Salary-Cap Projections Remain At Preseason Level
The NBA’s preseason salary cap projections of $101MM for next season and $108MM for 2019/20 have not changed, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The latest league projections were disclosed to teams in a recent memo, Pincus adds.
[RELATED: Maximum-salary figures for a $101MM salary cap]
The cap estimates, which were originally made public in September, could naturally have a major impact on the free agent market this summer. The projection for 2018/19 represents a modest $2MM increase from last summer and a major change from what teams have seen over the the past two years. The cap jumped from $70MM to $94MM for the 2016/17 season. It bumped up another $5MM to the $99MM mark for the 2017/18 season.
The luxury tax level projections remain at $123MM and $131MM for the next two seasons, Pincus continues.
The players project to have earned $20MM more than their share of basketball related income (BRI). The NBA will recoup that from escrow (10% that’s withheld all year from player checks), Pincus adds.
Cavs Sign Kendrick Perkins For Playoff Roster
APRIL 11: The Cavaliers have officially signed Perkins, the team announced today in a press release. As cap expert Albert Nahmad tweets, Perkins will earn $13K+ for his one day of NBA service during the regular season, but the move will cost the team over $43K due to tax penalties.
APRIL 9: The Cavaliers will be signing veteran center Kendrick Perkins to the final spot on their playoff roster, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Perkins was released by the club during the preseason, then played 27 games for their G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
Perkins, 33, averaged 8.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG in 21.3 MPG in G League play. He appeared to be on the verge of an agreement with Cleveland in February, so the imminent signing is not a major surprise.
It’s likely that Perkins will see little, if any, action in the playoffs. But he does give coach Tyronn Lue another big body as insurance. Perkins has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2015/16 season.
He spent his first 7 1/2 seasons with the Celtics before getting traded to the Thunder. He played four-plus seasons with Oklahoma City, then saw action in 17 games with Cleveland in 2014/15 season.
In his most recent NBA season, he played 37 games for the Pelicans.
Robert Pera Decides To Retain Control Of Grizzlies
10:42am: Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post clarifies (via Twitter) that Pera will purchase Kaplan’s share at the same valuation as Straus’ high bid (noted below), buying out both minority stakeholders.
APRIL 10, 9:38am: ESPN’s Zach Lowe provides a couple more details on the Grizzlies’ ownership situation, reporting that it was Straus’ bid – rather than Kaplan’s – that Pera needed to match. Straus’ higher bid valued the franchise between $1.3 billion and $1.4 billion, per Lowe.
With Pera set to buy out Straus, it’s unclear how Kaplan and his shares are impacted, Lowe adds.
APRIL 9, 7:12pm: Grizzlies majority owner Robert Pera has sent a formal notice to the NBA indicating that he will retain his controlling interest in the franchise, the team announced in a press release.
Pera shared his decision in an open letter from to Grizzlies MVP Season Ticket Members. Minority stakeholders Steve Kaplan and Daniel Straus had triggered a clause in the purchase agreement that forced Pera to either buy them out or sell at a valuation of their choosing.
That duo placed a valuation of just over $1 billion on the franchise. Pera then needed to decide between buying out their shares or selling his own shares at the price of their valuation.
Pera might still wind up selling the team in the long run after buying out their shares, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post tweets.
Pera’s decision to retain control could also improve the chances of J.B. Bickerstaff being retained as head coach.
Pat Riley Fumed, Then Realized LeBron ‘Did Right Thing’
Heat president Pat Riley was furious when LeBron James bolted Miami and returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 but now feels James ‘did the right thing.’ That’s one of the revelations by Riley to author Ian Thomsen in his new book “The Soul of Basketball: The Epic Showdown between LeBron, Kobe, Doc and Dirk that Saved the NBA” which was excerpted in a Jackie MacMullen story for ESPN.
Riley came to that conclusion slowly, as he fumed for months over James’ decision to go back to Cleveland. He ultimately understood that James would never be truly accepted in his home state again unless he won a championship there.
“My beautiful plan all of a sudden came crashing down,” Riley told Thomsen. “That team in ten years could have won five or six championships. But I get it. I get the whole chronicle of [LeBron’s] life. While there may have been some carnage always left behind when he made these kinds of moves, in Cleveland and also in Miami, he did the right thing.”
Other notable revelations in the interview included:
- James hinted early in his first Heat season during a meeting among Riley and the Big Three of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and James that he wanted Riley to return to coaching and replace Erik Spoelstra. “I remember LeBron looking at me, and he said, ‘Don’t you ever get the itch?’ I said, ‘The itch for what?’ He said, ‘The itch to coach again?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t have the itch.’ He didn’t ask any more questions, and I didn’t offer any more answers. But I know what it meant, and I always go back and wonder about what he was thinking at that time. “
- The public outcry after James’ announcement that he would be “taking my talents to South Beach” shook up James when he headed to Miami. “That night at three in the morning we met him at the airport. … They got off the plane, and I remember walking right up to LeBron. He was worn-out. He was just worn-out. He almost had tears in his eyes.”
- Riley had no contact with James until Game 7 the 2016 NBA Finals, when Riley texted him. “As soon as he hit the floor, I sent a text to him. I said, ‘Win this and be free.’ He never got back to me with a response.” Riley and James continue to be at odds, according to MacMullen.
Pistons Owner Still Mulling Van Gundy’s Status
Pistons owner Tom Gores is still undecided whether he’ll retain coach and team president Stan Van Gundy for the final year of his contract, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports.
Gores met with the media during the team’s home finale on Monday night. The team has failed to make the playoffs in three of four seasons with Van Gundy running the show. Gores reiterated he would make the final decision after a postseason meeting with Van Gundy.
“We’re going to meet next week and discuss what’s going on. At the same time, he’s dedicated the last four years and Stan and I are partners,” Gores told Beard and other media members. “There’s no way I would make a decision without talking to Stan and he’s been really busy with the season. That’s a decision Stan and I make.”
Gores vowed to make some changes, even if Van Gundy is retained. But Gores still likes the idea of having a coach with personnel power.
“We’re not winning. It’s just that simple,” he said. “Whatever mistakes we’ve made or why we haven’t won, we have to evaluate that. I see value in the front office and the coach being connected.”
Kings Plan To Move G League Team To Stockton
The Kings plan to relocate their G League team, the Reno Bighorns, to Stockton, California next season, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
The move, which must be approved by the NBA, would facilitate the team’s ability to shuttle players between the franchises, since Stockton is less than an hour’s drive away from Sacramento. The Kings have been affiliated with Reno since 2008 but have run into some weather-related issues during those seasons.
Kings G League GM Anthony McClish and his staff will use the former Kings training facility in Natomas, with access to the Golden 1 Center, Jones adds.
The Lakers, Clippers and Warriors all have affiliates in close proximity to their home base, so Sacramento is putting itself on equal footing with the other California teams.
“With the addition of NBA G League Basketball in the Central Valley, each of California’s NBA franchises have a powerful asset within an hour of their headquarters to help develop their players and expand their fan bases with elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere,” NBA G League President Malcolm Turner said in a statement.
The Kings have sent a handful of players on their regular roster to Reno this season, along with Jack Cooley and JaKarr Sampson, who are on two-way contracts.
Stockton Arena opened in 2005 and holds up to 12,000.
Kentucky Guard Gilgeous-Alexander Declares For Draft
Kentucky freshman point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will enter the draft and sign with an agent, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s decision certainly comes as no surprise, given that he’s a projected lottery pick and could be the first college point guard off the board. He’s currently ranked No. 12 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
That’s a few notches below the two other top college point guards, Oklahoma’s Trae Young (No. 8) and Alabama’s Collin Sexton (No. 9). But his stock could certainly rise during predraft workouts and he also has the versatile to swing over to the shooting guard spot.
At 6’6”, Gilgeous-Alexander has exceptional size for a point man.
In his lone college season, he averaged 14.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.1 APG and 1.6 SPG in 33.7 MPG. He shot a solid 48.5% from the field and 40.4% from long range, though he only attempted 57 3-pointers.
Gilgeous-Alexander posted 27 points, six rebounds and six assists in Kentucky’s opening-round NCAA Tournament win over Buffalo but was held to 15 points by Kansas State when the Wildcats were eliminated.
Hawks Guard Delaney Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Hawks guard Malcolm Delaney underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle and will require 6-8 weeks of recovery, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The surgery could impact Delaney’s status as a free agent this summer. Atlanta could make him a restricted free agent by extending a $3.125MM qualifying offer. Otherwise, he’ll enter the market as an unrestricted free agent.
Under the second scenario, Delaney might have difficulty finding a suitor. Delaney, who averaged 6.3 PPG and 3.0 APG in 18.8 MPG this month, turned 29 last month. He appeared in 54 games this season but has been sidelined since March 4th.
He spent a handful of seasons in Europe before signing with the Hawks prior to the 2016/17 season. He appeared in 73 games during his rookie NBA campaign, averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.6 APG.
The 6’3” Delaney played his college ball at Virginia Tech.
Marcus Smart Eyes Late April Return
Celtics guard Marcus Smart is expected to receive clearance to return to game action in late April, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.
This is some much-needed good news for the snakebit Celtics, who will be without stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving during their playoff run. Hayward was lost during the first game of the season while Irving recently opted to have season-ending knee surgery.
Smart underwent surgery March 16th to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. He had the thumb reevaluated on Monday by specialists in New York and was given a timetable of six weeks from the surgery for a projected return to action, which would target his comeback around April 27th, Charania adds. That would mean he’d miss a few playoff games but might return later in the first round or early in the second round.
Smart has been cleared to begin light non-contact shooting. A good playoff showing by Smart could help his long-term prospects. The Celtics could make him a restricted free agent by extending a qualifying offer of $6MM this summer. Otherwise, he’ll be unrestricted.
Smart has appeared in 54 games this season, his fourth in the league. He’s averaging 10.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 4.8 APG in 29.9 MPG.
Injury Updates: Embiid, Bullock, Hill, Ross
Joel Embiid has been cleared to begin light non-contact conditioning as the Sixers center continues his recovery from a concussion and orbital fracture, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. If he’s symptom-free from there, he can resume
on-court activities without contact, Pompey continues. The injuries occurred on March 28th and he had surgery on March 31st. The team is hopeful he can return at some point during the opening round of the playoffs, Pompey adds.
In other injury-related news from around the league:
- Pistons shooting guard Reggie Bullock has been shut down for the rest of the season due to a swollen left knee, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports. Coach Stan Van Gundy has Bullock’s knee had gotten worse in recent weeks. “First, they want to see how he responds to rest, but then it’ll be anything from an injection to a scope, which would be the most serious, at four to six weeks, but nothing long-term,” he said. Bullock emerged as a starter this season, averaging 11.3 PPG and making 44.5% of his 3-point tries.
- Cavs guard George Hill is hopeful of returning to action Monday after participating in practice on Sunday, according to AmicoHoops.net. Hill sat out the last two games with a sprained left ankle. “It was good to get back out there and get up and down the floor a little bit,” he said. “So, we’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
- Magic swingman Terrence Ross played 10 minutes Sunday and had a 3-pointer and two assists in his first game since late November, John Denton of the Magic’s website reports. Ross has been sidelined most of the season with a right knee injury and bone bruise. “I felt good and it was a tribute to all of the workouts and the work with the strength (and conditioning) coaches,’’ Ross said. “Just being able to play is the victory. It felt really good.’’