picture by: AP Photograph/Nell Redmond
New York Knicks ahead Marcus Morris Sr. brings the ball up the court docket towards the Charlotte Hornets in the course of the second half of an NBA basketball recreation in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. Charlotte gained 97-92.
The NBA season is only a month away, however the previous couple of weeks have seen some big-ticket transactions for former Kansas gamers on the highest stage {of professional} basketball.
Many former Jayhawks are firmly entrenched on their present NBA groups. Joel Embiid not too long ago signed a multi-year max contract extension that may see him earn practically $300 million by means of the top of the 2028-29 season. Christian Braun has an opportunity to start out in Denver this 12 months. And up to date draft picks like Gradey Dick, Jalen Wilson, Johnny Furphy and Kevin McCullar Jr. have time to develop and show their value to the groups that chosen them.
For a lot of others, nevertheless, significantly veterans within the center or late phases of their skilled careers, the summer time was a chance for change.
Marcus Garrett might find yourself returning to the NBA G League however has signed a contract with the Charlotte Hornets, whereas Devonte’ Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk and Marcus Morris have all gone to new NBA groups.
picture by: AP Photograph/Lynne Sladky
Miami Warmth guard Marcus Garrett (0) is seen in motion in the course of the second half of an NBA basketball recreation towards the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, in Miami. The Warmth gained 119-112.
Garrett to the Hornets
Garrett has already spent a few 12 months within the Hornets’ orbit, averaging 10.1 factors, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.8 steals for his or her G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, final season. However this contract with the NBA membership, signed on Sept. 11, might doubtlessly give him an opportunity to play within the affiliation for the primary time since taking part in 12 video games with the Miami Warmth within the 2021-22 marketing campaign. True, a number of retailers have reported that Garrett is on an Exhibit 10 contract, which might enable the Hornets to simply ship him again to Greensboro this 12 months in the event that they convert it to a two-way deal.
Coming into his fourth 12 months in skilled basketball (the Warmth signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2021), Garrett had an opportunity to shine within the NBA Summer time League in July — actually, each the California Traditional and the better-known Las Vegas version of the Summer time League — however he missed the whole lot of the California competitors, later telling reporters he was in poor health early in camp.
He completed the Vegas league robust with 12 factors, 5 rebounds and 4 steals within the Hornets’ final recreation.
picture by: AP Photograph/Matthew Hinton
San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte’ Graham (4) celebrates a 3-pointer subsequent to New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels (11) in the course of the first half of an NBA basketball recreation in New Orleans, Friday, April 5, 2024.
Graham to Path Blazers
Graham had the briefest attainable reunion with the group that drafted him, the Hornets, this offseason. Charlotte, which introduced Graham into the NBA with a second-round choose in 2018, acquired him and a second-round choose from San Antonio to alleviate the Spurs’ wage cap for the upcoming season. The Hornets then instantly launched Graham, making him a free agent.
Graham performed little in his lone season with the younger Spurs, however had an enormous efficiency in April, taking part in in seven video games in comparison with simply 16 the remainder of the season. He scored 20 factors towards New Orleans, his first in a 12 months, and had two extra makes an attempt at double-digit factors, together with a game-winning shot towards Denver.
Graham spent a number of weeks as a free agent in July earlier than signing with Portland late that month, reportedly on a one-year deal. The Path Blazers went simply 21-61 final season after choosing guard Scoot Henderson third general, and Graham might play a pivotal function backing up the promising guard.
“Graham might find yourself being the first backup level guard to Scoot Henderson if the Blazers commerce Anfernee Simons this offseason,” wrote Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “If the Blazers maintain Simons, they might nonetheless use a veteran backup level guard on the roster, particularly since Simons might stay the beginning capturing guard.”
picture by: AP Photograph/Michael Dwyer
Boston Celtics’ Svi Mykhailiuk performs towards the Detroit Pistons in the course of the second half of an NBA basketball recreation, Monday, March 18, 2024, in Boston.
Mykhailiuk at Jazz
The sixteenth and last former Jayhawk to win an NBA championship joins a franchise seeking to return to the playoffs after ending under .500 the previous two years.
The Jazz, who signed Mykhailiuk in August, will truly be his eighth group as he enters his seventh NBA season, having performed for the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets and final 12 months’s world champion Boston Celtics, to not point out a handful of G League associates alongside the way in which.
A frequent sufferer of mid-season trades, Mykhailiuk managed to spend his whole last 12 months in Boston and ended up seeing time in 41 common season video games with two begins, plus eight playoff video games, after showing in simply three playoff video games over the remainder of his mixed profession.
He performed in 293 whole regular-season video games and averaged 6.3 factors; his two greatest stints got here when he scored in double figures for the Thunder in 2020-21 and the Hornets in 2022-23.
Tony Jones of The Athletic reported that whereas Mykhailiuk is on a four-year contract, solely the primary season is absolutely assured at $3.5 million.
“He involves the Utah Jazz with an opportunity to earn minutes at each wing positions,” Jones added in a message on X.
picture by: AP Photograph/Charles Krupa
Cleveland Cavaliers ahead Marcus Morris Sr. (24) shoots over Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown in the course of the first half of Sport 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff collection, Wednesday, Might 15, 2024, in Boston.
Morris to the Knicks
His brother Markieff, who misplaced the championship to Mykhailiuk’s Celtics, not too long ago signed a brand new contract with the Dallas Mavericks after hinting {that a} return was within the works for a lot of the offseason. Nonetheless, whereas Markieff campaigned on social media for Dallas to signal Marcus as effectively, after the 2 beforehand performed collectively in Phoenix a decade in the past, the twins are headed to completely different groups for the upcoming season.
Marcus Morris signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the New York Knicks on September 15, marking the primary time he returned to a group for a second stint in his 14-year profession. He beforehand performed for New York within the 2019-20 season, which was top-of-the-line statistical campaigns of his profession as he averaged 19.6 factors and 5.4 rebounds whereas beginning all 43 video games.
Most not too long ago, Morris joined the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers for a part of the 2023-24 season after being traded and launched in February.
There isn’t any assure he’ll play a major function for New York this 12 months, as Exhibit 9’s contract basically serves as a coaching camp invitation. Mollie Walker of the New York Publish instructed he’ll be competing for a roster spot with fellow Exhibit 9 recruit Landry Shamet, a veteran guard.
“Marcus Morris Sr. Exhibit 9’s contract is clearly not assured, however he’s thought of a 4/5 level participant by NYK at this stage of his profession, in line with league sources,” wrote SNY’s Ian Begley on X, “and has an actual probability to make NYK’s common season roster.”
Different notes
• Udoka Azubuike, who performed for the Phoenix Suns final 12 months after three seasons in Utah, went abroad this offseason and can play for Budućnost in Montenegro.
• Devon Dotson performed 16 video games for the Capital Metropolis Go-Go within the G League final season, however joined the Spanish league within the spring and signed a contract to remain in Spain for 2 years with Joventut Badalona.
• Former KU guard Quentin Grimes, who performed most of his faculty profession in Houston, has been traded twice because the begin of the brand new 12 months, from New York to Detroit and, in July, from Detroit to Dallas, the place he will likely be teammates with Markieff Morris on the Mavericks.
