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Lauri Markkanen Not Expected To Sign Extension Until After August 6

August 5th, 2024 at 10:44am CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz star Lauri Markkanen appears likely to delay signing his new extension until after Tuesday so he can ensure that he won’t be traded this season, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Markkanen will become renegotiation-eligible on August 6, which is exactly six months before the NBA’s trade deadline. Contract renegotiations trigger a six-month moratorium on trades, so if he waits until August 7 or later to accept the new deal, Markkanen can make sure that he’ll spend the entire upcoming season with Utah. Tony Jones of The Athletic previously stated that’s likely what will happen.

Veteran extensions are limited to a 40% raise in the first year, so Markkanen would normally be looking at $25,262,362 as the starting salary in his next contract. But because the Jazz still have more than $35MM in cap room, they can renegotiate his salary for 2024/25 from $18MM up to $42,176,400 and start the extension based on that number, giving him something in the neighborhood of a max deal.

With the clock ticking on Markkanen’s extension eligibility, it appears less likely that he’ll be traded before he can sign a new deal with Utah. The Jazz have reportedly been listening to offers, but have said they aren’t actively trying to move their All-Star forward.

Sources tell Fischer that the Kings and Warriors have both tried to deal for Markkanen since the start of free agency. Sacramento made “significant progress” in negotiations before trade talks collapsed in early July, Fischer adds. Golden State has also made offers for Markkanen, but Fischer’s sources say that Utah has prioritized Brandin Podziemski or Jonathan Kuminga, who are both viewed as starters for the Warriors this season.

Fischer also hears that the Spurs have expressed interest in Markkanen ever since he was a restricted free agent back in 2021, and San Antonio had hoped to acquire Markkanen in the sign-and-trade deal that sent DeMar DeRozan to Chicago that summer. The Thunder also had interest in Markkanen at the time, Fischer adds.

Fischer points out that Utah already has a large collection of first-round picks and trade swaps, so there’s limited value in acquiring more draft assets in exchange for Markkanen, a 27-year-old who’s playing at an All-Star level and wants to stay in Salt Lake City. Fischer believes that – except for the Kings – much of the trade talk surrounding Markkanen this summer has been “preliminary at best.”

Bobby Marks and Tim MacMahon of ESPN also examine the Markkanen situation, including the prospects of a last-minute trade. Their sources indicate that the Warriors and Jazz haven’t come close to reaching a deal, with one source saying Golden State is being “very protective” of Podziemski.

Luka Samanic Signs One-Year Contract With Fenerbahce

August 5th, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Jazz power forward Luka Samanic has signed with Fenerbahce in Turkey, according to Eurohoops. It’s a one-year deal, and although there were discussions about adding an option, that didn’t happen, the report states.

Samanic, 24, began his career in Barcelona and later played for Petrol Olimpija before being selected by San Antonio with the 19th pick in the 2019 draft. He appeared in 36 games over two seasons with the Spurs before being waived in October of 2021.

Samanic joined the Knicks on a two-way contract, but spent the entire 2021/22 season in the G League. He signed a training camp deal with the Celtics in September of 2022, but was released before the start of the season.

He came to Utah on a 10-day deal in March of 2023 and made an immediate impact, starting four of the seven games he played and averaging 9.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per night. That earned him a contract that ran through the end of the 2023/24 season.

Samanic’s role diminished last season, as he appeared in 43 games and made seven starts. He saw just 9.4 minutes per night and his averages dipped to 4.1 points and 2.3 rebounds.

Jordan Nwora Signs With Anadolu Efes

August 5th, 2024 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Nwora, who split last season between the Pacers and Raptors, has signed with Anadolu Efes, the Turkish team announced (via Twitter). The 25-year-old small forward is headed overseas for the first time after four NBA seasons.

Nwora has been part of significant trades the past two winters. He went from the Bucks to the Pacers in the four-team trade in February 2023 that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix, then was shipped from Indiana to Toronto in January 2024 in the Pascal Siakam deal.

Nwora saw limited time in 18 games with Indiana last season before being moved. He got a greater opportunity to play with the Raptors and responded by averaging 7.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 34 games while logging 15.6 minutes per night. However, he wasn’t in Toronto’s long-term plans and became a free agent when his two-year contract expired at the end of last season.

Nwora was selected by Milwaukee with the 45th pick in the 2020 draft. He spent his first two and a half years with the Bucks and enjoyed his best season in 2021/22 when he appeared in 62 games and averaged 7.9 PPG.

With Anadolu Efes, Nwora will team with former NBA player Shane Larkin, who has become one of the top stars in Europe.

Bulls Reportedly Still Trying To Trade LaVine, Vucevic

August 4th, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Rory Maher

Marc Stein reported a couple weeks ago that while Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic remain trade candidates, it appears increasingly likely that both players will open the 2024/25 season as Bulls.

Apparently it isn’t for lack of effort from the front office though. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas continues to actively explore deals for the former All-Stars, but obviously the team hasn’t found anything suitable to this point.

LaVine is owed about $138MM over the next three seasons (including a $49MM player option for 2026/27), while Vucevic will earn $41MM through 2026. That salary differential is one reason why Vucevic is viewed as more likely to be moved than LaVine, though Stein wrote that a trade for the 33-year-old big man might not come together until after the season begins.

Cowley’s article is mostly focused on the Bulls’ rotation, which will be difficult for head coach Billy Donovan to manage if the roster remains intact. As Cowley writes, the backcourt, in particular, could be problematic, with Josh Giddey, LaVine and Coby White — three offense-first guards — seemingly likely to start, with Patrick Williams and Vucevic rounding out the first five.

Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, and perhaps even Lonzo Ball will be among the guards off the bench, Cowley notes, further illustrating the rotational dilemma Donovan could face this fall.

Olympic Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal Matchups Set

August 3rd, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With Olympic pool play now complete, the men’s basketball quarterfinal matchups have been determined. All four games will take place Tuesday, and the competition will be single-elimination from now on.

Germany will face Greece at 5 a.m. Eastern time, followed by Serbia vs. Australia at 8:30 a.m., France vs. Canada at noon and the U.S. vs. Brazil at 3:30 p.m. The Germany-Greece winner will face the France-Canada winner in one semifinal, with the Serbia-Australia winner taking on the U.S.-Brazil winner in the other.

It’s the best possible draw for Team USA, which clinched the top seed with a 21-point win over Puerto Rico earlier today. The Americans, who were 3-0 in Group C, won’t have to face the unbeaten Germans or Canadians or the host French until the gold medal game.

They’ll start with a Brazilian team that went 1-2 in Group B, with its only win coming against Japan. Vitor Benite is Brazil’s leading scorer in the Olympics at 14.3 PPG, while Bruno Caboclo leads in rebounds at 7.3 per game and Yago Santos is tops in assists at 6.0 per game.

Germany breezed through the competition in Group B, compiling a +47 point differential that was second only to Team USA. Led by Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, the reigning FIBA world champions are trying to cement their place as an international basketball power. To advance, they’ll have to get by a Greek team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been dominant in the Olympics, averaging 27.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three games.

Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic leads Serbia, which went 2-1 in Group C and lost only to the United States. Jock Landale has been Australia’s top player so far, averaging 17.7 points and 9.7 rebounds, but the Boomers feature a roster loaded with NBA talent such as Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Dante Exum and Patty Mills.

Canada, which is trying to win its first-ever Olympic basketball medal, also has a roster packed with NBA players. RJ Barrett (21.0 PPG), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19.0) and Dillon Brooks (14.3) have been the leading scorers as they swept through Group A, which was billed as the toughest grouping. The host French have been mildly disappointing, even at 2-1, but they’ll have a chance to exploit the size of Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert against the smaller Canadian team.

NBA, FIBA Have Discussed Idea Of New League Or Tournament In Europe

August 3rd, 2024 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has ramped up talks with FIBA and has considered the idea of launching a new league or annual tournament in Europe, commissioner Adam Silver confirmed in a conversation with Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

While the discussions between the NBA and FIBA aren’t new, Silver referred to them as “much more serious” than they’ve been in the past, according to Reynolds, who notes that the league may feel the time is right to take advantage of the sport’s popularity in Europe. The level of European basketball star power has never been higher than it is right now and the NBA recently finalized a media rights deal that will run through 2036, opening the door for the league office to focus on new endeavors.

“We certainly haven’t made any definitive decisions,” Silver said from the Olympics in France. “I continue to believe there’s enormous opportunity here. It’s not something where we’ll transform a league structure in the short term. But I think that there’s an appetite among our team owners for additional investment in global basketball. We have a huge initiative in China. We have a huge initiative in Africa. Given the quality of the basketball here in Europe, it would seem to make sense that we should be doing something here as well.”

According to Reynolds, Silver said he has no preference on whether to pursue the establishment of a league or a tournament in Europe. For now, he and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum are using their trip overseas as an opportunity to get feedback from FIBA officials, league executives, and other stakeholders about the NBA’s potential options.

“We want to make sure we have a true grasp of the opportunity,” Silver said. “We’ll take the time we need to before we decide to move forward on any initiative.”

As Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic writes, many existing European teams compete separately in domestic and international leagues, so a new international league run by the NBA could give teams across the continent additional options beyond established competitions like the EuroLeague and EuroCup.

According to Vorkunov, many top European basketball clubs lose money or at least don’t turn a significant profit, so there’s a sense that an NBA-run league could provide an “improved economic structure.” However, there’s also concern that the quality of the product could suffer as a result — with no salary cap currently in place in the EuroLeague, some teams are in the red because they’re spending aggressively in pursuit of championships.

“The fear has always been if the NBA comes in, it’s going to be what the NBA is in the States: it’s business and it’s entertainment, and then it’s sports,” one EuroLeague source told Vorkunov.

As Vorkunov observes, the NBA has shown with its Basketball Africa League that it’s capable of effectively organizing and maintaining an international competition that incorporates teams from several countries and operates separately from those teams’ domestic leagues.

“No one was waiting for the NBA to come in but at this point, there’s a certain need to structure the markets and the competitions in a certain way,” a EuroLeague team president said to Vorkunov. “There is one brand that has proven they can do that.”

According to Reynolds, Silver stressed that if the NBA were to launch a league in Europe, the goal wouldn’t be to replace the EuroLeague or other top competitions.

“We certainly don’t want to do damage to the strong bones of the basketball infrastructure that are in place,” Silver said. “On the other hand, in terms of regional and pan-regional competition here in Europe, it would be my sense — and again, I’m still studying — that lots of investors are losing significant amounts of money every year. And while this isn’t just about money, most things that continue to lose money without a trajectory towards profitability ultimately do not survive. And so, whatever we do here, I think it’s important that it’s additive to the European basketball structure.”

Mavericks Sign Spencer Dinwiddie To One-Year Deal

August 3rd, 2024 at 10:07am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have officially signed veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie to a one-year contract, according to a team press release. The agreement was previously reported on July 22.

“We welcome having Spencer back with us in Dallas,” Mavericks GM Nico Harrison said in a statement. “Spencer is an experienced teammate, who understands what we are trying to accomplish. His energy, versatility, and playmaking from the guard position adds invaluable depth to our roster and leaves us well positioned going into next season.”

The terms of the Mavs’ agreement with Dinwiddie have yet to be reported. While Dallas could technically offer more than the veteran’s minimum using the mid-level or bi-annual exception, the team doesn’t have a ton of wiggle room below the first tax apron, so a minimum-salary deal seems more likely.

Dinwiddie, 31, was previously a Maverick from 2022-23 for almost exactly one year. He was traded from Washington to Dallas at the trade deadline in February 2022 as part of the return for Kristaps Porzingis, then was sent to Brooklyn at the 2023 deadline as part of the package for Kyrie Irving.

Dinwiddie played well during his first stint in Dallas, averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game across 76 outings (60 starts). He posted a shooting line of .466/.404/.788 during that time — those field goal and three-point percentages are well above his career marks.

The veteran guard was less effective in 2023/24 across 76 appearances (52 starts) for the Nets and Lakers, posting averages of 10.5 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 2.7 RPG in 28.3 MPG while shooting .392/.337/.805.

The hope is that a return to Dallas will help fuel a bounce-back season for Dinwiddie, who still has a home in Texas and whose partner is from the state, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The move also reunites Dinwiddie with Irving — the two guards played together in Brooklyn from 2019-21.

Assuming Dinwiddie’s salary is fully guaranteed, he’d be the 14th Maverick on a guaranteed contract for 2024/25. A.J. Lawson, the 15th man, has a non-guaranteed deal and would need to be waived in order to make room on the regular season roster for veteran forward Markieff Morris, whose return is considered likely.

Raptors Sign Bruno Fernando

August 2nd, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Luke Adams

9:30pm: The Raptors have officially signed Fernando, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

7:11am: The Raptors have agreed to terms on a contract with free agent big man Bruno Fernando, a source tells Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).

According to Murphy, it’ll be a non-guaranteed deal that will give Fernando a chance to compete for a spot on Toronto’s 15-man regular season roster. He would assure himself of some guaranteed money by making the team.

The contract won’t include Exhibit 10 language, Murphy adds, so Fernando wouldn’t be ticketed for the Raptors 905 in the G League if he’s waived before the season.

A five-year veteran who was a second-round pick in 2019, Fernando began his NBA career with the Hawks before being traded to Boston in August 2021 and then to Houston in February 2022. He was dealt back to Atlanta in February 2023.

After playing eight games for the Hawks down the stretch of the 2022/23 season, Fernando didn’t play much at all in the first half of ’23/24, appearing in just 13 of Atlanta’s first 49 games for an average of 6.5 minutes per contest. However, he was thrust into a larger role in the second half due to a series of frontcourt injuries, averaging 7.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG while shooting 59.4% from the floor and 70.1% from the line over his final 32 games (18.7 MPG).

Fernando, who will turn 26 later this month, was waived by Atlanta earlier this week before his $2.7MM salary for 2024/25 could become guaranteed.

The Raptors are currently carrying 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, plus Jamison Battle on an Exhibit 10 contract. Once Fernando’s deal is official, the club will have 19 players under contract, including its three on two-way deals.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Toronto bring in another veteran or two besides Fernando to compete for that 15th regular season roster spot.

Celtics Sign Anton Watson To Two-Way Contract

August 2nd, 2024 at 3:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:38pm: Watson’s two-way contract with the Celtics is official, according to the team (Twitter link).

12:39pm: Second-round pick Anton Watson will sign a two-way contract with the Celtics, a league source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old small forward was the 54th selection in this year’s draft after playing five seasons at Gonzaga. He averaged career highs of 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season while shooting 57.8% from the field and 41.2% from three-point range.

Watson played for Boston’s entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, putting up 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games.

Watson is eligible to appear in up to 50 NBA games on his two-way deal, but he’ll likely spend most of his rookie season in the G League given the quality of the Celtics’ roster. Once Watson’s signing is complete, he’ll join JD Davison and Drew Peterson as Boston’s two-way players.

TyTy Washington Signs Two-Way Contract With Suns

August 2nd, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

2:33pm: Washington’s contract is official, the Suns announced (via Twitter).

10:12am: Free agent guard TyTy Washington will sign a two-way contract with the Suns, agent Kevin Bradbury of Lift Sports tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Washington, 22, appeared in 11 games with Milwaukee last season on a two-way deal, averaging 1.3 PPG in 5.1 minutes per night. He spent much of the season in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd.

Washington was a first-round selection out of Kentucky in the 2022 draft, taken by Houston with the 29th pick. He was limited to 31 games as a rookie while also splitting time in the G League.

The Rockets shipped Washington to Atlanta last summer as part of a complex five-team deal. Four days later, the Hawks moved him to Memphis, which eventually waived him, and he signed with the Bucks in late August.

The addition of Washington will fill Phoenix’s last open two-way slot. Collin Gillespie and Jalen Bridges were signed to two-way deals last month.