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Pelicans’ Griffin: Player Health Has Been Offseason Focus

September 20th, 2023 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans were vying for the top seed in the Western Conference during the first half of the 2022/23 campaign before injuries to forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram derailed their season, which ended in a play-in tournament loss.

New Orleans didn’t make major changes to its roster this offseason, but head of basketball operations David Griffin said on Tuesday that the team didn’t want to just sit back and hope for better health luck going forward. Instead, the Pelicans proactively explored new strategies to try to keep their players off the injured list.

“What we tried to do this offseason was not sit there and say, ‘Wow, if we could just be healthy, we could be really good,'” Griffin said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Because hope is not a plan. But Mrs. (Gayle) Benson (the Pelicans’ team owner) gave us the financial bandwidth to address this in different ways. We came at it from the medical side. We did some very different things there.”

As Clark has previously reported, New Orleans’ sports and performance team will no longer be led by Aaron Nelson, who was let go this summer. The Pelicans have yet to formally announce the changes made to that team. However, according to Clark, Griffin said on Tuesday that the club has hired a physical therapist and that several players have stayed in town during the offseason to focus on entering the season in the best possible condition.

“I can tell you Zion Williamson has been in our gym more than he has in his entire career in the offseason,” Griffin said. “He has been in New Orleans virtually all offseason, which is different.”

Williamson has spoken this summer about dedicating more time and effort to his conditioning and maintaining healthy eating habits. Griffin’s comments on Tuesday suggested that he noticed a change in the commitment level of the former No. 1 overall pick.

“For us, we have certainly learned over the years what we think works and doesn’t work. But a huge part of that is incumbent on him. A huge part of that is, ‘Is he willing to do what it takes to be successful?’” Griffin said. “I think oftentimes, the people you put around a player are judged for their lack of effectiveness when in reality not everyone is giving the same amount. He has reached a point where he recognizes that and is embracing doing his part.”

As Clark observes, Williamson and Ingram have played just 93 games together since they became teammates in 2019, including only 12 last season. Significantly increasing that number in 2023/24 may be the key to contention for the Pelicans.

“We know we have a group that is talented enough,” Griffin said. “We have a group that has the ability. That has the bones of being a good team. What we also know is we haven’t found a way to put it all together. I think what we need to do is continue to work towards that. And if we get to a point where we’re not going to be able to move forward with the group we have, I feel like we are really blessed from an ownership standpoint. There won’t be an impediment to making us better.”

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Sixers’ Nick Nurse Talks Harris, Reed, Embiid, More

September 19th, 2023 at 11:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly hired Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has been dealt a fairly difficult hand this summer. Star point guard James Harden is angling to be traded away before having played a single game under Nurse.

But Nurse still has a team to coach. To that end, he recently sat down with Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire for a comprehensive conversation about the club.

Here are a few standout moments from the chat, which is well worth reading in full.

On how he’ll integrate power forward Tobias Harris into his system: 

“There’s so much more he could possibly do and I kind of want him to settle in and play this role that he’s capable of playing that he’s got experience playing, but I do kind of want him to dream outside that role or expand outside that role eventually.

“I do keep a pretty loose lid on the roles if that makes any sense because I think there [are] guys — there’s some guys maybe they never shot three-pointers before and they’re not bad and we may need them to shoot more threes or, or whatever it is. [Reserve center] Paul Reed would be a good example for us for that. When we got James and Joel [Embiid] out there, there’s gonna be some open threes. So let’s start to open up their minds a little bit and let’s get working on it, and let’s see what happens. Things like that.”

On improving Reed’s shooting mechanics:

“Yeah, I mean, listen, about day two after I had the job, we went in the gym with Paul Reed and we just tried to start making a couple mechanical adjustments on his shooting form to see if he couldn’t shoot it a little better. It’s really been going good. I think he’s gonna have a good, good season.”

On how he will handle Embiid with regards to the league’s new resting policy:

“I think that we are looking at it maybe a little different than people think we might be. We’re trying to get him to play more games. Our goal is that it’s going up for him, not not the other direction, and some people would say, ‘Oh, that’s playoffs. Is he going to be?’ We’re just trying to get it going the other direction. I think that’s just what our people believe here that he can play and again, knock on wood, cross our fingers, all that stuff. There’s always things that can come up with that stuff, but I don’t know. I believe in the guys playing as much as they can and let’s see what happens.”

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Pacific Notes: Vanderbilt, Lillard, Suns

September 19th, 2023 at 9:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Jarred Vanderbilt‘s new four-year extension with the Lakers has a relatively straightforward structure, as Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (Twitter link). The 6’9″ forward will receive standard 8% pay bumps across each season in the deal.

Vanderbilt will earn $10.7MM in 2024/25, $11.6MM in 2025/26, $12.4MM in 2026/27, and $13.3MM in 2027/28. The final season of the deal in 2027/28 is a player option.

Across 26 regular season contests with L.A., the Kentucky product averaged 7.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.2 SPG while providing his signature versatile, high-motor defense.

Vanderbilt’s impact was dulled during the postseason, where he saw his minutes slashed from 24.0 MPG to 16.5. His output suffered as well. He averaged 4.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 0.9 BPG in 15 games.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

  • During a new conversation on the podcast It Is What It Is from Cam’ron, Ma$e & Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson (YouTube video link), Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard explained why he isn’t interested in playing for his hometown Warriors. “As far as like Golden State, I respect what they’ve been doing over the last eight, nine years or whatever and I’m from there obviously,” Lillard said (hat tip to HoopsHype for the transcript). “But I can’t be a part of that. They’ve won four championships… Like what would I look like going to try to do that and say, ‘Oh I’m joining my home team.’ Like no. It’s somebody that played my position that’s behind LeBron the best player of this era. It don’t even make sense. I never do nothing like that. I’d lose every year before I’d go.”
  • New Suns play-by-play commentator John Bloom spoke at length about his latest gig with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bloom is replacing legendary broadcaster Al McCoy, who previously held the gig for 51 seasons. “My style is an energetic combo of old school nuts-and-bolts hoops description with a unique punch of new school flavor featuring references to hip hop and pop culture,” Bloom said. He is bullish on a star-studded Phoenix team’s 2023/24 season. “As for this Suns roster, are you kidding me?” Bloom said. “Did somebody create this one on 2K and convert it to real life, because it looks like it on paper. I can’t wait to see this group come together and am so pumped to get this show started.”
  • In case you missed it, the Clippers reportedly ceased James Harden trade talks with the Sixers.
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Spurs Notes: 2023/24 Outlook, Wembanyama, Olympics

September 19th, 2023 at 7:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite adding No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs appear set to be a lottery team once again in 2023/24, writes Paul Fogerty of SpursTalk.

As Fogerty notes, San Antonio is anticipated to surpass the 22-60 record it posted last season, but will likely still finish well below .500. Part of the thinking behind that forecast, per Fogerty, is that the makeup of the rest of the club remains fairly unchanged this year.

There’s more out of San Antonio:

  • Bouncing back from the lottery dregs for the Spurs is going to take more than adding Wembanyama, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez and Kevin Pelton opine. The Spurs’ two previous No. 1 picks, Hall of Fame big men Tim Duncan and David Robinson, powered San Antonio to two of the three best single-season improvements in NBA history during their respective rookie years. Duncan led the Spurs to a 36-win turnaround in 1997/98, while Robinson propelled San Antonio to a 35-win shift in 1989/90. However, it’s unfair to place the same expectations on Wembanyama, ESPN’s duo writes.
  • Wembanyama has confirmed that he plans to play for Team France at the Paris Olympics next summer, according to The Associated Press. “Performing well at the Olympics would be a great story,” Wembanyama said. “I’ll be present at the Olympics, and there’s no other goal than gold.” France won the silver medal at the most recent summer games in 2021, but did not advance out of the first round in the FIBA World Cup this summer. “The World Cup was very disappointing,” Wembanyama was quoted as saying on Tuesday. “But I have no judgment to make as I wasn’t there.”
  • In case you missed it, free agent guard Javante McCoy has signed an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the Spurs.
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Southeast Notes: J. Davis, Oubre, Champagnie, Martin

September 19th, 2023 at 5:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Wizards shooting guard Johnny Davis, the 10th pick out of Wisconsin in the 2022 draft, is hoping to make a bigger impact this year than he did as a rookie. While on a lottery-bound Washington team, Davis struggled to crack the club’s rotation for much of the year, ultimately averaging 5.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.0 APG in just 28 contests.

Now, Josh Robbins of The Athletic takes stock of how rival scouts feel about the 6’5″ swingman’s NBA future.

“He’s going to have a little bit more of an intense light on him this year just from an evaluation standpoint because the team’s shifted,” one scout said. “It’s not any of his fault or anything, but he’s going to have to prove that he’s ready to play this year quicker than maybe incrementally getting better and showing progress just because everyone’s going to be a little bit under the gun there.”

“In college, I think he was really competitive, really sure of himself, really assertive on the court,” another scout observed. “He got to his spots, got to situations where he could be impactful and effective. He competed on both ends. And certainly early on (in the NBA), it just seemed like for whatever reason, he didn’t have that same level of confidence, and that impacted him overall.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • Rumored to be a suitor for the veteran forward, the Heat did not make a major push for the services of Kelly Oubre in free agency, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports (Twitter link). Oubre instead signed a minimum contract with the Sixers earlier this week. An athletic 6’7″ wing, Oubre averaged a career-best 20.3 PPG last season with the Hornets, along with 5.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 1.1 APG.
  • Heat training camp invitee Justin Champagnie is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Miami forward Caleb Martin as an unheralded twin wing making an outsized impact on a playoff hopeful, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Caleb Martin’s twin brother Cody Martin has firmly established himself as a key role player for the Hornets. Champagnie’s twin brother Julian Champagnie, meanwhile, is a developing talent with the Spurs. “We talk about basketball a lot,” Justin said of his brother. “He’ll come tell me about his, and I’ll tell him about mine.” The 6’6″ forward isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, but could force the Heat’s hand with a strong training camp and preseason. “It’s good knowing you actually have an opportunity to make the team or get a two-way, to kick-start your career,” Champagnie said. “And that makes you work harder.”
  • In case you missed it, trade talks between the Heat and Trail Blazers for Portland All-Star Damian Lillard remain at something of an impasse.
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Neemias Queta Signs Two-Way Deal With Celtics

September 19th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 19: The Celtics have officially signed Queta to a two-way contract, the team announced on Tuesday in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 16: Free agent center Neemias Queta is signing a two-way contract with the Celtics, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

Queta played three college seasons at Utah State before Sacramento drafted him 39th overall in 2021. He spent his first two professional seasons with the Kings on two-way contracts, appearing in 20 total NBA games for an average of 7.5 MPG.

While his role with the Kings was modest, Queta excelled in the G League with their affiliate in Stockton. In 2022/23, he earned a spot on the All-NBAGL First Team and finishing second in MVP voting. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.9 BPG in 27.7 MPG across 29 regular season appearances for the Stockton Kings.

Queta, who is the NBA’s first player from Portugal, was a restricted free this summer. He ultimately signed a partially guaranteed two-year deal to return to the Kings, but was waived this week after the team signed JaVale McGee to a guaranteed contract.

It’s worth noting that the 7’0″ big man sustained a stress reaction and sprain in his right foot during July Summer League action. However, that was more than two months ago, and clearly the Celtics are comfortable with Queta’s health.

As James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets, Boston could be a good landing spot for Queta. Kristaps Porzingis and Robert Williams have dealt with numerous injuries over the years, and Al Horford is 37. The only other big man on the roster is Luke Kornet, whose contract for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed.

Queta’s two-way deal will pay him $559,782 and will make him eligible to appear in up to 50 regular season contests. Once the signing is official, the Celtics will have 18 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Pacific Division

September 19th, 2023 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster right now, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Pacific Division. Let’s dive in…

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors will likely open the season with 14 players on standard contracts rather than 15 in order to maintain roster flexibility and avoid a higher tax bill. That 14th man may end up being a veteran free agent — Golden State has been working out a number of them and is meeting this week with Dwight Howard.

Until Golden State signs a 14th non-two-way player, the team won’t be able to begin signing its training camp invitees to Exhibit 9 contracts. That’s likely the reason why so many of the Dubs’ reported camp deals haven’t yet been finalized. Once they’re officially under contract, those players could be in the mix for the team’s final two-way slot.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers’ roster could still undergo a partial overhaul if talks for Sixers guard James Harden are rekindled and result in a trade agreement, but nothing seems imminent – or even close – at this point.

If they don’t make a move for Harden, the Clippers’ biggest roster decision this fall might be whether or not to keep Preston around — his salary would become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract through October 1, so L.A. will probably have to make that call before the preseason begins.

If Preston is cut and no trades are made, the Clippers can focus on filling out their 21-man roster with camp invitees and figuring out who will fill the third two-way slot.

Los Angeles Lakers

Like the Warriors, the Lakers appear likely to enter the season with an open spot on their 15-man roster for the sake of flexibility. If that’s the plan, they’re pretty much good to go, with 14 players on standard contracts and all three two-way spots filled.

Phoenix Suns

The fact that the Suns are only carrying 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries means they’re in position to make changes if need be. But Goodwin’s almost certainly not going anywhere — following the trade of Cameron Payne, he’s in line for a significant role at point guard.

Penciling Goodwin onto the opening night roster gives Phoenix 14 players and means the only real decision is whether or not to hang onto Wainright, whose salary is entirely non-guaranteed. Team owner Mat Ishbia has shown no desire to pinch pennies since assuming control earlier this year, so I’d expect Wainright to be on the roster to start the season.

The Suns also have a two-way opening, but they’re the only team without a G League affiliate, so they’re not as incentivized to fill that spot as other clubs would be.

Sacramento Kings

It looked like centers Nerlens Noel and Neemias Queta might be battling for the 15th and final spot on Sacramento’s standard roster. However, after the Kings signed McGee, they waived both Noel and Queta in order to give them an opportunity to catch on with new teams for training camp (Queta has since agreed to sign with Boston).

Unlike many of their division rivals, the Kings aren’t in the tax and could comfortably afford to fill that 15th spot with a minimum-salary player if they want to. I expect that to happen eventually, but it’s unclear whether or not they’ll do it for the start of the regular season.

If there’s no rush to add a 15th man, the Kings’ preseason roster business would consist primarily of bringing in camp invitees and lining up G League bonuses.

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Bucks Notes: Title Window, Payne, G League Moves

September 19th, 2023 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Having re-signed Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez this summer, the Bucks appear to have extended their championship window through at least the 2024/25 season, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes in a mailbag. Nehm views Milwaukee as one of “only a handful of teams” that have the pieces necessary to win a title in the short term.

However, the future of the Bucks’ roster beyond the 2025 offseason is very much up in the air. Lopez’s contract will expire that summer, while Middleton, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and – most importantly – Giannis Antetokounmpo will all be able to opt out of their deals to reach the open market as well. Jrue Holiday has a player option for 2024/25, so he could hit free agency even earlier.

While they’re well over the luxury tax line this season, the Bucks don’t yet have any guaranteed money on their books for 2025/26. So depending on how the next two years play out, it’s possible they’ll be in position to revamp their roster at that point — or potentially sooner. In that scenario, the big question is whether the team would be revamping its roster around Antetokounmpo or whether it would be the start of the post-Giannis era in Milwaukee.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

  • Van Fayaz of BrewHoop.com views free agent point guard Cameron Payne as a good fit for the Bucks’ roster, but acknowledges that it’s not a perfect match, since the club wouldn’t be able to offer Payne more than the veteran’s minimum and already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts on its books.
  • The Wisconsin Herd – Milwaukee’s G League affiliate – has promoted Arte Culver to general manager, according to the team (Twitter link). Culver joined the Herd as the director of basketball operations in 2019 and was elevated to assistant GM in 2021.
  • As we noted earlier today, the Wisconsin Herd also announced (via Twitter) that they’ve traded Jontay Porter‘s returning rights to the Motor City Cruise. In exchange, the Bucks’ affiliate received the returning rights to guard Kyler Edwards and center Jaime Echenique. The Herd immediately flipped Edwards to the Long Island Nets in exchange for the returning rights to guard Bryce Brown and Long Island’s 2023 first-round pick.
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Pistons Hire Hakim Warrick As Scout

September 19th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have hired former NBA forward Hakim Warrick as a scout, reports Mike Waters of Syracuse.com (subscription required). According to Waters, Warrick will operate as an East Coast scout for the Pistons and will be based out of Washington, D.C.

Warrick, 41, was the 19th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He began his career with the Grizzlies and ultimately appeared in 526 career regular season games for Memphis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Phoenix, New Orleans, and Charlotte from 2005-13, averaging 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per night.

The former Syracuse star, who won an NCAA title alongside Carmelo Anthony in 2003 and was named the Big East Player of the Year in 2005, spent time with teams in China, Turkey, Australia, Greece, Puerto Rico, Lebanon, Israel, the BIG3, and the G League after playing his final NBA game.

Following the end of his playing career, Warrick tried his hand at coaching, spending the last two seasons as an assistant for the G League Ignite. He’ll now transition into a position in the Pistons’ scouting department.

In related news, Pistons scout Harold Ellis – another former NBA player – is no longer with the team after accepting a role as the athletic director at his alma mater, Morehouse College, writes Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscription required). Ellis was hired by Detroit in 2020 as a pro personnel evaluator.

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