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Atlantic Notes: Rajakovic, Boucher, Randle, Simmons

October 26th, 2023 at 9:01pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Raptors defeated the Timberwolves on Wednesday in the team’s opening game and new coach Darko Rajakovic‘s impact on Toronto was immediately apparent, writes The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. Even if things didn’t go perfectly, the Raptors tried to adhere to Rajakovic’s style, playing fast in transition, taking just 10 shots between the three-point line and the paint, and moving the ball.

There are still things the Raptors need to clean up, including the fact they scored just 97 points in the win, Koreen observes. But Rajakovic played 10 players and was quick to adapt his rotation as the game went on.

“I thought we still needed to play faster. What I mean by that is there were moments that we were coming past half court, and then we did not get into offense early enough and quickly enough,” Rajakovic said. “That’s something that we are still going to work on. It’s one of those things [where] we cannot just be watching each other. We’ve gotta be able to cut and drive and collapse [the opposing] defense and find open people.”

It’s been a long journey to Rajakovic’s first NBA win, as detailed in a lengthy piece from Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange. Despite that, he’s focusing on the now.

“I’m really staying with both feet on the ground,” Rajakovic said. “This is [an] amazing opportunity that I have to represent my country, to represent European basketball. But all I can do is my preparation for the next thing that is coming. I am struggling [against] making something really big out of it. I’m trying to stay with both feet on the ground and to be present.”

Rajakovic began his coaching career at 16 years old as a youth coach before coaching in Spain, the then-NBA D-League, and eventually as an assistant in the NBA, where he had stints with the Thunder, Suns and Grizzlies.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Grange further explores Rajakovic’s path to becoming the Raptors head coach, interviewing several of his former players. “I love picking apart the game, IQ-wise, and he has an extremely, extremely high basketball IQ,” current Wizards and former Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones said. “In games, practices, whenever we had a chance. He loves the game … and knows how to get the best out of people. I love Darko.” I recommend checking out Grange’s piece in full here.
Koreen notes that Chris Boucher was the odd man out of Rajakovic’s 10-man rotation on Wednesday, with Jalen McDaniels, Malachi Flynn and Gradey Dick the last three off the bench for the Raptors.
Knicks forward Julius Randle technically left money on the table two years ago by signing a four-year extension worth up to $117MM, as he would have been eligible to sign a five-year, $207MM deal by waiting a year, writes the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. Then again, he had a disappointing 2021/22 season following a ’20/21 season in which he was All-NBA Second Team and would’ve been eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2022, so he may not have earned as much money by waiting anyway. Regardless, Randle has no regrets and is happy with the direction his decision sent the front office in. “I’ve always said, I want to win a championship here. Bring a championship here,” Randle said.
Nets guard Ben Simmons finished with 10 rebounds and nine assists in Brooklyn’s opener, looking effective for most of the night, The New York Post’s Brian Lewis writes. Even still, Simmons was benched in the fourth quarter of Brooklyn’s loss to the Cavaliers. Ultimately, head coach Jacque Vaughn played Dennis Smith Jr. over Simmons in crunch time. “Overall [Smith] was a part of that stretch that really got us back in the game,” Vaughn said. “It was the physicality which he played with that kind of permeated through the group.“

New York Notes: Quickley, Knicks, DSJ, Bazley, Dinwiddie, Claxton

October 25th, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks had interest in signing Immanuel Quickley to a rookie scale extension prior to Monday’s deadline, but the two sides were too far apart to bridge the gap, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.

An extension for Quickley would have made him more difficult to trade during the 2023/24 season due to the poison pill provision, but New York wasn’t worried about that, per Katz, since the team doesn’t anticipate any superstars will become available on the trade market before next summer. Presumably, the club would only consider including Quickley in a trade package for that caliber of player.

For his part, Quickley said on Tuesday that he has no concerns about playing out his contract year, and that he won’t let the business side of the game distract from his play on the court, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“Contract, no contract: I’m here for the season,” Quickley said. “I’m here for the team to try to be the best version that I can each and every day. To try to dominate. That’s why I’m here.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

Amid the latest round of rumors linking the Knicks to high-profile potential trade targets, head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Tuesday that he’s happy with the group he has, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required). “That’s for you guys,” Thibodeau said of the trade speculation. “You know, it’s all rumors. That’s part of the NBA now. Obviously, we’re not dealing with any hypotheticals. We love the guys we have. Leon (Rose)‘s job is to survey the league, which he does. He and his staff are on top of everything. So if there’s something at the end of the day that can make the team better we’ll take a look at it. But if not, just keep going forward. We love the guys we have and just focus on our improvement and getting ready to play day by day.”
Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr., who was battling a sprained ankle in the preseason, has been removed from the team’s injury report and should be ready to go for its regular season opener on Wednesday, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Although the Nets are one of two NBA teams with an open two-way slot, they won’t be able to use it to re-sign Darius Bazley, whose four years of NBA experience make him ineligible for a two-way contract, notes Lewis. “I do think Darius Bazley will have a place in this league,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said of the big man, who was in camp with Brooklyn until he was waived last Thursday. “I enjoyed coaching him. He’s still a young dude that can still play in this league and I was able to tell him that face-to-face.”
Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Spencer Dinwiddie said his expectations this season for the Nets are to “make the playoffs and roll the dice from there and see how far we can take it.” Dinwiddie also expressed confidence in Ben Simmons‘ ability to have a bounce-back season and – perhaps most interestingly – weighed in on what Nic Claxton‘s contract as a 2024 free agent might look like. The Nets guard projected a four-year deal in the range of $70-110MM for Claxton.

Sixers Rumors: Embiid, Knicks, Harden, Morey, Smart

October 24th, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NBA are paying close attention to how James Harden‘s stalemate with the Sixers gets resolved, since failing to extract a fair return for the former MVP could adversely affect the franchise’s relationship with its other former MVP, Joel Embiid. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details (subscription required), the division-rival Knicks are one team keeping an eye on the situation in Philadelphia.

Sources tell Pompey that acquiring Embiid would be the top priority for Knicks president Leon Rose if the star center becomes available and that New York would be willing to offer three of Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, and Evan Fournier, along with two or three first-round picks.

Pompey himself acknowledges that the Sixers would likely get stronger offers than that for Embiid and wouldn’t want to trade him to another Atlantic team anyway. It’s a moot point for now, since there’s no indication Embiid will be available for trade anytime soon.

Still, Pompey stresses that the way the 76ers settle the Harden standoff could have a ripple effect on their superstar center, and the Knicks aren’t the only team monitoring the situation to see what happens. Meanwhile, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that Embiid is one of at least three potential star trade targets the Knicks are surveilling, along with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

As of Monday afternoon, it remained unclear “when and if” Harden plans to return to Philadelphia, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (Twitter video link). “The organization has taken him at his word that he’s away on a personal matter, that there is something he has to attend to,” Wojnarowski said. “But how long will they do that is certainly a question.”
Wojnarowski suggests that if Harden still hasn’t reported back to the team by its regular season opener on Thursday, it’s possible the 76ers will seek ” more clarity and a timetable” for his return. They’d would be within their rights to fine him $390K for each missed game if they’re not satisfied with his answer, Woj adds.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Monday that he has been in touch with Harden during his absence, Pompey writes for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I did reach out to him the other day … just to text like I would with anybody,” Nurse said. “See how he’s doing. See if he’s all right. He did text me back.” Nurse added that he didn’t get into the specifics of Harden’s potential return during his text exchange with the guard, since he “was just making sure he’s OK.”
Some people around the league who spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com don’t envy the spot the Sixers and Daryl Morey are in with Harden. One front office source speculated that Morey is “not going to survive this.” Another source who has been in contact with the Clippers and other teams told Bulpett, “Daryl’s trying to steal people in trades, and nobody’s going for it. First thing, Harden’s not the same guy he was three or four years ago, so his market’s not that great. And Morey’s trying to get so much, but he’s not going to get it.”
Javonte Smart, who had his Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way deal over the weekend, spoke to reporters on Monday about getting a regular season opportunity with the team (Twitter video link via Pompey). Smart indicated that if the Sixers want him to play primarily with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, he’ll view that as a chance to get regular playing time and to “get better.”

Three Players On Exhibit 9 Contracts Make Opening Night Rosters

October 24th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

As we explain in a glossary entry, Exhibit 9 contracts are generally handed out by NBA teams to players who will only be with the team during training camp and/or the preseason.

The Exhibit 9 clause protects the team in case the player suffers an injury before the season begins. In that scenario, the club wouldn’t have to pay him his full salary until he gets healthy enough to play — it would only have to pay a maximum lump sum of $15K when it waives the player.

While most Exhibit 9 signees were released in advance of the regular season, three NBA veterans who signed Exhibit 9 contracts survived the cut and made their respective teams’ regular season rosters. Here are those three players:

Ryan Arcidiacono (Knicks)
Harry Giles (Nets)
Lamar Stevens (Celtics)

Note: Hornets guard Edmond Sumner was initially included in this list, but Charlotte waived him on Tuesday ahead of its season opener.

These three players will now be on one-year, minimum-salary contracts that will remain non-guaranteed until January 10. In order to secure their full-season salaries, they’ll have to stay under contract beyond January 7 (a player cut on Jan. 8 or 9 wouldn’t clear waivers prior to the league-wide salary guarantee date of Jan. 10).

As our list of non-guaranteed contracts by team shows, Arcidiacono, Giles, and Stevens are three of the 31 players on standard deals whose salaries for the 2023/24 season aren’t fully guaranteed.

Several of these players will receive partial guarantees by remaining on rosters through the start of the regular season, and a few more have November or December trigger dates that will increase their guarantees. However, none of those 31 players will lock in their full salary until Jan. 10.

Here are a few more items of interest about the NBA’s opening night rosters for ’23/24, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link):

The Spurs have the NBA’s youngest roster, while the Clippers have the oldest.
Players are earning a combined total salary of $4.8 billion for the 2023/24 season. The Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Sixers, and Suns are the biggest contributors to that pool, as they’re all currently over the luxury tax line.
As our roster counts page shows, there are 12 open spots on standard 15-man rosters around the NBA. Those openings belong to the Celtics, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors (two), Lakers, Heat, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, and Kings.
The Nets and the Suns are the only two teams that haven’t filled all three of their two-way slots, as our tracker shows. They’re each carrying a pair of two-way players, meaning 88 of the 90 spots around the league are occupied.

Duane Washington Jr. Signs Two-Way Deal With Knicks

October 24th, 2023 at 6:40am CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 24: Washington’s two-way contract with the Knicks is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

OCTOBER 22: The Knicks plan to bring back Duane Washington Jr. to fill their open two-way slot, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link). The 23-year-old combo guard was waived Saturday along with three other players.

New York converted Dylan Windler from a two-way deal to a standard contract on Saturday, creating the vacancy. Washington must go through waivers before being re-signed, but once that happens, the team will have a full roster with 15 standard deals and all three of its two-way spots filled.

Washington joined the Knicks on a two-way contract in late February, but didn’t see any game action. He was waived in July and then re-signed to a non-guaranteed training camp deal five days later.

Washington spent time with the Pacers and Suns after going undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021. He holds career averages of 9.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 79 career games.

Maxey, Quickley, Williams Among Players Who Didn’t Sign Extensions

October 23rd, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

An unusual number of players who were eligible to sign rookie scale extensions prior to Monday’s deadline inked new deals. A total of 14 players received rookie scale extensions in 2023, blowing away the previous single-year record of 11.

However, nearly half of the 27 eligible players didn’t sign a contract and thus will head to restricted free agency, if they are extended qualifying offers by their respective teams after the season. Otherwise, they’ll be unrestricted free agents next summer.

Perhaps the biggest name on the list is Sixers star guard Tyrese Maxey, though that comes with an asterisk. The Sixers front office and Maxey mutually agreed to put off an extension so that Philadelphia could maximize its cap room next summer.

Immanuel Quickley and Patrick Williams are two of the other big-time names on the list who didn’t reach agreements with their teams. While the Knicks and Quickley’s reps — as well as the Bulls and Williams’ reps — held extension talks as the deadline neared, they couldn’t come to terms on the numbers.

Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn (Raptors), Saddiq Bey (Hawks), James Wiseman and Killian Hayes (Pistons), Kira Lewis (Pelicans), Chuma Okeke (Magic), Isaac Okoro (Cavaliers), Aleksej Pokusevski (Thunder) and Obi Toppin (Pacers) are the other eligible players who didn’t sign extensions.

A full list of the players who did, or did not, sign rookie scale extensions this offseason can be found here.

Knicks Convert Dylan Windler To Standard Contract

October 21st, 2023 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have converted Dylan Windler from a two-way deal to a standard contract, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. The contract covers one season and is non-guaranteed, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. It’ll be worth the minimum salary.

The Cavaliers selected Windler with the 26th pick in the 2019 draft, but he missed his first season with a leg injury and was never able to carve out a consistent role, averaging 3.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 84 games. He dealt with injuries through much of that time and appeared in just three games last season.

Cleveland opted not to give Windler a qualifying offer this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. The 27-year-old small forward signed with New York in July after spending his first four NBA seasons with the Cavaliers.

Windler will get a chance to revive his career in New York after earning a roster spot. He appeared in just one preseason game, going scoreless in about six minutes of action.

The Knicks now have 15 players on standard contracts, including DaQuan Jeffries and Ryan Arcidiacono, whose deals are also non-guaranteed. The team also has a two-way opening after converting Charlie Brown and Jacob Toppin to two-way contracts earlier today.

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Quickley, Robinson, Randle

October 21st, 2023 at 9:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

RJ Barrett expects to benefit from the experience of representing Canada in this summer’s World Cup, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Barrett was one of the top scorers for the Canadian team as he helped lead his nation to a third-place finish and its first-ever medal in the event.

Instead of easing into the preseason after an active summer, Barrett hasn’t slowed down, Popper adds. He played in three of New York’s four games and led the team in both scoring and minutes per night.

“I feel great, even in the preseason games,” Barrett said. “We’re getting back to learning how to play together and stuff. But with just conditioning-wise and everything, I feel really good. So I’m excited.”

There’s more from New York:

Jalen Brunson is impressed with the way Immanuel Quickley has been able to separate basketball from business, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Monday is the last day that Quickley can sign a rookie scale extension, but Brunson said it’s not distracting him from his work on the court. “That speaks to Quick’s character,” Brunson said. “… Quick has been coming in every day to do his job. He’s had a great attitude, and I was in a similar position when I was in Dallas. He’s mentally ready to go. And that’s all you can ask of him. He’s been a true professional. I just know he’ll stay that way.”
Mitchell Robinson was a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable preseason for the Knicks, Botte adds in another story for the Post. New York was uncharacteristically bad on defense, surrendering 125 points per game while dropping its final three contests. However, Robinson provided a steady presence in the middle with four blocks and seven steals in four games. He also averaged 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per night while shooting 80% from the field.
In an interview with MSG Network this week, Julius Randle explained why he played through a left ankle injury in the playoffs that forced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery in June, relays Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “It is frustrating but if I’m out there I’m not having any type of excuses,” Randle said. “Regardless, at the end of the day, we failed, I failed. And at the end of the day I had to get surgery, but what it allowed me to do, is it allowed me to slow down, to take a step back, to reevaluate, not just myself, the team and everything. It allowed me to sit back and say, ‘All right, now that your pity party is over and you’re upset about losing and not being at your best or whatever it is, now how do you get better?’”

Knicks Release Diakite, Goodwin, Roby, Washington

October 21st, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks have waived Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr., the team announced (via Twitter).

Diakite, Goodwin and Roby were all signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, which means they could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days the Knicks’ NBA G League affiliate in Westchester.

Washington, on the other hand, was signed to an Exhibit 9 contract. That means he would not be eligible for a bonus if he clears waivers and plays for the Westchester Knicks in 2023/24.

All four players have NBA experience, but were unable to make the Knicks’ regular season roster. Diakite, a 6’9″ forward/center who was born in Guinea, has appeared in 49 NBA games with the Bucks, Thunder and Cavs over the past three seasons.

Goodwin, 28, is a 6’0″ point guard who played 133 regular season games with the Nuggets, Hawks and Cavs from 2018-22. He was out of the league last season.

Roby, 25, spent most of last season with the Spurs, appearing in 42 games and averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per night before being released in early March. He spent his first three NBA seasons with Oklahoma City.

Roby signed a multiyear contract with the Knicks on the final day of the 2022/23 regular season that was non-guaranteed for ’23/24. He was recently cut, cleared waivers, and re-signed; now he has been waived again to secure his Exhibit 10 bonus.

A 6’3″ guard who went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021, Washington spent the past two seasons with the Pacers, Suns and Knicks on two-way deals. He never actually played a game for New York, which waived him in July before re-signing him to a non-guaranteed training camp deal.

By waiving the four players and converting Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin to two-way deals, it appears as though DaQuan Jeffries and Ryan Arcidiacono may have made the Knicks’ opening-night roster. Both players were on non-guaranteed camp contracts.

New York is now down to 17 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

Knicks Convert Charlie Brown Jr., Jacob Toppin To Two-Way Deals

October 21st, 2023 at 3:26pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks have converted Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin to two-way deals, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The moves are official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

Both players were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, and New York had a couple of open two-way spots after waiving Nathan Knight and Jaylen Martin. That means no corresponding moves were necessary in order to promote Brown and Toppin.

Brown, 26, has appeared in a total of 41 NBA regular season games for the Hawks, Thunder, Mavericks, and Sixers since 2019, but wasn’t in the league last year, having spent the season with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate. He averaged 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for a Delaware Blue Coats team that won the 2022/23 G League championship.

Following his stint in Delaware, the 6’6″ wing caught on with the Knicks for Summer League play in July. He was a standout in four games in Las Vegas, averaging 19.8 PPG and 6.3 RPG with a shooting line of .547/.375/.800.

Toppin, meanwhile, went undrafted in June out of Kentucky. The 6’9″ forward averaged a career-best 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game for the Wildcats as a senior in 2022/23, earning a starting role and averaging 31.4 MPG in 33 appearances.

Interestingly, it was initially reported that Toppin would receive a two-way contract, but he actually signed an Exhibit 10 deal. Now, the 23-year-old has wound up on a two-way deal after all.

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Toppin impressed head coach Tom Thibodeau with his defense during preseason action (Twitter link). Toppin is the younger brother of former Knicks forward Obi Toppin, who was traded to the Pacers this summer.