And-Ones: Draft, Zhou, Weems, Yabusele
With trade talks set to heat up next week as the 2016 draft approaches, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link) decided to create five hypothetical deals that he thinks should happen this offseason. Ford’s proposals include sending Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves, Jahlil Okafor to the Pelicans, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle to the Celtics, and Jeff Teague to the Kings. Ford also suggests a mammoth, three-team deal that would involve Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Eric Bledsoe, and Brandon Knight. While we’ll likely see some major moves go down this summer, that particular proposal is probably a pipe dream.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- With the deadline for international prospects to withdraw from the NBA draft having passed, Chinese big man Zhou Qi has kept his name in the draft, according to Ford (Twitter links). The ESPN.com scribe notes that Zhou’s stock is hard to gauge because some teams believe he’s three or four years older than his listed age of 20.
- Sonny Weems‘ two-year, $3MM deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv is now official, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick. Weems played overseas for several seasons before getting another NBA look from the Suns and Sixers in 2015/16.
- French prospect Guerschon Yabusele has looked very good in his pre-draft workouts, and could play his well into the back of the first round in next week’s draft, writes Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com. Within his latest piece for CBSSports.com, Rothstein also examines the Ben Simmons/Brandon Ingram debate and Marquese Chriss‘ rising stock.
- Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders takes a look at Adonis Thomas‘ efforts to get back onto an NBA roster. Thomas, who is participating in several free agent mini-camps, was in training camp with the Pistons last season before a leg injury sidelined him.
Kyler’s Latest: Rose, Bulls, Valentine, Draft
A Monday report from ESPN indicated that the Timberwolves are eyeing Jimmy Butler as a trade target, but the Bulls may not be willing to deal their star forward. In fact, league sources at the annual Adidas Eurocamp in Italy tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that Chicago is much more open to the idea of trading Derrick Rose, rather than Butler.
With Rose entering a contract year and attached to a cap number of $21MM+, it’s not clear how much interest he’ll generate, or whether any teams have made a real offer yet. However, Kyler writes that there’s a sense around the NBA that teams unable to land a starting point guard in free agency could turn to the Bulls as a potential trade partner.
Kyler passed along a few more tidbits from Italy, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…
- Prospects like Wade Baldwin and Demetrius Jackson are viewed as potential targets for the Bulls at No. 14, particularly if the team gets serious about moving Rose, writes Kyler.
- Kyler makes note of several draft prospects whose medical issues could have an impact on their value, writing that one NBA team compared Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine to Danny Granger due to questions about his knee. While Kyler’s sources still believe Valentine will be a first-rounder, many teams believe that knee could be a problem.
- Kris Dunn is believed to have a “soft promise” in the top six, while Domantas Sabonis appears to have a similar promise from a top-12 team. A handful of international prospects, including including Ivica Zubac, Ante Zizic and Juan Hernangomez, are also believed to have promises later in the first round, according to Kyler.
- More and more executives around the NBA believe the Celtics will take either Jamal Murray or Jaylen Brown at No. 3 if they keep that pick. A. Sherrod Blakely suggested earlier this week that Boston was strongly considering Brown.
- Malachi Richardson and Demetrius Jackson are two prospects the Grizzlies have their eyes on, though their pick at No. 17 may come down to who’s still on the board at that point.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Cleveland Cavaliers
Since LeBron James returned to Cleveland and the Cavaliers traded No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins as part of a package for Kevin Love, anything short of a championship has been considered a disappointment for the franchise. That means the next several days could go a long way toward determining what kind of offseason is in store for the Cavs.
Even if the club manages to pull off the improbable comeback against the Warriors, Love’s days in Cleveland could be numbered. He has essentially been a non-factor in the Finals, and moving his $21MM+ salary shouldn’t be too challenging, with the cap projected to rise by $22MM. Of course, LeBron’s decision on his player option is perhaps the more pressing issue for the Cavs, but even if he opts out, there has been little to no buzz suggesting the former MVP will leave Cleveland this summer.
See how Cleveland’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Kevin Love ($21,165,675)
- Kyrie Irving ($17,638,063)
- Tristan Thompson ($15,330,435)
- Iman Shumpert ($9,662,922)
- Channing Frye ($7,806,971)
- Sasha Kaun ($1,333,420)
- Total: $72,937,486
Player Options
- LeBron James ($24,004,173)
- J.R. Smith ($5,375,000)
- Mo Williams ($2,194,500)
- Total: $31,573,673
Team Options
- Jordan McRae ($874,636)
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Dahntay Jones ($1,551,659)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Matthew Dellavedova ($1,434,095/$2,179,824)
- Totals: $1,434,095/$2,179,824
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- LeBron James ($29,861,650) — pending player option
- J.R. Smith ($9,500,000) — pending player option
- Timofey Mozgov ($9,405,000)
- Mo Williams ($2,520,000) — pending player option
- Richard Jefferson ($980,431)
- James Jones ($980,431)
- Total: $53,247,512
Other Cap Holds
- Shawn Marion ($980,431)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Pacific Notes: Rondo, Eastman, Lakers, Kings
Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo is eligible for free agency this summer, and while there’s a chance he’ll return to Sacramento, it sounds like those odds would have been very slim if George Karl hadn’t been replaced by Dave Joerger as the team’s head coach. In an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, Rondo said that the tension between the Kings‘ coaching staff and DeMarcus Cousins was unlike anything he’d seen in his NBA career.
“There were too many distractions on and off the court,” Rondo said. “The organization as a whole, I don’t think was together completely. I think as a team you have to want the best for the next man beside you, and that wasn’t the case with the Sacramento Kings.”
Asked about his free agency, Rondo didn’t rule out a return to the Kings, but suggested he’ll explore his option. The point guard will be prioritizing a landing spot where his teammates are willing to work hard to grow and get better. “I don’t want to be the hardest-working guy in the gym,” Rondo said.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Longtime basketball coach Kevin Eastman has decided to call it a career, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Eastman, who was an assistant on Doc Rivers‘ staff in Boston before joining him with the Clippers, was named L.A.’s vice president of basketball operations in 2014. In his newsletter, he explained his decision to retire from coaching and outlined what he’ll do next.
- There’s coaching news on Los Angeles’ other squad as well. According to analyst Dave Miller (Twitter link), Jesse Mermuys will join Luke Walton‘s coaching staff with the Lakers. Last season, Mermuys served as the coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s D-League affiliate, so the Raps will have to fill that role for 2016/17.
- Colorado State guard Antwan Scott, who previously worked out for Denver, will be part of a group workout on Wednesday for the Kings, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
Timberwolves Pursue Butler Deal, Dangle Pick
The Timberwolves are willing to move the No. 5 overall pick as the centerpiece of a trade package to acquire Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler, league sources told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford and Marc Stein. The Timberwolves are eager to reunite Chicago’s top scorer with new coach and former Bulls head man Tom Thibodeau and have told the Bulls they’re strongly interested in making such a deal if Butler is available, the story continues.
While Bulls are not believed to be shopping Butler, they are willing to listen to offers, Ford and Stein claim. The Bulls would demand a major package in return, which would likely translate to at least one front-line player in addition to a top lottery pick, sources told the ESPN duo. Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns would seemingly be untouchable but the Timberwolves have some other young talent to dangle, including Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng.
A multi-team trade scenario is also in play, according to the story. Butler has four years remaining on his five-year, $90MM contract.
The Celtics, who have three first-rounders including the No. 3 pick, are also angling to acquire Butler, according to Ford and Stein. The Bulls are high on Providence point guard Kris Dunn, a projected Top 5 selection, the story adds.
The Bulls would save $2.6MM on a trade kicker if they deal Butler this month, according to a tweet from Basketball Insiders’ Eric Pincus.
Eastern Draft Notes: Sixers, Celtics, Pistons
LSU forward Ben Simmons may not work out for the Sixers or any other team prior to the draft, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Media Network reports. Philadelphia, which has the top pick, is trying to get Simmons in for a workout, Pompey continues. Simmons is expected to be the Sixers’ choice over Duke forward Brandon Ingram. “It’s not a red flag,” Sixers president of basketball operation Bryan Colangelo told Pompey. “Everybody deals with the draft process differently.” The Sixers did not work out Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid or Jahlil Okafor before selecting them in the last three drafts, Pompey notes.
In other draft developments around the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers will bring in California small forward Jaylen Brown for a workout on Tuesday afternoon, the team announced via press release. Brown could be a darkhorse candidate for the top pick in the draft. He could also be an option if Philadelphia trades down in the lottery, or if they package their two late first rounders to acquire another lottery selection. He’s ranked No. 8 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board and No. 5 by Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony. The Sixers will bring in six second-round hopefuls earlier in the day, including Iowa State forward Georges Niang, Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff, UC Santa Barbara guard Michael Bryson, Iona guard A.J. English, Mississippi forward Tomasz Gielo and Dayton swingman Dyshawn Pierre.
- The Celtics worked out two projected lottery picks on Monday, Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield and Washington power forward Marquese Chriss, ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman tweets. The workouts were held in California, Goodman adds. Ford slots Hield at No. 7 and Chriss at No. 6 on his Big Board, while Hield is rated No. 7 and Chriss is ranked No. 11 by Givony. The Celtics have three first-rounders, including the No. 3 pick.
- The Pistons worked out six players on Monday, the most prominent being Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter links). The Pistons, who hold the No. 18 pick, need a backup point gaurd and Jackson is ranked No. 26 by Ford and No. 16 by Givony. Washington point guard Andrew Andrews and a quartet of big men — Greece native Georgios Papagiannis, Clemson’s Landry Nnoko, Purdue’s A.J. Hammons and Maryland’s Diamond Stone — also participated in the workout, Beard adds.
- Marquette power forward Henry Ellenson will meet with the Bucks on Tuesday, Gery Woelfel of Woelfelspressbox.com reports. The Bucks have the No. 10 pick and the 7’0” Ellenson is rated No. 11 by Ford and No. 13 by Givony.
Offseason Outlook: Chicago Bulls
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.
Big Men, Big Decisions
The Bulls’ frontcourt could look very different next season with veterans Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah hitting the free agent market.
Gasol has a player option of $7.77MM but it’s a near certainty he’ll decline it so that he can become an unrestricted free agent. Despite turning 36 next month, Gasol should get some juicy offers from playoff contenders. He is coming off a stellar season in which he averaged 16.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 blocks.
It would be a surprise if Gasol stuck around with a team that didn’t even make the playoffs this spring. Gasol expressed disappointment as last season wound down with the way the team fell apart during the second half of the season.
It’s also questionable whether the front office wants to give its aging center a big contract, unless they plan on making other moves with a ‘win now’ mentality, rather than rebuilding around younger players.
Pau’s brother, Grizzlies big man Marc Gasol, believes he should chase another championship ring by signing with the Spurs.
There are conflicting reports on whether Noah will consider staying with the Bulls, but it’s likely he’ll be wearing another uniform next season.
A league source told ESPN.com’s Nick Friedell late last month that the team has had positive discussions on a new contract. Earlier reports indicated that Noah distrusts the front office and wants out.
Noah, who was in Italy last week, told Sportando he would “consider every offer on the table this summer.” He added that he was “very focused” on free agency and was disappointed with his playing time and the culture change in the locker room last season.
Noah’s season was cut short by shoulder surgery and that could affect the offers he receives, while also improving the Bulls’ chances of retaining him if they’re intent on doing so. The Timberwolves, who hired ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, are one of the teams reportedly interested in his services.
Breaking Up The Backcourt
Trade rumors are swirling around both of Chicago’s starting guards. The Bulls will certainly entertain offers for Derrick Rose. The question is whether they can stir up any interest in the former MVP.
Rose’s career has been marred by knee issues and he’s been unable to play a full season since suffering an ACL tear during the 2012 playoffs. He managed to play 66 games this past season but, as his subpar 13.5 PER suggests, he’s nowhere near the player he used to be.
Rose has one year and $21.3MM remaining on his contract. Given the salary-cap explosion this summer, some teams could fit him into their salary structure but it’s unlikely the Bulls could get much for him. Not only is his declining production an impediment, he expressed eagerness as far back as last summer about testing the free agent market in 2017.
It may be in both parties’ interest for Rose to stay put this season. He’ll have every incentive to prove he can regain his previous All-Star form.
If the Bulls really want to blow things up, they could shop their best player in Jimmy Butler. That would seem foolhardy unless they got an overwhelming package in return but that could be the case.
The Timberwolves and Celtics, who both own Top 5 picks, are eagerly pursuing a trade for Butler. Undoubtedly, other teams would jump into the sweepstakes if the Bulls were willing to move Butler, but it’s unclear if they’ll make him available.
Free Agent Targets
The Bulls will have the financial flexibility to pursue top-level free agents if both Gasol and Noah bolt. They would be in the market for younger replacements, as well as upgrades at small forward or shooting guard, depending upon whether they retain Butler and which position they want him to play.
Al Horford‘s skill set would make him a natural replacement for Gasol. If they decide to pursue a more traditional center, the enigmatic Dwight Howard would have to be on their radar screen.
Nicolas Batum‘s versatility would upgrade them dramatically at small forward as would Chandler Parsons, contingent on his health issues.
They could also look for depth at point guard if Rose is dealt, or to have a quality veteran to replace him when he misses games. Jeremy Lin or Brandon Jennings could fill that need.
Potential Trades
Besides Rose and Butler, the Bulls could dangle some of their frontcourt pieces if they decide to get younger and acquire future draft picks. Taj Gibson‘s $8.95MM salary for the upcoming season is not the deal breaker it might have been in past, and the Bulls have a similar, younger power forward in Bobby Portis to take his minutes.
Nikola Mirotic would certainly attract interest around the league if he were made available, considering the value teams place on stretch fours.
Draft Outlook
- First round pick: No. 14
- Second round pick: No. 48
The Bulls find themselves in the unusual position of drafting in the lottery, though they’re in the middle of the first round. Considering they have needs at most positions, they’ll go the “best player available” route.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Rose’s future with the club, a point guard like Demetrius Jackson or Wade Baldwin would make sense with the No. 14 pick.
Coaching Outlook
Fred Hoiberg’s first year was a lot stormier than anyone could have imagined. Given that he was handed a five-year, $25MM contract last summer, Hoiberg will get at least one more season to prove himself as an NBA head man.
Final Take
The Bulls’ summer is shrouded with mystery. They could try to make a big splash and sign a top-flight free agent to join Butler and get the team back in the playoff picture. Or they could opt to go into full rebuild mode by selling off assets and stockpiling draft picks. It seems nearly certain they’ll lose both Gasol and Noah, so the latter approach might be best.
Guaranteed Salary
- Derrick Rose ($21,323,252)
- Jimmy Butler ($17,552,209)
- Taj Gibson ($8,950,000)
- Nikola Mirotic ($5,782,450)
- Mike Dunleavy ($4,837,500)
- Doug McDermott ($2,483,040)
- Tony Snell ($2,368,327)
- Bobby Portis ($1,453,680)
- Justin Holiday ($1,015,696)
- Total: $65,766,154
Player Options
- Pau Gasol ($7,769,520)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Cameron Bairstow ($980,431)
- Cristiano Felicio ($874,636)
- Total: $1,855,067
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Joakim Noah ($20,100,000)
- Pau Gasol ($9,683,388) — pending player option
- Aaron Brooks ($2,925,000)
- E’Twaun Moore ($980,431)
- Total: $33,688,819
Other Cap Holds
- No. 14 pick ($1,743,500)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Raptors Guard DeMar DeRozan Officially Opts Out
Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan has officially opted out of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent, league sources informed Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). The deadline for the decision is Wednesday.
It was a foregone conclusion that DeRozan would test the free agent market. DeRozan was due to make $10.35MM in the final year of his deal but he’ll be worth much more on the open market, considering his banner season. He made his second All-Star game while averaging a career-high 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the regular season. The 6’7” DeRozan even improved his subpar long-distance shooting to a respectable 33.8% in 3-point tries. DeRozan averaged 20.9/4.2/2.7 in the postseason as Toronto reached the Eastern Conference Finals before succumbing to the Cavaliers.
The Raptors are optimistic of keeping DeRozan, who expressed his desire to re-sign with the club during a post-playoff media session.
“My mindset has always been Toronto,” he said. “I always preached it. I was passionate about it when we was losing. When we was terrible, I said I’m going to stick through this whole thing and I want to be that guy who brings this organization to where it is now. I definitely don’t want to switch up after we win.”
Toronto GM Masai Ujuri said during his postseason press conference that retaining DeRozan is the team’s top offseason priority, though he deflected a question on whether DeRozan was worth a max deal.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Utah Jazz
If the Jazz have a little more injury luck and stay healthier in 2016/17, they should be in the mix for a playoff spot, so it will be interesting to see how the team fills out its roster this offseason. Assuming the club drafts a player with the 12th overall pick, Utah will have 12 guaranteed contracts on its books, but only about $58.5MM in guaranteed salary. That leaves plenty of cap flexibility to add a veteran or two, but the Jazz will have to be careful about investing long-term in any free agents. With Gordon Hayward potentially opting out in 2017, and Rudy Gobert and Trey Burke eligible for extensions as of July 1st, some key contributors will get much more expensive a year from now, so the team will likely be wary of adding long-term salary to its books this summer if it intends to keep those players around.
See how Utah’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Gordon Hayward ($16,073,140)
- Derrick Favors ($11,050,000)
- Alec Burks ($10,154,495)
- 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: $56,560,760
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
- No. 12 pick ($1,931,900)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Robinson, Bargnani, Draft, Dunn
Former NBA guard Nate Robinson, who has expressed interest in making the leap from the NBA to the NFL, is getting his first shot at an audition. According to Master Tesfatsion and Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Robinson is trying out for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks on Monday, getting a look from the team as a defensive back.
Robinson, who last appeared on an NBA court in a couple games for the Pelicans this past season, is only 5’9″ and turned 32 last month, so the idea of him earning a spot on an NFL roster seems far-fetched. However, the Seattle native did play football at the University of Washington in 2002, playing 13 games at cornerback. For more on Robinson’s pursuit of an NFL roster spot, check out the story from our sister site, Pro Football Rumors.
Here are a few more Monday odds and ends:
- Former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani, who is expected to consider NBA and international opportunities this offseason, has some interest in playing in Spain next season, sources tell Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Bargnani is also drawing interest from Turkey’s Darussafaka Dogus, who are now being coached by David Blatt.
- Spanish forward Juan Hernangomez, French power forward Guerschon Yabusele, and French wing Isaia Cordinier are keeping their names in the draft, reports ESPN’s Chad Ford (all Twitter links). Hernangomez and Yabusele could come off the board in the first round, while Cordinier, who hopes to play in the NBA right away, projects as a second-rounder.
- As international early entrants make their decisions on whether or not to remain in the draft, one NCAA underclassmen has made an interesting decision of his own. According to Ford, Providence point guard Kris Dunn has refused to work out for NBA teams unless he’s given the opportunity to compete one-on-one against Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, or Jamal Murray. As such, Dunn has yet to work out for any clubs.
- Dragan Bender‘s previously-reported workouts with the Timberwolves, Suns, and Celtics will take place on June 16th, 18th, and 21st, respectively, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick.
- Brad Ames, a player agent working for Priority Sports & Entertainment, has relinquished his certification as an NBA player rep, the NBPA’s Daren Jenkins tells Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link).