2018 Offseason In Review: Memphis Grizzlies
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Memphis Grizzlies.
Signings:
Standard contracts:
- Kyle Anderson: Four years, $37.16MM. Signed using mid-level exception. Spurs’ declined to match offer sheet.
- Omri Casspi: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Shelvin Mack: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Two-way contracts:
- Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Markel Crawford: One year, minimum salary.
- Brandon Goodwin: One year, minimum salary.
- Ismaila Kane: One year, minimum salary.
- Doral Moore: One year, minimum salary.
Trades:
- Acquired Garrett Temple from the Kings in exchange for Ben McLemore, Deyonta Davis, the Grizzlies’ 2021 second-round pick, and cash ($1,544,951).
- Acquired Dakari Johnson and the draft rights to Tyler Harvey from the Magic in exchange for Jarell Martin and cash ($1,037,980).
- Note: Johnson later waived.
Draft picks:
- 1-4: Jaren Jackson Jr. — Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-32: Jevon Carter — Signed to two-year, $2.26MM contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Departing players:
- Mario Chalmers
- Deyonta Davis
- Tyreke Evans
- Myke Henry (two-way; waived)
- Omari Johnson (waived)
- Jarell Martin
- Ben McLemore
- Kobi Simmons (two-way; waived)
Other offseason news:
- Retained interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, naming him permanent head coach.
- Hired Jerry Stackhouse as assistant coach; finalized coaching staff.
- Hired Brad Jones as head coach of G League affiliate Memphis Hustle.
- Named Glen Grunwald a consultant.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap.
- Carrying approximately $120.8MM in guaranteed salaries.
- Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
- No cap exceptions left besides minimum salary exception.
Check out the Memphis Grizzlies’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
Following a colossally disappointing 22-win season, the Grizzlies found themselves in a very difficult spot. With three fat contracts (Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Chandler Parsons) eating up a good chunk of their cap space, they couldn’t simply go into full rebuild mode. So rather than waving the white flag, the Grizzlies’ front office thought the best approach would be to embrace their old roots. Instead of seeking out more shooters and embracing a high-powered attack, Memphis opted to surround Gasol and Conley with defensive-minded players possessing length and athleticism.
Selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. with their high lottery pick tipped the Grizzlies’ hand on what type of personnel moves they’d make this summer. Jackson is an all-around talent but his greatest strength is his shot-blocking. Jackson Jr. swatted over 100 shots in his lone college season at Michigan State despite averaging just 21.8 MPG. Second-round pick Jevon Carter carved out a reputation for toughness and gritty play at West Virginia.
Their successful pursuit of restricted free agent swingman Kyle Anderson showed creativity on a limited budget. The Grizzlies knew it would be tough for San Antonio to match the offer sheet on a four-year player who’s never averaged more than 7.9 PPG. But Memphis isn’t looking for Anderson to put up big offensive numbers. Defensive analytics show Anderson to be one of the league’s underrated defenders. His defensive box rating last season posted by Basketball Reference was an excellent 4.3.
The front office also chose continuity by retaining coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Endorsements from Conley and Gasol certainly helped his cause.
Celtics Near Agreement With Marcus Georges-Hunt
The Celtics are close to reaching a contract agreement with guard Marcus Georges-Hunt, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
It’s apparently a training-camp contract but Georges-Hunt should have a reasonable chance of making the opening-night roster.
Georges-Hunt worked out for the Celtics on September 11th.
The 6’5” Georgia Tech alum appeared in 42 games for the Timberwolves last season, averaging 1.4 PPG in 5.3 MPG, after making his NBA debut with the Magic in 2016/17.
Georges-Hunt was well-known in the Celtics organization prior to the workout. He was on their 2016 training camp roster and then played that season with their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 4.4 APG.
The 6’5” Georges-Hunt worked out for the Timberwolves a week prior to his visit to Boston, even though they made him a free agent by declining to extend him a qualifying offer earlier in the summer. The Cavaliers also brought him in during a free agent tryout earlier this month, while the Nuggets worked him out last month.
The Celtics currently have 15 players on guaranteed contracts and have filled both two-way slots but shooting guard Jabari Bird‘s future with the organization is in doubt. Bird is not with the team as he sorts through legal and medical issues after being arraigned on assault changes in a domestic incident.
Five Rookie Scale Options That May Not Be Exercised
Team and player options on veteran contracts must be exercised by the end of June before the new league year begins on July 1, but the same rules don’t apply to team options in rookie scale contracts. First-round picks who signed standard rookie contracts have third- and fourth-year options included in their deals, and those options must be exercised – or declined – seven months early.
The deadline for rookie scale option decisions is October 31, which means that teams have about another month to decide whether to pick up those options for the 2019/20 season.
It’s an unusual structure, one that forces teams to make decisions before seeing how their players will perform on the court that season. Last fall, for instance, the Magic turned down their fourth-year option on Mario Hezonja for 2018/19. Hezonja subsequently enjoyed his best season as a pro, and instead of entering the final year of his rookie contract with Orlando, he was able to hit the open market and secure a larger salary with the Knicks.
Cases like Hezonja’s are rare, however. For the most part, teams will exercise their rookie scale options, particularly third-year options. Third-year options are generally pretty affordable, and decisions are due after a player has been in the NBA for just one season, so clubs are reluctant to give up on their first-round picks that early.
Still, while many of this year’s rookie scale option decisions will be no-brainers, there are at least a small handful of players who aren’t locks to have their options picked up. Here’s a look at five players who fall into that category:
D.J. Wilson, Bucks (third year, $2,961,120): Wilson had some good games in the G League last season, but his overall NBAGL numbers were just okay for a first-round pick, and he only played 72 minutes in 22 NBA games. As noted above, teams often don’t give up this early on first-round picks, and Wilson’s cap charge is affordable enough that it’s probably worth securing him for at least one more year. This isn’t a slam-dunk though.- Malachi Richardson, Raptors (fourth year, $2,581,597): When the Raptors sent Bruno Caboclo to Sacramento in exchange for Richardson at last season’s trade deadline, it reduced their 2017/18 payroll and increased their flexibility to make a move on the buyout market. But it also meant taking on Richardson’s guarantee for 2018/19, while Caboclo’s contract expired. Richardson seems unlikely to have any sort of role this season on a deep, talented Toronto team, and with the club at risk of being in the tax again in 2019/20, I don’t expect the Raps to lock in Richardson for another year.
- Guerschon Yabusele (third year, $3,117,240): While the “Dancing Bear” has no shortage of fans in Boston, it’s hard to see how he’ll earn playing time in a frontcourt that features Al Horford, Aron Baynes, Semi Ojeleye, Daniel Theis, and first-rounder Robert Williams — especially if Jayson Tatum and/or Gordon Hayward see significant minutes at the four. Yabusele has promise, but with the Celtics now in the tax, it might make sense to use his roster spot on a minimum-salary player starting in 2019/20.
- Malik Beasley, Nuggets (fourth year, $2,731,714): Denver’s lack of reliable backcourt depth bodes well for Beasley, who could parlay a solid Summer League showing into a regular backup role at shooting guard. The Nuggets don’t have serious tax concerns for 2019/20, so exercising Beasley’s modestly-priced option wouldn’t be a major risk. Still, it would be an easier decision if he’d shown more improvement in his sophomore season. Instead, he posted just 3.2 PPG on 41.0% shooting in 62 games in 2017/18.
- Justin Patton, Timberwolves (third year, $3,117,240): After missing nearly all of his rookie season due to foot problems, Patton has undergone another foot procedure this month, raising some doubts about his availability for the 2018/19 season. Nonetheless, I expect the Timberwolves will want to give Patton another chance to get healthy before cutting their losses on him, particularly since he may soon be the lone piece remaining from last summer’s trade with the Bulls.
For a full breakdown of this year’s decisions on 2019/20 rookie scale options, click here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Canaan, Durant, Klay, Lakers
When training camp opened for the Suns earlier this week, multiple reports – including ones from Bob Baum of The Associated Press and Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic – noted that the most pressing issue facing the franchise in the short term was its hole at the point guard spot.
That hasn’t changed within the last few days, with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writing today that it remains unclear which way Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov might be leaning. Shaquille Harrison, De’Anthony Melton, Elie Okobo, and Isaiah Canaan are among the point guards vying for playing time. In comments on Thursday, Kokoskov spoke in general terms about those four players when he addressed the traits he’s looking for from a starting point guard.
“Just being solid overall,” the Suns’ new coach said, per Rankin. “The four guys we’ve brought to this camp, our guys are pretty solid. That’s a quality they’re bringing to this team. Just being solid. We’re not asking for anything extraordinary. Just be solid overall when it comes to defensive stops, when it comes to running the team. Putting the guys in the right spots. The key word is being solid.”
As Rankin outlines in a separate article for The Arizona Republic, Canaan easily has the most NBA experience of the Suns’ four in-house point guards and believes he’s capable of taking the reins as the starter. Canaan continues to make his way back from a broken left ankle that ended his 2017/18 season, and Rankin believes that the veteran will likely get the first crack at the starting job if Phoenix doesn’t trade for a point guard.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Like LeBron James has done in the past, Warriors forward Kevin Durant has decided to sign short-term contracts with opt-outs in order to maximize his flexibility, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I could have easily signed a long-term [contract], but I just wanted to take it season-by-season and see where it takes me,” Durant said earlier this week. The two-time Finals MVP will be eligible for free agency again in 2019, but isn’t talking about that decision at this point.
- Durant’s teammate Klay Thompson will also be eligible for free agency in 2019 and has been more willing to talk about his desire to stay with the Warriors long-term — he reiterated that preference on Thursday, as Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “It’s hard to walk away from something — you were here when it started and yeah, you just want to stay on the train as long as you can,” Thompson said.
- After LeBron James spoke earlier this week about the Lakers having a long way to go before they can seriously challenge the Warriors, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com explores what “success” might look like for LeBron’s Lakers, this season and beyond.
- Rajon Rondo brings extensive big-game experience and a much-needed “hard edge” to the Lakers, according to Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register.
Knicks Notes: Trier, Porzingis, Hezonja, Kyrie
The Knicks are currently carrying rookie guard Allonzo Trier using one of their two-way contract slots, but promoting him to the 15-man regular season squad isn’t out of the question, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Trier has made a good early impression on head coach David Fizdale, who called the former Arizona standout a “good player” and praised his effort on defense.
Berman suggests that the Knicks will have 15 guaranteed contracts on their books once they buy out Joakim Noah. By our count, only 13 of those would be fully guaranteed — Trey Burke and Noah Vonleh have modest partial guarantees. While Burke almost certainly isn’t going anywhere, it’s not clear whether Vonleh is a lock for the regular season roster.
If New York wants to keep both Burke and Vonleh and promote Trier to the 15-man squad, Ron Baker and his $4.54MM guaranteed salary could be the odd man out. For now though, it doesn’t appear that there’s any urgency to get Trier signed to a standard contract — the Knicks could do so later in the season, when he’s nearing his 45-day NBA limit.
Here’s more out of New York:
- When asked about his ACL recovery earlier this week, Kristaps Porzingis suggested that his rehab protocol has been a little unusual, since there are few – if any – precedents for a 7’3″ player returning from the injury. However, two medical experts who spoke to Berman of The New York Post say that they don’t think Porzingis’ height should have any substantial impact on his recovery process.
- Despite three up-and-down seasons in Orlando, new Knicks forward Mario Hezonja is confident in his ability to be a difference-making player going forward. “There is no ceiling for me. And you know that,” Hezonja told Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News with a smile. “I know that but I’m not going to be rushing, I’m not going to be skipping steps. I’m not going to be thinking about it. It’s going to come. I just have to go step-by-step. Practice-by-practice, game-by-game.”
- Kyrie Irving‘s comments on Media Day about being able to envision a long-term future in Boston won’t halt speculation about him moving to New York as a free agent in 2019, but they were still a blow for the Knicks, says Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post.
Stan Van Gundy To Join ESPN As Analyst
Less than five months after being let go by the Pistons, Stan Van Gundy has reportedly lined up a new gig. According to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post, Van Gundy has reached an agreement to become a studio analyst for ESPN’s NBA coverage.
As Marchand notes, Van Gundy nearly joined ESPN several years ago but had that deal fall apart at the 11th hour, so it’s worth mentioning that the former Pistons head coach has yet to officially sign his contract with the network. Still, it appears he’ll be joining his brother Jeff Van Gundy at the Worldwide Leader for the upcoming NBA season — while Stan will be a studio analyst, Jeff is on ESPN’s top broadcasting team alongside Mike Breen and Mark Jackson.
Van Gundy, who was also serving as the Pistons’ president of basketball operations before he was dismissed by the club, was disappointed by the decision and said in the wake of his firing that he wanted to coach again. Last month, after he failed to secure a coaching job for the 2018/19 season, Van Gundy admitted that he wasn’t sure about his future plans
“I want to do something, but if I’m not coaching, I don’t want to work too hard,” he said at the time.
Given the research and preparation required for a TV analyst role, presumably Van Gundy has changed course on that stance, but we’ll have to see what he sounds like on the air to be sure.
Manu Ginobili Not Planning On Coaching
Manu Ginobili recently attended Gregg Popovich‘s annual retreat for Spurs coaches, but the recently retired guard has no immediate plans to enter the coaching ranks, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News details.
[RELATED: Manu Ginobili announces retirement]
Relaying a column that Ginobili wrote for Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Orsborn notes that the 41-year-old enjoyed the opportunity to “learn and see basketball from the other side” during Popovich’s coaches retreat. However, Ginobili says he has “no intention” of becoming a coach at this point, opting instead to happily settle into his retirement.
Although Ginobili isn’t about to accept a coaching role with the Spurs or any other team, he has been in attendance at training camp this week, Orsborn points out. The longtime San Antonio guard wrote in his La Nacion column that he believes the Spurs – who added one of the league’s best scorers in DeMar DeRozan – will be better offensively than they were last season, but will be tested on defense.
In a previous column for La Nacion, Ginobili said that he’d be open to a role with the Spurs, albeit perhaps not in an official capacity: “My children have already started classes and while I’m in town I’ll be close to the team and the franchise. Maybe I can’t help (anymore) by taking a (charge) or (with a steal) or something, but I’ll try to add in what I can. … If I can help from the outside, I will do it with pleasure.”
Oldest, Youngest Players On NBA Rosters
The NBA’s second-oldest player called it a career earlier this offseason, as longtime Spurs guard Manu Ginobili announced his retirement. Meanwhile, the third-oldest player in the league – veteran guard Jason Terry – remains unsigned, and while he has expressed repeated interest in returning for a 20th NBA season, it’s not clear if or when he’ll get that opportunity.
Although Ginobili has retired and Terry is without an NBA home, the league’s oldest player – 41-year-old Vince Carter – keeps on trucking, having officially signed with the Hawks last month. Here’s the full list of the 10 oldest players currently on NBA rosters, led by Carter:
- Vince Carter, Hawks (born 1/26/1977)
- Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks (born 6/19/1978)
- Udonis Haslem, Heat (born 6/9/1980)
- Pau Gasol, Spurs (born 7/6/1980)
- Kyle Korver, Cavaliers (born 3/17/1981)
- Zach Randolph, Kings (born 7/16/1981)
- Jose Calderon, Pistons (born 9/28/1981)
- Dwyane Wade, Heat (born 1/17/1982)
- Tony Parker, Hornets (born 5/17/1982)
- Nene, Rockets (born 9/13/1982)
On the other end of the spectrum, all 10 of the youngest players on NBA rosters were selected in the 2018 draft, which doesn’t come as a real surprise. Many undrafted free agents have gone right from college to an NBA roster within the last few months, but the youngest of this year’s rookies are the ones who left school after their freshman years — and most of those early entrants were strong enough prospects to be drafted.
Here are the 10 youngest players currently on NBA rosters:
- Isaac Bonga, Lakers (born 11/8/1999)
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (born 9/15/1999)
- Kevin Knox, Knicks (born 8/11/1999)
- Troy Brown, Wizards (born 7/28/1999)
- Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers (born 6/8/1999)
- Zhaire Smith, Sixers (born 6/4/1999)
- Dzanan Musa, Nets (born 5/8/1999)
- Wendell Carter, Bulls (born 4/16/1999)
- Marvin Bagley III, Kings (born 3/14/1999)
- Luka Doncic, Mavericks (born 2/28/1999)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Grizzlies Notes: Expectations, Conley, Brooks
As the 2018/19 regular season nears, the Grizzlies are eager to show that last season’s disastrous 22-60 showing was an aberration, writes Teresa M. Walker of The Associated Press. Longtime general manager Chris Wallace is pleased with an offseason that saw the club add Kyle Anderson in free agency and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the draft, indicating earlier this week that he expects Memphis to get back in the postseason picture.
“I’m very confident we’ll be back in the thick of things in the Western Conference, and we’ve had a lot of success against these teams over the years,” Wallace said. “We’ve done well in the playoffs against some of the top teams in the West. I think we can continue that after a year on the sidelines. We’re raring to get back into the playoffs and be a real factor again.”
Here’s more from out of Memphis:
- Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley was limited to just 12 games last season due to heel and Achilles issues, but he has been medically cleared and is pain-free during training camp, Walker writes for The Associated Press. “You’d be hard pressed to find a bigger free agent signing than us bringing Mike Conley back healthy,” new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said this week.
- Conley isn’t the only Grizzlies player who’s feeling better heading into the 2018/19 season. As Peter Edmiston of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details, there are virtually no health concerns in Memphis at the moment, with oft-injured forward Chandler Parsons also taking part in every session during training camp. Edmiston also passes along a few more takeaways from the Grizzlies’ first week of camp.
- The battle for playing time at shooting guard for the Grizzlies figures to be fierce , with Garrett Temple, MarShon Brooks, and Wayne Selden among the club’s options. Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com takes a closer look at the situation, observing that Dillon Brooks – who played primarily at small forward last year but could shift more to the two with Anderson in the mix – can’t afford a sophomore slump if he wants to retain a key role in Memphis’ lineup.
Rockets Making Strong Effort To Land Jimmy Butler
The Rockets are making a “strong effort” to acquire Jimmy Butler in a trade with the Timberwolves, sources tell Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link). Berman’s report comes after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated on Wednesday that Houston was pursuing Butler.
Wojnarowski, who suggested that the Rockets were “trying to be creative” as they explored trade possibilities for Butler, wrote that it would be tricky for the club to pull off a deal for the All-NBA wing without involving a third team. Berman, meanwhile, doesn’t offer much in the way of specifics.
It’s hard to imagine Houston being able to trade for Butler without giving up Eric Gordon, whose $13MM+ salary would make for a good salary-matching piece and whose ability to make an immediate impact might appeal to Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau. The Rockets also have full control over their future first-round picks, though the value of their 2019 selection would be limited, since it’s likely to fall in the late-20s.
Although the Rockets are apparently pushing to land Butler, they’re not the only team involved. Wojnarowski’s report on Thursday named the Clippers and Cavaliers as other clubs in the mix, with the Heat still considered the most aggressive suitors. The Wizards and Mavericks have also gauged the asking price on Butler, while the Nets have interest but haven’t engaged Minnesota recently, per Woj.
Here’s more on Butler:
- The Heat are open to the idea of taking on Gorgui Dieng‘s contract from the Timberwolves “under the right circumstances,” according to Wojnarowski.
- Wojnarowski indicates that potential trade partners are skeptical of Thibodeau’s willingness to move Butler, since he’s making counter-offers he knows would never be accepted. In an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided an example, reporting that the Timberwolves asked for Ben Simmons when they made a counter-offer to the Sixers (hat tip to Dane Delgado of NBC Sports). We passed along a report earlier today suggesting that Philadelphia has since pulled out of the Butler sweepstakes.
- The Nuggets were mentioned several days ago as a potential dark horse for Butler, but T.J. McBride of Mile High Sports hears that Denver views Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gary Harris as “untouchable” (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). A trade for an All-Star like Butler is probably a long shot without any of those players involved.
- Earlier today, we relayed an update on the Kings‘ potential involvement in the Butler talks — Sacramento is still interested in getting involved as a facilitator, but will be cautious about adding too much multiyear money to its cap.