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And-Ones: COVID-19 Testing, Female Coaches, White, Hilliard, A-Rod

July 14th, 2021 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

All of the players in the Finals have been tested daily for COVID-19 and none of them have returned a confirmed positive test since July 7, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Outside of Chris Paul early in the postseason, no player has returned a positive test since the playoffs began.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • NBA players are increasingly open-minded about female coaches, but front offices remain reluctant to give one of them a shot as a head coach, according to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times. There’s increasing pressure on the league to give Spurs assistant Becky Hammon — a finalist for the Trail Blazers job — a chance to be a head coach, but GMs in a risk-averse league keep finding reasons to pass on her and other female candidates. Having more female executives around the league could change those perceptions, Nguyen adds.
  • Former NBA big man Okaro White has signed to play with Greece’s Panathinaikos next season, Alessandro Maggi of Sportando relays. White played in Russia last season. He appeared in 41 games for the Heat in 2016-18 and saw action in three games with the Wizards in 2018/19.
  • Former NBA guard Darrun Hilliard has agreed to terms with Germany’s Bayern Munich, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Hilliard appeared in 77 Pistons games from 2015-17 after getting drafted in the second round. He also played 14 games for the Spurs during the 2017/18 season.
  • Timberwolves buyers Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore met with the league’s Finance Committee this week, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. It’s part of the process to receive league approval for their first 20% purchase of the team. They will make multiple purchases of the franchise over the next few years until they become the controlling owners. The sale agreement was reached in mid-May. The Finance Committee is expected to recommend to the NBA’s Board of Governors that it approves the first sale.
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And-Ones: Offseason Questions, Zipser, Ellenson, Henry

July 13th, 2021 at 8:42pm CST by Eli Cohen

In a piece on Monday for ESPN (Insider-only link), Bobby Marks laid out the 10 questions that he believes will define the 2021 off-season.

Some of the questions discussed include how COVID-19 will affect the league’s salary cap, which position has the deepest free agent pool, the next All-Star to get traded, and the futures of stars Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard with their current teams, as well as the Grizzlies‘ ability to be a dark-horse player in free agency.

As a bonus, Marks touches on Joel Embiid‘s looming extension, whether Kevin Love can rediscover his game and improve his trade value with Team USA, John Collins‘ restricted free agency, and more.

We have more from around the world of basketball:

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International Notes: Zizic, Nunnally, Daniels, Yabusele, Macon

July 12th, 2021 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA first-round pick Ante Zizic, who signed last summer with Maccabi Tel Aviv, will be returning to the Israeli club for another season, the team confirmed today (via Twitter). The 24-year-old previously spent three seasons in the NBA, all with the Cavaliers, averaging 6.0 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 113 games (13.4 MPG).

Maccabi Tel Aviv also recently announced the signing of an NBA free agent, announcing in a press release that James Nunnally was joining the team on a one-year contract with a second-year option. Nunnally has plenty of EuroLeague experience under his belt, but actually finished the 2020/21 season on an NBA roster, having signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans in April.

Here are a few more updates from the international basketball world:

  • After announcing the signing of Nicolo Melli last week, Olimpia Milano has added another veteran with NBA experience, inking shooting guard Troy Daniels to a contract, per the team. Daniels, who will turn 30 on Thursday, has played 339 NBA games for seven teams, averaging 6.6 PPG with a .395 3PT%. He last played for Denver in 2020.
  • Former NBA first-round pick Guerschon Yabusele, who played in France last season, is headed to Spain for the 2021/22 season. He has signed a one-year contract with Real Madrid, according to a team press release. Yabusele spent two NBA seasons with the Celtics , appearing in 74 games from 2017-19.
  • Panathinaikos BC has officially signed former NBA guard Daryl Macon to a one-year contract with a second-year option, the Greek club stated in a press release. A report last week indicated the move was expected to happen. Macon saw a little NBA action from 2018-20 for Dallas and Miami.
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And-Ones: Dead Money, Baldwin, Cole, Stone

July 11th, 2021 at 5:27pm CST by JD Shaw

As free agency and the draft near for the NBA’s 30 teams, several clubs still owe money to players that are no longer on their present-day rosters, writes Ethan Fuller of BasketballNews.com.

As Fuller notes, when the league calendar changes this August, about half of the league’s clubs will still owe money to former players. The Pistons are on the hook for the biggest single dead-money charge, as they still have to pay Blake Griffin a total of $29.8MM next season. Other examples include the Hornets (Nicolas Batum), Knicks (Joakim Noah) and Lakers (Luol Deng).

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Free agent guard Wade Baldwin IV has signed a one-year contract with Baskonia in Spain, the team announced on its website. Baldwin holds 56 games of NBA experience, making stops with Memphis and Portland from 2016-19. He was the No. 17 pick in 2016 and spent the 2020/21 season in Germany with Bayern Munich.
  • ASVEL has parted ways with guard Norris Cole and big man Ismael Bako, the club announced (Twitter link). Cole, who won championships with Miami 2012 and 2013, averaged 13.7 points and 3.6 assists with the French club this season. He is now a free agent.
  • Veteran swingman Julyan Stone has re-signed with Reyer Venezia in Italy, as relayed by EuroHoops. Stone has played 70 NBA games with Denver (2011-13), Toronto (2013-14) and Charlotte (2017-18), spending much of his professional career overseas. “I have achieved great things with Reyer, but the journey is not over yet,” Stone said. “I still can help achieve some things and I will put in my hard work to give us the best chance at success. My role in the team may change, but my motivation will continue to grow.”
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European Teams Reportedly Interested In Brad Wanamaker

July 11th, 2021 at 10:29am CST by Arthur Hill

10:29am: Wanamaker appears to be disputing the report, calling it “fake news” in a tweet.

10:00am: Hornets point guard Brad Wanamaker will have at least two offers in Europe if he can’t find an NBA deal he likes in free agency, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.

Virtus Bologna in Italy and KK Partizan in Serbia have both expressed interest in Wanamaker. The news was first reported by Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, which says Wanamaker will wait until free agency starts in August before making a decision.

The 31-year-old started this season with the Warriors before being moved to Charlotte at the trade deadline in March. He was used as a backup for both teams and averaged 5.5 points and 2.9 assists in 61 total games. He played two seasons with the Celtics before signing with Golden State as a free agent last offseason.

Wanamaker had plenty of international experience before coming to the NBA in 2018. He had stops in Italy, France, Germany and Turkey.

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Olympics Notes: Team USA, Brown, Agada, Scola

July 11th, 2021 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA is still be the favorite to capture the gold medal in Tokyo, but there are plenty of questions after Saturday’s 90-87 loss to Nigeria in exhibition play, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Coached by Mike Brown and sporting seven current NBA players on its roster, Nigeria led throughout the fourth quarter and held off American rallies with a combination of physical defense and three-point shooting, hitting 20 of 42 from beyond the arc.

“That’s a talented group of players. It’s not a bunch of people off the street playing basketball,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Every year, teams are better and better, and every year, one or two or three more NBA players are on their teams, so they’re a quality team. Mike’s done a great job with them, and they’re as athletic as anybody. They’re very physical, and they’ve been practicing for three weeks.”

Team USA is loaded with All-Stars, but just began practicing together this week in Las Vegas. A lack of continuity could be a concern, as it was with the last major international tournament, the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where the Americans lost to France and Serbia and wound up finishing seventh.

“None of us have ever played with each other, we’re just trying to figure it out,” Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. “We don’t have three to four weeks. This is good for us, we’ll learn a lot from the film and we’ll regroup.”

There’s more Olympics-related news this morning:

  • Brown recognizes the significance of Saturday’s win, which was the first ever for an African team against the United States, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Nigerians, who are aiming for the first Olympic basketball medal in African history, lost to the Americans by 83 points in the 2012 Olympics and by 44 in a 2016 exhibition game. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t mean much in the standings as far as where we’re trying to get to,” Brown said. “But it’s a good win for us. I don’t think any African team has been able to beat USA Basketball in an exhibition game or a real game. … We’re trying to get a little bit of momentum for Nigeria and for the continent of Africa.”
  • NBA interest has “spiked” in Nigeria’s Caleb Agada, who came off the bench to score 17 points in the upset, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Agada recently had a workout with the Jazz and will play for the Nuggets‘ team in next month’s Summer League.
  • Former NBA forward Luis Scola scored 25 points for Argentina in a loss to Australia Saturday night. At age 41, Scola indicated he may keep playing once the Olympics are over. “I don’t even know if I’m going to retire after the tournament,” he said (Twitter link from Reynolds).
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And-Ones: NBPA, V. Baker, Hervey, Okobo, NBA Parity

July 10th, 2021 at 2:15pm CST by Eli Cohen

In an interview with Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill, National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts spoke about why she considers this season a success, what role she plays in the union’s decision-making process, and the criticisms some players, including LeBron James, have vocalized about the shortened offseason heading into this year.

“The recommendation to start in December came from the league,” Roberts said. “So the big ask was, could we start the games in December? And the answer was not yes from Michele. The decision to play or not to play comes from the players.”

As far as the criticisms from James, and others who may agree with him, Roberts’ reinforced her support for players voicing dissenting opinions. “I don’t have a problem with players that articulate their opposition to decisions that were made,” she said. “That’s their absolute right. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

We have more news from around the basketball community:

  • Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times writes about Bucks‘ assistant coach Vin Baker‘s rise as an NBA star, his battles with alcoholism – which included him drinking Bacardi Limón from a water bottle during games – and his eventual recovery and progression back to the world of the NBA. “This was an opportunity that was afforded to me not to screw up,” Baker said. “It’s not about me. Like it’s not about ‘I made it. I’m a coach of the Bucks.’ It’s about there’s somebody watching.”
  • Virtus Bologna has signed Kevin Hervey to a two-year deal, tweets Donatas Urbonas, a Lithuania-based reporter. The deal for the former Thunder second-round pick had been reported to be in the works in recent weeks.
  • Elie Okobo, the 31st pick in the 2018 draft, has signed with ASVEL Basket in France, reports Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Okobo will join former NBA players Norris Cole and Guerschon Yabusele, as well as top 2023 prospect Victor Wembanyama.
  • The “Parity Era” in the NBA may be here, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I see this as, hopefully, the end of a transition for the league,” Reynolds quotes commissioner Adam Silver as saying. “Not just post-COVID, but just by virtue of the teams that we saw in the conference finals, a real transition in terms of the league of the up-and-coming new stars, up-and-coming franchises, more parity throughout the league.” Whether that’s the case or whether injuries played more of a role in the playoffs shaping up the way they did remains to be seen.
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Matthew Dellavedova Signs With Australian Team

July 9th, 2021 at 10:44am CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 9: Dellavedova’s deal with Melbourne United is now official and will cover three years, according to a press release.

JULY 8: Matthew Dellavedova is signing with Melbourne United in Australia’s NBL, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc tweets.

The 30-year-old guard appeared in just 13 games with the Cavaliers this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Dellavedova’s season was wrecked by a variety of ailments, including a concussion, whiplash, an emergency appendectomy, and a neck strain.

Dellavedova had two stints with the Cavs. He played his first three seasons there and had a key reserve role on Cleveland’s 2016 championship team. He moved on for 1 1/2 seasons with the Bucks before returning to the Cavs during the 2018/19 campaign.

In 447 career NBA games, Dellavedova averaged 5.5 PPG and 3.7 APG.

The signing will allow Dellavedova to return to his home state of Victoria. Melbourne United is the NBL’s reigning champion.

Dellavedova is slated to play in the Olympics for the Australian national team.

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Nicolò Melli Signs Three-Year Deal With Olimpia Milano

July 9th, 2021 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, veteran forward Nicolò Melli has officially reached a deal with Olimipa Milano. The Italian club announced today in a press release that Melli has signed a three-year contract with his former team.

Melli, 30, played for Olimpia Milano from 2010-15 and has spent time with a handful of other European clubs since beginning his pro career in 2007. He made his NBA debut in 2019 with the Pelicans and has since appeared in a total of 105 games (15.3 MPG) for New Orleans and Dallas, averaging 5.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.2 APG on .392/.316/.745 shooting.

Melli was involved in the March trade that sent J.J. Redick from the Pelicans to the Mavericks and played a part-time role for Dallas down the stretch. However, the 6’9″ Italian, who is expected to play for Italy in the Olympics later this month, will return to his home country for the 2021/22 season and beyond.

“Nicolò has always been at the center of our thoughts,” Olimpia Milano GM Christos Stavropoulos said in a statement. “He is the right player, in his prime, a player we were looking for as the emblem of the team player on top of having unquestionable skills. To be able to bring him back, after six years and a great career abroad, is reason for us to be extremely proud. This is a happy day for all of us.”

Melli had been eligible for restricted free agency with Dallas. If the Mavs want to retain their matching rights in the event that the forward eventually returns to the NBA, they’ll have to issue a qualifying offer.

Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reported earlier this week that Melli was on track to rejoin Olimpia Milano. Carchia also said the team was close to a deal with veteran shooting guard Troy Daniels, but there has been no official announcement yet on that one.

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And-Ones: Teodosic, Bennett, Cunningham, Macon, Brown

July 8th, 2021 at 10:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Milos Teodosic has reached a contract extension agreement with Virtus Bologna through the 2022/23 season, according to a team press release. Teodosic played 60 games with the Clippers from 2017-19. He was waived in February of his final season and signed with the Italian club during the summer of 2019.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico has terminated Anthony Bennett’s contract and replaced him with Dante Cunningham, Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays. Cunningham had a stint in China after appearing in 715 NBA games from 2009-19. Bennett, the top pick of the 2013 draft, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2016/17 season.
  • Former NBA guard Daryl Macon is expected to sign with Panathinaikos BC, Greek journalist George Zakkas tweets. Macon played for Galatasaray Istanbul and AEK Athens this past season. He began the 2019/20 season on a two-way deal with the Heat and was waived that January. He also played for Dallas.
  • Larry Brown has been named the recipient of this year’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced on Thursday via a league press release. Brown was a head coach for 42 years at the college and pro level, winning the NBA title with the Pistons in 2004 and NCAA championship with Kansas in 1988. He’s the only coach to lead eight different NBA teams to the playoffs.
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