Southeast Notes: Magic, Afflalo, McRoberts, Heat
Thursday’s trade that sent Arron Afflalo to the Nuggets in exchange for Evan Fournier and No. 56 pick Devyn Marble also gave the Magic a chance to reap an additional asset. It allows Orlando to create a $6,077,280 trade exception representing the difference in salary between Afflalo and Fournier. Of course, it might not last long if Orlando, which has been technically operating above the cap in spite of its diminutive payroll, elects to use cap space this summer. Still, it’s one more arrow in GM Rob Hennigan‘s quiver, and it helps explain another decision he made, as we detail below amid the latest from the Southeast Division:
- The Magic fielded offers that would have allowed them to obtain a first-round pick for Afflalo, but they elected to take the package from the Nuggets instead, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe reveals.
- Hornets GM Rich Cho contends that the team’s decision to draft big man Noah Vonleh at No. 9 doesn’t affect Charlotte’s designs on re-signing Josh McRoberts, as Cho told reporters today, including Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
- It was a surprise when Caron Butler signed with the Thunder instead of the Heat this past season, but he said in a recent radio appearance on FM 104.3 The Ticket that the Heat approached him after he’d already committed to joining Oklahoma City. Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald has the highlights from the interview, in which the soon-to-be free agent confirmed that he’d consider signing with Miami this summer.
Salaries For 2014 First-Round Picks
You’ve likely had a chance to pore through last night’s NBA draft results by now, taking stock of which teams did well and which teams made more questionable choices. It’s also worth considering how last night’s first-round picks will affect the payrolls of NBA teams as we move from the draft into free agency. Clubs with either high lottery picks, multiple first-rounders, or both will see their draftees take a sizable chunk out of any cap flexibility they have.
The NBA’s rookie scale dictates that specific cap holds are assigned to each pick heading into July. For instance, the first overall pick, Andrew Wiggins, will represent a cap hold of $4,436,900 on the books for the Cavaliers. Rookies are permitted to sign for up to 120% of that amount, however, and almost all of them do. So the eventual first-year salary for Wiggins will almost certainly be $5,510,640, which is 120% of his rookie scale amount.
In the chart below, we’ve listed each of the 30 first-round draft picks, along with their cap holds and their likely first-year salaries. Not all of these players will necessarily receive the amount in the “likely salary” column here — some international prospects, like Dario Saric, will likely be stashed overseas and not join their respective NBA teams for another season or two. Others, like Andre Roberson a year ago, could end up signing for less than 120% of their respective rookie-scale amounts. But the cap holds, at least, represent the amounts on the books heading into free agency.
Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Western Notes: Nuggets, Lakers, Prince, Wolves
Nuggets GM Tim Connelly shares the belief of former GM Masai Ujiri that, while having a marquee player is ideal, it’s possible to construct a team that goes deep into the playoffs without one, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe details.
“Watching the playoffs, I do think there is an increasing sense of parity,” Connelly said to Lowe this morning. “We lack that superstar, but we also think a couple of our younger players could really step their game up. I like our roster as I wake up today. It’s a roster that should restore a playoff spot. But we also want to maintain flexibility so that we can make moves. All of our assets are movable.”
There’s more on the Nuggets from Lowe’s piece among the latest from the Western Conference:
- The Nuggets have been planning to discuss an extension with Thad Foucher client Kenneth Faried, and it appears they’ll waste no time in doing so. Connelly tells Lowe that he’ll meet with Faried’s representatives next week, just as Faried’s extension eligibility window opens (Twitter link).
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak downplayed the idea that he’ll allow the team’s free agent signings to influence whom the club hires as coach, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes amid his piece on the team’s hopes for a splashy acquisition.
- The Grizzlies were never that keen on rumored talks with the Raptors involving Tayshaun Prince and John Salmons, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes in a subscription-only piece.
- Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders isn’t anxious to use the $5.305MM mid-level exception likely to be available to the team this summer, observes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “We will wait,” Saunders said. “Right now, there are not a lot of guys that are out there … that I think are better than players we have on the team. We aren’t just going to spend it just because we have it. If someone pops down and we think it’s worth it, we’ll do it.”
- Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro and coach Michael Malone insisted Thursday night that the team’s decision to draft Nik Stauskas at No. 8 isn’t an indication that they’ve lost faith in fellow shooting guard Ben McLemore, tweets Jon Santiago of Cowbell Kingdom.
Martell Webster To Miss Three To Five Months
Wizards small forward Martell Webster will be sidelined the next three to five months after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disk in his lower back, the team announced. He’ll probably take even longer to return to the lineup, since the timetable the team mentions in the release is for his absence from all basketball activities, meaning he’ll need additional time to regain his conditioning, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com notes (on Twitter). The 27-year-old is under contract through 2017, but his injury puts added pressure on the team to sign soon-to-be free agent Trevor Ariza, whom Webster backs up.
Many of Webster’s skills overlap with Ariza’s, making him a logical replacement should Ariza prove too expensive to retain. There’s been concern about the team’s ability to re-sign both Ariza and Marcin Gortat, and while Michael’s report earlier today suggested that Gortat and Ariza are dual top priorties for the club, but other dispatches have made it seem as though Gortat would take precedence.
Webster is set to make nearly $5.382MM next season after signing a four-year deal for the full value of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception last summer. His deal is non-guaranteed for the final season if he plays in fewer than 180 games in the first three years. He has 102 more appearances to go to hit that mark.
The absence of Webster also figures to open up playing time for Otto Porter, last year’s No. 3 overall pick who wound up buried on the Washington bench as a rookie.
Suns Extend Qualifying Offers To Bledsoe, Tucker
The Suns have tendered qualifying offers to Eric Bledsoe and P.J. Tucker, making them restricted free agents, the team announced via press release. It’s a largely academic procedural move for both, particularly in the case of Bledsoe, who seems capable of commanding a maximum salary contract. Phoenix will have the ability to match offers from other teams for each as long as their qualifying offers remain on the table.
Bledsoe’s qualifying offer is worth $3,726,966 while Tucker’s amounts to $2,875,131. Tucker, who proved one of the league’s best bargains on a minimum-salary deal the past two seasons, is high on returning to the Suns, but the client of the Arete Sports Agency is looking for a raise. It seems like it’ll take money in the neighborhood of the $5.305MM non-taxpayer’s mid-level to secure Tucker, though Phoenix’s ability to match offers might depress that figure. The Suns have his Early Bird rights, allowing them to pay up to about $6MM to re-sign him, but they can also use cap space if necessary.
The team has made it clear it will match any offer for Bledsoe, so he seems destined to remain in Phoenix, in spite of interest from the Lakers and Mavs. He’s No. 4 in the latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.
Sixers Trade For Pierre Jackson
1:53pm: The trade is official, the Pelicans have announced.
FRIDAY, 12:30pm: There’s still no official announcement, but Sixers GM Sam Hinkie confirmed the swap to reporters, including Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link). Hinkie also expects that Jackson will sign with the Sixers for next season.
THURSDAY, 10:43pm: The Sixers will send 47th overall pick Russ Smith to the Pelicans in exchange for the rights to Pierre Jackson, last year’s No. 42 pick who became a D-League sensation this past season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Jackson never signed with New Orleans, heading overseas after he and the team couldn’t strike a deal following his high-scoring showing in the D-League.
Grizzlies Owner On Wallace, Randolph, Levien
Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace made his first significant moves since returning to control over the team’s basketball operations department in the past 24 hours, agreeing on an extension with Zach Randolph and coming away with Jordan Adams and Jarnell Stokes from the draft. Owner Robert Pera had praise for Wallace Friday morning on 92.9FM ESPN radio in Memphis, but he also shed some light on the future of Wallace’s role as the team interviews candidates for a GM-in-waiting gig. Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal provides a subscription-only transcription of Pera’s hour-long talk. We’ll share three of the owner’s most relevant comments:
On Wallace:
“What he says is the truth. He doesn’t play any games. …We might very well promote Chris Wallace to president of basketball operations. It’s wide open. Either way, Chris Wallace is staying around.”
On the agreement to sign Zach Randolph to an extension:
“We’re excited about that. Our two goals were making sure Zach was happy and focused and our other goal was to surround Zach with the right pieces to win a championship.”
On former CEO Jason Levien:
“Part of what makes me successful in my career is if I have a feeling about something or an instinct I go ahead and do it. Once I get a sense, I’m aggressive and I do it. [Levien and I] became fast friends. Over the course of time, what I learned is he’s very talented but I felt it was my responsibility to make sure the organization and the culture is headed toward a championship. I have my reasons and I stepped in and made a change. …I don’t think it was a bad thing.”
Byron Mullens Opts Out, Will Hit Free Agency
Sixers big man Byron Mullens has turned down his minimum salary player option for next season and will become a free agent, GM Sam Hinkie told reporters, including Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link). The Wasserman Media Group client would have made a guaranteed salary of more than $1.063MM had he remained under contract, but he’ll seek more on the open market.
The Clippers sent him to the Sixers for a second-round draft pick at the deadline to lower their tax bill and open up room for bench upgrades in L.A. Mullens failed to have an impact after signing with the Clippers last summer, averaging just 6.2 minutes per game for them this season. He saw 13.7 MPG for Philadelphia, averaging 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds, but perhaps most noteworthy for him was his 40% three-point shooting over his 18-game stint with the Sixers. He’s just a 31.9% three-point shooter for his career.
Philadelphia is set to have ample cap flexibility, so Mullens’ decision will probably have no significant effect on Hinkie’s summer plans.
‘Melo To Meet With Lakers, Rockets, Mavs, Bulls
FRIDAY, 12:43pm: Anthony will also sit down with the Lakers to hear their free agent pitch as he envisions making a decision in the second week of July, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Knicks would be willing to offer a max deal to Anthony if necessary to retain him in spite of Jackson’s repeated requests that he take a discount, Spears also hears.
WEDNESDAY, 4:33pm: Anthony hasn’t identified a favorite yet, Broussard writes in a full piece. The meetings haven’t been formally arranged, since teams can’t yet reach out to Anthony, but those are the clubs Anthony has decided to visit, Broussard clarifies. The Knicks remain “very much alive” in the ‘Melo sweepstakes, Broussard adds, reiterating his earlier report that Kobe Bryant intends to reach out to Anthony, too.
4:18pm: Carmelo Anthony will sit down with representatives from the Rockets, Mavs and Bulls when free agency begins on July 1st, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Leon Rose client has already met on multiple occasions with Knicks president Phil Jackson and his staff.
That list of teams doesn’t include the Lakers, who appeared this week to be in a group with Houston, Dallas and Chicago at the forefront of the race for the high-scoring forward. Still, there’s nearly a week to go before the start of free agency, so the Lakers may still wind up meeting with him.
The Mavs would appear to have the easiest shot at Anthony given their cap flexibility, and it appears that would be true even with the acquisition of Tyson Chandler, as rumored. The Rockets and Bulls would have to perform some salary cap gymnastics, but Houston appears confident it can dump the salaries of Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, and the Bulls have the option of amnestying Carlos Boozer. Such maneuvers might not be enough to clear money to make a competitive bid for Anthony on their own, but they’d erase the most significant salary hurdles for those teams.
Wolves Eyeing Steve Blake
The name of soon-to-be free agent Steve Blake has come up in trade talks between the Warriors and Wolves as a sign-and-trade possibility, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. His inclusion in a deal involving Klay Thompson and David Lee for Kevin Love is one of many scenarios the teams are considering, according to Wolfson, who earlier identified Blake as one of several free agents to watch regarding Minnesota this summer (Twitter link).
The Knicks are also apparently interested in the Joel Bell client, who spent a year playing for then-coach Phil Jackson when they were with the Lakers. Blake appears to hold the notion of playing for the Lakers again in high regard and he quickly warmed to Golden State, so it seems Minnesota wouldn’t be at the top of his list of preferred destinations. He’d have to approve any sign-and-trade deal.
Trade discussion involving Love has seemingly slowed considerably, if not completely stopped, as Minnesota reportedly waits for teams that miss out on free agent Carmelo Anthony to turn their focus to Love. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Golden State and Minnesota come to some kind of agreement whether or not Love is involved, given the frequent reports of their back-and-forth in the past month, so a deal involving Blake, providing he consents, is quite conceivable.