Atlantic Rumors: Beasley, Hayward, Crabbe, Embiid
A pair of free-agent acquisitions, forward Michael Beasley and point guard Ramon Sessions, are among the players who have fallen out of the Knicks’ rotation, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Beasley didn’t play for the first time this season in the Knicks’ win over the Cavaliers on Sunday while Sessions, who started the first three games, didn’t play for the second straight game. Beasley signed a one-year, $2.1MM deal with New York and Sessions inked a one-year, $2.3MM contract this summer. Big man Willy Hernangomez has also fallen out of coach Jeff Hornacek’s current rotation and combo guard Ron Baker was inactive for the second straight game, Berman adds.
In other developments around the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics are gradually adjusting to the loss of Gordon Hayward, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Hayward’s horrific leg injury in the season opener left the team reeling but it has perked up over the past week, winning four straight heading into Monday’s game against the Spurs. “I think we’re getting used to that reality to what we have in front of us,” power forward Al Horford told Bulpett. “It’s a hard blow, but then as the days go on you kind of realize that this is our reality, this is what we have, and we need to make the most of it with what’s here right now.”
- The Nets traded for shooting guard Allen Crabbe‘s huge contract but he hasn’t taken a lot of shots in the early going, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.com notes. Crabbe, who is the second year of a four-year, $74.8MM deal, was acquired from the Trail Blazers in July. Thus far, he’s averaging 10.6 PPG and taking an average of 9.4 shots per game. However, coach Kenny Atkinson told Puccio and other media members that he’s not worried about getting Crabbe more involved. “We’re not a ‘let’s give it to Allen and clear out and let him go one-on-one,’” Atkinson said. “It’s a team concept. That means everything has to be in sync, we have to run to our spots, screen better, cut better.”
- Joel Embiid, who signed a max extension with the Sixers earlier this month, wants to play in Philadelphia the remainder of this career, Molly Sullivan of NBCSPhilly.com tweets. “I want to be Kobe Bryant. I want to be Tim Duncan. I want to be Dirk Nowitzki,” Embiid told Sullivan.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/30/17
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- Celtics forward Marcus Morris, who is working his way back from a knee injury, was assigned to the G League today and was later recalled by the C’s, according to the club (Twitter link). Morris, who participated in practice today with the Maine Red Claws, is expected to play in his first game for Boston at some point this week.
- The Jazz have assigned Tony Bradley to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced today in a press release. The rookie center, selected 28th overall in this year’s draft, has yet to make his regular season NBA debut.
- It looks like Isaiah Whitehead will bounce back and forth between the Brooklyn Nets and Long Island Nets frequently throughout the 2017/18 season. The team issued a press release today announcing that Whitehead has been sent to the G League — it’s already his third assignment of the season.
2017 Offseason In Review: Golden State Warriors
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Golden State Warriors.
Signings:
- Stephen Curry: Five years, $201.159MM (35% maximum salary). Designated veteran contract.
- Kevin Durant: Two years, $51.25MM. Second-year player option.
- Andre Iguodala: Three years, $48MM.
- Shaun Livingston: Three years, $23.692MM. Third year partially guaranteed ($2MM).
- Nick Young: One year, $5.192MM.
- Zaza Pachulia: One year, $3.478MM.
- Omri Casspi: One year, minimum salary.
- JaVale McGee: One year, minimum salary.
- David West: One year, minimum salary.
- Chris Boucher: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed in each season.
- Quinn Cook: Two-way contract. Exact details not yet known.
Camp invitees:
- Michael Gbinije: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Georges Niang: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Antonius Cleveland: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Alex Hamilton: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
- Trevor Thompson: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Trades:
- Acquired the draft rights to Jordan Bell (No. 38 pick) from the Bulls in exchange for cash ($3.5MM).
Draft picks:
- 2-38: Jordan Bell — Signed to two-year, minimum salary contract.
Departing players:
Other offseason news:
- Special consultant Jerry West left Warriors to join Clippers.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating over the cap and over the tax line. Carrying approximately $135MM in guaranteed team salary. Projected tax bill of approximately $32.3MM. Only minimum salary exception available.
Check out the Golden State Warriors’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
The top two free agents of the NBA’s 2017 class were members of the Warriors, but Golden State was never worried about losing either Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant. Coming off a dominant 2016/17 season, which was capped off by a 16-1 playoff record and the team’s second championship in three years, the Dubs were a lock to bring back Curry and Durant.
Curry and Durant were far from the Warriors’ only free agents though. Role players such as David West, Zaza Pachulia, and JaVale McGee were also set to hit the open market, and important contributors like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston would join them.
Retaining Curry and Durant meant keeping Golden State’s Big Four intact, and there would always be free agents willing to team up with that group for a shot at a title. But the Warriors faced the very real possibility of turning over half their roster and losing guys like Iguodala and Livington, who played key roles in the team’s two championships.
However, just when it looked like the Warriors might lose their 2015 Finals MVP, Iguodala agreed to re-sign. And each of the players listed above joined him on new deals of their own. All in all, Golden State re-signed a league-high seven of their own free agents, ultimately undergoing the least roster turnover in the NBA.
The willingness of team ownership to pay a big luxury tax bill made that possible, as did Durant’s offer to take a more modest salary than he needed to. While Durant’s discount didn’t give Golden State any additional cap flexibility, it will significant reduce the Warriors’ projected tax bill, and may have made a difference in the Warriors’ willingness to go a little higher than they wanted to on Iguodala’s new deal.
Weekly Mailbag: 10/23/17 – 10/30/17
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
If a deal gets done with Eric Bledsoe going to Milwaukee, who are the players most likely leaving Milwaukee? — Dan Vachalek, via Twitter
A report this week said the Suns are asking for reigning Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, along with either John Henson or Mirza Teletovic to help match salaries. The Bucks responded by offering Matthew Dellavedova, which won’t be enough to get the deal done. Dellavedova is nearly as old as Bledsoe and has more guaranteed money, which isn’t what the Suns are looking for. With Milwaukee unwilling to part with the rest of its young core, Brogdon seems like a fair price, and it’s probably the only way the Bucks can get a deal done.
How’s it different when an owner trades a player and it’s business, but when a player asks to be traded he’s selfish and punished? — Chane Miller, via Twitter
There’s unquestionably a double standard throughout sports where players are expected to live up to their contracts, but teams can treat the talent as disposable assets. We suspect comments this week by Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough about Eric Bledsoe‘s failings as a team leader weren’t well received around the league by players and their agents. It’s true that the disgruntled point guard is signed for one more year at $15MM, but it’s also true that he’s in the prime of his career and is trapped on a terrible team that hasn’t managed its assets well — that includes shutting down a healthy Bledsoe to tank down the stretch last season. As more power shifts to the players, asking for a trade like Bledsoe or Kyrie Irving did will become more common.
Warriors Plan To Extend Steve Kerr In 2018
While the Warriors and Steve Kerr haven’t prioritized getting a contract extension done right away, the two sides have had preliminary talks about a new deal. As he tells Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Kerr opted to table those discussions until next summer, when he can be sure that his health will allow him to make a long-term commitment to the franchise.
Kerr and GM Bob Myers, who held the initial extension talks, are both confident that – health permitting – the two sides will finalize a new contract in 2018, according to Kawakami. Warriors owner Joe Lacob also conveyed optimism about getting something done next summer with his club’s coach.
Kerr, who signed a five-year, $25MM contract in 2014, still has one more year left on that deal after 2017/18, so there’s no rush to hammer something out immediately. Kerr has been plagued by back issues in recent years, which forced him to take a leave of absence on multiple occasions. If he can make it through the ’17/18 campaign without any complications, Kerr will be in good position to commit to a few more years with Golden State.
“We just agreed we’d wait,” Kerr said, per Kawakami. “I’ve got two years left on my deal and wanted to make sure that everything went well this year health-wise. And I don’t anticipate any issues going forward. … I don’t have any desire to be anywhere else. So I’m sure when we get down to it, we’ll come to an agreement pretty quickly.”
Although it remains to be seen what Kerr’s next contract would look like, he joked that he’s given up his leverage by publicly stating on multiple occasions that he has no desire to coach anywhere else. Nonetheless, Kerr tells Kawakami that, when the time comes, he’s confident Myers and Lacob will give him a “great offer.”
Greg Monroe To Miss At Least Two Weeks
Bucks center Greg Monroe is expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks due to a left calf injury, head coach Jason Kidd confirmed on Sunday. As Matt Velasquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details, Monroe was held out of Sunday’s game against Atlanta, last seeing action on Thursday vs. the Celtics.
“He’s had a calf problem and I think he might have just hurt it again in that Boston game,” Kidd said of Monroe, who was battling the issue in training camp as well.
Although there’s no guarantee Monroe will be fully healthy in two weeks, it doesn’t sound like the injury is significant enough to result in any roster changes for the Bucks. While Monroe is on the shelf, the club figures to lean more heavily on John Henson and Thon Maker. Henson, in particular, responded well to an increased role on Sunday, recording 12 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in a season-high 28 minutes.
Monroe has seen his minutes decline over the last couple years in Milwaukee, though he was effective as a frontcourt scorer off the bench for the team last season. When he gets healthy, he’ll be looking to bounce back from a poor start and rebuild his value as he nears 2018 free agency.
Wolves Notes: Ownership, Muhammad, Towns
It was less than two years ago that Glen Taylor nearly worked out an agreement to sell a portion of the Timberwolves to Steve Kaplan, with an eye toward Kaplan eventually taking over a controlling interest in the franchise. However, since that deal fell through, Taylor has doubled down on his investment in the Wolves, pouring money into renovating the arena and revamping the roster, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
As he explains to Krawczynski, Taylor has had no shortage of opportunities to sell the Timberwolves, and any sale would net him a significant profit, considering he bought the franchise for just $88MM back in 1994. However, the long-time owner of the Wolves doesn’t want to see a new ownership group move the team out of Minnesota, and most potential investors are interested in doing just that.
Krawczynski suggests that Taylor could have sold the team for at least $700MM within the last couple years, with the Wolves’ owner hinting that he could have done much better than that if he’d been eager to sell.
“Even right now I have people that would call me up and give me substantially more than the number you just said,” Taylor said. “And I’ve said I’m not interested in selling. I just want to play this thing out.
“I certainly could sell the team if money was my driving factor,” Taylor added. “But it wasn’t when I bought it. I never anticipated selling it (to make money).”
Here’s more on the Wolves’ ownership situation, a long with a couple more notes out of Minnesota:
- Although Taylor is in no rush to sell the Timberwolves, Krawczynski’s report notes that Taylor is 76 years old, and none of his children are interested in taking over the business, so he’ll have to find a buyer at some point down the road.
- While it’s not official yet and he’s not sure how long the process will take, Shabazz Muhammad plans to change his legal name to ‘Bazz,” as he tells Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. “I just like it,” Muhammad said. “Everybody calls me that anyway.”
- Karl-Anthony Towns enjoyed his best game of the season on Friday night, racking up 33 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Oklahoma City. As Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune relays, Towns’ teammates – who recognize his ability to take over games – would like to see that sort of effort from him on a nightly basis. Towns will be extension-eligible for the first time in 2018, and figures to be in line for a maximum-salary deal with more performances like Friday’s.
Clippers Notes: Offseason Moves, Jordan, Redick
When Chris Paul was set to leave the Clippers this offseason, letting Blake Griffin walk as well and bottoming out as part of a rebuild would have been one option for the club, but it wasn’t one that management seriously considered, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN. Without all their future draft picks in hand, the Clippers weren’t well positioned for a rebuild, and the idea went against owner Steve Ballmer‘s philosophy for the franchise.
“You consider all your options,” Ballmer said. “But I don’t want to lose. I like winning. Winning is good. Losing is bad. We think we have a unique opportunity to be a free-agent destination. If you want that, you have to be doing your best every year.”
Lowe’s deep dive into the Clippers includes several more noteworthy tidbits and is worth reading in full. Here are a few of the highlights:
- DeAndre Jordan‘s future looms large for the Clippers, since he’s eligible for free agency next summer. According to Lowe, Los Angeles has explored trading Jordan, but the only time the team “gained semiserious traction” on anything was at the 2017 deadline. That proposed deal would have sent Jordan to the Rockets in exchange for Clint Capela, players, and picks.
- The Clippers have discussed a possible contract extension with Jordan, but those talks have stalled for now, says Lowe. Jordan, who is currently negotiating without an agent, remains extension-eligible all the way up until June 30, but would be eligible for a bigger payday if he becomes a free agent next July.
- Although the Clippers weren’t looking to part ways with Paul this offseason, they embraced the opportunity for a “fresh start” when he decided to leave. Players say the culture wasn’t as toxic as it may have seemed, but Doc Rivers acknowledges – without referring specifically to CP3 – “don’t want to be coached by you anymore.”
- Rivers suggests that J.J. Redick was “begging to come back” to the Clippers as a free agent, a claim that Redick disputes. “There was never any indication from my agent that I wanted to go back,” Redick said to Lowe. “I didn’t beg to come back. I didn’t want to come back.”
- Rivers also disputed reports that the Clippers could have traded Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford for Carmelo Anthony earlier this year, calling that idea a “complete joke.” However, Lowe suggests that Rivers may be playing a “game of semantics,” noting that such a package could have been viable if Crawford was sent to a third team instead of New York.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/29/17
Here are the G League moves from around the Association today:
- The Hornets have assigned two-way player Mangok Mathiang to the Greensboro Swarm, the club’s public relations department announced on Twitter. Mathiang saw action in just one NBA game during his stint with the big league squad before joining the franchise’s affiliate.
- The Nets have recalled point guard Isaiah Whitehead from the Long Island Nets. He spent the weekend with the G League affiliate.
Hornets Exercise Option On Frank Kaminsky
The Hornets have exercised the fourth-year option on Frank Kaminsky‘s rookie contract, the team announced in a press release. The 24-year-old big man will remain with the squad through the 2018/19 campaign.
Over the course of his first two seasons with the franchise, Kaminsky has established himself as a solid inside-out threat and important component of the team’s second unit.
In 75 games with the squad last year, Kaminsky averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, adding 1.6 made threes per contest to boot. Those figures are likely to rise in 2017/18, his scoring average north of 14 over the course of the first five games of his third season.
Kaminsky, the ninth-overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft will earn $3.6MM next year.