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Northwest Notes: Holmgren, Giddey, Caruso, Dieng, Malone, Kessler

August 24th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Appearing on Podcast P With Paul George (video link), Thunder big man Chet Holmgren admitted being “hurt” when he heard about the June trade that sent Josh Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso. Holmgren and Giddey were high lottery picks by Oklahoma City in back-to-back years, and they were expecting to be part of the team’s long-term foundation.

“I was (expletive) hurt when I saw that Giddey wouldn’t be on our team anymore,” Holmgren said. “We all rock with him. That’s our dog, still is. He’s gonna go do great things in Chicago, so we’re excited for him and we’re also excited to have AC on our team now, too. Like you said, great defender, he makes shots, he always makes winning plays, makes the right plays. That’s the type of dude you want to play with.”

Caruso, considered one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, joins a Thunder team that’s already proficient on that end of the court. Giddey may thrive once he’s given a chance to run the Bulls’ offense, but he struggled in the playoffs last season and was pulled from the starting lineup in the second-round series against Dallas due to concerns about his defense and outside shooting.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

After two developmental years, Ousmane Dieng is hoping to earn a spot in the Thunder‘s rotation in 2024/25, writes Nick Crain of Forbes. The organization viewed Dieng as a project when it traded for him during the 2022 draft. He has appeared in just 72 NBA games since then, but has shown improvement in the G League and is fresh off winning MVP honors in the title game. Crain notes that because Dieng has perimeter skills to go with his 6’10” frame, he’s versatile enough to contribute to the Thunder at a variety of positions.
Coach Michael Malone and the Nuggets‘ front office haven’t been on the same page in recent years when it comes to roster moves, sources tell David Thorpe of TrueHoop. Thorpe has been hearing for two seasons about a “disconnect” as the organization has lost Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from its 2023 championship roster. Malone has been left with a collection of young players to try to fill their roles.
Walker Kessler doesn’t seem to be part of the long-term future for the Jazz, opines Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Sources confirm to Pincus that Utah has explored trades involving Kessler, including discussions with the Knicks in July. If the 23-year-old center remains on the roster, the Jazz will have to decide this fall whether to pick up his $4.9MM option for the 2025/26 season. Pincus’ comments are included in a proposed three-team trade involving the Pelicans and Nets that would send Brandon Ingram to Utah.

Central Notes: Bulls’ Odds, Tominaga, Verden

August 16th, 2024 at 10:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

According to VegasInsider.com, the opening odds for the Bulls’ projected win total sit at 30.5. In order to exceed that figure, the Bulls will need a few breakout seasons, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry writes.

Coby White, Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith are some of the players in line for a statistical jump, given the state of current roster. The Bulls could get even younger as the season unfolds. They have been looking to deal Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic without success but that could change prior to next season’s trade deadline.

We have more from the Central Division:

Pacers training camp invitee Keisei Tominaga will play for G League United at the Fall Invitational next month, the league’s PR department tweets. Tominaga, a member of Japan’s national team at the Paris Olympics, reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with Indiana after going undrafted out of Nebraska.
The Pistons are hiring Matthew Verden as their director of grassroots scouting and intelligence, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). Verden was previously the senior manager of player personnel and strategy for the development program Overtime Elite.
In case you missed it, the Bulls are signing Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a one-year contract. Get the details here.

Olympic Notes: Murray, Yabusele, Giddey, Barrett, More

August 14th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

There are concerns about Jamal Murray following a lackluster Olympic performance with Team Canada, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. After dealing with injuries during the latter part of the season, the Nuggets guard was limited to 36.6% true shooting and a 4.7 PER in four Olympic games.

While Hollinger admits that’s a small sample size, he notes that Murray wasn’t any better in Canada’s exhibition contests and didn’t look like the same player he was during Denver’s 2023 title run. Hollinger observes that Murray played without “zip” while having a hard time getting separation from his defender and finishing at the rim. If there’s a physical issue affecting Murray, it could be a significant story heading into training camp and the start of the season, Hollinger adds.

A report in late June stated that the Nuggets and Murray were nearing agreement on a four-year, $208MM extension. Hollinger wonders if the team might be reconsidering that offer in light of Murray’s recent downturn.

Hollinger shares a few more thoughts on the Olympics:

Guerschon Yabusele helped his NBA prospects tremendously with his Olympic performance, but Hollinger is skeptical that he’ll join the league this season. A league source confirms to Hollinger that Yabusele has a $2.5MM buyout in his contract with Real Madrid. Any NBA team that signs him would have to pay that amount, which would count against the cap above the $850K maximum international buyout, along with Yabusele’s salary. Hollinger sees a better chance for Yabusele to return to the NBA next summer when he’ll be a free agent.
Australia used Josh Giddey as its primary ball-handler, a role he’ll assume with the Bulls this season. Hollinger points out that although Giddey could have used better outside shooting around him, he was effective running the offense. He made 11 three-pointers in four games, easing some of the concerns about him in Oklahoma City, while taking on a 30% usage rate.
Hollinger believes Raptors swingman RJ Barrett could be headed for a breakout season. Playing for Canada, Barrett ranked fourth in the Olympics in scoring at 19.8 PPG with 58/44/84 shooting splits. Hollinger adds that Barrett was impressive after being traded to Toronto last season and should have a high-usage role on a rebuilding team.
Khem Birch may have sparked NBA interest after being Canada’s top center in France, per Hollinger. Birch will be 32 by the time training camps open, but Hollinger suggests he could fill a role as a third center.
Mathias Lessort, who helped France reach the gold medal game, could be a “last-resort option” for the Knicks next summer if they still haven’t found a reliable backup center, Hollinger states. The 29-year-old big man is under contract with Panathinaikos in Greece this season.
Isaac Bonga is a free agent after wrapping up a strong Olympics with Germany. Hollinger notes that Bonga is only 24 and could return to the NBA and a three-and-D specialist, even if it doesn’t happen right away.

Central Notes: Ball, Giddey, Stewart, Trent

August 7th, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls officials continue to be optimistic about the progress Lonzo Ball has shown this summer, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Ball, who is trying to return from left knee issues that have sidelined him since January of 2022, has recently been playing in 5-on-5, full-contact scrimmages and hasn’t experienced any setbacks.

Cowley notes that Ball has undergone three knee surgeries since his last NBA game, including an experimental cartilage transplant that gave him a new meniscus. Cowley states that no other professional athlete has been able to resume playing following this procedure.

Ball has been slowly increasing his basketball activity, starting with 1-on-1 games. There are still more hurdles for the 26-year-old point guard to clear, including a return to NBA conditioning and adapting his body to the physicality of the game. The ideal scenario for the Bulls, according to Cowley, is for Ball to play well enough at the start of the season so they can find a taker for his $21.4MM expiring contract. He’s likely to be a backup on a strict minutes restriction as long as he remains in Chicago.

There’s more from the Central Division:

In the same piece, Cowley cites a team source who said the Bulls projected Josh Giddey to be their primary ball-handler when they acquired him from Oklahoma City. Cowley states that the organization views Giddey as similar to Ball because he has exceptional size for a point guard and he can rebound and push the ball up-court. Members of the Bulls’ front office traveled to watch Giddey at the Olympics, where he posted 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in four games for Australia. He also shot 47.4% from three-point range, addressing one of the biggest concerns about his game in OKC.
The most significant question facing the Pistons heading into training camp will be how to use Isaiah Stewart, who’s entering the first season of a four-year, $60MM extension, says Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Langlois notes that Stewart played primarily at power forward last season, but Detroit has limited options on its front line, so Stewart may be the primary backup to center Jalen Duren even if he’s in the starting lineup. Simone Fontecchio and newly signed Tobias Harris are both capable of being stretch fours in smaller lineups, Langlois adds.
The signing of Gary Trent Jr. fills a hole in the Bucks‘ starting lineup and gives the team some “youthful athleticism,” Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel says in a video assessing the team’s offseason.

Olympic Notes: Wembanyama, SGA, Giddey, Landale, Team USA

July 27th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Victor Wembanyama has already been through a lot of big moments in his basketball career, but the idea of playing in the Olympics in front of his home fans made him nervous, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. That may be why the 20-year-old star got off to a slow start in Saturday’s opener against Brazil, but France began to pull away as he worked through the jitters. Wembanyama finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks in his Olympics debut, and he has the French team looking like a legitimate contender for the gold medal.

“I think for the first time of his career, he was a little bit stressed,” coach Vincent Collet said. “… In France, everybody waits for him like — I don’t know which word to use, but everybody waits for him. You have the people who know basketball, and they understand he’s only 20 years old. But people that like sports but (who) don’t know basketball, they think Victor is already Michael Jordan. (But) take time. Take time.”

Amick notes that Wembanyama has already become a leader for France despite the presence of Nicolas Batum, Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier, who have been with the national team for years. Batum said that along with Wembanyama’s obvious physical gifts, he has an IQ for the game that makes everything easier.

“He knows who he is. He knows what he has to do to be great,” Batum explained. “On one play, he was like, ‘OK, I’ll go to set a screen.’ I said, ‘No, no, no, no. Stay down there and take the ball and play. Take us home. That’s who you are right now.’ He’s not scared for the moment. He showed that in the first half.”

There’s more from the Olympics:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a huge basket down the stretch as Canada withstood a furious comeback by Greece and a 34-point performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo, per Domantas Urbonas of BasketNews. Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 21 points, five rebounds and seven assists, thought his team played well but needs to finish better. “We were the aggressors for most of the game. Especially in the first half, we were very good, we had the control of the game. I think we just closed the game a little bit better defensively,” he said. “Offensively, I think we got good looks down the stretch, just didn’t make them. Obviously, it’s never an excuse, you can always get stops and seal out the W in a nicer way.”
Josh Giddey and Jock Landale led the way as Australia opened the tournament with a win over Spain, observed Kane Pitman and Olgun Uluc of ESPN. They controlled the game with their chemistry in the pick-and-roll as Landale posted 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists to go with a +30 rating, while Giddey contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. “He’s got a fire about him,” teammate Nick Kay said of Landale. “You can see it in the warmups, you can see it every day at training. He’s really brought that to this group.”
Ahead of Sunday’s opener against Serbia, Rohan Nadkarni of NBC News examines how this year’s U.S. roster compares to the original “Dream Team” in 1992.

Olympic Notes: Team USA, Exum, Aldama, Theis, France

July 27th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Team USA big men Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis have both missed practice time ahead of the club’s pool-play opener vs. Serbia on Sunday due to illnesses, while Kevin Durant was unable to suit up in any of the pre-Olympic exhibition games as a result of a calf strain. However, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes, head coach Steve Kerr expressed optimism on Saturday that none of his 12 players will be unavailable vs. Serbia.

“I’m confident we’ll have everybody ready (Sunday),” Kerr said.

The U.S. squad beat Serbia by 26 points earlier this month in Abu Dhabi, holding star center Nikola Jokic to 6-of-19 shooting in that game. But the Serbians were resting some key players, including Bogdan Bogdanovic. Team USA is prepared for a more competitive game on Sunday.

“Jokic, with what he’s able to do, obviously we know what he does at NBA, but maybe a little bit higher usage in the international game,” Davis said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Here are a few more notes on the Olympic tournament, which tipped off on Saturday:

NBA veterans like Josh Giddey and Jock Landale led Australia to a win over Spain on Saturday in the first Group A game, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops details. However, the Boomers were missing one notable NBAer, as Dante Exum was unavailable due to a compound dislocation of his finger. While at least one report has suggested Exum will miss multiple games, he hasn’t technically been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest vs. Canada yet and is working to return as soon as possible. “The biggest thing at the moment is trying to just let the wound heal because it was a compound dislocation,” he said (Twitter link via Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com). “So just making sure everything [is right], but I’ll put a ball in my hand tomorrow and see how it feels and go from there.”
Although Spain couldn’t pick up a win on Saturday, Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama was impressive in defeat, racking up 27 points and six three-pointers. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, those six threes represented a Spanish Olympic record.
Pelicans center Daniel Theis helped lead Germany to a win over Japan on Saturday with 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting. He suggested after the game that last year’s World Cup title puts a spotlight on the Germans in this year’s event. “I think we kind of got a target on our back. Everybody wanted to be the world champion,” Theis said, per Barkas of Eurohoops. “One of our biggest strengths is we never underestimate any opponent. We did not do it last year. We have not done it this year. Whoever we played, we never took anybody lightly. So we take everybody seriously, and that is a big strength for us.”
The top two picks in this year’s NBA draft are French, but neither Zaccharie Risacher nor Alex Sarr is representing France at this year’s Olympics. Marc J. Spears of Andscape takes a closer look at why the youngsters aren’t in Paris with the French national team this year and why they’re likely to be factors at the 2028 Olympics. France won its opener on Saturday over Brazil, with Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum each scoring a game-high 19 points.

Spurs Inquired On Young Point Guards Before Signing CP3

July 24th, 2024 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Before they signed future Hall of Famer Chris Paul to a one-year contract, the Spurs made several calls to teams around the NBA to inquire about the availability of younger point guards who have yet to enter their prime years, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Darius Garland of the Cavaliers and Andrew Nembhard of the Pacers were among the players the Spurs called about, Fischer reports. Cleveland has shown no interest in moving Garland and the Pacers presumably weren’t keen on trading Nembhard either — he has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Indiana that will make him ineligible to be dealt for six months.

Fischer also mentions Hawks star Trae Young and Josh Giddey – who was sent from the Thunder to the Bulls last month – as players who had San Antonio among their preferred destinations in the event of a trade. However, Young and Giddey now appear on track to open the 2024/25 season in Atlanta and Chicago, respectively, and Fischer doesn’t specify to what level the Spurs reciprocated either player’s interest.

While Paul will be Victor Wembanyama‘s primary pick-and-roll partner for the 2024/25 season, the Spurs figure to remain on the lookout for a player who can ideally fill that role for the next decade, Fischer writes.

No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle is one candidate — he considers himself a point guard and San Antonio targeted the former UConn star for much of the pre-draft process, sources tell Yahoo Sports. However, as Fischer observes, Castle showed with the Huskies that he can thrive alongside another point guard, so even if they’re bullish on his NBA upside, the Spurs may not be prepared yet to pencil in the 19-year-old as the long-term answer at the position.

In addition to Paul and Castle, the Spurs also still have Tre Jones in the point guard mix. Jones is in the final year of his current contract and will reach unrestricted free agency next summer.

International Notes: Olympic Qualifiers, Robinson, Australia, Canada, Hayes-Davis

July 4th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NBA superstars will match up this weekend in Greece as they look to keep their home countries’ Olympic hopes alive. The Greek national team, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, will take on Luka Doncic and the Slovenians in the semifinals of one of four ongoing Olympic qualifying tournaments (link via ESPN). The winner of Greece vs. Slovenia will go on to face the winner of Croatia vs. Dominican Republic for a spot in the men’s basketball Olympic tournament in Paris.

In total, four Olympic berths still remain up for grabs. The other semifinal matchups in Olympic qualifying tournaments around the globe are as follows:

Riga, Latvia:
- Latvia vs. Cameroon
- Brazil vs. Philippines
Valencia, Spain:
- Spain vs. Finland
- Bahamas vs. Lebanon
San Juan, Puerto Rico:
- Puerto Rico vs. Mexico
- Lithuania vs. Italy

While none of the other teams fighting for a spot in the Olympics has a perennial MVP candidate like Antetokounmpo or Doncic on its roster, there are many NBA players competing in the qualifying tournaments, including All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis for Lithuania and Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon representing the Bahamas.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

Former NBA lottery pick Jerome Robinson has signed with Saint-Quentin in France, the team officially announced (via Twitter). Robinson, who was drafted 13th overall in 2018, has appeared in a total of 135 NBA regular season games, including 22 with Golden State last season while on a two-way contract with the Warriors.
The Australian national team has set its 12-man roster for the Olympics, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, who notes that eight active NBA players – Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Dante Exum, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills, and Joe Ingles – made the cut, along with former NBA guard Matthew Dellavedova. Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle is the most surprising omission, Uluc adds.
Team Canada hasn’t set its Olympic roster yet, but pared it down a little on Wednesday, with Oshae Brissett among the cuts. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links), Brissett – who is coming off a championship season as a Celtics reserve – asked to withdraw to focus on his NBA free agency. It looks like there are 10 NBA players who are safe bets to be on the Canadian squad, with two roster spots still up for grabs, as Lewenberg outlines in another tweet.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, the former NBA forward who is part of the U.S. Select Team and was rumored this spring to be drawing NBA interest, has re-upped with Fenerbahce, signing a three-year contract with the Turkish team, according to a press release.

Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Giddey, Ball, Craig

June 27th, 2024 at 10:49am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls appear to be “open for business” following Wednesday night’s draft and could emerge as the NBA’s biggest wild card when free agency begins this weekend, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Reading between the lines of a post-draft press conference held by executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, Mayberry suggests the organization may be recognizing the need to assemble to a younger and more athletic team.

That could mean parting with free agent DeMar DeRozan, possibly in a sign-and-trade, and taking the best deal they can find for Zach LaVine. Mayberry notes that Karnisovas sidestepped a question Wednesday night about the team’s commitment to keeping DeRozan.

“As I said also before, we’re going to look at everything,” he responded. “Everything is on the table. It’s still an option.”

DeRozan has been Chicago’s best player since joining the team in 2021, and he’s coming off another stellar season, averaging 24 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 79 games. However, he’ll turn 35 this summer and may not be a wise long-term investment for a team that’s trying to escape mediocrity.

Mayberry also points out that this would be a good time for the Bulls to consider rebuilding because their first-round pick in what’s viewed as a strong draft next year is top-10 protected. If it falls outside that range, it will convey to San Antonio as part of the sign-and-trade deal that brought DeRozan to Chicago.

There’s more on the Bulls:

Karnisovas defended the price he paid for Josh Giddey twice during his 17-minute meeting with reporters, Mayberry adds. Many observers were surprised that the Bulls didn’t receive any draft compensation when they acquired the 21-year-old guard from Oklahoma City last week in a one-for-one deal for Alex Caruso, one of the league’s best defensive guards. “Bringing a very talented guard that is an elite play-maker and rebounder with elite size, his game is predicated on making everyone better around him, those guys are hard to find and they’re not available,” Karnisovas said. “We were fortunate to get him. And it comes at a high price, which was A.C.”
Karnisovas said Lonzo Ball, who has been sidelined with knee issues since January of 2022, is “moving along” in his recovery, per Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times. Ball has already picked up his $21.4MM player option for next season, which marks the final year of his contract. “We don’t know what he’s going to look like in a month or two, so we’re just going to take one step at a time, and hopefully he’s going to be ready for training camp,” Karnisovas said.
The Bulls haven’t received any indication of whether Torrey Craig plans to exercise his $2.8MM player option for next season, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The veteran forward has until Saturday to make his decision.

Bulls Notes: Giddey, LaVine, DeRozan, Waters, Draft, Williams

June 25th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Bulls guard Josh Giddey said that both he and Thunder executive Sam Presti agreed it was best for him to be traded rather than accepting a second-unit role, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.

“Obviously, I came off a tough year. My role shifted a little bit,” Giddey said. “I was playing a lot more off ball and a role different from what I’ve done in my career. So there were no secrets it was going to take some flexibility from my part to kind of fit in with the team that we had and the structure that we had and the type of players that we had. And he spoke to me about looking at potential different roles, coming off the bench, running the second unit. And I just said to him at this point in my career, I’m 21 years old, it wasn’t something that I was overly eager to do. And he completely understood.”

Giddey was swapped out for Alex Caruso. League sources tell Johnson that the Knicks and Kings both made offers featuring draft capital for Caruso but Oklahoma City opted to take the hard-nosed Caruso in a one-for-one deal. The Bulls envision Giddey as their starting point guard, though he said his role has yet to be defined.

“My job is just to make the game easy for everybody else. Come in and make sure guys are getting easy looks, guys are comfortable on the floor,” he said. “When you’re a point guard and you can get other people around you going and making them involved in the game and getting them feeling good early, it opens the game up for everybody. That’s how I see myself, making basketball easy for my teammates around me.”

We have more on the Bulls:

While it’s well-documented the team is shopping Zach LaVine, who has three years left on his contract, his shooting ability and scoring efficiency could be a strong fit alongside Giddey, Johnson opines. However, the relationship between the team and LaVine, who is still recovering from foot surgery, would have to be repaired.
The team would prefer to resolve a possible trade of LaVine before trying to re-sign DeMar DeRozan, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (hat tip to RealGM). There reportedly has been little traction in talks between the Bulls and DeRozan, who will be an unrestricted free agent if those negotiations fizzle.
Eric Waters will be the team’s new director of health and performance, Johnson tweets. Waters served as a Bulls assistant trainer from 2000-04 and head athletic trainer for the Wizards (2004-16) and Jazz (2017-22).
The Bulls have held conversations to both move up and back in the draft, Johnson reports. Chicago currently holds the No. 11 pick.
In the same story, Johnson reports that several rival executives are under the impression the Bulls will either re-sign or match an offer sheet presented to restricted free agent Patrick Williams. The team has extended a qualifying offer to Williams, making him a restricted free agent.