Southeast Notes: Waiters, Hawks, Meeks
When Dion Waiters hurt himself last March he had the option to pursue a surgical treatment that would have sidelined him for eight to 10 months, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes. The Heat guard, and at that point pending free agent, opted against going under the knife to repair his ankle and instead has been strengthening it and undergoing treatment.
Winderman stresses that Waiters only brought up the injury when asked at the Heat’s media day on Wednesday but admitted that some days are better than others.
“I’ll get four or five treatments every day,” Waiters, who re-signed with the Heat this summer, said. “Some days you’re going to feel great, some days it might be just one of them days. You have to push through it and be smart about the whole situation.”
In 46 games with the Heat last season, Waiters averaged 15.8 points per game. This year his contract will pay an additional $1.1MM if the guard stays on the court for 70 games, one of several incentives built into contracts that Miami extended this offseason.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- On the verge of what could be his first full season since 2014/15, Wizards guard Jodie Meeks is eager to show that he can still contribute to an NBA team. “Just because I want to show that I’m healthy,” Meeks told Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. “I’m not old and washed up or whatever you want to call it.“
- A hamstring injury will sideline Hornets forward Treveon Graham, the team’s PR department tweets. Graham is one of five players on non-guaranteed deals hoping to make the team’s opening day roster.
- The Hawks will receive $100K for taking DeAndre Liggins‘ deal off of the Clippers’ hands, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. We wrote about the September 25 deal here.
NBA Approves Lottery Reform, Change Effective 2019
The NBA’s Board of Governors passed a motion to reform the draft lottery today, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN writes. The new rules will be in place for the 2019 NBA Draft.
Modifications to the lottery process were originally proposed earlier this month and include a number of strategies aimed at flattening the odds that basement dwelling teams have of landing the top pick. The idea behind the motion is to curb tanking.
Under the new rules, teams will be able to drop four places in the lottery. Previously teams could drop no more than three places, meaning that the worst team in the league would be guaranteed to pick in the top four. Now, in that same scenario, the team could fall as far as No. 5.
Beyond that, however, the odds of each team’s ping pong balls being selected have flattened dramatically, as portrayed in a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski. Not only do the three worst teams have a lesser chance of winning the lottery, but there’s no longer any difference between finishing last, second-last or third-last when it comes to odds for the No. 1 pick.
In contrast, the team with the fourth-greatest shot at winning the lottery (ie; the fourth-worst team in the NBA) now has a better chance of landing the top pick, as does every team that finished ahead of it in the regular season with the exception of the best team in the lottery (which has the same odds as it had previously).
To demonstrate the point, consider the change in fortune that will await whatever team finishes ninth-last in the 2018/19 season. Whereas last season’s Mavs finished ninth-last and received a 2.8% chance of winning the lottery and a 10% chance of landing a top-three pick, under the new rules that team would have a 6% chance of winning the lottery and a 15% chance of landing a top-three pick.
All told, much of the incentive that middle-of-the-pack lottery clubs had of embracing a full-out tank and dropping to the bottom of the league has been reduced. Now the worst team in the league will have a 40% chance of landing a top-three pick as opposed to the 64% chance it previously had. That same team will now have a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick (vs. the 25% chance it had previously).
For a pick-by-pick breakdown of the probability changes, refer to the chart in the Wojnarowski tweet.
Another proposal formally approved by the league is one that extends commissioner Adam Silver’s authority to potentially fine teams for resting players in nationally televised games or in other select scenarios.
Bulls Buy Out Dwyane Wade
SEPTEMBER 25, 4:25pm: Wade has been formally placed on waivers, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. He will clear waivers on Wednesday, Charania adds.
SEPTEMBER 24, 8:36pm: The Bulls and Dwyane Wade have reached an agreement on a buyout, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
The early favorites for Wade’s services are the Spurs, Cavaliers and Heat, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Miami is currently positioned to pay him the most money this season.
Within minutes, Wojnarowski followed up with another tweet saying that Cleveland was a “clear frontrunner.”
Per Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Heat can sign Wade for $4.2MM and the Spurs can sign him for $3.3MM. The Cavaliers at $2.5MM could pay little over the veteran’s minimum.
The idea of Wade suiting up elsewhere in 2017/18 has been a popular topic ever since the organization traded Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves earlier this summer.
It’s been said that Wade felt misled by the organization at the beginning of the offseason, given assurances that the team would remain competitive in his final year with the squad should he opt into his 2017/18 player option.
Wade, of course, did opt in but the Bulls soon changed course, trading Butler for a package centered around Zach LaVine and Minnesota’s No. 7 overall pick.
In the months since, the Bulls and Wade have gone back and forth in seemingly amicable negotiations.
Per Wojnarowski (also on Twitter), Wade will forfeit about $8MM of his $23.8MM contract, leaving the Bulls on the hook for around $16MM through 2017/18.
Considering that Chicago currently runs the risk of falling below the salary floor for the season, keeping the bulk of the veteran’s deal on their books isn’t particularly cumbersome.
Chicago came to an agreement with Nikola Mirotic earlier today that would have pushed the Bulls above the $89.2MM floor but the Wade buyout will drop them below yet again as training camps around the league begin in earnest.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hawks Sign John Jenkins
SEPTEMBER 25: The Hawks have officially signed Jenkins, the team announced today in a press release. Atlanta now has a full 20-man roster heading into training camp.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Hawks have agreed to a deal with swingman John Jenkins, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders tweets. The addition of Jenkins brings Atlanta’s roster count up to 20.
The 26-year-old last saw action with the Suns in 2016/17 but only played four games, previously he has served with the Hawks and the Mavs.
While details of Jenkins’ agreement with the Hawks aren’t known, a non-guaranteed contract seems likely.
Hawks Acquire, Waive DeAndre Liggins
SEPTEMBER 25: In a pair of press releases, the Hawks confirmed today that they’ve acquired Liggins and cash from the Clippers in exchange for draft considerations, and subsequently waived Liggins.
Per Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constutition (Twitter link), the Clippers actually received a 2018 second-round pick in the swap, but it’s protected from 31-55, meaning it almost certainly won’t change hands.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Clippers have traded DeAndre Liggins and cash to the Hawks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN writes. The deal will create a $1,577,230 trade exception.
Going back to the Clippers will be the draft rights to an as yet undetermined player.
The Hawks will turn around and waive the veteran Liggins, who they initially acquired from the Rockets ahead of the Chris Paul deal this summer.
By unloading Liggins today, the Clippers have managed to sneak to $122K below the luxury tax line. Had they waived and not traded Liggins, they would have been on the hook for an additional $26K.
Cliff Alexander Signs With Pelicans
SEPTEMBER 25: Alexander’s deal is now official, the Pelicans announced.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Pelicans have agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with Cliff Alexander, Michael Scott of Basketball Insiders tweets.
The free agent forward signed a pair of deals with the Magic and Nets last season but hasn’t seen time on the court since the 2015/16 campaign in which he played eight games for the Trail Blazers.
Alexander hasn’t found much traction at the NBA level but the 21-year-old isn’t far removed from a highly touted high school career.
The addition of Alexander brings the Pels roster up to 20 players.
2017 Offseason In Review: Charlotte Hornets
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Charlotte Hornets.
Signings:
- Michael Carter-Williams: One year, $2.7MM.
- Julyan Stone: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed.
- Mangok Mathiang: Two-way contract. Two years, $50K guaranteed.
- Marcus Paige: Two-way contracts. One year, $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Terry Henderson: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Isaiah Hicks: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Luke Petrasek: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- T.J. Williams: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Trades:
- Acquired Dwight Howard and the No. 31 overall pick from the Hawks in exchange for Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli, and the No. 41 overall pick.
- Acquired the draft rights to Dwayne Bacon (No. 40 pick) and cash ($1.8MM) from the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Frank Jackson (No. 31 pick).
Draft picks:
- 1-11: Malik Monk — Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-40: Dwayne Bacon — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. Third year non-guaranteed.
Departing players:
- Marco Belinelli
- Miles Plumlee
- Brian Roberts
- Ramon Sessions (declined team option)
- Briante Weber (waived)
- Christian Wood
Other offseason news:
- Assistant general manager Chad Buchanan hired away by the Pacers.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap all offseason. Carrying approximately $116MM in guaranteed salary, pushing them close to the tax line.
- Portion of mid-level exception ($4.89MM) and full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) still available.
Check out the Charlotte Hornets’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
The Hornets followed up a feel-good return to relevance with an uninspired effort last season, leaving fans of the rebranded franchise wondering if the club’s brief dalliance with the postseason was anything more than a simple aberration.
In the wake of that 2016 playoff appearance, the club lost a handful of impactful veterans, won 12 fewer contests, and ultimately returned to the lottery wondering what went wrong.
This summer, then, served as a critical indicator of the club’s frame of mind heading forward, and it didn’t take long for general manager Rich Cho to make it loud and clear that he has no intention of blowing up the squad’s current core anytime soon.
The Hornets were aggressive this summer, pulling off one of the biggest heists of the offseason, drafting pragmatically, and generally supplementing their lineup with genuinely complementary players.
At a time when most fringe playoff squads with little cap flexibility might consider blowing things up and starting a new Process, that’s inspiring in itself.
Pacific Notes: Jackson, Jersey Sponsorship, Clippers
The Kings enter training camp with one of the more interesting rosters in the NBA. Only one of the club’s three first-round picks from the 2017 NBA Draft, however, makes sense as a starter on opening day. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes that Justin Jackson boasts the length and offensive awareness to make an impact out of the gates.
In particular, Jones writes that Jackson impressed the Kings’ coaching staff with how quickly he picked up the team’s offensive and defensive schemes. The fact that he doesn’t need the ball to be effective on offense is another bonus, too.
The fact that Jackson may be the only Kings rookie ready to break the starting lineup right away is merely a product of circumstance. Jones notes that De’Aaron Fox could still be instrumental in his first season with the club, despite the fact that he’ll likely cede starts to veteran George Hill.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Earlier this week, the Lakers announced that they had come to terms on a jersey sponsorship deal with Wish, John Lombardo and Terry Lefton report for the Sports Business Journal. The team specifically sought a sponsor that would appeal to a younger audience and did so with the company behind one of the fastest growing e-commerce apps available.
- It won’t be easy for the Clippers to maintain their status as a 50-win team in the Western Conference, Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register rights. This offseason the roster saw a substantial amount of turnover.
- The Warriors are heavily favored to repeat as NBA champions after maintaining the bulk of their historically successful core, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes. Many other teams, however, made dramatic moves to try to catch them.
Nets Sign Akil Mitchell
The Nets have signed Akil Mitchell, the team announced on Twitter, bringing their training camp roster up to 20 players.
The forward went undrafted out of Virginia in 2014 and has bounced around the G League and international scene ever since.
Mitchell will break camp with a Nets team that boasts a number of serviceable options at the four but few outside of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to write home about.
This isn’t Mitchell’s first exposure to the Nets franchise, he suited up for the club’s Summer League squad in 2015 and was acquired by the club’s G League affiliate last February.
Bucks Sign Joel Anthony
The Bucks have signed veteran big man Joel Anthony to a training camp deal, the team announced in a press release on its website. The 35-year-old veteran finished the 2016/17 campaign with the Spurs but didn’t see much action.
It’s unclear whether or not the 11-year veteran will stick with the young Bucks’ roster considering that they already have Thon Maker, Greg Monroe and John Henson capable of playing the five.
Regardless of Milwaukee’s crowded depth chart, Anthony’s most significant contributions are of the intangible variety. The center has managed to keep signing with new franchises despite having played fewer than 10.0 minutes per game each season since back in 2011/12.