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Southeast Notes: J. Davis, Oubre, Champagnie, Martin

September 19th, 2023 at 5:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Wizards shooting guard Johnny Davis, the 10th pick out of Wisconsin in the 2022 draft, is hoping to make a bigger impact this year than he did as a rookie. While on a lottery-bound Washington team, Davis struggled to crack the club’s rotation for much of the year, ultimately averaging 5.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.0 APG in just 28 contests.

Now, Josh Robbins of The Athletic takes stock of how rival scouts feel about the 6’5″ swingman’s NBA future.

“He’s going to have a little bit more of an intense light on him this year just from an evaluation standpoint because the team’s shifted,” one scout said. “It’s not any of his fault or anything, but he’s going to have to prove that he’s ready to play this year quicker than maybe incrementally getting better and showing progress just because everyone’s going to be a little bit under the gun there.”

“In college, I think he was really competitive, really sure of himself, really assertive on the court,” another scout observed. “He got to his spots, got to situations where he could be impactful and effective. He competed on both ends. And certainly early on (in the NBA), it just seemed like for whatever reason, he didn’t have that same level of confidence, and that impacted him overall.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • Rumored to be a suitor for the veteran forward, the Heat did not make a major push for the services of Kelly Oubre in free agency, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports (Twitter link). Oubre instead signed a minimum contract with the Sixers earlier this week. An athletic 6’7″ wing, Oubre averaged a career-best 20.3 PPG last season with the Hornets, along with 5.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 1.1 APG.
  • Heat training camp invitee Justin Champagnie is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Miami forward Caleb Martin as an unheralded twin wing making an outsized impact on a playoff hopeful, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Caleb Martin’s twin brother Cody Martin has firmly established himself as a key role player for the Hornets. Champagnie’s twin brother Julian Champagnie, meanwhile, is a developing talent with the Spurs. “We talk about basketball a lot,” Justin said of his brother. “He’ll come tell me about his, and I’ll tell him about mine.” The 6’6″ forward isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, but could force the Heat’s hand with a strong training camp and preseason. “It’s good knowing you actually have an opportunity to make the team or get a two-way, to kick-start your career,” Champagnie said. “And that makes you work harder.”
  • In case you missed it, trade talks between the Heat and Trail Blazers for Portland All-Star Damian Lillard remain at something of an impasse.
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Neemias Queta Signs Two-Way Deal With Celtics

September 19th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 19: The Celtics have officially signed Queta to a two-way contract, the team announced on Tuesday in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 16: Free agent center Neemias Queta is signing a two-way contract with the Celtics, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

Queta played three college seasons at Utah State before Sacramento drafted him 39th overall in 2021. He spent his first two professional seasons with the Kings on two-way contracts, appearing in 20 total NBA games for an average of 7.5 MPG.

While his role with the Kings was modest, Queta excelled in the G League with their affiliate in Stockton. In 2022/23, he earned a spot on the All-NBAGL First Team and finishing second in MVP voting. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.9 BPG in 27.7 MPG across 29 regular season appearances for the Stockton Kings.

Queta, who is the NBA’s first player from Portugal, was a restricted free this summer. He ultimately signed a partially guaranteed two-year deal to return to the Kings, but was waived this week after the team signed JaVale McGee to a guaranteed contract.

It’s worth noting that the 7’0″ big man sustained a stress reaction and sprain in his right foot during July Summer League action. However, that was more than two months ago, and clearly the Celtics are comfortable with Queta’s health.

As James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets, Boston could be a good landing spot for Queta. Kristaps Porzingis and Robert Williams have dealt with numerous injuries over the years, and Al Horford is 37. The only other big man on the roster is Luke Kornet, whose contract for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed.

Queta’s two-way deal will pay him $559,782 and will make him eligible to appear in up to 50 regular season contests. Once the signing is official, the Celtics will have 18 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Pacific Division

September 19th, 2023 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster right now, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Pacific Division. Let’s dive in…

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors will likely open the season with 14 players on standard contracts rather than 15 in order to maintain roster flexibility and avoid a higher tax bill. That 14th man may end up being a veteran free agent — Golden State has been working out a number of them and is meeting this week with Dwight Howard.

Until Golden State signs a 14th non-two-way player, the team won’t be able to begin signing its training camp invitees to Exhibit 9 contracts. That’s likely the reason why so many of the Dubs’ reported camp deals haven’t yet been finalized. Once they’re officially under contract, those players could be in the mix for the team’s final two-way slot.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers’ roster could still undergo a partial overhaul if talks for Sixers guard James Harden are rekindled and result in a trade agreement, but nothing seems imminent – or even close – at this point.

If they don’t make a move for Harden, the Clippers’ biggest roster decision this fall might be whether or not to keep Preston around — his salary would become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract through October 1, so L.A. will probably have to make that call before the preseason begins.

If Preston is cut and no trades are made, the Clippers can focus on filling out their 21-man roster with camp invitees and figuring out who will fill the third two-way slot.

Los Angeles Lakers

Like the Warriors, the Lakers appear likely to enter the season with an open spot on their 15-man roster for the sake of flexibility. If that’s the plan, they’re pretty much good to go, with 14 players on standard contracts and all three two-way spots filled.

Phoenix Suns

The fact that the Suns are only carrying 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries means they’re in position to make changes if need be. But Goodwin’s almost certainly not going anywhere — following the trade of Cameron Payne, he’s in line for a significant role at point guard.

Penciling Goodwin onto the opening night roster gives Phoenix 14 players and means the only real decision is whether or not to hang onto Wainright, whose salary is entirely non-guaranteed. Team owner Mat Ishbia has shown no desire to pinch pennies since assuming control earlier this year, so I’d expect Wainright to be on the roster to start the season.

The Suns also have a two-way opening, but they’re the only team without a G League affiliate, so they’re not as incentivized to fill that spot as other clubs would be.

Sacramento Kings

It looked like centers Nerlens Noel and Neemias Queta might be battling for the 15th and final spot on Sacramento’s standard roster. However, after the Kings signed McGee, they waived both Noel and Queta in order to give them an opportunity to catch on with new teams for training camp (Queta has since agreed to sign with Boston).

Unlike many of their division rivals, the Kings aren’t in the tax and could comfortably afford to fill that 15th spot with a minimum-salary player if they want to. I expect that to happen eventually, but it’s unclear whether or not they’ll do it for the start of the regular season.

If there’s no rush to add a 15th man, the Kings’ preseason roster business would consist primarily of bringing in camp invitees and lining up G League bonuses.

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Bucks Notes: Title Window, Payne, G League Moves

September 19th, 2023 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Having re-signed Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez this summer, the Bucks appear to have extended their championship window through at least the 2024/25 season, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes in a mailbag. Nehm views Milwaukee as one of “only a handful of teams” that have the pieces necessary to win a title in the short term.

However, the future of the Bucks’ roster beyond the 2025 offseason is very much up in the air. Lopez’s contract will expire that summer, while Middleton, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and – most importantly – Giannis Antetokounmpo will all be able to opt out of their deals to reach the open market as well. Jrue Holiday has a player option for 2024/25, so he could hit free agency even earlier.

While they’re well over the luxury tax line this season, the Bucks don’t yet have any guaranteed money on their books for 2025/26. So depending on how the next two years play out, it’s possible they’ll be in position to revamp their roster at that point — or potentially sooner. In that scenario, the big question is whether the team would be revamping its roster around Antetokounmpo or whether it would be the start of the post-Giannis era in Milwaukee.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

  • Van Fayaz of BrewHoop.com views free agent point guard Cameron Payne as a good fit for the Bucks’ roster, but acknowledges that it’s not a perfect match, since the club wouldn’t be able to offer Payne more than the veteran’s minimum and already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts on its books.
  • The Wisconsin Herd – Milwaukee’s G League affiliate – has promoted Arte Culver to general manager, according to the team (Twitter link). Culver joined the Herd as the director of basketball operations in 2019 and was elevated to assistant GM in 2021.
  • As we noted earlier today, the Wisconsin Herd also announced (via Twitter) that they’ve traded Jontay Porter‘s returning rights to the Motor City Cruise. In exchange, the Bucks’ affiliate received the returning rights to guard Kyler Edwards and center Jaime Echenique. The Herd immediately flipped Edwards to the Long Island Nets in exchange for the returning rights to guard Bryce Brown and Long Island’s 2023 first-round pick.
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Pistons Hire Hakim Warrick As Scout

September 19th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have hired former NBA forward Hakim Warrick as a scout, reports Mike Waters of Syracuse.com (subscription required). According to Waters, Warrick will operate as an East Coast scout for the Pistons and will be based out of Washington, D.C.

Warrick, 41, was the 19th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He began his career with the Grizzlies and ultimately appeared in 526 career regular season games for Memphis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Phoenix, New Orleans, and Charlotte from 2005-13, averaging 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per night.

The former Syracuse star, who won an NCAA title alongside Carmelo Anthony in 2003 and was named the Big East Player of the Year in 2005, spent time with teams in China, Turkey, Australia, Greece, Puerto Rico, Lebanon, Israel, the BIG3, and the G League after playing his final NBA game.

Following the end of his playing career, Warrick tried his hand at coaching, spending the last two seasons as an assistant for the G League Ignite. He’ll now transition into a position in the Pistons’ scouting department.

In related news, Pistons scout Harold Ellis – another former NBA player – is no longer with the team after accepting a role as the athletic director at his alma mater, Morehouse College, writes Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscription required). Ellis was hired by Detroit in 2020 as a pro personnel evaluator.

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And-Ones: Scariolo, Player Participation Policy, Silver

September 19th, 2023 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

At the introductory press conference for new head coach Luca Banchi on Monday, Virtus Bologna’s Massimo Zanetti – the owner of the Italian team – spoke about the decision to dismiss veteran coach Sergio Scariolo just before the 2023/24 season began.

As Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews.com relays, Zanetti’s comments suggest he felt slighted by Scariolo’s decision to interview with the Raptors and Real Madrid this offseason while under contract with Virtus Bologna. Zanetti suggested that Scariolo treated the Italian club like a “second-division” team.

It’s unclear what the next step is for Scariolo, who was a Raptors assistant from 2018-21 before returning to the EuroLeague and coaching Virtus for the last two seasons. He has compiled a long, impressive résumé overseas, having also coached Baskonia, Real Madrid, Khimki Moscow, and Olimpia Milano before making the move to the NBA five years ago.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic takes a look at the NBA’s new player participation policy, exploring whether or not it’s the right solution to address the league’s load management issue. As Krawczynski notes, the league is implementing the new rules before completing a new media deal, a signal that it wants to ensure its best product is on the court as often as possible during those negotiations.
  • Sarah Todd of The Deseret News and Zach Harper of The Athletic contend that the player participation policy doesn’t get to the root of the issue, which is that the regular season is too long. Harper suggests a 70-game schedule would be an improvement over the current 82-game slate, but acknowledges it’s extremely unlikely to happen, since it would require teams to sacrifice revenue.
  • Because the new player participation policy was the focus of Adam Silver‘s press conference last week, the commissioner wasn’t asked to address some other key issues, says Marc Stein in his latest Substack article. Specifically, Stein would’ve liked Silver to explain the specific reasoning behind James Harden‘s $100K fine and to discuss the sudden retirement of veteran referee Eric Lewis, whose connection to a burner Twitter account was being investigated by the league. The timing makes it hard not to assume Lewis agreed to resign in exchange for the NBA suppressing the details of the investigation, Stein writes.
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Pistons Sign Jontay Porter To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 19th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have signed free agent forward/center Jontay Porter to an Exhibit 10 contract, sources tell James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Detroit now has a full 21-man offseason roster.

Porter, 23, is the younger brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. Like his brother, Jontay dealt with injury issues early in his career, including a pair of ACL tears. However, he appeared in 32 G League games last season for the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 12.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 blocks in 28.2 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .390/.341/.667.

While he got off to a hot start with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, Porter’s shooting percentages fell off over the course of the season. He made just 35.2% of his shots from the field (28.7% of his three-pointers) in 17 NBAGL regular season games after converting 44.0% (41.1% of his threes) in 15 Showcase Cup appearances.

Although the Pistons only have 14 players on standard guaranteed contracts, Porter seems unlikely to open the regular season in the NBA. The Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, announced today that they’ve acquired Porter from the Herd, which suggests the Pistons plan to have the former Missouri Tiger join the Cruise as a returning rights player.

Assuming Porter is waived by Detroit, his Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Motor City. His Exhibit 10 deal could also be converted into a two-way contract if he impresses in camp.

Porter’s only previous NBA experience came in 2020/21, when he saw limited action in 11 games for the Grizzlies.

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Damian Lillard Roundup: Heat, Thunder, Herro, More

September 19th, 2023 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers and Heat remain at a standoff in the Damian Lillard trade talks, with the two sides unable to bridge the gap between what Portland expects to receive for its star guard and what Miami is willing to give up, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).

“What the Blazers want – if they’re dealing with one team, if it is Miami or nothing – they want what the Nets got from the Suns (for Kevin Durant),” Windhorst said.

The Nets acquired four unprotected first-round picks along with Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, a first-round pick swap, and two second-rounders in the four-team deal that sent Durant and T.J. Warren to Phoenix at the February deadline. When ESPN’s Tim Bontemps interrupted to say that the Blazers simply aren’t going to get a Durant-esque package for Lillard, Windhorst continued:

“I understand that. And a year ago right now, the Nets weren’t getting it from the Suns, whatever initial talks that they had. But the concept is that (the Blazers) want the Heat to literally scrounge into every nook and cranny and produce everything they possibly can. And the Heat don’t feel the need to do that, and they haven’t since June.”

As Windhorst observes, the Suns only became more willing to make the sort of massive offer the Nets wanted for Durant following the franchise’s change in ownership. Obviously, the Blazers can’t count on their talks with Miami getting that sort of push.

Here’s more on Lillard:

  • Appearing on Back on Figg (YouTube link), Lillard spoke about his desire to win a championship and hinted that Portland’s lack of urgency to contend for a title is the reason why he wants to be traded. “(It’s) like me and you saying, ‘No matter what happens, we ain’t telling on each other,'” Lillard said (hat tip to RealGM). “… And then a day comes where I’m still playing by those same rules. Like, ‘Me and you want the same thing, we’re gonna go out together.’ And then that ain’t the code you want to live by no more. So, when that happens, me and you can’t be how we was. … If me and you don’t want the same thing no more and you show me that you don’t want the same thing, we don’t want the same thing.”
  • Asked during an appearance on the It Is What It Is podcast (Twitter video link) whether he wants to be a Trail Blazer this season, Lillard replied, “In a perfect world, I could spend my entire career in Portland.” Again, it sounds like the implication there is that he’d be comfortable remaining with the Blazers if they were more aggressively building a win-now roster.
  • During an NBA Today segment on Lillard (YouTube link), ESPN’s Marc Spears suggested there might be a mystery Eastern Conference team interested in making a play for the star guard. “Would Boston do it?” Spears said when discussing possible suitors besides Miami. “I’m kind of hearing rumors about another Eastern Conference team that I’m not going to throw out there just yet.”
  • Chris Mannix of SI.com said on The Crossover NBA podcast that he believes the Thunder could enter the Lillard sweepstakes if Dame is still a Blazer in January and Oklahoma City is overachieving. “If they’re playing really well, don’t be surprised if they go out and make a run at Lillard,” Mannix said, per Ross Lovelace of SI.com.
  • Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber link) questions the Trail Blazers’ apparent aversion to acquiring Heat guard Tyler Herro in a trade for Lillard, arguing that Herro has accomplished more in his career than Anfernee Simons and might immediately become the best player on Portland’s roster.
  • In a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman notes that if the Heat are able to land Lillard, they’d have three players – Lillard, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo – impacted by the NBA’s new player participation policy. Chicago, Cleveland, Golden State, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Phoenix are currently the only teams with more than two players affected.
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Lakers Waive Bryce Hamilton

September 19th, 2023 at 7:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have waived guard Bryce Hamilton, the team announced (via Twitter). The move opens up a spot on Los Angeles’ 21-man offseason roster, which had been full.

Hamilton, who will turn 23 in November, spent his rookie season in 2022/23 with the South Bay Lakers – L.A.’s G League affiliate – after going undrafted out of UNLV. He averaged 14.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game across 29 regular season appearances (27 starts) for South Bay, posting a shooting line of .514/.385/.679.

After playing for L.A.’s Summer League team in July, Hamilton was one of four players who signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Lakers earlier this month, but it appears the club didn’t plan to have him come to training camp.

His signing was about ensuring that he’ll receive an Exhibit 10 bonus of $75K if and when he reports back to the Lakers’ NBAGL affiliate, which holds his returning rights. He’ll have to spend at least 60 days with South Bay to earn that bonus.

With 14 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals, the Lakers are unlikely to make any more major roster additions before training camp starts — Hamilton’s spot seems likely to be filled with another Exhibit 10 signing.

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