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New York Notes: Finney-Smith, Nets, Johnson, Kolek

July 14th, 2024 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith knows he could be dealt this offseason or sometime next season. He’s a productive role player with two years and a little over $30MM remaining on his contract, including a player option for the 2025/26 season. He admits the possiblity is on his mind.

“I’m human. So of course I’ve got family always asking me what’s going on and (stuff) like that,” he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). “But I’m just honest. I’m human so I’m going to pay attention a little bit. But I’m wherever my feet are at. And so I’m a Brooklyn Net.”

We have more from the New York teams:

Player development is key for the Nets during Summer League play and they displayed some tenacity against Indiana on Friday, rallying from 15 points down to claim a two-point win. “They never quit, down 15, fought as hard as they could. Scrapped, clawed … There’s a lot to clean up, but I’m very happy with with their effort. They never gave in,” Summer League coach Steve Hetzel said, per Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com.
Unrestricted free agent Keon Johnson had 16 points and six assists in that game. Johnson had a two-way contract with the Nets last season and is trying to earn another NBA deal, with the Nets or another team. “Right now I’m just really focused on summer league. This is the only opportunity that I know I have right now,” Johnson told Lewis. “So I’m just really focused on playing summer league and just showing what I can do. And hopefully I’ll be here. But just giving myself the best opportunity for my career.”
Early second-round pick Tyler Kolek started for the Knicks’ Summer League squad on Saturday and dished out seven assists. The former Marquette floor leader could be a better option as a depth point guard than the remaining free agent options, says Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

Bulls Notes: Phillips, LaVine, Vucevic, Buzelis

July 14th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With a path to playing time seemingly opened by the departures of two veteran wings, young Bulls forward Julian Phillips is hoping to get some extended run this season, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“Just my leadership and being around the ball,” Phillips said of his goals for his second Summer League with the Bulls this year. “Get loose balls, rebounds. Defense, get my hands on loose balls. Try to be all around.”

With ex-Bulls Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan having been sent to contending Western Conference squads, an opportunity could open up for Phillips to earn more rotation minutes this year. Phillips, for his part, seems grateful for the lessons learned from Caruso and DeRozan during his rookie season in 2023/24.

“They both helped and taught me a lot, so I appreciate them for everything,” Phillips said. “It’s not our job to worry about the roster decisions. That’s up to the front office. Our job is to be ready to play. We got a lot of great guys and we’ll be ready for it for sure.”

There’s more out of the Windy City:

The Bulls received poor marks for their trades of Caruso and DeRozan from Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who is underwhelmed by the return for Caruso and believes the team waited too long to move on from DeRozan. Cowley adds that two of the club’s other pricey veterans, shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic, may be stuck on a rebuilding Chicago team for a while, as neither seems to have garnered much trade interest around the league.
During his Summer League debut, a 96-89 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Bulls lottery pick Matas Buzelis scored 15 points, grabbed seven boards and blocked two shots. He showed a knack for drawing contact in taking seven free throws during 29 minutes of action, and proved adept at defending the rack. Buzelis, however, was concerned by his 4-of-15 shooting line and some defensive decisions away from the rim, notes K.C. Johnson in another NBC Sports Chicago story. “Honestly, I was very sloppy,” Buzelis said. “I can play a lot better.”
In case you missed it, Chicago recently waived two-way power forward RaiQuan Gray, acquired in the team’s three-team sign-and-trade deal that sent DeRozan to Sacramento.

Hornets Re-Sign Miles Bridges To Three-Year Deal

July 14th, 2024 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14: Bridges officially signed his deal to return to Charlotte, the Hornets announced (Twitter link).

JULY 6: The Hornets are re-signing free agent forward Miles Bridges, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN (Twitter links), Bridges’ new deal will be worth $75MM over three years and won’t include a team or player option.

After accepting his one-year, $7.9MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 69 games for the Hornets last season, posting a shooting line of .462/.349/.825. His contract gave him veto rights on any trade and he told the team in February that he intended to exercise those rights rather than approve a deal elsewhere.

While that stance was partly about not wanting to lose his Bird rights, Bridges also repeatedly expressed a desire to remain in Charlotte, and that interest was reciprocated by the Hornets’ front office, led by new head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson. The two sides have made good on those public comments by agreeing to terms nearly a week into free agency.

Bridges’ scoring ability, size, and versatility are ideal for an NBA forward, but his market in free agency was almost certainly affected by his off-court history, which includes multiple allegations of domestic violence.

Facing three felony charges after being accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children, Bridges entered a plea of no contest — accepting punishment without formally admitting guilt — to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent in November 2022.

The Hornets forward received three years probation and no jail time as part of the plea deal, which led to a 30-game suspension from the NBA (he was permitted to serve just 10 games of that suspension because he spent the entire 2022/23 season out of the league while his case played out). He subsequently faced three additional criminal counts related to a separate incident, but those were dismissed this February due to insufficient evidence.

Charlotte has been keeping Bridges’ $15MM cap hold on its books during the early part of free agency. The club will use up all of its cap room on other deals before going over the cap to re-sign Bridges using his Bird rights.

Southwest Notes: Dudley, Lawson, Popovich, Hawkins

July 14th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley has made no secret of the fact that he’s hoping to one day serve as a head coach in the league, per Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints (Twitter video link).

“I want to head coach, that’s my dream and ambition is to be able to do that,” Dudley said. “But at the same time as you can have that, some us aren’t J.J. Redick and get to go right away. I’ve got to be able to do two, three years, four or five years as an assistant. We all have different years, and my time will come later on. My time will eventually come.”

Redick, a one-time former Maverick, took over as the Lakers’ head coach this offseason without any assistant coach experience at the NBA or college level.

Dudley, a 14-year combo forward as a pro, has served as an assistant coach under Jason Kidd since the 2021/22 season. During that window, the Mavericks have appeared in a pair of Western Conference Finals and one NBA Finals. Currently, Dudley is the head coach of the Mavs’ Summer League squad.

There’s more out of the Southwest:

High-flying Mavericks wing A.J. Lawson is looking to show he belongs in the league as a regular rotation player, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavericks.com. Though he’s now on a standard contract, Lawson is still trying to prove his mettle on the club’s Summer League team. “The emphasis for me is definitely going to be defending,” Lawson said of his focus this summer. “I want to show I can defend one through four (point guards to power forwards). And also to be able to knock down the open shot. Everybody knows I got speed.”
Longtime Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich discussed San Antonio’s offseason roster additions Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes in a courtside conversation with ESPN’s Doris Burke and Mark Jones (YouTube video link). “I think [Paul’s] going to teach everybody a whole lot better than I did,” Popovich said. “Having he and Harrison come into the fold at this stage in their career is really wonderful for the youth that we have.” Popovich also raved about No. 4 draft pick Stephon Castle: “I love his seriousness for such a young kid. I love his pace – you see his expression never changes – he doesn’t go too fast, doesn’t go too slow. He reads the situations. The more minutes he gets, the better he is going to be. He seeks contact, he is an excellent defender and he makes wonderful decisions.”
Second-year Pelicans shooting guard Jordan Hawkins, the No. 14 pick out of UConn in 2023, knows exactly where he wants to improve his game this offseason, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Definitely the defensive end,” Hawkins said. “I think that’s what held me back a little bit. Not being able to guard. So I think my big focus is going to be on guarding. Trying to guard wings. Trying to get bigger. Shooting. Being a 40% three-point shooter for our team. We have guys who can penetrate, get to the hoop. I just have to be able to knock shots down.”

Ron Harper Jr. Signs Camp Contract with Celtics

July 14th, 2024 at 12:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The reigning champion Celtics are taking a flier on free agent combo forward Ron Harper Jr., having signed the former Raptors two-way player to a non-guaranteed training camp deal, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

After going undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022, the 6’4″ wing signed a two-way deal with Toronto, appearing in nine games during his rookie season. He agreed to a second two-way deal for 2023/24, as well, but was waived last December after appearing in just one contest for the Raptors.

All told, the 24-year-old has played in 10 NBA contests thus far, averaging 2.0 points on 50% field goal shooting, plus 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists a night.

He had a far more prolific role with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate. Harper averaged 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per night on .501/.366/.776 shooting.

Harper evidently impressed Boston enough with his play on the team’s Summer League roster this month to earn a more extended look.

Suns Notes: Lee, Dunn, Roddy, Morris

July 14th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

After re-signing with the Suns last week, Damion Lee is focused on being ready for training camp. In an interview Saturday night with ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth, Lee said he’s mostly recovered from the meniscus tear in his right knee that forced him to miss all of last season (Twitter video link from Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).

“Feeling good, that’s the main focus that I tell everyone,” Lee said. “Mentally I’m in a better spot; physically I’m in a better spot. I’m about 85%, and basically now that’s just transitioning into the contact, live action and all that kind of stuff. On the mend, on the way and should be full go for training camp.”

Lee was a valuable rotation member for Phoenix during the 2022/23 season, averaging 8.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 74 games while logging 20.4 minutes per night. He agreed to a one-year veteran’s minimum contract after declining his $2.85MM player option, and his return should be a welcome boost for a team that lost Eric Gordon in free agency.

There’s more on the Suns:

First-round pick Ryan Dunn had to overcome some nerves in his Summer League debut, Bourguet adds in another Twitter video. The defensive specialist out of Virginia finished with six points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks in his first taste of NBA action. “The first half, my heart was pounding, jitters, you saw I was slipping the ball, turnovers, but I think I slowed down a little bit in the second half, took some shots I needed to take,” Dunn said. “Defensively, I think I did pretty well, holding my own. The big thing for me is finding the positives. Don’t try to be hard on yourself, just be positive in everything I can do, work on whatever I can these next couple of games.”
David Roddy spent more time handling the ball and initiating the offense in Saturday’s game. He talked about his new duties in a video posted by Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I think I can add it to my game,” Roddy told reporters. “I want to learn and get better at it every day, just get the reps up. That’s why I’m here at Summer League, to get those reps.”
Head coach Mike Budenholzer is thrilled about the addition of Monte Morris, who signed with Phoenix in free agency (video link from Rankin). The Suns operated without a traditional point guard last season, so Morris could see a lot of playing time. “I think Monte’s going to fit really well with us,” Budenholzer said. “He’s somebody that we targeted in free agency. We feel great about getting him, what he brings. Being able to play with (the ball), without it, his shooting, his play-making, he’s just a good NBA player that we’re excited about adding.”

Hawks Notes: Risacher, Gueye, Djurisic, Krejci

July 14th, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

As he adjusts to life in the NBA, French forward Zaccharie Risacher will carry the target that comes with being the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. He got his first taste of that experience in Friday’s Summer League debut as the Wizards’ Justin Champagnie, his primary defender, “chirped” at him throughout the game, writes Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. Risacher was able to overcome that distraction, putting up 18 points, five rebounds and two assists while shooting 7-of-16 from the floor and going 3-of-9 from three-point range.

“I try to play the way we want me to play,” he said. “So, like I said before, during the draft process, I’m ready to do whatever the coaches want me to do. So, if coach wants me to take threes, I’m gonna take threes. And if he wants me to be aggressive, I’m gonna be aggressive and that’s just a part of the player that I am and express myself on every side of every little thing.”

Williams observed that Risacher seemed comfortable with the faster pace and the greater spacing in the NBA game, even though his outside shot wasn’t falling. He expressed disappointment with his performance on defense, which he hopes to improve when the Hawks face San Antonio on Sunday.

“I think I didn’t show like my full ability on defense, and I’m kind of mad at that because that’s not the player that I am,” Risacher said. “And the defensive part is really important in basketball, and I feel like my team needs that too from me, so that’s gonna be the main thing for me to deal with and improve on right away.”

There’s more on the Hawks:

Second-year big man Mouhamed Gueye exchanged trash talk with Washington’s Alex Sarr in both English and French during their intense battle Friday night, Williams states in a separate story. After appearing in just six NBA games as a rookie, Gueye is hoping to prove that he’s ready for a larger role. “Mo’s been in the gym all summer working and all that,” Hawks Summer League coach Ronald Nored said. “And I thought he did a good job with it. He took the challenge defensively. I thought that fueled him offensively. The running, the cutting, the movement of the ball, we need that for Mo and I think he took the challenge.”
Summer League is an opportunity for Serbian guard Nikola Djurisic to prove that he’s worthy of a roster spot, Williams adds in another piece. The Hawks traded up to take Djurisic with the 43rd pick, but they haven’t indicated whether he’s in their plans for this season. They have a pair of two-way contract slots still open.
Vit Krejci‘s new four-year, $10.19MM (minimum-salary) contract includes $3.66MM in guaranteed money, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Krejci’s $2.16MM salary for the upcoming season is fully guaranteed, followed by a $1.5MM guarantee on his $2.4MM salary for 2025/26, a non-guaranteed $2.7MM salary for the third year and a $3MM team option on the final season.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Achiuwa, Kolek, Dadiet

July 14th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Brunson‘s four-year, $156.5MM extension should be viewed as the largest financial favor in NBA history, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Brunson opted for the security of having a long-term deal in place now, but he bypassed an extra $113MM that he would have been eligible to receive if he had waited another year.

Brunson didn’t mind taking less because he’s so happy playing in New York, Katz adds. He likes being with his Villanova friends on a team that can compete for a title, and he enjoys playing for coach Tom Thibodeau, who helped mold him into a star.

Katz notes that the financial impact of Brunson’s decision should be significant. In a league where nearly every contender operates under concerns about the first and second aprons, the Knicks now have their best player signed to a relative bargain of a contract through at least 2028, when he’ll have a player option for the final season. A league source tells Katz that Brunson was given a 15% trade kicker in the deal.

With newly acquired Mikal Bridges also on a team-friendly contract — making $23.3MM and $24.9MM the next two seasons — New York is in position to fortify its roster without worrying about the second apron. Katz points out that Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Donte DiVincenzo, Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek will make a combined $153.2MM when Brunson’s new contract takes effect with the 2025/26 season, leaving the Knicks well short of the projected $207.8MM second apron.

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks remain in touch with Precious Achiuwa in hopes of re-signing him as the primary backup to Mitchell Robinson, according to Ian Begley of SNY (video link). The free agent big man appeared in 49 games after being acquired from Toronto in December and had a significant role in the playoffs. New York is also exploring trades for “high-salaried veterans,” Begley adds.
Kolek impressed the Knicks on Saturday in his Summer League debut with seven points, seven rebounds and seven assists, per Steve Popper of Newsday. The second-round pick could be in contention for rotation minutes this season as a backup to Brunson. “I’m just trying to come in and do whatever (Thibodeau) asks me to do,” Kolek said. “Just keep my head down, do what he asks me to do. I’m a worker . . . That’s my calling card. I’m going to be in the gym, I’m going to get better. Really whatever the team needs, what the coach needs, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Dadiet said the speed of the game and the longer three-point line are the biggest adjustments in coming from France to the NBA, Popper adds. The first-round pick shot 2-for-8 Saturday, including air balls on two long distance shots. “I’m not sure of the difference,” he said. “In Europe it’s in meters.”

Celtics Notes: Davison, Springer, Scheierman, Begarin

July 14th, 2024 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

A desire to remain with the Celtics prompted JD Davison to accept another two-way contract for his third NBA season, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Davison talked about his decision after posting 19 points, six assists and three rebounds in Boston’s first Summer League game on Saturday.

“Of course I had to weigh my options, see how it played out,” he said. “Hearing (president basketball operations) Brad (Stevens) saying he wanted me back and I just talked to my agent and said I wanted to go back to Boston. I just won a championship there and they have built me there for the last two or three years and it wasn’t a bad idea to come back.”

Davison has only played 20 total NBA games since being selected with the 53rd pick in the 2022 draft, but he has made an impact in the G League. He earned All-Star honors by averaging 20.8 points, 8.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 28 games last season, but he only shot 26.6% from three-point range, which he’s trying to improve this summer.

“Of course I want to come here and ball out and do my thing,” Davison said. “But I want to come here and work on the things I need to work on, talking more, being a leader on the court. We’ve got a good group of guys and they call me one of the vets and I’m only 21 but it feels good being around these guys. It’s a fun thing to hear yourself being called a vet.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Also fighting for playing time in Boston’s backcourt is Jaden Springer, who was acquired from Philadelphia at the trade deadline, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive. The combo guard saw limited playing time in 17 games after the deal, so he’s hoping to show the team what he can do in Las Vegas. He had 23 points without any turnovers on Saturday, and Terada states that teammates have been raving about Springer’s impact on defense. “They just wanted to see my play,” Springer said in explaining his decision to return to Summer League. “Limited minutes throughout the season. We had a great team. Just coming in here, it’s a great chance to play, get run, get reps. I feel like that’s the biggest thing: They just wanted me to come out here and hoop.”
First-round pick Baylor Scheierman had an impressive debut with 13 points, five rebounds and six assists, Terada adds in a separate story. He struggled with his shot at first, but felt more comfortable as the game wore on. “It feels pretty good out there — I like getting my teammates involved,” Scheierman said. “I’ve said it multiple times, but I’d rather get an assist than score a bucket, especially if it’s like a cool pass. I’m always looking for my teammates and trying to get them open shots.”
French guard Juhann Begarin, whom the Celtics selected with the 45th pick in the 2021 draft, has a new three-year contract with AS Monaco, per Eurohoops. The story doesn’t specify whether Begarin’s contract includes NBA outs if he gets an offer to join the Celtics.

L.A. Notes: Bronny, Redick, Miller, A. Johnson

July 13th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

After a rough start to his NBA career in Summer League play, Lakers guard Bronny James may begin the upcoming season in the G League, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James was in the spotlight on Friday during his first game in Las Vegas, where a partisan Lakers crowd cheered every positive thing he did. However, the shooting woes he experienced during the California Classic continued, as he was held to eight points while going 3-of-14 from the field and missing all eight of his three-point attempts.

“I’m just looking forward to any basketball I play, no matter what level I’m playing at,” James responded when asked about the possibility of playing in the G League.

McMenamin notes that James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, seemed opposed to a G League assignment when he warned teams not to draft his client if they planned to offer a two-way contract. James received a standard four-year deal from L.A., but he may need time to develop his game before being ready for the NBA.

Summer League coach Dane Johnson, who also guides the South Bay Lakers, indicated that no discussions have taken place about where James will start the season.

“I don’t know about that yet, so I can’t really comment on that,” Johnson told reporters. “But I think all these guys are going to be in the G League at some point — the draftees.”

There’s more on the two L.A. teams:

J.J. Redick joined his former ESPN broadcast partners during Friday’s game to explain why he decided to become the Lakers‘ head coach, relays Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll. Redick said he felt a “calling to coach” and he wanted to test himself in a “high stakes, high pressure” environment. “The other part of it is,” Redick added, “in my retirement, I realized what gives me fulfillment and what gives me drive and motivation and that’s competition, that’s performance, that’s collaboration, being part of a team … the other parts of that are leadership and service. I said this in my press conference, like a big driving factor in this for me is I just want to help people. I want to help players. I want to help coaches. I want to empower people. I, obviously, want to help this Lakers organization get back to the top.”
After scoring 36 points Friday night, Jordan Miller said his goal is to earn a standard contract with the Clippers, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 24-year-old wing played on a two-way deal last season and earned All-Rookie honors in the G League.
Long-time NBA player Amir Johnson is working with the Clippers this summer to help develop the team’s prospects, Murray tweets.