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Olympic Notes: LaVine, NBA Participants, Hernangomez, Finals Trio

July 24th, 2021 at 9:22am CST by Dana Gauruder

Zach LaVine was placed in protocols due to contact tracing before he was allowed to go to Tokyo. That development came as a big surprise to the Team USA wing. LaVine was sidelined for 11 Bulls games in April when he tested positive for COVID-19, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes. “Well I was a little shocked,’’ LaVine said. “Obviously, I didn’t think I could get [the virus]. Obviously, I didn’t. I’m going to have to be careful with everybody including the team and everybody coming over here, so it made sense, and I pretty much had to do my time, jump through a couple hoops to get here.’’

We have more Olympic-related notes:

If there are a lot of familiar faces in the Olympic tournament, it’s because there are a record number of current and former NBA participants. According to an NBA press release, there are 49 current players and 16 former players dotting Olympic rosters. The Heat lead the way with four players in the competition.
Spain’s basketball federation president claims that Juan Hernangomez won’t play in the Olympics because Timberwolves president Gersson Rosas nixed it, according to a Eurohoops story relayed by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Hernangomez dislocated his left shoulder this summer but Jorge Garbajosa says the big man has been cleared by Spain’s medical staff. “Juancho wants to play in the Olympic Games, but Juancho won’t be able to play,” Garbajosa said. “We’ve had countless medical meetings and we’ve never received a ‘no.’ We have a received a ‘yes’. … It’s a problem of people – not medical personnel – who have personally decided that Juancho couldn’t play. I’m talking about their president of basketball operations.”
Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday arrived in Tokyo on Saturday and their Team USA teammates are impressed by the commitment of the three players who participated in the Finals, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes. “I have a lot of respect for those guys for not only committing to do this but actually keeping their word,” Draymond Green said. “You’re talking about three true professionals, three extremely competitive guys that wouldn’t be on their way here if this didn’t mean something.”

Team USA’s Zach LaVine Clears COVID-19 Protocols

July 20th, 2021 at 11:44pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 20: LaVine has cleared the health and safety protocols and will join Team USA in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon, USA Basketball announced late on Tuesday night (Twitter link).

With the NBA Finals now over, Booker, Middleton, and Holiday should all be able to report to the U.S. squad in Tokyo with plenty of time to spare before Sunday’s game as well.

JULY 19: Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been placed under the healthy and safety protocols related to COVID-19, according to USA Basketball (Twitter link). As a result, LaVine won’t be on the team’s flight to Tokyo today.

LaVine has not yet been ruled out for the Olympics like Bradley Beal was last week. According to Team USA, the hope is that LaVine will be cleared to travel to Japan later this week.

LaVine’s situation is the latest hurdle to overcome for a U.S. squad that has faced a series of challenges during the lead-up to the Tokyo games. Last week, Beal and Jerami Grant were placed in the health and safety protocols and Kevin Love withdrew from the roster for health reasons. Grant has since been cleared and will travel to Tokyo with Team USA, but Beal and Love were replaced on the roster by Keldon Johnson and JaVale McGee.

While it sounds like LaVine may follow in Grant’s footsteps and exit the protocols within a few days, Team USA runs the risk of being shorthanded until there’s clarity one way or the other on LaVine. The roster was already temporarily down three players, since Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday remain active in the NBA Finals through at least Tuesday (or Thursday, if a Game 7 if necessary). The U.S. will play its first game of the Olympics on Sunday morning vs. France.

For what it’s worth, LaVine tested positive for the coronavirus in April.

Draft Notes: Green Room Invites, Makur, Taylor, Draft Intel

July 20th, 2021 at 8:17pm CST by Eli Cohen

The NBA has finalized the list of 20 prospects who will be invited to the Green Room on draft night, writes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. While 15 of the names had already been reported, the final five players were identified over the last two days: Chris Duarte, Cameron Thomas, Isaiah Jackson, Alperen Sengun and Ziaire Williams will round out the group.

While an invitation to the Green Room is no guarantee of being drafted in the top 20, the decision is considered to be an indication of teams’ thinking, as the invitations are determined through a series of conversations with general managers and a voting process where teams vote on the 25 prospects most likely to have their name called first, Givony writes.

We have more news from around the draft world:

Howard University’s Makur Maker has withdrawn from the draft, tweets draft analyst Chad Ford. The 6’11 forward flashed versatility at the NBA Combine, but his draft stock was still hazy. Because he missed the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline, Maker will likely pursue professional options, whether in the G League, Australia’s NBL, or elsewhere.
Terry Taylor worked out with the Bucks yesterday and the Nuggets today, tweets Adam Zagoria of Forbes. Taylor has workouts lined up with the Nets, Cavaliers and Mavericks this week, and already worked out for the Knicks, Warriors, Kings, Pacers, Grizzlies, Bulls, Spurs and Pelicans. The 6’5″ wing led the country in double-doubles, Zagoria notes.
Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo released his latest mock draft today, sharing some pieces of intel gathered from sources. Within his mock, Woo confirms that the prevailing notion is that the Rockets prefer Jalen Green to Evan Mobley, that the Thunder are being increasingly linked to James Bouknight, that the Magic covet Scottie Barnes, and that Jonathan Kuminga‘s range seems to be settling around six-to-eight, rather than being a top-five pick.

Bulls Anticipate Pricey Point Guard Summer Upgrade

July 19th, 2021 at 9:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After the Bulls mortgaged their long-term future to nab 2021 All-Star center Nikola Vučević in a deadline deal with the Magic, they still missed out on a play-in tournament appearance. The club is understandably anticipated to be seeking roster upgrades this summer, especially at the point guard position, writes Matt Moore of the Action Network.

Moore suggests that free agent point guards Kyle Lowry, Dennis Schröder, Lonzo Ball, and Spencer Dinwiddie are among Chicago’s preferred targets. Given the ages of the Bulls’ two best players – 30-year-old Vučević and 25-year-old All-Star Zach LaVine – 35-year-old veteran Lowry may not be a long-term fit, but would certainly raise the team’s floor for the 2021/22 season.

Simonovic Could Be Rotation Player

July 15th, 2021 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draft-and-stash prospect Marko Simonovic is expected to sign with the Bulls this summer and from what K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago hears, he can be a rotation player at least. Simonovic was a second-round pick so the team’s fans should set their expectations for the 6’11” big man accordingly, Johnson adds.

Marko Simonovic Likely To Sign With Bulls

July 14th, 2021 at 5:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draft-and-stash prospect Marko Simonovic cannot officially sign with the Bulls until next month but it appears likely that he’ll make the jump to the NBA next season.

An Instagram post from his agent, Misko Raznatovic, displayed a picture of them sitting beside each other with the words, “One way ticket to Chicago!”

It’s uncertain what type of contract the 6’11” Simonovic will be signing with the club. The Bulls could use cap room or an exception to bring him aboard, depending on how their offseason plays out.

Selected as the No. 44 pick in 2020, the 21-year-old center played in Serbia this year for Mega Basket in the ABA Adriatic League. He averaged 15.7 PPG and 9.1 RPG in 31.6 MPG over 25 games. He shot 47.3% overall and 34.9% on his 3-point attempts.

With Daniel Theis and Cristiano Felicio entering unrestricted free agency and Lauri Markkanen headed to restricted free agency, the Bulls could have some openings in the frontcourt.

Fischer’s Latest: Collins, Schröder, Lowry, Green, Tucker, Dinwiddie, Oubre

July 14th, 2021 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sign-and-trade deals are expected to be plentiful this summer and the largest one could involve Hawks forward John Collins, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Most contenders have limited cap flexibility, so league insiders are expecting the sign-and-trade option to be used with several of the top free agents.

Collins, a restricted free agent, could be on the move because of the perception that Atlanta doesn’t view him as a max player. Team owner Tony Ressler said last week that the team is hoping to reach a “fair agreement” with Collins, which raises questions about how high the Hawks would be willing to go to match an offer.

League sources tell Fischer there will be a “sizable market” for Collins once free agency begins next month. The Mavericks have been considered a possible destination for some time, and the Timberwolves are another team to watch, according to Fischer.

He shares some more rumors involving potential sign-and-trades:

Dennis Schröder turned down a four-year, $84MM extension offer from the Lakers and is expected to be on the move this summer. Fischer notes that Schröder wants a bigger salary and a larger role in the offense, but he’s not likely to get either in L.A. The Bulls and Knicks are expected to have interest in the veteran point guard, according to league sources, and a sign-and-trade is the Lakers’ best opportunity to add talent this offseason. L.A. will also continue to see what it can get in return for Kyle Kuzma, Fischer adds.
The Sixers remain interested in Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and he’s believed to welcome the chance to play for his hometown team. Several contenders will have their eyes on Philadelphia guard Danny Green, who represents another sign-and-trade opportunity.
Giving P.J. Tucker a new deal with the $12MM average salary he asked for in Houston would push the Bucks over the tax apron. Fischer states that the Nets have been interested in Tucker since they started negotiating the James Harden trade, and the Heat expressed interest as well when they talked to the Rockets about Victor Oladipo. Fischer identifies the Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets and Jazz as other teams to watch, along with the Timberwolves, who are led by former Houston executive Gersson Rosas and have been trying to acquire Tucker since the 2020 draft.
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Warriors forward Kelly Oubre are two other potential names on the sign-and-trade market, according to Fischer. Sources say Brooklyn kept Dinwiddie past the trade deadline so he could be a potential sign-and-trade asset, while Oubre offers a chance for tax-strapped Golden State to pick up talent. Fischer names the Mavericks, Knicks and Heat as teams that would be interested in both players.

Central Notes: Pistons, Antetokounmpo, Tucker, Taylor

July 13th, 2021 at 9:29pm CST by Eli Cohen

With the number one pick in the draft and a promising, newly re-made young core, this is a pivotal offseason for the Pistons, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic in a mailbag.

Within the piece, Edwards discusses the likelihood of the Pistons selecting Cade Cunningham (very likely), the fit between Cunningham and last year’s top selection (French point guard Killian Hayes), 2021 free agency plans, what the Pistons are likely to do with restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo, Isaiah Stewart‘s status as a starting center, Jerami Grant, and much more.

We have more from the Central Division:

David Aldridge of The Athletic profiles Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s dramatic return from injury and resumption of his regular season dominance. He talks to two-time NBA champion Isiah Thomas, among others, about what Antetokounmpo has done in the three games since his return. “He’s been the most inspiring player during these playoffs, while (Chris) Paul has been the sentimental player we all root for and want his career to end with a ring,” Thomas said in a text to Aldridge.
Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps of ESPN examine the journey Bucks forward P.J. Tucker has taken from the Ukrainian SuperLeague to the NBA Finals. One of the keys to Tucker’s resilience and fortitude, write MacMahon and Bontemps, was his ability to form connections in the locker room. “We had a team with an old Serbian guy who didn’t speak particularly good English, and P.J. made a connection with him and had a great friendship with him,” said former coach Chris Fleming. “The U.S. players, the young German players, he had an ability to reach everybody.”
The Bulls worked out Terry Taylor on Monday, tweets Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw. The 6’5″ guard averaged over 20 PPG and 11 RPG over his final two seasons at Austin Peay State University.

Pelicans Unlikely To Match Significant Offer For Lonzo Ball?

July 13th, 2021 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are unlikely to match a significant offer sheet for Lonzo Ball in restricted free agency this summer, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania doesn’t clarify what would constitute a “significant” offer, but Ball’s market could be in the range of the four-year, $85MM deals signed by point guards Malcolm Brogdon and Fred VanVleet in recent years. Ball would be doing well to land a contract that matches or exceeds those deals.

The 23-year-old, who began his career with the Lakers, had perhaps his best NBA season in 2020/21, establishing new career highs in PPG (14.6), FG% (.414), and 3PT% (.378). He also chipped in 5.7 APG and 4.8 RPG in 55 games (31.8 MPG).

Star forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have both spoken in favor of the Pelicans re-signing Ball, and the team will have the ability to match any offer sheet extended by a rival suitor. But it’s unclear just how committed New Orleans is to the former No. 2 overall pick, especially given the club’s cap situation.

Substantial investments in Ball and fellow restricted free agent Josh Hart would likely push the Pelicans into tax territory unless the club cuts costs by trading away a contract like Steven Adams‘ or Eric Bledsoe‘s. The team has never paid the luxury tax before. And while that doesn’t necessarily mean ownership wouldn’t sign off on a tax bill going forward, it would be a tough sell for a roster that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2018.

The Bulls and Clippers are among the teams expected to express interest in Ball, sources tell Charania. The Knicks have also been mentioned as a possible suitor, though Ian Begley of SNY.tv has reported there are mixed opinions on the point guard among New York’s decision-makers.

Bobby Portis Talks 2020 Free Agency, Giannis, Mirotic, Bulls

July 12th, 2021 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Shams Charania of The Athletic about his experience as a free agent in 2020, Bucks forward Bobby Portis confirmed that the Knicks offered him a new contract after turning down his $15.75MM team option. However, he didn’t view New York as a “good situation” for him in 2019/20 and was unsure about whether the new leadership group (executives Leon Rose and William Wesley, along with head coach Tom Thibodeau) would change that.

“Obviously, Leon and (Wesley) and those guys were going to come in and try to change it around, but I just wanted to go to a winning culture and where I felt like I can fit in with guys,” Portis said. “I watched the bubble last season and I watched Milwaukee a lot, and I felt like it was a team I really fit on.

Joining the Bucks meant taking a substantial pay cut — Milwaukee had to fit in Portis using the bi-annual exception, meaning he earned just $3.6MM in 2020/21. However, the 26-year-old told Charania that he has saved money throughout his career and that a modest salary “wasn’t the biggest issue” for him, since he hopes to be playing in the NBA for another decade. After years of playing for lottery teams, Portis’ preference was to show he’s capable of contributing to a contender.

“I wanted to use this year as a get-back year for me just to get my name back,” Portis said. “An investment year. And so far, so good. It’s one of the best decisions of my career so far.”

Here are a few more of the most notable comments from Portis’ interview with Charania:

On how he and the Bucks began free agent talks last offseason:

“I actually hit Giannis (Antetokounmpo) up and told him I can come help the team and I can help everyone out. He went to the boss (front office) and told him come and get me.

“… I didn’t know Giannis much. So being able to reach out to him and him responding back was great. He was over in Greece. We were in two different time zones so I had to catch him when he was seven hours. I finally caught up with him, and everything worked out.”

On what changed his mindset and made him want to take a discount to play for a winning team:

“I think last year, the bubble did it for me. Years before, when my team didn’t make the playoffs, I was able to take my mind off of it. Going on a trip with my family or traveling or flying here and working out there. But last year when my team wasn’t invited to the bubble, I think that’s when I had enough of it because I was at home for f—ing nine months from March to November. No NBA games to play in, just straight working out. Watching the other teams that were invited in the bubble from home, that’s what really did it for me.”

On the 2017 incident when Portis punched Bulls teammate Nikola Mirotic in practice:

“Me and Mirotic, we always got into altercations. That wasn’t our first time. The guys in the front office knew that. That one was a little different. Some of the things that got misconstrued was that I sucker-punched him or whatever. The guys that were there at the time, they knew what happened. If it was that serious, they wouldn’t have offered me a contract extension.

“… What’s so crazy is me and (Mirotic) were balling together when he came back from injury. I haven’t talked to him ever since then, but no hard feelings at all my way. I was 22 at the time, and he was 26 or something. So we were both young guys. That’s a blur for me.”

On turning down a four-year contract extension (reportedly worth $40-50MM) from the Bulls prior to his fourth NBA season in 2018:

“If I knew then what I know now, I’d tell my younger self to take the extension. It’s life-changing money, money that can set my family up and generational wealth that can provide for generations to come. I wasn’t looking at it like that. I was looking at it like, ‘Oh, I think my worth is this and that.’ But really at the time, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Sometimes, it works for people. I would’ve told myself to take it. I think it was a great fit for me. I had a very good connection with the Bulls.”