Cavaliers Rumors: James, Thompson, Blatt
LeBron James doesn’t want to discuss free agency during the NBA Finals, but insists he is content in Cleveland, according to Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “Ha, I haven’t even thought about that until you just said something,” James said recently. “I’ll tackle all of that after the season, but, yeah, I’m happy where I’m at.” James has a one-year option for next year worth nearly $21.6MM. He is almost certain to opt out, Vardon writes, which means he will become a free agent again for a few days while he and the Cavs work out a new deal. Vardon notes that by opting out, James can make about $22MM for next season with a player option in the neighborhood of $23MM for 2016/17 and the chance to take advantage of the salary cap rise that is expected to accompany a new TV deal.
There’s more from Cleveland on an NBA Finals Sunday:
- Tristan Thompson has asked for a max or near-max deal this summer, reports Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. The power forward, who has been making a huge impact in the playoffs since Kevin Love‘s injury, turned down a four-year offer for close to $52MM in October. Cleveland needs to decide whether it wants to give maximum money to Love and Thompson, who play the same position. Finnan concludes the Cavaliers probably will.
- Cleveland’s depth problem in the Finals is a result of coach David Blatt not having faith in three acquisitions that James endorsed, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Veterans Mike Miller, Shawn Marion and Kendrick Perkins have contributed more as mentors and cheerleaders than as players, Washburn asserts, meaning Cleveland will have to re-tool its bench this summer. He contends the team can return to the Finals next season, but will have to make the right moves first.
- Matthew Dellavedova may be boosting his free agency prospects with stellar defense on Stephen Curry in the NBA Finals, but the Warriors are objecting to the narrative, writes Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “People have lit a fire under Steph, which is good thing,” said Warriors center Andrew Bogut. “It’s something that you don’t want to do. It worked out well. We know Delly is a great defender, but we know he’s not a Curry stopper.” Dellavedova will become a restricted free agent this summer after two seasons of making the league minimum.
Heat Rumors: Wade, Draft, Chalmers
Miami’s need to keep Dwyane Wade gives him an advantage in negotiations, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson explains that if Luol Deng decides to opt in for $10.1MM next season and both Wade and Goran Dragic leave in free agency, the Heat would have less than $10MM available to replace them. If Deng opts in, Miami would have $56MM committed to 11 players, and possibly more if the team picks up Michael Beasley‘s player option for nearly $1.3MM. If Wade leaves and Dragic stays, Jackson notes, the Heat would be capped out and would have just a $5.5MM mid-level exception to offer free agents, which could attract someone like Danny Green or Mike Dunleavy. If Deng, Wade and Dragic leave, Miami would only have $20MM available to replace all three. Jackson speculates that the Heat could try to trade Josh McRoberts, who is due $5.5MM next season, or Chris Andersen, who will make $5MM, to free up cap room.
There’s more offseason news from South Beach:
- The Heat could be crossing their fingers on draft night and hoping the Hornets don’t take Kentucky’s Devin Booker, Jackson writes in the same story. Booker, considered among the best shooters in the draft, visited both Miami and Charlotte last week and would help fill the Heat’s need for a three-point marksman. The Hornets hold the No. 9 pick, one spot ahead of Miami.
- This week’s trade that sent Ersan Ilyasova from the Bucks to the Pistons for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams could impact the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Miami was interested in signing Butler when he was bought out by Milwaukee in February of 2014, although that interest may have lessened now that he has turned 35. Also, the Pistons now have a lineup hole at small forward, which could make them competitors with Miami in the draft and free agency. With the No. 8 pick, Detroit is two spots ahead of the Heat.
- Mario Chalmers could be the player the Heat decide to move to clear cap space, Winderman writes in a separate story. If the Heat believe Shabazz Napier and either Zoran Dragic or Tyler Johnson can be sufficient backups to Dragic and Wade, that could make Chalmers expendable.
Sixers Rumors: Saric, Embiid, Hinkie
Rumors that the Sixers are trying to get draft-and-stash prospect Dario Saric to join the team next year could be a sign that patience is wearing thin in Philadelphia, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The Sixers acquired the draft rights to the Croatian forward, who was the No. 12 pick in the 2014 draft, expecting him to spend time overseas before coming to the NBA. He signed a three-year deal with Anadolu Efes of Turkey that doesn’t include a buyout until next summer, but there are rumblings that the Sixers want to find a way to get their hands on him as soon as possible. Moore speculates that ownership may be tiring of GM Sam Hinkie’s long-term plan of losing games and collecting assets, which is leading to declining revenue and half-empty arenas on game nights. They want to combine Saric with Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and this year’s No. 3 pick to create a foundation that fans can get excited about. Moore also writes that Hinkie will likely try to deal one of his potential 2016 first-round picks (from the Thunder, Lakers or Heat) for an extra first-round choice this year.
There’s more this morning from Philadelphia:
- The Sixers are talking to “experts and specialists” to determine the next step with Embiid, Moore writes in a separate story. Hinkie issued a statement Saturday night that a CT scan indicates Embiid’s right foot shows “less healing than anticipated at this point.” Embiid may be kept out of summer league, and another surgery could put his 2015/16 season in jeopardy, Moore notes. “These findings cause us to pause and reassess his current activities,” Hinkie said.
- The Embiid setback is especially disappointing considering what he has shown in recent workouts, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. He writes that eyewitnesses have described Embiid’s “dominant, explosive performances” and noted that he looked like the player the Sixers expected when they drafted him No. 3 out of Kansas last summer. Embiid hadn’t felt pain in the foot despite weeks of rigorous workouts, sources told Wojnarowski.
- Despite the Sixers’ on-court problems, Hinkie is building a solid reputation as a talent evaluator, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The columnist credits Hinkie for a draft coup in 2013, when wound up with No. 6 pick Noel and Michael Carter-Williams at No. 11. Carter-Williams was named Rookie of the Year in 2014, and after missing a year due to injury, Noel finished third in the 2015 balloting.
Offseason Outlook: Philadelphia 76ers
Guaranteed Contracts
- (JaVale McGee $12,000,000)1
- Joel Embiid ($4,626,960)
- Nerlens Noel ($3,457,800)
- Furkan Aldemir ($2,836,768)
- Tony Wroten ($2,179,353)
- Jerami Grant ($845,059)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Robert Covington ($1,000,000)
- Isaiah Canaan ($947,276)2
- Hollis Thompson ($947,276)
- JaKarr Sampson ($845,059)
Options
- None
Restricted Free Agents/Cap Holds
- Henry Sims ($1,181,348) — $1,181,348 qualifying offer3
- Glenn Robinson III ($1,045,059) — $1,045,059 qualifying offer4
Unrestricted Free Agents/Cap Holds
- Jason Richardson ($9,901,688)
- Thomas Robinson ($4,660,482)
- No. 3 pick ($3,818,900)
- (Dario Saric $1,866,500)5
- Ish Smith ($947,276)
- (Charles Jenkins $947,276)6
- (Byron Mullens $947,276)6
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (3rd overall)
- 2nd Round (35th overall)
- 2nd Round (37th overall)
- 2nd Round (47th overall)
- 2nd Round (58th overall)
- 2nd Round (60th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $26,703,760
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $2,981,791
- Options: $0
- Cap Holds: $25,315,805
- Total: $55,001,356
The 76ers invigorated their fan base over the last two seasons with the “Together We Build” marketing campaign. The franchise will move on from that phase of its rebuilding plan during the 2015/16 season and will embrace a new slogan: “This Begins Now.” While the change may bring initial enthusiasm, the definition of “This” remains unclear.
Philadelphia’s overall plan from the beginning of GM Sam Hinkie’s tenure was pretty clear: liquidize the existing assets and obtain ones of higher value. The team accomplished the first part with ease. The second part has yet to come into fruition. Hinkie and company had four top-12 draft selections during the past two drafts. They shipped away one of those players, Michael Carter-Williams, because after 111 games with the team, he didn’t appear to be a top talent. Another player selected, Dario Saric, might not come to Philadelphia until the 2016/17 season, although the team reportedly wants to bring the forward stateside immediately. The remaining two players, Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel, came out of their respective one-and-done college careers playing the same position. They were both drafted with a known injury and each missed his entire first season as a Sixer. Hinkie assured them recently that they’ll have the first shot at leading the franchise, so it appears that both players will remain in town for the foreseeable future.
It’s fair to wonder how far it can go with Embiid and Noel as the team’s pillars. Noel had a promising 2014/15 campaign and his defensive impact cannot be questioned. He was seventh-best among centers on defense, according to ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus rankings. On the other end, he managed to scrape together some offense, but his numbers are misleading. Noel scored 13.1 points per game after the All-Star break, but he needed 10.4 field goal attempts per game to hit that mark, which is roughly the same amount of shots per game that some perennial chuckers, such as J.R. Smith and Rodney Stuckey, took this season. Philadelphia clearly made a concerted effort to funnel the ball to Noel in hopes of having a Sixer win the Rookie of the Year award for the second consecutive season, and the Sixers seemingly didn’t care about the quality of basketball along the way. The Kentucky product ranked second to last among 73 NBA centers in ESPN’s Offensive Real/Plus Minus, with only Kendrick Perkins behind him. Noel was technically a rookie last season and, as is the case with many non-stars, he will get better as the talent around him improves. Yet, if he is going to reach his ceiling and become a Tyson Chandler/DeAndre Jordan type of player, he needs to be more efficient with his touches.
Embiid has a higher ceiling than Noel, but his foot injury leaves more question marks. The history of big men with these types of ailments doesn’t paint an optimistic long-term picture for the Cameroon native. Yao Ming’s career was shortened because of this type of injury. Bill Walton’s career was hampered by multiple foot injuries, causing the center to only average 36 games played per year during his 13 NBA seasons. Even Kevin Durant, who has nearly the height of a center, but doesn’t carry as much weight, had issues coming back from a foot injury. That specific injury isn’t the exact type as the one that Yao, Walton and Embiid incurred, but it derailed Durant’s season and the forward didn’t look 100% even when he did play. Still, past history doesn’t guarantee future results and if Embiid can stay healthy, he can be the type of franchise player who doesn’t allow his teammates to plan vacations during April and May.
However, even if Embiid remains healthy and becomes a star, playing next to Noel may be an awkward fit for him. The Kentucky product played minutes at the four spot this season and while he’s shown he can defend some power forwards, he is better suited to play the center position. Philadelphia has the next two seasons to evaluate if the pairing is a winning combination, as Noel’s rookie scale contract runs through the 2016/17 season. At that point, the Sixers will have to ask themselves if indeed Noel can be a top player on a winning team.
In the meantime, Philadelphia has the financial flexibility to take some chances. The team can carve out roughly $22MM in cap room if it renounces the rights to Jason Richardson. The franchise can use that cap space to obtain players with unfavorable contracts, like it did this season in the JaVale McGee trade, and gain a few assets for its troubles. It could also attempt to accelerate the rebuilding process and hit the free agent market.
Just because the Sixers have a ticket to the dance doesn’t mean every girl wants to go with them. Cap space alone won’t be enough to attract marque free agents. Philadelphia, while a major market, has one of the worst on-court situations in the league. The team plays in the Eastern Conference, which may be attractive to some stars who are angling to play in the Finals and envision an easier path than in the Western Conference. Yet, other Eastern Conference teams such as New York, Boston, Milwaukee and even Orlando have better on-court situations than Philly and could offer the same financial enticements to free agents.
One player whom the team could feasibly go after this summer is Khris Middleton, although that’s just my speculation. The Bucks will reportedly match any offer that the 23-year-old signs, but if Philly floats a Chandler Parsons-type offer or a max contract by him, Milwaukee might balk at adding that kind of deal, especially with its pursuit of an established big man that will likely require significant cap space. In addition to a potential contract for a big man, the Bucks will have to worry about extensions for MCW and Giannis Antetokounmpo over the next few seasons, while the Sixers only have Noel’s to worry about. Philadelphia will be in a better position to ignore the ramifications of clogging their cap sheet with a expensive deal for Middleton because the rest of its players will be on team-friendly deals or rookie contracts. This is not a foul-proof plan as the Bucks could easily maneuver their way under the cap with a few salary-cutting deals, like they did earlier this week, and match an exorbitant offer. Looking at the top potential free agents, there are not any players, with the exception of Middleton, whom would be a fit for Philadelphia.
Instead, the focal point of the Sixers’ offseason will be the draft. The team owns the No.3 pick and reportedly has a firm top three of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Russell is “the guy they want,” but the Ohio State product recently canceled his workout with Philly because of an illness. Some have speculated that it was instead because he may have a promise from the Lakers at No. 2. Still, Los Angeles reportedly has zeroed in on selecting Okafor, so the Sixers face a strong likelihood of having Russell available to them at No. 3.
If another guard is going to be selected ahead of Russell in the draft, Emmanuel Mudiay is the likeliest candidate. Mudiay doesn’t have the jump shot and isn’t as polished as Russell, but the 19-year-old is a better athlete. He has the potential to not only be better than Russell, but to be one of the best guards in the NBA. Philadelphia went into this rebuilding phase in order to revamp the team into a legitimate contender. Taking a chance on a player who could become a superstar if he reaches his ceiling is something the Sixers should consider.
The issue with drafting Mudiay is evaluating what kind of player he is today. It’s easy to see how good he was coming out of high school. The point guard was more highly regarded than Russell coming into the season, but then Russell had a successful freshman campaign and sprung himself into the conversation for best guard in the draft class. Mudiay didn’t really get an opportunity to showcase his improvement or his skills versus better competition. He chose to play overseas and spent most of the season out with injury.
Mudiay’s circumstance isn’t that much different than Kyrie Irving‘s heading into the 2011 draft. Irving suffered a severe ligament injury and was shut down for the season after only 11 games at Duke. Irving averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Mudiay averaged 18 points, 5.9 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals during his 12 contests overseas. Only two of Irving’s games came against ranked college basketball teams; The rest were non-conference games against the likes of Colgate, Princeton, Bradley and Cal Poly Pomona. Its hard to argue that the level of competition Irving faced was any better than the professional athletes Mudiay faced abroad. Cleveland pondered selecting Derrick Williams over Irving after Williams’ successful season at Arizona. The team ultimately selected the 2011/12 Rookie of the Year and hasn’t regretted that decision. Mudiay has the potential to make the teams that pass on him second guess the decision for years to come.
Regardless of the player the 76ers select with their first round pick, he will be a much-needed addition to the roster. While their cupboard is certainly full, the current roster lacks talent. Robert Covington, who is on a team-friendly deal that will pay him roughly $3.1MM over the next three seasons, may be the only player other than their past lottery picks who could make a rotation for a playoff team. Covington shot 37.4% from behind the arc and made 167 three-pointers last season, which was the 10th most in the league. If he continues to develop, he could become one of the league’s best bargains and a potentially valuable asset.
Philadelphia has a bevy of young players, including Thomas Robinson, Isaiah Canaan, Jerami Grant and Hollis Thompson, who haven’t yet made any real impact in the league. Perhaps one of them will develop into a serviceable rotation piece, with Grant being the most likely candidate to do so. The team also has five second-round selections in this month’s draft. As it stands, the Sixers will most likely have to rely on players like these to play significant minutes during the 2015/16 season, which doesn’t bode well for Philly’s chances of improving on this year’s 18-win campaign.
Yet, improving in the win column probably isn’t the a main objective for the franchise at this point. Philadelphia could certainly change its approach and aim to become a winning team next season, but more likely, the team will simply look to add talent and stroll out a few more players who are actually in its long-term plans. Whether or not “This,” which is to begin during Hinkie’s third year at the helm, amounts to anything significant remains to be seen. Regardless, the next chapter of one of the NBA’s most interesting case studies starts on June 25th, and the league should certainly take note.
Cap Footnotes
1 — The Sixers waived McGee in March, but he still had guaranteed salary on his contract for 2015/16.
2 — Canaan’s salary is partially guaranteed for $757,820, and it becomes fully guaranteed if he remains under contract through July 15th.
3 — The cap hold for Sims would be $947,276 if the Sixers elect not to tender a qualifying offer.
4 — The cap hold for Robinson would be $845,059 if the Sixers elect not to tender a qualifying offer.
5 — The Sixers traded for the draft rights to Saric, the 2014 No. 12 pick, on the night he was drafted, but they have yet to sign him. Philadelphia can keep his draft rights but remove his cap hold from its books if he and the team produce a written agreement that he won’t sign during the 2015/16 season.
6 — See our glossary entry on cap holds for an explanation of why these players technically remain on the books.
The Basketball Insiders Salary Pages were used in the creation of this post. Chuck Myron also contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Heat, Wizards, Anthony
The Heat own the No. 10 overall pick in the upcoming draft and Surya Fernandez of Fox Sports Florida wonders if the team should trade its lottery pick. Fernandez cites Dwyane Wade‘s age and the urgency to win now as reason for the dilemma. If the Heat keep the selection, Fernandez believes they are likely to draft a guard to complement Wade and Goran Dragic, assuming the latter re-signs with Miami.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Heat will work out Trey Lyles, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors recently profiled the Kentucky forward.
- Martell Webster didn’t have the sort of season he or the Wizards envisioned, but his contract, with a guarantee of almost $5.614MM for 2015/16, is one reason Brandon Parker of The Washington Post cites as he posits that the Wizards are unlikely to trade the 28-year-old this summer.
- Carmelo Anthony says his rehab from left knee surgery is progressing well, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Rehab is going very, very well. I’m actually ahead of schedule [compared] to where everybody predicted I would be at this point in time,” Anthony said.
Lottery Notes: Porzingis, Lakers, Sixers, Suns
Kristaps Porzingis‘ impressive workout on Friday is giving the Lakers something to ponder at No. 2, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Stein added that the big man is also in play for Philadelphia at No. 3. Multiple sources previously told Chris Mannix of SI.com that Los Angeles has zeroed in on selecting Jahlil Okafor, though that was reported before Porzingis’ workout.
Here’s more from some of the teams in the lottery:
- Emmanuel Mudiay is another player that Los Angeles is considering with its No. 2 pick and he is excited about the possibility of playing alongside Kobe Bryant, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times writes. “He’s got five championships. He’s a winner. He’s a proven winner,” said Mudiay. “His determination, I’m the same way. If he steps on the court, he’s going to feel like he’s the best player. If I step on the court, I’m going to feel like I’m the best player.”
- Joel Embiid was evaluated recently and a standard CT scan on his right foot revealed less healing than anticipated at this point, according to a team press release. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) adds that Embiid’s participation in summer league is in jeopardy.
- The Suns feel like they can get a player they want with the No.13 pick in the draft, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes. “We’re very comfortable staying there and picking there,” GM Ryan McDonough said. “It would have to take a really good offer for us to move the pick. I think it’s unlikely we’ll add an additional first-round pick this year or drop down in the draft. We’ll take those calls if they come to us but we’re comfortable with where we are at 13. We like the pool of players we think will be there.”
Draft Notes: Hornets, Looney, Jazz, Turner
The Hornets will work out Kevon Looney, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). The team owns the No. 9 selection in the upcoming draft. Looney’s agents believe his range is anywhere from No. 7 to No. 20, as the UCLA product tells Zach Links of Hoops Rumors. Looney is represented by both Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management and Todd Ramasar of Stealth Sports, as our agency database indicates.
Here’s more news on player workouts:
- The Hornets are also scheduled to work out Jonathan Holmes, Jay Hook, Cady Lalanne, Josh Richardson and LeBryan Nash, as Bonnell reports in the same set of tweets.
- Myles Turner has worked out for the Jazz, Aaron Falk of Salt Lake Tribune reports (Twitter link). Falk notes that this was Turner’s first workout with any team. Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks the Texas product as the ninth best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him as the 13th. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors has Kelly Oubre Jr. going to the Jazz with the No. 12 selection, but he mentions Turner as a possible alternative.
- The Jazz will conduct workouts for Will Cummings, Rakeem Christmas, Kelly Oubre Jr., Keifer Sykes, Chris Walker and K.T. Harrell, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
- Utah will also work out George de Paula, Royce O’Neale, Ousmane Drame, Levi Randolph, Derrick Marks and Jarvis Williams, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
Central Notes: Boylen, Ilyasova, Looney
Assistant Jim Boylen is leaving the Spurs to become the associate head coach of the Bulls, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Boylen had the offer from Fred Hoiberg and had been weighing his options for several days, according to the Yahoo! scribe. Coach Gregg Popovich wanted to keep Boylen on his staff, but understood the financial opportunity and promotion that Chicago was offering, sources tell Wojnarowski. The terms of Boylen’s new contract have not yet been disclosed.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Ersan Ilyasova is embracing his new opportunity with the Pistons, Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times writes. “I spoke with coach [Stan] Van Gundy for about 20 minutes and he shared his plans for me and the team next season,’’ Ilyasova said. “Coach Van Gundy said he was following me since he was coaching in Orlando several years ago and he really liked the way I played and how I fit into the system. It’s exciting, for sure. I think it’ll work out good for me and it will be the right fit for me. It’s going to be a fresh start.’’
- Some neutral observers of Kevon Looney‘s workout with the Bucks believe the UCLA product had an ordinary workout, citing his lack of aggression and failure to make plays, Woelfel writes in the same piece. However Bucks director of scouting Billy McKinney had nothing but praise for Looney. “We were all impressed,’’ McKinney said, referring to the Bucks’ representatives in attendance. “He’s only 19. He has tremendous growth.’’
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 6/13/15
Some of the greatest joys of being a sports fan, besides your favorite team winning the championship, are the debates that arise between fellow sports nuts along the way. It’s with this in mind that we at Hoops Rumors want to provide a forum for basketball fanatics to voice their opinions, debate trending topics, and simply hang out with like-minded hoops aficionados. We’ll be posting a topic for discussion on weeknights, and we hope that this will become a regular part of your sports day. We began the series on Thursday with a discussion about Dwyane Wade‘s contract situation with the Heat, which can be viewed here.
Of course, there will be differing opinions from time to time. While we absolutely encourage lively discussion and debate, we do expect everyone to treat each other with respect. So, please refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults or attacks, as well as the other taboo types of discourse laid out in our site’s commenting policy. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Hoops Rumors. Just put in your name, email address, and comment and submit it; there is no need to become a registered user.
Now that the preamble is done, let’s get to today’s topic: What does the future hold for current Pistons big man Greg Monroe?
Thursday saw some early action on the trade front, with the Bucks shedding some salary and clearing up a logjam in their frontcourt, and the Pistons landing the stretch-four they had been seeking. I’m of course talking about the deal that sent Ersan Ilyasova to Detroit in exchange for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams.
There’s a high probability that Monroe won’t be returning to Detroit next season, and the talented big man is sure to be one of the more in demand players available on the open market this summer. The acquisition of Ilyasova could be interpreted as the franchise preparing itself for Monroe’s departure. If that is indeed the case, where do you all think Monroe will end up playing next season? How much do you predict Monroe will end up signing for? And…is he worth that amount?
Now it’s time to turn the floor and spotlight over to you, the readers. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. Feel free to expand on the topic beyond what I’ve already laid out. Most of all…have fun.
2015/16 Roster Counts: Indiana Pacers
During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but clubs must trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. In the meantime, some teams will hang around that 15-man line, while others will max out their roster counts. Some clubs may actually have more than 15 contracts that are at least partially guaranteed on the books. That means they’ll end up paying players who won’t be on the regular season roster, unless they can find trade partners.
With plenty more movement still to come, here’s the latest look at the Pacers’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Indiana’s roster.
(Last Updated 3-7-16, 5:00pm)
Fully Guaranteed (15)
- Lavoy Allen (F) — 6’9″/26 years old. Acquired via trade from Sixers.
- Rakeem Christmas (F) — 6’9″/23 years old. Acquired via trade from Cavaliers.
- Monta Ellis (G) — 6’3″/29 years old. Free agent signing.
- Paul George (F) — 6’9″/25 years old. Drafted with No. 10 overall pick in 2010.
- George Hill (G) — 6’3″/29 years old. Acquired via trade with the Spurs.
- Jordan Hill (F/C) — 6’10″/27 years old. Free agent signing.
- Solomon Hill (F) — 6’7″/24 years old. Drafted with No. 23 overall pick in 2013.
- Ty Lawson (G) — 5’11″/28 years old. Free agent signing.
- Ian Mahinmi (C) — 6’11″/28 years old. Acquired via sign-and-trade from the Mavericks.
- C.J. Miles (G) — 6’6″/28 years old. Free agent signing.
- Glenn Robinson III (G/F) — 6’7″/21 years old. Free agent signing.
- Rodney Stuckey (G) — 6’5″/29 years old. Free agent signing.
- Myles Turner (F/C) — 6’11″/19 years old. Drafted with No. 11 overall pick in 2015.
- Shayne Whittington (F) — 6’11″/24 years old. Free agent signing.
- Joseph Young (G) — 6’2″/23 years old. Drafted with No. 43 overall pick in 2015.
10-Day Contracts (0)
- None
TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (15)