Draft Notes: Fultz, Swanigan, Allen, Ball
Markelle Fultz will interview with several teams at the combine, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. The projected No.1 pick will meet with the Celtics, Suns, Lakers, Sixers, Kings, and Knicks.
You can find the odds that each of those teams has at landing the top pick here. The Kings are a notable inclusion to Fultz’s meetings, as they will hand their selection over to the Sixers via a pick swap should they land the No. 1 slot.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- The Knicks will meet with Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan on Thursday, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News passes along via Twitter. The big man is the 29th best prospect, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
- Jarrett Allen will meet with the Sixers are Thursday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Givony pegs Allen as the 11th best prospect in the draft.
- Will Lonzo Ball‘s father cause teams to pass on the UCLA product? ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla doesn’t believe so, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News relays. “I doubt that will happen. I really do. The kid seems to be a great kid, an absolute delight to deal with and he was a great teammate. So that’s not going to be a big issue,” Fraschilla said.
Eastern Notes: Cavs, Thomas, George
LeBron James came back to the Cavaliers prior to the 2014/15 season and since then, the King’s team has appeared to be a tight-knit group, as evidenced by the elaborate handshakes which can be witnessed in the pregame. The pregame festivities elicited a response from coach Tyronn Lue, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays.
“I wish we could remember some of the defensive schemes that well,” Lue joked. “Guys come to the side, ‘My bad. I forgot.’ But they remember all this and all that.”
Cleveland’s biggest issues this year are on the defensive end and it’s carried over into the postseason. While the defense does not appear to be championship-caliber, the offense certainly does. The Cavs lead all teams this postseason with an offensive rating of 117.0. As they wait to find out who they will play in the next round, check out some notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Isaiah Thomas was fined $25K for directing inappropriate language toward a fan, according to NBA.com. The incident occurred in Game 3 of the Celtics‘ series against the Wizards.
- Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star believes the Pacers have a shot at landing Gordon Hayward if Paul George signs an extension this summer. George’s decision will ultimately dictate which direction the franchise heads in and if the 4-time All-Star sticks around long-term, Indiana could become an attractive free agent destination.
- Tony Snell will be a restricted free agent this summer and it wouldn’t be surprising if he lands a deal in the $10-12MM range, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes. Snell came to the Bucks in a preseason trade from the Bulls and he’s carved out a substantial role on his new squad.
Which Players Are Helping Their Free Agent Stock The Most This Postseason?
The NBA playoffs are a different animal than the regular season beast. The stakes are higher on a night-to-night basis, rotations are shortened, and the margin for error approaches zero. The league notices which players thrive in the NBA’s second season and those players can sometimes reap lucrative deals as a result of their performance.
Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders compiles a list of which soon-to-be free agents have improved their stocks the most this spring. Jonathon Simmons, JaMychal Green, JaVale McGee, Joe Ingles, and Andre Roberson were the five players who made the scribe’s list, which is in no particular order. Hoops Rumors has decided to take it a step further and rank the players based on the change in perceived market value (it’s worth noting that we are purely speculating). Here’s our rankings of the aforementioned players:
- JaVale McGee (UFA): Entering the postseason, it was unclear if McGee would see the floor. However, he’s carved out a nice role off the bench in limited minutes (11.4 per postseason game) and he should continue to give Golden State a shot-blocking threat for the remainder of their playoff run. He’s making the minimum this year, but it wouldn’t be out of the question for a rival team to offer him an annual salary of $7-10MM with the hopes that he could handle a slightly larger role.
- JaMychal Green (RFA): The Grizzlies entered the 2016/17 season with questionable depth and they badly needed one of their fridge rotation pieces to step up. Green answered the call, showcasing his ability to help the team off the bench. He shot 43.8% from behind the arc this postseason and provided tremendous defense on both post players and wings. He proved he can play when the lights shine the brightest.
- Joe Ingles (RFA): Ingles was a key rotation player for the Jazz all season and he stepped up when it matter most against the Clippers in the team’s opening series. He proved he can contribute to a playoff-caliber team and with the demand for wings with three-point range, he could see a sizable raise on his current $2.15MM salary.
- Jonathon Simmons (RFA): Gregg Popovich continues to show the world how much he trusts Simmons by playing him in crucial situations during San Antonio’s playoff run. The small forward has displayed excellent defensive skills and it wouldn’t be surprising if a rival team hands him an offer sheet that’s simply too lucrative for the Spurs to match.
- Andre Roberson (RFA): Taylor notes that Roberson may have been the second most important player on the Thunder this postseason. While that’s probably true, it’s more of a testament to the team’s roster than it is to Robinson’s impact. The small forward displayed tremendous perimeter defense, though he was a liability on the offensive end and no Thunder player other than Russell Westbrook looked particularly impressive this postseason. Heading into the playoffs, the 25-year-old defender was already in line to see a raise on his current salary. It’s hard to argue that the playoffs increased his value all that much.
Agree with the list? Believe another player belongs on it or that is should be rearranged? Let us know in the comment section below!
Thunder Notes: Durant, Kanter, Alkins
The Thunder are unlikely to add another star via free agency, Jon Hamm of Daily Thunder explains. High-priced extensions for Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams will kick in this summer and the duo will go from making a combined $9,693,477 this year to earning a combined $43,471,911 next season.
The team will have approximately $110MM in guaranteed salary on the book next season, as our Cap Digest page indicates. With the salary cap expected to come in around $101MM, it appears Oklahoma City will have to use the trade market if it intends to add a major piece.
Here’s more from Oklahoma City:
- Kendrick Perkins, who played with both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant for four-plus seasons, said the two All-Stars are “back on talking terms.” He believes there’s a chance that Durant will head back to OKC at some point in the future, as ESPN.com relays. “I wouldn’t be surprised — if KD makes a little run, I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes back to Oklahoma,” Perkins said. “Because in my opinion, I don’t think Russ is going anywhere. He’s that type of guy. He just wants to stick it out, and he just wants you to give him those pieces and he just wants to roll with it. He’s not going and trying to run and chase [titles]. And one thing about it, he’s not begging nobody to come play with him.”
- Erik Horne of The Oklahoman wonders if the Thunder will trade Enes Kanter this summer. The center didn’t have a strong defensive performance in the postseason and Horne notes that during the team’s playoff series against the Rockets, coach Billy Donovan appeared to say “Can’t play Kanter” to assistant coach Maurice Cheeks. Kanter only played a total of 45 minutes during OKC’s five playoff games.
- Arizona’s Rawle Alkins worked out for the Thunder last weekend, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog tweets. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express has Alkins as the 78th-best prospect in the upcoming draft.
Nets Notes: Booker, Dudley, Johnson
Trevor Booker learned early in his career that he didn’t need to be a star to make it in the league. During his rookie year on the Wizards, he realized that he needed to find his niche.
“That’s actually been my approach ever since I came into the league,” Booker said (via Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype). “Coming into Washington, we had John Wall, who had been the No. 1 overall pick. He’s doing great right now, by the way. They were focused on him. You could see that their main focus was on John Wall, which was fine. I understood it. I had to learn then that it wasn’t about me. I wasn’t in college anymore. I realized that I needed to find my niche. I had to earn every minute and whoever I was playing against, whether it was in a game or in a practice, I had to [work hard]. I knew I had to do that to stay in this league.”
Booker found his niche as a locker room leader and when the Nets signed him last offseason, they expected him to be a veteran mentor to his young teammates. He proved to be a valuable addition and he’s enjoying his role in Brooklyn.
“I just try to tell them what I’ve been through and how I’ve stuck around in the league for seven years. I just let them know that you don’t have to be a superstar; you don’t have to go out there and score 30 points a night to make your name known and stick around in the league. You have to find your niche, work at it and do [your job] well. You don’t have to go out there and be a hero. I try to show them, as an example, look at me. I’ve averaged probably 6 points over my career and I’m going into my eighth year and still going strong. That’s the type of the thing that I’d try to instill in them,” Booker added.
Here’s more from Brooklyn:
- Booker believes both GM Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson have done excellent jobs in year one of their tenures, as he tells Kennedy in the same piece. “[Marks] definitely gets it, and he’s an intelligent guy. I think he did a pretty good job this year of trying to change the culture…Then, with Coach Atkinson, he does a great job of developing players. Just watching him throughout the season, he’d be on the court working with players and showing them different things. And that’s the kind of thing that players need, especially young players,” Booker said.
- The Nets were interested in signing Marvin Williams and Jared Dudley last offseason in part because of their respective reputations as excellent locker room leaders, Charles Maniego of SB Nation notes. Both players signed elsewhere and Brooklyn decided to add Randy Foye and Booker to mentor the young roster. Maniego also relays that adding high character players will again be a priority for the franchise this offseason.
- Amir Johnson could be an option for the Nets in free agency, Maniego opines in the same piece. The power forward was named “Teammate of the Year” by the Celtics last season.
Eastern Notes: Lowry, Rose, Magic
Kyle Lowry has seven days from the date of the Raptors’ final playoff game to make a decision on his player option for next season, Bobby Marks of The Vertical notes. Lowry is expected to test the free agent market and Toronto must figure out what kind of offer would make sense. In addition to Lowry, the team will also have to worry about retaining Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker, and Patrick Patterson.
The team has roughly $76MM in guaranteed contracts on the books for next season. Re-signing all their players may be difficult, but finding replacements on the market with only $25MM of cap space will be an even harder feat.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Derrick Rose, who will be a free agent this summer, will likely need to take a short-term deal and prove he’s healthy, Marks adds in the same piece. The scribe adds that Rose may be best suited to play off the ball at this point in his career.
- The Magic are looking for a strong presence to lead the basketball operations side of the front office while CEO Alex Martins runs the business side, sources tell Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. It was previously reported that Orlando may try to poach Larry Bird for that role, however, Bontemps believes that kind of move is unlikely for the former Celtics great.
- Terrence Ross, who was sent to the Magic mid-season, is embracing the challenge of helping Orlando get back to the NBA’s second season, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. “Everything counts when you’re trying to make it to the playoffs or chase the trophy,” Ross said. “It’s a whole bunch of things that goes into it. You’ve got to make sure you’re playing the game right with pure heart, understand what it takes to win. I think that’s what we’re trying to figure out here.”
The Latest On Andre Roberson
Andre Roberson will be a restricted free agent this summer and GM Sam Presti is optimistic that Roberson will return to the Thunder, as Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman relays.
“Every indication we’ve had from Dre and from his people, his agent, is that he loves playing here,” Presti said. “And I’ve always said this to everybody before: When the player shows an interest in being here, it really exponentially helps your opportunity to get a contract done if you would like to.”
Oklahoma City has the ability to match any offer sheet Roberson receives, but Presti cautioned that another team extending an offer “decreases the chances” that the 25-year-old will return.
The Thunder and Roberson’s camp discussed an extension last fall, but the two sides weren’t able to come to an agreement. Presti said the talks were “productive and collaborative,” and the team hopes that they can consummate a deal this time around.
“We need them to be fair with us,” Presti said. “We have to be fair with them and try to find a common ground.”
Details On Warriors’ Recruitment Of Kevin Durant
When Kevin Durant spurned the Thunder to come to the Warriors, many assumed it was in part, because he had formed a friendship with Stephen Curry during Team USA competition. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case, as Draymond Green was the catalyst for the 2013/14 MVP’s arrival, Ethan Sherwood Strauss writes in his last article for ESPN.
Owner Joe Lacob reportedly told friends and ex-colleagues about Green’s efforts during a speech at his old venture capital firm. “Draymond Green started off hard sell, and he was great,” Lacob said of Green’s pitch to Durant. “He gave the heavy pitch, which no one else there would have done, except for me, because I’m basically the Draymond Green of the business side.”
Strauss adds that Lacob is a huge advocate of Green and while the owner doesn’t regularly visit the locker room, if he does, chances are it’s to congratulate Green.
Sources tell Strauss that the Warriors had to approach Curry and ask him to join the recruitment efforts in free agency last summer. Curry obliged and he reportedly sent a text to Durant explaining how it didn’t matter who the face of the franchise was going to be and it certainly didn’t matter who sold more shoes. Curry has a deal with Under Armour, while Nike has Durant.
Curry’s been exceptionally adaptable during Durant’s first year with the squad. He didn’t take exception when Nike sent the entire team a pair of Durant’s kicks, which is why you’ll find more Golden State players wearing Nikes than UAs. Strauss notes that Curry doesn’t get recognition from ownership, citing Lacob’s previous “It’s not just Steph Curry” comment as well as Curry’s absence from the organization’s ground-breaking ceremony. Both the Warriors and Curry insist the point guard wasn’t there because of a scheduling conflict. However, it’s worth noting that Lacob thanked a list of people, including Kevin Durant, but left out Curry— who’s below market contract was paramount to the franchise’s ability to construct its super team.
Curry may not have quarterbacked the Durant pitch, but Strauss contends that his off the court actions were critical to team’s success over the past year. Green was the most aggressive in the recruitment efforts, but Curry’s acceptance of a marginalized role facilitated the making of a juggernaut.
Dwight Howard’s Trade Value At All-Time Low?
Dwight Howard returned home to Atlanta last offseason on a three-year deal worth $70MM and the partnership got off to a solid start. Howard was able to play 74 regular season games, in which he averaged a double-double per night. He looked somewhat rejuvenated on the defensive end, appearing to be over the back issues that plagued him over the past few seasons.
As the season progressed, his role was marginalized and he recently lashed about against the Hawks. “I want to play. I want to be out on the floor. I want to make a difference. I want to make an impact, and I can’t do that on the bench,” Howard told the media last week.
Howard doesn’t exactly fit into coach Mike Budenholzer‘s pace-and-space system and perhaps the team would be better off trading the former Defensive Player of the Year. However, that may not be a fruitful task.
ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz (Twitter link) asked eight front office executives about what the Hawks could get in a theoretical Howard deal. The consensus was that a second-round pick and cap relief would be the best case scenario.
The big man has approximately $47.3MM left on his deal over the next two seasons, which is part of the reason why Atlanta could be looking at such paltry returns in a trade. The salary cap is expected to come in around $101MM for next season, so a team must be willing to allocate over 20% of its cap resources to Howard. That may not be ideal, though every year, we see a number of teams strike out on potential free agents.
The market for Howard’s services could increase after the initial wave of free agents sign, though that’s merely my speculation. The problem with the Hawks waiting until after the first wave of signings is that getting cap relief in return for Howard does no good if there’s no one to sign.
Howard can still contribute to the right system, though Budholzer’s may not be the ideal match. That begs the question: which team is the right fit for him?
Should the Hawks should deal the former No. 1 overall pick and if so, what could they realistically look to get in return? Also, if you were the GM of a rival team, what would you give up for Howard? Surely, at the right price, he’s worth a gamble. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Thunder Notes: Kanter, Christon, Westbrook
The Thunder have approximately $110MM in guaranteed salaries on the books for the 2017/18 campaign and with an estimated $101MM salary cap, it’s unlikely the team makes a splash in free agency. Despite the lack of flexibility, GM Sam Presti will continue to function as an opportunist, as Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman relays.
“We’re not in a position where we’re going to be a cap space team, per se,” Presti said. “We’ll look at every opportunity that we can, but it’s not a matter of us necessarily extending offers to people. It’s basically people extending interest to us, you know what I’m saying, and then we can work from there.
“We’ll make every single phone call to every single team, and the players that everyone I think probably thinks about and fantasizes about. You know, if we can make those players be here, they would probably be here by now. Otherwise, we’re going to have to like kind of do our job and keep getting better and go from there.”
Here’s more from Oklahoma City:
- Enes Kanter is “absolutely on the trade block,” Tramel writes in the same piece. It’s unclear whether Tramel has inside sources or he’s just reading the tea leaves. The Thunder have a surplus of big men and after Kanter played well this past season, he may hold the most trade value out of their frontcourt players.
- Tramel adds that the Thunder are in the market for a backup point guard. Presti recently said that Semaj Christon did an “excellent job” behind Russell Westbrook.
- Presti believes the team’s young core can grow from this year’s experiences, as Clint Brunt of the Associated Press passes along. “[The team] knows what it’s like to go through a playoff series where, you know, you’re losing the series on the margins. They know what it’s like to play with one another and understand each other’s tendencies. And I think that’s going to bode well for us,” Presti said.
- Presti said the Thunder are hopeful Westbrook will sign a long-term extension this summer, as we passed along on Monday. The MVP Candidate is eligible for the Designated Player Extension, which could pay him an estimated $217MM over five seasons.