2023 August | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Notes: Aldama, Kennard, Former Owners

August 11th, 2023 at 8:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama is playing for the Spanish national team this summer as it looks to defend its gold medal from the 2019 World Cup. In an exhibition match against Luka Doncic and Slovenia on Friday, Aldama led Spain to a 99-79 victory, recording a game-high 18 points along with seven assists and six rebounds, according to Eurohoops.net.

The 30th overall pick of the 2021 draft, Aldama improved across the board during his second season with Memphis in 2022/23, averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG on .470/.353/.750 shooting in 77 games (20 starts, 21.8 MPG). The 22-year-old could be in line for a bigger role next season, as Brandon Clarke will likely be sidelined for most — if not all — of ’23/24 after tearing his Achilles tendon in March, though general manager Zach Kleiman did express optimism in June regarding Clarke’s recovery timeline.

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

Sharpshooter Luke Kennard, a trade deadline addition who led the NBA in three-point percentage each of the past two seasons, praised Memphis’ offseason moves and is bullish on the team’s outlook for ’23/24, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes (subscriber link). “We got some really good additions this summer, and I think they’re going to help our team out a lot,” Kennard said. “We’re really excited. I know we have a really good team this year. With our coaches and everybody just buying in to what we want to do, we have a really good chance of being a really special team this year.” The Grizzlies signed veteran guard Derrick Rose — Kennard’s former teammate with Detroit — in free agency, and added Marcus Smart in a three-team trade that sent Tyus Jones to the Wizards, among other transactions.
The former owners of the Grizzlies have lost a court case involving a $10.7MM tax deduction for deferred compensation dating back to 2012. Michael McMann of Sportico has the details.
In case you missed it, Jayson Tatum recently discussed what Smart will bring to the Grizzlies, and Jaren Jackson Jr. was voted by his peers as the most impressive player of Team USA’s training camp.

Atlantic Notes: Brunson, Long Island, Petrusev, Sixers

August 11th, 2023 at 7:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Jalen Brunson faced plenty of questions last summer entering his first season with the Knicks. He not only answered all of the questions, he “raised the bar” for the franchise and now he’ll face a different kind of pressure in 2023/24 as the “unquestioned leader” of the team, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post (subscriber link).

As Braziller writes, Brunson put up career highs in nearly every major statistical category last season, but teams will be more focused on slowing him down in ’23/24. As Team USA’s probable starting point guard ahead of the World Cup, Brunson hasn’t shown any signs of being impacted by enhanced external expectations — if anything, he seems to thrive under increased scrutiny, which could be a boon for the Knicks, per Braziller.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

The Nets‘ NBA G League affiliate in Long Island recently announced a series of coaching changes. Shawn Swords, who was an assistant last season, has been promoted to associate head coach under Mfon Udofia, while Travis Voigt, Andrew Cobian and L.D. Williams were named assistant coaches.
In an interview with Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net, Sixers big man Filip Petrusev discussed signing his first NBA contract, expectations (or lack thereof) for his rookie season, playing for the Serbian national team in the World Cup, and escaping the wildfires in Greece while he was vacationing with his girlfriend.
Appearing on NBA Today (YouTube link), ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne says the Sixers are still in a stalemate with former MVP James Harden, with no real trade talks at the moment. Shelburne also says Joel Embiid is motivated to enter 2023/24 in tip-top shape and is excited by the upside of Tyrese Maxey, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract but isn’t expected to receive an extension. It may seem like the franchise is in turmoil from the outside given Harden’s trade request, but Shelburne hears Embiid is in regular communication with the front office. While this season will undoubtedly be vital, next summer might be even more important for Embiid’s future, according to Shelburne, who notes that the reigning MVP is waiting to see what the roster looks like in ’24/25 with so few players under contract.

And-Ones: Edey, Flagg, In-Season Tournament, Bozic, Schmidt

August 11th, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Purdue star center Zach Edey tested the draft waters this past spring. However, he decided to return to school for his senior year after he was unable to convince an NBA team to give him a two-way contract with the opportunity for playing time, writes Dana O’Neil of The Athletic.

That doesn’t mean teams weren’t interested in the NCAA’s reigning National Player of the Year, but none were willing to commit to him weeks in advance of the draft — the withdrawal deadline was 11:59 pm ET on May 31, while the 2023 NBA draft didn’t take place until June 22. Edey was ranked No. 47 on ESPN’s big board at the time, so he may have been a second-round pick.

Edey tells O’Neil that with name, image and license in play, he was in no rush to make it to the NBA for financial reasons, since he’ll be compensated about the same as he would’ve been had he secured a two-way deal.

“If this was before NIL, I probably would have left,” Edey said. “That’s fair to say. But now I’m allowed to be rewarded for the season I had last year, for the season my team had last year. This is how NIL was meant to be used, I think. Not the way some schools are using it.”

Instead, the 7’4″ Canadian ultimately returned to the Boilermakers after his mother asked him what he really wanted to do.

“I kept thinking, I don’t want to look back on this and say, ‘Damn. I wish I had gone back,'” Edey said, per O’Neil. “I have the rest of my life to work. The NBA is a business. Purdue is a blessing.”

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Top high school prospect Cooper Flagg has reclassified from the 2025 class to 2024, which means he’ll be eligible for the 2025 NBA draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). The 16-year-old phenom is a “strong candidate” to be selected first overall in 2025, says Givony.
The schedule for the NBA’s new in-season tournament will be announced next Tuesday, August 15, the league announced on Friday (via Twitter). ESPN’s NBA Today will reveal the full schedule at 3:00 pm ET.
The Spurs‘ G League affiliate in Austin is losing its head coach, Petar Bozic, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Bozic will be heading to the British Basketball League to coach the London Lions, Woj reports. Bozic was with the Austin Spurs for six seasons — four as an assistant and two as head coach. He will be replacing Ryan Schmidt, who is expected to become the head coach of the Hawks‘ NBAGL affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, sources tell Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter).

Central Notes: Simpson, Turner, Bucks’ Christmas Game, Cavs’ Arena

August 11th, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Zavier Simpson gained a spot on the Pistons’ training camp roster and the former Wolverines star is thrilled to wear a Detroit uniform, he told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

“It’s tremendous,” Simpson said of joining the Pistons. “Being able to be back here, it’s almost like home. Being able to play for the University of Michigan and have a tremendous career, and being able also to come here in Detroit and also play. It’s phenomenal. I’m excited, I love it and obviously the new coaching staff is coming in, which is phenomenal. Blessed to be a part of it, and it’s home so just want to keep working and do the most I can with the opportunity, and leave the results to the results.”

The Pistons’ NBA G League affiliate, Motor City Cruise, recently announced it has acquired Simpson’s returning player rights through a trade with the Magic’s affiliate team.

We have more from the Central Division:

Pacers big man Myles Turner is pleased with the team’s offseason moves, particularly the free agent acquisition of Bruce Brown. “I think we definitely got better,” Turner told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We got that championship mindset with Bruce Brown. He’s fresh off a ‘chip. He could have gone anywhere this summer and he chose to come here and build with this group. I was with (GM Chad Buchanan) last night at the Nike Skills Academy in Portland and we just talked about the opportunity we have this year and a lot of that comes to being better on defense.”
The Bucks’ streak of playing on Christmas Day will continue this upcoming season, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays via The Athletic. Milwaukee’s sixth consecutive appearance during the league’s showcase day will come against the Knicks at New York. Milwaukee is 3-2 in Christmas Day games since the streak began.
The Cavaliers’ arena, now called the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, will be getting $24.4MM in publicly funded repairs, according to Lucas Daprile of the Cleveland Plain Dealer in a subscriber-only story. However, the exact source of those funds remains a mystery.

Heat Sign Former Celtic Justin Champagnie

August 11th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have signed Justin Champagnie, the team tweets.

While terms were not disclosed, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports that it’s an Exhibit 10 deal (Twitter link). The addition of Champagnie gives Miami a full 21-man camp roster.

The Celtics waived him at the beginning of the month.

Champagnie, 22, appeared in two regular season and four postseason games for Boston last season. He signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract in April but it was non-guaranteed for the upcoming season. He was due a $50K guarantee if he had remained on Boston’s roster.

Champagnie could earn a little more money via the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus. If he’s waived by the Heat and then spends at least 60 days with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, their G League affiliate, he could earn a $75K bonus.

After going undrafted out of Pittsburgh in 2021, the 6’6″ swingman inked a two-way deal with the Raptors for the 2021/22 season. The team brought him back aboard for 2022/23, but after he had appeared in just three games for Toronto, he was cut in December.

In a procedural move, the Heat also signed and then waived center Brandon McCoy, who played for the Skyforce last season.

Heat Sign Cole Swider To Camp Contract

August 11th, 2023 at 2:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 11: The Heat have officially signed Swider, the team tweets.

AUGUST 6: The Heat have reached an agreement with free agent forward Cole Swider, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Swider’s contract will be an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Swider went undrafted out of Syracuse in 2022, but latched on with the Lakers for the 2022/23 season on a two-way deal.

The 24-year-old suited up for just seven games during his rookie season with Los Angeles, averaging just 5.9 MPG. Across 27 bouts with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, Swider averaged 17.1 PPG on .506/.436/.838 shooting, along with 4.8 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.8 SPG.

Miami has 12 players currently signed to guaranteed deals on their current 15-man standard roster, plus center Orlando Robinson inked to a non-guaranteed contract.

Heat Sign Drew Peterson, Caleb Daniels To Camp Deals

August 11th, 2023 at 2:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 11: The signings of Peterson and Daniels are official, the team tweets.

JUNE 23: The Heat are set to sign training camp deals with a pair of undrafted NBA hopefuls.

Sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) that Miami will ink ex-USC forward Drew Peterson to an Exhibit 10 contract. Woj adds (via Twitter) that former Villanova shooting guard Caleb Daniels has agreed to a training camp contract with the Heat.

Wojnarowski’s tweet does not explicitly call Daniels’ deal an Exhibit 10, but it sounds like that will most likely be the case. As a reminder, under the NBA’s new CBA, Exhibit 10 bonuses can be worth up to $75K instead of $50K starting this offseason.

Peterson, a 6’8″ fifth-year senior, was a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree while with the Trojans. Across 33 games in 2022/23, he averaged 13.9 PPG on .442/.358/.752 shooting splits. He also pulled down 6.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.8 BPG.

The 6’4″ Daniels was named to an NCAA All-Region Team during an extended college run. He spent his first two NCAA seasons with Tulane. Daniels redshirted his first year with Villanova in 2019/20, and then suited up for three more seasons as a Wildcat, enjoying a bonus year of college eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 34 games last season, Daniels averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.0 SPG.

Jamal Cain Accepts Qualifying Offer, Takes Two-Way Deal With Heat

August 11th, 2023 at 2:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:49pm: The signing is official, the team tweets.

2:04pm: Jamal Cain is signing his qualifying offer and returning to the Heat on a two-way contract, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Cain was searching for a standard deal, which Miami had been reluctant to offer. Cain didn’t have a lot of leverage as a restricted free agent, as Miami had the right to match any offer.

The deadline to rescind the two-way offer passed in July, so Cain had the opportunity to accept the qualifying offer at any time.

The 24-year-old power forward appeared in 18 NBA games as a two-way player last season. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.3 minutes in those appearances. He started 15 games for Miami’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, averaging 22.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per contest.

The Oakland (Mich.) University product, who also played for Marquette, fills the last of the Heat’s two-way slots. Guards Dru Smith and Jamaree Bouyea hold the other two-way slots.

If the Heat finally pull off a trade for Damian Lillard, spots on the 15-man roster could open up for Cain and the other two-way players.

Heat Sign Alondes Williams To Camp Contract

August 11th, 2023 at 1:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:51pm: The signing is official, the team tweets.

1:51pm: The Heat have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with guard Alondes Williams, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Williams went undrafted last year and spent most of the season with the NBA G League Long Island Nets. He appeared in 24 games at that level, including 12 starts, and averaged 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 27.6 minutes per game. He also played one game for the Brooklyn Nets in December.

In late July, the Long Island Nets dealt the returning player rights for Williams to the Heat’s NBA G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, in exchange for the returning player rights of shooting guard D.J. Stewart.

The Heat have agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with a handful of players this summer, but have yet to begin finalizing those contracts.

Williams could earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Skyforce. He could also be a candidate for a two-way contract, as the Heat have an open slot.

Pacific Notes: Payne, Durant, Queta

August 11th, 2023 at 1:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cameron Payne isn’t hiding his feelings about the Suns dealing him to the rebuilding Spurs. Payne admits he’d rather be in Phoenix, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic relays via an Instagram Live post from the point guard.

“Man, I love Phoenix, bro, I miss Phoenix already,” Payne said. “I wish I was in Phoenix still but hey, it is where it is, man. They’re trying to win a chip and I respect it. I feel like they could’ve won a chip with me though ’cause like, I’m tough.”

Payne was dealt, along with the Pelicans’ 2025 second-rounder acquired in a previous deal, to the Spurs for a protected 2024 second-rounder. Phoenix reduced its luxury tax bill by trading Payne’s $6.5MM salary and also acquired a trade exception of the same value.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Due to injury and other factors, Kevin Durant hasn’t played in Golden State since he left the Warriors and signed with the Nets in 2019. As long as he’s not injured coming out of training camp, Durant will finally make his return to the Warriors’ home floor when the Suns open their regular season there on Oct. 24, according to Rankin.
The Kings signed Neemias Queta to a two-year, $4.2MM contract, according to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype (Twitter link). The first year is partially guaranteed and the second season salary is non-guaranteed. Queta, who played with Sacramento on a two-way contract last season, signed a standard contract earlier this week. According to Ricardo Brito Reis (Twitter link), Queta’s $2,019,706 salary for next season includes a $250K guarantee. It’s guaranteed for $500K if he’s on the Opening Day roster and becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 10. His 2024/25 salary of $2,196,970 becomes guaranteed for $1,098,485 on July 10 and fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, 2025.
In case you missed it, the Clippers have guaranteed the final year of Tyronn Lue’s contract. Get the details here.

Month: November 2024