D-League Notes: De Colo, Franklin, McCallum
A look at today’s D-League assignments and recalls..
- Nando De Colo was recalled from the Austin Toros, the Spurs announced. The guard, who has been assigned to Austin five times this season, has appeared in eight D-League contests, averaging 23.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.75 steals in 37.1 minutes. He has appeared in 12 games this season for the Spurs, averaging 1.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 7.0 minutes.
- The Grizzlies announced they have recalled guard Jamaal Franklin from theirD-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Franklin has averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.3 minutes in three games through two assignments with Fort Wayne.
- Kings rookie guard Ray McCallum may have set a new record for quickest D-League assignment and recall. After being assigned to the Reno Bighorns this afternoon, he’s already back up and available for Sacramento’s game tonight against the Cavs.
- The Thunder announced that Andre Roberson has been recalled from the Tulsa 66ers. Roberson was sent down on Friday after he put up five points and six boards against the Nuggets the night before.
Week In Review: 1/6/14 – 1/12/14
Early Tuesday morning, the Cavs and Bulls agreed to swap disgruntled big man Andrew Bynum for pending free agent Luol Deng. With the deal, the Bulls got themselves a first-rounder and a pair of second-round choices and a whole lot of financial flexibility (Bynum was soon waived). The Cavs, of course, get to wash their hands of a failed gamble and come away with an All-Star caliber small forward. Here’s more from around the Association..
- The Grizzlies acquired Courtney Lee in a three-team deal that sent Jerryd Bayless to the Celtics. Lee was a client of Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien and front office exec Stu Lash when they were agents.
- The Cavs hope to keep Deng long-term.
- Eight teams are interested in Bynum.
- The Pelicans have been active in their pursuit of a trade involving Eric Gordon and are exploring three-team scenarios as well.
- Eric Bledsoe is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery.
- There could be mutual interest between Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks.
- The Raptors could hang on to Kyle Lowry.
- The Kings’ insistence on Travis Outlaw being involved in an Andre Miller deal has slowed down talks between them and the Nuggets.
- Meanwhile, the Knicks have discussed Miller with the Nuggets but there have been no formal offers yet.
- Those rumored talks between the Nets and Rockets are probably dead thanks to Deron Williams‘ ankle issues.
- J.R. Smith is unsure of his future with the Knicks. They’re currently trying to scare him straight with trade talk, but they know there’s not much of a market for him.
- The Rockets like Mike Dunleavy.
- Kirk Hinrich is drawing interest from the Warriors.
- The Bobcats are shopping Ben Gordon.
- The Clippers released Stephen Jackson.
- The Lakers released Shawne Williams.
- Mo Williams plans to opt out but hopes to re-sign.
- The Bucks are looking to move Gary Neal.
- The Hawks signed James Nunnally to a ten-day deal.
- The Bulls inked Cartier Martin to a ten-day after the Hawks dumped him.
- The Sixers waived Daniel Orton.
- The Celtics cut Ryan Gomes.
- Pierre Jackson has permission to seek a trade.
- The Rockets are trying to trade Donatas Motiejunas.
- The Jazz released Mike Harris.
- Chris Smith has joined the Erie BayHawks.
- The Clippers have given thought to Sasha Vujacic as well as Hedo Turkoglu.
- The NBA granted the Nets a DPE.
- The Clippers signed Darius Morris.
- The Suns brought Leandro Barbosa back with a ten-day pact.
- The Grizzlies said goodbye to Seth Curry. They thought about re-signing him but opted against it.
- The Kings waived Hamady N’Diaye.
- The Clippers re-signed Maalik Wayns.
- Keyon Dooling retired.
Western Notes: Cuban, Fredette, J.R. Smith
With just 39 days left until the trade deadline, the Mavericks say they are cool on the idea of signing Andrew Bynum, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. It’s not a financial issue, but rather that the team doesn’t need an upgrade at center in the light of the recent play of Samuel Dalembert. That could change if Dalembert cannot maintain consistent production. Team owner Mark Cuban also says the team will be exploring other deals, but he adds that they are restricted by the financial constraints of the collective bargaining agreement. When asked if that meant the “Bank of Cuban” is open, he said: “It’s always been open. Even on Saturdays and Sundays,” and, “We’re always wide-open. We’ll do the deal that we need to do to accomplish what we need to accomplish.”
Some more notes from around the Western Conference:
- In response to George Karl‘s suggestion that the Spurs trade for J.R. Smith, a staff member of the Spurs joked, “Does Karl have any other terrific ideas such as, oh, bringing back Dennis Rodman to work in marketing?” Despite that, Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express News writes that it might not be that far-fetched, but it wouldn’t make sense for this season.
- The Jazz recalled rookies Rudy Gobert and Ian Clark from their D-League assignment in Bakersfield, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
- Jimmer Fredette is a new player following the Kings’ trade for Rudy Gay now that he is getting regular minutes as the backup point guard, writes Matt Kawahara of The Sacramento Bee.
Bulls Notes: Dunleavy, Luxury Tax, Martin
When Mike Dunleavy signed with the Bulls last offseason, he assumed he was signing on for an off-the-bench role on a contending team. Quite a bit has changed with the season-ending injury to Derrick Rose and the recent trade of Luol Deng. Dunleavy is doing his best to adapt to his new role as a starter writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Here’s more on the Bulls:
- The Deng trade to the Cavaliers, the possibility of further trades, and the potential use of the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer after the season has led to speculation the team is heading into a rebuilding phase. Both executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman discounted that assertion. Instead, they countered with the notion that the team was simply retooling. This retooling will be aided by the Bulls getting themselves out of paying the luxury tax for this season, and the Bulls fully intend to put the money right back into the team, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times.
- Cowley also notes that Cartier Martin, who was recently signed to a 10-day contract, had a strong debut for the team. In 26 minutes of action off the bench, Martin contributed 11 points and made four-out-of-five shots from the field. Martin said he had several options with other NBA teams but thought the Bulls were the best fit for him.
- Another bit from Cowley is that with the recent speculation that the Knicks would pursue coach Tom Thibodeau, Bobcats coach Steve Clifford, a former assistant along with Thibodeau for the Knicks and Rockets, expressed that he didn’t believe Thibodeau would be fazed by participating in the rebuilding or retooling of the team. Thibodeau stated in response to the Knicks rumors: “That stuff is ridiculous. First I was being traded. … I couldn’t care less about that stuff. I love the fighting spirit of this team. That’s all I’m thinking about.“
Suns Not Panicking In Wake Of Bledsoe Injury
The Suns were one of the biggest surprise teams of the year, having sprinted out of the gate to a 19-11 record in the tough Western Conference. Then came the crushing injury to star point guard Eric Bledsoe. Now looking at life without his 18.0 PPG and 5.8 APG, the organization is at a crossroads.
Suns first-year GM Ryan McDonough says the organization isn’t panicking, writes Paul Flannery of SB nation. This is despite the fact the team has lost four of the six games it has played since losing Bledsoe for the season. Even prior to losing Bledsoe, the team didn’t have much rotation depth and that will only be highlighted more by having to fill the 33.5 MPG that the point guard averaged. Ishmael Smith and Leandro Barbosa will now be called on to contribute meaningful minutes. The Suns could possibly swing a deal, but according to McDonough, it will have to be the right one for the organization’s plans.
The team would be willing to make a trade if the right younger player comes along. As for what constitutes the right player, the GM stated they would prioritize acquiring players that would help them in both the short-term as well as long-term. Stopgap players wouldn’t appear to be an option. They don’t want to take on a veteran’s salary just to have to try and unload it at a later date. McDonough doesn’t want the team to sacrifice its financial flexibility to make a playoff run this season.
This is especially prudent considering the Suns want to retain Bledsoe, who becomes a restricted free agent after the season. McDonough expressed confidence the team would be able to retain Bledsoe, though it is unclear how large a contract the young point guard would seek. His pre-injury performance certainly set him up for a big payday, but questions about his recovery may impact the amount teams are willing to offer. Phoenix will have the right to match any offer that Bledsoe receives.
In addition to prioritizing getting Bledsoe back into the fold, the team will also have some extra cap space available to pursue other free agents. McDonough stated that he expected the Suns to be major players in the free agent market after the season.
On top of their financial flexibility, the Suns could have up to four first round picks this year. They hold their own, plus picks from the Timberwolves (top-13 protected), Wizards (top-12 protected) and Pacers (lottery protected). They also have another on the way from the Lakers in 2015 that’s top-five protected. McDonough also mentioned that it was unlikely that the Suns would use all four picks this year. They could potentially trade one or more of those picks to either move up in the draft, or possibly as a sweetener to acquire a player.
It seems like the first-year general manager has a plan and wishes to stick to it. If he can, the Suns outlook is bright. Making the playoffs this season without blowing up the future would be icing on the cake.
Eastern Notes: Deng, Siva, Garnett, Woodson
With the recent acquisition of Luol Deng revitalizing the Cavaliers, the biggest question remaining is whether or not he is just a short-term rental, or a long-term building block for the franchise. If he does in fact re-sign with Cleveland, would that prohibit the Cavaliers from bringing back LeBron James or another star player? Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal thinks that, theoretically, the team could fit both players in under the salary cap, but it will take some work and creativity on the team’s part.
A few other notes from around the Eastern Conference:
- Petyon Siva may be on his way back to the Pistons from the D-League, according to his Twitter feed. The rookie has been on D-League assignment since December 26th.
- Kevin Garnett of the Nets expressed his unhappiness with being forced to log heavy minutes at center in the wake of the season ending injury to Brook Lopez, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
- With the recent speculation that the Knicks will pursue the still-under-contract Tom Thibodeau, Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News opines that current Knicks coach Mike Woodson is more the solution than the problem.
Deng To Ask For $13.5MM+ Salaries?
The Cavs and Herb Rudoy, the agent for Luol Deng, haven’t begun talks on an extension, but Rudoy has already made public reference to Andre Iguodala’s four-year, $48MM contract with the Warriors as the sort of deal he feels his client deserves. Sources tell Bob Finnan of The News-Herald that they believe Rudoy will ask for more than even Josh Smith is receiving each season in his four-year, $54MM deal with the Pistons.
Finnan also hears that if the Cavs don’t sign Deng to an extension, they face much slimmer odds of re-signing him as a free agent this summer. Deng, who’s making $14.275MM this season, could only tack three years onto his existing contract if he were to sign an extension. The maximum amount he could earn over the course of those three seasons is nearly $49.5MM, though the comparisons to Iguodala and Smith are most likely tied to average annual value, with Iguodala making $12MM a year and Smith $13.5MM. Those numbers fall in line with most reports we’ve heard since last offseason that indicate Deng sought $12-13MM salaries in ill-fated extension talks with the Bulls, but Finnan’s report makes it sound like Rudoy intends to ask for more than that.
Deng could sign for a much greater starting salary if he waits until free agency, and he could come away with a deal for as long as five years if he re-signs with the Cavs. Such a lengthy agreement seems unlikely, since Deng, a 10-year veteran, turns 29 in April and led the league in minutes per game the past two seasons.
Finnan compares Deng to Smith and concludes that Deng’s the better player. If executives around the league agree, the Cavs may have to make a hefty financial commitment to keep him away from rival suitors. A majority of Hoops Rumors readers don’t believe the Cavs will be able to convince him to stay.
Western Notes: Gasol Trade Options, Lee, Miller
As the trade deadline approaches Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times thinks the Lakers should trade Pau Gasol while they can still get something in return for him. Gasol in the last year of his contract and the Lakers with little financial flexibility after extending Kobe Bryant seem to be parting ways after the season according to Bolch. Bolch suggests a few trades the Lakers should look into. First, the Nets to see if they can acquire injured Brook Lopez for Gasol. Next, the Grizzlies to pair Pau with his younger brother Marc Gasol in exchange for Zach Randolph. If neither are interested, Bolch suggests contacting the Rockets for Omer Asik. Finally, Bolch states the Hawks have coveted Gasol for some time and he thinks they may be willing to part with Paul Millsap in order to fill the gap created by an injured Al Horford. If all else fails, Bolch prompts the Lakers to at least get draft picks for Gasol and avoid “a bleak future”.
A few other notes around the Western Conference.
- Although Andre Miller is one year removed from being called one of George Karl’s all-time favorite players, Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune believes we have seen the last of Miller in a Nuggets jersey. With a new coach in town and the Nuggets resurgence since Miller’s departure, Luhm thinks it is inevitable Miller’s absence will soon become permanent.
- Courtney Lee didn’t need to prove anything to the Grizzlies front office for them to want to trade for him says Michael Cohen of The Commercial Appeal. Lee had already done that five years prior when training for the draft with his former agent Jason Levien and his former development coach Stu Lash. Levien, now the CEO of the Grizzlies, and Lash, now the Grizzlies director of player personnel and basketball development, both admired Lee’s hard work ethic and defensive prowess when they represented him five years ago, prompting them to bring him to Memphis.
- While no one hopes for injuries, they have proven beneficial to Jodie Meeks‘ playing time and wallet. Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times writes that Meeks is halfway to hitting bonus incentives in his contract that will pay him $200K. Meeks has playing time bonuses that are triggered for averaging both 20 minutes and 25 minutes a game. With Lakers players down with injury, Meeks has been averaging 31.6 MPG so far this season.
- Not every wise transaction has to involve athletes, as John Canzano of The Oregonian points out. Canzano inspects the transactions Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen has made regarding GM Neil Olshey, president Chris McGowan, and head coach Terry Stotts. In fact, Canzano predicts Allen will extend Stotts’ head coaching contract before the All-Star Game. Stotts contract has a team option for next year but nothing beyond that.
How They Were Signed: Rookie Exception
Continuing the discussion as to how teams have signed the players on their roster, we now turn our attention to the rookie exception. The rookie exception allows teams to sign players drafted in that year’s NBA draft regardless of their current cap situation.
Unlike previous exceptions we have discussed that can be quite complicated, the rookie exception is fairly straightforward. It applies only to picks drafted in the first round and allows a team to sign their first round pick for up to 120% of that year’s rookie scale amount. A player’s rookie scale amount is dependent on how highly they were drafted. Under this exception, a rookie is given two guaranteed seasons and the team is given options to extend that contract for the third and fourth seasons.
If the team picks up the third and fourth season team options, the rookie scale also provides a one-year qualifying offer amount the team must offer the player if they want him to stay beyond a fourth season. The qualifying offer triggers restricted free agency. In many cases, the player warrants a higher salary and a contract that covers a greater length of time, but the qualifying offer serves as a baseline for negotiation. The amount of the qualifying offer can change if a player meets “starter criteria,” which you can read more about here.
The salaries for the first three seasons of the rookie scale contract are set figures, whereas the fourth year and the qualifying offer are percentages of the previous year’s salary.
An example of what the rookie scale for the top 5 picks of the 2013/14 draft looks like is listed below:
|
Pick |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 Team Option |
Year 4 Team Option (% over year 3 salary) |
Qualifying Offer: (% increase over year 4 salary) |
|
1 |
$4,436,900 |
$4,636,600 |
$4,836,300 |
26.1% |
30.0% |
|
2 |
$3,969,800 |
$4,148,500 |
$4,327,100 |
26.2% |
30.5% |
|
3 |
$3,565,000 |
$3,725,400 |
$3,885,800 |
26.4% |
31.2% |
|
4 |
$3,214,200 |
$3,358,800 |
$3,503,500 |
26.5% |
31.9% |
|
5 |
$2,910,600 |
$3,041,600 |
$3,172,600 |
26.7% |
32.6% |
Remember that teams can, and usually do, sign their rookies to 120% of that player’s rookie scale amount. Proof of that is what the contracts for the top 5 picks of this draft actually turned out to be. They were all signed to the maximum amount (120% of the rookie scale) allowed under the rookie scale.
|
Player |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 Team Option |
Year 4 Team Option |
|
5,324,280 |
5,563,920 |
5,803,560 |
7,318,289 |
|
|
4,763,760 |
4,978,200 |
5,192,520 |
6,552,960 |
|
|
4,278,000 |
4,470,480 |
4,662,960 |
5,893,981 |
|
|
3,857,040 |
4,030,560 |
4,204,200 |
5,318,313 |
|
|
3,492,720 |
3,649,920 |
3,807,120 |
4,823,621 |
Feel free to read Hoops Rumors explanation of the rookie scale for more information as to how this exception works. Below is a team-by-team list of players who were signed using the rookie exception.
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Bobcats
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- None
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Evan Turner
- Nerlens Noel
- Michael Carter-Williams
- Tony Wroten
- Arnett Moultrie
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trailblazers
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
StorytellersContracts and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.
Eastern Notes: Drake, Raptors, Cavs, Bynum
In September the Raptors and rapper Drake agreed to a partnership in preparation for the Raptors 20th anniversary and the 2016 All-Star game. A product of that partnership was tonight’s game being labeled “Drake Night” featuring among other festivities, Drake announcing Toronto’s starting line up. Prior to the evening, Drake held a press conference in which he disclosed (Twitter Link) to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that he has weekly discussions with Raptors GM Masai Ujiri and CEO Tim Leiweke. Whether Drake is the one advising the Raptors to “start from the bottom” and draft Andrew Wiggins next summer is still to be seen.
- Speaking of Raptors transactions, Sean Highkin of USA Today describes how Toronto has changed for the better since the Rudy Gay trade. Additionally, Highkin points out the Raptors aren’t the only one doing better as Gay himself has improved since joining the Kings.
- Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times examined the contract situations for the impact players on the Sixers to preview what next year’s lineup could look like. Moore is of the belief that the current roster, two lottery picks, and $30MM in available free agency money isn’t enough to solve the Sixers missing pieces.
- Now that the dust has settled from the Cavaliers trade for Luol Deng, Bob Finnan of The News-Herald details what Deng will be seeking in free agency next summer. Finnan believes the Cavaliers won’t be able to keep Deng around if he becomes an unrestricted free agent so Cleveland will have to try their best to extend Deng for the maximum three-years, $49.5MM before June 30th. Deng has already shown by turning down Chicago’s extension offer that he believes his value is above $10MM per year but has repeatedly denied ever asking for a deal near $15MM a year.
- Finnan also evaluates what Andrew Bynum‘s options may be with his upcoming free agent decision. It looks like the Heat may still be a favorite. The Pacers and Rockets are also being rumored as options according to Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer.
- Cavaliers GM Chris Grant didn’t rule out the possibility of another trade prior to the deadline but he did tell Boyer of The Plain Dealer that his preference is to not be active and let the guys “settle in and learn”. In relation to settling in, Boyer also believes the Cavs plan to stick long term with both Anthony Bennett and Anderson Varejao.