Month: October 2024

Pelicans, Elfrid Payton Agree To Camp Deal

September 19th, 2024 at 6:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have agreed to sign free agent point guard Elfrid Payton to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, reports Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link).

Payton, the 10th overall pick in the 2014 draft, has 500 regular season appearances under his belt across eight NBA seasons with the Magic, Suns, Pelicans, and Knicks. However, he hasn’t been in the league since suiting up for Phoenix during the 2021/22 season. The 30-year-old played in Puerto Rico in 2023 and then spent last season with the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate.

A Louisiana native who played college ball for the Ragin’ Cajuns in Lafayette, Payton has never been a great shooter, with career averages of 44.7% from the floor and 28.7% from beyond the arc. However, he’s a talented ball-handler and play-maker who averaged 10.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game over the course of his NBA career.

Payton had been working out at the Pelicans’ practice facility in Metairie this offseason, notes Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link).

While the Pelicans are only carrying 14 players on standard contracts, they seem likely to leave their 15th roster spot unfilled to start the season due to luxury tax concerns, so Payton is probably a long shot to make the club. If New Orleans is open to carrying a 15th man, he’d presumably vie with Matt Ryan and other camp invitees for that spot. Otherwise, Payton may end up back in the G League this fall.

Once Payton’s deal is official, the Pelicans will have a total of 19 players under contract, including two-ways, leaving a pair of openings on their 21-man preseason roster.

2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Recap

September 19th, 2024 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the past couple weeks, we’ve been examining projections for all 30 NBA teams for the 2024/25 season, publishing polls asking how many games each club will win. With the help of lines from professional oddsmakers, we’ve had you vote on whether each team will go over or under a given win total, from the Celtics (58.5) all the way through to the Nets (19.5).

Here are the full results of those votes:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)

Central

Milwaukee Bucks (50.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
Cleveland Cavaliers (48.5 wins): Under (51.6%)
Indiana Pacers (47.5 wins): Over (57.2%)
Chicago Bulls (28.5 wins): Under (61.9%)
Detroit Pistons (24.5 wins): Over (60.2%)

Southeast

Orlando Magic (47.5 wins): Over (57.1%)
Miami Heat (44.5 wins): Under (63.1%)
Atlanta Hawks (35.5 wins): Under (66.4%)
Charlotte Hornets (29.5 wins): Under (63.1%)
Washington Wizards (20.5 wins): Under (56.6%)

Western Conference

Northwest

Oklahoma City Thunder (56.5 wins): Over (68.1%)
Minnesota Timberwolves (52.5 wins): Over (65.2%)
Denver Nuggets (51.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
Utah Jazz (29.5 wins): Under (60.1%)
Portland Trail Blazers (22.5 wins): Under (54.7%)

Pacific

Phoenix Suns (50.5 wins): Over (57.6%)
Sacramento Kings (47.5 wins): Over (62.5%)
Golden State Warriors (44.5 wins): Under (54.4%)
Los Angeles Lakers (43.5 wins): Under (51.9%)
Los Angeles Clippers (39.5 wins): Under (50.8%)

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks (49.5 wins): Over (78.0%)
Memphis Grizzlies (47.5 wins): Under (65.6%)
New Orleans Pelicans (46.5 wins): Under (60.6%)
Houston Rockets (43.5 wins): Under (51.4%)
San Antonio Spurs (36.5 wins): Under (52.9%)

In total, our poll respondents favored 13 overs and 17 unders, which is an interesting divide. In past years, there have been more “over” votes than “under” votes, but it appears our readers are less willing to buy into preseason optimism for certain clubs this time around. The Southeast and Southwest fared particularly poorly in this regard, with eight of the 10 votes in those divisions favoring the under.

These were the five “over” bets that received the largest vote shares:

Dallas Mavericks (49.5 wins): 78.0%
Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): 69.7%
Oklahoma City Thunder (56.5 wins): 68.1%
Minnesota Timberwolves (52.5 wins): 65.2%
Milwaukee Bucks (50.5 wins): 63.2%

The top four teams here all have something in common: Dallas (50 wins in 2023/24), Boston (64), Oklahoma City (57), and Minnesota (56) would all go “over” if they simply replicate their records from last season. And in most cases, that looks like a realistic goal — the Mavericks and Thunder arguably improved as a result of their offseason moves, while Boston’s roster looks pretty similar and Minnesota’s losses (including Kyle Anderson and Monte Morris) may not be enough to warrant a four-game drop.

Still, winning 57 games in the competitive West will be no easy feat for Oklahoma City, and winning 59 is a grind even for the best team in a weak conference — the ’23/24 Celtics were the first Eastern Conference club to win 59+ since Milwaukee racked up 60 victories in ’18/19.

Speaking of the Bucks, our voters appear confident in their ability to bounce back after a disappointing season that saw them experience some growing pains following last September’s Damian Lillard blockbuster and make an in-season coaching change. A full offseason and training camp with Lillard and head coach Doc Rivers is a reason for optimism in Milwaukee.

Here are the five “under” bets that received the largest vote shares:

Atlanta Hawks (35.5 wins): 66.4%
Memphis Grizzlies (47.5 wins): 65.6%
Charlotte Hornets (29.5 wins): 63.1%
Miami Heat (44.5 wins): 63.1%
Chicago Bulls (28.5 wins): 61.9%

The Hawks only won 36 games last season, so it’s perhaps no surprise that our voters aren’t enthusiastic about their odds of matching that total again in 2024/25 after trading away Dejounte Murray. I do think the offense could fit together better without Trae Young having to share ball-handling duties with Murray, but for the Hawks to match or exceed last year’s win total, they’ll likely need young players like Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels to take significant steps forward.

The Grizzlies are a fascinating case. They went just 27-55 last season, but were the NBA’s most injury-plagued team and will have several key players – led by Ja Morant – back this fall. This year’s roster isn’t quite the same as the one that won 56 games in 2021/22 and 51 in ’22/23, but it’s close enough that I was a little surprised not to see more votes for the “over.”

The Hornets are a poor man’s version of Memphis, with oddsmakers projecting a nice bump on last year’s 21-61 record with starters like LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams once again healthy. Our voters aren’t so sure.

The Heat went 46-36 last year, but lost Caleb Martin and didn’t add any major pieces. Jimmy Butler‘s contract situation is also a question mark — it’s not out of the question that he could be a trade candidate at February’s deadline if the first half doesn’t go well in Miami.

The Bulls won 39 games last season but lost DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso over the offseason and are expected to seek takers for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic too. If they turn into second-half tankers, their under looks like a pretty safe bet.

Here are the five picks that were closest to 50/50:

Los Angeles Clippers (39.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
Houston Rockets (43.5 wins): Under (51.4%)
Cleveland Cavaliers (48.5 wins): Under (51.6%)
Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
Los Angeles Lakers (43.5 wins): Under (51.9%)

The fact that all five of the closest votes favored the “under” helps explain why we ended up with 17 unders overall.

The Clippers and Sixers are the most interesting cases here, since subtracting Paul George in Los Angeles and adding him in Philadelphia will make both teams look a whole lot different. It’s hard to get a feel of what both clubs might look like until we see them in action.

The Rockets, Cavaliers, and Lakers, on the other hand, are all pretty similar to last year’s versions. Oddsmakers are projecting a small step forward for the young Rockets (who went 41-41 last year), a step back for the veteran Lakers (who went 47-35), and essentially the same season for Cleveland (48-34).

What do you think of our picks in general? Are there any results above that you strongly disagree with? Did you make any over or under votes within the last couple weeks that you’re second-guessing now? Jump into our comment section below and weigh in with your thoughts!

Justin Holiday Reportedly Worked Out For Warriors

September 19th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Justin Holiday is among a group of “several” veteran free agents who have worked out for the Warriors in recent weeks, league sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater also confirms that Nassir Little worked out for Golden State, as previously reported.

Holiday, 35, spent last season with the Nuggets. He averaged 4.0 PPG, 1.2 RPG and 1.2 APG on .454/.404/.750 shooting in 58 regular season games with Denver in 2023/24 (14.9 MPG).

Holiday is the definition of a journeyman, having played for 10 NBA teams over the course of his 11 seasons in the league. One of his first stops was with the Warriors — he played for Golden State in ’14/15. He holds career averages of 8.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 1.4 APG on .400/.365/.817 shooting in 680 regular season games, including 296 starts (23.1 MPG).

However, a reunion seems pretty unlikely. According to Slater, the Warriors have no plans to fill their 15th standard roster spot to open the season due to their proximity to the first tax apron, at which they’re hard-capped for the ’24/25 campaign. While it’s possible that a veteran could outplay Gui Santos or Lindy Waters — both of whom are on non-guaranteed deals — in training camp and preseason, Slater expresses skepticism that the Warriors will release either player.

Slater also provides an update on No. 52 overall pick Quinten Post, who remains unsigned. According to Slater, Post has been earmarked for a two-way contract, which means one of Golden State’s three two-way players — Pat Spencer, Reece Beekman or Daeqwon Plowden — will have to be cut soon.

It’s worth noting that Atlanta’s G League affiliate recently gave up a second-round NBAGL draft pick in a trade to acquire Plowden’s returning rights. While G League draft picks (especially second-rounders) aren’t all that valuable, it still seems unlikely that the College Park Skyhawks would’ve given one up if they expected Plowden to remain with the Warriors all season, since he’d continue to play for Santa Cruz in the NBAGL as long as he remains on his two-way deal with Golden State.

Poll: Will Markelle Fultz Open 2024/25 On An NBA Team?

September 19th, 2024 at 2:35pm CST by Rory Maher

A year ago, things were looking up for Markelle Fultz. In 2022/23, the former No. 1 overall pick posted career highs in several categories with the Magic, including points (14.0), rebounds (3.9), assists (5.7), steals (1.5) and minutes per game (29.6) while shooting a career-best 51.4% from the field in 60 regular season contests, all starts.

Sure, there were still holes in his game. He rarely attempted long-range shots, converting just 31.0% of his 1.5 three-point attempts per game — and that represented the most accurate mark of his career. While he had a good deal of success on mid-range looks, having a guard who can’t space the floor isn’t ideal for a team’s offense.

2023/24 was a big season for Fultz, as he was set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. But instead of building on his success, he was once again plagued by injuries and inconsistent play.

Fultz only appeared in 43 games last season, making 18 starts (21.2 MPG). He averaged 7.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.0 SPG, shooting 47.2% from the field but only attempting 18 threes all season (he made four, or 22.2%). He played pretty well in Orlando’s first-round playoff loss to Cleveland, but his minutes were cut back even further (15.0 MPG).

With training camps set to open in the next couple weeks, Fultz is the best player available on the open market, according to our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents. He came in at No. 43 when the list was published in June and is the only player in the top 50 still looking for a new team.

When healthy, Fultz brings plus size and athleticism for a lead guard, and he’s a crafty ball-handler, play-maker and finisher, on top of being a solid defender. He’s also only 26 years old.

Fultz has made 87MM+ over the course of his seven NBA seasons, but at this point in the offseason, he’ll probably only get non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract offers, similar to those signed by veterans like Landry Shamet, Marcus Morris, Lonnie Walker, Tristan Thompson and Talen Horton-Tucker. The fact that Fultz has only played 234 regular season games in seven seasons doesn’t help his cause.

The Magic renounced their free agent rights to Fultz when they used cap room to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this summer. Orlando could technically still re-sign Fultz, but with Caldwell-Pope, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, Gary Harris and Cory Joseph already on the roster, the team’s backcourt looks pretty full. And the Magic already have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, making a reunion unlikely.

I’d be surprised if Fultz doesn’t play in the NBA at all in ’24/25. But there aren’t many roster openings around the league, and the season begins in just over a month. If he receives — and accepts — a training camp invite, will he make a team’s regular season roster?

That leads us to today’s poll: Will Fultz open the 2024/25 season on an NBA team? If you believe he’ll be on a roster, head to the comments section and let us know which team it will be.

Nets Notes: Carter, Simmons, Koch

September 19th, 2024 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets will retire Vince Carter‘s No. 15 jersey on January 25, 2025, the team announced in a press release. The ceremony will take place in Brooklyn during a 6 p.m. matchup with Miami.

“We’re thrilled to honor former Nets player Vince Carter, who contributed so much to this organization both on and off the court,” said governor Joe Tsai. “He’s an important part of Nets franchise history and we look forward to welcoming him to Barclays Center this season to celebrate his legacy.”

Carter, who will be formally inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame next month, played parts of five seasons with the Nets, averaging 23.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.7 APG and 1.2 SPG on .447/.370/.806 shooting in 374 regular season games (37.9 MPG). He earned three straight All-Star nods (2005-07) with the Nets, joining Jason Kidd and Buck Williams as the only players to make three or more All-Star appearances during their time with the team.

According to the Nets, this will be the seventh jersey retirement in franchise history, with Carter’s No. 15 joining Dražen Petrović (No. 3), Kidd (No. 5), John Williamson (No. 23), Bill Melchionni (No. 25), Julius Erving (No. 32) and Williams (#52) in the Barclays Center rafters.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Ben Simmons is seemingly healthy after undergoing a second back surgery in March. How will that impact the Nets, who could be one of the worst teams in the league this season? Net Income of NetsDaily explores that topic, writing that instead of rooting against the former No. 1 pick, fans would be better off cheering for Simmons and hoping that he can resurrect his career after it was derailed by back issues.
David Koch Jr. is now a basketball operations assistant for BSE Global, the Nets’ parent company, as Net Income relays. Koch was part of the ownership group — led by his mother, Julia Koch — that purchased a 15% stake in BSE in June. Multiple reports have indicated that Koch Jr. is interested in owning and operating an NBA team in the future.
In case you missed it, Brooklyn was one of the teams with interest in Isaac Okoro before he re-signed with the Cavaliers.

Western Notes: Timberwolves, Beal, James, Buss, Grizzlies

September 19th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

The arbitrators in the Timberwolves’ ownership dispute have been named.

Retired Hennepin County (Minn.) District Court Judge Thomas Fraser will serve as the neutral arbitrator in the upcoming legal proceedings, according to Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams and Michael McCann.

Fraser is one of three people who will oversee the proceedings, which will begin the week of Nov. 4, to settle the legal battle between current Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor and the group headed by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore. The other two arbitrators will be retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Blatz (appointed by Taylor) and Wilson Sonsini partner Joseph R. Slights III (appointed by Rodriguez/Lore).

We have more from the Western Conference:

The suggestion that Bradley Beal should be the Suns’ sixth man doesn’t make a lot of sense, Gerald Bourguet of Gophnx.com opines. Despite an injury-plagued season, Beal is the team’s third-best player and removing him from the starting five in favor of Grayson Allen is a downgrade on several levels, in Bourguet’s view.
LeBron James‘ work ethic never ceases to amaze Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, she told Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times. “He consistently delivers. He puts in the work. He’s not only a worldwide brand, but he is our leader,” Buss said. “He’s the captain of our team and he sets the tone, sets the pace by putting in the hard work. Nobody can complain about the work if you see somebody with his résumé and his longevity of career, nobody can complain about having to practice if he’s willing to do it. And he does. He just amazes me.”
Robinhood Markets, Inc., a financial services company, will serve as the jersey patch and official investing partner of the Grizzlies, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. The same company is also in a partnership with the Wizards for their jersey patch this season.The Grizzlies haven’t had a jersey patch since 2021, after a three-year deal with FedEx came to an end, Cole adds.

Eastern Notes: Jovic, Battier, Okoro, Klei

September 19th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat’s Nikola Jovic will, by necessity, likely see the bulk of his minutes at power forward this season. He’s focused on taking advantage of mismatches, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“I would say the biggest thing I was working on the most was when I’m working in the low post, when I have a smaller guy on me, I just have to punish them,” Jovic said. “That’s something I think will help our team a lot. So I would say that’s the main thing for me, other than still being able to spread the floor and everything I already did.”

Jovic, who started 38 of the 46 games he played last season, is eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Shane Battier left his front office job with the Heat in 2021 because he wanted to explore other opportunities outside of basketball, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald relays. In an episode of the Glue Guys podcast, Battier explained his decision about leaving his post as vice president/basketball development and analytics. “There is so much in life to experience and try my hand at,” he said. “So many interesting people around the world. I’m so fascinated about learning. I turned 46 this week and I feel I have so much to learn and have so much to do in the world still. I needed to go out and explore and meet and learn. I wanted to learn new industries. It sounds very strange because I love basketball. For me to be truly happy, that’s what I need to do.”
Under the terms of Isaac Okoro‘s three-year contract with the Cavaliers, he’ll have a $10.2MM base salary this season, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. His salary rises to $11MM in 2025/26 and $11.8MM in 2026/27. In addition to the $33MM in guaranteed money, the contract also includes $4.9MM in unlikely incentives. Cleveland is now $1.9MM above the luxury tax line but has the flexibility to get under that figure during the season, if needed, Marks adds.
The College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks’ NBA G League affiliate, have named Steven Klei as their new head coach, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Klei, 31, replaces Ryan Schmidt, who will become a full-time assistant with the Hawks. Aaron Evans has been hired as the Skyhawks’ GM.

Thunder Notes: Defense, K. Williams, Daigneault, Franchise History

September 18th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The offseason trade for Alex Caruso and the addition of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency have improved the Thunder‘s defense to the point where it might be one of the best in NBA history, claims Michael Pina of The Ringer. He points out that Oklahoma City ranked fourth in the league defensively last season and every personnel decision was aimed at getting better, including sending Josh Giddey to Chicago in the Carsuo deal.

There are no weak links on defense anymore and no obvious spot for opponents to attack, Pina adds. The Thunder have a roster filled with switchable defenders who possess the speed and size to excel in coach Mark Daigneault‘s attacking scheme.

OKC boasts plenty of exceptional one-on-one defenders on the perimeter, starting with Luguentz Dort, who uses physicality to disrupt the rhythm of the man he’s guarding. Pina notes that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander works exceptionally hard on defense for an MVP candidate, while Jalen Williams brings a wingspan that’s greater than his height, Cason Wallace plays like a smaller version of Jrue Holiday, and Chet Holmgren ranked second in the league last season in challenging shots at the rim. Adding to that mix is Caruso, who has made the All-Defensive team the past two seasons and has a knack for forcing turnovers.

Hartenstein will help fix the rebounding deficiency that was especially evident in the playoffs last spring. Pina states that the big man should also affect the philosophy on defense by allowing the Thunder to utilize more drop coverage and limit three-point shots from the corner.

There’s more from Oklahoma City:

The Thunder’s depth should enable them to be patient with Kenrich Williams as he recovers from a knee operation, writes Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. The veteran forward underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right knee on Tuesday and will be reevaluated following the preseason. Stiles states that OKC should bring Williams along slowly and make sure he’s healthy for later in the season.
Since taking over as head coach, Daigneault has tended to use his bench more than any other coach in the league, Stiles adds in a separate story. That approach should be effective this season as the Thunder have one of the NBA’s deepest rosters.
If Seattle gets approved as an expansion city, the Thunder will give the franchise history back to the SuperSonics, sources tell ESPN in an overview of the expansion process. Oklahoma City’s owners already seem to view the Thunder as a separate enterprise, the authors add, having declined to hang a banner for Seattle’s 1979 championship and listing Russell Westbrook as the team’s career assists leader rather than Gary Payton.

Pistons Sign Javante McCoy, Waive Two Players

September 18th, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

G League guard Javante McCoy has joined the Pistons on an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The team has waived Devon Higgs and Sam Peek, whose signings were reported earlier today, Scotto adds.

McCoy, 26, was acquired in August by the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, which is where he’ll likely play this season. The Exhibit 10 deal makes him eligible for a $77.5K bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Cruise. Higgs and Peek are believed to have signed Exhibit 10 contracts as well, so they’ll be able to earn the same bonus.

McCoy has played in the G League since going undrafted out of Boston University in 2022. He originally signed with the Lakers and spent one year with their affiliate in South Bay, then joined the Spurs on an Exhibit 10 deal last September and played for Austin, where he averaged 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 27 regular season games.

The Pistons now have 18 players under contract, three short of the offseason limit. The team also has pending Exhibit 10 agreements with Dereon Seabron and Aaron Estrada.

Hawks Sign Kevon Harris To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 18th, 2024 at 6:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent guard Kevon Harris will join the Hawks on an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The deal is official, according to RealGM’s transaction log.

A report last month indicated Harris had reached a training camp agreement with the Clippers that included the opportunity to compete for a roster spot. Scotto’s tweet doesn’t mention what happened with L.A., but Harris appears to have gotten an offer from Atlanta that he liked better.

The 27-year-old joined the Magic in 2022 on a two-way contract that covered two seasons. He appeared in 34 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 4.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per night, but he was limited to two games last season after missing the first part of the year with a knee issue.

Harris excelled in the G League, putting up 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 27 regular season games with the Osceola Magic and earning a spot in the league’s Up Next game at All-Star weekend.

Harris became an unrestricted free agent in late June when the Magic decided not to extend a qualifying offer.

The Hawks have 15 fully guaranteed contracts, so Harris’ best chance to earn a roster spot might be as a two-way player. Seth Lundy, Keaton Wallace and Dominick Barlow currently hold Atlanta’s two-way slots.

If Harris gets waived, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.

Harris’ signing brings Atlanta’s roster count to 19 players.

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