Amnesty Clause Victims: Where Are They Now?
Prior to the start of the 2011/2012 NBA season, the league ratified a new CBA under which teams could rid themselves of a bad player contract. The amnesty clause allows for teams to waive one player's contract and not have it count against the cap nor pay any luxury tax on that salary. According to the CBA, the amnesty clause may be used one time on a player signed prior to the 2011/2012 season. Teams were not forced to use the clause before the start of the current season as the proverbial "get out of jail free" card remains in play through the 2015/2016 campaign.
Let's check in and see where the players who were amnestied back in December are now:
- Baron Davis: The former UCLA star was amnestied by the Cavaliers, acquired by the Knicks and has not played yet this season due to injury.
- Chauncey Billups: After being sent to New York in the Carmelo Anthony trade, Billups was later amnestied by the Knicks, acquired by the Clippers and is currently averaging 14.8 PPG and 4.1 APG.
- Charlie Bell: Bell is currently playing in the Lega Basket Serie A with the Pepsi Caserta after being amnestied by the Warriors.
- James Posey: The former Heat small forward was amnestied by the Pacers and is currently a free agent.
- Gilbert Arenas: Hibachi was amnestied by the Magic and will be hosting an open workout in Los Angeles later this week with hopes of securing an NBA contract.
- Travis Outlaw: The former Starkville High School graduate was amnestied by the Nets, later acquired by the Kings where he is averaging 3.1 PPG and 1.5 RPG in limited minutes.
- Brandon Roy: With injuries making his contract an untenable situation for the Trail Blazers, Portland amnestied Roy, leading to his retirement.
Knicks Notes: Anthony, Davis, Stoudemire
With 15 points, eight assists and two steals three quarters into his first start as a Knick, Jeremy Lin is making a strong case to cool some of the point guard trade rumors surrounding Madison Square Garden. Beyond Lin, the uncertain state of the Knicks roster has occupied NBA conversation in the wake of new and old health concerns as well as personal tragedy.
Here are a few evening items on the Knicks as they lead the Utah Jazz 75-73 through three quarters of play:
- Already limited by Amare Stoudemire's untimely departure from the team, the Knicks lost All-Star starter Carmelo Anthony early in the first quarter to a strained groin, reports ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley. Anthony will not return to the game and may require the Knicks to scour the D-League for frontcourt help.
- Baron Davis is not expected to join the Knicks until after the All-Star break (Feb. 24-27) thanks to an elbow infection, writes Matt Buser of Yahoo! Sports. If newly-minted starter Lin cannot build on his breakout performance of Saturday night, the Knicks could look to sign a point guard to a 10-day contract, which teams can now offer free agents as of today.
- Reeling from the loss of his brother in a traffic accident earlier this morning, Stoudemire's status with the team remains unknown as he flew to Florida to be with his family, says Newsday's Al Iannazzone. With three more games this week, the Knicks will start Jared Jeffries at power forward, who may be able to boost his trade value as he currently has 13 points and seven rebounds through three quarters this evening.
Modest Proposal: Nash To Lakers
The Lakers must acquire a high-energy player to help complement Kobe Bryant and strengthen the middling point guard position in order to make a run in the playoffs this season. With Steve Blake's health still an uncertainty and Derek Fisher managing a paltry 5.3 PPG, the Lakers have put out feelers across the league in hopes of finding the right piece to help bolster their 14-10 squad. Earlier this evening, ESPN NBA Insider Chris Palmer suggested a trade (via Twitter) that would send Suns point guard Steve Nash in exchange for Fisher and Metta World Peace.
Let's take a look at what ESPN's Trade Machine has to say about this prospective deal:
In trading Fisher, 37, and World Peace, 32, to the Suns, the Lakers would project to improve by 10 wins, a hefty boost that would seemingly vault them to the top of the Western Conference. While the Trade Machine's prediction for a Steve Nash-led Lakers team sounds a bit optimistic, one must look to the success Nash, 38 on Tuesday, is currently enjoying in his 16th NBA season. Nash's minutes are slightly down (31.1 MPG) while his FG% would mark a career-high (.545), which along with his 14.5 PPG and 9.9 APG point to an overall strong season for the former first-round pick out of Santa Clara.
Among the many differences between Nash and Fisher running the point would be Nash's ability to distribute the ball while also being able to knock down a shot at a high frequency especially when a play does not materialize. Kobe's chase toward matching Michael Jordan's six championship rings would become more of a realistic goal this season upon the arrival of Nash as Bryant could decrease his minutes (38 MPG) to a more manageable level. Needless to say, Nash's overall impact may be felt most in the continued development of rising star Andrew Bynum, who was recently named an All-Star starter thanks to his 17 PPG and 12 RPG.
So far the trade looks great, but let's be honest, we've yet to consider how the Suns would fare in giving up a former two-time league MVP in Nash. The Suns front office has conceded that they are willing to deal Nash to a contender if he approached them with such a request. At 9-14, the Suns are clearly heading toward a rebuilding phase in the post-Nash era, which would become muddled with the addition of the aging Fisher and World Peace (4.9 PPG). While Fisher may serve as a strong locker room presence, World Peace's role would be a bit unclear given the roster's current glut of small forwards.
With the Trade Machine's prediction of the Suns losing an additional seven games upon trading Nash for Fisher and World Peace, Chris Palmer's trade may only come to fruition if driven solely out of respect for the future Hall of Famer Nash.
Southwest Notes: Kaman, Barea, Rockets, Hornets
Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki doesn't feel his performance this season warrants a selection to the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando. Nowitzki, 33, is averaging 17.2 PPG and 6 RPG for a Dallas squad that is underachieving with a 14-11 record this season. If tapped to represent the Western Conference, Nowitzki would be making his 11th consecutive All-Star appearance. Let's take a look around the league to see what else is happening in the Southwest Division:
- Chris Kaman was completely understanding when the Hornets shut him down last month in an attempt to find a trade suitor, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. Kaman, 29, returned to the team on Sunday morning for practice as the Hornets conceded that they were unable to finalize a deal.
- Life after winning a championship with the Mavericks in June has not been easy for Timberwolves guard J.J. Barea. According to The Dallas Morning News, Barea, 27, blames his low FG% (.367) and 2.4 APG on a series of hamstring injuries that has led to the sixth-year player missing 15 games this season.
- Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen suggests the team is comfortable pursuing a championship with superstar-less squad similar to the Nuggets. While a star-free locker room may do wonders for team chemistry, the Rockets should take note that only two teams have ever won a championship without an All-NBA player.
- While the Hornets have struggled this season with the worst record in the Western Conference (4-20), Sam Amico of FoxSportsOhio.com points to three bright spots for the league-owned franchise moving forward.
Odds & Ends: Heat, T-Wolves, 76ers, Jackson
On this day in 2008, the Heat parted ways with Shaquille O'Neal, shipping him to Phoenix in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. Although Shaq saw a boost in his production for the next year and a half, he didn't win a playoff series in Phoenix — the Suns fell to the Spurs in the first round in 2008, then failed to make the postseason a year later. Here are a few items of note from around the league, starting with one of Shaq's former teams:
- In a perfect world, the Heat would add a bulkier center and a veteran point guard, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts today, as Chuck Myron outlined in our primer over the weekend. At SB Nation, Scott Schroeder looks at a few D-League players who are candidates for NBA contracts.
- The Timberwolves have assigned Malcolm Lee to their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. A 2011 second-round pick, Lee had knee surgery in December and has yet to make his NBA debut.
- John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link) wonders if the 76ers could clear cap space and pursue Eric Gordon this offseason.
- Magic GM Otis Smith shouldn't have acted on Dwight Howard's personnel suggestions and signed Glen Davis this offseason, argues Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Meanwhile, Chris Paul, who's all too familiar with trade rumors, has some words of advice for Howard, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
- Stephen Jackson told Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he couldn't say whether or not he's asked Bucks management for a trade.
Knicks, Lakers Inquire On Jonny Flynn
The Knicks and Lakers have contacted the Rockets to ask about Jonny Flynn, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Broussard adds that the Knicks mentioned Renaldo Balkman and Mike Bibby as trade chips, but that the Rockets weren't interested, and no moves are imminent.
The Lakers and Knicks are known to be seeking point guard help. Steve Blake is still recovering from a broken rib, meaning the Lakers are relying heavily on Derek Fisher and rookie Andrew Goudelock. For the Knicks, Baron Davis has been sidelined all season with a back injury and suffered another setback today, leaving Jeremy Lin to start at the point tonight. Both clubs are thought to have interest in Cavs point guard Ramon Sessions.
Flynn, a former Timberwolves lottery pick, has seen less action than ever in Houston this year, having played just 81 minutes in seven games. The Syracuse product has struggled with turnovers throughout his NBA career, recording an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.57 in his three seasons. Flynn is in the last year of his contract, earning $3.41MM this season.
2012/13 NBA Team And Player Options
A number of players currently on NBA rosters are on contracts that aren't guaranteed for the 2012/13 season. Many of these players have one of three kinds of options on their contracts for 2012/13 — a team option, a player option, or an early termination option.
The decision to exercise a team option can only be made by the club, while a player option can only be exercised by the player. An early termination option is a type of player option that can only be included in contracts of five years or more.
If an option is picked up, the player will remain under contract for at least the 2012/13 season, while turning down an option means the player is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the 2011/12 season.
Listed below are the team, player, and early termination options for the 2012/13 season that have yet to be exercised or declined. The amount of the option is in parentheses.
Updated 7-1-12
Team
None
Player
None
Early Termination
None
Storytellers Contracts was used in the creation of this post.
Clippers Not Shopping Mo Williams
Since the Clippers acquired Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, Mo Williams has found himself relegated to sixth-man duty in Los Angeles. Despite the team's point guard depth, the Clippers don't intend to actively shop Williams before the trade deadline, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles.
Clippers GM Neil Olshey has told Williams he's not looking to trade him, and promised to consult with the veteran if he receives any trade offers worth considering.
"Every day Mo comes in and does what he's doing, doesn't give us any impetus to want to trade him," said Olshey. "I want him to be here and I want him to be happy…. I told him, 'I give you my word, I'm not making any proactive phone calls about you. If I receive phone calls about you and it's something where I think we can come away with a fair deal, I will come to you and say, 'What do you think of this situation?'"
Williams, 29, has a salary of $8.5MM both this year and next, assuming he picks up his 2012/13 player option. His contract, along with the Clippers' depth at point guard, makes him a logical trade candidate, but he's thrived in his new role off the bench. His FG% (.502), 3PT% (.448) and PER (20.7) this season would all be career bests.
Cavaliers Waive Mychel Thompson
The Cavaliers have officially waived Mychel Thompson, according to the team. Tom Reid and Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported (via Twitter) that the Cavs intended to waive the 23-year-old.
Thompson signed with the Cavs as an undrafted rookie out of Pepperdine, and worked his way into the starting lineup in the last week. He struggled in his three starts, making just five of 21 shots from the field (23.8%) and averaging 4.7 points in just under 27 minutes per game.
Thompson's contract would have become guaranteed for the rest of the season on Friday had he remained on the roster, so the move gives the Cavs some extra flexibility. Their roster now stands at 14.
Warriors Waive Earl Barron
The Warriors have waived Earl Barron, according to a team release. Golden State has recalled Chris Wright from the D-League to take Barron's roster spot.
Barron, 29, has seen action with six NBA teams since 2005. The Warriors signed him following Kwame Brown's pectoral injury in January, though Barron appeared in just two games for Golden State.
Wright, 23, signed with the Warriors as an undrafted free agent prior to the season. He played in five games for Golden State before being sent to the D-League's Dakota Wizards. In three games for Dakota, he averaged 20.7 PPG and 10.0 RPG.