Headlines

Author: Chuck Myron

Celtics Invite Damen Bell-Holter To Camp

By | at September 8, 2013 8:47 am

The Celtics are adding an off-the-radar prospect, having invited undrafted Damen Bell-Holter to training camp, the power forward tells A.J. Jankowski of the Ketchikan Daily News. Germany's Telekom Baskets Bonn had just declined to renew Bell-Holter's three-week tryout contract when the Celtics extended their offer to agents Mitchell Butler and Toby Bailey. Bell-Holter indicates to Jankowski that he'll accept the invitation.

The Alaskan-born Bell-Holter wasn't highly regarded coming out of Oral Roberts this year. Neither DraftExpress nor ESPN.com listed him in their prospect rankings, and we didn't hear of any NBA team bringing him in for a predraft workout. The 6'9" power forward didn't take part in NBA summer league action after averaging 15.5 points and 9.4 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game as a college senior this past season. NBA scouts may have been most familiar with him from his work at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this spring, where he put up 7.7 PPG and 4.3 RPG in nearly 24 minutes of action per contest against other NCAA seniors.

The 23-year-old was sorting through offers before the Celtics called, and he said he was probably going to accept one from a team in Greece. Instead, Bell-Holter will have a shot, however remote, at making the Celtics regular season squad next month. His addition will give the Celtics 19 players, one short of the training camp roster limit. The deal is non-guaranteed, Bell-Holter confirms to Jankowski.

If Bell-Holter survives camp cuts, he'll become just the second player born in Alaska to appear in an NBA regular season game, joining Mario Chalmers.

2 comments Boston Celtics Transactions

Heat Open To Signing Michael Beasley?

By | at September 7, 2013 5:38 pm

5:38pm: CBS Sports' Matt Moore believes the Heat are in the unique position where they can gamble on Beasley despite his on- and off-court issues, just like they have with Greg Oden despite his injury history.

Meanwhile, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler is surprised at the reported interest from the Heat after what the Team said following his trade to the Timberwloves to free up "Big Three" cap space in 2010 (Twitter). But fellow HoopsWorld scribe Alex Kennedy reminded Kyler about the three beat reporters who have denied the initial report from Woj (Twitter).

Kyler also tweets that Beasley could work out if the Heat veterans are on board with the deal, and he buys into his role with the team since he still possesses the talent that made him the No. 2 pick in 2008.

3:43pm: The Heat are engaging in "due diligence" on Beasley, but they haven't talked to him yet, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.

3:09pm: A source tells Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald that there's no chance the Heat would sign Beasley, and a Heat insider tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel that there's no truth to Wojnarowski's report (Twitter links)

3:04pm: The Heat are considering bringing back Michael Beasley, their former No. 2 overall pick whom the Suns bought out this week, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Several of the team's top players support the idea, and Beasley has interest in rejoining his original NBA team, according to Wojnarowski.

Beasley was never better than when he was with the Heat, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel pointed out today, but it's been a steady drop-off since then, with his PER declining in each of the four seasons since his rookie year. Beasley's arrest in August on a charge of marijuana possession is the latest chapter in his extensive history with the drug, and the Suns cited the need for a culture of professionalism when they let him go. Still, Phoenix is just a year removed from signing him to a three-year, $18MM contract, so it's clear that some within the league have been willing to overlook his faults.

Hoops Rumors readers are split on whether signing the 6'9" forward would be prudent for any team. The Heat have their $3.183MM taxpayer's mid-level exception available, but I'd be surprised if Beasley signed with them for more than the minimum, particularly considering the team's tax issues. 

Spencer Lund contributed to this post.

0 comments Miami Heat Phoenix Suns

Teams With Multiple Clients Of The Same Agency

By | at September 7, 2013 4:43 pm

Agents might not have as much power in the salary-capped world of the NBA as they do in baseball, but they still have plenty to do with the way pro basketball works. Just this week, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge cited the potential influence that agent Jeff Schwartz and his representation of Paul Pierce, Deron Williams and Jason Kidd had on this summer's Nets/Celtics blockbuster trade. Teams with a collection of players (and coaches) who work with the same agency often find themselves reliant on those agents for help when it's time to deal.

The connection between the Knicks and Creative Artists Agency has been well-documented. The Hoops Rumors Agency Database shows five Knicks with CAA. Four of them have Leon Rose as their representative, including Carmelo Anthony, offseason trade acquisition Andrea Bargnani, and J.R. Smith, who re-signed with the team on a three-year deal. Even coach Mike Woodson is a CAA client, at the behest of the team, which reportedly didn't want to deal with his old agents because of a lingering grudge.

The Mavericks also have five players with the same agency, with summer signee Monta Ellis the most significant name among the Relativity Sports Clients in Dallas. Relativity CEO Happy Walters splits the representation of Ellis with Jeff Fried of Peake Management Group, as we learned last week. 

Not every collection of players who have the same agency constitutes a power bloc. BDA Management claims Perry Jones III, Andre Roberson and Hasheem Thabeet of the Thunder, but GM Sam Presti probably isn't too concerned with BDA's sphere of influence. Still, plenty of heavy hitters group together, like Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem of the Heat, all of whom are Henry Thomas clients. 

I've listed every team with at least three players who have the same agency. In some cases, multiple agencies have groups of three or more on a team. The players are listed with their primary agents in parentheses, where applicable. The list may not be 100% accurate, given the difficulty of finding agency information that's up-to-date for each of the league's 450-some players, but if you spot an error or omission, let us know.

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Bobcats

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

  • Wasserman Media Group (3) — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tony Mitchell (both Thad Foucher) and Kyle Singler (Greg Lawrence)

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Philadelphia 76ers

Portland Trail Blazers

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

The Hoops Rumors Agency Database was used in the creation of this post.

2 comments Uncategorized

Extension Candidate: DeMarcus Cousins

By | at September 7, 2013 1:59 pm

It's doubtful that there's a more divisive figure than DeMarcus Cousins among this year's extension-eligible players on rookie-scale contracts. Cousins is a rare gem — a young center who flirts with averages of 20 points and 10 rebounds. He also has a reputation as a malcontent, drawing three separate suspensions last season, according to Patricia Bender's database. Sacramento's completely revamped braintrust, from owner Vivek Ranadive to GM Pete D'Alessandro to coach Michael Malone, have to make the decision on Cousins' extension without the benefit of going through a season with him. The Kings would still have the right to match offers if they let him hit restricted free agency next summer, but the extension period offers them the opportunity for complete control and perhaps a chance.to leverage any desire Cousins may have for long-term security into a team-friendly pact.

The new-look Kings have indicated a willingness to give Cousins the benefit of the doubt. D'Alessandro came aboard with a fondness for Cousins, and he traveled with Ranadive and Malone to meet the 6'11" center in the big man's native Alabama. D'Alessandro consulted with Cousins about free agents, and team officials reportedly expressed their commitment to Cousins when they met again with him and his representatives on multiple occasions in Las Vegas over the summer.

There was some turbulence in the spring, as a report from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio suggested that Malone's hiring meant Cousins was a "goner," but later it appeared rival teams were advancing that notion in the hopes they could shake Cousins loose at a bargain price. Later, Amico reported that Malone was excited to work with Cousins.

Through it all, agent Dan Fegan instructed Cousins to keep quiet on the incoming powers that be in Sacramento. It also looks like Fegan's going after a max contract for his client, with hints that he'll demand a trade if no such deal is forthcoming. Fegan is as cagey as they come, as witnessed by his negotiations for Dwight Howard, and he's already scored one max extension this summer, for John Wall. He negotiated the offseason's other rookie-scale extension, too, for Larry Sanders. Still, the Kings wield the hammer. If they don't want to give him a max extension, they can simply wait until next summer, allowing themselves an extra year to monitor his progress. Another team could come along with a max offer at that point, but the Kings could match it, and it could only be a four-year deal with 4.5% raises, as opposed to the five-year contract with 7.5% raises he could get from signing with Sacramento outright. Realistically, the Kings control Cousins' fate for years to come, unless he takes the drastic move of accepting his qualifying offer next summer. So, a trade demand would ring hollow.

The specter of a trade seems more likely to be a weapon for the Kings rather than an arrow in Cousins' quiver. Sacramento could sign him to a long-term deal, and if they don't like his progress, the team could swap him to a team willing to overpay for size, as SB Nation's Tom Ziller suggested. Of course, an extension could make a trade difficult, at least for the coming season, thanks to the Poison Pill Provision. 

An extension for Cousins, be it for the max or otherwise, is no certainty. The Kings were an atrocious defensive team with him on the floor last season, allowing 109.5 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. That's a rate that would have made Sacramento the worst team in the league in that category. Of course, the Kings weren't much better defensively when he wasn't on the court, but it's tough to make a long-term commitment to someone who's a minus on one side of the floor. Cousins averaged a career-worst 0.7 blocks per game last season, though he did make progress on defending without fouling. He picked up 3.6 personals a night — the first time he averaged fewer than four, and the first time he didn't lead the league in total fouls committed.

He's far more evolved at the offensive end, even if his range doesn't extend much farther than eight or nine feet away from the basket. He's improved his field goal shooting in each season, though there's still room for further growth from the 46.5% mark he put up last year. He took fewer shots last season, which accounted for a dip in points per game, but he also grabbed fewer rebounds in the same minutes per contest, with a lower rebound rate, according to Basketball-Reference. That could be a function of the way former coach Keith Smart used him, but the regression still seems like a red flag.

The Kings already have about $40MM committed for next season, and with Cousins and Greivis Vasquez both up for extensions this summer, there's not much room to maneuver. Still more important than any basketball or cap-related measure is Cousins' maturity. It makes sense that the Kings have visited with him frequently throughout the summer, so that the new management can get a sense of the way he handles himself. Cousins just turned 23 last month, so it's reasonable to suggest that his youth had much to do with his past transgressions. Still, the experience of going through a walk year, and the pressures that come with it, might force him to finally grow up. It could also reveal a further inability to handle life in the NBA.

The consequences of tying him up long-term seem to outweigh the downside of letting Cousins hit free agency next summer, namely the possibility that the Kings would miss out on signing him to a bargain deal, one he and Fegan might not agree to anyway. I expect Cousins will be the most talented extension-eligible player not to get one this year.

0 comments Extension Candidate Sacramento Kings

Ainge On Pierce, KG, Rivers, Stevens

By | at September 6, 2013 11:08 pm

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge presided over a summer of drastic change for his team, trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets, arranging a deal that saw Doc Rivers head to the Clippers, and making the surprise hire of new coach Brad Stevens. Ainge spoke with Grantland's Bill Simmons about those moves and other subjects for a podcast, and NetsDaily provides a transcript that covers the Brooklyn-related items. We'll pass along some of the highlights from that, along with a few more of Ainge's quotes:

On how the trade with the Nets came to be:

"Like a lot of trades, it evolved from something completely different into a bigger deal. (It was) something that I really didn't think would happen, simply because it takes sort of a special, unique circumstance in order for a trade like that to go through, and the tax ramifications of Brooklyn are I would call unique in today's day and age in the NBA right now with the new CBA. But (the Nets were) a team that was really going for it, and money was not an object, and that was probably the reason why we got a better offer today than we would've even gotten two or three years ago."

On the influence agent Jeff Schwartz had on the Nets deal:

"I also think that Paul has a connection with having the same agent as Deron Williams and Jason Kidd, and I think there probably was some discussion going on there. I don't know that for sure, but my guess is that they had some conversation about it. I know that Paul was the one who talked KG into wanting to do the deal or letting go of his no-trade clause to make the deal happen and that took some convincing to do."

On the current value of Pierce and Garnett:

"I just think it came to the point where those guys as the best two players on a team aren't going to go very far. Those guys as a 3rd and 4th, or 4th and 5th, however you look at it, are pretty dang good still, and I think (Brooklyn) is going to have a terrific team next year."

On losing Rivers:

"I thought Doc would be our coach for a long time. When Doc signed his new contract (with the Celtics), we'd even talked about him being Jerry Sloan, and Gregg Popovich, and breaking Red Auerbach's all-time record as a Celtic coach. We knew that our guys were getting older, but we thought that this time might come, so I had anticipated Doc being around for a long time. I never had any idea that he would want out, but I understand it, and I understand the Clippers have much more to offer right now than we do on the court. I just thought that Doc wanted to continue to participate with me and (owners) Wyc Grousbeck and (Stephen Pagliuca) and (continue) to try to rebuild this thing as we had done before. At the same time, I do understand that that's not fun, and that's not fun (for) coaches."

On his pitch to Stevens and the new coach's lengthy contract with the C's:

"I think that a six-year commitment might have made a difference. I'm not sure. We never had a negotiation. His wife was his agent, and his wife wanted to understand the language in one paragraph that we explained to her, and that was basically the entire negotiation."

0 comments Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Los Angeles Clippers

2013 Second-Round Picks Who Remain Unsigned

By | at September 6, 2013 9:46 pm

Today is the deadline for teams to make an offer of at least the minimum salary to this year's second-round picks. Those players would become free agents if their clubs fail to extend the required tender, but in most cases, the deadline is a formality. Twelve of the 30 second-rounders this year have already signed with their NBA clubs, while 11 have agreements with overseas clubs. That leaves seven unresolved cases, as we examine below.

Teams can perpetually retain the NBA rights to second-rounders playing overseas, and it's common practice for them to do so, particularly with players who hail from outside North America to begin with. Clubs can evaluate their second-rounders in summer league, but if they bring them to training camp, they lose the rights to those players if they cut them. 

That can make the tender deadline a little tricky, as Grantland's Zach Lowe examined last month. Second-round picks who sign with NBA teams usually wind up with some amount of guaranteed money, and sometimes get a salary greater than the minimum, so teams can try to push them to sign overseas by making only the one-year required tender. But a second-rounder who is determined to play in the NBA immediately can force a team's hand by accepting the tender, thus daring the club to cut him and forfeit his rights.

Further complicating matters is the growing trend of long-term deals for second-round picks, tying them to their teams at cheap salaries for three and four seasons at a time. If the player pans out, he can become one of the league's most underpaid players, a la Chandler Parsons.

Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors touched on some of the second-rounders without a deal when he wrote about unsigned draft picks last month, but in light of today's deadline, here's an in-depth look at what we know about each of the seven 2013 second-round draft picks without a deal:

  • Grant Jerrett, Thunder (40th overall) — We haven't heard anything about the former Arizona power forward since Oklahoma City acquired his rights from the Blazers at draft time. The Thunder are among the league's most secretive organizations, so perhaps the club and player are quietly negotiating a deal. Eight of the nine second-round picks taken ahead of Jerrett have NBA contracts, though the Thunder hold the rights to the only one who doesn't: Alex Abrines, who'll remain overseas. Jerrett averaged 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game for the Thunder's summer league team.
  • Marko Todorovic, Rockets (45th overall): The Rockets acquired Todorovic via trade from the Blazers, too, and he's also stayed out of the news since then. He's under contract with FC Barcelona after signing a three-year deal last summer, so perhaps the pact either doesn't include an NBA out, or the NBA out is set at a prohibitive price. He didn't play in summer league.
  • Raul Neto, Jazz (47th overall): It appeared shortly after the draft as though Neto wouldn't join the Jazz this season, and he said in July that he'd probably spend the year playing in Spain. GM Dennis Lindsey spoke highly of Neto last month, but it remains undecided where he'll be for the 2013/14 campaign. Neto put up 3.7 PPG and 3.0 APG in 16.2 MPG during summer league.
  • Ryan Kelly, Lakers (48th overall): The Lakers were reportedly expected to sign Kelly, However, he missed summer league while recovering from multiple foot procedures, and the team doubts he'll be ready when camp starts, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote this week.
  • Romero Osby, Magic (51st overall): The Magic have made their required tender, and there's mutual interest in reaching an agreement that would bring him to camp this fall. He notched 11.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 21.1 MPG in summer league. 
  • Lorenzo Brown, Timberwolves (52nd overall): Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities has twice reported that Brown will likely go to camp and compete for the team's final regular season roster spot. He produced 8.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 19.1 MPG in summer league action.
  • Janis Timma, Grizzlies (60th overall): There's been no news on Timma since the Grizzlies made him the final pick of the draft. Luke wrote last month that the Grizzlies didn't have much room on their roster for him, but since then, they've traded Tony Wroten and waived Fab Melo, trimming the roster to 15, with only 13 guaranteed deals. The Latvian small forward wasn't too impressive in summer league, scoring just 2.5 PPG on 20.8% shooting in 13.9 MPG.
0 comments 2013 NBA Draft

Western Notes: Newton, Rockets, Durant

By | at September 6, 2013 8:11 pm

Most of the day's news has come from the Western Conference, where the Trail Blazers signed a player, the Thunder dropped one, the T-Wolves added to their front office. We also asked whether the Jazz are likely to extend Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, both, or neither, with a majority of readers who responded feeling as though Utah will get a pair of deals done. There's yet more going on in the West, as we detail:

  • Michael Lee of The Washington Post provides background on new Timberwolves GM Milt Newton, whose hiring became official today. Newton spent the last 10 seasons with the Wizards.
  • The Rockets have four players on their roster currently participating in international competitions, as well as a pair of "draft-and-stash" guys who are also taking part in those events. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle checks in on how all of them are doing, 
  • Kevin Durant gave a qualified no when asked if he'd ever leave the Thunder, and while Royce Young of DailyThunder.com says Durant's "as of now" caveat is noteworthy, Young doesn't think it carries too much significance with KD tied to the team until 2016.
0 comments Houston Rockets Minnesota Timberwolves Oklahoma City Thunder

Thunder Waive DeAndre Liggins

By | at September 6, 2013 7:17 pm

7:17pm: The Thunder are unlikely to sign anyone of note for training camp as a replacement for Liggins, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Still, I'd expect them to bring on a few inexperienced hopefuls, as most teams do as camp draws near.

7:07pm: Liggins was formally charged with seven felonies shortly before the Thunder waived him, reports Matt Dinger of The Oklahoman. The charges include counts of domestic abuse, kidnapping, and domestic assault and battery.

6:16pm: The Thunder have waived DeAndre Liggins, the team has announced via press release. Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman speculated that such a move was on the way this week after reporting Saturday that the former University of Kentucky Wildcat had been arrested for alleged domestic abuse. Liggins was already on shaky ground, with a non-guaranteed contract that seemed expendable when the team was chasing Mike Miller.

Liggins was set to make the minimum salary this season, the second of a two-year deal to which the Thunder inked him last fall. His release drops the team to 15 contracts, only 12 of which are fully guaranteed. Ostensibly, it's a boost for Daniel Orton's hopes of making the team, since the departure of Liggins makes him the only Oklahoma City player without at least a partial guarantee, but the Thunder are likely to invite more players to compete for a spot in training camp.

Orton and Liggins have an extensive shared history. They played together at Kentucky, spent their rookie years with the Magic, and joined OKC last season. Both made frequent trips to the Thunder's D-League affiliate in Tulsa in 2012/13, though Liggins, unlike Orton, saw the majority of his action with the big club. The 6'6" swingman averaged 7.4 minutes per game in 39 NBA contests, and saw increased run in the playoffs as the Thunder dealt with Russell Westbrook's injury, notching 8.5 MPG. Still, Liggins scored only eight total points in eight playoff games, which wasn't much better than his 1.5 PPG during the regular season.

0 comments Oklahoma City Thunder Transactions

Suns, Wizards Lead NBA With 7 Rookie-Scale Deals

By | at September 6, 2013 6:15 pm

The Lakers have glitz, glamour and 16 NBA titles. Still, they're the only team in the league without a player on a rookie-scale contract.

Every other club has at least one generally team-friendly rookie-scale deal on its books. The Suns boast seven such deals, nearly half of the 16 guaranteed contracts on their roster, and it makes sense, given the team's commitment to youth this season. The Wizards also have seven rookie-scale contracts, but they have playoff aspirations this season. One of their rookie-scale guys, John Wall, will be getting a hefty raise soon, since he agreed to a maximum-salary extension earlier this summer. For now, though, he's still a bargain, as is Larry Sanders of the Bucks, who also has signed an extension during the season.

Teams aren't so lucky with every rookie-scale contract. The Celtics gave up Fab Melo via trade with the Grizzlies, and Memphis turned around and waived last year's 22nd overall pick. His deal will still be on the team's books, though we don't list it below.

The Sixers are in the middle of the pack with four rookie deals, but they should be climbing the chart soon, since they have a pair of unsigned 2013 draft picks in Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams. The Spurs haven't signed 28th overall pick Livio Jean-Charles, but he seems likely to play overseas this season, so San Antonio will probably stay with two rookie-scale contracts this year.

Here's the complete list, with the year the contract expires in parentheses:

Phoenix Suns (7)

Washington Wizards (7)

Utah Jazz (6)

Cleveland Cavaliers (5)

Sacramento Kings (5)

Boston Celtics (5)

Milwaukee Bucks (5)

Oklahoma City Thunder (5)

Orlando Magic (5)

Charlotte Bobcats (4)

Golden State Warriors (4)

Minnesota Timberwolves (4)

Philadelphia 76ers (4) #

Portland Trail Blazers (4)

Atlanta Hawks (3)

Denver Nuggets (3)

Detroit Pistons (3)

Chicago Bulls (3)

Houston Rockets (2)

Indiana Pacers (2)

Memphis Grizzlies (2)

New Orleans Pelicans (2)

New York Knicks (2)

San Antonio Spurs (2) #

Toronto Raptors (2)

Brooklyn Nets (1)

  • Mason Plumlee (2017)

Dallas Mavericks (1)

  • Shane Larkin (2017)

Los Angeles Clippers (1)

  • Reggie Bullock (2017)

Miami Heat (1)

Los Angeles Lakers (0)

*—Player has received rookie-scale extension
#—Team has unsigned 2013 first-round pick 

HoopsWorld was used in the creation of this post.

0 comments Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns Washington Wizards

Upcoming Rookie-Scale Option Decisions

By | at September 4, 2013 11:00 pm

We've taken in-depth looks at several players eligible for extensions to their rookie-scale contracts this fall, but whether to extend isn't the only decision that teams face with recent former first-round picks. The final two seasons of four-year rookie-scale deals are team option years, but unlike other options, the deadline for either exercising or declining them is a full year before the option season begins. In most cases, rookie-scale deals are bargains and there's no thinking required when it comes to picking up the options. The Cavs, for instance, aren't going to let Kyrie Irving's deal end a year early. 

Of course, most first-round picks don't find instant success the way Irving has done. Sometimes, a former first-round pick may be struggling to find playing time or live up to his promise, but the team still has confidence that he can develop, and the front office is willing to assume his relatively small cap hit for another season. Then, there are those who aren't panning out at all, making even a cheap rookie deal seem like an outsized expense.

Part of what makes some of these calls difficult is that teams have to decide a year ahead of time. The options that clubs are debating this fall are for 2014/15. Further complicating matters is that if a team declines a player's rookie-scale option, he becomes an unrestricted free agent when the deal is up, instead of a restricted free agent, as would be the case if the team allowed the contract to run to term.

Teams are in an especially difficult position with underperforming players taken near the top of the first round, since the final seasons of their rookie contracts can get pricey. Former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams will be set to make $6,331,404 in 2014/15 if the T-Wolves pick up his fourth-year option, as Grantland's Zach Lowe pointed out recently when he looked at a few high profile rookie-scale option decisions.

Lowe broke down a half dozen players in that piece, and I've taken a broader look at each player eligible to have his rookie-scale option picked up before the October 31st deadline. I grouped them into three categories based on the likelihood that their respective teams will exercise the options, and I added a blurb for some of the more compelling cases.

Clubs that must decide on third-year options only have the player's rookie season to go on, so they pick those up more often than they do with fourth-year options, and I took that into consideration as I filled out the categories. Feel free to disagree and share your own analysis in the comments.

No-brainers

If anyone among this bunch has his option declined, it will be a shock.

Probables

It'd be surprising if the options for these players weren't picked up, too, even if the decision isn't quite as easy as with the guys in the above category.

  • Enes Kanter, Jazz (4th year, $5,694,674)
  • Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers (4th year, $5,138,430)
  • Bismack Biyombo, Bobcats (4th year, $3,873,398)
  • Brandon Knight, Bucks (4th year, $3,553,917)
  • Kemba Walker, Bobcats (4th year, $3,272,091)
  • Alec Burks, Jazz (4th year, $3,034,356) — I might have listed him as on the bubble, but the Jazz seem focused on turning the team over to their young players, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Burks emerged as the starting shooting guard this season. Lowe referred to his option as a "cinch" to be picked up.
  • Markieff Morris, Suns (4th year, $2,989,239)
  • Marcus Morris, Suns (4th year, $2,943,221) — Much as with Burks and the Jazz, the Suns probably want to see what the Morris twins do with a full season of ample playing time before casting either of them off.
  • Iman Shumpert, Knicks (4th year, $2,616,975)
  • Tobias Harris, Magic (4th year, $2,380,594)
  • Donatas Motiejunas, Rockets (3rd year, $1,483,920) — The focus in Houston has switched from youth to veterans, but with only his rookie season under his belt, the Rockets will probably give the former 20th overall pick some more time to develop.
  • Reggie Jackson, Thunder (4th year, $2,204,369)
  • MarShon Brooks, Celtics (4th year, $2,179,354)
  • Norris Cole, Heat (4th year, $2,038,206)
  • Thomas Robinson, Trail Blazers (3rd year, $3,678,360)
  • Terrence Ross, Raptors (3rd year, $2,793,960) — He has the makings of a no-brainer, since he's a top 10 pick coming off his rookie season, but without rousing success last year and with new management in Toronto, it's at least conceivable that his option goes unexercised.
  • Austin Rivers, Pelicans (3rd year, $2,439,840) — His rookie season was rough, but his status as the 10th overall pick is enough to keep him off the bubble here.
  • Meyers Leonard, Trail Blazers (3rd year, $2,317,920)
  • Jeremy Lamb, Thunder (3rd year, $2,202,000)
  • John Henson, Bucks (3rd year, $1,987,320)
  • Maurice Harkless, Magic (3rd year, $1,887,840)
  • Tyler Zeller, Cavaliers (3rd year, $1,703,760)
  • Terrence Jones, Rockets (3rd year, $1,618,680) — He's in almost precisely the same situation as Motiejunas, with little NBA playing time on his resume as Houston turns away from its youth movement. The Rockets may see Jones and Motiejunas as an either-or debate. 
  • Andrew Nicholson, Magic (3rd year, $1,545,840)
  • Evan Fournier, Nuggets (3rd year, $1,483,920)
  • Jared Sullinger, Celtics (3rd year, $1,424,520)
  • John Jenkins, Hawks (3rd year, $1,312,920)
  • Miles Plumlee, Suns (3rd year, $1,169,880)
  • Arnett Moultrie, Sixers (3rd year, $1,136,160)
  • Perry Jones, Thunder (3rd year, $1,129,200)
  • Marquis Teague, Bulls (3rd year, $1,120,920)
  • Festus Ezeli, Warriors (3rd year, $1,112,880)

On the bubble

This bunch will test the mettle of their respective front offices, and it will be compelling to see what choices the teams make as the deadline approaches.

  • Derrick Williams, Timberwolves (4th year, $6,331,404)
  • Jan Vesely, Wizards (4th year, $4,236,287)
  • Jimmer Fredette, Kings (4th year, $3,110,796) — Fredette's defensive ineptitude and limited offensive skill set beyond his shooting make $3MM+ a tough price to pay for him. That's especially so given the Kings' cap constraints in 2014/15, as Lowe points out in his piece. The team invested a 10th overall pick in him, but that was long before new GM Pete D'Alessandro arrived. He and the rest of the front office may not have reservations about cutting ties with the former BYU star.
  • Chris Singleton, Wizards (4th year, $2,489,530)
  • Jordan Hamilton, Nuggets (4th year, $2,109,294) — The only time he's found his way into the rotation so far is when someone else has been hurt. He might get some playing time early in the season with Danilo Gallinari hurt, but as with the Kings and Fredette, Denver's new GM and new coach don't have as much a stake in him as the old regime did.
  • Cory Joseph, Spurs (4th year, $2,023,261) — He was Tony Parker's backup as the playoffs began last season, but his postseason minutes were erratic.
  • Kendall Marshall, Suns (3rd year, $2,091,840) — Phoenix has plenty of point guards, even though the team plans to play Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe in the backcourt together. The Suns reportedly put Marshall on the trade block this summer.
  • Royce White, Sixers (3rd year, $1,793,520) — White, whose struggles with mental health have been well-documented, is probably less likely to have his option picked up than any other eligible player this year. Furkan Aldemir was apparently the team's primary target in the trade that brought White to Philly.
  • Jared Cunningham, Hawks (3rd year, $1,260,360) — He was outplayed by a couple of second-round picks on the Mavericks last year, and he's on his second team in as many seasons.
  • Tony Wroten, Sixers (3rd year, $1,210,080) — The Grizzlies traded Wroten to Philadelphia last month for little more than breathing room under the tax line, indicating a major slip in his NBA stock.

ShamSports was used in the creation of this post.

0 comments Uncategorized
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors