Month: November 2024

Mavs Promoting Matt Riccardi To Assistant GM

August 18th, 2023 at 6:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Matt Riccardi is receiving a promotion from the Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that Riccardi will hold the title of assistant general manager.

A native of the Dallas area, Riccardi is currently the team’s senior director of pro personnel. The 37-year-old was hired away from the Nets last year.

As Mike Mazzeo wrote for Forbes a couple years ago, Riccardi had a pretty remarkable journey over the course of his 13 years in Brooklyn. He got his start as an unpaid intern and steadily rose up the ranks despite multiple front office overhauls, eventually becoming general manager of the Long Island Nets — the team’s G League affiliate — as well as Brooklyn’s director of scouting.

According to Mazzeo, Riccardi is known for finding hidden gems in the G League, including Spencer Dinwiddie, who revived his career with the Nets. Riccardi reportedly drew interest from the Grizzlies’ front office a handful of years ago, so he’s held in high regard around the league.

Free agent wing Theo Pinson, who has played for both the Mavs (the past two seasons) and the Nets, sent out a tweet congratulating Riccardi.

Thunder Sign Lindy Waters III To Two-Way Deal

August 18th, 2023 at 5:57pm CST by Rory Maher

5:57pm: Waters’ two-way deal is now official, the Thunder announced.

5:08pm: Lindy Waters III is rejoining the Thunder on a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Waters, who grew up in Norman and played college ball at Oklahoma State, initially signed a two-way deal with Oklahoma City in February 2022. He was promoted to a multiyear standard contract in February of this year, but his team option for 2023/24 was declined at the end of June, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The 26-year-old has split the past two seasons playing for the Thunder and the team’s G League affiliate, the OKC Blue. In 66 NBA games (15.1 MPG), the 6’6″ wing holds career averages of 6.3 PPG and 2.2 RPG with a .399/.360/.800 shooting line. He has averaged 13.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.7 SPG on .498/.427/.929 shooting in 29 regular season games (29.8 MPG) with the Blue since 2021.

Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman previously identified Waters as a “strong candidate” to fill one of the team’s two-way slots. As our tracker shows, the Thunder currently have a pair of two-way openings.

However, they were prevented from signing Waters because they had 21 players — the offseason maximum — under contract, including 20 on standard deals. That changed this afternoon, as the Thunder decided to waive TyTy Washington Jr.

Mavericks Sign Derrick Jones Jr.

August 18th, 2023 at 4:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

August 18: Jones is officially a Maverick, the team announced.

“We are excited to welcome Derrick to Dallas,” said GM Nico Harrison. “Derrick has always showcased a team-first approach with his ability to adapt his game to complement his teammates. His versatility on both ends of the floor will allow us to utilize his skillset and athleticism in a variety of different lineups.”

August 9: Free agent forward Derrick Jones Jr. has reached an agreement with the Mavericks, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s a one-year deal with a full guarantee, agent Aaron Turner tells Charania.

No other details on the new contract have been released, but Dallas still has $5.4MM of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception remaining, along with its $4.5MM bi-annual exception. Given the lack of information provided by Turner, a veteran’s minimum deal may be more likely.

Jones, 26, became a free agent when he declined his $3.36MM player option with the Bulls in June. He was the last remaining player on the open market who turned down his option for the upcoming season.

Chicago acquired Jones in a three-team trade in 2021 and re-signed him to a two-year, $6.56MM contract last summer that included the option. He appeared in 64 games last season, all off the bench, and averaged 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14 minutes per night.

Jones may find a greater opportunity with the Mavericks, who have revamped their roster this summer with an emphasis on upgrading their defense.

When Jones’ signing becomes official, he will be team’s 15th standard guaranteed contract. Dallas also has two of its three two-way slots filled, with potential training camp contracts looming for Greg Brown, Joe Wieskamp and Jordan Walker.

Erik Spoelstra Discusses Heat’s Roster, Offseason Moves

August 18th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a sense that the Heat‘s offseason remains unfinished, with the Damian Lillard saga unresolved and Miami still looking like the overwhelming favorite to trade for the Trail Blazers star sooner or later.

However, speaking to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on NBA Today on Thursday (YouTube link), head coach Erik Spoelstra suggested that he’d be happy to head into the 2023/24 season with his current roster, noting that the team “had most of our work done” by the time he reported to Team USA for the summer.

“We’re bringing back the majority of our players and that’s a luxury in this league,” Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “Things are so transient, things are moving fast. It seems like it’s moving faster now than even four, five, six years ago.

“We feel great about our group. We made some nice additions, we feel. Josh Richardson, getting another family member back into our program. Thomas Bryant, who we’ve been a big fan of. And [Jaime] Jaquez as our draft pick. We’re excited. He’s a guy you can plug and play right now. He’s a little bit older and he has a great deal of experience. So we’re adding those guys to our mix and bringing everybody back. Tyler [Herro] is healthy, Jimmy [Butler] and Bam [Adebayo], that’s a great core. So we’re excited about it.”

Spoelstra obviously can’t publicly discuss the possibility of adding Lillard and is unlikely to be directly involved in trade negotiations for the star guard, which will be handled by the front office. So the fact that he’s speaking positively about his current group is no surprise.

Still, Spoelstra is putting a positive spin on what has been an up-and-down offseason so far for the Heat. While Miami did well to get Richardson and Bryant on minimum-salary deals, the team lost two key rotation players – Gabe Vincent and Max Strus – in free agency. The Heat should be competitive again with no additional roster changes, but acquiring Lillard would almost certainly increase the club’s ceiling.

Thunder Waive TyTy Washington Jr.

August 18th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have waived guard TyTy Washington Jr., the team announced today. Washington will clear waivers and become a free agent on Sunday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

The 29th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Washington appeared in 31 games as a rookie with the Rockets last season, averaging 4.7 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per night. He put up an underwhelming shooting line of .363/.238/.556 in those 31 games.

The former Kentucky standout was more effective at the G League level, averaging 23.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.6 RPG in 18 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. However, he still struggled to score efficiently, making 44.2% of his shot attempts from the field and just 31.7% from beyond the three-point line.

The Rockets, apparently viewing Washington as expendable with so many other promising young players on their roster, included him as an outgoing salary-matching piece in the five-team trade that sent Dillon Brooks to Houston via sign-and-trade. The 21-year-old was sent to Atlanta in that deal, then was flipped to Oklahoma City in a salary-dump trade that made Patty Mills a Hawk.

Washington had been a long shot to make the Thunder’s roster, since the team was carrying 20 players on standard contracts and needed to trade or waive at least five of those players before opening night. The fact that OKC has already cut Washington – who was owed a guaranteed $2.32MM salary in 2023/24 – suggests there were no good options for him on the trade market.

While it’s not out of the question that a team will claim Washington on waivers, it seems unlikely, given his negative trade value this summer. A club interested in placing a claim would need to have cap room or a trade exception available to absorb his salary, which eliminates much of the league.

Assuming Washington becomes a free agent, the Thunder would owe him his 2023/24 salary but would be off the hook for the $2.43MM and $4.39MM team options on his contract for ’24/25 and ’25/26. Washington would be eligible for a standard contract with any team except Atlanta and a two-way deal with any team except the Hawks or Thunder.

Oklahoma City now has 20 players under contract — 16 on guaranteed salaries, three (Jack White, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe) on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals, and Keyontae Johnson on a two-way pact.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contract

August 18th, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

A new addition in the NBA’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the two-way contract is a tool that allows a team to carry extra players beyond the 15 on its standard regular season roster. Players on two-way contracts are eligible to spend up to the entire season in the G League or up to a certain number of games at the NBA level, and can be transferred back and forth between the NBA and NBAGL throughout the season.

The rules for two-way contracts have undergone some major changes since the concept was introduced back in 2017, with the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to some of those tweaks. The league loosened certain restrictions and allowed two-way players to be more available to teams that needed extra bodies during the pandemic — many of those changes have stuck and were ratified in the 2023 CBA.

Given those changes, our glossary entry on the two-way contract is due for an update, so let’s dive in and answer some frequently asked questions about the two-way deal…

Who is eligible to sign a two-way contract?

A player with fewer than four years of NBA experience can sign a two-way contract with a team. Because a player is credited with a year of service on the last day of a league year (ie. June 30), a player with three years of experience is eligible to sign a two-way contract at any time during his fourth NBA season. For instance, a player who is waived halfway through his fourth NBA season is still deemed to have three years of service and could sign a rest-of-season two-way contract.

As part of the 2023 CBA, the league and the players’ union agreed to implement what is informally known as the “Harry Giles rule.” Giles has been on an NBA roster for four seasons, but missed the entirety of his 2017/18 rookie year due to an injury, so he has only actually played in an NBA regular season game in three separate seasons.

The new rule will allow Giles – and any other player who has four years of NBA service but missed one or more of those seasons due to an injury – to sign a two-way contract, assuming the player meets the following criteria:

He has four years of NBA experience (ie. a player with five years of experience who missed two full seasons due to injuries would not be eligible).
He didn’t appear in any regular season or playoff games during his injury year.
During his injury year, he was on a team’s roster for the entire regular season.
He is signing a one-year two-way contract.

Dylan Windler is another example of a player who qualified for a two-way contract in 2023/24, having met the above criteria during his first four NBA seasons. That’s why he was permitted to sign a two-way deal with the Knicks.

How many years can a two-way contract cover?

A two-way contract can be for either one or two years, and can’t include a team or player option.

Although two-way contracts can be for up to two years, a player who has three years of NBA experience can’t sign such a deal, since he’d have four years of service after the first season. As such, two-way contracts for players with three years of experience are limited to one year.

A player also can’t spend more than three total seasons on two-way contracts with the same team. For example, a player who signed two-way deals with a club during his first two NBA seasons couldn’t then agree to a two-year two-way contract with the same team.

How much are players paid on a two-way contract?

The default salary for a full one-year, two-way contract is half of the rookie minimum salary. For example, since the 2023/24 rookie minimum is $1,119,563, the two-way salary is $559,782. No performance bonuses can be included in a two-way agreement.

That two-way salary becomes prorated if a player signs his contract after the regular season has began. Since the 2023/24 regular season is 174 days long, if a player were to sign a two-way deal with 120 days left in the season, his salary would be $386,057 — that’s 120/174ths of $559,782.

A two-way deal signed before the regular season begins can be partially guaranteed for up to the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus amount for that year. In 2023/24, that amount – also known as the maximum two-way protection amount – is $75K.

A team and player can negotiate to have up to half of his two-way salary become guaranteed at the start of the regular season. If the two sides agree to those terms, the player would receive half his two-way salary assuming he’s not waived on or before the first day of the regular season. Each player’s full two-way salary would become guaranteed if he remains under contract through January 7, and each two-way deal signed after that date is immediately guaranteed.

How do two-way contracts work for the teams signing them?

While a player who signs a G League contract to play for a team’s NBAGL affiliate remains an NBA free agent and can be signed away by any other team, a club that signs a player to a two-way deal has the player’s exclusive rights for the life of the contract. He can’t be poached by a rival team.

A team gets up to three roster slots for two-way contracts, and doesn’t need to use salary cap room or a cap exception to finalize those deals. They don’t count against a club’s salary cap.

However, there are some limitations facing teams when they sign two-way contracts. For one, if a club wants to sign a player on an overseas roster to a two-way contract, the NBA team is not allowed to pay that player’s international buyout. Additionally, NBA teams can’t sign players to two-way contracts after March 4 of each season.

How many games can a player on a two-way contract play for his NBA team?

If a player is on a two-way contract, he can be active for no more than 50 regular season games, or a prorated portion of 50 games, if he signs after the regular season begins.

For the purposes of determining the maximum active games for a two-way player who signs after the start of the regular season, the number of days left in the season are divided by the total number of days in the season, then multiplied by 50 and rounded to the nearest whole number.

A team isn’t permitted to have a two-way player active for more than 90 “under-15” games in a season. An “under-15” is any game in which the team is carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, and a team is credited with an “under-15” game toward the 90-game limit for each two-way player who is active.

For instance, if a team with 14 players on standard contracts had all three of its two-way players active for its first 30 games of the season, it would reach its 90-game limit. In order to free up those two-way players to be active for 20 more games apiece, the club would have to sign a 15th player to a standard contract.

If a team wants to keep its two-way player on the NBA roster for more than 50 regular season games, it has to convert the player’s two-way deal into a standard NBA contract, after which he’d no longer count as a two-way player.

Additionally, a player on a two-way contract must have his deal converted to a standard NBA contract in order to participate in the postseason. A player on a two-way deal isn’t playoff-eligible.

How do two-way conversions work?

There are two types of two-way conversions:

1. A player being converted from an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can only be converted to a two-way deal up until the day before the regular season begins.

The player must have an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract in order to be converted to a two-way deal. A player on a non-guaranteed training camp contract that only includes Exhibit 9 (not Exhibit 10) language cannot be directly be converted to a two-way deal and would be have to be waived and then re-signed if the team wants to make him a two-way player.

A player can be waived from a standard contract and re-signed to a two-way deal as long as he meets the service time criteria and isn’t already owed more than the two-way protection amount ($75K in 2023/24) from his team.

For example, although Dalano Banton only has two years of NBA experience, the Celtics wouldn’t be able to waive him and re-sign him to a two-way contract because his deal with the team includes a $200K partial guarantee.

2. A player being converted from a two-way contract to a standard contract

A player on a two-way contract can be converted without his consent. In that scenario, he would receive the minimum salary for the remaining term of his contract. A player on a one-year two-way contract would get a one-year, minimum-salary standard contract, while a player with two years left on his two-way deal would get a two-year, minimum-salary standard contract.

Alternately, the team and player could negotiate new terms that include more than one or two years and/or more than the minimum salary. In this scenario, the club would have to use either cap room or a cap exception to accommodate the terms of the deal. For instance, when the Pelicans negotiated a standard contract with two-way player E.J. Liddell earlier this offseason, they used a portion of their mid-level exception to give him three years.

In a situation where a two-way contract is converted to a regular NBA deal, the typical 15-man roster rules would apply to that player. He could be assigned back to the G League, but he’d continue to earn an NBA salary, since he’d no longer be a two-way player.

Can players on two-way contracts be traded?

Players on two-way contracts can be included in trades. However, they can’t be dealt within 30 days of being signed, and their salaries don’t generate trade exceptions for NBA teams.

In actuality, trades involving players on two-way contracts hardly ever occur. It has only happened twice to date. Johnathan Motley was traded from the Mavericks to the Clippers in 2018 and Julian Washburn was traded from the Grizzlies to the Warriors in 2019.

How does free agency work for a player whose two-way contract is expiring?

Nearly every player completing a two-way contract is eligible for restricted free agency. If his team issues him a qualifying offer by 5:00 pm Eastern time on June 29, he becomes a restricted free agent; if his team declines to issue a qualifying offer by that deadline, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The qualifying offer for a player coming off a one-year two-way contract is equivalent to another one-year two-way contract, with a partial guarantee worth the maximum two-way protection amount ($75K in 2023/24).

However, the qualifying offer looks a little different for a player who has spent the last two seasons on the same two-way contract; who has spent the last two years on two-way deals with the same team; or who is no longer eligible for a two-way contract because he has four years of NBA experience.

The qualifying offer in that case would be for the player’s standard veteran minimum (based on his years of experience) and would be partially guaranteed for the standard/two-way QO protection amount ($90K in 2023/24).

The maximum two-way protection amount ($75K) and the standard/two-way QO protection amount ($90K) will increase at the same rate as the salary cap in 2024/25 and beyond. So if the cap rises by 10%, those figures will also rise by 10%.

A two-way player who is issued a qualifying offer has the same options as a standard restricted free agent. He can sign a standard offer sheet with another team, negotiate a new deal with his current team, or simply accept his QO.

An offer sheet with a rival suitor would have to be a standard deal, not another two-way contract. The same rules that would apply to a standard RFA’s offer sheet apply to one for a two-way player — for instance, it must cover at least two years, and players with only one or two years of experience are subject to the Gilbert Arenas provision.

A two-way player is ineligible to receive a qualifying offer only if he’s a former first-round pick whose third- or fourth-year rookie scale team option was declined.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and information from ESPN’s Bobby Marks was used in the creation of this post.

A previous version of this article was published in 2017.

Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Offseason Trades

August 18th, 2023 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

As we explored in detail earlier this week, a total of 30 NBA trades have been made so far this offseason. Notable trade candidates such as Damian Lillard, James Harden, and Pascal Siakam haven’t gone anywhere, but a number of big names have been on the move.

Here’s a recap of some of the summer’s biggest trades:

Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics, Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, and Tyus Jones to the Wizards in a three-team, seven-player trade that also included a 2024 first-round pick.
Bradley Beal to the Suns in another three-team, seven-player trade that featured several future draft picks and swaps.
Chris Paul to the Warriors in a blockbuster trade that sent Jordan Poole and multiple players and draft picks to the Wizards.
John Collins to the Jazz in a salary-dump trade with the Hawks.
Joe Harris and Monte Morris to the Pistons in a a pair of salary-dump trades involving the Nets and Wizards.
Dillon Brooks to the Rockets, Max Strus to the Cavaliers, and Grant Williams to the Mavericks in three separate sign-and-trade deals that involved a total of 10 different teams (including the Spurs twice).

Of the remaining 21 trades made since the end of the 2022/23 season, some may not exactly go down in NBA lore. For instance, the Clippers sending $2.1MM in cash to the Pistons for the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica is unlikely to have a significant impact on either franchise.

There are other under-the-radar deals that could have long-term ramifications though. Perhaps one of the many 2023 second-round draft picks traded in June will eventually emerge as a star. Perhaps relatively minor acquisitions like Chris Duarte (Kings) or Obi Toppin (Pacers) will turn out to be more important than anticipated. Maybe one of the lottery picks a team traded up for – like No. 7 pick Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards) or No. 10 pick Cason Wallace (Thunder) – will become a franchise cornerstone.

The full list of offseason trades can be found right here.

We want to know what you think. Which moves on the trade market did you like the most? Which did you like the least? Those won’t necessarily be two sides of the same deal, since it’s possible for certain trades to be win-win deals. Are there any you think should fall into that category?

Head to the comment section below and share your thoughts on the winners and losers of the offseason trade market so far!

Mavericks Notes: Green, Hardy, Doncic

August 18th, 2023 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have opened contract extension talks with fourth-year swingman Josh Green, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link). As we outlined earlier this week, Green will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension up until October 23, the day before the 2023/24 regular season tips off.

Green said in Australia earlier this week that it would be “amazing” to sign a contract that would keep him in Dallas long-term, and it appears the two sides have mutual interest in making that happen.

The 18th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Green played a modest role for the Mavs as a rookie and saw a slight uptick in playing time during his second year. But it wasn’t really until 2022/23 that he emerged as an important rotation player for the club, averaging 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 25.7 minutes per game across 60 contests (21 starts). He also shot an impressive 53.7% from the field, including 40.2% on three-pointers.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link) breaks down some of the factors that the Mavericks will have to consider as they weigh a possible extension for Green. Signing him this year would make him difficult to trade during the 2023/24 season due to the poison pill provision, and would further reduce the club’s cap flexibility in 2024 and beyond, Townsend notes.
Within the same story, Townsend cites a Mavericks official who says that Green and/or Jaden Hardy have been the subject of virtually every trade inquiry the team has received this offseason. Dallas has been “steadfast” so far in refusing to considering moving either youngster, per Townsend, who adds that Green looks like the franchise’s small forward of the future.
In his final installment of his player tier rankings, Seth Partnow of The Athletic places Mavericks star Luka Doncic in his “1B” tier, alongside Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid. The only players ranked higher by Partnow are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokic, who occupy the “1A” tier. As Partnow explains, concerns related to Doncic’s defense, conditioning, and ability to play off the ball alongside a second star are holding him back from joining that very top tier.

International Notes: Landale, Jackson, Kaminsky, James, Loyd

August 18th, 2023 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Rockets center Jock Landale confirmed on Twitter that he won’t be part of the Australian national team that will compete in the World Cup beginning next week. As we detailed on Thursday, Landale suffered an ankle injury during an exhibition game against South Sudan this week.

“Sitting here this morning knowing the Boomers are about to take off to Japan and I’m absolutely kicking myself I’m not right there beside them,” Landale wrote. “All the build up and preparation we go through as athletes just to have it yanked away 12 hours beforehand sucks.

“… Focus turns to supporting them how I can and preparing for this season with the Rockets,” Landale added.

Landale was said to be undergoing an MRI on his injured ankle on Friday. The results of that MRI and a diagnosis have yet to be reported, but hopefully the big man will be back to full health by the time the NBA season begins in October.

Here’s more from around the international basketball world:

Former NBA first-round pick Justin Jackson is believed to be receiving some interest from Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv, per a Walla Sport report (hat tip to Sportando). The veteran forward, who has played for six teams since entering the NBA as a 15th overall pick in 2017, appeared in 23 games for Boston in 2022/23. He was traded to Oklahoma City and waived in February.
Having signed with the Belgrade-based team KK Partizan, veteran NBA big man Frank Kaminsky noted that he has Serbian roots on his mother’s side and said that he spoke to former Hawks teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic before he agreed to join Partizan. “I called him first when the possibility arose to move to Partizan,” Kaminsky said, per Eurohoops. “He said a lot of nice things about the club and the city, which helped me make the decision to sign the contract.”
Appearing on the URBONUS podcast with Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, former NBA guard Mike James confirmed that the plan is for him to remain with AS Monaco alongside new addition Kemba Walker for the 2023/24 season. James – who was rumored to be a Suns target early in the offseason – has one more season left on his contract with Monaco and sounds like he’s looking forward to exploring his options in 2024. “I think for this season, I’m here,” James said. “Free agency is the next summer and we’ll see what happens.”
Another former NBA guard who is playing for AS Monaco, Jordan Loyd, is expected to miss at least the next two or three months after undergoing lumbar spine surgery, tweets Urbonas.

James Harden Thinks Relationship With Sixers Beyond Repair

August 18th, 2023 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

Having returned from China to Houston for his JH-Town Weekend charity event, Sixers star James Harden was asked by KHOU 11’s Jason Bristol whether his relationship with his current NBA team is “beyond repair.”

“I think so,” Harden replied.

Harden’s response isn’t surprising, given that he’s just a few days removed from calling Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a liar and stating that he’ll never again be part of an organization that Morey is a part of.

Still, Harden’s position is worth noting, since it suggests he’s not taking the same route Kevin Durant took in Brooklyn a year ago. Durant reportedly told the Nets last August that they should choose between trading him or firing general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.

Harden, conversely, has offered no such ultimatum to the Sixers and given no indication that he’d be happy to remain in Philadelphia if Morey is dismissed. It’s also possible he believes there’s little chance that 76ers ownership would choose him over Morey at this point and that it’s not a strategy worth pursuing.

Asked by Bristol whether he has an open line of communication with the Sixers and how patient he needs to be as he waits for his trade request to be granted, Harden said he’s “been patient all summer.”

“For me, it’s just focus on what I can control, and that’s working out, staying in shape, and getting ready for a good season,” the former MVP added.

It remains unclear how the standoff between the Sixers and Harden might be resolved. While the veteran guard has no desire to play another game for the team and reportedly doesn’t plan to attend training camp if he’s still on the roster, the organization isn’t making a concerted effort to move him and still expects him at camp.

Both sides have some leverage in the dispute. The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a player who withholds his services for more than 30 days is deemed to have not completed his contract. That means Philadelphia could prevent Harden – who has an expiring deal – from reaching free agency in 2024 if he declines to report to the Sixers for more than a month without the club’s consent.

However, Harden has some recent experience steering himself to a preferred destination without needing to resort to a holdout — he pushed for and received trades out of Houston in 2021 and Brooklyn in 2022. The Sixers also likely won’t want to risk ruining another year of Joel Embiid‘s prime by spending a significant portion of the season dealing with Harden-related drama.

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