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Mavericks Waive A.J. Lawson

October 8th, 2024 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have waived shooting guard A.J. Lawson, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Although Lawson was on a non-guaranteed contract, his release is a little more notable than many roster cuts this month, since he was on a standard multiyear deal that had carried over to this season, rather than an Exhibit 10/training camp contract.

Lawson, 24, signed a two-year, two-way contract with Dallas back in December 2022, shortly after being waived by Minnesota. He remained on that deal until March 2024, when he was promoted to the standard roster on a new four-year contract that was only guaranteed for the remainder of the 2023/24 season.

Lawson appeared in a total of 56 NBA games for the Mavericks during his two seasons with the team, including 42 in 2023/24. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per contest and posted a shooting line of .457/.307/.548 at the NBA level. The former South Carolina standout also played seven times for the Texas Legends in the G League last season, averaging 20.7 PPG and 7.0 RPG with a .530 FG%.

Dallas is carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts. Veteran forward Markieff Morris, who has a non-guaranteed salary, is considered the heavy favorite to claim the 15th standard roster spot, assuming the team carries a full roster to open the season.

It’s worth noting that the Mavs do have a two-way slot available, so if they still like Lawson and want to bring him back, they could re-sign him to a two-way contract as long as he clears waivers — his multiyear deal wasn’t eligible to be directly converted into a two-way.

Wizards’ Malcolm Brogdon Undergoes Thumb Surgery

October 8th, 2024 at 12:17pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 8: Brogdon underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn ligament in his thumb, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).

The team didn’t offer any specifics on his recovery timeline, but it seems like a safe bet that Brogdon will be sidelined for at least a month, as detailed below. When Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons had a similar surgery last fall, he missed approximately five weeks of action.

OCTOBER 7: Veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, whom the Wizards acquired in an offseason trade with Portland, is expected to miss several weeks with a right hand injury, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

Brogdon sustained the injury during Saturday’s practice in Montreal and was subsequently sent back to Washington, D.C. to undergo testing. The full severity of the injury has yet to be determined, but a source told Robbins that Brogdon is expected to be out at least a month.

The 36th pick of the 2016 draft out of Virginia, Brogdon has compiled an impressive NBA résumé, winning Rookie of the Year in 2017 with Milwaukee and Sixth Man of the Year in 2023 with Boston. However, the 31-year-old has also been hampered by injuries throughout his career.

Brogdon has appeared in more than 56 regular season games just once in the past five years and only played 39 times in 2023/24. He remains effective when he’s available, averaging 15.7 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 3.8 RPG on .440/.412/.819 shooting last season for Portland (28.7 MPG).

Brogdon, who is on an expiring $22.5MM contract, seems like a prime candidate, with the Wizards in the early stages of a rebuild. The hand injury complicates matters, but it’s fairly unusual for trades to occur this time of year anyways.

If Brogdon misses exactly one month, he would be sidelined for the Wizards’ remaining preseason contests and would likely miss at least a handful of regular season games. As Robbins writes, rookie guards Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George are candidates for more playing time while Brogdon is sidelined.

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 10/8/2024

October 8th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 11 a.m. Central time (noon Eastern). Click here to read the transcript.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Chats

NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.

Hawks Sign, Waive Tony Bradley

October 8th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 8: The Hawks have put out a second press release indicating that Bradley has been waived.

The quick turnaround signals that he was signed for G League purposes and will receive an Exhibit 10 bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Skyhawks, as noted below.

OCTOBER 7: The Hawks have signed center Tony Bradley, according to a team press release.

Bradley, a six-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 179 NBA contests (18 starts) over the course of his career with Utah (2017-20), Philadelphia (2020-21), Oklahoma City (2020-21) and Chicago (2021-23), averaging 4.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 11.1 minutes.

He was signed and waived by the Mavericks during training camp last season. He then spent the 2023/24 campaign with the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ affiliate in the NBA G League. He appeared in 17 games (10 starts), averaging 14.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in 21.3 minutes.

The signing of Bradley brings Atlanta to full training camp roster of 21 players. It’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal, which would make him eligible for a bonus up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the College Park Skyhawks, who acquired his returning rights from the Legends last month.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Zion, Pelicans, Mavericks

October 8th, 2024 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

Playing on Monday for the first time since January 5, Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant looked like he was rounding into top form in his 18 minutes of action vs. Dallas , contributing 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the team’s preseason opener.

However, Morant briefly exited the game and went to the locker room in the first half after turning his ankle, then appeared to have issues with the same ankle after returning before checking out of the game for good in the second half.

Speaking to reporters after the Grizzlies’ win, head coach Taylor Jenkins referred to the first half injury as a “minor tweak” and added that Morant experienced a little discomfort trying to push off the ankle in the second half, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Jenkins, Morant will be evaluated in the coming days, but his removal from the game was mostly precautionary.

For his part, Morant downplayed the issue in his own post-game media session, telling reporters that he’s “all good” and pointing out that he was able to walk fine (Twitter link via Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

While it doesn’t sound at this point like the minor ankle injury will affect Morant’s availability for the Grizzlies’ regular season opener in a couple weeks, it’s worth keeping a close eye on the star guard after a season in which he was limited to just nine games due to a suspension and a shoulder injury. Memphis’ ability to bounce back in 2024/25 will hinge in large part on his ability to stay on the court.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Morant and Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, the top two picks in the 2019 draft, each have a pair of All-Star nods under their belts but have had stop-and-start ascents to stardom due to health issues and – in the case of the Grizzlies guard – off-court behavior, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Vardon considers what heights the two young stars could still reach and explores their potential importance to USA Basketball, which could lose a handful of longtime stars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant by the next Olympics.
In a pair of stories for NOLA.com, Christian Clark highlights Williamson’s impressive preseason debut vs. Orlando on Monday and writes that the Pelicans believe they have the personnel necessary to finally reach their longtime goal of averaging 40 three-point attempts per game this season. It’s a lofty objective, given that only one team (Boston) cracked the 40-attempt threshold last season and New Orleans ranked 24th with 32.6 per game. “It’s manageable for the lineups we have out there,” reserve sharpshooter Matt Ryan said. “We are going to have so much shooting. So much guard and wing play.”
The Mavericks aren’t stressing the loss of reserve guard Dante Exum to a wrist injury, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, who notes that Spencer Dinwiddie and head coach Jason Kidd were among those to laud the backcourt depth on the roster. Dinwiddie – who called this iteration of the Mavs “the most talented team I’ve been on” – and Jaden Hardy are expected to get more opportunities with Exum out.
Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) and Curtis (Dallas Morning News subscriber link) each shared their takeaways from the Mavericks‘ training camp, discussing Klay Thompson‘s smooth integration, the impressive two-way versatility displayed by newcomer Naji Marshall, and Dereck Lively showing the potential to take another big step forward in his second NBA season.

Nuggets Waive Three Camp Invitees

October 8th, 2024 at 7:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have waived forwards Gabe McGlothan and Jaylin Williams, along with guard Jahmir Young, according to NBA.com’s official transaction log. McGlothan, Williams, and Young were in camp with Denver on Exhibit 10 deals.

With the Nuggets carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way contracts, it always appeared the plan was to have the trio eventually report to the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate. That’s likely to be the next stop for all three players, who will receive Exhibit 10 bonuses worth $77.5K apiece if they spend at least 60 days with the Gold.

Young got a chance to play 14 minutes in the team’s second exhibition game in Abu Dhabi against Boston on Sunday and delivered eight points, two rebounds, and two assists. However, Williams (not to be confused with the Jaylin Williams in Oklahoma City) didn’t see action in either of those preseason contests and McGlothan appeared only very briefly in Friday’s game, checking in with three seconds left in the fourth quarter.

The cuts leave Denver with 18 players on its roster, three shy of the preseason limit. The Nuggets have reportedly reached an agreement to sign big man Charles Bediako and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they rotate other players in and out of those back-end roster spots before the season begins, primarily for G League purposes.

Signing and waiving players on Exhibit 10 contracts before the season allows teams to secure players’ NBAGL rights and/or ensure those players will receive bonus money for spending 60+ days with the team’s G League affiliate.

Bulls Sign, Waive Ben Coupet Jr.

October 8th, 2024 at 7:09am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

OCTOBER 8: As expected, Coupet has officially been waived, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.

OCTOBER 6: Free agent shooting guard Ben Coupet Jr. has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bulls, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 6’7″ swingman, a Chicago native, went undrafted out of Southern Illinois in 2022. He averaged 11.0 points on .449/.411/.761 shooting, along with 4.6 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.5 steals per game during his 2021/22 senior season with the Salukis.

Coupet has since been plying his trade for Chicago’s G League affiliate squad, the Windy City Bulls, for the past two years. Across a total of 52 regular season bouts (16 starts), Coup has averaged 6.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 0.7 APG with a shooting line of .446/.377/.793.

Scotto notes that Coupet is expected to be waived ahead of Chicago’s 2024/25 regular season, and rejoin Windy City as an affiliate player.

Should he remain with Windy City for at least 60 days, Coupet will be eligible for a bonus worth as much as $77.5K as a result of his Exhibit 10 deal.

Atlantic Notes: Fernandez, Barrett, Shead, Sixers’ Wings

October 7th, 2024 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez has established a rugged tone in training camp, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.

“Probably one of the most unique, and hardest training camps I’ve been through in these 12 years now,” guard Dennis Schröder said. “Like it, though, so far. Everybody’s buying into it. Coach and coaches are doing a great job of keeping us organized and together. It’s been great.”

Forward Dorian Finney-Smith shared similar thoughts on the first week of camp.

“We’re going to be well-conditioned,” Finney-Smith said. “The people I talk to around the league, they all had great things to say about him, so I knew what to expect. I heard he was a hard worker and he’d want us to compete. That’s what he’s been asking us.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

RJ Barrett didn’t play in the second half of the Raptors’ preseason game against Washington on Sunday due to a bruised right shoulder, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Prior to the injury, Barrett scored 17 points in 14 minutes. He’ll be reevaluated early this week.
Second-round pick Jamal Shead showed off his defensive skills in the same game. He matched up against fellow rookie Carlton Carrington, who missed all six of his shots and committed three turnovers. “Me and him have a little bit of a history, he got the best of me in a pre-draft workout,” Shead told Grange. “So I had to come out and make it as hard as possible … he’s going to be really good, but I had to give him a taste of NBA-ready defense.”
The Sixers have a lot of versatility, especially at the wing spots, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. They are projected to start three wing players in Paul George, Caleb Martin, and Kelly Oubre. They also have options coming off the bench in Eric Gordon, Ricky Council IV, and KJ Martin. “I like to be super versatile, and you got to be able to shift people all over the place,” coach Nick Nurse said. “We do have a lot more in the middle that we can shift around.”

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Harris, Crawford, James Duo, Suns

October 7th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jonathan Kuminga has high expectations for himself this season. The Warriors forward has set an individual goal of making his first All-Star appearance, he told Marc Spears of Andscape.

“That is my trajectory. That is what I’ve been working towards,” Kuminga said. “I did as much as I could working out, getting my body ready, learning the game, working on things on defense. It’s just a matter of when we start playing now and I can show what I’ve been working on and how my game has grown.”

The Warriors and Kuminga have an Oct. 21 rookie scale extension deadline and the forward will be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension.

“My agent is taking care of that. I need to focus on what I’m trying to accomplish. The more I accomplish, the more things like that handle themselves,” Kuminga said.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Kings’ NBA G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, have named Gabriel Harris as general manager and Quinton Crawford as head coach, according to a team press release. Harris, 33, served as the assistant GM for Stockton last season. Crawford, 34, was an assistant coach with the Suns. He also served as an assistant with the Mavericks in 2022-23 and the Lakers from 2019-2022.
LeBron James and Bronny James made history Sunday night as the first father and son to play together in an NBA game. They were on the court together at the start of the second quarter during the Lakers’ preseason game against the Suns. It coincided with Bronny’s 20th birthday. “For a father, it means everything,” LeBron said, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have influence on your son. Be able to have moments with your son. And ultimately, to be able to work with your son. I think that’s one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for.”
The Suns shot 41% on 3-point attempts in their 118-114 win over the Lakers on Sunday. Kevin Durant saw some good signs offensively, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “I liked that we generated good shots. We are able to get (21) 3s up in the 1st half,” he said. “Defensively, pick-and-roll coverage, it’ll get better. That’s where we struggled at the most.”