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Community Shootaround: Clippers’ Offseason

August 18th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers’ brand new arena, the Intuit Dome, opened this week. They were hoping that by the time the building was ready, they’d have a title in hand or at least a championship-caliber club to entertain their fans.

Those plans haven’t panned out. They have been bounced in the opening round of the playoffs the past two seasons and lost one of their superstars in free agency this offseason.

Paul George‘s departure to Philadelphia left the Clippers scrambling to piece together a contending club. The front office didn’t replace George with another star player.

Instead, they signed a younger forward in Derrick Jones Jr., who has been utilized mainly as a defensive stopper since he entered the league in 2016. Jones appeared in 76 regular-season games, including 66 starts, for Dallas last season. However, he was an afterthought on the offensive end, attempting only 6.5 shots per game in 23.5 minutes. His modest 8.6 scoring average was still a career best, mainly due to the fact he got more playing time than in any previous season.

Kawhi Leonard‘s three-year extension kicks in this season but there are major questions regarding his long-term health. He dealt with right knee inflammation late in the regular season and missed four of the Clippers’ playoff games against Dallas. Leonard was replaced on the Team USA roster just prior to the Olympics due to lingering concerns about his knee.

The team’s other star, James Harden, was retained on a two-year deal. Harden averaged 16.6 points last season, his lowest figure since he was a sixth man with Oklahoma City early in his career. He will probably have to take a bigger scoring load to make up for the loss of George.

Los Angeles added some veteran frontcourt depth by signing Mohamed Bamba and Nicolas Batum. They also acquired Kris Dunn in a sign-and-trade to fortify the backcourt.

Their most eye-opening move was signing Kevin Porter Jr. in free agency. The talented but troubled young guard could be a facing a league suspension over his past domestic incidents. He may be the team’s most significant addition if all goes well — in his last season with Houston, he averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 assists.

That brings us to our topic of the day: Where you feel the Clippers rank in the Western Conference? Can they still be considered a playoff team or do you feel they might end up on the outside looking in?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Caboclo Receives Two-Year Offer From Israeli Club

August 18th, 2024 at 5:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bruno Caboclo has received a two-year offer from Hapeol Tel Aviv, Eurohoops.net relays.

According to Sport 5, the offer on the table but he needs to decide quickly. He’s been given a Tuesday deadline, since the team has already begun training camp and wants to finalize its roster.

The former NBA first-rounder told the media during the Olympics that he expected to return to Serbia’s KK Partizan for another season even he had been at odds with the team’s management. He was also reportedly on the lookout for an NBA opportunity and Cavaliers scouts had an eye on him during the Olympics.

Caboclo, who has been out of the NBA since 2020/21, spent some time in Las Vegas this summer searching for an NBA offer.

Caboclo had a couple of big games in the Olympics for Brazil. He racked up 33 points and 17 rebounds in a win over Japan, then scored 30 points against Team USA in the quarterfinals.

A 6’9″ forward, Caboclo never developed into a reliable role player in the NBA, but has excelled in Europe, earning All-EuroCup Second Team honors and winning a German League (Basketball Bundesliga) championship with Ratiopharm Ulm in 2023.

Western Notes: Williamson, Edwards, Durant, Timberwolves’ Schedule

August 18th, 2024 at 4:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Zion Williamson is apparently keeping his weight down this offseason, a good sign for the Pelicans, Darryn Albert of LarryBrownSports.com relays.

Photos that surface online over the weekend show Williamson looking fit and trium at his basketball camp in Spartanburg, S.C. The Pelicans star appeared in a career-high 70 regular-season game last season, when he averaged 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists. However, a left hamstring strain kept him out of the first-round playoff series against Oklahoma City, which the Thunder swept.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Anthony Edwards had a little fun with his gold-medal winning Olympic teammate, Kevin Durant, during a ‘Fanatics Fest’ on Saturday. The Timberwolves knocked the Suns out of the postseason and Edwards, who played the starring role in that series, joked that he felt ‘bad’ about it. “I am not going to lie. I felt bad a little bit, only because he is my favorite player of all-time,” he said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net, “I did not want to send him home like that. It happened, man. I felt bad.” Rest assured, Edwards didn’t feel that bad about sending KD home this past spring.
There’s no doubt the league considers the Timberwolves one of the league’s most exciting and watchable teams, Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines. In the NBA schedule released this past week, the Timberwolves had the biggest increase in national TV appearances. They are schedule to make 18 appearances on ABC, TNT or ESPN and seven more on NBA TV. Among those appearances, they are playing on opening night, Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Mavericks have made a front office addition. Get the details here.

Stein’s Latest: Curry, James, Embiid, Yurtseven, Micic

August 18th, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry is eligible for a one-season, $62.6MM contract extension prior to October 21, or else could wait till the 2025 offseason to ink a two-year worth a projected $130MM, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

Stein notes that, having missed out on Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen and Sixers All-Star Paul George, Golden State is looking to upgrade their personnel via trade. The team has the current and future assets necessary to do just that.

Last year’s Warriors went 46-36, finishing with just the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Golden State failed to make the playoffs after falling to the Kings during their lone play-in tournament game.

Curry, 36, had yet another excellent individual year. The 10-time All-Star averaged 26.4 points on .450/.408/.923 shooting splits, 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 74 games.

Here are some other key notes from Stein’s latest:

The Lakers were open to a potential trade to send All-NBA combo forward LeBron James to the Warriors, so he could join then-future Team USA colleague Curry and friend Draymond Green. Stein’s sources inform him that Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent, urged both L.A. and Golden State to disregard the deal — in large part because Paul did not want James to be faced with criticism for jumping teams a fourth time.
Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid, fresh off winning his first Olympic gold medal for Team USA this summer, hinted that he might be interested in playing for his native Cameroon during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Stein reveals that players over the age of 17 can only change country affiliations with express consent of USA Basketball and FIBA. Stein is skeptical that Embiid will be permitted to do so.
Free agent center Omer Yurtseven recently worked out for the Knicks, along with a few other players. New York has opted not to add Yurtseven to its roster this fall, but Greek club Panathinaikos is intrigued by the 7-footer. New York lost its 2023/24 starting center, Isaiah Hartenstein, to the Thunder in free agency, and no doubt needs to get creative filling out its frontcourt depth, so Yurtseven would have made sense as a fringe rotation option. Across three NBA seasons with the Heat and Jazz, Yurtseven has appeared in 113 contests (24 starts), averaging 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.7 steals a night.
The Nuggets consider Hornets point guard Vasilije Micic to be an eventual trade target, although at present acquiring him could put Denver over the NBA’s punitive second luxury tax apron. Acquired midway through his 2023/24 rookie season, the 6’5″ guard averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 assists across 30 games for Charlotte.

And-Ones: Wong, NBA Cup, 2028 Olympics

August 18th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent former two-way Pacers combo guard Isaiah Wong is joining the G League United roster for a September exhibition tournament, the G League Invitational, the G League has announced (Twitter link).

Wong, 23, was selected by the Pacers with the No. 55 pick in last year’s draft, following an All-American run at Miami. The 6’4″ guard agreed to a two-way deal with Indiana, and ultimately appeared in just one game with the Pacers proper, scoring two points in just four minutes of action.

Across 30 regular season games with the Pacers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, Wong averaged 14.8 points on a .437/.283/.814 slash line. He also notched 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.8 steals a game.

The Invitational is slated to tip off on September 4 and 6.

Here’s more from around the NBA world:

With the schedule officially set for this year’s Emirates NBA Cup, formerly the in-season tournament, is Zach Harper and Shams Charania of The Athletic supply an early preview of this year’s six groups, predicting the eight clubs that will advance to the quarterfinal round. In perhaps the biggest surprise projection, Harper and Charania think that the Pelicans will survive West Group C to move on. Group C comprises a murderer’s row of squads, including the 2023 champion Nuggets, the 2024 West champion Mavericks, the revamped Warriors, and the healing Grizzlies.
Assuming 39-year-old LeBron James, 36-year-old Stephen Curry, and perhaps 35-year-old Kevin Durant do not join Team USA for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic speculates as to what the roster will look like — and what it’s chances will be against a rapidly improving field. Rankin expects at least five 2024 players to be replaced: James, Durant, Curry, and All-Defensive Second Team Celtics guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.
In case you missed it, several NBA superstars past and present will partake in a tribute game to one-time All-NBA point guard Goran Dragic, who announced his retirement last December.

Mavericks To Add Makhtar N’Diaye To Front Office

August 18th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks plan to hire former NBA big man Makhtar N’Diaye as their director of pro personnel and international scouting, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (via Twitter).

N’Diaye only appeared in four games for the Grizzlies back in 1999, but he made history as the first player from Senegal to play in the NBA. N’Diaye was a scout for the Knicks for nine years, Spears notes.

N’Diaye, 50, played college ball at Michigan and North Carolina and spent time in the NBA D League (now known as the G League) after his stint with Memphis. He also played professionally in France.

The Mavericks have been busy the past handful of months, giving multiyear extensions to head coach Jason Kidd and GM Nico Harrison and making the NBA Finals in June for the first time since 2011.

They made some roster changes this offseason, essentially swapping out Josh Green, Derrick Jones and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes. They also brought back Spencer Dinwiddie on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

Sixers To Sign Guerschon Yabusele To One-Year Deal

August 18th, 2024 at 11:33am CST by Rory Maher

11:33am: Yabusele has agreed to a one-year deal with Philadelphia, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). It will be minimum-salary contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Yabusele has two years of NBA experience, so his salary for 2024/25 will be $2,087,519.

11:06am: The Sixers and Guerschon Yabusele are in “serious talks” about a contract that would bring the French forward stateside, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The news is pretty surprising, given that Yabusele’s buyout clause with Real Madrid is valued at $2.5MM — multiple NBA teams viewed that figure as “prohibitive,” according to Marc Stein (Substack link). However, Charania says Yabusele is working to resolve his situation with the Spanish powerhouse.

As our Luke Adams outlined a couple days ago, NBA teams are only permitted to pay up to $850K this season for an international player’s buyout without that money counting toward their cap. According to Charania, the remaining $1.65MM is what’s being discussed between Yabusele and Real Madrid.

The 16th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Yabusele spent a year as a draft-and-stash prospect in China, then played for the Celtics for two seasons from 2017-19. He appeared in 74 games, including five starts. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.

The 28-year-old has become a star in Europe over the past several seasons, the past three of which came with Real Madrid. He was one of the top players at the Olympics in Paris, averaging 14 points per game and earning second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal.

Shortly after France lost to the United States in the gold-medal game, Yabusele indicated he was eager to return to the NBA, and now a deal appears imminent.

Two NBA Restricted Free Agents Remain Unsigned

August 18th, 2024 at 9:39am CST by Rory Maher

Seven weeks into the NBA’s 2024/25 league year, there are only two restricted free agents who have yet to reach agreements on new contracts, and both players ended last season as Cavaliers.

Here are the unsigned RFAs:

Isaac Okoro ($11,828,974 qualifying offer)
Emoni Bates (two-way qualifying offer)

As our Luke Adams outlined last week, the Pistons are the only team in the NBA with cap room remaining, seemingly leaving little in the form of leverage for Okoro, who was the fifth overall pick of the 2020 draft. Detroit has about $10.2MM in space below the cap right now, and that figure could increase to almost $18MM if the team released big man Paul Reed, who is on a non-guaranteed deal.

Okoro makes some sense as a target for the Pistons, given his age (he’s 23), defensive pedigree, and familiarity with new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who coached him in Cleveland. But there haven’t been any hints that the Pistons are considering an offer sheet for Okoro, and they’d probably have to waive Reed to put together an offer strong enough to dissuade the Cavs from matching.

You could also make the argument that Okoro would be somewhat redundant on a roster featuring recent lottery picks Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland, a couple of forwards known for their defense and not their jump shots. Okoro converted a career-high 39.1% of his three-point tries in ’23/24, but he’s a reluctant shooter for a wing, only attempting 3.1 per contest in 27.3 MPG. Having two of those three players on the court at the same time would really cramp offensive spacing, which has been an issue for Detroit for several seasons.

The Pistons currently have Jaden Ivey, Simone Fontecchio, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley on the roster as well, players who figure to be vying for minutes at the two and three. Veteran Tobias Harris is another option at small forward, though he typically spends more time at power forward. Even if they really like Okoro, playing time certainly wouldn’t be handed to him.

The Cavs have reportedly discussed a sign-and-trade deal with the Nets involving Okoro and Dorian Finney-Smith, but it sounds like those talks didn’t get serious. A reunion with Cleveland still feels like the mostly likely outcome for Okoro, the question is more about what type of contract he might sign.

Given how much money Cleveland has committed in extensions this offseason for Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, plus Darius Garland‘s max contract, the team’s salary outlook for ’25/26 and beyond is looking quite expensive.

While the Cavs reportedly value Okoro both on and off the court, it makes sense that they would be reluctant to offer him a contract in the range of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception for multiple seasons. Still, even in a “worst case” scenario, Okoro could simply accept his $11.8MM qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency — perhaps opening more options — in 2025.

Bates’ situation is more straightforward. The Cavaliers have one two-way spot earmarked for JT Thor, but still have a pair of two-way openings. There’s an expectation that Bates, who spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Cleveland, will return on another two-way contract.

Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Schedule

August 17th, 2024 at 10:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Once again, the NBA focused on big stars and big cities when compiling this year’s slate of Christmas Day games.

The league’s annual holiday showcase will start at noon Eastern Time and will feature five games stretching over more than 12 hours. Anyone who wants to spend part of the day with LeBron James, Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant will be delighted, although there seem to be a few glaring omissions, both among players and teams.

The day will tip off at Madison Square Garden with the Knicks hosting the Spurs. New York is an automatic selection for Christmas any time the team is half decent, and this year’s version looks like a title contender. After excelling in the Olympic spotlight, Victor Wembanyama will get his first Christmas game in the “world’s most famous arena.”

The action continues with the Timberwolves, making a rare Christmas Day appearance, traveling to Dallas to take on the defending Western Conference champion Mavericks. This rematch of the conference finals features two of the NBA’s top stars in Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic and could be important in the race for the best record in the West.

Next up, the Sixers and Celtics will renew their rivalry in Boston in a battle of two of the best teams in the East. Philadelphia added Paul George as part of an offseason roster overhaul and should be a legitimate challenger for the defending champs, who may not have Kristaps Porzingis available by December 25 following offseason surgery.

The Warriors will host the Lakers in the prime-time matchup, with James and Curry meeting for the first time since their Olympic heroics. Although these are still two of the league’s glamour teams and should draw a good rating, they combined for just one playoff win last season.

The day will end with the Suns hosting the Nuggets in the late game. Durant and Nikola Jokic were also outstanding at the Olympics, and Phoenix and Denver should both be in the midst of the Western Conference playoff race.

Even with an entertaining slate of games, there are many fans and players who feel left out. Being on the Christmas Day schedule is considered a sign of respect around the league, so it’s almost an insult to be overlooked.

The Thunder are the most obvious omission after finishing as the No. 1 seed in the West last season. Oklahoma City has the MVP runner-up in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with a talented young roster that looks ready to contend for years to come. OKC also upgraded during the offseason by trading for Alex Caruso and signing free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Bucks are typically a Christmas Day fixture, but they got passed over after losing in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard remain two of the league’s top stars and a strong argument can be made that Milwaukee should have been included.

The Pacers, who reached the conference finals and the in-season tournament finals, are an exciting young team in the East, as are the Cavaliers and Magic. Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell and Paolo Banchero would all be worthy of Christmas games.

In the West, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies and James Harden and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers should also be in the conversation.

We want to get your opinion. What was the biggest snub on the Christmas Day schedule? Please leave your response in comments section.

International Notes: Washington, Fernandez, A. Antetokounmpo, Eddie

August 17th, 2024 at 8:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Telesport, Duane Washington talks about preparing for his first overseas experience, relays Basketball News. Washington signed a two-year contract with Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade in July after spending all of last season in the G League.

“The energy is incredible. I’ve felt it since day one, and I can’t wait to hit my first shot and make my first assist in front of those fans,” Washington said. “I believe the fans will see how dedicated I am and how much I want to win. I’m ready to give 100% to help this team succeed.”

Washington joined the Pacers on a two-way deal in 2021 after going undrafted out of Ohio State. He was given a standard contract at the end of the season, but was waived that summer. He moved on to the Suns on a two-way contract before being waived in the middle of the 2022/23 season. He then signed three two-way contracts with the Knicks, but never appeared in a game with them.

He’s looking forward to the next chapter of his career and getting to know his new teammates, including Gabriel Lundberg, who played in Phoenix shortly before Washington arrived.

“I’m very excited. I can score, but having players like Lundberg who can take some pressure off me is a huge advantage,” Washington said. “We just missed each other in Phoenix, but now we’re together, and I believe we’ll be a dangerous duo for opponents.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

Rudy Fernandez, whose retirement was reported after Spain was eliminated from the Olympics, made an official announcement Friday on Twitter, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The 39-year-old posted an emotional message to his fans along with a video showing highlights from his career. “I RETIRE with the feeling of having been a player committed to every team or club I have been on,” Fernandez wrote. “I never dreamed of flying so far, or so high, and directly competing against whoever was in front of me. I will miss being on the court, but now it is time for me to build a new path and be with my family more than ever. Of course, I will continue to enjoy this wonderful sport, always. Thank you all for flying by my side.”
Alex Antetokounmpo has joined KK Podgorica Bemax in Montenegro, according to Eurohoops. The youngest of the Antetokounmpo brothers has never played in the NBA, although he signed training camp contracts in each of the past three years with Toronto and Milwaukee. His new team is moving into the first division of the ABA League this season.
Former NBA player Jarell Eddie signed a one-year contract with Greek club Peristeri, Eurohoops states in another report. The 32-year-old forward, who played in Romania last season, has been through numerous overseas stops since leaving the NBA after the 2017/18 season.