Bulls Favor Re-Signing Noah Over Gasol?
The Bulls have apparently cooled somewhat on their desire to re-sign Pau Gasol and now may be favoring an attempt to ink center Joakim Noah to a short-term deal instead, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. Chicago had resisted trade overtures for Gasol prior to the February trade deadline and GM Gar Forman referred to him as part of the team’s core, adding that the Bulls were the clear favorites to re-sign the big man this summer.
Gasol, who is planning to opt out of his deal for 2016/17, said in February that how the team played down the stretch would influence his decision. With Chicago going just 12-15 since the veteran made that proclamation, it would appear that Gasol is now considering alternative options to Chicago, Johnson notes. “Nothing is set right now. I will evaluate what I need to when the time comes,” Gasol said Thursday night. “The way the team has responded to adversity and finished up the season has been disappointing.” The 35-year-old has had a strong campaign for the franchise, averaging 16.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 blocks in 71 appearances.
The Tribune scribe notes that while the Bulls have yet to formalize their offseason plans, there is a strong bond between the front office and Noah, who has long been the emotional leader of the team. However, there is no guarantee that Noah will return to the Windy City, as he has had some issues with coach Fred Hoiberg this season. Johnson points to the apparent disconnect between Hoiberg and Noah regarding the center’s shift to a reserve role, with Noah disputing Hoiberg’s assertion that he had volunteered to do so. “I never said I want to come off the bench,” Noah said shortly after the start of the season. “I said I’ll do what’s best for the team.”
Noah has been linked to the Magic as a potential free agent target, though only speculatively at this point. The 31-year-old had surgery on his separated left shoulder on January 19th, with a projected recovery time of four to six months, and he’s only appeared in 29 games this season, notching averages of 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 21.9 minutes per contest. The Bulls already have $65,766,154 in guaranteed salary committed for 2015/16, and that will limit how much the team is willing and able to commit to Noah, whose injury history may make the notion of him inking a short-term deal a fallback option at best, though that is merely my speculation.
Which player would the Bulls be better served to re-sign for next season? Sound off with your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Utah Jazz
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 Utah Jazz, 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= $64,817,873*
- Remaining Cap Room= $5,182,127
- Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $19,922,127
*Note: This amount includes the $75,000 owed to J.J. O’Brien, the $947,276 owed Grant Jerrett, the $75,000 due Treveon Graham, the $50,000 owed to E.J. Singler, the $362,878 due Elijah Millsap, as well as the $11,144 paid to Phil Pressey and the $6,178 paid out to Eric Atkins, all of who were waived by the team.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- Room Exception: $1,307,682
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000
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.
Latest On Suns Coaching Search
The Suns are planning on casting a wide net this offseason in the search for their next head coach, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays. Interim coach Earl Watson will be among the candidates in the running, Stein notes, with Phoenix also considering Sixers assistant and former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni, former Sun and current coach at Grand Canyon University Dan Majerle and Warriors assistant Luke Walton.
Villanova coach Jay Wright is also reportedly in the mix, though there have been conflicting reports about the Suns’ level of interest in the 2016 NCAA National Championship winner. For his part, Wright indicated that he wished to remain with the Wildcats, but did leave himself some wiggle room should he have a change of heart, saying “I can say right now that, in my mind, I plan to stay at Villanova. But I also don’t want to be a liar. I want to stay. I know I want to stay, but I just say I hope I can stay because I’ve learned from the past how crazy things can be. I hope I can stay at Villanova because this is where I want to be.”
GM Ryan McDonough had said that Watson would be a candidate for the job shortly after he replaced former coach Jeff Hornacek, and Watson has the support of at least some of the players. Phoenix is just 7-23 since Watson took over, though injuries have limited Brandon Knight to 10 games and Eric Bledsoe to none during that stretch. While the team hasn’t climbed in the standings under Watson, he has improved the Suns’ defense as a unit, with Phoenix notching a defensive rating that is good for 12th best in the league over its past 10 contests. Before Watson arrived, the Suns were a lowly 29th in that category.
Walton is one of the hottest names around the league when potential coaching candidates are discussed. The 36-year-old guided the Warriors to a record of 39-4 in the absence of coach Steve Kerr, who was recovering from offseason surgery and was unable to meet the physical demands of the position during the first half of the campaign. But according to Stein’s sources, Walton departing the Warriors for the Suns is an extreme long shot at the moment.
Team owner Robert Sarver was reportedly interested in hiring former MVP Steve Nash to coach the team back in February, but Nash remains uninterested in going into coaching on a full-time basis, Stein notes. Nash currently wants to focus on fatherhood, his various off-court interests, the part-time consulting role with the Warriors that he took on at the start of this season and his duties as GM of Team Canada, Stein writes. Sarver has said that McDonough will definitely continue as the team’s GM next season, but there is some speculation that the franchise may look to install Nash in a front office position in the future, Stein adds.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 4/8/16
While the NBA will always be a game that favors size, there have been a number of diminutive players who have made their mark on the league over the years. The most recent example of a player overcoming his lack of size, or physical shortcomings, if you’ll forgive the pun, is the Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas, who is averaging an outstanding 22.4 points and 6.3 assists per contest this season. While Thomas’ success is hardly the norm for a player standing 5’9″ in shoes, he has certainly proven that heart and talent can trump stature in the league.
One of the next players who will look to find success in the league despite being undersized is Kentucky point guard Tyler Ulis, who has declared for the draft and is reportedly going to hire an agent, a move that would eliminate the possibility of him returning to the Wildcats for another campaign. Like Thomas, Ulis also stands 5’9″, though that measurement may be a tad on the generous side for the sophomore. Ulis, who was arguably Kentucky’s best player this past season, averaging 17.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists to accompany a slash line of .434/.344/.856. The freshman is currently ranked No. 20 overall by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com slots him at No. 17 overall.
Here’s today’s topic: How successful will Tyler Ulis be in the NBA?
Sound off in the comments section with your predictions for Ulis once he takes the floor in the NBA. Do you think he’ll achieve a similar level of success as the aforementioned Thomas, end up as a bench player, or is he destined to toil away in the D-League or overseas? Give us your best predictions for his career, take a guess at his stat line or share your own scouting report on the player. We look forward to what you have to say.
Western Notes: Knight, Harrell, Dukan
Point guard Brandon Knight underwent successful surgery to treat a sports hernia on Thursday, the Suns announced. Phoenix had already shut down Knight for the remainder of the season as he sought a second medical opinion after being limited to just 52 appearances on the campaign. No timetable was given for Knight’s return to action, but he is expected to begin his rehabilitation immediately, according to the press release. The 24-year-old finishes the 2015/16 season with averages of 19.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 36 minutes per outing. His slash line was .415/.342/.852.
Here’s more from out West:
- Rockets rookie power forward Montrezl Harrell, who has been suspended for five games without pay by the D-League for shoving an official, contends that he was unaware in the heat of the moment that he was pushing a referee and has apologized for his actions, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today relays (via Twitter). The NBPA is reportedly challenging the suspension.
- Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry noted that while no definitive decision has been made, it is highly unlikely that Ryan Anderson or Norris Cole will play again this season, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Jrue Holiday, Alonzo Gee, Anthony Davis, Quincy Pondexter, Eric Gordon, Bryce Dejean-Jones and Tyreke Evans are all already on the shelf for the year in what was a nightmarish season for New Orleans from an injury standpoint.
- The Kings have recalled power forward Duje Dukan from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Dukan has appeared in 27 contests for Reno this season and is averaging 14.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists to accompany a shooting line of .403/.371/.722.
Atlantic Notes: Noel, Anthony, Canaan
Nerlens Noel will be eligible to ink a rookie scale extension this summer and judging by comments made by Bryan Colangelo, who will reportedly be named as the Sixers new GM, the odds are good that Philadelphia will likely be amenable doing a deal with the big man before the October 31st deadline, Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine notes (Twitter link). When discussing the extension he had signed DeMar DeRozan to when he was GM of the Raptors, Colangelo said, “I had learned from a previous experience that not signing a key player to an eligible extension can come back to bite you, as family, friends and agents feel it’s a sign of disrespect or a lack of belief toward the player. The rules of restricted free agency still give you the upper hand, but the damage can sometimes be too deep to overcome in a healthy way.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers point guard Isaiah Canaan will miss the remainder of the season with a torn left labrum, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com relays. Canaan was just two starts and 34 minutes away from triggering the starter criteria, but as a result of his injury, the qualifying offer needed to make him a restricted free agent this offseason will remain at $1,215,696 instead of the $2,725,003 he would have been in line for had he met the criteria, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors broke down earlier.
- Former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie never thought that the franchise needed to defend its rebuilding plan to outsiders, believing that doing so would show other organizations the light, which would in turn invite mimicry, Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes.
- Carmelo Anthony is adamant about being part of the Knicks‘ free agent recruiting efforts this summer after being excluded from the process by team president Phil Jackson last offseason, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The Post scribe also notes that if New York strikes out in free agency this summer, all bets are off regarding Anthony’s willingness to remain with the team through another season of rebuilding.
- The Celtics have recalled power forward Jordan Mickey and swingman James Young from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. There will be no more treks to Maine on the season for the pair since the Red Claws have been eliminated from the D-League playoffs, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter).
Knicks Notes: Fisher, Jackson, Wroten
Former Knicks coach Derek Fisher took some digs at team president Phil Jackson this week, saying that the Zen Master still has much to learn about being an executive, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. “I think a lot of people forget about Phil because of history within the game of basketball — one of the greatest basketball minds, coaches we’ve ever seen — there’s an assumption that he’s supposed to know what to do in every situation,” Fisher said during an appearance on NBA TV. “He’s also still learning as an executive, as a president of an organization, which is completely different than coaching. My assumption, without assuming, is there was a lot of learning he had to do and we all had to do while working together. … I think Phil is still settling in, but organization-wide, they are still settling in as to who the Knicks are in their DNA.’’
Fisher also noted that Carmelo Anthony is on board with being part of the team’s rebuilding process, Berman adds. “From what I learned from coaching and being with Carmelo is that he wants to win, but he’s also willing to work with younger players and allow the development process to happen,’’ Fisher said. “He was happy with Kristaps Porzingis’ development.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Interim coach Kurt Rambis told reporters that Fisher was lax in teaching Knicks players the triangle offense and that he and the other coaches are playing catch-up in implementing the system, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “If you want to learn something and truly learn something, you have to immerse yourself in it. That probably goes for about anything,” Rambis said. “We didn’t fully immerse ourselves into practicing it, developing it, learning how to work with it, going through the breakdown drills to execute it properly. We kind of skirted over things. So the real learning process of it didn’t have enough time to take place. We also didn’t allow the players the kind of time that it needs to allow them to get comfortable with it.“
- Tony Wroten won’t suit up for the Knicks this season, but he asserts that he will be the team’s starting point guard in 2016/17, Berman relays in a separate piece. “Without a doubt, without a doubt,’’ Wroten told Berman when asked if he believes he will start next season. “I’m working hard. That’s what I want to be. That’s my mindset from here on out. I want to help my team, and I feel I can help them and learn from them in practice now. [I can learn from] watching Carmelo [Anthony], Jose Calderon, Langston Galloway, Kevin Seraphin. They brought me in like family. I’m already comfortable with the team and I haven’t played a game yet or practiced. So I’m definitely excited.”
2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Toronto Raptors
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 Toronto Raptors, 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= $72,214,887*
- Remaining Cap Room= –$2,214,887
- Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $12,525,113
*Note: This amount includes the $947,276 due Anthony Bennett, the $75,000 owed to Ronald Roberts, as well as the $25,000 each due Shannon Scott, Axel Toupane and Michale Kyser, all of whom were waived by the team.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- None
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000
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.
Six Contracts In One Season For Ryan Hollins
Ryan Hollins has lived a journeyman NBA existence, playing for nine teams in 10 NBA seasons and starting just 76 times, but he’s had a knack for staying in the league. The 31-year-old entered this season having been waived only once in his career, by the Cavs in 2012, and that was reportedly a mutual decision that led to his signing with the Celtics shortly after he cleared waivers. Circumstances changed this year, however.
When Hollins hit waivers Thursday, it was the fourth time a team released him this season. If no team claims his contract, a prorated minimum-salary deal for the rest of the season, Saturday will mark the sixth time he’s become a free agent this year since Memphis originally signed him on September 25th.
The Grizzlies and the Wizards are the only teams Hollins has played for this season, and Washington only signed Hollins to one of the six contracts he’s been on, so much of his whirlwind of movement is courtesy of the Grizzlies. That’s not just because of the injury problems in Memphis, which only became profound over the past six weeks or so.
Instead, several other factors have been at play, as we’ve detailed below as part of this timeline of the moves involving the Todd Ramasar client this season.
- September 23rd — Hollins agrees to a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal with the Grizzlies after fielding interest from multiple other teams over the summer.
- September 25th — Hollins formally signs with the Grizzlies, though the team doesn’t announce it until three days later.
- October 26th — The Grizzlies waive Hollins, keeping Jarell Martin instead.
- October 28th — Hollins clears waivers, becoming a free agent.
- November 30th — The Wizards sign Hollins to a non-guaranteed deal for the minimum salary to replace the injured Martell Webster. The contract includes language stipulating that Hollins’ salary would become fully guaranteed if he sticks through December 27th.
- December 22nd — The Wizards waive Hollins to instead sign Jarell Eddie, though they don’t announce the move until the next day.
- December 24th — Hollins clears waivers, becoming a free agent and missing out on the December 27th guarantee date.
- December 29th — The Grizzlies again sign Hollins to a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract, waiving Russ Smith to make room. Brandan Wright‘s injury had created the need for a big man like Hollins, and coach Dave Joerger asked the front office to re-sign him.
- January 7th — The Grizzlies waive Hollins on the final day they could without his minimum salary becoming fully guaranteed, electing to keep James Ennis and guarantee his salary instead. Memphis signs Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract the next day.
- January 9th — Hollins clears waivers, becoming a free agent.
- January 21st — The Grizzlies sign Hollins to a 10-day contract, electing not to re-sign Williams on a second 10-day.
- January 31st — Hollins’ 10-day contract runs to term, so he again becomes a free agent.
- February 1st — The Grizzlies sign Hollins to a second 10-day contract.
- February 11th — Hollins’ 10-day contract runs to term, so he again becomes a free agent. The Grizzlies carry an open roster spot into the February 18th trade deadline, filling it through a three-way trade with the Hornets and Heat in which Chris Andersen and P.J. Hairston come in and only Courtney Lee goes out.
- March 2nd — The Grizzlies backtrack on a decision they made nearly a month prior to keep Ennis over Hollins, waiving Ennis and signing Hollins to a minimum-salary contract for the rest of the season. Hollins’ prorated salary is guaranteed through the end of the season.
- April 7th — The Grizzlies waive Hollins again, this time to re-sign Xavier Munford. Memphis had been allowed to carry Hollins and Munford, along with others, via the hardship provision, but it doesn’t appear likely the NBA will allow the team to continue carrying extra roster spots once the playoffs began.
The RealGM transactions log was used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Wright, Pistons, Draft
Villanova coach Jay Wright told Dana O’Neil of ESPN.com that he has a strong desire to remain with the school, but he left the door slightly ajar to the idea of jumping to the NBA. The 54-year-old who just led the Wildcats to the national title values the ability to fade from the spotlight during the offseason in Philadelphia and indicated that if that changes, it would be the most significant reason for him to leave, O’Neil writes. The Suns are reportedly interested in Wright for their head coaching job, but he said no team has made an offer. “I can say right now that in my mind I plan to stay at Villanova,” Wright said. “But I also don’t want to be a liar. I want to stay. I know I want to stay, but I just say I hope I can stay because I’ve learned from the past how crazy things can be. I hope I can stay at Villanova because this is where I want to be.”
See more NBA-related news:
- The Pistons have decided against re-signing Lorenzo Brown and plan to keep a 14-man roster the rest of the season, barring injury, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy told reporters, including MLive’s David Mayo and Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). The Pistons have three healthy point guards aside from Brown, so Van Gundy saw no need to keep him once his second 10-day contract with the team expired Wednesday, according to Ellis. Brown didn’t appear in a game during his 20 days with Detroit.
- Iowa State junior point guard Monte Morris is eschewing a strong chance to become a second-round NBA draft pick this year to instead return for his senior season, the school announced. The 6’3″ 20-year-old was No. 47 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and 57th with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
- Conversely, long-shot draft prospect Chris Obekpa will at least test the waters, as he plans to enter the draft without an agent, a source told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). NCAA rules required the 6’9″ forward/center to sit out this season at UNLV following his transfer from St. John’s. Ford ranks the native of Nigeria as just the 177th-best prospect, while Givony, whose overall rankings don’t run past No. 100, pegs him as the 71st-best junior. Obekpa can return to college ball if he withdraws from the draft by May 25th as long as he doesn’t hire an agent.