Victor Wembanyama Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Notes: Vassell, Defense, Jones, Birch, Bassey

October 5th, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Spurs guard Devin Vassell recently signed a five-year, $135MM+ rookie scale extension. As Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes in a subscriber-only story, Vassell’s contract is the largest in team history.

While some may have been surprised by the price tag, his teammates say Vassell doesn’t get enough recognition.

“If you really watch the league, the players in this league, the coaches, they all respect Devin,” said second-year forward Jeremy Sochan. “I feel like he is underrated, but he is a special player, too.”

After being limited to 38 games in 2022/23 due to a knee injury, Vassell spent the offseason focused on weight training to improve his conditioning and withstand the rigors of an 82-game schedule. Vassell thinks the added muscle will help improve his finishing at the basket as well, according to McDonald.

Head coach Gregg Popovich believes Vassell is on the right track, both now and going forward.

“He wants to prove himself, both as a player and a leader,” Popovich said. “He has already taken some big steps.”

For his part, the 23-year-old wing says he’s focused on helping the Spurs reclaim their status as a perennial playoff team and bringing a sixth championship to San Antonio.

“This is where I want to be,” Vassell said, per McDonald. “Now all I am trying to do is win, get championships and put some more banners up there.”

Here’s more from San Antonio:

No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama has made an instant impact in training camp with his defense, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link). “I came off a handoff and thought I had a wide-open three,” said forward Doug McDermott. “All of a sudden an arm comes out of nowhere and takes the ball. He’s pretty special. He’s going to dominate on that end of the floor.” Still, after finishing with the worst defense in NBA history last season, the Spurs know they can’t just rely on their prized rookie to lift them up. As Orsborn writes, Keldon Johnson struggled defensively in 2022/23, but he believes he has become an “elite defender” this offseason. “I feel like I’ve grown a lot this summer,” Johnson said. “I put a lot of hard work and time into my body and my craft in basketball. So, I’m ready. I’m excited to prove all the doubters wrong.”
Point guard Tre Jones, who signed a two-year, $19MM+ deal in free agency to return to the Spurs, started 65 of his 68 games last season. However, Popovich was noncommittal when asked if Jones will start in 2023/24, tweets Orsborn. “We haven’t made any decisions on who is where,” Popovich said.
Even after waiving Cameron Payne and Reggie Bullock, the Spurs are still facing a roster crunch, with 16 players on guaranteed contracts. Two players who might be battling for the final roster spot are centers Khem Birch and Charles Bassey, who both dealt with knee injuries last season. According to Orsborn, Popovich said the two big men have been full participants in practices thus far (Twitter link).

Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Collins, Sochan, Vassell, Johnson

October 3rd, 2023 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Wembanyama will receive an overwhelming amount of attention during his rookie season with the Spurs. He doesn’t believe it will be a major distraction for his teammates, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez writes.

“They know I don’t care about it (the attention),” Wembanyama said. “I’m here to make sacrifices for them and I think when it’s needed, they’re also going to make sacrifices for me. And they know it’s different. They know it’s going to happen. Of course, there’s going to be a lot of attention, but it’s at the end of the day when everything is done and we’re at practice and I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK, what do we do to get this thing better?’ So it’s really stuff we don’t care about. It’s basketball first.”

We have more from the Spurs:

Center Zach Collins marveled after Wembanyama’s first day of camp how the rookie can dunk from odd angles, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News writes. “He does a lot of stuff you don’t really see too often,” Collins said. “The way he can dunk the ball, he is so close to the rim and it looks so easy for him. And he is doing it from weird angles and his body is contorted in certain ways, but his arm still gets to the rim. … It’s a weapon we haven’t had before.”
Jeremy Sochan spent most of his rookie year playing power forward but he can play any position, Gregg Popovich told Kelly Iko of The Athletic and other media members. “He can play one through four,” Popovich said. “And depending on circumstances — who we’re playing, injuries — I could see him going to the five and us playing small. He’s like a utility infielder in baseball; maybe they don’t have that anymore. The sky’s the limit for him. He’s so competitive. He handles the ball. He’s one of our best passers. He’s really important in creating pace for us, that up-tempo style that we did so much better with last year. Very, very fun to watch.”
Devin Vassell‘s five-year rookie scale extension has an unusual structure, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Vassell will make $29,347,826 in 2024/25 and $27MM in each of the next two seasons. He’ll get $24,692,174 in 2027/28, when a potential Wembanyama extension could kick in, and $27MM in the final year of the contract. The deal also includes $11MM in unlikely bonuses.
Collins, Wembanyama and Vassell seem like locks for the starting five. Tre Jones is the logical choice at point guard, so if Sochan gets the other lineup spot, that would leave last year’s leading scorer — Keldon Johnson — on the bench, McDonald notes.

Spurs Notes: 2023/24 Outlook, Wembanyama, Olympics

September 19th, 2023 at 7:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite adding No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs appear set to be a lottery team once again in 2023/24, writes Paul Fogerty of SpursTalk.

As Fogerty notes, San Antonio is anticipated to surpass the 22-60 record it posted last season, but will likely still finish well below .500. Part of the thinking behind that forecast, per Fogerty, is that the makeup of the rest of the club remains fairly unchanged this year.

There’s more out of San Antonio:

Bouncing back from the lottery dregs for the Spurs is going to take more than adding Wembanyama, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez and Kevin Pelton opine. The Spurs’ two previous No. 1 picks, Hall of Fame big men Tim Duncan and David Robinson, powered San Antonio to two of the three best single-season improvements in NBA history during their respective rookie years. Duncan led the Spurs to a 36-win turnaround in 1997/98, while Robinson propelled San Antonio to a 35-win shift in 1989/90. However, it’s unfair to place the same expectations on Wembanyama, ESPN’s duo writes.
Wembanyama has confirmed that he plans to play for Team France at the Paris Olympics next summer, according to The Associated Press. “Performing well at the Olympics would be a great story,” Wembanyama said. “I’ll be present at the Olympics, and there’s no other goal than gold.” France won the silver medal at the most recent summer games in 2021, but did not advance out of the first round in the FIBA World Cup this summer. “The World Cup was very disappointing,” Wembanyama was quoted as saying on Tuesday. “But I have no judgment to make as I wasn’t there.”
In case you missed it, free agent guard Javante McCoy has signed an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the Spurs.

Western Notes: Jones, Wembanyama, Washington, Jackson

August 21st, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans forward Herbert Jones admits he didn’t expect to sign a lucrative long-term contract at this stage of his career, he told Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Jones, the 35th pick of the 2021 draft, inked a four-year, $54MM deal in July.

“It was crazy, to say the least. It was just, like, crazy how quick it happens to be honest. … It just felt like the time had flown by almost,” the third-year Pelicans forward said. “When it happened, I was super shocked it had happened so quickly into my career, given where I was drafted.”

Jones, noted for his defense, averaged 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 66 starts for the Pelicans last season.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Victor Wembanyama is working on his strength and toughness in an unconventional manner. He’s taking lessons from San Antonio boxing great “Jesse” James Leija, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “I was shocked he was going to work out with us,” Leija said of the Spurs’ top pick. “I didn’t think he would ever do it because he is new and they want to make sure nothing happens to him. But, nah, he was ready. We wrapped him up and he took to it so fast. I was amazed at how fast he picked it up, his skill level.”
TyTy Washington has cleared waivers, leaving the Thunder with $2,320,440 in dead money on their salary cap, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. The 29th pick of the 2022 draft was waived on Friday. Washington played for the Rockets in his rookie season, then was dealt twice this summer. Oklahoma City is off the hook for the $2.43MM and $4.39MM team options on his contract for ’24/25 and ’25/26.
Reggie Jackson re-signed with the Nuggets last month and the veteran point guard expects to play a significant role as they look to defend their title. “This is a big season for me and for us in general,” Jackson told The Athletic’s Tony Jones. “The understanding that we have to go into the season with is that we have a mark on our backs collectively as a team. But, also, I have to do my part and do everything I can to try and make us as successful as possible.”

Western Notes: Mavs, Wembanyama, Hendricks, Rockets

August 15th, 2023 at 8:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has expressed that he may be done with offseason moves, though The Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend has his doubts. Harrison feels “good” about how the roster looks now.

“I feel like we accomplished the goals that we set out to do, every step of the way,” he said. “So in that regard, on paper, it feels good. So we’ll see how it turns out.”

Townsend notes that JaVale McGee is still on the roster, though he doesn’t appear to be in the team’s plans. The Mavs are also in need of an upgrade at center and are only marginally improved at the forward spots compared to last offseason.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The league’s broadcast partners are showcasing top pick Victor Wembanyama during the in-season tournament, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps notes. The Spurs will have three of their four group play contests shown by either TNT or ESPN. They are the only team that has more than two of its four group play games on ESPN and TNT.
Jazz lottery pick Taylor Hendricks, who sat out Summer League due to a right hamstring strain, has been cleared to participate in all on court activities, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Another Jazz rookie, Brice Sensabaugh, continues to make progress after undergoing left knee surgery in March.
Forward Jae’Sean Tate believes the Rockets will be vastly improved defensively, he told Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “We can be very problematic for teams,” he said. “When you have guys with length, guys who can match the physicality of the opposing team, it’s hard for them to get an advantage. You have guys on the team who can guard multiple positions at once. It makes it hard for them to score.”

Southwest Notes: Irving, Harden, Spurs, Popovich, Sengun

August 14th, 2023 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving showed his support for former Nets teammate James Harden after Harden called Sixers executive Daryl Morey a liar, The Dallas Morning News relays.

When ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski labeled Harden “disgruntled” in a social media post, Irving stood by Harden on his official Twitter (X) page.

“Is he Disgruntled Adrian?? Or is he holding Morey accountable for his dishonesty and lack of transparency throughout the contract negotiation process this summer?” Irving wrote.

Harden reportedly was unhappy with Irving prior to be traded to Philadelphia, but Irving’s post suggests the two star guards may be on better terms now.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Victor Wembanyama has created so much buzz that the Spurs have released more season ticket packages to their fans. According to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News, the Spurs have opened an additional 1,500 season ticket membership opportunities. The multi-game options include a full season with 42 home games, a half season with 20 games and a 10-home game plan.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich rarely speaks about his family but he opened up about his late wife Erin and his children during his acceptance speech at the Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, Orsborn notes in a separate story. “I have a family,” Popovich said. “People think I just do basketball. I don’t really like it that much. Basketball doesn’t love us back, does it? We use it like a bar of soap, right? It pays our bills. It gives us a wonderful life. But I don’t remember it saying, ‘I love you, Pop.’ It’s different. It’s the family.”
Rockets center Alperen Sengun has set lofty goals for himself, according to Semih Tuna of Eurohoops.net. “Of course, like everyone else, my goal is to become an All-Star,” Sengun said. “I hope I can do that.” Sengun averaged 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists in his second NBA season.

Texas Notes: Wembanyama, Ginobili, Popovich, Mavericks

August 12th, 2023 at 4:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Hall of Fame former Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili is ready to help the team’s 2023 No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama reach his astronomic ceiling, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.

“He is a different type of player than we have ever seen before, so it is a great challenge for the organization and also for him to grow together and to make it together,” Ginobili said. “He is 19, so he is going to have to work a lot, the organization is going to have to work a lot to develop him… But it is a thrill. It is a great problem in some ways to have. So, we are very excited to have him, the same as the community, of course.”

The 7’3″ big man from France looks to be an intimidating defensive force from the start of his rookie season, but he may take some time to develop as a scorer.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State.

On the heels of the addition of Wembanyama and a five-year contract extension, 74-year-old Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t nearly seem done with his Hall of Fame career as both the club’s coach and president of basketball operations. Nevertheless, he will be officially honored in Springfield tonight for his accomplishments thus far. With the four stars that helped propel him to his five titles now all enshrined, Popovich is finally open to his own induction, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt takes stock of Popovich’s storied run in San Antonio, and examines what is to come.
Some surprising names mark Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype‘s list detailing the top 12 highest-earning names in Mavericks history, including Shawn Bradley, Erick Dampier, Wesley Matthews, Kristaps Porzingis, and Dwight Powell. Though the No. 1 most highly compensated Dallas player will hardly surprise anyone, the name at No. 2 certainly will.
In case you missed it, 2021 Rockets lottery pick Jalen Green impressed USA Basketball brass with his performance for the Select Team in a pre-FIBA World Cup scrimmage against Team USA in Las Vegas.

And-Ones: Wembanyama, Hall Of Fame, Cap Room, Prospects, Europe

August 10th, 2023 at 9:26pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Victor Wembanyama‘s first NBA game takes place on Oct. 25, one day after opening day, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). The Spurs play the Mavericks on the second day of the regular season, pitting Wembanyama against Dallas star Luka Doncic.

The Spurs’ offseason revolved around developing their young corps, featuring players like Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan, along with taking in big contracts in exchange for draft capital. Meanwhile, the Mavericks made several moves in free agency and in the draft to help them rebound from a lackluster 2022/23.

Stein also tweets that the full ’23/24 schedule release is expected next week. Shams Charania reported the NBA’s opening day lineup and the slate of Christmas Day games earlier today.

Here are more notes from around the basketball world:

With the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 induction taking place this weekend, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov explored candidacies of several players for the Hall. Vorkunov evaluates DeMar DeRozan, Paul George and Kyrie Irving‘s respective cases. Even though he lists all as “near locks,” DeRozan and Irving could be on the cusp. In total, Vorkunov lists 41 players, breaking them into tiers for their likelihood of reaching the Hall. Vorkunov predicts some are obvious locks to be named, like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while others like Rajon Rondo and Blake Griffin, might not make it. Vorkunov also discusses players who are on track to be named to the Hall, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bam Adebayo, and breaks down why Derrick Rose will be the only MVP to not make the Hall of Fame. I recommend reading the article in full, some picks may surprise you.
Spotrac contributor Keith Smith made his first pass at 2024 cap space projections (Twitter link). Smith lists seven teams that are projected to have over $20MM in cap to work with. The Spurs lead the way with projected 2024 cap space, sitting at $55.3MM, according to Smith, while the Magic are close behind with $51.3MM to spend. The Jazz, Hornets, Pistons, Sixers and Wizards round out the top seven. Pascal Siakam, LeBron James (player option), James Harden and DeMar DeRozan are among the players who could be available next free agency.
The FIBA U18 European Championship took place from July 22-30. The event is a great tool to evaluate future NBA prospects, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who says that more than four first-round picks per year participated in the event between 2011-21. Givony lists his top 10 prospects from the event (subscription required). UCLA-bound Aday Mara, Mohamed Diawara and Mario Saint-Supery are among the players who crack Givony’s top 10. Givony lists 17-year-old Hugo Gonzalez as his pick for best player at the tournament, as he impressed with his blend of size, frame, shot creation and feel.
Players like Kemba Walker, Willy Hernangomez and Raul Neto are among those who made the move to play in Europe next season. In recent years, we’ve seen players like Nikola Mirotic depart the NBA in the middle of their primes in order to pursue opportunities in Europe. Jabari Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, recently signed overseas and is one of the highest-selected draft picks to do so. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (subscriber link) explores why players are making such moves overseas and why European basketball might be an appealing alternative to the NBA or other overseas leagues for players.

Poll: Early Rookie Of The Year Pick

August 9th, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Scoot Henderson declared this week that he intends to take home the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2024, and he should be in a good position to do so.

Assuming the Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard before the season begins, Henderson is primed to play a key role in the backcourt for a Portland team that figures to take a step back and focus more on developing its young cornerstones than vying for a high seed in the Western Conference. In that scenario, this year’s No. 3 overall pick would have the ball in his hands a lot and would be given the opportunity to take on considerable scoring and play-making responsibilites as a rookie.

Unsurprisingly though, betting site BetOnline.ag doesn’t consider Henderson the Rookie of the Year favorite. That spot belongs to No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, widely considered the best prospect to enter the NBA since LeBron James.

Like LeBron in 2003, Wembanyama is considered a safe bet to make an immediate impact. While San Antonio will likely manage his workload, especially in back-to-back scenarios, he should play a significant frontcourt role on a retooling Spurs team that intends to build around him for years to come. It’s possible Wembanyama won’t match Henderson’s scoring numbers as a rookie, but he has a better chance to be a two-way force in his first NBA season.

While Wembanyama (-150) and Henderson (+250) are the two Rookie of the Year frontrunners, BetOnline.ag considers Thunder big man Chet Holmgren (+325) a legitimate contender too. The No. 2 overall pick in 2022, Holmgren missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, putting him in position to essentially get a second rookie year in 2023/24.

Holmgren likely won’t be asked to carry much of the offensive load for an Oklahoma City team that has plenty of scoring options, but his ability to protect the rim and block shots could make him an ideal fit for the Thunder, who could have used that sort of player last season (they ranked 22nd in blocks per game).

Holmgren’s year of NBA seasoning off the court could work in his favor, as could a strong year from the Thunder, who came one play-in game away from a postseason spot last season. Playing a key role on a playoff team helped swing the Rookie of the Year vote in Scottie Barnes‘ favor in 2022, for instance.

While BetOnline.ag views them as longer shots, other rookies who were drafted in the lottery in June, including Hornets forward Brandon Miller and the Thompson twins, could make a run at Rookie of the Year honors too.

We want to know what you think. Who’s your early pick for Rookie of the Year in 2023/24? Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Southwest Notes: Spurs Arena, Mavs’ WNBA Investment, Jackson Jr., Aldama

August 7th, 2023 at 9:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s no coincidence that the Spurs found a sponsor for their arena after winning the lottery and selecting Victor Wembanyama, Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News writes. The arena, previously named the AT&T Center, has been renamed Frost Bank Center. The agreement is expected to last for the duration of the team’s lease, which runs through the 2031/32 season.

The Spurs received about 4,000 new season-ticket deposits between the lottery and draft due to Wembanyama mania. That helped to convince Front Bank to become the new sponsor.

The AT&T Center’s marquee became available in 2021, when the telecommunications company decided not to renew its naming rights deal. The Spurs were unable to find a new partner at that time, so they extended their agreement with AT&T through last season.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks and the WNBA’s Dallas Wings have forged a business and philanthropic partnership, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. The Wings, who are independently owned, are now wearing a Mavericks-sponsored jersey patch featuring the logos of the Mavericks and GEM: Girls Empowered by Mavericks. The Mavericks have made a seven-figure investment in the WNBA club. “I’m unaware of any partnership to this extent, breadth and depth between NBA and WNBA teams that are not a shared ownership situation,” Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb said.
In a subscriber-only article, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal details how the Grizzlies front office has been in contact with Team USA and Spain with regard to the minutes Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama will play in the FIBA World Cup and is pleased with the communication from both national teams.
Aldama is looking forward to playing against top competition in the World Cup, the Grizzlies forward told Michael Wallace of the team’s website. “This is all just in general for my growth,” he said. “It’s just a learning opportunity. I need to put on some pounds, get bigger, quicker and stronger overall. I’ve got to get to the best version of myself and help my teammates in as many ways as possible, play multiple positions.”
The Rockets recently added two players to their training camp roster. Get the details here.