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Olympic Notes: Team USA’s Focus, Quarterfinals, Curry, LeBron

August 5th, 2024 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Team USA plays Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics on Tuesday and coach Steve Kerr says that his team’s preparation has been centered on defense, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

“We know what wins a FIBA game,” Kerr said, referring to the international rules played at the Olympics. “We are just completely focused on our defense … and then the beauty of our team and the talent, the depth of our talent is that from one game to the next, we’ve got lots of guys who have the ability to get rolling.”

No one has been the focal point of the offense from game to game, which makes Team USA even more dangerous as it exits group play.

“That’s how we can overwhelm teams. It’s just everybody has to be ready for your moment whenever it is,” Stephen Curry said. “I think that’s a challenge because you don’t know from quarter to quarter from game to game who it’s going to be, [but] it’s a fun way to play. If you’re bought into ‘Let’s just win the basketball game’ and after that, who cares what it looks like.”

We have more on the Olympics:

The other quarterfinal matchups will also be played on Tuesday — Germany vs. Greece, Serbia vs. Australia, and France vs. Canada. Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy previews all of those matchups, taking a deeper dive into the France/Canada showdown.
In what areas are Team USA most vulnerable? Rebounding and half-court offense, according to Windhorst, who looks at the main strengths and weaknesses of all eight remaining teams.
Curry has struggled somewhat offensively during the tournament but he’s excelled as a screener, as The Athletic’s Joe Vardon details. Curry has set screens for LeBron James, leading to smaller overmatched defenders switching onto James. “I’m a good screener and can cause some confusion for a guy like (LeBron) having the ball,” Curry said. “We do it a little bit in Golden State where you have somebody else having the ball and me setting it, and I have a lot of different actions you can run, but if you get (LeBron) going downhill, good luck to anybody trying to stop him and having me come off into space.”
James is the game’s global ambassador, Tania Ganguli of The Athletic writes, and now some who idolized him in their youth are facing him in Paris.

Kevin McCullar Signs Two-Way Deal With Knicks

August 5th, 2024 at 5:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:55pm: The signing is official, the team’s PR department tweets.

11:59am: The Knicks have reached an agreement with second-round pick Kevin McCullar on a two-way contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old small forward out of Kansas was selected with the 56th pick in this year’s draft. He was held out of Summer League due to a knee issue.

McCullar earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last season while averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a super senior for the Jayhawks. In 2023, he was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team and earned third-team all-conference honors. He played three seasons at Texas Tech before transferring to Kansas in 2022.

New York will have a two-way opening left after McCullar’s deal becomes official. Ariel Hukporti is also on a two-way contract with the Knicks. The team also still has a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Jacob Toppin.

McCullar is among a handful of 2024 draft picks who are still without a contract. Utah’s Kyle Filipowski, Atlanta’s Nikola Djurisic, Indiana’s Enrique Freeman and Golden State’s Quinten Post still remain unsigned.

And-Ones: Broadcasting Deals, Fredette, Budinger, Free Agent Analysis

August 5th, 2024 at 5:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A handful of NBA teams are making contingency plans for local broadcasting deals during the upcoming season. If Diamond Sports Group emerges from bankruptcy in the coming weeks or months, the company has discussed eliminating the RSN contracts for as many as five of its NBA teams — the Pelicans, Thunder, Grizzlies, Mavericks and Pistons, Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal reports.

The decision is fluid, Friend adds, who hears the number could drop to three teams. Those five franchises are aware of the situation and most likely will offer their games over-the-air for free, if necessary. They would also each add a direct-to-consumer digital product.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

The USA’s 3×3 team in the Olympics failed to challenge for medal contention at the Paris Olympics. Adding injury to insult, its most prominent member — former NBA guard Jimmer Fredette — suffered an adductor tear that will require a six-month recovery period, Eurohoops.net relays. Fredette revealed the injury on social media. “I had an injury that took place in the beginning minutes of our second game against Poland,” he wrote. “I tore two different ligaments completely in my adductor, which prevented me from being able to compete. This will lead me to have a recovery of around six months.”
Another former NBA player, Chase Budinger, had his dreams of an Olympic medal dashed on Monday. Budinger and his beach volleyball partner, Miles Evans, won their first match against a duo from France but then lost to the Netherlands and Spain before falling to Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, the defending gold medalists from Tokyo. Budinger will still cherish the memories, per ESPN News Services. “Playing in the Olympics, playing in this venue, will definitely be up there with some of my greatest basketball moments, for sure,” Budinger said.
Will the Kyle Anderson and Isaiah Hartenstein additions prove disappointing to the Warriors and Thunder, respectively? Will Tyus Jones and Chris Paul end up as the biggest bargains in free agency? The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, Kelly Iko and Darnell Mayberry provide their insights and opinions on the free agent moves and trades made during this offseason.

Lakers Officially Announce Redick’s Coaching Staff

August 5th, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have formally announced the coaching staff that will work under J.J. Redick during his first season in Los Angeles, issuing a press release to confirm its assistant coaching hires.

Most of the Lakers’ hires, headlined by former NBA head coaches Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks, have been previously reported, but here’s the full list of assistants in one place:

McMillan, who has compiled a 760-668 (.532) career regular season record as the head coach of the SuperSonics, Trail Blazers, Pacers, and Hawks.
Brooks, who most recently served as an assistant in Portland and was a longtime head coach in Oklahoma City and Washington. He had a 521-414 (.557) regular season record and a 49-48 (.505) postseason mark, having led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012.
Bob Beyer, a veteran assistant who spent time with the Raptors, Magic, Warriors, Bobcats, Pistons, Thunder, Kings, Pelicans, and Hornets from 2003-24.
Greg St. Jean, who was a Lakers player development coach from 2019-21 before spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach in Dallas (2021-23) and Phoenix (2023/24).
Lindsey Harding, the reigning G League Coach of the Year for the Stockton Kings and the first full-time female assistant coach in Lakers franchise history.
Beau Levesque, who has held the title of player development coordinator with the Clippers for the past four seasons.

The Lakers also announced that they hired Michael Wexler as their head video coordinator. He was a coaching associate last season with the Suns and previously served as the head video coordinator for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

The Lakers’ goal was to surround Redick, a first-time NBA coach, with an experienced staff that could help him learn the ropes, which is why the club targeted former head coaches like McMillan and Brooks and a longtime assistant like Beyer to lead the group.

“Through an international and thorough process, we’ve brought together an experienced, diverse, and dedicated coaching staff,” Redick said in a statement. “Our goal from day one is about fostering a high-performing environment of player development and team alignment through relentless work, daily collaboration and innovation. Players and staff are here to enjoy the pursuit of excellence every time they step on the court. The expectations are clear, and my staff and I are committed to doing everything we need to do to ensure success at the highest level.”

Heat Sign Zyon Pullin To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 5th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Zyon Pullin has become the first player from the 2024 draft class to sign his second NBA contract, having returned to the Heat on a non-guaranteed deal. The team officially announced the signing on Monday, with Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald reporting that it’s an Exhibit 10 agreement (Twitter links).

A 6’4″ guard out of Florida, Pullin played for UC Riverside from 2019-23 before transferring to the Gators for his super-senior year. He was an All-SEC honoree in 2023/24 after averaging 15.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per contest in 33 games (27 starts), with a shooting line of .444/.449/.847.

Pullin quickly agreed to terms with the Heat after going undrafted in June, officially signing a two-way contract with the team on the first day of the new league year on July 1. However, he didn’t see much playing time for Miami’s Summer League squad and was waived on July 25 when the club needed to open up a roster spot to sign Summer League standout Josh Christopher to a two-way deal.

Pullin’s new deal signals that the Heat still view him as a prospect they want in their system. He could be converted back to a two-way deal anytime up until the day before the regular season if he impresses in camp, but the more likely scenario is that he’s waived and becomes an affiliate player for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League team.

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by his NBA team and then spends at least 60 days with his club’s G League affiliate.

Contract Details: Kennard, Fernando, Graham, Allen

August 5th, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Luke Kennard‘s new one-year contract with the Grizzlies, originally reported to be worth $11MM, actually has a base salary of just $9.25MM, Hoops Rumors has learned. Kennard can also earn an additional $1,387,500 in unlikely incentives, so his deal can max out at $10,637,500.

That disparity between the reported terms and the actual terms is important, given Memphis’ proximity to the luxury tax line. An $11MM cap hit would have put the Grizzlies over the luxury tax line by about $1MM, but because Kennard counts for just $9.25MM against the cap, the team’s salary is hovering right around $170MM, a little below the tax line ($170,814,000).

Kennard, Desmond Bane, and Brandon Clarke have unlikely contract incentives that could make Memphis a taxpayer if they’re earned. Given how close they are to the luxury tax line, I’d expect the Grizzlies to keep a close eye on each player’s progress toward his respective bonuses and make a minor cost-cutting move by February’s trade deadline if necessary — finishing the season just slightly above that tax threshold would cost the team a significant end-of-season payout that’s only available to non-taxpayers.

Here are more details on some recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Bruno Fernando signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Raptors. It’s non-guaranteed for the time being, but Fernando’s full $2,425,403 salary (and $2,087,519 cap hit) would become guaranteed if he remains under contract beyond the first day of the regular season, Hoops Rumors has learned.
Devonte’ Graham‘s one-year, non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Trail Blazers includes Exhibit 9 language, but not Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has learned. That suggests Graham probably isn’t planning to join the Rip City Remix (Portland’s G League team) as an affiliate player if he’s waived by the Blazers this fall.
Jarrett Allen‘s three-year, $90.72MM extension with the Cavaliers is a straightforward, fully guaranteed contract with no options on the final year and no trade kicker, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.

Olympic Notes: SGA, C. Jones, Wagner Brothers

August 5th, 2024 at 1:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

After helping the Thunder become championship contenders, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is doing the same thing for Team Canada, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. The Canadians swept through tough competition in Group A and are among the favorites to win a medal as they prepare to face France in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

It would be a significant accomplishment for Canada, which is seeking its first men’s basketball Olympic medal since winning a silver in 1936. A recent influx of NBA players, led by Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in this year’s MVP voting, has the country on the verge of becoming an international basketball power.

“We have a lot of talent, and we know that,” he said. “We all want to win, so we’re giving up whatever it takes to get to the final goal. … As far as Canada, we’ll be ready for whoever we see.”

They’re on different sides of the bracket, so Canada will likely face Team USA if it can advance to the gold medal game. Gilgeous-Alexander is looking forward to a possible rematch with the Americans after defeating them for the bronze medal in last year’s FIBA World Cup.

“They play to their strengths,” he said of Team USA. “They’re obviously very talented, very deep. You almost have to make no mistakes and play a perfect game when you play against them.”

There’s more from Paris:

Carlik Jones, one of the stars for South Sudan during its Olympics run, believes the nation has a bright basketball future, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. The former NBA guard averaged 18 points, 7.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in three Olympic games. “It is just the beginning,” he said. “Not a lot of people expected us to be here. I do not think a lot of people expected us to compete as well as we did. And we just got to keep working. Only time will tell. I got a lot of faith in those guys. We play any of these three games over and am putting us over them any day of the week. So, I just think that we just need to keep the confidence in ourselves and keep moving forward.”
Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner sparked Germany to a 3-0 record in pool play. Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops examines the success of the Wagner brothers, both in the NBA and in international competitions, and compares them to some other prominent brother combinations in Olympic history.
All 12 of the men’s basketball teams decided to stay outside of the Olympic Village, according to Eurohoops. The first week of competition was held in Lille, so the teams opted for locations that were closer to Bercy Arena.

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.