While lounging in the pool a few weeks ago, Payne unexpectedly received a call from Williams. “I jumped out of that pool so fast,” Payne recently recalled with a smile. They spoke about their time together in Oklahoma City, and about how much Williams values consistency, maturity and practicing gratitude. The Suns offered Payne a two-year contract, which covers the Orlando restart and includes a $2 million team option for the 2020-21 season (per HoopsHype’s database). “It was almost like a weight lifted off my back,” Payne said, “because the only thing I wanted to do is be back in the NBA. … “I don’t know what it is, but (Williams) always has the right things to say to me. And for whatever reason, it triggers me to just turn into a different mode. I appreciate that (phone call) from him.”
While lounging in the pool a few weeks ago, Payne unexp…
July 28, 2021 | 4:25 pm EDT Update
Nick DePaula: OFFICIAL: Projected Top-5 NBA Draft pick Jalen Suggs has signed a multi-year sneaker deal with Adidas.
Ja Morant has started to tell his own story. Out now on Crackle, Morant is the subject of a six-part documentary titled Promiseland that dives into his rise from unknown at Murray State to No. 2 Draft pick to one of the NBA’s biggest young stars. “I just want to show my journey, go deeper into it, and show people things they don’t know about me,” Morant told Dime. “It comes from people that might want to tell someone else’s story and just add things in or just have some stuff that’s not true, so I thought if I’m telling my story and it’s coming from me, more people are going to believe it.”
According to the younger Morant, Promiseland began production during his rookie season, after he started with the Grizzlies and embarked on what would become a Rookie of the Year campaign. Production involving director Dexton Deboree and a crew flying to Memphis to do interviews with Ja and others around him continued well into the 2019-20 season. Deboree also traveled to interview the likes of Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, the rapper Moneybagg Yo, and Carmelo Anthony for the series.
The first episode opens with Morant detailing what his parents gave up for him in order to pursue his dream and what it was like for him growing up in Sumter, South Carolina. It also features a look at his childhood bedroom, where a quote attributed to LeBron James — “You can’t be afraid to fail, it’s the only way to succeed.” — has been displayed above his doorway.
Paul, a veteran guard with the Phoenix Suns, arguably carries the highest profile among the investors. The two parties crossed paths through MaxOne’s work with the Missouri-based Basketball Training Systems. The company manages the training curriculum for Paul’s CP3 Basketball Academy, where it implemented MaxOne’s platform. Executives at CP3 Basketball Academy were impressed with the MaxOne platform’s effectiveness. Not only does the CP3 Basketball Academy utilize MaxOne’s platform for in-house instruction, but Mejeur said that Paul is working on additional content that will be available to other users on the platform.
July 28, 2021 | 4:19 pm EDT Update
Hornets discussing trades for No. 11 pick
Chad Ford: By the way, there are more first-round picks up for sale than I have ever seen before. For instance, the Hornets have had discussions — with teams including the Knicks and Thunder, I’m told — about moving the No. 11 pick.
