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Southwest Notes: Zion, Wembanyama, Grizzlies, Griffin

September 30th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Zion Williamson was headed toward the defining moment of his NBA career in April before another injury knocked him out of action, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. The Pelicans star had just scored his 40th point to complete an 18-point comeback and tie the Lakers late in their play-in game when he felt a jolt of pain in his left hamstring. Williamson’s season was over, and although New Orleans still made the playoffs, its first-round series ended with a four-game sweep.

Feeling he had failed the team and the city, Williamson embarked on an intense early-morning workout schedule for the offseason, according to Guillory. Since July, in a small gym near Dallas, he has embraced his motivation to become one of the game’s elite players. He and the organization are finally on the same page after years of reported division, Guillory adds.

“I want to be one of them ones. I’ve been talking about it and I’ve been making mistakes (along the way),” Williamson said. “That stuff can’t happen. It’s time to take every game personal.”

Another sign of Williamson’s commitment was his decision to take part in the team’s voluntary August workouts in California for the first time in his career. He hoped to create a stronger bond with his teammates while improving his game in the process.

“(I want to) learn from (Brandon Ingram). Learn from CJ (McCollum). Learn from guys who have been in the league longer than me. Paying attention to their professionalism,” Williamson said. “Not even being a good teammate, just being a good brother. So when you get on the court, your teammates believe in you. They trust your work, and they trust that you’ve got them.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

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Lauri Markkanen Happy To Remain With Jazz

September 30th, 2024 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Lauri Markkanen‘s offseason fate seemed uncertain all the way up to August 7, when he renegotiated and extended his contract with the Jazz, adding $220MM in new money to the deal, which now runs through the 2028/29 season. Markkanen was the subject of endless speculation before his decision became final, but he tells Tony Jones of The Athletic that he tried to ignore the rumors.

“I think it’s fair to say that I saw the stuff online, but I tried very hard not to pay attention to it. I’m a big believer in what the front office and the coaching staff are doing,” Markkanen said. “I think it’s the people we have around and the environment we have. We have a group of guys that want to get better. I’ve embraced the leadership role, and my family truly enjoys Utah. We have enjoyed our two years here.”

Markkanen purposefully waited to sign his new deal until the point where he can’t be traded this season. The renegotiation means he won’t become trade eligible for six months, and the NBA’s trade deadline falls on February 6.

Utah is in the midst of a rebuilding process and is more likely to be contending for a top-five draft pick than a spot in the play-in tournament. That caused numerous teams to approach the Jazz with trade offers, hoping they might want to unload Markkanen and bottom out completely ahead of a loaded draft.

The Kings reportedly made “significant progress” toward a deal before talks feel apart in July. The Warriors also had serious discussions with Utah, as did the Spurs, who have been interested in acquiring Markkanen since he was a free agent in 2021.

Although any of those teams could offered Markkanen a faster path to the playoffs, he preferred to stay with the Jazz and help turn them around.

“It was a nice feeling to know that a lot of teams wanted you to play for their franchise,” he said. “It was kind of a cool thing to be honest. It tells me that I’ve been able to get a lot better as a player. But I tried not to think about it beyond that. I know that I wanted to come back to Utah, and that’s where my priorities were.”

Markkanen hopes to improve at handling the ball and making plays off the dribble this season, Jones adds. He also wants to become more of a leader for his young teammates, both vocally and with his on-court performance. No matter how many games the Jazz win, Markkanen sees this year as an important point toward building a long-term contender.

“I think it’s important to get game reps that you can’t simulate in practice,” he added. “I think that I can get a lot better, so I want to work on the things that I do well. I want to show these guys by example how to do the right things. I want to play the right way, especially with how coach (Will Hardy) wants us to play. I want to hold myself to a high standard.”

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Pistons Notes: Gores, Ivey, Duren, Holland

September 29th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons owner Tom Gores has agreed to become a part owner of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. He is purchasing a 27% stake in the franchise, Daniel Popper of The Athletic relays.

The agreement is subject to approval by NFL owners next month. If the deal goes through, the Spanos family would still control 69% of the Chargers. Gores purchased the Pistons franchise in 2011.

We have more on the Pistons:

  • As training camp begins this month, the Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II explores 10 questions for 10 different players for the upcoming season. Those questions include whether Jaden Ivey can become a more efficient play-maker, whether Jalen Duren can expand his offensive game, and whether lottery pick Ron Holland can make an impact in his rookie campaign.
  • Beyond Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris, who will be the team’s No. 3 scorer? Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois predicts Duren will finish in that spot, as he’s likely to play 30-plus minutes and get plenty of opportunities as a lob threat and offensive rebounder. Langlois also believes it’s unrealistic to expect the team to reach the postseason despite its offseason upgrades.
  • In case you missed it, the team signed forward Lamar Stevens to a training camp contract. Get the details here.
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NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: San Antonio Spurs

September 29th, 2024 at 8:26pm 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 San Antonio Spurs.

Free agent signings

  • Chris Paul: One year, $10,460,000. Includes an additional $1,568,999 in unlikely incentives. Signed using cap room.
  • Charles Bassey: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
  • Sandro Mamukelashvili: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
  • Brandon Boston Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Malachi Flynn: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Nathan Mensah: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Riley Minix: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Jameer Nelson Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
    • Note: Nelson was subsequently waived.

Trades

  • Acquired the Timberwolves’ 2031 first-round pick and the right to swap 2030 first-round picks with the Timberwolves (top-one protected) in exchange for the draft rights to Rob Dillingham (No. 8 pick).
  • Acquired the draft rights to Juan Nunez (No. 36 pick) and cash in exchange for the draft rights to Johnny Furphy (No. 35 pick).
  • Acquired cash from the Hornets in exchange for Devonte’ Graham and the Pelicans’ 2025 second-round pick.
  • Acquired Harrison Barnes and the right to swap 2031 first-round picks with the Kings in a three-team trade in exchange for RaiQuan Gray (two-way; to Bulls).

Draft picks

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other moves

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 $145MM in salary.
  • No hard cap.
  • Full room exception ($8MM) available.

The offseason so far

After earning All-NBA votes and finishing as the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award as a 20-year-old rookie, Victor Wembanyama is on a trajectory to become one of the league’s very best players sooner rather than later. However, the Spurs made it clear with their offseason moves that they won’t rush the process of building a contending team around him.

Rather than going all-in on win-now pieces or taking an extreme long-term view by surrounding Wembanyama with several more young prospects, San Antonio split the difference. The team entered June’s draft armed with a pair of picks in the top eight, but only kept the first of the two, using it to select guard Stephon Castle fourth overall and then sending the No. 8 pick to Minnesota in exchange for two far-off draft assets — an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a top-one protected pick swap in 2030.

It’s a risky move, given the wide range of outcomes for those two assets. It’s entirely possible that the ’31 pick ends up in the 20s and the ’30 swap doesn’t get used at all.

But the logic behind the move makes sense. The 2024 draft class wasn’t particularly loaded, so that No. 8 pick was unlikely to produce a star; the Wolves – given their cap situation – are a team whose long-term sustainability is worth betting against; and the Spurs don’t necessarily need to bet on those picks to land in the top halves of the 2030 and 2031 drafts, since they could use them as trade chips well before that in order to add players who will complement Wembanyama as he enters his prime.

Adding two rookies to a young roster also might not have the been the best approach for optimizing Wembanyama’s development, which was certainly a consideration for the Spurs this offseason. That’s a key reason why the team used essentially all of its available cap room to bring in a pair of veterans: Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.

Paul, who was waived by the Warriors so they could avoid guaranteeing his $30MM salary for 2024/25, ended up signing with San Antonio for about a third of that amount. The future Hall of Famer could have chosen to join one of any number of teams closer to title contention, but the opportunity to play for head coach Gregg Popovich and alongside a young phenom like Wembanyama made the Spurs an appealing option.

Wembanyama spent much of his rookie year playing next to “point guards” like Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham before veteran Tre Jones was eventually reinserted into the starting lineup. Sochan and Branham are promising young players, but they’re not point guards, as last year’s experimentation confirmed. Wembanyama was most effective offensively with Jones on the court, and should benefit tremendously from having either Jones or Paul running the offense in his second year.

Barnes won’t necessarily have the same sort of direct impact on Wembanyama’s on-court production, but the forward is a solid defender who should help make the big man’s life a little easier on that end of the floor. Wembanyama should also reap the benefits of Barnes’ and Paul’s knowledge and experience — the two veterans have a combined 31 NBA seasons and three Olympic gold medals under their belts, and Barnes has won a championship.

Outside of bringing back reserve free agent centers Charles Bassey and Sandro Mamukelashvili, the Spurs didn’t make any other moves of note this summer, but they’re well stocked with future draft picks that will put them in position to continue adding talent to this core, either by drafting players or using those picks as trade pieces.

Up next

With 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts and no players eligible for contract extensions, the Spurs are unlikely to have a particularly active October.

They’re only carrying a pair of players on two-way deals right now, so they have a decision to make on who will fill the third slot. Brandon Boston, Nathan Mensah, and Riley Minix are on the roster on Exhibit 10 contracts and could be candidates to have those deals converted to two-ways. Boston is probably the best candidate of the bunch if San Antonio wants a player capable of competing for minutes — he has appeared in 105 regular season games over the past three seasons for the Clippers.

The Spurs could also look outside the organization to fill that slot, either with a current free agent or with a player on another team’s roster who gets waived before the season begins.

It’s also worth noting that the Spurs are one of the few teams with a ton of flexibility below the luxury tax line, so they’re a good candidate to help accommodate a trade between two cap-strapped clubs, like the Hornets are doing in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster.

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Western Notes: Nuggets, Westbrook, Clippers, Lakers, Pelicans, Meeks

September 29th, 2024 at 7:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Among the noteworthy developments revealed during the press conferences held by Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth and coach Michael Malone on Thursday was that the team is open to adding a 3-point shooter by the trade deadline, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

“We are riding a fine line with our shooting when you have Russell Westbrook, Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson all in your rotation,” Booth said. “And I think Christian (Braun) should be left out of that conversation when he shoots 42.9% above the break last year. But it is gonna be a fine line. It’s something we have to monitor. If we need to address our shooting at the trade deadline, we’ll do it.”

Another interesting tidbit is that Westbrook wasn’t mentioned as a potential starter, but he could be in the closing lineup.

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • The Clippers have plenty of concerns heading into training camp, among them Kawhi Leonard‘s health status and whether James Harden can take an even bigger role at age 35 after the departures of Paul George and Westbrook. The Orange County Register’s Janis Carr explores five major storylines for the club.
  • The five-storyline motif was also the subject of Khobi Price’s preview of Lakers camp for the Register. Among the topics he dove into were Anthony Davis‘ usage, Jarred Vanderbilt‘s injury status and first-rounder Dalton Knecht‘s role.
  • Former NBA guard Jodie Meeks has been added to the Pelicans’ coaching staff, according to a team press release. The Pelicans announced a number of other staff additions and promotions. Former WNBA star Swin Cash has been promoted to senior VP of basketball operations and Rohan Ramadas has been elevated to senior director of analytics and innovation. New Orleans also officially announced Dan Geriot as an assistant coach and Greg Monroe as a player development assistant.
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Northwest Notes: Blockbuster Trade, Clingan, Avdija, SGA, Holmgren

September 29th, 2024 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The three-team blockbuster deal that would send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves is still on track but has not been completed, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.

The expectation is that the deal, which also includes the Hornets, will become official early this week, Shelburne adds. Thus, the players in the deal won’t be at their respective training camps when they open on Monday.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • With the Trail Blazers about to open camp, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report explores the five biggest storylines heading into the season. That includes the learning curve for lottery pick Donovan Clingan, the backcourt rotation, and how offseason acquisition Deni Avdija will fit in.
  • In a similar theme, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated takes a look at one question that each Thunder player must answer as they head into training camp as the Western Conference favorites. Some of the topics Stiles explores is whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can add a 3-point shot to round out his offensive game, whether Chet Holmgren will experience an offensive uptick and what role newcomer Isaiah Hartenstein will play.
  • In another Thunder-related story, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman lists a number of potential starting lineups they could employ and the strengths of each of those combinations. He also looks at a number of combinations the coaching staff could use during the course of the game.
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Texas Notes: Klay, Doncic, Adams, Rockets

September 29th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban recently spoke with Shannon Sharpe on his Club Shay Shay podcast (Twitter link) about a variety of topics, including Klay Thompson‘s to depart the Warriors for Dallas in free agency.

“Klay Thompson’s got a lot to prove,” Cuban said. “Klay was ready for a move. All the grief he got last year – particularly the way it ended. So the timing was right.”

Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50MM deal with Dallas as part of a six-team sign-and-trade.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

  • Five-time All-NBA Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has had a busier-than-normal offseason in 2024. Since guiding Dallas to its first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years, Doncic suited up for the Slovenian national team for the 2024 Olympic qualifiers, but was eliminated by Greece before making the cut. Doncic subsequently remained in his homeland to prep prior to the Mavericks’ own training camp, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal details at his Substack (subscription required).
  • Veteran Rockets center Steven Adams didn’t suit up for Houston last season while recovering from a right knee surgery he underwent while he was a member of the Grizzlies. Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle explores how the 31-year-old will be deployed in Ime Udoka‘s system in 2024/25. As Feigen writes, Alperen Sengun enjoyed a breakout run last year and seems likely to preserve his starting spot, and he and Adams likely won’t play together often. Still, Adams – who is on an expiring $12.6MM salary – could earn increased playing time in certain matchups.
  • The Rockets finished with a solid 41-41 record, but in a talented Western Conference it wasn’t enough to even make the play-in tournament. Instead, Houston finished with the West’s No. 11 seed. As Feigen writes in another story for The Chronicle, team owner Tilman Fertitta hasn’t clearly expressed what would constitute a successful season for the club in 2024/25, declaring that he has “high expectations” but not explicitly stating that he expects a playoff berth.
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Pacers Waive Josiah-Jordan James

September 29th, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pacers have announced in a press statement that they’ve waived guard Josiah-Jordan James just ahead of training camp.

The 6’6″ Tennessee alum agreed to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with Indiana shortly after he was skipped over in this year’s draft, but the deal wasn’t officially completed by the team until this week.

James enjoyed a successful 144 contests in Tennessee from 2019-24 and was a key part of the Vols’ Elite Eight squad this past spring. Across 36 contests (all starts) in 2023/24, James averaged 8.4 points, 6.4 boards and 1.9 assists per contest, with a shooting line of .402/.341/.831.

Reporting in June indicated James would have a chance to earn a two-way contract with the Pacers, but now that he’s been cut, it seems likely he’ll suit up for the team’s NBAGL affiliate squad, the Indiana Mad Ants.

As an Exhibit 10 signee, James will be able to earn a bonus worth as much as $77.5K should he stick with the Mad Ants for at least 60 days.

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Sixers Notes: Embiid, Roster Questions, New Arena

September 29th, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Last week, All-Star Sixers center Joel Embiid inked a three-season, $192.9MM contract extension that runs through 2028, with a player option for ’28/29. According to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, this agreement is the latest example of a newfound stability in Philadelphia under team president Daryl Morey.

Mizell notes that, even with Embiid’s lengthy injury history, it was practically a given that the Sixers would lock up their best player long-term when given the opportunity. After All-Star point guard James Harden dramatically forced his way to the Clippers last season, this kind of steadying move is just what the doctor ordered.

Mizell notes that Tyrese Maxey has now evolved into an All-Star in Harden’s absence, and he, too, has been locked into a long-term new deal this summer.

There’s more out of the City of Brotherly Love:

  • In a separate article for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mizell cooks up a question for each player on the Sixers roster heading into the 2024/25 season. For Embiid, obviously the top question is how Philadelphia will manage the 30-year-old’s health throughout the regular season and heading into the playoffs. For new All-Star signing Paul George, the primary question becomes how he fits into the club’s system.
  • Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker revealed some details on the agreement to build the new, $1.3 billion Sixers arena downtown, per The Associated Press. The team will fund the project itself, without relying on the city at all, per Parker. The new deal will also require a $50MM contribution to schools, communities and local businesses to offset any potential disruptions made during the build. “I truly am proud having made this decision and negotiated an agreement that will definitely ensure that our Sixers are staying home right here in Philadelphia, where they should be,” Parker said.
  • In case you missed it, the Sixers recently completed a two-way deal with free agent guard Lester Quinones.
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Pacific Notes: Sabonis, DeRozan, Monk, Kings, Mann, Lakers

September 29th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Rory Maher

Kings center Domantas Sabonis recently spoke to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee about “Starting 5,” the Netflix series in which he stars alongside LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards. The show’s premiere is Oct. 9.

As for Sacramento’s offseason, Sabonis said he’s he looking forward to playing with six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, whom the Kings acquired from Chicago in a three-team sign-and-trade.

“It’s amazing,” Sabonis said. “Having a veteran like that, I’ve wanted that for a long time. He has a Hall of Fame career, and to bring that IQ — I was with him in L.A. for a couple weeks working out at USC and I learned so much personally in those couple weeks of workouts. Having him be around the team and having that rub off on everyone is going to be good. He’s here for the right reasons and he wants to win. That’s going to be good for us.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

  • Sabonis also covered a number of topics in an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, including his love for Sacramento, the team’s high expectations, and what to expect out of Keegan Murray entering his third season. Sabonis was ecstatic the Kings were able to re-sign Malik Monk to a four-year, $78MM deal in free agency. “Thank God that we kept him,” Sabonis said. “He’s a big piece of how we play, and his energy and vibes off the court. He’s a great locker room guy. He keeps us always locked in and happy. That’s something you can’t replace with a lot of players in the league. He brings a swagger and is always ready to go. For us off the bench last year, he had a burst coming in and helping the second unit. To maintain that with another year of experience under his belt and a new contract it usually gives you more confidence. I’m expecting big things from him.”
  • Terance Mann‘s new three-year, $47MM extension with the Clippers is fully guaranteed with no team or player option, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Mann will earn $15.5MM in 2025/26, when the extension begins, and he remains trade-eligible due to the terms of the agreement, Marks adds (via Twitter). Mann, a 27-year-old swingman, figures to take on an increased offensive role after the offseason departure of Paul George.
  • The Lakers intend to hire Vanessa Brooks to be their new head athletic trainer and senior physical therapist, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Brooks had been with the Thunder since 2019.
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