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Pacific Notes: Vanderbilt, LeBron, Bronny, Clippers, Valley Suns

September 7th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The foot issue that sidelined Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt for most of last season may not have improved during the summer, analyst Mike Bresnahan said on Spectrum SportsNet’s “Lakeshow” podcast (hat tip to Lakers Nation). Vanderbilt, who became the team’s starting power forward after being acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, was limited to 29 games last season and didn’t play at all after February 1.

“Vando is gonna be interesting,” Bresnahan said. “I’m not sure he’ll be ready for training camp or even for the preseason games. It’s a foot injury. He opted not to have a procedure in-season when he got hurt in February. So we’ll see if he’s ready to go. I don’t have a lot of details on it but I’m not sure he’ll be ready for training camp. Regular season is a different story, hopefully he’s ready by then. But nothing concrete on him yet.”

Vanderbilt suffered a right midfoot sprain midway through the season and was never able to return. He received medical clearance for the final game of L.A.’s playoff series, but didn’t see any action.

The Lakers invested heavily in Vanderbilt last summer, signing him to a four-year, $48MM extension. They were counting on an offseason of rest to fix the problems with his foot, but it sounds like that didn’t go as planned. Vanderbilt was used mostly in a reserve role last season, contributing 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20 minutes per night.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • On the latest episode of “The Shop” podcast, LeBron James talks about the thrill of being the first NBA player ever to team up with his son (hat tip to Silver Screen and Roll). The Lakers took Bronny James with a second-round pick after one season at USC. “I am so excited for training camp,” LeBron said. “Having your son work with you, it’s like the greatest thing. I can’t wait for this moment. I really cannot wait to hit the floor for him. It’s going to be pretty surreal for me. That might be the first time I sit back and, like, out of my whole career, finally get an opportunity to sit back and be like, ‘Oh s–t, this is really cool.’”
  • The Clippers are receiving $750K to hold training camp and an exhibition game in Honolulu, according to Duane Shimogawa of Island News. He cites public records showing that the Hawaiian Tourism Authority will receive several marketing opportunities with the team and will be named an official partner of the L.A. Clippers. In addition, Clippers officials will conduct several community events during camp, which begins October 1 and wraps up with a game against the Warriors October 5.
  • Brendan Sabean, general manager of the G League’s newest team, the Valley Suns, talks to PHNX Sports about the challenges of trying to assemble a roster from scratch.
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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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New York Notes: Randle, Knicks, Martin, Etienne

September 6th, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Knicks power forward Julius Randle has struggled to stay healthy during New York’s last two playoff appearances, and questions have long lingered about his fit on Tom Thibodeau‘s team.

With All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson now clearly the Knicks’ top offensive option and the team missing center depth, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report pitches an intriguing hypothetical three-team deal involving Randle.

Pincus proposes that the Knicks send Randle and reserve center Jericho Sims to the Hornets and a pair of heavily protected 2025 first-round picks to the Wizards. In Pincus’ suggested deal, the Knicks would acquire floor-spacing combo forward Grant Williams and bouncy center Nick Richards while generating a pair of trade exceptions. Charlotte would also acquire Corey Kispert and Marvin Bagley while Washington would add Josh Green and Cody Martin in Pincus’ hypothetical.

There’s more out of New York:

  • The Knicks could still be on the hunt for a reserve center, Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes in a new mailbag. New York previously explored signing Omer Yurtseven and Bruno Fernando, both of whom ended up elsewhere.
  • Heading into the 2024/25 season, the Knicks have one final standard roster spot available. Sources tell Begley that it appears unlikely New York will bring back reserve point guard Ryan Arcidiacono for that spot. The Knicks may instead look to see if anyone stands out in training camp enough to warrant becoming the club’s 15th man.
  • The Nets‘ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, have traded their 2025 first- and second-round draft picks to the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves‘ NBAGL squad, in exchange for the returning player rights to forward Tyrese Martin. Across 33 contests (28 starts), the 6’6″ wing averaged 17.8 points, 8.0 boards, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals.
  • Long Island has been active this week. The Nets‘ NBAGL team also shipped out the returning player rights to forward Kaiser Gates to the Hawks‘ G League team, the College Park Skyhawks, to obtain the returning rights for guard Tyson Etienne. In 51 regular season games with the Skyhawks from 2022-24, Etienne averaged 7.6 points on .444/.356/.722 shooting splits, plus 3.5 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 0.7 steals per night.
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Quinton Crawford Joining Kings As G League Head Coach

September 6th, 2024 at 4:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Kings are hiring longtime NBA assistant coach Quinton Crawford to guide their G League affiliate in Stockton, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

After reaching the Sweet Sixteen with the Arizona Wildcats as a guard, Crawford transitioned to the coaching side with Pepperdine in 2013/14, serving as the club’s graduate manager and video coordinator. He subsequently worked as an assistant video coordinator with the Kings, then had assistant coaching jobs with the Hornets, Magic, Lakers, Mavericks, and – most recently – the Suns in 2023/24.

A frequent flyer under head coach Frank Vogel, Crawford won a championship on Vogel’s staff with the 2019/20 Lakers. All told, Crawford served under Vogel in Orlando, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Last year’s Vogel-led Suns run was fairly short-lived. Despite fielding three multi-time All-Stars in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Phoenix finished with just the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed and a 49-33 record. The Suns were quickly swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Timberwolves. Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia quickly jettisoned Vogel and his staff, bringing in the man who beat the Suns in the 2021 Finals, ex-Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Under former head coach Lindsey Harding, the Stockton Kings went 24-10 in G League regular season play, earning the West’s No. 1 seed. Stockton bested the Santa Cruz Warriors before falling to the Oklahoma City Blue. For her efforts, Harding won G League Coach of the Year honors and now is an assistant coach on J.J. Redick‘s Lakers staff.

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And-Ones: Toscano-Anderson, Shackelford, Roberson, Beverley

September 5th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Juan Toscano-Anderson is playing for G League United at the third annual NBA G League Fall Invitational this month. The veteran wing is hoping for another NBA opportunity, he told Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“I want to show teams that if they were to pick me up, I can enhance the team atmosphere as a player but also as a teammate in the locker room,” Toscano-Anderson said.

He appeared in 11 games with the Kings last season and spent much of the year playing for the Mexico City Capitanes.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

  • In other G League news, the Valley Suns received the returning player rights to guard Jaden Shackelford from the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League team, in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick, the Suns’ G League team tweets. The Thunder signed and waived Shackelford last October and he spent the season with the Blue.
  • Former NBA swingman Andre Roberson has signed with the French club Cholet, according to Eurohoops.net. Roberson spent most of his NBA career with the Thunder and most recently played five games with Brooklyn in 2020/21. Earlier this year, he participated in an international tournament in Dubai with former NBA players and, in July, took part in the TBT tournament in Louisville.
  • Patrick Beverley is getting the superstar treatment with Hapoel Tel Aviv. The longtime NBA guard says he feels like LeBron James after appearing in a preseason game in Belgrade, Basketnews.com relays. “I know how LeBron feels. I leave games, and the guys that I play against want pictures. Coaches that I play against want pictures,” Beverley said on his podcast. “The fans that I go against, they boo me, I leave out and it’s 30 kids outside, and they all want pictures. And this is every country we go to.” Beverley agreed to play with the Israeli team in July after finishing last season with the Bucks.
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Eastern Notes: Larsson, Johnson, McConnell, Ivey, Sasser, Long Island Nets

September 3rd, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat second-round pick Pelle Larsson and two-way rookie Keshad Johnson were teammates at Arizona. The Wildcats head coach believes they’ll fit right in with the Heat culture, he told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“I think one of the things that makes them impressive prospects is they’re both wired and willing to be great role players,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “You know, 100 percent of their focus is going to be contributing to the team’s overall success. These aren’t like shoot first, ask questions later type of guys. So they’re going to give you a well-rounded effort on both ends of the floor. On offense, they’re going to play their role and stay in their lane. Then defensively and in all the effort areas, they’re going to max that stuff out.”

Larsson looked like he could quickly contribute. During Summer League competition, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He signed a three-year contract starting at the rookie minimum.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • T.J. McConnell‘s four-year extension with the Pacers includes a partial guarantee in the third year of the contract and a team option in the final season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The four-year, $44.8MM extension breaks down like this — $10.2MM in 2025/26; $11MM in  2026/27; $11.8MM ($5MM partial guarantee) in 2027/28; and a $11.8MM team option in 2028/29.
  • Though Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser are not natural point guards, The Athletic’s James Edwards believes one of them will back up Cade Cunningham rather than the Pistons making another roster move. Adding a free agent point guard would take away some of their playing time and the Pistons already brought in Tim Hardaway Jr. via trade and Malik Beasley via free agency. That duo will likely soak up a lot of minutes at shooting guard.
  • The NBA G League’s Long Island Nets will play six home games at in Montreal, two each in January, February and March, NetsDaily.com relays. Most of the team’s games are held at Nassau Coliseum. It’s speculated that the club is looking to extend its brand internationally.
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And-Ones: Rondo, Free Agency, Centers, USA 3×3 U23 Men

September 3rd, 2024 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Rajon Rondo avoided jail time with a plea deal related to an unlawful possession of a gun charge in Indiana, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports relays via a report from Indiana’s WDRB. Rondo was arrested in Indiana in January for unlawful possession of a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana.

Rondo pled guilty to misdemeanor unlawful possession of a firearm and was given probation as part of the deal. The charges of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were dismissed. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, which was suspended. Rondo was also credited for two days of time served, and put on probation for 180 days.

Rondo, who had a 16-year NBA career, confirmed his retirement in April.

We have more from the basketball world:

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NBA G League Announces Schedule For 2024/25 Season

September 3rd, 2024 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League has officially revealed its schedule for the 2024/25 season, per a press release.

As usual, the regular season won’t begin until after Christmas, with the league holding a separate event in the fall leading up to its Winter Showcase in December. In the past, this 16-game fall event has been known as the Showcase Cup. It has been rebranded this year as the Tip-Off Tournament.

The Tip-Off Tournament, which begins on Friday, November 8, will see the league’s teams split into four regions. Each team will play 14 games and the four clubs with the best winning percentage in each region, along with the next four best teams from any region, will advance to the single-elimination championship tournament at the Winter Showcase in Orlando from December 19-22.

The G League’s regular season will consist of 34 games and will run from Friday, Dec. 27 to Saturday, March 29. The top six teams from each conference will make the postseason and compete in the G League playoffs in the spring.

There will be 31 teams in the NBAGL for the upcoming season, matching last season’s record. However, with the debut of the expansion Valley Suns, this will be the first season in which all 30 NBA franchises have their own G League affiliates. Following the folding of the G League Ignite, the only unaffiliated club left in the league is the Mexico City Capitanes.

While Phoenix’s G League team is the only new addition to the league, the Clippers‘ affiliate has relocated and rebranded ahead of the 2024/25 season. Formerly known as the Ontario Clippers, the club is now the San Diego Clippers and will play its home games at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, rather than the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif.

Here’s the full list of G League teams for the 2024/25 season:

  1. Atlanta Hawks: College Park Skyhawks
  2. Boston Celtics: Maine Celtics
  3. Brooklyn Nets: Long Island Nets
  4. Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm
  5. Chicago Bulls: Windy City Bulls
  6. Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland Charge
  7. Dallas Mavericks: Texas Legends
  8. Denver Nuggets: Grand Rapids Gold
  9. Detroit Pistons: Motor City Cruise
  10. Golden State Warriors: Santa Cruz Warriors
  11. Houston Rockets: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
  12. Indiana Pacers: Indiana Mad Ants
  13. Los Angeles Clippers: San Diego Clippers
  14. Los Angeles Lakers: South Bay Lakers
  15. Memphis Grizzlies: Memphis Hustle
  16. Miami Heat: Sioux Falls Skyforce
  17. Milwaukee Bucks: Wisconsin Herd
  18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Iowa Wolves
  19. New Orleans Pelicans: Birmingham Squadron
  20. New York Knicks: Westchester Knicks
  21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City Blue
  22. Orlando Magic: Osceola Magic
  23. Philadelphia 76ers: Delaware Blue Coats
  24. Phoenix Suns: Valley Suns
  25. Portland Trail Blazers: Rip City Remix
  26. Sacramento Kings: Stockton Kings
  27. San Antonio Spurs: Austin Spurs
  28. Toronto Raptors: Raptors 905
  29. Utah Jazz: Salt Lake City Stars
  30. Washington Wizards: Capital City Go-Go
  31. No NBA affiliation: Mexico City Capitanes
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G League Notes: Simpson, Boeheim, McGowens, More

September 2nd, 2024 at 3:15pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hornets‘, Pistons‘, Spurs‘ and Thunder‘s G League affiliates completed a four-team trade, according to a release (Twitter link) and the G League transactions log.

In the trade, the Greensboro Swarm (Hornets) obtained the returning player rights to both Zavier Simpson and Caleb McConnell. The Motor City Cruise (Pistons) acquired RaiQuan Gray‘s rights, along with OKC’s 2025 second-round pick. The Austin Spurs got the rights to Nathan Mensah while the Oklahoma City Blue obtained Buddy Boeheim‘s.

Acquiring a player’s returning G League rights doesn’t necessarily mean that player will suit up for his new team. These trades ensure that if a player signs an NBAGL contract, he will play for the club that acquired his rights. When deals occur at this point in the offseason, they’re often precursors to players signing Exhibit 10 contracts with the parent club, lining them up to receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K if they’re waived and then spent at least 60 days in the G League.

This deal appears to be for exactly those purposes, at least in part. Mensah and Boeheim reportedly agreed to training camp deals with the Spurs and Thunder, respectively, so these trades indicate those agreements will be completed soon. Mensah played in 25 games for the Hornets last season, averaging 1.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest. Boeheim played two seasons with the Pistons, appearing in 20 games and averaging 2.5 PPG.

The other names in the trade are interesting. Simpson played in Summer League with the Hornets but previous reporting from HoopsHype indicated he was set to head overseas this season. He may very well still be doing that, but Charlotte clearly likes him. Gray, meanwhile, was traded while on a two-way contract to the Bulls before being waived.

Simpson has 11 games of NBA experience, averaging 7.8 points and 5.0 assists. McConnell, a former Rutgers player, also played for Charlotte in Summer League. While he hasn’t yet appeared in an NBA game, he suited up for 47 G League contests and averaged 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds last season. Gray played parts of two seasons with the Nets and then Spurs, averaging 9.8 points in his four games.

We have more from the G League:

  • The Cruise and Spurs participated in another multi-team trade, with Motor City acquiring the rights to Javante McCoy and Reggie Kissoonlal along with unspecified draft capital, according to the log and a team release (Twitter link). Austin obtained the rights to Isaiah Miller and Jaylen Johnson, while the Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) got a 2025 first round pick and Jayce Johnson. None of those players have yet agreed to sign Exhibit 10 deals, but as teams start fielding their training camp rosters, they’ll be names to monitor. All players involved have previously participated in training camps with NBA teams.
  • The Long Island Nets and Cleveland Charge completed their own trade, with the rights to Trey McGowens heading to Cleveland in exchange for Tray Maddox‘s rights (Twitter link). McGowens signed an Exhibit 10 with Brooklyn last season and averaged 10.1 points in 16 G League games last season. Maddox, a Western Michigan product who went undrafted in 2023, averaged 6.1 PPG last season for the Charge.
  • In case you missed it, Lonnie Walker IV signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Celtics and may end up playing for their G League affiliate this season, at least to begin the year.
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Blazers Assistant GM Oliva Named Head Coach Of Rip City Remix

August 27th, 2024 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

A Trail Blazers assistant general manager is moving from the front office to the sidelines for the coming season, according to the team, which announced today that Sergi Oliva has been named the new head coach of the team’s G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix (Twitter link).

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) and Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report reported the move ahead of the official announcement. Oliva is replacing Jim Moran, the former Rip City head coach who left the organization this offseason for a job with the Kings.

As Highkin explains, the Trail Blazers, with support from head coach Chauncey Billups, want to implement “new developmental strategies” at their G League affiliate that they feel will benefit the franchise in the long term. Oliva will lead those efforts.

While he has been a basketball operations executive since arriving in Portland in 2022, Oliva has previous coaching experience under Quin Snyder in Utah and Brett Brown in Philadelphia. His role with the Sixers was a dual coaching/front office position, Highkin notes.

According to Wojnarowski, the expectation is that Oliva will resume his assistant GM role with the Blazers at the end of the 2024/25 G League season, so the Remix will be in the market for a new coach at that time.

Justin Minaya and Bryce McGowens are currently on two-way contracts with Portland and figure to be regular contributors for Rip City this season. Henri Drell, who is on an Exhibit 10 deal, and Yongxi Cui, who reportedly reached an Exhibit 10 agreement with the Blazers, are other candidates to suit up for the Remix.

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