2022 July | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Officially Sign Javante McCoy, Fabian White Jr. To Exhibit 10 Deals

July 24th, 2022 at 5:00pm CST by JD Shaw

The Lakers have officially signed undrafted players Javante McCoy and Fabian White Jr. to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced on social media today (Twitter link). Both agreements were reported shortly after the draft last month.

McCoy, a 6’5″ guard, averaged an impressive 17.4 points per game for Boston University last season. He also shot a scorching 49.5% from the floor and 42.5% from three-point range.

White, a 6’8″ forward, played five seasons at Houston before declaring for the draft. He averaged 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season, shooting 49% from the floor.

McCoy and White both played for the Lakers during the Las Vegas Summer League. So far, they are the only players Los Angeles has signed to Exhibit 10 deals. McCoy and White could compete for a spot in training camp or play for the team’s G League affiliate this season.

The Lakers have now filled 18 spots on their 20-man offseason roster.

And-Ones: Paschall, Baynes, Summer League, Gasol

July 24th, 2022 at 3:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though Greek club Panathinaikos attempted to sign free agent reserve forward Eric Paschall this summer, the team was ultimately unable to successfully recruit him overseas, per BasketNews.

Utah opted not to tender a qualifying offer to Paschall in June, allowing the 25-year-old to become an unrestricted free agent. After spending his first two seasons with the Warriors, Paschall was traded to the Jazz in the 2021 offseason.

During his first season in Utah, the 6’6″ vet out of Villanova averaged 5.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG across 12.7 MPG for the playoff-bound Jazz as a bench option, playing 12.8 MPG in 58 contests.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA champion center Aron Baynes, who has been working his way back from a spinal cord injury suffered while playing for Team Australia in the 2021 Summer Olympics, has received interest from the Brisbane Bullets of Australia’s NBL, per Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The 35-year-old big man last played for the Raptors during the 2020/21 NBA season. In 53 games with Toronto, including 31 starts, he averaged 6.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG. Earlier this month, Baynes put on a workout to showcase himself for interested teams in Las Vegas.
After a Summer League that saw No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero play just two games before being shut down by the Magic and Hawks swingman AJ Griffin, considered one of the best shooters in the 2022 draft, not play at all due to a mild foot injury, Nekias Duncan of Basketball News wonders just how much NBA teams value Summer League as an opportunity to assess young prospects. Duncan notes that the teams’ limited practice time and rosters comprising young prospects plus fringe-NBA-caliber hopefuls make for inconsistent on-court products. “I think we consult with our coaching staff, our front office and our training staff and try to figure out what the best decision is for each guy,” Cavaliers Summer League head coach Mike Gerrity told Duncan about how Cleveland doles out playing time to its various prospects.
As has previously been reported, former All-NBA center Marc Gasol plans to return to Spanish ACB club Basquet Girona as a player for the 2022/23 season. Thanks to its performance last season with Gasol, the team was promoted from its prior league, LEB Oro, to the upper-tier Liga ACB. As a result of this promotion, however, Gasol is now confronted with some bureaucratic red tape. Per ACB league rules, players are not allowed to both play for and work in the front office of their teams, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. Askounis speculates that the team may decide to temporarily relieve the 37-year-old of his front office duties so that he may suit up for the season. Last year, Gasol averaged 14.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 0.7 BPG for Basquet Girona. The 6’11” big man, a former three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year while with the Grizzlies, last played in the NBA during a disappointing 2020/21 season with the Lakers.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Yurtseven, Jovic, Durant

July 24th, 2022 at 2:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though the Heat are still making an effort to trade for a star like Nets forward Kevin Durant or Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, the team could eventually consider pivoting to pursuing a solid veteran like John Collins, Myles Turner, or Harrison Barnes in their frontcourt, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Winderman writes that Miami’s front office has had conversations about potentially including young All-Defensive center Bam Adebayo in a deal for Durant, but not everyone in the Heat brain trust is on board with offloading the 25-year-old big man for the injury-prone 33-year-old veteran.

Winderman adds that the team could trade up to three future first-round selections at present, but could theoretically acquire more to include in a deal if it opted to move other young players like Tyler Herro, Max Strus, Omer Yurtseven, Gabe Vincent, or Nikola Jovic in separate trades with other clubs for additional draft picks.

There’s more out of South Beach:

The Heat will probably wait to move on to Plan B trade targets until they have exhausted their possibilities for adding Durant or Mitchell, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. According to Chiang, Miami most likely will want to keep its coffers open should another superstar become available via trade.
Following summer training obligations with their respective national teams, Heat big men Omer Yurtseven and Nikola Jovic will have to hop directly to a training camp with Miami, with possibly as little as a two weeks off in between, notes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
In a separate piece, Winderman wonders if the Heat are hurting themselves as they await a potential Durant deal. With league activities essentially on hold until Durant is moved, Miami finds itself at something of a crossroads. The team currently lacks a true NBA rotational power forward after having let P.J. Tucker walk in free agency and thus far not opting to re-sign Markieff Morris.

Ignas Brazdeikis Signs With Lithuanian Team

July 24th, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Ignas Brazdeikis, who played for the Magic last season, has signed with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, according to Eurohoops. He received a one-year contract with an option for a second season, the team stated in an announcement confirming the move.

Brazdeikis was born in Lithuania, but his family moved to Canada while he was young. The 23-year-old small forward regained his Lithuanian citizenship last year and played for the national team in June.

“We have been following Ignas for a few years now and wanted to see him in a Zalgiris jersey,” said team CEO Paulius Motiejunas. “Ignas is from Kaunas, he has regained his Lithuanian citizenship and now we will see him wearing the Zalgiris jersey. Coach (Kazys) Maksvytis has already worked with him, so there are no doubts about his abilities anymore.”

Brazdeikis was on a two-way contract with Orlando, playing 42 games and averaging 5.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per night. He began his NBA career with the Knicks, who acquired him in a draft night trade in 2019, and he appeared in one game for the Sixers as well.

Cavaliers’ Talks With Collin Sexton At Standstill

July 24th, 2022 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Collin Sexton has received a multiyear contract offer from the Cavaliers, but the two sides remain at an impasse that doesn’t appear likely to be resolved soon, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said on The Wine & Gold Talk Podcast.

Cleveland’s offer is close to $40MM over three seasons, according to Fedor. While Sexton is hoping for more — and reportedly sought “starting guard money” when free agency began — the process hasn’t gone his way. The potential suitors that Sexton’s representatives targeted “vanished quickly, especially during the NBA draft,” Fedor said.

The Spurs and Pacers are the only teams that currently have sufficient cap room to make Sexton the type of offer he wants without a sign-and-trade, and neither team has shown an inclination to pursue him. Fedor states that Sexton needs “something to happen around the NBA to change the status quo,” such as a trade involving Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving or Donovan Mitchell. Fedor suggests any of those deals could have a “domino effect” that would result in other teams increasing their interest in Sexton.

Sexton’s camp is content to see if the market changes, Fedor adds, but the Cavaliers “aren’t going to bid against themselves” as they wait to see how the situation plays out. The team would like to bring him back but isn’t willing to go into luxury tax territory. Cleveland is currently about $15MM below the projected tax line.

If Sexton doesn’t want to commit to a long-term deal that he believes is below his market value, he can accept the Cavs’ qualifying offer of $7,228,448 and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He could have been eligible for an $8,559,357 QO, but he didn’t meet the starter criteria because a torn meniscus limited him to 11 games last season. Sexton has an October 1 deadline to decide on the qualifying offer, although he and the team can agree to push back that deadline, Fedor tweets.

Fedor also notes that the uncertainty surrounding Sexton affects the Cavaliers’ potential extension talks with Caris LeVert, who is entering the final season of his current contract. Locking up LeVert, who was acquired from the Pacers in a February trade, becomes less of a priority if Sexton is signed to a long-term deal.

Timberwolves Re-Sign Nathan Knight

July 24th, 2022 at 9:52am CST by Arthur Hill

10:30am: Knight’s contract carries a partial guarantee for the upcoming season, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

9:52am: Power forward Nathan Knight has re-signed with the Timberwolves, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

Knight received a two-year contract with a team option on the second season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Knight, 24, was a restricted free agent after playing on a two-way contract with Minnesota last August. He appeared in 37 games, making two starts, and averaged 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per night.

Knight signed a two-way deal with the Hawks after going undrafted out of William & Mary in 2020. He played 33 games for Atlanta as a rookie.

Mavericks Sign Tyler Dorsey To Two-Way Deal

July 24th, 2022 at 8:49am CST by Arthur Hill

11:04am: Dorsey’s signing is official, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter).

8:49am: Tyler Dorsey will return to the NBA on a two-way contract with the Mavericks, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The 26-year-old shooting guard worked out for Dallas earlier this month and was rumored to be discussing a two-way deal with the organization. He played last season for Olympiacos, helping the team win both the Greek League title and the Greek Cup.

Dorsey reportedly had an extension offer from Olympiacos as well as a contract offer from Fenerbahce in Turkey, but his preference was to return to the NBA. He not only wants to prove he can play at the NBA level, he’s also hoping to qualify for a pension, according to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. Players become fully vested after three years in the league.

Dorsey, the 41st pick in the 2017 draft, has already played 104 games over two seasons with the Hawks and Grizzlies. The former Oregon star averaged 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds before heading overseas in 2019.

Dallas currently has both two-way slots open.

Community Shootaround: Best Remaining Free Agents

July 23rd, 2022 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Most of the players on the Hoops Rumors’ Top 50 Free Agents list came to terms on new contracts fairly quickly. But more than three weeks after the start of free agency, there are a handful who still remain on the market.

Setting aside Hornets forward Miles Bridges, whose domestic abuse case has clouded his future in the league, and center Montrezl Harrell, who is dealing with legal issues of his own, only three players from our top 50 remain unsigned: Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, Rockets guard Dennis Schröder and Bucks forward Jordan Nwora.

Sexton is a restricted free agent who’s trying to bounce back from a torn meniscus that limited him to 11 games last season. Cleveland is reportedly focused on staying under the luxury tax line and has about $15MM to work with. Sexton is believed to want “starting guard money” with a first-year salary in excess of $20MM. Only the Spurs and Pacers have enough cap room left to offer him that much without a sign-and-trade.

Schröder played 15 games for Houston after being acquired from the Celtics at the deadline. Although the unrestricted free agent has a good relationship with the team, he’s not expected to return as Houston is focused on providing minutes for its young players.

Nwora, who is restricted, is in limbo as he waits for an offer that Milwaukee will have the option to match. General manager Jon Horst said the team is working with Nwora’s agent to find an acceptable solution for all parties. However, there’s no rush to get anything done with training camp still two months away.

Apart from the top 50, there are several intriguing veterans who remain on the open market, including Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard.

We want to get your opinion. Which remaining free agents do you think can provide the most help and where do you think they should end up? Please leave your answer in the space below.

Northwest Notes: Watford, Walker, K. Johnson, KCP, Bolmaro

July 23rd, 2022 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Strong showings by Trendon Watford and Jabari Walker in the Las Vegas Summer League may have eased any concerns the Trail Blazers have about front court depth, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

Watford, who signed a two-way contract with Portland last summer and was converted to a standard deal in February, was outstanding late in the season when injuries to teammates pushed him into a more prominent role. He remained productive in Las Vegas, averaging 13.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game as the Blazers captured the Summer League title.

Walker didn’t have flashy statistics in Vegas, but he showed he can be a valuable role player, Fentress states. Walker rebounded, played defense, set screens and did other things that will be necessary for him to earn consistent minutes in the NBA.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Trail Blazers shooting guard Keon Johnson also stood out during Summer League, Fentress adds. Johnson, who was acquired from the Clippers in February, looked like a former first-round pick, leading Portland’s squad in scoring at 14.2 PPG. Fentress doesn’t expect Johnson to be part of the rotation this season, barring injuries, but said he could see spot duty.
Although Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has found a new home with the Nuggets, who gave him a two-year extension last week, he didn’t expect to be traded by the Wizards, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post. It marked the second straight offseason that Caldwell-Pope has been part of a significant trade. “My initial reaction was surprise because what me and my team and the Washington Wizards was talking about and communicating was different,” he said. “It was a surprise.”
Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune examines what the Jazz can expect from Leandro Bolmaro, who was part of the return in the Rudy Gobert trade. Bolmero, a 21-year-old swingman, is a 2020 first-round pick who made his NBA debut last season with the Timberwolves. Larsen notes that Bolmaro is an outstanding defender and a capable rebounder and playmaker, but there are questions about his ability to score.

Pacific Notes: Murray, Suns, Christie, Bazemore

July 23rd, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Keegan Murray is bringing hope to Kings fans after an MVP performance in the Las Vegas Summer League, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. The No. 4 overall pick displayed an advanced offensive array while averaging 23.3 points per game and shooting 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range.

Many draft observers criticized the Kings for passing on Jaden Ivey to select Murray, but he’s a better fit with the current roster and is showing signs that he’ll be able to contribute right away. An unidentified personnel executive told Bulpett that Murray was the second most impressive player in Summer League behind Paolo Banchero.

“I don’t think people knew how well he could shoot the ball,” the executive said of Murray. “He’s a tremendous shooter. That still has to translate to the real games, but I think he opened some people’s eyes. The Kings could be really interesting if (new head coach) Mike (Brown) can get those guys to realize what they can do. It’s been a long time since Sacramento was any good, and these guys obviously weren’t there for all of it, but sometimes it can be hard for a team to take that first big step.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Suns seem committed to being a taxpaying team after matching the Pacers’ offer sheet for Deandre Ayton, and Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic examines whether the roster is good enough to justify that investment. Phoenix currently has $167.1MM in guaranteed salary, well above the projected $150.267MM tax threshold, and is facing a projected $34.8MM tax bill.
The Lakers have been watching Max Christie since 2019 and he was the top prospect on their draft board by far when it was time for their pick at No. 35, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “Just him showing flashes of being a good perimeter shooter with his shooting mechanics and being able to create his own shot off the dribble,” said assistant general manager and co-owner Jesse Buss. “A high-IQ player, obviously, with his size and his length, at the two guard position.”
Free agent Kent Bazemore posted an online photo of his workouts with former Warriors teammate Stephen Curry (hat tip to Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation). Bazemore, who left Golden State to sign with the Lakers last summer, is waiting for an offer for next season.

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