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Hornets Exercise Mark Williams’ 2024/25 Option, Decline Bouknight’s

October 31st, 2023 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are exercising their 2024/25 rookie scale team option on center Mark Williams, but will decline James Bouknight‘s fourth-year option for the same season, reports Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

The decision on Williams was a given. The 15th pick in the 2022 draft, he emerged as Charlotte’s starting center down the stretch of his rookie season and has carried over that role to 2023/24. Through three games this season, Williams is averaging 11.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per night.

Williams’ $4,094,280 salary for 2024/25 is now fully guaranteed. The Hornets will have to decide a year from now on his $6,276,531 team option for ’25/26.

It’s far rarer for rookie scale team options to be declined, but it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that Charlotte will pass on Bouknight’s $6,064,496 salary for ’24/25.

The 23-year-old, who was drafted 11th overall in 2021, has failed to establish himself as a regular rotation player in Charlotte through two NBA seasons, averaging 5.1 points per game on .353/.316/.770 shooting in 65 appearances (12.6 MPG).

Bouknight has also had some legal troubles since becoming a Hornet and is currently recovering from surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee, so he didn’t get an opportunity in the preseason to show he deserves a longer look in Steve Clifford‘s rotation this fall.

The option decision on Bouknight means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. The Hornets – or whichever team has Bouknight on its roster at season’s end – won’t be able to offer him a starting salary that exceeds his declined option salary of $6,064,496, though rival suitors would have the ability to go higher. Barring a major turnaround from the former UConn standout, those higher offers seem unlikely to materialize.

As our tracker shows, the Hornets only picked up one of their three 2024/25 rookie scale team options. Kai Jones‘ option was also turned down when he was waived by Charlotte earlier this month, meaning neither of the team’s 2021 first-rounders will finish his rookie contract.

Kendrick Nunn Signs With Panathinaikos

October 31st, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

10:56am: Panathinaikos has made it official, announcing in a press release that Nunn has signed with the team through the end of the 2023/24 season.

9:46am: Free agent guard Kendrick Nunn has reportedly agreed to sign with the Greek team Panathinaikos.

Team owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced in an Instagram story (Twitter video link) that Nunn would be joining Panathinaikos, as BasketNews.com relays. According to Alexandros Trigas of Sport24.com, Nunn will receive a rest-of-season deal that will be worth in the neighborhood of 1.5 to 2 million Euros.

Nunn, 28, has spent the last four seasons in the NBA, playing in 193 total regular season games for the Heat, Lakers, and Wizards. A knee injury during his first year in Los Angeles sidelined him for the entire 2021/22 season. While that injury derailed his career to some extent, the former undrafted free agent returned last season and appeared in 70 games for L.A. and Washington.

Nunn got off to a slow start in 2022/23, but finished strong after being traded to D.C. in the Rui Hachimura deal. In 31 games as a Wizard, he averaged 7.5 points and 1.8 assists in 14.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .447/.392/.900.

That solid second half wasn’t enough to earn Nunn a spot on an NBA roster this fall, however. Rumors linking him to European teams – including Olympiacos and Olimpia Milano – persisted throughout the offseason, and it appears he got more serious about pursuing an opportunity overseas once the NBA season got underway and he still didn’t have a deal in place.

Panathinaikos – which also features former NBA players like Juancho Hernangomez, Luca Vildoza, Kyle Guy, Kostas Antetokounmpo, and Jerian Grant – competes in the EuroLeague as well as the Greek Basket League. The team is off to a 2-3 start in EuroLeague games but is 4-0 in domestic competition.

De’Aaron Fox To Miss Time With Ankle Injury

October 30th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

11:58am: Fox suffered a moderate right ankle sprain and is expected to miss some time, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Marc J. Spears of Andscape that the guard could return within a week (Twitter link).

7:59am: The Kings are determining the severity of an ankle injury that De’Aaron Fox suffered late in Sunday’s win over the Lakers, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. A league source told Anderson that the team’s medical staff was examining Fox after the game and an update will be provided once the extent of the damage is clear.

The All-Star guard hurt his right ankle late in the fourth quarter, but returned to the court for the start of overtime despite being told to remain on the bench, according to Anderson. Head coach Mike Brown pulled him from the game after about 90 seconds, saying he was “limping really bad,” but he admires Fox’s toughness for attempting to play.

“(Fox) is tough as nails, man,” Brown said. “To try to show the grit that he showed and get out there to help us win a ballgame, that just speaks volumes to who he is and how much he wants to lay his body on the line to help his team.”

Fox was injured on a drive to the basket when he stepped on Gabe Vincent’s foot and rolled his right ankle. He remained on the ground for two to three minutes, Anderson states, then limped to the locker room with trainers before quickly returning to the team’s bench.

Fox checked back into the game and led a comeback that put Sacramento in front, but the Lakers forced overtime on a layup by LeBron James. Fox wasn’t supposed to stay in the game for the extra session, and Brown wasn’t aware that he was on the court until it was too late.

“So I started calling him, and he’s ignoring me,” Brown said. “He felt he could go, so he stayed on the floor, and then when I felt he really couldn’t go, we took him out.”

Anderson points out that Fox missed 17 games during the 2019/20 season with a Grade 3 sprain to his left ankle. The Kings have to hope the news isn’t as bad this time, as a prolonged absence would be a significant obstacle in what’s expected to be a tight Western Conference playoff race. Fox scored 37 points Sunday night, including 13 in the fourth quarter, and is averaging 31.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists through three games.

Nets’ Cameron Johnson To Miss At Least 10 More Days

October 30th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Nets forward Cameron Johnson will be reevaluated in 10 days after an MRI revealed he has a strain in his left leg, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Johnson was originally diagnosed with a left calf contusion after being injured on opening night. He missed the team’s second game and had been considered day-to-day. Brooklyn has a packed schedule with six games over the next 10 days, starting with tonight at Charlotte.

Johnson felt well enough on Sunday to take some shots during practice in Dallas, Lewis adds in a full story. Johnson dealt with a hamstring strain in training camp and sat out the entire preseason, so his only game action was 26 minutes in the season opener.

The news is more encouraging about center Nic Claxton, who didn’t wear his walking boot at this morning’s shootaround, Lewis tweets. Having sprained his left ankle in the opener, Claxton is considered day-to-day.

Draymond Green Plans To Make Season Debut On Sunday

October 28th, 2023 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Warriors forward Draymond Green said that he intends to suit up in the team’s third game of the season on Sunday in Houston.

Green, who suffered a left lateral ankle sprain in September, missed all of training camp and the preseason. A report at the time of the injury indicated that he would likely be sidelined for four-to-six weeks — that was exactly four weeks ago.

After playing the Rockets on Sunday, the Warriors will travel to New Orleans and face the Pelicans on Monday. Green isn’t sure yet if he’ll get the OK to play in both games of the back-to-back set, but he said he hopes to.

Interestingly, as Andrews relays, the former Defensive Player of the Year referenced the new NBA rules that require players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for most end-of-season awards.

“I got goals,” Green said. “Not exactly sure what they are yet, but I got to play in 65 games.”

Green told reporters that he expects to face a minutes restriction upon returning, adding that he isn’t sure whether or not he’ll start.

The 33-year-old has come off the bench just twice in the last nine seasons, but Golden State has six players who are accustomed to starting, so one of them will have to play a reserve role when everyone is healthy. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney have started the team’s first two games of 2023/24.

2023/24 NBA G League Draft Results

October 28th, 2023 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2023/24 season on Saturday afternoon.

The 29 G League teams affiliated with NBA franchises participated in the event, as did the unaffiliated Mexico City Capitanes. The G League Ignite, which is made up of top prospects and veteran mentors, doesn’t take part in the draft.

The first player selected in today’s G League draft was former Nuggets and Thunder forward Jack White, who recently fell victim to a roster crunch in Oklahoma City.

White spent last season on a two-way contract with Denver, then signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Thunder that included a $600K partial guarantee.

That guarantee made him ineligible to suit up for the Oklahoma City Blue this season, so he entered the G League draft, where the Texas Legends, the Mavericks‘ affiliate, snared him with the No. 1 overall pick.

Outside of White, there was only one other player drafted today who has prior NBA experience. That player is Scottie Lewis, the 56th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He appeared in just two games for the Hornets while on a two-way deal in 2021/22. The Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s affiliate, drafted him today with the No. 32 overall pick.

Former Tulsa wing Brandon Rachal has never appeared in an NBA regular season game, but he was among Saturday’s draftees who has at least signed an NBA contract, having inked a pair of Exhibit 10 deals with Brooklyn in 2021 and 2022. Rachal made G League history today by becoming the first player drafted by the Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers‘ expansion franchise.

Here are the full 2023/24 G League draft results:

Round One:

Texas Legends (Mavericks): Jack White
South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Teafale Lenard Jr.
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): David Muoka
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Javonte Perkins
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Will Richardson
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Pavel Savkov
Austin Spurs (Spurs): David Shriver
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Isiaih Mosley
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Logan Johnson
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Karolis Lukosiunas
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Myles Burns
Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): J.J. Romer Rosario
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Bryson Warren (Overtime Elite)
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Olisa Akonobi
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Walter Ellis
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Marcus Burk
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Nana Opoku
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Maxime Carene
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jamal Bey
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Manny Camper
Osceola Magic (Magic): Jaycee Hillsman
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Brandon Rachal
Ontario Clippers (Clippers): Elijah Harkless
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Anthony Nelson
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Kok Yat (Overtime Elite)
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Lance Thomas
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Arinze Chidom
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Jared Wilson-Frame
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Myron Gardner
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Wendell Green Jr.

Round Two:

Texas Legends (Mavericks): J.D. Tsasa (North Canyon High School)
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Scottie Lewis
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Eric Williams Jr.
Osceola Magic (Magic): Tray Maddox
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): No pick
Stockton Kings (Kings): Kalob Ledoux
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): No pick
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Sincere Carry
Stockton Kings (Kings): Alex Hunter
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Sam Daniel (Florida Tech)
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Nojel Eastern
Ontario Clippers (Clippers): David Bell
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): Stephan Hicks
Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): No pick
Osceola Magic (Magic): Darius Mickens (Cal State San Bernadino)
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): No pick
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Keyshawn Bryant
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Kevin McClain
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Davion Warren
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): David Sloan
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): No pick
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): No pick
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Osceola Magic (Magic): Isaiah Wade (Central Oklahoma)
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Isaac Johnson
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Denzel Mahoney
Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
Ontario Clippers (Clippers): No pick

Round Three (supplemental picks):

Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Robert Johnson
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Kyree Walker

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Showcase Cup tournament tipping off on November 10. The Showcase Cup will be played over about a month-and-a-half and will be followed by the G League regular season, which begins on December 27.

Lakers’ Vanderbilt Out At Least Two More Weeks

October 27th, 2023 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers will be without forward Jarred Vanderbilt for at least two more weeks, the team announced today (Twitter link via Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times).

According to the Lakers, Vanderbilt was reexamined by team doctors on Thursday and is still dealing with left heel bursitis. While he’s improving, Vanderbilt will be reevaluated by the medical staff in two weeks, at which time the club will provide another update.

Vanderbilt, 24, was one of two players sent from Utah to Los Angeles at the 2023 trade deadline, along with Malik Beasley (D’Angelo Russell arrived from Minnesota in the same three-team deal). Vanderbilt started 24 of 26 regular season games for the Lakers down the stretch, averaging 7.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per night while shooting 52.9% from the field and 78.4% from the free throw line.

Although he was one of the few Lakers who wasn’t a free agent this offseason, Vanderbilt still cashed in, agreeing to a four-year, $48MM veteran extension that will keep him under team control through at least the 2026/27 season. He’ll hold a player option for ’27/28.

Vanderbilt was considered a strong candidate to start in the Lakers’ frontcourt alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis to open the season. His injury opened the door for Taurean Prince to claim that starting spot.

Kyrie Irving: Trade Request Out Of Brooklyn Was “Best Decision Of My Career”

October 27th, 2023 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

Ahead of Friday’s game vs. Brooklyn, his first as a member of the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving said that asking the Nets to trade him last season was “the best decision of my career,” according to Brian Lewis and Dan Martin of The New York Post.

“I was never on bad terms with the organization,” Irving told reporters on Thursday. “I just think there was a lot of chaos and noise, as usual, from the media. I’m not going to blame you guys or anything, but nobody really knew what was going on behind the scenes. I’m sure that people have their sources they go to [about] what was going on and what really happened.

“… But for me, it was the best decision of my career to ask for a trade. I knew I needed peace of mind.”

Irving, who joined the Nets along with Kevin Durant as a free agent in 2019, had a tumultuous stint with the franchise. He missed 142 of Brooklyn’s 298 total regular season and playoff games during his tenure with the team due to injuries, personal reasons, a refusal to adhere to New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and a suspension related to promoting an antisemitic film.

“It was rough all the way around,” Irving said. “After COVID and after the situations that took place there, there were circumstances that were either in my control or out of my control. And I didn’t want to play the blame game.”

Irving’s inconsistent availability due to his refusal to get vaccinated was reportedly one factor that caused James Harden to sour on playing for the Nets. After Harden requested and received a trade out of Brooklyn in 2022, Durant and Irving eventually followed suit and were both moved a year later, at the 2023 trade deadline.

Irving’s first couple months as a Maverick didn’t go according to plan, as Dallas went just 9-18 following his arrival, including 7-13 in games he played. However, the Mavs reaffirmed their belief in the backcourt duo of Irving and Luka Doncic by re-signing Kyrie to a three-year contract worth at least $120MM in July. The former Nets guard sounds happy to be in Dallas.

“Brooklyn should have just released me, and it would’ve made things a lot easier on everybody,” Irving said with a laugh when a reporter pointed out how much differently Texas handled COVID-19 than New York did. “But, [that’s] 20/20 hindsight.”

NBA Investigating James Harden’s Unavailability

October 26th, 2023 at 5:04pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The NBA is investigating the Sixers for guard James Harden‘s lack of availability for Thursday night’s game against the Bucks as it relates to the league’s new player participation policy, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Harden returned to the 76ers on Wednesday after being away from the team for 10 days due to what he and the team described as a personal matter.

Wojnarowski adds in a follow-up tweet that because Philadelphia is playing a national television game against Milwaukee, the new player policy rules state the Sixers have to provide a valid reason for why Harden isn’t playing since he’s healthy and a recent All-Star (within the last three years).

“We’re looking into the facts around James Harden’s availability tonight to determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation,” said NBA spokesman Mike Bass.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, a star player is excused for national TV games due to injury, personal reasons and rare or unusual circumstances. While Harden isn’t necessarily hurt, Marks points out that he probably isn’t in game shape since he hasn’t been with the team in 10 days and the team likely feels the same way.

In a separate but related story, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report details Harden’s return to Philadelphia on Wednesday, which he says came as a surprise to Sixers officials. According to Haynes, Harden was approached by team officials, who told him it would be “beneficial” for him to remain in Philadelphia to continue to get re-acclimated with the team rather than travel for Philadelphia’s two-game road stretch to begin the season.

Harden interpreted the officials’ words as a suggestion, not a demand, according to Haynes, who writes the star guard traveled to the airport following practice to board the team flight, but was stopped by a security official who told him he wasn’t permitted to join the team.

The 10-time All-Star departed the airport frustrated by the incident, leading him and his camp to perceive the incident as the Sixers trying to remove a potential distraction, while the club insists it’s prioritizing his ramp-up to play, Haynes writes.

Harden’s trade request hasn’t wavered, according to Haynes, though reports surfaced Wednesday that the Clippers were pausing their pursuits of the star guard. Philadelphia officials are holding out hope the situation will become manageable, but it’s important to keep an eye on how this situation affects both star center Joel Embiid and coach Nick Nurse, Haynes writes. For what it’s worth, Haynes notes rival teams are monitoring how much Embiid is willing to endure.

Even though teammates and coaches described Harden as handling the situation professionally before his absence, the saga is already creating a distraction on the outside looking in, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link). Despite that, Nurse is attempting to keep his team focused, Pompey writes. The head coach said he hasn’t seen his team distracted by the situation, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.

“My concerns right now are really going to be focused on the game [Thursday] night,” Nurse said. “We put a lot into this, and we’re in a great space I think mentally and preparation-wise, all that stuff. That’s what I’ll continue to do.“

Rick Carlisle Signs Multiyear Extension With Pacers

October 26th, 2023 at 11:14am CST by Arthur Hill

11:14am: Carlisle’s extension is official, the Pacers announced in a press release.

“It goes without saying that Coach Carlisle is one of the most creative and successful coaches in the history of the league, so there was never a question that he continues to be the right person to lead our team,” said president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard. “His ties to this organization and community run deep, his guidance and leadership are invaluable to our players and staff, and we’re looking forward to working together for years to come as we build something special for our fans.”

8:56pm: The Pacers have reached an agreement on a multiyear contract extension with head coach Rick Carlisle, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Carlisle has posted a 60-104 record over the past two seasons after taking over a rebuilding Indiana team in 2021. It marks the second stint with the Pacers for the 63-year-old coach, who also guided the team from 2003-07.

Wojnarowski didn’t reveal any terms of the new contract, but it ensures that Carlisle will get to continue molding a promising collection of young talent. The 2022 trade for Tyrese Haliburton gave Indiana a franchise player to build around, and Myles Turner has become one of the NBA’s most productive centers.

Bennedict Mathurin is coming off a strong rookie year, and players such as Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker give Indiana a solid young foundation. The offseason signing of Bruce Brown in free agency is an indication that the Pacers want to start contending, and Carlisle provides the experience to guide them in that direction.

Carlisle is one of a handful of active coaches with an NBA title, which he won as head coach of the Mavericks in 2011. He was named Coach of the Year with the Pistons in 2002 and served as the Eastern Conference head coach in the 2004 All-Star Game.

After playing in the NBA for six seasons, Carlisle moved into coaching in 1989 as an assistant with the Nets. He also spent time as an assistant with Portland and Indiana before getting his first head coaching opportunity with Detroit in 2001. He coached the Pistons for two seasons before moving on to the Pacers in 2003 and the Mavericks in 2008. Carlisle has a career record of 897-793.