The Cavaliers’ offseason has drifted into a waiting game, and the two names hanging over everything are Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson.
According to John Hobbs of Cavaliers On SI, Cleveland’s interest in both restricted free agents has slowed down the rest of its summer business, including the expected re-signing of James Harden. Harden still wants to stay with the Cavs, but he has given the team some breathing room while it continues sorting out the roster.
That’s where the Kuminga and Watson pursuits come in. Both would likely need sign-and-trade deals, and Cleveland has been connected to each of them all offseason. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said on NBA Today that the Cavs are still “poking around” on Watson, and that may help explain why Harden has remained patient.
The challenge is the cost. Watson may be the tougher swing, with the Nuggets still believed to value him strongly.
Hobbs noted that Denver would be expected to ask for at least one first-round pick in any Watson deal. Kuminga could be the more realistic target, but his next contract is part of the equation as well.
So for now, Cleveland is stuck in limbo. The team missed on LeBron James, added Mario Hezonja, and still has Harden’s return sitting there as the next major piece of business.
Charlotte has a different problem: too many bodies and not enough roster spots.
Owen O’Connor of Hornets On SI pointed out that the Hornets currently have 17 players on standard contracts and must get down to 15 before the regular season. That’s not a simple trim after an offseason that reshaped the roster around Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Coby White. Charlotte moved on from LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, then brought in veterans like Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Naz Reid.
Three names to watch are Tre Mann, Dorian Finney-Smith and Pat Connaughton.
Mann stands out the most. Before a back injury threw him off course, he looked like a possible long-term sixth man in Charlotte. Last season didn’t go well, but the Hornets also aren’t exactly loaded with ball-handlers.
Finney-Smith could be tougher to move because of the money attached to him. Charlotte got him from Houston along with second-round picks, and he is still owed more than $40 million over the final three years of his contract.
Connaughton might be the cleanest financial choice. He is entering the final year of a deal that pays $3.8 million, though he did make the roster last season after coming into camp as no lock.
The Hornets have depth. Now they have to figure out which pieces actually fit.
Elsewhere, Derrick Williams is keeping his career alive overseas. The former No. 2 overall pick has signed with the Seoul Samsung Thunders in South Korea, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando, who relayed the team’s announcement.
Williams, 35, last appeared in the NBA in the 2017-18 season with the Lakers. Over 428 NBA games with the Timberwolves, Kings, Knicks, Heat, Cavaliers and Lakers, he averaged 8.9 points and 4.0 rebounds.
He has continued playing internationally since then, with stops in China, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Israel, Greece, Puerto Rico and Korea. Last season, he played for Suwon KT Sonicboom, so this will be his second straight year in South Korea.
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Brandon Miller is the one who could shape the whole direction of the group, especially with key teammates no longer in the picture and a clearer path to becoming one of the teams leading options. For Charlotte, the appeal is obvious: if those role changes translate, the Hornets could have a much more balanced attack than the one theyve leaned on before. If they do not, the coming season could feel a lot more familiar than the front office would like. [Read more 🡒]
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The Hornets spent the offseason making their intentions plain, and the roster now looks like it belongs to a much different phase of the franchise. Trading LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota and moving Miles Bridges to Phoenix stripped away some of the most familiar names on the roster, while the front office added Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr., brought back Coby White and acquired Dorian Finney-Smith to reshape the mix.
What remains is a younger core the Hornets clearly want to build around, with Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel at the center of the plan. Charlotte's front office has made no secret of its confidence in that direction, even if it means asking fans to adjust quickly to a team that looks far less like the one they knew only a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]