- Sixers star James Harden played a major role in recruiting his former Rockets teammate Montrezl Harrell to Philadelphia, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). As Wojnarowski observes, Harden’s pay cut also created room under the hard cap for the 76ers to fit in Harrell’s minimum-salary contract.
- In his latest mailbag, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com explores the possibility of the Sixers making a trade with the Jazz, evaluates De’Anthony Melton‘s potential role, considers how Philadelphia matches up with the new-look Cavs, and discusses several other 76ers-related topics.
- Sixers wing and Turkish national team member Furkan Korkmaz was allegedly attacked by Georgia players after he was ejected from a EuroBasket contest. One of those alleged attackers was Pacers’ big man Goga Bitadze, sportscaster Ismal Senol tweets. Even if that’s true, there’s no precedent for the NBA to dole out punishment to a player for his actions in FIBA games, John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets. Nenad Krstic, Thon Maker and Nicolas Batum were not disciplined by the NBA for past incidents that occurred in FIBA tournaments, Hollinger notes.
The EuroBasket schedule could increase the potential for injuries, Mavericks franchise player Luka Doncic told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net. “We’re going to play four games in five days,” Doncic said. “(Sunday), basically we had two games in 24 hours. Yes this should change for everybody. Everybody is doing the same. Everybody has less rest. It’s a problem because of injuries you know. More injuries can happen. Especially the (NBA) clubs wouldn’t be very glad.”
We have more international news:
- FIBA has issued a statement (hat tip to Eurohoops.net) regarding the altercation between Georgia and Turkey players and delegation members, saying an investigation is underway. Both sides have made allegations and “the competent FIBA bodies will decide on any applicable disciplinary measures.” The Turkish delegation’s protest of the game due to a timekeeper error was dismissed. While the timing error was acknowledged, FIBA determined it didn’t affect the outcome.
- Regarding those allegations, Sixers wing and Turkey’s Furkan Korkmaz stated that he was attacked by five people. Coach Ergin Ataman asked for extra security measures, while Turkish Basketball Federation vice president Omer Onan asked for sanctions toward Georgia, according to Eurohoops.net. Georgia’s basketball federation countered that there were “provocations” from the Turkish team.
- FIBA also dismissed a protest by Lithuania in its loss to Germany, Eurohoops.net tweets. Lithuania claimed it wasn’t given a free throw after a technical foul was assessed to Team Germany in the third quarter. The protest was dismissed because it was not delivered within an hour after the game and “the reason presented” was not something that could be protested anyway.
Sixers guard Furkan Korkmaz was attacked in the hallway of the locker room after being ejected in Turkey’s game against Georgia, the Turkish team alleged (link via Semih Tuna of EuroHoops). The Turkish federation vice president, Omer Onan, is now threatening that the team will leave the EuroBasket if proper action isn’t taken.
“While Furkan Korkmaz was walking in the hallway to the locker rooms with our trainer, Georgia’s players who were not in the active roster attacked him together with the ejected player [Duda Sanadze] and the police,” Onan explained in a lengthy statement. “There should not be an attack on the player that goes to the locker room. At the end of the match, 30 policemen each pushed us into a fight. We got into a fight with Georgia’s official police. I am calling out to FIBA and I have also told FIBA’s officials.
“Let no one deceive themselves or think that we are stupid. They will bring us all the camera footage from that corridor minute by minute without anything missing. If those cameras do not come to us, we will leave this tournament. Wherever you look it, there is nothing to hold onto. The non-competing player, (Toko) Shengelia, and three people sitting on the bench went to the locker room. At the end of the match, the police were in front of our locker room. Supposedly they were protecting us but they pushed us all the time. We were going to hit each other with our fists.”
It’s unclear what injuries — if any — Korkmaz sustained. The 25-year-old was drafted by Philadelphia with the No. 26 pick in 2016. He’s spent his entire career with the franchise so far, averaging 7.6 points in 67 games this past season.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich believes the NBA and European basketball are becoming more similar, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes. While the quote has been condensed, Popovich did shine light on the matter. “Ten years ago, American basketball was mainly made up of threes and dunks, and with the arrival of basketball on European TV, I think everyone was very excited by this,” he said. “In Europe, on the contrary, basketball was played based on fundamentals, movement, a basketball where players move with the ball and without the ball. I think the two worlds have been apart for a while, but now we are getting closer.”
- France managed to survive Hungary’s comeback and win on Sunday, as relayed by EuroHoops. The team was led by Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, plus played his usual stellar defense.
- Team USA’s game against Venezuela on Sunday was postponed after rain leaked into the gym, according to The Associated Press. America was leading 48-21 at halftime when heavy rain caused multiple leaks and ended the contest early. The game was played in Brazil.
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 at this time, 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
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 10
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Al Horford (partial guarantee), Luke Kornet (partial guarantee)
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Restricted free agents: 1
- Brodric Thomas (two-way)
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
Horford is a lock to be on the Celtics’ 15-man regular season roster and Kornet’s partial guarantee gives him an inside path. If we assume Boston will start the season with a roster spot open in order to maintain roster flexibility and reduce the team’s tax bill, that leaves two spots up for grabs.
Caboclo, Valentine, Vonleh, and Thomas will all likely be in the mix for those openings, and the C’s have the spots necessary on their 20-man offseason roster to bring in a couple more camp invitees to take part in that competition.
Brooklyn Nets
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 12
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Edmond Sumner (partial guarantee), Yuta Watanabe
- Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Restricted free agents: 1
- David Duke (two-way)
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Markieff Morris, Donovan Williams (Exhibit 10)
After hanging onto Durant and Irving, the Nets are still working on filling out their roster. It’s possible some combination of Sumner, Watanabe, and Morris will fill the remaining two or three spots on the 15-man squad, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Duke works himself into that mix or if Brooklyn brings in another veteran free agent or two to compete for a roster spot.
If Duke doesn’t get a promotion to the Nets’ 15-man roster, he’s the best bet to fill the open two-way slot next to Williams.
New York Knicks
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Garrison Brooks (Exhibit 10), Jean Montero (Exhibit 10)
Up until Thursday, it looked like the Knicks’ roster may still undergo a major overhaul, with the possibility of a Donovan Mitchell trade threatening to shake things up. Now that Mitchell is headed to Cleveland, New York’s offseason to-do list appears nearly done.
The Knicks do still have two openings on their 15-man roster and aren’t in any danger of going into tax territory, so they could comfortably fill both of those remaining spots. A veteran free agent signing or two is one possibility — New York could also look to make a minor trade, or could wait until the preseason to see which players currently on rosters might shake loose as teams make cuts.
Philadelphia 76ers
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 12
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 4
- Charles Bassey (partial guarantee), Isaiah Joe, Trevelin Queen (partial guarantee), Paul Reed
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Aminu Mohammed (Exhibit 10)
With 12 players on guaranteed contracts and four on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals, the Sixers will have to trade or release at least one player before opening night.
Given how close they are to the hard cap, the 76ers seem more likely to cut a player who doesn’t have a full guarantee in order to create a little extra flexibility, so Queen and Joe are among those who could be in danger. A trade involving a player like Korkmaz also shouldn’t be ruled out, though it will be trickier to pull off.
Toronto Raptors
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 4
- Dalano Banton (partial guarantee), Justin Champagnie (partial guarantee), Josh Jackson (exact details TBD), D.J. Wilson (partial guarantee)
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Restricted free agents: 2
- Jalen Harris (two-way), David Johnson (two-way)
Even after waiving Svi Mykhailiuk, the Raptors have a crowded roster. It seems likely that all 13 players on guaranteed contracts will open the season on the 15-man squad — Hernangomez may not be a lock, but Toronto wouldn’t have given him a fully guaranteed salary if he wasn’t part of the team’s plans.
If we pencil in those 13, it leaves two open spots for Banton, Champagnie, Jackson, Wilson, and possibly two-way RFAs Harris and Johnson. The latter two are wild cards, since they could also factor into the two-way picture if Toronto is willing to carry one or both of them over Dowtin and/or Harper. There’s plenty still to be sorted out here.
Previously:
- Sam Cohn of The Philadelphia Inquirer takes an interesting, in-depth look at the road that Georges Niang took to the NBA and to the Sixers. Niang is entering the final year of his contract and will earn $3.47MM in 2022/23.
Veteran free agent power forward Markieff Morris is under consideration as a reserve acquisition for the Sixers in addition to the Nets, writes Marc Stein in a new article for Substack.
Stein notes that the 32-year-old was known to be a vocal locker room presence while on a star-studded 2019/20 championship-winning Lakers club, and could be a good fit for a Brooklyn team fielding several at-times angsty superstars.
Morris missed most of his 2021/22 season with the Heat due to a major neck injury after entering the season as a key reserve. In his 17 available regular season games with Miami, Morris averaged 7.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.4 APG. The 6’9″ big man out of Kansas posted a shooting line of .474/.333/.889.
Here’s more from Stein:
- As the Hornets consider reserve point guard options behind developing All-Star LaMelo Ball, the team has broadened its list of potential targets to include former Suns point guard Elfrid Payton, according to Stein. Isaiah Thomas, who fulfilled the role adequately last season, is still being looked at, as is Pistons point guard Kemba Walker, a three-time All-Star while with Charlotte whom Stein expects to be bought out of his current deal.
- The Lakers‘ 2027 and 2029 first-round draft selections, along with the expiring contract of incumbent point guard Russell Westbrook, could be used to help complete a three-team Donovan Mitchell trade for the Jazz, either with the Knicks or even another suitor. Stein writes that the draft picks could hold significant appeal for Jazz team president Danny Ainge, who earlier this summer received quite a bounty in future draft equity as part of his blockbuster deal that shipped former Utah All-Star Rudy Gobert out to the Timberwolves.
- Stein cautions that the Lakers, who leveraged a lot of future draft picks in their trade for Anthony Davis, remain fairly protective of the 2027 and 2029 picks. Given that L.A. is fielding a team with (currently) three maximum-salaried veterans all with at least 10 years of experience, one would expect the club to very much be in win-now mode, but the team only wants to make a move if it values the returning players as being worth the sacrifice. Stein defines that as players who can help the team return to its standing as a championship contender, following a disappointing 33-49 season that saw the Lakers on the outside of the play-in tournament looking in.
The Grizzlies are showing interest in Kevin Durant and have made “new inquiries” on the Nets‘ star forward, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
As Charania writes within his round-up of the latest Durant-related rumors from around the NBA, the Grizzlies could include up to five first-round picks in a package for the two-time Finals MVP (their own 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029 selections, plus Golden State’s top-four protected 2024 pick). The team also has a bevy of young talent on its roster beyond star guard Ja Morant, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams, Brandon Clarke, Kennedy Chandler, and David Roddy.
However, according to Charania, Memphis hasn’t appeared inclined to offer Jackson or Bane (or, of course, Morant) in a deal for Durant, preferring to build an offer around their draft picks. Given that the Nets are reportedly seeking a win-now return for Durant, that sort of offer is unlikely to pique their interest, even if the picks are unprotected — those first-rounders may have to be rerouted to a third team that could send Brooklyn the kind of impact players the team is seeking.
While the Grizzlies are an intriguing new suitor for Durant, there are still a number of other teams in the mix. The Celtics, Raptors, and Heat remain among the most significant threats to land the 33-year-old, Charania says, though Toronto has continued to resist including Scottie Barnes and Miami has “yet to seriously engage” in any discussions involving Bam Adebayo. Boston, meanwhile, has been unwilling to include Marcus Smart or Robert Williams in addition to Jaylen Brown, Charania says.
The Suns also remain involved, offering up Mikal Bridges and a series of draft picks, according to Charania, but they appear to be behind those Eastern teams among Durant’s most serious suitors.
Charania identifies the Sixers, Bucks, Nuggets, and Pelicans as some of the other teams that have expressed interest in Durant, though he confirms that New Orleans deemed Brandon Ingram untouchable.
According to Charania, the Hawks also made an offer for Durant, putting John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and a draft pick on the table. The details of that pick are unclear, but Atlanta could trade its own 2023 and 2029 first-rounders or Sacramento’s lottery-protected 2024 pick.
Although Charania doesn’t specify exactly how the Nets felt about the Hawks’ offer, he says none of Brooklyn’s discussions have gained any serious traction. There are still five weeks before training camps get underway, which could be a fraught week for the Nets, assuming Durant remains on the roster — it’s unclear whether or not he’ll show up to camp if his trade request hasn’t been granted.
The first EuroBasket tournament in five years will tip off in two weeks and there are currently 34 NBA players on track to participate in the event, representing 17 different countries, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.
EuroBasket is a 24-team international basketball competition also known as the European Basketball Championship. It historically took place every two years, but that gap was recently adjusted to four years, emulating the FIBA World Cup schedule.
The last EuroBasket tournament was played in 2017 — the next one had been scheduled for 2021, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. As a result, after being played every two years since 1947, it has now been five years since the last EuroBasket tournament, easily the longest layoff since World War II.
It’s possible that some NBA players will be cut from their teams’ rosters or will have to drop out due to injuries or personal reasons before the event begins on September 1, but in general enthusiasm to participate in the long-awaited event appears high.
Here’s the list of NBAers currently set to play in EuroBasket, per Eurohoops:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers)
- Croatia
- Bojan Bogdanovic (Jazz)
- Dario Saric (Suns)
- Ivica Zubac (Clippers)
- Czech Republic
- Vit Krejci (Thunder)
- Finland
- Lauri Markkanen (Cavaliers)
- France
- Evan Fournier (Knicks)
- Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves)
- Theo Maledon (Thunder)
- Georgia
- Goga Bitadze (Pacers)
- Sandro Mamukelashvili (Bucks)
- Germany
- Daniel Theis (Pacers)
- Franz Wagner (Magic)
- Greece
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Tyler Dorsey (Mavericks)
- Israel
- Deni Avdija (Wizards)
- Italy
- Simone Fontecchio (Jazz)
- Danilo Gallinari (Celtics)
- Lithuania
- Domantas Sabonis (Kings)
- Jonas Valanciunas (Pelicans)
- Montenegro
- Marko Simonovic (Bulls)
- Serbia
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Slovenia
- Vlatko Cancar (Nuggets)
- Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
- Goran Dragic (Bulls)
- Spain
- Usman Garuba (Rockets)
- Juancho Hernangomez (Raptors)
- Willy Hernangomez (Pelicans)
- Turkey
- Furkan Korkmaz (Sixers)
- Cedi Osman (Cavaliers)
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
- Ukraine
- Alex Len (Kings)
- Svi Mykhailiuk (Raptors)
There are also multiple NBA free agents on EuroBasket rosters, including French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and German guard Dennis Schröder.
A number of young NBA players, such as 2022 draftees Jeremy Sochan and Nikola Jovic, have dropped out to focus on getting ready for the 2022/23 season, while others, including Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Frank Ntilikina (France), were ruled out due to injuries.
Round robin play will begin on September 1, with each team facing the other five clubs in its group once. The top four teams in each group will advance to a 16-team bracket that begins on September 10. The final will take place on September 18, just over a week before NBA training camps get underway.
- Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer examines some lingering offseason questions facing the Sixers, including whether the team will get seriously involved in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes and how the NBA’s investigation into the team’s free agency moves might play out.