Warriors Cut Anderson Varejao, Sign Briante Weber
FEBRUARY 4th, 12:50pm: The Warriors have signed Weber to a 10-day contract, Anthony Slater of the San Jose Mercury News tweets.
FEBRUARY 3rd, 2:14pm: The Warriors have issued a press release officially confirming that they’ve waived Varejao.
Weber’s signing is not yet official, but he’s on track to join the Warriors after also receiving offers from the Heat and Hornets, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
1:46pm: The Warriors’ frontcourt has been plagued by injuries lately, but the team doesn’t seem to be worried about its depth up front, having decided to part ways with one of its healthy big men. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Golden State is waiving Anderson Varejao, opening up a roster spot to sign Briante Weber to a 10-day contract.
Varejao, 34, re-signed with the Warriors last summer on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, but has played sparingly. The veteran center has averaged 1.3 PPG and 1.9 RPG in just 14 games (6.6 MPG) in 2016/17. Even with Draymond Green, David West, and Zaza Pachulia out of the lineup on Thursday, Varejao saw only eight minutes of action.
In addition to Green, West, and Pachulia, the Warriors are also carrying JaVale McGee, Damian Jones, Kevon Looney, and James Michael McAdoo at the four or five. As such, the team could afford to part with Varejao, particularly since the injury bug has spread to the backcourt — Shaun Livingston has missed the Warriors’ last two games with a back strain, so Weber will provide depth at guard.
Despite receiving a substantial guarantee ($328K) from the Heat, Weber didn’t make Miami’s regular season roster this past fall, and landed with the team’s D-League affiliate instead. Weber has made a strong case for a call-up, averaging 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.2 APG, and 3.0 SPG in 29 games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He was recently named the NBADL’s Player of the Month for January.
The Heat didn’t currently have the roster flexibility to bring Weber back, but were believed to be eyeing him for a potential call-up, as we heard yesterday. Miami is out of luck for now, though it remains to be seen if Weber will stick with the Warriors — Golden State could sign him to up to two 10-day deals, then lock him up for the rest of the season. However, with the trade deadline and buyout season approaching, the Dubs may want to use their 15th roster spot on someone else in the coming weeks.
As for Varejao, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Sunday. Denver is one team that may have interest in adding the vet, per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link). The Nuggets would move closer to the salary floor by claiming Varejao and could save some money in the process, in the same way they did by acquiring Mo Williams.
Latest On Chris Bosh
Having carried him on their 15-man roster all season long, the Heat have had a clear financial incentive to wait on waiving Chris Bosh. By postponing their decision until February 9, the team will be able to remove his current and future cap hits from their books (despite still being on the hook for his full salary).
While Miami is eligible to remove Bosh from their payroll as of next Thursday, the organization is believed to be leaning toward further delaying the process, according to a report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Per Jackson’s report, the team doesn’t want to risk Bosh signing elsewhere and appearing in 25 games, at which point his salary would go back on Miami’s cap. By waiting until March 1 to waive Bosh, the team would eliminate the possibility of him making 25 appearances in 2016/17, since players signed after March 1 aren’t eligible to participate in playoff games.
Of course, there appears to be little risk of Bosh attempting a comeback this season. Back in the fall, the 11-time All-Star vowed to continue his efforts to return to the court, but he currently has no plans to play this season, and isn’t sure if he wants to attempt a comeback down the road, a Bosh associate tells Jackson. It’s also not certain whether he’ll ever be medically cleared to play, due to his blood-clot issues.
Bosh currently isn’t in basketball shape, and suggested in a January interview with The Associated Press that he’s “getting the taste of retirement.” The veteran big man did hire a new agent – Rob Pelinka – in 2016. However, Jackson notes that Bosh chose Pelinka because he’s also capable of finding the 32-year-old opportunities outside of basketball, in the event that he doesn’t play again.
Now in the third year of a five-year, $118.7MM contract, Bosh has played in a combined 97 games over the past two seasons.
NBA Lowers Cap Projections For Next Two Years
The NBA has lowered its salary cap projections for the next two seasons, according to a report from Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The projected 2017/18 cap is now $102MM with a tax threshold of $122MM, while the 2018/19 projection calls for a cap of $103MM and a tax line of $125MM. Both figures would represent an increase from this year’s $94MM cap (and $113MM tax line), but those increases would be more modest than initially predicted.
Pincus relayed the 2017/18 cap projection earlier this week, but the forecast for the 2018/19 cap is new information. According to Pincus’ report, the reduction in the forecast for the next two years comes as a result of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. As of July 2016, the league projected a $108MM salary cap for 2018/19, a far cry from Basketball Insiders’ latest report.
[RELATED: NBA’s July 2016 salary cap forecast]
With a projected $102MM cap in 2017/18, the starting figures for maximum salary contracts would be as follows:
- Players with 0-6 years of experience: $25.5MM
- Players with 7-9 years of experience: $30.6MM
- Players with 10 or more years of experience: $35.7MM
In 2018/19, those numbers would increase to:
- Players with 0-6 years of experience: $25.8MM
- Players with 7-9 years of experience: $30.9MM
- Players with 10 or more years of experience: $36.1MM
Cavs Interested In Jose Calderon, Andrew Bogut
The Cavaliers may look to play the free agent market after the trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN reports. Lakers guard Jose Calderon and Mavs big man Andrew Bogut are two players who “greatly interest” the Cavs in their search for bench help.
Due to salary cap limitations, it appears unlikely that GM David Griffin will pursue Calderon, Bogut, or Deron Williams via trade. What the team hopes, according to Stein, is that one or more of the group is bought out after the February 23 trade deadline.
With neither Bogut nor Williams seemingly interested in a buyout, Calderon has emerged as Cleveland’s most likely target for backcourt depth. The 35-year-old Calderon has averaged 3.5 points with 2.1 assists over 23 games in 2016/17, accumulating three DNPs in the Lakers’ last three games.
Bogut, 32, has posted a career-low 3.0 points per game over 25 appearances with the Mavericks this season. The former No. 1 overall draft pick is in the final year of a three-year, $36MM pact.
Mavs Notes: Ferrell, Sanders, Bogut
After signing a 10-day contract with Dallas on January 27th, Yogi Ferrell has hit the ground running. The former Hoosier has averaged 37.8 MPG in four appearances and turned in a masterpiece last night, torching Portland for 32 points on nine 3-pointers in a 108-104 victory. Ferrell was cut loose by the Nets after playing in 10 games this season, but now looks to have found carved a role through the rest of 2016/17 in Dallas.
- Ferrell deserves to be the first player ever to win NBA player of the week honors while on a 10-day contract, Eddie Sefko of Dallas News writes. Ferrell’s nine 3-pointers is the highest total from a Mavericks rookie since Roddy Beaubois scored 40 points against the Warriors in 2010/11.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban indicated he will sign Ferrell for the rest of the season, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. GM Donnie Nelson praised Ferrell’s performance following Friday’s showing. “That’s exactly how we scripted it, step in and start against two of the top three teams in the league,” Nelson told Price. “It’s just really kind of a special moment in time and he put himself in a great position. It’s really very unique and he obviously was kind of the straw that stirred the drink for those two games against pretty formidable opponents. So let’s just hope the trend continues.”
- The Mavericks are among five teams interested in free agent Larry Sanders, according to Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’s Press Box. Sanders’ agent, Joel Bell, indicated a deal with one of the teams could come together soon. “By the end of next week, we should have a reasonably good handle on where this is going,’’ Bell said.
- Matt Mosley of Dallas News was hesitant to list Deron Williams or Andrew Bogut as a viable trade chip, noting each player’s extensive injury history. Bogut, who has been recently sidelined with a hamstring injury, hasn’t carved out a role in Rick Carlisle‘s rotation, averaging a career-worst three points through 25 games in Dallas. Tim MacMahon of ESPN noted the possibility of Bogut’s contract being bought out after the trade deadline.
What’s The Next Move For The Bucks?
The Bucks dealt Miles Plumlee to Charlotte this week, getting out from under Plumlee’s $50MM contract while acquiring inexpensive big men Spencer Hawes and Roy Hibbert. Milwaukee GM John Hammond was widely lauded for the move, creating additional payroll while finding a willing trade partner for Plumlee, who had been relegated to 9.7 MPG through 32 games this season.
With the newfound future cap space, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical suggests Milwaukee may pursue a new deal for Tony Snell, who has averaged 8.1 points on 45.8% shooting in Khris Middleton‘s absence. A restricted free agent after 2016/17, Snell would command a significantly higher salary than the $2,368,327 he earned this season.
In the meantime, however, the Bucks have some roster configuring to do following this week’s trade. As Kevin Pelton pointed out for ESPN, Milwaukee’s depth chart at the five is suddenly loaded, with Hawes, Hibbert, John Henson, Greg Monroe, and Thon Maker all vying for court time.
At first glance, Hibbert appears the most likely to be traded or bought out by the trade deadline. The 30-year-old isn’t on the books for next season, and – if it’s any indication of his role on the team – has already been ruled a healthy inactive for Milwaukee’s game against Phoenix on Saturday. The Bucks have been linked to Hawes in the past, and the 28-year-old has a $6,021,175 player option for next season; a reasonable salary for a competent backup center, though there’s a good chance he’ll opt out.
If Monroe or Henson yield a more significant return on the trade market than the team’s newly-acquired veterans, it may not be a bad idea to trade one of them for a combo guard. As of right now, the Bucks are relying on a combination of Matthew Dellavedova, Malcolm Brogdon, and Jason Terry behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. Monroe has been subject to trade rumors throughout his two-year run in Milwaukee; last month, Monroe claimed to be undecided regarding his $17.8MM player option following the 2016/17 season.
The Bucks have already waived Steve Novak to accommodate Thursday’s trade, creating a center-heavy roster during a vital stretch of their playoff pursuit. In a league over-saturated with centers, Hammond’s challenge may involve finding a new home for one his five big men.
What do you think? Are the Bucks done dealing for now, or will they continue to be active before the trade deadline?
Khris Middleton To Return Wednesday
Khris Middleton announced on a Fox Sports Wisconsin telecast that he will make his return from a hamstring injury on Wednesday against the Heat. Middleton will be making his season debut, as a torn left hamstring caused him to miss the season’s first 50 games.
Middleton wasn’t given a timetable for his return after undergoing surgery in October, but remained optimistic that he would play in 2016/17, telling Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “I feel like I’ll definitely be back this year, barring a setback or anything like that.”
Middleton will be a much-appreciated presence in Jason Kidd‘s rotation. The Bucks currently sit one game out of the Eastern Conference eight-seed, having gone an anemic 1-9 over their last 10 games. Middleton, who averaged 18.2 points in a breakout 2015/16 campaign, will likely supplant Tony Snell in Milwaukee’s starting five.
The 25-year-old Middleton is in the second year of a five-year, $70MM contract.
Submit Your Questions For This Weekend’s Mailbag
We at Hoops Rumors love interacting with our readers. This is why we provide an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
Pelicans Notes: Team Ownership, Asik, Hill, Jones
Tom Benson, owner of the Pelicans and New Orleans Saints, reached a settlement with his estranged heirs, Brett Martel of the Associated Press reports. Benson, 89, had sought to prevent his daughter and her children from inheriting shares of each team (more than 90% of the Pelicans’ non-voting stock, according to ESPN). Had Benson not reached a settlement with his heirs, a trial would have been set to take place Monday, February 6. Benson, who bought the Pelicans (then the New Orleans Hornets) for $338MM in 2012, will maintain controlling shares of each team after the settlement.
More surrounding the Pelicans…
- Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com praised Terrence Jones‘ pump fake, calling it one of the league’s most unique and effective moves. Jones has enjoyed a stellar bounceback season in New Orleans, averaging 15.7 points with 5.3 rebounds over his last six games. “It’s so damn slow, and it looks just like his shot,” teammate Dante Cunningham said of Jones’ pump fake. “The thing is, you don’t always immediately close out to him, because he’s not necessarily going to kill you with his jump shot, because he’d rather drive and get to the rim. But you watch him and he does it so slowly that you think, ‘Oh, he has to shoot this one,’ so you contest it, but then by the time you get there, he’s still pump-faking.” A free agent-to-be on an affordable contract, Jones is likely to generate interest as the trade deadline approaches.
- John Reid of NOLA.com had several interesting observations in his Twitter mailbag. Reid endorsed the idea of New Orleans pursuing Wilson Chandler of the Nuggets, calling him an ideal player to use alongside Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Reid lamented the team’s lack of offense, claiming they “just don’t have enough scoring threats on the roster.”
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps should be making every effort to unload Tyreke Evans, Alexis Ajinca, and Omer Asik via trade, Reid writes. Additionally, Solomon Hill– inked to a four-year, $48MM contract over the offseason- has not performed up to team expectations. Whereas the team expected Hill to develop into a two-way player, his contributions have largely come on the defensive end.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/3/17
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls:
- The Hawks assigned Taurean Prince to the Long Island Nets via the flexible assignment rule, the team announced on its official website. The Nets have games scheduled tonight and tomorrow against the Greensboro Swarm, allowing Prince to pick up additional minutes before returning to Atlanta.
- According to a team-issued press release, the Pistons assigned Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije to their D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive. Ellenson and Gbinije were each recalled on January 31, though neither player appeared in Wednesday’s game against the Pelicans. The Drive have games scheduled tonight and tomorrow against the Canton Charge and Raptors 905.