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Northwest Notes: J. Williams, Hartenstein, Caruso, Jazz, Scoot, R. Williams

October 3rd, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Thunder big man Jaylin Williams has been ruled out for the remainder of training camp and the preseason due to a right hamstring strain, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.

Upon his return, Williams is poised to back up a crowded frontcourt that is composed of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Coach Mark Daigneault was especially complimentary of what Williams brings to the table.

“Those guys are really, really verbal players,” Daigneault said. “Defensively especially, that position has to be the most vocal on the court. [Williams] is a very bold communicator in his coverages.”

Williams will be reevaluated after the preseason, per Lorenzi.

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Thunder offseason acquisitions Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have been as advertised, Lorenzi writes in a separate story. Both players have been early standouts in training camp. “I think the easiest thing for both of us is that we both play really hard,” Caruso said. “When you have that as your base and your foundation, the rest of the stuff will fall into place.”
Messaging from the Jazz has been clear all offseason regarding their desire to focus on youth. Walker Kessler is among the players the front office considers as part of its young core. However, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, John Collins sees and considers himself a starter, which primes the Jazz for a starting center position battle in camp. Head coach Will Hardy threw another name in the ring – that of free agent addition Drew Eubanks – when speaking to media. Larsen notes that the Jazz tried starting Lauri Markkanen, Collins and Kessler together last season, but that supersized lineup wasn’t successful.
Many scouts and fans regarded last year’s No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson as a generational prospect when he entered the draft. While Henderson struggled to score efficiently and didn’t garner the headlines that No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama did, he still showed he could have a long future in the league. Perhaps underrated entering his second season, the Trail Blazers guard averaged 16.6 points and 7.1 assists in his last 19 games last year. Head coach Chauncey Billups indicated he’s seen improvement from Henderson this offseason. “You can tell that his confidence is so much different now,” Billups said, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). “He plays ferocious, as we all know, but he has a little extra chip on his shoulder now after having struggled his rookie year. So I’ve been happy with where he’s at. I think Scoot’s going to have a good season.”
After playing in just six games last year due to knee surgery that ended his season, Trail Blazers center Robert Williams has been taking steps to return this year. According to Highkin (Twitter link), Williams went through all of practice as a full participant on Tuesday before sitting out Wednesday with soreness. The team is being careful with him in his recovery and his status for the preseason opener is to be determined, per Highkin.

Central Notes: Rondo, Tyson, Okoro, Jerome, Duren, White

October 3rd, 2024 at 9:12pm CST by Tristan Tucker

When Rajon Rondo got married this summer, his first NBA coach Doc Rivers was one of the attendees, Baxter Holmes of ESPN writes. Rivers motivated and encouraged Rondo to get into the coaching sphere this season.

That’s exactly what Rondo is doing, as he’s serving as a guest coach for the Bucks during training camp. According to Holmes, Rondo will remain with the Bucks through the rest of the season in an unspecified role. Rondo has said he “absolutely” hopes to be a head coach some day.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into coaching,” Rondo said. “You just can’t say, I’m going to be a coach, and then everything works out and that’s how it happens. So certain personalities have to mesh, [and there’s] a lot of sacrifice. There are certain things that I’m learning. The morning meetings, the amount of hours you’re spending watching film, it’s a lot.”

Rondo declined to say whether he received any other offers from teams. However, it was reported in June that he was high on the list of preferred staff members for new Lakers coach J.J. Redick.

We have more from the Central Division:

Cavaliers rookie Jaylon Tyson — the No. 20 overall pick this year — is making a strong first impression in training camp so far, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Our rook has impressed me,” Max Strus said. “He plays basketball the right way. He’s mature in the way he carries himself. He’s not out here asking for the ball or trying to do too much. He’s just trying to get in where he fits in. As a rookie, that’s not easy to do always. It’s impressive to see that. It’s refreshing to have a rookie come in and do that.” All three Cavs players who were asked for their immediate standout named Tyson, who has shown a little bit of everything, including rebounding, defense, and shooting. While Cleveland has a deep rotation, there’s a chance Tyson will make an impact right away.
Isaac Okoro admitted that he considered taking the Cavaliers‘ one-year, $11.8MM qualifying offer in order to hit unrestricted free agency next year. He eventually signed a three-year contract that includes $33MM in guaranteed money. “In my head I was like, ‘Nah, I think Cleveland wants me and I want to be here.’ I wanted to be here,” Okoro said. Fedor writes in a separate piece that head coach Kenny Atkinson is considering an expanded role for Okoro, who will be expected to screen more often and diversify his game.
In the same piece, members of the Cavaliers continue to point to Ty Jerome as a standout player in camp, per Fedor. “Ty has been one of the best players in camp in my opinion,” Darius Garland said. Jerome could be a surprise member of the rotation due to the fact that he was previously coached by Atkinson in Golden State and the front office likes him.
Jalen Duren served as an effective rim-runner and shot-blocker during his first two seasons as a member of the Pistons. However, according to Omari Sankofa II of Detroit Free Press, Detroit is hoping to unlock other aspects of Duren’s game — namely his play-making. He has been working on those skills in camp, and with just three true play-makers on the roster, Duren might be leaned on sooner rather than later. “I think we’re going to let him play with the ball some,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Whether he defensively rebounds the ball and has the ability to bring it up the floor some, whether he catches it on the elbow and we play split action and he can make those reads. So I think just trying to diversify where he touches it, and then we’ll keep building from there.“
DeMar DeRozan left the Bulls for the Kings this offseason, but he’s still giving advice to Most Improved Player runner-up Coby White, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. White is aiming to limit the number of off nights he has as a scorer after breaking through last year. “It’s got to be an every night thing. … I’ve got to build on this,” White said. “That’s what I talked to DeMar a lot about, how he prepares for every moment.“

Pelicans Notes: Murray, McCollum, Ingram, Johnson

October 3rd, 2024 at 8:24pm CST by Tristan Tucker

New Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray is hoping to get back to the defensive level he showcased as a member of the Spurs before joining the Hawks. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Murray has displayed during training camp practices that he’s still capable of being that kind of player, making a series of impressive steals and deflections.

The Pelicans ranked sixth in defensive efficiency over the past two seasons due in part to their ability to create turnovers. According to Guillory, the Pelicans actively sought Murray due to the fact that he played into their identity and would be a seamless fit on that end.

While losing Naji Marshall to free agency and Dyson Daniels as part of the move to bring Murray in could be a blow, the Pelicans are hoping a motivated Murray alongside Herbert Jones can create one of the best defensive duos in the league. With Trey Murphy likely sidelined to open the season due to injury, that would leave Jones, CJ McCollum and Daniel Theis battling for two starting spots next to Murray, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

“The Pelicans have been a top defensive team for years, (we’re going) to continue to grow,” Murray said. “The sky is the limit. If you get stops with this group, and the length we have and guys who can space out and can attack the basket, that’s what we want. That’s the best offense: getting out and running.”

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McCollum will shift to more of an off-ball role while playing alongside Murray, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. McCollum has played both guard spots for New Orleans since being acquired from Portland, but he’ll continue the trend of taking catch-and-shoot threes that he displayed last season. “I think the beauty of it is both of those guys over the course of their careers have played off other point guards or scoring guards,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Dejounte did it early in San Antonio. He also did it in Atlanta. CJ, for almost his whole career, was with Damian Lillard. Those guys are interchangeable. They can adjust on the fly. I think it makes us a problem for other teams.“
While Ingram was an oft-rumored trade candidate this offseason as he enters the final year of his contract, he ultimately stayed put. According to Clark (Twitter link), the star forward has been motivated in training camp so far. “He’s not just fitting in. He’s dominating,” Green said. “It’s really refreshing to see him come into camp (and) play at a high level, high speed. He’s focused on getting to the rim more. Making threes. He’ll still have his mid-range game because he’s elite in those positions. But overall, his leadership and spirit has been really good.” Ingram will make $36MM this season and is on track to hit unrestricted free agency next July after not yet receiving the maximum extension he was seeking.
Former Pelicans wing Wesley Johnson is joining New Orleans’ official broadcasting crew as a studio analyst alongside Erin Summers, the team announced (Twitter link). Johnson played with the Pelicans for 26 games (13 starts) in 2018/19 while averaging 3.7 points. Johnson spent the last three seasons as a member of Tyronn Lue‘s coaching staff in Los Angeles.

Heat Notes: Bryant, Love, Little, Smith, Quinn

October 3rd, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat invested in the backup center position this offseason, committing two years to 36-year-old Kevin Love and bringing back free agent big man Thomas Bryant despite already having signed Love and drafting Kel’el Ware 15th overall.

Bryant’s decision in particular came under a microscope, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, as it was assumed that he was asked to opt out of his previous contract that would have paid him $2.8MM with a promise that he could come back on a new minimum deal if no other offers materialized elsewhere.

Bryant will receive a similar salary on his new deal (approximately $2.8MM), but it actually saved the Heat $700K, Jackson explains. Salaries on one-year contracts count at the two-year minimum of $2.1MM for cap purposes. If he had simply picked up his player option, that $700K additional charge would have applied. However, while Bryant said the Heat gave him a deadline to make his free agent decision by, he denies that there was ever such an understanding between him and the team.

“I know it seemed that way but it wasn’t the case at all,” Bryant said, per Jackson. “They basically said: ‘We know you have options and we want you to be able to look at those.’ They said, ‘We would love to have you back here and from the top down, everybody loves what you’ve done here and see the work you put in and everyone wants you around.’ But there wasn’t any promise they would re-sign me.”

It’s an interesting commitment by the Heat, not only due to the resources they already committed to the center spot, but also because Bryant’s playing time for Miami last season was inconsistent. He appeared in just 38 games with four starts and averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

In essence, it seems like one of two scenarios is likely. The first option is that the Heat felt fine with the resources they had at the backup wing position (where they lost major contributor Caleb Martin to free agency) and wanted to bring Bryant back because they valued him. For what it’s worth, president Pat Riley expressed excitement a year ago about bringing in Bryant. The second option, which Bryant denies, is that Miami brought him back at that lower cap hit in exchange for him opting out.

That first option is interesting, because at the time of signing the contract, Miami hadn’t re-signed Haywood Highsmith or added Nassir Little. That would have left them with Jaime Jaquez and rookie two-way forward Keshad Johnson as their only real wing defenders. In other words, Miami seems ready to trust some of its returning players with large roles this coming year.

We have more on the Heat:

As for bringing back Love, Jackson writes in the same piece that the Heat didn’t feel like skill has declined as he enters his late 30s (he turned 36 last month). They believe his two-year, $8MM valuation is correct. Love said his goal is to reach 20 years in the NBA, which would take him two years beyond his current contract. “I feel really good, fresh, fleet of foot,” Love said. “I don’t feel I’m necessarily in the [Udonis Haslem mentorship] role, where he was late in his career.“
Little, a former first-round pick for the Blazers, had other options besides signing a fully non-guaranteed deal with the Heat, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Little, who averages 5.5 points for his career, has until Oct. 19 to audition for Miami as that’s the league-wide cut-down deadline. “With Miami, I just feel like they valued the type of player that I am the most,” Little said. “Yeah, there were other opportunities. But I just felt like the reputation that Miami has with players like myself and just the conversations that I had with the staff around here, it wasn’t to that extent with any of the other organizations. … I definitely feel like they wanted me the most.“
The Heat see Dru Smith being a capable ball-handler and defender on a two-way contract, Jackson writes in a separate piece. While he’s coming off a major injury, Smith showed promise last season and the Heat showed their value in him by letting him be a part of offseason meetings. His two-way spot might be the one that’s most in jeopardy, since Josh Christopher and Johnson had tremendous summer league stints, but it’s clear Miami cherishes him.
Chris Quinn earned a promotion from assistant coach to associate head coach this offseason, Chiang writes in another story. Head coach Erik Spoelstra said the promotion is more of a formality than anything, but the Heat wanted to reward someone who has been instrumental to their successful development system and who has earned several head-coaching interviews across the league over the years. “It means a lot,” Quinn said. “Obviously, the title is one thing. But the responsibility that comes along with it. … It’s a huge responsibility for me to keep moving in the right direction.”

Wolves Notes: Knicks Trade, Randle, DiVincenzo, Towns

October 3rd, 2024 at 5:51pm CST by Rory Maher

While long-term salary cap considerations played a factor in Minnesota’s blockbuster trade with New York, Timberwolves sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic that majority owner Glen Taylor was only willing to sign off on a deal involving Karl-Anthony Towns if the front office believed it would improve the team entering the 2024/25 season. Last season, the Wolves made the Western Conference finals for just the second time in franchise history, and Taylor had no interest in taking a step back.

“First and foremost, I think it’s extremely important to recognize that this is not a money deal,” head coach Chris Finch said. “Glen and our ownership was and is committed to paying large amounts of tax for this team to be highly competitive. That hasn’t changed. This deal in totality checks a lot of boxes. We think it’s a great basketball trade.”

Sources tell Krawczynski that Taylor reiterated throughout the summer he was willing to a foot a significant luxury tax bill and would rather have kept Towns — and the four years and $220MM left on his contract — than make the team worse. As Krawczysnki writes, Taylor is in an ongoing ownership dispute with minority stakeholders Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, and it behooves both sides to keep the Wolves as competitive as possible entering arbitration in early November.

It has been reported multiple times that the Knicks have wanted Towns for at least a couple years. But the timing of the trade was surprising, considering the regular season begins in a few weeks and training camps are already underway.

Team and league sources tell Krawczynski that the Wolves didn’t have many other options for moving Towns, especially for quality players in return, making the Knicks’ offer –headlined by three-time All-Star Julius Randle — appealing. However, according to Krawczynski, the Wolves only accepted the trade when the Knicks included Donte DiVincenzo in place of Mitchell Robinson, who is out until December or January as he continues recovers from ankle surgery.

Krawczynski also suggests the Wolves had some concerns that if they struggled to open ’24/25 or Towns got hurt, they would’ve had even fewer suitable trade options for the four-time All-Star due to his recent injury history and super-max contract. Still, it was difficult to deal away one of the top players in franchise history, a former No. 1 overall pick who had strong ties within the organization and the community.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Finch said Randle will be the starting power forward and lavished praise on his former colleague — he was an assistant with New Orleans during Randle’s lone season with the Pelicans in ’18/19. “Really, really enjoyed working with him,” Finch said, per Krawczynski. “Great pro. Loves being in the gym, comes in with a smile on his face every day. He’s hungry for feedback. Really pleasant.” For his part, Randle said he’s thrilled to reunite with Finch, calling him a “genius” who excelled with preparation, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Randle could hit free agency next summer if he declines his $30.9MM player option for ’25/26. He said he was initially shocked by the trade but after getting a night’s sleep, he had a different perspective, calling the deal “a breath of fresh air,” according to Collier. “You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here,” Randle said Thursday. “At this point in my career, I’ve accomplished a lot of great things on an individual level, but I want to win a championship. This is a perfect opportunity to do that.”
Finch was also excited about the addition of DiVincenzo, saying he should be able to acclimate quickly, Krawczynski notes. “His basketball IQ and his ability to cut and move and play off the ball is something that we really need,” Finch said. “That’ll benefit us right away.”
A recent report suggested that DiVincenzo may not have been thrilled with a potential reduced role with the Knicks, but a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that DiVincenzo had “embraced” the idea of coming off the bench and didn’t want to leave New York. “When you look at the big picture, my mind wasn’t on what teams were interested in me. When I was in New York, I was fully there. I wanted to be there. And when this kind of picked up, I realized it was an opportunity. And when it became an actual thing, my mind just completely went straight to Minnesota,” DiVincenzo said. “And I immediately thanked everybody from my time in New York. There’s so much love there. But once I realized this is a real thing and actually happened, my mind transitioned to Minnesota. And I’m 100 percent here and excited.”
Towns recently sent out a tweet thanking the Wolves organization and the team’s fans.

Bulls Sign, Waive Joshua Primo

October 3rd, 2024 at 5:33pm CST by Rory Maher

5:33 pm: As expected, the Bulls have now waived Primo, according to Johnson (Twitter link).

11:20 am: The Bulls are signing free agent guard Joshua Primo to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (via Twitter). The move is now official, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network).

The No. 12 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Primo spent his rookie season with the Spurs, appearing in 50 regular season games (19.3 minutes per contest) while averaging 5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists on .374/.307/.746 shooting.

About a week into his second season, he was waived by San Antonio for “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension in response to Primo’s behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with a long-time sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs during his time with the organization.

Primo missed the rest of the 2022/23 campaign after being cut by the Spurs. He caught on with the Clippers last fall, initially on a two-way contract (he served the suspension at the beginning of last season). Primo was converted to a standard deal in November, but he only appeared in two NBA games for Los Angeles, which released him on the final day of the ’23/24 regular season.

Primo, 21, spent most of last season in the NBA G League with the Clippers’ affiliate, averaging 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals on .469/.369/.758 shooting in 30 regular season contests (30.9 minutes).

The former Alabama guard suffered a stress fracture in the navicular bone of his left ankle in April, which limited his basketball activities this offseason. According to Mayberry, Primo is expected to be released by Chicago and will head to the team’s NBAGL affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, as he continues to rehab from the injury.

Assuming Primo is waived before the season begins and spends at least 60 days with Windy City, the Exhibit 10 language in his contract would entitle him to a bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his regular NBAGL salary.

After signing Primo, the Bulls are now at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Maxey, McCain, Yabusele

October 3rd, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Tristan Tucker

By all measures, Joel Embiid‘s NBA career has been a resounding success. Having burst onto the scene in 2016 after missing his first two seasons with injury, Embiid has won an MVP award, received seven All-Star nods, has an Olympic gold medal and, as Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated writes, has locked in over $500MM in total (past and future) career earnings.

However, Embiid has never made it past the second round of the playoffs during his tenure with the Sixers. From 2017-23, Embiid’s teams went to the second round in six of seven seasons, but didn’t appear in the Eastern Finals. Teams like the 2019 Sixers gave it their all but lost to the eventual NBA champions. In other years, like in 2021 against the Hawks, the Sixers probably should’ve advanced on paper.

Regardless of the fact that teams like the reigning champion Celtics or the new-look Knicks stand in their way, Embiid is more than ready to add a championship to his resume, Mannix writes. At nearly 31 years old, he’s feeling the urgency to win now. After several injuries that have impacted him in the playoffs, the star center is prepared to do whatever it takes to get to the playoffs in a healthy and dominant state.

“Basically every single year of my career, I’ve been hurting in the playoffs,” Embiid said, after explaining that back-to-backs would be phased out for him this season. “So I think that’s the goal. And it is all about doing whatever it takes to get there.”

While the Sixers made plenty of strong moves this offseason, including adding Paul George and Caleb Martin, they all understand their postseason ceiling hinges on the availability of Embiid, who is now in his 30s. While the championship window may be limited overall, Embiid is excited by the success he enjoyed this summer with the Olympic team, per Mannix, and he’s hoping to keep that momentum going this season.

We have more from the Sixers:

On the subject of staying healthy, Embiid knows the medical staff will tell him to ease off more than he would like this season, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes. He understands that’s what he will need to do if he wants to make the postseason and stay there. “They know that if they have to punch me, slap me, take my stuff away from me [to] not to get on that court, they’re going to have to do it,” Embiid said. “I might get mad, I might curse people out, but I think it’s a relationship. We’ve been working together for years now. Now I look at the big picture, and I’ve always listened to them, but now it’s even more of the time where I should listen and see what they have to say.” According to Embiid, he has already lost 25-30 pounds before the season and is aiming to lose more in accordance with his conditioning.
Tyrese Maxey has consistently improved over the course of his four NBA seasons, but he’s now added muscle and is sounding different thus far in training camp, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Maxey is assuming the role of a veteran leader during training camp, which has included closely mentoring 2024 draftees Jared McCain and Adem Bona. All three went out together for dinner, Pompey adds. “I lead by example now,” Maxey said. “I get up early and work out early in the morning before practice. And I like to win. I want to win. I know how things work around here. I’m just trying to be what’s demanded and make us be more dominant.“
The Sixers used the 16th overall pick in the 2024 draft on McCain, a sweet-shooting guard prospect out of Duke. While he’s only 20 years old, the rookie is already impressing teammates in training camp. According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), Embiid called McCain the team’s best player in camp so far, making a point to highlight his competitiveness and shooting. McCain averaged 14.3 points per game and shot 41.4% from three in his first and only college season. He’ll compete for minutes with veterans Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson.
Former first round pick Guerschon Yabusele turned heads during the 2024 Olympics due to his play for France. Although he hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019, the Sixers are counting on the 6’8″ forward to make an impact as a high-energy reserve who can make hustle plays and hit the occasional deep shot. “Yabusele was a great pickup just from when you are looking at the whole roster all summer long,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “You are kind of thinking, ‘Where is a need there?’ And I think there was probably a need at the four spot, and that’s what he is.” According to Pompey in a separate story, Nurse said Yabusele will get a shot at regular rotation minutes.

Pelicans’ Trey Murphy Out At Least 3 Weeks With Hamstring Strain

October 3rd, 2024 at 3:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans wing Trey Murphy sustained a right hamstring strain during Wednesday’s practice, the team announced (via Twitter). An MRI on Thursday confirmed the injury, and Murphy will be reevaluated in approximately three weeks.

The timing of the injury is certainly unfortunate for Murphy, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension until Oct. 21, the day before the 2024/25 regular season begins. It’s obviously discouraging news for New Orleans as well, which will be without one of its best shooters for the rest of training camp and preseason.

It seems likely that Murphy will miss some regular season games as a result of the injury. Soft-tissue injuries are notoriously tricky to manage, and Murphy will be reexamined in three weeks; that doesn’t mean he’ll be ready to play at that point. Three weeks from today is Oct. 24, and the Pelicans season-opener is Oct. 23 vs. Chicago. They also have five more games at the end of October.

Murphy, 24, was the No. 17 pick of the 2021 draft. The start of his ’23/24 season was delayed by knee surgery, which caused him to miss the team’s first 19 games. Overall, he averaged 14.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.2 APG and 0.9 SPG on .443/.380/.815 shooting in 57 regular season games last season (29.6 MPG).

Murphy will make $5.16MM in ’24/25, which is the final season of his rookie scale contract. If he doesn’t sign an extension this fall, he will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

Kings Exercise 2025/26 Option On Keegan Murray

October 3rd, 2024 at 3:12pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings have exercised their 2025/26 team option on Keegan Murray, tweets Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL.

The move ensures that Murray, who is slated to make $8,809,560 this season, will earn a guaranteed $11,144,093 in ’25/26, which is the fourth and final year of his rookie scale contract.

Murray, 24, was the fourth overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Iowa. It was a mere formality that Sacramento would pick up the option, since Murray emerged as a vital part of the team’s core over his first two seasons.

A 6’8″ forward, Murray made the All-Rookie First Team in ’22/23 and followed that up by appearing in 77 regular season games in ’23/24, averaging 15.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.0 SPG on .454/.358/.831 shooting in 33.6 MPG. He was also frequently tasked with defending the opposing team’s top perimeter player and has positional versatility on both ends of the court.

The deadline for teams to decide on ’25/26 rookie scale team options is Oct. 31. We’re tracking all of those decisions right here.

Hornets Notes: Green, Lee, Defense, Ball, Peterson

October 3rd, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Offseason acquisition Josh Green has been a bright spot thus far for the Hornets in training camp, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Green had a very busy summer, making the NBA Finals with the Mavericks and then suiting up for his native Australia in the Olympics.

“It’s a different training camp time for me,” Green said. “Different than previous years. So, getting back into shape, making sure my body is ready. Just making sure certain injuries are taken care of since last year. So, overall, the training staff has been great here … making sure that I’m ready to go, and adjusting to a new system and everything. But I think the staff has done a great job making me welcome, and making sure I’m ready to go.”

Green was acquired from Dallas in the six-team mega-trade that saw Klay Thompson end up with the Mavs. Known for his defense, energy and athleticism, Green is looking forward to an expanded offensive role with Charlotte, though he acknowledges there will be an adjustment period.

“I think just getting used to having the ball back in my hands a lot,” Green said, per Boone. “In Dallas, I was in the corners and just playing the role that was given to me. I think the coaches have done a great job of being open with me dribbling, passing and creating. And I think I’m comfortable with that, too. It’s just getting back into that rhythm.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

New head coach Charles Lee has emphasized defense in the first few days of camp after the Hornets finished with the second-worst defensive rating in the league last year, Boone writes for The Charlotte Observer. “On our coaching staff and our program, it’s on the top of the list for us,” Lee said. “So, that’s why we wanted to start training camp with our first drill being defense. Every film session we have is going to start with defense. I’ve learned, as I’ve gone through this journey as an assistant and a coach, that you end up getting good at the things that you emphasize. So, we are just going to continue to emphasize it and eventually it’s going to sink in. A lot of it is a mindset and we have to be willing to do it consistently.”
Point guard LaMelo Ball has been limited to 58 combined games over the past two seasons due to a series of ankle injuries, including just 22 contests in 2023/24. Head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson says Ball is healthy entering the ’24/25 season, according to Boone, who notes that the former All-Star is wearing protective braces on both ankles. “Yeah, Melo, he is in a really good place from a health standpoint,” said Peterson. “He’s had a really, really good summer as well and it’s been neat to see his commitment level. He loves Charlotte and he stayed in Charlotte basically the whole time, which is great. He’s put the time in, not only on the court, but in the weight room and training room. He’s in a really good place. I’m excited. I didn’t get to see him play last year when I was here. He was out. So, I’m excited to get to see him and take the next steps.”
At media day, Peterson discussed Charlotte’s offseason and the team’s general plans for the future, as Boone relays. “We wanted to take a holistic approach in terms of just having sustainable success,” Peterson said. “It’s not one of these things where we want to make the playoffs one year, and then we’re out for another four years; Or make the play-in game one year, and then we’re out for five. We want to be a consistent, relevant contender. You don’t do that overnight, right? It takes time. You have to build it the right way. You can’t skip steps. We’re very strategic in every move to see if that’s possibly going to impact that goal, knowing it’s the north star.”

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