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Month: July 2018

How Teams Are Using 2018/19 Mid-Level Exceptions

By | at July 23, 2018 1:50 pm

In addition to receiving nearly $102MM in cap room and being allowed to surpass that threshold in order to sign players using Bird Rights or the minimum salary exception, each NBA team also receives a mid-level exception. The value of this exception varies depending on a club’s total team salary.

A team that goes under the cap to use its available cap room, for instance, receives only a modest form of the MLE known as the room exception. An over-the-cap team receives the full mid-level exception, unless that team is also over the tax line, in which case it gets a taxpayer version of the MLE that falls in between the full MLE and the room exception. We detailed the exact values of each form of mid-level exception earlier this offseason, but here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Room exception: Can be used for contracts up to two years, with a starting salary worth up to $4.449MM.
  • Taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to three years, with a starting salary worth up to $5.337MM.
  • Full mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to four years, with a starting salary worth up to $8.641MM.

Now that a majority of the NBA’s teams have used up their cap space, it’s worth keeping an eye on which teams still have part or all of their mid-level exceptions available, which we’ll do in the space below. This list will be kept up to date throughout the 2018/19 league year.

Here’s where things currently stand:

Mid-Level Exception:

Boston Celtics

  • Available: $5,337,000 (taxpayer)
  • Used: $0

Charlotte Hornets

Cleveland Cavaliers

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Portland Trail Blazers

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

  • Available: $5,337,000 (taxpayer)
  • Used: $0

Utah Jazz

  • Available: $8,641,000
  • Used: $0

Washington Wizards

Room Exception:

Atlanta Hawks

  • Available: $99,000
  • Used: $4,350,000 (Alex Len)

Brooklyn Nets

  • Available: $0
  • Used: $4,449,000 (Ed Davis)

Chicago Bulls

  • Available: $4,449,000
  • Used: $0

Dallas Mavericks

  • Available: $4,449,000
  • Used: $0

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Lakers

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Available: $4,449,000
  • Used: $0

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

10 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

International Moves: Peters, Kulboka, Goudelock

By | at July 23, 2018 12:52 pm

Former Suns forward Alec Peters, the 54th pick in the 2017 draft, is headed to Russia to play for CSKA Moscow, the team announced today. Peters spent the 2017/18 on a two-way contract, appearing in 20 games for Phoenix. He averaged 4.1 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 11.3 minutes per contest. Having not received a qualifying offer from the Suns at season’s end, Peters will continue his career overseas.

“I could not be more excited to join such a prestigious and well-known organization as CSKA Moscow,” Peters said in a statement. “I appreciate the belief of coaching staff and management, who know my set of skills and think that my style of playing will fit the team. I know that I come to the first-class organization and look forward to help the team win the EuroLeague title.”

Here are a few more international transactions of note:

  • Lithuanian forward Arnoldas Kulboka is back with German club Brose Bamberg after being loaned to Orlandina in Italy last season, according to an announcement from the team (hat tip to Sportando). Kulboka was selected by the Hornets with the 55th overall pick in the 2018 draft, so Charlotte will retain his NBA rights and could have the opportunity to bring him stateside in a future season.
  • Former NBA guard Andrew Goudelock, who appeared in 49 total games with the Lakers and Rockets, has signed with the Shandong Golden Stars in China, per an announcement from his agency (hat tip to Sportando). International basketball journalist David Pick first reported earlier this month (via Twitter) that Goudelock was signing a $1.5MM+ deal with Shandong to replace Ty Lawson.
  • French big man Jonathan Jeanne, who was considered a potential 2017 NBA draft pick before he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, has officially signed with Iberojet Palma in Spain after being medically cleared earlier this year.
0 comments Charlotte Hornets International Transactions

Isaiah Thomas Reached Out To Celtics Before Signing With Nuggets

By | at July 23, 2018 11:55 am

Before he officially signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Nuggets, Isaiah Thomas reached out to Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to see if a return to Boston might be possible, writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Thomas, he and Ainge talked for about 15 or 20 minutes, with the point guard saying, “If the opportunity is there, I would just like to let you know that I’d love to come back.”

Ainge didn’t rule out the possibility of re-signing Thomas less than a year after trading him to Cleveland, but he and the Celtics needed to address Marcus Smart‘s contract situation before deciding whether a reunion with Thomas was in the cards. While Ainge was willing to continue the conversation, Thomas elected to sign with Denver before the C’s locked up Smart, closing the door on the possibility for now. Still, it sounds like Thomas would be open to heading back to Boston in the future if the opportunity arises.

“S–t, I’d have gone back,” Thomas says. “I don’t hold grudges.”

Here’s more on Thomas from Wojnarowski’s feature:

  • The Nuggets‘ offer was the only real one Thomas received in free agency, which he calls “disrespectful.” However, he believes that his health was a major deterrent for interested teams. “People are scared of my hip now,” Thomas said, per Wojnarowski. “I just had to be real with myself. I had to understand that it’s not going to be about the money this summer. I’ve got to show people that I can play — and play at a high level again. And I will.”
  • Thomas views his decision to play through his hip injury in the 2017 postseason as one that cost him in the long term. “If I didn’t play in the playoffs, I’d be OK,” Thomas said. “I’d be getting paid. I’d be who I am — who I was. But you couldn’t tell me in that moment in time — with everything I was going through — that, OK, I should just sit out. … I played until I literally couldn’t play anymore. And that was not a good business decision if I was looking in the long term, but I was looking in the ‘right now.’ That’s just what it was.”
  • Thomas also believes it was a mistake to get back on the court in January for the Cavaliers, suggesting he should have waited until after the All-Star break rather than rushing back early.
  • Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said he’ll welcome Thomas’ “voice and personality” into what has been a “quiet” locker room. “I want Isaiah to be Isaiah,” Malone said.
  • Thomas isn’t concerned about his specific role in Denver as long as he gets the opportunity to show that he’s healthy. “I’m not worried about starting or coming off the bench now,” Thomas said. “I’m worried about playing well and showing the world who I am again. Once the people see that I can play — and play at a high level still — they won’t be able to deny me next summer. They won’t be able to deny me what I bring on the court and off the court for an organization.”
17 comments Boston Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers Denver Nuggets

Mavericks Re-Sign Dirk Nowitzki

By | at July 23, 2018 10:50 am

JULY 23: The Mavericks have officially re-signed Nowitzki, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 19: Dirk Nowitzki will accept a one-year deal with the Mavericks worth $5MM, but the contract may not be finalized for a while, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Charania states that neither side is in a hurry to sign the deal, but the news means Nowitzki, 40, will return for his 21st season in Dallas.

The Mavs declined Nowitzki’s $5MM team option in June, but wound up giving him the same figure, which will use up the last of their cap space. That will set the stage for several other signings, Bobby Marks posts on ESPN Now.

The team will go over the cap to re-sign Yogi Ferrell with his Early Bird rights, then Ryan Broekhoff and Salah Mejri with minimum exceptions. That will give Dallas 14 guaranteed contracts with the $4.4MM mid-level exception still available.

[UPDATE: Yogi Ferrell backs out of deal with Mavs, agrees to sign with Kings]

Nowitzki is the most prolific player in franchise history, making 13 All-Star appearances and ranking sixth on the NBA’s career scoring list. He started 77 games last season, averaging 12.0  points and 5.7 rebounds per night.

After two straight seasons out of the playoffs, Dallas could be back in contention after adding free agent center DeAndre Jordan and trading up to get EuroLeague MVP Luka Doncic in the draft. Team owner Mark Cuban recently suggested that Nowitzki could be persuaded to keep playing beyond the 2018/19 season if the team became competitive again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

7 comments Dallas Mavericks Newsstand Transactions

Heat Announce Front Office Changes

By | at July 23, 2018 10:48 am

Longtime Heat executive Chet Kammerer will take on a reduced role in the team’s front office going forward, the club announced today in a press release. Previously Miami’s VP of player personnel, Kammerer will become a senior advisor of basketball operations, according to the club.

Meanwhile, Heat assistant GM Adam Simon will receive a promotion to Kammerer’s old VP of player personnel position while retaining his assistant GM title.

Both Kammerer and Simon have been with the organization for more than two decades, with Kammerer having held the VP of player personnel title for the last 14 years. In that role, he has headed up Miami’s draft efforts for over a decade. In his new position, Kammerer will continue to serve as a scout and will be an advisor to several key members of the franchise, including team president Pat Riley, GM Andy Elisburg, and head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Simon, who came up through the Heat’s scouting and basketball operations departments, has been the team’s assistant GM, as well as the GM of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, since 2013. He’ll continue to lead the Skyforce’s basketball operations department while also assuming responsibility of the Heat’s pro, college, G League, and international scouting.

The Heat’s front office moves were first reported by Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who notes that the 75-year-old Kammerer requested the change to his role in order to spend more time with his family.

“When I spoke to Andy Elisburg and Pat Riley, I requested a change in role but wanted to stay involved,” Kammerer said. “Andy came up with [this new position]. I will give my input.”

2 comments Miami Heat

Cavaliers, David Nwaba Have Mutual Interest

By | at July 23, 2018 9:55 am

The Cavaliers, who were linked to Luke Babbitt and Trevor Booker over the weekend, continue to explore the free agent market as they consider how to fill out their roster. According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the club has spoken with free agent swingman David Nwaba, who has reciprocated the Cavs’ interest.

After opening the month as a restricted free agent, Nwaba had his qualifying offer rescinded by the Bulls on July 12. The 25-year-old reportedly drew interest from the Lakers, Spurs, and other teams upon becoming an unrestricted free agent, but he has yet find a new NBA home.

A former undrafted free agent, Nwaba had a solid season for the Bulls in 2017/18, averaging 7.9 PPG and 4.7 RPG while playing strong perimeter defense in 70 games (21 starts). He was considered a candidate to receive a solid multiyear deal in free agency this summer, but with roster spots and spending power dwindling around the league, it’s no longer clear what sort of payday Nwaba could realistically seek.

Nwaba would be an interesting target for the Cavs, who still have their full mid-level exception available and could use another strong defender in the wing. However, Cleveland’s cap situation remains uncertain as long as restricted free agent Rodney Hood stays unsigned.

Vardon indicated on Friday that the Cavs are still negotiating a possible deal with Hood. If he receives a starting salary in the $10-12MM range, it would put Cleveland’s team salary right up against the luxury-tax line. That would leave little flexibility to add any other players for more than the minimum — unless, of course, team owner Dan Gilbert is willing to go back into the tax for a roster that no longer features LeBron James. Trades or cuts could also create a little extra spending power below the tax line for the Cavs.

6 comments Cleveland Cavaliers

Carmelo Anthony Plans To Sign With Rockets

By | at July 23, 2018 8:30 am

Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony plans to sign with the Rockets once he officially becomes a free agent, two people with knowledge of his plans tell Marc Stein of The New York Times. According to Stein, Anthony is expected to finalize a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Houston.

Anthony is still technically a member of the Thunder, but a three-team trade that would send him to Atlanta has been agreed upon and should be made official at some point in the coming days. The Hawks would waive the 34-year-old after acquiring him, clearing the way for him to join the Rockets 48 hours later, once he clears waivers. Due to his $27.93MM salary, there’s no chance of Anthony being claimed off waivers by another team.

While Anthony reportedly drew interest from the Heat and possibly the Lakers too, the Rockets have long been considered the frontrunners for his services. Houston lost a pair of forwards in free agency earlier this month when Trevor Ariza headed to the Suns and Luc Mbah a Moute agreed to a deal with the Clippers.

Anthony isn’t exactly a three-and-D wing like Ariza and Mbah a Moute are, but he’ll provide the Rockets with another scorer to complement James Harden and Chris Paul. In his first and only season in Oklahoma City, Anthony averaged 16.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG with a shooting line of .404/.357/.767.

Asked on Friday about the possibility of teaming up with Anthony, Harden expressed enthusiasm about the idea, as Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle details.

“It would be a great acquisition for us,” Harden said. “Melo’s a proven vet. He just wants to win at this point, so it would be great for him to be on our team. The current roster we have now, we’ve got good guys back and we keep making forward progress.”

For Anthony, joining the Rockets will mean reuniting with Mike D’Antoni, who previous coached the 10-time All-Star in New York. The two men had a rocky relationship during their time together with the Knicks, but recent reports have indicated that D’Antoni welcomes the chance to coach Anthony again, having made it clear during a meeting earlier this month that the circumstances would be much different this time around.

By signing Anthony to a minimum-salary contract, the Rockets will retain their $5.34MM taxpayer mid-level exception. While there may not be many free agents left who are worth using that exception on this summer, it could come in handy during the season if there’s a player Houston likes on the buyout market.

Although the Rockets aren’t technically into luxury-tax territory yet, they’re expected to blow past that threshold when they eventually re-sign restricted free agent Clint Capela. At that point, using their MLE or adding salary in other ways would become exponentially more expensive unless the Rockets can shed salary in another move.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

22 comments Houston Rockets Newsstand Transactions

Contract Details: Smart, Gay, Grant, Ilyasova

By | at July 22, 2018 9:51 pm

Marcus Smart‘s new deal with the Celtics will increase in value each season, beginning with an approximate salary of $11.7MM in 2018/19 and ending with a salary of nearly $14.4MM in 2021/22, per Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.

The total value of the contract is $51,999,900, $100 shy of the reported value of $52MM, and it is fully guaranteed with no options.

Here are a few more details on contracts signed this summer, courtesy of Pincus:

  • The Spurs‘ agreement with Rudy Gay is worth $10,087,200, the highest allowable salary San Antonio was permitted to pay him via his non-Bird rights (Twitter link).
  • Ersan Ilyasova‘s new deal with the Bucks will pay him an even $7MM over three seasons, with a yet-to-be determined guarantee amount and date on year three.
  • The agreement between Jerami Grant and the Thunder is worth just shy of $27.4MM, with a player option valued at approximately $9.3MM for the 2020/21 season.
9 comments Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks Oklahoma City Thunder San Antonio Spurs

Devin Harris To Return To Mavericks?

By | at July 22, 2018 8:58 pm

According to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, the Mavericks are looking towards veteran free agent guard Devin Harris as a replacement signee for Yogi Ferrell, who reneged on a deal with Dallas to sign a more lucrative contract in Sacramento.

Harris, 35, was essentially drafted by the Mavericks with the No. 5 overall selection in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft and played in Big D for three and a half seasons before being traded to the Nets in a deal that brought Jason Kidd to Dallas.

Harris returned to the Mavericks for the 2013/14 campaign and played an additional four and a half seasons in Dallas before being traded to the Nuggets midway through last season in a deal that brought Doug McDermott to the Mavs.

In his 14 NBA seasons, Harris has averaged 11.1 points and 4.1 assists per game with a career shooting line of .481/.327/.798.

3 comments Dallas Mavericks

Tobias Harris Declines Clippers’ Extension Offer

By | at July 22, 2018 7:42 pm

After ongoing amicable discussions between player and team, Clippers forward Tobias Harris has reportedly decided to turn down a contract extension offer worth approximately $80MM and play out the final season of his current deal in Los Angeles, according to David Aldridge of TNT.

Because the maximum amount the Clippers could have offered in the first season of an extension is only 120% of Harris’ 2018/19 salary, which equates to $17.76MM, and raises are limited to 8%, the maximum value of the extension offer was $79.56MM. Based upon the $80MM figure reported by Aldridge, it therefore appears as though the Clippers offered Harris the most money they possibly could under NBA rules.

Nevertheless, Harris, 26, will now play out the final year of his current deal and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He will be eligible to sign a five-year, $189.7MM with the Clippers or a four-year, $140.6MM deal with another franchise, whereas as explained above, he could have only earned $94.4MM over the next five years if he had excepted the extension offer.

Still, it’s still a bit surprising to see Harris turn down such a lucrative offer when next year’s free agent crop is turning heads already and big deals like we saw in the summer of 2016 just aren’t coming around as often. Only time will tell whether Harris made the right call.

37 comments Los Angeles Clippers Newsstand
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