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Timberwolves Notes: Garza, Minott, Edwards, Lloyd

October 19th, 2024 at 8:27am CST by Tristan Tucker

Timberwolves center Luka Garza had a dominant college career, but he’s had to take a more patient approach to his NBA tenure. After averaging 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds during his AP Player of the Year senior season, Garza has only appeared in 85 NBA games, with modest averages of 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest.

After impressing in the G League and during limited NBA minutes, Garza signed a multiyear standard contract in July. According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawzynski, Garza is battling several players for the 11th spot in the Timberwolves’ rotation this fall. He got the chance to prove his worth against Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic in a recent preseason game and recorded 29 points and nine rebounds.

“I know how rare these kinds of opportunities come, especially like this. And a chance to play against the best player in the world and start against him,” Garza said. “It’s an awesome opportunity. So I wanted to go out there and do whatever I could do, stay present, stay in the moment and not let it pass by without taking advantage of it.”

Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker appear to be the top rotation options in Minnesota. That leaves Garza, third-year forward Josh Minott, veteran Joe Ingles and rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon competing for minutes this year.

“Luka’s crazy because you watch Luka work every day and he comes in and he works the same,” Dillingham said. “He might not get a chance every game, but he always is ready. It just shows from the weight room to the gym to everybody. Just watching him makes you want to play with him because you know he’s been working.”

We have more Timberwolves notes:

Minott had an impressive offseason and preseason and is among the players pushing for a rotation role, according to Chris Hine of StarTribune. “I’d probably say three-fourths into last year I switched my mental. I used to fear a lot,” Minott said. “Coming into the league, I was scared of messing up, scared of making mistakes. I wanted to be the perfect player. I wanted to impress the coach and all this other stuff. And now it’s just like not only was that not healthy mentally but it wasn’t helping me to stress like that.” Head coach Chris Finch continues to refer to Minott, who averaged 13.0 points in his five preseason games, as an X-factor.
Edwards helped Team USA win the gold medal in this summer’s Olympics and his teammates feel that experience will have a major impact on his 2024/25 season. “I’m not trying to put him as a little bro, but it felt like that,” USA teammate Kevin Durant said, per Hine. “When you wake up in the morning and your little bro got the most energy. That was Ant. It was a joy to be around him.”
An insatiable thirst for knowledge contributed to Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd‘s rise up the ranks of NBA front offices, which helped him land his current position, Krawczynski writes. “He’s one of the most well-respected guys in our profession,” Wolves president of basketball operation Tim Connelly said. “He’s got the acumen and the work ethic and he’s got a wonderful emotional IQ. Someone really smart is going to hire him as their president.“

Spurs Sign Jamaree Bouyea To Exhibit 10 Deal

October 18th, 2024 at 11:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Jamaree Bouyea is back under contract with the Spurs on an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Bouyea signed a two-year, two-year contract with San Antonio back in March and appeared in three NBA game down the stretch of the 2023/24 season. He spent most of ’23/24 in the G League, averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 assists, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.3 blocks in 37.5 minutes per contest across 38 total outings for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Austin Spurs.

The Spurs kept Bouyea around on his two-way deal for much of the offseason, having him play a significant role on their Summer League team in July, but eventually waived him about a month ago, prior to training camp. His new Exhibit 10 deal and an Austin Spurs trade to acquire his returning rights from the Skyforce signal that the 6’2″ guard remains in San Antonio’s plans for the coming season.

In all likelihood, Bouyea will be waived before opening night and will report back to the Austin Spurs, where he’ll be eligible to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with San Antonio’s NBAGL team.

The Spurs now have a full 21-man preseason roster, with cuts to come in the coming days in order to get down to the regular season limit by Monday.

Central Notes: Drummond, Pistons, Bucks, Rivers, Garland, Carlisle

October 18th, 2024 at 11:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Andre Drummond spent the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Detroit, earning a pair of All-Star nods and leading the league in rebounding four times during his tenure with the Pistons. Even though the team only made the playoffs twice during that time and was swept out of the first round in both instances, Drummond looks back fondly on his stint with the franchise and hopes to eventually return.

“I call Detroit home to this day,” Drummond said on the Run Your Race podcast (YouTube link). “I still have a house in Detroit, just because of the connection that I have with the city. I feel like I became a man in that city. … I grew up so much there. I met some of my best friends there. I built a relationship with the fanbase and the community in Detroit.

“I’ve always said it, I want to finish my career there. The year I’m trying to retire, I want to finish in Detroit. Because that’s where I started and I want to finish there.”

Drummond is the second all-time rebounder in Pistons history, behind only Bill Laimbeer. He also ranks third in blocked shots on the franchise leaderboard.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Sam Amick of The Athletic spoke to Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and head coach Doc Rivers to get a sense of why the team is confident it will be better in 2024/25 than it was in ’23/24. “This year, a challenge for me is to be healthy,” Antetokounmpo said. “A challenge for me is to play in the playoffs, to get out of the f—ing first round. Assert myself even more. Every year for me is important because one day, I’m going to be 35 or 36 or 38 and I’m going to be like, ‘Oh, my prime just went, and I wasn’t able to do something.’ So dominate.”
In a separate interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rivers spoke about his enthusiasm for the upcoming season with the Bucks and defended his coaching record, pointing out that he’s constantly been in situations where he knows he’ll be criticized for anything less than a championship. “If you look at my path since leaving Boston, I’ve intentionally put myself in win-or-failure positions, knowing that in a lot of cases that if we fail, it’s on me,” Rivers said. “But if I’ve learned anything from my journey with Boston and how long it took me as a coach to get there, I want that position more than the, ‘Well, we can be fifth seed if some things go right’ position.”
After a trying 2023/24 season that included the death of his grandmother and a broken jaw that left him drinking out of a straw for weeks, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says his “joy is back” ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. Chris Fedor has the story in a subscriber-only feature for Cleveland.com.
A resolution has been reached in a civil lawsuit filed by former agent Jarinn Akana against Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Akana alleged that Carlisle breached their contract by refusing to pay the full commission owed to the agent as a result of his 2018 extension with the Mavericks. A trial had been scheduled for April 28, 2025, but that court date will be avoided as a result of the resolution (the terms of which are confidential).

Bucks Sign Jalen Lewis To Exhibit 10 Contract

October 18th, 2024 at 11:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks signed free agent center Jalen Lewis to an Exhibit 10 contract on Friday, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Lewis became the youngest player ever to turn pro in North America back in 2021 when he signed with Overtime Elite on a multiyear deal said to be worth more than $1MM. He was a 16-year-old high school junior at the time.

Back in 2021, Lewis was ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, but his stock has dipped since then due to his modest results in OTE play. He went undrafted as an early entrant in June and caught on with the Bucks’ Summer League team in July, though he only briefly appeared in one game in Las Vegas.

The plan will likely be for the Bucks to develop Lewis via their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. Lewis’ Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible for a bonus (worth a maximum of $77.5K) if he’s waived by Milwaukee and then spends at least 60 days with the Herd.

The signing of Lewis brings the Bucks’ roster count to 20 players. They’ll have to reduce that number to 18 (15 on standard contracts and three on two-way deals) by Monday at the latest.

And-Ones: Role Players, Mays, JTA, Dekker, Breakout Candidates

October 18th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell is an example of a solid role player on a reasonable contract who has risen in prominence due to the roster building restrictions of the new CBA, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic details. McConnell signed a four-year, $45MM extension this offseason, though only the first two years are fully guaranteed.

“I’ve played the same way, I feel like, since I’ve gotten into the league,” he said. “The people that are best at adapting and changing, especially as role players, are the ones that last. And that’s what I’ve tried to do, play my game, but also adapt and change to what my team needs me to do.”

With stars frequently earning anywhere from 25-35% of the salary cap, and the league’s top spenders dealing with the ramifications of the tax aprons, finding role players who outperform their contracts has become even more important than it was previously, Thompson writes.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Skylar Mays has officially signed a one-year deal with Turkish EuroLeague club Fenerbahce, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. The move was expected, with reports out of Europe stating Mays was expected to be an injury replacement for veteran guard Scottie Wilbekin, who sustained a torn ACL. Mays, 27, split last season with the Trail Blazers and Lakers. Minnesota released him from his Exhibit 10 deal to give him the opportunity to sign with Fenerbahce.
Free agent forward Juan Toscano-Anderson has re-signed with the NBA G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, the team announced (via Twitter). A five-year veteran, Toscano-Anderson spent a little over a month with the Kings last season, appearing in 11 games for 53 total minutes. He spent the rest of the 2023/24 season with the Capitanes.
In an interesting interview with Marc Stein (Substack link), veteran forward Sam Dekker discussed how he’s reinvented his game playing for the London Lions and why the implementation of a new salary cap system has complicated his situation in the British Basketball League. A former first-round pick (18th overall in 2015), the 30-year-old last played in the NBA in 2021 but he hasn’t given up on making it back — he worked out for the Warriors, Sixers and Bucks in June, though none of those sessions led to a contract offer.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists five breakout candidates for the 2024/25 season, including Hornets wing Brandon Miller, who was the No. 2 overall pick of last year’s draft.

Western Notes: Kuminga, Warriors, Fox, McDermott, Thunder

October 18th, 2024 at 10:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Draymond Green has high expectations for teammate Jonathan Kuminga as the 22-year-old enters his fourth NBA season, per Joaquin Ruiz of NBC Sports Bay Area. Asked by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke what would make the season an individual success for Kuminga, Green replied, “All-Star.”

What, specifically, does Kuminga have to do to earn his first All-Star berth?

“Score the basketball,” Green said. “(He) has to be a great scorer. He needs to be above 20 points per game, six (or) seven rebounds a night, and we need to win. Especially if you want to become a first-time All-Star. We know what he’s capable of and we believe in him. … Anything less than an All-Star is a failure for him.”

Kuminga remains eligible to sign a rookie scale extension up until Monday at 5:00 pm Central time, but a Friday report indicated that he and the Warriors are still “far apart” in negotiations and that the former No. 7 overall pick is comfortable with the idea of betting on himself in 2024/25. If Kuminga ends up not getting an extension in the coming days, an All-Star season would certainly go a long way toward securing him a significant payday as a restricted free agent next summer.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

The Warriors announced this week (via Twitter) that they’ll honor the late Jerry West with a “JW” decal on their home court at Chase Center throughout the 2024/25 season.
Speaking to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox expressed a desire to remain in Sacramento for his entire career, but stressed that he wants to be sure the team will be “competing at a high level” and “not just fighting for a playoff spot.” While Fox may end up signing an extension during the 2025 offseason, the prospect of him reaching unrestricted free agency in 2026 remains a possibility if this season doesn’t go as planned for the Kings, sources tell Amick and Slater.
Doug McDermott‘s one-year contract with the Kings is worth the veteran’s minimum and features a $750K partial guarantee, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. The deal, which would pay McDermott approximately $3.3MM for the full season and will count for about $2.09MM against Sacramento’s cap, will become fully guaranteed if the veteran sharpshooter isn’t waived on or before January 7.
Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (subscription required) considers what Isaiah Hartenstein‘s absence will mean for the Thunder in the first few weeks of the season, noting that the team was already dealing with frontcourt injuries to Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams and will have its depth tested in the early going. “We got a great group of guys with Hartenstein and without,” Aaron Wiggins told reporters on Thursday. “Obviously the anticipation of playing with him and Alex Caruso and guys like that was high, but good things come to those who wait. We’ll get better and kind of find things with his absence, but when he returns we’ll be just as fluid and probably ready to go at that point.”
The Thunder experienced another injury scare on Thursday night when Jalen Williams rolled his ankle against Atlanta and exited the game early. However, sources tell Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link) that Williams’ left ankle sprain is “not severe.”

Clippers Signing Tosan Evbuomwan

October 18th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers are signing free agent forward Tosan Evbuomwan, agent George S. Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Evbuomwan, 23, went undrafted in 2023 after starring in college at Princeton. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Detroit last fall, was waived, and started his rookie campaign in the NBA G League with the Motor City Cruise before receiving a 10-day hardship contract from Memphis in late January.

After his 10-day deal with the Grizzlies expired, the Pistons signed him to a 10-day contract and then eventually gave him a two-way deal covering two seasons. However, he was waived two days ago, making him an unrestricted free agent.

A 6’8″ forward, Evbuomwan averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game in 17 total NBA appearances (eight starts) with Memphis and Detroit, posting a shooting line of .507/.375/.680. In 34 G League outings with the Cruise, he put up averages of 15.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 3.8 APG on .554/.361/.754 shooting in 34.2 MPG.

As with many eleventh-hour signings, Evbuomwan likely agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clips to give him a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with their G League affiliate in San Diego. San Diego will need to acquire his returning player rights from the Cruise for that to happen.

The Clippers’ 21-man offseason roster is currently full, so they’ll have to release someone to add Evbuomwan.

Southwest Notes: CP3, Flynn, Pippen, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Hawkins

October 18th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the hundreds of players currently on NBA rosters, only two are older than 39-year-old Chris Paul. While the Spurs point guard’s days as an NBA player may be numbered, he’s still not sure what the next stage of his career will look like, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).

One potential path that intrigues Paul is being part of an NBA team’s ownership group, which he acknowledges is a little ironic, given that he served as the head of the National Basketball Players Association earlier in his career.

“I definitely want to be part of an organization because being the president of the union, I am probably the only guy who knows from being a player to ownership to the business side of it and all that,” Paul said. “There is probably nobody else who has the lens and the views I have.”

NBA general managers recently voted Paul as the active player who would make the best head coach after retiring. While coaching has never been atop CP3’s list of goals, he admitted that he hasn’t ruled out the idea.

“I was talking to my wife today because I have always said I would never coach,” he said. “But just thinking about it, I don’t know. Trying to figure it out. My wife and friends are always telling me I have so much knowledge and love for the game that I could coach. But I also think about being a dad because I have missed so much of my kids’ lives. So, yeah, I don’t know.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Although fifth-year guard Malachi Flynn joined the Spurs hoping to earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster, he knows his non-guaranteed contract makes him more likely to be cut before opening night. In that scenario, he may end up playing for the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate, which is a scenario he’s open to, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio-Express News (subscription required) details. “There’s a history of what (the Spurs) have been able to do with people, if they do end up going to the G League, they have a good success rate at that,” Flynn said. “It felt like a good spot for me.”
Scotty Pippen Jr.‘s new four-year standard contract with the Grizzlies is worth his minimum in all four seasons, for a total of $9,608,931, Hoops Rumors has learned. Memphis used a portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing and gave Pippen two guaranteed seasons, with a $350K partial guarantee in year three. The deal includes a fourth-year team option that would be partially guaranteed for just under $397K if it’s exercised.
With Pippen elevated to the standard roster, the Grizzlies have a two-way slot open ahead of the season. Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal considers the candidates for that spot, speculating that Yuki Kawamura is the frontrunner, with Maozinha Pereira representing his top competition and Armando Bacot and Miye Oni representing longer shots. While those four players are all on Exhibit 10 contracts that could be converted to two-way deals, Memphis could also look outside the organization to fill that two-way opening.
Head coach Willie Green‘s ability to adapt to and maximize an unorthodox Pelicans roster will be a key factor in determining the team’s upside in 2024/25, writes Will Guillory of The Athletic.
Green said on Friday that second-year shooting guard Jordan Hawkins will “absolutely” be part of the Pelicans‘ regular rotation this season, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Hawkins saw his minutes fluctuate during his rookie year and averaged just 7.3 MPG in 14 appearances in March and April.

Rockets Sign Matt Bradley

October 18th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets have signed free agent guard Matt Bradley, the team announced (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).

At 6’4″ and 220 pounds, Bradley has a strong, stocky build for a backcourt player. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .427/.391/.814 shooting over five college seasons at California and San Diego State prior to going undrafted in 2023. He helped the Aztecs reach the NCAA championship game last year, ultimately falling to UConn.

Bradley spent his first professional overseas, having played for the Rostock Seawolves of Germany’s top basketball league, the BBL. In 25 games with Rostock during the 2023/24 campaign, he averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 17.2 minutes per contest.

While the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Bradley almost certainly signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Rockets and will be waived in the coming hours. That would ensure he receives a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s NBAGL affiliate.

Bradley is the 20th player under contract with the Rockets. They’ll need to get down to 18 players to set their regular season roster.

L.A. Notes: Vanderbilt, Knecht, Kawhi, Powell, K. Jones

October 18th, 2024 at 8:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt will be sidelined to open the 2024/25 regular season as he continues to rehab from surgeries on both feet in May, head coach J.J. Redick said on Thursday evening (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin). According to Redick, Vanderbilt will be out at least two more weeks, which means he’ll miss a minimum of five regular season games.

A rangy, versatile defender, Vanderbilt was limited to just 29 games due to foot injuries. Redick said last week that the 25-year-old hasn’t experienced any setbacks in training camp, but he has yet to take part in practice, contact or otherwise.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:

No. 17 overall pick Dalton Knecht showed on Thursday why the Lakers believe he’ll be viewed as a draft-night steal, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Knecht scored 35 points in 32 minutes off the bench, pouring in the Lakers’ last seven points of regulation and their first 13 of overtime. League executives say Knecht fell out of the lottery due to concerns about his age and defensive limitations, per Woike, but he appears poised to open his rookie season as a rotation player in Los Angeles.
Discussing the status of Kawhi Leonard‘s troublesome right knee, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue admitted the star forward experienced a setback at Team USA’s training camp, as Janis Carr of The Orange County Register relays. “The swelling was down, everything was going in the right direction,” Lue said. “He had worked hard to get to the that point and then once you start playing, you never know what’s going to happen.”
Clippers swingman Norman Powell spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com about a wide variety of topics, including his first impressions of the team’s new arena, Leonard’s absence, and being challenged to step up on defense with Kawhi out. “Over the years, there’s been a focus on my scoring part,” Powell said. “But I’m tapping back into my defensive abilities and guarding as a two-way player. I love it. I know I can do it.”
After a strong camp and preseason, big man Kai Jones is set to open the season with the Clippers, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Since the team already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, Jones will likely have his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract prior to opening night, Murray adds.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.