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Central Notes: Hayes, Bagley, Wiseman, DeRozan, Giannis

August 29th, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons are likely to make at least one more trade before the season commences, James Edwards III of The Athletic opines. Killian Hayes, a 2020 lottery pick, doesn’t have a clear path to a rotation spot and there’s no sense the Pistons are interested in signing him to a rookie scale extension. The front office could also look to move either Marvin Bagley or James Wiseman, as it’s unlikely both will have a rotation spot this upcoming season.

We have more from the Central Division:

The prudent thing for the Bulls to do with DeMar DeRozan is to trade him at February’s deadline to a contender and get future assets, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. DeRozan, 34, is entering his walk year. However, Mayberry anticipates the Bulls will let the season play out and re-sign him, since the front office values continuity.
While big-market franchises like the Lakers and Knicks have been mentioned as potential suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks’ star ever demands or trade or hits free agency, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com found some execs who think his future destination could be a big surprise. They’ve speculated that teams like the Thunder, Spurs and Raptors could be dark-horses if Giannis becomes available. “I think you can’t rule out those kinds of teams,” one unnamed executive said.
The Bucks have added guard TyTy Washington on a two-way contract. Get the details here.

Kings Interested In JaVale McGee

August 29th, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings are interested in signing veteran center JaVale McGee once he clears waivers, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and NBA on TNT tweets.

The Mavericks officially waived McGee on Monday and he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Thursday.

Sacramento has 13 players on guaranteed contracts and two more frontcourt players — Neemias Queta and Nerlens Noel — on partially guaranteed deals. The Kings also have Alex Len behind Domantas Sabonis in the center spot with Trey Lyles another possibility in small-ball lineups.

McGee could join the battle for backup minutes behind Sabonis. He’d be on his ninth NBA team since entering the league in 2008.

McGee signed a three-year, $17MM+ contract with Dallas last offseason, but only spent seven games in the starting lineup and subsequently fell out of the rotation altogether. The 35-year-old averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in a career-low 8.5 minutes per game across 42 appearances during his second stint as a Maverick.

Ben Simmons Eager To “Come Back And Dominate”

August 29th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Ben Simmons is feeling as good as he has in years and is “excited” about the upcoming season, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. A three-time All-Star from 2019-21, Simmons has missed 122 games over the last two seasons due to mental and physical issues and didn’t look his old self when he was active, but he says he “definitely” thinks he’ll be ready for opening night.

“For me to come back and dominate people will be great,” Simmons said. “I don’t intend to come back the same player I was last [season], because that’s not even close to where I am. I get excited because I’m like, ‘Damn, I would [expletive] on the player I was last year.'”

Simmons, who was traded from Philadelphia to Brooklyn during the 2021/22 season following a lengthy holdout, was unable to play for the Nets that year due to back problems. He went under the knife in May 2022 to address a herniated disc and wasn’t fully recovered from the procedure when last season began — he played in 42 games, but was shut down in the second half and didn’t see the court after February 15.

Speaking to Spears, Simmons admitted that he was playing last season when he probably shouldn’t have been and suggested he was trying to “please people” after being sidelined for all of 2021/22. The 27-year-old managed to avoid a second back surgery and underwent an extended rehab process this offseason, which he’s feeling positive about. He said he has been doing 2-on-2 work for the last couple weeks and is progressing well.

“I don’t think people realize how bad it was in terms of physically how I was feeling and what I was able to do on the floor,” he said of his back issues. “… I remember my brother came to watch me work out one day, and he was just like, ‘You’re not OK, are you?’ I was looking at him, I was like, ‘Obviously not. This is not how I should be moving.’ But I’m happy I’m in this place now. I’m grateful I didn’t do anything to have another surgery.

“… Being able to sit down now and not have to lean or slouch one way, it’s kind of crazy for me. But I feel I’m at 100% now. Right now, I’m just building back to where I’m playing. I haven’t played in a while. Just taking hits and getting my body used to that.”

Here are a few other items of interest from Spears’ interview with Simmons:

Simmons says he “100%” wants to be part of Australia’s roster for the 2024 Olympics, assuming the Boomers qualify. “There hasn’t really been a time where I’ve been prepared and ready physically,” he said. “But next year, my goal is to be on the Olympic team.”
Asked if he felt any desire to ask out of Brooklyn last season like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving did, Simmons dismissed the idea: “I love Brooklyn. I don’t have an issue with Brooklyn. For me, I want to get healthy. The only thing I could do was get healthy. I couldn’t complain about anything. I’m in a great city, a great organization, great owners, great coach, great GM. It’s all good people around, and they want to win and do it the right way. Also, I don’t have specific teams I want to go to. This is a job. I’m not going to ask to be put somewhere specific, I just want to play.”
Simmons admitted that his relationship with head coach Jacque Vaughn got off to a rocky start when he was first traded to Brooklyn, but he feels as if he’s gotten closer to Vaughn, who has visited him multiple times in Miami this offseason. “We’re in a great place,” Simmons said. “I speak to him every other day. And I’m excited because I think Coach is great. Great as a person, great coach. That’s the main thing, just being a good human. He can relate to a lot of players, he’s played the game.”
Asked about his 2023/24 position, Simmons indicated that he doesn’t expect to be used as a power forward or center. “Point guard. That’s who I am,” he told Spears, adding that he has talked to Vaughn about his role. “As much as people say, ‘Fix this, fix that.’ No, I’m a point guard. When I was playing at that [high] level, nobody was really saying anything to me.”
Despite the way his tenure with the Sixers ended, Simmons will “always have love for Philly” and even left the door open for an eventual return to the city. “People always ask me like, ‘If you were to get traded again where you want it to be?'” he said. “I always say, ‘Just Philly. Philly is a second home to me.’ And in time, you learn and grow as people. I don’t really have anything bad to say about Philly. It was a crazy situation at the end, but it is what it is.”

Mavericks Officially Waive JaVale McGee

August 29th, 2023 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have officially requested waivers on center JaVale McGee, the team announced today (via Twitter). McGee will clear waivers in about 48 hours, becoming an unrestricted free agent on Thursday.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported a week ago that Dallas intended to waive McGee and use the stretch provision on his remaining salary. As we outlined last Wednesday, August 31 is the deadline to waive a player if his club intends to stretch the player’s current-year salary across multiple seasons.

Assuming the Mavs’ plan to stretch McGee’s salary remains unchanged, that means that instead of counting against the cap for $5.7MM in 2023/24 and $6MM in ’24/25, his cap hits will be spread across five seasons at a rate of about $2.35MM per year. His dead money will be on the team’s books through ’27/28.

McGee signed a three-year, $17MM+ contract with Dallas last offseason, but only spent seven games in the starting lineup and subsequently fell out of the rotation altogether. The 35-year-old averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in a career-low 8.5 minutes per game across 42 appearances during his second stint as a Maverick.

The Mavs shopped McGee in various trade talks throughout the offseason, but were unable to find a taker, given the negative value of his contract. By stretching his remaining salary, they’ll become ineligible to re-sign him until the 2025 offseason, after his deal would have expired.

Dallas reportedly intends to sign free agent forward Markieff Morris to replace McGee on its projected 15-man regular season roster. Prior to signing Morris, the team’s salary is $5.5MM below the luxury tax line, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Reducing McGee’s 2023/24 cap hit will give the Mavs some additional breathing room to maneuver below the tax this season.

Hornets Sign P.J. Washington To Three-Year Contract

August 29th, 2023 at 3:36pm CST by Tristan Tucker

AUGUST 29: The Hornets have officially re-signed Washington, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

AUGUST 26: Restricted free agent forward P.J. Washington has agreed on a new three-year, $48MM deal to stay with the Hornets, LIFT Sports Management agent Kevin Bradbury and Washington Sports Group’s Paul Washington Sr. tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Washington was the only standard unsigned restricted free agent this summer and one of the most prominent available names in all of free agency, ranking 11th on our top-50 list.

There was some concern earlier in the offseason that Washington and the Hornets wouldn’t be able to come to terms on an agreement. Forward Miles Bridges and Charlotte didn’t agree on a long-term deal and he ended up signing his qualifying offer, putting himself on track for unrestricted free agency next year. Washington was believed to have been considering a similar route.

Other teams, such as the Cavaliers, were also monitoring the Washington situation. Now, the Hornets will bring back the 25-year-old on a three-year deal that pays $16MM annually.

Washington is an integral part of the Hornets’ promising young core that includes LaMelo Ball, 2023 No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and more. The Kentucky product averaged a career-high 15.7 points per game last season. The Hornets drafted Washington with the No. 12 overall pick in 2019 and he started 73 games for Charlotte last year.

The Washington signing will give the Hornets a packed roster. He’ll be the 13th Charlotte player on a guaranteed deal, with JT Thor, Kobi Simmons and Frank Ntilikina all signed to non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts.

James Nnaji, the No. 31 overall pick in 2023, hasn’t officially signed (though he may be stashed). The Hornets also have two players on two-way deals (Leaky Black and Amari Bailey), and Angelo Allegri, Tre Scott, Nathan Mensah and R.J. Hunter are all reportedly joining the Hornets on training camp deals. So while Charlotte has some flexibility, there are more moves to come from the Queen City.

Bucks Sign TyTy Washington To Two-Way Deal

August 29th, 2023 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

3:35pm: The signing is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

2:29pm: The Bucks have agreed to sign free agent guard TyTy Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 29th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Washington spent his rookie year with the Rockets, then was included as a salary-matching piece in the five-team deal that landed Dillon Brooks in Houston via sign-and-trade in July. The 21-year-old was sent to Atlanta in that trade before being flipped to Oklahoma City in a salary-dump deal that made Patty Mills a Hawk. The Thunder, facing a roster crunch, waived Washington earlier this month.

Washington appeared in 31 games with the Rockets in his first NBA season, averaging 4.7 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per night. He put up an underwhelming shooting line of .363/.238/.556 in those 31 games.

The former Kentucky standout was more effective at the G League level, averaging 23.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.6 RPG in 18 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. However, he still struggled to score efficiently, making 44.2% of his shot attempts from the field and just 31.7% from beyond the three-point line.

The Bucks, who don’t have much point guard depth behind starter Jrue Holiday, will give Washington a shot on a two-way deal that allows him to be active for up to 50 regular season games. Milwaukee would need to promote him to the standard roster in order to have him active for more than 50 games or for the postseason.

Washington will earn $559,782 on his two-way pact, assuming he remains under contract through the league-wide guarantee date in January. No roster move will be necessary for the Bucks to sign him, since they’re only carrying two players (Omari Moore and Lindell Wigginton) on two-way deals, leaving one spot open.

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 8/29/2023

August 29th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The transcript of our weekly Tuesday chat can be accessed here.

Join Luke Adams for our next live chat on Thursday.

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Hoops Rumors Chats

International Notes: World Cup, France, Embiid, RHJ, More

August 29th, 2023 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Half of the 32 teams in the 2023 World Cup have completed their full slate of three first-round games. Of those clubs, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Latvia will advance to round two.

Spain and the U.S. have also secured spots in the second round based on their groups’ results through two games. Serbia and Slovenia, who are both 2-0, are well positioned to join them in the round of 16. Assuming they both make it through, that would leave four spots up for grabs on Wednesday.

As we wait to see what the full second-round field looks like, here are a few notes from around the international basketball world:

Asked after France’s elimination from World Cup competition whether he’s hoping Joel Embiid commits to playing for the French team in next year’s Olympics, forward Nicolas Batum rhetorically replied with a smile, “Would you say no to the MVP?” (story via Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops). Embiid, a citizen of both France and the U.S. in addition to Cameroon, has been cagey about who he’ll represent in the Olympics, if he suits up at all.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst takes a look at how NBA journeyman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has reinvented himself as a left-handed version of Kobe Bryant, emulating “everything from Bryant’s footwork to his free throw routine to his poses after big shots.” As Windhorst writes, Hollis-Jefferson has modified his game since last playing in the NBA and is hoping his strong play for Jordan at the World Cup will help generate interest among NBA teams. “I’m trying to show that I can compete with the best of the best and bring energy to every game,” he said. “I always admired Kobe’s killer mindset and competitive spirit and I’m trying to learn from it.” As we noted earlier today, Hollis-Jefferson has a deal in place with Philippine team Tropang Giga for 2023/24, but it includes an NBA out.
Following his team’s loss to Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, Angola head coach Pep Claros Canals expressed his displeasure with FIBA’s eligibility rules, including one that allows each team to carry one naturalized player, per Sid Ventura of ESPN. “Each country needs to develop their own players. This is what I think,” Canals said. “There are players that don’t even speak the language of the country that they represent. There are countries which have seven, eight players that were born outside that country.” As Ventura writes, the Dominican Republic didn’t technically have a naturalized player on its roster, but six of its 12 players – including Towns – were born outside of the country.

Pelicans’ Valanciunas Talks Trade Rumors, Zion, More

August 29th, 2023 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas had his name pop up in trade rumors multiple times this offseason. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, New Orleans explored the possibility of acquiring a more switchable center, inquiring on players like Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart. But with training camps just a few weeks away, Valanciunas remains on the roster.

Speaking to Fischer, Valanciunas expressed interest in staying in New Orleans beyond his current deal. And head of basketball operations David Griffin and head coach Willie Green were in Manila on Tuesday to watch the veteran big man play for Lithuania against Montenegro, tweets Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Griffin and Green will also visit with Team USA’s Brandon Ingram during their trip, Fischer notes).

But with lucrative new contracts for young frontcourt players like Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones on the team’s books beginning this season, extending Valanciunas at a rate anywhere near his current $15.4MM salary might be a long shot, Fischer writes.

If the 31-year-old doesn’t sign an extension with the Pelicans, he’ll likely remain a trade candidate throughout the 2023/24 season, since he’s on an expiring contract. However, he tells Fischer he’s not bothered by the fact that his future is uncertain.

“You can’t be safe all the time and sitting and know where you’re going to be the next day,” Valanciunas said. “You have to expect everything. There’s no hard feelings. Trades happen. It’s not like an unusual thing.”

Here are a few more highlights from Valanciunas’ conversation with Fischer:

On his attempts to develop a three-point shot:

“I don’t want to be stretching out. I want to be a down-low player. My main game is going to be in the paint, always. Set screens, roll hard. Do damage inside on the low post. But when they’re plugging the paint, when they’re rotating, when they’re leaving you alone, being able to knock down a three-point shot, this is what I’m still working on.”

On how good Williamson can be when he’s healthy:

“He has the skill set and the first step, which I feel bad for people who’s guarding him. It’s unbelievable things. When you’re just watching him play, you feel like, ‘Wow, what the f–k is going on?’ His power, his highlights, talk for himself.”

On his post-retirement plans:

“I want to have a feel of basketball, no matter what. Playing, doing some other jobs. Coaching, front office. No matter what, I want to be connected to basketball. So that’s what my next step is gonna be.”

NBA’s Top 50 Highest-Paid Players For 2023/24

August 29th, 2023 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, but the 2023/24 salaries for those players vary significantly depending on when the player signed his contract and how much NBA experience he has. That’s why a player like Stephen Curry will earn nearly $18MM more than Darius Garland in ’23/24 despite both stars technically being on max deals.

When a player signs a maximum-salary contract, he doesn’t necessarily earn the NBA max for each season of that contract — he earns the max in year one, then gets a series of identical annual raises. In Curry’s case, his 2023/24 salary actually exceeds this year’s maximum, since the annual cap increases since he began earning the max haven’t kept pace with his annual 8% raises.

Listed below, with some help from Spotrac‘s salary data, are the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2023/24 season. The players on this list don’t necessarily have the contracts with the largest overall value. This top 50 only considers the current league year, with the player’s ’23/24 base salary listed.

Additionally, we’ve noted players who could potentially increase their earnings via incentives or trade bonuses. We didn’t add those notes for players like Curry or Garland, who have trade bonuses but are already earning the maximum — their salaries for this season can’t increase beyond their max.

Here are the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players for the 2023/24 season:

Stephen Curry, Warriors: $51,915,615
Kevin Durant, Suns: $47,649,433
Joel Embiid, Sixers: $47,607,350
LeBron James, Lakers: $47,607,350
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: $47,607,350
Bradley Beal, Suns: $46,741,590
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $45,640,084 (15% trade kicker)
Paul George, Clippers: $45,640,084
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $45,640,084 (15% trade kicker)
Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers: $45,640,084
Jimmy Butler, Heat: $45,183,960 (15% trade kicker)
Klay Thompson, Warriors: $43,219,440 (15% trade kicker)
Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves: $41,000,000
Fred VanVleet, Rockets: $40,806,300
Anthony Davis, Lakers: $40,600,080 (15% trade kicker)
Luka Doncic, Mavericks: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker)
Zach LaVine, Bulls: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker)
Trae Young, Hawks: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker)
Tobias Harris, Sixers: $39,270,150 (5% trade kicker)
Pascal Siakam, Raptors: $37,893,408
Ben Simmons, Nets: $37,893,408
Kyrie Irving, Mavericks: $37,037,037 (15% trade kicker)
- Irving can earn another $2,000,000 in unlikely incentives.
Devin Booker, Suns: $36,016,200
Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics: $36,016,200
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: $36,016,200 (5% trade kicker)
CJ McCollum, Pelicans: $35,802,469
James Harden, Sixers: $35,640,000 (15% trade kicker)
Jrue Holiday, Bucks: $34,954,667
- Holiday can earn another $1,907,040 in likely incentives and $4,401,040 in unlikely incentives.
Darius Garland, Cavaliers: $34,005,250
Ja Morant, Grizzlies: $34,005,250
Zion Williamson, Pelicans: $34,005,250
Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: $33,833,400 (15% trade kicker)
Jamal Murray, Nuggets: $33,833,400
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: $33,386,850 (15% trade kicker)
Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets: $33,386,850
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers: $33,162,030
Bam Adebayo, Heat: $32,600,060
De’Aaron Fox, Kings: $32,600,060
Jayson Tatum, Celtics: $32,600,060 (15% trade kicker)
Deandre Ayton, Suns: $32,459,438
Gordon Hayward, Hornets: $31,500,000 (15% trade kicker)
Chris Paul, Warriors: $30,800,000
Kyle Lowry, Heat: $29,682,540
Khris Middleton, Bucks: $28,703,704
- Middleton can earn another $617,284 in likely incentives and $2,345,679 in unlikely incentives.
DeMar DeRozan, Bulls: $28,600,000
Jaylen Brown, Celtics: $28,508,929
- Brown can earn another $3,321,428 in likely incentives.
Domantas Sabonis, Kings: $28,000,000
- Sabonis can earn another $2,600,000 in likely incentives.
Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers: $27,586,207
Jordan Poole, Wizards: $27,455,357
- Poole can earn another $3,750,000 in unlikely incentives.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies: $27,102,202

The cutoff point for this year’s top-50 list exceeded $27MM for the first time in NBA history, and that cutoff could actually end up even higher by the time the season concludes.

A handful of players who just missed the top 50 have the ability to earn more than Jackson’s $27.1MM base salary if they achieve certain performance incentives and/or cash in on trade bonuses during the coming season.

Here are the players who could break into the top 50 by season’s end:

Tyler Herro, Heat: $27,000,000
- Herro can earn another $2,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
Jalen Brunson, Knicks: $26,346,666 (10% trade kicker)
- Brunson would need to be traded to increase his 2023/24 earnings, which is extremely unlikely.
Julius Randle, Knicks: $25,660,800 (15% trade kicker)
- Randle can earn another $2,566,080 in likely incentives.
Kyle Kuzma, Wizards: $25,568,182 (15% trade kicker)
- Kuzma can earn another $3,000,000 in unlikely incentives.
Cameron Johnson, Nets: $24,456,522
- Johnson can earn another $1,222,826 in likely incentives and $3,668,478 in unlikely incentives.

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