Offseason Outlook: Sacramento Kings
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
If nothing else, the Kings should have a more harmonious locker room in 2016/17.
Controversy swirled around coach George Karl and star player DeMarcus Cousins throughout last season. Karl nearly got fired midway through the campaign and finally got the ax after it ended. A disconnect between the front office and Karl added to the turmoil enveloping the franchise.
“There were too many distractions on and off the court,” said point guard Rajon Rondo, no stranger to controversy himself.
There are signs of better days ahead for a franchise that hasn’t visited the postseason for 10 years. They hired a much less contentious head coach to replace Karl in Dave Joerger, who guided the Grizzlies to three straight playoff appearances. They’ll also be playing in a brand new arena, the Golden 1 Center, which should boost attendance and create some positive energy.
The next step is to reshape the roster and give their fans a reason to keep coming back.
Point Of Contention
The Kings may have to find replacements for their top two point guards, Rondo and Darren Collison.
Rondo revived his career after a woeful stint with the Mavericks in 2014/15, leading the league in assists at 11.7 per game. He’s an unrestricted free agent and the Kings want him back, but apparently don’t want to get into a bidding war for his services. Rondo, who made $9.5MM in the final year of his contract, will explore all his options, though he’s not averse to re-signing as long as he’s convinced of a culture change in the organization.
Collison has a team-friendly $5.23MM contract for next season but he could face a lengthy suspension after domestic violence charges were filed against him over a May incident. Collison wasn’t a typical backup, as he averaged 14.0 points — third most on the team — and 30 minutes despite starting only 15 games.
The Kings ranked third in points scored and fourth in assists with Rondo and Collison being the main distributors. Even if they manage to re-sign Rondo, they’ll have to acquire another point guard who can play regular minutes if the league cracks down on Collison.
Building Block Or Blockbuster?
VP of Basketball Operations and GM Vlade Divac tried to quell speculation about a possible Cousins trade this summer, saying in recent interview, “He’s not going to be traded — this year for sure.”
Joerger echoed that sentiment by saying he wouldn’t have accepted the job if the team was in a full rebuild mode.
“There’s still some heavy lifting to do but some of the heavy lifting has been done,” he said. “This is not a blow it up, let’s start all over again situation.”
That still won’t end all the rumors about Cousins’ status, considering the Kings have never won more than 33 games with the big man as their centerpiece. Teams such as Celtics and Sixers have been angling to acquire a superstar for years and could put together impressive packages for Cousins, who averaged 26.9 points and 11.5 rebounds last season.
The mercurial Cousins has said all the right things since his frequent verbal sparring partner, Karl, was sent packing.
“I want to bring us back to those glory days,” said Cousins, who has two years remaining on his contract.
Free Agent Targets
The Kings will be hanging up a “Help Wanted” sign and with only $61.3MM committed to guaranteed salaries, they’ll have plenty of salary cap space to pursue top free agents.
Naturally, they’re not a prime destination and some free agents may not want to put up with the volatile Cousins. Thus, the Kings may have to overpay to land a player they covet.
Would Mike Conley consider joining his former head coach in Sacramento? Unlikely, but Joerger’s presence gives the Kings a glimmer of hope toward landing the top free agent point guard on this year’s market.
Beyond Conley and Rondo, there are only second-tier options such as Jeremy Lin and Brandon Jennings.
The Kings, who gave up the most points in the league last season, also need to acquire some veteran defenders to instill toughness. A player like shooting guard Courtney Lee, whom Joerger coached in Memphis, would be a good fit.
Potential Trades
Even if the Kings live up to their vow to retain Cousins, they will likely be active on the trade market.
Rudy Gay, who will make $13.3MM next season and holds a player option on the final year of his deal, will be easier to move with the salary-cap jump coming this summer. Ben McLemore could also get sent packing to a suitor willing to take a chance on the disappointing lottery pick.
Marco Belinelli has two years left on his deal but with shooting at a premium around the league, he could also draw interest.
Draft Outlook
- First-round pick: No. 8
- Second-round pick: No. 59
The Kings brass is reportedly enamored with Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, who would be an immediate upgrade at shooting guard. However, there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll still be on the board when the No. 8 pick comes up. They may have to trade up to get him.
Otherwise, the Kings are expected to shop the pick for a more experienced rotation player.
Coaching Outlook
There’s a lot more stability along the sidelines than on the roster, as Joerger signed a four-year, $16MM contract. He has promised to work closely with the front office and end the discord that was so prevalent during the Karl era. How he’ll mesh with Cousins is the big unknown. The jury is still out on whether Cousins will respond better to a players’ coach like Joerger or a no-nonsense type like ex-Kings coach Michael Malone.
Final Take
The Kings seem content to build around Cousins for the time being and hope that he matures into a true leader. They can always explore trades for him during the season if that doesn’t happen.
The bigger issue is that they have question marks at every other spot on the roster. The front office will have make a series of shrewd moves to obtain quality pieces and end the playoff drought. It’s easy to be skeptical of that happening.
Guaranteed Salary
- DeMarcus Cousins ($16,957,900)
- Rudy Gay ($13,333,333)
- Kosta Koufos ($8,046,500)
- Marco Belinelli ($6,333,333)
- Darren Collison ($5,229,454)
- Ben McLemore ($4,008,882)
- Willie Cauley-Stein ($3,551,160)
- Omri Casspi ($2,963,814)
- (Wayne Ellington $882,630) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Total: $61,307,006
Player Options
- Caron Butler ($1,551,659)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Duje Dukan ($874,636)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Seth Curry ($1,215,696/$1,215,696)1
- Eric Moreland ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
- Totals: ($2,396,127/$2,396,127)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Rajon Rondo ($11,400,000)
- Quincy Acy ($980,431)1
- James Anderson ($980,431)1
- Total: $13,360,862
Other Cap Holds
- No. 8 pick ($2,451,200)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- Curry, Acy, and Anderson all declined player options for 2016/17.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 27)
The results of the 2016 NBA Draft lottery are in and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. 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 once again come to the Raptors. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Toronto’s selection and check back Tuesday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Suns will select with the No. 28 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. 27 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)
With the No. 27 Overall Pick, the Raptors Select...
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Cheick Diallo (Kansas) 22% (220)
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Diamond Stone (Maryland) 10% (100)
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Juan Hernangomez (Spain) 9% (88)
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Zhou Qi (China) 8% (83)
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Ben Bentil (Providence) 7% (72)
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Ante Zizic (Croatia) 6% (64)
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Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) 6% (60)
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Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) 6% (57)
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Caris LeVert (Michigan) 5% (52)
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Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) 4% (37)
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Patrick McCaw (UNLV) 3% (34)
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Wayne Selden (Kansas) 3% (34)
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Ivica Zubac (Mega Leks) 3% (31)
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A.J. Hammons (Purdue) 2% (16)
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Chinanu Onuaku (Louisville) 2% (15)
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Isaia Cordinier (France) 1% (9)
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Robert Carter (Maryland) 1% (8)
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Petr Cornelie (Le Mans) 1% (7)
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Guerschon Yabusele (Rouen) 1% (6)
Total votes: 993
For Trade Rumors app users: [Direct Link]
Ford On Sixers, Lakers, J. Brown, Celtics
The NBA world may still be recovering this morning from an incredible Game 7 in Oakland on Sunday night, but that recovery will have to happen fast — we’re only three days away from the 2016 NBA draft. As we quickly transition into the 2016 offseason, let’s round up a few of the highlights from Chad Ford’s latest mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link), which features a handful of interesting draft tidbits…
- The Sixers have had “vigorous internal debates” about the No. 1 pick, with Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn – who would both be good fits on the roster – receiving consideration. But, as Ford writes, the team keeps coming back to the fact that Ben Simmons is the best prospect in the draft in terms of “sheer talent and upside.” Ford adds that head coach Brett Brown believes he could find a way to use Simmons as a point guard of sorts.
- Although there has been some talk of the Lakers eyeing Marquese Chriss and Jaylen Brown at No. 2, Ford believes those prospects would only be in play for L.A. if the club acquired another lottery pick. Either Simmons or (more likely) Ingram figures to be the pick for the Lakers.
- The Celtics have come up empty so far in their trade talks involving the No. 3 selection. That doesn’t mean Boston will definitely keep the pick, but the team doesn’t have a deal it likes for the time being. If they keep the pick, the Celtics may be leaning toward Brown, who had a “terrific” workout in Boston, says Ford.
- The four players strongly in the mix for the Timberwolves at No. 5 are Brown, Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, and Dragan Bender, according to Ford.
- While the Kings are “praying” that Buddy Hield falls to No. 8, Ford says Domantas Sabonis could be a dark horse candidate for that spot, since Sacramento is very high on him.
- We heard last week that Malachi Richardson may have received a promise from the Grizzlies at No. 17, and Ford’s mock draft does send Richardson to Memphis. However, the ESPN.com scribe notes that the Grizzlies are also very fond of Croatian big man Ivica Zubac, who could be in play for that slot.
Community Shootaround: Cleveland Cavaliers
After watching the Warriors make history all season long, the Cavaliers made some of their own Sunday night. Cleveland became the first team ever to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals and the first to win Game 7 of the finals on the road since 1978.
LeBron James‘ return home in the summer of 2014 created the foundation for this year’s title, but so did the three No. 1 draft picks in four years that brought Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins, who was traded to Minnesota to acquire Kevin Love.
Tonight’s victory served as vindication for Love, who has been the subject of criticism and trade rumors almost from the time he arrived in Cleveland. It also validated the controversial decision to fire David Blatt in January with a 30-11 record and turn the team over to first-time head coach Tyronn Lue. The win rewarded owner Dan Gilbert for his willingness to take on salary right up to the trade deadline, even though the Cavs were facing the highest luxury tax in the league.
Cleveland will almost certainly keep the core of this year’s team together to try to defend its title. James will be a free agent, but it’s unthinkable that he would leave town again after winning a ring. The Love trade talk should die down, at least for the offseason. J.R. Smith has a $5MM player option and Mo Williams has already said he will opt in for next season for $2MM. Richard Jefferson, who turns 36 on Tuesday, announced that he plans to retire. Also headed toward free agency are Timofey Mozgov, Matthew Dellavedova and James Jones.
The Cavaliers have traded both their picks in this year’s draft and have no cap room to chase free agents other than the $3.477MM taxpayer mid-level exception. They have a trade exception from the Anderson Varejao deal worth $9,638,554 that will be in effect until February 18th. They also have a $2,854,940 exception from the trade of Mike Miller and a $2,329,471 exception from a deal involving Brendan Haywood. Both of those expire July 30th.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Should the Cavaliers be favored to win the title again next season? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Northwest Notes: Durant, Westbrook, Dixon
Free agency won’t be the only item on Kevin Durant‘s summer schedule, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The former MVP plans to be part of the U.S. Olympic team and may be the biggest name on a roster that has already lost Stephen Curry, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Stein reports that Durant is considered a sure thing for the team, along with Klay Thompson and Paul George. They will join DeMarcus Cousins, whose participation was first reported by Marc Spears of The Undefeated. Kyrie Irving is considered almost certain to join the team, while officials are waiting to hear from LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. The full 12-man roster is expected to be announced soon.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Westbrook is making a smart decision to skip the Summer Games, contends Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. With Rio de Janeiro beset by a financial crisis, reports of drug-resistant super bacteria on the beaches and possibly the Zika virus present, Tramel believes that presents too many risks for NBA players.
- At age 38, Nazr Mohammed has probably played his last NBA game, according to Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Mohammed signed with the Thunder in March, but appeared in just five games and served mostly as a mentor to younger players, in particular giving defensive tips to Enes Kanter. Mohammed said he won’t try to play again next season and would like to someday become a GM. “That’s my five-year, 10-year plan,” he said. “To one day run my own organization.”
- Mike Dixon Jr. has received a passport from the nation of Georgia and will participate in the Blazers‘ free agent camp Monday, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Dixon was a senior at Memphis in 2014 and played in the Czech Republic this season.
- The Nuggets are facing an unpredictable draft with three picks in the first round, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Dempsey lists shooting, shot blocking and toughness as Denver’s top needs and speculates that a significant roster shakeup could happen by draft night.
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 6/13/16-6/19/16
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:
Where do you see the Raptors going with the No. 9 pick? If they trade it, it will likely be for a stretch four with a couple years under contract. I like Thaddeus Young and Brooklyn has no picks. Who else do you think is in play? — Enio Pippo
Young would be a nice fit in Toronto, but new Nets GM Sean Marks has let it be known that he considers Young and Brook Lopez the foundation of the team and he doesn’t plan to trade either one. Brooklyn would like to move into the first round, but probably not badly enough to give up Young and set off a Sixers-style rebuilding project. This year’s draft is well stocked with power forwards, and the ideal scenario would be if either Jaylen Brown, Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender slides to the ninth spot. If not and the Raptors can’t find the power forward they want via trade, they will be choosing from Domantas Sabonis, Skal Labissiere and Henry Ellenson.
You are Danny Ainge, trying to make a move, but just like last year, you get stonewalled and are unable to make a trade during the draft. What do you do to build a team? Who do you try to sign? — Tyler Norton
The obvious answer is to see how the Kevin Love situation plays out in Cleveland. If the Cavs decide Love isn’t the right fit and they want to unload his contract for luxury tax relief, Boston should be first in line as a trading partner. The Celtics could give up a package centering on Jae Crowder and a couple of young athletes who fit Tyronn Lue’s up-tempo style in Cleveland. If that doesn’t work out, Boston has nearly $42MM in cap space this summer. Ainge can afford to pursue every big name free agent on the market, starting with Kevin Durant. If he stays in Oklahoma City, Al Horford would be a good alternative.
Could the pick Boston has at the top of the second round be a valuable commodity to use in trades? — Richard Barnett
Many teams find second-round picks enticing because they don’t come with guaranteed contracts. GMs are willing to take more chances because they aren’t bound to the players they draft if they wind up being washouts. The Celtics have three picks in the first round and five in the second round, so they’ll surely be in a trading mood. It won’t be hard to find a taker for the 31st pick or the 35th or 45th. Most likely, Ainge will try to package a few of those selections and maybe some players in a bid to get an established star.
Pacific Notes: Walton, Rondo, Cousins, Clippers
Luke Walton has managed to stay focused on his duties as lead assistant with the Warriors, even as his head coaching job with the Lakers awaits, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Walton had his first interview on April 18th — more than two months ago — when he had a phone conversation with Knicks president Phil Jackson. “Luke is a real loyal guy,” said fellow Golden State assistant Ron Adams. “And he’s real loyal to the Golden State Warriors — has been since he was named coach of the Lakers. It might be hard for people to understand that. I would say he’s atypical in that regard. A lot of people, if a team would’ve allowed what the Lakers allowed, I think [the person] would’ve been more fixated on that team than this team. That’s not Luke. That’s not what Luke has been.” Walton will coach his final game with the Warriors tonight, then will likely be introduced as the Lakers’ new coach later this week.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Kings point guard Rajon Rondo pronounced himself fully healthy as he prepares for his second straight year of free agency, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Rondo signed a one-year deal with Sacramento last summer, which gave him a first-hand view of the turmoil in the organization, especially between DeMarcus Cousins and former coach George Karl. “Obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted it as an exit [missing the playoffs], but I was able to bounce back, I believe,” Rondo said. “I am very healthy. I’ve been working extremely hard on my body and my game. I’m 30 years old and I feel great.” Rondo’s numbers had declined since tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in 2013, but he bounced back to average 11.9 points and 11.7 assists per game this season.
- Cousins’ younger brother, Jaleel, worked out for the Kings on Saturday, according to James Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The 6-11, 250-pound center was a senior this season at South Florida.
- Dee Brown and Pat Sullivan have emerged as assistant coaching candidates with the Clippers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Kevin Eastman, a longtime assistant to Doc Rivers, announced his retirement earlier this week.
- The Clippers will hold two workouts Monday, tweets Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. The morning session will feature Alabama’s Retin Obasohan, Miami’s Sheldon McClellan, Kentucky’s Alex Poythress, Maryland’s Jake Layman, Villanova’s Daniel Ochefu and UNLV’s Stephen Zimmerman. Working out in the afternoon will be Tulsa’s James Woodard, West Virginia’s Jaysean Page, UNLV’s Patrick McCaw, Louisiana’s Alex Hamilton, SMU’s Markus Kennedy and Iowa’s Jared Uthoff.
Sixers Notes: Barnes, Simmons, Colangelo, Workout
Free agent Harrison Barnes might be the Sixers’ solution at small forward, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia is hoping to upgrade its perimeter defense, and the only wings currently on the roster are Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson, who are all more valuable as shooters than defenders. The 6’8″ Barnes would bring a mix of offense and defense that coach Brett Brown is looking for, and at 24 he is just entering the prime of his career. Barnes will be a restricted free agent, so Pompey says a max offer may be necessary to discourage the Warriors from matching. The Sixers will have plenty of money available, with a little more than $33.3MM in guaranteed salary against a cap projected at about $94MM.
There’s more news out of Philadelphia:
- Ben Simmons has all the tools to be a great NBA player except outside shooting, Pompey writes in a separate piece. Pompey, who advocates Simmons as the No. 1 pick, says the Sixers are excited about the prospect of having an elite passer at power forward because it creates more options in the pick-and-roll. Cavaliers star LeBron James has become a mentor to Simmons, and he sees great things ahead for the LSU freshman. “I think we all don’t know just yet how great of a kid he is and how down to earth he is with the game of basketball and life in general,” James said.
- This week presents the first opportunity for new team president Bryan Colangelo to put his stamp on the franchise, Pompey writes in another story. With the draft on Thursday and free agency a week and a half away, Colangelo will have opportunities to make the type of bold moves he became famous for with the Raptors and Suns.
- Six players are scheduled to attend a workout Monday in Philadelphia, tweets Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com. The Sixers will welcome Villanova point guard Ryan Arcidiacono, Kansas power forward Perry Ellis, Old Dominion point guard Trey Freeman, former Buffalo power forward Justin Moss, New Mexico State power forward Pascal Siakam and Stony Brook power forward Jameel Warney.
Offseason Outlook: Dallas Mavericks
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 as the summer approaches.
State Of The Franchise
Not many experts and analysts believed the Mavs would make the playoffs this past season, but Dallas defied expectations and, indeed, made the postseason for the 15th time in the last 16 years. It was another first round exit for the Mavs, but considering the team experienced an odd summer and was again led by an aging star in Dirk Nowitzki, this had to be considered a success.
It appeared the Mavs on their way toward locking up DeAndre Jordan to their core of Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons. Jordan, however, balked in the 11th hour and re-signed with the Clippers. The Mavs did land Wesley Matthews via free agency, though, and then shifted gears by acquiring Zaza Pachulia in a salary dump from the Bucks. The Mavs made, perhaps, one of the shrewdest decisions of last summer by inking Deron Williams, who intends to opt out.
While Matthews was mostly inconsistent, Pachulia gave the Mavs pretty much what they could have expected and Williams over-performed in system that included other point guards J.J. Barea, Raymond Felton and Devin Harris. Nowitzki remained a capable player and dependable scorer by averaging 18.3 points per game and as long as the 38-year-old is still a fixture on the team, the Mavs will not be rebuilding. Instead, look for the Mavs to retool and add veteran talent. The Mavs will again need another steady season from Nowitzki, who is expected to opt out and re-sign, and above average contributions from the point guard position to exceed expectations. As it stands now, the Mavs must also address their rebounding deficiency; they ranked 19th in the league in rebounds per game and finished 26th in rebounding percentage.
Free Agents
The salary cap puzzle for the Mavs this summer depends largely on three player options worth more than $30MM. Chandler Parsons will almost certainly decline his to seek more on the open market, and Nowitzki has said he plans to opt in as long as the Mavs don’t start a rebuilding project. Pachulia, Felton, Charlie Villanueva and David Lee will all hit the market as unrestricted free agents when free agency begins on July 1st. Second-year standout Dwight Powell will be a restricted free agent, giving the Mavs an opportunity to match any offer for the coveted young pro. Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson has said that the front office will prioritize re-signing free agents, which makes considering the group seemed to mesh well together.
Williams, an 11-year veteran who turns 32 in June likely needs offseason surgery to address a sports hernia. The Jeff Schwartz client said in the aftermath of the Mavs’ playoff ouster this week that he’d love to return to Dallas, and coach Rick Carlisle said he’d also like to see him return. Nelson pointed to what he saw as a renewed sense of enthusiasm in Williams’ play this season, the first for Williams with the Mavericks
There is a decent chance Parsons finds a more lucrative deal on the open market if he opts out. He sustained another serious injury last season, but that should not stop Parsons from landing what is likely to be his final significant pay day. It will be interesting to see if the Mavs re-sign the versatile forward because they already have a stretch-four in Nowitzki. It seems likely Lee could garner some interest as a bench player from other teams after he thrived with Dallas late in the season. Look for Felton, who rejuvenated his career, to return on a cheap deal and Villanueva could return for the veteran minimum. With Salah Mejri and JaVale McGee on the roster, it would not be surprising if Powell did not return if he were to land a significant offer elsewhere.
Free Agent Targets
The Mavs can offer one max contract to free agents this summer and possibly a second if Nowitzki and Parsons follow Williams and opt out for next season, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post recently detailed. Dallas entered the offseason expecting to have at least $32MM to spend, but that number could rise closer to $60MM if Nowitzki, Parsons and Williams all opt out. Bontemps noted that Dallas is counting on landing an elite free agent this summer and added that owner Mark Cuban is trying to surround Nowitzki, who’s likely to remain, with as much talent as possible before he retires.
If the Mavs do not re-sign Williams, they would need an upgrade at point guard. Jeremy Lin, Brandon Jennings and Greivis Vasquez all would make sense as options. Dallas would also need a scorer on the wing and a veteran that comes to mind would be Eric Gordon. If the Mavs decide to splurge a bit, Nic Batum would not be a far-fetched option.
Draft Outlook
- Second-round pick: 46th
The Mavericks do not own a first-round pick in the 2016 Draft, as that pick belongs to the Celtics as part of the Rajon Rondo deal. Barring a deal, the Mavs’ only pick is No. 46 in the second round, so Dallas is not expected to make a whole lot of noise here. Indiana forward Troy Williams and Maryland big man Robert Carter Jr. are two names to watch as they have been linked to the Mavs in workouts and meeting. Of note, Purdue center A.J. Hammons is the No. 46 ranked player in ESPN.com’s Chad Ford’s Top 100.
Final Take
Dallas seems to be in a similar position it was in heading into last summer. The Mavs still need to find an answer at point guard, would need another big man and are unsure what to expect on the wing. Look for the Mavs to re-sign the core group of their bench players and upgrade at point guard. Dallas needs someone on the roster to emerge as capable scorer to take some of the load off of Nowitzki. As long as Nowitzki is on the team, the front office will build a team that is in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Guaranteed Salary
- Wesley Matthews ($17,145,838)
- Devin Harris ($4,227,996)
- J.J. Barea ($4,096,950)
- Justin Anderson ($1,514,160)
- Jeremy Evans ($1,227,286)
- (Maurice Ndour $437,318) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- (Gal Mekel $315,759) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Total: $28,965,307
Player Options
- Chandler Parsons ($16,023,000)
- Dirk Nowitzki ($8,692,184)
- Deron Williams ($5,621,026)
- Total: $30,336,210
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- JaVale McGee ($1,403,611)
- Salah Mejri ($874,636)
- Total: $2,278,247
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Dwight Powell ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Chandler Parsons ($19,969,950) — Pending player option
- Dirk Nowitzki ($12,500,001) — Pending player option
- Zaza Pachulia ($9,880,000)
- Raymond Felton ($7,505,595)
- Deron Williams ($6,454,769) — Pending player option
- David Lee ($2,502,805)
- Charlie Villanueva ($980,431)
- Total: $59,793,551
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Hoops Links: Rose, Thompson, Harden
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- Total Sports Live analyzes Ben Simmons’ need to develop a perimeter shot.
- The Runner Sports examines the Knicks’ interest in Derrick Rose.
- The Jump Ball profiles Tristan Thompson.
- The Sports Quotient explains why the Wolves should not trade for Jimmy Butler.
- Big Three Sports runs down the best and worst contracts around the league.
- The Dream Shake wonders what kind of year is in store for James Harden.
- Brew Hoop previews the Bucks’ summer.
- Pounding The Rock lists draft options for the Spurs.
- Bright Side Of The Sun is excited about the Suns’ backcourt.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.