Raptors Convert Lorenzo Brown To Standard NBA Contract
APRIL 11: The Raptors have formally converted Brown’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal, the team announced today (via Twitter). Toronto now has a full 15-man roster heading into the postseason — two-way player Malcolm Miller is the only Raptor who won’t be eligible for the playoffs.
APRIL 10: The Raptors will sign Lorenzo Brown for the remainder of the season, according to Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic. Brown is currently on a two-way deal with Toronto.
The point guard won the G League’s Most Valuable Player Award this season, appearing in 32 games for the Raptors 905. He averaged 18.8 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game while playing for Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate.
By having his contract converted, Brown will be eligible to play for the Raptors in this year’s NBA postseason. Players on two-way deals are not eligible for postseason play, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors recently detailed.
Toronto had an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to make room for Brown.
Vince Carter Plans To Return For 2018/19
Like fellow 1998 draftee Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter intends to return to the NBA for a 21st season in 2018/19, he confirmed today. Writing for The Undefeated along with Marc J. Spears, Carter announced that he plans on coming back for “one more season,” adding that he’s “90% sure” he’ll call it a career a year from now.
[RELATED: Dirk Nowitzki will return for 2018/19 season]
“I just think that after next season it is time,” Carter wrote. “It’s been great … maybe two more years. But, you know, in my mind, I think it’s time for one more. And I think this summer will probably be the toughest summer. Probably just doing what I need to do to be prepared. I know I have to do it to be in the league. When I have to have those conversations with myself, I know it’s getting time.”
Carter, the oldest active player in the NBA at 41 years of age, has seen his role dialed back in recent years for the Grizzlies and now the Kings. In 57 games (five starts) for Sacramento this season, Carter posted 5.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG with a shooting line of .396/.340/.757. All of those numbers are, of course, below his career averages.
Still, the eight-time All-Star has been a valued veteran presence in the locker room, and earned an $8MM contract from the Kings when he entered free agency last summer. Carter is unlikely to get that sort of payday again this time around, admitting in his Undefeated piece that he may “have to be patient” and wait out the first wave of free agent signings while he seeks out an opportunity.
One potential option for Carter next season could be a return to Toronto, where he started his NBA career. The Raptors reportedly mulled the idea of targeting their former star as a buyout candidate this year, but ultimately decided to put the possibility of a reunion on hold. For his part, Carter said back in December that a return to the Raptors “will happen,” though it could just be for a ceremonial one-day contract when he retires.
If Carter does retire as a player at the end of the 2018/19 season, expect him to transition into a role as an analyst or broadcaster — the veteran forward has talked in the past about his interest in that side of the game, and reiterated that interest again in today’s Undefeated piece.
“Once my last days as an NBA player are done, I can transition into phase two, which I definitely would love to be in broadcasting, be a broadcaster or even some sideline reporting,” Carter wrote. “I’ve been doing a little bit of that. Postgame reporting. Just a little bit of everything. I just want to be in the [media] business.”
Cavs Sign Kendrick Perkins For Playoff Roster
APRIL 11: The Cavaliers have officially signed Perkins, the team announced today in a press release. As cap expert Albert Nahmad tweets, Perkins will earn $13K+ for his one day of NBA service during the regular season, but the move will cost the team over $43K due to tax penalties.
APRIL 9: The Cavaliers will be signing veteran center Kendrick Perkins to the final spot on their playoff roster, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Perkins was released by the club during the preseason, then played 27 games for their G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
Perkins, 33, averaged 8.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG in 21.3 MPG in G League play. He appeared to be on the verge of an agreement with Cleveland in February, so the imminent signing is not a major surprise.
It’s likely that Perkins will see little, if any, action in the playoffs. But he does give coach Tyronn Lue another big body as insurance. Perkins has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2015/16 season.
He spent his first 7 1/2 seasons with the Celtics before getting traded to the Thunder. He played four-plus seasons with Oklahoma City, then saw action in 17 games with Cleveland in 2014/15 season.
In his most recent NBA season, he played 37 games for the Pelicans.
Jalen Brunson Entering 2018 NBA Draft
A day after word broke that Villanova’s Mikal Bridges will be leaving school to go pro, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that teammate Jalen Brunson will follow suit. According to Wojnarowski, Brunson will enter the 2018 NBA draft and will forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility.
“After careful consideration and prayer, I have decided to enter the June NBA draft and hire an agent,” Brunson wrote in an essay for ESPN.com.
Brunson, a two-time NCAA champion like Bridges, is coming off an incredibly productive junior year in which he averaged 18.9 PPG, 4.6 APG, and 3.1 RPG with a shooting line of .521/.408/.802. The performance earned him 2018’s Naismith and Wooden awards for College Player of the Year.
Although he’s just the 36th-ranked player on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, Brunson boosted his stock in this year’s NCAA tournament, making an impression on NBA scouts with his leadership and toughness. Givony has the junior point guard coming off the board at No. 26 in his most recent mock draft.
Kevin Durant Plans To Opt Out, Sign New Deal With Warriors
For a third straight offseason, Kevin Durant is poised to reach the free agent market. According to ESPN’s Chris Haynes, Durant will decline his 2018/19 player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
However, as was the case a year ago, Durant won’t entertain the possibility of leaving Golden State in free agency. Instead, the reigning NBA Finals MVP will opt out in order to sign a new contract with the Warriors, Haynes reports.
[RELATED: Kevin Durant confirms he’s not going anywhere in free agency]
After taking a discount in 2017 to help the Warriors re-sign Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala without going deeper into luxury tax territory, Durant is poised to receive a raise this time around. In turning down his $26.25MM player option, the star forward will be eligible to receive a starting salary of up to 35% of the salary cap. Currently, the cap is projected to be $101MM, which would result in a 2018/19 salary of $35.35MM for Durant — he could sign for up to four years.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes, if Durant wants to continue his streak of signing a two-year deal with a second-year player option, his maximum salary would be limited to $30MM, 120% of his current salary. In that scenario, the Warriors would have to use Non-Bird rights rather than Early Bird rights to re-sign Durant, since Early Bird deals must cover at least two seasons, not including option years.
According to Haynes, Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman will go over the possible contract scenarios and make a decision with the Warriors’ front office when the team’s playoff run ends. Even if Durant “settles” for a $30MM starting salary, Golden State projects to be way over the tax line again in 2018/19.
Adding a $30MM cap hit for Durant to the salaries for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Iguodala, and Livingston would put the Dubs’ total team salary over $128MM, and that figure doesn’t include guaranteed minimum salaries for Damian Jones, Jordan Bell, and Quinn Cook. The Warriors would also have to add at least five more players to their roster in order to reach the 14-man minimum.
Chris Paul, Rockets Appear To Be Long-Term Match
Chris Paul will be a free agent this offseason, but he’s not looking ahead to the possibilities that this summer could bring. “Not at all,” Paul said when asked if he’s thought about his upcoming free agency (via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle). “Not one time. Not once. I just always worry about right now.”
The point guard is happy in Houston and it’s easy to envision him remaining with the franchise — after all, when he decided to join the Rockets, it wasn’t simply about him. His family moved with him to Texas, which means his free agency is about more than basketball options. It’s about life decisions.
“That’s what happened when the trade happened,” Paul said. “I love it here. I love it here.”
Paul will be eligible for a five-year deal worth approximately $205MM this offseason. GM Daryl Morey wouldn’t discuss potential contract specifics, though he said that top-shelf point guards like Paul have a history of playing well late in their careers.
“Obviously, when we get someone as great as Chris Paul or James Harden, the plan is to keep him here,” Morey said during the season. “He’ll have a choice when the season ends. We feel like we set things up well. It should be an easy choice for him.”
Knicks Notes: LeBron, Jack, Hardaway Jr.
J.R. Smith, who spent three and half seasons with New York, can’t envision LeBron James ever joining the Knicks.
“Nah, don’t think so. Can’t see it [happening],” Smith said of LBJ playing home games in Madison Square Garden (via Peter Botte of The New York Daily News). “But that’s cool, though, man. A lot of cities have tried that already with [a billboard]. But we’ll see what happens.”
James can become a free agent this offseason and he’s seen several billboards recruiting him to cities that Cavs are visiting, including one reading “King of New York? Prove it.” that was put up last week in the Big Apple.
Dwyane Wade was also recently asked about LBJ’s chances of coming to the Knicks, responding simply with “good luck.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Jarrett Jack deserves credit for showcasing professionalism with the Knicks and being a mentor to the team’s younger players, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. The veteran has been helping the team’s stable of young point guards while trying to refrain from being overbearing. “If somebody kept the training wheels on your bike the whole time you would never know what it’s like when they take them off,” Jack said. “Sometimes you got to let them balance on their own, push them down the hill a little bit and see what happens.”
- Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s contract has been a topic of debate since his four-year, $72MM deal last summer. However, he’s had a solid season and one anonymous scout tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that he doesn’t believe the financials are hindering the Knicks. “Forget the name,” the scout said. “If I said you could sign a young, athletic wing who averaged 15 points on a playoff team [Atlanta], would you?”
- As we relayed earlier today, current Knicks point guard Trey Burke finished third in voting for the G League’s 2017/18 MVP award.
New Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak Talks Rebuilding, Kemba, Analytics, Draft
The Hornets appear to be stuck in the NBA’s no-man’s land—too good to get a top lottery pick, yet not good enough to make a real dent in the conference’s playoff race. However, despite the status, new GM Mitch Kupchak isn’t ready to undergo a full rebuild, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer relays.
“I don’t know the ins and outs much. I don’t know if that is the right word or not. To sit here and say this is a team that needs to be rebuilt, I don’t know if that’s fair,” Kupchak said at today’s introductory press conference.
The GM added he hasn’t made a decision yet on the status of coach Steve Clifford and that he doesn’t feel pressure to trade Kemba Walker.
“I don’t think [his distaste for losing is] something to overreact to. I want a player who doesn’t want to lose. That’s a good thing. I’m aware of [Walker’s comments]. Over the next several days, I will have player interviews. My understanding is he has another year under contract. It’s clearly a very favorable contract [for the team, at $12MM], but he’s going to be just fine going forward. I’m very aware of his talent. From what I hear, he’s great in the locker room and great in the community. I don’t know why you wouldn’t want that going forward.”
Kupchak talked about his approach to analytics, telling the media that if all others things are equal in evaluating a player, he’s trusting his instincts over the numbers.
“Gut instinct has been a big part of talent evaluation: watching the player, watching the player walking to the bench, how he interacts with the coach. Scouting games in person. Those things are the biggest,” he said. “Over the last 15 years, with the introduction of cameras on top of each building basically like GPS, it’s created a whole new form of data. That creates so much data every night; data uploaded every night and you have to have people to evaluate that data. That’s how the business has really changed.
“Every GM is different [as far as] confirming your instincts as a GM. If it ever was a tie I’d always go to my instincts. Might be 70-30 or 60-40.”
Charlotte is currently slotted to pick 11th in the upcoming draft, as our Reverse Standings indicate. In picking that far down the lottery, Kupchak believes the obvious strategy is simply taking the best available player.
“If we’re picking around 10 or 11, you would almost always go with the best player. If it was close, you might go with position. But you can always trade players if you have duplication,” he said.
Free Agent Stock Watch 2018: Detroit Pistons
The Pistons made it clear with their midseason blockbuster that they’re interested in competing in the Eastern Conference right away. While we won’t truly know the outcome of the Blake Griffin trade until the roster logs a full, reasonably healthy season together, there’s no denying that the franchise is committed to this core for better or worse.
With over $117MM already on the books for 2018/19, president Stan Van Gundy and general manager Jeff Bower have little room to get cute in free agency this summer. For that reason, the Pistons will have to rely primarily on in-house upgrades, and any reinforcements that do come from elsewhere will need to be modest.
James Ennis, SF, 28 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $6MM deal in 2016
The Pistons brought Ennis aboard in one of their deadline-day deals, seemingly desperate to pad their core with solid veterans. While Ennis is typically a glue guy, capable of knocking down shots and contributing defensively, it’s hard to imagine that he showed enough during his half-season in Detroit to justify a raise — or even a similar contract to his current deal. The Pistons could benefit from having Ennis’ toughness on the perimeter as they look to establish themselves in the East, but they could probably seek out that skill-set on the cheap if they want to trim their overall payroll.
Jameer Nelson, PG, 36 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
One can’t fault Van Gundy for turning to a former pupil to help his current team take the next step, but the acquisition of Nelson has to be considered – by and large – a disappointment. The veteran point guard only played seven games during his time with the Pistons and was usurped on the depth chart by Dwight Buycks. With Reggie Jackson back in the fold for 2018/19, the team will already have three relatively capable options at the point, leaving little room for Nelson.
Anthony Tolliver, PF, 32 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $3MM deal in 2017
It was a disappointing season for the Pistons, but one consistent presence that helped provide stability as the club dealt with injuries and personnel turnover was Tolliver. Fresh off the second-highest scoring year of his 10-year career, Tolliver will be an intriguing free agency option for contenders looking to add veteran leadership. He stepped up in 2017/18, showing that he’s more than just a solid locker-room presence, shooting 43.3% from beyond the arc while registering an offensive rating of 125. If the Pistons truly plan on breaking into the postseason picture next season, they’d be wise to bring the 32-year-old combo forward back, since he can fit into whatever role or position the team needs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dirk Nowitzki Will Return For 2018/19 Season
As expected, Dirk Nowitzki will play at least one more season for the Mavericks, confirming today that he’ll return for a 21st NBA season in 2018/19, per Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
Nowitzki, who signed a two-year deal with the Mavs last summer, has maintained all season that he hoped to return for the second year of that contract as long as his health cooperated. Nowitzki avoided major injuries for the most part this season, appearing in 77 games for Dallas before being shut down last week due to ankle surgery. The 39-year-old said today that he underwent that ankle procedure now in order to get healthy for next season.
“I’m hoping the ankle will be tons better next year. I just kind of want to see how it goes,” Nowitzki said, per Dwain Price of Mavs.com (Twitter links). “I’m hoping to get of the boot in a few weeks and then start slow with the rehab. It’s going to be a long process.”
While Nowitzki obviously isn’t the same player he was in his prime, he continued to be a reliable outside shooter for the Mavs this season, making 40.9% of his three-point attempts. In 24.7 minutes per contest, the veteran big man contributed 12.0 PPG and 5.7 RPG.
Technically, Nowitzki doesn’t have a guaranteed salary yet for 2018/19, but the Mavs will certainly exercise their $5MM team option for the franchise legend as long as he doesn’t want to negotiate a new deal. And while there’s a good chance that next season will be Nowitzki’s last, that’s not necessarily a given, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com.
“Hopefully I can play some decent basketball next season,” Nowitzki said today. “If not, it’s time to go.”
Assuming Nowitzki, the NBA’s sixth-leading scorer of all-time, can stay relatively healthy next season, he should pass Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list, and even has an outside shot at surpassing Michael Jordan. However, LeBron James currently trails Nowitzki by just 159 career points, so the German will likely be passed by James and remain at No. 6 on that list.
Nowitzki will set another notable record by returning to Dallas for a 21st season — he’ll pass Kobe Bryant, who played 20 seasons with the Lakers, for the most years spent with a single franchise.