Heat Rumors: Hammons, Liggins, Olynyk, Waiters
Rodney McGruder‘s injury could force the Heat to address the imbalanced roster, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details. McGruder is out 3-6 months with a stress fracture in his leg, swinging the door open for Miami to keep or add another wing player, Jackson continues. The bottom of the roster is filled with power forwards and centers — Bam Adebayo, Udonis Haslem, Jordan Mickey and A.J. Hammons — and the Heat may have to waive Hammons and his guaranteed two-year contract to fortify the wing positions. Miami could keep either DeAndre Liggins or Matt Williams Jr. from its training-camp roster to fill the void, Jackson adds.
In other developments concerning the Heat:
- Kelly Olynyk has made a strong case to be the starting power forward, even though James Johnson came into camp as the favorite to win the job, Jackson reports in another story. Olynyk has meshed well with center Hassan Whiteside in preseason action, which is making the decision tougher for coach Erik Spoelstra, Jackson continues. “Their skill sets really complement each other,” Spoelstra told Jackson and other media members. “Kelly does a lot of things very similar to JJ in his own personality, in his own way. We think it fits. We think it works whether he comes off the bench or not, I like the dynamic.”
- Dion Waiters had to wait out the Gordon Hayward free agent saga before the Heat committed to him with a four-year, $52MM contract, Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Nadkarni notes during an in-depth feature on Waiters. A confident Waiters opted out of his deal this summer and the gamble ultimately paid off when Miami lost the Hayward sweepstakes and instead spent a chunk of their free-agent money on Waiters. “He likes to say he bet on himself, but he also bet on the organization,” Spoelstra told Nadkarni. “We bet on him as well. We’re not only about reclamation projects. We wanted to develop a relationship that would last longer than a year.”
Western Notes: Martin, Georges-Hunt, Casspi, Leonard
Jarell Martin is the player most likely to be waived by the Grizzlies despite a lack of depth at power forward, according to Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies need to pare two players to reach the 15-man limit and Martin is an inconsistent player who’s not really a stretch four or a defensive force, Herrington continues. The final roster decision will likely come down to guards Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin, since it appears Mario Chalmers has re-emerged as a rotation piece, Herrington notes. Harrison is a useful player at the back end of the roster but it would be difficult to give up on Baldwin, a first-round pick last year, Herrington adds. Memphis will likely explore trades involving those players this weekend to facilitate the decision.
In other developments regarding the Western Conference:
- Marcus Georges-Hunt‘s ability to guard three or four positions makes him the favorite to nab the 14th spot on the Timberwolves’ roster, Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. The 6’5” swingman has the edge over rookies Amile Jefferson and Melo Trimble, who will likely be sent to the team’s G League affiliate in Iowa, while another swingman, Anthony Brown, has already signed a two-way contract. However, Minnesota wants to keep the 15th spot open and could also pursue a player that’s waived or bought out as teams make their final roster cuts, Zgoda adds.
- Omri Casspi has taken a clear lead over Nick Young for a spot in the Warriors’ rotation, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Young got a bigger contract than Casspi when signing with the Warriors this summer but came to camp out of shape while Casspi quickly showed he’s a better fit for coach Steve Kerr’s system, Slater adds.
- There’s still no apparent timetable for Kawhi Leonard‘s return from a right quad injury, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports. The Spurs All-Star forward has spent the entire preseason rehabbing from an injury he originally suffered last season. “We’ve seen him in the gym and in rehab, but he hasn’t scrimmaged, so it’s hard to tell what stage he is in,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili told Orsborn.
Joel Embiid Signs Max Extension With Sixers
OCTOBER 10, 11:36am: The extension is official, the team announced on Twitter. We should soon find out more specifics on the deal, which was described to ESPN’s Zach Lowe as “perhaps the most complex” in NBA history (Twitter link).
OCTOBER 9, 4:45pm: The Sixers and center Joel Embiid have agreed on a five-year, $148MM designated rookie scale max extension, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
This ends all the speculation regarding Philadelphia’s commitment to the supremely talented but oft-injured big man. Embiid missed the first two seasons of his career because of foot injuries and only appeared in 31 games last season before he was sidelined by a knee injury that required surgery. Ultimately, the franchise’s brass felt comfortable locking up Embiid, rather than waiting to see if he could remain healthy for a full season.
In fact, the contract could even be richer than that, as Wojnarowski explains in a subsequent post. Embiid could potentially earn millions of dollars more if he meets certain criteria, including making All-NBA teams or winning the Most Valuable Player award. If Embiid meets the ‘Super Max’ criteria, he could earn an as much as $178MM, league sources told Wojnarowski.
The Sixers will have some cap protections should Embiid sustain an injury that would cause him to miss significant time, Wojnarowski adds.
Embiid underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery in March to fix a meniscus tear in his left knee. He has yet to appear in a preseason game, as the Sixers are taking a cautious approach.
Prior to the injury, he showed the ability to be a future All-Star. He averaged 20.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 2.5 BPG in 25.4 MPG. He would have easily led all rookies in those category if he played enough games to qualify.
Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo told the media last month that he was cautiously optimistic concerning Embiid’s extension talks. The two sides had until October 16 to reach an agreement and they beat the deadline by a week. If they hadn’t come to terms, Embiid would have been a restricted free agent next summer.
2017 Offseason In Review: Sacramento Kings
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Sacramento Kings.
Signings:
- George Hill: Three years, $57MM. Third year partially guaranteed ($1MM).
- Zach Randolph: Two years, $24MM.
- Vince Carter: One year, $8MM.
- Jack Cooley: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
- JaKarr Sampson: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Matt Jones: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Marcus Williams: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract with exhibit nine.
Trades:
- Acquired the draft rights to Justin Jackson (No. 15 pick) and Harry Giles (No. 20 pick) from the Trail Blazers in exchange for the rights to Zach Collins (No. 10 pick).
- Acquired a 2019 second-round pick and cash ($400K) from the Knicks in exchange for the right to hire Scott Perry.
- Note: 2019 second-round pick will be the second-most favorable of Cavaliers’, Rockets’, and Magic’s picks.
Draft picks:
- 1-5: De’Aaron Fox — Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-15: Justin Jackson — Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-20: Harry Giles — Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-34: Frank Mason — Signed to three year, $4.181MM contract. Third year non-guaranteed.
Draft-and-stash signings:
- Bogdan Bogdanovic (2014; No. 27) — Signed to three-year, $27MM contract.
Departing players:
- Arron Afflalo (waived)
- Darren Collison
- Tyreke Evans
- Langston Galloway
- Rudy Gay
- Ty Lawson
- Ben McLemore
- Anthony Tolliver (waived)
Other offseason news:
- Harry Giles will be out through at least January due to history of knee injuries.
- Extended general manager Vlade Divac through 2019/20 and exercised head coach Dave Joerger‘s option for ’19/20.
- Hired Scott Perry as executive VP of basketball operations, then lost him to Knicks.
- Hired Brandon Williams as assistant general manager.
- Zach Randolph agreed to plea deal after being arrested on marijuana charges.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating under the cap, but over the salary floor. Can create up to $4MM+ in cap room (carrying approximately $95MM in team salary). Room exception ($4.328MM) still available if/when cap room used.
Check out the Sacramento Kings’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
The Kings have traditionally done things in an unconventional fashion. This offseason was no different, as they lavished free agent contracts on some big-name veterans, including two in the twilight of their careers.
Signing George Hill, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter doesn’t make much sense on the surface. None of those players will be on the roster by the time the Kings become a playoff contender. It’s also a head-scratcher for those players to choose a floundering franchise that traded away its best player, DeMarcus Cousins, last February in a heavily-criticized deal.
The Sacramento brass had a ulterior motive for bringing in the trio. The team decided that the youngsters dotting the remainder of the roster needed proven winners to facilitate the mentoring process.
Hill, who got a front-loaded deal with $39MM in guarantees the first two seasons, will guide lottery pick De’Aaron Fox through the process of becoming a dependable NBA floor leader. Randolph will provide low-post tips to second-year man Skal Labissiere and third-year center Willie Cauley-Stein. Carter will show rookie Justin Jackson and second-year guard Buddy Hield the ropes on how to become top-notch wing players.
The results of those signings won’t be based upon how many games the Kings win this season, but rather how quickly their younger players develop.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Hornacek, Holmes, Morris
The Sixers could still have $40MM in cap space next season despite agreeing to a five-year, $148MM extension with center Joel Embiid, ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out. Embiid’s starting salary of $25.3MM is $7MM more than his $18.3MM cap hold for the 2018/19 season, Marks continues. Philadelphia still has just $57MM in guaranteed contract commitments for next season, Marks adds.
In other developments around the Atlantic Division:
- The current Knicks roster puts head coach Jeff Hornacek in a no-win situation, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News argues. The front office has stressed improvement in effort and stops but recent acquisitions Tim Hardaway Jr., Michael Beasley, Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott won’t improve the defense, Bondy continues. Hornacek will have the unenviable task of trying to develop a system to mask those defensive shortcomings, Bondy adds.
- Injured Sixers power forward Richaun Holmes doesn’t believe he’ll require surgery on his injured wrist, Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia tweets. Holmes suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist during a preseason game on Friday.
- Celtics forward Marcus Morris needs to drops about seven pounds and work on his conditioning but he plans to play the regular-season opener, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston reports. Morris missed a portion of training camp while on trial in Phoenix for an assault charge. He was acquitted.
- Forward K.J. McDaniels and Alfonzo McKinnie are likely fighting for the final spot on the Raptors’ opening-day roster, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. There’s room for both but GM Bobby Webster has expressed a desire to leave a spot open, Smith continues. Raptors coach Dwane Casey told Smith and other media members that the competition between the two is close. “There’s right now no clear-cut favorite going into this week,” he said.
Central Rumors: Zipser, Markkanen, Ellenson, Nachbar
Bulls swingman Paul Zipser projects as a starter during his second season in the league but he sees himself as more of a role player, as Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders details. Zipser, a second-round pick in 2016, will receive expanded playing time after the franchise moved All-Star Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves this summer. Zipser won’t provide All-Star level production but he’ll help the Bulls at both ends of the floor and deliver 12-15 points per game, according to Brigham. “I don’t need to be the leader of the team or the top scorer of the team or to have the ball in my hands the whole time,” he told Brigham. “That’s not who I am as a person, but I wanted a bigger role and more opportunity to do some leading along with some other guys on the team. And that’s what I think is going to happen.” If Zipser flops, his future with the Bulls beyond this season is uncertain. His $1,544,951 salary for 2018/19 is not guaranteed.
In other developments concerning the Central Division:
- The Bulls would be wise to leave rookie big man Lauri Markkanen at power forward, Vince Goodwill of NBCSports.com opines. Markkanen looks overmatched at this stage trying to guard the likes of Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins, as he did in a preseason game on Sunday, Goodwill continues. However, since the Bulls have two rotation-worthy centers and power forwards, he’ll have to play both positions to get playing time this season, Goodwill notes.
- Veteran Anthony Tolliver is likely to nab a rotation spot over second-year player Henry Ellenson, but the young Pistons power forward is making that a tougher call, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explains. Coach Stan Van Gundy told Langlois and other media members after Ellenson scored 16 points against the Hawks in a preseason game this weekend that Ellenson has made a strong impression in training camp. “He’s probably been the most consistent of anybody,” Van Gundy said. “Every time we play, every time we practice, he really hasn’t had – I don’t remember a bad day since the start of camp. I think his confidence is sky high. He’s really focused on what he has to do. He’s playing very, very well.”
- The Pistons have added Bostjan Nachbar to their international scouting staff, overseas expert David Pick tweets. Nachbar played for three NBA franchises from 2002-08 after the Rockets made him a mid-first-round selection in 2002.
Magic Sign Rodney Purvis
OCTOBER 9: The Magic and Purvis have officially finalized their agreement, with the team confirming it today in a press release. After initially announcing a 19-man preseason roster, the Magic are now at 20 players. Meanwhile, Purvis is expected to eventually play in the G League for the Lakeland Magic, tweets Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.
AUGUST 28: Former University of Connecticut shooting guard Rodney Purvis has agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Magic, league sources told Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The contract includes an Exhibit 10 clause, which would give Purvis a bonus if he’s waived and then signs with the Lakeland Magic, their G League affiliate, Begley adds (Twitter links).
The Exhibit 10 clause also gives Orlando the ability to convert Purvis’ camp deal into a two-way contract prior to the season, Jared Weiss of CelticsBlog.com tweets. Currently, the Magic have just one player on a two-way deal (Adreian Payne), leaving the second spot open.
Purvis, who began his college career at North Carolina State, is a longshot to make the Magic’s opening-day roster. He went undrafted after his senior year with the Huskies. The 6’4” Purvis averaged 13.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.5 APG last season. He appeared in two games with the Jazz’s summer-league team in Las Vegas but only scored one point.
Once they finalize Purvis’ deal, the Magic will have 18 players under contract.
2017 Offseason In Review: Detroit Pistons
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Detroit Pistons.
Signings:
- Langston Galloway: Three years, $21MM.
- Eric Moreland: Three years, $5.479MM. First year partially guaranteed ($750K). Second and third years non-guaranteed.
- Reggie Bullock: Two years, $5MM. Second year non-guaranteed.
- Anthony Tolliver: One year, $3.29MM.
- Luis Montero: Two-way contract. Two years.
- Dwight Buycks: Two-way contract. One year, $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Beno Udrih: One year, minimum salary. Exact details not yet known.
- Landry Nnoko: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Derek Willis: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Trades:
- Acquired cash ($1MM) from the Rockets in exchange for Darrun Hilliard.
- Acquired Avery Bradley and a 2019 second-round pick from the Celtics in exchange for Marcus Morris.
Draft picks:
- 1-12: Luke Kennard — Signed to rookie contract.
Departing players:
- Aron Baynes
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- Michael Gbinije (waived)
- Darrun Hilliard
- Marcus Morris
Other offseason news:
- Moved to downtown Detroit, from Palace of Auburn Hills to Little Caesars Arena.
- Jason Maxiell retired as a Piston.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating over the cap and under the tax. Carrying approximately $115MM in guaranteed salaries. Hard-capped. Only minimum salary exception available.
Check out the Detroit Pistons’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
Head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, along with GM Jeff Bower, had a tough dilemma following a very disappointing 2016/17 campaign: Should they give shooting guard and restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope a long-term contract?
Entering the offseason, the general consensus was that the Pistons would either lock up Caldwell-Pope or they would match an offer sheet, as long as the monetary burden wasn’t overwhelming. Caldwell-Pope was the team’s best perimeter defender, matching up with the opponent’s top offensive guard, regardless of whether that player was a point guard or shooting guard. He could also shadow some threes in smaller lineups.
A few factors swayed Van Gundy and Bower in another direction. First, Caldwell-Pope’s spotty offensive production was an issue. In 31 of the 76 games he played last season, Caldwell-Pope scored 10 or fewer points.
Second, the Pistons were already saddled with burdensome contracts for starters Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris and backup Jon Leuer. Giving Caldwell-Pope $20MM or more annually would push a team that didn’t even make the playoffs last season into luxury tax territory. Third, they found a better solution, at least in the short term.
The Celtics needed to unload some salary in order to sign Gordon Hayward and the Pistons swooped in and traded for versatile Avery Bradley to replace Caldwell-Pope. Bradley becomes a free agent after this season, though Detroit’s brass has already indicated its desire to re-sign Bradley.
The Pistons renounced their rights to Caldwell-Pope once they agreed to the deal. As it turned out, Caldwell-Pope had a harder time finding long-term security than expected. He signed a one-year, $18MM contract with the Lakers and will return to the free agent market next summer.
Tristan Thompson Aims For Sixth Man Award
Tristan Thompson is embracing his bench role and will aim for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award, as he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and other media members. Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue has opted to move Thompson to the bench and insert Kevin Love at center with LeBron James and Jae Crowder at the forward spots. Thompson started all 78 regular-season games he played in last season.
“I’m going to go for Sixth Man of the Year, put myself in position to do that,” Thompson said. “I’m not going to look too much into it, but if you’re going to come off the bench, might as well have a little goal — and I feel like with the second unit we have and the energy that I bring off the bench, I’ll put myself in pretty good position. Especially when you win.”
Lue already sees the benefits of having the offensively-gifted Love in the post, as he expressed to McMenamin and the assembled media.
“Just gives us spacing on the floor,” Lue said. “[Love] is a great passer; 5s have to get out and try to guard him on the pick-and-roll with LeBron and D-Rose (Derrick Rose) and those guys making plays, so it’s going to be tough for those guys.”
The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd also notes that Love’s ability to stretch the floor will pose matchup problems for many centers. Crowder will improve the Cavs’ defense, according to Lloyd, not only with his man-to-man prowess but also by allowing them to switch on most pick-and-rolls.
Eastern Rumors: Jefferson, Dedmon, Pacers, MCW
The roster spot of Cavs veteran forward Richard Jefferson is in jeopardy, according to The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd. The signing of Dwyane Wade gives the Cavs 16 fully guaranteed contracts, along with Kay Felder’s partial guarantee. Even if Felder is traded or released, the Cavs will have to rid themselves of a guarantee contract and Jefferson is a likely candidate, Lloyd continues. Jefferson, 37, has a $2.5MM contract but if he’s released it will cost the club approximately $10.5MM in luxury taxes since it is a repeat offender, Lloyd points out. A second-round pick may have to be packaged to move Jefferson, Lloyd adds.
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- Center Dewayne Dedmon probably won’t be with the Hawks beyond this season but he can help them in the short term, as Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains. Dedmon, who played with the Spurs last season, will make $6MM this season with the Hawks and holds a $6.3MM player option for next season. But Dedmon would probably benefit from testing the market again if he has a solid season, Cunningham continues. He’s adept at rolling to the basket in the pick-and-roll and he’s efficient in transition but needs to cut down on his fouls, Cunningham adds.
- The Pacers will start Darren Collison and Victor Oladipo at guard, Thaddeus Young and Bojan Bogdanovic at forward, and Myles Turner at center in their preseason opener on Wednesday, coach Nate McMillan told Clifton Brown of the Indianapolis Star. The surprise on the second unit, as Brown notes, is forward Damien Wilkins. The 37-year-old hasn’t played in the league since the 2012/13 season. He’s signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal.
- Hornets backup guard Michael Carter-Williams expects to be cleared for contact early next week, he told the Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell. Carter-Williams received platelet-rich plasma injections in both knees to promote healing of patella tears, Bonnell continues. He’s been restricted to noncontact drills during the first week of training camp.