Weekly Mailbag: 1/9/16 – 1/15/16
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:
Jahlil Okafor looks like the first that will be traded from the Sixers. What’s a reasonable return? I think if they get a rotation guard, they’re lucky. Greetings from Italy. — Massimo Conci
The Sixers’ big man situation is constantly changing. Okafor appeared to be the odd man out after sitting out four straight games, but he got a chance to start Saturday night and put up 26 points. He’s a rare offensive talent who can be a monster low-post scorer for the next decade and a half. Also, he’s on an inexpensive rookie contract and under team control through 2018/19, while Nerlens Noel will be a restricted free agent when the season ends. In other words, Okafor is too valuable to just give away, especially considering Joel Embiid‘s injury history. If Philadelphia does move Okafor, it should expect to get back at least a long-term starter in the backcourt.
Can the Nuggets acquire a top 25 talent with pieces they have? Such as Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul Millsap, etc.? — Brandon Roker
You can cross those three names off the list. ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently wrote that Pacers executive Larry Bird isn’t returning calls on George. The Kings are hoping to reach an extension with Cousins, and the Hawks have taken Millsap off the market. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry recently offered a good explanation of Denver’s problem when he was asked about trading Anthony Davis. “You don’t trade great for good,” Gentry said, “no matter how many you get.” The Nuggets have a lot of good young players, but no one close to the top 25 and no easy way of acquiring someone at that level unless they get lucky in free agency. Think about it this way. If Denver had a top 25 player, would you be willing to trade him for anyone on the roster now?
The Bulls have played awful this season. I guess they are playing exactly how everyone said they would, but as a huge fan, I obviously expected more. When I watch them beat teams like the Cavs and Spurs, they get my hopes up that this season won’t be for nothing. But then they go ahead and lose games to the Knicks and Lakers and it drives me crazy. I know they have glaring problems, but they have some real nice pieces to build something here [Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Taj Gibson, Robin Lopez, Doug McDermott]. They desperately need a point guard [Ricky Rubio?] and another scorer [Rudy Gay?] for down the stretch. Any chance the Bulls make something happen? Or can they even make something happen? — Andrew Rydberg
The Bulls could use more outside shooters, but they don’t have many assets to offer in return. They killed any trade value that Rajon Rondo might have by pulling him from their rotation, and their best hope is to flip him to a team looking to unload salary, as we examined here. With Chicago committed to keeping Butler, who has entered the MVP conversation over the past month, it’s hard to see how they do anything beyond a minor deal before the deadline.
Mavericks Re-Sign Pierre Jackson
JANUARY 15th, 11:35 am: The signing is official, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com.
JANUARY 14th, 8:32pm: The Mavericks may be ready to bring back Pierre Jackson, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas is expected to re-sign the rookie point guard to a 10-day contract, possibly as early as Sunday.
Jackson played four games for the Mavericks before being waived last week. He saw just 28 total minutes on the court and averaged 3.0 points and 1.8 assists per night.
When Jackson was released, there was an agreement between his agent and the organization that he would return on a 10-day deal after spending three games with the Mavericks’ D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, Sefko reports. Jackson joined the team on Wednesday.
Jackson was a second round pick by the Sixers in the 2013 draft, but spent his entire career in the D-League and overseas before signing with the Mavericks in late December.
Hawks May Sign Gary Neal To 10-Day Contract
JANUARY 15th, 11:08am: Atlanta would waive Mo Williams if it signs Neal, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Williams, who was acquired from the Cavaliers in the Kyle Korver trade last week, underwent surgery on his left leg in October and is officially retired. The Hawks will have to pay the remainder of his $2.2MM contract even if he is released.
JANUARY 14th, 7:34pm: The Hawks are “strongly leaning” toward signing Gary Neal, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Atlanta worked out the veteran guard earlier this week and may be ready to give him a 10-day contract.
Neal recently joined the Texas Legends of the D-League (Twitter link). He spent last season with the Wizards, where he averaged 9.8 points and shot .410 from 3-point range in 40 games. The 32-year old has also played for San Antonio, Milwaukee, Charlotte and Minnesota in a six-year NBA career.
The Hawks have an open roster spot to sign Neal after waiving Ryan Kelly last week.
Northwest Notes: Ezeli, Hayward, Hood, Sabonis
The Trail Blazers may be considering a Disabled Player Exception for Festus Ezeli, according to Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders. Today is the deadline to apply to the league for a DPE, and NBA officials would have to agree that Ezeli’s injury will keep him out for the rest of the season. The 27-year-old center hasn’t played since signing a two-year, $15MM deal with Portland over the summer. He had offseason surgery on his left knee, but wasn’t able to do more than a couple of practices before it started hurting again. Ezeli said last month that another operation, which would sideline him for the rest of the season, might be necessary to save his career. If the DPE is approved, the Blazers would be granted half of Ezeli’s cap hit to sign a free agent or to use in a trade.
There’s more this morning from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz star Gordon Hayward might be tempted to reunite with former college coach Brad Stevens in Boston, but Utah will be able to make a substantially better offer when he becomes a free agent this summer, writes Randy Hollis of The Deseret News. The Jazz can offer Hayward a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $180MM, while other teams will be limited to $132MM over four seasons. Another option for Hayward is to sign with Utah for one year and hope to make the All-NBA team, which would make him eligible for the new Designated Veteran Player status and a $235MM deal over six seasons. Hollis thinks the Jazz can improve their chances with Hayward by re-signing George Hill, who has become an effective complement to Hayward.
- Rodney Hood will be re-evaluated today after suffering a hyperextended right knee late in Saturday’s game, the Jazz tweeted. He had to be helped off the court after the knee buckled on a drive to the basket. “Hopefully it’s not serious,” coach Quin Snyder said. “It’s serious enough that he had to leave the game, but we don’t know when he’ll be back.”
- The Thunder are urging rookie forward Domantas Sabonis to shoot fewer 3-pointers, relays Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. That was the plan even before a recent shooting slump in which he has missed 18 of his last 19 shots from long distance. “What I don’t want to see him just become is just a stretch four, a guy that’s just shooting 3s,” said coach Billy Donovan. “We’ve got to be able to utilize his ability to handle the ball and pass, his ability to play with his back to the basket. And certainly face up and shoot the basketball when it’s there.”
Players Who Became Trade Eligible Today
Twenty-one more players became eligible to be traded today, although in some cases it’s academic as LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond and a few others obviously aren’t going anywhere.
Most players who sign during the offseason are able to be traded on December 15th, or three months after their signing dates. But there’s a separate group who have to wait until January 15th because they meet specific criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.
In addition, there are a handful of players who still have trade restrictions in effect.
Here’s the list of players who officially became trade eligible today:
- Nicolas Batum (Hornets)
- Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Tarik Black (Lakers)
- Mike Conley (Grizzlies)
- Allen Crabbe (Trail Blazers)*
- Jamal Crawford (Clippers)
- DeMar DeRozan (Raptors)
- Andre Drummond (Pistons)
- Evan Fournier (Magic)
- Manu Ginobili (Spurs)*
- Maurice Harkless (Trail Blazers)
- LeBron James (Cavaliers)*
- Tyler Johnson (Heat)*
- Meyers Leonard (Trail Blazers)
- Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)*
- Miles Plumlee (Bucks)
- Austin Rivers (Clippers)
- J.R. Smith (Cavaliers)
- Lance Thomas (Knicks)
- Marvin Williams (Hornets)
- Tyler Zeller (Celtics)
Note: Players marked with an asterisk also have the ability to veto trades during the 2016/17 league year.
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Cavaliers Notes: Korver, Osman, Shumpert, Brown
The Cavaliers were interested in Kyle Korver long before last week’s trade was completed, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. GM David Griffin had been asking the Hawks about Korver for the past 12 months, and former GM Chris Grant tried to sign him in 2013, offering more than the four-year, $24MM deal he accepted from the Hawks. The Cavaliers believed they needed to acquire a shooter as quickly as possible after J.R. Smith had surgery on a broken thumb and Mike Dunleavy Jr. was unable to fit into the offense. Korver, 35, is headed for free agency in the offseason and didn’t fit into Atlanta’s long-term plans.
There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:
- The Cavaliers refused to part with draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman in the trade, Pluto adds in the same piece. The 21-year-old wing plays for Anadolu Efes in Turkey and has developed into one of the best prospects in Europe. He wants to join the NBA next season and the Cavs told the Hawks he wasn’t available.
- The addition of Korver allowed coach Tyronn Lue to insert Iman Shumpert into the starting lineup, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Shumpert is an improvement over DeAndre Liggins, but Lloyd says Lue was hesitant to start him because he feared the second unit would be too thin. Smith may ultimately reclaim the starting spot, but he isn’t expected back until April. The Cavs started installing plays for Korver at Friday’s walkthrough, and Lue likes the idea of teaming him with LeBron James when the reserves are in the game.
- Former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown talks in depth about his two stints in Cleveland in an interview with Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News. Now the lead assistant in Golden State, Brown reportedly had trouble connecting with Kyrie Irving and was fired for a second time in 2014 when Irving was eligible for a contract extension.
Trade Candidate: Rajon Rondo
As we approach February’s trade deadline, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at several players we consider trade candidates, discussing their value, speculating on potential destinations and explaining why they are – or should be – available. These players won’t necessarily be dealt in advance of the deadline, but it won’t be surprising if they are.
Rajon Rondo, PG
Chicago Bulls
2016/17 salary: $14,000,000
Salary for 2017/18 is guaranteed for just $3,000,000 through June 30th
Trade restrictions: None
Rajon Rondo couldn’t have been happier when he signed with the Bulls in July. After a disastrous stay in Dallas and a lost season in Sacramento, the veteran point guard felt like he had finally found a home.
“I’m excited,” Rondo said after agreeing to a two-year, $28MM deal. “Great organization with pieces around me that I’m excited about.”
Fast forward six months and nobody is excited. Not Rondo, who was pulled from the rotation two weeks ago. And not the Bulls, who are currently outside the playoff race at 20-21 through the first half of the season. Chicago was counting on Rondo and fellow free agent addition Dwyane Wade to turn the team back into contenders, but the fears many observers had about difficulty in meshing their similar styles have come true.
Marksmanship has always been an issue for Rondo, but the problem has become worse than ever since his arrival in Chicago. He’s shooting a career-low .368 from the field and just .298 from 3-point range. His scoring average has dipped to 7.3 points per game, which is the lowest since his rookie season.
Rondo responded to coach Fred Hoiberg‘s decision to take him out of the rotation by asking for a New Year’s Eve meeting with GM Gar Forman and executive vice president John Paxson. Little was resolved from that session and Rondo indicated that he would ask for a trade if he couldn’t get playing time in Chicago. An unidentified member of the coaching staff told Rondo he had been playing poorly and was benched to “save him from himself.”
After riding the pine for 5 1/2 games, Rondo got some help this week from an unlikely source — the flu bug. With Wade, Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic all sidelined, Hoiberg needed healthy bodies and turned to Rondo as the lead guard for the second unit. Rondo played well enough as a reserve that it might become an ongoing role.
“I talked to him about the lift and the spark that he gave us [Tuesday] with the energy and the pace, the push that he had with that second unit,’’ Hoiberg told Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Of course, the situation isn’t ideal for either party. Rondo doesn’t want to be a backup after 10 years as a starter, and the Bulls don’t want to be paying $14MM to their second-string point guard.
But does that mean he will be traded out of Chicago before the February 23rd deadline?
Despite his shooting woes, there are still many reasons why teams would be interested in picking up Rondo. He’s the reigning league leader in assists, averaging 11.7 last season for a Kings team that finished well out of the playoffs. Also, Rondo is only 30 and is healthy enough to have several productive seasons left. And his contract for 2017/18 is only guaranteed for $3MM through June 30th, which means a team could easily part ways with him if the deal doesn’t work out.
The defending champs might be a possible trading partner, as a report last week said the Cavaliers are keeping a close eye on the Rondo situation. Cleveland has been in the market for a backup to Kyrie Irving since the season began, following the sign-and-trade of Matthew Dellavedova to the Bucks and the retirement and subsequent trade of Mo Williams to the Hawks.
Rondo’s contract would make him a pricey addition for a team that already has the NBA’s highest salary, and it’s not clear whom the Cavs would give up in a deal. Cleveland seems more likely to swoop in if Rondo gets bought out, although his poor 3-point shooting makes him a bad fit in the Cavaliers’ offense.
Another rumor that has gotten some traction involves Miami. The Heat still owe Goran Dragic more than $54MM over the next three seasons and may want to unload that contract to speed up the rebuilding process. Dragic is making $15.89MM this season, so their salaries would easily match up. Chicago could reunite the Dragic-Wade backcourt and gain some outside shooting, while Miami could either waive Rondo or renegotiate with him after this season and maybe pick up a draft pick or two to help replace the package they sent to Phoenix to acquire Dragic.
The Sixers are another interesting possibility for Rondo, if only as a short-term option until Jerryd Bayless returns from injury next season and rookie Ben Simmons is ready to take over the offense. A recent hot streak has sparked hope of playoff contention in Philadelphia, and a veteran point guard might be just what the Sixers need to maximize the team’s wealth of young frontcourt talent.
Wherever Rondo goes next, it will almost certainly be a better fit than the Bulls. It appeared to be an odd signing even before Wade committed to Chicago, and the Butler-Wade-Rondo trio always seemed destined to fail because of overlapping skills.
Still, Rondo is too talented to sit on the bench with the Bulls or to be relegated to the second unit. If Chicago is set on using Michael Carter-Williams as its starter, the organization is better off finding a new home for Rondo rather than running the risk of him being a disruptive force for the rest of the season. Rondo could be a giant X factor wherever he goes. He could turn out to be a valuable piece for a title contender just as he was in Boston, or he could quickly sink a team’s postseason just like he did in Dallas.
What do you think? Should the Bulls trade Rondo? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts and possible trade ideas.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/14/17
Here are the D-League transactions for the day:
10:32pm:
- The Spurs recalled guard Bryn Forbes from their D-League affiliate in Austin before today’s game with the Suns.
- The Lakers sent center Ivica Zubac to the D-Fenders following their afternoon game, giving him a chance to play for both teams in the same day, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News.
2:56pm:
- The Warriors recalled Kevon Looney and Patrick McCaw from their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team has announced in a press release. Both were assigned on Friday. In a victory over Salt Lake City, Looney dropped 18 points and 20 rebounds.
- The Rockets have assigned rookie center Chinanu Onuaku to their D-League affiliate, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Onuaku has averaged 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in 19 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers so far this season.
- The Cavaliers have assigned point guard Kay Felder to the D-League, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The rookie expected to be back with the big league club as soon as Sunday.
- After clearing waivers last week, former Hawks forward Ryan Kelly has rejoined the Maine Red Claws, tweets Chris Reichert of The Step Back. Kelly was called up by the Hawks before suiting up for Maine, but they still held his returning rights.
Curry Intends To Remain With Warriors
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry has no plans to leave the Warriors when he becomes a free agent this summer, according to Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News.
Appearing today on the “The TK Show” podcast, Curry said he’s aware of the potential opportunities he might have, but can’t imagine a better organization for him than Golden State.
“Like I’ve said from Day 1 when I was first asked about free agency, this is a perfect place to play,” Curry said. “Bay Area fans are amazing, our organization’s amazing, we’ve put together an amazing team that’s competing for championships every year. There’s really no reason that I can see right now that would draw me elsewhere.”
Under the new CBA, Curry is eligible for “designated veteran player” status, which would allow him to receive an extension from his current team valued at approximately $209MM over five seasons. Other teams, Kawakami notes, would be limited to offers of about $133MM over four years.
Curry adds that he wanted to make it clear to Kevin Durant during recruiting last summer that he plans to be part of the Warriors for a long time. Durant signed a two-year contract with a player option and is expected to become a free agent again once the season ends.
Curry adds that he expects Durant to join him in signing a long-term deal.
“I don’t see why not,” Curry said. “I think he really enjoys playing with us as a team. He enjoys living in the Bay Area, the opportunities that are out here. I think he just genuinely enjoys coming to work every day. That’s a good recipe for hopefully a long-term presence in the Bay.”
Knicks Notes: Anthony, Jackson, Rose, Porzingis
Carmelo Anthony‘s relationship with team president Phil Jackson is getting progressively worse, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Anthony remains bitter that Jackson refused to interview Tom Thibodeau for the Knicks’ coaching vacancy in May, and was further angered when Jackson stated publicly last month that Anthony was slowing down the triangle offense by holding the ball too long. Anthony reportedly went on a locker-room tirade after Wednesday’s loss to the Sixers, yelling at teammates for losing a 10-point lead in the final 2:30 and for not getting him the ball on the final possession. However, a source tells Isola that Anthony remains unlikely to waive his no-trade clause.
There’s more out of New York:
- A 15% trade kicker makes Anthony very difficult to trade if he does give his consent, notes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Even though the Knicks would pay the kicker, it would push his salary cap figure to about $30MM, which would be tough for another team to match in a deal.
- Derrick Rose‘s agent, B.J. Armstrong, admits that Rose could have calmed the situation surrounding his absence from Monday’s game by contacting team officials, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. ” I think in looking back, just a simple phone call or a simple text notifying the team to let them know what happened, what he needed to do and take care of with his family situation would clearly have been a thing he needed to do,” Armstrong said today in an interview with Sirius XM Radio. “He felt that he needed to go home and take care of a family matter … but I think the big thing that is coming from this story is that a simple text, a simple notifying someone from the Knicks to let them know what he needed to do.”
- Kristaps Porzingis is hoping to return for Monday’s game after being sidelined by a sore left Achilles, but he doesn’t want to repeat his mistake of playing before the injury is fully healed, relays Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Porzingis started having problems with the Achilles in late December. He sat out three games, returned for four, then missed Thursday’s game with the Bulls and doesn’t expect to play Sunday. “I need to get it 100 percent before I step back on the court again,” Porzingis said. “I need to take my time, calm down a little bit. I’m just too anxious to be out there. I was like, ‘You got to let me go, you got to let me go.’ But we have a tough schedule ahead of us. I want to be back as soon as possible. But at the same time, I want to make sure I’m healthy and that I can be 100 percent for the team.”