New Orleans Pelicans owner Gayle Benson – and team president Dennis Lauscha – insists she will not sell the team to allow for a relocation. Like the New Orleans Saints – also owned by Benson – there is a succession plan to sell the Pelicans after her death with the proceeds going to charities that will benefit the city.
“There is no way, as long as I’m going to be alive, that I would sell the Pelicans,” Benson added.
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, at least 6 NBA teams are interested in 76ers star Ben Simmons: Timberwolves, Pacers, Cavaliers, Pistons, Raptors and Spurs.
Rich Paul, Simmons’ agent, tried to organize a 3-team trade over the summer, but failed to meet Daryl Morey’s requests.
The Utah Jazz have waived guard Justin James.
James (6-6, 190, Wyoming) was originally signed to a two-way contract by Utah on Sept. 22.
We have waived Justin James.https://t.co/KE0ANncT7w
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) October 1, 2021
The Washington Wizards offered Bradley Beal a contract extension of $ 181.3 million over 4 years, but the former Florida guard is in no hurry to sign.
“My biggest thing is getting us off going to a good start. We worry about the contract money and all that later. I’ll let them deal with it when the time comes, for sure. I got all year to sign, too. So I’m not in a rush… I want to win. I want to win the right way and do it here, and I think we have enough. So it’s just we have to get it done.”
The Philadelphia 76ers do not intend to pay Ben Simmons the second 25% of his salary that has a deadline set for October 1st.
Per Bleacher Report, Simmons already received 25 percent of his salary for this season, the second of a five-year, $177 million agreement he signed back in 2019, and the October 1 payment was intended to be the subsequent installment of his pay.
There have been growing whispers this week among NBA sources with knowledge of the situation that Simmons could respond by actually reporting to Philadelphia in the coming days, but maintaining that he is injured and unable to compete. Simmons has had noted knee and back injuries in the previous two seasons.
Multiple team executives contacted by B/R have expressed concern about the precedent Simmons’ holdout could set for future star players already under long-term contracts.
Fonte: Bleacher Report.
The Portland Trail Blazers have exercised the contract option on Nassir Little.
The player will have also his fourth season of the rookie deal guaranteed.
The Blazers have exercised the fourth-year rookie scale option on Nassir Little, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 1, 2021
Ben Simmons is due 25% (approximately $8.25M) of his 21-22 salary today: whether or not the Philadelphia 76ers decide to pay him that amount as Simmons continues his holdout, a source tells Marc Stein of Substack that his camp believes he’ll ultimately get the money either after a trade or a separate resolution.
Simmons has already been fined by the 76ers for not reporting to camp.
The Washington Wizards can officially present a four-year, $181.5 million extension to Bradley Beal starting today, but the All Star guard will reportedly take slightly more time to decide
Beal could stand to earn roughly $50 million more if he waits and chooses to become a free agent in 2022
According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN, the Toronto Raptors still hope to trade Goran Dragic for an asset or two by the trade deadline
Slovenian guard reported to Raptors training camp after arriving this summer in exchange for Kyle Lowry and will be in all likelihood a part of Toronto’s rotation in the first part of the season
Steve Kerr has emerged as the favorite to replace Gregg Popovich as head coach of USA Basketball, sources tell Marc Stein of Substack.
Erik Spoelstra is believed to be another natural candidate, but he lacks prior experience on the national team coaching staff, which is believed to be a prerequisite for the job.
Trevelin Queen signs with Los Angeles Lakers an Exhibit-10 training camp contract.
Queen played last season in G League with Rio Grande and last Summer League with Lakers.
A new Laker: The team says it has signed Trevelin Queen to an Exhibit-10 training camp contract.
More NBA from me: https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 30, 2021
Elijah Bryant returns to the Milwaukee Bucks with a training camp contract, Eric Nehm reports.
The former BYU guard was released by the reigning NBA champions a few days ago.
Last year Bryant scored 16 points with 6 rebounds and 3 assist against the Bulls in the only regular-season game played with the Bucks.
The Bucks now have 20 players, the maximum allowed, with 13 guaranteed deals and 2 two-way players.
The Bucks have signed guard Elijah Bryant to a training camp deal, per league sources.
Bryant, 26, won a championship with the Bucks last season.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) September 29, 2021
The Denver Nuggets have signed forward Michael Porter Jr. to a multi-year contract extension, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.
Porter Jr., 23, had the best season of his young career in 2020-21, helping lead Denver to 47 wins in a 72-game shortened season and the three seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. In 61 games (54 starts), he averaged career-highs in points (19.0), rebounds (7.3), assists (1.1), field goal percentage (54.2%), three-point field goal percentage (44.5%) and minutes per game (31.3). He posted a career-high 39 points (8-12 3FG’s), along with six rebounds, three blocks and two assists vs. Houston on Apr. 24th. He became the first player since Joel Embiid in 2017 to post those numbers in the second year of their career and the third Nugget in franchise history to make seven or more three pointers in consecutive games.
You can stop asking us about it now 😎
🔗 https://t.co/fGpE0c74Tz#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/XuRR2XoXu1
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) September 29, 2021
Fonte: NBA.com.
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Trevelin Queen to a training camp deal, Dave McMenamin of Espn reports.
Queen played the Las Vegas Summer League with the Lakers, averaging 13.2 points and 2 steals in 6 games.
Last year the guard scored 10 points (46% FG) plus 1.2 steals per game in G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Free agent guard Trevelin Queen has signed a partially guaranteed training camp deal with the L.A. Lakers, his agent, Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management, told ESPN. He averaged 13.2 pts on 54% from 3 and 2.0 stl per game for the Lakers’ summer league team in Las Vegas
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 28, 2021
Utah Jazz have announced the agreements with Marques Bolden and Malik Fitts.
Bolden, former Duke big man, last year produced over 9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game in G League.
Fitts, a forward from St. Mary’s, made his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Clippers during his rookie season.
We have signed forwards Marques Bolden and Malik Fitts.https://t.co/Z5lczQ9SRT
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) September 28, 2021
The Milwaukee Bucks will sign Johnny O’Bryant to a training camp deal.
O’Bryant has played with the Bucks from 2014 to 2016.
The Milwaukee Bucks are signing C/F Johnny O'Bryant to a training camp deal, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. O'Bryant spent two of his four NBA seasons with the Bucks (2014-16) and is returning to compete for a roster spot.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 28, 2021
Caris LeVert of the Indiana Pacers suffered a stress fracture in his back.
There is optimism that the injury is not severe and that LeVert could be back around the start of the season.
There is optimism that the injury is not severe
Kyle Guy has signed a training camp deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and will try to earn a two-way contract, Chris Fedor reports.
The former Virginia guard spent two seasons with the Sacramento Kings, the last scoring 2.8 points per game.
#Cavs have signed Kyle Guy to a training camp deal, sources tell @clevelanddotcom. He will compete for a two-way spot.
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) September 27, 2021
The Chicago Bulls have added free agent big man Daniel Oturu to their training camp roster, his agent Kevin Bradbury tells Malika Andrews of Espn.
Oturu, the No.33 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, during his rookie year played 30 games (1.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg) for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Chicago Bulls have added free agent big man Daniel Oturu to their training camp roster, Kevin Bradbury of @REP1Basketball tells ESPN. Oturu has cleared waivers and will report to Chicago — which is in need of a versatile size — immediately.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 27, 2021
The Oklahoma City Thunder have formalized the arrivals of Rob Edwards and D.J. Wilson.
Edwards last year averaged 12.5 points (44% from long range) with the OKC-affiliated G League team.
Wilson, the No.17 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, ended last season with the Rockets (6.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg) after 3.5 years with the Bucks.
Thunder Adds Edwards and Wilson to Training Camp Roster
🔗 | https://t.co/Pb2qZkknH3 pic.twitter.com/8CjX4Vd7rm
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) September 27, 2021
OKC also announced the Training Camp roster.
Shaq Harrison is joining 76ers training camp.
Harrison has played 21 games with the Nuggets last season averaging 3.3ppg.
Free agent G Shaq Harrison is signing a training camp deal with the 76ers, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2021
Milwaukee Bucks waive Elijah Bryant as reported by Eric Nehm.
Bryant won NBA title averaging 7.5 minutes in 11 games.
American guard averaged also 9.8 points last season in Euroleague with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The Milwaukee Bucks have waived Elijah Bryant, per a league source.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) September 26, 2021
The Los Angeles Lakers are planning to sign two-way guard Austin Reaves to a new two-year contract as reported by Shams Charania.
Second year on Austin Reaves’ deal will be a team option.
Second year on Austin Reaves’ deal will be a team option, sources said. Lakers have had success developing unheralded players such as Talen Horton-Tucker and Alex Caruso and view Reaves — a 6-foot-5 guard — in a similar mold. https://t.co/i1IMRiAOg1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 26, 2021
Atlanta Hawks GM Travis Schlenk revealed at a recent press conference that the team is negotiating with Kevin Huerter’s reps to extend his rookie contract.
As I’ve said all along, we’re hopeful to get something done with Kevin long-term, but if we don’t, that’s OK too,” Schlenk said. “As we saw last year with John (Collins), that certainly doesn’t mean that we’re not going to work hard next year in free agency to try to get Kevin wrapped up long-term.
The former Maryland guard last season produced averages of 11.9 points, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and just 1.1 turnovers per game, shooting 43% from the field, 36% from long range and 78% from the free throws line.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says Ben Simmons playing in front of Sixers fans is a ‘factor’ in him wanting out of Philadelphia: “He doesn’t want to be in front of those fans. I don’t think he intends to ever show his face there again”.
Simmons’ status is still unclear in the hours before the 2021-22 training camp
The Portland Trail Blazers have re-signed Keljin Blevins to a Two-Way contract. Blevins played last season as a Two-Way player.
After going undrafted out of Montana State in 2019, Blevins spent training camp with the Trail Blazers. He then played for the Northern Arizona Suns in the G League in 2019-20.
Some Philadelphia 76ers players wanted to travel to Los Angeles this week to meet with Ben Simmons and spend time convincing their All-Star teammate to commit to the 2021-22 season with them, but they were informed not to come and that Simmons did not want to meet, sources tell The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The core leaders on the 76ers and most of the team were set to take a jet to see Simmons before being turned away, sources said. Multiple sources said Simmons didn’t want his teammates, some of whom he considers friends, to make the Philadelphia-to-Los Angeles commute out of courtesy because he won’t change his mind on wanting a trade.
Wizards forward Rui Hachimura is out indefinitely with an excused absence (personal reasons), sources tell The Athletic’s Shams Charania
Washington’s training camp begins this Tuesday.
The New York Knicks have signed guard Wayne Selden to a non-guaranteed training camp deal.
Selden last played in the NBA in 2018-19 with the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls. He comes off a strong 2020-21 with Israeli side Ironi Nes Ziona, who led to winning the FIBA Europe Cup
The Sacramento Kings have signed guard Matt Coleman III to a non-guaranteed training camp deal.
Coleman went undrafted at the 2021 NBA Draft out of Texas, averaging 13.2 ppg and 4.0 apg in his Senior year in 2020-21
