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Early Decision Dates For 2017/18 Player Options

March 10th, 2017 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

By default, NBA players who hold player options for the following season generally don’t have to make an official decision on those options until June 29, just two days before the new league year gets underway. However, that date can be altered on a contract-by-contract basis, which is why many of the 25 players who have player options or early termination options for 2017/18 will be making their decisions prior to June 29 this year.

Several of those player option decisions are due either on a specific date or a certain number of days following a team’s final regular season game. For instance, Rudy Gay‘s player option calls for him to make a decision either on June 10, or five days after the Kings’ last game — whichever comes later. Kyle Lowry, meanwhile, has to make a decision on his player option by June 19, or within seven days of the Raptors’ last game — whichever comes earlier.

Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has done an excellent job keeping tabs on these early player option decision dates, so we’ll use his data to break down the schedule of upcoming decision dates. If a player who holds a 2017/18 player option isn’t listed here, that means his decision is due on June 29, or his decision date hasn’t been reported.

Here’s the list of early decision dates for 2017/18 player options:

Potentially dependent on when team’s season ends:

June 10 (or five days after team’s last game): Rudy Gay (Kings)
June 19 (or seven days after team’s last game): Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
June 20 (or two days after team’s last game): Aron Baynes (Pistons), C.J. Miles (Pacers)

The rest:

June 21: Dante Cunningham (Pelicans), Nick Young (Lakers)
June 22: Greg Monroe (Bucks)
June 23: Paul Millsap (Hawks)
June 24: Langston Galloway (Kings)
June 26: Spencer Hawes (Bucks)
June 28: Blake Griffin (Clippers) (early termination option)

For details on how much these player options are worth, check out our list of 2017 free agents by position or by team.

Budenholzer, Schroder Meet Following Monday Benching

March 9th, 2017 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Two days after Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer benched Dennis Schroder for most of the second half against Golden State, the two men met on Wednesday to discuss the incident and move forward, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

“He was very good,” Budenholzer said of Schroder, the Hawks’ starting point guard. “He and I communicating and understanding what is important. Really, he came in understanding what is important. Things happen in our league. Things happen in games. It’s part of our growth as a team, my growth as a coach, his growth as a player.”

Vivlamore notes that Schroder has gotten under the skin of some of his teammates at times, adding that a source familiar with the situation said Paul Millsap had “sharp words” for the young guard after Monday’s game. However, speaking to reporters, Millsap acknowledged that Schroder is still learning and improving, and said Monday’s incident won’t be a distraction for the Hawks going forward.

Schroder Benched For Role In On-Court Argument

March 7th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Austin Kent

A mid-game argument resulting in an ugly defensive breakdown has some questioning the team harmony in the Hawks‘ lockerroom. In addition to a spat with Dwight Howard, 23-year-old point guard Dennis Schroder is said to have engaged with head coach Mike Budenholzer too, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.

While Schroder and Howard were caught on camera arguing about a Howard turnover the previous possession, Stephen Curry wasted no time calling for the inbound pass and draining a three. The basket put the Warriors in front and they would go on to win the game. Shortly after the incident, Schroder – who at that point had led the Hawks in scoring with 23 points – was benched by Budenholzer for the remainder of the contest.

“We need to learn to play together and stay together for 48 minutes,” Budenholzer said of his Hawks. “That is something that is important to us.”

Vivlamore reminds readers that this isn’t the first time the Hawks have punished Schroder. When the guard returned to Atlanta late after the All-Star Break, he was suspended for one game. In that situation, Schroder cited passport complications as the reason for his delay.

Budenholzer Unsure Of Team’s Backup Point Guard

March 6th, 2017 at 6:27pm CST by Milo Taibi

Jose Calderon is in uniform and ready to play for the Hawks, but Mike Budenholzer is not ready to label him the team’s primary backup point guard. According to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Budenholzer would like to see Calderon compete with Malcolm Delaney for minutes.

“It’s hard to say. I think Malcolm has been great all year,” Budenholzer said. “I think Malcolm has been great all year. We are really pleased with how he’s played. Malcolm brings a lot to the table. But I think it’s great to have Jose as another … to get through the majority of the season without a third point guard is unusual.”

Calderon served as a low-stakes addition to Atlanta’s backcourt; the 35-year-old will only cost the team $247,991. The Hawks picked up Calderon in time for him to be playoff eligible, but the veteran will presumably need to make more of an impact than he did on the Lakers. As Vivlamore points out, Delaney has appeared in all 62 games for the Hawks this season, serving as Dennis Schroder‘s primary back-up.

“I think Jose is someone who can come in and fight for those minutes,” Budenholzer added. “I can see giving him an opportunity and chances to see how he can help us but Malcolm has been very, very good.”

Hawks’ Budenholzer Suspended For One Game

March 4th, 2017 at 9:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:44pm: Budenholzer has issued a statement on the suspension. “With the league’s permission, I have reached out to and apologized to Ben Taylor for what happened in the game versus Cleveland,” he said. “Ben is an excellent young referee who is a valuable member of the NBA family. We all understand that any contact — including incidental contact — with an official is unacceptable. I accept the NBA’s fine and look forward to putting this situation in the past.”

8:31pm: The NBA has suspended Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer for one game, tweets Chris Mannix of The Vertical.

The incident that prompted the suspension happened Friday night when Budenholzer made contact with an official during a loss to the Cavaliers. He will not be on the sidelines for Sunday’s game with the Pacers and will not be paid.

In announcing the suspension, the NBA noted that Budenholzer had a similar suspension last season, stemming from a Nov. 21st, 2015, game against Cleveland.

Hawks Claim Jose Calderon Off Waivers

March 4th, 2017 at 4:12pm CST by Austin Kent

The Hawks have claimed Jose Calderon off waivers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

Atlanta had been hoping to add Calderon as a backup to Dennis Schroder, either by submitting a claim or signing him once he cleared waivers. Hawks officials decided to go with the safest route and enter their own claim on Calderon.

The move will cost Atlanta $247,991 for the rest of the season, tweets Bobby Marks of the Vertical. That will cover the salary that Golden State gave Calderon when it signed and released him on Wednesday, and that money will come off the Warriors’ cap.

Calderon played 24 games for the Lakers this season before agreeing to a buyout on Monday. He had a salary of slightly more than $7.7MM, and L.A. will still be responsible for the money it owes him for the rest of the season. Calderon didn’t make any salary concessions in his buyout agreement, according to Marks (Twitter link).

The Hawks had an open roster spot after waiving Lamar Patterson, so another move won’t be necessary to add Calderon. He is expected to be in uniform for Sunday’s game with the Pacers, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The 35-year-old will be eligible for the playoffs after the league ruled that Golden State waived him in time. He is now with his seventh NBA team, if the Warriors are included.

Mike Dunleavy Diagnosed With Right Ankle Synovitis

March 3rd, 2017 at 7:33pm CST by Milo Taibi

Mike Dunleavy has been diagnosed with right ankle synovitis, the Hawks announced in a press release. Per the team’s injury report: “An MRI taken at the Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center on Feb. 28^th revealed the injury and a second opinion by Dr. Richard Ferkel of the Southern California Orthopedic Institute also confirmed the diagnosis.”

Dunleavy will be out for an undetermined length of time.

Dunleavy, who initially sought a buyout after being traded to Atlanta, has performed well under Mike Budenholzer. Dunleavy has averaged 5.9 points while shooting 44.2% on 3-pointers with the Hawks, receiving 16.2 MPG.

After tonight, Dunleavy will have missed the Hawks’ last four games.

Hawks Hoping To Sign Jose Calderon

March 3rd, 2017 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks hope to sign point guard Jose Calderon by Saturday, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

If the deal goes through, Atlanta would be Calderon’s third team this week. He agreed to a buyout with the Lakers on Monday, then was signed and released by the Warriors on Wednesday. The league notified teams this week that Calderon was waived by Golden State in time to be eligible for the playoffs (Twitter link).

Calderon’s waiver process will expire at 5 pm on Saturday, Stein notes (Twitter link). Atlanta can either submit a waiver claim or hope that he clears waivers and sign him as a free agent.

Rumors have linked the Hawks to Calderon in recent days as they search for a backup to Dennis Schroder. Atlanta has an open roster spot after waiving Lamar Patterson last week. The team tried combo guard Gary Neal earlier this season, but prefers a pure point guard to fill in for Schroder.

The 35-year-old Calderon averaged about 12 minutes per night with the Lakers, putting up 3.3 points and 2.1 assists in 24 games.

Warriors Sign, Release Jose Calderon

March 1st, 2017 at 7:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:13 p.m.: Golden State has officially released Calderon, the team tweeted.

5:28pm: The Warriors have signed former Laker Jose Calderon, filling a promise to the veteran point guard, but he’s not expected to be with the team by the end of the day.

Golden State tweeted an announcement about the signing, which it pledged to Calderon when he agreed to a buyout with L.A. on Monday. However, after Kevin Durant suffered a knee injury Tuesday night that may keep him out for the rest of the season, the Warriors felt they needed a bigger player to take his place, so that roster spot will eventually go to Matt Barnes.

Golden State will waive Calderon later today to allow him to sign with another organization and still be eligible for the postseason. He will receive the guaranteed rest-of-the-season contract that he was originally promised and will go back on waivers for 48 hours. The Hawks are reportedly among the teams interested in signing Calderon once he clears waivers again.

Hawks Eyeing Jose Calderon, Other Point Guards

March 1st, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks are looking at several point guards as they search for point guard depth, and Jose Calderon has emerged as one “prime” target for the team, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). Atlanta currently has one open spot on its roster after waiving Lamar Patterson.

Calderon, who was bought out by the Lakers after the trade deadline, cleared waivers today and became an unrestricted free agent, though he may go back on waivers soon. Calderon and the Warriors reached an agreement over the weekend, but after Kevin Durant went down with a knee injury, the team changed course and will instead sign Matt Barnes.

The Warriors reportedly still intend to honor their agreement with Calderon, signing him to a guaranteed rest-of-season contract and then waiving him to sign Barnes. However, if Calderon gets an offer from the Hawks or another team, perhaps he won’t feel compelled to finalize his deal with Golden State after all. (Update: Calderon was later signed and waived by the Warriors, so he’s back on waivers).

As Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported earlier today, the Hawks are considering both 10-day contracts and rest-of-season deals to fill their 15th roster spot. The team is also in the market for more of a pure point guard, after having experimented with adding a combo guard (Gary Neal) earlier in the season.

“We obviously brought in a guy like Gary who is more of a (shooting guard, point guard),” head coach and president of basketball operations Mike Budenholzer said, per Vivlamore. “I think the 15th guy has to have some point guard in him, if not just a stone-cold point guard, which is probably more likely.”

Dennis Schroder has reliably handled the starting point guard position for the Hawks this season, but the club doesn’t have much depth at that spot, with rookie Malcolm Delaney serving as Schroder’s primary backup.