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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.
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Eastern Notes: Giles, Nets, Harden, Bucks Prospects

September 8th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Harry Giles‘ one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Nets includes an Exhibit 9 clause, but not an Exhibit 10, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means Giles likely won’t be a candidate to join the Long Island Nets in the G League if he’s waived by Brooklyn before the season, since he wouldn’t be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus (worth up to $75K). He also can’t have the deal converted into a two-way.

A former first-round pick (20th overall in 2017), Giles was once one of the highest-rated prospects in his class, but sustained a couple of serious knee injuries. The 25-year-old has been out of the league the past two seasons.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Trade talks involving Sixers guard James Harden are reportedly on ice. The team failed to gain traction in negotiations with the Clippers — Harden’s preferred landing spot — and then took him off the market. Still, given his comments about president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, it seems inevitable that Harden will eventually be moved. Which teams might be motivated to pursue Harden if things go awry during the season? Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype cites the Bulls, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers as possible destinations that could make some sense.
  • Instead of prioritizing veterans like they have the past handful of seasons, the Bucks instead have filled out the back end of their roster with young players. Over at The Athletic, Eric Nehm spoke to draft expert Sam Vecenie to see how MarJon Beauchamp, Andre Jackson and Chris Livingston might fit with Milwaukee in 2023/24. Vecenie likes the defensive potential of second-year wing Beauchamp and 2023 second-rounder Jackson, but writes that both players will have to improve their jump shots to have a shot at regular minutes alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. As for Livingston, who was the final pick of 2023, Vecenie believes the former Kentucky wing is a long-term developmental project who is unlikely to make much of an impact in the NBA, particularly early on.
  • In part two of their conversation about the Bucks‘ youngsters, Vecenie says he’s high on TyTy Washington‘s offensive upside and believes the 21-year-old guard has a legitimate shot at being converted to a standard contract. A first-round pick last year, Washington was released by Oklahoma City in August after spending his rookie season with the Rockets, later signing a two-way deal with Milwaukee. Nehm and Vecenie also discuss the potential of second-year sharpshooter A.J. Green, who is on a standard deal, and rookie Omari Moore, who is on a two-way contract.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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And-Ones: Ignite, 2024 Draft, Unsuccessful Pairings, Eddy Curry

September 7th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The G League Ignite’s impressive collection of talent was on display Wednesday night in Nevada, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Six players who may be selected in next year’s draft were on the court for the Ignite, and a seventh, Thierry Darlan of France, missed the game against Perth, Australia, with an ankle injury.

The biggest attraction was guard Ron Holland, whom Hollinger considers the “betting favorite” to be the top pick in 2024. Hollinger adds that Holland isn’t a clear-cut No. 1 choice like Victor Wembanyama was this year, but he looked good in his first pro game, using a mix of explosiveness and ferocity to put up 23 points.

“Ron is very, very competitive” Ignite coach Jason Hart said. “So now I’m wanting to channel it to where the opposition doesn’t know if you’re mad or you’re happy. I just told him to relax, calm down … I think he heard me. But that’s going to be a process because he’s so competitive, and I don’t want to take that from him. That’s his thing; he’s just has to learn how to use it.”

Matas Buzelis and Izan Almansa, who are projected to be top-10 picks, also showed off their skills, Hollinger adds, along with Tyler Smith, London Johnson and Perth prospects Alex Sarr and Ben Henshall. The teams will meet again on Friday.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

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Sixers Notes: Harden, Harris, Petrusev, Green, More

September 6th, 2023 at 6:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite another second-round playoff exit, which has been followed by another drama-filled offseason, Sixers owner Josh Harris believes Philadelphia is in an enviable position, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

“The situation with James Harden is unfortunate,” Harris told ESPN. “I want this to work out for all sides, including James. But we have to keep our eye on the big picture, which is that we’re still a contending team and most teams in the NBA would change places with us in five minutes.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

  • Harden took to Instagram in response to Shelburne’s report that he was “pouting” earlier this year over a perceived All-Star snub. The former league MVP’s message was simple: “Lies,” he wrote.
  • Sixers big man Filip Petrusev had an impressive performance for Serbia in the team’s World Cup quarterfinal victory over Lithuania, notching 17 points (on 7-of-8 shooting) and six rebounds in just 17 minutes of action. However, the 2021 second-round pick says his right ankle still isn’t 100%, per Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. “I had the injury in the first game. So, I am not where I am supposed to be physically,” said Petrusev, who missed two games in the first round of group play. “I was just glad I could help (Nikola) Milutinov. He had so much work on defense guarding (Jonas) Valanciunas. He did a great job. That was the opportunity for me to step in, especially in the offense, and contribute.”
  • The uncertainty surrounding Harden’s situation has created question marks up and down the roster, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes (subscriber link). How new head coach Nick Nurse will construct the offense, Tyrese Maxey‘s role, and how Joel Embiid might adjust without Harden are among the most pressing questions posed by Mizell.
  • In an opinion piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer, David Murphy shares some thoughts on the reported addition of Danny Green, and how the lead guard spot might be handled sans Harden.
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Lowe’s Latest: Lillard, Harden, Raptors, Bucks

September 6th, 2023 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been no forward momentum on the Damian Lillard front, ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Bobby Marks said on the latest episode of The Lowe Post podcast (YouTube link). The Trail Blazers guard requested a trade over two months ago, but the team doesn’t seem any closer to making a deal today than it was at the start of July.

“I’ve heard there’s been nothing. No meaningful dialogue at all,” Lowe said. “More pointedly… I just don’t think there’s been another team. If there is, I don’t know about it. That could very well the case, I may not know. But I have not heard of any other team that has really dove head-long – or even halfway – into the Dame Lillard sweepstakes.”

Marks also hasn’t heard any rumblings about any team besides the Heat that’s prepared to make a run at Lillard, and agreed that Portland and Miami don’t appear to have had substantial discussions or made any progress toward a deal.

“It’s been very quiet, certainly, from the Miami front,” Marks said. “I think the only way we hear more about Dame is if Dame makes it messy. And I don’t think Damian Lillard right now is willing to make it messy in Portland.”

Here are a few more highlights from The Lowe Post:

  • As is the case with the Heat and Lillard, the Clippers still appear to be the only viable suitor for Sixers guard James Harden, according to Lowe. “I know that Howard Beck and others have stated that there may be two or three other teams that have been sniffing, investigating,” Lowe said. “Certainly, if you talk to the Sixers, they have reason to say, “Oh, there’s a broad, frothy James Harden market out there.’ I really don’t think there is. I think it’s been mostly the Clippers.” However, Lowe added that the teams haven’t had “a whole lot of dialogue” in the last couple months.
  • While there has been some skepticism that the Clippers are able to offer the sort of package that would appeal to the Sixers for Harden, Lowe believes that Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia front office would be willing to pull the trigger if Los Angeles made the right draft assets available, since those could be flipped for an impact player. “If the Clippers were to put both (of their tradable) first-round picks in, even without (Terance Mann), I think there’s a two-team deal that exists that the Sixers would do,” Lowe said. “I don’t think the two teams have been anywhere close to any of that kind of deal, which is why I think the only play I see for the Sixers here is bring him to camp, hope…he plays pretty well, and the Clippers and some other teams with high expectations sputter over their first 20 games and get desperate.”
  • Lowe suggests he wouldn’t be surprised if the Raptors make some sort of move in the next six weeks, noting that the team still has multiple key players entering contract years (including Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby) and has yet to complete an extension for Gary Trent Jr. that was rumored to be close back in June. “A lot of balls in the air for the Raptors,” Lowe said.
  • Marks and Lowe both believe that the Bucks‘ handling of Jrue Holiday‘s contract situation when he becomes extension-eligible in February could be a crucial domino that affects Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future. Holiday can opt out of his current contract and become a free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.
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Latest On James Harden

September 6th, 2023 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

Entering the 2023 offseason, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey viewed re-signing James Harden as the team’s top priority, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com writes in an in-depth look at the Harden saga. In fact, sources tell Shelburne that the “unofficial” reason the team moved on from head coach Doc Rivers was an awareness that Harden didn’t want to play for him again.

If Harden had declined his $35.6MM player option and become a free agent, he would’ve been eligible for contract worth up to $213MM over four years. According to Shelburne, the veteran was hoping for – and expecting – an offer in that range. However, since the Rockets‘ interest in Harden waned following their hiring of Ime Udoka, the former MVP didn’t have the leverage to extract that sort of offer from Philadelphia.

Unsure what sort of offer might be awaiting him when free agency opened, Harden attempted to touch base with Morey to determine the club’s position, but the 76ers – who were forced to forfeit two future second-round picks due to free agency gun jumping a year ago – weren’t willing to negotiate early.

“James felt like Daryl was ghosting him,” a source close to Harden told ESPN. “He felt betrayed.”

Harden and his representatives ultimately decided to take the guaranteed money by picking up his player option rather than being forced into a position where they’d have to accept whatever offer the Sixers made in free agency. The club was “stunned” by the decision, per Shelburne, who said the front office subsequently attempted to convey that it had only been “distant” with Harden leading up to free agency because of last year’s penalties. However, that did little to mend the relationship.

“James takes things very personally,” a second source close to Harden said to Shelburne. “When he feels like he’s been wronged, he can be very stubborn.”

Here are a few more highlights from Shelburne’s story, which is worth checking out in full:

  • Morey assured Harden’s camp that he would make a good faith effort to trade the 34-year-old and had initial talks with the Clippers and Knicks, league sources tell ESPN. However, when it became clear that no potential trade partners were willing to give up the sort of assets Philadelphia was seeking, the team informed Harden that it planned to hang onto him, a decision he didn’t take well.
  • Harden and Rivers had multiple “flare-ups” throughout the 2022/23 season, as Shelburne details. One such incident occurred in late February, following a pair of home losses to the Celtics and Heat. The Sixers were scheduled to play in Miami two days after falling at home to the Heat, and Harden opted to travel separately from the team to take advantage of the nightlife, which didn’t sit well with Rivers and some of his teammates. Rivers brought up the incident a few days later during a team meeting, specifically mentioning some of the players who were unhappy, which made for an “uncomfortable” situation, Shelburne explains.
  • Harden, whose numbers dipped a little as he accepted a secondary role in Philadelphia, was upset that he wasn’t initially named an All-Star in 2023, says Shelburne. While commissioner Adam Silver was still prepared to name Harden as an injury replacement for Kevin Durant, he wanted assurances that the star guard would show up and play. “Days went by” without an answer from Harden, who was “pouting,” according to Shelburne. Pascal Siakam was eventually chosen as Durant’s replacement instead.
  • Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have each expressed to the Sixers that they’re OK waiting out the Harden saga, at least for the time being, sources tell ESPN. Both players are still on good terms with their teammate — Embiid invited Harden to his wedding in July, according to Shelburne.
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Sixers Notes: Harden, Morey, Embiid, Point Guards

August 23rd, 2023 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Responding to speculation that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey may welcome the opportunity to tear down and rebuild the roster, Marc Stein expresses skepticism (Substack link), observing that Morey has never displayed an appetite for a rebuild during his time as a head basketball operations executive.

If the Sixers do end up moving James Harden for a package that’s heavier on draft assets than win-now players, Stein anticipates the club will look to flip those picks for another top-level player.

Philadelphia’s ultimate goal, according to Stein, is to supplement its Joel Embiid/Tyrese Maxey duo with another star. Ideally, a Harden trade would net that sort of star or open up a path to land one, but the 76ers are also preserving cap flexibility for 2024, which could create another opportunity to pursue an impact player.

Here’s more on Harden and the Sixers:

  • The worst-case scenario for the 76ers would be if the ongoing Harden situation becomes ugly enough to result in an Embiid trade request. Embiid isn’t at that point, according to Stein, but some sources who spoke to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com believe Philadelphia needs to proceed with caution in order to ensure Embiid remains happy.
  • Keith Smith of Spotrac takes an in-depth look at Harden’s stand-off with the Sixers, including how his contract situation factors into the equation and what sort of solution might resolve what has become an increasingly tense “staring contest.”
  • Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer takes stock of where things stand between the Sixers and Harden, noting that it’s good news for the team that the NBA’s latest investigation apparently turned up no indications of a cap-circumventing handshake deal between the two sides when the veteran free agent guard reached free agency a year ago. Mizell also considers which Sixers players will take on more ball-handling responsibilities if Harden has played his last game for the team.
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Heat Notes: Adebayo, Lillard, Harden

August 22nd, 2023 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat center Bam Adebayo isn’t a fan of the widespread practice of resting players in an effort to keep them fresh. Appearing on the “To Inspire” podcast, Adebayo revealed he’s no fan of load management (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). He believes it’s unfair to fans who pay to see their favorite players.

“A lot of guys sitting, like load management, that kind of bothers me in a sense. You have a lot of kids and parents who want to see you play,” he said. “You have kids who probably come from the inner city, and their parents make a way to put them all the way up in the stands, and then for you to find out you’re not playing. And it’s because you feel like ‘I gotta load manage and be ready for this.’ I remember as a kid, I would’ve gave my last dollar and my foot to go see Kobe Bryant play. I know if I felt like that it’s a lot of other kids that felt like that.”

We have more on the Heat:

  • Trade talks with the Trail Blazers in a potential Damian Lillard blockbuster should heat up as training camp approaches, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald opines. That’s the expectation from those close to the situation with the belief Portland would like to avoid the messy situation of having their longtime franchise player at camp when he’d rather be elsewhere. If the Heat are the only team making a serious offer for Lillard, then the Blazers may have more urgency to get something done.
  • Would James Harden be a fall-back option for the Heat if they don’t get Lillard? Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doubts it, believing a ball-dominant player like Harden would be a bad fit with Miami. Harden could ease the scoring burden, giving Jimmy Butler more time to rest up for the playoffs, but the Heat’s offer for the Sixers guard would be significantly lower than the package they’d be willing to part with to get Lillard.
  • Don’t expect Lillard to make any public comments about his trade request, given how the league fined Harden $100K for going public about his discontent with the Sixers, Winderman writes in a separate story.
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Players Association Disagrees With Harden Fine, Will File Grievance

August 22nd, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The National Basketball Players Association has expressed in a statement its disagreement with the $100K fine issued by the league to James Harden and will file a grievance on his behalf.

The fine was issued in response to Harden’s recent comments in which he referred to Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey as a “liar” and said he had no intention of being part of an organization that Morey is a part of, as well as a follow-up interview in which he stated that he thinks his relationship with the franchise is “beyond repair.”

The NBPA believes Harden’s comments directed toward Morey do not constitute a trade demand. An arbitrator will decide whether Harden will have to pay the fine.

The statement read, “We respectfully disagree with the league’s decision to discipline James Harden for recent comments he made, which we believe do not violate the rule against public trade demands. We intend to file a grievance and have the matter heard by our Arbitrator.”

The NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a section stating that “any player who publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another team shall be subject to a fine” up to $150K.

A separate section of the CBA gives the league latitude to fine a player up to $100K if he makes a “statement having, or that was designed to have, an effect prejudicial or detrimental to the best interests of basketball or of the Association or of a (team).”

The NBA’s announcement earlier today indicated that Harden was fined because he suggested he “would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team,” which the league could argue falls under the latter of the two categories outlined above, rather than the former.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

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NBA Fines James Harden $100K

August 22nd, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has fined Sixers star James Harden $100K, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

The fine is in response to Harden’s recent comments in which he referred to Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey as a “liar” and said he had no intention of being part of an organization that Morey is a part of, as well as a follow-up interview in which he stated that he thinks his relationship with the franchise is “beyond repair.”

“(Harden) has been fined $100,000 by the NBA for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team,” the NBA’s statement reads. “The league’s investigation, which included an interview with Harden, confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded.”

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT first reported (via Twitter) that Harden was on the cusp of receiving a substantial fine from the league, while ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) was the first to report it would be worth $100K.

After Harden called Morey a liar during a promotional appearance in China, the NBA launched an investigation to determine what the former MVP’s comments were referring to and to ascertain whether he intends to hold out this fall.

There had been some speculation that Harden was suggesting he and the Sixers reached a handshake agreement during his 2022 free agency on a contract to be finalized in 2023 and that Morey reneged on that agreement. If the NBA found proof of such an agreement, the 76ers would have faced a significant punishment of their own.

However, there has been no indication that Harden was talking about his contract situation when he said Morey lied. As Shams Charania of The Athletic reports, Harden informed league investigators that he called Morey a liar because the Sixers president told the veteran guard he’d be traded “quickly” after he asked to be moved in June.

That obviously hasn’t happened, and recent reporting has suggested that Philadelphia is no longer engaging in trade talks involving Harden. But since the Sixers have no obligation to trade a player who asks to be moved, they’re not in violation of any league rules and won’t face any discipline from the NBA at this time.

On the other hand, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the league has the ability to fine a player a maximum of $100K (up from $50K in the previous CBA) for “conduct or statements prejudicial or detrimental to the best interests of basketball.” The NBA apparently determined that Harden’s statements fit that bill.

According to The Athletic, Sixers owner Josh Harris said on Monday that he’s working to convince Harden to remain in Philadelphia, but isn’t closing the door on a trade.

“I respect James. I want to, obviously, accommodate what he wants,” Harris said. “At the same time, I have to think about a championship-contending team, what we can get back. I’d love to convince him to stay. I understand that that’s not what he wants to do right now.

“I’m going to keep working to resolve it in a way that everyone can live with and is positive for everyone, whatever that resolution is. … I respect him as a basketball player, and as a person. It’s back to, these are, you’re dealing with people, right? And you’ve got to be there. We’ll see where it comes out.”

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