Heat Notes: J. Johnson, Waiters, Wade
James Johnson is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and teammate Tyler Johnson wants him back with the Heat, reports Anthony Chiang of the Palm Beach Post. Since last summer when James signed with the Heat, the pair have been inseparable.
While James has publicly made it clear that he wishes to remain with the Heat, Tyler, who himself is under contract for three more seasons, knows that anything can happen and ultimately wants the best for his close friend. James enjoyed a career season in 2016/2017, averaging 12.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, while shooting 47.9% coming off the bench in all but five of the 79 games he played (27.4 MPG).
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel contends that Dion Waiters is set to field contract offers big enough “to create pause when it comes to making the Heat salary-cap math work.” Winderman cites Waiters’ excellent final half of the 2016/2017 season as reason why he’ll be coveted in free agency, despite having drawn little interest a year ago.
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that a Dwyane Wade reunion with the Heat is a possibility. The Bulls front office has been noncommittal about whether it will look to trade Jimmy Butler, who was perhaps the biggest reason Wade signed with the Bulls in the first place. According to Jackson, while the Heat may lack the assets to appeal to the Bulls, Pat Riley will likely at least explore the possibility of a trade for Butler, if the Bulls are taking calls.
- Furthermore, according to Jackson, a Wade associate has indicated that he would consider re-joining the Heat under the right conditions. The veteran guard hasn’t closed the door on accepting a bench role, and if Miami were to pursue him, it would likely be for a bench role — and at a reduced salary. Wade has yet to decide whether he will opt out of the final season of his contract with the Bulls.
2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Atlanta Hawks
A year after losing Al Horford in free agency, the Hawks risk Paul Millsap declining his player option and following the same path. When Horford left last summer, Atlanta went on a bit of a spending spree, signing Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, and Dennis Schroder to lucrative long-term deals. Those three veterans are now the highest-paid players on the Hawks’ books, and it will be interesting to see if the club adds another player or two to that group if Millsap departs.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Hawks financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:
Guaranteed Salary
- Dwight Howard ($23,500,000)
- Kent Bazemore ($16,910,113)
- Dennis Schroder ($15,500,000)
- Malcolm Delaney ($2,500,000)
- Taurean Prince ($2,422,560)
- Mike Dunleavy Jr. ($1,662,500) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.1
- DeAndre’ Bembry ($1,567,200)
- Total: $64,062,373
Player Options
- Paul Millsap ($21,472,407)
- Total: $21,472,407
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Mike Dunleavy Jr. ($3,512,500) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
- Ryan Kelly ($1,577,230)2
- Total: $5,089,730
Restricted Free Agents
- Tim Hardaway Jr. ($4,588,840 qualifying offer / $5,704,013 cap hold)
- Total: $5,704,013
Cap Holds
- Paul Millsap ($30,108,050) — If player option is declined
- Ersan Ilyasova ($12,600,000)
- Thabo Sefolosha ($7,315,000)
- Kris Humphries ($5,200,000)
- No. 19 overall pick ($1,936,920)
- Jose Calderon ($1,471,382)
- Mike Muscala ($1,471,382)
- Total: $60,102,734
Trade Exceptions
- Mike Scott TPE ($3,333,334) — Expires 2/23/18
- Mo Williams TPE ($2,194,500) — Expires 1/18/18
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Maximum Cap Room: $30,922,632
- By waiving their players without fully guaranteed contracts and renouncing all their exceptions and free agents (including Millsap), the Hawks would be left with six players on guaranteed deals, a cap hold for their first-round pick, and cap charges for empty roster spots totaling $70,077,368. That would give the club nearly $31MM in cap room, but if Atlanta wants to make an effort to re-sign Millsap, that space would go away — Millsap’s cap hold exceeds $30MM on its own.
Footnotes:
- Dunleavy’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 1.
- Kelly’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 7.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.
Utah’s Kyle Kuzma To Remain In Draft
Utah forward Kyle Kuzma, who had been testing the NBA draft waters without an agent, has opted to hire representation and keep his name in the draft, he tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. According to Goodman, Kuzma is signing with Zach Kurtin of Priority Sports, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility.
“I decided to leave school now because of the benefits it will give to my development, both on and off the floor,” Kuzma told Goodman. “Utah was a great place for me to grow, and Coach K (Larry Krystkowiak) and the staff definitely had a major role in that for me.”
[RELATED: 2017 NBA Draft Early Entrants List (updated)]
Kuzma, who will turn 22 this summer, is coming off a junior year in which he established new career bests in PPG (16.4), RPG (9.3), and a handful of other categories. The 6’9″ forward barely cracks Chad Ford’s top-100 list at ESPN.com, but comes in at No. 68 on Jonathan Givony’s big board at DraftExpress.com.
According to Ford, Kuzma’s rebounding ability and his floor vision will appeal to teams, but his inconsistent jump shot and lack of elite athleticism will likely prevent him from being a first-round pick.
Kuzma is expected to attend next week’s draft combine, per Goodman.
Hoops Links Vol. 3: Traditional Big Men, Puppies, More
Welcome to Hoops Links, your one-stop shop collection of the best original content from around the NBA blogosphere. Consider it a mid-week safari of sports news, just with more journalism and fewer hyenas savaging the carcasses of fallen jackals.
As I do every week, this is my plea for all readers to hit me up with future articles so that each edition of Hoops Links can shine a light on areas of the online hoops community that deserve it. You can email them to me at HoopsRumorsTips@Sports.ws or send them to me on Twitter (@AustinKent). Heck, flag down any of the Hoops Rumors staff the next time you see us walking down the street and that’ll work just as well.
Lost in the excitement of the thrilling Game 2 finish between the Wizards and Celtics is that Washington could realistically have pulled out the victory in regulation. Jake Whitacre of Bullets Forever relives the last 14 seconds of the fourth quarter and breaks down what went wrong.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Missed Opportunities
Author: Jake Whitacre – @JakeWhitacre
Link: Wizards-Celtics, Game 2
A thorough look at advanced metrics reveals that Jrue Holiday is a valuable second-tier guard. Oleh Kosel of The Bird Writes recently walked through the NOLA playmaker’s portfolio and revealed that, while his numbers may lack in comparison to some of his elite counterparts, the fact that the pending free agent is willing to defer to players like Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins is a good thing, not a bad thing.
Rating: 9 out of 10 It’s Not A Bug, It’s A Features
Author: Oleh Kosel – @RedHopeful
Link: Jrue Holiday offensive metrics
Through seven seasons in the NBA, and especially this most recent one, James Harden has established himself as a scoring savant capable of stuffing the stat sheet with gaudy point and assists totals. That much we know. This second-round series between the Rockets and Spurs, however, will serve as an indication as to whether or not the box-score stuffer is ready to formally join the league’s contending elite. Kwame Fisher-Jones of The 76er Files has the details.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Most Valuable MVP Runners-Up
Author: Kwame Fisher-Jones – @MrJonesNBA
Link: James Harden Rockets-Spurs series
When the Cavaliers were limping through the second half of the regular season, criticism of head coach Tyronn Lue was commonplace. Quenton Albertie at King James Gospel, for one, admits to not-so-subtly calling for the man’s firing. Fast forward one month later and the Cavs are back running like a well-oiled machine, a testament to the adjustments Lue has made from the sidelines, and writers like Albertie have changed their tune.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Richard Jefferson Snapchats
Author: Quenton Albertie – @QuentonAlbertie
Link: Cavs coach Tyronn Lue
The Magic will be well represented in the new BIG3 league set to debut this summer. A total of 10 former Orlando players were drafted to three-on-three rosters last Sunday. While Rashard Lewis and Jason Williams team up to captain the 3-Headed Monsters, the list of former Magic players who will participate is significant (we see you Larry Hughes! BONUS LINK). Philip Rossman-Reich of Orlando Magic Daily has the complete list.
Rating: 6 out of 10 Flat-Footed Old Guy Jumpers
Author: Philip Rossman-Reich – @OMagicDaily
Link: Orlando Magic BIG3 players
The same Ohio beer company that infamously launched a special ale called Quitness when LeBron James left for the Heat in 2010 have now taken to using the King’s own image in a more recent promotion. As Henry Bushnell lays out at Ball Don’t Lie, James’ legal team will handle the beer company looking to cash in on James pretending to take a sip out of a beer bottle on the tray of a courtside server last Monday.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Marketing Fails
Author: Henry Bushnell – @HenryBushnell
Link: Beer company’s LeBron James promotion
A Michigan-wide dog adoption event ended about as well as any of us could have hoped, with Stan Van Gundy taking home the last of the available canines at a Harbor Springs Humane Society. For Detroit Bad Boys, Sean Corp breaks down the Van Gundy family’s decision to take home the lab with complicated medical needs. “And with this,” one DBB commenter says, “SVG concludes the Pistons’ offseason roster movement.” He’s kidding. We hope.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Good Boys
Author: Sean Corp – @Sean_Corp
Link: Stan Van Gundy adopts dog
The Celtics and Wizards had beef even before their second-round series, Jeff Clark writes for Celtics Blog, but that doesn’t mean can’t get progressively worse. Clark talks about the “boop” game and the “funeral” game and the fact that Markieff Morris has a reputation for finding himself involved in “extracurricular activities.”
Rating: 7 out of 10 Reminders Not To Leave The Bench In The Event Of An Altercation
Author: Jeff Clark – @CelticsBlog
Link: Celtics-Wizards Feud
It’s getting harder and harder for the Raptors to get by with Jonas Valanciunas on the court and the club’s latest matchup is yet one more compelling case for the club to fully embrace small ball. For The Step Back, Andrew Bernucca writes that Toronto deserves credit for having the foresight to acquire Serge Ibaka at the deadline, but that it’s no longer justifiable to have the back-to-the-basket Valanciunas out there with him.
Rating: 9 out of 10 Signs Of The Time
Author: Andrew Bernucca – @Krosoveri
Link: Jonas Valanciunas small ball
Plodding big man Al Jefferson came under fire from his own general manager for not being in great shape this postseason. C. Cooper of Indy Cornrows, however, calls to question the Pacers in general, arguing that they ought to get the rest of the bench working effectively around him, too.
Rating: 6 out of 10 Floor Spacing Issues
Author: C. Cooper – @C2_Cooper
Link: Al Jefferson out of shape
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
LeBron Turns Up Support For David Griffin
LeBron James continues to express support for Cavaliers GM David Griffin, whose contract will expire after the playoffs, writes Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.
A source said that when James left the practice floor Tuesday, he asked why Griffin “wouldn’t be able to get a new contract.” James didn’t direct the question to anyone, but said it loudly enough to make sure it would be heard.
Sources tell Amico that James has been dropping regular hints about Griffin to team officials, but he doesn’t plan to meet with owner Dan Gilbert to discuss the situation.
Gilbert reportedly finds James’ support for Griffin admirable, and nobody in the organization considers the statements to be a distraction.
However, there’s no evidence that James is making a difference. Someone Amico describes as a “dialed-in source” says the current relationship between Griffin and ownership is “not good” and the GM may not be re-signed this summer.
The Cavs were unable to reach an extension with Griffin last summer, setting up a free agent situation where he is free to join another organization once Cleveland’s playoff run ends. Griffin is reportedly the front-runner to become team president in Orlando.
George Hill Sidelined For Game 2
George Hill will miss tonight’s game with Golden State because of soreness in his left big toe, the Jazz announced via Twitter.
“It’s something he’s been fighting all year,” Utah coach Quin Snyder told reporters (Twitter link). “It’s been sore. He’s been playing through it.”
Snyder said he hasn’t decided if Raul Neto, Shelvin Mack or Dante Exum will start in place of Hill. He added that Hill’s absence will be a huge loss to the team’s offense.
The ninth-year point guard is in his first season with the Jazz after being acquired from the Pacers in an offseason trade. He is averaging 15.6 points through Utah’s first eight playoff games.
Two More Candidates For President’s Post In Orlando
Two more names have emerged as contenders for the president of basketball operations role in Orlando, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
A report last weekend said the Magic will offer the job to Cavaliers GM David Griffin when his team’s playoff run is over. Kevin McHale has also been mentioned as a possibility. Stein reveals that Milwaukee’s John Hammond and Toronto’s Jeff Weltman are under consideration as well.
Hammond has served as GM of the Bucks since 2008 and was named Executive of the Year in 2010. He received a one-year contract extension from the team last summer that will take him through next season, with the plan that he would transition to a consultant and be replaced by assistant GM Justin Zanik.
Weltman was promoted to GM of the Raptors last September. He joined the team in 2013 after five years as assistant GM of the Bucks. Weltman also held front office positions with the Pistons, Nuggets and Clippers.
The Magic have already started the interview process, but CEO Alex Martins said he expects it to take a long time.
Tony Parker Injures Knee; MRI Set Today
11:32am: The pre-MRI diagnosis is a partial or full tear of the quadriceps tendon with surgery needed either way, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
9:41am: MRI results aren’t complete, but the Spurs expect Parker to need season-ending surgery, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
8:44 am: Tony Parker will undergo an MRI today after leaving Wednesday’s game with a left knee injury, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
Parker had to be carried off the court after suffering a non-contact injury early in the fourth quarter. Post-game comments from the Spurs locker room indicated that the veteran point guard may be looking at an extended absence.
“You kind of know we’re not going to see him any time soon,” Manu Ginobili said.
“It’s not good,” added coach Gregg Popovich.
The Spurs responded with a 21-5 run after the injury to take Game 2 and even the series, but their playoff prospects look shaky without Parker in the lineup. He has been a productive force through eight postseason games, averaging 15.9 points per night. If the injury turns out to be serious, Patty Mills is expected to take his place in the starting lineup.
“There is an empty feeling there for sure,” Mills said after the game. “We talked amongst ourselves about keeping at it. Guys are ready to step up and make an impact, that’s for sure.”
Parker, 34, has been with San Antonio throughout his 16-year NBA career and has been a starter since joining the organization in 2001. He has one more season left on his current contract at nearly $15.5MM.
Pistons Notes: Baynes, Caldwell-Pope, MLE, Draft
Aron Baynes probably won’t decide whether to opt out of his contract for next season until close to the June 20th deadline, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The back-up center is set to make $6.5MM next year, but has the chance to get a much larger payday on the open market. He is considered one of the top reserve big men in the league, averaging 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in 72 games this season. The Pistons are limited in their offer because they only hold Early Bird Rights on Baynes. That means they can go over the cap, but can only give him a 175% raise, which would amount to about $11.3MM for next season. “He’s enjoyed himself there,” said Baynes’ agent, Entersport Management president Marc Fleisher. “He likes [Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy], he likes the organization, but he’s also got to consider the financial ramifications.”
There’s more news out of Detroit:
- Restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has an evidentiary hearing set for May 18th in connection with his March arrest for DUI, Ellis adds in the same piece. Caldwell-Pope may face a suspension from the league if he is convicted.
- Pistons GM Jeff Bower is considering the $8.4MM mid-level exception as a way to upgrade the roster, Ellis writes in a separate story. Detroit has made good use of the MLE in the past, signing Chauncey Billups in 2002 and Antonio McDyess in 2004, but Ellis notes that the league’s changing salary structure has made it harder to find good players at that level. He mentions Boston’s James Young and Golden State’s Ian Clark as possible targets.
- The Pistons will face difficulty in building a contender without a high draft pick on the roster, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Detroit’s highest draftees are Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson, who went with the eighth pick in their respective drafts. Andre Drummond, who was taken ninth in 2012, and Marcus Morris, who went 14th in 2011, are the Pistons’ only other lottery picks. “We’re one of two teams that don’t have a top-seven pick anywhere on their roster,” Van Gundy said. Detroit is slotted at No. 12 heading into the May 16th lottery.
NBA Announces Lineup For First eLeague Season
Seventeen teams will compete in the first season of the NBA 2K eLeague, according to A.J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today.
The venture, a joint project between the NBA and NBA 2K’s Take-Two Interactive, will be the first eSports league run by an actual U.S. league. It will give top basketball video game players a chance to compete for real NBA teams.
The 17 franchises will each employ up to five professional gamers, who will be paid to run their teams in NBA 2K. Play will be conducted similar to the real NBA, with head-to-head matchups in a regular season schedule, followed by playoffs. The gamers will compete with user-created avatars rather than avatars of actual players.
“This is the first step in what promises to be an extraordinary league, bringing together the world’s best gamers and showcasing elite competition on an international stage,” said NBA 2K eSports league managing director Brendan Donohue. “Our teams have expressed tremendous enthusiasm for eSports, and we are looking forward to forming something truly unique for basketball and gaming fans around the globe.”
Teams participating in the first season will be the Celtics, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Pistons, Warriors, Pacers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Knicks, Magic, 76ers, Blazers, Kings, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards.