Heat Notes: Wade, Oden, Varnado, Bosh
While Dwyane Wade stressed last week that he expects to remain with the Heat beyond the coming season, it still sounds as if he could exercise his early termination option next summer, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. By opting out, Wade could sign a new deal with the team, potentially for more years or more dollars.
"We’ll see," Wade said of the opt-out. "You have to figure out what’s best for yourself and what’s best for the team and then you come up with that answer."
Here's more on the Heat:
- Greg Oden's deal with the Heat was originally reported as having a second-year player option, but was ultimately revealed to just be a one-year pact. Agent Mike Conley tells Jackson that the two sides agreed to modify the agreement since it helps both the team and the player. Miami obviously assumes less risk and doesn't have to pay Oden's full salary, but it also benefits Oden, according to Conley, because of a league ruling involving injury contingency language in his contract.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel continues to view Jarvis Varnado as a long shot for Miami's regular season roster, due to the $250K he'll be owed if he remains on the roster by opening night. In Winderman's view, it may make more sense for the club to take a flier on another big man on a fully non-guaranteed contract.
- Winderman adds that Varnado could end up on Miami's D-League squad in Sioux Falls if he's cut by the Heat, but notes that it would be far less lucrative for the 25-year-old than a deal overseas.
- Within his mailbag, Winderman also shoots down the idea of a potential trade centered around Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge, rightly pointing out that the Heat aren't about to make huge changes to a roster that has won back-to-back titles.
Odds & Ends: Heat, Jamison, Scott, TPEs
Sports, science, and technology are more closely linked than ever before and eight NBA clubs are at the forefront of the latest craze in athletics, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. The Spurs, Mavericks, Rockets, and Knicks plus four other teams that have kept their identities secret have invested in complex GPS tracking devices that track a player's movements to help better protect them. If a player is overexerting themselves – which is the time when injuries typically occur – then his activity can be shut down before anything goes south. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- In today's mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel points out that the Heat have tons of options if they want to carry more than the minimum of 13 players. Antawn Jamison is available, but he's joined on the open market by fellow veterans such as Lamar Odom, Stephen Jackson, DeShawn Stevenson, and Richard Hamilton.
- Hawks forward Mike Scott got a $100K guarantee on his contract when he wasn't waived on/before Thursday. Scott averaged 4.6 PPG in 9.4 MPG for Atlanta last season.
- The Thunder didn't make major upgrades this offseason, but that's not a problem at all in the eyes of Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.
- Luke Adams updated the Hoops Rumors' running guide of outstanding trade exceptions. The Celtics and Nuggets have the most to work with of any club.
- Do you have what it takes to play in the D-League? Probably not. But you can find out by trying out, as detailed by Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
Pistons To Pass On Jason Collins
The Pistons have decided to pass on signing veteran free agent center Jason Collins, an official in the team's front office tells Franz Lidz of Sports Illustrated. Collins recently worked out for Detroit in hopes of filling out their bench, but it doesn't seem like he'll be joining the club.
The 7-foot journeyman played in 38 games last season for the Celtics and Wizards, averaging less than two points and two boards in about 10 minutes per contest. The Pistons were looking at the veteran as an insurance policy for big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe.
The 34-year-old center became the first active male in one of the four major North American team sports to announce he was gay earlier this year. Now, Collins is back in L.A. working out and hoping to get another call from an NBA club looking for a tough veteran defender.
Hoops Links: Rose, Suns, Nets, Rockets
On this date in 1992, Celtics forward Larry Bird announced his retirement from the NBA after 13 seasons. After walking away from the game, the future Hall of Famer joined Boston management as a special assistant to Celtics Senior Executive Vice President Dave Gavitt.
Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the web..
- Blog A Bull implores you to give Derrick Rose's recovery some time.
- Bright Side Of The Sun grades Phoenix's small forwards.
- The Brooklyn Game updates us on the Nets.com domain name saga.
- Red94 has a Rockets blast from the past.
- Hardwood Paroxysm recaps the Blazers' offseason.
- Pounding The Rock sizes up the Spurs' competition.
- Rufus On Fire looks at some potential lineups.
- Golden State Of Mind talks life after Jarrett Jack.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Week In Review: 8/12/13 – 8/18/13
Nikola Pekovic wanted to stay with the Timberwolves and the Wolves wanted to retain their restricted free agent. So what the heck took them so long? Well, the cliffnotes are that it was all about the money. The Wolves wanted a four-year deal with an average annual value of $12MM while Pekovic's agent was pushing for a $15MM AAV. The final resolution was basically $12MM per season with a fifth year, good for a $60MM pact. Here's the rest of the week that was..
- Finally, the 76ers found their new head coach in former Spurs assistant Brett Brown. The 76ers made us wait for nearly four months after they parted ways with Doug Collins, but we finally have a resolution in Philly. Unfortunately for Collins' former assistants, they'll be seeking employment elsewhere.
- The Bucks are nearing a four-year, $44MM extension agreement with Larry Sanders.
- The Grizzlies and Celtics swapped Donte Greene and Fab Melo.
- Al Harrington hooked on with the Wizards.
- The Clippers told Antawn Jamison that they're waiting on Lamar Odom.
- Kevin Garnett probably won't play in any back-to-backs this season.
- LeBron James won't run for NBPA president but Roger Mason Jr. will. That's just as exciting, right?
- The Rockets might be in the mix for Stephen Jackson.
- Gary Forbes will audition for the Knicks and Lakers.
- The Knicks met with Hamed Haddadi on Friday.
- The Knicks are interested in Earl Barron.
- The Sixers cut Jrue Holiday's brother.
- Kim English is going overseas.
- The Lakers invited a sharpshooter to camp.
- Eric Griffin has his work cut out for him, but he'll try to get the 15th spot on the Heat.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here's a roundup of the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Luke Adams reflected on how teams have used their mid-level exceptions.
- Chuck Myron examined new contracts with player options.
- Here are some observations on the 2013/14 MLEs, courtesy of Luke.
- Here are the remaining unsigned 2013 draft picks.
- We looked at Eric Bledsoe of the Suns and Paul George of the Pacers as extension candidates. Larry Sanders of the Bucks wound up signing an extension that was close to Chuck's estimate..
- Michael Pina asked if you feel that PED use is prevalent in the NBA.
- We asked you to weigh in on Steve Kerr's proposed changes to the NBA Lottery.
- Luke updated us on the NBA coaching carousel.
- Here's a look at the free agent stock of Antawn Jamison.
Atlantic Rumors: Rondo, Rivers, Pierce, Celtics
Training camps are still about six weeks from opening, but some Nets and Knicks are already gearing up in preparation for another crosstown battle. Nets players are organizing voluntary workouts this week in Los Angeles, with Deron Williams and Paul Pierce the driving forces, Josh Newman of SNY.tv reports via Twitter. Meanwhile, Raymond Felton expects the entire Knicks roster to get together for workouts shortly after Labor Day, the point guard tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). Here's more as the offseason starts to dwindle away:
- Pierce tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that Rajon Rondo's presence wasn't the force that prompted Doc Rivers to leave the Celtics, and says his goal is to outlast his contemporaries in the NBA, naming Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Nets teammate Kevin Garnett among those he hopes will precede him in retirement.
- A source familiar with the Celtics tells Washburn that the team is in dire need of an assistant coach who can form a strong relationship with Rondo. The C's are reportedly targeting an ex-player for the coaching staff, with James Posey a leading candidate, and fellow Globe scribe Baxter Holmes identifies Walter McCarty as another possibility. Boston is also seeking at least one more front office executive to assist GM Danny Ainge, Holmes adds (All Twitter links).
- Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams of the Sixers plus Kelly Olynyk of the Celtics are three Atlantic Division rookies among the five draftees from this June whom HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram believes could outperform their draft position.
New Contracts With Player Options
Player options are by far the most common type of option in contracts handed out to NBA veterans. Every rookie-scale contract contains a pair of team options, but the collective bargaining agreement requires that those options be part of the deal. When teams and players can freely negotiate the terms of their contracts, clubs almost always eschew team options in favor of non-guaranteed seasons.
When players hold leverage, they sometimes have an alternative to player options, too. Five-year deals may contain an early-termination option, which functions slightly differently from a player option. Perhaps the primary incentive for a player to obtain an ETO rather than a player option is tied to trade kickers. The money in the ETO season of a contract is counted toward the bonus a player may be paid if he’s traded, while the salary in a player option year is not.
Chris Paul is the lone player to have received an ETO so far this summer. Details on Nikola Pekovic‘s five-year contract are still emerging, so perhaps he’ll have one, too. Paul and Pekovic are the only players to sign five-year contracts this year, so no one else is eligible for an ETO.
By contrast, 23 of this summer’s deals include a player option, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more, as a team’s willingness to include a player option can enhance even a minimum-salary offer. It’s a tool that teams may use to woo unsigned veterans with credible track records who are reluctant to settle for the minimum. For instance, Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors recently speculated that Antawn Jamison could wind up with a two-year minimum-salary deal with a player option in the second season.
It’s clear that some front offices embrace player options more readily than others. The Bobcats, Nets and Timberwolves have each handed out three contracts with player options, while the Rockets, Knicks and Clippers gave out two new deals with player options. That leaves 16 teams that didn’t sign anyone to a deal with a player option.
Here’s the complete list of this summer’s contracts that include player options, along with the amount of the option and the season it’s for:
- Dwight Howard, Rockets: $23,282,457 (2016/17)
- Al Jefferson, Bobcats: $13,500,000 (2015/16)
- David West, Pacers: $12,600,000 (2015/16)
- Monta Ellis, Mavericks: $8,720,000 (2015/16)
- Kevin Martin, Timberwolves: $7,377,500 (2016/17)
- J.R. Smith, Knicks: $6,399,750 (2015/16)
- Gerald Henderson, Bobcats: $6,000,000 (2015/16)
- Chase Budinger, Timberwolves: $5,000,000 (2015/16)
- Corey Brewer, Timberwolves: $4,905,000 (2015/16)
- Andrei Kirilenko, Nets: $3,326,235 (2014/15)
- Josh McRoberts, Bobcats: $2,771,340 (2014/15)
- Mo Williams, Trail Blazers: $2,771,340 (2014/15)
- Eric Maynor, Wizards: $2,106,720 (2014/15)
- Nate Robinson, Nuggets: $2,106,720 (2014/15)
- Darren Collison, Clippers: $1,985,500 (2014/15)
- Metta World Peace, Knicks: $1,661,550 (2014/15)
- Chris Andersen, Heat: $1,448,490 (2014/15)
- Andray Blatche, Nets: $1,437,506 (2014/15)
- Francisco Garcia, Rockets: $1,316,809 (2014/15)
- Nick Young, Lakers: $1,227,985 (2014/15)
- Anthony Morrow, Pelicans: $1,145,685 (2014/15)*
- Alan Anderson, Nets: $1,063,384 (2014/15)
- Byron Mullens, Clippers: $1,063,384 (2014/15)
*—The money in Morrow’s player option is only 50% guaranteed, according to ShamSports. It’s fully guaranteed as long as any of a specific set of injuries doesn’t cause him to miss 30 or more games this season or, providing Morrow opts in, 15 of the first 30 games in 2014/15.
ShamSports was used in the creation of this post.
Jarvis Varnado To Remain With Heat
A report from Italy this weekend indicated that power forward Jarvis Varnado was close to an agreement with Italy's Sidigas Avellino, but Varnado still expects to take part in training camp with the Heat, agent Mitch Frankel tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link). Miami's brass is pleased with the improvements the 25-year-old is making to his game, Frankel says. Sportando's Emiliano Carchia hears from a source close to Varnado who says that though the Italian team made an offer, the two sides aren't nearing a deal.
Varnado is under a non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary with the Heat for the coming season. The deal becomes partially guaranteed for $250K if he isn't waived on or before October 29th, but Winderman has heard from agents who've been told the Heat plan to carry only 13 players during the season. The team has 13 guaranteed deals on the books, so that would make Varnado a longshot to make the team. Still, Frankel characterized any dialogue he might have about his client with international teams as routine business for players without guaranteed deals (Twitter link).
The Heat wield the final decision on where Varnado will play this season, regardless of how negotiations proceed between Varnado and any foreign club. Miami signed Varnado to his deal in late January after first inking him to a pair of 10-day contracts. The Mississippi State alum also spent time with the Celtics last season.
Overseas Rumors: Varnado, Smith, Martin, Leslie
The international free agent market is still hot, and plenty of players with NBA ties are doing business with clubs from overseas. Here's the latest:
- Sidigas Avellino is close to an agreement with Heat big man Jarvis Varnado, the print edition of the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport reports, according to Sportando's Enea Trapani. Varnado is on a non-guaranteed contract with Miami, and with rumors that the Heat will only carry 13 players this year, he appears to be on shaky ground.
Earlier updates:
- Nolan Smith was expected to join the Celtics in training camp, but he's signed to play with Cedevita Zagreb, the Croatian team announced on its website (translation via Sportando's Emiliano Carchia).
- Cartier Martin is mulling the idea of playing in China, agent Andy Miller tells J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Martin has spent parts of the last four seasons with the Wizards, but it doesn't look like the team plans to re-sign him.
- Former second-round draft pick Travis Leslie has signed with JSF Nanterre of France, the team announced (Twitter link; hat tip to Carchia). Leslie played 10 games with the Clippers in 2011/12. He signed a 10-day contract with the Jazz last season, but he didn't appear in a game for Utah. This week Nanterre also signed Deshaun Thomas, whom the Spurs drafted 58th overall in June).
- One-time Kings and Rockets small forward Tyler Honeycutt has officially signed his deal with Ironi Nes Ziona of Israel, Carchia tweets. Sportando contributor David Pick reported a few days ago that the two sides had agreed to a deal.