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Cavaliers, Tristan Thompson Agree To One-Year Deal

September 6th, 2024 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent center Tristan Thompson has reached an agreement on a one-year deal to return to the Cavaliers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

The fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Thompson spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Cavaliers before bouncing around the league and spending time with the Celtics, Kings, Pacers, Bulls, and Lakers from 2020-23. He returned to Cleveland last season, signing a one-year contract with the club almost exactly a year ago and appearing in 49 games in 2023/24.

Once a fixture in the Cavs’ starting lineup and one of the NBA’s top rebounders, Thompson played a limited role last season, contributing 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in just 11.2 minutes per contest during the regular season.

The 33-year-old, who was suspended for 25 games from January to March for an SPED (steroids and performance enhancing drugs) violation, averaged 8.7 MPG in 10 postseason appearances off the bench.

Although Thompson is no longer a major contributor on the court, the Cavaliers value his leadership, Wojnarowski notes.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com suggested last month that the team remained on the lookout for a “cost-effective, playable, end-of-bench veteran” who could be a locker room leader like Thompson was last season. It now appears the Cavs may simply have Thompson fill that role again, though it’s unclear whether his new contract will be fully guaranteed. It at least seems safe to assume that it’s minimum-salary deal.

Prior to officially signing Thompson, Cleveland is carrying 12 players on standard contracts, with Isaac Okoro still a restricted free agent.

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Cavaliers Officially Announce 2024/25 Coaching Staff

September 6th, 2024 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers issued a press release on Thursday formally announcing their coaching staff under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, who was hired in June to replace J.B. Bickerstaff.

There are no real surprises within the Cavaliers’ release, as the majority of their hires were reported at some point this summer following the addition of Atkinson. However, those hires are now official.

Here are Cleveland’s assistant coaches:

  • Johnnie Bryant, who spent the past four seasons as the Knicks’ associate head coach and six seasons before that as a Jazz assistant. He worked closely with Donovan Mitchell in Utah and has been named the Cavaliers’ associate head coach.
  • Jordan Ott, a former assistant for the Lakers (2022-24) and Nets (2016-22). He worked under Atkinson in Brooklyn for three-and-a-half seasons.
  • DeMarre Carroll, a forward in the NBA for 11 seasons, including two in Brooklyn playing for Atkinson. Having transitioned to coaching following his retirement, he spent the 2022/23 season with Milwaukee and the ’23/24 campaign with the Lakers.
  • Mike Gerrity, who has coached the Cleveland Charge (the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate) for the past two seasons.
  • Trevor Hendry, who was with the Nets from 2014-24 in a variety of roles, including assistant coach (2022-24) and head video coordinator (2018-22). He worked under Atkinson from 2016-20.
  • Omar Cook, a longtime professional player who was hired as an assistant coach for the Charge in 2022 and promoted to an assistant/player development role with the Cavaliers in 2023.
  • Bryan Tibaldi, who has been a player development/video assistant for the Cavs since 2021.
  • Nate Reinking, a returning assistant coach who was the Charge’s head coach from 2016-21.

The Cavaliers announced a few more hires within their press release, including Alex Sarama as their director of player development and Patrick Licursi as an advance scout.

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2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division

September 6th, 2024 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?

We’ll continue our series today with the Southwest Division…

Dallas Mavericks

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

Houston Rockets

San Antonio Spurs

Previous voting results:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
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Lakers Sign Alex Fudge

September 6th, 2024 at 7:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have signed free agent forward Alex Fudge to a contract, the team announced in a press release.

While the terms of the deal weren’t specified, it’s highly likely to be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, since Los Angeles already has 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and three on two-way deals. The move pushes L.A.’s offseason roster count to the maximum 21 players.

Fudge, 21, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers last July after going undrafted out of Florida. He appeared in just four games at the NBA level for the team and was waived in January before his two-way salary could become fully guaranteed, but he was on the roster long enough to secure a lucrative bonus when L.A. won the in-season tournament.

Fudge caught on with the Mavericks in March on a two-year, two-way deal and finished the season in Dallas before being waived last month. He appeared in two games for the Mavs for a total of six NBA outings in his rookie season.

The 6’8″ forward, known more for his defense than his offense, played a more significant role in the G League for the South Bay Lakers and Texas Legends, averaging 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game across 33 contests, with a shooting line of .480/.235/.550.

Assuming Fudge’s new contract includes Exhibit 10 language, he could be converted to a two-way deal before the regular season begins or could qualify for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by the Lakers and then spends at least 60 days with the team’s South Bay G League affiliate.

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Northwest Notes: Malone, Nuggets, Wiggins, Thunder

September 5th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Tristan Tucker

After a similar report surfaced in August from another outlet, Zach Lowe of ESPN said on his podcast this week (hat tip to RealGM) that there are “rumblings” that Michael Malone and the Nuggets front office aren’t seeing eye to eye “to a degree even unusual for the NBA.”

This offseason, the Nuggets lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency one year after losing key role players in Jeff Green and Bruce Brown. General manager Calvin Booth has targeted young players to develop to try and offset the losses of these veterans, but they haven’t been one-to-one replacements.

As noted by RealGM, Booth’s contract expires after the 2024/25 season while Malone’s runs through ’26/27. It’s not exactly clear to what degree Malone and the front office aren’t clicking, but Denver took a step back after winning the title in 2023 and doesn’t have a clear replacement for what Caldwell-Pope brought to the table as one of the premier 3-and-D role-players in the league.

For what it’s worth, Booth didn’t exactly put any rumors to rest with his comments in May.

“We’ve talked about this a lot upstairs,” Booth said in May. “The general manager, front office job oftentimes is to make sure the long-term view is something that we’re satisfied with. And Coach Malone’s down there in the trenches trying to win every night. And a lot of times, those things are aligned, but sometimes they ebb and flow away from each other.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

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Sixers Notes: New Jersey, Arena, Andonian, Jackson

September 5th, 2024 at 8:59pm CST by Tristan Tucker

In an effort to lure the Sixers into relocating to New Jersey, the state is offering up to $400MM in tax credits and is floating ideas for a new mixed-use arena on the waterfront, according to The Associated Press.

“The reality is we are running out of time to reach an agreement that will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time for the 2031-32 NBA season,” a team spokesperson wrote in an email. “As a result, we must take all potential options seriously, including this one.”

The Sixers called the offer “thoughtful and compelling,” according to the report.

This comes on the heels of the team stating its plans to exit Wells Fargo Arena by 2031 when the lease is up. The team and the City of Philadelphia are also currently negotiating over a planned $1.3 billion arena near Chinatown.

However, a new proposal would turn that space — the Fashion District — into a biomedical research facility, which would impact the Sixers’ plans for a new arena. According to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff Gammage, the plan is for the science center to provide year-round work and jobs to the area, as opposed to the 150 events that would be planned in a new arena.

As we’ve relayed, citizens have concerns about the impact a new arena and housing would have on the area and how it would affect the community through gentrification.

We have more from the Sixers:

  • In response to New Jersey courting the Sixers to move, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said keeping the team in Philadelphia “is a priority,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Anna Orso. “But we have a process here in the city of Philadelphia that we are following, and we will allow it to play itself out,” Parker said.
  • The Sixers are hiring Grizzlies executive Ariana Andonian as vice president of player personnel, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Andonian was included on The Athletic’s NBA “40 under 40” list this offseason and has been with the Grizzlies since 2020. “Those who worked with her rave about her attention to detail and scouting acumen,” Vorkunov wrote.
  • Philadelphia shook up its roster in a major way this offseason, adding a star player in Paul George and key role players like Caleb Martin. The team also added Reggie Jackson as a backup guard. In a subscriber-only story, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to Nuggets reporter Chris Dempsey about the addition of Jackson and what fans can expect from the veteran. Dempsey says Jackson was a total pro who never complained about his role and did whatever it took to help the team win.
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Brandon Ingram’s Future Remains Question Mark For Pelicans

September 5th, 2024 at 7:25pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Brandon Ingram‘s standing with the Pelicans remain in question with less than a month to go until the team reports to training camp, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. It seems like Ingram will play out the final year of his contract with New Orleans, but his name has consistently appeared in trade rumors since the beginning of the offseason.

As we’ve previously outlined, Ingram is in the final year of a contract that pays him approximately $36MM this season. He’s seeking a contract extension that includes a pay raise, but the Pelicans have been hesitant to make that sort of long-term investment.

Ingram’s production on its face is worthy of an increase in pay, as he averaged 23.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.2% on three-pointers in his five seasons with the Pelicans. However, he expressed disappointment with his role late last season after being benched in the fourth quarter of the play-in game. That brings into question how Ingram will respond this season without a clear indication of his future, Guillory writes.

According to Guillory, Ingram did not attend a week-long mini-camp held by New Orleans players in California that featured every player on the roster outside of him and Daniel Theis. The Pelicans believed Ingram would show up, but he never did. This is an event Ingram organized in the past, Guillory writes, so it was notable that he wasn’t there.

With Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray on lucrative contracts, the Pelicans don’t seem eager to dole out more big money, especially with an extension for Trey Murphy on the horizon. The new CBA limitations also complicate potential trade options, especially before the season, since any team acquiring Ingram would need to be confident in its ability to lock him up long-term in order to warrant giving up valuable assets in a trade.

Whether or not he has fallen out of favor, the Pelicans need Ingram’s shot creation if they want to maximize the potential of the current roster, Guillory reasons.

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Pacific Notes: Lakers, LaVine, Zubac, Suns

September 5th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Tristan Tucker

As has been covered at length this summer, the Lakers‘ only outside additions to their standard roster this offseason came in the form of draftees Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.

“They’re stuck,” one Eastern Conference executive said of the Lakers, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

A Western Conference executive who spoke to Woike said the Lakers should consider adding Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time. LaVine’s contract (he’s owed nearly $138MM over the next three seasons, including a 2026/27 player option) has been a holdup in getting a deal done. If the Lakers were to pursue such a trade, Woike points out that it would have to be constructed around D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and either Jarred Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent to match salary since L.A. can’t take in more than it sends out.

The downside would be LaVine’s injury concerns and his questionable fit in a role that would require more from him on defense and less on offense. However, Woike doesn’t get the sense the Lakers are all that interested in LaVine, suggesting that they’re more concerned with seeing how a roster with more continuity performs. Additionally, Woike reasons the Bulls could stand to hold LaVine and try to rebuild his value this season.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Clippers center Ivica Zubac received a 5% trade kicker as part of his three-year extension, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). That means if Zubac is traded, he’d be eligible for a bonus worth 5% of the remaining salary on his contract. The highest percentage allowed on a trade kicker is 15%.
  • Despite being one of the most efficient three-point shooting teams in the league, the Suns only ranked 25th in attempts, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes. That should change in 2024/25, with Tyus Jones, Monte Morris and a healthy Damion Lee among players who could help in that regard. Bourguet runs through several statistical red flags the Suns should look to address under Mike Budenholzer, including how they attack the rim and playing more in transition.
  • In a similar article for PHNX Sports (subscriber link), Bourguet outlines one area for improvement for every player on the Suns‘ roster, excluding rookies and two-way players. For my money, it’ll be interesting to see how Bradley Beal continues to adapt to being an off-ball third option. His scoring decreased last season (to 18.2 PPG) as he played fewer than 60 games for the third straight season. If he’s fully healthy, it will be intriguing to see if he can resemble the form of the player who recorded back-to-back 30 PPG seasons from 2019-21.
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Heat Exercise 2025/26 Options On Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic

September 5th, 2024 at 4:04pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat have exercised their 2025/26 team options on wing Jaime Jaquez and forward Nikola Jovic, the team announced (Twitter link via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press).

Jaquez is now guaranteed to earn $3,861,600 in ’25/26, which will be his third season, while Jovic will earn $4,445,417 during his fourth campaign. Jovic will also become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason.

As our tracker shows, Miami is the first NBA team to make decisions on its rookie scale team options for the ’25/26 season. The outcome was a mere formality after both players had strong seasons in ’23/24.

The No. 18 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Jaquez averaged 11.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.0 SPG in 75 regular season contests for the Heat (28.2 MPG). His excellent play earned him a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.

Jovic, who is two-plus years younger than Jaquez (21 vs. 23) despite being drafted a year earlier (No. 27 in 2022), spent the beginning of last season in the G League before emerging as a rotation regular down the stretch. In 46 regular season games (19.5 MPG), Jovic averaged 7.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.0 APG. The Serbian won a bronze medal this summer at the Olympics in Paris.

The deadline for teams to pick up 2025/26 rookie scale options is October 31, 2024.

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Hornets Sign Keyontae Johnson

September 5th, 2024 at 2:52pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have signed free agent forward Keyontae Johnson, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions.

The news of Johnson landing with Charlotte was announced last month by his agency. At the time, it was unclear what type of contract he would be signing. By process of elimination, it appears the 24-year-old signed an Exhibit 9 contract, likely with Exhibit 10 language.

Players who sign Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 contracts don’t appear on NBA.com’s official transactions log, but RealGM does track those deals. Exhibit 9/10 players only show up on NBA.com’s log when they’ve been waived (Jared Brownridge is a recent example).

The No. 50 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Johnson spent his entire rookie campaign on a two-way contract with Oklahoma City. He only appeared in nine games with the Thunder last season for a total of 66 minutes, but had a significant role with their NBA G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

The Thunder declined to give Johnson a two-way qualifying offer after the 2023/24 season, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Although they’re not technically required to, virtually every Exhibit 10 contract also contains an Exhibit 9 clause, which provides a team protections when a player on a non-guaranteed training camp contract suffers an injury. If a team wants to sign a player to a deal that includes both an Exhibit 9 and Exhibit 10 clause, it must already be carrying at least 14 players on standard contracts. The Hornets currently have 14 players on standard deals.

If Johnson signed an Exhibit 10 deal, he could receive a $77.5K bonus if he’s waived before the season starts and spends at least 60 days with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted to two-way deals, and the Hornets currently have one two-way opening.

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