And-Ones: All-Star Game, Griffin, Rubio, Towns
New Orleans has been selected to replace Charlotte as the host for the 2017 All-Star Game, reports Brett Martel of The Associated Press. An official announcement from the league is expected later today, tweets Brett Dawson of the New Orleans Advocate. The NBA announced last month that it was pulling the game from Charlotte in protest of a controversial new North Carolina law regarding protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people. The league offered to give Charlotte the 2019 game if changes are made to the statute. New Orleans also hosted the event in 2008 and 2014. The game is scheduled for February 19th, which coincides with the start of Mardi Gras parades.
There’s more NBA-related news this morning:
- Eric Griffin, a former D-League All-Star whose quest for the NBA was halted by an attempted murder charge, has agreed to a contract in Israel, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The state of Florida dropped the charges against Griffin in June, clearing him to resume his basketball career. He will join the Galil Gilboa club, says his agent, Tod Seidel. Griffin had been charged with attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and spent a week in jail in May. The Florida state attorney’s office investigated the case and determined that Griffin had an alibi and did not match the victim’s description. Seidel says the incident cost Griffin the chance to play in the NBA’s summer league and in the Philippines.
- The death of Ricky Rubio‘s mother made him consider skipping the Summer Olympics, writes Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press. The Spanish point guard talked regularly to his mother through video chats after Timberwolves games last season and was distraught over her battle with lung cancer. “Sometimes at night during the season I was going through hell,” he said. “Waking up in, who knows, Sacramento, in L.A., in the middle of the night alone in a hotel and thinking, ‘Why am I here? Is it really worth it?'”
- Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns tops the list of the best NBA sophomores heading into 2016/17, according to Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. Both have the reigning Rookie of the Year listed at No. 1. Ford has Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis ranked second, while Pelton opts for Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Eastern Notes: Udrih, J.R. Smith, Sixers, Butler
Beno Udrih has no assurances of playing time despite re-signing with the Heat, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Udrih gives the club a natural point guard behind starter Goran Dragic, but combo guards Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson will also see action at that position, Jackson continues. Udrih signed a one-year guaranteed deal at the veteran’s minimum of $1.4MM. Udrih had a standing offer from the Heat for more than a month, sources told Jackson, and turned down some other options because of his comfort level with the organization.
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- Free agent J.R. Smith doesn’t appear to be close to signing a contract, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Cavs’ shooting guard is deferring all questions about his free agency to agent Rich Paul. Smith is expected to rejoin Cleveland and is believed to be seeking a multi-year deal worth approximately $15MM per season, Fedor continues. There’s been little interest from other teams because of Smith’s past antics, Fedor adds.
- The Sixers will play three nationally televised games, and coach Brett Brown believes that’s a sign of progress, Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com reports. Philadelphia hasn’t had a game broadcast nationally since the 2012/13 season. “It’s really I think a statement to the way the public views our young, exciting team,” Brown said in a podcast on the team’s website.
- Caron Butler would be interested in signing with the Knicks, tweets Anthony Donahue of SNY. During an appearance on Donahue’s “33rd and 7th” podcast, Butler said he likes the moves that New York made during the offseason. Butler, 36, spent last season with the Kings and appeared in just 17 games.
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Holiday, Pelicans, Lakers
Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday might wear protective goggles next season after undergoing eye surgery four months ago, according to John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune. Holiday fractured the orbital wall around his right eye in late March after colliding with Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis. Holiday is participating in voluntary workouts with teammates in Los Angeles without any medical restrictions, Reid continues. “I’m able to do anything I want,” Holiday told Reid. “It’s been great that I can do things with no restrictions but at the same time I’m being smart with the stuff that I’m doing.”
In other news around the league:
- Pelicans owner Tom Benson has requested a 45-day extension to finalize a legal settlement agreement involving his estranged heirs’ interest in the team, Katherine Sayre of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports. Benson sued last year to remove shares in the NFL Saints and Pelicans out of trust funds for his daughter and two grandchildren after deciding to instead to give control over the teams to his wife, Gayle Benson, Sayre continues. A confidential settlement was reached in June, Sayre adds.
- Lakers forward Larry Nance, Jr. is “close to completely healed” from a right wrist sprain, Mike Trudell of TWCSportsNet tweets. Nance Jr. been shooting at the team’s practice facility, Trudell adds. He suffered the injury while playing a Summer League game last month.
- Former Lakers small forward Devin Ebanks has signed with Reales de La Vega in the Dominican Republic, Sportando.com tweets. Ebanks played in Puerto Rico last season. The 26-year-old Ebanks played three seasons for the Lakers, appearing in 63 games, but hasn’t played an NBA game since 2012/13.
Tony Parker Wants Five More Seasons With Spurs
Tony Parker wants to play five more seasons and hopes he can finish his career with the Spurs, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports.
Parker relayed those sentiments after France was eliminated during the quarterfinal round of the Rio Olympics. “I want to end my Spurs career on a high note,” Parker said. “I want to play five more years.”
Parker was expecting to outlast the other members of San Antonio’s longtime Big Three but it’s somewhat surprising that he wants to continue his career through the 2020/21 season. By that stage, he would be 39 years old — ancient by NBA standards, especially for a point guard.
Parker’s longtime teammates are at or near the end of their careers. Big man Tim Duncan retired this summer while shooting guard Manu Ginobili will play at least one more season. He signed a one-year, $14MM contract in mid-July after entering the month as an unrestricted free agent.
Parker has two years and approximately $29.9MM remaining on his contract. Parker averaged 11.9 points and 5.3 assists in 25.7 minutes last season while posting a slightly above average 16.2 PER.
His minutes per game were the lowest of his career and his scoring average was the lowest since his rookie season in 2001/02 . His shooting percentage remained solid at 49.3, right around his career average. He averaged 10.4 points and 5.3 assists in 10 postseason games as the Spurs were eliminated by the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
San Antonio drafted combo guard Dejounte Murray, who could eventually replace Parker at the point. The Spurs reportedly were interested this summer in the top free agent point guard on the market, Mike Conley, who wound up re-signing with the Grizzlies.
Pacific Rumors: Suns, Collison, Clippers
Suns GM Ryan McDonough says the club plans to make a big splash in free agency next summer, he said during a podcast with The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski and summarized by Petersen on the Suns’ website. Phoenix has approximately $59.6MM in salary guarantees next season, which gives it plenty of flexibility to pursue top free agents. “Potentially it’s a very strong free agent class next year,” McDonough told Wojnarowski. “One of the things we’ve done with our contracts is we’ve lined them up to have max cap space next year without really touching the core of our roster. I think and I hope at this time next year, we’re major players in free agency.”
In other developments around the Pacific Division:
- Kings point guard Darren Collison‘s court case has been delayed until September 8, James Ham of CSNBayArea.com tweets. Collison faces allegations of domestic violence. The case was scheduled to be heard on August 18 after getting pushed back from an earlier date. Collison was arrested in May after local deputies responded to a report from a woman who said she was being assaulted inside a Northern California home. Collison could be facing a lengthy suspension from the league, depending upon the details that come out during the proceeding and the outcome of the case.
- Elevating Earl Watson from interim coach to full-time head coach and adding two lottery picks are among the ways the Suns improved their state of their franchise this offseason, Matt Petersen of Suns.com writes. The addition of two highly-respected veterans, combo forward Jared Dudley and guard Leandro Barbosa, will impact the team not only on the court but in the locker room, Petersen adds.
- Clippers perennial All-Star point guard Chris Paul likes what the team accomplished in free agency despite limited resources, according to Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. The Clippers didn’t add a big-name free agent but retained its key free agents and made some under-the-radar signings, including Brandon Bass, Raymond Felton, Marreese Speights and Alan Anderson. “We definitely signed some veterans, some seasoned NBA guys who’ve been through a lot of different situations,” Paul told Kavner.
Salary Cap Snapshot: Memphis Grizzlies
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 Grizzlies’ team page accessible here.
Here’s a breakdown of where the Grizzlies currently stand financially:
Guaranteed Salary
- Mike Conley — $26,540,100
- Chandler Parsons — $22,116,750
- Marc Gasol — $21,165,675 [Contract has 15% Trade Kicker]
- Zach Randolph — $10,361,445
- Brandan Wright — $5,709,880 [Contract has 15% Trade Kicker]
- Tony Allen — $5,505,618
- Vince Carter — $4,264,057 [Contract has 15% Trade Kicker]
- Troy Daniels — $3,332,940
- James Ennis — $2,898,000
- Wade Baldwin — $1,793,760
- Deyonta Davis — $1,369,229
- Jarell Martin — $1,286,160
- Jordan Adams — $1,220,900 [Waived by team]
- JaMychal Green — $980,431
- Andrew Harrison — $945,000
- Troy Williams — $543,471 [Waived by team]
- Toney Douglas — $379,159 [Waived by team (Mar 18)]
- Jamaal Franklin — $163,296 [Waived via Stretch Provision]
- Toney Douglas — $100,593 [Waived by team (Dec 15)]
- Wayne Selden — $83,199
- Toney Douglas — $57,672 [10-day contract (Jan 30); actual salary — $77,379]
- Toney Douglas — $57,672 [10-day contract (Feb 9); actual salary — $77,379]
- D.J. Stephens — $35,000 [Waived by team]
- Matt Costello — $31,500 [Waived by team]
- Tony Wroten — $25,000 [Waived by team]
Total Guaranteed Salary= $110,966,507
Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $250K — Sent $250K to Hornets in Troy Daniels trade [Amount Remaining $3.25MM]
Cash Received Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]
Payroll Exceptions Available
- None [Room Exception used to sign James Ennis]
Total Projected Payroll: $110,966,507
Salary Cap: $94,143,000
Estimated Available Cap Space: –$16,823,507
Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000
Total Projected Payroll For Tax Purposes: $111,470,216
Amount Below Luxury Tax: $1,816,784
Last Updated: 3/20/17
The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.
Largest Expiring Contracts For 2016/17
With the marked jump in the salary cap this season, expiring contracts aren’t quite what they used to be as trade chips. The shorter contracts that have come about in the past few years thanks to new rules imposed in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement have meant more teams have the opportunity to open cap space each year, which decreases the value of trading for a player in the final year of his contract.
The majority of teams will start next summer under the cap, and many will possess the amount of cap space necessary to sign a maximum-salary free agent. Still, expiring contracts can be effective trade assets under the right circumstances. These players come with little financial risk to the teams acquiring them, given they will be off a team’s books by the time the next free agent signing period commences. The cost in acquiring players in this category is often below their actual value, since they are ostensibly just short-term rentals. Plus, it also allows franchises to see how a pending free agent fits within its system and locker room culture.
Here’s a rundown of each player who has an expiring contract with a salary of greater than $8MM for the 2016/17 campaign:
- Derrick Rose [Knicks] — $21,323,252
- Jeff Green [Magic] — $15,000,000
- Manu Ginobili [Spurs] — $14,000,000
- Serge Ibaka [Magic] — $12,250,000
- Stephen Curry [Warriors] — $12,112,359
- Amir Johnson [Celtics] — $12,000,000
- Jrue Holiday [Pelicans] — $11,286,518
- Andre Iguodala [Warriors] — $11,131,368
- Andrew Bogut [Mavericks] — $11,027,027
- Zach Randolph [Grizzlies] — $10,361,445
- Tyreke Evans [Pelicans] — $10,203,755
- Deron Williams [Mavericks] — $9,000,000
- Taj Gibson [Bulls] — $8,950,000
- Jeff Teague [Pacers] — $8,800,000
- Tiago Splitter [Hawks] — $8,550,000
- Ersan Ilyasova [Thunder] — $8,400,000
- Kevin Garnett [Timberwolves] — $8,000,000
- George Hill [Jazz] — $8,000,000
- Sergio Rodriguez [Sixers] — $8,000,000
Which of the above players, excluding Curry for obvious reasons, is the most valuable trade chip this season? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts.
Note: The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Eastern Notes: Rose, Wizards, Pistons
Derrick Rose caused some eyes to roll when he compared the new-look Knicks to the Warriors, terming New York a potential “super team,” and the point guard isn’t walking those comments back, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. “I still believe that,” Rose said. “Like I said, with that Super Team term, you have to be very careful, I guess, if you’re in the United States. But I feel like if you’re in any team in the NBA — it don’t have to be the NBA, it could be the college level, high school level — you should believe in yourself and have the confidence in yourself that you’re playing on a super team anywhere. So I have a lot of confidence, and I’m not taking that back.”
Rose also noted that he plans to share the ball more this season than he has in the past, Begley adds. “We have more options on this team. With the Bulls, we had more options too but the offense really went through me and Jimmy Butler,” Rose said. “With the Knicks, we have [Kristaps Porzingis], we have [Carmelo Anthony], we have [Joakim Noah] rolling to the rim. We’ve got Courtney Lee.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- New Wizards coach Scott Brooks is looking forward to coaching the backcourt combo of John Wall and Bradley Beal, a pairing he believes can be one of the league’s top duos, Ben Standig of CSNMid-Atlantic relays. “I haven’t had a chance to coach them yet, but on paper [and] having coached against them, it’s a perfect fit,” Brooks said. “We can have one of the best two-way backcourts in the league.“
- Pistons coach/Executive Stan Van Gundy believes the team’s roster is more versatile than it was a season ago, which he believes will make Detroit a legitimate threat come playoff-time, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. “The thing that keeps coming home to me, the more and more you watch the league now but especially in the playoffs, you’ve got to be able to play a lot of different ways,” Van Gundy said. “Everybody thinks about ‘small,’ but then you see Oklahoma City go with Enes Kanter and Steven Adams together. Well, can you play big? Can you play with two point guards together? Can you play with no point guard? And maybe you can’t cover all of those things, but I think you want the flexibility and the versatility on your roster to be able to play as many different ways as you can. And I think we can do that now.”
Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 1)
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 just 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 next one we’ll be tackling, 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 kick this thing off with the Bulls, who held the No. 1 overall pick that year. Should Chicago take Rose, who posted MVP numbers prior to injuries taking hold, or go in a different direction? Well readers, it’s up to you to answer that on by casting your votes below. Check back on Friday to see the results and to vote on who the Heat should have nabbed second 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.
Selections
- Bulls — ?? [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.
Western Notes: Parker, Ginobili, Henry, Karl
Longtime Spurs stars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili both wrapped up their international careers with Olympic losses today in Rio de Janeiro. Parker confirmed that this afternoon’s defeat to Spain was his “last game” for the French team, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The 34-year-old Parker, whose playing time was limited during this Olympics, added that he’s “not gonna change his mind like that.”
Ginobili, 39, also acknowledged his retirement from international basketball after his Argentinian team was soundly defeated by the United States. He got more of a sendoff than he was expecting, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. “It was emotional,” Ginobili said. “I didn’t want it to be. I was hoping to sneak out and go to the locker room and do what I had to do there, but everybody conspired against it. The coach put me back in to play together one last time, somebody gave me the ball and brought me back in, somebody threw me a shirt. Then my teammates — it got emotional.” Ginobili has already signed with the Spurs for next season, and Parker is under contract until 2017/18.
There’s more news tonight from the Western Conference:
- Former Laker Xavier Henry is optimistic as he continues the long road back from a ruptured left Achilles tendon, writes Joey Ramirez of NBA.com. Henry, who was one of several NBA veterans at L.A.’s mini-camp today, spent last season with the D-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors and credits their coaching and training staffs for helping with his comeback. “I’ve been doing a lot of workouts this summer with a lot of different teams and getting feedback and seeing how I feel,” Henry said. “I’ve been feeling really good. I’m feeling blessed that I can even play basketball again.”
- The Lakers will hire Coby Karl, son of former NBA coach George Karl, to be head coach of their D-League affiliate, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. Karl was an assistant with the D-League’s Westchester Knicks last season.
- The Grizzlies have made the final two additions to new head coach David Fizdale’s staff, the team announced today. Bob Bender, who worked as a scout for the Nets last season, was hired as an assistant coach, and former Clippers and Nets shooting coach Bob Thate will fill that role in Memphis.