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Thunder Waive TyTy Washington Jr.

August 18th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have waived guard TyTy Washington Jr., the team announced today. Washington will clear waivers and become a free agent on Sunday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

The 29th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Washington appeared in 31 games as a rookie with the Rockets last 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 Rockets, apparently viewing Washington as expendable with so many other promising young players on their roster, included him as an outgoing salary-matching piece in the five-team trade that sent Dillon Brooks to Houston via sign-and-trade. The 21-year-old was sent to Atlanta in that deal, then was flipped to Oklahoma City in a salary-dump trade that made Patty Mills a Hawk.

Washington had been a long shot to make the Thunder’s roster, since the team was carrying 20 players on standard contracts and needed to trade or waive at least five of those players before opening night. The fact that OKC has already cut Washington – who was owed a guaranteed $2.32MM salary in 2023/24 – suggests there were no good options for him on the trade market.

While it’s not out of the question that a team will claim Washington on waivers, it seems unlikely, given his negative trade value this summer. A club interested in placing a claim would need to have cap room or a trade exception available to absorb his salary, which eliminates much of the league.

Assuming Washington becomes a free agent, the Thunder would owe him his 2023/24 salary but would be off the hook for the $2.43MM and $4.39MM team options on his contract for ’24/25 and ’25/26. Washington would be eligible for a standard contract with any team except Atlanta and a two-way deal with any team except the Hawks or Thunder.

Oklahoma City now has 20 players under contract — 16 on guaranteed salaries, three (Jack White, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe) on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals, and Keyontae Johnson on a two-way pact.

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contract

August 18th, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

A new addition in the NBA’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the two-way contract is a tool that allows a team to carry extra players beyond the 15 on its standard regular season roster. Players on two-way contracts are eligible to spend up to the entire season in the G League or up to a certain number of games at the NBA level, and can be transferred back and forth between the NBA and NBAGL throughout the season.

The rules for two-way contracts have undergone some major changes since the concept was introduced back in 2017, with the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to some of those tweaks. The league loosened certain restrictions and allowed two-way players to be more available to teams that needed extra bodies during the pandemic — many of those changes have stuck and were ratified in the 2023 CBA.

Given those changes, our glossary entry on the two-way contract is due for an update, so let’s dive in and answer some frequently asked questions about the two-way deal…

Who is eligible to sign a two-way contract?

A player with fewer than four years of NBA experience can sign a two-way contract with a team. Because a player is credited with a year of service on the last day of a league year (ie. June 30), a player with three years of experience is eligible to sign a two-way contract at any time during his fourth NBA season. For instance, a player who is waived halfway through his fourth NBA season is still deemed to have three years of service and could sign a rest-of-season two-way contract.

As part of the 2023 CBA, the league and the players’ union agreed to implement what is informally known as the “Harry Giles rule.” Giles has been on an NBA roster for four seasons, but missed the entirety of his 2017/18 rookie year due to an injury, so he has only actually played in an NBA regular season game in three separate seasons.

The new rule will allow Giles – and any other player who has four years of NBA service but missed one or more of those seasons due to an injury – to sign a two-way contract, assuming the player meets the following criteria:

  1. He has four years of NBA experience (ie. a player with five years of experience who missed two full seasons due to injuries would not be eligible).
  2. He didn’t appear in any regular season or playoff games during his injury year.
  3. During his injury year, he was on a team’s roster for the entire regular season.
  4. He is signing a one-year two-way contract.

Dylan Windler is another example of a player who qualified for a two-way contract in 2023/24, having met the above criteria during his first four NBA seasons. That’s why he was permitted to sign a two-way deal with the Knicks.

How many years can a two-way contract cover?

A two-way contract can be for either one or two years, and can’t include a team or player option.

Although two-way contracts can be for up to two years, a player who has three years of NBA experience can’t sign such a deal, since he’d have four years of service after the first season. As such, two-way contracts for players with three years of experience are limited to one year.

A player also can’t spend more than three total seasons on two-way contracts with the same team. For example, a player who signed two-way deals with a club during his first two NBA seasons couldn’t then agree to a two-year two-way contract with the same team.

How much are players paid on a two-way contract?

The default salary for a full one-year, two-way contract is half of the rookie minimum salary. For example, since the 2023/24 rookie minimum is $1,119,563, the two-way salary is $559,782. No performance bonuses can be included in a two-way agreement.

That two-way salary becomes prorated if a player signs his contract after the regular season has began. Since the 2023/24 regular season is 174 days long, if a player were to sign a two-way deal with 120 days left in the season, his salary would be $386,057 — that’s 120/174ths of $559,782.

A two-way deal signed before the regular season begins can be partially guaranteed for up to the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus amount for that year. In 2023/24, that amount – also known as the maximum two-way protection amount – is $75K.

A team and player can negotiate to have up to half of his two-way salary become guaranteed at the start of the regular season. If the two sides agree to those terms, the player would receive half his two-way salary assuming he’s not waived on or before the first day of the regular season. Each player’s full two-way salary would become guaranteed if he remains under contract through January 7, and each two-way deal signed after that date is immediately guaranteed.

How do two-way contracts work for the teams signing them?

While a player who signs a G League contract to play for a team’s NBAGL affiliate remains an NBA free agent and can be signed away by any other team, a club that signs a player to a two-way deal has the player’s exclusive rights for the life of the contract. He can’t be poached by a rival team.

A team gets up to three roster slots for two-way contracts, and doesn’t need to use salary cap room or a cap exception to finalize those deals. They don’t count against a club’s salary cap.

However, there are some limitations facing teams when they sign two-way contracts. For one, if a club wants to sign a player on an overseas roster to a two-way contract, the NBA team is not allowed to pay that player’s international buyout. Additionally, NBA teams can’t sign players to two-way contracts after March 4 of each season.

How many games can a player on a two-way contract play for his NBA team?

If a player is on a two-way contract, he can be active for no more than 50 regular season games, or a prorated portion of 50 games, if he signs after the regular season begins.

For the purposes of determining the maximum active games for a two-way player who signs after the start of the regular season, the number of days left in the season are divided by the total number of days in the season, then multiplied by 50 and rounded to the nearest whole number.

A team isn’t permitted to have a two-way player active for more than 90 “under-15” games in a season. An “under-15” is any game in which the team is carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, and a team is credited with an “under-15” game toward the 90-game limit for each two-way player who is active.

For instance, if a team with 14 players on standard contracts had all three of its two-way players active for its first 30 games of the season, it would reach its 90-game limit. In order to free up those two-way players to be active for 20 more games apiece, the club would have to sign a 15th player to a standard contract.

If a team wants to keep its two-way player on the NBA roster for more than 50 regular season games, it has to convert the player’s two-way deal into a standard NBA contract, after which he’d no longer count as a two-way player.

Additionally, a player on a two-way contract must have his deal converted to a standard NBA contract in order to participate in the postseason. A player on a two-way deal isn’t playoff-eligible.

How do two-way conversions work?

There are two types of two-way conversions:

1. A player being converted from an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can only be converted to a two-way deal up until the day before the regular season begins.

The player must have an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract in order to be converted to a two-way deal. A player on a non-guaranteed training camp contract that only includes Exhibit 9 (not Exhibit 10) language cannot be directly be converted to a two-way deal and would be have to be waived and then re-signed if the team wants to make him a two-way player.

A player can be waived from a standard contract and re-signed to a two-way deal as long as he meets the service time criteria and isn’t already owed more than the two-way protection amount ($75K in 2023/24) from his team.

For example, although Dalano Banton only has two years of NBA experience, the Celtics wouldn’t be able to waive him and re-sign him to a two-way contract because his deal with the team includes a $200K partial guarantee.

2. A player being converted from a two-way contract to a standard contract

A player on a two-way contract can be converted without his consent. In that scenario, he would receive the minimum salary for the remaining term of his contract. A player on a one-year two-way contract would get a one-year, minimum-salary standard contract, while a player with two years left on his two-way deal would get a two-year, minimum-salary standard contract.

Alternately, the team and player could negotiate new terms that include more than one or two years and/or more than the minimum salary. In this scenario, the club would have to use either cap room or a cap exception to accommodate the terms of the deal. For instance, when the Pelicans negotiated a standard contract with two-way player E.J. Liddell earlier this offseason, they used a portion of their mid-level exception to give him three years.

In a situation where a two-way contract is converted to a regular NBA deal, the typical 15-man roster rules would apply to that player. He could be assigned back to the G League, but he’d continue to earn an NBA salary, since he’d no longer be a two-way player.

Can players on two-way contracts be traded?

Players on two-way contracts can be included in trades. However, they can’t be dealt within 30 days of being signed, and their salaries don’t generate trade exceptions for NBA teams.

In actuality, trades involving players on two-way contracts hardly ever occur. It has only happened twice to date. Johnathan Motley was traded from the Mavericks to the Clippers in 2018 and Julian Washburn was traded from the Grizzlies to the Warriors in 2019.

How does free agency work for a player whose two-way contract is expiring?

Nearly every player completing a two-way contract is eligible for restricted free agency. If his team issues him a qualifying offer by 5:00 pm Eastern time on June 29, he becomes a restricted free agent; if his team declines to issue a qualifying offer by that deadline, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The qualifying offer for a player coming off a one-year two-way contract is equivalent to another one-year two-way contract, with a partial guarantee worth the maximum two-way protection amount ($75K in 2023/24).

However, the qualifying offer looks a little different for a player who has spent the last two seasons on the same two-way contract; who has spent the last two years on two-way deals with the same team; or who is no longer eligible for a two-way contract because he has four years of NBA experience.

The qualifying offer in that case would be for the player’s standard veteran minimum (based on his years of experience) and would be partially guaranteed for the standard/two-way QO protection amount ($90K in 2023/24).

The maximum two-way protection amount ($75K) and the standard/two-way QO protection amount ($90K) will increase at the same rate as the salary cap in 2024/25 and beyond. So if the cap rises by 10%, those figures will also rise by 10%.

A two-way player who is issued a qualifying offer has the same options as a standard restricted free agent. He can sign a standard offer sheet with another team, negotiate a new deal with his current team, or simply accept his QO.

An offer sheet with a rival suitor would have to be a standard deal, not another two-way contract. The same rules that would apply to a standard RFA’s offer sheet apply to one for a two-way player — for instance, it must cover at least two years, and players with only one or two years of experience are subject to the Gilbert Arenas provision.

A two-way player is ineligible to receive a qualifying offer only if he’s a former first-round pick whose third- or fourth-year rookie scale team option was declined.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and information from ESPN’s Bobby Marks was used in the creation of this post.

A previous version of this article was published in 2017.

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Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Offseason Trades

August 18th, 2023 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

As we explored in detail earlier this week, a total of 30 NBA trades have been made so far this offseason. Notable trade candidates such as Damian Lillard, James Harden, and Pascal Siakam haven’t gone anywhere, but a number of big names have been on the move.

Here’s a recap of some of the summer’s biggest trades:

Of the remaining 21 trades made since the end of the 2022/23 season, some may not exactly go down in NBA lore. For instance, the Clippers sending $2.1MM in cash to the Pistons for the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica is unlikely to have a significant impact on either franchise.

There are other under-the-radar deals that could have long-term ramifications though. Perhaps one of the many 2023 second-round draft picks traded in June will eventually emerge as a star. Perhaps relatively minor acquisitions like Chris Duarte (Kings) or Obi Toppin (Pacers) will turn out to be more important than anticipated. Maybe one of the lottery picks a team traded up for – like No. 7 pick Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards) or No. 10 pick Cason Wallace (Thunder) – will become a franchise cornerstone.

The full list of offseason trades can be found right here.

We want to know what you think. Which moves on the trade market did you like the most? Which did you like the least? Those won’t necessarily be two sides of the same deal, since it’s possible for certain trades to be win-win deals. Are there any you think should fall into that category?

Head to the comment section below and share your thoughts on the winners and losers of the offseason trade market so far!

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Mavericks Notes: Green, Hardy, Doncic

August 18th, 2023 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have opened contract extension talks with fourth-year swingman Josh Green, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link). As we outlined earlier this week, Green will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension up until October 23, the day before the 2023/24 regular season tips off.

Green said in Australia earlier this week that it would be “amazing” to sign a contract that would keep him in Dallas long-term, and it appears the two sides have mutual interest in making that happen.

The 18th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Green played a modest role for the Mavs as a rookie and saw a slight uptick in playing time during his second year. But it wasn’t really until 2022/23 that he emerged as an important rotation player for the club, averaging 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 25.7 minutes per game across 60 contests (21 starts). He also shot an impressive 53.7% from the field, including 40.2% on three-pointers.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

  • Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link) breaks down some of the factors that the Mavericks will have to consider as they weigh a possible extension for Green. Signing him this year would make him difficult to trade during the 2023/24 season due to the poison pill provision, and would further reduce the club’s cap flexibility in 2024 and beyond, Townsend notes.
  • Within the same story, Townsend cites a Mavericks official who says that Green and/or Jaden Hardy have been the subject of virtually every trade inquiry the team has received this offseason. Dallas has been “steadfast” so far in refusing to considering moving either youngster, per Townsend, who adds that Green looks like the franchise’s small forward of the future.
  • In his final installment of his player tier rankings, Seth Partnow of The Athletic places Mavericks star Luka Doncic in his “1B” tier, alongside Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid. The only players ranked higher by Partnow are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokic, who occupy the “1A” tier. As Partnow explains, concerns related to Doncic’s defense, conditioning, and ability to play off the ball alongside a second star are holding him back from joining that very top tier.
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International Notes: Landale, Jackson, Kaminsky, James, Loyd

August 18th, 2023 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Rockets center Jock Landale confirmed on Twitter that he won’t be part of the Australian national team that will compete in the World Cup beginning next week. As we detailed on Thursday, Landale suffered an ankle injury during an exhibition game against South Sudan this week.

“Sitting here this morning knowing the Boomers are about to take off to Japan and I’m absolutely kicking myself I’m not right there beside them,” Landale wrote. “All the build up and preparation we go through as athletes just to have it yanked away 12 hours beforehand sucks.

“… Focus turns to supporting them how I can and preparing for this season with the Rockets,” Landale added.

Landale was said to be undergoing an MRI on his injured ankle on Friday. The results of that MRI and a diagnosis have yet to be reported, but hopefully the big man will be back to full health by the time the NBA season begins in October.

Here’s more from around the international basketball world:

  • Former NBA first-round pick Justin Jackson is believed to be receiving some interest from Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv, per a Walla Sport report (hat tip to Sportando). The veteran forward, who has played for six teams since entering the NBA as a 15th overall pick in 2017, appeared in 23 games for Boston in 2022/23. He was traded to Oklahoma City and waived in February.
  • Having signed with the Belgrade-based team KK Partizan, veteran NBA big man Frank Kaminsky noted that he has Serbian roots on his mother’s side and said that he spoke to former Hawks teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic before he agreed to join Partizan. “I called him first when the possibility arose to move to Partizan,” Kaminsky said, per Eurohoops. “He said a lot of nice things about the club and the city, which helped me make the decision to sign the contract.”
  • Appearing on the URBONUS podcast with Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, former NBA guard Mike James confirmed that the plan is for him to remain with AS Monaco alongside new addition Kemba Walker for the 2023/24 season. James – who was rumored to be a Suns target early in the offseason – has one more season left on his contract with Monaco and sounds like he’s looking forward to exploring his options in 2024. “I think for this season, I’m here,” James said. “Free agency is the next summer and we’ll see what happens.”
  • Another former NBA guard who is playing for AS Monaco, Jordan Loyd, is expected to miss at least the next two or three months after undergoing lumbar spine surgery, tweets Urbonas.
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James Harden Thinks Relationship With Sixers Beyond Repair

August 18th, 2023 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

Having returned from China to Houston for his JH-Town Weekend charity event, Sixers star James Harden was asked by KHOU 11’s Jason Bristol whether his relationship with his current NBA team is “beyond repair.”

“I think so,” Harden replied.

Harden’s response isn’t surprising, given that he’s just a few days removed from calling Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a liar and stating that he’ll never again be part of an organization that Morey is a part of.

Still, Harden’s position is worth noting, since it suggests he’s not taking the same route Kevin Durant took in Brooklyn a year ago. Durant reportedly told the Nets last August that they should choose between trading him or firing general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.

Harden, conversely, has offered no such ultimatum to the Sixers and given no indication that he’d be happy to remain in Philadelphia if Morey is dismissed. It’s also possible he believes there’s little chance that 76ers ownership would choose him over Morey at this point and that it’s not a strategy worth pursuing.

Asked by Bristol whether he has an open line of communication with the Sixers and how patient he needs to be as he waits for his trade request to be granted, Harden said he’s “been patient all summer.”

“For me, it’s just focus on what I can control, and that’s working out, staying in shape, and getting ready for a good season,” the former MVP added.

It remains unclear how the standoff between the Sixers and Harden might be resolved. While the veteran guard has no desire to play another game for the team and reportedly doesn’t plan to attend training camp if he’s still on the roster, the organization isn’t making a concerted effort to move him and still expects him at camp.

Both sides have some leverage in the dispute. The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a player who withholds his services for more than 30 days is deemed to have not completed his contract. That means Philadelphia could prevent Harden – who has an expiring deal – from reaching free agency in 2024 if he declines to report to the Sixers for more than a month without the club’s consent.

However, Harden has some recent experience steering himself to a preferred destination without needing to resort to a holdout — he pushed for and received trades out of Houston in 2021 and Brooklyn in 2022. The Sixers also likely won’t want to risk ruining another year of Joel Embiid‘s prime by spending a significant portion of the season dealing with Harden-related drama.

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And-Ones: Clippers, Player Tiers, World Cup, Schedule

August 17th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Tristan Tucker

While the NBA appears to be putting an emphasis on giving teams more rest between games, the Clippers likely won’t be reaping those benefits. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports put together his list of schedule tidbits after today’s reveal, a handful of which involve the Clippers. Helin notes that Los Angeles will travel 50,670 miles next season, the most by any one team. That figure is well above the 47,066-mile trek the Nets, the team that travels the second-most next year, will take on.

The Clippers also have the most instances of having three games in four nights, with 25. The Nuggets have the fewest with 16. Los Angeles also has 10 matinee home games next year, which Helin notes helps explain owner Steve Ballmer‘s desire to build a new arena.

Lastly, Helin notes that the Clippers are included in what he calls the NBA’s “rivalry week,” from Jan. 23 to Jan. 27. That week, the Clippers take on the Lakers while the Heat play the Knicks, and Brooklyn and New York face off.

Helin has other notes on the NBA’s schedule, including Denver having the easiest strength of schedule, though the difference is marginal. The Warriors start and finish the season with big road trips and the Celtics have the most rest-advantage games this season. Helin also writes that, as usual, the NBA didn’t schedule any games during the NCAA’s men’s tournament finals on April 8, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving and Nov. 7 for election day.

We have more notes from around the basketball world:

  • Seth Partnow of The Athletic has been breaking the NBA’s top 125 players into tiers. His tier five included 45 players, his tier four featured 41 players, his third included 21 players and now, he’s revealed his second tier, which encompasses 12 players, from Nuggets guard Jamal Murray to Lakers forward LeBron James. The six players in tier one will be revealed in the coming days.
  • ESPN’s Brian Windhorst appeared on SportsCenter (YouTube link) to discuss the 2023 World Cup Team and how coach Steve Kerr helped construct the roster. Windhorst says that while the team doesn’t have much collective FIBA experience, it has come together quicker than expected due to no questions about individual roles. The Americans are 3-0 in their three exhibition games thus far.
  • With the NBA’s schedule coming out today, writers from both ESPN and Yahoo Sports came together to discuss some of the key matchups and reunions for the coming season. ESPN’s panel debates the most interesting opening week games, the most exciting reunions, and most difficult 10-game stretches, among other topics. The most probable NBA Finals preview matchup was another topic debated by ESPN’s panel and while there was no consensus, the Nuggets, Bucks, Celtics, Suns and Knicks seem to be the early favorites. Meanwhile, Yahoo Sports lists out every noteworthy game this coming season. Highlights include a Jan. 1 matchup between the Rockets and Pistons that features a clash between Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, Chet Holmgren‘s likely NBA debut against Chicago on Oct. 25, and a rematch of the electric Kings and Warriors playoff series from last year on Oct. 27.
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Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, McHale, Harden, Morey, Raptors

August 17th, 2023 at 9:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Kristaps Porzingis‘ plantar fasciitis recovery, though not season-ending, is going to be an extensive process that requires planning by the Celtics, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes. Porzingis’ injury will sideline him for the entirety of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and he’ll be out of commission for at least four-to-six weeks.

The Celtics are no stranger to serious injuries taking place during international play. Just last season, Boston lost Danilo Gallinari for the whole year after he tore his ACL in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. The Italian forward never ended up suiting up for the Celtics. Thankfully, in Porzingis’ case, the Celtics are hopeful history won’t repeat itself.

Weiss writes that the next steps for Porzingis include gearing up for the start of training camp, which his injury timeline syncs up with, and playing in Boston’s preseason games. Even though the timeline seems to work out well for Boston and Porzingis, there is still some cause for concern, Weiss opines.

The Celtics didn’t play Al Horford or Robert Williams on back-to-backs last season, but it would be hard to replicate that system with Porzingis unless Williams is ready to play every night. Boston’s approach to Porzingis’ injury goes beyond simply when he plays, but also how the Celtics are able to utilize him on offense and defense. Having Porzingis drop on pick-and-rolls on defense and allowing him to be a spot-up shooter on offense could prevent the 7’3″ Porzingis from suffering further injuries, Weiss writes.

The Celtics traded long-time rotation piece Marcus Smart to bring in Porzingis, a move with an eye toward raising their floor. According to Weiss, Porzingis should be viewed as a franchise cornerstone and his injury is nothing to take lightly.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • In an interview with Heavy Sports’ Steve Bulpett, former Rockets head coach Kevin McHale offered his perspective on the fallout between the Sixers‘ James Harden and Daryl Morey. McHale coached Harden and worked under Morey at the same time between 2012 and 2015 and gave unique insight into the situation. “James wanted a big extension from Philly, and Philly wouldn’t give it to him, and that’s not a Daryl decision,” Morey said. “Daryl’s got a part of that, of course, but that’s an owner decision. So (Harden) was really mad, saying Daryl lied to him, but, you know, maybe they saw Game 7 against the Celtics (9 points on 3-for-11 shooting in a 24-point loss) and said, ‘I’m not interested in that.’” McHale went on to discuss numerous aspects regarding the situation, including how it impacts Joel Embiid and Nick Nurse, as well as detailing his own experiences with coaching Harden. I recommend reading the interview in full, as McHale delves deep into his personal dealings with both members of the fallout.
  • Weiss also offered his perspective on the situation regarding Harden and Morey, juxtaposing the Sixers and the Celtics. Harden marks the latest player to want out of Philadelphia, joining the likes of Markelle Fultz, Horford and Ben Simmons before him. The Celtics haven’t been faced with such issues in a while, but Weiss writes that they have their own problems to take care of. Malcolm Brogdon and then Smart both felt blindsided by the Porzingis trade, Weiss writes, and general manager Brad Stevens needs to make sure he doesn’t lose his locker room after such incidents.
  • The Raptors have the fewest U.S. nationally televised games in the NBA in the 2023/24 season. Toronto has one TNT game and three NBA TV games. This upcoming season marks the fewest U.S. nationally televised games the Raptors have had in a decade, since the start of the Masai Ujiri era, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
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Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Kennard, Smart, Schedule

August 17th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Grizzlies, like every team in the league, released their schedule for the 2023/24 season on Thursday. This year’s schedule is particularly crucial to the Grizzlies, who are without star guard Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season. Morant was suspended after a video surfaced of the Grizzlies star with a firearm earlier this summer.

We now know when we should expect Morant’s return: Dec. 19. That date marks the first game in which Morant is eligible to return from his suspension, a matchup in New Orleans against the Pelicans. The game between the two Southwest Division foes will be nationally televised on TNT.

Memphis finished each of the past two years as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but Morant didn’t play more than 61 games in either season. The Grizzlies went 20-5 in 2021/22 and 11-10 in ’22/23 without Morant, though the play of former guard Tyus Jones helped allay any concerns about the play of the point guard position. Jones is now a member of the Wizards.

We have more from the Grizzlies:

  • Being without Morant for an extended period of time means the Grizzlies have questions to answer about their rotation. Unlike previous seasons, Jones isn’t there to help take the reins of the point. Dillon Brooks also departed in free agency, leaving Memphis with several possibilities to flesh out the rotation. The Commercial Appeal’s Damichael Cole writes that Luke Kennard is the safest fit to join the starting lineup.
  • Cole notes that players like David Roddy and Ziaire Williams, for example, might be more natural fits from a positional standpoint, but Kennard’s shooting is a known commodity while Roddy, Williams and others are younger and aren’t as projectable. Lineups including both Kennard and fellow Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane had a net rating of +33 and an effective field goal percentage of 59.9% last year in their first round series against the Lakers. Cole also sees Kennard as a good fit next to Marcus Smart, who will join the starting lineup after being acquired this offseason.
  • Smart’s first game as a visitor against the Celtics is on Feb. 4 on ESPN. Smart spent the first nine years of his NBA career in Boston before being traded this offseason in a move that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the C’s. Before being moved, Smart was the longest-tenured Celtic and only Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Draymond Green, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry had spent as much or more time than Smart did with the team that drafted them.
  • In case you missed it, the Grizzlies open up the season at home against the Pelicans. Memphis has 13 nationally televised games in ’23/24.
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NBA Roster Situations To Watch

August 17th, 2023 at 6:26pm CST by Tristan Tucker

NBA training camps are still several weeks away, but rosters for many teams are starting to take shape. Teams like the Pacers, for example, don’t have much work to do in the way of setting their regular season roster. Indiana already has 15 players signed to standard contracts and three more on two-way pacts. Other teams, however, have much more work left to be done.

For most teams, it’s simply a matter of deciding which players are attending an organization’s camp roster or are getting a two-way contract. The Suns, for example, have 15 players signed to standard deals (two of which are not fully guaranteed) but have one open two-way roster spot.

We previously took a look at some teams that are facing roster crunches in late July. Here are other teams who have roster battles worth monitoring and either have to, or seem likely to, make moves to their standard contracts, in the coming weeks:

Dallas Mavericks

While their roster does abide by offseason roster limits — 15 players signed to standard contracts (Derrick Jones Jr.‘s signing is not yet official but is included here) and three signed to two-way deals — the Mavericks still appear likely to make another roster move before the season.

Of course, this is all speculation, but Marc Stein at Substack reported that Dallas is likely to offload JaVale McGee before the start of the regular season. Such a move hasn’t happened yet, so it’s possible he may stick around. However, McGee didn’t pan out last year after signing a three-year, $17.2MM deal in 2022. With Dallas bringing in Richaun Holmes and Dereck Lively II this offseason, it appears there won’t be any playing time available for McGee anyway.

Miami Heat

Like the Mavericks, the Heat have a full offseason roster of 21 players signed to their team. Unlike the Mavericks, however, the Heat don’t follow the NBA’s rules for a regular season roster. Miami has just 13 players signed to standard deals, three two-way contract players and five others signed to training camp contracts.

As The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang notes, the Heat still need to add at least one standard contract player to its 15-man roster. Starting this season, teams can have fewer than 14 standard contract players for no more than 28 total days or 14 consecutive days at a time.

The Heat could always look to promote one of their two-way players, such as Jamal Cain, who reportedly sought a standard contract before re-upping his two-way pact with Miami. Cole Swider, who just signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Heat, is also reportedly going to be given a chance to compete for a standard deal. They could also look to add a player outside their system, like Christian Wood or Kelly Oubre.

Chiang also notes that the Heat could make changes to their two-way deals. Dru Smith and Jamaree Bouyea currently accompany Cain on two-way contracts. Barry Jackson reported that Summer League standout Chase Audige agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with another team (Twitter link), but it’s possible they look to bring him back on a two-way at a later time.

Toronto Raptors

Barring a Pascal Siakam trade, Toronto’s roster looks relatively set. However, a classic roster battle is set to take place between Jeff Dowtin and Garrett Temple. Dowtin spent last season with the Raptors, impressing in stints and averaging 2.4 points and 1.2 assists. The organization signed him to a non-guaranteed deal that becomes guaranteed for $900K if he’s included on the opening day roster.

Temple, a 13-year NBA veteran, signed with the Raptors this summer. Temple averaged 4.3 points across two seasons with the Pelicans. His one-year, minimum-salary deal is fully guaranteed.

There’s always a chance that the Raptors make an additional move outside of those two, but Dowtin and Temple appear to be the most likely to duke it out for a spot on the 15-man roster as of now.

Others

Several other NBA teams have standard roster moves yet to make. The Rockets, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics are among the teams who have 13 or fewer players signed to standard deals.

Houston signed several players to their training camp roster and could be auditioning some for standard spots. Jeenathan Williams, in particular, impressed in limited time with the Blazers last year after averaging 10.6 points in five games.

There’s tons of uncertainty left with the Blazers due to the situation with Damian Lillard. It appears as of now that Portland is keeping its options open in case the team takes in more players than it sends out in a Lillard deal. If Lillard isn’t traded before the season begins, players like Justise Winslow, Kevin Knox and Skylar Mays, who all spent time in Portland last year, could make some amount of sense.

Golden State has a number of different directions it could go in. There are seemingly no reports regarding what the team plans to do with Anthony Lamb, whom Steve Kerr played 19.3 minutes per game. Andre Iguodala hasn’t officially announced his retirement, so it’s technically possible he returns, though that seems unlikely at this point. Lester Quinones or another training camp player could impress enough to earn a standard spot. The Warriors also continue to work out several veterans, including Glenn Robinson III.

The Lakers’ interest in adding another big man to their roster, such as Wood, is no secret. It seems likely that the Lakers will go in this direction sometime before the season. Wood was recently reported to be waiting on a resolution on the Lillard situation before deciding his next steps.

Cleveland is a curious case. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that the Cavaliers could swoop in on P.J. Washington like they did with Lauri Markkanen two summers ago. It’s also possible they promote a two-way player to a standard deal or bring in a different veteran.

Stein reports the Celtics are interested in re-signing Blake Griffin, which would give Boston 14 players on standard deals. Griffin is Boston’s only remaining free agent after Mfiondu Kabengele signed in Greece.

As mentioned, there are also several teams who have more than 15 players signed to standard deals. The Clippers, Grizzlies, Wizards, Spurs and Thunder are among those teams.

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