Salary-Cap Projections Remain At Preseason Level
The NBA’s preseason salary cap projections of $101MM for next season and $108MM for 2019/20 have not changed, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The latest league projections were disclosed to teams in a recent memo, Pincus adds.
[RELATED: Maximum-salary figures for a $101MM salary cap]
The cap estimates, which were originally made public in September, could naturally have a major impact on the free agent market this summer. The projection for 2018/19 represents a modest $2MM increase from last summer and a major change from what teams have seen over the the past two years. The cap jumped from $70MM to $94MM for the 2016/17 season. It bumped up another $5MM to the $99MM mark for the 2017/18 season.
The luxury tax level projections remain at $123MM and $131MM for the next two seasons, Pincus continues.
The players project to have earned $20MM more than their share of basketball related income (BRI). The NBA will recoup that from escrow (10% that’s withheld all year from player checks), Pincus adds.
Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo Headed To NBA
APRIL 16th, 4:30pm: Diallo has officially declared for the draft and intends to hire an agent, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets.
APRIL 13, 12:55pm: Kentucky guard Hamidou Diallo is expected to sign with an agent and enter his name in the 2018 NBA draft pool, multiple sources tell Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. According to Rothstein, an official announcement is expected to happen soon.
Diallo, who tested the draft waters a year ago after enrolling early at Kentucky, returned to school and played his freshman season in 2017/18. The 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 10.0 PPG and 3.6 RPG with a .428/.338/.616 shooting line in 37 games for the Wildcats.
Despite his modest stat line as a freshman, Diallo still ranks as the No. 34 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, making him a strong candidate to be drafted — perhaps even in the first round. Diallo was the 35th player off the board in Givony’s most recent mock draft.
Diallo would be the fourth Kentucky underclassman to declare for the draft, joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Knox, and PJ Washington. Gilgeous-Alexander and Knox are hiring agents, while Washington is testing the waters for now.
Latest On The Knicks’ Coaching Search
APRIL 16th, 4:19pm: Stackhouse is interviewing with the Knicks this afternoon, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets.
APRIL 15th, 2:13pm: New York is planning to meet with David Fizdale, Mark Jackson, and Jerry Stackhouse for the organization’s head coaching gig, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. All three are expected to be in high demand this hiring season.
Mike Woodson is also on the Knicks’ radar, as they have received permission from the Clippers to talk to their former head coach. However, Woodson is not considered to be in the “top tier” of the organization’s initial candidates.
The Knicks have also set up a meeting with David Blatt, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link). Blatt, who is considered one of the most successful coaches in European basketball history, took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals during his only full season with the club.
The team fired coach Jeff Hornacek last week after just two seasons with the franchise. He finished his stint with a record of 60-104.
Poll: 2018 All-NBA First Team
James Harden‘s offensive dominance for the Rockets this season may earn him his first MVP award, but he was hardly the only NBA star putting up astounding numbers this year, The sheer number of impressive individual performances in 2017/18 makes this year’s All-NBA decisions tougher than ever — no matter which 15 players earn spots on the three All-NBA teams for 2018, worthy candidates will miss the cut.
Still, we want you to do your best to identify which 15 players are the most deserving of All-NBA recognition this year. Over the next few days, we’ll be running a handful of polls to let you make your selections for this year’s All-NBA teams.
We’re starting today with the First Team. Polls for the guards, forwards, and center are below — you’ll have the opportunity to pick two players apiece in the guard and forward polls. We’ll leave today’s polls open for at least 24 hours before naming the players with the most votes to our All-NBA First Team and moving on to voting for the Second Team.
Vote for your All-NBA picks below, and then take to the comments section to explain your reasoning. And if there are a player not listed below that you believe deserves All-NBA consideration, be sure to mention him in the comments section too — if I agree, I’ll make sure he’s included in our Second and Third Team polls.
(Note: In instances where players saw significant minutes at multiple positions, I’ve attempted to defer to the NBA’s classification. For instance, on the league’s official All-NBA ballot, DeMar DeRozan was only eligible at guard, rather than guard and forward, but Ben Simmons was listed at both positions.)
Guards:
Who are your All-NBA First Team guards?
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James Harden (Rockets) 40% (897)
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Russell Westbrook (Thunder) 21% (469)
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Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) 9% (211)
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Stephen Curry (Warriors) 7% (158)
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Kyrie Irving (Celtics) 5% (103)
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DeMar DeRozan (Raptors) 4% (87)
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Victor Oladipo (Pacers) 4% (83)
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Ben Simmons (Sixers) 4% (82)
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Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 1% (29)
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Devin Booker (Suns) 1% (20)
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Klay Thompson (Warriors) 1% (20)
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Chris Paul (Rockets) 1% (18)
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Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves) 1% (17)
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Bradley Beal (Wizards) 1% (12)
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Kyle Lowry (Raptors) 0% (11)
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Lou Williams (Clippers) 0% (10)
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Jrue Holiday (Pelicans) 0% (9)
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Kemba Walker (Hornets) 0% (8)
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Goran Dragic (Heat) 0% (4)
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C.J. McCollum (Trail Blazers) 0% (4)
Total votes: 2,252
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team guards.
Forwards:
Who are your All-NBA First Team forwards?
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LeBron James (Cavaliers) 35% (709)
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Anthony Davis (Pelicans) 22% (439)
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Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 20% (412)
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Kevin Durant (Warriors) 14% (281)
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Ben Simmons (Sixers) 3% (58)
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Al Horford (Celtics) 1% (21)
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Paul George (Thunder) 1% (18)
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Draymond Green (Warriors) 1% (17)
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LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) 1% (14)
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Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) 1% (14)
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Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves) 1% (13)
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Tobias Harris (Pistons/Clippers) 1% (12)
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Khris Middleton (Bucks) 0% (9)
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Blake Griffin (Clippers/Pistons) 0% (8)
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Kevin Love (Cavaliers) 0% (5)
Total votes: 2,030
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team forwards.
Centers:
Who is your All-NBA First Team center?
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Anthony Davis (Pelicans) 42% (441)
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Joel Embiid (Sixers) 23% (238)
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Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 10% (104)
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Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 5% (50)
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Rudy Gobert (Jazz) 5% (48)
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LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) 3% (29)
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Clint Capela (Rockets) 3% (27)
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Al Horford (Celtics) 2% (24)
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Andre Drummond (Pistons) 2% (23)
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Steven Adams (Thunder) 2% (22)
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DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans) 2% (20)
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DeAndre Jordan (Clippers) 1% (12)
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Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers) 0% (5)
Total votes: 1,043
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team center.
Knicks Not Showing Interest In Jeff Van Gundy
Despite contact between the Knicks and Jeff Van Gundy‘s representatives, the franchise hasn’t shown any real interest in bringing back its former head coach, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
According to Begley, Van Gundy would be open to discussing the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy if the team expresses interest in him as a candidate. However, league sources indicate to Begley that any conversations between the Knicks and Van Gundy’s reps didn’t result in the club expressing that interest or looking to line up an interview.
Van Gundy, who is currently employed as an NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC, coached the Knicks for several years in the late-1990s and early-2000s, leading the team to a 248-172 record (.590) over five full seasons and two more partial seasons. The club went 37-32 in the postseason during that stretch, reaching the NBA Finals in 1999.
While Van Gundy doesn’t appear to be at or near the top of the Knicks’ wish list, the team is considering another one of its former head coaches, having reportedly set up a meeting with Mike Woodson. However, Begley suggests that Woodson isn’t considered to be in the “top tier” of Knicks candidates — for now, that top tier includes David Fizdale, Mark Jackson, Jerry Stackhouse, and David Blatt, per ESPN.
Draft Updates: Wagner, Eastern, Hlinason, Birutis
Michigan center Moritz Wagner is going pro, announcing his decision over the weekend with an essay on The Players’ Tribune. Within an in-depth piece explaining his decision, Wagner indicated that he’ll hire an agent, forgoing his final year of NCAA eligibility.
A 6’11” junior, Wagner was a key piece of a Wolverines squad that made a run to the NCAA Final Four this year, losing to Villanova in the title game. For the 2017/18 season, Wagner averaged 14.6 PPG and 7.1 RPG with a shooting line of .528/.394/.694. He’s considered a top-50 prospect by ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony, coming in at No. 48 on ESPN’s big board.
Here are more draft-related updates:
- Purdue guard Nojel Eastern didn’t play a major role for the Boilermakers during his freshman year, averaging just 12.6 minutes per game in 37 contests. Nonetheless, he’ll test the draft waters this spring, entering the 2018 pool without an agent, according to a press release from the program.
- Icelandic big man Tryggvi Hlinason is declaring for the 2018 NBA draft, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 7’1″ center hasn’t played much for Valencia in Spain this season, but comes in at No. 75 on Givony’s big board of 2018 prospects and is considered a potential second-round pick by NBA teams.
- Lithuanian center Laurynas Birutis has entered the 2018 NBA draft, his agent confirmed to Givony. “The NBA has always been my dream,” Birutis said. “Therefore, I would like to try my chances there. This was not a difficult decision, because I want to try to compete against the best players in the world.” Birutis is just 20 years old, but is having a productive season in Lithuanian, averaging 15.1 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 25 MPG for BC Siauliai.
Key 2018 NBA Offseason Dates, Deadlines
With the 2017/18 NBA regular season in the books, nearly half of the league’s teams have shifted their focus to the offseason, and others will soon follow suit. With that in mind, it’s time to retire our list of the NBA’s key in-season dates and deadlines for the ’17/18 campaign in favor of an updated offseason calendar of the most important dates facing teams and players in the coming months.
Here’s a breakdown of many of the NBA’s important dates and deadlines for the next few months, right up until training camps open for the 2018/19 season:
April 22
- Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59pm CT).
May 15
- NBA draft lottery.
May 16-20
- NBA draft combine.
May 30
- Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility.
June 11
- Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00pm CT).
June 17
- Latest possible end date for the NBA Finals.
June 21
- NBA draft day.
June 24
- Last day for potential restricted free agents to exercise player options.
June 25
- NBA awards show.
June 29
- Last day for decisions on player, team and early termination options, unless individual contracts specify otherwise.
June 30
- Last official day of the 2017/18 NBA league year.
- Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
July 1
- Official start of the 2018/19 NBA league year.
- July moratorium begins.
- Free agents can begin reaching verbal agreements with teams.
- Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
- Teams can begin signing players to rookie scale contracts, minimum salary contracts, and two-way contracts.
July 6
- July moratorium ends (11:00am CT)
- Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades.
- The two-day period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins.
July 13
- Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.
July 15
- Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned first-round picks; those players become free agents on July 16 if not tendered.
August 31
- Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2018/19 salaries.
September 5
- Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.
Late September (specific dates TBA)
- Training camps open.
Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.
Jerry Stackhouse To Meet With Magic, Hornets
Having already lined up an interview with the Knicks, Jerry Stackhouse also plans to meet with the Magic and Hornets about their head coaching vacancies, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Stackhouse, who had been serving as the head coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate, has become a popular up-and-coming NBA head coaching candidate. In his last two seasons with the 905, Stackhouse led the team to back-to-back NBAGL Finals, winning the G League championship in 2017.
The Magic had been viewed as a potential landing spot for Stackhouse once Frank Vogel was fired due to Stackhouse’s link to president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman. Before being hired by Orlando last year, Weltman was the general manager in Toronto.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina connection that made Mitch Kupchak a logical choice as Michael Jordan‘s new president and GM in Charlotte may also help Stackhouse. Like Kupchak and Jordan, Stackhouse played his college ball at UNC.
Stackhouse is the first candidate reported to have an interview with the Magic. As for the Hornets, they also reportedly intend to meet with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, and have been cited as a possible destination for former Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale.
Wendell Carter Jr. Entering 2018 NBA Draft
Duke big man Wendell Carter Jr. is going pro, with the school announcing today in a press release that Carter is entering his name in the 2018 NBA draft pool. While the announcement doesn’t mention Carter hiring an agent, the assumption is that he will do so, forgoing his remaining years of NCAA eligibility.
“It was such an honor to coach Wendell,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. “He and his family were a true joy to have in our program and they’ll always be in our program. He had a sensational freshman year – a double-double guy – and he has so much more potential. He’s going to keep getting better, because he’s talented and he has the best attitude. He really represented himself, his family and Duke in a first-class manner, and whoever gets him is going to be very lucky.”
In his freshman year with the Blue Devils, Carter averaged 13.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 2.1 BPG. He also showed an ability to knock down the occasional outside shot, making 41.3% of his 46 three-point attempts.
The sixth-best prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, Carter is the No. 7 pick in Givony’s latest mock draft. ESPN’s top draft expert describes the Duke center as “physically mature” and “polished,” praising his basketball IQ and versatility.
As our list of early entrants shows, Carter is the fourth Duke freshman to declare for the draft this spring, joining teammates Marvin Bagley III, Trevon Duval, and Gary Trent Jr..
Knicks Notes: Fizdale, Blatt, Offseason Plan
While the NBA’s playoff teams opened their respective series over the weekend, the Knicks moved forward with their search for a new head coach, lining up interviews with a list of candidates that includes David Fizdale, David Blatt, Jerry Stackhouse, Mark Jackson, and Mike Woodson.
For Fizdale to become a serious candidate for the Knicks, the former Grizzlies coach will have to explain what happened with Marc Gasol in Memphis, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The relationship between the Grizzlies’ star center and head coach fell apart by the end of Fizdale’s tenure with the team, and the Knicks can’t afford to have a similar situation happen in New York — after multiple players clashed with Jeff Hornacek, hiring a coach who has “connectivity with the locker room” is a top priority for the Knicks, Berman says.
As for Blatt, he was a former Princeton teammate of Steve Mills, and the Knicks president is the one pushing Blatt’s candidacy in the club’s search process, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. According to Bondy, it’s “hard to imagine” that GM Scott Perry is as bullish on Blatt, so if the former Cavs coach gets the job, it will be “entirely on Mills.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Mills and Perry spoke recently about being approached by Knicks fans who want them to be patient with the rebuilding process, and the front office duo insists owner James Dolan is on board with that approach too (link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com). “Jim has given us the room to be patient, which – again – is not something that’s been common in this organization,” Mills said. “Patience hasn’t been one of our biggest attributes here. … I don’t have any doubt that he’s comfortable with the plan we’re on and (that he) wants us to be patient and not do things that are just, you know, for the quick hit.”
- Perry was hired the Knicks after many of last year’s offseason moves had already been made, so what he does with the roster this summer will tell us a lot about his plan for the franchise going forward, says Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders.
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday takes an in-depth look at what’s next for the Knicks as the offseason gets underway, and examines which of this year’s players will – or won’t – be back for the 2018/19 season.