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Month: November 2024

Serge Ibaka Hopes To Keep Playing In NBA

August 3rd, 2023 at 7:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran big man Serge Ibaka, who has been in the NBA for 14 seasons, is still looking for his next opportunity as free agency’s second month gets underway.

In a new interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link), Ibaka explained how he can still help clubs in the league ahead of the 2023/24 season.

“A lot of things that I can bring to a team… basketball, experience of winning, playing with great players,” Ibaka said.

Speaking to Charania, the 33-year-old explained, from his perspective, how his season as a deep-bench reserve with the Bucks went awry. He was flipped to the Pacers in February as part of the four-team deal that sent Kevin Durant to the Suns, and Indiana subsequently waived him. Ibaka claimed that Milwaukee told him ahead of the year that he would be used as an injury replacement.

“[Then-head coach Mike Budenholzer] told me to my face: Listen, you’re coming here, I promise you nothing — but you never know, it’s a long season, guys can have injuries, you have to stay ready,” Ibaka said (h/t to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm and other staffers).

That proved not to be the case, and the club was cagey about why it continued to mostly hold him out even when big men ahead of him in the team’s rotation were hurt.

“It got to some point where I cannot take this anymore,” Ibaka said. “I love this game so much, but if this is going to take my peace of mind, my joy, it’s not worth it. I earned my respect in this league. At least communicate. I’m not asking about playing, I’m just asking for communication.”

Across just 16 games with the Bucks, the 6’10” center/power forward averaged 4.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG last season. Though the 2019 NBA champion may no longer be his peak All-Defensive Team self, he at least seems optimistic that he has more left to give.

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Dmytro Skapinstev Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Knicks

August 3rd, 2023 at 5:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks have inked center Dmytro Skapintsev to an Exhibit 10 contract, the team announced on Thursday (Twitter link).

The 7’1″ big man most recently suited up for the Knicks’ Summer League team, where he averaged 7.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.8 BPG.

Skapintsev played internationally for clubs in his native Ukraine and in Lithuania before joining New York’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, for the 2022/23 season.

Across 28 regular season games with Westchester last year, including eight starts, Skapintsev averaged 8.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 0.6 BPG. He shot 60.8% from the floor and 77.8% from the field in those contests.

Exhibit 10 deals can include optional bonuses worth up to $75K. If the 25-year-old is cut prior to the regular season, he could rejoin Westchester as a returning rights player. Should he stay with Westchester for at least 60 days, he would earn that bonus.

New York now has a full 21-man offseason roster, with 12 players on fully or partially guaranteed contracts, six on non-guaranteed deals, and three on two-way pacts.

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Knicks Sign Obadiah Noel To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 3rd, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Rory Maher

5:32pm: New York has officially announced the signing of Noel to an Exhibit 10 deal (Twitter link).

1:12pm: The Knicks intend to sign free agent guard Obadiah Noel to an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

It will be the first NBA contract for Noel, who went undrafted in 2021 after four college seasons at UMass-Lowell. The 24-year-old has spent his first two professional seasons playing in the G League.

During the 2021/22 season, Noel played for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate. He held modest averages of 6.2 points on .393/.232/.783 shooting in 22 regular season games (17.1 minutes).

The 6’4″ guard began the ’22/23 G League season with the Raptors 905 during the fall Showcase Cup, but his minutes were further reduced, and he caught on with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s affiliate. He had a solid showing during the regular season, averaging 10.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals on .487/.382/.689 shooting in 29 games (26.8 minutes).

With a crowded backcourt and all three two-way slots filled, the most likely outcome is that Noel will be waived by the Knicks before the season starts. In that scenario, he would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Westchester in ’23/24.

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Hornets Waive Xavier Sneed

August 3rd, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have waived forward Xavier Sneed, who was on a two-way contract, per a team press release.

Sneed, 25, spent most of the 2022/23 season with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s NBAGL affiliate, appearing in a total of 44 games with the club across the Showcase Cup and regular season. In 32 regular season appearances (31.2 MPG), Sneed averaged 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per night with a .393/.318/.738 shooting line.

He received a 10-day contract from Charlotte at the end of last season and then signed a two-way deal just before the season ended. He appeared in four games with the Hornets, averaging 4.3 points in 12.0 minutes.

Sneed, who also had brief NBA stints with the Grizzlies and Jazz, has spent the bulk of his three-year professional career playing in the G League, primarily with the Swarm. The former Kansas State product went undrafted in 2020.

As our roster count shows, the Hornets currently have 14 players on standard contracts (12 guaranteed), a pair on two-way deals after releasing Sneed, two unsigned restricted free agents (P.J. Washington and Theo Maledon), and one unsigned draft pick (James Nnaji, who was selected 31st overall).

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Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Signs One-Year Deal With ASVEL

August 3rd, 2023 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot is returning to his native France, having signed a one-year deal with ASVEL Villeurbanne, the team announced in a press release.

“It’s a great honor to attract one of the very best French players of the moment,” ASVEL president Tony Parker said, per BasketNews.com. “I know Timothe perfectly, and I have no doubts about everything he can bring to the team. I’m very happy he trusts our project, and I can’t wait to see him wear our jersey.”

Luwawu-Cabbarot, 28, was drafted 24th overall by Philadelphia in 2016. He spent six seasons in the NBA, playing for the Sixers, Thunder, Bulls, Nets, and Hawks from 2016-22.

In 2021/22, the 27-year-old appeared in 52 games for Atlanta, averaging 4.4 PPG and 1.6 RPG on .398/.361/.854 shooting in 13.2 minutes per contest. He holds career averages of 5.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 328 regular season games.

The veteran swingman signed a training camp deal with Phoenix prior to last season, but didn’t make the team’s roster and was released before ’22/23 began. He wound up returning to Europe, signing a deal with Italy’s Olimpia Milano. His contract expired in April, making him an unrestricted free agent.

ASVEL competes in both the LNB Pro A — France’s top basketball division — and the EuroLeague, which is widely considered the second-most competitive league in the world.

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Nets Sign Trendon Watford

August 3rd, 2023 at 3:25pm CST by Rory Maher

3:25pm: Watford’s contract is non-guaranteed, per NetsDaily (Twitter link).

2:27pm: The Nets have signed free agent forward/center Trendon Watford, the team announced (via Twitter).

According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, Watford received a standard contract (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the deal is guaranteed.

Watford was surprisingly waived by the Trail Blazers at the end of June before his minimum-salary contract for 2023/24 became guaranteed. He went unclaimed and became an unrestricted free agent a couple days later.

The 22-year-old averaged 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists with a shooting line of .560/.391/.720 in 62 appearances (19.1 MPG) in 2022/23.

Watford, who played two seasons of college ball at LSU, went undrafted in 2021 and caught on with the Blazers, initially signing a two-way deal. His contract was converted to a standard deal in February 2022 during his solid rookie season.

After officially signing Watford, the Nets are now carrying 17 players on their roster — 15 on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.

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Vancouver, Montréal To Host October Preseason Games

August 3rd, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The Canadian cities of Vancouver and Montréal will each host one preseason game in October as part of the NBA’s ninth Canada Series, the league announced in a press release.

According to the NBA, the Raptors and Kings will face off on October 8 in Vancouver, while Montréal will host the Thunder and Pistons on October 12.

Three Canadians will take part in the games — Trey Lyles (Kings), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Luguentz Dort (Thunder). Dort will be playing in his hometown.

“After growing up and learning to play the game of basketball in Montréal, it will be a special experience to play a preseason game in my hometown,” Dort said. “Canada and Montréal are home to some of the best basketball fans in the world, and I’m looking forward to taking the floor at Bell Centre.”

The Canada Series has featured 15 NBA teams in 16 preseason games across six cities since it launched in 2012. The 2023/24 regular season tips off on October 24.

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International Notes: Mirotic, Wall, Galloway, McCaw, More

August 3rd, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA forward Nikola Mirotic has signed with Olimpia Milano in Italy, the team announced in a press release. The new contract for the 2021/22 EuroLeague MVP will run through 2026.

“I am happy to become part of this great family that is Olimpia Milano and to be able to contribute to making this team and this prestigious company more and more competitive,” Mirotic said. “… I am also very happy to be back playing for coach (Ettore) Messina, whom I met when I was starting out. I’m sure next season will be a fun one and our fans will be proud of us.”

Mirotic played five NBA seasons with the Bulls, Pelicans and Bucks before returning to Europe in 2019. The contract he signed with Barcelona was the largest in the EuroLeague at the time, but it was terminated last month with two years remaining.

After his original negotiations with Milano collapsed, Mirotic worked out a three-year agreement with KK Partizan in Serbia. However, he decided not to sign the contract, citing unspecified “threats and insults.” The franchise claimed it could guarantee his safety and was skeptical about his stated reasons for backing out of the deal.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • John Wall is disputing a report that surfaced on Wednesday that he’s also talking to Olimpia Milano, tweeting, “Where Do Y’all Get Ur Info from? False News!!” Wall played 34 games for the Clippers last season before being traded and waived in February. He held a private workout for several teams last month in Las Vegas.
  • Langston Galloway has signed with Pallacanestro Reggiana in Italy, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (Twitter link). The eight-year NBA veteran is part of the Select Team that’s scrimmaging against Team USA’s World Cup squad. He played for College Park in the G League last season.
  • Patrick McCaw has joined Filou Oostende in Belgium, the team announced. He spent last season with the G League champion Delaware Blue Coats after winning three NBA titles with Golden State and Toronto.
  • Former NBA guard Semaj Christon has signed with Germani Brescia in Italy, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Christon participated in a free agent mini-camp with the Timberwolves in June.
  • Former Pistons shooting guard Deividas Sirvydis has a new contract with Lietkabelis Panevezys in Lithuania, according to Urbonas.
  • G League forward Robert Woodard II has joined ADA Blois Basket, the team tweeted. The 40th pick in the 2020 draft signed with the Thunder last October and spent the season in the G League.
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Sale Of Hornets Finalized

August 3rd, 2023 at 9:34am CST by Arthur Hill

The purchase of Michael Jordan’s majority stake in the Hornets by a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall has been finalized, the team announced in a press release. The sale was approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors last month.

Plotkin and Schnall will immediately take over controlling interest in the team. They will serve as co-chairmen of Hornets Sports & Entertainment and will rotate the governorship every five years, starting with Schnall.

“Our vision is to take the Hornets to the next level, both on and off the court,” the new owners stated in the release. “We will look to build a highly competitive basketball team, develop innovative business practices, give back to our community and connect with our fans. We plan to further invest in the team, the facilities and the fan experience, with the goal of delivering a winner to our fans throughout the Carolinas. We are confident that our successful business backgrounds and our previous experience as NBA minority owners will be beneficial as we shape the future of the franchise as a best-in-class organization.” 

Schnall had been a minority owner of the Hawks and an alternative on the league’s Board of Governors since 2015. Plotkin has held a minority stake in the Hornets since 2019 and served as a Board of Governors alternate as well. Their ownership group includes entertainers J. Cole and Eric Church, who are both from North Carolina.

Jordan, who has owned the team since 2010, will remain a minority owner and an alternate governor, the press release confirms. The purchase price isn’t disclosed, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the franchise is being valued at $3 billion for the sale.

“The opportunity to be the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets in my home state of North Carolina for the last 13 years has been a tremendous honor,” Jordan said. “I’m proud of all that the organization accomplished: the exciting on-court moments, the return of the Hornets name, Charlotte hosting the 2019 NBA All-Star Game and HSE becoming a true pillar of this community. Through the years, the unwavering commitment, passion and loyalty of our Hornets fans has been incredible.

“As I transition into a minority ownership role, I’m thrilled to be able to pass the reins to two successful, innovative and strategic leaders in Gabe and Rick. I know the Hornets organization is in great hands moving forward. I’m excited about the future of the team and will continue to support the organization and the community in my new role in the years ahead.” 

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