2021 July | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Preparing Three-Year Offer For Mike Conley

July 30th, 2021 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz will be “pressing hard” to re-sign point guard Mike Conley in free agency next week and are preparing an offer that’s expected to be in the range of $75MM over three years, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Multiple reports this week have stated that Utah is considered likely to re-sign Conley, who is the team’s top priority in free agency. There was an expectation that the Jazz may have to shed some salary in order to comfortably re-sign Conley, since they would’ve been in line for a massive luxury tax bill if they’d brought him back at a reasonable rate without making any other roster moves.

Utah has indeed lined up a deal to dump a contract, having reportedly agreed to trade Derrick Favors to Oklahoma City, which is another signal that the club is confident about its chances of re-signing Conley.

Conley, 33, had an up-and-down first year in Utah in 2019/20, but bounced back this past season, averaging 16.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 3.5 RPG with a .444/.412/.852 shooting line in 51 games (29.4 MPG). He earned his first All-Star appearance in his 14th NBA season.

If Conley returns to Utah, it’ll take one of this year’s top free agents off the board, but there will still be plenty of intriguing point guards available for teams looking for upgrades at the position, including Kyle Lowry, Spencer Dinwiddie, and RFA Lonzo Ball.

Jaquori McLaughlin To Sign Training Camp Deal With Warriors

July 30th, 2021 at 10:09am CST by Arthur Hill

Undrafted rookie Jaquori McLaughlin has reached an agreement with the Warriors, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He doesn’t specify the type of contract that McLaughlin will receive, but it may be an Exhibit 10 deal, which is commonly given to camp invitees.

The 6’4″ point guard played two years at Oregon State before transferring to UC Santa Barbara for the last three seasons. He was named Big West Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 48.8% from the field and 40.8% from three-point range.

McLaughlin’s contract with Golden State can become official when the 2021/22 league year starts next week.

Lakers Sign Chaundee Brown, Mac McClung To Exhibit 10 Deals

July 30th, 2021 at 9:34am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 10: The Lakers have officially signed Brown and McClung to Exhibit 10 contracts, per RealGM’s transactions log.

JULY 30: The Lakers have reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 contract with undrafted rookie Chaundee Brown, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The 6’5″ wing averaged 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for Michigan this season. He spent three years at Wake Forest before opting to play his senior season with the Wolverines. Brown was ranked 60th on ESPN’s big board.

The Lakers have also agreed to sign Texas Tech guard Mac McClung to a training camp deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

McClung played two seasons for Georgetown before joining the Red Raiders as a junior. He averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season.

L.A. also reached agreements to fill both two-way slots after Thursday night’s draft, signing Joel Ayayi of Gonzaga and Austin Reaves of Oklahoma.

Free Agency Rumors: Collins, Cavs, CP3, Clippers

July 30th, 2021 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams interested in signing restricted free agent John Collins are growing “increasingly pessimistic” that they’ll be able to pry away the big man from the Hawks, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).

The Hawks and Collins couldn’t come to an agreement on an extension during the 2020 offseason, with Atlanta reportedly making a four-year offer in the neighborhood of $90MM, while Collins was believed to be seeking the max. That gap created a sense that the Hawks may be reluctant to match an aggressive offer sheet for Collins this summer, but based on Stein’s report, it sounds like rival suitors are skeptical about Atlanta letting the 23-year-old get away.

Here are a few more free agents from around the league:

The Cavaliers had Alex Caruso and T.J. McConnell high on their list of free agent targets, but after agreeing to acquire Ricky Rubio from Minnesota, Cleveland may use its mid-level exception to address a position other than point guard, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Like Suns owner Robert Sarver, general manager James Jones isn’t sure whether or not Chris Paul will pick up his player option to remain in Phoenix. But if Paul opts out, Jones is optimistic the two sides can reach a new deal. “I think what we have is enticing. I think he likes being here. We like having him here,” Jones said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “So I’m confident that we will be able to have a conversation hopefully in the coming days that will make everyone happy.”
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said the team wants to bring back Kawhi Leonard, Reggie Jackson, and Nicolas Batum in free agency and hopes that Serge Ibaka opts into the final year of his contract, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times relays. Frank also acknowledged that the club expects Leonard to miss time next season due to his ACL sugery. “That’s going to require a great deal of time and we want to support him in that,” Frank said.

D.J. Carton Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hornets

July 30th, 2021 at 9:15am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 7: The signing is official, the Hornets announced in a press release.

JULY 30: The Hornets will sign undrafted rookie D.J. Carton to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The 6’2″ guard played for one year at Ohio State before transferring to Marquette last season. He averaged 13 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game as a junior.

The Hornets were among the teams Carton visited for a workout before the draft.

The Exhibit 10 deal will give Carton an opportunity to attend training camp with Charlotte and possibly land a two-way contract or become an affiliate player with the Greensboro Swarm.

Pacers To Sign Terry Taylor To Camp Deal

July 30th, 2021 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers and undrafted guard Terry Taylor have agreed to a training camp deal, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Woj doesn’t provide any additional info on the agreement, but Taylor may end up signing an Exhibit 10 contract, which is common for camp invitees.

Taylor, who worked out for more than half the teams in the NBA during the pre-draft process, had a big senior year in 2020/21 for Austin Peay, averaging 21.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in 27 games (37.0 MPG).

The 6’5″ wing saw his three-point percentage dip to just 27.9%, but he made 35.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc in his first three college seasons and still made 52.1% of his total shots from the floor as a senior.

Taylor’s deal with Indiana can become official anytime after the NBA’s 2021/22 league year begins next week.

Jazz Sign MaCio Teague To Exhibit 10 Deal

July 30th, 2021 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 15: The Jazz have officially signed Teague, per a team press release.

JULY 30: The Jazz have agreed to sign undrafted rookie MaCio Teague to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

After beginning his college career at UNC Asheville, Teague transferred to Baylor for his junior year and played a key role on the 2021 national champions as a senior. The 6’4″ guard was the Bears’ second-leading scorer with 15.9 PPG on .478/.395/.831 shooting in 30 games (31.7 MPG). He also chipped in 4.0 RPG and 1.7 APG.

An Exhibit 10 deal should give Teague the opportunity to attend training camp with the Jazz. While he may be a long shot for a regular season roster spot, the 24-year-old could be converted to a two-way contract or might become an affiliate player for Utah’s G League club, the Salt Lake City Stars.

Wizards To Sign Jay Huff, Jordan Goodwin To Exhibit 10 Deals

July 30th, 2021 at 8:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards are signing undrafted free agents Jay Huff and Jordan Goodwin to Exhibit 10 contracts, according to a pair of reports from Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter links).

A 7’1″ forward/center, Huff spent his college career at Virginia and was a full-time starter for the first time as a senior in 2020/21. He averaged 13.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 2.6 BPG with a stellar .585/.387/.837 shooting line in 25 games (27.0 MPG). Huff, who won a national title in 2019, made the All-ACC Second Team and the ACC All-Defensive Team in 2021.

As for Goodwin, the 6’3″ guard averaged a double-double in back-to-back years for Saint Louis, including 14.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG in 21 games (33.1 MPG) this past season. Goodwin’s shot (.430/.314/.643) is inconsistent, but he’s a decent play-maker (3.9 APG) and made the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive team twice in 2020 and 2021.

An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted into a two-way or standard NBA deal if a team decides it wants to keep a player around beyond training camp. It can also ensure a player receives a bonus worth up to $50K if he ends up joining his team’s G League affiliate, so it’s possible Huff and/or Goodwin eventually play for the Capital City Go-Go.

Draft Notes: Duarte, Warriors, Hornets, Mavs, Stashes

July 30th, 2021 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers ended up with Oregon’s Chris Duarte on draft night, using the No. 13 pick to select him. However, Duarte drew plenty of interest from other teams before Indiana snatched him up late in the lottery, writes J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star.

[RELATED: 2021 NBA Draft Results]

According to Michael, a Warriors official told Duarte on the way to the draft that he’d be their choice at No. 14. Golden State subsequently tried to make a trade with the Pacers after Indiana picked Duarte, says Michael. Meanwhile, the Knicks‘ “furious” attempts to move into the top 10 or the late lottery were believed to be focused on Duarte, according to Michael, who adds that the Jazz offered the No. 30 pick and Joe Ingles in a deal to get in position to draft the Oregon wing.

A Warriors source denied to Michael that Golden State tried to trade for Duarte even after selecting Moses Moody at No. 14, but Michael says two independent sources confirmed his report, and Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link) corroborated it.

Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft, the day after:

Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said there was huge demand for the No. 11 pick, which Charlotte used to draft James Bouknight. “There was as much demand for that pick this year as I’ve ever seen for a pick in my years,” the veteran executive said, per Jonathan M. Alexander of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
The Mavericks entered draft night without any picks, but president of basketball operations Nico Harrison said the team got “lots of calls” about getting into the first or second round. The price was ultimately “too rich for our blood,” according to Harrison (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News).
A pair of second-round picks by Atlantic teams are expected to be draft-and-stash prospects. The Celtics‘ No. 45 pick, Juhann Begarin, will likely remain in France for another season, per president of basketball operations Brad Stevens (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic). And the Sixers’ No. 50 pick, Filip Petrusev, also isn’t expected to come over right away, as first reported by Rich Hofmann of The Athletic (Twitter link) and later confirmed by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Athletic).

Heat To Sign Four Undrafted Free Agents

July 30th, 2021 at 7:08am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have agreed to sign undrafted rookies Javonte Smart, A.J. Lawson, and RJ Nembhard, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (all Twitter links). Miami is also signing undrafted free agent Micah Potter, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

While Scotto specifies that Potter will receive an Exhibit 10 contract, Wojnarowski’s reports simply state that the Heat have agreed to “deals” with Smart, Lawson, and Nembhard. We’re assuming those are more than Summer League agreements, and Exhibit 10 pacts seem most likely.

Last offseason, Miami signed several young players to Exhibit 10 contracts and had them compete for two-way slots in training camp — that could be the plan again.

Smart, who declared for the draft following his junior year, averaged 16.0 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 3.7 RPG for LSU in 2020/21. The 6’4″ guard posted an impressive shooting line of .460/.402/.857 in 28 games (35.6 MPG), earning All-SEC Second Team honors.

Lawson, the 18th-ranked player on ESPN’s list of undrafted prospects, put up 16.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG with a .351 3PT% in 21 games (31.3 MPG) as a junior for South Carolina this past season. The 6’6″ shooting guard joined Smart on the All-SEC Second Team.

Nembhard was a redshirt junior for TCU in 2020/21 and averaged 15.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 4.0 APG in 24 games (34.9 MPG). The 6’5″ guard boosted his three-point percentage to 33.9% and made the All-Big 12 Third Team.

Finally, Potter is the only non-guard of the group, standing at 6’10” and playing power forward and center. In his two years with the Badgers, he averaged 11.6 PPG and 6.1 RPG, showing off an impressive three-point stroke (40.8%) in 52 games (20.3 MPG).

Month: November 2024