Latest On Paul George’s Free Agency
Paul George has one season remaining on his contract, but he’s expected to opt out of his deal this summer and become a free agent. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski discussed George’s future on the network’s NBA Draft Special (h/t Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman), explaining how the Thunder are now in a better position to keep George than they were last offseason.
“Oklahoma City’s done a great job of selling him on a future there, and he liked playing with Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams and Billy Donovan,” Wojnarowski said.
While OKC has an opportunity to keep George, the Lakers remain a serious threat. George and LeBron James will at least discuss the possibility of teaming up in Los Angeles prior to free agency, per Woj.
The Rockets will be aggressive in their pursuit of George. While Houston isn’t expected to have salary cap space, we saw what GM Daryl Morey is capable of in last summer’s Chris Paul deal. Morey and the Rockets will search for a way to get George on the roster should the small forward have interest in joining the club.
Wojnarowski also mentions that the Sixers would be a good fit for George. Philadelphia has slightly over $67.4MM in guaranteed salary on the books with the cap projected to come in at $101MM.
Hawks Notes: No. 3, Bagley, Bamba, Allen
The Hawks own the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft and figuring out who they’ll select is no easy feat. Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com has the team selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. out of Michigan State. The big man, who won’t turn 19 until mid-September, has a high ceiling and would be an ideal partner in the frontcourt alongside John Collins, Givony contends.
Both Jackson and Marvin Bagley III, a projected top-3 pick, will work out for the team next week, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Five Key Offseason Questions: Atlanta Hawks]
Luka Doncic won’t work out for the Hawks, as he’s not holding any individual workouts for teams ahead of the draft. Heading into lottery night, he appeared to be a lock to be selected in the top-2. However, the 19-year-old will likely be available when Atlanta picks based on the Kings’ reported disinterest in the Slovenian wing. It’s been reported that the Hawks are likely to pass on him as well.
Whoever is selected with the No. 3 pick is projected to make a starting salary of approximately $6.5MM. While we wait to see what the Hawks do with their selection, check out some notes from Atlanta:
- Mohamed Bamba is tentatively scheduled to work out for the Hawks on June 14, Cunningham tweets. Grayson Allen and Trae Young are also expected to workout for the team next week.
- The Hawks will have several prospects come into town on Wednesday, according to a team press release. Alize Johnson (Missouri State), George King (Colorado), Billy Preston (Bosnia), Omari Spellman (Villanova), Jared Terrell (Rhode Island) and Thomas Welsh (UCLA) will all visit Atlanta.
- Atlanta has hired Nate Babcock to be a special assistant on coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff, Cunningham reports (via Twitter). The Hawks’ coaching staff is now complete.
Donnie Nelson Talks Mavs’ Draft, Doncic, Trades
The Mavericks have been keeping tabs on Luka Doncic and GM Donnie Nelson believes the 19-year-old is a special player, as the executive said on KTCK 1310AM The Ticket (via SportsDay). However, Nelson doesn’t expect Doncic to come in and play at a high level immediately.
“Whether you’re Luka Doncic, or when we first drafted [Dirk Nowitzki],” Nelson explained. “Dirk was young at the time, maybe a year older, but you’re wanting to come over when you’re physically ready and when you can make an impact. Even after Dirk made his commitment in year one that’s when he was getting thrown around like a rag doll and still maturing physically.
“…It took Dirk two years and he’s arguably the greatest player to ever come over. So if he would’ve had to do it all over would he have another year to put under his belt and experience? That’s really a question for him… The 2s and the 3s in this league are killers. There definitely will be a period of adjustment.”
Nelson said “pretty much” everyone has Deandre Ayton at the top of the draft, adding that he feels there are a “number of players” well past the No. 5 spot that the Mavs feel good about. While rumors of Dallas trading their first-round pick have been circulating, it doesn’t sound like the team plans on making a move.
“I don’t think we’ll look to trade out of the draft,” Nelson said. “We’re excited about the young nucleus with Dennis Smith, and obviously Harrison [Barnes] kind of grabbing the torch and providing the leadership role that Dirk has provided over the years. We’re excited about getting another young, impact guy we can add to the mix.”
Draft Notes: Antetokounmpo, Grizzlies, Sanon
Kostas Antetokounmpo suffered a groin injury during his workout with the Hornets, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s younger brother could not complete the workout, but Bonnell notes that the injury does not appear to be serious.
The Dayton product has a workout scheduled with the Grizzlies on Monday, though it’s unlikely he’ll participate in it after sustaining the injury. Here are more notes on the upcoming draft:
- The Grizzlies will work out Jordan Barnett (Missouri), Demetrius Dyson (Samford), Obi Enechionya (Temple), Devon Hall (Virginia), and Malik Newman (Kansas) on Monday, according to a team press release. Memphis owns the No. 4 and No. 32 picks in the upcoming draft.
- Bruce Brown Jr. (Miami) will work out for the Timberwolves on Monday, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News passes along via Twitter. Wolfson notes that Brown interviewed with Minnesota at the NBA Combine.
- Ukrainian point guard Issuf Sanon has interviews with 24 teams at the NBA Global Camp in Italy, Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The analyst adds that the 19-year-old would be a great draft-and-stash prospect.
Celtics Notes: Smart, Rozier, Larkin, Baynes
The Celtics would like to retain both Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier next season as they look to maintain depth, sources tell Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. While the franchise would like to bring everyone back, GM Danny Ainge acknowledged that tough decisions could be on the horizon.
“We’ve been managing the payroll pretty well up to this point and we know that there are some really big, tough decisions going forward,” Ainge said.
[RELATED: Will Marcus Smart Be A Celtic Next Season?]
Here’s more from Washburn on the Celtics:
- Shane Larkin, who will be an unrestricted free agent, will likely command a multiyear offer, as other teams will see him as a player who could hold down the backup point guard spot, Washburn speculates. The scribe adds that Larkin could see a substantial raise on his 2017/18 salary, which came in at slightly more than $1.47MM.
- The market for Smart will be difficult to predict, Washburn contends in the same piece. The Celtics are expected to allow Smart, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, to find an offer and evaluate whether or not it makes sense to match.
- If the Celtics are going to bring Aron Baynes back, they may have to use their mid-level exception since they do not own his Bird Rights, Washburn notes. The scribe argues that the team should attempt to sell Baynes on a one-year discounted deal with the lure of playing for a serious championship contender. However, he admits that such an arrangement is unlikely given the big man’s solid 2017/18 campaign.
- Washburn believes Greg Monroe is unlikely to return next season. Monroe’s defense prevented him from carving out a significant role during the Celtics’ postseason run.
Andre Iguodala Ruled Out For Game 2
Andre Iguodala has been ruled out of tonight’s contest, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post (Twitter link) relays. Coach Steve Kerr said he’s “optimistic” that the small forward will play in the series, but cautions that “there’s no way to know for sure.”
Iguodala has been dealing with a left leg contusion and – prior to today announcement – was listed as doubtful for the Game 2 matchup. The veteran hasn’t played for Golden State since the team’s 41-point win over the Rockets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
This postseason, the Warriors have gone 10-3 with Iggy in the lineup and 3-2 without him.
Eastern Notes: Alkins, Hawks, Evans, Moore
The Cavaliers took down the Celtics by a score of 111-102 to tie up the series at two games apiece. The effort was led by LeBron James who scored 44 points and told ESPN’s Doris Burke after the game that Cleveland needs to head to Boston on Wednesday with a “bunker mentality.” Brad Stevens’ team has yet to lose at home in the playoffs, going 9-0 thus far.
While we await Game 5, let’s take a look at some notes from around the Eastern Conference:
- Arizona’s Rawle Alkins will work out for the Hawks this week, Adam Zagoria of The New York Times reports (Twitter link). In addition to the no. 3 overall pick, Atlanta owns the no. 19, no. 30 and no. 33 picks in the upcoming draft.
- The Sixers may make sense as a destination for Tyreke Evans, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype contends. Philadelphia had interest in the swingman at the trade deadline, though it came at a time in which Markelle Fultz was not available to play. It remains to be seen whether the team still has interest in Evans.
- The Pacers could also be a fit for Evans, as Urbina writes in the same piece. Urbina points to Evans’ ability to effectively run the pick-and-roll and Indiana’s financial flexibility as reasons why the pairing could happen.
- Mark Montieth of Pacers.com takes a look at Ben Moore‘s season, one in which the combo forward played just nine minutes for the Pacers. Moore signed a two-way deal with Indiana partway through the 2017/18 campaign and spent nearly all of his time in the G League.
Community Shootaround: Best Seasons Of All Time
NBA Twitter is a beautiful place where entertainment and debate reign, and great ideas can be found. Recently, the team at NBAMath organized a #TimeMachineDraft in which 30 personalities from around NBA Twitter selected an ultimate roster comprised of individual seasons from NBA greats. Let’s take a look at the top 15 picks:
1. 1988/89 Michael Jordan (Bryant Knox of Bleacher Report).
2. 2012/13 LeBron James (B/R’s Andrew Bailey).
Who else was going to be selected in the top two? The Jordan-LBJ debate has been going on for several seasons now and with James showing no signs of slowing down, it’ll likely continue for quite some time. I wouldn’t determine whether GoodFellas or The Departed is the better film without seeing how each movie ended. With LBJ still playing at a high-level, I’m not ready to pick between the two.
3. 1971/72 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Former Bulls beat writer Sean Highkin).
4. 1986/87 Magic Johnson (HoopsHype’s Bryan Kalbrosky).
5. 2015/16 Stephen Curry (CBS Sport’s Adi Joseph).
You could talk me into these three in any order, though if I were picking third, I might pull the trigger on Curry, a player who looked like his 2015 self during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals this week.
6. 1999-00 Shaquille O’Neal (T.J. McBride of Mile High Sports).
This pick might be too low or just right. Does this theoretical league play 82 games? When you pick a player, do you get him in peak form or how he looked prior to opening night of a given season? That might influence my pick in this spot. However, if we’re taking a Shaq season, this is probably the best one.
7. 1985/86 Larry Bird (NBAMath’s Coach Adam Spinella).
8. 1993/94 Hakeem Olajuwon (RotoBaller’s Justin Carter).
9. 1963/64 Wilt Chamberlain (NBAMath’s Tony East).
It would be fantastic to see each of these Hall-of-Famers play against each other in their respective primes. Also, can you image any of these players floor, surrounded by the long-range shooting in today’s game?
10. 2002/03 Tim Duncan ( The Score’s Chris Walder).
11. 2013/14 Kevin Durant (B/R’s Tyler Conway).
Two very underrated seasons. Not sure which moment was more emotional for basketball fans: Durant making his MVP speech or Popovich speaking about Duncan after the big man retired.
12. 2003/04 Kevin Garnett (NBAMath’s Tom Rende).
13. 2008/09 Chris Paul (B/R’s Dan Favale).
Two players who have had heard their fair share of criticism. Add being partially responsible for Durant’s signing in Golden State to their haters’ lists.
14. 1993/94 David Robinson (HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy).
15. 2016/17 Kawhi Leonard (Nylon Calculus’ Krishna Narsu).
Leonard was my selection for the 2016/17 MVP award after putting up a great, efficient season. Russell Westbrook – whose 2016/17 campaign was also selected in the first round of this Twitter draft – won the actual award after averaging a triple-double for the season.
I’m not sure I’d take a player who took over 2,000 shots and committed 438 turnovers in a season with my top pick in this kind of draft, but then again Westbrook provided special moments over and over again during his lone MVP campaign.
So tonight’s Community Shootaround is all about which player had the best NBA season in history and which ones are severely underrated.
Think 2006/07 Dirk Nowitzki should have gone higher in the draft? How about a season from Kobe Bryant? What about Charles Barkley, Anthony Davis or Grant Hill?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Northwest Notes: Exum, Wiggins, Towns
Dante Exum will be a restricted free agent this offseason and the Jazz are hoping to re-sign their former No. 5 overall pick.
“We hope to retain him,” said Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey (via Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News). “Obviously there’s a lot of conversations and in a free agent market, it’s hard to predict. Dante’s done his job, he’s had some unfortunate things happen. We don’t think he’s injury prone — things happen to young players. He’s the right guy, he’s got the right level of talent. You don’t get the same package of speed and size. It’s our job to develop him but we’ll see what happens.”
Exum is unlikely to supplant Ricky Rubio as the starting point guard any time soon, so there may be a limit on what Utah is willing to pay him. The 23-year-old isn’t focused on his next payday right now. He’s simply trying to get better this offseason. “I think the Jazz want me back, so hopefully it all works out. My agent’s going to take care of that and I think for me as a player, I just need to control what I can control,” the point guard said.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz would also like to have Raul Neto back, but the soon-to-be 26-year-old may seek a greater role elsewhere, Sorensen relays in the same piece. “It’s always a time you’ve got to think, you got to look at all your offers and opportunities you have and try to pick the best one,” Neto said. “Right now, there’s nothing else I can do. Just keep working and waiting and make the decision I have to make. Sometimes it’s not only the player’s decision, there’s the Utah Jazz, so basically it’s in their hands. We’ll see.”
- Jon Krawczynski of The Atlantic wonders if the Wolves should try to trade Andrew Wiggins. The former No. 1 overall pick signed a five-year extension worth nearly $150MM, though the scribe hears that a Wiggins-DeMar DeRozan swap remains a possibility should Toronto look to make major moves.
- Does it make sense for the Wolves to deal Karl-Anthony Towns? Michael Rand of the Star Tribune isn’t so sure, but he notes that Towns hasn’t said anything to quiet down the rumblings that he and the team are “not in a good place.”
Owners, Players Among Those Who Built The Bridge Between Kevin Durant And Golden State
Peak Stephen Curry came to play during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. The two-time MVP hit all seven of his shots from the field during a third quarter that essentially put the game out of reach.
He finished with a game-high 35 points, delivering a series of highlights for the home crowd and silencing the doubters who dubbed him as a liability.
Curry’s game came on the heels of two top performances by Kevin Durant where the former No. 2 overall pick scored 37 and 38 points in Game 1 and 2, respectively. Durant didn’t disappoint in Game 3, scoring 25 points, a total that nearly doubled every player in the game with the exception of Curry and James Harden.
Many were outraged when Durant elected to join Golden State during the summer of 2016, citing an unnatural balance in the basketball realm. However, it was an outcome made possible by a collection of events. Let’s examine how No. 35 was able to make his way to Northern California.
The Max Contract
The year is 1997 and Kevin Garnett is the league’s next bright, young star. At 22-years-old, his rookie contract is approaching its end and he signs a six-year, $126MM contract with Wolves during the 1997/98 season. It’s the biggest contract in the history of the league and NBA owners are fearful of what doling out those kinds of deals could mean for the future of their franchises.
The angst was partially to blame for the lockout during the 1998/99 season and the maximum salary deal was born as a result of heavy negotiations between owners and players. The new structure put a ceiling on what players could earn.
Imagine a world where there is no max salary and top players can earn what the market dictates. Someone like Durant could theoretically command 50% of the salary cap, maybe more. Instead, with the max deal limiting players’ earnings, shunning the most lucrative offer in favor of one with a better on-court situation becomes less of a sacrifice and teaming up with other superstars becomes more appealing.
The latest CBA gave teams a great tool in the Designated Players Extension, a deal designed to give organizations an unquestioned financial advantage in retaining their own players. This vehicle wasn’t yet available when Oklahoma City fought to keep Durant and some believe the new extension option came as a result of his departure.
Curry’s At-The-Time Below Market Deal
The Warriors signed the former No. 7 overall pick to a $44MM extension back in 2012 and he had one season left on that contract when Durant hit free agency in 2016. Curry had just come off back-to-back MVP seasons, one in which he was the only player in the history of the league to unanimously win the MVP award. Had there not been concern over Curry’s ankle, perhaps he signs a rookie extension similar to James Harden‘s $80MM deal back in 2012 and four years later, the Warriors might have needed to make real sacrifices in order to bring Durant in, assuming he comes at all under a new, slightly less favorable arrangement.
The NBA’s Salary Cap Spike
Another factor was the league’s massive media rights deal that caused a cap spike like we’ve never seen before. The 2016/17 salary cap increased by over $24MM from the 2015/16 figures. Prior to that spike, the year-to-year change never surpassed $8MM.
Leading up to the summer of 2016, the NBA and the NBA Players Association discussed a cap-smoothing proposal, as the owners foresaw some issues with the gargantuan spike. The 2016 free agent class would be the overwhelming beneficiaries from the media rights deal under the CBA’s framework and the NBA wanted to make an adjustment to the legal-binding agreement. The proposed plan would artificially lower the salary cap and the difference between the actual increase in basketball-related income and the proposed, lowered artificial salary cap would be evenly distributed to all the players in the league.
The altered agreement would have meant a much lower salary cap for teams heading into the 2016 offseason while providing the players with the same 51% of the revenue they were entitled to as part of the 2011 CBA. However, the NBA Player’s Union rejected the deal. (Fun fact: Chris Paul, a man who’s now trying to bringing down Golden State’s powerhouse, was the President of the NBPA at the time and remains in the position today).
July 2016 came without a solution for the spike and teams couldn’t spend the money fast enough. Over $2 billion worth of contracts were handed out in the first 48 hours of free agency. At the time, FiveThirtyEight estimated that the average contract in 2016 was overvalued by $4,4MM per year. Two years later with players like Timofey Mozgov ($16MM/year) and Joakim Noah ($18MM/year) getting paid handsomely, it’s arguable that the statistical publication was conservative on its estimates.
No one’s arguing that the Warriors mismanaged their financials by signing Durant to the two-year pact worth roughly $53MM. Golden State is nearly unstoppable when Durant and Curry are both on their games and the team has gone 26-4 in the postseason since Durant brought his talents to the bay area.
Durant’s signing will forever be known as a move that altered the league, one that was made possible by a perfect storm. You’ll hear criticism and complaint from many parties, but it was a group effort that built the bridge allowing Durant to waltz over to Golden State. In addition to the Warriors, the league’s owners and players are among those responsible for his ability to take that path.
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