Kai Jones might be missing in action as the Charlotte Hornets have announced that he is away from the team indefinitely and will not participate in training camp due to "personal reasons", but the two other Bahamians in the National Basketball Association (NBA) were a part of their respective media days and ready for another season.
Additionally, Klay Thompson, a player with Bahamian roots, was again asked about the possibility of playing for The Bahamas in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Olympic Qualifiers next summer, and once again, he responded favorably.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Chavano 'Buddy' Hield was in his usual jovial mood, despite the issue with contracts talks that he is experiencing with the club. He is entering the final year of his contract worth $19.2 million, and talks have broken down on a possible extension and its worth.
On Monday, Hield stayed away from contract talks, preferring to address his outlook on the season. Donning a new number, number seven, Hield said he's all about having fun this season, whether it's as a starter logging major minutes or off the bench in a reduced role.
"I'm just excited to get to work,'' he said. "Come in ready and get to work. I'm excited to work with these guys and it should be fun. We have a great coaching staff and a great team that's ready to put in the work and teammates who love each other. I'm a competitor so you put me in any situation, I'm going to figure it out. As a basketball player you have to know how to adjust. There's a lot of competition and it's fun. Everyone wants to start, but you want to compete first and foremost so I'm just looking forward to making my contribution. I'm excited and I can't wait."
Hield started alongside All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for the Indiana Pacers a year ago and has been a starter in the NBA primarily for his entire career.
He and Haliburton had a friendly back-and-forth banter during the Pacers Media Day on Monday.
"Hey Tyrese, you think you're going to play in the Olympics next summer?" the veteran sharpshooter asked over top of the reporters. "Any plans for that?"
"If asked, of course I would love to Buddy," Haliburton responded. "I hope The Bahamas makes it."
Hield and Haliburton came over to the Pacers from the Sacramento Kings in a trade together. The seven-year NBA guard has maintained his status as one of the game's most prolific outside shooters with a franchise-record 288 three-pointers for the Pacers last season, finishing second in the NBA to Klay Thompson in three-pointers made.
Hield, 30, averaged 16.8 points and five rebounds with the Pacers last season. He is one of the more prolific shooters in the NBA, and so is Thompson.
Speaking of Thompson, the middle son of Bahamian legendary basketball player Mychal 'Sweet Bells' Thompson, he expressed interest in playing for The Bahamas at the FIBA Olympic Qualifiers over the summer during a trip to Manila, Philippines, to launch his shoe brand 'ANTA KT9', and he reiterated that interest at the Warriors Media Day on Monday. The older Thompson is a former No.1 overall draft pick in the NBA and has always professed his love and affinity for The Bahamas.
"That would be cool because my dad never got the opportunity, and The Bahamas is a place where my story cannot be told without it. It's dear to my heart, so that would be sweet," said Thompson on Monday.
The Bahamas will play in the FIBA Olympic Qualifiers in the summer of 2024, and must win that tournament in order to advance to the 2024 Paris Olympics in men's basketball.
Thompson, 33, a 10-year NBA veteran, averaged 21.9 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Golden State Warriors last season.
The recently acquired DeAndre Ayton by the Portland Trailblazers is looking forward to a new beginning in Portland. Ayton, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018, spent the first five years of his career with the Phoenix Suns, but came over to the Trailblazers in the three-team trade that sent All-NBA point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
"Just dominance. My name is DominAyton," he said. "I play with a lot of passion, and a lot of grit as well. I try to take the hypocrisy out of the game where I'm telling my teammates one thing and doing the other. I'm more of a team player. I'll make the sacrificial decision and take myself out – less shots for me. When it comes to winning, I'll be the gritty guy and do what it takes to get the job done."
With Jusuf Nurkic moving on to the Suns in that same trade, it's likely that Ayton will be the new starting center of the Blazers as they look to build around the Bahamian big man. In Phoenix, Ayton never got to truly live up to the number one pick status as he had to play third and fourth fiddle behind Devin Booker, Chris Paul and eventually Kevin Durant.
The five-year vet could now be the focal point on a team of younger players.
Ayton, 25, finished averaging a double-double a season ago, with 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. He shot 58.9 percent from the field.
Remaining in Phoenix, after the trade, is Eric 'EJ' Gordon – another player with Bahamian roots and one who suited up for the country at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifiers in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, in August.
There have been talks of Gordon possibly being the fifth starter in Phoenix alongside Booker, Durant, Nurkic and Bradley Beal. However it pans out, it is believed that new Head Coach Frank Vogel will try different looks and grant various opportunities across a seven-month period this season.
Gordon, 34, has started 628 regular season games and another 36 in the playoffs in his 15-year NBA career. He gives Vogel another ball handler on the court who could space the floor and shoot from any angle, thereby providing instant offense.
Gordon averaged 13.1 points in 47 games with the Houston Rockets last season, and 11 in 22 games in his second stint with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
