East Notes: Wizards, Brown, Tatum
The Wizards have gone all-in on preserving their core and head coach Scott Brooks understands just how important that can be. Brooks has, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes, seen what happens when a promising young roster falls apart thanks to his time with the Thunder.
“We have our three players that we drafted all wanting to stay here and stay long-term,” the Wizards’ bench boss said. “That’s good. That’s good because if you don’t have your best players wanting to stay here, then nobody wants to stay here.”
Thanks to Wizards’ owner Ted Leonsis‘ willingness to commit to their young players, Washington was able to match the offer sheet that the Nets signed Otto Porter to this summer and then follow that up with a supermax contract extension for John Wall.
Under their current deals, Wall, Beal and Porter will be under Wizards control for seven total years. Eight, if Porter ultimately exercises his player option for the 2020-21 season.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- After assigning challenges to Isaiah Thomas and DeMar DeRozan, Kobe Bryant was asked to give one to Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Black Mamba responded with three letters: MVP. An NBA.com report has details.
- This will be Goran Dragic‘s last stint with the Slovenian national team, Niki Lupo of Sportando writes. The 31-year-old Heat guard tweeted that he’ll be done with the program following Eurobasket 2017.
- If the Cavaliers and Celtics start formally renegotiating the Kyrie Irving trade, the Cavs are expected to inquire about the C’s young players. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that could include Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, although their involvement in any actual deal remains highly unlikely.
West Notes: Randle, Noel, Donovan
With all of the hype surrounding the Lakers these days, those who’ve overlooked Julius Randle can be forgiven. As Frank Urbina of Hoops Hype writes, however, the underrated big man could still be a viable component of Los Angeles’ intriguing young core.
While his effective field-goal percentage and value over replacement player figures have left much to be desired, the versatile forward is in position to take yet another leap forward in his third full season with the Lakers.
In 2016/17, Randle became just the ninth forward in NBA history to average 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, a testament to his playmaking ability and tendency to find his Lakers teammates.
What’s more, the Lakers big man has shown an impressive commitment to conditioning and has the Instagram account to prove it.
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- We wrote yesterday that Nerlens Noel unexpectedly signed his qualifying offer with the Mavs after supposedly turning down a four-year, $70MM offer. At the time of the signing, ESPN’s Chris Haynes tweeted that the four-year deal was “non-existent.” Shortly after news broke, Noel’s former agent Happy Walters responded to the Haynes tweet, insisting that the deal was in fact extended and rejected, however that doesn’t necessarily mean that the offer was still on the table when Noel’s new representation, Rich Paul and Klutch Sports Group, took over in the negotiation process. For a breakdown of the process, check out Isaac Harris of The Smoking Cuban‘s recap.
- Former Spurs guard Blake Ahearn has returned to the organization he spent his three-game career with as a head coach of the Spurs’ G League affiliate. Ahearn recently spoke with Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News and shed light on how much of an impact R.C. Buford and the team’s front office made on him.
- Big man Steven Adams and his Thunder head coach, Billy Donovan, have spent time bonding in Adams’ native New Zealand, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. “For me, there’s an incredible power with a group of people that are connected in what they’re doing,” Donovan said. “I feel like my job, my role, my responsibility – whether it be during the season or in the offseason – is to try and create those connections. Because if we’re all unified, connected and moving in the right direction, it has a chance to be something really powerful.“
Hornets Notes: Luxury Tax, Monk, Howard
While the Hornets have an open roster spot, it’s unlikely they’ll use it to add a significant player due to the team’s salary cap situation, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer explains. The franchise has slightly over $117.4MM in salary on the books against a luxury tax threshold of approximately $119.3MM and for a team that doesn’t expect to contend for a championship, remaining below the threshold is the wisest move.
Charlotte has the ability to offer a free agent a salary above the minimum, as it still wields its bi-annual exception, which is worth $3.29MM. However, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors previously speculated, it’s unlikely that the Hornets use this vehicle given their proximity to the luxury tax apron.
Here’s more from Charlotte:
- Defense could be a major issue for Malik Monk, Bonnell contends in the same piece. Monk, whom the Hornets selected with the No. 11 overall pick, is expected to see an immediate role in Charlotte’s rotation this season.
- The five spot is the Hornets‘ greatest position of strength, Bonnell writes in the same piece. Charlotte added Dwight Howard this offseason to bolster a unit that includes Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky.
- If Howard can come close to matching his production in previous seasons, the Hornets should be able to reach the postseason again after missing the NBA’s second season last year, Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer argues. The team only had to give up Miles Plumlee and Marco Belinelli this summer to acquire Howard and Sorensen adds that the former No. 1 overall pick should feel insulted by the deal, as the perception is that the Hornets didn’t give up much value to bring him in.
Kevin Durant Discusses Rival Teams’ Offseason Moves
The NBA had one of its most unpredictable offseasons in recent memory and Kevin Durant, who joined the Warriors last offseason before re-signing with them this summer, believes Golden State’s moves have caused other teams to be more active. Durant was particularly impressed with the Rockets’ acquisition of Chris Paul, as he tells The Ringer’s Bill Simmons.
“I think it was a great move,” Durant said. “You put two guys together that — crafty with the ball like that — they’re going to get everybody shots, and they’re going to get each other shots, so it was a ballsy move to pull off by [Daryl] Morey. And I don’t think nobody would have thought to do that, because especially when you’ve got James, who basically plays your point guard, you really have to have some type of clarity when you’re making a decision like that. Because it’s just like, you played well last year, but this — he cannot sustain this. You gotta know that. You can’t; just look at the numbers. So you can tell that he’s actually seeing some stuff within this team. He’s paying attention.”
The move gives James Harden, who played alongside Durant for three seasons, an opportunity to play alongside a future Hall of Famer and it gives the team an opportunity to compete with the Warriors this season. Harden isn’t the only former teammate of Durant’s who received help this summer, as Oklahoma City added Paul George from the Pacers. According to Durant, Indiana made a foolish trade.
“[The trade] was shocking because Indiana just gave him away,” Durant said before adding that he envisions George playing significant minutes at the four spot this season. The 2013/14 continued to discuss OKC, telling Simmons that his former team needs one more addition. “They need another wing,” Durant opined.
Durant went on to talk about another one of his former teammates—Dion Waiters. The 2013/14 MVP believes Waiters, who re-signed with Miami on a four-year, $52MM deal this summer, could have received an even larger deal had the shooting guard been more dedicated earlier in his career. Waiters previously discussed how he didn’t get in “world-class shape” until he inked a deal with the Heat last offseason.
Enes Kanter Expected To Opt In Next Season
Enes Kanter holds a player option worth slightly over $18.62MM for the 2018/19 campaign and the center is expected to exercise it, according to Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript (Twitter link). A source close to the situation told Katz that it would be shocking if Kanter opts to become a free agent after this season.
Kanter signed a four-year, $70MM offer sheet with the Blazers back in the summer of 2015 when he was a restricted free agent. The Thunder then matched the offer despite the presence of a blossoming Steven Adams on the roster. Heading into this offseason, some speculated that Kanter could be on the move, as Oklahoma City had a surplus of big men. No trade materialized and the Turkey native is slated to begin the season as the team’s backup five.
Kanter played in 72 games for OKC last season, coming off the bench in each one. He scored 14.3 points and grabbed 6.7 rebounds per game and sported an excellent 23.7 player efficiency rating during the regular season. However, he struggled mightily on the defensive end during the playoffs, prompting coach Billy Donovan to play him in only 45 minutes of action during the team’s five postseason games.
Community Shootaround: Buyout Rules
Under the NBA’s current rules, players who reach buyout agreements become unrestricted free agents and are able to sign with anybody. Of course, they almost always choose championship contenders, giving a handful of teams a huge advantage in the buyout market.
Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel is the latest writer to support changes to the system, using Dwyane Wade as an example. Wade seems likely to negotiate a buyout with the Bulls at some point this season, then is expected to join former Heat teammate LeBron James in Cleveland.
Solomon Hill To Miss Part Of 2017/18 Season
4:58pm: Hill has undergone successful surgery to repair the torn hamstring, according to a team press release. The team notes that this injury typically takes 6-8 months to heal, though it added that an official timeline will be provided at a later date.
12:08pm: Pelicans small forward Solomon Hill had surgery for a torn hamstring and could miss a significant portion of the season, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
New Orleans still has just 14 players on NBA contracts, so the team could return to the free agent market in search of a potential replacement for Hill. The Pelicans still have about $2.19MM left on their mid-level exception, along with their full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM). However, the club may stick to a minimum salary signing in order to remain below the luxury tax line.
As Bobby Marks notes on ESPN Now, the Pelicans could also create a little more room by waiving Jordan Crawford, who has a $250K guarantee for the upcoming season.
Hill averaged 7.0 points in 80 games (71 as a starter) in his first season with the Pelicans. He spent the first three years of his career in Indiana before signing with New Orleans last summer. He is under contract through 2019/20.
And-Ones: Robinson, BIG3, Caboclo, Landry
Mitchell Robinson, who had considered leaving school to prepare for the 2018 NBA draft, has decided to play this season at Western Kentucky, reports Chad Bishop of WBKO in Bowling Green, Ky. The 7-foot center, who is ranked 14th in the DraftExpress mock draft for next year, is a freshman and will be immediately eligible to play. Robinson committed to Texas A&M in 2015, but changed his mind after A&M assistant Rick Stansbury left to become head coach at WKU. Robinson, 19, was considering overseas offers before deciding to remain in college.
There’s more basketball news today:
- Trilogy wrapped up a perfect season and claimed the first BIG3 title Saturday with a win over the 3 Headed Monsters, writes Adi Joseph of USA Today. Rashad McCants, the first pick in the league’s draft, scored the final five points in a 51-46 victory. McCants, who spent most of his five-year career with the Timberwolves, remains angry about the premature end of his time in the NBA. “Most importantly it’s just shutting the book on a career that never really reached full potential,” McCants said. “The years of a potential prime are vanished without a trace because of a few upper-level executives that decided to make my life a living hell. Ice Cube brought me in with a chance to reinvent myself.”
- Raptors forward Bruno Caboclo has been removed from the Brazilian National Team after refusing to enter a game in the AmeriCup tournament, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “Bruno Caboclo committed an act of indiscipline refusing to enter on the court when the coach requested him to do that,” said team manager Renato Lamas. “We cannot allow any player to commit any act of indiscipline while wearing the jersey of the Brazilian National Team.”
- Carl Landry, who spent time with five teams during his nine years in the NBA, will play for China next season, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. Landry, who will turn 34 next month, will join the Jilin Tigers. His last NBA experience came in 2015/16 when he played 36 games for the Sixers.
Southwest Notes: Noel, Green, Allen, Nene
By accepting a $4.1MM qualifying offer, Mavericks center Nerlens Noel has created a financial drama that will last through the season, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. He decided to take the one-year deal after consulting with his new agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, whom Noel just hired this week. It was an unexpected end to negotiations for the third-year big man, who reportedly turned down a four-year, $70MM offer earlier this summer.
Noel is betting that he can get something close to the max as an unrestricted free agent next year, but Townsend notes that he is also taking a serious risk after missing the entire 2013/14 season after knee ligament surgery. He has played 75, 67 and 51 in the three seasons since then. By refusing the original offer, Noel cost himself about $11.5MM this season and will need a new deal starting at about $20MM to make up the difference.
- Noel’s decision gives the Mavericks about $12MM in unexpected cap space, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN [insider account]. Only the Bulls and Sixers have more, although the Suns could surpass Dallas if Alex Len also accepts a qualifying offer. The Mavericks will be in position to help facilitate trades and acquire assets throughout the season. They may also benefit next summer from Noel’s small cap hold, which is estimated at about $8MM. Noel finished just one start short of the cutoff for “starter criteria,” which is 41 starts or 2,000 minutes in the previous season. His qualifying offer would have been $5.85MM if he had met that standard.
- The Grizzlies are willing to go above the $2.8MM qualifying offer to re-sign restricted free agent JaMychal Green, but won’t meet the price he wants, according to Chris Harrington of The Commercial Appeal. He adds that Tony Allen won’t be returning to Memphis, even after free agent addition Ben McLemore suffered a broken foot. Harrington thinks a return to Boston would be the best move for Allen.
- Memphis still has one two-way contract remaining, and Harrington advocates giving it to someone with professional experience rather than an undrafted rookie. His choice is 23-year-old Vince Hunter, a 6’8″ power forward who played with the Grizzlies’ summer league team and has experience in the G League and overseas.
- After re-signing with the Rockets this summer, veteran center Nene is eager to see new addition Chris Paul join James Harden in the backcourt, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. “It will be an unbelievable experience to play with James and Chris,” he said. “James is the best offensive player in the game and Chris is an amazing ball player as well. They can score from anywhere on the court and they both have a basketball IQ that’s off the charts.”
Latest On The Kyrie Irving Trade
The Cavaliers and Celtics are still talking in an effort to complete the four-player deal that would send Kyrie Irving from Cleveland to Boston. While neither side has commented publicly on the reported snag, sources indicate the Cavs are seeking another asset because a physical on Friday showed that Isaiah Thomas‘ injured hip is in worse shape than they believed, while the Celtics are resisting the request.
Several writers are offering their perspectives on the trade this morning:
- If the Celtics do add another asset, it probably won’t be very significant, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. He notes that Boston was in a similar situation when it acquired Jeff Green from the Thunder in February of 2012. Green needed heart surgery 10 months later, and the Celtics petitioned the league for more compensation, claiming that Oklahoma City wasn’t forthcoming about Green’s condition. Former commissioner David Stern awarded Boston a second-round pick, which is what Blakely believes the Celtics would be willing to surrender to wrap up the Irving deal.
- Thomas was very upset about being traded away from the Celtics, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. The two-time All-Star played a major role in bringing free agent Gordon Hayward to Boston and had planned a long-term future there. Pluto states it would be a “miserable situation” if he has to return to the Celtics now. However, some executives that Pluto discussed the deal with expressed concerns of a potential clash in Cleveland, fearing that Thomas’ “alpha dog” persona may not be a good fit on a team where LeBron James is the unquestioned leader.
- The Cavaliers’ decision to hold up the deal is the latest indication of dysfunction in Cleveland, charges D.J. Bean of CSNNE. The franchise has been through a tumultuous summer, with GM David Griffin not being re-signed, then Chauncey Billups turning down a job to run the team. The front office chaos has played out against persistent rumors that James may be leaving town as a free agent next summer. Like Blakely, Bean thinks the Celtics will probably throw in a minimal asset to complete the trade.