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Draft Notes: Cooper, Bezhanishvili, Williams, Johnson

July 24th, 2021 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Potential late lottery pick Sharife Cooper has been making the rounds. He’s worked out for the Thunder, Rockets, Warriors, Lakers, Clippers and Celtics, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. As previously noted, Cooper has worked out for the Hornets and has also visited the Pacers. The Auburn point guard is currently ranked No. 17 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft-related intel:

Giorgi Bezhanishvili has recently worked out for the Spurs, Hornets and Bulls, Zagoria reports in another tweet. The junior forward who played for Illinois is a potential second-round selection.
Ziaire Williams was brought in for a second workout with the Magic, draft expert Chad Ford tweets. The Stanford freshman wing is ranked No. 24 by ESPN, but Ford views Williams as a potential lottery selection. Orlando owns the No. 5 and 8 picks.
Jalen Johnson left Duke in mid-February after losing playing time but he brushes aside questions about his character, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. “Those really aren’t red flags,” Johnson said. “People say a lot of things about me, but they say those things without knowing me. … I don’t like seeing that stuff and I know my parents see that stuff, and I know it hurts them, because at the end of the day these people are making judgments without knowing me, without speaking to me, without saying a word to me.” Johnson is still expected to go in the lottery.

2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Clippers

July 22nd, 2021 at 5:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Clippers entered this season looking to get back on track after a brutal collapse in the 2020 playoffs that saw them build a 3-1 lead on the Nuggets, only to lose three straight games and be eliminated in the second round.

Over the offseason, Los Angeles rebuilt its roster to bolster its chances of becoming the championship team it sees itself as, adding veterans Nicolas Batum and Serge Ibaka in free agency, re-signing Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris, and trading Landry Shamet in a deal for Luke Kennard. A midseason trade of Lou Williams brought Rajon Rondo back into the fold, and the team signed DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract that was eventually parlayed into a deal for the rest of the season.

The team struggled with injuries throughout the year, as stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard each missed 18-to-20 games and Ibaka and Patrick Beverley were limited to 41 and 37 games, respectively. 23-year-old center Ivica Zubac was the only player to suit up for all 72 regular season contests.

Even with the litany of injuries, the Clippers made it to the Western Conference Finals this year for the first time in franchise history. George described feeling “the monkey off the Clippers’ back in terms of getting past the second round,” but the elation was short-lived.

The Clippers lost Leonard to a partial ACL tear that caused him to miss the final eight games of the club’s playoff run. Despite an epic performance from George, who averaged 29.6 PPG, 11 RPG and 5.6 APG in the eight games without Leonard, L.A. ultimately fell to former Clipper Chris Paul and the Suns in six games in the Western Finals.

With Leonard facing a long recovery period – as well as a decision on his $36MM player option – the Clippers are in a tricky position as they move into next season in the hopes of once again upgrading their roster and finally reaching their goal of winning a championship with George and Leonard.

The Clippers’ Offseason Plan:

Everything revolves around Leonard’s player option this summer. While it’s considered unlikely he leaves a team built around him in his home of Los Angeles, Kawhi is a notoriously difficult player to get a read on, and teams will be lining up to sign him to a long-term deal — even if he’s set to miss all of next season.

Showing Leonard a redoubled effort to build a championship roster will be crucial for the Clippers. Should Leonard either pick up his option or re-sign, either to a long-term deal or to a one-and-one that would allow him to hit free agency again in a year, the team will need to win without him during his absence and be ready to compete at the highest level upon his return.

How they will manage that could be a little tricky.

Reggie Jackson, the team’s second-best player once Leonard went down, will be a free agent, and after playing this year on a $2.3MM contract, he could be looking for one final big payday. The team’s other veteran point guards, Rondo and Beverley, are both on expiring contracts worth a combined $21.8MM while Serge Ibaka has a $9.7MM player option that he’s likely to pick up, given his injury-plagued season. Between performance, age and injury, none of the three are likely to have much in the way of positive trade value.

Luke Kennard represents another roadblock. The team traded Shamet for the 25-year-old sharpshooter and then signed him to a four-year extension, despite injury concerns. Unfortunately, Kennard looked a far cry from the building block the Clippers hoped he’d become, averaging just 5.6 PPG in 14 minutes a night during the playoffs and only a slightly better 8.6 PPG in 19.6 MPG during the regular season. Given his age and the fact that he shot 44.6% on threes in 2019/20, it’s possible he retains some value, but due to both his contract and the lingering injury concerns, it’s unlikely he would command a large return.

One player who improved his value is 24-year-old guard/wing Terance Mann. Though Mann’s averages of 7.6 PPG and 2.7 RPG might not jump off the stat sheet, his energy, improved shooting stroke, and performance in important games has made him a genuine asset for the Clippers, either as a trade chip or in an increased role. He’s eligible for an extension this offseason.

If the team is desperate to make a big splash, some combination of Mann, Zubac, Marcus Morris, and the 25th overall pick (which could only be traded after the selection is made) could be its best bet. Morris is owed $49.1MM over the next three seasons, and has been productive on both ends during his time with the Clippers. Zubac is only 24 and is a strong defensive center, but because of his offensive limitations, has never averaged over 23 MPG in his career. With the depth of the 2021 draft class, the 25th pick could represent a chance to get real value, whether for the Clippers or for a team that trades for it.

The Clippers have eight players outside of Leonard under contract for next year, assuming Ibaka picks up his option. The question is how much confidence Kawhi has in those players to help get him his third championship. Since Los Angeles is an attractive destination for buyouts and ring-chasers, the Clips will likely have access to some options in free agency that other teams might not, but there are still big decisions on tap, even if Leonard agrees to re-up.

Salary Cap Situation

Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.

Guaranteed Salary

Paul George ($39,344,970) ¹
Marcus Morris ($15,627,907)
Patrick Beverley ($14,320,987)
Luke Kennard ($12,727,273)
Rajon Rondo ($8,250,000)
Ivica Zubac ($7,518,518)
Daniel Oturu ($1,517,981)
Jay Scrubb (two-way)
Total: $99,307,566

Player Options

Kawhi Leonard ($36,016,200): Early Bird rights
Serge Ibaka ($9,720,900): Non-Bird rights
Total: $45,737,100

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Yogi Ferrell ($1,977,011)
Terance Mann ($1,782,621) ²
Total: $3,759,632

Restricted Free Agents

None

Two-Way Free Agents

Amir Coffey ³

Draft Picks

No. 22 overall pick ($2,168,760)
Total: $2,168,760

Extension-Eligible Players

Patrick Beverley (veteran)
Kawhi Leonard (veteran)⁴
Terance Mann (veteran)

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Patrick Patterson ($4,001,015): Early Bird rights
Reggie Jackson ($1,669,178): Early Bird rights
Nicolas Batum ($1,669,178): Non-Bird rights
DeMarcus Cousins ($1,669,178): Non-Bird rights
Total: $9,008,549

Offseason Cap Outlook

The Clippers only have about $99MM in guaranteed salaries for now, but will cross the tax line if Leonard opts in or re-signs. If Ibaka opts in, Mann and the first-round pick are retained, and Kawhi gets a new maximum-salary contract, team salary will balloon to $152MM+ for 12 players, putting L.A. far into tax territory.

Cap Exceptions Available

Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,890,000 ⁵
Trade exception: $2,075,880
Trade exception: $1,995,120
Trade exception: $980,533

Footnotes

This is a projected value. George’s salary will be 35% of the 2021/22 salary cap.
Mann’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 25.
Because he has been on a two-way contract with the Clippers for two seasons, Coffey is eligible for a standard minimum-salary qualifying offer.
Leonard would only be extension-eligible if he exercises his player option.
This is a projected value. If the Clippers stay below the tax apron, they could have access to the full mid-level exception ($9.5MM) and the bi-annual exception ($3.7MM).

Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders, RealGM, and ESPN was used in the creation of this post. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Draft Notes: Early Entrants, Bleijenbergh, Sengun, Hurt, Reaves

July 19th, 2021 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Senegalese center Ibou Badji and German big man Ariel Hukporti have withdrawn from the 2021 NBA draft, according to a pair of reports from Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter links).

Both players were considered potential second-round picks, ranking 59th and 63rd respectively on ESPN’s big board of 2021 prospects. However, Givony notes that Hukporti – like a number of international players who withdrew before today’s deadline – wasn’t interested in being a draft-and-stash prospect. It’s unclear if Badji felt the same way, but both players will be looking to boost their stock ahead of the 2022 draft.

Another potential second-round pick, Senegalese big man Amar Sylla, will be keeping his name in the draft, Givony tweets. The 19-year-old, who ranks 81st on ESPN’s board, is a strong draft-and-stash candidate, Givony adds.

Here’s more on the 2021 draft:

Belgian wing Vrenz Bleijenbergh, another one of the international prospects keeping his name in the draft, indicated (via Twitter) that he completed a workout with the Mavericks and has a meeting with the Raptors up next.
Turkish League MVP Alperen Sengun, who visited the Kings over the weekend, had a workout this morning with the Spurs and is on his way to meet with the Magic, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Sengun could be a lottery pick next Thursday.
Duke forward Matthew Hurt worked out for the Sixers today and has the Clippers, Nets, and Magic on tap later this week, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), who adds that Hurt also recently impressed in workouts with the Rockets and Bucks.
Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves is keeping busy during the pre-draft process — Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Reaves is working out for a total of 18 NBA teams, including the Hawks, Knicks, Sixers, Nets, and Hornets.

Stein’s Latest: Paul, Holiday, Leonard, Harrison

July 16th, 2021 at 1:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks considered a trade for Chris Paul last offseason before deciding to make a run at Jrue Holiday, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column. Milwaukee wanted to add a veteran guard who could fill a leadership role after a disappointing playoff loss to the Heat, and Paul was an obvious name to consider.

The Bucks opted for a younger alternative in Holiday, who has helped them reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 50 years. Stein believes the addition of Holiday helped convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to commit to the franchise with a five-year, $228MM contract extension.

Holiday finds himself matched up in the Finals against Paul, whom the Thunder promised to trade to a contender last fall as they began rebuilding. Paul wanted to be closer to his son in Los Angeles, so the Bucks would have been at a disadvantage if he’d been their preferred choice.

Stein offers more news from around the league:

There were rumors that Paul might be interested in opting out of his $44.2MM salary for next season and leaving Phoenix this summer, but that seems less likely after the Finals run. No matter what he decides on the option, Stein expects Paul to be back with the Suns next season, noting that he fits perfectly alongside Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and coach Monty Williams. Booker said recently that the team’s 8-0 record after the restart motivated management to pursue Paul.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has a $36MM option decision to make, and the ACL surgery he had this week will likely influence his thinking. League sources expect him to remain in L.A., according to Stein, but several teams will be interested if he hits the open market. Stein states that the Mavericks are willing to sign Leonard even if the ACL prevents him from playing next season.
New Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said he has received offers from other teams in the past, but he chose to remain with Nike until the opportunity with Dallas arose. League sources tell Stein that the Spurs and Lakers are among the franchises that have shown interest in Harrison.

Shaw Close To Joining Lue's Staff

July 15th, 2021 at 6:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has lost at least two members of his staff from this season, including recently-hired Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. G League Ignite coach Brian Shaw may be one of the replacements. Shaw is in serious negotiations with the Clippers to become one of Lue’s assistants, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Assessing The Recovery Timeline For Kawhi Leonard

July 14th, 2021 at 9:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Kawhi Leonard will miss at least part of next season after having surgery Tuesday to fix a partial ACL tear in his right knee, and the length of his recovery process will determine what the future looks like for the Clippers.

Leonard suffered a Grade II tear, which falls between a best-case and worst-case scenario, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. The injury is similar to what Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie had in December, and although Dinwiddie talked about returning before the end of the season, he never made it back.

Dinwiddie was cleared for basketball activities in June, and Murray notes that a similar timeline would have Leonard ready sometime in January, meaning he would miss roughly half the season. However, it’s more likely that he will need about nine months, which means he would be ready sometime around the start of the playoffs.

It’s very possible that Leonard will sit out the entire season, Murray adds. He has a history of leg injuries, and the Clippers may decide to be cautious with one of their franchise cornerstones.

Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register talked to Dr. Alan Beyer, executive medical director at Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, California, who confirms an absence of about nine months is the most likely outcome.

“We don’t have long-term data on some of the bridging partial ACL tear procedures, so I can’t say to you, ‘That’s all he needed, he’ll be fine,’” Beyer said. “The only difference is you haven’t sacrificed any of the athlete’s own tissues – quad, patellar, hamstring – but you have added this scaffolding or bridge, and that goes through a period of time when it might be a little bit weaker because it has to get vascularized. And that might take a year, and I might go slower on rehabilitating a partial ACL construction.”

The surgery comes at a crucial time for Leonard, who has a $36MM player option for next season. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton notes that Leonard could opt out and re-sign with the Clippers, which would add $3.3MM to his salary for next year and give him three more guaranteed seasons after that. He could also pick up the option and become eligible for an extension, which would run through 2025/26, when his salary would be $50.2MM.

The Clippers were able to advance to the Western Conference finals after Leonard’s injury, but they were barely better than a .500 team when he missed games during the regular season. It will be expensive just to keep the current roster together, Pelton notes, as Reggie Jackson will be a free agent and the team only has Early Bird rights to try to re-sign him. Nicolas Batum is also headed to free agency, and L.A. would have to use part of its mid-level exception to make more than an offer worth much more than the minimum.

Kawhi Leonard Undergoes Knee Surgery

July 13th, 2021 at 7:52pm CST by Eli Cohen

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard underwent successful surgery today to repair a partial tear of his right ACL, per a Clippers press release.

There is no timetable for Leonard’s return, according to the team. However, the diagnosis suggests that his recovery could extend into the 2021/22 season.

Leonard only managed to play in four games during the Clippers’ second-round series against the Jazz before being sidelined with the knee injury that kept him on the shelf for the entire Western Finals vs. Phoenix. He had previously dealt with lingering leg injuries, including the mysterious quad injury that effectively ended his time with the Spurs.

The two-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time Finals MVP has a player option to return to the Clippers next season, or he can decline the option and become an unrestricted free agent. He has long been expected to take the latter route, if only to sign a new contract with Los Angeles, since he’ll be eligible for a higher maximum salary this offseason.

Pelicans Unlikely To Match Significant Offer For Lonzo Ball?

July 13th, 2021 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are unlikely to match a significant offer sheet for Lonzo Ball in restricted free agency this summer, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania doesn’t clarify what would constitute a “significant” offer, but Ball’s market could be in the range of the four-year, $85MM deals signed by point guards Malcolm Brogdon and Fred VanVleet in recent years. Ball would be doing well to land a contract that matches or exceeds those deals.

The 23-year-old, who began his career with the Lakers, had perhaps his best NBA season in 2020/21, establishing new career highs in PPG (14.6), FG% (.414), and 3PT% (.378). He also chipped in 5.7 APG and 4.8 RPG in 55 games (31.8 MPG).

Star forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have both spoken in favor of the Pelicans re-signing Ball, and the team will have the ability to match any offer sheet extended by a rival suitor. But it’s unclear just how committed New Orleans is to the former No. 2 overall pick, especially given the club’s cap situation.

Substantial investments in Ball and fellow restricted free agent Josh Hart would likely push the Pelicans into tax territory unless the club cuts costs by trading away a contract like Steven Adams‘ or Eric Bledsoe‘s. The team has never paid the luxury tax before. And while that doesn’t necessarily mean ownership wouldn’t sign off on a tax bill going forward, it would be a tough sell for a roster that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2018.

The Bulls and Clippers are among the teams expected to express interest in Ball, sources tell Charania. The Knicks have also been mentioned as a possible suitor, though Ian Begley of SNY.tv has reported there are mixed opinions on the point guard among New York’s decision-makers.

Roy Rogers Close To Joining Blazers’ Staff

July 10th, 2021 at 9:28am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers are finalizing a contract with Roy Rogers to join Chauncey Billups’ staff, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Rogers’ primary responsibility would be improving Portland’s defense, which ranked 29th with a 115.3 rating during the regular season.

Rogers would be the third assistant poached from Tyronn Lue‘s Clippers staff since the end of their season. Billups spent a year with the Clippers before he was hired by the Blazers to replace Terry Stotts. Rogers, 47, was hired last offseason to join Lue after stints with the Bulls, Rockets, Wizards, Nets, Pistons and Celtics.

Another member of Lue’s staff this season, former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, is joining Steve Kerr’s Golden State staff.

Kenny Atkinson To Join Warriors As Assistant Coach

July 7th, 2021 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson has reached an agreement to become one of Steve Kerr‘s lead assistants with the Warriors, according to Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Atkinson, who spent this season as a lead assistant with the Clippers, would join Mike Brown in the role, giving Golden State two ex-head coaches as Kerr’s top assistants, sources tell the authors. Atkinson would replace Jarron Collins, who parted ways with the team last month.

The 54-year-old Atkinson was considered as a possible candidate for the head coaching vacancy in Orlando. He served as head coach in Brooklyn from 2016 to 2020 and has previous experience as an assistant with the Knicks and Hawks.

Although he was dismissed after clashing with Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Atkinson did an admirable job of making the franchise competitive again and helped develop young players such as Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and D’Angelo Russell.

Along with Atkinson, the Warriors will also add Dejan Milojević and Jama Mahlalela to their coaching staff, according to The Athletic’s sources. Milojević specializes in working with big men, while Mahlalela has been part of the Raptors‘ development staff since 2013.