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Northwest Notes: Juzang, Vanderbilt, Thunder, KCP

July 18th, 2022 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Two-way player Johnny Juzang could be another developmental success story for the Jazz, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes.

Juzang, one of UCLA’s stars during the Final Four run in 2021, should get more of an opportunity than most undrafted rookies with Utah apparently shifting to rebuild mode. There are questions about Juzang’s defensive ability, but he proved to be a steady offensive threat in college. He struggled in Summer League action, shooting 26.1% from the field.

“I feel like I see the floor pretty well right now but I want to continue to become even more of a playmaker,” Juzang said. “I’m also focused on playing on and off the ball. It will all come with time.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, one of the players acquired from the Timberwolves in the Rudy Gobert deal, should be a defensive asset for the Jazz. He recognizes that he can be even more of a force if he develops his offensive game, according to Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune. Vanderbilt started 67 regular season games for Minnesota last season but only averaged 6.9 PPG in 25.4 MPG. “Finishing around the rim, touch; working on my shooting, trying to expand my range; working on ball-handling and counter-moves,” Vanderbilt said of what he needs to work on the most. “I’m still young in my career, where I have a lot of opportunity to still grow and expand my game as well. I’m sticking to the foundation that got me here, but building off that.”
What did the Thunder learn about No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren and the rest of their squad at the Vegas Summer League? Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman breaks down their performances.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s two-year extension with the Nuggets is worth $14.7MM in 2023/24, with a $15.44MM player option for ’24/25, Hoops Rumors has learned. The deal comes in at approximately $30.15MM in total.
In case you missed it, Kenrich Williams agreed to a four-year extension with the Thunder. Get all the details here.

Latest On Donovan Mitchell

July 16th, 2022 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

A potential Donovan Mitchell trade could be an “extended process” rather than an imminent event, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (video link).

Utah is “talking throughout the league,” but there are not everyday negotiations going on involving the All-Star guard, according to Wojnarowski, who says the Jazz have “time on their side” due to Mitchell being signed through the 2025/26 season (including a player option in the final year).

Utah exec Danny Ainge has a reputation of waiting teams out to get the best possible trade package. “I think it’s going to be the same thing with Donovan Mitchell,” Wojnarowski said, though he added that the Knicks are a “motivated suitor.”

We have more on the Mitchell trade front:

According to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, the notion that the Jazz were not open to offers for Mitchell prior to this week is a false narrative. They had discussed Mitchell trades before Rudy Gobert was dealt to the Timberwolves.
ESPN’s Insiders look at five potential Mitchell deals involving the Knicks, Heat, Raptors, Thunder and a four-way swap. Responding to ESPN’s proposed trades, Larsen tweets that the proposed packages from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Oklahoma City would all fall short of what the Jazz are seeking. ESPN’s hypothetical four-team deal involving Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Deandre Ayton might’ve appealed most to Utah, according to Larsen, but it’s no longer an option now that Ayton is back under contract with Phoenix.
With the Knicks apparently ready to give up a boatload of assets for Mitchell, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post looks at past deals for star players that failed to turn the fortunes of the franchise.
Dealing Mitchell would be the best thing for the Jazz, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News opines. After dealing Gobert, the Jazz would have to give up numerous assets in trades just to remain in the playoff picture if they retain Mitchell.
A group of ESPN analysts explored some potential trade packages for Mitchell on NBA Today (video link).

Thunder First-Rounder Ousmane Dieng Suffers Wrist Injury

July 15th, 2022 at 4:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Ousmane Dieng, the No. 11 overall pick of last month’s draft, has suffered a “slight chip fracture” in his right wrist, the Thunder announced (via Twitter).

The 19-year-old French forward will miss the rest of Summer League action, but he should be healed and ready to go by training camp, per the team.

Dieng was the first top European prospect to take advantage of the National Basketball League’s Next Stars program. He spent the 2021/22 season with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s NBL, averaging 8.9 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 23 games (20.3 MPG) against professional competition.

The Thunder sent three protected future first-round picks to the Knicks in order to land the No. 11 pick and select Dieng on draft night.

Second-year guard Tre Mann will also miss Friday’s contest against Golden State due to a sprained left ankle, Oklahoma City said. The No. 18 pick of last year’s draft, Mann appeared in 60 games (26 starts, 22.8 MPG) as a rookie for the Thunder in ’21/22, with averages of 10.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.7 APG on .393/.360/.793 shooting.

Northwest Notes: Micic, Utah, Booth, Walker

July 14th, 2022 at 7:57pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

28-year-old Vasilije Micic, the 2021 EuroLeague MVP whose draft rights are currently owned by the Thunder, is interested in joining the NBA if a trade is available, per Adrian Wojanarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Woj notes that, due to the team’s focus on rebuilding around a young roster, Oklahoma City might not make sense as a landing spot for the veteran guard. Micic was selected by the Sixers with the No. 52 pick in the 2014 draft. The Thunder acquired his draft rights during the 2020/21 season. Since 2018, Micic has played for Turkish club Anadolu Efes, winners of the past two EuroLeague titles.

During his 2021/22 EuroLeague stint with Anadolu Efes, Micic averaged 18.1 PPG, 4.7 APG, 2.3 RPG and 1.1 SPG across 28 contests. He posted shooting splits of .467/.349/.886.

The 6’5″ guard recently reiterated his enthusiasm for taking the leap across the pond.

“I’m still showing a desire to go to the NBA,” Micic told Achilleas Mavrodontis of Eurohoops. “I would like to try myself there, I would like to go there to see how is everything over there. Some things are not in my hands. I have some days left to make it happen, day by day. We will see. Otherwise, I will stay in Efes, but for now, it’s to go there.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

After trading All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves for a handful of veterans and present and future draft picks, the Jazz will look very different during the 2022/23 season. Trent Wood of the Deseret News unpacks what Utah can expect from new ex-Minnesota acquisitions Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro and rookie Walker Kessler. GM Justin Zanik praised 34-year-old veteran point guard Beverley. “Patrick Beverley, longtime NBA antagonist, brings great defensive fire and that intensity is needed with our team,” Zanik said. Beyond Kessler, it sounds as if the more veteran players could either be on-court contributors or be made available via trade.
New Nuggets team president Calvin Booth is not taking his opportunity to win a title in Denver for granted, writes Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. “I never thought I’d be, you know, the steward of a team of this caliber in my very first job,” Booth said.
Details have emerged regarding the deal of new Trail Blazers second-round pick Jabari Walker. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Walker, the No. 57 selection in the 2022 draft, has inked a three-season contract worth $4.76MM, with only the 2022/23 season fully guaranteed. During the ’23/24 season, the deal is partially guaranteed for $400K, per JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). Walker’s deal will be non-guaranteed under the last year of the contract in ’24/25. Although it’s a minimum-salary contract, Portland used the mid-level exception to give the rookie a third year.

And-Ones: D. Smith, Micic, 2023 FAs, Contracts

July 11th, 2022 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Former ninth overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. is holding a private workout in Las Vegas on Monday, his agent Daniel Hazan tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Currently a free agent, Smith will attempt to show teams that he’s healthy and deserving a roster spot this fall after his 2021/22 season ended prematurely due to a partially torn UCL.

Smith, 24, earned a regular season roster spot in Portland after being invited to training camp last fall. He appeared in 37 games for the Blazers, averaging 5.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.2 SPG in 17.2 minutes per contest. Before he injured his elbow, the 2017 lottery pick had become a regular part of the team’s rotation with Damian Lillard sidelined.

Approximately 10 teams are expected to attend Smith’s workout on Monday, Haynes says.

Here’s more from around the NBA:

After winning back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Anadolu Efes, 28-year-old guard Vasilije Micic feels like he’s ready to make the leap to the NBA. “I can say that this year, I’m ready to go to the NBA and that it’s time,” Micic said during a TV interview, per Eurohoops.net. “Last year I wasn’t mentally ready because I wanted another year in Europe, but we’ll see. I am also very happy in Efes and we will see what happens. I’m enjoying the moment.” The Thunder hold Micic’s NBA rights, but reports have suggested his reps would like Oklahoma City to trade him.
Danny Leroux of The Athletic takes an early look at the NBA’s 2023 free agent period, observing that it doesn’t look like a particularly star-studded class. LeBron James, Khris Middleton, Draymond Green, Kyrie Irving, and Andrew Wiggins are among the top players who could reach free agency next summer, though it’s probably safe to assume at least one or two of them will sign extensions before then.
Mike Vornukov of The Athletic wonders if we’ll ever see NBA teams publicly disclose contract terms when they announce free agent signings, as some clubs in other sports do.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, McGee, Spurs, Pelicans

July 8th, 2022 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Rockets became convinced on draft day that the Magic were going to use the first overall pick on Paolo Banchero, Houston made Orlando a trade offer for that No. 1 pick, sources tell Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

As MacMahon and Windhorst explain, the Rockets had been expecting to end up with Banchero and had only recently been given Jabari Smith‘s medical information from his agent, Wallace Prather. Bill Duffy, Chet Holmgren‘s agent, told the Rockets he’d only give them Holmgren’s medicals if he got the sense that both Orlando and Oklahoma City were passing on his client.

According to ESPN’s duo, the Rockets were comfortable staying at No. 3 if Smith fell to them, but were worried about having to make a decision on Holmgren without getting much time to look over his medicals, which was why they inquired about moving up. After the Magic turned them down, the Thunder took Holmgren at No. 2, with Smith falling to Houston at No. 3 — all three teams ultimately left the draft happy, and while Banchero and Smith were surprised by where they ended up, neither was upset by the outcome.

“Jabari ended up in a place that fits who he is,” Prather said. “There was nothing but excitement on Jabari’s part about going to Houston. We love their young core. We love the city. We love the passion of their fan base.”

For what it’s worth, Banchero got the upper hand on Smith in their respective Summer League debuts on Thursday, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes. The Magic forward scored 17 points in Orlando’s win over Smith and the Rockets.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

A coaching assistant last season with the Rockets, Will Dunn has been promoted to an assistant coach position, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today (video link), Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd confirmed that the plan is to insert newly-signed big man JaVale McGee into the starting five. McGee told ESPN when he agreed to a deal with Dallas last week that he expected to be the team’s starting center.
The Spurs ruled out Jeremy Sochan and Joe Wieskamp for the entire Las Vegas Summer League, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Sochan missed all of the team’s pre-Vegas practices due to COVID-19, while Wieskamp, who remains a restricted free agent for San Antonio, sprained his ankle in a Tuesday practice.
Noting that the Pelicans‘ front office has shown a knack for identifying under-the-radar talent, Christian Clark of NOLA.com identifies three players on the team’s Summer League roster who could warrant a longer look from the club.

Contract Details: Rubio, Bol, Dort, Boucher

July 7th, 2022 at 10:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers will use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign Ricky Rubio, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. Rubio has agreed to a three-year, $18.4MM contract to return to Cleveland.

Rubio, who suffered a torn ACL in late December, finished the season with the Pacers. The Cavs’ front office explored the possibility of a sign-and-trade with the Pacers but couldn’t come to an agreement, Fedor explains.

Here are a few more contract-related notes from around the league:

The second year of Bol Bol‘s contract with the Magic is a team option, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. According to Spotrac, Bol Bol’s two-year deal is a minimum-salary contract worth a total of $3,968,718.
The unlikely bonuses in Luguentz Dort‘s contract with the Thunder are for making the All-Defensive Team and the Defensive Player of the Year award, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (video link). Those bonuses are worth $1MM annually. The five-year deal has a total base value of $82.5MM.
Chris Boucher‘s three-year, $35.2MM contract with the Raptors is fully guaranteed, Marks tweets. The first year of the contract is worth $12.7MM and his cap hits decline over the following two seasons.

Contract Details: Monk, Bucks, Edwards, Dort, Jones

July 6th, 2022 at 9:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Malik Monk‘s two-year deal with the Kings is worth approximately $19.42MM in total, with a first-year salary of $9.47MM, Hoops Rumors has learned. While Sacramento used most of the mid-level exception to bring Monk aboard, the team still has $1,017,781 left on the MLE, which is the exact value of the rookie minimum salary.

The Kings didn’t have a second-round pick in this year’s draft, so that leftover mid-level money won’t go to a 2022 draftee. But the club may have it earmarked for a player like Sasha Vezenkov, a 2017 second-rounder whose draft rights were acquired from Cleveland last month. Using that leftover mid-level money, Sacramento could offer Vezenkov – or another player – a minimum-salary deal that exceeds two years.

Here are a few more details on recently-signed contracts from around the NBA:

As expected, Joe Ingles got the full taxpayer mid-level exception ($6.48MM) from the Bucks, while Bobby Portis‘s four-year deal is worth the most he could receive using his Early Bird rights ($48.58MM), Hoops Rumors has learned. Portis’ contract includes a 15% trade kicker and a fourth-year player option.
Wesley Matthews‘ new deal with the Bucks is a one-year, minimum-salary contract, while the team used Jevon Carter‘s Non-Bird rights to give him a first-year salary ($2.1MM) worth a little more than his minimum ($1.97MM). Carter’s second-year player option is for the veteran’s minimum.
Kessler Edwards‘ two-year deal with the Nets, which features a second-year team option, is – as expected – worth the minimum.
Luguentz Dort‘s five-year contract with the Thunder includes a team option in year five and has a total base value of $82.5MM. It can be worth up to $87.5MM if Dort earns $5MM in total unlikely bonuses ($1MM annually), tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Tyus Jones‘ two-year deal with the Grizzlies begins at $15MM and declines to $14MM in 2023/24, per Marks (Twitter link). The deal includes an additional $1MM in unlikely incentives related to the team’s performance, Marks adds.

Chet Holmgren Turns Heads In Summer League Debut

July 6th, 2022 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren made an impact in his first Summer League game Tuesday night, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The No. 2 overall pick had 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting and registered seven rebounds, four assists and a league record six blocks in 24 minutes. “Gotta be better,” Holmgren said. “You can never really have a perfect game, but that’s what you strive for.”

Luguentz Dort Re-Signs With Thunder On Five-Year Deal

July 6th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 6: Dort’s new deal with the Thunder is now official, the team announced in a press release.

JUNE 30: The Thunder are re-signing restricted free agent Luguentz Dort to a five-year, $87.5MM contract, Dort’s agent Thad Foucher tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The barrel-chested Dort, who turned 23 in April, has showed continuous improvement after going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019. He averaged 6.8 PPG and 2.3 RPG on .394/.297/.792 shooting in 36 games (22.8 MPG) as a rookie, with those averages increasing to 14 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .387/.343/.744 shooting in 2020/21 (52 games, 29.7 MPG).

Dort averaged 17.2 PPG and 4.2 RPG on .404/.332/.843 shooting in 51 games (32.6 MPG) last season. His shooting numbers seem fairly mediocre, but the majority of Dort’s shots come from three or at the rim, and he gets to the line a good amount, so his 54.1% true shooting percentage is actually decent.

Dort’s hallmark comes on the defensive end of the court, where his strength, toughness and versatility really shine. He’s an excellent athlete with a strong frame (6’3″, 215 pounds) and is capable of switching across multiple positions.

A report last week indicated that Oklahoma City would pick up Dort’s team option for ’22/23, which would have made him an unrestricted free agent in 2023, but clearly they had a change of heart after examining the amount of salary cap space rival teams will have next summer. Instead the Thunder chose to decline the option, making him a restricted free agent.

The modern NBA is dominated by wings capable of playing both sides of the ball, so his contract aligns with the value teams place on players of his mold. Considering his trajectory and the fact that he’s only entering his fourth season, there’s a good chance that it will be a very reasonable deal for both sides for years to come.