Southwest Notes: Joerger, Simmons, Bickerstaff
Marc Stein of ESPN.com points to comments that Dave Joerger made recently as “thinly veiled shots” at Joe Abadi (Twitter links), the liaison between owner Robert Pera and GM Chris Wallace, but Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal interprets Joerger’s criticism as somewhat more subtle. The Grizzlies coach has established a pattern of “muted but direct acknowledgement” of the roster’s shortcomings, and his job is not necessarily in more trouble than any other NBA coach’s job is at risk when the team isn’t performing up to expectations, Herrington contends. The Commercial Appeal scribe’s piece delves more into the changing times in Memphis, and we’ll share more on that amid the latest from the Southwest Division:
- The Grizzlies have had few reasonable options to forestall the end of their “grit ‘n’ grind” run that countered the league’s small-ball trend, and Joerger’s decision to bench Zach Randolph and Tony Allen on Sunday signals the imminent death of the Grizzlies as we know them, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller opines. Ziller believes Joerger’s decision frees Memphis to explore trades for Randolph and Allen, both of whom have contracts that run through next season.
- Jonathon Simmons is showing off his athleticism and has averaged double figures in points over his last four games for the Spurs, and coach/executive Gregg Popovich seems impressed so far, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio News-Express details. Simmons has a fully guaranteed salary this season, but next season’s minimum salary is non-guaranteed.
- The Rockets have surged since new coach J.B. Bickerstaff moved Clint Capela and Patrick Beverley into the starting lineup, as the team has gone 7-2 with both of them present for the opening tip, observes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Slow Roster Churn Not Unprecedented For Hinkie
The Sixers have been uncharacteristically quiet on the transactions wire so far this season, but it’s not necessarily a signal that new chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo is putting a halt to the team’s roster shuffling. After all, Colangelo said the deal that brought him to the Sixers came together within the week leading up to his December 7th hiring, so that would mean that about a month went by with GM Sam Hinkie in charge of the front office by himself. Between opening night and the end of November, the Sixers made only one roster move, signing Phil Pressey via the hardship provision. Pressey’s release upon the expiration of that exception is the only change the team has made to its roster since.
Philadelphia had already made four signings, placed five players on waivers, and pulled off one trade by this time last season. Tuesday is the one-year anniversary of yet another set of Sixers moves, as Furkan Aldemir replaced Ronald Roberts Jr. In a twist, the Sixers released Aldemir before the regular season began this year but eyed him for the roster spot that ultimately went to Pressey.
The relative stability of the Sixers roster is reminiscent of Hinkie’s first season in charge of the team. Philadelphia only made one signing and placed one player on waivers between opening night and New Year’s Day in 2013/14. It wasn’t until the leaguewide guarantee date in January 2014 that Philadelphia’s roster carousel really started to turn.
It remains to be seen how Colangelo will change the team’s approach, but just because the Sixers aren’t making a bunch of moves now, it doesn’t mean the team is abandoning “the process” of its radical rebuilding. Here’s a look at the changes the Sixers made to the roster each of the past three seasons between opening night and December 15th, a common trigger date for player movement across the NBA. (Bear in mind that the Sixers could still add to their total for this season):
2015
- November 4th: Signed Phil Pressey.
- December 4th: Waived Phil Pressey.
2014
- November 10th: Signed Drew Gordon, waived Malcolm Thomas.
- November 15th: Signed Robert Covington, waived Chris Johnson.
- December 5th: Signed Malcolm Lee, waived Drew Gordon.
- December 11th: Traded Brandon Davies to the Nets for Andrei Kirilenko and Jorge Gutierrez.
- December 11th: Waived Malcolm Lee.
- December 12th: Signed Ronald Roberts Jr., waived Jorge Gutierrez.
- December 15th: Signed Furkan Aldemir, waived Ronald Roberts Jr.
2013
- November 20th: Waived Kwame Brown, Darius Morris.
- November 20th: Signed Elliot Williams, Lorenzo Brown.
Sixers Talk With Elton Brand, Shane Battier
The Sixers are talking to Elton Brand and Shane Battier in the hopes they can serve as role models for the team’s slew of younger players, sources tell TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. It’s unclear whether the idea is for them to serve in a playing, coaching or front office capacity. Battier retired as a player after the 2013/14 season, while Brand, who spent the past two seasons with the Hawks, cast doubt on the idea of playing again during an interview this past summer. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com identified Brand on Friday as someone to keep an eye on as the team looks for veterans to add to its roster.
New chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo dismissed the idea that son Bryan Colangelo, the former Suns and Raptors GM, will join the Sixers front office, telling Aldridge that it’s mere speculation. Still, the team does plan to bring aboard Mike D’Antoni as an assistant coach, Aldridge writes.
Former commissioner David Stern played a role in bringing the Sixers together with Jerry Colangelo, a source tells Aldridge. The NBA was “irate” at the way the Sixers handled the reports of Jahlil Okafor‘s various off–court incidents, according to Aldridge. GM Sam Hinkie treated the news with his trademark silence.
“I would say I was present when decisions were made, but there are some things we can do better,” Hinkie said. “We purposely laid low, and I purposely laid low, for a number of reasons. And I’ve always been very comfortable, and [coach] Brett [Brown]‘s been very comfortable, being out front for us when need be, because we trust each other, and we’re attached at the hip in a lot of ways. But sometimes, another voice helps.”
Brand, a David Falk client who spent four years with the Sixers between 2008 and 2012, averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game for a 60-win Atlanta team last season. This past spring represented the first time the former No. 1 overall pick appeared in the conference finals. Battier, a client of Jim Tanner, went to the finals in all three of his years with the Heat, with whom he last played, and twice won the championship. He averaged 4.1 points in 20.1 minutes and shot 34.8% from 3-point range in his final season on an NBA roster.
Central Notes: Love, Jennings, D-League
Kevin Love has long since moved past the sting of the injury he suffered in last season’s playoffs that reportedly short-circuited the interest he had in signing with the Celtics, but Boston wasn’t the only hopeful suitor not in the mix when Love’s free agency began July 1st, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer details. Love insists he never truly considered going anywhere but Cleveland, even as Boston, along with the Suns and Blazers, hoped to meet with him, Haynes writes, confirming reports from this summer that linked those teams to the power forward.
- Pistons owner Tom Gores met with Brandon Jennings over the summer to encourage him to return to health and increase his value with free agency looming this coming July, and the rendezvous left an impression on the point guard, as Jennings tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. “Yeah, especially during the time of when I was injured, and to hear what he had to say to me definitely opened up my eyes and just really helped me through a lot of stuff I was going through,” Jennings said. “Like a father-son type talk. It was some good things that were said, and he definitely gave me a different perspective on things I need to work on and what I need to come back and do.”
- The Pistons have recalled Spencer Dinwiddie and Darrun Hilliard from the D-League, notes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Hilliard scored a game-high 23 points in Sunday’s D-League game while Dinwiddie had only 7 points on 2 for 9 shooting.
- Joe Young is back from his assignment to the D-League, the Pacers announced. The rookie averaged 22 points per contest during his two-game stint with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
2016 Free Agent Power Rankings
Tuesday is the unofficial start of trade season in the NBA, but most if not all of the moves that take place will happen with this summer’s free agency in mind. So, we’ll update our Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings before players start changing places.
It promises to be a wild offseason, with the salary cap projected to catapult to $89MM. Many executives and agents told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News they believe it’ll go as high as $95MM. The common narrative is that teams will have more money to spend than worthy free agents on which to spend it, though the top of the class is as strong as it gets, with Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
Durant has maintained mystery surrounding his free agency, though he’s given no indication he wants out of Oklahoma City. James almost certainly won’t leave Cleveland. Three others among our top 10 free agents are restricted, giving their respective teams the edge to keep them. Still, intrigue remains, particularly with fluctuating values. Joakim Noah, Timofey Mozgov and Roy Hibbert opened the season in our top 20, but you won’t find their names below.
We’ll break down each member of this month’s top 10 2016 free agents here:
- Kevin Durant – Encouraging signs for the prize of next summer’s free agent class include his rebounding, as he’s pulling down far more rebounds per 36 minutes than ever before, and his 3-point accuracy, which is at a career-best 44.3%. Even more encouraging for the Thunder is the near silence in the past few weeks regarding his free agency. Last time: No. 1.
- LeBron James (player option) – James, by contrast, is having the worst 3-point shooting season of his career, having connected on just 28% of his attempts thus far. And despite his remark that Kevin Love would be the focal point of the Cavs offense this year, James is taking 19.9 shots per game, his most since 2009/10, the last season before “The Decision.” Last time: No. 2.
- Mike Conley – It’s been an off year of sorts for the 28-year-old point guard, who’s never shot so poorly from the floor as this season’s 40.2% mark. He’s never had quite as high a percentage of his shots come from behind the arc, either. Still, he has significantly more assists and fewer turnovers than he did last season. Last time: No. 3.
- Andre Drummond (restricted) – He’s slowed a bit from his early-season 20-20 pace, but he’s still averaging more rebounds per game than anyone since ex-Piston Dennis Rodman grabbed 16.8 in 1994/95 for the Spurs. He’s fueled the Pistons to a 14-11 mark even after the departure of Greg Monroe. Still, Drummond is almost certain to remain in Detroit. Last time: No. 5.
- Al Horford – The Hawks center is averaging more points per game than Dwight Howard, has a higher PER, and rates better in Basketball-Reference’s Box Plus/Minus and ESPN’s Real Plus minus. Thus, Horford gets the last spot in the top five. Last time: No. 6.
- Dwight Howard (player option) – The good news is that Howard is playing in back-to-backs again. The bad news is that he scored 4 points in the second game of his most recent back-to-back. Still, it seems unlikely that Howard would opt in and miss perhaps his last chance at a max contract this summer. Last time: No. 4.
- Bradley Beal (restricted) – Health is a concern for Beal just as it is for Howard, but unless Beal’s stress reaction lingers much past two weeks, it’s tough to see the Wizards not making the max offer they’ve been planning on. The 22-year-old is averaging a career-high 19.8 points per game. Last time: No. 7.
- DeMar DeRozan (player option) – DeRozan would be higher on this list if not for his lack of a 3-point shot. He scores in plenty of other ways, and the Raptors get enough 3-point shooting from elsewhere in the lineup to make it work. It’s not a given that other teams could make it work just as well, though. Last time: No. 8.
- Hassan Whiteside — The 26-year-old has proven last year was no fluke, and he’s blocking shots like no one since Dikembe Mutombo, the last player to average more than four blocks per game, in 1995/96. Curiously, the Heat aren’t playing him in crunch time, but he still has a strong chance to go from the minimum salary this season to the maximum salary next year. Last time: Out of top 10.
- Harrison Barnes (restricted) – The Warriors only failed to outscore an opponent by 10 or more points five times in the 17 games Harrison Barnes played this year. They’ve failed to do so just as many times in the eight games Barnes has missed with a sprained ankle. Last time: No. 9.
We don’t always carry the rankings past the top 10, but we’re doing so this time. The next 10 leads off with a pair of resurgent veterans and a player who’s appeared to benefit from an offseason trade:
11. Rajon Rondo
12. Dwyane Wade
13. Nicolas Batum
14. Pau Gasol (player option)
15. Al Jefferson
16. Chandler Parsons (player option)
17. Ryan Anderson
18. Jordan Clarkson (restricted)
19. Evan Fournier (restricted)
20. Deron Williams (player option)
See all the previous editions of our rankings here. See the full list of 2016 free agents here.
Which player do you think should be higher, lower, or off the list entirely? Leave a comment and debate the merits of the 2016 free agents.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Colangelo, Thornton
The Sixers serve as a case of what might have been for the Raptors had Knicks owner James Dolan not vetoed the trade proposal that would have sent Kyle Lowry from Toronto to New York two years ago, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange notes. Toronto planned to rebuild but instead wound up one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, and coach Dwane Casey is grateful, as Grange relays.
- A pair of remarks from Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo last week make it difficult to envision him contributing only in a part-time capacity, even as he’ll continue to live in Phoenix, observes John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com. Colangelo told Bickley & Marotta of Arizona Sports 98.7 that Adam Silver and Josh Harris called him “pleading for some help” (audio link) and said to Angelo Cataldi of SportsRadio 94 WIP in Philadelphia that he would never accept a situation in which unaccomplished executives could overrule him (audio link).
- The Sixers would be unwise to disenfranchise GM Sam Hinkie and completely abandon his rebuilding program, considering how far they’ve come and the promise that lies ahead in the 2016 draft, opines Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
- Celtics draftee Marcus Thornton won’t be with the Sydney Kings of Australia much longer, a source tells international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Thornton, the point guard from William & Mary whom Boston took with the 45th overall pick this year, signed with Sydney in July after reportedly assuring the Celtics before the draft that he was willing to play overseas. Thornton is not to be confused with the veteran shooting guard who plays for the Rockets.
Sixers, Brett Brown Agree To Extension
4:12pm: The Sixers sent out a press release officially announcing the extension. “Brett has been everything we anticipated – and more – both as a basketball coach and a partner in building this program,” GM Sam Hinkie said. “His tireless work ethic, his daily desire to consistently improve, and his resiliency line up with our core values as an organization. It was not difficult to come to the decision to formally say we want to work with Brett Brown even longer.”
3:02pm: The Sixers and coach Brett Brown have reached an agreement on a two-year extension, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Brown’s existing pact was to expire after next season, but the extension will allow the contract to carry through the 2018/19 season, according to Wojnarowski. The Yahoo scribe reported earlier this week, in the immediate wake of the team’s hiring of Jerry Colangelo to the front office, that an extension was “very likely” for Brown, and both the coach and owner Josh Harris confirmed shortly thereafter that they were deep into negotiations about the matter. The Sixers began their push for a deal well before Colangelo joined the team, league sources told Wojnarowski. The Sixers have called a 4:00pm Central time press conference, and they’re expected to formally announce the deal then, Wojnarowski writes.
Brown, a first-time NBA head coach, has gone just 38-149 since taking the job before the 2013/14 season, but he’s had barren rosters to work with, the result of GM Sam Hinkie‘s drastic rebuilding plan. He’s admitted that the losing gets to him sometimes and has occasionally offered subtle criticism of the front office, such as when he said recently that he wished he had more veterans on the team. He’s otherwise shown a relentlessly positive demeanor and even tempered his remark about veterans by saying that he accepts the responsibility that normally falls to experienced players.
Speculation arose that Brown was more frustrated behind the scenes than he expressed publicly. Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote this week that Brown was furious amid recent off-court trouble for Jahlil Okafor, with Hayes suggesting the team’s handling of the matter might have driven the coach to his breaking point. Brown said in September that he intended to serve out the remainder of his contract and had no plans to quit.
The coach was worried about his job security early last season, but Hinkie dispelled those fears and the coach’s willingness to forge ahead despite trying circumstances won him respect in the Sixers organization, as TNT’s David Aldridge recently reported. Harris and Hinkie professed their admiration for Brown as training camp began this season.
Brown is the third coach to come to terms on an extension since the start of the season, joining Rick Carlisle of the Mavericks and Steve Clifford of the Hornets. Carlisle is the only one among the three who has a winning record for his team.
Does Brown deserve the extension? Leave a comment to tell us.
Andrew Bogut Plans Extension Talk With Warriors
A discussion about an extension between the Warriors and Andrew Bogut will take place in the offseason ahead, Bogut said to USA Today’s Sam Amick in his NBA A-to-Z podcast. The client of Relativity Sports agent David Bauman isn’t eligible to sign an extension until October 25th next year, the three-year anniversary of his last extension with the Warriors and a date that’s close to the October 31st deadline for players eligible to receive rookie scale extensions. The 31-year-old former No. 1 overall pick is making $13.8MM this season and is scheduled for a salary of $12.681MM next season, though bonus clauses tied to the number of games he plays could affect those numbers.
“Look, we’ll definitely have the discussion,” Bogut said to Amick. “There’s no doubt about it. I’m not a greedy guy. … I know at what point in my career I am, and I definitely want some stability and to remain in the same place if I can. Obviously this is a great team we have going, and I want to remain here. There’s no doubt about that. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I’d love to stay. I’d love to never be a free agent. … I’m happy to stay here if it’s good for both parties, and we’ll see where we’re at.”
Bogut signed a three-year extension in the fall of 2013 with a base salary of $36MM. He already triggered a 15% bonus for last season when he played 65 games and made the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team. His cap figure for this season reflects the money he’d make if he earns that bonus again, so the oft-injured Bogut, who’s already missed seven games this year, could end up making less than $13.8MM for 2015/16. He has to pull off the double of hitting the games-played mark and receiving the defensive honor to cash in.
His ability to trigger the bonus next season will have an effect on how much he can see in an extension. Veteran extensions can’t contain starting salaries of more than 7.5% of the value of the final season of the existing pact, unless the team is under the cap. Bogut can’t tack any more than three seasons onto his contract, either, but if he were to hit free agency, he could re-sign with the Warriors for five years and up to the maximum salary. However, it’s unlikely he could command max money, and Golden State would probably be reluctant to commit more than three years to a player of his age and injury history.
Bogut told Amick he believes backup center Festus Ezeli, who’s set for restricted free agency this summer, will eventually become a starter and displace him from that role. Harrison Barnes will join Ezeli in 2016 restricted free agency, but the Warriors otherwise have most of their core together through next season. The Warriors only have about $34MM committed for the season in which an extension for Bogut would kick in, but that doesn’t include any money for Stephen Curry, whose contract expires in 2017.
What would a fair extension for Bogut look like? Leave a comment to share your thoughts?
Players On Pace For Qualifying Offer Adjustments
A quarter of the 2015/16 season has already passed, and clearly defined roles have developed for players around the league. Playing time and opportunities to start usually have positive financial consequences for soon-to-be free agents, if only indirectly so. However, for those poised to become restricted free agents in the summer ahead, precisely how many minutes they play and how often they appear in the starting lineup can have a quantifiable effect on their salaries for next season.
The NBA uses a set of “starter criteria” to help determine the value of the qualifying offer a restricted free agent is eligible to receive. The idea is that if a player is a regular starter, or plays starter’s minutes, he should see a larger qualifying offer. That offer doesn’t necessarily translate into the player’s salary for the next season, and in most cases, it’s just a placeholder for negotiations, since it’s the amount a team is required to pledge to retain the right to match competing bids for a restricted free agent. Still, two players signed contracts for the values of their respective qualifying offers last summer, and the same was the case in the offseason of 2014. A higher qualifying offer can persuade a team to give up its right to match offers, while a lower one can goad a team into keeping that right.
The starter criteria are fulfilled if a player eligible for restricted free agency makes 41 or more starts or plays 2,000 minutes in the season preceding the end of his contract, or in the average of the two seasons preceding the end of his contract. The following are the consequences for meeting or not meeting the starter criteria as they appear in our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on qualifying offers and as informed by Larry Coon’s invaluable Salary Cap FAQ:
- A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 15th overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
- A player picked between 10th and 30th who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the ninth overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
- A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 21st overall pick would receive if he signed for 100% of the rookie scale.
- For all others, the standard criteria determine the amounts of their qualifying offers.
Several players are on pace for qualifying offer adjustments so far this season. These two are in line to see the values of their respective qualifying offers rise to $4,433,683.
- Evan Fournier, Magic (32 starts last year, on pace for 82 starts this year) — Fournier is also on pace to exceed 2,000 minutes this year. Current qualifying offer: $3,278,998.
- Jared Sullinger, Celtics (49 starts last year, on pace for 71 starts this year) — Sullinger is also on pace to exceed 2,000 minutes this year. Current qualifying offer: $3,270,004.
These players would see their qualifying offers go up to $2,725,003 if their playing time remains steady:
- Jordan Clarkson, Lakers (38 starts last year, on pace for 82 starts this year) — Clarkson is also on pace to exceed 2,000 minutes this year. Current qualifying offer: $1,180,431.
- Matthew Dellavedova, Cavaliers (on pace for 2,222 minutes) — Dellavedova has made just six starts this year and only saw 13 last season, but his minutes have him in the mix. We’ll see what happens when Kyrie Irving returns. Current qualifying offer: $1,434,095.
- Langston Galloway, Knicks (on pace for 2,030 minutes) — Galloway would just barely cross the minutes threshold if he plays at his current rate, and he’s yet to make a start after starting 41 games last season. Current qualifying offer: $1,180,431.
Only one player is in danger of seeing his qualifying offer decrease to $4,045,894:
- Meyers Leonard (on pace to make 32 starts and play 1,415 minutes) — A dislocated shoulder did Leonard no favors, as it knocked him out for seven games, and he hasn’t started in the seven games he’s played since his return. Averaging last season’s numbers wouldn’t help, since he only made seven starts and played 847 minutes in 2014/15. Current qualifying offer: $4,210,880.
The players in the next group aren’t on pace for qualifying offer adjustments, but they’re close:
- Festus Ezeli, Warriors (on pace to make 39 starts) — Current qualifying offer: $3,013,123. Would be eligible for $4,433,683 qualifying offer if he sees more frequent starts.
- Isaiah Canaan, Sixers (on pace to make 39 starts) — Current qualifying offer: $1,215,696. Would be eligible for $2,725,003 qualifying offer if he sees more frequent starts.
- Allen Crabbe, Trail Blazers (on pace to play 1,957 minutes) — Current qualifying offer: $1,215,696. Would be eligible for $2,725,003 qualifying offer if he sees more frequent playing time.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Clippers Interested In Shabazz Muhammad
The Clippers are among the teams fond of Shabazz Muhammad, though the Timberwolves remain entrenched against moving him, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Wolfson also identified the Lakers and Nets as teams fond of the swingman despite the lack of playing time he’s seen thus far in his NBA career. Muhammad has averaged 8.6 points in 15.9 minutes per game since becoming the last pick of the 2013 lottery.
Muhammad, 23, would give the aging Clippers a much-needed injection of youthful talent if they were somehow able to convince the Timberwolves to budge. C.J. Wilcox is the only Clippers player on a rookie scale contract. Muhammad is in year three of his rookie scale deal and eligible for an extension in the offseason.
Trade rumors have swirled around the Clippers of late, with the team reportedly having gauged interest in Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith last month and recently having done the same with Jamal Crawford, who was also a subject of chatter over the summer. Still, Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers denied that he’s had any talks about Stephenson and Smith, and after the offseason stories surrounding Crawford, Rivers said in September that he intended to hold on to the veteran swingman through the season.