It is mid-July, which means NBA happenings are slowing down. The NBA Las Vegas Summer League is entering its playoff stage over the weekend, and teams are finalizing their rosters. However, there will still be plenty of rumors as clubs are still figuring out where they stand in the big picture. Some recent rumors center around Bojan Bogdanovic, JaVale McGee, PJ Washington, Juancho Hernangomez, Amari Bailey, Cameron Payne, Evan Fournier, and Sasha Vezenkov.
NBA Rumors: Bojan Bogdanovic, JaVale McGee, PJ Washington, Juancho Hernangomez, Amari Bailey, Cameron Payne, Evan Fournier, and Sasha Vezenkov
The Dallas Mavericks have been busy over the last three weeks as they retool their roster. It appears that they are not done adjusting their team. On his July 12th show, Howdy Partners, ESPN’s Tim McMahon said that the Mavericks may revisit trying to pry Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons.
The Athletic’s Tim Cato expanded on McMahon’s report by saying that the Mavericks and Pistons did indeed revisit that deal. League sources told Cato that the teams discussed the framework of an agreement that would have sent Bogdanovic and Killian Hayes to Dallas. Detroit would have received Tim Hardaway Jr. and McGee. Cato added that it was unclear what else would have been required from each party to expand it to a four-team deal or why the discussions stalled. One team source told Cato that Dallas is incredibly cautious about trading its 2027 first-round pick.
Depending on the draft compensation that the Pistons could receive from the Mavericks or if other teams were involved, this deal does not make sense for Detroit. The teams would be swapping unwanted pieces, except in the case of Bogdanovic. Both he and Hardaway have two years left on their deal.
Detroit has 14 players under contract for next year and is currently under the salary cap. The Pistons could use a veteran big or wing depth. They are rumored to be considering looking for suitors for Hayes, Marvin Bagley III, and James Wiseman.
Meanwhile, Dallas has a surplus of centers and needs help on the wing. The Mavericks also have been said to want to upgrade at the center position.
More on JaVale McGee
Despite the Mavericks’ failed trade with the Pistons, there is an excellent chance that McGee won’t be on their roster at the beginning of the season. Cato and McMahon said that the 35-year-old is likely to be released if he is not traded.
McGee has had a good career, but he is on the downside of it. He saw limited action last year with Dallas. He averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds over 8.5 minutes in 42 appearances. The Mavericks were outscored by nearly eight points a game when he was on the floor.
I don’t see McGee getting meaningful minutes if he is on an NBA roster this year. But, he could serve as a de facto assistant coach for a team like Udonis Haslem.
PJ Washington
Washington is among the top free agents still available. He is a restricted free agent as the Charlotte Hornets made him a qualifying offer of $8.5 million. However, that is far below the $18-plus million that Washington is reportedly seeking, per NBA Insider Marc Stein.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Hornets and Washington are still working on a deal. However, it remains to be seen whether the team and the forward can find common ground on a multi-year deal.
According to Fischer, Washington still hasn’t received an offer from the Hornets that matches or exceeds what Isaiah Stewart got on his new extension with the Pistons. There is another issue; most teams can only offer mid-level money at this point. A sign-and-trade is the only way for Washington to receive his desired money from another team.
Fisher believes that Charlotte, going through an ownership change, would likely prefer a sign-and-trade rather than Washington accepting the qualifying offer. The team likely prefers this scenario because they could potentially lose him for nothing next year, like Miles Bridges.
Washington is a quality NBA power forward. The 24-year-old is coming off a career season where he averaged 15.7 points and two three-pointers a game. He did struggle on the glass and didn’t shoot it particularly well from deep.
Juancho Hernangomez Wants an NBA Deal
While there is belief that unrestricted free agent Hernangomez will join his brother, Willy Hernangomez, in Barcelona this year, he told Sportando that his dream is to remain in the NBA.
“It’s a dream come true that I’ve never stopped fighting for despite any obstacles that have been put in my way. My dream has always been to play in the NBA and for this, I will continue.”
Hermangomez is coming off arguably the worst season of his career. The 27-year-old power forward averaged 2.9 points and 2.9 boards in 42 appearances for the Toronto Raptors last year. His scoring was the worst of his career, and he only appeared in one match after the All-Star game.
While not the player his brother is, Hermangomez is still a decent defensive rebounder. But he is only an average NBA’er and not a great defender.
Amari Bailey Signs Two-Way Contract With Charlotte
Charlotte inked 2023 second-round draft pick Bailey to a two-way contract on July 14. The Hornets acquired the 19-year-old guard from the Oklahoma City Thunder after he was selected with the No. 41 pick. He has had his fair share of up-and-downs in the Summer League.
Bailey has played six games in the California Classic and the 2K24 Las Vegas Summer League. While he played fairly well in Sacramento, he struggled with shooting and turning over the ball in Vegas. He did show off his athleticism and some defensive ability throughout.
Bailey will receive about $560,000 this year with the ability to be active for up to 50 games with the Hornets. However, he is expected to see a lot of action in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm.
Charlotte has 14 players under standard contracts, with Washington and Theo Maledon as restricted free agents. Second-round pick James Nnaji remains unsigned. The Hornets have some flexibility with Kobi Simmons and JT Thor on non-guaranteed deals. Meanwhile, James Bouknight and Bryce McGowens are heading into the last year of their guaranteed contracts. Both players have struggled during Summer League. Bouknight has a club option for next season, and the next two years on McGowens are non-guaranteed.
With the signing of Bailey, the Hornets have one two-way contract left, as Xavier Sneed was the first to receive a spot. Leaky Black is expected to secure that, as Adam Smith of Inside Carolina previously reported that the sides have already come to an agreement. Black did a fantastic job rebounding. He also shot the ball and defended well in two appearances in Vegas.
Cameron Payne
The Phoenix Suns are reportedly continuing to shop Payne, Fischer said in another article. The Suns have reportedly been talking to the Indiana Pacers about T.J. McConnell. There was some talk around Summer League about a developing multi-team trade.
Point guard is Phoenix’s only questionable position. So, looking for a veteran who is a true lead guard is crucial. Bradley Beal and Devin Booker can handle the spot, but both are prone to turnovers and not great defenders.
Payne has proven to be a quality backup over the last three years. The 28-year-old also has played exceptionally well in his spot starts during his time with the Suns. Although, defense is an issue due to his size. While he isn’t a great shooter, Payne has developed into a reliable three-point threat. He also hosted a better than three-to-one assists-to-turnover ratio in the last three seasons.
McConnell is a tough-as-nails veteran and one of the best backup point guards in the NBA. The 31-year-old is an excellent ball-handler and defender. He is coming off one of the best shooting years of his career, knocking down 54.3% of his shots and 44.1% of his attempts from deep. McConnell also posted six double-doubles and one triple-double last season.
Phoenix has brought in several new players this summer and is considered one of the favorites in the Western Conference. The Suns have 15 players under contract for the upcoming season. They have some flexibility, with Jordan Goodwin having a partially guaranteed deal ($300,000) and Ish Wainwright‘s non-guaranteed contract.
Payne recently had his expiring $6.5 million contract fully guaranteed, while McConnell will earn $18 million over the next two seasons, $13.7 million of which is guaranteed.
Evan Fournier and the Knicks
The New York Knicks haven’t done much this offseason, so Peter Botte of the New York Post believes they aren’t finished trying to upgrade their roster. The Knicks have some flexibility despite having 15 players under contract. DaQuan Jeffries and Isaiah Roby are on non-guaranteed deals, while Jericho Sims’ contract is partially guaranteed.
One move that New York would love to make is the purge of Fournier. The Knicks continue actively exploring Fournier trades and are open to multi-team scenarios, sources tell Fischer. He only appeared in 27 contests last year, as he struggled with his shot in limited minutes. The 30-year-old will earn $18.86 million this upcoming season and has a $19 million team option for 2024-25, which is highly likely to be declined.
While the Knicks would like to trade Fournier, this will be tough unless they hit on a big swing to make salaries work. This is possible with all their assets but may not occur until the trade deadline.
Sasha Vezenkov Officially Signs With the Kings
Vezenkov, the 2023 EuroLeague MVP, officially signed his three-year pact with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. Vezenkov is still awaiting a letter of clearance from FIBA for that contract to become legally binding, a source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. That’s expected to happen soon when the Kings officially announce the signing.
Sasha Vezenkov’s three-year, $20 million deal with the Sacramento Kings is fully guaranteed the first two years and includes a team option for the 2025-26 season, league sources told @hoopshype.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 14, 2023
Vezenkov is an outstanding shooter with great positional size. He moves exceptionally well off the ball and can play in the pick-n-roll. The lefty has a nice shooting stroke with range off the catch or bounce and can finish through contact. Vezenkov is also an excellent rebounder.
“Sasha is one of the best shooters who’s got great positional size in one of the best leagues in the world,” Kings general manager Monte McNair told reporters after acquiring him from the Cleveland Cavaliers. “Sasha is a guy we see fitting with Domantas’ [Sabonis] passing, with [De’Aaron] Fox’s ability to collapse defenses, just another guy who can stand there and hit shots.”
With Vezenkov’s signing, the Kings have 13 players under contract. The 27-year-old projects to be one of the first Kings off the bench as he will likely back up both forward spots, Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray.
Sacramento could use another or possibly two bigs. The Kings must also fill one of their two-way spots with Keon Ellis and Jalen Slawson already signed.
