Ian Clark In Line For Significant Raise In Free Agency?
While the Warriors expect to retain their top free agents this summer, increasing team salary may cost the club some of its role players, including perhaps Ian Clark. Within a piece on Golden State’s Game 2 win, Shams Charania of The Vertical writes that NBA executives believe Clark could command a deal worth more than the mid-level exception as a free agent.
Clark saw regular minutes for the Warriors in 2016/17, averaging 14.8 MPG in 77 contests, and established new career highs in several categories, including PPG (6.8), FG% (.487), and 3PT% (.374). The shooting guard, who began in his career with the Jazz before spending time with Denver and now Golden State, is still young — he just turned 26 in March.
Although Clark has shown promise and could play a larger role on a team less stacked than the Warriors, projecting a salary worth more than the mid-level exception seems somewhat aggressive. With the NBA’s cap on the rise again and a new CBA set to take effect on July 1, the MLE will be worth $8.4MM in 2017/18. Clark is currently on a minimum salary deal, and has never averaged more 15 minutes per game in a season.
With Clark’s Early Bird rights in hand, the Warriors would have a certain level of flexibility to give him a raise when he reaches unrestricted free agency this summer. But with Stephen Curry in line for a substantial raise of his own, Kevin Durant likely to negotiate a new deal, and other role players like Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Zaza Pachulia also on track for free agency, Clark may not be a top priority for the Dubs.
Players Eligible For Rookie Scale Extensions In 2017
July 1 marks the start of the NBA’s new league year. At that point, players eligible for free agency will be able to begin negotiating and reaching contract agreements with suitors. In addition to those free agents, another group of players will also become eligible to sign new deals.
For players who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookie scale contracts, July 1 is the first day that they can sign rookie scale extensions. Those players, who are – for the most part – 2014 first-round selections, will have until the start of the 2017/18 regular season to finalize long-term deals with their current teams.
Players eligible for rookie scale extensions can sign new deals that run at least four years, with those contracts taking effect to start the 2018/19 season. If they don’t sign extensions during this offseason, those players will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2018.
A year ago, eight players eligible for rookie scale extensions signed new deals between July 1 and October 31. Here are the players eligible to sign rookie scale extensions this year, beginning on July 1:
- Kyle Anderson (Spurs)
- Bruno Caboclo (Raptors)
- Clint Capela (Rockets)
- Joel Embiid (Sixers): Extended
- Dante Exum (Jazz)
- Aaron Gordon (Magic)
- Gary Harris (Nuggets): Extended
- Rodney Hood (Jazz)
- Zach LaVine (Bulls)
- Doug McDermott (Bulls)
- Shabazz Napier (Trail Blazers)
- Lucas Nogueira (Raptors)
- Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers)
- Jabari Parker (Bucks)
- Elfrid Payton (Magic)
- Julius Randle (Lakers)
- Marcus Smart (Celtics)
- Nik Stauskas (Sixers)
- Noah Vonleh (Trail Blazers)
- T.J. Warren (Suns): Extended
- Andrew Wiggins (Timberwolves): Extended
The following players were selected in the first round of the 2014 draft along with most of the players above, but aren’t eligible for rookie-scale extensions this year:
- Jordan Adams: Waived in 2016.
- Bogdan Bogdanovic: Has yet to sign rookie contract.
- Tyler Ennis: Fourth-year option declined in 2016.
- P.J. Hairston: Third-year option declined in 2015.
- Josh Huestis: Signed rookie contract in 2015 (extension-eligible in 2018).
- Mitch McGary: Waived in 2016.
- Adreian Payne: Fourth-year option declined in 2016.
- Dario Saric: Signed rookie contract in 2016 (extension-eligible in 2019).
- C.J. Wilcox: Fourth-year option declined in 2016.
- James Young: Fourth-year option declined in 2016.
Jan Vesely Drawing Interest From NBA Teams
Former sixth overall pick Jan Vesely is drawing interest from NBA teams exploring the idea of bringing him back stateside, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. According to Scotto, the Nets, Sixers, and Mavericks have expressed interest in Vesely.
Selected sixth overall by the Wizards in 2011, Vesely appeared in 162 total NBA regular season games for Washington and Denver over the course of three years, struggling to make an impact. He averaged just 3.6 PPG and 3.5 RPG during his three NBA seasons.
Since then, the 27-year-old power forward has played for Turkish club Fenerbahce, regaining his confidence and helping to lead the team to three straight Euroleague Final Four appearances. In 2016/17, Vesely averaged 10.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 29 Turkish League games, as well as 9.6 PPG and 4.5 RPG in 34 Euroleague contests, playing alongside former and future NBAers like Ekpe Udoh, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Pero Antic.
While Vesely is drawing interest from NBA teams and has a contract that gives him an out to explore NBA opportunities, there’s no guarantee he’ll return to North America. He still doesn’t have much of an outside shot in his game, making him a less than ideal fit as a modern NBA big man, and a report last summer suggested he may be seeking an eight-figure salary to play in the NBA. He may be worth a flier for a team willing to roll the dice, but likely not at that price.
Sixers Notes: Fultz, Ball, Embiid, Simmons, Korkmaz
With the No. 3 pick in this month’s draft, the Sixers aren’t overly likely to have a chance to draft either Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball, but that doesn’t mean the team isn’t doing its due diligence on those top prospects. President of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo told reporters today, including Derek Bodner (Twitter link) that they’ve talked to Fultz’s reps about the possibility of working him out, though it seems like he may only audition for the Celtics.
Meanwhile, Colangelo said the Sixers haven’t yet met with Ball, but would still like to do so, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com tweets. With the exception of those two point guards, Philadelphia has workouts lined up for all of this year’s top prospects, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- According to Colangelo, the Sixers have their eye on six or seven prospects with the No. 3 overall pick (Twitter link via Bodner). In addition to Fultz and Ball, I’d imagine guys like De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, and Malik Monk are under consideration.
- Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons won’t participate in Summer League play for the Sixers, Colangelo confirmed today (Twitter link via Bodner). Both players are coming off season-ending injuries, so it seems the team will take it slow and look to get them ready for the fall.
- 2016 first-round pick Furkan Korkmaz, a draft-and-stash prospect, may play for the Sixers in the Summer League, depending on his international commitments (Twitter link via Bodner). For now, Korkmaz is traveling to Philadelphia to visit the Sixers and work out with some of the club’s players, per Pompey (Twitter link). The young shooting guard wants to come stateside for the 2017/18 season, but has a pricey buyout – $2MM, according to David Pick – and the 76ers may want to stash him for a little while longer.
- Tyler Cavanaugh (George Washington), Derrick White (Colorado), Tahjere McCall (Tennessee State), Isaiah Briscoe (Kentucky), Reggie Upshaw Jr. (Middle Tennessee State), and Melo Trimble (Maryland) worked out today for the Sixers, as Pompey writes for The Inquirer.
Dion Waiters Open To Giving Heat Discount
Since the Heat’s season ended in April, Dion Waiters has expressed multiple times that he wants to stay in Miami, despite the fact that he’s opting out of his contract. On Sunday, Waiters went a step further, indicating on WSVN’s 7 Sports Xtra that he’d be open to the idea of accepting something of a hometown discount with the Heat, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel details.
“It depends,” Waiters said. “Yeah, I would, though. But, like I said, it depends, just being the right thing, at the right time. It’s just got to be right. It’s got to be equal.”
Since joining the Heat last year, and especially in recent weeks, Waiters has spoken about the idea of buying into the team’s culture, suggesting last month that once you buy into what the Heat are preaching, you start to see the results.
That mindset helped buoy Waiters to an impressive comeback season in 2016/17. A year after setting a career low in PPG (9.8) with Oklahoma City, Waiters averaged 15.8 PPG with career highs in APG (4.3) and 3PT% (.395) for the Heat. After earning about $3MM this past season, Waiters should be in line for a sizable raise.
With Chris Bosh‘s salary off their books, the Heat should have a nice chunk of cap room available this summer. Miami wants to re-sign both Waiters and fellow free agent James Johnson, who has also said he’s willing to consider taking a modest discount to stay with the Heat. If the club can lock up both players to slightly below-market deals, there could still be room to make another addition.
Community Shootaround: Media Obligations
Displeased with how the media scheduling has been set up in the NBA Finals, LeBron James opted out of speaking at the podium after Game 2, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. James also chose to bypass the podium after practice on Saturday.
Per Vardon, James wasn’t happy having to wait for the Warriors to finish their own interviews before he could give his own following the Game 1 loss last Thursday. Instead, on Sunday, James opted to speak to the media in the team’s locker room as soon as he was available to do so.
This begs the question of whether James’ response is appropriate given the situation. We’d like to hear what readers have to say about it in the comments section below.
Should athletes like James, paid handsomely to serve as professional athletes (a role that comes with inherent media obligations) speak whenever they’re scheduled by the league’s media department? Or does James have a point here?
In contrast, should the league’s media department be more sensitive to the fact that frustrated players aren’t likely to be enthused by the thought of sitting around waiting just to answer questions?
Ultimately the majority of fans acknowledge the media commitments that come with playing in the NBA but perhaps there’s a compromise that would appease all parties.
Weigh in below!
East Notes: Ball, Knicks, Caldwell-Pope
Any NBA team considering drafting Lonzo Ball later this month will do so knowing full well that the UCLA product comes part and parcel with his boisterous father. One Sixers executive, special adviser Jerry Colangelo, thinks that Lavar Ball could make things “challenging”.
Colangelo spoke with CBS Sports radio (h/t Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic) and discussed the point guard from the Sixers’ perspective. As critical as Colangelo was, however, he was sure to acknowledge Ball as a terrific prospect and said that teams wouldn’t likely bypass the player because of it.
Though it’s merely our speculation, the comments could be little more than a Sixers smokescreen, a common tactic in the weeks leading up to the draft. Philadelphia, of course, would benefit from the Lakers having second thoughts and opting against drafting the acclaimed prospect.
Just yesterday it was reported that Los Angeles was supposedly leaning against drafting Ball, with their interest in prospects Josh Jackson and De’Aaron Fox allegedly growing.
There’s more out of the East:
- Although several of his teammates – like Dion Waiters and James Johnson – will be free agents this summer, Heat center Hassan Whiteside is convinced they’ll be back, writes Shandel Richardson and Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. “I’m not even thinking about them being gone,” Whiteside said. “I’m thinking like they will be here next year.“
- Yesterday marked the anniversary of what the New York Post’s Mike Vaccaro considers the Knicks‘ worst loss as a franchise. Spoiler alert, it involves Charles Smith and one terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad possession.
- Citing Bradley Beal‘s improvement in Year 5, Ash Vanclay of Piston Powered makes the case for the Pistons matching any offer sheet that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signs this summer.
And-Ones: Olympics, Cheeks, Raduljica, Draft
A 3-on-3 version of basketball could be coming to the Summer Olympics in 2020, according to Graham Dunbar of The Associated Press. The IOC executive board is expected to approve a list of medal events for the Games this week, and 3-on-3 basketball is a favorite to be added. A decision is expected to be announced Friday at a board meeting to discuss the host cities for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics. ”Now there is an urban cluster that has been created,” said FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann. ”The best urban team sport is 3-on-3 street basketball. It would certainly be a perfect fit.”
There’s more news from around the basketball world:
- Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks is OK after a health scare this week, relays The Philadelphia Inquirer. The former Sixers star was hospitalized overnight in Philadelphia after an undisclosed medical problem during a flight. He underwent several tests at the hospital before being released.
- Miroslav Raduljica has severed ties with Olimpia Milano and could be returning to China next season, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The Serbian big man played for the Bucks in 2013/14 and the Timberwolves in 2014/15.
- Getting fouled on a 3-point shot has become the most productive act in the NBA, writes Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com. Players who manage to get the call are averaging 2.5 points per play, as opposed to 1.1 on a regular 3-point attempt.
Southwest Notes: Mavs, N. Kerr, Ntilikina
A recent Dallas Morning News report has rounded up a number of mock drafts and two common themes prevail as possibilities for the Mavs: Dallas could either draft point guard Frank Ntilikina to ultimately man the franchise’s playmaking duties or take a gamble on Lauri Markkanen, a sharp-shooting forward being likened to Dirk Nowitzki.
In Ntilikina the Mavs could get a potential point guard of the future, one that the team is said to have actively scouted thus far. The guard is being hailed for his perimeter defense, although the rest of the 18-year-old’s game may take time to develop.
Markkanen, in contrast, represents a different course of action for the Mavs. The modern-day stretch four is celebrated for his already impressive ability to shoot the ball and would benefit from the tutelage of Nowitzki.
Other potential Mavs target that come up in the report are Dennis Smith Jr., Jonathan Jeanne and Jonathan Isaac.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Nick Kerr will be serving in a video role with the Spurs after this season, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News confirms. Nick is the son of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
- Vanderbilt center Luke Kornet is expected to work out with the Spurs on Monday, Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. The 7’1″ senior could be a potential second-round target.
- Consider Frank Ntilikina a safer bet than Dennis Smith Jr., says Matt Mosley of the Dallas Morning News. The scribe also mentions that he would be disappointed if the Mavs drafted Lauri Markkanen, citing the difficulties he could have replacing Dirk Nowitzki.
- Another Dallas Morning News report takes a good, long look at Frank Ntilikina, collecting analysis published around the web. There’s an element of risk at play if the Mavs draft him, Dallas Morning News reporter Eddie Sefko says.
Kerr Intends To Coach Game 2, Series
Steve Kerr will coach in Game 2 of the NBA Finals tonight, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne tweets. The last-minute decision was announced less than two hours before opening tip.
Kerr, out of action since Game 3 of Golden State’s first-round series with the Blazers, spoke with the media and, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN, has said that he intends to coach the remainder of the series.
Kerr made the decision to return to the sidelines this morning, ESPN’s Chris Haynes says in a tweet of his own.
Kerr also mentioned that his back feels as it did throughout the regular season when he coached all 82 games, Anthony Slater of the Mercury News tweets.
The decision likely came as a surprise to the Warriors, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets, saying that he didn’t know anybody from the organization expected this yesterday.