Amico On Nets, Wolves, Cavs, Aldridge, Marion
We've heard plenty already today from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who delivers yet more with a late-night batch of rumors. Let's dive in, with all links going to Twitter, unless otherwise noted:
- A three-way trade between Nets, Timberwolves and Cavs involving MarShon Brooks, C.J. Miles and the 22nd and 26th picks is a "very real" possibility, Amico says. Presumably, Brooks would go to the Wolves and Miles would end up with the Nets. The Cavs may also simply swap Miles to the Nets for the 22nd pick, according to Amico, echoing an earlier report.
- The Blazers are willing to trade LaMarcus Aldridge, but they'd want two first-round picks plus at least one player in return.
- The Mavs won't take picks Nos. 31 and 33 from the Cavs in exchange for Shawn Marion. Amico also hears that Hawks GM Danny Ferry has spoken to Dallas, perhaps to offer picks Nos. 17 and 18.
- The Kings have also spoken to the Mavs about the 13th pick, Amico.
- Amico confirms that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has an affinity for Victor Oladipo, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweeted earlier. Still, Gilbert will let GM Chris Grant make the decision, Amico says.
- The Cavs remain engaged in talks to package the 19th, 31st and 33rd picks plus a player in an effort to move up in the draft.
- Just as the Cavs are trying to unload some of their four picks in tomorrow's draft, the Thunder continue to shop the 12th pick.
Wolves Unlikely To Trade Derrick Williams
Derrick Williams has seemingly been a trade candidate since the Timberwolves drafted him second overall two years ago. Still, Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders insists the team is not shopping the 22-year-old power forward, as he tells Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune.
"I haven’t said anything about trading him," Saunders said. "That is something that has been speculative. That’s because last year it was pretty public, it came out of the organization that they were looking to trade him last year. It’s just a lot of speculation from the people, social media, everyone talking about trading him."
A report earlier this month indicated that the team believed Williams could be part of a package to move into the top three picks, but Saunders dismissed that idea. Wolves owner Glen Taylor also told Hartman recently that the team was cool on the idea of trading Williams. Still, rumors have persisted.
"Wilt Chamberlain was traded, guys like Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got traded," Saunders said. "Anyone can be trade for the right price. But [Williams is] not a guy that we’re just out there looking to trade."
Doc Rivers To Have Final Say On Clips Personnel
It appears Clippers coach Doc Rivers will have the final say within the team's basketball operations department, according to Gary Sacks, the team's vice president of basketball operations. Rivers was given the title of senior vice president of basketball operations upon his hiring this week, and as Phil Collin of the Los Angeles Daily News points out, that title indicates that Rivers is one spot above Sacks on the team's organizational hierarchy. Sacks said he believes Rivers "will have the final say," though everyone in the front office will contribute to decision making.
Sacks, who had taken over the role of primary decision maker in September, also said his role would remain the same, though I assume he's simply talking about his capacity as someone who works on player personnel. Former coach Vinny Del Negro had played a role in the Clippers front office prior to the team's decision not to renew his contract this spring. Sacks, Del Negro, and team president Andy Roeser formed a triumvirate that collaborated on the team's moves last summer after former GM Neil Olshey left for the Blazers.
As coach and primary front office decision maker, Rivers assumes a role similar to that of Mike Dunleavy, who was in charge of Clippers personnel decisions in the final two years of his coaching tenure, in 2008/09 and 2009/10.
Several Teams Eyeing J.R. Smith, Chris Copeland
8:51pm: Zwerling and ESPN colleague Chris Broussard add the Suns to the list of teams interested in Smith, while the Mavs, Pacers, Lakers, Thunder, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards are in the market for Copeland, according to their report.
7:36pm: The Bucks have strong interest in J.R. Smith, and they're also interested in fellow Knicks free agent Chris Copeland, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Milwaukee will have plenty of cap space, presuming the team doesn't re-sign many of its own free agents, so Milwaukee can outbid New York.
Fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Ian Begley noted Milwaukee's interest in Smith last night, pointing to the Pistons as another team eyeing the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. It's unclear whether the interest from either Smith or Copeland is mutual. Both have spoken about their desire to remain in New York, though John Spencer, Copeland's agent, said in May that money would be a key for his client this summer.
The taxpaying Knicks have Early Bird rights on Smith, but that limits them to a four year deal with a starting salary at either 175% of his previous salary, which would be $5,132,298, or 104.5% of the league average salary, whichever is greater. We won't know the league's official average salary calculation until July, but it's expected to be around that same amount.
While Smith is an unrestricted free agent, Copeland is on the restricted market, meaning the Knicks have the right to match offers after having extended him a qualifying offer today, worth $988,872 for one year. Copeland is a Non-Bird free agent, and the best the Knicks could do for him would be a four-year deal starting at $3.183MM via the taxpayer's mid-level exception. If the Knicks somehow find a way to dip below the tax apron, which appears unlikely, New York could get help via the Gilbert Arenas Provision, which limits other teams to offers with a starting salary of no more than the non-taxpayer's mid-level. The Pelicans are another team that's shown interest in the forward who's coming off a surprisingly impressive rookie year.
Clippers Rumors: Aldridge, Rivers, Lue
The Clippers pulled off the first offseason swap this year, though it didn't involve any players. New coach Doc Rivers, acquired for a future first-round pick, spoke with L.A. media as well as Boston reporters today, and we've got more on that along with other Clippers-related news:
- The Clippers fielded a call about LaMarcus Aldridge, but a source who spoke to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com downplayed any trade talks, saying, "Where's the fit?" (Twitter link).
- Clippers president Andy Roeser said the team's been after Rivers for quite some time, calling him "the apple of our eye before we even made a decision to change coaches," as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com rounds up Rivers' remarks about his reasons for leaving the Celtics for the Clippers. The coach emphasized that the move had nothing to do with an alleged rift with Rajon Rondo.
- Rivers elaborated some more on his decision on The Doug Gottlieb Show, and Royce Young of CBSSports.com shares some of what the coach said, including Rivers' suggestion that Celtics president Danny Ainge was the one who initiated the idea of Rivers leaving the C's.
- Rivers says he told Ainge on Sunday that he had decided to come back to coach the Celtics, only to learn hours later that Boston's deal with the Clippers was done, as Forsberg notes.
- Celtics assistant coach Tyronn Lue will be following Rivers to join his staff with the Clippers, a source tells TNT's David Aldridge (Twitter link). Lue was a candidate to join the Raptors staff earlier in the offseason.
Trevor Ariza To Opt In
Trevor Ariza told the Wizards last night that he will exercise his $7,727,280 player option for next season to remain with the team, a source tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post (Twitter link). Lee reported back in April that Ariza and Emeka Okafor both intended to exercise their options for the coming season, so today's news comes as no surprise.
Ariza came to the Wizards in a trade from the Pelicans that became official almost exactly a year ago. The veteran small forward averaged 9.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game last season, and would have been hard-pressed to find an annual salary equal to the value of his option on the open market.
The move, when official, will give the Wizards about $42.5MM in commitments for next season. Okafor's option, worth $14,487,500, would eat up most of the rest of the team's cap room.
Odds & Ends: Spurs, Heat, Cavs, Eliyahu, White
For as compelling as the Finals were, it's a shame that we almost certainly won't see the Heat and Spurs clash again next season without at least a few changes to their rosters. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News tackles a half dozen key questions for the Spurs amid uncertainty for soon-to-be free agents Manu Ginobili, Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal. In a separate piece, McDonald examines the prospects each Spurs player has of sticking around. I examined the offseason ahead for the Heat earlier today, and Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel follows with a look at what it will cost to keep each player on the Miami roster. The only constant in the NBA is change, and here's the latest on the league's comings and goings:
- As expected, the Cavaliers met with both Nerlens Noel and Alex Len this week, as Bob Finnan of The News-Herald confirms amongst his league roundup. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, who argues that Otto Porter should get the nod at No. 1, notes that Porter, Ben McLemore and Victor Oladipo all worked out for the Cavs in the past few days.
- The "overwhelming belief" is that the Cavs won't trade the top pick, Lloyd writes.
- Lior Eliyahu, a former second-round pick whose NBA rights are owned by the Timberwolves, has parted ways with the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports with an assist from colleague David Pick.
- NBA contracts aren't necessarily guaranteed in case of mental disability, but Royce White's deal with the Rockets is, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link) points out. That means the Rockets wouldn't save any money if they waived him because of his psychological disorders.
- The Bucks are looking for a shooting guard, and they'll bring in Jamaal Franklin for a workout Monday, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
Offseason Outlook: Miami Heat
Guaranteed Contracts
- LeBron James ($19,067,500)
- Chris Bosh ($19,067,500)
- Dwyane Wade ($18,673,000)
- Mike Miller ($6,200,000)
- Udonis Haslem ($4,340,000)
- Joel Anthony ($3,800,000)
- Shane Battier ($3,270,000)
- Norris Cole ($1,129,200)
Options
- Mario Chalmers ($4,000,000, Team)
- Ray Allen ($3,229,050, Player)
- James Jones ($1,500,000, Player)
- Rashard Lewis ($1,399,507, Player)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Jarvis Varnado ($788,872)1
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- Chris Andersen ($884,293)
- Juwan Howard ($884,293)
Draft Picks
- None
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $75,547,200
- Options: $10,128,557
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $788,872
- Cap Holds: $1,768,586
- Total: $88,233,215
The Heat will celebrate their second consecutive championship with another victory parade Monday in Miami, and all in attendance would be well-advised to embrace the moment. Though the Heat are betting-line favorites to win again next season, there's plenty of reason to believe the team's stay atop the NBA won't last much longer.
The future of LeBron James promises to be a topic of nearly ceaseless discussion for the next 12 months as he nears an early-termination option on his contract. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have the same options in their deals, but neither of them are quite as certain to merit new max contracts on the open market as James is. There will be plenty of financial incentive for James to elect free agency next summer. He, like Wade and Bosh, took less than the max to sign with the Heat in 2010, but with a mounting stack of MVP awards, James not be so charitable this time around.
James will be looking at a Heat team with serious questions about its future, ones that have nothing to do with Wade's increasingly balky knees. The repeater tax in the new collective bargaining agreement is set to kick in for 2014/15, punishing teams that will have paid luxury taxes in that season and the three previous years. The Heat have been taxpayers for the past two years, and their guaranteed contracts for next season exceed the projected tax line of $71.6MM. Bringing back James, Wade and Bosh next summer would surely make the Heat taxpayers again, and for that year, owner Micky Arison would have to shell out at least $2.50 for every dollar he spends beyond the tax threshold. The farther into the tax the team goes, the higher the rate it will have to pay.
Up to this point, the luxury tax has simply been a dollar-for-dollar charge. That changes in 2013/14, when tax teams must pay at least $1.50 for every dollar above the tax line, regardless of how many seasons they've paid the tax in the past. That brings the dilemma into focus for this summer, since the cost of keeping the championship team together rises even before King James can bolt.
The easiest way for the Heat to cut next season's tax bill is probably to use the amnesty clause. They aren't going to amnesty James, Wade or Bosh, so the choice comes down to one of their other three eligible players: Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony. Miller's contract, worth a total of $12.8MM for two more seasons, is the most expensive among the three. He seemed destined for the amnesty scrapheap until re-emerging in the Heat's rotation in the conference finals. The 13-year veteran became a starter in the middle of the NBA Finals, and just as he did at the end of last year's Finals, Miller proved that his three-point shooting is a critical part of the team's success. Still, he's overpaid for someone who's essentially a spot-up shooter, and even though it would be difficult to cut ties with a playoff hero, I think it would still be a wise move for team president Pat Riley and company.
Haslem and Anthony certainly merit consideration for the amnesty, and Anthony in particular, since he disappeared from the Heat's rotation once Chris Andersen arrived. Haslem was the starting power forward for most of the season, but Miller took his playing time in the playoffs as coach Erik Spoelstra more fully embraced the small-ball philosophy. Haslem played less than 10 minutes over the last three games of the Finals combined. Haslem's contract has $8.96MM left on it for the next two seasons, about $4MM less than Miller's deal. That difference would be multiplied by the increased tax rates, so the effective difference would be somewhere around $11.5MM, at least. Haslem, a Miami native, has been with the Heat for his entire 10-year career, so there are plenty of sentimental reasons to hang on to him, too.
Anthony was the least productive player of the three this past season, and his remaining contract, worth $7.6MM over two more years, is the least expensive. Amnestying him instead of Miller or Haslem would help keep the rotation together for another run at a title, but Arison may be better off testing the depth of his pockets at another time.
The return of Ray Allen would help make the decision to amnesty Miller easier, since Allen is another of the team's elite three-point shooters. Allen is on the fence about his $3.229MM player option for next season. He had plenty of suitors on the open market last year, and even though he played a significantly reduced role this past season compared to what he had done with the Celtics, I think plenty of teams would line up for him again if he elects free agency. The Celtics were willing to pay him twice as much as he got from the Heat last summer, and while I don't think Allen will merit any offers of a $6MM annual salary this time around, he can probably do better than what he's set to make in his option year. At the very least, teams should be willing to offer him a multiyear deal that would give Allen more guaranteed money than a one-year option pickup would provide. The Heat could re-sign Allen to a deal with a starting salary of $3.708MM for as many as four years through Non-Bird rights. A multiyear deal could pose yet more tax issues down the road for the Heat, but that may be what it takes to bring Allen back.
Re-signing Allen would make it easier for the Heat to bring back Andersen, too. The team would barely be able to exceed the minimum salary to re-sign the Birdman without dipping into the $3.183MM taxpayer's mid-level exception. The Heat would have to use that exception to replace Allen if he leaves, and since they'd probably like to find another outside shooter with Allen gone, that would probably signal an exit for Andersen.
The Heat experimented with lineups that didn't feature a traditional point guard at times this season, including during the Finals, when those groups were effective down the stretch in games. That might lead to speculation that the Heat could turn down their $4MM option on Mario Chalmers, but I don't think the team envisions giving Wade or James significantly more ballhandling duties while forcing one them to guard opposing point guards every night. James was effective stopping Tony Parker in the Finals, but that's a heavy burden for a player who has so many other tasks, and I think the Heat would be loath to saddle him with such duty in the regular season. Norris Cole doesn't appear ready to assume a starting role, and finding a cheap replacement for Chalmers who could share the position with Cole would probably weaken the team quite a bit. I don't think the Heat will try to skimp here, particularly given Chalmers' relative youth on an otherwise aging roster.
If Riley is to get creative in a quest to save money, it would probably involve a trade. Bosh has drawn mention as a potential trade candidate, and the perception remains that he's the most expendable of the Heat's three stars, particularly after his scoreless performance in Game Seven of the Finals. Miami would probably target a cheaper big man as part of a trade, but inexpensive size has long been the most difficult-to-find commodity in the NBA. Bosh isn't a traditional rim-protecting center, but his speed and long arms make him a disruptive presence on defense. Even if Bosh is overpaid to some degree, the Heat would probably be looking at a downgrade for their roster next season if they traded him, risking another shot at a title.
Wade's trade value is at an all-time low, but if the Heat are to deal away one of their stars, he's probably the best choice. His up-and-down play this postseason proved that he has to perform at an All-Star level for the Heat to win against the best opponents. If he can no longer do so consistently, the Heat might be better off trading him for someone who can. An underpaid star wing player is usually easier to find than a big man with similar credentials, so that's another argument for trading Wade instead of Bosh.
Still, no player on the roster is as much part of the fabric of the Heat's culture as Wade is. He took the sharpest discount among the team's three stars when they signed in 2010. Wade has the superstar credentials and the intimate knowledge of what it's like to be "the man" in Miami, even if he's no longer either of those things. That could help him recruit a replacement for LeBron if the four-time MVP leaves next summer. The intangibles in play as part of any Wade trade could be enough to scuttle the idea before it crosses Riley's mind.
This offseason figures to be about small-scale maintainance of a championship roster instead of earth-shattering moves. A third championship in a row, which would put Miami in the elite company of the Celtics, Lakers and Bulls as the only franchises ever to accomplish such a feat, is within the team's grasp. That's probably worth the cost of ignoring concerns about the future for one more year. Riley and the Heat pursued a similar strategy to chase the 2006 title with Shaquille O'Neal and company, bottoming out in 2007/08 with a league-worst 15-67 record. It didn't take too long for the Heat to rebound from that nadir, and with warm weather and no state income tax, not to mention a growing championship tradition, the team probably wouldn't take too long to bounce back from a similar crash. If 2013/14 must be a swan song for the LeBron-era Heat, expect the band from the last two or three seasons to remain largely intact for one more.
Additional notes:
- James Jones and Rashard Lewis have player options that are no-brainers to exercise, so the Heat can count on spending nearly $3MM to seat them at the end of the bench.
- There's mutual interest between the Heat and Greg Oden, but since there are several teams reportedly in the mix for the former No. 1 overall pick, it will probably take more than the minimum salary to bring him aboard. The only other way the Heat could sign him would be via the taxpayer's mid-level exception. If the team re-signs Allen and doesn't have to use the exception to find a shooter to replace him, Oden could be an alternative to re-signing Andersen.
Cap footnote:
- Varnado's contract becomes guaranteed for $250K if he's not waived on or before opening night, and it's guaranteed for $500K if he's not waived on or before December 15th.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
Atlantic Rumors: Pierce, Raptors, Knicks, Draft
The Celtics have been embroiled in negotiations with the Clippers over Doc Rivers in a stop-and-start drama that was the league's primary storyline this week, outside of the Finals. With the draft and free agency approaching, plenty of other headlines figure to emerge, and we've got the latest on potential moves involving a few Atlantic Division clubs here:
- Teams around the league have better than average interest in trading for Paul Pierce, according to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. Pierce's $15.3MM contract for next season is only guaranteed for $5MM if he's waived on or before next Sunday.
- The Raptors are trying to acquire a pick in this year's draft, but they don't have much cash available to use in a trade for one. The Raptors sent $3MM to the Grizzlies as part of the Rudy Gay trade, and that leaves them just $100K under the NBA's annual limit for sending out cash as part of swaps, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter links). GM Masai Ujiri and company could get creative and prearrange a deal for a pick involving cash that wouldn't become official until July, when the league calendar flips over and teams have another $3.2MM to spend in trades, Deeks notes.
- The Knicks feel they need another scorer on the perimeter, preferably one who can play small forward, and they'll target that need in the draft and go after a big man in free agency, as Marc Berman of the New York Post hears. They're considering swingmen Tim Hardaway Jr., Allen Crabbe, Reggie Bullock and Tony Snell with the 24th overall pick.
- If the Knicks take a point guard with the pick, they'll look for a playmaker rather than a scorer, and they have interest in Nate Wolters, according to Berman.
Blazers Have Interest In Marcin Gortat
The Trail Blazers have interest in Suns center Marcin Gortat, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, amidst a report on Phoenix's draft prospects. It's not clear from Coro's piece how recent or how intense Portland's interest in the 29-year-old center is, but Coro speculates that the Suns could be more willing to part with Gortat if they take a big man with the fifth overall pick in Thursday's draft.
Gortat was a trade candidate for much of the past season, and the Suns were reportedly discussing a proposal involving him as part of a package for Josh Smith at the deadline. He stopped short of asking for a trade during 2012/13, but he vented his frustration about the Suns rebuilding process to a reporter in his native Poland. Gortat is set to make $7,727,280 in the final season of his contract this year after turning down an extension last summer.
When I examined Gortat's trade candidacy before the deadline, I figured that if the Suns didn't trade him this past season, they'd revisit the possibility in 2013/14, given his poor fit in the team's rebuilding. The six-year veteran saw many of his numbers decline this year from career highs in 2011/12.
The Blazers could make sense as a destination, since J.J. Hickson, the incumbent starter at center in Portland, is hitting free agency. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors, in looking at the Blazers offseason, speculated that the team would go after a veteran center to pair with Meyers Leonard, their first-round pick from 2012. Phoenix is open to acquiring another first-round pick in this year's draft, and the Blazers are reportedly interested in trading this year's first-rounder, No. 10 overall. Coro believes the Suns could draft a center to replace Gortat with that pick if they acquire it in a deal for Gortat.
The Suns are taking a best-player-available approach to the No. 5 pick, Coro writes, but the Suns won't take another player at the same position with pick No. 30, he adds. Regardless, new GM Ryan McDonough and company expect to be able to find a player capable of joining their rotation with the final pick of the first round.