- Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal examines which young NBA cores may challenge the Grizzlies the most in 2022/23. Led by Ja Morant‘s stellar campaign, Memphis finished with the second-best record in the league last season, surprising onlookers. Among the teams Cole listed are the Timberwolves, who sport a trio of D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns — plus recently acquired Rudy Gobert from the Jazz.
Second-year wing Ziaire Williams might be the key for the Grizzlies to become a better mid-range shooting team, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Memphis led the league in points in the paint last season, but seldomly made mid-range jumpers, ranking just 26th in the league during the regular season and last in the playoffs, per Cole. The 6’8″ Williams, meanwhile, is a talented pull-up shooter, with the ability to create his shot in multiple ways, Cole notes.
“I was blessed to have that mid-range, man,” Williams said during Summer League. “We’ve been working on that shot since I was 5 or 6 years old. It’s definitely there for sure, especially with my height and my length. I get that shot off a lot.”
On a very limited volume, Williams shot 48% on mid-rangers as a rookie in 2021/22, which ranked in the 87th percentile of all players, according to DunksAndThrees.com.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic considers several possible free agent targets for the Suns‘ final roster spot, including Carmelo Anthony, Jarrett Culver, Facundo Campazzo, and Ben McLemore, among others.
- Did the offseason moves the Kings made make them a playoff team? Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee explores that topic, noting that shooting was a priority and the Kings addressed that need by adding Malik Monk (free agent), Kevin Huerter (trade with Atlanta) and Keegan Murray (No. 4 overall pick). Ultimately, Anderson thinks Sacramento should definitely improve its win total from last season after going 30-52, but landing one of the final spots in the play-in tournament might be a more realistic outcome than breaking the long playoff drought.
- A source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that the Trail Blazers have parted ways with assistant coach Edniesha Curry. Portland confirmed the news (Twitter link via Spears), though the reasoning behind the move was vague. Curry, a former WNBA player, was a first-year assistant in ’21/22.
Kevin Durant reportedly listed Miami as one of his preferred destinations when he demanded a trade from the Nets, but the Heat didn’t make a strong effort to acquire him, Shams Charania of The Athletic said in an appearance on the Stugotz podcast.
Heat officials believed it would cost too much of their roster to trade for Durant, added Charania, who said that the last contact between the two teams regarding Durant occurred either before or during Summer League.
Charania noted that Miami reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season and didn’t see a need for major changes. He pointed to hypothetical trades involving Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro or Adebayo, Max Strus and another player and asked whether that really gets Miami any closer to winning a title.
On top of that, any consideration of trading Adebayo would have been limited by the designated rookie extension rule, which would have prevented the Nets from having both him and Ben Simmons on their roster at the same time. A third team would have been needed to complete a deal, which made the prospects of a trade even less realistic.
Durant also was interested in joining the Suns, but Charania hears that Brooklyn didn’t want Deandre Ayton in return. Ayton became ineligible for a sign-and-trade this summer after Phoenix matched his offer sheet from the Pacers.
Charania said there were opportunities to deal Durant, but no one was willing to meet the Nets’ asking price. The Celtics wouldn’t part with Marcus Smart or Robert Williams along with Jaylen Brown, while the Raptors weren’t willing to include Scottie Barnes in trade talks. Charania said Brooklyn could have made a deal that was heavy on draft compensation with the Suns, Grizzlies or Timberwolves before they sent their assets to Utah for Rudy Gobert, but the Nets were only interested in trades that would keep them competitive.
- Jake LaRavia fizzled out during Summer League after sinking four three-pointers in his first game, but the Grizzlies aren’t concerned about his lack of production, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Kennedy Chandler was the only legitimate point guard on the team this summer, and the Grizzlies are confident that LaRavia will get plenty of open shots playing alongside Ja Morant.
Suns coach Monty Williams never discussed the Kevin Durant trade rumors with his players, he said during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio (hat tip to Dana Scott of the Arizona Republic).
“When I first heard about the Kevin Durant stuff, I was kind of blown away by it just because, you know, we’ve been so blessed here to have guys want to come,” Williams said. “At the same time, ‘At the expense of what?’ was my thinking. And I like our team. I love our guys. But I wasn’t going to have conversations that didn’t need to be had.”
Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder were among the names speculated as part of the talks between Brooklyn and Phoenix.
“I think our guys are mature enough to understand that part of our business,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to have conversations about stuff that didn’t need to be brought up.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Danny Green‘s contract may be the reason he makes the Grizzlies’ roster, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Green is on the roster bubble as he recovers from a torn ACL that will likely keep him out of action until at least the second half of the season. However, his expiring $10MM contract is one of the team’s best trade chips. Forward Killian Tillie may be the odd man out if Green isn’t traded, though he could still find his way onto the roster due to his shooting ability and position versatility.
- Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, declared out for the season due to a foot injury suffered during a pro-am event, is hardly the first high-profile rookie in that predicament, Drew Maresca of Basketball News notes. Joel Embiid, Blake Griffin, Nerlens Noel, Michael Porter Jr. and Ben Simmons were some of the other highly-touted prospects who had to sit out a full year due to injuries.
- The Jazz are reportedly trying to get the best offer for Donovan Mitchell prior to training camp and Sarah Todd of the Deseret News believes that’s a wise approach. She notes that Utah isn’t out to win this coming season, so there’s no reason to keep the All-Star on the roster, while the team that acquires him will want him to build chemistry with his new teammates. It would avoid the awkwardness of having Mitchell in their camp while trade rumors swirl.
Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.
This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.
We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Southwest Division. Let’s dive in…
Dallas Mavericks
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Marcus Bingham (Exhibit 10)
The Mavericks are carrying some role players on eight-figure contracts whose names will likely come up in trade rumors in the coming months, but there’s no need for the team to make any major moves before the regular season begins.
Given that team salary is well over the luxury tax line, Dallas could either add a 15th man or leave the spot empty for now — the club is more likely to fill its open two-way slot, with camp invitees like Gueye, Hall, and Wright perhaps vying for consideration.
Houston Rockets
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 18
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
The Rockets will have to trade or release at least three players before the regular season begins, but seem to be in no rush to make those moves quite yet.
Brown, Burke, and Chriss – all acquired from Dallas in the Christian Wood trade – are among the players whose roster spots are in jeopardy. If Houston wants Fernando and/or Cauley-Stein on its regular season roster, more than three players with guaranteed contracts will need to be let go.
Once the Rockets start parting ways with players on guaranteed salaries, they could fill out their 20-man offseason roster with camp invitees and perhaps one more two-way player.
Memphis Grizzlies
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Danny Green (partial guarantee)
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 3
- Keve Aluma (TBD), Jacob Gilyard (Exhibit 10), Dakota Mathias (Exhibit 10)
Green, who is recovering from a torn ACL and may not return until the spring, is the most obvious odd man out for the 15-man regular season roster, but it’s possible the Grizzlies have other plans. Green, whose $10MM expiring contract is already guaranteed for $6.96MM, could be useful as a trade chip or even as a rotation player in the playoffs if he’s able to make it back.
If they want to retain Green, the Grizzlies could look to make a minor trade involving a player like Santi Aldama, Killian Tillie, or Xavier Tillman to create room on the roster.
New Orleans Pelicans
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Jose Alvarado (partial guarantee)
- Unsigned draft picks: 1
- E.J. Liddell (No. 41)
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 3
- Izaiah Brockington (Exhibit 10), Daeqwon Plowden (Exhibit 10), Dereon Seabron (two-way)
The Pelicans made their big 2022 addition at the February trade deadline when they acquired McCollum, so it’s no surprise they’ve had a quiet offseason. Still, it’s almost been eerily quiet in New Orleans, with their second-round pick (Liddell) still unsigned, and a reported two-way agreement for Seabron still not finalized.
The Pelicans’ 15-man regular season roster, at least, looks pretty set — most of Alvarado’s minimum salary is guaranteed and he’d be a lock to make the team even if it wasn’t. So it’s mostly a matter of determining who will fill the two-way slots.
It’s possible those spots are simply earmarked for Liddell and Seabron, but Liddell tore his ACL during the Las Vegas Summer League, so the team may prefer he signs a G League contract and spends the season rehabilitating in Birmingham, while reserving a two-way slot for a player who can actually contribute on the court.
San Antonio Spurs
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 3
- Keita Bates-Diop, Tre Jones (partial guarantee), Alize Johnson (details unknown; may be Exhibit 10)
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Kyler Edwards (Exhibit 10), Tommy Kuhse (TBD)
With approximately $30MM in cap room still available, it’s possible the Spurs still have another move or two up their sleeves before the season begins.
For now, there’s a bit of a roster crunch, but if San Antonio were to trade, say, McDermott and Richardson to Los Angeles for Russell Westbrook and draft picks, then bought out Westbrook, that would create the roster flexibility necessary to carry Bates-Diop, Jones, and one more player (perhaps Johnson) in addition to the 12 others on guaranteed deals.
If the Spurs don’t make any trades and want to keep Bates-Diop and Jones, they’ll have to cut at least one player with a guaranteed salary.
- If the Jazz go into fire sale mode, there are several rotation players on their roster that could help the Grizzlies, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. That list includes wing Bojan Bogdanovic — who could slide in nicely alongside Ja Morant and Desmond Bane — as well shooting guard Malik Beasley and veteran power forward Rudy Gay.
The Grizzlies are showing interest in Kevin Durant and have made “new inquiries” on the Nets‘ star forward, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
As Charania writes within his round-up of the latest Durant-related rumors from around the NBA, the Grizzlies could include up to five first-round picks in a package for the two-time Finals MVP (their own 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029 selections, plus Golden State’s top-four protected 2024 pick). The team also has a bevy of young talent on its roster beyond star guard Ja Morant, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams, Brandon Clarke, Kennedy Chandler, and David Roddy.
However, according to Charania, Memphis hasn’t appeared inclined to offer Jackson or Bane (or, of course, Morant) in a deal for Durant, preferring to build an offer around their draft picks. Given that the Nets are reportedly seeking a win-now return for Durant, that sort of offer is unlikely to pique their interest, even if the picks are unprotected — those first-rounders may have to be rerouted to a third team that could send Brooklyn the kind of impact players the team is seeking.
While the Grizzlies are an intriguing new suitor for Durant, there are still a number of other teams in the mix. The Celtics, Raptors, and Heat remain among the most significant threats to land the 33-year-old, Charania says, though Toronto has continued to resist including Scottie Barnes and Miami has “yet to seriously engage” in any discussions involving Bam Adebayo. Boston, meanwhile, has been unwilling to include Marcus Smart or Robert Williams in addition to Jaylen Brown, Charania says.
The Suns also remain involved, offering up Mikal Bridges and a series of draft picks, according to Charania, but they appear to be behind those Eastern teams among Durant’s most serious suitors.
Charania identifies the Sixers, Bucks, Nuggets, and Pelicans as some of the other teams that have expressed interest in Durant, though he confirms that New Orleans deemed Brandon Ingram untouchable.
According to Charania, the Hawks also made an offer for Durant, putting John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and a draft pick on the table. The details of that pick are unclear, but Atlanta could trade its own 2023 and 2029 first-rounders or Sacramento’s lottery-protected 2024 pick.
Although Charania doesn’t specify exactly how the Nets felt about the Hawks’ offer, he says none of Brooklyn’s discussions have gained any serious traction. There are still five weeks before training camps get underway, which could be a fraught week for the Nets, assuming Durant remains on the roster — it’s unclear whether or not he’ll show up to camp if his trade request hasn’t been granted.
- The Grizzlies will be on national TV a franchise-record 18 times, notes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. They will be part of the NBA’s traditional showcases on both Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Day.
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the start of the upcoming season after offseason surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot, but an orthopedics doctor tells Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal that Jackson should be back to normal once he completes the rehab process.
Dr. Kenneth Jung, who specializes in foot and ankle fractures, notes that overuse is the most common cause of stress fractures. The broken bone normally takes six to eight weeks to fully heal, though Jung says it can sometimes be as long as three months. The Grizzlies expect Jackson to be sidelined for four to six months, which would have him ready to play sometime between November and January.
“Obviously once the bone heals, whether it takes two months or three months, then you’re starting to work back into basketball shape,” Jung explained. “That’s why they may have given themselves a little leeway, whether it’s four months or six months. He’s got to get built back up to be able to play an entire season. The other part is his body will de-condition somewhat while he’s letting the bone heal. You’re going to need some time to build that back up to get back onto the court.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan has decided to bypass an opportunity to play for Poland in the EuroBasket tournament, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Sochan, who didn’t play during Summer League after being placed in health and safety protocols, will focus on getting ready for his NBA debut. “After long discussions with the San Antonio Spurs, my agent and family, we decided that I should stay in San Antonio and continue preparing for my first season in the NBA, the most important and longest season of my career so far,” Sochan said in a statement released by the Polish Basketball Association.
- Rockets coach Stephen Silas shouldn’t have any concerns about job security heading into his third NBA season, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes in a mailbag column. Houston has posted the league’s worst record the past two years, but management still has faith in Silas to oversee the rebuilding process and was happy with the development of the team’s young players last season. Iko also notes that the front office allowed Silas free rein to build his coaching staff this summer.
- This could be a crucial season for Rockets big man Usman Garuba, Iko adds in the same piece. After injuries limited him to 24 games in his rookie season, a sprained left ankle prevented him from playing in Summer League. Garuba was a first-round pick last year and Houston would like to use him as a small-ball center off the bench, but he will have plenty of competition for that role.