Raptors Sign Norman Powell To Extension
OCTOBER 8, 10:22pm: The extension has been finalized, according to a tweet from the Raptors.
OCTOBER 5, 12:54pm: The Raptors have reached an agreement on a contract extension with swingman Norman Powell, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Wojnarowski, the deal – which will go into effect for the 2018/19 season – will be worth $42MM over four years, and includes a player option for the final season.
Powell, 24, is entering his third year in the NBA, but wasn’t a first-round pick when he entered the league, which makes him eligible for a contract extension a year earlier than many of his fellow 2015 draftees.
For a player in Powell’s position, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for an extension with a starting salary worth up to 120% of the estimated average salary, with subsequent 8% annual raises. It looks like that’s the deal he’ll get — Josh Richardson, another 2015 second-rounder, signed a similar extension with the Heat earlier in the offseason.
[RELATED: 2017 NBA Contract Extension Tracker]
A former UCLA standout, Powell took on a more significant role in his second season with the Raptors, averaging 8.4 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 76 regular season contests (18.0 MPG). Powell’s minutes increased following the February trade of Terrence Ross, and he was a key contributor in the postseason, upping his averages to 11.7 PPG and 3.1 RPG to go along with a .441 3PT% in nine playoff games.
With P.J. Tucker, DeMarre Carroll, and Cory Joseph among the offseason departures for the Raptors, Powell figures to become an even more crucial part of the club’s rotation going forward, giving him a chance to enjoy a breakout season in 2017/18. According to Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link), the Raps were concerned about being unable to afford Powell as a restricted free agent next summer and even quietly shopped him around prior to the draft — the team is likely thrilled to lock him up at a price just above the mid-level exception.
While the Raptors secured Powell at a fair price, the franchise will now have to worry about luxury tax payments in future seasons. Assuming Toronto picks up its 2018/19 options on Jakob Poeltl, Delon Wright, and Pascal Siakam, the team was already projected to have more than $115MM in guaranteed salary on its ’18/19 cap even before the Powell extension. Powell’s deal will add another $10MM to that total, pushing the Raps over the projected tax threshold.
If staying out of the tax – or even just creating more cap flexibility – is important to the Raptors, Masai Ujiri and the front office may push to eventually find a taker for Jonas Valanciunas, who is set to earn $16.5MM+ in 2018/19.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Adam Silver Discusses Playoff Re-Seeding
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the possibility of reformatting the playoffs without conference affiliations during a news conference today in Shanghai, China.
In a video posted on NBA.com, Silver said the main obstacle is the unbalanced schedule that the league currently has. All teams play 30 games against the opposing conference and 52 against their own, which the commissioner said would have to change to make an open playoff system equitable.
“Our feeling is if we are going to seed teams one through 16, we would need to play a balanced schedule to make it fair for everyone,” Silver said. “It may be as we continue to experiment with the number of days over which we can schedule 82 games that it will create more of an opportunity for a balanced schedule.”
Silver, who said earlier this week that “there’s nothing magical” about keeping an 82-game schedule, believes the league will eventually examine its entire format, from season length and playoff changes to possibly having teams located overseas.
Although nothing will likely happen soon, Silver indicated the league has a long-term goals of expanding international exposure and creating the fairest possible schedule and playoff system without overtaxing its players.
“Counterbalancing seeding the teams one through 16 is also the desire to create more rest for our players, and when possible reduce the amount of travel,” he said. “In adding the extra week to the regular season this year, we were able to eliminate completely four games out of five nights, which is I think the first time in the history of the league we were able to do that, plus we have back-to-backs at an all-time low. If we took the existing format and the additional schedule and seeded teams one through 16, we’ll be adding additional travel because you could have teams criss-crossing the country in the first round.”
Silver cited the WNBA playoffs, which are seeded without regard to conferences, as an example of the format working successfully. He also noted that the West has been a stronger conference for several years and promised that the the league will keep examining re-seeding possibilities.
Heat Notes: G League, Winslow, Whiteside, Williams
The Heat have passed the midway point of the preseason, which means a roster shakeup could be on the way, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. NBA rules state that players are eligible for an “affiliate” tag after spending half the preseason with a team. Winderman uses Erik McCree as an example, saying if he were to be waived now, then sign with another team and get waived again before the season opens, he would be assigned to Miami’s G League affiliate.
Waiving players once they pass the midway point and then signing replacements allows teams to create four affiliate spots for their G League franchises. The Heat pursued that strategy last year when they waived Stefan Jankovic and Keith Benson in the preseason, then signed Vashil Fernandez and Luis Montero, and all four wound up in Sioux Falls. In addition to McCree, Derrick Walton Jr., Matt Williams and Larry Drew II are eligible to join the Skyforce. Drew would be a returning player rather than an affiliate player, while Walton already has a two-way contract and will not count against the 15-man roster limit.
There’s more news out of Miami:
- Justise Winslow will find out soon if the extra time he has been spending with shooting consultant Rob Fodor is paying off, Winderman adds in a separate piece. The third-year forward has excelled in other areas, but shooting has been a persistent problem since he entered the league. He is a 40% career shooter from the field and 26% from 3-point range and is trying to bounce back from a torn labrum in his right shoulder that limited him to 18 games last season. “The way I see it in the basketball world, or just in general, God doesn’t give everyone everything,” Winslow said. “… And in the sense of basketball, once that thing gets figured out, there’s not much you could say I can’t do. I can bring the ball up. I can guard your best player. I can rebound. I can find my open shooters. I can push it on the break. So once that minor detail gets settled out, I think we’re going to have a very fun ride.”
- Hassan Whiteside is a traditional low-post center, but the Heat would like to see him expand his shooting range, Winderman adds in another story.
- Williams’ summer league performance gave him a shot to make the Heat roster, writes Mike Gramajo of The Miami Herald. The 23-year-old signed with Miami in late July after impressing the coaching staff with his performance during the summer. “It feels good just to know that my hard work is starting to pay off,” Williams said. “I’m with a great organization, and it couldn’t be better.”
Community Shootaround: 82-Game Season
As the NBA marks the 50th anniversary of its first 82-game season, Commissioner Adam Silver is giving indications that a shorter schedule is under consideration.
The league wants to expand its international exposure, possibly with an overseas franchise, which would mean longer flights and a greater physical toll on the players. The tradeoff may be fewer regular-season games to give teams more time to recover from intercontinental travel.
“There’s nothing magical about 82 games,” Silver told Sam Amick of USA Today. “It’s been in place for 50 years, but for the long-term planning of the league, as we learn more about the human body and the wear and tear of travel and the competitive landscape … invariably we’ll look at the regular season. And in looking at the regular season, it may create more opportunities for international franchises.”
Before the formation of the NBA in 1946, professionals used to play a schedule similar to college teams, with a few dozen games each year. The new league started with 11 teams each playing 60 games, explains Stayton Bonner of slate.com, then cut that to seven teams and 48 games in its second season. Eventually the owners settled on 82 for the 1967-68 season because it gave teams three games a week for roughly half the year.
But as Silver says, that number isn’t set in stone. Owners saw it as a level where ticket revenues would cover team salaries without creating too much of an injury risk for the players. The number has endured for five decades, but there’s no reason it can’t be changed if circumstances warrant it.
Andrew Wiggins Plans To ‘Eventually’ Sign Extension
With the October 16 deadline barely a week away, it’s not clear why Timberwolves star Andrew Wiggins hasn’t signed a five-year, $148MM extension, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
Minnesota made the offer two months ago in hopes of securing the former No. 1 pick for the long term. Wiggins mysteriously fired agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports two weeks later when the deal appeared to be complete and has yet to finalize the extension.
“I’m just taking it day by day, you know?” Wiggins said today. “There’s no rush to do it, yet. I’ve still got some time before the day before that first game.”
There appears to be no concern that Wiggins is pondering a future somewhere else, as he has said Minnesota is “definitely where I want to be.” The Timberwolves made serious upgrades to their roster over the offseason and are expected to compete for a playoff spot in the West for the first time since Wiggins joined the team.
Wiggins and the Wolves will wrap up a trip to China with a game against the Warriors on Sunday, and it sounds like he will wait until he returns home before addressing the extension.
“I’m just going to take it day by day,” he said. “There’s no rush to do it. We’re going through preseason and I’m all the way here in China.”
Hornets Notes: Batum, Lamb, Carter-Williams, Rookies
The Hornets should find out soon whether Nicolas Batum will require surgery for a torn ligament in his left elbow, relays Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Batum is projected to be sidelined six to eight weeks with the injury, which he suffered in a preseason game Wednesday. He will meet with a specialist Monday in Dallas to determine whether surgery is the best option.
Batum’s injury has been diagnosed as a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. He wore a wrap on the elbow at Friday’s practice and said he was relieved when X-rays showed there was no fracture. Although Batum described the injury as painful, he promised to return as quickly as possible. “When I put my arms up, I feel something,” he said. “If this were my shooting arm, it would be like a tragedy. It’s not and that’s good.”
There’s more out of Charlotte:
- Coach Steve Clifford plans to move Jeremy Lamb into the starting lineup during Batum’s absence, Bonnell writes in a separate piece. Lamb has made just a handful of starts during his first five seasons in the NBA, but he has been Charlotte’s top preseason scorer. “He’s worked so hard, and not just for two months — steady work since he’s gotten here,” Clifford said. “The more he’s worked, and the more he sees how his hard work is paying dividends, he’s notched it up even more. You get confidence when you work at a good pace. And now it’s all paying off for him.”
- Michael Carter-Williams reported no physical problems after his first scrimmage as a Hornet, Bonnell notes in another story. The former Rookie of the Year, who agreed to a one-year, $2.7MM deal this summer, wasn’t medically cleared until Friday because of patella tendon tears that required platelet-rich plasma treatments on both knees. The scrimmage was only half-court, but Carter-Williams found it encouraging. “It’s great to compete out there; it’s what I missed the most,” he said. “My timing is a little bit off. I need to get back to playing at the pace of this team. My knees have been fine.”
- The injury to Batum means first-round pick Malik Monk and second-rounder Dwayne Bacon may have to contribute sooner than expected, Bonnell writes in another piece. “That rookie stuff goes out the window at this point,” Kemba Walker told them.
Texas Notes: Gay, Paul, Harden, Withey
Rudy Gay was back on the court for the first time since January in Friday’s preseason game against the Kings, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio’s top free agent addition of the summer managed just four points in 18 minutes, but was happy that he felt no effects from the left Achilles tendon tear that ended his time with the Kings. “I’ve practiced pretty hard, just knowing I can get up there still, jump and be athletic,” Gay said. “It takes a lot of pressure off me.”
Gay got the start at small forward Friday and may continue in that role as long as Kawhi Leonard is sidelined with a right quadriceps issue. Gay has been a starter throughout his 11-year NBA career, but is expected to step into a reserve role once the team is at full strength.
There’s more today out of Texas:
- The Spurs‘ latest rookie project comes to the team with a desire to be a great defender, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Brandon Paul went undrafted out of Illinois in 2013 and has spent most of his career in Europe. The 26-year-old shooting guard signed a two-year deal with the Spurs in July with a one-season guarantee of $815,615. “Anybody can put the ball in the basket,” Paul said. “But in order to stick out, you’ve got to be able to play both ends of the floor.”
- Rockets star James Harden is engaged in a verbal battle with former coach Kevin McHale through the media. After McHale said on NBA TV this week that Harden is “not a leader,” the MVP runner-up responded today by calling McHale a “clown,” relays Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I did anything and everything he asked me to do,” Harden said. “I’ve tried to lead this team every day since I stepped foot here in Houston. To go on air and just downplay my name, when honestly he’s never taught me anything to be a leader … but I’ve done a great job. The organization, my coaches, you can ask any of those guys how I’ve worked extremely hard every single day to better [myself], obviously as a basketball player, but be a leader as well.”
- Mavericks center Jeff Withey has worked on his 3-point shooting to try to fit into coach Rick Carlisle’s system, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Withey signed a two-year contract worth nearly $3.4MM this summer, but only $350K of that is guaranteed. “We like his length, shot-blocking ability,” Carlisle said. “[Owner] Mark [Cuban] was really a key guy on this. He’d been studying him for a while. And he’s shown that he can knock in some perimeter shots from time to time.”
Chasson Randle Set To Play In Spain
OCTOBER 7, 4:24pm: Randle has signed a one-year deal with Real Madrid, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
OCTOBER 2, 9am: A week after being waived by the Knicks, point guard Chasson Randle appears to have secured a new job. According to a report from Spanish outlet Gigantes (English link via Orazio Cauchi of Sportando), Randle will sign with Real Madrid for the coming season.
Randle, a former Stanford standout, went undrafted in 2015 and began his professional career with a Czech team in 2015/16. Last season, Randle bounced around between a pair of Atlantic division clubs. After spending the preseason with the Knicks, he was waived and later caught on with the Sixers. When Philadelphia waived him, the 24-year-old returned to the Knicks to finish the year.
In 26 total NBA games last season, Randle averaged 5.3 PPG and 1.3 APG in 11.5 minutes per contest. He had been set to open camp with the Knicks, but when the club acquired two players in exchange for Carmelo Anthony last week, an extra roster spot was required, and Randle was cut.
If and when Randle finalizes a deal with Real Madrid, he’ll be playing alongside former NBA players like Anthony Randolph, Gustavo Ayon, and Jeffery Taylor. He’ll also be teammates with top prospect Luka Doncic.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 9/30/17 – 10/7/17
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team compiles original content to complement our news feed. Here are our segments and features from the past seven days:
- Our Offseason in Review series, which sees us looking back at the biggest stories and roster moves of each team’s summer, continued this week with breakdowns of the following clubs:
- NBA teams have completed 39 trades this offseason, with all but one club involved in at least one deal. We examined the teams that made the most – and least – trades since the end of the 2016/17 season.
- There are a record-high 26 teams with G League affiliates this season, but that leaves four clubs without a squad of their own. Here’s what that means for those four clubs.
- We polled Hoops Rumors readers this week on the projected 2017/18 win totals for the Mavericks, Lakers, Magic, Pacers, Knicks, and Suns.
- Our Community Shootaround discussion topics this week were as follows:
- How long will the Thunder‘s new Big Three stay together?
- Which teams are you most excited to watch this season?
- Do you agree with the results of the annual NBA GM survey?
- In his weekly mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions on the Spurs‘ outlook, LeBron James‘ future, and more. If you have a question you’d like to see included in the next installment of our mailbag, drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
Jazz Waive Taylor Braun
Less than two weeks after signing Taylor Braun to a training camp deal, the Jazz have waived the swingman, according to the team’s website.
The North Dakota State product appeared in two games for Utah this preseason. He saw just four minutes of action, scoring a total of four points.
Utah’s roster now sits at 19 and the team has two more preseason games before it has to make further roster cuts.