Tony Ressler: Hawks Hoping For “Fair Agreement” With John Collins
Following a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference finals, the Hawks face a few financial decisions that will shape the future of the franchise. Team owner Tony Ressler provided some insight into Atlanta’s mindset during an end-of-season news conference, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
Trae Young appears to be a lock for a full max extension that will pay him at least $168MM over five years, beginning with the 2022/23 season. Kirschner notes that Young’s contract will likely include language that would increase the value if he earns All-NBA or MVP honors.
The more difficult decision involves John Collins, a restricted free agent who turned down a $90MM extension last offseason. Kirschner identifies the Spurs as a “perfect fit” for Collins and points to the Heat and Mavericks as other potential suitors, which could result in a contract that will be difficult for Atlanta to match.
“Our job is to come to a fair agreement with John. That’s our objective. There should be no question,” Ressler said. “He’s a really good player and maybe more importantly, a really good person. So the idea of having both is important to this franchise. That’s my view. The idea of being smart for both of us, to come to a reasonable place, that’s the objective, and there should be no confusion. I think as (general manager) Travis (Schlenk) said, which I think is amazing, a lot of players that don’t agree to a contract going into this season, play in a certain way. John played as an amazing teammate trying to win games and doing whatever he could do to win games. John’s a really good guy and a really good teammate. I hope he is an Atlanta Hawk.”
Ressler touched on a few other subjects during the session with the media:
On whether the Hawks should now be considered title contenders:
“I personally think if we were completely healthy, I think we could have done more. I’m just going to say that. Come on, (Bogdan Bogdanovic) for a good chunk of the series was on one leg. Trae could not walk. … These are young men in their early 20s that could barely walk and were asked to play on one of the most difficult stages in the NBA. That’s pretty remarkable. Some of them had terrible injuries and they still tried to play, and some still played. … I think we have enough. I think we have some extraordinary talent that could be even better with each season. I absolutely believe we have enough to win a championship is the simple answer. But, hey, our job is to always try to be better.”
On his willingness to pay the luxury tax:
“What we are trying to achieve is literally keeping our best players, as you could imagine, trying to make clear that we’re going to have to spend a lot more than we have this season. We fully expect that. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to keep every single player that we want to keep. Pretty good bet, pretty good assumption we will not. But I do think we have several years that we should be able to build some real stability. If the question is are we scared of the tax, are we scared of going into the tax? I’m scared of paying the tax and not being a good team, yes, that I’m scared of, but if we have to go into the tax to be a great team for a period of time, so be it.”
On Atlanta’s fans embracing the team:
“I don’t want to make jokes about this, but four or five years ago, you could come to a playoff game and you could see more jerseys of a visiting player. Those days are over. When you see our fan base, when you see the jerseys they’re wearing, when you see the cheering going on, it’s very clear it’s for this team, this city and this franchise. We couldn’t be more proud of that.”
Draft Notes: Bagley, Preston, Aimaq, Baker
Marcus Bagley is the latest high-profile player to take his name out of the NBA draft. Bagley announced his decision this afternoon (Twitter link), saying he will explore his college options after playing for Arizona State last season.
“After talking to my family, I’ve decided to withdraw from the NBA draft and return to college, while remaining in the transfer portal,” Bagley wrote. “I want to continue working on different parts of my game and improve my draft stock for next year’s draft. I’m looking forward to returning to college and having a big season.”
Bagley, the younger brother of Marvin Bagley III of the Kings, averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a freshman with the Sun Devils. He was limited to 12 games because of injuries to his calf and ankle.
Bagley would probably have been selected in the mid-to-late part of the second round, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium, citing conversations with multiple NBA executives. Goodman believes Bagley made the right choice and can improve his chances next year by improving his body and becoming a more versatile scoring threat.
Bagley “more or less cratered” his draft stock with his performance at the combine, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Teams questioned his decision to not participate in five-on-five games, and Woo states that he “didn’t leave a great impression” at his pro day.
There’s more on the draft as the NCAA deadline for decisions draws near:
- Ohio guard Jason Preston has elected to stay in the draft and will sign with Drew Gross of Roc Nation Sports, writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Preston ranks 43rd on ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects and is moving up draft boards after a strong showing at the combine, Woj adds. Considered one of the top playmakers in the draft, Preston averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists for the Bobcats last season.
- Fardaws Aimaq of Utah Valley will withdraw from the draft and return to school, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. The 6’11” center was named Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the WAC.
- Senior guard Geo Baker announced in a video posted to Twitter that he will return to Rutgers for the extra season of eligibility being offered by the NCAA. “Although last year was historic, the way it ended still doesn’t sit well with me,” he said. “We still have some unfinished business to take care of and I’m excited to get to it with Rutgers nation by my side. I’m back.”
And-Ones: Paul, Silver, Canaan, Mickey
Suns guard and NBPA president Chris Paul spoke about the NBA’s ongoing injury problem this postseason, making it clear that every player has the right to make their voice heard about topics discussed with the league throughout the year.
Several key players have dealt with injuries throughout the playoffs, including Paul himself. It’s unclear whether the compressed schedule has played a large role or whether the league has simply experienced bad luck — or a combination of both.
“Man, one thing about our league and its players is everything is always a conversation,” Paul said, as relayed by Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “There’s a ton of guys on the executive committee who are working hard on things right now, as we speak — day in and day out, traveling. I wish you guys knew all the things that are going on. So, decisions that are made as far as playing or not playing, players are always involved in it.
“Injuries are always unfortunate. You hate to have them. But just like when we went to the bubble, everything was discussed as far as the players and the full body of players. Everything that’s good for this guy and that guy might not be the same for that guy, but everything has always been a conversation, and it’s going to continue to be that way. So, if people don’t like it, then you know everybody has the same opportunity to be a part of all these conversations.”
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world today:
- Allowing fans back into arenas helped the NBA with financial losses caused by COVID-19, commissioner Adam Silver said, as relayed by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “We did somewhat better than we initially projected,” said Silver. “We don’t have the exact numbers yet, but maybe we’ll be down roughly a third in revenue, something around there, instead of 40%.”
- Isaiah Canaan has signed an extension with Unics Kazan in Russia, the team announced (via Twitter). Canaan, a former NBA guard, averaged 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in 43 outings with the club last season.
- Free agent big man Jordan Mickey has signed with Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia, the team announced (Twitter link). Mickey, the No. 33 pick in 2015, holds NBA experience with the Celtics and Heat.
Nuggets Announce New G League Affiliate Name
The Nuggets have revealed a new name and logo for their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, making the announcement on social media today.
Prior to this season, the affiliate was known as the Grand Rapids Drive and operated by the Pistons. The team will enter the 2021/22 season associated with the Nuggets for the first time.
“This new affiliation and corresponding name change is one of the biggest moves we’ve made as a franchise,” Grand Rapids Gold president Steve Jbara acknowledged in a press release.
“Aligning ourselves further with the Denver Nuggets, a team that recently advanced past the first round of the NBA playoffs for the third consecutive season, further elevates the professional basketball experience here in Grand Rapids, and we couldn’t be more excited to get back on the court this fall.”
Denver is the second team to announce changes to its G League name and logo this year. The Maine Red Claws previously announced that they would become the Maine Celtics back in May.
“We are extremely excited about the new name and logo of the Grand Rapid Gold,” Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said. “We feel the new look aligns well with both the Nuggets and Grand Rapids organizations and are excited to see it in action on the court next season.”
Dario Saric Suffers Torn ACL
Suns power forward Dario Saric has suffered a torn ACL in his right knee, the team announced (via Twitter). Saric sustained the injury in the first quarter of Game 1.
It’s a tough blow for Saric, who won’t return this season and whose 2021/22 season is now in jeopardy as well, given the typical recovery timeline for an ACL tear. The 27-year-old remains under contract with the Suns for two more years.
Saric has served as a key cog off Phoenix’s bench, averaging 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game this season. Suns forward/center Frank Kaminsky will likely see more playing time in his absence the rest of this series.
Despite losing Saric, Phoenix managed to take a 1-0 lead at home by defeating Milwaukee 118-105. The team was led by Chris Paul, who finished with 32 points, nine assists and a plus-17 net rating on the night.
The Suns will host the Bucks in Game 2 on Thursday before traveling to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Sunday.
Celtics To Hire Damon Stoudamire As Assistant Coach
The Celtics are hiring former NBA guard Damon Stoudamire as an assistant under head coach Ime Udoka, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link).
Stoudamire began his coaching career in 2009 and was the head coach at Pacific for the past five years. Before that, he spent time as an assistant coach with the Grizzlies, the University of Memphis, and the University of Arizona from 2009-16. Goodman also notes that Stoudamire and Udoka both grew up together in Portland.
Stoudamire was the No. 7 pick in the 1995 NBA Draft and spent 13 seasons as a player. He made stops with Toronto, Portland, Memphis and San Antonio throughout his career, averaging 13.4 points, 6.1 assists and 33.2 minutes in 878 games.
Boston hired Udoka after longtime coach Brad Stevens transitioned to the front office and became the team’s president of basketball operations last month. The Celtics mostly struggled in 2020/21 due to injury and COVID-related issues, finishing with just a 36-36 record.
Rodions Kurucs Signs In Serbia
Free agent Rodions Kurucs has agreed to a two-year contract with KK Partizan in Serbia, the club announced today. The agreement contains NBA outs and marks his first stint overseas since 2017.
Kurucs, a 6’9″ forward, spent two-and-a-half seasons with Brooklyn before being acquired by Houston in the January deal featuring James Harden. He was then dealt to Milwaukee as part of the P.J. Tucker trade in March, getting waived after five games.
Kurucs holds career averages of six points, 3.1 rebounds and 16.1 minutes per game in 131 contests. The 23-year-old was selected with the No. 40 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by Brooklyn.
Before the draft, Kurucs also made professional stops in Latvia from 2012-15 and Spain from 2015-18.
Scotto’s Latest: Beverley, Mann, L. Williams, Wizards
Veteran guard Patrick Beverley is open to signing a contract extension with the Clippers, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on the latest episode of the HoopsHype podcast alongside Yossi Gozlan.
Beverley, who will earn $14.3MM in the final year of his current contract in 2021/22, loves playing in Los Angeles with the Clippers, according to Scotto, who says the former Arkansas standout is a “big fan” of team owner Steve Ballmer. The team will have to determine this offseason how it plans to handle the point guard position, including Beverley’s and Rajon Rondo‘s expiring contracts.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Terance Mann is another key Clippers guard who is eligible for an extension this summer, but Scotto doesn’t believe they’ve had those discussions yet. Scotto gets the sense that Mann would only seriously consider an extension if the club offered the maximum allowable contract (approximately $56MM over four years).
- Veteran guard Lou Williams is believed to be seeking a multiyear deal of either two or three years, says Scotto. Williams has interest in re-signing with the Hawks, and comments from GM Travis Schlenk at season’s end suggest that interest is mutual, Scotto adds.
- Before beginning their second round of interviews, the Wizards met with Suns assistant Kevin Young about their head coaching vacancy, according to Scotto, who suggests Young is a name to watch for future coaching openings.
Draft Notes: Early Entrant Decisions, Bleijenbergh, K. Johnson
July 7 is the deadline for college early entrants who declared for the 2021 NBA draft to withdraw and maintain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s own withdrawal deadline for early entrants is July 19, but a college player who removes his name from the draft after today wouldn’t be able to play college ball next season.
With that in mind, we’re expecting several more updates before the end of the day on which players are going pro and which are returning to college.
Italian wing Gabriele Procida, Marquette forward Dawson Garcia, Southern Utah guard John Knight III, and Louisiana forward Dou Gueye are among the players withdrawing from the draft, according to reports from Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, and Jeff Goodman of Stadium (all links go to Twitter). Garcia may transfer, with UNC, Arizona, and Illinois in the mix for his services, per Rothstein.
Conversely, Boston College forward Steffon Mitchell tells Rothstein (Twitter link) that he intends to remain in the draft, forgoing his final year of NCAA eligibility. Loyola Maryland forward Santi Aldama will also go pro rather than returning to college, a source tells Rothstein (Twitter link).
Here’s more on the draft:
- Belgian wing Vrenz Bleijenbergh will keep his name in the draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Bleijenbergh, who will take part in the upcoming group workout in Minnesota, also has auditions lined up with the Thunder, Grizzlies, Kings, Hornets, and Mavericks, Givony reports.
- Givony is joined by ESPN colleagues Mike Schmitz and Bobby Marks for an in-depth look at where things stand with the draft. The trio discusses how much trade action we should expect in the first round and suggests that Keon Johnson is one of the most polarizing prospects in this year’s class. Some teams have Johnson in the second tier of prospects alongside Jonathan Kuminga and Scottie Barnes, while others view him as a middle-to-late first-round flier, Givony writes.
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has shared a new version of his 2021 mock draft.
2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Memphis Grizzlies
The rebuilding Grizzlies, who traded longtime cornerstones Marc Gasol and Mike Conley in 2019, exceeded expectations in ’19/20. Rather than taking a step back with a younger roster, Memphis had its best season in three years, ultimately falling just short of a playoff spot in the Disney bubble by virtue of losing a play-in game to Portland.
Some regression was expected in 2020/21, but no one told Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. Despite dealing with some health issues – presumed second option Jaren Jackson Jr. was limited to just 11 games due to a knee injury – Memphis took another step forward, finishing the season with a 38-34 record in a tough Western Conference and then winning play-in games over San Antonio and Golden State to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
In theory, continued improvement from Morant, who turns 22 next month, and a full season of good health from Jackson should make the Grizzlies even more dangerous next season. But growth isn’t always linear, and it feels like Memphis probably needs to add some reinforcements to the current group to increase its ceiling. Fortunately, the team is in a pretty good position to do just that.
The Grizzlies’ Offseason Plan:
Of the 17 players who finished the season under contract in Memphis, 14 remain under contract for next season, and the team can increase that number to 15 by exercising its option on Justise Winslow. The only free agents are Tim Frazier and Killian Tillie, neither of whom was a major contributor in 2020/21.
That means the Grizzlies are well-positioned to run it back with the current group, perhaps just adding another young player with the No. 17 overall pick and signing one veteran free agent to fill out the roster.
While the club could certainly go in that direction, I’d expect Zack Kleiman and his front office to be a little more aggressive in pursuing upgrades. The Grizzlies are loaded at certain positions and don’t have any bad contracts on their books, meaning they’re in a good spot to explore trades that consolidate their depth and land them a starting-caliber player.
That doesn’t mean I expect the Grizzlies to be the frontrunner for a star like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal should they become available (though Beal would be a great fit). Acquiring a player of that caliber would likely involve surrendering several first-round picks, and I’m not sure Memphis is ready to take that step, especially if the player in question isn’t a lock to stick around long-term.
However, the Grizzlies certainly have the ammo to go after a second- or third-tier trade candidate — Kyle Anderson, Brandon Clarke, and/or Xavier Tillman, among others, could be included in an offer for such a player. And Memphis, which controls Utah’s 2022 first-round pick (top-six protected) and Golden State’s 2024 first-round selection (top-four protected), could afford to give up one or two first-rounders.
While none of their own key players are eligible for free agency, the Grizzlies’ decision on Winslow will be an interesting one. The team gave up a couple solid trade chips (Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder) and took on a pair of unfavorable contracts (Dion Waiters and Gorgui Dieng) at the 2020 trade deadline in order to acquire Winslow, but he hasn’t given them much so far, playing just 26 underwhelming games in Memphis since that trade.
If the Grizzlies still believe in Winslow, exercising his $13MM option makes sense. The team has no cap concerns to worry about, and if things don’t work out with Winslow, the downside is minimal, since he’ll come off the books in a year. Still, if Memphis’ faith in the former lottery pick is wavering, declining the option may be the right move — doing so would help create a chunk of cap room that could be used on a player more capable of making an impact in 2021/22.
The Grizzlies’ other important offseason decision will be on Jackson, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension. After a season essentially lost to injury, the club may want to see more from the former No. 4 overall pick before committing to a lucrative, long-term deal. But if he’s willing to accept a relatively team-friendly extension, it could be a good buy-low opportunity for Memphis before JJJ truly breaks out.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.
Guaranteed Salary
Jonas Valanciunas ($14,000,000)- Dillon Brooks ($12,200,000)
- Kyle Anderson ($9,937,150)
- Ja Morant ($9,603,360)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. ($9,180,560)
- De’Anthony Melton ($8,805,976)
- Tyus Jones ($8,376,286)
- Grayson Allen ($4,054,695)
- Brandon Clarke ($2,726,880)
- John Konchar ($2,200,000)
- Desmond Bane ($2,033,160)
- Xavier Tillman ($1,517,981)
- Jontay Porter ($300,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. 1
- Sean McDermott (two-way)
- Total: $84,936,048
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Justise Winslow ($13,000,000): Bird rights
- Total: $13,000,000
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Jontay Porter ($1,650,000) 1
- Total: $1,650,000
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 17 overall pick ($3,053,760)
- No. 51 overall pick (no cap hold)
- Total: $3,053,760
Extension-Eligible Players
- Grayson Allen (rookie scale)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (rookie scale)
- Kyle Anderson (veteran)
- Tyus Jones (veteran)
- Jonas Valanciunas (veteran)
- Justise Winslow (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Tim Frazier ($1,669,178): Non-Bird rights
- Tyler Dorsey ($1,669,178): Early Bird rights 2
- Total: $3,338,356
Offseason Cap Outlook
If the Grizzlies waive Porter and keep their first-round pick, they’ll have about $88MM in commitments for 13 players. Ultimately then, their cap outlook figures to come down to their decision on Winslow.
Should Memphis pick up Winslow’s option, the team would still have a little cap room, but the difference between that space and the full mid-level exception for over-the-cap teams would be marginal, and the team may just decide to operate over the cap. Turning down Winslow’s option, on the other hand, could help the Grizzlies generate $24MM+ in cap space, making them a potential player for some of the top free agents in this year’s class.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $4,910,000 3
Footnotes
- Porter’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 18.
- The cap hold for Dorsey remains on the Grizzlies’ books from a prior season because it hasn’t been renounced. It can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- This is a projected value. If the Grizzlies operate over the cap, they’d have the mid-level exception ($9.5MM) and the bi-annual exception ($3.7MM) available.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders, RealGM, and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.