World Cup Notes: Walker, Gobert, Scola, Guduric
Chinese fans have embraced Kemba Walker and he’s enjoying the attention as the biggest star on Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports. Many fans are wearing his jersey in the stands.
“To know you have fans in other places, especially me, it was very humbling,” Walker said. “It’s just a great feeling.”
While many stars passed on playing for their national teams this summer, Walker has looked forward to this opportunity for years.
“It’s special to be a part of this team,” Walker said. “I’ve been a part of USA Basketball for years, I was on a couple Select Teams where I didn’t get this far. I appreciate it.”
We have more World Cup news:
- Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who is representing France, is upset by FIBA’s drug testing procedure, Sportando relays. Gobert posted on Twitter that he was awaken after a late game to get tested. “No respect for the player’s recovery time,” he wrote in part.
- Former NBA forward Luis Scola has moved into second place on FIBA’s all-time World Cup scoring list, Sportando reports. The 39-year-old Scola trails only Brazilian legend Oscar Schmidt. He surpassed Australia’s Andrew Gaze during a game against Nigeria.
- Marko Guduric, who signed with the Grizzlies this summer, is averaging 10.5 PPG for Serbia through two games in the FIBA World Cup, David Cobb of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. The swingman inked a two-year, $5.3MM deal with Memphis after playing the last two seasons for Fenerbahçe in Turkey.
Western Notes: Miller, Howard, Warriors, Wiggins
The Pelicans will have a tough time replacing Darius Miller‘s skill set from the current list of replacements on the roster, as William Guillory of The Athletic details. Miller suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the season.
Miller provides defensive length and the ability to guard either forward spot while spacing the floor offensively, Guillory notes. The Pelicans might give Josh Hart and E’Twaun Moore more minutes at the wing spot but their options at backup power forward are newcomer Nicolo Melli and Kenrich Williams, who is limited as a shooter and defender against quicker forwards.
The contract that Miller signed this offseason — two years and $14.25MM with the second year non-guaranteed — becomes a less attractive trade piece for the Pelicans, Guillory adds.
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- Dwight Howard will be a role player with the Lakers for the first time in his career if everything goes as planned. New coach Frank Vogel spoke of his plans for the veteran player, who signed with Los Angeles after passing through waivers, to Spectrum SportNet (hat tip to the Sporting News). “He’s going to serve a different role,” Vogel said. “It’s going to be more of a role-player type of role, as opposed to being the lead. He understands that. He’s excited about playing that type of role on this team and what we can accomplish as a group.”
- Ryan Atkinson has been named GM of the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to a team press release. Atkinson, 34, had been the G League team’s assistant GM for the last three seasons. Previous GM Kent Lacob has been named the Warriors’ director of team development.
- The Timberwolves haven’t come close to trading Andrew Wiggins, mainly because they never received an offer that was worth serious consideration, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports. The Timberwolves are hoping he can come closer to realizing his potential, which would also boost his trade value. Getting Wiggins to make a bigger impact at both ends of the floor is also the best way for the team to become more of a factor in the Western Conference.
Remaining Offseason Questions: Southwest Division
NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps nearly a month away, many clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.
We’re in the midst of looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on a key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2019/20 regular season begins.
After focusing on the Atlantic, Southeast, and Central last week, we headed West and tackled the Northwest on Sunday. Today, we’re moving on to the Southwest. Let’s dive in…
Dallas Mavericks
Will the Mavericks move Courtney Lee‘s expiring contract?
Although the Mavericks had a solid summer, they didn’t make the sort of splash in free agency or on the trade market they might have hoped for. At this point in the offseason, a major roster addition is unlikely, but Dallas could still look to upgrade the squad with a trade involving Lee’s expiring contract.
Lee is earning $12,759,670 in 2019/20. The NBA’s trade rules would allow the Mavs to take back a player making up to $17,759,670 in a straight-up deal for the veteran swingman. Andre Iguodala is said to be one potential target on Dallas’ radar, but the Mavs and Grizzlies haven’t been able to agree on the draft compensation that would be involved in a Lee/Iguodala swap.
There are other players on expiring deals who might make sense as targets for Dallas, including a handful of veterans in Charlotte and Cleveland. The Mavs could also go after a player on a longer-term contract if they find a trade partner looking to create some extra 2020 cap flexibility.
If the Mavs don’t move Lee before the season begins, he’ll likely be involved in trade rumors again before the deadline.
Houston Rockets
How will the Rockets fill out their regular season roster?
No NBA team is currently carrying fewer players on non-guaranteed contracts than the Rockets. Only nine players on Houston’s roster have fully guaranteed salaries for the 2019/20 season. The team is required to carry at least 14 players in the regular season, so that leaves five potential openings on the roster.
Gary Clark and Isaiah Hartenstein are in good position to claim two of those spots. The Rockets have spent some time and energy developing both players, and they each have a partial guarantee worth north of $700K.
Even if we assume Clark and Hartenstein are locks to make the team though, that leaves at least three openings available for the likes of Ben McLemore, Anthony Bennett, Chris Clemons, Michael Frazier, Shamorie Ponds, William McDowell-White, and perhaps Terrence Jones.
It will be interesting to see whether Houston leans toward keeping veterans like McLemore and Jones or youngsters like Ponds and Clemons. I think the former scenario is more likely, but it also wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the team add a couple more players to the mix to compete for the regular season roster.
Memphis Grizzlies
What will the Grizzlies do with Andre Iguodala?
When the Grizzlies acquired Iguodala from the Warriors two months ago, he was essentially treated as a negative asset due to Golden State’s cap situation — the Dubs had to attach a future first-round pick and cash in order to move him. However, the Grizzlies reportedly believe Iguodala can be moved for positive value.
It would be extremely impressive if Memphis’ new management group could get a second first-round pick by flipping Iguodala, but that doesn’t seem all that realistic unless the team is willing to take on some unfavorable multiyear money.
If the Grizzlies have an offer on the table that would net them a second-round pick and a cheaper expiring contract (Iguodala is on the books for about $17.2MM), they should probably jump on it. It’s hard to imagine them getting better value at this time of year, and if Iguodala doesn’t want to be there, hanging onto him into the season could create some friction.
A buyout remains possible if Memphis doesn’t get any favorable trade offers and the former Finals MVP is willing to give up a chunk of his ’19/20 salary, but it seems as if the club would like to avoid that outcome.
New Orleans Pelicans
How will the Pelicans respond to a potential season-ending injury for Darius Miller?
Less than two months after signing a lucrative new contract to remain in New Orleans, Miller suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon that will likely sideline him for the entire 2019/20 season. It’s a tough blow for both the veteran forward and the Pelicans, who will have to lean even more heavily on newly-acquired J.J. Redick as the club’s primary outside threat.
Now that they’ll be without an important three-point shooter, we’ll see if the Pelicans’ approach to building the back of their roster is affected at all. Kenrich Williams may be more likely to earn one of the final two slots on the 15-man roster, given his potential to stretch the floor (he was a 39.5% three-point shooter in his final college season in 2017/18).
There are still some solid shooters on the free agent market too, if the Pelicans want to go in that direction. A veteran like Jodie Meeks or John Jenkins could be a fit, and it’s worth noting that new head of basketball operations David Griffin has a history with former Cavs guard J.R. Smith, who remains unsigned.
San Antonio Spurs
Will Dejounte Murray or DeMar DeRozan sign contract extensions?
Currently, no one on the Spurs‘ roster has a guaranteed contract beyond 2020/21. That could change this offseason though if the team locks up Murray to a rookie scale extension or DeRozan to a new veteran deal.
Murray looks to me like the stronger candidate for an extension, but an August report indicated that San Antonio hasn’t ruled out the possibility of offering DeRozan a maximum contract extension. The shooting guard would be eligible for a starting salary of up to about $33.3MM for the 2020/21 season, with annual raises increasing the value of the deal from there.
A new contract for Murray wouldn’t be nearly that expensive, and could be an intriguing gamble for the Spurs if the young guard is open to signing at a relatively team-friendly rate. Before he tore his ACL last fall, Murray was viewed as one of the NBA’s prime breakout candidates — San Antonio will be hoping that breakout season was just delayed by a year.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: Rookie Scale
When a star player like Zion Williamson enters the NBA, his new team – in this case, the Pelicans – can rest assured that there will be little to no chance of him holding out for a larger contract. That’s because a first-round NBA draft pick is only eligible to sign a rookie scale contract, which limits his leverage and ensures that his draft slot will dictate how much he gets paid.
A rookie scale contract for first-rounders is always for two guaranteed seasons, with team options for the third and fourth seasons of the deal. The scale amount is strictly set by draft position for the first three years of the contract, with the amount of the fourth year determined by a percentage raise on the third-year salary, as RealGM’s rookie scale chart for 2019 picks shows.
Players are eligible to sign for as little as 80% or as much as 120% of the scale amount, though almost every player signs for the full 120%. Cavaliers first-round pick Kevin Porter Jr. became the first player in several years to sign for just 80% of his rookie scale amount this year, and even that rate only applies to his rookie season — he’ll get the full 120% in years two through four.
[RELATED: Rookie Scale Salaries For 2019 First-Round Picks]
Under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the rookie scale will eventually increase annually at the same rate as the salary cap. In that scenario, a 5% salary cap increase would mean a 5% increase to rookie scale salaries.
However, the league has been gradually phasing in a 45% overall increase to rookie salaries over the last three seasons (15% per year), complicating that formula. For instance, while the cap only increased by about 7.1% from 2018/19 to 2019/20, the rookie scale amounts for each pick increased by approximately 19.5%.
For the 2019/20 season, the first-year rookie scale amount for the first overall pick is $8,131,200. That number increases to $8,537,900 in year two and $8,944,500 in year three, with a 26.1% raise for year four and a 30% raise for a fifth-year qualifying offer. Williamson signed with the Pelicans for 120% of that amount, meaning his contract looks like this:
| Season | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | $9,757,440 |
| 2020/21 | $10,245,480 |
| 2021/22 | $10,733,400 |
| 2022/23 | $13,534,817 |
| 2023/24 | $17,595,262 |
- Team option in green
- Qualifying offer in blue
The scale amounts and fourth- and fifth-year raises vary depending on draft position. Top picks earn the highest salaries, while late first-round picks get the most substantial bumps at the end of their contracts. For instance, the 30th overall pick gets an 80.5% raise between years three and four, with a qualifying offer increase of 50%.
Here are several more details relating to rookie scale contracts:
- Only first-round picks are eligible for rookie scale contracts. Second-rounders must be signed using cap room or exceptions.
- A team does not have to be under the cap to sign rookie scale contracts. Any team can give a first-rounder a full 120% rookie contract, regardless of its cap status.
- Because 120% contracts are so common, the cap hold for a first-round pick is also 120% of the player’s rookie scale amount.
- If a player hasn’t signed by January 10, his rookie scale amount becomes prorated each day for the remainder of the season until he signs.
- Teams have until October 31 each year to make decisions on the team-option seasons in rookie scale contracts. By October 31, 2019, teams will have to decide on the options for the 2020/21 season.
- Players coming off rookie-scale contracts may be eligible for larger or smaller qualifying offers in their fifth year, based on whether or not they meet the “starter criteria.” I explained this in greater detail here.
- If a team signs a first-round pick within three years of drafting him, the rookie scale for the year in which he signs is used. For instance, the Sixers acquired 12th overall pick Dario Saric in a draft-night deal in 2014. When Saric arrived stateside two years later, he signed a contract based on the rookie scale salary for the No. 12 pick in 2016.
Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
An earlier version of this post was published in 2012. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Joe Johnson To Work Out For Pistons, Bucks, Nets
Veteran NBA forward Joe Johnson is set to travel to Detroit, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn next week for workouts with the Pistons, Bucks, and Nets, league sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
McMenamin’s report adds Detroit and Brooklyn to the list of teams that Johnson will audition for as he pursues an NBA comeback. A previous report had indicated that the 38-year-old was working out for the Sixers and might do so for Milwaukee as well.
The Clippers and Nuggets were also identified in that story as clubs keeping an eye on Johnson.
After not playing for an NBA team during the 2018/19 season, Johnson joined Ice Cube‘s BIG3 league this summer and excelled in the 3-on-3 format. He was named the BIG3’s MVP after leading the league in points and assists, then scored 28 points on Sunday to lead the Triplets to a 50-39 win over the Killer 3’s in the 2019 championship game.
While the competition in the BIG3 clearly isn’t on the same level as in the NBA, Johnson’s impressive performance in the league has seemingly generated interest among a handful of teams who view him as a potential scorer off the bench.
[RELATED: Carmelo Anthony vs. Joe Johnson]
For his part, Johnson recently told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that he didn’t join the BIG3 in an effort to make it back to the NBA. However, the seven-time All-Star added that he’d welcome another opportunity to make it back into the league since the way his last NBA stint (in Houston) ended didn’t “sit well” with him.
Cash Sent, Received In NBA Trades For 2019/20
During each NBA league year, teams face limits on the amount of cash they can send out and receive in trades. Once they reach those limits, they’re no longer permitted to include cash in a deal until the following league year.
For the 2019/20 NBA season, the limit is $5,617,000. If a team is including cash in a deal, the minimum amount required is $110,000.
The limits on sending and receiving cash are separate and aren’t dependent on one another, so if a team sends out $5,617,000 in one trade, then receives $5,617,000 in another, they aren’t back to square one — they’ve reached both limits for the season and can’t make another deal that includes cash.
Adding cash to a deal can serve multiple purposes. It can be a sweetener to encourage a team to make a deal in the first place, like when the Timberwolves acquired Shabazz Napier and Treveon Graham from the Warriors. The Wolves were doing the hard-capped Dubs a favor by taking those unwanted contracts and the fact that Golden State had to include $3.6MM in cash along with Napier and Graham, essentially covering their salaries, reflected that.
Cash can also be a necessity to meet CBA requirements. This was the case in the three-team trade involving the Pacers, Suns, and Heat that sent T.J. Warren to Indiana and second-round pick KZ Okpala to Miami. Phoenix needed to receive something in the deal, so the Pacers sent $1.1MM in cash to the Suns, the minimum amount necessary to meet the “touching” requirement in a three-way deal.
We’ll use the space below to track each team’s cash sent and received in trades for the 2019/20 season, updating the info as necessary leading up to the 2020 trade deadline and for the first part of the 2020 offseason next June. These totals will reset once the calendar turns to July 2020 and the ’20/21 league year begins.
Atlanta Hawks
- Cash available to send: $5,617,000
- Cash available to receive: $2,543,629
- Received $1,313,576 from Clippers.
- Received $1,759,795 from Trail Blazers.
Boston Celtics
- Cash available to send: $5,617,000
- Cash available to receive: $5,617,000
Brooklyn Nets
- Cash available to send: $5,617,000
- Cash available to receive: $5,617,000
Charlotte Hornets
- Cash available to send: $5,617,000
- Cash available to receive: $5,617,000
Chicago Bulls
- Cash available to send: $5,617,000
- Cash available to receive: $5,617,000
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Cash available to send: $5,617,000
- Cash available to receive: $5,617,000
Dallas Mavericks
- Cash available to send: $5,617,000
- Cash available to receive: $4,817,000
- Received $800,000 from Thunder.
Denver Nuggets
- Cash available to send: $5,617,000
- Cash available to receive: $5,617,000
Detroit Pistons
- Cash available to send: $3,617,000
- Sent $2,000,000 to Sixers.
- Cash available to receive: $5,617,000
Golden State Warriors
- Cash available to send: $17,000
- Sent $2,000,000 to Grizzlies.
- Sent $3,600,000 to Timberwolves.
- Cash available to receive: $5,617,000
Poll: Carmelo Anthony Vs. Joe Johnson
None of the players left on the NBA’s free agent list for the 2019 offseason are likely to be difference-makers for a contending team next season, but that doesn’t mean no free agents are capable of being solid rotation players.
Carmelo Anthony and Joe Johnson are two veteran forwards who might fit that bill, and there are plenty of similarities between the two former All-Stars. Neither player will bring a ton to the table on defense, but they’re versatile scorers who have the ability to create instant offense off the bench. Anthony ranks 22nd on the league’s all-time scoring list, while Johnson is also among the top 50 (No. 46). And both players are interested in resuming their NBA careers after unsatisfactory stints in Houston.
Anthony hasn’t played professionally since falling out of the Rockets‘ rotation early in the 2018/19 season, but he has talked this summer about wanting “another shot” and being willing to accept a more modest role. The Nets are among the teams said to be keeping an eye on the 35-year-old.
As for Johnson, his experience with the Rockets came at the end of the 2017/18 season. He sat out last season before starring in the BIG3 this summer, winning MVP honors and excelling against former NBA players (he led the league in points and assists and was fourth in rebounds).
The Sixers, Clippers, Bucks, and Nuggets are said to have some interest in working out Johnson, who has said he’d like to play in the NBA again because the way things ended in Houston didn’t “sit well” with him.
For teams with interest in a scoring forward, both Anthony and Johnson could hold appeal, though it remains to be seen which player is more intriguing to NBA franchises. We want to know what you think.
Which player, Anthony or Johnson, will have a more successful 2019/20 season? The barometer of “success” is somewhat subjective — it could mean averaging double-digit points, contributing to a contending team, or even just making a 15-man roster.
Do you believe there’s a clear-cut choice between the two? Do they both deserve NBA roster spots? Or are you skeptical that either player can provide any value to a contender going forward?
Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!
Who will have a more successful 2019/20 season?
-
Joe Johnson 55% (805)
-
Carmelo Anthony 45% (672)
Total votes: 1,477
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Rockets’ Trade Exception Set To Expire
A Rockets traded player exception created in the team’s Ryan Anderson trade with the Suns last August is set to expire if it goes unused on Tuesday. The trade exception, which is worth a modest $2,584,136, is one of just a handful of remaining TPEs around the NBA that will expire in 2019, as our tracker shows.
As we explain in our glossary entry on the subject, traded player exceptions can be used to acquire one or more players whose salary fits within the amount of the exception. Using their TPE, the over-the-cap Rockets wouldn’t have to send out any salary to acquire a player earning up to $2,684,136 (the amount of the exception, plus $100K).
Trade exceptions expire after one year if they go unused. The Rockets technically made their Anderson trade with Phoenix on August 31, 2018, but a TPE can’t expire on a weekend or holiday, so Houston gets a few extra days with this one.
The Rockets almost certainly won’t make use of the Anderson TPE on Tuesday, but losing it will have little impact on the club’s flexibility. Houston will still have seven more trade exceptions available, including two that are worth more than the Anderson exception. The largest of those TPEs, a $3.62MM exception, will expire on February 7, 2020.
Wizards Notes: Beal, Bertans, McRae, Jamison
Bradley Beal still has a shot at a super-max contract, but the Wizards‘ lack of success on the court may stand in his way, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Beal can make himself eligible for the deal, which would pay about $254MM over five years, by making an All-NBA team. He fell just short last season despite averaging 25.6 PPG, and Washington’s 32-50 record may have hurt his cause.
The Wizards will likely be even worse this year after launching a youth movement. Tomas Satoransky, Trevor Ariza, Jeff Green, Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker are all gone from last season’s team, and more minutes will go to Troy Brown Jr. and rookie Rui Hachimura. Hughes notes that Westgate Sportsbook has set Washington’s over-under on wins at 28.5. It has been 15 years since a player has made an All-NBA team while winning fewer than 29 games.
There’s more news from Washington:
- Davis Bertans, who was acquired in a trade with the Spurs, will probably start at power forward until Hachimura proves he’s ready, predicts Fred Katz of The Athletic. Hachimura could still win the job with an outstanding performance in camp, but Katz sees Bertans as the safer choice. He doesn’t believe they’ll be in the starting lineup together, even if C.J. Miles isn’t able to play at the start of the season.
- Jordan McRae received additional guaranteed money by staying on the roster through 5:00pm Eastern time yesterday, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. McRae’s guarantee on his $1,645,357 contract doubled from $200K to $400K. He will get another $200K if he makes the opening-night roster. McRae appeared in 27 games as a two-way player last season and will be fighting for a roster spot in training camp, as the Wizards have just 13 fully guaranteed contracts.
- Antawn Jamison tells Candace Buckner of The Washington Post he’s enjoying his new role as director of pro personnel. Jamison decided to leave television behind when new GM Tommy Sheppard offered him the job. “This is … my calling as far as after basketball and being in the front office and being a piece of the puzzle in trying to put the right pieces together,” Jamison said. “This is going to be fun. I love being able to come back to D.C. and being around people I respect and people who respect me. Out of all the things that have happened after basketball, this might be the smoothest transition.”
Nets Notes: Carmelo, LeVert, Prince, LiAngelo
In an interview with TMZ (video link), Carmelo Anthony offers little insight into a report last week that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are campaigning for the Nets to sign him. Anthony is close with the two stars and played with them, as well as new Brooklyn center DeAndre Jordan, on the 2016 Olympic team.
“That’s family,” Anthony said. “So, that’s bigger than basketball. If something happens, something’s gonna happen.”
A source told Frank Isola of The Athletic that Nets GM Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson have watched Anthony this summer and are considering adding him to the team. Brooklyn has a full roster, but will be able to sign a player once Wilson Chandler serves five games of his 25-game PED suspension. Anthony’s representatives have spoken to the Sixers as well, according to Isola.
There’s more this morning from Brooklyn:
- Fresh off signing a three-year, $52.5MM extension, Caris LeVert tells Bill Bender of The Sporting News that his next goal is to become one of the NBA’s best players. He also believes the Nets are ready to join the league’s elite teams after their success in free agency. “When you get guys like KD, Kyrie and DeAndre, expectations rise,” he said. “We’re looking forward to that. We’ve been working for that. I think everybody loves playing on a big stage. We’re definitely looking forward to this year and the challenges it’s going to bring.”
- Taurean Prince was a less celebrated addition for the Nets, but he could play an important role in making the team a contender, writes David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders. Brooklyn agreed to acquire Prince from the Hawks before the start of free agency, so he got to enjoy watching the team’s success in free agency. He called being traded “bittersweet,” but said he’s eager to be part of a rising power in Brooklyn. “I’m someone who wants to win more than they want to score,” Prince said. “My big thing is getting to the playoffs and being able to play in those type of opportunities and environment.”
- LiAngelo Ball claims the Nets were one of three teams that talked to him about a possible Summer League role, relays Ralph Orense of ClutchPoints. On an episode of “Ball in the Family,” Ball says the Thunder and Heat also expressed interest.