Conley: I Should Be Ready For Training Camp
Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is currently with Team USA training camp but unable to fully participate as he recovers from surgery on his heel in January. However, Conley expects to be healthy for the start of Memphis’ training camp in September, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst writes.
“I’m doing really well. I wish I could’ve participated in contact stuff,” Conley said. “I think I could, but we’re being cautious and allowing me to get a full summer of rehab. I should be ready to go by training camp — I expect to be ready.”
Conley, 30, played in just 12 games with the Grizzlies last season while dealing with heel and Achilles injuries. Earlier this week, the point guard noted this is the first time in two years that his foot and heel are pain-free.
While Conley is not yet cleared for five-on-five work, he is doing halfcourt workouts with mild contact, Windhorst adds.
“With anything dealing with Achilles, it takes time and you got to be patient to deal with it,” Conley said. “Right now, it’s all starting to come together. I’m so used to making a move and I expect pain. I got used to pain with some of the moves. Now I make the moves and there’s nothing there, so that’s exciting.”
Conley signed a five-year, $153MM deal with Memphis in July 2016 and is expected to be an integral part of the team’s offense next season.
Warriors Notes: Durant, Ownership, Future
Kevin Durant is not only one of the top players in the NBA, he’s also one of the league’s most outspoken figures. Whether it’s his blunt honesty on social media or weighing in on social issues, Durant’s comments are never far from the forefront.
Durant spoke to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated on LeBron James‘ decision to sign with the Lakers, praising the three-time NBA champion’s move.
“I thought it was the perfect decision, the perfect move,” Durant said. “He did everything you’re supposed to do in Cleveland, the perfect next step for him. He’s kind of breaking down the barriers of what an NBA superstar is supposed to be. You feel like you’re supposed to just play it out in one spot. I think he did a good job of giving you different chapters. And it’s going to make his book more interesting when it’s done.”
Durant also weighed in on Golden State signing All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, a move that drew a wide range of criticism from around the NBA.
“It was expected. Nobody likes a great thing. Greatness is rare, it’s different, and people don’t like different, so I get it,” Durant said. “But I think for DeMarcus I liked his approach, our approach to it, coming in, wanting it just to be about basketball, once you look at it that way, it works out perfectly.”
Check out more Warriors notes below:
- Ethan Strauss of The Athletic (subscription required) looked at how the Warriors’ current ownership group came into power and how the current team has been formed.
- Tim Kawakami of The Athletic (subscription required) writes about why the Warriors are not concerned about the possibility of having to pay upwards of $300MM for their roster due to luxury tax penalties. “I feel like we’ll do whatever we can to keep winning,” Warriors’ president Bob Myers said. “And I think the players will do whatever they can to keep winning — not knowing what that will exactly look like.”
Western Notes: Capela, Durant, Leonard, Williams
Clint Capela‘s new five-year contract with the Rockets on Friday, initially reported to be worth $90MM, is technically guaranteed for $80MM with $10MM in incentives, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Those annual incentives include $1MM for reaching the Western Conference finals, $500K for finishing with a 30% defensive rebounding rate, and $500K for shooting at least 65% from the free throw line, according to Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Kevin Durant‘s decision to take a one-plus-one contract with the Warriors kept his options open beyond the upcoming season, as he explained to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Durant will make $30MM the first year with a $31.5MM player option for the 2019/20 season. “The [one-plus-one] was the perfect thing for me to do, to keep things open for me — financially and what I want to do,” he told Charania. “It’s just one of those things.”
- The Celtics offered at least two of the first-round picks they own from other teams for Kawhi Leonard, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN. Those picks, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports writes, include the higher of the Kings’ and 76ers’ pick next summer, unless it’s the top overall pick; the Grizzlies’ first-rounder, which is top-eight protected next summer and top-six protected in 2020; and the Clippers’ pick, which is lottery-protected the next two summers and then converts to a second-rounder. The Spurs instead decided to take another All-Star, DeMar DeRozan, in a package for Leonard. The way the Spurs organization treated Leonard may have had more to do with his departure than any issues with his teammates, Feldman notes in a separate piece, relaying reporting from Lowe and ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
- C.J. Williams is a perfect waiver claim candidate, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Williams, who was waived by the Clippers on Friday, is on a $1.4MM non-guaranteed contract with $125K in protection if he’s not waived by opening night, Marks continues. His $1.6MM salary in 2019/20 has a $200K guarantee if he’s not waived by the first game, Marks adds.
- The Nuggets’ second unit will likely be led by Mason Plumlee, Isaiah Thomas, Trey Lyles and Torrey Craig, Chris Dempsey of the team’s website predicts. Dempsey dispenses his views on recent developments involving the club in his latest mailbag.
Harden: Carmelo Would Fit In With Rockets
James Harden isn’t worried about Carmelo Anthony fitting in with the Rockets, Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports reports. Anthony, who was traded by the Thunder to the Hawks in a salary dump, is expected to join Houston once he clears waivers. Anthony stated this week that he never really fit in with Oklahoma City’s roster but Harden believes he’ll do just fine in the Rockets’ high-powered attack. “Everybody in the world knows what Carmelo brings, how gifted and talented he is, and he still has a lot more to go,” Harden said. “If he comes to Rockets, we’ll bring the best out of him, and I’m sure he’ll bring the best out of us as well. We all know how easy Melo scores the basketball. … Things aren’t always going to be perfect but as long as you have that communication, good things will happen.”
Harden offered more insights on a variety of topics:
- He feels the Most Valuable Player award gives him validation after starting out with OKC as a sixth man. “I don’t know anybody else who did it. But that’s just a testament to how many guys out there that are coming off the bench, and not getting as much playing time, that you could still be that guy. It feels great, all the work that I put in, to be able to hold that trophy up.”
- He’s motivated by the Rockets’ heart-wrenching series loss to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals after being up 3-2: “It’s on my mind every day. It’s Game 6, Game 7, that’s what drives me every day.”
- Despite Golden State adding DeMarcus Cousins, he’s confident the Rockets can knock the Warriors off their perch. “If you don’t get better in this league, you get passed up pretty quick. We’re not done. But what we have right now is for sure good enough.”
- He gives a big thumbs up to the Rockets and center Clint Capela agreeing on a $90MM extension, Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated tweets. “Obviously we love the game of basketball but to be able to provide for your family for generations, that’s what we do it for. I’ve seen him work his butt off these last few years. He listens, learns, competes. I’m happy for him.”
Atlantic Rumors: DeRozan, Casey, Lowry, Fizdale, Bird
The former Raptors’ leading scorer and head coach are mad at team president Masai Ujiri, Josh Lewenberg of TSN reports. DeRozan publicly criticized Ujiri on social media after being traded to the Spurs in the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster, feeling that Ujiri misled him during a summer-league conversation. DeRozan said during USA Basketball minicamp that he’s not interested in reconciling with Ujiri. “No reason to have a relationship,” he said. “I’m done. I’m done. It’s just done for me, from my end.” Dwane Casey, now the Pistons’ head coach after getting fired by the Raptors after the season, also has lingering issues with Ujiri, according to Lewenberg. They haven’t spoken since the firing and Casey still feels plenty of resentment toward Ujiri, Lewenberg adds.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- DeRozan’s former backcourt partner, Kyle Lowry, doesn’t sound thrilled about the trade, according to Lewenberg. Lowry claims he has no relationship with Leonard and has yet to speak with him. Lowry was evasive when asked specifically about the trade. (Twitter links).
- New Knicks coach David Fizdale met with star player Kristaps Porzingis in Latvia and appears to be building a strong relationship with the rehabbing power forward, Ian Begley of ESPN writes. Fizdale said he’s trying to keep Porzingis in the loop as he works his way back from knee surgery. “We’ve talked about his rehab. We’ve talked about how we want to play, our style of play,” Fizdale told Begley. “Talked a lot about the culture that we’re building. We want to make sure that he comes back strong and healthy and we don’t want to rush it. … I’ve tried to make sure that he’s – we’ve been in communication on every decision that we’ve made.”
- The Celtics’ signing of Jabari Bird is an example of how two-way contracts should work, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Bird played for Boston on a two-way contract last season after getting drafted in the second round. The 6’6” swingman showed enough development to earn a spot on the 15-man roster, getting signed to a two-year contract this week.
Sixers Re-Sign Demetrius Jackson To Two-Way Deal
The Sixers have re-signed guard Demetrius Jackson to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Philadelphia originally signed the former Notre Dame point guard to a two-way deal in January. He saw action in just three games with the Sixers, averaging 2.7 PPG in 5.7 MPG. He also made 10 starts with their G League affiliate, the Deleware 87ers, averaging 13.0 PPG and 4.6 APG in 25.5 MPG.
Jackson was selected by Boston in the second round of the 2016 draft. He was waived by Boston last summer and signed a two-way deal with the Rockets. Houston terminated Jackson’s contract and then signed him to a 10-day deal but decided not to offer him another contract.
The 6’1” Jackson appeared in 12 games with the Rockets, playing an average of 5.3 MPG. He played five games for Boston as a rookie.
The Sixers filled their other two-way slot earlier this week by signing rookie SMU guard Shake Milton.
Clint Capela Signs Five-Year Deal With Rockets
4:48pm: The signing is official, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports tweets.
3:14pm: The Rockets and free agent center Clint Capela have reached an agreement on a five-year, $90MM contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Having entered the offseason among 2018’s top free agents, Capela was one of the last impact players still unsigned, as well as one of the final restricted free agents still on the market.
The terms of Capela’s new deal look similar to Houston’s reported offer from earlier this month. During the second week of free agency, we heard that the Rockets had offered their starting center a five-year, $85MM deal that could be worth up to $90MM in incentives.
It’s the second mega-deal that the Rockets have agreed to in July. In the early hours of free agency, the team struck a four-year, maximum-salary deal to re-sign point guard Chris Paul. Since then, Houston has seen Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute sign with new teams, but has added James Ennis and lined up an agreement with Carmelo Anthony.
While Capela’s new contract will fall short of the $100MM he was reportedly seeking, it looks like a very fair deal, considering no team had the cap space left to make a comparable offer. Capela’s first massive NBA payday comes in at a rate of $18MM per year, allowing the Rockets to lock up a young, improving center for the long term without having to worry about him accepting his qualifying offer and bolting as an unrestricted free agent in a year.
Prior to officially signing Anthony and Capela, the Rockets have nearly $118MM in guaranteed salaries on their books. Capela’s big raise will push that total well beyond the $123.733MM luxury tax line, setting up Houston to be a taxpaying team for the 2018/19 season, barring major cost-cutting moves.
Capela, 24, has made substantial strides in each of his four NBA seasons, evolving from a little-used rookie in 2014/15 into one of the league’s most productive centers this past season. In 2017/18, he averaged a double-double (13.9 PPG and 10.8 RPG) while contributing 1.9 BPG and a league-leading .652 FG%. Although Capela’s offensive game is somewhat limited, he’s an effective screen setter and finisher at the rim, and provides the Rockets with strong rim protection at the other end of the court.
According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter), Capela’s five-year contract will include no team or player options.
With Capela off the board, Rodney Hood (Cavaliers) and Patrick McCaw (Warriors) are the only two NBA restricted free agents who remain on the market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Notable Free Agent Bigs Still Available
We’re nearing the four-week mark of the NBA’s new league year, and most of this year’s best free agents have found new teams — or new deals with their old teams. Only four players from our list of the top 50 free agents of 2018 remain unsigned.
Still, a perusal of our list of 2018’s remaining free agents reveals several noteworthy names. Roster spots around the NBA are becoming scarce, but a number of unsigned players could help out contending teams. Some of these players could sign in the coming days or weeks, while others may have to wait for injuries to open up opportunities.
In a series of posts, we’re taking a closer look at some of the most notable free agents still on the board, breaking them down by position. That series started on Thursday with a look at some of the top guards available, and continued today as we turned to the top free agent wings. Now we’re closing things out by examining some of the most intriguing veteran big men on the open market.
Let’s dive in…
Greg Monroe (UFA): As recently as February, Monroe’s value was high enough that the Celtics were willing to pay him $5MM for the final two months of the regular season, plus the playoffs. The veteran center didn’t play as well in Boston as he had in Phoenix, but his 10.2 PPG and 6.3 RPG in just 19.1 minutes per contest were still impressive. Even if he’s not an ideal fit in the modern NBA, Monroe is too talented not to find an NBA deal at some point.- Trevor Booker (UFA): Booker played for three teams in 2017/18, ultimately landing on a playoff club in Indiana. While his minutes were cut back in the postseason, Booker can still be a solid bench piece for a team in need of rebounding and inside toughness. The veteran was said to be drawing interest from several teams early in free agency, but a report linking him to the Cavs is all we’ve heard in the last three weeks.
- David West (UFA): When West re-signed with the Warriors in 2017, reports at the time suggested it would probably be his last NBA contract. West hasn’t made an official retirement announcement this summer, but there has been little indication that he plans to continue his career. He should receive interest if he wants to keep playing.
- Jahlil Okafor (UFA): Okafor’s stock has fallen precipitously since he was drafted third overall in 2015. Still, he’s only 22 years old, and it seems hard to believe NBA teams would give up on him so soon. Four NBA clubs reportedly watched Okafor work out in Las Vegas earlier this month, and he’s also said to have drawn interest from teams in China.
- Tarik Black (UFA): Battling with Nene for backup minutes behind Clint Capela last season, Black didn’t get much of an opportunity to shine. He had a good year with the Lakers in 2016/17 though, and is still just 26 years old.
- Alan Williams (UFA): After missing nearly all of the 2017/18 season with a knee injury, Williams was waived by the Suns several weeks ago. That move was mostly about avoiding his non-guaranteed $5.5MM salary though. At a lower cost, Williams can still be a solid investment — his career numbers on the boards (15.0 rebounds per 36 minutes) suggest he could be one of the NBA’s most effective rebounders if given the chance.
- Willie Reed (UFA): Reports linked Reed to the Thunder, Wizards, and Knicks earlier in free agency, but those teams have since gone in other directions, adding Nerlens Noel, Dwight Howard, and Noah Vonleh, respectively. Reed’s value will be somewhat diminished due to the six-game suspension he faces for a domestic incident.
- Lucas Nogueira (UFA): Nogueira’s playing time was sporadic in 2017/18, but he often provided a much-needed spark of energy of the Raptors’ bench, averaging 3.7 blocks per 36 minutes. He may never develop into a reliable, consistent NBA rotation player, but at age 26, he’s worth a flier.
Some other free agent bigs of note:
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Clippers Waive Guard C.J. Williams
JULY 27: Williams has been waived, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.
JULY 26: The Clippers are expected to release shooting guard C.J. Williams soon, reports Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers.
Williams, 28, began his professional career in 2012 after going undrafted out of N.C. State. Having played for international and G League teams for the last several years, the 6’5″ guard caught on with the Clippers in 2017, signing a two-way contract with the club last October.
Williams made his NBA debut in November and appeared in 38 overall games for the Clippers, averaging 5.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 18.6 minutes per contest. His solid showing on his two-way deal earned him a standard NBA multiyear contract near the end of the 2017/18 season.
However, Williams’ 2018/19 salary was non-guaranteed, making him a logical roster casualty for the Clippers, whose roster is getting crowded. With Montrezl Harrell back under contract, Los Angeles now has 16 players on guaranteed deals. That roster count doesn’t include Patrick Beverley, whose $5MM+ salary for ’18/19 is non-guaranteed.
NBA Players Who Can Veto Trades In 2018/19
No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, and they’re becoming even rarer. With LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony both changing teams this offseason, two of the last players with explicit no-trade clauses in their contracts will no longer have that no-trade protection — to be eligible to negotiate a no-trade clause, a player must have at least eight years of NBA experience and four years with his current team, so neither James nor Anthony qualifies anymore.
While no NBA players have an explicit no-trade clause in their contracts for the time being, there are still several players who will have the ability to veto trades in 2018/19.
A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year deal with an option year – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie contracts expire can also block trades.
Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2018/19 league year:
No-trade clauses
- None
Players whose offer sheets were matched
- Zach LaVine (Bulls)
- Note: Even with his consent, LaVine cannot be traded to the Kings during the 2018/19 league year.
- Tyrone Wallace (Clippers)
- Note: Even with his consent, Wallace cannot be traded to the Pelicans during the 2018/19 league year.
Players accepting qualifying offers
- Rodney Hood (Cavaliers): Accepted trade
Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)
- Ryan Arcidiacono (Bulls)
- Aron Baynes (Celtics)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Lakers)
- Ian Clark (Pelicans)
- Kevin Durant (Warriors)
- Wayne Ellington (Heat): Accepted trade
- Raymond Felton (Thunder)
- Rudy Gay (Spurs)
- Gerald Green (Rockets)
- Udonis Haslem (Heat)
- Amir Johnson (Sixers)
- Luke Kornet (Knicks)
- Kevon Looney (Warriors)
- Salah Mejri (Mavericks)
- Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)
- J.J. Redick (Sixers)
- Derrick Rose (Timberwolves)
- Dwyane Wade (Heat)
If any of the players who re-signed for one year approves a trade during the 2018/19 league year, he’ll have Non-Bird rights at season’s end instead of Early Bird or full Bird rights. Any player who consents to a trade will retain his veto ability on his new team, and would have to approve a subsequent deal as well.