2021 August | Hoops Rumors

Draymond Green, Kevin Durant Discuss Experience As Warriors Teammates

August 18th, 2021 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tensions between Draymond Green and Kevin Durant were one of the subplots of Durant’s final season with the Warriors, and Bleacher Report’s “Chips” is giving viewers a chance to hear them discuss that situation, writes Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Green and Durant had a public confrontation early in that season as Golden State was aiming for its third consecutive title. Green had accused Durant of looking ahead to his next destination in free agency, which he brings up in their “Chips” exchange.

“In my mind, after Year 2, you were over it,” Green tells Durant. “You were onto the next thing, but we had the opportunity to three-peat. And in my mind, what brought you back in year three was just the opportunity to three-peat, but it didn’t feel right for you no more.”

Durant admits there was a perception in his final year that he didn’t enjoy being part of the Warriors. He explains that he was “happy-go-lucky” during his time with the Thunder, but his approach changed when he came to Golden State and saw a clear path to winning titles.

“I knew exactly what my role was and I locked on it with so much focus and determination to not f–k around every day,” Durant said. “And you’ve seen it. From workouts to practices, shootaround, film, and it made people outside look at me like, ‘Hold on, is he enjoying this?’ When I dive into something like that, with that level of focus, I don’t want to be anywhere else in life. That’s the most enjoyable experience I ever had after that first one.

“I played every game, I went hard every day, I cared about every matchup no matter who was on the floor, just my look didn’t feel as open or energetic as before. But I like that. I like that I was closed off and focused on my work.”

Durant and Green have patched up their differences to the point where they can discuss the past without getting heated. They also reunited as teammates to win a gold medal during this year’s Olympics.

Durant said his main regret is not being open enough about his situation as the free agency rumors intensified. Outsiders may believe his time with the Warriors ended bitterly, but he says he enjoyed being part of an organization that was able to compete for a title every year.

“I maybe should have communicated that better to the people who were interested in knowing what I was going through,” Durant said. “But I had the most fun locking in and completing the task because I knew we were going to lock in every night, and it’s rare to get to that point as an NBA player. I just tried to focus in and stay in the moment more than anything.”

Heat Notes: Jarreau, Okpala, Stewart, Yurtseven

August 18th, 2021 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

A strong Summer League performance has made DeJon Jarreau a leading candidate to grab one of the Heat‘s open two-way slots, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. A thigh contusion forced Jarreau to miss the two games in Sacramento, but he was among the team’s best players in Las Vegas, averaging 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

The 23-year-old guard played for Miami this summer after going undrafted out of Houston and finds himself in an open competition for a two-way deal. Both of last season’s two-way players, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, have received standard contracts.

“With DeJon, it’s just his makeup,” said Summer League coach Malik Allen. “He finds a way to put his imprint on the game … He has the vision and it’s just a matter of trying to harness the things that we see so he can keep growing and getting better as an NBA point guard.”

There’s more on the Heat:

KZ Okpala went from the playoffs to the Olympics to the Summer League, and now he’s focused on trying to expand his role in his third NBA season, Chiang notes in a separate story. However, Okpala’s path to more minutes appears blocked after Miami added P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris in free agency. Okpala is heading into the final season of a three-year, $4.2MM contract.
The Heat see potential in D.J. Stewart, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract on Tuesday, Chiang adds. The undrafted guard out of Mississippi State is likely to end up with the team’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls. “There is something there. He’s long. He’s got good athleticism. He’s competitive,” Allen said. “And offensively he’s got a little ways to go, but just continuing to develop. … He’s just one of those great intangible guys that has a lot of potential to keep growing in that type of role.”
Omer Yurtseven‘s impressive Summer League showing may give him a chance to become Miami’s backup center, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. That job currently belongs to veteran Dewayne Dedmon, but Winderman expects Yurtseven to see spot duty early in the season to determine which frontcourt combinations are most effective.

Kings Notes: Mitchell, King, Ramsey, Jackson

August 18th, 2021 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Rookie guard Davion Mitchell lived up to his defensive reputation as the Kings defeated the Celtics Tuesday to capture the championship in the Las Vegas Summer League, writes Jason Jones of The Atheltic. Jones suggests Mitchell could be a strong Rookie of the Year candidate, even without exceptional numbers on offense.

Mitchell showed he can be a difference-making defender during Baylor’s run to the NCAA title, and he brought that same intensity to Summer League play. In Tuesday’s game, he shut down Boston’s Payton Pritchard, who had been averaging 20.3 PPG in Vegas, holding him to six points.

“I think if my teammates see that, they’re going to want to play hard because I’m like the head of the snake,” Mitchell said. “So I’m going to be up there playing pressure defense, so my teammates are going to follow behind me. So I think if I lead by example and be myself in training camp, I can change the identity here.”

Sacramento was hoping to land Michigan’s Franz Wagner on draft night, according to Jones, but when the Magic took him one pick earlier, the Kings opted for Mitchell, the highest-rated player left on their board, even though they already have two ball-handlers in De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. They have confidence in Mitchell as a defender, even against bigger players, Jones notes, and plan to use a lot of three-guard lineups.

There’s more on the Kings:

The MVP of the title game was Louis King, who had 21 points and five steals, Jones states in the same story. A two-way player who played six games for Sacramento at the end of the season, King can provide size on the perimeter and showed he can play defense, which was a question coming into Las Vegas. “He’s got an edge about him and that’s why I like him,” Summer League coach Bobby Jackson said. “He’s confident. He understands where he wants to be at and what he wants to achieve.”
Another player who improved his standing was Jahmi’us Ramsey, a second-round pick in 2020 who got into just 13 games last season. The Kings weren’t sure if Ramsey would play in the Summer League because of injuries, but he was steady throughout and scored 16 points in the win over Boston.
Jackson, who was named head coach of the Kings’ G League affiliate in May, showed he’s ready for the job, observes James Ham of NBC Sports California. “I told them training camp was going to be hard, but I kept preaching teamwork, chemistry, having each other’s backs, defending at a high level, making other teams uncomfortable, and taking things away,” Jackson said.

Lakers Work Out Isaiah Thomas, Darren Collison, Mike James

August 18th, 2021 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent guards Isaiah Thomas, Darren Collison and Mike James all recently worked out for the Lakers, who are looking for veteran help to fill out their roster, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

None of the three veteran guards will definitely be signed, sources tell Haynes, and L.A. may decide to have a training camp battle for its final roster spots. The Lakers currently have 12 players with guaranteed contracts and plan to carry just 14 in the regular season for roster flexibility.

L.A.’s priority is finding a third point guard, according to Haynes’ sources, and the team may be in the market for another wing player as well.

Thomas, 32, is hoping to revive his career after dealing with injuries the past four years. He played just three games last season on a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, but says he’s fully healthy now and has been playing well in pro-am leagues. He joined LeBron James and Russell Westbrook for a workout Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to Haynes.

Collison, 33, made a surprise retirement announcement in the summer of 2019, citing family and religious reasons. There were rumors that he might return with the Lakers or Clippers during the 2019/20 season, but he later called them “overhyped.” He played 76 games for the Pacers in his final NBA season, averaging 11.2 PPG and shooting 40.7% from three-point range.

James, 30, finished last season with the Nets after leaving CSKA Moscow. He was part of the rotation in Brooklyn, playing 13 games and averaging 7.7 points and 4.2 assists in 18.2 minutes per night.

The Lakers are expected to move on from veteran shooter Jared Dudley, Haynes adds. Dudley is a free agent after playing 12 games last season.

Sixers Waive Rayjon Tucker

August 18th, 2021 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Two weeks after re-signing Rayjon Tucker to a two-way contract, the Sixers have placed him on waivers, the team announced (via Twitter).

Tucker signed a two-way deal with Philadelphia in January after going through training camp with the Clippers. He got into 14 games and averaged 2.4 PPG and 0.8 RPG in 4.9 minutes per night. He was a starter for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League bubble, putting up 19.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.1 APG in 15 games.

It’s possible that Tucker accepted his qualifying offer from the Sixers, which would have been the equivalent of another two-way deal with a $50K guarantee.

The move leaves Philadelphia with a two-way slot open. Undrafted rookie Aaron Henry holds the team’s other two-way contract.

Knicks Re-Sign Taj Gibson To Two-Year Contract

August 18th, 2021 at 7:06am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 18: The Knicks have officially re-signed Gibson, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

AUGUST 17: The Knicks and veteran big man Taj Gibson have reached an agreement to adjust the terms of the deal they initially agreed upon two weeks ago, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Gibson, who had been set to sign a one-year, minimum-salary deal, will actually receive a two-year deal worth $10.1MM, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Wojnarowski.

The Knicks have been slowly completing their offseason signings, starting with Nerlens Noel, Kemba Walker, and – most recently – Evan Fournier. New deals for Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, and Gibson have yet to be announced as New York determines the best way to maximize its cap space.

We’ll have to wait for more details on the adjustment to Gibson’s deal, but it sounds as if the Knicks determined they were in position to accommodate a slightly more lucrative salary for the 36-year-old. It’s a win-win for Gibson, who gets rewarded for his locker-room leadership over the last two seasons, and for the Knicks, who will now have a more tradable contract on the books without sacrificing any real cap flexibility.

The Knicks will use their room exception to complete the signing, as Bobby Marks of ESPN confirms (via Twitter). That exception allows for a two-year deal worth $10,065,500. New York had Early Bird rights on Gibson, but renounced him earlier in free agency in order to maximize cap room.

Gibson appeared in 45 games for the Knicks during the 2020/21 season, averaging 5.4 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 20.8 minutes per contest. He figures to provide depth up front behind centers Mitchell Robinson and Noel next season.

Knicks Re-Sign Derrick Rose To Three-Year Deal

August 18th, 2021 at 7:04am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 18: Rose has officially re-signed with the Knicks, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

AUGUST 2: Knicks combo guard Derrick Rose will return to Madison Square Garden on a three-season, $43MM contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

Rose, 32, is set to re-join New York after a successful 2020/21 season with the club. The Knicks pried Rose away from the Pistons early in the year, and Rose quickly ascended the ranks within the team’s guard rotation, playing major minutes for a playoff-bound New York team, led by Rose’s former coach with the Bulls and Timberwolves, Tom Thibodeau.

After the trade, Rose suited up for 35 regular season contests with New York, averaging 14.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.9 RPG and 0.9 SPG in 26.8 MPG for the team. The 6’2″ vet connected on 48.7% of his field goal attempts, including a solid 41.1% on 2.6 three-point attempts a night, while nailing 88.3% of his free-throws.

Rose elevated his play in the Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the Hawks, eventually stepping into the starting lineup for the team’s final three games of the series. He averaged 19.4 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 4.0 RPG across 35.0 MPG.

Rose, a former three-time All-Star and the 2011 MVP before his career trajectory was permanently altered by a series of severe knee injuries, was first traded to the Knicks from the Bulls ahead of the 2016/17 season. He then played for the Cavaliers and Timberwolves before inking a two-year contract with the Pistons in 2019.

Pistons Sign Jamorko Pickett To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 18th, 2021 at 6:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 18: Pickett’s Exhibit 10 deal with the Pistons is official, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

AUGUST 2: Jamorko Pickett has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pistons, Jon Chepkevich of Stats Perform tweets. The pending signing has been confirmed by Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Pickett went undrafted after playing four seasons at Georgetown. The 6’9” forward averaged 12.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.1 APG in his senior season. He started 109 of 119 games during his college career and made 36.5% of his 3-point attempts, adding to appeal.

An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a standard deal or a two-way pact before the regular season, though the players who sign them often end up becoming affiliate players for their team’s G League squad. If Pickett ends up playing for the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, in 2021/22, he could earn a bonus worth up to $50K.

And-Ones: Redick, Ball, Bates, Nurse

August 17th, 2021 at 9:48pm CST by Eli Cohen

J.J. Redick, who finished last year on the Mavericks after being traded from the Pelicans, has no plans to sign a deal before training camp, he said on a recent episode of his podcast The Old Man And The Three.

“You know, I would say, pretty much definitively, like, I won’t be in a training camp to start the season,” he said. “That’s not gonna happen. So, you know, I’ll join a team at some point this season and finish the year and try to go get a chip. That’s the plan.”

Redick was vocally unhappy with what he felt were broken promises by Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin, which may have contributed to his desire to take his time in finding a new team.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

LiAngelo Ball feels that he proved his worth with the Hornets’ Summer League team, writes Roderick Boone of Sports Illustrated. “I feel like I belong in the league, but I know I can show more than what I did,” Ball said. “I’m not satisfied with how I played this last game, but overall it was all right.” Ball started hot in his first game, but ended up shooting 37.5% from three with more turnovers than assists. ESPN’s Jordan Schultz quotes Hornets’ assistant Jay Triano as saying: “Great kid. Love him. He was at the facility practicing everyday for two months to play in the Summer League. Shows a ton of character.”
High school basketball phenomenon Emoni Bates said that the fame of being on the Sports Illustrated cover – and generally being considered the top young prospect in the country from age 15 – was “fun at first,” but soon grew irritating, writes Jeff Goodman of Stadium. “The things people say definitely affect me,” Bates said. “People don’t really know me. If people knew who I really was, I don’t think they’d be saying some of the things they say.” Bates admits that he considered quitting, but said that he has finally gotten back to enjoying the game.
Nick Nurse will remain in his role as Team Canada’s head coach during the lead-up to the 2024 Olympics, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Nurse is hoping he can recruit the best of Canada’s deep crop of talented players to join him over the next three years. Grange writes that Nurse wants a core group to train next summer and be ready for the World Cup qualifiers in June and August.

Atlantic Notes: Smart, Embiid, Madar

August 17th, 2021 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Marcus Smart‘s extension with the Celtics puts him at the intersection of being a franchise cornerstone and on the trade block, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

As Weiss observes, the timing of Smart’s deal – during Summer League as opposed to right before the regular season – points to the possibility of his inclusion in a superstar deal, as the usual moratorium on trading players off an extension has been changed from six to five months due to the shortened offeason. As a result, Smart will be trade-eligible before the 2022 deadline.

Weiss adds that the Celtics wouldn’t make this deal strictly for trade purposes, noting that it’s also an indication of their belief in the gritty guard and that Smart and new head coach Ime Udoka are a match made in heaven.

“He has that edge and toughness about him,” Udoka said of Smart soon after being hired. “The things he brings to your team are the things you’d love every player to bring.”

Udoka also called Smart the heart and soul of the team. The four-year, $77.1MM extension is a bet that that’s still true even if he’s given the added responsibility of leading the team’s offense.

We have more news from the Celtics:

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston has similar thoughts, writing that – rather than preventing the Celtics from adding another big name – the Smart extension actually opens up multiple pathways for a deal to be made. Forsberg adds that despite the Celtics signing Dennis Schroder, Smart should be considered the best bet to be the team’s starting point guard entering the season, and that much of the Celtics’ ceiling as a team will revolve around how the trio of Smart, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is able to function together with Smart at the helm.
Joel Embiid‘s super-max extension does more than just lock up the Sixers’ All-NBA center through 2027, writes Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice. It also sends a message of stability and desirability to stars around the league as president Daryl Morey continues to shop Ben Simmons and hunt for a second superstar to pair with Embiid. Neubeck adds there were rumors the Knicks hoped to pair Embiid and Damian Lillard once Embiid’s contract ended in 2023, which is now off the table.
Partizan Belgrade is “very close” to a deal with Celtics stash pick Yam Madar to a two-year deal, according to a MozzartSport report (hat tip to Sportando). The Serbian team would pay $250K for Madar’s buyout with current team Hapoel Tel Aviv. It was previously reported that Madar was likely to sign with Ratiopharm Ulm.

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