Daniel Theis, Wayne Selden Get Salary Guarantees
When center Daniel Theis signed a two-year contract with the Celtics last summer, the second year of that deal was non-guaranteed. However, Theis would be assured of his full 2018/19 salary guarantee if he remainder under contract through July 10.
According to multiple reports, including one from Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), the C’s had no intention of waiving Theis by Tuesday. As such, his $1,378,242 salary for next season is now guaranteed.
It was an easy decision for Boston after Theis enjoyed a solid rookie year as a regular part of the team’s rotation. In 63 games (14.9 MPG), the German big man averaged 5.3 PPG and 4.3 RPG, providing crucial depth in the Celtics’ frontcourt. His season came to an early end in March when he underwent surgery to repair his left knee lateral meniscus, but he should be ready to go for training camp.
Meanwhile, another player – Grizzlies shooting guard Wayne Selden – also had a July 10 guarantee deadline on his salary for 2018/19. However, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com recently indicated (via Twitter) that Memphis elected to guarantee Selden’s full $1,544,951 salary prior to the start of Summer League.
Theis and Selden will both be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2019.
Spurs Re-Sign Rudy Gay
JULY 11: The Spurs have officially re-signed Gay, the team announced today in a press release.
JUNE 30: Veteran forward Rudy Gay has committed to re-sign with the Spurs on a one-year, $10MM deal, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Gay winds up with a modest raise after opting out of a contract that would have paid him $8,826,300 next season. Factoring in a 20% raise from his $8,406,000 salary for 2017/18, the Spurs could go as high as $10,087,200 for Gay’s next deal using his Non-Bird rights.
The 31-year-old forward assumed a reduced role in his first year in San Antonio, but was able to bounce back from a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered in Sacramento. Gay managed 57 games for the Spurs, averaging 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per night.
Another year removed from that Achilles injury, Gay could be in for a larger role in San Antonio for the 2018/19 season, particularly if trade candidate Kawhi Leonard doesn’t return. The Spurs’ other key small forward, Kyle Anderson, is also no lock to return, though the team is expected to make an effort to re-sign the restricted free agent.
Having presumably used Gay’s Non-Bird rights to strike a deal with the veteran forward, the Spurs will still have their mid-level exception available.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nuggets Sign Second-Rounder Jarred Vanderbilt
The Nuggets have signed second-round pick Jarred Vanderbilt to a multiyear contract, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed by Denver, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that it’s a three-year, $4MM contract.
[RELATED: 2018 NBA Draft Pick Signings]
The over-the-cap Nuggets will dip into their mid-level exception to complete the Vanderbilt signing, since the minimum salary exception would only have allowed for up to two years. The team is believed to have used a portion of its MLE on Torrey Craig, but still should have plenty left.
Vanderbilt, whose college career was limited by foot and leg injuries, appeared in just 14 games last season for Kentucky, averaging 5.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG in 17.0 MPG. Although he was unable to make much of an impact during his time with the Wildcats, the combo forward is a good athlete and has upside as a defender and rebounder.
The Nuggets used the No. 41 overall to nab Vanderbilt, trading up a couple spots to ensure that they landed him.
With Craig and Vanderbilt now on NBA contracts, and free agents like Nikola Jokic and Will Barton back in the fold as well, Denver is up to 15 players on guaranteed deals. That doesn’t leave room for two-way player Monte Morris, who had been a candidate for a promotion to the 15-man roster, prompting Gina Mizell of The Denver Post (Twitter link) to wonder if another salary-dump trade may be on the horizon for the Nuggets.
Adam Silver Talks Warriors, Playoffs, Free Agency
It isn’t “necessarily” bad that the Warriors are so dominant, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said during a Tuesday press conference in Las Vegas (link via Mark Medina of The Mercury News). Silver explained that the NBA isn’t trying to create a “forced parity,” but wants to ensure that there’s a “parity of opportunity” for the league’s 30 teams.
“There’s a fair point to be made in a tax system when certain teams are spending significantly more than others, that’s not parity of opportunity,” Silver added. “Also, certain teams have advantages other teams don’t based on their resources and market and the wealth of the market. They may be in a position to go deeper into the tax than another team does.
“Under the current system right now, we want teams to compete like crazy. The Warriors, within the framework of this deal, should be doing everything they can to increase their dominance,” Silver continued. “That’s what you want to see. We want every team to compete in every way they can within the rules. If it makes sense to make adjustments to the rules next time, we’ll look into that.”
Here are a few more notable comments from Silver’s Tuesday’s presser:
- Silver acknowledged that the idea of seeding teams 1 through 16 in the postseason has “real appeal,” but cautioned that it would take time to implement (link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). “In our estimate, we could be looking at roughly 40-50% more travel,” Silver said. “It doesn’t mean we can’t, but it is not something we can do quickly. It would require really a wholesale re-examination of how we do the schedule, how our television deal works.”
- The NBA may make adjustments to the start of the free agent period to avoid having it begin at midnight ET on July 1, according to Silver (via Youngmisuk). With so much attention focused on free agency, the league would like to avoid having the first wave of major signings break in the middle of the night.
- Silver spoke about the California Classic Summer League, adding that it “exceeded all expectations,” as NBC Sports California relays (on Twitter). The league will discuss expanding it beyond the current structure, which only features four teams, including the host Kings.
- According to Silver, the investigation into workplace misconduct allegations in the Mavericks‘ business offices should wrap up by the end of July (link via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press).
- As we detailed on Tuesday night, Silver suggested that the NBA expects to make adjustments to its one-and-done rule for prospects in the coming years.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Knicks Rumors: Porzingis, Hezonja, 2019, Noah
Devin Booker has already signed a maximum-salary extension with the Suns, and Karl-Anthony Towns is discussing a similar deal with the Timberwolves, but the Knicks appear to be in no rush to lock up Kristaps Porzingis to a long-term rookie scale extension of his own. As Ian Begley of ESPN.com notes, signing Porzingis now would mean giving up about $10MM in 2019 cap room, so the team may prefer to wait until next summer to get something done with the standout big man.
“We’ll continue to stay in touch with Kristaps,” Knicks GM Scott Perry said on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “He’s part of our long-term plan. But we’ll get all that figured out at the appropriate time in terms of when we get into that negotiation. We’re comfortable with were at with him and we’ll work together with he and his representation to figure something out.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- This year’s signing of Mario Hezonja may represent a hedge against striking out on top free agents in 2019, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. As Berman explains, the Knicks would probably have to renounce Hezonja next summer in order to clear cap room for a maximum-salary free agent, but if New York doesn’t need to maximize its space, Hezonja’s Non-Bird rights should give the team the ability to make a competitive offer to retain him for one more than one season.
- Knicks president Steve Mills sounds like he doesn’t want to put all his eggs into one basket when it comes to landing a star free agent in 2019, Berman adds. “We didn’t say our ultimate goal was to have cap room in 2019 — that’s just a byproduct of the situation of how our salaries line up,” Mills said. “There’s no reason to think if Mario does really well, he shouldn’t be part of what we’re doing. Our goal is to put together a Knick team that could be competitive in the long-term.”
- Speaking of Hezonja, he said he got offers from the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Thunder before he accepted the Knicks’ proposal, Berman writes in a separate article.
- According to GM Scott Perry, all options are still in play for Joakim Noah, whether that means trading, stretching, or keeping him, per Ian Begley and Nick Friedell. “He’s still a member of the Knicks franchise right now,” Perry said of Noah. “He’s part of this team. Like we said to you earlier, all options are on the table for us concerning him, whether it’s coming back or some sort of trade or whatever the case may be.”
- During his introductory press conference as a Pacer, Kyle O’Quinn made a comment that could be interpreted as a dig at the Knicks. “I just felt like at this point, I owed it to myself to be a part of something bigger than next year’s draft,” O’Quinn said, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays.
Schlenk: Hawks’ Free Agency Will Be Trades
The Hawks are one of a small handful of NBA teams with significant cap room remaining, but it doesn’t sound like general manager Travis Schlenk is eager to make a play for any of the top free agents still available. Schlenk, who spoke last month about exercising patience and caution in the free agent market, tells Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his club is focusing on the trade market for now.
“We are going through the trade process right now. Seeing what trades might be out there,” Schlenk said. “That’s the process right now, seeing what options might be out there. Not really an antenna for free agency. Our free agency is going to be trades.”
The Hawks have approximately $22MM in cap room, a figure that could increase if the team waives non-guaranteed players Antonius Cleveland and Jaylen Morris. That’d be more than enough to put pressure on a team like the Rockets, Celtics, and Bucks with an offer sheet for Clint Capela, Marcus Smart, or Jabari Parker. However, Schlenk sounds more inclined to use that room to take on an unwanted contract or two, acquiring young players or draft picks in the process.
“Right now, we have the 14 guys under contract. Jaylen and Antonius are non-guarantees so we could get down to 12 pretty quickly if we needed to,” Schlenk said. “We’ll probably look to carry 14 guys just so we have some flexibility with our space to take on contracts if we need to be. The majority for free agency for us is just going to be taking on contracts to gather assets if we get a player we like.”
The Hawks reportedly explored trading highly-paid veterans Kent Bazemore and Dennis Schroder earlier in the offseason, but it doesn’t sound like a deal involving either of those players is a priority for the franchise at this point. Asked specifically about Schroder, Schlenk said the point guard’s comments about being open to a trade were “taken out of context,” adding that Schroder is “in a good place” with the Hawks.
Wolves, Karl-Anthony Towns Discussing Max Extension
The Timberwolves and star center Karl-Anthony Towns have engaged in discussions about a possible maximum-salary rookie scale extension, according to Michael Scotto and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Towns, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft, is extension-eligible for the first time this offseason. He and the Wolves have until the day before the 2018/19 regular season begins to work out a potential deal, though if the two sides are talking about a max contract, negotiations may not need to drag out that long.
[RELATED: Players Eligible For Rookie Scale Extensions In 2018]
Over the course of his first three NBA seasons, Towns has established himself as one of the NBA’s best frontcourt scorers. After averaging 25.1 PPG and 12.3 RPG in 2016/17, Towns’ scoring numbers dipped a little in 2017/18 to 21.3 PPG. However, he was more efficient than ever, setting new career bests in FG% (.545) and 3PT% (.421).
If the Wolves and Towns agree to terms on a max deal, it would be worth 25% of the cap in 2019/20, though the two sides could negotiate an agreement tentatively worth up to 30%. The big man would have to meet certain criteria – likely earning an All-NBA nod – in the 2018/19 season to qualify for that more lucrative extension.
Based on a $109MM projected cap for 2019/20, a max deal for Towns would start at $27.25MM and would be worth approximately $158MM over five years, just like the extension Devin Booker signed with the Suns a few days ago. For the Wolves, it could create some interesting cap decisions going forward.
Andrew Wiggins is already on a long-term, maximum-salary contract and Gorgui Dieng is owed $16MM+ in 2019/20 and $17MM+ in 2020/21. Minnesota would also have to consider a new deal for Jimmy Butler, assuming he wants to stick around when he becomes eligible for free agency next summer. And Jeff Teague has a $19MM player option for ’19/20.
If Teague opts in and both Butler and Towns get max contracts, the Wolves would be on the hook for $122MM+ for those five players next season. Given those increasing roster costs – and repeated whispers of possible tension between the Wolves’ stars – the club may eventually consider moving one or more of its highly-paid players.
If Towns doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension this summer, he’d be eligible for restricted free agency in 2019, at which point Minnesota would be able to match any offer he receives.
Magic Sign Troy Caupain To Two-Way Contract
The Magic have filled one of their two-way contract slots, with the team confirming today in a press release that it has signed Troy Caupain to a two-way deal. Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel first broke word of the agreement after a report in late June indicated that the two sides were discussing a potential two-way contract.
[RELATED: 2018/19 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]
Caupain and the Magic have an existing relationship dating back to last August, when the team first signed the undrafted Cincinnati guard to a training camp deal. Caupain was waived by Orlando before the 2017/18 regular season began, but joined the team’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic.
In 50 NBAGL games last season, Caupain filled up the stat sheet with 15.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.4 SPG. While he didn’t get a chance to make his NBA debut in 2017/18, Caupain rejoined the Magic for Summer League play this month, and now will play on a two-way contract with the franchise in 2018/19.
The Magic were only carrying one two-way player – Jamel Artis – by the end of the ’17/18 league year, and opted not to extend a qualifying offer to Artis. That decision left both of Orlando’s two-way slots open for the coming year.
For more details on how two-way contracts work, be sure to check out our FAQ.
Marcus Smart Meeting With Teams In Vegas
JULY 11, 7:44am: The Nets are among the teams to meet with Smart in Las Vegas, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. However, Lewis is skeptical of Brooklyn’s willingness to do an aggressive offer sheet for the veteran guard, noting that the team has less than $11MM in cap room available and has been trying to avoid taking on salary beyond 2018/19.
JULY 10, 3:56pm: As he continues to seek a new deal, restricted free agent guard Marcus Smart met with two teams on Monday in Las Vegas and is meeting with two more on Tuesday, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. That group of teams includes clubs from both conferences, per Himmelsbach’s source.
There have been conflicting reports in recent weeks on Smart’s asking price and on which teams might be interested in him. According to Himmelsbach, a source familiar with the negotiations said that the Celtics guard is open to a multiyear contract worth less than $15MM per season. Smart’s price tag may have come down since free agency began, since he said in the spring that he believed he was worth more than $12-14MM per year.
As for potential suitors, the Kings were said on Monday to be preparing an offer sheet for Smart, but a report out of Sacramento this morning disputed that notion. A league source tells Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that the Kings don’t have interest in making a play for the 24-year-old.
If the Kings are really out on Smart, it’s not clear which club represents his best chance for an offer sheet. While the Hawks and Bulls still have cap room available, neither team has been linked to him. The Nets could also have enough room to put together an offer sheet after buying out Dwight Howard, but they have a backcourt logjam of their own and wouldn’t be able to offer more than about $11MM without additional roster moves.
Smart could try to negotiate a new deal with the Celtics, but a source close to the player tells Himmelsbach that Smart’s camp had no further talks with Boston on Monday. The C’s seemingly prefer to let Smart find an offer sheet, with the intention of matching any offer within reason. If no offer sheet emerges, the former sixth overall pick may simply sign his one-year qualifying offer.
NBA Expected To Lower Age Limit
The one-and-done rule may soon come to an end, as NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes it’s time to consider allowing recent high-school graduates to enter the league.
“I’m not here to say we have a problem,” Silver said via NBA.com. “And I love where the league is right now. But I think we can create a better system.”
The new system should be in place by the 2021 draft, though there was no official timeline set.
“My personal view is that we’re ready to make that change,” Silver said. “It won’t come immediately. But when I’ve weighed the pros and cons, given that Condoleezza Rice and her commission have recommended to the NBA that those one-and-done players now come directly into the league and in essence the college community is saying `We do not want those players anymore,’ I think that tips the scale in my mind.”
Changes to the age-limit rule would require an amendment to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. NBPA executive director Michele Roberts said she expects there will be some news in the coming weeks, adding “Stay tuned.”