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Bucks Notes: Middleton, Payne, Beauchamp, Stotts

October 22nd, 2023 at 8:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks forward Khris Middleton, who recently signed a lucrative new three-year contract to remain in Milwaukee, suited up for his lone game of the preseason against the Grizzlies on Friday. Eric Nehm of The Athletic takes a look at the three-time All-Star’s performance.

The 6’7″ vet played scored five points on 2-of-6 shooting across 12 minutes of play, though he did dish out five dimes.

“Felt like I was myself out there,” Middleton said. “Now I just gotta get used to different spots on the floor, the rhythm of the offense (and) the defensive side, too, moving my feet a little bit better. All in all, I thought it was a great night.”

There’s more out of Milwaukee:

New Bucks reserve point guard Cameron Payne exited Milwaukee’s preseason finale with a right thigh contusion, the club’s PR team has announced (Twitter link). Payne’s status for the team’s regular season opener is unclear.
Second-year Bucks forward MarJon Beauchamp is getting a rave review from one very important voice, writes Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Two-time MVP power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo believes that the Yakima Valley College alum flashed plenty of two-way potential with the team. “Giannis just told me, you have to have that aggressive mentality every time,” Beauchamp said. “Especially on a good team like this … my confidence, it’s up and down. But I heard from the big dog now. I got to stay aggressive. I got to keep working.”
Former assistant coach Terry Stotts abruptly departed the Bucks bench just days ahead of the club’s season opener. Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com writes that Stotts, who served as the head coach for the Trail Blazers from 2012-21, was expected to be a major contributor to Milwaukee under first-time head coach Adrian Griffin. “It’s not like Boston dropping [Ime] Udoka last year and putting in [Joe] Mazzulla, but Stotts was supposed to have a big role with [the Bucks’] offense,” a source told Bulpett. “It seemed like he was having trouble adjusting to being an assistant again. He was out for two years, he doesn’t need the money. … Maybe it was just a thing where he just wasn’t feeling it.”

Raptors Sign, Waive Omari Moore

October 22nd, 2023 at 7:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:58pm: The Raptors officially signed and waived Moore, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

11:17am: Omari Moore will be signed and waived by the Raptors as the last Exhibit 10 player for their G League affiliate, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

Because the move will occur today rather than Saturday, Moore will receive one day of salary while being on waivers for the first day of the regular season, Murphy adds. That will push the team about $12K closer to the luxury tax, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old shooting guard was waived by Milwaukee on Wednesday. He signed a two-way contract with the Bucks in July after going undrafted out of San Jose State.

The Exhibit 10 contract gives Moore an opportunity to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Raptors 905.

Pelicans Claim Matt Ryan Off Waivers

October 22nd, 2023 at 6:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

6:37pm: The acquisition of Ryan is now official, per a Pelicans tweet.

4:21pm: Swingman Matt Ryan has been claimed off waivers by the Pelicans, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Ryan, who went undrafted out of Chattanooga in 2020, split his 2022/23 season between the Lakers and Timberwolves. The 26-year-old managed to secure a standard roster spot to start the year with the Lakers, but was cut after appearing in just 12 contests with the club.

Ryan quickly agreed to a two-way deal with Minnesota, but played sparingly for the Timberwolves as well. At the NBA level last year, he averaged 3.6 PPG on . 370/.381/.833 shooting splits, 0.8 RPG and 0.5 APG in 34 total games.

Minnesota issued a two-way qualifying offer to Ryan in June, making him a restricted free agent, and he eventually signed that QO. However, he didn’t claim a regular season roster spot and was waived by the Wolves on Friday.

The Pelicans will take on Ryan’s one-year, two-way contract, and won’t have to make a corresponding roster move, since they had an open two-way slot. Ryan joins Dereon Seabron and Kaiser Gates as New Orleans’ two-way players.

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.