More On Changes In The New CBA
Computer scientist Larry Coon is probably the foremost expert on the NBA's collective bargaining agreement among those who've never worked for the league or a team. Today, he updated his CBA FAQ website with the details of the latest CBA. We've heard plenty about the agreement over the past several months, including Coon's summary of the changes for ESPN.com. Some components of the new CBA haven't been widely reported until Coon's update today, though, so let's check out the highlights:
- Teams can now rid themselves of the cap hold for a first-round draft pick if the player and team agree in writing not to sign a contract for the season. This applies mostly to European players that teams sometimes draft before they're ready to play in the league.
- There is a new formula used for calculating whether teams are eligible for mid-level exceptions or eligible to receive a player in a sign and trade.
- While the salary cap is set at 44.74% of basketball related income, maximum salaries are based on 42.14% of BRI, meaning that max deals will be slightly lower than 25%, 30% or 35% of the cap, depending on the player's years of service.
- Players will receive their yearly salary over a 12-month period unless they request to have it doled out in larger chunks over six months or smaller payments over 18 months.
- Teams may defer up to 25% of a player's salary, down from 30% in the last CBA.
- Cap holds are as much as 50% larger, depending on whether the player is coming off a rookie scale contract.
- Certain criteria related to playing time will affect the size of the qualifying offers for players coming off their rookie contracts.
- Teams can now only load contracts with unlikely bonuses that total as much as 15% of the base salary, instead of 25%.
- A larger amount of money can be used to buy out a player's contract from overseas without counting against the cap.
- Non-taxpaying teams can trade for as much as 150% of the salaries they send out, plus $100K, when trading $0 to $9.8MM worth of salary. The amount is 100% plus $5MM when trading $9.8MM to $19.6MM, and 125% plus $100K when trading more than $19.6MM. This rule is more nuanced than previously reported.
- Teams can't do sign-and-trade deals once the season starts.
- Trade kickers are paid by the team trading the player, and not the other way around as it was in the old CBA.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd is heading to the Hall of Fame soon. We just don't know where he's going on the way there. While both the Mavs and Kidd have reportedly indicated a willingness for him to return as a backup next year, it's unclear whether Dallas will be willing to meet his salary demands. Chris Mannix of SI.com reported earlier this week that Kidd is seeking a deal worth about the mid-level exception amount of $5MM a year. The Mavs figure to have plenty of cap room, but any team would be wary of paying that amount to a player who'll turn 40 before next season ends.
Kidd's skills have been in decline for a while now, and the aspect of his game that appeared to take the most significant step back is his playmaking ability, as he dropped from 8.2 APG to a career-low 5.5 this year. The improved outside shot that allowed him to shoot over 40% from three-point range his first three seasons in Dallas has been absent the last two years, as he's shot just 34.5% on treys. He still rebounds at a high rate for a point guard, grabbing 5.2 per 36 minutes this season, but it hasn't kept him from putting up a career-low PER (13.1) for the second year in a row. Perhaps his saving grace has been the ability to force turnovers. He led all postseason performers with 40 steals last year, and through Saturday he was doing so again this year, with 12 steals in four games. Steals, however, don't necessarily mean you're a quality defender, and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle uses cross-matches or a zone to make sure Kidd doesn't have to defend quick point guards.
It's likely most teams will find Kidd's greatest value is his ability to mentor a younger point guard in a role similar to the one Derek Fisher is playing in Oklahoma City. That's clearly what the Mavs have in mind when they think about bringing him back in the hopes that Deron Williams signs to take over the starting role. Kidd has had a Hall of Fame career and owns an NBA championship ring from last season, so he knows what it takes to succeed in the NBA. Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News group said earlier this week the Warriors will explore signing Kidd, a Bay Area native, but that's probably contingent on the unlikely event that Deron Williams signs with Golden State, too. Tayshaun Prince called upon the Pistons to go after a veteran point guard to mentor Brandon Knight, so maybe Kidd heads to Detroit. The Cavs, with young Kyrie Irving in tow, could use some of their ample cap space to go after Kidd, since even at his advanced age, he probably represents an upgrade over current backup point guard Donald Sloan. Kidd could also wind up as Williams' backup in Brooklyn instead of Dallas, as Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com suggests. Both point guards are clients of agent Jeff Schwartz.
Caplan's story also reports that Kidd would like to play two more seasons, which refutes the report earlier in the week from Mannix that Kidd will retire if he doesn't get that mid-level deal. Kidd doesn't think he'll be waiting too long, telling Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, "I'll land somewhere early, I would think." If that's the case, it suggests Kidd won't wait for Deron Williams to decide where he's going. Judging by his comments this week, my guess is he and the Mavs have talked about a deal and are haggling over specifics. If that's the case, I think Kidd's path to Springfield will continue to detour through Dallas.
Minor Moves: Justin Dentmon
We'll track today's news from the D-League and overseas in this post, with latest update on top:
- Justin Dentmon arrived in Italy today to join Italian league club Olympia Milano, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who reported he signed with the team last week. Dentmon, who signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Spurs and Raptors this season, was the D-League's MVP this season, averaging 22.8 PPG and 5.5 APG for the Austin Toros.
Money Time: Upcoming Free Agents In The Playoffs
This is the time of year reputations are made in the NBA. A breakout performance or a disappointment at playoff time can change how teams view some of their most important players. The stakes are even higher for players about to head into free agency, since this is their last chance to make an on-court impression before they sign a contract.
With that in mind and a week of playoff action in the books, let's take a look at some upcoming free agents who've played particularly well, and some who've played especially poorly:
Winners
Nick Young, Clippers: He's always been capable of heating it up, and in his first playoff appearance since his rookie season, he hasn't shrunk from the spotlight. He canned three straight treys in the Clippers' amazing 27-point comeback in Game 1, and is the team's third leading postseason scorer at 15.0 PPG on 10 of 16 shooting so far.
Spencer Hawes, Sixers: When he wasn't in the starting lineup for Game 1, it looked like Hawes would have little opportunity to showcase his abilities, and the outlook was pretty grim when coach Doug Collins got visibly upset with Hawes when he got in foul trouble in Game 2. But as a starter in a Game 3 victory for the Sixers, he went for 21 points and nine rebounds in more than 32 minutes on the floor, and was a go-to option down the stretch.
JaVale McGee, Nuggets (restricted): It looked like he was adding to his lengthy personal blooper reel during an 0-for-6 playoff debut in Game 1. It's easy to get carried away with his 16-point, 15-rebound performance from Game 3, but it's a sign of the potential that makes the 7-footer a commodity. Plus, he had nine rebounds in 24 minutes in Game 2.
Losers
Ryan Anderson, Magic (restricted): He might have won the Most Improved Player of the Year award this week, but his performance in the playoffs has fueled speculation that his regular season play was a product of having a dominant center like Dwight Howard around. He's just 10-for-31 from the field, and has averaged 8.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG. He went to the bench early in the fourth quarter during today's Game 4 against the Pacers, and the Magic rallied from 19 down to force overtime without him.
Steve Novak, Knicks: He's played 67 minutes over three games, but the Heat's defense has only allowed him to shoot seven three-pointers the entire series. Novak has proven he's deadly when he gets the chance to fire away, but he's of little value if he can't get a shot off.
Josh Howard, Jazz: You could excuse him here, since he just came back from knee surgery that originally looked like it would end his season, but he's shot just 3-for-13 and averaged 5.0 PPG as the Jazz have struggled mightily against the Spurs.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Mavs, Chandler
All three Southwest Division teams in the playoffs are in action later today, as the Spurs and Grizzlies look to take control of their series, while the Mavs seek to delay their seemingly inevitable elimination at the hands of the Thunder. Here's the latest from around the division:
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld takes a look at the offseason for Rockets, recommending that they package their two picks in the middle of the first round to try to move up into the top five. The team's priorities should be finding a legitimate starting center and going after a franchise player who can be the go-to option late in games, Ingram says.
- As many as 10 Mavericks could be playing their final game for the team tonight, says Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com, who adds that only Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Brandan Wright and Kelenna Azubuike seem likely to return.
- Jason Terry believes the Mavs would be putting up a better title defense if the team had re-signed Tyson Chandler, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, but said he and his teammates can't dwell on that. "Tyson isn't coming back, and we've realized that," Terry said. "I definitely say he had a great season — Defensive Player of the Year — but it's a presence you've missed. An active big man that can cover ground, and so we don't have that. We try to find other ways to win with the group we have."
Petrie On Thompson, Free Agency, Draft, Whiteside
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee sat down for a Q&A with Geoff Petrie, president of basketball operations for the Kings, and discussed a number of topics. Here are the highlights of the two–part interview:
- Restricted free agent power forward Jason Thompson is "somebody we will definitely give the qualifying offer to and look to re-sign," Petrie says.
- The team will look to make roster changes that add interior defense, three-point shooting and offensive efficiency this summer.
- The draft lottery will help decide how the team allocates its resources with regard to free agents. The Kings currently sit in the fifth slot, with a 7.6% chance of grabbing the No. 1 pick.
- The deepest positions in the draft are power forward and center, Petrie believes, and he says the team will not pick a player from overseas in the first round.
- With the team already about $15MM under the cap and no plans to spend major money in the offseason, Petrie says there's no pressing need to use the amnesty clause.
- It's been hard to assess second-year center Hassan Whiteside, who's been limited to only 19 career NBA games in large part because of injuries. His minimum-salary deal becomes guaranteed for next season if he's not waived by July 15. Petrie said the team will work with him over the summer, so that seems like a sign they'll keep him around.
- Petrie has one year left on his contract, and was noncommittal when asked how much longer he would stay in his position. "I honestly don't think about that," he said. "I think about next year and what we do. Whatever the future holds after that, personally or collectively, I really don't spend much time pondering that."
Suns Pursuing Alonzo Gee
The Suns are targeting Cavs restricted free agent Alonzo Gee with a multi-year offer worth $4MM per season, according to a tweet from Brendan Bowers of SLAM Online. Teams can't start signing other teams' free agents until July, but Bowers says the Suns are the early leaders for Gee's services.
Gee blossomed this season in Cleveland, having bounced around the NBA and the D-League his first two seasons after going undrafted out of Alabama. The 6'6", 220-pound swingman averaged 10.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG, both career highs, while posting a 13.2 PER. He supplanted Omri Casspi as the starter at small forward midway through the season. Gee just finished the second year of a minimum-salary contract he signed with the Cavs in December 2010 shortly after the Wizards waived him.
The Cavs figure to have plenty of cap space this summer, particularly once they get rid of the $18MM+ cap hold of Antawn Jamison, who's unlikely to re-sign with the team. They should have the ability to match, if they so choose. The Suns will have a lot of cap space, too, and their pursuit of Gee indicates they may be reluctant to re-sign incumbent small forward Grant Hill, who turns 40 in October. Phoenix's offseason plans are beginning to take shape, as earlier this week Lon Babby, the team's president of basketball operations, said it was likely the Suns would match any offer for restricted free agent Robin Lopez.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Profits, Suns, Draft
It was another wild night of playoff basketball that included more unfortunate injuries, this time to the Bulls Joakim Noah and Avery Bradley of the Celtics. Here's what's been going on off the court while you've had your eyes fixed on the hardwood:
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel dissects the latest comments from Dwight Howard, who told TMZ that he would never quit on his team or Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, with whom D12 says he's had several conversations since the start of the playoffs.
- Commissioner David Stern says that most NBA teams will turn a profit this year, and predicts all 30 franchises will be profitable within two years, according to a report from Jonathan D. Salant of Bloomberg News, who rounded up comments Stern made on a Bloomberg Television show airing this weekend. Stern had said during the latest CBA negotiations that NBA teams had lost a combined $300MM over the previous three seasons.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic examines the desire of the Suns to keep restricted free agent Robin Lopez.
- HoopsWorld unveiled its mock draft, with all four contributors agreeing on Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal for the top three spots. Steve Kyler adds a report that Arnett Moultrie and Andrew Nicholson are rocketing up some teams' draft boards.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune compares the approaches of Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor and Spurs GM R.C. Buford, both of whom share a connection with longtime NBA coach Larry Brown.
- Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida breaks down the potential U.S. Olympic team roster, and Rob Mahoney of The New York Times examines what the team needs.
Brandon Jennings Still Seeking Extension
Bill Duffy, the agent for Brandon Jennings, told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News he's "surprised" by Bucks GM John Hammond's comments earlier today that indicate the team may not pursue an extension with the point guard. Deveney reports instead that discussions on an extension may begin next week.
Hammond said in a press conference today that the extension "is not something we have to do." Jennings will enter the final year of his rookie contract next season, and if the team does not extend him by the end of October, he will be eligible for free agency in the summer of 2013. Jennings made waves in February when he said he was "doing my homework" on large-market teams as he looked to the future.
More recently, Jennings appeared to be focusing on his current team. This week he shared his thoughts on the past season, as Truman Reed of Bucks.com writes, and praised the play of teammate and unrestricted free agent Ersan Ilyasova, to whom the Bucks might commit major money this offseason.
Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel noted that Hammond spoke to the importance of continuity during the press conference, so that would seem to indicate the Bucks aren't seeking significant changes anytime soon. A disgruntled Jennings may force the team's hand, however, and though the Bucks would hold the right of first refusal if they extend a one-year qualifying offer in the summer of 2013, Jennings could simply sign that deal and be an unrestricted free agent in 2014.
Jennings probably won't be in line for a "Derrick Rose rule" five-year extension for 30% of the salary cap, but he may seek something similar to the four-year maximum deal that Kevin Love signed with the Timberwolves. While Jennings has shown flashes of brilliant play in his first three seasons, it's understandable why the team would be reluctant to put him in Love's class just yet.
Atlantic Rumors: Woodson, Sixers, Allen
It was a huge night for Atlantic Division teams, as the Celtics turned back an undermanned Hawks team in overtime and the Sixers took a 2-1 series lead on the top-seeded Bulls. The Knicks, meanwhile, are staring down an offseason of question marks and decisions for GM Glen Grunwald as they try to avoid being swept by the Heat in Game 4 on Sunday.
- If Mike Woodson returns to coach the Knicks next season, he'll be under greater pressure to win, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News writes, also noting that Woodson wants to see Carmelo Anthony step up his conditioning this summer.
- The Sixers are bringing legend Julius Erving back as a "strategic advisor" to the team, a part-time role that will function like an ad-hoc consultancy and will include input on personnel, as John Finger of CSNPhilly.com explains.
- Andy Jasner of ESPNChicago.com looks back at the path Lavoy Allen took from late second round pick last June to key contributor for the Sixers in the playoffs.