Kings Rumors: Rondo, Cousins, Mbah a Moute
Rajon Rondo had wanted to play with DeMarcus Cousins for a while, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who hears from the point guard about just how enticing the chance to play with his fellow former Kentucky Wildcat is.
“What made me comfortable is them having the best big man in the game,” Rondo said of Cousins. “It was a pretty easy decision. I think he’s definitely an MVP candidate and I look forward to playing with him and helping him grow as a player.”
Of course, plenty of rumors suggest Cousins isn’t long for Sacramento, but Rondo told Kennedy that he thinks much of the reported acrimony between Cousins and coach George Karl has been overblown. Rondo had plenty of kind words for the Mavericks despite his turmoil in Dallas, but he makes it clear he’s excited about Sacramento. There’s more on Rondo amid the latest from the California capital:
- Rondo’s one-year contract with the Kings is worth $9.5MM, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- Michael Malone said he felt “awful” for Tyrone Corbin, who guided a struggling Kings team after Sacramento fired Malone as coach in December last year, but the new Nuggets coach also told Grantland’s Zach Lowe that the Kings’ losing ways under Corbin “validated the job that my staff and I did.”
- Malone also dished to Lowe on his relationship with Cousins. “That relationship was constant work. Constant. But we came to a deep respect,” Malone said in part.
- The Kings had signed Luc Mbah a Moute for $1.55MM, an above-minimum salary, before voiding his contract Thursday because he failed his physical, Pincus tweets.
- Kings coach George Karl said he and management wanted to re-sign Derrick Williams but simply couldn’t afford him, as the coach tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. A source close to Karl who spoke to Berman nonetheless impugned Williams’ basketball IQ and said Karl tore into the forward on one occasion for his lack of rebounding. Williams left for a two-year, $8.8MM deal with the Knicks. “It was more of fitting the finances and making the finances work,’’ Karl said. “There are other pieces we wanted and we couldn’t have enough money for him.’’
Latest On Talks Between Celtics, Jordan Mickey
The Celtics and No. 33 pick Jordan Mickey reached an impasse early Thursday, but by afternoon, their talks seemed back on track, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, who indicates that Mickey will be on Boston’s roster for this coming season one way or another. The Celtics offered a four-year deal with two guaranteed seasons, but Mickey sought a shorter deal, Bulpett hears. The Matt Babcock client was prepared to sign the required tender, a one-year, non-guaranteed contract at the minimum salary, when Boston wouldn’t make concessions, as Bulpett details. However, Mickey’s camp was again talking about a long-term arrangement with the Celtics by Thursday afternoon, according to Bulpett.
The C’s first offer represented the most lucrative given to a second-round pick, Bulpett writes. It’s unclear if that would have been the richest for a second-round pick this year or in any year, though because the minimum salary goes up each season, it’s not difficult to envision second-rounders receiving deals of ever-increasing size. Players picked in the first half of the second round, like Mickey, commonly receive a few hundred thousand more than the minimum in year one. An exception was K.J. McDaniels, last year’s No. 32 pick, who chose the required tender rather than a four-year deal with the Sixers, a move that appeared to pay off.
Mickey and the Celtics began negotiations just this week with apparent confidence that a deal would get done. The big man from LSU told Zach Links of Hoops Rumors before the draft that he was drawing strong first-round interest. He’s put up 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game across six summer league appearances.
Rockets, Pistons, Lakers Interested In Ty Lawson
The Rockets, Pistons and Lakers are among the teams that have expressed interest in Ty Lawson lately, league sources told Chris Mannix of SI.com, who suggests that their interest persists in spite of Lawson’s arrest on suspicion of DUI this week. The possibility that the Nuggets trade Lawson this offseason remains strong, Mannix adds. The point guard’s talent continues to hold intrigue to teams around the league, as Mannix explains.
The news is nonetheless surprising, and conflicts with a report from earlier this week indicating that teams were showing little interest, at best, in Lawson even before the arrest, which was his second DUI-related arrest in six months. Denver was asking for a first-round pick and a young player in talks, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports wrote in that dispatch, while Yahoo Sports colleague Adrian Wojnarowski heard that teams had been waiting, prior to the arrest, for the Nuggets to lower their price for Lawson.
A league source tells Mannix that Kings coach George Karl would welcome Lawson in Sacramento, echoing just what a person familiar with Karl’s thinking told Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck in February. Still, Lawson’s off-court issues were a significant reason why the Kings weren’t willing to give the Nuggets the No. 6 pick when they spoke with Denver about Lawson before the draft.
Lawson’s troubles extend beyond his legal woes. He was late reporting back to the Nuggets after the All-Star break, and GM Tim Connelly publicly implored him to “grow up.” The Nuggets used their first-rounder, at No. 7, on point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, a move that prompted an incredulous reaction from Lawson when he was watching on television.
The Nuggets are set to pay Lawson more than $12.404MM this season and more than $13.213MM in 2016/17, though Mannix suggests he’s more of a bargain than those figures may indicate, given the escalating salary cap. Still, he’d be an awkward fit in Detroit, where the Pistons just made a lucrative commitment to Reggie Jackson and traded this week for backup point guard Steve Blake. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press surmises that if Detroit had interest, that’s probably no longer the case (Twitter link). The Lakers drafted point guard D’Angelo Russell No. 2 overall last month, so there’s little logic behind a Lawson pursuit on their account, either. The Rockets just re-signed Patrick Beverley, though his deal is worth just $23MM over four years.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 7/16/15
The unsuccessful tenure of Deron Williams in Brooklyn came to an end this week with the two sides reaching a buyout agreement. Williams never became the superstar the team envisioned when it acquired him from the Jazz during the 2010/11 campaign, and his time in Brooklyn ended with a whimper instead of a bang. The 31-year-old wasn’t out of work for long, with him quickly agreeing to a two-year pact with the point guard starved Mavericks.
Now here’s my segue into the question(s) of the day: Will Deron Williams revitalize his career with the Mavs, and does he make Dallas a playoff-caliber team?
Admittedly, I snuck two questions in for the price of one today, but they do go hand-in-hand. If Williams can somehow turn back the clock on his weary legs and put up numbers similar to what he did in Utah, the Mavericks would certainly have to be taken seriously in the Southwest Division. If not, then the team is likely headed for the draft lottery. What’s your take on Williams’ departure from Brooklyn and arrival in the Lone Star State? Will the change of locales, and return to his home state of Texas, revitalize him? Or is he done for good as an upper-tier playmaker? What are your predictions for the Mavs’ record this season? If you’re a disgruntled Nets fan who just needs some closure, feel free to vent your feelings as well. We look forward to what you have to say.
Of course, there will always be differing opinions. 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.
And-Ones: NBPA, Hackett, Whittington
NBPA head Michele Roberts released a statement today in response to commissioner Adam Silver’s recent comments where he indicated that several NBA teams were still losing money despite the salary givebacks and enhanced revenue sharing agreed upon in the last CBA (h/t RealGM). “Under the CBA, we do not have a gross compensation system. The players’ 50% share is calculated net of a substantial amount of expenses and deductions,” Roberts said. “New and renovated arenas around the league have proven to be revenue drivers, profit centers, and franchise valuation boosters. That has been the case over the past few years in Orlando, Brooklyn, and New York, to name a few. In some instances, owners receive arena revenues that are not included in BRI. Many teams also receive generous arena subsidies, loans and other incentives from state and local governments as part of their arena deals.”
Roberts concluded by adding, “Virtually every business metric demonstrates that our business is healthy. Gate receipts, merchandise sales and TV ratings are all at an all-time high. Franchise values have risen exponentially in recent years, and the NBA has enjoyed high single digit revenue growth since 2010/11.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- A league source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that there are approximately 10 NBA teams that are currently losing money.
- Terdema Ussery, a finalist for the union executive director position that went to Roberts, is leaving his position as president and CEO of the Mavericks effective August 30th, the team announced via press release. He’ll join Under Armour, the Mavs said.
- Former Georgetown forward Greg Whittington has three partially guaranteed deals on the table from NBA squads, Shams Charania of RealGM tweets. The undrafted 22-year-old has averaged 15.7 points per game during Las Vegas Summer League play, Charania notes.
- Shooting guard Daniel Hackett, who worked out for the Knicks, has officially signed with Olympiacos of Greece, the team announced (translation by Enea Trapani of Sportando).
- Austin Rivers‘ two-year deal with the Clippers will pay him $3.1MM for next season, $3.3MM for the 2016/17 campaign, and the guard has a player option included in his contract for the final season, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- The deal that Nemanja Bjelica inked with the Timberwolves will pay him $3.95MM for the 2015/16 season, $3.8MM the following year, $3.95MM during the 2017/18 campaign, and all three seasons are fully guaranteed, Pincus relays (on Twitter).
Eastern Notes: Wizards, Canaan, Nets
The Wizards let the remaining $2,252,089 of their Trevor Ariza trade exception expire Wednesday. The exception, gained when Washington signed-and-traded Ariza to the Rockets, was originally worth $8,579,089. The Wizards used most of that initial amount to acquire Kris Humphries and Ramon Sessions in separate deals. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Markel Brown added another $50K in partially guaranteed money, now totaling $150K, to his $845,059 contract for the 2015/16 season when he remained on the Nets‘ roster through Wednesday, as the schedule of salary guarantee dates shows.
- As a result of remaining on the Sixers‘ roster through Wednesday, Isaiah Canaan‘s 2015/16 salary of $947,276 became fully-guaranteed.
- Quincy Miller picked up a $50K partial guarantee on his $981,348 salary this season with the Nets, courtesy of him sticking on the Nets‘ roster through Wednesday.
- Forbes magazine estimated the value of the Nets to be $1.5 billion, which is a higher figure than the team’s internal valuation, which is $1.3 billion, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily relays (via Twitter).
- Heat small forward James Ennis said that the combination of Miami’s packed frontcourt and his non-guaranteed deal has placed a significant amount of stress on him, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets. The 25-year-old made 62 appearances for the Heat last season, averaging 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 17.0 minutes per game.
- Tobias Harris‘ four-year deal with the Magic will pay him $16MM this coming season, $17.2MM in 2016/17, $16MM in the third year, and $14.8MM during the 2018/19 campaign, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2015/16 Roster Counts: Philadelphia 76ers
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 Sixers’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Philadelphia’s roster.
(Last Updated 4-6-16, 7:30am)
Fully Guaranteed (15)
- Elton Brand (F) — 6’9″/36 years old. Free agent signing.
- Isaiah Canaan (G) — 6’0″/24 years old. Acquired via trade with Rockets.
- Robert Covington (F) — 6’9″/24 years old. Free agent signing.
- Joel Embiid (C) — 7’0″/21 years old. Drafted with No. 3 overall pick in 2014.
- Jerami Grant (F) — 6’8″/21 years old. Drafted with No. 39 overall pick in 2014.
- Richaun Holmes (F) — 6’10″/21 years old. Drafted with No. 37 overall pick in 2015.
- Carl Landry (F) — 6’9″/31 years old. Acquired via trade with Kings.
- Kendall Marshall (G) — 6’4″/24 years old. Free agent signing.
- T.J. McConnell (G) — 6’2″/23 years old. Free agent signing.
- Nerlens Noel (F/C) — 6’11″/21 years old. Draft rights acquired via Pelicans.
- Jahlil Okafor (C) — 6’11″/19 years old. Drafted with No. 3 overall pick in 2015.
- Ish Smith (G) — 6’0″/27 years old. Acquired via trade with Pelicans.
- Nik Stauskas (G) — 6’6″/21 years old. Acquired via trade with Kings.
- Hollis Thompson (G/F) — 6’8″/24 years old. Free agent signing.
- Christian Wood (F) — 6’11″/20 years old. Free agent signing.
10-Day Contracts (0)
- None
TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (15)
Clippers Sign Josh Smith
8:39pm: The signing is official, the Clippers announced.
5:40pm: The deal is for one year and the veteran’s minimum, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets.
4:15pm: The Clippers and unrestricted free agent Josh Smith are finalizing a deal that would bring the veteran to Los Angeles for next season, both Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter) and Shams Charania of RealGM report (Twitter links). Smith’s agent, Wallace Prather, confirms that the two sides have come to terms on a one-year contract, Marc Berman of Fox 26 tweets.
The 29-year-old appeared in 55 games for the Rockets last season after he was surprisingly waived by the Pistons, averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 25.5 minutes per contest. His career numbers through 11 seasons in the NBA are 15.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 3.2 APG, with a slash line of .455/.285/.633.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com reported on Monday that the Clippers were interested in Smith, and the Kings and Mavericks were also reportedly keen on adding the forward to their rosters. Smith had also expressed a strong interest in re-signing with Rockets, who certainly helped him rebuild his career in the wake of his unceremonious exit from Detroit.
The Clippers have been quite active this offseason in addressing their needs for outside shooting. The team also signed veteran small forward Paul Pierce, and acquired swingman Lance Stephenson from the Hornets. Smith can certainly provide depth at both forward spots, though his questionable shot selection has made coaches and fans scream in frustration on numerous occasions throughout his career.
Latest On K.J. McDaniels
The Rockets are still in talks with restricted free agent K.J. McDaniels regarding the player re-signing and returning to Houston, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The franchise wishes to use the mid-level exception, worth $5,464,000 to ink the swingman, Watkins adds. It’s not clear what contract length and annual salary the player is seeking.
McDaniels has received what Watkins refers to as a “strong offer” from another team, though the ESPN scribe doesn’t mention which franchise that may be. No offer sheet has been signed by the swingman as of yet, notes Watkins. Houston would have three days to match any signed offer sheet it received for the player, which the team reportedly intends to do, as a result of tendering McDaniels a qualifying offer worth slightly more than $1.045MM. The Knicks were one franchise that was reported to be interested in the second-year guard out of Clemson, though it’s unknown if they are the team that has made McDaniels a contract offer.
In 62 appearances split between the Sixers and Rockets last season, including 15 as a starter while with Philly, McDaniels averaged 7.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 21.8 minutes per contest. His slash line was .396/.287/.752. McDaniels is a solid perimeter defender, and his skillset and upside are a tantalizing combination, which makes it a bit surprising that he hasn’t garnered more interest this offseason. That’s likely due to the fear that Houston would match any reasonable offer, but that’s merely my speculation.
Pelicans Notes: Cole, Asik, Ajinca, Cunningham
Pelicans GM Dell Demps said this week that the versatility of his roster from this past season factored into his decision to bring back much of the same cast, as John Reid of The Times Picayune chronicles. New Orleans has signed four of its seven free agents, and Reid hears the Pelicans remain interested in re-signing restricted free agent Norris Cole.
”We believe our team can play big, we can play small and we can play fast,” Demps said. ”We feel like we can play a number of different ways. The guys like each other, they like playing with each other and their skills complement each other.”
Demps said the limited number of games that involved the entire core of the team, which again was without Jrue Holiday for nearly half the season, was another reason why he wanted to keep the roster largely intact, Reid notes, and that echoes similar statements Demps made last year. Here’s more from New Orleans:
- The full value of Omer Asik‘s deal is $58MM, but only the first four years, at $44MM, are guaranteed, Reid writes. “In our division, you are playing a number of teams with very good post players,” Demps said. ”Omer gives us the opportunity to match up against certain teams. Omer is an elite rebounder and has been throughout his NBA career.”
- The precise value of the cap hits across the four seasons in Alexis Ajinca‘s new contract with the Pelicans comes to $19,500,002, though incentive clauses are liable to change that figure over the course of the pact, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link).
- Dante Cunningham will make exactly $8,934,750 on his new deal with the Pelicans, according to Pincus (Twitter link).