NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Chance Comanche, Deonte Burton Waived By Kings

October 12th, 2023 at 6:02pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Kings have waived both center Chance Comanche and wing Deonte Burton, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link). Ham adds that the expectation is that both players will join the Stockton Kings, assuming they clear waivers.

Since Comanche and Burton signed Exhibit 10 contracts, they’ll both be eligible to receive a $75K bonus if they spend at least 60 days with Stockton. Both players have three or more years of experience in the G League and spent time in Stockton last season.

Comanche signed with the Kings on September 21 after averaging 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks across 43 regular season and Showcase Cup games with Stockton last season. His strong efforts in the G League turned into a 10-day contract with the Trail Blazers in April, and he put up seven points and three boards in one appearance with Portland. He did not appear in any preseason games with Sacramento this season.

Burton, who signed on September 23, averaged 11.5 points across 33 total appearances with the Stockton Kings last season. He holds averages of 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 73 career NBA games. His play in the G League last season also resulted in a 10-day contract, but Burton’s was with the Kings, though he only appeared in two games and didn’t record a stat. Burton appeared in one preseason game with Sacramento this year.

After waiving Comanche and Burton, the Kings’ roster now stands at 18 players, with Jaylen Nowell the only currently signed Exhibit 10 player on the roster. Sacramento has one open spot for its 15-man regular season roster, so it’s possible the Kings are eyeing Nowell for that spot. It’s likely the team will cycle through more Exhibit 10 players for G League purposes in the coming days.

NBA Fines Dillon Brooks $25K

October 12th, 2023 at 4:50pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Rockets wing Dillon Brooks was fined $25K by the NBA on Thursday, the league announced in a press release (Twitter link).

According to the statement, Brooks was fined for “recklessly making contact” with Pacers forward/center Daniel Theis in the groin area during a Tuesday preseason game between Indiana and Houston.

“The incident, for which Brooks was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter of the Rockets’ 122-103 win over the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 10 at Toyota Center in Houston,” the statement reads.

Speaking after the game to reporters, Brooks questioned the ejection, suggesting that he gets “picked on” due to his reputation as an instigator.

The Rockets acquired Brooks via sign-and-trade on a four-year, $86MM deal in July after the former Oregon standout spent the first six seasons of his career in Memphis. He holds career averages of 14.3 points and 3.3 rebounds.

Latest On Hornets Forward Miles Bridges

October 12th, 2023 at 2:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Roderick Boone and Evan Moore of The Charlotte Observer and Baxter Holmes of ESPN have obtained copies of the criminal summons that was issued on Wednesday for Hornets forward Miles Bridges. Both outlets have also obtained copies of the accompanying police report related to the summons.

As Holmes previously wrote, the summons is for violating a domestic violence protective order, misdemeanor child abuse and injury to personal property. While the incident was initially believed to have occurred a couple days ago, it actually occurred on October 6 but wasn’t fully reported until Tuesday.

On Oct. 6 around 9 p.m., during a custody exchange at Bridges’ residence in Charlotte, the 25-year-old allegedly threw billiard balls at his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle while their two children were inside it, which smashed the windshield and dented her car. The summons also states that Bridges threatened his former girlfriend, saying that if she called the police “he would take everything from her and withhold child support,” per ESPN.

Bridges is also accused of allowing his current girlfriend to “yell, scream and kick the victim’s car while the children were inside it,” Holmes writes. It’s unclear if his ex-girlfriend was inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.

Bridges is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Nov. 13 at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, according to the summons.

An unserved arrest warrant is still out for Bridges for allegedly violating the protective order during a prior incident at the victim’s residence on January 2, according to Boone and Moore. A public copy of the warrant is not yet available since it hasn’t been served.

The Hornets spokesperson gave a brief statement to the media on Wednesday night: “We are aware of the reports and are in the process of gathering more information.”

The warrant and summons are related to Bridges’ domestic violence case from last year.

He was originally facing three felony charges after being accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children, but last November entered a plea of no contest — accepting punishment without formally admitting guilt — to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent. He received three years probation and no jail time as part of the plea deal.

Bridges also has to adhere to a 10-year criminal protective order for the victim as part of the plea agreement. The protective order stipulates that Bridges must stay 100-plus yards away from and have no communication with his former girlfriend.

Bridges is ineligible to compete in preseason games and is suspended for the first 10 games of the 2023/24 season following an NBA investigation into the original domestic violence incident. He missed all of last season while his legal case played out, eventually signing his one-year, $7.92MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent in July.

Warriors Notes: Gay, Draymond, Paul, Kuminga

October 12th, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward Rudy Gay signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract to compete for a spot on the regular season roster. It’s the first time the accomplished veteran has been in this position in his lengthy career, but he’s confident he can still contribute.

“I’ve been humbled so many times in my career, so it wasn’t nothing,” Gay told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “This is the first time. Hopefully, the last. But it’s one of those things that you come in there and show my work. At the end of the day, throw some s— at the wall and see if it sticks.

“I know I still got a lot to give and I can help a team in this situation. I feel like it’s a pretty good situation.”

The 37-year-old said he considered several non-guaranteed offers from NBA teams, but believed the Warriors gave him the best chance to compete for a title, according to Spears.

“If you’re not competing for a championship 18 years in, what are you playing for?” Gay said. “I train my body all summer. The season is long. A lot of flights. You’re away from your family. You got to do it for something, especially at this point in my life.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green thinks Chris Paul will fit in well with Golden State, per Jordan Elliott of NBC Sports Bay Area. “When you can add a guy that has the respect around the league that Chris Paul has, that has the résumé that Chris Paul has, and the basketball knowledge, and the will to win that Chris Paul has, that’s a positive for any team,” Green said.
In a terrific story for The Athletic, Marcus Thompson II details how the Warriors’ annual trip to San Quentin prison shows Chris Paul‘s character and how he has embraced the team’s culture.
After failing to crack Golden State’s rotation at times during last season’s playoffs, third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga spent the offseason diligently working to improve his game, he tells Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I just want to keep growing as a basketball player,” Kuminga said. “Get better at reading the game. Making sure the game comes easier. Because the work you put in every day makes it easier. I was in the Bay as much as I could, just playing a lot. I did a lot this summer, just playing with the people that were coming in. Just trying to read the game, to be involved and learning the pace of the game and different things.” The former lottery pick hopes to be an All-Star within the next two seasons, according to Poole.

Pelicans Sign Jalen Crutcher, Waive Liam Robbins

October 12th, 2023 at 11:42am CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have made a minor change to their preseason roster, signing free agent guard Jalen Crutcher, the team announced in a press release. New Orleans waived Liam Robbins to create a roster opening for Crutcher.

A former college standout at Dayton, Crutcher played four years for the Flyers prior to going undrafted in 2021. He has spent his first two professional seasons playing in the G League for the Greensboro Swarm — Charlotte’s affiliate — after signing Exhibit 10 deals with and then being waived by the Hornets.

A 6’2″ point guard, Crutcher appeared in 57 regular season games (39 starts, 32.7 MPG) with the Swarm from 2021-23, averaging 15.8 PPG, 5.8 APG and 3.0 RPG with an impressive .473/.430/.774 shooting slash line.

The Birmingham Squadron — the Pelicans’ NBAGL affiliate — acquired Crutcher’s returning player rights last month in a deal with the Swarm. That means the 24-year-old likely signed an Exhibit 10 contract with New Orleans, which would entitle him to a $75K bonus if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with the Squadron.

Robbins, a 7’0″ big man who went undrafted in June out of Vanderbilt, inked an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pelicans at the end of last month. It looked like he might be promoted to a two-way contract, but last week he unfortunately sustained a stress fracture in his right fibula and was ruled out indefinitely.

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 10/12/2023

October 12th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today.

Click here for the transcript, and join us next Tuesday for our next live chat, hosted by Dana Gauruder!

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Chats

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Brooks, Eason, Green, Bullock

October 12th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The addition of Fred VanVleet provides a major upgrade as the Rockets try to move up the standings after three years of rebuilding, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic says in a discussion with Kelly Iko about the team’s prospects. Vecenie notes that VanVleet will be a reliable leader for Houston, which gave about 2,000 backcourt minutes last season to Daishen Nix, TyTy Washington and Josh Christopher.

The Rockets had been using Kevin Porter Jr., who is away from the team due to assault charges, as their point guard even though it’s not his natural position. Vecenie expects improvement just from having a true leader on the court, even though he views VanVleet as the league’s 12th- to 15-best point guard.

Vecenie adds that VanVleet’s shooting was down last season, but it was notably better after the Raptors traded for Jakob Poeltl to give them an effective screener. VanVleet can hit threes, make the right decisions on offense and challenge opponents on defense, and Vecenie notes that those are all areas where the team needed to improve.

There’s more from Houston:

Vecenie also likes the addition of Dillon Brooks, but believes his four-year contract might be “a bit aggressive” because of the potential of Tari Eason. Vecenie says Eason was “phenomenal” at Summer League, and there’s a chance that he’ll be better than Brooks by the end of the season. Vecenie observes that Eason provides the same type of high-energy defense as Brooks, but without the questionable shot selection that can bog down offenses. At 40.2%, Brooks had the fourth-worst effective field goal percentage in the league last season.
Coach Ime Udoka talked about the need for Brooks to play under control after he was ejected early in Tuesday’s preseason opener (video link). “You have to learn to control your emotions and stay in the game, Udoka said. “You can’t get yourself taken out in the first quarter.” Brooks said his reputation was responsible for the ejection, but referees determined that his low blow to Pacers center Daniel Theis was intentional.
Free agent additions Jeff Green and Reggie Bullock are expected to make their debuts with the Rockets on Thursday night in New Orleans, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Green signed with Houston this summer to be a veteran leader after winning a title in Denver last season, while Bullock was added last week for outside shooting help after the Spurs waived him.

Celtics Notes: Hauser, Banton, Pritchard, Porzingis

October 12th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown sat out Wednesday’s game, but the Celtics scored 112 points in a win over Philadelphia because of the performance of several complementary players, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Jrue Holiday made his first start, and he and Derrick White kept the offense humming, but Weiss points to Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard as the stars of the night.

Hauser finished with 15 points and three assists and showed an improved ability to switch effectively on defense, Weiss states. He also observes that the third-year small forward appears crisper in releasing his jumper and is moving with more purpose on offense. Weiss believes free agent addition Svi Mykhailiuk is on his way to earning a rotation spot, so Hauser will have to keep producing in the preseason to have a chance at regular minutes.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Dalano Banton is trying to earn a roster spot, but he didn’t help his cause with Wednesday’s performance, Weiss adds. Banton started the second half, but was pulled from the game after 34 seconds after failing to dive for a rebound that landed at his feet. “Listen, there’s nothing more important than holding people to a high standard, especially when you believe in them and know they can be really, really good,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “… Everybody on the roster competes at a high level and understands that taking pride in defense is number one.”
Pritchard is making his new four-year, $30MM extension look like a bargain, Weiss notes. He had 17 points and three assists in 24 minutes Wednesday and looks like he’ll be an important component in Boston’s offense. Bobby Marks of ESPN breaks down Pritchard’s new contract, which will pay him $6.7MM in 2024/25, followed by $7.2MM, $7.8MM and $8.3MM the following seasons (Twitter link). His salary will range from 4.7% to 5.1% of the cap.
The Celtics are using the preseason to experiment with the different possibilities that Kristaps Porzingis brings to the offense, Weiss writes in a separate story. Porzingis displayed his versatility in Sunday’s opener, Weiss observes, successfully executing rim rolls, pick-and-pops and spot-up three-point shots. “I thought we passed up some open shots, but he gives us a different dynamic,” Mazzulla said. “(He) makes the game easier for all the guys, and it’s gonna continue to get better.”

Knicks Notes: Sims, Hartenstein, Hart, McBride

October 12th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jericho Sims was primarily used as a center last season, but it looks like he’ll see more time at power forward, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Sims logged most of his 26 minutes at the four during the Knicks’ preseason opener on Monday as Josh Hart sat out the game. Hart will be the primary backup to Julius Randle after New York traded away Obi Toppin this summer, but coach Tom Thibodeau plans to employ Sims in that role as well.

“We wanted to get a look at that with (Sims) on the floor,” Thibodeau said. “With Josh out and Julius playing limited minutes, it was a good opportunity for that.”

Katz notes that Sims played just 139 minutes last season alongside either Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein. Thibodeau may use those combinations more often against bigger lineups, even though it limits what the team can do on offense. The lack of spacing was a concern in Monday’s game, Katz observes, as Sims was left virtually unguarded in the corner as drivers encountered multiple defenders in the paint.

Hartenstein has also been seeing time at power forward in practice, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post, and Thibodeau likes how he and Sims work together on the court.

“(Hartenstein) and Jericho, they play very effectively together. And oftentimes, I’ll go more by how they’re being defended, who do they have their 4 on, who do they have their 5 on?” Thibodeau said.

There’s more from New York:

Hart sat out the opener because the Knicks are being cautious after he spent the summer representing Team USA in the World Cup, Braziller adds. “We just wanna make sure he’s completely healthy before we completely ramp him up,” Thibodeau said.
The Knicks are determined not to repeat the mistakes of two years ago when they followed a playoff season by winning just 37 games, Braziller notes in a separate story. There were significant roster moves that led to that letdown, but the organization emphasized continuity this summer, with free agent Donte DiVincenzo as the only significant addition. “The team was a little different. We had to try to figure things out differently,” RJ Barrett recalled. “It didn’t end up working out. That’s what I’ll say is the difference. This year, we added Donte, but we pretty much have the same guys out there. I think it should be better.”
Miles McBride believes he’ll be able to earn playing time, even though four guards currently appear to be ahead of him, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The defensive specialist worked to improve his three-point shot this summer and spent time training with his older brother in Australia. “I feel like the way I play, I’m going to create an opportunity for myself,” McBride said.

Western Notes: Jazz, Holiday, Morant, Vezenkov, Strawther

October 12th, 2023 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz were involved in the Jrue Holiday sweepstakes before the All-Defensive guard was traded from Portland to Boston, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Larsen hears that Utah considered an offer that included multiple first-round picks for the standout guard. However, he notes that ESPN’s Bobby Marks said during a radio appearance that the Jazz were wary of pursuing Holiday too aggressively without any assurances that he’d commit to the team long-term. The 33-year-old holds a player option for the 2024/25 season, so he could have been just a one-year rental.

Having missed out on Holiday, the Jazz don’t have a clear-cut option to start at point guard and it’s clear that head coach Will Hardy is “struggling with this decision,” Larsen writes. As Tony Jones of The Athletic notes, each of the candidates for the role has exhibited his flaws as well as his strengths so far during camp and the preseason.

Collin Sexton isn’t a natural point guard and Talen Horton-Tucker and Keyonte George are still relatively raw as point guards, according to Jones, who adds that starting Kris Dunn would make it tricky for the team to find minutes off the bench for Sexton. Jordan Clarkson was also considered a candidate for the point guard job, but the Jazz appear more comfortable having him in a sixth-man role, so the competition could be down to four players.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

When Ja Morant‘s 25-game suspension was announced in June, the NBA indicated that the Grizzlies guard would have to meet certain conditions to be reinstated. The league provided an update this week, indicating that Morant’s suspension won’t be shortened but also isn’t expected to extend beyond 25 games, report Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Ziaire Williams played well as the Grizzlies‘ fifth starter in Tuesday’s preseason win over Milwaukee, but head coach Taylor Jenkins isn’t ready to commit to that spot for the regular season, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Luke Kennard appears to be Williams’ top competition for that starting spot, with Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, and John Konchar looming as wild card, per Cole.
Kings head coach Mike Brown is unsure whether NBA newcomer Sasha Vezenkov will be part of the team’s rotation when the regular season begins, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. In a separate story, Anderson points out that Vezenkov started in place of injured forward Keegan Murray (thumb) on Wednesday, but Chris Duarte took Vezenkov’s spot in the lineup to open the third quarter. According to Brown, Vezenkov’s ability to hold his own on defense will be a significant factor in determining his role.
Nuggets rookie Julian Strawther, vying for a rotation spot, had an impressive preseason debut on Tuesday vs. Phoenix, piling up 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists with no turnovers in 21 minutes off the bench. Bennett Durando of The Denver Post has the details, observing that Strawther’s ability to space the floor may help earn him a regular role.