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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.

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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.”
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Cavaliers Sign Tristan Thompson

September 12th, 2023 at 2:25pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 12: The Cavaliers have officially signed Thompson, per NBA.com’s transaction log. His deal includes a partial guarantee, tweets John Hollinger of The Athletic.

SEPTEMBER 11: The Cavaliers are finalizing a contract with free agent big man Tristan Thompson, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It will be a reunion between the two sides, as Thompson spent his first nine NBA seasons in Cleveland after the team selected him fourth overall in the 2011 draft. The 32-year-old was a key member of the Cavs’ championship run in 2016, starting all 21 playoff games and averaging 6.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing solid defense.

It would be shocking if Thompson received anything but a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, considering he barely played at all in 2022/23. He signed with the Lakers on the final day of the regular season, appearing in six of the team’s 16 playoff games for 32 total minutes.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com confirms Charania’s report (via Twitter), noting that the Cavs currently only have 13 players on standard contracts. Teams are required to carry at least 14 players for the majority of the season, so it seems Thompson will hold that spot for now.

Thompson averaged 9.4 points and 8.7 boards over his 619 regular season games with Cleveland. He signed a two-year deal Boston as a free agent in 2020, but only lasted one year, having been traded in August 2021. He played for three different teams — Sacramento, Indiana and Chicago — in ’21/22.

We’ll have to wait and see if Thompson receives any guaranteed money from the Cavaliers. His level of play has certainly dropped off in recent years, but he had some good moments during his brief stint with the Lakers, and he’ll provide frontcourt depth and veteran leadership for Cleveland.

Once Thompson’s deal is complete, the Cavs will have 17 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

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Hawks Re-Sign Trent Forrest To Two-Way Deal

September 12th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have re-signed Trent Forrest to a two-way contract, according to the official transaction log at NBA.com.

Forrest had spent the offseason as a restricted free agent after finishing last season on a two-way deal with Atlanta. The Hawks issued him a qualifying offer that was the equivalent of another one-year, two-way contract, so Forrest may have simply accepted that QO rather than negotiating a new deal. The qualifying offer prevented him from signing outright with a new team.

Forrest, 25 has appeared in 113 total regular season games over the last three years for the Jazz and Hawks since going undrafted out of Florida State. He has averaged 3.0 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per contest over the course of his professional career.

With Forrest back under contract, the Hawks’ roster looks just about set for the regular season — the team has 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts and three (Forrest, Seth Lundy, and Miles Norris) on two-way deals. Atlanta will likely fill out its 21-man preseason squad with non-guaranteed signees before training camp gets underway.

Now that Forrest has re-signed with the Hawks, only two restricted free agents remain unsigned. Both are two-way RFAs: Theo Maledon (Hornets) and Matt Ryan (Timberwolves).

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Rockets Notes: Brooks, Sengun, Landale, Porter

September 12th, 2023 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Dillon Brooks‘ strong World Cup performance for Canada – which earned its first-ever medal at the event – came as no surprise to Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Brooks’ combination of scoring (15.1 PPG), shooting (.588 3PT%), and defense were what Stone was counting on when Houston signed him to a four-year, $86MM contract in July.

“I’m really happy for Dillon,” Stone said. “Largely, he’s the player that we thought we were signing. So, it’s not at all surprising. But it’s great. And more so than any player I can really remember in recent memory, there’s a narrative about him that’s odd and wrong. And I think kind of the whole world over the last week has kind of owned that he’s a really good basketball player.

“The thing he does at a truly elite level, in a funny way is the one thing that every fan and every coach says is the most important thing. Every single day, every single possession, he competes and he’s always ready. And so, it’s kind of funny that that guy, who embodies that ethos, has taken as (much criticism) in the past few months as he has. But I also think … people are going to realize he’s a really good player. And most importantly, he just competes his butt off. Obviously, we really like him. He played like we would expect him to, and we’re really excited to get him back and get him integrated.”

Here’s more on the Rockets:

  • Although Turkey wasn’t part of the 2023 World Cup, Turkish center Alperen Sengun suited up for his national team during an Olympic pre-qualifying tournament this summer. The Rockets liked what he saw from the young center at that event, as Feigen relays. “Alpi is on the path we want him to be on. I thought he was moving really, really well,” Stone said. “I thought his decision-making was good. I liked his defensive effort, overall.”
  • Stone said he expects the entire Rockets roster to be healthy for the start of training camp next month, per Feigen (Twitter link). Jock Landale missed the World Cup due to an ankle injury and hasn’t been cleared for 5-on-5 work, but should be soon, per Stone.
  • Prosecutors at Kevin Porter Jr.‘s arraignment in New York City on Tuesday stated that his alleged attack on his girlfriend left her with a fractured neck vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye, according to Michael R. Sisak of The Associated Press. Manhattan’s assistant district attorney Mirah Curzer referred to the incident as a “serious domestic violence case” and indicated that Porter has a history of abusing his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. The Rockets guard, who wasn’t required to enter a plea during Tuesday’s court appearance, was ordered to post $75K in cash or obtain a $100K bond to secure his release.
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Bulls Sign Henri Drell To Camp Contract

September 12th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed free agent swingman Henri Drell to a training camp contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Drell, 23, has spent the last two seasons playing for the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate. He didn’t have a major role in 2021/22, but became a starter last season, averaging 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 31.3 minutes per night (29 regular season games). He posted a shooting line of .486/.341/.750.

Given that the Bulls specifically described Drell’s deal as a camp contract, he looks like a good bet to be waived prior to the regular season and return to the G League. In that scenario, assuming his agreement includes Exhibit 10 language, he’d be eligible to receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Windy City.

Chicago now has a full 21-man offseason roster. That group includes 15 players on standard contracts (13 guaranteed), three on Exhibit 10 deals, and three on two-way pacts.

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Nemanja Bjelica Signs With Serbian Team

September 12th, 2023 at 10:15am CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 12: Fenerbahce has formally parted ways with Bjelica (Twitter link), clearing the way for him to sign a one-year deal with Crvena Zvezda, which is also now official, per the team (Twitter link).

SEPTEMBER 11: Former NBA big man Nemanja Bjelica appears to have an agreement to join Crvena Zvezda in the Serbian League, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The move was first reported by Serbian media outlet Meridian Sport.

Bjelica, 35, played for Crvena Zvezda early in his career before coming to the NBA. He signed a two-year deal with Turkish power Fenerbahce last summer, but a calf injury kept him on the sidelines until early March and limited him to seven games. He was told last month that he’s not in the club’s plans for the upcoming season.

Bjelica last played in the NBA during the 2021/22 season, appearing in 71 games as a reserve for the Warriors. He averaged 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per night and played an important role off the bench in Golden State’s championship run.

The Wizards selected Bjelica with the 35th pick in 2010 and sent his rights to the Timberwolves in a draft night trade. He spent five more years in Europe before joining Minnesota for the start of the 2015/16 season.

He signed with the Kings in 2018 and was sent to the Heat at the 2021 trade deadline before inking a deal with the Warriors that summer. He appeared in 449 total games with four teams, making 162 starts and averaging 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds for his NBA career.

Bjelica was a highly decorated player in Europe and earned EuroLeague MVP honors in 2015. He has also been a longtime member of the Serbian national team and won a silver medal at EuroBasket in 2009.

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Hoops Rumors’ Lists, Trackers, Features

September 12th, 2023 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to passing along news, rumors, and analysis on a daily basis, Hoops Rumors provides a number of additional features and resources that can be found anytime on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.

Since those links are easy to overlook and aren’t readily accessible to our app users, we want to periodically highlight a number of our lists, trackers, and other features.

For instance, our lists of current free agents by position/type and by team are constantly updated, as are our lists of 2024 free agents by position/type and by team and our list of 2025 free agents.

We have a number of features related to NBA trades, including a roundup of this offseason’s deals, a recap of the trade exceptions currently available to teams, lists of the players who can’t be traded until December 15 or January 15, and details on which players can veto trades in 2023/24.

We have info on how teams are using mid-level and bi-annual exceptions in 2023/24, as well as which clubs are hard-capped and which have open roster spots. Our two-way contract tracker and contract extension tracker provide information on many of the deals signed this summer, while our list of non-guaranteed contracts by team helps provide a more complete picture of each team’s roster.

We’ve got details on how much this season’s maximum salaries, minimum salaries, and mid-level/bi-annual exceptions are worth, as well as more details on the key cap figures for the 2023/24 season.

The Hoops Rumors Glossary provides in-depth explanations on many concepts related to the salary cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement, presented in the simplest possible terms. We’re working on updating the glossary based on the changes made in the most recent CBA.

Many of our features and trackers are cyclical and will be reintroduced as the year goes on. For example, during draft season, we’ll be keeping tabs on all the early entrants for the 2024 NBA draft.

Be sure to check out the sidebar on our desktop site or our Features page for all of our current resources.

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The NBA Teams Best Positioned To Make Waiver Claims

September 12th, 2023 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

In order to claim a player off waivers, an NBA team must be able to fit the player’s current-year salary into either cap room, a traded player exception, or – if the player is in the final year of his contract – a disabled player exception.

This rule doesn’t apply if the waived player is on a one- or two-year minimum-salary contract. In that case, any team can claim him using the minimum salary exception.

Waiver claims aren’t particularly common in the NBA, and claims involving players earning more than the minimum salary are even less frequent. Still, it’s worth knowing which teams have the most flexibility to make waiver claims in case an intriguing player on a reasonable contract hits the wire.

On Monday, for instance, the Spurs waived veteran point guard Cameron Payne, who is on an expiring $6.5MM deal. Payne has played well in Phoenix over the last four seasons, averaging 9.8 points and 4.2 assists in 20.2 minutes per game across 174 appearances, with a .434/.384/.833 shooting line. That’s pretty solid production for the price.

In all likelihood, Payne will pass through waivers unclaimed and sign for less than $6.5MM with a new team, but there will be teams around the NBA that at least consider making a claim. The Grizzlies should be one of them, in the view of John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), who notes that Memphis could use another point guard and has a trade exception large enough for the team to take on Payne’s salary without getting too close to the tax line.

Memphis is one of nine teams with the ability to claim Payne off waivers. Here’s the full list, along with the value of their biggest trade exception (unless otherwise noted):

  • Atlanta Hawks: $23,019,560
  • Brooklyn Nets: $19,928,571
  • Washington Wizards: $12,354,400
  • Chicago Bulls: $10,232,559
    • Note: This is the amount of the Bulls’ disabled player exception, not a trade exception, so the team could only use it to claim a player on an expiring contract.
  • Miami Heat: $9,450,000
  • Portland Trail Blazers: $8,300,000
  • Indiana Pacers: $7,493,593
    • Note: This is the maximum amount of cap room the Pacers could create by renouncing the cap holds for their remaining free agents.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: $7,492,540
  • New York Knicks: $6,803,012

Many of these teams wouldn’t have interest in a point guard like Payne and wouldn’t necessarily be in position to add another $6.5MM in salary to their books. Claiming Payne would put the Bulls into luxury tax territory, for instance. These are simply the clubs capable of placing a claim if they so choose.

A total of 10 other teams have the ability to claim non-minimum players off waivers, but wouldn’t be able to take on Payne specifically:

  • Phoenix Suns: $6,500,000
    • Note: The Suns’ trade exception is technically large enough to take on Payne, but they’re ineligible to claim him after trading him to San Antonio.
  • Boston Celtics: $6,202,500
  • Orlando Magic: $5,056,771
    • Note: This is the maximum amount of cap room the Magic could create by renouncing the cap holds for their remaining free agents.
  • Dallas Mavericks: $4,953,980
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: $3,688,117
  • Los Angeles Lakers: $2,700,000
  • Philadelphia 76ers: $2,448,846
  • Golden State Warriors: $2,337,720
  • Denver Nuggets: $2,201,520
  • Charlotte Hornets: $1,930,681

Even though the Hornets‘ largest trade exception is less than the minimum salary for a two-year veteran ($2,019,706), it could still come in handy for claiming certain younger players on non-minimum deals.

For example, if the Thunder – facing a roster crunch – were to waive Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who is earning $1.9MM in the third year of a four-year contract, Charlotte would be able to claim him using its trade exception. A club with only the minimum salary exception available wouldn’t be in position to place a claim on Robinson-Earl.

Here are the 11 teams without a TPE, DPE, or cap room available to claim a player earning more than the minimum:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Utah Jazz
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