2021 August | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Lawson, Tobey, Lin, Ainge, Alkins

August 11th, 2021 at 8:04am CST by Eli Cohen

Former Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson has signed with Kolossos Rhodes, a team in the Greek League, per a team press release. According to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando, Lawson originally signed with the Greek club last January, but was unable to leave China to join the team due to travel complications.

Lawson, who is still only 33 years old, had several seasons of borderline All-Star level play for the Nuggets before off-court issues derailed him. The 5’11” point guard has averaged 26+ PPG and 8.7+ APG the last two seasons in China. This stint marks his first time in the European leagues since he played with BC Zalgiris during the 2011 NBA lockout.

We have more news from around the world of basketball:

Mike Tobey, who played in two games for the Hornets during the 2016/17 season, had a strong showing for the Slovenian Olympic team alongside Luka Doncic in Tokyo, averaging 13.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG and 2.5 APG while shooting 38% from three. But Marc Stein reports that Tobey has a significant buyout with his current team of Valencia in Spain, making a return to the NBA a complicated proposition, at least in the near future.
Former Knick – and NBA champion with the Raptors – Jeremy Lin tested positive for COVID-19 upon landing in Shanghai, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Lin said he is vaccinated, and is only experiencing minor symptoms.
Danny Ainge may not be with the Celtics anymore, but he calls his current status “taking a break,” rather than “retired,” according to an interview with A. Sherrod Blakely. “I’m pretty sure I don’t want to re-enter to the level I was at, for sure,” Ainge said. “I’m enjoying what I’m doing now. I’m in no rush.”
Rawle Alkins plans to sign with Ukraine’s Dnipro, according to our JD Shaw (Twitter link). The 23-year-old 6’5 guard from the University of Arizona played 10 games for the Bulls during the 2018/19 season.

Magic Sign Ignas Brazdeikis To Two-Way Deal

August 10th, 2021 at 9:44pm CST by Eli Cohen

AUGUST 11: The Magic have officially announced that they’ve inked Brazdeikis to a two-way contract, per a press release (Twitter link).

AUGUST 10: The Magic plan on signing Ignas Brazdeikis to a two-way contract, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

The 6’6 lefty was originally drafted with the 47th pick by the Knicks during the 2019 draft, but failed to crack New York’s rotation before being traded in a three-team deal that sent George Hill to the Sixers and two second-round picks to the Knicks.

Despite his difficulty carving out a spot in either New York or Philadelphia, Brazdeikis has a versatile offensive game and a propensity for making big shots going back to his time at Michigan. The 22-year-old wing played eight games at the end of last season for the Magic after being waived by the Sixers, and averaged 11.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 2.0 APG while shooting 40.7% from three.

As per the rules on two-way contracts, Brazdeikis will be limited to a maximum of 50 games with Orlando, and will likely spend some time with the team’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic. He should help shore up Orlando’s wing depth during his time in the NBA.

Brazdeikis is the first reported two-way signing for the Magic in 2021/22, so the team still has another slot to fill.

Southwest Notes: Graham, Brooks, McDermott

August 10th, 2021 at 7:48pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Pelicans’ newest point guard, Devonte’ Graham, is coming to New Orleans with an open mind, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

Graham has bounced between roles during his three years in the league, and he’s using that experience to stay flexible with his new team.

“I do whatever is needed from the coaching staff,” Graham said. “You guys followed me with the Hornets. I started, I came off the bench. I played the one, I played the two. Whatever role they need from me, I’m going to do that to try to help the team win.”

The 26-year-old added that he’s already worked out with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is presumed to be penciled in as the starting shooting guard next to Graham when the season starts. Alexander-Walker had a breakout last season when he averaged 19 PPG, five RPG and three APG in 13 games as a starter towards the end of the season, including two 30-point outbursts.

We have more from around the Southwest Division:

Graham also reflected on his time with the Hornets, and holds no hard feelings for how the business side played out, writes Jonathan M. Alexander for The Charlotte Observer. “Their development program, the G League helped me a lot,” Graham said. “I just tried to get better at something every summer. One day it was threes, another day it was passing. I just tried to do something little every summer.”
Grizzlies starting shooting guard Dillon Brooks suffered a hand injury during an offseason workout, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com. Wallace adds that Brooks, who is currently in a brace, is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September.
Doug McDermott calls joining the Spurs a dream come true, writes The San Antonio Express-News’ Tom Orsborn. “Growing up watching all those (Spurs) teams win championships, I always kind of modeled my game after being a guy in this type of system,” he said. The veteran wing is hoping that his off-ball movement can open up the floor for the Spurs’ many young guards to attack the rim.

Wizards Notes: Dinwiddie, Beal, Coaching Staff

August 10th, 2021 at 6:42pm CST by Eli Cohen

Spencer Dinwiddie is excited for his future with the Wizards and for how he expects to fit with star backcourt mate Bradley Beal, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. According to Hughes, Dinwiddie isn’t phased by the uncertainty surrounding Beal’s long-term status with the Wizards.

“I spoke to him and obviously he’s his own man and his decisions are his own,” Dinwiddie said. “So, I can’t talk about his plans or what he’s going to do. I think that we have a chance to have a (good thing together). If that’s not what comes to fruition then it’s not.”

Dinwiddie added that part of his job is to help Beal by knowing when to get out of the way and let the star shooting guard go to work, as well as knowing when it’s on him to help carry the load.

We have more from the Wizards:

Dinwiddie had previously been cleared from his ACL recovery, but was unable to start five-on-five activity because the Nets were eliminated just before he was able to get back on the floor, Hughes tweets. Dinwiddie had been vocal about being ready to return to the court if the Nets were able to last to the Finals, but after Brooklyn’s loss to the Bucks in the Eastern Semifinals, those plans were thwarted.
New head coach Wes Unseld Jr. will be retaining assistant coach Ryan Richman, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (via Twitter). Richman was an assistant coach with the team last season, and the G League affiliate head coach the year before that. Richman will be a second-row assistant, Katz writes.
The Wizards also announced the hiring of four assistant coaches to join Unseld and Richman, according to a team statement. Pat Delany, Mike Miller, Joseph Blair and Zach Guthrie will join the Wizards’ bench this season. Washington also announced that in addition to Richman, the team retained assistant coach Dean Oliver and promoted Alex McLean to assistant coach/Director of Player Development.

Mavs Notes: Doncic Extension, Dragic, Hardaway, Brown

August 10th, 2021 at 5:47pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Mavericks recently traveled to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana to present star Luka Doncic with his five-year, $207MM extension, the most expensive rookie contract in NBA history, writes ESPN’s Royce Young.

According to team owner Mark Cuban, having the signing take place in Doncic’s home country was meant to send a message to the 22-year-old, two-time All-NBA guard:

“Just to confirm to Luka how important he is to us and how this is just the beginning,” Cuban said. “We want him to know we’re there for him, whether that’s here in Slovenia, in Dallas, or anywhere in the world. Part of this process is not only getting to know him but getting to know what’s important to him. How he looks at things.”

Doncic, for his part, claims that his signing the Mavs’ offer was “never in doubt.”

We have more news from the Mavericks:

Tim Cato and Blake Murphy of The Athletic discuss why Goran Dragic remains a Raptor, rather than having being re-routed to Dallas. Murphy writes that the Raptors have no incentive to buy out Dragic, who could still return value in a trade. Cato adds that the Mavs would be more likely to include Dwight Powell in trade talks than Maxi Kleber, but Josh Green could be a candidate to be moved if he remains in a limited role and the team continues to struggle in its non-Doncic minutes.
Details have emerged on Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s $75MM contract with the Mavs. Tim MacMahon of ESPN breaks down the descending structure of Hardaway’s deal, which will start at $21.3MM and end in the 2024/25 season at $16.19MM.
Recently-signed Sterling Brown‘s contract is fully guaranteed at $6MM over two years, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. The contract will come out of the Mavs’ bi-annual exception. Given Dallas’ lack of wing depth and his defensive ability at 6’5 and career 37.4% shooting from three, Brown will likely be counted on as an important bench contributor this season.

Kings Guarantee Salaries For Damian Jones, Chimezie Metu

August 10th, 2021 at 4:53pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Kings have guaranteed the contracts of center Damian Jones and Chimezie Metu, according to tweets from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and NBC Sports Bay Area’s James Ham, respectively. Jones’ contract is now fully guaranteed while Metu received a partial guarantee.

The 26-year-old Jones, the former 30th overall pick by the Warriors in 2016, was assured of his $1.98MM salary for 2021/22 as long as he wasn’t waived today, ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains (via Twitter). After bouncing around the league, Jones finished last season in Sacramento, playing 17 games for the Kings and averaging 6.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 20 minutes a night.

His play as the team’s backup center at the end of the season allowed him to parlay his two separate 10-day contracts into a partially-guaranteed deal. He will now go into the season holding onto the Kings’ 14th roster spot.

Metu, who was converted from a two-way contract at the end of last season, is he Kings’ 15th man for the time being. The 24-year-old power forward/center has improved each year in the league, averaging 6.3 PPG and 3.1 RPG while shooting 35% from three last season, all career-highs.

According to Ham, Metu’s contract is now partially guaranteed for $881,398 — it has the potential to be worth $1.8MM over the entire season if he sticks with the team.

Pelicans Sign Trey Murphy III To Rookie Contract

August 10th, 2021 at 4:24pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Pelicans have officially signed No. 17 overall pick Trey Murphy III to his rookie scale contract, according to the team’s transactions page at NBA.com.

The 21-year-old wing, who was selected by the Pelicans after the team traded back from the 10th pick, was a highly-coveted prospect in the middle of the first round due to his combination of athleticism, size, defense, and shooting.

After transferring from Rice University to Virginia, Murphy averaged 11.3 PPG and 3.4 RPG while posting a hyper-efficient 43.3/50.3/92.7 shooting line. While there were questions about Murphy’s ability to create his own shot, the 6’9″ combo forward was a perfect fit for a Pelicans team desperate for shooting and defense.

Murphy had maybe the most impressive rookie debut of the Las Vegas Summer League on Monday, putting up 26 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and no turnovers while shooting six of nine from three, all in just over 27 minutes.

As our breakdown of 2021 rookie salaries shows, assuming he signs for 120% of his rookie scale amount, Murphy’s four-year contract should be worth about $14.8MM, with a first-year salary of $3.05MM.

Thunder Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl To Four-Year Deal

August 10th, 2021 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

6:11pm: The Thunder’s deal with Robinson-Earl is now official, the club announced in a press release.

4:03pm: The Thunder and second-round pick Jeremiah Robinson-Earl have agreed to a four-year deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Charania reports that the agreement is worth $8MM, which is a big number for a player picked in the second round. A four-year, minimum-salary deal for Robinson-Earl would be worth approximately $6.3MM, so it sounds like he’ll earn more than the minimum in at least the first and second years of the deal. It’s unclear how many of the four years will be fully guaranteed.

Robinson-Earl, a 6’9″ forward, averaged 15.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 25 games (34.5 MPG) for Villanova as a sophomore in 2020/21, earning Big East co-Player of the Year honors.

Robinson-Earl was selected with the 32nd pick in the draft by the Knicks on behalf of the Thunder. Oklahoma City paid a significant price to move up two spots to nab the 20-year-old, sending New York the 34th and 36th overall picks in the deal.

Although the Thunder could open up a huge chunk of cap room by renouncing their various cap exceptions, it looks like they intend to operate as an over-the-cap team for the time being, which means Robinson-Earl will be signed using a portion of the club’s mid-level exception.

Wizards Sign Jay Huff To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 10th, 2021 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have officially signed undrafted rookie free agent Jay Huff to a one-year contract, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Fred Katz of The Athletic previously reported that the deal will be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract.

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.

Washington has also reportedly agreed to sign former Saint Louis guard Jordan Goodwin to an Exhibit 10, but there’s no indication that deal is official yet.

Contract Details: Clippers, THT, Ball, Nwaba, Bembry, Raptors

August 10th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting over the weekend that the Clippers used about $3.9MM of their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Justise Winslow, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Instagram video) confirmed today that the team used the leftover portion of that MLE to sign second-round picks Jason Preston and Brandon Boston Jr. to three-year deals, with Preston getting a little more than the rookie minimum.

Keith Smith of Spotrac shares those salary figures down to the dollar, tweeting that Winslow’s first-year salary is $3,902,439 while Preston’s is $1,062,303. Combined with Boston’s rookie minimum of $925,258, those three salaries add up to exactly $5.89MM, the amount of the taxpayer mid-level exception.

Here are a few more details on new contracts from around the NBA:

While Talen Horton-Tucker‘s three-year deal with the Lakers was initially said to be worth $32MM, the year-by-year breakdown provided by Smith works out to a total of $30.78MM (Twitter link).
Lonzo Ball‘s four-year deal with the Bulls also came in slightly lower than expected, according to Smith, who says it has a base value of $80MM, with $1MM in annual unlikely incentives (Twitter link).
David Nwaba‘s three-year, $15MM contract with the Rockets has two fully guaranteed seasons followed by a third-year team option, according to Marks (Instagram video).
DeAndre’ Bembry‘s minimum-salary deal with the Nets has a partial guarantee of $750K for now, tweets Smith. That number will increase to $1.25MM on December 15 before becoming fully guaranteed in January.
Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter links) shares some Raptors contract details, reporting that Gary Trent Jr.‘s deal has a base value of $51.84MM, with $250K in annual unlikely incentives. Murphy adds that Ishmail Wainright got a $250K guarantee in 2021/22 – plus a $125K guarantee in ’22/23 – on his minimum-salary contract, while Yuta Watanabe‘s minimum-salary deal is now partially guaranteed for $375K. Watanabe would get his full guarantee if he makes the regular season roster.

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