2021 July | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Trade Robinson-Earl To Thunder For Jokubaitis, McBride

July 30th, 2021 at 12:19am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 30: The trade is now official, the Knicks announced in a press release.

JULY 29: The Knicks will send the No. 32 pick to the Thunder for the Nos. 34 and 36 selections, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Shams Charania of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks will be choosing Villanova forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl with the No. 32 pick, and he will then be rerouted to Oklahoma City.

The Knicks drafted sharpshooting 6’4″ Žalgiris guard Rokas Jokubaitis with the No. 34 pick and 6’2″ West Virginia point guard Miles McBride with the No. 36 selection.

New York also has the No. 58 pick still upcoming in tonight’s draft. Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets that the club could be making further deals before the night is through.

In the first round, the Knicks selected Houston shooting guard Quentin Grimes with the No. 25 pick after sending their No. 21 pick, Tennessee wing Keon Johnson, to the Clippers in exchange for the No. 25 selection and a future second-rounder. Earlier, the Knicks flipped the No. 19 pick to the Hornets for a protected 2022 first-round pick.

Robinson-Earl, 20, was the 2020/21 Big East Player of the Year, and averaged 15.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.2 APG across his 25 contests as a sophomore at Villanova.

Lakers Sign Joel Ayayi, Austin Reaves To Two-Way Deals

July 30th, 2021 at 12:16am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 3: The two-way signings of Ayayi and Reaves are now official, the Lakers announced today in a press release.

JULY 30: The Lakers have reached an agreement with undrafted free agent Joel Ayayi on a two-way contract, a source tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The club has also agreed to sign rookie shooting guard Austin Reaves to a two-way contract, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

Reaves and Ayayi rank second and third, respectively, on ESPN’s list of undrafted prospects.

Ayayi, a 6’5″ wing, averaged 12.0 PPG and 6.9 RPG on .575/.389/.781 shooting in 32 games (31.3 MPG) for the Zags as a junior in 2020/21. Reaves, who began his college career at Wichita State, transferred to Oklahoma for his last two seasons and had his best year in 2020/21, putting up 18.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.6 APG, though his three-point percentage was a modest 30.5%.

Ayayi and Reaves appear likely to take the roster spots previously held by two-way players Kostas Antetokounmpo and Devontae Cacok. Both players are free agents this offseason, and Antetokounmpo has already lined up a deal with a team in France.

Pacers To Add Duane Washington Via Two-Way Deal

July 30th, 2021 at 12:10am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pacers will sign undrafted junior Ohio State shooting guard Duane Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

The 6’3″ wing was named to the 2020/21 All-Big Ten Third Team during his final collegiate year. A second-generation NBA pro, Washington is the son of former journeyman shooting guard Duane Washington Sr. and the nephew of five-time Lakers champion point guard (and current Sparks coach) Derek Fisher.

During his final NCAA season, Washington averaged 16.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 2.9 APG in 32.2 MPG. He started in all 31 of his appearances with the Buckeyes this season. Washington posted a solid slash line of .410/.374/.853 for the 2020/21 season. A good shooter, Washington’s defensive deficiencies and limited playmaking ability may impact his efficacy at the next level.

Clippers Acquire No. 21 From Knicks, Select Keon Johnson

July 29th, 2021 at 11:59pm CST by Luke Adams

11:59pm: The trade is now official, according to a Knicks press release.

9:23pm: After trading the No. 19 pick to Charlotte, the Knicks have agreed to trade away their No. 21 selection as well, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s going to the Clippers, who have used it to select Tennessee wing Keon Johnson, per Charania.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), New York will receive the No. 25 pick and a future second-rounder from Los Angeles in the deal. That second-round pick will be Detroit’s 2024 selection, Woj adds (via Twitter).

Johnson had been viewed as a potential lottery pick, but some teams had concerns about his medical records, according to Jeremy Woo of SI.com, who notes (via Twitter) that the swingman still has significant upside.

Meanwhile, although Knicks fans may be disappointed that the team traded away one of its first-rounders and moved down four spots with the other, the moves allowed the team to add two extra future draft picks and will create even more cap room for free agency — New York will only have to account for the cap hold for the No. 25 pick now, rather than Nos. 19 and 21.

Sixers Sign Aaron Henry To Two-Way Deal

July 29th, 2021 at 11:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 8: The Sixers have officially signed Henry to his two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 29: The Sixers are set to ink undrafted Michigan State wing Aaron Henry to a two-way contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 6’6″ junior forward was named to the 2020/21 All-Defensive Team and 2020/21 All-Big Ten Third Team. He had a breakout final collegiate season, averaging career highs in points (15.4), rebounds (5.6), assists (3.6) and steals (1.3) over 28 games, including 26 starts.

Henry, 21, holds a career NCAA shooting line of .493/.333/.762. His three-point shooting took a dip in his final season with the Spartans, however, as he converted just 29.6% of his 2.9 long-range attempts per night. He is listed fourth on ESPN’s ranking of undrafted NBA prospects.

The Sixers have had an active draft night. They selected Tennessee guard Jaden Springer in the first round, plus 6’11” Adriatic League forward Filip Petrusev and Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey in the second round.

All free agent contracts, including for two-way players, cannot be officially signed until the new league year officially starts.

Blazers Acquire No. 43 Pick Greg Brown From Pelicans

July 29th, 2021 at 11:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

11:23pm: The trade is now official, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announced on the NBA’s draft broadcast.

The Blazers are sending New Orleans a 2026 second-rounder in the deal, tweets Jason Quick of The Athletic. The Pelicans are also receiving cash considerations, as Lopez tweets.

10:53pm: The Trail Blazers have agreed to acquire the No. 43 pick in the draft from the Pelicans, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Portland is using its newly-acquired selection to nab Texas power forward Greg Brown. Portland had no picks heading into the night.

Andrew Lopez of ESPN reports (Twitter link) that the Trail Blazers will be sending out a future second-rounder to the Pelicans in exchange for Brown.

The 6’9″ Brown was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team during his lone year with the Longhorns. Across 26 games, including 24 starts, Brown averaged 9.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.0 BPG, and 0.6 SPG in just 20.6 MPG.

The Pelicans continue to add to their war chest of future draft equity with the move. They still will have had multiple selections in this draft when the dust settles, having drafted Virginia guard Trey Murphy with the No. 17 pick and Alabama forward Herb Jones with the No. 35 pick.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.

Sixers Not Close To Ben Simmons Trade

July 29th, 2021 at 11:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Ben Simmons trade drama will extend beyond draft night and could last for much of the offseason. Appearing on ESPN’s draft coverage, Adrian Wojnarowski said the Sixers aren’t close to reaching a deal involving Simmons (Twitter link from Zach Lowe of ESPN).

Woj added that the Sixers “don’t really see anything actionable on the trade front” with Simmons so far (Twitter link from Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). Rival teams are saying that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey wants a return comparable to what the Rockets sought for James Harden.

Simmons’ trade value is low after a disappointing shooting performance in the playoffs, but he’s only 25 and is under contract for the next four seasons. Simmons’ shot may be broken, but the rest of his game is still strong, and Morey is asking for an All-Star player in return.

Simmons and his agent are reportedly on board with trade talks that would give him a fresh start in another city. The Warriors, Heat, Wizards and Raptors are among the teams that have been linked to Simmons in trade rumors.

Clippers Acquire No. 33 Pick Jason Preston From Magic

July 29th, 2021 at 11:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

11:05pm: The trade is now official, according to a Magic press release.

10:30pm: The Clippers and Magic have agreed to a trade that will send the rights to No. 33 pick Jason Preston to Los Angeles, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, Orlando is receiving a future second-round pick and cash in return for the 33rd overall pick. The second-rounder going to the Magic from L.A. is the Pistons’ pick for 2026, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Preston, 21, built a reputation as a sharpshooter at Ohio University, connecting at 51.4% from the field and 39% from three-point range as a senior while averaging 15.7 points per game. He earned first-team All-MAC honors and was named MVP of the MAC Tournament.

Wizards Trading No. 22 Pick For Aaron Holiday, No. 31

July 29th, 2021 at 9:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards are adding some point guard reinforcements and the Pacers are adding even more promising size, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania reports (via Twitter) that Washington is sending the No. 22 draft pick they’re getting from the Lakers – 6’10” Kentucky big man Isaiah Jackson – to Indiana in exchange for point guard Aaron Holiday and the still-undrafted No. 31 selection (which the Pacers are set to acquire from the Bucks for two late second-round picks).

All three transactions – the Lakers/Wizards, Bucks/Pacers, and Wizards/Pacers trades – have yet to be officially announced.

The Wizards have been quite active so far during the 2021 NBA draft. They agreed to acquire Los Angeles’ No. 22 pick, in addition to several veteran role players, in exchange for veteran point guard Russell Westbrook and two future second-round picks earlier today.

J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star, who has previously reported the Pacers’ Holiday trade talks, says the young point guard is “elated” by the move (Twitter link). The youngest Holiday brother playing in the NBA was supplanted by T.J. McConnell as the Pacers’ reserve point guard during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.

Still on his rookie contract for 2021/22, Holiday will have ample opportunity to get more run in Washington. The 6’0″ Holiday has room to grow. He is still just 24 ahead of his fourth pro season.

Michael adds (via Twitter) that the Pacers are finished making moves in this draft with this move. The club also selected Oregon swingman Chris Duarte with its No. 13 selection. Michael also tweets that he projects free agent McConnell as a “lock” to re-sign with Indiana now.

Celtics, Raptors Interested In RFA Lonzo Ball

July 29th, 2021 at 9:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Two new teams have emerged as potential candidates to pursue restricted free agent Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball. Shams Charania of Stadium reports (Twitter video link) that the Celtics and the Raptors are interested in adding Ball’s services this summer.

The Ball addition could make sense for either Eastern Conference club, as both teams may be looking for major help at the lead guard position. The Celtics, of course, recently moved off the pricey contract of injury-prone veteran starting point guard Kemba Walker. The Raptors, meanwhile, may lose veteran starting point guard Kyle Lowry to a contender in free agency. The Pelicans have been mentioned as a potential Lowry destination.

Charania predicts a robust market for Ball, with a potential multiyear contract in the range of $21-$22MM annually. Charania mentions that the Bulls continue to show interest in Ball. Chicago has been in the market for a major point guard upgrade over incumbent starter Coby White, and have been intrigued by Ball for a while.

Charania also adds the Pacers as a possible Ball suitor, though that may depend on some of the other moves Indiana makes this offseason.

Given that Ball is a restricted free agent, aligns well with the timelines of All-Star power forward Zion Williamson and 2020 All-Star Brandon Ingram, and showed marked improvement as a shooter this season, New Orleans would be wise to consider matching any offer sheet tendered to him and keeping him ahead of the 2021/22 season. However, it sounds like the team is hoping to land a veteran point guard instead.

Month: November 2024