Thunder Rescind Dion Waiters’ Qualifying Offer
The Thunder have rescinded Dion Waiters‘ qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Without the threat of Oklahoma City matching an offer sheet, the appeal of signing the 24-year-old becomes greater, especially for the Sixers and Nets, Wojnarowski adds on Twitter. Both teams have previously shown interest in the Philadelphia native.
Oklahoma City still holds Waiters’ Bird Rights and it’s possible that the team could still re-sign the shooting guard. Wojnarowski added (Twitter link) that the team wanted the cap-space flexibility, possibly to renegotiate a deal with Russell Westbrook.
The Thunder reportedly reached an agreement to bring Alex Abrines stateside earlier today. That, coupled with the draft night trade for Victor Oladipo, could signal the end of Waiters’ time in Oklahoma City since there may not be enough minutes in the backcourt to go around.
Waiters played 27.6 minutes per game last season, accumulating 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per contest. He shot a respectable 35.8% from behind the arc and while his shot selection wasn’t exemplary, it was better than in any of his previous seasons.
Kings Notes: Temple, Cousins, Rookies
The Kings are expecting Garrett Temple to be a major contributor this season, which is something the shooting guard is excited to embrace, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. “[The Kings] were adamant that they envision me being an integral part of the team and that was obviously great to hear, especially with my background. Being valued as a guy who can produce and will be relied on every night is something that I’ve been waiting for a long time,” Temple tells Kennedy. “Coach [Dave] Joerger believes in my abilities and that I can produce, so I’ll be on the court a good amount this year.”
Here’s more from Sacramento:
- DeMarcus Cousins remains critical of the Kings‘ draft this year, as Sean Cunningham of Sacramento’s ABC10 tweets. “I can’t control [who the team drafted]. I control what I can control. I don’t really understand it, but I do my job,” the big man said.
- Cousins didn’t not attempt to influence the Kings‘ decision making this offseason, including whether or not they should bring back Rajon Rondo, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets. “I do my job and I let them do theirs,” he said.
- Cousins has been working with Malachi Richardson out in Vegas and he’s very high on the No. 22 overall pick, Cunningham passes along (Twitter link).
- Cousins is impressed with how Skal Labissiere played during Summer League and he loves the addition of Matt Barnes, as Cunningham passes along via Twitter. The Kings brought Barnes in on a two year, $12MM deal.
Pacific Notes: Durant, Garnett, Williams
Kevin Durant didn’t consider signing with the Lakers because the timing wasn’t right, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com passes along (Twitter links). “Nothing against the Lakers, but I already had my eyes set on who I wanted to talk to,” Durant said. “I really respect their team, but I just thought they were a couple years away from where I wanted to be.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns have hired Marlon Garnett as an assistant coach/ player development coordinator, reports Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Garnett previously worked for the Spurs as a video coordinator.
- Alan Williams‘ Summer League performance could guarantee him a roster spot on the Suns, Matt Petersen of NBA.com speculates. The big man earned first team honors out in Vegas, pulling down 11.2 rebounds per game.
- Patrick McCaw proved that he deserves to make the Warriors‘ roster with his play out in Summer League, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders argues. The No. 38 overall pick accumulated 15.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game out in Vegas.
Community Shootaround: Eastern Playoff Team Most Likely To Slide?
Last week, one of our Community Shootaround discussions focused on this year’s non-playoff teams in the East, asking which of those clubs had done the most to improve its roster so far this summer. The Knicks and Sixers received the most support, but several lottery teams got positive reviews from Hoops Rumors commenters for their offseason work.
Today, it’s time to look at the other eight teams in the East. The Cavaliers, Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons all earned spots in the postseason. How many of those teams will be back in 2017, and how many will drop out?
The Heat had the most notable departure of any of those eight playoff teams, when Dwyane Wade left Miami to sign with his hometown Bulls. But Miami wasn’t the only club to lose a notable player. The Hawks saw Al Horford depart, and the Raptors parted ways with breakout rim-protector Bismack Biyombo.
The Hornets and Pistons, meanwhile, managed to re-sign their own key free agents, including Nicolas Batum and Andre Drummond, and added some complementary pieces. But Charlotte, at least, will have to deal with some notable departures as well, including Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin, and Courtney Lee.
Finally, the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Pacers have all received solid reviews for their summer decisions — in Cleveland’s case, it’s simply enough to bring back most of the team that beat the 73-win Warriors for the championship. For Boston and Indiana, the changes are more notable — the C’s added Horford and No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown, while the Pacers brought in Jefferson, Thaddeus Young, and Jeff Teague, among others.
What do you think? Which of the Eastern playoff teams is most likely to slide down the standings in 2016/17? How many of these eight clubs do you expect to finish in the lottery next year? Is Miami the most obvious candidate to take a step or two backwards, or is there another team more in danger of underachieving?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the Cavs, Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Cavs Notes: LeBron, J.R. Smith, J. Jones, Lue
The Cavaliers have agreed to terms on deals for Chris Andersen and Richard Jefferson so far this month, but have yet to officially finalize those signings. In addition to needing to complete the Andersen and Jefferson moves, the Cavs have several other items on their to-do list, starting with locking up the reigning NBA Finals MVP. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com has some updates on Cleveland’s offseason, so let’s round up the highlights…
- After publicly announcing in June that he would be re-signing with the Cavaliers this summer, LeBron James has privately informed the team of the same thing. However, he is currently traveling and spending time with his family and has no timetable for negotiating or signing a deal, sources tell Windhorst. LeBron has multiple options for his contract, depending on what sort of years and dollars he wants, and he’ll go over those options with agent Rich Paul at some point, but there’s no rush, per Windhorst.
- J.R. Smith and the Cavaliers have been negotiating a new deal, but remain “apart on terms,” according to Windhorst. We heard earlier today that Smith may be seeking an annual salary worth upward of $15MM.
- The Cavaliers have had discussions with veteran free agent James Jones. According to agent Joel Bell, Jones wants to re-sign with the Cavs, but has other options.
- Like many of the Cavaliers’ free agent players, head coach Tyronn Lue has been in talks with the team for a few weeks about a new deal, but has yet to reach an agreement. Lue remains under contract for two more years, but he’s still on his assistant coach deal, having declined to work out a new agreement when he first took over for David Blatt earlier this year — so he’ll be in line for a significant raise.
2016 Draft-And-Stash Signings
Free agent signees, trade acquisitions, and players selected in the draft are the most common additions to NBA rosters this summer. However, a handful of players have come via the draft-and-stash route, as teams have finally brought aboard players drafted in previous years.
While players who were previously selected in the second round of a draft are free to sign any type of contract via cap room or exceptions, first-round draftees are limited to the 2016 rookie scale, unless it has been more than three years since they were selected. So when former 12th overall pick Dario Saric signed with the Sixers this offseason, he had to sign a rookie-scale contract since it has only been two years since he was drafted — he’ll earn the same amount as this year’s No. 12 pick, Taurean Prince.
Listed below is a round-up of the draft-and-stash prospects who have signed – or agreed to deals – so far this offseason. They’re sorted alphabetically by team, with contract details included wherever possible. If and when more teams add draft-and-stash players, we’ll update this list, which can be found at anytime on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”
Let’s dive in…
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Andrew Harrison, G (2015 draft; No. 44): Unlike twin brother Aaron Harrison, who went undrafted but played in 21 NBA games last season, Andrew was a second-round pick who spent the year in the D-League. He impressed the Grizzlies enough during the 2015/16 season, averaging 18.5 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.3 RPG, to earn a three-year contract worth about $3MM, with two fully guaranteed seasons.
- New York Knicks
- Willy Hernangomez, C (2015 draft; No. 35): The Knicks traded a pair of future second-round picks last year for the rights to draft Hernangomez, and have now brought him over a year later. Reports have suggested that the Spanish big man’s contract will be for at least three years, which means the Knicks completed the deal using cap room.
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Alex Abrines, G/F (2013 draft; No. 32): The Thunder and Abrines are in agreement on a three-year deal worth $17.175MM. The deal could have fit into the team’s mid-level exception, but was ultimately finalized using cap room when Oklahoma City dipped under the cap. The Spanish forward was originally selected by OKC with one of the picks the team acquired in the James Harden trade with Houston.
- Semaj Christon, G (2014 draft; No. 55): Upon being drafted in 2014, Christon joined the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, though he headed overseas and played in Italy in 2015/16. Now, Christon has signed with the Thunder, on a three-year, minimum-salary deal with $200K guaranteed. Whether or not he earns a spot on the 15-man roster, the young point guard figures to be rejoining the D-League’s OKC Blue at some point.
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Dario Saric, F (2014 draft; No. 12): A highly-lauded international prospect, the 22-year-old Croatian finally arrived stateside this year, inking a four-year, rookie-scale contract with the Sixers. Philadelphia believes he’ll be in contention for the Rookie of the Year award in 2016/17, along with teammate Ben Simmons.
- San Antonio Spurs
- Davis Bertans, F (2011 draft; No. 42): Kawhi Leonard will always be the gem of the trade that saw the Spurs send George Hill to Indiana, but Bertans was also involved in that deal, and will finally have a chance to prove his worth in San Antonio. Bertans will earn a guaranteed, two-year minimum salary on his first NBA contract.
- Livio Jean-Charles, F (2013 draft; No. 28): One of multiple former first-round picks stashed by the Spurs, Jean-Charles wouldn’t necessarily have been limited to a rookie-scale contract, since it has been more than three years since he was drafted. However, he is believed to have inked a four-year, rookie-scale pact with the team.
- Washington Wizards
- Tomas Satoransky, G (2012 draft; No. 32): Satoransky, who turns 25 this fall, has played in Spain for several years, spending the last two seasons with Barcelona. He inked a three-year, $9MM deal with the Wizards, making him eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2019.
Raptors Sign Fred VanVleet
JULY 18: The Raptors have officially signed VanVleet to a multiyear contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
JULY 12: The Raptors have reached a contract agreement with free agent Fred VanVleet, Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic reports. The pact will be a multiyear arrangement, according to Murphy, and barring a last minute alteration, will include a partial guarantee.
VanVleet went undrafted out of Wichita State this year and he has been playing on Toronto’s squad at the Las Vegas Summer League, Murphy notes. The scribe notes that the guard has impressed the franchise with his composure running the offense and an improved 3-point stroke. Through three summer league contests, VanVleet has scored 19 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and added five assists.
The 22-year-old made 31 appearances for the Shockers this past season and averaged 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 29.0 minutes per outing. His slash line on the year was .390/.381/.817. He’s a longshot to make the regular season roster, but would be a wise addition to the Raptors’ D-League affiliate where he can be developed as a player during the 2016/17 campaign.
Hawks’ Isaia Cordinier To Remain Overseas
Second-round pick Isaia Cordinier will remain overseas rather than joining the Hawks immediately, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Vivlamore reports that Cordinier, who played for Denain-Voltaire last season, will return to France and join Antibes for the coming season.
[RELATED: 2016 Draft Pick Signings]
Cordinier, the 44th overall pick in this year’s draft, is still just 19 years old, so it’s no surprise that the Hawks want him to get a little more seasoning overseas. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com had reported in the wake of the draft that Cordinier may be joining Antibes, his hometown team, for the 2016/17 campaign, with an eye toward signing with Atlanta a year from now.
According to Givony, Cordinier had received a promise from a team drafting in the late-30s or early-40s, but that team reneged on the promise at the last minute. Givony referred to it as an “ugly story,” noting that Cordinier’s camp had even told other teams not to draft him, since he was guaranteed to be brought to the NBA immediately. Fortunately for the French shooting guard, he didn’t slip too far, and may just spend one more season playing international ball before joining the Hawks.
This past season, Cordinier appeared in 32 French League games for Denain-Voltaire, averaging 10.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.0 APG, with a shooting line of .503/.404/.779. His new team, Antibes, plays Pro A ball, as opposed to Pro B ball like Denain-Voltaire, so it will be a step up for Cordinier, who was a member of the Hawks’ Summer League squad this month.
Latest On J.R. Smith, Cavaliers
Since free agency began on July 1, news on J.R. Smith has been scarce. We heard this past week that Cavaliers GM David Griffin was confident about bringing back the veteran shooting guard, and based on the fact that the Cavs hold Smith’s Bird rights and he doesn’t appear to have drawn much outside interest, that seemed logical.
On Sunday, however, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweeted that he’s hearing Smith is seeking a “huge deal” from the Cavs — potentially something in the $15MM-per-year range. By comparison, Smith would have earned $5.375MM if he had opted into the final year of his previous contract rather than declining that player option.
Although a $15MM price tag for Smith may seem outlandish on the surface, Evan Turner recently exceeded $17MM annually on his new deal, while Allen Crabbe received $18MM+ per year. From Smith’s perspective, a deal in the range of Pau Gasol‘s two-year, $30MM pact may seem entirely reasonable, given the salary cap spike and the free agent prices around the NBA, particularly for some less accomplished two guards.
[RELATED: Shooting guard free agent contracts via our 2016 Free Agent Tracker]
Smith also has a little leverage over the Cavaliers because the team isn’t in a great position to replace him if he leaves for another club. Most of the highest-coveted free agents are off the market at this point, and Cleveland isn’t in position to make a big offer to a player like Dion Waiters, since the team doesn’t have any cap room available.
As we saw a year ago with Tristan Thompson – and even this year with LeBron James – the Cavaliers don’t typically rush this sort of negotiation. As long as teams like the Nets and Sixers still have the cap room necessary to offer significant money, Smith could use those clubs as leverage as he seeks a deal with the Cavs. Cleveland, meanwhile, will attempt to get Smith back at a more reasonable price to avoid another big luxury-tax bill. According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.com, there has been “zero animosity” between the two sides so far, but that doesn’t mean there will be a quick resolution.
Contract Details: Conley, Jefferson, Speights
Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has updated many of the team-by-team salary pages at Basketball Insiders with new information, and while it’s worth checking out the full breakdown for your favorite team, we have a few noteworthy items from the latest series of updates to pass along. Let’s dive in…
- Mike Conley‘s five-year max deal with the Grizzlies includes an early termination option for the fifth year, which essentially functions like a player option. If Conley choose to waive that ETO and opts into the final year of his contract, his $34.5MM salary would be guaranteed for $22.427MM. However, if Conley plays in at least 55 games in either 2018/19 or 2019/20, that salary becomes fully guaranteed.
- The third year of Al Jefferson‘s three-year contract with the Pacers is only partially guaranteed. The team currently owes him $4MM for the 2018/19 season, but if he stays on the roster, he’d earn his full $10MM salary.
- Marreese Speights‘ minimum-salary deal with the Clippers is for two years, not just one. However, Speights has a player option on that second year, so he’ll likely opt out if he has a good year in Los Angeles.
- Deron Williams‘ one-year contract with the Mavericks is actually worth $9MM rather than $10MM on the cap, though he has $1MM in unlikely incentives.
- Dorian Finney-Smith, Jonathan Gibson, and Nicolas Brussino all got nearly-identical three-year, minimum-salary deals from the Mavericks. Gibson is the only one whose first year is fully guaranteed though — Finney-Smith and Brussino will start with just $100K guaranteed apiece.
- When Paul Zipser‘s agent announced his rookie contract with the Bulls, he said it featured two guaranteed years. There’s also a third year on that pact worth the minimum salary that’s not fully guaranteed.