Rockets To Sign Dionte Christmas
2:56pm: Christmas confirmed on his Twitter account that he'll be signing with the Rockets, tweeting, "It's official Ill be a member of the Houston rockets!…#footinthedoor." No word yet on the corresponding roster move.
2:30pm: The Rockets are close to a deal with former Temple guard Dionte Christmas, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link). Sportando first passed along a report out of Greece that Christmas was close to signing with the Rockets.
Christmas, 25, graduated from Temple in 2009 and played in the NBA Summer League in 2009 and 2010 for the 76ers and Kings, respectively. While he was signed by Philadelphia in '09, Christmas was cut by the Sixers before the regular season began, and has never played an NBA game. Over the last few years, he has played for a variety of teams overseas, including Greece's Rethymno B.C. this past season.
If the Rockets do bring Christmas aboard, it would be a slightly surprising move. With only one game left in the season, Houston would presumably be hoping to get a look at Christmas over the summer, perhaps agreeing to a non-guaranteed deal for next year. The team's roster is full at 15 players though, so the Rockets would need a corresponding move to make room for a new addition.
Bi-Annual Exception
Last week, we looked at what it means for an NBA player to earn Bird rights, Early Bird rights, or Non-Bird rights. The Bird exceptions allow teams to sign their own free agents, but they can't be used to sign other teams' free agents. If an over-the-cap team wants to sign a free agent, one cap exception available to them is the bi-annual exception.
As its name suggests, the bi-annual exception can only be used every other year. Even if a team uses only a portion of the BAE amount, it becomes unavailable the following year.
The bi-annual exception is available only to a select few clubs — teams whose player salaries and cap exceptions add up to less than the salary cap ($58.04MM this season) lose their bi-annual exception as well as their full mid-level exception and any trade exceptions. They must use their cap room to sign players. Additionally, taxpaying teams lose access to the bi-annual exception. Only teams over the cap but under the tax line can use the BAE.
For the 2011/12 season, the amount of the bi-annual exception was capped at $1.9MM. The largest contract a player could receive using the BAE was for two years, with a raise of 4.5%, adding up to a total of about $3.89MM for two seasons. Teams also have the option of splitting the exception among multiple players, perhaps signing one player for $1MM and another for $900K.
The starting salary for the bi-annual exception will grow 3% annually, so next year it will be worth $1.957MM. The BAE also becomes pro-rated starting on January 10th, so a team wouldn't be able to offer the full amount after that date.
While the bi-annual exception isn't worth a significant amount, it provides over-the-cap teams a way of offering players a salary above the minimum without dipping into their mid-level exception.
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.
Latest On Derek Fisher, NBPA
The NBA Players' Association is beginning the process of conducting an independent review of the union, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The NBPA is hoping Derek Fisher will voluntarily step down as union president now that the business review process is underway.
A group of player representatives headed by James Jones will begin the process of selecting a management consulting firm to conduct the review, potentially with input from the MLB or NHL players unions, according to Berger. Part of the reason the executive committe was initially upset with Fisher's call for a review was Fisher's decision to use the law firm Patton Boggs without consulting all the executives, says TNT's David Aldridge.
It's unclear what Fisher expects the business review to uncover. Aldridge hears that Fisher claimed to have sources inside the union that said things weren't right and a review concerning the appropriation of funds was needed. According to Berger, the NBPA's business relationships and "hiring the right people for the right jobs" are a pair of issues that concern Fisher. A report over the weekend suggested that Billy Hunter had multiple family members working for the NBPA, but Aldridge's source says "nepotism is not the issue [Fisher]'s calling for a review of."
Both Berger and Aldridge conclude that things may get messier before they get better. One of Aldridge's sources said Hunter and Fisher were "both guilty of not communicating better, making sure that everybody is on the same page." You can catch up on the discord in the players' union with our posts on the subject here and here.
Poll: James Harden Or Serge Ibaka?
The Oklahoma City Thunder will face an interesting predicament next season, as both James Harden and Serge Ibaka enter the final season of their rookie contracts. With stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook already signed to long-term max deals, the team will try to find a way to lock up the rest of its core. An excess of talent is certainly a good problem to have, but it won't be easy for the Thunder to bring all their players back — Durant and Westbrook alone are slated to earn $30MM+ in 2013/14, the first year in which luxury-tax penalties increase.
Harden has made great strides in each of his first three seasons, earning his first All-Star berth and scoring 16.8 PPG on .491/.390/.846 shooting in 2011/12. His 21.1 PER this year raises his career average to 17.2, and he's become arguably one of the top shooting guards in the NBA and the odds-on favorite for Sixth Man of the Year.
Ibaka, meanwhile, isn't the scorer than Harden is, but he's averaging 10+ rebounds per 36 minutes for the third straight season, and is leading the league in blocks with an incredible 3.7 per game. His 17.5 career PER is actually slightly better than Harden's mark, and he's a legit contender (and David Aldridge's pick) for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award.
GM Sam Presti says the team will do everything it can to ink extensions for Harden and Ibaka, and perhaps one or both players would accept slightly below-market deals to keep playing for a perennial title contender. I think retaining both is possible, perhaps at the expense of Kendrick Perkins, but let's say circumstances prevent the Thunder from keeping both players. If you're Presti, which player is your top priority? Who do you re-sign to play alongside Durant and Westbrook long-term? Harden or Ibaka?
Pacific Notes: Warriors, World Peace, Nash, Kings
The Pacific Division hasn't been decided yet, but the magic number is down to one. If the Lakers win the final game of their season in Sacramento, or the Clippers lose in either Atlanta or New York, the Lakers will clinch the division. The consolation for the Clips? A win against either the Hawks or Knicks would at least earn them first-round homecourt advantage. Either way, the Staples Centre will be hosting of plenty of postseason contests starting next weekend.
Here's the latest out of the Pacific:
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News put the Warriors' odds of retaining their first-round pick at about 20-25% after they beat the Timberwolves yesterday. Golden State's pick is top-seven protected, and as our tentative draft order shows, the team is currently the league's eighth-worst.
- Warriors fans shouldn't sweat it if the team loses its first-rounder, says Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.
- J.A. Adande of ESPN.com argues that Metta World Peace should be suspended for two games more than James Harden misses. World Peace's elbow during yesterday's game resulted in a concussion for Harden, and will certainly mean a suspension for the Lakers forward — Las Vegas has set the over/under at 7.5 games (Twitter link). In a poll yesterday, 58% of respondents said the Lakers would still win at least one playoff series without the man formerly known as Ron Artest.
- With Steve Nash facing free agency, Eric Koreen of the National Post examines the pros and cons of a few potential destinations for the Suns star.
- Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty ponders whether the Tyreke Evans era could be nearing an end for the Kings.
- Sacramento officials will return a portion of the $200K the NBA sent the city for pre-development work on the Kings' arena, reports Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee.
Trail Blazers Met With Steve Kerr
It's no secret that Steve Kerr is one of the Trail Blazers' preferred candidates, if not the top choice, for the team's general manager opening. Although Kerr reportedly told Portland earlier this month that he wasn't interested in the position, the Blazers didn't give up their pursuit of the former Suns executive. According to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype, Blazers president Larry Miller met with Kerr on Saturday, though nothing concrete materialized regarding the GM job.
"The media guys in Portland are getting ahead of themselves with this story," said Kerr's agent, Mark Bartelstein. "Steve has a good relationship with Larry Miller and met with him, but nothing specific was addressed and no offer was made. Steve is very happy with his job at TNT and his life right now, being able to be around his children and spending time with his family. A unique set of circumstances would have to happen for Steve to give up on that. He's not actively looking for anything."
The Blazers are thought to have interest in current NBA executives like John Hammond and Mitch Kupchak, so the team's GM search figures to continue into the offseason, when Portland can receive permission to talk to currently-employed candidates.
Traded 2012 Second-Round Picks
Last month, we outlined the first-round picks that could switch hands in this June's draft, and our tentative draft order provides an ongoing look at where those picks will land.
While most impact players are selected in the first 30 picks, every draft features a handful of intriguing second-round picks — Landry Fields, Devin Ebanks, Chandler Parsons, and Isaiah Thomas are among the 2010 and 2011 second-rounders currently playing important minutes for their respective squads. Teams can also use second-round picks to secure the rights of international players.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the 2012 second-round picks that have been traded. Here are the selections that are locks to change hands:
* 76ers: Receive Grizzlies' pick
Cavaliers: Receive Hornets' pick
Hawks: Receive Suns' pick
** Lakers: Receive Bulls' pick
Mavericks: Receive Lakers' pick
Nets: Receive Heat's pick
Nuggets: Receive Warriors' pick
Pistons: Receive Rockets' pick (top-40 protected)
Raptors: Receive Pacers' pick
Timberwolves: Receive Thunder's pick
*** Trail Blazers: Receive Timberwolves' pick
Warriors: Receive Hawks' pick
Wizards: Receive Mavericks' pick
* The Grizzlies' second-rounder will be sent to the Sixers if it's between 31st and 55th overall; otherwise it will go to the Heat.
** The Lakers can choose to receive cash from the Nets instead of the Bulls' pick.
*** The Timberwolves' second-rounder will be sent to the Blazers since it will fall between 31st and 55th overall; otherwise it would have gone to to the Mavericks.
The following picks were included in trades, but almost certainly won't be going anywhere due to protection:
Celtics: Bucks' pick (top-44 protected)
Heat: Grizzlies' pick (top-55 protected)
Mavericks: Timberwolves' pick (top-55 protected), Wizards' pick (top-55 protected)
Suns: Knicks' pick (top-55 protected)
Trail Blazers: Nuggets' pick (Blazers had the right to swap their own pick for Denver's)
Timberwolves Exercise Option On David Kahn
The Timberwolves have exercised the 2012/13 option on David Kahn's contract, reports Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Owner Glen Taylor says he has already informed or is informing the team's general manager of the decision.
Kahn is in the final season of his three-year guarantee in Minnesota, but the club holds team options for next season and 2013/14. Each option is separate, so the T-Wolves could still decide to decline their final-year option, despite picking up next season's.
While Kahn has received some criticism for his moves in Minnesota, most recently during the Kevin Love extension negotiations, the emergence of Ricky Rubio had the team looking like a playoff contender before injuries derailed the season. Kahn won't have the Timberwolves' first-round draft pick this June, as it's ticketed for New Orleans. However, as our tentative draft order shows, Minnesota is in good position to acquire Utah's first-rounder, which is top-14 protected and currently projects as 16th or 17th overall.
Odds & Ends: Pacers, Orton, Warriors, T-Wolves
If the Rockets beat the Hornets on Thursday, it will mark their third consecutive season of missing the playoffs while finishing with a winning record, tweets John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Let the pain of that fact sink in as we take a look around the league to catch up on the latest news and happenings.
- Now that the Pacers have clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, head coach Frank Vogel needs to figure out which players he needs to rest before likely facing the Magic in the first round, writes Conrad Brunner of Pacers.com.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says Magic rookie Daniel Orton has taken the criticism he received from head coach Stan Van Gundy in stride as he knows he has a long way to go to becoming a contributing NBA player.
- Being out of the playoff race has allowed the Warriors to experiment with different lineups and provide extensive minutes to the team's rookies, reports the Associated Press (link via the San Jose Mercury News).
- Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Luke Ridnour has joined Kevin Love on the list of Timberwolves starters who are being shut down for the remainder of the season.
- Monday night's game against the Sixers marks the Nets' final game in New Jersey after 35 mostly forgettable seasons, reports the Associated Press (link via NBA.com). The team will move to Brooklyn for the 2012/2013 season where they will play in the brand-new Barclays Arena.
- Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com says Sixers head coach Doug Collins wants his team to take care of business against the Nets on Monday so they no longer have to worry about the Bucks sneaking into the playoff picture.
Minor Moves: Clippers Recall Travis Leslie
We'll track today's D-League and international news here, with the latest up top:
- The Clippers have recalled Travis Leslie from the Bakersfield Jam, where he has averaged 10.2 PPG and 3.2 RPG in two separate stints this season, reports InsideHoops.com. Leslie, 20, has played in 10 games for the Clippers in which he has produced 1.4 PPG and 0.9 RPG in limited action. The former Georgia star was a 2011 second-round draft pick by the Clippers.