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Month: December 2013

How Raptors/Kings Trade Works Financially

By | at December 10, 2013 10:58 am

NBA trades are rarely simple exchanges of players. Teams exercise flexibility when they swap their players for another team’s, as the Kings and Raptors did Monday, and they also often gain even more flexibility as a result. That’s indeed the case for Toronto and Sacramento, as their seven-player trade allowed both teams to acquire trade exceptions. Raptors can create an exception worth $4,583,432, while the Kings can make one for $2,316,429. The teams can use these exceptions in later trades to take on players in transactions that wouldn’t otherwise work, since they’re both above the salary cap.

Toronto can accomplish this by structuring the swap as two separate trades. The first would be Patrick Patterson ($3,105,301) and Greivis Vasquez ($2,150,188) for Aaron Gray ($2,690,875) and Quincy Acy ($788,872). The Raptors don’t get an exception from this part of the deal, since only non-simultaneous trades bear exceptions, and teams can’t surrender more than one player in a non-simultaneous trade. This four-player swap just barely fits within the the salary-matching framework for simultaneous deals involving less than $9.8MM in outgoing money. A team’s incoming salary must be no more than 150%, plus $100K, greater than what the other team gives up. Toronto’s incoming salary comes to $5,255,489. That’s above 150% more than Sacramento’s side, but within that $100K cushion.

Placing those four players in a simultaneous trade allows the Raptors to put together the part of the deal that yields the exception. Rudy Gay and his $17,888,932 salary would go in a single, non-simultaneous transaction in exchange for John Salmons ($7,583,000) and Chuck Hayes ($5,722,500). The difference between Gay’s salary and the combined pay for Salmons and Hayes is $4,583,432, which is the amount of Toronto’s exception.

Sacramento’s best strategy appears to involve breaking the deal into three parts. The Kings could make the same exchange of Gay for Salmons and Hayes, though from Sacramento’s perspective, that’s a simultaneous trade, since the Kings are giving up more than one player. It fits the salary-matching requirements for a simultaneous trade in which a club gives up between $9.8MM and $19.6MM in salary, since Gay’s salary is less than $5MM more than what Salmons and Hayes make.

The Kings can also line up Vasquez and Gray as a single, simultaneous transaction. Sacramento is giving up only one player, but the Kings would take back slightly more money, so there wouldn’t be an exception for them if it were a non-simultaneous trade. Their salaries are within the salary-matching framework of 150% plus $100K for deals of this size. That wouldn’t be the case if the Kings made Acy a part of this swap. Usually, players on minimum-salary contracts, like Acy, wouldn’t count toward incoming salary in a simultaneous trade, but Acy’s on a three-year deal. That means he wasn’t signed using the minimum-salary exception, and therefore, he can’t be acquired using the minimum-salary exception. In other words, his salary needs to be taken into account, pushing a theoretical three-player deal involving him, Gray and Vasquez over the salary-matching limit.

So, Acy goes into the non-simultaneous trade from which Sacramento can draw its exception. The Kings net $2,316,429 by subtracting Acy’s salary from Patterson’s. Taking on Acy’s salary in another part of the trade would allow Sacramento to collect an exception worth Patterson’s entire salary, but there doesn’t appear to be a way to make that happen.

Teams aren’t obligated to structure their transactions in a way that creates the largest possible trade exceptions, but it’s usually to their advantage to do so. The exception the Raptors created via this summer’s Andrea Bargnani trade was too small to accommodate any of the players from this week’s deal. Teams have one year from the date of the trade to use the exceptions, and many times they simply expire. For now, the exceptions the Kings and Raptors created with their trade this week gives each team an additional weapon, with the trade deadline looming in a little more than two months.

ShamSports was used in the creation of this post.

2 comments Sacramento Kings Toronto Raptors Uncategorized

Lowe On Nuggets, Faried, Miller, Hamilton

By | at December 10, 2013 9:57 am

The Nuggets have won nine of their last 11 and are in line to receive a high 2014 draft pick from the Knicks, as we explained earlier this morning. Still, their 13-8 record would only be enough for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, and as the changes after last season’s 57-win campaign demonstrated, playoff success is the only barometer that matters. New GM Tim Connelly tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe he’s prepared for whatever happens this year. “We have the chance to make some noise,” Connelly said. “And if we’re not good enough, we’ve got some alternate plans.”

Lowe has more from Connelly and details what some of those “alternate plans” might be:

  • Trade talk involving Kenneth Faried has died down, but executives from other teams expect Denver to trade Andre Miller before the deadline. Still, the Nuggets “adore” him, Lowe writes.
  • Rival front offices think the Nuggets are prepared to trade Jordan Hamilton, and they don’t believe Denver will expect much in return.
  • Lowe also hears from execs around the league who view the Nuggets roster as one that might benefit from a strip-down, in spite of all the team’s good-but-not-great talent. Denver nonetheless prefers remaining competitive. “I think our owner would have let us do whatever we wanted,” Connelly said. “But a full-scale rebuild is not the be-all, end-all. It’s a four- to five-year process. And coming off a 57-win season, that’s just not something I would have pushed. There are too many good players here. It would be a disservice not to try, and not to try to win big.”
  • Connelly isn’t sold on the idea that freeing cap space is a panacea. “We have to be realistic about where we stand in the free agency pecking order,” he said.
2 comments Denver Nuggets

2013/14 NBA Reverse Standings

By | at December 10, 2013 8:56 am

For the third straight season, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on how next summer’s draft order will play out: Our 2013/14 NBA reverse standings. Throughout the season, these standings, which list the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, will be updated daily to reflect the previous night’s outcomes.

Our reverse standings take into account playoff teams in each conference, so they’re essentially a reflection of what 2014’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. Traded picks are also included via footnotes — for instance, the notes next to the Knicks’ and Nuggets’ picks indicate that Denver will receive the more favorable of those selections, while the Magic will receive the less favorable of the two. For now, that looks like pretty good news for the Nuggets, since they’d be able to grab the Knicks’ lottery pick (currently No. 3) and send their own pick (currently No. 23) to Orlando.

It’s still too early in the season to put too much stock in a team’s spot in the draft lottery, but unlike last year, when there were no legit blue chip prospects to dream about, 2014’s draft class figures to include Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Dante Exum, and Marcus Smart. The general consensus among draft experts is that any one of those players, and perhaps others, would have had been selected first overall if they’d been available in 2013. So it’s worth getting excited if your favorite team has a shot to land a top pick.

Our reverse standings feature can be found at anytime on our right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.” It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2014. So be sure to check back often!

1 comment 2014 NBA Draft

Odds & Ends: Trades, Bucks, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Kings

By | at December 9, 2013 10:17 pm

With the young NBA season already containing two trades; it appears many more will be on the way in the near future. A few notes regarding potential trades and other league notes:

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

0 comments Memphis Grizzlies Milwaukee Bucks New Orleans Pelicans Sacramento Kings

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Pierce, Raptors, Chandler

By | at December 9, 2013 8:57 pm

Today, Adam Silver stated (Twitter link) he would be willing to consider removing divisions from the NBA. If the NBA does so we will no longer be able to claim the Atlantic Division as the most talked about division in the NBA. Until then, the Atlantic Division has made headlines all season with the Nets and Knicks struggles. Those headlines have increased of late with the Raptors and Sixers being active in the early trade market. Looking further into these rumors:

  • Thaddeus Young‘s name has once more emerged in trade talk, this time in reference to an Omer Asik deal, but the Sixers forward continues to pay little attention to the chatter, as he tells Christopher A. Vito of the Delaware County Daily Times. John Finger of CSNPhilly.com explains how this trade would work.
  • Sixers offseason acquisition Tony Wroten has played well in place of Michael Carter-Williams, but he seems interested in retaining a starting role long term, which could pose a dilemma for Philadelphia, as Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News explains.
  • Paul Pierce thinks he could return from his broken hand for Tuesday’s match up with the Celtics, and today he addressed the emotions of perhaps facing his former team as well as his continued faith in the Nets. The 36-year-old also dismissed talk of retiring in the near future. Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
  • Following the blockbuster Rudy Gay trade, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun explains what the road ahead looks like for GM Masai Ujiri and the Raptors. Wolstat adds the Raptors may be realizing how important it is to get in the top of the lottery for next year’s draft especially with fellow Canadian Andrew Wiggens atop that draft.
  • Projecting the next few years for Rudy Gay, Tom Ziller of SBNation compares what the Raptors gave up to acquire Gay versus what the Kings gave up to acquire Gay ten months later. Ziller points out that although the Kings gave up much less than the Raptors did, they will be the loser in this trade in the coming years.
  • With the 4-6 week timetable approaching for Knicks‘ center Tyson Chandler to return from his fractured leg, Chandler told reporters this morning he expects to be in the lineup before New Year’s Day. Royce Young of CBSSports.com describes what his return will mean for the Knicks’ rotation.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

1 comment Brooklyn Nets New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Sacramento Kings Toronto Raptors

D-League Updates: Cavaliers, Roberson, James

By | at December 9, 2013 7:56 pm

Here is a look at some of the D-League moves around the NBA:

  • The Cavaliers have recalled both guard/forward Carrick Felix and center Henry Sims from their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. The rookie Felix has appeared in 3 games for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 5.0MPG and 1.3PPG. Sims has appeared in 6 games so far for Cleveland, averaging 1.7PPG in 5.8 minutes played per contest.
  • The Thunder have recalled rookie forward Andre Roberson from the Tulsa 66ers. While Roberson has only appeared in six games for the Thunder this season, he averaged 17.3PPG in his three starts with the 66ers.
  • Small forward Damion James has signed with the D-League Bakersfield Jam. James signed with the Nuggets in September but was waived prior to the start of the season. James has played two games so far with the Jam and has filled the stat sheet with 11PPG, 3.5RPG, and 1.5BPG in his short return tenure.
1 comment Cleveland Cavaliers NBA G League Oklahoma City Thunder Transactions

How They Were Signed: Mid-Level Exception

By | at December 9, 2013 7:15 pm

After looking at players that were signed under a team’s cap space and under one of the infrequently used salary cap exceptions – the bi-annual exception; we will look at which players on current NBA rosters were signed using the mid-level exception.

The mid-level exception is the second most frequently used salary cap exception and comes in three forms. These forms of the mid-level exception depend on whether the NBA team’s player contracts are below the  cap, or in the luxury tax. Teams below the salary cap are given what is referred to as the room exception. Teams above the luxury tax line are given what is referred to as a mini mid-level exception. Teams above the salary cap but below the luxury tax are allotted the full mid-level exception. Today we will only focus on those players signed under the full mid-level exception and will look at the room exception and mini mid-level exception another time.

The full mid-level exception allows teams to sign players for up to four years. The amount they are allowed to offer that player in the first year of the contract changes each year. For 2013/14 that amount was $5.15MM. The contract can grow each year to a maximum of 4.5%. Therefore teams who were looking to offer a player a contract this past offseason but were over the cap could offer that player up to a $21.99MM contract.

Teams are also allowed to use this exception each year and are not required to use it on only one player but can split it among multiple players. A more detailed explanation of the mid-level exception is available here.

Below is a team-by-team list of which players on current NBA rosters were signed under the standard mid-level exception.

StorytellersContracts and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.

 

1 comment 2013 Free Agent Market

Raptors Notes: Gay, Valanciunas, DeRozan

By | at December 9, 2013 5:25 pm

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive was the catalyst behind Sacramento’s trade for Rudy Gay, and he’s wanted the 6’9″ forward for months, regardless of the advanced metrics that suggest Gay is no star, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge. His enthusiasm allowed the Raptors to unload a player that GM Masai Ujiri clearly wasn’t as high on. Here’s more on the swap along with other news from Toronto:

  • Jonas Valanciunas is the Raptor least likely to be traded, but even he isn’t entirely off-limits as Ujiri attempts to overhaul the team, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. A desire to sell tickets and the expectation that Gay would raise his trade value helped keep the Raptors from trading Gay before the season, Wolstat suggests.
  • Wolstat adds more thoughts on the trade in a separate piece, passing along word from a source who says it’s likely the Raptors trade one or both of DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson.
  • It’s clear that Ujiri is rebuilding the Raptors, but it’s not as easy to see what he’s building toward, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.
  • Andrew Wiggins isn’t the lock for the No. 1 overall pick he once appeared to be, but there’s no way the Raptors would pass him up if they won the draft lottery, writes Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who looks at what several teams would do with the top pick (Insider only).
3 comments 2014 NBA Draft Sacramento Kings Toronto Raptors

Kings Acquire Rudy Gay

By | at December 9, 2013 3:49 pm

The Kings have officially acquired Rudy Gay from the Raptors along with Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy, Toronto announced via press release. Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes are headed north of the border. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports originally reported last night that the swap would take place (Twitter links).

“We thank Rudy, Aaron and Quincy for their time here. They were great professionals and strong community ambassadors of the Raptors,” Toronto GM Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “The trade gives us good flexibility and more certainty as we plan for our future.”

The Kings plan on using Gay as a stretch-four and see Gay and the recently-acquired Derrick Williams as being capable of guarding either forward position, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets.  With Williams and Gay, the Kings are buying low on two notable names that have depreciated in the eyes of many evaluators.

“We’re excited to welcome these additions to our team,” Sacramento GM Pete D’Alessandro said, according to a release from the Kings. “In Rudy we’ve acquired one of the league’s proven scorers while Aaron and Quincy provide size and depth in our frontcourt. We also appreciate the contributions and efforts that John, Chuck, Greivis and Patrick made to the Kings organization. We all wish them the very best moving forward.”

Gay, 27, boasts career averages of 18.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG, but newer metrics such as PER have shown that his efficiency leaves much to be desired.  It’s not just fans and front office execs that have taken notice, either.  After a November game in which the small forward took 37 shots and scored 29 points, LeBron James remarked that he would put up 60 points “easy” if he attempted such a gaudy number of shots.

While the Kings gain at athletic wing in Gay, the Raptors free up a good amount of money for 2015 and gain a couple of interesting pieces along the way as well.  As for the financial part of things, the only guaranteed 2015 money that came back in the deal is Hayes’ $5.9MM contract.  Beyond that, they can clear $14.5MM by declining options/qualifying offers for Vasquez, Salmons, and Patterson.

Last month, it was reported that Ujiri was exploring trade options for Gay and others with Jonas Valanciunas, 2011′s fifth overall pick, the only real untouchable of the bunch.  Gay was the team’s most obvious chip since he’s still capable of being a top scorer for a team and could be a rental since he has a player option for 2014/15 that he could turn down in favor of a longer deal.  With a $17.89MM salary, however, finding a home for Gay hasn’t been easy.  Gay’s player option for 2014/15 is worth $19.2MM.

Vasquez, 27 in January, took a major step forward with the Pelicans last season when he put up career best averages of 13.9 PPG and 9 APG.  Today’s news means that Vasquez has now worn three different jerseys in this calendar year – the guard came to Sacramento in July as a part of the three-way Tyreke Evans deal.  While Vasquez has fans in the Kings front office, they clearly felt that this was a trade they had to make to get a dominant wing.  It also has the added benefit of clearing up the Kings’ backcourt logjam.

Patterson, 24, is also in his third career trade with today’s deal.  The power forward has had an up-and-down career through Houston and Sacramento and hasn’t been off to a blazing start this season.  Patterson is putting up just 6.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG while shooting 41% from the floor.

Salmons, 33, has been seeing almost 25 minutes per contest with the Kings this season but is putting up some of his weakest per 36 minutes averages of his career.  Only $1MM of Salmons’ $7MM salary in 2014/15 is guaranteed and it’s a safe bet that he’ll be let go.  Acy, 23, hasn’t seen much burn this season, playing 8.7 minutes per contest across seven games.

More than three-quarters of Hoops Rumors readers said that they expected Gay to be traded before the deadline.  It certainly helped that Ujiri and D’Alessandro have a history after working together in Denver.  By trading Andrea Bargnani and Gay, Ujiri has cleared ~$20MM off of the books next season.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

26 comments Sacramento Kings Toronto Raptors Transactions

Raptors Waive D.J. Augustin

By | at December 9, 2013 3:31 pm

The Raptors have waived D.J. Augustin, the team announced. The move is a precursor to the completion of the seven-player trade Toronto and the Kings agreed to last night. The deal left the Raptors with 16 players, forcing them to drop one before the swap becomes official. Augustin signed a one-year, $1.267MM deal in the offseason, and since it’s fully guaranteed, his cap hit will remain on Toronto’s books.

The move spares Dwight Buycks and Julyan Stone, who also appeared candidates to be cut. Stone might have made the most sense, since his partially guaranteed contract for the minimum salary has in essence become non-guaranteed, but he remains, as does Buycks, who also makes less than Augustin. There was “no chance” the Raptors would let go of Stone, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

It’s been a tough comedown for Augustin, the ninth overall pick in the 2008 draft who turned down an extension from the Bobcats a couple of years ago, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes (on Twitter). He underperformed after signing a one-year, $3.5MM contract with the Pacers last season, and was averaging just 8.2 minutes per game in 10 appearances for Toronto this year.

5 comments Toronto Raptors Transactions
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