J.R. Smith Likely To Opt Out
Coming off a career-best season and a Sixth Man of the Year award, J.R. Smith will have the option of hitting free agency this summer, and it sounds like he'll take advantage of that opportunity. Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com hears from a source close to Smith that the Knicks shooting guard is "very, very likely" to turn down his 2013/14 option and become a free agent.
Because New York only held Smith's Non-Bird rights last offseason, the team was only able to sign him to a contract that started at about $2.81MM this season. That makes Smith's player option for '13/14 worth only about $2.93MM, a figure he could easily exceed on the open market.
As we explained earlier today, and as Hamilton details in his piece, the Knicks will hold Smith's Early Bird rights this summer, meaning the team will be able to offer him a deal of up to four years, starting at a salary that figures to be in the neighborhood of $5.5MM. That will exceed the amount of the mid-level exception, meaning the Knicks should be able to outbid over-the-cap teams, though Smith could receive stronger offers from clubs with cap room.
Still, Smith has frequently expressed a desire to remain in New York, suggesting on Monday that he'd like to retire as a Knick. He was willing to accept a below-market salary to stay with the team last summer, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him do it again this year.
Early Bird Rights
Whereas the Bird exception requires a player to spend three seasons with his club without being waived or changing teams as a free agent, Early Bird rights are earned after just two such seasons. Virtually all of the same rules that apply to Bird rights apply to Early Bird rights, with the requirements condensed to two years rather than three. Players still see their Bird clocks restart by changing teams via free agency, being claimed in an expansion draft, or having their rights renounced.
The crucial difference between Bird rights and Early Bird rights involves limits on contract offers. While Bird players can receive maximum salary deals for up to five years, the Early Bird exception cannot be used to offer a max deal. The most a team can offer an Early Bird free agent is 175% of his previous salary or 104.5% of the league-average salary, whichever is greater. These offers are also capped at four years rather than five, and must be for at least two years.
One example of a player who will earn Early Bird rights after this season is the Knicks' J.R. Smith. Smith is in his second season in New York without having being waived, and isn't on a rookie contract. As such, the Knicks could use the Early Bird exception this summer to offer up to 104.5% of the league-average salary to keep Smith in New York for up to four more years. While it's not clear yet whether Smith will even opt out of his deal, or whether he'd accept that sort of offer, having the ability to use the Early Bird exception means the Knicks wouldn't have to use their mid-level to try to retain the Sixth Man of the Year.
The cap hold for an Early Bird player is 130% of his previous salary.
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.
This post was initially published on April 19th, 2012.
Marc Gasol Wins Defensive Player Of The Year
WEDNESDAY, 11:08am: The NBA has officially announced Gasol as Defensive Player of the Year. LeBron James was the runner-up, followed by Ibaka and Noah.
MONDAY, 3:12pm: Marc Gasol will be named Defensive Player of the Year for the 2012/13 NBA season, according to Chris Vernon of 92.9 FM ESPN in Memphis (via Twitter). An official announcement will likely come later this week.
Award season started for the NBA today, when J.R. Smith was officially named the Sixth Man of the Year. The Defensive Player of the Year field was considered fairly wide open, with a number of deserving candidates based on both traditional and more advanced statistics. When I asked earlier this month who deserved the award, Gasol received fewer votes than Larry Sanders, Joakim Noah, and Serge Ibaka.
Gasol, who averaged 7.8 RPG, 1.7 BPG, and 1.0 SPG this season for the Grizzlies, didn't have exceptional traditional stats. However, he anchored a Memphis defense that ranked second in the NBA in points per 100 possessions (97.4), and the team's defensive numbers were noticeably better when he was on the court.
Wojnarowski On LeBron, Cavs, Brown, Aldridge
Now that the Cavaliers have made it official, announcing that Mike Brown has returned as the team's head coach, one looming question is what effect the hire will have on Cleveland's potential pursuit of LeBron James in the summer of 2014. LeBron told the Associated Press (link via Cleveland.com) that he's "very happy" for Brown, adding that he's a "really good coach," but would James be interested in playing for his former coach again? Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tackles that subject in his latest column, so let's round up the highlights….
- One former Cavs staffer told Wojnarowski that "the way Mike had to bend for LeBron weakened him as a leader. They'd be crazy to put him through that again. It's pointless."
- One league source tells Wojnarowski "there are still some scars" when it comes to Brown and the Cavs, primarily centered on the coach's relationship with Dan Gilbert, who fired him in 2010.
- Agent Rich Paul has created anticipation for LeBron's possible return to the Cavs in 2014, but according to Wojnarowski, "the idea of returning as the conquering hero is probably much more romantic than reality." Wojnarowski suggests that it's "unfathomable" that James would trade Miami, Erik Spoelstra, and Pat Riley for a return to Cleveland.
- According to Wojnarowski, the Cavs have privately pitched the idea of trading young players and draft picks to the Trail Blazers for LaMarcus Aldridge.
- Such a deal with Portland is unlikely to ever happen, says Wojnarowski, since the Cavs value their young players like Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters more than other teams around the league do.
Cavaliers Name Mike Brown Head Coach
The Cavaliers have officially announced that Mike Brown will return as the team's head coach, confirming the news in a press release. Reports yesterday indicated that the two sides had reached an agreement in principle, and were working to finalize the details of a five-year contract worth between $20-25MM.
"I am more than excited about Mike Brown’s return to the Cleveland Cavaliers," owner Dan Gilbert said in a statement. "Mike has done nothing but win in this league since he was a first-year assistant many years ago. He is going to instill a much-needed defensive-first philosophy in our young and talented team that is going to serve as our foundation and identity as we continue down the path of building the kind of franchise that competes at a championship level for many years to come."
For Brown, it will be his second stint as the Cavs' head coach. In his first five seasons with the club, during LeBron James' time in Cleveland, Brown led the Cavs to a 272-138 record. Brown's time with the Cavs coincided with the team's only five playoff berths since the 1997/98 season, including one appearance in the Finals.
Because he was let go by the Lakers with nearly three years remaining on his contract, Brown was still owed a reported $10MM+ by Los Angeles. The Lakers figure to receive some relief now that Brown will be receiving a salary from the Cavs, though it's not exactly clear yet how much money the Lakers will save as a result of offset.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link), the Cavs will introduce Brown to the media at a 2:30 press conference today.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Brown, Shaw
Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- The Lakers have been told they'd get "some" relief from the $6.5MM-$7MM they owe new Cavs coach Mike Brown, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, a league source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) that L.A. won't know how much money they'll save until the Cleveland deal is finalized.
- To date, the Lakers maintain that Mike D'Antoni will return as coach next season, but Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times wonders if getting money back on Brown's contract could change their position. However, the actual decision may be tied to what center Dwight Howard wants to do in July and how he feels about D'Antoni.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter) writes that Pacers assistant Brian Shaw deserves a lot of credit for Paul George's improvement and wouldn't be surprised if he gets consideration for a head coaching job soon. Shaw was in the mix for a number of jobs last offseason and it stands to reason that he'll be considered once again this summer as there will be a number of vacancies.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Bynum, Knicks, Smith, Isiah
While the Nets, Knicks, and Celtics are busy vying for the NBA championship, the rest of the Atlantic is in offseason mode and trying to figure out what comes next. The 76ers figured they'd be in the field of 16 when the season started but Andrew Bynum's knees threw a wrench into those plans. Here's more on Philly and other notes out of the Atlantic..
- After a season full of lofty expectations and little in the way of results, John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer looks at who should stay and who should go. Mitchell wants to see Philly re-sign Bynum, provided that his knees check out. Meanwhile, he wants reserve center Kwame Brown gone, but that would likely require a buyout as he holds a $3MM option.
- Knicks fans should appreciate J.R. Smith while he's here, because he figures to get major money thrown his way this summer, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Meanwhile, Smith has repeatedly expressed his affinity for New York and his desire to remain a Knick.
- When asked by a reporter if he's heard from ex-Knicks president Isiah Thomas, coach Mike Woodson said "Isiah and I are friends, we talk all the time," tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Draft Notes: Smith, Wiggins, 2014 Draft
Yesterday, Luke Adams went over the owed draft picks for 2013 that won't be changing hands thanks to the protections tied to them. The Bulls have a first round pick from the Bobcats coming their way thanks to the 2010 Tyrus Thomas trade, but they won't see that pick, which has a ~20% chance at being the No. 1 selection in June, come their way this year. Chicago may have to wait a while as it is top 10 protected in 2014, top eight protected in '15, and not completely unprotected until '16. Here's today's roundup of draft news..
- Russ Smith is feeling the tug of both Louisville and the NBA, writes Rick Bozich of WDRB. Smith, who is set to make his decision tomorrow, still quantifies the odds of him jumping into the 2013 draft at 50/50. Smith is ranked the 57th best prospect in this class by ESPN.com's Chad Ford but is projected to go No. 33 overall by DraftExpress.
- Hoops prodigy Andrew Wiggins is ready to take Canadian hoops to the next level, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Meanwhile, teams are already salivating over the projected No. 1 pick of the 2014 draft. "Everyone last year was trying to figure out a way to get him next year," a longtime NBA scout and ex-player said. "Teams are plotting and preparing for when he gets out of school. Character. Demeanor. Athleticism. Coachable. He makes the game look like it's insanely too easy. While everyone is sweating, he isn't and he jumps over your head. The total package."
- Earlier tonight, I profiled N.C. State forward C.J. Leslie in the latest installment of our Prospect Profile series.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Vucevic, Bobcats
Here's a look at the Southeast Division as the Heat look to go up 2-0 on the Bucks..
- While Nik Vucevic is getting noticed, he's not considered totally untouchable to the Magic, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (on Twitter). Orlando, of course, would require a star in exchange for their promising young big man.
- Schmitz tweets that if he was making the decisions for the Magic, he'd try to see what the Clippers want for guard Eric Bledsoe. Earlier this week, Chris Paul opined that Bledsoe should be starting somewhere and is likely to be wearing a different uniform next season. The guard is under contract for about $2.6MM in 2013/14.
- Bobcats executives Rod Higgins and Rich Cho sat down with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer and the Associated Press and Bonnell has the highlights. Higgins indicated that player interviews factored into the club's decision to fire coach Mike Dunlap, but said that they weren't the only element involved. Meanwhile, Cho said that the team won't limit their search to a more experienced coach.
Prospect Profile: C.J. Leslie
N.C. State junior C.J. Leslie is no stranger to NBA scouts, as he has been on the map for the past two years. However, it would appear that staying in school has hurt Leslie's stock and the forward finds himself almost universally rated as a second-round prospect in a draft class that is believed to be the weakest in years. Leslie isn't interested in trying to boost his stock with one more year in school as he announced earlier this month that he won't be returning to the Wolfpack.
So why are teams down on the 6'8" (or 6'9", depending on who you ask) forward? His physical talent and all-around athleticism aren't in question, but his upside and overall motivation to get better are. Passing up the opportunity to jump into the 2012 draft was supposed to give Leslie the opening to vault himself into the top 20 of this year's class, but his junior year fell flat in the eyes of most observers. Leslie's numbers went up a tick but a deeper look at his stat sheet shows that his production per 40 minutes have dipped somewhat. His sophomore year saw him average 19.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 2.2 BPG per 40 minutes. This past year, however, he averaged 17.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. That's not an alarming drop, but it's definitely not the step up that scouts were hoping to see.
On offense, his athletic ability is what sets him apart from many small forwards in his class. He has shown that he can beat just about any defender off of the dribble at the college level and his quick first step should serve him well in the pros. However, unlike most players at the three, he doesn't have a consistent outside jumper. His lack of a strong jump shot was always one of the big strikes against him and with three years to get it straight, he still hasn't been able to show that he can keep defenders honest. He also has to improve his ball-handling if he's truly going to take advantage of his ability to break towards the basket.
Leslie never showed himself to be a lockdown defender at N.C. State, but his athleticism leaves some to believe that he can become a disruptive player in the NBA. Armed with quickness and a wingspan of 7'2", it's not hard to see Leslie being able to clog up passing lanes and kickstart the offense in transition. Of course, he'll have to commit mentally to becoming a tougher defender if he wants to give opponents trouble and out-muscle them when necessary.
Some have wondered why Leslie would jump into the draft when his stock is at its low point, but it's not such a strange decision when you consider how strong the 2014 draft is expected to be. Leslie may not be able to work his way into the first 30 picks, but he could improve his draft stock enough to come off of the board early in the second round. As it stands, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has the forward going 34th overall (just ahead of teammate Lorenzo Brown) while Chad Ford has him rated 68th in this class, which leaves him as a fringe second round pick or potentially undrafted. In a group of players where athleticism is hard to find, I expect to see him come off the board in the early-to-mid portion of the second round.