Hoops Links Vol. 2: The Next MJ, McGee’s Reign, More
It’s here. The second installment of our revamped Hoops Links feature. If you missed last week’s debut, you can check it out now. This week, we have an entirely new batch of the best posts and pieces published from all around the blogosphere.
Before you read on, remember that we’re looking for original NBA content from all around the internet. The next time you read an article that you think could make the cut, send it to Austin Kent on Twitter (@AustinKent) or at HoopsRumorsTips@Sports.ws.
The NBA has evolved so much over the course of the past 10 years that gone are the days where any 6’6″ swingman capable of flushing a highlight reel dunk was touted as the “Next Michael Jordan.” Howard Beck of Bleacher Report takes a good long look at how Jordan’s legacy has changed over the course of the past two decades.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Harold Miner Posters
Author: Howard Beck – @HowardBeck
Link: The Next Michael Jordan
If the Grizzlies weren’t already the most affable and relatable team capable of contending in the Western Conference, they are after ESPN cameras captured Mike Conley and Marc Gasol hugging following their Game 4 win. This week, Ross Jarrar of Grizzly Bear Blues wrote about how and why the gesture has resonated so much.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Public Bromances
Author: Ross Jarrar – @ASAPRockyTop
Link: Mike Conley and Marc Gasol hug
There’s no denying that the best Shaquille O’Neal rap album analysis is unsolicited Shaquille O’Neal rap album analysis, so when PopGates‘ Charlie Wooley journeyed back to the early nineties and broke down the big man’s musical debut, we took notice.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Triple Threats
Author: Charlie Wooley – @WooleyCharlie
Link: Shaq Diesel review
It wasn’t the only ill-conceived trade in the NBA this season, but Charlotte’s move to take on Miles Plumlee and his bloated contract may have been the worst of the bunch, says Jerry Stephens of Swarm and Sting. Stephens ruminates on the desperate decision the Hornets made to ship Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes to the Bucks mid-season and how it’s already impacting the team’s wallet.
Rating: 6 out of 10 Reddit Memes
Author: Jerry Stephens – @JR_StephNBA
Link: Nebulous Miles Plumlee trade
Former NBA commissioner David Stern gives the Nets the benefit of the doubt that they may not have fully understood the impact their decision to rest players in the final game of regular season would have on the playoff picture. Still, he isn’t afraid to call out the only franchise with absolutely zero incentive to rest players for inexplicably letting the Bulls waltz uncontested into the postseason. Henry Bushnell discusses the details at Ball Don’t Lie.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Disappointed Grandfathers
Author: Henry Bushnell – @HenryBushnell
Link: Stern criticizes Nets for resting players
There was plenty of skepticism over Brad Stevens‘ decision to put Gerald Green in the Celtics‘ starting lineup after two surprising losses to the Bulls in their first round playoff series, but the move has significantly changed the outlook of that series. Tim MacLean breaks down the impact the 31-year-old Green has had on Boston’s matchups and floor-spacing for Celtics Blog.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Birthday Candles
Author: Tim MacLean – @MacLeanNBA
Link: Starting Gerald Green
For the second year in a row, Norman Powell has emerged as a driving force behind the Raptors‘ playoff success, so what keeps on happening and why doesn’t Dwane Casey just employ him this way year-round? Shyam Baskaran of Raptors Republic writes about how the space on the wing Toronto freed up for Powell by trading Terrence Ross was quickly swallowed up by the additions of veterans Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Dwane Casey Rotation Changes
Author: Shyam Baskaran – @ShyamBaskaran
Link: Norman Powell in the playoffs
Although he was widely lauded as an elite defensive prospect (among other things), Andrew Wiggins‘ first three seasons of NBA action don’t exactly support the hypothesis that he could be a lockdown perimeter threat. With Wiggins’ value still high, given his raw athleticism and offensive output, could it be the perfect time for the Timberwolves to move him? Erik Voldness of The Blog That Boredom Built suggests as much.
Rating: 6 out of 10 Maple Jordans
Author: Erik Voldness
Link: Trade Andrew Wiggins now?
No matter how you look at it, JaVale McGee‘s game-altering impact has given the Warriors a devastating new weapon. And, believe it or not, this isn’t just some hastily scribbled fan fiction published by a mysterious dude on the internet named Pierre. What McGee’s athleticism and length brings to the Dubs’ second-unit is profound. However, as Scott Rafferty writes for The Step Back, let’s not thrust him into a starting role with 30-plus minutes per game just yet.
Rating: 9 out of 10 Awkward Cross-Generational NBA Feuds
Author: Scott Rafferty – @CrabDribbles
Link: JaVale McGee, Warriors secret weapon
If Paul George to the Lakers is an inevitability, which a cursory look at the rumor mill seems to suggest, somebody ought to take a peek at what a trade might actually look like. Ryan Magdziarz of Sir Charles In Charge recently patched together a possible scenario that could land George in Los Angeles while sending a pair of young Lakers to the Pacers.
Rating: 6 out of 10 Hours Spent On The Trade Machine
Author: Ryan Magdziarz – @RyanMagdziarz
Link: Paul George’s future
Kings Notes: Draft, Bogdanovic, Labissiere
The Kings must establish a long-term answer at the point guard position, Bobby Marks of The Vertical contends. There will be plenty of options on the free agent market, including Darren Collison and Ty Lawson, who both started at least 20 games for the club this past season. However, Marks believes the team should look to the draft to find a playmaker at the position.
The Kings’ first-round pick is currently slotted in the eighth spot in the upcoming draft. They have only a 2.5% chance of moving into the top-3 since the Sixers will likely swap first-rounders with them should their pick come in higher than Philadelphia’s, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors details. Sacramento will also receive the Pelicans’ pick should it fall outside the top-3 (96% chance) as a result of the DeMarcus Cousins trade.
Here’s more from Sacramento:
- The franchise must be patient as it rebuilds post-Cousins, Marks argues in the same piece. For quite some time, Sacramento had a short-term goal of making the postseason, something that led it to chase after veterans in free agency and not take a long-term view when building the roster. Sacramento will likely have cap space for the third straight offseason and Marks cautions that the team should refrain from adding any long-term money to the books in order to maintain future flexibility since the organization will most likely not be in a position to contend during the 2017/18 season.
- Benedict Tagle of NBA.com examines the game of Kings’ draft-and-stash prospect Bogdan Bogdanovic. GM Vlade Divac previously said the organization wants him to come stateside this offseason. “We would love to have him here. We have his rights, and this summer we’ll talk about it,” Divac said.
- Skal Labissiere broke out toward the end of the season and his former college coach credits the Kings for putting the 21-year-old in a position to succeed, as James Ham of Comcast Sportsnet relays. “I look at Skal and the progress – I give Sac credit,” Kentucky coach John Calipari. “These guys are working with him. He’s playing more confident. They’re putting him in positions he can have success. I didn’t do as good a job as they did.”
Thunder Notes: Roberson, Gibson, Collison, Kanter
Andre Roberson and Taj Gibson should both get plenty of interest in free agency, according to Ryan Aber and Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Both expressed a desire today to stay in Oklahoma City, but they won’t be easy for the Thunder to keep.
Roberson, a fourth-year guard, will be a restricted free agent, so OKC can match any offer he receives. He made less than $2.2MM this season, but figures to get a substantial raise after an outstanding defensive performance in the playoffs. Gibson will be unrestricted after making $8.95MM this year. He became a starter after a midseason trade with Chicago and was a key contributor in the postseason. Gibson had a “long talk” with GM Sam Presti and coach Billy Donovan about his desire to remain in OKC. “There’s gonna be teams out there, but you never know what’s gonna happen,” Gibson said. “Anything can happen. But I wanted to let Sam know I wanted to be here.”
There’s more news from the first day of the offseason in Oklahoma City:
- Even though he saw little action this year, 36-year-old Nick Collison isn’t ready to retire, Aber and Dawson relay in the same story. He appeared in just 20 games during the regular season, averaging 6.4 minutes per night, and wasn’t used at all in the playoffs. Collison has been with the organization since entering the league in 2003, dating back to its days in Seattle. “I’ve got really good relationships with all the people here,” he said, “so I think it’ll be honest and fair and we’ll just — I think both sides just have to find the best thing, and we’ll figure it out.”
- Rookie Domantas Sabonis will be part of the Thunder squad at this year’s summer league in Orlando and then will join the Lithuanian National Team, the authors add in the same piece. Rookie Alex Abrines won’t participate in summer league play and will spend the offseason playing for Spain.
- Backup center Enes Kanter is trying to ignore trade rumors, tweets Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript. After averaging 21.3 minutes per night during the season, Kanter was limited to just 9.0 per game in the series with the Rockets. “It’s not in my hands,” he said. “… I’m at home. … I see this organization as my family.” Kanter still has another year left on his contract at nearly $17.9MM, then a player option worth more than $18.6MM for 2018/19.
Steve Kerr’s Condition Continues to Worsen
The physical problems that caused Warriors coach Steve Kerr to miss the final two games of the first-round series have gotten worse over the past week, reports Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News. Kerr’s indefinite absence from the team may stretch well into the second round or even beyond.
Kerr was at Stanford Medical Center today getting further tests and had to miss the first practice in preparation for the next round of playoffs. Interim coach Mike Brown was in charge and said he will plan to coach the rest of the postseason unless GM Bob Myers tells him differently.
Brown talked to Kerr Tuesday night about strategies for facing the Jazz or Clippers in the next round. Brown refused to comment on Kerr’s condition, referring all those questions to Myers.
Kerr is still dealing with the effects of surgery that he had in the summer of 2015 to repair a ruptured disk in his back. That created a fluid leak in his spine, and a follow-up operation was needed. Kerr missed the first 43 games of last season and still hasn’t returned to full health.
Myers addressed his coach’s condition after today’s practice in an interview on 95.7 The Game. He said the organization hasn’t set a timetable for a return, and he wants to see Kerr have several good days in a row before he comes back to the bench.
“For him to live the life that he wants to live, we need to figure it out,” Myers said. “I think we will.”
The Warriors won’t play again until Sunday, and maybe not until Tuesday if the Jazz-Clippers series goes to a seventh game. Brown plans to continue having strategy sessions with Kerr and will try to handle his absence as smoothly as possible.
“You hope it’s seamless,” Brown said. “I’ve been coaching a long time and even though Steve’s older than me — a lot older than me (laughs) — he’s been coaching for three years now and I’ve learned a ton from him. Not just X’s and O’s. Maybe [Gregg Popovich] rivals it, but he’s by far the best communicator I’ve been around. There’s no way I’ll be able to emulate that. Just being here a year, having the veterans we have, the staff we have, it’s made it, in my opinion, seamless.”
Nuggets GM Discusses Nurkic, Gallinari, Defense
Earlier tonight, we shared Nuggets GM Tim Connelly’s announcement that rookie guard Jamal Murray will have surgery tomorrow. Here are a few other highlights of Connelly’s radio interview with Altitude Sports 950, all tweeted by Chris Dempsey:
- Although Jusuf Nurkic blossomed into a key player in Portland, Connelly doesn’t regret the February deal that sent him to the Trail Blazers. Portland acquired Nurkic and a first-round pick this year in exchange for Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-rounder. “We think Mason is going to be a huge piece of our core,” Connelly said.
- Re-signing free agent forward Danilo Gallinari will be the top off-season priority. Gallinari has been with the Nuggets since 2011 when he was acquired in the Carmelo Anthony deal. Connelly also hopes to reach a new deal with Plumlee, who will be a restricted free agent, and work out an extension for third-year guard Gary Harris.
- Another objective is to add a stronger defensive presence around breakout star Nikola Jokic.
- Connelly believed 39 wins would be enough to grab the West’s final playoff spot. The Nuggets finished 40-42, but Portland was a game better. Connelly insists he would have been more active at the trade deadline if he had known the team would miss the postseason.
- The organization is making progress in changing the league-wide perception about Denver as a place to play and live. Connelly said several lottery prospects in a recent draft were “begging” the Nuggets to select them because they wanted to be in the city.
- The team needs a “pecking order” in the locker room, with a strong veteran presence to guide younger players. “Maybe our biggest struggle since I’ve been here,” Connelly said, “is we haven’t had a pecking order.” He adds that the organization has also encountered problems with “role acceptance” among players.
Community Shootaround: Blake Griffin
With the Clippers on the verge of elimination, the franchise is moving closer to addressing the tough decisions it will face this summer. J.J. Redick is definitely headed toward free agency, and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are almost certain to opt out and join him, leaving owner Steve Ballmer to decide how much it’s worth to keep the current team together.
A recent report suggests that a five-year extension for Paul is a done deal. Redick is a valuable starter, but not a franchise-altering player. So L.A.’s most important choice will be what to do about Griffin.
At age 28, Griffin remains one of the most talented power forwards in the league. He averaged 21.6 points per game this season, topping the 20-point threshold for the sixth time in his seven NBA seasons. He’s a five-time All-Star who will be among the biggest draws on the open market.
But re-signing Griffin won’t be a slam-dunk decision. Injuries, behavior and finances will all factor in, as will the Clippers’ long string of playoff disappointments.
Griffin managed just three playoff games this year before being sidelined for the rest of the postseason with an injured toe. It’s the second straight season that the Clippers have lost Griffin in the first round, as both he and Paul were unavailable at the end of last year’s ouster against Portland. Griffin appeared in just 61 regular-season games, losing part of the season to arthroscopic knee surgery in December.
A year ago, he managed just 35 games and broke his right hand in a fight with equipment manager Matias Testi. Griffin apologized to teammates and fans, but the incident reportedly soured some members of the front office about his future in the organization.
Giving max deals to keep both Paul and Griffin would push the Clippers’ payroll among the highest in the league. Ballmer would be faced with a sizable luxury tax and a huge repeater tax on top of it. Vertical insider Adrian Wojnarowski wrote this morning that it wouldn’t be “realistic” to expect that kind of commitment after another early playoff exit.
One option if Griffin isn’t retained is to revisit a deal for Carmelo Anthony. The Clippers were one of the teams that the Knicks contacted before the deadline. Anthony could at least replace Griffin’s scoring and give L.A. a new Big Three with Paul and DeAndre Jordan.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Should the Clippers re-sign Griffin this summer, and if they don’t, where will he end up? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to what you have to say.
Westbrook: ‘Oklahoma City Is A Place That I Want To Be’
Thunder fans who were looking for some good news following their playoff ouster got it today from Russell Westbrook, writes Royce Young of ESPN.com.
After conducting his exit interview, the MVP candidate expressed a desire to remain in Oklahoma City, even though he didn’t specifically address a new extension.
“That’s something, like I said, I haven’t thought about anything, obviously,” Westbrook said. “Everybody knows that I like Oklahoma City and I love being here and I love everybody here. But I haven’t even thought about that. Obviously, Oklahoma City is a place that I want to be.”
Westbrook signed a three-year extension last summer, but it includes a player option that could put him back on the free agent market by July of 2018. The new collective bargaining agreement gives him a chance to sign another extension that would make him the league’s highest-paid player and could total as much as $220MM over five seasons.
The Thunder are expected to make the extension offer, Young notes, adding that it would cause panic in the organization if Westbrook doesn’t accept it. However, given the loyalty he displayed last summer in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s departure, there is confidence that he will remain in OKC.
Westbrook said his primary concern is fatherhood, with his first child due in May, and he is in no rush to address his contract.
Knicks Sending Assistant To Latvian National Team
The Knicks have worked out a compromise with Kristaps Porzingis regarding his desire to represent Latvia in the European Championships, according to international basketball writer David Pick (Twitter links).
New York’s front office offered to approve Porzingis’ participation provided that assistant coach Joshua Longstaff is permitted to join the national team to work with the second-year big man. Longstaff, who has been with the Knicks since 2014, will remain in Latvia throughout the tournament, which runs from August 31st to September 17th.
Porzingis doesn’t need approval from the Knicks to participate in international play, so the move is largely symbolic. Still it’s a change in philosophy from the organization, which previously advised him to skip the competition. Injuries are the main concern as Porzingis missed 16 games this season with a left Achilles issue and back problems.
The Knicks were originally surprised to learn that Porzingis was planning to be part of Eurobasket. He skipped his exit interview with team president Phil Jackson in a protest over the ongoing chaos surrounding the team and has had little contact with the organization since the season ended.
Nuggets GM: Jamal Murray To Have Surgery
Surgery is planned Thursday for Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, tweets Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports. Denver GM Tim Connelly made the announcement this afternoon in a radio interview with Altitude Sports 950.
The surgery is for a “couple” of injuries (Twitter link), including a sports hernia that bothered Murray for much of the season, tweets Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post.
The seventh pick in last summer’s draft, Murray had a productive rookie season despite the ailments. He appeared in all 82 games, starting 10, and averaged 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per night.
Murray was named to the Rising Stars Challenge and earned MVP honors with a 36-point, 11-assist performance.
2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Portland Trail Blazers
After an unexpected second-round playoff run a year ago, the Trail Blazers underwhelmed in 2016/17, sneaking into the playoffs as a No. 8 seed and failing to win a single postseason game. The Blazers did unearth a gem when they acquired Jusuf Nurkic in a February trade, but the team’s cap situation will make it very difficult for the front office to make major upgrades to the roster this summer.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Trail Blazers financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:
Guaranteed Salary
- Damian Lillard ($26,153,057)
- C.J. McCollum ($23,962,573)
- Allen Crabbe ($19,332,500)
- Evan Turner ($17,131,148)
- Maurice Harkless ($10,162,922)
- Meyers Leonard ($9,904,495)
- Al-Farouq Aminu ($7,319,035)
- Ed Davis ($6,352,531)
- Noah Vonleh ($3,505,233)
- Jusuf Nurkic ($2,947,305)
- Shabazz Napier ($2,361,360)
- Anderson Varejao ($1,984,005) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Jake Layman ($1,312,611)
- Festus Ezeli ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.1
- Total: $133,428,775
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Festus Ezeli ($6,733,000) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
- Pat Connaughton ($1,471,382)2
- Tim Quarterman ($1,312,611)
- Total: $9,516,993
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Cap Holds
- No. 15 overall pick ($2,365,560)
- No. 20 overall pick ($1,859,400)
- No. 26 overall pick ($1,465,920)
- Total: $5,690,880
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Maximum Cap Room: –$38,119,655
- Portland has an extraordinary amount of money tied up in guaranteed salaries for next season. If the Blazers were to waive all their players on non-guaranteed salaries, the club’s remaining salaries for 2017/18 – along with cap holds for first-round draft picks – would total $139,119,655, a figure that would be well above the tax line. Trades to clear some salary are possible, but the Blazers are a virtual lock to remain over the cap this offseason.
Footnotes:
- Ezeli’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
- Connaughton’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 25.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.