Pistons Sign Boban Marjanovic
JULY 12: The Pistons have officially signed Marjanovic, the team announced today in a press release. We heard on Sunday that San Antonio wouldn’t be matching Detroit’s offer sheet for the big center.
JULY 7: The Pistons are set to sign Spurs restricted free agent Boban Marjanovic to an offer sheet worth $21MM over three years, league sources tell ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link). Once Marjanovic officially puts pen to paper and the Spurs receive the offer sheet, San Antonio will have three days to match it.
Marjanovic, who turns 28 in August, joined the Spurs a year ago, and saw a little action during his first year as an NBA player. Appearing in 54 game, the 7’3″ center averaged 9.4 minutes per contest, making the most of that playing time by averaging 5.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG to go along with a .603 FG%. The sample size was small, but Marjanovic’s production worked out to 21.0 PPG and 13.7 RPG per 36 minutes.
The Pistons’ reported contract agreements will use up all their salary cap space, but because the team’s deal with Andre Drummond is not yet official, the team still has some room to fit in Marjanovic’s offer sheet. Drummond will earn a maximum salary of $22MM+ in 2016/17, but for now, he’s still on Detroit’s books for cap hold worth just over $8MM.
As for the Spurs, they had to move Boris Diaw just to clear cap room for Pau Gasol‘s new contract, so it seems unlikely that they’ll match the Pistons’ offer sheet for Marjanovic. ESPN’s Marc Stein tweets that San Antonio is resigned to losing the Serbian center. The Spurs appear to have found a replacement already, reportedly agreeing to terms with free agent center Dewayne Dedmon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jazz, Rudy Gobert To Talk Extension After Olympics
Utah center Rudy Gobert intends to play for France in the 2016 Olympics this summer, and while he prepares for the games in Rio, he and the Jazz won’t attempt to work out a contract extension. League sources tell Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) that the Jazz and Gobert’s camp have agreed to postpone extension negotiations until after the Olympics.
Gobert, who is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract, became extension-eligible for the first time this month. He and the Jazz have until October 31 to attempt to hammer out a new deal — if the two sides can’t reach an agreement, the 24-year-old will become eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2017. However, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets that he thinks Gobert and the Jazz are on the same page and that an extension should get done “without much issue.”
The 27th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Gobert has developed into one of the league’s best young rim protectors, averaging 2.2 blocks and 11.0 rebounds per game during the 2015/16 season. He also chipped in on the offensive end, recording 9.1 PPG and a .559 FG%.
If the Jazz aim to be players in free agency next summer, it could make some sense to postpone an extension for Gobert until 2017 like the Wizards and Pistons did this past year with Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond, respectively. Gobert’s cap hold next summer would only be about $5.3MM, meaning Utah could keep that number on the books at the start of free agency to create some cap room before eventually going over the cap to lock up the standout center.
Of course, Washington and Detroit eventually locked up their respective restricted free agents to maximum-salary contracts, and the Jazz will almost certainly have to do the same with Gobert if they wait until the summer, since another team would be willing to make such an offer if Utah doesn’t. Extending Gobert this fall could be Utah’s only chance to get him at a price below the max, though even a modest “hometown” discount may not be in the cards, given the league-wide spending spree we witnessed earlier this month.
Community Shootaround: Free Agency
It’s been a wild and crazy July in the NBA with free agency dominating the sports news. An unparalleled spending spree, created by the expanding salary cap, allowed even journeyman players to enjoy extremely rich paydays.
Kevin Durant‘s decision to join the Warriors was the biggest jaw-dropper but certainly not the only one. The Celtics finally landed a big-time player, or something close to it, by wooing away Al Horford from the Hawks. Dwyane Wade stunned virtually everyone around the league by leaving the only NBA home he’s known for the place he grew up, jumping from the Heat to the Bulls.
Chandler Parsons received a huge contract to join the Grizzlies, who were also successful in retaining the top point guard on the market, Mike Conley. The Mavericks replaced Parsons with an offer sheet to restricted free agent and ex-Warrior Harrison Barnes, who became expendable when Golden State landed the biggest fish on the market.
Atlanta replaced Horford with Dwight Howard, while the Spurs — who struck out in their pursuit of Durant — nabbed aging but still highly productive big man Pau Gasol.
Several other big names in the free agency sweepstakes, including DeMar DeRozan, Nicolas Batum, Hassan Whiteside and Bradley Beal, decided to stay put.
This leads us to our question of the day: Aside from Kevin Durant joining the Warriors, what was the most significant free agent signing this month?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Gobert, Harkless, Pierce
Jazz center Rudy Gobert will play for Team France in the Rio Olympics, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reports. He’ll join new Jazz teammate, Boris Diaw, on the squad. Utah swingman Joe Ingles will play for Team Australia and point guard Raul Neto will play for host Brazil, Genessy adds. Gobert did not participate in the Olympic qualifying tournament, when France nabbed the final spot in the field of 12.
In other news around the league:
- Technology industry leaders are urging commissioner Adam Silver to move next year’s All-Star Game out of Charlotte unless a North Carolina law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people is repealed, according to Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press. The executives told Silver in a letter obtained by the AP that putting fans at risk of discrimination would “send a terrible message about who the NBA is and what it values as an organization.” Silver has made it clear the league needs changes to the HB2 law in order to stage the All-Star game but has not set any deadlines for when he might act, Mahoney adds.
- Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless is in “no rush” to sign a contract, but the restricted free agent should make a decision in the next couple of days, his agent told Jason Quick of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). Harkless might accept the Blazers’ qualifying offer of just over $4MM, Quick adds. Several teams were reportedly interested in Harkless early in the free agent process, including the Wizards, Pistons, Lakers, Mavericks and Jazz, but some of those clubs have already made other commitments.
- Clippers small forward Paul Pierce intends to play next season, a source close to Pierce informed Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The 38-year-old Pierce appeared in 68 regular-season games with them last season, averaging 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds. He also played in five postseason games.
- Point guard Flip Murray is attempting an NBA comeback, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The 36-year-old Murray, who has been playing overseas, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2009/10 season.
Southeast Rumors: Hawks, Ham, Magic, Heat
The Hawks have taken a step backward with their offseason approach and moves, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution opines. Rather than pulling closer toward the top of the Eastern Conference, Atlanta now looks like the sixth- or seventh-best team, Bradley continues. While trading point guard Jeff Teague to open up a starting job for Dennis Schroder was acceptable, Bradley points out that free-agent acquisition Dwight Howard doesn’t fit into coach Mike Budenholzer’s scheme as well as Al Horford, who signed with the Celtics. They also overpaid to keep Kent Bazemore, and the contracts of Howard and Bazemore will be hard to move if they wind up in a rebuild mode, Bradley adds.
In other Southeast Division news:
- Darvin Ham has been promoted to Budenholzer’s lead assistant, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Ham replaces Kenny Atkinson, who was named the Nets’ head coach in April. Ham has been on Budenholzer’s staff since 2014.
- The Magic did the right thing by bringing in defensive-minded big men rather than standing pat this offseason, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel argues. While Orlando has been criticized in some circles for its offseason moves, the additions of Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo and Jeff Green gives new coach Frank Vogel an opportunity to play a more physical style, Bianchi notes. The Magic have floundered for four years with their young core and couldn’t wait any longer for it to blossom on its own, Bianchi adds, pointing out that coach Scott Skiles quit after one season because he didn’t like the roster.
- Dwyane Wade admits that the superior contract offer he received from the Bulls forced him to make a hard choice, as he told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and other members of the media. Wade agreed to sign a two-year, $47MM deal with Chicago when the Heat drew the line near the $40MM mark. “Moments like this, it [stinks],” Wade said. “The business side of the sport, sometimes it just [stinks]. That’s what we’re dealing with.”
Nets, Justin Hamilton Agree To Deal
JULY 10, 7:36pm: The signing is official, the team announced on its website.
JULY 1, 7:44pm: The Nets and Justin Hamilton have agreed to a two-year deal worth $6MM, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports on Twitter. The contract is fully guaranteed as Hamilton’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, tells Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).
Hamilton is a 7’0″ center who last played in the NBA for the Wolves during the 2014/15 campaign. He spent last season playing for Valencia Basket of the Liga ACB in Europe.
Before signing the big man, Brooklyn only had nine players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at Roster Resource indicates. Hamilton is the second player whom the team has agreed to a deal with since free agency began. The team agreed to terms with Jeremy Lin early today.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Sullinger, Okafor, Knicks
The Raptors got themselves a bargain in ex-Celtics power forward Jared Sullinger, even though he’s not an ideal fit, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun opines. Sullinger agreed to a one-year deal with Toronto on Monday after Boston renounced his rights. He’s not an ideal partner for either Jonas Valanciunas or Jakob Poeltl because of his lack of foot speed but he’ll contribute with his rebounding and low-post game, Wolstat continues. Sullinger will be motivated to have a productive season in order to get a big payday next summer, Wolstat adds, noting that approach worked last season for Bismack Biyombo.
In other news around the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor denied via his Twitter account that he’s angry that they shopped him this offseason, according to CSNNE.com report. Okafor responded to a story by Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times that he and his handlers were upset that Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo listened to offers for the second-year power forward. Okafor called the story “fraudulent” and declared that “I love where I am.” The Celtics, who made a big free-agent splash by signing Al Horford, could still try to deal for Okafor this summer, CSNNE.com adds.
- Celtics guard Terry Rozier has positioned himself for more playing time with his postseason play and summer-league performances, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Rozier could help fill the void left by Evan Turner, who agreed to a four-year deal with the Trail Blazers, and even take some minutes from starting point guard Isaiah Thomas, Blakely adds. The 6’2” Rozier averaged 1.8 points in 39 regular-season games as a rookie, then averaged 4.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.8 minutes during the playoffs.
- Expectations of a Knicks playoff run are tempered by health issues, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. New York’s offseason acquisitions of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings improved its outlook but all have been hampered by major injuries in recent years, Berman notes. Team president Phil Jackson doesn’t dispute that injury concerns are the team’s biggest issue, Berman adds.
Pacers Sign Second-Rounder Georges Niang
The Pacers have formally added another player to their roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed second-round pick Georges Niang to his first NBA contract. Although the club didn’t disclose terms of the deal, Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com writes that it’s a three-year pact, with a full guarantee in year one and a partial guarantee in year two.
[RELATED: 2016 Draft Pick Signings]
Niang, the 50th overall pick in last month’s draft, averaged 20.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game during his final year at Iowa State. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com described Niang, his 69th-ranked prospect overall, as one of the more “polished’ players in this year’s draft class, and Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard suggested on draft night that the former Cyclone could earn a spot in Indiana’s rotation this season.
Because the Pacers traded their first-round pick to the Nets for Thaddeus Young, Niang was the only player drafted by the team this year. As the Pacers’ roster breakdown at RosterResource.com shows, Young will also be one of the players who figures to start the year ahead of Niang on the depth chart.
Indiana has plenty of forward depth, so it will be interesting to see how the team’s rotation shakes out in the regular season. Niang, 23, is probably capable of playing both forward spots, depending on the lineup, but he’ll have to battle a handful of frontcourt players for minutes.
In addition to big men Myles Turner and Al Jefferson, the Pacers also currently employ forwards like C.J. Miles, Lavoy Allen, Jeremy Evans, Glenn Robinson III, Shayne Whittington, and – of course – Paul George.
2016/17 NBA Rosters/Depth Charts
In case you missed the big announcement in June, Trade Rumors purchased Roster Resource to help us provide you with the most up-to-date info possible. Our updated NBA Depth Charts at Roster Resource will serve as an extension of Hoops Rumors, accurately portraying depth charts and roster information based on the latest news around the league. If Hoops Rumors reports on a transaction that affects a roster or a rumor that might affect a roster, you can bet that Roster Resource will be able to show you what that looks like “on paper” within minutes.
As of now, these depth charts include separate sections for Projected Starters, Projected Bench, Free Agents with a 2016/17 option, Restricted Free Agents, Unrestricted Free Agents, Draft Rights Retained, Free Agent Rights Retained, Projected Payroll, Estimated Max Cap Space and Transactions. In addition to basic player information, you can also view how a player was acquired by their current team, draft information (team, round, pick), 2016/17 salary and any cap holds.
While these depth charts should already give you a pretty good idea of the state of each team, we do have improvements planned and would love your feedback, whether through comments on this post, replies on Twitter, or messages through our contact form.
Listed below, separated by Conference and Division, are the direct links to each team’s page at Roster Resource. Simply click on the desired team name and you’ll be taken to the corresponding page:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Central Division
Southeast Division
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
Pacific Division
Southwest Division
Eastern Notes: Teague, Pistons, Rondo
In an interview with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, point guard Jeff Teague said that he is extremely excited to join the Pacers and he bears no ill-will toward the Hawks for trading him. “Me and the Hawks talked a bit and we agreed to be open with each other and try to help each other facilitate a nice deal. So I knew it was coming [eventually], but I didn’t know when. When I got the news, Coach Bud [Mike Budenholzer] let me know that he would be trading me home. It was bittersweet, but I’m excited about a new start and a new opportunity.”
Discussing what he’ll remember best about his time in Atlanta, Teague told Kennedy, “I’ll remember all of the fun times and all of the great teammates and coaches I had. In Atlanta, I learned so much, especially from Mike Bibby and those guys early on. Those guys had a huge influence on my career, teaching me how to work and how to be a pro. When Coach Bud came in, he gave me an opportunity to play, and it meant a lot that he trusted me and believed in me. I have a lot of great memories from Atlanta – the 60-win season, having the opportunity to play in the Eastern Conference Finals, some of the playoff atmospheres when we played against teams like the Cavs. My time in Atlanta was special and I enjoyed it, but I’m looking forward to doing bigger and better things in Indiana.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy acknowledged that it is easier for the franchise to be successful at attracting free agents now that the team has established itself as being on the rise, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. “Guys look at us probably a little differently,” Van Gundy said. “Young team, on the rise. I think both Jon Leuer and Ish Smith liked the idea that they were playing with guys in their own age group and even younger in most cases – that this roster has a chance to grow throughout the length of their contracts.”
- Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is looking forward to working with Rajon Rondo and believes that he and the point guard will have a solid relationship, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “The big thing with Rondo is I anticipate having a very good relationship with Rajon,” Hoiberg said. “He’s going to be a guy that’s going to be another extension of me and a coach on the floor. And again, I think he’s a guy who can survey the floor and read the situation and get us into our offense in a very efficient manner. He’s a guy who can get to the hole, he’s obviously an excellent passer, has great vision. I think he’ll fit very well with what we’re trying to do.”
- The Knicks deal with Spanish center Willy Hernangomez is for four years and will see him earn $1.4MM in 2016/17 and $5.9MM in total, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The first three years are fully guaranteed, Pincus adds.