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Pistons Notes: Burks, Ivey, Duren, Injuries, Knox

November 12th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons finally got some good news on the injury front. Key reserve Alec Burks returned on Sunday against Chicago after missing six games with a forearm injury. Jaden Ivey was also back in action after missing four games due to a viral infection.

Coach Monty Williams was pleased to have more answers on his bench, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press tweets.

“It helps settle the rotation down a bit,” Williams said. “You don’t have to stress guys out with long stretches of minutes. And then having the shooting out there, and AB’s IQ and calm demeanor, certainly helps.”

Burks, who scored 16 points in the loss to the Bulls, is on an expiring contract and could be a key trade piece.

We have more on the Pistons:

Second-year center Jalen Duren has been in and out of the lineup recently due to bilateral ankle soreness. He was unable to finish Friday’s game against Philadelphia. Williams didn’t have a timeline for Duren’s return when he spoke to the media on Sunday, Sankofa tweets. “We’ll see how he responds to the treatment, all that stuff,” Williams said. “I don’t want to speculate on how long. We just don’t wanna put him back out there again, and he plays a short stint and comes out again. We just want to be really careful.”
Detroit has now lost eight straight, but Williams wouldn’t use injuries — Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris, Isaiah Livers haven’t played this season and Joe Harris is also sidelined — as an excuse for the team’s record, Sankofa writes. “Not gonna happen,” Williams said. “We can throw that out the window. We’ve shown that we can play against anybody. We have to sustain it. Everybody we put on the floor is trained to produce and be productive for four quarters. We’re not doing that. We’re not gonna blame anything on injuries.”
Kevin Knox is back with the Pistons on a one-year deal. Knox, who was traded by Detroit to Portland prior to last year’s deadline, told Mike Curtis of The Detroit News he’s thrilled to get a second stint with the Pistons. Knox also relayed the message that GM Troy Weaver gave him. “He just told me what they wanted from me,” Knox said. “They need a lot of shooting and playing hard on defense. Just fitting in with the guys. You got a young team, got a couple of older guys a little banged up but he just told me I have to come in and play my game and play hard.”
Knox scored a team-high 18 points off the bench on Sunday in his first game since he was signed. “It wasn’t just his offense. His defense was sound for someone who hasn’t been in our program,” Williams said via another Sankofa tweet.

Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Knox, Caruso, Phillips, Terry

November 9th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter of Wednesday’s win over Detroit, was hit with a second technical and ejected from the game early in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo briefly stared down Isaiah Stewart after a dunk, prompting the ejection (Twitter video link via Stephen Watson of Bally Sports Wisconsin). Antetokounmpo and his teammates were surprised by the decision, as Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details.

“He made like a little face and he took off running and he didn’t say a word,” Jae Crowder said. “I think that’s why he was so frustrated, like, ‘You really threw me out and I didn’t say anything?’ Like, the first tech, I think he would say he deserved it. He deserved that first tech. The second one was like, he didn’t say a word, so how do you throw him out for that? He definitely stared, but I don’t know if that’s a tech. I don’t know about that one.”

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin didn’t criticize the officiating decision during his postgame comments, instead suggesting that he has a responsibility to make sure his star player doesn’t end up in that situation again.

“I think I just have to do a better job,” Griffin said. “Giannis doesn’t complain to the refs. He’s really respectful to the refs and I think I’m letting him down in that sense. I think I need to be a little more, just vocal, during the games when he’s getting hit and kind of stick up for him a little bit better. I’ve been dropping the ball on that.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Seth Partnow of The Athletic considers whether or not it’s too early to be concerned about Milwaukee’s major drop-off in defensive efficiency this fall. Although the Bucks are off to a 5-2 start, they rank 25th in the NBA in defensive rating (115.8) and are the only team with a winning record that has been outscored so far this season.
The one-year, minimum-salary deal that Kevin Knox signed with the Pistons is non-guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If he plays out the contract, Knox would earn $2,144,320, the prorated portion of his minimum salary.
Alex Caruso isn’t one of the Bulls‘ “big three” stars, but his teammates know his value and rave about what he brings to the team — DeMar DeRozan tells Jamal Collier of ESPN he can envision Caruso winning a Defensive Player of the Year award.“He’s our Ray Lewis. He’s the Deion Sanders. He’s the Charles Woodson,” DeRozan said. “He definitely is one of those great, vocalist, communicators and competitors when it comes to that end of the ball.”
A crowded Bulls depth chart means there has been no room in the rotation early in the season for rookie forward Julian Phillips or second-year wing Dalen Terry. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes, the club intends to get both players some regular minutes in the G League and has mapped out the first month of the Windy City Bulls’ schedule to see how it coincides with Chicago’s schedule as it prepares a plan for those youngsters.

Pistons Sign Kevin Knox

November 8th, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

2:59pm: The Pistons have officially signed Knox, the team confirmed today in a press release (Twitter link).

11:50am: The Pistons have reached an agreement to bring back free agent forward Kevin Knox on a one-year deal, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Knox spent his first three-and-a-half NBA seasons in New York but has bounced around since then, spending time with Atlanta, Detroit, and Portland from 2022-23.

He signed a two-year, $6MM contract with the Pistons during the 2022 offseason and appeared in 42 games last season for the club before being traded to the Trail Blazers in the four-team deadline deal that sent James Wiseman to Detroit.

Knox averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game across 63 total appearances for the Pistons and Blazers in 2022/23, then had his $3MM team option for ’23/24 turned down by Portland in June.

The Blazers re-signed him, but Knox’s contract was non-guaranteed and he didn’t make the regular season roster. He reported to the Rip City Remix – Portland’s G League affiliate – last week for training camp.

Rather than opening the season in the NBAGL, however, Knox is being promoted back to the NBA, where he’ll fill the 15th spot on the Pistons’ roster. As we noted a few days ago when we examined the open roster spots around the NBA, Detroit was one of the few teams with an open 15-man spot and no luxury tax concerns, so we expected that opening to be filled sooner rather than later.

Knox will provide some depth for a club whose roster has been plagued by injuries this fall. Bojan Bogdanovic (calf), Alec Burks (forearm), Joe Harris (shoulder), Jaden Ivey (illness), Isaiah Livers (ankle), and Monte Morris (quad) are all currently on the shelf, while Jalen Duren (ankle) has been in and out of the lineup.

Beyond the fact that it’s a one-year deal, the details of Knox’s agreement with the Pistons have yet to be reported. A non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract is most likely, but we’ll have to wait for confirmation on that.

Trail Blazers Notes: Henderson, Williams, Knox, Brogdon

November 1st, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson feels like he’s headed in the right direction after a slow start to his NBA career, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Following three sub-par outings, Henderson enjoyed his best game on Monday, posting 11 points and seven assists as Portland won at Toronto. The No. 3 pick in this year’s draft hopes the game represents a reset of his rookie season.

“Something new for me. I never went through something like this,” Henderson said of his early struggles. “But I’m ready. I’m ready now. I could tell Portland I’m ready to go now.”

Shooting remains an issue for Henderson, which was expected when he entered the draft. He went 4-of-12 from the field Monday, dropping him to 33.3% on the year, and he’s now 1-of-18 on three-pointers after missing all six of his attempts against the Raptors. However, there are signs that he’s learning how to take command of the game and understanding when to unleash his athletic bursts.

“I thought he let the game come to him,” said Malcolm Brogdon, who’s serving as Henderson’s mentor. “He was sort of warming up in the first half and then in the second half, he started to really find his rhythm, his pace. I think tonight he really picked his spots. I haven’t seen him really do that. He picked when he was aggressive. He picked when he was going to be a facilitator, when he was going to try to get to the line. Pushed in transition. I thought he really started putting it together tonight.”

There’s more on the Blazers:

Robert Williams was held out of Monday’s game because it was the second night of a back-to-back, and that’s likely to be a common practice for coach Chauncey Billups this season, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Because of Williams’ extensive injury history in Boston, Billups plans to be cautious with how he’s used.
Kevin Knox is hoping to revive his career with Portland’s new G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix, after being waived by the Trail Blazers before the start of the season, Highkin adds (Twitter link). “Anytime you get waived or released, it’s a disappointment,” Knox said. “But I think what separates guys is the mental aspect. A lot of guys sulk and be mad and go home and don’t work out or do nothing. For me, I take it as a challenge, add fuel to the fire. Come in to the Remix, perform as well as I can, play as hard as I can and try to get a gig.”
Brogdon has signed with Klutch Sports, the agency announced on Instagram (hat tip to Highkin). Brogdon is under contract through the end of next season and will become a free agent in 2025.

Blazers Claim Ish Wainright Off Waivers, Cut Two Players

October 21st, 2023 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have claimed forward Ish Wainright off waivers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Portland is waiving another forward, Kevin Knox. The Blazers are also releasing big man Duop Reath, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

The Suns cut Wainright on Thursday due to their roster crunch — they had 17 players on standard contracts and could only carry 15 on their regular season roster. Wainright’s 2023/24 salary was non-guaranteed, making him a logical odd man out.

Phoenix reportedly had interest in bringing back Wainright, perhaps on a two-way deal, but the club won’t get the chance to do so, as the Trail Blazers will take on his non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract. The 29-year-old’s salary won’t become fully guaranteed unless he remains under contract through January 7, so Portland has some time to assess his fit before making a final decision on whether to keep him for the season.

Wainright appeared in 60 games for the Suns last season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per night. His shooting line was .370/.329/.839.

The ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Knox finished the season with Portland in 2022/23, averaging 8.5 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 21 games (17.1 MPG). However, when he re-signed with the club over the summer, he only received a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, so he was never assured of a regular season roster spot.

Reath was part of Portland’s Summer League team, averaging 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in five games, and represented Australia in the 2023 World Cup. He has played overseas since going undrafted out of LSU in 2018, spending time in Serbia, Australia and China.

According to Highkin, both Knox and Reath are candidates to remain in the organization, perhaps with the Rip City Remix, the Blazers’ G League affiliate. However, Reath’s contract didn’t include an Exhibit 10 clause, so of the two, Knox seems more likely to end up with the Remix.

The Blazers now have 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. They could add one more player before Monday’s regular season roster deadline or enter opening night with an open spot on their standard 15-man roster.

Trail Blazers Convert Justin Minaya To Two-Way Deal; Waive Two Others

October 20th, 2023 at 6:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

6:35pm: Minaya has officially been converted to a two-way deal, according to NBA.com’s transactions log, while Conditt and Butler have been waived.

3:57pm: Small forward Justin Minaya has agreed to a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers, agent Jared Mucha tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The 24-year-old finished last season with Portland on a hardship 10-day contract and appeared in four games. He re-signed with the Blazers in early October.

Sources tell Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report that John Butler will be waived to open a two-way slot for Minaya (Twitter link). The 20-year-old center re-signed with Portland in July after spending last season on a two-way deal. He appeared in 19 games, averaging 2.4 PPG and 0.9 RPG in limited minutes.

The team’s other two-way spots belong to Ibou Badji and Skylar Mays.

Highkin also reports that George Conditt, who has an Exhibit 10 contract, will be waived today and is expected to wind up with the Rip City Remix, the organization’s new G League affiliate (Twitter link).

Highkin hears that Moses Brown is likely to make the team, so the battle for the final roster spot appears to be between Duop Reath and Kevin Knox (Twitter link).

Northwest Notes: Knox, Reath, Wolves, NAW, Thunder, Micic

October 6th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Knox‘s new contract with the Trail Blazers is an Exhibit 10 deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. That doesn’t mean Knox won’t have an opportunity to make Portland’s regular season roster, but if he does, he’ll be on a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract that only covers a single season.

If Knox is waived before the season begins, he’d be eligible to earn a bonus worth $75K if he signs a G League contract and spends at least 60 days with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s affiliate. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, but that won’t be an option for Knox, who has five years of NBA service, making him ineligible to be a two-way player.

Most of the Trail Blazers’ recent free agent additions also received Exhibit 10 contracts. One exception is big man Duop Reath, whose deal includes an Exhibit 9 clause but not Exhibit 10 language. That suggests he may not be a candidate to join the Remix if he doesn’t make Portland’s regular season roster.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

The Timberwolves, who defeated Dallas on Thursday, are taking the preseason seriously, recognizing that it’s a good opportunity to establish early chemistry with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert healthy, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “If we don’t get something out of these games, you’re risking putting yourself behind the eight ball,” said head coach Chris Finch, adding that the team is looking to figure out its identity.
One encouraging sign from the Timberwolves‘ preseason opener was that Nickeil Alexander-Walker picked up right where he left off last season, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, who notes that the guard became a starter and important defender in the postseason. Alexander-Walker signed a two-year, $9MM contract in July to remain in Minnesota.
Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman rounds up the highlights from the Thunder‘s media day earlier this week, passing along the most notable comments from head coach Mark Daigneault and many Oklahoma City players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In a separate story for The Oklahoman, Joe Mussatto goes more in depth on Vasilije Micic‘s first session with local reporters, sharing the explanation the new Thunder wing provided for why he felt the time was right to make the move from Europe to the NBA. According to Micic, he had serious talks with the Thunder a couple years ago, but felt he still had something to prove in the EuroLeague. “I wanted to come somewhere that someone knows me and someone really wanted me, and this is what happened this summer,” he said.

Blazers Add Knox, Reath, Smith, Davis, Minaya

October 2nd, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers officially signed Kevin Knox, Duop Reath, Malachi Smith, Antoine Davis and Justin Minaya, according to a team press release announcing the training camp roster.

Knox agreed to a one-year deal in early September. The 24-year-old forward became an unrestricted free agent after Portland declined to pick up his $3MM option for the upcoming season.

Knox began last season with the Pistons, but was sent to Portland in a four-team deal at the trade deadline. He appeared in 21 games with the Blazers, averaging 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per night.

Reath also agreed to a one-year contract in September. He played for Portland’s Summer League team, averaging 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in five games, and started for Australia during the World Cup. He has played overseas since going undrafted out of LSU in 2018, spending time in Serbia, Australia and China.

Smith and Davis agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts after going undrafted in June. Smith, a shooting guard, was named WCC Sixth Man of the Year this season after averaging 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 37 games with Gonzaga. He played one season for the Zags after transferring from Chattanooga.

Davis, a guard, finished his career at Detroit Mercy as the second all-time leading scorer in Division I history. He capped off his college career by averaging 28.2 PPG last season.

The addition of Minaya was not previously reported. A 6’7” forward, he finished last season with Portland on a hardship 10-day contract. Minaya went undrafted out of Providence in 2022 and spent most of his first professional season playing for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League. In 27 NBAGL regular season appearances (35.1 MPG), he averaged 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.1 steals with a shooting line of .487/.339/.472.

Portland now has a full 21-man squad.

Trail Blazers To Re-Sign Kevin Knox

September 9th, 2023 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Knox will return to the Trail Blazers on a one-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s likely a minimum-salary deal, and there are no details yet on whether it includes any guaranteed money.

The 24-year-old forward became an unrestricted free agent after Portland declined to pick up his $3MM option for the upcoming season. With the start of training camp about three weeks away and most teams close to having complete rosters, he decided to join the Blazers for another year.

Knox began last season with the Pistons, but was sent to Portland in a four-team deal at the trade deadline. He appeared in 21 games with the Blazers, averaging 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per night.

Knox was a lottery selection in 2018, going to the Knicks with the eighth pick in the draft. He spent more than three seasons in New York, but was never able to establish himself as a rotation player and was traded to the Hawks in 2022.

Knox will have one more season to try to build his value before re-entering free agency next summer.

Once the Knox signing and their other reported deals are official, the Blazers will have 19 players under contract, two short of the offseason minimum. Portland currently has 12 players with fully guaranteed deals, Moses Brown with a partial guarantee, and a pair of two-way players. They’ve reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with three other free agents.

Options Declined For Blazers’ Knox, Thunder’s Waters, Wolves’ Knight

June 29th, 2023 at 11:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers forward Kevin Knox, Thunder wing Lindy Waters, and Timberwolves big man Nathan Knight have all had their team options for the 2023/24 season declined by their respective clubs, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) reported the three option decisions.

The deadline to exercise a player or team option for ’23/24 was Thursday at 4:00 pm Central time, so the fact that there had been no word on these three options was a strong indication that they weren’t picked up. They were the last three we were waiting for confirmation on — the rest of this year’s team and player option decision had been made.

Knox’s team option with the Trail Blazers would have been worth $3MM. The former No. 9 overall pick finished the 2022/23 season in Portland after being traded from Detroit at February’s deadline. In 63 total appearances for the Pistons and Blazers, he averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per night.

Knox will become an unrestricted free agent after having his option turned down. Waters and Knight, who would’ve earned $1.93MM apiece if their options had been exercised, were eligible for qualifying offers to make them restricted free agents, but there’s no indication that either player received one. We’ll be able to confirm that on Friday before free agency officially opens.

Waters averaged 5.2 PPG on .393/.358/.800 shooting in 41 games (13.0 MPG) for the Thunder, while Knight registered 3.7 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 38 contests (7.7 MPG) for Minnesota.