NBA Rumors: Warriors could reunite with free agent JaVale McGee
The Dallas Mavericks are expected to waive and stretch JaVale McGee, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. It's an unsurprising move, with McGee buried under Dwight Powell, Richaun Holmes, Maxi Kleber, and No. 12 overall pick Dereck Lively II on the Mavs' depth chart.
McGee will now search for his next NBA home, with one obvious candidate being the team he won two championships with: the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors don't have a ton of traditional center depth behind Kevon Looney. Yes, there's Draymond Green, but his days as a workhorse small-ball five are waning. As Green gets older, the Warriors need to be smart with his minutes distribution. Golden State's current backup center options are, primarily, forwards: Dario Saric and Jonathan Kuminga.
McGee was outright terrible for the Mavs last season, but sometimes team context can completely change a player's outlook. McGee has a long track record of success in Steve Kerr's defense and the Warriors will surround him with two all-time shooters and, now, an all-time playmaker in Chris Paul. It's as good a basketball fit as McGee can hope for entering his age-36 season.
The Warriors only have 13 players under fully guaranteed contracts at the moment. There's room to at least bring McGee into training camp with an opportunity to earn his way to a roster spot.
NBA Rumors: Waive and stretch deadline is one week away
The NBA's waive and stretch deadline is next Thursday, Aug. 31. The Mavs broke the seal with the McGee move, but don't be surprised if a few more contracts are similarly discarded before the week is through.
Of course, the waive-and-stretch doesn't actually discard a contract. It simply, well, stretches it. Teams can waive a player, allowing him to enter the free agent pool, while stretching the remaining value on his contract over a specific time period.
According to cap expert Keith Smith, teams can stretch a player's contract for two times the years left on the deal, plus one more year. In the case of JaVale McGee, that means the remaining two years and $11.7 million on his contract will be spread over the next five years for Dallas. So, McGee will be on Dallas' ledger five years from now, even if he has long since retired.
Teams are notably allowed to stretch players after the Aug. 31 deadline, but it would only apply to cap hits in the 2024-25 season and beyond. A player's 2023-24 cap hit becomes locked once the calendar flips to September.
NBA Rumors: Erik Spoelstra compares Anthony Edwards to Dwyane Wade
Erik Spoelstra is spending his summer with Team USA as part of Steve Kerr's FIBA World Cup staff. In a recent interview, he was asked if any players remind him of former Heat superstar Dwyane Wade.
"We know who that is," Spoelstra said. "It's hard not to look at Anthony Edwards and not see Dwyane Wade in him. And I'm not a guy for comparisons. But the way he moves, the way he competes, the way he electrifies a crowd, that reminds me of No. 3. I have told Anthony that, and I feel like I'm going back in time."
Anthony Edwards has been a one-man hype machine all summer, showing out in Team USA scrimmages and emerging as "the guy," to use Spo's own words. The Timberwolves' former No. 1 pick will get ample opportunity to announce his superstar ascent during World Cup games, which start on Friday.
While it will take decades to know whether or not Edwards can truly compare to Wade, the baseline athletic comparisons are apt. Edwards is strong and bursty with a similar build to D-Wade. He floats for finishes at the rim and makes some very Wade-esque plays with his athleticism on defense. Edwards isn't close to Wade as a mid-range scorer yet, but he's 22 years old. We can take it one step at a time.
This is a lofty comparison coming from Spo, who has extensive firsthand knowledge of Wade's brilliance. Edwards continue to take the praise and run with it. He may or may not be the next face of the NBA, but he's must-watch television either way.