Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Notes: Kerr, Wiggins, Trade Exception

September 17th, 2020 at 8:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr plans to take a relatively relaxed approach to the team’s offseason mini-camp, scheduled to start next Wednesday. Anthony Slater of The Athletic spoke with Kerr about his approach to the workouts, as well as his thoughts on the recent additions of former team guards Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa to the team. Livingston will be joining the team in a front office role, while Barbosa will serve on the coaching staff.

“We need some young legs on our coaching staff and our players need mentors,” Kerr told Slater. “That’s one of the things I’m so excited about for both Leandro and Shaun joining us. The players need someone they can talk to, go to and ask what it’s like and get an answer from someone who has been in their shoes, literally, in the last couple years.

Here are more Warriors notes:

Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area makes the case for why the Warriors should retain, not trade, wing Andrew Wiggins during the 2020 offseason. Wiggins has three years left on the five-year, $148MM contract extension he signed in Minnesota circa 2017.
Assuming that the capped-out Rockets will look to make the bulk of their roster transformations through trades that could help the team and save money, Grant Lill of NBC Sports Bay Area thinks that the Warriors could use their $17MM trade exception on either Houston forward Robert Covington and guard Eric Gordon. Covington will collect $25MM over the next two years. Gordon inked a four-year, $75MM extension that will compensate him through the 2023/24 season.
In case you missed it, several front offices believe the Warriors would prefer to use their pick in the 2020 draft on a wing. Should Georgia swingman Anthony Edwards be selected with the top pick by the Timberwolves, the team may trade down rather than select point guard LaMelo Ball or center James Wiseman.

Ja Morant, Kendrick Nunn Headline All-Rookie Team

September 15th, 2020 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, who previously won the Rookie of the Year award, was the only player unanimously selected to this year’s All-Rookie First Team, the league announced in a press release. A panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters selected the team.

Heat guard Kendrick Nunn collected the second-most First Team votes (98) and total points (197). Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, Pelicans forward and top overall draft pick Zion Williamson, and Warriors forward Eric Paschall rounded out the First Team.

Morant and Clarke became the first Grizzlies duo named to the All-Rookie First Team since the 2001/02 season, when Pau Gasol and Shane Battier earned the honor. Nunn is the first Heat player named to the First Team since Michael Beasley in 2008/09.

Heat guard Tyler Herro, Raptors guard Terence Davis II, Bulls guard Coby White, Hornets forward P.J. Washington, and Wizards forward Rui Hachimura gained All-Rookie Second Team honors.

Knicks wing and third overall pick RJ Barrett finished 13 points behind Hachimura for the final spot on the Second Team, with Sixers forward Matisse Thybulle narrowly missing a spot as well.

The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played prior to the restart.

Shaun Livingston Joins Warriors’ Front Office

September 15th, 2020 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

As Leandro Barbosa prepares to become part of the Warriors‘ coaching staff, one of his former Golden State teammates is set to join the team’s front office. Shaun Livingston has finalized a deal with the Warriors and is being hired as a director of players affairs and engagement, reports Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.

Livingston, 35, announced his retirement from the NBA almost exactly a year ago after spending the final five seasons of his career with the Warriors. The longtime point guard, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2004 draft, also spent time with the Clippers and seven other clubs before arriving in Golden State and winning three titles with the Dubs.

Reports last year indicated that the Warriors would likely offer Livingston a role in the organization following his retirement. Thompson suggests that most people expected the Illinois native to try coaching, and members of Golden State’s front office even encouraged it.

However, Livingston revealed in a conversation with president of basketball operations Bob Myers that he preferred a front office role, according to Thompson, who says Myers was “elated” by that development and attempted to recruit the ex-Warriors back to the organization.

“I always knew that door was open,” Livingston said of rejoining his old team in a new role. “I just had to walk through it.”

While Livingston won’t be the near the top of the Warriors’ front office hierarchy to start, he won’t exactly be coming in at the ground level either, according to Thompson, who says the former guard will report directly to Myers and executive VP of basketball operations Kirk Lacob and figures to have “some assistant GM-type clout.” Thompson writes that the goal is to groom Livingston as a future general manager, either in Golden State or elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Warriors Reportedly Prefer To Draft Wing

September 14th, 2020 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Assuming Anthony Edwards is selected first overall in the 2020 NBA draft, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman would be among the top prospects available for the Warriors at No. 2. However, sources from multiple front offices believe that Golden State would prefer to draft a wing, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

In O’Connor’s first 2020 mock draft, he has the Warriors selecting Maccabi Tel Aviv wing Deni Avdija at No. 2. However, O’Connor acknowledges that Edwards would be a prime option if he’s available, and notes that trading down is very much in play for the club.

Leandro Barbosa Announces Retirement, Joins Warriors’ Coaching Staff

September 14th, 2020 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA guard Leandro Barbosa has announced his retirement as a basketball player, indicating in an Instagram post that he’ll be rejoining the Warriors as a “player mentor” coach. The team has issued a press release confirming the hiring of Barbosa.

“I guess I am ready for a new beginning, a new road,” Barbosa wrote. “Nevertheless I will continue with the good old orange ball. The transition will be quick, as it always has been to me. It is a great joy to announce my return to the Golden State Warriors as a Player Mentor Coach. I have no doubts I will feel right at home, after all, it was always like that as a player and it has been that way ever since.”

Barbosa only spent two of his 14 NBA seasons in Golden State, but he was an important scorer off the bench for the Warriors from 2014-16, winning his first and only NBA championship with the team in 2015.

The Brazilian Blur spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Phoenix, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2007 when he averaged 18.1 PPG and 4.0 APG on .476/.434/.845 shooting for the Suns. Barbosa also had stints with the Raptors, Pacers, and Suns, as well as two reunions with the Suns later in his career.

For his career, Barbosa averaged 10.6 PPG and 2.1 APG on .459/.387/.821 shooting in 850 regular season NBA games, appearing in another 119 postseason contests. The 37-year-old hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2016/17 season, having spent the last few years in his home country playing in the Brazilian League.

NBA’s Bottom Eight Teams Gearing Up For Group Workouts

September 14th, 2020 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Monday, September 14 marks the first day of the three-week offseason workout window for the NBA’s bottom eight teams. The first phase of these de facto training camps will last for one week, through next Monday. During that time, activities will continue to be limited to individual workouts, as participants begin being tested daily for the coronavirus.

After one week, once participating players have returned multiple negative COVID-19 tests – or have been quarantined if they test positive – the second phase of the camps will take place in bubble-type environments. Group workouts, including practices and intra-squad scrimmages, will be permitted during the next two weeks as coronavirus testing continues.

The eight teams not invited to Orlando – the Warriors, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Hawks, Knicks, Pistons, Bulls, and Hornets – won’t congregate at a single site like the top 22 teams did at Walt Disney World. Their “bubbles” will be created in their respective markets.

For instance, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes, the Bulls will stay at a downtown hotel and will be transported back and forth between there and the Advocate Center. The Hawks, meanwhile, are working to secure their players a hotel that has not yet opened to help avoid any outside contact, per Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The other clubs will make similar arrangements.

These workouts – both the individual sessions this week and the group activities beginning next week – are entirely voluntary. However, since these players have been unable to take part in organized basketball activities with teammates since March and are likely itching to get back on the court, there’s an expectation that attendance will be robust for most clubs.

Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports, for example, that the Hawks anticipate all their core players – including Clint Capela – will take part in the camp. Jeff Teague is one of the only players not expected to participate, per Spencer, who notes that the veteran point guard is ticketed for free agency.

The Pistons are in a similar situation — James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports that free-agent-to-be Langston Galloway isn’t expected to be in attendance, but most of the rest of the team’s players will participate.

There are some cases where players who could reach free agency in the coming months will take part in workouts. For instance, Marc Berman of The New York Post says that Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson will likely be in attendance for the Knicks. Portis has a pricey team option for 2020/21, while only $1MM of Gibson’s $9.45MM salary is guaranteed, so both vets could be let go by the team this fall.

Berman does caution that some veteran Knicks players intend to participate in individual workouts but won’t join the rest of the club in the “bubble.”

Teams that want to fill gaps on their roster and make sure they have enough players to hold intra-squad scrimmages will be able to invite players who suited up for their G League affiliates this past season. For example, Lindell Wigginton and Canyon Barry of the Iowa Wolves will join Minnesota for the team’s mini-camp at Mayo Clinic Square, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.

With these offseason camps set to end on October 6 and the NBA Finals likely to wrap up shortly thereafter, the next time clubs meet for organized activities will presumably be for training camps at the start of the 2020/21 season.

Haberstroh: Dunn May Make Sense As Warriors Target

September 11th, 2020 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

NBC Sports’ Tom Haberstroh is skeptical that the Warriors have a chance to acquire Marcus Smart in an offseason trade, but points to Kris Dunn as another defensive-minded guard who could be of interest to Golden State on the free agent market. Grant Liffmann of NBC Sports Bay Area has the details.

O’Connor’s Latest: Bucks, CP3, Giannis, Clippers, Dragic

September 9th, 2020 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after the Bucks were eliminated from the postseason on Tuesday night, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweeted that a number of rival teams believe Milwaukee will explore a trade for Thunder point guard Chris Paul this offseason.

In his latest column, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer digs deeper into that idea, arguing that the Bucks need an upgrade at the point and making the case that Paul would be an ideal fit alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

While the Bucks likely wouldn’t face a ton of competition if they pursue Paul due to his exorbitant cap hit ($41.4MM in 2020/21), O’Connor cites league sources who say the Sixers have “seriously debated” the idea of going after the veteran guard. The Knicks – whose front office is now being run by CP3’s former agent Leon Rose – are also a potential suitor, as O’Connor notes.

The Bucks could conceivable outbid either team for Paul, but they don’t have a ton of appealing assets, in O’Connor’s view — after this year’s No. 24 overall pick, the next first-rounder Milwaukee can trade is in 2024.

Here’s more from O’Connor:

League sources view the Bucks as the “clear favorite” to retain Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021, but the Heat, Raptors, Warriors, and Mavericks are among the teams hoping to make a run at him, according to O’Connor.
Interestingly, O’Connor also reports that multiple league sources have said recently that the Clippers intend to pursue a deal for Antetokounmpo. It’s hard to imagine such a deal coming to fruition, but Giannis has an “admiration” for Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, O’Connor writes.
Goran Dragic is one player the Bucks could try to sign in free agency as they seek a point guard upgrade, but league sources expect Dragic to remain with the Heat, per O’Connor.
League sources expect a somewhat quiet trade market this offseason, says O’Connor.

Warriors, Thunder, Heat Hold Largest TPEs

September 8th, 2020 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of traded player exceptions that were scheduled to expire in July had their deadlines pushed back to coincide with the NBA’s revamped offseason schedule. In order to give teams the opportunity to maximize their resources, the expiration dates for those trade exceptions have been postponed to ensure they fall after the start of 2020 free agency.

For instance, the Warriors‘ $17.2MM traded player exception, generated in last July’s Andre Iguodala deal, had initially been set to expire on July 7, one year after the team traded Iguodala and one day after the NBA’s July moratorium ended. Now, with the free agency moratorium scheduled to end on October 23, Golden State’s TPE will expire on October 24, giving the team a small window to use it.

Presumably, if free agency gets delayed again, as has been rumored, the deadlines for that Warriors TPE and others would be pushed back again too.

As we explain in greater depth in our glossary entry, traded player exceptions allow over-the-cap teams to acquire players without needing to match salaries. The Warriors’ Iguodala trade exception is the one that’s most frequently discussed and speculated about, but Golden State isn’t the only team with a TPE that could come in handy this offseason.

Listed below are the 10 most valuable trade exceptions still available, along with their current expiration dates. Teams that go below the cap to use their cap room this offseason will have to forfeit these TPEs to do so.

Golden State Warriors: $17,185,185 (10/24/20)
Oklahoma City Thunder: $10,389,997 (10/27/20)
Oklahoma City Thunder: $9,346,153 (10/25/20)
Miami Heat: $7,533,867 (2/8/21)
Portland Trail Blazers: $7,069,662 (1/21/21)
Memphis Grizzlies: $4,736,842 (10/25/20)
Memphis Grizzlies: $4,185,185 (2/8/21)
New York Knicks: $3,988,766 (2/8/21)
Cleveland Cavaliers: $3,837,500 (12/24/20)
Houston Rockets: $3,595,333 (2/5/21)

Check out our tracker for the full list of available traded player exceptions.

Warriors Keeping Close Eye On Bucks, Giannis

September 4th, 2020 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Count the Warriors among the teams keeping a close eye on the Bucks’ fate in their second-round series against Miami, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. While the Heat and Raptors may be viewed as the strongest threats to lure Giannis Antetokounmpo out of Milwaukee, Golden State would also make every effort to do so if the opportunity arises.