NBPA Investigating If NBA Is Involved In NCAA Scandal
Several schools within the NCAA are under federal investigation for fraud and corruption in recruiting and the National Basketball Players Association is currently reviewing the case to determine whether or not there is a link between those named in the filing and NBA players, Chris Mannix of The Vertical reports.
“We are going to be rigorous in making sure that anybody who is engaged in this misconduct is out, at least in terms of being certified by this [players association] to continue to work with our players,” NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts tells Mannix.
Andy Miller, who is one of the league’s top agents, had his laptop at ASM Sports seized as part of the FBI raid earlier this week. Miller represents Kyle Lowry, Kristaps Porzingis, and Myles Turner among many other NBA players.
Roberts anticipates the scandal will impact the league and its players.
“This is the kind of criminal prosecution that generally results in people, in my words, flipping,” Roberts said. “There are too many close associations between some of the named defendants and people that I know are actively engaged with [NBA] players to think that it won’t have any impact. It will. But it’s almost good news. If people are engaged in this kind of conduct and potentially harming our players, thank you U.S. Attorney’s office, I’ll get right on it and get rid of them.
“This is the sort of thing that keeps me up at night. Our players are literally stalked because of their income by people, most with good intentions, but far too many without. It’s disturbing. I feel badly at the college level because to [an] extent it works. Frankly because these kids are not compensated in ways that would make them able to say no to overtures of that kind of cash. It needs to be addressed in the first instance at the college level, but to the extent it impacts our players, we will figure it out and take care of it.”
LeBron James Talks Wade, Carmelo, Front Office
Longtime friends LeBron James and Dwyane Wade haven’t played alongside each other since Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals. That will change with Wade joining Cleveland on a one-year deal and James is thrilled about the new opportunity, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays.
“I’m happy that we were able to keep him away from everybody else,” James said about Wade choosing Cleveland over other, more lucrative offers. “It’s a guy, come on, man, this is like one of my best friends. It’s kind of like when you start school and you walk into the classroom and you’re not quite sure who your classmates are and when you walk in there and one of your best friends is in there, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is going to be fun. It’s going to be a good class.’ That’s the type of feeling I got.”
Cleveland will employ half of the famous “banana boat” crew, though – had the front office been willing to part with Tristan Thompson – perhaps Carmelo Anthony would have also been playing for the team. James understands that a Melo-to-The Land deal didn’t work out.
“I mean, from a friend perspective, I wish [Anthony] would have came and we could have worked some things out,” James said. “But at the end of the day I think our front office has done a great job and either the Knicks felt or we felt it just didn’t work out. And it worked out for the Thunder. So, like I said, I’ve been pretty much even-keeled this summer. I wish he would have been here. It would have been great to have him. I love Melo’s game. I love D-Wade’s game. I love [Chris Paul‘s] game. You know how I feel about those three but that doesn’t take anything away from what we got in that locker room which is a lot. I look forward to continuing to grow with these guys, especially the new guys.”
James believes that Wade “adds another championship DNA” to the roster and adds that the shooting guard, who will turn 36 this season, can still be counting on to make plays a high level.
“[The addition of Wade] adds to our depth and we were already pretty deep. It adds even more depth and even more playmaking to our team, which obviously you guys saw last year he can still do,” James said.
Central Notes: Parker, Jackson, Stephenson
Bucks GM Jon Horst said the team has had positive discussions with Jabari Parker‘s camp about a contract extension, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The franchise places a high value on Parker, though Velazquez relays that former No. 2 overall pick’s injuries will play a role in the contract negotiations.
If Milwaukee can’t sign Parker to an extension by the deadline, the forward will become a restricted free agent at year’s end and the team can match any offer sheet he signs. Horst signals that the front office is negotiating with this in mind, as Velazquez relays in a full-length piece.
“Hopefully, the goal is to come to an extension agreement,” Horst said. “If we don’t, we want to be in a place where we can have the same type of productive conversations again as a restricted free agent with a player who we value significantly in our franchise.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- While Parker “definitely” wants to be in Milwaukee, he admits that it’s out of his hands, Velazquez passes along in the same piece. “I have no clue [what’s going on] and that’s why I pay [my agent],” Parker said of his contract negotiations with the Bucks. “I let them do all the madness.”
- Reggie Jackson, who has dealt with knee troubles since coming to the Pistons, will begin the season on a minutes limit, Rod Beard of the Detroit News relays via Twitter. “He will be on a minutes limit,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “It will be progressive as the season goes on.”
- Despite the lack of firepower on the offensive, it appears the Pacers plan on unleashing Lance Stephenson as their sixth man, Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star writes.“I love him in that position,” said Pacers General Manager Kevin Pritchard. “It reminds me of [Manu] Ginobili a long time ago. You can’t always get everybody the opportunity to score and make plays in the first five minutes.”
Cavaliers Sign Dwyane Wade
SEPTEMBER 27, 4:09pm: After clearing waivers, Wade has signed his new contract with the Cavs and will report to the team’s evening practice session tonight, says Wojnarowski. Assuming Wade’s signing is official, that means the Cavs have also waived JaCorey Williams, as reported earlier today.
SEPTEMBER 26, 4:37pm: Dwyane Wade plans to sign with Cleveland once he clears waivers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wade agreed to a buyout with the Bulls earlier this week and he’ll be free to sign with any club on Wednesday. Cleveland currently has 20 players under contract–the maximum allowed for training–so an immediate corresponding move will be needed to make the transaction official.
It was reported earlier today that Wade had “no intention of going anywhere” else besides Cleveland and that the two sides were nearing an agreement. The Thunder, Heat, Lakers, Warriors, and Spurs were all linked to the 35-year-old, though it appears Wade simply wants to compete for a championship alongside his good friend LeBron James.
Wade’s deal with the Cavaliers will be for one season at the minimum salary, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The Chicago native is entering his 15th season in the league, meaning his minimum salary will come in at approximately $2.33MM.
Wade was scheduled to make $23.8MM in Chicago this season, but the team’s offseason plans forced him to consider a buyout agreement. The Bulls traded away Jimmy Butler and appear to be in a full rebuild, something that didn’t appeal to Wade. After seemingly amicable negotiations with Chicago’s front office, Wade ended up forfeiting roughly $8MM for the right to be a free agent.
With Wade in the fold, the Cavs could roll at as many as three new starters on opening night, just four months after representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. The team traded away Kyrie Irving this summer, netting Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder along with Ante Zizic and a pair of future picks, and many speculate that the team could slide Kevin Love to the five in order to make room for Crowder in the first unit.
Wade played a career-low 29.9 minutes per contest in Chicago last season and it would be surprising if he tops that mark with Cleveland this year. In 60 games with the Bulls in 2016/17, he averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while posting a player efficiency rating of 18.5.
Photo courtesy of USA Today.
Nuggets, Gary Harris Expected To Reach Agreement On Extension
The Nuggets and Gary Harris are closing in on an extension, according to Matt Moore of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The deadline for the two sides to come to an agreement is October 16.
Harris has one season remaining on his rookie deal and if the two sides do not reach an agreement by mid-October, he’ll become one of the more coveted restricted free agents in the 2018 class. The Nuggets would have the ability to match any offer sheet the shooting guard signs and I’d speculate that the price tag on Harris will only go up if he has another year to showcase himself in Denver’s high-scoring offense before putting pen to paper.
Harris sported a career-high 16.5 player efficiency rating while knocking down 42.0% of his shots behind the arc in 2016/17. Various injuries prevented him from suiting up in 25 games last season, which is something that could hurt him in future negotiations. However, he’s steadily improved since being drafted with the No. 19 overall pick in 2014 and the potential for more improvement is easy to see.
GM Tim Connelly expressed his desire to keep Harris on the team when he addressed the media at the end of the 2016/17 campaign.“Gary’s going to be here for a long, long time,” Connelly said. “He’s a guy that kind of embodies everything that we’re trying to be, both as a player and as a person,”
Denver is also working on an extension with Will Barton, though Barton’s deadline for a deal isn’t until next summer since he isn’t on a rookie contract. Both Barton and Harris are expected to be major contributors for a team hoping to reach the postseason for the first time since the spring of 2013.
Fallout From The Nikola Mirotic Deal
Nikola Mirotic, who recently came to terms with Chicago on a two-year deal, knew all along that he would play another game with the Bulls, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Mirotic added that he was prepared to play under his qualifying offer, which would have paid him approximately $7.23MM this season, if the Bulls didn’t present him with a desirable offer.
Mirotic’s new deal will pay him $27MM over the next two years, though the contract contains a team option for the 2018/19 campaign. He knows that he would have brought home a much larger contract had he hit the market just one year prior, but he remains grateful for the opportunity to play in Chicago.
“If I was in this position like last year, you know, I’m sure that I would get much more pay, but it’s just not about the money, to be honest,’’ Mirotic said (via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times). “Coming from Europe, I was very happy there with the contract, and it’s more about being happy where you are, feeling comfortable with you and your family. I knew that my wife, my son, would be very happy in Chicago, too, so it was a goal.’’
Here’s more on Mirotic:
- Mirotic’s salary for the 2017/18 season is guaranteed for $12.5MM, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Lowe adds that the power forward could earn an additional $1MM in incentives this season.
- According to Mirotic, the Bulls want to play a different style of offense than they have in the past, Vincent Goodwill of Comcast Sportsnet relays (Twitter links).“We want to play fast. No more holding the ball. We’re not gonna be bad like people think,” Mirotic said. Goodwill believes that Mirotic’s comments were meant as a shot toward Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, both of whom are no longer on the squad.
- Coach Fred Hoiberg indicates that Mirotic will compete with Bobby Portis and No. 7 overall pick Lauri Markkanen for the starting power forward spot, as Cowley relays in the aforementioned piece. The 26-year-old looks forward to earning his spot.“Whatever they ask me to do, I will try to do my best,’’ Mirotic said. “I think playing [the four or five], it depends on the style that Fred looks for in me.”
2017 Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Lakers
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 Los Angeles Lakers.
Signings:
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: One year, $17.746MM.
- Tyler Ennis: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed.
- Andrew Bogut: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($50K).
- Alex Caruso: Two-way contract. One year.
Camp invitees:
- V.J. Beachem: One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
- Vander Blue: One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
- Briante Weber: One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
- Stephen Zimmerman: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Trades:
- Acquired Brook Lopez and the draft rights to Kyle Kuzma (No. 27 pick) from the Nets in exchange for D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.
- Acquired the draft rights to Josh Hart (No. 30 pick) and the draft rights to Thomas Bryant (No. 42 pick) from the Jazz in exchange for the draft rights to Tony Bradley (No. 28 pick).
Draft picks:
- 1-2: Lonzo Ball — Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-27: Kyle Kuzma — Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-30: Josh Hart — Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-42: Thomas Bryant — Signed to two-year, minimum salary contract. Second year non-guaranteed.
Departing players:
- Tarik Black
- Timofey Mozgov
- David Nwaba (waived)
- Thomas Robinson
- D’Angelo Russell
- Metta World Peace
- Nick Young
Other offseason news:
- Fined $500K for tampering with Pacers/Paul George.
- Re-branded G-League affiliate. Formerly known as Los Angeles D-Fenders, franchise is now South Bay Lakers.
Salary cap situation:
- Started under the cap and used all cap space. Currently carrying approximately $101MM in guaranteed salary. Full room exception ($4.328MM) still available.
Check out the Los Angeles Lakers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
Magic Johnson entered his first offseason as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations with a clear objective: set the stage for a star-studded 2018 free agency.
Johnson hired former player agent Rob Pelinkia as the team’s GM, something that may help with recruiting big names to the Lakers’ organization. He refrained from adding substantial salary to the future books in free agency, a mistake of the previous regime. And he cleared long-term salary in the D’Angelo Russell trade by attaching Timofey Mozgov to the former No. 2 overall pick in a deal that yielded Brook Lopez and the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 draft (Kyle Kuzma) from the Nets.
If the organization makes a few smaller-scale moves at some point, such as moving Jordan Clarkson or other players on manageable contracts, it will have the ability to add multiple max-salary free agents next offseason. Maintaining flexibility trumped the desire to contend immediately and with Johnson running the show, the strategy could easily be lauded as soon as next July.
Community Shootaround: Carmelo Anthony Trade
Carmelo Anthony will head to the Thunder after the team struck a deal with the Knicks to bring the 10-time All-Star to the club.
OKC gave up Enes Kanter, who performed admirably off the bench last season before struggling in the playoffs, Doug McDermott, and a future second-rounder for what could be just one season of Melo. The small forward can opt to become a free agent next summer, though that would mean giving up nearly $28MM in salary for the 2018/19 campaign.
For the Knicks, getting Melo to expand his list of teams beyond the Rockets was a step in the right direction. The front office didn’t want to enter training camp with Anthony and the potential distraction of having a disgruntled future Hall of Famer surrounding the team. With the Cavs and Thunder included on Melo’s revised list, the organization scoured deals and pulled the trigger on one that doesn’t particularly help them in the short term.
Kanter should be productive on the offensive end, but his struggles on the defensive end, coupled with the team’s abundance of frontcourt options, will limit the big man’s ability to positively impact the game. McDermott, who’s a former lottery pick, will be given a chance to shine in the league’s biggest market, though there’s not much evidence that he’ll be successful with an expanded role.
The return that the Knicks received signals that they are content with coasting through this season near the bottom of the standings with the hopes of landing a top pick in the 2018 draft.
It’s not as blatant of a tank job as the one that took place two hours south in Philadelphia, but two plans share very similar principles and it makes sense based on where this team is in its current state. New York couldn’t net a blue-chip asset in a deal for the 33-year-old, so the best course of action was to manufacture one via its own 2018 first-rounder. The Knicks will likely be among the worst teams in the east this season, though the chance of landing a top prospect next June will inspire hope in their fan base.
Do you believe the Knicks took the best course of action trading Melo to the Thunder or was keeping him the better option? Houston appeared to be willing to send Ryan Anderson to the Knicks for Anthony. Is this trade better than receiving an Anderson-centered package? Was there another trade with one of the team’s on Melo’s list that made more sense for the Knicks?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Trey Burke Backs Out Of Deal With OKC
Trey Burke and Thunder appeared to be coming close on a deal to add the point guard to OKC, but Burke has decided against joining the club at this time, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. Burke will return to the free agent market and look for another opportunity.
The Michigan product was dealt to the Wizards last offseason and was expected to be the team’s answer at the backup one spot. However, he fell out of the rotation after the team inked Brandon Jennings and the organization opted against extending a qualifying offer to him at year’s end.
As Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors noted earlier today, Burke previously received interest from the Knicks. The timing of the deal suggests that the Carmelo Anthony trade had something to do with the point guard’s decision, though that is merely my speculation. Perhaps the lure of playing for the Knicks, a team that’s now void of superior offensive talent outside of Kristaps Porzingis, or the fact that another perimeter threat is heading to OKC caused Burke to reconsider his prior commitment.
Since being drafted with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2013 draft, Burke has averaged 10.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. He shot a career-high 44.3% from behind the arc last season, though it was on just 1.2 attempts per game.
Five Key Stories: 9/16/17-9/23/17
Missed this week’s biggest NBA headlines? We’ve got a recap for you. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
The Thunder and Knicks agreed to a deal that will send Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a future second-rounder. 
The Knicks didn’t want to enter training camp with the distraction of having an unresolved situation with their disgruntled All-Star and they were able to find a deal after Anthony expanded his list of teams in which he would accept a trade to. For Oklahoma City, it’s another move during an offseason that is clearly about making the 2017/18 Thunder team more competitive regardless of long-term risk. Anthony, summer acquisition Paul George and reigning MVP Russell Westbrook can all become free agents next July. At least until then, OKC will have a trio that rivals any other in the league.
The Lakers added Andrew Bogut on a one-year deal. After breaking his leg during his only appearance for the Cavs last season, Bogut will suit up for Los Angeles where he will compete for backup minutes at the five behind offseason addition Brook Lopez.
Bucks reached deals to add several veterans this week. The team will bring in Gerald Green, Brandon Rush, and Kendall Marshall. Green, who contributed to the Celtics’ postseason run to the Conference Finals last season, and Marshall, who spent last season in the G-League, will have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot during training camp. While he signed for the minimum, Rush is the favorite to remain on the roster past opening night.
Alex Len decided he will play under a one-year qualifying offer this season. Just like Nerlens Noel found out, the restricted free agency market isn’t as lucrative as it has been in years past, especially for traditional centers. As a result, Len will play out the year in Phoenix and take another stab at the market as unrestricted free agent next summer.
The Sixers are still looking to trade Jahlil Okafor. Philadelphia is optimistic about coming to terms with Joel Embiid on an extension, which means there won’t be much of competition for the five spot in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future. It’s somewhat shocking that Okafor remains on the roster after two straight years of trade speculation, though that could simply be a result of a suppressed center market.
Here are 10 more notable NBA stories from the last week:
- News broke that the Wolves and Andrew Wiggins are expected to finalize an extension soon.
- Markieff Morris underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
- The Pelicans were able to bring back Dante Cunningham. The team also added Martell Webster to a training camp contract.
- The Suns signed former no. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett.
- The Sixers signed Kris Humphries to a non-guaranteed deal.
- Aaron Brooks found a deal with the Wolves.
- The NBA modified how it will handle fouls on continuation plays as well as closeouts.
- It was also reported that the NBA will examine its current revenue sharing system, as a number of franchises lost money during the 2017/18 season.
- Suns acquired Tony Daniels from the Grizzlies.
- Thomas Robinson found a deal in Russia.
Photo courtesy of USA Today