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Trail Blazers Officially Announce Four Camp Signings

September 7th, 2022 at 6:05pm CST by Rory Maher

The Trail Blazers have officially signed Devontae Cacok, Olivier Sarr, Isaiah Miller and Jared Rhoden, the team announced. All four players, whose deals were previously reported, received Exhibit 10 training camp deals.

Of the group, only Cacok and Sarr hold NBA experience — Cacok has appeared in 36 games in parts of three seasons with the Lakers and Spurs, while Sarr played 22 games with the Thunder last season. Miller went undrafted out of UNC Greensboro in 2021 and spent last season in the G League with the Iowa Wolves; Rhoden is an undrafted rookie out of Seton Hall.

The Blazers have an unusual roster situation for a couple of different reasons. At the end of August, they waived Didi Louzada, using the stretch provision to stay below the luxury tax threshold of $150,267,000. That left the standard 15-man roster with 14 players on guaranteed deals, but even adding a minimum-salary player would push them over the tax line, so that last spot will almost certainly remain open for now (they could sign someone later in the season if they want to, since NBA salaries are prorated).

The second reason the roster situation is unusual is because Portland is one of only two teams without an NBA G League affiliate (the Suns are the other). Ordinarily players signed to Exhibit 10 deals are earmarked as affiliate players, and assuming they’re waived before the regular season, they become eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K.

However, since the Blazers don’t have an affiliate, none of the four players will be eligible for the bonus. Instead, evidently all four will be competing for the club’s lone two-way spot that’s still open — Brandon Williams currently occupies the other. Players on two-way contracts are eligible to appear in up to 50 games, but aren’t eligible for the postseason.

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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Northwest Division

September 5th, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re wrapping up our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Northwest Division. Let’s dive in…

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets don’t really need to make any roster moves between now and the start of training camp. Their projected 15-man regular season roster looks set, as do their two-way slots — Gillespie suffered a major leg injury, but Denver reportedly intends to hang onto him as he recovers.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Knight, Nowell, and Rivers look like pretty safe bets to join the 12 players with guaranteed salaries on the 15-man regular season roster, but that’s not set in stone yet. The partial guarantees owed to Rivers ($650K) and Knight ($350K) are modest enough that the Wolves could theoretically go in a different direction without being on the hook for much money.

Still, a player like Elleby or Garza would probably have to really impress Minnesota in training camp and the preseason in order to make the regular season squad.

Oklahoma City Thunder

With 17 players on guaranteed contracts and Krejci owed a $782K partial guarantee, the Thunder will have to trade or release at least three players on standard deals before opening night. Bazley, Favors, Jerome, Maledon, and Krejci are among those whose roster spots may not be 100% guaranteed quite yet.

Additionally, while Oklahoma City doesn’t have a two-way opening, it wouldn’t be a shock if the team makes a change to one of its two-way slots in the next month and a half. A player in the second year of a two-way contract, like Waters, often has a tenuous hold on his spot if he hasn’t yet proven himself as a rotation player.

Portland Trail Blazers

Having moved out of luxury tax territory by a hair, the Trail Blazers are unlikely to fill their 15th roster spot, which would put them back in the tax. But they do still have a two-way spot to fill — Miller, Rhoden, Cacok, and Sarr would all be eligible to have their Exhibit 10 contracts converted into two-way deals, so there could be an open competition in camp.

Utah Jazz

Having acquired more players than they sent out in the Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Patrick Beverley trades, the Jazz now have a roster logjam to clear. They’ll have to trade or waive at least two more players with guaranteed contracts before the regular season tips off.

It’s hard to say at this point whose roster spots might be in danger, since there are still several trade candidates on Utah’s roster, including Beasley, Bogdanovic, Bolmaro, Clarkson, Conley, Gay, and Johnson. If multiple players from that group are on the move in the coming weeks, the issue may ultimately sort itself out (for instance, trading three players in exchange for Russell Westbrook and draft compensation would quickly clear the excess).

Previously:

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Blazers To Sign Devontae Cacok To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 5th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are signing free agent big man Devontae Cacok to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Cacok, who will turn 26 next month, spent the 2021/22 season with the Spurs, first on a two-way contract and then on a rest-of-season deal. He became an unrestricted free agent this summer when the team didn’t issue him a qualifying offer.

A former Laker, Cacok appeared in 15 games last season with the Spurs, averaging 3.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 8.1 minutes per contest. The forward/center saw more action at the G League level for San Antonio’s affiliate, piling up 18.7 PPG and 11.8 RPG in 37 total NBAGL games (29.5 MPG) for the Austin Spurs.

Because Portland doesn’t have a G League team, Cacok’s Exhibit 10 contract won’t put him in line for a bonus, but it does make him eligible to have his deal converted into a two-way contract before the start of the season. Currently, the Blazers have one two-way slot open, with Brandon Williams filling the other.

Jared Rhoden and Isaiah Miller are already on Exhibit 10 deals with the Blazers, and Olivier Sarr is reportedly set to join them.

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Trail Blazers Waive Norvel Pelle

September 4th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Trail Blazers have opted to waive camp signing Norvel Pelle, the team announced in a press statement.

Pelle, who signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Portland last month, inked a pair of 10-day hardship deals – one with the Celtics and one with the Jazz – during the 2021/22 season. In three contests for Utah, the 29-year-old big man scored six points and six rebounds in 19 total minutes.

A 6’10” center who went undrafted in 2013, Pelle played off and on for several seasons with the Sixers’ Delaware affiliate, during the team’s tenures as the 87ers and Blue Coats. He also played internationally for clubs in Taiwan, Beirut, and Italy.

After spending some time with the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, Pelle eventually made his NBA debut in 2019 with the Sixers. He has since played for the Nets, Kings and Knicks, appearing in a total of 40 games at the NBA level.

With Pelle off their roster, the Trail Blazers currently have 17 players heading into training camp. It was reported earlier today that the club is signing 23-year-old center Olivier Sarr to a training camp deal — he’ll join guards Jared Rhoden and Isaiah Miller as the Portland players on Exhibit 10 contracts.

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Trail Blazers Signing Olivier Sarr To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 4th, 2022 at 8:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent big man Olivier Sarr will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 23-year-old center spent most of last season with the Thunder, signing a pair of 10-day deals starting in late December and then agreeing to a two-way contract in February. He was waived in April, four days before the end of the regular season. Sarr appeared in 22 games for OKC, making two starts, and averaged 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per night.

He took part in a Lakers mini-camp in June and played for the Suns in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Sarr’s signing will bring Portland up to 19 players, one short of the offseason maximum, with training camp about three weeks away. The Blazers also have Norvel Pelle, Jared Rhoden and Isaiah Miller on Exhibit 10 contracts.

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Billups Watching Nurkic At EuroBasket

September 3rd, 2022 at 8:36am CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups is at the EuroBasket tournament in Germany and feels it’s important to show support for his players, such as Bosnia’s Jusuf Nurkic, he told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net. “I love to see guys go play on their national teams,” Billups said. “Because you’re playing the right way. You’re playing with a purpose and obviously because of that experience  you’ll be in shape.”
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Parted Ways With Assistant Coach Edniesha Curry

September 2nd, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Rory Maher
  • A source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that the Trail Blazers have parted ways with assistant coach Edniesha Curry. Portland confirmed the news (Twitter link via Spears), though the reasoning behind the move was vague. Curry, a former WNBA player, was a first-year assistant in ’21/22.
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Community Shootaround: Portland Trail Blazers

August 30th, 2022 at 10:03pm CST by Rory Maher

After a disappointing 2021/22 season saw the Trail Blazers go 27-55 and miss the postseason for the first time in eight years, Portland hopes to turn things around next season. The issue is, the NBA is as deep as its ever been, so even just returning to the playoffs in the Western Conference will be difficult.

The Blazers revamped their roster last season, trading a couple of starters (Norman Powell and Robert Covington) to the Clippers in a move that was primarily about freeing up cap space and moving off long-term money. They also dealt away CJ McCollum, Damian Lillard‘s longtime backcourt partner, and backup big man Larry Nance Jr. to the Pelicans for Josh Hart, salary filler, and draft picks.

Of course, perhaps the primary reason the team struggled was Lillard’s abdominal injury, which ultimately required surgery. However, despite the disappointing results, there might be some reasons for optimism next season.

Injuries to McCollum (he suffered a collapsed lung prior to the trade) and Lillard allowed guard Anfernee Simons to shine in their stead, averaging 22.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 5.5 APG on .452/.415/.871 shooting (.600 true) in 30 games as a starter (34.3 MPG). Hart was also exceptional in his brief stint with Portland, averaging 19.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.3 APG and 1.2 SPG on .503/.373/.772 in 13 games (32.1 MPG).

With the additional draft assets from the trades, as well as a large traded player exception generated in the McCollum deal, the Blazers acquired Jerami Grant from Detroit. Grant had long been rumored as a target due to his versatility on both ends of the court.

The poor on-court results last season also led to a high draft pick, No. 7 overall, which the Blazers used on a high-risk, high-upside prospect in Shaedon Sharpe. The team’s main addition in free agency, aside from re-signing Simons and Jusuf Nurkic to lucrative deals, was signing Gary Payton II to help improve Portland’s last-ranked defense.

The Blazers’ projected starting lineup is likely Lillard, Simons, Hart, Grant and Nurkic, though there are other options. The bench features a lot of young players and should be fairly flexible depending on who is performing the best, but Payton, Sharpe, Nassir Little, Justise Winslow, Trendon Watford and Drew Eubanks will all be vying for minutes, with Keon Johnson and Jabari Walker a couple of wild cards.

Of the bench group, Little will be an interesting player to monitor. He was having a breakout season prior to tearing the labrum in his left shoulder, causing him to miss the remainder of ’21/22. He’s also eligible for a rookie scale extension.

Overall, I think the Blazers have some solid depth, especially at forward, which has been a position of weakness for several years. However, I’m skeptical that building the foundation of a team around two smaller guards who struggle defensively (Lillard and Simons) was the right move, considering the Blazers had already gone through a similar experiment with Lillard and McCollum for many years, and the team only advanced past the first round three times in those eight playoff berths.

We want to know what you think. Did the Trail Blazers improve enough to return to the postseason? Is there enough talent on the roster for more than that? Will the team’s last-ranked defense improve? How will new additions like Payton and Grant fit in? Can Sharpe contribute right away (and is he expected to)?

As you can see, there are many question marks surrounding the Blazers, but not a lot of answers right now.

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Trail Blazers Waive Didi Louzada

August 29th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:12pm: The Blazers will use the waive-and-stretch provision to get under the tax threshold, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

4:09pm: The Trail Blazers have waived wing Didi Louzada, according to a team press release.

Louzada was part of the blockbuster deal with New Orleans that sent CJ McCollum to the Pelicans. At the time, Louzada was recovering from meniscus surgery. He wound up making seven appearances for Portland late last season, averaging 5.0 PPG in 17.4 MPG.

Louzada was entering the second year of a four-year, $7,686,312 contract he signed with New Orleans. The Trail Blazers will take a cap hit of $1,876,222 this season but the last two years of the contract were not guaranteed.

Louzada, a 2019 second-round pick, was one of 15 players with guaranteed contracts on Portland’s roster. The Trail Blazers now have 18 players and can add two more before training camp.

The Blazers could elect to use the stretch provision, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes in a tweet. August 31 is the last day to use the waive-and-stretch provision and Louzada would count as $268,032 annually (over seven seasons) if the Blazers go that route. That would put Portland under the luxury tax threshold.

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More Than 30 NBA Players On Track To Suit Up For EuroBasket

August 18th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The first EuroBasket tournament in five years will tip off in two weeks and there are currently 34 NBA players on track to participate in the event, representing 17 different countries, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.

EuroBasket is a 24-team international basketball competition also known as the European Basketball Championship. It historically took place every two years, but that gap was recently adjusted to four years, emulating the FIBA World Cup schedule.

The last EuroBasket tournament was played in 2017 — the next one had been scheduled for 2021, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. As a result, after being played every two years since 1947, it has now been five years since the last EuroBasket tournament, easily the longest layoff since World War II.

It’s possible that some NBA players will be cut from their teams’ rosters or will have to drop out due to injuries or personal reasons before the event begins on September 1, but in general enthusiasm to participate in the long-awaited event appears high.

Here’s the list of NBAers currently set to play in EuroBasket, per Eurohoops:

There are also multiple NBA free agents on EuroBasket rosters, including French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and German guard Dennis Schröder.

A number of young NBA players, such as 2022 draftees Jeremy Sochan and Nikola Jovic, have dropped out to focus on getting ready for the 2022/23 season, while others, including Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Frank Ntilikina (France), were ruled out due to injuries.

Round robin play will begin on September 1, with each team facing the other five clubs in its group once. The top four teams in each group will advance to a 16-team bracket that begins on September 10. The final will take place on September 18, just over a week before NBA training camps get underway.

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