Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Re-Sign Jacob Toppin To Two-Way Deal

August 14th, 2024 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Restricted free agent forward Jacob Toppin is back under contract with the Knicks, according to the team, which announced today in a press release (Twitter link) that he has been re-signed to a two-way contract.

New York made Toppin a restricted free agent by issuing him a two-way qualifying offer after he finished the 2023/24 season on a two-way deal with the club. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the 24-year-old simply accepted that qualifying offer.

The younger brother of former Knicks forward Obi Toppin, Jacob signed a two-way contract with the organization last July after going undrafted out of Kentucky. He spent nearly his entire season with New York. He had his contract converted to a 10-day deal in February, then returned on a new two-way contract after those 10 days were up.

Toppin played sparingly at the NBA level, appearing in just nine games for New York, but he was a key contributor for the Westchester Knicks in the G League, averaging 17.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 35.1 minutes per game across 42 Showcase Cup and regular season contests. He registered a shooting line of .455/.323/.781.

Toppin also participated in the 2024 dunk contest, though he was eliminated before the final round.

The Knicks have filled all three of their two-way slots, with Toppin joining Ariel Hukporti and Kevin McCullar.

There are now just two restricted free agents left on the market, and both are Cavaliers: Isaac Okoro (standard) and Emoni Bates (two-way).

League Announces 2024 NBA Cup Schedule

August 13th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

After previously announcing the dates and groups for its second annual in-season tournament, the NBA today revealed the schedule for the group play portion of the event. The group play stage of the tournament, which is now known as the Emirates NBA Cup, will begin on November 12 and run through December 3.

The group play games will take place on four Tuesdays and three Fridays during the fall. The NBA put out its schedule by date and by team.

Each Tuesday will feature a nationally televised doubleheader on TNT, while ESPN will nationally broadcast doubleheaders on the Fridays. NBA TV will also air three tournament games on the afternoon of November 29 (Black Friday), prior to ESPN’s doubleheader.

The quarterfinals will take place on December 10 and 11, with the semifinals to follow on Dec. 14 and the final to be played on Dec. 17. The higher-seeded teams will host the quarterfinal matchups, while the semifinals and final will take place in Las Vegas.

The NBA Cup will tip off with a pair of nationally televised marquee matchups on November 12, with Paul George and the Sixers hosting the Knicks in Philadelphia, followed by Klay Thompson and the Mavericks visiting the Warriors in the Bay Area.

The Lakers, the champions of last year’s inaugural in-season tournament, will be featured in nationally televised games on Nov. 15 (at the Spurs), Nov. 26 (at the Suns), and Nov. 29 (vs. the Thunder).

The full NBA regular season schedule for 2024/25 will be announced on Thursday, according to the league.

Jazz Sign Oscar Tshiebwe To Two-Way Contract

August 12th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have signed forward Oscar Tshiebwe to a two-way contract, according to a team press release. Utah opened up a slot by waiving Taevion Kinsey on Monday, which was confirmed in the press release.

Tshiebwe spent the 2023/24 season on a two-way deal with the Pacers after going undrafted. He appeared in eight NBA games and averaged 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 5.3 minutes per game.

Tshiebwe excelled at the G League level. He was named Rookie of the Year and All-NBA G League First Team after appearing in 23 regular season games (21 starts) for the Indiana Mad Ants and averaging 16.2 points, 16.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 27.2 minutes per contest.

The Pacers had extended a two-way qualifying offer to Tshiebwe, which made him a restricted free agent and gave Indiana the right of first refusal. But all of the Pacers’ two-way slots are filled, so it appears they were willing to let him sign elsewhere.

Tshiebwe played for Indiana’s Summer League squad in Las Vegas last month, averaging 11.6 points and 8.6 rebounds in five games.

Tshiebwe was the unanimous National Player of the Year and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year for Kentucky as a junior in 2021/22. As a senior in 2022/23, he was a unanimous Second-Team All-America selection and led the nation in rebounding for a second straight season.

Knicks/Celtics, Wolves/Lakers To Play On Opening Night

August 12th, 2024 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s opening night schedule will feature home games for the league’s two most accomplished franchises, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the Celtics will host the Knicks in the early game, while the Lakers will host the Timberwolves in the late game.

The Celtics, who won their record 18th NBA title in June, will receive their championship rings on opening night, which will take place on Tuesday, October 22. That game will be the first for the new-look Knicks, featuring Mikal Bridges.

The game between the Lakers and Timberwolves will feature several stars who participated in Saturday’s gold medal game in Paris, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers and Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert of the Wolves.

Both games will air on TNT Sports, which will be distributing NBA games for one final year in 2024/25, assuming their lawsuit against the league doesn’t result in a new broadcast rights deal that begins in ’25/26.

The full regular schedule for the 2024/25 NBA season is expected to be released later this week, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. In the meantime, here are a few more notable matchups, courtesy of Charania:

The new-look Sixers, led by former MVP Joel Embiid, reigning Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey, and free agent addition Paul George, will host the Bucks on October 23 to open their regular season (Twitter link).
The first regular season game at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood will be played on October 23, when the Clippers host the Suns (Twitter link).
Klay Thompson and the Mavericks will visit the Warriors on November 12 in Thompson’s first trip back to the Bay Area (Twitter link). That will also be the first game of the in-season tournament (NBA Cup) for both Dallas and Golden State (Twitter link).
The NBA Finals rematches between the Celtics and Mavericks will take place on January 25 in Dallas and February 6 in Boston (Twitter link).
In case you missed it, 2024’s Christmas Day matchups were reported last week.

Jazz Sign Kyle Filipowski

August 12th, 2024 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have signed second-round pick Kyle Filipowski to his first NBA contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Filipowski, a 7’0″ forward/center, declared for the draft this spring as an early entrant after averaging 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game across 36 starts in his sophomore year at Duke.

He posted a shooting line of .505/.348/.671 in his final college season for the Blue Devils and was a consensus second-team All-American.

Although he was invited to the green room for the first night of the 2024 draft, Filipowski fell out of the first round and was selected by Utah with the 32nd overall pick on day two. He impressed last month at the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 16.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG in five games (25.3 MPG).

While Filipowski’s contract details aren’t yet known, the Jazz’s announcement indicates he received a standard contract rather than a two-way deal, which was expected. Given his draft slot, a three- or four-year deal with at least a couple guaranteed seasons seems likely.

Filipowski was one of the last 2024 draftees to officially sign a contract, as the Jazz looked to maximize their cap room well into the offseason in case trade opportunities arose. They’ve been in the process of using up that cap space in recent days, renegotiating and extending Lauri Markkanen‘s contract, then officially signing Drew Eubanks and Svi Mykhailiuk.

Utah now has 13 players on standard contracts, with Johnny Juzang‘s reported four-year contract still to be finalized. The team has also filled all three of its two-way slots, so its roster could be almost ready for the regular season.

Jazz Sign Svi Mykhailiuk To Four-Year Deal

August 12th, 2024 at 6:37am CST by Rory Maher

AUGUST 12: The Jazz officially signed Mykhailiuk over the weekend, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

AUGUST 9: The Jazz plan to sign free agent swingman Svi Mykhailiuk to a four-year, $15MM contract, agent Michael Lelchitski tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

A 27-year-old from Ukraine, Mykhailiuk was the No. 47 overall pick of the 2018 draft after playing four years of college ball at Kansas. He has bounced around the NBA over the course of his six seasons, playing for the Lakers, Pistons, Thunder, Raptors, Knicks and Hornets. He spent the 2023/24 campaign with the Celtics, winning an NBA championship as a role player.

In 41 appearances with Boston last season, Mykhailiuk averaged 4.0 PPG and 1.2 RPG while shooting 38.9% from three-point range (10.1 MPG). In 293 career regular season games, including 56 starts (15.8 MPG), Mykhailiuk has averaged 6.3 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 1.3 APG while shooting 36.3% from deep.

Based on the reported terms, Mykhailiuk may have received more than the veteran’s minimum, which would have been worth about $12.3MM over four years for a player with six years of experience. If that’s the case, the Jazz will have to use a portion of their cap room to complete the transaction.

While Mykhailiuk is signing a four-year deal, I’d be a little surprised if more than one year is fully guaranteed, given his previous team history. Still, he could be given a real opportunity to earn minutes with Utah, which only has 10 players on guaranteed standard contracts, plus the reported but not yet official deals for Drew Eubanks and Johnny Juzang. The Jazz also have an unsigned draft pick, former Duke big man Kyle Filipowski, who was selected 32nd overall in June.

U.S. Wins Olympic Gold Medal In Paris

August 10th, 2024 at 4:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA closed out an unbeaten run through the Olympics by defeating France 98-87 in Saturday’s gold medal game.

In front of a thunderous home crowd, the French team was able to close within three points late in the contest, but Stephen Curry sealed the victory by sinking four dramatic three-pointers in the final three minutes. Playing in his first Olympics, Curry hit eight shots from beyond the arc Saturday and led the U.S. with 24 points.

“That was an unbelievable moment,” he told NBC’s Mike Tirico. “I’ve been blessed to play basketball at a high level for a very long time. This ranks very high in terms of the excitement and the sense of relief getting to the finish line.”

Kevin Durant reached a milestone by becoming the first men’s basketball player with four Olympic golds. He made his first start of this year’s Olympics in the gold medal game and contributed 15 points.

LeBron James, who picked up his third career gold, posted 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, while Lakers teammate Anthony Davis had eight points and nine boards. James earned Olympics MVP honors.

It’s the fifth straight gold for Team USA, which hasn’t lost in Olympic competition since 2004. With 11 All-Stars on the roster, this year’s squad has drawn comparisons to the 1992 Dream Team as one of the most talented groups ever assembled.

“I think we might be the only team in the world whose fans are ashamed of them if they get a silver medal,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “That’s the pressure that we face. But our players, and you saw Steph, they love the pressure. They appreciate this atmosphere and they were fantastic.”

The French took home silver for the second straight Olympics after also losing to the Americans in the gold medal game at Tokyo. Victor Wembanyama had his best game of the tournament on Saturday with 26 points and seven rebounds, while Guerschon Yabusele added 20 points.

France became the first nation to win a medal while hosting the Games since Team USA did it in 1996.

“For sure, it’s a disappointment because we expected we could do it,” French coach Vincent Collet said. “But we have to recognize at the end that they are better. We are very close … When they make fantastic shots, that’s the difference.”

Serbia claimed the bronze medal by defeating Germany earlier today.

Brad Stevens Provides Update On Kristaps Porzingis

August 10th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis is working out in Latvia, but the team still doesn’t expect him back on the court for several months, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in an interview with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

Porzingis missed most of the playoffs after suffering a strained right calf in Boston’s first-round series against Miami. He underwent surgery in late June for a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg and was given a five- to six-month recovery timeline that could delay his return until sometime in 2025.

“He’s starting to do more and more and more,” Stevens said of Porzingis, who recently posted an online photo of himself during a workout. “He was in a boot for a while there, but every indication is he’s progressing well and he’s on the right timeline. But it’s going to be a while.”

Surgery had already been planned for Porzingis when he was given permission to return for Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He played 16 minutes as the Celtics wrapped up their 18th championship, saying he was willing to risk further injury to be part of the experience. Stevens explained the process that led to the decision to have Porzingis play.

“He was going to have to have surgery regardless,” Stevens said. “He was moving better than he was before Games 3 and 4 and had probably gotten more used to it. And the outcome wasn’t going to change whether he played or not after that moment. It was just, really, could he do it? I was pretty impressed that he did. I don’t know exactly what he felt like, but I know he wasn’t 100 percent. But the toughness to get out there and do it was awesome. But that didn’t make it worse, and it wasn’t going to.”

Stevens touches on several more topics in the lengthy interview:

The Celtics have a strong Olympic presence with Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all playing for Team USA, but Jaylen Brown was upset with the process that led to his exclusion. Stevens said he talked with USA Basketball director Grant Hill, who expressed interest in having Brown as part of the 2028 team. “I think Jaylen is one of the best players in the world,” Stevens added. “And one of the best things about Jaylen is whether he gets the call and makes the team or doesn’t get the call, he’s going to use it as motivation to get better. So I know he’s working and he’s excited about improving. I think he’ll truly embrace the challenges that come with winning last year. That’s who he’s always been. And this will probably add more fuel to his fire. But he doesn’t need much fuel added. He finds it.”
It’s been a frustrating Olympics for Tatum, who has seen limited playing time so far. Stevens said Tatum hasn’t complained about the experience and suggested he could still be a factor in Saturday’s gold medal game against France. “When we’ve talked, he’s been all about the team,” Stevens said. “This is such a unique opportunity to win a gold medal in the Olympics. He’s always ready. The championship game will be a great road environment, and he shines in those situations.”
Stevens reiterated his support for head coach Joe Mazzulla, who was under fire last summer after losing to Miami in the conference finals. “[The criticism] was more intense than it should have been on him the year before, and that’s one of the reasons I am happy for him, because he didn’t deserve that the year before,” Stevens said. “And to his credit, I think he’s been super humble about this achievement, because that’s necessary, too. He has to handle this right, because people are going to follow his lead.”

Serbia Captures Bronze Medal At Olympics

August 10th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Nikola Jokic posted the fifth triple-double in men’s Olympic basketball history on Saturday as Serbia defeated Germany in the bronze medal game, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The Nuggets star had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists and led Serbia to a 93-83 victory in a battle of teams coming off heartbreaking losses in the semifinal round.

Two other NBA players had prominent roles in Serbia’s victory, which brought the nation its second Olympic men’s basketball medal. Hornets guard Vasilije Micic also scored 19 points, while the Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia’s captain and career leading scorer in Olympic competition, added 16.

“It was difficult to sleep (after the Team USA loss),” Bogdanovic admitted. “We didn’t sleep that day, that night at all. It was a late game, but the next day, we all wake up and (Serbian coach Svetislav Pesic) was ready with the (team) meeting. He was ready with the same meeting that he did the whole year — a little bit longer, of course. But that was his way. We believed. We didn’t complain. We weren’t late. Yeah, we play together. We win together. We lose together. We are together. We celebrate together.”

Serbia took advantage of hot shooting to build an early lead, making 12 of its first 17 shots. They were up 46-38 at halftime and broke open the game with an 18-7 run in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 19 points. With Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner all struggling to make shots, the Germans weren’t able to make a serious run after that.

“We weren’t going home without a medal, especially after what happened two days ago,” Serbian big man Filip Petrusev said. “We owed it to ourselves. We owed it to the country, to the people that supported us. Two days ago, the whole country was so proud of us, so we had to bring something home. That was the mentality. You all saw it two days ago against the best team ever (in Team USA), maybe, that needed all kinds of help, and maybe luck a little bit (to win). … But I just hope this is not our last time altogether. I think this team can … in the future, be even better. This might be one of the best teams Serbia ever had.”

It was a disappointing outcome for Germany, whose men’s basketball team has still never medaled in Olympic competition. After going unbeaten in last year’s FIBA World Cup, the Germans looked like the most serious challenger to the U.S. through group play, but back-to-back losses mean they’re going home empty-handed.

Despite the outcome, the 30-year-old Schröder told reporters that he’s far from finished with international competition, tweets Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.

“Coach, I said I’m going to play until 40,” he said to Gordon Herbert at the post-game press conference. “I don’t know why they’re asking me this. I’m playing until I’m 40. That’s my goal. Hopefully, if I play until 40, my teammates can play until 36-37 and make it special.”

The game may have been the last Olympics appearance for Pesic, whose contract as coach of the Serbian national team has expired. He talked about his future following the game, relays Kevin Martorano of Sportando, saying he’s unsure what he’ll do next, but he hopes to have a role in continuing to build Serbian basketball in advance of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Spurs Sign Brandon Boston Jr.

August 9th, 2024 at 4:41pm CST by Rory Maher

4:41pm: Boston’s deal with the Spurs is official, per RealGM’s transaction log. It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, Hoops Rumors has learned.

11:57am: The Spurs plan to sign free agent guard/forward Brandon Boston Jr. to a contract, league sources Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

According to Scotto, Boston will be given an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in training camp. That reporting suggests the 22-year-old likely received a non-guaranteed deal covering one year, perhaps containing Exhibit 10 language.

A former top high school recruit who struggled in his lone season at Kentucky, Boston has spent the past three seasons with the Clippers, earning $4.3MM over that span. He was the 51st pick of the 2021 draft.

In 105 career regular season contests with the Clips (12.9 MPG), Boston averaged 6.2 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .396/.313/.776 shooting. He was not a regular member of the team’s rotation in 2023/24, appearing in 32 games with a career-low 10.8 MPG.

The Spurs currently have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, plus Malachi Flynn and Riley Minix on Exhibit 10 deals. Boston making the 15-man roster seems pretty unlikely, unless he really impresses during training camp.

Since he only holds three years of NBA experience, Boston is still eligible for a two-way contract. The Spurs don’t have a two-way opening at the moment, with Jamaree Bouyea, David Duke and Harrison Ingram occupying the three spots.

However, two-way deals don’t count against the salary cap and are non-guaranteed, so San Antonio could easily swap Boston in for another player if it wanted to; Ingram’s spot seems most secure since he was the 48th pick of June’s draft.