Tag: Shams Charania

Kay Adams took away Shams Charania’s phone during her show and he’s never looked more stressed

You just know he was STRESSED.

If there’s one thing we know about The Athletic’s NBA newsbreaker Shams Charania, it’s that he cannot be without his phone.

It’s been reported that he spends upwards of 17-plus hours per day on his phone because he does not want a competitor to beat him to a scoop. He’s even shared a screenshot of his screen time, which had him averaging 19 hours per day during NBA free agency.

Not even joking: If you take away Shams’ phone, you’re taking away a sense of security for him. He needs that phone. So, during Thursday’s edition of Up & Adams, we saw Charania at his absolute peak stress level when Kay Adams suddenly took away his phone.

He couldn’t believe it.

Charania was looking around as if he needed someone to help him and tried to smile through the most stressful 10 seconds of his career. Adams knew what that was doing to Charania too. Those precious seconds are all it takes for Woj to scoop him on a potential James Harden trade.

Fans thought that the exchange was hilarious even if Shams was STRESSED.

Jalen Green on his Rockets goals: ‘If you win, everything will take care of itself’

“I do feel like [the All-Star jump] is going to happen,” #Rockets guard Jalen Green tells Shams Charania. “If you win, everything will take care of itself.”

In a new interview with Shams Charania, NBA insider for Stadium and The Athletic, Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green outlined a few priorities entering his third professional season.

“I do feel like (the All-Star jump) is going to happen,” Green told Charania. “If you win, everything will take care of itself.”

Averaging 22.1 points per game, Green was the top scorer on the 2022-23 Rockets, and he also led all second-year players from the 2021 draft class. But Green’s efficiency was middling, and Houston’s 22-60 record was tied for the second-worst mark in the league.

As such, that’s a clear point of emphasis for Green and the Rockets under new head coach Ime Udoka. It also helps he will have new veteran teammates such as Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to potentially help carry the load while offering useful guidance.

Here’s a look at some of the key highlights and takeaways from Charania’s exclusive interview, which premiered Thursday morning.

Report: Former Thunder Usman Garuba signs two-way deal with Warriors

Usman Garuba joins his fourth team of the offseason as a two-way addition by the Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors signed former Oklahoma City Thunder center Usman Garuba to a two-way deal, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Garuba’s stay with the Thunder was short. He was part of a multiplayer trade with the Atlanta Hawks in July. His OKC tenure lasted a little more than a month as the Thunder waived him in late August.

The 2021 first-round pick now joins his fourth team of the offseason by signing a two-way deal with the Warriors. He spent his first two seasons with the Houston Rockets, averaging 2.8 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Garuba’s former teammate, TyTy Washington Jr., was also part of the Hawks trade after both spent a year in Houston together. After a brief summer league stint, Washington Jr.’s time with the Thunder also came to a quick end when they waived him in August.

Washington Jr. signed a two-way deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

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Report: Former Thunder TyTy Washington Jr. signs two-way deal with Bucks

The former Thunder guard has found a new home.

TyTy Washington Jr. joined his fourth team this offseason when he signed a two-way deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. This comes 11 days after the Oklahoma City Thunder waived him.

The Thunder acquired Washington Jr. from the Atlanta Hawks in a multi-player trade.

Washington Jr. played for the Thunder late in the summer league after being a last-second addition to the roster. It was his only appearance for OKC.

The 21-year-old was drafted 29th in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft. He spent his rookie season with the Houston Rockets, with whom he averaged 4.7 points and 1.5 assists in 31 games.

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Report: OKC Thunder bring back Lindy Waters III on two-way deal

Lindy Waters III will enter his third season with the Thunder.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder made an addition to the roster, signing guard Lindy Waters III to a two-way deal, per The Athletics’ Shams Charania.

Waters III returns to OKC after his $1.9 million team option for the 2023-24 season was declined in June. He returns to his two-way status after he signed a standard deal in February.

This means Waters III will play for the Thunder for a third consecutive season. He initially signed as a two-way player during the 2021-22 season after he went undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft.

In two seasons, Waters III averaged 6.3 points on 39.9% shooting and 2.2 rebounds. He also shot 35.6% from 3 on 4.7 attempts.

Two of OKC’s three two-way spots are now filled. Second-round rookie Keyontae Johnson is the other two-way player on the roster.

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Shams Charania on his journey from fan of the league to NBA insider

Shams sat down with the hosts of the “Through the Wire” to break down his journey to one of the top names in sports media.

NBA insider Shams Charania was not always the news breaker he is today in the league. Long before he became a journalist, Charania grew up as a Chicago Bulls fan, following the franchise in the Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose era before pursuing a career in sports journalism.

As is so often the case in that line of work, he became less of a fan and more focused on the stories he covered as he pursued his career. Despite the common misconception that New York City or Los Angeles are necessary home bases to start a career in sports media, Shams chose to stay in his hometown of Chicago, finding it a perfect balance between the hustle of New York and the laid-back vibe of L.A.

The Athletic journalist sat down with the hosts of the “Through the Wire” podcast to break down his journey to one of the top names in sports media and more in a recent interview.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear it in full!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Report: Rudy Gay waived by OKC Thunder

Rudy Gay’s tenure with the Thunder came to an end.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder roster shrunk on Wednesday when they waived veteran forward Rudy Gay, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Gay was set to make $6.5 million in the 2023-24 season after he picked up his player option. The Thunder acquired the 36-year-old from the Atlanta Hawks in a multi-player trade.

In the same deal, the Thunder acquired TyTy Washington Jr., Usman Garuba and a 2026 second-round pick from the Hawks. The deal saved the Hawks $4.6 million in cap space: They acquired Patty Mills and his expiring $6.8 million salary.

The move cuts the Thunder’s main roster to 20 players, which is near the 21 allowed during the offseason.

In 56 games with the Utah Jazz last season, Gay averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds.

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Austin Reaves agrees to 4-year deal to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers and restricted free agent Austin Reaves agree to terms on a four-year $56 million deal to keep Reaves in L.A.

Austin Reaves is $56 million richer this Sunday. After his best season in the NBA, Reaves earned a payday.

In the early stages of NBA free agency, the former Oklahoma Sooners guard agreed to a four-year deal to keep him in Los Angeles as a critical cog in the Lakers’ operation as they pursue a championship in the twilight of LeBron James’ career.

Reaves entered the free agency period as a restricted free agent, meaning the Lakers would have a chance to match any offer Reaves received.

Fortunately for general manager Rob Pelinka, it never came to that as Reaves was set on staying with the Lakers and accepted a max extension for a four-year $56 million deal, according to Shams Charania.

According to Charania, the contract includes a player option for the fourth season of the deal, meaning Reaves could enter unrestricted free agency ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The Lakers had no option but to bring back Reaves after the season he put together. GM Rob Pelinka outlined that intention following the conclusion of L.A.’s season. “I would say this resoundingly clear: Our intentions are to keep our core of young guys together.”, Pelinka told reporters before exit interviews.

The core mentioned above consists of Reaves, who had his breakout season in 2022-2023, including a fantastic stretch in the playoffs.

From the last 11 games of the regular season thru the entire Lakers’ playoff run, Reaves was the Lakers’ third-best player behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In 64 games last season, the 25-year-old posted averages of 13 points on .529/.398/.864 shooting splits, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.5 steals.

Across 16 games in the pressure cooker of the NBA Playoffs, those numbers jumped to 16.9 points on .464/.443/.895 shooting, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.6 steals a night.

Reaves showed up nightly and was tasked with closing games for the Lakers in the regular season and the playoffs.

Reaves went undrafted out of Oklahoma in 2021. The Lakers initially signed him to a two-way deal in the summer before converting his contract to a guaranteed roster spot shortly before training camp.

Now he’s earned the trust of his coaches and, most importantly, the trust of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The two superstars willingly deferred to him in the playoffs against Steph Curry and the Warriors dynasty.

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With Reaves locked up for the long term, the Lakers are well-positioned to at least make it back to the Western Conference Finals this upcoming year. Part of the equation for helping them to do that is the continued growth of Austin Reaves. With how much he’s improved from season to season in the NBA, his ascension could help LA get over the hump and get back to the NBA Finals.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Report: OKC Thunder sign Jack White to 2-year deal

The Thunder continue to stay active in free agency.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to stay active in the opening weekend of free agency.

The Thunder signed Jack White to a two-year deal, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The 25-year-old spent last season with the Denver Nuggets on a two-way deal. In 17 games, he averaged 1.2 points and one rebound.

In 15 regular-season games with the G League’s Grand Rapids Gold, White averaged 19.5 points on 54.4% shooting, 8.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists. In 12 Showcase Cup games with the Gold, he averaged 17.2 points on 60% shooting, nine rebounds and 2.1 assists.

White went undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft out of Duke, where he spent four seasons. Before signing with the Nuggets, White played three years in Australia’s NBL.

The Thunder continue to add to their roster. They signed Vasilije Micic to a three-year deal and traded for Victor Oladipo from the Miami Heat.

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Austin Reaves set to join Team USA for 2023 FIBA World Cup

Oklahoma alum Austin Reaves set to play for Team USA in upcoming FIBA World Cup.

Fresh off the best season of his professional career, Austin Reaves continues his ascent. While his Los Angeles Lakers team bowed out in the conference finals to the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets, Reaves, will join Team USA for the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines.

Reaves is one of 10 players already confirmed for the roster. He joins Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans, Jaren Jackson Jr (Memphis Grizzlies), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets.

Reaves figures to be an effective option off the bench for Team USA, and he’s a natural fit as with his ability to fill various roles. He can play on and off the ball as a scoring option and be the initiator like he was alongside LeBron James with the Lakers. He’ll be able to do the same thing for Team USA, with guys like Haliburton and Brunson playing as primary playmakers for the first unit.

The 25-year-old is coming off a career year, averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a night on 53 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent from three, and 86 percent from the charity stripe.

He also had a big postseason run, solidifying himself as the Lakers third best player, which included 21.2 points per game in the Lakers’ matchup against the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.

In addition to his Teasm USA selection, Reaves will be the focal point of significant contract discussions as he enters unrestricted free agency. Reaves could command just under a $100 million contract somewhere in the range of a four-year deal worth a maximum of just under $98 million. The Lakers could match it, or they could pass. On top of that, Reaves and Chinese company Rigorer are finalizing a signature shoe deal that is expected to reach well over seven figures per year per Stadium’s Shams Charania.

For now, Reaves will focus on his role for Team USA and let[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1368] everything else to fall into place.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.