Kings Won’t Tender QO To Ben McLemore
The Kings won’t tender a qualifying offer to free agent guard Ben McLemore, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move ensures that McLemore will become an unrestricted free agent, rather than a restricted free agent.
McLemore, 24, was the seventh overall pick in the 2013 draft, but has been inconsistent during his four years in Sacramento. The subject of trade rumors earlier in his career, McLemore was rumored to be making a strong impression on the Kings’ new coaching staff last fall, but he ultimately received a career-low 19.3 minutes in 61 games this season. Although McLemore’s numbers (8.1 PPG, .382 3PT%) were decent, he doesn’t appear to be a part of Sacramento’s future plans.
Because McLemore didn’t meet the starter criteria, his qualifying offer would have been worth $4,187,598. That would have given the Kings the right of first refusal if another team attempted to sign the former Kansas Jayhawk. Instead, McLemore will be free to sign outright with any club.
McLemore joins Michael Carter-Williams and Trey Burke as 2013 lottery picks whose teams won’t be tendering them a qualifying offer this week.
Rockets Acquire Shawn Long From Sixers
The Rockets just won’t stop trading, having reportedly completing their sixth deal of the day. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter), Houston is sending cash and a 2018 second-round pick to the Sixers in exchange for Shawn Long.
An undrafted free agent out of Louisiana-Lafayette, Long appeared in 18 games for the Sixers in his rookie season, and was productive in limited minutes. The 6’9″ center averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG in just 13.0 minutes per contest. He was even better in the G League, averaging a double-double (20.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG) in 39 games for the Delaware 87ers.
It’s not clear yet what the Rockets have in mind for Long, whose 2017/18 salary is non-guaranteed. A handful of the players acquired by Houston today will be immediately flipped and included in the club’s trade with the Clippers for Chris Paul, but not all of them will be part of that deal. It’s possible that Daryl Morey and the Rockets have another move up their sleeves.
Rockets Acquire Darrun Hilliard From Pistons
2:50pm: The Pistons have officially sent Hilliard to the Rockets for cash considerations, the team announced.
1:58pm: The Rockets’ busy day continues, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), who reports that Houston will acquire Darrun Hilliard from the Pistons. The move is the fifth reported trade today for the Rockets.
Hilliard, a 2015 second-round pick, appeared in 77 games for the Pistons over the last two seasons, playing sparingly. He also appeared in seven total games for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s G League affiliate, averaging 24.4 PPG in those contests.
Hilliard, who has a $874,636 cap hit in 2016/17 and a non-guaranteed $1,471,382 salary for 2017/18, may be the last piece required for the Rockets to complete their trade for Chris Paul with the Clippers. Earlier this afternoon, I broke down the math behind Houston’s series of moves, noting that the team likely needed to acquire one player to flip to L.A. for salary-matching purposes.
Breakdown Of Math Behind Rockets’ Trades
Earlier today, news broke that the Clippers will be sending Chris Paul to the Rockets in a blockbuster trade, with Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Sam Dekker heading to Los Angeles. However, that trade is not yet official, and can’t be made official based on the terms reported, since it doesn’t meet the NBA’s salary-matching rules.
The Rockets are currently a little below the cap, but Paul’s salary would take them above the cap, with means they’d need to take advantage of the traded player exception to complete the deal. Based on NBA rules, Houston needs to include enough outgoing salary to get within $5MM of Paul’s 2016/17 salary, which is $22,868,827. So, if Paul is willing to waive the 15% trade kicker in his contract, the Rockets’ magic number for outgoing salary is $17,868,827.
Here are the 2016/17 cap numbers for Williams, Beverley, and Dekker:
- Williams: $7,000,000
- Beverley: $6,000,000
- Dekker: $1,720,560
- Total: $14,720,560
That package leaves the Rockets $3,148,267 short of the outgoing salary required to land Paul before the new league year begins. It’s possible Houston could wait until after July 1 to complete the deal, but the team would need to include even more salary at that point, since CP3 will get a raise, while the total value of the Rockets’ value decreases due to a slight pay cut for Beverley.
The Rockets have reportedly now added Montrezl Harrell and his $1,045,000 salary to their trade package, and have other pieces on their roster that they could include, but the majority of those players are either too valuable to move or don’t earn enough money to make up the difference.
That’s why, as David Aldridge of TNT tweets, the Rockets have been calling teams all over the league in an effort to find non-guaranteed salaries to include in the deal. A “horde” of teams is involved or trying to get involved in those discussions, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who adds that the Rockets are telling teams they’ve assembled the necessary pieces. Since rosters expand to 20 players in the offseason, roster limits haven’t stopped Houston from adding extra players.
Because the Rockets finished the season about $3.1MM below the cap, the team can acquire players in trade using that cap space. Typically, the CBA restricts teams from trading for a player, then flipping him right away in another deal that aggregates his salary with other salaries. However, that rule doesn’t apply to players acquired using cap room.
Here’s what the Rockets have done so far today:
- Acquired DeAndre Liggins ($1,015,696) from Mavericks.
- Acquired Tim Quarterman ($543,471) from Trail Blazers.
- Acquired Ryan Kelly ($286,785) from Hawks.
Liggins, Quarterman, and Kelly all have fully or heavily non-guaranteed salaries for the 2017/18 season, making them ideal trade pieces. If we assume all three of those players – plus the original four Rockets – will be included in the Paul trade, Houston now appears to be just $257,315 away from having enough salary to make the deal work, and the club still has enough cap room left to absorb up to about $1.27MM in salary.
Unless our math is slightly off, it seems the Rockets will need to include one more salary in their trade. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear by the end of the day about one last player who will make up that difference. And if Houston is able to include a little more salary than the absolute minimum required, Paul could also potentially hang onto part of his trade bonus.
[Update #1: The Rockets have reportedly agreed to acquire Darrun Hilliard ($874,636) from the Pistons. Houston now has enough players to send out for Paul, though the Clippers don’t have enough roster spots to take them all back, so the Rockets may end up involving a third team in the deal.]
[Update #2: The Rockets have reportedly included Liggins, Hilliard, and Kyle Wiltjer ($543,471) in the trade for Paul, reaching the required outgoing salary threshold without using Quarterman or Kelly.]
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Hawks Trade Ryan Kelly To Rockets
The Rockets have made yet another trade, acquiring Ryan Kelly from the Hawks for cash considerations, Atlanta announced today in a press release. Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported (via Twitter) that a deal was close.
Kelly, 26, appeared in just 16 games for the Hawks in 2016/17, spending part of the season with the team. The former Laker averaged 1.6 PPG and 1.1 RPG in limited minutes.
The trade looks like another precursor to the Rockets completing their acquisition of Chris Paul. Kelly will likely be included in that deal for salary-matching purposes.
Rockets Acquire Tim Quarterman From Blazers
The Trail Blazers have traded Tim Quarterman to the Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). It’s Houston’s third reported trade agreement of the day.
Quarterman, an undrafted free agent who signed with Portland out of LSU last offseason, played sparingly in his NBA rookie season, appearing in 16 games for the Trail Blazers and averaging 1.9 PPG (in 5.0 MPG).
The Rockets appear to be aggressively attempting to acquire players who can be included in Houston’s blockbuster deal with the Clippers for Chris Paul. Based on the terms initially reported, the Rockets aren’t sending out enough salary in that trade, but the team can acquire players using its cap room and flip them again right away in another deal.
Assuming the Rockets intend to use Quarterman and DeAndre Liggins along with Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Sam Dekker in the Paul trade and complete the move before the new league year begins on Saturday morning, they’ll still need to find about $1.589MM in additional salary to include in the deal.
Rockets Acquire DeAndre Liggins From Mavericks
Having already agreed to a blockbuster trade today, the Rockets have officially made a much smaller deal, acquiring DeAndre Liggins from the Mavericks in exchange for cash considerations. The Mavs confirmed the move in a press release.
[RELATED: Rockets to acquire Chris Paul from Clippers]
Liggins, 29, spent the majority of the 2016/17 season with the Cavaliers, appearing in 61 games (19 starts) for the team. However, Cleveland waived him during the last week of the regular season, and Liggins was claimed off waivers by the Mavs.
A report earlier this week indicated that the Mavs intended to decline their team option on Liggins, but it appears that option was exercised after all in order to complete this deal. Liggins’ salary for the 2017/18 season remains mostly non-guaranteed, making him a useful trade chip.
The Rockets will acquire Liggins using their excess cap room, which means the team could turn around and trade him again right away. It looks like Liggins may be used as a piece to help make the salaries work in Houston’s Chris Paul acquisition, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the former Kentucky guard flipped and included in that deal.
Clippers Confident About Re-Signing Blake Griffin
The Clippers reached a deal to trade away one of their stars today, but remain confident about re-signing another. According to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), the Clips believe today’s Chris Paul trade agreement clears the way for the club to re-sign Blake Griffin.
[RELATED: Clippers to trade Chris Paul to Rockets]
While the idea of re-signing Griffin after losing Paul may seem counter-intuitive, there are some reasons why it makes sense to bring back one without the other. Paul and Griffin were never believed to be the best of friends, with multiple reports over the years suggesting there was some tension between the two players.
Additionally, had the Clippers re-signed both Paul and Griffin to maximum salary contracts, the club would have gone well into luxury tax territory. Without Paul’s max salary to consider, the Clips’ books will be a little easier to manage, even with a lucrative new deal for Griffin on the cap.
Along the same lines, the Clippers wouldn’t necessarily be able to create a significant chunk of cap room by letting Griffin walk, since they already have upwards of $74MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap after taking into account the additions of Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, and Sam Dekker. Re-signing Griffin and staying over the cap would allow the team to keep the trade exception it figures to acquire in the CP3 deal.
Multiple teams, including the Celtics, Heat, and Thunder, are expected to pursue Griffin in free agency, so a return to Los Angeles is hardly a sure thing for the former No. 1 overall pick. Nonetheless, if the Clippers are willing to offer five years, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be the favorite. As our maximum salary projections show, the Clips could offer a five-year deal worth an estimated $172MM+, while any other team could offer up to about $127.7MM over four years.
Meanwhile, in other Clippers news, the team has reached an agreement with forward Paul Pierce to extend the guarantee date on his salary for the 2017/18 season, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Pierce, who remains under contract for one more year despite his plans to retire, currently has approximately $1MM of his $3.68MM salary guaranteed. The full amount was set to become guaranteed after June 30, but pushing back that deadline could allow L.A. to use Pierce’s contract in a trade once the new league year begins.
Kevin Durant Will Wait To Sign New Deal With Warriors
While Kevin Durant is a lock to return to the Warriors, he doesn’t intend to finalize a new deal with the team when free agency opens on July 1, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. According to Stein, Durant’s plan is to wait until after Golden State has conducted most of its offseason business to re-sign with the team.
Sources tell Stein that Durant has made it clear he won’t meet with other teams or field rival offers from potential suitors, so it’s a matter of when – not if – he officially signs a new deal with the Warriors. One of Stein’s sources suggests it may not happen until “later” in July, though if Golden State wraps up most of its other major moves shortly after the moratorium ends, Durant would likely have no reason to wait beyond mid-July.
Durant, who turned down a player option for 2017/18, is eligible for a starting salary worth up to $34.65MM based on a $99MM cap. However, he’s expected to accept a slightly more modest raise in order to allow the Warriors to attempt to sign Andre Iguodala and/or Shaun Livingston. By signing Durant to a raise using his Non-Bird rights, the Warriors would retain full Bird rights on Iguodala and Livingston, allowing the team to make competitive offers to those key role players.
[RELATED: Iguodala receiving interest from at least seven teams; Livingston could command $10-12MM annually]
Of course, just because the Warriors have Bird rights on Iguodala and Livingston, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll return. If a rival team makes a lucrative multiyear offer that the Warriors aren’t comfortable matching, it’s possible Iguodala and/or Livingston will head elsewhere rather than accepting a “hometown” discount to remain with the defending champions.
If the Warriors were to lose Iguodala and Livingston, waiting to sign his new contract could allow Durant to potentially earn the full max after all, since the club would be able to renounce its rights to its other free agents and create cap room to accommodate Durant.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Nurkic, Murray, Wolves
The Trail Blazers are in a tough spot heading into this year’s free agency period, with more than $133MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap, not to mention cap holds for a pair of first-round picks. However, as Joe Freeman of The Oregonian details, Neil Olshey continues to explore ways to make his team better, even if his financial flexibility is virtually non-existent.
“We’re never content with the roster,” said the Trail Blazers’ president of basketball operations. “Every day we wake up looking to find ways to improve the roster, to accelerate what we’ve been trying to do the last couple of years and make the team more competitive. We’re incredibly pleased with what we were able to accomplish in the draft with both of these guys and they are going to contribute. But until we get to October and training camp starts, the roster always is in a state of flux and we’re always looking to upgrade and we’re always looking to accelerate what we’ve been trying to build the last couple of years.”
While Olshey doesn’t intend to stand pat in July, he also cautioned against pursuing “quick fixes,” stressing that the Trail Blazers front office wants to build a team capable of long-term success, rather than pushing all its chips into the middle.
Here’s more from around the Northwest division:
- Jusuf Nurkic continues to recover from a broken leg, but the Trail Blazers expect him to be healthy and ready to go by the time training camp begins in September, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. As Richman notes, the franchise is also counting on Ed Davis (torn labrum) and Allen Crabbe (foot surgery) to be back for training camp.
- Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post has a Nuggets injury update, writing that Jamal Murray played in a two-on-two game on Tuesday. Murray, who underwent surgeries to repair core muscle-related injuries in April, “thinks he’s ready to go now,” according to GM Tim Connelly. The 2016 lottery pick is expected to be medically cleared well before training camp begins.
- Appearing on The Scoop podcast with Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said that the Bulls initiated talks related to Jimmy Butler, and added that the Wolves wouldn’t have made the deal if Chicago hadn’t included the No. 16 pick.