- It’s generally assumed that if the Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard, he’ll wind up with the Heat. Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a look at some potential alternatives, including the Pelicans, Jazz, Raptors and Magic, noting that each club has a variety of assets that could satisfy the Blazers.
- Trail Blazers fans want the Damian Lillard saga to be resolved soon. In a poll conducted by Jason Quick of The Athletic, 80.4% want the front office to take the best offer for their longtime All-Star and prioritize the team ahead of Lillard. However, the high-scoring guard was voted as the franchise’s greatest player (51.9%), ahead of Clyde Drexler and Bill Walton.
After drawing interest from several playoff hopefuls in free agency this summer, Suns center Drew Eubanks decided to ink a two-year, minimum-salary deal with Phoenix in the hopes of winning his first NBA title. The agreement features a player option for the 2024/25 season.
The 6’9″ big man recently sat down with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic for an extensive interview.
“It was kind of a no-brainer to go with Phoenix when the time came,” Eubanks said. “They’ve been high on me really since I had a pre-draft workout with them back in the day and they’ve always kept in touch with my agent [James Dunleavy of Excel Sports Management] throughout my career.”
Across 78 contests with the Trail Blazers in 2022/23, Eubanks averaged 6.6 PPG (on .641/.389/.664 shooting), 5.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 0.5 SPG off the bench.
The conversation is well worth checking out in full, but here are some highlights:
On his free agency this past summer:
“I had interest from other teams along the same lines of what Phoenix was offering, but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I had an offer from Phoenix right out the gate. They were very high on me. My agent was saying they had the most interest out of anybody. Being able to go play for a contender and to play with guys like [Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal], I just couldn’t turn that down. That’s kind of how I got there.
“I got a little taste of what it’s like playing with a superstar with [former Trail Blazers teammate Damian Lillard]. I feel like every step in my career so far has prepared me for the next. I’m looking forward to the challenge in Phoenix and bringing some of what I learned playing alongside Dame last year and doing that with KD, Book and Beal.”
On what he learned playing alongside Lillard:
“If I had business cards I had to hand out everybody of the one, two or three things I excel at that, it’d be hustling, blocking shots and setting screens – and finishing at the rim. With Dame, you’ve got to respect him as soon as he comes off a screen. My screens are so effective with Dame, he would come off and be able to shoot wide open 3s. When my guy would step up and try to take his 3 away, they might do a hard double team on Dame, I just flip out of it, get in the pocket. He’s a great passer. He’d hit me and then you just go play four on three on the back end. There was a lot of that last year where I never really played with such a dynamic guard coming off a screen where I just got rep and rep of attacking mismatches and having numbers downhill. I’m a great screen setter.”
On how he can help the three star perimeter players on Phoenix:
“I’ll be able to get Book wide open 3s, I’ll be able to get KD wide open 3s, Beal, all those guys and they want to double one of them, that’s fine. They can kick it to me, I’ll drive, I’ll find the shooter in the corner, find the shooter at the wing or I’ll go finish at the rim. There was a lot of that last year that [Portland center Jusuf Nurkic] did well. He was really good at that in years past and last year, too. So I got to learn a lot from him in that regard. Just being able to play off those guys and let them to do their thing and try to make their job as easy as possible.”
The Heat have been counting on a productive summer from Nikola Jovic after back issues disrupted his rookie season, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The 27th pick in the 2022 draft displayed flashes of talent, but physical concerns limited him to 15 games, plus seven short appearances in the playoffs.
Coach Eric Spoelstra said the organization put Jovic on a rehab and weight-training program to get him ready for the offseason. He was impressive during Summer League and now is one of the leaders of Serbia’s World Cup team.
“This is exactly the type of summer and offseason that he needed, to be able to play, to be able to participate in all of our Summer League practices and play in those Summer League games against high-level competition,” Spoelstra said. “And we didn’t know necessarily how the Serbian team would shake out. And it’s turned out to be marvelous for him.”
The absence of Nikola Jokic and Vasilije Micic, along with an injury to Filip Petrusev, means Serbia will need more production from Jovic, who scored nine points in 24 minutes in Saturday’s win over China. The Serbians are playing in Manila, which puts Jovic close to Spoelstra, an assistant coach with Team USA.
“He’s getting a great opportunity,” Spoelstra said. “They had about a two-and-half-, three-week training camp, with the exhibition games included. He’s been able to play in all of those games. We were able to send our staff out and see a week of his training camp. And we’re in the same place right now. He’s only about five, 10 miles away — with traffic that could end up being about 45 minutes. But we are definitely getting together while we’re out here.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- The World Cup experience gives Spoelstra a chance to connect with some of the NBA’s best young players, Winderman points out in a separate story. There have been plenty of cases where relationships built in international competitions spilled over to the NBA, with the Heat benefiting from the most famous example of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who played together in the 2008 Olympics.
- If Damian Lillard isn’t dealt to Miami before training camp starts, the Trail Blazers could turn into a “circus” with the young backcourt of Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons uncertain of what their roles will be, Winderman states in a mailbag column. He also suggests that the Heat may be better than expected without a Lillard trade, as Tyler Herro will enter camp fully healthy and will be joined by free agent additions Josh Richardson and Thomas Bryant, rookie Jaime Jaquez and a better version of Jovic.
- As the Lillard standoff continues, the Heat may be preparing for another waiting game involving Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Winderman writes in another piece. In a recent interview, Antetokounmpo said he’ll wait until next summer to decide on an extension and wouldn’t commit to a long-term future in Milwaukee.
After briefly discussing the Heat‘s offseason moves during an ESPN interview last week, head coach Erik Spoelstra went into more detail while taking part in a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Spoelstra is looking forward to having former Heat wing Josh Richardson back on the roster in 2023/24.
“To be able to get somebody like J-Rich, who we are all really comfortable with, who we spent so many hours and years spending time developing him and where he feels also comfortable in our system and how we operate, we just feel very fortunate that we were able to get him when we were able to get him,” Spoelstra said.
“He’s already been in the gym working and it’s almost like, I mentioned to him the last time I saw him in the gym, it’s like the time away never happened. The relationship just started off right where we left it. That’s when you know you have strong relationships back and forth from our standpoint and his standpoint. Also, his versatility is going to be super important. His ability to play multiple positions.”
Here are a few more notes on the Heat, including Spoelstra’s thoughts on some of the team’s other recent additions:
- According to Spoelstra, newly added center Thomas Bryant is a player the Heat have had their eye on for several years. They worked him out prior to the 2017 draft and were fans of the big man at the time. “His time with (the Lakers last season), I thought was really important,” Spoelstra said of Bryant. “You could see how he could be effective in our system and how he can play with multiple guys. He’s big, he’s physical, he plays with a motor and he can also stretch the floor. So he can have a presence at the rim and in the paint, but he also can space the floor and be efficient behind the three-point line. We’re excited to be able to add him to our roster and add some depth to our frontcourt and some versatile depth.”
- Spoelstra expressed enthusiasm about forward Cole Swider, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team earlier this month.“He has positional size, he has exceptional three-point shooting and range and versatility with his three-point shooting,” the head coach said. “He can shoot on the move, he can also space the floor and he has the size to be able to get his shot off with great accuracy. So we’re excited to be able to add him to our mix late into the summer. We’re looking forward to developing him and working with him.” Our Tristan Tucker recently identified Swider as a candidate to eventually earn a two-way or standard deal.
- Spoelstra also believes the Heat will see “bigger jumps” from Jamaree Bouyea, who remained with the club on another two-way deal. “He improved being able to run a team, get guys organized,” Spoelstra said, referring to Bouyea’s play in the G League. “And defensively and the things that he can do with his speed are just super unique. So we wanted to have an opportunity to continue his development and have a second year at it.”
- Following Damian Lillard‘s public confirmation of his trade request in an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald breaks down that interview from a Heat perspective, noting that trade talks with the Trail Blazers have been “largely dormant” for several weeks.
In a three-part series for The Athletic, David Aldridge ranks the teams that he believes improved the most and least this offseason. Aldridge’s most improved team is unsurprisingly the Spurs, who won the draft lottery and selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama. The Cavaliers and Suns rank Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.
In the middle section, Aldridge has the Jazz at No. 11, the Pistons at No. 15, and the Warriors at No. 20. He gives the Trail Blazers an incomplete, since there’s no way to fairly evaluate their offseason until the Damian Lillard situation is resolved.
At the bottom end, the defending-champion Nuggets are No. 29 on Aldridge’s list after losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency; the No. 28 team is the Raptors, who lost Fred VanVleet to Houston.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The contracts signed by Monty Williams and Gregg Popovich will be used as benchmarks by top NBA coaches going forward. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes, a trio of accomplished head coaches — Steve Kerr (Warriors), Erik Spoelstra (Heat) and Tyronn Lue (Clippers), all of whom are members of Team USA — could be the primary beneficiaries of those deals. Kerr and Spoelstra are entering the final year of their respective contracts, while Lue has two years left on his deal, Windhorst notes.
- Kerr has purchased a minority stake in European football (soccer) club Real Mallorca, according to Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez of ESPN. Kerr said he was offered the opportunity by longtime friend Andy Kohlberg, who is the team’s president and recently became majority owner, per ESPN. “Andy Kohlberg and I have been friends for many years,” Kerr said. “We were together this summer. He told me there was a shift in the ownership group and he offered me the chance to be part of the new investment group. I was so excited, having been in Mallorca last summer watching a game, following the team and becoming a fan. It was a really exciting opportunity and I jumped at it.” Mallorca competes in La Liga, Spain’s top league.
- The Jazz and Clippers will be playing their first preseason game in Hawaii on October 8, with all proceeds going to the wildfire relief effort, Ryan Kostecka writes for Utah’s team website.
The biggest knock against No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson entering the draft was his shooting — he made just 27.5% of his 3-point attempts in the G League. His trainer, Brandon Payne, brushes off criticism regarding Henderson’s shot as he heads into his rookie season with the Trail Blazers.
- Moses Brown has a partial guarantee of $250K in the one-year contract he signed with the Trail Blazers this week, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. Brown’s guarantee increases to $500K if he’s on the opening night roster and would become fully guaranteed on the league-wide date in January. Brown’s contract is for the veteran’s minimum, so he’ll receive $2.165MM as a four-year veteran if he remains on the roster after the January deadline.
Damian Lillard confirms he has asked to be traded but avoided questions regarding the Trail Blazers and its management team in an interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.
Loyal to the organization since he entered the league in 2012, Lillard finally grew weary of the franchise’s direction and requested a trade, which became public on July 1. Shortly thereafter, Lillard’s desire to be traded to the Heat became general knowledge.
“I can say that there was [a trade request] and I would just prefer not to speak on the Trail Blazers,” he told Spears.
Lillard hoped that the Blazers would add several impactful veterans to the bench, according to Spears. Lillard’s request came at the start of free agency, after Portland had declined offers for the No. 3 pick in the draft and used it on Scoot Henderson, another point guard.
Lillard wouldn’t budge when asked what motivated him to be dealt.
“I’m not going to speak on the Blazers. It’s lot of love and respect, but I won’t speak on the Blazers,” Lillard said.
It remains to be seen what Lillard would do if he’s not traded before training camp. The guard’s friends and confidants have advised him to sit back and let the process play out.
“The best word of advice is just that, ‘Everything will come to pass,’” Lillard said. “When you in a little bit of a storm, a lot is going on and you’re being talked about, you get a little bit antsy and you feel like you got to react to stuff sometimes, but I know me. I know the type of principle I stand on. I know that I’ve been solid in everything that I’ve done every step of the way.”
The NBA fined James Harden $100K this week for “indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.” Lillard hasn’t gone that far, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement gives the league the latitude to fine a player up to $150K for making a trade request public.
Of course, that would be a proverbial drop in the bucket for a player who will make $45.64MM next season and nearly $48.8MM in 2024/25 before his two-year, $121.8MM extension kicks in.
What’s paramount for Lillard at this stage of his career is to get a ring.
“I would say the desire for that now is as high as it’s probably going to be. That’s literally the thing at the top of my list,” he said about winning a title. “When I wake up and I got to get up and go do what I got to do, I got to train, I got to make time for my kids, I still got to lift, I got to do all these things and I got to make sure that training and the preparation is still my priority. Even with being a father of three now, not one, and having all these other responsibilities, you need something that you feel pretty strong about to stay committed the way I’ve been committed. It’s as high as it’s going to get. That’s ultimately what I want to experience and that’s what I want to get done.”
As of Wednesday, 11 of the NBA’s 30 teams are carrying at least 15 players on guaranteed contracts and are unlikely to have many additional offseason acquisitions in store. Another 11 teams are carrying either 13 or 14 players on guaranteed deals.
As our roster counts page shows, that leaves eight clubs carrying 12 or fewer players on fully guaranteed deals. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all eight of those teams will sign free agents to guaranteed contracts before the regular season begins, but it’s worth checking in on them to take a closer look at their roster situations.
[RELATED: 2023/24 Non-Guaranteed Contracts By Team]
Boston Celtics
The only team with just 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Celtics are also carrying Dalano Banton and Luke Kornet on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. Banton and Kornet seem like good bets to make the 15-man regular season roster, but Boston would still have to add a 14th man for opening night.
Based on recent reports, it sounds like the Celtics are eyeing forwards and wings for that 14th spot, with T.J. Warren, Lamar Stevens, and Louis King among the free agents working out for the club.
Charlotte Hornets
Although they only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Hornets have no shortage of candidates for their final two or three roster spots. P.J. Washington is a restricted free agent and still seems more likely to return than to head elsewhere — he would take the 13th slot.
Charlotte also has Frank Ntilikina, Kobi Simmons, and JT Thor on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed salaries, with Theo Maledon still a two-way restricted free agent. So even if No. 31 overall pick James Nnaji becomes a draft-and-stash player and doesn’t sign an NBA contract immediately, the Hornets have plenty of options to fill out their roster without making outside additions.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have 12 guaranteed contracts on their books, with Sam Merrill on a non-guaranteed minimum deal as their 13th man. Cleveland is a safe bet to make at least one more free agent addition — the club is said to be on the lookout for solid veteran depth, without a specific position in mind. The Cavs will likely wait out the market and see which of the top remaining free agents are willing to accept minimum-salary offers.
Houston Rockets
Although the Rockets only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, Aaron Holiday – whose partial guarantee exceeds $1MM – will likely make the roster as a 13th man. Houston still has a good deal of room to maneuver below the luxury tax line and could easily add two more players without any financial concerns.
Perhaps one of the team’s four Exhibit 10 players or three two-way players will earn a promotion with a strong preseason, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on the Rockets to see if they have one more move up their sleeves in free agency or on the trade market.
Miami Heat
The Heat have a full 21-man offseason roster, but only 12 of those players have guaranteed standard contracts.
Orlando Robinson, who has a small partial guarantee, should make the 15-man roster, and two-way player Jamal Cain is a candidate to be converted to a standard deal, but Miami has more ambitious targets in mind. If the Heat make a trade for Damian Lillard, they’ll likely send out more players than they take back and could fill out their roster with veteran free agents.
New York Knicks
Even with Jericho Sims‘ salary for 2023/24 now fully guaranteed, the Knicks have just 12 players on guaranteed contracts. Isaiah Roby, DaQuan Jeffries, and Duane Washington are in the mix for 15-man roster spots on their non-guaranteed deals.
New York also has a pair of two-way players – Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler – with multiple years of NBA experience, so they may be candidates for promotions. The Knicks are likely keeping their options open for possible Evan Fournier trades too, recognizing that they could potentially use his pseudo-expiring $18.9MM contract to take back two or three players in a trade.
Portland Trail Blazers
Like the Heat, the Trail Blazers are in a bit of a holding pattern while they wait to see how the Lillard situation plays out. For now, they have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, with Moses Brown on a partially guaranteed deal. But if they end up acquiring, say, three players in exchange for Lillard, their projected 15-man roster will fill up in a hurry.
Utah Jazz
Of all the teams listed in this article, the Jazz may have the fewest roster decisions to make before the season. In addition to their 12 players on guaranteed salaries, they’re carrying Kris Dunn, Omer Yurtseven, and Luka Samanic on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed contracts. Utah may simply hang onto those three players and set its 15-man regular season roster without any further tweaks.