Grunfeld Talks Contract Extension, Nene, Blatche
The Wizards announced this morning that they'd officially agreed to terms on an extension for team president Ernie Grunfeld, whose contract was set to expire at season's end. Grunfeld spoke to reporters today about his new deal and his plans for the team going forward. Here are a few highlights, courtesy of Michael Lee of the Washington Post:
- Asked if he felt he deserved a contract extension, Grunfeld said, "The important thing is [owner] Ted [Leonsis] felt that."
- The Wizards are in the second year of a three-year rebuild, and Grunfeld thinks the team is making good progress and has a "bright future."
- Washington doesn't figure to be an active player in free agency, since the team thinks of the acquisition of Nene as a sort of free agent signing: "Last summer he was the most sought-after free agent in the marketplace. We were able to get him via trade instead of having to play the free agent game and going out there not knowing for sure if you were going to get a player of his caliber. We played the free agent game, we just did it a little bit different. We are paying somebody a very nice salary."
- Grunfeld praised the job that coach Randy Wittman has done, pointing out that the players are playing "very hard" for him. However, he was noncommital on Wittman's future, saying he'd evaluate the situation with Leonsis after the season.
- Asked whether Andray Blatche had played his last game for the Wizards, Grunfeld replied, "No. Not necessarily. Players are always forgiven if they come back and perform well…. That remains to be seen. It’s going to be a process that we’ll monitor during the summer." Blatche is under contract for three more seasons, but is a candidate to be amnestied.
Draft Notes: Suero, Drummond, Rivers
Here are a few of today's draft-related updates, including the latest players to declare their intent, and a few first-round tidbits courtesy of ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link):
- Albany junior Gerardo Suero has declared his intent for the draft, according to the school's website. Suero, who isn't ranked among this year's top prospects by Ford or DraftExpress.com, is a long shot to be drafted, but he's looking to begin his professional career, "whether it be in the NBA or overseas."
- The majority of teams have UConn's Andre Drummond ranked between third and fifth on their boards, with a handful of clubs placing him as high as second.
- Some veteran scouts think Perry Jones III is the best player in the draft besides Anthony Davis, and believe he'll be Rudy Gay at worst. However, other personnel people say they wouldn't take Jones in the top ten.
- There are a few teams that consider North Carolina's John Henson a better prospect than Drummond or Jones, but a greater number of clubs don't like him as a lottery pick.
- Austin Rivers of Duke seems like a love-him-or-hate-him player, with evaluations very divided. Some teams like him in the 6-10 range, while others have him down between 20 and 30.
- Teams are "scared to death" of Tony Wroten Jr., who could end up being selected after even Marquis Teague on draft night.
Warriors Name Bob Myers General Manager
The Warriors have promoted Bob Myers to the general manager position, the team announced today in a press release. Larry Riley, who had spent the last year as the team's GM, will remain in the organization as the team's director of scouting.
Myers joined the Golden State front office last April as the team's assistant general manager after serving for over a decade as an agent. Warriors co-owner and CEO Joe Lacob praised Myers in the team's statement, calling the 37-year-old the ideal person for the job.
"We’re extremely pleased to announce Bob’s promotion as we conclude the 2011/12 season," said Lacob. "We are confident that he is the right person to guide our Basketball Operations Department into the long-term future and, similarly, through a very important time for this franchise as we begin to prepare for next season. As we acknowledged a year ago, we think his potential as a young executive in this business is outstanding and that intuition was certainly confirmed during his first year with the organization."
Knicks Name Glen Grunwald Permanent GM
The Knicks have removed the interim tag from Glen Grunwald's title and have made him the team's permanent executive vice president and general manager, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The team made the decision official today, saying that Grenwald is being rewarded for helping the club make the playoffs for the second straight year (Twitter link).
Grunwald was promoted to the interim GM role last June, replacing Donnie Walsh. The Knicks experienced some turmoil involving Carmelo Anthony and then-coach Mike D'Antoni earlier this season, but taking into account the drafting of Iman Shumpert, the signing of Tyson Chandler, and the waiver claim of Jeremy Lin, it's been a successful year overall for the team's front office.
Odds & Ends: Humphries, Carmelo, Woodson, Paul
Tonight's Clippers/Hawks game will affect playoff seeding, and the Hornets/Warriors contest has lottery implications. But the one to circle on tonight's schedule is Suns vs. Jazz in Utah, a game Al Jefferson calls the biggest of his life (via Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune). A Utah win clinches the Jazz a playoff spot, while a Suns win would mean the two teams are tied for the eighth seed with one game remaining. Before the two teams get underway, let's check in on some other notes from around the NBA….
- Kris Humphries would like to re-sign with the Nets if possible, he tells Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. You'd have to think the Nets will prioritize Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez over Humphries, though they could still have room for their leading rebounder.
- Carmelo Anthony endorsed Mike Woodson for the Knicks' permanent coaching job, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Amare Stoudemire echoed that sentiment later in the day, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) that he believes his friend Chris Paul will eventually sign a long-term extension with the Clippers.
- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is unsure whether he wants to bring Semih Erden back for next season, says Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- A Bloomberg report details the role that nepotism is playing in the current players' union conflict, though executive committee member Maurice Evans downplayed the union's concerns on the subject (Twitter link).
Mid-Level Exception
The mid-level exception is the most common way for over-the-cap NBA teams to sign other teams' free agents. The exception can be used every season and can be split among multiple players, but different teams receive access to different mid-level exceptions based on their cap situation.
A team whose total player salaries, cap exceptions, and cap holds amount to less than the salary cap forfeits its full mid-level exception. A taxpaying team also doesn't have access to the full mid-level. However, both under-the-cap and taxpaying teams receive a lesser form of the MLE. Here's a breakdown of the restrictions placed on each of the three forms of the exception:
For teams with cap room:
- Called the mini mid-level, or the room exception
- Maximum two-year contract
- Maximum $2.5MM first-year salary
- Maximum 4.5% annual raises
- First-year salary grows by 3% annually
For over-the cap teams:
- Called the full or standard mid-level exception
- Maximum four-year contract
- Maximum $5MM first-year salary
- Maximum 4.5% annual raises
- First-year salary grows by 3% annually starting in 2013/14
For taxpaying teams:
- Called the mini mid-level, or the taxpayer mid-level exception
- Maximum three-year contract
- Maximum $3MM first-year salary
- Maximum 4.5% annual raises
- First-year salary grows by 3% annually
For a practical example of how the restrictions on the mid-level exception work, let's say the Heat and Knicks were competing for a free agent this coming summer. The Heat have $76MM+ on their books for 2012/13, making them a taxpayer, while the Knicks have $60MM+, putting them over the cap but not over the tax threshold. If both teams offered the full MLE, the player would receive an offer of four years and $21.35MM from the Knicks, or three years and about $9.69MM from the Heat.
Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon's Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Quincy Miller To Enter Draft
Baylor forward Quincy Miller has decided to hire an agent and enter the NBA draft, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Miller initially said he would return to Baylor for his sophomore season, but changed his mind with a few days to spare before the NBA's early entry deadline of April 29th.
Miller had been listed seventh overall among 2013 prospects by both DraftExpress.com and ESPN.com. In a stronger 2012 draft class, he doesn't figure to rank quite as highly, but Spears hears from an NBA scout who believes Miller could be picked around 15th overall. The freshman is expected to hire Dwon Clifton as his agent.
"I apologize if I excited too many people, but I feel like this is the best move for me," Miller told Spears, on leaving Baylor. "I love Baylor so much. I love the campus. I love the university. I love everything about Baylor. But I think for myself right now this was best for me."
Miller's decision reflects how underclassmen can work around the NCAA's April 10th withdrawal deadline. By initially electing to stay at Baylor, the 6'9" forward gave himself an extra two and a half weeks to make a decision on whether to enter the draft. Had he declared his intent on April 10th, he would have forfeited his remaining NCAA eligibility.
Hoops Rumors' full list of NCAA early entrants for the 2012 draft can be found here.
Latest On Dwight Howard
Having undergone surgery on his back, Dwight Howard will not only miss the rest of this season and the playoffs, but also won't rejoin the team in Orlando over the next few weeks, according to coach Stan Van Gundy.
Van Gundy told reporters (including Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel) today that Howard would remain in the Los Angeles area to rehab, since both Howard's camp and the team decided it would be impractical to fly back and forth across the country (Twitter links). Asked why D12 couldn't simply fly to Orlando and rehab there, the Magic coach said Howard requires frequent checkups by doctors in L.A. (Twitter link). Robbins acknowledges that the plan seems a little strange, and suggests it will fuel speculation that Howard is estranged from the team (Twitter link).
The latest on Howard's estrangement from the rest of the Magic comes from ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, who says Howard felt like the organization and teammates didn't have his back after a report indicated he'd quit on the team. Smith expects Howard to ask to be traded out of Orlando "the minute this season is over" and doesn't anticipate "any flip-flopping" from the star center this time.
Whether or not Howard makes another trade request this summer, it certainly won't be an ideal time for Orlando to move him. Howard is unlikely to be fully recovered from his back surgery yet, so interested teams may be wary of his health. Additionally, I expect Van Gundy to be replaced this summer, and you'd think the Magic would like to see Howard coexist with the new coach before they consider dealing their superstar.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Gerald Green
Anyone watching Gerald Green play for the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders earlier this season had to figure it was only a matter of time until the 26-year-old earned another shot in the NBA. That shot finally came in the form of a 10-day contract from the Nets, and turned into a rest-of-season deal with New Jersey. Green didn't disappoint, showing off the talents that made him the 18th overall pick in the 2005 draft.
Although he's spent the last few seasons in Russia, China, and the D-League, and is seeing his first NBA action since 2008/09, Green looks like he's here to stay. In 30 games for the Nets, he has averaged 13.0 points and a 16.2 PER on .489/.383/.766 shooting in just 25.2 minutes per game. Not just a high flier whose dunks appear on SportsCenter, Green appears to have evolved into a solid NBA rotation piece.
Because the Nets only signed him to a contract for the rest of the season, Green will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but it sounds as if he wants to remain a Net. When he signed his deal, Green said he wanted to give the team cap flexibility, but that he's "not trying to go anywhere." More recently, he spoke of having a "strong feeling" he'd remain a Net, even talking about potentially giving the team a discount in free agency.
Of course, most NBA players will talk about wanting to return to their current teams at this time of year, but that doesn't guarantee anything. The Nets figure to be active in free agency, and if they're able to retain Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Gerald Wallace, they could focus on a high-profile power forward to join their core, leaving little cap room available for Green. The Lakers are thought to have interest in Green as well, and the former Celtic didn't close the door on returning to Boston.
When Green spoke last week about his desire to return to the Nets, he commented, "It's not like I have to weigh my options. I really don't have options." While that may be the case right now, I think Green will have a handful of offers to choose from when the NBA's free agency period begins. Over-the-cap playoff contenders in need of a scorer off the bench could consider him with their mid-level exceptions, and under-the-cap teams who miss out on top free agents could pursue him as a Plan B. I don't see the 26-year-old having to settle for a minimum-salary contract.
Green may ultimately end up remaining a Net and bringing his high-flying dunks to Brooklyn next season. But if he does, he'll be choosing Brooklyn over other teams, not accepting the only offer he has on the table.
Grunfeld, Wizards Agree To Contract Extension
TUESDAY, 8:50am: The Wizards made it official today, announcing that Grunfeld and the team have agreed to terms on a contract extension. Team owner Ted Leonsis explained the decision in his blog this morning.
MONDAY, 7:28pm: The Wizards will retain team president Ernie Grunfeld, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post. An official announcement may come as early as Tuesday. There's no word on the financial terms of his new deal, but it's believed to cover at least two seasons. Grunfeld's current contract is up at the end of this season.
The Wizards have gone 282-438 since 2003, when Grunfeld was put in charge by former owner Abe Pollin. Still, current owner Ted Leonsis likes what Grunfeld has done in acquiring cap space and draft picks while trading away unwanted high-priced talent in recent years, Lee writes. Grunfeld's current deal makes him one of the league's highest-paid executives, giving him somewhere between $3.5MM and $4.5MM a year. Teams have scaled back salaries for team presidents and general managers of late as a way to offset losses, so it's likely his new deal will be for less than what he was making.
Grunfeld's future has been in doubt, and we recently heard that one NBA executive told Lee he expected the team and Grunfeld to part ways soon. Last month a report suggested Grunfeld turned down a three-year, $4.5MM extension, but sources told Lee no such offer was made.
It's been a year of major moves for the rebuilding Wizards, who let Flip Saunders go after a 2-15 start and acquired Nene Hilario in a three-team deal that sent away Nick Young and JaVale McGee.