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Western Notes: Gobert, Mitchell, Jazz, Westbrook, Vezenkov

September 5th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert had some differences with Donovan Mitchell over the years but he feels his former Jazz teammate will thrive with the Cavaliers, he told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net.

“I think he has a bright future,” Gobert said. “He’s one of the best young players in his position. He’s going to keep getting better. I think it’s a great opportunity for him to just get to a new system, a new team and be able to show what he can do.”

Gobert also praised Utah executive Danny Ainge for the players and draft picks he collected from Cleveland in the trade: “I think he definitely did a great job in getting as many assets as possible.”

We have more Western Conference news:

  • Jazz fans will need to get acquainted with all the players the team has acquired in the Gobert, Mitchell and Patrick Beverley trades. Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune takes a quick look at each of the acquisitions, highlighted by Collin Sexton and lottery pick Ochai Agbaji.
  • Russell Westbrook is expected to show up if LeBron James hosts a players-only minicamp before Lakers training camp, as James has often done in the past, Marc Stein reports in Substack article. The mini-camp would help ease any lingering tensions among their veteran players. Citing well-placed sources, Stein adds that the franchise won’t sit out Westbrook if he remains on the roster, unlike what the Rockets did with John Wall last season. New coach Darvin Ham will carve out a role for Westbrook if he’s not dealt.
  • Kings draft-and-stash prospect Sasha Vezenkov said he’s not focused on a potential jump to the NBA for the 2023/24 season, according to Semih Tuna of EuroHoops.net. “It’s a big season, I have a big priority with my team Olympiacos in what will be a very difficult year,” he said. “My only thought is to stay focused and stay healthy, to give everything I can [to Olympiacos]. And then we will see. Next summer is ten months away.” Vezenkov, 27, was a 2017 second-round pick. The Bulgarian star is the leading scorer in the EuroBasket event.
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Central Notes: Osman, Bitadze, Cunningham, Bulls

September 3rd, 2022 at 6:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cedi Osman believes the Cavaliers will “definitely” be contenders in the Eastern Conference following the trade for Donovan Mitchell, writes Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews. Osman commented on the deal in a press conference at EuroBasket, where he scored 25 points in today’s win over Bulgaria.

“Obviously, it’s a great addition to the team,” he said. “I believe that everybody [in the organization] is excited.”

With Mitchell and Darius Garland in the backcourt and Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley up front, Cleveland has four set starters heading into training camp. Osman, who had been a starter before transitioning to a reserve role over the past two seasons, will be in contention to join them.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • Also taking part in EuroBasket is Pacers center Goga Bitadze, who is hoping for an increased role this season following the trade of Domantas Sabonis, per Tony East of Forbes. Bitadze hasn’t played more than 54 games in any of his three years with Indiana, and with Myles Turner still on hand, along with Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson, Oshae Brissett, Terry Taylor and Daniel Theis, Bitadze will still be in a fight for playing time. “It takes reps, it just takes playing in live games,” Bitadze said when asked what’s needed to improve as a player.
  • Cade Cunningham is hoping to take the next step after the most exciting season from any Pistons rookie since Grant Hill, states Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Cunningham was torrid after the All-Star break — averaging 21.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per night — and Langlois believes he’ll be in All-Star contention if he can continue that production this season.
  • The Cavaliers’ acquisition of Mitchell may push the Bulls down another notch in the Eastern Conference playoff race, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. After injuries led to a late fade last season, Chicago is counting on renewed health to advance past the first round of the playoffs, but it may not be enough considering the improved competition. Johnson cites the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, Heat and Nets as the top teams in the East and says the Bulls will be fighting with the Cavs, Raptors and Hawks to avoid the play-in tournament.
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Northwest Notes: Gobert, Mitchell, Billups, Nurkic

September 3rd, 2022 at 8:36am CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly realizes it was a risk dealing so many draft picks and rotation players for Rudy Gobert but felt the club needed another impact player to get to the next level, he told Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on a podcast.

“We’re trying to redefine how the league views us,” Connelly said. “We knew we gave up a lot, but the hardest thing to find is elite talent and elite ‘happy’ talent is even harder to find.”

However, there will be a transition period. “It won’t be easy or seamless,” Connelly added. “I’m sure there will be some clunky moments initially. But we felt like we took a huge step forward with the acquisition of Rudy.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Donovan Mitchell thanked former Jazz coach Quin Snyder and Utah fans in an Instagram post as he waits for the blockbuster deal with the Cavaliers to become official. “Thank you for the memories and the incredible times… you guys watched me grow up on and off the floor… Coach Quin thank you for giving me the opportunity and trusting me to lead this team for the past 5 years‼️”
  • Grading the impending deal, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News gives the Jazz a B-plus and the Cavs a B. Todd notes the Jazz accomplished their goal of trying to get younger and to come away with some assets for future use. There’s also the possibility of Mitchell or some of Cleveland’s other stars eventually bolting in free agency, which would make those unprotected picks and pick swaps even more valuable.
  • Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups is at the EuroBasket tournament in Germany and feels it’s important to show support for his players, such as Bosnia’s Jusuf Nurkic, he told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net. “I love to see guys go play on their national teams,” Billups said. “Because you’re playing the right way. You’re playing with a purpose and obviously because of that experience  you’ll be in shape.”
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More Mitchell Trade Notes: Draft Picks, Knicks, Reactions

September 2nd, 2022 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Discussing the Donovan Mitchell trade on the latest episode of his Please Don’t Aggregate This podcast, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report notes that the far-off nature of the unprotected first-round picks in the Cavaliers‘ offer (2025, 2027, and 2029) was one reason why the Jazz preferred that package to New York’s. While the Knicks were offering a pair of unprotected first-rounders, those picks would have conveyed earlier, per Fischer.

The further down the road a draft pick is, the more volatile its potential position is, since it’s far easier to forecast how a team will perform during the next year or two than six or seven years from now. In other words, the Jazz have a better chance of striking gold on a first-round pick in 2027 or 2029 than they would have on a 2023 or 2024 pick.

Here’s more on the Mitchell blockbuster:

  • Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a closer look at a few specific details of the Mitchell trade, explaining how the “base year compensation” rule affects Collin Sexton, examining Utah’s proximity to the luxury tax line, and breaking down the Jazz’s new 2023 cap room projection.
  • Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post doesn’t blame the Knicks for not going all-in for Mitchell, but he suggests the pressure is building on team president Leon Rose to make good use of all the extra draft assets he has acquired in recent years. Dan Devine of The Ringer, meanwhile, says Knicks fans will have to hope that Rose’s patience and willingness to stick to his plan is eventually rewarded.
  • Although he acknowledges it’s possible that the Knicks, Cavaliers, and Jazz might regret the decisions they made this week a few years from now, John Hollinger of The Athletic says he likes what all three teams did. As Hollinger outlines, the difference between the Cavs’ and Knicks’ current states made it more palatable for Cleveland to meet Utah’s asking price than it would’ve been for New York.
  • Chris Mannix of SI.com makes a similar case to Hollinger’s, arguing that Knicks fans should be just as happy about not acquiring Mitchell as Cavaliers fans should be about landing him. Cleveland is closer to championship contention than New York, according to Mannix, who writes that paying an extravagant price for Mitchell might’ve ultimately set the Knicks back.
  • Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune pens a farewell to Mitchell on behalf of Utah, where the young guard evolved into a star during the first five years of his career.
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Cavaliers Notes: Mitchell Trade, Mobley, Roster

September 2nd, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers began talking to the Jazz about a possible Donovan Mitchell trade around the time of the Las Vegas Summer League, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber-only link). Fedor classifies those initial discussions as “unproductive,” noting that the Cavs felt Utah’s asking price was too high. However, he says the two teams reengaged about two weeks ago, then reached another impasse last week before general manager Koby Altman reconnected with Jazz GM Justin Zanik on Tuesday morning.

Multiple members of the Cavaliers’ front office believed that New York or another team rich on draft assets was capable of making stronger offer than Cleveland could, says Fedor. But those offers didn’t come, and the Jazz opted to accept the Cavs’ proposal.

While there are minor concerns about Mitchell’s “score-first mentality” and the size of Cleveland’s new-look backcourt, the three-time All-Star represents a major upgrade in talent for the Cavaliers, Fedor writes, adding that Mitchell – who will be 26 next Wednesday – also perfectly fits the club’s timeline. The Cavs ultimately decided to risk taking a big swing, feeling as if the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Here’s more out of Cleveland:

  • The Cavaliers weren’t one of the teams reported to be on Mitchell’s list of preferred landing spots, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast that the longtime Jazz star was “very excited” when he found out he was headed to Cleveland and that the Cavs weren’t giving up any of their stars in the deal.
  • Also in that same Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst noted that the acquisition of Mitchell will likely make Evan Mobley ineligible for a five-year maximum-salary extension during the 2024 offseason. Teams are only allowed to have two of those “designated rookie” extensions on their books at once, and Mitchell and Darius Garland (both of whom signed designated rookie extensions) will still be under contract when Mobley becomes extension-eligible. Mobley would still be eligible to sign a four-year maximum-salary extension in 2024, or he could wait until restricted free agency in 2025 and sign a five-year max deal at that time.
  • One “prominent” Eastern Conference coach told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports that he believes the addition of Mitchell will help the Cavs unlock Mobley’s offensive upside. “You’re not throwing the ball down to him much anyways,” the coach said. “But a two-man game with either guard in the middle or side (pick-and-roll) will be tough.”
  • Even with Mobley, Garland, and Jarrett Allen still improving, some members of the Cavs organization were worried that the roster wasn’t strong enough to evolve into a legitimate contender in a tough Eastern Conference, which helped pave the way for the acquisition of Mitchell, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.
  • Cleveland’s trade for Mitchell is a statement deal, according to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic, who says it shows the Cavs are no longer content with being plucky young upstarts.
  • A panel of ESPN insiders breaks down the Mitchell trade, debating where the Mitchell/Garland backcourt duo ranks in the East and evaluating Cleveland’s ceiling following the deal.
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Details On Knicks’ Trade Offers For Donovan Mitchell

September 2nd, 2022 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the agreement between the Jazz and Cavaliers on a trade that will send Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, details are trickling in on what the Knicks – long rumored to be Mitchell’s top suitor – offered for the three-time All-Star.

Not every outlet is entirely in alignment on what the Knicks put on the table for Mitchell, but the various reports paint a pretty clear picture of what it would’ve taken for the Jazz to send the 25-year-old to New York. Here’s what a few key national and local reporters are saying:

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

According to Wojnarowski, before extending RJ Barrett, the Knicks balked at including Quentin Grimes in a package that already featured Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 first-rounder (top-four protected), two second-round picks, two pick swaps, and a pair of expiring contracts from a third team.

When the Knicks wanted to replace Grimes in that package with Immanuel Quickley, the Jazz insisted on a third unprotected first-round pick, which the Knicks weren’t willing to give up, according to Wojnarowski, who says New York would’ve sent Evan Fournier and a first-round pick to a third team in order to spare Utah from having to take on Fournier’s multiyear contract.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Wojnarowski’s report is his claim that the Knicks made an offer in early July that would’ve included Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson (via sign-and-trade), and three unprotected first-round picks. When the Jazz turned down that proposal, Robinson re-signed with New York, which took him out of the mix for any further negotiations between the two teams.

Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports:

Goodwill’s intel is similar to Wojnarowski’s — he hears from sources that the Jazz and Knicks got close to a deal that would’ve included Barrett, Grimes, expiring contracts, two first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 pick, a pair of pick swaps, and two second-rounders. However, New York felt that price was too steep and decided to extend Barrett instead.

Marc Berman of The New York Post:

One of the Knicks’ last offers to Utah included two unprotected first-rounders and three conditional picks along with Barrett, according to Berman, who says it’s unclear whether the team was offering three unprotected first-rounders in permutations of the deal that didn’t include Barrett.

Berman suggests (via Twitter) that the Knicks withheld Grimes from all of their offers. That’s a little hard to believe, given how many different versions of deals the two sides discussed, but it sounds like New York wasn’t interested in adding the second-year guard as a sweetener to offers that already included Barrett and significant draft capital.

“(The Knicks) thought they had (Jazz CEO Danny) Ainge and Utah over the barrel,” one league source said to Berman. “They held back on best offers of picks and players and Danny got his three unprotected.”

Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News:

Bondy confirms that the Knicks weren’t willing to give up three unprotected first-round picks along with Barrett.

However, he says the team was open to moving any of its top prospects, including Grimes — again, presumably if they were going to include Grimes in certain iterations of their offer, the Knicks would’ve wanted to remove another asset or two.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv:

According to Begley, the Knicks did make offers for Mitchell that included three unprotected first-round picks, but Barrett wasn’t part of those packages.

Begley also reports that the Knicks offered different combinations of players in their proposals that featured two unprotected first-rounders and the Bucks’ lightly protected 2025 pick — some of those offers included Barrett and some didn’t (while Begley doesn’t confirm this, it sounds as if Grimes was probably put into some offers that didn’t include Barrett).

At one point, Begley writes, the Jazz asked for a package that included Barrett, Evan Fournier, three unprotected first-rounders, additional draft picks, and at least one other young Knick player. New York opted not to meet that price.

It’s worth noting that the Knicks themselves are likely to be one of the primary sources leaking these after-the-fact details. The Jazz wouldn’t have much incentive to leak packages that they could’ve had instead of Cleveland’s, whereas the Knicks may be hoping to convey the impression they made a strong play for Mitchell and made fair proposals.

With that in mind, it’s worth taking these reports with a grain of salt — it’s possible a key detail or two is being omitted. Still, there’s a pretty consistent message that the Knicks were, at the very least, willing to trade Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, and some additional draft compensation for Mitchell.

It will be fascinating to follow the trajectories of Barrett and new Jazz players like Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji in the coming years to assess whether Utah made the right call by passing on the Knicks’ offers and pulling the trigger on the Cavs’ deal.

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Jazz Notes: Sexton, Mitchell Trade Grades, Rebuild, Veterans

September 1st, 2022 at 8:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After landing combo guard Collin Sexton in a sign-and-trade deal with the Cavaliers as part of the package for All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz intend to keep Sexton in Utah, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an emergency edition of his podcast The Hoop Collective.

Sexton had been a restricted free agent this offseason, and negotiations between the 6’1″ guard out of Alabama and Cavaliers brass reportedly remained far apart in recent weeks. The team had offered him a deal in the range of a three-year, $40MM contract, which he had turned down. He’ll be inking a four-year, $72MM contract in the sign-and-trade that is sending him to the Jazz.

Sexton, still just 23, was unavailable for all but 11 games last season for Cleveland after tearing his meniscus. When healthy, he averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 0.9 SPG, on .450/.244/.744 shooting splits. Through his four NBA seasons, he boasts career averages of 20.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3 RPG, and 0.8 SPG, with a .458/.378/.827 shooting line.

There’s more out of Utah:

  • Zach Harper of The Athletic doles out trade grades to both the Cavaliers and the Jazz following the team’s exchange earlier today. Harper is higher on the addition of Mitchell for Cleveland than he is on the return acquired by Utah, noting that he sees the Cavaliers as a potential Eastern Conference contender.
  • The Jazz now appear to be going all-in on a full-bore rebuild, writes Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Todd takes stock of the team’s new assets thanks to its four offseason trades to date. The Jazz now have bolstered their roster with six players aged 25 or younger, plus two young players from the first round of this year’s draft, eight future first-round draft selections, and three upcoming draft pick swaps. Todd notes that this rebuild could be an extended process.
  • Following these summer deals that have sent away All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Mitchell, the Jazz futures of veterans Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay appear to be up in the air. On today’s edition of his podcast The Lowe Post, ESPN’s Zach Lowe talks to colleague Bobby Marks about the potential trade destinations for these various players.
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Associate Head Coach Greg Buckner Believes Evan Mobley Can Be An All-Time Great

August 31st, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • Cavaliers associate head coach Greg Buckner calls Evan Mobley “H.O.F.” and believes he can develop into one of the best players in league history (audio link from Mat Issa of Basketball News). “Evan’s a worker, by all means,” Buckner said. “I think Evan, when it’s all said and done, will be a top-20 player [all-time], if he stays healthy.”
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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Central Division

August 29th, 2022 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of 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 cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

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

Chicago Bulls

The roster situation in Chicago looks pretty straightforward. The 15 players on guaranteed contracts are all good bets to open the season on the 15-man roster, and Hill is probably the frontrunner to fill the second two-way spot.

Barring a surprise, the main lingering question is whether the Bulls will remain committed to having Lewis fill one of their two-way slots after he suffered an ACL injury.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Sexton’s restricted free agency is the only major issue the Cavaliers have yet to resolve. They reportedly have a three-year, $40MM offer out to Sexton, who is seeking a larger payday — the Cavs seem unlikely to increase that offer, since they’re only about $13MM below the luxury tax line and are committed to staying out of tax territory.

If Sexton returns, either on that three-year offer or on his qualifying offer, the Cavs will have 16 players on standard contracts and could trade or release a player with a guaranteed salary in order to carry both Stevens and Wade. Osman and Windler are among the candidates to be the odd man out in that scenario.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have to trade or waive two players on guaranteed contracts before opening night. Walker is the most obvious candidate to be one of them — a report nearly two months ago indicated he and the team were close to finalizing a buyout agreement, but Detroit may be hanging onto him to see if his expiring contract can be used in a trade.

Lee and McGruder are among the candidates to be the other roster casualty, with Lee perhaps more at risk — it would be an unusual move for the Pistons to sign McGruder to a fully guaranteed contract in free agency only to release him a couple months later.

Indiana Pacers

After having their offer sheet for Deandre Ayton matched, the Pacers have a ton of cap room available and continue to explore various ways to use it. There’s also still a possibility Indiana will make a trade involving Hield and/or Turner, so the roster is far from set.

If no trades are forthcoming, the Pacers would have three roster spots to fill — one on their projected 15-man squad, along with a pair of two-way deals. Brown – one of this year’s last remaining unsigned draftees – seems more likely to end up on a two-way contract than a standard deal, but Indiana could go either way with him, depending on how the rest of the offseason plays out.

Milwaukee Bucks

If a rival suitor were interested in making a serious play for Nwora, it probably would’ve happened by now, so a return to Milwaukee is the likeliest outcome for his restricted free agency. If he re-signs, he’d fill the final open spot on the Bucks’ 15-man roster — and with both two-way slots filled, the team’s roster would look pretty set.

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Jazz Trying To Get Best Mitchell Offers Before Training Camp

August 26th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz are trying to get the best trade offers for Donovan Mitchell, particularly from the Knicks, before training camp opens in September, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon said on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast

Windhorst characterized training camp as an “arbitrary deadline” for the Jazz, noting that it’s a typical negotiating tactic to apply pressure in order to get the best offers.

“Basically they’re trying trying to get the Knicks to put the kind of offer that it will take to get Donovan Mitchell on the table before training camp,” MacMahon said, adding that the Jazz would prefer to avoid first-year head coach Will Hardy having to deal with a “circus” in camp.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps observed that it would behoove both teams to make the trade before camp opens, and MacMahon explained why that’s the case.

“If you’re the Knicks, you’re trying to get this guy and have him be your franchise player, him and (Jalen) Brunson be your new backcourt for now and for years to come,” MacMahon said.

“You want as much time with those guys in the gym together practicing as possible. So I think it’s in both teams’ best interests to get a deal done before camp starts. But it is an artificial deadline, and we all understand that (Jazz president) Danny Ainge is not going to pull the trigger until he gets his price.”

Despite it being less than ideal, holding onto Mitchell into the season is still a viable option for Utah because he still has three years left on his contract, with a fourth-year player option in 2025/26.

While the Cavaliers have reportedly “removed themselves” from Mitchell talks, Windhorst provided an interesting tidbit about the situation before that report came to light.

“Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, those three guys, I heard the Cavs told the Jazz they’re not available,” Windhorst said.

It makes sense that the Cavs would be reluctant to part with their three core players. Both Garland and Allen were first-time All-Stars last season, Mobley was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year, and all three are under contract for multiple seasons.

It’s possible the Jazz said we need one of these three players in return to make a deal and the Cavs ended the discussions, though that’s pure speculation on my part.

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