2021 August | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Games

August 17th, 2021 at 8:06pm CST by Eli Cohen

The NBA released its Opening Week and Christmas Day schedules today, giving the basketball world a fresh slate of rivalry games, star matchups and, of course, snubs to discuss.

Christmas Day is always a special time for the NBA. For years, players have confirmed the added intensity and hype from playing in such high-profile matchups. For fans, it offers rare five-game slate of non-stop action of some of the most exciting teams in the league.

This year, the December 25 schedule is as follows (times listed in ET):

12:00pm: Hawks at Knicks
2:30pm: Celtics at Bucks
5:00pm: Warriors at Suns
8:00pm: Nets at Lakers
10:30pm: Mavericks at Jazz

There are a couple games here that stand out from an entertainment/ratings perspective.

What the Knicks-Hawks 2021 playoff series lacked in longevity it more than made up for in off-court fireworks, with Hawks star Trae Young and the Madison Square Garden crowd jawing back and forth at each other throughout the series, sometimes to an uncomfortable degree. The final image of the first-round matchup was Young taking a bow at center court after eliminating the Knicks from their first playoff appearance since 2013.

The NBA will be looking to play up this rivalry once more, especially as the Knicks have retooled, adding more shot-creators in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, partially in response to the team having its limitations exposed in said series.

Meanwhile, Nets-Lakers is set to be an absolute must-see game. The media circus surrounding the game will be unavoidable, as Kevin Durant and James Harden face off against former teammate Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving faces former teammate LeBron James.

On top of that, assuming health, the Nets and Lakers are the two favorites to win the championship, according to SportsBet.com, which means we could be witnessing a potential NBA Finals preview. Like with Warriors-CavaliersChristmas Day games of the past, what happens in this game will be used as a benchmark going forward as each team works toward their respective championship aspirations.

While the remaining games may not bring as much in terms of narrative, they each offer a fun and compelling matchup of star players who could also find themselves facing off in a playoff series: Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending-champion Bucks against Jayson Tatum and the revamped Celtics, Luka Doncic and the Mavs against Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz, who had the best record in the league last year, and of course, two-time MVP Stephen Curry and the Warriors against the 2021 NBA Finalist Suns and Curry’s longtime rival Chris Paul.

The league is betting on the Warriors returning to form after two straight non-playoff seasons, facilitated by Klay Thompson‘s expected return to action, the additions of veterans Otto Porter and Nemanja Bjelica to shore up the bench rotations, and the improvement of young lottery picks James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

But for all the star-studded games and renewed rivalries to enjoy, there are plenty of high-profile players and teams that we won’t be seeing. After appearing on 19 national TV games in the 2020/21 season, including Christmas, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans will not be making an appearance. Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and all of this year’s top-five picks are conspicuously absent, as is reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and his Nuggets. The Clippers, with Kawhi Leonard on the shelf, are out of sight, and Jimmy Butler‘s new-look Heat, Damian Lillard‘s Blazers, and Joel Embiid‘s Sixers will be watching from home like the rest of us.

Naturally not every team, and not every superstar, is able to play on Christmas. After all, the NBA is a star-studded league, with more talent flooding in every year, and there are only 10 slots to fill.

But we want to know what you think about this year’s Christmas Day schedule!

What games are you most excited about? Which game has the highest chance of being a dud? And most importantly, what team was the biggest snub from this year’s slate of action?

Take to the comments to let us know!

Knicks Notes: Walker, Fournier, Dinwiddie, Cash

August 17th, 2021 at 6:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks’ two-year, $18MM offer to Kemba Walker was the only one he needed to consider, the point guard said today during an introductory press conference for him and Evan Fournier.

“Perfect timing. Really motivated,” Walker said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “Super excited that these guys have belief in me. That’s all I need. I just need somebody to believe in me. These guys do, and I appreciate that.”

Bontemps also writes that the status of Walker’s knee remains a big question. When asked if he’d play in back-to-backs this season (he didn’t last year), Walker replied with a smile, “You gotta ask (coach Tom Thibodeau).”

Thibodeau responded in a customary fashion. “Playing,” he said, eliciting laughter from those in attendance.

We have more Knicks news here:

Both the Clippers and Lakers were interested in trading for Walker, but couldn’t reach a deal with the Thunder, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman runs through what held up the Knicks in their pursuit of other guards, writing that they liked Lonzo Ball but wanted a more ready-made point guard. Berman adds that – given Walker’s and Derrick Rose‘s history of knee injuries – Immanuel Quickley and rookie Miles McBride may be more important than realized to the team’s success.
Spencer Dinwiddie responded to the claim in Berman’s article that he didn’t see the Knicks as “an appealing fit,” tweeting today, “Why y’all still writing this stuff about me? I never said that.” He went on to say he’s just happy to be a member of the Wizards.
The Knicks will send $110K to the Celtics as their return for the Fournier sign-and-trade, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). In addition to the 28-year-old shooting guard, the Knicks will receive two future second-round picks (one heavily protected) for their role in helping the Celtics create a $17.1MM trade exception.

Wolves Notes: Beverley Trade, Free Agency, Beasley

August 17th, 2021 at 5:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

In his latest piece for The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski writes that for the Timberwolves, trading Juan Hernangomez and Jarrett Culver was not just about adding a veteran defender and shooter in Patrick Beverley, but also about dealing two players who were looking for a change of scenery to get their careers back on track.

According to Krawczynski, Culver grew disenfranchised with the Wolves as he fell further and further out of the rotation in 2020/21, which caused him at times to seem to lose all confidence in himself. Hernangomez wanted out from the team that barred his participation in the Olympics due to a shoulder injury that Spanish doctors had cleared him from, and even went so far as to reach out to team owner Glen Taylor to attempt to circumvent the decision of president Gersson Rosas.

Krawczynski adds that Rosas has a relationship with Beverley going back to his time in with the Rockets, the team that originally brought the defensive-minded point guard over from Europe and got his NBA career on track.

We have more Timberwolves news:

Krawczysnki suggests that adding a little extra money in the Beverley deal will further complicate the Wolves’ efforts to sign restricted free agents Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan McLaughlin to multiyear deals. He expects Vanderbilt to receive a multiyear contract, while the team uses te minimum salary exception to add another point guard, either McLaughlin or someone else.
Trading Culver is a concession by Rosas that the first draft pick of his tenure, a pick he traded Dario Saric and the 11th pick to acquire, was a failure, writes Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. The idea, Rand writes, was for Culver to provide a similar skill-set Beverley will now be counted on for: to play hard-nosed defense and knock down threes. Rand adds that, on his expiring salary, Beverley could be a good trade chip if the team is underperforming at the trade deadline.
Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets that he’s been told Beverley is “very happy” with the trade to the Wolves. Beverley, no stranger to fighting for his place in the league, has had a tumultuous couple days, and while no longer on a championship contender, he has a chance to play a vital role for an up-and-coming team.
Malik Beasley has been released from jail after serving 78 days for pleading guilty to threats of violence, writes Jeff Day of The Star Tribune. Beasley was sentenced to 120 days, and was released after 78 for good behavior. If he completes his three years of probation, the charge will be dropped from felony to misdemeanor.

Cavs Rumors: Valentine, Reddish, Hartenstein, Kabengele

August 17th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers remain on the hunt for a wing who can play rotation minutes, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports that Denzel Valentine is among the free agents drawing interest from the team.

Valentine, 27, spent the first five years of his NBA career in Chicago. He had a promising 2017/18 season (10.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, .386 3PT%), but missed all of the ’18/19 campaign due to an ankle injury and has provided inconsistent production since then.

Here’s more on the Cavaliers from Fedor:

The Cavs have interest in adding a third point guard and/or a backup center. However, Fedor believes addressing the wing remains Cleveland’s top priority — the point guard spot would be next, followed by the five.
The Cavs have been exploring the trade market as they search for another wing, but appear unwilling to part with a first-round pick – even if it’s protected – for any of the currently-available options, Fedor writes. The club has been in contact with the Hawks about Cam Reddish, Fedor adds.
Sources tell Cleveland.com that the door remains open for free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein to re-sign with the Cavs. Assistant GM Mike Gansey watched Hartenstein work out for teams in Las Vegas, according to Fedor, who says the Thunder, Clippers, and Nets also had reps in attendance. If the Cavs were to sign Hartenstein or another center, Mfiondu Kabengele‘s roster spot would be in jeopardy, Fedor notes.

Pelicans Notes: Hernangomez, Jones, Murphy, Marshall, Green

August 17th, 2021 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Willy Hernangomez‘s new three-year contract with the Pelicans will be fully guaranteed for the first two years with a team option for year three, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link).

Lopez also provides the year-by-year breakdown of Hernangomez’s new deal. The Pelicans held the big man’s Non-Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer a starting salary worth 120% of his $1,939,350 minimum salary. That means Hernangomez will earn $2,327,220 in 2021/22, with 5% annual raises on that amount. The three-year contract will be worth about $7.33MM in total.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Herb Jones‘ three-year contract with the Pelicans will be worth more than the minimum for the first two seasons, according to Lopez, who tweets that the No. 35 pick will earn $1.7MM in 2021/22 and $1.785MM in ’22/23. Both of those amounts will be fully guaranteed, followed by a minimum-salary ($1.836MM) team option in ’23/24. New Orleans is using a small part of its mid-level exception on Jones.
William Guillory of The Athletic checks in on the Pelicans who have turned heads at the Las Vegas Summer League, writing that Trey Murphy and Naji Marshall look capable of emerging as regular rotation players on the wing. New head coach Willie Green has also done a good job emphasizing ball movement and defensive activity, according to Guillory, who says those are two areas the team needs to improve in 2021/22.
After reaching a deal with restricted free agent Josh Hart, the Pelicans look like they’ll be just about finished with their offseason business, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. The team will have 15 players on guaranteed contracts and will have to rely heavily on internal growth from its young players in order to compete for a playoff spot in 2021/22.

Sixers Second-Rounder Petrusev Signs With Anadolu Efes

August 17th, 2021 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Filip Petrusev, the No. 50 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, has officially signed with Anadolu Efes, the Turkish club announced today (Twitter link). Petrusev received a one-year contract.

The agreement confirms that the 6’11” forward/center will be a draft-and-stash player for the 2021/22 season rather than immediately joining the Sixers. That has always been the plan, but Petrusev played for Philadelphia’s Summer League team and spoke earlier this month about wanting to come stateside right away. Instead, he’ll remain in Europe for at least one more year.

The 21-year-old is coming off a big year (23.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG) for Mega Basket in the Adriatic League and will get an opportunity to face a higher level of competition in the EuroLeague in 2021/22. Anadolu Efes won the EuroLeague championship in ’20/21.

The Sixers have 15 players on standard contracts, including 13 on guaranteed deals, and two more on two-way pacts. Second-rounder Charles Bassey remains unsigned and could be a candidate to fill the final spot on the team’s 15-man regular season roster if Anthony Tolliver isn’t retained.

Heat Sign D.J. Stewart

August 17th, 2021 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have signed rookie free agent D.J. Stewart, the team announced in a press release. The deal includes Exhibit 10 language, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

An undrafted 6’6″ guard out of Mississippi State, Stewart averaged 16.0 PPG on .410/.344/.806 shooting in 33 games (35.0 MPG) for the Bulldogs as a sophomore in 2020/21. Although he wasn’t drafted on July 29, Stewart caught on with Miami for the Las Vegas Summer League.

Stewart has made a limited impact in Vegas, averaging just 2.5 PPG on 28.6% shooting in four games (16.0 MPG), but the Heat like what they’ve seen enough to add him to their 20-man offseason roster. He may be a candidate to become an affiliate player for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate.

The Heat now have 15 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed deals. A handful of other players are expected to sign training camp contracts with the team, including Javonte Smart, Marcus Garrett, and Micah Potter.

Central Notes: Markkanen, Diallo, Mobley, Stevens

August 17th, 2021 at 12:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA’s investigation of the Bulls for possible tampering involving Lonzo Ball could complicate efforts to find a new team for Lauri Markkanen, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Because Markkanen is a restricted free agent, he will need cooperation from Chicago to go elsewhere, either by not matching his offer or working out a sign-and-trade, but Johnson doesn’t believe the league will permit sign-and-trade negotiations until the probe of the early agreement with Ball is wrapped up.

The Pelicans and Mavericks both have large trade exceptions, so they remain potential destinations for Markkanen, Johnson adds. The Bulls are asking for a first-round pick in any sign-and-trade deal, and they’re not willing to take on a large, lengthy contract in return. Another possibility is for Markkanen to accept his one-year, $9MM qualifying offer and remain in Chicago, but he has indicated that he prefers to play somewhere else next season.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pistons will face a roster crunch if they keep restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo, observes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Detroit already has 15 guaranteed contracts for the upcoming season, and while Diallo is searching for a better deal than his $2.1MM qualifying offer, he will likely sign it if he can’t get more money elsewhere. Edwards expects Josh Jackson, Jahlil Okafor or Sekou Doumbouya to be traded or released if Diallo stays in Detroit.
Jordan Brink and Austin Dufault have been promoted to player development coaches with the Pistons, Edwards tweets. Brink has been with the team since 2016 and is the only remaining member of Stan Van Gundy’s staff. Dufault played collegiately at Colorado and spent six seasons as a player in Europe.
The Cavaliers were satisfied with their Summer League showing, which included the first on-court experience for No. 3 pick Evan Mobley, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. In three games, Mobley showed off the skills that made him one of the top prospects in the draft, but also displayed areas where he needs work, as he shot just 1 of 8 from three-point range and didn’t have reliable moves in the post. Summer League also provided a showcase for Lamar Stevens, Fedor adds, who could end up fighting for the final roster spot with Mfiondu Kabengele and Damyean Dotson if the team makes more roster additions.

Latest On Ben Simmons

August 17th, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

The “overwhelming sense” among NBA insiders is that Ben Simmons will likely still be with the Sixers when training camp opens on September 28, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

As Fischer explains, if Damian Lillard becomes available, the likelihood of a Simmons deal would increase significantly, since the Trail Blazers star appears to be Philadelphia’s preferred trade target. However, there’s a belief in league circles that Lillard will open the season in Portland and give new head coach Chauncey Billups a shot, according to Fischer.

Given the ugly way the 2020/21 season ended in Philadelphia, having Simmons report to training camp could create an uncomfortable dynamic. Fischer suggests that Simmons hasn’t personally been in close contact with Joel Embiid, head coach Doc Rivers, or president of basketball operations Daryl Morey this offseason and may welcome a trade — his representatives have canvassed front offices around the NBA this summer about a potential deal, Fischer adds.

However, with trade talk quieting down and teams more focused on filling out their final roster spots than making any blockbuster moves, a deal may not materialize in the next six weeks or so, and the 76ers appear ready for that possibility, Fischer says.

“Daryl is not afraid to go into training camp with a potentially combustible situation,” a source told Bleacher Report.

Here’s more on Simmons:

The Timberwolves remain very interested in Simmons, but it will be a challenge for Minnesota to put together a package strong enough to entice the Sixers, according to Fischer, who notes that if Philadelphia makes a non-Lillard deal involving Simmons, the team may try to get pieces that could eventually be flipped to the Trail Blazers for the star guard.
Sources from the Trail Blazers and Warriors “categorically denied” rumors that any traction was gained in talks about a potential three-team trade involving the 76ers, reports Fischer.
There’s a faction of the Spurs‘ front office rumored to have strong interest in Simmons, according to Fischer, who says San Antonio was willing to discuss Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker prior to the draft.

Sixers Sign Joel Embiid To Four-Year Super-Max Extension

August 17th, 2021 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

9:47am: The deal is official, the Sixers announced today (via Twitter).

7:17am: The Sixers and star center Joel Embiid are finalizing a four-year, super-max contract extension that will keep him under contract through the 2026/27 season, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the two sides have reached an agreement.

Embiid still has two years and $65.2MM left on his current contract, so his new deal will go into effect in 2023/24 and will have a starting salary worth 35% of that season’s cap. If we project a $125MM cap for ’23/24, Embiid’s extension would start at $43.75MM and would be worth $196MM over four years.

Embiid became eligible for a super-max extension when he earned a spot on the All-NBA Second Team in June. Unlike his previous contract, the 27-year-old’s new deal will be fully guaranteed without any protection related to potential injuries, according to Shelburne.

The 76ers put language related to possible recurring foot and back issues in their prior agreement with Embiid because he had been limited to just 31 total games in his first three NBA seasons at the time he signed it. Since then, he has avoided major injuries, appearing in at least 51 regular season games in each of the last four years.

Embiid has also earned four All-Star berths and three All-NBA nods since signing his last extension and is coming off the best season of his NBA career. He put up 28.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.4 BPG on .513/.377/.859 shooting in 51 games (31.1 MPG), helping to lead Philadelphia to the No. 1 seed in the East.

Despite suffering a meniscus tear in his right knee during the first round of the postseason vs. Washington, Embiid only missed a single playoff game and had a big second-round series vs. Atlanta, averaging 30.4 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 2.0 BPG. However, it wasn’t enough to get the Sixers to the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Hawks won the seven-game series.

Embiid, who didn’t require surgery on his right knee after the season ended, represented himself in extension negotiations, per Shelburne.

The 76ers now have Tobias Harris locked up through 2024, Ben Simmons through 2025, and Embiid through 2027. The trio is earning a combined $100MM+ in 2021/22, and that number will only increase in future seasons.

Simmons’ future in Philadelphia remains very much up in the air, however — while there has been no indication that the Sixers have engaged recently in any serious trade talks involving Simmons, there are also no assurances he’ll be on the team’s opening-night roster this fall.

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