2016 Extension Candidate Series
Since the NBA’s 2016/17 league year got underway, three players have signed contract extensions with their current teams prior to reaching free agency. C.J. McCollum inked a rookie-scale extension with the Trail Blazers, while James Harden and Russell Westbrook agreed to veteran extensions with the Rockets and Thunder, respectively.
We didn’t get a chance to take a closer, in-depth look at Harden’s or McCollum’s case for an extension before those deals were finalized, but we did examine Westbrook’s situation in Oklahoma City, just days before he and the Thunder reached an agreement. That was the first of several pieces we’ll publish this offseason profiling and analyzing extension candidates. These posts will outline the merits of an extension for the player and his team, dissect the player’s value, and project whether or not a deal is likely.
With many players eligible for either a rookie-scale extension or a veteran extension this year, there should be no shortage of candidates to consider. Listed below are the extension candidates we’ve examined so far. This list, which we’ll continue to update throughout the offseason, can be found at any time on our right-hand sidebar under the Hoops Rumors Features menu.
- Steven Adams, Thunder (link)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (link)
- Signed extension on September 20
- Signed extension on September 20
- Derrick Favors, Jazz (link)
- Paul George, Pacers (link)
- Rudy Gobert, Jazz (link)
- Victor Oladipo, Thunder (link)
- Russell Westbrook, Thunder (link)
- Signed extension on August 4
Current Free Agents Who Played Most In 2015/16
With NBA training camps nearing, and the start of a new regular season only a couple months away, the list of 2016 free agents doesn’t include a ton of intriguing names. After the Cavaliers re-signed LeBron James, who remained on the market until mid-August, it left LeBron’s teammate J.R. Smith as the most noteworthy player available.
Smith averaged more than 30 minutes per regular season game for the Cavs last season, totaling 2,362 minutes overall, which doesn’t even include the 730 minutes he played in the postseason. Smith’s regular-season minutes total easily makes him the free agent who played the most last season, among those who have yet to sign a contract.
Still, Smith isn’t the only current free agent who saw plenty of action for an NBA team last season and hasn’t been able to find a deal so far this summer. By our count, there are 15 other players who were on the court for at least 800 minutes during the NBA’s 2015/16 regular season and remain unsigned.
That total doesn’t include players who missed a portion of the season with an injury and didn’t reach that 800-minute threshold as a result — Rockets RFA forward Donatas Motiejunas, for instance, would have played more than 1,200 minutes if he had played in all 82 games and his MPG had remained the same. Instead, injuries limited him to just 37 contests and 547 minutes.
Listed below are the 16 players – including Smith – who played more than 800 NBA minutes last season and remain out of work. The list is heavy on guards, while big men are harder to come by. As such, teams looking to add some experienced veteran depth to their roster could explore the free agent market if they’re seeking backcourt help, but may prefer the trade market if they’re after a big man.
Here’s the list, with 2015/16’s minutes totals noted in parentheses:
- J.R. Smith, SG (2,362)
- Tayshaun Prince, SF (1,462)
- Ty Lawson, PG (1,411)
- Mario Chalmers, PG (1,373)
- Lance Stephenson, SG (1,372)
- P.J. Hairston, SG (1,313)
- Toney Douglas, PG (1,262)
- Norris Cole, PG (1,198)
- Kevin Martin, SG (1,095)
- Steve Blake, PG (986)
- Markel Brown, SG (982)
- Chase Budinger, SF (929)
- Thomas Robinson, PF (917)
- Josh Smith, PF (880)
- Johnny O’Bryant, PF (857)
- Gary Neal, SG (807)
Which of these veteran free agents do you expect to find a home sooner rather than later? Are there any that you don’t expect to see back in the NBA at all in 2016/17?
Nets Hire Gianluca Pascucci, BJ Johnson
The Nets continue to reshape their front office under general manager Sean Marks, announcing today in a press release that they’ve added two more executives to their current group. Brooklyn has hired Gianluca Pascucci as the club’s director of global scouting, and BJ Johnson as coordinator of player evaluation.
“We are thrilled to add Gianluca and BJ to our front office,” Marks said in a statement. “Collectively, they bring valuable experiences that cross many platforms and their extensive knowledge of both the NBA and the global game will be tremendous assets to our scouting department. Both will be excellent additions to our culture and we are excited about welcoming them to Brooklyn.”
As Marks points out, the Nets’ new additions have basketball experience on a national and international level. Pascucci, who is coming off a stint as the Rockets’ VP of player personnel, and the GM of the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, previously spent several years with Italian team Olimpia Milano, acting as the team’s CEO and GM. Pascucci also has a previous stint in Houston as the Rockets’ international scout.
As for Johnson, he has worked for the last several years as USA Basketball’s assistant men’s national team director, and has held a variety of other roles in both the men’s and women’s USA Basketball programs.
Marks has only been on the job in Brooklyn for about six months, having been hired in February as the Nets’ new general manager. However, he has made significant changes to the team’s front office during his time with the franchise. Per NetsDaily (via Twitter), today’s additions bring the total number of new staff members hired by the Nets since Marks’ arrival to 25.
Thabo Sefolosha Talks Contract, Hawks, Rookies
Atlanta’s roster underwent some major changes this offseason, with longtime Hawks Al Horford and Jeff Teague departing and Dwight Howard among the incoming additions. However, the team managed to re-sign Kent Bazemore, and may end up undergoing even more roster turnover in 2017 — only five of the Hawks’ 17 current players have guaranteed salaries for the ’17/18 season.
One of those players who enters this season on an expiring contract is Thabo Sefolosha, who spoke to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a handful of topics, including the club’s outlook for the coming year, and some of his new teammates. He also addressed his contract, though he’s trying to avoid thinking about 2017 free agency at this point.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t in the back of my mind,” Sefolosha said. “Once it is basketball season, I believe that if you take care of what you have to the rest will take care of itself. I’m going to focus on what I can control, play my game and take it from there.”
Sefolosha acknowledged that it will probably take the Hawks a little time to get used to the roster changes, including Horford’s and Teague’s departures. He also pointed out that the addition of Howard will alter the team’s style of play, particularly on the offensive end, since D12 doesn’t have the same shooting range that Horford does.
“On the offensive end, we have a style of play that we move the ball so much,” Sefolosha said. “I think what Al was doing – catching the ball up top and swinging and going to the pick-and-pop – now it’s going to give us some different options by rolling to the basket a lot more, bringing some force to the basket, maybe giving guys open shots on the outside. It’s going to be interesting.“
Finally, Sefolosha praised the Hawks’ rookie additions, suggesting that first-round pick Taurean Prince should be able to “provide some minutes fairly quickly,” while calling the signing of veteran rookie Malcolm Delaney “a big plus.”
What do you expect for the Hawks this season? Will the team take a step back, or is this still a solid playoff team in the East? Will this be Sefolosha’s last season in Atlanta? Weigh in below in the comment section.
Weekly Mailbag: 8/15/16-8/21/16
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:
Jimmer Fredette seems to be a very good shooter and ballplayer. Why hasn’t he had NBA success so far? I think all he needs is to be given much playing time and not sit on the bench to maximize his talent. What do you think? — Greg Dizon
He certainly had the look of a good player when he came out of BYU in 2011. He was drafted 10th overall by the Kings, who traded up for a chance to get him. But the NBA hasn’t been kind to Jimmer. He never topped the 7.6 points per game scoring average he posted as a rookie, and he bounced around the league and the D-League after being waived by the Kings in 2014. Fredette has signed to play in China next season, and although he may catch on with an NBA team after the Chinese season is over, it’s hard to envision him ever becoming a star.
What is the number of assistants and other bench personnel allowed in the NBA? The Spurs seemed to have the most bench personnel compared to Clippers. — G.H. Torrance
NBA rules allow the head coach, three assistants and the trainer to sit in the front row of seats with the players. It’s the “second row” where things get a little murkier. Depending on the team, you’ll find another assistant coach, a video coordinator, an advance scout, someone from the athletic performance staff, an assistant trainer and security personnel. The Spurs currently have five assistant coaches — James Borrego, Chip Engelland, Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka and Becky Hammon. The Clippers have Sam Cassell, Armond Hill, Brendan O’Connor and Mike Woodson. A fifth, Bob Thate, was hired this week by the Grizzlies.
Which big man do you think the Sixers will trade, Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor or Joel Embiid? — Zach Ford
The best answer is whoever brings back the best return. Philadelphia has probably listened to dozens of offers already, and more will come before any deal is made. Embiid seems the least likely to be traded away. After missing two seasons, teams will be wary of giving up much talent for a player with such a questionable health history. Despite off-court troubles during his rookie season, Okafor seems ready to blossom into an elite talent on offense and could be a great addition to a team that can compensate for his shortcomings on defense. Noel is eligible for a rookie contract extension through October 31st, so that may factor into the Sixers’ thinking. If they can’t sign him long-term, he may be the one to go.
Community Shootaround: Team USA 2020
After months of worries about the elite talent that was skipping the Summer Olympics, followed by concerns over a few close games, Team USA will leave Rio de Janeiro as the undisputed king of the basketball world.
The Americans re-established their dominance this afternoon with a 96-66 battering of Serbia in the gold medal game. It was a statement victory for the U.S. squad, which had eked out a three-point win over the Serbians earlier in the tournament when a last-second shot bounced off the rim.
Team USA won without LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis, who skipped the Games because of a combination of injuries, desire for rest and other unstated reasons. But this was no “B team” that represented the United States in Rio. All-Stars abounded on an American squad that was challenged at times, but never seemed destined to walk away with anything less than gold.
After the lopsided victory in the final game, USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo issued a challenge to the rest of the world, relays Sam Amick of USA Today.
“I’m all for raising the bar for global basketball,” he said. “The more interest in basketball on all levels, I’m for. I’m a lifer in the game. I love the game. Basketball is the No. 2 sport in the world, [but] we just need to see these other countries get their acts together and become more competitive.
“I’d love to see that. Everyone would love to see that. I’m not going to be making excuses for anyone about our [dominance]. Someone said to me [after the game], one of the officials said to me, ‘You know next time you play, you ought to play with four.’ And I said, ‘No, maybe the other teams better get their act together and compete.’”
Those are strong words, and the Americans will need a strong team to back them up, which brings us to tonight’s question: Which 12 players will represent the United States at the 2020 Games in Tokyo? After four Olympic appearances, Carmelo Anthony is out, announcing his retirement from the international game today. James said this week that he was having regrets about not playing, so he may be back in four years at age 35. The rest of this year’s team is relatively young and all may want to return in 2020, but others who skipped this time may want a shot and some younger players may be in the mix by then.
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Olympics Notes: Anthony, Popovich, Jokic
After capturing his third gold medal, the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony confirmed that his international career is complete, relays Sam Amick of USA Today. Anthony played on the 2004 team that settled for bronze before being part of the last three gold medal winners. He holds Team USA career records for games played and points scored, and today moved into the lead in total rebounds. “As much as I’m going to miss it, it’s time to pass it on to some of the guys who were on the team this year, and also the younger guys [not on the team],” he said after today’s win over Serbia in the gold medal contest. Anthony said he and his teammates “locked in” after some close games early in the competition.
There’s more news out of Rio on the final day of the Summer Olympics:
- Anthony was the only basketball player nominated to be named Male Athlete of the Games for the United States, tweets Chris Washburn of The Boston Globe. The other nominees were swimmer Michael Phelps, cyclist Connor Fields, wrestler Kyle Snyder and runner Matthew Centrowitz Jr.
- Gregg Popovich will take over as the next coach of Team USA, but he might have had the job years ago if not for the disappointing performance of the 2004 Olympic team, writes Jackie MacMullen of ESPN.com. Popovich was an assistant to Larry Brown on that team, which brought home a bronze medal from Athens. “We didn’t have a chance to build a team,” Brown says. “We threw those kids into a terrible situation. Pop and I talk about it all the time. I say to him, ‘What could I have done better?’ What I hate most about it is I think it cost Pop his chance at the job.” In the wake of that outing, Jerry Colangelo, head of USA Basketball, picked Duke’s Mike Krzyzewksi to be the new national team coach and started a rift with Popovich that lasted until he was offered the job last spring.
- Serbia’s Nikola Jokic cemented his reputation as a rising star with his Olympic performance, according to Jonathan Huang of NBA.com. The 21-year-old Nuggets center had a memorable Olympics, including 25 points in an early matchup with Team USA, as he helped his nation reach the gold medal game.
Western Notes: Thunder, Spurs, Lakers
Thunder lead assistant coach Adrian Griffin, who joined the team in July, has developed a reputation as a defensive-minded coach with a knack for fostering relationships with players, and his presence should impact Oklahoma City in a positive way, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. Griffin served as an assistant coach on Scott Skiles‘ staff in Orlando last season and was under consideration by the Magic to replace Skiles before Frank Vogel nabbed the post.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- With Tim Duncan retired, there is no better fit for Pau Gasol than the Spurs and San Antonio should benefit from the all-star’s presence on both ends of the floor, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes. With Gregg Popovich, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard still on board, the addition of Gasol will likely help the Spurs legacy live on, Hamilton adds.
- Former Lakers player Jordan Farmar, who ended last season with the Grizzlies, said he has no doubt that first-year head coach Luke Walton is the best fit for the job in Los Angeles, Serena Winters of Lakers Nation relays. “He really has a high basketball IQ and understands the game,” Farmar said. “He’ll make it fun, enjoyable, easy and he’ll be on their team. It’s not going to be like a dictatorship with Luke, he’s going to lead with positive energy.”
Hoops Links: Dragic, Knicks, Mavs
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- Game Day Report details how Miami reshaped its roster to play to Goran Dragic‘s strengths.
- Posting and Toasting explains how Carmelo Anthony rediscovered his love for basketball.
- Sactown Royalty runs down some rumors regarding Ricky Rubio and the Kings.
- Mavs Moneyball argues Michael Jordan should have joined the Mavs in 2003.
- PistonPowered highlights four players as keys for the Pistons.
- Lake Show Life has some early western conference record predictions.
- Blazer’s Edge believes shifting Al-Farouq Aminu from the three to the four is critical.
- Blog a Bull writes that Nikola Mirotic has a shot to play a significant role in Chicago.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Brown, Johnson
Sixers coach Brett Brown expects Joel Embiid to be ready to play in the preseason, as he tells Zach Lowe of ESPN.com on his podcast (h/t to Rob Tornoe of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “Physically, mentally, recent medical scans, everything is pointing in the right direction. We’re just very excited,” Brown said. Embiid has yet to play in a game since being drafted with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NBA draft.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Brown feels the Sixers are in a good place as a franchise right now, as he discusses on that same podcast. “There’s a real feel good mentality right now in our city. I think everybody’s starting to get excited,” Brown said. “Obviously, this is just one more phase, one more wave on how we build our program. But we have such fantastic young, talented pieces to try to put that puzzle together. Everybody’s excited here in Philadelphia.”
- Amir Johnson has established himself as a good defender and if he reaches his ceiling on the defensive end, he could end up making an All-NBA defensive team, A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet argues. Johnson, who signed a two-year, $24MM deal with the Celtics last summer, will be a free agent after the 2016/17 season.