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Raptors

If this Houston Rockets season was a movie, it would likely be called: Young and Younger.
With James Harden and P.J. Tucker both long gone, the Rockets are rebuilding from the ground up with an extraordinarily young roster.
After sinking to a franchise-worst 17-55 last season in the wake of the Harden trade with Brooklyn, they will look to four 19-year-old first-round picks to get the franchise moving in the right direction this year.
The leader of that group is Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the draft who spent last season in the NBA G-League. Green is Houston&rsquo;s first first-round pick since the Rockets selected Sam Dekker with the 18th pick in 2015 and their highest pick since they took Yao Ming first overall in 2002.
A bevy of trades in recent years left the Rockets with a stockpile of first-round picks in this year&rsquo;s draft and they also snagged forward Usman Garuba with 23rd pick and shooting guard Josh Christopher at No. 24. They got a fourth teenage first-rounder came when they traded for center Alperen Sengun, who was chosen at No. 16 by the Thunder.
&ldquo;The thing that stands out to me about this group is that is that they&rsquo;re all looking at this year as an opportunity, as a fun opportunity to let the rookies live out their dreams,&rdquo; general manager Rafael Stone said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s also a chance to really take a step forward in our venture.&rdquo;
They also don&rsquo;t lack confidence, with Green vowing that the team will be much-improved after finishing with the NBA&rsquo;s worst record last season.
&ldquo;I think we can compete with any team in the NBA,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re young, fast and talented.&rdquo;
WALL ON THE SHELF
John Wall and the Rockets have decided that he won&rsquo;t play for them this season as they attempt to find a trade destination for the veteran point guard. While Wall won&rsquo;t be on the court, he stressed that he will remain part of the team and wants to help this young team any way he can.
&ldquo;My job here is to be a mentor,&rdquo; Wall said.
Stone said they aren&rsquo;t looking to buy out Wall&rsquo;s contract but want to find a suitable trade.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking at what can we find that works for everybody&hellip; for the long term,&rdquo; Stone said.
Wall said it will be &ldquo;very tough&rdquo; not to play while the Rockets find him a new team but the plan is what&rsquo;s best for him.
YEAR TWO
Stephen Silas is excited about his second year in Houston after dealing with so much last season, his first as a head coach. While the results were certainly not what he wanted, he believes the experience was valuable.
&ldquo;Last year was challenging,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It started off one way and then we had a bunch of changes and COVID and injuries and everything. I learned a lot last year. So, there&rsquo;s not a feeling that last year was lost at all because I learned a lot about a bunch of our guys as far as them sticking with it and playing hard at the end and who we can depend on.&rdquo;
GRANDPA GORDON
At 32, Eric Gordon certainly isn&rsquo;t old, but on this team he&rsquo;s seen as the grandpa of the group. He laughed when asked about that but said as far as he knows the younger guys haven&rsquo;t give him a nickname yet.
Gordon, who is entering his 14th NBA season, is looking to bounce back after being limited to just 27 games last season because of a groin injury. He&rsquo;s not a naturally outspoken leader but knows he will be looked at to set an example.
&ldquo;I always tell people my role doesn&rsquo;t change, but I do have to speak up more now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In this league it&rsquo;s all about having a good routine and with a younger team, you&rsquo;ve got to focus in a lot more every day.&rdquo;
SCHEDULE STUFF
The Rockets open the season Oct. 20 at Minnesota before returning to Houston for consecutive home games against Oklahoma City and Boston Oct. 22 and Oct. 24.

With James Harden and P.J. Tucker both long gone, the Rockets are rebuilding from the ground up with an extraordinarily young roster.

Youth is served: Rockets to rely on 4 teen first-round picks

Basketball has evolved into a truly global sport, and the NBA pulls talent from all over the world. That&rsquo;s great for the overall quality of play, but it means that there is more competition for NBA roster spots, which are harder than ever to earn.
With Media Day in the rearview mirror and training camp underway, competition to make the final cut is heating up. Teams enter camp with as many as 20 players, but must trim the roster down to 15 by opening day (excluding the pair of two-way contracts allowed in addition for players who can move between the G League and NBA rosters).
While every team has important decisions to make, it&rsquo;s not as if every roster spot is up for grabs. On the contrary, most spots are taken by players who are signed to guaranteed contracts. It&rsquo;s the players on training-camp deals who have the most to prove this time of year; sometimes, it can be the occasional (and unlucky) guaranteed player who has underachieved so badly that his team is considering paying him to play elsewhere.&nbsp;
The last guy on the bench rarely has a great impact on his team&rsquo;s success, but it can happen &ndash; and it surely impacts the individual players. Considering the ramifications of these decisions, let&rsquo;s examine the three most interesting roster situations in the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are intriguing because &ndash; while it might look as if they don&rsquo;t need much from the end of their bench on paper &ndash; their situation is more complicated than it appears. Depending on where Kyrie Irving ultimately lands with his decision to get the COVID vaccine or not, he could miss all of his home games (and games against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden). In total, Irving could miss as many as 43 regular-season games if he stands firm on being unvaccinated. And while there is more than enough star power in Brooklyn to get by, removing a key player from the rotation for half of the season puts more pressure on a team&rsquo;s depth.
So what exactly will Brooklyn look to address with its final roster spot? The team's backcourt is in relatively good shape thanks to a combination of James Harden, Patty Mills, Jevon Carter and rookie Cam Thomas, but there are other needs to address. The Nets' frontcourt could use a youth infusion, and there&rsquo;s a limit on swingmen beyond Joe Harris and Bruce Brown. After cutting Jahlil Okafor last month, Brooklyn's decision should come down to DeAndre&rsquo; Bembry or Sekou Doumbouya. No disrespect to Bembry, but Doumbouya is a 6-foot-8 <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/detroit-pistons-moving-on-from-sekou-doumbouya-is-a-headscratcher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former first-round pick who is 20 years old</a>. He fills multiple needs, and his youth gives the added benefit that if he works out, he could be part of the team&rsquo;s future.&nbsp;
Prediction: Sekou Doumbouya makes the cut.
New York Knicks&nbsp;
The Knicks are in an interesting spot. They just cut Luca Vildoza, who signed a four-year, non-guaranteed contract with the team at the end of the 2020-21 season. He was seen as someone who would make the team as recently as June, but things happen fast in the NBA. Considering New York will start the season without its presumptive starting center, Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks might want to add another big man. Nerlens Noel is more than qualified to hold down the fort, and Taj Gibson is a valuable, albeit slightly undersized backup, but does New York want to kick off the season without any other options? What if one of those two suffers another injury?
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The Knicks have two rookies on their training camp roster who could fill that need in Jericho Sims and Aamir Simms. The former is a freakish athlete, similar in nature to Robinson, who is an above-average defender and rim-runner. Conversely, Simms possesses <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/aamir-simms-eager-to-exhibit-a-side-of-his-game-we-havent-seen-at-the-next-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a more polished offensive game</a>, but he lacks the burst and leaping ability of Sims. There&rsquo;s also Dwayne Bacon and Wayne Selden, who are actively competing for the team&rsquo;s final roster spot. Bacon looked good with Orlando last season, and I expect him to make the cut. The Knicks do have a two-way contract remaining, so maybe they'll use that on one of the Sim(m)s, while keeping Bacon on the main roster.&nbsp;
Prediction: Dwayne Bacon makes the cut.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are also in an interesting position, but more so because they have multiple spots to fill. Toronto has 12 guaranteed contracts, and both two-way deals are spoken for. That means Toronto can keep three of the following six players: Isaac Bonga, Sam Dekker, Freddie Gillespie, Reggie Perry, Ishmail Wainright and Yuta Watanabe. Gillespie and Watanabe are known commodities north of the border, having played with the Raptors last season, and Dekker is a former first-round pick with plenty of NBA experience. All but Perry have partial guarantees for 2021-22, but a partial guarantee will not secure you a spot in the NBA.
Bonga and Perry are both 6-foot-8 and 21 years old. Perry has just one year of NBA experience, whereas Bonga has three &ndash; but neither has made their mark yet. Beyond Goran Dragic, Fred VanVleet has the most experience of all Raptors with five professional seasons. With that in mind, expect Dekker &ndash; who has four years of NBA experience &ndash; to make the cut. Additionally, the Raptors will probably stick with the guys they know, meaning that Gillespie and Watanabe are likely to be in Toronto for the 2021-22 season, too.
Prediction: Sam Dekker, Freddie Gillespie and Yuta Watanabe all make the cut.
NBA roster decisions aren&rsquo;t entirely fair. Sometimes, players are cut because of an injury or other circumstance-related issues. But it really is just a business (rarely personal), and front offices do what they feel is in their best interest.
And at the end of the day, that&rsquo;s about as objective as it gets.&nbsp;

Drew Maresca examines the three most interesting final roster spot situations in the East.

3 roster-spot battles to watch for in the Eastern Conference

After a pandemic-induced hiatus, the NBA&rsquo;s Las Vegas Summer League returns. And with that comes the most electric small sample of inconsequential games on the league calendar.&nbsp;
The 2021 draft class will don NBA jerseys for the first time, and most of the 2020 class will finally receive a real training ground after missing out last season. With so much young talent descending on Las Vegas, every single team has multiple storylines to follow.
But fans also have the final few weeks of their summer to savor. So while I'll surely be watching as many games as possible, what teams should be considered appointment television? What rosters are chock full of prospects and intrigue?
Below are the eight "must-watch" teams of 2021 MGM Resorts Summer League, with a complete schedule included&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/summer-league/2021/vegas/schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Detroit Pistons
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Here&rsquo;s the Pistons&rsquo; Summer League roster <a href="https://t.co/oDl06KKiEF">pic.twitter.com/oDl06KKiEF</a>
&mdash; James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLEdwardsIII/status/1423370122199248902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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As with every year of summer league, the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft immediately grabs headlines as a player to watch. And&nbsp;everyone&nbsp;expects big things from Cade Cunningham, who is largely considered to be one of the more polished prospects in recent memory.&nbsp;
However, it's not just Cunningham who makes this an exciting roster. Second-year forward Saddiq Bey joins the squad after landing on the All-Rookie First Team last season. Saben Lee turned heads as a second-round rookie. Killian Hayes is out to prove himself after injuries hampered the seventh overall pick of the 2020 draft. Sekou Doumbouya has some asserting to do as well, having yet to make a major leap since being drafted 15th overall in 2019.
You won't see Isaiah Stewart, Isaiah Livers or Chris Smith in action; they're&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/detnewsRodBeard/status/1423371634967257090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly not playing due to injuries.</a>&nbsp;But there's simply so much talent and intrigue, even without those three. This could be a rare summer league team that could both win games and introduce the masses to some notable young players.
Houston Rockets
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🚀 Summer League roster is here! More info: <a href="https://t.co/nDED5Tfu0M">https://t.co/nDED5Tfu0M</a> <a href="https://t.co/q2wnObZApV">pic.twitter.com/q2wnObZApV</a>
&mdash; Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1423752361252728835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Until July 29, the Rockets had not made a first-round pick in the NBA Draft since selecting Sam Dekker all the way back in 2015. This year they picked not once, not twice, but four times in the first 24 selections.&nbsp;
All four choices &mdash; Jalen Green (the No. 2 overall pick), Alperen Sengun (No. 16), Usman Garuba (No. 23) and Josh Christopher (No. 24) will suit up in Vegas. They represent the future of the franchise and the first first-round picks by general manager Rafael Stone.&nbsp;
Don't forget about uber-athletic K.J. Martin, son of NBA veteran Kenyon Martin, and his quietly-successful rookie season, either. He could make some of the highlight-reel plays of the tournament.&nbsp;
Memphis Grizzlies
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> today announced their 17-player roster for MGM Resorts <a href="https://twitter.com/NBASummerLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBASummerLeague</a> 2021 in Las Vegas. <a href="https://t.co/rJ0HBn26Lf">pic.twitter.com/rJ0HBn26Lf</a>
&mdash; Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzliesPR/status/1424099014979555328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Grizzlies might be my early pick as Las Vegas Summer League champs. Desmond Bane is frankly too good to be here. After making the All-Rookie Second Team last season and emerging as one of the better shooters in the entire league, Bane could eviscerate the younger opponents he'll face.
He'll be joined by three other 2020 draft picks in Xavier Tillman, Killian Tillie and Sam Merrill, who was recently acquired in the trade that sent Grayson Allen to Milwaukee. As far as summer league goes, this should be one of the more experienced squads in Las Vegas.
Toss in two first round picks in Ziaire Williams (No. 10) and Santi Aldama (No. 30) as well. Both were picked at least six spots higher than BasketballNews.com draft analyst Matt Babcock&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a>&nbsp;before draft night. Time will tell if they were the right choices, but both can make a strong first impression at summer league. If undrafted rookie Yves Pons is doing&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz/status/1423792346123145218?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stuff like this</a>, he's another one to watch.
Orlando Magic
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As expected, the Magic&rsquo;s NBA Summer League roster will include second-year guards Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton in addition to rookies Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. <a href="https://t.co/lyACl7whtD">https://t.co/lyACl7whtD</a> <a href="https://t.co/q6aPtdx7vG">pic.twitter.com/q6aPtdx7vG</a>
&mdash; Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaBRobbins/status/1422196207372361740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Orlando was one of two teams with multiple lottery picks in this summer's NBA Draft. Both Jalen Suggs (the No. 5 pick) and Franz Wagner (No. 8) will make appearances as two potential cornerstones for the franchise.
Suggs in particular should garner interest because he joins a crowded lineup of young, exciting guards in Orlando. Viewers will see two of the others in Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton. How will the Magic balance minutes in the early going? Will any of the three separate themselves from the pack? How often will Orlando try a three-guard lineup?
Those are just some of the questions that first-year head coach Jamahl Mosley will eventually have to answer.
Golden State Warriors
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Warriors announce updated Summer League Roster ahead of the team's five-game slate at the MGM Resorts Summer League 2021 in Las Vegas: <a href="https://t.co/E1CKLAyd1I">pic.twitter.com/E1CKLAyd1I</a>
&mdash; Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/WarriorsPR/status/1424098129180123138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Are Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga ready to join a rotation with win-now expectations? That's the central question for Golden State ahead of summer league. Both prospects had rocky-yet-promising debuts in the California Classic. Moody dropped 19 points (7-for-18 shooting) to go with seven rebounds, while Kuminga logged 18 points (7-for-14 shooting) and three rebounds against six turnovers.
As the No. 7 pick, Kuminga is theoretically a long-term upside play. Moody (No. 14 pick) is typically viewed as a safer, more NBA-ready prospect, but he too is a one-and-done wing. Even as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green push for a championship, these two shouldn't be forced into action. They'll grow at their own paces; summer league serves as a starting point.
Gary Payton II is the third player to focus on. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/what-andre-iguodalas-warriors-return-could-mean-rest-roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Shiller of NBC Sports</a>, the Warriors have until Aug. 11 to waive the guard before guaranteeing $659,000 on his contract. We'll see how that plays out as Payton goes through the next 10 days.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets
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The Charlotte Hornets&rsquo; summer league roster featuring James Bouknight, Kai Jones and LiAngelo Ball, brother of Hornets star LaMelo Ball. More NBA from me: <a href="https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP">https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP</a> <a href="https://t.co/keKAzpdc9O">pic.twitter.com/keKAzpdc9O</a>
&mdash; Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1422248415778455557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Hornets garnered widespread praise for their 2021 NBA Draft. Charlotte came away with a dynamic scoring guard in James Bouknight at No. 11, and then grabbed two high-upside talents in Kai Jones (at No. 19) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jt-thor-could-be-2021-nba-draft-diamond-in-the-rough-auburn-tigers-prospect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JT Thor</a>&nbsp;(who is not in the above graphic but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article253197298.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will play</a>) at No. 37.
I'll be especially intrigued in seeing just how NBA ready Jones and Thor appear to be. The Hornets don't have to rush either prospect and could opt to send them down to their G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. If they do flash skill at summer league, though, they could eventually become exciting targets for LaMelo Ball.
And speaking of Ball, his brother LiAngelo will probably have his best shot at making the NBA this week. His name alone creates another storyline to follow, as LiAngelo hopes to follow his two brothers into stardom in the Association.
Cleveland Cavaliers
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> have announced their Summer League roster. <a href="https://t.co/4rAzBB6KmZ">pic.twitter.com/4rAzBB6KmZ</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1422347397154344965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Cleveland is the only team in the NBA carrying two top-5 draft picks into summer league. Evan Mobley &mdash; a unique blend of size, speed and skill and this year's No. 3 pick &mdash; is certainly the headliner. Mobley has a ceiling as high as any in this draft class, and this week will give the first glimpses at how Cleveland looks to optimize him.
The other is Isaac Okoro, who started all 67 of the games he played last season. His usage rate was low, though, and the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft struggled with shooting efficiency as a rookie. He made just 29% of his three-pointers and had a true shooting percentage of just 51.4, which is relatively poor. He can demonstrate improvement in this setting while getting more touches and the chance to showcase his defensive prowess.
One other player I'd keep an eye on is Mfiondu Kabengele. The Cavs signed him outright in May after playing through two 10-day contracts. Kabengele is a 2019 first-round pick who never clicked with the Clippers, so this could be a good place to start fresh.
Toronto Raptors
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Raptors Summer League roster below! Moses Wright will no longer be with the Raptors in Vegas. Became uncertainty as other moves were made and he'll opt for a different situation. (Not uncommon.) <a href="https://t.co/lRcbGUWYrL">pic.twitter.com/lRcbGUWYrL</a>
&mdash; Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlakeMurphyODC/status/1423298986606223365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Kyle Lowry's departure signals a new era in Toronto -- one currently centered around Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby. Though they've graduated from summer league reps, fans will get to see three more key pieces that could define the franchise's future.
Toronto caught most draft analysts off guard by selecting Scottie Barnes with the fourth overall pick, but make no mistake, Barnes is a versatile forward whose combination of athleticism and processing speed will be on full display in Las Vegas.
Though Precious Achiuwa is not listed above, the second-year center will <a href="https://www.nba.com/summer-league/2021/vegas/team/1610612761/raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also be with Toronto</a>&nbsp;after coming over from Miami in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade. Although the league has reportedly opened a tampering probe against the Miami Heat, at this time, there&rsquo;s no reason to believe that Achiuwa won&rsquo;t be in uniform for Toronto.
Fellow 2020 first-rounder Malachi Flynn will likely run the summer league offense in hopes of staking his claim as the Raptors' third guard in the rotation.&nbsp;
Newly-extended Masai Ujiri will surely keep a close eye on the three prospects as he ponders the identity of Toronto's next iteration.
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After a one-year hiatus, it&rsquo;ll be nice to have summer basketball back. And without question, these are the teams that I&rsquo;ll be keeping a close eye on.

The 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas begins on August 8, and some teams qualify as 'Must See' TV.

Who are the must-watch Summer League teams in Las Vegas?

After two seasons overseas, F Sam Dekker is returning to the NBA on a deal with the Toronto Raptors, his agents Andy Shiffman and Mark Bartelstein tell ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1422572811000897537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Dekker was drafted by Houston in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft -- the team's last first round selection until Thursday. The 27-year-old hasn't played in the NBA since the 2018-19 season. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with Turk Telecom of the Turkish Super League in 2020-21.

Dekker last played in the NBA during the 2018-19 season with Washington.