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Mavericks Sign Spencer Dinwiddie To One-Year Deal

August 3rd, 2024 at 10:07am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have officially signed veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie to a one-year contract, according to a team press release. The agreement was previously reported on July 22.

“We welcome having Spencer back with us in Dallas,” Mavericks GM Nico Harrison said in a statement. “Spencer is an experienced teammate, who understands what we are trying to accomplish. His energy, versatility, and playmaking from the guard position adds invaluable depth to our roster and leaves us well positioned going into next season.”

The terms of the Mavs’ agreement with Dinwiddie have yet to be reported. While Dallas could technically offer more than the veteran’s minimum using the mid-level or bi-annual exception, the team doesn’t have a ton of wiggle room below the first tax apron, so a minimum-salary deal seems more likely.

Dinwiddie, 31, was previously a Maverick from 2022-23 for almost exactly one year. He was traded from Washington to Dallas at the trade deadline in February 2022 as part of the return for Kristaps Porzingis, then was sent to Brooklyn at the 2023 deadline as part of the package for Kyrie Irving.

Dinwiddie played well during his first stint in Dallas, averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game across 76 outings (60 starts). He posted a shooting line of .466/.404/.788 during that time — those field goal and three-point percentages are well above his career marks.

The veteran guard was less effective in 2023/24 across 76 appearances (52 starts) for the Nets and Lakers, posting averages of 10.5 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 2.7 RPG in 28.3 MPG while shooting .392/.337/.805.

The hope is that a return to Dallas will help fuel a bounce-back season for Dinwiddie, who still has a home in Texas and whose partner is from the state, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The move also reunites Dinwiddie with Irving — the two guards played together in Brooklyn from 2019-21.

Assuming Dinwiddie’s salary is fully guaranteed, he’d be the 14th Maverick on a guaranteed contract for 2024/25. A.J. Lawson, the 15th man, has a non-guaranteed deal and would need to be waived in order to make room on the regular season roster for veteran forward Markieff Morris, whose return is considered likely.

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Mavericks Sign Jamarion Sharp To Training Camp Deal

August 3rd, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 3: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

AUGUST 2: Former Mississippi center Jamarion Sharp has agreed to a one-year contract with the Mavericks, agent Scott Nichols of Rize Management tells Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Sharp, the tallest player in college basketball at 7’5″, was a part-time starter with the Rebels last season, averaging 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 31 games while playing 15.8 minutes per night. He spent the previous two seasons at Western Kentucky, where he blocked 4.4 shots per game and was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023.

Sharp, 22, played for Dallas in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 2.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in five games.

The Mavericks already have 13 fully guaranteed contracts, along with A.J. Lawson on a non-guaranteed deal and the expected signing of Spencer Dinwiddie, so Sharp will be a long shot to make the roster in training camp. Assuming his contract contains Exhibit 10 language, he will have the opportunity to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K by staying with Dallas’s G League affiliate for at least 60 days.

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Northwest Notes: Williams, Filipowski, Blazers Arena, Henderson, Thunder

August 3rd, 2024 at 9:03am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lottery pick Cody Williams was the Jazz’s most impressive player in the Las Vegas Summer League, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones. Williams displayed an immense skill level there after struggling in the Salt Lake City Summer League. Jones believes Williams should get immediate playing time in the NBA and go through the natural ups and downs of a rookie, rather than being sent to the G League.

Early second-rounder Kyle Filipowski showed enough skill and athleticism to make people wonder why he slid out of the first round, Jones adds. However, the seven-footer had a tough time when he slid over to the power forward spot.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Portland City Council will consider two ordinances to extend a short-term lease between the city and the Trail Blazers’ ‘Rip City Management’ for the Moda Center, according to Aimee Plante of koin.com. The current lease is scheduled to end next year but the proposed agreement would keep the Blazers at their current arena through 2030 with a possible extension into 2035. That would give Portland officials more time to develop a major renovation plan for the Moda Center, the oldest NBA arena to have never undergone a significant upgrade.
  • If the Trail Blazers don’t make any trades before the regular season, 2023 lottery pick Scoot Henderson will likely come off the bench, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). He’d back up Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. Deni Avdija, acquired in a trade with Washington, will likely start at small forward with Toumani Camara backing him up, Highkin writes, adding that the Blazers have an open two-way spot but probably won’t fill it until training camp.
  • The Thunder‘s over/under win total for next season is 56.5, according to BetMGM, the highest among Western Conference teams. The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto believes they’ll surpass that figure. Oklahoma City won 57 games last season and Mussatto considers Alex Caruso a short-term upgrade over Josh Giddey. He also sees major free agent acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein as a better backup center than Jaylin Williams.
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Olympic Notes: Quarterfinals, Holiday, Durant, Giannis

August 2nd, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Six of the eight quarterfinalists have been set for the men’s basketball tournament at the Paris Olympics, with three teams still in contention for the final two spots and the other three teams no longer in the mix.

The U.S., Germany, and Canada are the group winners, while Australia and France have secured top-two seeds in their respective groups and Brazil has clinched one of the two wild-card spots reserved for third-place teams.

The outcome of the Serbia/South Sudan game on Saturday will determine the last two quarterfinalists. If Serbia wins by three or more points, Serbia and Greece will advance to the single-elimination round. If South Sudan beats Serbia or loses by just one or two points, they’ll advance, almost certainly with Serbia. The only scenario in which Serbia would be eliminated (in favor of South Sudan and Greece) is if South Sudan wins Saturday’s contest by 24 or more points.

Puerto Rico, Japan, and Spain have been eliminated from medal contention.

Here are a few more items of interest from the Olympics:

  • Winning Saturday’s game against Puerto Rico by at least five points would assure Team USA of finishing pool play as the top-seeded team, likely creating a more favorable path to the medal round. That’s a priority, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed on Friday, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. “We want the No. 1 seed,” Kerr said. “It gives you the best matchup in the quarterfinals. So if we drop down to two or three — which I think is unlikely, but we’ve got to take care of our business — we possibly have a much tougher opponent.”
  • Veteran guard Jrue Holiday may return to the U.S. starting lineup on Saturday, but he’ll have to be cleared to play first. According to Windhorst, Holiday sustained a minor ankle injury in Wednesday’s game vs. South Sudan and is considered questionable for Saturday’s contest.
  • Kevin Durant has led Team USA in scoring (37 points) and plus-minus (+46) through two games, but he’s comfortable with continuing to come off the bench if that’s what Kerr prefers, Windhorst writes in a separate ESPN.com story. “It’s basketball, it really doesn’t matter who starts,” Durant said. “It’s about really who finished the game, who put their impact on the game while they’re in the game. So I just try to do my best to impact it any way I can.”
  • Although the Greek national team went just 1-2 in pool play and is in danger of being eliminated before the quarterfinals, Giannis Antetokounmpo is savoring his first Olympic experience, which included serving as Greece’s flag-bearer, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I might win another championship (in the NBA). I might win another MVP. Who knows?” Antetokounmpo said. “But I might never carry the flag again.”
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Raptors Sign Bruno Fernando

August 2nd, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Luke Adams

9:30pm: The Raptors have officially signed Fernando, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

7:11am: The Raptors have agreed to terms on a contract with free agent big man Bruno Fernando, a source tells Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).

According to Murphy, it’ll be a non-guaranteed deal that will give Fernando a chance to compete for a spot on Toronto’s 15-man regular season roster. He would assure himself of some guaranteed money by making the team.

The contract won’t include Exhibit 10 language, Murphy adds, so Fernando wouldn’t be ticketed for the Raptors 905 in the G League if he’s waived before the season.

A five-year veteran who was a second-round pick in 2019, Fernando began his NBA career with the Hawks before being traded to Boston in August 2021 and then to Houston in February 2022. He was dealt back to Atlanta in February 2023.

After playing eight games for the Hawks down the stretch of the 2022/23 season, Fernando didn’t play much at all in the first half of ’23/24, appearing in just 13 of Atlanta’s first 49 games for an average of 6.5 minutes per contest. However, he was thrust into a larger role in the second half due to a series of frontcourt injuries, averaging 7.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG while shooting 59.4% from the floor and 70.1% from the line over his final 32 games (18.7 MPG).

Fernando, who will turn 26 later this month, was waived by Atlanta earlier this week before his $2.7MM salary for 2024/25 could become guaranteed.

The Raptors are currently carrying 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, plus Jamison Battle on an Exhibit 10 contract. Once Fernando’s deal is official, the club will have 19 players under contract, including its three on two-way deals.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Toronto bring in another veteran or two besides Fernando to compete for that 15th regular season roster spot.

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Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until January 15

August 2nd, 2024 at 8:20pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed in a separate article, players who signed new contracts as free agents during the 2024/25 league year can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever comes later. That means that nearly every team has at least one player – and often more than one – who won’t become trade-eligible until mid-December.

There’s also a small subset of free agent signees whose trade ineligibility lasts for an extra month. These players all meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.

Listed below are the players who meet this criteria and can’t be traded until at least January 15, 2025. We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months, if necessary.

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Lakers

Miami Heat

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

Toronto Raptors

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International Notes: Caboclo, Galloway, Paschall, Cousins

August 2nd, 2024 at 6:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA first-round pick Bruno Caboclo helped keep Brazil’s hopes for a men’s basketball Olympic medal alive on Friday, leading the team to a 102-84 win over Japan and securing the Brazilians a spot in the quarterfinals. Caboclo racked up 33 points and 17 rebounds on 13-of-19 shooting in 30 minutes of action, making all four of his three-point attempts.

The veteran forward was reported earlier this summer to be at odds with KK Partizan and was said to be on the lookout for an NBA opportunity, but it sounds like he’ll be remaining in Europe for the upcoming season. Caboclo told reporters on Friday that he expects to play for the Belgrade-based club next season and referred to Partizan’s Zeljko Obradovic as one of the world’s best coaches, per BasketNews.com.

As for a potential return to the NBA down the road? The 28-year-old suggested he hasn’t ruled it out.

“I think I still have a little hope of getting into the NBA, but if I don’t, I will not be sad,” Caboclo said. “I’ll keep doing my best and whatever God has for me.”

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

  • Before he joined the Bucks last season, Australian wing Jaylin Galloway signed a three-year contract with the Sydney Kings. Now that he has been waived by Milwaukee, could he be headed back to Sydney? According to Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link), the Australian club has kept a roster spot open in case Galloway returns, though he’s expected to continue exploring potential NBA options and only shift his focus to the NBL if nothing materializes stateside. If he wants to play in the NBL, his three-year deal with Sydney would resume.
  • Former NBA forward/center Eric Paschall has signed with Pistoia Basket, the Italian team announced on Instagram. The former Villanova standout, who was the No. 41 overall pick in the 2019 draft, appeared in 158 total regular season games for Golden State and Utah from 2019-22. This will be his first time playing professionally in Europe.
  • Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins is suiting up for the Zamboanga Valientes of the Philippines for the final leg of the Asian Tournament, according to Kennedy Caacbay of ABS-CBN News. The veteran center has been competing in Puerto Rico and Taiwan in recent years, having not played for an NBA team since 2022.
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Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until December 15

August 2nd, 2024 at 5:28pm CST by Luke Adams

As teams explore the trade market for potential deals to complete their rosters for training camp, there are a number of trade restrictions those clubs must take into account. Most notably, newly signed free agents can’t be dealt until at least December 15.

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a free agent who signs with an NBA team can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever is later. There are also some recently signed players who meet a few specific criteria and can’t be traded until January 15. That list of players can be found right here.

The players who aren’t eligible to be traded until December 15 are listed below.

Players whose contracts haven’t been officially finalized aren’t yet listed below. Players who have the ability to veto trades in 2024/25 are marked with a caret (^). Players on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts are marked with an asterisk (*). Players on Exhibit 10 contracts won’t be listed here unless they make the regular season roster.

We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months as players are signed or waived.

Updated 9-16-24 (8:00pm CT)

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Read more

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Pacific Notes: Jones, Durant, Podziemski, Christie

August 2nd, 2024 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

While Tyus Jones surely expected to sign for more than the veteran’s minimum when he first reached free agency on July 1, he’s thrilled about his new opportunity in Phoenix despite settling for a one-year, $3MM deal. As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes, Jones raved during his introductory media session this week about what he views as an ideal fit with the Suns.

“I’m excited. I’m ready for the opportunity, ready to seize it, but for me, again, going back to the fit. I felt like the fit was perfect,” Jones said. “I’m ready for the season to be here already. I know we got some time, but I just want to hoop. I want to get out there with the guys, build our camaraderie, build our chemistry and ultimately compete for a championship. That’s our end goal.”

Jones told reporters that the Suns did a “great job” recruiting him and that the strength of the roster helped convince him to sign in Phoenix. He’s looking forward to serving as a facilitator within a high-powered offense led by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.

“Just trying to make their job easy,” Jones said of his role. “Last year, I know Book, Brad had to do a lot of playing the one, kind of facilitating, orchestrating the offense. The fact that they can do that, but what they really do is put the ball in the basket and so I know it’s going to be up to me to put them in the right spots. Put KD in the right spots, put Book in the right spots, put Brad in the right spot, everybody.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • It’s unclear if Durant will receive the one-year, $59.7MM extension he’s eligible for before the regular season begins, but Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein tells Rankin that the relationship between the star forward and the organization is in a great place. “The most important thing is Kevin loves being here and we love having Kevin here,” Bartelstein said. “… I talk to (Durant’s manager) Rich Kleiman, who works with Kevin, all the time. Conversations are great not just on extension stuff, but on all things that have been going on.”
  • Appearing on The Dinner Table podcast, Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski made it clear he’s not bothered by the fact that his name has popped up in trade rumors this summer. In fact, he thinks it’s “fun” to see the discourse on whether or not he should be included in an offer for Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, as Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “No one likes to admit it, but everybody sees … the good and the bad,” Podziemski said. “For me, I think the bad can just be used as motivation. Obviously, my name has been in the Markkanen trade a lot, so if the trade doesn’t go through and I’m still here, to have a good second year and be like, ‘Good thing we didn’t trade him,’ would be cool for me.”
  • The Lakers are counting on third-year guard Max Christie to become a more significant part of their rotation as he begins a new four-year, $32MM contract, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. In particular, Christie expects to match up on defense with opponents’ top wing or backcourt scorers and has been working this offseason on building up his stamina in preparation for those assignments. “When you’re guarding the best player, all the actions are being run for him,” Christie said. “You’re running through screens, so that’s tiring. It’s hard. And then, especially if you’re chasing shooters … it’s fatiguing. … I want to keep growing my game, obviously defensively, looking ahead to next season.”
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Celtics Sign Anton Watson To Two-Way Contract

August 2nd, 2024 at 3:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:38pm: Watson’s two-way contract with the Celtics is official, according to the team (Twitter link).

12:39pm: Second-round pick Anton Watson will sign a two-way contract with the Celtics, a league source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old small forward was the 54th selection in this year’s draft after playing five seasons at Gonzaga. He averaged career highs of 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season while shooting 57.8% from the field and 41.2% from three-point range.

Watson played for Boston’s entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, putting up 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games.

Watson is eligible to appear in up to 50 NBA games on his two-way deal, but he’ll likely spend most of his rookie season in the G League given the quality of the Celtics’ roster. Once Watson’s signing is complete, he’ll join JD Davison and Drew Peterson as Boston’s two-way players.

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