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Atlantic Notes: Yabusele, T. Jones, Randle, Brown

August 19th, 2024 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The roughly $2MM salary that Guerschon Yabusele will receive from the Sixers is less than his $2.5MM buyout with Real Madrid, but there’s another important financial consideration behind his decision to return to the NBA, according to BasketNews. Yabusele played two seasons with Boston after being selected with the 16th pick in the 2016 draft. Appearing in just one game this season will give him three years of NBA service, which makes him eligible for a pension and other benefits.

Under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, eligible players receive $1,001.47 per month for each year they spent in the league, up to a maximum of 10 years. If he leaves the NBA after his third season, Yabusele will begin receiving $36,052.92 each year after his 62nd birthday. Life insurance, disability insurance and dental, vision, and prescription drug insurance are also available for players who qualify.

It’s also unlikely that Yabusele will face financial hardship due to his buyout, BasketNews adds. NBA rules allow the Sixers to contribute $850K of that amount, and it has become common for teams to let players pay off the rest in installments, as Gabriel Deck and Facundo Campazzo recently did when they left their teams.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Before signing with the Suns, Tyus Jones considered an offer from the Knicks worth about $10MM over two years, Ian Begley of SNY states in a mailbag column. Begley hears that Jones received at least one other offer that was significantly higher, and there were also sign-and-trade scenarios and the option to re-sign with Washington that would have paid him more than the minimum deal he accepted from Phoenix. However, Jones wanted to be starter on a contending team, and no one else in the market was able to offer him that chance.
Neither the Knicks nor Julius Randle appear to be in a hurry to reach an extension, Begley adds in the same piece. Randle became eligible for a new deal on August 3, but the two sides have until June 30 to hammer out an agreement. Begley notes that Randle is excited about the changes the team made this summer, specifically the addition of Mikal Bridges, and he’s looking forward to returning healthy for the start of camp.
On his social media account, Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown shared photos of intense underwater workouts over the weekend, relays Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston.

International Notes: Yurtseven, Petrusev, T. Williams, 2028 Olympics

August 19th, 2024 at 9:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Omer Yurtseven has an agreement in principle to sign with Panathinaikos in Greece, according to Eurohoops, relaying a report from Greek news outlet SDNA. Panathinaikos has reportedly made an official offer for the 26-year-old center, and coach Ergin Ataman has given the club president a “green light” for the signing.

Sources tell Eurohoops that even though Yurtseven has reached an agreement with the team, he has requested a few more days to explore his NBA options before finalizing it. He has spent the past three years in the NBA, playing for Utah last season after two years in Miami. He had a $2.66MM non-guaranteed salary for 2024/25, but the Jazz opted to waive him in July.

Yurtseven started his career in Europe with Fenerbahce before heading to the U.S. to play collegiately with North Carolina State and Georgetown.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Filip Petrusev, who played three combined games with Philadelphia and Sacramento last season, may be returning to Crvena Zvezda, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Petrusev remains under contract with Olympiacos after signing with the Greek team in November, but the 24-year-old big man is reportedly discussing a return to Belgrade. “We have not reached an agreement, yet. We were in talks,” team president Nebojsa Covic told Serbian television network Prva. “He expressed his desire. We worked on it and are working on it, especially with (Sasha) Vezenkov back.” Olympiacos doesn’t appear willing to part with Petrusev, issuing a statement in response that reads, “Mr. Covic should occupy himself with the players of his team instead of those of Olympiacos.” Petrusev played for Serbia in the Olympics.
Trevion Williams is part of the roster announced by ALBA Berlin for the upcoming season, per Eurohoops. The 23-year-old big man, who played four years at Purdue, was selected by the Suns’ new G League affiliate in the June expansion draft.
Danny Chau of The Ringer looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics, including some international prospects who are likely to make their debuts.

Jared McCain Seeks Veterans’ Advice As He Prepares For First NBA Season

August 19th, 2024 at 8:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers first-round pick Jared McCain is trying to soak up as much knowledge as he can as he gets ready for his rookie season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 16th selection in this year’s draft is studying film and seeking advice from NBA veterans while preparing to carve out a role on a team that’s expected to be among the top contenders in the East.

“Kyle (Lowry) is somebody I watched his college highlights,” McCain said. “Obviously, his NBA highlights, just being a bigger, stockier guard. Tyrese (Maxey) is a younger player that I can learn from. And Joel (Embiid) as an MVP, I can learn just any ins and outs. Paul George, Reggie Jackson, the whole lineup is just people I can learn from. That’s really what I’m most excited for. Even if I don’t play, whatever happens, I’m just here to learn as much as possible so I can take it as far as I can.”

McCain has reached out to a number of current and former NBA point guards to get insight on their approach to the game, Pompey adds. That list includes former Sixers guard Patrick Beverley, who is headed to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel after finishing last season with Milwaukee.

“It’s funny, he gets a lot of slack for going overseas, not being in the NBA,” McCain said. “But the dude has made over $100 million in the NBA. You can kind of call it what it is. He has done really well in the NBA, and he’s been able to stay on teams. So that’s something that I can do. I just want to learn as much as I can whether it’s bringing energy or being that guy that can be the glue guy.”

Since draft night, McCain has been traveling the country to work on his game. He started with Summer League appearances in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, then returned to Duke to work out with former college teammates. The next stop was the Sixers’ practice facility in Camden, New Jersey, before participating in an unofficial team minicamp held that Sixers assistant coach Rico Hines holds in Los Angeles.

According to Pompey, McCain was back in Philadelphia this week before flying to Carroll, Iowa, for head coach Nick Nurse’s charity golf tournament. He then returned to California to continue working out with his new teammates in preparation for the start of training camp next month.

“I got to do the Podcast P with Paul George podcast,” he said. “Tyrese was in there all of the time. The summer league team was mostly there. So, yeah, it was just getting to know everybody and seeing everybody back.”

McCain was an outstanding three-point shooter in college, connecting at 41.4% from beyond the arc in his only season with the Blue Devils and setting a Duke freshman record by sinking eight threes in a game. That didn’t carry over to Summer League, though, as he shot just 28.6% from the field and 25.5% from long distance. McCain is confident that he can help space the floor for the Sixers, but added that he’ll be happy with any role that gets him on the court.

“If it’s playing team defense and knowing rotations, and being out there, knowing how to play with everybody,” he said, “if that’s what it is, that’s what it is. I just want any chance to play, whether it’s point guard, or shooting guard or anything.”

Community Shootaround: Clippers’ Offseason

August 18th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers’ brand new arena, the Intuit Dome, opened this week. They were hoping that by the time the building was ready, they’d have a title in hand or at least a championship-caliber club to entertain their fans.

Those plans haven’t panned out. The Clippers have been bounced in the opening round of the playoffs the past two seasons and lost one of their superstars in free agency this summer.

Paul George‘s departure to Philadelphia left the Clippers scrambling to piece together a contending club. The front office didn’t replace George with another star player.

Instead, they signed a younger forward in Derrick Jones Jr., who has been utilized mainly as a defensive stopper since he entered the league in 2016. Jones appeared in 76 regular-season games, including 66 starts, for Dallas last season. However, he was a relative afterthought on the offensive end, attempting only 6.5 shots per game in 23.5 minutes. His modest 8.6 PPG scoring average was still a career best, mainly due to the fact he got more playing time than in any previous season.

Kawhi Leonard‘s three-year extension kicks in this season but there are major questions regarding his long-term health. He dealt with right knee inflammation late in the regular season and missed four of the Clippers’ playoff games against Dallas. Leonard was replaced on the Team USA roster just prior to the Olympics due to lingering concerns about his knee.

The team’s other star, James Harden, was retained on a two-year deal. Harden averaged 16.6 points last season, his lowest figure since he was a sixth man with Oklahoma City early in his career. He will probably have to take a bigger scoring load to make up for the loss of George.

Los Angeles added some veteran frontcourt depth by signing Mohamed Bamba and Nicolas Batum. They also acquired Kris Dunn in a sign-and-trade to fortify the backcourt.

Their most eye-opening move was signing Kevin Porter Jr. in free agency. The talented but troubled young guard could be a facing a league suspension over a past domestic violence case. He may be the team’s most significant addition if all goes well — in his last season with Houston, he averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game.

That brings us to our topic of the day: Where you feel the Clippers rank in the Western Conference? Can they still be considered a playoff team or do you feel they might end up on the outside looking in?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Caboclo Receives Two-Year Offer From Israeli Club

August 18th, 2024 at 5:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran forward Bruno Caboclo has received a two-year offer from Hapoel Tel Aviv, Eurohoops.net relays.

According to Sport 5, the offer on the table but he needs to decide quickly. He’s been given a Tuesday deadline, since the Israeli team has already begun training camp and wants to finalize its roster.

The former NBA first-rounder told the media during the Olympics that he expected to return to Serbia’s KK Partizan for another season even he had been at odds with the team’s management. He was also reportedly on the lookout for an NBA opportunity and Cavaliers scouts had an eye on him during the Olympics.

Caboclo, who has been out of the NBA since 2020/21, spent some time in Las Vegas this summer searching for an NBA offer.

Caboclo had a couple of big games in the Olympics for Brazil. He racked up 33 points and 17 rebounds in a win over Japan, then scored 30 points against Team USA in the quarterfinals.

A 6’9″ forward, Caboclo never developed into a reliable role player in the NBA, but has excelled in Europe, earning All-EuroCup Second Team honors and winning a German League (Basketball Bundesliga) championship with Ratiopharm Ulm in 2023.

Western Notes: Williamson, Edwards, Durant, Timberwolves

August 18th, 2024 at 4:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Zion Williamson is apparently keeping his weight down this offseason, a good sign for the Pelicans, Darryn Albert of LarryBrownSports.com relays.

Photos that surfaced online over the weekend show Williamson looking fit and trim at his basketball camp in Spartanburg, S.C. The Pelicans star appeared in a career-high 70 regular-season game last season, averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists. However, a left hamstring strain kept him out of the first-round playoff series against Oklahoma City, which the Thunder swept.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Anthony Edwards had a little fun with his gold-medal winning Olympic teammate, Kevin Durant, during a ‘Fanatics Fest’ on Saturday. The Timberwolves knocked the Suns out of the postseason and Edwards, who played the starring role in that series, joked that he felt “bad” about it. “I am not going to lie. I felt bad a little bit, only because he is my favorite player of all-time,” he said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net, “I did not want to send him home like that. It happened, man. I felt bad.” Rest assured, Edwards didn’t feel that bad about sending KD home this past spring.
There’s no doubt the league considers the Timberwolves one of the league’s most exciting and watchable teams, Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines. In the NBA schedule released on Thursday, the Timberwolves had the biggest increase in national TV appearances. They are set to make 18 appearances on ABC, TNT or ESPN and seven more on NBA TV. Among those appearances, they are playing on opening night, Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Mavericks have made a front office addition. Get the details here.

Stein’s Latest: Curry, James, Embiid, Yurtseven, Micic

August 18th, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry is eligible for a one-season, $62.6MM contract extension prior to October 21. He could also wait until the 2025 offseason to seek a two-year deal worth a projected $130MM, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

Stein notes that, having missed out on Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen and Sixers All-Star Paul George, Golden State continues looking for opportunities to upgrade the roster via trade. The Warriors believe they have the current and future assets necessary to do just that.

Last year’s Warriors went 46-36, finishing with just the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Golden State failed to make the playoffs after falling to the Kings in the play-in tournament.

Curry, 36, had yet another excellent individual year. The 10-time All-Star averaged 26.4 points on .450/.408/.923 shooting splits, 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 74 games.

Here are some other key notes from Stein’s newest Substack article:

According to Stein, there’s a belief that the Lakers would have “reluctantly” engaged in trade discussions to send All-NBA combo forward LeBron James to the Warriors, so he could join then-future Team USA colleague Curry and friend Draymond Green, if that’s what James had wanted. However, Stein’s sources say that Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent, urged both L.A. and Golden State to scrap the idea — in part because Paul didn’t want James to be faced with criticism for jumping teams for a fourth time.
Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid, fresh off winning his first Olympic gold medal for Team USA this summer, hinted that he might be interested in playing for his native Cameroon during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. However, as Stein writes, a player over the age of 17 can only change his country affiliation if he receives clearance from FIBA and his previous country (in this case, USA Basketball). Stein is skeptical that Embiid will be permitted to do so.
According to Stein, free agent center Omer Yurtseven was one of several players to recently work out for the Knicks, who opted not to sign him at that time. Greek club Panathinaikos reportedly remains intrigued by the 7-footer. New York lost its 2023/24 starting center, Isaiah Hartenstein, to the Thunder in free agency, and no doubt needs to get creative filling out its frontcourt depth, so Yurtseven would have made sense as a fringe rotation option. Across three NBA seasons with the Heat and Jazz, the big man has appeared in 113 contests (24 starts), averaging 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.7 steals per night.
Hornets point guard Vasilije Micic is considered a potential down-the-road trade target for the Nuggets, given his close relationship with Nikola Jokic, Stein writes. Micic may not be a practical option for Denver at this point though, given his $7.7MM salary and the team’s proximity to the tax aprons. Acquired midway through his 2023/24 rookie season, the 6’5″ guard averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 assists across 30 games for Charlotte down the stretch.

And-Ones: Wong, NBA Cup, 2028 Olympics

August 18th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent combo guard Isaiah Wong is joining the G League United roster for September’s G League Invitational exhibition tournament, the league has announced (Twitter link).

Wong, 23, was selected by the Pacers with the No. 55 pick in last year’s draft, following an All-American run at Miami. The 6’4″ guard agreed to a two-way deal with Indiana, and ultimately appeared in just one game with the Pacers proper, scoring two points in just four minutes of action.

Across 30 regular season games with the Pacers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, Wong averaged 14.8 points per game on .437/.283/.814 shooting. He also notched 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.8 steals per contest.

The Invitational, which will feature the G League United playing Serbian club KK Mega Basket, will take place on September 4 and 6.

Here’s more from around the NBA world:

With the schedule officially set for this year’s Emirates NBA Cup, formerly the in-season tournament, Zach Harper of The Athletic supplies an early preview of this year’s six groups, predicting the eight clubs that will advance to the quarterfinal round. In perhaps the biggest surprise projection, Harper thinks the Pelicans will survive West Group C to move on. Group C comprises a murderer’s row of squads, including the 2023 champion Nuggets, the 2024 West champion Mavericks, the revamped Warriors, and the healing Grizzlies.
Assuming 39-year-old LeBron James, 36-year-old Stephen Curry, and perhaps 35-year-old Kevin Durant do not join Team USA for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic speculates as to what the roster will look like — and what its chances will be against a rapidly improving field. Rankin expects at least five 2024 players to be replaced: James, Durant, Curry, and All-Defensive Second Team Celtics guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.
In case you missed it, several NBA superstars past and present will partake in a tribute game to one-time All-NBA point guard Goran Dragic, who announced his retirement last December.

Mavericks To Add Makhtar N’Diaye To Front Office

August 18th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks plan to hire former NBA big man Makhtar N’Diaye as their director of pro personnel and international scouting, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (via Twitter).

N’Diaye only appeared in four games for the Grizzlies back in 1999, but he made history as the first player from Senegal to play in the NBA. N’Diaye was a scout for the Knicks for nine years, Spears notes.

N’Diaye, 50, played college ball at Michigan and North Carolina and spent time in the NBA D League (now known as the G League) after his stint with Memphis. He also played professionally in France.

The Mavericks have been busy the past handful of months, giving multiyear extensions to head coach Jason Kidd and GM Nico Harrison and making the NBA Finals in June for the first time since 2011.

They made some roster changes this offseason, essentially swapping out Josh Green, Derrick Jones and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes. They also brought back Spencer Dinwiddie on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

Sixers To Sign Guerschon Yabusele To One-Year Deal

August 18th, 2024 at 11:33am CST by Rory Maher

11:33am: Yabusele has agreed to a one-year deal with Philadelphia, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). It will be minimum-salary contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Yabusele has two years of NBA experience, so his salary for 2024/25 will be $2,087,519.

11:06am: The Sixers and Guerschon Yabusele are in “serious talks” about a contract that would bring the French forward stateside, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The news is pretty surprising, given that Yabusele’s buyout clause with Real Madrid is valued at $2.5MM — multiple NBA teams viewed that figure as “prohibitive,” according to Marc Stein (Substack link). However, Charania says Yabusele is working to resolve his situation with the Spanish powerhouse.

As our Luke Adams outlined a couple days ago, NBA teams are only permitted to pay up to $850K this season for an international player’s buyout without that money counting toward their cap. According to Charania, the remaining $1.65MM is what’s being discussed between Yabusele and Real Madrid.

The 16th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Yabusele spent a year as a draft-and-stash prospect in China, then played for the Celtics for two seasons from 2017-19. He appeared in 74 games, including five starts. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.

The 28-year-old has become a star in Europe over the past several seasons, the past three of which came with Real Madrid. He was one of the top players at the Olympics in Paris, averaging 14 points per game and earning second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal.

Shortly after France lost to the United States in the gold-medal game, Yabusele indicated he was eager to return to the NBA, and now a deal appears imminent.