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Pacific Notes: Saric, Joseph, Duarte, Castleton, U’Ren

July 11th, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Adding Dario Saric was a high priority for the Warriors and new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. snared the 6’10” Saric on a still unofficial one-year veteran’s minimum contract. Dunleavy believes Saric is a great fit, giving the club a big man who can space the floor, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes.

“We’ve had a lot of success signing guys who probably should make more than the minimum and have been able to come in and help our team,” Dunleavy said.

Golden State may bring in another big man to fill another roster spot or on a two-way, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

The Warriors also added Cory Joseph on a one-year contract as a backup point guard to Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. Joseph spent the last few seasons with the Pistons.

“He’s a guy who’s going to be willing to come in and do whatever it takes each and every day. Chris and Steph will see a lot of the minutes at point guard, but Cory will always stay ready,” Dunleavy said. “He was excited to sign here and we’re excited to have him.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Chris Duarte said he was caught off guard when the Pacers traded him to the Kings, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “I was surprised,” Duarte said. “I was at home with the family when I received a call. This is how the business works. … This is a great team, great franchise, great fan base. I’ve seen videos of how loud the fans get, so I love that.” The Kings gave up two second-round picks for Duarte, who battled an ankle injury last season.
  • Colin Castleton is making a good impression on the Lakers’ Summer League team, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com notes. Castleton, who had 21 points, 14 rebounds and three assists during their second game on Sunday against the Hornets, is on a two-way contract. “I wanted to develop my first year, learn from the best players in the world, which they have, a great organization from the front office to the coaches, everybody there is great,” the big man said.
  • The Warriors lost an executive to the WNBA. The Phoenix Mercury are hiring Nick U’Ren as their GM, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski writes. U’Ren had been Golden State’s executive director of basketball operations. He’ll begin his GM duties after the Mercury’s season ends.
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Pacers Pursuing Pascal Siakam

July 10th, 2023 at 3:49pm CST by Rory Maher

There has been increased talk around the NBA about the Raptors moving Pascal Siakam, with the Pacers viewed as a “legitimate trade contender” for the star forward, league sources tell Marc Stein at Substack.

The Hawks are another team that has been repeatedly linked to Siakam, Stein notes, and other unknown teams are likely in the mix as well.

Stein’s read on the situation in Toronto is that the Raptors want to give Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby a bigger opportunity to expand their offensive games, particularly with Fred VanVleet‘s departure to Houston. Siakam’s heavy usage rate seems to stand in the way of that happening, according to Stein, who points out that Siakam (29) is several years older than Barnes (21) and Anunoby (25).

After a weekend at Summer League, Stein views a trade as a “far more likely outcome” than a contract extension. As of last week, Siakam and the Raptors had yet to formally meet to discuss a possible contract extension.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca was first to report the Pacers’ interest in Siakam. He also wrote that the veteran’s absence at Summer League could be viewed as a sign that Siakam might be dealt, with the Raptors hoping to find a deal sooner rather than later.

A two-time All-NBA member, Siakam reportedly doesn’t want to play anywhere but Toronto. He averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 71 games (37.4 minutes) last season, with the points and assists per game representing career highs.

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Raptors Notes: Siakam, Anunoby, Dick, Wieskamp

July 10th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Pascal Siakam‘s absence from the Raptors‘ Summer League games could be an indication that his time with the franchise is close to an end, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Las Vegas is typically a gathering place for established NBA players during Summer League action, but Siakam has stayed away amid rumors that he might be dealt soon and Toronto’s refusal to engage in extension talks.

The Hawks have been linked to Siakam and the Pacers have contacted the Raptors as well, sources tell Grange. Toronto officials are still exploring what they might be able to get in return for the 29-year-old forward, but they would prefer to close a deal fairly quickly, according to Grange.

Grange adds that even if Siakam is moved, it won’t be the start of a complete rebuild. Trading Siakam won’t make the Raptors any more likely to part with OG Anunoby, and sources tell Grange that teams who inquire about Anunoby shouldn’t expect to have their calls returned.

There’s more on the Raptors:

  • Gradey Dick hasn’t lived up to his reputation as a shooter during his first two Summer League outings, but he’s been able to contribute in other ways, observes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. The lottery pick is just 8-for-25 in Las Vegas, but he’s an active cutter and rebounder and seems to know how to get to the basketball. “He’s got an all-around game. I know he came in as a shooter.” Summer League coach Pat Delany said. “That’s what he does. It’s a strength of his. But I also think, too, there are other things that he does offensively as well — the passing, the cutting, the movement without the ball.”
  • After losing Fred VanVleet with nothing in return, the Raptors have to make sure they’re not in the same position with their free agents next summer, Koreen adds in a separate story. He points out that Siakam and Anunoby will be two of the top names on the 2024 market if they aren’t traded or extended before then.
  • Joe Wieskamp is literally fighting for his job at Summer League, notes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The 23-year-old swingman, who signed with Toronto in February, recently agreed to move the guarantee date for his $1.927MM salary for next season from June 29 to July 18. “They saw me throughout the season,” Wieskamp said. “I was there for three months, playing with the G League, in practices with (the Raptors) every day, even though I didn’t get too many opportunities with the Raptors on the main floor. But they’ve seen my game a lot. It’s just an accumulation of things and they just want to keep seeing more of me. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
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NBA Reveals Dates, Groups For In-Season Tournament

July 8th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA has announced the five-team groups that will used for the league’s first-ever in-season tournament, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The unveiling took place Saturday during a special episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today” held at “NBA Con” in Las Vegas.

The groups were determined in a draw similar to what is used in soccer’s World Cup. There are six groups — three each from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference — and each conference was split into five pots based on last season’s standings. One team was randomly selected from each of the pots to determine the opening-round matchups.

The results are:

  • Group 1: Sixers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Pacers and Pistons.
  • Group 2: Bucks, Knicks, Heat, Wizards and Hornets.
  • Group 3: Celtics, Nets, Raptors, Bulls and Magic.
  • Group 4: Grizzlies, Suns, Lakers, Jazz and Trail Blazers.
  • Group 5: Nuggets, Clippers, Pelicans, Mavericks and Rockets.
  • Group 6: Kings, Warriors, Timberwolves, Thunder and Spurs.

The tournament will start with group play, which will match each team with the other four in its grouping. Those games will take place on Nov. 3, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28.

The winner of each group will advance to a knockout round, joined by the team with the best record in each conference among those who didn’t win a group. Quarterfinal games will be played Dec. 4 and 5, hosted by the higher-seeded teams. The four winners in that round will move on to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the Dec. 7 semifinals and the Dec. 9 championship game.

Bontemps points out that all teams will play within their conference until the last game, which guarantees an East vs. West matchup, just like the NBA Finals.

“Everybody’s not going to buy in right away,” admitted Joe Dumars, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations. “So that can’t be the goal that everybody’s going to buy in from day one. These things take time. And I think, as time goes on, I think you can build this up and people can really get into it.”

The championship trophy will be called the NBA Cup, and players will receive $500K each for winning it. Other prize money includes $200K for second place, $100K for losing in the semifinals and $50K for losing in the quarterfinals. The league opted not to provide other incentives, such as a guaranteed playoff spot, for the tournament winner.

We passed along more details on the in-season tournament right here.

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Knicks Notes: Brown, Toppin, Martin, Bridges

July 8th, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bruce Brown revealed this week that the Knicks were the only other team he met with before deciding to sign with the Pacers, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Brown was one of the most sought-after free agents on the market after helping the Nuggets win the NBA title. Several teams, including New York, were hoping to land him with their mid-level exception, but Indiana blew away its competitors with a two-year, $45MM offer.

“The Knicks were the first (meeting). I think we had others lined up, but we didn’t make it there,” said Brown, who added that he was heavily recruited by Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.

Bondy notes that Indiana is also the destination for Obi Toppin, who was acquired from New York in exchange for a pair of future second-round picks. Toppin was stuck behind Julius Randle with the Knicks and his defense wasn’t up to coach Tom Thibodeau’s standards, but Indiana views him as a perfect fit for its up-tempo style.

The trade leaves New York with an unbalanced roster that’s heavy on guards and doesn’t have an obvious replacement for Toppin, Bondy adds. The current options are either too small to play power forward or too inexperienced to be counted on for regular minutes.

There’s more on the Knicks:

  • With a potential hole in their rotation and plenty of assets available to make an impact trade, the Knicks can’t be done with their offseason, says Peter Botte of The New York Post (subscriber link), arguing that the team still needs to take a big swing if it wants to have a legitimate chance to contend in the East next season.
  • Jaylen Martin, who signed a two-way contract with New York after going undrafted, was one of Overtime Elite’s most talented players, his coach told Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Tim Fanning said a hamstring injury that forced Martin to miss two months of the season kept him from getting the same notice as the Thompson twins, who were both lottery picks. “He just ticks a lot of boxes in terms of what you want from a basketball player, especially on the wing,” Fanning said. “He was shooting the ball at a great clip from three. His defense and rebounding – his floor game – was spectacular. His transition, (attacking the) close out, also was on another level from the rest of the competition outside of the Thompsons in that first month of the season.”
  • Mikal Bridges, now a cornerstone player for the cross-town Nets, said recently on the Tidal League podcast that he thought he’d be drafted by the Knicks back in 2018 (Twitter video link). “I thought I was going to go to New York at 9,” Bridges said (hat tip to Jeremy Layton of The New York Post). “I was excited though because I wanted to go to the Knicks, I wanted to be in New York, I’m like, ‘That’s lit.’ Like, still close to home, but a little further out – and I love MSG, all my best games in college were there.” New York ended up drafting Kevin Knox with the No. 9 pick, with Bridges going one spot later to Phoenix (via Philadelphia).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Knicks Trade Obi Toppin To Pacers

July 7th, 2023 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7: The trade is official, the Knicks announced today in a press release (Twitter link). Toppin has been traded into the Pacers’ cap room in exchange for the two second-round picks described below.

JULY 6: The Knicks will receive either the Suns’ or Pacers’ 2028 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) and either the Pacers’ or Wizards’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) for Toppin, reports Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).

JULY 1: The Knicks and Pacers are finalizing a trade that will send forward Obi Toppin to Indiana, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, the Knicks will acquire a pair of second-round picks in exchange for Toppin, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Marc Stein and Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported prior to free agency that the Pacers were talking to the Knicks about Toppin and had emerged as the leading candidate to land him. It’s a logical fit, since Indiana has the cap room necessary to acquire the 25-year-old’s $6.8MM expiring contract without sending out any salary and has been in the market for another power forward.

While lottery pick Jarace Walker figures to see minutes for the Pacers as a rookie, Toppin should have an opportunity to play a bigger role in Indiana than he did in New York, where he spent the majority of his first three NBA seasons backing up Julius Randle.

In 139 games for the Knicks since the start of 2021/22, Toppin has averaged 8.2 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .491/.329/.772 shooting in 139 games (16.4 MPG). He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, or restricted free agency in 2024 if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.

It’s a somewhat disappointing outcome for the Knicks, whose lottery pick from three years ago will now turn into a pair of second-rounders. However, the move will help create some additional spending flexibility below the tax apron for the club, potentially opening up the full mid-level exception. It’ll also generate a $6.8MM trade exception and contribute a couple more draft assets to New York’s ever-growing stash.

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Pacers Renounce George Hill

July 7th, 2023 at 7:24am CST by Luke Adams
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Pacers No Longer Giving Offer Sheets

July 6th, 2023 at 10:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The Pacers made it clear they wouldn’t sign a restricted free agent to an offer sheet this offseason after giving Deandre Ayton a four-year, $133MM offer sheet a year ago, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his latest Lowe Post podcast. “Remember, they were the ‘Herb Simon doesn’t let us do offer sheets’ team,” Lowe said, referring to the Pacers’ team owner. “And he made an exception for Ayton and it got matched and it was a little bit of a mess. They sent around the league, like, ‘We’re not doing offer sheets.'”
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Pacers Trade Chris Duarte To Kings

July 6th, 2023 at 8:15pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6, 8:15pm: The Pacers and Kings have officially completed the trade sending Duarte to Sacramento. The Kings put out a press release confirming the move.

JULY 6, 2:43pm: The Pacers and Kings are in agreement on their Duarte trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who reports that the deal is expected to be finalized today.

Indiana will receive Dallas’ 2028 second-round pick and Sacramento’s own 2030 second-rounder, reports Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).

JUNE 30, 9:41am: The Kings and Pacers are nearing an agreement on a trade that will send wing Chris Duarte to Sacramento, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Indiana would receive draft compensation in the deal.

Duarte, 26, was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Oregon. He had a promising rookie season in 2021/22, averaging 13.1 PPG with a .369 3PT% in 55 games (28.0 MPG), but took a step back in his second year in the NBA.

The 6’6″ swingman battled injuries that limited him to 46 games in 2022/23 and his numbers dipped to 7.9 PPG with a .316 3PT%. The emergence of rookie Bennedict Mathurin and the addition of another former lottery pick, Aaron Nesmith, resulted in Duarte playing a diminished role (19.5 MPG) even when he was available.

The Kings appear willing to bet that Duarte can recapture his rookie former and will take on his $4.1MM guaranteed salary for 2023/24. They’ll have to make a decision by October 31 on his $5.9MM option for the ’24/25 season. If that option is picked up, Duarte would become extension-eligible during the 2024 offseason.

The Pacers also reportedly discussed Duarte in their trade talks with the Hawks about De’Andre Hunter.

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