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Central Notes: Livingston, Mathurin, Pacers, Pistons Rotation

September 25th, 2024 at 9:26pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Still just 20 years old, Bucks forward Chris Livingston has a year of professional ball under his belt after being the final pick of the 2023 draft. Despite being a contending team with few available minutes for a rookie, the Bucks showed their confidence in Livingston by giving him a multiyear deal when many players drafted before him received two-way offers.

Now, Livingston is hoping for more minutes with Milwaukee to help the team take another step forward, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes in a subscriber-only story.

“It’s a fine line between being hungry and also being realistic, I guess you could put it like that,” Livingston said. “Me, believing in myself and believing in my game but also staying patient and understanding that things take time. Whether that’s carving out a role, earning the trust from the coaching staff – especially since we had a new coaching staff the second half of the season anyway – so just continuing to be patient and just learn throughout the process and understand this is what it’s going to be and just making the most of my situation.”

Livingston averaged 13.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 block per game while shooting 48.2% from the field and 37.1% on three-pointers in 21 contests with the Wisconsin Herd in the G League last season. According to Owczarski, the 20-year-old worked a ton on his all-around game this offseason. He’ll join the likes of Andre Jackson Jr., A.J. Green, MarJon Beauchamp and the Bucks’ rookies — AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith — as young players hoping to break into the rotation.

We have more from the Central Division:

Bennedict Mathurin earned All-Rookie honors in 2022/23 and joined the starting lineup as the season wore on. Last year, he began the season in the starting lineup but was removed mid-year. Having torn his labrum in March, Mathurin missed the rest of the season and finished with just 19 starts. According to IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak, the Pacers say they’re pleased with Mathurin’s progress, but they don’t think he has to be a part of the starting lineup to make an impact. “He wants to feel like he’s contributing,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said on Tuesday. “I think he recognizes, ‘Hey, we found a group last year that plays well together.’ He’s got to figure, ‘Where do I fit into that group. Is it trying to fit in as a starter? Is it being a primary scorer off the bench? What is that role?’ I think a lot of that is determined in training camp. … His role is to be determined, and it’s in his hands.” Mathurin will be extension-eligible next offseason.
If Mathurin returns and continues getting better and the Pacers are able to improve their defense, they’ll be a strong contender to make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals, Gregg Doyel of IndyStar opines (subscriber link). Indiana returns most of the core that went to the ECF this past spring.
The Pistons’ starting lineup heading into the year seems uncertain outside of Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Jalen Duren makes sense to hold down the middle, while Malik Beasley and Ausar Thompson could add shooting and perimeter defense, respectively. Langlois also speculates on what Detroit’s second unit could look like.

Bucks’ Alston, Hornets’ Battle Among Wednesday Cuts

September 25th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Bucks waived forward Philip Alston on Wednesday, according to the NBA’s transaction log. Alston had been signed to an Exhibit 10 deal.

The 6’6″ forward went undrafted this year after two seasons at Loyola Chicago. In his junior and senior seasons, he averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from the field. If he reports to the Bucks’ G League affiliate Wisconsin Herd and spends at least 60 days with the club, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

By waiving Alston, the Bucks dip to 20 players on their training camp roster, one below the limit. They also have Liam Robbins and James Akinjo signed to Exhibit 10 deals and it seems likely that they’ll continue churning through players as they prepare their NBA and G League rosters ahead of the season.

There were two more cuts from Wednesday:

The Hornets waived West Virginia product Raequan Battle, according to the log. Battle’s reported agreement from August must have been officially finalized shortly before he was cut. The Hornets now have 19 players on their offseason roster and another reported agreement with Harry Giles. In addition to three Exhibit 10 players already signed — Caleb McConnell, Marcus Garrett and Keyontae Johnson — the Hornets have a two-way contract opening and a vacant spot on their projected 15-man roster. Battle is now primed to suit up for the Greensboro Swarm if he so chooses. He averaged 16.1 PPG in his final collegiate season.
After signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal this morning, the Kings are waiving Justin Powell. The Kings are back down to 19 players on their offseason roster, with a pending agreement with Skal Labissiere that has yet to be finalized. They also waived Dexter Dennis earlier today. The Kings now have two players on Exhibit 10 deals: Boogie Ellis and Terry Taylor.

Lakers’ Pelinka, Redick Talk Roster, Lack Of Trades, Health, More

September 25th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Addressing the media alongside head coach JJ Redick on Wednesday, Lakers executive VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said it will take about 30 or so games to properly evaluate the team’s 2024/25 roster.

The Lakers only added four outside players this offseason, bringing in Dalton Knecht and Bronny James via the draft and adding two-way players Armel Traore and Christian Koloko. The team will primarily be banking on good health luck and internal improvement to take a step forward in the Western Conference hierarchy.

“We believe in this group,” Pelinka said according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link).

The Lakers were in rumors revolving around Hawks guard Trae Young and other big names toward the start of the offseason, but didn’t end up pulling the trigger. If they did decide to swing for a star or role player down the line, their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks would be highly coveted.

“We would do a trade with both picks if that leads to sustainable Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said, per Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina (Twitter link). “We would also use one pick to make a marginal upgrade if we felt that was the right thing to do.”

Here are a few of the more interesting comments from Pelinka and Redick from today’s presser:

Jarred Vanderbilt underwent procedures on each of his feet this offseason, tweets The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. Pelinka said both operations were successful and he’s optimistic the forward will be ready for the start of the season. According to Pelinka, the surgeries happened at the beginning of the Lakers’ offseason. Vanderbilt had a bone spur in one foot and the doctor recommended going ahead and cleaning up the other foot since he was missing time anyways (Twitter link via Buha).
According to Pelinka, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino have all been cleared to participate in training camp (Twitter link via Buha). Hachimura didn’t miss much time last season, but Vincent and Hood-Schifino combined to play in just 32 games. The Lakers paid $33MM over three seasons to Vincent last year but he was limited to 11 appearances due to a knee injury. He’ll likely be relied on more this coming season.
Redick says he’s spoken to D’Angelo Russell more than any other Lakers player. His message to the guard, according to McMenamin (Twitter link), has been “Let’s put you in position to have a career year.” Russell averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 assists per game last year while making 41.5% of his three-point attempts.
Redick said he and his staff have already discussed the moment that LeBron James and Bronny James will first share the court in the regular season, McMenamin tweets. Redick will involve both players in the process, but doesn’t view coaching the pair as a challenge.
Pelinka said he thinks new two-way center Christian Koloko will be cleared by the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel sooner rather than later, according to The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price (Twitter link). Koloko missed all of last season due to career-threatening blood clots.

Kings Sign, Waive Dexter Dennis

September 25th, 2024 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

5:17pm: The Kings have now waived Dennis, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

2:04pm: The Kings have signed free agent swingman Dexter Dennis, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log. It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Dennis, 25, went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2023 and caught on with the Mavericks for training camp, earning a two-way contract at the end of the preseason. However, he appeared in just four NBA games for Dallas before being waived in December.

Dennis played in a total of 44 Showcase Cup and regular season games in the G League as a rookie, including 29 for the Texas Legends and 15 for the Cleveland Charge, who traded for him in February. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 29.3 minutes per game with a shooting line of .430/.350/.778.

Dennis is also considered a strong defender, having won the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022 at Wichita State.

The Charge traded Dennis’ G League returning rights to the Stockton Kings earlier this month, so in all likelihood, he’ll be waived before the NBA season begins and will subsequently report to Sacramento’s G League affiliate, where his Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton.

The Kings still have one open spot on their 21-man preseason roster and have reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with both Skal Labissiere and Justin Powell, so more back-of-the-roster transactions are likely coming in Sacramento.

Heat Notes: Rozier, Questions, Jovic, Christopher

September 25th, 2024 at 5:14pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Terry Rozier spent the past five months recovering from a neck injury that prevented him from suiting up for the Heat‘s first-round playoff series against the Celtics. As Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes, Rozier has been cleared for five-on-five play ahead of his first training camp with Miami.

“I’m still the same old Terry when I play,” Rozier said. “Whatever happened in the past, I won’t let it affect how I play. … I’m going to play how I play. But nothing affects how I go now. I’m still myself, so I feel good.”

The neck injury was first listed as stiffness, but according to Chiang, further tests revealed more “concerning results” that forced Rozier to the sidelines for an extended period.

“I mean, for me just playing fully and then to go to not and having to miss the playoffs, you get to questioning like, ‘Damn, could this possibly be the end for me?’” Rozier said. “But obviously, I’ve been blessed with a really great body and I’ve been able to recover. So I’m going back to the drawing board and do this [thing] again.”

Rozier has two seasons left on his current contract and is owed $24.9MM this season. Rozier admitted it was difficult to be off the court for so long, especially after ramping up his production toward the end of last regular season. In his final 10 appearances, he averaged 18.8 points with a .500 3PT% on 7.4 attempts per game.

We have more from the Heat:

Like Rozier, third-year forward Nikola Jovic spent much of his summer recovering from an injury. In a separate Miami Herald story, Chiang explores Jovic’s health ahead of the season. The third-year forward, who admitted his ankle injury slowed his offseason plans, was impressive in his 38 starts last season, averaging 8.4 points per game on .445/.400/.711 shooting, but he hopes to get even better in 2024/25. “I would say the thing I was working on the most was probably just when I have a mismatch in the low post,” Jovic said. “When I have small guys on me, I just have to punish them, and that’s going to be something that’s going to help our team a lot.“
In a two-part series, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald answers 15 questions about the Heat’s upcoming season. Of note, Jackson writes that the Heat aren’t worried about losing Jimmy Butler next season for nothing even if he opts out of his contract to become a free agent. Brooklyn and Houston are two teams who make sense for Butler on paper, but Jackson writes that both would have to jump through hoops to acquire him. While that’s certainly possible, Miami could explore sign-and-trade options in a worst-case scenario. In the meantime, the two sides are motivated to make this season a memorable one.
Former Rockets first-round pick Josh Christopher received a two-way contract from the Heat after an impressive summer league and Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the 6’5″ guard is appreciative of the opportunity. “I think they’ve given me the cheats codes [to] being successful,” Christopher said. Miami has a history of making the most of overlooked two-way/training camp players, helping turn the likes of Duncan Robinson, Max Strus and Caleb Martin into quality role players. Christopher’s former first-round pedigree makes him a different kind of player than the Heat have taken chances on in the past — he’ll join recently signed Nassir Little as recent first-round picks still looking to deliver on their pre-draft potential.

And-Ones: WBD Lawsuit, Top Storylines, G League Trade, More

September 25th, 2024 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The legal battle between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery took another step forward in recent days. Responding to the NBA’s motion to dismiss their lawsuit, TBS and WBD filed a 33-page memorandum last Friday attempting to convince New York Judge Joel M. Cohen to deny that motion, per Michael McCann of Sportico.

The parent company of TNT Sports, filed a lawsuit against the NBA in July, alleging that the league was in breach of contract after it refused to recognize TNT’s right to match Amazon’s new broadcast deal with the NBA.

The latest filing from TBS/WBD insists that the league acted in bad faith to “circumvent” the network’s matching rights by including certain terms in its deal with Amazon that it knew TBS/WBD couldn’t specifically match. For instance, one clause in the NBA/Amazon agreement requires NBA games to be aired on a platform that also broadcasts NFL games. Amazon has a deal with the NFL, whereas TBS/WBD does not.

If the case continues to advance through the legal system, court records suggest a trial would be held sometime in April 2025, according to McCann.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Paul George‘s impact in Philadelphia and the Knicks’ potential hole at center are among the key storylines to monitor in the Eastern Conference this season, in the view of Fred Katz and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Katz and Amick also took a look at the top storylines to watch in the West, including whether Victor Wembanyama is ready to take the leap to superstardom, Ja Morant‘s potential redemption tour, and which second-tier team could move into the top group of contenders.
The South Bay Lakers, College Park Skyhawks (Hawks), and Texas Legends (Mavericks) have completed a three-team trade, with South Bay acquiring the returning rights to forward Chris Silva and center Jake Stephens in the deal, per a press release. The Skyhawks received Joirdon Nicholas‘ rights, while the Legends received multiple G League draft picks from the Lakers’ affiliate.
Responding to a pair of U.S. senators who criticized the NBA for partnering with Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum wrote in a letter that the league has followed “the lead of the U.S. government as to where it’s appropriate to engage in business around the world,” according to Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN. “If American policies were to change regarding business activities in and relating to Rwanda or any other BAL (Basketball Africa League) market, our actions would of course change accordingly,” Tatum said, adding that the NBA has promoted multiple social impact initiatives in Rwanda.
Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, and Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman are among the individuals across the NBA who are facing the most pressure entering the 2024/25 season, according to Michael Pina of The Ringer, whose top five is rounded out by Knicks forward Julius Randle and Heat wing Jimmy Butler.

Jazz Sign, Waive Dane Goodwin

September 25th, 2024 at 3:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 25: The Jazz have waived Goodwin, the club announced in a press release. The move opens up a spot on Utah’s preseason roster and lines Goodwin up to play for the Salt Lake City Stars this fall.

SEPTEMBER 23: The Jazz have signed guard Dane Goodwin, according to a team press release. Terms were not released but it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal.

Goodwin spent last season with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League, appearing in 26 regular season games (14 starts), averaging 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 22.3 minutes per contest. Goodwin, who made 43.8% of his three-points for Stockton, also played on the Kings’ Summer League squad in July.

The Salt Lake City Stars recently acquired his G League rights from the Stockton Kings, lining him up to be a returning rights player for Utah’s NBAGL team.

Goodwin went undrafted out of Notre Dame last year. He played five seasons with the Fighting Irish, appearing in 158 games (94 starts) and averaging 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 30.5 minutes per outing.

Assuming Goodwin is on an Exhibit 10 deal, he will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Jazz’s G League affiliate.

Pelicans Sign Jalen Crutcher To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 25th, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Jalen Crutcher has signed a contract with the Pelicans, according to RealGM’s official log of NBA transactions. It’s a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Since going undrafted out of Dayton in 2021, Crutcher has spent three seasons in the G League, including two with the Greensboro Swarm and one with New Orleans’ affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.

In 49 total games for the Squadron last season, Crutcher averaged 17.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game and shot the ball well, with a 40.5% mark from beyond the three-point line and 86.3% from the free throw stripe. His strong play in Birmingham earned him a 10-day contract with the Pelicans in February — he appeared in just one game for the team, making his NBA debut on Feb. 27.

A player who signs an Exhibit 10 contract can have it converted to a two-way deal before the regular season or can qualify for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Given that the Pelicans don’t have a two-way opening and the Squadron already hold Crutcher’s NBAGL returning rights, the latter scenario appears more likely for the 25-year-old.

Raptors Sign, Waive Kennedy Chandler

September 25th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

2:58pm: As expected, the Raptors have waived Chandler, according to Murphy (Twitter link).

12:33pm: The Raptors have signed former second-round pick Kennedy Chandler to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

A 6’0″ point guard, Chandler was selected 38th overall out of Tennessee in the 2022 draft and played for the Grizzlies as a rookie. However, he had a disappointing first season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 assists in 7.8 minutes per game across 36 outings while shooting just 42.2% from the floor (including 13.3% on three-pointers) and 46.2% from the free throw line.

Memphis waived Chandler in April 2023 even though he still had two fully guaranteed years left on his contract.

Chandler spent the 2023/24 season with the Long Island Nets in the G League, appearing in 49 total Showcase Cup and regular season contests for Brooklyn’s affiliate. He averaged 13.9 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 3.3 RPG with a shooting line of .477/.361/.758.

The Raptors have been signing and quickly waiving free agents in recent days in order to put them in line for Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days this season with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL team. That may be the plan for Chandler too, though the 905 will have to acquire his returning rights from Long Island to make that happen.

Toronto, at least for now, once again has a full 21-man preseason roster.

Timberwolves Sign Guard Trevor Keels

September 25th, 2024 at 2:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 25: The Timberwolves have officially signed Keels, the team confirmed in a press release. The Wolves also formally confirmed three other recent signings.

SEPTEMBER 24: The Timberwolves have agreed to a contract with Trevor Keels, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

The 21-year-old guard played three games for the Knicks in 2022/23. Keels, who was the 42nd overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Duke, was waived by New York after his rookie campaign.

Keels participated in Minnesota’s training camp last season but he was waived before the opener. He spent the season with Minnesota’s G League club, the Iowa Wolves, where he averaged 13.5 points and 3.7 assists per game.

Terms of the contract have not been disclosed but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 contract. Assuming that’s what Keels signs, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spend at least 60 days with Iowa again.