Philadelphia 76ers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Elton Brand Doesn’t Intend To Pursue Hornets’ Job

February 14th, 2024 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers general manager Elton Brand had been referred to as one of the early frontrunners to take over the Hornets‘ front office in the wake of Mitch Kupchak‘s reassignment, but he doesn’t intend to pursue that position in Charlotte, a league source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

According to Pompey, Brand – who is the second in command in Philadelphia’s front office under president Daryl Morey – signed a long-term extension with the 76ers around the holidays and is committed to the team for the foreseeable future.

Brand has been with the Sixers’ front office since 2016, when he was named a player development consultant after his 16-year playing career ended. He was promoted to general manager of Philadelphia’s G League affiliate a year later, then became GM of the NBA club in 2018. Brand headed up the 76ers’ basketball operations department for two years before Morey was hired by the team in 2020.

Even with Brand reportedly removing his name from consideration, the Hornets should have no shortage of targets as they consider replacements for Kupchak.

Veteran executives like Mike Gansey, Trent Redden, Milt Newton, Jeff Peterson, Frank Zanin, Travis Schlenk, Marc Eversley, and Wes Wilcox have all been named as candidates Charlotte might consider, while Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon was identified – along with Brand – as a potential frontrunner.

Warriors Attempted To Get Lakers To Consider LeBron Trade

February 14th, 2024 at 7:21am CST by Luke Adams

Prior to last Thursday’s trade deadline, the Warriors tried – unsuccessfully – to convince the Lakers to consider sending superstar forward LeBron James to Golden State, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

The Warriors’ pursuit of James occurred at multiple levels, per ESPN’s reporting. Klutch Sports client Draymond Green contacted agent Rich Paul in an effort to solicit his help getting LeBron on board with a move to Golden State, while Warriors owner Joe Lacob reached out to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. touched base with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.

Ultimately, the same answer came back from all involved parties — the Lakers had no interest in trading James, and the four-time MVP had no interest in going anywhere, as Paul stated six days ahead of the deadline.

As Wojnarowski and Shelburne outline, the Warriors’ pursuit stemmed from the fact that James seemed to be frustrated by the Lakers’ up-and-down first half. He hinted at those frustrations in some comments to the media and posted a cryptic tweet consisting only of hourglass emoji.

When Lacob reached out to Buss, she told the Warriors owner that while she had no interest in trading LeBron, that she would check in with him and Paul to gauge their thoughts.

Sources tell ESPN that Buss has “operated with the mindset that she wants her star players content with the franchise,” so if he had been unhappy with his situation in Los Angeles, the team would have been open to changing its stance. That wasn’t the case, however, as Paul told both Lacob and Dunleavy that his top client wanted to remain a Laker.

ESPN’s report doesn’t include any details about the package the Warriors would have offered for James, but since the goal was to pair him with Stephen Curry and Green was involved in the recruiting, we can at least safely assume those two wouldn’t have been on the table. Beyond that, there are many permutations Golden State could have explored — an offer involving Chris Paul and/or Andrew Wiggins, plus prospects and draft picks, seems most likely, given that the Dubs reportedly weren’t interested in moving Klay Thompson.

According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, the Warriors weren’t the only team to check in on James prior to the trade deadline. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey also inquired on LeBron’s availability, though that’s a common practice for Morey, who also contacted the Suns to ask about Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and/or Bradley Beal, per ESPN.

As ESPN’s duo explains, the Warriors situation was a little different because it began at the ownership level and included a conversation with Paul, whereas Morey is known around the league for making “bold” long-shot trade inquiries. When Morey asked the Lakers about LeBron, Pelinka responded by inquiring about the availability of reigning MVP Joel Embiid, which ended their brief conversation, sources tell Woj and Shelburne.

James will have a decision to make this summer on a 2024/25 player option worth $51.4MM. While he’s considered likely to either pick up that option or sign a new deal with the Lakers, suitors like the Warriors and Sixers may get a chance to pursue him again at that time.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Langdon, Brand, Heat, Capela, Okongwu

February 13th, 2024 at 8:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Mitch Kupchak shifting to an advisory role, the Hornets are seeking a lead executive with previous experience, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports. Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon and Sixers GM Elton Brand are considered the early frontrunners to replace Kupchak, Boone adds.

Charlotte is likely to hire both a president of basketball operations and a GM, according to Boone, who also lists Bucks assistant GM Milt Newton, Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Knicks assistant GM Frank Zanin as potential candidates for the lead executive job.

Bulls GM Marc Eversley is another name under consideration, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat have won four of their last six games, following a seven-game losing streak. A team meeting in late January helped to turn their fortunes, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Numerous players spoke up, as well as coach Erik Spoelstra. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Heat swingman Duncan Robinson said of the team’s improved play. “If there’s anything I’ve learned during my time in the NBA, it’s that a big part of playing well is not necessarily about Xs and Os, but putting your own whatever sort of things you’re going through aside and just giving into the team. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
The Hawks’ top two centers are banged up heading into the All-Star break, according to a team press release. Clint Capela is showing progress in his rehab from a left adductor strain but he’ll be listed as out for Wednesday’s game at Charlotte. He’s expected to return to practice following the All-Star break. Onyeka Okongwu left Monday’s game against Chicago late in the fourth quarter with a left big toe injury. Okongwu underwent an MRI on Tuesday and has been diagnosed with a left big toe sprain. He’ll be re-evaluated in seven-to-10 days.
In case you missed it, there’s an update on Miles Bridges‘ latest legal situation.

Kyle Lowry Officially Signs With Sixers

February 13th, 2024 at 6:19pm CST by Luke Adams

After clearing waivers on Tuesday, free agent guard Kyle Lowry has officially signed with the Sixers as planned, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports confirms (via Twitter). President of basketball operations Daryl Morey published an Instagram photo showing Lowry signing his contract.

Lowry was traded from Miami to Charlotte for salary-matching purposes in the January deal that sent Terry Rozier to the Heat. The veteran point guard never suited up for the Hornets, who explored the possibility of flipping him to a new team prior to the trade deadline, but couldn’t find a taker due to his $29.7MM cap hit.

Lowry reached a buyout agreement with Charlotte a couple days later and was officially waived on Sunday.

A six-time All-Star and former NBA champion, Lowry will turn 38 next month and is no longer the impact player he was earlier in his career. He averaged just 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 28.0 minutes per game across 37 appearances (35 starts) with Miami this season. All of those averages are his lowest since 2008/09.

Still, Lowry is a tough, savvy veteran who is hitting three-pointers at a 38.5% clip this season. He’ll provide some depth in a Sixers backcourt that no longer features Patrick Beverley or Jaden Springer, who were sent out in deadline deals. Lowry and new addition Cameron Payne figure to back up Tyrese Maxey at the point and will likely spend some time playing alongside Maxey.

As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, Lowry gave up $1,138,964 in his buyout agreement with Charlotte. That’s the exact amount he’d receive on a prorated minimum-salary deal for the rest of the 2023/24 season, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday that the guard’s rest-of-season contract will actually be worth $2.8MM, which suggests it’s coming out of the 76ers’ mid-level exception.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 13th, 2024 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.

For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.

With the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Tuesday afternoon. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)

Teams with multiple open roster spots

Brooklyn Nets
- Note: One of the Nets’ roster openings is a two-way slot.
Golden State Warriors
Milwaukee Bucks
- Note: Both of the Bucks’ roster openings are two-way slots.
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks *
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns

The Warriors, Timberwolves, and Pelicans are all currently carrying 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, with all three of their two-way slots filled. That means they’ll have to add a 14th man at some point in the not-too-distant future to adhere to the NBA’s minimum roster requirements.

Golden State and Minnesota made trades on February 8 that dropped them below 14 players, so those two teams have until Feb. 22 to add a player. New Orleans’ deadline is coming a little earlier, since the club dipped to 13 when Malcolm Hill‘s 10-day contract expired on Feb. 6.

No roster moves are required for the Nets and Bucks, as both teams have at least 14 players on standard contracts, with one or more two-way openings. I’d expect Brooklyn and Milwaukee to fill those two-way slots before the two-way signing deadline in early March, though they don’t necessarily have to.

The Knicks and Sixers currently only have 12 players on standard, full-season contracts. New York also has Taj Gibson on a 10-day deal, while Philadelphia is poised to sign Kyle Lowry to a rest-of-season contract. Both teams will need to make at least one more roster move by Feb. 22 after dipping down to 12 players on trade deadline day last Thursday.

As for the Suns, they’re currently carrying just 13 players on standard contracts, but it sounds like they’ve already lined up a deal with a 14th man — a report earlier today indicated that they’re preparing to sign Thaddeus Young.

Teams with one open roster spot

Boston Celtics
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers *
Dallas Mavericks
Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

One of the 14 players on the Cavaliers‘ standard roster is Zhaire Smith, who is on a 10-day deal. Once his contract expires next week, the Cavs will have to either re-sign him or add another 14th man — and they’ll have to do it right away.

In addition to being prohibited from carrying fewer than 14 players on standard deals for more than two weeks at a time, NBA teams are limited to 28 days of carrying fewer than 14 players over the course of a season. The Cavs have already reached that 28-day limit, having carried just 13 players from January 4-18 and again from January 28 until February 11.

The rest of these teams have 14-man standard rosters with no two-way openings, meaning there’s no urgency for them to make any moves, though they’ll likely fill those open roster slots at some point between now and the end of the season in April.

Teams with no open roster spots

Atlanta Hawks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons *
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies *
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Portland Trail Blazers *
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors *

Twelve of these 13 teams have full 18-man rosters, with 15 players signed to standard contracts and three to two-way deals. However, the Pistons, Trail Blazers, and especially the Raptors are worth monitoring here, since they all have players on 10-day contracts and can open up roster spots when those deals expire.

Detroit and Portland are each carrying a single player on a 10-day deal, while Toronto has two, meaning the Raptors will dip down to 13 players on standard contracts during the All-Star break. They’ll have up to two weeks to get back to 14.

The Grizzlies are actually carrying 19 players at the moment, with 16 players on standard contracts (15 full-season deals, plus Jordan Goodwin on a 10-day) because they’ve been granted a hardship exception due to all the injured players they’re missing.

And-Ones: MVP Race, 2024 Draft, Korkmaz, Okafor, More

February 13th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

With Joel Embiid no longer eligible for this season’s MVP award due to the number of games he has missed, the race appears wide open, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who conducted another version of his straw poll ahead of the All-Star break.

The 100 media members polled over the weekend by MacMahon selected Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the current MVP favorite, with Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the runner-up. Jokic earned 69 first-place votes and was the only player selected by all 100 voters on their five-player ballots, while Gilgeous-Alexander was listed on 99 ballots and was the top choice on 24 of them.

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, and Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard rounded out the top five in Bontemps’ latest poll, with Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell also appearing on double-digit ballots. Notably, while just four of 100 media members had Anthony Edwards in their top five, one made the Timberwolves guard their MVP choice.

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

Although Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) still feel as if the 2024 draft class is short on high-end talent, they believe it could end up being a relatively deep draft. Givony and Woo suggest that some teams will be able to find rotation players later in the first round or in the second round, even if there are no sure-fire stars at the top of the class.
After being traded from Philadelphia to Indiana and then waived by the Pacers, veteran swingman Furkan Korkmaz has turned down interest from Turkish club Besiktas for now and is hoping to remain in the NBA, according to a report from Eurohoops. Korkmaz didn’t play much for the Sixers the past two seasons, but is still just 26 years old and is a 36.1% three-point shooter over the past five years.
Former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor is on the move again, having recently signed with Puerto Rican team Capitanes de Arecibo, as Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Okafor played in Spain and China earlier this season. He last played in the NBA with Detroit in 2020/21.
Grizzlies guard Vince Williams has been chosen to replace injured Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels in this Friday’s Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend, while Indiana Mad Ants guard Kyle Mangas will replace Sixers two-way player Kenneth Lofton Jr. in the G League Next Up game, according to a pair of announcements from the NBA and NBAGL.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Porzingis, Heat Rivalry, Springer

February 12th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Tensions between the Celtics and Heat flared up again Sunday afternoon, highlighted by an exchange between Jaylen Brown and Duncan Robinson, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. With 7:54 remaining, Robinson was whistled for a foul when he and Brown got tangled up on an inbounds play. As Brown tried to free himself, he pulled down on Robinson’s left arm and twisted his body, tossing Robinson to the ground.

Robinson grabbed at his left shoulder and began talking to Brown, who was called for a flagrant 1 foul following a video review of the play. They had to be separated after another exchange of words before Robinson went to the foul line.

“I just thought it was a dirty play, to be honest with you,” Robinson said. “That’s how people miss entire seasons with those types of plays. You’ve seen it before and throughout the history of the NBA. Guys suffer really bad injuries from instances exactly like that.”

Brown defended his actions, saying he wasn’t trying to hurt Robinson. He also accused the Heat — Boston’s opponent in the last two Eastern Conference Finals — of having a reputation for getting away with fouls and “mucking up the game.”

‘I think he knew exactly what he was trying to do, trying to get tangled up because he didn’t want to play defense,” Brown said. “They called the foul but he was still trying to hang on so I was trying to get my arm free.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Kristaps Porzingis had another injury scare on Sunday, Himmelsbach adds, suffering a back contusion on a collision with Bam Adebayo midway through the third quarter. Porzingis was able to return later in the game and doesn’t believe it’s anything to be concerned about. “My back is fine,” he said. “I got a little bump from Bam on the rebound and it was just kind of like nothing serious. Went to the back, made sure it was good and warmed up again.”
Porzingis views Brown’s exchange with Robinson as positive for the team, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Celtics have been accused of lacking toughness with Marcus Smart and Grant Williams no longer on the roster, and Porzingis enjoyed seeing Brown stand up to the Heat. “When they got into it again, I kind of liked it, it got the whole crowd into it, it was a good atmosphere,” he said. “I love it. I think we have to take those emotional moments in a good way, make us fired up, controlled. We have to stay controlled because that’s their game. They need us to react to something.”
Newly acquired Jaden Springer is brushing off comments from Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggesting that a second-round pick has more value to the franchise than Springer does, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Springer isn’t bothered by last week’s trade, saying he’s focused on finding a role with the Celtics. “Coming to a team like this, you can’t go wrong,” Springer said. “Especially probably the best team in the league. A bunch of great guys. Great organization. So far, I’m loving it here.”

Mitch Kupchak Moving Into Advisory Role With Hornets

February 12th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak will leave his post to become an organizational advisor to the franchise, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The search for a replacement will begin immediately, and new owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin are expected to hire someone before the end of the regular season, Wojnarowski adds. Sources tell ESPN that Kupchak will continue his current duties until his successor is named.

Wojnarowski hears that several current general managers will be among the targets of the search, including the Sixers’ Elton Brand, the Pelicans’ Trajan Langdon, the Cavaliers’ Mike Gansey and the Clippers’ Trent Redden. Sources tell Woj that some assistant GMs will be considered too, such as the Nets’ Jeff Peterson, the Wizards’ Travis Schlenk and the Kings’ Wes Wilcox, all of whom worked for the Hawks when Schnall was a minority owner in Atlanta.

Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer also lists Bucks assistant GM Milt Newton and Knicks assistant GM Frank Zanin as potential candidates.

Schnall and Plotkin began plotting a new course after purchasing a majority interest in the Hornets in August, Wojnarowski states. They are focused on rebuilding around a young roster as the team parted with veterans such as Terry Rozier and P.J. Washington in recent trades. Plans are also in the works for a $275MM arena renovation and a $60MM practice facility.

Kupchak will leave behind a mixed record during his time with the Hornets, Boone observes. He was able to fix the cap situation and make the team competitive after taking over as general manager in 2018, but his signature move — the signing of Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $120MM contract in 2020 despite a history of injuries — didn’t pay off as Kupchak had hoped. Hayward was traded this week to Oklahoma City for a modest return.

Drafting LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller may leave the Hornets with a brighter future, but Boone notes that Kupchak had his share of draft misses, including in 2021 when Charlotte selected James Bouknight, Kai Jones and Scottie Lewis, who are no longer with the team.

Kyle Lowry Bought Out By Hornets, Plans To Sign With Sixers

February 11th, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 11: Lowry’s buyout is now official and he has been waived, the Hornets have announced (Twitter link). He’ll become a free agent on Tuesday and will be able to sign with Philadelphia at that time.

FEBRUARY 10: Kyle Lowry has reached a buyout agreement with the Hornets, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Lowry intends to sign with the Sixers once he clears waivers, Wojnarowski adds.

It will be a homecoming for Lowry, who grew up in Philadelphia and played at Villanova, Wojnarowski states (Twitter link). The move will also reunite Lowry with Nick Nurse, his long-time coach in Toronto.

A video announcing Lowry’s decision was posted on Twitter by Priority Sports.

The Sixers will pay Lowry $2.8MM for the rest of the season, Bartelstein tells Woj (Twitter link). The team is $4.9MM below the tax threshold and has nearly $10MM of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception remaining, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. He adds that Lowry was still owed about $10.61MM left of his $29.7MM salary for 2023/24 before the buyout.

In a full story on Lowry’s decision, Wojnarowski identifies the Bulls and Pelicans as other teams that had interest in signing Lowry after a buyout.

Lowry had been expected to pursue a buyout in Charlotte ever since Miami sent him there in a January 23 trade involving Terry Rozier. Lowry never played for the Hornets, and he will have been off for more than a month if he doesn’t suit up for the Sixers before the All-Star break.

The 37-year-old point guard started 35 of the 37 games he appeared in with the Heat this season, but his playing time dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade and his numbers were down across the board. Lowry was averaging 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 28 minutes per night.

He will bring a veteran presence with plenty of playoff experience to the Sixers, who have been reeling since Joel Embiid was lost with a knee injury. Philadelphia only has 12 players on its 15-man roster in the wake of the trade deadline, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary to add Lowry. His departure leaves Charlotte with one roster opening.

And-Ones: Buyout Market, Summer League, Dunk Contest, Cap Room, Risacher

February 11th, 2024 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of veteran point guards have already been plucked off the buyout market, with Spencer Dinwiddie officially signing with the Lakers on Saturday and Kyle Lowry lining up a deal with the Sixers. What other notable players could hit the buyout market in the coming days and weeks?

John Hollinger of The Athletic explores that topic in depth, identifying Delon Wright, Troy Brown, Marcus Morris, and Cedi Osman as several of the most intriguing options while acknowledging that some of those players likely won’t be waived.

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

The NBA has confirmed the dates for the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League, announcing that it will take place from July 12-22 (Twitter link). That’s a few days later than the event typically begins and ends.
Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, who signed the largest contract in league history last summer, is the most accomplished player to participate in the NBA’s dunk contest in several years. He hopes to set an example for other stars, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.com (Twitter link). “I wish more top players (and) athletes decided to compete in the dunk contest,” Brown said. “I grew up watching that, and that’s what I love. Hopefully that comes around.”
Danny Leroux of The Athletic takes a look at where each team’s cap situation stands heading into the 2024 offseason, identifying the Pistons, Magic, Sixers, Jazz, Raptors, and Thunder as the teams with the ability to generate the most cap room.
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) have updated their list of 2024’s top prospects, moving French wing Zaccharie Risacher into the No. 1 spot for the first time. Risacher is the fourth different player to sit atop ESPN’s ’24 big board since the start of the college season in November, signaling that there’s no clear-cut top prospect in this year’s draft class.

Sixers Rumors

Teams with multiple open roster spots

Teams with one open roster spot

Teams with no open roster spots