Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/28/18 – 8/4/18
Every week, the writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. With free agency dying down, we have quite a bit of content this week. Here are our segments and features from the past seven days:
- In multiple Community Shootaround posts this week, we asked:
- Is Kevin Love going to be worth the money he’ll make as a result of the recent extension he signed with the Cavaliers?
- Which eight teams do you expect to earn postseason berths in the Eastern Conference?
- Do you think Toronto will have more success with Kawhi Leonard on the roster?
- Who is the next superstar to be traded?
- Which team/player combination formed the best offseason deal?
- Which front office move should be considered the worst of the offseason?
- In our only Poll this week, we asked:
- Who is your very-early pick for the 2018/19 NBA Rookie of the Year award?
- Luke Adams looked at some of the upcoming salary guarantees dates to watch for certain NBA players.
- In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill answered questions surrounding the free agency decisions of Vince Carter, rookie Kenrich Williams, and the Knicks’ playoff chances.
- Luke Adams took a look at which free agents signed the longest (four- or five-year) contracts this summer.
- We reminded our readers of the rules relating to offseason roster limits in the NBA.
- Luke Adams listed all current NBA coaches in order of tenure with their current team.
- We provided an update on the 2018 NBA Draft picks who have not yet signed an NBA contract.
- Luke Adams analyzed how Non-Bird rights impact promotions for two-way players.
- We noted five notable NBA offseason storylines worth keeping an eye on.
- Luke Adams took a look at how many top 2018 free agents could reenter the market in 2019 due to having signed one-year deals or two-year deals with an option.
Southeast Notes: Waiters, Fournier, Adebayo, Howard
In order to improve upon their 2017/18 campaign without having made any significant changes this offseason, the Heat had better hope that Dion Waiters, who missed 52 games last season, becomes this season’s Victor Oladipo, opines Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
There are some unquestionable similarities between Oladipo and Waiters. As Winderman notes, both were traded from Oklahoma City, both were top five selections in their respective drafts, and both are now playing for their third NBA franchise.
“You can never predict anything in this league,” Riley said. “You look at what happened last year to Indiana and how good they became getting [Domantas] Sabonis and Oladipo, how they changed, how their mentality changed. They made some good additions. Very few people talk about them.”
Per Winderman, it’s that type of under-the-radar approach from Riley that has defined the Heat’s offseason thus far. Riley seemingly believes that his team is good enough to complete already.
“One thing we have going for us is we have familiarity, we have continuity,” Riley said. “There is a system that’s been intact here. (And) not having Dion Waiters play hardly at all, you’ve got to give it another shot. You can’t just keep ripping things up every year and changing your roster.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Magic shooting guard Evan Fournier is happy with the offseason moves made in Orlando, relays Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel. Specifically, he thinks the team got a steal in being able to draft big man Mohamed Bamba at No. 6 and was particularly happy to see teammate Aaron Gordon re-sign a long-term deal.
- Bam Adebayo, the 2017 first-round selection of the Heat, refuses to be labeled as a center, reports Shandel Richardson of the Sun-Sentinel. So much so that he has been concentrating on his offensive game all summer in order to see more minutes at power forward.
- Per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, John Wall is confident that new Wizards teammate Dwight Howard will be in attendance at an informal (and presumably optional) team minicamp next week.
Five Key Stories: 7/28/18 – 8/4/18
If you missed any of this week’s biggest stories, don’t worry because we’ve got it covered with our Week in Review. Listed below are some the more noteworthy news items from the last seven days.
Contract talks between the Cavaliers and restricted free agent Rodney Hood have stalled for the time being, with Hood reportedly seeking a short-term deal. The Cavs were rumored to be interested in signing Hood to a three-year deal, so it appears that Hood wishes to be able to return to free agency before the summer of 2021. However, Hood’s leverage is limited due to the lack of viable suitors left for him around the NBA. Only the Kings have any significant cap room left and the Cavs and the Jazz – the team that traded Hood – are the only teams that still possess their full mid-level exception.
The Pacers and head coach Nate McMillan agreed to a contract extension that will extend McMillan’s deal through the 2020/21 season. McMillan signed a three-year contract when he was hired in the summer of 2016, so he would have been entering the final year of his deal this fall if he hadn’t worked out a new agreement with the team. Indiana was one of the NBA’s surprise teams of 2017/18, racking up 48 wins and earning the No. 5 seed in the East before almost toppling the eventual Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
The Rockets traded big man Chinanu Onuaku and cash to the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to 2008 second-round draft selection Maarty Leunen. The Mavs will also earn the right to swap the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick for the Rockets’ pick. Houston lowers its tax liability and creates a trade exception in the deal while Dallas gains a pick swap and cash for helping out the Rockets.
The Bucks waived reserve point guard Brandon Jennings in order to avoid his $2.22MM salary becoming guaranteed for the 2018/19 season. Jennings signed a two-year contract with the Bucks back in April, meaning his cap hit for this upcoming season was equal to his salary figure, about $710K higher than a one-year, veteran’s minimum salary will cost the Bucks.
Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:
- The Raptors are reportedly interested in signing free agent big man Greg Monroe.
- With not many opportunities elsewhere, free agent swingman Patrick McCaw is likely to accept his qualifying offer from the Warriors.
- The Hawks and Carmelo Anthony have agreed to a buyout that will see Anthony give back the equivalent of his veteran’s minimum salary – an amount he is set to earn after signing with the Rockets.
- The NBA has reached a deal with MGM Resorts to make the company its official gaming partner.
- The Kings and second-year forward Jamel Artis have agreed to a training camp deal.
- Former Clippers’ swingman C.J. Williams signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves.
- Vince Carter says that the 2018/19 NBA season will likely be his last.
- There are ongoing discussions between the Cavaliers and forward Larry Nance Jr. about a possible contract extension.
- The Suns have signed free agent point guard Isaiah Canaan to a new contract.
- Malik Newman, who was recently waived by the Lakers, agreed to a deal with the Heat.
Bucks Waive Brandon Jennings
AUGUST 4: Jennings has cleared waivers and is now a free agent, according to the RealGM transactions log.
AUGUST 1: The Bucks have waived reserve point guard Brandon Jennings, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. As noted previously, Jennings’ $2.22MM salary would have become guaranteed had he remained on the Bucks’ roster past today.
Jennings, 28, signed a two-year contract with the Bucks back in April after completing a couple of ten-day stints. His 2018/19 salary was initially set to become guaranteed if he remained under contract through July 1, but the Bucks pushed his guarantee date back one month to further assess their roster outlook before having to decide whether or not to retain Jennings’ services for the upcoming season.
Because the Bucks signed Jennings to a two-year deal last season, his cap hit to the Bucks for the 2018/19 season was set to be his actual salary of $2.22MM. But, when a player has been in the NBA for three or more seasons and is playing under a one-year, 10-day, or rest-of-season contract at the minimum salary, the team is only charged for the minimum salary of a player with two years of NBA experience.
Accordingly, Milwaukee very well may still decide to bring Jennings back on a new, one-year, minimum-salary contract at some point this offseason, which would end up saving the team about $710K in team salary and cap charges.
The No. 10 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, Jennings has had a relatively successful NBA career so far, averaging 14.1 points and 5.7 assists per game in 555 career contests. However, he saw those numbers slip to 5.2 PPG and 3.1 APG during his 14 games with the Bucks last season.
Hassan Whiteside Looking To Put Last Season Behind Him
Despite a rough 2017/18 campaign that saw him miss 28 games and included a relatively infamous rant about a lack of playing time, Heat center Hassan Whiteside is ready for a fresh start, reports Shandel Richardson of the Sun-Sentinel.
“I feel great,” Whiteside said recently. “I feel a lot better than I did during (last) season. I’m completely healed. I feel like my regular self again.”
Whiteside, who dealt with both knee and hip injuries last season, averaged just 25.3 minutes per game, his lowest since his first season with the Heat in 2014/15. Moreover, he was often benched during fourth quarters and averaged a mere 15.4 MPG in the Heat’s first-round playoff series loss to the Sixers.
In regard to a recent meeting with both head coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley, Whiteside says things are much better than a year ago.
“We had a great talk,” Whiteside said. “I just think it’s trust on both sides. I think that’s the biggest thing … It was about a four-hour meeting. It was a lot about life. It was two hours basketball, two hours life. It was a good meeting.”
Whiteside, 29, led the lead in blocks during the 2015/16 season en route to being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He followed that up by leading the NBA in rebounds with 14.1 per game during the 2016/17 campaign. He will look to regain that form this season.
Calderon, Pachulia Ideal Fits In Detroit
While it’s no guarantee that either player will crack new head coach Dwane Casey‘s rotation, both newly-acquired veterans Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia are ideal fits to complement the Pistons‘ roster, opines Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
“They can still play an NBA basketball game. They can contribute,” says senior advisor Ed Stefanski. “But if they don’t play one night, they’re not going to be moping in the locker room. They’re going to be ready to play all the time and they’re going to help these young guys become professionals.”
With both Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith returning this season, Calderon is not likely to see much time at the point guard position. However, given Calderon’s size (6’3”) and ability to shoot from long range (career 41.1% 3-point shooter), it will be interesting to see whether Calderon could play along Jackson or Smith, especially when two rookies – Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown – are likely to be relied upon for reserve shooting guard minutes.
As for Pachulia, he seems to be firmly rooted as a reserve center behind starter Andre Drummond and backups Jon Leuer and Henry Ellenson. But, with an 82-game season to play, injuries could very well force the 34-year-old Georgian big man into more minutes.
“I’m very excited about our two veterans in Pachulia and Calderon,” Stefanski added. “Both winners in the NBA. Both have won championships. Both – if you talk to people in the league – they’re as good a guys as you’re going to get, as professional as you’re going to get.”
Community Shootaround: Best Offseason Deal
The frenzy that is the NBA free agency period has largely come to a close, with 48 of our 50 top-rated 2018 free agents now having either agreed to sign or signed a new deal. Only Rodney Hood and Dwyane Wade remain free agents.
Out of those 48 free-agent signings, Chris Paul signed the largest deal, both in terms of total and per-season value, while Nerlens Noel (per-season value) and Isaiah Thomas (total value), who was ironically expected to sign a large deal not too long ago, signed the least lucrative deals.
LeBron James‘ deal with the Lakers was a close second in value to Paul’s contract with the Rockets. Widely considered to be the best player in the world, it’s hard not to consider James’ contract with the Lakers the best offseason deal.
However, one could realistically argue that Paul George re-signing with the Thunder, after last summer having so clearly iterated his intentions to go to L.A. when he became a free agent this summer, or Clint Capela‘s team-friendly deal with the Rockets, to be better overall deals that James’. Moreover, the defending champion Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins – a bonafide star when healthy – to a one-year deal for the mid-level exception, which is generally reserved for role-type players.
So that leads us to our topic of discussion: Which summer signing/reported signing do you think was the best deal of the summer? Was it clearly James’ heading to L.A. or does another situation exceed that signing?
Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.
Jazz Sign Tyler Cavanaugh To Two-Way Contract
The Jazz have signed forward Tyler Cavanaugh to a two-way contract, per an official release from the team.
Cavanaugh, 24, played for the Hawks last season as a rookie after going undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft. He appeared in 39 games (one start) during the 2017/18 season, posting respectable averages of 4.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game.
Cavanaugh also saw action in the G League with Atlanta’s affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, where he averaged 14.5 points and 7.3 boards in 23.6 minutes per contest. He was waived by the Hawks back in May, likely in response to an ankle injury, coaching change, and imminent salary guarantee date.
Having already signed Naz Mitrou-Long to a two-way deal, the Jazz have now filled up both of their two-way slots in anticipation of the 2018/19 season. Both players will be eligible to spend up to 45 days with the Jazz during the G League season.
Nate Robinson To Play In Lebanon
Former NBA player Nate Robinson will continue his playing career overseas, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, Robinson penned a deal with Homenetmen of the Lebanese Basketball League.
Robinson, a late first-round selection in the 2005 NBA Draft, spent his first five seasons with the Knicks before becoming a journeyman during the back half of his NBA career. From 2010 to 2015 he played for seven additional NBA franchises and in 2016, he signed his first contract overseas with Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League.
The 5’9” point guard, perhaps best known for being a three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion from 2006 to 2010, said as recently as December that he is still looking for an opportunity to return to the NBA, but for now, he’ll have to settle for a chance to showcase his ability in Lebanon.
Robinson, 34, holds NBA averages of 11.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in 618 career contests with a career shooting line of .463/.360/.796.
Kings Sign Wenyen Gabriel To Two-Way Deal
JULY 31: The Kings have officially signed Gabriel to a two-way contract, the club confirmed today in a press release.
JULY 28: According to James Ham of NBC Sports California, the Kings are signing undrafted rookie Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way contract. David Aldridge of TNT first reported that the Kentucky product and Sacramento were close to a deal.
Gabriel, 21, averaged 6.8 PPG and 5.4 RPG as a sophomore last season at Kentucky, but showed the ability to protect the rim (1.1 BPG) and hit outside shots (.396 3PT%).
Gabriel, who figures to spend most of his time with the Kings’ G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, also performed relatively well during the NBA Summer League, appearing in all five games for the Kings in Las Vegas and averaging a similar stat line of 6.8 PPG and 5.6 RPG during 16.4 minutes per game.
The Kings don’t currently have any two-way players on their roster for the 2018/19 season, so another spot remains open after the Gabriel signing.