Tidjane Salaun Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hornets Notes: Simpson, Diabate, Green, Salaun

September 21st, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets will have a few roster questions to work out in training camp, but it appears two-way players KJ Simpson and Moussa Diabate are already destined to start the season in the G League. General manager Jeff Peterson addressed that topic at a recent press conference to announce the hiring of DJ Bakker as head coach of the Greensboro Swarm, according to Schuyler Callihan of Sports Illustrated.

“With KJ and Moussa specifically, safe assumption they’ll spend some time with Greensboro, and they’re excited about it,” Peterson said. “Every player that we bring into this organization, they just want to play, they want to compete, they want to get better. They want to maximize themselves and they know that at any time, this may be the best vehicle for them to do that. Really excited about their option to come to Greensboro and play and get better.”

Simpson, a 22-year-old point guard who played collegiately at Colorado, was taken with the 42nd pick in this year’s draft. Diabate, a 22-year-old center/power forward, has appeared in 33 games with the Clippers over the past two seasons. Charlotte’s other two-way slot remains open heading into camp.

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Offseason addition Josh Green will likely be the choice to start alongside LaMelo Ball in the backcourt, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes in a mailbag column. Boone notes that Green, who was sent from Dallas to Charlotte in a six-team trade in July, brings flexibility to the lineup and can match up defensively with the opponent’s best guard, helping Ball stay out of foul trouble.
Tidjane Salaun was impressive during his brief Summer League appearance, but the 18-year-old will probably need time to develop into a rotation player, Boone states in the same piece. He suggests Salaun may see minutes initially as a defensive specialist before working his way into the rotation.
New head coach Charles Lee will have several decisions to make in camp, Boone adds. Along with Green, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller and Vasilije Micic are all competing for time in the backcourt, and the team doesn’t have a traditional power forward to back up Miles Bridges. That role will likely go to Grant Williams if other options don’t develop during the preseason.

Eastern Notes: Lee, Peterson, Hornets, Ivey, Duren, White, Pullin

August 7th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Tristan Tucker

After speaking with more than 10 candidates, the Hornets decided on Charles Lee to be the franchise’s next head coach, having been won over by Lee’s basketball and business backgrounds, as well as his experience in player development and championship history, according to executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, who spoke to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov about Lee and the state of the Hornets.

“His tactical skills are great,” Peterson said of Charlotte’s new head coach. “He’s a champion. He’s won two championships. Which, obviously, there’s a premium on just being a winner, and he has that. And he’s just an amazing teacher and communicator. He’s going to do his best just to get everything he can out of each player. That’s a big reason why I went with him as well.”

This offseason, the Hornets continued supplementing their young core by adding Tidjane Salaun with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft. He joins young talent like LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who were among the best players in their respective draft classes.

“[Salaun] loves being in the gym, loves to get better and loves the process,” Peterson said. “So, again, we can sleep at night knowing that he has those qualities, and then, not to mention, he has some skill to him, too. He can rebound and push. He can make his shot. So, we’re just really excited about, more than anything, his mindset and his approach to how we’re going to progress and build this thing out.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Pistons have never had three players in three consecutive seasons earn rookie scale contract extensions, but that could change next year when Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren become eligible. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic details the fascinating seasons ahead for the young duo, who are playing for a front office that didn’t draft them, a team looking to be active in trades and their third head coach in as many years. Their situation is particularly tricky because if they show significant growth, it would make sense for the organization to keep them. But if either or both players stagnate, their trade value will be hampered compared to what it is now, Edwards opines. How they’re used will be worth monitoring closely ahead of the February trade deadline.
Entering his sixth season in the NBA after a year in which he was a Most Improved Player finalist, Bulls guard Coby White is transitioning to a leadership role for a franchise that looks to be getting younger, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. White cited DeMar DeRozan‘s leadership style as a model he wants to emulate. “DeMar always led by example,” White said. “He wasn’t always the loudest guy in the room or most talkative guy in the room. But if we had a meeting, he was early. If we had a bus time, he was one of the first ones there. He was never late to a meeting. He was always ready to go. When the game came, it was always about business. And the way he took me, [Ayo Dosunmu], [Dalen Terry], Pat [Williams] under his wing, it shed light on the things that I’m looking forward to when I get older. And that can start now for me.“
Zyon Pullin has had an unorthodox start to his NBA career after going undrafted out of Florida. He earned a two-way deal immediately from the Heat but was waived to make room for Josh Christopher. This week, he was re-signed to an Exhibit 10 deal, signaling Miami still wants him in the organization. Ira Winderman of South Florida Sun Sentinel thinks Pullin will have an opportunity to compete for a two-way deal this fall. As we detailed on Tuesday, that may be an uphill battle, as he’d have to beat out Isaiah Stevens, Dru Smith and possibly Alondes Williams for that final spot. Smith is currently under contract in that two-way slot, while Williams is an unrestricted free agent. Pullin and Stevens are both on Exhibit 10 deals.

Southeast Notes: Valanciunas, Sarr, Carrington, Wallace, Salaun

July 27th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Adding a physical center like Jonas Valanciunas should make life easier for rookie big man Alex Sarr, but that’s not the only reason the Wizards acquired him, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. Regardless of who else is on the court, Valanciunas will handle the traditional center duties of rebounding, setting screens and providing a rugged presence on defense.

“I think it allows optionality for our whole team,” coach Brian Keefe said. “He’s an anchor down there on both ends, this is why we wanted his presence and his physicality. It’s not just for Alex, it’s for our whole team.”

Hughes notes that Valanciunas was previously in a similar situation in Memphis, where he played alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. early in Jackson’s career. Valanciunas gives Keefe an opportunity to exploit size advantages, depending how he decides to handle his lineup. That should help alleviate a rebounding problem that plagued the team last season.

“That’s why we got him. He’ll bring that physicality, bring that toughness,” Keefe said. “Then, his ability to make plays, too, and pass. He’s a professional. He’s been doing this for a long time. We’re thrilled to have him.”

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Sarr’s defense is far ahead of his offense, Hughes adds in an overview of the Wizards‘ Summer League performance. The big man registered 10 blocks in four games and altered many other shots with his relentless effort. Although he often struggled with his shot, Sarr looks “NBA ready” on defense, according to Hughes. Fellow lottery pick Carlton Carrington was a standout in Las Vegas, averaging 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.0 steals in five games. It’s the fourth-highest rebounding figure for a rookie point guard in Summer League history, Hughes adds.
Keaton Wallace “impacts winning,” assistant coach Ryan Schmidt posted on Twitter after the Hawks signed the free agent guard to a two-way contract, per Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. Wallace is hoping to take advantage of the opportunity after spending the past three seasons in the G League. “I feel like I still have more to show,” he said. “I can always be better in a lot of categories of my game. But I do feel like my work has paid off and it’s just a blessing. I think it could be great for me just trying to learn and be better and get advice from other guys and just leaning on my teammates to get better.”
Hornets rookie Tidjane Salaun only appeared in two Summer League games, but he has displayed a strong work ethic to go along with his physical talents, observes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. As the first draft pick under new president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and head coach Charles Lee, Salaun is the type of self-starter they’re looking to build the organization around. “For me, it’s playing confidence,” Salaun said. “That makes the difference. That’s always been the key for me, always been the key for me, because when you have confidence even if the shot is hard with my confidence I know I’m going to make it.”

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Fields, Murray, Hawks, Magic

July 12th, 2024 at 1:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Australian swingman Josh Green told Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer that he was asleep when his agents phoned him around 3:00 am to inform him he was being traded to the Hornets.

The 23-year-old, who is on the Australian national team that will compete in the Paris Olympics, was sent to Charlotte from Dallas in the six-team mega-deal that saw Klay Thompson land with the Mavs. He says he’s “super excited” for a fresh start.

“It’s such a young team and they play at a fast pace,” Green said, “and I think I’m able to thrive in transition, being able to pick up the ball and play defense and just continue to grow my game. I’m still a young guy and it gets fun to be around older guys in Dallas and learn from them, and take that to Charlotte and just come in with a winning mindset, and, yeah, be ready to go.”

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Boone also recently spoke to the Hornets‘ 2024 draft picks, Tidjane Salaun (No. 6 overall) and KJ Simpson (No. 42). French forward Salaun, who doesn’t turn 19 until next month, says he didn’t watch the NBA growing up as he didn’t think he’d make it to the league. He says being a lottery pick is a surreal experience. “Yeah, it’s weird. Yes.” Salaun told Boone. “For sure because before I became a professional I was in (France) with my teammates, some guys we go to school every day without crowds. And now I have some fans … just all of this is crazy. Just to have a practice facility … I have a practice facility that’s different than the arena. Everything, everything. The weight room. They have many things to be the best possible and in shape.” Simpson, meanwhile is nursing a hamstring strain that will sideline him for all of Las Vegas Summer League, but he’s still actively involved on the sidelines, encouraging teammates and analyzing film. The 6’0″ guard, who is on a two-way contract, says he wants to hone his decision-making and defensive skills, according to Boone.
Hawks GM Landry Fields says it was a tough choice to trade Dejounte Murray, but ultimately it was a necessary one, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was a hard decision,” Fields said. “It was challenging. We knew that where we ultimately want to be was gonna require some challenging decisions. Just not being at that point, currently, where we felt like we can continue on with what we have. So wanted to reshape some things and this is an unfortunate part of the of the business. Dejounte is a fantastic player. … But we’re also very excited about the guys that we got back, got a few assets with it, too, which are going to be helpful for us to continue to build, so I wish him nothing but the best. He and his family have been great with us.” Fields also acknowledged Atlanta is facing a “roster crunch” after acquiring four players for one in the deal. The Hawks have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts now that Vit Krejci‘s four-year deal is official, plus Bruno Fernando on a non-guaranteed contract with a early guarantee date of August 1.
In a subscriber-only story for The Orlando Sentinel, Jason Beede lists five things to watch for the Magic heading into Las Vegas Summer League, including second-year guard Anthony Black‘s growth as a leader. As Beede writes, Orlando’s Summer League squad features recent first-rounders in Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva, plus a handful of former NBA veterans trying to make it back in the league (such as Jarrett Culver and Theo Maledon).

Hornets’ Tidjane Salaun Signs Rookie Contract

July 3rd, 2024 at 9:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have signed lottery pick Tidjane Salaun to his rookie scale contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Salaun is headed to Charlotte after spending the past two seasons with Cholet Basket in France’s top basketball league (LNB Elite). In 54 games with the team in 2023/24, the 6’9″ forward averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest.

The No. 6 overall pick Salaun was one of three French prospects selected in the top half of the 2024 lottery, joining countrymen Zaccharie Risacher (No. 1) and Alex Sarr (No. 2). He’s also one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class — he won’t turn 19 next until next month.

As our breakdown of rookie scale salaries show, Salaun will earn nearly $7.5MM in 2024/25 and approximately $34MM over the next four years, assuming he signed for the usual 120% of the rookie scale amount and eventually has his third- and fourth-year options exercised.

Southeast Notes: Valanciunas, Salaun, Simpson, Wagner, Heat

July 1st, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reaching a three-year agreement with 32-year-old center Jonas Valanciunas seems like an odd move for a rebuilding team. So why did the Wizards do it?

As Josh Robbins and William Guillory of The Athletic see it, Valanciunas’ presence will allow second overall draft pick Alex Sarr to develop at a slow and steady pace. Sarr needs to add bulk and muscle to his seven-foot frame and Valanciunas can match up against more physical centers. The veteran can also serve as a role model to the team’s other younger players.

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Hornets lottery pick Tidjane Salaun suffered a minor laceration near his knee but is expected to be available for the start of Las Vegas Summer League next week. However, he will unavailable when the team begins mini-camp in Sacramento on Tuesday. Second-round pick KJ Simpson won’t play during either the Sacramento or Las Vegas Summer Leagues as he continues to rehab a hamstring injury suffered during the pre-draft process. He is expected to be fully recovered and available at the start of training camp this fall, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).
The Magic have reached an agreement with backup big Goga Bitadze but they’re still interested in re-signing Moritz Wagner, who reciprocates that interest, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. Orlando declined its $8MM option on Wagner’s contract prior to free agency.
Other than reaching a two-year agreement with Kevin Love, the Heat haven’t done much in terms of their 15-man roster during the first two days of free agency. It’s a product of the team’s salary-cap crunch, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. They don’t have much to offer to outside free agents and new restrictions in the CBA make it harder to pull off a trade. Miami also doesn’t have much draft capital to facilitate those deals.

Southeast Notes: Atlanta, Young, Butler, Ware, Hornets

June 28th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hawks‘ trade of Dejounte Murray will make the roster cheaper, more coherent, and a better fit around star guard Trae Young, The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes. However, it’s not clear whether Young remains in the franchise’s long-term plans.

While the roster might fit better together now, the Hawks have gone 161-157 over the past four seasons and don’t necessarily appear any closer to being a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, due to the original acquisition of Murray, the Spurs control the Hawks’ first-round picks for the next three drafts (unprotected in 2025 and 2027 and an unprotected swap in 2026)

That’s why, Hollinger writes, the Spurs are the most logical trade partner for any deal involving Young. San Antonio is looking for an elite point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama, and the combined salaries of Devonte’ Graham (whose guarantee date was just pushed back), Zach Collins and Tre Jones match Young’s, Hollinger points out.

Outside of Young, offers for the likes of Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter have been lacking, Hollinger hears from league sources, but more moves out of Atlanta are expected.

For now though, this is Young’s team and the trade of Murray allows for more roster flexibility, including unlocking the non-taxpayer mid-level exception as a result of ducking under the luxury tax line.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Heat star Jimmy Butler is planning to play out the 2024/25 season and then opt out of his contract and hit unrestricted free agency next year, without signing an extension. While it isn’t the ideal outcome for either side, it represents a middle ground that allows Butler to bet on himself and buys the Heat time to figure out their future. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Miami understands Butler is the key to any postseason success this season. Still, Guillory wonders if it might make more sense to turn the page on the Butler era as the team quietly continues building a strong young core.
The Heat introduced the newest member of that young core to the media on Friday, with No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware making his press debut. “We feel very fortunate that we were able to get the specific player we wanted, that can complement our team, can complement Bam [Adebayo],” Heat president Pat Riley said, per the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Ware immediately becomes the tallest player on Miami’s roster.
The Hornets waiving Seth Curry and declining the team option on JT Thor‘s contract suggest they’re preparing to operate as a cap room team if they lose free agent forward Miles Bridges, Hollinger writes in a separate post. The Hornets could create up to $23MM in cap space if they waive the non-guaranteed contracts of Aleksej Pokusevski and Bryce McGowens.
The Hornets also introduced draft picks Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson on Friday. The duo represents vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson‘s first two pieces of his roster vision and culture. “[Salaün and Simpson] just embody everything that we want to be about,” Peterson said, per The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone. “They are extremely unselfish. They work, they understand the importance of putting the time in. It’s the only way you are going to get the results that you want. They compete and they just have an amazing outlook and approach in terms of how to get better on a daily basis. So these two guys just embody exactly what we want to be about going forward.“

Draft Rumors: Hornets, Salaun, Nets, Celtics, Spurs

June 26th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets are considering Tidjane Salaun with the No. 6 pick, sources tell Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The French power forward has been rising up draft boards recently.

Salaun had to cancel workouts with Charlotte and Detroit after spraining his ankle during a recent session in San Antonio, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. He did work out for the Trail Blazers, who hold the seventh pick, and the Spurs are believed to have interest at No. 8, so there’s a good chance he’ll be selected somewhere in the middle of the lottery. Oklahoma City (No. 12) and Sacramento (No. 13) also hosted workouts with Salaun.

Here are a few more rumors as the draft draws closer:

The Nets are “open for business” after reaching an agreement to trade Mikal Bridges to New York, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith are among the players believed to be available as Brooklyn tries to move into the first round.
The Celtics are shopping the final pick in the first round in hopes of acquiring some extra selections later on, a source tells Brian Robb of MassLive. Robb notes that Boston sent out two second-round picks to acquire Xavier Tillman from Memphis and another in the Jaden Springer deal with Philadelphia, so the team is short on second-rounders. A source tells Robb the Celtics are planning offseason extensions with Derrick White and Sam Hauser, so it will be important to fill out the roster as inexpensively as possible.
The Spurs will be looking for shooters with at least one of their lottery picks, general manager Brian Wright told Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The team ranked 28th in three-point shooting percentage this season. “We broke the (franchise) record for (total) three-pointers, but then percentage-wise we’re towards the bottom end of the league, right?” Wright said. “So I think you obviously want to add shooting.” McDonald views Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard as a possible shooting upgrade with the fourth pick if he slips past Houston at No. 3, while Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht is in the mix at No. 8.

Central Notes: Cavs, Gohlke, Bucks, Pistons, DeRozan

June 26th, 2024 at 3:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers hold the No. 20 pick in tonight’s draft and currently don’t have another selection. However, they’re actively looking to get involved in Thursday’s second round, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor in a subscriber-only story. Sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have had numerous talks with each team holding a second-round pick to determine the cost of moving into Thursday’s portion of the draft. Cleveland’s own second-rounder is currently owned by the Pacers.

We have more from the Central Division:

Guard Jack Gohlke recently worked out for the Bucks, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The three-point specialist made a big splash in the NCAA Tournament when Oakland University shocked Kentucky in the opening round.
If the Bucks want to draft a center, it’s probably best to just wait and see who falls to them at No. 23 tonight, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Nehm doesn’t believe that packaging the No. 23 and 33 picks will be enough to make a significant move up the draft board, plus there are a number of center prospects who could be available in the latter stages of the first round.
There’s a “very high” chance the Pistons will trade the No. 5 pick and move into the back half of the lottery, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. He views the Bulls, Grizzlies, Thunder and Trail Blazers as the most likely candidates to work out a deal for that pick. Cody Williams and Tidjane Salaun could be targeted in the back half of the lottery if Detroit moves down. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has reported that the Jazz, who have the No. 10 overall pick, might look to move into the No. 5 slot.
If Paul George leaves the Clippers, they might target Bulls free agent wing DeMar DeRozan, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. There reportedly has been little traction in talks between the Bulls and DeRozan, who will be an unrestricted free agent if those negotiations fizzle.

Draft Rumors: Knicks, Sixers, Dillingham, Heat, Jazz, Lakers, More

June 26th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

After surrendering several future first-round picks in their trade agreement for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks are now considered more likely to keep their three picks – No. 24, No. 25, and No. 38 – in this year’s draft, which begins on Wednesday night, Jonathan Givony writes in ESPN’s latest mock draft (Insider link).

The updated mock draft from Givony and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo includes several more notable tidbits, including the fact that the Sixers have conducted perhaps the fewest pre-draft workouts of any team with a first-round pick, resulting in speculation that the No. 16 selection will be traded.

Givony also provides an update on Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, who wasn’t able to work out for teams for most of the pre-draft process due to an ankle injury. According to Givony, teams picking both earlier and later in the first round are trying to figure out where they might need to get to in order to land Dillingham, who has been considered a candidate to fall further than initially anticipated.

The Heat at No. 15 would be one option for Dillingham, as rival teams expect them to select a guard at that spot. Jared McCain, Isaiah Collier, and Carlton Carrington have also been mentioned as candidates for Miami at No. 15, Givony writes.

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which gets underway in less than 11 hours:

According to Givony, the Jazz (No. 10) have looked into some trade-up scenarios involving the Pistons‘ No. 5 overall pick. Their likely target would be UConn’s Stephon Castle, who is considered a possibility for the Hornets at No. 6 but may also come off the board at No. 4 to the Spurs, Givony explains.
Some rival executives think the Lakers will attempt to move up from No. 17 in the draft in order to target a specific player, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, who says Providence’s Devin Carter and Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter are two prospects the team likes.
Within his final look at the Spurs‘ draft options at No. 4 and 8, LJ Ellis of SpursTalk says a rumor that San Antonio has made a promise to French forward Tidjane Salaun has been “spreading like wildfire in the draft world,” though he hasn’t been able to confirm it himself. Ellis lists Salaun at No. 5 on his big board of Spurs draft prospects.
Salaun is also a potential target to watch for the Trail Blazers at No. 7, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who identifies Donovan Clingan, Cody Williams, Dalton Knecht, and Salaun as the prospects he believes Portland is most interested in. At No. 14, Highkin views Kyshawn George, Tristan Da Silva, Kel’el Ware, and Zach Edey as the Blazers’ most likely targets.