2018 August | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Sign Jahlil Okafor

August 9th, 2018 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 9: The Pelicans have officially signed Okafor, according to the NBA’s official transactions log.

AUGUST 8: The Pelicans have agreed to sign free agent center Jahlil Okafor, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). A source tells Wojnarowski that Okafor will sign a two-year contract with a partial guarantee in the first year and a team option for year two.

Scott Kushner of The Advocate first reported on Tuesday that the Pelicans and Okafor were engaged in discussions about a possible deal. As we noted at the time, the 22-year-old could be a good fit on a Pelicans roster that is short on traditional centers. Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotic, and Julius Randle are expected to see the majority of the frontcourt minutes for the club, but none of those players is a natural five.

While Emeka Okafor, Alexis Ajinca, and Cheick Diallo are also options at center for the Pelicans, Okafor’s salary is still non-guaranteed, Ajinca missed the entire 2017/18 season with a knee injury, and Diallo has played primarily at the four since arriving in New Orleans.

The Pelicans currently have 12 players on fully guaranteed salaries for 2018/19, with Emeka Okafor, DeAndre Liggins, Troy Williams, and now Jahlil Okafor among the players with non-guaranteed deals or partial guarantees. That should open the door for the former Sixer to potentially earn a spot on New Orleans’ 15-man regular season roster.

Okafor, drafted by the 76ers with the third overall pick in 2015, averaged 17.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG during his rookie year, but has seen his playing time and production decline since then. After being traded to Brooklyn this past season, he posted 6.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 26 contests (12.6 MPG) with the Nets.

Because Okafor isn’t a strong rim protector or outside shooter, he has had trouble carving out a consistent role over the course of his NBA career. However, there shouldn’t be much pressure on him to make an impact in New Orleans — the team has already used its mid-level exception on Randle and its bi-annual exception on Elfrid Payton, meaning Okafor’s new partially guaranteed contract will only be worth the minimum.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NBA, USAB Execs Caught Off Guard By NCAA Changes

August 9th, 2018 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Executives from the NBA and USA Basketball were blindsided by an NCAA announcement that revealed a series of planned reforms involving top prospects, writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, the NBA, NCAA, and USA Basketball met to discuss potential changes, but the NBA and USAB didn’t believe they had come to any consensus on how to move forward on multiple issues.

One key aspect of Wednesday’s NCAA announcement was the introduction of a rule that will allow “elite” high school seniors to hire agents. That rule is expected to go into effect once the NBA’s one-and-done rule is abolished, but that’s not a lock to happen — even if it does, it likely won’t be until 2021 or 2022 at the earliest, raising questions about why the NCAA had to make such an early announcement.

Additionally, the NCAA indicated in its press release that USA Basketball would be responsible for determining whether or not a high school prospect is considered “elite.” That’s not a responsibility that USAB officials asked for or want, according to Wojnarowski, who says that USA Basketball believes the NBA is better equipped to make those sorts of decisions.

The NCAA’s rule changes, which include greater flexibility for early entrants to put their names in the draft and later decide to return to school, were initially viewed as a step in the right direction. However, as more details surface on the reforms, there’s skepticism from NBA observers and league insiders about how effective the new measures can be.

While the NCAA says it will allow early entrants to remain in the draft and return to school if they’re not selected on draft night, that rule will only apply to prospects who attended the draft combine. In 2018, just 69 prospects were invited to the combine and the majority of those players were drafted in June — in other words, the new rule will impact a very small group of prospects.

As detailed above, there’s also concern about how the “elite” designation for high school prospects will work, since it could overlook talented players and only benefit a select few.

Here are a couple more pieces reacting to the NCAA’s rule changes:

The NCAA’s reforms have been met with confusion and skepticism in many corners of the basketball world, according to Jeremy Woo of SI.com, who writes that the announcement “feels like a grab for positive press.”
Sports legal expert Michael McCann of SI.com presents six takeaways from the NCAA announcement, noting that limiting agent eligibility to “elite” male prospects could create antitrust, equal protection, and Title IX issues. McCann also observes that the NCAA appears to be relying on the NBA and NBPA to make rule changes of their own.

Hawks Announce Front Office Changes

August 9th, 2018 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

As they enter their second year under the leadership of general manager Travis Schlenk, the Hawks have made some changes to their front office, announcing a series of additions and promotions in a press release. Here are some of the notable announcements from the franchise:

Veteran NBA executive Rod Higgins, formerly the general manager in Golden State and Charlotte, has been named the Hawks’ vice president of basketball operations. He served as a college scout for the team last season.
Former Warriors GM Larry Riley, who has also worked for the Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Bucks during his extensive NBA career, has been hired by the Hawks as a senior advisor. Like Higgins, Riley worked in the Warriors’ front office when Schlenk was in Golden State.
Daniel Starkman, who joined the Hawks in 2015 and served as the club’s manager of basketball information and scouting coordinator in 2017/18, has been named Atlanta’s manager of basketball operations.
Former Timberwolves basketball operations analyst Dwight Lutz has joined the Hawks as the team’s director of basketball strategy & analytics.

For more details on the Hawks’ front office changes, plus new additions to Atlanta’s athletic department and medical staff, be sure to check out the full press release from the club.

Mitch Creek Freed To Sign With Nets

August 9th, 2018 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

Australian star Mitch Creek has been released from his contract with the Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League, and is now free to sign with the Nets, the 36ers announced today in a press release.

“The club has loved being a part of Mitch’s journey over the last eight years and is thrilled to have played a role in the opportunity Mitch has worked so hard for and thoroughly deserves,” the statement from the 36ers reads. “On behalf of the entire Adelaide 36ers Family, we wish Mitch every success in the NBA and look forward to watching his progress.”

Late in July, reports out of Australia began to surface suggesting that Creek was opting out of his contract with German club Wuerzburg in order to attend training camp with the Nets, as NetsDaily relayed at the time. However, the 36ers – Creek’s longtime Australian team – reportedly filed an injunction to prevent him from making the leap to the NBA without receiving compensation.

Creek had previously been under contract with Adelaide through the 2018/19 season, but exercised an out clause in that deal to play in Germany. As such, the 36ers believed they should be entitled to some sort of compensation, particularly if he earns a spot on the Nets’ regular season roster. It’s not clear what sort of agreement the 36ers and Nets came to, but it appears no further roadblocks stand in the way of Creek signing with the NBA club.

In 31 games in Australia last season, Creek averaged 14.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 2.5 APG. He was named to the All-NBL Second Team. The 6’5″ wing also played for the Mavericks’ Summer League team last month, recording 6.8 PPG and 5.2 RPG in five games in Las Vegas.

Kawhi Leonard Publishes Letter Thanking Spurs, Fans

August 9th, 2018 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

Despite the fact that the NBA rumor mill was flooded with whispers from Kawhi Leonard‘s camp this summer, we heard next to nothing from Leonard himself. That changed this morning, with Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports relaying a letter published by the star forward in the wake of the trade that sent him from the Spurs to the Raptors.

“I have been going back and forth the last few weeks trying to figure out the right things to say, and it comes down to two simple words: THANK YOU!” Leonard writes. “My family and I want to say THANK YOU to the entire Spurs organization and the people and fans of San Antonio.”

Leonard’s letter goes on to specifically thank head coach Gregg Popovich, his teammates during his Spurs years, and the San Antonio fans, adding that he’ll “never forget what we have shared and accomplished together.”

While Leonard’s statement expresses the right kind of sentiment, it may be too little, too late for many Spurs fans, considering it comes after months of drama related to his trade request, and weeks after that drama was seemingly resolved with the Raptors trade.

We likely won’t hear from Leonard publicly again until September, when the Raptors host a media day to kick off their training camp.

Former Hawk Andrew White To Play In Turkey

August 9th, 2018 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

After playing for the Hawks on a two-way contract in 2017/18, small forward Andrew White is headed to Turkey for the upcoming season. Turkish club Afyon Belediye published a tweet that included a White highlight package and welcomed him to the team.

White, 25, went undrafted in Syracuse in 2017 but caught on with the Celtics for training camp. He opened the regular season with the Maine Red Claws in the G League after being released by Boston, and a strong showing for Maine (16.0 PPG on .435/.400/.855 shooting in 24 games) led to a two-way deal with the Hawks.

White appeared in 15 NBA games for Atlanta and 15 more games for the Erie BayHawks – the Hawks’ G League affiliate – after joining his new club. However, the Hawks decided to go in another direction with their two-way contract slots this offseason and didn’t tender White a qualifying offer in June, making him an unrestricted free agent.

White is one of several former NBA players set to play in Turkey in 2018/19. Joffrey Lauvergne, Nigel Hayes, Shane Larkin, Markel Brown, and Jeff Withey are among the others who have reached deals with Turkish clubs this summer.

International Notes: White, Eriksson, Pasecniks, Radicevic

August 8th, 2018 at 9:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

After being waived by the Cavaliers earlier this week, Okaro White is nearing a deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, according to Stavros Barbarousis of EuroHoops. White has prior overseas experience, playing in Italy and Greece before signing with the Heat in 2016.

He played in 41 games in a season and a half with Miami before being traded to the Hawks at this year’s deadline and then waived on the same day. He signed with the Cavaliers in March, but never made it on the court and was released before a partial guarantee on his 2018/19 salary kicked in. White played seven Summer League games for the Cavs, averaging 6.0 PPG and 7.4 RPG.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Marcus Eriksson, a draft-and-stash player whose rights are owned by the Hawks, re-signed with Herbalife Gran Canaria in Spain, tweets Keith Smith of Real GM. A 24-year-old Swedish forward, Eriksson was the 50th player taken in 2015.
Anzejs Pasecniks, a 2017 first-rounder whose draft rights are owned by the Sixers, also re-signed with Herbalife Gran Canaria, according to Smith (Twitter link). Orlando took the 7’2″ center with the 25th pick and traded him to Philadelphia.
Nikola Radicevic, a second-round selection in 2015, signed with Dolomiti Energia Trento in Italy, Smith adds (Twitter link). The Nuggets own the draft rights to the 24-year-old point guard.
Jonathan Holmes, who spent part of last season with Maine in the G League, has signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. He averaged 7.3 PPG and 7.4 PG in 11 games with the Red Claws.

Nets Notes: Hollis-Jefferson, Harris, Creek, Atkinson

August 8th, 2018 at 9:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The injury that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson suffered in an exhibition game in China over the weekend has been diagnosed as a left adductor strain, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lewis provides no details on a prognosis for Hollis-Jefferson, but he adds that the 23-year-old forward will begin rehab work right away.

Hollis-Jefferson was playing in Jeremy Lin‘s “Hoop for Hope” game on Saturday when he felt pain after landing on a dunk attempt. He immediately went to the locker room and returned to the United States later that day.

There’s more news out of Brooklyn:

Joe Harris is grateful to the Nets for helping him revive his career after being waived in 2016, but his decision to re-sign with Brooklyn last month wasn’t made out of sentiment, Lewis writes in a full story. Harris accepted a two-year, $16MM deal when he might have gotten better offers elsewhere, but he says familiarity with the organization played a role in his decision. “Everybody knows what you’re about and what you bring,” Harris explained. “It’s hard to duplicate that. It takes a lot of time. … If you go somewhere else it’s difficult. You’re not going to get that instantly. Then factor in I have comfort with the system. I just felt like although it was a two-year deal versus a longer deal this was the best case for me.”
Mitch Creek wants to sign with the Nets, but his Australian team won’t let him go without compensation, according an article on NetsDaily. The Adelaide 36ers have filed an injunction in an Australian court and are seeking $75K in U.S. dollars before they will release Creek. The Adelaide Advertiser reports that the team is hoping to resolve the situation within 24 hours so Creek can finalize a training camp deal with Brooklyn. “We are ensuring in the event that he gets a spot on the final roster that there is some sort of compensation [for Adelaide],” 36ers chief executive Ben Kavenagh told the newspaper. The Nets’ interest in Creek was first reported by Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia (Twitter link).
Respect around the league for Nets coach Kenny Atkinson could serve as a “secret weapon” for the organization in free agency next summer, suggests Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.

Heat Notes: Richardson, Newman, Okafor, Babbitt

August 8th, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat had calls from teams wanting to trade for Josh Richardson this summer, but Miami isn’t looking to move him, according to Manny Navarro and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The organization wants Richardson to take a larger role on offense, with team president Pat Riley telling him that he should be able to average 18 points per game.

Richardson put up a career-best 12.9 PPG last season while shooting .375% from 3-point range. The authors say Richardson has been concentrating on shooting off the dribble and creating his own shot during offseason workouts.

Teams may have been trying to take advantage of the Heat’s desire to shed salary, but Richardson has an affordable deal that will pay him nearly $42MM over the next four seasons, including an $11.6MM player option in 2021/22. If he is able to increase his scoring numbers, Richardson’s contract might look like a bargain.

Navarro and Jackson pass along some more Heat info in the same piece:

Miami wasn’t swayed by Malik Newman‘s experience with the Lakers when the team opted to sign him this week. The 21-year-old guard inked a two-way contract with L.A. at the beginning of July, but spent less than three weeks with the team before being waived. A source said the Heat were “intrigued” with Newman because of his outside shooting prowess and his performance with Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. At 6’3″, Newman will have to learn to play point guard to succeed in the NBA, the source added. His contract is believed to be a training camp deal.
Even though the Heat have roster openings, they never considered trying to sign free agent center Jahlil Okafor. The No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Pelicans today after disappointing performances with the Sixers and Nets. Miami only has 12 players with guaranteed contracts, along with a two-way deal for Duncan Robinson, but the team believes it has enough centers with Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo backing up Hassan Whiteside.
Veteran forward Luke Babbitt, who finished last season in Miami after a February trade from the Hawks, continues to examine offers in Europe. Babbitt, 29, is hoping to find a place where he can get more playing time after barely being used by the Heat. He appeared in 13 games after the deal, averaging 11.2 minutes per night, and played just three total minutes in the postseason.

Cavaliers Notes: Schedule, James, Sexton, Dekker

August 8th, 2018 at 6:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

As expected when LeBron James announced he was leaving for Los Angeles, the Cavaliers have fallen out of the mix for the NBA’s spotlight games. In the partial schedule announced earlier today, Cleveland isn’t included in any of the nationally televised games for the opening week, Christmas Day or Martin Luther King Day, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. It’s quite a change for the Cavs, who hosted last season’s opener and whose matchup with the Warriors had become a yuletide tradition.

Cleveland will have at least once marquee game on November 21 when James returns with the Lakers for his only appearance in the city this season, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

There’s more Cavaliers news to pass along:

First-round pick Collin Sexton tells Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops that he’s excited about the opportunity awaiting him in Cleveland. The eighth selection in this year’s draft, Sexton will be counted on to eventually become the primary creator in the Cavaliers’ offense. “My role will just be able to come in and learn and have an impact on the team,” he said. “No matter what it is, being a distributor, being a scorer. Just going out there playing my game and being the best me I can be.”
The Cavs get a B grade from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton for their acquisition of Sam Dekker. Cleveland needed to find someone who could fill both forward spots after losing James and Jeff Green to free agency, and Dekker, who was picked up from the Clippers at minimal cost, has shown an ability to handle both roles. Pelton states that Dekker is better than anyone the team could have signed in free agency.
Standing pat until the season starts may be the Cavaliers’ best strategy at this point, according to Evan Dammarell of Forbes. He says the Cavs wouldn’t have benefited from a rumored Kyle Korver for Jerryd Bayless swap with the Sixers and doubts that the Rockets, who have reportedly expressed interest in J.R. Smith have much to offer that Cleveland would want.

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