P.J. Tucker Withdraws From Team USA Due To Ankle Injury
Another veteran has withdrawn from Team USA’s World Cup roster, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that an ankle injury will sideline P.J. Tucker. The Rockets forward will focus on getting healthy and preparing for training camp, per Charania.
Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter) that Tucker turned his left ankle in a practice on Thursday and has been diagnosed with a mild sprain. The 34-year-old had been “extremely enthusiastic” about participating in the World Cup, so he’ll be disappointed to miss it, Feigen adds.
It was less than a week ago that USA Basketball announced 17 finalists for its World Cup roster. Since then, Tucker, Kyle Lowry, and Marvin Bagley have all pulled out, leaving 14 contenders for the final 12-man roster.
Harrison Barnes, Jaylen Brown, De’Aaron Fox, Joe Harris, Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, Donovan Mitchell, Mason Plumlee, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Myles Turner, Kemba Walker, and Derrick White remain in the mix to represents Team USA in China. The 2019 World Cup will get underway on August 31.
Cavaliers Sign Jarell Martin
The Cavaliers have signed free agent forward Jarell Martin to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Martin will get the opportunity to compete in training camp for one of the team’s open roster spots.
Martin, 25, was selected out of LSU with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2015 draft. He spent the first three seasons of his NBA career with the Grizzlies before being dealt to the Magic in July 2018.
Martin didn’t play much of a role in Orlando in 2018/19, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 42 games (7.8 MPG). His best season came in Memphis a year earlier when he recorded 7.7 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 73 contests (22.8 MPG) for the Grizzlies.
Currently, the Cavaliers have 16 players under contracts, including 13 on guaranteed deals and one on a two-way contract. However, the club has also reportedly agreed to sign Sindarius Thornwell, J.P. Macura, and Marques Bolden. Assuming those deals – and Martin’s – are finalized, Cleveland would be at its 20-man offseason roster limit.
Malik Newman and Levi Randolph are already on non-guaranteed contracts with the Cavs, so they’d presumably compete with Thornwell, Macura, Bolden, and Martin for the open roster spot(s) and possibly a two-way contract slot.
How Players Who Declined Options Fared In Free Agency
Heading into the 2019 offseason, 27 veterans held player options on their contracts, allowing them to either opt in for the 2019/20 season or opt out and reach the open market. Of those 27 players, a dozen decided to turn down their options and become free agents.
For some players, that decision was a simple one. Kyrie Irving, for instance, was never going to exercise his $21.3MM option with the Celtics, since opting out allowed him to get a raise, gain long-term security, and land with his preferred team.
The decision wasn’t so easy for every player who opted out though. Now that most of those 12 veterans have officially signed new contracts and the salary details are in, we want to look back on those decisions and see if they paid off.
Let’s dive in…
Opting out was definitely the right call:
- Kevin Durant
- Option: $31,500,000 (Warriors)
- New contract: Four years, $164.3MM (Nets)
- Kyrie Irving
- Option: $21,329,752 (Celtics)
- New contract: Four years, $136.5MM (Nets)
- Kawhi Leonard
- Option: $21,329,752 (Raptors)
- New contract: Three years, $103.1MM (Clippers)
- Jimmy Butler
- Option: $19,841,627 (Sixers)
- New contract: Four years, $140.8MM (Heat)
- Khris Middleton
- Option: $13,000,000 (Bucks)
- New contract: Five years, $177.5MM (Bucks)
- Julius Randle
- Option: $9,073,050 (Pelicans)
- New contract: Three years, $56.7MM (Knicks)
These six players were among free agency’s biggest winners. Durant, Leonard, and Butler landed maximum-salary contracts, Irving can reach the max via incentives, and Middleton secured more overall guaranteed money than all of them. Randle’s overall payday paled in comparison to the others, but it was still a no-brainer for him to turn down his option to return to New Orleans.
All six of these players will receive significant raises for the 2019/20 season over what they could have received on their options, and they all scored multiyear contracts.
Opting out hurt a little in the short term, but will pay off in the long term:
- Al Horford
- Option: $30,123,015 (Celtics)
- New contract: Four years, $109MM (Sixers)
- Harrison Barnes
- Option: $25,102,512 (Kings)
- New contract: Four years, $85MM (Kings)
- Jonas Valanciunas
- Option: $17,617,976 (Grizzlies)
- New contract; Three years, $45MM (Grizzlies)
Horford, Barnes, and Valanciunas will earn less in 2019/20 than they would have if they’d picked up their respective options. But that modest trade-off was worth it for the long-term security.
Horford and Barnes each tacked on upwards of $60MM+ in total guaranteed money to their contracts by opting out. Valanciunas, meanwhile, will accepted a pay cut of about $1.6MM this season in order to secure an extra two years and $29MM on his new deal.
It’s essentially a wash:
- Nerlens Noel
- Option: $1,988,119 (Thunder)
- New contract: One year, $2MM (Thunder)
- James Ennis
- Option: $1,845,301 (Sixers)
- New contract: Two years, $4MM (Sixers)
Noel and Ennis each had minimum-salary options on their contracts. They opted out and signed for… the minimum.
It wasn’t a huge win for either player, but they can each at least claim they’ll be making more in 2019/20 than they would have if they’d opted in. Noel’s salary increased from $1,988,119 to $2,028,594, while Ennis gets a slight bump from $1,845,301 to $1,882,867 (his second year is another player option).
The jury’s still out, but it’s not looking great:
- Nene
- Option: $3,825,360 (Rockets)
- Remains unsigned
The only unsigned player on this list, Nene is unlikely to match the $3.8MM salary he would have earned with the Rockets. Still, if he can catch on with an NBA team on a minimum deal, he’ll at least recoup a good chunk of his lost money — the 2019/20 veteran’s minimum for a player with his experience is $2,564,753.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Poll: Which Team Will Win Southeast In 2019/20?
When we recently asked you to make your picks on which teams would win the Pacific and Northwest divisions, there were a handful of strong, viable choices. It’s not outlandish to view the Clippers, Lakers, or Warriors as potential division winners in the Pacific, while the Nuggets, Jazz, and Trail Blazers all have a realistic chance to finish atop the Northwest.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Southeast is another division that doesn’t have an overwhelming favorite, but it’s not because there are a handful of potential Southeast powerhouses — it’s because the division isn’t particularly strong.
Last season, only one of the East’s playoff teams came out of the Southeast, as the 42-40 Magic sneaked into the postseason and claimed the division crown. The other four Southeast teams finished between ninth and 12th in the conference.
The division doesn’t project to be a whole lot stronger in 2019/20, though the Magic retained all their key free agents and still have room for growth. Orlando had one of the league’s best defenses during the second half of the 2018/19 season, and ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus projections are bullish on the club going forward. As Kevin Pelton details in an Insider story, ESPN’s RPM projections place the Magic fourth in the Eastern Conference for ’19/20, behind only Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia.
Still, the Magic won’t enter the season as the Vegas favorites to win the Southeast. Betting site BetOnline.ag lists the Heat as the current frontrunners. Although Miami missed the postseason last season with a 39-43 record, the team is hopeful that replacing Josh Richardson with Jimmy Butler and getting further development from young players like Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow will be worth several wins.
At this point, Orlando and Miami look like the only truly viable contenders for the division title, but it’s possible one of the other three clubs will significantly exceed expectations. The Hawks might be the best contender. John Collins, Trae Young, and Kevin Huerter should only get better, and if rookies De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish can provide positive contributions immediately, Atlanta could surprise some teams.
The outlook looks a little bleaker for the Wizards and Hornets. Washington, at least, has an All-Star player in Bradley Beal, but the team won only 32 games last season with Beal healthy, and he won’t have much more help this season. In Charlotte, the 39-43 Hornets are expected to take a step back after replacing All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker with Terry Rozier.
What do you think? Which team do you expect to win the Southeast in 2019/20? And are any of the teams in the division capable of winning a playoff series or two in the spring?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your two cents!
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
2020 NBA Free Agents By Team
Hoops Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2020 free agents by team is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2019/20 season.
Players with team or player options for the 2020/21 season are listed, unless they’re still on their rookie scale contracts. Potential restricted free agents are marked with (RFA). Players whose 2020/21 salaries aren’t fully guaranteed are also listed below, assuming they have fully guaranteed salaries in all previous seasons.
This list will continue to be updated throughout the 2019/20 season, so be sure to use it and our list of 2020 free agents by position/type as points of reference. Both lists can be found anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Free Agent Lists” section of our mobile menu. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.
Updated 12-11-20 (10:18am CT)
Atlanta Hawks
- None
Boston Celtics
- Javonte Green ($1,517,981 non-guaranteed salary)
Brooklyn Nets
- Jamal Crawford
- Donta Hall
- Lance Thomas
- Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot ($1,824,003 partially guaranteed salary)
Key 2019 NBA Preseason Dates, Deadlines
The most notable dates of the 2019 NBA offseason are behind us now that we’re through the draft and the free agent period. However, there are still a number of dates and deadlines to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months before teams take the court again to kick off the 2019/20 regular season.
The list below doesn’t include every event or deadline that will take place prior to opening night on October 22, but these are several of the most important upcoming dates for teams and players.
Here’s the breakdown:
August 31:
- Last day that teams can waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2019/20 salaries. After August 31, teams can still use the stretch provision on players who have multiple years left on their contracts, but their ’19/20 cap hits will remain unchanged.
August 31 – September 15:
- The 2019 FIBA World Cup takes place in China. The first round will run through September 5, with the second round wrapping up on September 9. The quarterfinals will take place on September 10-11, followed by the semifinals on the 13th and the final on the 15th.
September 5:
- Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered. [RELATED: Four 2019 NBA draft picks remain unsigned]
September 28:
- Training camps begin for teams participating in preseason games outside North America. This applies to the Pacers and Kings (India), Rockets and Raptors (Japan), and Nets and Lakers (China).
October 1:
- Training camps begin for the rest of the NBA’s teams.
October 19:
- Last day for players on fully non-guaranteed contracts to be waived and not count at all against a team’s 2019/20 cap. They must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season.
October 21:
- Last day of the 2019 offseason.
- Roster limits decrease from 20 players to 15 (4:00pm CT)
- Last day for teams to sign a player to a rookie scale extension (5:00pm CT). [RELATED: Players eligible for rookie scale extensions]
- Last day for teams to sign an extension-eligible veteran player with multiple seasons left on his contract (ie. Bradley Beal) to an extension. An extension-eligible veteran player on an expiring deal (ie. Kyle Lowry) can still be extended after October 21.
- Last day for teams to complete sign-and-trade deals.
- Last day for teams to convert an Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way contract.
October 22:
- Regular season begins. [RELATED: 2019/20 schedules by team]
Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.
Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Tsai, Sixers, J. Brown
Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who is entering the final year of his contract, suggested last week that he’d love to remain in Toronto beyond the 2019/20 season and would have interest in signing an extension with the team. However, Eric Koreen of The Athletic believes it’s unlikely that Lowry and the Raptors will find common ground on a new deal before he reaches free agency next summer.
As Koreen explains, Lowry projects to be one of the very best free agents on the market next offseason, particularly if Anthony Davis re-ups with the Lakers. He’s also a five-time All-Star who just helped lead the Raptors to a championship. In other words, he’ll likely be expecting another big payday.
On the other hand, the Raptors are entering a transition year and are still trying to figure out what their post-Kawhi Leonard future might look like. With barely any guaranteed money on the books for next season, Toronto may prefer to maintain its flexibility rather than entering into a new agreement with Lowry right away.
Plus, with Lowry set to turn 34 during the 2019/20 season, it’s not clear how heavily the Raptors would be willing to invest in him going forward. While a contract extension is still a possibility, Koreen wouldn’t be surprised if those discussions are “put on hold for a while.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- With the Nets swapping one wealthy foreign owner for another, Brian Lewis of The New York Post suggests that the team’s willingness to spend won’t change much as Joseph Tsai takes the reins from Mikhail Prokhorov. However, Lewis expects Tsai to be far more visible around the Nets and the NBA than Prokhorov had been in recent years.
- In his latest mailbag for The Athletic, Derek Bodner explores the likelihood of the Sixers bringing draft-and-stash prospect Vasilije Micic stateside at some point, weighs the team’s ability to make another big splash on the trade market, and addresses a handful of other 76ers-related topics.
- After being a full-time starter for the Celtics in 2017/18, Jaylen Brown started just 25 of his 74 contests last season and saw his playing time reduced by nearly five minutes per game. Appearing on this week’s episode of The Michael Holley Podcast, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge praised Brown for the way he responded. “He might have handled a difficult situation better than anybody on our team last year,” Ainge said (per Dave Green of NBC Sports Boston). “Very mature kid, wants to be great, knows that his time is coming.”
Joseph Tsai Finalizes Deal To Assume Full Ownership Of Nets, Barclays Center
Nets minority shareholder Joseph Tsai has formally entered into an agreement with majority shareholder Mikhail Prokhorov to purchase full ownership of the franchise, the Nets confirmed today in a press release. As part of the deal, Prokhorov will also sell full ownership of the Barclays Center to Tsai.
The NBA’s Board of Governors still must officially approve the transaction, but that’s considered a mere formality. Tsai has long been expected to assume full ownership of the Nets since he bought a 49% stake in the team in April 2018. According to the press release, the arena and team sales are expected to close by the end of September.
“I’ve had the opportunity to witness up close the Brooklyn Nets rebuild that Mikhail started a few years ago,” Tsai said in a statement. “He hired a front office and coaching staff focused on player development, he supported the organization with all his resources, and he refused to tank. I will be the beneficiary of Mikhail’s vision, which put the Nets in a great position to compete, and for which I am incredibly grateful.”
According to reports from NetsDaily (Twitter link) and Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg, the total valuation for the Nets and the Barclays Center is $3.5 billion. The team – without the arena – was initially valued as $2.35 billion when Tsai bought his 49% stake last year.
Prokhorov will make out particularly well in the deal. When he assumed full ownership of the Nets and their arena in 2015, the team was valued at $875MM and the arena was valued at $825MM, for a total of $1.7 billion. The new total valuation of $3.5 billion is more than double that amount.
As we relayed on Thursday night, Nets CEO Brett Yormark is stepping down as team ownership changes hands. In their press release, the Nets confirmed that Yormark will oversee the transition to new ownership before “departing for a new role.”
Tsai, the co-founder and executive vice chairman of Alibaba Group, who is reportedly worth an estimated $9.9 billion, is expected to help the NBA grow its presence in China. He appears to have invested in the Nets at the right time — when he initially bought his 49% share last April, the team was coming off a 28-54 performance. The club boosted that mark to 42-40 last season, then made a huge splash in free agency by signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Guerschon Yabusele To Play In China
After being released by the Celtics earlier this offseason, Guerschon Yabusele appears poised to return to China. A source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando that Yabusele has agreed to terms with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Yabusele, 23, has previously spent time playing in China. After being selected 16th overall by Boston in the 2016 draft, he remained overseas for one more year with the CBA’s Shanghai Sharks.
The young power forward joined the Celtics for the 2017/18 season and spent the last two years with the team, but failed to develop into a reliable rotation piece. In 74 total games, he averaged 2.3 PPG and 1.4 RPG in just 6.6 minutes per contest.
Although Yabusele’s $3.1MM NBA salary for 2019/20 was guaranteed, the Celtics determined that waiving him and stretching his salary would be in the team’s best interest — it opened up a roster spot and created a little extra cap flexibility, allowing Boston to sign Vincent Poirier and Carsen Edwards using cap room.
Nets CEO Brett Yormark Stepping Down
Brett Yormark, the lead executive for both the Nets and Barclays Center, is stepping down as the team’s top executive ahead of an impending ownership change that will see Taiwanese businessman Joseph Tsai become the franchise’s owner, reports Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg.