Southwest Rumors: Mavs, Jones, Pelicans
The Mavs must lop off some salaries in order to sign a max-contract player next summer if Dirk Nowitzki returns in 2017/18, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports. Nowitki and the club agreed to a two-year, $50MM contract on Friday. Nowitzki’s $25MM salary for the second season of the contract, plus more than $60MM in other guaranteed commitments, would leave Dallas with less than $16MM under the projected cap of $102MM, by MacMahon’s calculations. If Nowitzki retires after next season, the Mavs can exercise a $5MM team option, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein.
In other news concerning the Southwest Division:
- The opportunity to play steady minutes and rejoin forces with his ex-college teammate Anthony Davis were major factors in Terrence Jones’ decision to sign with the Pelicans, Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders writes. Jones, who signed a one-year contract worth an estimated $980K, appeared in only 50 games last season. “I wanted an opportunity to play for a team that is young and defining itself, but could still compete right away,” Jones told Maroney. “I wanted a larger role, where I could really compete and help a team win.” He’s excited about the prospect of playing alongside Davis, with whom he won the NCAA championship at Kentucky, Maroney adds. “We both work well together and we’ve already got a great chemistry and friendship,” Jones said. “When he’s healthy, I think he’s as good as any other big in the league, so I am excited to see what we can do this year.”
- The Pelicans renounced their rights to Norris Cole, Kendrick Perkins and Jordan Hamilton, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com tweets. Those moves allowed them to officially sign both Jones and point guard Tim Frazier.
And-Ones: All-Star Game, Green, Alan Williams
New Orleans has emerged as the strong favorite to host the All-Star Game in February, a source close to the situation informed Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. The NBA pulled the game from Charlotte on Thursday in protest of a North Carolina law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people. Charlotte will host the 2019 ASG if sufficient changes are made to the law, Mahoney adds. Boston and Atlanta have also shown interest in hosting the event, Mahoney continues. The Pelicans franchise also hosted the ASG in 2008 and 2014.
- Warriors All-Star forward Draymond Green has reached a plea agreement that will allow him to avoid jail time and reduce the charges he faced for allegedly slapping a Michigan State University football player on July 10th, Christopher Haxel of the Lansing State Journal writes. The former MSU All-American will pay a $500 fine and $60 restitution fee, Haxel adds.
- Power forward Alan Williams has a strong chance to remain on the Suns’ roster, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports. The 23-year-old Williams appeared in 10 games with the Suns last season, averaging 2.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 6.8 minutes. Williams’ $874,636 contract for next season becomes guaranteed if he’s on the roster through Sept. 1. “Chances are, he’ll have a spot,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough told Coro.
- Former NBA power forward D.J. White has re-signed with Torino in Italy for another season, according to E. Carchia of Sportando.com. The 29-year-old White played for the Thunder, Celtics and Hornets before going overseas. His most recent NBA stint was 2013/14, when he appeared in two games with Charlotte.
Community Shootaround: Intentional Fouls
Commissioner Adam Silver vowed during the NBA playoffs that changes were coming to discourage defenders from intentionally fouling poor free throw shooters. The Board of Governors approved some new rules this month in that regard, though it seems to be a watered-down compromise.
Under the new rules, if a player is fouled away from the ball in the last two minutes of a quarter, his team will receive one free throw and retain possession of the ball. That rule has been expanded to a player being fouled during an inbounds play.
Previously, the free-throw-plus-possession rule only applied to the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Board also expanded its rules on flagrant fouls to include deliberate, overaggressive fouls such as jumping on the back of an opponent during a free throw attempt. That tactic was sometimes used during the last two minutes of games once the free-throw-plus-possession stipulation was in effect.
These changes might make it a little less appealing to intentionally foul but it’s certain that poor free throw shooters such as Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan will continue to get grabbed off the ball before the last two minutes of a quarter. Anybody hoping to see “Hack-A-Dre” and “Hack-A-Dwight” go away will be disappointed.
It’s also difficult for their coaches to leave them in the game during the final two minutes, knowing those big men could be grabbed during pick-and-roll plays or while going for an offensive rebound, which wouldn’t be considered an “away from the ball” foul.
The league could have, for example, given teams the option to decline free throws and simply retain possession on intentional fouls, or even provide the option of having a better free throw shooter go to the line in those situations.
Some executives, such as Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, believe the new rules won’t have much of an effect. Others, such as Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, believe the league shouldn’t be doing anything to discourage “Hack-A” strategies.
This leads us to our question of the day: Did the new rules changes regarding intentional fouls go too far or should the league have done more to prevent the “Hack-A” tactic?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Spurs Sign Forward Livio Jean-Charles
The Spurs have signed power forward Livio Jean-Charles, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports. The signing was confirmed in a team press release. Jean-Charles’ contract is believed to be a standard rookie-scale deal for four years and approximately $4.5MM, according to McDonald.
Jean-Charles was a draft-and-stash prospect, taken No. 28 overall during the 2013 draft. The 6’9”, 22-year-old Charles played the last four seasons for the French League club ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, which is co-owned by San Antonio point guard Tony Parker. Last season he appeared in 25 games, averaging 5.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes.
He was also a member of the Spurs’ summer-league teams the past two seasons. Jean-Charles isn’t considered much of an offensive threat but he’ll be a factor on the defensive end.
“He’s had a lot of growth since last year,” Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon told McDonald. “He’s an athletic ‘four.’ We expect him to play great defense and grab a lot of boards.”
San Antonio doesn’t have a true power forward outside of LaMarcus Aldridge on the current roster, so Jean-Charles could carve out a rotation role with a strong training camp. He’ll compete with Kyle Anderson and Davis Bertans for minutes.
Eastern Rumors: J.R. Smith, Sixers, Knicks
- Bryan Colangelo’s overt attempts to trade either Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor has backfired, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The Sixers’ GM should have taken a more low-key approach and now has undermined his ability to trade either big man, Sielski continues. Both young players know that Colangelo is shopping them, and while it makes sense to now keep them into the regular season to improve their trade value, that might lead to discord in the locker room, Sielski adds.
- The Knicks are one of three teams pursuing point guard Chasson Randle, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Randle, who went undrafted in 2015, made a favorable impression on the Knicks’ brass while playing for their summer-league team. He could be New York’s No. 3 point guard behind Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings but the club is out of cap space and can only offer the rookie minimum of $565K, Berman adds.
- Combo guard Tomas Satoransky expects to go through a significant adjustment period when he joins the Wizards this season, Gene Wang of the Washington Post reports. The 2012 draft-and-stash prospect officially joined Washington Thursday on a three-year, $9MM deal. “The game is quicker,” Satoransky told Wang and other media members during a conference call. “For sure, it’s better athleticism in the NBA than what I’m used to Europe, so I’ll have to adjust as soon as possible for that.” Satoransky could emerge as John Wall‘s primary backup at point guard, Wang adds.
Free Agent Notes: T. Robinson, K. Martin, Waiters
David Lee is one of the more noteworthy scoring big men remaining on the free agent market, while Alan Anderson and Steve Novak are among the veteran shooters still available. All three players are in talks with multiple teams, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Sam Amico of Amico Hoops, though Bartelstein doesn’t specify potential suitors for his clients.
Although free agent spending this summer has reached new highs, we’re at the point in the offseason where most veteran free agents left on the market – especially players like Lee, Anderson and Novak, who were sidelined by injuries last season – will have trouble finding deals worth more than the minimum. Many teams don’t even have roster spots available for another guaranteed contract or two, so we’ll have to wait and see if those veterans (and others) will be able to find new homes in the coming days or weeks.
Let’s check in on some other free agent updates from around the NBA:
- After opting out of his contract with the Nets last month, Thomas Robinson has drawn interest from the Pacers, Suns, and Hawks, league sources tell Amico. Robinson’s player option for 2016/17 was worth the minimum, so if he can land a guaranteed offer, it won’t have been a mistake to turn down that option.
- Free agent guard Kevin Martin has received some interest from the Clippers, Bulls, and Pistons, according to Amico. Chicago and Detroit both have fewer than 15 guaranteed contracts on their books, and still have their $2.9MM room exception available.
- One free agent who should be in line for a deal worth significantly more than the minimum is Dion Waiters, who is now unrestricted. However, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman notes that Waiters hasn’t generated the sort of interest he had hoped to, and wonders if the 24-year-old’s disastrous final three games against Golden State hurt his stock.
Tim Frazier Re-Signs With Pelicans
JULY 22, 3:26pm: The signing is official, per team release.
JULY 10, 12pm: Free agent point guard Tim Frazier is close to re-signing with the Pelicans, posts Marc Stein on ESPN Now. Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter) that it’ll be a two-year, $4.1MM agreement for Frazier and the Pelicans.
Frazier first signed with New Orleans in March after being waived in February by the Trail Blazers. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 assists in 16 games with the Pelicans. He has also played briefly for the Sixers during his two years in the NBA.
Frazier is expected to serve as a backup to Jrue Holiday, who is entering the final year of his contract.
Pelicans, Terrence Jones Agree To Deal
JULY 22, 3:23pm: The signing is official, per team release.
JULY 14, 4:57pm: Stein has amended his report, tweeting that New Orleans and Jones have agreed to a one-year deal at the minimum salary. The Pelicans are trying to create a bit more cap room, so Jones may see that salary increase, Stein adds.
4:43pm: Jones has at least one offer on the table that will pay him more than the Pelicans offered, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. New Orleans is still hopeful of landing the forward, Stein adds. Charania has a different take, tweeting that Jones and the Pelicans are in the process of finalizing a deal.
12:26am: The Pelicans are nearing a deal with free agent power forward Terrence Jones, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Charania reports that New Orleans is expected to sign Jones to a one-year contract.
Jones, 24, had an impressive sophomore season for the Rockets back in 2013/14, starting 71 of his 76 games played, and averaging 12.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 1.3 BPG to go along with a .542 FG%. Since then, however, he has battled injuries and his production has been inconsistent. Jones had been eligible for restricted free agency this summer, but Houston opted not to extend him a qualifying offer, allowing him to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
The Pelicans haven’t made a huge splash in free agency this summer, but the team has been steadily adding solid rotation pieces to its roster. New Orleans has previously reached agreements with Solomon Hill, E’Twaun Moore, Langston Galloway, and Tim Frazier.
[RELATED: Pelicans’ free agent signings, via our Free Agent Tracker]
Jones has likely received interest from teams interested in locking him up for more than one season, but given his up-and-down performance over the last two seasons, it makes sense that he’d be looking to rebuild his value on a one-year contract. If he has a strong year with the Pelicans, the Kentucky product could parlay that showing into a longer-term – and more lucrative – deal in free agency next summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pelicans Sign First-Rounder Buddy Hield
The Pelicans are finalizing several contract agreements this week as they get their roster and cap in order for the coming season, and the latest player to sign his deal with the team is sixth overall pick Buddy Hield. New Orleans announced today in a press release that Hield his signed his rookie contract with the club.
“We could not be more excited to add a player and person like Buddy Hield to the New Orleans Pelicans,” GM Dell Demps said in a statement. “He embodies all the traits we care about in our organization. His work ethic, energy and confidence have been on full display since he stepped foot in New Orleans. We look forward to helping him grow as a player as he will help us become a better team.”
Hield, who was the first senior to come off the board in last month’s draft, was one of the best players in the nation during his final year at Oklahoma. The 22-year-old averaged 25.0 PPG and 5.7 RPG to go along with a sizzling 45.7% mark from three-point range (4.0 3PG).
As our breakdown of salaries for 2016 first-round picks shows, Hield should be in line for a first-year salary of $3,517,200, and he’ll earn $15,887,648 if he plays out his full rookie contract. With Hield locked up, only five 2016 first-rounders have yet to either sign their rookie contracts or reach an agreement to play overseas.
Clippers’ David Michineau To Remain Overseas
The Clippers locked up one of their second-round picks – Diamond Stone – to an NBA contract earlier this month, but the team won’t do the same for fellow second-rounder David Michineau. According to reports from BeBasket (translation via Sportando) and Eurobasket.com, Michineau will play for French team Hyeres-Toulon Var Basket for the 2016/17 season.
Michineau, who played for Chalon-Sur-Saone in France this past year, averaged 5.7 PPG in 13.6 minutes per contest in French League play. The 22-year-old point guard was selected with the 39th overall pick in last month’s draft, as the Pelicans sent the 39th and 40th selections to the Clippers in exchange for No. 33 (Cheick Diallo).
[RELATED: 2016 Draft Pick Signings]
The Clippers have an open roster spot, but with two rookies – Stone and Brice Johnson – joining the team this season, it makes sense for Michineau to get some more seasoning overseas as Los Angeles hangs onto his draft rights. The team’s current roster and depth chart can be found right here.
L.A. is also currently the only hard-capped team projected to be in tax territory, meaning the club doesn’t have a lot of spending flexibility for the rest of the league year. The Clips are hard-capped at $117.287MM and currently have an estimated $113.76MM on their books for the 2016/17 season, so they’ll have to be careful about their spending the rest of the way.