Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Watanabe, Green, Reddish, Dunleavy

November 2nd, 2023 at 9:04pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Suns were quick to sign Yuta Watanabe in free agency, coming to an agreement to sign him moments after the NBA’s free agent negotiation period opened in June. According to Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, star forward Kevin Durant was instrumental in recruiting Watanabe, his teammate in Brooklyn last season, to Phoenix.

“He texted me and told me he wants to play with me again,” Watanabe said in an exclusive interview with Medina. “That meant a lot to me. When someone like Kevin Durant reaches out to me and says stuff like that, it means a lot.”

Watanabe is currently a key contributor for the Suns, averaging a career-high 7.3 points per game while shooting 43.8% from deep. According to Medina, head coach Frank Vogel said Watanabe was more than a catch-and-shoot player, able to create his own shot and put the ball on the floor.

“I really appreciate that he said that,” Watanabe said. “Being a 3-point shooter helps me put the ball on the floor and drive because they have to close out. I always try to make a play with not holding the ball too long. Either I catch-and-shoot or I drive. I try to make it simple. I still have to get better with making plays for others, but I think I’m getting better at it.”

Watanabe is on a two-year, minimum-salary contract, the second year of which is a player option.

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The Warriors are displaying better chemistry, compared to last season, through their first five games, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. Draymond Green, who made his season debut on Sunday, agreed with that sentiment. “Last year we had an awful team as far as chemistry goes,” Green said. “It was hard to come to work. Not fun. So this year you see the joy on guys’ faces when they come into the building. You got guys staying over two to three hours just talking. Getting two to three hours early just to be here. You start to see that, and you’re like, ‘OK, this is a group that likes to be together.‘”
Lakers forward Cam Reddish started against the Clippers on Wednesday with Taurean Prince out due to left knee soreness. He put up season highs of eight points and three steals, but his most impressive feat was how he handled the task of guarding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. “The kid is special. The only thing he needed was consistency,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “Just a program that’s going to put their arms around him and encourage him to constantly get better, simplify things and he’ll respond in the right way, which he did [Wednesday]. He’s been awesome since he’s been an L.A. Laker.“
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. had big shoes to fill when he took over for Bob Myers, who engineered four Golden State championship teams. However, The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami opines Dunleavy might very well be the MVP for the Warriors so far. Dunleavy traded Jordan Poole for Chris Paul, drafted Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, signed Dario Saric and Cory Joseph, and extended Draymond Green this offseason. The Warriors are 4-1 through their first five games.

Roster Notes: Grizzlies, Hornets, Clippers, Warriors

November 2nd, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies officially signed center Bismack Biyombo overnight, adding a 16th man to what we refer to as their 15-man roster. Memphis gained the ability to carry an extra player by moving Ja Morant to the suspended list, which is available for players serving longer-term suspensions following the fifth game of the ban.

Morant’s suspension is for 25 games in total, so the Grizzlies will be permitted to carry that extra player for their next 20 games, through their December 18 contest in Oklahoma City. Once Morant is eligible to be activated from the suspended list on Dec. 19, Memphis will have to waive one of its 16 players in order to make room on the roster for him.

While we don’t know the details of Biyombo’s contract yet, it will likely be non-guaranteed so that the Grizzlies can waive him in December without being on the hook for a full-season salary. Memphis has no other players on non-guaranteed contracts, so if Biyombo proves invaluable and the team doesn’t want to let him go, a player with a guaranteed salary would have to be cut.

The only way the Grizzlies would be able to keep Biyombo and their 15 players on guaranteed deals beyond Dec. 19 would be if they qualify at that time for a hardship exception, which grants an extra roster spot to teams with at least four injured players (who meet certain games-missed criteria).

Here are a few more roster notes on teams from around the NBA:

Memphis isn’t the only team with a player serving a lengthy suspension. Hornets forward Miles Bridges will serve the fifth game of his 10-game ban on Saturday, so Charlotte could move him to the suspended list and add a 16th man for the final five games of his suspension. There haven’t been any reports yet indicating the Hornets plan to do so. They don’t have an obvious glaring hole to address like the Grizzlies did in their frontcourt.
After completing their blockbuster deal with Philadelphia and then trading Filip Petrusev to Sacramento, the Clippers are carrying just 13 players on standard contracts. Teams can only carry fewer than 14 players on standard deals for up to two weeks at a time, so Los Angeles will have until November 15 to add at least one player via free agency or trade.
The Warriors began the regular season, nine days ago, with just 13 players on standard contracts, so the clock is ticking for them to add a 14th man of their own. Next Tuesday (November 7) will be the two-week mark, so that will be the deadline for them to make a roster addition.

Steve Kerr Admits Being Surprised By 2022 Title

November 1st, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr tells Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area that the 2022 championship was a “surprise” because the team hadn’t been at that level the previous two seasons.

Pacific Notes: Booker, Beal, Goodwin, Mann, Powell, Lakers, Warriors

November 1st, 2023 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

There’s no specific timetable for the return of either Devin Booker (ankle) or Bradley Beal (back), Suns head coach Frank Vogel said on Tuesday, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter links). Both players have been doing some on-court work, but it has mostly been light shooting, so they haven’t fully ramped up for game action yet.

While Beal has yet to make his Suns debut, Jordan Goodwin – the other player the team acquired in that blockbuster summer deal – has been playing regular minutes in his first four games in Phoenix.

Known known more as a defender, Goodwin has provided some scoring and play-making off the bench with Booker and Beal out, writes Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. He has made just 34.3% of his shots from the floor, but has posted solid averages of 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 21.0 minutes per night.

“Just take advantage of the opportunity. Once we get all of our guys back, those shots, the ones I’m taking right now are gonna be even more open,” Goodwin told Scott over the weekend.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Clippers wings Terance Mann and Norman Powell were mentioned frequently in James Harden trade rumors in recent months, so they were relieved not to be on the move in the deal L.A. eventually made for the star guard, per Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “It shows the value that they see in us,” Powell said. “You always want that as a player in a league like this: to find a team, organization, and front office that believes in your ability, believes in what you bring to the table, and believes you can help them win at a high level.”
After promising to make tweaks to his rotation following Sunday’s loss to Sacramento, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham leaned on bigger lineups in Monday’s victory over Orlando, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Both Christian Wood (27) and Jaxson Hayes (10) set new season highs in minutes played, as the team frequently deployed a second big man alongside Anthony Davis. “Whenever (Wood is) in there with (Davis), they’re just two huge presences on the defensive glass,” Ham said. “Christian gets some of the toughest defensive rebounds I’ve ever seen anyone get. So, he and (Davis) being combined for, I think it was 25 defensive rebounds, we needed every one of them.”
Although it’s a small sample size, the Warriors‘ second unit is thriving and the team’s depth has been a strength in the early going this season, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic and Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Stephen Curry believes the strong play of the second unit – led by Chris Paul – is having a ripple effect on the starters. “That’s different for us, when that unit is so impactful,” Curry said, per Slater. “We’re over on the bench enjoying what we’re watching. When you’re watching good basketball, you feel good about how we’re all playing. It flows.”

Warriors Exercise Fourth-Year Options On Kuminga, Moody

October 31st, 2023 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have picked up their fourth-year options for the 2024/25 season on forward Jonathan Kuminga and wing Moses Moody, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT first reported (via Twitter) that Moody’s option had been exercised.

Kuminga, the No. 7 overall pick in 2021, saw regular minutes for the Warriors in each of his first two NBA seasons. He’s off to a solid start in 2023/24, averaging 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per night through three games off the bench, though he missed Monday’s game due to a knee contusion.

Kuminga’s fourth-year option in 2024/25, worth $7,636,307, is now guaranteed. Today’s decision will also put him on track to become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2024 offseason and – if he doesn’t sign a new deal next year – for restricted free agency in 2025.

Moody has seen less consistent playing time than Kuminga since being drafted 14th overall in 2021 by Golden State. However, he’s logging a career-high 19.3 minutes per game in the very early going this season, recording 9.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.5 SPG in four appearances.

Moody, like Kuminga, will now be eligible for a rookie scale extension next July. Today’s option pick-up guarantees his $5,803,269 salary for 2024/25.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Beal, Booker, James, Mann, Thompson, Kuminga

October 30th, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Many NBA fans are eager to see how Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker will mesh during the regular season. However, the wait for the Suns’ big three will continue through Tuesday. Booker (ankle) is doubtful and Beal (back) is out for Phoenix’s game against San Antonio on Tuesday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

On the same topic, Durant told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com that he’s not fretting over the team’s health issues now or in the long run. “I don’t look at that stuff like that,” he said. “I know people have those concerns. But I just think that is just people hoping, to be honest, that we don’t finish the season. Every team can say, ‘Shouldn’t you be worried about injuries?’ Every team can say that.”
LeBron James popped up on the Lakers’ injury report prior to their game against Orlando, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. His issue was left ankle tendonitis. James was a game-time decision but was good to go.
Clippers guard Terance Mann (sprained ankle) has shed his walking boot but didn’t practice on Monday, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Mann has yet to make his season debut.
Klay Thompson (knee soreness) and Jonathan Kuminga (knee contusion) didn’t play for the Warriors against New Orleans on Monday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

Pacific Notes: Paul, Ham, LeBron, Morris

October 30th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Paul came off the bench for the first time in his career Sunday night, and it looks like an arrangement that’s going to be successful for the Warriors, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Paul became an immediate starter when he entered the league with New Orleans in 2005, but the possibility of being shifted to a reserve emerged when he was traded to a Golden State team that already had Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in its backcourt. Paul started the season’s first two games with Draymond Green injured, but moved into his new role when Green returned on Sunday.

“It works,” Paul told reporters after the game. “It gives us a bigger lineup. I’ve never been on a team probably with this type of depth. I’ve been on really good teams, don’t get it twisted. But not necessarily where you could say: ‘All these guys can start.’ And I think last year that was the best starting five in the league.”

The Warriors are coming off a season that was disrupted by players who were unhappy about their minutes and changes to their roles, so Steve Kerr sought to get control of the situation right away, Slater adds. Prior to training camp, he called in Paul, Green, Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney for a meeting where they discussed what to do about essentially having six starters.

Although it was decided that starting roles would be influenced by matchups, Kerr seems happy with Paul as the leader of the second unit and it appears that will continue as long as everyone stays healthy. Green is excited about the edge that brings to the team.

“When you’re talking about replacing Steph Curry with Chris Paul, it doesn’t get much better than that,” he said. “You’re taking your starting point guard out and the next point guard is Chris Paul? That’s incredible. We will have that advantage all year.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he needs to “tighten up” his rotation after Sunday’s loss in Sacramento, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ham has been trying to acclimate Gabe Vincent, who missed much of the preseason with tightness in his lower back, while also dealing with the loss of Jarred Vanderbilt, who is sidelined with bursitis in his left heel. “My rotation, we got to really dig into that,” Ham said. “Really take a close look and so guys are in rhythm. We have a great collection of players. And I played in this league. When you know when you’re going in and who you’re playing with, that matters. So buckling down on our rotation, I’ll start there.”
The minutes reduction that Ham planned for LeBron James hasn’t lasted past the season opener, McMenamin adds. James logged 39 minutes in Sunday’s contest, which was the first game of a back-to-back. “Obviously, I don’t want to run Bron into the ground,” Ham said. “I don’t want to run (Anthony Davis) into the ground too early. Obviously, it was an overtime game tonight and they’re playing at a high level, so you want to leave them out there. But just having that balance.”
Clippers forward Marcus Morris missed his third straight game Sunday, with “coach’s decision” being the explanation, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. However, coach Tyronn Lue said Morris is “very involved, and he’s been great, especially with our young guys.”

Pacific Notes: Green, Paul, Huerter, Lyles, Okogie

October 29th, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Draymond Green, who’s set to make his season debut on Sunday, believes that he and Chris Paul will form a dynamic distributing duo, he told Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

“How I see the challenge is for the other team,” Green said. “They’ll have players on the floor that have to think the game of basketball with us. Good luck. That’s how I see the challenge. You put Bill Gates and Paul Allen in a room and you get Microsoft. That’s how I see it.”

Paul will come off the bench for the first time in his career with Green back in the lineup, Slater tweets. The veteran point guard has started in his previous 1,216 regular-season games.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kings coach Mike Brown did not rule out the possibility of a lineup change this evening against the Lakers. Shooting guard Kevin Huerter has struggled during the first week of the season. “There are plenty of guys who made mistakes, and when I evaluate the team, I’m not just looking at Kevin and thinking about taking Kevin out of the starting lineup,” Brown told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “There are other changes that can be made, so I always — with the flexibility we feel we have with this team — that’s something that I always have to take a look at.” Huerter went scoreless in Sacramento’s home opener against Golden State on Friday.
Trey Lyles, who remained with the Kings on a two-year contract, will miss Sacramento’s game on Sunday with a left calf strain, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. Lyles has yet to make his season debut.
Forward Josh Okogie, who has started the first three games for the Suns, has already drawn a league fine under the new flopping rules. Okogie believes he’ll likely rack up several more, given the way he plays, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. “When I saw that, the first thing I thought was it’s going to be a long season,” Okogie said. “You call that a flop or if that’s considered a flop worthy of a fine, then it’s going to be a lot of money going into that fine box this year.” He signed a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract this summer with a player option for next season.

Draymond Green Plans To Make Season Debut On Sunday

October 28th, 2023 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Warriors forward Draymond Green said that he intends to suit up in the team’s third game of the season on Sunday in Houston.

Green, who suffered a left lateral ankle sprain in September, missed all of training camp and the preseason. A report at the time of the injury indicated that he would likely be sidelined for four-to-six weeks — that was exactly four weeks ago.

After playing the Rockets on Sunday, the Warriors will travel to New Orleans and face the Pelicans on Monday. Green isn’t sure yet if he’ll get the OK to play in both games of the back-to-back set, but he said he hopes to.

Interestingly, as Andrews relays, the former Defensive Player of the Year referenced the new NBA rules that require players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for most end-of-season awards.

“I got goals,” Green said. “Not exactly sure what they are yet, but I got to play in 65 games.”

Green told reporters that he expects to face a minutes restriction upon returning, adding that he isn’t sure whether or not he’ll start.

The 33-year-old has come off the bench just twice in the last nine seasons, but Golden State has six players who are accustomed to starting, so one of them will have to play a reserve role when everyone is healthy. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney have started the team’s first two games of 2023/24.

And-Ones: Extensions, Breakouts, B. Smith, Defenders

October 27th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Rory Maher

2023 set a record for rookie scale extensions, with 14 contracts signed before the October 23 deadline. Typically, rookie scale extensions go almost exclusively to stars or at least starters, but that wasn’t the case this year.

John Hollinger of The Athletic classifies it as a “middle-class revolution” with six players signing at or below the projected 2024/25 mid-level exception, and a couple others receiving slightly more than that. Several of those players come off the bench for their respective clubs.

As Hollinger writes, there are several reasons why both teams and players may have been motivated to reach new deals. For players, avoiding restricted free agency was surely a factor — Magic guard Cole Anthony and Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu recently said that was the case for them.

For teams, a salary cap that is projected to rise substantially in the coming years will help “water down” some of the contracts. Mid-sized contracts are also very useful for trade purposes, Hollinger observes, with free agency limitations likely a major consideration for the Celtics (Payton Pritchard) and Nuggets (Zeke Nnaji) due to their payrolls (both project to be over the second apron in ’24/25).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In another article for The Athletic, Hollinger lists 12 players he believes are primed for breakout seasons in 2023/24, with some fairly obvious choices and some under-the-radar picks as well. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes and Hornets center Mark Williams are five of the players Hollinger thinks will see “big upticks in production.”
Former Cavaliers forward Bingo Smith has passed away at age 77, according to Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Smith played 10 season for Cleveland from 1970-80. Smith is still sixth in franchise history in points and fourth in games played, among other statistical marks. His No. 7 jersey hangs in the rafters as one of only seven players to have their number retired, Withers adds. “Bingo was always a giving teammate and one of the most fierce competitors I ever played with,” said former Cavs star and current broadcaster Austin Carr. “This is truly a sad moment in our franchise history and my heart goes out to his family.”
Jon Krawczynski and Josh Robbins of The Athletic ran an anonymous poll to see which players coaches identify as the best defenders in the NBA. Celtics guard Jrue Holiday was the only unanimous choice for first-team All-Defense, receiving all 12 votes. The remaining spots were filled by Jaren Jackson Jr. (forward), Brook Lopez (center), Alex Caruso (guard), OG Anunoby, and Draymond Green (the latter two tied for the second forward spot). Holiday was also third in the survey’s Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Jackson and Lopez, who finished first and second for the actual award last season. Evan Mobley, who was third in DPOY media voting last season and named first-team All-Defense, finished sixth in DPOY voting in The Athletic’s coaches poll and was second-team All-Defense.