Celtics Notes: A. Davis, Irving, Tatum
When he was interviewed in Charlotte this past weekend about his list of preferred destinations, Anthony Davis said that the Celtics are on that list: “I never said they weren’t on my list.”
However, Davis subsequently added that all 29 teams outside of New Orleans are on his list, which somewhat diminished the impact of him specifically including Boston. Now, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (video link) is reporting that the C’s may not really be on Davis’ short list.
“I’m still told his four-team list of the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, [and] Bucks still exists in that order,” Charania said. “… There are a couple other teams – undisclosed right now – that he would also consider. The Celtics, I’m told, are still not a long-term destination for him in his mind. Where the Celtics stand has not changed despite what Anthony Davis said over the weekend.”
It’s hard to know exactly what to make of Davis’ comments at All-Star Weekend – which were a little all over the place, as Sean Deveney of Sporting News outlines – and Charania’s latest report. The long-term appeal of the Celtics for Davis will likely hinge in large part on whether or not Kyrie Irving sticks around, so AD’s camp might be hedging its bets to prepare for either outcome.
In any case, Davis’ wish list may ultimately not matter a whole lot, as the Pelicans plan to negotiate with any team that wants to get involved in the offseason — not just the four teams Davis views as potential long-term homes.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- In a conversation with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols (video link), Kyrie Irving spoke about the Celtics’ up-and-down season, his phone call to LeBron James, and whether his upcoming free agency is a distraction. He was also asked whether he agreed with Marcus Morris‘ contention that it hasn’t been a “fun” season in Boston. “It’s been a trying year for us,” Irving said. “We basically have a bunch of young men in our locker room that feel like they’re capable of doing a lot more than what they’re doing. And that’s okay. But there’s a maturity that you have to have, there’s a professionalism that you have to really showcase every single day, and that’s what the great ones do.”
- A major player in those Davis trade rumors, Jayson Tatum told ESPN at All-Star weekend that he’d like to play for the Celtics for his entire NBA career. In order to achieve that goal, he may have to prove his value in the coming months, showing why Danny Ainge and the C’s shouldn’t include him in an offer for AD, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.
- In a separate story for NBC Sports Boston, Forsberg makes the case that the 2018/19 Celtics are a legit contender worthy of fans’ complete attention — even if offseason speculation about Irving, Davis, and the team’s future seems more exciting at the moment.
Heat Sign Emanuel Terry To 10-Day Contract
The Heat have made a roster move, announcing today in a press release that rookie forward Emanuel Terry has signed a 10-day contract with the club. The move brings Miami’s roster count to 14 players, not including players on two-way deals.
Terry, 23, joined the Nuggets for training camp last fall after going undrafted out of Lincoln Memorial. Waived by Denver during the preseason, he has spent most of his rookie year with the Canton Charge and Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League. In 29 NBAGL games (24.5 MPG) this season, Terry has averaged 10.7 PPG and 7.2 RPG with 1.6 BPG.
Terry’s G League play earned him an NBA shot last month, as he inked a 10-day deal with Phoenix last month, appearing in a pair of NBA games for the team. When the Suns didn’t re-sign him, he returned to Sioux Falls.
Terry had been set to participate in this week’s World Cup qualifiers for Team USA, having been named to the squad’s latest 12-man roster. However, he was replaced on Team USA’s roster when an opportunity in Miami emerged, and he’ll spend at least the next 10 days with the Heat.
The Heat are now in compliance with NBA roster rules after having carried 13 players for the last two weeks. Terry’s 10-day contract will count against their cap for approximately $47K.
Injury Updates: Howard, Capela, Dinwiddie, Hayward
The Wizards‘ big free agent signing of the 2018 offseason hasn’t worked out as planned so far, as health issues have limited Dwight Howard to just nine games this season. However, Howard – who underwent surgery on his spine in November, appears to be making progress toward a return.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), Howard is scheduled to return to Washington today to begin on-court work. With the Wizards’ playoff hopes on life support, the team could use the veteran center back in its lineup to provide rebounding and low-post scoring down the stretch. As Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington notes though, it’s still not clear whether Howard is ready to participate in full practices or when he might be able to play in a game.
Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Rockets center Clint Capela returned to practice on Tuesday after missing 15 games with a thumb injury, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. According to MacMahon, Capela is on track to get back in Houston’s lineup on Thursday, assuming he doesn’t have any setbacks this week.
- Spencer Dinwiddie, who continues to recover from a thumb injury of his own, still doesn’t have a set timeline for his return, according to Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. As Brian Lewis of The New York Post details, Atkinson wouldn’t confirm that he expects Dinwiddie back on the court for Brooklyn’s upcoming 17-day road trip, which begins on March 13.
- Gordon Hayward twisted his ankle in a Tuesday workout, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said today to reporters, including Adam Kaufman of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link). While that sounds like concerning news on the surface, particularly given Hayward’s strong recent play, Kaufman notes that the injury is to the forward’s right ankle, not his surgically repaired left ankle. He’s considered day-to-day.
Hawks Sign Jordan Sibert To 10-Day Deal
10:33am: Sibert’s deal is now official, the Hawks confirmed in a press release. It will run through March 1, covering Atlanta’s next five games.
9:09am: The Hawks are set to sign G League guard Jordan Sibert to a 10-day contract, reports Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team has multiple openings on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to create room.
Sibert, who played his college ball at Ohio State and Dayton, went undrafted in 2015 and has played in the G League and in international leagues since then. His only stint with an NBA team came in the fall of 2015, when he was in training camp with the Magic.
The 6’4″ guard has spent the 2018/19 season with the Erie BayHawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate, averaging 15.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.4 SPG to go along with a .423/.373/.824 shooting line.
Atlanta currently has just 12 players on standard NBA contracts, meaning two roster moves are necessary to get back to the league-mandated 14-player minimum. Signing Sibert will get the Hawks halfway there, and they also reportedly intend to promote two-way player Jaylen Adams to the 15-man roster. Both moves should be finalized within the next day or two.
Stein’s Latest: Antetokounmpo, Vucevic, Lakers
Plenty of teams are hoping for the chance to sign Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Warriors, in particular, have thought about pairing him and Stephen Curry should Kevin Durant leave in free agency, Marc Stein of the New York Times writes in his latest newsletter.
Antetokounmpo would have his pick of suitors on an open market, but as Stein notes, the Greek Freak may never make it to free agency. Antetokounmpo loves Milwaukee and the Bucks have to feel they have a chance at getting him to sign a super-max extension with the team during the summer of 2020—a year prior to him hitting the open market.
Yet, the Warriors will always swing big if given just the tiniest of chances. Antetokounmpo and Curry have selected one another first overall in back-to-back All-Star drafts and the two share a mutual admiration for each other, Stein notes.
Stein, who was honored over the weekend by the Basketball Hall of Fame as a Curt Gowdy Media award recipient, has more in his latest newsletter. Here are some highlights:
- The Mavericks‘ interest in Nikola Vucevic may be overstated, Stein hears, adding that he doesn’t get the sense that Dallas will pursue the big man. The Mavs were rumored to have interest in Vucevic as a free agent target this summer.
- The Lakers have the ninth-hardest remaining schedule and a playoff birth is no guarantee. “It’s going to be tough, but we shouldn’t want it any other way,” LeBron James said. “I look forward to the challenge — and I’m getting healthy, too.”
- Charles Barkley wonders if the advent of super teams will prompt small market owners to try to take back control in future CBA talks. “I hear all these clowns on TV talking about, ‘It’s great that all these players are exuding these powers,’” Barkley told a small group of reporters prior to All-Star weekend. “Let me tell you guys something: Workers ain’t never going to have power over their ownership. Ever. Now it might work for a couple guys here or there, but in the history of the world, no workers have ever overtaken the people who own a business. And when these guys are sitting at home locked out in a couple years, I want y’all to remember I told y’all that.”
Eastern Notes: Griffin, Turner, Kurucs
Blake Griffin, who is in year two of a five-year, $171MM deal, is enjoying a resurgence a year after he was traded to the Pistons, Noah Trister of The Associated Press writes. Griffin expanded his offense, adding the 3-pointer to his game, which is something he credits for his success this year.
“It helps a lot, especially in today’s NBA, with everybody spacing the floor a little bit more, and playing with a guy like Dre (Andre Drummond), who’s so effective inside,” Griffin said. “To be able to give him a little bit more space is a good thing. I always see guys working to expand their range, and when you do, you see them add years to their career.”
Griffin has already made a career-high 134 shots from behind the arc this season. Here’s more on the Pistons and a few other teams in the Eastern Conference:
- Pistons coach Dwane Casey believes Griffin’s basketball I.Q. has helped the team stay in the playoff race, Trister relays in the same piece. “He’s thinking the game. He’s a couple steps ahead,” Casey said. “I’ve had a lot of great forwards, power forwards, and he’s right up there with the best, whether it’s [Dirk Nowitzki], [Kevin] Garnett, Detlef Schrempf — just a lot of great players that I’ve been around. He’s right in that category.”
- Myles Turner, who signed a four-year, $72MM extension with the Pacers earlier this season, should be considered a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star contends. Turner is leading the league in blocks per game (2.7) and he has the league’s third-best defensive rating (99.6), giving him the credentials to be in the conversation for the award.
- Michael Scotto of The Athletic examines how the Nets got a steal in the secon -round with Rodions Kurucs. Kurucs, who was the No. 40 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, has worked his way into Brooklyn’s starting lineup after beginning the season buried on the depth chart.
Pat Riley Talks Heat, Retirement, LeBron James
Pat Riley has served as team president of the Heat since 1995. The 73-year-old executive brought Miami three titles—one while also serving as a coach—but remains hungry to oversee another championship team.
“Maybe that’s why I’m not going to retire. I ain’t going out this way until we win another title,” Riley said with a smile to ESPN’s Dan Le Batard (h/t Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel).
Riley added while he would love to have “one of those golden consulting jobs,” he wants to remain a hands-on participant in the franchise
“There’s a few guys around the league that have those jobs. But I say that in jest, because all the men who do that I’m sure they provide a good service. But I’m an active participant, and I want to stay that way,” Riley said.
Riley also touched upon LeBron James‘ tenure with the club and LBJ’s departure in 2014. The executive said he “saw a dynasty fly out the window” when James decided to return to Cleveland.
“I didn’t blame him [for leaving],” Riley said. “But I knew that was a 10-year team. It was just a sad day for me and for our franchise because I wanted that dynasty. I wanted this city and this team to go 10 years and maybe be in the Finals eight times.
“I don’t know how many championships we would have won. But I don’t have any rancor toward him at all.”
Southwest Notes: Demps, Rockets, Spurs
After being let go by the Pelicans last week, longtime general manager Dell Demps published a letter today thanking fans in New Orleans for supporting the franchise during his time as GM, as The Advocate relays.
“Pelican Fans, I will always remember the buzz in the arena during the playoffs when everyone wore red shirts and your passion inspired our team to victory,” Demps’ statement reads, in part. “Through the highs and the lows, your love for the team did not go unnoticed.”
With Demps no longer in New Orleans, it will fall on interim Pelicans GM Danny Ferry to navigate the waters of the Anthony Davis saga for now, as we detailed earlier today.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press spoke to former NBA stars who asked for trades during their careers, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Rick Barry, to get their thoughts on the Davis saga. Barry, for one, doesn’t like the fact that the Pelicans‘ star made his request during the season and did it so publicly. “I just think it’s a situation where they needed to keep it in house,” he said. “Just talk to the owners. Talk amongst yourselves. Airing your dirty laundry and putting stuff out there … I just don’t understand why you want to get into a situation like that that does nobody any good and can only cause problems.”
- In his latest mailbag, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle checks in on Danuel House, the Rockets‘ most pressing needs, and how the team plans to fill its open roster spots.
- LaMarcus Aldridge (33 years old) and DeMar DeRozan (29) aren’t exactly young in NBA terms, but the Spurs‘ stars believe time is still on their side and that they’re capable of leading the club for years to come, writes Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News.
Pelicans May Re-Engage NBA On Davis Situation
With the Pelicans set to resume play this Friday in Indiana, it’s still not clear whether Anthony Davis will continue to take the court for the team going forward.
Davis has said he plans to play the rest of the season, and it appears the shoulder injury that knocked him out of last Thursday’s contest is minor, as he was able to play in the All-Star Game. However, there are reportedly members of the Pelicans’ organization who believe he has played his last game for the team — the club would prefer to sit him to minimize the risk of an injury that would adversely impact his trade value ahead of a crucial offseason.
In a column addressing the Davis situation, Marc Stein of The New York Times writes of “strong signals” that the Pelicans intend to re-engage the NBA this week to discuss the matter. The organization, which replaced general manager Dell Demps with interim GM Danny Ferry last week, hopes to convince league officials to reconsider their stance on forcing the Pelicans to play Davis, says Stein.
When the Pelicans initially mulled the possibility of sitting Davis following the trade deadline, the league reportedly reached out to remind them that teams are subject to fines of $100K for benching healthy players. New Orleans wouldn’t be the first club to sit a healthy veteran this season, but the NBA wants to make a distinction between a difference maker like AD and lesser players like J.R. Smith and Enes Kanter.
In Stein’s view, the league’s stance that the Pelicans would be hurting the ticket-buying public by holding Davis out of action rings hollow, since fans in New Orleans recognize that the All-Star big man no longer wants to be there. Forcing the Pelicans to play him against their will is making an uncomfortable situation even more toxic, Stein argues.
With 23 games left on the Pelicans’ schedule, this will be a situation worth keeping a close eye on the rest of the way. If the club eventually decides to sit Davis – with or without the NBA’s approval – the players’ union may get involved, which would make things even messier. But if the Pelicans hope to maximize their return for Davis in an offseason trade, the drama may be worth it.
Early Mid-Level, Bi-Annual Projections For 2019/20
Under the NBA’s previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, the values of various exceptions like the mid-level and bi-annual were established years in advance, but the league’s current CBA tweaked how those exceptions are calculated.
Rather than being determined ahead of time, the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions – along with several other cap-related figures and exceptions – are dependent on the movement of the salary cap from year to year. If the cap increases by 5% from one league year to the next, the exceptions increase by the same rate.
As such, we don’t know yet exactly what those exceptions will be worth in 2019/20, but we can make an educated estimate. The NBA’s most recent cap projections called for a $109MM cap for next season. That would be approximately a 7% increase on this year’s $101.869MM cap. If that projection holds, the values of the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions would increase by 7% too.
[RELATED: Early Maximum Salary Projections For 2019/20]
Based on a $109MM cap, here’s what the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions would look like in 2019/20:
Mid-Level Exception
| Year | Standard MLE |
Taxpayer MLE | Room MLE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019/20 | $9,246,000 | $5,711,000 | $4,760,000 |
| 2020/21 | $9,708,300 | $5,996,550 | $4,998,000 |
| 2021/22 | $10,170,600 | $6,282,100 | – |
| 2022/23 | $10,632,900 | – | – |
| Total | $39,757,800 | $17,989,650 | $9,758,000 |
The standard mid-level exception is available to over-the-cap teams that haven’t dipped below the cap to use room and don’t go over the tax apron at all. It can run for up to four years, with 5% annual raises.
The taxpayer mid-level exception is for in-the-tax teams, or teams that want the flexibility to surpass the tax apron later. It can run for up to three years, with 5% annual raises.
The room exception is for teams that go under the cap and use their space. Once they’ve used all their cap room, they can use this version of the mid-level exception, which runs for up to two years with 5% annual raises.
Bi-Annual Exception
| Year | BAE Value |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | $3,619,000 |
| 2020/21 | $3,799,950 |
| Total | $7,418,950 |
The bi-annual exception is only available to teams that over the cap and under the tax apron. It can also only be used once every two years, which will disqualify the Bucks, Pelicans, Knicks, and Spurs from using it in 2019/20 — they all used their BAE in 2018/19.