Magic Johnson Remains Involved With Lakers
Magic Johnson shocked the NBA world when he stepped down as the Lakers‘ president of basketball operations. However, despite the lack of title, he said he still remains involved with the team.
“I’m still helping them. It’s almost like I never left [laughs]. I’m still talking to them every day,” Johnson said via TMZ (h/t Harrison Faigen of SB Nation).
Johnson, who told the media of his plans to leave before speaking with owner Jeanie Buss, added that he wouldn’t change his communication approach if he had to do it again.
“Everybody knows I love the Lakers, and so I’m gonna always help them. Like right now, I’m gonna still help them. I love my team, I love my franchise, and I love this city,” Johnson said. “You have to do things sometimes on your own terms. It doesn’t matter what other people think, see? And I’m that guy.”
The best point guard of all time reiterated that his relationship with Buss remains solid.
“I love Jeanie,” Johnson said. “I’ve been talking to her almost every day. I’m trying to help. Listen, I may not be in there physically, but I’m still there.”
Johnson squashed any notion that friction with LeBron James was the reason he stepped down. He told TMZ that LBJ was going to lead the Lakers to a championship.
“LeBron is going to lead us to a championship, so we’re excited about what he’s going to do, and we’re also excited that he signed,” Johnson said. “It’s all good with me and LeBron, and [Maverick Carter] and Rich Paul. So now all we need is keep going down the same path, get another superstar this summer and we’ll be fine.”
There were rumblings that Johnson would continue to help the Lakers shortly after his impromptu resignation. Last summer, he played a key role in Los Angeles landing James, one of the flashiest free agent additions in team history. Theoretically, he’s in position to help the franchise land another piece this summer without the threat of tampering.
WNBA Lands Major TV Deal
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced that it has a multi-year contract with CBS Sports for the network to televise live WNBA games starting in the 2019 season, according to the league’s website.
“Through our partnership with CBS Sports Network, the WNBA is joining an elite lineup of premium sports programming,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We thank CBS Sports for making such a meaningful commitment to women’s basketball and for providing another platform to showcase the world-class athletes of the WNBA.”
There will be 40 live, nationally-televised WNBA games in prime time and on weekends on the network, with the first game on May 25 when the Minnesota Lynx take on the Chicago Sky. The league is entering its 23rd season.
“We are truly excited to partner with the WNBA, bringing the country’s premier women’s sports league to CBS Sports Network. This partnership is one of the biggest and most impactful women’s sports programming arrangements ever at CBS Sports, offering national exposure of 40 games per year,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports.
“This agreement provides great live content throughout the summer in primetime and on weekends, and aligns two great brands in the WNBA and CBS Sports. We look forward to working with the WNBA for many years to come.”
Community Shootaround: Jrue Holiday’s Best Fit
The Pelicans could be in a full-on rebuild this summer and Anthony Davis is not the only player rival teams will be monitoring. Several clubs would have interest in Jrue Holiday should New Orleans make him available, as Sporting News’ Sean Deveney recently reported.
If Holiday, who has three seasons remaining on his five-year, $126MM deal, is put on the trade block, the Suns should be considered a “top contender,” per Deveney. Phoenix has struggled to put out a consistent product at the point guard spot dating back to their trade of Goran Dragic. Arriving in Phoenix would allow Holiday to primarily shift back to the one, a position he played only sparingly over his past two seasons with the Pelicans (just 5% of his minutes in 2018/19, according to Basketball-Reference). The versatile Holiday would be a nice fit next to the offensive-oriented Devin Booker.
The Magic and Bulls would also have interest in Holiday, though as Deveney noted, Holiday’s brother, Justin, didn’t have the best experience in Chicago before the team traded him to the Grizzlies. Still, the Bulls could use an upgrade at the backcourt, as the early returns on the Kris Dunn project haven’t been great.
Orlando’s point guard of the future may or may not already be on the roster. The Magic traded for former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz at the deadline but he has yet to suit up for the team. The potential Fultz-Holiday backcourt combo would be a tough one for opposing offenses should both players stay healthy.
There’s no word yet whether the Pelicans will make Holiday available. Davis isn’t expected to change his stance on his trade request even after he meets with new VP of basketball operations David Griffin. The team could still keep Holiday, building a team around him and whatever they get in return for the 6-time All-Star.
Which team would be the best fit for Holiday? Should the Pelicans keep him and attempt to make the playoffs, or should they make him available to the highest bidder?
Would the Suns, Bulls or Magic be the best fit for the 28-year-old California native or is there another team that would benefit more from making a deal with Griffin and the Pelicans?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
2018/19 Hoops Rumors Contract MVPs: Part II
Hoops Rumors is breaking down each type of contract in the NBA to find out which players were the most valuable under each type of deal.
If you missed Part 1 of the “Contract MVPs,” we covered two-way deals, 10-day contracts, and various mid-level and bi-annual exceptions. The rules in Part 2 remain the same: To qualify, a player must have played under that contract during the 2018/19 campaign. Players who see their status change (such as Enes Kanter, who began the season on a max deal but then signed with Portland for the minimum) maintain the same status they began with.
Here are our remaining “Contract MVPs”:
Minimum Salary
- Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets): Three years, $2,903,733 (signed in 2016).
The Nets signed Dinwiddie to a minimum-salary deal back in 2016 and while injuries delayed his breakout, he showcased his offensive ability over the past two seasons. He scored a career-high 16.8 points per game in 2018/19, sporting a 16.8 player efficiency rating in the process.
The combo guard was able to parlay his success into an extension worth $34MM over three years starting in the 2019/20 campaign. It’s a massive raise on this year’s salary, which came in just under $1.66MM.
Honorable mentions: Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose
Rookie-Scale Contract
- Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves): Four-years, $25,720,035 rookie-scale contract (signed in 2015).
Towns signed a long-term, maximum-salary extension back in September, but he earned just slightly under $7.9MM this season during the fourth and final year of his rookie deal. You could argue that no player has provided more value on a per-dollar basis than Towns (though Ben Simmons also has a case) and that’s a product of the NBA’s ever-valuable rookie-scale contracts.
Jimmy Butler‘s departure allowed Towns to truly take the lead role in Minnesota. The center finished the season fifth in both VORP and NBA Math’s TPA. He was fourth in player efficiency rating and top-10 in win shares.
The former Kentucky Wildcat put himself in position to make an additional $30MM+ on his $158MM extension by inserting himself into the All-NBA Team conversation. He’ll have more competition for a “contract award” in a new tier next season.
Honorable mention: Ben Simmons
Rookie-Scale Extension (Including Max)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks): Four years, $100,000,000 (signed in 2016).
Antetokounmpo was willing to take less than the max during extension negotiations in 2016, since he wanted Milwaukee to have the flexibility to make sound additions around him. The 2018/19 season was a culmination of those efforts, with the Bucks securing the top record in the NBA.
With a deep team that complements him, Antetokounmpo took yet another leap forward. The 2017/18 Most Improved Player led the league in player efficiency rating and in win shares per 48 minutes. The only real stain in his MVP candidacy is his minutes played total (2,358), which ranked 47th in the league (between CJ McCollum and Nicolas Batum). Still, he’s favored to win the league’s award and he gets our MVP for this tier.
Honorable mentions: Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis
Max Contract (25% Starting Salary, Non-Rookie-Scale Extension)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets): Five years, $147,710,050 (signed in 2018).
These contracts generally exist as a result of a player on a rookie contract hitting restricted free agency. Sometimes it’s a player who was not selected in the first round severely overachieving leading up to the end of his contract. Outside of the rookie-scale extensions, there aren’t many desirable max deals that start at 25% of the cap (reserved for players with 0-6 years of experience).
The 2016 offseason shopping spree littered the market with max contracts of this criteria. Chandler Parsons, Hassan Whiteside, and Harrison Barnes can thank the biggest salary cap spike ever for their status. Different circumstances led Andre Drummond and Otto Porter Jr. to receive their deals, though both contracts are considered player-friendly.
Jokic, Bradley Beal and Kawhi Leonard are the only real contenders for the MVP of this max contract tier. There are arguments for Beal and Leonard, but Jokic’s dominant campaign, in which he finished third in the league in NBA Math’s TPA Metric, gives him the nod.
Honorable mentions: Bradley Beal, Kawhi Leonard
Max Contract (30%)
- James Harden, (Rockets): Four-year, $117,964,846 extension (signed in 2016 and renegotiated a year later).
Harden signed an extension in 2016 before the current CBA went into effect, then inked a new, super-max extension a year later after the players’ union and the league came together to add a provision to the new CBA. The passage grandfathered Harden and Russell Westbrook into the pool of players that were eligible for the Designated Veteran Extension.
Harden’s super-max extension doesn’t kick in until next season where he’ll make $37.8MM. His original extension, which began at 30% of salary cap and will ultimately run for three seasons from 2016/17 through 2018/19, has produced an MVP season sandwiched by two (likely) runner-up campaigns. The Rockets arguably received the most production from any one player regardless of contract type over this three-year stretch.
Honorable mention: Paul George
Max Contact (35%)
- Stephen Curry (Warriors): Five years, $201,158,790 (signed in 2017).
Had Curry not missed a stretch of 11 games early in the season, perhaps he’s in the NBA’s MVP discussion. Although sharing the court with several other Warriors stars does not help his narrative.
Curry further shifted his offensive load beyond the 3-point line in 2018/19, attempting a career-high 11.7 shots per game from behind the arc. He made 5.1 of those tries (the same amount as his 2015/16 MVP season) and it resulted in the second-highest scoring season of his career (27.3 points per game).
Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, and LeBron James are the only other players who played on this tier of max contract this past season. Each star had a season deserving of accolades, but Curry was a notch above them this year.
Honorable mentions: Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, LeBron James
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Pelicans, Trent Redden To Discuss Senior Front Office Role
The Clippers have granted the Pelicans permission to speak with assistant GM Trent Redden about a senior front office position, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.
New Orleans recently tagged David Griffin as its executive VP of basketball operations. Griffin and Redden worked together in the Cavaliers’ front office when the team won the 2016 NBA championship. Wojnarowski writes that it’s no secret that Griffin would prioritize finding a way to add Redden to his team.
Joe Vardon of The Athletic first reported earlier this week that Redden would likely end up assuming a general manager role under Griffin in New Orleans. However, the Pelicans’ new head of basketball operations said at his introductory presser on Wednesday that he’s more concerned about bringing in the right people than in specific titles, so it’s not clear if that’s the exact role he’d have in mind for Redden.
Redden began his career as an intern in the Cavaliers front office, working his way up over his 11-plus years with the franchise. The Clippers hired him after the 2016/17 season.
Tim Hardaway Jr. Undergoes Surgery On Leg
Tim Hardaway Jr. underwent surgery on his left tibia today, according to a Mavericks team press release. He had been dealing with a stress injury and he’s expected to resume basketball activities before the start of training camp.
Hardaway Jr. was sent to Dallas as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal at this year’s trade deadline. He’s set to make approximately $20MM next season, which is currently the highest figure for any player on the Mavs. Dallas has under $46MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2019/20 campaign against a projected $109MM salary cap (though with cap holds and Dwight Powell‘s player option, available space could be capped around $30MM).
The franchise will look to use its cap space to put talent around Porzingis and rookie phenomenon Luka Doncic this summer. Hardaway, who has two seasons left on his deal, including a player option of $18.76MM for 2020/21, appears likely to remain with the team regardless of any additions due to his rehabilitation timeline and cumbersome contract.
Sixers Without Joel Embiid In Game 3
Sixers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out for the team’s Game 3 matchup with the Nets, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays (Twitter feed). Greg Monroe will get the start at the five.
Embiid warmed up pregame but ultimately, his knee soreness was too severe to suit up. This is the first playoff game Embiid was forced to miss because of his knee. The big man sat out 18 games during the regular season.
Monroe was waived by the Nets earlier this season after Brooklyn acquired him a deal with the Raptors. Philadelphia signed him to add depth in the frontcourt toward the end of the season. He has 18 games of playoff experience, though Game 3 in Brooklyn will be his first start in the postseason.
NBA Agent: Clippers Would Be “Seamless Fit” For “Any Star”
Courting Kevin Durant will be among the Clippers‘ top priorities this offseason and Los Angeles is set up to provide him—or any star—with a situation that’s going to be hard to turn down.
“L.A. is a desired place of living — guys like to be there during the offseason,” an NBA agent told Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “And [The Clippers] have stuff that sets them apart from like the Lakers: continuity, cohesiveness. They have an owner who will do whatever it takes that’s possible.”
“…If you’re a star and you come in, they already have guys who know their roles. In other situations, you try to bring in role players and have to deal with role allocation and adjustments. I think any star would be a seamless fit with the Clippers.”
The Clippers are an attractive basketball situation, not just for their ability to offer max contracts but also for their ability to immediately surround any star with a full team, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com explained in a piece where he supplies a blueprint for coaching LeBron James and examines the two Southern California basketball franchises. Having so many quality players on low-cost deals means the Clips won’t have to gut their roster to accommodate superstar additions.
Lou Williams, who unanimously won our staff’s Sixth Man of the Year award, is on Los Angeles’ books for just $8MM next season. The core of Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will account for slightly less than $20MM.
The franchise plans on pursuing both Durant and Kawhi Leonard this summer. Landing either would be a win. Landing both without sacrificing depth, as we saw during James’ first season in Miami, is possible because of the front office’s ability to extract value from free agency and trades.
Durant, Leonard or any of the other top stars could shun the Clippers and sign elsewhere. Talk within some league circles would lead you to believe Durant-to-the-Knicks is already a done deal. Though if the Clippers strike out on the top stars, they won’t be hasty with their cap space.
“They’re gonna be disciplined this summer,” the agent tells Buha. “They have primary targets and won’t eat into their cap space just to eat into the cap. They’re developing their young players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Landry Shamet. Getting the most bang for their buck with Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. Pat Beverley and Ivica Zubac should be back. A lot of good aspects.”
Draft Notes: Guy, Herro, Diallo, Blackshear
Virginia junior guard Kyle Guy has declared for the 2019 NBA draft, as he announced on Twitter. In a message posted on his social media account, Guy explained that coming back to the school remained an option.
Guy isn’t the only prospect who’s attempting to make the jump to the NBA. Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- Kentucky guard Tyler Herro, who previously declared for the draft, said he plans to remain in it, as he explains in a video on his Twitter feed. Herro ranks 17th on ESPN’s Top 100.
- Matas Jogela and Gytis Masiulis have each declared for the draft, Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com tweets. Neither of the Lithuanian natives is within ESPN’s Top 100.
- Junior guard Alpha Diallo has also declared for the draft, according to Providence’s website. “I am excited to go through the workout process,” Diallo said. “I will be staying in school this spring and finishing my junior year. I believe this process will help me grow as a player. I enjoy being at Providence College and playing for the Friars. The Friars have a strong group of players returning next season and I believe the team could compete for the conference championship.”
- Virginia Tech junior forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. is testing the draft waters, as David Cunningham of WUTV Sports relays (via Twitter). Blackshear has also placed his name into the transfer portal, so even if he withdraws from the draft, he may not return to the Hokies.
Eastern Notes: Wizards, Robinson, Celtics
Bradley Beal making the league’s All-NBA team could change the course of the Wizards‘ franchise, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports writes. If Beal earns the nod, then he will be eligible for a super-max contract that starts at 35% of the salary cap.
[Related: How All-NBA Choices Impact Contract Situations]
There’s no guarantee that Washington offers that kind of deal to Beal if the organization gains the ability to do so. It’s also not certain that Beal would accept it. Hughes argues the Wizards will be left with no choice but to trade Beal if they decide against offering the super-max contract or Beal opts against accepting it.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Many within the NBA believe Mitchell Robinson possesses the highest ceiling of any current member of the Knicks, Marc Stein of The New York Times writes in his latest newsletter. Stein compares Robinson’s potential to Clint Capela‘s game, writing that Robinson could become better than the Rockets big man.
- Rookie Allonzo Trier didn’t hear his name called on draft night but Stein (in the same piece) believes that was a mistake. Trier played in 64 games for the Knicks this season.
- The Celtics brought in Cam Johnson (North Carolina), Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State) and Justin Robinson (Virginia Tech) for workouts, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). Boston could end up with as many as four first-round picks in the upcoming draft.