Teams With Designated Players
The October 31st deadline for teams with players eligible to extend their rookie-scale contracts is drawing near, and as it does, the new CBA provides an extra wrinkle to consider. Teams can only agree a five-year rookie-scale extension with one player, known as the "designated player" in CBA parlance. As long as the designated player is on the roster, none of the team's other first-round picks nearing the end of their original deals may receive an extension of longer than four years.
The Thunder, for instance, are barred from giving James Harden a fifth year in an extension because they agreed to a five-year extension with Russell Westbrook in January. If they had that option, it would have given Oklahoma City an opportunity to spread out Harden's cap hit over one more season, easing the team's luxury tax concerns.
Teams can acquire one more designated player via trade, and extensions signed under the old CBA are grandfathered in. The latter exception explains how Westbrook was able to get a five-year extension after Kevin Durant had already signed a five-year extension in 2010. Still, the rule presents a challenge for teams like the Thunder who have built through the draft.
Only three teams have designated players so far, with more likely by the end of the month. Here's a breakdown of those teams, and how the five-year extensions they've handed out limit them in the future:
Bulls — Derrick Rose (signed five-year extension on December 11th, 2011 that runs through 2017)
Others limited to rookie-scale extension of four years or fewer:
- Taj Gibson (extension-eligible in 2012)
- Jimmy Butler (extension-eligible in 2014)
- Marquis Teague (extension-eligible in 2015)
- Any first-round pick the team adds next summer will be ineligible for a five-year extension as well, since he'd be eligible for an extension in 2016, when Rose is still under his extension.
Thunder — Russell Westbrook (signed five-year extension on January 19th, 2012 that runs through 2017)
Others limited to rookie-scale extension of four years or fewer:
- James Harden (extension-eligible in 2012)
- Eric Maynor (extension-eligible in 2012)
- Cole Aldrich (extension-eligible in 2013)
- Lazar Hayward (extension-eligible in 2013)
- Reggie Jackson (extension-eligible in 2014)
- Perry Jones (extension-eligible in 2015)
- Any first-round pick the team adds next summer will be ineligible for a five-year extension as well, since he'd be eligible for an extension in 2016, when Westbrook is still under his extension.
Clippers — Blake Griffin (signed five-year extension on July 11th, 2012 that runs through 2018)
Others limited to rookie-scale extension of four years or fewer:
- Eric Bledsoe (extension-eligible in 2013)
- Any first-round picks the team adds next summer and in will 2014 be ineligible for a five-year extension as well, since they'd be eligible for an extension in 2016 and 2017, when Griffin is still under his extension.
Gustavo Ayon Draws Interest From Spain
Center Gustavo Ayon is under contract for at least the rest of this season with the Magic, but he isn't ruling out an eventual return to Spain, where he played before signing with the Hornets last December, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports (All four Twitter links). FC Barcelona apparently wants to be prepared should he choose to return overseas, and is close to an agreement to acquire his Spanish rights from Baloncesto Fuenlabrada, according to the Spanish website El Contraataque (translation via HoopsHype).
El Contraataque also indicates FC Barcelona wants to sign Ayon sometime this month, but Robbins confirms via Twitter that Ayon will remain with the Magic this year. Orlando has two team options on Ayon's contract: one for $1.5MM that covers 2013/14, and another for $1.875MM for 2014/15, so it could be a while before Ayon goes anywhere. Still, the status of the Mexico native is up in the air beyond this season, and he addressed that uncertainty with Robbins.
"It doesn't depend on me," Ayon said, when Robbins asked him whether he wanted to remain in the NBA. "It depends on the opportunities that I have in basketball. At that time I'll see if I have any other options. For right now, I'm with Orlando and I think I'll be here this year and many more to come. But after this year it's not my decision."
Ayon is set to make $1.5MM this season after scoring 5.9 points and grabbing 4.9 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game with a healthy 16.7 PER as a rookie for the Hornets last year. He came to the Magic over the summer as part of Ryan Anderson's sign-and-trade deal.
Odds & Ends: Dwight, Lakers, Warriors, Bucks
The news continues to improve for Dwight Howard and the Lakers, as five-on-five scrimmages appear to be the only part of practices in which the big man in not participating, as Mike Trudell of Lakers.com writes. "As much as he’s practicing, to me he’s back," coach Mike Brown told reporters. "Just waiting for the doctors (and) trainers to clear him. When that happens, he’ll go full tilt. But he looks good out there." There's more on the purple-and-gold and others tonight as training camps continue.
- The Lakers are not for sale, but Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, whose name has come up as a candidate to buy the Warriors and the Grizzlies in recent years, says they're his favorite team and hinted to CNBC's Robert Frank that he might like to own them someday (hat tip to RealGM.com).
- The Warriors are taking a cautious approach with Stephen Curry in training camp as the team tries to assess his health as the October 31st deadline for an extension looms, reports Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group (via the Charlotte Observer).
- Thompson also sizes up the candidates to start at small forward for the Warriors, concluding Brandon Rush is the most likely to nail down the job.
- It's a jumble at the three spot for the Bucks, too, with Tobias Harris, Mike Dunleavy and Marquis Daniels competing for the starting gig, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines.
- The agent for free agent guard Maurice Evans doesn't expect his client will sign anywhere soon, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- We passed along reaction to the league's new flopping policy earlier this evening, and Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News adds word from reputed flopper Manu Ginobili.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel checks in with Arron Afflalo, who figures to take on a larger role for the Magic this year than the one he played with the Nuggets.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com provide more detail on the psychological struggle Royce White faces as he remains absent from Rockets camp. Matt Moore of CBSSports.com and Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld take it a step further, writing about their own anxiety disorders.
Atlantic Notes: McGuire, Ross, Brown, Brewer
The Celtics have won the Atlantic Division five years in a row, but a sixth straight title could be a tall order, as the rest of the division made strides in the offseason. There's news about pickups from each of the four challengers to Boston's throne tonight.
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey is a fan of Dominic McGuire and is glad his team fought off the Nets and the Warriors for the defensive-minded wing, who's in camp on a partially guaranteed deal, as Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun details.
- The Raptors' focus is starting to shift away from player development and toward competing, so that means Terrence Ross, the eighth overall pick in the draft, is behind DeMar DeRozan on the depth chart, Ganter reports.
- Kwame Brown figured to start at center for the Sixers when he signed his two-year, $6MM deal earlier this summer, but now he appears to be out of the team's rotation plans, as Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com writes.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal shares insight from returning Knicks on the team's offseason acquisitions, including Carmelo Anthony's praise of Ronnie Brewer, who came over from the Bulls on a minimum-salary deal.
- Newsday's Roderick Boone examines the dynamic between the new Nets backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.
Northwest Rumors: Roy, Miller, Thunder, Blazers
- The Timberwolves are only two days into training camp, but Brandon Roy has yet to feel any pain or discomfort in his knees, and the team has been encouraged by what they've seen from him so far, as Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
- Brad Miller retired this summer after being used as a trade chip in a pair of deals, and now he's lending a hand at Timberwolves camp for a few days to see if he wants to get into coaching, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- The backup point guard job for the Thunder is an open competition between Reggie Jackson and Eric Maynor, coach Scott Brooks said, and Jackson's summer league experience is helping him, as John Rohde and Darnell Mayberry of the The Oklahoman write.
- DeAndre Liggins explains how his non-guaranteed deal with the Thunder came about in a Q&A with John Rohde of The Oklahoman.
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts retreated from earlier indications that J.J. Hickson would start at center, and the starting job appears to be an open competition between Hickson, Joel Freeland and Meyers Leonard, as Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge writes in his breakdown of all three candidates for the position.
- Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com looks at Andre Iguodala as he embarks on his first training camp with the Nuggets.
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune examines the logjam in Utah, where nine Jazz players averaged at least 30 minutes a game at some point in their careers. That's a group that doesn't include young big men Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, who'll push for more time this season.
Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Mayo, Collison, Lin
The Grizzlies ended practice early today upon the news that Dana Davis, the team's vice president of basketball operations, had been found dead in his apartment, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported. The Grizzlies released a statement detailing his role with the team, in which he oversaw programs that worked toward personal, professional and social development of players, as well as his extensive community outreach work. Davis was a member of the National Civil Rights Museum Board of Directors. Here's more from the Southwest Division:
- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle appears to have anointed O.J. Mayo as the starter at two-guard, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram tweets. "He’s going to be a starter for us, whereas he’s been a sixth man for Memphis," the coach said.
- Carlisle also has praise for new point guard Darren Collison, who must replace a championship-winning point guard in Jason Kidd and endure comparisons to would-be Mav Deron Williams, as HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram writes. "I always feel like in the NBA you’ve got to be your own player," Collison said. "Deron Williams is a good player, and I’m pretty sure Mavs fans would love for him to come here, but I’m my own player. I have a job to do here. My job is to win and make this team successful, and that’s it."
- Jeremy Lin told Matt Thomas of KBME radio in Houston that it was difficult to fight off complacency and keep his edge amid his sudden rise of the top. Chris Fedor of Sports Radio Interviews has the transcription.
- Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com gives his Southwest Division preview.
Reaction To New Anti-Flopping Policy
Much of the talk around the NBA today has been about the league's new rule on flopping, which quickly prompted opposition from the union. That dissent appears to be largely procedural, and many players have spoken in favor of the measure. A majority of Hoops Rumors readers gave a thumbs-up to the new rule in our poll earlier today, and we passed along Cavs coach Byron Scott's thoughts on the matter. Here's more input from players and coaches.
- Sam Amick of SI.com rounds up opinions from the Lakers, including Kobe Bryant, who called flopping "a chump move."
- Pacers coach Frank Vogel drew a fine of $15K from the league during the playoffs this spring when he said the Heat were the "biggest flopping team in the NBA," so it's not surprising that he's in favor of the new rule, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star documents. "The NBA does a great job delivering a great product and I think that's what they're trying to clean up more than anything, just the silly acting and trying to fool the officials," the coach said. "It's a good thing."
- Kevin Love believes the $30K fine for the fifth violation is "excessive," as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets.
- James Harden said, "It was bound to happen at some point and obviously the league got fed up with it and put it in, so I'm happy they did it," writes John Rohde of The Oklahoman, who also passes along the thoughts of Nick Collison, who's taking a wait-and-see approach.
Central Rumors: Gibson, Thomas, West, Kravtsov
- As the Bulls and Taj Gibson make progress toward an extension, Shams Charania of RealGM.com says both sides want to make a long-term commitment (Twitter link).
- Charania also checks in with Malcolm Thomas, the Bulls summer league standout who signed to play in Israel. Before he inked that contract, Thomas had an agreement in place with Dongguan on the Chinese Basketball Association, but the deal fell apart, Charania reports.
- Entering the final year of his contract with the Pacers, David West appears much healthier to start this season than he was a year ago, when he was still feeling the effects of his torn left ACL, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- The Pistons are impressed with Ukrainian big man Slava Kravtsov despite a language barrier that causes some on-court communication problems, as MLive's David Mayo writes.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio shares Cavs coach Byron Scott's thoughts on the new anti-flopping rule, and the coach seems unconcerned, despite the presence of noted flopper Anderson Varejao on the roster. Scott also says he's impressed with second-year man Tristan Thompson, and says he has an edge over Samardo Samuels and Jon Leuer for the starting power forward job.
- Kelenna Azubuike started 51 games for the Warriors in 2008/09, but in large measure because of two surgeries on a torn left patella tendon, he's only played in 12 NBA games since. Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer looks at how he's trying to resurrect his career with the Cavs this season. Valade also passes along a note from Scott hinting that the team may keep both Donald Sloan and Jeremy Pargo as backups to Kyrie Irving.
- Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com chronicles the unconventional path Alonzo Gee took to become an established player in the NBA.
Atlantic Rumors: Calderon, Sixers, Darko, Nets
Each of the five teams in the Atlantic Division is arguably improved from last season, which might make it the league's best. That doesn't mean that the division's GMs are done moving, and there's news on transactions past and, perhaps, future.
- Jose Calderon isn't likely to ask for trade, but Raptors coach Dwane Casey probably won't try to get him extra minutes by playing him alongside fellow point guard Kyle Lowry, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes in his mailbag.
- Andrew Bynum is in the final year of his contract, but new Sixers GM Tony DiLeo already has plans to build around him, as John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks at how Darko Milicic is trying to remake his image with the Celtics. Kevin Love accused Milicic of bringing "bad blood" to the Wolves locker room, as we heard earlier today.
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks back the busy offseason for the Nets, and Newsday's Roderick Boone breaks down the question marks for the team as training camp begins.
Southeast Rumors: Hawks, Wallace, Lewis, Bobcats
There was plenty of change throughout the Southeast Division, as the Magic, Hawks and Wizards pulled off significant trades while the Heat upgraded with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. The Bobcats are banking heavily on No. 2 overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to help turn the team around, and we have news on him and others from around the division.
- Some in the Heat organization are concerned about the long-term health of Dwyane Wade, who could miss all of the team's preseason games as he hopes to get his ailing left knee ready for the regular season opener, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. The team will give Allen occasional off days during the regular season, as the Spurs have done with Tim Duncan, Goodman adds.
Earlier updates:
- Hawks coach Larry Drew believes it will be a tall order for his team to replace the production of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams this season, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. "Both of those guys were very key and big pieces to our puzzle," Drew said. "This opens up opportunities for new guys, guys who have been here, guys who are coming in. It doesn’t happen overnight. We are going to have to lace it up and really go to work and try to, as a team, try to step up. Everybody has to step their game up now."
- Vivlamore also shares in his piece that Drew isn't sure how he'll rotate guards Devin Harris, Jeff Teague and Lou Williams. Harris and Teague, the two natural point guards, are both entering contract years.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel speculates that Ben Wallace could be a fit for the Heat. Wallace is reportedly seeking a contract after going back-and-forth about retirement this summer.
- Lewis hopes he'll start the season as a reserve instead of as a starter for the Heat, as he told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Sulia link).
- Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is working with Kidd-Gilchrist to improve the shooting touch of the University of Kentucky product, writes Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Tipton also shares praise from Purdue coach Matt Painter about Hornets second-round pick Darius Miller and Shelvin Mack, who could start the season at point guard for the Wizards in place of the injured John Wall.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel outlines a list of the top priorities for the Magic as they begin training camp.