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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Pacific Division

August 31st, 2022 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of 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 continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Pacific Division. Let’s dive in…

Golden State Warriors

Andre Iguodala‘s decision on whether to play for another season or retire looks like the only major domino left to fall for the Warriors this offseason. If Iguodala returns, he’ll fill Golden State’s 14th roster spot. If not, the team might be in the market for another veteran free agent addition.

Even if Iguodala re-signs, there would be one open spot on the Warriors’ 15-man roster. The club could keep that spot open to start the season in order to maintain flexibility and to avoid pushing its astronomical tax bill even higher, but if there’s a player who shows he deserves a place on the roster – like Gary Payton II did a year ago – Golden State would likely be willing to sacrifice that flexibility and to pay the associated costs to keep him.

Los Angeles Clippers

Like the Warriors, the Clippers are far beyond the luxury tax line and may not feel compelled to fill their 15th roster spot at the start of the season. But Los Angeles does still have a two-way slot available. Brown, Moon, and other training camp invitees could find themselves in vying for that second two-way contract.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers’ roster remains very much in flux, with Westbrook a prime candidate to be traded before opening night. Most permutations of a Westbrook deal would require L.A. to take back two or three players, and the team currently has the roster flexibility to do so.

If the Lakers can’t find a trade they like involving Westbrook, they could sign another free agent or two to fill out their 15-man regular season roster.

Phoenix Suns

One of several taxpaying teams in the division, the Suns are another candidate to open the season with 14 players on standard contracts instead of 15. For now, Landale holds the 14th roster spot, but his partial guarantee is only worth about $46K, so he probably doesn’t have a firm grip on that spot. The Suns reportedly remain in the market for another frontcourt piece and if they find one they like, it’s unclear whether Landale will stick with the team.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings appear set to hold a training camp competition for the three open spots on their projected regular season roster, with Dellavedova, Merrill, Moneke, Bazemore, Cook, and Okpala all potentially in the mix. While there’s only room for three of them for now, Sacramento could keep a fourth by trading or releasing one of their 12 players with guaranteed salaries.

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Sabonis Helps Lithuania Win Qualifying Games

August 29th, 2022 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, Neemias Queta and Chimezie Metu had productive outings for their teams in FIBA World Cup qualifiers, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee notes. Sabonis led Lithuania to two victories in Group K, while Queta recorded two double-doubles to help Portugal win a pair of games in Group F. Nigeria went 1-2 in Group E but Metu also contributed two double-doubles.
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Magic Notes: Shittu, Harris, Bamba, Banchero

August 27th, 2022 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

After three years of working for an NBA opportunity, Simisola Shittu may be getting his best chance with the Magic, writes Tony East of Forbes. A report earlier this month indicates that Shittu will be in training camp with Orlando, likely on an Exhibit 10 contract.

The 22-year-old was considered a top prospect when he enrolled at Vanderbilt, but he suffered a torn ACL that healed just in time for his lone collegiate season. He went undrafted in 2019 and spent two years in the G League before heading to Israel. He played for the Pacers in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, earning himself a chance with the Magic.

“I’m resilient,” he said. “Certain cards don’t fall the right way or anything like that. But at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve just continued to grow from it and gotten better each year.”

There’s more from Orlando:

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California Notes: Curry, Baldwin, Murray, L.A. Rivalry

August 25th, 2022 at 11:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Coming off his first Finals MVP award and his fourth title since 2015, Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry clearly remains one of the league’s elite players, and obviously its single-best shooter. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area makes the case that it’s time to officially anoint the eight-time All-Star as the elite of the elites — the NBA’s current best player.

Johnson notes that Curry vanquished a series of All-NBA foes in his postseason run through the West, besting Nikola Jokic, Ja Morant, and Luka Doncic in plus-minus by an absurd margin in each case. In six Finals games, Curry posted averages of 31.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.0 APG and 2.0 SPG. He connected on 48.2% of his field goals and 43.7% of his long-range looks.

Johnson also discusses Curry’s astronomical on/off-court impact on the Warriors — Golden State’s offense rating was 27.2 points higher when he took the floor during the team’s Finals series against the Celtics, one of the league’s best defenses.

Here’s more from California’s four NBA teams:

  • In a Dubs Talk podcast interview with Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, Warriors rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. discussed the various contemporary players whose diverse approach to the game he hopes to replicate. “I like to watch [Kevin Durant], I like to watch Khris Middleton, I like to watch [Jayson Tatum],” Baldwin told Johnson. “I’m watching Otto Porter Jr., Michael Porter Jr. — guys that I think have roles that I can fill some day… It’s just important to be multifaceted and learn from everybody.”
  • With Thunder lottery pick Chet Holmgren now out for the 2022/23 season, Kings rookie forward Keegan Murray has seen his chances of earning Rookie of the Year honors improve significantly, writes Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. Murray’s odds moved from 9-to-1 to 5-to-1 following Holmgren’s injury, per Anderson. Sacramento selected the 2022 consensus All-American out of Iowa with the fourth pick in this year’s draft.
  • The Clippers are hoping their expensive new Inglewood arena, Intuit Dome, will help improve their standing in the Los Angeles NBA pecking order with regards to the Lakers, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “I think this’ll be so cool,” Clippers team owner Steve Ballmer said of the team getting its own home arena, separate from the downtown Crypto.com Arena, which they share with the Lakers, Kings and Sparks. “And it needs to be. You said this is a Laker town. No. [It’s a] Laker-Clipper [town]… And someday I want to be able to say Clipper-Laker [town].”
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Latest On Donovan Mitchell

August 23rd, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A report last month identified the Heat, Kings, and Hawks as a few of the teams with interest in Donovan Mitchell, but John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (via Twitter) disputes the notion that those three clubs are actually pursuing the Jazz guard.

Gambadoro’s report doesn’t come as a major surprise. Shams Charania of The Athletic, who first said those teams were among Mitchell’s possible suitors, hasn’t mentioned them since. When Charania and Tony Jones reported last week that the Knicks had re-engaged with the Jazz about Mitchell, The Athletic named the Wizards and Hornets as some other teams with interest. Gambadoro confirmed today that Washington and Charlotte remain in play for Mitchell.

Here’s more on Mitchell, who is now the biggest star available with Kevin Durant off the trade market:

  • The Cavaliers, Lakers, and Nets are among the other teams with interest in Mitchell, according to Gambadoro. While that may be true, it’s hard to envision any of those clubs putting together a viable package for the Jazz star. The Lakers only have two first-round picks available to trade (2027 and 2029), while Brooklyn can’t acquire Mitchell as long as Ben Simmons remains on the roster, and Utah seems unlikely to be interested in Simmons as a centerpiece. The Cavs, meanwhile, just signed Darius Garland to a five-year, maximum-salary extension, so it’d be surprising if they gave up a ton of assets for another 6’1″ lead guard.
  • Addressing a New York Post report, Gambadoro says the Jazz never asked for seven first-round picks in a package for Mitchell. The Knicks are one of the few teams with the ability to give up that many first-rounders in a trade, since they’ve acquired a few picks from other teams in addition to hanging onto their own.
  • Tony Jones of The Athletic weighs how the Jazz would benefit from trading Mitchell and how they’d benefit from hanging onto him.
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Keegan Murray On Track In Wrist Surgery Recovery

August 21st, 2022 at 5:32pm CST by JD Shaw

Kings rookie Keegan Murray is showing progress and is on track in his recovery from wrist surgery, James Ham of The Kings Beat reported (via Twitter). As Ham notes, Murray is now shooting with both hands.

The 22-year-old underwent a minor procedure on his right wrist last month. He had the surgery after a successful Las Vegas Summer League stint, where he averaged 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game on 50% shooting.

Murray was drafted No. 4 overall by Sacramento in June. His recovery seems to be progressing at a good pace, as training camps open in the NBA next month. As we previously relayed, Sacramento expects Murray to be ready before training camp begins. The operation “cleaned out some loose bodies” in his wrist, causing him to only train with his left hand in the weeks that followed.

Murray will likely start or see significant minutes off the bench for a Kings team that finished just 30-52 last season.

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Community Shootaround: Kings’ Outlook

August 19th, 2022 at 10:20pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings broke an ignominious NBA record last season, missing out on the postseason for the 16th consecutive year. However, things appear to be a bit brighter heading into 2022/23.

Here’s a quick rundown of the team’s current roster:

Returning:

Additions:

Out (or likely out):

With a projected starting lineup of Fox, Huerter/Monk, Murray, Barnes and Sabonis, the Kings have an interesting blend of youth, speed, shooting and athleticism. A reserve squad featuring Mitchell, Huerter/Monk, Metu/Lyles and Holmes looks pretty solid on paper as well, though the roster is a little thin on wing depth and interior size/rim protection.

A full offseason should help Fox and Sabonis, the two offensive hubs, create an even more potent rhythm together. Sabonis was acquired ahead of the trade deadline in February, and Fox thrived after the deal, averaging 28.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.8 APG and 1.0 SPG on .503/.380/.766 shooting in 16 games (38.5 MPG), but the team still struggled.

The main question I have about Sacramento entering next season is the defense, because while Huerter and Monk are both strong (albeit streaky) shooters, neither is a great defender, nor are Fox and Sabonis. Losing DiVincenzo, a stout defender, without even extending a qualifying offer was a bit of a head-scratcher.

Of course, one of the team’s biggest offseason moves was hiring Mike Brown as head coach, a defensive-minded tactician, but it’s fair to question how much he’ll revamp the team’s defense given the lack of quality defenders up and down the roster. Buy-in is great and all, but defense isn’t purely about effort, it requires skill, aptitude and awareness as well.

Much of the Kings’ success might hinge upon the play of Murray, who got off to an encouraging NBA start after being named Las Vegas Summer League MVP, but unfortunately suffered a right wrist injury that required surgery shortly thereafter. However, a league source tells James Ham of ESPN 1320 and The Kings Beat (Twitter link) that Murray is progressing well in his recovery and is shooting again with both hands.

The West is stacked with talented teams, so even reaching the play-in tournament will be difficult. The Warriors, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Clippers, Nuggets, Timberwolves and Pelicans all look strong, and the Lakers and Blazers are looking to bounce back from disappointing seasons.

We want to know what you think. Will the Kings finally snap their postseason drought? Is the play-in tournament a more realistic goal? Could Murray be the difference-maker the team has long been looking for? Head to the comments section to weigh in on Sacramento’s prospects for the upcoming season.

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Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton On Goals, Future, Trade, More

August 19th, 2022 at 5:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton has been working hard this summer with trainer Drew Hanlen in order to become a more aggressive scorer, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball News, who recently had an in-depth interview with Haliburton that also features Indiana’s general manager, Chad Buchanan.

The 22-year-old had a very impressive 26-game stint with the Pacers last season after being traded by the Kings in February, averaging 17.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 9.6 APG and 1.8 SPG on .502/.416/.849 shooting in 36.1 MPG. Entering his third season, he says he hopes to boost those numbers even more in 2022/23.

“I want to be a 20-and-10 guy and I want to be an All-Star,” Haliburton said. “Those are two personal goals for me that, I think, are attainable. I definitely think [I can accomplish that], for sure. I think I had that ability last year, and there was a span where I was doing that, so I think that naturally, I just have that ability. But now it’s just making that shift mentality-wise. I truthfully think 8, 9, 10 assists, that just happens for me playing basketball. I feel like I’m just a facilitator by nature, like, that just happens.

“But I think for me, it’s just getting more field-goal attempts, getting to the free-throw line more — I think I had like 30 games last year with no free throws, so I’m paying attention to that — and just figuring out different nuances and different ways to score the basketball. That’s just gonna allow me to elevate my game to a new level.”

Here are a few more highlights from Kennedy’s interview, which is worth checking out in full for any fans of Haliburton and/or the Pacers.

Buchanan on Haliburton being Indiana’s centerpiece:

“We’re gonna build our team around him. We see him as hopefully being the next Reggie Miller. We had a Reggie Miller mural painted on a building in downtown Indianapolis, and I think our dream is that one day Tyrese will have [his own] up somewhere in downtown Indianapolis.”

Haliburton on hopefully emulating the Grizzlies and developing the young roster over time:

“Man, I’m really excited about (the Pacers’ long-term potential). I’m really excited about the opportunity to build something young and starting from scratch, it feels. I think what Memphis has done is kinda what every young team is aspiring to do — have a bunch of young pieces that grow together, draft well and then compete for a championship. That’s big for me — to be able to kind of start from scratch and be a part of that culture building and everything that comes with it… I think that’s just the fun part about it, just being so young and getting to grow together, I think that’s really exciting.”

On using the trade as motivation:

“I think for the rest of my career, that [trade] is in my head, right? I think the great ones take little things, negative things and run with them. It’s funny — when I do things well, people are always like, ‘Look at what the Kings did!’ I love that stuff. That’s what I love. My whole life, I just love proving people wrong… Everything I do, I just want it to be like, ‘[Look at what the Kings did]!’“

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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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