Month: October 2024

Raptors’ Bruce Brown Had Knee Surgery, Out At Least 3 Weeks

September 20th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Rory Maher

Veteran swingman Bruce Brown underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery on Thursday and will be reevaluated in three weeks, the Raptors announced in a press release.

Brown will miss most — if not all — of training camp and preseason. Three weeks from today would be Oct. 11, and that’s when he’ll be checked out again, not when he’ll be ready to play. The Raptors will head to Montreal for camp from Oct. 1-5, then will stay in Montreal for their preseason opener vs. Washington on Oct. 6. The preseason schedule concludes Oct. 18.

As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, Brown has been dealing with a right knee injury for the better part of a year, and had hoped that resting and rehabbing over the summer would be a suitable solution. Obviously, that didn’t go as planned. Brown told Lindsay Dunn of CityNews Toronto (Twitter link) after the season ended in April that the injury was “very frustrating.”

“It’s been tough,” Brown said. “I mean I really couldn’t bend my knee much I really played on one leg the entire time. I just wasn’t myself since December, but next year I will be fine.”

After playing a crucial role off the bench for the Nuggets during their 2022/23 championship season, Brown drew significant interest as a free agent last summer and eventually signed a two-year, $45MM contract with the Pacers. Indiana sent him to Toronto in January as part of a trade package for Pascal Siakam.

In 67 total appearances (44 starts) for the Pacers and Raptors, Brown averaged 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .478/.323/.824. Brown is considered a solid, versatile perimeter defender who is a good fit next to more ball-dominant players on offense.

The Raptors picked up their $23MM team option on Brown’s contract at the end of June. The 28-year-old, who has been the subject of several trade rumors since Toronto acquired him, will be a free agent again next summer.

Nets, Patrick Gardner Agree To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 20th, 2024 at 9:36am CST by Rory Maher

The Nets are signing free agent big man Patrick Gardner to an Exhibit 10 contract, agent George S. Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Gardner, 25, went undrafted last year after playing for three different colleges, the most recent being Marist in 2022/23. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets last fall, was waived, and spent his first professional season with their G League affiliate in Long Island, averaging 7.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .500/.364/.731 shooting in 28 Showcase Cup and regular season contests (14.8 MPG).

A 6’11” center who plays for Egypt’s national team, Gardner will likely be waived before the season begins and head back to Long Island, which would make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the NBAGL club.

It’s worth noting that Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts — the Nets have a pair of two-way openings, so if Gardner impresses in camp and preseason, perhaps he could be promoted.

Gardner is one of several players to reach Exhibit 10 agreements with Brooklyn, as our Luke Adams noted yesterday in a story about former Hornets guard Amari Bailey, who will also sign with Brooklyn. None of those deals are official yet, but the Nets currently have five openings on their offseason roster, so they could make several transactions at any time.

Joel Embiid, Sixers Finalize Three-Year Max Extension

September 20th, 2024 at 7:05am CST by Luke Adams

Superstar center Joel Embiid has agreed to a three-year, maximum-salary contract extension with the Sixers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the new deal, which begins in 2026/27, will include a player option on the final year.

The deal is official, per an announcement from the team.

“Philadelphia is home,” Embiid wrote in an Instagram post announcing the agreement. “I want to be here for the rest of my career. I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family. There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started!”

“Joel has cemented himself as one of the greatest Sixers of all time and is well on his way to being one of the best players to ever play the game. We’re ecstatic that this extension keeps him and his family in Philadelphia for years to come,” team owner Josh Harris said in a statement of his own. “Joel is a great family man, leader, and person. He is an elite two-way player with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism that this league has rarely – if ever – seen. He is integral to this franchise’s quest for another NBA Championship, and we are honored that he continues to choose this organization as his NBA home.”

Based on current salary cap projections, Embiid’s three-year extension will be worth approximately $192.9MM. He’ll make a projected $59.5MM in 2026/27 and $64.3MM in ’27/28, with a $69.1MM player option for ’28/29. Those figures count on the cap increasing by the maximum allowable 10% in each of the next two seasons.

Taking into account the two years and $106.6MM left on Embiid’s current contract, he’s now on track to earn just shy of $300MM over the next five seasons. The big man’s previous deal included a player option for the ’26/27 season, but it’ll be replaced by the new contract.

After being plagued by foot issues that cost him two full seasons at the start of his NBA career, Embiid has become one of the league’s most dominant players, earning All-Star nods in each of the past seven years and All-NBA spots in five of those seasons.

The former No. 3 overall pick holds career averages of 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 31.9 minutes per game across 433 outings (all starts) and finished in the top two of three consecutive MVP votes from 2021-23, winning the award in ’23.

Embiid appeared headed for another MVP-caliber season in 2023/24 before a knee injury sidelined him for most of the second half and limited him to 39 games. The 30-year-old averaged a career-high 34.7 points per game with an elite .529/.388/.883 shooting line when healthy, then won an Olympic gold medal in Paris with Team USA this summer.

Embiid’s new deal makes him the fifth member of the NBA’s $500MM+ club, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN, who notes (via Twitter) that the Sixers star trails only LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and teammate Paul George in career earnings, based on their past and current contracts. Kevin Durant is the fifth player whose career salaries will exceed $500MM by the end of his current deal.

Embiid’s extension caps a huge offseason of spending for the 76ers, who also signed Tyrese Maxey to a five-year, $203.8MM contract and George to a four-year, $211.6MM deal in free agency. In total, Philadelphia’s three stars are owed approximately $715MM.

Hawks Sign Joey Hauser To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 19th, 2024 at 11:58pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 19: A month after it was initially reported, Hauser’s Exhibit 10 deal with the Hawks is now official, according to RealGM’s official NBA transactions log.

AUGUST 21: The Hawks are signing free agent forward Joey Hauser to an Exhibit 10 contract, a source confirms to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link). Billy Reinhardt (Twitter link) first reported the agreement between the two sides.

Hauser, who went undrafted out of Michigan State in 2023, signed a two-way contract with the Jazz last July, but was cut during the preseason. He caught on with the Clippers as a G League affiliate player and spent his rookie season with the Ontario Clippers, appearing in 50 total Showcase Cup and NBAGL regular season games and averaging 7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.

The younger brother of Celtics wing Sam Hauser, Joey made 41.6% of his three-point attempts in his college career at Marquette and MSU, then converted 36.4% of his tries from beyond the arc in the G League last season. He suited up for the Pelicans at the Las Vegas Summer League last month.

Although Reinhardt suggests Hauser will have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot in Atlanta’s camp this fall, he’s unlikely to claim a 15-man roster spot, given that the Hawks already have 15 players on guaranteed salaries and are right up against the luxury tax line.

Exhibit 10 deals – which are one-year, minimum-salary contracts that are non-guaranteed and don’t count against the cap until the regular season – can also be converted to two-way contracts. However, the Hawks already have three players filling their two-way slots, so Hauser would presumably have to outperform Seth Lundy, Keaton Wallace, or Dominick Barlow this fall to have a chance to earn a roster spot that way.

If the College Park Skyhawks were to acquire Hauser’s returning NBAGL rights from the Ontario Clippers, he could receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by Atlanta this fall and then spends at least 60 days with College Park.

Suns Sign Jaden Shackelford To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 19th, 2024 at 11:30pm CST by Rory Maher

11:30pm: Shackelford’s Exhibit 10 deal with Phoenix is now official, per RealGM’s transactions log.

3:32pm: The Suns are signing free agent guard Jaden Shackelford to an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Phoenix’s new NBA G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, recently acquired Shackelford’s returning player rights in a trade with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate.

Shackelford, 23, went undrafted out of Alabama in 2022. He has spent the past two seasons with the Blue, averaging 14.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 3.0 APG on .379/.356/.733 shooting in 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games in 2023/24 (29.0 MPG). The low field goal percentage requires some context: 77% of his shot attempts came from three-point range.

Shackelford will likely be waived before the season begins and head back to the NBAGL. If that comes to fruition, the Exhibit 10 language in his contract would entitle him to a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his regular G League salary) if he spends at least 60 days with the Valley Suns.

The Suns have reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with Boo Buie, Tyrese Samuel, and Mamadi Diakite in addition to Shackelford.

Magic Sign Three Players To Exhibit 10 Contracts

September 19th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have maxed out their offseason roster at 21 players by signing free agent guards Mac McClung, Javonte Smart, and Ethan Thompson, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). All three players received Exhibit 10 contracts, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

McClung’s deal with the team was previously reported. The 6’2″ guard is the reigning G League MVP and two-time dunk contest champion. In 41 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Osceola Magic last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .492/.380/.846.

Smart, a 6’4″ guard, began last season on a two-way contract with Philadelphia but appeared in just one game for the Sixers before being waived in December. He signed with Serbian team Crvena Zvezda in January and finished the season overseas. The 25-year-old also had previous NBA stints with the Bucks and Heat.

Thompson, a 6’5″ shooting guard who went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2021, has primarily played in the G League since going pro, spending time with the Windy City Bulls and Mexico City Capitanes. He also played in Puerto Rico for Osos de Manati earlier this year.

The Exhibit 10 contracts for McClung, Smart, and Thompson would make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they’re waived by Orlando and then spends at least 60 days with the Magic’s G League affiliate (Osceola).

It’s worth noting that Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts up until October 21 and the Magic are currently only carrying one player (Trevelin Queen) on a two-way contract, leaving two spots available. All three newcomers are two-way eligible, and McClung in particular “seems primed” to earn one of those deals, according to Beede.

Orlando had been carrying 20 players but opened up two additional roster spots earlier today by waiving forwards Tre Scott and Myron Gardner.

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Atlantic Division

September 19th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the next week, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re beginning our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Atlantic Division. Let’s dive in…

Boston Celtics

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Kristaps Porzingis, Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, Jaden Springer, Jayson Tatum, Xavier Tillman, Jordan Walsh, Derrick White
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Tristan Enaruna, Ron Harper Jr., Dmytro Skapintsev, Lonnie Walker
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- JD Davison, Drew Peterson, Anton Watson

The Celtics are at their 21-man limit, so this could be the roster they take into training camp during the first week of October. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if the 14 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals are the ones who are on Boston’s opening night roster.

Outside of the usual shuffling in and out of Exhibit 10 players, there are two minor storylines to keep an eye on here. One, will Walker – who has 322 NBA regular season games under his belt – make the team as a 15th man? And two, what are the Celtics’ plans for Jay Scrubb?

Scrubb was set to start the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with the Celtics before he tore his ACL, resulting in his release just ahead of opening night. A report this offseason indicated the team plans to bring him back on an Exhibit 10 contract once he’s fully recovered from his ACL surgery. If he shows he’s back to 100% health, could he be in the mix for a two-way spot?

Brooklyn Nets

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Bojan Bogdanovic, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, Shake Milton, Dennis Schröder, Day’Ron Sharpe, Ben Simmons, Cam Thomas, Trendon Watford, Dariq Whitehead, Ziaire Williams
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Keon Johnson (partial guarantee), Jalen Wilson (partial guarantee)
Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Jaylen Martin
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 4
- Mark Armstrong (Exhibit 10), Amari Bailey (Exhibit 10), Killian Hayes (Exhibit 10), KJ Jones (Exhibit 10)

The Nets have several Exhibit 10 agreements to finalize and a pair of two-way slots to fill. It’s possible the club will leave those two-way spots open during the preseason and allow their camp invitees to compete for them (of the presumed Exhibit 10 signees, only Hayes is ineligible for a two-way). They may also keep their eye out for intriguing targets cut by other teams ahead of opening night.

Johnson ($250K) and Wilson ($75K) each have modest partial guarantees for now, but those guarantees will increase to $700K and $325K, respectively, if they make the opening night roster. While Wilson is the safer bet of the two to survive the preseason cuts, it’s possible both players will open the season with the club.

New York Knicks

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Precious Achiuwa, OG Anunoby, Keita Bates-Diop, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Pacome Dadiet, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Tyler Kolek, Miles McBride, Cameron Payne, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Marcus Morris, Landry Shamet
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Chuma Okeke
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Ariel Hukporti, Kevin McCullar, Jacob Toppin
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Alex O’Connell (Exhibit 10)

The Knicks are well above the luxury tax line and may not feel compelled to carry a full 15-man standard roster into the regular season, but Morris and Shamet are quality NBA veterans who deserve a look. I’d be a little surprised if both are waived at the end of the preseason.

While more minor moves could happen before camp tips off, the Knicks would be at their 21-man preseason roster limit if they simply finalize their reported deal with O’Connell.

Philadelphia 76ers

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Adem Bona, Andre Drummond, Joel Embiid, Paul George, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, KJ Martin, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Kelly Oubre, Guerschon Yabusele
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Ricky Council
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 2
- Max Fiedler, Judah Mintz
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Jeff Dowtin, Justin Edwards, David Jones

There shouldn’t be any surprises in Philadelphia ahead of training camp, though the team still has some breathing room below the second tax apron to add a 15th man to its projected standard roster, if it so chooses.

If the Sixers intend to carry a 14-man roster into the season, filling out the preseason roster will likely just be a matter of signing two more camp invitees to Exhibit 10 contracts to get to 21 players.

Toronto Raptors

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Ochai Agbaji, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Chris Boucher, Bruce Brown, Gradey Dick, Davion Mitchell, Jonathan Mogbo, Kelly Olynyk, Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead, Garrett Temple, Ja’Kobe Walter
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Bruno Fernando
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 2
- Jamison Battle, Jared Rhoden
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Branden Carlson, D.J. Carton, Ulrich Chomche
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Quincy Guerrier (Exhibit 10)

As is the case with the Knicks and O’Connell, the Raptors could finalize their training camp roster by simply signing Guerrier to his reported Exhibit 10 contract, though that doesn’t necessarily have to happen before camp begins. If the goal is simply to secure Guerrier’s G League rights, he could be signed-and-waived at any time before opening night.

Shuttling Exhibit 10 players on and off the roster could allow the Raptors to bring in another veteran free agent to compete with Fernando for the final spot on the standard 15-man roster, though there have been no reports so far suggesting that’s the plan.

Pelicans Signing Izaiah Brockington To Camp Deal

September 19th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans will sign free agent guard Izaiah Brockington to a training camp contract, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link).

Brockington, who played his final year of college ball at Iowa State in 2021/22, suffered a torn ACL during a pre-draft workout with New Orleans that spring. However, the Pelicans remained high on his potential, waited, out his recovery, and kept him in their system — he finished his rookie year with the Birmingham Squadron, joined the Pels’ Summer League team in 2023, and then rejoined the Squadron for the 2023/24 campaign.

Brockington’s first fully healthy professional season was a good one. In 49 Showcase Cup and regular season games for Birmingham, he averaged 12.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 29.2 minutes per game, posting a strong shooting line of .461/.395/.845 as the G League level. He also received a brief NBA call-up on a 10-day contract in March and appeared in a game for the Pelicans before reporting back to the Squadron.

The Pelicans don’t have any two-way contract openings, so unless Brockington comes to camp with the team and plays well enough to supplant one of the current two-way players, he’ll likely be waived and then rejoin the Squadron to open the 2024/25 season.

Assuming Brockington’s contract with New Orleans includes Exhibit 10 language, which is likely, and he spends at least 60 days with New Orleans’ G League affiliate, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

Central Notes: Bucks, Reinsdorf, Bulls, Holland

September 19th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After shaking up their roster with the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade last fall and making two head coaching changes in less than a year, the Bucks are confident that a 2024 offseason defined by continuity will put them in a better position to contend for a championship in 2024/25, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.

Zach Lowe of ESPN is unconvinced, however, stating on Thursday’s episode of NBA Today (YouTube link) that “the questions outweigh the answers” in Milwaukee.

As Lowe outlines, Lillard turned 34 this summer and “rarely looked comfortable” last season, Khris Middleton has dealt with injuries the last couple seasons and underwent multiple ankle surgeries over the offseason, and defensive anchor Brook Lopez will turn 37 in the spring.

“This team is getting older and less athletic around Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” Lowe said. “They don’t have a lot of young guys in the pipeline. This is a right-now team that went 17-19 under Doc Rivers before the Giannis injury took them out of the playoffs. They just never found their footing, and they’ve got to find it fast in an Eastern Conference that has gotten better top to bottom in the playoff race.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Eric Nehm of The Athletic answers a series of Bucks-related questions in a mailbag, discussing the Antetokounmpo/Lillard pick-and-roll, expectations for the 2024/25 season, and the development (or lack thereof) of some of the team’s young players.
A feature on Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf from MLB writers Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic focuses primarily on the disastrous season that Reinsdorf’s other team – the Chicago White Sox – has endured in 2024. However, the story includes a couple notes on the Bulls, including the claim that Reinsdorf has told employees the White Sox winning is more important to him than the Bulls winning. According to Ghiroli and Rosenthal, the 88-year-old Reinsdorf has also said he’d advise his family to sell the White Sox but hang onto the Bulls after his death.
Can No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland earn a regular rotation spot for the Pistons as a rookie? Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores that question, observing that it would help the 19-year-old’s case for minutes if he can develop a more reliable outside shot. As Langlois writes, Holland figures to work closely with new assistant coach Fred Vinson, who is considered one of the league’s best shooting instructors.

Magic Waive Tre Scott, Myron Gardner

September 19th, 2024 at 7:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have placed a pair of players on waivers, cutting forwards Tre Scott and Myron Gardner, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.

Scott, who has played professionally since 2020, has spent time in Puerto Rico, France, and Canada but has primarily competed in the G League in recent years. He split last season between the Greensboro Swarm and the Osceola Magic (Orlando’s affiliate), averaging 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 22.6 minutes per game across 41 total appearances.

Gardner also played for Osecola in 2023/24, appearing in 47 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the team. He posted averages of 5.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 15.4 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .425/.317/.600.

Both Scott and Gardner also played for Orlando’s Summer League team in Las Vegas this July. Because the Magic hold both players’ G League returning rights, Scott and Gardner will be in line for Exhibit 10 bonuses if they reported back to Osceola and spend at least 60 days with the NBAGL club this season.

Orlando now has 18 players under contract, including 15 on guaranteed deals, Trevelin Queen on a two-way pact, and Jarrett Culver and Jalen Slawson on Exhibit 10 contracts. The team figures to fill out its 21-man roster before training camp begins.

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