NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

L.A. Notes: Vanderbilt, Knecht, Kawhi, Powell, K. Jones

October 18th, 2024 at 8:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt will be sidelined to open the 2024/25 regular season as he continues to rehab from surgeries on both feet in May, head coach J.J. Redick said on Thursday evening (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin). According to Redick, Vanderbilt will be out at least two more weeks, which means he’ll miss a minimum of five regular season games.

A rangy, versatile defender, Vanderbilt was limited to just 29 games due to foot injuries. Redick said last week that the 25-year-old hasn’t experienced any setbacks in training camp, but he has yet to take part in practice, contact or otherwise.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:

No. 17 overall pick Dalton Knecht showed on Thursday why the Lakers believe he’ll be viewed as a draft-night steal, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Knecht scored 35 points in 32 minutes off the bench, pouring in the Lakers’ last seven points of regulation and their first 13 of overtime. League executives say Knecht fell out of the lottery due to concerns about his age and defensive limitations, per Woike, but he appears poised to open his rookie season as a rotation player in Los Angeles.
Discussing the status of Kawhi Leonard‘s troublesome right knee, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue admitted the star forward experienced a setback at Team USA’s training camp, as Janis Carr of The Orange County Register relays. “The swelling was down, everything was going in the right direction,” Lue said. “He had worked hard to get to the that point and then once you start playing, you never know what’s going to happen.”
Clippers swingman Norman Powell spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com about a wide variety of topics, including his first impressions of the team’s new arena, Leonard’s absence, and being challenged to step up on defense with Kawhi out. “Over the years, there’s been a focus on my scoring part,” Powell said. “But I’m tapping back into my defensive abilities and guarding as a two-way player. I love it. I know I can do it.”
After a strong camp and preseason, big man Kai Jones is set to open the season with the Clippers, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Since the team already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, Jones will likely have his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract prior to opening night, Murray adds.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Veteran Extension Candidates To Watch Before, During Season

October 18th, 2024 at 8:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Many of the top candidates for veteran extensions this offseason have already signed new contracts.

While stars like Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, and Donovan Mitchell finalized new deals shortly after the July moratorium lifted, there has been a steady stream of veteran extensions since then, with Joel Embiid, Jamal Murray, Jose Alvarado, T.J. McConnell, Terance Mann, Ivica Zubac, and Wendell Carter having all completed new contracts since the start of September.

In total, 18 veterans have signed extensions since the 2024/25 league year began, dwarfing the four rookie scale extensions that have been finalized during that same period.

As we wrote last week, there will likely be a small flurry of rookie scale extensions ahead of Monday's deadline. That may not be the case for veteran extensions, but there's reason to believe we could see some action on that front too.

For one, while the day before the regular season isn't the deadline for all veteran extensions - like it is for rookie scale extensions - it is the last day for an extension-eligible vet to work out a new deal if he has a contract (not an option year) for 2025/26. Those players will be ineligible for new deals during the season if they don't sign by Monday -- they would regain their eligibility next summer.

Players who are on expiring contracts or who hold options for 2025/26 (which could be declined as part of an extension agreement) will remain eligible to sign new deals all season, but some of those players may prefer to get something done before opening night in order to avoid the distraction of having their contract situation hanging over their head during the season.

In the space below, we'll take a look at three groups of players eligible for veteran extensions -- those who face an October 21 deadline, those who will remain eligible all season, and those who are good extension candidates but aren't expected to sign until at least 2025.

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Kings Sign Antoine Davis, Drew Timme; Waive Skal Labissere

October 18th, 2024 at 7:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have waived big man Skal Labissiere while signing guard Antoine Davis and power forward Drew Timme, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).

The roster moves capped a busy transaction day for the Kings, who also waived Boogie Ellis, Terry Taylor, and Brodric Thomas while signing Shareef O’Neal. All seven moves were confirmed in Sacramento’s official announcement. The team now has 20 players under contract.

A former first-round pick, Labissiere played for the Stockton Kings in the G League last season and appears on track to return to Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate. He was on an Exhibit 10 contract and will earn a bonus worth $77.5K on top of his standard G League salary if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton.

In all likelihood, Davis and Timme received Exhibit 10 contracts and will also be waived this weekend in order to eventually join Labissere in Stockton.

Davis, who went undrafted out of Detroit Mercy in 2023, played for the Rip City Remix as a rookie, then had his returning rights traded from Portland’s affiliate to Sacramento’s a couple weeks ago. In 44 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Remix in 2023/24, he averaged 14.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 24.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .401/.364/.854.

Timme, a standout at Gonzaga, also went undrafted in 2023 and played in the G League last season. The 6’10” big man averaged 9.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG in 27 games (21.8 MPG) for the Wisconsin Herd, then had his rights traded to Stockton earlier this month.

Blazers’ Thybulle Out 3-4 Weeks Due To Knee Procedure

October 18th, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers swingman Matisse Thybulle will miss the start of the regular season after undergoing a procedure on Thursday to address inflammation in his right knee, the team announced (via Twitter).

According to the Blazers, Thybulle will resume rehabilitation work on the knee and is expected to be sidelined for three or four weeks.

Thybulle, who was acquired by the Blazers in a trade at the 2023 deadline, appeared in 65 games in his first full season in Portland in 2023/24, making 19 starts and averaging 22.9 minutes per night. His contributions on offense were modest (5.4 PPG on .397/.346/.759 shooting), but he’s a talented, versatile wing defender, having made a pair of All-Defensive Second Teams during his time in Philadelphia.

Even if Thybulle is only out for the next three weeks, he’ll miss the first 10 games of Portland’s season, so the team will need to get by without him on the wing until then. The Blazers will also be without Shaedon Sharpe to open the season due to a shoulder injury.

With Thybulle on the shelf, second-year forward Toumani Camara should play more minutes behind veteran starters Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant, or even alongside them. Camara has impressed during the preseason and was pushing for a bigger role before Thybulle’s injury, as Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report details in a Substack article.

Reserves Jabari Walker, Kris Murray, and Dalano Banton are among the other candidates to move up the depth chart in Thybulle’s absence.

Mavericks Cut Lawson, Miller, Sharp; Convert Gortman To Two-Way

October 18th, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Rory Maher

7:03pm: Gortman’s conversion to a two-way contract is official, the Mavericks have confirmed (via Twitter).

12:01pm: Gortman, who was drawing interest from rival clubs, will be promoted to Dallas’ final two-way spot, a source tells MacMahon (Twitter link).

11:35am: The Mavericks announced in a press release (Twitter link) that they have waived guard A.J. Lawson, forward Emanuel Miller and center Jamarion Sharp.

Lawson being cut comes as something of a surprise. Dallas waived Lawson and his non-guaranteed standard contract 10 days ago, but brought him back on a two-way deal after he cleared waivers. Just a week later, he has been released for a second time this preseason.

Lawson signed a two-year, two-way contract with Dallas back in December 2022, shortly after being waived by Minnesota. He remained on that deal until March 2024, when he was promoted to the standard roster on a new four-year contract that was only guaranteed for the remainder of the 2023/24 season.

The 24-year-old appeared in a total of 56 NBA games for the Mavericks during his two seasons with the team, including 42 in 2023/24. Lawson averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per contest and posted a shooting line of .457/.307/.548 at the NBA level. The former South Carolina standout also played seven times for the Texas Legends in the G League last season, averaging 20.7 PPG and 7.0 RPG with a .530 FG%.

Former Overtime Elite guard Jazian Gortman — who has continued to impress during preseason action, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) — seems like the frontrunner to land the two-way vacancy created by waiving Lawson, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN and Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com (Twitter links). Gortman could have his Exhibit 10 deal converted to a two-way deal.

Miller and Sharp went undrafted this year out of TCU and Mississippi, respectively. Both players were on Exhibit 10 deals and will likely be headed to the Texas Legends — Dallas’ G League affiliate — to begin their pro careers. They could each earn a bonus worth $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with the Legends.

Dallas now has 18 players under contract, though they’ll need to convert Gortman to a two-way deal to make their roster legal for the regular season. The Mavs’ other two-way spots are occupied by guard Brandon Williams and forward Kessler Edwards.

Spurs Pick Up 2025/26 Options On Wembanyama, Three Others

October 18th, 2024 at 6:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have exercised their rookie scale team options for the 2025/26 season on four players, including last year’s No. 1 overall pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, the team announced today in a press release. Here are the four options picked up by San Antonio:

Wembanyama (third year, $13,376,880)
Jeremy Sochan (fourth year, $7,096,231)
Malaki Branham (fourth year, $4,962,033)
Blake Wesley (fourth year, $4,726,328)

All four players already had guaranteed salaries for the 2024/25 season. Now they’re locked up for at least the next two seasons, with the salary figures above applying to the ’25/26 cap.

Wembanyama’s option decision was a no-brainer coming off a rookie campaign in which he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks in 29.7 minutes per game, earning All-Defensive First Team honors and finishing as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up. It seems pretty safe to assume the Spurs will also pick up his 2026/27 team option next fall and then offer him a maximum-salary extension in the summer of 2026.

The other option decisions weren’t quite as obvious, though Sochan and Branham played regular rotation roles in their age-20 seasons in 2023/24 and took steps forward in their development. Sochan looked more comfortable after being moved out of the point guard position midway through the season, while Branham improved his three-point percentage to 34.7%.

Wesley has played the most limited role of any of these four Spurs during the early stages of his NBA career, averaging just 14.4 minutes per game in 61 outings last season. He also hasn’t proven to be a reliable option on offense, with a career shooting line of .398/.299/.639. But he’s one of the team’s strongest defenders and earned praise from veteran forward Harrison Barnes during training camp for his play on that side of the ball.

Sochan, Branham, and Wesley will all be eligible for rookie scale extensions during the 2025 offseason.

We’re tracking all of the 2025/26 rookie scale team option decisions right here. They’re due by October 31.

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Extension Rumors: Durant, Kuminga, Moody, Sengun, Green, Gordon

October 18th, 2024 at 6:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns forward Kevin Durant won’t sign a contract extension before the regular season begins, Shams Charania said during an appearance on Friday’s episode of NBA Today on ESPN (YouTube link).

As we outlined on Thursday, Durant – who has two years left on his current maximum-salary deal – is eligible until October 21 to sign a one-year extension worth up to $59.5MM. If he doesn’t sign that extension by Monday, his next opportunity to extend his contract will come during the 2025 offseason.

Durant downplayed the likelihood of completing a deal this fall, but has expressed “publicly and privately how much he loves Phoenix,” according to Charania, who suggests that both the former MVP and the team are focused on getting something done next offseason, when Durant could add two new years to his current contract for a total of $123.8MM.

The Over-38 rule prohibits Durant from signing any deal that would keep him under contract for four or more total years going forward.

Here are a few more of the latest updates on players who are eligible for contract extensions:

The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga remain “far apart” in their extension negotiations, according to Charania, who said during that same NBA Today segment that there’s a sense Kuminga may enter the season without a new deal in place, putting him on track for restricted free agency in 2025. Charania adds that the Warriors forward is comfortable with the idea of betting on himself in 2024/25 and trying to earn a maximum-salary contract – or something close to it – next summer. Moses Moody appears “much more likely” than Kuminga to sign an extension with Golden State before Monday’s deadline, per Charania.
The Rockets have had “productive” conversations with both Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green and have made extension offers that would provide them with long-term financial security, according to Charania. However, Charania notes that those offers are below the max, so Sengun and Green will have to decide whether they’re willing to accept those deals or if they want to push for bigger paydays by opting for restricted free agency.
The Nuggets and forward Aaron Gordon are in “active conversations” about an extension, per Charania. Gordon is eligible to sign for up to $143.3MM on a four-year deal that would begin in 2025/26, though ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that Denver is hoping to get him to accept a little less than that. “They haven’t handed out that (max) offer,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “Otherwise he would have signed it. From what I understand, they are negotiating and they’re hopeful of getting him at less than what would be his quote, unquote max.”
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks examines some of this year’s top extension candidates and shares the offers he’d put on the table for several of them, including $148MM for Jalen Johnson, $128MM for Josh Giddey, and a whopping $165MM for Jalen Suggs (all five-year deals).

Knicks’ Shamet Diagnosed With Dislocated Shoulder

October 18th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks wing Landry Shamet, who suffered an injury during Tuesday’s preseason game against Charlotte, has been diagnosed with a dislocated right shoulder and will be reevaluated at a later date, the team announced today (via Twitter).

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), Shamet’s injured right shoulder continues to be examined, but there’s “initial optimism” about his odds of avoiding surgery.

Although Shamet is with the Knicks this fall on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract, reports throughout the preseason indicated he was a strong contender to earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster. His injury complicates matters, since New York lacks back-end roster depth and spending flexibility below its hard cap — retaining and paying Shamet while he’s injured may not be the best use of a roster spot or of the team’s limited spending room.

The Knicks’ 12 players on fully guaranteed salaries count for about $185.35MM against the apron, leaving just $3.58MM in wiggle room below the team’s second apron ($188.93MM) hard cap. That’s not even enough for two minimum-salary veterans, so the club will likely fill its roster with one minimum-salary vet and one minimum-salary rookie (Ariel Hukporti is reportedly the frontrunner to be converted).

As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic points out (via Twitter), the fact that the Knicks said Shamet will be evaluated “at a later date” may be a signal that they don’t plan to waive him, though that’s hardly a sure thing. If Shamet is cut, the Exhibit 9 language in his contract means the team would only be on the hook for $15K rather than having to pay his salary until he gets healthy.

We should get clarity soon on the Knicks’ plans, but it’s worth noting that the team is permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time and for up to 28 total days during the 2024/25 season. That means New York could opt to waive Shamet and its other camp invitees while postponing Hukporti’s conversion for now, rolling with just 12 players on the standard roster for the season’s first 14 days. The Knicks could then bring back Shamet at a later date.

Wolves’ Omoruyi, Lakers’ Goodwin Among Latest Players Waived

October 18th, 2024 at 4:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have waived forward Eugene Omoruyi, the team announced today (via Twitter). Omoruyi had been in training camp with Minnesota on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract.

While it initially looked like there might be a path for Omoruyi to compete for a roster spot, that became a more uphill battle following the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, which added two extra players on guaranteed contracts to Minnesota’s roster. The team now has 15 players with fully guaranteed salaries, plus PJ Dozier on a partially guaranteed deal, leaving no room for Omoruyi, who only got into one preseason game.

Omoruyi, 27, has played for the Mavericks, Thunder, Pistons, and Wizards since making his NBA debut in the fall of 2021. The 6’7″ forward made a career-high 43 appearances for Washington last season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 0.8 APG in 9.1 MPG. His contract with the Wizards covered the 2024/25 season, but his salary was non-guaranteed and Washington opted to waive him in August.

Since Omoruyi had an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract, he’d be able to earn a $77.5K bonus if he ends up spending at least 60 days with the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League affiliate. He also still has one year of two-way eligibility remaining, so he could get a look from teams with an open two-way slot.

Here are a few more of the latest minor moves from around the NBA:

The Lakers announced on Friday that they have waived guard Jordan Goodwin and center Kylor Kelley and signed Grayson Murphy to an Exhibit 10 deal (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). All three players will likely be headed to the South Bay Lakers to open 2024/25.
The Cavaliers have placed Darius Brown II and Elijah Hughes on waivers, according to NBA.com’s official transaction log. Both players will likely report to the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate, where their Exhibit 10 contracts will allow them to earn bonuses worth up to $77.5K apiece. Brown is eligible to be designated as an “affiliate player,” while Hughes’ returning rights were acquired by the Charge earlier this month.
About 24 hours after signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract, the Trail Blazers have waived center Nick Muszynski, per NBA.com. His next stop figures to be with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s NBAGL team.
The Kings have signed free agent forward Shareef O’Neal to a training camp deal and plan to waive him on Saturday, according to Jake Gadon of CBS Sacramento (Twitter link). O’Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, will head to the Stockton Kings and will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Pacers Exercise Three 2025/26 Options, Waive Cole Swider

October 18th, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have completed a series of transactions, announcing in a press release that they’ve exercised their 2025/26 team options on swingman Bennedict Mathurin, forward Jarace Walker, and guard Ben Sheppard. The team also requested waivers on forward Cole Swider.

The option pick-ups are fairly routine housekeeping moves that ensure all three recent first-round picks now have guaranteed salaries for at least one more season beyond ’24/25. Mathurin’s fourth-year option is worth $9,187,573, while Walker’s third-year option is worth $6,665,520 and Sheppard’s will pay him $2,790,720.

Mathurin will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason, while Indiana will have fourth-year option decisions to make on Walker and Sheppard next fall.

The release of Swider is the most notable transaction in the bunch, as the Pacers’ decision to cut Kendall Brown earlier this week seemingly paved the way for Swider to earn a spot on the 15-man regular season roster. Still, Indiana isn’t far below the luxury tax line, so the club may opt to open the regular season with just 14 players on standard contracts, leaving that final spot open to maximize its roster and financial flexibility.

Of course, regular season rosters don’t have to be finalized until Monday, so there’s still time for the Pacers to make additional moves. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, the team could theoretically promote one of its current two-way players to a standard deal and bring back Swider on a two-way contract. However, there have been no reports yet suggesting that’s the plan.

Swider’s non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Pacers didn’t include Exhibit 10 language, so it doesn’t appear likely that he’ll end up with the Indiana Mad Ants, the team’s G League affiliate.