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Raptors Notes: Poeltl, Offseason, Trade Deadline, Ujiri

February 12th, 2023 at 4:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly reacquired Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, an unrestricted free agent this summer, can envision himself signing a new contract with the team, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).

“It’s definitely something I can see for the long-term as well,” Poeltl said of the Raptors.

Poeltl was initially selected by Toronto with the ninth pick in the 2017 draft, but was dealt to the Spurs in 2018 as part of its package to acquire All-NBA small forward Kawhi Leonard.

He had since emerged as a terrific rim-protecting center for San Antonio and is expected to earn a significant salary upgrade this summer. In 47 games this season with the Spurs and Raptors, Poeltl is averaging 12.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.1 BPG and 0.8 SPG.

Having the 7’1″ big man on the roster broadens Toronto’s lineup options, contends Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Poeltl suited up for 17 minutes in his first game back with the Raptors, a 122-116 Friday loss to the Jazz. Smith writes that head coach Nick Nurse anticipates eventually shifting Poeltl into a starting role for the team.

“Hopefully he’s going to rim-protect, either with some shot-blocking or some vertical-type moves,” Nurse said. “Hopefully he’ll defensive rebound for us, too. We work pretty hard at defensive rebounding. There are guys that need to get involved in that. Hopefully he can take some of that load off our guys… He’s got a good IQ. That’s important, when a guy back there has some IQ and can direct traffic a bit.”

There’s more out of Toronto:

Raptors guards Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are both expected to turn down their respective player options for 2023/24, and instead enter 2023 free agency, writes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Murphy looks ahead to how Toronto’s approach to the trade deadline could impact its approach to the 2023 offseason. Instead of becoming sellers at the deadline, as widely expected for the 26-31 Raptors, the team added Poeltl. Murphy thinks the Raptors can still look to offload contracts this summer, though he is dubious the team will get as much for its players during the offseason as it may have been able to extract at the deadline.
Lewenberg opines in a separate piece that the Raptors were never likely to be sellers at the trade deadline, noting that Toronto was possibly open to accepting a trade for 25-year-old swingman OG Anunoby, but had been reticent to move off the contract of All-Star big man Pascal Siakam.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri may have erred in wanting to let his current core of Siakam, Anunoby, VanVleet and 2022 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes play out the rest of the season, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Koreen posits that the addition of Poeltl, while offering a defensive improvement around the rack, will not upgrade the club enough to return it to true contention this season.

Patrick Beverley Waived By Magic

February 12th, 2023 at 3:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

As had been widely anticipated, combo guard Patrick Beverley has been waived by the Magic, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

The 6’1″ Beverley will become a free agent once he clears waivers. He was sent to the Magic by the Lakers as part of a four-team trade that netted Los Angeles two second-round draft picks, along with 3-and-D reserve big man Mo Bamba.

In 45 games for the Lakers, all starts, the 34-year-old posted averages of 6.4 PPG on .402/.348/.780, plus 3.1 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.9 SPG.

Beverley has emerged as a rumored buyout market target of the Clippers, after the team traded veteran point guards Reggie Jackson and John Wall at the deadline. That would mark his second go-round with L.A., He spent four seasons with the Clippers, from 2017-21, and was named to the league’s All-Defensive Second Team in 2020.

Magic May Move On From R.J. Hampton

February 12th, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic reserve guard R.J. Hampton may be waived or bought out by Orlando, sources inform Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Price reveals that Hampton is not traveling with the team for its game tomorrow against the Bulls.

As Price notes, Hampton – facing a logjam in the Magic’s backcourt rotation – could get more frequent run with another club committed to his development.

Hampton is currently fourth in Orlando’s point guard rotation, behind starter Markelle Fultz, 2021 lottery pick Jalen Suggs, and even primary backup shooting guard Cole Anthony. Gary Harris and Anthony serve as the team’s two primary shooting guards.

Hampton, a five-star high school prospect out of Little Elm, Texas, opted to skip college so he could kick off a pro career. He had joined NBL club the New Zealand Breakers for the 2019/20 season, and his erratic on-court play sank his draft value.

The 6’4″ combo guard, who has just turned 22, was first selected with the No. 24 pick in 2020. He spent half the season with the Nuggets before being traded to Orlando. This year, he had been averaging 5.7 PPG on .439/.340/.838 shooting splits with the Magic in just 26 games. He is also chipping in 1.5 RPG and 1.3 APG, across 13.9 MPG.

Hampton is one of just three players on rookie scale contracts who had his 2023/24 option declined last fall, so he’s on an expiring $2.4MM deal.

Zion Williamson To Miss Several More Weeks With Hamstring Injury

February 12th, 2023 at 1:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans All-Star power forward Zion Williamson will miss several more weeks as he continues to recuperate from a right hamstring strain, per Christian Clark of NOLA (Twitter link).

According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (via Twitter), head of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters today that Williamson had advanced in his rehab process to participating in 3-on-3 work, but re-aggravated the ailment in a recent practice. The former No. 1 overall pick will have his health reassessed by the team’s medical staff following the All-Star break.

As Clark notes, Williamson has already been shelved since first suffering the injury on January 2. In his absence, New Orleans has cratered, going 6-14 in this current stretch without him. Though the Pelicans occupied a spot near the top of the Western Conference standings when Williamson was healthy, the team has now fallen to the seventh seed and is only 1.5 games clear of the No. 11 Jazz.

Williamson has missed far more games (169) than he has actually played (114) in his NBA career to date, as Clark tweets. Across his 29 healthy games this season, the third-year forward is averaging 26 PPG on .608/.368/.714 shooting splits. He’s also pulling down 7.0 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.6 BPG.

Given that Williamson and Warriors All-Star point guard Stephen Curry will both definitely miss All-Star Weekend festivities next week in Salt Lake City, the NBA named Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards and Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox to fill in as replacement All-Stars for the West.

Magic, Terrence Ross Finalize Buyout Agreement

February 12th, 2023 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 12: Ross has officially been released by Orlando, the team has revealed in a press release (via Twitter). He’ll reportedly sign with the Suns upon clearing waivers.

11:06am: The Magic and veteran swingman Terrence Ross are finalizing a buyout agreement that will put him on track for free agency, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Ross, 32, has been with the Magic since being traded from Toronto to Orlando at the 2017 deadline.

He averaged 14.4 points in 27.2 minutes per game in 220 contests during his first four full seasons with the team, but has seen his role cut back in the last two seasons as the Magic have gone through a rebuilding process. He has averaged just 9.2 PPG in 22.8 MPG across 105 appearances since the start of last season.

Ross has been viewed as a trade candidate since Orlando’s 2021 fire sale that saw Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier all dealt. However, he stuck around for an extra two years beyond that, as the Magic never got the sort of offer they sought for the veteran shooter, who has made 36.2% of his 3,500 career three-point attempts.

Given that Ross is on an expiring contract and suggested last spring he’d welcome a change of scenery, it comes as no surprise that he’s seeking his exit from Orlando after staying put through the trade deadline.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who first reported that Ross was a buyout candidate, says the Mavericks and Suns are two potential suitors to keep an eye on. Marc Stein (Twitter link) has also heard word of Dallas’ interest in the veteran wing.

Spurs Waive Stanley Johnson, Will Convert Charles Bassey To Standard Contract

February 12th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs have released veteran forward Stanley Johnson, the team announced today in a press release.

Johnson signed with San Antonio in mid-December and averaged 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds off the bench in 30 games while shooting 45% from three-point range. Despite being drafted in 2015, he’s only 26 and could spark some interest among contending teams on the buyout market.

Johnson was a part-time starter last season with the Lakers, who have a roster spot open after making several moves at the trade deadline. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report isn’t sure if L.A. can bring back Johnson because he was traded to the Jazz in August and subsequently waived (Twitter link), but Pincus believes the language in the collective bargaining agreement is murky enough that it might be worth a phone call to the league to verify.

The Spurs intend to use their roster opening to convert Charles Bassey‘s two-way deal to a standard contract, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio signed Bassey after the Sixers waived him in October, and he’s averaging 4.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 24 games.

Warriors File Complaint Over Gary Payton II Trade

February 12th, 2023 at 11:31am CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA has started an investigation of the Trail Blazers for possibly providing misleading information after receiving a complaint from the Warriors regarding a four-team trade involving Gary Payton II, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Payton failed a physical with Golden State’s medical staff after being acquired from Portland on Thursday. The Warriors have a deadline of 9:30 pm Eastern time today to decide whether to keep Payton or rescind the entire deal, which would also affect the Pistons and Hawks.

The Warriors’ doctors determined that Payton has a core muscle injury that could keep him out of action for up to three months. The injury prevented him from playing until January 2, but he had been a regular part of the Blazers’ rotation since then.

Portland general manager Joe Cronin spoke to reporters about the situation on Friday, saying he didn’t do anything to mislead the Warriors.

Payton played an important role in Golden State’s run to a championship last season, and the team saw him as a way to upgrade its perimeter defense. He left last summer in free agency, signing a three-year deal with Portland worth more than $26MM.

In the trade, the Hawks acquired Saddiq Bey from the Pistons; the Pistons acquired former lottery pick James Wiseman from the Warriors; the Trail Blazers acquired Kevin Knox from the Pistons, three second-round picks from Atlanta, and two second-rounders from Golden State; and the Warriors re-acquired Payton from Portland, along with two second-round picks from Atlanta.

None of those players are able to take the court for their new teams until the Warriors announce their final decision.

Knicks Notes: Hart, McBride, Grimes, Brunson

February 12th, 2023 at 9:47am CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Hart‘s competitive fire was on display Saturday night in his first game with the Knicks, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Calling himself “a dog” in post-game interviews, Hart brought the defensive intensity the team was counting on when it acquired him Thursday in a four-team trade.

Hart delivered 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in 26 minutes. He played the entire fourth quarter, sinking a late three-pointer to help stave off a Jazz rally, and appears to be a new fan favorite at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m a guy that’s gonna bring it every night,” he said. “I’m a guy that’s gonna be physical. I’m a guy that’s gonna do the dirty work. Going to rebound, going to defend. Get on the floor for a loose ball and do those kind of things. I feel like that style fits every team, especially a New York team. That’s what this city is about and what the city builds off of. I take that with pride. I’m just a blue-collar guy; I think that’s really going to work well here.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

Hart is expected to turn down his $13MM player option and become a free agent this summer, Bondy adds in a separate story. The Knicks have a few months to decide whether to make a long-term commitment to the 27-year-old guard, but with team president Leon Rose having served as Hart’s agent at CAA, a strong connection is already in place. “It’s definitely somewhere that I would definitely like to be,” Hart said of New York. “It’s my third time getting traded, sixth year in the league, fourth team, sixth head coach. It’s been a whirlwind. I didn’t think that was how my first six years were going to be, but I’m looking for a home, and I think this could be it.”
Hart’s arrival may mean reduced roles for Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes, observes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. McBride didn’t play at all Saturday, while Grimes was limited to 22 minutes and wasn’t used in the fourth quarter. McBride had played in the last 35 games and had been part of the rotation since early December. “Those things are tough, but you always have to do what’s best for the team,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “What makes the team function best, and we’ll go from there.”
Jalen Brunson turned in his latest huge scoring performance since being snubbed for the All-Star Game, Sanchez notes in a separate piece. Brunson has averaged 31 PPG in the five games since the All-Star reserves were announced.

Thunder Sign Olivier Sarr To Two-Way Contract

February 12th, 2023 at 8:38am CST by Arthur Hill

Center Olivier Sarr has returned to the Thunder on a two-way contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

The 23-year-old center signed a pair of 10-day contracts and then a two-way deal with Oklahoma City last season. He appeared in 22 total games, averaging 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, before being waived in April.

Sarr joined the Trail Blazers for training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract and was impressive enough in the preseason to earn a two-way deal with the team. However, he suffered a partial tear of a ligament in his right wrist that sidelined him for six weeks and he was waived in mid-November. In January, he signed with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

OKC had a two-way opening after converting Eugene Omoruyi‘s contract to a standard deal on Friday.

Terrence Ross To Sign With Suns Following Buyout

February 11th, 2023 at 11:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Terrence Ross plans to join the Suns after his buyout with the Magic is complete, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Ross must clear waivers before he can sign with Phoenix.

Earlier in the day, Wojnarowski reported that the Mavericks were the frontrunners to add Ross, but he says that changed when new Suns owner Mat Ishbia and coach Monty Williams got involved. They were able to sell Ross on the idea of coming to Phoenix to join Kevin Durant in pursuit of a title.

The Suns have two open roster spots, so they can sign Ross without a corresponding move.

Dallas’ offer is limited to a pro-rated minimum contract, which is worth about $900K, points out Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link), while Phoenix has $5.2MM of its mid-level exception left and could offer more than the minimum (though it’s unclear whether they will).

Ross will help replace some of the wing depth the Suns had to send to Brooklyn in the Durant trade. He’s a career 36.2% shooter from three-point range and is connecting at 38.1% from long distance this season. He was averaging 8.0 PPG in 42 games for Orlando.