NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

League Announces Game Dates For 2024 NBA Cup

July 11th, 2024 at 4:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has revealed its schedule (and a new logo) for the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup, the freshly re-branded second annual edition of the league’s in-season tournament, via a press statement.

According to the presser, the group play stage of games is slated to begin on Tuesday, November 12, and will continue on “Cup Nights” across a few successive Tuesdays (Nov. 19, Nov. 26, and Dec. 3) and Fridays (Nov. 15, 22, and 29).

The 30 NBA clubs will be allocated into five-team groups within their own conference, based on 2023/24 season records — each group will include one team that finished in the top three in its conference, one that finished between Nos. 4-6, one that finished between 7-9, and so on. Each team will play the other four squads in its group once during the group play stage.

The single-game elimination knockout round for the top eight teams (three group winners and one wild card in each conference) are slated to tip off on December 10 and 11, with the quarterfinals played in the teams’ own normal markets. Winners will advance to the semifinals (Dec. 14) and the final (Dec. 17) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The 22 eliminated teams will play two assigned regular season games, one at home and one on the road, on December 12-13 and December 15-16. The quarterfinals losers will play each other during that same window.

Last year, the Lakers defeated the Pacers in the inaugural in-season tournament championship game, with Anthony Davis racking up 41 points and 20 rebounds in the victory.

Categories:
NBA Schedule

Kings’ Devin Carter Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Out 6 Months

July 11th, 2024 at 4:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 11: Carter underwent successful surgery and is expected to return in six months, reports Sean Cunningham of KTXL Fox 40 (Twitter link).

JULY 7: Kings rookie lottery pick Devin Carter is slated to go under the knife, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the guard is undergoing left shoulder surgery.

The procedure will take place next week, per Charania. An exact recovery timeline is not yet known, although the availability of the 6’2″ point guard for the beginning of 2024/25 is said to be in question.

It had been previously reported that the former Providence guard would sit out both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League due to the injury.

The 2023/24 Big East Player of the Year, Carter averaged 19.7 points (on .473/.377/.749 shooting), 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game across 33 contests for the Friars last year, all starts.

Carter was Sacramento’s only draft pick this season, after the club offloaded their rights to the No. 45 pick, former Houston point guard Jamal Shead, to the Raptors.

Mavericks Add Jazian Gortman On Exhibit 10 Deal

July 11th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks have signed free agent Jazian Gortman to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The move is official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

A 6’2″ guard, Gortman went undrafted in 2023 after playing for the YNG Dreamers in the Overtime Elite program. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks last summer and was waived before the 2023/24 season began.

The 21-year-old spent last season in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee’s affiliate) and the Rip City Remix (Portland’s affiliate). In 41 combined games between the two clubs, he held fairly modest averages of 9.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 3.6 APG on .408/.308/.719 shooting in 18.4 MPG.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Hawks’ Bufkin To Miss Summer League With Shoulder Injury

July 11th, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin sustained a right shoulder injury during practice on Tuesday and he will not participate in the Las Vegas Summer League, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

Bufkin underwent an MRI which revealed “findings consistent with a right shoulder subluxation.” He is expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp this fall, per the team.

It’s another unfortunate setback for the 20-year-old, who missed extended time during his 2023/24 rookie campaign due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe. The 15th overall pick of the 2023 draft, Bufkin appeared in just 17 games for the Hawks last season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG and 1.6 APG in 11.5 MPG.

Bufkin, who is left-handed, also appeared in 14 regular season games for Atlanta’s G League affiliate (the College Park Skyhawks) last season, averaging 23.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.9 APG and 1.4 SPG on .444/.356/.829 shooting (32.0 MPG).

The former Michigan guard will be among a group of players vying for backcourt minutes in ’24/25 after the Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans.

Malik Beasley Signs With Pistons

July 11th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Tristan Tucker

July 11: Beasley’s contract is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

July 6: Free agent guard Malik Beasley is planning to sign a one-year deal worth $6MM with the Pistons, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Beasley spent last season with the Bucks.

Beasley, 27, has averaged 10.9 points per game for his career and is a skilled marksman, shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc in 496 total regular season games, He was incredibly durable last year, starting in 77 of his 79 games for the Bucks and making a carer-high 41.3% of his three-pointers.

The Pistons’ interest in Beasley was reported on Friday night by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. The fit between the two sides makes sense, as Detroit ranked 29th in made three-pointers and 26th in three-point percentage last year during a franchise-worst 14-68 season.

Beasley will join Tobias Harris (.368 career 3PT%) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (.360 career 3PT%) as some of Detroit’s key offseason additions who can make an impact from outside. Combine those moves with the fact the franchise is bringing in assistant Fred Vinson, known for his work with players from the three-point line, and it’s clear that spacing the floor around young guard Cade Cunningham was a top priority this offseason.

Beasley played for Milwaukee on a minimum contract last year and, after a successful individual year in which he participated in the NBA’s three-point contest, is signing a more significant deal.

Given the reported terms of Beasley’s agreement, Detroit could sign him using cap space or the room exception ($8MM). That decision figures to come down to what other moves the Pistons make in free agency and/or on the trade market.

Heat Withdraw Two-Way Qualifying Offers To Swider, Williams

July 11th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat have withdrawn their two-way qualifying offers to Cole Swider and Alondes Williams, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Both players are now unrestricted free agents instead of restricted.

Swider and Williams finished the 2023/24 season on two-way contracts with Miami before they were tendered qualifying offers. Those QOs were for two-way deals covering one year.

However, all three of the Heat’s two-way slots are currently occupied (by Keshad Johnson, Zyon Pullin and Dru Smith), and the team can’t sign another player to a standard contract without going over the second tax apron, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter). Both Swider and Williams are playing for Miami’s summer league squad.

Swider, a 6’9″ forward, and Williams, a 6’4″ guard, went undrafted in 2022 out of Syracuse and Wake Forest, respectively. While neither player made much of an impact for the Heat in ’23/24, combining for a total of just 103 NBA minutes, both excelled playing for Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Williams was named the NBAGL’s Most Improved Player and was runner-up for the MVP award while earning a spot on the All-NBA G League First Team. Swider impressed with his long-distance marksmanship, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists on .485/.471/.846 shooting in 21 Showcase Cup and regular season contests for the Skyforce (38.3 MPG).

It’s possible that Swider or Williams — or even both — could eventually re-sign with Miami on two-way deals if the team decides to make changes to those roster spots. Two-way contracts don’t count against the salary cap or luxury tax and players can be swapped in and out until late in the regular season.

Both players are 25 years old.

Heat Notes: Butler, Offseason, Johnson, Bryant, Two-Ways

July 11th, 2024 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Maher

If Jimmy Butler decides to leave the Heat when he becomes a free agent in 2025, he’ll still likely need the team’s help to join a viable contender, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

As Jackson explains, there are currently no playoff contenders who project to have enough cap room to sign Butler outright next summer. There are a few teams who could create enough space in 2025/26 if they make cost-cutting moves, but none fit the bill as of now.

Even a potential sign-and-trade would be tricky, Jackson observes, since an acquiring team would become hard-capped at the first tax apron, limiting further roster-building moves.

There’s no indication that Butler wants to leave Miami in the first place — the opposite has been reported multiple times. And the Heat also aren’t looking to trade Butler, a source tells Jackson.

Here’s more on the Heat:

In another story for The Miami Herald, Jackson examines what’s next for the Heat this offseason following a relatively quiet first wave of free agency. According to Jackson, the team plans to be patient and opportunistic as it waits for players to become available on the trade market. However, Miami has a fairly limited pool of assets, particularly in terms of future first-round picks, which will make acquiring a star-level talent difficult.
Rookie forward Keshad Johnson believes he’s a strong fit with the Heat and he made a strong impression in his third summer league game on Wednesday, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Johnson, who went undrafted before inking a two-way contract with Miami, racked up 21 points (on 8-of-14 shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks in 30 minutes during the Heat’s four-point victory. “I’m a Heat culture guy,” said Johnson. “Throughout my career, I just want to keep making an emphasis that I’m willing to do everything, that I’m gritty. I just want that to be my identity. I just want to make an example of how much of a Heat culture guy that I am.”
Veteran center Thomas Bryant tested unrestricted free agency by declining his player option, but he ultimately re-signed with the Heat on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum. He recently discussed his free agency foray, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Me and my agent, we both talked and we thought just for us was just to look out the market and just see what was available,” Bryant said. “For us, it was never about any misfortune or anything like that. I love the Miami Heat, personally. I love the way their culture is, the coaching staff, the guys that they have around each other. It was just about, for myself as the player and everything, individually, of just what else might have been out there, what potentially could have been out there.”
Due to their proximity to the second apron, the Heat’s standard roster appears to be set for now, with 14 players under contract. However, as Winderman writes in a separate story, Miami’s three two-way spots could see some movement before the ’24/25 season begins. All three two-way slots are currently occupied, but the team also has two-way qualifying offers out to Cole Swider and Alondes Williams, Winderman notes.
[Update: The Heat have withdrawn their QOs to Swider and Williams.]

Atlantic Notes: Whitehead, Bridges, MacDonald, Embiid

July 11th, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

With Mikal Bridges joining the other New York City team, Nets forward Dariq Whitehead knows he could be in line for more playing time next season, Adam Zagoria of NJ.com writes. Whitehead has undergone foot and shin surgeries that limited him to two NBA appearances in his rookie year after getting selected with the No. 22 pick.

“I look at it as an opportunity for me to get on the court and a bunch of other young guys to grow our games and develop into who we want to be in the NBA,” Whitehead said. “And eventually be on their level, if not higher than where they were….and look it as an opportunity for us young guys.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Speaking of Bridges, he’s not worried about fitting in with his new Knicks teammates, some of whom played with him collegiately at Villanova, Zach Braziller of the New York Post relays. “I think it’s not going to be that hard honestly,” Bridges said. “I think it’s just knowing the brand we play here, and playing the right way is who I am. It’s like a natural thing. It’s kind of like going to [Team] USA, kind of the same thing where obviously, going to USA last year, the role’s going to change.”
The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, have named Matt MacDonald their general manager, according to a press release. “We are excited to have Matt step into this role and lead our G League program with the Long Island Nets,” Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks said. “Since starting out in our front office, Matt has continually been elevated into a variety of positions spanning both player personnel and administration and has proven to have the acumen and diverse skillset required to thrive with each opportunity.” MacDonald was Long Island’s assistant GM for the last two seasons.
Sixers superstar Joel Embiid says any concern about him getting injured during Team USA’s Olympic run is overshadowed by his quest for a gold medal, according to Shaun Powell of NBA.com. “For me, being part of the Olympics was always the goal. It was an opportunity and a chance I couldn’t pass up. And I don’t think there is a big risk,” he said.

Yuta Watanabe Signs With Japan’s Chiba Jets

July 11th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

Yuta Watanabe has officially signed with Japan’s Chiba Jets, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

The contract terms weren’t released but it is expected to exceed $5MM, which would be the highest in B.League history.

Watanabe’s decision to return to his home country was reported last month. Watanabe, who finished last season with the Grizzlies, declined his $2.65MM player option at the end of last month.

Watanabe, 29, was born and raised in Japan, then played his college ball in the U.S. at George Washington from 2014-18. The undrafted 6’9″ forward spent a pair of seasons with the Grizzlies from 2018-20 and two years in Toronto from 2020-22. He enjoyed his best NBA season in Brooklyn in 2022/23, averaging 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game off the bench while ranking among the league leaders in three-point percentage (44.4%).

Watanabe’s solid showing with the Nets earned him a two-year, minimum-salary contract from the Suns last summer, but he ended up not playing a major role in Phoenix, averaging just 13.2 minutes per game in 29 appearances before being traded to Memphis in February as part of the three-team deadline deal that sent Royce O’Neale and David Roddy to the Suns. He played just five games for the Grizzlies due to a wrist issue and personal reasons.

This summer, Watanabe is playing for Japan in the Paris Olympics.

Southwest Notes: Murray, Paul, Barnes, K. Thompson, Robinson, A. Thompson

July 11th, 2024 at 9:16am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans’ success next season will likely hinge on the partnership between newly acquired Dejounte Murray and incumbent franchise player Zion Williamson. Murray wants to make Williamson an ever bigger threat, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press.

“I told him I’m going to push him,” said Murray, who was officially dealt to the Pelicans over the weekend. “If I see something I think he can be better at, if he sees something to me, we’re going to be open to that. … I’m excited to push him to the next level because there are a bunch of levels he can reach.”

Murray’s name was prominent in the rumor mill prior to last season’s trade deadline. He made it known through his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, that the Pelicans appealed to him.

“One of the things Rich said to us was, ‘You really need to go try to get Dejounte Murray,'” said Pelicans executive VP David Griffin, per Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “We sort of laughed. We said, ‘We tried to do that at the trade deadline. We weren’t able to make something happen that made sense for both sides.’ But when he shared for us the excitement Dejounte had for our situation, it was really an eye-opening thing. It was meaningful to us.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After getting waived by the Warriors, Chris Paul chose the Spurs despite his lack of a championship ring. Paul will likely return to a starting role with San Antonio and that was a deciding factor, according to Andrew Lopez on ESPN. “I want to play more than anything,” he said. Newly-acquired Harrison Barnes had a 10% trade bonus that he waived in order to help facilitate the deal involving the Kings, Spurs and Bulls. Barnes called it “a pretty easy decision,” adding, “It’s funny, with the new CBA, the trade kicker became more of a play than I was expecting, but I think the opportunity just to come here and to be able play for Pop (Gregg Popovich) and play with this group I think is exciting.”
Klay Thompson said during his introductory press conference that the Mavericks are a perfect fit for him at this stage of his career, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com relays. “Whether you play basketball or work in the corporate world, sometimes change can spur greatness and a new change of scenery can do wonders,” Thompson said. “And I’m very grateful for my time at Golden State. But I just felt like moving on could re-energize me and do something special for the rest of my career. … When I was watching the Mavs make a run for the championship, I just saw myself fitting in really well with this team. They looked like they had fun playing with each other and they played for each other. That was very attractive for me. That’s really all I needed to see.”
Former Heat big man Orlando Robinson is on the Rockets’ Summer League roster, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. Robinson was waived on July 7 before his $2.1MM contract became guaranteed. He cleared waivers on Tuesday. Robinson appeared in 36 contests for Miami in 2023/24, averaging 2.8 points on a .500/.533/.760 shooting line. Robinson also chipped in 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per night.
Rockets guard Amen Thompson, who is a member of the USA Select Team this summer, said Houston coach Ime Udoka is “reasonably hard” on his players, he told Sam Yip of HoopsHype. “He’s kind of similar to some coaches I’ve had in the past. The thing that’s different about him is he can get in the mix with us, like he’s a player,” he said. “I’ve never had a coach that played in the NBA. When he talks, I gotta listen because he’s been there. He’s reasonably hard on everybody. He doesn’t go crazy, but he’s reasonably hard.”