2023 February | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Sign Danny Green

February 15th, 2023 at 8:05am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

FEBRUARY 15, 8:05am: The Cavaliers have officially signed Green, the team confirmed in a press release.

FEBRUARY 12, 3:04pm: The Cavaliers and Green have reached an agreement, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal will be worth $2MM for the rest of the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter).

That’s more than a prorated minimum-salary contract for Green would be worth, so it’ll come out of Cleveland’s mid-level exception — the team only used a portion of the MLE to sign Ricky Rubio last summer.

The agreement will leave the Cavs’ team salary about $471K below the tax line, tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype.

FEBRUARY 12, 12:21pm: After reaching a buyout agreement with the Rockets earlier today, free agent swingman Danny Green is “nearing an agreement” to sign with the Cavaliers, his Roc Nation Sports agent and attorney Raymond Brothers informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Cleveland, who has needed help stabilizing its small forward position, could benefit from the influence of Green. When healthy, he’s a still-impactful 3-and-D vet who has won three titles for three different clubs.

Woj tweets that Green’s representatives and the Cavs are still sussing out the terms on an agreement.

Green, 35, is recovering from ACL and LCL tears he suffered while in the playoffs with the Sixers last season. He only appeared in three games with Memphis.

For what it’s worth, the 6’7″ wing has tweeted, “It’s not done yet…,” presumably in reference to the impending new contract with Cleveland.

Spurs Notes: Graham, Birch, Sochan, Barlow

February 15th, 2023 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

Devonte’ Graham dropped 15 games and seven spots in the standings by virtue of the deadline-day deal that sent him from New Orleans to San Antonio, but the Spurs guard intends to make the most of his new situation, telling reporters after the trade that he has no problem playing for a rebuilding team.

“Rebuilding, but they play hard,” Graham said of the Spurs, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “I had the same experience in Charlotte, so I kind of know what this feels like, trying to rebuild but just playing the right way, playing hard and continuing to try to get better.”

After seeing his minutes reduced significantly in New Orleans this season, Graham is also welcoming the opportunity to play a more significant role in San Antonio. He averaged 15.3 minutes per game in 53 appearances for the Pelicans — that number has jumped to 29.7 MPG in his first three games with the Spurs.

“It’s a new adventure, new team, new city,” Graham said. “Optimistic about it. I have always been good at adjusting. Grateful to be around this franchise, a legendary coach (Gregg Popovich) and this young group.”

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Veteran center Khem Birch, acquired from Toronto in the Jakob Poeltl trade, has a right knee issue that will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Birch is with the Spurs on their current road trip, but won’t practice or play until being examined over the All-Star break by the team’s medical staff. “It’s going to be quite a while,” Popovich said of Birch’s timeline to return.
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan doesn’t fit the mold of stoic former Spurs stars like Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard, but the team doesn’t mind the rookie’s tendency to “talk crap,” as Popovich puts it. “He’s just so happy to be in the NBA and playing basketball,” Popovich said, according to McDonald. “That’s what he does. It’s his main interest. … Beyond what you see skill-wise out there and IQ-wise, he’s got that heart and courage. He’s not afraid of any situation. He’s not embarrassed to screw up. He just goes on to the next play. It’s a perfect example for how you’ve got to play.”
Determining how to properly evaluate prospects coming out of the relatively new Overtime Elite program remains a work in progress for NBA scouts. Still, Spurs two-way player Dominick Barlow has no regrets about his OTE experience and believes it helped prepare him for the next level, McDonald writes for The Express-News. “There are pros and cons, like you are not going to be able to play in college and get that kind of experience,” Barlow said. “That wasn’t a big thing for me. I really wanted to work on my game, that the jump I was able to make in a year was good enough to outweigh that (college experience). I was happy with it.”
In case you missed it, Charles Bassey signed a four-year contract with the Spurs that reportedly includes $5.2MM in guaranteed money.

Reggie Jackson Signs With Nuggets

February 14th, 2023 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 14: Jackson has signed with the Nuggets, the team tweets.

FEBRUARY 11: Former Clippers guard Reggie Jackson is finalizing a buyout agreement with the Hornets and intends to sign with the Nuggets after clearing waivers, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Denver had been hoping to land the 32-year-old guard, who was traded to Charlotte on Thursday, but wasn’t required to report to the team. The Nuggets have an opening in their backcourt after sending Bones Hyland to the Clippers in a four-team deal. The Suns also were reported to be heavily interested in Jackson as a buyout candidate.

Denver has an open roster spot, so Jackson can be added without making another move.

Jackson has strong ties to Colorado, notes Harrison Wind of DNVR (Twitter link). He was named Mr. Colorado Basketball as a high school player in 2008 and always has a large cheering section of family and friends whenever he plays in Denver.

Jackson spent the past four years with the Clippers and was the team’s starter at point guard last season. He was taken out of that role this year and saw his playing time cut to 25.7 minutes per night in 52 games.

Assuming Jackson winds up in Denver, other teams in need of a point guard will have to look elsewhere. Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and John Wall are among the players traded this week who are considered strong candidates to become free agents soon.

Those players – and any other buyout candidates – must be waived by March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs with their new teams.

Eastern Notes: Wiseman, Johnson, Bouyea, Hart

February 14th, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

James Wiseman practiced with the Pistons for the first time on Tuesday since he was traded by Golden State. Wiseman is eager to jump start his career with a rebuilding team, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.

“I’m embracing all of the opportunities here,” said Wiseman, who could make his Pistons debut on Wednesday. “It’s a new start for me, I’m embracing it. I’m super excited.”

We have more Eastern Conference news:

James Johnson re-signed with the Pacers after they waived him and coach Rick Carlisle is thrilled to have the veteran forward back on the 15-man roster, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star writes. “Very important for us,” Carlisle said. “Glad that we could get it worked out. He’s contributed so much to our situation just in terms of setting examples, mentoring, being very positive, being very truthful. He has a really strong reputation in this league as a great competitors, as a very tough guy. Those kinds of things. He’s been a difference maker so it’s great to have him back on board.”
Jamaree Bouyea, who is playing on a 10-day contract, logged 28 minutes off the bench in the Heat’s 112-108 loss to the Nuggets on Monday. Miami will have to decide after the All-Star break whether to offer him another 10-day — or give him a two-way slot if the team elevates Orlando Robinson to the 15-man roster. “I feel like if we keep him around, he’ll continue to show he can really play basketball,” Bam Adebayo told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
Josh Hart has made a strong impression with the Knicks since he was acquired from Portland. Coach Tom Thibodeau said he wanted Hart on his side for a long time, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “I know the teams that I’ve been with since he’s been in the league, we’ve always had interest in him,” Thibodeau said. “If you coach against or you play against him, those are the types of guys that you respect. You respect a fierce competitor. Obviously, he’s got great talent. He wouldn’t be here without great talent. But his competitive spirit is special.”

Mavericks Notes: Ross, Irving, Harrison, Doncic, Trade Breakdown

February 14th, 2023 at 10:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks thought they had a verbal commitment from Terrence Ross after the veteran wing secured a buyout from the Magic, Marc Stein reports in a Substack story.

Dallas found out on Saturday night that Ross chose the Suns instead. It’s possible that Ross had a financial motive, since Phoenix had leftover money from its midlevel exception while Dallas could only offer the prorated veteran minimum, but we still don’t know what his deal with the Suns will look like.

The Mavs pivoted to Justin Holiday after getting spurned by Ross.

We have more on the Mavericks:

Kyrie Irving had a message for the media during his introductory news conference on Monday. He requested that they not ask about his future plans beyond this season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays. Irving will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. “It puts unwarranted distractions on us and our team,” Irving said. “I’ve dealt with it before, and it’s very emotionally draining to ask questions like, ‘What’s the long term? What’s the long term?'”
Even though Irving could turn out to be a rental, GM Nico Harrison said he had no qualms about acquiring the mercurial guard, MacMahon tweets. “I don’t see any risk at all. I actually see risk in not doing it,” Harrison said.
The Athletic’s Tim Cato takes a look at the early returns on the Luka Doncic-Irving partnership. Cato notes that the trade has eaten into the Mavs’ depth and has created more defensive issues. On the flip side, the offense has hummed when they’ve played together and the team is more competitive when Doncic needs a breather.
While the Mavs are 0-2 with Doncic and Irving playing together, Doncic is excited about his new backcourt partner, MacMahon writes. “He’s an amazing basketball player, and I think it’s going to be really fun,” Doncic said.
In a story for SportsBusinessClassroom.com, Eric Pincus breaks down all the financial aspects of the Kyrie trade with the Nets, including the math behind Irving’s and Finney-Smith’s trade bonuses.

And-Ones: Postseason Awards, Cacok, Grenades, Mock Draft

February 14th, 2023 at 9:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA and the Players Association have discussed a games played threshold regarding postseason awards, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports.

The discussions are part of Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. The league has become increasingly concerned with load management, particularly regarding top players. Tying eligibility for awards to games played would be a way of discouraging them from taking nights off.

It’s believed the concept will be in the final CBA in some form, but negotiations are fluid. Only three of the top 12 vote-getters for the Most Valuable Player award last season played more than 68 games, Vorkunov notes.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA forward Devontae Cacok has signed with CSKA Moscow, according to a press release from the Russian club. Cacok had been playing for the Pistons’ G League club, the Motor City Cruise, where he averaged of 19.9 points and 9.7 rebounds in 31.2 minutes through 14 games. Cacok has appeared in 36 NBA games over the past three seasons with the Lakers and Spurs after going undrafted out of UNC Wilmington in 2019. He was waived by the Pistons this fall before joining their G League squad.
The unwritten rule discouraging passes from being thrown late in the shot clock for a teammate to take a low percentage shot is detailed by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Such passes are called “grenades,” since it forces a teammate to lower his shooting percentages. League-wide, players shot 29.7% last season on contested field goal attempts after receiving a pass with two seconds or less remaining on the shot clock, MacMahon notes.
With the trade deadline behind us, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report takes his latest swing at a two-round mock draft. Who goes after Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson? Wasserman has the Hornets selecting guard Amen Thompson with the No. 3 pick.

NBA Announces All-Star Saturday Night Participants

February 14th, 2023 at 7:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It was quite a Valentine’s Day for Mac McClung. He was signed to a two-way contract by the Sixers and, hours later, was named as one of the four participants in this year’s Slam Dunk competition during All-Star weekend, according to an NBA press release.

He’ll be joined by the Rockets’ Kenyon Martin Jr., the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III and the Knicks’ Jericho Sims.

The Skills Challenge will feature a brother act. Team Antetokounmpo, predictably, will include Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Alex Antetokounmpo of the G League’s Wisconsin Herd.

Team Jazz will include Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton, while Team Rookies will feature top pick Paolo Banchero of the Magic, as well as the Pistons’ Jaden Ivey and the Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr.

The participants in this year’s 3-point contest can be found here.

Southeast Notes: Rozier, Nunn, Bey, Beverley

February 14th, 2023 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite being involved in a series of trade rumors leading up to last week’s deadline, Hornets guard Terry Rozier stayed put in Charlotte. Now, he says he needs to set a good example for his young teammates for the rest of the season, he told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com.

“It’s definitely been a tough season — for a lot of reasons. It can definitely get you down,” the Hornets guard said. “But I’ve got to make sure I’m setting the right example. There’s a lot of young guys here, and they’re looking to the veterans. I can’t let the disappointment show. It’s easy at this point in the season, with all the injuries that we’ve had and the record what it is because of that, and All-Star break coming up, it’s easy to give in and have that look. But I’m trying to get better myself, too.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Wizards guard Kendrick Nunn, acquired from the Lakers in the Rui Hachimura swap, is trying to rebuild his value, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post notes. Nunn will be a free agent after the season. Nunn had 13 points — his highest output since the deal — and six assists against Golden State on Monday.
Forward Saddiq Bey, traded by Detroit, is eager to establish himself with the Hawks, he told Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “This is my first time ever doing it (being traded), so we’re going to see how it goes,” he said. “But the coaching staff, the players, they’ve done a great job welcoming me. They’ve been playing, they play hard, they play together. So, it’s not going to be too hard to get adjusted, but I’m just trying to fit in with them.” Bey had 12 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes against Charlotte in his Atlanta debut.
Patrick Beverley will give some money back to the Magic if he signs with another team, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link). Beverley was waived on Saturday after reaching a buyout with the Magic. Beverley had a $13MM contract and will receive that full amount from Orlando if he remains a free agent. The Magic’s obligation to him would be reduced by $918,516 if he were to sign with a team on Tuesday, says Marks.

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Harden, Williams, Nurse

February 14th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn admits he’s not quite sure how to play Ben Simmons with the major changes made to the team’s roster the past two weeks, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Simmons has logged just 16 and 13 minutes in the team’s past two games.

“It’s gonna be some work that we have to do, because you just take a look at what the lineups could potentially look like,” the Nets coach said. “You put another big next to Ben, then you’ve gotta figure out what the spacing is around him. Then if you put another playmaker next to Ben, then you’ve gotta figure out what Ben looks like without the basketball. Then if you go small with Ben, then you’ve gotta figure out can you rebound enough with him. So the challenges are ahead of us. We’ll look them head on. We’ll figure it out.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers guard James Harden has chosen new representation, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. He will be represented by Troy Payne, a former Adidas executive who is partnering with agents Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier. Payne, Silverman and Grier are now the agents for Harden, who signed a two-year contract with the 76ers last offseason but holds a player option on his $35.64MM salary for next season. Harden declined his $47.4MM player option last summer.
The Celtics chose not to trade Grant Williams but various teams are monitoring the situation and curious about his future there, Marc Stein writes in a Substack post. Williams will be a restricted free agent this summer and may seek a contract similar to what Keldon Johnson received from the Spurs (four years and $74MM, plus incentives).
Nick Nurse is back with the Raptors and will coach them against Orlando tonight, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Nurse missed Sunday’s game against Detroit due to personal reasons.

Charles Bassey Signs Four-Year Deal With Spurs

February 14th, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

4:08pm: Bassey’s deal with the Spurs is now official, the team confirmed in a press release.

3:23pm: Spurs big man Charles Bassey isn’t just having his two-way contract converted into a rest-of-season deal with the team. He’ll sign a four-year, $10.2MM pact with San Antonio, agents Adie von Gontard and Daveed Cohen tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Bassey, who joined the Spurs in October on a two-way contract after being waived by the 76ers, has appeared in 25 games for the club so far this season, averaging 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per night. The 22-year-old was the 53rd overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Bassey is in position to take on a more significant role following the trade that sent starting center Jakob Poeltl to Toronto. A report on Sunday indicated that he was expected to be promoted to the standard roster to fill the open roster spot created when Stanley Johnson was waived.

The Spurs still have a ton of available 2022/23 cap room and are well below the salary floor, so they’ll be incentivized to front-load Bassey’s contract. We don’t know the exact structure yet, but San Antonio could construct a descending four-year, $10.2MM deal that is worth Bassey’s minimum (about $2.26MM) in year four.

According to Bassey’s agents, the contract will include $5.2MM in guaranteed money, which suggests it’ll probably be guaranteed for this season and 2023/24.

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