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Maxey, Quickley, Williams Among Players Who Didn’t Sign Extensions

October 23rd, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

An unusual number of players who were eligible to sign rookie scale extensions prior to Monday’s deadline inked new deals. A total of 14 players received rookie scale extensions in 2023, blowing away the previous single-year record of 11.

However, nearly half of the 27 eligible players didn’t sign a contract and thus will head to restricted free agency, if they are extended qualifying offers by their respective teams after the season. Otherwise, they’ll be unrestricted free agents next summer.

Perhaps the biggest name on the list is Sixers star guard Tyrese Maxey, though that comes with an asterisk. The Sixers front office and Maxey mutually agreed to put off an extension so that Philadelphia could maximize its cap room next summer.

Immanuel Quickley and Patrick Williams are two of the other big-time names on the list who didn’t reach agreements with their teams. While the Knicks and Quickley’s reps — as well as the Bulls and Williams’ reps — held extension talks as the deadline neared, they couldn’t come to terms on the numbers.

Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn (Raptors), Saddiq Bey (Hawks), James Wiseman and Killian Hayes (Pistons), Kira Lewis (Pelicans), Chuma Okeke (Magic), Isaac Okoro (Cavaliers), Aleksej Pokusevski (Thunder) and Obi Toppin (Pacers) are the other eligible players who didn’t sign extensions.

A full list of the players who did, or did not, sign rookie scale extensions this offseason can be found here.

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Quickley, Robinson, Randle

October 21st, 2023 at 9:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

RJ Barrett expects to benefit from the experience of representing Canada in this summer’s World Cup, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Barrett was one of the top scorers for the Canadian team as he helped lead his nation to a third-place finish and its first-ever medal in the event.

Instead of easing into the preseason after an active summer, Barrett hasn’t slowed down, Popper adds. He played in three of New York’s four games and led the team in both scoring and minutes per night.

“I feel great, even in the preseason games,” Barrett said. “We’re getting back to learning how to play together and stuff. But with just conditioning-wise and everything, I feel really good. So I’m excited.”

There’s more from New York:

Jalen Brunson is impressed with the way Immanuel Quickley has been able to separate basketball from business, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Monday is the last day that Quickley can sign a rookie scale extension, but Brunson said it’s not distracting him from his work on the court. “That speaks to Quick’s character,” Brunson said. “… Quick has been coming in every day to do his job. He’s had a great attitude, and I was in a similar position when I was in Dallas. He’s mentally ready to go. And that’s all you can ask of him. He’s been a true professional. I just know he’ll stay that way.”
Mitchell Robinson was a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable preseason for the Knicks, Botte adds in another story for the Post. New York was uncharacteristically bad on defense, surrendering 125 points per game while dropping its final three contests. However, Robinson provided a steady presence in the middle with four blocks and seven steals in four games. He also averaged 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per night while shooting 80% from the field.
In an interview with MSG Network this week, Julius Randle explained why he played through a left ankle injury in the playoffs that forced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery in June, relays Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “It is frustrating but if I’m out there I’m not having any type of excuses,” Randle said. “Regardless, at the end of the day, we failed, I failed. And at the end of the day I had to get surgery, but what it allowed me to do, is it allowed me to slow down, to take a step back, to reevaluate, not just myself, the team and everything. It allowed me to sit back and say, ‘All right, now that your pity party is over and you’re upset about losing and not being at your best or whatever it is, now how do you get better?’”

And-Ones: Zagars, Media Rights, October Deadlines, More

October 21st, 2023 at 8:11am CST by Tristan Tucker

Latvian guard Arturs Zagars is out for at least five months due to a knee injury, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews reports (Twitter link). As detailed in a piece from Eurohoops, Zagars suffered the injury on October 14 while playing in Lithuania’s top league.

Zagars received NBA interest through the summer following a standout FIBA World Cup performance for Latvia. The 23-year-old guard averaged 12.4 points, 7.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game and set a tournament record with 17 assists in his team’s final contest. He ultimately wound up signing a three-year deal with Turkey’s Fenerbahce in September and they loaned him to the BC Wolves of Lithuania, with whom he suffered the injury.

As confirmed by Eurohoops and Urbonas, Zagars suffered an MCL injury and will undergo surgery and continue rehab in Istanbul under Fenerbahce’s medical staff.

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

ESPN and TNT are considering signing new media rights deals with the NBA that include fewer games per season, according to The Wall Street Journal (hat tip to RealGM). Such an agreement would allow the league’s two main broadcasting partners to continue working together at an affordable amount. It would also put the NBA in position to explore creating a packge of games for one or more streaming services, with both Amazon and Apple already expressing interest.
The NBA’s extension and roster cut-down deadlines are looming, and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (ESPN+ link) broke down every rookie extension and veteran extension candidate, as well as all remaining roster decisions ahead of the season. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels and Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley are the major rookie extension candidates to watch, Marks notes, though Maxey likely won’t get a new deal. Many of the veterans facing an October 23 deadline for a contract extension, such as the Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo, are also unlikely to extend because they can earn more money by waiting until the offseason.
In another piece exploring the NBA’s October deadlines, Danny Leroux of The Athletic further breaks down the upcoming dates to note. Leroux points out the deadline for decisions on third- and fourth-year team options on rookie contracts is also approaching on October 31.
With the tip of the NBA season just days away (October 24), Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype provided a team-by-team look at which players are the most likely to earn consideration for the league’s end-of-season awards. Raptors forward Scottie Barnes gunning for Most Improved Player and Kings guard Malik Monk in the running for Sixth Man of the Year are among Gozlan’s most intriguing picks. Interestingly, Gozlan believes the Pelicans‘ best chance at earning end-of-season recognition is if Zion Williamson enters the MVP conversation.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Thibodeau, Raptors, Rajakovic

October 13th, 2023 at 11:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, who was the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2022/23, is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 23. He says he hasn’t been focused on a new deal, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“That’s where my faith comes in,” Quickley said. “Really all up to God. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been fortunate to not even be worrying about it. It goes days, sometimes weeks, where I just forget about all that stuff. Unless somebody reminds me. So just coming in everyday and trying to get better is my main focus.”

Head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Quickley’s dedication and confirmed that he’s focused on improving and helping the team.

“You couldn’t even ask for anything more, and I think he’s been able to put that (contract stuff) aside,” Thibodeau said, per Bondy. “I think his agents handle that. He locks into basketball, and that’s where his focus lies: team, winning. That stuff will take care of itself, but the way he’s come in, the shape that he’s in, what he’s done, Quick is — I don’t care where he is in the offseason, but one thing I know he’s gonna be in the gym twice a day. Doesn’t matter what country it is. Doesn’t matter what city it is. None of that matters.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

In another article for The New York Post, Bondy argues that Thibodeau deserves a contract extension from the Knicks, not just for helping the team win, but for changing his coaching style and getting the most out of his players. Thibodeau’s deal expires after 2024/25, Bondy adds.
New Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic is focused on ball and player movement offensively, with cutting down on contested mid-range shots a point of emphasis, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “We’re talking to our players a lot about quality of shots,” Rajakovic said. “Not every mid-range shot is a bad shot. There is a time and place when the defense is giving you certain coverage, when you catch the ball in good position and we want to take those shots. But those opportunities, usually (in) the game there (are) not a high number of those shots.”
As far as the Raptors‘ defense under Rajakovic, center Jakob Poeltl describes it as a “happy medium” between the highly aggressive blitzing style Nick Nurse utilized last season and more passive styles deployed by other teams. “I’d say it’s somewhere like a happy medium,” he said, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I think still, for us, just the type of players we have, we’re not going to get away from that aggressive identity. And I think it’s good for us. It’s good for our defense. But it’s a little bit more controlled I would say, a little bit more reserved at times maybe. Yeah, a little bit less of a gambling effect than we might have had last year.”

Atlantic Notes: Harden, Hart, Dick, Quickley

October 9th, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

James Harden hasn’t been a distraction for the Sixers yet, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link), but that’s predicated on whether the front office continues to seek a trade. Wojnarowski provided an update on the Harden situation on NBA Countdown.

“I think what they have found out so far is that as long as James Harden believes that the Sixers and worked toward, and engaged in finding him a trade, specifically to the Clippers, he’s going to be engaged,” Wojnarowski said. “If James Harden loses that hope, that they are not engaged, that they are not serious about trading him, specifically again to L.A., that’s when they may have more problems with Harden.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Knicks’ Josh Hart will see more action at power forward with Obi Toppin traded to Indiana and Hart is fine with that, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. “I’m whatever we need, man,” Hart said. “I (would bring) the ball up last year. You’ve seen there’s times when I’m setting screens, rolling. I’m guarding point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards. It’s just a little whatever they need.”
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic didn’t put first-round pick Gradey Dick into the team’s preseason game on Sunday until the late going. Rajakovic says Dick has work to do before he challenges for a rotation spot, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “There is no skipping steps there,” Rajaković said. “He needs to do his job in the weight room. He’s already doing a great job and is very compliant. But it just takes time. You know, you cannot be 22 before you’re 19. And for him, he’s going to take a second to get there.”
Immanuel Quickley, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension during training camp, says he put in extensive work with trainer Reese Whitely during the offseason to prepare for the season, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I feel like I got a lot stronger, locking in with my guy Reese back in Miami, we pretty much went like five days a week, taking care of my body, lifting, eating right, stronger and just pretty much every facet,” the Knicks guard said.

Atlantic Notes: Achiuwa, Raptors, Claxton, Thomas, Knicks

October 6th, 2023 at 7:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors big man Precious Achiuwa suffered a left groin strain in training camp and will miss Sunday’s preseason opener, per the team (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). The 24-year-old will be reevaluated next week.

We’ll have to wait for more information on the severity of the injury, but it’s a disappointing development for Achiuwa, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 23.

The forward/center averaged 9.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG on .485/.269/.702 shooting in 55 games (20.7 MPG) in 2022/23. Hopefully the groin strain is minor and doesn’t negatively impact his fourth season.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

The Raptors‘ success — both now and going forward — depends on the development of Scottie Barnes and his relationship with new head coach Darko Rajakovic, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Rajakovic said Toronto is going to lean into Barnes’ play-making ability, but the team knows he needs to improve in other areas as well. As Grange writes, the two have clicked since they first met. “I feel like we’re gonna be on a long ride together,” Barnes said of Rajakovic. “We’re going to make amazing things happen.”
Nets center Nic Claxton, who is on an expiring $9.6MM contract, is embracing high expectations following a breakout fourth season, writes Dan Martin of The New York Post. Claxton averaged career highs in virtually every statistical category in 2022/23 and has put on muscle for ’23/24. “We have a lot of guys here that if we win collectively, they have things that they can prove,” Spencer Dinwiddie said Thursday. “The thing I’d love to see most is Nic get his $100 million (contract), because I’ve seen him come in the league.”
While Claxton is looking to improve upon his already-strong performance from last season for the Nets, the fate of third-year guard Cam Thomas is much less certain, per NetsDaily.com. Head coach Jacque Vaughn says the team won’t be relying on isolation scoring this season, which is Thomas’ greatest strength. “He does have a skill of being able to play isolation basketball and get a bucket. That’s proven,” said Vaughn. “I don’t think we can play isolation basketball and win basketball games on a consistent basis. I think this team is built around the versatility and the depth of the team, and we’ll have to use all that, while also agreeing and notifying the rest of the group that there are some individuals who (are) going to have the basketball in their hands and they have a talent. (Thomas) has a talent that’s going to be used on both ends of the floor, and that’s what he’s going to be asked of.”
The Knicks improved their depth by trading for Josh Hart last season (he signed an extension this offseason after picking up his player option) and signing Donte DiVincenzo in free agency. However, as Fred Katz writes for The Athletic, there are only so many minutes to go around. How Hart, DiVincenzo, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes perform defensively might determine who among that group will be closing on a given night, according to Katz.

New York Notes: Simmons, Claxton, Brunson, Quickley

October 3rd, 2023 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ben Simmons spent the offseason trying to show Nets coach Jacque Vaughn and his staff that he’s physically and mentally ready to be the team’s point guard, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports writes. Simmons believes he can regain the All-Star form he displayed in Philadelphia before things went sour.

“Show him that I want to play at this level and be the point guard and do these things,” Simmons said, adding “I think that comes with, we speak about it, is grace. When you put that work in, you really get grace from the surrounding people. Your teammates, your coaches and staff.”

We have more from the New York teams:

Nets big man Nic Claxton believes his hopes for the Defensive Player of the Year award ended last season when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were dealt, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I went from being top three in the Defensive Player of the Year to an end of the season, nothing at all. KD and Kyrie, when they left, it’s like my name just fell off the map. It makes my blood boil,” Claxton said with a laugh. “I was robbed of [an All-]Defensive team [spot], not even saying Defensive Player of the Year. It definitely is motivating. It’s an even bigger chip on my shoulder, and I’m ready to be there for my team to prove to everybody, proving myself who I am as a defender and as a player in this league.”
The Knicks didn’t add any star power so improvement will generally have to come from within, Jalen Brunson told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “It’s pretty much the same group, but we’ve got to continue to find ways to get better,” Brunson said. “It may be the little things, little mental edges, just concentration on the little things. Just our chemistry is going to get a lot better from knowing each other for a year now.”
One of the big questions looming over the Knicks in training camp is whether they’ll reach a rookie scale extension agreement with Immanuel Quickley. The reserve guard brushed aside questions about it on media day on Monday, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Whatever happens, happens because it’s all up to my agent and the Knicks at that point,” he said, adding “I feel like I can be better. I feel like I can be a lot better. I feel like there’s a lot of untapped potential that I have in my game. And I’m going to do everything I can, like I’ve always done, to reach that.” A recent report indicated there’s optimism an agreement will be reached.

Knicks Notes: Quickley, Barrett, Fournier, DiVincenzo

September 25th, 2023 at 10:41am CST by Arthur Hill

There’s optimism surrounding the Knicks’ extension talks with Immanuel Quickley, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. The 24-year-old guard is eligible to sign an extension until October 23, which is the day before the regular season begins. If no deal is reached, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.

Sources tell Katz that Knicks management wants to get a long-term deal done with Quickley, who was one of the team’s top scorers at 14.9 PPG last season while finishing second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. He’s viewed as a vital part of an organization that’s on the rise after reaching the second round of the playoffs.

New York doesn’t project to have cap room next summer, Katz adds, so an extension for Quickley won’t affect the team’s free agency plans. Coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to lose faith in Quickley during the playoffs, cutting his minutes during the second-round series with Miami, but Katz doesn’t believe that will be a long-term concern.

Katz also points out that the Knicks were in a similar position last summer with RJ Barrett, who had to wait until September before receiving his four-year, $107MM extension.

There’s more from New York, all courtesy of Katz:

Barrett will arrive in training camp in a much different position than he did a year ago. Katz notes that Barrett was concerned with avoiding injury last summer while he waited for his new contract, so he didn’t play much pickup basketball and got off to a slow start. He spent this offseason as one of Canada’s best players on its way to winning a bronze medal at the World Cup. Katz observes that Barrett showed an ability in that tournament to make the right read when confronted by multiple defenders, which might happen often given the Knicks’ lack of outside shooting.
The Knicks and Evan Fournier appear stuck with each other even though he said in an offseason interview that it would be a “disaster” if the team didn’t move him this summer. Fournier’s $18.9MM expiring contract could still be valuable in a trade, so Katz expects him to remain on the roster even if he hardly ever plays.
New York traded away Obi Toppin, who averaged 15.7 minutes per game last season, and brought in Donte DiVincenzo, who played 26.3 minutes per game with the Warriors, so someone will have their playing time reduced as long as everyone is healthy. Katz points out that Barrett and Quentin Grimes both saw fewer minutes after Josh Hart was acquired in February and speculates that either DiVincenzo could play less than he did with Golden State or he may take away minutes from Quickley.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Sixers, Maxey, Tatum

September 12th, 2023 at 9:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have touched base with Immanuel Quickley‘s representatives, but there have been no serious discussions on a rookie scale extension, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.

While talks are expected to heat up in October, there’s some pessimism regarding an extension agreement, Deveney says. Without an extension, Quickley will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Quickley averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists and finished second for the Sixth Man of the Year award last season, but as Deveney points out, the Knicks have an abundance of guards.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Nick Nurse was one of the pioneers of load management during the Raptors’ championship season, when he limited Kawhi Leonard‘s playing time to keep him fresh for the postseason. With the NBA imposing new penalties for load management, Nurse will have to carefully navigate how much he tries to rest MVP Joel Embiid, as well as James Harden if Harden remains on the Sixers, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Embiid has publicly acknowledged that proving his durability has been a personal goal, Mizell notes.
Tyrese Maxey has already dramatically improved his shooting during his short NBA career. If he can do the same as a play-maker, then the Sixers can search for a third wheel to join him and Embiid, rather than finding another guard to run the show. That could make next year’s free agent class much more enticing, since the Sixers are positioned to have more cap space than any other team, Derek Bodner of Allphly.com writes.
Could Jayson Tatum eventually carve out a space on the Celtics’ Mount Rushmore, as he openly expressed a desire to accomplish? Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explores that topic, opining that Bill Russell, Larry Bird and John Havlicek would occupy the first three spots. Forsberg writes that delivering titles, and staying in Boston long-term, would boost Tatum’s candidacy.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Knicks, Pritchard, Porzingis, Giles

September 7th, 2023 at 6:42pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Teams are getting closer to training camp, which means lingering questions facing NBA clubs will be answered sooner than later. The Knicks, like every team, have several issues to sort out either before training camp or shortly before the season begins writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post in a mailbag.

The biggest question the Knicks must answer is whether or not Immanuel Quickley will get a rookie scale extension before the regular season tips off. In his own mailbag, SNY’s Ian Begley writes that New York and Quickley are expected to negotiate a contract sometime this month. However, if the Knicks decide to make him available via trade, they’ll have plenty of suitors, per Begley.

Begley hears that the Knicks had several trade talks with teams surrounding Quickley at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, prior to his breakout that saw him finish as the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up. However, Begley ultimately expects Quickley to extend with New York, and believes the team will begin extending other core players – Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and Quentin Grimes – down the road.

Braziller concurs with Begley, and sees the two sides agreeing to a deal that winds up in the four-year, $90-95MM range. Other topics included in Braziller’s mailbag include the future of Evan Fournier and what a matchup between Team USA and Canada in the 2023 FIBA World Cup would look like, with Brunson and Josh Hart potentially squaring off against RJ Barrett.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has never averaged more than 19.2 minutes per game in his first three seasons in the league, with his playing time declining in each subsequent season. Jared Weiss of The Athletic explores what Pritchard’s role may look like in 2023/24, which will be instrumental in determining his future with the organization. Pritchard, who wished to be moved at last year’s deadline, could be in line for more minutes with Marcus Smart‘s departure, but will need to improve. Weiss does a full video breakdown of the guard’s game to determine how he can take the next jump.
Battling plantar fasciitis, Kristaps Porzingis was forced to be a spectator as Latvia made the final eight of the World Cup and fell to Germany in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston writes that Porzingis choosing to preserve his body in such a crucial moment for his national team is a key indicator that he’s all in on the Celtics this year. Porzingis, whom Boston traded Smart for, is expected to be ready to go by the time the NBA’s training camps begin.
While Harry Giles has an uphill climb to make Brooklyn’s roster out of training camp, the Nets have one of the more interesting roster battles on deck, Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily writes. Giles, Trendon Watford and Darius Bazley appear to be in direct competition for two roster spots on the Nets. Giles, who hasn’t appeared in a game since 2020/21, only has 142 games of NBA experience and is just 25 years old, indicating he may have plenty left in the tank.