Neil Olshey On Aldridge, Batum, Aminu, Kanter
Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey was coy when Grantland’s Zach Lowe asked him why he signed Enes Kanter to a max offer sheet but hasn’t done so with Tristan Thompson, but Olshey expressed contentment and optimism about the roster he’s built even amid the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge. Olshey, speaking on The Lowe Post podcast, believes the revamped Blazers have the potential to grow like the group he had with the Clippers in 2010/11 that featured Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe, Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu, all of whom were 22 or younger.
Aminu, who turns 25 next month, is one of the new Blazers, and Olshey talked about the forward’s four-year, $30MM deal, Aldridge’s exit, and a host of other offseason topics. His entire conversation with Lowe is worth a listen, especially for Portland faithful, and we’ll round up a few highlights here:
On the fluctuation of the team’s chances to re-sign Aldridge:
“I think, honestly, because of how unhappy LaMarcus was when we all joined the Trail Blazers, myself, [coach] Terry [Stotts], our regime, it wasn’t like we were put on notice, Zach, but I think we were all aware that it was going to be an uphill battle, and I think it was an uphill battle that we had fought and won right up until [Wesley Matthews] was injured. … We were 100% confident in LaMarcus right up through the trade deadline, and then when Wes got hurt, and we weren’t playing as well, and we realized our margin for error with that group was more narrow than we would have liked to have believed, I think we felt like, you know what? We’re going to have more of a battle on our hands than we had anticipated in terms of keeping LaMarcus.”
On the Nicolas Batum trade, which Olshey said was made independent of Aldridge’s decision to walk:
“There was a three-fold approach there. One, we felt like if we brought in another starter, then Gerald Henderson would have strengthened the bench. We got a bright, young prospect in Noah Vonleh who we were really high on in the draft, and we created a positive variance in our favor in terms of our cap position to go and be more aggressive in free agency to continue to build with the group that was there. So, that deal was done absent anything with LaMarcus other than the fact that he was aware of the deal prior to us making the decision to move forward with Noah and Gerald in lieu of Nicolas.”
On those who would laugh at the team’s financial outlay in the the Al-Farouq Aminu deal:
“If they’re laughing, they haven’t seen him play, and they haven’t realized that in two years, the cap’s going to be $108MM, so you’re basically talking about a deal that’ll be less than what the mid-level was on previous caps. So, this is a guy that I know well. I drafted him. I had him for a year with the Clippers. He’s tracking up. I think his growth was accelerated by playing for Rick Carlisle in Dallas. I think that was like a three-year tutorial crammed into nine months. He’s a better player today than he was then. Look, we had moved Nic Batum. We wanted to get younger at that position and we wanted to get an athletic guy if we chose to push the floor. We felt like, at that point, he could play in multiple roles with LaMarcus or without, depending on what his decision was, and I really believe, look, when you look at a way a contract is structured, we had a lot of cap room this year [and] it’s a descending deal.”
On whether he truly wanted Kanter on the team:
“We did. We absolutely did. We pursued him. Look, it’s not the first time we went down the road of restricted free agency for a starting center and maybe won the recruiting battle but lost the war in terms of adding him to our roster, and that situation played out. You know, look, we’re really happy with the guys we have right now.”
What do you think of the way Olshey has positioned the Blazers for the post-Aldridge era? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Pistons Notes: Thomas, Jennings, Jackson
The Pistons have a dilemma with 17 players signed to fully guaranteed contracts and only 15 regular season roster spots available, as I examined Wednesday, and the situation would appear to make it especially challenging for Adonis Thomas to stick for opening night. The free agent signee is the only player on the team without a full guarantee, with only $60K promised to him. Still, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy assured him he’ll have a shot, as MLive’s David Mayo chronicles.
“The day I signed my contract, he told me, ‘Hey, I know you’re looking at the roster, at 17 guaranteed guys, and you’re the only non-guaranteed guy or partially guaranteed guy.'” Thomas said. “He said that anything can change. He said, ‘We’re looking to make some changes soon. We’re not really focused in on who’s on the roster right now. We’re going to let go of maybe some guaranteed guys, or we’re making some changes soon, or trades could be made.'”
Indeed, the Pistons will have to make a trade before opening night or use the stretch provision no later than this coming Monday to avoid eating two full guarantees this season, or three if they want to keep Thomas. There’s more on Thomas amid the latest from the Motor City:
- The Pistons starting thinking of signing Thomas late last season, when he was playing for their D-League affiliate, Mayo writes in the same piece. “I think them having a D-League team is going to be something special,” Thomas said to Mayo. “It’s a great chance to develop guys. And I can even speak for myself, being able to be in the system, being able to be ready, you can be on call at any time.”
- Brandon Jennings, whose health looms over Detroit’s roster decisions, said he’s unsure if he’ll be recovered from his torn Achilles tendon in time for the start of training camp, adding that he doesn’t envision returning to his usual level of play until December at the earliest. The point guard made his comments on The Point Game Podcast with Vincent Goodwill and Jabari Young of Comcast Sports Net, as Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press transcribes. A report from July said that Jennings expected to be ready for camp, so it appears his thinking has changed.
- Jennings also told Goodwill and Young that he’d accept a backup role behind Reggie Jackson. “Bringing in Reggie Jackson was smart,” said Jennings, who’s set for free agency after the season. “I’m supposed to be out, really, for nine months, and they need a point guard. … My main thing is just to get healthy. Hey, if I have to come off the bench and be the sixth man or whatever, I’m fine with that. Man, I just want to play basketball again. I just want to get back on the court and have fun.”
No. 60 Pick Luka Mitrovic Extends Overseas Deal
Luka Mitrovic, the 60th pick in this year’s draft, has reached an extension with Crvena Zvezda of Serbia that runs through the 2016/17 season, according to the Euroleague’s website (hat tip to Sportando’s Enea Trapani). It’s unclear if the deal includes an NBA out that would allow him to sign with the Kings, who acquired his NBA rights from the Sixers last month as part of the Nik Stauskas trade.
It’s no surprise to see Mitrovic remain overseas, as Sportando’s Orazio Cauchi reported shortly after Philadelphia made him the final pick in June that he would do so. The 22-year-old’s contract had been set to run through this coming season, as Mark Porcaro shows in our register of Draft Rights Held Players, so the extension tacks on another year.
The Mark Fleisher client is well-regarded, having been the 39th overall prospect in this year’s draft according to Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider rankings. Mitrovic, a 6’8″ power forward, averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game this past season for Crvena Zvezda. He just gained a new teammate with NBA experience, as Gal Mekel has signed to play with the club.
The Sixers also sent the rights to No. 47 overall pick Arturas Gudaitis to Sacramento in that swap. Gudaitis signed for at least two years with Lietuvos Rytas of Lithuania before the trade became official.
Jeff Taylor To Play In Spain
AUGUST 27TH, 8:14am: The deal is official, the team announced (hat tips to HoopsHype and Sportando).
JULY 23RD, 1:28pm: Jeff Taylor has agreed to a one-year deal with Real Madrid, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). It’s worth more than $900K, Charania adds, so it sounds like it’ll be roughly equivalent to the $981,348 the three-year NBA veteran would have made if he had stayed in the league at the minimum salary. Charania reported earlier this week that the sides were close to a deal after Taylor reportedly turned down an offer to play in Israel.
The Hornets elected not to make a qualifying offer to the 26-year-old after a difficult season that included a 24-game league-imposed suspension stemming from his guilty plea to misdemeanor domestic assault and property destruction charges in the fall. Taylor saw action in only 29 games for the Hornets in 2014/15, recording a career-low 14.8 minutes per contest, and he also spent time on D-League assignment.
Chatter regarding interest from other NBA teams hadn’t developed this month, but Taylor was the 31st overall pick three years ago, so it hasn’t been long since he was a fairly well-regarded prospect. The Todd Ramasar client is going to a European powerhouse that won this year’s Euroleague title, so he’ll most likely remain on NBA radars.
Do you think Taylor will play in the NBA again? Leave a comment to let us know.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript
4:04pm: We hosted the weekly live chat.
3:00pm: J.R. Smith and the Cavs reached a deal within the past week, and so did Jason Terry and the Rockets, and intriguing names like Jeff Adrien and Henry Sims came off the board, too. That leaves three key unsigned players who are all clients of Rich Paul, as I noted this week when I examined how negotiations for the players he represents have gone in the past. Tristan Thompson, Norris Cole and No. 32 overall pick Montrezl Harrell are still without deals, but that surely won’t be the same for too much longer, since training camps begin in a month.
We can discuss them and many others in today’s live chat.
Reaction To Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Extension
The four-year, $52MM extension that the Hornets and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made official today includes a player option on the fourth season, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). That’ll allow him to hit unrestricted free agency when he’s only 25 years old and the salary cap will be a projected $102MM. Hornets GM Rich Cho cited Kidd-Gilchrist’s age and upside as part of the reason for tying him up for at least this season and three more, as the Hornets’ official feed notes from today’s press conference (Twitter links).
“We feel like [he] is just scratching the surface of what he is as a player,” Cho said.
Cho had more to say, and Kidd-Gilchrist spoke, too, as we’ll round up here:
- The Leon Rose client cited the presence of owner Michael Jordan, coach Steve Clifford, assistant coach Patrick Ewing and even former assistant coach Mark Price, who was in attendance at the press conference, for his desire to do the extension, according to Bonnell (All Twitter links). “Why wait? I’m learning from the best,” Kidd-Gilchrist said. “I don’t do this for the money.”
- Kidd-Gilchrist “embodies everything we want in a Hornet,” Cho said, and Clifford expressed a belief that the former No. 2 overall pick should make the All-Defensive First Team this coming season, Bonnell relays (Twitter links).
- The Hornets have signed Kidd-Gilchrist and Kemba Walker to rookie scale extensions in back-to-back years, and that represents a change in the organization’s strategy, after Charlotte let Emeka Okafor, Gerald Wallace and Gerald Henderson hit restricted free agency in the past, Bonnell observes. Hornets vice chairman Curtis Polk told Bonnell this past spring that the surge in the cap would create a more competitive marketplace, perhaps a hint at the reason behind the philosophical shift. It also coincided with the departure of former president of basketball operations Rod Higgins.
Southwest Notes: Aldridge, Matthews, Williams
A dozen players have struck free agent deals with the Spurs over the past two months, as our Free Agent Tracker shows, and they’re apparently in the market for more. Still, stability remains the hallmark of the San Antonio franchise, as Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, who’s been with the Spurs longer than any other NBA player has been with his team, remain on board. See more from San Antonio amid the latest from around the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs convinced LaMarcus Aldridge to sign, but, as Aldridge’s recent comments suggest, they may still need to sell him on the team’s egalitarian philosophy as it applies to individual stats, writes Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News. Aldridge told USA Today’s Sam Amick that he pointed to his scoring average when he expressed concern about joining the San Antonio to Spurs assistant Ime Udoka, who prevailed upon him to choose San Antonio anyway.
- The Pelicans brought back largely the same cast that made an 11-win improvement from 2013/14 to 2014/15, but they still have depth issues, and a ceiling still appears to exist for their core despite the strides New Orleans made this past season, opines Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders.
- The five offseason additions most likely to have a negative impact, wear out their welcomes or otherwise disappoint all joined Western Conference teams this summer, according to ESPN’s Summer Forecast panel, and two of them are Mavericks. Wesley Matthews, who signed a four-year max deal, and Deron Williams, who inked a two-year, $11MM contract after his buyout with the Nets, are Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, on the ESPN list.
Spurs To Work Out Rafael Hettsheimeir
The Spurs will work out center Rafael Hettsheimeir, as João Paulo Benini writes for Papo Com O Papa in Hettsheimer’s native Brazil and as international journalist David Pick confirms through the agent for the 29-year-old (Twitter link). San Antonio has been eyeing the big man for a while, as they were reportedly among the NBA teams interested in him back in 2012. The Spurs were impressed with Hettsheimeir’s performance in this summer’s Pan American Games, in which he helped the Brazilian team win the Gold medal with 10.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in nearly 18 minutes per game, Pick adds.
The 6’10” Hettsheimeir spent this past season with Bauru in the Brazilian NBB league, but he played before that in the more heavily scouted Spanish ACB league. He put up 5.5 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 13.4 MPG for Unicaja Malaga in 2013/14, and he spent the 2012/13 season in a similarly limited role with Real Madrid. He saw much more playing time with CAI Zaragoza of Spain in 2011/12, posting 13.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG in 30.1 MPG.
That season for Zaragoza seemed to put him on the NBA map, as the Cavs, Mavs, Rockets and Hawks reportedly joined the Spurs as interested parties. Hettsheimeir went undrafted in 2008, so no NBA team holds his rights. The Spurs have only 13 fully guaranteed salaries, so room on the regular season roster is ostensibly available. Even if Hettsheimeir ends up signing with the Spurs, he’d still play for Bauru in the club’s preseason exhibitions against the Knicks and Wizards in October, according to Benini.
Too Many Guaranteed Deals Leave Pistons In Bind
NBA teams commonly carry more than 15 players during the offseason, when they’re allowed as many as 20, but just about every summer, a few teams end up in an especially tenuous situation. This year, three teams — the Timberwolves, Celtics and Pistons, have already promised fully guaranteed salaries to more than 15 players. The Celtics had 17 full guarantees before they waived Zoran Dragic, though the Heat had sent over enough cash to cover his salary when they traded Dragic to Boston earlier in the offseason. Boston, like Minnesota, now has 16 full guarantees, and while both teams are in a tough spot, the Pistons face perhaps the most difficult decisions, since they have 17 full guarantees and must offload not one but two fully guaranteed deals.
The question marks regarding the health of Brandon Jennings, who tore his Achilles tendon in January, cast a shadow. Jennings had reportedly been expecting as of two months ago that he’d be ready for training camp, but uncertainty still abounds. Spencer Dinwiddie called it “the biggest elephant in the room” and said that no one knows whether Jennings can start the season on time, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com recently relayed.
The fate of Dinwiddie, one of four point guards among those 17 with fully guaranteed deals, seems largely tied to Jennings. Dinwiddie’s contract runs through 2016/17, but this is the final guaranteed season, and his salary is only slightly more than $845K this year, the one-year veteran’s minimum. Small forward Darrun Hilliard is making less, an even $600K, but the Pistons just drafted him 38th overall this summer. Of course, Detroit used last year’s No. 38 overall pick on Dinwiddie, so giving up either of them would cost the Pistons an investment of a high second-rounder.
Cartier Martin possesses the next lowest guaranteed salary on the team, at about $1.271MM. He averaged just 8.6 minutes per game in 23 appearances this past season, a level of playing time that he apparently wasn’t pleased with, but his teammates encouraged him to opt in for this season nonetheless. The Pistons and Martin agreed to the deal on the first day of free agency in 2014, which made it all the more surprising when Stan Van Gundy, who doubles as coach and president of basketball operations, didn’t use him much in 2014/15. Thus, it’s hard to predict what sort of value the Pistons place on having Martin on the roster, though he’d seem at risk of getting cut.
The same is probably true of Danny Granger, though he’s set to make nearly $2.171MM. Granger hasn’t made more than 41 appearances since the 2011/12 season, the last in a string of five straight years in which he led the Pacers in scoring and the last before injuries robbed him of his effectiveness. As with Jennings, Granger’s health is uncertain, and a better understanding of it will help the Pistons figure out how to maneuver.
The Pistons benefit from a large number of medium-level salaries to help facilitate trades. Reggie Jackson has the team’s only eight-figure salary, and he’s ineligible to be traded until January 15th anyway. The Pistons can’t trade Aron Baynes or Joel Anthony until after the season starts, either, since they both signed new deals this summer, and certainly the team isn’t about to give up Andre Drummond, but that still leaves several candidates. Jennings would seem like one of them, though he’d no doubt be more difficult to trade before he gets healthy than after.
The stretch provision gives the Pistons another opportunity to excise guaranteed salaries, or at least a portion of them as far as this season is concerned. Monday is the last day for teams to use the stretch provision to spread salaries for this coming season. The Pistons used the stretch most notoriously on Josh Smith last year, but they also used it on Aaron Gray before the start of this past season.
How do you see the Pistons sorting out their guaranteed salary dilemma? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Pacific Notes: Jordan, World Peace, Barnes
The violation of NBA rules against third-party endorsement offers in a pitch the Clippers made to DeAndre Jordan this summer was unintentional, owner Steve Ballmer wrote in an internal memo he sent to members of the Clippers organization that Dan Woike of the Orange County Register obtained. The league fined the Clippers $250K, reportedly for offering Jordan a endorsement deal with Lexus that would pay the center $200K annually.
“As I shared with everyone on day one of purchasing the Team, being part of the Clippers family means operating with the highest integrity,” Ballmer wrote in part. “We believed we were doing this the right way, and any circumvention was inadvertent. In our effort to support our players in every way possible, we as an organization must be diligent in complying with the CBA.”
See more from around the Pacific Division:
- Metta World Peace told TMZ Sports that he’s unaware if the Lakers are thinking about signing him, as reports indicate. The 15-year NBA veteran who turns 36 in November nonetheless expressed interest in joining the team.
- The four-year, $52MM extension deal Michael Kidd-Gilchrist reportedly has with the Hornets will affect extension negotiations between the Warriors and Harrison Barnes, opines Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Kidd-Gilchrist has a decent chance to prove more valuable than Barnes in the long run, but the playoff success and durability of Barnes leads Kawakami to second the belief of TNT’s David Aldridge that Barnes and agent Jeff Wechsler will target salaries of at least $15MM (Twitter link). Kawakami suggests $14MM a year as a settling point but believes the threat of a $17-18MM offer sheet from another team looms if the Warriors let him enter restricted free agency next summer.
- Kawakami suggests in the same piece that market price for Festus Ezeli would be between $9-11MM. GM Bob Myers recently told Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com that the Warriors would consider the idea of an extension for the backup center, and the team would indeed sign Ezeli to an extension if he’s willing to do so at an agreeable price, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported this week.