Celtics Granted $8.4MM Disabled Player Exception
The Celtics have been granted a $8.4MM disabled player exception to replace Gordon Hayward for the season, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
Disabled player exceptions can be granted to teams that lose a player to a season-ending injury. They’re worth either half the injured player’s salary, or the amount of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Disabled Player Exception]
As Bobby Marks of ESPN explains, the C’s already have an open roster spot and can thus sign, claim or trade for a player whose contract will expire at the end of 2017/18.
There’s no particular rush for the Celtics to go out and acquire a player now, however, as the team will have until March 10 to actually use the exception.
It’s possible that president of basketball operations Danny Ainge will continue to audition his new-look roster and narrow down their most glaring need at a later date.
As we wrote about yesterday, there are slim pickings left on the free agent wire but a number of veterans who could conceivably add value to a contending team like Boston.
Pacific Notes: Ingram, McGee, Deng
Could Brandon Ingram be the next great Lakers closer? Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register thinks so. On a roster filled with promising young player and role-playing veterans, Ingram could be uniquely qualified to step into the role that Kobe Bryant vacated in 2016.
“He definitely has the ability and confidence to make those kind of plays,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said of Ingram. “He definitely wants it. One hundred percent he wants it. Some people, they say they want it. But in their eyes you can tell they’re just saying it because they’re supposed to say it. Brandon, he truly wants those types of moments.”
Teaford cites Ingram’s role in the Lakers’ recent comeback victory against the Wizards, chipping in with 11 points in the fourth quarter and tapping in the game-tying bucket at the end of regulation.
In four games as a Lakers sophomore, Ingram has averaged 15.8 points and 4.8 rebounds.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Despite his emergence as a valued rotation piece for the Warriors last season, JaVale McGee has been used sparingly thus far in 2017/18. Anthony Slater of The Athletic caught up with the center about his usage. “I don’t feel like I’ve been struggling the first few games,” McGee said. “I haven’t really played a lot, so there’s really no room to struggle. But even from last year, I don’t play a lot during games that go small. All I can really do is work on the things that keep me from playing a lot.“
- In a preview of what could be their backcourt of the future, Kings fans saw Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Aaron Fox connecting in the final minutes of their loss to the Pelicans Thursday. “I can talk to him and tell him about the mistakes I made,” Bogdanovic told Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee. “And hope he can learn without having to make those mistakes.”
- Having seen just 13 minutes of action so far this season, it’s safe to say that Luol Deng is at the bottom of the Lakers‘ depth chart. An ESPN report states that the veteran will likely continue to draw DNP-CDs.
Bulls Exercise Options On Bobby Portis, Four Others
The Bulls have exercised options on all five of their eligible players, the team announced in a press release. That was the plan all along, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
Returning on third-year options in 2018/19 will be Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine while all of Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne and Bobby Portis will be back on fourth-year options.
While it makes sense for a rebuilding team to retain young players with promise, Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago tweeted on October 18 that the club hadn’t, at that point, made a decision about Portis.
Portis infamously hospitalized Nikola Mirotic in a team practice on October 17 and several stories have emerged in the last few days about internal doubts that the two will ever be able to co-exist in a Bulls locker room again.
As far as asset management goes, however, it makes sense for the Bulls to pick up the options on all of the capable young players as doing so doesn’t preclude them from making any moves with Mirotic, of Portis for that matter, in the future.
The exercised options of Dunn and Valentine are obvious choices. Both players, highly regarded entering their rookie campaigns in 2016/17, have shown flashes of why they were so revered in college. The raw but malleable assets are exactly the type of building blocks that a team in Chicago’s current position ought to be collecting.
In contrast, Grant, the club’s starting point guard thus far in 2018/19, is the most heavily utilized player of the bunch. Grant has posted averages of 10.8 points and an impressive 7.3 assists per game in a full starter’s workload through four games. He may end up ceding time and opportunity to Dunn, who is expected to return in a reserve role soon, but has done a fine job establishing himself in his third season.
The decision to exercise Payne’s fourth-year option seems natural considering that the team marketed him as a potential point guard of the future last season.
As the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson noted in a separate tweet, there remains internal belief that Payne could have an impact on the rebuilding team if he’s able to maintain his health. Payne has played just 88 games throughout the first three years of his career.
Sixers Working With Jahlil Okafor To Find Suitable Trade
The Sixers are collaborating with Jahlil Okafor‘s camp to find a suitable trade, Chris Haynes of ESPN writes. The 21-year-old former third-overall pick has seen his role decrease yet again in his third season with Philadelphia.
Per Haynes, head coach Brett Brown committed to Amir Johnson as the team’s chief backup center for the time being. He joins Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric in what is suddenly a loaded frontcourt.
Further contributing to Okafor’s removal from the rotation for the foreseeable future is the pending return of Richaun Holmes, as Sarah Todd of The Inquirer writes.
While at this point there are no frontrunners for a possible deal, Okafor’s value could be higher now than it was last season, despite that he’s been a healthy scratch in four of Philly’s first five games this year. Over the course of the offseason, Okafor worked himself into the best physical condition of his career.
Okafor’s game may be a relic of a foregone era but the fact that the big man has been nothing but a consummate professional throughout an unprecedented process will serve him well in the eyes of other teams looking to add value at a discount.
Okafor averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game his rookie campaign, the season before Embiid showed up and bumped him down the depth chart. What’s more, for much of his lone college campaign at Duke, he was even projected to go first overall in the 2015 NBA Draft ahead of Karl-Anthony Towns.
While times have certainly changed since then and there may be a scarcity of teams willing to make Okafor’s lumbering playing style an offensive focal point, similarly old-fashioned bigs – like Jonas Valanciunas and Greg Monroe – have found success as niche players on winning ball clubs.
The fact that, as Haynes reports, the organization is working alongside Okafor’s representatives speaks to the relationship between the two parties. With the October 31 contract option deadline fast approaching, trade discussions will play a role in whether or not the Sixers pick up the center’s fourth-year option.
Spurs Notes: Parker, Murray, Simmons, Aldridge
Veteran point guard Tony Parker remains on assignment with the Austin Spurs in the G League for now, as he continues to rehab his quadriceps injury. However, he is inching closer to a return.
Addressing his recovery timeline today, Parker said he remains on track to get back in the Spurs’ lineup by late November, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Parker added that he could play now, but he and the Spurs are being cautious and taking it slow.
Dejounte Murray‘s solid play at point guard to open the regular season gives the Spurs the flexibility to be even more cautious with Parker, since there’s no need to rush him back. Head coach Gregg Popovich indicated this week though that the play of Murray and the rest of San Antonio’s backcourt won’t have an impact on Parker’s return date, one way or the other.
“Tony will come back when he’s ready,” Popovich said, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “It’s got nothing to do with anybody else.”
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- With Murray playing well as the Spurs’ starting point guard, Parker was asked about the possibility of coming off the bench when he returns, as Young relays. Parker’s response? “Right now, I’m not even thinking about that. Right now, I just want to come back and play.”
- He’s no longer a member of the Spurs, but Jonathon Simmons – who signed with the Magic in the summer – still raves about everything he learned during his two seasons in San Antonio. John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com has the details, with the quotes from Simmons.
- After being the subject of trade rumors for much of the year, LaMarcus Aldridge unexpectedly reached an agreement on a contract extension with the Spurs earlier this month. Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post takes a closer look at how Aldridge and the Spurs mended their relationship, leading to the big man’s new deal.
Meyers Leonard Out 4-6 Weeks With Ankle Injury
Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard, who was in a walking boot in the team’s locker room on Thursday, underwent an MRI on his injured right ankle and got some good news and bad news. According to the Blazers (Twitter link via Casey Holdahl), Leonard avoided major structural damage, but a lateral ankle sprain will keep him sidelined for about four to six weeks.
Leonard suffered the injury on Wednesday, before Blazers practice officially got underway. He was participating in some one-on-one work with Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan when he landed awkwardly, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
“I went to block Zach’s shot and landed on his big old size 19’s,” Leonard said.
Leonard, who is in the second season of a lucrative four-year deal with the Blazers, has been struggling to work his way into the team’s regular rotation this season. Through five games, the 25-year-old center has played just 17 total minutes, appearing in two contests. Ed Davis has handled backup duties at center behind starter Jusuf Nurkic.
The Blazers should get a boost to their frontcourt depth soon, with Noah Vonleh aiming to return to the court next week. Outside of Leonard and Vonleh, both of Portland’s two-way players – Wade Baldwin and C.J. Wilcox – are also sidelined due to injuries.
Suns Explore Trading Chandler With Bledsoe
As they continue to seek out a viable trade involving disgruntled point guard Eric Bledsoe, the Suns are exploring ways to include Tyson Chandler in the same deal, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (via Twitter).
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders first reported earlier this week that the Suns appeared to be looking for deals involving Chandler. Kyler, who noted that both Chandler and Bledsoe were favorites of former head coach Earl Watson, wrote in his report that the “ideal scenario” for Phoenix would be to move the duo in the same trade.
Taking into account the stage the Suns are at in their rebuilding phase, it certainly makes sense to explore trading Chandler — at 35 years old, he seems unlikely to be part of the next contending team in Phoenix.
Still, it may be tricky for the Suns to attach Chandler to Bledsoe in a single trade. The two players are earning a combined $27.5MM this season, and most of Phoenix’s potential trade partners will have little interest in taking on extra money in a deal. That would mean finding a Bledsoe suitor with at least $27.5MM in salaries of their own to trade back to the Suns.
The Bucks, frequently cited as a team with interest in Bledsoe, may be the most logical match for a deal involving both players. Possible trade candidates on their roster include John Henson ($11.4MM), Mirza Teletovic ($10MM), Matthew Dellavedova ($9.6MM), and possibly even Greg Monroe ($17.9MM), so they could potentially figure out a package that lands them both Bledsoe and Chandler without pushing them into luxury tax territory. It’s not clear if the two teams are exploring that scenario though.
Like Bledsoe, Chandler has one additional guaranteed year on his contract beyond 2017/18. Both players will come off the books in the summer of 2019.
New York Notes: Hornacek, Ntilikina, Mozgov
A new management group is in place for the Knicks in the wake of Phil Jackson‘s departure in June, with Steve Mills having been promoted to the top job and Scott Perry brought in to have a significant voice in basketball decisions. Over the last few months, Mills and Perry have been making changes typical of a new front office, hiring or demoting executives and scouts, and retooling the roster by trading longtime star Carmelo Anthony.
However, the front office has yet to make any real changes on the sidelines, where head coach Jeff Hornacek continues to run the show. As Ian Begley of ESPN.com details, Knicks decision-makers want to see how Hornacek performed this season with Jackson no longer around to influence the team’s on-court decisions and systems. While Mills and Perry aren’t expecting the club to be a contender, they’d like to see improvement on defense and a strong effort from the current roster.
So far, the on-court results for Hornacek haven’t been good. After an 0-5 preseason, the Knicks are the NBA’s only winless team in the regular season, at 0-3. Additionally, as Begley details, it appears there are some players unfamiliar with some of the team’s plays. ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), meanwhile, hasn’t been impressed with the Knicks’ effort.
While Hornacek seems likely to get a longer leash in New York than Earl Watson – fired after three games – did in Phoenix, Perry “doesn’t want to waste time with the wrong people in place,” people familiar with his thinking tell Begley. If the Knicks’ lackadaisical showings continue, Hornacek’s seat figures to get very hot.
Here’s more from out of New York:
- Knicks first-round pick Frank Ntilikina has been limited to just eight minutes played so far this season due to an ankle injury, but he’s set to return to the court on Friday against the Nets, per Barbara Barker of Newsday. “I’m excited,” Ntilikina said. “First game at the Garden in the regular season. So yeah, I can’t wait to go out there.”
- Nets center Timofey Mozgov, in the second year of lucrative $64MM contract, is looking to expand his game and boost his value by developing a three-point shot. Scott Cacciola of The New York Times has the details.
- Much has been made of the positive Nets culture under GM Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson. Now, as Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate – the Long Island Nets – is attempting to emulate that culture.
- Earlier today, we passed along details on a major change to Nets ownership and published our recap of the Knicks‘ offseason.
What’s Next For Mirotic, Portis, Bulls?
After trading Jimmy Butler, waiving Rajon Rondo, and buying out Dwyane Wade, the Bulls appeared set to lay low this season, embarking on a full-fledged rebuild with virtually no pressure to win games in 2017/18. However, the franchise, plagued by on-court and off-court drama in recent years, couldn’t even make it to opening night without creating headlines again.
In this case, it was Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic at the center of the latest story out of Chicago. A tense scrimmage led to shoving between the two power forwards, which escalated to Portis throwing a punch that landed Mirotic in the hospital — he sustained a concussion and facial fractures.
The altercation resulted in an eight-game suspension for Portis, and Mirotic is expected to miss upwards of six weeks while he recovers from his injuries. But the saga didn’t end there.
Unsurprisingly, despite a token apology from Portis, there’s still tension between the two players. A report on Friday indicated that Mirotic, who has the ability to veto trades, may be willing to approve a deal out of Chicago, with one source suggesting that the situation may result in a “me or him” ultimatum.
The latest breakdown on the situation from BlogABull.com does a good job laying out why Mirotic may not be thrilled by the idea of remaining in Chicago. The Bulls didn’t exactly come down hard on Portis for punching a teammate, letting him continue to practice with the club during his relatively light suspension.
Additionally, Mirotic had barely been discharged from the hospital when the Bulls’ front office and coaches began insisting there was plenty of blame to go around, suggesting that Mirotic was at fault for escalating the altercation that left him with multiple broken bones in his face. It’s possible that’s true — only a handful of people saw it happen, so the rest of us have to take their word for it. But it certainly sounds like the Bulls are pushing a narrative that avoids vilifying Portis, the player whose “work ethic and commitment” they clearly prefer.
Given the Bulls’ apparent preference for Portis – and Mirotic’s reported desire for a deal, as Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago details – a trade of Mirotic seems like the most obvious solution to fixing the situation. It’s not that easy, however. Because he signed a new contract with the Bulls this offseason, one that met certain criteria related to his Bird rights, Mirotic isn’t eligible to be moved until January 15.
Would the Bulls trade Portis? According to Goodwill, they’ve spoken to at least one team about a possible deal, and are expected to remain active on that front over the next few days. As we detailed on Wednesday, Portis’ fourth-year team option is one of the 2018/19 rookie scale options that has yet to be exercised. Facing an October 31 deadline, the Bulls will have to make a call on that option within the next few days, which could have an impact on the trade market for Portis (though that impact should be minimal, considering the option is worth a modest $2.5MM).
I get the sense that the Bulls aren’t all-in on finding a taker for Portis, but it’s not clear what the team’s plan is. For now, with Portis suspended and Mirotic still recovering, there’s no rush for resolution. Still, Portis will only be out for four more games and Mirotic could be back on the court before the end of November, so it’s not a situation the Bulls should want to drag out either.
After an offseason which saw the mindset of the Bulls’ front office shift from contending to rebuilding, Gar Forman and John Paxson are facing their first major challenge of the new era in Chicago. It will be fascinating to see how they handle it.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
2017 Offseason In Review: New York Knicks
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the New York Knicks.
Signings:
- Tim Hardaway Jr.: Four years, $70.95MM. Fourth-year player option. Signed offer sheet; Hawks declined to match.
- Ron Baker: Two years, $8.872MM. Second-year player option.
- Michael Beasley: One year, minimum salary.
- Ramon Sessions: One year, minimum salary.
- Luke Kornet: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Jarrett Jack: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract.
- Xavier Rathan-Mayes: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Nigel Hayes: One year, minimum salary. $50K guarantee. (Waived)
- Trey Burke: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
- Jamel Artis: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Trades:
- Acquired the rights to hire Scott Perry from the Kings in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick and cash ($400K).
- Note: The 2019 second-round pick will be the second-most favorable of the Cavaliers’, Rockets’, and Magic’s selections.
- Acquired Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and the Bulls’ 2018 second-round pick from the Thunder in exchange for Carmelo Anthony.
Draft picks:
- 1-8: Frank Ntilikina — Signed to rookie contract
- 2-44: Damyean Dotson — Signed to three-year, $4.097MM contract. Third year not guaranteed.
- 2-58: Ognjen Jaramaz — Stashed overseas
Departing players:
- Carmelo Anthony
- Justin Holiday
- Maurice Ndour (waived)
- Marshall Plumlee (waived)
- Chasson Randle (waived)
- Derrick Rose
- Sasha Vujacic
Other offseason news:
- Fired president of basketball operations Phil Jackson.
- Promoted Steve Mills to president of basketball operations; hired Scott Perry as general manager.
- Hired Gerald Madkins as assistant GM; hired Craig Robinson as VP of player development and G League operations.
- Exercised 2018/19 team option on Kristaps Porzingis.
Salary cap situation:
- Used up cap room. Now operating over the cap, but under the tax line. Carrying approximately $102MM in guaranteed team salary. Only minimum salary exception available.
Check out the New York Knicks’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
Over the course of the last several seasons, it became abundantly clear that the Knicks’ worst enemy was on their own payroll. After a needlessly dramatic 2016/17 campaign, the club appeared destined to wallow in yet another campaign of cringe-worthy in-fighting and fascinating mismanagement.
Then president of basketball operations Phil Jackson resigned from his post.
In the weeks and months after Jackson was replaced by former team general manager Steve Mills, with Scott Perry coming aboard to step in as the new GM, the Knicks have regained some semblance of normalcy and it already appears as though the club is trending in a positive direction.
The Knicks may still be a long way from actually competing, even in the East, but they’ve amassed a semi-intriguing pile of assets. Sure, some of the club’s new core is raw and imperfect, and the roster that broke camp last week probably won’t be the one that ends New York’s playoff drought. But the current roster does feature several valued building blocks that the team’s revamped front office can actually work with heading forward.
The fact that the Knicks’ core players will no longer be alienated by their own employer is simply a bonus.
