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Donovan Mitchell Trade To Knicks Remains Possible

August 30th, 2022 at 9:11am CST by Arthur Hill

RJ Barrett‘s extension with the Knicks complicates a potential trade for Donovan Mitchell, but it doesn’t close the door entirely, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Sources tell Berman that the Jazz are most interested in stockpiling unprotected first-round picks in return for Mitchell. Berman has reported that Utah wants four unprotected picks in the trade, while New York is only willing to part with two, along with three conditional selections.

A league source indicates that the market for Mitchell remains limited, telling Berman, “There’s no place for Donovan to go right now. The Knicks can still get him.”

Berman also hears that the Jazz would like to expand the trade to include the Lakers and hopefully pick up L.A.’s 2027 and 2029 first-rounders. Berman notes that the Lakers likely have interest in Cam Reddish, whom they pursued at the trade deadline and who saw limited playing time after coming to New York. Reddish is a client of Rich Paul at Klutch Sports, Berman points out, which means LeBron James and Anthony Davis would probably support bringing him to L.A.

There’s more on a potential Mitchell trade to New York:

If Barrett’s new contract takes him out of the equation, Utah could become more focused on landing Quentin Grimes, Berman adds in the same piece. The 22-year-old shooting guard established himself as a fixture in coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation last season, but Berman notes that there would be little chance for him to become a starter in New York with Mitchell and Jalen Brunson on hand.
The Jazz were aware that the Knicks set a Monday night deadline for a Barrett extension, but they didn’t let it impact negotiations, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. She has heard conflicting reports about whether Utah wants Barrett or would be content with a deal that doesn’t include him. Sources tell Todd that both teams are playing hardball right now in trade talks, but there’s still a chance to complete a deal before training camp.
The “poison pill provision” means a third team would have to be included to get Barrett to Utah, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says in a video breakdown of Barrett’s extension. He says a team with cap room, such as the Pacers or Spurs, would have to be willing to take Evan Fournier‘s contract, which is worth nearly $56MM over the next three years.

Contract Details: Koloko, Caboclo, Silva, Tillman, Watanabe, Spurs

August 29th, 2022 at 8:29pm CST by Luke Adams

As initially reported by Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, the Raptors used exactly $1.5MM of their mid-level exception to sign rookie big man Christian Koloko to a three-year contract on Friday. With the second and third years worth the minimum, Koloko’s deal has a total three-year value of $5,239,563.

The first two years of that contract are fully guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned, with the third year non-guaranteed. Koloko’s salary for 2024/25 would become fully guaranteed if he hasn’t been waived within 48 hours of the 2024 NBA draft.

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

The new one-year, non-guaranteed contracts for Bruno Caboclo (Celtics), Chris Silva (Hawks), and Justin Tillman (Nuggets) all include Exhibit 10 language. Silva’s and Tillman’s deals could be converted into two-way contracts, but Caboclo’s can’t, since he has too many years of NBA service to be two-way eligible.
Yuta Watanabe‘s one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Nets includes an Exhibit 9 clause, but not an Exhibit 10. That essentially means that Watanabe is only in the mix to compete for a regular season roster spot and probably won’t be joining Brooklyn’s G League affiliate if he’s cut (he’s ineligible for a two-way deal).
Alize Johnson‘s non-guaranteed contract with the Spurs is an Exhibit 9, but not an Exhibit 10. Tommy Kuhse‘s deal is an Exhibit 10, so he could have it converted into a two-way deal or could become an affiliate player for the Austin Spurs.

Spurs Need Luck For Quick Turnaround

August 28th, 2022 at 10:22am CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs appear headed for their worst season in 25 years and will need some good fortune to turn things around quickly, writes Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News.

Spurs Sign Tommy Kuhse

August 26th, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 26: The deal for Kuhse is now official, the Spurs have revealed in a press release.

AUGUST 25: The Spurs have agreed to sign free agent guard Tommy Kuhse, a source tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Kuhse, 24, spent his five-year college career at Saint Mary’s, averaging 12.2 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 3.7 RPG on .494/.450/.808 shooting in 34 games (30.0 MPG) as a “super-senior” in 2021/22. He helped lead the team to a blowout victory over Indiana in the first round of this year’s NCAA tournament by racking up 19 points and six assists.

After going undrafted in June, Kuhse joined the Magic for the Las Vegas Summer League last month and performed admirably in his three appearances, averaging 17.3 PPG on .583/.400/1.000 shooting in just 23.2 minutes per contest.

Terms of Kuhse’s deal weren’t disclosed, but given the crowded state of the Spurs’ roster and the fact that he’s an undrafted rookie, the contract seems likely to be non-guaranteed. If it includes Exhibit 10 language, it would create a path for Kuhse to be converted to a two-way deal or to earn a bonus worth up to $50K if he becomes an affiliate player for the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League team.

The Spurs currently have 18 players officially under contract, including 14 on guaranteed salaries. Keita Bates-Diop and Tre Jones are on standard deals that aren’t fully guaranteed, while Dominick Barlow and Jordan Hall are the team’s two-way players. San Antonio has also reportedly reached deals with Alize Johnson and Kyler Edwards.

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Southwest Division

August 26th, 2022 at 1:45pm 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 Southwest Division. Let’s dive in…

Dallas Mavericks

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Davis Bertans, Reggie Bullock, Spencer Dinwiddie, Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaden Hardy, Maxi Kleber, JaVale McGee, Frank Ntilikina, Theo Pinson, Dwight Powell, Christian Wood
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Mouhamadou Gueye, Tyler Hall, McKinley Wright IV
Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Tyler Dorsey
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Marcus Bingham (Exhibit 10)

The Mavericks are carrying some role players on eight-figure contracts whose names will likely come up in trade rumors in the coming months, but there’s no need for the team to make any major moves before the regular season begins.

Given that team salary is well over the luxury tax line, Dallas could either add a 15th man or leave the spot empty for now — the club is more likely to fill its open two-way slot, with camp invitees like Gueye, Hall, and Wright perhaps vying for consideration.

Houston Rockets

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 18
- Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, Josh Christopher, Tari Eason, Usman Garuba, Jalen Green, Eric Gordon, Boban Marjanovic, Kenyon Martin Jr., Garrison Mathews, Daishen Nix, David Nwaba, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Jae’Sean Tate, TyTy Washington
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Bruno Fernando
Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Trevor Hudgins
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Willie Cauley-Stein

The Rockets will have to trade or release at least three players before the regular season begins, but seem to be in no rush to make those moves quite yet.

Brown, Burke, and Chriss – all acquired from Dallas in the Christian Wood trade – are among the players whose roster spots are in jeopardy. If Houston wants Fernando and/or Cauley-Stein on its regular season roster, more than three players with guaranteed contracts will need to be let go.

Once the Rockets start parting ways with players on guaranteed salaries, they could fill out their 20-man offseason roster with camp invitees and perhaps one more two-way player.

Memphis Grizzlies

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Steven Adams, Santi Aldama, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Kennedy Chandler, Brandon Clarke, Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyus Jones, John Konchar, Jake LaRavia, Ja Morant, David Roddy, Killian Tillie, Xavier Tillman, Ziaire Williams
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Danny Green (partial guarantee)
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Kenneth Lofton Jr., Vince Williams
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 3
- Keve Aluma (TBD), Jacob Gilyard (Exhibit 10), Dakota Mathias (Exhibit 10)

Green, who is recovering from a torn ACL and may not return until the spring, is the most obvious odd man out for the 15-man regular season roster, but it’s possible the Grizzlies have other plans. Green, whose $10MM expiring contract is already guaranteed for $6.96MM, could be useful as a trade chip or even as a rotation player in the playoffs if he’s able to make it back.

If they want to retain Green, the Grizzlies could look to make a minor trade involving a player like Santi Aldama, Killian Tillie, or Xavier Tillman to create room on the roster.

New Orleans Pelicans

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Dyson Daniels, Devonte’ Graham, Jaxson Hayes, Willy Hernangomez, Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, Kira Lewis, Naji Marshall, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, Larry Nance Jr., Garrett Temple, Jonas Valanciunas, Zion Williamson
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Jose Alvarado (partial guarantee)
Unsigned draft picks: 1
- E.J. Liddell (No. 41)
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 3
- Izaiah Brockington (Exhibit 10), Daeqwon Plowden (Exhibit 10), Dereon Seabron (two-way)

The Pelicans made their big 2022 addition at the February trade deadline when they acquired McCollum, so it’s no surprise they’ve had a quiet offseason. Still, it’s almost been eerily quiet in New Orleans, with their second-round pick (Liddell) still unsigned, and a reported two-way agreement for Seabron still not finalized.

The Pelicans’ 15-man regular season roster, at least, looks pretty set — most of Alvarado’s minimum salary is guaranteed and he’d be a lock to make the team even if it wasn’t. So it’s mostly a matter of determining who will fill the two-way slots.

It’s possible those spots are simply earmarked for Liddell and Seabron, but Liddell tore his ACL during the Las Vegas Summer League, so the team may prefer he signs a G League contract and spends the season rehabilitating in Birmingham, while reserving a two-way slot for a player who can actually contribute on the court.

San Antonio Spurs

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Malaki Branham, Zach Collins, Gorgui Dieng, Keldon Johnson, Romeo Langford, Doug McDermott, Jakob Poeltl, Joshua Primo, Josh Richardson, Isaiah Roby, Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Blake Wesley, Joe Wieskamp
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 3
- Keita Bates-Diop, Tre Jones (partial guarantee), Alize Johnson (details unknown; may be Exhibit 10)
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Dominick Barlow, Jordan Hall
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Kyler Edwards (Exhibit 10), Tommy Kuhse (TBD)

With approximately $30MM in cap room still available, it’s possible the Spurs still have another move or two up their sleeves before the season begins.

For now, there’s a bit of a roster crunch, but if San Antonio were to trade, say, McDermott and Richardson to Los Angeles for Russell Westbrook and draft picks, then bought out Westbrook, that would create the roster flexibility necessary to carry Bates-Diop, Jones, and one more player (perhaps Johnson) in addition to the 12 others on guaranteed deals.

If the Spurs don’t make any trades and want to keep Bates-Diop and Jones, they’ll have to cut at least one player with a guaranteed salary.

Spurs Sign Alize Johnson To Camp Deal

August 26th, 2022 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 26: The Spurs have officially signed Johnson, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 16: The Spurs have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with forward/center Alize Johnson, agent George Langberg tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Wojnarowski says the deal is worth $2MM, which suggests it’s a minimum salary contract. Johnson’s minimum this season is $1,968,175. The contract will be a non-guaranteed camp deal, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).

Johnson, 26, has bounced around the NBA since being selected with the No. 50 pick in the 2018 draft, appearing in a total of 72 games for Indiana, Brooklyn, Chicago, Washington, and New Orleans, including 23 in 2021/22 for the Bulls, Wizards, and Pelicans. He averaged 1.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 7.2 minutes per contest last season.

The Spurs are already carrying 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Keita Bates-Diop and Tre Jones also on standard deals. San Antonio would have to trade or release one of those 15 players in order to make room for Johnson on the regular season roster in October.

Lakers’ Beverley Acquisition Makes Westbrook Exit More Likely

August 26th, 2022 at 7:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers‘ acquisition of Patrick Beverley on Thursday makes it more likely that Russell Westbrook will be off the team’s roster by the start of the season, a source close to the situation tells Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

According to Buha, a trade involving Westbrook is one possibility. Another would see the Lakers take the approach the Rockets did with John Wall last season, sending him home while the team continues to explore the trade market.

In addition to making Westbrook more expendable by giving the Lakers another veteran point guard to insert into their rotation, the trade for Beverley unites two players who have had their share of issues in the past.

Westbrook suffered a major knee injury in 2013 when Beverley attempted to steal the ball from him as Westbrook was calling a timeout. The two guards have since shared some choice words for one another in press conferences and on social media, with Beverley calling Westbrook “trash” during a game this March.

It’s not out of the question the two guards could make peace, but Buha refers to their feud as one of the NBA’s “most rancid” beefs, suggesting Westbrook has never forgiven Beverley for his role in that ’13 injury. If that’s the case, it would be further incentive for the Lakers to move on from Westbrook before the season begins.

One NBA executive who spoke to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report believes there are three “obvious” trade partners for the Lakers in any Westbrook deal. The Pacers and Spurs have the cap flexibility to make a deal work, while the Jazz have the highly-paid veterans who would be required for salary-matching purposes.

All three of those teams are in retooling mode and could be motivated to trade a productive player or two for Westbrook if significant draft compensation is attached to him — the former MVP would be unlikely to actually suit up for any of those clubs if he’s traded.

Myles Turner and Buddy Hield are the most obvious Lakers targets in Indiana and have been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason. Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson are among the Spurs players who could appeal to Los Angeles. And even after acquiring Beverley, the Lakers could have interest in other vets on Utah’s roster, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, and/or Malik Beasley.

All of those teams would be seeking at least one first-round pick – and probably two – from the Lakers in order to give up useful players in exchange for Westbrook and his oversized ($47MM+) cap hit. L.A. only has its 2027 and 2029 first-rounders available to trade due to the Stepien rule.

Reports last month indicated that the Lakers weren’t willing to offer both of those picks to the Pacers for Turner and Hield, but perhaps they would become more inclined to meet Indiana’s asking price after acquiring Beverley without surrendering any draft compensation.

Western Notes: Wieskamp, Lakers, Jazz, Wolves, Rockets

August 24th, 2022 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Joe Wieskamp‘s new two-year deal with the Spurs, which was officially announced today, includes a guaranteed $2,175,000 salary for 2022/23 and a non-guaranteed $2,200,000 salary for ’23/24, Hoops Rumors has learned. The team completed the signing using cap room in order to give Wieskamp a greater raise than his Non-Bird rights allowed.

If Wieskamp remains on the contract through the 2022/23 league year, he’ll be in line to receive a partial guarantee of $500K for year two on August 1, 2023. His full second-year salary would become guaranteed at the start of the 2023/24 season.

Here are a few more items from around the Western Conference:

Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show (video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic said that Jazz guard Patrick Beverley and forward Bojan Bogdanovic are two potential trade targets worth keeping an eye on for the Lakers. With a Kyrie Irving trade looking less likely than ever, the Lakers will likely focus on scenarios where they could potentially move Russell Westbrook and draft compensation for two or three solid rotation players, Charania notes.
The Timberwolves have officially confirmed that Jon Wallace is their new director of player personnel and GM of the Iowa Wolves, announcing the hiring today in a press release. The Timberwolves’ deal with Wallace, who worked with Tim Connelly in Denver, was first reported earlier this month. “I have spent many years with Jon and know his basketball acumen is going to benefit the Timberwolves organization as a whole,” Connelly said in a statement.
The Nets’ truce with Kevin Durant isn’t great news for the Rockets, who own several Brooklyn first-round picks and swaps in the coming years, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. While the Nets’ long-term future remains far from certain, the value of those picks in the short term will probably be limited as long as Durant and other stars are still on the roster, Feigen observes.

Spurs Re-Sign Joe Wieskamp To Two-Year Deal

August 24th, 2022 at 12:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 24: The Spurs have officially re-signed Wieskamp, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 22: Free agent swingman Joe Wieskamp is re-signing with the Spurs on a two-year, $4.4MM contract, his agents Kyle McAlarney and Mark Bartelstein told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wieskamp, 22, appeared in 29 games as a rookie last season, averaging 2.1 PPG in 7.1 MPG. The University of Iowa product was the No. 41 overall pick of the 2021 draft.

Wieskamp was a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer. He spent the bulk of the season on a two-way contract but was signed a standard contract in early March.

He was ruled out of Summer League action due to an ankle sprain.

On a rebuilding team, Wieskamp will fight for minutes at both wing spots. He was a 41.2% 3-point shooter in three seasons with the Hawkeyes and could be a rotation factor if he provides that threat in the NBA.

The terms of Wieskamp’s contract indicate he’ll be earning more than the minimum on his new deal, but it’s unclear whether both years are fully guaranteed.

Spurs Rookie Jeremy Sochan Discusses Health, EuroBasket, Alamodome Game

August 18th, 2022 at 10:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Spurs rookie forward Jeremy Sochan is fully recovered from a COVID-19 infection and is confident he’ll be 100% healthy for training camp, reports Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.

Sochan was unable to suit up for San Antonio during the team’s Las Vegas Summer League showing this year due to the novel coronavirus, but after weeks of working out, he says he is wholly recuperated ahead of training camp.

“I have been working out here daily,” Sochan said. “My body is feeling great.”

The 19-year-old was selected by the Spurs with the ninth pick in the 2022 draft out of Baylor, where he was named the 2021/22 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. Though his college numbers were fairly modest, Sochan’s defensive upside and athleticism make him an intriguing long-term prospect. In 30 games during his lone college season, he averaged 9.2 PPG on 47.4% shooting, 6.4 RPG, 1.8 APG and 1.3 SPG.

Here’s more from Sochan’s conversation:

The 6’9″ forward discussed the mental health routine he has been employing to keep himself centered since his Baylor days. “If I am going through something or if I have a string of games where I am not playing well or my shot is not falling, normally I try to communicate with the people around me, talk about it and try to solve stuff like that instead of keeping it to myself and having it eat me up,” Sochan said. “Communication is definitely key for me.”
Though he is now healthy, Sochan has opted to not suit up for the Polish national team in this year’s FIBA EuroBasket competition, which will tip off in Germany on September 1. “Of course, it is always an honor to play for the Polish national team,” said Sochan, who is eligible because his mother is Polish. “But this is going to be my first season in the NBA, playing 82 games. I’ve never done that before, so I think just being ready, being in the environment, being in San Antonio, is important to have the best season I can have.”
Sochan became more excited about his rookie season following the NBA’s release of the regular season schedule this week. He singled out two games in Austin and one against the Warriors, the reigning 2022 champs, at San Antonio’s 65,000-seat Alamodome on January 13, as highlights. “It’s really exciting, because there’s going to be a lot of new people coming to watch,” Sochan said of that game at the Alamodome.