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Northwest Notes: Jokic, Collins, Milton, Division Preview

October 14th, 2023 at 8:18am CST by Tristan Tucker

After winning the 2023 NBA Championship, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic made headlines throughout the summer by expressing his desire to go back home and then later partying in his hometown of Sombor, Serbia. ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk took a look back at “the summer of Jokic” and explored the center’s approach to the offseason.

Nuggets team president and governor Josh Kroenke didn’t text Jokic like normal this summer, Youngmisuk writes, instead allowing the two-time MVP to refresh.

“We all kind of left him alone,” Kroenke said. “For him to get away from basketball, be with his family and reconnect with who he is fundamentally is only going to be a benefit for the Nuggets and for basketball because he comes back fresh.”

Jokic claimed he only touched a basketball “a couple of times” this summer, but did stick to a routine he’s used through the past three years, which resulted in two MVPs and a championship, Youngmisuk details. Head coach Michael Malone noted the time of seemed to benefit Jokic mentally and when teammate Aaron Gordon came to visit during the summer, he was impressed by the depth of Jokic’s routine, according to Youngmisuk.

“He’s the best player in the world,” Gordon said. “He works out like a monster. … His regimen, his diet and how detail-oriented he is with his body, is second to none.”

Youngmisuk notes Jokic has been more vocal in practices and team settings, displaying a new type of confidence as he and the team aim for a second straight title.

“He’s only 28,” Gordon said. “So he’s going to get even smarter at manipulating the defense [and] offense. … I don’t see anybody stopping him. They still haven’t found the answer for him yet.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz traded for forward John Collins this offseason after he had a productive six seasons with Atlanta, averaging 15.8 points and 8.0 rebounds. However, both Collins and Utah’s coaching staff understand getting the 6’9″ forward acclimated in a new system might take some time, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. “I have to adapt to a bunch of things that I wasn’t used to doing in Atlanta, and that’s part of the game, and I’m embracing it because it’s a new chapter for me and it also allows my game to grow,” Collins said.
Eight players in the Timberwolves‘ likely rotation for their first regular season game on October 25 were on the team at the end of last season, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes. However, Wolves head coach Chris Finch said he’d like to ideally play a nine-player rotation, and Hine believes free-agent addition Shake Milton is likely to be that ninth player. Minnesota signed Milton to a two-year, $10MM deal after the guard averaged 9.3 points and 2.7 assists across his first five NBA seasons in Philadelphia.
The Northwest Division hosts the defending champion Nuggets, but also one of the few rebuilding teams in the league in the Trail Blazers. Tony Jones, Jason Quick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic preview the division which features rising stars like the Jazz‘s Walker Kessler and the Timberwolves‘ Anthony Edwards. The trio is bullish on the Thunder‘s Chet Holmgren, with Jones saying Oklahoma City getting him back from injury is the best offseason “addition” in the division. Meanwhile, Quick and Robbins believe Denver losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green are the moves with the biggest potential to backfire. I recommend checking out the article in full, if you’re an Athletic subscriber, to get a solid picture for the division next season.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Thibodeau, Raptors, Rajakovic

October 13th, 2023 at 11:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, who was the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2022/23, is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 23. He says he hasn’t been focused on a new deal, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“That’s where my faith comes in,” Quickley said. “Really all up to God. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been fortunate to not even be worrying about it. It goes days, sometimes weeks, where I just forget about all that stuff. Unless somebody reminds me. So just coming in everyday and trying to get better is my main focus.”

Head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Quickley’s dedication and confirmed that he’s focused on improving and helping the team.

“You couldn’t even ask for anything more, and I think he’s been able to put that (contract stuff) aside,” Thibodeau said, per Bondy. “I think his agents handle that. He locks into basketball, and that’s where his focus lies: team, winning. That stuff will take care of itself, but the way he’s come in, the shape that he’s in, what he’s done, Quick is — I don’t care where he is in the offseason, but one thing I know he’s gonna be in the gym twice a day. Doesn’t matter what country it is. Doesn’t matter what city it is. None of that matters.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

In another article for The New York Post, Bondy argues that Thibodeau deserves a contract extension from the Knicks, not just for helping the team win, but for changing his coaching style and getting the most out of his players. Thibodeau’s deal expires after 2024/25, Bondy adds.
New Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic is focused on ball and player movement offensively, with cutting down on contested mid-range shots a point of emphasis, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “We’re talking to our players a lot about quality of shots,” Rajakovic said. “Not every mid-range shot is a bad shot. There is a time and place when the defense is giving you certain coverage, when you catch the ball in good position and we want to take those shots. But those opportunities, usually (in) the game there (are) not a high number of those shots.”
As far as the Raptors‘ defense under Rajakovic, center Jakob Poeltl describes it as a “happy medium” between the highly aggressive blitzing style Nick Nurse utilized last season and more passive styles deployed by other teams. “I’d say it’s somewhere like a happy medium,” he said, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I think still, for us, just the type of players we have, we’re not going to get away from that aggressive identity. And I think it’s good for us. It’s good for our defense. But it’s a little bit more controlled I would say, a little bit more reserved at times maybe. Yeah, a little bit less of a gambling effect than we might have had last year.”

L.A. Notes: Covington, Hyland, Russell, Ham, Wood

October 13th, 2023 at 10:34pm CST by Rory Maher

After signing a two-year, $24MM extension in May 2022, Robert Covington didn’t play much for the Clippers in 2022/23, appearing in just 48 games off the bench while averaging 16.2 minutes per night, his fewest since his rookie season. However, he could be a starter this season, and he’s trying to seize the opportunity, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.

“(Head coach) Ty (Lue) told me that last year, he wished I got to play more because it was just unfortunate how deep our team was and how I hadn’t really played a lot and he just kept me out,” Covington said. “I just said (to myself), ‘Stay patient, just stay patient.’ I did everything that I was supposed to as far as staying ready whenever my number was called. I was ready for anything. That’s what I love about my professionalism – the fact that I stay ready no matter what.”

According to Carr, Covington kept an upbeat attitude throughout ’22/23, despite the trying circumstances.

“At times it was (hard not to get down), but I know I’m a part of this league,” the 32-year-old forward said. “I’ve had veterans talk (about) that type of stuff before in the past. So, I can understand just being in that moment, and understanding that the team I’m on, it is going to be like that. It sucks sometimes that we’ve got to sacrifice. But like I said, stay patient.”

Here’s more from the NBA’s to Los Angeles teams:

Third-year guard Bones Hyland has received positive reviews from teammates in his first Clippers training camp, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link). The Clippers acquired the 23-year-old via trade in February. “He’s fast, he’s talented, he’s a great basketball player, but I think maybe last year he was rushing a little bit too much,” forward Nicolas Batum said of Hyland. “Now he seems even if he’s still fast, he feels like he’s more under control, makes better decisions. … He worked on that. You can see, he watched film, he tried to get better decision-making and he’s doing a good job so far. I love watching him. He’s going to have a great season.”
Hyland added 11 pounds of muscle and focused on improving his defense this offseason, Carr writes for The Orange County Register. “I feel like I’m not like a weak link no more on the defensive side,” Hyland said Friday. “Giving multiple efforts and just trying to improve in the lower areas on the defensive end (is where) I feel like I improved.”
Another player working to change the perception of him being a minus defensively is Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Russell was frequently targeted by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. “Yeah, I mean, last year they found a way to get me off the floor by not playing defense, I guess,” Russell said. “So, (I) try to be a reason to eliminate that. Not give them a reason to not have me on the floor. Try to be as dangerous as I can on offense and try not to be a liability on defense. So, that’s what I’m working on. I’m trying to do it now before the season so I continue to practice those good habits.”
In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham defended Christian Wood from his detractors and said he has long been a mentor to the big man. “I don’t know what happened in Dallas and that’s not my business,” Ham said. “I don’t know. People say s–t. ‘He’s lazy. He doesn’t play any defense.’ I know the kid. I know what he’s going to do for me and he’s done everything that I expected him to do up to this point since camp has been going on.”

Southeast Notes: Bridges, Thor, Rollins, Hampton

October 13th, 2023 at 8:41pm CST by Rory Maher

Miles Bridges turned himself in on Friday on the January arrest warrant that had yet to be served, reports Steve Reed of The Associated Press. The 25-year-old appeared before a district court judge in Lincoln County (a Charlotte suburb) and was released on $1,000 bond.

Bridges, who was with the Hornets in Washington D.C. on Thursday night, turned himself in early Friday morning, Reed writes.

The Hornets forward is accused of “unlawfully” and “knowingly” violating a 10-year domestic violence protective order that stems from a case last year in which he entered a plea of no contest to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent. The warrant also states that Bridges “continually contacted the victim,” according to Reed.

The separate criminal summons Bridges is facing for allegedly violating the protective order, misdemeanor child abuse and injury to personal property is still outstanding; the 25-year-old is due in court for that matter on November 13.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Hornets forward JT Thor, whose $1.84MM contract for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed, had a strong summer and could be primed for a breakout year, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “He’s been amazing,” Terry Rozier said. “It’s no surprise, but it’s been talked about among all the peers about how great he’s been and how much time he’s put in this summer. And it’s just good to see. He’s one of the guys that never complained and always trying to get better since he came in the league. He never complained about things, always took things as a challenge and got better every day. And it’s now starting to show. And that’s all you can ask for in this league, is you try to get as much as you can out of it and then when your time comes you are ready for the opportunity. And I think it’s going to be a good year for him.” Thor was the 37th overall pick in 2021.
Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. thinks second-year guard Ryan Rollins has “elite” defensive potential, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. Rollins, a 2022 second-rounder who was traded to Washington from Golden State this summer, concurs with Unseld’s assessment. “I appreciate that,” he said. “I feel the same way. I’ve got a very long wingspan and I love to play defense. You put the mentality with the physical attributes that I have, I mean, why not?“
Guard RJ Hampton, who is on a two-way deal with the Heat, sustained a right hamstring strain during warmups on Friday evening and was ruled out prior to Miami’s preseason game against San Antonio, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. We’ll have to wait for more updates on the severity of the injury.

Pistons Notes: Hayes, Umude, Duren, Bagley

October 13th, 2023 at 6:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Pistons point guard Killian Hayes saw his name pop in trade rumors this offseason after Detroit added first-round pick Marcus Sasser and veteran Monte Morris to an already crowded backcourt that also includes Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Alec Burks. In August, multiple reporters suggested Hayes could be moved before the 2023/24 season begins.

While the season doesn’t start for another couple weeks, Hayes has certainly helped himself to this point with a strong training camp and preseason, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. In addition to drawing praise from head coach Monty Williams, the 22-year-old is averaging 14.5 PPG, 5.0 APG and 3.0 SPG while shooting 57.1% from the field in two preseason contests (23.8 MPG).

Morris has yet to play due to a back injury, which has opened up minutes. But even when he returns, Edwards believes Hayes should — and probably will — have a rotation role when Detroit’s season tips off on October 25 in Miami.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

Second-year wing Stanley Umude is another young player who has impressed during preseason, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Umude, who is on a non-guaranteed training camp contract, is averaging 15.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.0 APG on .667/.600/1.000 shooting in just 19.8 MPG through two games. As Langlois notes, the Pistons have an open two-way slot and Umude is making a case for a promotion. The 24-year-old spent the majority of last season playing for Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, though he did appear in one NBA game after receiving a 10-day contract in February.
Jalen Duren put an early end to a potential competition for the starting center position, and he’s ready to show more of his “unlimited ceiling” in his second season, according to Langlois of Pistons.com. “The feel with the ball, the touch, the passing,” Williams said of Duren’s atypical big man skills. “His (dribble-handoff) game is pretty advanced for a young player. He knows how to get off the DHO, drop the ball and still screen and that’s something it takes kids a few years to understand how to do that consistently. I’ve heard he was always big, so it befuddles me when you look at him and you see the guard skills. You’re like, ‘Where did he get that?’ He has the ability to get down in a guard-like position when he’s dribbling the ball. We’re going to try some things, give him the ball in the full court and let him go off of rebounds. Tell everybody, get out of there. Because he does have that ability.”
Marvin Bagley III, who is competing with James Wiseman for backup center minutes, had a strong showing on Sunday in the team’s first preseason game against Phoenix. As Omari Sankofa of The Detroit Free Press writes (subscriber link), injuries and consistency have been an issue for Bagley, which Williams acknowledged. “I think he would agree that he’s looking for consistency in his career,” the head coach said. “The number two pick, a lot of acclaim, a lot of talent, and at this point in his career he’s looking for consistency. And that’s what I’m looking for.” Williams also praised Bagley’s defensive communication.

Nuggets Sign Brimah, Pickett, Toney; Waive Boum, Franklin, Funk

October 13th, 2023 at 4:50pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets have waived Souley Boum, Armaan Franklin and Andrew Funk in order to create the roster space to sign Amida Brimah, Jamorko Pickett and Au’Diese Toney, per a team press release.

The terms of the contracts for Brimah, Pickett and Toney were not disclosed. However, Boum, Franklin and Funk were all on Exhibit 10 deals — considering the Nuggets have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts (with all three two-way slots full), the new additions are likely on Exhibit 10 contracts as well.

If Brimah, Pickett and Toney are on Exhibit 10 deals and are waived before the season starts, they’d each be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s NBAGL affiliate.

Brimah, a 6’10” center from Ghana, played five games (5.8 MPG) with the Pacers back in 2020/21 while on a two-way deal. He went undrafted out of UConn in 2017 and has multiple seasons of G League experience. The 29-year-old played in France and Belgium the past two seasons.

Pickett, who played college ball at Georgetown, went undrafted in 2021. He signed a two-way deal with the Pistons as a rookie in ’21/22, playing 13 games (13.5 MPG) with Detroit. The 25-year-old forward spent last season with the G League’s Cleveland Charge after signing an Exhibit 10 deal with — and then being waived by — the Cavs.

A 6’6″ wing, Toney played three college seasons at Pitt before transferring to Arkansas in 2021/22. He played for the Lakeland Magic (now the Osceola Magic) in ’22/23, his first professional season. In 28 regular season games (15 starts, 20.9 MPG) with Lakeland, he averaged 8.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG on .558/.380/.786 shooting.

Denver’s preseason roster remains full, with 21 players under contract.

Bulls Waive Henri Drell, Max Heidegger

October 13th, 2023 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have cut a pair of players from their preseason roster, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve waived forward Henri Drell and guard Max Heidegger. Chicago, which had a full 21-man roster, now has two open spots available.

Drell, 23, has spent the last two seasons playing for the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate. He didn’t have a major role in 2021/22, but became a starter last season, averaging 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 31.3 minutes per night (29 regular season games). He posted a shooting line of .486/.341/.750.

Heidegger, 26, has been playing professionally in Europe since going undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2020, spending team with teams in Israel, Germany, Turkey, and Spain over the last three seasons. He was a lights-out three-point shooter during his college career, making 44.0% of 568 total attempts from beyond the arc, including 67-of-125 (53.6%) as a senior.

Neither Drell nor Heidegger saw much action in the Bulls’ first two preseason games — they each logged five minutes in the team’s opener vs. Milwaukee on Sunday, then didn’t play on Thursday vs. Denver.

In all likelihood, both Drell and Heidegger will join the Windy City Bulls, where they’ll earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth $75K apiece, assuming they spend at least 60 days with the G League club.

Magic Sign Miye Oni, Waive D.J. Wilson

October 13th, 2023 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 13: The Magic have officially signed Oni, the team announced today in a press release. To make room on the 21-man roster, which is full, Orlando waived D.J. Wilson, who had been on an Exhibit 10 contract.

AUGUST 22: The Magic have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with free agent wing Miye Oni, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

According to Beede, it will be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 agreement. A contract with Exhibit 10 language can be converted to a two-way deal or can put a player in line for a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived in the preseason and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

A former Yale standout who was drafted 58th overall in 2019, Oni appeared in 80 games for the Jazz across three seasons from 2019-22, but never developed into a consistent, reliable NBA rotation player. He averaged just 1.8 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 8.4 minutes per contest in those three years.

Oni, 26, was traded in January 2022 from the Jazz to the Thunder, who subsequently waived him. He signed a 10-day hardship contract with New Orleans later that season, but didn’t appear in a game for the Pelicans.

After reaching free agency last summer, Oni signed with the London Lions of the British Basketball League and had a strong season in England, helping the Lions claim a BBL championship and a spot in the EuroCup playoffs.

Pacers Exercise 2024/25 Options On Mathurin, Jackson

October 13th, 2023 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have guaranteed a pair of salaries for the 2024/25 season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve picked up their rookie scale team options on wing Bennedict Mathurin and big man Isaiah Jackson.

The sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft, Mathurin made the All-Rookie first team this past spring after averaging 16.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 28.5 minutes per contest. The 21-year-old appears poised to become a full-time starter this fall after coming off the bench in 61 of his 78 games last season.

Mathurin’s $6.92MM salary for the coming season had already been guaranteed. As a result of the option pick-up, his $7.25MM cap hit for the ’24/25 season is locked in as well. Indiana will have decide a year from now whether to exercise his $9.19MM option for 2025/26.

As for Jackson, the 22nd overall pick from the 2021 draft has appeared in 99 games in his two seasons as a Pacer, averaging 7.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 16.0 MPG. He’s in the mix for backup center minutes behind Myles Turner this season, but will face competition from Daniel Theis and Jalen Smith.

Now that is has been exercised, Jackson’s 2024/25 team option will pay him a guaranteed salary of approximately $4.44MM. He’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension next July as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.

We’re tracking all of year’s rookie scale team option decisions right here.

Southwest Notes: Sochan, Kyrie, Lively, Chandler, Rockets

October 13th, 2023 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

No Spurs frontcourt player has appeared in all 82 games in a season since DeJuan Blair did it in 2009/10, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Second-year forward Jeremy Sochan, who welcomed the NBA’s declaration that its data doesn’t support load management, is hoping to end that streak.

“I think it should be a culture of playing every game that you can, and if your body is not 100%, then I understand,” Sochan said, per Orsborn. “But if you are fit and healthy, I don’t see why not playing 82 games or as many games as you can play.”

Appearing in all 82 games in 2023/24 would represent a major step forward for Sochan, who was limited to 56 contests as rookie due in large part to quad and knee issues.

Here are a few more notes from around the Southwest:

While his Mavericks backcourt mate Luka Doncic placed fourth overall in ESPN’s annual rankings of the NBA’s top players, Kyrie Irving isn’t putting much stock in the decisions made by ESPN’s panel, which ranked him 34th. “Rankings don’t mean a damn thing in the league, especially not from ESPN or any of these other media platforms,” Irving wrote in an Instagram comment (hat tip to The Dallas Morning News). “Majority of the analysts are not credible sources in my eyes and I don’t respect them or their opinions.”
Former Mavericks big man Tyson Chandler is working with rookie Dereck Lively II, referring to the young center as a “little brother,” according to Brad Towsend of The Dallas Morning News. Lively is welcoming the mentorship of Chandler, who is back for a third year as a part-time assistant in Dallas. “At first I wasn’t really familiar with Tyson’s game, until I started to do my homework,” Lively said. “Then I realized, ‘Wow, we really do play the same.’ We have the same demeanor. He’s 40-something and he has the same energy as me. We kind of reflect off of one another, you know?”
While the Rockets are hoping that veteran additions like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks help the team take a step forward this season, they’re also counting on reaping the benefits of “trading” the rookie versions of Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason for more seasoned second-year versions of those players, says Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “They had an opportunity last year to play through mistakes and I think they’re obviously going to take a natural step,” head coach Ime Udoka said of the duo. “They’ve shown that.”