Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Sign Filip Petrusev

July 17th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers have signed draft-and-stash prospect Filip Petrusev, the team announced (via Twitter). Terms haven’t been released, but it will be a standard contract rather than a two-way deal, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Philadelphia selected the 6’11” center with the 50th pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He made a positive impression during Summer League after spending the last two years playing for teams in Turkey and Serbia.

Petrusev, 23, was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year with Gonzaga in 2020 and earned second-team All-American honors from the NABC. He was a member of the EuroLeague champions in 2022 and the Serbian League and Serbian Cup winners this year.

Petrusev is the latest backup center to be added to a Sixers team that recently signed Mohamed Bamba, matched an offer sheet for Paul Reed and is expected to re-sign Montrezl Harrell. Once the deal with Harrell becomes official, Philadelphia will have 14 players with standard contracts.

Mavericks’ Olivier-Maxence Prosper Becomes Final First-Round Pick To Sign Contract

July 17th, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks have signed Olivier-Maxence Prosper to his rookie-scale deal, the team announced in a press release early Monday morning. His signing means all the first-round picks in last month’s draft are now under contract.

As the 24th selection, Prosper is eligible to receive $2,733,720 in his first season and can earn $13,870,583 over the four-year contract, as our breakdown of rookie scale salaries shows.

The 21-year-old forward was one of the top beneficiaries of this year’s pre-draft process. A strong showing at the NBA Combine in Chicago, followed by impressive individual workouts, moved him into the first round.

Prosper was officially selected by the Kings, but Dallas acquired his rights in a draft-night trade that didn’t become official until the moratorium was lifted on July 6.

“O-Max was considered one of the best wing defenders in college basketball last year and plays with tremendous energy,” said Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison. “We are excited to put pen to paper and officially sign him.”

Prosper played his first collegiate season at Clemson before transferring to Marquette in 2021. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season.

Darius Bazley Signs One-Year Deal With Nets

July 16th, 2023 at 4:53pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 16: Bazley has officially signed with the Nets, the team’s PR department tweets.

JULY 14: The Nets are signing free agent big man Darius Bazley to a one-year contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bazley was the No. 23 overall pick of the 2019 draft. He spent his first three-plus seasons with the Thunder prior to being traded to Phoenix at the February deadline.

Like all former first-round picks who have all four years of their rookie scale contract exercised, Bazley was eligible for restricted free agency had the Suns given him a $6.2MM qualifying offer.

They chose not to, making him unrestricted and free to sign with any team. It wasn’t surprising given that Bazley had limited role with Phoenix, only appearing in seven games and a total of 61 minutes down the stretch.

Overall, the 6’8″ forward/center has averaged 9.1 PPG and 5.3 RPG on .411/.310/.673 shooting in 218 career games (118 starts, 3.6 MPG) with the Thunder and Suns. Bazley is still just 23 years old, a high leaper, and has shown flashes defensively. He also handled his inconsistent playing time last season with Oklahoma City very professionally.

Brooklyn technically hasn’t used any of its mid-level exception or bi-annual exception, but I’m guessing Bazley will be on a minimum-salary deal, given the timing of it (two weeks into free agency) and the Nets’ proximity to the luxury tax.

The Nets have focused on youth and athleticism this offseason, also signing Lonnie Walker and Dennis Smith Jr., two more former first-round picks.

As Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, Bazley will fill Brooklyn’s 15th and final standard roster spot for now. However, the Nets could have another spot open soon. Guard Edmond Sumner, whose non-guaranteed contract becomes fully guaranteed tomorrow after he agreed to push back the guarantee date, sent out a tweet talking about overcoming adversity.

Jay Scrubb Signs Two-Way Contract With Celtics

July 15th, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:43pm: The signing is official, the Celtics confirmed in an email.

5:17pm: The Celtics have reached an agreement on a two-way contract with Jay Scrubb, tweets Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report.

The 22-year-old guard impressed team officials with his performance during Summer League, averaging 16.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in four games.

Scrubb finished last season with the Magic after signing a two-way contract in late March, but he was waived in June. Scrubb appeared in two games for Orlando late in the season, but spent most of his time in the G League. He has also played for the Clippers, appearing in a combined 22 games over two seasons.

The Celtics also have JD Davison signed to a two-way contract, so the team will have one two-way slot open once Scrubb’s deal become official.

Nets Waive Edmond Sumner

July 15th, 2023 at 11:15am CST by Rory Maher

JULY 15: The Nets have confirmed that they’ve waived Sumner (Twitter link).

“When they counted me out, Brooklyn gave me a shot to prove myself again,” Sumner said in a tweet of his own. “For that it’s always love. Had a ball hooping again! Story continues.”

JULY 14: The Nets are expected to waive guard Edmond Sumner before his non-guaranteed deal becomes fully guaranteed tomorrow, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

As our tracker shows, Sumner would have locked in his $2,239,943 salary for 2023/24 had he remained with the Nets beyond July 15.

Sumner recently sent out a tweet talking about overcoming adversity, which was a hint this news was coming. However, he played pretty well last season for Brooklyn after missing all of 2021/22 following a torn Achilles tendon. The 27-year-old averaged 7.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG and 1.3 APG on .461/.356/.917 shooting in 53 games (13.9 MPG) with the Nets.

An athletic combo guard, Sumner showed he still had his quickness in ’22/23 following the major injury, and he’s expected to draw interest on the open market, according to Scotto.

Assuming he clears waivers without being claimed, Sumner will become an unrestricted free agent. Any team interested in placing a claim could do so using the minimum salary exception, but would have to be willing to fully guarantee his 2023/24 salary.

Sumner is a former second-round pick, selected 52nd overall in 2017. He spent his first four seasons with the Pacers, first on a two-way deal before he was promoted to a standard contract. He played his college ball at Xavier.

Sasha Vezenkov Signs Three-Year Deal With Kings

July 13th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 13: The signing of Vezenkov is now official, per the NBA’s transactions log.

JULY 1: EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov is signing a three-year, $20MM contract with the Kings, who held his draft rights, his agents tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Reports over the past couple months have indicated that Sacramento was determined to bring Vezenkov stateside and would renew contract talks with the European star once they were permitted to following the draft. Harry Stavrou of Greek outlet Sport24.gr reported last week that the Kings offered the European star a contract for “slightly lower” than the $8.4MM Keegan Murray will make in 2023/24, and that figure turned out to be accurate.

Given his reported salary, Vezenkov will either be receiving part of the Kings’ full mid-level exception if they operate as an over-the-cap team, or he could receive most of their room exception if they choose to use cap room. Both options are on the table based on their previous moves this offseason.

Vezenkov, 27, is under contract with Olympiacos through ’24/25, but has a buyout clause believed to be worth approximately 1.5 million Euros. He talked about being “ready for new challenges” after his Greek club lost in the EuroLeague final.

The 6’9″ Bulgarian forward averaged 17.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists on a sparkling .546/.398/.857 shooting slash line in 33 EuroLeague games this past season (28.7 MPG). Wojnarowski says (via Twitter) the former second-round pick is expected to have a “formidable role” for Sacramento.

NBA OKs Disabled Player Exception For Bulls

July 13th, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has approved the Bulls‘ request for a disabled player exception as a result of point guard Lonzo Ball‘s knee injury, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The ailment has kept Ball shelved since January of 2022 and has required three surgeries to date. Earlier this summer, team president Arturas Karnisovas indicated that Chicago expects the point guard to miss all of the 2023/24 NBA season.

A disabled player exception is granted when an NBA-appointed physician rules that a player is more likely than not to be sidelined through June 15 of that league year.

Ball will earn $20.46MM this season, meaning the Bulls’ DPE will be worth $10.23MM. It could be used to add a new free agent, bring in a player off waivers, or acquire someone as part of a trade. A free agent could only be signed to a one-year deal, while a player acquired via waivers or trade would have to be in the final year of his contract.

As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes, the Bulls are currently only about $8MM below the luxury tax line. Should Chicago be inclined to make bigger moves beyond adding a veteran’s minimum signing or two and retaining restricted free agent Ayo Dosunmu, the disabled player exception could be a powerful mechanism, though using most or all of it would likely push team salary into the tax.

Ball underwent a cartilage transplant surgery in March to correct his knee issues, in what Johnson suggests was generally thought to be a final bid to salvage his pro career.

Since joining the Bulls on a four-year, $80MM contract in a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans, the former No. 2 overall pick has appeared in just 35 contests. He was a highly effective perimeter defender, passer and three-point shooter (42.3% on 7.4 attempts) for Chicago when healthy, and a big part of the club’s surprise success through the first half of the 2021/22 season.

The Bulls have underwhelmed while trying to replace Ball’s production at the position in a piecemeal fashion.

Heat To Guarantee Haywood Highsmith’s Contract For 2023/24

July 13th, 2023 at 10:51am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have decided to guarantee Haywood Highsmith‘s $1.9MM contract for the upcoming season, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The team faced a July 15 deadline to determine whether to keep Highsmith’s salary on its books.

The 26-year-old forward earned a standard contract with Miami after signing three 10-day deals during the 2021/22 season. He appeared in 54 games last season, making 11 starts and averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per night. Highsmith also saw action in 18 playoff games and posted a career-high 18 points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Highsmith signed a two-way contract with the Sixers after going undrafted out of Wheeling University in 2018. He got into just five games with Philadelphia, spending most of his time in the G League, and then played two years in Germany before getting an opportunity with Miami.

Haywood will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension after he becomes eligible in March. Miami now has 12 guaranteed contracts, plus a partially guaranteed deal for Orlando Robinson, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

LeBron James Confirms He’s Not Retiring

July 12th, 2023 at 9:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite hinting at the possibility of retirement in May after the Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals by Denver, LeBron James says his career isn’t finished.

“The day I can’t give the game everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done …. But lucky for you guys, that day is not today,” James said, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

James’ comments came after winning the ESPY Award for best record-breaking performance (Twitter video link), having become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer this past season.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Several reports expressed skepticism that James would actually retire in the aftermath of his initial comments, with a more recent one indicating he was fully expected to suit up in 2023/24, which will be his 21st season.

A 19-time All-Star, James put up his usual huge numbers during the ’22/23 season, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game in 55 appearances (35.5 MPG) while shooting 50.0% from the field.

He missed time and was affected in the second half by a torn tendon in his right foot, but still appeared in all 15 of the Lakers’ games in the postseason, averaging 23.5 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 6.3 APG.

The 38-year-old has at least one year and $46.7MM remaining on his contract with the Lakers, with a $50.4MM player option for the ’24/25 season. He has spoken in the past about wanting to remain in the NBA until at least ’24/25, when his son Bronny James will be eligible to enter the league. LeBron has repeatedly expressed a desire to play with Bronny.

The Lakers have had a busy offseason, drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis; re-signing D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura; and adding Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish in free agency. They still have two open roster spots, with a big man likely to fill one.

Warriors Sign Dario Saric To One-Year Deal

July 12th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 12: Saric is officially a Warrior, the team announced (via Twitter).

JULY 8: The Warriors and free agent forward Dario Saric have reached an agreement on a one-year contract, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

While Wojnarowski doesn’t specify the financial terms, the Warriors’ cap situation means they’re limited to minimum-salary offers for free agents who weren’t with the team last season. As a seven-year veteran, Saric will earn $2,709,849 on a minimum deal, while Golden State will take on a cap hit of $2,019,706.

Saric missed the entire 2021/22 season due to an ACL tear, but returned to action this past season. He appeared in 37 contests for Phoenix and – following a trade-deadline deal – 20 for Oklahoma City, averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game with a shooting line of .458/.391/.829.

A 6’10” forward who has made 36.0% of his career three-pointers, Saric is known for his ability to stretch the floor from the frontcourt. In Golden State, he may take on a role similar to the one JaMychal Green played this past year.

The Warriors were named by multiple reporters as Saric’s most likely landing spot in the hours leading up to free agency last week. Marc Stein indicated on Friday that the 29-year-old may have been waiting to see if offers worth more than the veteran’s minimum materialized before agreeing to join Golden State.

With Saric and Draymond Green set to officially sign contracts, the Warriors’ roster count is up to 13 players on standard contracts. That leaves two openings on the 15-man roster and three available two-way slots.

The club may just roll with 14 players on standard deals to open the 2023/24 season for financial and flexibility reasons. Lester Quinones is a good candidate to return in some form — he’s a restricted free agent after being issued a two-way qualifying offer.