Kings Rumors: Rondo, Koufos, Cauley-Stein
George Karl is looking forward to the challenge of handling Rajon Rondo, even though the point guard has clashed with coaches in the past, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Rondo signed a one-year free agent deal with the Kings last month after a stormy half-season in Dallas. He joins an already-rocky situation in Sacramento where Karl and DeMarcus Cousins are trying to repair their relationship after early-summer trade rumors. Karl is aware of the clashes Rondo had with Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, but he wants to offer the point guard a new start in Sacramento. “I just sold him on how I like to let my guys have freedom,” Karl said. “I talked to him once before he signed and it’s going to be fun coaching him. I think he wants to lead our team but he also wants to be part of the decision-making, and that can be somewhat combustible but it can also work at a high level because I think we’re all trying to make the team the best.”
There’s more news out of Sacramento:
- Signing Kosta Koufos and drafting Willie Cauley-Stein has given the Kings a logjam at center, Washburn notes in the same story. Although it may mean pushing Cousins to power forward, Karl is confident he can find ample playing time for all three. “Kosta is solid fundamentally, doesn’t make many mistakes, defensive-minded, tough-minded,” the coach said. “Willie is a young athlete. We have to show him how to play. I think it’s a great combination and how much we play big is all going to be determined on how successful it is.”
- The only surprise in Nancy Lieberman being named an NBA assistant coach is that it took so long, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Lieberman was a college star and Olympic silver medalist back in the 1970s, coached the Mavericks’ D-League team into the playoffs and has worked as an assistant general manager. Despite that, her entry into coaching at the NBA level didn’t come until after the Spurs broke down the barrier by hiring Becky Hammon. “I’m like the loyal dog,” Lieberman said. “My only frustration was wondering if this was ever going to happen – if somebody was ever going to take a look at me and say, ‘She can do this.’”
Free Agent Stock Watch: J.R. Smith
The summer of 2015 provided one of the craziest starts to NBA free agency in recent memory. The projected salary cap rise for a year from now encouraged franchises to spend big on free agents and teams responded by doling out over $2 billion in contracts. J.R. Smith and his agent, Leon Rose, surely anticipated this and expected to draw from the free agency money tree. Thus far, that plan has not borne fruit.
The Cavs would like to have him back, but apparently only on a modest one year deal. The team cautioned Smith against declining his $6.4MM option. While Cleveland has the ability to offer him a deal as lucrative as the one he turned down because it owns his Bird rights, the tax implications behind making such an offer would be pernicious from a financial standpoint. Assuming the Cavs sign Tristan Thompson to the mammoth contract he is holding out for, the team would be well into the luxury tax, meaning every dollar they shell out to Smith would cost them $3.75 or more in tax penalties.
The former Sixth Man of the Year is has reportedly been angling for a three-year contract. The Cavs simply cannot accommodate his request unless owner Dan Gilbert is willing to foot a massive tax bill over the next few years. Cleveland doesn’t have any significant money coming off the books in the next couple of seasons and it will have to account for a monstrous new contract for center Timofey Mozgov. Mozgov’s arrival turned a below-average defense into a stable unit, and he played a integral role in the team’s slaughtering of Eastern Conference foes en route to the NBA Finals. Gilbert may be willing to pay a large bill a year from now to retain a difference maker in Mozgov, but he’s most likely not going to do that for Smith.
Cleveland will reportedly let the market dictate what kind of contract it offers Smith, in an example of a team properly forecasting the NBA economy. The Cavs recognize that New York had to attach Iman Shumpert to the deal that sent Smith to Cleveland in order to move him, and if any team thought Smith was worth the price of his previous contract, it would have just taken him off Phil Jackson‘s hands for nothing.
The Jazz, Trail Blazers and Sixers are the only teams that are hoarding enough cap space to entertain a salary comparable to the option that Smith turned down. Philadelphia had ill-matched interest in Smith, but that interest has faded, according to Hoops Rumors contributor Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. Smith wants to be somewhere he can make a difference and he is just not a fit for any of the teams that are left with cap space.
Charlotte has the ability to offer the 29-year-old the full value of the mid-level exception, worth $5.464MM, as the team’s Salary Cap Page shows. The free agent market has dried up considerably and few remaining players outside of Smith can reasonably anticipate receiving a contract for nearly that amount. Let’s assume Smith is willing to concede on the value of his annual salary in favor of a longer deal that has more guaranteed money. The Hornets present an alluring situation for the shooting guard.
The team made a few gleaming upgrades this offseason with an eye on improving its overall shooting. New addition Nicolas Batum could slide into the starting two spot next to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at the three to solidify the team’s starting five. The team added Jeremy Lin, in a team-friendly deal, to presumably run the second unit. After the top six players, the roster gets murky. The big man rotation looks to be adequate, especially if Frank Kaminsky’s game can translate immediately as expected, but the chatter about playing Kidd-Gilchrist at the four could further extend an already thin wing rotation.
The Hornets picked up Jeremy Lamb as a follow-up to the Lance Stephenson trade. Lamb showed flashes of becoming a serviceable rotation piece last season, but his inconsistency led him to see the bench more often than not for a Thunder team that was derailed with injuries. P.J. Hairston could be a contributor, but after a less-than-stellar rookie season in which he shot 30.1% from behind the arc, the prospect of increasing his role doesn’t bode well for a team looking to make the playoffs.
Smith can be a reliable and somewhat efficient offensive weapon. After being traded to Cleveland, his slash line improved from .402/.356/.692 in New York to .425/.390/.818. He was simply taking better shots. He went from being a second option on offense for the Knicks to arguably the fifth option (LeBron James is option one and two), and he mostly played within his lane. Kemba Walker, Al Jefferson and Batum would all rank ahead of him on offensive totem pole should he sign with Charlotte, which would give him a poor man’s version of what he had on the court with the Cavs. Signing with the Hornets would aid Smith in centralizing his focus on basketball as well.
“I think [Cleveland] is the best situation for me, ’cause there’s nothing but basketball. There’s nothing you expect but basketball. There’s nothing, there’s no going out, there’s no late nights. There’s video games, basketball and basketball. So it’s a great thing, ’cause I go back to where I came from,” Smith said after being traded last season.
Nobody is mistaking the city of Charlotte for New York, Los Angeles or Miami in terms of its nightlife scene, so relocating to the Queen City may give the 29-year-old a similar environment to the one in which he thrived in Cleveland.
This is purely speculative, as the Hornets have not been linked to Smith in free agency, but adding the shooting guard makes sense for the team from an on-court perspective. Smith’s off-court antics, coupled with the franchise’s recent disaster signing of Stephenson, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors discussed in his weekly chat, may impede a potential pairing. Charlotte clearly intends to compete for a playoff spot this season, but the team has noticeable flaws on its roster. The expected rise in the salary cap over the next few seasons, along with the team’s ability to use the stretch provision, should mitigate the risk of offering Smith a two-year deal worth the mid-level exception, and the Hornets should take the opportunity to add talent at such a minimal cost.
What kind of deal do you think Smith will end up signing? Leave a comment to let us know.
Western Notes: Williams, Asik, Rondo
Devin Harris hopes to have a “rejuvenated” Deron Williams with the Mavericks next season, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Williams signed a two-year deal with Dallas last month after being waived by the Nets.
“I know what kind of player he is,” Harris said of Williams, whom he was once traded for. “I know he’s excited to be rejuvenated here, especially coming back home. And you know, hopefully he can kind of rejuvenate what he’s been doing, play at a high level and get us to where we need to be.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- The Pelicans signed Omer Asik to a five-year, $58MM contract this offseason and Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders believes it is one of the worst contracts handed out this offseason. The writer cites Asik’s age as well as the declining value of the traditional center as reason for the pessimism. Only $44MM of the center’s deal is fully guaranteed, so the team could get out from the contract if needed after only four years.
- Dowsett also lists Rajon Rondo‘s new pact with Sacramento as a deal that the team will ultimately regret. Rondo’s deal is for $9.5MM over one season, but Dowsett believes the Kings could have signed the point guard for less due to the lack of suitors, which would have allowed the team to spend elsewhere.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
Lakers To Work Out Bobby Brown
The Lakers will work out Bobby Brown on Monday, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report reports (Instagram link). Brown has played in the Drew League as well as the Pan Am Games in Toronto for the U.S. National Team this summer.
The combo guard played for the Dongguan Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association last season. He last played in the NBA during the 2009-10 season for the Clippers.
The Lakers currently only have 12 fully guaranteed contracts on the books. The team’s guard rotation isn’t a finished product, but the players on the roster are projected to soak up a majority of the minutes. Jordan Clarkson and first-round pick D’Angelo Russell should split time at the one spot with new addition Lou Williams projected to play some minutes there in addition to the shooting guard position. The team also has Nick Young, Jabari Brown and of course Kobe Bryant to play the two, so if the 30-year-old signs with Los Angeles, he would most likely only see court-time should there be an injury.
Pacific Notes: Speights, Morris, Clippers’ Depth
Marreese Speights wants to reward the Warriors for picking up the team option on the final year of his contract, which is worth $3.815MM, Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com writes. The Big Man has emphasized conditioning thus far in his offseason workouts and he hopes the hard work translates into a bigger role on the team.
“So coming into this year, I’m going to prepare differently so that I’ll come into camp in the best shape I’ve ever been. And hopefully that will give me a chance to get more consistent minutes,” the Florida product said.
Speights will have competition for back-up frontcourt minutes with new addition Jason Thompson coming into the fold and Festus Ezeli primed to take on a bigger role.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division.
- Markieff Morris‘ situation has created uncertainty for the Suns, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes. Morris reportedly wants out of Phoenix and trading the forward probably makes sense for both parties. Blancarte argues that because of his team-friendly contract, which has three years and $24MM remaining on it, Morris could be a valuable oncourt addition to another franchise. However, the Suns are likely to receive a less than stellar return for the 25-year-old, similar to what the Nuggets netted for Ty Lawson, because of his offcourt issues.
- New additions Lance Stephenson, Wesley Johnson, Paul Pierce and Josh Smith bring some much needed versatility to the Clippers, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com writes. Smith’s ability to play the center position, which he did 12% of the time last season for the Rockets, should give Los Angeles the ammunition to matchup against top small-ball lineups, such as the Warriors’ lineup with Draymond Green at center.
Heat Rumors: Chalmers, Andersen, Green, Draft
The Heat would probably lack the depth needed to contend for a title if they ship out Mario Chalmers or Chris Andersen for luxury tax relief, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Miami recently got a measure of tax relief by trading Shabazz Napier to the Magic, but rumors persist that Chalmers, Andersen or Josh McRoberts could be sent elsewhere before the season begins. Winderman argues that dealing Chalmers or Andersen for little in return would damage the Heat by leaving them without veteran backups at point guard or center.
There’s more tonight from Miami:
- The Heat should wait until at least midseason before making any more luxury tax moves, Winderman argues in the same piece. He contends the team needs a strong start after missing the playoffs last season, and that is more likely with all the veteran backups still around. Because the luxury tax is based on the season-ending roster, Miami could make a tax-relief deal or two during the season if it decides to pursue that strategy. He notes that owner Micky Arison is dedicated to keeping a “sustainable business model” as well as building a successful team.
- Gerald Green feels “blessed” to be in Miami, according to Joe Beguiristain of NBA.com. Green, who signed a one-year minimum deal with the Heat last month, is happy to be reuniting with Goran Dragic, who helped Green post career highs in scoring and 3-point shooting percentage during their year together in Phoenix. “I never had anybody to make me better like that,” Green said. “He [Dragic] attacks the teeth of the defense, he puts pressure on the defense and he just does a great job of drawing two [or] three defenders.”
- A series of trades has left the Heat low on draft picks over the next six years, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami has just three first-rounders and two second-rounders remaining in that span. That could change, although the odds seem remote, if Orlando has a top-five record next year or if Boston does in 2019.
Northwest Notes: Exum, Hanlan, Donovan
The Jazz have several options to replace the injured Dante Exum, according to Zach Lowe of Grantland. Exum tore the ACL in his left knee Tuesday while playing for the Australian National Team and is expected to miss the entire 2015/16 season. Utah currently has about $6.7MM in unused cap room, Lowe notes, along with four nonguaranteed contracts. By opening up some more room, the Jazz could fit Jose Calderon if the Knicks decide to dump his salary or they could make a play for Pelicans free agent Norris Cole. Another option is to target guards on teams seeking luxury tax relief, such as Miami’s Mario Chalmers or Oklahoma City’s D.J. Augustin. Lowe reported in April that Utah was hoping to trade its first-round pick for a point guard, but couldn’t find any takers.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz would have preferred to keep Olivier Hanlan in Idaho for this season, tweets Andy Larsen of KSL.com, but the small D-League salaries made that impractical. Hanlan, the 42nd pick in this year’s draft, signed with Zalgiris Kaunas of Lithuania.
- Thunder coach Billy Donovan’s journey to the NBA began in earnest when Rick Pitino became his coach at Providence, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Frustrated over a lack of playing time, Donovan was thinking of leaving Providence before prior to his junior year when Pitino took over as coach. As a senior, Donovan averaged more than 20 points per game and played in the Final Four, launching his career, briefly as an NBA player, and ultimately as a coach.
Spurs Rumors: Luxury Tax, Marjanovic, Hammon
The Spurs‘ offseason maneuvers could put them over the luxury tax for the first time since 2011/12, according to Mike Monroe of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio, which added free agent LaMarcus Aldridge and re-signed Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, has 16 players under contract at a total of $87.073MM. That figure is more than $17MM over the $70MM salary cap and more than $2.33MM over the luxury tax threshold. That would saddle the Spurs with a tax payment of about $4.1MM, although that likely will change because the tax is imposed based on the end-of-season roster. Thirteen of the Spurs’ contacts are guaranteed in full. Matt Bonner has a $947,276 veteran’s minimum deal with just under $750K guaranteed. Jimmer Fredette also has a veteran’s minimum deal with only $507K guaranteed. Reggie Williams is still on the roster with a non-guaranteed $1.185MM contract.
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Boban Marjanovic told Blic Sports (translation via Projectspurs) that he had hoped to play for the Serbian National Team at Eurobasket, but the Spurs nixed the idea. “From the first days of preparation there was a great atmosphere in the team,” Marjanovic said. “It’s a fantastic group of guys that I am convinced that it will be able to achieve the desired goal and placed on the Olympics.” Marjanovic signed a one-year deal with San Antonio last month.
- Becky Hammon, who made history as the NBA’s first female assistant coach, told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that she is encouraged to see so many women receive coaching opportunites. Since Hammon’s hiring, the Kings added Nancy Lieberman as an assistant and the Arizona Cardinals made Jen Welter the first female assistant coach in the NFL. “I’m just happy other women are getting opportunities,” Hammon said. “There are just so many capable women out there, and I’m glad to be in the same sentence. It was just a tremendous month for the ladies.”
Southeast Notes: Beal, Wizards, Ejim
The Wizards‘ new group of perimeter backups could make Bradley Beal more effective and help him stay away from injury, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. A series of mishaps has limited Beal to 56, 73 and 63 games in his first three NBA seasons, but his minutes per game should be reduced next year with the offseason additions of Gary Neal, Jared Dudley, Alan Anderson and Kelly Oubre. Neal signed with Washington as a free agent. The Wizards sent a second-round pick to Milwaukee in exchange for Dudley in a July trade. Anderson signed as a free agent after two years in Brooklyn. And Oubre was acquired in a draft-night deal with Atlanta. “I think Jared is going to help us out tremendously,” Beal said. “Alan is going to help us out. … I’m excited. We still have a great team, still have our core together and it’s just a matter of going out and getting the job done again.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The loss of free agent Kevin Seraphin to the Knicks may force the Wizards to fully commit to a small-ball approach, according to Seth Partnow of The Washington Post. Washington had success with that strategy during the playoffs, and Partnow argues that the improvement of Otto Porter Jr. means that the Wizards’ best bet is a lineup with John Wall, one big man and three shooters.
- Melvin Ejim’s deal with the Magic is for two years at the minimum salary, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The former Iowa State star will receive $150K guaranteed in the first season.
Pistons Rumors: Baynes, Blake, Jackson
Aron Baynes was Detroit’s top offseason target for its frontcourt, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. The Australian center signed with the Pistons in July after San Antonio chose not to extend a qualifying offer, and coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is confident that Baynes has talents he was never able to show with the Spurs because he was surrounded by so many good players. “What we saw was a real physical guy at both ends of the floor – a good, solid rebounder and an offensively skilled guy who can shoot the ball, who can post, who’s comfortable putting the ball on the floor and going to dribble handoffs and playing that way,” Van Gundy said. He added that team scouts were especially impressed with what they saw from Baynes in international play.
There’s more tonight out of Detroit:
- Newly acquired Steve Blake won’t have a defined role if Brandon Jennings is fully recovered from an Achilles injury, Langlois writes in a separate story. Blake, who ended last season with Blazers, has been traded to Brooklyn and then to Detroit during the summer. Even if Jennings returns, Blake may be able to earn playing time, based on the assessment of Van Gundy’s brother, former NBA coach and current broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy. “That’s one of the things my brother said when we talked about the trade,” Stan Van Gundy said. “He said, ‘If I had to bet, I’d say he finds a way to get on the floor no matter what.’ That’s sort of what he’s always done. He’s found a way to play.” Blake is entering the final season of the two-year contract he signed with Portland.
- Even if Jennings hadn’t gotten hurt last season, Van Gundy likely would have made the deal that brought Reggie Jackson from Oklahoma City to Detroit, contends David Mayo of MLive. Jackson offers more size at point guard, Mayo notes, and Van Gundy likes having bigger players on the perimeter. Although the Pistons may not have pursued the three-team trade without Jennings’ injury, Mayo argues that they would have accepted it, assuming it had been proposed. Jennings will become a free agent next summer when his three-year, $24MM contract expires.