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Southeast Notes: Okpala, Strus, Hornets, Monk

December 20th, 2020 at 5:24pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat forward KZ Okpala is making a strong case to be in the team’s rotation this season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Okpala, the No. 32 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, played in just five games last season, but the 21-year-old has impressed teammates and staffers alike during training camp.

“His physical tools are what impressed us, in particular the scouting department with Chet [Kammerer] and Adam [Simon] and Eric Amsler and Keith [Askins],” coach Erik Spoelstra said of why the team drafted Okpala. “They all just really thought it was unique how he can move his feet for someone his size. Then his length and he can seem bigger even than what he is. But he had to learn our system, learn the NBA and get in great shape and then be available day after day.

“This has really been a process since the quarantine in May and June when he was really working just to get his body right doing a lot of player development. That’s a credit to his work and consistency. … I would say he’s probably, considering everything, he probably was arguably top-three best conditioned going into camp, which was important and much different than his previous camp last year.”

Okpala, a 6’8″ forward, could help fill the holes left by Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr., both of whom left in free agency. The Heat lack clarity on a starting five; they could choose to start Meyers Leonard alongside Bam Adebayo, as they did at the beginning of last season, or they could play small and start one of Okpala, Maurice Harkless or Andre Iguodala. The team could also give rookie Precious Achiuwa a shot in the lineup depending on his play.

Okpala had his best game in a Heat uniform on Friday, scoring 24 points, grabbing five rebounds and shooting 9-of-15 from the floor in 34 minutes of work.

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

In a separate story for the Miami Herald, Anthony Chiang examines how Max Strus earned a two-way contract with the Heat. Strus, a 24-year-old sharpshooter, finished with 22 points off the bench on Friday, shooting 6-of-8 from 3-point range. He split time between Chicago and Windy City during the 2019/20 season.
John Hollinger of The Athletic previews the Hornets‘ upcoming season, examining what steps the team could take with the additions of Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball. Charlotte finished just 23-42 last season and ranked 29th in the NBA in offensive efficiency (106.3).
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer examines Malik Monk‘s future with the Hornets. Charlotte drafted Monk, 22, with the No. 11 pick in 2017, but he’s struggled to gain a rhythm early in his career. He shot under 40% from the field in both of his first two seasons, managing to raise the mark to 43% last season — though his 28% shooting from deep was a career-low.

Heat Convert Max Strus To Two-Way Deal, Waive B.J. Johnson

December 19th, 2020 at 11:14am CST by marksuleymanov

11:14am: As expected, the Heat have waived Johnson, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

10:50am: The Heat have converted guard/forward Max Strus‘ Exhibit 10 deal into a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release on Saturday. Miami had an open two-way slot alongside point guard Gabe Vincent.

Strus appeared in two preseason contests with the Heat, averaging a team-best 16.5 PPG along with 5.0 RPG and 2.5 APG while shooting 50% from the field. In Miami’s 117-105 win last night over the Raptors, Strus came off the bench to add 22 points while shooting 6-of-8 from three-point range.

Two-way contracts allow NBA teams to carry two extra players in addition to the 15 on their regular season roster. Those deals will likely be more important than ever this season, since two-way players will be permitted to appear in up to 50 regular season games at the NBA level. With the G League season expected to take place in a bubble, two-way players figure to spend most or all of the season with their respective NBA clubs.

Strus’ converted deal means that he beat out swingman B.J. Johnson, who was signed by the Heat in early December. Johnson appeared in just two preseason games with the Heat, averaging 1.5 PPG. It is a near-lock that he’ll be waived, given his non-guaranteed deal, along with the fact that Miami is carrying 15 players with guaranteed contracts.

Heat Sign Max Strus

November 30th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have signed free agent wing Max Strus, the team announced today in a press release. The club’s roster is now at 19 players.

While terms of the deal weren’t disclosed in Miami’s announcement, it figures to be a non-guaranteed training camp contract. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets that Strus will compete with Paul Eboua, Breein Tyree, and possibly one more player to claim the Heat’s second two-way contract slot. Gabe Vincent currently occupies one of those two slots.

Strus, 24, spent last season on a two-way contract with the Bulls. The former DePaul standout appeared in 13 games for the Windy City Bulls in the G League and two contests for Chicago in the NBA before a torn ACL prematurely ended his season. He suffered that injury more than 11 months ago, so presumably, if Miami is comfortable signing him, he’ll be ready to go for training camp.

Bulls’ Max Strus Suffers Torn ACL

December 23rd, 2019 at 8:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls two-way player and rookie guard Max Strus has suffered a torn ACL and bone bruise to his left knee and will be sidelined for eight-to-12 months, according to a team press release.

The injury occurred on Saturday in the Windy City Bulls game against the Lakeland Magic at the G League Winter Showcase. The diagnosis was confirmed today by an MRI and a physical exam.

He will undergo surgery in approximately three weeks after his swelling and discomfort subsides, the press release adds.

Strus averaged 18.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3.2 APG in 13 games for Windy City this season and also made two cameos with the NBA Bulls. He was signed in October after completing his college career at DePaul. In 35 games in 2018/19, Strus averaged 20.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG with a shooting line of .429/.363/.842.

Strus was originally signed to a two-way contract with the Celtics, but he was moved to Boston’s standard roster and later waived when the team decided to retain Javonte Green and Tacko Fall to start the regular season.

Bulls Sign Max Strus To Two-Way Contract

October 22nd, 2019 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After being released by the Celtics on Saturday, undrafted rookie shooting guard Max Strus has signed a new two-way contract with the Bulls, the club announced today in a press release. Chicago had an open two-way slot alongside Adam Mokoka, so no corresponding roster move was required.

It’s a homecoming for Strus, an Illinois native who finished his college career at DePaul. In 35 games in 2018/19, Strus averaged 20.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG with a shooting line of .429/.363/.842.

Strus’ strong senior season helped earn him a two-way contract with the Celtics, but he was moved to Boston’s standard roster and later waived when the team decided to retain Javonte Green and Tacko Fall to start the regular season.

Having reportedly received a partial guarantee worth in excess of $400K from the Celtics, Strus was ineligible to play for the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s G League affiliate, for the rest of the league year. But he’ll get a chance to play for the Windy City Bulls on his new two-way contract with Chicago. The deal will also permit him to spend up to 45 days with the NBA team after G League training camps get underway next week.

Celtics Waive Yante Maten, Max Strus

October 19th, 2019 at 4:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics trimmed their roster to the league limit by waiving Yante Maten and Max Strus, the team announced in a tweet. Boston also confirmed the release of Kaiser Gates, which appeared on NBA.com’s official transactions log last night.

The moves mean Javonte Green appears to have earned a roster spot to begin the season. The 26-year-old swingman had been playing overseas since going undrafted in 2015.

Green was reportedly battling for the final spot with Strus, who had his contract converted from a two-way deal this week and received a guarantee of nearly half the $898,310 minimum salary for a rookie this season.

Because his guarantee exceeds $50K, Strus is ineligible to join Boston’s G League team on a two-way deal or as an affiliate player.

Maten, who signed with the Celtics just before camp opened, was on a two-way contract with the Heat for most of last season. He appeared in only two NBA games, but earned second team All-G League honors at Sioux Falls.

Charania’s Latest: Kings, J. Brown, Rockets, China, More

October 18th, 2019 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

One complicating factor in the Kings‘ contract extension negotiations with Buddy Hield is the four-year, $85MM deal the team did with Harrison Barnes earlier this offseason, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Sacramento has already expressed some remorse over that deal, since it has set a precedent in talks for Hield and may impact the Kings’ ability to complete extensions for other key players.

Meanwhile, in other rookie scale extension news, Charania says several teams around the NBA are monitoring the negotiations between the Celtics and Jaylen Brown. Sources tell Charania that those teams are waiting to see if they’ll get a chance to “make Boston and GM Danny Ainge pay” with a big offer sheet for Brown next summer.

Here’s more from Charania:

The NBA/China controversy appears to be at an impasse for now, with teams around the league waiting to see how Chinese TV networks handle opening night on Tuesday. It’s not clear if China will lift its suspension of NBA broadcasts at that point or if it will continue to blackball telecasts, according to Charania.
With Gerald Green potentially out for the season due to a foot injury, the Rockets are “scouring the market” for help on the wing, says Charania. Houston discussed some Andre Iguodala trade scenarios with the Grizzlies, but is reluctant to go way into luxury-tax territory by trading for Iguodala, Charania adds.
Charania provides updates on a pair of roster battles, writing that Javonte Green is the favorite to become the Celtics‘ 15th man over Max Strus, while Marquese Chriss is “moving closer” to claiming a regular season roster spot with the Warriors.
Free agent swingman Iman Shumpert has spoken to a few teams, including the Bulls and Grizzlies, Charania reports.
Charania suggests that Bulls forward Chandler Hutchison has suffered a hamstring strain in “recent days.” His wording makes it sound like it’s either a different injury than the strain Hutchison suffered in early September or a re-aggravation of that injury. The second-year Bull is expected to miss more time, league sources tell Charania.

Celtics Notes: Theis, Strus, Langford, Williams

October 14th, 2019 at 6:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Daniel Theis is making a strong case to start at center for the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Theis, who has only started five of the 129 regular season games he’s played with Boston over the past two seasons, has more experience in Brad Stevens’ system than any other big man on the roster. That could give him an edge over Enes Kanter and Robert Williams. He’s also adept at making defensive switches.

“If you watch closely, that’s a tied-together group on that end of the court,” Stevens said of playing Theis with the other starters. Theis is making $5MM this season but his $5MM salary for 2020/21 is not guaranteed.

We have more on the Celtics:

Max Strus is a serious candidate to get the 15th and final spot on the opening night roster, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald tweets. The shooting guard just had his two-way contract converted to a standard two-year deal with a partial guarantee. The guarantee is worth $415K, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. However, he could still be waived, Murphy adds. The 23-year-old Strus went undrafted after playing his college ball at DePaul.
Stevens offers high praise for his first-year players, including Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, Tacko Fall, and Carsen Edwards, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. “That’s as good of a group of rookie workers that I’ve ever been around …those guys grind,” he said.
The team has picked up the 2020/21 options on Jayson Tatum and Williams. Get all the details here.

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Strus, Thybulle, Siakam

October 13th, 2019 at 8:35pm CST by JD Shaw

Despite improving his already-impressive arsenal, Sixers star Ben Simmons can’t get caught up in settling for jumpers behind the arc this season, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

Simmons shocked the Philadelphia crowd as the first half of the team’s preseason game against the Guangzhou Long-Lions came to a close last week, connecting on a deep shot from three-point territory — much to the delight of his fans and teammates alike.

“I know what I’m good at,” Simmons said, according to Pompey. “I know what I’m great at. There’s things I need to work on, but my game is not going to change in a day.

“I’m not going to come out and be shooting lights-out like [Golden State’s] Klay [Thompson] and Steph [Curry] or guys like them. My game is developing, and I work hard.”

As most fans already know, Simmons played the entire 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons without making a single three-pointer. He appeared in 160 regular season games during those campaigns and finished 0-for-17 from deep, which doesn’t include his lone three-point miss in 22 postseason games.

At 6’10” and 230 pounds, Simmons is known to be one of the most versatile point guards in the NBA. His game would be much more dangerous for opposing defenses if the 23-year-old manages to develop a consistent stroke from three-point territory.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

The Celtics moved to sign Max Strus on a two-year deal largely because Strus was willing to add a fully non-guaranteed year in his contract next season, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. Strus has impressed Boston officials with his strong efforts in practice, earning a new deal with the organization on Sunday.
Sixers wing Matisse Thybulle looks ready to work for a spot in the team’s rotation this season, Derek Bodner of The Athletic writes. Thybulle, 22, had his draft rights traded from Boston to Philadelphia after being selected with the No. 20 pick last June.
The Raptors will need even more production from fourth-year forward and reigning Most Improved Player Pascal Siakam in order to be successful again this year, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes. “We’ll give him a lot of freedom and a lot of opportunities to continue to expand his game,” head coach Nick Nurse said, according to Smith. “He should be somebody that has a great season. I think he can expand it and maybe (add) five, six points a game to his scoring average.”

Celtics To Give Max Strus Two-Year Deal

October 13th, 2019 at 11:37am CST by Arthur Hill

Max Strus will receive a two-year contract from the Celtics, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal includes a partial guarantee that’s nearly half of the rookie minimum, league sources tell Charania.

The 23-year-old shooting guard has been on a two-way contract that he agreed to in July after going undrafted out of DePaul. He has seen minimal playing time in Boston’s first two preseason games.

Because Strus is already on the training camp roster, the Celtics don’t have to make an accompanying move. However, they now have a two-way slot to fill. ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes that any move to convert a player on an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, such as Tacko Fall, must be completed by next Monday (Twitter link).

The minimum salary for a rookie this season is $898,310, so Strus’ partial guarantee will come in at less than half of that number.