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Giannis Antetokounmpo Signs Three-Year Max Extension

October 24th, 2023 at 12:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 24: The Bucks have officially announced Antetokounmpo’s extension.

“Milwaukee is where I started my career, it’s our home, it’s where we’re raising our family, and it’s where I’m going to continue to work hard every day to make Bucks fans proud,” Giannis said in a statement. “I want to thank Bucks owners Wes (Edens), Jamie (Dinan), Jimmy (Haslam) and Dee (Haslam) for their continuous support of me and my family, and I want to express my appreciation to (general manager) Jon Horst for being a trusted partner who has been with me since the day I arrived in Milwaukee 10 years ago.

“To my teammates and coaches, I will always be grateful to you for inspiring me to be my best every day. Together, we are committed to winning and bringing another championship to our city. And to Bucks fans, let’s get it!”

OCTOBER 23: Giannis Antetokounmpo is signing a three-year, maximum-salary extension with the Bucks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The contract will include a player option for the 2027/28 season, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).

Antetokounmpo was signed through the 2025/26 on his current contract, though he had a $51,935,268 option for the final season of that deal. That ’25/26 option will be eliminated and replaced with the first year of the new contract.

While Wojnarowski pegs the value of the three-year extension at $186MM, that’s just an estimate for now. It’s only possible if the salary cap increases by the maximum amount (10%) in 2024 and 2025. Otherwise, the contract figures would come in a little lower.

Assuming annual 10% increases in each of the next two years, the extension would break down as follows, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets: $57,604,893 for the 2025/26 season; $62,213,285 the following season; and a $66,821,676 player option in 2027/28. The total value would be $186,639,853.

The terms of the deal are identical to the three-year extension Anthony Davis signed with the Lakers in August.

Antetokounmpo’s agreement with the Bucks comes as somewhat of a surprise, since he indicated in a New York Times interview this summer that he wouldn’t sign an extension.

“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense,” Giannis said in August. “But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties.”

While Antetokounmpo could have waited until next offseason and theoretically received more money, he ultimately decided to make an early commitment. Certainly, the Bucks’ acquisition of another superstar, Damian Lillard, played into his thinking.

The New York Times interview – in which Antetokounmpo stated he wouldn’t sign long-term with Milwaukee unless he was confident the team is as committed to chasing more titles as he is – sparked widespread speculation that he would eventually ask for a trade or go into the free agent market. However, his decision to sign on Monday should quiet that speculation, at least in the short term.

The two-time Most Valuable Player award winner is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-best 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.  Still only 28 years old, he’s entering his 11th NBA season.

Monday was the last day the Bucks superstar could have signed an extension prior to next July, as we outlined earlier today.

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2023 NBA Rookie Scale Extension Recap

October 24th, 2023 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s annual deadline for rookie scale contract extensions passed on Monday, officially bringing the extension period for 2020 first-round picks to an end. In total, 14 players eligible for rookie scale extensions signed new contracts this year, blowing away the previous record (11), which was set in 2021 and matched in 2022.

We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in rookie scale extensions in recent years, with at least 10 such deals completed in each of the last four offseasons. Prior to 2020, the last time as many as 10 rookie scale extensions were signed in a single league year was back in 2006, when players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were signing their second NBA contracts.

Here’s a breakdown of the 14 rookie scale extensions signed before this year’s deadline, sorted by total value. In cases where we haven’t yet seen the official contract terms for the extension, we’re basing our figures on the latest reports and will update these numbers as necessary. These deals will go into effect beginning in 2024/25.

Note: Projected values for maximum-salary extensions are based on a 10% annual salary cap increase in 2024. If the cap doesn’t increase by that much, those max extensions won’t be worth as much, since they’re based on a percentage of the cap.

  • LaMelo Ball (Hornets): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $216,953,495. Projected value can increase to $260,344,194 if Ball meets Rose Rule criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $216,953,495. Projected value can increase to $260,344,194 if Edwards meets Rose Rule criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $216,953,495. Projected value can increase to $260,344,194 if Haliburton meets Rose Rule criteria. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Desmond Bane (Grizzlies): Five years, $197,230,450 (story). Includes $8,669,550 in incentives. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Devin Vassell (Spurs): Five years, $135,000,000 (story). Includes $11,000,000 in incentives. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Jaden McDaniels (Timberwolves): Five years, $131,000,000 (story). Includes $5,000,000 in incentives. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Onyeka Okongwu (Hawks): Four years, $62,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.
  • Isaiah Stewart (Pistons): Four years, $60,000,000 (story). Includes $4,000,000 in incentives. Includes fourth-year team option. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Deni Avdija (Wizards): Four years, $55,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.
  • Josh Green (Mavericks): Three years, $41,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.
  • Cole Anthony (Magic): Three years, $39,100,000 (story). Includes third-year team option. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Aaron Nesmith (Pacers): Three years, $33,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.
  • Zeke Nnaji (Nuggets): Four years, $32,000,001 (story). Includes fourth-year player option. Starts in 2024/25.
  • Payton Pritchard (Celtics): Four years, $30,000,000 (story). Starts in 2024/25.

A few of these extensions were no-brainers — there was never any doubt that Edwards was going to get maximum-salary offer from the Timberwolves as early as possible, for instance.

After Edwards, Ball, Haliburton, and Bane agreed to terms early in the offseason, a total of 10 more players eventually reached deals of their own, with the contracts for Vassell and McDaniels occupying the next tier below the first four mega-deals. The Spurs sharpshooter and Timberwolves forward will have annual salaries in the range of $26-27MM, which are far above the mid-level but still well below the projected maximum.

The other eight rookie scale extensions signed this year range in average annual value from $7.5MM to $15.5MM, with a handful hovering right around the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. There were a few surprises in the bunch — I would’ve viewed Avdija, Nesmith, and Nnaji as unlikely extension candidates, but their teams decided to lock them up rather than take their chances in restricted free agency a year from now.

In the case of both Nnaji and Pritchard, their team’s cap situation going forward may have played a part. The Nuggets and Celtics could both be above the second tax apron in 2024/25, which would place extreme limitations on their ability to bring in new role players via trade or free agency — that’s probably one reason why they opted to extend an in-house role player now.

Of these deals, Green’s was one that came in lower than I anticipated. Given his three-and-D potential, I thought the Mavericks might have to go up to at least $15-17MM per year over four seasons to lock him up and figured he’d want to exceed Grant Williams‘ four-year, $53MM deal with Dallas. Green’s annual salary ($13.67MM) will come in a little higher than Williams’, but I didn’t expect the Mavs to be able to get that deal done with such a relatively modest overall commitment.

For the first time ever, more than half of the players who were eligible for rookie scale extensions signed them. With 14 players signing extensions, that left 13 players who were eligible for a new deal and didn’t get one.

Here’s that list of those players, who are now eligible to become restricted free agents during the 2024 offseason, assuming they finish their current contracts:

Maxey is the most noteworthy extension candidate not to sign a new deal, but that didn’t come as a surprise — we’ve known since June that the Sixers didn’t intend to extend him this offseason, preferring to maximize their 2024 cap room. Maxey will have a cap hold of approximately $13MM as a restricted free agent next summer, rather than a first-year extension salary that almost certainly would’ve been $20MM+ higher than that.

Quickley, Bey, and Williams are among the other notable extension candidates who didn’t get new deals and could be targets for lucrative offer sheets in July of 2024. Achiuwa, Okoro, Pokusevski, and Toppin are a few of the players who could set themselves up for nice paydays next offseason if they take a step forward in 2023/24.

The rest of these players in this group – Flynn, Hayes, Lewis, Okeke, and Wiseman – never looked like serious extension candidates and will need to make their case this season that they’re worthy of qualifying offers in 2024 free agency.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that there were four players selected in the first round of the 2020 draft who weren’t eligible at all for rookie scale extensions entering this offseason, for various reasons. Those players are as follows:

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Pistons’ Bogdanovic, Morris To Miss Multiple Weeks

October 24th, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons will be missing multiple rotation players to start the season, announcing today in a press release (Twitter link) that forward Bojan Bogdanovic, guard Monte Morris, and forward Isaiah Livers will all remain sidelined for at least the next few weeks.

According to the team, Bogdanovic will be reevaluated in four weeks due to a right calf strain, while Morris will be reevaluated in three weeks after straining his right quad during a recent rehab session (he had been recovering from lower back soreness).

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for a Pistons team that enters this season with aspirations of moving up the Eastern Conference standings after winning no more than 23 games in each of the past four seasons. Cade Cunningham is back in action this fall after a leg injury limited him to 12 appearances a year ago, lottery pick Ausar Thompson appears poised to play a significant role, and new head coach Monty Williams has a track record of turning lottery teams into playoff contenders.

Bogdanovic’s and Morris’ injuries won’t necessarily derail the Pistons’ year – they could both be back in action before the end of November – but the two veterans had been projected to play key roles for the team to open the season.

Bogdanovic led the Pistons in 2022/23 with 21.6 points per game, posting an impressive shooting line of .488/.411/.884 in 59 games (32.1 MPG). Morris, acquired from Washington in an offseason trade, averaged 10.3 PPG and 5.3 APG on .480/.382/.831 shooting in 62 games (27.3 MPG) and brought some additional veteran stability to Detroit’s backcourt.

As for Livers, his diagnosis – a Grade III left ankle sprain – isn’t new. Detroit announced at the start of training camp that he would miss at least six-to-eight weeks as a result of the injury. The club’s announcement today indicates that Livers will be reevaluated in four weeks, at the same time as Bogdanovic.

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Grizzlies Notes: Adams, Frontcourt, Smart, Bane

October 24th, 2023 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Sunday’s announcement that Steven Adams will miss the entire 2023/24 season due to right knee surgery feels like a “gut punch” for the Grizzlies, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who writes that the team is facing major frontcourt questions, with backup center Brandon Clarke also expected to miss much of the season while recovering from a torn Achilles.

As Hollinger outlines, the Grizzlies lack size without Adams and Clarke available, and moving reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson from power forward to center isn’t necessarily the obvious solution, since playing the five may exacerbate Jackson’s foul issues — and he’s not a great rebounder. Jackson, who spoke earlier in camp about wanting to improve his rebounding, doubled down on that notion following the news of Adams’ surgery, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

“I got to (rebound) even more, like way more,” Jackson said. “I got to be way better just in terms of that end of the floor. That’s something he is the best in the world at. I already had to do that better with him on the floor, and I gotta to do it even better with him not on the floor.”

Head coach Taylor Jenkins said on Monday that there’s no replacing Adams, who is one of the NBA’s best rebounders, especially on the offensive end. However, Jenkins is hopeful that the team can look to “collectively” improve its rebounding rather than relying on a specific player to take on that responsibility. Memphis’ fifth-year coach also acknowledged that a roster addition in the frontcourt is a possibility.

“I’m working with (general manager) Zach (Kleiman) on that,” Jenkins said, per Cole. “There is more to come, for sure. We are having great dialogues right now, you know, with the newness of the news over the weekend. We will sit down and process where this team is at and how we can move forward.”

The Grizzlies have a full roster, but will be granted an extra roster spot after the season’s first five games, when Ja Morant can be moved to the suspended list for the remainder of his 25-game ban.

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

  • In a separate story for The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Cole explores the various tools the Grizzlies have at their disposal to address the center spot – including the mid-level exception and a trade exception – and speculates about which players on the free agent and trade markets might be fits in Memphis.
  • Speaking to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, former Celtics guard Marcus Smart said he wasn’t shocked by the trade that sent him to the Grizzlies, but was a bit surprised by when and how it went down. “If I’m being quite frank, I knew I would be traded eventually,” Smart said. “Just figured it would be the next season, just based off my contract and with the new CBA. We already knew that. But it was just the way it happened. I was told everything was good after asking multiple times. Like, ‘I’m hearing (rumors), what’s going on?’ And they’re like, ‘No, you’re good, you’re good, you’re good.’ And then when I do hear about the trade, it’s from Shams (Charania) on Twitter before I hear from the team.”
  • While the Grizzlies intend to share the play-making responsibilities until Morant returns, Desmond Bane looks like the player that will assume the brunt of that role, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, who takes a look at how Bane might respond to becoming more of a primary ball-handler.
  • The pressure is building on the Grizzlies, who are no longer the Western Conference’s young, upstart team and will need to show soon that they’re capable of making an extended postseason run, Cole writes for The Commercial Appeal. While this isn’t necessarily a make-or-break year for team leaders like Kleiman or Jenkins, the sense of urgency in Memphis has increased following last season’s first-round playoff exit, Cole adds.
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2023/24 NBA Over/Unders: Recap

October 24th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

In the weeks leading up to the regular season, we’ve been examining projections for all 30 NBA teams for the 2023/24 season, publishing polls asking how many games each club will win. With the help of lines from professional oddsmakers, we’ve had you vote on whether each team will go over or under a given win total, from the Celtics (55.5) all the way through to the Wizards (24.5).

Here are the full results of those votes:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics (55.5 wins): Over (67.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (48.5 wins): Under (54.9%)
  • New York Knicks (45.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (37.5 wins): Over (53.1%)
  • Toronto Raptors (36.5 wins): Over (56.9%)

Central

  • Milwaukee Bucks (54.5 wins): Over (76.9%)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (50.5 wins): Under (52.0%)
  • Indiana Pacers (38.5 wins): Over (64.1%)
  • Chicago Bulls (37.5 wins): Under (61.9%)
  • Detroit Pistons (27.5 wins): Over (53.8%)

Southeast

  • Miami Heat (46.5 wins): Under (59.0%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (42.5 wins): Under (61.1%)
  • Orlando Magic (37.5 wins): Over (60.7%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (31.5 wins): Under (65.8%)
  • Washington Wizards (24.5 wins): Over (53.3%)

Western Conference

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (52.0%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (44.5 wins): Over (53.1%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (44.5 wins): Under (53.6%)
  • Utah Jazz (35.5 wins): Over (55.5%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (28.5 wins): Under (50.9%)

Pacific

  • Phoenix Suns (52.5 wins): Under (52.6%)
  • Golden State Warriors (48.5 wins): Over (52.7%)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (47.5 wins): Over (57.2%)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (46.5 wins): Under (64.6%)
  • Sacramento Kings (44.5 wins): Over (71.3%)

Southwest

  • Memphis Grizzlies (46.5 wins): Under (52.1%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): Under (60.8%)
  • Dallas Mavericks (44.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  • Houston Rockets (31.5 wins): Over (59.2%)
  • San Antonio Spurs (28.5 wins): Over (54.4%)

In total, our poll respondents favored 17 overs and 13 unders.

That’s a pretty typical divide, even though the combined projected wins of all 30 teams add up to 1,256 (there will be 1,230 games won this season). It’s easier at this time of the year to be bullish on a team’s offseason upgrades and envision a best-case scenario than it will be a few weeks into the regular season.

These were the five “over” bets that received the largest vote shares:

  1. Milwaukee Bucks (54.5 wins): 76.9%
  2. Sacramento Kings (44.5 wins): 71.3%
  3. Boston Celtics (55.5 wins): 67.6%
  4. Indiana Pacers (38.5 wins): 64.1%
  5. Orlando Magic (37.5 wins): 60.7%

A vote share of over three-quarters for the Bucks’ over is pretty remarkable, given that their 54.5 projected wins represent this season’s second-highest total (the Celtics are No. 1, with 55.5).

While I certainly understand the enthusiasm for the addition of Damian Lillard to an already strong roster led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, it can sometimes take teams a little time to adjust to major changes like that one, and the Bucks will be prioritizing the playoffs over the regular season. It’ll be interesting to see how many wins they rack up.

In addition to being high on the top teams in the East – Milwaukee and Boston – our poll respondents don’t expect Sacramento to take much of a step back after winning 48 games last season for the first time since 2004/05. They’re also optimistic about the opportunity for two lottery teams in the East – Indiana and Orlando – to take a step forward in 2023/24.

Here are the five “under” bets that received the largest vote shares:

  1. Charlotte Hornets (31.5 wins): 65.8%
  2. Los Angeles Clippers (46.5 wins): 64.6%
  3. Chicago Bulls (37.5 wins): 61.9%
  4. Atlanta Hawks (42.5 wins): 61.1%
  5. New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): 60.8%

In theory, with Miles Bridges back on the roster and LaMelo Ball healthy again, the Hornets are poised for a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2022/23 campaign that saw them drop from 43 wins to 27. But Bridges is already in legal trouble again and our readers clearly aren’t confident enough in the rest of Charlotte’s roster to expect much from them.

The injury histories of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Zion Williamson, and Brandon Ingram are presumably a major factor in our poll respondents’ pessimism about the Clippers and Pelicans. And while our readers are enthusiastic about Indiana and Orlando, they’re cooler on two other middle-of-the-pack Eastern Conference playoff contenders in Chicago and Atlanta.

Here are the five picks that were closest to 50/50:

  1. Dallas Mavericks (44.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  2. Portland Trail Blazers (28.5 wins): Under (50.9%)
  3. Cleveland Cavaliers (50.5 wins): Under (52.0%)
  4. Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (52.0%)
  5. Memphis Grizzlies (46.5 wins): Under (52.1%)

The Mavericks spiraled following the acquisition of Kyrie Irving last season, even though he played well alongside Luka Doncic. Our poll respondents are almost exactly split on whether those late-season struggles will carry over to this season or whether Dallas will bounce back.

I’m not surprised to see the Trail Blazers show up here — following the Lillard trade, they’re clearly in retooling mode, but there’s also a decent amount of talent on the roster, including Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, Anfernee Simons, and a rookie who could make an immediate impact, Scoot Henderson. There are a wide range of realistic outcomes for their season.

The Cavaliers and Nuggets are expected to be very good teams, but there’s a difference in opinions over just how many wins that success will translate to. As for the Grizzlies, I imagine voters would more heavily favor their under if we held a vote again today, given Sunday’s news of Steven Adams‘ season-ending knee surgery.

What do you think of our picks in general? Are there any results above that you strongly disagree with? Did you make any over or under votes within the last couple weeks that you’re second-guessing now? Jump into our comment section below and weigh in with your thoughts!

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Three Players On Exhibit 9 Contracts Make Opening Night Rosters

October 24th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

As we explain in a glossary entry, Exhibit 9 contracts are generally handed out by NBA teams to players who will only be with the team during training camp and/or the preseason.

The Exhibit 9 clause protects the team in case the player suffers an injury before the season begins. In that scenario, the club wouldn’t have to pay him his full salary until he gets healthy enough to play — it would only have to pay a maximum lump sum of $15K when it waives the player.

While most Exhibit 9 signees were released in advance of the regular season, three NBA veterans who signed Exhibit 9 contracts survived the cut and made their respective teams’ regular season rosters. Here are those three players:

Note: Hornets guard Edmond Sumner was initially included in this list, but Charlotte waived him on Tuesday ahead of its season opener.

These three players will now be on one-year, minimum-salary contracts that will remain non-guaranteed until January 10. In order to secure their full-season salaries, they’ll have to stay under contract beyond January 7 (a player cut on Jan. 8 or 9 wouldn’t clear waivers prior to the league-wide salary guarantee date of Jan. 10).

As our list of non-guaranteed contracts by team shows, Arcidiacono, Giles, and Stevens are three of the 31 players on standard deals whose salaries for the 2023/24 season aren’t fully guaranteed.

Several of these players will receive partial guarantees by remaining on rosters through the start of the regular season, and a few more have November or December trigger dates that will increase their guarantees. However, none of those 31 players will lock in their full salary until Jan. 10.

Here are a few more items of interest about the NBA’s opening night rosters for ’23/24, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link):

  • The Spurs have the NBA’s youngest roster, while the Clippers have the oldest.
  • Players are earning a combined total salary of $4.8 billion for the 2023/24 season. The Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Sixers, and Suns are the biggest contributors to that pool, as they’re all currently over the luxury tax line.
  • As our roster counts page shows, there are 12 open spots on standard 15-man rosters around the NBA. Those openings belong to the Celtics, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors (two), Lakers, Heat, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, and Kings.
  • The Nets and the Suns are the only two teams that haven’t filled all three of their two-way slots, as our tracker shows. They’re each carrying a pair of two-way players, meaning 88 of the 90 spots around the league are occupied.
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Rockets Re-Sign Nate Hinton To Two-Way Contract

October 24th, 2023 at 7:01am CST by Luke Adams

After waiving him on Saturday, the Rockets have re-signed swingman Nate Hinton to a two-way contract, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

The move is official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions, as is the reported release of Trevor Hudgins, whose two-way spot was opened to make room for Hinton.

A 6’5″ wing who played his college ball at Houston, Hinton has spent most of his three professional seasons on two-way contracts or G League deals, appearing in 23 NBA games for the Mavericks and Pacers since 2020.

The 24-year-old played for the Cleveland Charge – the Cavaliers’ NBAGL affiliate – during the 2022/23 season, averaging 12.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .466/.383/.789 shooting in 27 regular season games (33.9 MPG). He appeared in three preseason games for the Rockets, playing limited minutes.

The Rockets have now made multiple changes to their two-way players ahead of the regular season, having also cut Darius Days in order to convert Jeenathan Williams to a two-way contract on Monday.

It’s unclear why Houston didn’t simply hang onto Hinton and convert him as it did Williams, since Hinton’s deal also included Exhibit 10 language. Negotiating a two-year deal would’ve required him to pass through waivers, but Hoops Rumors has learned that Hinton’s new contract is only for one year. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

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Duane Washington Jr. Signs Two-Way Deal With Knicks

October 24th, 2023 at 6:40am CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 24: Washington’s two-way contract with the Knicks is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

OCTOBER 22: The Knicks plan to bring back Duane Washington Jr. to fill their open two-way slot, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link). The 23-year-old combo guard was waived Saturday along with three other players.

New York converted Dylan Windler from a two-way deal to a standard contract on Saturday, creating the vacancy. Washington must go through waivers before being re-signed, but once that happens, the team will have a full roster with 15 standard deals and all three of its two-way spots filled.

Washington joined the Knicks on a two-way contract in late February, but didn’t see any game action. He was waived in July and then re-signed to a non-guaranteed training camp deal five days later.

Washington spent time with the Pacers and Suns after going undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021. He holds career averages of 9.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 79 career games.

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Pacific Notes: Green, Durant, Allen, Booker, Beal, Lakers, Westbrook, Huerter

October 23rd, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draymond Green won’t play in the Warriors’ opener on Tuesday, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Green was sidelined prior to training camp by a left lateral ankle sprain. He was cleared for 5-on-5 action on Sunday and participated in Monday’s practice.

“He’s doing really well but we don’t feel like it would be wise to throw him out with so little scrimmage time on the floor,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “We’ll reassess as the days go.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Suns star forward Kevin Durant will play in Golden State on Tuesday for the first time since he left the franchise and signed with Brooklyn. Durant says he’s looking forward to it. “I’m excited to play in front of those fans,” Durant told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I had some incredible moments there and we built a bond that doesn’t really have to be spoken about, me and the fans in the Bay Area. Feel like they’ve been supporting me way before I came there, actually. Then once I became a part of the Warriors, they just went even harder in support of myself and my teammates.”
  • Durant believes a recent addition to the Suns, wing Grayson Allen, will thrive with so many offensive threats around him, according to Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. “When he gets the opportunity to play with myself, (Devin Booker) and (Bradley Beal), I think the floor opens up even more for him, and we could play off him a little bit more as well,” Durant said. “He’s just a guy that can fit in. You see how many teams he’s played on and how well he’s played at each stop, so we’re expecting him to have a solid year this year.”
  • Speaking of Booker and Beal, they’re listed as questionable to play on Tuesday. Booker is dealing with left big toe soreness, while Beal has experienced lower back tightness. “We’re hopeful that they both play,” coach Frank Vogel told Rankin.
  • Jarred Vanderbilt and Jalen Hood-Schifino won’t play in the Lakers’ opener, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Vanderbilt is dealing with left heel soreness while Hood-Schifino has a right patella contusion. Hood-Schifino will be reevaluated by team doctors on Nov. 3.
  • Russell Westbrook says he’s striving to be a positive force with the Clippers and won’t mind taking criticism if it eases the pressure off of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. “When I’m playing, let me make sure I can make the game as easy as possible,” Westbrook said. “I take all the bullets for anybody. I take all the heat. I don’t really give a (darn) because I know what’s important to my teammates and to me that’s the most important part.”
  • Kings coach Mike Brown has challenged Kevin Huerter to be tougher defensively and he’s accepted the message, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. “I just think it’s early,” Huerter said. “For me, I’m not worried about the offensive side of the court right now. I think, like you guys have heard throughout this preseason, for us as a team and individually, it’s (about) being better on the other side of the court. We know what we’re capable of — really with anybody on the court — offensively. We’ve just got to continue to buy in and play the right way and do the things we’re supposed to on the other side.”
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Pistons Notes: Bogdanovic, Morris, Hayes, Umude, Predictions, Thompson

October 23rd, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bojan Bogdanovic (right calf soreness) and Monte Morris (lower back tightness) won’t play in the Pistons’ opener in Miami on Wednesday, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

Bogdanovic’s absence will alter the lineup, as he’s penciled as the starting small forward. Morris, acquired from Washington in a trade, is expected to play a key role off the bench.

Killian Hayes, who has been dealing with a left knee sprain, practiced in full on Sunday after missing Friday’s preseason finale. He might fill in for Bogdanovic in the starting lineup.

We have more on the Pistons:

  • Detroit converted Stanley Umude to a two-way contract on Monday and it was a popular move in the locker room, Sankofa tweets in a video link. “That was probably the best part. seeing how happy they were for me. .. seeing that they knew how hard I worked for it,” Umude said.
  • Will the Pistons make a trade packaging multiple players? That’s one of the predictions James Edwards III of The Athletic makes, among nine others, regarding this season. Edwards also believes Ausar Thompson will be a All-Rookie First Team selection.
  • Expanding on that topic, coach Monty Williams marvels at how Thompson has an uncanny ability to snatch rebounds, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. “Some of the rebounds he comes up with, I mean, you catch yourself on the bench, like, ‘Did you see that?’ ” Williams said. “I think there’s some stat about since Summer League, he’s gotten eight-plus rebounds every time he steps on the floor.”
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