Community Shootaround: Draymond Green
The Cavaliers and Warriors are in the middle of a competitive Game 4 with the NBA title hanging in the balance (for one of them). If Cleveland can’t eke out a victory by the end of the night, they’ll be on the losing end of Golden State’s historic 16-0 playoff run and the offseason will have officially begun.
Such an impressive run, just one season removed from their historic 73-win 2015/16 campaign would put the already legendary Warriors club in even more impressive territory.
This isn’t a post about the Warriors winning the 2017 NBA title, however, as we at Hoops Rumors remain dutifully impartial and simply hopeful that the series will continue and hoops fans the world over get several more games of NBA action.
This is a post about last year.
Earlier this week, notoriously emotional Draymond Green told Zach Lowe of ESPN that he believes his suspension in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals cost his team the title. Green, of course, was sidelined after an incident in which he appeared to take a swipe at LeBron James‘ groin.
Whether or not you agree that the suspension was warranted, the question we’d like to propose is whether or not you think having Green in the lineup for Game 5 last year would have changed the outcome of the best-of-seven series.
If the Dubs had pulled off the 2016 title, they’d be within a game from a threepeat here tonight, which comes with its own place among the league’s greatest dynasties.
The question is, if Golden State were reigning two-time defending champions, would they be perceived any different than they are? Would Kevin Durant still have signed? Would James’ legacy be impacted?
It’ll be a long 15 minutes as we await the third quarter of this fourth game of the 2017 NBA Finals, so join us on a hypothetical journey back to last year.
Atlantic Notes: Olynyk, Monk, Draft
A big time signing could jeopardize Kelly Olynyk‘s future with the Celtics, Jay King of Massachusetts Live writes. The organization would need to explore renouncing the restricted free agent’s contract in order to free up cap space.
Still, King writes, it’s possible that the franchise could free up money in other ways that don’t involve parting ways with the sharp shooting big man. The British Columbia native averaged 9.0 points per game in 75 contests with Boston this season.
Olynyk could yield as much as $10-$12MM this summer, his value no doubt inflated by the NBA’s growing emphasis on outside shooting, but whether or not the C’s will be in a position to retain him depends on the rest of their plans over the course of a busy offseason.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks will bring Kentucky’s Malik Monk in for a workout early next week, Ian Begley of ESPN writes. New York picks eighth in this month’s draft and NBADraft.net actually slots Monk in at the No. 8 spot in their latest mock draft.
- While there will be plenty of intriguing options available to the Sixers when they select third in the NBA Draft particularly Justin Jackson and De’Aaron Fox, Keith Pompey of the Inquirer says not to overlook Duke product Jayson Tatum.
- The latest list of free agents and rookies to be worked out by the Nets has been published by Nets Daily.
- The Raptors auditioned a number of draft prospects this week, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun wrote about their workouts.
Markelle Fultz Will Not Work Out For Kings
7:06pm: Although he may swing by Sacramento for a meeting prior to the draft, Fultz is not expected to work out with the Kings after all, James Ham of NBC Sports California reports.
1:09pm: Voilin has followed up her initial report, tweeting that Fultz’s workout with the Kings is still likely to happen, but appears to have been pushed back closer to the draft.
11:46am: Multiple sources tell Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) that Fultz won’t visit the Kings on Sunday after all, shooting down The Bee’s earlier report. According to Jones, a visit is possible, but it’s not scheduled for this weekend.
10:08am: Despite rumblings that Markelle Fultz may only work out for the Celtics, the odds-on favorite for the No. 1 pick has reportedly lined up a meeting with another team for this weekend. According to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), Fultz is scheduled to participate in a workout with the Kings on Sunday.
The fact that Fultz is on track to work out for the Kings is somewhat unexpected. The general belief was that if the former Washington point guard were to audition for teams besides the Celtics, his logical next stops would be Los Angeles and Philadelphia, since the Lakers and Sixers hold the second and third overall picks, respectively. Sacramento has the fifth and 10th overall selections, and there’s virtually no chance that Fultz drops that far.
The Kings have allegedly had internal discussions about the possibility of packaging their two top-10 picks to move up in the draft, though their target in that scenario was believed to be Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox. Celtics GM Danny Ainge confirmed last week that multiple teams have contacted him to ask about the No. 1 pick, so it’s possible the Kings are one of those teams, and are doing their due diligence on Fultz in case a deal materializes. Still, a trade of that magnitude would be a surprise.
Even if the Kings don’t ultimately have a chance to draft Fultz, the fact that he’s willing to meet with the club is a great sign for a front office that has had a hard time attracting top prospects for workouts in recent years.
Lakers Notes: Ball, Fultz, Smith
The Lakers aren’t sold on Lonzo Ball and remain intrigued with Markelle Fultz and Josh Jackson, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes. The UCLA product recently met with the franchise and worked out in a one-on-none scenario.
Although Ding notes that Ball’s biggest skill set – his ability to lead an offense and move the ball – isn’t exactly applicable in that sort of isolated practice situation, the guard didn’t separate himself from the rest of the potential top picks in the upcoming draft.
Over his two days with the team, Ding notes, Ball established himself as quiet and reserved, a far cry from his famously boisterous father. The other options that will likely be available when the Lakers pick, however, boast compelling characteristics of their own.
The Lakers are hopeful that they’ll be able to work out Fultz despite his apparent plan to only work out for the Celtics and have already traveled to Sacramento to scout Jackson. De’Aaron Fox, another potential player on their list, will be in Los Angeles to work out on Tuesday.
There’s more from the Lakers:
- The Lakers will work out Dennis Smith Jr., Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog tweets. Smith Jr. is currently projected to go No. 7, according to NBADraft.net.
- The Lakers are hopeful that they’ll be able to meet with Markelle Fultz next week, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. He adds that it’s unclear whether this would be for a meeting or a work out.
- The Lakers worked out a batch of players on Friday, including Damyean Dotson and P.J. Dozier, the team announced on its official website.
- Although it can likely be taken with a grain of salt, Lavar Ball believes that all three of his sons will end up with the Lakers eventually, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype relays.
Northwest Notes: Hood, Kanter, Blazers
When Gordon Hayward hits free agency next month he’s expected to generate considerable interest. While the Jazz are intent on retaining the All-Star, Benjamin Mehic of the Deseret News suggests that Rodney Hood could be a possible, in-house replacement.
Mehic argues that Hood’s career thus far has followed a similar trajectory to that of Hayward’s, with the former facing similar critiques to what Hayward faced early in his own career.
Although, like Hayward, Hood will look to add bulk to finish stronger around the rim, he could potentially surpass Hayward on the defensive side of the ball. Mehic cites Hood’s 6’9″ wingspan as one of his best attributes heading forward.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- In an update to a story we discussed earlier this week, Enes Kanter‘s father has been released from a Turkish prison, Erik Horne of the Oklahoman relays. On June 2, the Thunder big man announced that his family’s Istanbul home was raided by local authorities and that his father was arrested.
- The Timberwolves worked out Jarrett Allen on Wednesday and the Texas forward profiles as a good fit for the organization, Jerry Zgoda of the StarTribune writes. Allen has been projected in the 10th-20th range, below Minnesota’s current No. 7 overall selection, but the team could always trade down.
- The Trail Blazers have been busy auditioning potential draft picks this week, bringing in players like Harry Giles and Donovan Mitchell on Thursday (Joe Freeman of the Oregonian tweets) and then several more on Friday including Tyler Lydon and Isaiah Briscoe (per Casey Holdahl of Portland’s official site)
Pistons Gauging Trade Market For Drummond, Jackson
The Pistons are gauging the trade market for Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, league sources tell Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). As Scotto notes, Detroit initially attempted to determine Drummond’s and Jackson’s trade value around the deadline back in February.
Both Drummond and Jackson are coming off underwhelming seasons. Drummond, who inked a five-year, maximum-salary contract last summer, saw his scoring average slip from a career-high 16.2 PPG in 2015/16 to just 13.6 PPG this past season, while Jackson also failed to build on a career year, with his numbers slipping across the board — he was nagged by injuries throughout the year and was benched down the stretch.
Although Drummond and Jackson didn’t produce the way Detroit had hoped in 2016/17, they’re still the most talented players on the Pistons’ roster, making them intriguing potential trade chips. Stan Van Gundy has said he’s not looking to blow up his roster, but also expressed displeasure with the club’s showing in ’16/17, suggesting that changes could be on the way.
Even if the Pistons look to shake things up a little, a trade of either player – particularly Drummond – would qualify as a surprise. When our Dana Gauruder previewed the Pistons’ offseason earlier this week, he observed that it would be difficult for the team to get fair value in deals involving Jackson or Drummond, meaning it might make more sense to bet on them to bounce back rather than trading them.
2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Golden State Warriors
After blowing a 3-1 series lead in last year’s Finals, the Warriors were the punchline in a bevy of offseason jokes. They responded by adding Kevin Durant to a 73-win roster, racking up 67 more regular season wins, and opening the playoffs on a 15-0 run. Golden State’s current roster looks virtually unstoppable, and while the team may not re-sign all its complementary players this summer, it should have no problem locking up Durant and Stephen Curry to new deals.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Warriors financially, as we conclude our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:
Guaranteed Salary
- Klay Thompson ($17,826,150)
- Draymond Green ($16,400,000)
- Kevon Looney ($1,471,382)
- Damian Jones ($1,312,611)
- Patrick McCaw ($1,312,611)
- Jason Thompson ($945,126) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Total: $39,267,880
Player Options
- Kevin Durant ($27,734,405)
- Total: $27,734,405
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- None
Restricted Free Agents
- James Michael McAdoo ($1,724,305 qualifying offer / $1,724,305 cap hold)
- Total: $1,724,305
Cap Holds
- Kevin Durant ($31,848,120) — If player option is declined.
- Stephen Curry ($18,168,539)
- Andre Iguodala ($16,697,052)
- Shaun Livingston ($10,986,655)
- Zaza Pachulia ($3,477,600)
- Matt Barnes ($1,471,382)
- Ian Clark ($1,471,382)
- JaVale McGee ($1,471,382)
- David West ($1,471,382)
- Total: $87,063,494
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Maximum Cap Room: $39,485,506
- Our max cap room scenario for the Warriors assumes that Durant turns down his player option and the Warriors renounce all their free agents except for Curry. Five guaranteed salaries, along with cap holds for Curry and six empty roster rosters, would bring team salary to $61,514,494. In that scenario, the team could afford a max contract for Durant, but wouldn’t have much cap room left to sign other players. The more likely outcome – which would give the team a better chance to re-sign Iguodala and Livingston – involves staying over the cap and Durant accepting a 20% raise rather than a true max salary.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.
Heat Rumors: Hayward, Collins, Teodosic, Winslow
An ESPN report on Friday morning suggested that the Jazz view the Heat as a serious threat in this summer’s Gordon Hayward sweepstakes, and according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, that fear isn’t unfounded. Jackson hears from a source connected to Hayward that the Utah forward has “legitimate interest” in Miami.
Within Jackson’s latest dispatch on the Heat, there’s also word that the team will bring in former Wake Forest power forward John Collins for a pre-draft workout next Wednesday. Collins ranks 20th on DraftExpress’ big board, but has a chance to be selected in the lottery, meaning he could be an option for Miami at No. 14.
Here are a few more Heat-related items worth passing along:
- The Heat are expected to be one of the teams with interest in Euroleague star Milos Teodosic this offseason, according to a report out of Russia (passed along by NetsDaily.com). The report also identifies Brooklyn and Sacramento as probable suitors for the CSKA Moscow point guard, though those teams have been mentioned previously — Miami’s potential interest is new.
- Joe Beguiristain of Heat.com provides an update on Justise Winslow‘s recovery from shoulder surgery today, passing along recent comments made by Winslow: “The shoulder is doing well. Five months down, one more to go as far as the six-month process. But I feel great. I got all my range of motion. We’re just trying to get it strong enough that it can endure contact and falls.”
- While some teams may stretch out their rebuilds in order to avoid battling the Warriors head-on within the next year or two, don’t expect Pat Riley to take that approach with the Heat, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman’s recent Ask Ira series for The Sun Sentinel also includes a discussion on whether it makes sense for Miami to pay big bucks for both Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson.
Raptors Renounce Rights To DeAndre Daniels
The Raptors have renounced the NBA rights to former second-round pick DeAndre Daniels, the team announced today (via Twitter). Daniels was selected 37th overall by Toronto in the 2014 draft.
Daniels, 25, was a key member of the 2014 UConn squad that won a national championship, but hasn’t been able to earn a spot on the Raptors’ NBA roster over the last three years. Since being drafted, Daniels has honed his game elsewhere, spending a year in Australia, a year with Toronto’s D-League team, and a year in Italy last season.
A Jones fracture in his right foot derailed Daniels’ 2015/16 season, limiting him to just eight games for the Raptors 905 in the spring, but he bounced back with a solid 2016/17 campaign for Italian club Stings Mantova, averaging 13.0 PPG and a team-high 6.6 RPG in 35 Italian League games.
With his NBA rights no longer held by the Raptors, Daniels would be free to sign with any of the league’s other 29 teams, if there’s interest. While it’s possible he’ll still make his NBA debut at some point, I’d expect Daniels to start the 2017/18 season overseas, or with a D-League team.
IOC Adds 3-On-3 Basketball For 2020 Olympics
The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that three-on-three basketball will be added to the Olympic program for the 2020 games in Tokyo, according to Graham Dunbar of The Associated Press. The change is one of many being made for the 2020 Olympics in an attempt to give the event a more “youthful and urban appeal.”
According to Dunbar, the new three-on-three basketball competition will feature 64 players in total, with eight teams apiece for men and women — that works out to four players per squad. Assuming the Olympic event adopts the rules established by FIBA for three-on-three play, it will be a half-court game with one- and two-point shots, as well as a 12-second shot clock. The game ends after a 10-minute period, or when one team reaches 21 points.
While the event sounds intriguing, there are a number of questions that still require answers. The format and location of the competition aren’t yet known, and it’s not clear how countries will qualify for one of the eight Olympic spots.
It will also be interesting to see what sort of players participate in the three-on-three competition. The United States, along with a handful of other countries, could put together any number of tantalizing four-player teams for the competition, but it remains to be seen if any NBA players will participate in the event (or be permitted to) — particularly since many of the top players will be taking part in traditional five-on-five Olympic basketball.