And-Ones: Dorsey, Skiles, D-League
Former Rockets and Nuggets power forward Joey Dorsey has had issues with Galatasaray coach Ergin Ataman, but he remains committed to the Turkish team, international journalist David Pick writes for Sportando. Dorsey, who inked a one-year pact with Galatasaray in August after reaching a buyout arrangement with Denver, has been heavily recruited by the Greek club Olympiacos, but he intends to stay in Turkey, Pick notes. “Dorsey was almost out of the team, but his last couple of games have been great. He is more committed,” a Galatasaray insider said to Pick.
Regarding his decision to remain with Galatasaray, Dorsey said, “‘Where is the old Dorsey At?’ This is what they been saying all over the news and in the newspaper here overseas. I’m overweight and out of shape and lazy in practice. It hurt me so bad when I heard this, first of all I wanted to leave the team ’cause it was problems and guys being selfish, and after talking to coach nothing changed, so I said [expletitve] it, but after talking to [Vassilis] Spanoulis [who plays for Olympiacos], it wasn’t professional to let my fans down and not play good so I’m dedicating this year to the fans of Galatasaray.”
Here’s more from around pro basketball:
- The Hawks have assigned Tim Hardaway Jr. and Edy Tavares to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (via Twitter). This will be Hardaway’s first trip to the D-League of the season and Tavares’ second. Both players will be assigned to the Canton Charge, the Cavs‘ affiliate, since Atlanta does not have its own D-League team, Vivlamore adds.
- A third key players union executive hired since executive director Michele Roberts came aboard has resigned, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Evie Goldstein, the director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, is the latest to depart, according to Berger, joining former COO Domonique Foxworth and former communications director Tara Greco.
- Magic coach Scott Skiles was hired to improve the team’s discipline and defense, but he’s made a significant impact on Orlando’s offense thus far, Brett Koremenos of RealGM writes. With the team’s personnel largely unchanged from 2014/15, much of the credit should go to Skiles, who has improved the Magic’s execution, resulting in more efficient possessions on the offensive end, Koremenos notes.
Northwest Notes: Matthews, Newton, Morrow
- Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press profiles Timberwolves GM Milt Newton, who’s trying to carry out the vision of late coach/executive Flip Saunders with no promises that he’ll remain in charge of the front office beyond this season. “It’s an incredible challenge,” Spurs GM RC Buford, a longtime Newton confidant, said to Krawczynski. “You’ve got an iconic coach and leader who also had incredible history with the community and the organization. There will be holes that have to be filled, there will be relationships that have to be supported with the passing of one of the great coaches.”
- Anthony Morrow has gone in and out of the Thunder rotation, but he’s back in it of late, and coach Billy Donovan said he feels compelled to play the sharpshooter to create space for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater writes. Morrow is in the final guaranteed season of his contract. “It’s amazing how quickly he gets his shot off,” said Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer, who watched Morrow hit three 3-pointers against his team Monday. “It feels like it’s in his fingers for like 0.2 seconds or something like that. When you put a great shooter like that with that quick a release around some gifted talented guys, it’s hard to stay with Morrow. He fits them well.”
Southeast Notes: Carroll, Millsap, Dudley, Oladipo
DeMarre Carroll is grateful for the opportunity the Hawks gave him during his time with the team, which began when he signed a two-year, $5MM deal in 2013 and ended when he joined the Raptors for four years and a whopping $58MM, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca details. Toronto teammate Patrick Patterson was blunt when asked what the Atlanta experience gave Carroll.
“His contract, plain and simple,” Patterson said to Lewenberg. “His contract that he has with us. All the hard work that he’s put in throughout his life, his career in the NBA, every opportunity that presented itself and then his stint with the Atlanta Hawks and having success with them, it’s allowed him to have this opportunity he has now with us.”
Still, Carroll has carved his own path, impressing Raptors coach Dwane Casey with his basketball IQ, and his success didn’t come just because he played for the Hawks, Lewenberg argues. See more on Carroll and other news from the Southeast Division:
- Carroll didn’t make too much of an impression on Jeff Teague, who said he doesn’t care that his former teammate is in town with the Raptors tonight, but Paul Millsap said he and Carroll formed a connection during their time together, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks, priced out of re-signing both their marquee free agents this summer, chose a new deal with Millsap over one with Carroll. “That’s my guy,” Millsap said of Carroll. “That’s my brother. It’s going to be good to see him here, especially in front of this crowd. They loved DeMarre. Me and him, we keep in contact all the time. Like brothers do. About his situation. About my situation.”
- The Wizards took small ball to an extreme during Tuesday’s win over the Cavs, with offseason trade acquisition Jared Dudley playing center for a spell, and it worked, serving as further demonstration of the team’s recent philosophical shift, as Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post examines.
- The Magic hired Scott Skiles to make tough calls like his decision to bench former No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo, argues Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. The shooting guard doesn’t appear pleased with the move, but he nonetheless acknowledges that the team is playing its best since the Dwight Howard trade, Taylor writes. We asked for your input on Oladipo’s benching in Tuesday’s Community Shootaround.
And-Ones: Dunleavy, Mekel, D-League
Bulls small forward Mike Dunleavy Jr., who underwent back surgery in September, suffered a “setback” and his timetable for a return to the court is unclear, coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters, including Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Dunleavy re-signed with Chicago during the summer. Hoiberg, per Friedell, said there isn’t concern at this time that Dunleavy will have to miss the entire season or have another procedure on his back.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Former Mavericks and Pelicans point guard Gal Mekel has signed with European power-agent Misko Raznatovic, International Journalist David Pick tweets.
- The Knicks have assigned Cleanthony Early to their D-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Early has only seen 24 minutes of NBA action this season.
- The Cavs have recalled Joe Harris from the Canton Charge, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to a team press release. Harris appeared in three games during his latest stint, averaging 22.7 points in 36.9 minutes per game.
- Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders takes a look at the league’s landscape so far this season and the Hawks are among his underachievers. Greene believes one major reason for the disappointing start is that Atlanta still hasn’t found an adequate replacement for DeMarre Carroll.
Will Joseph contributed to this post.
Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Horford, Hansbrough
Victor Oladipo can’t be pleased with the Magic‘s decision to move him to the bench, despite the team-first comments he’s made to the media, posits Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The former No. 2 overall pick who’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer is averaging 20.0 points per game in his three appearances as a reserve, and the team has gone 3-0 in those games, leading Schmitz to wonder if the move will be for the long term.
“We got to stick with what works,” coach Scott Skiles said. “[Oladipo] has been so good in that role. We’ll keep him out there until it doesn’t work.”
Skiles has proven to have the right touch so far for the 9-8 Magic, Schmitz observes, nonetheless noting that the future for the team’s personnel isn’t in quite as sharp a focus as it was before the move. See more on the Magic amid the latest from the Southeast Division:
- Al Horford, set for free agency at season’s end, finds it odd to be going up against former college coach Billy Donovan, whose Thunder visit the Hawks for a game tonight, notes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He always encourages guys to work hard,” Horford said of Donovan. “He really pushes you beyond what you think you can accomplish. A lot of the time with his players, we get that we are on one level but he gets you to another level. That’s what he did with me at least. He gave me that confidence, that ability, for me to take that next step.”
- Tyler Hansbrough is averaging a career-low 5.0 minutes per game and doesn’t figure to be much more than a bit player for the Hornets after signing a one-year, minimum-salary deal in the offseason, but the team will surely need him sooner or later, opines Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer. He and Al Jefferson are the only healthy Hornets players who play a physical style, Sorensen observes.
- The Magic have assigned Devyn Marble to the D-League, the team announced. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel first reported the move would take place (Twitter link). It’s the first time the 56th pick in the 2014 draft has gone down to the Erie Bayhawks this season, though he went on three D-League assignments last year.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Clifford, Winslow
Coach Mike Budenholzer’s ability to sell the virtues of the Hawks organization will determine their long-term success, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com opines in a detailed look at the team’s structure and roster. While the front office appears stable, the roster could undergo major changes after the season, Arnovitz continues. Center Al Horford will enter unrestricted free agency next season, starting shooting guard Kyle Korver is in his mid-30s, center Tiago Splitter has injury issues and point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder may have trouble co-existing over the long haul, Arnovitz adds. They also haven’t adequately replaced small forward DeMarre Carroll, so Budenholzer and the front office need to show free agents that Atlanta is a desirable landing spot, Arnovitz concludes.
In other news around the Southeast Division:
- Veteran center Al Jefferson gives a ringing endorsement to the contract extension that coach Steve Clifford received from the Hornets this week, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports. “The one thing I love about him is he keeps it real with you. He doesn’t say one thing to your face and another thing behind your back,” Jefferson told Bonnell. “He changed this whole team around from Day 1. He works harder than any head coach I’ve been around. He demands you play hard and play together.”
- The Heat’s long-term outlook depends upon the development of rookie small forward Justise Winslow and center Hassan Whiteside, as Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports explains while taking an in-depth look at the roster. Winslow has embraced the role of defensive specialist and hasn’t been overwhelmed by the task of shadowing the opponent’s top scorer. “At this point, we’re peers,” Winslow told Lee. “I don’t put those guys on a pedestal.” Whiteside, the league’s top shot blocker, is determined to show that his breakout season a year ago wasn’t a fluke, Lee adds.
- The Wizards’ outlook after 12 games is troubling for a team expected to make a run in the Eastern Conference, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. There has been an extraordinary amount of drama in the early going, J. Michael points out, ranging from center Marcin Gortat getting irritated at coach Randy Wittman for calling him soft to point guard John Wall brooding over his lack of shots.
Austin Daye To Play In Italy
Small forward Austin Daye has signed with the Italian club Victoria Libertas Pesaro, the team announced (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The length and terms of the arrangement are not yet known, nor if Daye’s pact includes an NBA out clause.
The 27-year-old was waived by the Hawks back in July in an effort to clear cap space. Daye’s salary was non-guaranteed, but releasing him cleared away his $1,185,784 cap hold from Atlanta’s books, which the team needed to re-sign Paul Millsap and trade for Tiago Splitter. The forward then signed with the Cavaliers back in September on a non-guaranteed deal but didn’t snag a regular season roster slot and was subsequently waived in October. The former 15th overall pick averaged 5.0 points in 11.9 minutes per game in six preseason appearances for Cleveland.
Daye has made 293 career regular season appearances in the NBA over the span of his six year career. His averages per contest are 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists with a slash line of .402/.351/.778.
2016/17 Salary Cap Projection: Atlanta Hawks
The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league prior to the official numbers being announced had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM. Many league executives and agents believe that the salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season.
The increase in the salary cap will almost assuredly set off a flurry of activity in the free agent market next summer, and it will also make it easier than ever for teams to deal away their higher-priced stars. Prudent executives are acutely aware of exactly how much cap room they have to play with, not just for the current campaign, but for next season and beyond as well. While the exact amount of 2016/17’s salary cap won’t be announced until next summer, it always pays to know just how much salary is on the books for each franchise. With this in mind, we at Hoops Rumors will be breaking down the projected 2016/17 financial commitments for each franchise, and we’ll begin with a look at the Atlanta Hawks:
- Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $52,717,353
- Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $0
- Non Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $7,657,000*
- Total Projected Salary Cap Commitments: $60,375,353
*Note: This amount includes the $1,015,616 team option for Mike Muscala.
If the salary cap were to fall in line with the projection of $89MM, Atlanta would have approximately $28,624,647 in cap space, or $34,624,647 if the cap were to be set at the higher mark of $95MM. Again, these are merely predictions until the exact cap amounts are announced, and they are not meant to illustrate the exact amount that the team will have available to spend this coming offseason. Trades and long-term free agent signings made during the season will also have a significant impact on the figures above, and we’ll be updating these posts to reflect the new numbers after any signings and trades have been made official.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason In Review: Atlanta Hawks
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- Justin Holiday: Two years, $1.96MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception.
- Paul Millsap: Three years, $60.216MM. Signed via cap space. Third year is a player option.
- Lamar Patterson: Two years, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception.
- Terran Petteway: Two years, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception. First year partially guaranteed for $75K, second year is non-guaranteed. Waived.
- Jason Richardson: One year, $1.499MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception. Richardson subsequently retired and was waived by the team.
- Edy Tavares: Three years, $3.014MM. Signed via cap space. First two years are fully guaranteed, third year is non-guaranteed.
Extensions
- None
Trades
- Acquired Washington’s 2015 first round pick (No. 19 overall) and Washington’s second round picks in 2016 and 2019 from the Wizards in exchange for the Hawks’ 2015 first round pick (No. 15 overall).
- Acquired Tim Hardaway Jr. from the Knicks in exchange for Washington’s 2015 first round pick (No. 19 overall).
- Acquired Tiago Splitter from the Spurs in exchange for the draft rights to Georgios Printezis and Atlanta’s 2017 second round pick (top 55 protected).
Waiver Claims
- None
Draft Picks
- Marcus Eriksson (Round 2, 50th overall). — Playing overseas.
- Dimitrios Agravanis (Round 2, 59th overall). — Playing overseas.
Camp Invitees
- Earl Barron — Waived.
- DeQuan Jones — Waived.
- Arsalan Kazemi — Waived.
- Edgar Sosa — Waived.
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (fourth year, $2,281,605) — Exercised.
- Dennis Schröder (fourth year, $2,708,582) — Exercised.
The Hawks won a franchise-best 60 games in 2014/15, but the campaign ended with disappointment when the Cavaliers eliminated them in the Eastern Conference Finals. Injuries certainly played a role in Atlanta’s ouster, including the loss of swingman Thabo Sefolosha, who missed the entire 2014/15 playoffs after suffering a broken leg at the hands of police outside a New York City nightclub back in April. The franchise began its offseason with the free agent departure of a significant piece when DeMarre Carroll left for the Raptors and their four-year, $58MM offer, making a repeat of last season’s success an even more daunting task.
Atlanta was in a bit of a financial bind entering the summer, with Carroll and Paul Millsap both unrestricted free agents, and the team possessing only their Early Bird Rights, meaning the Hawks couldn’t exceed the salary cap to re-sign them. Coach/executive Mike Budenholzer had said before the 2014/15 season that the team wanted to keep Millsap, whose previous two-year, $19MM deal from 2013 turned out to be one of the most team-friendly arrangements in recent memory. Budenholzer held true to his word and Millsap re-joined the team to the tune of three years and $60.216MM.
It will certainly be difficult to replace the defense, energy and outside shooting of Carroll, but I believe Atlanta chose wisely in deciding to retain Millsap over him. The 30-year-old Millsap has been a remarkably consistent performer in the NBA for the last five seasons, and a three-year commitment to him isn’t a tremendous risk, though he has almost certainly reached his plateau as a player and is more than likely going to begin regressing toward the end of this pact. But with the salary cap set to see a significant increase next summer, his deal won’t cripple the franchise if he underperforms.
While I certainly like what Carroll brings to the hardwood as a player, he has only averaged double-figure scoring twice in his six-year NBA career, topping out with the 12.6 points per game he contributed last season. Carroll’s value does stretch beyond the box score, but a four-year deal with an average annual value of close to $15MM seems a bit risky for a late-blooming player who is on the threshold of his 30s. The Hawks’ offer to the small forward reportedly topped out at $50MM on a four-year arrangement, as Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com reported. That still would have been a risk, but a much more palatable one for the franchise from my perspective.
Atlanta also made a number of low-risk, low-reward signings over the summer, adding Justin Holiday, Edy Tavares, Lamar Patterson and Jason Richardson, though Richardson subsequently retired, and the team waived him. Out of the group, Tavares is the most intriguing given his height (7’3″) and youth (23 years old). He’s most definitely a project, and it could be years before he produces in the NBA, if ever.
The Hawks made three trades over the summer, acquiring Tiago Splitter from San Antonio for virtually nothing, swapping first-round picks with the Wizards, and flipping Washington’s pick to the Knicks for swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. Landing Splitter was a solid move, especially given how little Atlanta gave up to acquire him. Given the similarities between the Hawks’ and Spurs’ systems, Splitter should fit right in and become a solid rotation player for Budenholzer. The only negative is that he’s not on an expiring contract and will earn $8.55MM in 2016/17. That’s hardly a king’s ransom, but it’s a significant amount for a team that, with Splitter taken into account, has about $52.7MM in guaranteed salary committed for 2016/17. That amount doesn’t include center Al Horford, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season is done.
The most questionable move of the Hawks’ offseason was the acquisition of Hardaway, a one-dimensional player who regressed during his second season with the Knicks, and who doesn’t fit a clear need for the team. I firmly believe that Atlanta would have been better served to hold onto its original pick, which the Wizards used to select Kelly Oubre. Oubre has a much higher upside than Hardaway, and he also has the capability of developing into a legitimate two-way threat in the NBA. I would even go as far as to say that the team would have been better served to stand pat after its first pick swap and nab Jerian Grant at No. 19 instead of letting him go to the Knicks. Hardaway has yet to log a single regular season minute for the team as of this writing, making the trade even more of a head-scratcher from my perspective.
Drafting Grant would have also had an important secondary benefit for the club, as it would have provided the flexibility to explore potential trades for point guard Dennis Schröder. The team currently has no plans to part ways with the young German point guard, but he is stuck behind Jeff Teague on the depth chart, something that has reportedly displeased Schröder, with the player telling Sport Bild magazine in his native Germany that he would “explore other possibilities” if the Hawks don’t give him a chance to start. However, Schröder did make it clear that he likes playing in Atlanta. The 22-year-old is under contract through 2016/17, after which he is eligible to become a restricted free agent, so there is no pressure on the Hawks to deal him quite yet, though he is one of their most valuable trade assets, and he could bring back a significant return if they trade him. Atlanta exercised both his and Hardaway’s fourth-year rookie scale options prior to the deadline this month.
The franchise will have a major decision to make this coming offseason regarding Horford. He will almost assuredly command a maximum salary, or close to it. If Horford were to depart, the franchise would be hard-pressed to find a player who could replace him, though he is another player about to enter his 30s, and big men don’t tend to age well in the league.
Atlanta is unlikely to duplicate its magic from 2014/15, and the franchise was more than likely headed back toward the pack in the East prior to losing Carroll in free agency anyway. While a playoff berth is certainly attainable, it would be a surprise if the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals for a second straight campaign. The offseason was a mixed bag for the team, with retaining Millsap a success while the draft day trade for Hardaway tarnishes it somewhat. Regardless of anyone’s opinion of the trade, it’s difficult to argue that Atlanta didn’t regress from last season talent-wise. With numerous other Eastern Conference teams improving themselves over the summer, the Hawks and their fans may be left wondering what might have been during the 2014/15 postseason if the team had remained healthy.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Hawks Notes: Budenholzer, Patterson, Sefolosha
Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer, who was absent from Friday’s game, is back coaching the Hawks Sunday, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details. Budenholzer had stayed with his family in Atlanta following his wife’s undisclosed medical emergency. “The support from the staff and the players and everybody has been great,” Budenholzer said, per Vivlamore. “I’m just appreciative of that.” Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson took Budenholzer’s place for the Hawks against the Celtics Friday.
Here’s more news out of Atlanta:
- The Hawks recalled Edy Tavares and Lamar Patterson from the D-League Sunday, the team announced in a press release. Patterson, a 2014 second-round draft pick, has appeared in seven of the Hawks’ 11 games. He has averaged 2.4 points, 1.3 assists and 1.0 rebounds in about 13 minutes per contest. Tavares has played only one minute this season for Atlanta.
- Hawks shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha, a 2017 free agent, said he is getting close to being fully healthy and understands all the attention he received stemming from an incident outside a New York nightclub in April, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. Sefolosha, 31, is filing a civil suit after suffering a broken leg and ankle ligament damage in an encounter with police. The experience also made Sefolosha more conscious of his realistic timetable left as a player in the league, Washburn adds. “To this day I’m still battling with that in a way, because I don’t know how I’m going to feel two months from now, or I think I’m taking the proper steps [to get better],” Sefolosha said. “I think I was focusing on getting back so much that I didn’t have time to focus on what if. It’s a process every day.” Sefolosha has played in eight games so far this season and is averaging 6.8 points per game. He has averaged 5.8 points per game for his career.