Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Veteran Big Man Mike Muscala Retiring

July 13th, 2024 at 8:42am CST by Rory Maher

Veteran big man Mike Muscala is ending his playing career, telling Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman that he plans to retire.

Muscala’s father, Bob, informed Lorenzi that Mike plans to pursue a graduate degree in sports management, with an eye on continuing his basketball career in coaching and/or management.

The No. 44 overall pick of the 2013 draft, Muscala has spent the past 11 NBA seasons playing for the Hawks, Sixers, Lakers, Thunder, Celtics, Wizards and Pistons. He finished last season in Oklahoma City, returning to the Thunder in March after playing for them from 2019-23.

Muscala, 33, spent the first five seasons of his career with Atlanta. He was traded multiple times during the 2018/19 season before finding a home in Oklahoma City for a few years. He spent the past year-plus playing for four different teams — OKC, Boston, Washington, Detroit and finally OKC again. According to Lorenzi, Muscala said relocating so many times in a short period of time took its toll on him, but he was grateful to finish his career with the Thunder.

“It means a lot,” Muscala said of his time with the Thunder back in May. “I went through a lot in my life when I was here, just the city, the fans, the way that they support the team, what the team means to the community, those are things that I feel like I can relate to.

“I’ll always be a Thunder fan no matter what happens in my life.”

In 548 regular season contests, including 45 starts, the former Bucknell star averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 15.0 MPG. The 6’10” center/forward was known mostly for his outside shooting ability (37.3% career from three-point range) and for being a positive locker-room presence.

Groups Revealed For 2024 NBA Cup

July 12th, 2024 at 7:28pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The NBA has announced the five-team groups for this year’s in-season tournament, now renamed the Emirates NBA Cup, the league announced in a release on Friday (Twitter link).

Like last year, there are six groups — three each from the Western Conference and Eastern Conference — and each conference was split into five groups based on last year’s standings. One team was selected at random from each group to determine the group round matchups.

The results are:

West Group A: Timberwolves, Clippers, Kings, Rockets and Trail Blazers
West Group B: Thunder, Suns, Lakers, Jazz and Spurs
West Group C: Nuggets, Mavericks, Pelicans, Warriors and Grizzlies
East Group A: Knicks, Magic, Sixers, Nets and Hornets
East Group B: Bucks, Pacers, Heat, Raptors and Pistons
East Group C: Celtics, Cavaliers, Bulls, Hawks and Wizards

The NBA Cup begins with group play, which runs from Nov. 12 to Dec. 3. Each team plays one game against each of the four opponents in its group. The NBA released a matchup matrix to help fans follow along (Twitter link).

Just like last season, the winner of each group advances to a knockout round alongside the team with the best record in each conference that didn’t win a group. The semifinals and finals will again be played in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Last year, the Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament over the Pacers. LeBron James was named the tournament MVP after dropping 24 points in the title game.

The full game and broadcast schedule for group play will be announced next month.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Fields, Murray, Hawks, Magic

July 12th, 2024 at 1:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Australian swingman Josh Green told Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer that he was asleep when his agents phoned him around 3:00 am to inform him he was being traded to the Hornets.

The 23-year-old, who is on the Australian national team that will compete in the Paris Olympics, was sent to Charlotte from Dallas in the six-team mega-deal that saw Klay Thompson land with the Mavs. He says he’s “super excited” for a fresh start.

“It’s such a young team and they play at a fast pace,” Green said, “and I think I’m able to thrive in transition, being able to pick up the ball and play defense and just continue to grow my game. I’m still a young guy and it gets fun to be around older guys in Dallas and learn from them, and take that to Charlotte and just come in with a winning mindset, and, yeah, be ready to go.”

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Boone also recently spoke to the Hornets‘ 2024 draft picks, Tidjane Salaun (No. 6 overall) and KJ Simpson (No. 42). French forward Salaun, who doesn’t turn 19 until next month, says he didn’t watch the NBA growing up as he didn’t think he’d make it to the league. He says being a lottery pick is a surreal experience. “Yeah, it’s weird. Yes.” Salaun told Boone. “For sure because before I became a professional I was in (France) with my teammates, some guys we go to school every day without crowds. And now I have some fans … just all of this is crazy. Just to have a practice facility … I have a practice facility that’s different than the arena. Everything, everything. The weight room. They have many things to be the best possible and in shape.” Simpson, meanwhile is nursing a hamstring strain that will sideline him for all of Las Vegas Summer League, but he’s still actively involved on the sidelines, encouraging teammates and analyzing film. The 6’0″ guard, who is on a two-way contract, says he wants to hone his decision-making and defensive skills, according to Boone.
Hawks GM Landry Fields says it was a tough choice to trade Dejounte Murray, but ultimately it was a necessary one, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was a hard decision,” Fields said. “It was challenging. We knew that where we ultimately want to be was gonna require some challenging decisions. Just not being at that point, currently, where we felt like we can continue on with what we have. So wanted to reshape some things and this is an unfortunate part of the of the business. Dejounte is a fantastic player. … But we’re also very excited about the guys that we got back, got a few assets with it, too, which are going to be helpful for us to continue to build, so I wish him nothing but the best. He and his family have been great with us.” Fields also acknowledged Atlanta is facing a “roster crunch” after acquiring four players for one in the deal. The Hawks have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts now that Vit Krejci‘s four-year deal is official, plus Bruno Fernando on a non-guaranteed contract with a early guarantee date of August 1.
In a subscriber-only story for The Orlando Sentinel, Jason Beede lists five things to watch for the Magic heading into Las Vegas Summer League, including second-year guard Anthony Black‘s growth as a leader. As Beede writes, Orlando’s Summer League squad features recent first-rounders in Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva, plus a handful of former NBA veterans trying to make it back in the league (such as Jarrett Culver and Theo Maledon).

Hawks Sign Vit Krejci To Four-Year Contract

July 12th, 2024 at 1:16pm CST by Rory Maher

July 12: Krejci’s four-year deal is official, the Hawks announced in a press release.

July 10: The Hawks are re-signing Vit Krejci on a four-year, $10MM contract, agents Alex Saratsis and Phillip Parun tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Atlanta issued Krejci a qualifying offer last month, making him a restricted free agent. The 24-year-old, who hails from Czechia, was the 37th overall pick of the 2020 draft.

There was speculation late last season that Atlanta might promote Krejci from his two-way contract to a standard deal in order to make him eligible for the postseason. That did not occur, but Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported at the time that the Hawks hoped to re-sign Krejci on a four-year deal, which is now about to come to fruition.

A 6’8″ combo guard, Krejci spent his first post-draft season rehabbing a torn ACL. He signed a multiyear contract with the Thunder prior to the 2021/22 season, playing 30 games for the club as a rookie.

Oklahoma City traded Krejci to Atlanta in a September 2022 move that was mostly about finances for the Hawks. He appeared in 29 games for Atlanta in ’22/23, averaging a modest 5.3 MPG.

The Hawks waived Krejci last August when he was on a non-guaranteed deal and the team was facing a roster crunch. He later signed an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with Minnesota, but was cut before the ’23/24 season began.

Krejci returned to the Hawks on a two-way contract in December. In part due to injuries, he became a rotation regular down the stretch last season, averaging 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists on .490/.412/.833 shooting in 22 games, including 14 starts (24.6 minutes per contest).

Based on the reported terms, Krejci almost certainly received a minimum-salary contract. Since he has three years of NBA experience, Kreji’s four-year deal will technically pay him $10,185,213, though we’ll have to wait and see how much of it is guaranteed.

Stein’s Latest: Ingram, Lakers, Fournier, Hawks

July 11th, 2024 at 10:54pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans star forward Brandon Ingram has been one of the most frequently-floated names in trade discussions this summer.

According to Marc Stein at Substack, Ingram’s performance in the 2024 playoffs against the Thunder is among the factors that have given New Orleans’ potential trade partners pause. Stein also indicates that Ingram is seeking a four-year, $208MM contract extension on his current expiring deal.

League sources tell Stein that Ingram’s management is striving to help the Pelicans find a willing trade partner. As Stein writes, having the former All-Star play out his current expiring contract with the Pelicans and become an unrestricted free agent next summer likely isn’t the preferred outcome for either the player or team.

Here are more rumors from Stein:

The Lakers are looking to create some additional cap flexibility in order to make use of their $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception. The team is currently right at the second tax apron, prohibiting L.A. from signing an outside free agent for more than the minimum. If the Lakers can shed some salary, free agent sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr. could be among the targets that make sense, Stein notes. The club currently has a full 15-man roster, so any cost-cutting move intended to make room for a free agent would also need to open up a roster spot.
Sources inform Stein that the rebuilding Wizards have registered interest in free agent wing Evan Fournier, who could be a mentor to recent lottery picks and fellow Frenchmen Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly.
While starting center Clint Capela has been on the trade block for more than a year, new Hawks big man Larry Nance Jr. – added via the Dejounte Murray trade earlier this summer – is drawing more trade interest from rival teams, Stein writes. According to Stein, multiple clubs in need of more size have expressed interest in Nance.

Hawks’ Bufkin To Miss Summer League With Shoulder Injury

July 11th, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin sustained a right shoulder injury during practice on Tuesday and he will not participate in the Las Vegas Summer League, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

Bufkin underwent an MRI which revealed “findings consistent with a right shoulder subluxation.” He is expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp this fall, per the team.

It’s another unfortunate setback for the 20-year-old, who missed extended time during his 2023/24 rookie campaign due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe. The 15th overall pick of the 2023 draft, Bufkin appeared in just 17 games for the Hawks last season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG and 1.6 APG in 11.5 MPG.

Bufkin, who is left-handed, also appeared in 14 regular season games for Atlanta’s G League affiliate (the College Park Skyhawks) last season, averaging 23.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.9 APG and 1.4 SPG on .444/.356/.829 shooting (32.0 MPG).

The former Michigan guard will be among a group of players vying for backcourt minutes in ’24/25 after the Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans.

Hawks, Bruno Fernando Agree To Push Back Guarantee Date

July 10th, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Rory Maher

For the second time this summer, the Hawks and Bruno Fernando have reached an agreement to push back his salary guarantee date, reports Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (via Twitter).

The two sides originally postponed Fernando’s guarantee date from June 29 to July 10. According to Rowland, the new guarantee date is August 1.

Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier on Wednesday that the Hawks and Fernando were discussing postponing the deadline again.

Fernando has some incentive to give Atlanta more time with the decision if it increases his odds of remaining on the roster and earning his full $2.72MM salary for 2024/25. In 2023, Atlanta moved Fernando’s salary guarantee deadline from June 29 to July 10, then ultimately kept him on the roster, guaranteeing his full $2.58MM salary for ’23/24.

The 34th pick of the 2019 draft after two college seasons at Maryland, Fernando has appeared in 203 regular season games over the course of his five-year NBA career, having suited up for Atlanta, Boston and Houston. Most of those appearances (142) have come with the Hawks.

A 6’9″ center from Angola who possesses a 7’3″ wingspan, Fernando didn’t play much at all in the first half of last season, appearing in just 13 of Atlanta’s first 49 games for an average of 6.5 minutes per contest. However, he was thrust into a larger role down the stretch due to a series of frontcourt injuries, averaging 7.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG while shooting 59.4% from the floor and 70.1% from the line over his final 32 games (18.7 MPG).

Eastern Notes: Fernandez, Fernando, Trent, Jokubaitis, Magic

July 10th, 2024 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets agreed to trade Mikal Bridges just two months after they hired Jordi Fernandez, but Brooklyn’s new head coach said he wasn’t caught off guard by that move. As Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, moving Bridges was a scenario that had been discussed with Fernandez before he took the job.

“We know that we wanted to do something sustainable and we wanted to win and build something very special. There were different avenues to do it, and this was a possible one,” Fernandez said. “We just couldn’t control if something (big came), what other teams would offer, so we’d just have to sit and wait. And (general manager Sean Marks) had his different avenues to get there. When the opportunity presented itself, he called me. I knew before it came out to the media, and I was very excited because I know how the NBA works and I know how good you can get when you have assets, flexibility and so and so forth. So I’m just very excited.”

Marks also confirmed that he and Fernandez talked about the possibility of a Bridges trade, explaining that he wanted to make sure the head coach knew what he was getting into when he accepted the Nets’ offer.

“It’s very important to be upfront when you’re hiring a coach — or any staff member for that matter — for them to know there’s a variety of different pathways we can go down,” Marks said. “We knew the flexibility that we had in terms of the roster, the cap, the salaries that we have, this (outcome) could be one of them. We’re not going to shy away from that. So, he knew well ahead that this was an avenue that we could be going down and has bought in completely.”

Here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:

Having already pushed back his salary guarantee date from June 29 to July 10, the Hawks are talking to Bruno Fernando‘s camp about postponing that deadline again, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Fernando has some incentive to give Atlanta more time with that decision if it increases his odds of remaining on the roster and earning his full $2.72MM salary for 2024/25.
Following up on reporting that suggested the Raptors had been willing to offer free agent wing Gary Trent Jr. a deal worth $15MM per year when their negotiating window first opened, Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link) clarifies that most conversations the team had about Trent were internal. The front office discussed potential contract frameworks rather than formally putting an offer on the table, Grange says, adding that the Raptors told Trent’s camp after the draft that they were going in a different direction.
Knicks draft-and-stash prospect Rokas Jokubaitis, the No. 34 overall pick in 2021, will be with New York’s Summer League team this month for the first time in three years, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Jokubaitis, who is under contract with Barcelona for one more season, would have been unavailable for Summer League if Lithuania had qualified for the Olympics, but the Lithuanians fell to Puerto Rico in the qualifying tournament final on Sunday.
The Magic have quietly aced the offseason, according to Michael Pina of The Ringer, who wonders if Orlando is capable of becoming next season’s version of the 2023/24 Thunder and making the leap from solid team to one of the best in the conference.

Hawks Re-Sign Seth Lundy On Two-Way Deal

July 9th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have signed wing Seth Lundy to a two-way contract, according to a team press release.

The 46^th overall pick in the 2023 draft after a four-year college career at Penn State, Lundy spent last season on a two-way contract with the Hawks. He appeared in nine games with Atlanta and 25 contests with the College Park Skyhawks.

Atlanta extended a qualifying offer to Lundy in late June, the equivalent of another two-way deal. He may have simply accepted that offer rather than negotiating a new two-way deal.

Lundy averaged just 5.8 minutes in his nine NBA appearances. In those 25 G League games (23 starts), the 6’4″ guard/forward averaged 20.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in 32.6 minutes. He shot 46.2% from the field and 40% on 3-point attempts.

The 24-year-old underwent ankle surgery in mid-May. The left ankle procedure removed a medial ankle bone spur.

Lundy won’t play in the Summer League but the expectation is that he’ll make a full recovery in time for the start of next season.

Southwest Notes: Ingram, Grizzlies, Barnes, Spurs

July 8th, 2024 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks were considered a possible trade suitor for Brandon Ingram this offseason, but they ended up not having much interest in giving the forward his next contract or surrendering either Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu in a trade with the Pelicans, league sources tell William Guillory of The Athletic.

As a result, the Pelicans and Hawks instead made a deal involving Dejounte Murray that didn’t include Ingram or either of Atlanta’ centers. Now it’s unclear whether New Orleans will be able to find a trade partner for Ingram, who will be on an expiring contract in 2024/25.

According to Guillory, both the Pelicans and Ingram would prefer not to go into training camp without an extension, since it may become a distraction. That could mean New Orleans will be looking to complete a trade by late September, but it also doesn’t sound like a new contract for the former All-Star is out of the question. Guillory cites “some optimism within the building” that Ingram and the Pelicans could work out an extension below the max that leaves both sides happy.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Grizzlies have officially announced Taylor Jenkins‘ new-look coaching staff for the 2024/25 season (Twitter link). Anthony Carter and Patrick St. Andrews are the only returning assistants, though one newcomer (Jason March) had been coaching the Memphis Hustle, while another (Erik Schmidt) was the Grizzlies’ head video coordinator. Joe Boylan (formerly of the Timberwolves), Patrick Mutombo (from the Bucks), Tuomas Iisalo (Paris Basketball), and Noah LaRoche are the other additions. Former assistants Blake Ahearn, Brad Jones, Scoonie Penn, Sonia Raman, and Vitaly Potapenko have all been replaced, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
LJ Ellis of SpursTalk shares his thoughts on the Spurs‘ impending acquisition of Harrison Barnes, explains why he likes the fit and why he expects the veteran forward to be a starter in San Antonio. As Ellis notes, more minor roster moves will be necessary to open up enough cap room to accommodate Barnes’ incoming salary, so he’s reluctant to give his final assessment of the deal until it’s clear what those moves will be.
As Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News points out (via Twitter), the Spurs wouldn’t have been in position to add both Barnes and Chris Paul if they had kept the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, which carried a cap hit of $6.26MM.