Central Rumors: Ellenson, Bulls, Felder
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy and his staff had Henry Ellenson ranked No. 10 on their draft board and were pleasantly surprised when the Marquette power forward slid to No. 18, he told the assembled media, including Hoops Rumors. Van Gundy was so sure that Ellenson would be chosen before Detroit’s turn came up last Thursday that he barely watched any film on him. “I didn’t even take notes,” he said. Detroit will still look to acquire another stretch four in free agency or via the trade route. “There’s no pressure on him, at least early on,” Van Gundy said of Ellenson. The Pistons are expected to pursue Hawks big man Al Horford but would have to clear cap space to offer him anything close to the max.
In other news around the Central Division:
- Van Gundy, whose team made the playoffs last season as a No. 8 seed, is unfazed by recent trades made by the Pacers and Magic. Indiana acquired two veteran starters, point guard Jeff Teague from the Hawks and power forward Thaddeus Young from the Nets, while the Magic made a big trade with the Thunder to land power forward Serge Ibaka. “Indiana made a couple of good moves and got better. Obviously, Serge Ibaka is a really good, but I expect our guys to improve, too,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll come back as the same team, either. There’s no sense in worrying about what other teams do.”
- Bulls power forward Bobby Portis and small forward Tony Snell have signed with CAA Sports, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Daily tweets. Portis had been a Mark Bartelstein client while Snell was represented by Mitchell Butler.
- Point guard Kay Felder‘s chances of making the Cavaliers roster next season are enhanced by the fact that they paid the Hawks $2.4MM to draft him, Lev Facher of USA Today reports. The 5’9” Felder out of Oakland University was selected with the No. 54 overall pick. “That means a lot to give up all that money for one pick,” Felder told Facher. “Man — I owe them.” Felder’s would have an even better shot at making the opening-night roster if restricted free agent Matthew Dellavedova receives an offer sheet that Cleveland won’t match.
Coaching Notes: Warriors, Pacers, Nets, Sixers
Mike Brown has been offered the top assistant position by the Warriors, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The former Cavaliers and Lakers head coach would replace Luke Walton, who was named the Lakers’ head coach, but terms of the deal are still being hammered out, Wojnarowski continues. Brown has remained close to his NBA mentor, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, and spent a considerable amount of time around their organization last season, Wojnarowski adds.
Brown’s ties to the Spurs, affable personality and head-coaching experience tipped the scales in his favor in head coach Steve Kerr’s mind, according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link). Former Suns coach Ty Corbin was a finalist for the job before becoming one of Earl Watson‘s assistants with the Suns, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reports while also confirming Golden State’s plan to hire Brown. The Warriors also met with the Hornets’ Stephen Silas and the Trail Blazers’ Nate Tibbetts, Stein adds.
In other coaching developments around the league:
- The Pacers have added Bill Bayno as an assistant coach and David McClure as player development coach, the club announced on its website. New head coach Nate McMillan will retain Dan Burke and Popeye Jones from Frank Vogel’s staff.
- The Nets have hired D-League assistant and Euroleague legend Mike Batiste as their big man coach, international journalist David Pick tweets.
- The Sixers have hired John Townsend as their shooting coach, league sources told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He held the same post with the Grizzlies the past two seasons and previously was the shooting coach for the Raptors and Trail Blazers. He replaces Gene Burroughs, who is now the head coach of the Sixers’ D-League team, the Delaware 87ers.
- The Mavericks have hired Bob MacKinnon to coach their D-League team, the Texas Legends, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports. He replaces Nick Van Exel, who is now a Grizzlies assistant.
Community Shootaround: Hassan Whiteside
Hassan Whiteside could be the first high-level, unrestricted free agent to come off the board on Friday. That comes from Whiteside himself, who plans to decide during the first 24 hours of free agency where he’ll play next year and beyond.
The 27-year-old center, ranked No. 10 on our Free Agent Power Rankings, will have a host of pursuers and doesn’t feel any sense of loyalty to stay with the Heat. With the big jump in the salary cap and Whiteside entering the prime of his career, it might take a max deal to land the league’s premier shot blocker. Whiteside averaged a double-double last season (14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds) to go along with his 3.7 blocks per game and posted a whopping 25.7 PER.
Miami’s biggest threat for Whiteside’s services might be the Mavericks. They were the victim of DeAndre Jordan‘s last-minute change of heart last July and owner Mark Cuban is still intent on landing a quality center. Whiteside and point guard Mike Conley are reportedly their top free agent targets. With Dwight Howard heading to the free agent market, the Rockets have their eyes on Whiteside.
The Lakers also plan to enter the Whiteside sweepstakes, as league sources recently told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that Whiteside is a “priority target.” Among the other teams that have been linked to Whiteside are the Celtics, Knicks and Warriors, though Golden State would probably be hesitant to commit to Whiteside before knowing what Kevin Durant will do.
The Heat don’t have a significant advantage to hold off suitors since they only own early Bird rights on him. They’ll have to use cap space to sign him for more than the league average salary and cannot offer a fifth year on his deal. A maximum contract for Whiteside would be a four-year deal approaching $95MM.
It’s an incredible career turnaround for Whiteside, who wasn’t even in the league at the start of the 2014-15 season and only began getting regular playing time after New Year’s Day that season. He’s shown a lack of maturity at times, with several ejections during that 2014-15 season and another this February after being assessed a Flagrant Foul 2. His teammates have questioned his maturity during those instances, and it’s fair to wonder what Whiteside’s motor will be like once he gets his huge contract.
There’s no doubt, though, that Whiteside will become an extremely rich man this summer.
This leads us to our question of the day: Which team will land Heat center Hassan Whiteside in free agency?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Timberwolves Decline Option On Damjan Rudez
The Timberwolves will decline the $1.2MM team option on small forward Damjan Rudez, making him an unrestricted free agent, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. Rudez only appeared in 33 games for Minnesota last season, averaging 2.3 points in 8.4 minutes.
The 30-year-old Rudez saw considerably more playing time in his first season in the league, appearing in 68 games with the Pacers during 2014/15 while averaging 4.8 points in 15.4 minutes. He was traded to Minnesota last July in exchange for Chase Budinger. His most attractive skill is his long-distance shooting — the 6’9” Rudez has averaged 39.1% on 3-point attempts during his short NBA career.
Rudez spent most of his career in Europe, most recently with CAI Zaragoza of Spain, before signing with Indiana. He was a three-time Croatian League All-Star.
The young, steadily improving Timberwolves didn’t have a rotation spot for Rudez, as he languished behind Andrew Wiggins and Shabazz Muhammad.
Grizzlies Decline Option On Lance Stephenson
The Grizzlies declined Lance Stephenson‘s $9.4MM team option, making him an unrestricted free agent, sources told Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Memphis is interested in re-signing Stephenson but other teams will pursue him, Charania adds.
Stephenson was traded by the Hornets last summer to the Clippers in exchange for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes. He was shipped to the Grizzlies at the trade deadline, along with a future first-round pick, for Jeff Green. Stephenson had a good run with the Grizzlies, averaging 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 26 games for a club decimated by injuries. He averaged 13.0 points in the playoffs when the Grizzlies were swept by the Spurs in the Western Conference playoffs.
He wasn’t a factor for the Clippers, averaging 4.7 points in 43 games.
This isn’t Stephenson’s first foray into the free agent market. He left the Pacers to sign a three-year, $27MM contract with the Hornets in 2014. The 6’5” swingman was a huge disappointment in his lone season with Charlotte, averaging 8.2 points while shooting 37.6% from the field.
The Grizzlies have plenty of small forwards and shooting guards on the roster, pending free agency, though several are in the waning years of their careers. That group includes Jordan Adams, Tony Allen, Matt Barnes, Vince Carter, P.J. Hairston and rookie Rade Zagorac.
Offseason Outlook: Minnesota Timberwolves
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise heading into the summer.
State Of The Franchise
At the start of last season, the Timberwolves were in a state of mourning. The sudden death of ex-coach and team executive Flip Saunders cast a pall over the franchise and it was difficult for everyone in the organization to overcome their grief.
As the season moved along, it was clear that Saunders’ blueprint for turning the franchise around was working. His decision to select Karl-Anthony Towns ahead of D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor with the No. 1 overall pick in last June’s draft accelerated the process toward making the Timberwolves a playoff contender again. Towns quickly established himself as a franchise player, averaging 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds to earn the Rookie of the Year award.
Several other young players — Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng — showed significant development even though Minnesota finished with a 29-53 record.
Owner Glen Taylor decided to shake up the front office and find a high-profile coach to nurture the talented core into reaching its full potential. Interim coach Sam Mitchell was replaced by ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who was also given the title of president of basketball operations. Former Spurs assistant GM and longtime Jazz executive Scott Layden was hired as Minnesota’s new GM.
Blockbuster Trade Brewing?
Thibodeau seems intent on getting an established, All-Star-caliber player to pair up with Towns. That was made clear when a report surfaced that the Timberwolves were willing to deal the No. 5 pick as part of a package to acquire Bulls star shooting guard Jimmy Butler.
It’s uncertain whether Chicago would consider moving Butler and go into full rebuild mode. Certainly, the Timberwolves would have to sweeten the pot by giving up one or more of their young assets.
Towns is obviously an untouchable but it’s not out of the question that the Timberwolves would consider moving Wiggins if Thibodeau doesn’t view him as the No. 2 scoring option on a contending team. Wiggins averaged 20.7 points in his second season but he’s not a three-point threat and his defensive box rating of minus 2.5 last season needs to improve dramatically for a defense-oriented coach like Thibodeau.
The club would almost certainly rather part with LaVine and other assets, but that might not be enough to acquire an All-Star entering his prime.
Free Agent Targets
It’s no surprise that unrestricted free agent Joakim Noah has been linked to his former coach.
Noah was unhappy with his playing time last season under first-year Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg before a shoulder injury short-circuited his season. A mobile shot-blocker like Noah would seem to be an ideal fit for a club that finished 28th in defensive field-goal percentage. Though Kevin Garnett is still on the roster, Noah would give the club another veteran leader who would play significant minutes.
The Timberwolves will have anywhere from $26-$29MM to sign other free agents with an eye toward versatile defenders and three-point shooters. The Wolves were 25th in three-point percentage last season and the addition of floor spacers will make Towns an even tougher cover in the post.
Potential Trades
Even if the plan to acquire Butler falls through, the Timberwolves figure to be active in the trade market as Thibodeau tries to reshape his roster.
A couple of Minnesota’s rotation players could be on the move. Point guard Ricky Rubio, who has three years and $42.MM remaining on his contract, would be expendable if Thibodeau isn’t sold on him as his long-term floor leader. LaVine could step into that role, or the Timberwolves could draft a point guard if they keep their pick.
Meanwhile, center Nikola Pekovic‘s career has been sidetracked by injuries and he only appeared in 12 games last season while recovering from Achilles tendon surgery. Pekovic has two years and $23.7MM remaining on his deal, but he’s a proven low-post scorer for a team lacking inside punch.
Another big man, Nemanja Bjelica, was a disappointment in his first season with the club, but was highly sought after during last summer before he signed with the Timberwolves. His remaining contract — two years, $7.75MM — makes him a movable piece.
Draft Outlook
- First-round pick: No. 5
The Timberwolves could go in a lot of different directions if they don’t deal their pick.
They could opt for a wing shooter like Buddy Hield to improve their perimeter game. They could secure one of the top point guards, either Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray, if they’re intent on dealing Rubio. Or they could hone in on a big man such as Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender to pair up with Towns.
Other Decisions
Muhammad and Dieng are eligible for rookie-scale extensions before next season and it will interesting to see how much the new regime values that duo.
While Muhammad provides instant offense off the bench, he’s a subpar three-point shooter. Dieng is a solid defender — he sports a 2.4 defensive box rating in each of the past two seasons — and Thibodeau can’t get enough of those kinds of players.
Coaching Outlook
In stark contrast to the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell’s future last season, the Timberwolves now have an established playoff coach on a long-term contract. Thibodeau signed a five-year, $40MM deal and his front-office title makes him the unquestioned leader of the franchise.
The addition of Layden echoes what the Pistons did when hiring Stan Van Gundy with the same titles as Thibodeau. Detroit added a proven front-office executive in Jeff Bower to negotiate trades and handle most of the day-to-day front office operations. Thibodeau will work in concert with Layden, but the former Bulls coach will have the final say.
Final Take
The Timberwolves look a lot like the Thunder several years ago. They have star talents in Towns and Wiggins, a la Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, to build around. With Thibodeau in charge, they’re ready to take the next step. If they can pull off a blockbuster and pry an proven, top-tier talent away from a team looking to shake up its roster, the Wolves could find themselves in the playoffs next season.
Guaranteed Salary
- Ricky Rubio ($13,400,000)
- Nikola Pekovic ($12,100,000)
- Kevin Garnett ($8,000,000)
- Andrew Wiggins ($6,006,600)
- Karl-Anthony Towns ($5,960,160)
- Nemanja Bjelica ($3,800,000)
- Shabazz Muhammad ($3,046,299)
- Gorgui Dieng ($2,348,783)
- Zach LaVine ($2,240,880)
- Adreian Payne ($2,022,240)
- (Kevin Martin $1,380,305) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Tyus Jones ($1,339,680)
- Total: $61,644,947
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Damjan Rudez ($1,199,000)
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Greg Smith ($1,139,123)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Tayshaun Prince ($980,431)
Other Cap Holds
- No. 5 pick ($3,227,100)
- Justin Hamilton ($980,431)
- Robbie Hummel ($980,431)
- Othyus Jeffers ($980,431)
- Arinze Onuaku ($980,431)
- Total: $7,148,824
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Pacific Notes: Green, Barnes, Kings, McCaw
Warriors All-Star power forward Draymond Green has accepted an invitation to play for USA Basketball at the Rio Olympics, a source told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Green will be making his USA Basketball national team debut, though he played on last year’s USA Showcase team. Golden State teammate Stephen Curry has already declined an invitation in order to rest his gimpy right knee.
In other news around the Pacific Division:
- The team that gives Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes a big offer sheet in restricted free agency will be taking a major risk, Andrew Tobolowsky of UpsideMotor.com opines. Lance Stephenson posted better stats with the Pacers than Barnes did this season prior to hitting the free agent market and never lived up his supposed potential after signing with the Hornets in 2014, Tobolowsky points out. Potential suitors may overvalue Barnes in the belief he’ll thrive with a bigger role than he’s had with Golden State, Tobolowsky adds.
- The Kings could revamp their roster for a second straight summer with their primary focus being the point guard spot, according to James Ham of CSNBayArea.com. The Kings could use a power forward who can stretch the floor, a long-term solution at small forward in place of Rudy Gay and an upgrade at shooting guard but solving the point guard dilemma is the biggest concern, Ham continues. Rajon Rondo is headed to unrestricted free agency and Darren Collison is engulfed by legal issues but the draft and free agency are unlikely to produce a solution, Ham believes. Kris Dunn and Jamal Murray could be off the board by the time the Kings’ No. 8 overall selection comes up, and it would take a tremendous sales job to land top free agent point man Mike Conley, Ham adds.
- The Kings were the only team to bring in Sacramento native Michael Bryson for a second draft workout, Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets. The 6’4” shooting guard averaged 18.2 points during his senior season at UC Santa Barbara.
- UNLV shooting guard Patrick McCaw was among the players who worked out for the Clippers on Monday, according to the team’s website. McCaw is a potential late first-round pick, ranked No. 28 by ESPN Insider Chad Ford and No. 29 by Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony. Other notables included a trio of forwards, Kentucky’s Alex Poythress, Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff and Maryland’s Jake Layman.
Warriors May Pursue Dirk Nowitzki
The Warriors could make a run at Dirk Nowitzki if they fail in their pursuit of top free agent target Kevin Durant, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob and GM Bob Myers have bounced around the idea of adding the Mavericks’ longtime franchise player, who is expected to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent, Kawakami continues. Nowitzki made just $8,333,334 last season in a team-friendly deal that helped them sign free agents Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons. He is scheduled to make $8,692,184 next season.
Lacob told reporters after Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, including ESPN’s Marc Stein, that the club will be “very aggressive” in pursuing roster changes this offseason.
Nowitzki could be the team’s starting center in place of Andrew Bogut, or head the second unit as an upgrade over Marreese Speights or Festus Ezeli, Kawakami points out. However, landing Durant is the top priority while Nowitzki would be a next-tier discussion for the Warriors, who are unsure if Nowitzki would seriously consider leaving Dallas after spending his entire career there, Kawakami adds.
As Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News recently reported, Nowitzki was leaning toward signing a two- or three-year deal with the Mavericks. But if Nowitzki believes the franchise is too far away from serious title contention, he may be persuaded to join a team like the Warriors in pursuit of a second ring. The Mavericks defeated the Heat in the 2011 Finals.
Dallas was 42-40 this past season and lost in the opening round of the playoffs after its top free agent target last summer, DeAndre Jordan, spurned them at the last minute and rejoined the Clippers.
Community Shootaround: Return Trip For Warriors?
The Warriors’ dream season came to a stunning conclusion on Sunday as they watched the Cavaliers celebrate their first NBA title at Oracle Arena. The team that set a league record with 73 regular-season victories also became the first team to blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
The good news is that their three best players are under contract for next season. Regular season MVP Stephen Curry will enter the final year of his team-friendly deal that will pay him $12.1MM next season. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have at least three years left on their contracts.
Sixth man Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut have one year left on their contracts and they can retain backup point Shaun Livingston, who had some big postseason games, who has a partially-guaranteed contract.
The remainder of the roster is in a state of flux. Harrison Barnes becomes a restricted free agent and several other rotation pieces will also enter the free-agent market.
Golden State will still come into next season as the team to beat in the Western Conference, especially if they add a top-tier free agent. While the odds are against Kevin Durant signing with them, the Warriors could be the kings of the West for years to come if they’re able to pull off that feat.
More likely, they’ll try to add to their depth and find a suitable replacement for Barnes if they deem him too expensive for their long-term budget.
Making the Finals three consecutive years is no easy feat and the Warriors will have plenty of hungry competitors nipping at their heels. The Spurs aren’t declining any time soon, even if Tim Duncan decides to retire. The Thunder were just one win away from knocking the Warriors off their perch and will remain a powerhouse if Durant re-signs. With better health, the star-laden Clippers could finally reach their potential.
This leads us to our question of the day: Do you think the Warriors will reach the Finals again next season? If not, who will take their place?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Offseason Outlook: Sacramento Kings
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise heading into the summer.
State Of The Franchise
If nothing else, the Kings should have a more harmonious locker room in 2016/17.
Controversy swirled around coach George Karl and star player DeMarcus Cousins throughout last season. Karl nearly got fired midway through the campaign and finally got the ax after it ended. A disconnect between the front office and Karl added to the turmoil enveloping the franchise.
“There were too many distractions on and off the court,” said point guard Rajon Rondo, no stranger to controversy himself.
There are signs of better days ahead for a franchise that hasn’t visited the postseason for 10 years. They hired a much less contentious head coach to replace Karl in Dave Joerger, who guided the Grizzlies to three straight playoff appearances. They’ll also be playing in a brand new arena, the Golden 1 Center, which should boost attendance and create some positive energy.
The next step is to reshape the roster and give their fans a reason to keep coming back.
Point Of Contention
The Kings may have to find replacements for their top two point guards, Rondo and Darren Collison.
Rondo revived his career after a woeful stint with the Mavericks in 2014/15, leading the league in assists at 11.7 per game. He’s an unrestricted free agent and the Kings want him back, but apparently don’t want to get into a bidding war for his services. Rondo, who made $9.5MM in the final year of his contract, will explore all his options, though he’s not averse to re-signing as long as he’s convinced of a culture change in the organization.
Collison has a team-friendly $5.23MM contract for next season but he could face a lengthy suspension after domestic violence charges were filed against him over a May incident. Collison wasn’t a typical backup, as he averaged 14.0 points — third most on the team — and 30 minutes despite starting only 15 games.
The Kings ranked third in points scored and fourth in assists with Rondo and Collison being the main distributors. Even if they manage to re-sign Rondo, they’ll have to acquire another point guard who can play regular minutes if the league cracks down on Collison.
Building Block Or Blockbuster?
VP of Basketball Operations and GM Vlade Divac tried to quell speculation about a possible Cousins trade this summer, saying in recent interview, “He’s not going to be traded — this year for sure.”
Joerger echoed that sentiment by saying he wouldn’t have accepted the job if the team was in a full rebuild mode.
“There’s still some heavy lifting to do but some of the heavy lifting has been done,” he said. “This is not a blow it up, let’s start all over again situation.”
That still won’t end all the rumors about Cousins’ status, considering the Kings have never won more than 33 games with the big man as their centerpiece. Teams such as Celtics and Sixers have been angling to acquire a superstar for years and could put together impressive packages for Cousins, who averaged 26.9 points and 11.5 rebounds last season.
The mercurial Cousins has said all the right things since his frequent verbal sparring partner, Karl, was sent packing.
“I want to bring us back to those glory days,” said Cousins, who has two years remaining on his contract.
Free Agent Targets
The Kings will be hanging up a “Help Wanted” sign and with only $61.3MM committed to guaranteed salaries, they’ll have plenty of salary cap space to pursue top free agents.
Naturally, they’re not a prime destination and some free agents may not want to put up with the volatile Cousins. Thus, the Kings may have to overpay to land a player they covet.
Would Mike Conley consider joining his former head coach in Sacramento? Unlikely, but Joerger’s presence gives the Kings a glimmer of hope toward landing the top free agent point guard on this year’s market.
Beyond Conley and Rondo, there are only second-tier options such as Jeremy Lin and Brandon Jennings.
The Kings, who gave up the most points in the league last season, also need to acquire some veteran defenders to instill toughness. A player like shooting guard Courtney Lee, whom Joerger coached in Memphis, would be a good fit.
Potential Trades
Even if the Kings live up to their vow to retain Cousins, they will likely be active on the trade market.
Rudy Gay, who will make $13.3MM next season and holds a player option on the final year of his deal, will be easier to move with the salary-cap jump coming this summer. Ben McLemore could also get sent packing to a suitor willing to take a chance on the disappointing lottery pick.
Marco Belinelli has two years left on his deal but with shooting at a premium around the league, he could also draw interest.
Draft Outlook
- First-round pick: No. 8
- Second-round pick: No. 59
The Kings brass is reportedly enamored with Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, who would be an immediate upgrade at shooting guard. However, there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll still be on the board when the No. 8 pick comes up. They may have to trade up to get him.
Otherwise, the Kings are expected to shop the pick for a more experienced rotation player.
Coaching Outlook
There’s a lot more stability along the sidelines than on the roster, as Joerger signed a four-year, $16MM contract. He has promised to work closely with the front office and end the discord that was so prevalent during the Karl era. How he’ll mesh with Cousins is the big unknown. The jury is still out on whether Cousins will respond better to a players’ coach like Joerger or a no-nonsense type like ex-Kings coach Michael Malone.
Final Take
The Kings seem content to build around Cousins for the time being and hope that he matures into a true leader. They can always explore trades for him during the season if that doesn’t happen.
The bigger issue is that they have question marks at every other spot on the roster. The front office will have make a series of shrewd moves to obtain quality pieces and end the playoff drought. It’s easy to be skeptical of that happening.
Guaranteed Salary
- DeMarcus Cousins ($16,957,900)
- Rudy Gay ($13,333,333)
- Kosta Koufos ($8,046,500)
- Marco Belinelli ($6,333,333)
- Darren Collison ($5,229,454)
- Ben McLemore ($4,008,882)
- Willie Cauley-Stein ($3,551,160)
- Omri Casspi ($2,963,814)
- (Wayne Ellington $882,630) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Total: $61,307,006
Player Options
- Caron Butler ($1,551,659)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Duje Dukan ($874,636)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Seth Curry ($1,215,696/$1,215,696)1
- Eric Moreland ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
- Totals: ($2,396,127/$2,396,127)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Rajon Rondo ($11,400,000)
- Quincy Acy ($980,431)1
- James Anderson ($980,431)1
- Total: $13,360,862
Other Cap Holds
- No. 8 pick ($2,451,200)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- Curry, Acy, and Anderson all declined player options for 2016/17.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.