DeMarcus Cousins Plays Recruiter Role For Pelicans
The Pelicans made two notable signings over the past couple weeks, inking both Rajon Rondo and Ian Clark to one-year contracts. DeMarcus Cousins played a big role in both of those deals, according to coach Alvin Gentry.
“He’s done a phenomenal job this year of helping recruit free agents,” Gentry said of Cousins (via William Guillory of The Times-Picayune). “He’s talked to Rondo, he’s talked to Ian Clark, he’s talked to all of those guys that we’ve been trying to sign and he’s been very active in that.”
Cousins wants the Pelicans to add talent so the team can make the playoffs, something he never accomplished during eight years in Sacramento. He’s been doing his part to help with that process.
“We want to win. We need as much talent and as many pieces as we can get,” Cousins said. “I’ve reached out to everybody. I mean, I don’t want to throw names out there, but some of the biggest names that are on the block right now I’ve reached out to. It’s just about getting better.
“We see where the NBA is going, we need as much help and as much talent as we can get just to match up with the [reigning champion Golden State Warriors]…We’re fully invested in this and we want to win.”
The big man will be a free agent after the 2017/18 season, but his activism within the franchise could be seen as a sign that he’s not planning on going anywhere. It was reported on Wednesday that Cousins may have much at stake during the upcoming campaign.
Mavericks Sign Brandon Ashley
The Mavericks have signed Brandon Ashley, according to a team press release. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Ashley, who played for both of Dallas’ Summer League teams this offseason, spent the 2015 preseason with the Mavericks before being waived. He then joined the team’s G-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, for the 2015/16 campaign and earned a G-League All-Star appearance.
The power forward was not selected in the 2015 draft after playing three seasons at the University of Arizona. During his collegiate career, he helped the Wildcats reach the elite eight on two occasions.
Pelicans Sign Ian Clark
August 3: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
August 1: The Pelicans have agreed to a one-year, $1.6MM with free agent guard Ian Clark, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. Clark’s deal is the standard minimum pact for a player with four years of experience.
Clark, 26, has been a key piece of the Warriors’ reserve unit the past two seasons, including the team’s championship-winning 2016/17 campaign. The Pelicans feel Clark’s postseason experience and ability to mesh well with most of the roster makes him an ideal fit, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate.
In 77 games off the bench last season, Clark averaged 6.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 1.6 APG in 14.8 minutes. The former undrafted guard’s strong suit has been his outside shooting; after shooting almost 36% from beyond the arc in 2015/16, the Belmont University product shot a career-best 37% from three last season.
The Warriors essentially replaced one sharpshooter with another as the team signed Nick Young earlier this offseason. With the Pelicans, Clark figures to see significant playing time for a team that is already excited for 2017/18 with the addition of Rajon Rondo, re-signing of Jrue Holiday, and a full season of DeMarcus Cousins looming.
Clark will likely fight for playing time alongside Jordan Crawford and E’Twaun Moore as wings for the Pelicans.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Thunder Sign Daniel Hamilton To Two-Way Deal
The Thunder have signed Daniel Hamilton to a two-way contract, according to a team press release. It will be the organization’s first two-way deal.
Hamilton spent last season with the OKC Blue, the franchise’s G-League affiliate. He appeared in 49 games and averaged 14.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest. He accumulated 15 double-doubles during the season.
Oklahoma City selected the swingman in the second round of the 2016 draft with the No. 56 pick. Prior to being drafted, he spent two seasons at the University of Connecticut.
Heat Expected To Offer Extension To Josh Richardson
Miami is expected to make an extension offer to Josh Richardson in the upcoming weeks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Today is the first day Richardson is eligible to sign an extension.
Jackson adds that Richardson, who will turn 24 next month, is expected to consider signing an extension, but the terms will ultimately dictate whether or not he puts pen to paper. The team can give him as many as four years and upwards of $41MM in an offer, though the monetary amount could be slightly higher depending on the salary cap calculation next season.
The shooting guard will become a restricted free agent next summer should he decide to play out his current deal. Miami will have the right to match any offer and as we’ve seen over the last several offseasons, the restricted free agent market can dry up for those who are not at the top of the class. Several RFAs such as Nerlens Noel, Mason Plumlee, and Nikola Mirotic remain unsigned this offseason while the majority of teams have used up their available cap space.
Although Richardson isn’t a star, he’s been a valuable contributor on the Heat when healthy. He played in 53 games for the club last season, posting averages of 10.2 points and 1.1 steals per contest. He was spectacular as a rookie from behind the arc, making 46.1% of his attempts—a figure which bested all rookies that season. However, he came back down to earth last year, knocking down just 33.0% of his shots from downtown.
Patrick Beverley Confirms He Asked Rockets For Trade
Appearing on Adrian Wojnarowski’s ESPN podcast this week, Patrick Beverley confirmed that he asked the Rockets to explore the trade market to find him another opportunity this offseason (link via ESPN.com). Houston ultimately obliged, sending him to the Clippers in part of the package for Chris Paul.
“It comes kind of surprising to people that ask, ‘Why did they trade you?’ I asked for it,” Beverley said. “I asked for a bigger opportunity, a bigger chance to display my skills on a high level and I was fortunate that the Rockets did really good with me and [put] me in a situation where I can thrive and be successful. They could have really dumped me anywhere, but they did right, and I respect them a lot for it.”
Beverley is on one of the NBA’s most team-friendly veteran contracts, and is in line to earn about $10.5MM over the next two years with the Clippers. That affordable salary was one reason it was a little surprising when word broke in June that the Rockets were looking to move him. However, even that initial report from Sean Deveney of The Sporting News indicated that the veteran point guard would welcome a deal.
As I noted at the time, Beverley saw his role in Houston change a little last season as James Harden assumed the point guard reins. Although he reportedly enjoyed playing for Mike D’Antoni, Beverley’s 14.1% usage rate was a career low.
Beverley, 29, averaged 9.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.5 SPG along with solid three-point shooting (.382 3PT%) for the Rockets in 2016/17. His defensive ability also allowed Houston to have him guard the most dangerous backcourt threat on opposing teams, taking some pressure off Harden.
With Paul no longer running the show in L.A., there should be room for Beverley to take on a larger role with his new team, though the Clippers have no shortage of options at the point. Milos Teodosic figures to see plenty of action, and players like Austin Rivers and Lou Williams may also get a chance to handle the ball. Still, the Clippers don’t have a ball-dominant star like Harden standing in Beverley’s way in the backcourt.
NBA Players With Trade Kickers In 2017/18
Trade kickers are contractual clauses that pay a player a bonus when he’s traded. They’re one of the tools teams have at their disposal to differentiate their free agent offers from the ones put on the table by competing clubs.
According to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, a trade bonus must be paid by the team that trades the player, rather than the team acquiring him. The new CBA also allows a player to waive his trade kicker, if he so chooses, as Allen Crabbe recently did when he was sent from Portland to Brooklyn.
Sometimes the kicker is worth a fixed amount, but usually it’s based on a percentage of the remaining value of the contract. So, a player who has a 10% trade kicker is given 10% of the amount of money he has yet to collect on his deal.
The trade kicker on Kelly Olynyk‘s new contract is an unusual one, as it calls for him to see either a set amount ($2MM) or 15% of the value of his contract, whichever is less. Regardless of whether a trade kicker is set at a fixed amount or a percentage, the bonus can’t exceed 15% of the remaining value of the contract. Most trade kickers are worth 15%, the highest percentage allowed.
If you want a more detailed explanation of how trade kickers work, check out our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on the subject.
Using contract from information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN, here’s a list of the NBA players who have active trade kickers for 2017/18, listed alphabetically, along with the details of those trade bonuses:
- Steven Adams, Thunder (7.5%)
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs (15%)
- Harrison Barnes, Mavericks (8%)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lakers (15%)
- Andre Drummond, Pistons (8%)
- Kevin Durant, Warriors (15%)
- Marc Gasol, Grizzlies (15%)
- Tim Hardaway Jr., Knicks (15%)
- James Harden, Rockets (15%)
- Note: Harden can’t be traded during the 2017/18 league year.
- Al Horford, Celtics (15%)
- LeBron James, Cavaliers (15%)
- Tyler Johnson, Heat (15%)
- DeAndre Jordan, Clippers (15%)
- Kawhi Leonard, Spurs (15%)
- Jeremy Lin, Nets (10%)
- Shabazz Muhammad, Timberwolves (15%)
- Kelly Olynyk, Heat (lesser of 5% or $2MM)
- Milos Teodosic, Clippers (15%)
- Russell Westbrook, Thunder (15%)
- Brandan Wright, Grizzlies (15%)
The following players have trade bonuses on their contracts, but those bonuses would be voided if they were to be traded during the 2017/18 league year, since they’re already earning this season’s maximum salary:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors (15%)
- Note: Curry can’t be traded during the 2017/18 league year.
- Gordon Hayward, Celtics (15%)
- Otto Porter, Wizards (15%)
Finally, while Basketball Insiders and ESPN agreed on all the players mentioned above, only one of the two outlets lists each of the following trade kickers. If we receive confirmation on the details of any of these bonuses, we’ll update our list to reflect the correct info. For now, here’s what we know about these players and their potential trade kickers:
- Tarik Black, Rockets (15%): Listed on Basketball Insiders.
- Anthony Davis, Pelicans (15%): Listed on ESPN.
- J.J. Redick, Sixers (15%): Listed on ESPN.
- John Wall, Wizards (15%): Listed on ESPN.
- Note: Wall can’t be traded during the 2017/18 league year.
NBA Owners Approve Pistons’ Move Downtown
As expected, the NBA’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved the Pistons’ relocation from the suburbs of the city to downtown Detroit. Beginning in 2017/18, the Pistons will play their games at the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, rather than at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Pistons first announced back in November 2016 that they intended to move to downtown Detroit to join the NHL’s Red Wings in the Little Caesars Arena. At that point, the agreement still had to clear a few hurdles related to city and NBA approval, but the move is now official, with the Pistons poised to play the first game in their new home this fall.
The Pistons had played their home games in Auburn Hills since 1988, and haven’t played in downtown Detroit since 1978.
Nets Notes: Culture, Marks, Tanking, Noel
In his latest piece for ESPN.com, Zach Lowe takes an in-depth look at the culture Sean Marks has created in Brooklyn since he was hired as the Nets’ general manager.
As Lowe details, the Nets were leaning toward hiring Bryan Colangelo as their GM over Marks back in February 2016, but team chairman Dmitry Razumov heard from several respected execs who praised Marks during that All-Star weekend, and had a long talk with Spurs GM R.C. Buford that helped convince the franchise Marks was the man for the job.
Since joining the Nets, Marks has attempted to turn the club into one players want to be a part of, creating a “serious but welcoming” atmosphere, as well as a sense of closeness and community within the organization. The club has also prioritized sports science treatment, keeping its players on minutes restrictions and having them fill out daily questionnaires about sleep, soreness, and diet. “I could play another five years doing what they do,” said Randy Foye, who spent 2016/17 with the Nets.
Lowe’s entire piece on the Nets is worth the read, particularly for more of those tidbits on the work that Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson have done to overhaul the team’s culture. Here are a few of the highlights from the story:
- Razumov says team ownership is “ready to be patient” and would be fine with a 25-win season in 2017/18 if the Nets’ young players continue to develop and take positive steps forward.
- The Nets will finally control their first-round pick again in 2019, and there has been talk within the franchise of tanking in 2018/19 in order to create an opportunity to draft a blue-chip prospect. Although Atkinson acknowledges that there’s “faction” of people within the organization who believe that’s the way to go, it’s not the plan right now. “I don’t think it is in the cards to tank,” Marks said, per Lowe. “The goal is to compete and win games.”
- The Nets hope their young core – which remains a work in progress – will help the team recruit veteran free agents, like the Sixers were able to do this summer. “We hope free agents say, ‘We want to play with those young bucks,'” Marks said.
- The Sixers and Nets had brief trade discussions involving Nerlens Noel last season, but Brooklyn had no interest in giving up much for a player the team could pursue in free agency, sources tell Lowe. Noel currently remains a restricted free agent, though the Nets no longer have the cap room necessary to pursue him.
- Despite recent rumors about Mikhail Prokhorov considering selling a controlling interest in the Nets, he continues to market only a minority stake in the team, according to Razumov.
- According to Lowe, the NBA has talked about the possibility of banning the ability to swap picks in between drafts in which a team owes its picks to another team. That possibility hasn’t been discussed at length yet, but such a rule would have prevented the Nets from including a 2017 pick-swap in their deal with the Celtics when Boston was already receiving Brooklyn’s 2016 and 2018 first-rounders.
Kyler’s Latest: Irving, Suns, Wolves, Melo, Rockets
As we enter the dog days of the NBA offseason, two All-Star trade candidates remain on the block — the Cavaliers and Knicks continue to explore trades involving Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony, respectively. Nothing appears imminent on either front, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders checks in on both situations to see where they stand, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights from Kyler…
- The Cavaliers aren’t operating with a sense of urgency to find an Irving deal. One source from a team interested in Irving tells Kyler that Cleveland doesn’t seem to be operating with a deadline when it comes to getting something done. The source described the Cavs as still being in “fact-finding mode” at this point.
- The Suns and Timberwolves are viewed as two strong candidates for Irving, but they’ve been reluctant to include Josh Jackson and Andrew Wiggins, respectively, and are unlikely to win out unless they relent on that stance. While Phoenix doesn’t want to move Jackson or Devin Booker, there’s a sense that anyone else on the roster could be had, says Kyler. That may not be enough for the Cavaliers, however.
- The “prevailing thought in NBA circles” is that the long-rumored Anthony deal between the Knicks and Rockets isn’t going to happen unless Houston finds a way to improve its offer. As Kyler details, the idea of the Knicks accepting a package made up entirely of players they don’t view as long-term pieces isn’t “appealing or agreeable” to the team’s front office.
- The Knicks seem as if they’re willing to bring Anthony to training camp if he doesn’t expand his list of preferred landing spots or if the Rockets don’t improve their offer, according to Kyler, who describes the Carmelo situation as “more like a standoff” than the Cavaliers‘ situation with Irving.