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Southeast Notes: Butler, George, Williams, Carter

October 12th, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat star Jimmy Butler expects to be available for more regular season games this year, although he declined to set a specific goal, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Butler has been limited to 58, 52, 57, 64 and 60 games in his five seasons in Miami, and team president Pat Riley referred to him as “fragile” in a postseason press conference. Butler understands that the only way to change that narrative is to be on the court more often.

“I want to play as many games as possible,” he said. “I’ll leave it at that. I don’t need to put a number on the amount of games that I play. I know the more games that I play, the more opportunities that my squad has of winning. I do know that.”

Chiang notes that Butler has already increased his preseason output, logging 16 minutes in Tuesday’s opener after not playing at all last year. Butler told reporters that he also expects to be in the lineup for Sunday afternoon’s game against New Orleans. Butler has already declared his intention to turn down a $52.4MM player option and test free agency next summer, but he said that’s not his motivation for wanting to play more games.

“If we’re being brutally honest, no matter what, nothing I do now is going to get me paid any more money,” Butler said. “Even though I don’t care about the money. All-NBA, dah, dah, dah, dah, none of that is going to matter. I’m at a point right now that I got more than enough money. I’m just here to win.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Rookie guard Kyshawn George made his first preseason start Friday and responded with nine points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. At 6’8″, George has the size to play several positions, but Shankar notes that he looked comfortable running the Wizards‘ offense. “I just try to read the defense and trust my teammates to be at the right spot at the right moment,” George said. “And it’s just on me to make the right read and make the play.”
Mark Williams, who is dealing with a strained tendon in his left foot, no longer needs a walking boot and will be reevaluated before the start of the season, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Williams was limited to 19 games last season due to a back issue.
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., who is day-to-day with a sprained left ankle he suffered in Monday’s game, didn’t practice today, but he’s “doing OK,” coach Jahmal Mosley told Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). “We’re going to continue to check and see how he responds to each one of the treatments he does while not being on the court fully through practice,” Mosley said.

And-Ones: Seattle, Cuban, Boozer Twins, Hall Of Fame

October 12th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

SuperSonics legends filled the crowd Friday night as the NBA returned to Seattle for the third annual Rain City Showcase, writes Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. Former players Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Dale Ellis, Detlef Schrempf and Rashard Lewis were among those in attendance, along with ex-coaches Lenny Wilkens and George Karl. The game featured the Trail Blazers and the Clippers, but most of the focus was on the Sonics and their potential return whenever the league decides to expand.

“Everybody talks about it. This is obviously a desired city and market that people love, some great sports, got all the other sports,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “It makes the most sense. It’s already been very successful, the market has. It makes a lot of sense. Just got to wait on it.”

A report last month indicated that the 2027/28 season is the most realistic target for the NBA’s new expansion franchises to take the court. Seattle and Las Vegas are considered the favorites to land teams, and the fans at Friday’s game tried to send a loud message to the league office, according to Kari Anderson of Yahoo Sports. They carried signs calling for the return of their team and launched into a loud chant of “SuperSonics” with about five minutes left to play.

“There’s no way we can think about the timetable. There are so many different aspects that have to be decided on,” Karl said before the game. “All I know is Seattle, the karma, the energy, the spirit, the fan base, the history, the tradition, and it’s got the best building in the world. How does the NBA say no to that? Maybe they can, maybe they will. I have no idea. But if you do a list of good and bad, Seattle’s list is pretty damn good.”

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

During a recent appearance on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast, Mark Cuban stated that he might be interested in becoming the primary owner of another team someday if O’Neal is part of the venture (hat tip to Afrotech). Cuban made the surprising decision to sell his controlling interest in the Mavericks last season, although he still holds a minority share. “If my kids were like ‘All right, we’re set. That’s not what we want’ or whatever, and it was Shaq, yeah I would look at making a comeback,” Cuban said, “but out of respect to my partners I’d have to check with them first.”
Twins Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer, both projected first-round picks in the 2026 draft, have committed to Duke, Rivals announced (via Twitter). Cameron Boozer, a power forward, is considered one of the top high school players in the country and is expected to be in contention for the No. 1 pick. They are the sons of former Blue Devils and NBA star Carlos Boozer.
With the Class of 2024 being inducted this weekend, Kevin Pelton of ESPN compiled a list of the players who will become eligible to join the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over the next three years.

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Sheppard, Sengun, Trade Targets

October 12th, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets hold a $44.9MM team option for next season on Fred VanVleet, but the veteran guard seems to be preparing for a long stay in Houston, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Feigen notes that VanVleet recently bought a house and moved his family to the city and now considers himself a “Houstonian.”

“I didn’t come here to be a rental,” he said. “I didn’t come here to be a free agent (again). I came here for a long-term home. I’ve loved my time here so far. I think I have a good understanding with management and the coaches about what the future looks like with this team. The business will always take care of itself. I don’t really get too concerned with that stuff. That stuff will work itself out. But I think my family and I will be in Texas. I came here for a home, and I think I found one.”

VanVleet spent his first seven NBA seasons in Toronto before the Rockets lured him away last summer with a three-year, $128.5MM offer. According to Feigen, it’s the largest deal ever signed by an undrafted player, which is a testament to how far VanVleet has come since his rookie season. The experience of having to build up a reputation from scratch helps him to identify with teammates who are in that position now.

“Every last one of them, I have a great relationship with all the guys,” VanVleet said. “There’s a lot more of us than there is … stars in the league. The rest of the guys are trying to figure it out. I can always relate to those guys. I always tell the story I was a side-hoop guy. I was the guy shooting on the side with no coaches. I was rebounding with myself. I always keep that in mind.”

There’s more from Houston:

Lottery pick Reed Sheppard is getting a crash course in point guard play during his first NBA training camp, Feigen adds in a separate story. After Friday’s practice ended, VanVleet assembled Sheppard, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and big men Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams to work on pick-and-roll execution. When that was over, Sheppard and VanVleet did extra work alongside the team’s assistant coaches. “Oh, it’s been awesome,” Sheppard said. “You know, being out here every day, competing, learning from a lot of the guys, especially Fred. He’s been unbelievable to me, talking to me on and off the court. I mean, he’s just helping me with everything. Any questions I ask, he’s answering and giving details about them and just being there for me whenever. And all the all the guys are. It’s not just Fred. Everyone’s been extremely, extremely good and helpful.”
During his time with the Celtics, Ime Udoka had an elite floor-spacing big man in Al Horford, and he’s hoping Sengun can develop into that role, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Sengun only shot 29.7% from beyond the arc last season on 1.8 attempts per game, but Udoka believes he can improve. “He has the touch and the shot,” Udoka said. “It’s more of a mentality to look for those shots and not pass them up.”
The Rockets are hoping to eventually trade for a star whose timeline fits their young talent, rather than focusing on older players, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire).

Southeast Notes: Daniels, Hawks, Martin, Hornets, Sarr

October 12th, 2024 at 1:58pm CST by Rory Maher

In his Hawks debut on Tuesday vs. Indiana, third-year guard Dyson Daniels looked like he could form a solid partnership next to Trae Young, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks acquired Daniels from New Orleans this offseason in the Dejounte Murray trade.

Known for his strong defense, the 21-year-old Australian recorded 14 points (on 5-of-8 shooting) and three assists in 22 minutes. Daniels is a former lottery pick, having been selected No. 8 overall in the 2022 draft.

“Dyson did a lot of good things,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “I thought defensively, we’ve talked about his presence on the court defensively. But, I thought he made the game simple. He made the right pass when someone was open, he passed to them. He moved without the ball when he needed, and he was spaced. It’s such an elusive thing to talk about spacing all the time, but if you’re not spaced, it’s hard to play together. Dyson does all those things. He does them intuitively, and he’s committed to them, and as a result, he’s someone that makes his team better.”

Here’s more from the Southeast:

If the Hawks want to improve their 36-46 record from last season, a good place to start would be to perform better in clutch situations, particularly on the defensive end, Williams writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think having clarity down the stretch, and the biggest thing is getting stops,” Snyder said Thursday. “It’s hard to score late in an NBA game. You have to make shots (and) sometimes those shots are more contested. The way to score is to get stops and to score in transition. One thing that will be important for us is there’s a mindset where you can continue to attack, and there’s also a mindset where not one player has to do that.”
Hornets wing Cody Martin has been sidelined by a variety of injuries over the past two seasons, having played just 35 games over that span. He’s currently dealing with a sprained right wrist and laceration on his thumb, but he’s confident he’ll be back soon, even if he doesn’t know exactly when it will be, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “Just a basketball play,” said Martin. “It’s unfortunate. I’m optimistic. I’m good. I’m just trying to figure it out for now and making sure that we are all on the same page going forward. But I’m in good spirits to be honest with you. I’m staying even-keeled.”
LaMelo Ball and Josh Green were held out of the Hornets‘ preseason game vs. Memphis on Thursday, but neither player is injured, according to Boone. “We’ve played a lot of basketball so far,” said head coach Charles Lee. “We did training camp on the road at Duke and so there’s going to be a couple of guys when you’re playing a three-in-five that we’re going to be mindful of their minutes.”
Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to a handful of NBA scouts from rival teams to get an idea of what talent evaluators think of No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr. All of the scouts believe the Wizards‘ rookie big man will need time to develop, and most are bullish on his defensive upside. “The biggest thing is his mobility and motor, his ability to run the floor and switch and contain on the perimeter as well as be someone who can protect the rim,” one scout said.

New York Notes: Thomas, Simmons, Kolek, Knicks, Klutch

October 12th, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets guard Cam Thomas is eligible for a rookie scale extension until Oct. 21. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency next summer.

Speaking to Erik Slater of Clutch Points on the Bleav in Nets podcast (YouTube link), Brian Lewis of The New York Post said opinions on Thomas vary wildly around the NBA, making it difficult to get a read on what type of contract he might receive in a possible extension or as a RFA.

“With Cam Thomas, there is no sort of baseline,” Lewis said. “Some scouts, they think he walks on water, they love him. ‘Oh, he’s a bucket. Oh, he’s this, he’s that.’ Others wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole. They want no part of it. No matter what he’s getting paid, they don’t want any part of it.

“I’ve never seen a player like this, frankly, that is, when I say he’s divisive, I don’t mean that he’s divisive in the locker room and guys don’t get along with him. I mean, there is no sort of agreement between scouts or front office personnel [on] what his value is on the market, or how good of a player can he be.”

Here are some more notes on the NBA’s two New York-based teams:

Oddsmakers think the Nets will have the worst record in the league in 2024/25. Critics of Cam Thomas think he’s just a high-volume scorer on a bad team. He’s out to prove his doubters wrong and has taken up head coach Jordi Fernandez‘s challenge of scoring more efficiently this season, according to Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). “I definitely keep receipts,” Thomas told Sports+ this week. “Everybody uses different stuff as motivation. So, you know, I have a lot of stuff I’m going to use for motivation this year. And we’ll see how that goes for us. But I’m definitely ready and ready to prove people wrong this year.”
In an exclusive interview with Lewis, swingman Ben Simmons says he’s focused on providing leadership to a young Nets team and isn’t thinking about what the future might hold. Simmons, a three-time All-Star who has missed most of the past three seasons with back issues, is on an expiring $40.3MM contract. “We have a younger team that I want to help these guys get better. I want to lead by example. I want to compete,” Simmons told The Post. “Jordi [Fernandez] is coming in first year. It’s a big year for him. I want to be a leader on this team. So f– what happens next year, and what contract I get, if I get a contract. I want to do my job while I’m here and be professional and help these guys in any way I can. So who knows? I want to play as long as my body will allow me. So if it’s one year, five years, six years, I don’t know what it is. But I just want to keep going until I can’t anymore.”
Simmons also recently spoke to Law Murray of The Athletic about what roles he might play for the Nets this season, assuming he stays healthy, which is obviously a major question mark. The 28-year-old sounds more open to playing frontcourt minutes than he has in the past. “I’m an older guy now,” Simmons said. “I’m pretty strong down there. … I’m always up for that challenge. I think it’s just one of those things where, if your name is called to do a job, then you step up and try and do it to the best of your ability. So that’s what I’m going to do every night and try and contribute and do the best I can.”
Rookie second-rounder Tyler Kolek is soaking up wisdom from the veterans on the Knicks‘ roster as he adjusts to the NBA, writes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). “All the vets, just leaning on them, they’ve been there before,” Kolek said. “They know how this works. I’m kind of coming into this blind. Three years in college, each year I knew what to expect. Coming into this league I don’t really know what to expect, so just really leaning on those guys, leaning on my teammates to guide me through.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post explains how the Knicks‘ improved relationship with Klutch Sports played a significant role in the team’s blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Thunder Sign, Waive Javonte Cooke

October 12th, 2024 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 12: Cooke has been released, according to the Thunder, putting him in line to receive his Exhibit 10 bonus as long as he spends at least 60 days with the Blue.

OCTOBER 11: A few weeks after the deal was agreed to, the Thunder announced that they’ve signed Cooke.

SEPTEMBER 24: The Thunder have agreed to sign free agent guard Javonte Cooke to an Exhibit 10 contract, agent Jerry Dianis tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Cooke, who finished his college career at Winston-Salem State in 2022, has spent the past two seasons playing in the G League for the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s affiliate. In 48 Showcase Cup and regular season games for Iowa in 2023/24, he averaged 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 33.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .441/.363/.759.

Cooke also played in the Canadian Elite Basketball League this spring for the Brampton Honey Badgers before joining the Timberwolves’ Las Vegas Summer League team for a second consecutive July.

Iowa traded Cooke’s G League returning rights to the Oklahoma City Blue earlier this month. Assuming he returns to the NBAGL this fall and spends at least 60 days with the Blue, the 6’6″ guard will earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his standard G League salary.

Magic Sign Robert Baker, Waive Javonte Smart

October 12th, 2024 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 12: Baker’s Exhibit 10 deal with Orlando is now official, the Magic announced. To make room for Baker, the team waived Javonte Smart.

SEPTEMBER 20: The Magic have agreed to sign forward Robert Baker to an Exhibit 10 contract, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Baker, who played college ball at Harvard from 2017-20, has spent the last few seasons in the G League, playing for the Kings’, Lakers’, and Hawks’ affiliates. Last season, he appeared in 29 games for the College Park Skyhawks – Atlanta’s NBAGL team – and averaged 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 28.2 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .448/.340/.780.

The 6’10” forward had his G League returning rights traded earlier this month from the Skyhawks to the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s affiliate. Given that context, it looks like the plan is for him to be signed and waived by Orlando and then head back this fall to the G League, where he’ll earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Osceola.

The Magic currently have a full 21-man offseason roster, so someone will need to be waived in order for Baker to officially sign his contract. Five of those 21 players are on Exhibit 10 deals, so the cut will almost certainly come from that group.

Atlantic Notes: George, McCain, Shead, VanVleet, Horford

October 12th, 2024 at 9:24am CST by Rory Maher

Nine-time All-Star Paul George was the most accomplished player to switch teams in free agency over the summer, inking a four-year, $212MM contract with the Sixers. He made his preseason debut with Philadelphia on Friday night vs. Minnesota, recording 23 points (on 8-of-15 shooting), six rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes, per The Associated Press.

With the obvious caveat that it was only a preseason game, it was still an encouraging sign of what the 76ers could look like if their “big three” of Joel Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey are healthy, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

“He’s pretty good at basketball,” Maxey said of George. “I can see the vision. I really do. My goal coming into tonight is to see how comfortable he can get and to try and make him as comfortable as possible. It’s amazing to see what things he can do on the floor. I wanted to try and sit back and watch and see how he fits in and see how I can help him fit in. It was good to see him on the floor.”

President of basketball operations Daryl Morey admits the Sixers’ pursuit of George was “risky,” but he believes Philadelphia is now firmly on the short list of title contenders, he tells Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

“I feel like we’re one of the top few teams,” Morey said. “I think Boston’s pretty clearly the team that deserves to be called the favorite. They played great last year. They played really historically well, but I think we have a shot to get right in there, in the mix with them, and beat them this year.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Rookie guard Jared McCain, the 16th pick of the 2024 draft, says he’s focused on improving defensively during the Sixers‘ preseason slate, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “I’m really not trying to set expectations for myself,” McCain said. “I feel I played well [in the exhibition opener against the New Zealand Breakers], [but I] definitely have things to work on defensively. But what I’ve always tried to do, especially in college, is focus on my defense, focus on playing hard, and my offense will come.”
Second-round pick Jamal Shead has quickly endeared himself to the Raptors with his defense, hustle, and willingness to accept his role, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Former Raptor Fred VanVleet, another small guard, sees similarities between his game and Shead’s, and the rookie says he’s hoping to emulate VanVleet’s NBA success. “He’s somebody that you look at as a role model,” Shead said of VanVleet. “Being in [college at] Houston, I got to see him [last season], just going up to [the Rockets] facility, watching him workout, watching him play. He’s somebody that’s my size, does what I do and shoots the ball a lot better than me. So, he’s just a role model and somebody that I can look at and try to be like in this league. Toronto’s known for doing smaller guards justice, so he set the pathway for me and I’m just trying to figure out how I can do what he did.”
Celtics big man Al Horford sat out Boston’s preseason games vs. Denver in Abu Dhabi, but he’ll make his 2024/25 debut this weekend, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. The Celtics have back-to-back home games this weekend vs. Philadelphia and Toronto. “Just ramping him up,” Mazzulla said of Horford. “We’re still talking about that. He’ll definitely play in one of them, maybe two, just kind of ramping him up and making sure he stays sharp. That’s all.” The 38-year-old veteran will make $9.5MM this season in the final year of his contract.

And-Ones: Preseason, Abu Dhabi, China, Nakase

October 11th, 2024 at 11:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Unlike the regular season schedule, which is entirely controlled by the NBA, teams around the league dictate their own schedules for preseason, as Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic details.

“It is a fascinating, not well-known part of the NBA ecosystem,” said Warriors chief revenue officer John Beaven. “We’re pretty pleased that control has remained with us. We lean into it. I think there’s some teams that probably do it to check the box.”

One exception is when international teams — like the New Zealand Breakers — come to North America to participate in preseason. NBA teams actually pay those clubs, and the league gets involved to figure out broadcasting rights.

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

Speaking of the preseason, the NBA canceled Friday’s contest in Orlando between the Magic and Pelicans due to Hurricane Milton, the Magic announced (via Twitter). The game will not be rescheduled.
The Celtics and Nuggets were eager to travel to Abu Dhabi for the NBA’s third consecutive preseason in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, writes Tania Ganguli of The New York Times. The league says it’s focused on growing the sport globally, but it has drawn criticism from human rights groups for partnering with the UAE, China and Rwanda.
Commissioner Adam Silver believes the NBA will return to China in the future, according to Vorkunov. The league hasn’t played a game in the country since then-Rockets GM Daryl Morey sent out a tweet in support of freedom for Hong Kong in 2019. “I think we will bring back games to China at some point,” Silver said Thursday at a sports management conference at Columbia University. “We had a well-known incident there pre-pandemic with a tweet and China’s government took us off the air for a period of time. We accepted that. We stood by our values.”
Former Clippers assistant Natalie Nakase has been named head coach of the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, the team announced in a press release. Nakase has spent the past three season as the top assistant for the Las Vegas Aces. “Being named the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries is a lifelong dream come true,” said Nakase. “I am thankful to Joe Lacob, Ohemaa Nyanin and the Golden State front office for entrusting me with this responsibility. We are committed to building a winning culture of grit, hard work, and competitiveness. We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization.”

Pacific Notes: Huerter, Monk, A. Williams, Redick, Rivers, Ham

October 11th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings wing Kevin Huerter, who underwent left shoulder surgery in the spring due to a torn labrum, has been cleared for full contact work, the team announced (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee).

While it’s obviously great news that Huerter is getting closer to a return, he’ll still have to clear the Kings’ return-to-play protocol before he suits up in an official game, per the team.

Huerter, whose name has popped up in several trade rumors over the past year-plus, is coming off a down 2023/24 season in which he averaged career lows in multiple statistics, including minutes per game (24.4) and three-point percentage (36.1%). He’s under contract through ’25/26.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Kings guard Malik Monk exited Wednesday’s preseason contest early due to personal reasons. He remains away from the team and will miss Friday’s preseason contest vs. Golden State, but sources tell Anderson that the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is “not expected to miss an extended period of time” (Twitter links).
Third-year guard Alondes Williams, who is on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clippers, impressed several of his veteran teammates with his strong performance in Tuesday’s preseason game vs. Brooklyn, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Williams finished with 10 points (on 4-of-7 shooting), six rebounds, seven assists and a steal in 16 minutes off the bench. If he keeps it up, it’s possible the 25-year-old could earn a promotion — Exhibit 10 deals can be converted to two-way contracts, and the Clips have a two-way opening.
JJ Redick had some pointed criticism for Bucks coach Doc Rivers, his former head coach with the Clippers, last season while he was working as an analyst for ESPN. Asked about the status of their relationship before Thursday’s preseason game, the new Lakers head coach didn’t offer many details, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I don’t carry beef with people,” Redick said. “And I’m not going to get into the history of Doc and I’s relationship right now. And I probably won’t ever. He’s fine in my book.”
At his media availability on Wednesday, Rivers was critical of the Lakers‘ decision to fire Darvin Ham, who is now his top assistant in Milwaukee (YouTube link). “I’m not going to get into the whole thing that happened there, but he took a team to a Western Finals, and then the following year, he won the in-season tournament, which they say we should have a lot of value on, and then they release him,” Rivers said (hat tip to Paul Terrazzano Jr. of TalkBasket.net). “It literally makes no sense, but it happens. It happens to all of us. It’s part of what we do.”

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