Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Knicks, Hernangomez, Wright
Markelle Fultz‘s NBA career is off to an unusual start. After playing through shoulder pain for the first few games of the regular season, Fultz has been shut down by the Sixers for at least the next three contests after comments made by his agent to ESPN.
Given how cautions the Sixers have been in recent years with top picks, it’s fair to wonder why Fultz was on the court at all to start the year. However, as Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia relays, president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo insists there’s no structural damage to Fultz’s shoulder and that he was medically cleared to play.
Colangelo also suggested that Fultz’s shoulder pain may have been caused by the changes the rookie made to his shot mechanics, a hypothesis rejected by Fultz’s trainer, Keith Williams. Speaking to Sam Amick of USA Today, Williams stressed that the Sixers guard altered his jump shot as a way of coping with his shoulder pain, and that there would have been no reason to change his mechanics otherwise.
It’s an odd situation, one that Derek Bodner of The Athletic spent more than 3,500 words trying to sort out. In Bodner’s view, the statements from the Sixers and from Fultz’s camp don’t make sense unless there are nuggets of truth on both sides — perhaps the No. 1 overall pick slightly altered his shooting mechanics and his shoulder issue made things worse, forcing further changes to his form.
While we wait to see if Fultz can get healthy and recover his jump shot, let’s round up a few more Atlantic notes…
- Acquiring Eric Bledsoe would be a classic Knicks move, and that’s not a good thing, argues Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney, who says a trade for Bledsoe would be ill-advised, suggests the club appears satisfied to be patient with its rebuild and avoid a deal for now.
- Without Carmelo Anthony on the roster to provide “automatic offense,” the Knicks are struggling this season to adjust to Jeff Hornacek‘s new, post-triangle offense, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
- In a separate article for The New York Post, Berman explores what Willy Hernangomez has to do to get back into the Knicks‘ rotation. Berman also notes that Joakim Noah will certainly have a role when he returns from his suspension, further crowding the frontcourt picture.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca takes an in-depth look at Delon Wright‘s path to the NBA and has development into a reliable bench player for the Raptors. As Grange notes, Toronto’s confidence in Wright – who will be extension-eligible in the 2018 offseason – allowed the team to trade backup point guard Cory Joseph to Indiana this summer.
2017 Offseason In Review: San Antonio Spurs
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 San Antonio Spurs.
Signings:
- Pau Gasol: Three years, $48.8MM. Third year not guaranteed.
- Patty Mills: Four years, $48MM.
- Rudy Gay: Two years, $17.232MM. Second-year player option.
- Manu Ginobili: Two years, $5MM.
- Joffrey Lauvergne: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year player option.
- Brandon Paul: Two years, minimum salary. Second year not guaranteed.
- Matt Costello: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
- Darrun Hilliard: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Amida Brimah: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine. (Waived)
- London Perrantes: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Trades:
- None
Draft picks:
- 1-29: Derrick White — Signed to rookie contract
- 2-59: Jaron Blossomgame — Signed G League contract
Extensions:
- LaMarcus Aldridge: Two years, $50MM (based on reported terms). Second year partially guaranteed for $7MM. Exercised 2018/19 player option as part of agreement. Extension starts in 2019/20.
Departing players:
Other offseason news:
- Tony Parker sidelined until at least November with quad injury.
- Exercised 2018/19 team option on Dejounte Murray.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating over the cap, but under the tax line. Carrying approximately $115MM in guaranteed team salary. Full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) still available.
Check out the San Antonio Spurs’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
During their historic stretch of success over the last couple decades, the Spurs have typically added core players through the draft, delving into free agency primarily for complementary pieces. However, a year after going out and signing Pau Gasol to a lucrative deal, San Antonio appeared poised to make an even bigger splash in 2017, with multiple June reports suggesting the club had serious interest in Chris Paul.
In order to have a serious shot at Paul in free agency, the Spurs would have had to overhaul their roster to a certain extent. LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green would have been trade candidates, and free-agent-to-be Patty Mills likely wouldn’t have been back. Before the Spurs had a chance to see if those drastic changes would be possible though, a Southwest rival swooped in and beat them to the punch, as the Rockets traded for Paul three days before the free agent period began.
With no shot at acquiring CP3, the Spurs scrapped their efforts to create cap space, opting instead to remain over the cap, bring back their primary contributors, and make tweaks to the edges of their roster. In other words, it was a fairly typical offseason for San Antonio.
The Spurs were the only NBA team that didn’t make a trade during the offseason, and they brought back 11 of their 15 players from their end-of-season roster. Considering the team didn’t come close to knocking off the Warriors in the postseason, it’s fair to question why Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford didn’t do anything more drastic in an attempt to shift the balance of power in the Western Conference.
But let’s not forget that the Spurs got off to a great start in Game 1 of the Western Finals last season before an injury to MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard changed the course of the series. If the Spurs entered that series thinking they had a real chance against Golden State, there’s no reason to think the club won’t hold that belief again this year, having brought back most of its key pieces.
Damjan Rudez To Play In Spain
Veteran NBA forward Damjan Rudez will make his next stop in Spain, having officially signed a contract with Valencia, the team announced today (via Twitter). The deal has been confirmed by Rudez’ agency, Octagon Basketball Europe (Twitter link). According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, it’s a three-month pact for Rudez.
Rudez, 31, began his professional career in Europe, playing for a variety of clubs in Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, and his home country of Croatia before making the jump to the NBA in 2014. The 6’8″ forward appeared in 68 games for the Pacers during the 2014/15 season, averaging 4.8 PPG and shooting 40.6% on three-pointers in a part-time role for the club.
However, following his single season in Indiana, Rudez struggled to find regular minutes for the Timberwolves in 2015/16 and for the Magic last season. After being invited to camp with Orlando again this season, the veteran forward was cut from the club’s preseason roster, prompting him to head back to Croatia to train and stay in shape as he sought out his next opportunity.
Rudez will be joining a Valencia squad that also features former NBA players Tibor Pleiss and Erick Green, who have been the team’s leading scorers early in the 2017/18 season.
Cavs Notes: LeBron, Nets’ Pick, Rose, Green
While the LeBron James rumor mill hasn’t really picked up in earnest yet, there has already been plenty of speculation about where he’ll sign when he becomes a free agent in 2018, and it’s a storyline that figures to pick up steam over the course of the season.
Over at SI.com, Richard Deitsch takes an early look at James’ options, soliciting opinions from basketball writers like Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, Michael Lee of The Vertical, Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, and more. Asked to predict LeBron’s 2018 landing spot, Beck stresses that no one knows yet where the four-time MVP will play next season, but the group overwhelmingly votes in favor of the Lakers, with the Cavaliers as the runner-up.
Meanwhile, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) also explores the LeBron sweepstakes in a roundabout way, examining which clubs will have the cap flexibility next summer to make a run at a maximum-salary free agent. While teams like the Sixers, Mavericks, Hawks, and Bulls project to have significant cap room, no team will have more room than the Lakers, who could potentially open up two max-salary slots with a little help.
Here’s more on the Cavs:
- After losing to the Nets on Wednesday night, James points out to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder – currently held by the Cavs – “might not even be that good of a pick.” Given the Nets’ record over the last couple seasons, their unprotected 2018 first-rounder was considered the crown jewel of the Cavs’ trade with the Celtics this summer, but Brooklyn is off to a good start this season, with a 3-2 record. “We’re running around here worrying about getting the Brooklyn pick, they might want our pick,” said head coach Tyronn Lue.
- The Cavaliers are giving Derrick Rose what the Knicks didn’t last season, according to Alex Squadron of The New York Post, who explains that Lue’s offensive system gives the former MVP far more freedom than he ever had in the triangle. “Coach Lue and the team have been doing a great job of letting me play the way that I want to play,” Rose said. “So I can’t complain at all.”
- Lue hopes to get Rose – who has been sidelined with an ankle injury – back in the lineup on Saturday, per Ashish Mathur of AmicoHoops.net.
- Moves like the Kyrie Irving trade and the Dwyane Wade signing overshadowed the Cavs’ offseason signing of Jeff Green, but the team is relying upon the veteran forward to be a defensive stopper early in the season, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details.
2017 Offseason In Review: Boston Celtics
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 Boston Celtics.
Signings:
- Gordon Hayward: Four years, $127.83MM (30% maximum salary). Fourth-year player option.
- Aron Baynes: One year, $4.328MM.
- Daniel Theis: Two years, minimum salary. Second year not guaranteed.
- Shane Larkin: One year, minimum salary.
- Kadeem Allen: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed.
- Jabari Bird: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Jonathan Holmes: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Devin Williams: One, year minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Andrew White: One, year minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- L.J. Peak: One, year minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Daniel Dixon: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
- Daniel Ochefu: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Trades:
- Acquired the No. 3 overall pick and the Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick (top-1 protected and 6-30 protected) from the Sixers in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick.
- Note: If Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick doesn’t convey, Celtics will instead acquire more favorable of Kings’ and Sixers’ 2019 first-round picks (top-1 protected).
- Acquired Marcus Morris from the Pistons in exchange for Avery Bradley and the Pistons’ own 2019 second-round pick.
- Acquired Kyrie Irving from the Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, and the Heat’s 2020 second-round pick.
Draft picks:
- 1-3: Jayson Tatum — Signed to rookie contract
- 2-37: Semi Ojeleye — Signed to four-year, $6.042MM contract. Second year partially guaranteed ($902K). Third year not guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- 2-53: Kadeem Allen — Signed to two-way contract
- 2-56: Jabari Bird — Signed to two-way contract
Draft-and-stash signings:
- Guerschon Yabusele (2016; No. 16) — Signed to rookie contract.
- Ante Zizic (2016; No. 23) — Signed to rookie contract.
- Note: Later traded to the Cavaliers.
- Abdel Nader (2016; No. 58) — Signed to four-year, $5.917MM contract. Second year partially guaranteed ($450K). Third year not guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Departing players:
- Avery Bradley
- Jae Crowder
- Gerald Green
- Demetrius Jackson (waived)
- Jonas Jerebko
- Amir Johnson
- Jordan Mickey (waived)
- Kelly Olynyk
- Isaiah Thomas
- James Young
- Tyler Zeller (waived)
Other offseason news:
- Paul Pierce signed a one-day contract to officially retire as a Celtic.
- Marcus Morris acquitted on aggravated assault charges.
Salary cap situation:
- Used up cap room. Now operating over the cap, but under the tax line. Carrying approximately $110MM in guaranteed team salary. Only minimum salary exception available.
Check out the Boston Celtics’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
While many considered the Celtics to be a legitimate threat to land Gordon Hayward this summer, especially due to his relationship with Celtics coach Brad Stevens, it’s doubtful anybody suspected the blockbuster trade between the Celtics and the Cavaliers that led to Kyrie Irving donning a Boston uniform this season. In addition to those two acquisitions, the Celtics traded the No. 1 overall draft pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick and an additional future first-rounder that projects to be a strong pick.
Hayward only met with three different teams, the Jazz, Heat, and Celtics, with his decision ultimately coming down to Utah or Boston. After an initial report by ESPN that Hayward had selected the Celtics, Hayward’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, publicly and forcefully denied that a decision had been made, worrying the Celtics that the premature report may cause Hayward to change his mind and return to Utah. Fortunately for the C’s, that was not the case, and Hayward announced later that night that he was leaving Utah for Boston.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, Hayward’s arrival meant the need to rework their roster to ensure they would have enough cap room to make a max-salary offer to Hayward. The Celtics ultimately ended up trading starter Avery Bradley and his $8.8MM salary to Boston in exchange for Marcus Morris and his $5MM cap hit, thereby clearing the necessary room to accommodate Hayward’s first-year salary.
Then, despite a career year in which Isaiah Thomas averaged 28.9 PPG and played through the death of his sister and a torn labrum in his hip, the Celtics traded him to Cleveland, along with fellow starter Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s coveted 2018 first-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick, in exchange for Irving. Read more
Kings Notes: Cousins, Fox, Bogdanovic
Count TNT analyst and former Kings star Chris Webber in as a supporter of former King DeMarcus Cousins, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Webber, a five time All-Star, says he can relate to the emotions Cousins will likely feel when he steps on the court in Sacramento tomorrow night for the first time since being traded to New Orleans last season.
Webber also blames the Kings for the way they handled Cousins during his time in Sacramento, stating that forcing Cousins to endure six head coaches in his six-plus seasons is “just downright wrong” and an example of what needs fixing with the Kings organization.
There’s more from Sacramento:
- Despite Cousins’ comments that he “should have left (Sacramento) when (he) had the chance,” the Kings still plan on honoring Cousins during Thursday night’s game against New Orleans, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.
- Although they’re playing together for the first time, Kings rookies De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic have already begun to click with each other on the court, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Bogdanovic missed the first three games of the season, but scored 12 points in his NBA debut, and given his overseas experience, Fox was not the least bit surprised. “We don’t even look at him as a rookie. He just talks like he’s a vet,” Fox shared. “He hasn’t been in the NBA but he’s been a pro for so long so he knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s kind of like my vet on the court.”
- In an interesting article for Sactown Royalty, Bradley Geiser writes that the Kings deserve to lose to New Orleans “in embarrassing fashion” on Thursday night because of, among other reasons, the timing and secretive method of Cousins’ trade to New Orleans during All-Star festivities last season after the Kings publicly declaring their loyalty to Cousins just a week earlier.
Deadline Nearing For 2018/19 Rookie Scale Option Decisions
Halloween isn’t as important a date on the NBA calendar as it once was, but is still features one important deadline: October 31 is the last day for teams to exercise 2018/19 team options on players’ rookie scale contracts.
The standard NBA rookie contract for first-round picks includes two guaranteed years, followed by third- and fourth-year team options. Rather than waiting until the end of the season to make a call on those options though, teams are required to make their decisions a year early.
If an option for 2018/19 is exercised this month, that player’s salary for next year will become fully guaranteed. If the option is declined, it will ensure that the player becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, and it’ll limit the club’s ability to re-sign him.
As our tracker shows, many teams have already exercised their rookie scale team options for 2018/19. And of those that haven’t yet been exercised, some are no-brainers — the 76ers haven’t officially picked up Ben Simmons‘ third-year option yet, but it’s not like there’s any debate over whether they’ll eventually do so.
[RELATED: Five Looming Team Option Decisions To Watch]
Still, not every option is a lock to be exercised. The full list of option decisions we’re waiting on can be found below, sorted by cap hits. Teams have until next Tuesday to make their decisions.
Fourth-year options:
- Jahlil Okafor, Sixers ($6,313,832)
- Mario Hezonja, Magic ($5,167,231)
- Willie Cauley-Stein, Kings ($4,696,875)
- Frank Kaminsky, Hornets ($3,627,842)
- Cameron Payne, Bulls ($3,263,294)
- Terry Rozier, Celtics ($3,050,390)
- Rashad Vaughn, Bucks ($2,901,565)
- Sam Dekker, Clippers ($2,760,095)
- Jerian Grant, Bulls ($2,639,314)
- Justin Anderson, Sixers ($2,516,048)
- Bobby Portis, Bulls ($2,494,346)
- Jarell Martin, Grizzlies ($2,416,222)
- Josh Huestis, Thunder ($2,243,326)
- Chris McCullough, Wizards ($2,243,326)
- Kevon Looney, Warriors ($2,227,081)
Third-year options:
- Ben Simmons, Sixers ($6,434,520)
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics ($5,169,960)
- Kris Dunn, Bulls ($4,221,000)
- Buddy Hield, Kings ($3,833,760)
- Thon Maker, Bucks ($2,799,720)
- Dario Saric, Sixers ($2,526,840)
- Georgios Papagiannis, Kings ($2,400,480)
- Denzel Valentine, Bulls ($2,280,600)
- Malachi Richardson, Kings ($1,569,360)
- Brice Johnson, Clippers ($1,544,951)
- Damian Jones, Warriors ($1,544,951)
- Skal Labissiere, Kings ($1,544,951)
- Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Sixers ($1,544,951)
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Pacific Notes: Jackson, Ball, Clippers, Suns
Suns rookie Josh Jackson was fined $35K for making a “menacing” gesture towards a Los Angeles Clippers fan this past weekend, it was announced yesterday by NBA executive Kiki VanDeWeghe. While it appeared that Jackson was mimicking a gun with his hand gesture toward the fan, he explained that was not the case, but rather that he a“kind of wanted to put up the middle finger to him but … didn’t do that because I felt like I was … being watched, so I kind of halfway did it.” Clearly, the NBA didn’t buy his explanation.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/25/17
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
5:35pm:
- Bryant’s stint with the South Bay Lakers (noted below) was a brief one. He has already been recalled by the Lakers (Twitter link).
5:17pm:
- As we detailed earlier today, the Spurs have officially assigned Tony Parker to the G League as part of his rehab process. According to the club, Parker practiced with the Austin Spurs today and will do so again on Friday. The veteran point guard is recovering from surgery on his left quadriceps.
- After sending him to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers earlier this week, the Rockets have recalled Troy Williams, the team announced today (Twitter link). Williams may help provide some small forward depth for Houston with Trevor Ariza expected to miss at least the next three games.
- The Lakers have assigned rookie big man Thomas Bryant to the G League, according to the team. Bryant, who will join the South Bay Lakers, has yet to make his regular season NBA debut after being drafted 42nd overall this year.
Community Shootaround: Best Fit For Eric Bledsoe
The NBA offseason featured a parade of trade candidates eventually finding new homes, with Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, and Carmelo Anthony among the All-Star players who were dealt. In the wake of Oklahoma City’s acquisition of Anthony, it seemed like the trade market may be quiet for a couple months, but a five-word tweet from Eric Bledsoe (“I don’t wanna be here”) changed all that earlier this week.
In the three days since Bledsoe’s now-infamous tweet, the Suns have sent him home and begun exploring potential trades, though public comments made by general manager Ryan McDonough on the situation aren’t exactly buoying the point guard’s trade value.
While there still seems to be a significant gap between what the Suns are looking for in exchange for Bledsoe and what potential suitors are willing to offer, a number of possible landing spots have emerged. According to various reports, the Nuggets, Bucks, and Knicks are among the clubs with interest in Bledsoe.
Several other teams have also been linked to the point guard, including the Magic, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Sixers, Pacers, and Spurs. However, most of those potential trade partners for Phoenix appear to be based more on speculation than on anything concrete.
The Suns have some excess cap room and they aren’t in any rush to win now, so they have some flexibility when it comes to finding a deal for Bledsoe and his $14.5MM salary. But it may be tricky to find a package they feel gives them fair value. While Bledsoe put up big numbers last season, averaging 21.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 4.8 RPG, he has battled injuries throughout his career, and this season’s saga has raised questions about his ability to handle difficult situations.
What do you think? Which team do you think would be the best fit for Bledsoe, and which club could offer the Suns the best package? What sort of return do you think the Suns should be happy with for Bledsoe?
Jump into our comment section below to share your thoughts!