Examining A Potential Bulls DPE
The Bulls appear likely to be granted a disabled player exception by the NBA after Derrick Rose suffered a season-ending injury, as CBA expert Larry Coon noted earlier this week. Disabled player exceptions often go unused by NBA teams, and the Bulls may be reluctant to add another player who would increase an already pricey tax bill, but it’s still worth exploring.
A disabled player exception is a tool that allows an over-the-cap team to replace a player who suffers a season-ending injury. Teams can apply for disabled player exceptions up until January 15th each season, and will receive one if an NBA-designated physician determines that the player is extremely likely to be unable to play through June 15th.
If a team receives a designated player exception, it is allowed to sign a free agent for up to 50% of the injured player’s salary or for the amount of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is less. A team is also allowed to trade for a player earning up to that salary plus $100K, but the player must be in the final year of his contract.
What does this mean for the Bulls? Well, since Rose is earning more than $17MM this season, half his salary would exceed the non-taxpayer MLE. So if Chicago were to receive a DPE, it would be worth the amount of that MLE: $5.15MM. The Bulls would then have until March 15th to use that exception to sign or trade for a player. If they don’t use it, it expires on March 15th. They also can’t split the money among multiple players.
Finding someone to use that exception on is easier in theory than in practice. If we assume that Chicago would target a guard to replace the injured Rose, there are some interesting names on the free agent market and in the D-League, such as Rodrigue Beaubois, Kendall Marshall, and former Bull Chris Duhon. But if the Bulls wanted to go that route, they could likely bring someone aboard using the minimum salary exception — no one on our list of free agents is worth $5MM per year.
The trade market is a more intriguing option, even factoring in the condition that any acquisition must be in the final year of his contract. Of course, the Bulls could make a trade without using a DPE, but the exception would allow the team to acquire a player without sending out any salary. Potential point guard trade candidates like Jameer Nelson or Kyle Lowry wouldn’t fit into the exception, but many others would.
Jordan Crawford, Ramon Sessions, Steve Blake, Jordan Farmar, Luke Ridnour, and Jimmer Fredette are a few of the guards on non-contending teams who fit the criteria and may become available. There are also several backups on teams expected to be in the playoff picture who could be shopped if those clubs fall out of the running or decide they’re expendable. Beno Udrih, Aaron Brooks, Shaun Livingston, Earl Watson, and Patrick Mills are among the guys who fit that bill. It’s still too early in the season to deduce plans for many teams, but it’s probably safe to assume the Bulls wouldn’t go after a player like Eric Bledsoe or Avery Bradley, whose trade cost would be significantly higher.
Obtaining a disabled player exception may not provide any form of solution for the Bulls, and it may ultimately go unused. But assuming the NBA grants a DPE, it will be one more tool at the Bulls’ disposal as they decide what direction to take in the wake of Rose’s second major injury in as many years.
L.A. Notes: MWP, Odom, Kobe, Farmar
The West Coast was the best coast last night, as the NBA’s Los Angeles and New York teams squared off in a pair of contests. The Clippers handled the Knicks even after Chris Paul left the game early with a hamstring strain, and the Lakers edged the Nets in spite of Jason Kidd‘s best efforts. Here’s more out of L.A.:
- After he was amnestied by the Lakers in July, Metta World Peace seriously considered signing with the Clippers, as he tells Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles. “I was at the Clippers’ facility the whole summer, but I just felt like the biggest challenge in the world is New York City,” said the Knicks forward. World Peace went on to say that he hopes to see former teammate Lamar Odom return to the NBA, whether it’s with the Clips or another club.
- The man formerly known as Ron Artest also had some thoughts on Kobe Bryant‘s extension with the Lakers, telling Markazi that he thinks Kobe could have secured a larger salary from the team: “He could have gotten whatever he wanted. Whatever he would have asked for, he would have probably gotten. It’s good because it leaves them money to bring in another player, so it was very smart of them.”
- Jordan Farmar, who took a pay cut this summer to leave Turkey and return to the NBA on a minimum-salary deal, has been a great bargain for the Lakers so far, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. Farmar is only on a one-year contract, so if he keeps playing this well, it may prove difficult for L.A. to keep him beyond this season.
Odds & Ends: Heat, Nowitzki, HGH, Biedrins
The Heat‘s visit to Cleveland tonight brought the specter of LeBron James hitting the free agent market next summer to the forefront, but Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com argues that the four-time MVP should stay in Miami if he wants to continue winning championships. The Heat are a strong draw for other free agents, too, and it’s no surprise that players take discounts to come to Miami, which offers an up-tempo system, the chance to play with LeBron, and title contention, Tjarks writes. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is confident Dirk Nowitzki won’t seek too much money from the team in contract negotiations this summer, and says the Mavs are “going to do all we can to keep him forever,” notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Cuban also told reporters that the NBA is open-minded about studies on the use of human growth hormone for helping athletes recover from injury. Cuban intends to fund the research, but that sort of HGH use in the NBA would first require U.S. government approval. Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com has the details.
- Andris Biedrins admits impending free agency is on his mind, and the Jazz center hinted at retirement, saying in part that, “I know this is my last year,” as Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune passes along. Of course, Biedrins could be referring to the last year of his contract, rather than his career.
- Gerald Green has fit in surprisingly well in Phoenix, writes Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld, who sees potential for him to be a long-term piece for the Suns.
- Kim English has signed to play in France with Chorale Roanne, the team announced (translation via Sportando). Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported the deal for the Leon Rose client and former Pistons guard.
- Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld doesn’t expect the Heat‘s Big Three to hit the open market next summer, but offers up a list of plenty of other potential free agents for teams to consider in 2014.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Latest On Bulls, Luol Deng
The Bulls ended their four-game losing streak with a win against the Pistons tonight, but they remain a team in flux. The “sense around the league” since the Bulls and Luol Deng stopped their extension talks in the summer has been that he would be available for the right offer, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Derrick Rose‘s injury might mean the Bulls would be willing to accept less in return for Deng, Johnson surmises.
The soon-to-be free agent brushed off a reporter’s question about whether he wants to stay with Chicago now that the team no longer has a realistic chance of winning the title this year, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times observes.
“I don’t even have to answer that,’’ Deng said. “If you think I want to leave, you think I want to leave. If you think I want to stay, I don’t really need to answer that. I think people know where my heart is.’’
Johnson points to Deng’s repeated statements in the past about wanting to remain with the Bulls for his entire career. Coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t worried about all the trade talk getting to Deng, but the small forward believes the uncertainty could hurt the team, Cowley notes in the same piece.
“It’s definitely, I don’t know if you’d call it a distraction, it’s disturbing,’’ he said. “It’s going to create a tension, right reason, wrong reason, whatever it is.’’
Reaction To Dion Waiters Trade Chatter
ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported this afternoon that the Cavs are trying to move Dion Waiters and that the second-year guard is open to a trade. The Cavs insist they’re merely fielding offers for Waiters, who says he’s content to remain in Cleveland. While we track the major developments in the story here, there’s also some background info to pass along, which we cover below:
- This wouldn’t be the first time the Cavs have offered Waiters in trade discussions, according to HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy. It’s odd to see a player drafted so highly on the block so soon, Kennedy says, adding his speculation that there’s more to the story than has been reported so far (Twitter links).
- Cavs coach Mike Brown says he’s unaware of any trade talk the team might be having about Waiters, and answered “yes” when asked whether he wanted Waiters on the team, as the Plain Dealer notes via Twitter.
- Character issues made Waiters a “huge gamble” for the Cavs when they drafted him fourth overall last year, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who figures that if he knew about Waiters’ off-court matters, the Cavaliers must surely have known, too.
- The Cavs and Waiters may be denying the rumors, but Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio nonetheless believes there’s at least some truth behind the reports.
Arinze Onuaku Signs With D-League’s Charge
Former Pelicans power forward Arinze Onuaku has signed with the D-League’s Canton Charge, the team announced (hat tip to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio). The Charge have a one-to-one affiliation with the Cavs, but Onuaku’s D-League contract doesn’t constitute any agreement between him and the NBA team. The 26-year-old remains eligible to hook on with any NBA club, including the Cavs.
Onuaku was allowed to sign directly with the Charge rather than go through the D-League’s waiver process, as Kendall Marshall must do, because he played with Canton before. The one-time member of the Syracuse Orange averaged 12.6 points and 9.5 rebounds in 38 games with the Charge last year, and participated in the D-League All-Star Game.
That performance led to a summer-league stint with the Suns this year and a training camp invitation from the Pelicans. New Orleans briefly carried him on its regular season roster before waiving him a couple of weeks ago, just three games into his NBA career.
Draft Rumors: Parker, Wiggins, Randle, Smart
The draft is seven months away, but it’s clearly on the minds of Bucks fans who are raising money for a billboard that would encourage their team to tank, as we noted earlier today. Milwaukee is 2-11, already 10-and-a-half games behind the Pacers in the Central Division, and at least a segment of the team’s faithful is already prepared to chalk it up as a lost season and focus on whom the Bucks might take in June. Here’s the latest on a few top prospects:
- Jabari Parker probably won’t stick around an extra year at Duke to play with top recruit and former AAU teammate Jahlil Okafor, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, but Parker is at least giving thought to the idea, Zagoria notes. “Oh, it would be great,” Parker said. “I would just work off him. A lot of attention would come up towards him and a lot of attention will come towards me, so we can work hand-in-hand with each other depending on where we are on different spots on the floor.”
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com chatted with readers today, writing that he’s not sure there’ll be a consensus No. 1 pick. It may come down to need for whichever team scores the top draft choice, Ford opines, pointing to Parker, Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle and Marcus Smart as possibilities.
- The top eight players in Ford’s rankings are unchanged, with Wiggins still at No. 1. Indiana power forward Noah Vonleh and Michigan State shooting guard Gary Harris are newcomers to the top 10.
Cavs Shopping Dion Waiters
6:25pm: Waiters says he’s content to remain in Cleveland and adds that it’s up to he and Irving to make their pairing work, observes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. “I’m not happy with us losing but I’m happy here, the city of Cleveland, yeah,” Waiters said.
5:42pm: Waiters confirmed to reporters from the Plain Dealer and other outlets that he has not asked to be traded and called Broussard’s report that he and Grant met for three hours “nonsense” (Twitter link).
4:47pm: The Cavs say they aren’t shopping Waiters, but have fielded inquiries on him, according to the Plain Dealer (Twitter link). The denial from the team is no surprise, since it would hurt the Cavs’ leverage if they looked eager to move him. I’m guessing Waiters is very much available, and whether or not Cleveland is actively “shopping” him is a matter of semantics.
3:29pm: Deng, Shumpert, and Evan Turner are among the Cavs’ targets in talks for Waiters, tweets Broussard.
3:03pm: In his full story on the Cavs and Waiters, Broussard says that while the guard hasn’t requested a trade, he brought up the possibility during a meeting last week with GM Chris Grant and coach Mike Brown. Broussard adds that Waiters and Irving “are not close” and that Waiters believes the Cavs hold him to different standards than Irving.
According to Broussard, the Cavs have interest in Luol Deng, and are believed to have reached out to clubs besides the Bulls, Knicks, and 76ers. While Iman Shumpert would appear to be the obvious trade candidate for the Knicks, New York is “not interested” in such a deal for now.
2:43pm: The Cavaliers are shopping Dion Waiters as a potential trade chip, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Broussard, the Bulls, Knicks, and Sixers are among the teams who have spoken to Cleveland, but no deal is imminent.
Last week, we heard that Waiters may be at the center of some of the Cavs’ chemistry issues, though the second-year guard denied being involved in a physical altercation during a players-only meeting. Broussard reports (via Twitter) that rumors of a fight between Waiters and Kyrie Irving are false, but says Waiters and Tristan Thompson had an “intense argument” and needed to be separated.
Whether or not Waiters has become a problem in the team’s locker room, he’s open to being moved, according to Broussard. However, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford isn’t convinced the Syracuse product would have significant value on the trade market.
Waiters, the No. 4 overall pick in 2012, averaged 14.7 PPG in his rookie season, but has yet to show strong signs of developing into the impact scorer the Cavs are hoping for. The 21-year-old has shot just 40.9% from the floor so far in his NBA career. If Cleveland were to find a deal involving Waiters, he may be part of a larger package, since his modest $3.89MM salary wouldn’t accommodate a ton of trade options.
Should The Cavs Trade Dion Waiters?
Dion Waiters never started a game in two years at Syracuse, but that didn’t stop the Cavs from drafting him fourth overall in 2011. He was generally regarded as a top-10 pick prior to the draft despite his status as a reserve for the Orange, so while Cleveland’s decision to draft him at No. 4 was surprising, it wasn’t a shock. The 6’4″ guard started 48 of the 61 games he played for the Cavs last season and quickly established himself as a scoring force, going for 28 points in an upset of the Clippers just a week into his NBA career.
Waiters wound up averaging 14.7 points per game last season, and in spite of his shaky outside shot and defensive shortcomings, it seemed like he and Kyrie Irving would form the backcourt of the future for the Cavs. Now, a month into his second season, he might be on the move. It appears there’s a degree of motivation from both sides for a trade. Waiters reportedly engaged in a heated argument recently with Tristan Thompson and isn’t tight with Irving, while the Cavs have removed him from their starting lineup and appear to be at the very least entertaining offers for their prize from last year’s draft.
Waiters might not be a fit in Cleveland, where his need to play with the ball in his hands conflicts with Irving and fellow guard Jarrett Jack, who’s signed to a long-term deal. Still, he’s just 21 years old, and it’s doubtful that the Cavs could make him the centerpiece of a trade for anyone with quite as much upside.
The Cavs could always find a sweetheart deal from a desperate team, but barring an unexpected offer, perhaps Cleveland is giving up on the recent No. 4 overall pick much too soon. He’s shown improvement this season, raising his three-point accuracy from 31.0% to 38.9%. Of course, if Waiters is a poor fit with his teammates on and off the court, his value might never be higher. So, let us know whether you think the Cavs should take the best offer they can find for Waiters in the near future, or hang on to a player they thought worthy of the fourth overall pick just 17 months ago. Cast your vote, and share more of your thoughts on the issue in the comments.
Should The Cavs Trade Dion Waiters?
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Yes 66% (373)
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No 34% (188)
Total votes: 561
Western Notes: Wolves, Thunder, Mavs, Kings
Following up on comments he made yesterday about trading Derrick Williams to the Kings, Timberwolves president Flip Saunders acknowledged that the deal could end up looking very short-sighted, but said he still felt comfortable pulling the trigger.
“You have to look and see: What is the value where you’re at?” Saunders said, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “What’s the value going to be in two months? What’s the value going to be at trading deadline? What’s it going to be next year?I just didn’t foresee Derrick being able to play much. And if a guy’s not playing, usually your value is not going to go up.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Thunder GM Sam Presti is prioritizing longevity and sustainability when it comes to roster-building and culture-building in Oklahoma City, as Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman details.
- David Kahn‘s drafting of Williams in 2011 was understandable, since the forward was viewed as the consensus No. 2 pick at the time. But this week’s trade is the acknowledgment of another failure for the Timberwolves franchise and for the Kahn era, writes Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune.
- Chatting with Mavericks fans on Tuesday, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News discussed the possibility of moving Shawn Marion, Jordan Farmar as a potential trade target, and why a playoff berth could help the Mavs in free agency.
- After averaging 22.0 PPG in his first three contests with the Reno Bighorns, Ray McCallum has been recalled from the D-League by the Kings, the team announced today in a press release.
- Current Pacers assistant Nate McMillan spoke extensively to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com about his time as head coach of the Trail Blazers, including his regrets about how he handled Nicolas Batum.