Warriors Notes: Thompson, DVEs, Curry, Crawford
Klay Thompson was recently asked on The Athletic’s podcast about whether he’d be willing to accept any sort of discount to remain with the Warriors on his next contract, and the veteran sharpshooter suggested he’d be open to it. As Tim Kawakami of The Athletic notes, it’s not a surprise that Thompson would be willing to entertain a somewhat team-friendly deal, since he’s not inclined to be the player who blows up a potential Warriors dynasty.
Thompson’s free agency is still two years away, so it’s not like a decision is required of him right away, but for their part, the Warriors are appreciative of his sentiment, says Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News.
“Our guys know how special this era is. I think that’s the main thing Klay is trying to express,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “This is a pretty special era. We know this isn’t going to last for a long time. We’d like to be part of it and also know how special it is to be a part of it. That means more than money. That doesn’t mean you’re going to give up everything. But you do what you can to make a living and make the best living you can and best life that you can. Whatever balance that is, that’s what guys are going to do.”
Here’s more from out of the Bay Area:
- Danny Leroux of The Athletic explains how the Designated Veteran Extension rule – which gives players an early shot at the full 35% max – could have an impact on Thompson and Draymond Green. Teams are limited to two DVEs on their roster, and Stephen Curry already has one of the two for Golden State. Still, Kevin Durant won’t require a DVE because he already has 10 years worth of NBA experience, and I’d be surprised if both Thompson and Green prove worthy of that significant an offer down the road. I wouldn’t expect it to become an issue for the Dubs.
- As the Warriors prepared for the offseason in the spring, owner Joe Lacob was considering offering Curry a contract worth less than the max in free agency, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. GM Bob Myers kept Lacob from bringing that reduced offer to the negotiating table, according to Thompson, and Curry ultimately ended up with a five-year max deal.
- Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), Jamal Crawford confirmed that he received some early interest from the Warriors when he reached the free agent market this offseason. However, it didn’t go anywhere.
2017 Offseason In Review: Philadelphia 76ers
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 Philadelphia 76ers.
Signings:
- J.J. Redick: One year, $23MM.
- Amir Johnson: One year, $11MM.
- James McAdoo: Two-way contract. One year, $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- James Blackmon Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Kris Humphries: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract with exhibit nine.
- Jacob Pullen: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract.
- Emeka Okafor: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract with exhibit nine.
Trades:
- Acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Celtics in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick and the Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick (top-1 protected and 6-30 protected).
- 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 the draft rights to Anzejs Pasecniks (No. 25 pick) from the Magic in exchange for the Thunder’s 2020 first-round pick (top-20 protected) and the less favorable of the Knicks’ and Nets’ 2020 second-round picks.
- Note: Thunder pick is top 20-protected through 2022. If it doesn’t convey, Magic will instead acquire Thunder’s 2022 and 2023 second-round picks.
- Acquired the Rockets’ 2018 second-round pick and cash ($100K) from the Rockets in exchange for Shawn Long.
- Acquired cash ($3.2MM) from the Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Jawun Evans (No. 39 pick).
- Acquired cash ($1.9MM) from the Bucks in exchange for the draft rights to Sterling Brown (No. 46 pick).
Draft picks:
- 1-1: Markelle Fultz — Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-25: Anzejs Pasecniks — Stashed overseas.
- 2-36: Jonah Bolden — Stashed overseas.
- 2-50: Mathias Lessort — Stashed overseas.
Draft-and-stash signings:
- Furkan Korkmaz (2016; No. 26) — Signed to rookie contract.
Departing players:
- Gerald Henderson (waived)
- Shawn Long
- Alex Poythress
- Sergio Rodriguez
- Tiago Splitter
Other offseason news:
- Hired Elton Brand as the general manager of the Delaware 87ers, their G League affiliate.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating under the cap and under the salary floor. Currently have about $15MM in cap space, plus full room exception ($4.328MM) still available.
Check out the Philadelphia 76ers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
Gone are the days of tanking, salary cap manipulation, and Philadelphians routing for their team to sink further down in the standings. Here are the nights of watching budding talent, employing a full squad of NBA players, and spotting Joel Embiid running down one-way streets in the City of Brotherly Love.
After years of intentionally taking steps back – or at least making no effort to move up in the standings – the Sixers are set to head into the 2017/18 season with a team that should be competitive in a weakened Eastern Conference. President of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo entered the offseason with plenty of flexibility and he completed an impressive series of summer moves without sacrificing that flexibility for the future.
Bucks Waive James Young
10:29pm: The Bucks have officially requested waivers on Young, the team announced in a tweet.
9:35pm: Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters he expects James Young to be released tonight, tweets Matt Velasquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kidd said Young will likely join the Bucks’ G League affiliate if he clears waivers.
Young, 22, agreed to a training camp contract with Milwaukee four weeks ago. He had been searching for a new team since the Celtics elected not to re-sign him after the end of last season, playing for the Pelicans in the summer league and attending a free agent mini-camp conducted by the Bucks.
A first-round pick by Boston in 2014, Young spent most of his time in the G League, appearing in just 89 NBA games over three seasons. The 6’6″ shooting guard got into 29 games last year and averaged 2.3 points per night.
Milwaukee has the maximum of 20 players in camp, so there will be one opening if Young does get released. The Bucks have just 14 guaranteed contracts, so there’s an opportunity for one of the non-guaranteed players to make the roster.
L.A. Notes: Griffin, Rivers, Bogut, Ball
The Clippers enjoyed their trip to Hawaii both on and off the court, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. split a pair of games with the Raptors, and the players believe the experience helped to unify a team that lost Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford over the summer.
There was good news regarding star forward Blake Griffin, who was able to play without any lingering effects from surgery on his right big toe in May. Milos Teodosic showed off the passing that made him highly sought after in Europe, Patrick Beverley brought the hard-nosed defense that was his calling card in Houston and Lou Williams showed he can replace Crawford’s scoring off the bench. Also, the Lob City swagger lives on without Paul. “I don’t think we ever lost that,” said DeAndre Jordan. “We’ve got guys who can make passes like that. We’ve got myself, Blake, Willie [Reed], Montrezl [Harrell], guys like that rolling and able to play above the rim.”
There’s more tonight from Los Angeles:
- The only bad news for the Clippers is on the injury front, Turner adds. Austin Rivers “is going to be out for a while” after straining a right gluteal muscle in the first game, said coach Doc Rivers.
- Veteran center Andrew Bogut believes his young Lakers teammates can benefit from his experience, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Bogut signed a one-year, partially guaranteed deal with the Lakers last month as he tries to prove he can come back from a tibia fracture he suffered in March. He is projected as a backup to Brook Lopez, one of the few veterans on the squad. “I have been through pretty much everything in this league, especially injury-wise, and been on championship teams, winningest teams, crappiest teams, teams with a lot of turnovers,” Bogut said. “I have seen everything.”
- Rookie point guard Lonzo Ball has already become the face of the Lakers, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. The team has a lot invested in the overall No. 2 pick, who impressed his older teammates with his performance in camp. L.A. has lost at least 55 games in each of the past four seasons and needs the 19-year-old to emerge as a leader. “The way he plays the game of basketball, everywhere he goes … if he went to a rec center, people would follow him because he makes people better,” said coach Luke Walton. “That’s what great leaders do.”
Texas Notes: Curry, Parker, Anthony, Paul
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is leaning toward Seth Curry as his opening-night starter at shooting guard, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Curry is competing for the position with Yogi Ferrell, who has been working with the first team in practice alongside rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. Regardless, Carlisle says Curry “probably” has the edge for the starting position. “I’ve just been real impressed with him the first week and right now, it makes sense,” the coach said. “I’m not saying it’s 100 percent. But we need a consistent scorer and a guy who can guard that position and he’s continued to make strides.”
Curry started 42 of his 70 games a year ago in his first season with Dallas, averaging 12.8 points and 2.7 assists per game. He led the team on a second-half surge after joining the starting lineup in January. Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews are expected to join Curry and Smith as the opening-night starting five.
There’s more NBA news out of Texas:
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich offered a health update on Tony Parker, saying the injured point guard could be ready to return in December, relays Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Parker received partial medical clearance last week for training camp and expressed hope that he could return in November from the torn quadriceps tendon that knocked him out of the playoffs. Parker has been approved for weight work, running and shooting, but not for any contact drills. “I think he’s going to be ahead of schedule,” Popovich said. “I kept thinking he might be ready in January or something. He might be ready in December. He’s come along really well.”
- After listening to Carmelo Anthony trade rumors all summer, the Rockets are ready to move on, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston was considered the likely landing spot for Anthony right up until he was traded to Oklahoma City. However, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who once coached Anthony in New York, said talks never got far enough that he expected him to join the team. “We’re human. We think about possibilities,” D’Antoni said. “If we can get that guy, look at this. Then reality sets in. I found out if I go play a little bit more golf and quit thinking about it, I’m better off.”
- Chris Paul has no doubt that he and James Harden can be an effective backcourt combination for the Rockets, relays Michael Lee of The Vertical. Paul forced a trade from the Clippers over the summer, telling the team he planned to opt out and sign with Houston if it didn’t deal him. “It was definitely time for a change,” Paul said.
Community Shootaround: GMs’ Predictions
Earlier today, we shared the results of an annual survey of NBA general managers offering their predictions for the upcoming season.
Few of their forecasts were surprising. Twenty-eight of the 30 GMs like the Warriors to repeat as champions, with the other two votes going to the Cavaliers. LeBron James was the MVP pick of half the GMs, followed by Kevin Durant at 29% and Kawhi Leonard at 11%.
In other major categories:
- Paul George was chosen as the offseason acquisition most likely to make the biggest impact with 59% of the vote. The Thunder acquired the four-time All-Star in a trade with the Pacers just before the start of free agency.
- Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns was chosen by 29% as the player they would most like to build a franchise around. The Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo was close behind at 21%.
- Paul Millsap‘s signing with the Nuggets is the most underrated acquisition of the offseason at 24%, followed by the Pistons‘ trade for Avery Bradley (17%).
- Mavericks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. was chosen as the biggest steal of the draft (37%), with Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball the favorite to be named Rookie of the Year (62%).
- The GMs picked the Wolves as the most improved team with 69% of the vote, far ahead of the second-place Sixers (17%).
That’s what the insiders think, but now we want to hear from you. In which of these categories did the GMs get it wrong, and who will the real winners be? Please share your thoughts in the space below. We look forward to your responses.
Cavaliers Notes: Green, Shumpert, Lue, Patterson
After 10 seasons in the NBA, Jeff Green couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play for a championship contender, relays Joe Gabriele of NBA.com. Green took a substantial pay cut to join the Cavaliers, dropping his salary from $15MM last season to the veterans minimum of $2.3MM. He is also relegated to a reserve role, with LeBron James cemented as the team’s starting small forward, but Green said the shot at a ring makes the sacrifices worthwhile.
“That was what I was looking for and that’s what came to my sight – that there was an opportunity here,” said Green, who is with his sixth NBA team. “So I was thankful for it and I couldn’t pass it up; the opportunity was there and I jumped on it. It wasn’t a matter of timing or when it happened. It was just when I got the call and thought about it. And I didn’t have to think long. I wrote down the pros and cons of what I wanted. And this situation fit every ‘pro’ on that list.”
There’s more news out of Cleveland:
- Coach Tyronn Lue reassured Iman Shumpert about his future with the team following an offseason filled with trade rumors, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavaliers came close to shipping Shumpert to Houston in early July, but the Rockets pulled out of the deal after signing P.J. Tucker. Cleveland continued to search for a trade, but the right partner never emerged. Shumpert was frustrated by the reports and shared that sentiment with Lue in a pre-camp meeting. He was also upset about the way his role diminished late in the season and into the playoffs. Shumpert has a player option on his $11MM salary for next season and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
- Shumpert needs to become more reliable on offense before the Cavs will trust him against the Warriors, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Shumpert was a non-factor as Cleveland’s season ended in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, getting off the bench for less than four minutes. He has vowed to contribute more on the offensive end of the court, but with a turnover rate of 19% in transition, Lloyd cautions that might not be best for the team.
- Andrae Patterson, formerly with Utah’s front office, will join the Cavaliers as director of basketball administration, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The 41-year-old had a brief NBA career with the Timberwolves and played nine seasons in Europe.
Magic’s Adreian Payne Suffers Fracture To Left Hand
Magic power forward Adreian Payne fractured a bone in his left hand during today’s practice, the team tweeted. The injury was to the fourth metacarpal, and team doctors aren’t sure how long Payne will be sidelined.
Payne is in his first season with Orlando after signing a two-way contract in August. He spent the past two years with the Timberwolves, but only played 18 NBA games last season. He missed nearly two months because of thrombocytopenia (low platelet count).
Drafted 15th overall by Atlanta in 2014, Payne spent most of his rookie season in the G League and played just three games for the Hawks before being dealt to Minnesota. He is the highest-drafted player to agree to a two-way deal, which limits his time in the NBA this season to 45 days. Orlando still has another two-way slot available.
Northwest Notes: Gibson, Felton, OKC, Blazers
Outside shooting is one potential area of concern for the Timberwolves heading into the 2017/18 season, as many of the team’s major offseason additions, including Jimmy Butler, aren’t exactly marksmen from three-point range. However, as Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune outlines, the Wolves may end up getting some shooting from an unlikely source, with Taj Gibson – who has made four career three-pointers – working to extend his range.
“He worked on it all summer,” said head coach Tom Thibodeau after Gibson made a pair of threes in the Timberwolves’ preseason opener. “He always had a pretty good corner jump shot from 17 feet. He has stretched it out. As long as he works on it and he’s comfortable shooting it, I’m good with it.”
Thibodeau went out and signed the former Bull this offseason because he valued Gibson’s selflessness and toughness, but if the veteran big man can develop a reliable outside shot, it would give the Timberwolves a much-needed boost.
Here’s more from around the Northwest division:
- Given the Thunder‘s struggles last season when Russell Westbrook wasn’t on the court, the impact of Oklahoma City’s Raymond Felton signing shouldn’t be overlooked, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. As Horne notes, the Thunder are expected to stagger Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony, meaning Felton should have some help, but the veteran point guard has taken ownership of the team’s second unit.
- In a separate piece for The Oklahoman, Horne examines the 15th spot on the Thunder‘s roster. The club currently has 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries, with Jerami Grant set to make the roster too. That leaves one opening for a player like Semaj Christon or Isaiah Canaan, but with multiple players capable of handling the ball, the Thunder may decide they don’t need another point guard and opt to enter the season with that 15th spot open, writes Horne.
- While this year’s Trail Blazers‘ roster looks very similar to last year’s squad, a pair of positions in the starting lineup are up for grabs, with the club attempting to determine its rotation at the forward spots. Joe Freeman of The Oregonian takes a closer look.
2017 Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Clippers
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 Los Angeles Clippers.
Signings:
- Blake Griffin: Five years, $171.175MM. Fifth-year player option.
- Danilo Gallinari: Three years, $64.763MM. Acquired in sign-and-trade.
- Milos Teodosic: Two years, $12.3MM. Second-year player option. Second year partially guaranteed ($2.1MM).
- Willie Reed: One year, minimum salary.
- Jamil Wilson: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Marshall Plumlee: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Tyrone Wallace: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- C.J. Williams: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- LaDontae Henton: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract.
Trades:
- Acquired the draft rights to Sindarius Thornwell (No. 48 pick) from the Bucks in exchange for cash ($2MM).
- Acquired Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, DeAndre Liggins, Kyle Wiltjer, Darrun Hilliard, the Rockets’ 2018 first-round pick (top-three protected, and cash ($661K) from the Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul.
- Note: Wiltjer and Hilliard later waived.
- Acquired the draft rights to Jawun Evans (No. 39 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for cash ($3.2MM).
- Acquired Danilo Gallinari (sign-and-trade) in a three-way trade with the Hawks and Nuggets in exchange for Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, the Rockets’ 2018 first-round pick (top-three protected), and cash ($1.3MM).
- Note: All of Clippers’ outgoing pieces sent to the Hawks.
- Acquired the Hawks’ 2018 second-round pick (top-55 protected) from the Hawks in exchange for DeAndre Liggins and cash ($100K).
Draft picks:
- 2-39: Jawun Evans — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. Third-year team option.
- 2-48: Sindarius Thornwell — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. Third year non-guaranteed.
Departing players:
- Alan Anderson
- Brandon Bass
- Jamal Crawford
- Raymond Felton
- Luc Mbah a Moute
- Chris Paul
- Paul Pierce (waived; retired)
- J.J. Redick
- Marreese Speights
- Diamond Stone
Other offseason news:
- Promoted Lawrence Frank to president of basketball operations. Doc Rivers now just head coach.
- Hired Michael Winger as general manager.
- Hired Trent Redden as assistant general manager. Hired Mark Hughes as assistant GM.
- Hired former GM Dave Wohl as special advisor.
- Introduced new expansion G League team, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario.
- Willie Reed charged with domestic battery.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating over the cap and very slightly under the tax. Carrying approximately $119MM in guaranteed salaries. Hard-capped. Small portion ($775K) of mid-level exception still available. Otherwise, only minimum salary exception available.
Check out the Los Angeles Clippers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
Following another disappointing first-round exit from the 2017 playoffs, the Clippers entered the offseason in a difficult spot. The Chris Paul-led squad of the last six years had never made it beyond the Western Conference Semifinals, and while injuries to key players at inopportune times created some tantalizing what-ifs in previous seasons, the 2016/17 Clippers didn’t look like a team on the verge of a breakthrough.
With Paul, Blake Griffin, and J.J. Redick all eligible for free agency, the possibility of re-signing the trio, blowing by the luxury tax line, and continuing to struggle in the early rounds of the postseason didn’t look like the right approach. But players like Paul and Griffin aren’t easy to replace, particularly given the Clippers’ lack of cap flexibility, and letting them go for nothing wouldn’t have made sense either.
In a somewhat fortunate turn of events, Paul ultimately made the decision simpler for the Clippers, deciding that he wanted a change of scenery. Instead of signing with the Rockets as a free agent though, Paul gave the Clips a heads-up on his intentions, allowing the team to work out a trade with Houston. That deal helped the Clippers add depth, gave the club a first-round pick to dangle in a subsequent trade, and created the cap flexibility necessary to lock up Griffin to a long-term contract while potentially avoiding the tax.
Of course, losing an All-NBA caliber guard is never ideal, but the Clippers were in need of a shake-up, and the team did an admirable job revamping the roster in the wake of CP3’s departure.
