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Southwest Notes: Grant, Doncic, Pelicans Draft, Williams

June 23rd, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are among the teams who are monitoring the availability of Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. Grant is entering the second season of a five-year, $160MM contract, so the Mavericks would have to figure out a way to match salaries and add draft compensation and/or young players to entice Portland to move the veteran forward. He averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this past season and made over 40% of his three-point attempts for the second straight year.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Luka Doncic‘s status for the Olympic qualifying tournament next month will hinge on a medical evaluation from his national team’s medical staff, Sports Illustrated’s Grant Afseth relays. Slovenian medical experts will examine the Mavericks’ superstar’s right knee, which he injured during the first round of the playoffs. Doncic also played through a left ankle injury and thoracic contusion during the postseason. Slovenia’s tournament opener in Greece will be held July 2 against Croatia.
The Pelicans hold the No. 21 pick in the draft and the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Christian Clark provides a closer look at three prospects they might select at that spot — USC guard Isaiah Collier, Purdue center Zach Edey and Baylor center Yves Missi.
The Spurs have the No. 4 selection in the draft and a dark-horse candidate could be Colorado forward Cody Williams. The San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff McDonald explores the pros and cons of drafting Williams at that spot.

Celtics’ Brissett To Decline Option, Become Free Agrent

June 23rd, 2024 at 5:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Oshae Brissett will decline his $2.5MM option in order to become an unrestricted free agent, Spotrac’s Keith Smith tweets.

Brissett signed a two-year contract with the Celtics at the start of free agency late last June. He appeared in 55 regular-season games with the Celtics, including one start, and averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 11.5 MPG.

The 26-year-old came off the bench in 10 postseason contests, averaging 1.6 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 5.5 MPG. His biggest impact during the championship run came in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana when he collected three rebounds and three steals in 12 minutes.

A 6’7″ combo forward, Brissett went undrafted in 2019 after two college seasons at Syracuse. He originally signed an Exhibit 10 deal with his hometown Raptors, which was converted into a two-way deal for his rookie season.

Brissett was waived by Toronto in December 2020, later catching on with the Pacers in April 2021 on a couple of 10-day contracts. He played so well for Indiana to close ’20/21 (he averaged 10.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.0 BPG and 0.9 SPG on .483/.423/.769 shooting in 24 games) that he earned a multiyear contract for the veteran’s minimum.

His numbers declined in ’21/22, but were still solid enough for his contract. However, his role was further reduced in ’22/23, with Brissett averaging 6.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG while shooting 31% from three-point range in 65 games (16.7 MPG).

Brissett will have a busy summer as he looks for a new team, though he could still circle back and re-sign with Boston. He has also been named to Team Canada’s preliminary Olympic roster.

Stein’s Latest: Caldwell-Pope, Sixers, Westbrook, Paul, Clippers, Lakers

June 23rd, 2024 at 4:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Current Nuggets shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be among the top potential free agents this summer if he declines his $15.4MM player option for 2024/25. A three-and-D swingman still in his prime at age 31, Caldwell-Pope has been a starter on a pair of title teams this decade, with the 2020 Lakers and the 2023 Nuggets.

A pair of Eastern Conference contenders with major projected cap space have interest in the 6’5″ wing, according to Marc Stein (Substack link), who hears from sources that the Magic and Sixers are considering pursuing Caldwell-Pope.

Across 76 contests last season, the former Georgia standout averaged 10.1 points on .460/.406/.894 shooting splits, along with 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.6 blocks a night.

Here’s more from Stein’s most recent NBA intel:

Should the Sixers be unable to add a top potential free agent like Paul George, OG Anunoby or Caldwell-Pope, Stein notes that Philadelphia could opt to trade for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram or Heat wing Jimmy Butler, the latter a former Sixer. Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, who could reach free agency should he not agree to an extension by June 30, is also an option, Stein adds.
Former MVP Russell Westbrook, now a bench guard for the Clippers, has a $4MM player option for 2024/25, but that may not stop L.A. from considering an upgrade at the position. The team has been linked to veterans Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry, both of whom are significantly better shooters and also more comfortable playing off the ball.
Stein hears that Paul would also draw interest from the Lakers if he reaches free agency, though the team’s interest in him may not be unanimous within the organization.
As far as the league’s two head coaching vacancies go, Stein reports that the Cavaliers are expected to make a decision soon, while the Pistons may wait until at least July to select their Monty Williams replacement. That would take Detroit through the draft this week and the start of free agency next weekend without a head coach.

New York Notes: Nets, Thomas, Claxton, Knicks, Luxury Tax

June 23rd, 2024 at 3:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets find themselves in a bit of a pickle when it comes to deciding how to handle guard Cam Thomas‘ future with the club, says Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Thomas enjoyed a breakout season for the 32-50 Nets in 2023/24. His scoring improved markedly, from 10.6 points per game in 2022/23 to 22.5 PPG in ’23/24. The 6’4″ guard is owed $4MM on an expiring deal in 2024/25, but Brooklyn could ink him to a rookie scale extension this summer. Brooklyn could also take a wait-and-see approach to Thomas, allow him to hit restricted free agency next summer and then make a determination on how much he’s worth to them.

Lewis notes that Thomas also improved significantly as a facilitator, especially out of the pick-and-roll, though his pick-and-roll defense on the other end is somewhat troubling. He averaged 3.6 assists a game to close out the year after Kevin Ollie took over for Jacque Vaughn as interim head coach. He had averaged just 1.4 APG in his first two pro seasons.

“Just knowing that I could be doubled a lot more, coming off screens and stuff, or even in one-on-one situations, reading where the double will come from, seeing where teams double me, and the way teams double me,” Thomas said. “It’ll be reading, watching film and seeing where I can make quicker reads.”

There’s more out of the Big Apple:

The Nets want to re-sign free agent center Nic Claxton, but are hoping to not overpay him. In a separate piece, Lewis unpacks what is coloring Brooklyn’s thinking with regards to the big man’s next contract. Given that Claxton is probably the best center on the free agent market, bidding could get costly in a hurry.
Following a solid 50-32 finish in 2023/24 and another second-round appearance in the playoffs, the Knicks seem to be on the verge of finally returning to fringe contender status. Fred Katz of The Athletic unpacks some intriguing hypothetical trades, submitted by readers, that could possibly help New York reach the next level.
To truly contend, the Knicks will need to be open to paying the luxury tax going forward, argues Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. With Leon Rose at the helm of their front office over the past four seasons, the Knicks have yet to pay the tax. This summer, retaining 3-and-D forward OG Anunoby and starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, plus bringing back sharpshooting stretch four Bojan Bogdanovic, could move the team close to the NBA’s second luxury tax apron.

Knicks May Pursue Paul George Trade

June 23rd, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks are a team to watch as a potential trade suitor for Clippers All-Star forward Paul George this summer, a “trusted source” tells Marc Stein (Substack link).

George, who has yet to reach an extension agreement with L.A., holds a $48.8MM player option for the 2024/25 season. New York doesn’t have the cap room necessary to sign him if he opts out to become a free agent, and wouldn’t be able to acquire him via sign-and-trade, but could trade for him if he were to pick up his option. Stein notes, however, that George’s preference remains staying with the Clippers.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has also repeatedly mentioned the idea of an opt-in-and-trade scenario involving George and the Knicks during recent TV segments.

Anchored by All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson and All-Star power forward Julius Randle, the Knicks rode a scrappy, gritty group to a 50-32 record and the conference’s No. 2 seed. The team struggled through a series of injuries to critical contributors during the playoffs, eventually falling to the sixth-seeded Pacers in a seven-game semifinal series.

Across 74 contests in 2023/24 for the 51-31 Clippers last season, George averaged 22.6 points on .471/.413/.907 shooting splits. He also chipped in 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.

Wizards Interested In Mitchell Robinson?

June 23rd, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Rory Maher

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has recently popped up in trade rumors. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the Wizards are among the teams who have talked to New York about Robinson.

Known as a strong defensive player, Robinson was limited to 31 games in 2023/24 due to injuries, including two different surgeries on his left ankle. The second surgery, which took place in May, ended the 26-year-old’s season.

Despite his lengthy injury history, Robinson could appeal to rival teams as a starting-caliber big man with a declining contract. He’ll earn $14.3MM in ’24/25 and just under $13MM in ’25/26.

Begley previously cited the Lakers, Grizzlies and Pelicans as teams “closely monitoring” the market for centers this offseason.

According to Begley, the Knicks have been evaluating their options at the five in case they lose Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency or trade Robinson. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that New York appears to be in the driver’s seat to re-sign Hartenstein.

Begley hears Magic center Goga Bitadze is a player the Knicks would have interest in if they end up needing depth in the middle. Bitadze is an unrestricted free agent.

Nuggets To Decline 2024/25 Team Option On Vlatko Cancar

June 23rd, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets have decided to decline their 2024/25 team option on Vlatko Cancar, a source tells Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter links).

However, it sounds like there’s mutual interest in a reunion.

As Durando observes, the Nuggets are declining the $2,346,606 option due to luxury tax concerns. But if Cancar re-signs with Denver on a minimum-salary deal, he would project to make $2,432,511 in ’24/25 while the Nuggets would carry a cap hit of $2,093,637.

Durando believes the 27-year-old is “likely” to return to the Nuggets on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract.

Cancar missed the entire ’23/24 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee last summer. As Durando notes, Cancar has been preparing to play with the Slovenian national team ahead of the country’s Olympic qualifying tournament, which takes place early next month in Greece.

A former second-round pick who was stashed overseas for a couple years before coming stateside in 2019, Cancar averaged 5.0 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .476/.374/.927 shooting in 60 games (14.8 MPG) in ’22/23, when the Nuggets won their first championship.

The full list of team option decisions for next season can be found right here. June 23 was the deadline for Denver’s decision on Cancar, but most other decisions aren’t due until June 29.

And-Ones: Italy, Melli, Biggest Need, NBA, France, Paul

June 23rd, 2024 at 10:05am CST by Rory Maher

The Italian national team has trimmed its roster down to 13 players ahead of next month’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Italy will have to cut one more player to finalize its 12-man roster.

Veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, who spent last season with Wizards, Pistons and Bucks, is the only current NBA player on Italy’s roster. The 35-year-old’s contract with Milwaukee expires at the end of June, making him an unrestricted free agent. The current 13-man roster also features former NBA players Nico Mannion and Nicolo Melli. Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio, another Italian player, will not be participating with the national team after undergoing toe surgery last month.

In order to advance to the Olympics in late July, Italy will have to win the six-team tournament, which also features Bahrain, Puerto Rico, Ivory Coast, Lithuania and Mexico.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Melli, who played two seasons with New Orleans and Detroit from 2019-21, has spent most of his career with Olimpia Milano in Italy. However, the team decided to part ways with its captain, leaving his future unclear, as Eurohoops relays. “Two or three days ago, I received a 45-second phone call in which (coach) Ettore (Messina) told me the club decided to part ways with me. I repeat: it’s a legitimate choice, but I wasn’t told if the reason behind it was a technical matter or something else,” Melli said.
Zulfi Sheikh of Sportsnet.ca lists the biggest need for each of the NBA’s 30 teams ahead of free agency. According to Sheikh, the last-place Pistons need a wing who can space the floor, while the title-winning Celtics could use an eventual replacement for Al Horford. The 38-year-old, who is under contract through 2024/25, recently suggested he doesn’t plan to retire this summer.
The NBA and the LNB (France’s top basketball league) are working to finalize a development program to improve the domestic options of talented young players in France, per Théo Quintard of Le Monde (hat tip to Askounis of Eurohoops). “This program will allow a certain number of players to be supported and highlighted in order to magnify an already excellent French team,” Fabrice Jouhaud, the general director of the LNB, told Le Monde. According to Quintard, the NBA could pay the salaries of certain draft prospects to help the LNB remain competitive with other organizations, such as Australia’s NBL and the NCAA. “The clubs will also benefit from logistical and financial assistance to encourage them to trust young people,” Jouhaud said.
Rich Paul of Klutch Sports spoke to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer about his strategy of trying to steer draft-eligible clients to preferred destinations. Paul was candid last week about which teams he believes are interested in Bronny James.

Community Shootaround: Steal Of The Draft

June 22nd, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller were easy first-team choices for the All-Rookie team, but other top picks in last year’s draft didn’t fare as well. No. 4 selection Amen Thompson had a strong finish to the season to earn second-team honors, but Scoot Henderson (No. 3) and Ausar Thompson (No. 5) were left off entirely. Also omitted were Anthony Black (No. 6), Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7), Jarace Walker (No. 8) and Taylor Hendricks (No. 9).

Eighteenth pick Jaime Jaquez and 19th selection Brandin Podziemski joined Wembanyama and Miller on the first team, along with Chet Holmgren, the second choice in 2022.

These results provide a reminder that the draft can be unpredictable, even with a highly touted group of prospects at the top. Without a clear hierarchy this year, it’s even harder to figure out who’s going to succeed.

With the draft just four days away, the No. 1 pick is still unsettled, with the Hawks rumored to still be deciding among French big man Alexandre Sarr, French forward Zaccharie Risacher and UConn center Donovan Clingan. The Wizards are believed to be ready to pounce on Sarr if he’s still on the board, but Clingan or Risacher could face a bit of a slide if they don’t go in the top two.

The Rockets, Spurs and Pistons reportedly have interest in Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, UConn guard Stephon Castle and G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis with the next three picks, but that order is far from set in stone. A late trade or surprise selection could upend the whole process and send teams scrambling to their phones on draft night.

It took a long time for Sarr, Risacher and Clingan to emerge as the top prospects, and it’s still easy to find one or more mock drafts that suggest at least one of them is being vastly overrated. USC point guard Isaiah Collier, G League Ignite guard Ron Holland and Colorado forward Cody Williams were among the names floated as potential top picks over the past 12 months, but they’ve all dropped to varying degrees.

As we’ve seen repeatedly, a lot more than talent goes into determining whether NBA rookies are successful. There’s also playing time, fit, belief from the coaching staff and the chance to be part of a successful team. Jaquez and Podziemski were both rewarded because they played rotation minutes for teams that stayed in the playoff race all season long.

Our mission tonight is to try to identify players expected to be taken outside the top five — or even the top 10 — who have the chance to make an impact right away. Scouts love Devin Carter‘s defense and tenacity, Dalton Knecht‘s shooting touch and Rob Dillingham‘s explosiveness, even if other parts of their game might be lacking. Zach Edey, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jared McCain, Kel’el Ware and Carlton Carrington are a few others who may be able to contribute immediately if they land in the right situation.

We want to get your opinion on this year’s potential draft steals. Which players do you expect to excel even if they slide down the draft board? Head to the comments section to give us your input.

Pacific Notes: Redick, Van Gundy, Reaves, Suns, Fois

June 22nd, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Building an experienced team of assistants will be vital for new Lakers head coach J.J. Redick, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register, who suggests Stan Van Gundy as a potential addition. Van Gundy hasn’t been mentioned in early rumors regarding Redick’s staff, but Price points out that he had extensive head coaching experience with Miami, Orlando, Detroit and New Orleans before becoming a TNT broadcaster, and Redick spent several seasons playing for him.

Price notes that since news of Redick’s hiring broke on Thursday, Scott Brooks, Sam Cassell and Jared Dudley have been the most prominent names mentioned as possible assistants. However, the Celtics want to retain Cassell and the Mavericks would prefer to keep Dudley, so they may be out of the Lakers’ reach.

Van Gundy spoke to Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel about Redick’s ascension to the head coaching ranks, saying it’s consistent with the way he always prepared.

“He took a cerebral, analytical approach to the game even as a player,” Van Gundy said. “He knew the game inside and out because he had to. He wasn’t an overly big athletic guy, so he really had to know the game and apply himself. It was clear how much he knew about the game just by listening to him talk. I didn’t know it, but even back in his playing days maybe he was preparing himself to be a head coach someday.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Austin Reaves is excited about the changes Redick will bring to the Lakers (video link from Cierra Clark of THV11 in Little Rock, Arkansas). “I’ve gotten to know J.J. a little bit, going on his podcast during the middle of the year,” Reaves said. “He’s a basketball genius, I think as everybody knows. I think he’s going to make a good coach, and I can’t wait to get to work with him. … I can’t wait to put our brains together and go have a good year.”
Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports cites Providence guard Devin Carter, Colorado forward Cody Williams and G League Ignite wing Ron Holland as potential targets for the Suns if they try to trade up from the 22nd pick in Wednesday’s draft. Bourguet sees Carter as potentially the best defensive point guard in the draft, possessing an NBA-ready game with lots of upside. If Phoenix decides to move down, Bourguet views Swedish forward Bobi Klintman, Baylor wing Jalen Bridges, UC Santa Barbara guard Ajay Mitchell and Virginia guard Ryan Dunn as possibilities.
Riccardo Fois will become an assistant to Kings head coach Mike Brown next season, tweets Alessandro Luigi Maggi of Sportando. Fois has been an assistant coach with the University of Arizona since 2021.