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Warriors Notes: Curry, Hield, Melton, Podziemski, Trades

September 3rd, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Curry — NBA owner? That’s one of the goals for the Warriors superstar guard after he retires. Curry discussed his desire to own a piece of an NBA team on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” as Jessica Golden of CNBC relays.

“For me, that’s definitely on the table,” said Curry. “I think I could do a pretty good job of helping sustain how great the the NBA is right now and what it takes to run a championship organization.”

He’s in no rush to make it happens. Curry just signed a one-year, $62.6MM extension that will take him through the 2026/27 season.

“I know I have a lot more to accomplish on the court before I move into other roles in the league,” he said.

We have more on the Warriors:

  • Who will be Curry’s backcourt partner in the starting lineup this season — Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton or Brandin Podziemski? That’s just one of the five big questions hanging over the Warriors as training camp approaches, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Lack of frontcourt size is another issue that may have to be addressed.
  • The front office is still plugging away, looking for upgrades to maximize Curry’s remaining playing career, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. A league source told Bulpett he thinks the Warriors are still hoping to make a “big” move. “From the talks they’ve had — or tried to have — it sounds like they want to do something big,” the source said. “But they also don’t want to break things up too much. Moving Klay (Thompson) was big for them, but it wasn’t as big a trade as they probably wanted it to be. They want to add around Steph and Draymond (Green), but they’re finding that’s hard to do.”
  • The Warriors are hard-capped at the first tax apron of $178,132,000 and are less than $1MM away from that hard cap. That means they can’t sign another player for even a veteran’s minimum standard contract until later in the season unless they shed some salary. Get the details here.
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Eastern Notes: Larsson, Johnson, McConnell, Ivey, Sasser, Long Island Nets

September 3rd, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat second-round pick Pelle Larsson and two-way rookie Keshad Johnson were teammates at Arizona. The Wildcats head coach believes they’ll fit right in with the Heat culture, he told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“I think one of the things that makes them impressive prospects is they’re both wired and willing to be great role players,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “You know, 100 percent of their focus is going to be contributing to the team’s overall success. These aren’t like shoot first, ask questions later type of guys. So they’re going to give you a well-rounded effort on both ends of the floor. On offense, they’re going to play their role and stay in their lane. Then defensively and in all the effort areas, they’re going to max that stuff out.”

Larsson looked like he could quickly contribute. During Summer League competition, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He signed a three-year contract starting at the rookie minimum.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • T.J. McConnell‘s four-year extension with the Pacers includes a partial guarantee in the third year of the contract and a team option in the final season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The four-year, $44.8MM extension breaks down like this — $10.2MM in 2025/26; $11MM in  2026/27; $11.8MM ($5MM partial guarantee) in 2027/28; and a $11.8MM team option in 2028/29.
  • Though Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser are not natural point guards, The Athletic’s James Edwards believes one of them will back up Cade Cunningham rather than the Pistons making another roster move. Adding a free agent point guard would take away some of their playing time and the Pistons already brought in Tim Hardaway Jr. via trade and Malik Beasley via free agency. That duo will likely soak up a lot of minutes at shooting guard.
  • The NBA G League’s Long Island Nets will play six home games at in Montreal, two each in January, February and March, NetsDaily.com relays. Most of the team’s games are held at Nassau Coliseum. It’s speculated that the club is looking to extend its brand internationally.
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Los Angeles Notes: George, Valanciunas, James

September 3rd, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George‘s father, Paul George Sr., didn’t hold back his feelings about how his son’s contract negotiations with the Clippers played out. Appearing on his son’s podcast, ‘Podcast P with Paul George,’ George Sr. said he felt betrayed by his son’s former club.

“I felt like they stabbed us in the back because I thought Paul did a whole lot for the team, as far as the fanbase, the fans was there. He was there,” he said, per Tomer Azerly of Clutch Points. “I think he gave them 110% and what he was asking, it wasn’t a whole lot. But they saw something different.”

The younger George detailed earlier that he felt the Clippers’ initial offer was “disrespectful.” That offer was for two years and $60MM.

“I didn’t want him just to take anything,” George Sr. said. “So his whole thing is, he does stand up for what he believes in. And so he felt that that was a bunch of bull that they came at him with. And I wasn’t gonna sugarcoat it either. Yeah, I’m behind you 100%. If you’ve got to leave, we’re gonna leave.”

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

  • Jonas Valanciunas, who was signed by the Wizards, was one of the free agents reportedly on LeBron James‘ wish list this offseason. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha believes the Lakers could pursue an in-season trade for the veteran big man but would prefer other centers if they’re on the market, he said on a podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). “There was some interest obviously and he was on LeBron’s list so I think the Lakers will probably revisit that, but I don’t think there’s as much interest as a guy like a Wendell Carter or some of these other guys that have popped up,” Buha said. “So I view it more as like a mid-to-low tier trade target for the Lakers.”
  • Speaking of James, he’s not expected to be on Team USA’s roster for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He claims he could compete for an Olympic medal in other sports, if given enough time to train, he said on ‘The Shop’ podcast (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “If you give me some time, about six months, eight months, or whatever, I think I could do the long jump, maybe, or the high jump,” James said.
  • In case you missed it, the Lakers agreed to a training camp deal with Jordan Goodwin. Get the details here.
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Clippers’ Ivica Zubac Signs Three-Year Extension

September 3rd, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 3: The Clippers have officially signed Zubac to an extension, per a team press release.

“We don’t take for granted that we can pencil in our starting center and defensive anchor every night, every year,” team president Lawrence Frank said. “Zu is a rock for our organization and will remain so.”

AUGUST 30: The Clippers and starting center Ivica Zubac have reached an agreement on a three-year, $58.6MM extension, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Zubac was entering his walk year and will make $11,743,210 in 2024/25. His new deal will run through the 2027/28 season. The big man is the 14th player to sign a veteran extension since the end of last season, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

The contract represents the maximum three-year extension available under the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Zubac, who was eligible to receive up to 140% of this season’s estimated average salary, with 8% annual raises.

The breakdown of Zubac’s extension is as follows:

  • 2025/26: $18,102,000
  • 2026/27: $19,550,160
  • 2027/28: $20,998,320

Zubac, who entered the league in 2016 with the Lakers, posted career highs of 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game last season. A traditional center who doesn’t venture out to the 3-point line, the 27-year-old shot 64.9% from the field and also averaged 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per contest.

Zubac is solidly entrenched as the Clippers’ starting center. Kawhi Leonard signed a three-year extension in January and the team brought back guard James Harden on a two-year deal but lost their other star forward, Paul George, to Philadelphia in free agency. The Clippers are replacing him in the lineup with Derrick Jones, who was signed to a three-year deal in free agency.

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And-Ones: Rondo, Free Agency, Centers, USA 3×3 U23 Men

September 3rd, 2024 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Rajon Rondo avoided jail time with a plea deal related to an unlawful possession of a gun charge in Indiana, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports relays via a report from Indiana’s WDRB. Rondo was arrested in Indiana in January for unlawful possession of a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana.

Rondo pled guilty to misdemeanor unlawful possession of a firearm and was given probation as part of the deal. The charges of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were dismissed. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, which was suspended. Rondo was also credited for two days of time served, and put on probation for 180 days.

Rondo, who had a 16-year NBA career, confirmed his retirement in April.

We have more from the basketball world:

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Cavaliers Stretched Rubio’s 2024/25 Cap Hit

September 3rd, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers used the stretch provision to spread Ricky Rubio‘s $1,274,015 dead-money cap hit for 2024/25 across three seasons, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Rubio will now count against Cleveland’s books for $424,672 annually through ’26/27.

Rubio was bought out by the Cavaliers last January with two years left on his contract, announcing at that time that his NBA career was over. He gave up $5.4MM in that agreement, leaving Cleveland with cap charges of $3,722,327 for 2023/24 and $1,274,015 for ’24/25.

The Cavaliers didn’t use the stretch provision on Rubio’s post-termination salary at the time of his release, but as Marks explains, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement allowed them to stretch the second-year salary across three seasons as long as they did so prior to the Saturday (August 31) deadline. Under the previous CBA, using the stretch provision was only permitted at the time of the waiver request.

The move generates an extra $849,343 in cap flexibility for Cleveland this season. That may not seem like much, but it gives the club a little extra breathing room below the luxury tax line as the front office negotiates a deal with Isaac Okoro. If the goal is to re-sign Okoro to a multiyear contract, sign a 14th man to a minimum-salary deal, and remain out of tax territory, that extra $849K could come in handy.

The Cavaliers are now approximately $10.6MM below the luxury tax line, meaning they could offer Okoro a first-year salary of roughly $8.5MM and avoid becoming a taxpayer. That would allow them to go up to about $27.5MM for three years or $38.1MM over four years for the last unsigned restricted free agent on the market.

Even if they end up going slightly into tax territory to fill out the opening night roster, reducing Rubio’s 2024/25 cap hit will make it easier for the Cavs to duck the tax with a trade later in the season.

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NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Oklahoma City Thunder

September 3rd, 2024 at 3:07pm 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 Oklahoma City Thunder.

Free agent signings

  • Isaiah Hartenstein: Three years, $87,000,000. Third-year team option. Signed using cap room.
  • Isaiah Joe: Four years, $48,000,000. Fourth-year team option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights after team option was declined.
  • Aaron Wiggins: Five years, $45,000,000. Includes an additional $2MM in unlikely incentives. Fifth-year team option. Re-signed using Bird rights after team option was declined.

Trades

  • Acquired Alex Caruso from the Bulls in exchange for Josh Giddey.
  • Acquired the draft rights to Dillon Jones (No. 26 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for either the Celtics’ or Grizzlies’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable); the Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick; the Timberwolves’ 2027 second-round pick; either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Heat’s, or Pacers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Heat’s, or Pacers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is third-most favorable).
  • Acquired the draft rights to Quinten Post (No. 52 pick) from the Warriors in exchange for Lindy Waters.
  • Acquired the draft rights to Oso Ighodaro (No. 40 pick) from the Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to Quinten Post (No. 52 pick) and cash.
  • Acquired the draft rights to Ajay Mitchell (No. 38 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Oso Ighodaro (No. 40 pick) and cash ($500K).

Draft picks

  • 1-12: Nikola Topic
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $23,030,849).
  • 1-26: Dillon Jones
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $13,460,725).
  • 2-43: Ajay Mitchell
    • Signed to two-way contract.

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Salary cap situation

  • Went below the cap to use room.
  • Now operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
  • Carrying approximately $159.2MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
  • Full room exception ($8MM) available.

The offseason so far

Despite maintaining significant cap flexibility and controlling the NBA’s deepest collection of draft assets, the Thunder have operated extremely patiently in recent years, preserving most of those future picks and continuing to gradually build their roster through the draft.

That patience was on display again this June, when Oklahoma City used its lottery pick (No. 12 overall) in the 2024 draft to select Nikola Topic, a player who will spend his rookie season recovering from an ACL tear. Topic isn’t expected to make his NBA debut until the fall of 2025, which is perfectly fine with the Thunder.

The Thunder’s patient approach has reflected the front office’s desire to avoid skipping steps and its goal of building a roster capable of contending for the next decade — not just for a two- or three-year window. But after the team took a huge step forward in 2024/25 by winning 57 regular season games (the most in the Western Conference) and a playoff series (the club’s first series win since 2016), Sam Presti and his top lieutenants acknowledged with a pair of offseason moves that it was time to push down on the gas pedal at least a little bit.

The first of those two moves was a trade that sent former lottery pick Josh Giddey to Chicago in exchange for three-and D standout Alex Caruso. Giddey showed real promise as a ball-handler and play-maker in his first three NBA seasons, but his subpar outside shooting and defense made him a playoff liability, and he was never an ideal fit on a roster led by another ball-dominant guard (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).

With Giddey eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, the Thunder were faced with a choice on whether to pay him or trade him. They took the latter route and got terrific value by finding a trade partner – the Bulls – who badly wanted to land a young point guard.

Caruso is on an expiring contract himself, so he’ll be due a pay raise for 2025 too. But unlike Giddey, he’s not the type of player who will be played off the floor in the postseason. In fact, he should thrive in big games as a shooter, cutter, and secondary ball-handler next to Gilgeous-Alexander, lessening the burden on Oklahoma City’s star by defending opponents’ top guards. The Thunder had the NBA’s fourth-best defensive rating last season and Caruso should only make them better on that end of the floor.

The Thunder’s other major offseason move saw them use up virtually all of their cap room ($30MM) to sign center Isaiah Hartenstein away from the Knicks. Hartenstein will help shore up a frontcourt that was led admirably by Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren last season but needed another rebounder — OKC placed 28th in the NBA last season with a rebounding rate of just 48.4%.

It will be interesting to see exactly how the Thunder intend to use Hartenstein. NBA teams typically don’t award $30MM salaries to players they plan to bring off the bench, but Holmgren obviously won’t be moved to the second unit either. Whether or not Hartenstein starts, it’s a safe bet he and Holmgren will share the court frequently, which should make for some fascinating looks on both ends of the court.

The former Knicks center will also provide OKC with crucial insurance at the five in the event of a Holmgren injury, though the big man didn’t miss a game in 2023/24 after sitting out the entire ’22/23 season with a foot issue.

Outside of trading for Caruso, signing Hartenstein, and drafting Topic, the Thunder made a handful of interesting under-the-radar moves this summer, including turning down team options on both Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins in order to re-sign the two rotation wings to team-friendly long-term contracts. The threat of exercising those team options presumably gave Oklahoma City some leverage in negotiations with Joe and Wiggins, who will now earn eight-figure salaries instead of the veteran’s minimum in 2024/25.

Oklahoma City also surrendered a whopping five future second-round picks in order to acquire the No. 26 pick in the draft to select Dillon Jones. It’s the third straight year in which the Thunder took advantage of their excess draft assets to make a trade to nab a player they really like.

That strategy worked out well in each of the past two years. In 2022, the Thunder were reportedly concerned that Jalen Williams wouldn’t make it to them at No. 12, so they traded for the No. 11 pick (they technically used that one on Ousmane Dieng, but the deal ensured Williams was available at No. 12). In 2023, Oklahoma City traded up in the lottery to select Cason Wallace, who emerged as a reliable rotation player as a rookie, making 41.9% of his three-pointers and playing excellent defense.

Will Jones become the Thunder’s next draft-day-trade success story? Maybe, but I wouldn’t necessarily pencil him in for a substantial role in year one, given how deep the roster looks.

Up next

A pair of key Thunder guards are technically extension-eligible, but likely won’t sign new deals before the regular season begins. Gilgeous-Alexander has met the super-max criteria but needs one more year of service in order to officially signed a designated veteran extension, so he’ll almost certainly wait until 2025 to re-up with Oklahoma City.

Caruso, meanwhile, could be extended anytime, but until December 21 (six months after the trade), he’ll be limited to a maximum deal of three years and $48.9MM. Those numbers would increase to four years and $81.1MM at the six-month mark. While it’s not necessarily a sure thing that he’ll receive that maximum four-year offer, Caruso is better off waiting until Dec. 21 to maximize his bargaining position in negotiations.

Big man Jaylin Williams may actually be the best OKC candidate for a preseason extension, but with his role projected to decline following the arrival of Hartenstein, it would likely have to be a pretty team-friendly deal for the Thunder to pull the trigger.

The Thunder actually have one open spot on their projected 15-man roster and plenty of flexibility to make a move using that roster spot, since they’re still more than $11MM below the luxury tax line.

There aren’t really any free agents left worth splurging on (OKC’s $8MM room exception wouldn’t be enough to pry Isaac Okoro away from the Cavs), so I expect Presti and the front office to continue scouring the trade market to see if there’s a target who makes sense. The team can afford to be patient, perhaps starting the season with a 15th man on a non-guaranteed contract and then revisiting the trade market in January or February.

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NBA G League Announces Schedule For 2024/25 Season

September 3rd, 2024 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League has officially revealed its schedule for the 2024/25 season, per a press release.

As usual, the regular season won’t begin until after Christmas, with the league holding a separate event in the fall leading up to its Winter Showcase in December. In the past, this 16-game fall event has been known as the Showcase Cup. It has been rebranded this year as the Tip-Off Tournament.

The Tip-Off Tournament, which begins on Friday, November 8, will see the league’s teams split into four regions. Each team will play 14 games and the four clubs with the best winning percentage in each region, along with the next four best teams from any region, will advance to the single-elimination championship tournament at the Winter Showcase in Orlando from December 19-22.

The G League’s regular season will consist of 34 games and will run from Friday, Dec. 27 to Saturday, March 29. The top six teams from each conference will make the postseason and compete in the G League playoffs in the spring.

There will be 31 teams in the NBAGL for the upcoming season, matching last season’s record. However, with the debut of the expansion Valley Suns, this will be the first season in which all 30 NBA franchises have their own G League affiliates. Following the folding of the G League Ignite, the only unaffiliated club left in the league is the Mexico City Capitanes.

While Phoenix’s G League team is the only new addition to the league, the Clippers‘ affiliate has relocated and rebranded ahead of the 2024/25 season. Formerly known as the Ontario Clippers, the club is now the San Diego Clippers and will play its home games at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, rather than the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif.

Here’s the full list of G League teams for the 2024/25 season:

  1. Atlanta Hawks: College Park Skyhawks
  2. Boston Celtics: Maine Celtics
  3. Brooklyn Nets: Long Island Nets
  4. Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm
  5. Chicago Bulls: Windy City Bulls
  6. Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland Charge
  7. Dallas Mavericks: Texas Legends
  8. Denver Nuggets: Grand Rapids Gold
  9. Detroit Pistons: Motor City Cruise
  10. Golden State Warriors: Santa Cruz Warriors
  11. Houston Rockets: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
  12. Indiana Pacers: Indiana Mad Ants
  13. Los Angeles Clippers: San Diego Clippers
  14. Los Angeles Lakers: South Bay Lakers
  15. Memphis Grizzlies: Memphis Hustle
  16. Miami Heat: Sioux Falls Skyforce
  17. Milwaukee Bucks: Wisconsin Herd
  18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Iowa Wolves
  19. New Orleans Pelicans: Birmingham Squadron
  20. New York Knicks: Westchester Knicks
  21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City Blue
  22. Orlando Magic: Osceola Magic
  23. Philadelphia 76ers: Delaware Blue Coats
  24. Phoenix Suns: Valley Suns
  25. Portland Trail Blazers: Rip City Remix
  26. Sacramento Kings: Stockton Kings
  27. San Antonio Spurs: Austin Spurs
  28. Toronto Raptors: Raptors 905
  29. Utah Jazz: Salt Lake City Stars
  30. Washington Wizards: Capital City Go-Go
  31. No NBA affiliation: Mexico City Capitanes
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Pacers Sign T.J. McConnell To Four-Year Extension

September 3rd, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 3: The Pacers have officially announced McConnell’s extension, confirming the deal in a press release.

“It is safe to say that every team in the NBA would like a player that possesses the same intensity, competitive spirit, and passion for the game and his teammates as T.J. McConnell,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “T.J. has become a steadying veteran presence for our team both on and off the court, and his value to our franchise cannot be overstated. He was an integral part of our success last year and we’re happy that he will continue to be a part of what we’re building here.”

AUGUST 30: The Pacers and veteran guard T.J. McConnell have reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension worth $45MM, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The deal will begin in 2025/26 following the expiration of McConnell’s current contract, which will pay him $9.3MM this season. In total, he’ll be owed $54MM for the next five years, taking him through the ’28/29 season.

McConnell, who has been with the Pacers since 2019 after spending the first four years of his NBA career in Philadelphia, began last season out of Indiana’s crowded rotation. However, it didn’t take long for him to reestablish himself as one of the team’s top reserves.

The 32-year-old ended up appearing in 71 games, averaging 10.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game. He posted a .556/.409/.790 shooting line and earned Sixth Man of the Year votes, then played a key role off the bench in the postseason, putting up 11.8 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 3.1 RPG in 17 games (20.5 MPG).

With Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard cemented as building blocks in the Pacers’ backcourt, it was unclear how aggressively the team would pursue an extension with McConnell as he nears his mid-30s and the cost of the roster continues to rise. However, today’s news signals that the front office remains as confident as ever in his ability to be a positive contributor for many years to come.

When we discussed McConnell’s extension candidacy in our recent Offseason Check-In story on the Pacers, we identified Mike Conley‘s recent two-year, $20.75MM deal as a potential point of comparison for the Indiana guard. Now locked up for $54MM over five years, McConnell will earn an annual salary slightly above Conley’s for a significantly longer term.

While McConnell is four-and-a-half years younger than Conley, it’s still a little surprising to see the Pacers make such a lengthy commitment to a bench player at this stage of his career. We’ll have to wait for the full details, but it wouldn’t be surprising if some of McConnell’s salary on the back end of the deal is non-guaranteed.

McConnell is the fourth Pacer to sign a long-term contract worth at least eight figures annually this summer. Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin received lucrative four-year deals a free agents, while Nembhard inked a three-year extension that ensures he’ll be under contract for the next four seasons.

With McConnell locked up, just one of the top eight players from Indiana’s postseason rotation is entering a contract year — starting center Myles Turner will become extension-eligible in January.

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