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Olympic Notes: Team USA, Exum, Aldama, Theis, France

July 27th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Team USA big men Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis have both missed practice time ahead of the club’s pool-play opener vs. Serbia on Sunday due to illnesses, while Kevin Durant was unable to suit up in any of the pre-Olympic exhibition games as a result of a calf strain. However, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes, head coach Steve Kerr expressed optimism on Saturday that none of his 12 players will be unavailable vs. Serbia.

“I’m confident we’ll have everybody ready (Sunday),” Kerr said.

The U.S. squad beat Serbia by 26 points earlier this month in Abu Dhabi, holding star center Nikola Jokic to 6-of-19 shooting in that game. But the Serbians were resting some key players, including Bogdan Bogdanovic. Team USA is prepared for a more competitive game on Sunday.

“Jokic, with what he’s able to do, obviously we know what he does at NBA, but maybe a little bit higher usage in the international game,” Davis said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Here are a few more notes on the Olympic tournament, which tipped off on Saturday:

NBA veterans like Josh Giddey and Jock Landale led Australia to a win over Spain on Saturday in the first Group A game, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops details. However, the Boomers were missing one notable NBAer, as Dante Exum was unavailable due to a compound dislocation of his finger. While at least one report has suggested Exum will miss multiple games, he hasn’t technically been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest vs. Canada yet and is working to return as soon as possible. “The biggest thing at the moment is trying to just let the wound heal because it was a compound dislocation,” he said (Twitter link via Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com). “So just making sure everything [is right], but I’ll put a ball in my hand tomorrow and see how it feels and go from there.”
Although Spain couldn’t pick up a win on Saturday, Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama was impressive in defeat, racking up 27 points and six three-pointers. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, those six threes represented a Spanish Olympic record.
Pelicans center Daniel Theis helped lead Germany to a win over Japan on Saturday with 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting. He suggested after the game that last year’s World Cup title puts a spotlight on the Germans in this year’s event. “I think we kind of got a target on our back. Everybody wanted to be the world champion,” Theis said, per Barkas of Eurohoops. “One of our biggest strengths is we never underestimate any opponent. We did not do it last year. We have not done it this year. Whoever we played, we never took anybody lightly. So we take everybody seriously, and that is a big strength for us.”
The top two picks in this year’s NBA draft are French, but neither Zaccharie Risacher nor Alex Sarr is representing France at this year’s Olympics. Marc J. Spears of Andscape takes a closer look at why the youngsters aren’t in Paris with the French national team this year and why they’re likely to be factors at the 2028 Olympics. France won its opener on Saturday over Brazil, with Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum each scoring a game-high 19 points.

Suns Unlikely To Retain E.J. Liddell, Eyeing Tyus Jones

July 27th, 2024 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ trade of David Roddy for E.J. Liddell is a financially motivated deal, as Roddy wasn’t on track to be on the team’s regular season roster and Liddell likely won’t make the cut either, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

According to Gambadoro (Twitter link), whether Liddell’s $2.12MM is stretched across three seasons or applied solely to the 2024/25 cap, the expectation is that the forward will be waived at some point after he’s officially acquired by Phoenix. That would open up a spot on the team’s projected 15-man regular season roster.

Having already signed Monte Morris earlier in the offseason, the Suns remain on the lookout for point guard help and have their eye on the top option on the market. Gambadoro (Twitter link) hears there’s a “real chance” that the club could land Tyus Jones, adding that a deal could materialize quickly if the veteran free agent decides he’s willing to accept a minimum-salary contract, which is all Phoenix can offer.

As Gambadoro explains, Jones could get more money from at least a couple other interested teams, but joining the Suns would give him the chance to play a significant rotation role for a club with championship aspirations.

Jones’ landing spot has been a popular subject of speculation for a couple weeks, as he’s easily the highest-ranked unrestricted free agent on our top-50 list who remains unsigned. The 28-year-old is coming off a season in which he established new career highs in field goal percentage (48.9%), three-point percentage (41.4%), points per game (12.0), and assists per game (7.3) for the Wizards.

Most of the teams with money left to spend and a roster spot available aren’t projected to be contenders, so Jones may have to decide between accepting a more lucrative offer from a likely lottery team or settling for a minimum-salary deal from the Suns or another would-be contender. If he signs for the minimum, I’d expect him to get a second-year player option so that he’d have the ability to try his luck on the open market again in 2025.

Phoenix’s three stars – Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal – are all relatively ball-dominant, but none of them are true point guards, so the Suns entered the offseason looking for a veteran capable of organizing the offense. They landed Morris relatively early in free agency, but continued to be linked to other point guards, including Kyle Lowry, who ended up back in Philadelphia. Adding both Jones and Morris on minimum-salary deals would be a big win for the organization if it comes to fruition.

And-Ones: Risacher, Sarr, Sheppard, LeBron, TV Package, Beverley

July 27th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

The top two picks in the draft — Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr — were also two of the biggest disappointments during Summer League action, John Hollinger of The Athletic notes.

The Hawks‘ Risacher shot 11-of-28 from the floor in 59 minutes before being sidelined by a quad contusion. The Wizards‘ Sarr shot 0-of-15 from the field in his third game and only scored two points in his fourth outing. The Pacers‘ Jarace Walker and Timberwolves‘ Rob Dillingham were among the other notable players who struggled in Vegas.

On the flip side, third overall pick Reed Sheppard of the Rockets showcased his all-around skills, Hollinger writes. Another standout was Scotty Pippen Jr., who made a strong case to be the Grizzlies‘ backup point guard.

The Ringer’s J. Kyle Mann and ESPN’s experts also shared their thoughts on the biggest takeaways from Summer League action.

We have more from around the basketball world:

LeBron James ranks No. 1 among the top 25 players in this century, according to a poll of ESPN experts. Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal round out the top five.
The new broadcasting deals signed by the league with Disney, NBC and Amazon include national broadcasts on every day of the week during the regular season. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps provides more details on the rights packages.
Patrick Beverley will not face criminal charges for throwing a basketball at a Pacers fan during the playoffs, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov tweets. A Marion County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman said the county won’t bring charges after it reviewed the Indianapolis police department investigation. Beverley is expected to play with an Israeli team next season.

Pacers Sign Tristen Newton To Two-Way Deal

July 27th, 2024 at 11:52am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have signed second-round pick Tristen Newton to a two-way contract, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).

The floor leader for national champion UConn, Newton appeared in five Summer League games in Las Vegas, averaging 9.0 points, 4.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 21.6 minutes.

Newton, 23, started all 40 games for the Huskies this past season and averaged 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists. He was taken with the 49th overall pick in the draft.

Newton was one of four UConn starters selected in the draft. He’ll provide more backcourt depth for Indiana.

Newton joins Quenton Jackson, who was re-signed this weekend, on two-way deals. That leaves Indiana with one more available two-way spot. The team still has one unsigned second-round pick (Enrique Freeman) and has a two-way qualifying offer out to Oscar Tshiebwe.

Nuggets Sign McGlothan, Williams To Camp Deals

July 27th, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have added forwards Gabe McGlothan and Jaylin Williams on training camp deals, according to Spotrac contributor Keith Smith (Twitter links).

McGlothan went undrafted after playing the last four collegiate seasons at Grand Canyon. He averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 34 starts last season.

Denver’s intention to sign McGlothan to an Exhibit 10 deal was reported last month. McGlothan helped Grand Canyon to a victory in the NCAA Tournament and went on to win the collegiate slam dunk contest.

Not to be confused with the Thunder forward of the same name, Williams went undrafted out of Auburn. He averaged 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists for the Tigers in 34 games last season. Denver’s intention to sign Williams was also previously reported.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or the player can earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Nets Notes: Clowney, Bridges, Fernandez, Training Camp

July 27th, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Dana Gauruder

Noah Clowney displayed in the Las Vegas Summer League that he’s ready for an expanded role. The second-year Nets forward averaged 13.8 points, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals per game and made 39% of his 3-point attempts, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. He’s also got the kind of shot-blocking skills to make him a dual threat alongside Nic Claxton.

“I liked the way Noah played,” said Steve Hetzel, who coached the Nets in Vegas. “When we talked about growth and learning, the physicality of it — it was his birthday (on July 14), so he’s still a young man — he’s done a great job in the weight room, but he’s going to continue to get stronger. So it’s going to come with time.”

We have more on the Nets:

Mikal Bridges flopped in his role as a leader last season, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (subscription required). Via his sources, Bondy reported that Bridges internalized the team’s struggles and became overwhelmed by the responsibility. He was neither the communicator nor the confident alpha the Nets needed from their best player, Bondy adds.
New Nets coach Jordi Fernandez is busy coaching Team Canada in the Olympics. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch believes he’ll thrive in that role. “It was a home-run hire (for Canada). … Sometimes in the national team game, less is more,” Finch told The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. “And I think he’s got great emotional intelligence to figure that out.”
The Nets will hold part of their training camp in California, Lewis writes. Brooklyn, which will play the Clippers in San Diego during the preseason, did the same thing three years ago.

Pacers Re-Sign Quenton Jackson On Two-Way Deal

July 27th, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have re-signed Quenton Jackson to a two-way contract, according to the NBA transactions log.

Jackson was on a two-way deal last season. He became a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer prior to free agency.

Jackson was part of Indiana’s Summer League team in Las Vegas, where he averaged 11.0 points, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals in 21.2 minutes per contest.

The Texas A&M product went undrafted in 2022, then played nine games for Washington in 2022/23. He was released by the Wizards last summer. He spent a majority of the 2023/24 season with the G League’s Windy City Bulls before Indiana signed him to a two-way deal in March.

Jackson appeared in three games with the Pacers last season. He saw action in a total of 32 G League contests, averaging 18.8 points, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 33.8 minutes per game.

Indiana had all three of its two-way slots open, so more moves could be forthcoming.

Central Notes: Pistons Roster, Pistons Outlook, Ball, Haliburton

July 26th, 2024 at 10:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have an open roster spot but that doesn’t mean they will fill it anytime soon, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. They could sign one of the better remaining free agents on the market — Tyus Jones, Markelle Fultz, Luke Kennard or Isaac Okoro — but they could just leave the spot open to facilitate a trade where they could acquire more future assets.

We have more from the Central Division:

The Pistons in the play-in tournament next season? It’s not as far-fetched as it might sound, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. Most of the other Eastern Conference teams who were in the play-in or lottery last season have not improved their rosters, with the possible exception of Miami. The Pistons, meanwhile, have added several solid veteran rotation players who will help them in the short run.
Lonzo Ball confirmed that his “first real test” will be next month when he participates in 5-on-5 scrimmages, he said on ‘The WAE Show’ (hat tip to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago). The Bulls guard hasn’t played since Jan. 14, 2022 due to knee issues. Ball will make $21.4MM in the final year of his contract next season.
In a GQ profile, Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton told Andrew Greif that his team is being overlooked as a major contender in the East. “All I keep seeing is, ‘Who’s going to win the East? Boston, Milwaukee, New York, or Philly?’” Haliburton said. “It’s like, what are we doing [not being included]? But again, we’re Indiana, people didn’t even know, people didn’t even watch us play until the playoffs. People didn’t watch us play until the second round. But again, that respect comes with winning. So if we want to gain that respect, we just got to keep having success as a team. And it’s coming.”

Nuggets Sign Russell Westbrook To Two-Year Deal

July 26th, 2024 at 10:11pm CST by Luke Adams

10:11pm: The Nuggets have officially signed Westbrook, according to a team press release.

1:05pm: The Nuggets will sign veteran point guard Russell Westbrook to a two-year contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Denver has long been the expected landing spot for the former MVP, but the details of Westbrook’s new deal hadn’t been reported until now. The 35-year-old earn the minimum salary of $3,303,771 in 2024/25, with a minimum-salary player option worth $3,468,960 for ’25/26. He could become a free agent again in a year if he declines that option.

After joining the Clippers on the buyout market in February 2023, Westbrook spent his first full season with the team in ’23/24, shifting to a bench role following the November acquisition of James Harden. In 68 appearances, the nine-time All-Star averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in a career-low 22.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .454/.273/.688.

Although Westbrook exercised his $4MM+ player option for 2024/25, his camp and the Clippers quickly began working to find a new home for the former UCLA star. The Nuggets, whose star center Nikola Jokic endorsed the pursuit of Westbrook, were immediately identified as the frontrunner but weren’t in a great position to acquire the guard via trade.

Instead, Westbrook was sent to Utah as part of a deal sending Kris Dunn to the Clippers via sign-and-trade. He subsequently agreed to a buyout with the Jazz, clearing the way for him to sign with Denver as a free agent.

Westbrook is on track to serve as Jamal Murray‘s primary backup at the point and will play a significant role next season for a Nuggets team that struggled to find reliable depth outside of its starting five in the playoffs this past spring.

Team USA Notes: Kerr, Embiid, Durant, Booker, Curry

July 26th, 2024 at 9:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Team USA begins its quest for Olympic gold on Sunday against Serbia. Coach Steve Kerr says it’s time for his star-laden roster to ramp up mentally and physically after close calls against South Sudan and Germany in its last two exhibitions.

“So it’s got to be 40 minutes of force and attention and focus, and we can’t let teams outplay us effort- and energy-wise like we did the other night against Germany, like we did against South Sudan,” Kerr said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

After reviewing the recent exhibitions, Kerr wasn’t pleased with the overall effort, Sam Amick of The Athletic adds.

“(It’s) just effort and energy, play after play after play,” Kerr said. “This is different. This is not an 82-game season (like the NBA). They’re not going to play 125 games total with preseason and playoffs and all that. It’s literally six games. And watching the tape, we’re jogging through some possessions, not hitting bodies on box-outs. And so it’s time. It’s time to lock in on that. And as I said, that’s for all of us — coaches and players — to get to that point.”

We have more on Team USA:

Joel Embiid commented recently that people may overrate Team USA, asserting that their stars aren’t quite what they used to be. “Those names have been built throughout their career, and now they’re older,” Embiid said. Kevin Durant agrees with the notion to a certain extent, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Of course, we’re older and we all have mileage on our bodies,” Durant said. “We figure out ways to be effective, just as Jo has as he’s gone through injuries.”
Devin Booker is playing in his second Olympics and Kerr considers him the perfect FIBA player, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic relays. “Book was great in Tokyo,” Kerr said. “He’s the perfect example of a guy who in an NBA game, he’s going to get 20 shots every night. In ’21 in Tokyo, he was more of a defender, ball mover, but did a great job and was one of our key players. That’s why he’s back here. We knew how much we needed him and I’m so impressed with Book’s ability to understand that and recognize the role change, but still hit the big shot and looking forward to a big moment. Book is a perfect FIBA guy.”
Durant didn’t play in any exhibition games due to a calf strain, though he has been practicing. His former Golden State teammate Stephen Curry anticipates their old chemistry hasn’t waned. “I think that familiarity only helps us take advantage of this experience,” Curry said, per Vardon.