August 20: The signing is official, according to the team’s website.
August 16: The Bucks are signing guard Jaylen Adams to a training camp deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Adams became a free agent in mid-July after the Hawkswaived him before his $1,416,852 salary became guaranteed. Milwaukee’s contract offer is apparently an Exhibit 10 deal. The Bucks targeted Adams for an affiliate contract spot with their G League team, the Wisconsin Herd, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets.
Adams signed a two-way deal with Atlanta last summer, then had it converted to a standard contract in February. He went undrafted out of St. Bonaventure.
The 23-year-old Adams appeared in 34 NBA games last season, averaging 3.2 PPG and 1.9 APG in 12.6 MPG.
Milwaukee had 16 players under contract (14 with fully guaranteed deals), along with a pair of two-way players.
Top pick Zion Williamson of the Pelicans is considered the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award by his peers, but he’s not a clear-cut choice. The second pick in the draft, point guard Ja Morant of the Grizzlies, finished a close second in the voting. However, that might not be such a good thing for either player.
For the 11th time in 13 years, John Schuhmann of NBA.com got the opportunity to ask the NBA’s incoming crop of rookies a series of questions related to their fellow draftees.
Historically, the NBA rookies haven’t been soothsayers. They haven’t accurately identified a Rookie of the Year winner since Kevin Durant in 2007/08. Last season, Deandre Ayton and Collin Sexton were considered the co-favorites. Luka Doncic ended up winning the award with Trae Young finishing a solid second.
Here’s some of the highlights from the survey:
Williamson got 35% of the vote for the Rookie of the Year prize, while Morant received 27% backing. No one else got more than 5%.
Nuggets second-round pick Bol Bol and Cavaliers’ late first-rounder Kevin Porter Jr. were considered the steals of the draft, with each getting 19% of the vote.
Two players stood out to their peers as being the best defenders in the draft — the Sixers’ Matisse Thybulle and the Hawks’De’Andre Hunter. Thybulle collected 37% of the votes in that category, while Hunter received 29% backing.
By a wide margin, Williamson was chosen as the most athletic rookie, garnering 87% of the votes. Morant was selected as the best ball-handler, receiving 40% of those votes.
The Heat‘s Tyler Herro (33%) edged out the Kings’Kyle Guy (29%) as the best shooter.
LeBron James (38%) got the highest total in the ‘Favorite player in the league’ category with Kevin Durant (20%) finishing second.
3:39pm: The Hawks have formally issued a press release announcing that they’ve promoted Schlenk to president of basketball operations. The announcement doesn’t mention an extension, but it seems safe to assume that it’s official now too.
The Hawks also announced many more promotions and hires, including (but not limited to):
Dan Martinez to VP of team operations
Derek Pierce to VP of player personnel
Dotun Akinwale Jr. to director of scouting
Mike McNeive to director of player personnel
Daniel Starkman to senior manager of basketball operations
Nick Ressler to manager of basketball operations
“We are extremely pleased with the direction that Travis and our entire basketball operations team has us heading as a franchise,” Hawks owner Tony Ressler said in a statement. “He has used the draft to build an impressive young core, hired one of the NBA’s top young coaches in Lloyd Pierce and positioned us to have the cap space, draft picks and financial flexibility needed to have long-term success in the NBA.”
2:39pm: The Hawks have reached a deal with general manager Travis Schlenk on a new multiyear contract extension, reports Zach Klein of WSB-TV (Twitter link). Confirming Klein’s report, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that an official announcement from the team will likely come within the next day or so.
Schlenk took over as Atlanta’s head of basketball operations during the spring of 2017 after the team re-assigned GM Wes Wilcox and removed Mike Budenholzer‘s president of basketball operations title.
Since joining the Hawks, Schlenk has launched a full-fledged rebuild, accumulating draft assets and making strong use of his own first-round picks, having selected John Collins in 2017 and Trae Young and Kevin Huerter in 2018.
It remains to be seen whether this year’s lottery picks (De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish) will look as promising as Collins, Young, and Huerter have, and Schlenk faced some criticism for trading the pick that became Luka Doncic. Still, the former Warriors executive has the Hawks pointed in the right direction as one of the NBA’s up-and-coming teams.
After going 24-58 during Schlenk’s first year running the show, the team won 29 games last season and will look to improve upon that number in 2019/20.
As first reported by Israeli basketball reporter Roi Cohen a few days ago (Twitter link), shooting guard Tyler Dorsey has signed a contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League and EuroLeague, per a release from the team’s official Twitter account.
Dorsey, 23, was originally drafted by the Hawks out of Oregon back in 2017, where he played for Atlanta during the 2017/18 season and part of last season. On the day of the trade deadline, February 7, he was shipped to Memphis in exchange for veteran point guard Shelvin Mack.
Dorsey, who also saw time with the Memphis Hustle after the trade, performed well for the Grizzlies, averaging 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in 21 contests (11 starts). However, the Grizzlies opted not to extend Dorsey a qualifying offer this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Dorsey will join fellow ex-NBA players Omri Casspi, Quincy Acy, and Tarik Black on what should now be a relatively strong 2019/20 roster for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
As he prepares for retirement, Carter is looking ahead to life after basketball. Speaking to Magdalena Munao of CloseUp 360, Carter spoke about his lack of interest in a farewell tour, his future in broadcasting and what he will miss most about playing in the NBA.
On retirement:
“I never thought I’d be playing this long, for sure. I just felt it was time. I just thought it was time. I made a decision. It’s something that I want to do. And the great thing for me is that I’m able to walk away from the game on my terms.”
On what Carter will miss about playing in the NBA:
“Playing. Just playing the game, period. Like, putting on the uniform, basketball, the whole thing. You name it, I’ll miss it. This is because I’ve been doing this for 20-plus years. So that’s what I’ve been doing my entire life. So it’s, like, even the things that you hate doing now, all of a sudden you hate you’re missing it.”
On the idea of a farewell tour:
“I’m good. I’ll pass. It’s just not my thing. I enjoy my time in the league and so on and so forth. I know it’s going to happen. It is what it is, but it’s not something I’m seeking out.”
On his future in broadcasting:
“Practice. I did [the NBPA’s] Sportscaster U. [program] some time ago—six, seven years ago. And then from there, I just started doing things like this [broadcasting at the Jr. NBA Global Championship], calling games in the summer, Summer League, studio work with Turner and ESPN. It’s just a lot of reps. Just like I did for basketball, you gotta play in enough games and tournaments until you get good at it. And this is the same—just a lot of reps and here I am.”
When we recently asked you to make your picks on which teams would win the Pacific and Northwest divisions, there were a handful of strong, viable choices. It’s not outlandish to view the Clippers, Lakers, or Warriors as potential division winners in the Pacific, while the Nuggets, Jazz, and Trail Blazers all have a realistic chance to finish atop the Northwest.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Southeast is another division that doesn’t have an overwhelming favorite, but it’s not because there are a handful of potential Southeast powerhouses — it’s because the division isn’t particularly strong.
Last season, only one of the East’s playoff teams came out of the Southeast, as the 42-40 Magic sneaked into the postseason and claimed the division crown. The other four Southeast teams finished between ninth and 12th in the conference.
The division doesn’t project to be a whole lot stronger in 2019/20, though the Magic retained all their key free agents and still have room for growth. Orlando had one of the league’s best defenses during the second half of the 2018/19 season, and ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus projections are bullish on the club going forward. As Kevin Pelton details in an Insider story, ESPN’s RPM projections place the Magic fourth in the Eastern Conference for ’19/20, behind only Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia.
Still, the Magic won’t enter the season as the Vegas favorites to win the Southeast. Betting site BetOnline.ag lists the Heat as the current frontrunners. Although Miami missed the postseason last season with a 39-43 record, the team is hopeful that replacing Josh Richardson with Jimmy Butler and getting further development from young players like Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow will be worth several wins.
At this point, Orlando and Miami look like the only truly viable contenders for the division title, but it’s possible one of the other three clubs will significantly exceed expectations. The Hawks might be the best contender. John Collins, Trae Young, and Kevin Huerter should only get better, and if rookies De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish can provide positive contributions immediately, Atlanta could surprise some teams.
The outlook looks a little bleaker for the Wizards and Hornets. Washington, at least, has an All-Star player in Bradley Beal, but the team won only 32 games last season with Beal healthy, and he won’t have much more help this season. In Charlotte, the 39-43 Hornets are expected to take a step back after replacing All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker with Terry Rozier.
What do you think? Which team do you expect to win the Southeast in 2019/20? And are any of the teams in the division capable of winning a playoff series or two in the spring?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your two cents!
Free agent guard Chasson Randle has received interest from the Hawks, Trail Blazers, Heat, Bucks, Warriors and Bulls, tweets Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops.
Randle, 26, became an unrestricted free agent in June when the Wizards opted not to tender a qualifying offer. He appeared in 49 games in his lone season in Washington, posting a 5.5/1.1/2.0 line in about 15 minutes per night and shooting 40% from 3-point range. Randle played a combined 26 games for the Sixers and Knicks during the 2016/17 season before spending 2017/18 in the EuroLeague with Real Madrid.
Unless someone offers him a fully guaranteed deal, Randle will likely face a process similar to how he earned a roster spot with the Wizards. He signed a training camp contract in September, but was waived before the season began. He had a strong showing during camp with Washington’s G League affiliate in Capital City and was signed for the rest of the season in late October.
Randle was waived again on November 12, but rejoined the Go-Go three days later and re-signed with the Wizards after Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre were traded in mid-December.
Head coach Gregg Popovich is strongly considering taking 15 players to Australia later this month in advance of the World Cup as opposed to cutting the roster down to a dozen players prior to leaving the country, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. FIBA regulations state that teams can only carry 12 players for the World Cup itself, though the remaining players could simply attend alongside the coaching staff and never suit up.
Here’s more surrounding the World Cup:
Spurs guard Derrick White and Kings big man Marvin Bagley III are the strongest contenders to be promoted from the Select Team to Team USA’s primary World Cup roster, tweets Stein. Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher suggests (via Instagram) that White’s promotion has already happened, while Bagley’s is likely.
Mitchell Robinson is dealing with a knee injury, as Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. The Knicks center initially suffered the injury over the weekend and returned to practice on Tuesday and re-injured it the following day. A source close to the situation describes the ailment as “just soreness.”
Hawks guard Trae Young left Team USA’s training camp because of a minor eye infection, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Young had been practicing with the Select Team.
Chris Boucher has withdrawn from the World Cup for personal reasons, Josh Lewenberg of the TSN tweets. The Raptors big man had been practicing with Canada’s National Team.
Goodwin was not selected in the 2018 NBA Draft. He went to camp with the Grizzlies last fall on an Exhibit 10 deal and latched on with the Nuggets later in the season, ultimately occupying one of their two-way deals.
The point guard played in 16 games for Denver last season, scoring a total of 23 points and dished out 14 assists over 57 minutes of action. In 27 G League games for the Memphis Hustle and Iowa Wolves, he averaged 21.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 5.1 APG.
Goodwin most recently played for the Nuggets’ Summer League team.
Former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parkerexpressed confidence in his decision to sign with the Hawks last month, explaining to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune why Atlanta appeared to be the best situation for him in free agency.
“It’s never promised that things are going to go well, but just from the energy that I’m feeling, it’s a good situation for me,” Parker said. “Trae Young is someone who can not only score but distribute. John Collins is a very, very good player.
“I know the expectations. I can fulfill my role accordingly. I’m young, but they’re younger. One thing I take pride in is I’ve now been every player — from the first to last guy on the team. And I’m grateful for those experiences.”
Parker, who held per-game averages of 14.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 26.9 minutes last season with Chicago and Washington, has had a rocky start to his professional career. He’s played with four different teams since being drafted in 2014, unable to find a consistent role with a franchise.
Carmelo Anthony could be a logical option for the Heat depending on what role he’d receive, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Miami is loaded at the power forward position, though the team could use its final roster spot on a player who can provide depth at small forward if Justise Winslow keeps his starting point guard job. The Heat’s decision could also come down to whetherUdonis Haslemchooses to return next season.
Bobby Marks of ESPN (via Twitter) provides cap details on the contracts inked by Cody Martin and Caleb Martin, who both signed with the Hornets. Cody’s contract ($1.17MM in the first season) is guaranteed in the second season and non-guaranteed in the third, while Caleb signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the team.
