Surprisingly, a lot has been happening in the NBA over the past few days. But perhaps it’s also unsurprising because this is the period of transactions, going from now until June 30. Teams will start heading to Orlando in the first week of July.
Young Finds a New Agency
After his agent, Omar Wilkes, left Octagon to take a higher-up job at Klutch Sports, Trae Young decided to follow him there, reportedly signing with Klutch.
This isn’t the biggest surprise. And for Klutch Sports, founded by Rich Paul, big things continue to happen.
When Young eventually becomes a free agent for the first time in a few years, he is going to be compensated well. He’s now part of a rapidly-growing agency that already has tremendous success. Paul is a mogul in this game. And this is a fantastic find.
Knicks Going Dancing
After Allonzo Trier broke onto the scene in the first games of his NBA career after going undrafted, things started to fall off. He barely saw playing time this year, and so never had true opportunities to show what he could do on the floor for the struggling Knicks.
And he’s now a free agent after he was waived. In his place, the Knicks added former Net Theo Pinson, known for his dancing celebrations on the Nets bench. He had a larger role this year and failed to produce consistently. He’ll have a chance to fight for playing time on New York’s other team now.
Pinson is just the kind of guy the Knicks could use to keep everybody engaged. Even with a minimal on-court role last year, Pinson brought the whole team together with his celebrations on the bench. Everyone loved it.
Other Roster Moves
Plenty of teams, those playing in Orlando and those that aren’t, are making some moves to switch their rosters up. In lesser news, the Pistons added former first-round pick Justin Patton. He has been oft-injured, but on a team with no clear direction, he could see a role next year.
Jerian Grant wasn’t in the NBA at all for the past year, but he will be upon the league’s return. He’ll be taking Davis Bertans’ roster spot on the Wizards. He has playoff experience from his days with the Bulls and Magic.
Tyler Cook began this year with the Cavaliers and saw the floor now and then during a blowout. The short forward will have an opportunity at title contention as he joined the Nuggets on a two-way contract. He takes over the spot from PJ Dozier, who signed a standard deal.
The Rockets are all-in on small ball, as they let go of Isaiah Hartenstein. He had a few solid performances this year, but he doesn’t fit their style anymore.
This leaves Tyson Chandler as the Rockets’ final big. They added defensive specialist David Nwaba in Hartenstein’s place. He’s out for the year but will return next season.
The Nets brought in Tyler Johnson. They made room by letting go of Pinson. Johnson will likely play a backup role and get 15 to 20 minutes a night. This role was made for him and could be a perfect fit.
