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NBA, NBPA Sign, Publish New Collective Bargaining Agreement

June 28th, 2023 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Just 48 hours before the start of 2023 free agency, the NBA and National Basketball Players Assocation announced today that they’ve signed and published the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will go into effect starting this weekend for the 2023/24 league year (Twitter link).

The new CBA will run through the 2029/30 season, though both sides will have an opt-out deadline of October 15, 2028. If either side opts out, the agreement will terminate on June 30, 2029.

The full CBA can be found right here. It’s a 676-page document, representing a major expansion on the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which covered 598 pages.

For those who are interested in the league’s CBA changes but not eager to wade through 676 pages of legalese, the NBA and NBPA have also published a nine-page summary of the highlights.

We’d been keeping tabs on several of the most notable CBA changes in our own tracker in recent months as they were reported, but will defer to the official documents from here on out.

Bulls Sign Nikola Vucevic To Three-Year Extension

June 28th, 2023 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

3:12pm: The Bulls have issued a press release officially announcing Vucevic’s extension.

“During his time in Chicago, Nikola has proven that he is a special player both on and off the court,” executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said in a statement. “He has produced at an elite level since we acquired him and will remain an integral part of our foundation moving forward. Nikola’s willingness to do whatever is asked of him to help us win, while also being an established veteran leader for our group, makes him a valuable component of the culture of our organization. He is a consummate professional and tremendous teammate, which plays a big role in making us an attractive destination for other players. We are excited to have him continue to be part of our journey.”

2:42pm: The Bulls and Nikola Vucevic are nearing an agreement on a three-year, $60MM contract extension that would keep the veteran center off the free agent market, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Vucevic, 32, was acquired by the Bulls at the 2021 trade deadline in a deal with Orlando. Since arriving in Chicago, he has averaged 18.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game with a .492/.342/.812 shooting line in 181 total regular season appearances (33.2 MPG).

Vucevic isn’t an elite defender, but he’s a talented scorer and rebounder who has been remarkably consistent during his first two full seasons with the Bulls — he averaged 17.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 3.2 APG in both 2021/22 and ’22/23.

Like fellow big man Naz Reid, Vucevic had been extension-eligible this season, so he didn’t have to wait to reach the open market this weekend if his goal was to re-up with his current team.

The Bulls were considered a good bet to reach a new deal with Vucevic before or during free agency for multiple reasons. For one, their guaranteed contracts and the cap holds for restricted free agents Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu would almost certainly make them an over-the-cap team with or without Vucevic on the books, so they wouldn’t have had a clear path to replace him at the same salary slot if they’d let him walk.

There has also been a sense, as Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports wrote today, that Chicago didn’t love the idea of letting Vucevic go after paying such a steep price to acquire him from the Magic two years ago. That trade netted Orlando a pair of lottery picks – Franz Wagner and Jett Howard – in addition to young center Wendell Carter.

Assuming they officially finalize an extension with Vucevic by the June 30 deadline, the Bulls can shift their focus to free agency, where they’re expected to re-sign guards White and Dosunmu, according to Fischer. A new deal for unrestricted free agent Patrick Beverley is also a possibility, Fischer adds.

The Bulls project to be about $27MM below the luxury tax line after signing Vucevic, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks, though that estimate could vary depending on the exact structure of Vucevic’s extension, as well as Andre Drummond‘s player option decision. Once he officially signs, Vucevic will become ineligible to be traded for six months.

Meanwhile, an already-thin group of free agent centers will take another hit with both Vucevic and Reid off the market. Jakob Poeltl and Brook Lopez are the headliners at the position, with veterans like Mason Plumlee and Dwight Powell among the solid second-tier targets for teams in need of size. However, there aren’t a lot of reliable veterans available beyond those top few guys.

Blazers Issue Qualifying Offer To Matisse Thybulle

June 28th, 2023 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

2:39pm: The Blazers aren’t expected to tender a qualifying offer to Reddish, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

2:12pm: The Trail Blazers have issued a qualifying offer to Matisse Thybulle, making him a restricted free agent, the team announced today in a press release.

Thybulle’s qualifying offer is a one-year, $6,275,862 contract offer that he has the option of accepting. If he wants to negotiate a more lucrative and/or multiyear deal, Portland will control the process as long as that QO remains on the table. Thybulle could sign an offer sheet with another team, but the Blazers would have the right of first refusal, giving them the ability to match it.

Thybulle opened last season by averaging a career-low 12.1 minutes and 2.7 points per game in 49 appearances for the Sixers. As talented a perimeter defender as he is, the 26-year-old didn’t appear to be a lock to receive a qualifying offer at that point due to his offensive shortcomings.

However, Thybulle finished the season strong after a February trade sent him to Portland. In 22 games (all starts) as a Blazer, he bumped his scoring average to a career-best 7.4 PPG and grabbed 3.4 RPG while making 38.8% of his three-pointers. A two-time All-Defensive player during his first four NBA seasons, Thybulle could be a valuable rotation player if he can continue to develop his offensive game.

Notably, today’s Portland press release doesn’t include any mention of Cam Reddish, another Blazers player who is eligible for restricted free agency. The team has until Thursday to issue a qualifying offer to Reddish, but clubs typically announce their QOs at the same time. If Reddish doesn’t get a $7.7MM QO from the Blazers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Follow Pro Hockey Rumors For NHL Draft Coverage

June 28th, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Josh Erickson

The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft starts tonight, and Pro Hockey Rumors is your destination for draft coverage, trades, and rumors throughout the two-day event!

Last season saw a few big names moved at the draft, and we’re expected to see some more big moves over the coming days. Some big-time news has already come in, such as 2016 top-five pick Pierre-Luc Dubois heading to Los Angeles and the New Jersey Devils locking in Timo Meier on a massive extension.

The Chicago Blackhawks hold tonight’s first overall pick, and they’ll be the lucky team where the most coveted prospect in nearly a decade will start his career. Center Connor Bedard is in the conversation with Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Auston Matthews as a true generational talent.

The Anaheim Ducks hold the second pick and are expected to draft University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli, who became only the third freshman ever to win the Hobey Baker Award for the top player in college hockey. There’s some room for surprise, though, especially with Russian forward Matvei Michkov. Michkov is widely regarded to be the best prospect out of Russia since Ovechkin, but could fall out of the first few selections given his contract status overseas and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine – potentially to Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals, who hold the eighth overall pick.

Pro Hockey Rumors will have coverage of all of the above, keeping track of draft selections as they come in while keeping you updated on trades, signings, and rumors. It’s the busiest time of the year for NHL fans, so keep up with Pro Hockey Rumors and follow @ProHockeyRumors on Twitter for instant analysis on every move!

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Heat Rumors: Vincent, Strus, Lowry, Wood, Herro

June 28th, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have two rotation guards facing unrestricted free agency this week, and Gabe Vincent is considered a better bet to remain in Miami than Max Strus, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

There’s mutual interest in a new deal between the Heat and Vincent, whom the team values at a figure of about $10MM per year, sources tell Yahoo Sports.

As Fischer outlines, teams like the Suns, Pistons, Sixers, and Mavericks initially appeared to be among Vincent’s potential suitors. However, the Suns were probably only in play if they’d been forced to waive-and-stretch Chris Paul, while the Pistons may no longer be in the market for a free agent guard after making a trade for Marcus Sasser on draft night. Philadelphia and Dallas, meanwhile, would have interest in a guard like Vincent if they’re unable to re-sign James Harden and Kyrie Irving, respectively, but for now those stars appear likely to stick with their current teams.

Strus should be more popular on the open market, with cap-room teams like the Pistons, Pacers, and Magic among the possible suitors cited by league personnel, Fischer writes. Some clubs with the full mid-level exception will also have interest in Strus, according to Fischer — he mentions the Cavaliers as one, though he notes that Cleveland is also eyeing free agents like Kelly Oubre and Georges Niang.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his latest Lowe Post podcast that there’s a “ridiculous” amount of Strus buzz happening around the NBA right now. Lowe is confident that Strus will at least get a deal worth the full mid-level exception ($12.4MM) and says a team with cap room might top that figure, which is a point Fischer makes as well. People around the league aren’t expecting Strus to re-sign with the Heat, Fischer adds.

Here’s more on the Heat:

If Miami re-signs Vincent and doesn’t find a trade that requires Kyle Lowry‘s $29.7MM expiring contract, league personnel are preparing for the possibility that the Heat will waive Lowry, says Fischer. A report on Tuesday indicated that the team was considering the possibility of using the stretch provision on the veteran point guard. There’s already speculation about his possible free agent destinations, Fischer says, noting that a return to the Raptors would be a possible path for Lowry in that scenario.
Christian Wood has been continually identified by league personnel as a player who is on the Heat’s radar in free agency, Fischer reports. Wood isn’t expected to re-sign with Dallas.
If the Heat get the opportunity to make a play for Damian Lillard, there’s an expectation that Tyler Herro will be part of the package they offer the Trail Blazers. However, sources tell Chris Mannix of SI.com that Portland is “lukewarm” on Herro. It’s a moot point for now, since the Blazers remain focused on keeping Lillard. But if Dame does request a trade, it could become an important factor in trade talks.

Raptors Rumors: VanVleet, Poeltl, Siakam, Trent, Anunoby, Poole

June 28th, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors believe that they can be “a factor” in the East next season by bringing back the same core, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Although Toronto missed the playoffs in 2022/23, the team is apparently confident that a coaching change and a full offseason for this group will help make a difference in ’23/24.

Returning the same core would mean re-signing point guard Fred VanVleet and center Jakob Poeltl, two of the top free agents on the 2023 market. According to Grange, the Raptors are expected to meet with VanVleet in Los Angeles on Friday when free agency opens and are working out plans to link up with Poeltl as well.

Like other reporters, Grange has heard that Houston may be preparing a two-year contract offer in excess of $80MM for VanVleet, which would probably be more than Toronto is willing to pay on an annual basis. However, the Raptors – who might be open to a three- or four-year deal – believe the veteran guard wants to remain in Toronto and is still confident about their ability to bring him back.

As for Poeltl, there has been a belief that the big man will be back in the fold if the Raptors make a four-year offer in the neighborhood of $80MM, Grange says. However, multiple league sources tell Sportsnet.ca that the Spurs – keen on pairing Victor Wembanyama with a veteran center – have inquired about the possibility of reuniting with Poeltl. The Spurs will have the cap room necessary to make life difficult for Toronto if they choose to pursue the 27-year-old, who was dealt from San Antonio to Toronto in February.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Multiple teams have inquired about Pascal Siakam‘s availability, Grange reports. Besides the Hawks, Grange identifies the Hornets, Mavericks, Rockets, Pelicans, and Kings as clubs that have made calls about the two-time All-NBA forward. The Raptors have been open to listening, but not many of the conversations they’ve had about Siakam even qualify as “preliminary” trade discussions, according to Grange.
While Gary Trent Jr.‘s camp has conveyed interest in working out an extension after he picked up his 2023/24 player option, the Raptors are taking a wait-and-see approach and haven’t made plans to formally discuss a new deal with Trent in the near future, Grange writes.
Before agreeing to trade Jordan Poole to Washington, the Warriors reached out to the Raptors to see if they’d be interested in a deal centered around Poole and forward OG Anunoby, reports Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Toronto didn’t have interest in exploring the idea further.

Trade Rumors: LaVine, Garland, Rockets, Clippers, Blazers, Bucks

June 28th, 2023 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have engaged with “several” teams about the possibility of a Zach LaVine trade this offseason, but haven’t gotten serious about moving the high-scoring guard, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

As Fischer explains, LaVine’s pricey long-term contract will make potential trade partners wary about giving up a substantial package of players and draft picks, but the Bulls would be seeking a return that far outweighs what Washington got for Bradley Beal last week.

Fischer names the Knicks and Mavericks as possible teams to watch for LaVine, but immediately throws cold water on the likelihood of either club emerging as a legitimate suitor in the near future. New York seems to be taking a more patient approach to building its roster, according to Fischer, who adds that Dallas was viewed as a more serious threat for LaVine before acquiring Kyrie Irving as a co-star for Luka Doncic.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

Despite some speculation to the contrary, the Cavaliers haven’t had any discussions about trading Darius Garland and have no intention to move the All-Star point guard, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). The Cavs appear focused on pursuing roster moves that don’t involve trading any of their four cornerstone players (Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen).
In addition to Kenyon Martin Jr., the Rockets have gauged potential trade interest in young players like Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher, sources tell Fischer.
Norman Powell and Marcus Morris have both been mentioned in recent days as trade candidates. According to Fischer, the Clippers have been canvassing the league to see what a package of both players might return.
No clear suitors have emerged for guard Anfernee Simons, who looks like the Trail Blazers‘ most obvious trade chip, says Fischer. According to Fischer, the Blazers and Cavaliers had some brief talks about Nassir Little prior to the draft, but didn’t gain any real traction toward a deal.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast that the Bucks had some “relatively serious” internal conversations about John Collins before he was dealt to Utah. “I do think Milwaukee is looking around for, like, ‘Can we get a little injection of randomness? (An) injection of, like, bounce and athleticism, and just change?'” Lowe said. “Maybe just change more than anything else. But I don’t think (the Collins interest) went anywhere serious.”

Timberwolves Sign Naz Reid To Three-Year Extension

June 28th, 2023 at 11:07am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JUNE 28: Reid’s three-year extension with the Timberwolves is official, the team confirmed in a press release.

JUNE 25: Days before he was slated to hit unrestricted free agency, Timberwolves center Naz Reid has agreed to sign a three-year, $42MM contract extension to stay in Minnesota, his agents Jeff Schwartz and Sean Kennedy inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Reid’s new deal will include a player option for 2025/26.

As Woj notes, Reid enjoyed a well-timed breakout season in 2022/23 as the Timberwolves’ third big man, averaging career bests of 11.5 PPG (on .537/.346/.677 shooting splits) and 4.9 RPG. He also chipped in 1.1 APG, 0.8 BPG, and 0.6 SPG across his 68 contests with the team.

The 23-year-old first joined Minnesota on a two-way contract after going undrafted out of LSU in 2019, and by his second season in 2020/21 had carved out a major rotation role with the team.

Reid’s reported new contract represents a massive pay upgrade for the 6’9″ reserve. The $1.9MM minimum salary he earned in 2022/23 had been his prior pay peak.

Based on Reid’s previous contract, the most Minnesota could offer in an extension prior to free agency was a starting salary of $12.95MM, which is 120% of this season’s estimated average salary. It appears the Wolves offered that full amount, so his deal will be worth just shy of $14MM in year two, with an option worth just over $15MM in year three.

According to Matt Williams of ESPN (Twitter link), Reid averaged 0.78 points per minute following the 2023 All-Star break, more than any other NBA center aside from MVP Joel Embiid.

Before Minnesota offloaded significant assets to Utah in a trade for former All-Star big man Rudy Gobert last summer, Reid had looked like he might be in line to form the team’s frontcourt of the future alongside maximum-salaried power forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns.

Reid had emerged as one of the premium big man prospects heading into free agency this summer, potentially capable of earning more money and a starting gig on another team given his upside, so it’s fascinating to see him opting to stick with his current team and role.

Stein’s Latest: Middleton, Lopez, Crowder, VanVleet, Harden, Poeltl, Suns, Morris

June 28th, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks appear to be in a good position to re-sign several of their key free agents, Marc Stein writes at Substack. Stein gets the sense that Khris Middleton‘s return to Milwaukee is “all but assured,” and says Brook Lopez seems to be leaning toward remaining with the Bucks too, despite the fact that he’ll draw interest from rival suitors like the Rockets.

Interestingly, Stein hears that Milwaukee is considered increasingly likely to re-sign forward Jae Crowder as well. A trade deadline acquisition, Crowder had a forgettable postseason, scoring just seven points and missing all six of his 3-point attempts in 41 total minutes of action. However, he was effective in 18 regular season appearances for the Bucks, who gave up several second-round picks to land him.

Here’s more from Stein:

After he wrote earlier this week about the Rockets‘ interest in Fred VanVleet, Stein has been told by a “flurry of informants” that Houston is believed to be looking to sign the point guard to a two-year, maximum-salary contract. Such a deal would be worth just shy of $84MM based on the NBA’s latest cap projections.
The latest rumblings Stein has heard suggest that James Harden will likely return to the Sixers on a two- or three- year deal and that Jakob Poeltl is expected to re-sign with the Raptors for about $20MM per year, whether or not VanVleet remains in Toronto.
Veteran forward Yuta Watanabe and former NBA guard Mike James have been mentioned as potential targets for the Suns as they look to fill out their roster around their stars, says Stein. James, who has spent the past two seasons with AS Monaco, last played in the NBA in Brooklyn in 2021 and is close with Durant.
Clippers forward Marcus Morris remains on the trade block after a proposed three-team deal that would have sent him to Washington fell through last week, Stein says.

International Notes: Fernandez, Canada, Paris, Almansa, More

June 28th, 2023 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez will replace Nick Nurse of the Sixers as the head coach of the Canadian national team, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Canada Basketball has officially confirmed the news, indicating in a press release that the leadership change will take place immediately. Nurse, who coached the Raptors – Canada’s only NBA team – for five seasons before being dismissed this spring, subsequently stepped down from his position with the national team. Fernandez will take the reins for the 2023 World Cup, which begins in less than two months.

Fernandez, who was born in Spain, was an assistant coach on the Nuggets’ staff from 2016-22 before joining the Kings under Mike Brown last year. He’s considered a rising head coaching candidate, having interviewed for the coaching vacancies in Phoenix and Toronto earlier in the offseason.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

After playing a regular season game in France in 2020 and again in 2023, the NBA is on track to return to Paris in 2024, according to a report from L’Equipe, which states that the Nets and Cavaliers are the teams expected to compete in that game. There’s hope that French phenom Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will play a game in Paris as soon as 2025, per L’Equipe.
Izan Almansa, a 6’10” Spanish big man who spent the last two years with Overtime Elite and projects to be a first-round pick in 2024, has signed with the G League Ignite, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Almansa, the last prospect to join the Ignite for 2023/24, will be part of a star-studded group that includes potential top-five picks Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis.
Gianni Petrucci, the president of the Italian Basketball Federation, wasn’t thrilled by Paolo Banchero‘s decision to play for the United States instead of Italy at the upcoming World Cup, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport that the Magic forward “fooled us.” However, Petrucci clarified that he was more upset about a lack of communication from Banchero rather than the decision itself. “It was a legitimate decision, but he could have made a call to communicate that to us,” Petrucci said, per BasketNews.com. “Instead, we learned about his decision from the newspapers.”
German forward Louis Olinde, who has spent the past three seasons with Alba Berlin, is hoping to make the move to the NBA this offseason, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. According to Urbonas, Olinde has worked out for the Warriors and Thunder and has a session lined up with the Trail Blazers too. The 25-year-old is also expected to play for the Suns at the Las Vegas Summer League.