Rodney Hood's Injury Not Serious
- The Thunder’s Russell Westbrook scored only six points on 2-of-11 shooting to go along with seven turnovers in Saturday night’s 96-87 loss to the Utah Jazz. As reported by ESPN’s Royce Young, Westbrook appears to still be adjusting and adapting to the acquisitions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony; however, Westbrook insists that this season is no different than any other. “It’s the same thing [as last season],” Westbrook said. “Basketball’s been the same for years. It’s still the same game. Obviously different players, but the game still tells you what to do. If you need to score, you score, if not, you don’t. It’s very simple.”
- Despite not playing Saturday night against Oklahoma City as the result of a calf injury, Rodney Hood of the Jazz is primed to make his return to the court sooner than originally feared, as reported by Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Despite the initial concern after Hood had to be helped off the court by teammates, Jazz coach Quin Snyder was apparently never too worried. “I’ve kind of conditioned myself to not jump to conclusions about those things one way or the other,” Snyder said when asked about being relieved the injury wasn’t worse. “Sometimes when they don’t look as bad, you kind of feel like, ‘Oh, it’s not that bad,’ and then it ends up to be worse.”
Rodney Hood's Camp Pushed For Extension, To No Avail
Prior to Monday’s extension deadline, Rodney Hood‘s camp “worked hard” on getting something done, but couldn’t find common ground with the Jazz, says Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Kyler adds that Utah figures to match any offer for Hood next summer, if he stays healthy in 2017/18.
Although Hood struggled in his first game this season, putting up just six points and two rebounds in 18 minutes as he battled a stomach bug, he’s expected to play a significant role for the Jazz this season in the wake of Gordon Hayward‘s departure. A breakout season for Hood could make him an interesting restricted free agent next July.
Exum Explains Surgery Decision; Bolomboy Clears Waivers
- Jazz guard Dante Exum explained his decision to have surgery on his separated left shoulder in a video tweeted by the team. Exum had been exploring non-surgical options, but after consulting with team doctors, he opted to have the operation, which is scheduled for Tuesday. “They were saying when I was getting back there could be some strength issues, even still pain as I was returning to play,” Exum said. “I’m only 22 at the moment, and I think whether it be now or later, I think it’d be something I’d want to get fixed.”
- Former Jazz power forward Joel Bolomboy became an unrestricted free agent after clearing waivers today, according to the RealGM transactions page. The 52nd pick in the 2016 draft, Bolomboy spent most of last season in the G League and played just 12 games for Utah.
Dante Exum Opts For Shoulder Surgery
Jazz point guard Dante Exum has opted for surgery on his separated left shoulder, the team announced in a press release. The surgery, which will take place on October 24th, will stabilize the AC joint of his left shoulder. The team did not announce a timetable for Exum’s return but he’s likely to miss most or all of the season, Kyle Goon of the Salt Lake Tribune speculates.
Exum, 22, missed the 2015/16 season with an ACL tear. He returned last season and played in 66 games, averaging a career-high 6.2 PPG and 1.8 APG. The Jazz acquired Ricky Rubio during the offseason to start at the point. Raul Neto and Donovan Mitchell will back him up in Exum’s absence.
- Wing Royce O’Neale got the nod over big man Joel Bolomboy for the Jazz’s final roster spot based on need, according to Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News. O’Neale, who spent the last two seasons in Spain, provides coach Quin Snyder with a defender who can guard multiple spots. “I think positionally, he’s a fit for our group right now,” Snyder told McDonald and other media members. “He’s got instincts defensively. Coupled with the toughness, it makes him a good wing defender.”
Tiago Splitter Hopes To Land NBA Contract
Veteran center Tiago Splitter is shopping around for an NBA contract, he told Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype in a Q&A session.
Splitter revealed that he had discussions with the Cavaliers, Jazz and Clippers but nothing came to fruition. He worked out for the Clippers in July.
He also received numerous training camp invites but didn’t get a formal contract offer, he told Sierra. However, the Brazilian native has no desire to explore opportunities overseas.
Injuries have sidetracked his career and Splitter admits he’s still not 100 percent. Splitter, 32, appeared in just eight games with the Sixers last season as he battled hip and calf injuries. He played 36 games with the Hawks the previous season, which was marred by a hamstring issue. Splitter spent his first five seasons with the Spurs.
If he can’t land a player contract, Splitter has decided to pursue a coaching career. He has visited with the Spurs, Hawks and Warriors during camp with that purpose.
“It’s a learning experience with focus on my career once my playing days are over,” he told Sierra. “My plan is to remain involved in basketball. This is a good way to network, meet new people and get to see basketball from a different perspective.”
Jazz Waive Joel Bolomboy
The Jazz have set their roster for the regular season by waiving Joel Bolomboy, the team announced today in a press release. The move reduces Utah’s roster count to 17 players — 15 on NBA deals and two on two-way contracts.
Bolomboy, the 52nd overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Weber State, appeared in just 12 games for the Jazz last season. While he didn’t earn a regular role with the NBA club, the 23-year-old power forward did see plenty of action for Utah’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. In 24 G League games, Bolomboy averaged 16.6 PPG and an impressive 13.3 RPG.
A report out of Utah last week had suggested that the battle for the final spot on the Jazz’s roster was coming down to Bolomboy vs. Royce O’Neale. It’s possible Utah could make another move before today’s deadline, but for now it appears that O’Neale has made the team.
As for Bolomboy, he’ll clear waivers and become a free agent on Wednesday, assuming he isn’t claimed. His 2017/18 salary was fully guaranteed, so the Jazz will remain on the hook for his $1,312,611 cap hit.
Jazz Unlikely To Sign Rodney Hood To Extension
The Jazz aren’t likely to signing guard Rodney Hood to a contract extension ahead of Monday’s deadline, Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune writes. The swingman, expected to shoulder more of Utah’s scoring load, will thus hit restricted free agency next summer.
While Hood will get the 2017/18 campaign to help Jazz fans forget about Gordon Hayward, he’ll also be able to use a successful season to boost his stock on the open market next offseason. The starting guard will get plenty of touches considering that the franchise will need to replace Hayward’s 21.9 points per game.
Per Jones, the Jazz do have faith in their 24-year-old two guard, they’d just like to see him stay healthy and more consistent on offense. In two of his three seasons thus far, Hood has missed at least 23 games.
If Hood can play 70-plus games in 2017/18 and show that he’s more than just an intriguingly lengthy physical specimen, his size and ability to knock down triples (1.9 threes per game at a .371 rate last season) should earn him plenty of suitors next summer.
When that day comes, the Jazz – with only $83MM committed at a time when few teams will have abundant cap space – will be forced to dig deep into the piggy bank to retain his services lest they lose an offensive focal point for the second time in two summers.
Roster Moves Still Required For Four NBA Teams
After Saturday’s flurry of roster moves around the NBA, most of the league’s 30 teams are all set for the regular season. Heading into opening night, teams are allowed to carry up to 17 players — no more than 15 on their respective NBA rosters, plus an additional two on two-way contracts.
Saturday didn’t represent the deadline for teams to set the regular season rosters, but it was the last day for a club to waive a player on a fully non-guaranteed contract and avoid having his salary count against the cap. That’s why most teams have already made the necessary moves to ensure their rosters are regular-season-ready.
[RELATED: 2017/18 NBA Non-Guaranteed Salaries By Team]
However, as our roster count page shows, there are four teams who will need to make at least one more trade, cut, or other roster move before they’ll be set for the season. These moves are due by Monday afternoon.
Here are those four teams:
Chicago Bulls
- NBA contracts: 16 (13 fully guaranteed)
- Two-way contracts: 2
- The Bulls still have three players on non-guaranteed contracts — Jarell Eddie, David Nwaba, and Diamond Stone. Eddie looked like the most logical candidate to be waived, so it’s somewhat odd that Chicago didn’t make that move on Saturday. Of course, the Bulls’ team salary is well below the salary floor, so if they end up paying Eddie or Nwaba for a couple days of service, it’s hardly the end of the world. Stone already has a $50K guarantee on his contract, so he could be waived on Monday without it affecting the Bulls’ bottom line.
Dallas Mavericks
- NBA contracts: 16 (12 fully guaranteed)
- Two-way contracts: 1
- The Mavericks are already at 17 players, so the most logical move would be to convert Gian Clavell‘s NBA contract into a two-way deal and avoid waiving anyone. Dallas has held off on that move, however, with Clavell drawing some trade interest. The club will have to make a call on him – or another player with a full or partial guarantee – by Monday.
Memphis Grizzlies
- NBA contracts: 17 (16 fully guaranteed)
- Two-way contracts: 2
- No team has more work to do before Monday than the Grizzlies, who will have to trade or cut multiple players and may end up eating a decent chunk of guaranteed money. The most likely scenario would see the team waiving Jarell Martin and perhaps Andrew Harrison (or Wade Baldwin), while retaining Mario Chalmers, who only has a modest $25K guarantee. Martin, Harris, and Baldwin all have full guarantees, which is why Memphis wasn’t under pressure to make any decisions on Saturday.
Utah Jazz
- NBA contracts: 16 (15 fully guaranteed)
- Two-way contracts: 2
- Like the Grizzlies, the Jazz appear set to waive a player on a fully guaranteed salary, which is why they could afford to wait until Monday rather than getting something done on Saturday. Raul Neto, the team’s lone non-guaranteed player, appears safe, meaning the decision will likely come down to Joel Bolomboy vs. Royce O’Neale. Both players have fully guaranteed minimum salaries.
Western Notes: Leonard, Exum, Hood, Nurkic
Kawhi Leonard won’t be ready when the season opens because of a lingering quad injury, relays the Associated Press. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich confirmed the news to reporters Friday night, saying the team will be cautious with its star forward, who didn’t play in any preseason games or participate in camp. ”He’s still rehabbing and when he’s ready, he’ll be ready,’‘ Popovich said.
Leonard is in a rehab program for quadriceps tendinopathy, and Popovich admitted last month that recovery is taking longer than anticipated. Leonard began experiencing the condition last season, and it is not related to an ankle injury in the Western Conference finals that knocked him out of the playoffs.
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- Leonard, who finished third in the MVP voting last season, is this year’s favorite for the award, according to Tom Haberstroh and Titus Smith of ESPN. The writers examine the criteria used in MVP balloting and believe Leonard has the strongest case. He averaged a career-best 25.5 points per game last year while helping the Spurs win 61 games.
- Jazz guard Dante Exum is exploring alternatives to season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Exum suffered a separated shoulder with ligament damage in a preseason game last week. The fifth pick in the 2014 draft already missed the 2015/16 season with a torn ACL. Exum has a Monday deadline to work out an extension with Utah or he will become a restricted free agent next summer.
- Also facing a Monday extension deadline is Rodney Hood, who anticipates a larger role in the Jazz offense this season, relays Jody Gennessy of The Deseret News. The fourth-year shooting guard believes Utah, which went unbeaten in the preseason, will be able to replace the contributions of free agent losses Gordon Hayward and George Hill. “It won’t necessarily be easy, but it will be easier than people think because we’ve got guys who can pass the ball and play without the ball,” Hood said.
- The Trail Blazers won’t work out an extension with center Jusuf Nurkic before Monday, but that doesn’t mean his future won’t be in Portland, according to Mike Richman of The Oregonian. The Blazers traded for Nurkic in February, and the organization would prefer to watch him for a full season before committing to a long-term contract. Nurkic helped propel the team into the playoffs after being acquired from Denver and makes no secret of his affection for Portland. “I love this team,” Nurkic said Friday. “I love this city. I love these teammates. I enjoy it here.”
Jazz Waive Naz Mitrou-Long
The Jazz continue to inch toward the regular season roster limit, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived another camp invitee, Naz Mitrou-Long. Mitrou-Long signed with Utah as an undrafted rookie out of Iowa State, and appears likely to play for the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League.
Following the release of Mitrou-Long, the Jazz are now carrying 18 players. Two of those players are on two-way contracts, so the club needs to make just one more cut – or trade – to get its NBA roster down to the 15-man limit. However, it’s not clear which player will be on the chopping block.
The Jazz have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, but Raul Neto and his non-guaranteed contract should start the regular season with the club. That means parting ways with a player on a guaranteed deal — a Friday report indicated that Utah’s decision figures to come down to Joel Bolomboy vs. Royce O’Neale.
The Jazz may not make a final decision on Bolomboy and O’Neale until Monday. Since both players have fully guaranteed contracts, there’s no rush to waive either of them today. Mitrou-Long’s non-guaranteed salary, on the other hand, would have started to count against Utah’s cap if he had remained under contract beyond today.