Wendell Moore Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Cavaliers, White, P. Williams, Moore, Sasser

November 17th, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Only three NBA teams have ever started a season 15-0, and the Cavaliers have a chance to join them today by beating Charlotte, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. This year’s Cavs have already set a franchise record with 14 straight victories, and they appear to have a legitimate chance to win the Eastern Conference. There weren’t any major roster changes during the offseason, but the team seemed to reset by hiring Kenny Atkinson as head coach.

Atkinson has installed an up-tempo offensive system that emphasizes spacing, ball movement and creating open three-point opportunities. After serving as an assistant coach with Golden State, Atkinson has his team playing a style that’s similar to the Warriors.

“I was so thrilled when Draymond (Green) said that the other day,” Atkinson said. “He was just really impressed how we pinged the ball around. How we drive, kick, swing. We get it out of pick and roll. We get it in fast-break situations, and it is Warriors-esque. It’s really that type of ball movement. It’s beautiful to watch.”

The Cavaliers gained a sense of stability over the summer when Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, maximum-salary extension, Withers adds. Mitchell has been able to carry the team whenever it needs a scoring boost, including an 18-point fourth quarter outburst in Friday’s win over Chicago.

“That was him,” Atkinson said. “That wasn’t us. It wasn’t me saying it. He just senses, ‘What does the team need right now?’ And that could be him or it could be someone else. And that speaks to his IQ, just understanding of who’s on the court, who he’s playing with.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

An offseason trade for Josh Giddey and the return of Lonzo Ball pushed Bulls guard Coby White into a different role this season. He talks about that adjustment and more in an interview with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. “My career with this team has put me in multiple roles, especially as our roster changes,” White said. “Last year, I was more on the ball, but this year, with guys like Lonzo and Giddey, who are really talented passers, I’m adjusting. They make it easy because they’re willing to make the right play every time. It’s an adjustment, but it’s been a smooth one thanks to them.”
Bulls forward Patrick Williams has been through an up-and-down career since being selected with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft, but he believes he has benefited from the experience, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘Where am I at in my career? I don’t know what other people felt it should have been,” Williams said. “I know that I feel I’m making my way toward it. You never want it to come easy. I didn’t want to be one of those guys that bloom early, blossom early. … Nah, I’d rather have it this way. Bumps and bruises, people talk [expletive] about me, ups and downs with an injury, ups and downs with everything. It builds an appreciation when I get where I’m going. It builds a resolve for when I do have a bad game, I can say, ‘I’ve been here before. Just move on.’’’
Wendell Moore Jr. and Marcus Sasser helped the Pistons hold off Toronto Friday night and improve to 2-0 in the NBA Cup, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The two bench players had the team’s highest plus-minus ratings in the fourth quarter, with Moore at plus-10 and Sasser at plus-seven. “Wendell and (Sasser), they were huge for us,” Cade Cunningham said. “They came in, brought so much energy, made shots, were flying around, defended. That group just got us back in the game and then from there we just rode it out.”

Grizzlies’ LaRavia, Pistons’ Moore Have 2025/26 Options Declined

October 31st, 2024 at 11:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have opted not to exercise Jake LaRavia‘s rookie scale team option for the 2025/26 season, according to Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link).

LaRavia is currently earning $3.35MM in his third NBA season. His fourth-year option would have been worth $5,163,127, but the Grizzlies will turn it down, putting the forward on track for unrestricted free agency next summer.

As Hill explains, Memphis is “encouraged” by the progress LaRavia has made and have interest in retaining him beyond the current season, but want to retain some roster and cap flexibility. The Grizzlies already have 12 other players on guaranteed contracts for 2025/26.

LaRavia, who will turn 23 on Sunday, has appeared in 75 NBA regular season games since being drafted 19th overall out of Wake Forest in 2022. He has averaged 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .393/.335/.780.

LaRavia was one of four players selected by the Grizzlies in the 2022 draft. Memphis has since traded David Roddy and waived Kennedy Chandler, making No. 47 overall pick Vince Williams the team’s most successful selection in that class — Williams was elevated from his two-way contract to the standard roster last season, agreeing to a four-year deal with the Grizzlies.

The deadline for teams to exercise 2025/26 rookie scale team options was 11:59 pm Eastern time on October 31. Pistons wing Wendell Moore was among the other players who had his option declined, confirms Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Detroit had five players with rookie scale options for ’25/26 and announced on Oct. 21 that they’d exercised four of those options. That was a very strong signal they weren’t picking up the fifth one, Moore’s, which was worth $4,574,283.

A former No. 26 overall pick, Moore was acquired from the Timberwolves by the Pistons in a salary-dump deal during the offseason and has essentially only ever played garbage-time minutes at the NBA level, logging just 229 total minutes in 55 appearances.

Like LaRavia, Moore will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025 if he plays out his current contract. The teams that have those players on their rosters at season’s end will be prohibited from offering them starting salaries exceeding what their options would have been worth.

You can view all of this year’s rookie scale option decisions right here.

Pistons Exercise 2025/26 Options On Four Players

October 21st, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have exercised their 2025/26 contract options on Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser, the team’s PR department tweets.

For Ivey and Duren, the options cover their fourth NBA seassons. Ivey, the fifth pick in 2022, will now get a guaranteed $10,107,163. Duren, chosen 13th overall that same draft after the Pistons swung a deal to acquire him, will make $6,483,144 next season.

Both players will either start or be regular second-unit players this season. They will be eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer.

Thompson and Sasser were first-rounders last season. Thompson, the No. 5 pick in 2023, will make $8,775,162 in 2025/26, while Sasser, the No. 25 pick last year, will receive $2,886,431. The Pistons will have until October 31, 2025 to pick up their fourth-year options for ’26/27.

Notably, the Pistons also have a fifth player who has a rookie scale team option for 2025/26: Wendell Moore, acquired over the summer in a trade with Minnesota, would make $4,574,283 if his option is picked up.

While Detroit still has another 10 days to exercise Moore’s option, teams typically announce all of those decisions at the same time, so his omission from today’s press release is a strong indication that option won’t be picked up. Assuming that’s the case, he’d become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

We’re tracking all of the ’25/26 rookie scale option decisions right here.

Pistons Notes: Beasley, Open Roster Spot, Draft, In-Season Tournament

August 14th, 2024 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Family connections weren’t the most important factor in Malik Beasley‘s free agency decision, but the new Pistons guard said his mother was happy to hear he’s going to play in the city where she grew up, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.

A starter with Milwaukee last season, Beasley accepted a one-year, $6MM offer to join the rebuilding effort in Detroit. He quickly embraced the community and spoke to Sankofa while conducting a youth basketball camp.

“I want to make this year impactful, and coming from a championship team I want to bring that energy to here,” Beasley said. “And as I said before, my family’s from here, so giving back to the community is always helpful and makes me happy. I definitely miss the Detroit basketball, that energy. I want to bring that back. Growing up, every summer my mom used to bring me out here to get roughed up and learn from my cousins. I’ve been here a lot and have a lot of family, so I’m excited.”

Beasley was a priority for new head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, who sought to add outside shooting and veteran leadership to the young roster he inherited. Beasley has appeared in 37 playoff games throughout his career, while most of his new teammates have never gotten close to the postseason. He told Sankofa that he’s already started the teaching process during offseason workouts.

“Just letting them know what it takes,” he said. “It’s going to take effort, getting over screens. If we’re doing a drill right now in the summertime and there’s nobody guarding us and we’re doing the drill to do the drill, stuff like that, I’ll tell them ‘Hey, you’re going to have Jrue Holiday on you, that’s not going to work. Hey, if I’m guarding you right now I would take that from you because you’re doing this.’ Just being there for those guys. They’re teaching me as well. It’s a whole big group and we look forward to getting to where we need to go.”

There’s more from Detroit:

Despite being the only remaining team with cap room, the Pistons won’t be in a rush to hand out a 15th standard contract, Keith Langlois of NBA.com states in a mailbag column. He expects the team to retain its flexibility in case an opportunity arises to acquire assets by facilitating a trade. Langlois also points out that Wendell Moore, who was acquired from Minnesota during the draft, only has a $2.54MM contract, so it would be relatively easy to open another roster spot if necessary.
In his first draft with the Pistons, Langdon proved he’s not afraid to take chances, Langlois adds in the same piece. He notes that neither Ron Holland or Bobi Klintman were considered “safe” picks, but Langdon was willing to gamble on their athletic gifts and competitive spirit.
The Pistons will be seeking their first-ever victory in the in-season tournament when plays begins in November, notes Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. Last season’s four tournament contests came during the team’s record-setting 28-game losing streak. Detroit is in East Group B this year with Milwaukee, Miami, Indiana and Toronto.

Pistons, Wolves, Grizzlies, Raptors Complete Four-Team Deal

July 6th, 2024 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Raptors have folded a series of separate trade agreements into a single four-team trade, which is now official, the Wolves announced today in a press release.

The Pistons and Timberwolves initially agreed to a deal sending Minnesota’s Wendell Moore to Detroit in exchange for a second-round pick swap, with the Pistons moving up from No. 53 to No. 37.

The Wolves subsequently traded the No. 53 pick to Memphis in exchange for No. 57 and a future second-rounder. Then Minnesota traded No. 57 to Toronto for a reported $1MM in cash.

The end result is as follows:

Pistons acquire Moore and the draft rights to Bobi Klintman (No. 37 pick).
Timberwolves acquire a future second-round pick (from Grizzlies) and cash ($1MM; from Raptors).
Grizzlies acquire the draft rights to Cam Spencer (No. 53 pick).
Raptors acquire the draft rights to Ulrich Chomche (No. 57 pick).

The Pistons are taking a chance on an inexpensive former first-rounder in Moore ($2.54MM salary in 2024/25) while having moved up in the second round to select a prospect higher on their draft board; the Wolves, who are operating over the second apron, save some money while having swapped out their No. 37 pick for a future second-rounder; and the Grizzlies and Raptors gave up minor assets to trade into the back end of the second round of the draft.

The one missing detail is here is which future second-round pick the Grizzlies are sending Minnesota. We’ll update our tracker of 2024 offseason trades with that information once it’s reported.

Grizzlies To Acquire No. 53 Pick Cam Spencer From Wolves

June 28th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Dana Gauruder

JUNE 28, 10:33am: The Timberwolves will acquire a future second-round pick from the Grizzlies to move down from No. 53 to No. 57, and cash considerations from the Raptors for No. 57, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

JUNE 27, 5:16pm: The Timberwolves are swapping the No. 53 pick to the Grizzlies for the No. 57 pick, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium tweets. Minnesota will then send the No. 57 pick to the Raptors, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

UConn shooting guard Cam Spencer was taken with the No. 53 and he’ll now join the Grizzlies. Spencer played a key role in UConn’s championship run this past season, averaging 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists after transferring from Rutgers. He also played three seasons at Loyola Maryland. Spencer shot 44% from beyond the 3-point arc for the Huskies and knocked 41.7% of his 3s in 132 college games.

He’s the fourth UConn player to get selected in this draft. Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan were chosen in the lottery and Tristen Newton was also selected in the second round.

Cameroon big man Ulrich Chomche was chosen at No. 57 and he’ll join Toronto. He spent this past season with the NBA Academy Africa. He only played three games during the Basketball Africa League qualifiers, in which he averaged 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal per game. Overall, he averaged 8.5 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 blocks in 26 games last season.

He’s the first player from the NBA Academy to be drafted.

Minnesota, in a cap-saving move, agreed to trade shooting guard Wendell Moore Jr. and the 37th pick to Detroit earlier in the day. The Pistons used that pick to select forward Bobi Klintman.

Essentially, the Timberwolves made three deals to trade out of the second round.

Wolves Trading Wendell Moore Jr. To Pistons In Pick Swap

June 27th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons will acquire shooting guard Wendell Moore Jr. and the 37th pick in today’s draft from the Timberwolves, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Minnesota will receive the 53rd selection in return.

The trade serves as a slight salary dump for the Wolves, who unload Moore’s $2.5MM contract for next season and will likely fill that roster spot with a minimum-salary player. Minnesota picked up the third-year option on Moore last October.

Moore, 22, was drafted by Dallas with the 26th pick in the 2022 draft and was shipped to Houston and then Minnesota in a pair of draft-day trades. He has seen limited playing time at the NBA level, appearing in 54 total games, including 25 this past season when he averaged just 3.0 minutes per night.

The Pistons will move up 16 spots in the second round, putting them in position to grab a player ranked higher on their board without sacrificing much of their projected cap room. They’re still on track to create over $60MM in room once the new league year begins.

Detroit will have until the end of October to decide whether or not to exercise the $4.57MM option on Moore’s contract for the 2025/26 season. Turning down that option would put him on track for unrestricted free agency next summer, while picking it up would set him up for possible restricted free agency in 2026.

This is the first reported deal on what is expected to be an active day of trading as the NBA draft has expanded to two days for the first time.

Scotto’s Latest: Jones, Wright, Hayes, Grizzlies, Okoro, More

February 5th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Rory Maher

He may not be a splashy name, but veteran point guard Tyus Jones is drawing interest from a variety of teams on the trade market, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The Lakers and Timberwolves have previously been linked to Jones, which Scotto confirms. However, he also adds three new possible suitors to the list: the Magic, Spurs and Nets.

As Scotto previously reported, the Wizards want a first-round pick back for Jones, preferably one beyond the 2024 draft, with a chance at being a top-20 selection. However, rival executives are reportedly confident that Washington will ultimately accept multiple second-rounders for the 27-year-old, who likely wouldn’t be a starter in certain situations and is on an expiring $14MM contract.

Jones has been the NBA’s assist-to-turnover leader for several years running and is posting career highs in several categories as a full-time starter for the first time in his NBA career, averaging 12.2 PPG, 6.3 APG (against 0.9 TOV), 2.8 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .491/.392/.758 shooting in 49 games (28.5 MPG). He has limitations too of course, namely size (he’s listed at 6’1″, 196 lbs.), which limits his defensive versatility.

It’s worth noting that San Antonio currently deploys Jones’ younger brother, Tre Jones, as its starting point guard, though the Spurs are reportedly on the lookout for a long-term fixture at the position, viewing Tre as more of a strong backup.

The Magic seem like an odd fit for Jones, since they have Markelle Fultz (another impending free agent), Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black as backcourt players who can initiate offense, though those duties are frequently handled by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Jones would obviously help on the turnovers front, but he’s small as opposed to rangy and athletic, which is the mold of the rest of Orlando’s roster, and he isn’t a high-volume long-range shooter (3.7 three-point attempts per game), which is a team weakness.

Here’s more from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:

The Celtics, Kings and Timberwolves are among the teams with interest in Wizards guard Delon Wright, sources tell Scotto. Washington is looking for second-round picks for the veteran guard, who had a previous stint with Sacramento back in 2020/21. Known for his excellent defense, Wright is on an expiring $8.2MM contract.
Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) reported on Sunday that Killian Hayes‘ camp preferred a change of scenery, and sources tell Scotto the Grizzlies are among the teams to show interest in the fourth-year Pistons guard. Hayes has fallen out of Detroit’s rotation of late and could be a restricted free agent if given a qualifying offer this summer. As for players rivals teams are monitoring from Memphis’ side, Scotto hears Xavier Tillman, Ziaire Williams and Jake LaRavia are all considered potential trade candidates. Tillman will be an unrestricted free agent, while former first-rounders Williams (third year) and LaRavia (second) are still on rookie scale deals.
Forward Danilo Gallinari is another Pistons trade candidate, Scotto adds, with the Lakers checking in on the asking price for the Italian veteran.
Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro is considered a trade candidate by rival teams, Scotto writes. One GM who spoke to HoopsHype speculated that Okoro could get $14MM annually in free agency this summer — right around the projected mid-level exception for 2024/25. As with Hayes, Okoro will be a restricted free agent if he’s tendered a qualifying offer, otherwise he’d be unrestricted and free to sign with any team. According to Scotto, the Knicks, Hawks, Pacers, Suns and Bucks are all worth watching, as they all have an interest in two-way wings.
In addition to Tyus Jones, Monte Morris, Bones Hyland and Wright, the Timberwolves also have interest in Pistons guard Alec Burks, Scotto reports. As Sankofa reported, the Pistons value Burks and “aren’t eager” to part with him. Sankofa suggested it would take a “strong offer” for Detroit to trade the 32-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. As for players Minnesota might move, rival executives are eyeing Wendell Moore, Shake Milton and Troy Brown, according to Scotto.
The Timberwolves are “hopeful” about their chances of re-signing veteran point guard Mike Conley this summer, Scotto adds. Conley, 36, has started all 45 of his games this year for Minnesota, averaging 10.6 PPG, 6.4 APG, 2.8 RPG and 1.0 SPG while shooting 43.6% from long distance. He’s making $24.4MM in the final year of his deal.
The Celtics continue to look for bench upgrades, with minimum-salary players and draft picks the likely outgoing pieces in a deal, according to Scotto.

Wolves Exercise 2024/25 Team Option On Wendell Moore Jr.

October 27th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Rory Maher

The Timberwolves have picked up their third-year team option on second-year wing Wendell Moore Jr., the team announced in a press release.

Moore, the 26th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Duke, will now have a guaranteed $2,537,040 salary in 2024/25. The Wolves will have until the end of October 2024 to decide if they want to pick up their fourth-year team option on Moore’s rookie scale contract for ’25/26.

The 22-year-old only appeared in 153 regular season minutes over 29 NBA games (5.3 MPG) as a rookie in ’22/23. He was not in Minnesota’s rotation for the team’s season opener on Wednesday.

Moore did receive some run in the G League for the Iowa Wolves last season, appearing in 13 total games (31.1 MPG) during the Showcase Cup and regular season. He averaged 18.8 PPG, 4.7 APG and 4.6 RPG on .451/.370/.793 shooting in those appearances.

Many teams have already made decisions on 2024/25 rookie scale team options this fall, with the deadline set for next Tuesday, October 31. However, some decisions are still outstanding. The full list can be found right here.

Northwest Notes: Lillard, Wolves, Thunder Roster, OKC Arena

July 31st, 2023 at 5:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A month after Damian Lillard requested a trade from the Trail Blazers, specifically to the Heat, there’s little movement on a deal with Miami or any other team, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (video link).

Lillard’s huge contract, not his desired destination, is the biggest impediment. His contract runs through the 2026/27 season and he’ll make an estimated $58.5MM the previous season before a $63.2MM option in the final year.

“It has simply been – for a lot of teams – his age and the idea of playing him over 60 million dollars at 35 and 36 years old, the last two years of his deal,” Wojnarowski said. “Right not, there’s just not been a lot of engagement among teams on a Lillard trade.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Thunder might be in a position this upcoming season where they start trading assets rather than hoarding them, The Ringer’s Michael Pina writes. The team may be good enough to warrant some moves that increase its chances of winning in the short term, not just the long term. The Thunder could begin attaching salary to draft capital for more established players, rather than doing the reverse.
The Timberwolves’ best chance at improvement is to develop young players like Josh Minott, Wendell Moore, Luka Garza and Leonard Miller, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. The article details Minnesota’s efforts to coach up those reserves. “When you have the roster that we have, we’ve got to be able to develop some of these young guys and turn them into real players,” assistant coach Max Lefevre said. “It’s just huge.”
Oklahoma City mayor David Holt is more concerned about square footage than a seating capacity exceeding 20,000 in the Thunder’s proposed new arena, Steve Lackmeyer of The Oklahoman relays. Holt addressed a number of questions about the arena and other Thunder-related topics while answering readers’ questions. “Seating capacity is actually not that big of an issue in modern arena planning. The real issue for teams is square footage because the real revenue drivers for users are happening outside of the bowl,” Holt wrote. “That’s why it is so damaging for sports and concerts that our arena is dead-last of all NBA arenas in square footage. Some arenas are literally twice our size and most are 40-50 percent larger. I can’t tell you what the seating capacity of a new arena will be, but the current capacity is not really an issue and hasn’t really come up.”