Alan Anderson Changes Agents
Veteran wing player Alan Anderson, currently a member of the Clippers, has made a change to his representation. According to HoopsHype (via Twitter), Anderson, who was previously repped by agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports and Entertainment, has hired Chris Luchey as his agent.
Anderson, who turns 34 in October, parlayed a solid stint in Brooklyn into a one-year, $4MM deal with the Wizards last season. However, ankle and groin issues limited him to just 13 games.
While Anderson’s brief stint in Washington wasn’t a success, he was a decent role player in four previous seasons for the Nets and Raptors, averaging 8.4 PPG and shooting 34.3% on three-pointers in 234 total contests for the two clubs. Anderson’s track record earned him another guaranteed deal this summer, albeit a minimum-salary one — he signed with the Clippers earlier this month.
As our agency database shows, Priority’s roster of NBA clients is far more extensive than Luchey’s at CGL Sports, so Anderson will be joining a smaller agency as he prepares to enter another contract year.
Jared Cunningham To Play In China
After spending four seasons in the NBA and the D-League, Jared Cunningham is taking his talents overseas for the 2016/17 season. As relayed by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, Cunningham has signed with Chinese team Jiangsu Tongxi.
The 24th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Cunningham was sent to Dallas by the Cavaliers in a draft-day trade, the first move in an NBA journey that saw the former Oregon State guard spend time with six different teams. The Mavericks, Hawks, Kings, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Bucks have all had Cunningham on their regular-season rosters for at least brief stints since he entered the league.
In total, Cunningham appeared in 84 regular-season contests, including 40 with the Cavs last season. He never carved out a consistent role, however, averaging just 2.3 PPG on .347/.306/.674 shooting for his NBA career.
The 25-year-old had more success in the D-League, where he averaged 17.2 PPG for four separate teams in 69 overall games. However, by heading to China, Cunningham will get a chance to earn more playing time than he would in the NBA, and more money than he would in the D-League.
Salary Cap Snapshot: Miami Heat
With the free agent signing period winding down and teams looking ahead to the preseason, we at Hoops Rumors will be tracking the Salary Cap figures for each team around the league. These posts will be maintained throughout the season once financial data is reported. They will be located on the sidebar throughout the year, once all the teams’ cap figures have been relayed. You can always check RosterResource.com for up-to-date rosters for each franchise, with the Heat’s team page accessible here.
Here’s a breakdown of where the Heat currently stand financially:
Guaranteed Salary
- Chris Bosh —$23,741,060
- Hassan Whiteside —$22,116,750
- Goran Dragic —$15,891,725
- Wayne Ellington —$6,000,000
- Josh McRoberts —$5,782,450
- Tyler Johnson —$5,628,000 [Contract has 15% Trade Kicker]
- Derrick Williams —$4,598,000 [Waived by team]
- James Johnson —$4,000,000
- Udonis Haslem —$4,000,000
- Dion Waiters —$2,898,000 [Contract has 15% Trade Kicker]
- Justise Winslow —$2,593,440
- Luke Babbitt —$1,227,286
- Willie Reed —$1,015,696
- Josh Richardson —$874,636
- Rodney McGruder —$543,471
- Briante Weber —$327,989 [Waived by team]
- Okaro White —$210,995
- Stefan Jankovic —$100,000 [Waived by team]
- Okaro White —$100,000 [Waived by team (Oct 22)]
- Keith Benson — $75,000 [Waived by team]
- Okaro White —$31,969 [10-day contract (Jan 17)]
- Okaro White —$31,969 [10-day contract (Jan 27)]
- Marcus Georges-Hunt —$31,969 [10-day contract (Feb 8)]
Total Guaranteed Salary= $101,820,405
Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $400K sent to Pelicans in Luke Babbitt trade [Amount Remaining $3.1MM]
Cash Received Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]
Payroll Exceptions Available
- Disabled player exception — $1,296,720 [Granted for Justise Winslow injury]
- Room exception — $0 [Used to sign Dion Waiters]
Total Projected Payroll: $101,820,405
Salary Cap: $94,143,000
Estimated Available Cap Space: –$7,677,405
Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000
Amount Below Luxury Tax: $11,466,595
Last Updated: 2/9/17
The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Bachynski, Rubio, Kaminsky
Despite the speculation that the Wolves‘ addition of rookie point guard Kris Dunn will ultimately lead to Ricky Rubio being dealt, Rubio is looking forward to mentoring his younger teammate, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press notes. “Really it’s a challenge. When a young guy like him who has a lot of potential comes, I think we can really play together,” Rubio told the scribe. “But if we don’t [share the floor often], I can really help him.”
Rubio also noted that he’s thrilled about the hiring of Tom Thibodeau as coach/executive and believes the addition will help Minnesota’s young roster, Krawczynski adds. “I think we’ve got all the pieces together to make something happen,” Rubio said. “I’m really excited about the new coach and the new staff. They have a lot of years in their backpack and really can teach us how to reach the next level. I think we have the tools. We just have to put all them together.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Center Jordan Bachynski, who played for the Knicks‘ D-League affiliate last season, has signed with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins in Japan, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor reports (on Twitter). In 49 games for Westchester in 2015/16, the 26-year-old averaged 13.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.
- Hornets forward Frank Kaminsky acknowledges that he needs to improve on the defense end if he hopes to advance as an NBA player, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer relays. “I’ve got to be a better overall defender. I was overwhelmed at times,” Kaminsky said. “My preparation, obviously, needs to get better. I so want to be a more consistent player. I’d have a good game and then disappear in the next.”
- Pistons assistant coach Tim Hardaway is contesting drunken driving charges stemming from an April arrest in Oakland County, The Detroit News relays. Hardaway was stopped by authorities in Michigan back in April and he had a blood alcohol level of .17 percent, according to court records. That blood alcohol level more than twice the state’s legal limit of .08 percent.
Heat Notes: Weber, Jankovic, Udrih
The Heat’s roster currently stands at 19 players, which is four over the regular season maximum. This places a number of young players on the bubble, with each of them hoping to be a member of the team when the regular season kicks off, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. The signing of Beno Udrih has made the path to a regular season spot more difficult for Briante Weber, whose contract includes a partial guarantee of $218,659, but the guard hasn’t let that discourage him, Winderman adds. “My mindset is never going change, no matter who’s in front of me, no matter how many people it is,” said Weber. “I’m just going to be me. I’m not going to change anything about how I do my things. I’m not going to try to be a different person.”
Here’s more from South Beach:
- In response to a reader question in his latest “Ask Ira” column, Winderman notes that a strong defensive guard like Weber is something the team could use, given the playing styles of the other members of Miami’s backcourt. “It is surprising that Weber could be squeezed out despite having three-eighths of his 2016/17 contract already guaranteed,” Winderman opined. “One thing the Heat have lacked for years has been a lock-down defensive point guard, one who could pick up full court and wear down an opposing ballhandler. It is not what Goran Dragic does. Not what Beno Udrih does. That’s what has made Briante so intriguing. But what we haven’t witnessed are the Heat’s private drills, and it’s possible that Josh Richardson or Tyler Johnson have turned into such defensive prospects/pests, perhaps reducing the need for a specialist at point guard such as Briante.“
- Stefan Jankovic, another member of the team who isn’t assured of a roster spot this season, was offered a chance to tryout for Serbia’s National team, but declined it because he had already made a commitment to play for the Heat’s summer league squad, Winderman tweets. Jankovic, 23, appeared in eight games this summer for Miami, averaging 7.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 13.9 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .444/.333/.786.
Kevin Durant Unsure About 2020 Olympics
Participating in this year’s Olympic Games and helping Team USA secure the gold medal was therapeutic for Kevin Durant, who is still coming to terms with switching teams from the Thunder to the Warriors this offseason, Michael Lee of The Vertical writes. “It was therapy for me after making a big change in my life,” Durant told Lee. “It made my life easier … I knew [a backlash] was coming. It was definitely different for me, but to come here in an environment where people accepted me and didn’t care about anything except being my buddy, that’s what I needed.”
Durant also moved within 25 points of catching Carmelo Anthony, who is the top all-time Team USA scorer, but he’s not sure if he’ll be a member of of the squad when the next summer Olympics are held, Lee notes. “I can’t say right now,” Durant said. “I’ll be 31, going on 32 … .” However, the forward’s competitive fire may ultimately drive him to participate in 2020, with Durant telling Lee, “I want to pass him, for sure. Just because it’s ‘Melo, I would love to pass him. But I don’t know if I’ll play or not. Who knows? We’ll see. You never know what’s going to happen in four years. I’m just going to enjoy this one right now.”
One person who would love for Durant to participate in the 2020 games is USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, notes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. With this year’s squad fielding a roster that including 10 first-time Olympians, Colangelo would prefer more continuity moving forward, Stein adds. “We can’t go back again with 10 new players,” Colangelo said. “That’s not going to happen. For me, I’m glad we got past this.”
Do you want to see Durant participate in the 2020 Olympics, or would you prefer an infusion of younger blood on Team USA’s roster? Share your opinions in the comments section below.
Bucks Sign Jason Terry
AUGUST 22nd: The signing is official, the team announced.
AUGUST 19th: Terry says he has agreed to sign with the Bucks, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. “They are a young team on the cusp of doing great things and the Bucks have a great coach in Jason Kidd,” Terry said (Twitter link).
AUGUST 18th: The Bucks are in advanced contract talks with veteran point guard Jason Terry, NBA sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Terry, who turns 39 next month, averaged 5.9 points and 1.4 assists in 17.5 minutes for the Rockets last season while appearing in 72 games.
Milwaukee only has 13 players with guaranteed contracts but it is over the salary-cap limit. The Bucks still have the $2.9MM room exception at their disposal. The Rockets informed Terry last month that he was no longer in their plans.
It’s somewhat curious that the Bucks would be interested in Terry, considering they signed free agent Matthew Dellavedova away from the Cavaliers to compete with Michael Carter-Williams at the point guard spot. They also have Tyler Ennis on the roster and it’s noteworthy that the club used Giannis Antetokounmpo with great success as a point forward the second half of last season.
However, Terry could not only provide a veteran locker room presence but also some outside shooting. He’s a career 37.9% shooter on 3-point attempts and could play off the ball with Antetokounmpo running the attack.
Terry has averaged 14.3 points and 4.1 assists in a career that began with the Hawks in 1999/2000.
Jazz Sign Marcus Paige
The Jazz have signed 2016 second round pick Marcus Paige (No. 55 overall) the team announced. The length and terms of the arrangement are unknown, nor if any guaranteed salary was included. Utah still has approximately $10MM in available cap space, so Paige’s deal wouldn’t be limited to the league minimum. Though, it would be a surprise if it was in excess of that amount.
The 22-year-old was a member of the Jazz’s summer league squad, averaging 7.0 points, 1.6 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 19.7 minutes of action in nine games. With Utah’s preseason roster count at 16, including 14 players possessing fully guaranteed deals, Paige is likely ticketed for the D-League to start the season.
Paige spent four years at North Carolina, notching career averages of 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists to go along with a shooting line of .407/.375/.844. Paige was recognized as an Academic All-American for three of those seasons, including First Team honors following his senior season. He was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team in 2015 and 2016 as well as the 2014 ACC Most Improved Player of the Year, per the release.
Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 4)
Scouting players and predicting how their skills will translate to the NBA is one of the more difficult tasks front offices have on their plates. Looking back over past drafts and how many lottery picks never evolved into stars, or even made a significant impact in the league, illustrates just how often stats, combine numbers and pure gut instinct often come up short.
Of course, we get the opportunity to critique these moves with the benefit of hindsight — a luxury that GMs don’t have on draft night. Having said that, it’s still fun to go back in time and take a theoretical look at how these drafts should have/could have gone.
We recently finished revisiting the lottery portion of the 2005 NBA Draft, which was one of the weakest in recent memory. In drafts light on impact talent, the GM who can find a diamond in the rough is king. But drafts that have a number of star-potential players can also be difficult and many an executive has made what turned out to be the wrong call. Greg Oden over Kevin Durant immediately springs to mind (sorry Blazers fans), likewise taking Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan…ouch!
The 2008 draft, which is the one we’re tackling now, had a number of players who have gone on to post big numbers in the league. This was the year of Derrick Rose (No. 1 overall), Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Kevin Love (No. 5), Brook Lopez (No. 10) and Nicolas Batum (No. 25). Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking readers to vote on whom teams should have selected in each spot.
We’ll continue with the Sonics/Thunder, who held the No. 4 overall pick that year. With Westbrook already off the board, having gone No. 1 overall to the Bulls, OKC will have to find a different running mate for Kevin Durant, who the franchise nabbed the previous year. So cast your vote for who the Sonics/Thunder select and check back on Tuesday to see the results and to vote on who the Grizzlies will nab fifth overall. Also, don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
- Bulls — Russell Westbrook [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
- Heat — Kevin Love [Actual Pick — Michael Beasley]
- Wolves — Derrick Rose [Actual Pick — O.J. Mayo]
- Sonics/Thunder — ?? [Actual Pick — Russell Westbrook]
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.
Abdel Nader To Play For Celtics’ D-League Team
One of six Celtics draftees in June, Abdel Nader had been the only one whose 2016/17 outlook had not yet been determined. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, however, a decision has been made. Charania reports (via Twitter) that Nader has turned down a “lucrative” offer from a European club and has agreed to play for the Celtics’ D-League affiliate.
[RELATED: 2016 Draft Pick Signings]
When the Celtics drafted Nader, the team hoped – and expected – to retain his rights by getting him to commit to playing for the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s D-League team. The move would allow the Celtics to keep a close eye on the 58th overall pick while not exposing him to other NBA clubs.
As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe detailed earlier this month, an impressive Summer League showing complicated the issue for Nader and the Celtics, with agent Cervando Tejeda suggesting that his client is “an NBA player.” However, if Boston had signed the former Iowa State forward to an NBA contract, then not had room for him on their regular-season roster, the club would have lost his NBA rights, despite being able to assign him to the Red Claws.
[RELATED: Boston Celtics’ depth chart at RosterResource.com]
Even with two of their first-round picks remaining overseas for the 2016/17 season, the Celtics have a crowded roster, which would have made it very difficult for Nader to crack the regular-season 15. Currently, the C’s have 16 players on guaranteed contracts, and that total doesn’t include John Holland or 2016 second-rounder Ben Bentil — Holland’s pact is non-guaranteed, while Bentil has a partial guarantee of $250K.