Post-Draft Signings
Tomas Satoransky signed with FC Barcelona
Barcelona's nemesis (Real Madrid) just played in the Euroleague final, which means Barca is ready to unload the vault to get back in the game. Good time to be Tomas: being a badass in Barcelona is probably a lot better than being a Washington Wizard. I always liked him, good for Tomas, nice playmaker (an oldhead Josh Giddey, if you will), should still have a coupla really good Euro years left in him.
Qualifying Offers
Heat tendered RFA Caleb Martin a qualifying offer
I like both of the Martin twins, Caleb just played solid minutes in a conference final, his contract is miniscule, I would expect somebody to take a run at him (and unless someone comes way over the top, I would expect the Heat to keep him).
Kings did not tender UFA Donta DiVincenzo a qualifying offer
I didn't understand why the Bucks gave up on DiVincenzo so easily last year, when they clearly could've used some wing scoring off the bench. And now I don't understand why the Kings are going to just let him walk when they actually made a nifty move to get him last season. I mean if he's not part of the plan then I guess you move on, but what better plan are the Kings working on?
1yr deals
Heat sign Orlando Robinson to 1yr deal
Recent Fresno State big man, Robinson had (briefly) a 1st round grade in some mocks, so signing him post-draft could be a real get for the Heat. He's a Summer Leaguer if nothing else.
Pacers sign Fanbo Deng to 1 yr deal
Fanbo didn't start appearing in the mocks until right before the draft, so I know nothing about him. We'll see in Summer League. Why sign these guys to 1 yr deals rather than 2-ways or even less formal deals? I dunno, something in the salary cap structure promotes having a slot that endures into the next season--even if the player does not come back. Will Fanbo and/or Robinson be on the opening day rosters in October? I doubt it, but you never know.
2-way contracts
Bucks sign AJ Green, Grizzlies sign Kenneth Lofton Jr, Jazz sign Johnny Juzang, Lakers sign Scotty Pippen Jr , Nuggets sign Collin Gillespie, Raptors sign Ron Harper Jr, Warriors sign Lester Quinones
Yeah...not a lot of mock draft love for any of these guys all year long--even though I thought Juzang would start the season with a 1st rd grade, but he never wowed the scouts. I dunno, man, I think the Jazz got themselves a guy that can score. As for others....no idea.
Options/Extensions
Thunder pick up option on Lu Dort
The final year of Dort's rookie deal, not even $2m (not even sure if that's guaranteed), pound for pound this is maybe the most valuable contract in the league. Wouldn't be at all surprised if they trade him this summer: OKC is still in Lose mode for another year, Dort is quite possibly too good to play and (like *ahem* SGA), the sporting thing to do is to trade young guys that need to play if you're not gonna play them. I can absolutely see Dort and SGA on other teams by October.
Rockets pick up option on Jae'Sean Tate
I liked Tate, another nice young player for the Rockets to build around. The Rockets are the kind of team that will invest well, accrue value well, make the right moves, and will willingly sacrifice W's if it means building a better value base over time. Point being: the Rockets should still be pretty awful next year (like OKC, they're in for 1 more year of tank commander b-ball) but I think they are building correctly and will be rewarded over time.
Cavs pick up option on Dean Wade
The poor man's Kevin Love, perfect just in case they move on from Love this summer. Under $2m, final year of the deal, he played 51 games last year, this is a no-brainer.
Kyrie Irving (Nets) exercises player option
Ha! This basically means Kyrie couldn't find a trade or sign/trade option, nor does it seem like the Nets were eager to give a max deal (good god, why would they?), so it appears Kyrie is resigned to playing out his deal and finding a new home next summer. Should be a weird year for Kyrie and the Nets.
Pat Connaughton (Bucks) exercises player option
Cool. I always dug, Connaughton, he hustles, don't take no shit, ain't a great shooter but isn't afraid to shoot, knows he's not the star. Totally worth 1yr/$5.5m. He might get moved but he's the kinda guy that's nice to have, a wild card guy that can make plays.
Kendrick Nunn (Lakers) exercises player option
Sure, why not? Nunn was supposed to be a ball handler off the bench for a playoff team last year but Nunn didn't play at all and the Lakers sucked. I expect Nunn to play next year (but I wouldn't expect the Lakers to be much better).
Cory Joseph (Pistons) exercises player option
I reckon Joseph will be part of their rotation next year. The Pistons should be better but I don't see them as a post-season team next year, so filling minutes with Joseph sounds just fine.
Svi Mykhailuk (Raptors) exercises player option
Under $2m, played 56 games last year, Raptors rotation is a deep one, I can see him playing minutes for Toronto, this is probably a good deal.
John Wall (Rockets) exercises player option
If I'm not mistaken, the Rockets agreed to buy Wall out and he is going to sign with the Clippers (something like 1yr/$8m). I thought the Rockets could've played him, he could've looked kinda good without winning games, seems like they could've made more of a market for him, but I guess they were cool with just buying him out (when (NFL guy) says he got paid to lose games, why are we surprised? In the tanking NBA there's a handful of guys getting paid to not win games every season). I think Wall probably still has something left in the tank, he's barely played but I reckon he's still physically well enough to be good. The Clippers should be a nice spot for him.
James Harden (Sixers) declines player option
This is so Harden can sign an extension, I'm guessing 3yrs something like $170m. I wouldn't pay him that but it isn't my money-- in fact, it's the best kind of money: someone else's money! I still think Harden can be good, possibly even really really good, but he's also guaranteed to be annoying, cryptic and there's also a chance he just goes sideways forever and never comes close to being worth a big fat extension. The Sixers are into it, I guess, but I'd be looking for a trade partner (Westbrook doesn't seem that bad a pairing for Embiid to me), but then again, I'm not an NBA GM, I'm a frickin' blogger.
Bradley Beal (Wizards) declines player option
This is so Beal can sign the mega-max (or something pretty max-y) with the Wizards. Does he get traded in the next year? I guess I'd say 50/50 chance. Beal has always said he wants to stay in DC, but the Wizards have always sucked, I think he's a popular enough player for the fans to root for him at-large and therefore is massive tradebait, even at his high salary. I don't see the ideal circumstance (to Philly w/ Harden and Embiid? Can he get to Miami? Is it possible to pair him with Luka?), so I can see Beal just playing his entire career in a quiet NBA suburb (that ain't the worst life, actually).
Nicholas Batum (Clippers) declines player option
Uhhhh, I don't get this one. I always liked Batum as much as the next guy, but I thought another year with the Clippers at $3.5m sounded about right. If he opts out, I don't see him going back to the Clippers, so does he have a better deal waiting from somewhere else? (Jazz? Bucks? Celtics? Heat?)
Trades
Thunder get JaMycheal Green, 2027 1st rd pick; Nuggets get 2023 2nd rd pick, 2024 2nd rd pick, the rights to pick # 30 (Peyton Watson)
Green is a reliable vet with no aspirations to a future with OKC and he's on an expiring contract, so he can either play for OKC or get waived or get traded. Kinda feels like the Nuggets overpaid to get the worst 1st rd pick possible (no comment on Watson, but #30 is arguably the worst spot in the whole draft), but I suppose clearing out space to replace Green is valuable. (And hey! 2nd rd picks! Hooray!)
Blazers get Jerami Grant, the rights to the #46 pick (Ismael Kamangate); Pistons get 2025 1st rd pick, 2025 2nd rd pick, 2026 2nd rd pick, the rights to pick #36 (Gabriele Procida)
Grant in the final year of his deal is a nice scoring option for the Blazers, who feel like they're gonna score a ton (but will they defend enough to actually win games?); I feel like the Pistons tipped their hand a bit much and could've done better than a future 1st and a bunch of 2nd rd picks for a pretty good veteran scorer. On the other hand: if Procida becomes a nice player, then that alone is worth it because they needed to get off Grant's salary. Anyway, this is not the deal I foresaw for Jerami Grant, not sure what else was out there for the Pistons, though.
Mavs get Christian Wood; Rockets get Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, Sterling Brown, Marquese Chriss, the rights to #26 pick (Wendell Moore Jr)
Wood is a nice big man, shoots 3's, feels like he won't get in Luka's way and will contribute more offense than you think; this is a good move for the Mavs. I feel like the Rockets could've done better for Wood, but a collection of vets on small contracts is maybe exactly what they need. Throw in another youngster (just played in a Final Four, no less) for the youth movement and, okay, I'm talking myself into this move.
Sixers get De'Anthony Melton; Grizzlies get Danny Green, the rights to #23 pick (David Roddy)
I like Melton but I guess the Grizzlies fancied themselves deep enough to let him walk or perhaps they saw what I saw in Roddy's rambling run through March Madness (one of the only players I name checked this year). I have my doubts about Roddy, but you never know, but Green on the other hand is clearly not going to play next year, so he's just a piece of paper to pass around. Melton is a nice pickup for the Sixers, another savvy contributor off the bench.
Coaches
Hornets hired Steve Clifford (multi-year) to be Head Coach
*cue the Welcome Back Kotter theme song* Clifford was the guy the Hornets fired the last time they needed to go in a new direction. Most insiders speak highly of Clifford's skills but I dunno that I've ever seen any evidence of it. They went with a hot new thing (Borrego) last time, so going back to the check-getting retread route, I reckon. (So we're just recycling golf buddies in Charlotte or something...?) Will it help? Who knows? Clifford might be perfect, I have no idea what kind of coach this team needs.
Jazz hired Will Hardy (5yrs) to be Head Coach
Okay. Danny Ainge reaching back to Boston to thin out that coaching staff after snagging an Eastern Conference title. The Jazz need a new look and feel (one in Ainge's image, I presume), and Hardy may well be perfect. Clearly Hardy was at peace with whatever comes to pass with Donovan Mitchell and/or Rudy Gobert this summer (and that's probably the first question in the interview!).
(*) The plan is to do a team-by-team look at the draft. Hopefully tomorrow. We'll see.
No comments:
Post a Comment