Year: 2024

Sixers Resume Fining Ben Simmons

November 5th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have resumed fining Ben Simmons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the three-time All-Star was docked his $360K game check for Thursday’s contest vs. Detroit.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that the team intends to continue fining Simmons until he cooperates with team doctors on his mental health issues and resumes participating in other “basketball-related obligations.”

The Sixers originally put an advance payment for Simmons into escrow and fined him for missing games, practices, and other obligations during the preseason when he didn’t report to camp. After fining Simmons approximately $2MM for his failure to render services, Philadelphia decided to halt those penalties and remove his money from escrow when the 25-year-old told the club that he wasn’t mentally ready to play.

However, the team has reportedly been frustrated by Simmons’ unwillingness to accept off-court resources from the team or to provide any updates on his work with mental health professionals. According to Wojnarowski, 76ers officials believe they’ve been supportive of Simmons’ stated need for mental health assistance and believe they have no choice but to place his future salary back into escrow and continue fining him due to his refusal to share even basic details of his treatment.

The Sixers will also resume fining Simmons for a failure to participate in activities such as strength training, film study, and shootarounds, sources tell ESPN. Simmons has been present at the team’s facility to do some individual work and to have a back ailment treated, but hasn’t been taking part in any team activities.

Simmons had been set to receive the first of 12 upcoming pay checks starting on November 15, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

There’s a provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that protects players’ salaries in the event they’re unable to render services “if such failure has been caused by the player’s mental disability.” As such, Simmons’ camp will likely fight back against the new fines he’s facing. If the two sides can’t reach an amicable agreement, it’s possible they’ll have to eventually take the matter to an arbitration hearing.

Despite having to deal with the Simmons drama and a handful of health issues, including Joel Embiid battling knee soreness and Tobias Harris testing positive for COVID-19, the 76ers are off to a strong start this season. They have a 7-2 record so far.

Greg Monroe, Gary Clark, Carsen Edwards Join G League Teams

November 5th, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of NBA veterans have joined G League teams in advance of the start of the NBAGL’s 2021/22 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As Charania reports, the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards) have added center Greg Monroe, the Mexico City Capitanes have added forward Gary Clark, and the Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) have acquired swingman Carsen Edwards.

Monroe, 31, has nine years of NBA experience under his belt, but hasn’t played in the league since 2018/19, when he appeared in 43 total games for three teams. In 632 career NBA games, the former Georgetown star averaged 13.2 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 27.7 minutes per contest. He has spent time playing in Germany and Russia since 2019.

An undrafted free agent with three years of NBA experience from 2018-21, Clark appeared in 132 total games for four teams. He’s known more for his defense, having put up very modest offensive numbers (3.2 PPG on .346/.311/.889 shooting) in the NBA. Clark, who will turn 27 later this month, has previous G League experience with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Edwards was the 33th overall pick out of Purdue in 2019 and spent his first two professional seasons with the Celtics, but didn’t emerge as a reliable rotation player, posting just 3.6 PPG on .372/.302/.750 shooting in 68 games (9.2 MPG). He was traded to Memphis and subsequently waived during the 2021 offseason.

The G League Ignite have also announced two veteran additions, confirming that center Kosta Koufos and former Jazz guard Kevin Murphy have come aboard. Amir Johnson and Pooh Jeter are among the other veterans on the team.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Affiliate Players

November 5th, 2021 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the offseason and preseason, NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players, but that total must be cut down to 15 (plus a pair of two-way players) in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by a team prior to the season can be designated as “affiliate players” and assigned to that team’s G League squad.

The players have a say in this decision. If they’d prefer to sign with a team overseas, or if they get an opportunity with another NBA club, they’re under no obligation to become affiliate players. But if the player’s NBA team has designated him as an affiliate player and he signs a G League contract, he is automatically assigned to that team’s NBAGL roster.

Since most NBA and international teams aren’t looking to bring in extra players by the time the NBA regular season begins, the opportunity to continue playing in the same system appeals to many of those preseason cuts — especially since many of them will be in line for bonuses worth up to $50K after having signed Exhibit 10 contracts. Plus, they’ll continue to be NBA free agents while they play in the G League.

A player whose returning rights are held by a G League team can’t become an affiliate player for another club, which is why undrafted rookies typically make up a substantial portion of the annual league-wide list of affiliate players.

Additionally, an affiliate player must have signed with his team during the current league year, which explains why we often see players signed and quickly waived in the days and weeks leading up to the regular season. An affiliate player also can’t have received a partial guarantee worth more than $50K on his standard contract — a larger guarantee would make him ineligible to join his club’s NBAGL affiliate for the rest of that league year.

Finally, not every NBA team has a G League affiliate, so there are two teams – the Suns and Trail Blazers – with no place to send affiliate players.

With the G League season set to get underway today, we’ll be publishing this year’s list of affiliate players soon. By our count, there are 90 of them across 28 teams this season, but we’re still confirming that info.

Earlier version of this post were published in 2015 and 2019 by Chuck Myron and Luke Adams.

And-Ones: 2022 Cap Room, Stephenson, G League, More

November 5th, 2021 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

Only four NBA teams currently project to have significant cap room in the 2022 offseason, writes Danny Leroux of The Athletic. Not only is that number lower than usual, but none of those four teams appear likely to have enough space for a maximum-salary player worth 30% of the cap, Leroux adds.

The Pistons currently project to have the most space, with Blake Griffin‘s dead money coming off their books. According to Leroux, the Magic, Spurs, and Grizzlies join them as the other clubs likely to have at least $15MM in room. Teams like the Wizards and Bulls could have room too, but that would be a worst-case scenario for those clubs, since it would mean losing Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine, respectively, in free agency.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Veteran NBA swingman Lance Stephenson spoke to Jack Green of Betway about his decision to play in the G League and the role he expects to have with the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets‘ new affiliate. Stephenson, who worked out for several NBA teams during the offseason, hopes to show in the NBAGL that he still has plenty left in the tank. “My body feels amazing,” he said. “I don’t feel like an older guy, I still feel like a young guy. So I think I’ve got a couple more years left.”
The original plan for the Mexico City Capitanes was to join the NBA G League for the 2020/21 season. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed their debut back by a year, and the team has now been uprooted from its home in Mexico due to pandemic-related travel concerns. Eric Gomez of ESPN takes an in-depth at the new G League franchise and the adjustments it has had to make over the last couple years.
Former CAA agent Michael Tellem has joined Excel Sports, the agency announced (via Twitter). Danilo Gallinari, Jakob Poeltl, and Daniel Theis are among the most notable NBA clients for Tellem, whose father is Pistons vice chairman and former agent Arn Tellem.
It’s not just NBA scouts and executives who have been impressed so far by the new Overtime Elite league — the program’s level of professionalism and credibility has also made an impact on its players, writes Kyle Tucker of The Athletic. “It’s even more than I thought it would be,” said 2022 draft-eligible forward Kok Yat. “If I didn’t come here, no NBA scouts would know who I am. You want to be seen, so this feels like a huge step.”

Towns “Very Happy” In Minnesota, Says Twitter Account Was Hacked

November 5th, 2021 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

After the Timberwolves dropped a third straight game on Wednesday, falling 126-115 to the Clippers, Karl-Anthony Towns‘ Twitter account liked a tweet that included the #FreeKAT hashtag. However, Towns said on Thursday that he wasn’t responsible for that “like,” which happened when he was asleep.

“Honestly, I woke up this morning, my agent hit me up and was like, ‘Karl, what is this?'” Towns said on Thursday, per Dane Moore of Blue Wire (Twitter link). “I was like, ‘What the f— are you talking about?’ I hadn’t woke up yet for the whole day.”

Towns went on to explain that only three people – him, his agent Jessica Holtz, and his close friend Chucky Anthony – have access to his Twitter account, and he didn’t believe any of them liked the #FreeKAT tweet.

“I know Chucky didn’t do it because he was in the hospital with his father. I know he didn’t have time to do that,” Towns said. “Jess never has used it. So, got hacked, easy thing, fixed the password.

“Sorry to the Wolves fans. I ain’t want to cause no hysteria or anything like that. But just know I’m very happy. I know we’re on a skid so it came at the worst possible time, that little hacking. I’m excited to hopefully build more years here, not just this year.”

It’s hard to believe a hacker would’ve gained access to Towns’ account simply to like a single tweet. However, as Jon Krawczynski writes for The Athletic, there’s also little reason to think that Towns wants to leave Minnesota, even if the hacking story strains credulity.

Towns has repeatedly stated that he wants to win with the Timberwolves, and spoke at the end of last season about wanting to have a long career with one team, like Tim Duncan with the Spurs or Kobe Bryant with the Lakers. The Wolves also aren’t off to a terrible start this season. Despite the current three-game losing streak, Minnesota has a 3-4 overall record, putting the team in the play-in mix in the early going.

Still, as Krawczynski notes, there are plenty of teams around the league that will continue to closely monitor Towns’ situation in case anything changes. His current maximum-salary contract runs through the 2023/24 season.

2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Portland Trail Blazers

November 4th, 2021 at 9:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Portland Trail Blazers.

Free agent signings:

Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.

Norman Powell: Five years, $90MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
Ben McLemore: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Tony Snell: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Cody Zeller: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Dennis Smith Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Keljin Blevins: Two-way contract.
Trendon Watford: Two-way contract.

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Greg Brown (No. 43 pick) from the Pelicans in exchange for the Trail Blazers’ 2026 second-round pick and cash ($2MM).
Acquired Larry Nance Jr. from the Cavaliers in a three-team trade in exchange for Derrick Jones (to Bulls) and the Trail Blazers’ 2022 first-round pick (top-14 protected; to Bulls).

Draft picks:

2-43: Greg Brown
- Signed to three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.

Contract extensions:

None

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Hired Chauncey Billups as head coach to replace Terry Stotts.
Hired Scott Brooks, Roy Rogers, Steve Hetzel, and Edniesha Curry as assistant coaches; lost assistant coaches Nate Tibbetts, Jannero Pargo, Jim Moran, and John McCullough.
Newly-hired assistant coach Milt Palacio placed on administrative leave after being accused of defrauding the NBA’s health and welfare benefit plan.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap and above the tax line.
Carrying approximately $139.6MM in salary.
$4,964,742 of taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($925,258 used on Greg Brown).
Would need to shed salary to use more than taxpayer portion of mid-level exception or any part of bi-annual exception ($3,732,000), since doing either would create a $143MM hard cap.
One traded player exception ($1,663,861) available.

The Trail Blazers’ offseason:

The addition of Norman Powell at the 2021 trade deadline put the Trail Blazers in position to make some noise in the playoffs — the five-man lineup of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic, and Powell was one of the NBA’s best down the stretch, and the Blazers drew a fairly favorable first-round matchup, facing a Nuggets team that was missing Jamal Murray.

However, the Blazers couldn’t get past Denver, sending them back to the drawing board this summer. The disappointing finish to Portland’s season also prompted Lillard to do some summer soul searching.

The six-time All-Star professed his loyalty to Portland over and over again during his first nine years in the NBA, but a frustrating 2020/21 season made him question that commitment, if not for the first time then at least more seriously than he has in the past. For several weeks, it seemed as if Lillard might be on the verge of requesting a trade, especially since the Blazers didn’t exactly swing for the fences with their moves in free agency.

Lillard ultimately decided he wanted to remain in Portland, in large part due to the one major change the team did make in the offseason. After parting ways with longtime head coach Terry Stotts, the Blazers chose first-time head coach Chauncey Billups as his replacement.

The move initially received significant push-back from a number fans in Portland due to a perception that the Blazers didn’t look into a 1997 sexual assault case involving Billups as thoroughly as they should have. President of basketball operations Neil Olshey was cagey about the team’s investigation, simply asking fans to trust the organization’s findings and its belief that Billups hadn’t engaged in any wrongdoing.

Despite that shaky start to the Billups era, the team ultimately weathered the PR storm and the new head coach quickly established a strong connection with Lillard, who recommitted to the Blazers after weighing his options for much of the summer.

Of course, Lillard’s decision to stick with Portland came with a caveat — he wants to make sure the front office is doing all it can to build a roster capable of competing for a title. That led to speculation that the capped-out Blazers might make a major splash in the trade market this offseason, perhaps moving McCollum or Nurkic.

Instead, the team was relatively quiet in July and early August, signing Cody Zeller, Tony Snell, and Ben McLemore to minimum-salary contracts while parting ways with free agents like Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter, and Zach Collins. The only major move the Blazers made at that point of the offseason was an expected one — they committed to a lucrative new five-year deal for Powell, using his Bird rights to pay him $18MM per year over the course of the contract.

Zeller, Snell, and McLemore are solid veterans, and there was a sense that moving on from offense-first players like Anthony and Kanter might help shore up a defense that ranked 29th in the NBA in 2020/21. Still, it felt like an underwhelming offseason for a front office under pressure to show Lillard it was serious about winning. Even if Billups could make a positive impact, he wasn’t taking over a championship-caliber roster.

Just when it looked like the Blazers’ offseason was over, Olshey ventured into the trade market, getting involved in a three-team trade with the Bulls and Cavaliers in order to land Larry Nance Jr. from Cleveland in exchange for Derrick Jones‘ expiring contract and a lottery-protected first-round pick.

It was a nice bit of business for Olshey and the Blazers. Nance isn’t a star, but he’s an underrated two-way contributor who is on a team-friendly contract (two years, $20.4MM). He gives the team another reliable rotation player who brings plenty of energy and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. While Nance may not be the missing piece for a title, he increases Portland’s floor and ceiling for the 2021/22 season.

The Trail Blazers’ season:

The Blazers are off to an underwhelming 3-5 start this fall, but their underlying numbers look a little better than that (they have a positive net rating) and Lillard is mired in a shooting slump that presumably won’t last too much longer.

When the dust settles, I expect Portland to finish somewhere in the neighborhood of where they did last season, when they claimed the sixth spot in the Western Conference and were tied with both the fifth- and seventh-place teams.

As that result showed, there’s little margin for error in the West, so the Blazers will need a couple of their bench players – perhaps youngsters Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little – to step up and complement a strong starting five if the team hopes to clinch a playoff spot without going through the play-in tournament.

It’s easy to write the Blazers off as first-round playoff fodder for the conference’s more dangerous teams, but it’s worth noting that Portland made the Western Conference Finals just two years ago in 2019. The team still has enough talent to a win a playoff series or two if everything breaks right. If everything goes wrong, Lillard’s future could become a hot topic again in 2022.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Central Notes: Connaughton, Cunningham, Okoro, Bradley

November 4th, 2021 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pat Connaughton can become a free agent next summer but he’s very comfortable playing for the Bucks, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Connaughton feels his versatility is valued by the defending champions.

“I mean, that’s kind of what I’ve hung my hat on my whole career,” he said. “Obviously, high school and college is a different level of basketball than the NBA, but while stats in high school and college piled up for me, it was really about finding ways to win games and I would play any position that was needed. And I think the NBA is the NBA, it’s harder to crack that role. But I found a home here, I found a place where it’s valued and I’ve tried to find ways to impact winning throughout each and every single game.”

Connaughton holds a $5.73MM player option on his contract for next season.

We have more from the Central Division:

All minutes restrictions regarding Pistons rookie guard Cade Cunningham have been lifted, the Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II tweets. The top pick in the draft missed the first four games due to an ankle injury and sat out the second game of a back-to-back this weekend. He’s now cleared to play on back-to-back nights. The Pistons face Brooklyn on Friday after playing Philadelphia on Thursday.
Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro worked out on the court before the team left for Toronto and joined it on the trip over the border, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. There’s still no official word on his availability for Friday’s game against the Raptors, since he needs to be cleared by the medical staff. Okoro appeared in four games before suffering a left hamstring strain.
Sixers coach Doc Rivers offered high praise for Bulls center Tony Bradley, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times relays. “He was one of our favorites last year,’’ Rivers said of the former Sixer. “I think it takes a lot of players, and sometimes they never figure it out, what they can do in their role. If they can buy into that and do it great they can have a long career.” Bradley signed a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract with Chicago this summer.

Atlantic Notes: Noel, Korkmaz, Harris, Achiuwa

November 4th, 2021 at 6:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Nerlens Noel made his season debut on Wednesday and drew some praise from his coach, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Noel had been sidelined by knee and hamstring soreness. He had two points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. “For the first game I thought he gave us some really good minutes,” Tom Thibodeau said. “Good activity. Rim protection. Effort plays. A lot of good things.” Noel re-signed with New York this summer on a three-year, $32MM contract.

We have more on the Atlantic Division:

Furkan Korkmaz has changed agents, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia. The Sixers wing will now by represented by Jason Glushon and Dan Tobin. Korkmaz re-signed with the team on a three-year, $15MM contract this summer.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris was placed under the league’s health and safety protocols on Wednesday and he’s experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “He’s doing OK, but not great, honestly,” coach Doc Rivers said. “That’s the most I’m gonna say about it. But it hit him, for sure. A lot of guys have had this and they are mad like, ‘What the hell? I’m fine.’ Tobias is not in that category right now.”
Raptors coach Nick Nurse said that Precious Achiuwa earned the starting nod at center and doesn’t plan on making a change despite inconsistent play, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. “We don’t expect (the young guys) to play great every night,” Nurse said. “It doesn’t mean we’ve got to change the starting lineup. I think we just stick with it and see how it goes.” Achiuwa has gone 5-for-27 from the field in his last three games.

NBA, WNBA To Launch Investigation Into Sarver’s Conduct

November 4th, 2021 at 4:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA and WNBA issued a joint statement announcing that a “comprehensive investigation” will be launched regarding the conduct of Suns owner Robert Sarver, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.

“The allegations contained in today’s ESPN article are extremely serious, and we have directed the Wachtell Lipton law firm to commence a comprehensive investigation,” the statement issued by NBA Communications stated. “The NBA and WNBA remain committed to providing a respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees. Once the investigation is completed, its findings will provide the basis for any league action.”

ESPN published a detailed report regarding Sarver’s conduct on Thursday. It was based on interviews with more than 70 current and former Suns employees, and painted a picture of a toxic workplace culture under Sarver, who is accused of using racially inappropriate language and engaging in inappropriate and misogynistic behavior.

The law firm is the same one that conducted the 2014 investigation regarding former Clippers owner Donald Serling, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic tweets.

The organization issued a statement from Sarver, who indicated he’d welcome an investigation while denying the allegations. Sarver also took shots at former head coach Earl Watson, stating that Watson created a “toxic atmosphere in our organization.”

“I continue to be shocked by the false reporting from (reporter) Baxter Holmes,” Sarver’s statement read. “While there is so much that is inaccurate and misleading in this story that I hardly know where to begin, let me be clear: The n-word is not part of my vocabulary. I have never called anyone or any group of people the n-word, or referred to anyone or any group of people by that word, either verbally or in writing.

“… Instead of reporting the truth, Holmes’ story is based on misrepresentations from former Suns coach Earl Watson and other unnamed “sources.” Mr. Watson created an unprofessional and toxic atmosphere in our organization. He is clearly not a credible source. Despite hearing from witness after witness that disputed Mr. Watson’s stories, Mr. Holmes completely disregarded the truth here. Now we are in the position of trying to disprove things that did not happen.”

The team’s president and CEO, Jason Rowley, also issued a statement which in part questioned Holmes’ integrity.

“The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury organization vehemently reject the claims made in today’s ESPN article,” it read. “Our two organizations have always worked hard to create an environment that is respectful and diverse; where racism, sexism and damaging behavior of any kind are not condoned. Today’s story contains false information and narratives perpetuated by a reporter who has struggled unsuccessfully to match the facts to a story he decided he wanted to tell a year ago. He twisted statements and circumstances to fit his preconceived narrative. He broke every rule of journalism by first deciding on his findings and then cherry-picking events and unreliable sources to prop up his demonstrably false claims.”

However, the team’s part owner and vice chairman, Jahm Najafi, struck a different tone in a statement of his own, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets.

“The conduct he is alleged to have committed has stunned and saddened me and is unacceptable,” Najafi said.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Wolves, Simmons, Gay, McCollum

November 4th, 2021 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

With Jamal Murray recovering from an ACL tear and Michael Porter Jr. off to a slow start, the Nuggets are leaning more than ever this season on reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. That’s a problem, in the view of head coach Michael Malone, who says he’d like the team to reduce its reliance on Jokic, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

“I told our guys just now, Nikola’s not a good player, (he’s) a great player,” Malone said after a Nuggets loss to Memphis on Wednesday. “But every time he comes out, everything just falls apart. It’s every night. I went to him in the fourth quarter, I called his name, and he looked at me, kind of like, ‘Already?’ And I feel for him. … Nikola’s gonna be worn down by Christmas at this rate.”

The numbers back up Malone’s assertion that “everything just falls apart” when Jokic is out of the game. The Nuggets have +14.5 net rating in Jokic’s 248 minutes so far this season, compared to an abysmal -21.4 net rating in the 136 minutes he hasn’t played. Denver has always played better with Jokic on the court, but the team will need to find a way to at least tread water while he’s resting.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

On a recent episode of his The Scoop podcast, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North stated that it has been a little while since Timberwolves head of basketball operations Sachin Gupta talked to the Sixers about Ben Simmons. “About three-and-a-half, four weeks ago, he did plant the seed with the Philadelphia front office that, ‘Yeah, I’m interested in Ben Simmons,'” Wolfson said, per HoopsHype. “But I’m now told he hasn’t had any dialogue about Ben Simmons with Philadelphia for a couple weeks.”
The Jazz are off to an impressive 6-1 start this season, but it’s becoming clear that Rudy Gay will fill a “substantial need” on the roster once he’s ready to return from his offseason heel surgery, contends Tony Jones of The Athletic. Gay has the size and athleticism necessary to match up with bigger forwards on defense, and can create his own shot in high-pressure situations on offense, Jones writes.
Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com takes a look at CJ McCollum‘s mindset after an offseason in which the standout Trail Blazers guard was the subject of much trade speculation.

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