Cuban Hopeful Nowitzki Will Play In 2018/19
Dirk Nowitzki is off to a slow start this season, with most of his numbers at their lowest mark since his rookie year. However, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN that he’s hopeful this won’t be Nowitzki’s last season suiting up for the Mavs.
“I hope so,” Cuban said when asked if he thinks Nowitzki will return for the 2018/19 season. “I think there’s a really good chance he is [coming back], because he wants to break the record for years with one team and be that one guy. Not many people have that opportunity. … He’s still having fun.”
In more than 1,400 career NBA regular season games, Nowitzki has averaged an impressive 21.6 PPG and 7.8 RPG with a .473/.381/.879 shooting line. So far this season, his averages have dipped to 10.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG with a .414 FG%, though he’s still making nearly 40% of his three-point attempts.
While Nowitzki acknowledged that his health and the state of his body will dictate when he retires, the 39-year-old expressed a desire to play one more year after 2017/18, noting that the Mavericks’ place in the standings wouldn’t affect his decision, MacMahon writes. Dallas is 2-12 so far this season, matching the Hawks for the NBA’s worst record.
Nowitzki is currently in his 20th season with the Mavs, tying Kobe Bryant‘s record for most seasons with a single NBA franchise. If he can return for the ’18/19 season, the German big man would hold that record on his own.
Rade Zagorac Expected To Sign With Serbian Team
Former NBA second-round pick Rade Zagorac is expected to continue his career in his home country of Serbia, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Zagorac is committing to a new deal with KK Partizan Belgrade.
Zagorac, 22, was the 35th overall pick in the 2016 draft, and after spending one final season overseas, he appeared poised to join the Grizzlies this year. However, despite signing a contract that was fully guaranteed for two seasons, the 6’9″ forward was unable to earn a spot on Memphis’ regular season roster. The club waived him along with fellow 2016 draftee Wade Baldwin at the end of the preseason.
Assuming Zagorac finalizes an agreement with KK Partizan Belgrade, it will represent a homecoming for the Serbian, who spent several seasons playing for Mega Leks before making the leap to the NBA. Zagorac is on track to team up with Jazz draft-and-stash prospect Nigel Williams-Goss, who struck a deal with Partizan Belgrade earlier this year.
As for the Grizzlies, they’ll carry $950K in dead money on their 2017/18 cap for Zagorac, plus about $1.38MM for 2018/19. However, the club hasn’t given up on the idea of eventually trying to bring the young forward back to Memphis, as Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal noted last month.
Western Rumors: Paul, Ball, Nurkic, Noel
Chris Paul is ramping up his workouts and could return to action on Thursday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. The longtime All-Star point guard has been out since suffering a bruised left knee in the Rockets’ opener. “We’ll see how he feels Tuesday and Wednesday,” coach Mike D’Antoni told Feigen. “That [playing Thursday] is what we’re shooting for.”
In other developments around the Western Conference:
- Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball is shooting 31.4% but team president Magic Johnson said during a radio interview the coaching staff won’t alter his shooting stroke. Johnson made the comment during an interview on ESPN’s Mike and Mike show, which was relayed by USAToday’s Andrew Joseph. “Let him shoot the way he’s been shooting and hopefully they’ll go in. And so, we’re not gonna mess with it,” Johnson said. “We’re gonna let him shoot and play his game. If after the season, and he’s not shooting well, then we’ll sit down with him and say, ‘Hey, let’s maybe look at different way or let’s try to improve the way you are shooting.'”
- Jusuf Nurkic isn’t brooding over his lack of crunch-time minutes in recent games, Mike Richman of The Oregonian reports. Coach Terry Stotts has gone with the backup Ed Davis in the fourth quarter the last two games but the starting Trail Blazers center says he’s not upset. “No drama, man,” Nurkic told Richman. “It’s all about the [next] game.”
- Nerlens Noel‘s lack of playing time doesn’t mean there’s a rift between him and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Noel has played just eight minutes over the last three games but he can work his way back in the rotation by playing hard-nosed basketball, Sefko continues. Noel will get a chance to rejoin the rotation in the near future, Sefko predicts.
- Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler scored 25 points against the Suns on Saturday, and he vows to remain a bigger part of the offense, Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Butler had scored 16 points or less in seven of his 10 previous games with his new team. “I do think I have to start scoring the ball a lot more,” Butler told Zgoda. “I think I’ve come too far to be as passive as I am right now. I’m always going to pass the ball to the open man, but if I feel like I can get my shots off and think I can make it, I’m going to take each and every one of those.”
Atlantic Rumors: Johnson, LeBron, Stauskas, Raptors
Sixers veteran big man Amir Johnson isn’t pouting about sitting out the team’s loss to the Warriors on Saturday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Johnson, who signed a one-year, $11MM contract in the offseason, was actually appreciative that coach Brett Brown forewarned him that he would not play for the first time this season. “I can’t do anything but respect having a coach come up to you and letting you know when you are going to get ready,” Johnson told Pompey. “With me being a vet, I always stay ready.” Johnson and Richaun Holmes are sharing time as center Joel Embiid‘s backups. Johnson isn’t concerned how his lack of playing time could impact him in the free agent market next summer, Pompey adds.
In other news around the Atlantic Division:
- Cavaliers forward LeBron James wasn’t criticizing rookie guard Frank Ntilikina but rather taking a potshot at former Knicks president Phil Jackson with his comments regarding Mavs rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr., according to ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin. James said over the weekend that Smith “should be a Knick,” referring to Smith going one pick after the Knicks selected Ntilikina. James clarified his remarks on Monday, emphasizing he didn’t mean to disparage Ntilikina’s ability. Ntilikina still apparently took offense to James’ comments, giving the perennial All-Star a shove during their teams’ game on Monday night, the Associated Press’ Brian Mahoney tweets.
- The Sixers will be without backup guard Nik Stauskas for at least a week. He’s out with a sprained right ankle, Pompey tweets, and will be reevaluated in 7-10 days. That leave the Sixers a little thin in the backcourt. Jerryd Bayless is out indefinitely with a wrist injury.
- The Raptors’ offensive issues have led to poor transition defense, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star notes. The Raptors have made just 33.5% of their 3-point attempts while hoisting up an average of 31.1 per game. That leads to long rebounds and poor floor balance, a major reason why the Raptors rank 27th by allowing an average of 13.4 fast-break points per game, Smith adds.
Rondo Expected To Make Pelicans Debut
Point guard Rajon Rondo is scheduled to make his Pelicans debut Monday against the Hawks, William Guillory of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Coach Alvin Gentry said Rondo would likely be limited to six minutes of action, Guillory adds.
Rondo missed the first 13 games of the season after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia during the preseason. New Orleans signed Rondo to a one-year, $3.3MM free agent contract to be their starting point guard, with Jrue Holiday sliding over to the shooting guard spot. Holiday has mainly been playing the point in Rondo’s absence.
Rondo’s return is expected to eventually cut into the playing time of E’Twaun Moore and two other longtime veterans, Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson.
Community Shootaround: 2017 Draft Class
This year’s top overall draft pick, Markelle Fultz, caught the Sixers’ injury bug at the start of his rookie campaign. Fultz is sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury, continuing Philadelphia’s tough-luck run with lottery picks.
Despite Fultz’s injury, the 2017 draft class has quickly made its mark. Numerous first-round selections have made major impacts in just a few short weeks.
The second overall pick, Lonzo Ball, may have a broken jumper (31.4%) but he’s lived up to his billing as a prolific distributor (7.4 APG) and surprisingly strong rebounder (6.8 RPG). Ball’s teammate, power forward Kyle Kuzma, has already proven to be a steal with the No. 27 overall pick. Kuzma leads the draft class in scoring (15.2 PPG) and field-goal percentage (51.6%) while tying Ball for third in rebounding (6.8 RPG).
Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen took full advantage of additional playing time due to the Nikola Mirotic–Bobby Portis dust-up. He ranks third among 2017 draft picks in scoring (14.5 PPG) and first in rebounding (7.8 RPG).
The third overall pick, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, saw his role expand in the wake of Gordon Hayward‘s season-ending injury. He’s provided immediate help (13.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG). The rebuilding Hawks have thrown power forward John Collins into the fire and he’s responded by ranking second to Markkanen in rebounding (7.3) and second in blocks (1.15) while also delivering double-digit scoring (1o.2 PPG).
Ball is far from the only guard in the draft class to show poise beyond his years. Jazz combo guard Donovan Mitchell (13.9 PPG) has earned a starting spot. Dennis Smith (14.8 PPG, 4.9 APG) has been one of the Mavericks’ few bright spots. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox (11.9 PPG, 5.2 APG) looks like their long-term solution at the position.
Several others, such as the Suns’ Josh Jackson and the Knicks’ Frank Ntilikina, have shined at times.
This brings us to our question of the day: Which 2017 draft pick has impressed you the most during the first few weeks of the season? What has made him a standout?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to hearing your opinion on this subject.
Jazz Notes: Favors, Gobert, Mitchell, Hood
Derrick Favors feels comfortable moving into the starting center spot for the Jazz with Rudy Gobert sidelined, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News reports. Favors did the same thing for 18 games two seasons ago when Gobert was injured and once again during last season’s playoffs, Sorensen notes. Favors piled up 24 points and 12 rebounds against the Nets Saturday. Gobert is expected to miss at least a month of action due to a tibia contusion. “It’s the same as last year, same as the year before that when Rudy went down and I had to move to the five spot,” Favors told Sorensen. “Even before that, I was starting at the five, so I’m ready for it.” Favors, who is in his walk year, can boost his stock in free agency if he plays well in Gobert’s absence.
In other developments involving the Jazz:
- The Jazz contacted the league office regarding the play in which Gobert was injured but no action was taken, Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Heat guard Dion Waiters dove to the floor while chasing a loose ball and rolled toward Gobert body, causing the injury. The league told the Jazz that a foul against Waiters should’ve been called but it was deemed not intentional, Jones adds.
- Donovan Mitchell‘s competitive drive has made him one of this year’s draft-day steals, Brian Lewis of the New York Post opines. The combo guard, taken with the No. 13 overall pick, scored a game-high 26 points against the Nets. “His competitive spirit is something you can’t teach,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder told Lewis and other media members. “There’s certain things you can’t teach. You can try to train them and improve them, but that’s been there from the first day.”
- Shooting guard Rodney Hood has lost his starting job to Mitchell but he’s handling it well, as Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News relays. Hood still leads the team in scoring and accepts his new role as the top option on the second unit. “Just being a professional and not taking a step back and don’t think nothing less of myself,” Hood told Woodyard. “I know I can play with the best of them, regardless of when I’m getting in I’ve got to put in work so that’s how I approach it.”
Current NBA Waiver Order
Waiver claims don’t happen very often in the NBA. During the 2016/17 league year, for instance, only six players were claimed off waivers. So far in 2017/18, four players – David Nwaba, Nicolas Brussino, Kay Felder, and DeAndre Liggins – have been claimed off waivers.
Nwaba, Brussino, Felder, and Liggins have something in common; they’re all on minimum salary contracts. While a player earning more than the minimum can also be claimed off waivers, not every NBA team has the ability to claim any waived player. In fact, there are only a few instances when teams can claim a player who is earning more than the minimum salary, which is one reason why waiver claims rarely happen.
A team placing a waiver claim on a player earning more than the minimum must have one of the following to accommodate the player’s salary:
- Cap room
- A trade exception
- A disabled player exception
As I noted on Sunday, a player like Mindaugas Kuzminskas is a candidate to be claimed, but his odds of being snatched up before reaching free agency would be much higher if he were on a minimum salary contract. Teams will be reluctant to take on his $3MM salary, and only half the NBA’s teams are even eligible to place a claim on him.
When considering which teams might place a claim on a waived player, it’s also worth noting that waiver priority is determined by record — the worst teams get first dibs on each waived player. Prior to December 1, waiver order is currently determined by last year’s record. That will change in a few weeks, but for now, a team’s 2016/17 record determines its waiver priority.
Taking all the details above into account, the current NBA waiver order is listed below. We’ve also noted which teams can place a claim on a player earning more than the minimum salary. If two teams that finished 2016/17 with identical records place a waiver claim on the same player, their head-to-head records would determine which team gets priority. If they split their head-to-head matchups, a coin flip determines which team gets priority.
Here’s the full list of teams, in order of current waiver priority:
- Brooklyn Nets ($3,396,169; cap room)
- Phoenix Suns ($8,948,187; cap room)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Philadelphia 76ers ($15,120,873; cap room)
- Orlando Magic
- Minnesota Timberwolves
(tie) New York Knicks ($2,381,964; TPE) - Sacramento Kings ($4,254,216; cap room)
- Dallas Mavericks ($12,526,578; cap room)
- Note: Mavericks would need to renounce their exceptions to use cap room.
- New Orleans Pelicans ($3,853,931; TPE)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Detroit Pistons
- Denver Nuggets
- Miami Heat
(tie) Portland Trail Blazers ($12,969,502; TPE)
(tie) Chicago Bulls ($11,457,398; TPE)- Note: Bulls could get up to $15,046,009 in cap room by renouncing exceptions.
- Indiana Pacers ($6,126,114; cap room)
(tie) Milwaukee Bucks ($5,000,000; TPE) - Atlanta Hawks
(tie) Memphis Grizzlies ($3,408,520; TPE) - Oklahoma City Thunder
- Washington Wizards
- Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,811,114; TPE)
(tie) Los Angeles Clippers ($7,273,631; TPE)
(tie) Toronto Raptors ($11,800,000; TPE)
(tie) Utah Jazz - Boston Celtics ($8,406,000; DPE)
- Houston Rockets
- San Antonio Spurs
- Golden State Warriors
Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/13/17
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Knicks have recalled Ron Baker and Damyean Dotson to the NBA after the duo played for the Westchester Knicks on Sunday, per an announcement from the team (Twitter link). New York plays on Monday night, while Westchester is back in action Tuesday morning, so we’ll see if Baker and/or Dotson are sent back to the G League prior to tomorrow’s contest.
- Second-year center Damian Jones has been recalled to the Warriors, the team announced in a press release. Jones had been on assignment with Santa Cruz for most of the season, averaging 12.2 PPG and 6.2 RPG in five games as the starting center for Golden State’s G League affiliate.
2018 Salary Cap Outlook: Atlantic Division
NBA rosters will undergo some changes over the course of the 2017/18 season, particularly around the trade deadline, and those changes may have an impact on teams’ cap sheets for future seasons. Based on the NBA’s current rosters, however, we can identify which teams are most or least likely to have cap room in the summer of 2018, which will dictate the type of moves those clubs can make in the offseason.
We’ll be taking a closer look at each of the NBA’s 30 teams by division over the next week. Today, we’re starting with the Atlantic division. With the help of salary information compiled by Basketball Insiders, here’s how the summer of 2018 is shaping up for the five Atlantic teams:
Toronto Raptors
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $124,628,430
Projection: Over the cap and into the tax
The Raptors have nearly $125MM in guaranteed money on their books for the 2018/19 season, easily the most of any Atlantic teams. If Toronto can’t clear any of that money of its cap, the club would almost certainly surpass the tax threshold, based on the latest cap projections from the NBA.
The most obvious way for the Raptors to create a bit of breathing room would be to find a taker for Jonas Valanciunas, who is due a $16.5MM salary next year. Still, Toronto has reportedly explored potential Valanciunas trades before and hasn’t found any viable options, so it won’t necessarily be easy for the Raps to move his salary. And even if they do, it would take more than that to get under the cap.
Boston Celtics
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $104,650,766
Projection: Over the cap
The Celtics currently project to be a little over a $101MM cap, and they’d go even further beyond that threshold if they want to re-sign Marcus Smart or Aron Baynes, or retain non-guaranteed players like Daniel Theis. Even if Boston is willing to let those players go, there’s no obvious path to carving out a chunk of cap room, so the C’s figure to be an over-the-cap team.
Brooklyn Nets
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $68,601,762
Projection: Up to approximately $28MM in cap room
Our cap projection for the Nets assume that the team hangs onto Spencer Dinwiddie, who has a non-guaranteed salary. However, it also assumes that Jeremy Lin will turn down his $12MM+ player option. Considering Lin will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, there’s actually a good chance that he’ll play it safe and pick up his player option rather than taking his chances on the open market. In that scenario, Brooklyn’s cap space would be cut nearly in half.
New York Knicks
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $68,004,397
Projection: Up to approximately $12MM in cap room
Why do we have the Knicks projected to have far less cap room than the Nets, despite both teams having nearly equal guaranteed salary? We’re assuming that Enes Kanter will exercise his $18MM+ player option for next season, as was reported back in August. Of course, nothing is official yet, and a big season for the Knicks could change the landscape for Kanter. But for now, it seems unrealistic to expect him to opt out.
New York’s projected cap room will be reduced further if Ron Baker and/or Kyle O’Quinn exercise player options of their own, which are worth about $4.5MM and $4.3MM, respectively.
Philadelphia 76ers
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $56,928,155
Projection: Up to approximately $39MM in cap room
Even if we count on the Sixers exercising team options for T.J. McConnell and Richaun Holmes, the team should have a ton of flexibility. A Robert Covington extension would cut into that flexibility, but should still leave up to about $25MM in cap room. If the 76ers want to create enough space to sign a player to a maximum salary, finding a taker for Jerryd Bayless‘ expiring $8.6MM contract would likely be the first step.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.