San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Rockets Or Spurs?

July 23rd, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets and Spurs finished on even terms last season. They tied for the worst record in the Western Conference at 22-60 apiece.

San Antonio’s plunge in the standings proved worthwhile in the long run as they landed the top pick in the draft. Generational talent Victor Wembanyama has instantly energized and revived the franchise and he’ll be the most closely watched rookie in many years.

The Spurs had one of the worst defenses in league history last season, as they gave up an average of 123.1 points and allowed opponents to shoot 50.7 percent. The 7’5”’ Wembanyama still needs to fill out physically but he’ll provide a fearsome shot-blocking and shot-altering presence. He’ll be developed by Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich.

San Antonio returns its starters at every other position, led by leading scorer Keldon Johnson (22 points per game). Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell and Tre Jones fill out the rest of the lineup. The Spurs used their cap space to acquire a number of quality reserves in trades, including Cameron Payne, Reggie Bullock and Cedi Osman.

The Rockets slipped to the No. 4 in the draft and selected guard Amen Thompson. That didn’t stop them from making arguably the biggest splash on the free agent market, handing Fred VanVleet a three-year, $128.5MM contract. The former Raptors point man will become the floor leader, while controversial veteran Dillon Brooks also got a chunk of money in free agency to fortify the team’s small forward spot.

They join an otherwise young but intriguing roster, including Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun. Smith and rookie Cam Whitmore were two of the biggest standouts in the Summer League.

Houston also hired Ime Udoka as head coach and he’ll look to make the team more accountable on the defensive end. The Rockets had the second-to-worst defense in the West.

That leads us to our questions of the day: Which of the Texas teams that finished at the bottom of the Western Conference standings last season — the Spurs or Rockets — will win more games next season?

Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section. We look forward to your input.

Texas Notes: Irving, Cuban, Gueye, Spurs

July 23rd, 2023 at 3:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban is confident that newly re-signed point guard Kyrie Irving understands his hierarchical relationship with regard to All-NBA teammate Luka Doncic.

Irving inked a three-year, $120MM+ deal to remain with Dallas this summer. Though he played well on offense, the Mavericks’ defense collapsed after trading for his services, and they finished outside of the play-in picture in the West.

Cuban spoke with NBASiriusXM Radio (YouTube video link) about the dynamics of his two All-Star backcourt.

“I think Kyrie is mature to the point now where he knows it’s Luka’s team,” Cuban said. “Luka knows this [too]. He knows, and that’s what’s important, and he’s willing to play more of a shooting guard role. When Luka is out, we have a point guard who can score and create for other guys, they’re both players who make their teammates better, and we didn’t have that before.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

The Mavericks‘ G League team, the Texas Legends, sent the returning player rights to combo forward Mouhamadou Gueye to the Raptors‘ NBAGL club, the Raptors 905, in exchange for a first-round selection in the 2024 G League draft, the team has announced in a press release. After going undrafted out of Pittsburgh, the 6’9″ forward averaged 8.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 BPG, and 1.5 APG across 29 contests with the Legends.
The doors are about to open on a spiffy new $500MM Spurs practice facility, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Team president RC Buford spoke about San Antonio’s fresh digs, dubbed The Rock at La Cantera. “We’re not trying to build this to be the best in the NBA,” Buford said. “We’re going to build this for our needs and to have the best environment we can to help develop the Spurs’ culture. It’s not about being better or worse than anybody.”
In case you missed it, 2021 No. 2 Rockets lottery pick Jalen Green was one of the intriguing young names added to the USA Select Team in the lead-up to this summer’s FIBA World Cup. Green is essentially an alternate for Team USA’s 12-man roster. The shooting guard could be pressed into service as an injury replacement when the action gets underway next month.

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Westbrook, Castleton, Gay

July 22nd, 2023 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Austin Reaves went into free agency hoping to re-sign with the Lakers, but he considered both the Rockets and Spurs before the process began. Reaves explained his approach in an appearance on Showtime’s “All the Smoke” with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson (video link).

“I really wanted to be in L.A. the whole time,” Reaves said. “There were a couple of situations that were close, but like I said, I really wanted to be in L.A. L.A. feels like home to me so that’s really where I wanted to be.”

Reaves was a restricted free agent, and the Lakers were limited to an offer of about $54MM over four years with his Early Bird rights. Because of the Arenas provision, L.A. would have been able to match a larger offer sheet from another team, and both Houston and San Antonio had enough cap room to give Reaves a contract that could have made it a tough decision. Both teams decided to spend their money in other areas, so L.A. was able to keep the 25-year-old shooting guard at a relative bargain price.

There’s more on the Lakers:

In the same interview (video link), Reaves discusses Russell Westbrook, who had a stormy tenure with the team before being traded in February. Westbrook became a controversial figure during his time with the Lakers, but Reaves only had good things to say about him. “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Reaves said. “As a person, you can’t get much better. … He was always empowering everybody to be better and do better and want more.”
Colin Castleton would love to eventually be promoted from his two-way contract to the 15-man roster, but he told Lakers Nation that he’s more concerned with improving his game and learning as much as possible from his veteran teammates. “I was focused on killing Summer League, and I feel like I did a good job there,” Castleton said. “Now I can focus on getting ready for training camp and put myself in the right mindset so I can have an opportunity later in the year. That’s my mindset.”
In case you missed it, the Lakers are among several teams with interest in veteran forward Rudy Gay, who was waived by the Thunder on Thursday.

And-Ones: Walker, Irving, Summer League Rookies

July 22nd, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kemba Walker is ready for the opportunity to revive his career in France, whether it eventually leads him back to the NBA or not. After signing a one-year deal with AS Monaco Basket, Walker talked about his future in a press release issued by the team.

“The NBA is obviously the main focus, but I played there for many years,” he said. “For now I am only focusing on my new adventure, this experience that awaits me with the new life I will have. I am so excited and looking forward to this opportunity in Monaco. I’m really looking forward to discovering the city, the people, my teammates, the staff and everything around the club. We are going to live great moments. Let it begin.”

Walker is a four-time All-Star, but his career has been slowed by knee issues over the past three years. He signed with the Mavericks late last November, but played just nine games before Dallas waived him in January to avoid having a full guarantee on his salary.

Walker hasn’t gotten any other NBA offers, so he was open to playing in Europe when AS Monaco reached out to him.

“The club was very interested in me, and I just wanted to be part of a club that wanted me, that believed in me,” Walker said. “I saw that the leaders felt that I could help them reach another level. That’s what convinced me, and what made me decide to join Monaco. In addition, it is an extraordinary city, in which I want to spend time, gain a new life experience. So it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to this opportunity. I just want to keep playing basketball at a high level, and Monaco allows me to do that.”

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving posted a triple-double on Saturday in his first-ever appearance at the Drew League in Los Angeles, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Irving helped his team, Nationwide Souljas, qualify for next month’s playoffs in the pro-am league, which he is now eligible to participate in.
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama should eventually become a dominant player, but turnovers might be a problem for him in his first NBA season, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic states in a review of several rookies at Summer League. Wembanyama’s handle isn’t as tight as it needs to be when he drives to the basket, Vecenie observes, but he’s still likely to have the best career of anyone in the 2023 draft class. Vecenie also predicts stardom for Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson and offers his thoughts on numerous other first-year players.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explains why it makes more sense to evaluate new free agent contracts by the percentage of the salary cap they take up rather than their overall dollar value.

Texas Notes: Spurs, Payne, Kleber, Holmes

July 20th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Following the addition of No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama to their roster, the Spurs appear to be taking a long-term approach to their future, writes Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News.

Finger observes that president/head coach Gregg Popovich, general manager Brian Wright, and CEO R.C. Buford opted to not sign a top free agent into cap space or use their significant future draft equity to trade for a veteran star, instead hoping to develop their current youth around Wembanyama and make bigger moves in the future.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

Newly acquired Spurs point guard Cameron Payne may not be long for San Antonio, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. McDonald notes that Payne and other new veteran personnel additions Reggie Bullock and Cedi Osman may eventually be offloaded by the team as it looks to build around Wembanyama.
Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber has opted out of playing for his native Germany in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning writes. In withdrawing from the competition, Kleber noted that it was “100% clear that I am not unreservedly welcome,” which Townsend considers a direct response to comments made by Team Germany point guard Dennis Schröder. Schröder seemed to take umbrage with Kleber not participating in EuroBasket competition in 2022. “Maxi wasn’t there last year,” Schröder said. “If you didn’t commit — that was actually the message for all of us — then you won’t be there next year either.”
New Mavericks big man Richaun Holmes has resolved the lawsuit he filed against the parent company of the Sacramento Bee, writes Sam Stanton of The Bee. Holmes sued McClatchy Co. and Bee columnist Robin Epley for defamation after an op-ed column from Epley detailed damaging accusations from Holmes’ ex-wife Alexis. “We’re pleased the matter has now been resolved and Mr. Holmes is enthusiastic about a new chapter in his life as a father and basketball player,” his attorney Camille Vasquez said in a statement. According to Stanton, McClatchy and The Bee did not make any payment to Holmes as part of the settlement.

Contract Details: Yurtseven, Micic, Jones, Craig, Banton, Bazley, Petrusev

July 19th, 2023 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz‘s deal with Omer Yurtseven is a two-year contract that features a partial guarantee for 2023/24 and is non-guaranteed in ’24/25, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

As previously reported, Yurtseven’s first-year salary is $2.8MM. His partial guarantee for the coming season is worth half that amount ($1.4MM), tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. The big man’s deal has a descending structure, Hoops Rumors has learned, so assuming he remains under contract through the first year, his cap hit for ’24/25 will dip to $2.66MM.

Here are more details on a few recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Vasilije Micic‘s three-year, $23.5MM contract with the Thunder includes a team option in the third year, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The Spurs signed Tre Jones to a two-year contract with a descending structure, Hoops Rumors has learned. The guaranteed base salaries are worth approximately $9.9MM and $9.1MM, for a total of $19MM. Jones can earn an extra $1MM in unlikely incentives to increase the total value of the deal to $20MM.
Torrey Craig‘s two-year deal with the Bulls, which includes a second-year player option, is for the veteran’s minimum.
Dalano Banton‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Celtics is partially guaranteed for $200K in 2023/24. His guarantee will increase to a little over $1MM (50% of his salary) if he remains on the roster beyond the first day of the regular season. His second year is a team option.
Darius Bazley‘s one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Nets is non-guaranteed. He’ll receive a $200K partial guarantee if he makes the opening-night roster. That partial guarantee would increase to $700K if he’s still under contract beyond December 15.
The Sixers signed Filip Petrusev to a two-year, minimum-salary contract that is non-guaranteed in the second season. The first year is partially guaranteed for $559,782, which is half of the rookie minimum (and the equivalent of the full-season salary for a player on a two-way contract).

Spurs Re-Sign Tre Jones To Two-Year Deal

July 18th, 2023 at 2:19pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 18: Nearly three weeks after initially agreeing to terms with the Spurs, Jones has officially signed his new contract, the club announced today in a press release. The deal will eat up the remainder of San Antonio’s cap room, putting the team’s salary over the cap.

JUNE 30: Tre Jones is re-signing with the Spurs, having agreed to a two-year, $20MM contract, agent Kevin Bradbury tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Jones was a restricted free agent after San Antonio issued him a $5,216,324 qualifying offer. He didn’t need to sign an offer sheet from a rival team to nearly double that figure.

The 41st overall pick of the 2020 draft, the former Duke point guard has spent his entire pro career with the Spurs. He played sparingly as a rookie, had a regular bench role in 2021/22, and emerged as a full-time starter in ’22/23 after the club traded Dejounte Murray to Atlanta last summer.

In 68 games last season (29.2 MPG), Jones averaged 12.9 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.6 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .459/.285/.860 shooting. I’m sure he’d like to boost that three-point percentage, but Jones provides value in other areas, including solid play-making while taking excellent care of the ball — he posted a 4.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in ’22/23.

Still just 23 years old, Jones will hit unrestricted free agency in a couple years when he’s 25.

Evan Fournier Would Still Be “Very Surprised” To Be A Knick In 2023/24

July 18th, 2023 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Evan Fournier, who said in May that he didn’t expect to be back with the Knicks in 2023/24, has remained with the team through the draft and free agency. However, in an interview with Yann Ohnona of French outlet L’Equipe (subscription required), Fournier suggested he’d still be “very surprised” to open next season with the Knicks.

Given that he’s on a sizable expiring contract, Fournier would be a useful salary-matching piece in any major trade, so the Knicks will presumably be reluctant to simply cut him if no such deal materializes before the season begins. However, the 30-year-old – who started the first seven games of last season and then appeared in just 20 the rest of the way – certainly doesn’t sound like a player who’s excited about the idea of staying in New York.

Fournier’s comments to L’Equipe, as translated and relayed by BasketNews.com and Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, are candid and honest. The veteran swingman spoke about the experience of being benched last season, his relationship – or lack thereof – with head coach Tom Thibodeau, and what might be next for him.

Here are a few of the highlights:

On how he reacted to being pulled from the Knicks’ rotation last season:

“You want to spit on everyone. You have hatred. Derrick Rose (who was also benched) and I looked at each other and said to each other: ‘What the hell are we doing here?’ During the five-on-five practices, we were on the side like some prospects. Uncool times. And when I realized that wouldn’t change, I took things more slowly. I focused on myself and didn’t let the rest get to me anymore.”

On his rapport with Thibodeau:

“I have nothing to say because I have none. When he took me out of the (starting lineup), he just told me he was going to try something else. Then before the first game of a road trip, he announced to me that I was leaving the rotation, and ciao.”

On his current trade value:

“If you want to trade me for a good return, why didn’t you use me? I was coming off a season where I was the fourth-best 3-point shooter in the league (in total makes). Why not take advantage of it? Now they won’t get anything interesting and that’s normal because I couldn’t show anything (on the court).”

On what sort of effect staying with the Knicks would have on his career:

“If I stayed, it would be a disaster, sportingly, for my career, everything. A year without playing, I can manage. Two… that would be terrible.”

On whether he’d be interested in teaming up with fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio:

“I want a spot where I can have fun again, where I can be myself. Would their game be more suited to me? It’s not the Spurs of 2014 anymore but playing for (Gregg Popovich), learning from him, it would be a pleasure and an honor, for sure. … Being with Victor, looking at the (2024) Olympics, being able to start connecting on the court, that would be great.”

12 Two-Way Restricted Free Agents Remain Unsigned

July 18th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

The action on the NBA’s free agent market has slowed since the start of July, but there are still many FAs seeking new deals, including a notable group of under-the-radar players whose situations will need to be resolved in the coming days, weeks, and months.

A total of 12 two-way restricted free agents are still available, as our up-to-date list shows. Those players are as follows:

Trent Forrest (Hawks)
Theo Maledon (Hornets)
Terry Taylor (Bulls)
Lester Quinones (Warriors)
Kendall Brown (Pacers)
Jamal Cain (Heat)
Matt Ryan (Timberwolves)
Trevor Keels (Knicks)
Duane Washington (Knicks)
Dominick Barlow (Spurs)
Jeff Dowtin (Raptors)
Ron Harper Jr. (Raptors)

That group doesn’t include a 13th player, Neemias Queta, who is also a restricted free agent after finishing last season on a two-way deal. Although he remains eligible to sign another two-way contract, Queta was ineligible for a two-way qualifying offer after having played on a two-way with the Kings for consecutive seasons — his QO is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a small ($75K) partial guarantee.

For the rest of these players, their qualifying offer is simply another one-year, two-way deal, which limits their leverage to negotiate a more lucrative standard contract.

Some two-way RFAs have managed to earn standard deals this offseason. A.J. Green of the Bucks was one. Julian Champagnie of the Spurs was another. Ty Jerome (Warriors) and Jack White (Nuggets) received standard contract offers from the Cavaliers and Thunder, respectively, that their former teams were unwilling to match, so Golden State and Denver simply withdrew their respective qualifying offers, making Jerome and White unrestricted free agents.

Offer sheets for two-way restricted free agents essentially never happen though. And in general, unless a team has earmarked a 15-man roster spot for a two-way free agent, it’s an uphill battle for these players to earn offseason promotions.

As a result, the majority of the dozen restricted free agents listed above will likely end up accepting their qualifying offers and hoping that their play in 2023/24 forces their clubs to find 15-man roster spots for them later in the season.

Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on this group to see if any of them can do better than another two-way — and to see how long some of them might be willing to wait in the hope of earning that opportunity.

Suns Notes: Roster, TPEs, Payne Trade Details, More

July 18th, 2023 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

Once the Suns officially sign Bol Bol, their 15-man roster should be set for the regular season, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Phoenix will have 13 players on guaranteed salaries, with Jordan Goodwin on a partially guaranteed contract and Ish Wainright on a non-guaranteed deal.

While the Suns could make additional moves with their two-way contract slots – Saben Lee is currently the team’s only two-way player – Gambadoro doesn’t anticipate any more changes to the standard roster before the season begins. As he observes, a pair of recent trades replenished the club’s supply of second-round picks, so those second-rounders and a pair of traded player exceptions could be used during the season in order to seek out further upgrades to the roster.

Phoenix’s $5MM trade exception from last season’s Dario Saric deal will expire in February. The new $6.5MM TPE created in the Cameron Payne deal technically won’t expire until next July, but the team will only be able to use it up until the 2024 trade deadline, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

At the end of the 2023/24 regular season, more punitive restrictions for teams above the second tax apron will go into effect. One of those new rules will prohibit those teams from using trade exceptions.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Phoenix sent $5.7MM in cash to the Spurs in the Payne trade, according to Marks (Twitter link). Teams above the second tax apron also won’t be permitted to send out cash in trades after the ’23/24 regular season, so the Suns are taking advantage of the opportunity to do so while they still can.
The 2024 second-rounder that the Suns acquired in the Payne deal is San Antonio’s own pick, per Marks (Twitter link). However, the Spurs already traded that 2024 second-rounder with top-54 protection to the Celtics — they put top-49 (and 55-60) protection on it in the deal with Phoenix, so the Suns will receive it only if it lands between 50-54.
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic shares five takeaways from the Las Vegas Summer League, while Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com provides five takeaways from the club’s recent transactions.
The Suns are moving forward with their transition to Gray Television for game broadcasts after Diamond Sports Group declined to make a counter-offer. Rankin has the details in a story for The Arizona Republic.