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Western Notes: Henderson, Brooks, Jones, Jackson Jr.

August 24th, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The biggest knock against No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson entering the draft was his shooting — he made just 27.5% of his 3-point attempts in the G League. His trainer, Brandon Payne, brushes off criticism regarding Henderson’s shot as he heads into his rookie season with the Trail Blazers.

“Scoot can shoot the ball,” Payne told Mark Medina in a Sportskeeda article. “When he feels one go down the right way, you better watch out because there’s a bunch coming behind him. But like with any young player, there’s going to be ups and downs. He will just have to weather those and work through them.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • LeBron James shook off Dillon Brooks‘ tactics in the playoff series between the Lakers and Grizzlies. James shot 61.1 percent when guarded by Brooks, yet the new Rockets swingman has a different interpretation of how his matchup with LeBron played out, he told Arash Madani in a Sportsnet interview (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “I feel like I always had him,” Brooks said. “I feel like that series was thrown upon me cause of the words that I say, but I’ve been saying things all year and we won 50 games.”
  • Derrick Jones‘ guaranteed one-year contract with the Mavericks is worth the veteran’s minimum, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Jones will earn approximately $2.71MM on the deal, while Dallas takes on a cap hit of $2.02MM.
  • Jaren Jackson Jr. has been manning the middle for Team USA this summer and that may be his future spot with the Grizzlies, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Veteran center Steven Adams is signed through the 2024/25 season but Jackson could be his eventual replacement.
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Northwest Notes: Edwards, Sarr, Waters, Brown, Watson, Key

August 24th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Edwards has become the breakout star for USA Basketball this summer. For the Timberwolves to take the next step, Edwards needs to be their unquestioned leader, Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune opines. While he has remained deferential to Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, Edwards will be the player the Timberwolves turn to when they need a basket or a lift this upcoming season.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The two-way contracts signed by Thunder big man Olivier Sarr and wing Lindy Waters both cover only the 2023/24 season, Hoops Rumors has learned. Sarr and Waters will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2024, assuming they finish the season on those deals.
  • Moses Brown has a partial guarantee of $250K in the one-year contract he signed with the Trail Blazers this week, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. Brown’s guarantee increases to $500K if he’s on the opening night roster and would become fully guaranteed on the league-wide date in January. Brown’s contract is for the veteran’s minimum, so he’ll receive $2.165MM as a four-year veteran if he remains on the roster after the January deadline.
  • Forward Peyton Watson‘s development will be a key component to the Nuggets’ season, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com opines. Watson needs to emerge as a reliable reserve with the free agent loss of Jeff Green to the Rockets. Another potential factor for the second unit is two-way player Braxton Key, a defense-oriented wing that the organization believes could emerge as a reliable option.
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Damian Lillard Confirms Trade Request, Yearns For Title

August 24th, 2023 at 12:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Damian Lillard confirms he has asked to be traded but avoided questions regarding the Trail Blazers and its management team in an interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.

Loyal to the organization since he entered the league in 2012, Lillard finally grew weary of the franchise’s direction and requested a trade, which became public on July 1. Shortly thereafter, Lillard’s desire to be traded to the Heat became general knowledge.

“I can say that there was [a trade request] and I would just prefer not to speak on the Trail Blazers,” he told Spears.

Lillard hoped that the Blazers would add several impactful veterans to the bench, according to Spears. Lillard’s request came at the start of free agency, after Portland had declined offers for the No. 3 pick in the draft and used it on Scoot Henderson, another point guard.

Lillard wouldn’t budge when asked what motivated him to be dealt.

“I’m not going to speak on the Blazers. It’s lot of love and respect, but I won’t speak on the Blazers,” Lillard said.

It remains to be seen what Lillard would do if he’s not traded before training camp. The guard’s friends and confidants have advised him to sit back and let the process play out.

“The best word of advice is just that, ‘Everything will come to pass,’” Lillard said. “When you in a little bit of a storm, a lot is going on and you’re being talked about, you get a little bit antsy and you feel like you got to react to stuff sometimes, but I know me. I know the type of principle I stand on. I know that I’ve been solid in everything that I’ve done every step of the way.”

The NBA fined James Harden $100K this week for “indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.” Lillard hasn’t gone that far, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement gives the league the latitude to fine a player up to $150K for making a trade request public.

Of course, that would be a proverbial drop in the bucket for a player who will make $45.64MM next season and nearly $48.8MM in 2024/25 before his two-year, $121.8MM extension kicks in.

What’s paramount for Lillard at this stage of his career is to get a ring.

“I would say the desire for that now is as high as it’s probably going to be. That’s literally the thing at the top of my list,” he said about winning a title. “When I wake up and I got to get up and go do what I got to do, I got to train, I got to make time for my kids, I still got to lift, I got to do all these things and I got to make sure that training and the preparation is still my priority. Even with being a father of three now, not one, and having all these other responsibilities, you need something that you feel pretty strong about to stay committed the way I’ve been committed. It’s as high as it’s going to get. That’s ultimately what I want to experience and that’s what I want to get done.”

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World Cup Notes: Edwards, Team USA, Rocket Launch, Canada

August 24th, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Edwards has become the star of Team USA, but Steve Kerr and the rest of the coaching staff originally pictured him in a sixth-man role, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. When the coaches held their first vote on starters, they put Cameron Johnson in the lineup instead of Edwards. That changed by the second scrimmage, and Edwards’ role in the first five is now secure.

“I mean, of course I wasn’t cool with it,” Edwards said. “If that’s what it takes, I mean, I am willing to do it, but nah, I’m never cool with that. … (Coach Steve Kerr) said Dwyane Wade came off the bench when Kobe (Bryant) played. I was like, all right, we don’t have a Kobe, but all right.”

Kerr was referring to the 2008 Olympic team, where Wade was the top scorer as the sixth man. The coaches may have envisioned Edwards coming off the bench to spark the offense, but he’s proved throughout camp and exhibition play that he’s capable of more than that. Kerr referred to Edwards as “the guy” after his 34-point outburst Sunday against Germany, and his teammates agree.

“Yeah, I think so, (because of) his aggressiveness and confidence,” Mikal Bridges said. “(There are) so many guys that can go out there and score as well, but him going out there and scoring the ball helps us a lot. So I have no problem with that term at all.”

There’s more as the World Cup tournament prepares to tip off:

  • Team USA held its first practice Wednesday at the venue in the Philippines where it will play all its World Cup games, according to The Associated Press. Okinawa, Japan, and Jakarta, Indonesia, will also serve as host cities for pool play, but the medal rounds will be held in Manila, so the Americans won’t have to travel if they advance.
  • Preparations in Okinawa weren’t affected by a North Korean rocket launch on Thursday, but some of the players were shaken up, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The launch was unsuccessful, and practices and press conferences went on as scheduled. “It was a little scary,” Luka Doncic said. “I didn’t sleep much.” 
  • Canada has officially released its final World Cup roster, which includes seven current NBA players. After going 3-2 in exhibition play, Canada will face France, Lebanon and Latvia in pool play.
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Celtics Hold Workout With Glenn Robinson III

August 24th, 2023 at 9:37am CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent Glenn Robinson III recently worked out for the Celtics, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

The 29-year-old swingman hasn’t played professionally since being waived by the Kings in February of 2021. He also had a workout scheduled with the Warriors this month as he tries to return to the NBA.

Boston has at least two open roster spots and is conducting an extensive search to fill them. Reports on Tuesday stated that T.J. Warren, Lamar Stevens and Louis King are set to work out for the team, which appears to be targeting veteran wings.

The Celtics currently have 11 fully guaranteed contracts, the fewest in the league, with Dalano Banton holding a partial guarantee and Luke Kornet on a non-guaranteed deal. There’s plenty of flexibility to add any players who make a positive impression during workouts, and bringing back veteran big man Blake Griffin may be a possibility as well.

Robinson played for six teams during his seven years in the NBA. An accomplished three-point shooter at 37.3% for his career, he appeared in 304 total games with averages of 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per night.

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55 Active NBA Players On World Cup Rosters

August 24th, 2023 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

The 2023 World Cup will tip off in less than 24 hours, with several dozen NBA players poised to take part in the summer competition.

Of the 32 countries taking part in the FIBA World Cup this year, 21 will have at least one active NBA player on their rosters, and a few others will feature former NBA players. By our count, 55 active NBA players will compete in the tournament, with 12 of those players representing Team USA.

That list doesn’t include stars who are notably absent from this year’s event, such as Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (Canada), and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), along with plenty of the top U.S. players.

However, there’s still some star power on the list below, including a pair of Antetokounmpo’s fellow All-NBA First Teamers who are playing for Canada and Slovenia.

With the help of a full roster breakdown compiled by Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype, here are the active NBA players on World Cup squads:

Angola

Australia

Canada

China

Dominican Republic

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Lithuania

Montenegro

Philippines

Serbia

Slovenia

South Sudan

Note: Wenyen Gabriel is also on South Sudan’s roster, but he’s technically not an active NBA player, since he’s still a free agent after finishing last season with the Lakers.

Spain

Note: Usman Garuba is also on Spain’s roster, but he’s technically not an active NBA player after being waived by the Thunder earlier this week.

United States

The following teams don’t have an active NBA player on their roster:

  • Brazil
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Iran
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mexico
  • New Zealand
  • Puerto Rico
  • Venezuela

While these clubs don’t have any players who are currently in the NBA, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re lacking NBA experience altogether.

For instance, Brazil has former NBAers like Raul Neto and Bruno Caboclo on its roster. Jordan’s squad includes longtime NBA forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Lebanon’s features former first-round pick Omari Spellman, and Puerto Rico’s features veteran guards Tremont Waters and John Holland.

Egypt’s roster also featured undrafted rookie Patrick Gardner, who has reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets. That deal is not yet official, so we’re not considering him an active NBA player.

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Community Shootaround: Ben Simmons

August 23rd, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Throughout the offseason, there have been indications that Nets guard Ben Simmons has overcome the physical issues that cut short his 2022/23 season and that he’ll be healthy and ready to go when training camp opens.

Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks started the speculation at his end-of-season press conference after the team was eliminated from the playoffs in April. Marks told reporters that Simmons didn’t appear to need another back surgery and would likely be fully healthy by the start of September.

Simmons got some social media buzz in June when he posted workout photos on Instagram, and a month later, Marc J. Spears of Andscape shared a quote from a source who said Simmons is “as healthy as he has ever been since his last year in Philly.” A day later, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported that Simmons had fully completed rehab following a back nerve impingement that sidelined him for the last six weeks of the season.

In early August, teammate Cameron Johnson said in an interview that he expects Simmons to be “if not full form, pretty close to it.” He added that he had recently talked to Simmons and believes he’s in “a good place.”

A healthy Simmons would obviously make a huge difference for the Nets, who are trying to establish a new identity after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in February. Johnson, Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton are the foundation of the team, and Simmons could turn them into a legitimate contender if he becomes anything close to the All-Star that he was in Philadelphia.

Of course, there are caveats. Simmons decided not to join the Australian team for the World Cup after raising the possibility in May. He came to an agreement with the national team that he would skip the tournament while continuing to prepare for the upcoming NBA season while leaving open the possibility of playing in the 2024 Olympics.

Anyone who has followed the Nets since Simmons was acquired in February of 2022 knows there have been other encouraging health reports, which are eventually followed by setbacks.

Simmons is owed $37.9MM for the upcoming season and $40.3MM for 2024/25. The contract is considered among the worst in the league, but only because Simmons hasn’t been able to play. It becomes much more reasonable — and possibly even tradable — if he gets to be healthy and productive again.

We want to know what you think. Will Simmons be able to get back to normal after two straight seasons marred by injuries and off-court issues, or is the All-Star version of Simmons gone forever? Please leave your comments in the space below.

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Southwest Notes: VanVleet, Green, Reaves, Pelicans

August 23rd, 2023 at 9:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets fans shouldn’t expect Fred VanVleet‘s production to match up with the three-year, $128MM+ contract he received in free agency, Eric Koreen of The Athletic states during a discussion with fellow Athletic writer Kelly Iko.

VanVleet’s salary is based on the amount of money the Rockets had to spend and a late bidding war with the Raptors, who were trying to keep him. Although Koreen expects VanVleet to help move the Rockets in the right direction, he adds that the veteran point guard won’t become the number one option in clutch situations.

Houston’s disorganization over the past three seasons began with the lack of a true point guard, which is why there was a desire to add VanVleet. Koreen points out that he averaged 3.54 assists per turnover last season, which ranked third in the league. VanVleet should create better scoring opportunities for his young teammates while avoiding costly turnovers that have plagued the Rockets during their rebuilding process.

Koreen also expects VanVleet to make a difference as a team leader. New coach Ime Udoka doesn’t mind challenging players directly, so VanVleet won’t have to do that. Koreen sees his role as a “translator” who can help make sure that Udoka’s harsh messages are received constructively.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Rockets officials are happy with the commitment they’ve seen from Jalen Green this summer, team sources tell Iko in a separate story. Green trained extensively with other NBA players in California, and Udoka was often in attendance. Green was reportedly “stronger, fitter and most importantly, smarter” when he showed up in Las Vegas to be part of the Select Team.
  • The Spurs considered two potential offers for Lakers guard Austin Reaves in free agency, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. San Antonio pondered a maximum contract that would have paid Reaves about $100MM over four years and a shorter arrangement valued at $60MM over three years. The Spurs and everyone else were eventually dissuaded by L.A.’s insistence that it would match any offer given to Reaves.
  • The Pelicans are offering fans a chance at cash prizes if the team wins the first-ever in-season tournament, writes Christian Clark of NOLA. One hundred fans would split a $1MM cash prize, giving them $10,000 each. To be eligible, fans must purchase a mobile ticket and attend at least one tournament game in New Orleans.
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Warriors Notes: McGee, Toscano-Anderson, Saric, Weems

August 23rd, 2023 at 8:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors should consider a reunion with JaVale McGee once he gets waived by the Mavericks, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Dallas reportedly plans to use the stretch provision on the remainder of McGee’s contract, so he would have to be let go before the deadline to do that arrives at the end of the month.

The 35-year-old center spent two seasons with Golden State and was part of title-winning teams in 2017 and 2018. Although he averaged less than 10 minutes per game in both years, he made valuable contributions as a rebounder and rim protector off the bench.

Johnson points out that McGee would be the only seven-footer on a roster that needs size, and his understanding of the team’s culture could give him an edge in filling one of the final spots. With Kevon Looney and Draymond Green handling most of the minutes at center, McGee wouldn’t have to play extensively and he could help tutor young players such as Trayce Jackson-Davis.

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Former Golden State players Juan Toscano-Anderson and Kent Bazemore are part of a group that was scheduled to work out for the team this month. If the Warriors are planning to bring back someone who has played for coach Steve Kerr, Johnson sees Toscano-Anderson as the best candidate because he’s younger and more versatile than Bazemore or McGee.
  • Dario Saric‘s performance in helping Croatia win an Olympic pre-qualifying tournament demonstrated why he was Golden State’s top free agent target this summer, Johnson adds in a separate story. Saric posted 22 points and 11 rebounds in the final game, and Johnson notes that he looked like a perfect fit for Kerr’s system. He seems fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in the 2021 NBA Finals, and he had plenty of experience running the two-man game with new Warriors guard Chris Paul in Phoenix.
  • Newly promoted assistant coach Kris Weems will have a large role in determining how successful Paul will be in his first year with the team, according to Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Weems, who was promoted to the front of the bench after two years as a player development coach, replaces Jama Mahlalela, who was responsible for determining who was on the court at any given time.
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Celtics Notes: Griffin, Porzingis, Tatum, Mazzulla

August 23rd, 2023 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Blake Griffin doesn’t have a team for the upcoming season, but he would love to return to the Celtics if the opportunity arises. Appearing on the Barstool Sports podcast (hat tip to ClutchPoints), Griffin called playing in Boston “one of the best experiences” and had plenty of good things to say about his teammates.

“The players on that team are just like such a great group of guys,” Griffin said. “Like a guy like Jayson Tatum, he’s a legit superstar. And he’s just so humble and talks to everybody on the team and talks to the whole staff.”

Griffin signed with the Celtics shortly before the start of last season and averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 41 games. Boston has open roster spots, and a recent report suggested there’s interest in bringing Griffin back. But the Celtics also have workouts scheduled with T.J. Warren, Lamar Stevens and Louis King, so they’re exploring their options.

There’s more from Boston:

  • Kristaps Porzingis can’t play in the World Cup because of plantar fasciitis, but he’ll travel to Indonesia to support his Latvian teammates, according to Eurohoops. “I said being around is important, even though I’m not playing,” Porzingis explained in an interview with Sporta Studija. “They supported my decision. Also, there’s a long season ahead. It’s important for me to spend time with my teammates, with my family, and Boston respected my decision.”
  • Tatum is sharpening his game this summer with help from former Celtics star Paul Pierce, per Brian Robb of MassLive. The Hall of Famer attended some of Tatum’s workouts in Los Angeles with trainer Drew Hanlan. “Watching JT sharpen those tools, seeing what greatness looks like,” Pierce said in an Instagram video.
  • In an interview with Michael Eaves of ESPN (video link), Joe Mazzulla explains how studying jiu-jitsu has made him a better coach. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done,” Mazzulla said. “What the art really gives is the study of transitions, and that really helps me because in a game and in a season, there’s transitions and decision making. You’re actually learning how not to fight. You’re learning how to handle situations. You’re learning how to problem solve.”
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