Central Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Korver, Wade
The Pistons have known all along that the pending free agency of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be tough to handle, but it would be an easier pill to swallow were they winning at the rate they enjoyed in 2015/16. According to Pistons.com editor Keith Langlois, Caldwell-Pope’s agents could use Allen Crabbe‘s four-year, $72MM deal with the Trail Blazers as a precedent and then ask for considerably more.
In four seasons with Detroit, Caldwell-Pope has established himself as a gritty, lockdown defender who doesn’t take plays off. While his relatively modest 14.4 points per game (14.5 last season) do little to justify his case as a big money player to those who haven’t seen him play, his reputation is what has earned him the trust of head coach Stan Van Gundy.
Caldwell-Pope averaged 36.7 minutes per game last season as the Pistons crept into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Only three players, James Harden, Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler played more for their respective teams.
The Pistons already have four players owed over $10MM next season, including Andre Drummond who will collect $23.8MM, but the team will see Josh Smith‘s $14MM wiped as consolation.
Elsewhere in the Central Division:
- In light of the Cavaliers‘ recent deal for Kyle Korver, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio explores what could be next for the team. Per Amico, Mario Chalmers and Jarrett Jack are among the names that could be added as a backup point guard.
- Former teammate of LeBron James and current Bulls guard, Dwyane Wade spoke with Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago regarding the Korver deal. “You want the politically correct answer, or the other one? The rich getting richer,” said Wade of the Cavaliers.
- There are several reasons why the Korver trade could shift the balance of power to the Cavaliers, writes Keith Smart of RealGM in a recap of the deal. Smart expects Korver’s numbers to surge like Channing Frye‘s did when he was acquired late last season.
Magic Waive Arinze Onuaku
The Magic have waived Arinze Onuaku, the team has announced over Twitter. The announcement came after Friday’s game against the Rockets, a significant contest in that it featured Onuaku’s brother Chinanu Onuaku.
In eight games for the Magic this season, the 29-year-old forward averaged just 3.5 points per game, he was signed to a one-year deal in September after impressing the team in Summer League
Onuaku’s release comes on the eve of January 7, the last day that teams can waive players with partially guaranteed contracts.
Previously Onuaku has seen limited action with Cavaliers, Timberwolves and Pelicans.
And-Ones: Big Men, San Francisco, Designated Veterans
The NBA has changed dramatically over the years, especially within the last five seasons as teams have moved away from banging in the paint in order to field lineups that do more damage than ever beyond the three-point line. Zach Lowe of ESPN wonders if the style shift could endanger traditional big men.
“Post-up bigs who can’t shoot threes or defend smaller players — Greg Monroe, Jahlil Okafor, Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter, Nikola Vucevic — have already been relegated to bench roles,” he writes.
In addition to that, other prominent traditional bigs have had to bolster their games with new, modern weapons. Both Brook Lopez and Marc Gasol have significantly increased the amount of threes they shoot, lest they fall behind the times.
The shifting tide is of particular significance to Brett Brown and the Sixers as Joel Embiid comes into his own during his rookie campaign with Philadelphia. Bob Ford of The Inquirer wrote about questions facing the organization as they double down on a young man whose physical makeup conjures memories of a bygone era:
Fortunately for the Philly faithful who’ve trusted the process, Brown has had years to plan for exactly that.
“Our sport is a pick-and-roll sport,” Brown tells Ford. “And, at the end of the day, it’s a 1-5 pick-and-roll. So, let’s load up. When it’s nut-cutting time with two minutes left, that’s what matters most. You might say, ‘Joel can’t play with speed.’ Yes, he can. He can play with speed enough.”
Only time will tell how this modern style will evolve over the years, for now it’s a trend worth monitoring as teams across the league scramble to keep up.
Other stories from throughout the NBA:
- The Warriors may not go through with the rebranding campaign that would have the franchise formally change their name to the San Francisco Warriors, writes Comcast SportsNet’s Monte Poole. Team president Rick Welts recently spoke about the plan. “The team’s success has caused us to really rethink whether or not that’s something we should or want to do,” said Welts.
- In a chat with readers earlier today, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton stressed how significant he thinks the the new designated veteran player rule will be heading forward. The new rule in the recently ratified collective bargaining agreement will give team’s an unprecedented ability to retain organizational talent. “I would caution that because of the designated veteran player rule, it’s going to be harder to get [great talent] via free agency. The days of signing stars in their prime are close to over,” he said.
- Though he had previously voiced an interest in playing one more year, Matt Bonner has officially retired from the NBA. Bonner released a satirical video on The Players’ Tribune announcing his decision. Bonner played for the Spurs for the past nine seasons.
Atlantic Notes: Butler, Wright, Thomas
Lost in the headlines coming out of Atlanta are rumors that the Bulls may look to shop Jimmy Butler. Such an idea isn’t particularly new – the All-Star was said to be on the block during the 2016 NBA Draft – but the impact of such a deal would be significant. Two Atlantic Division teams, the Celtics and Sixers, have been linked to the Bulls swingman and may or may not be in the mix of clubs looking to attain him.
While Keith Pompey of The Inquirer thinks that Butler would be a good fit with the Sixers alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet speculates that the Celtics may not have enough to get a deal done. The C’s have been said to be seeking a star, but Blakely suggests that Chicago will be looking for a “major haul” that Boston wouldn’t be able to meet.
Over the course of the next few weeks, teams will continue to inquire about the Bulls All-Star as he averages 25.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Butler is owed $17.6MM this season and is signed through 2020.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Out of action since Summer League, Delon Wright is creeping ever closer to making his return to action for the Raptors. Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News writes that the sophomore guard will begin playing 3-on-3 next week for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery. Sorensen writes that Wright may not see action until “possibly next month.”
- The Raptors and Celtics already had a tough road ahead of them in the Eastern Conference, but Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver writes that the recent acquisition of Kyle Korver could spur them to be bolder as the trade deadline approaches.
- We wrote about Isaiah Thomas‘ emergence as a star earlier this week, but Comcast SportsNet has recently put together five reasons why the point guard should be considered a max contract player. The Celtics could soon renegotiate the contract that he first signed with the Suns in 2014.
- The D-League affiliate of the Nets has acquired the rights to recently waived R.J. Hunter, the team writes in a press release. Hunter had previously played for the Bulls, though only saw action in three games this season.
Trail Blazers Officially Acquire First-Round Pick
The Cavaliers and Trail Blazers have finalized the trade that was first reported on Thursday night, the team writes in a press release. The deal will see Portland return the 2018 first-round pick they acquired from Cleveland last season in exchange for Cleveland’s unprotected 2017 first-round pick.
The deal sets the stage for the Cavs to acquire Kyle Korver and gives the Trail Blazers a pair of first-round picks in a draft that’s already being touted as incredibly exciting and loaded with high-end talent even outside of the Top 10.
The Blazers had originally acquired Cleveland’s 2018 first-round pick in last February’s Anderson Varajao deal, but the Cavs needed to reacquire it in order to work around the Ted Stepien Rule, which prohibits teams from dealing first-round picks in consecutive future years. The Cavaliers have reportedly committed to sending Atlanta their 2019 first-round pick, thus their need to reacquire a first-round pick for 2018.
Mavs Waive Pierre Jackson
5:14pm: According to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News, the Mavs may look to reacquire Jackson after he clears waivers. They’ll be eligible to sign him to a 10-day contract on January 14, provided he clears waivers on Tuesday.
4:19pm: The Mavs have waived Pierre Jackson, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. The point guard played just four games with Dallas after signing on with the club on December 27. Used sparingly during his brief tenure in Texas, Jackson averaged 3.0 points and 1.8 assists per game.
Prior to inking the two-year deal with the Mavs, Jackson thrived with Dallas’ D-League affiliate. The 25-year-old was a 42nd overall pick by the Sixers in 2013, but hadn’t tasted NBA action until making his debut in December.
Heat Apply For Disabled Player Exception
The Heat have applied for a disabled player exception in light of the recent injury to forward Justise Winslow, tweets Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald. The news comes on the heels of Winslow’s successful but presumably season-ending procedure to repair a torn labrum that he suffered last week.
Although the surgery went well according to a release published on the team’s website, the club will look to add an extra body heading into the second half of the season. Teams have until January 15 to apply for one of the disabled player exceptions and if approved are free to sign a replacement player making up to either 50% of the injured player’s salary or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lower.
In Miami’s case, should the application be granted, they’ll be free to sign somebody worth up to approximately $1.3MM due to Winslow’s $2.6MM deal without it using up cap space. Though not applicable in this scenario, the non-taxpayer mid-level exception for 2016-17 is $5.6MM.
The Heat are currently down a roster spot already considering that Chris Bosh has yet to be medically cleared to play for the team. In Bosh’s case, the Heat retain the option to apply for a disabled player exception worth the full non-taxpayer MLE, but appear instead to be holding onto Bosh with the intent of waiving him and potentially clearing his contract from their books altogether. More on Bosh’s contract situation in this October feature by USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt.
With Winslow out, one potential replacement that has been mentioned by The Palm Beach Post’s Anthony Chiang is Briante Weber. Weber has thrived this season with Miami’s D-League affiliate and was one of the last cut from the team after training camp. As of Thursday, Chiang notes, teams have been eligible to sign players to 10-day contracts.
Salary information from HoopsHype was used in this report.
Hawks Waive Ryan Kelly
The Hawks have parted ways with Ryan Kelly, per ESPN’s Marc Stein on Twitter. In five games with the club this season, Kelly posted 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game, never truly breaking into the team’s rotation.
Though opportunities were limited during his time in Atlanta, Kelly averaged 6.5 points in over 20 minutes per game across three seasons with the Lakers from 2013-16.
Since the summer, the 25-year-old has been in and out of a job. In September the Hawks first signed the forward but ultimately waived him, he then signed on briefly with Boston only to be cut the following day.
Signed again by Atlanta on October 31, Kelly was set to make $1MM this season, with a modest raise in 2017/18.
Cavaliers Finalizing Deal For Kyle Korver
JANUARY 6, 2:11pm: The Cavs are shipping out Mo Williams as part of the deal, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal confirms (Twitter link).
JANUARY 6, 9:08am: The Hawks and Cavs are working on finding a third team for Dunleavy, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. If they can’t find a taker, Atlanta will keep the small-forward.
JANUARY 5, 8:13pm: The trade has not yet been finalized, but the way things appear to sit now involve the Cavaliers sending Mike Dunleavy Jr. and a 2019 first-round pick to the Hawks in exchange for Kyle Korver. It’s also been reported that Dunleavy could be flipped to a third team prior to Friday’s trade call. Earlier updates had Mo Williams and possibly Cedi Osman involved.
In a separate trade, the Cavaliers are sending their 2017 first-round pick to the Trail Blazers in order to re-acquire their own 2018 first-round pick that, per The Oregonian’s Tim Brown, they gave up in the Anderson Varejao deal last February.
JANUARY 5, 7:36pm: According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Cavaliers have also made a separate trade with the Trail Blazers. They’ll trade their 2017 first-round pick to Portland in order to get their 2018 first-round pick back. He also tweets that Cleveland’s 2019 first-round pick will be on its way to Atlanta.
JANUARY 5, 7:28pm: Wojnarowski now reports that the Cavs will send Mike Dunleavy Jr. to the Hawks and that he’ll likely move on to a third team, though it’s not clear what team that will be. Dunleavy Jr. makes $4.8MM this season, with a team option for next season.
JANUARY 5, 7:15pm: Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets that he hears that the retired – but still tradable – Mo Williams is Atlanta-bound, along with a heavily protected first-round pick from the Cavaliers. He also confirms on Twitter, that the Cavs can absorb Korver’s salary if they wish, via the Anderson Varejao trade exception.
JANUARY 5, 7:08pm: According to Hawks beat writer Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Hawks hadn’t confirmed the deal as of 6:47pm CST, but coach Mike Budenholzer had pulled Korver aside. Vivlamore adds that a Cavaliers executive was in Atlanta last week to watch the sharpshooter. Finally, Vivlamore tweets that Cedi Osman could be among the package going to Atlanta. The 2015 second-round pick is currently playing in Turkey.
JANUARY 5, 6:56pm: The Cavaliers are finalizing a deal that will land them Kyle Korver, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski. While the exact terms being discussed aren’t currently available, what’s known now is that wheels are in motion for the 35-year-old veteran to join the reigning champions.
Over the course of the last five years with the Hawks, Korver has established himself as an elite deep threat and was even named to the All-Star team in 2015. He’ll now join a Cavaliers team that’s seen three-point specialists like Channing Frye and J.R. Smith thrive thanks to the spacing created by its stars.
Korver is on the final year of a contract worth $5.3MM and while the Cavaliers are currently well over the cap, it’s worth noting that they hold four outstanding trade exceptions, including one worth $9.6MM that is set to expire in February.
According to Justin Verrier of ESPN, as of 6:52pm CST, Korver was still warming up on the court prior to Atlanta’s Wednesday night game against New Orleans.
Kings Very Interested In Paul Millsap
JANUARY 5, 8:31pm: Sources have confirmed Vivlamore’s tweet that the Kings have expressed interest in Millsap, tweets Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy.
JANUARY 5, 8:11pm: The Kings are “very interested” in Paul Millsap tweets Hawks beat reporter Chris Vivlamore. The reporter’s comments come in light of the Wednesday night Kyle Korver trade and the ensuing comment from The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Hawks are in active trade talks with several teams.
In an article about the Korver trade, The Vertical’s Shams Charania echoed the sentiment:
Atlanta is engaged in discussions with several teams on forward Paul Millsap, and the organization is motivated to move him sooner rather than later, sources said. Toronto, Denver, Sacramento and Philadelphia have expressed an interest in Millsap, who can become a free agent in July.
Millsap’s name has been a staple in rumors this season, but the Korver deal proves to be the biggest indication that the team is ready to officially begin their rebuild. Jeff Schultz, also of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, suggested as much in a feature Wednesday night.
In a separate article from Tuesday, Vivlamore wrote that Atlanta was doing its due diligence on all of Millsap, Korver, Thabo Sefalosha, Kris Humphries and Tiago Splitter so as to gauge their trade value.
Still, the Korver trade is notably significant because it represents a deviation from the path the team was publicly said to be pursuing. Per Vivlamore in a third feature, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told Millsap as recently as Tuesday that the team’s main focus was on winning games now.