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Celtics Notes: Lillard, Tatum, Porzingis, Griffin, Banton

August 31st, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum has reached out to Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard in an attempt to sell him on the benefits of playing for the Celtics, Marc J. Spears of Andscape said on a recent podcast with Bill Oram of The Oregonian (hat tip to HoopsHype).

Lillard, whose future has been in limbo since making his trade request nearly two months ago, remains determined to get to Miami and join a perennially successful organization that is coming off an NBA Finals appearance. Lillard would love to team up with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler and go to a warm-weather city with no state income tax, Spears says, but mostly he wants a chance to compete for a title. Although his preference for the Heat hasn’t changed, it appears players from other teams are making an effort to recruit him, including Tatum.

“I know that Boston, I know Jayson Tatum has called him, try to get in his ear, but his focus is definitely on Miami,” Spears said.

There’s more on the Celtics:

  • President of basketball operations Brad Stevens isn’t worried about the health of Kristaps Porzingis despite a plantar fasciitis issue that prevented him from playing in the World Cup, relays Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe. Appearing on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” show, Stevens said team officials weren’t aware of Porzingis’ condition when they acquired him from the Wizards in a three-team trade, but there’s no reason to think it will prevent him from playing. “He’s at the FIBA Tournament with the (Latvian) team so he’s doing his rehab there,” Stevens said. “We were with him in the 10 days, our training staff was with him (before the tournament) as he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. He went through all the progressions and he really tried to ramp up and play. He just determined he didn’t want to deal with lingering effects down the road. This is something that we should be able to navigate and manage in the next few weeks and be ready for training camp. We’re planning on having him for Day 1 of training camp.”
  • Blake Griffin remains unsigned and it’s uncertain if the Celtics will reach out to him again, but Stevens appreciated his performance last season, per Brian Robb of MassLive. In the same radio interview, Stevens complimented all the back-up big men for helping the team stay in contention after Robert Williams‘ early-season injury, saying, “Blake was as good as it gets both on and off the court.”
  • Growing up, new Celtic Dalano Banton patterned his game after former Boston point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Taylor Snow of NBA.com.
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Checking In On Notable Remaining Free Agents

August 31st, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

The last standard restricted free agent on the market this summer, P.J. Washington officially re-signed with the Hornets on Tuesday. With Washington off the board, 47 of our top 50 free agents from the start of the offseason have now signed, including all of the top 24. However, there are still several notable players who continue to seek a new NBA home.

Big man Christian Wood, our No. 25 free agent, is one. We ranked Wood as high as we did due to his scoring and rebounding prowess — he has averaged 18.1 points in just 29.3 minutes per game across the last three seasons, grabbing 8.9 boards per night during that same stretch.

However, it sounds like concerns about Wood’s professionalism and defense have made teams wary about making him any kind of significant offer. A report in July suggested that there may be a disconnect between what Wood thinks his value is and what teams think his value is. If he were willing to accept a minimum-salary deal, he may already be on a roster.

Veteran forward Kelly Oubre came in at No. 27 on our free agent list after putting up a career-high 20.3 points per game in 48 appearances last season. But averaging 20 PPG isn’t the accomplishment it once was. Oubre was just one of 57 players who achieved that feat while appearing in at least 29 games. And of those 57 players, he ranked 53rd in EFG%, so it’s not like he was scoring particularly efficiently.

Oubre still has some value, but after earning at least $12MM in each of the last four seasons, he seems unlikely to approach that mark in 2023/24.

The only other unsigned player on our top-50 list is No. 43 Hamidou Diallo. I’m a fan of Diallo due to his athleticism, rebounding ability, defensive energy, and shot selection (he made 59.3% of his two-point attempts last season). But he has an unorthodox game and may not be a fit for many teams.

Here are some other free agents who didn’t make our top 50 but who will likely receive consideration from NBA teams before the season begins:

Guards

Kendrick Nunn played well down the stretch for Washington last season, knocking down 39.2% of his three-pointers in 31 games with the Wizards. Terence Davis and Jaylen Nowell are among the other available ball-handling guards who can score and shoot a little, though Nowell is coming off a down year in which his three-point rate plummeted from 39.4% to 28.9%.

George Hill, Ish Smith, Goran Dragic, and Austin Rivers could hold some appeal for teams looking to fill out their backcourt with a steady veteran. John Wall is also unsigned, though he has a different skill set than those other vets.

Trent Forrest and Theo Maledon are still restricted free agents, but seem likely to end up on two-way deals.

Wings

There aren’t many solid two-way wings left on the board. Danny Green once fit that bill, but at 36 years old, he’s no longer in his prime. Terrence Ross is certainly capable of playing a rotation role, but his outside shot comes and goes (he made just 29.2% in 2021/22) and he’s not an elite defender.

A team interested in adding a shooter might take a look at Svi Mykhailiuk (who has made 36.0% of his career three-point attempts), Will Barton (35.5%), Anthony Lamb (35.3%), two-way RFA Matt Ryan (37.1%), or Edmond Sumner (37.7% in his last two healthy seasons).

Veteran forwards T.J. Warren and Rudy Gay can score, but don’t offer a ton of defensive resistance, and Gay’s best years are behind him — the 17-year veteran is 37 and is coming off his worst season as a pro (5.2 PPG on .380/.254/.857 shooting).

A club focused on bolstering its wing defense may like Lamar Stevens or Javonte Green. Although they don’t provide much offensive punch, they can bring energy off the bench.

Former top-10 picks like Kevin Knox, Jarrett Culver, Justise Winslow, and Stanley Johnson haven’t generated much buzz this offseason, but perhaps there are teams that believe they can extract value from those one-time prospects.

Bigs

There’s no shortage of veteran centers still available on the open market. Bismack Biyombo, Tristan Thompson, Boban Marjanovic, Derrick Favors, Serge Ibaka, and Gorgui Dieng are among the remaining free agents, and JaVale McGee is set to join them when he clears waivers on Thursday.

A team in the market for a less traditional big man might kick the tires on Blake Griffin or JaMychal Green, who had a modest bounce-back year for the Warriors last season after a forgettable 2021/22 campaign in Denver.

Former first-round pick Usman Garuba could hold some intrigue for a club looking for a developmental project rather than a player who could contribute right away. He’s still just 21 years old.

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Southeast Notes: Jovic, Washington, Hornets’ Affiliate

August 30th, 2023 at 10:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat forward Nikola Jovic didn’t get to play much during his rookie season in 2022/23, but he’s been making his mark at the 2023 World Cup, Ira Winderman writes in a pair of stories for The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Competing for the Serbian national team, which went 3-0 in its group and advanced to the second round, Jovic had a solid if unspectacular first game, putting up nine points (on 3-of-6 shooting), three rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes against China.

On Monday against Puerto Rico, the 2022 first-round pick recorded a game-high 17 points (tied with teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic) on just nine field goal attempts. He also recorded four assists and three rebounds in 24 minutes.

Jovic followed up that strong performance with a perfect game on Wednesday against South Sudan, once again leading the contest with 25 points while shooting 9-of-9 from the field, to go along with three assists and two rebounds in 27 minutes.

Overall, the 20-year-old has averaged 17.0 PPG, 3.0 APG and 2.7 RPG with a scorching-hot .750/.667/.778 shooting line thus far. He has yet to commit a turnover in his 75 minutes on the court.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

  • Former first-round pick Nikola Milutinov, whose draft rights are held by the Nets, praised his Serbian teammate after defeating South Sudan, per Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops.net. “He’s playing amazing, he’s a great part of our team and has a bright future,” Milutinov said of the Heat‘s Nikola Jovic. Serbia faces Italy on Friday and the Domnican Republic on Sunday.
  • P.J. Washington‘s new contract with the Hornets features a declining structure, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who reports (via Twitter) that Washington will earn base salaries of $16.8MM, $15.5MM and $14.2MM over the next three years. The 25-year-old also has $500K in annual incentives, which are currently considered unlikely. Washington needs to play at least 74 games and 2,400 minutes to achieve the bonus in each season, Marks adds. Washington played a career-high 73 games for 2,380 total minutes last season.
  • The Hornets‘ NBA G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, has retained head coach Jordan Surenkamp for a third season, but the Swarm have a new general manager, per a team press release. Taking over GM duties is Cole Teal, who acted as manager of basketball operations and player development last season. Cole is replacing Cam Twiss, who is now a pro scout for Charlotte.
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Cuban Says Mavs Tried To Land Tyrese Haliburton In 2020 Draft

August 30th, 2023 at 7:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on Patrick Beverley‘s podcast, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Dallas did everything it could to trade up for Tyrese Haliburton in the 2020 draft (Twitter video link).

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported last year that Dallas attempted to move up ahead of 2020’s draft in order to land Haliburton, offering the Knicks Jalen Brunson, the No. 18 overall pick (Josh Green) and the No. 31 overall pick (Tyrell Terry) for No. 8 overall that year. The Mavs were unable to find a taker, including the Knicks, who selected Obi Toppin at No. 8.

Interestingly, both Haliburton — who fell to Sacramento at No. 12 — and Toppin now play for the Pacers, while Brunson joined the Knicks in free agency last summer.

It’s noteworthy that Cuban essentially confirmed MacMahon’s report, and the fact that he specifically mentioned Haliburton by name means the Mavs could face a penalty for tampering. The NBA often hands out fines when team executives publicly express any sort of praise or fondness for a rival player.

Cuban also noted that Dallas was coached by Rick Carlisle in 2020, who rejoined the Pacers the following year after parting ways with Dallas. Indiana subsequently traded for Haliburton at the 2022 deadline — about eight months after Carlisle was hired.

An All-Star for the first time in 2022/23, Haliburton averaged 20.7 PPG, 10.4 APG, 3.4 RPG and 1.6 SPG on a stellar .490/.400/.871 shooting line in 56 games (33.6 MPG) for Indiana. The 23-year-old signed a five-year, rookie scale max extension with the Pacers this offseason, so he’s under contract until 2029 (the extension starts in ’24/25).

Haliburton and Brunson are currently competing for Team USA at the 2023 World Cup. Green is also at the World Cup playing for the Australian national team, which has clinched a spot in the 2024 Olympics. The Mavs reportedly opened rookie scale extension talks with the 22-year-old wing a couple weeks ago.

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Vernon Carey Jr. Signs With Turkish Team

August 30th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA big man Vernon Carey Jr. has signed with Pinar Karşıyaka, also known as Karşıyaka Basket, the Turkish team announced (via Twitter).

Carey, 22, spent one college season at Duke prior to being selected with the No. 32 overall pick in 2020. Shortly after being drafted, he signed a multiyear standard contract with the Hornets.

Charlotte traded Carey to the Wizards at the 2022 deadline. Over three NBA seasons, he appeared in just 37 games with Charlotte and Washington, averaging a modest 5.1 MPG.

Carey was waived by the Wizards at the beginning of March and signed a multiyear deal with the Jazz during the 2022/23 season’s final weekend. His minimum-salary contract for ’23/24 was non-guaranteed, and Utah wound up releasing him last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.

While Carey didn’t get much playing time at the NBA level, he did have a solid G League stint with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s affiliate, this past season. He put up 22.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.8 APG and 1.3 BPG on .588/.385/.708 shooting during last fall’s Showcase Cup (14 games, 28.1 MPG), then followed that up with 20.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .619/.364/.676 shooting during the NBAGL regular season (14 games, 27.6 MPG).

Karşıyaka Basket competes in the Turkish Super League and the Basketball Champions League. Last season, the team finished fourth in the TSL regular season, but made the final during the playoffs after scoring an upset over No. 1 seed Turk Telekom, ultimately losing its best-of-five series versus Anadolu Efes 3-0.

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Jazz Sign Taevion Kinsey, Romeo Langford, Nick Ongenda

August 30th, 2023 at 4:19pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz have officially signed Taevion Kinsey, Romeo Langford and Nick Ongenda, per a team press release.

While the terms of the contracts were not disclosed, the Jazz said the trio of free agents were added to their training camp roster, so they’ll likely all be on Exhibit 10 deals — it has already been reported that Langford will receive an Exhibit 10 contract.

Kinsey, a 6’5″ guard, went undrafted in June after five college seasons, all at Marshall. As a “super senior” in 2022/23, he averaged 22.1 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.9 RPG and 1.7 SPG on .542/.404/.744 shooting in 32 games (37.8 MPG), earning Sun Belt Player of the Year for his efforts.

Ongenda, a 6’11” center, also went undrafted in June. He spent all four of his college seasons at DePaul, averaging 12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 4.4 BPG in 2022/23. However, those numbers came in a small sample size — the Canadian big man was limited to just eight games (30.5 MPG) this past season due to a wrist injury.

Both Kinsey and Ongenda played for the Jazz during Summer League action in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

The Jazz have now reached the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract, with 15 players on standard deals (12 guaranteed) and all three two-way slots filled.

If Kinsey and Ongenda signed Exhibit 10 contracts and are waived before the season starts, they could each receive a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted into two-way contracts, though as we previously noted, Langford is ineligible for a two-way deal because he has already played four NBA seasons.

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Highest-Paid NBA Players By Team

August 30th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

On Tuesday, we listed the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2023/24 season. Although that list presented a clear picture of the highest earners for the current season, not every NBA team was represented. Six of the league’s 30 franchises – the Pistons, Pacers, Knicks, Magic, Spurs, and Jazz – didn’t have a single player in the top 50.

Our list of highest-paid players for 2023/24 also only provided a snapshot for this year. For example, Kyle Lowry, who cracked the top 50, will be well compensated for the coming season but is on an expiring contract and will almost certainly fall off that list next year.

Today, we’re shifting our focus to the highest-paid players by team. This will allow us to check in on the clubs that weren’t represented on our initial list, as well as identifying some of the league’s most lucrative multiyear commitments — we’ve included each club’s highest-paid player for the current season (by 2023/24 base salary) and its highest-paid player in total (by total guaranteed base salary, including player options).

Let’s dive in…

Atlanta Hawks

  • 2023/24: Trae Young ($37,096,500)
  • Total: Trae Young (four years, $178,063,200)
    • Note: Young’s final year is a player option.

Boston Celtics

  • 2023/24: Kristaps Porzingis ($36,016,200)
  • Total: Jaylen Brown (six years, $33,5565,047)
    • Note: The projected value of Brown’s super-max extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25.

Brooklyn Nets

  • 2023/24: Ben Simmons ($37,893,408)
  • Total: Cameron Johnson (four years, $90,000,000)
    • Note: Johnson could earn another $18MM in incentives.

Charlotte Hornets

  • 2023/24: Gordon Hayward ($31,500,000)
  • Total: LaMelo Ball (six years, $227,854,130)

    • Note: The projected value of Ball’s maximum-salary extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25. His projected six-year earnings could increase to $271,244,829 if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024.

Chicago Bulls

  • 2023/24: Zach LaVine ($40,064,220)
  • Total: Zach LaVine (four years, $178,063,200)
    • Note: LaVine’s final year is a player option.

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • 2023/24: Darius Garland ($34,005,250)
  • Total: Darius Garland (five years, $197,230,450)

Dallas Mavericks

  • 2023/24: Luka Doncic ($40,064,220)
  • Total: Luka Doncic (four years, $178,063,200)
    • Note: Doncic’s final year is a player option.

Denver Nuggets

  • 2023/24: Nikola Jokic ($47,607,350)
  • Total: Nikola Jokic (five years, $276,122,630)

    • Note: Jokic’s final year is a player option.

Detroit Pistons

  • 2023/24: Bojan Bogdanovic ($20,000,000)
  • Total: Isaiah Stewart (four years, $50,266,713)

    • Note: Stewart could earn another $3MM in incentives and an additional $15MM (plus a potential $1MM in incentives) if his 2027/28 team option is exercised.

Golden State Warriors

  • 2023/24: Stephen Curry ($51,915,615)
  • Total: Stephen Curry (three years, $167,283,648)

Read more

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Jazz, Romeo Langford Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 30th, 2023 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have agreed to sign free agent wing Romeo Langford to an Exhibit 10 contract, sources tell Tony Jones and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Langford, who will turn 24 this October, was drafted 14th overall by the Celtics in 2019 when current Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was Boston’s head of basketball operations.

The former Indiana Hoosier spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons in Boston before being traded to San Antonio, where he has played since February 2022. He became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after the Spurs opted not issue him a qualifying offer.

Langford is a solid defender, but has struggled to make much of an impact on the offensive end of the floor. In 141 career regular season games, he has averaged 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .430/.288/.659.

Since he has four years of NBA service under his belt, Langford will be ineligible to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal. However, if he doesn’t earn a spot on Utah’s standard 15-man regular season roster and then spends at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, he’d be in line for a bonus worth up to $75K.

With 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, the Jazz currently have three open spots on their 21-man offseason roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to create space for Langford.

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World Cup Notes: Edwards, RHJ, Hart, Ingram, Thanasis, Canada

August 30th, 2023 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Even though Team USA’s 48-point win over Jordan on Wednesday wasn’t exactly a tightly contested affair, former Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson enjoyed going back and forth at each other in the third and final first-round game at the World Cup, writes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Edwards had a game-high 22 points, edging out Hollis-Jefferson, who scored 20. The two were on Minnesota’s roster together for a brief period during the 2020 preseason, when RHJ served as a veteran mentor ahead of Edwards’ rookie year. Hollis-Jefferson didn’t end up making the Wolves’ regular season roster.

“We haven’t seen each other since then, so it was fun,” Edwards said. “And yeah, we was talking with smack out there for sure.”

U.S. head coach Steve Kerr made one lineup change ahead of the game vs. Jordan, replacing Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram in the starting five with Knicks forward Josh Hart. As Windhorst observes, Ingram had struggled as spot-up shooter with the first unit and was able to have the ball in his hands more as a reserve. It sounds like the change could stick.

“We just felt like it was important to take a look at Josh with the starting group and Brandon with the next group to see if the combinations fit,” Kerr said after the victory. “I liked what I saw. The game wasn’t competitive, but there was good flow with both groups.”

“They thought it was a better fit for me playing with Tyrese [Haliburton] and playing with some guys that are a little less ball dominant than Jalen [Brunson] and Ant,” Ingram told Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “They just talked about it being a better fit, and I agreed with them.”

Here are a few more World Cup notes:

  • Hollis-Jefferson is one of nine non-U.S. players identified by Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype as breakout performers through three World Cup games. Bulls guard Carlik Jones (South Sudan), Wizards forward Xavier Cooks (Australia), and Heat forward Nikola Jovic (Serbia) are among the NBAers who have impressed, as De Roa details.
  • Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who injured his left adductor in Monday’s loss to the U.S., returned to action for Greece on Wednesday. However, Antetokounmpo played a limited role in the win over New Zealand that clinched the Greeks a spot in the second round, recording more fouls (4) than points (2) in his 14 minutes.
  • The Canadian national team – which had the best point differential (+111) of any club in the first round – is finally realizing its potential on the international stage, says Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Canada has had no shortage of players in the NBA over the last decade, but those players haven’t always participated in international competitions and have struggled to quickly establish chemistry in the events they’ve played.
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And-Ones: Lewis, Ignite, Best Draft Assets, RSNs

August 30th, 2023 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA referee Eric Lewis has retired, the league announced today in a brief press release (Twitter link). Lewis officiated more than 1,000 regular season NBA games over the course of his career and has worked several NBA Finals contests since 2019.

Back in May, the NBA opened an investigation into a possible Twitter burner account run by Lewis. The Twitter account, which has since been deleted, responded to many posts about NBA officiating to defend Lewis and other referees. League rules prohibit referees from publicly commenting on the officiating without authorization.

According to today’s announcement, since Lewis has decided to retire, the NBA has closed its investigation into his social media activity.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Having previously announced the prospects that are joining the program for the 2023/24 season, the G League Ignite issued a press release revealing the veteran players who will serve as mentors. John Jenkins and Eric Mika will be returning to the team and will be joined by former NBA guards Jeremy Pargo and David Stockton, as well as guard Admon Gilder, who has played in a handful of international leagues since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2020.
  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report ranked all 30 NBA teams based on their future draft assets, from the Thunder (No. 1) and Spurs (No. 2) to the Timberwolves (No. 29) and Suns (No. 30).
  • Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic takes a look at where things stand with the NBA and the Bally Sports regional sports networks after parent company Diamond Sports Group filed for bankruptcy. The league has been informed, according to Vorkunov, that Diamond Sports Group has the capital to honor its NBA commitments for the upcoming season, though one industry source told The Athletic that it’s a “very fluid situation.”
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