With the NBA season tip-off just eight days away — beginning with a must-see triple-header on NBC and Peacock— the league’s focus is shifting back to the court. However, the NBA rumor mill never stops, particularly with rookie contract extensions coming up in the next week. Here are some of the newest reports.
Brandon Miller a $200 million man?
It was clear how much the Charlotte Hornets believe in Brandon Miller (and Kon Knueppel) when they traded LaMelo Ball this summer season. They see Miller as the face of the franchise (or at least one of the faces). Now the Hornets are about to put huge money on that wager, reportedly nearing a rookie contract extension offer for Miller at or above the five-year, $208 million deal Houston just gave Amen Thompson, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of the Stein Line report.
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“Miller is still projected by various league observers to ultimately come to terms with the Hornets on an extension that could exceed Amen Thompson’s new five-year, $200 million deal with the Rockets. In conversations with front office executives around the NBA this week, there seemed to be a growing consensus among rival decision-makers that Miller’s deal has the potential to be richer in a nod to his higher offensive ceiling.”
Miller can get buckets at all three ranges, and he averaged 20.2 factors, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per recreation, taking pictures 38.3% from 3-point vary. He’s an improved and respectable defender. The knocks on his recreation are turnovers — a 12.5% turnover price each of the previous two seasons, or 2.5 a recreation last season — and a lack of physicality and strain on the rim. But those are issues he can improve upon. And Charlotte wants to keep the man they need to construct around completely satisfied.
Cason Wallace, OKC speaking extension
Keeping the Thunder core collectively as everyone approaches new contracts will require high-level puzzle-solving by Sam Presti (and the house owners going into the second apron for a couple of years), but one man they need to keep is Cason Wallace.
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The Thunder and Wallace, OKC’s beginning two guard and a key defender, are speaking about an extension in the $25 million-a-year vary, Stein reports at the Stein Line. While Alex Caruso is a essential two-way two guard for the Thunder, particularly in the playoffs, his minutes have to be restricted during the common season so he’s prepared for the postseason. Wallace absorbs those minutes and performs at or close to Caruso’s degree.
It’s going to be robust for the Thunder to keep everyone — this summer season they already had to transfer on from Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins — but Wallace seems to be a precedence to keep.
Other NBA Rumors
• Anthony Black extension on maintain. The Magic are in a make-or-break season with the NBA’s third-highest payroll, and one means or the other they will have a lot of selections to make going ahead. With that, they are not going to attain an extension with level guard Anthony Black, Stein reports. Black took a step ahead last season, averaging 15 factors a recreation, but the Magic face robust selections, and one of them may be Black or Jalen Suggs.
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• The Nuggets have waived Lonnie Walker IV, who is now a free agent. He performed the previous two seasons in Europe and could return there.
• The Nuggets, Spurs, Pacers and Nets unveiled ABA throwback uniforms.
These are enjoyable, but the Spurs video displaying them off is the best.
• Maybe Zaccharie Risacher just needed a change of venue (and to get out from under the No. 1 decide cloud), as he has seemed fairly good this preseason for Dallas. On Sunday, he completed with 16 factors on 6-of-8 taking pictures. It’s just preseason, but Risacher is only 21 and was a sensible roll of the cube by Dallas. Just something to watch this preseason.
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