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Atlantic Notes: DiVincenzo, Sims, Nowell, Reed

July 16th, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry praised the Knicks’ free agent signing of former Golden State shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

“He knows how to play the game,” Curry said. “You can tell he won at the highest level in college. The Knicks got a good one and I’m happy that he got his fair share of that CBA, too. So it was good.”

DiVincenzo joined the Knicks earlier this month on a four-year, $47MM contract that far exceeded what the Warriors were able to offer him. Across his 72 healthy regular season contests with Golden State last season, the 6’4″ wing averaged 9.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.5 APG.

“He’s all about basketball, he’s all about winning,” Curry said. “He’s good on both sides of the ball. He can play-make better than most people probably realize. So he fills a lot of holes on teams. And he’s not selfish in the respect of — I know he wants to start and be that guy, but he also understands where the value can be created on a team no matter what role you’re asked to do. And he bought in right away. And he got rewarded for it.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Knicks reserve center Jericho Sims will not be cut by the team prior to today’s salary guarantee deadline, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. The $600K partial guarantee on Sims’ contract for 2023/24 will increase to $1.2MM after today; his full minimum-salary deal will become guaranteed if he remains under contract through August 20, which should be a lock.
Raptors rookie two-way guard Markquis Nowell is striving to become the latest undersized guard to succeed in Toronto, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. As Smith notes, the 5’8″ Nowell is looking to former shorter-statured Toronto guards Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Muggsy Bogues and Damon Stoudamire for inspiration on his NBA journey. “They’re (people) I studied growing up, knowing that I wasn’t going to be a bigger guard,” he said of the likes of ex-Raptors Stoudamire and Bogues. “I kind of had to study them, study how they stood in the league, how they impacted the game at this level. Anyone I can learn from, I do.”
Newly re-signed Sixers backup center Paul Reed took to The John Kincade Show on Philadelphia’s 97.5 FM The Fanatic to discuss his restricted free agency and eventual return to the club. The 6’9″ big man inked a three-year, $23MM offer sheet with the Jazz, which the Sixers opted to match. “I’m glad they [were] able to match the offer,” Reed said (hat tip to Ky Carlin of USA Today for the transcription). “The goal this offseason is to keep developing and keep finding ways to get better. I know I got an opportunity this year to play a little 4. Especially, with [new head coach] Nick Nurse. Just working on stretching the floor, driving out the corners, just little things like that.”

Sixers Match Jazz’s Offer Sheet To Paul Reed

July 9th, 2023 at 9:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers are matching the Jazz‘s offer sheet to restricted free agent Paul Reed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Philadelphia put out a press release confirming the decision.

Utah offered a unique three-year, $23MM contract to Reed, who was Joel Embiid‘s primary backup last season.

Only the first year of the contract is guaranteed. The Jazz used their $7.7MM room exception to complete Reed’s offer sheet.

The last two years of the contract, totaling $15.7MM, will become guaranteed if the Sixers reach the conference semifinals next season. The same unusual contract clause of reaching the conference semifinals would have applied to the Jazz if Philadelphia had declined to match.

Considering that the Sixers have gotten past the first round in five of the last six seasons, it’s more likely they will advance past the first round next season than the Jazz — though Utah is on the upswing after shaking up its roster last offseason.

The approach used by the Jazz certainly gave Philadelphia more pause to match the offer sheet but the team ultimately decided to hold onto a valuable reserve.

By matching, the Sixers have created more luxury tax issues for themselves. They’ll exceed the $165MM luxury tax threshold at a cost of an estimated $14MM in tax penalties. Reed will also have the option to veto trades for a year, due to the Sixers’ decision to match.

The Sixers now have a crowded frontcourt behind Embiid after agreeing to re-sign Montrezl Harrell and signing free agent Mohamed Bamba.

Reed saw his role expand in his third NBA season as he averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 69 regular-season games.

Sixers Sign Mohamed Bamba To One-Year Deal

July 9th, 2023 at 12:52pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 9: Bamba’s deal is official, the Sixers announced on Twitter.

JULY 5: Mohamed Bamba is signing a one-year deal with the Sixers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). It will be for the veteran’s minimum, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice (Twitter link).

The 76ers still plan on keeping restricted free agent Paul Reed, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that Bamba will be an insurance policy at backup center if Reed were to depart.

The sixth overall pick of the 2018 draft, Bamba spent his first four-plus seasons with the Magic, who sent him to the Lakers ahead of the trade deadline. He sprained his ankle shortly after being moved to L.A. and rarely played for the Lakers off the bench even before the injury. They wound up waiving his $10.3MM contract for 2023/24 before it became guaranteed.

In total, Bamba appeared in 49 games in 2022/23, averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per contest. He posted a shooting line of .485/.387/.661.

Although he has flashed the ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim, he hasn’t done either very consistently. Despite being 7’0″ with an enormous 7’10” wingspan, Bamba is very much a jump shooter offensively, rarely finishing in the paint or getting to the free throw line. He also makes a lot of mistakes in attempting to block shots he shouldn’t defensively, leaving the weak side open behind him.

Bamba saw his role with the Magic decline last season after the team added Wendell Carter and Paolo Banchero. He was outplayed by Moritz Wagner for the backup center job (Wagner re-signed with the Magic on a two-year, $16MM deal), and that’s partly why they moved Bamba.

Still just 25, Bamba could have some untapped upside. He’s blessed with enviable physical tools and he’s a low-risk signing at the league minimum.

Even if Reed does return, it’s possible Bamba could outplay him and become the team’s backup center behind Joel Embiid, though based on playing style, I would favor Reed’s aggression for the job, especially with Nick Nurse as head coach.

Paul Reed Receives Offer Sheet From Jazz

July 8th, 2023 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Restricted free agent Paul Reed has signed an offer sheet with the Jazz worth $23MM over three years, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Sixers will have until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday to match the offer if they want to keep Reed.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that the offer contains a unique provision that guarantees the first season of the new contract, while the other two will only become guaranteed if his team reaches the conference semifinals in 2023/24. That would total $15.7MM over two years, and Wojnarowski points out that Philadelphia is much more likely than Utah to advance in the playoffs during the upcoming season.

Woj also notes that the Sixers will exceed the $165MM luxury tax threshold if they match Reed’s offer, which would cost them an estimated $14MM in tax penalties. Reed would have the option to veto trades for a year if he stays with Philadelphia.

The Jazz will use their $7.7MM room exception to complete Reed’s offer sheet, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. He points out that Utah used its cap space in its trade for John Collins and its renegotiation-and-extension with Jordan Clarkson, whose salary for 2023/24 rose from $14.3MM to $23.5MM.

Reed saw his role expand in his third NBA season as he averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 69 games. He emerged as the primary backup to Joel Embiid as the season wore on and appeared in all 11 playoff contests.

The Sixers are re-signing Montrezl Harrell and are adding free agent center Mohamed Bamba, so Reed’s role might not be as secure if he stays in Philadelphia for another season.

Stein’s Latest: Wood, Saric, Bol, Mavs, Pelicans, Reed

July 7th, 2023 at 10:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Christian Wood and Dario Saric are two of the top unrestricted free agents who have yet to find new teams. There’s a good reason for that, according to Marc Stein at Substack: Both big men have only received contract offers for the veteran’s minimum thus far and are presumably looking for more money.

Stein says Saric will likely land with the Warriors if he’s unable to find a higher-paying offer. The Croatian big man is reportedly Golden State’s top remaining target.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Magic released Bol Bol on Tuesday and he cleared the waiver wire despite having a relatively modest $2.2MM salary. The Suns have a “level of interest” in the 7’2″ big man, according to Stein. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM said on Thursday (via Twitter) that he believed Phoenix might “take a hard look” at potentially signing Bol. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported when Bol was waived that the Suns contemplated trading for him on the night of last month’s draft.
The Mavericks aren’t done reshaping their roster this offseason, Stein reports. Dallas is expected to trade Tim Hardaway Jr. at some point, with JaVale McGee another candidate to be on the move, whether it’s via trade or being waived. Stein also hears Theo Pinson‘s time with the Mavs is likely over. The veteran guard remains an unrestricted free agent.
The Pelicans are just above the luxury tax threshold and have reportedly been active in trade talks for weeks. Like Fischer, Stein hears New Orleans is shopping guard Kira Lewis Jr. and center Jonas Valanciunas, with Lewis’ name surfacing more frequently in recent days. The Pelicans also unsuccessfully attempted to pry Jarrett Allen away from the Cavaliers, according to Stein.
There hasn’t been much buzz about possible offer sheets for restricted free agent Paul Reed, but Stein writes that the Jazz are worth monitoring. However, the Sixers are reportedly keen on retaining Reed, so it’s unclear if that might work out for Utah. The Jazz also already have several frontcourt players, so Reed would be a bit of an odd fit from a roster standpoint.

Trade/FA Rumors: Lillard, LaVine, Sixers, Reed, Reaves, Spurs

July 7th, 2023 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are believed to be seeking a package in the neighborhood of four first-round picks and two quality players in exchange for Damian Lillard, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, who spoke to Lillard’s agent Aaron Goodwin about the negotiations. Goodwin reiterated that he’s telling other teams that his client only wants to play for the Heat.

“It’s not fair to a team to allow them to engage in a negotiation that could be futile in the end,” Goodwin told Fentress.

While Lillard may be focused on the Heat, it would require the involvement of at least one more team for the Blazers to get a package anywhere near the level they’re looking for. Having traded its 2025 first-round pick to Oklahoma City, Miami can only currently offer two first-rounders.

As we wait to see if negotiations between Portland and Miami gather any momentum with teams convening at the Las Vegas Summer League, here are a few more trade and free agency rumors from around the NBA:

League sources tell K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that Zach LaVine‘s name has come up in preliminary trade discussions with both the Sixers and Trail Blazers. Neither of those conversations gained traction, according to Johnson, who hears that the Bulls‘ asking price for LaVine has been “extremely high.” Still, Johnson says the team has “fluctuated in its belief in LaVine’s consistency as a lead option.”
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com hears from sources familiar with the situation that the conversations between the Sixers and Bulls were really just “check-in” talks prior to the draft and didn’t evolve beyond that. So there’s no indication at this point that any multi-team deal involving LaVine and James Harden is on the way, Neubeck writes.
The Sixers‘ deals with centers Mohamed Bamba and Montrezl Harrell haven’t diminished their desire to retain restricted free agent Paul Reed, a team source tells Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Spurs legitimately considered the possibility of an offer sheet for restricted free agent guard Austin Reaves, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his Lowe Post podcast. The Lakers ultimately re-signed Reaves on a four-year, $54MM deal, which was the most that they could give him directly — another team could’ve tested Los Angeles’ resolve by making a four-year offer worth up to $102MM. “I know San Antonio was going back and forth on it and for whatever reason didn’t do it,” Lowe said.

Fischer’s Latest: Bridges, Washington, Pelicans, Dosunmu, More

July 5th, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Prior to signing his $7.9MM qualifying offer, Miles Bridges was seeking around $25MM per year in talks with the Hornets, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. However, Charlotte was unwilling to approach that figure, which is why Bridges’ representatives quickly opted for unrestricted free agency in 2024.

Bridges was ineligible to be included in a sign-and-trade because he wasn’t on the team’s roster last season, having missed all of 2022/23 after facing a felony domestic violence charge. He agreed to a plea deal and was subsequently suspended by the NBA, who will require him to sit out the first 10 games of ’23/24.

Prior to that incident, Bridges was viewed as one of the top free agents of the 2022 class, having averaged 20.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 3.8 APG on 49.1% shooting in 80 games (35.5 MPG) in ’21/22. There was talk of him receiving $30MM annually in an offer sheet last year, according to Fischer, with the Pacers, Pistons and Grizzlies all linked to the 25-year-old forward.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest story for Yahoo Sports:

Hornets restricted free agent forward P.J. Washington might have to wait a while in order to find the type of contract he’s seeking, and it might have to come via sign-and-trade. Marc Stein first reported that the former first-round pick is seeking around $18MM annually. According to Fischer, Washington is looking for $80MM over four years. Fischer writes that several agents seem to be pointing to Keldon Johnson‘s rookie scale extension with the Spurs as a benchmark of sorts in negotiations.
The Pelicans continue to gauge the trade market for reserve guard Kira Lewis Jr. and starting center Jonas Valanciunas, sources tell Fischer. Lewis is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract and could become a restricted free agent next summer, while Valanciunas’ $15.4MM deal is expiring.
Fischer hears the recent conversations between the Hawks and Raptors haven’t been very productive when it comes to a potential Pascal Siakam deal. On an unrelated note, Fischer also reports there’s optimism within Atlanta’s organization that the team will be able to extend Dejounte Murray.
The Raptors have expressed interest in Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, Fischer reports. However, it’s unclear if they’ll try to make a run at the restricted free agent via an offer sheet or sign-and-trade.
Like other reporters, Fischer has heard there’s mutual interest in a reunion between the Sixers and restricted free agent big man Paul Reed.

Washington, Williams, Thybulle Among RFAs Still Available

July 4th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the eight free players on our list of top 50 free agents who have yet to reach new deals, five are restricted free agents. Those five restricted free agents are also the only ones still available at all (not including those coming off on two-way deals). Those players are as follows:

P.J. Washington (Hornets)
Grant Williams (Celtics)
Matisse Thybulle (Trail Blazers)
Ayo Dosunmu (Bulls)
Paul Reed (Sixers)

While I’m sure these five players would’ve preferred to agree to lucrative new contracts in the opening hours of free agency, it’s not necessarily an ominous sign that they’ve yet to line up new deals four days later. It can sometimes take a little longer for the market for restricted free agents to develop, but it doesn’t mean they won’t get paid.

A year ago, for instance, Deandre Ayton didn’t sign his maximum-salary offer sheet with the Pacers (which was quickly matched by the Suns) until July 14, two weeks after the start of free agency. Collin Sexton, who received a four-year, $71MM in a sign-and-trade deal that sent him to Utah as part of the Donovan Mitchell blockbuster, didn’t resolve his restricted free agency until September.

The same thing happens with a few restricted free agents just about every year. In 2021, RFAs like Josh Hart (three years, $38MM) and Lauri Markkanen (four years, $67MM) took multiple weeks to reach new contract agreements.

In other words, there’s still plenty of time for Washington, Williams, Thybulle, Dosunmu, and Reed to find deals they like.

Washington, Williams, and Thybulle, in particular, seem like good bets to cash in sooner or later. A report over the weekend indicated that Washington was drawing interest from multiple teams besides the Hornets. Williams has reportedly received interest from Charlotte and Dallas, with the Mavericks also said to be keeping an eye on Thybulle.

It would be a surprise if any of them had to settle for a below-market deal. It sounds like teams are still in the process of figuring out if an offer sheet will be an exercise in futility or if there’s a legitimate chance to pry away one of those players from his current club — and if so, what the price point would be.

There hasn’t been as much chatter about Dosunmu or Reed, but there haven’t been any red flags on either front. Their qualifying offers ($5.2MM for Dosunmu; $2.3MM for Reed) remain in place as one-year fallback options.

The Spurs are the one team that still has enough cap room to make a strong play for any of those top RFAs, if they so choose. The Rockets may also be able to offer more than the full mid-level, depending on how all their moves shake out, and teams below the tax apron are free to try to negotiate sign-and-trades.

It has become pretty rare for restricted free agents to change teams via offer sheets, but sign-and-trade deals aren’t uncommon — they get the player to his preferred landing spot while ensuring that his old team picks up an asset or two.

There are still several unrestricted free agents whose landing spots will be worth watching too, including Christian Wood, Kelly Oubre, Hamidou Diallo, Jaylen Nowell, and Dario Saric. But at this point in free agency, it’s the RFA market that looks more intriguing.

Eastern FA Rumors: Kuzma, Kyrie, Bridges, Crowder, Sixers

June 30th, 2023 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Kyle Kuzma is seeking a contract “well above the mid-level exception,” according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, but it’s unclear which cap-room team might give him that sort of offer, especially if the Rockets and Pacers use their space on other players.

As Fischer writes, the Jazz were viewed as a legitimate suitor for Kuzma, but that option is almost certainly off the table following Utah’s deal for John Collins. People around the league have begun to consider it increasingly likely that Kuzma could re-sign with the Wizards, according to Fischer. While the Wizards are in the process of reshaping their roster, they’ll have Kuzma’s Bird rights and could view him as a future tradable asset as long as they don’t overpay him.

Here are more free agent rumors from around the Eastern Conference:

Following up on a report stating that Kyrie Irving had the Heat on his list of teams to meet with in free agency, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) cites a source who says the Heat have no meeting scheduled with the star point guard. Irving will, however, meet with the Rockets, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Interestingly, Fischer writes that the Hornets “don’t appear to have a straightforward path to re-sign” restricted free agent forward Miles Bridges. According to Fischer, Bridges and his representatives have broached the idea of Charlotte pulling its qualifying offer to make him unrestricted. Based on Fischer’s report, it sounds like Bridges’ camp may not feel confident about its leverage in talks with the Hornets entering the summer. The forward isn’t eligible to be signed-and-traded because he wasn’t on Charlotte’s roster last season.
Although Jae Crowder is considered likely to re-sign with the Bucks, the veteran forward has also drawn interest from the Heat, league sources tell Fischer.
While the Sixers may be fairly quiet at the start of free agency, it’s possible it won’t take the team long to come to an agreement with restricted free agent Paul Reed, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. The team’s odds of bringing back Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels, or Shake Milton don’t appear as strong. A source tell Neubeck that Niang may get “a nice chunk of money” from a rival suitor on the first day of free agency. Milton is unlikely to return to Philadelphia, while McDaniels’ free agency could take some time to play out, Neubeck adds.

Paul Reed To Get Qualifying Offer From Sixers

June 28th, 2023 at 6:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers will extend a $2.29MM qualifying offer to back-up big man Paul Reed, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Reed, 24, set career highs in his third season with the team by appearing in 69 games and averaging 10.9 minutes per night. He contributed 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 59.3% from the field.

The qualifying offer means Reed will be a restricted free agent and Philadelphia can match whatever offer sheet he receives.

Paul said last month that he hopes to re-sign with the Sixers. He has the option of accepting the QO as a one-year contract or testing the open market.