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Southwest Notes: Eason, Jackson, Pelicans, Extension Candidates

September 18th, 2024 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

The leg injury that sidelined Tari Eason for most of the 2023/24 season has made him the most overlooked of the Rockets‘ young core players, but he remains highly regarded by the team’s decision-makers, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

Eason’s role for the Rockets in 2024/25 may ultimately be impacted by how some of his teammates perform and what sort of needs are created as a result. However, Feigen points out that Houston outscored opponents by 9.4 points per 100 possessions with Eason on the court last season and that the forward also had the best net rating among rotation players in 2022/23. In other words, the club will find minutes for him.

Eason is unlikely to crack the starting lineup, but assuming he’s fully healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him deployed as the primary backup at both forward sports, says Feigen.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. just celebrated his 25th birthday on Sunday, but as Memphis’ longest-tenured player who is entering his seventh NBA season, he’s embracing his role as a veteran leader for the team, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details. “I definitely feel like a veteran somewhat,” Jackson said. “Especially being here in one place for so long and seeing everybody roll in here in and out. You see a lot of different things with staff, players. It’s crazy when you think about it.”
  • The Pelicans have formally announced their new media rights deal with Gray Media, which will allow them to locally televise games over-the-air for free. Christian Clark of NOLA.com provides some more details on the agreement, including outlining which markets it will reach and explaining why the Pelicans decided to part with Bally Sports and go this route.
  • In a story for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus takes a closer look at what “fair market” deals would look like for several of the top remaining rookie scale extension candidates, including several notable players from out of the Southwest. Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Jalen Green (Rockets), and Trey Murphy (Pelicans) are some of the fourth-year players who will reach restricted free agency in 2025 if they don’t sign new deals by October 21.
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What Position Best Suits Amen Thompson?

September 17th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Amen Thompson‘s versatility makes it difficult to pinpoint what position he’s best suited to play, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle notes. When Thompson was at his most impactful last season, he defended point guards, but offensively was more of a rim-running center, according to Feigen. However, Rockets coach Ime Udoka said he plans to have Thompson back up Fred VanVleet at the point this season.
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Western Notes: Green, Jones, Shannon Jr., Taylor

September 15th, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Green became extension-eligible this summer but there hasn’t been any news on that front. The Rockets guard would have to sign that rookie scale extension by the Oct. 21 deadline or else he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Green told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle he’d like to sign a long-term contract with the team.

“For sure,” Green said. “My main focus is the season ahead of me with the players that we have, go to the playoffs and go as far as we can. We’re building that team camaraderie, who we are. That’s the main focus right now, and everything will work itself out.”

Whether or not he reaches an extension agreement, Green is approaching the season with enthusiasm. “We went out last season with a bang,” he said. “We’re all on the same page, know what it takes to win. We know what we can do if we play hard. I think we know what we have to do going into this season from the beginning to the end, so hopefully, that leads us into the playoffs.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • The Thunder traded four second-round picks to move up into the first round and select Dillon Jones with the No. 26 pick. Does that mean the Thunder have immediate plans for him? It’s not out of the question, according to Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. Stiles points out that Cason Wallace jumped right into the rotation in his rookie campaign, rather than being ticketed to the G League.
  • Terrence Shannon Jr. and his mother, Treanette Redding, filed a Notice of Claim to sue the Douglas County district attorney, the Lawrence (Kansas) police department and a detective for malicious prosecution, among other claims, Mitch Gilfillan tweets. Shannon, a Timberwolves rookie, was found not guilty of all charges at his criminal trial in Kansas in June. Shannon was facing felony charges of first-degree rape and sexual aggravated battery.
  • Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has subpoenaed the NBA in his ongoing legal battle over control of the franchise, according to Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. It’s an unusual move, Novy-Williams notes, and could potentially expose private league communications and financial information to a public audience. The battle between Taylor and prospective owners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, is headed for arbitration in November.
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And-Ones: Watson, First-Rounders, Trade Targets, Punter

September 13th, 2024 at 6:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Former Suns head coach Earl Watson is joining Steve Lavin‘s coaching staff at the University of San Diego, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). It’s a reunion for the two sides — Watson played under Lavin in college at UCLA.

Watson, who played 13 NBA seasons as a defensive-minded point guard, was an assistant with Phoenix before being named interim and then full-time head coach. He was fired at the start of the 2017/18 season. The 45-year-old was an assistant coach under Nick Nurse with Toronto from 2021-23.

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

  • Which NBA teams hold the most valuable future first-round picks? Bobby Marks of ESPN explores that topic (subscriber link), ranking the Spurs No. 1, followed by the Thunder, Nets, Jazz and Rockets. As Marks writes, San Antonio doesn’t have the most picks among those teams, but the selections they do control could be very valuable — in 2025, they control their own pick, the Hawks’ first-rounder (unprotected), a top-10 protected first from Chicago, and a top-14 protected first from Charlotte, the latter of which seems unlikely to convey.
  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report lists one “realistic” trade target for every NBA team. According to Pincus, Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin would make sense as a target for the Hawks and Nets, while Jazz center Walker Kessler could be a logical fit for Indiana.
  • Former Tennessee star Kevin Punter has thrived in Europe since he went undrafted in 2016. In an interview posted by his Spanish club FC Barcelona (Twitter video link), Punter said he used to dream of playing in the NBA. Now? He’s not sure. “When I was younger, my dream was to play the NBA,” Punter said (hat tip to Eurohoops). “That’s all you know growing up, when you play in America. That is all we talk about. That is all you watch. That was my dream. Is it my dream now? To be honest with you, I don’t know. It used to be, but as you get older, a lot of things change, a lot of things become different. You realize a lot of certain things that have nothing to do with basketball.” The 31-year-old said he had serious contract talks with the Raptors in 2023.
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Former NBA Guard Mitchell Wiggins Dies At 64

September 13th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA guard Mitchell Wiggins passed away this week at age 64 following an illness, his daughter Agney announced on social media, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link).  The National Basketball Retired Players Association confirmed the news (via Twitter).

The 23rd overall pick of the 1983 draft, Wiggins played for the Bulls, Rockets and Sixers during the course of his six NBA seasons, averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 1.6 APG in 389 games (20.8 MPG). In 1987, he was banned from the league for two-plus seasons for testing positive for cocaine, per Sam Goldaper of The New York Times.

After his NBA career ended in 1991/92, Wiggins starred for teams in Greece. He also played in France and the Philippines outside of the United States.

Wiggins, who won a silver medal at the 1982 FIBA world championships with Team USA, met his future wife Marita Payne while the two attended Florida State. She won a pair of silver medals in sprinting for Canada at the 1984 Olympics. They had six children together, with their youngest son being Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 pick of the 2014 draft.

Andrew missed extended time during the past two seasons, particularly in 2022/23, for undisclosed personal reasons. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported in April 2023 (Twitter link) that Andrew’s absence was due to Mitchell’s health.

We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Wiggins’ family and friends.

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Rockets’ AJ Griffin “Seriously Considering” Leaving Basketball

September 12th, 2024 at 3:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Rockets wing AJ Griffin is “seriously considering” leaving basketball, sources tell Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania and Iko, both Griffin and the Rockets are “preparing for his departure from the game.”

The 16th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Griffin had a promising rookie season in which he averaged 8.9 points per game with a .465/.390/.894 shooting line in 72 contests (19.5 MPG).

However, he missed time due to leg and ankle issues and personal reasons in 2023/24 and didn’t play much when he was available, averaging just 8.6 minutes per contest in 20 appearances. The former Duke Blue Devil’s scoring numbers cratered to 2.4 PPG on 29.0% shooting (.256 3PT%).

After spending his first two seasons with the Hawks, Griffin was traded to Houston in June in a three-team deal that saw Atlanta acquire the No. 43 pick (Nikola Djurisic). The Rockets had reportedly long been interested in the 21-year-old, and in July he expressed excitement about having a fresh start with Houston. But it appears his time with the team could be very brief.

Griffin is on Houston’s books for a guaranteed $3.89MM salary for ’24/25 and the Rockets will have until the end of October to decide whether or not they want to exercise his $5.97MM team option for the ’25/26 season. Based on today’s report, it certainly sounds like that option will be declined.

Griffin is the son of former NBA player and longtime assistant coach Adrian Griffin, who was head coach of the Bucks for part of last season.

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Amen Thompson Looking Strong Entering Camp

September 12th, 2024 at 9:34am CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka says that second-year swingman Amen Thompson stands out among the players that look stronger heading into training camp, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Thompson is ready to have a much improved season after appearing in 62 games last season and averaging 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 22.4 minutes per night as a rookie.

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Former Rockets Assistant Coach, GM Carroll Dawson Passes Away

September 9th, 2024 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

Former Rockets assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson died on Monday at the age of 86, the team announced in a statement mourning his loss (Twitter link).

Dawson, who joined the Rockets as an assistant coach in 1980 under Del Harris, remained on the staff under Bill Fitch and Don Chaney, then helped convince Rudy Tomjanovich to become Houston’s head coach in 1992, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

Health issues, including vision loss related to being struck by lightning in 1989, eventually necessitated a move away from the sidelines for Dawson, who was named the Rockets’ general manager in 1996. His most notable moves in that role included drafting Yao Ming in 2002 and trading for Tracy McGrady in 2004. He was eventually succeeded by Daryl Morey in 2007 after spending 27 seasons with the franchise.

As Feigen details, Dawson’s impact on the Rockets was so significant that a jersey bearing his initials (“CD”) hangs in the rafters of the Toyota Center alongside the team’s retired numbers.

“For nearly three decades, CD was a cornerstone of our organization, instrumental in shaping the careers of stars like Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson,” the Rockets said in their statement announcing his passing. “A proud Texas native, CD served as the only coach to be present for all four of Houston’s NBA Finals appearances, including the back-to-back championship teams.

“As general manager, he brought iconic talents to Houston including Charles Barkley, Steve Francis, Yao Ming, and Tracy McGrady, while also assembling the four-time WNBA champion Houston Comets.

“While CD’s contributions to basketball were remarkable, it was his character that truly stood out. We will deeply miss his uplifting spirit, infectious humor, and kind-hearted nature. We are proud that CD’s legacy will forever be honored with his banner hanging from the rafters of Toyota Center, alongside our other Rockets legends.”

We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Dawson’s family and friends.

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Nets Notes: Butler, Simmons, Johnson, Finney-Smith

September 7th, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler is “fond” of the idea of joining the Nets if he eventually decides to leave the Heat, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post. There’s no guarantee that Butler will be coming to Brooklyn, but his uncertain status in Miami makes it a situation worth watching.

Butler holds a $52.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season and plans to become a free agent next summer. He’s currently eligible for a two-year extension worth about $113MM, but he recently stated that he won’t consider extending his contract with the Heat or any other team.

Team president Pat Riley expressed reservations about extending Butler during a press conference in May, suggesting that his limited availability makes it a risky investment. Butler missed 22 games last season and hasn’t played in more than 64 during his five years in Miami.

Even so, re-signing with the Heat remains a possibility when Butler tests the market in 2025 in hopes of landing a max contract. Lewis expects Brooklyn, which projects to have a large amount of cap space, to be among the bidders, along with possibly the Rockets and one of the Los Angeles teams.

There’s more on the Nets, all from Lewis:

  • After playing just 15 games last season and undergoing back surgery in March, Ben Simmons has been cleared for 5-on-5 play and should be ready for the start of training camp. Lewis reports that new head coach Jordi Fernandez has traveled to Florida to visit with Simmons and check on his recovery from a herniated disc. This is the final year of Simmons’ hefty contract, which is now a $40.3MM expiring deal.
  • Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith both remain trade candidates as the Nets get serious about the rebuilding process. Sources tell Lewis that Brooklyn’s front office has placed a high price on Johnson in trade talks, which explains why a deal hasn’t been completed yet. While Johnson is signed through the 2026/27 season, Lewis sees more urgency to find a taker for Finney-Smith. The 31-year-old forward has a $15.3MM player option for next season, which Lewis expects him to decline since there’s usually a strong demand for 3-and-D wings. The Nets will risk losing Finney-Smith for nothing if they don’t deal him by the trade deadline.
  • The Nets are hoping to expand their international presence by having their G League affiliate in Long Island play six home games in Quebec this season, Lewis adds.
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2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division

September 6th, 2024 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?

We’ll continue our series today with the Southwest Division…

Dallas Mavericks

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

Houston Rockets

San Antonio Spurs

Previous voting results:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
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