Caleb Martin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Sign Caleb Martin, Waive Paul Reed

July 6th, 2024 at 6:28pm CST by Tristan Tucker

7:28pm: Martin has officially signed with the Sixers, the team confirmed in a press release.

“Caleb is a battle-tested performer who has elevated his game when his teams have needed it most,” president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said in a statement. “We’re excited for him to bring his skillset and mentality to the 76ers.”

The Sixers also confirmed in a separate release that they’ve waived Reed.

11:45am: Martin’s deal with the Sixers is indeed guaranteed for roughly $32MM and can reach up to $40MM with bonuses, Scotto clarifies (Twitter link).

9:23am: Free agent forward Caleb Martin is planning to sign with the Sixers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). In order to help make space for the veteran forward, the 76ers are planning to waive Paul Reed‘s non-guaranteed contract, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

In a follow-up story, Wojnarowski writes that Martin will sign a four-year contract that includes more than $32MM in guaranteed money. Meanwhile, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports Martin’s deal is worth $40MM over four years (Twitter link). We’ll see where the final numbers come in, but it’s possible both reports are accurate — for instance, there might be $32MM+ in guarantees, with additional incentives that could push the overall value higher.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype adds that Martin’s fourth year will be a player option (Twitter link).

Martin, who will bring extensive playoff experience to Philadelphia, could easily fit the roster off the bench or in the starting lineup at power forward. Over the past three seasons with Miami, Martin has averaged 9.6 points and 4.4 rebounds across 195 games (84 starts).

He was especially critical to the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals in 2022/23, when he averaged 19.3 points on 60.2% shooting from the field and 48.9% from deep in the seven-game Eastern Conference Finals against Boston. He nearly came away with the Conference Finals MVP award for that performance.

As Wojnarowski observes, Martin’s 13.6 points per game against the Celtics for his career (playoffs and regular season) are his most against any Eastern Conference opponent. As the Sixers continue to revamp their roster around superstar Joel Embiid, they’re adding a player who has given the reigning NBA champs problems throughout his career.

Philadelphia’s interest in Martin has been reported multiple times since free agency began. However, those reports suggested he was seeking more than what the Sixers were capable of offering.

The Heat also had interest in bringing back the 28-year-old forward, proposing a four-year extension on top of his $7.1MM player option before he decided to turn down that option. According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), Miami’s original offer would have been for four years and about $58MM, beginning in 2025/26, for a total of $65MM-ish over five years. However, once Martin declined his option, the Heat could no longer make that offer (they were limited to 8% raises in a free agent contract, rather than the bigger second-year jump they could have included in an extension).

Meanwhile, the Sixers are moving on from Reed, their former No. 58 overall draft pick in 2020. Reed has evolved into a serviceable backup in the frontcourt over the past few seasons. In ’23/24, he averaged 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.0 blocks, appearing in all 82 of Philadelphia’s regular season games.

However, his $7.7MM contract for next season was fully non-guaranteed, so he was always viewed as a candidate to be traded or released as the 76ers looked to maximize their cap room.

Scotto’s Latest: Beasley, Hield, Nuggets, Martin, Pelicans, Mavs, Cavs

July 5th, 2024 at 10:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming off a season in which he made a career-high 41.3% of his three-point attempts, free agent swingman Malik Beasley was considered the Mavericks‘ Plan B for outside shooting help if they were unable to land Klay Thompson, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

With Dallas no longer in the mix for Beasley, the 27-year-old sharpshooter is receiving interest from the Pelicans, who like the idea of having him stretching the floor alongside Zion Williamson, league sources tell Scotto.

Meanwhile, the Pistons “flirted” with potentially offering Buddy Hield a one-year contract and have considered doing the same for Beasley, Scotto writes, but for now Detroit wants to keep its salary cap space open for trade purposes, since the team is well positioned to take on an unwanted contract or two and receive draft assets for its trouble.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Nuggets and Heat were among the teams to express interest in Hield before he agreed to join the Warriors, per Scotto. However, neither team could realistically match the $8.7MM starting salary Hield got from Golden State. Denver is shopping in free agency with its $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception in the hopes of adding a player who can help fill the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope-sized hole in the team’s rotation, Scotto notes.
When he declined his $7.1MM player option with Miami, Caleb Martin was hoping for a deal worth at least the full mid-level exception ($12.9MM) and possibly more than that, sources tell HoopsHype, but nothing has materialized so far. The Sixers are among the teams with interest in Martin, but his asking price would have to drop for that to be realistic, according to Scotto.
While the Pelicans continue to peruse the trade market for centers – with Wendell Carter of the Magic among the targets on their radar – veteran big man Daniel Theis has been linked to New Orleans as a possible cheaper option in free agency, Scotto writes.
The Mavericks, in the market for one more guard, have considered a possible reunion with Spencer Dinwiddie or Dennis Smith Jr., according to Scotto, who hears that Malachi Flynn is another playing Dallas is considering if Dinwiddie and Smith end up elsewhere.
Johnnie Bryant (Knicks), Jared Dudley (Mavericks), and Trevor Hendry (Nets) are among the coaches the Cavaliers are eyeing as possible assistants for Kenny Atkinson‘s staff, Scotto reports. Bryant was close with Donovan Mitchell from their days in Utah together, while Dudley and Hendry were with Atkinson in Brooklyn (Dudley as a player, Hendry as a staffer).

Heat Notes: Martin, Adebayo, Two-Ways, Swider

July 4th, 2024 at 8:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Before he officially passed on his $7.1MM player option for the 2024/25 season, the Heat offered Caleb Martin an extension that would have been contingent on him picking up that option, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. While the exact details of that offer are unclear, Miami could have given Martin a starting salary as high as about $18.1MM in 2025/26 based on the NBA’s rules for veteran extensions.

The Heat haven’t given up hope of retaining Martin, but they’re only about $7MM below the second apron and have no desire to surpass that threshold, so their ability to make a competitive offer is extremely limited. Although the club could technically come close to matching the $7.1MM option the 28-year-old declined for 2024/25, that significant raise for ’25/26 is no longer possible, since free agent contracts can’t increase by more than 8% annually.

A source close to Martin tells the Miami Herald duo that the forward had been hoping to secure a deal worth more than $15MM per year. While some teams have expressed interest, it doesn’t appear that any offers in that range are on the table for Martin at this point.

Here’s more on the Heat:

It has been a fairly quiet offseason for the Heat so far, but that’s not because the team is reluctant to spend up to the second apron or use assets in trades, according to Jackson and Chiang. Three people who have been in contact with the team say Miami is maintaining its flexibility for now in case an opportunity to acquire an impact player opens up — it’s possible that sort of player could hit the trade market in the coming days or weeks, and the Heat don’t want to close the door on that possibility.
The Heat have had some trade talks with teams, including one club with “substantial” cap room, according to Jackson and Chiang. The Herald reporters don’t have details on the potential trade partner or the players who were discussed, but the Jazz and Pistons are the only clubs who still have the sort of cap room that could be considered substantial.
Bam Adebayo intends to sign the three-year contract extension that he and the Heat agreed to last week “pretty quickly” after he becomes eligible to do so on Saturday, per Jackson and Chiang. The deal will tack on three years to the two seasons left on Adebayo’s current contract and will run through 2028/29. If the cap increases by 10% in each of the next two offseasons, the star center would earn $165,348,864 on the three-year extension after making a total of $71,944,960 across the next two seasons.
In a separate story for The Herald, Chiang explores the Heat’s two-way logjam, with Dru Smith, Zyon Pullin, and Keshad Johnson currently occupying the three slots and two-way qualifying offers still out to Cole Swider and Alondes Williams. If Miami wants to bring all five players to camp, at least two would have to be there on standard or Exhibit 10 deals. Swider, who is part of the Heat’s Summer League roster, says he’s focused on developing his game, not his contract situation. “Obviously, the Heat have my rights as a restricted free agent,” Swider said. “I want to be here. But at the same time, it’s all up to the things that I can control and I’m going to bring the energy, the effort and try to lead this summer league team to have a great summer league.”

Free Agent Notes: Cancar, Suns, Lowry, Sixers, Martin, Hield

July 4th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Nuggets declined their team option on Vlatko Cancar for the 2024/25 season, multiple reports indicated that the two sides would likely work out a new minimum-salary deal that would both increase the forward’s salary (from the $2.35MM the option would have paid to $2.43MM) and reduce Denver’s cap hit (from $2.35MM to $2.09MM).

That deal hasn’t happened yet, but Cancar – who is representing Slovenia at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece after missing the 2023/24 season with a torn ACL – expressed a desire to return to Denver, per Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.

“I’m still waiting on their decision, We’ll see,” Cancar said. “… I want to be back. My goal is to be back. Hopefully there’s room.”

As Harris Stavrou of SPORTS24 tweets, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth was at the Olympic qualifiers on Thursday watching Cancar and the Slovenians secure a spot in the semifinals by defeating New Zealand. Nuggets scout Marty Pocius was also in attendance with Booth, tweets Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports.

Here are a few more notes on free agency:

Even after signing Monte Morris, the Suns are still believed to have interest in veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. However, Gambadoro says Lowry may be a long shot for Phoenix since the team can only offer the veteran’s minimum to outside free agents. The Suns are also still working on a new deal for their own free agent Josh Okogie, Gambadoro adds.
The Sixers definitely have interest in free agent forward Caleb Martin, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), but he may be out of range of what they can realistically offer him. Philadelphia is expected to continue to monitor Martin’s market, says Neubeck.
The Pistons and Lakers were among Buddy Hield‘s other free agent suitors before he decided to join the Warriors, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, the veteran sharpshooter chose Golden State “because of the opportunity to win.”

FA/Trade Rumors: Sixers, Heat, DeRozan, Warriors, Markkanen, Lakers, More

July 3rd, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Signs are pointing toward Paul Reed being traded or waived rather than returning to the Sixers, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who notes that waiving Reed or using his pseudo-expiring $7.7MM contract as a trade chip would allow the team to maximize its cap room. Pompey adds that Philadelphia has had discussions with free agent forward Haywood Highsmith, while Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets that the 76ers have also “poked around” on Caleb Martin.

Although the Heat remain in the mix for both of their free agents and could technically make Martin and Highsmith big offers, they’ve told people they don’t intend to surpass the second tax apron due to the roster-building restrictions that second-apron teams face, says Jackson (Twitter link). That limits Miami’s ability to make a competitive offer to either player.

Despite the Heat’s financial restrictions, Jovan Buha of The Athletic has heard from league sources that Miami is viewed as the “slight” favorite to land DeMar DeRozan. The team doesn’t have the spending flexibility to make it work without additional moves, but DeRozan likes the idea of playing for the Heat and the two sides have remained in touch, tweets Jackson.

Here are a few more rumors and notes related to the trade and free agent markets:

The Warriors and Spurs are considered the most serious suitors for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link), who says Golden State has been the most aggressive team in its pursuit of Markkanen.
Appearing on SportsCenter on ESPN (Twitter video link), Adrian Wojnarowski said the Lakers aren’t interested in using their tradable draft picks just to move off contracts, but would be open to including draft assets for a quality player. However, they’re not pursuing a deal for a high-salary impact player, since they’re skeptical the three-star model is feasible under the new CBA, Wojnarowski explains.
While a report on Monday suggested the Nets are open to reuniting with Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that’s not expected to happen.
In an appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link), Sam Amick of The Athletic said that he’s skeptical the Kings will land Markkanen or Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, noting that Sacramento still appears to be taking a hard line in its desire to keep Keegan Murray off the table in trade talks. “I don’t know how long the list of guys is that they would give Keegan up for, but it’s not anybody currently available on the market,” Amick said.

FA Rumors: DeRozan, Kings, Hield, Warriors, Martin, Heat, Hezonja

July 3rd, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Assuming DeMar DeRozan doesn’t sign with a cap-room team, it will almost certainly require a sign-and-trade to land him, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link). As Haynes explains, DeRozan has no interest in settling for a mid-level offer.

“For the teams that might be calling or gauging interest in DeMar taking a full mid-level exception, which is around $13MM, I’m told that is not even being considered right now,” Haynes said on Tuesday.

The Bulls won’t bring back DeRozan, but they’re open to working with him on a sign-and-trade to help him get where he wants, Haynes confirms. Still, negotiating that sort of deal will be a challenge, given that some of the forward’s suitors (like Miami) aren’t in a great financial position to make a sign-and-trade. I’d also expect Chicago will be reluctant to take back much salary, since the team projects to be about $13MM below the luxury tax line, though that number is fluid and would move up or down if other moves are made.

Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today on Tuesday (Twitter video link), Marc J. Spears of Andscape identified the Kings as one “dark horse” suitor to watch for DeRozan. Sacramento has reportedly made Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, and draft capital available in trade talks (in general, not for DeRozan specifically) as the team looks to upgrade its roster around Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. Previous reporting has indicated that the Bulls like Huerter.

Here are a few more free agency updates from around the NBA:

Buddy Hield doesn’t have an agreement in place with the Warriors yet, but the two sides are “tracking toward” a deal, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links), who says that a sign-and-trade would likely see the Sixers receive second-round draft capital in return. If Golden State doesn’t send out additional salary, the club would have to absorb both Hield and Kyle Anderson into a trade exception created by sending Klay Thompson to Dallas, or complete all three of those moves as one multi-team mega-deal in order to maximize Thompson’s outgoing salary as a matching piece (John Hollinger of The Athletic briefly explored this more complex possibility on Tuesday night).
While Caleb Martin‘s return to the Heat is still considered unlikely, it shouldn’t be entirely ruled out, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang, who suggest in a pair of stories for The Miami Herald that the team’s interest in re-signing Martin hasn’t waned as long as the price is right. Jackson and Chiang also say that Miami remains in the mix to sign Haywood Highsmith, though his return is “far from guaranteed.”
The Heat had initial discussions with DeMar DeRozan on Tuesday and expect to follow up on Wednesday, but there have been no indications that the club will “move mountains” (ie. shed significant salary) in order to land him, Jackson tweets.
Although Real Madrid has officially announced its new five-year contract with Mario Hezonja, the veteran forward has an NBA-opt out until July 20 with a modest buyout figure and has received interest from “numerous” NBA teams, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The 29-year-old, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft, appeared in 330 NBA regular season games but has been out of the league since 2020.

Free Agency Rumors: Theis, Magic, Heat, Raptors, Rockets

July 2nd, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Daniel Theis has received interest in free agency from several suitors, including the Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Bucks, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Theis won the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Germany last year, then joined the Clippers in the fall after negotiating a buyout with the Pacers. He served as the backup center in Los Angeles while Mason Plumlee missed time due to an injury and averaged 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game across 59 outings.

A second-apron team, Milwaukee is limited to offering minimum-salary contracts to outside free agents, while Memphis and New Orleans have financial constraints of their own to consider, so Theis is unlikely to secure a big payday from any of those suitors. Still, they could certainly offer him a path to playing time.

The Grizzlies traded away Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman last season, while New Orleans lost Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. this summer. Milwaukee has Brook Lopez manning the middle, but his name came up in trade rumors last month.

Here are a few more free agency notes from around the NBA:

Although the Magic still have a chunk of cap room left over, they don’t appear to be aggressively pursuing outside free agents using that room. Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) hears that there continues to be mutual interest in new deals for free agents Moritz Wagner and Joe Ingles — if both players return, Orlando would have 15 players on standard contracts. A report on Monday suggested the team is also exploring using some cap room to renegotiate and extend Jonathan Isaac‘s contract.
Caleb Martin doesn’t have a deal in place with a new team yet, but Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link) still views him as “all but gone” from the Heat. Re-signing Haywood Highsmith remains a possibility for Miami, per Winderman, who says the team may also sign another veteran free agent for the minimum. Winderman names Dennis Smith Jr. as a possible Heat target.
Free agent wing Gary Trent Jr. appears likely to leave the Raptors, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Koreen details, Toronto’s agreement with Garrett Temple means there are already 15 players projected to be on guaranteed contracts if second-round picks Jonathan Mogbo and Jamal Shead are signed using the second-round exception, as expected. In other words, the team’s free agent business might be just about done.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic hears that Trent had some interest in reuniting with former teammate Fred VanVleet in Houston, but the Rockets are another team who likely won’t do much more free agent shopping. Following the additions of Reed Sheppard and AJ Griffin, along with a new deal with Aaron Holiday, Houston projects to have 15 players under contract. While the Rockets would certainly still be interested in acquiring a young star, the two players they’ve been monitoring most closely, per Iko – Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker – aren’t available, and the asking price for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was considered too high.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Martin, Murray, Bridges

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

The Wizards held a press conference Saturday to introduce their three first-round picks, who are products of an aggressive strategy to add young talent in this year’s draft, writes Sapna Bansil of The Washington Post. Heading into Wednesday night with the second and 26th selections, Washington took Alexandre Sarr at No. 2 as expected, then traded up to No. 14 to grab Carlton Carrington and moved up to No. 24 to add Kyshawn George.

“We walked into [the draft] Wednesday night and had a plan in place,” general manager Will Dawkins told reporters. “We were aligned from top to bottom. We were strategic, [and] we were aggressive and made sure that we accomplished our goals. So with these three young men to my left, we feel like we’re adding a few more bricks to that base-level foundation that we talked about at the end of the season.”

Sarr, a 7’0″ center, becomes the cornerstone of the franchise and an anchor for the defense. Carrington will provide scoring punch in the backcourt, while George is a wing who can handle the ball and shoot threes. All three players are expected to be part of the Wizards’ Summer League team.

Bansil notes that for the second straight year, the front office prioritized athleticism, positional size and the ability to contribute on both ends of the court. They also looked for players who are mentally tough enough to handle rebuilding.

“Not every team [has] three first-round picks, and I think it was just very cool to be able to be with these guys that enjoy the game, are very positive and are easygoing people,” George said. “We’re all in the same boat, and getting to start this rebuild as a young group, young core is very exciting.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat are unlikely to be able to re-sign free agent forward Caleb Martin, a source tells Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Martin, who declined his $7.13MM player option on Saturday, may get offers for the full $12.9MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Chiang adds. Re-signing him would mean second-apron status for Miami, which may now prioritize keeping Haywood Highsmith. They have been talking since teams were allowed to start negotiating with their own free agents, and Chiang hears there’s mutual interest in a new deal. Chiang also reveals that second-round pick Pelle Larsson is expected to sign a standard contract for next season worth between $1-2MM, although a two-way deal remains an option depending on how the rest of the roster comes together.
In a SportsCenter appearance (video link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said there was “more of a market” to trade Dejounte Murray than fellow Hawks guard Trae Young. Murray is heading to New Orleans in exchange for a package that includes the Lakers’ first-round pick next year, and Wojnarowski said Atlanta was determined to land a selection in what’s projected to be a strong 2025 draft.
There’s still no clarity on Miles Bridges‘ future with the Hornets, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges has been able to negotiate with the team for the past week-and-a-half, but Boone states that there hasn’t been “a hint of much traction” and the forward appears ready to test the open market.

Heat’s Caleb Martin, Thomas Bryant Opting For Free Agency

June 29th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat forward Caleb Martin is turning down his $7.13MM player option for 2024/25 in order to become an unrestricted free agent, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Miami big man Thomas Bryant is also declining a player option and opting for unrestricted free agency, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Bryant’s option would have paid him about $2.85MM.

Martin’s decision comes as no surprise. He ranked 23rd on our list of this summer’s top 50 free agents. While his 2023/24 numbers (10.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.2 APG) don’t jump off the page, he’s the type of connecting piece that every team could use.

The 28-year-old wing can help out in a lot of different ways, including as a shooter (.368 3PT% during his three years in Miami) and switchable defender. He should draw interest from multiple teams willing to offer him more than he would have earned on his option.

Bryant’s decision, meanwhile, could have gone either way. The Heat envisioned him as Bam Adebayo‘s backup at the five when they signed him last summer, but the fit wasn’t as smooth as either side had hoped.

Bryant averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in just 11.6 minutes per game across 38 appearances. While he may not receive offers above the minimum on the open market, it makes sense that he’d seek a situation where he might have a larger role.

Of the four Heat veterans who entered the week with player option decisions to make, only Josh Richardson opted in. Martin, Bryant, and Kevin Love all declined their options, though Love, at least, is considered a strong candidate to remain in Miami.

Southeast Notes: Ware, Highsmith, Martin, Wizards, Lee, Ball

June 27th, 2024 at 2:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kel’el Ware gained a reputation of having a low motor during his one season at Oregon. He played with much more effort during his one season with Indiana and that’s why the Heat had no qualms about selecting him with the No. 15 pick, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes.

“I think that’s a low-hanging-fruit description of him,” Adam Simon, the Heat’s VP of basketball operations, said. “Kel’el is not that. I think he went to Oregon, was playing behind an established player, an older player. He played in every game out there, saw a better situation for himself to go to Indiana. For him, he showed what he can do. He played with a motor. He played with intensity. And I think we’re talking about a young player that has an edge to him.”

Simon has another description of Ware in terms of what he brings to the table, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“Kel’el is a three-and-D center,” he said. “It is not easy to find 7-footers who can play out on the perimeter offensively and also be able to defend with his ability to shot block and defend the post. For us, that was very appealing.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Don’t expect the Heat to re-sign both Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin in free agency, Chiang reports in a separate story. Highsmith is set to become an unrestricted free agent and Martin holds a $7.1MM option on his contract, which he will likely decline. With the Heat’s payroll already near the second apron, the best Miami can realistically hope for is to re-sign one or the other, Chiang writes.
The Wizards’ moves in recent days signal that they’re attempting to build for four or five years down the road, while focusing on the crucial 2025 and 2026 draft lotteries, Josh Robbins of The Athletic opines. They made three selections in Wednesday’s first round. If that trio plays significant minutes as rookies, it’s almost a given the Wizards will be on the fast track to the bottom of the standings the next two seasons as they develop.
Charles Lee, the new Hornets coach, said that LaMelo Ball is focused on being durable next season after a couple of injury-riddle campaigns. “I think that he’s just doing all that he can possibly do to make sure that he’s more available this year, a little bit healthier,” Lee told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Obersver. “Injuries are going to happen, but if you can do a lot of the work on the front end, hopefully you can create some luck where you avoid one or two of these little minor, nagging injuries. And then outside of that, I just think that offensively, he’s going to be a big component or a big part of us being able to play fast.”
The Hornets are coming off a 21-win season but Lee is impressed with the talent level within the roster, according to the Associated Press. “We have a very, very good team here,” Lee said. “We’ve been snakebit with some injuries. … But this group is focused on the right things. The expectations are that we are going to compete every night, whether it’s a home game, road game or whoever is playing. This is going to be a group that is together offensively and defensively, no matter who is on the floor.”