ProHockeyRumors.com Launches
NHL rumors will never be the same! We’re proud to announce the launch of Pro Hockey Rumors, extending our coverage into a fourth sport. Our team has been writing for over a week now, so there is plenty to read. We’ve launched the site just in time for the NHL’s free agency period, and we hope you’ll enjoy our coverage of all the latest news and rumors. Bookmark Pro Hockey Rumors today!
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Western Notes: Bogdanovic, Lacob, Greer
Suns 2014 first-round pick Bogdan Bogdanovic won’t be joining the NBA next season, electing instead to remain overseas with the Turkish club Fenerbahce, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays. Remaining overseas for one more season makes fiscal sense for the swingman. Bogdanovic would have been required to sign a rookie contract that would give him a salary of about $5.7MM over four years. By waiting until 2017 to make the jump to the NBA, Bogdanovic is now free to negotiate any amount, starting with his draft year’s rookie salary scale.
Here’s more from out West:
- Warriors owner Joe Lacob acknowledged the franchise’s role in popularizing a small-ball approach around the NBA, but says now that numerous teams are attempting to copy their style of play it is time to evolve once again, Jennifer Elias of The Silicon Valley Business Journal writes. “We drove this idea of small ball, and it’s a different style of play,” Lacob said. “Having said that, I think it’s important to know that whenever everyone else starts doing things, it’s time to start doing what’s next. We’re on to the next idea — How can we iterate to evolve to get an advantage? I can assure you we’re very forward thinking in that regard.”
- Raptors assistant coach assistant Andy Greer is leaving Toronto to join Tom Thibodeau‘s staff with the Timberwolves as lead assistant, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter).
- George Hill is thrilled with Wednesday’s trade that saw him shipped to the Jazz, his agent, Bill Neff, told Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. “This is a good fit for George,” Neff said. “One, George likes it in Utah. Two, George has a close relationship with Gordon Hayward [both are Indianapolis natives]. Three, [GM] Dennis Lindsey was largely responsible for bringing George to San Antonio. George has worked with [Jazz coach] Quin Snyder. This is one of the teams George has always wanted to play for.“
- The Suns made an attempt to pry Hayward from the Jazz, offering Eric Bledsoe and a lottery pick in exchange, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. There is a growing sense around the league that Phoenix will move either Bledsoe or Brandon Knight prior to the start of next season, Stein adds (Twitter link).
Draft Rumors — Morning: Maker, Young, Hawes
The 2016 NBA Draft is mere hours away and trade chatter is likely to ramp up significantly as the event nears. Here’s the latest rumors and notes from around the league:
- A number of teams have ruled out selecting Thon Maker in the first round over concerns that his age has been misrepresented, Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers tweets. Multiple league sources tell Fischer they believe Maker to be 21-23 years of age, while he is officially listed as being just 19-years-old.
- The Hornets are offering the No. 22 overall pick as a sweetener if teams will take the contracts of Spencer Hawes or Jeremy Lamb off their hands via trade, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical relays (via Twitter). Charlotte wants to clear cap room to aid it in pursuing free agents this offseason, Wojnarowski adds.
- Several Western Conference teams have been aggressively pursuing Nets forward Thaddeus Young, who Brooklyn is looking to deal to the highest bidder in an effort to land a first round pick, Wojnarowski tweets.
- Teams picking after the Grizzlies, who own the No. 17 overall pick, believe Memphis is split between selecting Malachi Richardson and Malik Beasley, Fischer tweets.
- The Hawks have contacted teams drafting in the late teens of the first round offering to trade back from No. 12 overall in exchange for an established rotation player, Fischer relays (on Twitter).
- The Clippers have made calls to teams owning first-rounders in the mid to late teens and are offering up the No. 25 and No. 33 overall picks in return, Fischer tweets.
Knicks Acquire Derrick Rose From Bulls
The Knicks and Bulls have agreed to deal that sends Derrick Rose to New York, along with Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick. In exchange, Chicago receives Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon. Both teams have officially confirmed the move, with the Knicks announcing that they’ve also waived guard Tony Wroten as part of the deal.
[RELATED: Knicks among teams Dwight Howard would consider]
K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) first reported that an agreement was in place, along with all the names involved, while Adrian Wojnarwoski and Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link) were first to report that the two teams were engaged in “advanced talks” on a trade that would send Rose to the Knicks. The deal also came on the heels of earlier reports that the Bulls were open to moving Rose, and that the Knicks had internally discussed acquiring the Chicago point guard.
While Rose has been plagued by injuries since his MVP campaign in 2010/11, he managed to stay on the court for 66 games this past season, his highest mark in five years. In those games, he recorded averages of 16.4 points and 4.7 assists, shooting .427 from the floor.
Rose is entering the final year of his contract, and is set to earn a $21.323MM salary in 2016/17, so the Knicks are betting on him continuing to stay healthy going forward, and perhaps recapturing the form that saw him win that MVP award five years ago. If the 27-year-old has a solid season in New York, the Knicks would hold his Bird Rights when he becomes eligible for free agency in 2017.
By acquiring Rose, the Knicks will perhaps shift their focus in free agency more toward big men. The team could still use backcourt help, particularly at the two, with Arron Afflalo opting out, but losing Lopez will leave a hole at center in New York. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News suggests (via Twitter) that Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol could be among the Knicks’ targets in July, and we know Howard would be open to signing with New York.
Noah and Gasol, of course, are Bulls free agents, but the odds of those players both landing elsewhere appear to be on the rise with Lopez headed to Chicago. If the Bulls go into full rebuilding mode, Jimmy Butler could be a trade candidate as well, but considering they acquired veteran players in exchange for Rose, I’d be surprised if the Bulls go in that direction.
As Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweets, the Bulls have been eyeing point guard prospects in this year’s draft class, and while the team won’t get Kris Dunn at No. 14, a player like Wade Baldwin is a potential target. In Calderon, Chicago will at least have a solid veteran at the position for one more year.
From a financial perspective, the salaries involved in the swap are virtually a wash, despite Rose’s $20MM+ cap figure. Lopez, Grant, and Calderon combined to earn $21,625,172 in 2015/16, compared to $21,040,340 for Rose and Holiday. As Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweets, Rose’s 15% trade kicker won’t be applied to this deal, since his salary would exceed the max with that kicker — it would have been in play if the trade had been completed in July.
The Knicks create a traded player exception worth $1,572,360, the amount of Grant’s salary, but will likely renounce that exception next month in order to use space under the cap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jeremy Lin Opts Out Of Contract
JUNE 22: Lin, whose decision was due on Wednesday, has officially turned down his player option and will hit the open market in July, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein.
JUNE 7: Jeremy Lin will opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, reports Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). According to Haynes, the Hornets will make an effort to re-sign Lin, but the point guard figures to have plenty of suitors.
[RELATED: Player option decisions for 2016/17]
Lin, 27, signed a modest two-year contract last summer with Charlotte — that deal paid him $2.139MM in 2015/16, and featured a $2.235MM player option for 2016/17, which was always considered unlikely to be exercised unless Lin suffered a major injury or saw his performance fall off a cliff.
In his first – and possible only – season with the Hornets, Lin averaged 11.7 points per game, right in line with his career average. Lin’s .412 FG% and 3.0 assists per game were the worst full-season marks of his NBA career, but he was still a capable backup to Kemba Walker at the point.
Lin’s option decision deadline is on June 22, so he won’t officially be on track for free agency until that date passes. At that point, Lin will remain on Charlotte’s books with a cap hold worth about $2.567MM. The Hornets only hold his Non-Bird rights, so the team won’t be able to exceed the cap significantly to sign him. Still, with only about $46MM in guaranteed salary on their books for now, the Hornets should be able to find room for Lin if they make him a priority.
And-Ones: Dellavedova, Kidd, Draft
The Pistons and the Bucks are both interested in Cavs unrestricted free agent Matthew Dellavedova, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst relayed during an appearance on ESPN colleague Zach Lowe’s podcast. “They [Cleveland] could’ve signed Matthew Dellavedova to a $2MM or $3MM a year contract and now I think someone is coming in with a $10MM offer sheet. For some reason, and I got a pretty good idea why, the Milwaukee Bucks attended Cavs games in the playoffs like they were a fan of the team. They had scouts there…[coach] Jason Kidd came to one of the games. I think the Bucks have zeroed in on Dellavedova. I think they intend to offer him a bunch of money. The Detroit Pistons were hanging around in the playoffs a lot, sending scouts. They weren’t sending scouts to evaluate J.R. Smith, I think they intend to go after Dellavedova,” Windhorst opined.
Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Kidd’s contract extension with the Bucks is worth $16.5MM in guaranteed money over three years and there are performance bonuses included in the pact that could increase that amount, Charles F. Garnder of The Journal Sentinel relays.
- Nuggets assistant coach Ed Pinkney is expected to remain in Denver despite garnering interest from the Timberwolves and new coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.
- The Blazers, Rockets and Nets are without first-rounders this year and all three teams are trying to acquire one via trade, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical relayed during his podcast earlier today.
- Serbian point guard Milos Teodosic, who went undrafted back in 2009, said he would like to join the NBA if he could play for either the Spurs or the Jazz, Miloš Jovanović of Vice.com (translation via Eurohoops.net) relays.
Offseason Outlook: Utah Jazz
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise heading into the summer.
State of the Franchise
The Jazz finished under .500 for the third straight campaign, narrowly missing posting a winning mark for the first time since the 2012/13 season. The franchise won 40 games this year, a two game improvement from 2014/15’s victory total. But despite the losing record and trip back to the NBA draft lottery, there is much to be optimistic about in Utah.
While the minor improvement in the win column should give fans reason to hope for next season, the fact that the team did so despite the myriad injuries suffered by key personnel should generate significant excitement in Utah. 2015 lottery pick Dante Exum missed the entire season recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during play with the Australian National Team, Alec Burks missed more than half the season with ankle woes and Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert both missed roughly a quarter of the campaign, yet the Jazz were still competitive, which is a testament to coach Quin Snyder and the players who remained healthy.
It will certainly be a challenge for the Jazz to take that next step toward contention. Utah already has 12 guaranteed contracts on its books for 2016/17 and only about $64.5MM in guaranteed salary against a projected salary cap of $94MM. This will allow the team to pursue rotational upgrades and bench depth this offseason, but the Jazz will need to spend with an eye on next summer. Small forward Gordon Hayward will have the ability to opt out of his deal and hit unrestricted free agency in 2017, plus the franchise also has to consider contract extensions for Gobert and point guard Trey Burke. If the Jazz wish to keep their core intact the next few seasons, it will become significantly more expensive to do so moving forward.
Gordon Hayward‘s Future
Utah has a complex decision to make regarding Hayward, whether it’s when his current deal expires after the 2017/18 season, or next summer when he can opt out and hit unrestricted free agency. With the salary cap potentially increasing to as much as $109MM in 2017, a max salary for Hayward could approach the neighborhood of $30MM annually. Quite a hefty sum for a player owning a career 14.6 points per game scoring average.
For many franchises, I would immediately advise against inking Hayward to a deal approaching that sum, given his production level the past few years. But Utah has never been a destination city for free agents, something that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. So it becomes paramount that the team retain its talent, especially if its win totals keep improving, which will lessen the quality of draftees the Jazz will have a shot at landing annually.
I fully expect Hayward to opt out next summer given the hefty pay increase he will be in line for by doing so. The Jazz more than likely will be in a position where they are forced to retain Hayward in order to remain competitive, but he isn’t a player a team can build around, being better suited to a role as a second or third option on offense rather than a focal point. That makes paying him nearly $30MM annually a bit difficult to justify, but Utah may lack other options and it will have to hope that its younger players make significant strides toward becoming stars or its investment in Hayward will likely end up being for naught.
To Extend, or Not To Extend?
The Jazz will also need to address the contract situation of defensive-stopper Gobert, who is eligible to ink an extension this summer. The big man wasn’t quite as dominant this season as he was during his breakout campaign in 2015/16. He finished the year sidelined with ankle woes, but there has been no indication the malady is one that will linger and Gobert should be back at full strength in time for the preseason.
Utah could decide to hold off and wait for the center to hit restricted free agency next summer, or it could decide to forgo any potential drama and lock him up to a long-term pact prior to October’s deadline. Given the difficulties Utah has in attracting free agents and Gobert’s ability to control the paint with his defense, it should definitely try to work out a deal prior to the player hitting the open market. But with the salary cap set to keep escalating, Gobert may wish to try his luck in scoring a larger payout by passing on any extension. The only true negative for the Jazz in extending Gobert is that much of their cap flexibility for next summer would be eliminated, but locking up Gobert may be well worth it.
Backcourt Situation
While the team is relatively settled in its frontcourt rotation, the backcourt remains a bit of a mystery. Exum showed flashes of enormous potential during his rookie campaign, but coming off an entire missed season, it is unrealistic to expect him to make significant strides forward this coming year. Former lottery pick Burke has been a disappointment during his tenure and it may be time to get him a change of scenery, for the sake of the player as well as the team. Rodney Hood appears to be the starter at shooting guard going forward after a solid sophomore campaign, but he will have to share playing time with Burks and the newly acquired George Hill, who will also spend time at point guard.
Nabbing Hill in exchange for the No. 12 overall pick was a solid move by the team, as it needs his outside shooting, positional versatility and veteran leadership much more so than another young prospect to develop. But his addition further marginalizes Burke and creates a challenge for Snyder to find the correct combinations on a nightly basis. This isn’t the worst problem to have, but NBA players don’t always respond well to reduced playing time, so it is something that will require finesse on the part of the coaching staff to manage.
Draft Targets
As I previously mentioned, Utah jettisoned its first round pick in the Hill deal and its extremely difficult to find fault with the team’s logic. Adding a veteran who can be effective from three-point range (Hill owns a career mark of .376 from beyond the arc) fills a major need for the team, plus it leaves open roster space for more veteran additions down the line. The Jazz could likely have nabbed a decent big man with the pick, but that wouldn’t have moved the franchise any closer to contention next season.
Final Take
The Jazz enter the offseason with a roster that is essentially set for 2016/17, but still have enough available cap space to make some needed upgrades. The franchise will have some crucial calls to make regarding the future contracts of Hayward and Gobert, plus, it will also need to settle on its backcourt of the future. The return of Exum will certainly be a boon for the team, though I would caution against expecting too much out of the young guard this season given his age and inexperience. The Jazz will need to look to improve from within, as well as hope to get lucky with its free agent signings given the geographical limitations of playing Utah, if it hopes to take the next step forward. But the good news for fans of the team is that the squad looks to be in good hands under Snyder and there is enough talent present to keep things interesting.
Guaranteed Salary
- Gordon Hayward ($16,073,140)
- Derrick Favors ($11,050,000)
- Alec Burks ($10,154,495)
- George Hill ($8,000,000)
- Dante Exum ($3,940,320)
- Trey Burke ($3,386,598)
- Tibor Pleiss ($3,000,000)
- Trey Lyles ($2,340,600)
- Joe Ingles ($2,150,000)
- Rudy Gobert ($2,121,287)
- Rodney Hood ($1,406,520)
- Raul Neto ($937,800)
- Total: $64,560,760
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Shelvin Mack ($2,433,334)
- Chris Johnson ($1,050,961)
- Jeff Withey ($1,015,696)
- Total: $4,499,991
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Trevor Booker ($6,207,500)
- Total: $6,207,500
Other Cap Holds
- None
Projected Salary Cap: $94,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Pacific Notes: Russell, Kennedy, Kings
Lakers 2015 lottery pick D’Angelo Russell has heard the trade rumors connected to himself but isn’t concerned, especially after GM Mitch Kupchak reached out to re-assure him the team has faith in his abilities, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register relays. “You hear trade talks,” Russell said. “Then you get a text from your GM saying he trusts your work ethic and don’t worry about it.”
The young playmaker has already been picking new coach Luke Walton‘s brain about how Warriors star Stephen Curry was able to develop his game to the level it is now, Medina adds. “Please don’t take this the wrong way,” Russell said. “He didn’t compare me to Steph. But I asked him a lot about Steph. I asked him a lot of Steph questions about how he got to this point.”
Here’s more news and notes from the Pacific Division:
- Former SMU power forward Markus Kennedy worked out for the Lakers today, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter). Kennedy is the No. 77 overall senior in this year’s draft according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
- The Warriors should place a high priority on re-signing restricted free agents Festus Ezeli and Harrison Barnes, Bobby Marks of The Vertical opines in his offseason primer for the franchise. The scribe cites the team’s lack of cap flexibility and the potential for the duo to turn into high-value trade assets down the line as reasons why.
- The Kings hold the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, yet none of the players projected to be lottery selections worked out for the team, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The highest-regarded prospect who worked out was former Vanderbilt guard Wade Baldwin, who is a projected mid-first round pick, Jones adds. The team downplayed the significance of pre-draft workouts, with assistant GM Ken Catanella saying, “It’s important, but I would always say we’re looking at a guy’s body of work. It is a small piece, but you still want to, if you haven’t had the opportunity to interview a player at the combine perhaps, or you haven’t had the opportunity to see a guy live, it never hurts. But again, you take the available information you have, and you make the most of it.”
Atlantic Notes: Millsap, Gbinjie, Noah
Here’s the latest happenings from out of the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors should look to trade away the No. 9 overall pick for veteran help rather than adding another young player to the roster, opines Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The scribe notes the lack of star caliber players in this year’s draft as a primary reason to move the pick, adding that the team has enough developing players on its bench already.
- Former Syracuse swingman Michael Gbinjie completed his string of pre-draft workouts this week with a showcase for the Nets, Donna Ditota of The Post Standard relays (via Twitter).
- With the Knicks dealing away center Robin Lopez as part of the Derrick Rose trade, the team is now set up for a potential pursuit this summer of big men Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol or Dwight Howard, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News observes (via Twitter). Along with the Knicks, the Nets are also expected to have interest in signing Noah, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
- As a result of the Rose trade, the Knicks‘ available cap space has decreased slightly, dropping from approximately $35.4MM to $35.1MM, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (on Twitter).
- The Sixers are in the market for a veteran point guard and were involved in trade discussions for George Hill and Jeff Teague prior to the players being dealt elsewhere, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets.
- If the Hawks are unsuccessful in their attempt to re-sign Al Horford, and end up shifting into rebuilding mode, the Raptors would be interested in acquiring forward Paul Millsap, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports notes (Twitter links). Toronto had inquired about Millsap at the trade deadline this season but were rebuffed, Lewenberg relays, adding that the Raptors view him as ideal fit next to center Jonas Valanciunas.
Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 29)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we are doing with a series of polls.
We are nearing the end of the first round and have come to the Spurs. Will they go the draft-and-stash route once again or look to select a player who can contribute in the immediate future? Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for San Antonio’s selection and check back Thursday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Warriors will select with the No. 30 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 29 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
- Sixers — Ben Simmons (LSU)
- Lakers — Brandon Ingram (Duke)
- Celtics — Dragan Bender (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
- Suns — Jaylen Brown (California)
- Timberwolves — Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)
- Pelicans — Kris Dunn (Providence)
- Nuggets — Jamal Murray (Kentucky)
- Kings — Henry Ellenson (Marquette)
- Raptors — Marquese Chriss (Washington)
- Bucks — Jakob Poeltl (Utah)
- Magic — Skal Labissiere (Kentucky)
- Jazz — Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)
- Suns — Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga)
- Bulls — Deyonta Davis (Michigan State)
- Nuggets — Timothe Luwawu (Mega Leks)
- Celtics — Thon Maker (Australia)
- Grizzlies — Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt)
- Pistons — Tyler Ulis (Kentucky)
- Nuggets — Furkan Korkmaz (Anadolu Efes)
- Pacers — Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame)
- Hawks — Taurean Prince (Baylor)
- Hornets — Brice Johnson (North Carolina)
- Celtics — Malachi Richardson (Syracuse)
- Sixers — Malik Beasley (Florida State)
- Clippers — DeAndre Bembry (St. Joe’s)
- Sixers — Dejounte Murray (Washington)
- Raptors — Cheick Diallo (Kansas)
- Suns — Diamond Stone (Maryland)
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