Teams With Sunk Costs For 2014/15
When the Sixers waived Eric Maynor on Monday, they did so even though he had a 2014/15 player option for more than $2.1MM. Assuming we don’t hear late news of a waiver claim today, the Sixers will owe Maynor that money, regardless of whether or not he intended to exercise the option at the end of the season. We haven’t heard any suggestion that the Sixers will use the stretch provision to soften the blow, meaning that they’ll enter the summer with a significant part of their 2014/15 cap figure already accounted for by a player who won’t play at all for them next season.
Maynor’s salary is a pittance compared to what Orlando already has committed to ex-Magic players for next season. The Magic didn’t use the stretch provision when they waived Glen Davis shortly after the trade deadline, meaning he’s presumably on the books for his full $6.6MM salary next season. Most reports indicated that Davis participated in a buyout arrangement, so perhaps he gave up a chunk of that amount. The terms of his buyout remain unknown. The Magic also waived Al Harrington before the season began. His contract for this season and next was only 50% guaranteed, but he’s still due more than $3.8MM for 2014/15. That amount could be lowered slightly if Harrington signs with another team, allowing the Magic to exercise their set-off rights. The same is true with Davis.
Still, Orlando figures to lead the league by a wide margin in terms of sunk costs for 2014/15, and that doesn’t even take into account the cash they still owe Gilbert Arenas, whom they waived via the amnesty provision. Amnestied salary doesn’t count against the cap, so we’re not including it for the purposes of this post. The Magic could be on the hook for more than $10.4MM combined for Davis and Harrington next season.
Here’s the complete list of teams that already know they’ll have former players counting against the cap 2014/15. Again, this doesn’t count players waived via the amnesty clause.
- Magic, Glen Davis, $6.6MM; Al Harrington, $3,804,900
- Sixers, Eric Maynor, $2,106,720
- Knicks: Metta World Peace, $1,661,550
- Suns: Michael Beasley, $777,778
- Grizzlies: Fab Melo, $437,080
- Bulls: Richard Hamilton, $333,333
Basketball Insiders and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Bucks, Dedmon, Gooden, Pelicans
A source tells Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Bucks owner Herb Kohl is receiving considerable nationwide interest from investors who’d like to buy at least a minority share of the team, and many of them are in close proximity to Milwaukee. Kohl is reportedly close to selling a majority stake in the franchise, but Walker hears that no deal is imminent. Sports business experts say the team would be more valuable in another market, Walker writes, but Kohl has been insistent that the team stay in Milwaukee. Here’s more from around the league:
- Dewayne Dedmon‘s latest contract with the Magic gives him the chance to make the team’s roster next season, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, so presumably that means the deal covers 2014/15 with a non-guaranteed salary.
- The Wizards didn’t bring Drew Gooden aboard until last month, but they’d been monitoring him since December, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Gooden followed a pair of 10-day contracts with a deal Tuesday for the rest of the season.
- The Pelicans have more than $54MM in commitments for next season, and GM Dell Demps acknowledged that it’s unlikely the team will be a major player on the free agent market, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune observes. Demps also said he doesn’t regret last summer’s Jrue Holiday trade, even though there’s a strong chance it could cost them another lottery pick this year.
- The Bulls may have to make a few creative cap maneuvers to entice Nikola Mirotic to sign this summer, depending on the dollars-to-euros exchange rate and Real Madrid’s willingness to negotiate the amount of Mirotic’s buyout. Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders has the details.
- Twelve-year NBA veteran Ricky Davis had been attempting a comeback with the D-League affiliate of the Knicks, but the Erie BayHawks announced that they have cut him loose.
Lakers Rumors: Bryant, D’Antoni, Jeanie Buss
Kobe Bryant has reportedly had enough of coach Mike D’Antoni, but in a radio appearance today on The Dan Patrick Show, Bryant gave an ambiguous answer in response to Patrick’s question about whether D’Antoni deserves another season as Lakers coach.
“I don’t know,” Bryant said. “It’s been tough on him. The two years that he’s been here, he’s been dealing with so many injuries left and right. He hasn’t really gotten a fair deal, a fair shake at it since he’s been here.”
Bryant also softened some of his recent public criticisms of Lakers management, expressing confidence that co-owners Jeanie and Jim Buss are cooperating with each other after having called upon them last week to resolve their differences. Jeanie Buss had much to say about that issue and plenty Lakers-related subjects in a one-on-one Tuesday night with Bill Macdonald on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, and Trevor Wong of Lakers.com provides a transcription. We covered a couple of snippets from the interview earlier, but there’s plenty more, as we highlight here:
- Jeanie Buss doesn’t appear upset with Bryant for expressing his frustration with management during last week’s press conference. “I will talk to him and I will commiserate with him because I know how he feels,” Buss said.
- Buss has no regrets over Bryant’s $48.5MM extension that kicks in for next season. “I don’t wear a hat and a t-shirt with ‘cap space’ on it,” she said. “I’m more interested in the players and how the players fit together and how the players come together and creating something than just the sum of their parts.”
- Buss called the prospect of Bryant retiring a Laker “really important,” adding that she’s “thrilled.” Still, Bryant hasn’t definitively said that he’ll retire when his contract is up in the summer of 2016.
- Commissioner Adam Silver told Buss in their meeting on Monday that he doesn’t see a conflict of interest with Phil Jackson, her fiance, joining the Knicks because Buss doesn’t make personnel moves, as Buss explained.
- All six Buss siblings exercise some degree of control over the franchise, but Jeanie Buss told Macdonald that “the buck stops with me,” asserting her role as the ultimate decision-maker for the team. Still, Jim Buss continues to manage basketball operations.
- The relationship between Jeanie and Jim is reportedly still rocky, but she said that “by and large,” the family is still on the same page.
Knicks Rumors: Dolan, Mills, Jackson
Knicks owner James Dolan might have won brownie points with Knicks fans Tuesday when he introduced Phil Jackson as team president and perhaps made more public statements in a single day than in the last seven years combined. Still, he made it clear that he’s not primarily interested in popularity as he spoke on “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN New York 98.7 FM. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has the transcription.
“My goal isn’t to be loved,” Dolan said. “My goal is to win.”
The owner hasn’t accomplished that goal this season, but there’s plenty more behind-the-scenes intel on what Dolan’s doing to have more success in seasons to come, as we detail in our latest look at the Knicks:
- Scott Cacciola of The New York Times provides a revelatory look at Dolan’s pursuit of Jackson. Steve Mills was heavily involved, as Cacciola describes, even though Mills wound up ceding his title of team president to Jackson.
- Irving Azoff, the manager of the Eagles, did much more than merely introduce Dolan and Jackson, as Cacciola reveals in his piece. Azoff is gaining power within Madison Square Garden and is emerging as Dolan’s most trusted confidant, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News observes (Twitter link).
- Isola suggests Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley as possible additions to the Knicks organization, though it’s unclear what roles they would play.
- Dolan doesn’t think Jackson will ever end up coaching the Knicks, as he said during his radio appearance with Kay, but Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News isn’t buying it.
Bobcats Strongly Considering D.J. White
The Bobcats are giving strong consideration to signing power forward D.J. White, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM. White’s name didn’t emerge as one of the players reportedly set to work out for the club last week, but he did audition around the same time with the Warriors. Charlotte has apparently been on the lookout for a third center amid the team’s assumption that Brendan Haywood will miss the rest of the season. The 6’9″ White is undersized for that role, but he did play primarily at center for the Bobcats during his 24-game stint with them in 2010/11. Charlotte returned him to power forward the next season.
White recently became a free agent following the completion of his season in China, where he played for the Sichuan Blue Whales. The Jeff Wechsler client is following a familiar path back to the NBA, as he spent much of last season playing in China and returned stateside to sign a deal with the Celtics. The 27-year-old put up 20.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for Sichuan this year, numbers that were similar to the ones he put up in China last year. He appeared for just 7.2 minutes per game in 12 appearances for Boston last season, but his most significant NBA action came with Charlotte, where he made 11 starts and averaged 6.8 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 18.9 minutes per game in 2011/12.
The Bobcats have an open roster spot, so they wouldn’t have to cut anyone to bring White aboard. I imagine the deal would be for a 10-day contract, but given the familiarity that Charlotte’s front office has with him, and the interest from at least one other club, I wouldn’t be shocked if the ‘Cats dispensed with any 10-day offer and gave him a deal for the rest of the season.
Larry Sanders To Miss Rest Of Season
Larry Sanders will be out for the rest of the season as he continues to recover from the broken right orbital bone he suffered during a game on February 8th, the center tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Sanders signed a four-year, $44MM extension last fall that kicks in for 2014/15, but he played only 23 games this season because of the orbital bone injury as well as a broken hand that he suffered during a fight at a nightclub. That off-court misstep cost Sanders nearly two months, while his latest injury will keep him away for the final nine and a half weeks of the season.
Sanders finished third last year in Most Improved Player of the Year award voting and seventh in balloting for Defensive Player of the Year, but his inability to stay on the court has been microcosmic of the 2013/14 season for the Bucks, whose 13-55 record is still the worst in the NBA by two and a half games, in spite of Philadelphia’s ongoing 21-game losing streak. Sanders appeared to regress when he did play for Milwaukee this season, with his numbers down almost across the board from 2012/13.
The Bucks were reportedly aggressive in their attempts to trade Sanders in December, shortly before he returned from his broken hand. Milwaukee was apparently seeking draft picks in return, but the team had begun turning away suitors for the 25-year-old before he suffered his orbital bone injury. The Poison Pill Provision might have had much to do with the Bucks’ inability to pull off a deal, but it would no longer be a factor if Milwaukee GM John Hammond and company wanted to revisit the idea of trading him in the summer. Still, given the cost and length of Sanders’ contract, I’d be surprised if the Bucks find any takers willing to give them enough of a return, and today’s news means that potential trade partners won’t get another chance this season to see if Sanders can bounce back.
Free Agent Stock Watch Series
The NBA’s regular season ends in four weeks. That means players on expiring contracts are running out of opportunities to prove their worth, and that’s especially true for anyone on a team that isn’t bound for the postseason. So, it’s time to start looking at soon-to-be free agents across the league and gauge their value.
Hoops Rumors will examine several players who are a part of the 2014 free agent class. Our Free Agent Stock Watch pieces will explore what a player brings to a club, what sort of earnings he can expect on his next contract, teams that could be in the market for the player, and where the player might want to end up, along with any other relevant factors.
Below is a list of the players we’ve profiled so far. They’re in alphabetical order by last name, and potential restricted free agents will have an (R) by their names. You can find this list, which we’ll continue to update, anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”
- Ray Allen
- Carmelo Anthony
- Michael Beasley
- Andray Blatche
- Eric Bledsoe (R)
- Chris Bosh
- Andrew Bynum
- Earl Clark
- Jordan Crawford
- Dante Cunningham
- Luol Deng
- Rudy Gay
- Gordon Hayward (R)
- Ryan Hollins
- Kris Humphries
- LeBron James
- Antawn Jamison
- Shawn Marion
- Jason Maxiell
- Greg Monroe (R)
- Emeka Okafor
- Jermaine O’Neal
- Zach Randolph
- Ramon Sessions
- Marvin Williams
- Dwyane Wade
Fallout From Jackson/Knicks Press Conference
Here’s a roundup of more Phil Jackson/Knicks-related notes worth passing along tonight..
- Though it was made clear that Steve Mills will continue to handle the duties of a general manager in New York, sources tell Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News that Jackson will be allowed to choose a “basketball man” to help him run the front office. At that point, Mills will have more of a ceremonial role once Jackson has his preferred brain trust in place.
- The above piece shed some light on Ronnie Lester potentially being brought in to assist Jackson. Lester, who served as the No. 2 to Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak when Jackson was with the Lakers, would be a viable executive that New York fans could feel better about, says Lawrence. If not Lester, then that person would have to have strong ties to Jackson in order to receive consideration.
- The Zen Master may have alluded to a plan to “work the bushes” in order to improve the roster, but people who have spoken with him recently say that he’ll deliberately wait until Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, and Andrea Bargnani come off the cap in order to accommodate another star and perhaps other pieces.
- The thought of Jackson luring Jim Paxson away from the Bulls front office to be his “basketball man” is an intriguing one, opines Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, who also envisions Steve Kerr, Jim Cleamons, Bill Cartwright, Pete Myers, and Kurt Rambis eventually joining Jackson’s regime (Twitter links).
- James Dolan tells Scott Cacciola of the New York Times that he sought Jackson’s approval on several deadline deals the team tried to make this season: “If it was a trade that didn’t fit what he was thinking — and I couldn’t tell you the specifics of what he was thinking, but I knew he had a plan … I believed he was coming on board, and I felt I should consult him.”
- The Knicks owner also shared how he plans to let Jackson and Mills operate: “They’re going to come in, and they’re going to tell me what they want to do. They’re going to tell me how much it costs, and I’m going to say yes — assuming it doesn’t bankrupt the company. I don’t think they’ll come in with a bankrupt-the-company scenario, but I’ve told them that I’m willing to spend. We need a championship here.”
And-Ones: Jeanie, Celtics, LeBron
Lakers president Jeanie Buss appeared on TWC Sports Net in Los Angeles tonight, addressing today’s most popular topic: “it was clear that (Phil Jackson) wanted to go back to work, but there was no role for him with the Lakers…He was not offered an official position… There (was) no role in the front office for him.”
As Jackson’s fiancee, Buss said that she recently met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to discuss a potential conflict of interest now that Phil is running the front office in New York. With regard to the Buss family’s ownership of the Lakers, Jeanie asserted that they aren’t going anywhere soon: “This is the family business and the family is going to own the team for as long as the family is together” (All Twitter links via ESPN LA’s Ramona Shelburne).
Here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes:
- Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck recently hinted at major roster changes this summer, telling Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe that there could be “fireworks” this June, as Holmes notes within a story on the challenges of playing for a team with so much uncertainty,
- LeBron James sidestepped a question about a potential return to the Cavaliers earlier tonight: “For me to take my mind somewhere else when I know what’s on its way [postseason] is almost impossible” (Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel via Twitter). Tonight marked LeBron’s final appearance in Cleveland before he can opt out this summer, and the Heat superstar didn’t count anything out: “Only time will tell” (Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio relayed on Twitter).
- Though Mark Jackson has been a target for ridicule in Golden State, the missteps of Warriors owner Joe Lacob and GM Bob Myers can’t be ignored either, writes Ric Bucher of the Bleacher Report.
- Bucher adds that it was Lacob who made the call to amnesty Charlie Bell‘s $4MM contract so the team could pursue then-free agent Tyson Chandler, who never planned on playing for the Warriors. Additionally, top management – whether intentional or not – provided the grist which brought forth questions about Jackson’s job security this year, specifically when Lacob expressed disappointment about certain losses and Myers suggested that Jackson has been given all he needs to succeed. The team is currently sixth in the Western Conference and holds just a three-and-a-half-game lead over the ninth-seeded Suns.
Bulls, Rockets Among ‘Melo’s Top Alternatives
If Carmelo Anthony ultimately decides to leave New York this summer, Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski identifies the Bulls and Rockets as two free agent destinations that have emerged above all other alternatives. Wojnarowski notes that while Chicago may have an easier time clearing enough cap space to sign Carmelo outright, Houston believes that they can shed the necessary contracts to be able to offer a near-max deal. One source tells Wojnarowski that the Knicks star “will give New York every option (to convince him to stay)…But he has options – and he’s going to explore them all.”
Should Anthony and the Knicks eventually decide to part ways, it’ll be very interesting to see how the two sides will get to that point. During his introductory presser today, Knicks president Phil Jackson made it clear that Anthony is in his plans for the team’s future. Coincidentally, Anthony indicated yesterday that he’s intrigued with the direction the Knicks can go now that Jackson is at the helm of the front office:
“The big picture, absolutely, for the big picture this is definitely more attractive…I’m willing to do whatever. As long as it’s gonna put me in a situation to win, I’m willing to do whatever. I’m not sold or stuck on my play. What I’ve been able to do these past 10-11 years has gotten me to where I am right now…If Phil wants to come in and change that this late in my career, if it’s going to help me out to win a championship, I’m with it…I’ve said numerous times what (Phil’s) been able to bring to the game of basketball is unprecedented. So hopefully we can work it out and he can build something here as well” (Peter Botte of the New York Daily News).
A few weeks ago, Bulls center Joakim Noah apparently tried to sell Anthony on the idea of playing for Chicago during a conversation on All-Star Weekend, with the Knicks star reportedly inquiring about what it’s like to play for Tom Thibodeau. The Rockets – with James Harden and Dwight Howard in place – would undoubtedly garner championship expectations immediately if Carmelo were to jump on board in Houston. While there’s still quite some time before Anthony can exercise his early termination clause in July, it’ll be worth keeping an eye out for the pitch that Jackson will make in order to convince New York’s prized forward to stay in place.