NBA Owners Approve Pistons’ Move Downtown
As expected, the NBA’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved the Pistons’ relocation from the suburbs of the city to downtown Detroit. Beginning in 2017/18, the Pistons will play their games at the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, rather than at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Pistons first announced back in November 2016 that they intended to move to downtown Detroit to join the NHL’s Red Wings in the Little Caesars Arena. At that point, the agreement still had to clear a few hurdles related to city and NBA approval, but the move is now official, with the Pistons poised to play the first game in their new home this fall.
The Pistons had played their home games in Auburn Hills since 1988, and haven’t played in downtown Detroit since 1978.
Nets Notes: Culture, Marks, Tanking, Noel
In his latest piece for ESPN.com, Zach Lowe takes an in-depth look at the culture Sean Marks has created in Brooklyn since he was hired as the Nets’ general manager.
As Lowe details, the Nets were leaning toward hiring Bryan Colangelo as their GM over Marks back in February 2016, but team chairman Dmitry Razumov heard from several respected execs who praised Marks during that All-Star weekend, and had a long talk with Spurs GM R.C. Buford that helped convince the franchise Marks was the man for the job.
Since joining the Nets, Marks has attempted to turn the club into one players want to be a part of, creating a “serious but welcoming” atmosphere, as well as a sense of closeness and community within the organization. The club has also prioritized sports science treatment, keeping its players on minutes restrictions and having them fill out daily questionnaires about sleep, soreness, and diet. “I could play another five years doing what they do,” said Randy Foye, who spent 2016/17 with the Nets.
Lowe’s entire piece on the Nets is worth the read, particularly for more of those tidbits on the work that Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson have done to overhaul the team’s culture. Here are a few of the highlights from the story:
- Razumov says team ownership is “ready to be patient” and would be fine with a 25-win season in 2017/18 if the Nets’ young players continue to develop and take positive steps forward.
- The Nets will finally control their first-round pick again in 2019, and there has been talk within the franchise of tanking in 2018/19 in order to create an opportunity to draft a blue-chip prospect. Although Atkinson acknowledges that there’s “faction” of people within the organization who believe that’s the way to go, it’s not the plan right now. “I don’t think it is in the cards to tank,” Marks said, per Lowe. “The goal is to compete and win games.”
- The Nets hope their young core – which remains a work in progress – will help the team recruit veteran free agents, like the Sixers were able to do this summer. “We hope free agents say, ‘We want to play with those young bucks,'” Marks said.
- The Sixers and Nets had brief trade discussions involving Nerlens Noel last season, but Brooklyn had no interest in giving up much for a player the team could pursue in free agency, sources tell Lowe. Noel currently remains a restricted free agent, though the Nets no longer have the cap room necessary to pursue him.
- Despite recent rumors about Mikhail Prokhorov considering selling a controlling interest in the Nets, he continues to market only a minority stake in the team, according to Razumov.
- According to Lowe, the NBA has talked about the possibility of banning the ability to swap picks in between drafts in which a team owes its picks to another team. That possibility hasn’t been discussed at length yet, but such a rule would have prevented the Nets from including a 2017 pick-swap in their deal with the Celtics when Boston was already receiving Brooklyn’s 2016 and 2018 first-rounders.
Kyler’s Latest: Irving, Suns, Wolves, Melo, Rockets
As we enter the dog days of the NBA offseason, two All-Star trade candidates remain on the block — the Cavaliers and Knicks continue to explore trades involving Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony, respectively. Nothing appears imminent on either front, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders checks in on both situations to see where they stand, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights from Kyler…
- The Cavaliers aren’t operating with a sense of urgency to find an Irving deal. One source from a team interested in Irving tells Kyler that Cleveland doesn’t seem to be operating with a deadline when it comes to getting something done. The source described the Cavs as still being in “fact-finding mode” at this point.
- The Suns and Timberwolves are viewed as two strong candidates for Irving, but they’ve been reluctant to include Josh Jackson and Andrew Wiggins, respectively, and are unlikely to win out unless they relent on that stance. While Phoenix doesn’t want to move Jackson or Devin Booker, there’s a sense that anyone else on the roster could be had, says Kyler. That may not be enough for the Cavaliers, however.
- The “prevailing thought in NBA circles” is that the long-rumored Anthony deal between the Knicks and Rockets isn’t going to happen unless Houston finds a way to improve its offer. As Kyler details, the idea of the Knicks accepting a package made up entirely of players they don’t view as long-term pieces isn’t “appealing or agreeable” to the team’s front office.
- The Knicks seem as if they’re willing to bring Anthony to training camp if he doesn’t expand his list of preferred landing spots or if the Rockets don’t improve their offer, according to Kyler, who describes the Carmelo situation as “more like a standoff” than the Cavaliers‘ situation with Irving.
Poll: Which Atlantic Team Has Had Best Offseason?
One of the primary storylines of the 2017 NBA offseason was the continuation of the talent exodus from the Eastern Conference, as stars like Jimmy Butler and Paul George were sent to Western contenders. In a piece evaluating the offseason for Eastern teams, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton assigns grades that suggest that the conference did poorly as a whole this summer — multiple teams received an F.
Still, while one of those teams assigned a failing grade by Pelton – the Knicks – is an Atlantic club, New York’s division rivals all received praise. In Pelton’s view, the Celtics, Sixers, Raptors, and Nets each deserved a grade of B or higher for their summer moves — those clubs were four of just five Eastern teams to be marked that highly.
Taking a closer look at the roster moves by those Atlantic teams, it’s not hard to see what Pelton liked. The Celtics landed arguably the top free agent on the market – or at least the best one who had a chance to change teams – when they signed Gordon Hayward to a four-year, maximum salary deal. And while Danny Ainge couldn’t swing a deal for a player like Butler or George, he added another probable lottery pick to Boston’s stockpile when he traded down from No. 1 to No. 3 in the draft.
The Sixers were on the other end of that trade with Boston, and drafting a potential franchise player in Markelle Fultz earns them a high grade. In addition to investing in another young player with huge upside, Philadelphia also delved into the free agent market more aggressively in an effort to add veterans, and signed J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson to short, team-friendly contracts.
The Raptors entered the offseason in a difficult spot, with four key players facing free agency, and managed to bring back two of those players on shorter deals than expected, locking up Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka to three-year pacts. The club also got out from under DeMarre Carroll‘s exorbitant salary, replacing him with a cheaper and more productive swingman in C.J. Miles, and drafted a potential steal in OG Anunoby.
Meanwhile, the Nets made creative use of their cap room, taking on Carroll’s and Timofey Mozgov‘s bad contracts in order to secure draft picks and D’Angelo Russell. The club also managed to acquire a player it pursued aggressively a year ago, and got him at a reduced rate — Allen Crabbe is now a Net, and the fact that Brooklyn traded Andrew Nicholson to Portland in the deal means the net cost for Crabbe isn’t quite so high.
As for the Knicks, there’s still time for them to enter the mix for the best offseason in the Atlantic. For instance, if they were able to acquire Kyrie Irving with a Carmelo Anthony-based package in the coming weeks, the summer would look a lot different for the franchise. But that looks extremely unlikely, and so far this offseason the Knicks have made a series of questionable moves, including drafting Frank Ntilikina over Dennis Smith Jr., replacing Phil Jackson between the draft and free agency, committing more money than expected to Tim Hardaway Jr. and Ron Baker, and hanging onto Anthony.
What do you think? Which Atlantic team had the best offseason? Place your vote below and then head to the comments section to share your thoughts.
Which Atlantic team has had the best offseason?
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Boston Celtics 54% (1,401)
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Philadelphia 76ers 26% (667)
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Toronto Raptors 11% (288)
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Brooklyn Nets 6% (168)
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New York Knicks 3% (91)
Total votes: 2,615
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Southwest Notes: Cousins, Holiday, Noel
The Pelicans added Rajon Rondo this offseason and DeMarcus Cousins is thrilled about the addition, as he tells Chris Mannix of The Vertical.
“Rajon is like a big brother to me,” Cousins said. “He taught me a lot in that one season we had together. Our relationship remained strong and we always thought we’d wind up being teammates again later down the road. I never expected it to be this soon, but I’m also happy about it.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The decision to play Jrue Holiday off the ball was forced upon the Pelicans because of their cap concerns, James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders explains. The team didn’t have much flexibility to add shooting this offseason, so moving Holiday—someone who’s a career 36.6% three-point shooter— off the ball adds a dimension to the offense without bringing in an expensive wing.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News speculates that the Mavericks will complete a deal with Nerlens Noel before training camp begins. However, the scribe notes that nothing has to happen until October 16 when the center’s qualifying offer expires.
Rival Executives Keeping Tabs On DeMarcus Cousins
Executives around the league are keeping a close eye on DeMarcus Cousins and the Pelicans this season. One Western Conference team executive tells Chris Mannix of The Vertical that Cousins, who will be a free agent next summer, could cost himself a sizable deal if things don’t go well in New Orleans.
“This season is huge,” said the anonymous Western Conference team executive. “He has to prove he can win. He has never played with anyone near the talent of Davis. He has to show he is willing to sacrifice for the team and do what is best for the team first. He really needs to turn a corner. If he acts up, he will cost himself a lot of money.”
Another Western Conference executive echoed that sentiment, telling Mannix that “there’s no way to overstate it—there is huge money on the line.”
The 26-year-old big man remains focused on the upcoming campaign and refuses to worry his contract situation. “I’m not real concerned,” Cousins said. “I know people know my talent. I’m past all that.”
Cousins came to New Orleans via a trade deadline deal that sent a package centered around Buddy Hield and a first-rounder to Sacramento. The Pelicans went 7-10 during games in which Cousins played. Could it be that having two 6’11” behemoths in the same lineup is no longer a sustainable model for building a winning team? Cousins doesn’t believe that to be true.
“I think the game is actually playing into our hands,” Cousins said. “I think me and A.D. have a skill set that a lot of bigs don’t have in this league, or the league hasn’t seen in some bigs throughout the history of the game. I think it actually plays into our hands, and we’re just rolling with the punches. I don’t think [a smaller game] will effect me or A.D. at all.
“That sample size we got last season is the reason I’m so confident this season. I believe we can make it work, and I think we’re going to surprise a lot more people than people actually expect. For some reason we’re being counted out, but that’s actually OK. We’re going to surprise a lot of people this season.”
Latest On Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving doesn’t want to be in Cleveland as long as LeBron James is around, though that doesn’t mean he’s willing to commit long-term to another franchise should the Cavs trade him. According to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, Irving, who has two years before he can become a free agent, wants to keep his options open for the summer of 2019. Pluto adds that the former No. 1 overall pick isn’t ready to commit to any team at this point.
While an extension with a new team was never a likely outcome for Irving, the latest news could potentially suppress his trade value. Any team giving up a haul to acquire the point guard would want him around long-term and without that assurance, teams may think twice about mortgaging their futures to bring in the Duke product.
Here’s more from Pluto’s piece on Irving:
- The Suns would be willing to deal Eric Bledsoe to the Cavaliers for Irving even if Irving makes no commitment to stay in Phoenix past his current deal. However, they would not want to include Josh Jackson in that scenario.
- The Cavs would love to take back Devin Booker in an Irving-to-the-Suns deal, but Phoenix is unlikely to trade Booker since it already told the shooting guard that he wasn’t going anywhere. Phoenix would like to send a package of Bledsoe, T.J. Warren, and Brandon Knight to the Cavs for Irving and additional salary (Iman Shumpert or Channing Frye). That proposal is underwhelming to Cleveland’s front office.
- The Nuggets remain a threat to trade for Irving, but Pluto hears that Denver will not give up both Jamal Murray and Gary Harris in a deal. Pluto adds that there are players on Denver’s roster who are attractive to Cleveland and because of that, the Nuggets could be involved in an Irving trade as a third team even if they don’t land the point guard themselves.
- If Andrew Wiggins signs an extension with the Wolves, it’s unlikely that he gets dealt to Cleveland, a source tells Pluto.
Kristaps Porzingis Talks Knicks, Carmelo, Future
Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t happy with the Knicks toward the end of last season, something that prompted him to skip his exit meeting. He had concerns about the team’s competitiveness and its lack of direction, but now, after an offseason of change, the big man has a different outlook on the organization.
“So far it’s been tough in New York, but my journey is only beginning and I hope to stay there my whole career, so as a city we can have some fun and win some games and do something big,” Porzingis said (via Shaun Powell of NBA.com). “For me, it’s now home.”
The Knicks endured another losing season during the 2016/17 campaign, which led to a shakeup in their front office. They replaced former team president Phil Jackson with Steve Mills and they’ve added Scott Perry to be the new GM. Porzingis appears to be giving the new regime a chance to turn things around.
“We’re going to have a lot of new guys,” the big man said. “Every year is almost like a new year. There will be a lot of changes. I’m going into the season hoping we have a group of guys who want to work hard and win. That’s what’s important.”
Porzingis would love to play alongside Carmelo Anthony for the third straight season, though the 22-year-old knows it’s beyond his control.
“There’s still so much for me to learn [from] him,” Porzingis said. “I would love to have him around and keep playing alongside him. But it is what it is. It’s a business. If it ends, well … I don’t know, it’s out of my hands. I’m really thankful for these couple of years I’ve been with him, just seeing how he works during the summer. “
Anthony, who has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason, is reportedly set on joining the Rockets. He hasn’t spoken to the team’s new front office yet, though he’s on good terms with Perry and plans to do so “when the time comes.”
While it doesn’t appear Anthony plans on staying with the Knicks as they embrace a new era, Porzingis wants to help the new regime bring a championship to the Big Apple.
“Look, I was so happy when I got drafted by New York,” Porzingis said. “I was never worried about the big stage or anything like that. I’ve always enjoyed that. I can envision [a championship someday] and see it. But we’re still a long way from there. As we get better, if we can all see that goal at the end and work towards it, anything can happen.”
Lakers Confident They Can Trade Clarkson For 2018 Room If Necessary
Virtually every one of the Lakers’ 2017 offseason moves was made with an eye toward 2018. Timofey Mozgov was dealt in order to create future cap flexibility, and L.A. only committed a single year to a promising young free agent like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in order to preserve space for 2018, when the club plans to pursue a max free agent or two.
In his latest piece for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus takes a deep dive into the math behind the Lakers’ summer of 2018, exploring whether it would be possible to create room for two maximum salaries. While the Lakers don’t currently project to have that sort of space, the club is confident it could trade Jordan Clarkson if necessary in order to clear more salary from its books, a source within the organization tells Pincus.
Of course, as the Mozgov deal proved, any contract is movable in the right deal, but Pincus’ report suggests the Lakers believe they wouldn’t necessarily have to attach another asset of value to Clarkson in order to deal him, like they did with Mozgov. The 25-year-old guard, who averaged 14.7 PPG and 2.6 APG off the bench for L.A. last season, is under contract for three more years at a rate of $12.5MM annually.
Even if the Lakers move Clarkson without taking any salary back, the team would only be up near about $60MM in projected 2018 room, not quite enough for two max players, according to Pincus, who suggests trading or waiving Luol Deng‘s sizable contract would likely be necessary as well.
The summer of 2018 is still a long way off, and it remains to be seen if the Lakers will be able to lure one or two top free agents out west, but the ’18 class currently projects to be a star-studded one — LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George are among the players currently on expiring contracts who have been linked to Los Angeles at some point during their respective careers.
For now, this all merely amounts to speculation. Clarkson’s 2017/18 performance will affect his trade value, and the free agent landscape could look much different for the Lakers by next July than it does now. Still, it’s worth noting that new president Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka are putting plenty of thought into what the team’s roster will look like a year from now.
Hornets Sign Isaiah Hicks, T.J. Williams
The Hornets have added a pair of players to their training camp roster, announcing today in a press release that Isaiah Hicks and T.J. Williams have signed with the club. Terms of the deals weren’t disclosed, but they sound unlikely to be fully guaranteed contracts.
Hicks, 23, went undrafted this June following the conclusion of his senior year at North Carolina. The 6’8″ power forward, who was 60th on DraftExpress’ prospect rankings, averaged 11.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG in his last season at UNC. He also played for the Clippers’ Summer League squad in Las Vegas last month.
As for Williams, the 6’3″ guard out of Northeastern also earned a spot on DraftExpress’ top-100 list, coming in at No. 98. But like Hicks, he went undrafted. Williams averaged 21.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 4.7 RPG in his senior year at Northeastern, then recorded 12.2 PPG for the Cavaliers’ Summer League team in Vegas.
Charlotte’s press release indicates that the team’s roster count is now at 17 players, though that total includes the two youngsters who officially signed two-way contracts with the club earlier today. Assuming Hicks and Williams receive non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals, the Hornets still only have 12 players on fully guaranteed NBA contracts.