San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Mavs, Thompson, Pelicans, Cissoko

June 28th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets will have enough cap flexibility to use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason, but Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) is skeptical that they’ll do so. As Feigen explains, Houston will have nearly all of last year’s rotation players back, with No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard joining the mix and Steven Adams and Tari Eason returning from injuries, so there may not be a role available for a mid-level signee.

Since the mid-level exception can be used for the first time in 2024/25 as a de facto trade exception, Feigen expects Houston to be fine with the idea of hanging onto it into the regular season in case it comes in handy on the trade market.

Within that same story, Feigen also briefly touches on the contract situations for Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, who will both be eligible for rookie scale extensions beginning in July. While the Rockets are expected to explore deals with both players, they’re unlikely to offer either Sengun or Green a maximum-salary contract, says Feigen.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Marc Stein adds another team to the list of possible Klay Thompson suitors, reporting on Substack that the Mavericks will explore the feasibility of adding the veteran Warriors sharpshooter. Dallas will have a little flexibility below the first tax apron after agreeing to send Tim Hardaway to Detroit, but won’t have cap room, so a sign-and-trade deal looks like the only way the Mavs would have any chance at Thompson.
Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin vowed in April that the front office would operate with a sense of “urgency” to upgrade the roster this offseason. He reiterated that message this week, as Christian Clark of NOLA.com relays. “We need to be aggressive,” Griffin said. “I think it’s really a positive thing for our organization that we’ve won more games three years in a row. We’ve built what we’ve built in terms of players wanting to stay here. That’s tremendous. That’s not why we are doing this. We are doing this to win.”
Spurs forward Sidy Cissoko underwent an arthroscopic clean-up procedure on his right knee last month, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who says Cissoko’s participation in Summer League could be limited as a result. While the Spurs are hopeful that the 2023 second-rounder will be able to suit up at the Las Vegas Summer League, he won’t play in the California Classic Summer League that tips off on July 6, per Orsborn.

Spurs Notes: Draft-Night Trade, Wembanyama, Castle, Collins

June 28th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs opted for future assets over immediate value with the eighth pick in Wednesday’s draft, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. With UConn guard Stephon Castle already headed to San Antonio at No. 4 and no one else on the board that he really wanted, general manager Brian Wright worked out a deal to send the pick to Minnesota in exchange for an unprotected first-rounder in 2031 and a pick swap in 2030.

Although he admits the pick will eventually be used on some “11-year-old right now,” Wright doesn’t plan to be the one making that selection, as the hope is it will be become a valuable trade chip as the team rebuilds. The immediate benefits from the deal are that the Spurs create an additional $7MM in cap room, giving them roughly $26MM to work with, and they add to a collection of draft assets that now includes 11 first-rounders over the next seven years.

“Those decisions are always difficult because you do all the work on the draft, and there’s definitely players that you like,” Wright said. “But you have to weigh the calculus on what’s best for the future. And we felt like the package that we got was one that made sense to move off of the eighth pick for.”

There’s more from San Antonio:

Wright said it’s “TBD” if Spanish point guard Juan Nunez, who was selected with the 36th pick, will be brought to the NBA next season, McDonald adds. Wright called Nunez, who will play for Spain in this year’s Olympics, “probably the best pick-and-roll player in the draft as a passer and creator.” The Spurs expect Harrison Ingram, who was selected at No. 48, to join Castle on their Summer League team and compete for a two-way contract at training camp.
Victor Wembanyama is “very happy” with the decision to take Castle at No. 4, per Tom Orsborn of The Express-News. He welcomed his new teammate via FaceTime after the pick was announced. “(Castle) is one of the most NBA-ready players in this draft and a very good person too,” Wembanyama said during a press conference at the French Basketball Federation.
Zach Collins is making progress after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder that he suffered in the final game of the season, Orsborn adds.“He’s doing great,” Wright said. “He’s working hard every day. Obviously, it was unfortunate, but you guys know Zach. He’s a hard worker and he’s been there before. He’s super competitive, so he attacks his rehab like he attacks the game, so he’s doing really well.”
Orsborn notes that the Spurs have several financial decisions left to make this summer. Devonte’ Graham has a $2.85MM guarantee on his $12.65MM salary for next season, and the team must waive him by Monday to avoid paying the full amount. Salaries of $3MM for Julian Champagnie and $2.5MM for Charles Bassey both become fully guaranteed if they’re still on the roster August 1.

Timberwolves Acquire No. 8 Pick Rob Dillingham From Spurs

June 26th, 2024 at 11:17pm CST by Luke Adams

11:17pm: The deal is official, the Spurs announced in a press release.

8:04pm: The Spurs used the No. 8 pick in tonight’s draft on Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, but he won’t begin his NBA career in San Antonio, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the Timberwolves are acquiring Dillingham’s rights from the Spurs.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), San Antonio is receiving Minnesota’s unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap in the deal. The ’30 swap will be top-one protected, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Neither of the Wolves’ 2024 picks (No. 27 and No. 37) are involved in the trade, confirms Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Minnesota’s ability to make roster moves this offseason will be extremely limited due to the fact that team salary will be above the second tax apron. That means the Wolves won’t be able to aggregate players in trades, take back more salary than they send out in trades, or sign outside free agents to contracts worth more than the minimum.

However, the second apron doesn’t prohibit them from acquiring a player’s draft rights, which don’t count as incoming salary for trade purposes as long as the player has not yet signed his rookie contract. That means they’ll be able to trade for Dillingham without sending out any players.

In his first and only college season with the Wildcats, Dillingham averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game, posting an impressive shooting line of .475/.444/.796

Despite the Wolves’ ongoing ownership dispute, it appears management has been given the go-ahead to keep adding pieces. The addition of Dillingham, who projects to earn about $6.28MM as a rookie, will increase the club’s projected tax bill to approximately $100MM, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) estimates Minnesota’s projected tax bill at $84MM, but that number is fluid depending on how the club fills out its roster.

As for the Spurs, after adding Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick, they clearly weren’t in love with any of the prospects available to them at No. 8, opting instead to continue adding to their stockpile of future draft picks by acquiring a pair of assets far down the road with little to no protection.

Clearing the $6.28MM cap hold for the No. 8 pick from their books will put the Spurs in position to create additional cap room this summer.

Draft Rumors: Hornets, Salaun, Nets, Celtics, Spurs

June 26th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets are considering Tidjane Salaun with the No. 6 pick, sources tell Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The French power forward has been rising up draft boards recently.

Salaun had to cancel workouts with Charlotte and Detroit after spraining his ankle during a recent session in San Antonio, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. He did work out for the Trail Blazers, who hold the seventh pick, and the Spurs are believed to have interest at No. 8, so there’s a good chance he’ll be selected somewhere in the middle of the lottery. Oklahoma City (No. 12) and Sacramento (No. 13) also hosted workouts with Salaun.

Here are a few more rumors as the draft draws closer:

The Nets are “open for business” after reaching an agreement to trade Mikal Bridges to New York, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith are among the players believed to be available as Brooklyn tries to move into the first round.
The Celtics are shopping the final pick in the first round in hopes of acquiring some extra selections later on, a source tells Brian Robb of MassLive. Robb notes that Boston sent out two second-round picks to acquire Xavier Tillman from Memphis and another in the Jaden Springer deal with Philadelphia, so the team is short on second-rounders. A source tells Robb the Celtics are planning offseason extensions with Derrick White and Sam Hauser, so it will be important to fill out the roster as inexpensively as possible.
The Spurs will be looking for shooters with at least one of their lottery picks, general manager Brian Wright told Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The team ranked 28th in three-point shooting percentage this season. “We broke the (franchise) record for (total) three-pointers, but then percentage-wise we’re towards the bottom end of the league, right?” Wright said. “So I think you obviously want to add shooting.” McDonald views Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard as a possible shooting upgrade with the fourth pick if he slips past Houston at No. 3, while Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht is in the mix at No. 8.

Draft Rumors: Knicks, Sixers, Dillingham, Heat, Jazz, Lakers, More

June 26th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

After surrendering several future first-round picks in their trade agreement for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks are now considered more likely to keep their three picks – No. 24, No. 25, and No. 38 – in this year’s draft, which begins on Wednesday night, Jonathan Givony writes in ESPN’s latest mock draft (Insider link).

The updated mock draft from Givony and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo includes several more notable tidbits, including the fact that the Sixers have conducted perhaps the fewest pre-draft workouts of any team with a first-round pick, resulting in speculation that the No. 16 selection will be traded.

Givony also provides an update on Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, who wasn’t able to work out for teams for most of the pre-draft process due to an ankle injury. According to Givony, teams picking both earlier and later in the first round are trying to figure out where they might need to get to in order to land Dillingham, who has been considered a candidate to fall further than initially anticipated.

The Heat at No. 15 would be one option for Dillingham, as rival teams expect them to select a guard at that spot. Jared McCain, Isaiah Collier, and Carlton Carrington have also been mentioned as candidates for Miami at No. 15, Givony writes.

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which gets underway in less than 11 hours:

According to Givony, the Jazz (No. 10) have looked into some trade-up scenarios involving the Pistons‘ No. 5 overall pick. Their likely target would be UConn’s Stephon Castle, who is considered a possibility for the Hornets at No. 6 but may also come off the board at No. 4 to the Spurs, Givony explains.
Some rival executives think the Lakers will attempt to move up from No. 17 in the draft in order to target a specific player, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, who says Providence’s Devin Carter and Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter are two prospects the team likes.
Within his final look at the Spurs‘ draft options at No. 4 and 8, LJ Ellis of SpursTalk says a rumor that San Antonio has made a promise to French forward Tidjane Salaun has been “spreading like wildfire in the draft world,” though he hasn’t been able to confirm it himself. Ellis lists Salaun at No. 5 on his big board of Spurs draft prospects.
Salaun is also a potential target to watch for the Trail Blazers at No. 7, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who identifies Donovan Clingan, Cody Williams, Dalton Knecht, and Salaun as the prospects he believes Portland is most interested in. At No. 14, Highkin views Kyshawn George, Tristan Da Silva, Kel’el Ware, and Zach Edey as the Blazers’ most likely targets.

Fischer’s Latest: Draft Rumors, Marshall, Young, Kings, Topic, Knicks, Lowry

June 26th, 2024 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

As several of this year’s green room invitees gathered on Tuesday to speak to the media, there was a sense of uncertainty about how Wednesday’s draft will play out, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says that many prospects don’t have a real sense of where they’ll be picked.

According to Fischer, the Spurs conducted a meeting with Donovan Clingan over Zoom this past weekend and have been linked to the UConn center more in recent days than they were earlier in the pre-draft process. However, many people around the league believe that’s a smokescreen to entice a team like the Trail Blazers or Grizzlies to trade up to No. 4 to draft him.

If the Grizzlies end up trading down from No. 9, the Heat (No. 15) are viewed as a team that may have interest in moving up, Fischer writes, adding that the Cavaliers at No. 20 have also received a number of calls from teams drafting near the end of the first round with interest in trading up.

The Thunder, who hold the No. 12 pick, have more than enough ammunition in future picks to move up from there if they want to, but if they stand pat, Pittsburgh’s Carlton Carrington is viewed as one possibility for that pick, Fischer reports. Meanwhile, Indiana big man Kel’el Ware has been repeatedly mentioned by league personnel as a candidate to be drafted at No. 19 by the Raptors, Fischer says.

As for the Bucks at No. 23, with rumors circulating that they could move Brook Lopez this offseason, rival teams believe they may be targeting a possible center of the future at that spot. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that Dayton’s DaRon Holmes is one player Milwaukee tried to bring in for a workout, but he declined that invitation. However, Fischer confirms – as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported – that Holmes, who has also been linked to the Kings, doesn’t have a promise from the Nuggets.

Here’s more from Fischer:

If the Mavericks are unable to re-sign Derrick Jones and have a hole to fill on the wing, they’re expected to show interest in Pelicans free agent Naji Marshall, sources tell Fischer, who adds that the Pistons are another potential suitor to watch for Marshall.
The Lakers, Pelicans, and Spurs are among the possible destinations that would appeal to Trae Young if the Hawks decide to move him, Fischer says.
While the Kings continue to explore the market for a potential deal involving the No. 13 pick and one or both of Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, they don’t appear to have gained any momentum toward a deal for either Hawks guard (Young or Dejounte Murray), Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, or any other player of that caliber, Fischer writes.
The Magic hired Milenko Topic – Nikola Topic‘s father and a former coach in Serbia and Hungary – to a front office role this past season, per Fischer. That’s a key reason why people around the league believe Orlando at No. 18 is the floor for Nikola in Wednesday’s draft, though he may not make it that far.
After agreeing to acquire Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn, the Knicks might not be done adding former Villanova Wildcats. In a separate Yahoo Sports story on the Bridges deal, Fischer cites sources who say veteran point guard Kyle Lowry has been mentioned as a possible free agent target for New York.

Scotto’s Latest: Hartenstein, Knicks, Kuminga, Holmes, Missi, Lakers, More

June 24th, 2024 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Because they only hold his Early Bird rights, the Knicks are limited to a four-year offer worth approximately $72.5MM for Isaiah Hartenstein, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears from league sources that New York is expected to put that full offer on the table for the free agent center.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv previously reported that the Knicks are considering other options at center, including Goga Bitadze, in the event that they’re unable to retain Hartenstein. Scotto confirms as much, writing that free agent big man Jonas Valanciunas and potential trade target Nick Richards of the Hornets are among the other fives on New York’s radar. There’s also an “outside chance,” sources tell Scotto, that the Knicks would consider pursuing Andre Drummond if they can’t bring back Hartenstein.

Here are several more highlights from Scotto’s aggregate mock draft at HoopsHype, which features many other items of interest that we passed along earlier in the day:

Jonathan Kuminga, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, is expected to remain with the Warriors for the foreseeable future unless the team has an opportunity to acquire an All-NBA caliber player, writes Scotto.
While there have been rumors that Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II received a draft promise from the Nuggets, Scotto hears that there’s no truth to that chatter, adding that multiple executives believe Holmes will be drafted before Denver picks at No. 28.
Baylor center Yves Missi is among the prospects who have worked out for the Lakers and is someone to keep an eye on at No. 17, Scotto writes.
Scotto’s aggregate mock draft has KJ Simpson coming off the board at No. 49, but he says the Colorado guard is a potential target to watch for the Timberwolves earlier in the draft. Minnesota currently holds the 27th and 37th overall picks.
Kyshawn George has some fans within the Cavaliers‘ organization, according to Scotto, who suggests that the Miami guard could be “an upside pick for the future” at No. 20.
Brendan Sabean, who most recently served as the assistant general manager of the Austin Spurs, is expected to be hired as the GM of Phoenix’s new G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, league sources tell Scotto.

Would Cody Williams Make Sense With No. 4 Pick

June 23rd, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs have the No. 4 selection in the draft and a dark-horse candidate could be Colorado forward Cody Williams. The San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff McDonald explores the pros and cons of drafting Williams at that spot.

Victor Wembanyama Getting Dribbling Lessons; Jeremy Sochan To Play in OQT

June 22nd, 2024 at 8:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is getting offseason dribbling lessons from former NBA guard Jamal Crawford, according to Nick Moyle of The San Antonio Express-News. Crawford said they began talking in January when Wembanyama appeared on TNT’s pregame show, where Crawford served as an analyst. Crawford taught him a few moves at the Rising Stars Challenge in February, and they decided the lessons should continue in the offseason. “It was funny, when I started showing him all the other rookies and sophomores on the court (gave us) all their attention, came over, stopped shooting,” Crawford recalled. “So I’m like, OK, let’s just keep this at surface level because everybody’s watching right now.”
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan has returned from arthroscopic ankle surgery and is training with the Polish national team for an upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Spain, Moyle adds in a separate story. Poland is in Group B with the Bahamas and Finland, while Group A consists of Spain, Angola and Lebanon. The tournament will run from July 2-7, with the winner claiming one of four remaining spots in the Olympics.

Haynes’ Latest: Harris, Beasley, KCP, Ingram, George

June 21st, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons, Spurs, and Pelicans are among the teams expected to have interest in Tobias Harris this offseason, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link), who confirms that the Jazz and Mavericks are in that group as well, as previously reported. While Harris, an unrestricted free agent, isn’t expected to return to Philadelphia, he’ll draw “ample interest” from other suitors, says Haynes.

Detroit, San Antonio, and Utah are all in position to open up cap room this summer, whereas New Orleans and Dallas project to at least flirt with the luxury tax line. If the Pelicans or Mavs pursue Harris, it would likely have to be via sign-and-trade, Haynes notes.

Here are a few more items of interest from Haynes:

Malik Beasley has almost certainly played his last game with the Bucks, according to Haynes (video link). Milwaukee doesn’t have the ability to offer Beasley more than 20% above his minimum salary, whereas the veteran swingman will likely be seeking a deal in the mid-level range after ranking among the NBA’s top three-point shooters in 2023/24 — he made 41.3% of 6.9 attempts per game.
If Kentavious Caldwell-Pope doesn’t agree to a new deal with the Nuggets during the exclusive negotiating period, he won’t pick up his $15.4MM player option for 2024/25 at the June 29 deadline, per Haynes (video link). That doesn’t mean Caldwell-Pope will definitely leave Denver, since he and the team could still come to terms after that, but he would at least test the market in that scenario. There would be a “plethora” of teams, and “not just contending teams,” who would have interest in the veteran wing, Haynes adds.
Haynes says he “definitely” thinks Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram will be traded this summer, though he’s still working to confirm the likeliest landing spots for the former All-Star (video link).
Five months after they extended Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers still don’t have a deal in place with their other star forward, but they’re “not panicking” as Paul George nears potential free agency, according to Haynes, who says signing the nine-time All-Star to a new contract continues to be L.A.’s number one offseason priority (video link). Haynes adds that he believes the Magic have shown some interest in George, which has been previously reported.