2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Houston Rockets
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 Houston Rockets, 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= $87,990,852*
- Remaining Cap Room= –$17,990,852
- Amount Above Luxury Tax Line= $4,107,995**
*Note: This amount includes the $83,583 in salary paid to Chuck Hayes, the $12,179,495 due Ty Lawson and the $947,276 owed to Marcus Thornton, all of whom were waived by the team.
**Note: Josh Smith‘s and Jason Terry‘s salaries for tax purposes are $1,499,187. Lawson’s league suspension cost him $563,840 in salary and removed $281,920 from Houston’s payroll for tax purposes. Dwight Howard‘s league suspension cost him $406,534 in pay and removed $203,267 from Houston’s payroll for tax purposes.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- Mid-Level Exception: $1,274,206
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $2,960,000
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $2,943,079
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.
Eastern Notes: Jefferson, LeBron, Covington
LeBron James informed team management that he was willing to switch to power forward if it helped the Cavaliers land Joe Johnson after he agreed to a buyout with the Nets and became a free agent, Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. James confirmed that he made the offer, telling Haynes, “All I care about is winning. That’s all that matters to me. A piece like Joe, you know what it does to your team and if he was concerned about playing time or concerned about starting, then I’ll sacrifice. I’ll sacrifice to get a guy like that to help us try to win a championship.” The 31-year-old hasn’t been too keen on the idea in the past and wanted to avoid the nightly pounding that goes along with playing the four spot, Haynes notes. But the chance to add a player of Johnson’s caliber trumped any of his concerns, Haynes adds.
When asked if he would have considered such a move earlier in his career, James was non-committal, Haynes relays. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I can’t answer that, but I know I’ll do it now,” James told the scribe. “I mean, you’re trying to make a push. We’re in March. You get a guy like Joe Johnson, you get a guy that can change your team for the better. I wouldn’t have a problem with [moving to the four]. If he wanted to come in and start and we wanted to keep J.R. Smith in the starting lineup and if Double-T [Tristan Thompson] or Mozzy (Timofey Mozgov) had to come off the bench in order for Joe to start and slide Kevin Love to the five, I would have done it.”
Here’s the latest out of the East:
- Hornets big man Al Jefferson has no issues with coming off the bench as he continues to make his way back from knee surgery, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer relays. “I’ve been telling people all week I kind of like coming off the bench,” Jefferson said. “You kind of see how the game is going and you get to play against the backup center most of the time. You kind of know what you need to do or what you shouldn’t do, and I kind of like it. If coach wants me back in the starting lineup, I’d be fine with that. But off the bench, I’m fine with that right now, getting myself in better shape.” The 31-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, so his willingness to adapt to a new role is certainly a positive sign for the team if it wishes to re-sign the center.
- Robert Covington is one of GM Sam Hinkie‘s best finds during his tenure with the team, but the Sixers need to add more offensive firepower via the draft and free agency so coach Brett Brown can utilize the combo forward as a role player rather than a starter, something he is better suited to for the long-term, Jake Hyman of RealGM opines.
Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Sunday.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
Peter Holt Cedes Control Of Spurs To Wife
Spurs owner Peter Holt is relinquishing control of the team to wife Julianna Hawn Holt, the team announced via press release. The 67-year-old Spurs boss is retiring as chairman, CEO and representative on the board of governors, turning those capacities over to his wife. The Holts jointly became the franchise’s largest shareholders in 1996, when Peter Holt ascended to the top of the organization. He’ll remain on the board of managers of Spurs Sports & Entertainment and continue as part of the ownership group.
“Our ownership in the Spurs has always been a family affair,” Julianna Hawn Holt said. “For many years I’ve had the desire to take a more active role with Spurs Sports & Entertainment. We felt this was the right time to make this transition. We are very excited about the current Spurs season and the future of the organization.”
It’s unclear how the change will affect the on-court product going forward. Peter Holt has been a hands-off owner, allowing coach/president Gregg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford to build one of the league’s most well-respected basketball operations. The departing owner served as chairman of the NBA board of governors from 2012 to 2014 and played a leading role in selecting commissioner Adam Silver as the replacement for the retired David Stern, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News noted this past summer in a profile.
The changing of the guard closes a remarkably successful era for the Spurs, who missed the playoffs only once under Peter Holt’s reign. The franchise has won five NBA titles while qualifying for the postseason for an amazing 19 straight seasons.
“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved over the last two decades,” Peter Holt said. “The championships are wonderful, bringing new sports franchises to San Antonio is important but the biggest accomplishment for me will always be the impact we’ve had in our community. The pride, support and love that our city has for the Spurs is truly amazing.”
Julianna Hawn Holt installed Rick Pych, the president of business operations for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, as co-CEO, according to the team’s release.
Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Kilpatrick, Thompson
Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony holds the real power in the organization thanks to the no-trade clause the team included in his contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical on Yahoo Sports notes (video link). The no-trade clause is also why Anthony is likely to outlast team president Phil Jackson in New York, Wojnarowski believes, with the scribe also opining that the executive has failed to elevate the franchise far more than the small forward. Jackson’s biggest missteps as an executive are not ridding the organization of personnel who are negative influences on the overall culture and his steadfast insistence on the team running the triangle offense, according to Wojnarowski. Anthony’s comments about being a free agent recruiter this offseason indicate he doesn’t intend to waive his no-trade clause anytime soon, and even if he did, it wouldn’t be easy to deal the veteran because he would not accept a trade to a small-market team, severely limiting the Knicks’ options, Wojnarowski contends.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick, whom the Nets signed today to a second 10-day contract, shows the promise necessary to become GM Sean Marks‘ first success as an executive, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. Marks previously expressed his desire to find players for next season via 10-day contracts, and Kilpatrick has delivered in his brief run with the team, averaging 9.4 points and shooting 41% from the field while connecting on 50% of his 3-pointers.
- Jason Thompson is finding his comfort zone with the Raptors, and the power forward praised his new teammates for helping make his midseason transition to a new organization a smooth one, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca relays. “It was good to just be back on the court, man. I appreciate these guys bringing me in with open arms, knowing that I’m not coming in here and trying to do too much. I’m just trying to fit in,” Thompson said. “Ever since I landed, teammates have been there to try and help me out and ease my way into the situation. It’s been really good so far.”
- Former Nets power forward Andrea Bargnani, whom the team waived as part of a buyout arrangement, has been turning down overseas offers, a hint that he’ll wait until next season to sign with a new team, NetsDaily relays (Twitter link). Bargnani reportedly received contract offers from the Italian club Olimpia Milano and Turkey’s Galatasaray, among others.
- The Celtics have recalled James Young from their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript
4:03pm: We hosted the weekly live chat.
3:00pm: The regular season ends five weeks from tonight, and “the rest of the season” is a popular term around the league these days. It applies to marquee signings, like Ty Lawson‘s contract with the Pacers, surprise comebacks, like Nazr Mohammed‘s Thunder deal, and injuries, like the length of time Michael Carter-Williams and Eric Gordon are expected to miss. Of course, some of the news this time of year has implications for far beyond the next month, like the latest update on Dwight Howard‘s free agency plans. We can talk about all that and more in this week’s chat.
And-Ones: Wright, Dunn, Spurs, Grizzlies, Heat
Dorell Wright is back in the U.S. now that his Chinese club’s season is over, and while NBA teams are eyeing him, he’s not rushing to sign, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. He prefers a multiyear deal rather than one that’s just for the remainder of the season, Kennedy adds.
“I have [received interest from NBA teams], but I’ve told my agent that I really don’t want to know anything until something is serious and set in stone,” Wright told Kennedy. “I did that [free agency] waiting game this past summer, getting my hopes up and thinking this could be it, but it didn’t work out. Once something is set in stone and serious, I’ll know about it. Right now, I’m just working until I get that call.”
See more from around basketball:
- Providence point guard Kris Dunn went against his father’s insistence that he enter the draft last year, and the extra year at college has helped him expand his game and his character, as Bleacher Report’s Jason King examines. He’s risen from a projected mid-first-rounder to No. 5 in the rankings that Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and Chad Ford of ESPN.com compile. “I want to do more than just go to the NBA,” Dunn said. “I want to play in the NBA. I want to be prepared when I get there, instead of sitting at the end of the bench or going to the D-League. I needed more time to grow.”
- The Spurs waited to cut Rasual Butler, a move required for the team to sign Kevin Martin, until Gregg Popovich could inform Butler of his release in person, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Popovich returned today from an absence related to a family medical issue that took him away from the team for the past two games. San Antonio’s policy is to have either Popovich or GM R.C. Buford tell a player face-to-face when he’s being waived, according to Charania.
- Briante Weber is poised to sign with the Grizzlies if the NBA gives them a 16th roster spot, but his agent, Bill Neff, still holds the Heat in high regard, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The first-year pro has been with the Heat’s D-League affiliate this season and spent a brief time on the NBA roster in the preseason. “We love the Heat,” Neff said. “I’m still betting on them. We love the Heat. I couldn’t have picked a better team; they have been wonderful. I do think there is a chance to go back.”
Wizards Sign Marcus Thornton
1:45pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
“Marcus brings experience and shooting to our backcourt and helps us fill a void caused by Gary’s injury with another veteran player,” Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld said. “His skill set will allow him to fit right into our system and give our offense another option.”
11:19am: The Wizards and Marcus Thornton have agreement on a deal that covers the rest of the season, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Washington is waiving the injured Gary Neal to make room, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported minutes ago. The deal will give Thornton the minimum salary, tweets Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post.
Earlier reports identified the Heat and Cavaliers, but not the Wizards, as teams with interest in the seventh-year veteran who recently cleared waivers from the Rockets. The Heat’s path to tax flexibility has since closed, cutting off the team’s ability to sign him for another month without a heavy financial outlay. The Wizards appear to offer Thornton a better shot at playing time than the Cavaliers would, given the hip injury that’s plaguing Bradley Beal this week, though that appears to be only a short-term ailment.
Washington isn’t in position to bide its time as it sits in 10th place, two and a half games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Thornton is allowed to play in the postseason if the Wizards make it, since the Rockets waived him a few days before the March 1st, the cutoff date for playoff-eligibility.
Thornton’s minutes went up and down this year with Houston, a source of frustration to him, and the team was to send him to Detroit in the voided Donatas Motiejunas trade. The Pistons reportedly didn’t plan to make him part of the rotation, but he’s been productive when called upon this season, averaging 10.0 points in 18.8 minutes per contest across 47 appearances.
The Wizards had the ability to exceed the minimum salary for Thornton, since they have a disabled player exception worth nearly $2.806MM left over from Martell Webster‘s season-ending injury, which expires Thursday, plus a prorated sliver of the mid-level exception. However, they’re only about $500K shy of the luxury tax line, and it’s doubtful they’ll cross that.
Wizards Release Gary Neal
1:44pm: The move is official, the team announced.
11:12am: The Wizards are in the process of waiving Gary Neal, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The combo guard has been dealing with a leg injury affecting his right quadriceps and hip that’s expected to keep him out for a few more weeks, Stein notes (ESPN Now link), and he hasn’t appeared in a game since February 6th. Neal, who’s on a one-year contract worth $2.139MM, is one of 15 players currently with Washington, so the move will give the team the roster flexibility necessary to accommodate its reported deal with Marcus Thornton.
Washington signed Neal using the biannual exception this past summer after holding interest that reportedly dated back to last year’s buyout market. He shot well when healthy this season, knocking down 41.0% of his 3-point attempts as he averaged 9.8 points in 20.2 minutes per game across 40 appearances. However, the Wizards have an immediate need at two guard as Bradley Beal fights through a short-term hip injury, so it appears the team simply isn’t willing to wait for Neal to return to action.
Neal’s full salary will stick on Washington’s books if he clears waivers, though the team has already given him the majority of his salary and owes him just a few more paychecks at this point in the season. Portland ostensibly has motivation to add someone to reach the salary floor, but the Blazers are less than $1MM from that figure and wouldn’t necessarily benefit financially from claiming Neal.
Unless Neal re-signs with the Wizards, a prospect that seems unlikely, he won’t be eligible for the playoffs, since he’ll be hitting waivers after March 1st.
Pelicans Sign Orlando Johnson To 10-Day Deal
WEDNESDAY, 1:31pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
TUESDAY, 2:00pm: The Pelicans will use their hardship exception to sign Orlando Johnson to a 10-day contract, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). He’ll occupy the 16th roster spot the hardship provides as injury relief. It’s no surprise to see Johnson, a 6’5″ shooting guard, get the nod, as Charania linked him to the Pelicans in January and Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate reported minutes ago that the team was looking for a guard.
The contract will be worth $55,722. It’s the second 10-day deal Johnson will have signed with an NBA team this season. Phoenix had him on a 10-day last month, and he saw extensive action in two games, totaling 16 points in 47 minutes, but the Suns retooled their roster at the trade deadline and through the buyout market shortly after Johnson’s deal expired.
So, he returned to the Spurs affiliate in the D-League, the team he’s been with most of the season while averaging 16.0 points in 33.1 minutes per game and draining 46.1% of his 3-point shots. Johnson, who turns 27 on Friday, has yet to display that sort of accuracy at the NBA level, where he’s a career 31.3% shooter from behind the arc in parts of two seasons since becoming the 36th overall pick in 2012.
New Orleans will nonetheless see if he can help on the wing, where Tyreke Evans, Quincy Pondexter and Bryce Dejean-Jones are all lost for the season. Eric Gordon is reportedly undergoing surgery on his broken right ring finger today and the Pelicans fear his season is also through. New Orleans would remain eligible for a 16th roster spot the rest of the way if that’s the case.