he was sent home, but we were in conversation with the Clippers on that.”

Another one of Team USA’s forwards – Kevin Durant – is dealing with an injury of his own, but Hill expressed optimism that KD’s calf strain won’t keep him sidelined for much longer. It’s unclear if Durant will actually play in either of the team’s exhibition games in Abu Dhabi, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). However, it sounds like he’ll return to practice soon.

“Durant will be on the plane, unless you know something,” Hill said. “He has been working, rehabbing, he’s looked great. I think we’re just being cautious and conservative. I think we expect to see him on the court when we’re in Abu Dhabi.”

Here’s more on Team USA and the upcoming Olympics:

Team USA looked just fine without Leonard and Durant on Wednesday in an exhibition game against Team Canada. While the U.S. struggled offensively, the team played excellent defense against a strong Canadian roster led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray and won by a comfortable 86-72 margin. A panel of ESPN experts shares their takeaways from that game, while Bontemps passes along post-game quotes from head coach Steve Kerr and a handful of U.S. players about their performance.
Speaking to Bontemps (YouTube link), Durant pushed back on the idea that he, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry are viewing the 2024 Olympics as a “last hurrah” or “farewell tour” playing for Team USA. “These guys are still playing at an elite level,” Durant said. “I feel like ‘Bron could play four or five more (seasons), he might be here in 2028 in L.A. Steph’s still playing great ball. I’m doing alright too. So I don’t want to look at it that way. I think we’ve still got some good ball in the tank.”
Still just 19 years old, Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly will get the opportunity this summer to represent the French national team at the Olympics in his home country. He tells Sapna Bansil of The Washington Post that he views it as a “once-in-a-lifetime moment” and that he’s enjoying being able to reunite with former Metropolitans 92 teammate Victor Wembanyama. “I forgot how easy it was to play with him,” Coulibaly said. “… Even with the friendly games, he’s been doing his thing, I’ve been doing my thing. We just complement each other very well.”
Coming off a gold medal at the 2023 World Cup, Germany has finalized its roster for the Paris Olympics, formally announcing the 12-man group in a press release. As expected, NBA veterans Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, and Daniel Theis are among the headliners.

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.

Magic Re-Sign Moritz Wagner

July 2nd, 2024 at 2:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 6: The Magic confirmed in a press release (Twitter link) that they’ve officially re-signed Wagner. The deal will feature a second-year team option, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

JULY 2: Moritz Wagner has agreed to re-sign with the Magic for $22MM over two years, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The 27-year-old center became an unrestricted free agent on Sunday after Orlando declined its $8MM team option for next season. The move was made to maximize cap space heading into free agency, but there were multiple reports that Wagner and the team were interested in a new deal.

Wagner appeared in 80 games last season, making just one start, and averaged 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.7 minutes per night. He shot a career-best 60.1% from the field and 33% from three-point range as Orlando reached the playoffs for the first time in four years.

Wagner was drafted by the Lakers with the 25th pick in 2018 and played for three teams in his first three seasons before signing with the Magic late in the 2020/21 campaign. He has become a valuable reserve on one of the best young teams in the East.

Orlando has been active since the start of free agency, re-signing Goga Bitadze and Gary Harris along with Wagner, and luring Kentavious Caldwell-Pope away from Denver. The Magic still have some leftover cap room, though recent reporting suggested they may be focused on re-signing Joe Ingles and renegotiating Jonathan Isaac‘s contract.

Free Agency Rumors: Theis, Magic, Heat, Raptors, Rockets

July 2nd, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Daniel Theis has received interest in free agency from several suitors, including the Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Bucks, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Theis won the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Germany last year, then joined the Clippers in the fall after negotiating a buyout with the Pacers. He served as the backup center in Los Angeles while Mason Plumlee missed time due to an injury and averaged 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game across 59 outings.

A second-apron team, Milwaukee is limited to offering minimum-salary contracts to outside free agents, while Memphis and New Orleans have financial constraints of their own to consider, so Theis is unlikely to secure a big payday from any of those suitors. Still, they could certainly offer him a path to playing time.

The Grizzlies traded away Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman last season, while New Orleans lost Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. this summer. Milwaukee has Brook Lopez manning the middle, but his name came up in trade rumors last month.

Here are a few more free agency notes from around the NBA:

Although the Magic still have a chunk of cap room left over, they don’t appear to be aggressively pursuing outside free agents using that room. Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) hears that there continues to be mutual interest in new deals for free agents Moritz Wagner and Joe Ingles — if both players return, Orlando would have 15 players on standard contracts. A report on Monday suggested the team is also exploring using some cap room to renegotiate and extend Jonathan Isaac‘s contract.
Caleb Martin doesn’t have a deal in place with a new team yet, but Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link) still views him as “all but gone” from the Heat. Re-signing Haywood Highsmith remains a possibility for Miami, per Winderman, who says the team may also sign another veteran free agent for the minimum. Winderman names Dennis Smith Jr. as a possible Heat target.
Free agent wing Gary Trent Jr. appears likely to leave the Raptors, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Koreen details, Toronto’s agreement with Garrett Temple means there are already 15 players projected to be on guaranteed contracts if second-round picks Jonathan Mogbo and Jamal Shead are signed using the second-round exception, as expected. In other words, the team’s free agent business might be just about done.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic hears that Trent had some interest in reuniting with former teammate Fred VanVleet in Houston, but the Rockets are another team who likely won’t do much more free agent shopping. Following the additions of Reed Sheppard and AJ Griffin, along with a new deal with Aaron Holiday, Houston projects to have 15 players under contract. While the Rockets would certainly still be interested in acquiring a young star, the two players they’ve been monitoring most closely, per Iko – Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker – aren’t available, and the asking price for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was considered too high.

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.

Magic Decline $8MM Team Option On Moritz Wagner

June 29th, 2024 at 4:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic aren’t picking up their $8MM team option for Moritz Wagner for next season, but both sides have interest in negotiating a new contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The decision means the 27-year-old big man will become an unrestricted free agent Sunday afternoon and will be free to talk with anyone. Wagner has spent the past four seasons in Orlando and presumably enjoys playing alongside his brother, Franz Wagner, so the team should have an advantage in trying to re-sign him.

The Magic are expected to be major players on the free agent market, and the extra $8MM in cap room could turn out to be valuable. Orlando is projected to have upwards of $52MM to work with and is considered to be a suitor for Clippers forward Paul George, who is declining his $48.8MM option for next season.

One possibility for Wagner suggested by Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link) is for Orlando to use its $8MM room exception to give him the same salary as his option. The team would have to exhaust its cap space before that pathway becomes available.

Wagner played an important role off Orlando’s bench this season, averaging 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 80 games.

Southeast Notes: Mills, Spoelstra, Gueye, Bufkin, Windler, Wagners

June 18th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Patty Mills only appeared in 32 games with the Hawks and Heat this season but the 35-year-old guard isn’t ready to retire. Mills will head into free agency looking for a new deal, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“I take really good care of myself and my body and the plan is to continue to play until the wheels fall off is how I see it,” he said. Mills, who added he’d prefer to stay with the Heat, will play for Australia in the Paris Olympics.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat‘s early postseason exit has allowed coach Erik Spoelstra to spend more time evaluating draft prospects, though he’s offering opinions rather than getting too involved in the process. “I figured I had three days to get up to speed on the draft last year,” he told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “The eight weeks leading up to [this year’s draft], I think I’ll just be probably overconfused by overanalysis. I’ll stay out of the way. Now that I have more time, I’m probably dangerous. I’ll stay out of the way of our scouting department. They do an exceptional job — Adam Simon and his staff — preparing for that draft.”
Mouhamed Gueye, Kobe Bufkin and Dylan Windler are expected to play on the Hawks’ Summer League squad next month, Brad Rowland of the LockedOnHawks podcast tweets. General manager Landry Fields made that revelation during his press conference on Monday. Gueye and Bufkin were on Atlanta’s 15-man roster to finish the season, while Windler was a two-way player.
Germany won the FIBA World Cup last summer, defeating Team USA along the way. The Magic‘s Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner will now try to lead their home country to a gold medal at the Olympics. “It’s a dream come true for me as a player,” Franz told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. The Magic hold an $8MM option on Moritz’s contract for next season, so he could wind up as a free agent next month.

International Notes: Germany, Italy, FAs, Carmelo, NBL, J. Parker

June 4th, 2024 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

The German national team, winner of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, has officially announced a 16-man preliminary roster for the 2024 Olympics, as Eurohoops relays.

The 16-man group features all 12 players who were part of the World Cup roster, including veteran NBAers like Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, and Daniel Theis. Four additional players will also be competing for spots on the 12-man Olympic squad: Oscar Da Silva (Barcelona), Leon Kratzer (Paris), Louis Olinde (ALBA Berlin), and Nick Weiler-Babb (Bayern Munich).

Meanwhile, the Italian national team has announced a far more expansive preliminary roster, identifying 30 players who will be in the mix for spots on the 12-man squad that will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico this summer.

As previously reported, Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio won’t be part of Italy’s 2024 roster since he’s recovering from toe surgery. However, as Eurohoops notes, the 30-man group features a handful of names that will be familiar to NBA fans, including Bucks forward Danilo Gallinari and former NBA players such as Nico Mannion and Nicolo Melli.

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

Could Gallinari or Furkan Korkmaz end up signing with a European team when their NBA contracts expire this summer? Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops identifies 10 NBA free agents, including Gallinari and Korkmaz, who are potential candidates to make their way overseas in the coming weeks or months.
Carmelo Anthony has been named the Global Ambassador for the National Basketball League’s Next Stars program, Australia’s top basketball league announced on Monday in a press release. Like TNT analyst Kenny Smith, who was named the head of the Next Stars initiative back in April, Anthony will also join the ownership group of an NBL expansion team. The 10-time NBA All-Star spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about his decision to get involved with the NBL and his goal of eventually owning a stake in an NBA franchise.
Former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker, who last played in the NBA in January 2022 and spent the 2023/24 season with FC Barcelona, teared up when asked in a media session about his first year playing outside of the U.S. (Twitter video link via BasketNews). As Marc Mundet relays (via Twitter), the former NBA forward explained later why he became overcome with emotion. “It was all happiness,” Parker said. “It was gratitude for this organization for giving me an opportunity. … Because of this place, I found my love for the game again. I wasn’t sure if I would play basketball again, but because of FC Barcelona, the fans, my teammates, my coaches, my friends here, I’ve found that love again and that passion.”

And-Ones: Nunn, Hield, Harris, Westbrook, Wagner, Brazil Roster

May 19th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Kendrick Nunn signed a two-year contract extension with Panathinaikos in Greece earlier this month, but he’s not ruling out an NBA return, he told Vangelis Papadimitriou of Eurohoops.net. The contract includes NBA out clauses, under specific conditions.

“I’ll be honored to go back. You never know,” he said.

In the meantime, he hopes to bring multiple EuroLeague titles to his current team. Nunn was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in his first season with the club.

“To play here with one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Playing at a high level. With great guys in the locker room that I enjoy playing with and bonding. It wasn’t hard. I love Panathinaikos and Greece,” he said.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Which impending free agents hurt their stock during the postseason? HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina identifies four players — Buddy Hield, Tobias Harris, Russell Westbrook and Moritz Wagner — who fall in that category. Westbrook has the ability to exercise a player option for next season, while Wagner’s deal includes a team option.
Brazil has announced a roster of 17 players for its Olympic qualifier tournament in Riga, Latvia. The roster will eventually be pared to 12 players. Gui Santos, who played 23 games with the Warriors as a rookie this season, made the list. Raul Neto, Cristiano Felicio, Didi Louzada and Bruno Caboclo are among former NBA players who are also on the preliminary roster, Sportando relays.
In case you missed it, Taylor Jenkins, Willie Green and Chauncey Billups top the list of coaches on the hot seat next season.

Magic Notes: Chippy Play, Fultz, Game 1 Flop, Lineup, Mosley

April 22nd, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Game 1 between the Magic and Cavaliers had an edge to it and it could get even more chippier as the series goes along, The Athletic’s Josh Robbins opines. Orlando’s Markelle Fultz was assessed a Flagrant-1 foul and the Cavs’ Georges Niang received a technical foul for an altercation during the series opener.

“Either he was going to hit me first or I was going to hit him,” Fultz said. “So, I just took the initiative to body up, not trying to hurt nobody or anything like that but just deliver a hit, make it be known that we’re not soft.”

Cleveland’s Isaac Okoro received a technical foul for shoving Moritz Wagner during another incident.

“We love that stuff,” Magic guard Cole Anthony said. “Especially for us, we’re a hard-nosed team. We want the game to be physical. So, I think that for us that works in our favor.”

We have more on the Magic:

The Magic tried to quickly move on from their 97-83 loss in Game 1, in which they shot a woeful 32.6% from the field. “It’s the first game,” center Wendell Carter said. “We don’t want to overreact to anything. The first game on the road, we got to see what kind of game they want to play. I think we’re good. I thought we did really good defensively. I think offensively we struggled. Holding a team under 100 is always a good defensive outing.”
There will be no changes to the starting lineup for Game 2 tonight, Robbins tweets. Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac will take the court for the opening tip.
In a subscriber-only piece, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel details how Jamahl Mosley‘s methods propelled his team to the postseason, comparing and contrasting him to other recent first time head coaches who flopped on rebuilding teams.