Teams Facing Disabled Player Exception Deadline
Plenty of teams have had to endure injuries to star players this season, as Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Andrew Bynum, Kevin Love, John Wall, Eric Gordon and others have all missed significant time. Still, for a team to get any monetary relief from the NBA, a player must be out for the entire season. The league grants the disabled player exception to teams who'll be without a member of their roster for the entire season, and Tuesday is the last day for teams to apply for it.
As Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors spelled out when he looked at this exception, it gives the team an amount equal to half the injured player's salary that it can use to sign a replacement to a contract for the rest of that season. Teams can also use that amount, plus $100K, to bring in a replacement via trade, as long as the incoming player is in the final year of his deal.
The exception doesn't automatically show up in a team's ledger when a player goes down. Clubs must submit an application to the league, which considers whether to fulfill requests on a case-by-case basis. Ostensibly, this is to prevent teams from trying to replace players who might come back at some point later in the season. But, if the injured player surprises and makes it back before the end of the year, the team suffers no penalty.
We heard earlier today that the Lakers are exploring the idea of applying for the exception to replace Jordan Hill, who was ruled out for the season on Friday. Over the weekend, the Timberwolves made official news that's been expected since last month, announcing on their website that Malcolm Lee is done for the year. Yet for all the players suffering injuries this season, only a handful of players appear to be definitely out for the season. We'll round them up here, with amount the exception would be worth in parentheses.
- Channing Frye, Suns ($3MM): There's no real need for Phoenix to pursue the exception, since they're already more than $3MM under the salary cap.
- Brandon Rush, Warriors ($2MM): The W's might be hesitant to add salary this season, since they're already a taxpaying team, and they're about $3MM below their hard cap, which the disabled player exception would not excuse them from.
- Malcolm Lee, Timberwolves ($381,098): The amount of this exception would be tiny, so it would be of little use in signings, but it could allow the Wolves a little bit of flexibility in trades.
- Jordan Hill, Lakers ($1,781,800): Luke Adams looked at the Lakers' case earlier today, noting that the Lakers already have more than $1.5MM available as part of their mid-level exception, so it seems unlikely they'd need the DPE.
- Elliot Williams, Trail Blazers ($721,440): The Blazers have already obtained the exception for Williams, though they have yet to use it.
Larry Coon's Salary Cap FAQ and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.
Rudy Gay Rumors: Monday
When we asked on Saturday where you think Rudy Gay will finish the season, votes were fairly split, with many of you suggesting he'd stay in Memphis or that the Raptors were one of the top candidates to acquire him. With five and a half weeks still remaining before the trade deadline, we have a few Gay updates to pass along, including one related to those Raps, so let's dive right in….
- The Grizzlies have tabled the idea of trading Gay for now, sources tell Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. One source indicates that the offers for Gay will probably get worse toward the trade deadline, and believes the team would be better off waiting until after the season to make another push to trade him.
Earlier updates:
- Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that he has spoken to both the Wizards and Grizzlies and that his client Bradley Beal has not been offered in any potential Gay deal. "The Wizards have made it very clear that they are not moving Brad Beal," said Bartelstein.
- The Grizzlies have spoken to every team in the league over the last month or so, but haven't shown an inclination to simply give away players like Gay for financial purposes, says Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Gay is likely to remain in Memphis through season's end, unless the team receives a no-brainer proposal, according to Tillery.
- Although Tillery writes that the Wizards may be open to including Bradley Beal in a package for Gay, Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets that, based on what he has heard, he'd be shocked if Washington moved Beal for Gay.
- Michael Lee of the Washington Post confirms that the Wizards have had conversations with the Grizzlies about what it would take to acquire Gay, and hears from one source that they're "pushing for" the forward. However, Lee indicates that a Washington offer would likely include any of the team's recent first-round picks besides Beal and John Wall.
- The Raptors' chances of acquiring Gay are dwindling fast, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who says the asking price is too high for Toronto. Smith hears that Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas came up in conversations, which didn't interest the Raps. The Star scribe estimates there's only a 5% chance that more serious discussions occur between the two teams.
Odds & Ends: Oden, Elson, McAdoo, Draft
As we prepare for an eight-game evening slate that includes the Hawks and Bulls jockeying for Eastern Conference positioning in Chicago, let's check out a few odds and ends from around the NBA:
- No one team tops Greg Oden's wishlist, including the Heat, says TNT's David Aldridge on NBA.com. Oden isn't even planning to compile a list of possible destinations until he's 100% healthy — if he can't get there, he won't come back, according to Aldridge.
- The next stop for veteran NBA big man Francisco Elson could be in Iran, according to a MehrNews.com report (hat tip to HoopsHype). The sporting director for Mahram, a team based in Tehran, Iran, says Elson will train with the team this week and possibly sign a contract later this month.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford and Jay Bilas both identify UNC's James Michael McAdoo as one of the most overrated prospects in college basketball in their latest Insider-only piece.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer also explores the 2013 draft class, hearing from two scouts that work for teams with potential top-10 picks. Neither scout was overly impressed with this year's prospects, with one opining: "I don’t think this is a good draft. This is the year you should consider trading your draft pick — no matter where it is."
D-League Moves: Beverley, Wroten, Jones, Joseph
Here are Monday's D-League assignments and recalls, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- After Jeremy Lin sprained his ankle at practice today, the Rockets will recall the recently-signed Patrick Beverley from the D-League, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Since joining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Beverley has averaged 13.7 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 6.7 RPG in three contests.
- After a brief stint with the Reno Bighorns, Tony Wroten has been recalled from the D-League by the Grizzlies, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). Quincy Pondexter is out with a knee injury, and Rudy Gay will miss tonight's game while attending his grandmother's funeral, so Wroten will provide some extra depth for Memphis.
- Terrence Jones has been recalled from the D-League by the Rockets, tweets Feigen. Jones, 2012's 18th overall pick, had been on his third D-League assignment with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, having averaged 19.2 PPG and 11.0 RPG in nine contests for the club this season.
- The Spurs have recalled Cory Joseph from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Joseph was assigned to the Austin Toros back on December 17th for the third time this season. In 14 games with the Toros, Joseph has averaged 20.7 PPG and shot 44.2% from three-point range.
Southwest Notes: Asik, Hornets, Hollins
While the Spurs hold a 2.5-game lead over the Grizzlies in the Southwest Division, the two teams are actually even in the loss column, with the Spurs (29-11) having played five more games than the Grizzlies (24-11). The Grizz will play one of those extra contests tonight, but it won't be easy to pick up a game in the standings on San Antonio, with the Clippers coming to town. As we look forward to what should be the game of the night in Memphis, let's round up a few items out of the Southwest….
- Within his mailbag at NBA.com, Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes that even after signing Omer Asik away from the Bulls last summer, the Rockets had talks about packaging him in a deal for a higher-level player. Smith suggests that perhaps the Heat could be a match in such a trade, with Chris Bosh going the other way, but it appears that's just his own speculation.
- Hornets GM Dell Demps spoke to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld about finally getting a chance to see his team's core players all healthy at the same time and evaluate the roster. Demps indicated that he could be active at the trade deadline, though he isn't expecting to aggressively pursue a move: "I think we’ll listen. If there’s something out there that will make us significantly better for the long-term I think we’ll look at it. Actually, I like our group. I like our young guys. I want to really evaluate them over the next month playing together and see that chemistry there. For the last week or so I think we’ve been playing pretty good, we’ll see how it goes over the next few games."
- There have been no talks about a contract extension between new Grizzlies ownership and coach Lionel Hollins, who's in the last year of his deal, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Kings/Seattle Rumors: Monday
We kept tabs over the weekend on the rumors surrounding a potential sale of the Sacramento Kings, with separate posts detailing Saturday's and Sunday's updates. It's possible that rumblings about Seattle's pursuit of the franchise could heat up even more this week, as TNT's David Aldridge suggests that Chris Hansen wanted to avoid upstaging the NFL's Seattle Seahawks by making his pursuit of the Kings public before the Seahawks' season ended. With Seattle having been eliminated by the Falcons yesterday in Atlanta, updates could start coming more frequently. Here's what we've heard today:
- Aldridge's column at NBA.com is packed with updates about the Kings' potential move to Seattle, which he portrays as likely to happen. The entire piece is worth a read, but among the highlights: A source tells Aldridge that the Maloofs feel they have "exhausted" their options to keep the Kings in Sacramento and don't believe local investors could match the Seattle group's offer.
- Ron Burkle is one potential buyer who probably has the money, but the Maloof family remains angry with Burkle for publicly declaring his interest in buying the Kings in 2011 when the Maloofs had repeatedly said the team wasn't for sale, according to Aldridge.
- The NBA held a conference call last Tuesday with its relocation committee to outline "a non-binding set of deal points" on a potential sale of the Kings to Hansen's group, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, the call informed several league owners that the Seattle group would purchase 65% of the Kings — the Maloofs' 53% share, and 12% held by minority owner Bob Hernreich.
- Discussions have continued within the past week to move the sale to the Seattle group forward and ultimately clear the way for the Kings to move to Seattle, says Wojnarowski.
- If the Maloofs do sell to the Seattle group, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson could try to sway the NBA's Board of Governors to vote against the deal, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. However, Howard-Cooper admits that would be a real uphill battle for Johnson.
Lakers May Apply For Disabled Player Exception
With Jordan Hill expected to miss the regular season, the Lakers may apply for a disabled player exception, GM Mitch Kupchak tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Such an exception would give the team approximately an extra $1.78MM to sign or trade for a player.
Mike Trudell of Lakers.com reported on Friday that Hill would undergo hip surgery and miss the rest of the season, a significant blow for a Lakers frontcourt that was already banged up. Having released Darius Johnson-Odom last week before his contract became guaranteed, the Lakers have an open roster spot, so the team could add a player without waiving Hill or anyone else.
As Hoops Rumors' glossary outlines, a disabled player exception is worth either half of the disabled player's salary or the amount of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. Since Hill is earning $3,563,600 this season, a DPE would be worth $1,781,800. The Lakers have had more than $1.5MM remaining on their mid-level exception all season, and haven't seemed eager to spend that money, so it seems unlikely that the team would need the DPE. However, as Kupchak points out, it could be worth having just in case.
"There's no downside into looking into it," Kupchak said. "But as far as doing it, I don't know."
Unlike the mid-level exception, a disabled player exception can be used to acquire a player via trade, which would give the Lakers some added flexibility. If L.A. obtains a DPE for Hill, the team could trade for a player earning a salary of $1,881,800 or less, without any outgoing salary involved.
The deadline to apply for a disabled player exception is January 15th, so the Lakers will have until tomorrow to make a decision.
T-Wolves Planning To Sign Mickael Gelabale?
The Timberwolves appear close to reaching a deal with French forward Mickael Gelabale, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Minnesota doesn't currently have an open roster spot, but the team may add Gelable on a 10-day deal when Lazar Hayward's 10-day contract expires.
We heard yesterday that Gelabale's team in Spain has granted him permission to travel stateside to negotiate an NBA deal. The 29-year-old has an NBA out in his contract that must be exercised by the end of the month — otherwise, he'll head back overseas and finish the season with Valencia.
According to Zgoda, Timberwolves president David Kahn confirmed before yesterday's game that the club maintains its interest in Gelabale, and said the Wolves are "working on some things," though he didn't confirm whether an agreement was in place. As our 10-day contract tracker shows, Hayward's deal is set to expire this Thursday, so Minnesota will have an open roster spot at that point.
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities has reported multiple times that Gelabale is seeking a 20-day guarantee to come to the NBA, so if he signs a 10-day contract with the T-Wolves, it's possible it will be followed by a second 10-day deal. A 2005 second-round pick, Gelabale hasn't appeared in an NBA game since the 2007/08 season, with the SuperSonics.
Cuban: “100% Chance” Mavs Will Make Trade
Earlier today, Mavs owner Mark Cuban told Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com that he plans to be aggressive in attempting to make a move before the trade deadline. Now, Cuban says that a trade before February 21st is a virtual certainty.
"I would say there’s a one hundred percent chance we’ll do something," Cuban told Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. "There’s nobody in particular we’re looking to get off or anything. But we put ourselves in position where I’m willing to take back money. If it’s the right deal, I’ll take back everything. I don’t care. It just depends. But like I said, there’s a one hundred percent chance we’re going to look to do something."
Cuban doesn't envision one deal putting the Mavs over the top, but he is determined to do everything possible to improve his squad. The owner is understandably antsy to make a change considering the club's 15-23 record, but he says that he's as confident as can be that he'll be able to get Dirk Nowitzki a second ring.
Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Gelabale, Van Gundy
There has been lots of trade talk surrounding the Grizzlies, particularly small forward Rudy Gay, but Jeff Caplan of NBA.com opines that this team deserves the opportunity to stay together and make a run at the title in 2013. Power forward Zach Randolph agrees with that sentiment. "That’s what happens when you get new owners," said Randolph. "Mr. [Michael] Heisley (the Grizzlies’ previous owner), he had a vision of keeping us all together. He took care of all of us to build a team and try to win a championship. Now the new owner probably wants to do something different. But it’s a business." Here's more from around the league…
- Spanish team Valencia Basket announced that they have granted Mickael Gelabale permission to travel to the U.S. to negotiate a deal in the NBA, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The forward has an NBA out in his contract with Valencia to exercise by end of January. If Gelabale doesn't find an agreement in NBA, he will return to Spain to finish out the season with Valencia.
- Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy spoke to Chris Mannix of NBC Sports (on Twitter) about why he wouldn't be interested in the Nets' head coaching job. "I just don't think that's a place [my family] would relocate to at this point," Van Gundy explained.
- Van Gundy also expressed a similar opinion to Caplan and said that he didn't understand why the Grizzlies would move Gay right when they are accomplishing the kind of success that they've been building for (Twitter link).
- Derek Page of HoopsWorld checked in with Rockets rookie Terrence Jones and wonders if he is NBA ready at this stage. Jones has been shuttled between Houston and the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season.
- The D-League's influence is growing bigger and bigger every year, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Nearly 30% of the NBA's current players have had D-League experience. This season, a record 49 NBA players have been assigned a record 100 times to the D-League. For a full list of this year's assignments and recalls, check out our handy running post.