Rakeem Christmas To Play In Turkey
Former Pacers forward Rakeem Christmas is heading overseas for the 2017/18 season. Turkish team Galatasaray announced today (Twitter link) that Christmas will be joining the club. It’ll be a one-year deal, according to the team (Turkish press release).
Christmas, 25, made his NBA debut for the Pacers in 2015/16 after earning a spot on the G League All-Star team that season. He played in just one game in ’15/16 for Indiana, but had a strong year for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, averaging 13.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 48 contests.
Christmas stuck with the Pacers for 2016/17, appearing in 29 regular season games for the team. However, the 6’9″ forward saw limited action in those games, averaging 2.0 PPG and 1.9 RPG in just 7.6 minutes per contest. He was waived last month by Indiana before his salary for the coming season became guaranteed.
Austin Daye, Tibor Pleiss, and Joey Dorsey are among the former NBAers who have played for Galatasaray in Turkey in recent years.
17 Players Vying For Spots On USA’s AmeriCup Roster
USA Basketball has begun the process of selecting its roster for the AmeriCup 2017, the first of a series of qualifying tournaments under FIBA’s new format. As Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press details, Team USA doesn’t need to win the AmeriCup to qualify for the next World Cup and Olympics, but it’s a tournament the U.S. must participate in to eventually play in more crucial events.
Because upcoming qualifiers will take place during the NBA season, Team USA is putting together a roster primarily made up of G League players and veterans who have been playing overseas, as we previously learned. With training camp set to begin on Thursday, 17 hopefuls are suiting up for Team USA, with the program poised to eventually pare that group down to a 12-man roster.
Here are Team USA’s training camp participants, via USA Basketball:
- Billy Baron (UCAM Murcia, Spain)
- Rod Benson (Wonju Dongbu Promy, South Korea)
- Alec Brown (Windy City Bulls)
- Will Davis II (Reno Bighorns)
- Larry Drew II (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
- Reggie Hearn (Reno Bighorns)
- Darrun Hilliard (Detroit Pistons)
- Jonathan Holmes (Canton Charge)
- Ra’Shad James (Cedevita Zagreb, Croatia)
- Kendall Marshall (Reno Bighorns)
- Darius Morris (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
- Xavier Munford (Greensboro Swarm)
- Marshall Plumlee (New York Knicks)
- Jameel Warney (Texas Legends)
- C.J. Williams (Texas Legends)
- Reggie Williams (Oklahoma City Blue)
- Derek Willis (University of Kentucky)
Although there are no high-profile names in this group, several players have some NBA experience. Hilliard is currently a free agent, but appeared in 77 games over the last two seasons for the Pistons. Drew, Munford, and Plumlee have all played in at least a dozen NBA games.
Marshall, Morris, and Reggie Williams are perhaps the most notable names on the list, having played regular rotation roles for various NBA teams in recent years. Marshall was a lottery pick in the 2012 draft, while Williams has appeared in more than 200 NBA games since 2010.
None of the players on Team USA’s training camp roster are currently under contract with an NBA club, but Willis – the only player of the group who has yet to play professional ball – has reportedly agreed to a training camp deal with the Pistons.
The club will be coached by Jeff Van Gundy, an international rookie himself, and will eventually participate in preliminary round games in Uruguay later this month. If Team USA wins its group – which also includes Panama, the Dominican Republic, and host Uruguay – it would advance to the semifinals in Argentina in early September.
As Mahoney outlines in his report, Team USA won’t face real pressure to win until November, when the club need a top-three finish in a pool that includes Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba in order to start advancing to later qualifiers. For more in-depth details on how those qualifiers work, be sure to check out FIBA’s breakdowns for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics.
Community Shootaround: Dwyane Wade
The Bulls inked Dwyane Wade to a two-year contract last offseason, but the franchise has undergone some renovations with an eye on rebuilding for the future. Wade, at age 35, doesn’t appear to fit in those plans and earlier today, it was reported that he and the team are expected to work out a buyout agreement in the coming months.
Should the future Hall of Famer reach a buyout agreement with Chicago, where is the best place for him to continue his career?
Cleveland might be a logical fit given his friendship with LeBron James. Houston would give Wade an opportunity to play alongside James Harden and Chris Paul to form one of the best backcourt rotations in recent memory. The Heat seem like they’re one player away from breaking into the Eastern Conference’s top-4 and Wade could be that contributor that helps get Pat Riley home court in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Spurs could use Wade as a primary ball handler until Tony Parker returns from injury then watch the shooting guard’s minutes to ensure he stays healthy for a playoff run. A lineup of Parker, Wade, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol with Patty Mills, Danny Green, Manu Ginobili and a potentially healthy Rudy Gay coming off the bench would be a tough out in the playoffs.
Do you feel Wade should sign with any of the aforementioned teams or is there another club that would be a better fit? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Durant Says He Will “Never” Sign With Knicks
Last offseason, Kevin Durant was a free agent and the Knicks hoped to get a meeting with the 2013/14 MVP. They didn’t get one and it appears they won’t in the future should he hit the market again, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News explains.
A fan asked Durant when he was going to play for New York’s team during a portion of the star’s promotional video, which was filmed in the Big Apple. Durant was direct in his answer, telling the New Yorker “never.”
It appears the Knicks are still recovering from years of reputational damage even after exiling Phil Jackson and ushering in a new regime. The franchise hasn’t had much luck attracting top talent to play for the team since it re-signed Carmelo Anthony to his current deal back in 2014.
In 2015, LaMarcus Aldridge scheduled a meeting with New York during the opening week of free agency only to cancel it later after Jackson told him that the organization wanted Aldridge to play “strictly” center. Dwyane Wade, who met with New York last summer before signing with the Bulls, represents the last free agent fresh off an All-Star appearance to sit down with the club.
Several stars, such as LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Paul George, can hit the free agent market next offseason and it’ll be interesting to see which, if any, of the league’s marquee players will schedule a meeting with the Knicks. It seems likely that Durant, who has the ability to hit the market for the third consecutive offseason should he opt out after the 2017/18 campaign, will not headline that list.
Conflicting Reports On LeBron’s Future With Cavs
Speculation of LeBron James leaving Cleveland has persisted all summer and it revved up last week after he called Los Angeles “home” in a tweet. Between James’ friendship with Lakers team president Magic Johnson and the turmoil surrounding the Cavaliers’ organization, it’s easy to envision a scenario where LBJ heads west to play for the Lakers next season.
Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link) doesn’t mention Los Angeles, though he hears from a source that James has already made up his mind on his future with the Cavs.
“This will be LeBron’s final season in Cleveland. He is 100 percent leaving. Relationship with owners beyond repair,” the source said.
LBJ’s camp has since denied these reports with three sources close to James telling Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com (series of tweets) that they are 100% false. The sources told Vardon that James does not view his relationship with ownership as something that is unrepairable.
Chris Broussard of Fox Sports (Twitter link) hears that LBJ has not yet made a decision on his future in Cleveland and he won’t make one before the end of next season.
While James’ camp did its best to quickly shoot down the rumors, the fact remains that James has not publicly or privately expressed willingness to commit to the franchise long-term.
If the Cavs knew LBJ was leaving, perhaps the team decides not to trade Kyrie Irving. If they knew James was going to stay, they could confidently acquire a package full of win-now veterans for the point guard. Without a certain future, the organization sits in an awkward position, one that could shape the franchise for years to come.
It’s a tough situation for new GM Koby Altman to be in. The threat of a superstar leaving is the theoretical tax you pay to have him as the face of your franchise. With James likely hitting the free agent market next summer, nearly every team in the league will line up to try to get an opportunity to foot that bill.
Do you think LeBron stays in Cleveland or do you think he leaves his home state for another franchise? If he bolts, where does he go? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Hawks Notes: Babbitt, Dedmon, Tanking
The Hawks were in the bottom half of the league in three-point shooting last season, but the team’s front office believes the addition of Luke Babbitt will help them improve in that area, as KL Chouinard of NBA.com relays.
“Luke is a proven veteran and adds another experienced player to our locker room,” GM Travis Schlenk said of Babbitt. “He is one of the premier long-range shooting big men in the league, has played a variety of roles over his career and will contribute to our team.”
Babbitt, who inked a one-year deal with Atlanta last week, said he’s excited to play under coach Mike Budenholzer.
“When I got the call, the first thing I thought of was Coach Bud. I’ve always respected what he did from afar,” Babbitt said. “I’m really excited to play for him and be with this young group of guys.”
Here’s more from Atlanta:
- Babbitt continued to praise the Hawks‘ system, citing the ball movement and the unselfishness in how the players operate on the floor, as KL Chouinard passes along in the same piece. The small forward believes he can assist the team’s playmakers with his ability to space the floor. “Dennis [Schroder] and (Kent Bazemore], they’re the attackers on this team,” Babbitt said. “It’s something I’m really looking forward to this season: creating space and opportunities for them.”
- Atlanta pried Dewayne Dedmon away the from the Spurs in free agency and Buddy Grizzard of Basketball Insiders believes the signing could have major upside. Dedmon, who’s on a two-year, $14MM deal, didn’t play basketball until he was a junior in college, meaning he only has been on the court for slightly over seven years.
- While the Hawks will likely take a step back this season, tanking is something that interests coach Budenholzer, Grizzard writes in the same piece. The scribe adds that the goal of the front office is to retool while remaining competitive.
Poll: Should Suns Include Josh Jackson In Kyrie Offer?
Although the Suns weren’t one of the teams named on Kyrie Irving‘s alleged list of preferred landing spots when he made his trade request earlier this offseason, Phoenix has been frequently mentioned as a possible trade partner for the Cavaliers. The Suns possess a win-now veteran (Eric Bledsoe), a young potential star (Josh Jackson), extra future draft picks, and an ability to absorb an extra contract or two, making them a good fit for the Cavs.
Still, the two sides haven’t found common ground yet, and Jackson – this year’s No. 4 overall pick – appears to be a point of contention. Last month, reports indicated that the Suns were unwilling to include Jackson in an offer for Irving, telling the rookie forward that he wouldn’t be going anywhere. The team reportedly prefers to include last year’s fourth overall pick Dragan Bender.
Jackson has been cited as a primary target for the Cavaliers as they explore their options with Irving. LeBron James himself reportedly asked about Cleveland’s chances of landing Jackson, who was named this week as one of several young players the Cavs were focused on — Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, and Jamal Murray were among the others.
If the Suns were willing to include Jackson, a package of the rookie and Bledsoe would be a starting point, though previous reports have indicated Phoenix would need to give up a little more too — perhaps in the form of a draft pick or taking back a player like Channing Frye or Iman Shumpert.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer took a closer look at the situation on Tuesday, making cases for why the Suns should and shouldn’t be willing to put Jackson into an offer for Irving. Ultimately, O’Connor’s “bad cop” – who argued for including Jackson – won out, with The Ringer scribe suggesting that an unproven rookie with some question marks shouldn’t be a sticking point in a deal for a legit star.
What do you think? Are the Suns overvaluing Jackson, or are they right to refuse to include him in an offer for Irving? Does it make sense for Phoenix to hope that the Cavs will accept other players in Jackson’s place, and to move on if that bid falls short?
Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
Should the Suns include Josh Jackson in a trade offer for Kyrie Irving?
-
No 52% (1,503)
-
Yes 48% (1,409)
Total votes: 2,912
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Nuggets Officially Hire Assistant GM, Assistant Coach
The Nuggets fortified both their front office and their coaching staff today, according to a pair of press releases from the club. Denver has officially hired former NBA big man Calvin Booth as its new assistant general manager and formally added veteran coach Bob Weiss to Michael Malone‘s staff as an assistant.
The hiring of Booth was first reported two weeks ago by The Associated Press. The 41-year-old arrives in Denver after having spent the last four seasons with the Timberwolves as their director of pro personnel.
Booth has an existing relationship with Nuggets GM Tim Connelly, having played for the Wizards on two separate occasions in the 2000s when Connelly worked for Washington. The duo also worked in the Pelicans’ front office together during the 2012/13 season, with Connelly serving as New Orleans’ assistant GM while Booth was a scout.
As for Weiss, he played in the NBA for more than a decade, but his coaching résumé is far more extensive. Weiss has served as a head coach for the Spurs, Hawks, Clippers, and SuperSonics, and has spent time with six separate clubs as an assistant since joining the NBA coaching ranks back in 1978. Weiss, who was an assistant with the Hornets for the last four years, also spent multiple seasons as a head coach in China from 2008 to 2011.
Five Candidates To Be Waived With Stretch Provision
NBA teams have about two more weeks to apply the stretch provision to the 2017/18 cap hits for players they waive. After August 31, teams will no longer be eligible to stretch salaries for the coming season, and the stretch provision will only apply to future seasons on a player’s contract.
The stretch provision is a CBA rule that allows teams to stretch a player’s remaining salary across additional seasons. For July and August, the rule dictates that a team can pay out the player’s salary over twice the number of years remaining on his contract, plus one. So a contract with three years left on it could be stretched out over seven years. After August 31, only the future years on the contract can be stretched in that manner.
In practical terms, here’s what that means for a player who is earning $6MM in each of the next two years ($12MM total):
| Year | Current contract | Stretched by August 31 | Stretched after August 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | $6,000,000 | $2,400,000 | $6,000,000 |
| 2018/19 | $6,000,000 | $2,400,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 2019/20 | – | $2,400,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 2020/21 | – | $2,400,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 2021/22 | – | $2,400,000 |
In some cases, it can be advantageous to wait until September to waive a player and use the stretch provision. If a team isn’t close to the tax line and can’t clear additional cap room by stretching a player’s current-year salary, it may make more sense to be patient, since that extra immediate cap room wouldn’t be useful.
However, there are several teams around the NBA who may be motivated to waive and stretch players prior to that August 31 deadline. Here are five stretch provision candidates to keep an eye on during the next couple weeks:
Clippers Sign Tyrone Wallace
The Clippers have signed free agent guard Tyrone Wallace to a contract, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. It appears to be just a one-year deal, and it likely won’t be fully guaranteed, though exact details aren’t yet known.
Wallace, 23, was the final player selected in the 2016 draft, going to Utah with the 60th overall pick. The Jazz didn’t have room for him on their NBA roster last season, so he signed a G League contract and joined the Salt Lake City Stars – Utah’s G League affiliate – as a draft rights player.
In 38 games for the Stars last season, Wallace averaged 14.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.3 SPG. He struggled somewhat with his scoring efficiency, compiling a modest shooting line of .452/.242/.697. After playing for the Jazz again in the Utah and Las Vegas Summer Leagues last month, Wallace had his rights renounced by the club, freeing him up to sign with any NBA team.
While it’s possible the Clippers will give Wallace a chance to earn a spot on their regular season roster, it’s more likely they view him as a potential affiliate player for their new G League team, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario. However, despite his NBA rights being renounced by the Jazz, Wallace’s G League rights still belong to Salt Lake City — L.A.’s G League team would have to acquire those rights via trade to make him an affiliate player, as Chris Reichert of 2 Ways & 10 Days confirms to Hoops Rumors.
With Wallace under contract, the Clippers now have a total of 17 players on their offseason roster.