Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Quickley, Hartenstein, Grades

January 11th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Rory Maher

RJ Barrett returned to the Knicks‘ starting lineup on Wednesday against Indiana and did not have a minutes restriction, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters, including ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link). The fourth-year forward missed six straight games after suffering a pretty gruesome finger injury which required six stitches.

Through 35 games (34.1 MPG), Barrett is averaging 19.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 3.0 APG on .427/.332/.762 shooting.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Immanuel Quickley proved that he deserves a bigger role after strong performances starting in place of Jalen Brunson and Barrett, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). Thibodeau is a big fan of the third-year guard’s basketball IQ and defense. “The thing I love about Quick is that he’s smart, he’s very, very smart,” Thibodeau said. “He knows, he understands what he has to do to help our team defense. I think it’s his greatest strength. So he can play — even when he’s guarding twos, his size, because of his intelligence, he knows how to create body position. Very good with his hands, his feet, rarely is he out of position, and I think that does your defense a lot better. And he’s going to give you great effort all the time.”
  • Free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein provided nice play-making for the Clippers last season, but the Knicks haven’t utilized him in that role. He said his first season with the Knicks has been “up and down,” writes Greg Joyce of The New York Post. “It’s been a little difficult, but at the end of the day, it’s about what the team needs,” Hartenstein said of adjusting roles. “Everyone sacrifices certain aspects of their game. Not everyone’s playing exactly how they want to play, but that’s every team. … Now I just kind of have to sacrifice one of my best attributes. But whatever the team needs. We got three guys that are very ball-dominant and I think that’s kind of how we’ve been winning. It’s hard to say much if we’re winning.”
  • Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News hands out midseason grades for the Knicks. Both Brunson and Mitchell Robinson received an A.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Vucevic, Magic, Favors, Heat

January 11th, 2023 at 7:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Johnny Davis, the 10th overall pick last June, has rarely seen the court for the Wizards, making just 10 appearances for an average of 5.0 minutes per contest. The rookie guard has spent most of the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, averaging 11.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.0 SPG on .408/.352/.786 shooting in 14 games (25.2 MPG) during the Showcase Cup.

Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has been keeping a close eye on the lottery pick’s G League performances, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.

“I think the injuries have been a big piece of it. It’s hard to really evaluate a guy who hasn’t had a ton of opportunities here. I’ve seen a lot of growth with his G-League development,” Unseld said of Davis, who is currently sidelined with a right hip strain.

“The level of confidence he’s playing with, I think he’s starting to see the game slow down for him. Offensively, I think he’s starting to settle in to see the types of plays and the types of shots we want him to take. So, there’s a lot of growth there. I know it’s not translating as fast as maybe we would all like to see, but I think it bodes well.”

Go-Go head coach Mike Williams also spoke to Hughes about Davis, saying he’s done a nice job defensively, but he needs to work on his decision-making and shooting offensively.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

  • The Wizards are shorthanded for tonight’s game against the Bulls. In addition to guard Bradley Beal, who continues to be sidelined with a left hamstring strain, big men Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (right rib contusion) were downgraded from questionable to out (Twitter link). Deni Avdija and Taj Gibson started in place of Gafford and Porzingis. Backup forward Rui Hachimura should also see an uptick in minutes.
  • In an appearance on The Sixth Man Show podcast, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic was asked if he would be open to returning to the Magic if it made sense for him down the road. “Of course, I mean yeah,” Vucevic said. “That’s something that I would love to do at some point. We’ll see when that is possible, if that’s realistic and how it all works out. But yeah, for sure, I would like to, if anything, at least get one last year in Orlando. I think it’s only right it happens, so we’ll see. … I feel like I have a lot of basketball left, so who knows what will happen, but yeah, for sure, it’s something that’s on my mind, I can’t say it’s not.” The two-time All-Star will be a free agent in the summer.
  • Veteran center Derrick Favors, an Atlanta native who just inked a 10-day contract with the Hawks, says he grew up a fan of the team. “Oh, definitely a fan growing up,” Favors said, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). “Back when they had like Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, those guys. I’m definitely a fan, Al Horford. And just being from Atlanta has always been a dream to, you know, at least put the jersey on at least one time. So, it’s definitely a dream, and I’m blessed and humbled to be here.” According to Williams, Favors went through shootaround Wednesday, but he wasn’t sure if he’d see the court against the Bucks. “It’s up to them, you know, if they call the name, call my number, I’ll be ready,” he said. “You know, if not, then you know, I’ll be ready for the next game. So, you know, we’ll see.”
  • Head coach Nate McMillan provided a little more context on Favors’ potential role during his 10-day stint, Williams adds (Twitter links). He said he would prefer Favors to go through a practice before actually playing, but he might play Wednesday if needed. McMillan views Favors as an “insurance policy” when the Hawks need more size.
  • The Heat have dealt with so many injuries this season that head coach Erik Spoelstra admits that he sometimes forgets who is actually available to play, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We’ve been dealing with a lot of moving parts,” he said. “I kept on forgetting who’s available and who’s not.” Miami only had a seven-man rotation after Dewayne Dedmon was ejected Tuesday.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Heat’s G League Affiliate Acquires Justin Champagnie

January 11th, 2023 at 5:35pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat‘s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, has claimed former Raptors forward Justin Champagnie off waivers, the Skyforce announced in a press release.

Champagnie, went undrafted in 2021 after two seasons at Pitt. He caught on with the Raptors, signing a two-way deal and appearing in 36 games as a rookie for an average of 7.8 minutes per contest. Champagnie then had his two-way deal converted to a standard contract last summer, but it was only partially guaranteed and he was waived by Toronto at the end of last month.

The 21-year-old has only made three NBA appearances thus far in 2022/23, but he has been a standout performer in the G League, averaging 22.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .521/.368/.714 shooting during the Showcase Cup with Toronto’s affiliate, the Raptors 905. He remains an NBA free agent.

There is a viable pathway for Champagnie to land an NBA deal with the Heat if he performs well with the Skyforce and certain moves are made.

Backup center Dewayne Dedmon has fallen out of the Heat’s rotation and a recent incident with the coaching staff likely won’t do him any favors. If he gets traded, which seems probable, rookie center Orlando Robinson, who is on a two-way contract, is viewed as strong candidate to be promoted to a standard deal.

If both of those things transpire, Champagnie could receive Robinson’s two-way spot. If the Heat dump Dedmon’s salary in a trade, then they could also look to add a second player on their standard roster — their 15th spot is currently open due to their proximity to the luxury tax line, but removing Dedmon’s cap hit would give them the flexibility to fill it.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Suns Sign Saben Lee To 10-Day Contract

January 11th, 2023 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

4:35pm: Lee’s deal is now official, the Suns announced (via Twitter).

10:35am: The Suns have reached a contract agreement with guard Saben Lee and will sign him to a 10-day deal, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee spent his first two NBA seasons with the Pistons, first on a two-way pact and then on a standard contract. He appeared in 85 total games for the team, averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .434/.265/.731.

Lee was traded from Detroit to Utah in September’s Bojan Bogdanovic deal and was subsequently released by the Jazz. After clearing waivers, he signed a training camp contract with the Suns, but his initial stint in Phoenix was short-lived — he was cut by the team during the preseason.

Since the start of the regular season, Lee has had two separate stints in the G League with the Raptors 905, sandwiching a one-month stay in Philadelphia on a two-way contract with the Sixers. In 15 total appearances in the NBAGL’s Showcase Cup with the Raptors’ and 76ers’ affiliates, he averaged 23.3 PPG on an impressive .531 FG% while also contributing 6.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.5 SPG.

Lee will help fortify a Phoenix backcourt that has been bitten by the injury bug in recent weeks. Devin Booker remains sidelined due to a left groin strain, Cameron Payne is out with a right foot sprain, and Chris Paul and Landry Shamet both missed Tuesday’s game due to hip problems (it was Paul’s second consecutive missed game).

No corresponding move will be necessary for the Suns, who have an open spot on their 15-man roster. As a result of his two years of NBA experience, Lee will earn approximately $106K on his 10-day deal with Phoenix, as our chart shows.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Powell, Kawhi, Warriors, Metu

January 11th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, with the Clippers in the midst of a six-game losing streak that dropped their overall record to 21-21, veteran swingman Norman Powell spoke to his teammates to reiterate his confidence in the group and to remind them what they’re capable of, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Powell, along with Kawhi Leonard, was a member of the Raptors team that won a championship in 2019 and believes this year’s Clippers have a similar ceiling.

“I talked to the team. I told them: ‘This team is deeper than the Raptors team I was on. It’s all about identity and who we are and how we’re going to play,'” Powell said. “I feel like every team goes through it. If you look back at championship teams and top teams, there’s always a point in the season where you get here. And we’ve been here a couple times for whatever reason it is, and it’s just gutting up and taking it and coming out of it.”

The 2018/19 Raptors were far more consistent than this year’s Clippers have been, but Powell pointed to a stretch in January 2019 when Toronto lost three of four games (the third at home to Milwaukee on national TV) as a turning point for that club. There’s hope that the Clippers’ recent slide can galvanize this team in the same way and compel them to play with more urgency in the second half.

“The identity of who we are every single night that we’re on the floor is the biggest thing that we have to figure out, and that doesn’t matter who’s suiting up that night,” Powell said. “It’s just, we’re going to be a hard-nosed, tough-playing defense. We’re going to be an offense that moves the ball, attacks you, puts pressure on the rim and generates open shots. And that’s not — PG (Paul George) doesn’t have to play for that, Kawhi doesn’t have to play for that. That’s just an identity and style of basketball we have to start really locking into now.”

The Clippers snapped their losing streak and got back over .500 with a victory over Dallas on Tuesday.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • After leading the Clippers past Luka Doncic and the Mavs on Tuesday by scoring a season-high 33 points in 36 minutes, Kawhi Leonard acknowledged that he’s relieved to no longer be on the minutes limit that he faced earlier in the season. “If you’re basing it on minute restriction, it is frustrating,” Leonard said, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Because I’m not going in there jacking shots, so I’m trying to play team basketball. It was frustrating (with the restriction). We were losing games. From a minute restriction, I’m not the only one either that was on it. Guys have been in and out the lineup all year, getting injured.”
  • The Warriors had their full starting lineup available on Tuesday for the first time since December 3, but lost at home to the shorthanded Suns in a game that showed Stephen Curry and the rest of the rotation still have dust to shake off, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Curry, who scored 16 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, said he “felt like myself again” by the end of the game. “I’m hoping that fourth quarter was the team that I have come to know and love and recognize,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “But we have to show in the first quarter, not in the fourth quarter.”
  • Chimezie Metu rejoined the Kings‘ rotation as the backup center on Monday for the first time since early December and had his best game of the season, with 11 points and nine rebounds in 14 minutes. The performance went a long way toward rebuilding head coach Mike Brown‘s trust in Metu, according to Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. Brown said he thought the big man “relaxed just a little bit” before losing his spot in the rotation last month.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Future Draft Picks, Christie

January 11th, 2023 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there has been some recent speculation about the possibility of Lakers star LeBron James eventually asking out of Los Angeles, ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Dave McMenamin said on the latest episode of The Lowe Post that they haven’t heard anything to suggest that will happen.

“I keep hearing he wants to stay with the Lakers. He wants to finish his career with the Lakers,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “His comments (about wanting to win) should be interpreted as his patience is not infinite and if this is just a continued morass of losing, maybe that changes. But if you force me to bet, I’d still bet on him finishing his career with the Lakers. And I’d feel pretty confident in that.”

As we’ve written multiple times, James can’t be traded this season. While it’s not out of the question that he could request a trade in the summer, the expectation is that even if the Lakers don’t use their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks as trade ammunition during the current season, they’ll still be willing to do so during the offseason, when they’ll have more cap flexibility and more options. If that’s the case, it’s not hard to imagine LeBron being comfortable with his situation in Los Angeles heading into 2023/24.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

  • In an opinion column for USA Today, Jeff Zillgitt questions why the Lakers aren’t more willing to use their resources (including those two future first-round picks) to upgrade in the short term. As Zillgitt observes, James is still playing at an All-NBA level at age 38 and no obvious frontrunner has emerged in the Western Conference — there’s no guarantee that both of those things will be true again next season.
  • Besides the fact that he’s unlikely to still be with the Lakers by the time they make both picks, James probably doesn’t care much about the team’s 2027 and 2029 first-rounders for another reason, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link). As Windhorst lays out, James’ teams have only drafted a first-rounder and teamed him with LeBron in five of his 20 seasons, and none of those one-time prospects (including J.J. Hickson, Norris Cole, and Shannon Brown) came close to becoming an All-Star.
  • He wasn’t a first-round pick, but Lakers rookie Max Christie is looking like another diamond in the rough for the franchise, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. As Buha details, Christie – who says he’s exceeding his own expectations so far in his rookie year – is relishing the opportunity to learn from former MVPs like James and Russell Westbrook. “He’s figuring it out, man,” Westbrook said. “He’s young. He’s going to be in this league for a long time. I’m happy to be here to help him start his career and make things easier for him. Hopefully, he’ll continue learning, continue listening, and he’s going to do so many great things in the league.”
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Ricky Rubio Targeting Thursday For Season Debut

January 11th, 2023 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Ricky Rubio is targeting Thursday in Portland for his 2022/23 season debut, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that the Cavaliers guard will practice on Wednesday and then suit up tomorrow if there are no setbacks.

Rubio began last season in Cleveland and played a major role in the Cavaliers’ early-season success, but tore his left ACL on December 28 and has been recovering from and rehabbing the injury for over a year since then.

Following his injury, Rubio was traded to Indiana as a salary-matching piece for Caris LeVert and finished last season as a Pacer. However, the veteran point guard returned to Cleveland in free agency — the Cavs signed him to a three-year, $18.44MM contract that is nearly fully guaranteed, reflecting their confidence that he’d make it back from his ACL tear and resume being a productive rotation player.

In the first half of 2021/22, Rubio matched a career-high by averaging 13.1 points per game to go along with 6.6 APG and 4.1 RPG in 34 appearances (28.5 MPG).

Even after he returns to action, it will likely take some time for the 32-year-old to resemble his old self, but simply having him available again will improve the depth in the Cavs’ backcourt. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland lead the team in minutes per game and Garland in particular has been banged up for much of the year, dealing with a series of injuries that have cost him nine total games.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Brook Lopez On Future With Bucks: “Can’t Imagine Being Anywhere Else”

January 11th, 2023 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Few NBA players are enjoying more successful contract years than Bucks center Brook Lopez, who has bounced back after missing most of last season due to a back injury and has established himself as a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year consideration.

On track for unrestricted free agency in the offseason, Lopez spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about his future and expressed a desire to remain in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.

“I love it here,” Lopez said on Monday. “I’m so thankful for the opportunity the Bucks gave me five years ago to come here and be a part of something special. We’ve had a great time. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Lopez spent the first nine years of his NBA career with the Nets, then was a Laker for a single season in 2017/18. He signed as a free agent with the Bucks in the summer of 2018 and has been with the franchise since then, earning an All-Defensive nod in 2020 and winning a championship in 2021 as Milwaukee’s starting center.

Lopez is no longer the 20-point-per-game scorer he was during his New Jersey and Brooklyn days, but he’s having one of the best seasons of his career in 2022/23, averaging 14.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.6 BPG on .505/.381/.788 shooting through 39 games (30.3 MPG).

As Scotto details, Lopez leads the NBA in contested shots and total blocks as the anchor of a Bucks defense that ranks third in the league in defensive rating (109.4). Teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday advocated on Monday for Lopez’s Defensive Player of the Year candidacy and the big man admitted that he has thought about winning the award.

“It’s definitely a goal of mine,” Lopez told Scotto. “Obviously, I’m a team-first player who wants the team to be successful. We want to win a championship. That’s our main goal. It definitely would be a personal point of pride for me, and it’s a goal for myself.”

Lopez, who is earning approximately $13.9MM in the final season of the four-year contract he signed with Milwaukee in 2019, will remain extension-eligible until June 30. The Bucks would probably be reluctant to sign the 34-year-old to a long-term deal, but tacking a year or two onto his current contract seems viable.

If he were to sign an in-season extension, Lopez would be eligible for a 20% raise on this year’s salary, with 8% raises for any additional years beyond that. That would work out to $16.7MM for a one-year extension or $34.7MM over two years.

If he were to wait until free agency, Lopez would be eligible to earn any amount up to the max (projected to be $46.9MM in 2023/24), though it’s unrealistic to think he’d get an offer worth anywhere close to that amount at age 35, even after a strong season.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2022/23 In-Season NBA Trades

January 11th, 2023 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

As we did with 2022’s offseason trades and the in-season swaps from 2021/22, we’ll be keeping track of all the NBA trades completed this season, updating this article with each transaction. This post can be found anytime throughout the season on our desktop sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or in our mobile menu under “Features.”

Trades are listed here in reverse chronological order, with the latest on top. So, if a player has been dealt multiple times, the first team listed as having acquired him is the one that ended up with him. Trades listed in italics have been agreed upon but are not yet official. For more details on each trade, click the date above it.

For more information on the specific conditions dictating if and when draft picks involved in these deals will actually change hands, be sure to check out RealGM.com’s breakdown of the details on traded picks.

Here’s the full list of the trades completed during the 2022/23 NBA season:

February 9

February 9

  • Knicks acquire Josh Hart, the draft rights to Bojan Dubljevic (from Trail Blazers), and the draft rights to Daniel Diez (from Trail Blazers).
  • Trail Blazers acquire Matisse Thybulle, Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, the Knicks’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected), and the draft rights to Ante Tomic (from Knicks).
  • Sixers acquire Jalen McDaniels, the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick (from Hornets), and the Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-round pick.
  • Hornets acquire Svi Mykhailiuk, either the Hornets’, Hawks’, or Nets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Sixers), and either the Pelicans’ or Trail Blazers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Trail Blazers).
  • Note: The Hornets traded away their 2023 second-round pick in a prior deal.

February 9

  • Clippers acquire Eric Gordon, the Raptors’ 2024 second-round pick (from Grizzlies), either the Pacers’ 2024 second-round pick or the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Jazz’s 2024 second-round picks (whichever is most favorable; from Grizzlies), and the Grizzlies’ 2027 second-round pick.
  • Grizzlies acquire Luke Kennard and the right to swap a 2026 second-round pick (the most favorable of the Celtics’, Pacers’, and Heat’s picks) for the Clippers’ 2026 second-round pick.
  • Rockets acquire Danny Green, John Wall, and the right to swap the Bucks’ 2023 first-round pick for either the Clippers’ or Thunder’s 2023 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable; top-six protected; from Clippers).

February 9

  • Celtics acquire Mike Muscala.
  • Thunder acquire Justin Jackson, a 2023 second-round pick (details below), and the Celtics’ 2029 second-round pick.
  • Note: If the Rockets’ second-round pick lands at No. 31 or No. 32, the Thunder will receive either the Mavericks’, Heat’s, or Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable). If the Rockets’ pick lands anywhere else in the second round, the Thunder will receive either the Rockets’ or Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).

February 9

  • Pelicans acquire Josh Richardson.
  • Spurs acquire Devonte’ Graham, either the Pelicans’ or Bulls’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), either the Pelicans’ or Trail Blazers’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), the Pelicans’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Pelicans’ 2029 second-round pick.

February 9

  • Hawks acquire Saddiq Bey.
  • Pistons acquire James Wiseman.
  • Warriors acquire Gary Payton II, the Hawks’ 2026 second-round pick, and the Hawks’ 2028 second-round pick.
  • Trail Blazers acquire Kevin Knox, either the Hawks’, Nets’, or Hornets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), the Hawks’ 2024 second-round pick, the Hawks’ 2025 second-round pick (protected 41-60), the Grizzlies’ 2026 second-round pick (top-42 protected; from Warriors), and the Warriors’ 2028 second-round pick.
  • Note: The Hawks previously traded their 2024 second-round pick to the Trail Blazers with top-55 protection. Those protections were removed as part of this deal.

February 9

February 9

February 9

  • Suns acquire Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren.
  • Nets acquire Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, the Suns’ 2023 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), the Suns’ 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), the right to swap first-round picks with the Suns in 2028, the Bucks’ 2028 second-round pick, the Bucks’ 2029 second-round pick, and the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet (from Pacers).
  • Bucks acquire Jae Crowder.
  • Pacers acquire Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, either the Bucks’ 2023 second-round pick or the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Warriors’ 2023 second-round picks (whichever is most favorable), the Bucks’ 2024 second-round pick, the Pacers’ 2025 second-round pick (from Bucks), and cash ($1.36MM; from Nets).
  • Note: The Bucks acquired the Pacers’ 2025 second-round pick in a prior trade.

February 9

February 9

February 9

  • Raptors acquire Jakob Poeltl.
  • Spurs acquire Khem Birch, the Raptors’ 2024 first-round pick (top-six protected), the Raptors’ 2023 second-round pick, and the Raptors’ 2025 second-round pick.

February 7

February 7

  • Spurs acquire Dewayne Dedmon and the Heat’s 2028 second-round pick.
  • Heat acquire cash ($110K).

February 6

January 23

  • Lakers acquire Rui Hachimura.
  • Wizards acquire Kendrick Nunn, the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick, either the Lakers’ or Wizards’ 2028 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and the Lakers’ 2029 second-round pick.
  • Note: The Lakers acquired the Wizards’ 2028 second-round pick in a prior trade.

January 5

  • Spurs acquire Noah Vonleh and cash ($1.5MM).
  • Celtics acquire the Spurs’ 2024 second-round pick (top-54 protected).
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Free Agent Stock Watch: Pacific Division

January 11th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Rory Maher

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Pacific players.

Russell Westbrook, G, Lakers

  • 2022/23: $47,063,478
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

There were concerns about whether Westbrook would accept a more limited role entering the 2022/23 season, given his combativeness and lack of accountability at the end last season’s disastrous campaign. He clearly didn’t respect former head coach Frank Vogel, despite the Lakers winning a title under Vogel in ’19/20.

The ’16/17 league MVP is on the downside of his career at 34 years old, and he’s certainly not going to approach his current salary on an annual basis in free agency. Moving to the bench also hasn’t helped him score more efficiently — his 49.3 true shooting percentage is his lowest mark in 13 years, and very close to a career low (48.9 as a rookie).

So why is his stock up?

His attitude, effort level and effectiveness on defense have changed dramatically under Darvin Ham. He’s also been less of a ball-hog and a more willing passer in ’22/23.

Before the season started, I thought he might be looking at a one-year deal in the $3-7MM range in free agency. Now, I think he could get something like a two-year deal for the standard mid-level exception ($23.3MM), although it is admittedly difficult to come up a list of suitors – his playing style is polarizing.

JaMychal Green, F/C, Warriors

  • 2022/23: $2,628,597

    • Note: Green is also earning $5,571,403 from his previous contract with the Thunder.
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Down

Taking into account his full salary following a buyout agreement with the Thunder, Green has earned between $7MM and $8.5MM in five of the past six seasons primarily due to his inside-outside game and ability to rebound at a solid clip.

However, the outside part of his game has been lacking the past two seasons. He shot just 26.6% from deep with the Nuggets in ‘21/22 and is at 26.5% through 28 games this season.

Green is still rebounding well, but he’s turning the ball over more, has always been fairly foul-prone, and will be 33 in June. If the poor outside shooting continues, he’s likely looking at another veteran’s minimum deal in a best-case scenario, because he’s not big enough (6’8″, 227 pounds) to protect the rim as a center and isn’t shooting well enough to be serviceable as a stretch four.

Harrison Barnes, F, Kings

  • 2022/23: $18,352,273
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Neutral

Barnes had a very slow start this season, averaging just 9.9 points on a .368/.167/.800 shooting line through nine games. Unsurprisingly, he has rebounded nicely by averaging 15.9 PPG on .505/.378/.818 shooting over the past 30 contests, with only four games below double-digit points.

The 31-year-old doesn’t excel in any one area, but he does a lot of things pretty well, and he also doesn’t have easily exploitable weaknesses. Those types of players tend to be even more valuable in the postseason than the regular season, so Barnes will have a long list of suitors if he reaches free agency.

Barnes is in the last year of a four-year, $85MM contract. Being on the wrong side of 30 hurts a little (he turns 31 in May), but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to land another deal at similar value.

Thomas Bryant, C, Lakers

  • 2022/23: $2,133,278
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

Bryant, 25, has been one of the league’s best bargains this season, producing at a high level offensively while pulling down 11.8 rebounds per 36 minutes on a veteran’s minimum deal. He plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, something the Lakers desperately needed.

Given his defensive limitations, I’m not sure you necessarily want him to be a full-time starter – having a solid foundation in the middle is really important. Still, he has shown that he’s over his ACL tear and will certainly command a raise as a free agent – something in the $7-12MM range annually should be within reach.

Dario Saric, F/C, Suns

  • 2022/23: $9,240,000
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Down

Saric’s current situation is somewhat reminiscent of Bryant’s last season — the reason Bryant got a “prove it” contract for the minimum is that he didn’t quite look fully recovered from his ACL tear. Unless he turns things around in the second half of ‘22/23, that’s likely what Saric will be facing in the offseason as well, because he’s struggled mightily to this point.

Having said that, he’s only 28, and his game isn’t predicated on athleticism, so there’s a chance he could be a nice buy-low candidate in free agency.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts