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International Notes: Sneed, Parker, Gobert, Nembhard, Prospects

September 9th, 2023 at 8:38am CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Hornets wing Xavier Sneed signed with Italian club Happy Casa Brandisi, the team announced in a release. This will be Sneed’s first professional experience in Europe.

Sneed, 25, finished last season with Charlotte on a two-way deal before being waived in early August. He appeared in just four games last year, putting up a total of 17 points during that time. Sneed also spent time with the Grizzlies and the Jazz in 2021/22. In total, he has 13 NBA appearances under his belt.

The Kansas State product has spent more time in the G League, mostly with Charlotte’s affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. In 60 regular season career G League games split between Greensboro and Utah’s affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, Sneed averaged 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds.

We have more International Notes:

France had a rough go in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, failing to reach the second round despite having NBA players like Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. France gets an automatic bid for the 2024 Olympics due to being the host country, but was still looking to make an impact in the World Cup. Hall of Famer and French national team legend Tony Parker spoke on the loss, calling it “disappointing,” per Sarah Todd of Deseret News. Parker didn’t specifically call out any players but hinted that big names, including possibly Gobert, could be on the way out, Todd writes. “They are going to have big choices to make,” Parker said. “If you bring back big players like Joel Embiid and [Victor Wembanyama], it has to be complementary with the rest, because it could mean the departure of certain cornerstones, which can make headlines.“
RJ Nembhard, who spent the 2021/22 season with the Cavaliers, is signing with Belgium’s Filou Oostende, Eurohoops reports. Nembhard, 24, is being added to offset the loss of fellow former NBAer Patrick McCaw, whose visa issues are preventing him from joining Oostende, according to Eurohoops. Nembhard has 14 games of NBA experience, mostly while playing on a two-way deal with Cleveland, and totaled 15 points and 12 assists in those games.
The 2023 World Cup was a great opportunity for younger players across the world to get competitive, meaningful minutes early in their career. HoopsHype’s Alberto De Roa takes a look at some of the top prospects from the event, including NBA draftees Rokas Jokubaitis and Gui Santos. Both Jokubaitis and Santos, whose draft rights are held by the Knicks and Warriors, respectively, looked like future NBA rotation pieces, according to De Roa.

Community Shootaround: Nuggets’ Offseason

September 8th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets had a dominant playoff run in 2022/23, going 16-4 to claim their first NBA championship. Led by the brilliance of two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, who averaged a remarkable 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 block on .548/.461/.799 shooting over 20 postseason games, Denver will look to defend its title in ’23/24.

A hallmark of the Nuggets’ success last season was strong team chemistry on both ends of the court, with role players sacrificing individual numbers for the betterment of the team. But Denver used an eight-man rotation during the playoffs, and two of those players — Bruce Brown and Jeff Green — joined new teams in free agency, signing with the Pacers and Rockets, respectively.

That’s why I was a little bit surprised to see an ESPN panel predict the Nuggets to be pretty heavy favorites to go back-to-back in ’23/24.

As the team’s sixth man, Brown played a major role for the Nuggets, with his two-way versatility coming through in key moments. The 27-year-old received far more money from Indiana than the Nuggets could have given him because they only had his Non-Bird rights, so it’s not like they did something wrong. He just got (handsomely) rewarded for his strong play.

Green was a key voice in the locker room and averaged 17.2 minutes per night in the playoffs, but he’s 37 years old and will carry a $9.6MM cap hit for the Rockets this season. That’s a pretty penny for someone at the tail end of their career. Again, understandable why he wasn’t retained, even if he will be missed.

The Nuggets didn’t re-sign veteran guard Ish Smith, who remains a free agent, while Thomas Bryant signed with the Heat. And unfortunately, forward Vlatko Cancar tore his ACL playing for Slovenia at the World Cup, so he’s likely out for the season.

Still, the incredibly effective starting lineup of Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter Jr. remains intact. The Nuggets will also have youngsters Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji back, assuming the roster stays as is. Braun, who was a rookie last season, was the eighth man in the playoff rotation, and will almost certainly have a bigger role in ’23/24.

Denver opted to re-sign veterans Reggie Jackson (two years, $10.25MM) and DeAndre Jordan (one year, veteran’s minimum) to guaranteed contracts. I didn’t love the fact that the Nuggets used their taxpayer mid-level exception on Jackson, but apparently they think he’s capable of more than he showed in ’22/23.

In other offseason moves, Denver signed veteran wing Justin Holiday, and drafted a trio of players — Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson — to round out the roster. Interestingly, while Strawther was the team’s lone first-round pick, both Pickett and Summer League standout Tyson have more guaranteed years (three) on their deals than the former Gonzaga wing does (two).

Denver’s offseason roster is full at the moment, with the aforementioned 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, as well as three players on Exhibit 10 deals. All three two-way slots are filled (by Collin Gillespie, Jay Huff and Braxton Key).

With limited financial flexibility, the Nuggets chose to prioritize continuity, player development and experienced college players just as much as NBA veterans. Will it pay off with another championship? Time will tell.

What did you think of Denver’s offseason? Does the team have enough depth to win another title in ’23/24? Head to the comments to share your thoughts.

Kings Sign, Waive Skal Labissiere

September 8th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 8: The Kings have officially signed and waived Labissiere, per RealGM’s transaction log.

Stockton made a trade this week to acquire Labissiere’s G League returning rights, so he’ll get an Exhibit 10 bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the NBAGL club.

AUGUST 21: The Kings are signing Skal Labissiere to a one-year contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The Labissiere acquisition is for the G League Stockton Kings, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. As Ham explains, the hope is that he’ll join the franchise on an Exhibit 10 contract after a trade with the Mexico City Capitanes (G League) is finalized.

Labissiere hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2019/20 season, when he saw action in 33 games with the Trail Blazers. Labissiere, the 28th pick of the 2016 draft, spent the bulk of his NBA career with Sacramento. He played 106 games for the Kings, including 41 starts.

In the last few years, he has spent time in the NBA G League, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

For his NBA career, he’s averaged 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game in 148 appearances.

Eastern Notes: Giles, Nets, Harden, Bucks Prospects

September 8th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Harry Giles‘ one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Nets includes an Exhibit 9 clause, but not an Exhibit 10, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means Giles likely won’t be a candidate to join the Long Island Nets in the G League if he’s waived by Brooklyn before the season, since he wouldn’t be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus (worth up to $75K). He also can’t have the deal converted into a two-way.

A former first-round pick (20th overall in 2017), Giles was once one of the highest-rated prospects in his class, but sustained a couple of serious knee injuries. The 25-year-old has been out of the league the past two seasons.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Trade talks involving Sixers guard James Harden are reportedly on ice. The team failed to gain traction in negotiations with the Clippers — Harden’s preferred landing spot — and then took him off the market. Still, given his comments about president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, it seems inevitable that Harden will eventually be moved. Which teams might be motivated to pursue Harden if things go awry during the season? Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype cites the Bulls, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers as possible destinations that could make some sense.
Instead of prioritizing veterans like they have the past handful of seasons, the Bucks instead have filled out the back end of their roster with young players. Over at The Athletic, Eric Nehm spoke to draft expert Sam Vecenie to see how MarJon Beauchamp, Andre Jackson and Chris Livingston might fit with Milwaukee in 2023/24. Vecenie likes the defensive potential of second-year wing Beauchamp and 2023 second-rounder Jackson, but writes that both players will have to improve their jump shots to have a shot at regular minutes alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. As for Livingston, who was the final pick of 2023, Vecenie believes the former Kentucky wing is a long-term developmental project who is unlikely to make much of an impact in the NBA, particularly early on.
In part two of their conversation about the Bucks‘ youngsters, Vecenie says he’s high on TyTy Washington‘s offensive upside and believes the 21-year-old guard has a legitimate shot at being converted to a standard contract. A first-round pick last year, Washington was released by Oklahoma City in August after spending his rookie season with the Rockets, later signing a two-way deal with Milwaukee. Nehm and Vecenie also discuss the potential of second-year sharpshooter A.J. Green, who is on a standard deal, and rookie Omari Moore, who is on a two-way contract.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

World Cup Notes: USA, Edwards, Germany, Canada

September 8th, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Steve Kerr once again stressed the high level of international competition following Team USA’s upset loss to Germany, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.

“This is not 1992 anymore,” Kerr said. “Players are better all over the world. Teams are better. It’s not easy to win World Cup or Olympic games.”

Kerr also gave the Germans credit.

“Congrats to Germany, they were fantastic,” he added. “Every time we made a run, they got a great shot, an offensive rebound, a big play. I am proud of my guys, they fought and gave us a chance in the end, but we couldn’t exactly get it.”

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said the team lacked toughness in the semifinal loss, but he refused to use lack of size as an excuse, relays George Efkarpidis of Eurohoops.

“We got out-rebounded all night. … They were more physical than us,” Edwards said.

Here’s more from the 2023 World Cup, which concludes Sunday:

German head coach Gordon Herbert got a three-year commitment from his roster, which is filled with experienced veterans. The group’s continuity showed in the victory, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “I think that helped us immensely,” Magic forward Franz Wagner said. “From the first day we got together this summer, we believed that we’re a special group and we can win against any team.”
Could the three-year blueprint be something the Americans emulate going forward? As Fischer notes, former USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski got three-year commitments from players when he took over in 2005. “I’m not sure how you would do that,” Kerr said. “If you wanna ask the same 10 guys to play every summer, I think that’s very unrealistic. Part of the deal with USAB is you pass the baton to the next coaching staff, the next group of players. It’s different than most countries. But we’re unique in that we have a deep talent pool and a lot of very worthy players. And I think those players and coaches all deserve to have the honor of wearing that USA jersey.”
Despite dropping its semifinal to Serbia, which will face Germany for a chance at gold, the Canadian national team is still determined to defeat the U.S. and claim the bronze medal, according to Barkas of Eurohoops. “It’s very important for the country, the players, the program,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We are very emotional right now, but getting a medal will be very important for us and we know we can still get better. We want to leave this tournament hungry and thirsty for more.”

And-Ones: Parker, Team Assets, 2024 FAs, Pelicans, Hornets

September 8th, 2023 at 4:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

2014 lottery pick and veteran NBA forward Jabari Parker sat down for an extensive conversation with Julian Phillip of Mundo Deportivo about his new pro club, FC Barcelona. When asked if he felt that Barcelona could hold its own against teams in his former league, Parker was effusive in his praise.

“Definitely,” Parker said. “Because we have, essentially, three guys who aren’t just NBA players but main guys. Myself, Sato [Tomas Satoransky] and Willy [Hernangomez], and the experience is there because we’ve been playing professionally for a long time.”

A 6’8″ forward out of Duke, Parker hasn’t suited up for an NBA team since the 2021/22 season, which he split between the Kings and Celtics. As a deep-bench reserve, he averaged 5.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 0.8 APG in just 13 total games.

Parker told Phillip that he intends to focus on how he can help his new club in Spain rather than how he can use the opportunity as a springboard to get back to the NBA.

“I just want to be here,” Parker said. “My most important thing is not skipping steps. And I signed here with the intention of giving my all. I think being in the moment is very important for me.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

The Thunder and Spurs, both of whom possess a variety of draft picks in addition to burgeoning young talent, occupy the top two slots in a fresh ranking of team assets, courtesy of HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan. Gozlan took stock of all 30 franchises’ rosters and future draft picks in making his list.
The fates of aging future Hall of Famers like Lakers small forward LeBron James and Sixers guard James Harden are among some of the top potential 2024 free agent storylines to watch, opines Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. James, who turns 39 in December, has a player option for 2024/25, while Harden is in the final season of his deal with Philadelphia. Harden, of course, is pushing to be dealt elsewhere this year.
The G League affiliates of the Pelicans and Hornets have completed a minor trade. The Pelicans’ affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, has shipped out shooting guard John Petty Jr. and next year’s first-round NBGL draft pick to the Hornets’ affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, for the returning player rights to point guard Jalen Crutcher, per a Swarm tweet.

Poll: Which Teams Will Win World Cup Medals?

September 8th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of World Cup games on Sunday will determine which nations leave the Philippines with medals. The long-awaited U.S. vs. Canada showdown is finally on tap, but that game will be for the bronze medal, not the gold. It’ll be Germany vs. Serbia for the gold, with the loser claiming the silver.

Germany vs. Serbia

Bogdan Bogdanovic has been Serbia’s best player in the World Cup, while Dennis Schröder, Daniel Theis, and the Wagner brothers (Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner) have led the way for Germany.

But both teams are getting important contributions from non-NBA players, including Olympiacos big man Nikola Milutinov (13.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG) for the Serbians and Bayern Munich guard Andreas Obst (10.9 PPG, .457 3PT%) for the Germans.

These are also two squads that have plenty of experience playing together in international competitions, and the chemistry they’ve built paid off in a big way in the semifinals, where they knocked off clubs that featured more NBA talent.

Germany is the only undefeated team in the World Cup and will benefit from the fact that the Serbians are missing superstar center Nikola Jokic. But Serbia only has one small blemish – a two-point upset loss to Italy – on its World Cup résumé and has otherwise looked dominant, winning six games by an average of 25.3 points per contest.

The oddsmakers expect a close one on Sunday, with Germany currently favored by a single point, per BetOnline.ag.

United States vs. Canada

Much has been made of Team USA’s lack of true star power – Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only All-NBA player on either roster in this matchup – but the club has had no problems putting the ball in the basket over the course of the World Cup, making an impressive 53.8% of its field goal attempts, including 40.4% of its three-pointers.

Defense and a lack of size has been the Achilles heel for the United States in this tournament. Despite the shorter (40-minute) FIBA games, the U.S. surrendered 110 points in its second-round loss to Lithuania, then 113 points in its semifinal loss to Germany.

Canada has the offensive firepower necessary to make the U.S. pay for a subpar defensive effort. Besides Gilgeous-Alexander, four other Canadians – RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker – are averaging double-digit points in the World Cup. And in Olynyk and Dwight Powell, Canada has a couple bigs capable of making life difficult for Team USA on the interior.

Still, the U.S. has a deeper, more talented roster overall than Canada, and more ways to win this game. The Americans are the frontrunners to win the bronze, with BetOnline.ag listing them as seven-point favorites on Sunday.

Bulls Sign Quenton Jackson, Max Heidegger To Camp Deals

September 8th, 2023 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed shooting guard Quenton Jackson and point guard Max Heidegger to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Jackson joined the Wizards for training camp last fall after going undrafted out of Texas A&M. He was waived before the start of the regular season, but rejoined the NBA club in February on a two-year, two-way contract. He finished the season with Washington, then was cut in July.

While he played a limited role in nine NBA games for the Wizards, Jackson had a solid rookie year in the G League, averaging 15.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game across 29 regular season appearances for the Capital City Go-Go. He posted a shooting line of .535/.395/.775.

Heidegger, 26, has been playing professionally in Europe since going undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2020, spending team with teams in Israel, Germany, Turkey, and Spain over the last three seasons. He was a lights-out three-point shooter during his college career, making 44.0% of 568 total attempts from beyond the arc, including 67-of-125 (53.6%) as a senior.

Chicago now has 20 players under contract, one away from the offseason limit. That total includes 13 players on guaranteed contracts, two on non-guaranteed deals, two on Exhibit 10 contracts, and three on two-way deals.

Jackson and Heidegger will likely end up playing for the Windy City Bulls, where they could earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Chicago’s G League affiliate.

Pacific Notes: McGee, Warriors, Kings, Vanderbilt, Vogel

September 8th, 2023 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings beat out the Warriors for free agent center JaVale McGee, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who suggests both Pacific clubs were in pursuit of the big man after he was waived by Dallas last week.

McGee’s new deal with Sacramento is only for one year and is worth the veteran’s minimum, but it’s fully guaranteed. It’s unclear whether or not Golden State was willing to offer a fully guaranteed contract to the former Warrior. According to Amick, the Kings envision McGee playing a “significant” role in 2023/24 if he shows he’s capable of handling it.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

The Stockton Kings – Sacramento’s G League affiliate – announced in a press release on Thursday that they’ve acquired Skal Labissiere‘s returning rights from the Mexico City Capitanes in a three-team trade that sent DJ Steward‘s rights to the Maine Celtics. Labissiere has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Kings, while Steward has reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Celtics. This trade will ensure both players are in line to receive their Exhibit 10 bonuses.
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt became extension-eligible on Thursday, notes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Vanderbilt, whose maximum extension would be $75MM over four years, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 if he doesn’t sign a new contract before then.
In a two-part interview with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, new Suns head coach Frank Vogel discussed several topics, including the philosophy he’ll bring to his new job and what he’s looking for in Phoenix’s fifth starter alongside Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Deandre Ayton. “We’ll have a lot of guys that have an opportunity to be that fifth guy,” Vogel said. “The versatility of maybe being able to guard multiple positions or maybe it’s an elite shooter. Maybe it’s just another play-maker. I think we have a lot of guys with a lot of different skill sets and we’ll put a lot of different combinations throughout the year.”

Lakers Sign Four Players To Exhibit 10 Contracts

September 8th, 2023 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have officially signed guards Scotty Pippen Jr., Bryce Hamilton, and Damion Baugh, along with forward Vincent Valerio-Bodon, the team announced in a press release.

All four players received Exhibit 10 contracts, according to the Lakers. Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals that can be converted to two-way contracts before the regular season begins or can make a player eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived and then spends 60 or more days with the team’s G League affiliate.

Pippen, the son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, spent his rookie year in 2022/23 on a two-way deal with the Lakers after going undrafted out of Vanderbilt. He logged just 32 total minutes in six games at the NBA level, but played regularly for the South Bay Lakers, averaging 21.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game across 19 NBAGL regular season appearances.

Hamilton also played for South Bay as an undrafted rookie last season, putting up 14.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG on .514/.385/.679 shooting in 29 contests (28.2 MPG).

Baugh opted to forgo his final year of college eligibility this spring to go pro after spending the last two seasons at TCU and the two before that at Memphis. He made the All-Big 12 second team earlier this year after averaging 12.6 PPG, 5.8 APG, and 4.7 RPG in 29 games (35.0 MPG) for the Horned Frogs.

Valerio-Bodon, a 6’10” forward who is 22 years old, has been playing professionally in his home country of Hungary. He averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG with a .503/.412/.879 shooting line in 30 games (all starts) last season for Sopron KC in the Hungarian NBIA.

The Lakers now have a full 21-man offseason roster. They’re carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts and will likely open the season with an open spot on their 15-man roster to maximize their flexibility. Their three two-way slots are also full, so unless one of the four new additions makes a very strong impression in the preseason, Pippen, Hamilton, Baugh, and Valerio-Bodon are good bets to be waived and to report to South Bay this fall.