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Month: September 2024

Eastern Notes: Council, Celtics, Lillard, ’24/25 Standings

August 21st, 2024 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

As he prepares for his second NBA season, Sixers swingman Ricky Council has been participating this summer in the private runs held in Los Angeles by Sixers assistant Rico Hines, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Council is working on fine-tuning his game in the hope of earning rotation minutes in Philadelphia in 2024/25.

“This summer has been a whole lot of work, maybe even more than last year,” Council said. “Keeping my shooting touch up, working on different finishing moves, just learning the game, playing against good competition every day. All that’s going to help me in the long run.”

Having spent most of his rookie season in 2023/24 on a two-way contract, Council didn’t see a ton of action at the NBA level, but he impressed in his limited minutes, averaging 5.4 points in 32 outings (9.0 MPG), with a shooting line of .482/.375/.746. He knows that in order to get more playing time in ’24/25, he’ll have to show he can excel in a complementary role.

“We have Paul George. We have Tyrese Maxey and we have Joel Embiid,” Council said. “I don’t expect they’ll need much off the dribble in that nature. So I just need to be able to hit open shots and guard people.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • There’s “zero truth” to rumors that billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is interested in bidding on the Celtics, a source close to Bezos tells Nick Wingfield of The Information. As Kurt Helin of NBC Sports notes, there has been speculation in league circles that Bezos may have interest in being involved in an expansion franchise in Seattle, but it doesn’t sound like he’s looking to gain control of the defending champions, whose majority ownership group put its stake up for sale earlier this summer.
  • Appearing on the Club 520 Podcast (YouTube link), Bucks guard Damian Lillard admitted that his first year in Milwaukee last season was a “harder transition” than he expected. In addition to going through a tumultuous period in his personal life at the time, he also found it challenging to adjust to playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton after being traded from Portland to Milwaukee just days before training camp. “I’m having to get used to playing with two (great) players and I don’t want to stop them from doing what they do,” Lillard said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “But I got to find how to be the best version of me within this too, so it was just a lot of moving parts. It was more difficult than I thought it would would be.”
  • The Celtics sit atop ESPN’s predictions for the 2024/25 Eastern Conference standings, followed by the Knicks, Sixers, Cavaliers, and Bucks, in that order. The Magic round out ESPN’s projected group of top-six playoff teams, followed by the Pacers, Heat, Hawks, and Bulls in the play-in group. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s panel sees a big disparity between the the top two and bottom two play-in teams, projecting 46 wins for Indiana and 45 for Miami, compared to 31 for Atlanta and 30 for Chicago.
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Hall Of Famer Al Attles Dies At Age 87

August 21st, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Warriors player and coach Al Attles passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87, the team has announced in a press release.

Drafted by the then-Philadelphia Warriors out of North Carolina A&T in 1960, Attles spent his 11-year career as an NBA player with the Warriors, who relocated to San Francisco in 1962.

The 6’0″ point guard appeared in a total of 711 games, averaging 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 25.1 minutes per contest.

Attles, who was named an assistant coach in 1968, spent the final two years of his playing career as the Warriors’ head coach, a position he maintained well after his retirement as a player. He posted a 557-518 (.518) regular season record in that role, which he held until 1983, along with a 31-30 (.508) mark in the postseason.

Attles led the Warriors to an NBA championship in 1975, which was Golden State’s most recent title until the team began its dynastic run last decade by winning a championship in 2015. Attles still has the most regular season wins by a coach in franchise history, though Steve Kerr (519 career wins) could pass his total of 557 as soon as next season.

Following his stint as the Warriors’ head coach, Attles served as the team’s general manager for three seasons. He was an ambassador for the organization for many years after that, briefly returning in an official capacity as an assistant coach during the 1994/95 season.

Attles was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, having been selected by the Hall’s Contributor Committee.

“Alvin Attles did not just epitomize what it meant to be a Warrior—he was Mr. Warrior,” the team said in a statement on Wednesday. “His tenacious playing style earned him the affectionate nickname of ‘The Destroyer’ on the court, but it was his gentle soul, grace and humility off the court that served as a guiding light for the organization for more than six decades.

“As a player, coach, general manager, ambassador, and most of all, as a person, Alvin set the standards of professionalism and class by which we all strive to achieve. He leaves behind a profound legacy within the game of basketball and the Bay Area community, but especially as a family man and humanitarian. We mourn his loss alongside his wife, Wilhelmina, son Alvin, and all who knew and loved him.”

We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Attles’ family and friends.

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Wizards Waive Eugene Omoruyi

August 21st, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

12:00pm: The Wizards have officially waived Omoruyi, the team announced today (via Twitter).

10:48am: The Wizards are expected to place forward Eugene Omoruyi on waivers on Wednesday, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Omoruyi is currently on an expiring $2,196,970 contract. However, his salary is fully non-guaranteed, so Washington wouldn’t be on the hook for any of that money once he’s been officially released.

Omoruyi signed a two-way contract with the Wizards last July after being waived by the Pistons. The former Oregon standout, who previously spent time with Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Detroit from 2021-23, appeared in a career-high 43 games last season for Washington, averaging 4.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 9.1 minutes per night.

The Wizards converted Omoruyi’s two-way deal to a standard two-year contract in March.

If he’s claimed off waivers, Omoruyi’s new team would be responsible for his $2.2MM salary for 2024/25, which becomes partially guaranteed for $1MM if he remains under contract through the start of the regular season. Should the 27-year-old go unclaimed, he’d become an unrestricted free agent and would be able to sign with any club.

Waiving Omoruyi is the first step for the Wizards to address their roster crunch ahead of the regular season. Entering the day, the team was carrying 17 players on standard contracts, including 15 players with guaranteed salaries.

Besides Omoruyi, Jared Butler is the other player without a fully guaranteed deal, so Washington could set its 15-man regular season roster by cutting Butler — or by waiving or trading a player on a guaranteed contract.

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NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Cleveland Cavaliers

August 21st, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Free agent signings

  • None

Trades

  • None

Draft picks

  • 1-20: Jaylon Tyson
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $16,118,700).

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Contract extensions

  • Signed Evan Mobley to a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension that begins in 2025/26. Projected value of $224,238,150 (starting at 25% of the cap). Projected value can increase to $246,661,965 (27.5% of the cap) or $269,085,780 (30% of the cap) if Mobley meets Rose Rule performance criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker.
  • Signed Donovan Mitchell to a three-year, maximum-salary veteran extension that begins in 2025/26. Projected value of $150,316,884. Includes third-year player option.
  • Signed Jarrett Allen to a three-year, $90,720,000 veteran extension that begins in 2026/27.

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
  • Carrying approximately $159.8MM in salary for 12 players.
    • Note: This figure would increase to $173.7MM if Okoro’s qualifying offer and a 14th man on a veteran’s minimum contract were added.
  • No hard cap.
  • Full mid-level exception ($12.8MM) available.

The offseason so far

Entering the summer, there was speculation that the Cavaliers could be one of the most active teams on the trade market this summer, potentially breaking up their star duos in both the backcourt (Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland) and frontcourt (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen).

Instead, the Cavs doubled down on their top four players, signing three of them to long-term extensions this offseason. Mitchell is now locked up for at least the next three seasons, with Garland under team control for the next four, Allen for the next five, and Mobley for the next six.

That doesn’t mean Cleveland can’t pivot down the road if the team ultimately decides that the skill sets of Mitchell and Garland or Mobley and Allen overlap too much — all four players should continue to have positive trade value on their current contracts. But for now, the front office is betting this roster still has another level to reach with continued growth from that quartet and the influence of a new head coach.

Despite getting the Cavs their first playoff series win since LeBron James was on the roster, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was dismissed following the club’s second-round loss to Boston. Reporting in the wake of his ouster suggested that he and multiple Cavs players – including Mitchell – weren’t necessarily on the same page, so perhaps moving on from Bickerstaff was a necessary step to secure the All-Star guard’s commitment beyond the 2024/25 season.

Mitchell’s influence could be felt in the Cavs’ subsequent coaching search — the All-Star guard reportedly endorsed eventual hire Kenny Atkinson for the job. The team also brought in former Jazz assistant Johnnie Bryant, who was close with Mitchell in Utah, to be Atkinson’s associate head coach.

Outside of the coaching change and extensions for Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen, it has been an awfully quiet summer so far for the Cavaliers, who are the only team in the NBA not to have signed any free agents to standard contracts or acquired any players via trade. The lone newcomer to date is first-round pick Jaylon Tyson, a 6’6″ wing coming off a breakout year for Cal who will be looking to crack Cleveland’s rotation in his rookie season.

Up next

With just 12 players on standard contracts, including 10 on fully guaranteed deals, there’s still work to be done in Cleveland. Even if Sam Merrill and Craig Porter – whose salaries aren’t yet guaranteed – make the regular season roster as expected, the Cavs will need to add two players to that group before opening night.

One of those two could be Isaac Okoro, the league’s last remaining restricted free agent. The two sides appear to have stalled in negotiations, with the Cavs said to prefer a multiyear deal in the neighborhood of $8-10MM per year, while the former lottery pick is presumably seeking something in at least the mid-level range ($12-14MM annually).

Cleveland has reportedly discussed possible sign-and-trade scenarios involving Okoro, including one concept involving Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith. But all indications are that none of those talks have gained serious momentum, so a return to the Cavs still looks like the most likely outcome for Okoro, whether he accepts his one-year, $11.8MM qualifying offer or reaches an agreement on a longer-term contract.

If Okoro re-signs – or if the club acquires just a single player in a sign-and-trade deal for him – the expectation is that the Cavs will finalize their roster by signing a “cost-effective, playable, end-of-bench veteran” to be their 14th man, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who suggested that player would ideally be a locker-room leader like Tristan Thompson was last season. Marcus Morris, who finished the 2023/24 campaign in Cleveland, is one possibility.

Unless the Cavaliers let Okoro walk, bring him back on a very team-friendly deal, or trade him for a player with a modest cap hit, their team salary will almost certainly surpass the luxury tax line – or be right up against that line – once they have 14 players under contract, so the belief is that they’ll keep their 15th roster spot open at the start of the regular season to maintain roster flexibility and save some money.

The Cavs will have one more two-way slot to fill once they officially complete their reported agreement with JT Thor. Isaiah Mobley and Pete Nance, each of whom finished last season on two-way deals in Cleveland, are options. The club could also look outside of the organization for that last spot, as it did with Thor. Draft-and-stash prospect Luke Travers is also in the mix for that spot, though his next steps after leaving Melbourne United remain up in the air.

Cleveland entered the season with four veterans slated to be extension-eligible this offseason. With three of those four already signed to new contracts, forward Dean Wade – who will become eligible next month – is the last possible extension candidate to watch. I think the Cavs like Wade and would extend him if the price is right, but he’s coming off a couple injury-plagued seasons, so unless they’re getting him at a discount, the front office may prefer to wait on a new deal.

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Jaylin Galloway Returning To Sydney Kings

August 21st, 2024 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by Milwaukee three weeks ago, former Bucks two-way player Jaylin Galloway will return to the Sydney Kings, his former team in Australia, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN.

As Uluc previously noted, Galloway was on a three-year deal with Sydney before he left Australia’s National Basketball League to sign a two-way contract with the Bucks in March. That gave the NBL’s Kings the right of first refusal if he wanted to return to the league.

According to Uluc, Galloway and Sydney renegotiated that existing contract, agreeing to a new three-year deal.

A 6’6″ swingman, Galloway didn’t play at the NBA level in 2023/24 after signing with Milwaukee, but saw action in seven games down the stretch for the Wisconsin Herd in the G League, averaging 4.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 20.4 minutes per contest. The 21-year-old Australian averaged 10.3 PPG and 3.4 RPG for Sydney earlier in the ’23/24 campaign.

Galloway is rejoining a Sydney team that features multiple former NBAers, including guard Jaylen Adams and forwards Xavier Cooks and Cameron Oliver. Uluc projects the Kings’ full depth chart in a post on Twitter.

The Bucks, who cut Galloway in order to make room for Anzejs Pasecniks, have filled their three two-way slots, with Pasecniks joining Ryan Rollins and Stanley Umude.

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Heat Notes: Herro, Ware, Larsson, Christopher

August 20th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Tristan Tucker

While the Heat didn’t make any splashy free agent moves this offseason, guard Tyler Herro still views the team as one the Eastern Conference’s best, Mat Issa of Forbes writes.

“I don’t see why not,” Herro said when asked if he viewed Miami as a contender. “We have everything we need.”

Herro was a critical part of the Heat’s NBA Finals appearance in 2020 as well as their push in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022. While he played just one playoff game in the 2022/23 season, he averaged 20.1 points in the regular season for the team that went on to the Finals.

“I’m really excited for this season. Obviously, there are a lot of teams in the East that think they have externally improved. But I think we’ve improved internally,” Herro said. “It may look a little different, but we have young guys that we hope will continue to get better. Bam Adebayo and I are young guys who are starting to become full-fledged veterans in this league. Terry Rozier is healthy now and ready to compete. Then you have Jimmy Butler, who is extra motivated after not being able to play in the playoffs last season.”

The Heat bowed out of the playoffs last season to the Celtics, losing 4-1. The team was riddled with injuries up and down the roster, and Herro himself only appeared in 42 regular season games.

“We haven’t been healthy yet,” Herro said. “But we feel like when we do get healthy, we have a very deep team – a team that is deep enough to make a run in the East and ultimately win the NBA title.”

Herro said he’s trying to get stronger and continue to increase his scoring efficiency while upping his volume. Check out Issa’s full interview with Herro at the link above.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • An anonymous veteran coach and scout praised the Heat’s 2024 draft class, headlined by No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “They got a steal with Ware,” the scout said. “Everyone questioned his motor at Oregon; nobody questioned the talent. And people are going to be disappointed they didn’t take him [before Miami selected him 15th].” Ware averaged 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in eight Summer League games.
  • Pelle Larsson, Miami’s second-round pick, averaged 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in Summer League action, looking like a player who could crack the rotation sooner rather than later. “[Larsson is] smart as heck. He just knows how to play. If Jaime Jaquez is a 10 on the know-how-to-play scale, this kid is right there with him,” the anonymous scout said, per Jackson. “He’s not as physically gifted as Jaquez, but he can shoot. And he’s got a great feel for the game.“
  • The Heat recently added Josh Christopher to their roster after he came away with Summer League MVP. The scout Jackson interviewed was also impressed by the former Rockets first rounder. “He can really score,” the scout said. “He played in some competitive summer league games and showed late in games that he could be a threat. From talking to people who have worked with him, it wasn’t like he balked at going to the G League. He took the challenge to learn how to distribute and become a better player in the G League when asked to do that. His defense can improve. He has the elements to make him a very switchable, tough defender. He doesn’t back down from a player he would have to switch on.“
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Community Shootaround: Best Two-Way Contract Players

August 20th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Every year, several two-way contract players outperform their current deals and wind up playing more minutes than expected for their respective organizations. However, two-way players are limited to 50 games on their contracts and aren’t eligible for the postseason.

[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]

Once top two-way players approach their 50-game limit or it’s clear they’re either a part of the organization’s future or making an immediate impact, a team will often convert their deals. Some teams have to wait longer than others due to financial reasons or a lack of roster spots, however.

Take the Heat, for example, who often begin seasons with 14 players on standard deals as opposed to the maximum allowable 15 due to their position against the tax. That’s what they did in 2021/22 when they had Caleb Martin on a two-way deal before signing him at mid-season, when his salary would be prorated and allow them to squeeze under the tax line.

Still, we’re almost certain to see several players converted from two-way to standard contracts this season. Last year, Vince Williams, GG Jackson, Keon Ellis, Craig Porter Jr. and Duop Reath were among impact players who were converted sooner rather than later. Martin, Aaron Wiggins and Sam Hauser are other good in-season examples for recent years.

The Heat could repeat history with a two-way player who may see minutes relatively early in the season with Keshad Johnson. Miami signed Johnson to a two-way deal right after the draft and he played well for the team this summer after ranking as one of the best undrafted free agents. With Martin gone, minutes are open along the wing and at the forward spot for the Heat and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson fill in.

The Wizards have a roster glut to sort through before making any such move, but since they’re likely to be active at the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Justin Champagnie get brought up at some point. Champagnie has appeared in 56 NBA games and impressed in the G League.

The Kings may have one of the best trios of two-way players in the league with Mason Jones, Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones. The latter two players went undrafted in 2024 but were rated among the best available rookie free agents after June’s draft. Mason Jones, meanwhile, has impressed in the league before and posted a .502/.459/.833 shooting line in the G League last season. Sacramento could have an opportunity for minutes early with Devin Carter dealing with a shoulder injury and the team light on depth.

Cleveland has been filling out its two-way slots over the past week, bringing in JT Thor and re-signing Emoni Bates. Thor is still just 21 after having three seasons of NBA experience. Bates impressed last season in the G League, averaging 21.6 PPG and making 37.0% of his 10.5 three-point attempts per game. With the Cavaliers still having three open standard roster spots, it’s possible their rotation is a bit shallower to begin the year even if Isaac Okoro re-signs.

Utah is another team with several “veterans” on two-way deals between Jason Preston, Oscar Tshiebwe and Micah Potter. Tshiebwe, in particular, was the G League Rookie of the Year last season after pulling down 16.1 rebounds per game. The Jazz are a young team that could give minutes to as many young players as possible to see who sticks.

That brings us to our question of the day. Which player currently on a two-way contract do you see earning a promotion this season? Are there any players who you think are underlooked? Which players are primed to earn minutes right away?

Take to the comments to let us know. We look forward to your input!

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NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Los Angeles Clippers

August 20th, 2024 at 7:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Free agent signings

  • James Harden: Two years, $70,000,000. Second-year player option. Includes 15% trade kicker. Re-signed using Bird rights.
  • Derrick Jones: Three years, $30,000,000. Includes 5% trade kicker. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
  • Kris Dunn: Three years, $16,279,200. Third year non-guaranteed. Signed using Early Bird rights and acquired via sign-and-trade from Jazz.
  • Nicolas Batum: Two years, $9,569,400. Second-year player option. Includes 15% trade kicker. Signed using bi-annual exception.
  • Kevin Porter Jr.: Two years, minimum salary ($4,784,366). Second-year player option. Includes 15% trade kicker. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Mohamed Bamba: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Kai Jones: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Re-signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

Draft picks

  • 2-46: Cam Christie
    • Signed to four-year, minimum-salary contract ($7,895,796). First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year non-guaranteed team option.

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($140.6MM), above the luxury tax line ($170.8MM), and below the first tax apron ($178.1MM).
  • Carrying approximately $173.3MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
  • $3,298,190 of mid-level exception available.
  • One traded player exception available (worth $559,782).

The offseason so far

On the evening of June 30, before word broke that the Sixers had an agreement in place with Paul George, the Clippers put out a release confirming that the star forward wouldn’t be back in Los Angeles, citing “the new CBA” multiple times in their statement explaining why George was moving on.

While the new second tax apron likely played a part in the Clippers’ decision to draw a hard line in their negotiations with George, the fact that the team had won just three total playoff games – and no playoff series – in the past three years presumably factored into that decision too.

Doubling down on the existing core by investing in George on a four-year, maximum-salary contract probably would’ve given the Clippers a stronger roster in the short term than the one they’ll field in 2024/25. But it also would’ve come with significant risk, given George’s and Kawhi Leonard‘s age and recent injury histories, and it’s not as if the team appeared to be on the verge of a championship in recent years.

Not being on the hook for a long-term max deal for George creates more financial and roster flexibility for the Clippers going forward. It also allowed them to add to and diversify their roster this offseason while putting returning star James Harden in a better position to maximize his offensive talents.

Harden, whose scoring average dipped to 16.6 points per game last season (his lowest mark since 2010/11), re-signed with the Clippers on a two-year, $70MM deal that includes a second-year player option. The commitment to Harden comes with little long-term risk and could even be a relative bargain if the former MVP enjoys a bounce-back season with the ball in his hands more often. Still, at age 35, Harden seems unlikely to regain his prime All-NBA form.

Another former MVP in the back half of his career, Russell Westbrook, picked up his $4MM player option in June, but he and the Clippers immediately began working on a trade to get him to a new destination. It’s not really clear whether that move was instigated more by the Clippers or by Westbrook’s camp, but a change of scenery probably made sense for the longtime star, whose fit in L.A. was awkward after the club acquired Harden last fall.

George and Westbrook have 18 All-Star nods between them. The Clippers’ new incoming role players have zero. Still, Derrick Jones, Kris Dunn, and Nicolas Batum are solid, versatile defenders who should fit in nicely alongside the club’s top offensive weapons like Harden, Leonard, and Norman Powell. They were acquired via the mid-level exception, sign-and-trade, and bi-annual exception, respectively, three tools that wouldn’t have been available to the Clips if they’d re-signed George and were operating over the second apron.

The minimum-salary signing of Kevin Porter Jr. raised some eyebrows, given the domestic violence charges that torpedoed his 2023/24 season and led to his release. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank explained in July why the team was willing to give a second chance to Porter, who may face a suspension from the NBA related to that incident. Once he’s eligible to play, the Clippers’ hope is that he stays out of trouble and performs like the player who averaged 19.2 PPG and 5.7 APG for Houston in 2022/23.

The Clippers’ ceiling in 2024/25 may not be as high as it would’ve been with George still in the fold, but running it back with essentially the same roster wouldn’t have inspired much confidence, given the results in the Kawhi/PG13 era. If the new-look roster doesn’t perform up to expectations, L.A.’s front office is better positioned to pivot and change directions, given the shorter, less expensive contracts on the roster.

Up next

Veteran forward P.J. Tucker fell out of the Clippers’ rotation last season and didn’t seem too thrilled with his situation. He still exercised his $11.54MM player option in June because he wouldn’t have made nearly that much money if he’d declined that option to become a free agent, but he was a strong candidate to be traded or waived this summer. It now sounds like that may not happen. I wouldn’t pencil in Tucker as part of the opening-night roster quite yet though. His days in L.A. appear numbered — it’s just a matter of whether his exit happens sometime this summer or fall, or later in the season.

If Tucker remains on the roster, the Clippers’ 15-man group looks set, with just one two-way slot to fill next to Jordan Miller and Trentyn Flowers. Camp invitees like Kai Jones, Elijah Harkless, RayJ Dennis, and Kevon Harris could be in the mix for that spot (only Jones has officially signed an Exhibit 10 contract so far, but the other three have reportedly agreed to sign with the team).

The Clippers also have a handful of players eligible for extensions, including Ivica Zubac and Terance Mann, two important rotation players entering contract years. Reaching new deals with Zubac and Mann figures to be a higher priority for L.A. than locking up Powell (who has two years left on his contract) or Bones Hyland (whose playing time as a Clipper has been limited), but the team may look into what it would take to extend all four players.

Zubac and Mann could be extended anytime between now and June 30, 2025, whereas there’s an October 21 deadline for Powell and Hyland. I’d still view Zubac and Mann as the more likely candidates to get something done before opening night.

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Keyontae Johnson Agrees To Deal With Hornets

August 20th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Thunder forward Keyontae Johnson is signing with the Hornets, according to a social media post from his agency, Priority Sports (Instagram link).

It’s unclear what sort of deal Johnson is signing with the Hornets. Charlotte has one open standard roster spot and one open two-way slot, so he could theoretically be signing into one of those open spots. A two-way deal or an Exhibit 10 contract feel like the most likely outcomes for the former Kansas State forward.

Johnson was the 50th overall pick in 2023 and spent his rookie season on a two-way contract. He averaged 1.2 points in nine games last season but played more in the G League, averaging 19.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 38 games with the Oklahoma City Blue.

Johnson began his collegiate career at Florida, where he played from 2018-22. He was a member of the All-SEC First Team in his sophomore season after averaging 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds. Then, in 2020, Johnson made national headlines after collapsing on the court and falling into a coma. He made a remarkable recovery over the next two years before returning to basketball in 2022/23 as a member of Kansas State. He had a terrific season for the Wildcats, averaging 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, and was rewarded with an NBA contract for his efforts.

The 6’6″ forward continued his impressive play into the G League last season where he made 40.4% of his three-point attempts.

Signing Johnson would bring the Hornets to 17 players on their offseason roster out of a maximum 21. They have 14 players on standard contracts (13 guaranteed), a pair on two-way deals, and Johnson, whose deal has yet to be specified. The team has also reportedly agreed to sign undrafted free agent Raequan Battle to an Exhibit 10 contract.

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Mavs’ Kidd Credits Kyrie For Role In Recruiting Thompson

August 20th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dubs Talk podcast, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said the recruitment of free agent sharpshooter Klay Thompson this summer was a group effort, but singled out Mavs guard Kyrie Irving as having played a lead role, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

“When you talk about the recruitment, it was a lot of people that were involved in that. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai,” Kidd said. “Kai being able to, player to player, (detail) his experience of what Dallas has been like for him in two years and being able to tell Klay the honest truth of what he thinks can happen with Klay coming to Dallas.

Irving requested a trade out of Cleveland in 2017, then did the same in Boston in 2019 and Brooklyn in 2023. He was also at the center of a handful of off-court controversies during his time with the Nets. However, since arriving in Dallas, the eight-time All-Star is enjoying an “unprecedented level of stability and fulfillment,” Poole notes, making him an ideal candidate to sell a newcomer on the city and the organization.

“… I would love to say it was all me,” Kidd joked. “But it wasn’t. It was a team effort. But I think player-to-player – in this league, they all talk about their situations, and they all recruit one another – this was about Kai and Klay being able to talk. And I also believe Klay did his homework, just understanding the situation. It would have been an easy for him to stay (in California). So, he had to put in some effort of doing some homework to see what Dallas was all about.”

Although the Mavericks appeared in the NBA Finals this past spring, Irving is the only player on the roster besides Thompson with a championship under his belt (Markieff Morris, who is expected to re-sign with the Mavs, has also won a title). Kidd believes Thompson’s experience on the biggest stage – which includes four championships – will benefit Dallas as the team looks to win its first title since 2011.

“We truly believe that he gives us something that we haven’t had, a guy who’s not afraid to take the shot,” Kidd said of Thompson, per Poole. “He’s been in championship situations. He understands what it means. We believe that we’re building a championship team. And his being a veteran, his experience being in big games and then being able to play both ends, we truly believe that he’s going to make a lot of open shots for us and have fun. But, also, we’re going to lean on him because has won a championship. We’re going to need his advice and his leadership throughout this journey.”

According to veteran NBA reporters Marc Stein and Chris Haynes (Twitter links), several Mavericks players – including Thompson – are practicing together this week in Los Angeles. Irving is in attendance even though he can’t yet practice in full as he continues to recover from hand surgery — he’s doing limited work for now and remains on track to be cleared by the start of training camp.

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