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NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Sacramento Kings

September 21st, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Sacramento Kings.

Free agent signings

  • Malik Monk: Four years, $77,975,308. Fourth-year player option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
  • DeMar DeRozan: Three years, $73,710,000. Includes an additional $3MM in unlikely incentives. Third year partially guaranteed ($10MM). Signed using Bird rights and acquired via sign-and-trade from Bulls.
  • Alex Len: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
  • Jordan McLaughlin: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Orlando Robinson: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($500K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Boogie Ellis: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

  • Acquired Jalen McDaniels from the Raptors in exchange for Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, the draft rights to Jamal Shead (No. 45 pick), and the Trail Blazers’ 2025 second-round pick.
  • Acquired DeMar DeRozan (sign-and-trade) from the Bulls in a three team-trade in exchange for Harrison Barnes (to Spurs), Chris Duarte (to Bulls), the Kings’ 2025 second-round pick (to Bulls), the Kings’ 2028 second-round pick (to Bulls), the right to swap 2031 first-round picks (to Spurs), and cash (to Bulls).

Draft picks

  • 1-13: Devin Carter
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $22,141,696).

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
  • Carrying approximately $169.7MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
  • Full mid-level, bi-annual exceptions available.
  • Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $6,341,464).

The offseason so far

Entering the offseason, there were two notable NBA free agents whose Early Bird rights were considered potentially insufficient to retain them. One of those was Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed a three-year, $87MM contract with the Thunder that the Knicks were unable to match using the Early Bird exception. However, the second of those two free agents, Malik Monk, reached an early deal with the Kings, agreeing to accept Sacramento’s best possible offer well ahead of the start of July.

To be clear, it’s not as if Monk magnanimously accepted a deal way below his market value. His new four-year, $78MM contract is easily the most lucrative of his career, and the $19.5MM annual salary represents an entirely reasonable rate for an effective, offense-first sixth man.

Still, there was a belief that he might’ve been able to secure an even bigger payday on the open market, so the Kings benefited from new NBA rules that permitted them to begin contract talks with Monk immediately after the Finals ended, rather than having to wait until the end of June to open those negotiations.

Having agreed to terms early with Monk, the Kings were able to approach the rest of the summer with the knowledge that their top free agent would be back, and their subsequent roster moves accounted for that. With Monk returning, for instance, Sacramento needed to shed some salary in order to stay out of luxury tax territory, so the club sent Sasha Vezenkov and Davion Mitchell to Toronto, along with two second-round picks, in exchange for Jalen McDaniels.

Vezenkov ended up agreeing to give up his entire $6.66MM salary for the 2024/25 season in order to get out of his contract. If the Kings had known he’d be willing to do that, trading him wouldn’t have been necessary, but it’s possible he only finalized that decision when faced with the prospect of moving to a new country for the second time in two years.

It’s also unfortunate that Sacramento had to give up on Mitchell, a 2021 lottery pick, but his offensive game never really developed and he found himself surpassed on the depth chart last season by undrafted free agent Keon Ellis. While that No. 9 overall pick was a miss for the Kings, they can take some solace in the fact that the teams right behind them in the 2021 draft didn’t do any better — Ziaire Williams, James Bouknight, Joshua Primo, and Chris Duarte were the four players selected right after Mitchell (though Corey Kispert, Alperen Sengun, Trey Murphy, and Jalen Johnson all went later in the top 20).

Speaking of Duarte, he was a throw-in salary-matching piece in the Kings’ biggest move of July, a sign-and-trade deal for six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan. Duarte was packaged with Harrison Barnes (sent to San Antonio), a pair of second-round picks, a 2031 first-round pick swap, and cash in order to bring DeRozan aboard on a three-year contract without adding any salary to the team’s books for 2024/25.

A two-way forward probably would’ve been a better all-around fit for the Kings’ lineup, and it’s not as if Sacramento hadn’t been trying to acquire that sort of player — the team reportedly pursued both OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam last season before the Raptors traded them elsewhere. But DeRozan was the only impact player available this summer at the price Sacramento was willing to pay, both in terms of the trade package and the contract.

While the Kings will have no shortage of offensive firepower in 2024/25, head coach Mike Brown – who has preached defense since arriving in Sacramento – may not have the personnel for an above-average defense after swapping out Barnes for DeRozan. Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox aren’t bad on that end of the court, but neither is a top-tier defender; DeRozan and Monk certainly aren’t either. The pressure will be on 2022 lottery pick Keegan Murray to continue making defensive strides and to try to slow down opponents’ top wings while the Kings’ top scorers are simply asked to play solid team D within Brown’s scheme.

The Kings’ other veteran offseason additions were minimum-salary free agent signings — Alex Len will return for a fourth season, with Orlando Robinson joining him in the frontcourt and Jordan McLaughlin signed for backcourt depth. Robinson’s salary isn’t fully guaranteed, so Sacramento could swap him out for a new addition at some point if he doesn’t impress.

In addition to signing McLaughlin, the Kings used their lottery pick to select Devin Carter, a former Providence guard who looked like he might be able to step into an immediate role in the backcourt after a huge year for the Friars in 2023/24. Unfortunately, Carter underwent a shoulder surgery in early July that is expected to sideline him for six months.

It’s possible we’ll see Carter on the court in Sacramento during the season’s second half, but it’s probably unfair for the club to expect anything from him as a rookie, since he wasn’t able to take part in Summer League and won’t be a full participant in training camp or the preseason.

Up next

The Kings are currently carrying just 14 players on standard contracts, with neither Ellis nor Robinson on a fully guaranteed deal, so they have the ability to make some changes at the back of their projected regular season roster, including bringing in a 15th man.

Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this is the group that the team sticks with for opening night. Ellis isn’t going anywhere, Robinson has a partial guarantee, and adding a 15th man would push Sacramento’s team salary into luxury tax territory. As long as the roster stays relatively healthy, there’s probably no need to take on another player who won’t see rotation minutes, especially when the club is so close to the tax line.

The Kings’ prime preseason extension candidate is Fox, who is eligible for a new deal worth up to the maximum that would tack on three years to the two left on his current contract. However, reporting in June indicated that the star guard had decided not to sign an extension this offseason, preferring to put off those talks until 2025.

If Sacramento has a disappointing season in 2024/25, Fox’s contract situation might become a cause for concern, but the team shouldn’t be worried about it at this point. The 26-year-old could qualify for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team next spring, which is reason enough for him to wait a year. Even if he misses out on the super-max, Fox would be eligible to sign a slightly longer-term deal beginning next July.

Kevin Huerter is the only other King who is currently extension-eligible. I wouldn’t expect Huerter to get a new deal at this point after he saw his minutes cut back to a career-low 24.4 per game last season.

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And-Ones: Sports Betting, NBA Offseason, Injury Returns

September 21st, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA is in favor of federal regulations for sports betting, the league doesn’t unequivocally support the bill introduced last week in Congress, which is considered to have both positives and negatives, per David Purdum of ESPN.

The Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act, also known as the “SAFE Bet Act,” would prohibit sportsbook advertising from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (and during live sports broadcasts) and would ban in-game betting. The proposal to eliminate live wagering is one aspect of the bill likely to be opposed by the NBA and other sports leagues, given the increasing popularity of that form of betting, notes Purdum.

A league source tells Purdum that the NBA is keeping an eye on the legislation and views it as a “starting point to a very lengthy process.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the

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Northwest Notes: Cui, Braun, Caruso, Hartenstein

September 21st, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers did not want to hold back Yongxi Cui after he got a better offer from the Nets, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets.

Also known as Jacky, Cui officially signed a two-way contract with the Nets on Friday. He had previously agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Blazers, but hadn’t officially signed it.

If he’d come to camp in Portland he would have been competing for a two-way spot, according to Highkin. When the Nets offered him one outright, Portland didn’t want to stand in the way of the undrafted rookie.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • In a subscriber-only piece, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com takes a look at how defenses will adjust to the Nuggets’ starting five with third-year guard Christian Braun replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Braun appeared in all 82 regular-season games last season but made just four starts and only played 28 regular-season minutes with Denver’s other four starters on the court. Caldwell-Pope signed with the Magic early in free agency.
  • There’s been plenty of talk regarding the defensive impact of newcomers Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein on the Thunder. However, their offensive contributions will be just as key, Esfandiar Baraheni of Sportscasting.com writes. Caruso will help the team in the underrated roles of screener and secondary play-making. Hartenstein’s solid screening and short-roll game will also add to the versatility of Oklahoma City’s offense.
  • In case you missed it, we took a look at every Northwest Division team’s roster as training camps approach.
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International Notes: Baynes, Vezenkov, Taylor, Petrusev, Djurisic

September 21st, 2024 at 9:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA center Aron Baynes isn’t ready to end his career. He told ESPN’s Olgun Uluc he’s still shopping for an opportunity in Australia’s National Basketball League.

“My body feels good. I love playing the game,” he said. “It’s just, right now, I’m focused on my family and being there with my kids. Just being dad right now. Just enjoying not having to be anywhere at any particular time, apart from school drop off and school pickup. Right now, nothing labeled; just, body feels really good, though, I’m moving well. We’ll just see how it goes.”

Baynes, 37, played with the Brisbane Bullets last season, averaging 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He spent nine seasons in the NBA from 2012-21, playing for the Spurs, Pistons, Celtics, Suns, and Raptors during that time.

We have more from the international basketball world:

  • Sasha Vezenkov reiterated that he wanted to return to Europe because he was looking for a bigger role than he had in the NBA. “It gives you joy when you return to a familiar environment where you are loved,” he said, per Vangelis Papadimitriou of Eurohoops.net. “I prefer to be in a competitive environment, to fight for titles, and to feel important. I didn’t know if I would have an opportunity in the NBA like the one I gave myself. This is what I wanted to do, and I wanted to do it with Olympiacos. This is my home.” Vezenkov, who spent a single season in Sacramento, signed a five-year contract with Olympiacos after giving up over $6.6MM in guaranteed salary with the Raptors.
  • Former NBA guard Isaiah Taylor has signed with the Dubai Basketball Club, the team tweets (hat tip to Sportando). Taylor appeared in 67 games for the Hawks in 2017/18. Taylor has played in Israel, Spain, Turkey, Lithuania and China in recent seasons.
  • Crvena Zvezda’s president Nebojsa Covic confirmed that Olympiacos will not loan Filip Petrusev to his team this season, according to Eurohoops.net. He also said the team wasn’t signing Nikola Djurisic, a Hawks second-round draft pick in June who is recovering from foot surgery. “During the season, there could be departures or arrivals, which we currently don’t have planned. With that, I’m putting an end to the soap opera surrounding Petrusev and Djurisic, who is in America,” Covic said. “Petrusev is a player for Olympiacos.”
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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Northwest Division

September 20th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Northwest Division. Let’s dive in…

Denver Nuggets

Under general manager Calvin Booth, the Nuggets have typically set their training camp roster early in the offseason and not made any changes to the back end until the preseason is underway. Last year, for instance, Denver maxed out its 21-man roster on August 3 and didn’t make another roster move until October 13.

It looks like the team will probably stick to that pattern this year, taking the current group to camp and then rotating some Exhibit 10 signees on and off the roster during the preseason. With 15 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals, Denver’s projected regular season roster also looks set.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Although the Timberwolves have some back-end roster flexibility, they also have significant projected luxury tax penalties, and with the battle for control of the franchise headed to arbitration this fall, it’s still unclear who exactly will be on the hook for that tax bill.

With that in mind, I’d be surprised to see the Wolves carry a full 15-man standard roster into the regular season. And it’s probably safe to assume Dozier will start the season as the 14th man, since he has a $1MM partial guarantee that the team would have to eat if he’s waived and replaced with a newcomer. Minnesota could potentially make a change at that 14th spot before the league-wide guarantee date on January 7 if Dozier doesn’t prove in the first half that he deserves it, but his place on the opening night roster looks relatively safe.

While I expect some more Exhibit 10 shuffling in the coming days and weeks, the Wolves could set their camp roster by simply completing Randle’s deal, which would get them to the 21-man limit.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Even if they finalize their reported Exhibit 10 deals with Boeheim and Leons before October 1 and have both players with them in training camp, the Thunder would only have 19 players under contract, so they likely have more moves up their sleeve in the coming week or two.

The Thunder are one of the few NBA teams well positioned to bring in another veteran free agent who could make the 15-man standard roster. While Jaylin Williams will make the team, that still leaves the 15th spot open, and Oklahoma City is more than $11MM away from the luxury tax line, so another minimum-salary signing wouldn’t be a problem financially. With Topic out for the season and Kenrich Williams seemingly unlikely to be ready for opening night, the club could also use another depth piece.

It’s unclear whether the Thunder are perusing the free agent market with an eye toward adding a 15th man, but one more wing would make sense to me, with Oshae Brissett, Nassir Little, Justin Holiday, and Reggie Bullock among the available players who could fit.

Portland Trail Blazers

Banton’s big numbers (16.7 PPG, 3.6 APG) down the stretch for the Trail Blazers were the result of significant usage (27.2%) rather than a jump in scoring efficiency (he shot .408/.311/.780). Still, I’d give him the edge over Graham for the 15th roster spot in Portland since he’s younger and has a small partial guarantee. That spot’s not set in stone though.

The Trail Blazers still have one opening on their 21-man preseason roster. Unless the Blazers intend to bring in another player to compete with Banton and Graham to be the 15th man, that roster spot could be used to churn through Exhibit 10 signees for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz‘s roster looks pretty close to ready for the regular season, with 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and all three two-way spots occupied. Utah’s roster moves this fall may just consist of rotating Exhibit 10 players in and out before making final cuts at the end of the preseason.

A two-way shake-up is always a possibility, but Potter, Preston, and Tshiebwe all played well in the G League last season, so one of the non-guaranteed camp invitees would have to make a strong impression in October for the team to make a change there.

Previously:

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Rockets Reach Buyout Agreement With AJ Griffin

September 20th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

10:00pm: Griffin has been placed on waivers, according to NBA.com’s official transaction log.

4:28pm: The Rockets have reached a buyout agreement with forward AJ Griffin, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

Reporting last week indicated that Griffin was “seriously considering” the possibility of stepping away from basketball and that the Rockets were preparing for his departure from the sport. The buyout agreement between the two sides will allow Griffin to sit out the 2024/25 season while weighing whether or not he wants to continue his career beyond that, a source tells Feigen.

The 16th overall pick of the 2022 draft and the son of longtime NBA assistant and former Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, AJ Griffin had a promising rookie season with the Hawks, averaging 8.9 points per game with a .465/.390/.894 shooting line in 72 contests (19.5 MPG).

However, he missed time due to leg and ankle issues and personal reasons in 2023/24 and didn’t play much when he was available, averaging just 8.6 minutes per contest in 20 appearances. The former Duke Blue Devil’s scoring numbers cratered to 2.4 PPG on 29.0% shooting, including 25.6% on three-point attempts.

The Rockets attempted to buy low on Griffin earlier this offseason, trading the No. 44 pick to Atlanta in exchange for the 21-year-old. That transaction was eventually turned into a three-team deal that saw Atlanta move up to No. 43, flipping No. 44 and cash to Miami.

The Rockets had reportedly long been interested in Griffin, and in July he expressed excitement about having a fresh start with Houston. But his struggles continued in Summer League, where he shot just 38.2% from the field, including 28.0% from beyond the arc, in a setting where former first-round picks with multiple years of NBA experience typically thrive.

According to Feigen, the buyout agreement between Griffin and the Rockets is worth $250K. It’s unclear whether that means the forward is giving up $250K, slightly reducing his $3.89MM cap hit for 2024/25, or giving up nearly his entire salary and leaving Houston with a cap charge of just $250K. We’ll have to wait for the official details to confirm the specific numbers.

Griffin’s rookie scale contract included a $5.97MM team option for 2025/26. That option will be declined automatically when Houston places him on waivers.

The move opens up a spot on Houston’s projected 15-man regular season roster. The club doesn’t have to carry a 15th man to open the season, but has more than enough breathing room below the luxury tax line to accommodate a minimum-salary signing.

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Warriors Waive Yuri Collins, Javan Johnson

September 20th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have made a pair of cuts, requesting waivers on guard Yuri Collins and forward Javan Johnson, according to the official transaction log at NBA.com.

Both players were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts within the past week after playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors last season. They’re now on track to report back to Golden State’s G League affiliate and earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with Santa Cruz.

Both Collins and Johnson were role players at the G League level last season. Collins, who went undrafted out of St. Louis in 2023, appeared in 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games for Santa Cruz, averaging 5.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per outing, with a shooting line of .458/.397/.714.

Johnson caught on with Golden State last fall after wrapping up his college career at DePaul earlier in the year. He appeared in a total of 48 games for Santa Cruz in 2023/24, averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 20.9 minutes per contest and shooting .399/.375/.882.

The Warriors now have 19 players under contract, leaving two openings on their 21-man offseason roster. They’ll likely fill both spots before training camp begins on October 1.

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Atlantic Notes: DeRozan, Raptors, Ujiri, Simmons, Dolan

September 20th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked this week during a radio appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan in Toronto whether he’s interested in eventually returning to the Raptors to finish his NBA career, DeMar DeRozan expressed interest in the idea, though he made it clear that he doesn’t want to spend his final season as a benchwarmer in Toronto.

“You always want a poetic ending (in) that way,” DeRozan said. “Granted, most people don’t get to write their own ending. But what a better ending than being able to end where you start. Not just end, by just putting on the jersey. It has to be in a sense of me still being myself. I wouldn’t want to come back and be (Hakeem) Olajuwon (who spent an underwhelming final season in Toronto after 17 years in Houston). It has to just make sense. You kind of want to go out like you came in. That’s what people kind of remember you as.”

DeRozan, who was drafted ninth overall by the Raptors in 2009, spent his first nine seasons with the club before being sent to San Antonio in 2018’s Kawhi Leonard blockbuster trade. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in points (13,296) and games played (675), among other statistical categories.

DeRozan is under contract with the Kings for the next three seasons after joining the team via sign-and-trade this offseason.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • What does it mean for Masai Ujiri‘s future in Toronto that Rogers has bought out Bell’s stake in the Raptors and gained majority ownership control? Eric Koreen of The Athletic explores that question, noting that Rogers chairman Edward Rogers III and Ujiri, the team’s longtime president of basketball operations, have had a “strained relationship” in the past. Rogers reportedly opposed the terms of the contract extension that Ujiri signed with the club in 2021, which has two years left on it.
  • Nets guard Ben Simmons, who underwent back surgery in March, is on track to fully participate in training camp next month, agent Bernie Lee tells veteran NBA reporter Chris Haynes (Twitter link). “Ben is fully cleared and is a full participant for the start of camp,” Lee said. “He is excited to get started.”
  • A U.S. District Court judge in California has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman who accused Knicks team owner James Dolan of sexual assault, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The suit, which was filed in January, referenced incidents that took place in 2013 and 2014 allegedly involving Dolan and former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein. A Dolan spokesperson referred to the suit as “a malicious attempt to assert horrific allegations by an attorney who subverts the legal system for personal gain,” while the accuser’s attorneys said they’ll be appealing the court’s decision and will continue to pursue their client’s sexual battery claims against Dolan and Weinstein.
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Offseason Observations: Exhibit 10 Terms, Okoro, Current FAs, Stretch Provision

September 20th, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Luke Adams

With the start of most NBA training camps just 11 days away (and even sooner than that for the Celtics and Nuggets), the 2024 offseason is nearing its end.

Before we put a bow on the summer of 2024, we have one more installment of our "Offseason Observations" to share today, following up on similar articles published in July and August.

Here are some of the under-the-radar cap- and CBA-related stories I'm keeping an eye on as teams around the league prepare for their media days and training camps.

The disparity between Exhibit 10 bonuses

As we've written many teams in recent weeks, when a player signs an Exhibit 10 contract with an NBA team, is waived before the regular season begins, and then spends at least 60 days with his club's G League affiliate, he's eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

We always clarify that those bonuses can be worth "up to" $77.5K because that's the maximum possible Exhibit 10 bonus in 2024/25 (up from $75K a year ago, having increased at the same rate as the salary cap). But not every player who signs an Exhibit 10 contract is able to negotiate that maximum bonus.

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Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Zion, Luka, Washington, Rockets

September 20th, 2024 at 2:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Star point guard Ja Morant believes back-to-back college Player of the Year Zach Edey will have a strong debut season in the NBA, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Edey, who played four years at Purdue, was selected by the Grizzlies with the No. 9 overall pick in June’s draft.

“Definitely rookie of the year,” Morant said of his expectations for Edey. “I think easily, too.”

As Cole writes, Edey worked out with his new teammate earlier this summer and Morant came away impressed.

“For him to come in and say he wants to work out with me and then getting through the workout throughout the whole week, it was big-time for him,” Morant said. “It made me excited to have him on the team. His skill set is even much better.”

Here’s more from the Southwest:

  • Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of last season, played nine games, and then suffered a shoulder injury which required season-ending surgery in January (Memphis went 6-3 with him and 21-52 without him). However, he was cleared for contact work in early July and is fully healthy ahead of training camp, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Morant estimated he was at 75% strength in late July. Fellow Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, who was limited to 20 games last season due to a litany of injuries, also makes ESPN’s list of key player returns to monitor for 2024/25, as does Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who is fully recovered from the left hamstring strain he suffered late last season, per Andrew Lopez.
  • Jack Tien-Dana of RealGM weighs the pros and cons of Mavericks star Luka Doncic being physically stronger and heavier than he was when he first came in the league, writing that the 25-year-old and Dallas will need to “reconcile a series of contradictions” to get the best out of the All-NBA guard deep in the playoffs.
  • In a subscriber-only story for his Substack, Dallas Hoops Journal, Grant Afseth says Mavericks forward P.J. Washington could be the team’s “X-factor” heading into 2024/25. In order to optimally complement Doncic and Dallas’ other starters, Washington will need to become a more consistent outside shooter, Afseth observes. Washington entered last season with a career mark of 36.6% from three-point range, but shot just 32.0% from beyond the arc in ’23/24.
  • The Rockets brought back Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday because they showed they could be productive when called upon last season despite having inconsistent roles, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). The two veterans are also valued for their leadership, Feigen notes. The Rockets opted to guarantee Green’s $8MM salary for 2024/25, while Holiday re-signed with Houston on two-year, $9.6MM deal in free agency.
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