Owners, Players Seek Entirely New Labor Deal
The NBA and the players union want to make significant progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement by December 15th, 2016, the deadline that either side has to inform the other that it wants to exercise its mutual option after the 2016/17 season, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The owners and players want to have a new deal that would replace the current agreement, which runs through 2020/21. The league and the union held preliminary talks earlier this month.
Dissatisfaction exists with the current system among small-market teams that don’t like the imbalance of local broadcast revenue that funnels more money to large markets and helps them pay the tax, Berger writes. Spending on mid-tier players is a potential source of friction on the players’ side, Berger says, though the existing system would make the mid-level exception progressively less valuable.
Players risk the league going after a hard cap and limits on guaranteed salary if they opt out of the current deal, as Berger notes, echoing remarks commissioner Adam Silver made in the spring as well as in October. Union executive director Michele Roberts has signaled at times that she’ll be aggressive in negotiations with the league, though both Roberts and Silver are approaching their first major labor talks since assuming their respective positions.
The influx of money from the league’s recent $24 billion TV deal has distorted some of the proportions the league and the players intended when they negotiated the last deal in 2011, as Berger details. Annual league revenues have climbed from $3.8 billion in 2011 to nearly $5 billion and are projected to jump to around $6 billion next year, Berger reports. The drastically rising salary cap has prompted more teams to venture into luxury tax territory this season, with eight above the tax line at this point, Berger points out, noting its negative effect on competitive balance.
Rockets Mull Trading Jones, Motiejunas
DECEMBER 15TH, 1:41pm: The Rockets have had discussions with several teams about trading Jones, but they’d like to keep him, sources tell Watkins, who confirms earlier reports of the team’s interest in Morris.
DECEMBER 7TH, 11:09am: Houston is holding on to Jones for now, even as several teams around the league want to trade for him, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported late Sunday that the Rockets would likely relinquish Jones if they were to deal for Markieff Morris.
DECEMBER 4TH, 2:39pm: The Rockets are looking into trading either Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas or both, a source tells Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether Houston has reached out to other teams about the power forwards or if the discussion is merely internal. SheridanHoops editor Chris Sheridan, who relayed Scotto’s reporting, said the team was “kicking tires” on the idea.
Rockets officials have been “sniffing around” for deals, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote this week, though they aren’t exploring trades involving Ty Lawson, Kyler later heard. Houston is a disappointing 8-11 but has won three of its last four.
Motiejunas has yet to play this season as he recovers from a back injury that prematurely ended his 2014/15 campaign, though interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff made comments today that suggested he’s open to the idea of Motiejunas making his season debut tonight, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Jones has been healthy this year after missing much of last season with a nerve injury that prompted him to worry he’d never play again.
Both Jones and Motiejunas abandoned extension talks after their reps were reportedly unable to make any headway as they negotiated with GM Daryl Morey and company. That means the pair of former first-round picks are set for restricted free agency in July. In the meantime, they’re playing on the final seasons of their respective rookie scale contracts, with Jones making slightly less than $2.49MM and Motiejunas pulling down about $2.288MM.
The Rockets are hamstrung as they make moves this season, since they imposed an $88.74MM hard cap on themselves when they signed second-round pick Montrezl Harrell, who plays the same position as Jones and Motiejunas. Houston is less than $2MM shy of that cap. The team has a trade exception worth less than $1MM that’s set to expire on December 19th, and while it holds relatively little value, it could come in handy if the team constructs a complicated trade.
Should the Rockets trade Jones, Motiejunas, both, or neither? Leave a comment to give your input.
Southwest Notes: Anderson, McDaniels, Leonard
The Rockets have “kicked the tires” on trade scenarios involving Markieff Morris and Ryan Anderson, though it doesn’t seem likely they’ll deal for either, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. It’s clear the team has shopped Terrence Jones and K.J. McDaniels, though Rockets sources label such talk as routine and due diligence, Kyler adds. Sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com earlier this month that the Rockets were interested in Morris and would likely give up Jones to get him. The Pelicans would consider giving up Anderson for Morris, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, but New Orleans is not anxious to trade him, Kyler wrote earlier this month. McDaniels has appeared for a total of only 39 minutes this season after signing a three-year, $10MM deal in the offseason. See more from around the Southwest Division:
- Rookie scale contracts will look “like gold” as the salary cap escalates and their dollar values remain the same, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com in the offseason, a signal that the team knows it must replenish its youth, Lowe writes. Dallas is turning away any teams interested in trading for Justin Anderson, this year’s 21st overall pick, sources tell Lowe.
- Kawhi Leonard won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season, and after signing a five-year max deal to stay with the Spurs in the summer, his defense has improved even further, Spurs coach/executive Gregg Popovich acknowledged, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News relays (Twitter links).
- The Pelicans have been slow to pick up the ball movement principles in new coach Alvin Gentry‘s offense, observes John Reid of The Times Picayune. New Orleans struggled with injuries throughout the preseason, keeping players from the opportunity to learn the new system. The Pelicans have the NBA’s third-worst record, though that puts them in prime lottery position, as our Reverse Standings show.
Nuggets Make J.J. Hickson, Randy Foye Available?
J.J. Hickson and Randy Foye are said to be available as belief grows around the league that the Nuggets may be moving closer to trading away talent, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. It appears unlikely Denver will offload Danilo Gallinari or another key component barring a major offer, Kyler cautions. Denver is 10-14 and in 11th place in the Western Conference. Hickson and Foye are in the final seasons of their respective contracts.
Hickson has started nine times this year and is averaging 17.9 minutes per game, but he didn’t appear in either of the last two outings for the Nuggets. He began his tenure with the Nuggets as a full-time starter in 2013/14, but he’s played a much more limited role in the two seasons since. Still, trade chatter surrounding the 27-year-old has been relatively quiet since he was reportedly a part of Denver’s offer for Brook Lopez last winter. He’s making nearly $5.614MM this season.
The last two games have also seen a sharp reduction in playing time for Foye, who’s played only 15 minutes combined in Denver’s last two contest after having started the previous six. The 32-year-old, in his 10th NBA season, is averaging career lows in points, assists and minutes per game. He’s seeing an even $3.135MM salary. The Nuggets apparently talked about trading Foye in January, but, as with Hickson, it’s largely been quiet on that front since.
Denver is slightly under the cap and without trade exceptions to use. Trading both Hickson and Foye without taking back salary in return would drop the team beneath the $63MM salary floor, so that’s an unlikely scenario.
Which team do you think would be a fit for either Hickson or Foye? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Pacific Notes: Scott, Rondo, Len, Chandler
The plan is for Lakers coach Byron Scott to continue the player development strategies he’s using, Scott said Monday, according to Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Scott revealed that he and GM Mitch Kupchak met recently about the issue, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reported they likely would. Part of the team’s plan is to use Kobe Bryant as an example of the sort of work ethic they want their young players to adopt, as Morales details. The front office acknowledges the conflict between Bryant’s high usage and the need for young players to see minutes and touches. See more on the Lakers and other Pacific Division teams:
- Sources who spoke with Ken Berger of CBSSports.com are split on whether the homophobic slur Rajon Rondo directed at referee Bill Kennedy, who is gay, will dissuade teams from pushing to sign the point guard when he hits free agency again in the offseason. Multiple executives told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News before the controversy that Rondo was back in the discussion for a maximum-salary deal because of his strong early-season play. The 10th-year veteran who turns 30 in February signed a one-year contract for $9.5MM with the Kings this summer after a disastrous stint with Dallas last year. We made the topic of whether the incident will affect Rondo’s free agency the subject of our Community Shootaround discussion on Monday.
- Alex Len delivered a clunker of a performance in Monday’s game, but his play of late has otherwise been the best of his career, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. That’s led Suns coach Jeff Hornacek to continue starting Len over free agent signee Tyson Chandler, even though Chandler has been healthy the past two games. That’ll likely change, Hornacek concedes, as the team continues to look for a fit between Chandler, Len and offseason acquisitions Jon Leuer and Mirza Teletovic, Coro notes.
- Chandler, in the first season of a four-year, $52MM deal, is one of the most overpaid players in the NBA this season, Deveney argues in a slideshow. Two Lakers — Bryant and Roy Hibbert — and Lance Stephenson of the Clippers also make Deveney’s 15-man list.
How Late December 2014 Trades Affected Teams
Today is the first day that dozens of players are eligible for trades, a point on the NBA calendar that traditionally leads to player movement. Three trades took place in the 10 days following December 15th last year, including the blockbuster Rajon Rondo move. We’ll look at how those swaps have turned out for each of the teams involved:
- The Mavericks get Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell.
- The Celtics get Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, Dallas’ 2015 first-round pick if it falls anywhere from No. 4 to No. 14, and the move favorable of Dallas’ 2016 second-round pick and Memphis’ 2016 second-round pick.
The worst-case scenario of the Rondo trade played out for Dallas, as he and coach Rick Carlisle clashed and the situation became so dire that the Mavs and Rondo essentially parted ways during the playoffs. Rondo went down with what was announced as a back injury, one that was reportedly a ruse that allowed the point guard to save face. Rondo departed in free agency for the Kings, but the Mavs are still benefiting from their less-heralded acquisition in the deal. Powell, the 45th overall pick in 2014, is in the Dallas rotation, averaging 8.9 points and an impressive 6.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game.
This deal served largely as the catalyst for a whirlwind of additional trades for Boston, which pulled off six more swaps between this one and the deadline. One of them sent away Wright, for a protected first-round pick with a strong chance of turning into two seconds, and another sent away Nelson for Nate Robinson, whom Boston waived. Crowder emerged as a key part of the Celtics in the second half of last season, and the team showed a clear desire to keep it that way, committing five years to him in a new contract worth a total of $35MM in the offseason. The Dallas first-rounder didn’t convey this year, so it’s top-seven protected for 2016 and likely to be in Boston’s hands come June, unless the Celtics flip it.
- The Rockets get Corey Brewer and Alexey Shved.
- The Timberwolves get Troy Daniels, Sacramento’s 2015 second-round pick as long as it’s within the top 49 picks (via Rockets), Houston’s 2016 second-round pick (top-45 protected), and $1MM cash (via Rockets).
- The Sixers get Ronny Turiaf, Houston’s 2015 second-round pick, and the rights to Serhiy Lishchuk.
Only one player is still with the team that acquired him in this trade. That’s Brewer, and it took a new three-year, $23.421MM contract in the offseason for that to be the case. The signing hasn’t paid off yet, with Brewer averaging a career-worst 35.1% shooting this season. He nonetheless was a key part of Houston’s bench during the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals last season, unlike Shved, whom the team flipped to the Knicks along with two second-rounders for Pablo Prigioni. That move paid dividends for the Rockets when they were short on point guards in the playoffs, and Houston forwarded Prigioni to Denver in the Ty Lawson deal.
Daniels wasn’t long for Minnesota, as the Timberwolves sent him along with Mo Williams and cash to the Hornets for Gary Neal, who departed in free agency this summer, and Miami’s 2019 second-round pick. Minnesota still holds that pick and Houston’s 2016 second-rounder, but the Sacramento pick didn’t convey, since it didn’t come within the top 49 picks in the order.
The Sixers simply added Turiaf’s $1.5MM salary to their effort to reach the salary floor, since he was already out for the season because of hip surgery and was on an expiring contract. The rights to Lishchuk, an oft-traded draft-and-stash prospect, didn’t last long in Philadelphia either, as the Sixers conveyed them to the Clippers in January for Jared Cunningham, whom they immediately waived, plus $300K cash and the rights to Cenk Akyol, another draft-and-stash prospect who seems unlikely ever to play in the NBA. As ever, the key for Philadelphia was the second-round pick, but it didn’t wind up paying dividends. The Sixers used it on J.P. Tokoto, who reportedly let the Sixers know he was open to remaining unsigned for this season and becoming a draft-and-stash prospect. That didn’t happen, as Tokoto signed his required tender, forcing his way onto the preseason roster, and Philadelphia cut him before opening night, forfeiting his draft rights.
- The Pistons get Anthony Tolliver.
- The Suns get Tony Mitchell.
The Pistons were just two days removed from shocking the NBA with their release of Josh Smith, and the acquisition of Tolliver followed along the same lines stylistically as Stan Van Gundy continued his transition toward a more modern, small-ball approach. Van Gundy didn’t play Mitchell at all during the first two months of the regular season, but Tolliver became a part of the rotation, averaging 7.7 points in 22.3 minutes per game and shooting 36.0% from 3-point range as a stretch four. Those numbers are off this season, in part because his long-range shooting has dipped to 31.9%, an ominous sign in a contract year. Mitchell didn’t play for Phoenix either, and a couple of weeks later, he was on waivers, as the team used the cap space it cleared in the trade to deal for Brandan Wright, who had just been involved in the Rondo swap.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Wade, Dragic, Mathis
The Hornets are averaging 10.0 made 3-pointers this season, up drastically from 6.1 last year, and most of that is because of the team’s offseason pickups, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
“Not only just for our shooting, but also our playmaking ability out there. We have so many – both perimeter and big players – who can make plays. A huge difference from last year,” said Marvin Williams, a free agent at season’s end. “When you bring in a Jeremy Lin – a very good pick-and-roll player. When you bring in a Jeremy Lamb, also a very good pick-and-roll player. Spencer Hawes, who can pass and shoot the ball. Frank [Kaminsky], the rookie, a very good playmaker. Nic Batum can do everything.”
See more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat committed more than $105MM in the offseason to Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic, and while they each thrive at a different pace and might not be an ideal backcourt pairing, they’ve shown signs of being able to play together successfully, argues Michael C. Wallace of ESPN.com.
- The play of Luol Deng, in the final year of his contract, is holding the Heat‘s rotation together with his ball movement and versatility, as well as his status as one of the few who’s found a rhythm with Dragic, opines Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who writes in a mailbag column.
- The Mavericks let former assistant coach Monte Mathis join Scott Skiles‘ new staff in Orlando over the offseason as part of a larger shift toward more game-to-game consistency on defense and away from a customized approach for each opponent, Mavs sources told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Dallas has risen from 18th in defensive efficiency last year to 14th this year, but Mathis has helped the Magic surge from 25th to seventh, according to NBA.com.
Clippers Likely To Guarantee Mbah A Moute’s Deal
It’s “probably safe” to assume that the Clippers will keep Luc Mbah a Moute for the rest of the season, coach/executive Doc Rivers said today to reporters, including Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The veteran small forward’s one-year, minimum-salary contract is non-guaranteed, but it would become fully guaranteed if the Clippers don’t waive him by the end of January 7th.
Rivers’ statement is no surprise, but it nonetheless serves as confirmation of the team’s plans regarding the 29-year-old who beat out Chuck Hayes during a preseason battle for a regular season roster spot. The Clippers already have 14 players with fully guaranteed deals, so keeping Mbah a Moute would limit the team’s flexibility for the second half of the season, barring a trade. Retaining him would also mean that $947,276, which is the portion of Mbah a Moute’s salary the Clippers are responsible for, would stick on the team’s tax bill. The team’s payroll is nearly $12MM into tax territory, including Mbah a Moute.
The former UCLA standout has started the last eight games for the Clippers. That’s a prospect that seemed highly unlikely at the start of the season, and even more so over the summer, when the Kings voided their contract with him over concerns about his health. He’s poised for free agency again in the summer.
Do you think the Clippers should keep Mbah a Moute as the starter, or should they make a move to acquire another small forward? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Western Notes: Rondo, Jazz, Lawson, Thunder
Referee Bill Kennedy revealed that he is homosexual in an interview with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, and Rajon Rondo is drawing fire for the homophobic slur he directed at Kennedy during a game on December 3rd. The NBA suspended Rondo for one game and doesn’t plan to mete out additional punishment, notes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter), but the apology that Rondo offered in a pair of tweets struck a hollow tone, observe Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck and SB Nation’s Tom Ziller (All Twitter links). Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and GM Vlade Divac condemned Rondo’s use of the slur in a statement that the team released, and Rondo’s words aren’t exactly the most auspicious prelude to his free agency in the summer ahead, opines Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). See more from the Western Conference:
- The Jazz are expected to be active in exploring trades when dozens of players across the league become eligible to be traded Tuesday, reports Jody Genessy of The Deseret News (Twitter links). The most likely scenario involves the team absorbing salary via its cap space, Genessy adds. Utah is more than $7MM under the cap.
- Ty Lawson‘s game has responded well to Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s decision to bench him upon taking over for Kevin McHale, as Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com details. “He was trying to so hard to do the right things, I think he was frustrating himself and he got to the point where he said ‘I’m just going to play’ and I think that’s where he is now,” Bickerstaff said in part. The more and more he plays and he’s relaxed, the more that his true talent will shine through. We know what he is, we know what he’s capable of and we just got to get him there.”
- The Thunder have assigned Mitch McGary to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. It’s the fourth time the former 21st overall pick has gone to the D-League this season and the third time in the past week.
Front Office Changes Since 2013 Offseason
The Sixers made waves last week when they hired Jerry Colangelo, a move that cuts into, if not usurps entirely, the power of GM Sam Hinkie. Half the teams in the league have undergone some sort of front office change since the 2013 offseason, when the Sixers hired Hinkie. Here’s a look at each of those moves:
- Suns: Former president of basketball operations Lon Babby transitioned to an advisory role in August 2015. The move put GM Ryan McDonough in control.
- Bucks: GM John Hammond has been around since 2008, but co-owner Marc Lasry indicated that coach Jason Kidd, whom the team hired in July 2014, has a sizable influence on personnel, and it’s clear to people around the league that Kidd is calling the shots in Milwaukee, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times recently told us.
- Pistons: Hired Stan Van Gundy to coach the team and oversee player personnel in May 2014. Ken Catanella and George David ran the front office on an interim basis after the team parted ways with former president of basketball operations Joe Dumars in April 2014.
- Hornets: Former president of basketball operations Rod Higgins resigned June 2014. That ostensibly left GM Rich Cho to run the front office, though owner Michael Jordan, vice chairman Curtis Polk, assistant GM Chad Buchanan and director of player personnel Larry Jordan all have some decision-making power, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com detailed.
- Clippers: Hired Doc Rivers as coach and senior vice president of basketball operations in June 2013, replacing a triumvirate of former vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks, former coach Vinny Del Negro and former team president Andy Roeser. The Clippers changed Rivers’ title to coach and president of basketball operations in June 2014, when they hired Dave Wohl to serve as GM under Rivers.
- Raptors: Hired Masai Ujiri as GM in May 2013, replacing former GM Bryan Colangelo.
- Nuggets: Hired Tim Connelly as GM in June 2013, replacing GM Masai Ujiri, who left the team in May 2013.
- Pacers: President of basketball operations Larry Bird returned to the Pacers in June 2013 after a year’s absence. He replaced Donnie Walsh, who held the president of basketball operations title while Bird was away.
- Cavaliers: Fired GM Chris Grant and named assistant GM David Griffin interim GM in February 2014. They hired Griffin to the GM job on formal basis in May 2014.
- Knicks: Hired Phil Jackson as team president in March 2014, placing him above GM Steve Mills. The Knicks had replaced Glen Grunwald with Mills in the GM role in September 2013.
- Grizzlies: Restored power to GM Chris Wallace upon former CEO Jason Levien‘s resignation in May 2014.
- Hawks: Installed coach Mike Budenholzer as the primary decision maker in the front office when former GM Danny Ferry took a leave of absence in September 2014. The Hawks added the title of president of basketball operations to Budenholzer’s title in June 2015, when Ferry resigned in a buyout deal.
- Kings: Hired Pete D’Alessandro as GM in June 2013, replacing former GM Geoff Petrie. The Kings placed Vlade Divac on top of D’Alessandro on the organizational chart when they hired him as vice president of basketball and franchise operations in March 2015. The team changed Divac’s title to vice president of basketball operations and GM in August, after D’Alessandro left the team.
- Timberwolves: GM Milt Newton assumed control of the front office when president of basketball operations Flip Saunders took a leave of absence in September, prior to Saunders’ death in October. The Wolves had hired Saunders in May 2013, replacing former GM David Kahn.