Raptors Rumors: VanVleet, Young, Boucher, Bamba, Gobert
The Raptors and Fred VanVleet appear on track to reach an agreement on a four-year contract extension that could approach $120MM in total value, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
VanVleet, who will be extension-eligible this offseason, will earn $21.25MM in 2022/23 and has a $22.82MM player option for 2023/24. If he were to decline that option, he could sign a four-year extension worth up to $114.24MM, so Fischer’s $120MM projection looks a little high.
Still, it sounds as if the Raptors will be prepared to offer VanVleet the maximum amount he can receive on an extension. The All-Star point guard would become eligible for a more lucrative contract if he plays out the ’22/23 season, then turns down his player option to become a free agent next summer. But an extension worth $28.5MM per year that locks him up until age 33 may be hard to pass up.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- According to Fischer, Thaddeus Young appears likely to remain in Toronto, potentially on a two-year contract agreement worth at least $10MM. Young was acquired by the Raptors from San Antonio in a trade deadline deal in February.
- Young is one of the Raptors’ two key free agents this offseason, along with big man Chris Boucher. Zach Kram of The Ringer makes a case for why he considers Boucher the most interesting free agent on the market due to his unusual combination of skills and physical traits.
- The Raptors and Bulls are among the teams that appear to have interest in Magic big man Mohamed Bamba, Fischer reports. However, Bamba will be a restricted free agent and may not leave Orlando — he and the Magic are motivated to work out a new deal, sources tell Fischer.
- In considering potential landing spots for Suns restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton, Fischer notes that the Raptors continue to monitor the availability of a handful of top big men, including Jazz star Rudy Gobert. While Ayton may also be on the team’s radar, Toronto won’t have cap room and could only acquire him via sign-and-trade.
Jazz Hire David Fizdale As Associate GM
JUNE 29: The Jazz have officially hired Fizdale as an associate GM, according to a press release from the team.
JUNE 28: The Jazz have reached an agreement with David Fizdale, who will join the team’s front office, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Wojnarowski, Fizdale’s title in Utah will be associate general manager. The plan is for Fizdale to work closely with general manager Justin Zanik and CEO Danny Ainge.
Fizdale, who played college ball at San Diego from 1992-96, became an assistant coach at his alma mater in 1998. He made the transition to the NBA in 2003 and served as an assistant coach for the Warriors, Hawks, and Heat before being hired as the head coach of the Grizzlies in 2016. Fizdale had brief head coaching stints in Memphis and New York and then joined the Lakers as an assistant on Frank Vogel‘s staff for the 2021/22 season.
Fizdale will be transitioning into a management role for the first time and will reunite with Jazz minority stakeholder Dwyane Wade, who was in Miami with the veteran coach from 2008-16.
Ian Begley of SNY.tv first reported over the weekend that Fizdale was interviewing for a front office role with the Jazz.
Potential Targets In Free Agency
- What might the Jazz do with their taxpayer mid-level exception in free agency? Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune lists 25 potential free agent targets — breaking them down into wings, guards and bigs.
DJ Funderburk Commits To Play With Jazz During Summer Leagues
- DJ Funderburk has committed to play with the Jazz during the Salt Lake City Summer League and Las Vegas Summer League, his agent Cervando Tejeda said. Funderburk played in Russia and France this past season.
Will Hardy A Leading Candidate For Jazz Coaching Job
The Jazz view Celtics assistant Will Hardy as a leading candidate for the team’s vacant head coaching job, according to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake City Tribune. Larsen notes that Utah’s decision-makers reportedly favor a young candidate to replace Quin Snyder.
Snyder left the Jazz earlier this month after an eight-year stint. Utah has interviewed roughly 15 candidates for the position, searching for the right replacement to guide the team back into contention.
Hardy started his NBA career with the Spurs as a video intern in 2010. He was the team’s video coordinator from 2013 to 2015, then became an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich. He was hired by the Celtics when former Spurs assistant Ime Udoka took that head coaching job last year.
In addition to Hardy, the Jazz are also strongly considering Suns assistant Kevin Young, according to Larsen. The 40-year-old was an assistant coach with the Sixers from 2017-20, then was hired by current Suns head coach Monty Williams. Before that, he served as an assistant at Utah Valley University and coached in the G League.
Marc Stein previously identified Hardy and Young as two candidates who impressed the Jazz during the first round of interviews.
David Fizdale Interviewing For Jazz Front Office Job
David Fizdale is interviewing with the Jazz but not for their head coaching job. Fizdale is talking with Utah regarding a front office position, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.
The former Grizzlies and Knicks head coach had previously been considered a candidate for Quin Snyder’s former job, in part due to his ties with minority owner Dwyane Wade stemming back to Fizdale’s days as a Miami assistant. However, he’s not one of the many candidates that have interviewed for that job with CEO Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik.
Fizdale spent this past season as an assistant on the Lakers’ staff under Frank Vogel. He wasn’t retained after Darvin Ham was selected as their head coach.
Kofi Cockburn, Darryl Morsell Signing With Jazz
The Jazz will sign Illinois center Kofi Cockburn, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. He will receive an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The seven-footer was a first-team All-American this season and a first-team All-Big 10 selection the past two years. He averaged 20.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game as a junior before declaring for the draft.
Marquette guard Darryl Morsell is also signing with Utah, tweets Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale. Like Cockburn, he’ll get an Exhibit 10 contract, per Givony (Twitter link).
Morsell spent his first four collegiate seasons at Maryland and was named Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. He averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 31 games for the Golden Eagles.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Although it’s not guaranteed, a player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate. An Exhibit 10 contract can also be converted into a two-way deal before the start of the regular season.
Could Be Several Roster Changes On Draft Night
- Like Phoenix, Utah doesn’t currently control a pick, but the Jazz are dangling core players to try and acquire some, multiple sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic. Jones reports that the Jazz are very active on the trade market, with the odds increasing that the team’s roster could look significantly different by the end of today. The Jazz have a “lengthy list” of potential undrafted prospects they hope to entice with Exhibit 10 contracts once the draft concludes, sources tell The Athletic.
Hawks View Kings’ Offer For John Collins As “Underwhelming”
The Kings have been actively trying to acquire John Collins, but Atlanta isn’t impressed by Sacramento’s latest offer, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. His sources say the Hawks consider it “underwhelming.”
The reported offer for Collins includes veteran forward Harrison Barnes, but not the No. 4 pick in tonight’s draft. The trade would likely have been completed already if Sacramento was willing to part with that, Amick adds.
Amick also addresses Wednesday night’s report that the Hawks have talked to the Spurs about Dejounte Murray. He states that Atlanta officials believe San Antonio’s current asking price is “exorbitant” and although the teams aren’t close to an agreement, Amick believes it’s a situation to watch.
Also, sources tell Amick that the Hawks’ reported interest in Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been exaggerated. Atlanta still values Clint Capela, who has a good relationship with Trae Young. Financial considerations also point toward keeping Capela, who is owed $61MM over the next three seasons compared to $169MM over four years for Gobert, including a player option for 2025/26.
Jazz Coaching Search Progresses To Second Interviews
- Jazz owner Ryan Smith said the team has started conducting second interviews in its search for a new head coach, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. He added that the organization is taking it slow and he’s trusting CEO Danny Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik to determine the best candidates.