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And-Ones: Russell, Noel, Paul, Team USA, Baker

September 12th, 2022 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bill Russell‘s No. 6 will be retired throughout the league and another Hall of Famer, Alonzo Mourning, said it was much-deserved honor, Marc J. Spears of Andscape writes.

“We still need to celebrate his name, because he paved the way during a time where he had to deal with so many different obstacles,” Mourning said. “Not just on the court, but off the court. He paved the way for all of us.”

Mourning and Jerry West were on stage at the Hall of Fame’s annual ceremony over the weekend to honor Russell before the Class of 2022 was inducted.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Pistons center Nerlens Noel‘s lawsuit against agent Rich Paul is headed to arbitration, Michael McCann of Sportico reports in a subscribers-only article. Noel sued Paul last August, alleging that the agent’s negotiating tactics during 2017 cost him a four-year, $70MM extension with Dallas.
  • USA Basketball wound up with the bronze medal in the AmeriCup by defeating Canada 84-80 (Twitter link). Former NBA forward Gary Clark led the way with 18 points. Argentina, having defeated Team USA in the semifinals, earned the gold medal with a victory over Brazil.
  • The G League Lakeland Magic acquired the returning player rights to forward Robert Baker from the Stockton Kings in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Baker, 24, appeared in 26 games with the Stockton Kings last season and one Summer League game with the Thunder.
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Magic Sign Guard Joel Ayayi

September 12th, 2022 at 9:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic have signed free agent guard Joel Ayayi, according to a team press release.

Ayayi appeared in seven games with the Wizards last season but only played a total of 20 minutes. He was on a two-way contract but was waived in March.

After going undrafted out of Gonzaga last summer, Ayayi signed a two-way deal with the Lakers, but was cut just before the season began. The Frenchman was claimed off waivers by Washington.

Ayayi started 29 games for the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ G League affiliate, and averaged 10.7 PPG, 6.6 APG and 5.7 RPG.

The Magic already have 15 players on guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots filled, so it’s almost certainly an Exhibit 10 deal for Ayayi. Orlando has also reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with four other players.

Exhibit 10 deals are non-guaranteed and carry a minimum salary, but Ayayi could receive a $50K bonus if he’s waived before the start of the regular season and joins the team’s G League affiliate in Lakeland.

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Franz Wagner Sprains Ankle In EuroBasket Game

September 11th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill
  • Magic forward Franz Wagner is questionable for the EuroBasket quarterfinals after twisting his ankle in Germany’s win on Saturday, according to Eurohoops. Wagner didn’t return to the game after suffering the injury in the third quarter. There has been no official word on his status for Germany’s next game on Tuesday.
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Southeast Notes: Okongwu, Wagner, Wizards

September 8th, 2022 at 10:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Hawks reserve center Onyeka Okongwu took a big leap during his second NBA season in 2021/22, though Atlanta as a team took a significant step back in the playoffs. Okongwu is taking pains to put in the work during the offseason to improve his skill set, per Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 48 games last year, the 6’8″ big man out of USC averaged 8.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.1 APG, while shooting an excellent 69% from the floor.

The 21-year-old big man is striving to improve his jump shooting. “People are going to have expectations for me,” Okongwu said. “You know, I got to this point for a reason. I got drafted by this team for a reason. So, I definitely make sure I do what I do, but adding on something every year, every year, just add a little something.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • Magic small forward Franz Wagner has played somewhat erratically in EuroBasket competition, but has managed to be a big contributor for the German national team when firing on all cylinders, per Ethan Fuller of Basketball News. Fuller writes that Wagner appears to have improved his pull-up three-point shooting and his play around the rim during this international run.
  • The Wizards currently boast a plethora of solid wing players, to the point that Josh Robbins of The Athletic addresses whether or not Washington may look to make a move to address that logjam by making a consolidation trade. Elsewhere in his mailbag, Robbins projects where the club could finish in a loaded Eastern Conference this season after missing the playoffs last year, as well as contextualizing the Summer League struggles of rookie lottery pick Johnny Davis.
  • In case you missed it, our Rory Maher recently took a look at extension-eligible Heat guard Tyler Herro, and assessed the reigning Sixth Man of the Year’s candidacy for a lucrative new contract.
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And-Ones: Expansion, Seattle, Vegas, Draft Assets, Ignite

September 7th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Is the NBA ready to move forward on its long-rumored plans to expand to Seattle and Las Vegas? Willie G. Ramirez of The Associated Press (Twitter link) says he has heard from multiple sources that the league wants to announce expansion when those two cities hosts preseason games this fall. The Clippers will play in Seattle on September 30 and October 3, while the Lakers are set to play in Vegas on October 5 and 6.

Despite Ramirez’s report, it’s still probably premature to get excited about an impending announcement. Rumors of possible expansion have simmered off and on for years, and the NBA has repeatedly shot them down, indicating that any plans to add more teams are on the back-burner. Still, it seems increasingly likely that expansion is coming sooner or later, with Seattle and Las Vegas atop the league’s list of potential destinations.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • As rumors about expansion resurface, Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com considers what an expansion draft might look like if the NBA uses the same rules it did for its last expansion draft (the Bobcats in 2004). Of course, Sidery’s hypothetical expansion draft is based on teams’ current rosters, and any expansion team is unlikely to enter the league for a few years, but it’s still an interesting exercise that shows what kinds of players might go unprotected.
  • Following the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell blockbuster trades, the Jazz have the strongest collection of future draft picks of any NBA team, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link), who ranks Utah’s draft assets slightly ahead of the Thunder‘s. The Spurs have the third-best stash of future picks, per Marks. The Pelicans, Rockets, Knicks, Magic, and Pacers round out his top eight, in that order.
  • The G League Ignite have officially announced the additions of Australian prospect Mojave King and Canadian prospect Leonard Miller, confirming the signings today in a press release. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony previously reported that King and Miller would be joining the Ignite.
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2022/23 NBA Over/Unders: Southeast Division

September 6th, 2022 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

The 2022/23 NBA regular season will tip off next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to resume an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites – including Bovada, BetOnline, and Betway – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2021/22, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’22/23?

We’ll begin our series today with the Southeast division…

Miami Heat

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Washington Wizards

Orlando Magic

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Examining Gary Harris' Outlook; Magic Unveil New Practice Facility

September 3rd, 2022 at 2:45pm CST by JD Shaw
  • Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel consulted multiple medical experts in examining the outlook for Gary Harris and the Magic. Harris underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus this week, but no timetable was announced. He averaged 11.1 points per game last season, starting in 30 of his 61 contests.
  • The Magic have unveiled a new state-of-the-art practice and training facility, the team announced in a press release. The $70MM facility spans 130,000 square feet. As relayed in the release, it’ll serve as the training site for the Magic and a sports medicine hub to Central Florida.
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Gary Harris Undergoes Arthroscopic Surgery On Left Knee

September 1st, 2022 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

Magic wing Gary Harris has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee, the team announced in a press release. Harris, who recently tore his meniscus, underwent a meniscectomy, according to the Magic.

The recovery period for a torn meniscus can vary significantly depending on the severity of the injury and the form of treatment. When a player undergoes surgery to repair the tear, he typically misses several months — that’s how meniscus tears for Jaren Jackson Jr. and Collin Sexton have been treated within the last couple years, limiting Jackson to just 11 games in 2020/21 and Sexton to 11 appearances in ’21/22.

However, a meniscectomy involves removing either the full meniscus or a part of it, rather than repairing it. The procedure typically requires a shorter recovery period.

The Magic said in their announcement today that Harris’ return to the court will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment. It’s possible his absence will be measured in weeks rather than months, though Orlando has shown a tendency to take a conservative approach to its players’ recovery timetables.

Harris, who will turn 28 this month, appeared in 61 games (28.4 MPG) for the Magic in 2021/22 after being sent to the team in the Aaron Gordon trade at the 2021 deadline. The veteran shooting guard averaged 11.1 PPG on .434/.384/.864 shooting last season, earning a two-year, $26MM contract extension just before free agency officially began.

Only the first year of Harris’ new contract is guaranteed, so he’ll be motivated to get healthy and have a good season. A strong showing in 2022/23 would either convince the Magic to retain him for ’23/24 or would set him up for another solid payday as a free agent next summer.

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Magic Notes: Shittu, Harris, Bamba, Banchero

August 27th, 2022 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

After three years of working for an NBA opportunity, Simisola Shittu may be getting his best chance with the Magic, writes Tony East of Forbes. A report earlier this month indicates that Shittu will be in training camp with Orlando, likely on an Exhibit 10 contract.

The 22-year-old was considered a top prospect when he enrolled at Vanderbilt, but he suffered a torn ACL that healed just in time for his lone collegiate season. He went undrafted in 2019 and spent two years in the G League before heading to Israel. He played for the Pacers in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, earning himself a chance with the Magic.

“I’m resilient,” he said. “Certain cards don’t fall the right way or anything like that. But at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve just continued to grow from it and gotten better each year.”

There’s more from Orlando:

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Gary Harris Suffers Torn Meniscus

August 27th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by JD Shaw

Magic guard Gary Harris has suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). While it’s unclear how and when he sustained the injury, Harris will undergo further evaluation to determine how much time he’ll miss.

The 27-year-old Harris was a key part of Orlando’s rotation last season. He averaged 11.1 points per game in 61 contests, starting in 30 of them. He also shot 43% from the floor and 38% from downtown.

Aside from his offensive production, the Magic likely value Harris for his locker room leadership. He’s currently the second-oldest player on a young roster, trailing only Terrence Ross (31).

Harris has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career. Last season was the first time he played more than 60 games since the 2017/18 campaign, which helped him land a two-year, $26MM extension from Orlando. Still, the Magic finished just 22-60 on the year and are expected to continue their rebuilding phase.

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