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Northwest Notes: M. Brown, Muscala, Blazers, Beasley, Nuggets

March 29th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Moses Brown‘s new contract with the Thunder is a four-year deal worth $6.8MM, according to Royce Young of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the second and third years are non-guaranteed. There’s a fourth-year team option for 2023/24, Young adds.

If Brown keeps playing like he has in his last four games (14.3 PPG, 16.8 RPG), that deal could wind up being a major bargain for the Thunder. However, one aspect of it is relatively player-friendly — as Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), Brown’s rest-of-season salary of $1.25MM is about $750K than he would have earned if he received the prorated minimum.

Because Oklahoma City remains about $4MM below the minimum salary floor, per Marks, there was no reason for the team not to go above the 2020/21 minimum for Brown. The Thunder’s cap situation also provides little incentive to try to save money by buying out any of their current veterans, so it makes sense that Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman is reporting that a buyout with Mike Muscala is “unlikely to happen.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • After trading for Norman Powell at last week’s trade deadline, Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey told Jason Quick of The Athletic that the team had to “shake things up” since “things were starting to look stale.” According to Quick, Portland – with two open roster spots after the trade – will likely peruse the buyout market in search of another wing or guard who could play back-of-the-rotation minutes.
  • Having completed the 12-game suspension he received following his February legal sentencing, Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley said he thinks he’s in a better place. “I feel like my life is where it needs to be,” Beasley said, according to Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. “I got a chance to work on myself on and off the court. I learned from my mistakes, and I’m ready to move on for it.”
  • After making his Nuggets debut in a blowout win over Atlanta on Sunday, Aaron Gordon liked what he saw, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN details. “I see no limits for this team,” Denver’s newest forward said. “It looks like we have all the pieces that we need. We have the depth. It’s like we are covered in a lot of different spots offensively, defensively. As long as we are all working together, there’s no stopping us.”
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Spurs Notes: Dieng, Walker, Aldridge, Samanic

March 29th, 2021 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

While other bought-out veterans have joined the Lakers and Nets in pursuit of a championship, Gorgui Dieng opted to sign with the Spurs, the No. 7 seed in the West. Explaining his decision to join San Antonio, Dieng said he was won over by the team’s pitch to him.

“It was like college recruiting all over again,” Dieng said, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links). “Everybody is going to talk to you and tell you why they want you to be on their team, and I felt comfortable with what I heard here.

“I like the team, I like the way they play. … They have a good system. The ball doesn’t stop. It moves around. They play together and they have a Hall-of-Fame coach that knows how to run his team. I am pretty excited to see what they are all about.”

It remains to see how much playing time Dieng will see with the Spurs, but he thinks he’ll be a good fit, given his ability to shoot threes and play defense. Dieng told reporters today that he’s willing to play whatever role coach Gregg Popovich envisions for him (Twitter link via Orsborn).

Here’s more on the Spurs:

  • Popovich said on Saturday that Lonnie Walker, who is currently sidelined with a sore right wrist, could miss “another week or so,” Orsborn writes for The San Antonio Express-News. Walker hasn’t played since last Monday.
  • Popovich wished veteran big man LaMarcus Aldridge well following his agreement with the Nets, Orsborn notes in the same story. “He was a wonderful teammate, and he will do a very good job in Brooklyn,” Popovich said.
  • Since being drafted 19th overall in 2019, Luka Samanic has seen more action in the G League (39 games) than in the NBA (19 games), but the second-year power forward could be in line for an increased role down the stretch, says Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “He’s beginning to prove himself deserving of time,” Popovich said of Samanic, who averaged a double-double (21.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG) in six NBAGL games for the Austin Spurs last month.
  • In case you missed it earlier today, we relayed details on how much cash the Spurs received in the Marquese Chriss trade, the amount of Aldridge’s buyout, and Dieng’s rest-of-season salary.
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Dates Set For 2021 NBA Draft, Lottery, Combine

March 29th, 2021 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

2:57pm: The NBA has officially confirmed the combine, lottery, and draft dates listed below, and has also announced a pair of additional deadlines:

  • Early entrant application deadline: Sunday, May 30 (11:59pm ET)
  • Early entrant withdrawal deadline: Monday, July 19 (5:00pm ET)

Again, the NCAA will set its own withdrawal deadline, so the July 19 date will be more relevant for international early entrant prospects.

The NBA also announced in its press release that the plan for the combine is to conduct five-on-five games and strength and agility testing, though that’s subject to “evolving public health conditions.”

2:00pm: The NBA has set dates for the 2021 draft lottery, the combine, and the draft itself, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Charania that those dates are as follows:

  • Draft combine: Monday, June 21 – Sunday, June 27
  • Draft lottery: Tuesday, June 22
  • Draft: Thursday, July 29

None of those dates comes as a real surprise — with the end of the 2020/21 regular season pushed back by a little over a month, all of the corresponding dates will be postponed by approximately a month as well, with the 2021/22 league year set to begin in early August.

However, we still don’t know exactly what form these events will take. In 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the combine, lottery, and draft were all held virtually. Given the rate of vaccinations in the U.S., the pandemic outlook shouldn’t be nearly as bad this summer, but it remains to be seen whether the NBA will be prepared to hold large-scale in-person events, with participants (and possibly fans) coming in from all over the country.

In any case, Charania’s report means we can start filling in our offseason calendar. Since the NBA typically sets its early entrant withdrawal deadline for 10 days before the draft, that date figures to fall on July 19. The league will still need to establish a deadline for those early entry players to declare for the draft (that deadline is usually 60 days before the draft), and the NCAA also has to set its own withdrawal deadline for college players.

For a sense of what this year’s draft order may look like, be sure to check out our reverse standings and our in-depth breakdown of 2021’s traded first-round picks.

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Some NBA Teams, Execs Want Buyout Market Reform

March 29th, 2021 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Some teams and executives around the NBA, especially those in small markets, are frustrated by the NBA’s so-called “buyout market” and have pushed unsuccessfully for reform, according to Howard Beck of SI.com.

Those complaints have been amplified within the last few days, as two of the top players on the 2021 buyout market – Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge – signed with the big-market Lakers and Nets, respectively. Brooklyn also signed Blake Griffin earlier in the season after he was bought out by Detroit.

“You’re just helping the rich get richer,” one general manager from a small-market team told Beck.

Players like Drummond, Aldridge, and Griffin were all bought out – rather than traded – because no teams were willing to give up assets to take on their oversized salaries. Once they reach free agency and are no longer attached to those huge cap hits, those veterans suddenly look a whole lot more attractive — they could be bargains on minimum-salary contracts for teams that didn’t give up anything for them, and those teams often play in bigger markets.

“The system is flawed,” another small-market GM told Beck. “You shouldn’t be adding to your team this deep in a season without giving things up.”

While it’s easy to say that those small-market teams shouldn’t agree to buyouts in the first place if they don’t want their players to end up on big-market contenders, Beck says those clubs often feel pressure to get a buyout done so as not to alienate agents or to gain a reputation of not being player-friendly, a point echoed by at least one GM.

Small-market executives are hoping the NBA will address the buyout issue in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, according to Beck, who says a number of ideas have been proposed. Those ideas include giving teams a specific form of cap exception for buyout signings (which can only be used once per year or once every other year) or holding a blind auction for bought-out players, with teams using their existing exceptions or cap room to make bids.

However, as Beck writes, those execs aren’t optimistic that the NBA will seriously consider reforming the buyout market, since the league has yet to even acknowledge it’s an issue. The NBA’s silence on the issue is somewhat understandable — having big-name players head to big markets is good for ratings, Beck observes. Plus, if the players’ union is going to agree to any system that reduces or eliminates their ability to choose their new teams in the event of a buyout, it will likely require the league to give ground on another collectively-bargained issue.

Opponents of reform would point to the Spurs’ signing of Gorgui Dieng as an example combating the narrative that only big-market contenders have a chance to land the top bought-out players. They might also argue that buyout signings rarely have a major impact on the postseason and point out that if they were major difference-makers, they wouldn’t be able available in the first place.

Addressing the Aldridge and Drummond signings specifically, John Hollinger of The Athletic questions whether the Nets will benefit at all from Aldridge taking minutes away from young center Nicolas Claxton, who is clearly the better defender. Additionally, Hollinger notes that the Lakers may once again move away from traditional centers like Drummond when the postseason rolls around.

“It’s kind of funny to me, because for the last couple years all I’ve heard is how bad I am. You sign with this team and everybody’s like, ‘That’s not fair!”” Griffin told Brian Lewis of The New York Post, when asked about the reaction to the Nets landing him and Aldridge. “People say whatever they want. I don’t put a whole lot of value in other people’s opinions.”

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Southeast Notes: Heat, Beal, Gafford, Hornets, Hunter

March 29th, 2021 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Heat didn’t make a deal for Kyle Lowry at last week’s trade deadline, their acquisition of Victor Oladipo and their salary cap situation put them in a good spot, says Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. As O’Connor explains, Miami will get a shot to evaluate Oladipo for the rest of the season before deciding whether or not to re-sign him. If they opt to let Oladipo go, the Heat are in position to open up enough cap room to make a serious run at Lowry.

Of course, Pat Riley and the Heat may prefer to go after a higher caliber of star than the 35-year-old Lowry. But it doesn’t look right now as if there will be many available this offseason, O’Connor notes. That could change if Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who shut down trade speculation all season, eventually reconsiders his stance.

As O’Connor writes, Beal still might be the most realistic target for teams seeking a superstar, since he’ll be on an expiring contract in 2021/22. Sources tell The Ringer that Beal’s decision to remain in D.C. for at least the rest of this season was motivated in part by wanting to get through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic before making any life-altering decisions.

Beal has repeatedly pledged his loyalty to Washington, so even after the pandemic – and with his free agency nearing – he still may not want to be dealt. But teams are continuing to monitor that situation. According to O’Connor, the Heat, Celtics, Knicks, and Pelicans are among the teams interested in pursuing Beal, with the Raptors also looming as a possible sleeper.

Here’s more from around the NBA’s Southeast:

  • Daniel Gafford had a strong Wizards debut on Saturday, racking up 13 points, five rebounds, and three blocks in just 14 minutes, impressing his teammates and head coach Scott Brooks. “He had just a fantastic game. It was a great first game for him,” Brooks said, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “We’re going to keep working with him. He’s definitely a keeper. He has a chance to be good for a lot of years with his skill set.”
  • Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said on Friday that his team will monitor the buyout market, though he acknowledged that the top players to shake loose may not have Charlotte atop their wish lists, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Kupchak also conceded that the team will need to address its center position this offseason at the latest. “Since Cody (Zeller) and Biz (Bismack Biyombo) are both going to be free agents, that would be an area of concern going forward,” Kupchak said. “This summer they’re going to have options and we may or may not have options. That is, and was, a focus (of trade talks).”
  • Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter is dealing with some swelling in his surgically repaired knee. While GM Travis Schlenk downplayed the issue, a medical expert who spoke to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic believes it could be something Hunter has to deal with for the rest of the season.
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Evan Fournier Cleared To Make Celtics Debut

March 29th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

Newly-acquired Celtics shooting guard Evan Fournier has been cleared to play for his new team after having his debut delayed by the NBA’s health and safety protocols over the weekend, the club announced today (via Twitter). Fournier will be available on Monday vs. New Orleans.

Players are typically held in the protocols for one week when they’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, and at least two weeks when they test positive themselves. The fact that Fournier was cleared so quickly suggests neither of those scenarios apply to him.

Fournier has averaged a career-high 19.7 PPG and 3.7 APG on .461/.388/.797 shooting in 26 games (30.3 MPG) so far this season. The Magic sent him to Boston last Thursday in a trade that netted them a pair of second-round picks and a $17MM+ trade exception.

Fournier will get the opportunity to inject some added scoring and play-making into Boston’s offense and to make a case for a longer-term deal with the club. The 28-year-old is on track to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Monday night will also be the first time that the Celtics host fans in TD Garden this season, having been approved to fill the arena to 12% of its overall capacity.

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Cap/Cash Notes: Warriors, Drummond, Clippers, Rockets, More

March 29th, 2021 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

When the Warriors traded Marquese Chriss to the Spurs and Brad Wanamaker to the Hornets at the trade deadline, they included cash in both deals. By moving Chriss’ $1.82MM cap hit and Wanamaker’s $2.25MM salary off their books, Golden State will generate substantial tax savings, which will outweigh the cash they gave up in the two trades.

As a result, the Warriors didn’t mind sending $1.85MM to the Spurs along with Chriss, per Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), and $2.2MM to the Hornets with Wanamaker, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Teams are limited to sending out no more than $5.62MM in cash in 2020/21 trades, so the Warriors will be limited to about $1.57MM at the draft. Their yearly limit will reset once the new league year begins, so if Golden State reaches a draft-day trade that involves more than $1.57MM in outgoing cash, it’s a safe bet the team will wait until the 2021/22 league year starts to officially finalize it.

Here are a few more leftover cap-related notes from Marks and Hollinger on trades and buyouts:

  • Andre Drummond will earn the prorated veteran’s minimum of $794,536 on his new deal with the Lakers, which is – not coincidentally – the exact amount he gave up in his buyout with the Cavaliers, says ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Marks notes that the Lakers still have enough room under the hard cap to sign a 15th player.
  • The Clippers sent $2.75MM to the Kings in the Mfiondu Kabengele salary dump and $1.25MM to the Hawks in the Rajon Rondo trade, reports Hollinger.
  • The Rockets took in Avery Bradley‘s $5.64MM salary using part of the traded player exception created in the James Harden trade, allowing them to generate a larger TPE for Victor Oladipo, says Hollinger. That means, instead of having a $10.65MM TPE that expires early next season and a $2.77MM that expires at next season’s deadline, Houston has TPEs worth $5.02MM and $8.18MM. You can see more details here.
  • Gorgui Dieng gave up $699,952 in a buyout with the Grizzlies, according to Hollinger. That’s the exact amount the big man would have earned on a minimum-salary deal if he officially signed with the Spurs on Wednesday, but he completed his deal with San Antonio today, so it’ll be worth $729,737.
  • That leaves LaMarcus Aldridge as the only player to give up significantly more than his prorated minimum in a post-deadline buyout. As Hollinger explains, the discrepancy between the reported amounts of Aldridge’s buyout was due to escrow. Aldridge gave up $7.25MM in his agreement with the Spurs, which will work out to $5.8MM after factoring in the league’s escrow cut.
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Spurs Sign Gorgui Dieng, Waive Marquese Chriss

March 29th, 2021 at 10:10am CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 29: The Spurs have made it official with Dieng, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed him to a new contract.

MARCH 28: Free agent center Gorgui Dieng will sign with the Spurs once he clears waivers, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The Knicks, Suns, Clippers, Sixers, Raptors, Heat and Nets also reached out to Dieng, sources tell Stein (Twitter link).

San Antonio doesn’t have an open roster spot, so Marquese Chriss will be waived to make room for Dieng, as Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter). Chriss, who is out for the year with a broken right fibula, was acquired from the Warriors on Thursday. His $1.8MM contract expires at the end of the season.

The Spurs have officially released Chriss, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets.

The Grizzlies waived Dieng on Friday after failing to find a taker for him by the trade deadline. His $17.3MM contract limited the options for Memphis on the trade market.

Dieng has played in just 22 games this season and was averaging 7.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per night. He had fallen behind Xavier Tillman in the rotation and didn’t appear to have a future with the Grizzlies.

Dieng will officially clear waivers at 5pm today. The 31-year-old will provide another veteran front court option for San Antonio, which reached a buyout agreement with LaMarcus Aldridge on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Warriors Notes: Curry, Open Roster Spots, Oubre

March 29th, 2021 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Warriors won their first game following Stephen Curry‘s tailbone contusion last week, the team has slumped since then without its leading scorer, losing its last four straight.

With Golden State still clinging to the 10th seed in the Western Conference at 22-24, the team got some good news on Sunday, as head coach Steve Kerr said that Curry practiced in full and “looked good,” per Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Curry hasn’t been cleared to return yet, but he has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game vs. Chicago, so he could be back on the court as soon as tonight. If not, he seems like a good bet to be ready for Thursday’s contest in Miami. Kerr indicated on Sunday that he’s looking forward not just to having Curry back but to having a healthier roster in general.

“When Steph is on the floor, we just have confidence and swagger that’s missing when he’s not,” Kerr said. “And that helps our defense. If you go back over the last eight or nine games, we’ve had a lot of stuff. Whether it’s injuries, (COVID-19) protocol … (these) are all reasons – not excuses, they’re just reasons – that we’ve struggled. But nobody really cares. It’s just what it is. Every team’s dealing with all kinds of adversity this year.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • After trading away Brad Wanamaker and Marquese Chriss at last week’s deadline, the Warriors have two openings on their 15-man roster. President of basketball operations Bob Myers said the team is considering a number of options for those spots, including signing a player on the buyout market, promoting two-way players Juan Toscano-Anderson and/or Nico Mannion, or even bringing over draft-and-stash prospect Justinian Jessup from Australia. Decisions are expected soon (Twitter links via Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area).
  • Following the trade deadline, Myers acknowledged that the Timberwolves’ top-three protected 2021 first-round pick – held by the Warriors – drew plenty of interest. “You gotta be open to anything, but it would take a lot to part with that,” Myers said of the pick (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). “You never say never.” If it lands in the top three this year, the Warriors will receive the Wolves’ unprotected first-rounder in 2022.
  • Myers didn’t have a problem with Kelly Oubre‘s comments suggesting he wouldn’t want to come off the bench if he’s back with the Warriors next season. “I like what he said,” Myers said (Twitter link via Slater). “He should want to start.”
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2021 NBA Buyout Market Watch

March 29th, 2021 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

The 2021 NBA trade deadline is behind us, but that doesn’t mean teams are finished making roster moves. With over a month-and-a-half left in the 2020/21 regular season, there are still many roster spots to be filled around the NBA, as well as veterans who might not finish the year with their current teams.

The NBA’s buyout market has been busy since the trade deadline and figures to remain active for at least another week or two.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Buyouts]

A veteran in an undesirable situation due to his playing time or his team’s place in the standings (or both) could ask to be released and may even be willing to give back a little money to accommodate the move. Some teams might make that decision unilaterally, opting to release a veteran to open up a roster spot for a younger player.

Over the rest of the month, we’ll use the space below to monitor the buyout market, keeping tabs on which veteran players have been bought out or released, and which have found new teams. We’ll also keep an eye on players who are potential buyout candidates. The list will be updated daily.

A player on an NBA contract must be waived by the end of the day on April 9 in order to retain his playoff eligibility, so that will be a key date to watch.

Here’s our breakdown of the 2021 NBA buyout market:

Last updated 4-11-21 (8:41pm CT)

Veterans who have been bought out or released this season and are free agents:

Note: Not every player who has been cut since the trade deadline will be mentioned here. We’re not listing developmental players (such as Jalen Lecque or Ignas Brazdeikis) or injured players (like Meyers Leonard or Marquese Chriss) who would be unlikely to draw interest from playoff teams.

Veterans who have been bought out or released and joined new teams:

Other veterans who could be candidates to be bought out or released:

Note: These players all made it through the April 9 playoff eligibility waiver deadline without being cut, so they appear likely to finish the season with their respective clubs.

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