NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/10/17
Here are the G League moves from around the basketball world today:
- The Timberwolves have recalled Marcus Georges-Hunt from their G League affiliate in Iowa, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune tweets. The forward scored 34 points in his lone game on assignment.
- The Grizzlies have assigned three players to the Memphis Hustle, their G League affiliate, a press release on the team’s official site says. Assigned are Ivan Rabb, Deyonta Davis and Wayne Selden.
- The Knicks have assigned Ron Baker and Damyean Dotson to their G League affiliate in Westchester, the team’s public relations department tweets.
- Per Scott Bordrow of The Arizona Republic, the Suns have recalled Derrick Jones Jr. from the Northern Arizona Suns, their G League affiliate. The high flyer scored 11 points in his one and only game with the G League squad thus far.
Cavs Notes: James’ Impact, James’ Ambitions, Monroe
The impact that LeBron James has on the basketball world goes beyond the court. The superstar has helped a number of teammates land significant paydays, as outlined by Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.
“[James] definitely puts you in position to be successful to showcase what you’re great at and he enhances it on the bigger stage,” teammate Tristan Thompson, one of the chief beneficiaries of James’ impact said. “Eight and eight on a championship team is worth more than eight and eight on a .500 team or a team that doesn’t make the playoffs. Of course, that’s definitely a huge factor.”
Beyond Thompson, Lloyd lists players like J.R. Smith (who is represented by the same agency as James and Thompson) but also Matthew Dellavedova, whose scrappy play under the postseason spotlight landed him a $38MM contract.
“If we didn’t go to the Finals, I don’t get that playoff experience,” Dellavedova said. “I think the effect he has on everybody — he impacts so much that people don’t even think of. I think he has a role in a lot of things. An impact on everything.”
There’s more from the Cavs:
- In the same feature at The Athletic, James opens up to Lloyd about the idea of owning an NBA franchise in the future. There’s no guarantee that opportunity comes in Cleveland, however. “To be an owner of any team would be crazy. If this thing opened up and I’m in a position financially, and I’ve got the right team around me, obviously. But who’s to say Dan will [sell]?” James said.
- It’ll take some time for Isaiah Thomas to get used to playing with LeBron James and the rest of the Cavaliers but he tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that he’s well-suited to make that transition quicker than most. “Me being older, me knowing the game a little bit more and being a student of the game, I’m going to be able to adjust quicker than somebody else could,” Thomas said.
- The Cavs aren’t interested in making a move for Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor but their interest in Greg Monroe would be higher, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com says in a question-and-answer with readers.
Southwest Notes: Parsons, Capela, Selden
The Grizzlies have a welcomed dilemma on their hands with Chandler Parsons. The forward’s long road to recovery from knee injuries has tainted his tenure with the Memphis franchise but, as Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes, he’s finding a niche and helping the team win.
“I’ve definitely lost some sleep at night, trying to figure out how to put it all together and get the most out of him,” head coach David Fizdale said. “That’s what it’s about – putting him in a situation to help us. So, right now, that’s where the niche has been filled, with him coming off the bench and giving that second unit a big boost.”
In nine games with the Grizzlies this season, Parsons – now suiting up at the four – has averaged 7.7 points per game. His ability to connect from beyond the arc to the tune of .484 has made the team’s second unit more dangerous.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Blame team owner Mark Cuban for the current state of the Mavs, Matt Mosley of The Dallas Morning News writes. The team’s decision to go after big fish free agents has left them lacking a core capable of carrying the team to a better record.
- The Rockets appreciate the asset on their hands in Clint Capela and don’t appear to be afraid of investing in him when he hits free agency. “We’ll have him here as long as he’ll have us,” general manager Daryl Morey tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “He couldn’t price himself out.“
- It won’t be long before Wayne Selden makes his season debut for the Grizzlies. As Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes, the guard who has dealt with a quad injury will suit up for the team’s G League affiliate in a rehab start tonight.
Central Notes: Bledsoe, Drummond, Parker
Expect Eric Bledsoe to start in his Bucks debut tonight, Matt Velasquez of The Journal Sentinel writes. Milwaukee will clash with the Spurs in San Antonio and Bledsoe will see his first taste of in-game action since October 21.
“For his first day of shootaround, you could see the dynamic of his speed, something that we don’t have at that position,” Bucks head coach Jason Kidd said. “We’ll find out here quickly [how he fits with the team].”
The 27-year-old guard has averaged 13.1 points and 4.6 assists per game over the course of his eight-year NBA career, his best two seasons coming with Phoenix last year and the year prior.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pistons know that Andre Drummond needs to keep his head in the game in order to be most effective. As Ansar Khan of MLive writes, the big man is well aware of that fact himself. “When I play with high energy and confidence it gives everybody else confidence and you can see it in everybody’s face when they’re playing,” Drummond said. “In previous years, I played down and it looked like it could bother me and everybody kind of moved around in slow motion.”
- If the Bulls are to choose one of Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune believes it would be the former. Portis, he writes, is well liked by his teammates. He’s also on a cheaper contract and would handle coming off the bench behind rookie Lauri Markkanen better.
- This isn’t Bucks forward Jabari Parker‘s first time recovering from an ACL injury. This time around, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes, he does so well aware of what the process entails – and in a nicer facility, to boot.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Howard, Deng
The Hornets will soon be charged with the task of working Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Nicolas Batum back into their lineup, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The former will return to action after a three-game absence tonight.
Batum, sidelined since October with a left elbow injury, could return to the court as early as next Wednesday. Both will be welcome additions to a Hornets lineup that has moseyed out to a 5-6 start this season.
With Batum and Kidd-Gilchrist back in the lineup, head coach Steve Clifford will need to figure out what to do with the likes of Jeremy Lamb, Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon, all of whom have stepped up with recent opportunities.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The NBA fined Hornets big man Dwight Howard $25K for making an obscene gesture at a fan last weekend, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets.
- The Heat could consider bringing Luol Deng back if he ends up getting bought out by the Lakers but, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes, that would only add to the team’s logjam at the four. At the right price, however, the veteran that already knows Miami’s system could be worth a look.
- Point guard Dennis Schroder tried to sell head coach Mike Budenholzer on the idea of bringing Daniel Theis to the Hawks but the German free agent eventually signed on with the Celtics, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes.
NBA’s Top 40 Highest-Paid Players For 2017/18
While many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, only one of those players is actually earning the largest allowable salary for the 2017/18 season. That’s Stephen Curry, whose $34,682,550 salary is the ’17/18 maximum for a player with 10+ years of NBA experience — or one like Curry who has qualified for a Designated Veteran Extension.
Every other player on a maximum-salary deal is either earning the maximum allowable salary for a player with less NBA experience (like Gordon Hayward, whose $29,727,900 salary is the max for a player with 7-9 years of experience) or signed his max contract in a previous season.
When a player signs a maximum-salary deal, he doesn’t necessarily the NBA max for each season of that contract — he earns it for year one, then gets a series of identical annual raises. That’s why a player like Kyrie Irving, who signed his maximum-salary contract several years ago, isn’t even among the NBA’s 40 highest-paid players, despite technically still being on a max deal.
Listed below, with the help of salary data from Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, are those top 40 highest-paid NBA players for the 2017/18 season. Why 40? That’s the number of players who are earning at least $20MM this season.
The players on this list don’t necessarily have the contracts with the largest overall value. J.J. Redick‘s $23MM salary, for instance, places him among the highest-paid players for this season, but the overall value of his deal is modest, since it’s just a one-year contract. The list below only considers salaries for 2017/18.
Additionally, we’ve noted players who could potentially increase their earnings via incentives or trade bonuses. We didn’t add those notes for players like Curry and Hayward – who have trade bonuses but are already earning the max – since their salaries for this season can’t increase.
Here are the NBA’s 40 highest-paid players for the 2017/18 season:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors: $34,682,550
- LeBron James, Cavaliers: $33,285,709 (15% trade bonus)
- Paul Millsap, Nuggets: $31,269,231 (plus incentives)
- Gordon Hayward, Celtics: $29,727,900
- Blake Griffin, Clippers: $29,512,900 (15% trade bonus)
- Kyle Lowry, Raptors: $28,703,704 (plus incentives)
- Russell Westbrook, Thunder: $28,530,608 (15% trade bonus)
- Mike Conley, Grizzlies: $28,530,608
- James Harden, Rockets: $28,299,399
- DeMar DeRozan, Raptors: $27,739,975
- Al Horford, Celtics: $27,734,405 (15% trade bonus)
- Carmelo Anthony, Thunder: $26,243,760
- Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers: $26,153,057
- Jrue Holiday, Pelicans: $25,686,667 (plus incentives)
- Kevin Durant, Warriors: $25,000,000 (15% trade bonus)
- Otto Porter, Wizards: $24,773,250
- Chris Paul, Rockets: $24,599,495
- C.J. McCollum, Trail Blazers: $23,962,573
- Andre Drummond, Pistons: $23,775,506 (8% trade bonus)
- Bradley Beal, Wizards: $23,775,506
- Anthony Davis, Pelicans: $23,775,506 *
- Hassan Whiteside, Heat: $23,775,506
- Dwight Howard, Hornets: $23,500,000
- Harrison Barnes, Mavericks: $23,112,004 (8% trade bonus)
- Chandler Parsons, Grizzlies: $23,112,004
- J.J. Redick, Sixers: $23,000,000 *
- Marc Gasol, Grizzlies: $22,642,350 (15% trade bonus)
- DeAndre Jordan, Clippers: $22,642,350 (15% trade bonus)
- Brook Lopez, Lakers: $22,642,350
- Kevin Love, Cavaliers: $22,642,350
- Steven Adams, Thunder: $22,471,911 (7.5% trade bonus)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $22,471,911
- Nicolas Batum, Hornets: $22,434,783
- Rudy Gobert, Jazz: $21,974,719 (plus incentives)
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs: $21,461,010 (15% trade bonus)
- Victor Oladipo, Pacers: $21,000,000 (plus incentives)
- Danilo Gallinari, Clippers: $20,559,599
- Enes Kanter, Knicks: $20,566,802
- Serge Ibaka, Raptors: $20,061,729
- George Hill, Kings: $20,000,000
* Reports have suggested Davis and Redick have 15% trade bonuses, but they’re not noted by Basketball Insiders.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Woj’s Latest: OKC, Huestis, Trade Market, Suns
In the latest episode of The Woj Pod, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was joined by ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Royce Young to discuss a handful of topics from around the NBA. Since Young covers the Thunder, much of the conversation focused on Oklahoma City’s early-season struggles, but the ESPN trio bounced around the league to touch on several other teams and subjects too.
Let’s round up a few highlights…
- Despite the fact that the Thunder expressed a willingness to go deeper into luxury-tax territory next year to keep Paul George and Carmelo Anthony around, Wojnarowski is very skeptical, suggesting it will probably just be a one-year run with the current roster. “This would be an incredible [tax] bill for the New York Knicks, the Lakers or Steve Ballmer to pay, never mind Clay Bennett in a small market like Oklahoma City,” Woj said.
- Meanwhile, Young and Marks questioned the Thunder‘s decision to decline Josh Huestis‘ fourth-year option, indicating that it was likely related to tax concerns. The trio observed that the idea of replacing Huestis with a minimum-salary veteran goes against the draft-and-develop strategy the Thunder have practiced in recent years.
- With the Cavaliers looking vulnerable and several Eastern Conference teams off to decent starts, Wojnarowski believes that the wide-open nature of the conference could have an impact on the trade market. One executive tells Wojnarowski that it wouldn’t be surprising to see some talent head from the West to the East, since Western teams are less inclined to believe there’s an opening to make it to the Finals, with the Warriors looking as strong as ever.
- According to Wojnarowski, the Suns were initially seeking a good young player and a first-round pick – or two – in exchange for Eric Bledsoe. Of course, the return Phoenix got from Milwaukee in exchange for Bledsoe didn’t come close to that. Bledsoe’s value had taken a hit because of the public nature of the situation, but Marks points out that most teams already have solid point guards and weren’t ready to make a major trade so early in the season, further limiting the Suns’ options.
Pelicans Waive Josh Smith
The Pelicans have waived veteran forward Josh Smith, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The move reduces New Orleans’ roster count from 16 to 15, since the team made use of a hardship exception to initially sign Smith.
Smith, who will turn 32 next month, barely saw any action during his two weeks with the Pelicans, appearing in three games and playing just 12 total minutes. New Orleans had added him using an extra roster spot the club was granted due to having at least four players who had missed three or more games.
It’s not clear if any of the injured Pelicans players are on the verge of returning. Based on recovery timetables announced by the team, Frank Jackson and Solomon Hill will likely be out for a while yet, but Rajon Rondo and Alexis Ajinca may be closer to getting back on the court. Omer Asik has also been sidelined this season due to health issues.
Smith, signed on October 28, received a non-guaranteed deal, so the Pelicans will only be on the hook for a small prorated portion of his minimum salary. The club will carry a cap hit of approximately $211K for Smith’s brief stint in New Orleans, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
Community Shootaround: Best Fit For Greg Monroe
Veteran center Greg Monroe, who continues to recover from a calf injury, reported to his new team on Thursday, but he admits he doesn’t know whether he’ll actually suit up for the Suns, per Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Monroe said yesterday that he – along with agent David Falk – spoke briefly to Ryan McDonough, acknowledging to the Suns’ general manager that he recognizes he may not fit into the team’s plans.
“I just told them I understand the plan they have in place and how they want to approach the season,” Monroe said. “I told them, ‘If you want me to play, I’ll always play. I’ll never be one not to want to play. If not, we’ll just work together and find the best option for everyone.’ But I’m more than happy to play here.”
Although Monroe says he was “blindsided” by the trade that sent him from Milwaukee to Phoenix in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, he’s unlikely to be caught off guard a second time. The Suns have a logjam at center and a report on the heels of this week’s trade indicated that the club likely won’t keep Monroe through the 2017/18 season.
Still, as I noted on Thursday, even though Monroe has an expiring contract, his $18MM salary won’t be easy to move, particularly if the Suns don’t want to take any future salary back. The Bucks had reportedly been exploring the trade market for Monroe off and on for the last year and hadn’t had much luck until this week, so there’s little reason to expect Phoenix to be able to find good value for the big man right away.
If the Suns don’t find a viable deal soon for Monroe, they’ll probably hang onto him for a little while rather than jumping right into buyout talks, but buying him out remains a possibility. In that event, Monroe would certainly clear waivers and then would be free to sign with any team except the Bucks.
What do you think? Is there a team out there that makes sense as a trade partner for the Suns in a Monroe deal? If he’s bought out, which club do you think would be the best fit for Monroe?
Jump into the comment section below to weigh in!
Knicks Would Have Pushed For George Hill If Not For Jackson’s Ouster
When they host the Kings on Saturday, the Knicks will get a first-hand look at a point guard who they may very well have signed if not for the front office overhaul in New York. Former Knicks president of basketball operations Phil Jackson had made George Hill his top free agent target before he was ousted, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.
According to Berman’s source, Jackson believed Hill would be capable of mastering the triangle offense, and would serve as an excellent mentor for rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina. Hill, who is friends with Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah, was prepared to discuss contract terms with the Knicks on July 1, Berman writes. With Steve Mills running the show in Jackson’s place by that point though, the club’s interest in Hill was minimal.
At this point, the Knicks’ offseason interest in Hill under Jackson isn’t all that relevant, but it makes for a fascinating “what-if,” since it would have set off a chain reaction that impacted other free agents. Hill ultimately signed a three-year deal worth $57MM with the Kings. If he had received a competitive offer in that range from the Knicks, the team would have almost certainly been out of the running for Tim Hardaway Jr., who may have ended up accepting a more modest contract offer to return to Atlanta.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Scott Perry, the Knicks’ current general manager, was with Sacramento when the Kings signed Hill. If he had joined the Knicks immediately after Jackson’s dismissal, perhaps New York would have gone just as hard after Hill as Jackson intended to. Perry was hired by the Knicks in mid-July.
As it stands, the Knicks can make the case that they made the right decision in pursuing Hardaway over Hill. Even though Hardaway’s contract was widely panned and may still prove to be a misguided investment, he’s probably a better fit for the Knicks right now than Hill. Jarrett Jack has performed well as Ntilikina’s mentor at point guard, and has done so on a much more affordable contract than Hill’s. Meanwhile, Hill’s 7.8 PPG and .406 FG% in the early going with the Kings are his worst marks since his rookie season in 2008/09.