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KAT: It’s “Championship Or Bust” After Gobert Trade

July 22nd, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Rory Maher

At a press conference to announce his super-max extension on Friday, Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns said he is fully aware of the expectations the team has going forward after trading an enormous amount of assets for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

“Championship or bust,” Towns said.

He elaborated further once the press conference was over.

“When you make the trade that we made, that’s the reality. I’m not trying to sugarcoat,” Towns told Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. “You’ve got to think that. That’s really what’s on the table. I don’t think the fans would be accepting of [a goal of] a third-round elimination. … Let’s be real. The standards are high. The pressure is high. And that’s when we should all love to play basketball even more.”

As Rand writes, the idea that Minnesota would have such lofty goals even last summer, after a disappointing season saw the team finish 23-49, 13th in the West, might have seemed preposterous.

But things change quickly in the NBA, Rand notes. The Wolves won 46 games last season and made the playoffs for just the second time in the past 18 years, and now after acquiring a four-time All-NBA center, the bar for success has risen dramatically.

New president of basketball Tim Connelly said he was grateful that Towns was so eager to re-commit to the only franchise he’s ever known.

“For Karl, he’s seen a lot of tough days,” Connelly said, per Rand. “It was so exciting to hear how excited he was about Finchy (head coach Chris Finch) and his teammates and how quickly he was willing to get this done.”

Timberwolves Sign Josh Minott To Four-Year Deal

July 22nd, 2022 at 8:54pm CST by JD Shaw

July 22: Minnott’s deal with the Wolves is now official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

July 16: The Timberwolves are signing forward Josh Minott to a four-year contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Minott was originally selected No. 45 overall by the Hornets last month, then was traded to Minnesota on the night of the draft.

Before declaring for the draft, Minott played one season at Memphis, averaging 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The 19-year-old also shot 52% from the field, playing an average of 14.6 minutes per contest.

At 6’8″ and notably athletic, Minott has the potential to be a combo forward and excel on both ends. He can still improve his shooting — he only made two 3-pointers in 33 games last season — but that typically isn’t more pressing than work ethic, athleticism and size for young, developing players.

The Timberwolves also recently signed veteran guard Austin Rivers and still have an open roster spot to use. The team expects to compete for a title in the coming years, especially after adding Rudy Gobert to a core that already includes D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. Minott will be able to learn from a blend of young players and veterans during his rookie season.

Although Charania pegs the value of Minott’s new deal at $6.8MM, a four-year minimum-salary contract would be worth $6.94MM, so that’s likely what the former Memphis Tiger is receiving. The Wolves still had a portion of their mid-level exception remaining after signing Kyle Anderson, and will use some of that MLE to complete Minott’s deal.

Warriors Re-Sign Quinndary Weatherspoon To Two-Way Deal

July 22nd, 2022 at 8:49pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors have re-signed Quinndary Weatherspoon to a two-way deal, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Weatherspoon was the 49th pick of the 2019 draft after four college seasons at Mississippi State. He spent his first two seasons with the Spurs on a two-way deal, appearing in 31 NBA games with modest averages in limited minutes. Players are only able to spend two years on two-way contracts with the same team, and he didn’t get promoted to a standard deal.

The 25-year-old guard caught on with the Warriors, signing an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, but was waived before the season started and spent the first few months with Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. He signed a 10-day hardship club with the Warriors at the end of December, and when that ran out, he received a two-way contract which he remained on for the rest of 2021/22.

Weatherspoon averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.3 RPG in 11 games (6.6 MPG) for the defending champions, but he was much more product for the G League squad, averaging 25.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.1 APG and 2.1 SPG on .523/.282/.887 shooting in 20 regular season games (30.9 MPG).

Golden State issued Weatherspoon a one-year, two-way qualifying offer in June to make him a restricted free agent, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms (via Twitter) that he signed that QO.

The Warriors now have both two-way slots filled. Undrafted rookie Lester Quinones holds the other.

Magic Re-Sign Admiral Schofield To Two-Way Deal

July 22nd, 2022 at 8:24pm CST by Rory Maher

The Magic have re-signed Admiral Schofield to a two-way contract, the team announced (via Twitter).

Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel was the first to report that Schofield was sticking with the Magic (Twitter link). The 25-year-old forward was issued a one-year, two-way qualifying offer in June to make him a restricted free agent, so he likely just accepted that QO.

The 42nd pick of the 2019 draft, Schofield spent his rookie season with the Wizards, appearing in 33 games (11.2 MPG) with modest averages of 3.0 PPG and 1.4 RPG. He was traded to the Thunder in the 2020 offseason and subsequently waived.

Schofield signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Magic last year, was waived before the season started, and spent the first few months of 2021/22 with Orlando’s affiliate in Lakeland before signing a couple of 10-day hardship deals during the winter COVID-19 outbreak.

He performed well enough to be promoted to a two-way contract in January, which he remained on until the end of the season. In 38 games (12.3 MPG) with the Magic last season, he averaged 3.8 PPG and 2.3 RPG on .419/.329/.800 shooting.

The Magic now have one of their two-way slots filled, but the second remains open.

Trevion Williams To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Warriors

July 22nd, 2022 at 8:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors are signing rookie Trevion Williams to an Exhibit 10 deal, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Williams, who is ranked No. 7 on ESPN’s best available undrafted players, most recently suited up for the Celtics in Summer League, averaging 7.4 PPG and 6.6 RPG in five games (14.2 MPG), per RealGM.

The 6’10” big man had a productive college run with the Purdue Boilermakers, earning a couple of All-Big Ten honors the past two seasons while averaging a combined 13.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 2.7 APG while shooting 53.5% from the floor and 55.2% from the line in 65 games (30 starts, 22.3 MPG). He was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2021/22.

An Exhibit 10 deal is non-guaranteed and worth the minimum, but it could put Williams on track to receive a $50K bonus if he’s waived before the regular season and then joins the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate.

Williams’ Exhibit 10 contract could also be converted into a two-way deal if he impresses in training camp, although both of Golden State’s two-way spots are currently filled (by Lester Quinones and Quinndary Weatherspoon).

And-Ones: Paschall, J. Young, Egan, History Of Star Trades

July 22nd, 2022 at 7:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Eric Paschall, who spent last season with the Jazz but wasn’t extended a qualifying offer, thus making him an unrestricted free agent, is reportedly drawing interest from Greek club Panathinaikos, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. In reference to a tweet claiming he was “going to Europe,” Paschall said that was “false news” (Twitter link).

Of course, a team being interested in a free agent is different than a player being open to going overseas. The 6’6″ forward had a productive rookie season in 2019/20 with the Warriors as they dealt with major injuries to their stars and finished with just a 15-50 record, but has seen his role reduced significantly the past two years.

In 58 games (12.7 MPG) with Utah last season, Paschall averaged 5.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .485/.370/.767 shooting. Tony Jones of The Athletic reported last month that the 25-year-old was expected to draw interest on the open market — apparently that includes EuroLeague teams as well.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Former first-round pick James Young has re-signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv, the Israeli team announced (on Twitter) today (hat tip to Sportando). Young appeared in a total of 95 NBA games with the Celtics and Sixers from 2014-18, but only averaged 8.5 MPG. Last season with the Israeli side he averaged 17.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .451/.318/.750 shooting in 21 games (28.2 MPG).
Johnny Egan, a former head coach and player for the Rockets, has passed away, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Egan was 83 years old. He played 11 NBA seasons from 1961-1972, averaging 7.8 PPG and 3.0 APG. He then made an immediate transition to coaching, guiding the Rockets for parts of four seasons from 1972-76. “He was a down-to-Earth guy,” said former Rockets player Major Jones, who became a longtime friend of Egan. “He cared a lot about former players and was always willing to help former players. If something needed to be done, he’d be there. He always cared a lot about people. He was just a fantastic person.” Our condolences go out to Egan’s friends and family.
Tim Bontemps, Kevin Pelton and Matt Williams of ESPN examine some of the biggest star trades in recent NBA history. According to ESPN’s trio, the Pelicans received more trade equity than any other team over the past two decades when they moved Anthony Davis to the Lakers in 2019. I’m sure the Lakers would be happy to make that trade again, however, as they won the title in Davis’ first year in Los Angeles.

Scotto’s Latest: Muhammad, Murray, Chandler, Maine Celtics

July 22nd, 2022 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Former lottery pick Shabazz Muhammad is expected to be among the veteran free agents the Lakers are hosting for workouts, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The 14th selection of the 2013 draft, Muhammad has been attempting an NBA comeback after being out of the league since 2018. He recently worked out for the Kings and said the Mavericks have shown some interest as well.

Still only 29 years old, Muhammad holds career averages of 9.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .473/.319/.751 shooting in 278 games (17.2 MPG). He played in China for a couple of seasons after his NBA departure, and last season played a couple of G League games during the Showcase Cup before joining a team in the Philippines.

Here are a few more notes from Scotto:

Jamal Murray is expected to make his return at the beginning of next season for the Nuggets after missing all of 2021/22 with a torn ACL. He called the prolonged absence a “learning experience and a test of patience,” but he’s ready to be a difference-maker next season. “A championship mindset, a winning attitude, and raising everybody’s level of play,” Murray replied when Scotto asked what he’d bring to Denver upon his return. “That’s what I do best.”
Former NBA veteran Wilson Chandler, who played 12 seasons in the league, has had “exploratory” discussions with the Timberwolves about joining their front office, according to Scotto, who notes that Chandler had four seasons of overlap under new Wolves president Tim Connelly while the two were with the Nuggets. Chandler had a productive career, averaging 12.5 PPG and 4.3 RPG on .443/.341/.770 shooting in 676 games (483 starts, 30.0 MPG).
Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, are promoting Jarell Christian to GM from head coach, and Alex Barlow, Christian’s associate head coach last season, will take his place, sources tell Scotto. Christian was formerly an assistant coach with the Wizards, per Scotto.

Wizards Finalizing Deal To Hire James Posey As Assistant Coach

July 22nd, 2022 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards and James Posey are finalizing an agreement that will make the former NBA forward an assistant coach on Wes Unseld Jr.‘s staff, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Posey played in the NBA from 1999-2011, winning titles in 2006 with the Heat and 2008 with the Celtics. Following his retirement, he joined the coaching staff of Cleveland’s G League team in Canton, then became an assistant on the Cavaliers’ staff from 2014-19. He won another championship with the Cavs in 2016.

Most recently, Posey was an assistant coach in 2021/22 for the women’s basketball program at the University of Virginia.

According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link), while Posey’s job title hasn’t been finalized yet, he’ll essentially fill the opening on the staff that was created when assistant coach and player development manager Mike Batiste left D.C. to take a job on Stephen Silas‘ staff in Houston.

Andrew Nembhard Signs Four-Year Deal With Pacers

July 22nd, 2022 at 3:03pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 22: The Pacers have officially signed Nembhard, the team announced today in a press release.

“I’m excited to get my career and rookie season started with the Pacers,” Nembhard said in a statement. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a first-class organization and I can’t wait to play in front of the league’s best fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this year!”

JULY 20: The Pacers are signing second-rounder Andrew Nembhard to a four-year, $8.6MM deal, his agents Jaafar Choufani and Todd Ramasar tell ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). Nembhard’s deal includes $6.4MM in guaranteed money over the first three years, which is the most ever for a second-round pick who attended college, Givony reports.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (via Twitter), the 22-year-old will receive more guaranteed money than several first-round picks, whose contracts are only guaranteed for the first two seasons (years three and four being team options), though that is slightly misleading because Nembhard’s guarantee is spread out over three years instead of two.

Indiana has a team option on the fourth year of the deal, the 2025/26 season, sources tell Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. The signing will be completed using a small portion of the Pacers’ cap room.

After a strong showing at the draft combine, Nembhard shot up draft boards, going from a possible late second-rounder to a borderline first-round selection. He was ultimately taken with the first pick of the second round, 31st overall.

The 6’5″ guard spent four years in college, the first two with Florida and then the final two with Gonzaga after transferring before his junior season. In 32 games (32.2 MPG) with the Bulldogs last season, Nembhard averaged 11.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.8 APG and 1.6 SPG on .452/.383/.873 shooting. He also posted a very solid assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.97-to-1, a strong benchmark for a lead ball-handler.

Once Nembhard’s deal is official, the Pacers will still have one draft pick who is unsigned — Kendall Brown, the 48th selection. The Pacers have an opening on the 15-man roster and both two-way spots available, so either might be a possibility for the athletic forward out of Baylor.

Clippers Sign Moussa Diabate To Two-Way Contract

July 22nd, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have officially signed second-round pick Moussa Diabate to his first NBA contract, the team announced today. As expected, it’s a one-year, two-way deal, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.

The No. 43 overall pick in last month’s draft, Diabate spent his first and only college season at Michigan. The 6’11” big man averaged 9.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 0.9 BPG in 32 games (24.9 MPG) for the Wolverines. He was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team.

Diabate, 20, had a solid showing in two Las Vegas Summer League appearances this month, averaging 9.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG on 70% shooting in 24.1 MPG. A right ankle sprain prematurely ended his Summer League experience, but there’s no reason to think that injury will still be an issue by the time training camps begin in September.

With the signing, the Clippers now have 18 players under contract. Of those 18 players, 14 are on guaranteed standard contracts, three have Exhibit 10 deals, and Diabate has a two-way pact.

Undrafted free agents Justin Bean, Lucas Williamson, and Michael Devoe have also reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts with the Clippers, so it’s possible there will be a training camp competition for that second two-way slot. Exhibit 10 deals can be converted to two-way contracts prior to the regular season as long as the player doesn’t have four or more years of NBA service.

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