NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Former Celtics, Magic Forward Brandon Hunter Dies At 42

September 13th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA forward Brandon Hunter has died at age 42, according to announcements from his college coach Jeff Boals (Twitter link) and the Magic (Twitter link).

A standout at Ohio University from 1999 to 2003, Hunter was selected 56th overall in the 2003 draft by the Celtics. He appeared in 36 games for Boston as a rookie, then was picked in the 2004 expansion draft by the then-Bobcats, who traded him to Orlando.

Hunter played in 31 games for the Magic in 2004/05 before making the move to international basketball. He spent time in Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico, Israel, Turkey, Latvia, Germany, France, and Uruguay between 2006-13. As an NBA player, he averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per night across his 67 appearances (12 starts).

Boals’ announcement refers to Hunter as “one of the best to ever put on the green and white” for the Ohio Bobcats. The former standout forward is still the program’s all-time leading rebounder, having grabbed 1,103 boards during his four college seasons. He averaged a double-double (21.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG) as a senior, earning his third consecutive All-MAC first team nod.

Our condolences go out to Hunter’s friends and family.

Zavier Simpson Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Pistons

September 13th, 2023 at 7:00am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

SEPTEMBER 13: Simpson officially signed with the Pistons on Tuesday, per RealGM’s transaction log.

JULY 27: Free agent point guard Zavier Simpson is signing a one-year contract with the Pistons, Simpson’s agent Daniel Hazan tells Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Sources inform James L. Edwards III of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) that Simpson’s deal will include an Exhibit 10 clause.

The six-footer went undrafted out of Michigan in 2020. He then joined the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, late into the 2020/21 season. Simpson re-joined the Blue for the 2021/22 season. He finally made his NBA debut with the Thunder proper in April 2022, upon signing a rest-of-season deal.

Across his four contests with Oklahoma City, he averaged 11.0 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 1.0 BPG. It remains his only regular season NBA experience to date.

He joined the Magic’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic (now the Osceola Magic), for 2022/23. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 9.0 APG, and 1.7 SPG across 32 contests, all starts, with Lakeland, posting a shooting line of .524/.474/.580. Simpson made the NBAGL Next Up Game as a result of his play last year. Most recently, he played for Detroit’s Summer League squad this month.

Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, announced in a press release that it has acquired Simpson’s returning player rights through a trade with the Magic’s affiliate team, the Osceola Magic. Motor City is trading a 2024 G League second-rounder, plus the returning rights of Reggie Perry and Devontae Cacok, in exchange for Simpson.

The move signals that Simpson’s deal with the Pistons is meant to ensure he receives an Exhibit 10 bonus and that the team envisions him eventually joining the Cruise.

Cavaliers Sign Justin Powell

September 13th, 2023 at 6:59am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 13: Powell’s deal with the Cavaliers is official, according to the transaction log at RealGM.com.

SEPTEMBER 12: The Cavaliers have agreed to sign undrafted rookie free agent Justin Powell, agent George Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Powell played for Auburn as a freshman, Tennessee as a sophomore, and Washington State as a junior before declaring for the NBA draft as an early entrant this spring. The 6’6″ wing was a full-time starter for the Cougars last season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 33.8 minutes per contest (34 games), with a shooting line of .408/.379/.811.

After going undrafted, Powell suited up for the Heat‘s Summer League team in Sacramento and Las Vegas. A June report indicated that he had agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami, but it appears that agreement either fell through or was reported erroneously.

While Scotto’s report today doesn’t include any additional details on Powell’s deal with Cleveland, it seems likely end up signing an Exhibit 10 contract. That would put him on track to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate.

The Cavaliers currently have four open spots on their 21-man offseason roster, so no one would need to be cut to make room for Powell.

Southwest Notes: Porter Jr., Murphy, Williamson

September 12th, 2023 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Porter Jr.‘s NBA career could be over, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Appearing on the NBA on ESPN show (YouTube video link), Wojnarowski noted that the serious allegations against the Rockets guard, plus his past issues, have put his career in jeopardy.

“There’s no question, Kevin Porter‘s future, not just with the Rockets, but in the NBA, is very much in peril,” he said. “These are extremely serious allegations.”

Porter was arrested in New York City on felony charges involving a domestic incident with his girlfriend. The alleged attack on his girlfriend left her with a fractured neck vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye.

The league could place him on administrative leave until its investigation into the incident is complete.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Sports injury expert Jeff Stotts believes the biggest issue regarding Trey Murphy‘s meniscus tear is the possibility of re-injury in the future, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. The Pelicans wing will now be at an increased risk for future meniscus problems, Stotts told Guillory in a Q&A season discussing the injury and the recovery process. Murphy underwent surgery for a partially torn left meniscus last week with a projected timeline of 10-12 weeks to return to action.
Zion Williamson‘s health will be the key to the Pelicans’ season, according to Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The team is built around him and another injury-riddled season could test New Orleans’ patience regarding its current franchise player.
In case you missed it, the Spurs waived Cameron Payne on Monday. Get the details here.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Sixers, Maxey, Tatum

September 12th, 2023 at 9:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have touched base with Immanuel Quickley‘s representatives, but there have been no serious discussions on a rookie scale extension, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.

While talks are expected to heat up in October, there’s some pessimism regarding an extension agreement, Deveney says. Without an extension, Quickley will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Quickley averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists and finished second for the Sixth Man of the Year award last season, but as Deveney points out, the Knicks have an abundance of guards.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Nick Nurse was one of the pioneers of load management during the Raptors’ championship season, when he limited Kawhi Leonard‘s playing time to keep him fresh for the postseason. With the NBA imposing new penalties for load management, Nurse will have to carefully navigate how much he tries to rest MVP Joel Embiid, as well as James Harden if Harden remains on the Sixers, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Embiid has publicly acknowledged that proving his durability has been a personal goal, Mizell notes.
Tyrese Maxey has already dramatically improved his shooting during his short NBA career. If he can do the same as a play-maker, then the Sixers can search for a third wheel to join him and Embiid, rather than finding another guard to run the show. That could make next year’s free agent class much more enticing, since the Sixers are positioned to have more cap space than any other team, Derek Bodner of Allphly.com writes.
Could Jayson Tatum eventually carve out a space on the Celtics’ Mount Rushmore, as he openly expressed a desire to accomplish? Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explores that topic, opining that Bill Russell, Larry Bird and John Havlicek would occupy the first three spots. Forsberg writes that delivering titles, and staying in Boston long-term, would boost Tatum’s candidacy.

Kings Waive Nerlens Noel, Neemias Queta

September 12th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:12pm: The duo has officially been waived, according to a team press release.

5:02pm: The Kings are waiving centers Nerlens Noel and Neemias Queta, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Both big men were signed by Sacramento this offseason to partially guaranteed one-year deals, but the Kings subsequently signed JaVale McGee to a guaranteed one-year deal after he cleared waivers.

The Kings want to give Noel and Queta an opportunity to hook on with another organization before training camp rather than hanging onto them and then waiving them shortly before the season begins.

Noel was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal as a free agent this summer. He received a $300K guarantee, which would have increased to $600K if he made the 15-man opening night roster.

Noel has appeared in 467 career regular season games since being drafted sixth overall in 2013 but didn’t play much in 2022/23. After being traded from New York to Detroit during the 2022 offseason, the 29-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Pistons, who bought him out at the end of February. He signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn and played in three games for the Nets, but didn’t get a second 10-day and finished the season as a free agent.

The Kings signed Queta to a two-year, minimum-salary contract. His $2,019,706 salary for the upcoming season included a $250K guarantee, while the second season was non-guaranteed. The guarantee for the upcoming season would have doubled if he was on the opening night roster.

Queta has been on Sacramento’s roster the past two seasons, appearing in a total of 20 NBA games. The 7’0” Queta was a second-round pick in 2021 out of Utah State.

Noel and Queta were projected to fight for one roster spot as the No. 3 center behind Domantas Sabonis and Alex Len. That changed when the Mavericks waived McGee and the Kings signed him after he cleared waivers. Sacramento has 14 guaranteed contracts and could explore other options, or just leave open the 15th roster spot.

Kings Sign Jordan Ford To Camp Deal

September 12th, 2023 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

9:11pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

8:11pm: The Kings are bringing back guard Jordan Ford on an Exhibit 10 contract, Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets.

Ford was on Sacramento’s camp roster last season but he was waived in mid-October.

Undrafted out of St. Mary’s in 2020, Ford started 32 games last season for the G League’s Stockton Kings. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.6 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. He also appeared in six Summer League games for Sacramento, averaging 14.2 points and 5.0 assists in 27.7 minutes.

If he’s waived before the season starts, Ford could earn a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton. The Kings could also convert his contract to a two-way deal. Sacramento has one two-way slot available, as our roster counts page shows.

Magic Sign Trevelin Queen, Brandon Williams

September 12th, 2023 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic have signed free agents Trevelin Queen and Brandon Williams, according to a team press release.

Queen’s agreement with Orlando was previously reported. He received an Exhibit 10 contract and Williams’ contract mirrors Queen’s deal, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.

If they are waived before the season starts, both players could earn bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, the team’s G League affiliate.

The camp additions will give the Magic 19 players on their roster, including two-way deals. They can carry 21 players into camp, so more signings are likely to be completed. They have a two-way deal available, so it’s possible Queen or Williams could have their contract converted to that slot.

Queen, a 6’6” swingman, played in seven games last season for the Pacers, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game. He also appeared in 24 games (15 starts) with Fort Wayne of the NBA G League, averaging 22.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 34.3 minutes per game.

Queen has also played in 17 career NBA regular season games with Houston and Indiana. During the 2021/22 season, Queen was named NBA G League Most Valuable Player and led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the G League championship.

Williams, a 6’2” guard, played in 27 games (25 starts) last season with College Park of the NBA G League, averaging 19.8 points and 5.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.

Williams played in 24 career NBA regular season games with Portland, averaging 12.9 points and 3.9 assists in 26.7 minutes during the 2021/22 season.

Thunder Close To Securing New Arena

September 12th, 2023 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder are close to getting a new home.

A plan has been finalized to construct a new downtown arena that will keep them in Oklahoma City until at least 2050, according to an Oklahoma City government press release. The city and the Thunder plan to open the arena for the 2029/2030 NBA season, if not sooner.

The plan for the new arena and the commitment from the Thunder is conditional on passage by Oklahoma City voters on December 12 of a temporary one-cent sales tax. A simple majority of Oklahoma City’s city council is required to call for the December 12 vote, and a simple majority of voters is required for passage.

The Thunder’s current arena, Paycom Center, is the smallest in the NBA by square footage and it has the second-smallest capital investment of all NBA arenas. The project cost for the new arena will be a minimum of $900MM.

The franchise’s owner will make a $50MM contribution for the publicly owned arena. All three of Oklahoma City’s previous downtown arenas have been paid for entirely by taxpayers.

“Perhaps the most important aspect of the deal is the length – this is twice the commitment we received in 2008 and will keep the Thunder here beyond 2050,” mayor David Holt said. “My children will be my age when this agreement ends.”

The Thunder will continue playing at Paycom Center while the new arena is designed and constructed. The Thunder have committed to play their home games in OKC for 25 years in the new arena, provided the voters approve the funding for a new arena and related legal documents are completed.

The current arena opened in 2002.

Draymond Green Believes Warriors Can Still Win Multiple Titles

September 12th, 2023 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

After re-signing with the Warriors on a four-year, $100MM contract, Draymond Green isn’t just trying to one win more title with the franchise — he remains optimistic that Golden State’s current core is capable of making it back to the NBA Finals and winning it multiple times, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes.

“I don’t like to necessarily put a number on things,” Green told ESPN. “But I don’t see why we can’t get two more championships. Why not?”

The Warriors’ playoff loss to the Lakers this past spring represented the first time since 2014 that the team had dropped a postseason series to a Western Conference opponent. Golden State won titles in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, won the West in 2016 and 2019, and missed the playoffs altogether in 2020 and 2021. Green expressed confidence that the Warriors can start a new streak of intra-conference postseason victories in 2024.

“[The Lakers have] done it once, and that’s great,” he said. “Now someone has to do it again and again.
And I don’t foresee that happening.”

Here are a few more highlights from Youngmisuk’s story on Green and the Warriors:

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said he sought out input from Green and the club’s other core players when the front office was considering trading for Chris Paul this summer. “Really anytime we make a big move, whether it’s going to Steph, Klay, Draymond, you want to kind of feel it out and see what they think,” Dunleavy said, per Youngmisuk. “All of them initially, including Chris, sort of had some pause. But then they thought about it and real quick became like, ‘Let’s do this. This is going to be great.'”
As Youngmisuk writes, Green admitted that he didn’t immediately warm to the idea of teaming up with Paul, a longtime playoff foe for the Warriors. However, the idea quickly grew on him, and he’s making it one of his goals this season to help the veteran point guard win his first NBA title. Both Paul and Green are accustomed to being offensive facilitators, but Golden State is confident the two veterans will figure out how to effectively coexist. “The way they’ll fit together is their competitiveness and their intelligence,” Dunleavy said. “We will see how the skill set aligns and anytime you add another player like Chris Paul, I think there’s things you got to figure out.”
While Green has gotten used to the idea of being teammates with Paul, he knows there will still be work to be done to establish chemistry on the court. He says he’s excited about going through that process, according to Youngmisuk. “We’ve gotten together as a team, we’ve kicked it together and the vibe feels great,” Green said. “And I’m a student of the game of basketball and Chris Paul is a master, and I’m looking forward to learning from him.”