Cavs Notes: Williams, Jefferson, Smith, Shumpert
Having a healthy roster for the first time in more than a year is cutting into the playing time of some Cavaliers veterans, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon-Journal. It’s a situation that Anderson Varejao has been dealing with all year. Now Mo Williams is joining him and Richard Jefferson could be in the same situation, Lloyd speculates. Williams signed with the Cavs over the summer to handle the point guard duties while Kyrie Irving recovered from a fractured kneecap. Now that Irving is healthy, Williams’ playing time has plummeted. He was held out of a game against the Suns last week, then played just five minutes against the Warriors and 10 against the Blazers. Lloyd writes that it’s obvious Williams has fallen to third on the point guard depth chart behind Irving and Matthew Dellavedova. “Guys gotta understand and I’ve told them this, only so many guys can play,” said coach David Blatt. “That’s just the reality of the limitations of the game. Some guys may find themselves for no other reason other than that not playing many minutes or not playing at all.”
There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:
- Some veterans on the team weren’t happy with Blatt’s decision to not play Jefferson in the Christmas Day game against Golden State, Lloyd writes in the same piece. The writer believes Blatt will have to eventually decide between Jefferson and J.R. Smith for a rotation spot. Smith is currently a starter, but Lloyd expects Iman Shumpert to take over his role when Irving’s minutes restriction is lifted.
- Williams showed up at the locker room barely an hour before game time Saturday, then seemed to be a reluctant participant in cheering his teammates, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The writer sees the Cavs as primed for another run at the NBA Finals, but warns a counterproductive influence could help derail that.
- Cleveland’s renewed defensive prowess has coincided with Shumpert’s return to the lineup, Lloyd writes in a separate story. Since Shumpert came back from a wrist injury three weeks ago, the Cavs lead the league in defensive field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage and are behind only the Spurs in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Trade Candidate: Jahlil Okafor
For much of the 2014/15 campaign, many pegged Jahlil Okafor as the top prospect for the 2015 draft. His footwork, ball-handling skills and overall fundamentals enraptured scouts and fans alike. Yet after two months of NBA action and several off–court incidents, questions remain about whether the big man can become a franchise cornerstone.
Part of the issue is the fit in Philadelphia. Okafor has no future in the league playing any position besides the five spot, something that’s even more true with the small-ball trend taking over the league. The problem, at least on the court, lies in the personnel around him. Nerlens Noel is clearly a center despite playing over half of his minutes at the four spot. Joel Embiid showcased some outside shooting during his time in college, but there is little evidence that he can play any position beside the five at the NBA level. Whenever the Sixers get out of the rebuilding industry and start looking to field a competitive team, they’ll have some decisions to make, as there is just no room at the inn for all these big men.
Making a trade will be the logical option at some point and maximizing value has been a constant during the Sam Hinkie administration. The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday just months after he appeared in his first All-Star Game, and they dealt Michael Carter-Williams when he was the reigning Rookie of the Year. Okafor’s trade value has probably taken a hit since he came into the league, but young big men with his kind of talent don’t become available very often, and if the Sixers dangle him in trade discussions, they should be able to fetch an excellent return.
Earlier in the season, John Smallwood of The Daily News wondered if the Sixers should consider a trade for Derrick Rose. Franchise-altering stars rarely become available, and although Rose hasn’t consistently played at an MVP level since injuring his knees, this is the type of move the Sixers should be making if they’re going to claim a strategy of championship-or-bust. Smallwood suggested the team offer the Lakers’ pick, which was acquired in the MCW trade, and one other late first-round pick for Rose. That Lakers pick is one of the league’s best trade assets, given Los Angeles’ struggles, and it may not make sense to give that up for the gamble that Rose has become. A deal centered around Okafor and Rose would be better for Philadelphia, and it would make sense for Chicago.
The Bulls have an anemic offense and the team chemistry has been shaky to say the least. With Jimmy Butler‘s emergence as a No. 1 option, the Bulls may be better off retooling around their star wing. Chicago has reportedly made Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah available in search of an upgrade on the wing opposite to Butler. Finding value for Noah would be tricky, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors noted in Noah’s trade candidate piece, and trading Gibson would likely net a greater return, but it carries the risk of turning a position of strength into one of weakness if Noah and Pau Gasol depart after the season. In addition to adding a young pillar who could help carry the team offensively, the acquisition of Okafor would allow Chicago to explore the trade market for another perimeter player.
Philadelphia would have to include other players in order to have the financial ability to acquire Rose, as Okafor is making roughly $4.58MM this season and the Sixers currently sit nearly $10MM under the salary cap. They could toss Carl Landry with his $6.5MM salary and Isaiah Canaan, who is making slightly over $947K, into a package with Okafor and they would have a successful trade from a salary matching standpoint. Both sides would likely argue that the other should attach an asset to make a deal happen, but I’d speculate that Chicago would ultimately have to pony up a little more value, such as a protected first-round pick, to get a deal done because of the size of Rose’s deal.
His contract, which has slightly over $41.4MM remaining on it and includes a 15% trade kicker, makes acquiring him a deterrent for nearly every franchise. Yet Philadelphia is built a little differently than the typical NBA team. Acquiring Rose and his massive contract wouldn’t carry the same opportunity cost for Philadelphia as it would for the other 28 franchises to do the same. As noted above, The Sixers are nearly $10MM under the cap this season and the team has only slightly more than $25.5MM in guaranteed salary on the books against a projected $89MM salary for the 2016/17 season, as our Salary Cap Projection page indicates. Philadelphia hasn’t spent all of its cap space in any season during the Sam Hinkie era and there have been rumors that agents would steer their clients away from signing in Philly once they were ready spend. The presence of Jerry Colangelo might bring change to that, but the team can’t reasonably believe a true star is going to arrive via free agency yet.
Rose, who has missed the last few games because of his hamstring injury, hasn’t resembled anything close to a franchise player this season, averaging just 14.4 points, 5.1 assist and 0.6 steals per game, while shooting 38.6% from the field, including an icy 24.6% from behind the arc. The Memphis product has suffered numerous injuries over the last calendar year, including a torn right knee meniscus and a sprained left ankle. His preseason orbital fracture led him to spend two weeks in a dark room doing almost nothing, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Having that type of facial injury has to alter your mental psyche on the court, and the Sixers would give Rose an environment this season where he could simply work on his game, similar to an elongated D-League stint. This is a perfect buy-low opportunity for the franchise and it’s also a winning situation for Rose. The former No.1 overall pick could benefit from running a Mike D’Antoni offense, which has historically been favorable to point guards, and set himself up for another lucrative payday at the end of the 2016/17 season.
Picture a healthy — both mentally from a basketball standpoint and physically — Rose running the break during the 2016/17 season with Noel and Jerami Grant galloping alongside him. Nik Stauskas is sprinting down the sideline, spacing the floor and taking attention away from Rose, while Robert Covington is trailing the play, staying ready for the spot-up 3-pointer in transition. Picture Embiid, hopefully standing on two healthy feet, cheering on the team near the bench as he gets ready to headline a respectable second unit that includes Dario Saric, Ish Smith and Richaun Holmes. Add in a likely top-three overall pick in the 2016 draft, as well as a few other rookies, and you can see a team with an identity and a future.
This scenario may be a pipe dream, but if the point guard’s game can resemble anything close to an All-Star’s again, trading Okafor for him would put Philadelphia back on the NBA map. If Rose suffers a setback or simply remains ineffective, the Sixers are right where they are now — in a position to tank. The difference would be that they took a high-ceiling risk that involved the acquisition of a possible game-changing star to arrive at the same point, and that would be a path to the lottery that other team owners can’t gripe about.
And-Ones: Knicks, Rondo, Oubre
The Knicks currently sit three and a half games behind the Celtics for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and Ian Begley of ESPN.com examines what the team needs to do in order to reach the playoffs this season. Begley suggests that the team add help in the backcourt, and he names Tony Wroten as a possibility, as the team has interest in the former Sixer.
Brandon Jennings is on the team’s radar, but the franchise wasn’t impressed with Jennings’ play during a game against the Knicks earlier this week, Begley adds. In addition to the trade market, Begley notes that the team is keeping an eye on the D-League for a potential addition.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Rajon Rondo has played extremely well this season and his success may have the Kings viewing him as a long-term piece, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders speculates.
- Kelly Oubre has become a key contributor for the Wizards this season and his intensity is a major reason why, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. “He’s a kid that has to go out there and just play one way,” coach Randy Wittman said. “And that’s getting after it defensively. Rebound the ball. Running the floor. All the other things will come. … Those things will come if you play with that intensity and energy.”
- The Lakers have assigned Tarik Black, Anthony Brown and Ryan Kelly to their D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, per Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link).
Mavericks Notes: Barea, Mejri, Parsons
J.J. Barea has performed admirably as the team’s starting point guard while Deron Williams recovers from a hamstring injury and his teammates are lauding his unselfishness, Eddie Sefko of SportsDay writes.
“J.J.’s been great,” Devin Harris said. “He’s shooting the ball incredibly well, but taking good shots. Typically, when guys get hot, they just start to let it fly. He’s done a great job of letting the shots come to him.”
While it’s unlikely that Barea remains the starter long-term, Coach Rick Carlisle won’t ignore the success of the team during Williams’ absence when making a decision.
“That’s a situation we’ll deal with when it happens,” Carlisle said of the situation when Williams returns to the lineup. “Whatever we do, it’ll be what’s best for the team.”
Dallas re-signed Barea during the offseason to a pact that will pay him slightly more than $16MM over four seasons. The team signed Williams to a two year, $11MM deal, which contains a player option for the 2016/17 season.
Here’s more from Dallas:
- The Mavericks have assigned Salah Mejri to the Texas Legends, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to a team press release. The center is averaging 8.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 23.9 minutes for the Legends this season.
- Chandler Parsons is starting to look like his old self again, but he is still not 100%, which is something the team understands, Sefko writes in a separate piece. “I just think the rhythm is going to take some time,” Carlisle said. “I think physically, he’s there. But the rhythm on his shot is going to keep coming. And I just think two weeks from now you’re going to see a guy who even looks better than now. And he looks damn good right now.”
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/2/16
Jimmer Fredette hasn’t lived up to expectation since entering the league as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 draft, but he has impressed since re-joining New York’s D-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks. Ticket sales, and not strictly Fredette’s basketball skills, reportedly fueled the team’s decision to select Fredette in the D-League draft, yet after an impressive stretch of games, I bet the team is happy to have him on its side. The BYU product torched the Delaware 87ers today, accumulating 27 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists.
The Knicks are looking to add a young scorer or a shooter in the backcourt, as sources told Ian Begley of ESPN.com a few weeks ago. Team president Phil Jackson apparently likes Fredette, as Begley wrote at the time, and he would seem to fit a need. New York is running the triangle much better than last year, but the offense runs stagnant at times, as the team is only scoring 97.5 points per game, which is the seventh worst mark in the league. Adding Fredette, who is a career 38.0% shooter from downtown, might be a good way to bring in some offense without making a drastic change.
That leads us to tonight’s shootaround topic: Should the Knicks sign Jimmer Fredette to bolster their offense and if not New York, is there another team that would be a good fit for him? Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what your thoughts are. We look forward to what you have to share.
Eastern Notes: Middleton, Gooden, Grant
Khris Middleton has enjoyed a good season so far, but his shooting of late has been especially impressive, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel writes.
“Khris has played well for a stretch here and he is feeling comfortable within the offense,” Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty said. “The guys are finding him in his sweet spots and he’s getting clean looks. Guys are setting good screens. In his case, it’s not always catch-and-shoot situations. Sometimes it’s plays off the dribble.”
Middleton, who re-signed with Milwaukee for five years and $70MM last July, is averaging 16.3 points and 1.2 steals per game this season, while shooting 42.0% from behind the arc and 88.8% from the foul line. The Bucks own a record of 13-21, but Middleton believes the team can turn the season around if they start playing like a cohesive unit.
“Once we move the ball from side to side, we’ve got so many guys who can score and make plays that we’re a dangerous team,” he said. “We just have to play together after we get stops.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Drew Gooden aggravated his calf injury against the Magic on Friday night and his MRI reveals a strain and a slight tear in his calf, Marc. J Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. The former No. 4 overall pick has only played seven games with the Wizards this season, totaling just 16 points and 28 rebounds.
- Jerami Grant‘s ability to play either forward spot is proving to be valuable for the Sixers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Grant has been tasked with guarding the opponent’s best forward this season, something the 21-year-old views as benefit to his development. “I definitely like it,” Grant said. “I’m versatile. So it kind of helps my game out.”
Hoops Rumors On Social Media/RSS
We’re into the 2016 part of the 2015/16 season now, and the league is poised for player movement. Thursday is the final day that teams can waive players with non-guaranteed salaries without them becoming fully guaranteed, and six weeks from that day is the February 18th trade deadline. Hoops Rumors gives you a handful of ways you can keep tabs on the latest news and rumors as all the stories unfold.
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Eastern Notes: Biyombo, Rozier, Portis
Raptors center Bismack Biyombo has stepped up his play while filling in for Jonas Valanciunas, and the player is also beginning to find his niche in the league after being labeled a disappointment during his time in Charlotte, Jessica Patton of The Toronto Sun writes. “I think he understands now too who he is and what he is,” coach Dwane Casey told Patton. “He’s a rebounder and a defender. He doesn’t have to worry about scoring. He’s an opportunity scorer. [Before] everyone was kind of ‘ah, he can’t catch the ball, he can’t do that, he can’t do this,’ and they were concentrating on what he couldn’t do rather than what he can do.”
Discussing the pressure being a lottery pick placed on Biyombo, Casey said, “It’s tough, but again there is no shame in having a role as an elite defender and an elite rebounder in the league. As long as Bismack is playing the way he is playing and playing with that confidence, you can erase seven, two, three, 10 [draft number] or whatever, he’s going to have an impact on the game.” The 23-year-old was the No. 7 overall pick back in the 2011 NBA draft.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The emergence of rookie power forward Bobby Portis will give Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg some difficult choices to make once Joakim Noah returns from his shoulder injury, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “Absolutely,” Hoiberg responded when asked if Portis has cemented himself in the rotation. “We’re going to continue to find minutes for Bobby and there’s no doubt about it. He’s playing too well, he’s playing with so much confidence. He rebounds the ball, he plays with a toughness and a swagger, and that’s what you want. We’ve talked all along; Bobby’s not going to back down from anybody and he continues to show that night after night.“
- The Celtics have re-assigned point guard Terry Rozier to their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This will be Rozier’s fifth stint with the Red Claws on the season.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Chandler, Walton
The Kings are at a critical point in relation to the direction of the franchise, and the question must be asked if center DeMarcus Cousins is the player the team should be building around, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. Cousins is on his fifth coach since entering the league and Sacramento has yet to eclipse the 30 win mark with the big man as the focal point, which isn’t a glowing endorsement of his ability to be the franchise’s anchor going forward, Amick notes.
Coach George Karl is also questioning the team’s demeanor and the roster’s lack of defensive-minded players, Amick adds. “My thought, and I told the team my thought, is inconsistent intensity, inconsistent focus, inconsistent toughness and mental discipline,” Karl said. “Too many times we’ve come out on this court and we’ve been the quiet team, or the soft team, or the cool team, and not the man team. My feeling is we have too many offensive players. We don’t have enough guts to make stops.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns find themselves in a difficult spot regarding rebuilding the roster, and with approximately $110MM committed to the backcourt duo of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight through 2018/19, the team’s best course of action would be to attempt to deal Tyson Chandler and Markieff Morris in order to clear cap space, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. Phoenix should also consider waiving small forward P.J. Tucker and his partially guaranteed pact this offseason, which would free up an additional $3.7MM in cap room, Greene adds.
- Warriors interim coach Luke Walton was the perfect choice for the franchise to fill in for Steve Kerr while he recovers from back surgery, Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group writes. Leung cites Walton’s humble demeanor and excellent preparedness as reasons why he was able to find immediate success, though Golden State’s talented roster certainly was a major benefit for the young coach as well.
2015/16 Salary Rankings: Small Forwards
Hoops Rumors is in the process of ranking the cap hit for each NBA player by position. We already ran down how the league’s centers and power forwards stacked up financially, and next we’ll check out the small forward position. All told, NBA teams have committed a total of $449,009,117 in salary this season to the men who man the three spot around the league. The average cap hit for a small forward this season is a solid $4,359,312, with Joe Johnson topping the list with the exorbitant sum of $24,894,863 to account for on his year-end W-2 form.
It should be noted that teams won’t necessarily pay out every dollar listed here. There are quite a few players who have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. Some of those players will be sweating it out until January 7th. That’s when teams must waive players with no specific guarantee date written into their contracts to avoid having to guarantee their salaries for the rest of the season. In addition, incentive clauses that a player either triggers or fails to meet can leave a player with more or less money than his cap hit reflects.
Still, the purpose of this list is to show the relative pay scale by position, which is why all contracts are included in this post. The league’s small forwards are listed below, in descending order of salary. Please note that the official roster for each team was used for determining what position we listed each player under, and some of the players below may spend time at other spots on the hardwood:
- Joe Johnson (Nets) — $24,894,863
- LeBron James (Cavaliers) — $22,970,500
- Carmelo Anthony (Knicks) — $22,875,000
- Kevin Durant (Thunder) — $20,158,622
- Paul George (Pacers) — $17,120,106
- Kawhi Leonard (Spurs) — $16,407,500
- Tobias Harris (Magic) — $16,000,000
- Gordon Hayward (Jazz) — $15,409,570
- Chandler Parsons (Mavericks) — $15,361,500
- Danilo Gallinari (Nuggets) — $14,000,000
- DeMarre Carroll (Raptors) — $13,600,000
- Rudy Gay (Kings) — $12,403,101
- Andre Iguodala (Warriors) — $11,710,456
- Wilson Chandler (Nuggets) — $10,449,438
- Luol Deng (Heat) — $10,151,612
- Gerald Wallace (Waived by Sixers) — $10,105,855
- Jeff Green (Grizzlies) — $9,450,000
- Lance Stephenson (Clippers) — $9,000,000
- Trevor Ariza (Rockets) — $8,193,030
- Al-Farouq Aminu (Trail Blazers) — $8,042,895
- Jae Crowder (Celtics) — $6,796,117
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Hornets) — $6,331,404
- Martell Webster (Waived by Wizards) — $5,613,500
- P.J. Tucker (Suns) — $5,500,000
- Tony Allen (Grizzlies) — $5,168,000
- Chase Budinger (Pacers) — $5,000,000
- Otto Porter (Wizards) — $4,662,960
- Mike Dunleavy (Bulls) — $4,500,000
- Kyle Singler (Thunder) — $4,500,000
- C.J. Miles (Pacers) — $4,394,225
- Thabo Sefolosha (Hawks) — $4,000,000
- Harrison Barnes (Warriors) — $3,873,398
- Steve Novak (Thunder) — $3,750,001
- Terrence Ross (Raptors) — $3,553,917
- Matt Barnes (Grizzlies) — $3,542,500
- Will Barton (Nuggets) — $3,533,333
- Evan Turner (Celtics) — $3,425,510
- Quincy Pondexter (Pelicans) — $3,382,023
- Paul Pierce (Clippers) — $3,376,000
- Maurice Harkless (Trail Blazers) — $2,894,059
- Stanley Johnson (Pistons) — $2,841,960
- Omri Casspi (Kings) — $2,836,186
- Justise Winslow (Heat) — $2,481,720
- Doug McDermott (Bulls) — $2,380,440
- Danny Granger (Waived by Pistons) — $2,170,465
- Joe Ingles (Jazz) — $2,150,000
- Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves) — $2,056,920
- T.J. Warren (Suns) — $2,041,080
- Perry Jones III (Waived by Celtics) — $2,038,206
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) — $1,953,960
- Kelly Oubre (Wizards) — $1,920,240
- Sam Dekker (Rockets) — $1,646,400
- Lance Thomas (Knicks) — $1,636,842
- Sergey Karasev (Nets) — $1,599,840
- Tony Snell (Bulls) — $1,535,880
- Bruno Caboclo (Raptors) — $1,524,000
- Caron Butler (Kings) — $1,499,187
- Rasual Butler (Spurs) — $1,499,187
- Richard Jefferson (Cavaliers) — $1,499,187
- James Jones (Cavaliers) — $1,499,187
- Metta World Peace (Lakers) — $1,499,187
- Tayshaun Prince (Timberwolves) — $1,499,187
- Solomon Hill (Pacers) — $1,358,880
- Gerald Green (Heat) — $1,356,146
- Alonzo Gee (Pelicans) — $1,320,000
- Luc Mbah a Moute (Clippers) — $1,270,964
- Brandon Rush (Warriors) — $1,270,964
- Reggie Bullock (Pistons) — $1,252,440
- Marcus Thornton (Rockets) — $1,185,784
- Chris Copeland (Bucks) — $1,150,000
- Damjan Rudez (Timberwolves) — $1,149,500
- Kyle Anderson (Spurs) — $1,142,879
- Josh Huestis (Thunder) — $1,140,240
- Kevon Looney (Warriors) — $1,131,960
- Luke Babbitt (Pelicans) — $1,100,602
- Jeremy Evans (Mavericks) — $1,100,602
- Wesley Johnson (Clippers) — $1,100,602
- Robert Covington (Sixers) — $1,000,000
- Chris Johnson (Jazz) — $981,348
- Allen Crabbe (Trail Blazers) — $947,276
- Damien Inglis (Bucks) — $855,000
- Cleanthony Early (Knicks) — $845,059
- Jerami Grant (Sixers) — $845,059
- Devyn Marble (Magic) — $845,059
- James Michael McAdoo (Warriors) — $845,059
- JaKarr Sampson (Sixers) — $845,059
- Kostas Papanikolaou (Nuggets) — $800,321
- Michael Beasley (Waived by Suns via stretch provision) — $777,778
- Anthony Brown (Lakers) — $700,000
- Darrun Hilliard (Pistons) — $600,000
- Maurice Ndour (Mavericks) — $525,094
- Branden Dawson (Clippers) — $525,093
- Lamar Patterson (Hawks) — $525,093
- Melvin Ejim (Waived by Magic) — $150,000
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Waived by Knicks) — $75,000
- Darion Atkins (Waived by Knicks) — $75,000
- J.J. O’Brien (Waived by Jazz) — $75,000
- Quincy Miller (Waived by Nets) — $50,000
- E.J. Singler (Waived by Jazz) — $50,000
- Jamil Wilson (Waived by Mavericks) — $50,000
- Vince Hunter (Waived by Kings) — $30,000
- Malcolm Miller (Waived by Celtics) — $25,000
- Axel Toupane (Waived by Raptors) — $25,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.