Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/11/16
Injuries will always be a part of professional sports. They are one of the primary risks that athletes take on in return for being compensated rather handsomely for their hard work. Most injuries are unavoidable despite the best efforts of training staffs, medical personal, coaches and the players themselves. It’s virtually impossible to play a sport at the professional level for any length of time without incurring some form of physical malady. No matter how well-conditioned a player is, nor how careful a team is with an athlete, muscles and tendons will pop and tear over the course of the long season.
Professional sports leagues, for the most part, try to look out for the best interests of the players. The overall product suffers, and revenue along with it, when the top names in the game are sitting behind the bench in street clothes instead of dazzling the crowd on the court with their athleticism. But is the NBA doing everything it can to reduce the number of injuries incurred each season? This brings me to the topic for today, with a hat tip to reader JB, whose comments in the wake of the announcement that Mario Chalmers was lost for the season sparked this idea. Thanks JB!
Should the NBA reduce the number of games played during the regular season?
There are currently 19 NBA players officially out for the remainder of the season, with three more potentially done for the campaign. New Orleans, Memphis and Milwaukee have all been hit especially hard this season, which I’m sure isn’t a whole lot of fun for fans of those teams. The 82-game NBA season can be a grind for players, and to be honest, for many fans as well. Some coaches regularly rest players to try and keep them fresh for the playoffs. That is a wise practice, but it can be a bummer for patrons. Imagine waiting all year to go to an NBA game, spending hard-earned money to purchase your ticket in order to see your favorite player in action, only to find out that he’s taking a breather on the bench that game. It’s happened to me, and I can tell you I wasn’t thrilled. Perhaps if the regular season was a tad shorter, coaches would be more hesitant to sit players for rest and recovery purposes. Reducing the number of contests would also limit the number of back-to-back games, which take an enormous toll on the players both physically and mentally.
But what say you out there? Do you think cutting down on the number of regular season matchups would reduce the volume of injuries in the NBA? If so, how many games do you believe is the proper amount? Or are you on the other side of the argument and believe that the same number of players would be injured regardless of the length of the season? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Anderson, Howard, Ellis
Southeast Missouri State freshman Tony Anderson intends to enter the 2016 NBA Draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports. “This was the plan before I got to college,” Anderson told Goodman. “I don’t plan on playing college basketball again. I know it’s a rare situation, but my goal is to play in the NBA.” The league’s new rules allow underclassmen to again “test the waters” and take part in the NBA combine while still maintaining their college eligibility should they decide to withdraw from the draft. But it appears Anderson is set on leaving school, telling Goodman he has already withdrawn from classes and intends to hire an agent. The power forward did note that he hasn’t spoken with any potential representatives yet, the scribe adds. “I’m taking the process slow of getting an agent,” Anderson said. “I’m letting God lead me in that.”
If Anderson does hire an agent he won’t have the option to return to school, which could prove problematic if he goes undrafted in June, an outcome that is a distinct possibility, according to several NBA executives Goodman spoke with about the player. “He needs to go back to school,” one executive told Goodman. “With his numbers — on that team — he doesn’t have a chance.” The 18-year-old only notched 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per contest this season.
Here’s more from around the league:
- If LeBron James can return to Cleveland and be embraced by the fans, the possibility exists that the same could happen for Dwight Howard in Orlando, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel posits. The scribe notes that a reunion, while improbable, has the potential to benefit both sides. Returning to a star-hungry Magic squad would allow Howard to be the primary option once again on offense, while Orlando would land itself an upper-tier player who could help attract other free agents, Schmitz adds. Howard’s firing of agent Dan Fegan could also help make a reunion happen, as Fegan’s relationship with the team was a contentious one, Schmitz also notes. The Rockets center is widely expected to turn down his player option and hit free agency this summer.
- The Mavericks believe they will be better off in the long run having allowed Monta Ellis to depart as a free agent and adding Wesley Matthews in his stead, despite Matthews not yet providing the same production Ellis did during his two-year stint in Dallas, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. Coach Rick Carlisle did note that he was pleased with Ellis’ play for the team and added that salary cap constraints factored heavily into the decision to not pursue the shooting guard last summer, Sefko relays.
- The Suns, Nets, Wizards and Pelicans all saw disabled player exceptions expire Thursday, the leaguewide deadline to use them. Phoenix’s was worth $5.464MM to offset Eric Bledsoe‘s injury, Brooklyn had one worth $3.1MM for Jarrett Jack, Washington’s came in at $2,806,750 for Martell Webster, and New Orleans had one for $1,691,012 because of Quincy Pondexter‘s injury.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Los Angeles Clippers
The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Los Angeles Clippers, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:
- 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
- 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
- Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $96,128,930*
- Remaining Cap Room= –$26,128,930
- Amount Above Luxury Tax Line= $11,388,930
*Note: This amount includes the $650,000 owed to Carlos Delfino, the $510,922 owed to Jordan Farmar, and the $252,042 owed to Miroslav Raduljica, all of whom were waived via the stretch provision.
**Note: Luc Mbah a Moute‘s actual salary is $1,270,964 and Pablo Prigioni‘s is $981,348.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- None
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $2,943,079
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000
Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Western Notes: Williams, Martin, Cousins
Assistant coach Monty Williams will not return to the team this season as he continues to grieve in the wake of the tragic passing of his wife, Ingrid, the team announced today. “The most important thing for Monty during this time is for him to be with his family, and the most important thing for us as an organization is to support him as a person, in any way that we can,” GM Sam Presti relayed in the team’s statement. “Even though Monty will not return to the team this season, his presence will be felt by all of us within the program and we will remain close with him and his family.”
Coach Billy Donovan also expressed his support for Williams, saying, “I have really enjoyed my relationship with Monty, and clearly we will miss him, but we value and embrace that it is critical he is there for his family at this time and our focus is on doing whatever we can, in any small way, to help him. He and his family will continue to be in our thoughts.”
Here’s more from out West:
- Kevin Martin joined the Spurs with his eyes firmly fixed on playing in the postseason, which was his primary motivation for choosing San Antonio over other suitors after reaching a buyout arrangement with the Wolves, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News relays. “I think you look at where you’re at in your career, when you’ve kind of been on a lot of teams where you’re a No. 1 option guy, but you really don’t get to play until the end of May or early June,” Martin said. “So I think I just wanted to be with a championship pedigree. That was the ultimate No. 1 thing in my decision.” The veteran shooting guard sacrificed exactly half of his $7,377,500 player option for next season and $352,750 of this season’s salary in order to secure his departure from Minnesota.
- The Kings should give DeMarcus Cousins one more chance to make things work in Sacramento by hiring a new coach for next season, J.A. Adande of ESPN.com opines (video link). The ESPN scribe notes that the situation between the volatile but talented center and coach George Karl is toxic, and Cousins was seemingly in check under former coach Michael Malone, which demonstrates that the big man can be kept in line if he respects the person in charge. Trading Cousins should be the absolute last resort, Adande adds, since it would be virtually impossible to receive equal value in return. The team suspended Cousins this week for one game without pay for his latest verbal run-in with Karl.
Hoops Rumors Resources
Hoops Rumors has a wealth of available resources readily at your disposal. From the most casual basketball fan to the hard-core salary cap aficionado, we have something for everyone to enjoy and delve into. We have you covered if you want to track the latest trades, browse all 30 team rosters, and find easy-to-read articles that explain the nuances of the collective bargaining agreement.
Here are some of the resources we have available at a glance:
- Check out our expanded Roster Counts for each team’s current roster, as well as the contract status for each player.
- You can view a full recap of all the deals that went down at this season’s trade deadline here.
- You can review the summer moves for all 30 NBA teams by checking out our Offseason In Review series.
- Each weekday we host a reader-driven discussion regarding trending NBA topics in our Community Shootaround. You can view the full archive here.
- If you want to know more about the nuances of the salary cap or some of the more complicated NBA roster rules, check out the Hoops Rumors Glossary.
- On Wednesdays at 3pm CT, Chuck Myron answers reader questions in a live chat. You can check out transcripts of our past discussions here.
- Each week we answer readers’ questions in Hoops Rumors’ Weekly Mailbag. You can submit your queries to HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
- Want to see which players have trade kickers included in their deals? Head here.
- Every Sunday we feature some of the best content from basketball blogs in our Hoops Links series.
- Over the summer, Zach Links interviewed a number of potential NBA draftees as a part of our Draft Prospect Q&A Series.
- You can keep track of all the players inked to 10-day deals from the 2006/07 season through today by going to our 10-Day Contract Tracker.
- If you’re looking to catch up, our Week in Review posts compile the top news and rumors from the past seven days, while our Hoops Rumors Originals posts recap the site’s original content for the week. Both roundups are published every Saturday.
- Curious as to how your team utilized the NBA D-League last season? Check out our complete D-League Usage Reports for the 2014/15 campaign. You can stay on top of all the D-League assignments for the 2015/16 season here.
- You can view all of the NBA D-League team affiliations here.
- Stay up to the minute on all of the breaking news and original content that we feature here at Hoops Rumors by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook, as well as Google+.
- You can view the complete 2015/16 schedule for each NBA team here.
- We profiled a number of players eligible for contract extensions as a part of our Extension Candidate Series.
- Our list of outstanding traded player exceptions is updated whenever a trade exception is created, used or expires.
- You can keep up with the players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2015/16 season here, as well as those who are eligible after the 2016/17 season here.
- Want to know the key days on the calendar for NBA player movement between now and the end of the 2015/16 regular season? You can find them here.
- Want to keep up to date on all the rumors, signings, trades, and roster moves for all of your favorite baseball, football, and basketball teams? Download the free Trade Rumors app for iOS and Android devices. The Trade Rumors app is highly customizable. You can add feeds for any of the 92 MLB, NBA, and NFL teams, as well as for any of the thousands of players in our archives, by using the settings icon up top for iOS and the pencil icon up top for Android. You can create a multi-sport experience tailored to your specific interests, or you can limit your app entirely to one sport by removing the others.
Eastern Notes: Mayo, Millsap, Jackson
The Bucks have suffered a rash of injuries this season and the team is currently down to just 10 healthy bodies, though center John Henson is getting closer to making his return from back woes. Despite his team being depleted, coach Jason Kidd indicated that Milwaukee has no immediate plans to add a player via hardship allowance, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal-Sentinel relays. “We’re going to play with the group we have,” Kidd said. “We have plenty of guys still; we’re not down to eight.” The Bucks are without O.J. Mayo, Michael Carter-Williams and Steve Novak, who are lost for the season, and Greivis Vasquez is out until at least March 25th with an ankle injury.
Kidd also noted that Mayo went to the doctor on Wednesday, the day prior to the announcement that he broke his right ankle walking down a flight of stairs at his home, because he we sick, Gardner relays. While the timing may raise eyebrows, Kidd indicated that the organization was taking the veteran shooting guard at his word, Gardner adds. “Anytime someone is sick, unless you’re going to play, we keep you home,” Kidd said. “Then the next day we get the call that he tripped and hurt himself, that he was going to the hospital. There are going to be stories. Everyone is going to have their opinion. But we can only go on what O.J. told us, and that’s what he told us.”
Here’s more from the East….
- Knicks team president Phil Jackson downplayed the notion that he would leave the team prior to the expiration of his five-year deal, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “I’m still in it,” Jackson said. “I’m in it to win it.” Jackson didn’t deny his fondness for the West Coast, but noted his job in New York isn’t complete yet, Medina adds. “The energy that I have is directed toward turning this team around,” Jackson continued. “That’s taken my full effort.”
- Returning to Utah this week brought back memories for Paul Millsap, who spent his first seven seasons in the league with the Jazz, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News relays. Millsap said he had fond regards for his time in Utah, while Atlanta coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said he’s thrilled the talented big man is a member of the Hawks organization, telling Genessy, “He means so much. He fits us well. He’s a great teammate. He plays both ends of the court at a high level. He’s very unique in how talented he is with some of the things he does. I’m just very thankful that he’s with us.”
D-League Boots Robert Upshaw For Drug Violation
The D-League has tossed Lakers affiliate player Robert Upshaw from the league for violating its anti-drug program, according to Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link). The big man was a highly touted college prospect, but his checkered past caused NBA teams to pass on him in last year’s draft. He was with the Lakers for the preseason and joined their D-League team shortly thereafter. It’s unclear what the terms of Upshaw’s punishment are, with the D-League saying merely that his playing services had been terminated for the drug violation.
Upshaw, 22, didn’t see the court much in the D-League this season, as he averaged only 15.6 minutes per game over 28 appearances, but he was impressive on the boards, snagging 4.5 per outing in that limited playing time. The 7-footer remains a work in progress on the offensive end, averaging 7.3 points to accompany a slash line of .477/.200/.610.
The center failed to impress the Lakers during the preseason, nabbing just 3.0 rebounds while scoring 2.5 points in 14.1 minutes per contest in four appearances this past fall. Upshaw pocketed a $35K partial guarantee from that contract, one that took several weeks to finalize. The team had set “offseason off-court goals” for him to meet before officially signing him, according to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
Atlantic Notes: Rambis, ‘Melo, Carroll, Ainge
Knicks president Phil Jackson acknowledges he has a close relationship with Kurt Rambis and that he talks more frequently with the interim coach than with former coach Derek Fisher, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays from the Zen Master’s chat with reporters today (Twitter link). Jackson wouldn’t commit to keeping Rambis beyond the season but hinted that he’d like to see him earn the removal of his interim tag, observes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (on Twitter), which jibes with an earlier report that Jackson was pulling for Rambis to win the permanent job when he named him interim boss. Jackson didn’t appear eager to move on from Carmelo Anthony either, saying he still feels as though ‘Melo is a franchise cornerstone, Begley relays (Twitter link). Jackson cited the team’s system when he said he’s not going to obsess over chasing an elite point guard in free agency this summer, according to Begley (via Twitter), so the triangle remains at the heart of all things Knicks. See more from the Atlantic Division:
- DeMarre Carroll is likely to return later this month, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, though the Raptors didn’t give a timeline today after he visited his surgeon, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange notes (Twitter link). Some questions existed about whether Carroll would return to play at all this season after he underwent right knee surgery in January, but it appears that dire outcome won’t come to pass.
- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is the best negotiator Rockets GM Daryl Morey says he’s come across, tweets Jake Fischer of SI Now, relaying Morey’s comment from the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference today. Ainge and Morey have only pulled off one trade, a three-teamer with the Trail Blazers in 2012 that sent Courtney Lee to Boston.
- The Celtics have recalled Coty Clarke and Jordan Mickey from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). The pair, along with James Young, went to D-League Maine on Thursday for what turned out to be a one-game stay. Clarke, a 10-day signee, had a team-high 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting while Mickey scored 14.
Many Trade Acquisitions No Longer With Teams
The November 10th deal that sent Mario Chalmers to the Grizzlies came remarkably early in the NBA season, and its effects lingered for a remarkably short period of time. All four players involved in the swap are no longer with their respective teams, now that Memphis has waived Chalmers to create roster room after he tore his Achilles tendon. In fact, none of those four are on any NBA roster, as all of them have cleared waivers at one point or another since the trade.
They’re among the 12 players acquired via trade this season who are no longer with the teams that traded for them. Some worked buyout deals with their new clubs. Others wound up in subsequent trades, including Jarnell Stokes, who was in that Chalmers deal and in another swap on deadline day. Only 29 players were traded in the time between opening night and the deadline, not counting the rights to draft-and-stash prospects. That means 41.4% of this season’s trade acquisitions didn’t even last to the middle of March.
Here’s a look at all the in-season trade acquisitions who are no longer with the teams that traded for them:
- DeJuan Blair, Suns — waived
- Mario Chalmers, Grizzlies — waived
- Jared Cunningham, Magic — waived
- James Ennis, Grizzlies — waived
- Joe Harris, Magic — waived
- Kris Humphries, Suns — waived in buyout deal
- Steve Novak, Nuggets — waived in buyout deal
- Brian Roberts, Heat — traded again, to Trail Blazers
- Jarnell Stokes, Heat — traded again, to Pelicans
- Jarnell Stokes, Pelicans — waived
- Beno Udrih, Heat — waived in buyout deal
- Anderson Varejao, Trail Blazers — waived
And-Ones: George Karl, Spurs Ownership, Draft
The overwhelming sense in the Kings organization is that George Karl is in his final weeks as coach, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. That jibes with earlier reporting that cast doubt on the idea of Karl remaining in his position beyond this season, even though he made it through a near-dismissal last month. Players say the 63-year-old doesn’t appear to have the energy or vocal cords necessary to continue to face the challenge of coaching DeMarcus Cousins, whom the Kings suspended Thursday for his latest verbal clash with Karl, Voisin adds. Karl nonetheless downplayed the implications of Thursday’s cancer treatment, which removed squamous cell carcinoma on the left side of his neck, as Voisin relays. The columnist proposes moving Karl into the front office as a solution, and it’s an idea to which GM Vlade Divac is open, Voisin notes. See more from around the NBA:
- Peter Holt’s decision to step down as owner of the Spurs was surprising, and the timing was odd, coming in the midst of another run at a title, but it’s in line with the 67-year-old’s gradual tapering of his professional responsibilities, sources tell Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio-Express News. Holt’s past history of alcoholism wasn’t a factor in his decision, said new co-CEO Rick Pych, who promised that he doesn’t plan any significant change for the organization, given his longstanding history with Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford. New primary owner Julianna Hawn Holt, Peter Holt’s wife, long ago established herself with the team, minority-share owner Stephen Lang told Orsborn, lending further credence to the idea that no major overhaul is coming.
- Louisville sophomore center Chinanu Onuaku will declare for the draft, coach Rick Pitino said, as Jeff Greer of The Courier-Journal notes. That doesn’t mean he’s necessarily draft-bound, as new rules allow underclassmen to again “test the waters” and take part in the NBA combine while still maintaining their college eligibility should they decide to withdraw from the draft. Onuaku, the younger brother of Arinze Onuaku, is the 51st-best prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and comes in 58th with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
- Ford gives his take on the most likely pick for each team currently slated for a lottery pick in an Insider-only piece.