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Atlantic Notes: Oubre, Long Island Nets, Raptors, Maker

September 21st, 2023 at 10:43pm CST by Tristan Tucker

It took a while for Kelly Oubre to find a home in free agency, but he eventually landed with the Sixers. The Athletic’s John Hollinger explores what the Oubre signing means for Philadelphia and how he fits into the rotation.

According to Hollinger, Oubre was hoping to cash in after averaging over 20 points per game with the Hornets, but that didn’t happen and he wound up taking his time in free agency so he could sign with a club with available minutes on the wing. Still, his scoring abilities could be crucial for a Philadelphia team looking for more offensive threats. As Hollinger notes, Boston largely ignored P.J. Tucker on that end of the court in the playoffs, so Oubre could help remedy those woes.

Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports also breaks down the Oubre signing, suggesting that Oubre instantly becomes one of the only true wings on the roster, joining Danuel House. Philadelphia was in need of someone with the confidence to take shots like Oubre has, Neubeck adds.

However, Neubeck argues that Oubre has his fair share of weaknesses that Philadelphia will need to work around, namely his play-making ability and his efficiency from downtown. All in all, the signing for the veteran’s minimum is a low-risk, high-reward situation, Neubeck says, and he’ll either become a valued rotation piece or can simply hit free agency again next year. Hollinger notes that the Sixers with Oubre will have 16 players on standard contracts and any one of Danny Green, Filip Petrusev or Montrezl Harrell could be on the way out due to either partial or non-guarantees (Green, Petrusev) or injury (Harrell).

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, acquired the returning player rights to Troy Baxter Jr. from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning player rights to Thon Maker, according to a team release. Baxter played for several G League teams in 2021/22, averaging 4.6 points and then played the ’22/23 season overseas. Maker spent 22 games with Long Island last season and averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks. As we’ve noted before, G League trades before NBA training camps sometimes indicate those players signing Exhibit 10 deals with that G League team’s parent club. Another important note is that these deals don’t necessarily mean these players will suit up with these teams, but the Nets and Pacers now hold the G League rights to Baxter and Maker, respectively, if they choose to play in the league.
  • The Raptors 905, Toronto’s affiliate, acquired Thon Maker‘s cousin, Makur Maker, in a separate G League trade on Wednesday, tweets Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy. The Raptors 905 sent out Ryan Hawkins and a future first-round pick to the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s affiliate, in the trade. Maker averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 44 regular season and Showcase Cup games last year with the Go-Go while Hawkins put up 5.0 PPG in 49 games with the Raptors 905.
  • Raptors fans seem split on the team’s outlook for the upcoming season, according to the results of a poll conducted by The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. Koreen’s poll features several questions, including opinions on players and coaches. 84.3% of the 1,061 respondents said that the Raptors were right to fire Nick Nurse after last season, and 56.4% of 1,064 respondents said they wanted to see a new offensive scheme the most from the new staff. The full results of the poll can be found here.
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Sixers Sign Marcus Bagley

September 21st, 2023 at 7:09pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Sixers officially signed Marcus Bagley, per a team release. The terms of the contract were not disclosed but the deal is almost certainly an Exhibit 10 pact, which was reported back in June.

Bagley, the younger brother of Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III, played three collegiate seasons at Arizona State. The younger Bagley brother was limited to just five games over the past two seasons, but averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in his freshman year in 2020/21.

The Sixers now have a full 21-man offseason roster, but are still reportedly signing Kelly Oubre, which would take them over that limit. In order to bring in Oubre, a player will need to be waived or traded. The most likely option is that the Sixers waive a player on an Exhibit 10 deal, potentially Bagley, before signing Oubre. The Sixers also have Javonte Smart and David Duke Jr. signed to training camp deals.

If he’s waived by the Sixers before the season starts, Bagley would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Atlantic Division

September 21st, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster right now, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Atlantic Division. Let’s dive in…

Boston Celtics

No team has fewer players on guaranteed contracts than the Celtics, but Boston doesn’t necessarily need to make any more roster additions. Simply hanging onto Banton, Mykhailiuk, and Kornet to start the season would give the club a 14-man roster and an open 15-man slot to maximize flexibility.

If the Celtics have any doubts about Banton and Mykhailiuk, they’ll probably want to make a decision on them by opening night — both players will have their partial guarantees increase to $1MM+ if they’re not waived before the start of the regular season.

Brooklyn Nets

At this point, the Nets seem likely to let Bazley, Watford, and Giles – three frontcourt players – vie for the two openings on the 15-man roster to start the season. Hall, Sykes, and Gardner figure to end up in the G League with Long Island, but if one of them (or another camp invitee) impresses in camp, he could have his contract converted into a two-way deal.

Giles remains eligible for a two-way contract despite having four years of NBA experience, since he missed a full season due to an injury. But his Exhibit 9 contract can’t be directly converted into a two-way deal, so the Nets would have to waive him and re-sign him if they want him to fill their final two-way slot.

New York Knicks

The Knicks have the flexibility to add another free agent or two on a guaranteed contract, but have shown no urgency to do so and may end up starting the season with two or three players on non-guaranteed salaries filling out the back of the roster.

Jeffries, Roby, Arcidiacono, and Washington are in the mix for those spots. I wouldn’t bet against Arcidiacono, who made the Knicks’ regular season roster despite being being on a non-guaranteed deal in both 2021 and 2022.

Philadelphia 76ers

With Harden’s trade request still pending, the Sixers’ roster could look quite different in a month than it does now. On the other hand, there’s no indication that the Harden trade talks have been all that active lately, so perhaps he’ll remain in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.

If the roster doesn’t undergo additional changes, the 76ers will have to decide who the odd man out on the 15-man roster is. The team is signing Oubre to join a group of 13 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Petrusev and Green. There would be room for both Petrusev and Green if Philadelphia decides to trade or release one of the players who has a guaranteed deal — Harrell, who is expected to be out all season with an ACL tear, would be a prime candidate.

Toronto Raptors

Dowtin played well for the Raptors down the stretch in a backup point guard role last season, but could be on the outside looking in this fall, given that the team is carrying 15 players on guaranteed salaries.

If Dowtin shows in camp and the preseason that he deserves a place on the 15-man roster, it may not bode well for one of the veterans on an expiring contract who’s not necessarily assured of a rotation role — Flynn, Temple, Young, and Porter could all fall into that group.

Previously:

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Bulls Reportedly Trying To Deal For Damian Lillard

September 20th, 2023 at 8:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls are trying to get involved in the bidding for Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports said on a podcast on Wednesday.

Neubeck hears that Chicago has been exploring the possibility of moving Zach LaVine in a multi-team deal to see if can get a combination of players and picks in return that would interest Portland. He notes that there were trade rumors circulating around LaVine earlier this summer, but the Bulls have publicly denied that he’s being made available.

Neubeck also admits that Lillard might not be happy on a team like Chicago, where his best teammates would be Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan. He adds that the Bulls may be the Eastern Conference mystery team in the Lillard race that ESPN’s Marc Spears alluded to earlier this week.

Derek Bodner confirms on the podcast that he has heard the Bulls mentioned in conversations with other reporters, but he calls it a “borderline crazy gamble.” Bodner believes there are teams that should call Lillard’s bluff about not wanting to play anywhere but Miami, such as the Sixers, who could become legitimate title contenders by pairing Lillard with Joel Embiid. However, he’s not convinced that Chicago would have that type of leverage if acquires Lillard.

Rich Hofman says the Bulls are in a desperate position, so a big swing on a Lillard-type deal might be understandable. He adds that team president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley may have to start worrying soon about their job security, but he doubts Chicago could make a run at a title even with Lillard on the team.

The three writers also considered the possibility of the Sixers making an offer for LaVine, but they agreed that it’s unlikely because of his contract. He’s entering the second season of a five-year, $215MM extension, and his salary will rise from $40MM to $48.9MM over the next four years.

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Sixers’ Nick Nurse Talks Harris, Reed, Embiid, More

September 19th, 2023 at 11:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly hired Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has been dealt a fairly difficult hand this summer. Star point guard James Harden is angling to be traded away before having played a single game under Nurse.

But Nurse still has a team to coach. To that end, he recently sat down with Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire for a comprehensive conversation about the club.

Here are a few standout moments from the chat, which is well worth reading in full.

On how he’ll integrate power forward Tobias Harris into his system: 

“There’s so much more he could possibly do and I kind of want him to settle in and play this role that he’s capable of playing that he’s got experience playing, but I do kind of want him to dream outside that role or expand outside that role eventually.

“I do keep a pretty loose lid on the roles if that makes any sense because I think there [are] guys — there’s some guys maybe they never shot three-pointers before and they’re not bad and we may need them to shoot more threes or, or whatever it is. [Reserve center] Paul Reed would be a good example for us for that. When we got James and Joel [Embiid] out there, there’s gonna be some open threes. So let’s start to open up their minds a little bit and let’s get working on it, and let’s see what happens. Things like that.”

On improving Reed’s shooting mechanics:

“Yeah, I mean, listen, about day two after I had the job, we went in the gym with Paul Reed and we just tried to start making a couple mechanical adjustments on his shooting form to see if he couldn’t shoot it a little better. It’s really been going good. I think he’s gonna have a good, good season.”

On how he will handle Embiid with regards to the league’s new resting policy:

“I think that we are looking at it maybe a little different than people think we might be. We’re trying to get him to play more games. Our goal is that it’s going up for him, not not the other direction, and some people would say, ‘Oh, that’s playoffs. Is he going to be?’ We’re just trying to get it going the other direction. I think that’s just what our people believe here that he can play and again, knock on wood, cross our fingers, all that stuff. There’s always things that can come up with that stuff, but I don’t know. I believe in the guys playing as much as they can and let’s see what happens.”

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Community Shootaround: James Harden

September 17th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The James Harden drama has been one of the big NBA stories this offseason and the latest scuttlebutt suggests it’s not going away any time soon.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that the Clippers, not Sixers, shut down trade talks this summer.

Harden has been disgruntled (even if Kyrie Irving doesn’t like that description) since the Sixers didn’t give him a lucrative extension. Harden opted out last summer in exchange for a lesser salary with a second-year player option.

Harden opted in before free agency this summer to secure that guaranteed money, then demanded a trade. Philadelphia set a high price with some combination of expiring contracts and draft picks. The Clippers were the only team that seemed mildly interested in trading for the 2018 MVP.

Harden has publicly called Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, one of the guard’s biggest supporters over the years, a liar.

Harden has incentive to report to training camp in a couple of weeks under the new CBA. He stands to lose his unrestricted free agent status for next summer if he holds out.

Morey has already seen how an unhappy Harden can disrupt a team. When Harden wanted to get out of Houston, he came to camp out of his shape and only appeared in eight games before he was traded to Brooklyn.

The Clippers could be posturing, waiting for the Sixers to cave and lower their demands. Or they could simply go with what they’ve got. They already have a point guard battle on their hands with Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann and Bones Hyland angling for playing time.

Windhorst indicated that the Clippers aren’t expected to pursue any trades before the regular season.

That leads us to today’s topic: In light of the latest developments, do you think Sixers will be able to trade James Harden prior to the season? If so, will he wind up with the Clippers or do you think he’ll go to another playoff contender?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

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Clippers Reportedly Ended James Harden Trade Talks

September 17th, 2023 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Word leaked last month that the Sixers had taken James Harden off the trade market taken James Harden off the trade market, but it was actually the Clippers that shut down talks between the teams, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest edition of his “Hoop Collective” podcast (hat tip to Clippers Fan Nation).

“(The Clippers) tried to trade for James Harden, and that deal didn’t happen,” Windhorst said. “And from what I understand, it was the Clippers who said, ‘Okay, there’s no deal here. We’re gonna move on.’ And while I assume that they could certainly make a deal midseason, I assume that this is what they’re gonna go with.”

L.A. was Harden’s preferred destination when he asked to be traded in late June after his surprise decision to pick up his $35.6MM player option for next season. With the Clippers not pursuing a deal, at least for the time being, there was no viable market for Harden and the Sixers stopped trying to create one.

That decision led to an angry outburst from Harden during an appearance in China, where he called president of basketball operations Daryl Morey “a liar” and blasted team management for the way it has dealt with him over the past two years. Harden also vowed that he will never be part of an organization run by Morey, a statement that will be tested when training camp opens in two weeks.

He received a $100K fine for those comments and the NBA launched an investigation of whether there had been a handshake deal in place when Harden took a pay cut a year ago. However, the league found no evidence of any wrongdoing by the Sixers.

Although Morey shopped Harden around the league, he reportedly set the asking price so high that other teams weren’t willing to meet it, a tactic he also used when Ben Simmons asked to be dealt two years ago. According to multiple reports, the Clippers were unwilling to part with young guard Terance Mann or their best draft assets in a proposed deal.

While the Sixers wait to see if Harden will continue to try to force his way out of Philadelphia, the Clippers appear satisfied with their current roster going into camp. Windhorst doesn’t expect L.A. to pursue any more trades until the season is underway.

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Sixers Notes: Green, House, Reed, Nurse, Dowtin

September 15th, 2023 at 6:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Danny Green‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Sixers is fully non-guaranteed, sources tell Yossi Gozlan and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

As Gozlan details, Green’s deal has multiple trigger dates that would give him sizeable partial guarantees. If the veteran wing makes the opening night roster, he’ll earn $500K; if he’s still on the roster on November 24, the guarantee will increase to $750K; and if he remains on the team by December 24, he’ll be guaranteed $1.3MM.

The NBA’s league-wide guarantee date is January 10. If he’s not waived by January 7 (in order to clear waivers before Jan. 10), Green will earn his full $3.2MM salary.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

  • In June, wing Danuel House picked up his $4.3MM player option to stay with the 76ers for 2023/24. He called the decision to come back a “no-brainer,” writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. As Mizell notes, House has a longstanding friendship with teammate James Harden, but the 30-year-old said he has “no knowledge” about Harden’s future with the team. “I respect any decision that he (Harden) does,” House said. “Everything that’s going on, (I) don’t know.” Harden, of course, requested a trade after picking up his own player option, then publicly criticized president of basketball operations Daryl Morey after it was reported that the Sixers planned to keep the former MVP.
  • Big man Paul Reed says new head coach Nick Nurse has made an early impression ahead of training camp, tweets Mizell. “Since the first day, he’s already been really hands-on,” said Reed, who added that Nurse has been working with him on his shooting form. Reed was a restricted free agent this summer and signed a unique offer sheet with Utah, which Philadelphia matched. The 24-year-old previously discussed Nurse envisioning an expanded role for him.
  • The Delaware Blue Coats — the Sixers’ NBA G League affiliate — recently acquired Jeff Dowtin‘s returning player rights from the Osceola Magic. The 26-year-old guard is currently on a non-guaranteed deal with the Raptors — if he’s still on the roster past October 21, he’ll receive a $900K partial guarantee. According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), the G League trade won’t impact the Raptors as long as Dowtin remains under contract in Toronto. It just means the Blue Coats will hold Dowtin’s G League rights if he’s waived and unable to find another NBA deal. Dowtin was on a two-way deal with Toronto last season and spent time with the team’s NBAGL affiliate, the Raptors 905. NBA contracts take precedence over G League rights — that’s how Toronto was able to assign Dowtin to the 905 in ’22/23, Murphy adds (via Twitter).
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Atlantic Notes: World Cup Effects, Knicks, Schröder, Porzingis

September 14th, 2023 at 9:29am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks and Nets may benefit from having star players involved in the World Cup this summer, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York’s Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were both starters for Team USA, while RJ Barrett was an important member of the Canadian squad that captured the bronze medal. Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges also started for the Americans and Cameron Johnson was on the team, although he didn’t play as much.

Begley cites research from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (subscription required), who studied the NBA performance of players from 2010 to 2021 after they took part in international competitions. Pelton found they averaged 2.1 points per 100 possessions above the league average.

At last year’s training camp, Begley talked to Evan Fournier, a veteran of international basketball with the French team, about what it’s like to go straight from a tournament to an NBA season with almost no rest in between.

“It really hits you in December; you have the first wave of fatigue,” Fournier said. “It’s not my first time dealing with it, so I know how to manage myself. I know being in the weight room is going to be very important. Sleep is going to be very important, but … I’ll be all right.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Knicks are optimistic after advancing to the conference semifinals last season, but a lack of height at the wings could be a concern, observes Zach Braziller of The New York Post (subscription required). Apart from Barrett, New York has to rely on undersized options such as Hart, Quentin Grimes and Donte DiVincenzo.
  • Dennis Schröder told “NBA Today” that new head coach Darko Rajakovic played an important role in his decision to sign with the Raptors (Twitter link from ClutchPoints). “I think Darko, the head coach,” Schröder said. “… I met him five years ago in OKC. We became friends. … I definitely said to my agent, ‘I want be there.’ … I think it’s a great fit.”
  • The Celtics‘ trade for Kristaps Porzingis was the best offseason move in the Atlantic Division, David Aldridge of The Athletic contends in a discussion of the division with other Athletic writers. However, Aldridge, Josh Robbins and Jared Weiss all agree that Boston took a risk regarding team culture by parting with Marcus Smart in the deal and not keeping Grant Williams. Robbins and Weiss cite the Sixers‘ coaching change, replacing Doc Rivers with Nick Nurse, as the most impactful move.
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Silver Discusses Player Participation Policy, In-Season Tournament, More

September 13th, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA’s new Player Participation Policy is designed to create the best possible product for the fans, commissioner Adam Silver told reporters, including Steve Aschburner of NBA.com, at a press conference Wednesday.

The guidelines, which were approved on Wednesday by the Board of Governors, were pursued by “everyone in the league,” Silver said. That includes owners, management, coaches, the NBPA and some individual players. They’re focused on producing a better experience for paying customers at the arenas and more reliability for media rights holders.

“This is ultimately about the fans,” Silver said. “And that we’ve taken this (load management) too far. This is an acknowledgment that it has gotten away from us a bit.”

Silver has been working for years to overcome the problem of the league’s best players appearing in fewer and fewer games. Under the PPP, teams will be subject to hefty fines if they violate the policy by giving excess rest to their stars, who are defined as anyone who has made an All-Star or All-NBA team during the previous three seasons.

“That doesn’t mean we were turning the clock back, that players are expected to play through injuries or that players never need rest,” Silver said. “But there’s a statement of a principle in this league that, if you’re a healthy player, you’re going to play.”

There’s more from Silver’s press conference:

  • The commissioner acknowledged that the new in-season tournament, which will debut this fall, may take a while to resonate, Aschburner adds. Silver added the league is committed to a long-term approach with the event. “It’s a multi-season issue, to the extent we’re looking to create a new tradition,” he said. “… If we’re seeing early indications of success, we’re going to see a little ratcheted-up intensity.”
  • Silver repeated his distaste for trade demands like the ones issued this summer by Damian Lillard and James Harden, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Although the Trail Blazers and Sixers haven’t made much progress on moving their unhappy stars, Silver doesn’t believe the public declarations are good for the league. “In terms of trade demands, of course, don’t like them,” Silver said. “As a league, want players and teams to honor their contracts. And I’m watching both the situation in Portland and Philadelphia, and hope they get worked out to the satisfaction of everyone before the season starts. And I’m glad that things seem to have settled down somewhat, at least in terms of public discourse.”
  • Silver said the league won’t do anything to force the sale of the Trail Blazers, relays TV station KGW8. When Paul Allen died in 2018, his will stipulated that the parts of his estate, including the NBA team, must be sold. However, Silver complimented Paul’s sister, Jody Allen, for running the team in “a first-class manner.”
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