Report: Sixers Ordered To Pay $3MM To Pelicans
SUNDAY, 3:45pm: Pelicans officials refused to comment on whether they received $3MM from the Sixers, tweets John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
The NBA ordered the Sixers to pay $3MM to the Pelicans last season for not fully disclosing the extent of Jrue Holiday‘s injury before his 2013 trade, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Sixers dealt Holiday to New Orleans shortly after the 2013 draft in exchange for the rights to Nerlens Noel.
Two unidentified sources told Pompey that Holiday had stress fractures in his right leg during his last season in Philadelphia, but the Sixers didn’t provide full disclosure of the injury prior to the deal. Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie refused to comment on the report, but a team source said the allegation is untrue.
Holiday appeared in just 34 and 40 games in his first two seasons in New Orleans. He averaged 14.8 points and 6.9 assists this season, while helping the Pelicans reach the playoffs. Noel missed the entire 2013/14 season after the deal, but emerged as a Rookie of the Year candidate this season, averaging 9.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
The sources say the Sixers are pursuing a similar complaint against the Lakers regarding Andrew Bynum, accusing Los Angeles of providing misinformation about Bynum’s injured knees. Bynum was traded to the Sixers as part of a four-team deal in 2012, but never played for Philadelphia because of his knee problems. “They are saying the Lakers didn’t disclose all of the information about Bynum’s knees,” one of the sources said. “They think they should be able to get some type of monetary resolution.”
Central Notes: Blatt, Cavaliers, Haywood, Pistons
Back home in Israel, David Blatt told The Jerusalem Post he fully intends to return as the Cavaliers‘ coach next season. “Of course I will continue in Cleveland, there is no question,” he told an interviewer. There have been rumors of a rift between Blatt and LeBron James, espcially after ESPN’s Marc Stein wrote that James disrespected his coach during the NBA Finals. Blatt insists his relationship with James is nothing out of the ordinary for a new coach and a star player. “I have a good relationship with him,” Blatt said. “We went through a process. It took us time to get to know each other. We learned how to work together the best way possible. When you work with a star of that magnitude the relationship is slightly different. It isn’t like with any other player. I learned from this process. We both want the same thing, but don’t always agree about everything.” Blatt, who was hired last offseason, has two years remaining on his $10MM contract, along with a team option for a third.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- In addition to re-signing their own guys, the Cavs‘ priority will be landing a veteran point guard, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets. Amico adds that the team is on the lookout for a wing player.
- Cleveland hopes to execute a Brendan Haywood trade quickly after July 1st, Amico relays (Twitter link). Haywood has an unusually valuable contract that contains a non-guaranteed salary worth more than $10.5MM next season.
- President of Basketball Operations Stan Van Gundy will be targeting two small forwards who are unrestricted free agents this offseason, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Langlois adds that if the Pistons can’t land either of those players, Van Gundy has two restricted free agent small forwards in mind that he would like to add.
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
Wolves Notes: Hummel, Garnett, Jones
The Wolves have extended a qualifying offer to Robbie Hummel worth slightly less than $1.15MM, according to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press (Twitter link). President of basketball operations Flip Saunders previously indicated he would like to bring back the forward. Hummel scored 4.4 points in 16.5 minutes per game while shooting 45.9% from the field this season.
Here’s more from Minnesota:
- It has yet to be announced, but Kevin Garnett will “definitely” re-sign with the Wolves, Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press reports. Walters also adds that Saunders will “definitely” return as the coach, which confirms a previous report. Garnett only played five games for Minnesota after being traded for Thaddeus Young. The 39-year-old will get a chance to mentor the team’s young talent, including Karl-Anthony Towns, which is something the No. 1 overall pick is looking forward to.
- If the Wolves weren’t able to strike a deal with the Cavs for Tyus Jones, the team would have looked to add a point guard after July 1st, Walters writes in the same piece. “Then we would have had to go and sign somebody in free agency,” Saunders said.
- Had the draft day trade not occurred, the Grizzlies would have chosen the Duke product with the No. 25 pick, sources tell Walters.
Western Rumors: Gasol, Cousins, Aldridge
Marc Gasol has no interest in signing with the Lakers this offseason, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports. The 30-year-old’s lack of interest is primarily because of the uneasy last few years his older brother, Pau, spent with the team, according to numerous people familiar with the situation. The Mavs, Spurs, Knicks and Lakers are reportedly putting together proposals to lure the big man away from the Grizzlies. He made his affection known for the city of Memphis, but has not ruled out any other destination.
Here’s more from around Los Angeles:
- The Lakers would trade No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell to the Kings if that is what it takes to get DeMarcus Cousins, a league source tells Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Daily News. However, Heisler adds that a trade isn’t likely. Kings Owner Vivek Ranadive reportedly gave agent Dan Fegan permission to try to engineer trade proposals that would send Cousins to the Lakers, but Kings front office chief Vlade Divac is instead trying to see if the team can mend the relationship with the 24-year-old center.
- Bresnahan notes in the same piece that LaMarcus Aldridge, who owns a home in Orange County, is a more realistic prize for the Lakers in free agency. The power forward is reportedly growing fond of the team. A maximum salary contract for the big man will cost an estimated $18.96MM and Los Angeles will have some $23MM in cap space once it declines Jordan Hill‘s team option as expected.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Monta Ellis
Monta Ellis entered the league with great expectations for himself. As a senior in high school, Ellis had college coaches as well as NBA scouts regularly attending his games. In 2005, former Mississippi State assistant coach Phil Cunningham heavily recruited Ellis to play for the university. Cunningham laid out the facts for the guard. He told Ellis the expected salaries of each first-round pick and explained the difference between what Chris Paul, a projected top pick in the NBA draft, would make compared to someone drafted toward the end of the first round.
“If you come to Mississippi State for one year, you’re going to be the best player in the SEC. You’ll be MVP of the SEC.” Cunningham told Ellis, according to Jonathan Abrams of Grantland in a full-length article that’s worth a reread. “You’ll probably be first-team All-American. You think if you come here for one year, you can’t be as good as Chris Paul and be a top pick in the draft next year and make this type of money as opposed to going in right now and [then] you’re locked into this lower spot?”
Ellis then looked back at Cunningham, and firmly told the coach that he was already better than Paul.
Since he was drafted 40th overall by the Warriors in the 2006 draft, the 6’3″ guard has played with that level of confidence. In 2010, he called himself the second best player in the league, deferring only to Kobe Bryant. Yet when his six year, $66MM contract expired after the 2012/13 season, Ellis’ stock was at a low point.
The Mavs signed Ellis to a three year, $25MM contract and during his initial season in Dallas, he was arguably the team’s most valuable player. The Mavs made the playoffs and pushed the Spurs to the brink before falling in the first round. At the time, it appeared that Dallas had found a bargain in its contract with Ellis, and it seemed like Ellis had found a long-term home.
A year later, his future isn’t as clear. Ellis has always been a liability on defense and the Mavs felt the need to upgrade the defense in their backcourt, which led to their ill-advised midseason trade for Rajon Rondo. Rondo’s presence on the team left Ellis to play off the ball more often, which is a role that he isn’t best suited for. Ellis had a dreadful second half of the season. He only made 16.9% of his three-point attempts after the All-Star break, but his numbers improved during the postseason when Rondo was putatively sidelined because of a back injury, one that was reportedly a ruse to cover a mutual parting of ways. Ellis isn’t the best spot-up shooter, but he shot a competent 36.8% on left corner threes and 35.0% from the right, according to NBA.com, better marks than players like Goran Dragic and Joe Johnson, to name a few. This advocates that Ellis can fit onto a team that doesn’t plan on making him a primary ball handler, something that could broaden his list of potential suitors.
Ellis only made 26.7% of his three-point shots from above the key. This, coupled with his playmaking ability, suggests that allowing him to be the primary ball handler is the best strategy for the team that employs him. Ellis chose not to exercise his player option worth $8.72MM with the Mavs in search of a more lucrative deal. Dallas reportedly has no intention of giving Ellis the raise he seeks and the team was apparently poised to try to trade the 29-year-old if he had opted in. It appears likely that he will be calling another city home during the 2015/16 season.
Ellis’ body of work probably warrants an eight-figure salary, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors wrote in the Mavs’ offseason outlook. The shooting guard is reportedly eyeing the Hawks, while the Heat and Pacers are interested in the Mississippi native. The Hawks have slightly less than $39.3MM in commitments against a projected $67.1MM cap, but the team is expected to try to retain its free agents, which would most likely bring them over the cap. The Heat have roughly $43MM in commitments for next season. The team has a lucrative offer earmarked for Dragic and also has interest in retaining Luol Deng, who has a player option worth $10.152MM. Miami also has to think about fitting in a potential raise for Dwyane Wade. The Heat presumably views signing Ellis as a backup plan if Wade decides to leave South Beach. Even if Wade departs, with the Heat’s current cap situation, the team would be hard-pressed to shoehorn in a potential $10MM annual salary for Ellis.
Indiana seems like a more logical destination for the shooting guard. The Pacers had slightly more than $36MM in guaranteed salary for 2015/16 as the offseason dawned, but player options for David West and Roy Hibbert loomed as potential complications. Hibbert apparently is opting into the last year of his deal, worth over $15.5MM. West is reportedly opting out of his contract and is reportedly favoring the Knicks as his next team. If the power forward departs, the team could have some $10MM in cap space to play with.
From a basketball standpoint, Indiana offers a good situation for the Relativity Sports client. The Pacers are one of more stable franchises in the NBA and they employ one of the better coaches in the league. George Hill would seemingly be a perfect fit next to Ellis in the backcourt. Hill is a plus defender and he has shown he can be effective without dominating the ball. Ellis could solidify the team’s guard rotation and give the franchise the additional playmaker it’s lacked since Lance Stephenson left town last offseason.
Ellis has connections to a few other franchises. Magic coach Scott Skiles coached Ellis in Milwaukee and Magic assistant coach Mario Elie coached him when he played in Golden State. Ellis played under Nuggets coach Michael Malone while he a Warrior and he has a great deal of respect for his former assistant coach. Both teams have the cap flexibility to accommodate a contract for Ellis. Still, Denver is rebuilding, so an Ellis signing wouldn’t fit in with its projected blueprint. The Magic have a young core and GM Rob Hennigan has hit the veteran market in the past to supplement the roster. However, Ellis’ outside shooting and defensive deficiencies would make him an awkward fit in Orlando.
Ellis hasn’t quite lived up to the superstar status that he projected for himself when he entered the league. Yet, he has the ability to be a major contributor on a real contender. It’s just a matter of finding the correct role and the right supporting cast that will allow him to flourish.
What do you think Ellis will make on his next deal, and where do you think he’ll end up? Let us know in the comments.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Holmes, Okafor, Draft
The Sixers are adopting a take-no-chances philosophy as they wait for news on Joel Embiid, according to Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft, Embiid missed all of last season after undergoing surgery in June to repair a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot. It was reported two weeks ago that a CT scan on Embiid’s foot showed less healing than expected. The best-case scenario, Moore writes, is that specialists decide Embiid just needs rest and will be available for most of the upcoming season. The worst case would be another surgery and another year with no playing time. The organization is determined to have Embiid fully healthy before his first professional game.
- The Sixers may have found another second-round gem in Richaun Holmes, Moore writes in a separate story. The team landed two contributors early in last year’s second round with K.J. McDaniels and Jerami Grant, and Holmes may seize the same opportunity. “Just looking at the NBA and the direction it’s kind of going in, I feel like active guys, energy guys who don’t really need the ball to be effective is kind of what this team needs,” Holmes said. The power forward from Bowling Green had much more to say in an interview with our Zach Links back in April.
- Philadelphia received second round picks in 2020 and 2021 from the Knicks in exchange for the No. 35 pick in Thursday’s draft, Moore tweets. He notes that the only three transactions so far regarding those two drafts have been made by the Sixers.
- The NBA is still a big man’s league, Sixers draftee Jahlil Okafor tells The Associated Press. Okafor was drafted third overall by Philadelphia after the Lakers passed him over for guard D’Angelo Russell. “For as long as I remember, big men have dominated the NBA,” Okafor said Saturday at a news conference. “People got a little excited because of what Steph Curry did — and he was fantastic. But as long as I remember, big men have been dominating and the results have been championships.”
- The Sixers should have used their abundance of second-round picks to deal for a player late in the first round, contends John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News. He cites trades that sent 15th pick Kelly Oubre to the Wizards, 19th selection Jerian Grant to the Knicks and 24th pick Tyus Jones to the Timberwolves. Smallwood wonders why Philadelphia couldn’t make a deal like that, especially considering its need for talent beyond the front court.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Free Agency, Lakers, Russell
The Suns are expected to pursue the biggest names on the market when free agency starts Wednesday, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix will likely make pitches to Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge, while trying to reach a deal with their own free agent, Brandon Knight. The Suns will have an estimated $12MM in cap space to work with, meaning they would have to trade away some salary before signing Love or Aldridge. “We’re going to be aggressive and target the best players,” said GM Ryan McDonough. “I think you’ll see us go after the top guys. We hope to get meetings with some of the top free agents and sell them on all Phoenix has to offer.” Knight, who was acquired from Milwaukee in February, will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Suns can match any offer he receives. He has said he would like to remain in Phoenix.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns should base their free agent campaign on their pursuit of Steve Nash 11 years ago, writes Paola Boivin of The Arizona Republic. Nash was happy in Dallas, Boivin writes, but Phoenix showed how badly it wanted him through a combined effort of the top names in the organization. Chairman Jerry Colangelo chased Nash with a group that included team president Bryan Colangelo, new owner Robert Sarver, coach Mike D’Antoni, minority owner Steve Kerr, director of player personnel David Griffin, agent Bill Duffy and director of basketball operations Rex Chapman. Boivin contends the Suns will need a similar show of force this year to land a top-tier name like Love or Aldridge.
- The Lakers‘ choice of D’Angelo Russell shows they understand the modern NBA, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Spreading the floor and hitting three-pointers has become more important than ever, and Holmes contends a star point guard like Russell is more valuable than a low-post scorer like Jahlil Okafor. “He’s got gifts that you can work really hard and long on and still not acquire those gifts,” GM Mitch Kupchak said of his new guard. “Some of them you’re just born with or somebody sprinkles a little gold dust on you at some point. It’s just there.”
- Russell may have made up the Lakers‘ mind during his second workout with the team, tweets Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times.
Northwest Notes: Booker, Lyles, Wolves, Jones
The Jazz have a July 15th deadline for a decision on the second year of Trevor Booker‘s contract, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Booker is due to make nearly $4.8MM next season if Utah retains him, but only $250K of that is guaranteed. Genessy calls the decision a “no-brainer,” saying the Jazz would be wise to avoid the risks of free agency. (Twitter link). He also tweeted about Utah’s decision to extend a qualifying offer to Joe Ingles, noting that he won the Jazz over with his play in the second part of the season, especially by shooting 42.7% from three-point range.
There’s more news from the Northwest Division:
- Trey Lyles impressed the Jazz in workouts with his ability in the open floor, Genessy writes. Coach Quinn Snyder said Lyles caught the team’s attention with the way he was able to rebound the ball on the defensive end, then push it up court and create opportunities for teammates. “We’ve alluded to the concept of being unselfish,” said GM Dennis Lindsey. “When I saw him play on tape and then here, that resonated with me.” The GM noted that Lyles posted the highest score on an advanced balance test of 104 players who participated in workouts.
- The Wolves aren’t expected to be major players in free agency, according to Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. The team is expected to try to re-sign veteran forward Kevin Garnett and reach a deal with European Nemanja Bjelica, but otherwise won’t be very active. “I’m actually, right now at this point, pretty comfortable,” said Minnesota coach/executive Flip Saunders. Garnett made $12MM last season, but Zgoda estimates his new salary will be around $8MM, and possibly part of a two-year deal that includes an opt-out after the first season. Saunders indicated he would also like to bring back restricted free agent Robbie Hummel, who made $880K last year.
- The Wolves had been looking for a veteran point guard before the draft, Zgoda writes in the same story, but those plans changed when they were able to acquire Tyus Jones from the Cavaliers on draft night. Minnesota may try to reach a cost-effective deal to keep fourth guard Lorenzo Brown, but Saunders said he is “pretty comfortable” with Jones and Zach LaVine backing up Ricky Rubio.
Central Notes: Johnson, Anthony, Vasquez, Bulls
It was Stanley Johnson’s extreme confidence that inspired Detroit to draft him over Justise Winslow, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. “The more we talked to people, we became very confident that this is a guy who’s driven to being great — not just talking about it, but will put in the work to do it,” said Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy. “We really wanted his mentality as much as anything. I think he’s a very confident — maybe cocky, but physical [player].” The Pistons believe Johnson is versatile enough to guard four positions in the NBA, and Van Gundy said he was the draft’s best rebounder at small forward. Detroit also likes Johnson’s improvement as a shooter and his ability to get to the line.
There’s much more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons would like to bring back free unrestricted agent center Joel Anthony, Ellis writes in the same story. Van Gundy sees the 32-year-old as an elder statesman who can be valuable in tutoring younger players. “Obviously we can’t negotiate with him yet, we can’t talk money,” Van Gundy said. “I talked to him [Friday]. Again, we’ve told him consistently we would like to have him back.”
- Bucks GM John Hammond promised to “create some happiness” for newly acquired Greivis Vasquez, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee swung a draft-day deal that brought Vasquez from Toronto in exchange for the 46th pick in Thursday’s draft and a protected first-rounder in 2017. “He’s an energetic guy, got a lot of personality, brings a lot of moxie to the court and to our team,” Hammond said. “As a player, he’s a guy with great vision. You need guys that can pass and catch to play the game, and that’s what Greivis does.” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said Vasquez has the flexibility to play alongside point guard Michael Carter-Williams or serve as his backup. Vasquez will make $6.6MM next season and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
- The Bulls are comfortable with being a tax team next season, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago has only crossed the tax line once in its history.
Hornets Rumors: Batum, Lamb, Clifford
New Hornet Nicolas Batum can expect an expanded role in Charlotte, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Batum, who was acquired from the Blazers Wednesday in exchange for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh, was a third or fourth option in Portland. Charlotte coach Steve Clifford plans to start Batum at shooting guard and run the offense through him, similar to how Hedo Turkoglu once operated when Clifford was an assistant coach in Orlando. “I know my role is going to be different and I like that,” Batum said. “I know I can do a lot of things on the court; I’m a very versatile player. So me and Kemba [Walker] can do great things together.” Batum has one year left on his contract at nearly $11.9MM and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
There’s more news from Charlotte:
- Jeremy Lamb is ready for a “fresh start” with the Hornets, writes Pat James of The Charlotte Observer. The Hornets acquired Lamb from Oklahoma City in a draft-day trade as part of an effort to improve their league-worst three-point shooting. The three-year veteran, who is now with his third team, says Charlotte is a good place for him to showcase his skills. “It gives me an opportunity to try to get a role and just play,” Lamb said. “I’m going to make the most of it. I’m just going to work hard and try my best to put myself in a position to play and have a role on this team.” Still on his rookie deal, Lamb is under the Hornets’ control through the 2016/17 season.
- Clifford thinks the Hornets are much improved after a week that brought three trades and a lottery pick, according to Steve Reed of the Associated Press. In addition to the deals that added Batum and Lamb, Charlotte acquired Spencer Hawes from the Clippers and drafted Frank Kaminsky at No. 9. Clifford said the moves brought “more size, skill and versatility” to the Hornets.
- The Hornets’ priorities in free agency will be finding a third point guard and possibly another shooter, Bonnell tweets. He adds that it’s not certain Bismack Biyombo will receive a qualifying offer. This week’s trades added $5MM to the Hornets payroll. (Twitter link).