Kyrie Irving Not Considering Extension This Summer
Despite being eligible for a contract extension this summer, Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving is apparently not interested, reports Chris Forsberg of ESPN. Irving is quoted as saying he is “pretty sure management and I will have a talk, but that talk won’t happen now,” because “contractually, financially, it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Irving is instead focused on getting healthy for next season and helping Boston take another step towards an NBA Championship, saying that he intends to deflect focus off of his contract situation.
“The focus is solely on winning a championship next year. I don’t think [impending free agency will] necessarily have an effect. I’m doing my best to kind of deflect all that and focus on what’s in front of us.”
As for the extension-related issue, Irving’s logic is financially sound, as the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the players’ association caps the length of veteran extensions to five seasons, including the seasons remaining on the current contract. Moreover, it limits the salary in the first year of the actual extension to 120% of the player’s salary the previous season.
Irving, who is under contract next season for $20.1MM and holds a player option for the 2019/20 season worth $21.3MM, could choose to forgo exercising his option and sign a four-year extension worth about $108.1MM. Clearly, that figure is substantial; however, if Irving were to opt out next summer and become an unrestricted free agent, he would be eligible to utilize his Bird rights and sign a five-year deal with the Celtics worth upwards of $188MM, based on the latest salary projections for the 2019/20 season.
Irving, whose current contract is virtually identical to Spurs’ superstar Kawhi Leonard, is not eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension like Leonard because he hasn’t met the Designated Veteran Player 35% Max Criteria, nor has he remained with the same team throughout his current contract.
Irving was also asked about the prospect of potentially being reunited with former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James, saying that “in this business, I’ve experienced it all and I’ve seen a lot, so we’ll see what management decides.”
Irving further added that he’s navigating his rehab with caution but that he’s excited about his targeted return date of mid-to-late September.
Issuf Sanon To Remain In 2018 NBA Draft
With the June 11 deadline to withdraw from this month’s draft right around the corner, Nicola Lupo of Sportando is reporting that Ukrainian point guard Issuf Sanon will remain in the 2018 NBA Draft, per his agent.
Sanon, 18, who has a multiyear contract with Petrol Olimpija Ljubljana in Slovenia that contains an NBA out, will be the youngest player in the draft, but ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Sanon being selected No. 42 overall by the Pistons in his latest mock draft nonetheless. Givony also has Sanon ranked as his No. 63 overall prospect in his latest big board rankings.
In his recent report on the NBA’s new Global Camp in Italy, Givony noted that Sanon was “arguably the most talented draft-eligible player in attendance,” impressing scouts with his ability to push the ball up the floor and play pick-and-roll.
That being said, Sanon still needs to work on his shooting and keeping his emotions in check, notes Givony, but those are attributes in which many younger player often need improvement, meaning there’s room for growth.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 6/2/18 – 6/9/18
Every week the Hoops Rumors writing staff strives to create interesting and original content to complement our news feed. Here are the original segments and features from the last seven days:
- In our only poll this week, we asked:
- Who will be the Pistons’ head coach next season?
- In our four Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- Does the NBA need a hard cap like the NFL to encourage more parity?
- Before the NBA Finals ended in a Warriors’ sweep:
- Is it possible for the Cavaliers to climb back into the series?
- Can a resurgence in playing time for Rodney Hood help the Cavaliers beat the Warriors?
- If you were a Sixers’ owner, who would you hire as the new GM to replace Bryan Colangelo?
- Luke Adams continued his 2018 Five Key Offseason Questions series with the following franchises:
- Luke Adams also dove in to the four teams who could become taxpayers by re-signing key free agents.
Tyronn Lue Plans To Return Next Season
Cavaliers’ head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed after his team’s Game 4 loss in the NBA Finals to the Warriors that he intends to return as head coach of the Cavs next season, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Whether his star player, LeBron James, plans to do the same remains to be seen.
Lue, 41, has three years remaining on the five-year contract extension he signed in the summer of 2016 when he was fresh off leading the Cavs to the city of Cleveland’s first professional sports championship in 52 years. However, Lue took a nine-game medical leave of absence earlier this season, putting it somewhat into doubt whether he was capable of continuing to coach through the 2020-21 season.
While it was reported at the time that Lue was suffering from chest pains and occasionally coughing up blood, it was later revealed by Lue himself that his absence was primarily related to anxiety, a relatively manageable condition compared to what could have been something much more threatening.
In additional to the aforementioned championship, Lue has led the Cavs to a regular-season record of 128-77 (.624) and a playoff record of 41-20 (.672) in his first two and a half seasons as head coach.
Five Key Stories: 6/2/18 – 6/9/18
In case you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the NBA, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Bryan Colangelo investigation has concluded, with the Sixers and Colangelo mutually agreeing to part ways. The investigation was conducted by the law firm of Paul/Weiss, who ended up finding that Colangelo’s wife Barbara Bottini was behind the incendiary tweets at issue but that Colangelo was nonetheless culpable by being reckless with his safeguarding of team information. Sixers’ ownership met earlier in the week to discuss Colangelo, with a decision apparently being made to move on from the embattled executive despite no conclusive evidence that Colangelo was aware of his wife’s social media activity. Colangelo released his own statement on the matter, vehemently denying that his conduct was in any way reckless.
With the 2018 NBA Draft nearly upon us, more and more prospects are working out for NBA teams. Some of the potential lottery selections who were reported to have worked out and/or scheduled a workout with lottery teams this week include, but are not limited to:
- Deandre Ayton (Arizona): Suns
- Per Ayton, he will only workout with the Suns and expects to be taken No. 1 overall.
- Marvin Bagley III (Duke): Hawks and Kings, Suns
- Mohamed Bamba (Texas): Hawks, Mavericks and Suns
- Mikal Bridges (Villanova): Bulls, Hornets, Knicks, and Sixers
- Miles Bridges (Michigan State): Knicks, Sixers
- Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke): Bulls, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Knicks, Magic, and Mavericks
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Michigan State): Hawks
- Kevin Knox (Kentucky): Bulls, Cavaliers, Knicks, and Magic
- Collin Sexton (Alabama): Knicks
- Lonnie Walker IV (Miami): Bulls and Knicks, Hornets, Sixers
- Robert Williams (Texas A&M): Bulls, Hornets, and Knicks
- Trae Young (Oklahoma): Bulls and Hawks, Knicks, Magic
The Pistons continue to narrow down candidates for their vacant head coaching position, with the finalists now appearing to be former Raptors’ coach Dwane Casey and Spurs’ assistant coach Ime Udoka. Michigan head coach John Beilein was also considered to be a finalist before announcing his intention to stay in the college ranks with the Wolverines. Another report has TNT Analyst and former NBA player Kenny Smith as an additional finalist.
The Pelicans and head coach Alvin Gentry have reached an agreement on a contract extension that will keep Gentry in New Orleans through the 2020/21 season. For his success this season, which included leading the Pelicans to the Western Conference Semifinals and a 48-34 record, Gentry will receive a raise and a guaranteed salary for the next two seasons. His 2020/21 deal will be performance-based.
Before being crowned NBA Champion and named NBA Finals MVP for a second consecutive year, Kevin Durant reiterated that he plans to re-sign with the Warriors this offseason. Durant, who previously indicated he would opt out of his contract in the summer, has Early Bird rights with Golden State, meaning the Warriors can pay him the maximum annual salary in the first year of his new contract next season.
Here are 8 more headlines from the past week:
- Kings guard Iman Shumpert, who was traded to Sacramento as part of the Cavs’ mid-season shake up, has opted in to his contract for next season, which will pay him a little more than $11MM.
- Thunder assistant coach Royal Ivey will accept a similar position on David Fizdale’s coaching staff with the Knicks.
- The NBA will experiment with a new coach’s challenge system during the Las Vegas Summer League this July.
- The Suns will hire Joe Prunty, who spent this season as the Bucks’ interim head coach, as head coach Igor Kokoskov’s new lead assistant.
- Likewise, the Sixers will hire Monty Williams as their new lead assistant coach under Brett Brown. Williams spent this season as the Spurs’ vice president of basketball operations.
- The Raptors interviewed EuroLeague head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius for their open head coaching position.
- Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich and star player Kawhi Leonard are expected to sit down and discuss this season’s issues sometime before the NBA Draft.
- The Warriors, fresh off another NBA Championship, plan on signing head coach Steve Kerr to a contract extension this summer.
Central Notes: Pacers, Budenholzer, Bulls, Tate
The Pacers will host their first pre-draft workout tomorrow morning and it too will consist of six participants, per an official release from the team. The highest rated players are UNLV big man Brandon McCoy and Wichita State guard Landry Shamet.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Shamet coming off the board at No. 50 in the second round to the Pacers, so it makes sense that he’d be one of the first prospects they brought in. The Pacers also have the No. 23 overall selection. Meanwhile, McCoy is rated as the No. 70 overall prospect by Givony.
In addition to Shamet and McCoy, the Pacers will also host Jaylen Adams (St. Bonaventure), Marcus Foster (Creighton), Nick King (Middle Tennessee State), and Yante Maten (Georgia).
There is more tonight from the Central Division:
- Newly hired Bucks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer is bringing five of his six assistants from Atlanta to join his staff in Milwaukee, reports Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Those assistants are Darvin Ham, Taylor Jenkins, Ben Sullivan, Patrick St. Andrews, and Charles Lee.
- In a Q&A session, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune answers fans’ questions regarding the Bulls possibly trading up in the draft order to snag Texas big man Mohamed Bamba, the rumored promise to draft Boise State’s Chandler Hutchison at pick No. 22, and more. Ultimately, while still early on in the process, Johnson currently sees the Bulls taking Duke’s Wendell Carter Jr. at No. 7.
- In addition to working out for the Jazz, forward Jae’Sean Tate from Ohio State will also work out for the Bulls, according to Bill Landis of cleveland.com.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Gordon, Wizards
The Hawks will host another pre-draft workout tomorrow morning with six participants, per an official release from the team. The headliners include Bruce Brown from Miami and De’Anthony Melton from USC.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Brown being selected by the Knicks in the second round at No. 36 overall in his current mock draft, while he has Melton going in the first round at No. 25 overall to the Lakers. The Hawks select at No. 3, 19, 30, and 34.
In addition to Brown and Melton, the Hawks will host Thon Maker‘s younger brother Matur Maker, Cameron Reynolds (Tulane), Yuta Watanabe (George Washington), and Johnathan Williams (Gonzaga).
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- As reported by John and Hugh of 92.9 The Game, Hawks’ GM Travis Schlenk is confident that he knows who Phoenix is planning to take at No. 1, meaning the team need only concern itself with Sacramento’s decision. Per Schlenk, the Hawks are down to “three or four guys” who they are contemplating taking with the No. 3 selection, but they are also open to trading back.
- The Magic, armed with a new and experienced head coach in Steve Clifford, are turning their focus to the draft and free agency, analyzes Bobby Marks of ESPN. Most importantly, the team must decide what its plan is with the impending restricted free agency of forward Aaron Gordon. Marks opines that the Magic should sign Gordon as a future tradeable asset, if nothing else.
- Candace Buckner of The Washington Post takes a look at the options the Wizards are thinking about with the No. 15 pick in this month’s NBA Draft. Three prospects that Buckner specifically mentions are point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV, and big man Robert Williams.
Pistons Hosting Free-Agent Mini-Camp
While most NBA teams are spending their time hosting pre-draft workouts for draft-eligible prospects, the Pistons are concentrating their energy on the free agent market already, holding a free-agent minicamp today for multiple NBA hopefuls and a few former NBA players.
Bereft of a first round selection in the 2018 NBA Draft as a result of the club’s mid-season trade for Blake Griffin, the Pistons are surely hoping to get a jump start on the competition for the services of some lesser known free agents this summer.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com provides a look at the minicamp roster, with the most well-known name having to be former No. 2 overall pick, Derrick Williams, who holds career averages of 8.9 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 428 career contests.
Other invitees with NBA experience include Williams’ former teammate with the Cavs during the 2016/17 season, Jordan McRae, as well as five-year veteran John Jenkins, the No. 40 overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft – Diamond Stone, and a 10-day contract recipient from this past season – Marcus Thornton.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Favors, Craig, Jenkins
As previously reported, IMG Academy guard Anfernee Simons is scheduled for a workout with the Jazz tomorrow. We now know the other prospects who will be joining him, thanks to an official release from the team.
In addition to Simons, the Jazz will host other potential first round selections Tulane swingman Melvin Frazier and French point guard Elie Okobo. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Frazier coming off the board to Atlanta at No. 34 in his latest mock draft, while he fittingly has Okobo being selected by Utah with the team’s first-round selection at No. 21 overall.
In addition to Okobo, Frazier, and Simons, the Jazz will also play host to workouts from Arizona guard Rawle Alkins and two seniors from the state of Ohio – Ohio State’s Jae’Sean Tate and Davidson’s Peyton Aldridge.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division this evening:
- Speaking of the Jazz, free-agent-to-be Derrick Favors may very well return to Utah, as he would reportedly prefer, but as opined by Frank Urbina of HoopsHype, three other potential landing spots include the Wizards, Bucks, and Warriors, all of whom could offer Favors their mid-level exception.
- After spending the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, guard Torrey Craig is receiving interest from other NBA teams this offseason, per Sportando. Craig, 27, started five games for Denver this past season, averaging 4.2 points in 16.1 minutes per game.
- Former NBA guard John Jenkins, who spent this season with the San Pablo Burgos of the Spanish Liga ACB, will attend a free-agent minicamp with the Trail Blazers, per Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Jenkins, 27, played 145 games in the NBA in five seasons from 2012 to 2017.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Atkinson, Sixers, Celtics, Sullivan
After a record-breaking regular season, the Raptors once again laid an egg in the postseason, leading to the firing of Coach of the Year candidate Dwane Casey. Now, barring any trades, the team is faced with a potential luxury tax issue with a roster that cannot seem to compete in the weaker Eastern Conference come playoff time.
Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at the luxury tax concerns for Toronto, focusing on who the Raptors could afford to surrender in order to get under the tax threshold while also remaining competitive.
Koreen opines that in a perfect world, the Raptors would probably love to unload one or both of the contracts of Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell, who are scheduled to make over $21.6MM and $9.3MM next season, respectively.
More realistically, the club may decide to let young guard Fred VanVleet sign somewhere else instead of matching what is expected to be an offer in the $7.5MM per season range. Koreen also explores the possibility of moving on from big man Jonas Valanciunas or the player the Raptors used their MLE on last summer – C.J. Miles.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets have been relatively uncompetitive for the last three seasons, but head coach Kenny Atkinson expects significant growth next season, reports Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The Nets have limited cap space and traded away their own first-round pick in this month’s NBA Draft, so Atkinson will need to rely on his reputed prowess as a player developer if the Nets hope to show meaningful improvement.
- Regardless of whether or not the Sixers succeed in signing a superstar free agent this offseason, the team will need to make sure to also sign both a guard with long-range shooting ability who is capable of guarding opposing point guards (e.g. Patrick Beverley) and a backup center capable of protecting the rim when Joel Embiid isn’t on the court, per David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- The Celtics‘ first selection in the upcoming draft, barring a trade, isn’t until pick No. 27, but according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, the team can still add some quality wing depth with versatile players such as Gary Trent Jr. or Josh Okogie, both of whom are likely to be available towards the end of the first round.
- Per Ian Begley of ESPN, former Clippers’ assistant coach Pat Sullivan will join the Knicks staff as an assistant for new head coach David Fizdale. Sullivan, a New Jersey native, worked as an assistant coach for the Pistons when Knicks’ GM Scott Perry was an executive with the team.