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Central Notes: Middleton, Winslow, Cavs, Bulls, Ivey

October 21st, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Khris Middleton isn’t expected to be active for the team’s regular season opener against Philadelphia on Wednesday, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. Middleton spent the offseason recovering from surgical procedures on both ankles and the team is taking a cautious approach to his return this fall, Charania explains.

Although Middleton recently expressed a desire to play in 70-plus games in 2024/25, it doesn’t come as a major surprise that he’s not quite ready for the start of the regular season. He didn’t appear in any preseason contests and head coach Doc Rivers said on Saturday that the three-time All-Star would need to play 5-on-5 before Wednesday in order to suit up for opening night (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic).

The Bucks haven’t issued any sort of official update on Middleton, but it sounds like he’ll probably be considered day-to-day going forward, with a chance to make his season debut before the end of the month. That’s just my speculation based on comments from Rivers and recent reporting though, so we’ll keep an eye out for more news on the 33-year-old’s status.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • The Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ G League affiliate, acquired the returning rights to Justise Winslow and Darryl Morsell from the Raptors 905 in exchange for the rights to Wenyen Gabriel, Marques Bolden, and Deonte Burton, plus the No. 15 pick in this year’s G League draft, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). As Murphy notes, several of those players are currently competing overseas, but Milwaukee signed Winslow to an Exhibit 10 contract during the preseason — securing his rights means he’ll now be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the Herd.
  • The Cavaliers were much better when Max Strus was on the court last season than when he wasn’t, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who considers in a subscriber-only story how the club will get by without one of its top floor-spacers for the next six weeks while Strus recovers from an ankle injury. Fedor views Dean Wade as the favorite to replace Strus in the starting five, since he’s a solid defender and a strong three-point shooter. Caris LeVert‘s ball-dominant game is a better fit in the second unit, Fedor suggests, while Isaac Okoro is another candidate to play with the starters.
  • Lonzo Ball, Matas Buzelis, and Julian Phillips are a few of the Bulls players whose preseason performances provided reasons for optimism entering the season, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes in his latest stock report. On the other hand, offseason additions Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith and newly re-signed forward Patrick Williams have had up-and-down Octobers so far, as Mayberry details.
  • Jaden Ivey saw his role reduced under Monty Williams last season, but the Pistons guard is once again an offensive focal point under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, says Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). Ivey was the Pistons’ leading scorer during the preseason and earned praise from Bickerstaff for his efforts. “He works his tail off and then he’s playing with confidence,” Detroit’s coach said earlier this month. “When you work as hard as he works and puts as much time in, and then you play with that confidence and belief, the work is going to pay off.”
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Pistons Sign Cole Swider To Two-Way Contract

October 21st, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Pistons have filled one of their open two-way slots by signing forward Cole Swider to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Reporting on Saturday indicated that Detroit planned to sign Swider and Alondes Williams to two-way deals after they were waived by the Pacers and Clippers, respectively. Swider cleared waivers on Sunday, while Williams will do so later today, assuming he goes unclaimed.

Swider, 25, played his college ball at Villanova and Syracuse before going undrafted in 2022. He spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Lakers and the 2023/24 campaign on a two-way deal with the Heat, appearing in 25 total NBA regular season games during that time.

Although the 6’8″ forward didn’t see much NBA action in his first two professional seasons, he excelled in the G League. In 21 outings last season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, he averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game on .485/.471/.846 shooting, knocking down an impressive 4.7 three-pointers per contest.

Swider was in camp with the Pacers this fall on a non-guaranteed deal and appeared to have a shot to make the team’s regular season roster. However, Indiana – without much breathing room below the luxury tax line – opted to keep its 15th roster spot open to begin the season, which freed up Swider to join the Pistons.

Swider and Williams will join Daniss Jenkins as Detroit’s two-way players to open the 2024/25 season.

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Southwest Notes: VanVleet, Murray, Pelicans, Gortman

October 21st, 2024 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

After signing a maximum-salary contract with the Rockets last summer, Fred VanVleet averaged 17.4 points per game – his lowest scoring mark since 2018/19 – while handing out a career-high 8.1 assists per contest. In his second season in Houston, the team wouldn’t mind seeing VanVleet turn some of those assists into points, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

As Feigen observes, the Rockets should have more ball-handling options this season, with rookie Reed Sheppard capable of handling those duties and second-year guard Amen Thompson growing into that role. That will allow the club to have VanVleet operate off the ball a little more often, opening up catch-and-shoot opportunities. He made 38.7% of his three-point tries last season.

“As we’ve seen with Fred in the past, he can play off ball. That’s one of his strengths,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “To play with (DeMar) DeRozan, Kawhi Leonard, (Pascal) Siakam, all these guys that really handle it quite a bit, he’s been the recipient. I think he’s been more so in practices and preseason games of getting some off-ball shots. That speaks to the comfort of other guys to handle it, make plays. … He can take plays off, be off the ball some, and be the recipient of some assists instead of making them.”

Udoka expressed confidence in Sheppard and Thompson as options to initiate the offense and also pointed to Jalen Green as someone who can bring the ball up the court. Besides letting VanVleet play off the ball more, those other ball-handlers should also put the Rockets in position to reduce the veteran point guard’s minutes after he averaged 36.8 MPG last season.

“Not a specific number, but way less than that, obviously,” Udoka said when asked about a target for VanVleet’s minutes. “That was the second-highest of his career. But he’s a guy that played heavy minutes in Toronto in the past. He took that on himself last year to really help us grow in those areas. It was another coach on the floor. But we’d like to drop that, for sure.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Pelicans point guard Dejounte Murray is looking forward to reclaiming what he considers his “real position” this season in New Orleans after spending two seasons playing alongside Trae Young with the Hawks, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “In Atlanta, I was in the corner and on the wings, and I made the best of it,” Murray said. “Here, they are allowing me to play my real position. Playing point guard. Keeping everything organized. And making dudes better. And doing what I do best.”
  • The Pelicans intend to operate without a traditional center on the court for significant chunks of games this season. Head coach Willie Green believes the strategy can work, since those units should provide more versatility on both ends of the court despite giving up some rim protection and rebounding, but he stressed it will require a commitment from the players in those small-ball lineups. “When those units are on the floor, they have to have an understanding that they have to be tougher,” Green said (story via Clark at NOLA.com). “They have to play harder. We have to compete at a higher level. We have to rebound at a higher level in order for those types of groups to work.” Daniel Theis, who has spent most of his career as a backup, and rookie Yves Missi are New Orleans’ top two traditional centers, but forward Herbert Jones may open the season as the team’s de facto five.
  • Camp invitee Jazian Gortman impressed the Mavericks this fall not just with his play on the court but with his work ethic off it, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link), who notes that the guard spent plenty of time watching film before games and getting extra reps after practices. Gortman, who believes his decision-making and his three-point shot have both improved since Summer League, was promoted to a two-way contract on Friday. “He impressed not just me but the organization as a whole,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “Everyone who watched camp felt he was impressive, and we knew he was someone we needed to take a closer look at.”
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Contract, Roster Deadlines Loom For NBA Teams

October 21st, 2024 at 7:40am CST by Luke Adams

We’re one day away from the start of the NBA’s 2024/25 regular season, making Monday the last day of the 2024 offseason. Today serves as the deadline for a number of contract- and roster-related decisions around the league. Here are the most important ones:

Rookie Scale Extensions

A total of 24 players entered the offseason eligible for rookie scale extensions.

Four of those players – Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Franz Wagner – have already signed new deals, and a fifth (Moses Moody) has agreed to an extension that will be officially completed today.

That leaves the following 19 players eligible to sign rookie scale extensions on Monday:

The majority of these guys won’t sign new deals until the 2025 offseason, when they’re eligible for restricted free agency. But it would be a surprise if at least a couple more players from this list don’t finalize rookie scale extensions today.

Giddey, Green, Johnson, Kuminga, Murphy, Sengun, and Suggs are among the notable names in this group, but finding a price point that works for them and their respective teams may be a challenge. Some of the role players on this list who are willing to settle for more modest deals might also agree to terms today — Grimes is said to be a prime candidate for a new deal, for instance.

The deadline for rookie scale extensions is at 5:00 pm Central time.

Certain Veteran Contract Extensions

A veteran player who signed his current contract at least two years ago (or three years ago if it was a five-year deal) is eligible to sign an extension. That means many veterans around the NBA are eligible to sign contract extensions today, but that number will significantly drop as of tomorrow.

Once the regular season begins, only veterans in the final year of their contracts can sign extensions — a player who has multiple years remaining is no longer extension-eligible until the following offseason.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Veteran Contract Extension]

Let’s use the Hawks as an example. Trae Young, Clint Capela, Larry Nance Jr., and Garrison Mathews are all eligible for veteran extensions right now, but Capela, Nance, and Mathews are on expiring deals, whereas Young is not. That means Capela, Nance, and Mathews will be able to sign extensions anytime between now and June 30, 2025, but Young’s eligibility window will close after Monday and won’t reopen until next July.

An extension-eligible veteran who has a player option for 2025/26 could still sign a new deal later in the ’24/25 league year, but he’d have to eliminate that option to do so. Picking up the option would make him ineligible to complete an extension between Tuesday and the start of the ’25/26 league year, since it would turn his contract into a multiyear deal, not an expiring one.

With the help of information from Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link), here are the 24 players who have a Monday deadline to sign a veteran extension if they want to lock in a new deal before next July:

A few of these players who are prime candidates for extensions aren’t expected to sign this year because they would qualify for more years and more money if they wait until next offseason.

That group includes Bridges, who continues to face extend-and-trade limitations due to his recent move to the Knicks, and Fox, who would become eligible for a super-max (Designated Veteran) extension if he makes an All-NBA team in 2025. It also includes Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander, who have already met the performance criteria for super-max deals but won’t have enough years of service to sign them until after the 2024/25 season.

The deadline for veteran extensions for players on non-expiring contracts is at 10:59 pm CT tonight.

Regular Season Rosters

Nearly every NBA team finalized its roster cuts on Saturday for financial reasons, as we explained over the weekend. However, today is the official deadline to reduce offseason rosters to the regular season limit of 15 players on standard contracts (plus three on two-way contracts).

While there will could very well be some additional roster shuffling today as teams tweak their back-end roster spots or fill two-way openings, only one team – the Timberwolves – absolutely has to make a move, as we detailed on Sunday. Minnesota’s transaction appears likely to involve Keita Bates-Diop, though that’s not set in stone yet.

That roster move is due by 4:00 pm CT.

The final day of the offseason is also the last day for teams to convert Exhibit 10 contracts into two-way deals, but there are no candidates left after Kai Jones, Quincy Olivari, Liam Robbins, Yuki Kawamura, Mac McClung, Jamison Battle, Riley Minix, Tyrese Martin, E.J. Liddell, and Jazian Gortman were all converted on either Friday or Saturday.

The only player still on an Exhibit 10 deal is Bulls guard Talen Horton-Tucker, and he has too many years of NBA service to qualify for a two-way. The expectation is that Horton-Tucker will make Chicago’s standard opening night roster, meaning his Exhibit 10 contract will turn into a one-year, non-guaranteed deal and will begin counting against the salary cap.

Finally, Monday is the last day for a free agent to be signed-and-traded during the 2024/25 league year. However, there have been no indications that any sign-and-trades are in the works.

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New York Notes: Achiuwa, McBride, Hart, Johnson, Hayes

October 20th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Precious Achiuwa struck an optimistic tone regarding his hamstring injury. In a video posted by New York Basketball (Twitter link), the Knicks big man called it a “minor setback.”

“We’ll get back better, stronger. It’s just a minor setback,” he said. “We still have the same agenda. Gonna come back a lot stronger…We have a goal to accomplish this year.”

Achiuwa has a left hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in two-to-four weeks.

We have more on the New York teams:

  • Miles McBride and Achiuwa are the logical alternatives for the starting five if the Knicks choose to make Josh Hart a sixth man, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. With Achiuwa injured, the Knicks could temporarily pivot to Jericho Sims if they want to utilize a bigger starting lineup. Hart expressed some uncertainty at the end of the preseason about his role in New York’s new-look lineup.
  • Cameron Johnson, who is entering the second year of a four-year, $94MM contract, is a logical trade candidate. Johnson has tried to put that possibility out of his mind as the season opener looms, the Nets forward told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “I’ve been able to feel comfortable in what’s going on,” he said. “And even with the uncertainty, it’s not like an uncertainty where I don’t think that our staff here, our front office here, has a lack of trust in me. So I feel confident in this group. I feel confident going forward. And I’m going to compete for this team. And it’s not even on my mind, really.”
  • The Nets waived Killian Hayes on Saturday but he’ll stay with the organization, at least in the short term, Botte adds. Hayes, who didn’t appear in any preseason games due to a hip injury, will rehab with the team’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. He is expected to play for them after he clears waivers.
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And-Ones: M. Williams, Rookies, International Prospects, G League Trade

October 20th, 2024 at 7:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Monty Williams will be a head coach after all this season, just not in the pro or college ranks.

Williams has accepted the head coaching job at TMI Episcopal prep school in San Antonio, where he will coach his son Elijah, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. The Pistons fired Williams in June just one season after he signed a six-year, $78.5MM contract.

Williams is replacing former NBA forward Bruce Bowen at the San Antonio prep school, Haynes adds in another tweet.

We have more from around the basketball world:

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Jalen Johnson Not Trending Toward Extension?

October 20th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Johnson and the Hawks are not yet trending toward a rookie scale contract extension, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.

Johnson is one of a handful of prominent players from the 2021 draft who has not signed an extension. In a Front Office column earlier this month, our Luke Adams ranked Johnson No. 1 among a group of nine players who are legitimate candidates for a rookie scale extension.

Another source informed Stein that Johnson has stood out during the Hawks’ training camp and the preseason. Johnson, the No. 20 pick in 2021, averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his breakout 2023/24 campaign while appearing in 56 games (52 starts).

Rookie scale extensions must be reached by Monday at 6 p.m. ET. Otherwise, those players will be restricted free agents next summer.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • As he reported over the weekend, Quentin Grimes is a prime candidate for an extension, according to Stein, who says the Mavericks and Grimes, who was acquired from the Pistons during the offseason, are discussing a three-year deal.
  • Trey Murphy III and the Pelicans are also in active extension negotiations ahead of Monday’s deadline, league sources tell Stein. Murphy will miss the early portion of this season with a hamstring injury but has been highly productive when healthy. The five-year, $135MM extension signed in October 2023 by San Antonio’s Devin Vassell is a potential comparable for Murphy, Stein notes.
  • Reiterating a tweet from Saturday, Stein says the Magic’ Jalen Suggs is seeking a deal with an average annual value of at least $30MM.
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Nuggets Notes: Murray, Jokic, Gordon, Saric, Watson

October 20th, 2024 at 4:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

If they have any hope of winning their second title in three seasons, the 2o24/25 Nuggets need star point guard Jamal Murray to be the best version of himself, opines Troy Renck of The Denver Post.

Even though Murray has battled injuries in recent years and submitted an underwhelming performance for Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics, Denver moved forward on a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension with him during the offseason.

Murray was highly effective in his 59 healthy games last season, averaging 21.2 points, 6.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per contest.

With Murray, three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic, and forward Michael Porter Jr. all signed to maximum deals — and power forward Aaron Gordon likely in line for a raise on a potential extension — the Nuggets may be locked into their current core for a while.

There’s more out of Denver:

  • Far beyond the purview of the Nuggets’ fanbase in Denver, Nikola Jokic‘s greatness has reached international superstar levels, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Nuggets. The 6’11” big man’s superstardom was on display during a pair of recent preseason games in Abu Dhabi, when he was very much the star of the show.
  • New veteran Nuggets big man signing Dario Saric is already impressing teammate Aaron Gordon, per DNVR Sports (YouTube video link).“So excited to play with Dario,” Gordon said. “He’s a hell of a talent, so versatile. [He] does multiple things on the floor — can pass the ball, can shoot the ball, can score, can defend, can play big, can play small… I don’t think you guys understand how big of an impact that he will have on this team, playing that backup center, playing that backup four.”
  • Still dealing with a hamstring strain, intriguing young Nuggets reserve swingman Peyton Watson was able to fully partake in team practice Sunday for the first time in five weeks, reports Durando in another article. “We’ll see how that injury and how that muscle reacts to what he did today,” head coach Michael Malone said following the practice. “Because tomorrow, the hope is to introduce some more things offensively. … I want to blow it out tomorrow. We’ll be on the main court, which will be nice to finally get on the main court and play, maybe, three or four 12-minute quarters. And the hope is that Peyton feels good enough to be able to get through at least some of those (quarters) tomorrow.”
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Sixers Notes: Martin, Star Trio, Arena

October 20th, 2024 at 3:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

One of the most underrated Sixers free agent additions of the summer was versatile three-and-D combo forward Caleb Martin. The veteran wing may not be a marquee name like nine-time All-Star Paul George, but he’s eager to prove his mettle as a multifaceted role player, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pompey notes that Martin could prove to be a crucial “glue guy” for the club as it seeks its first title in 42 seasons. Martin expressed enthusiasm about taking on a complementary role.

“That’s how you fit in,” Martin said. “That’s how you complete the pieces of the puzzle. If everybody’s got the same agenda, averaging 20 points, playing the most minutes, getting up the most shots, that’s not how you complete a team.”

Although he’s just 6’5″, the 29-year-old is projected to serve as Philadelphia’s starting power forward, as he did during much of his tenure with the Heat. Martin was a key member of Miami’s charmed 2023 playoff run, which saw the club reach the NBA Finals.

During his final season in Miami in 2023/24, Martin averaged a career-best 10.0 points per game on .431/.349/.778 shooting splits, along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. He inked a four-year, $35MM deal with the Sixers this summer.

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

  • Health will be paramount for the Sixers’ new “Big Three” of All-NBA center Joel Embiid, George, and All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey, Pompey writes in another Inquirer story. Maxey exited Friday’s preseason finale against the Magic after bruising his right thumb, but that was viewed as a precautionary decision. George is dealing with a hyperextended knee and is questionable to play in the team’s regular season opener Wednesday. Embiid hasn’t scrimmaged with the team or played a single game during the preseason as the 2023 MVP looks to manage his health with an eye towards playoff glory. Pompey notes that Philadelphia plans to exercise caution with the 34-year-old George in addition to Embiid.
  • Critics of the Sixers’ impending new arena in downtown Philadelphia have asked who will truly benefit from the building’s construction, according to Jeff Gammage, Sean Collins Walsh, and Anna Orsol of The Philadelphia Inquirer. While $50MM from team ownership has been allocated for the community, those critics question just how that money will be doled out. “We still have negotiations to do, and working with the development team and administration to make sure those changes that we believe are necessary will be put into either the legislation or the [agreement for the new arena,” city councilman Mark Squilla said.
  • In case you missed it, Philadelphia waived four players ahead of the start of the regular season.
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Knicks’ Achiuwa Strains Hamstring, Will Be Reassessed in 2-4 Weeks

October 20th, 2024 at 1:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks forward/center Precious Achiuwa has strained his left hamstring and will be sidelined for at least the next two-to-four weeks, New York has announced (Twitter link). At that point, the 6’8″ big man will have the injury reevalauted.

It’s a big blow for New York’s frontcourt depth, compounding the health issues the team was already facing in that department to kick off its 2024/25 season. New York is already expecting to be without center Mitchell Robinson until at least January.

Losing Robinson and now Achiuwa means the Knicks will have to lean on deeper-bench options behind All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, with Jericho Sims seemingly the likeliest player to benefit from a major minutes uptick. Seven-foot rookie center Ariel Hukporti, the No. 58 pick in this year’s draft, could conceivably even get a look. Forwards such as OG Anunoby could also see action at the five in smaller lineups.

As James L. Edwards of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), the Knicks’ bench will be exceedingly green to start the year. Only three of the team’s healthy reserves have prior NBA playing experience.

New York first acquired Achiuwa as part of its trade for Anunoby midway through 2023/24. He proved his mettle as a talented two-way presence in the paint for a 50-win Knicks squad. Across his 49 contests with the team (18 starts), Achiuwa posted solid averages of 7.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.1 BPG and 0.6 SPG.

The Memphis alum earned a one-year, $6MM deal to stick with New York as a free agent this summer.

New York’s starting unit of Towns, Anunoby, All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson, three-and-D shooting guard Josh Hart, and newly acquired All-Defensive forward Mikal Bridges is shaping up to be one of the most fearsome in the entire league. With health-related challenges emerging early on, it remains to be seen how head coach Tom Thibodeau will balance a desire to lean heavily on his starters for early wins with the team’s bigger postseason aspirations.

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