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Pacific Notes: Hachimura, Lyles, Kuminga, Moody, Little

October 22nd, 2023 at 6:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After having announced that Taurean Prince would serve as the Lakers’ fifth starter, head coach Darvin Ham told reporters that he feels power forward Rui Hachimura will give the team more on the offensive end as a reserve, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Hachimura primarily came off the bench upon being flipped to the club in January. His offensive output was somewhat erratic during the regular season, but he put on a superlative shooting performance in the playoffs. The 6’8″ big man out of Gonzaga averaged 12.2 PPG on .557/.487/.882 shooting splits across 16 playoff games. He subsequently inked a lucrative new three-year, $51MM deal to remain in Los Angeles earlier this summer.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Imaging on the injured left calf of Kings big man Trey Lyles indicated a mild strain, per James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento (Twitter link). Ham adds that the team is hopeful Lyles will be back soon, though he will be sidelined for at least a few days.
After having survived the Warriors’ purging of some key young players, third-year lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are looking to have big seasons, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Both have performed well in the preseason for Golden State. “I’ve got to cut the turnovers down a little bit,” Kuminga said. “I’m working on it and watching film. We’re supposed to watch film with the coaches about the turnovers.”
Thanks especially to his defensive fluidity, newly acquired Suns swingman Nassir Little has already impressed during his first preseason in Phoenix, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “You can put him on the team’s best player at multiple positions,” head coach Frank Vogel said. Vogel is hopeful Little can also contribute as a shooter. The 6’5″ forward connected on a career-high 36.7% on 2.9 looks per game from long range in 2022/23.

Zeke Nnaji Gets Four-Year, $32MM Extension From Nuggets

October 22nd, 2023 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 22: The signing is now official, per a Denver press release.

OCTOBER 21: Zeke Nnaji has agreed to a four-year, $32MM extension with the Nuggets, agent Adam Pensack tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The new contract includes a player option for the final season, Wojnarowski adds. Nnaji will earn $4,306,281 this year before the extension begins in 2024/25.

A 22-year-old power forward, Nnaji was selected with the 22nd pick in the 2020 draft. He has become a valuable reserve for the defending champions, averaging 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 53 games last season while shooting 56.1% from the field.

Nnaji was on the court for 13.7 minutes per game in 2022/23, and he’s expected to see more playing time during the upcoming season after the loss of Jeff Green and Thomas Bryant in free agency.

Monday is the last day that teams can sign eligible players to rookie scale extensions. Those who don’t reach new agreements will become restricted free agents next summer.

Nnaji is the eighth player to agree to a rookie scale extension this year, joining LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Desmond Bane, Devin Vassell, Isaiah Stewart, and Payton Pritchard.

Kings Pick Up 2024/25 Options On Murray, Mitchell, Duarte

October 22nd, 2023 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 22: Sacramento has officially announced that it has exercised its team options on Murray, Mitchel and Duarte.

OCTOBER 21: The Kings are exercising their 2024/25 rookie scale team options on forward Keegan Murray, guard Davion Mitchell, and swingman Chris Duarte, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Murray’s third-year option will pay him $8,809,560 in ’24/25. It was a lock to be picked up after the fourth overall pick made the All-Rookie first team, averaging 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per night with a .411 3PT% last season as a full-time starter for the West’s No. 3 seed.

The fourth-year options for Mitchell and Duarte in ’24/25 will be worth $6,451,077 and $5,893,768, respectively.

The No. 9 overall pick in 2021, Mitchell was a rotation player off the bench for Sacramento last season, averaging 5.6 PPG and 2.3 APG in 80 games (18.1 MPG). He’s known more for his defensive abilities than his contributions on offense.

Duarte was acquired from the Pacers in an offseason trade and is expected to play a role on the wing for the Kings this season. He struggled with his shot and battled injuries last season, but showed promise as a two-way wing as a rookie in 2021/22 when he averaged 13.1 PPG with a .369 3PT%.

The Kings will have to exercise their fourth-year option on Murray for 2025/26 (worth about $11.1MM) by next October 31. Mitchell and Duarte are now on track to become eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer.

We’re tracking all of the 2024/25 rookie scale team option decisions right here.

Extension Rumors: McDaniels, P. Williams, Bey, Mann, J. Green

October 22nd, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The five-year deal that Devin Vassell signed with San Antonio, which will be worth at least $135MM, plus incentives, threw a “grenade” into some other rookie scale extension negotiations around the NBA, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast.

However, even before word of Vassell’s extension broke, Lowe had heard that Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels was seeking a “large amount of money” on a potential new deal with Minnesota. Lowe believes that McDaniels is in position to command a significant payday.

“If I’m Jaden McDaniels, I’m saying, ‘That dude (Vassell) got ($135MM+) playing 38 games on a s—t team with no stakes?'” Lowe said. “‘I didn’t average 18-and-a-half (points) per game, but I shot it well from three. I’m already an All-Defense-level player. You guys – Minnesota, all you people I’m negotiating with, the brass – expressed outrage that I didn’t make an All-Defensive team, so you obviously agree that I’m one of the 10 best defensive players in the NBA.

“Yeah, I punched a wall, sorry. (But) I’m essential to your team in a critical two- or three-year period. I’m a winning three-and-D player, and watch me do a little bit more with the ball this year. Pay up. Pay up.'”

While Lowe thinks that McDaniels would be warranted in seeking an annual salary of at least $30MM per year, his ESPN colleague Bobby Marks suggested that an extension worth in the neighborhood of $134MM over five years (just below Vassell’s deal) might make sense for both the player and the team.

Here are a few more notes on possible extension candidates around the NBA:

Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension, is one player whose asking price may be influenced by Vassell’s new contract, according to Lowe. “I’m hearing Patrick Williams wants big numbers. Like, starts with a two and isn’t two-zero kind of stuff,” Lowe said, expressing skepticism that Chicago will go anywhere near that high for the forward. “… If that ends up being true and the Vassell deal ends up being the comp that his agents go to – which is what I would do if I were them – that’s a lot of cheese. Go to restricted free agency and get it.”
Here’s what Lowe had to say on the Hawks‘ rookie scale extension negotiations with forward Saddiq Bey: “$18 to $20 (million per year) is an interesting conversation with Saddiq Bey, because it’s enough above the mid-level that he’s got to think about it. I’ve heard those negotiations have not been going great. I don’t think Atlanta’s gotten to that level yet.”
Terance Mann, who is in the first season of a two-year, $22MM extension he signed with the Clippers in 2021, will be eligible to sign a new deal up until Monday, but he told reporters on Saturday that a preseason extension is “not happening” (Twitter link via Justin Russo). Mann will be extension-eligible again next offseason, so there’s no rush for either side to get something done now. Of course, it’s also worth noting that the 27-year-old – whose inclusion has been a sticking point in the James Harden trade talks between L.A. and Philadelphia – would be ineligible to be dealt this season if he signs an extension with a raise exceeding 5%.
The Mavericks and wing Josh Green continue to discuss a possible rookie scale extension ahead of Monday’s deadline, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Thunder Waive Jack White

October 22nd, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have waived forward Jack White in order to get their roster to the regular season limit, the team announced today. Oklahoma City now has 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]

White, 26, went undrafted out of Duke in 2020 and spent the next two years playing in his home country of Australia before coming stateside for the 2022/23 season. He was on a two-way contract with the champion Nuggets for all of last season, though he logged just 66 minutes across 17 regular season games at the NBA level.

White had a far greater role for the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate, averaging 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 33.2 minutes per game (26 contests), with a shooting line of .563/.438/.767.

The Nuggets issued White a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent, but withdrew it early in free agency, allowing him to sign a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Oklahoma City. Only $600K of that deal was guaranteed, however, making White a logical odd man out when the Thunder faced a roster crunch this month. OKC will remain on the hook for that $600K unless another team claims White off waivers.

Assuming he passes through waivers, White will likely receive interest from teams looking to fill out their two-way contract slots. He won’t be eligible to re-sign on a two-way deal with the Thunder, since his partial guarantee exceeded $75K.

Rockets’ Eason To Miss At Least 2-3 Weeks With Leg Injury

October 22nd, 2023 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets forward Tari Eason appeared in each of the team’s 82 games during his rookie season, but he won’t extend that games-played streak this fall. Head coach Ime Udoka announced today that Eason will be shut down for the next two or three weeks due to a stress reaction in his left leg, tweets sideline reporter Vanessa Richardson.

Eason, 22, averaged 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 21.5 minutes per game in 2022/23, showing promise as a three-and-D wing.

While the Rockets made some veteran additions to their roster this offseason, including forwards Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green, Eason is poised to remain part of the rotation and there has been optimism that he’ll take another step forward. For his part, he expressed some lofty goals this month, voicing a desire to eventually become the NBA’s best defender.

If Eason remain on the shelf for the next three weeks, he’d miss at least Houston’s first nine games of the regular season. In his absence, the club could lean more on wings and forwards like Jabari Smith, Jae’Sean Tate, and Reggie Bullock in addition to Brooks and Green.

Hawks Exercise 2024/25 Options On Johnson, Griffin

October 22nd, 2023 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have exercised their rookie scale team options for the 2024/25 season on forward Jalen Johnson and guard AJ Griffin, the team announced in a press release.

The moves had been expected, given the relatively modest cost of Johnson’s and Griffin’s ’24/25 option salaries. Johnson’s fourth-year option is worth $4,510,905, while Griffin will earn $3,889,920 in his third NBA season. Those salaries are now fully guaranteed.

Johnson, who will turn 22 in December, emerged as a regular rotation player for Atlanta in 2022/23, averaging 5.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 14.9 minutes per game across 70 appearances. He’s expected to take on a more prominent role this fall following the offseason trade of John Collins.

Exercising Johnson’s fourth-year option means the Hawks will have the ability to sign him to a rookie scale extension next summer. If he doesn’t sign a new deal at that point, the former Duke standout will become eligible for restricted free agency in 2025.

As for Griffin, he had a promising rookie year that saw him average 8.9 PPG on .465/.390/.894 shooting in 72 games (19.5 MPG). Another ex-Blue Devil, the 20-year-old has a fourth-year option worth $5,967,137 for the 2025/26 season — Atlanta will have to decide by next October 31 whether to pick it up.

The full list of 2024/25 rookie scale team options decisions can be found right here.

Heat Notes: Smith, Point Guards, Starting Five, Martin

October 22nd, 2023 at 1:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dru Smith‘s persistence finally paid off Saturday as the Heat rewarded him with a standard contract, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The 25-year-old guard has signed several two-way deals since going undrafted out of Missouri in 2021, but this is the first standard contract of his career.

Smith was in his third straight training camp and preseason with the team, Chiang notes. His first season was spent in the G League as part of the Heat’s player development system. He signed a two-way contract with Miami last offseason, got a two-way deal with Brooklyn in January after being released and returned to the Heat on another two-way contract in July.

“I think it’s just, one, their developmental program, and two, just the way that they go at things,” Smith said in explaining his loyalty to the organization. “I think that they give you real opportunities no matter what your name is, no matter where you came from. I think that they truly evaluate talent and evaluate how you affect winning. If you’re doing that in a positive way, then you’re going to get a chance to play.”

Smith is set to make the league minimum of $1.7MM this season, Chiang adds, but his two-year contract will be non-guaranteed beyond a $425K guarantee on opening night. Smith and Orlando Robinson are the team’s only players without fully guaranteed deals before the league-wide guarantee date of January 10.

There’s more from Miami:

Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel believes the team’s need for insurance at point guard was behind the decision to give Smith a standard deal instead of Jamal Cain. The Heat don’t have a natural point guard to back up Kyle Lowry, so that role appears likely to fall to Josh Richardson, with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin and Tyler Herro also helping to facilitate the offense.
The Heat’s new starting lineup of Butler, Adebayo, Lowry, Herro and Kevin Love will play together for the first time when the season opens on Wednesday, Winderman adds in a separate story. Lowry was coming off the bench when Love signed with the team in February, Herro got injured in the first game of the playoffs and Butler sat out the entire preseason.
Caleb Martin played 13 minutes in his preseason debut Friday night and should be ready for the start of the season, Chiang writes for the Herald. Martin missed the first four preseason games due to tendinitis in his left knee.
In another story for the Herald, Chiang lists 10 takeaways from the preseason and considers what they’ll mean for the Heat in the regular season.

Nathan Knight Signs Two-Way Deal With Celtics

October 22nd, 2023 at 12:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:04pm: The Celtics have officially signed Knight to a two-way contract, the team confirmed in a press release. As expected, Boston waived Scrubb to make room for Knight.

10:45am: The Celtics will sign Nathan Knight to a two-way contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 26-year-old big man was waived by the Knicks on Thursday. He signed a two-way deal with New York in July, but wasn’t able to secure a regular season roster spot.

At 6’10”, Knight will provide another big body for a Celtics team in need of frontcourt depth. He appeared in 38 games with Minnesota last season, averaging 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per night. The Timberwolves declined their team option on Knight for the upcoming season and didn’t issue a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Celtics currently have all three of their two-way slots filled with JD Davison, Neemias Queta and Jay Scrubb, but Scrubb suffered a torn ACL earlier this month, making him the likeliest release candidate.

Steven Adams To Miss Entire Season After Knee Surgery

October 22nd, 2023 at 11:37am CST by Arthur Hill

Grizzlies center Steven Adams will undergo season-ending knee surgery, the team announced (via Twitter).

The procedure will address his right posterior cruciate ligament, as “non-operative rehabilitation” failed to fix instability issues in the knee. He’s expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2024/25 season, the team added.

An injury to the knee sidelined Adams in January of last season. He was cleared to take part in training camp and was able to play in two of Memphis’ preseason games, averaging 4.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per night.

According to Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link), the Grizzlies considered knee surgery for Adams after the end of last season, but opted to try the non-surgical approach instead. Cole also speculates that Memphis will be in the market for another big man in light of today’s news (Twitter link).

Memphis used Jaren Jackson Jr. at center in a smaller lineups after the loss of Adams last season. The Grizzlies missed Adams’ physical presence in the middle en route to a first-round playoff exit.

The team already has 15 guaranteed contracts, but will begin the season without Adams, Ja Morant, who will serve a 25-game suspension, and Brandon Clarke, who is rehabbing an injury, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). He points out that Memphis can file for a disabled player exception to replace Adams, which would be valued at $6.3MM, half of his $12.6MM salary. However, the Grizzlies would have to open a roster spot to use it.

Morant can be moved to the suspended list after five games, creating a roster opening, so Memphis may look for another big man rather than a guard to replace Morant. The Grizzlies, who are $17.1MM away from the luxury tax, also have a $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, a $7.5MM trade exception and a $4.5MM bi-annual exception available, according to Marks.