Eastern Notes: Sanders, Anthony, Magic
Bucks big man Larry Sanders will be away from the team indefinitely due to personal reasons, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel reports. When asked about a timetable for Sanders’ return, coach Jason Kidd said, “That’s a good question so you don’t have to ask me tomorrow or Sunday or Monday, so there’s no timetable. Being sick, away from the team, guys go on as you see. Charlotte, we played without him. The other night we played without him [in Cleveland]. It’s nothing new to this ball club. Injuries happen. The train keeps moving forward.”
When pressed for details regarding Sanders either being ill, injured, or having personal issues, Kidd said, “It’s just personal. There’s nothing I can give you more. That’s the way the question will be answered.” Sanders has not played since the Bucks’ home loss to Charlotte on December 23rd, Gardner notes.
Here’s more from the East:
- The Magic‘s primary focus in free agency next summer will be to land a power forward, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Orlando needs to improve its rebounding, notes Schmitz, something that drafting Aaron Gordon and signing Channing Frye to a four-year, $32MM deal this past offseason hasn’t fixed.
- Knicks coach Derek Fisher acknowledged that at some point the team might need to shut down Carmelo Anthony due to his ailing knee, Mitch Abramson of The New York Daily News writes. “I think everybody involved is reasonable enough and smart enough as people in this business to come together on that if that time comes,” Fisher said. “I can’t speak for all of the different parties but from the conversations I’ve been a part of- I think everybody is smart enough to realize, calendar wise, timing wise- that there may come a point that’s the decision that needs to be made but that we can’t force Carmelo to that point just yet.“
- Anthony has stated that it’s ultimately his decision whether or not to continue playing, something that Fisher doesn’t fully agree with, Abramson adds. “There’s a balance between a player and his health and the part that he plays in the decision-making process and then where we are as a team and giving our thoughts and our opinion to it,” Fisher said. “I think our medical staff, our training staff, continue to have conversations with him about where he is. He’s conversing with us about how he’s feeling, what the symptoms are. As each day kind of unfolds decisions are being made. It’s not something that we’re just kind of stepping back and saying, Carmelo, you kind of tell us when you don’t feel like playing anymore.”
2015/16 Salary Rankings: Power Forwards
Hoops Rumors is in the process of ranking the cap hit for each NBA player by position. I previously ran down the point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center salaries for the 2014/15 season. I’ve also begun looking ahead to the 2015/16 campaign with a rundown of the cap hits for the point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards. Next on the agenda will be a look forward at the salaries for power forwards already inked to deals for next season.
All told, NBA teams have committed a total of $352,785,930 in cap hits so far for next season to the men manning the block around the league. The average hit for the four spot so far for 2015/16 is an extremely robust $5,427,476, with Chris Bosh of the Heat topping the list with an impressive $22,192,730 coming his way. However, it should be noted that the list and rankings will change greatly depending on how the free agent market develops next summer.
I also should add that teams won’t necessarily pay out every dollar listed here. There are quite a few players who have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. Some of those players will be sweating it out until the January 2015 deadline. That’s when teams must waive players with no specific guarantee date written into their contracts to avoid having to guarantee their salaries for the rest of that season.
Most salaries align with cap hits, but that’s not the case for players like Jeremy Lin , who’s receiving close to $15MM from the Lakers during the 2014/15 season even though his cap hit was little more than half that amount, because of the contract he signed through the Gilbert Arenas Provision. In addition, incentive clauses that a player either triggers or fails to meet can leave a player with more or less money than his cap hit reflects. Still, the purpose of this list is to show the relative pay scale by position, which is why all contracts are included in this post.
The league’s power forwards are listed below, in descending order of cap hit for next season:
- Chris Bosh (Heat) $22,192,730
- Blake Griffin (Clippers) $18,907,725
- Kevin Love (Cavs) $16,744,218 [Player Option]
- David Lee (Warriors) $15,493,680
- Nene (Wizards) $13MM
- David West (Pacers) $12.6MM [Player Option]
- Serge Ibaka (Thunder) $12,350,000
- Derrick Favors (Jazz) $12MM
- Kenneth Faried (Nuggets) $11,235,955
- Thaddeus Young (Wolves) $9,971,739 [Early Termination Option]
- Zach Randolph (Grizzlies) $9,638,555
- Ryan Anderson (Pelicans) $8.5MM
- Taj Gibson (Bulls) $8.5MM
- Tiago Splitter (Spurs) $8.5MM
- Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs) $8,333,334
- Channing Frye (Magic) $8,193,029
- Markieff Morris (Suns) $8MM
- Ersan Ilyasova (Bucks) $7.9MM
- Boris Diaw (Spurs) $7.5MM
- Pau Gasol (Bulls) $7,448,760
- Anthony Davis (Pelicans) $7,070,730
- Marvin Williams (Hornets) $7MM
- Carl Landry (Kings) $6.5MM
- Jason Thompson (Kings) $6,431,250
- Patrick Patterson (Raptors) $6,268,675
- Anthony Bennett (Wolves) $5,803,560
- Josh McRoberts (Heat) $5,543,725
- Nikola Mirotic (Bulls) $5,543,725
- Marcus Morris (Suns) $5MM
- Trevor Booker (Jazz) $4,775,000
- Kris Humphries (Wizards) $4,440,000
- Aaron Gordon (Magic) $4,171,680
- Marreese Speights (Warriors) $3,815,000 [Team Option]
- Nerlens Noel (Sixers) $3,457,800
- Mike Scott (Hawks) $3,333,333
- Julius Randle (Lakers) $3,132,240
- Anthony Tolliver (Suns) $3MM
- John Henson (Bucks) $2,943,221
- Noah Vonleh (Hornets) $2,637,720
- James Johnson (Raptors) $2.5MM
- Terrence Jones (Rockets) $2,489,530
- Andrew Nicholson (Magic) $2,380,593
- Donatas Motiejunas (Rockets) $2,288,205
- Jared Sullinger (Celtics) $2,269,260
- Perry Jones III (Thunder) $2,038,206
- Adreian Payne (Hawks) $1,938,840
- Ryan Kelly (Lakers) $1,724,250
- Mitch McGary (Thunder) $1,463,040
- Cartier Martin (Pistons) $1,270,964
- Ed Davis (Lakers) $1,100,602 [Player Option]
- Jon Leuer (Grizzlies) $1,035,000
- Joey Dorsey (Rockets) $1,015,421
- Brandon Davies (Sixers) $947,276
- Grant Jerrett (Thunder) $947,276
- Tony Mitchell (Pistons) $947,276
- Mike Muscala (Hawks) $947,276
- Cameron Bairstow (Bulls) $845,059
- Tarik Black (Rockets) $845,059
- Drew Gordon (Sixers) $845,059
- Cory Jefferson (Nets) $845,059
- Eric Moreland (Kings) $845,059
- Johnny O’Bryant III (Bucks) $845,059
- Dwight Powell (Celtics) $845,059
- JaKarr Sampson (Sixers) $845,059
- Jarnell Stokes (Grizzlies) $845,059
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Rajon Rondo Notes: Defense, Mavs, Trade
Rajon Rondo admitted that his defensive effort during his last few seasons with the Celtics was lacking, and that the trade to the Mavs has reinvigorated him, especially on the defensive end, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. “I haven’t played defense in a couple years,” Rondo said. “I’ve been able to hide a lot with Avery Bradley on the ball. He’s helped out, the young guy. But [in Dallas] they expect me to play defense and, in the West, if you don’t play defense you’ll get embarrassed every night at the point guard position.”
Here’s more on Rondo:
- Rondo said that he didn’t expect the trade that sent him from the Celtics to the Mavs, Brian Robb of Boston.com writes. “I was surprised,” Rondo said. “I was actually asleep around five o’clock and I woke up and saw [Celtics GM] Danny Ainge pop up on my cell phone and I was like ‘oh [expletive]’. That’s when it happened and he told me to come out to the [practice] facility.”
- The former Celtics star also said that all of the trade speculation when he was in Boston didn’t distract him, Robb notes. When asked if it felt good to finally have closure, Rondo said, “I mean it didn’t make a difference. I’ve gone through it for about seven or eight years. I came into the league traded. I’m not the only one who goes through trade rumors each year. Obviously dealing with Boston sports and the media is a lot bigger than a lot of other cities but it’s part of it. I think I handled it pretty well but I didn’t let it affect me as far as my game and play.”
- Rondo admits that he was fortunate to be dealt by the Celtics to a contending team like Dallas, Robb adds. “It’s a great situation,” Rondo said. “Danny [Ainge] and Wyc [Grousbeck] could have sent me anywhere, but I think it shows the type of class they have to send me to an organization [like Dallas]. I’ve done a lot for this organization and they didn’t just throw me on the backburner to any team. They put me in a situation where I could still excel and win a championship. I’m grateful for that situation as well.”
Marc Gasol On Free Agency, Lakers, Grizzlies
Memphis big man Marc Gasol is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and will not lack suitors for his services. The Knicks, Spurs, Lakers and Raptors have already been reported to be interested in signing the 29-year-old, and the list of parties wanting to lure him away from the Grizzlies is likely to keep on growing. Gasol sat down with the Los Angeles Newspaper Group (hat tip to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News) to discuss a number of topics. The entire article is worthy of a look, but here are some of the highlights…
On what variables Gasol is going to weigh when making his free agency decision:
“I haven’t weighed anything yet. Knowing that Arn [Tellem] will handle pretty much the load of everything else, whenever July comes, it’ll come. We’ll sit down and have a human eye-to-eye conversation and we’ll see what we’re looking for and looking at for the next four or five years of my life with the team and different teams and my family. Whatever decision I make, it would be the best.”
On if he would consider the Lakers as an option:
“I haven’t even looked at it yet. Whenever the time comes, I’m not going to say no to anything or refuse anything. I’m not going to agree to anything. We’re much in no man’s land right now. I pretty much just have to wait until July.”
On if his brother, Pau Gasol, provided any perspective on playing in Los Angeles:
“That was Pau’s time. I won’t say no to anything right now. It’s not something I have in front of me right now. If it’s presented to me, I’ll think about it. If not, I won’t.”
On his thoughts about being included in the 2008 trade that brought his brother to the Lakers:
“I never thought I would be in this league. I was happy for Pau because I knew that he needed a new start. I didn’t see myself as an NBA player. I didn’t see myself coming over here [from his native Spain]. I knew the Lakers didn’t know much about me. I never talked to them and they never came over. They gave me a training camp minimum contract. I wasn’t going to leave my team to be a training camp guy, especially not knowing what a training camp guy is. I would have a slim chance of making the team. It happens, but it normally doesn’t happen. I was just happy for Pau, honestly. I think it worked out pretty well for both sides. The Grizzlies got what they want, which was rebuilding and the cap space at that time and some young players. I don’t think they knew what that could turn into. The Lakers obviously have two rings, which is the ultimate goal and a great, unique and outstanding player in Pau. I don’t think they’ll get another one like that in years to come.”
On if he knew that he would develop into one of the best centers in the game after being dealt:
“I don’t think they knew the player I was. Nobody knew. Even today, I don’t think I’m the player I can still be. You never know. You make a decision and you have your side. They got a pretty good result having Pau for 6 and a half years. I don’t think they got the most out of Pau. They used Pau well for the 3 and a half years. But after that, the team didn’t have everything figured out. It was sad to see that. Move on and onto the next goal and next thing.”
And-Ones: Murphy, Belinelli, Smith
Kevin Murphy has signed a deal to join Zhejiang Guangsha in China, as Priority Sports, the agency that represents Murphy, announced on Twitter. We had already heard that the former Jazz camp invitee was leaving the D-League to pursue an opportunity to play overseas. We’ll round up more international news and have a look at what’s happening around the rest of the NBA below..
- Marco Belinelli, a free agent at season’s end, wouldn’t comment on whether or not he was interested in re-joining the Spurs next season, reports Riccardo Pratesiba of La Gazzetta dello Sport (translation via Basketball Insiders). Still, it’s fair to assert Belinelli would have some interest in returning to San Antonio, where he’s enjoyed quite a bit of success over the past two seasons.
- MLive’s David Mayo has never witnessed the sort of “mental and spiritual turnaround” that the Pistons have seemed to experience since waiving Josh Smith. Mayo sees the decision to part ways with Smith as a similar move to the one that sent Rudy Gay from the Raptors to the Kings,
- Anthony Tolliver‘s partially guaranteed 2015/16 contract seemingly makes it less likely that the Pistons retain Jonas Jerebko next season, Mayo argues in the same piece. Given the relatively similar characteristics of the two players, Mayo thinks it’s likely the Pistons hang on to Tolliver rather than Jerebko, who is a free agent at year’s end, since they already have Tolliver under contract and can cut him loose for only $400K if he doesn’t meet expectations.
- Turkey’s Istanbul BSB has officially announced (via Twitter) the signing of Sasha Vujacic along with three other players (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Vujacic played two games for the Clippers last season on a 10-day contract before signing a deal to play in Europe.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Lin, Bryant, Kelly
The Lakers could make sense as a potential suitor for Marc Gasol this summer, opines Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Gasol once belonged to the team, but he was sent to the Grizzlies seven years ago as part of the deal that brought his brother Pau to L.A. “He needs to play as good as he can and take his team as far as he can,” Pau Gasol said about his brother. “Then he can think about his future afterwards. He can put everything aside and then he can evaluate everything on if he wants to stay in Memphis. That seems like a pretty reasonable option. Or he can give it a shot to another place. We’ll see. But who knows. That’s later. Right now, it’s a distraction.”
Let’s have a look at more on Gasol and the latest out of L.A.:
- Ed Davis, who was Gasol’s teammate on the Grizzlies before joining the Lakers, doesn’t think it’s likely Gasol leaves Memphis to join L.A. next season, as Medina notes in the same piece. While Davis doesn’t completely rule out a change in scenery for his former teammate, he thinks it would take “something unexpected” for Gasol to leave what he has established in Memphis.
- A free agent who may be on the way out of L.A. is Jeremy Lin, who expressed frustration over his season on his website. “This season has gone in the opposite direction that I anticipated,” Lin wrote. “I went through one of the worst, if not the worst, slump I’ve had in my basketball life, as well as having some of my poorest performances ever as a basketball player. Also at times, it has felt like the barriers were insurmountable or that I was powerless to control things around me.”
- Coach Byron Scott told Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com that his plan to limit Kobe Bryant‘s playing time has been successful. “So far, the experiment is working,” Scott said. “We’re just going to keep at it and see how it turns out.” Bryant, who sat out three games last week, has been averaging 32 minutes of court time since his return, about five minutes less than before.
- The Lakers expect to welcome Ryan Kelly back to action tonight, Medina reports. Injuries to both of Kelly’s hamstrings have limited him to just three games this season. “I never want to be seen as somebody who gets hurt a lot,” Kelly said. “But I’m excited for the future.” Last summer, the Lakers gave Kelly a two-year deal worth about $3.4MM.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Hawks Ownership Agrees To Sell Entire Team
All three of the Hawks ownership groups have agreed to sell their respective shares of the team, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, meaning that 100% of the franchise will be available for purchase. Vivlamore hears that the NBA has approved of the sale and that the Hawks are being valued by interested parties at upwards of $600MM, while Grantland’s Zach Lowe was told by a league source that the organization might be worth anywhere from $750MM-$1 billion (Twitter link). Still, Lowe cautions that the club’s value is more likely on the lower end of that spectrum.
Controlling owner Bruce Levenson and his partners agreed to sell their 50.1% stake in the team in late September, shortly before a racially charged email from GM Danny Ferry was leaked and a controversial message Levenson had written in 2012 went public after an internal investigation. The Hawks’ other two ownership groups, led by Michael Gearon Jr. and Steven Price, were initially undecided on whether or not they would sell their stakes in the team, but reports from this summer had indicated that prospective purchasers wanted the entire franchise to exchange hands rather than just a portion of it.
There have been several parties reportedly interested in purchasing the Hawks, including former players Dominique Wilkins, Dikembe Mutombo and Chris Webber. Former Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien and attorney Doug Davis have also reportedly expressed interest. Whoever ends up with controlling interest in the team likely won’t have the opportunity to relocate the franchise out of Atlanta, Vivlamore notes, because the NBA would not want to lose a team in a top-10 market.
The sale of the Hawks franchise will put a finish to an unforgettable saga in Atlanta that changed the image of the organization and sent Ferry on an indefinite leave from his post at GM that he’s reportedly unlikely to ever return from. Multiple players indicated they would feel uncomfortable joining a team led by Levenson and Ferry after hearing the racially fueled comments the duo made, so perhaps the change in direction will help mend the view of the franchise going forward.
The Clippers were sold for a record $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in August after a similar, albeit much more controversial, situation unfolded in Los Angeles when then-owner Donald Sterling was caught making inflammatory remarks about Magic Johnson and African Americans during a recorded conversation with his girlfriend. The Bucks were purchased by an ownership group spearheaded by Marc Lasry and Wes Edens last April for $550MM. The Hawks sound likely to land somewhere in between those two figures, with more prospective buyers sure to surface in the coming weeks.
Celtics Notes: Bass, Green, Rondo, Young
The Celtics’ Brandon Bass said it’s always an emotional experience when an ex-teammate returns, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Rajon Rondo has promised not to cry when he comes back to Boston tonight for the first time since the December 18th trade that sent him to Dallas. Bass, who has been through the experience a couple of times already, isn’t so sure. “It was tough for me to watch the videos, man,” Bass said. “Especially when Paul [Pierce] came back. I just felt like Paul had been here his whole life and it was very emotional for him. KG [Kevin Garnett] as well.”
There’s more news from an emotional day in Boston:
- Count Jeff Green among the Celtics who were sad to see Rondo leave, according to Scott Souza of the MetroWest Daily News [Twitter link.]. Green said one of the reasons he decided to stay in Boston when he became a free agent was because Rondo was there. Green added that he never wants a homecoming reception in Boston because he doesn’t want to be traded.
- Rondo said he hasn’t thought much about free agency since the trade, although the Mavericks are an obvious favorite now, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. “My focus has been basketball, basketball, basketball, not necessarily being a free agent,” Rondo said. “I mean obviously I think [the Mavericks will] have the upside [in free agency]. I wouldn’t say it’s wide open [in terms of considering other teams], but I wouldn’t say it’s closed [solely to the Mavericks] either because obviously they are the team that came and got me and from Day One they’ve been very loyal and very supportive in this transition for me.”
- Rookie James Young doesn’t figure to get much playing time soon, but A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes that the team is noticing his improvement in the D-League. Young has averaged 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his time with the Maine Red Claws. “He does add something that we could very well need in the near future and that is the ability to play off screens and score and make passes off screens,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. “He’s a very fluid offensive player.”
Southwest Notes: Rondo, Smith, Dorsey, Spurs
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said he wasn’t concerned by negative comments about Rajon Rondo before last month’s trade, reports Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com. “Contrary to what a lot of people say about him,” Carlisle said, “he’s thirsty for knowledge. He’s a sponge. He wants to learn as much as possible about our team.” Rondo returns to Boston tonight for the first time since the December 18th deal. Through six games with the Mavericks, the team’s defense has improved with Rondo, but the offense has slipped.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets have already seen the good and bad side of Josh Smith, opines Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. Houston signed Smith last Friday after he was waived by the Pistons, and he played a key role in a victory at Memphis that night. But he has also displayed the poor shot selection and questionable judgment that got him run out of Detroit. Blinebury writes that until GM Daryl Morey makes another move, the assimilation of Smith will determine whether the Rockets can become an elite team.
- To make room for Smith, the Rockets waived center Tarik Black, which has created more playing time for Joey Dorsey, writes Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. “It was tough to let go of Tarik, but Joey is coming off the bench, he is giving great energy and great effort and that’s exactly what we want,” coach Kevin McHale said. “Any errors that he is having aren’t for lack of effort, and that’s all you can ask for.” Dorsey signed a two-year deal last summer worth nearly $2MM after spending three seasons overseas.
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is concerned that age may finally be catching up with his team, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio fought through a difficult December schedule and a rash of injuries — particularly to Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard — and at 20-14 the team isn’t a lock to reach the playoffs. “People have been calling us old for, like, 10 years, it seems like, but it’s true,” Popovich said. “We are getting older and those injuries take a toll the older you get. You don’t come back the same way. It’s not just, ‘If we’re healthy, we’re fine.’ What level of health will we be if we don’t take care of some of these? But it’s out of your control, so we just move along.”
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Noel, DeRozan, Raptors
“Lose more for Okafor” should be the Knicks‘ rallying cry for the rest of the season, contends Marc Berman of the New York Post. Nineteen-year-old Duke center Jahlil Okafor is the early favorite to be the first player selected in June’s NBA Draft. In Hoops Rumors’ reverse standings, New York currently leads the NBA with 29 losses, but has a slightly better winning percentage than the Sixers. “At worst, you’re getting a young Al Jefferson — an 18 and 10 guy. At best, Tim Duncan,” said ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla. “He’s got potential to be a franchise player. Odds are it’s somewhere in between.’’
There’s more this morning from the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks‘ Derek Fisher doesn’t want to talk about losing, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The first-year head coach is trying to remain positive in the face of a disastrous 5-29 start. “Our fans have, I think, waited a long time from their perspective and how they feel about us,” Fisher said. “But this is a new beginning for us and we’re going through our growing pains right now. The people we have involved with what we’re trying to do, we have no doubt that we’re going to eventually be successful, and we’re going to keep working until we are.”
- Sixers coach Brett Brown sees Nerlens Noel‘s future as a center, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 6’11” Noel is averaging 7.8 points and 7.1 rebounds in his first season in the NBA after sitting out last year while recovering from knee surgery. “I think right now, it’s a five,” Brown said. “I feel that we’re going to have to do the right thing by him and grow his game, which will allow him to better play alongside Joel Embiid.”
- Coach Dwane Casey hopes to phase DeMar DeRozan into the lineup slowly when the injured Raptor returns from injury, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. DeRozan has already missed 16 games with a groin and hip tendon injury, and although there is no set timetable for his return there are hints it could happen soon. “He can’t come back expecting to be a 19-, 20-point scorer first game, second game,” Casey said. “It’s going to take a while to get his rhythm back.”