Offseason Outlook: Orlando Magic
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
The Magic find themselves in a familiar spot this summer. They’re stuck in the lottery after coming off another last-place finish, searching to find ways to turn things around and hoping a new coach will make a difference.
Orlando did win 10 more games this past season than in 2014/15 but that still left it 12 games under .500. The frequent trips to the lottery haven’t produced an All-Star talent, a clearcut No. 1 scoring option or an unquestioned leader.
The front office thought it could accelerate the rebuilding process by hiring a no-nonsense, defensive-minded coach last summer in Scott Skiles. But the Magic’s defense improved only marginally, finishing 20th in defensive field-goal percentage and 18th in points allowed. Skiles didn’t connect with his young players, clashed with GM Rob Hennigan and ultimately resigned after the season.
By hiring ex-Pacers coach Frank Vogel as his replacement, Orlando’s front office mitigated the damage caused by Skiles’ sudden departure. The task at hand now is to acquire some impact players to get the Magic back into the postseason after a four-year drought.
Money Is No Object
The Magic have made their objective clear — they want to land top-flight free agents. They have enough salary-cap space to make that happen.
Orlando has the ability to free up as much as $46MM to spend on free agents and make trades, thanks to a couple of deadline deals that more than doubled its potential salary-cap space.
It quickly soured on forward Tobias Harris, who re-signed with the club as a restricted free agent last summer, and acquired two veterans from the Pistons (Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova) that it can clear off its books prior to free agency. Sending reserve forward Channing Frye to the Cavaliers for a future draft choice freed up more money.
“We’ve been very open about what we’ve been going through and the fact that we’ve been building through the draft,” CEO Alex Martins told the Orlando Sentinel. “I think we’re being very open about the fact that in order to take that next step we have to inject veteran leadership.”
The tricky part is to sell free agents on a franchise that has been spinning its wheels since the end of the Dwight Howard–Stan Van Gundy era.
Free Agent Targets
Orlando’s biggest need is to fill the vacancy created by the Harris trade, preferably with a top-notch veteran. That could be either a power or small forward, since Aaron Gordon can play either spot. Gordon showed he could do more than just dunk after the All-Star break, averaging 12.0 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Forget about Kevin Durant, who’s not going to consider a rebuilding team. The Magic might have a shot at another All-Star level forward, or at least a proven veteran.
They made a strong push to sign Paul Millsap last summer and came up empty. They will undoubtedly make a big run this summer at Millsap’s frontcourt partner in Atlanta, Al Horford. He would instantly turn them into a playoff contender with his all-around skills and leadership.
If that fails, they could chase prolific outside shooter such as Ryan Anderson, Chandler Parsons or Marvin Williams, though it’s highly questionable whether Anderson would consider a second stint with Orlando after the team dealt him to New Orleans four years ago in a sign-and-trade.
Another intriguing possibility is Horford’s ex-University of Florida teammate, Bulls power forward/center Joakim Noah. He’d provide the defensive presence the team has sorely lacked in recent years.
Even if the team plans on a Victor Oladipo–Elfrid Payton pairing for the long-term, they need to fortify their backcourt with a veteran shooter and/or ballhandler. The pool of backcourt free agents isn’t as deep as the frontcourt options and they may have to fill those needs via the trade route.
Free Agent Decisions
The team will likely decline its option on Ilyasova’s $8.4MM contract for next season. Jennings and reserve forward Jason Smith will become unrestricted free agents and they’re nothing more than fallback options.
Orlando has to decide whether to extend qualifying offers to three players. They plan to make those offers to swingman Evan Fournier and center Dewayne Dedmon, which would make them restricted free agents. It’s unclear whether they have a similar interest in retaining Andrew Nicholson. Hennigan has stated that re-signing Fournier is a top priority. The caveat is they may have to pay a hefty price, since it’s quite conceivable he could receive a eye-popping offer sheet designed to pry him away.
Potential Trades
The Magic’s desire to make trades will depend upon how successful they are in the free agent market. They’d probably have to trade away a starter or last year’s lottery pick, Mario Hezonja, to make something big happen.
Draft Outlook
- First-round pick: No. 11
- Second-round pick: No. 41
- Second-round pick: No. 47
The Magic will lean toward adding a frontcourt piece if they don’t deal away their lottery pick. Current mock drafts by ESPN.com’s Chad Ford and Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony have the Magic selecting Kentucky freshman power forward Skal Labissiere, who would at least provide some much-needed shot blocking.
Coaching Outlook
Vogel received a four-year, $22MM contract and seems like a better fit to nurture the team’s young talent than the abrasive Skiles. Vogel wants to make better use of the team’s versatility and athleticism by employing more small-ball lineups.
Final Take
The Magic have failed repeatedly in the lottery to find a superstar but they have accumulated enough talent to get back in the playoff hunt. It’s all predicated on convincing at least one high-level free agent to sign on the dotted line. If they strike out and have to fill out the roster with veteran role players, there’s a good chance they’ll be right back in the lottery next summer.
Guaranteed Salary
- Nikola Vucevic ($11,750,000)
- Victor Oladipo ($6,552,960)
- C.J. Watson ($5,000,000)
- Aaron Gordon ($4,351,320)
- Mario Hezonja ($3,909,840)
- Elfrid Payton ($2,613,600)
- Shabazz Napier ($1,350,120)
- Ersan Ilyasova ($400,000) — Partial guarantee; non-guaranteed portion listed below1
- Total: $35,927,840
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Ersan Ilyasova ($8,000,000) — Partial guarantee; guaranteed portion listed above1
- Devyn Marble ($980,431)
- Total: $8,980,431
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Evan Fournier ($4,433,683/$5,720,513)
- Andrew Nicholson ($3,394,726/$5,951,483)
- Dewayne Dedmon ($1,215,696/$1,215,696)
- Totals: $9,044,105/$12,887,692
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Brandon Jennings ($12,516,746)
- Jason Smith ($5,160,000)
- Total: $17,676,746
Other Cap Holds
- No. 11 pick ($2,033,500)
- Fran Vazquez ($2,033,500)
- Total: $4,067,000
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- Ilyasova’s full $8,400,000 salary will become guaranteed if he’s still on the roster on July 1st.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Outlook: Milwaukee Bucks
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
The Bucks came into the 2015/16 season with high expectations after finishing at .500 the previous year, reaching the playoffs and then signing coveted free agent center Greg Monroe during the summer. Instead of meeting those expectations, the Bucks took a big step backward, wallowing in last place in the Central Division and winding up 16 games under .500.
Milwaukee does have some quality young players pieces to build around, most notably Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 6’11” Antetokounmpo was a revelation after becoming the team’s primary ballhandler, recording five triple-doubles after the All-Star break. Having a 21-year-old point guard as tall as a center makes him a matchup nightmare for opponents, though Antetokounmpo needs to improve his shooting.
The second pick in the 2014 draft, Jabari Parker, bounced back from a season-ending knee injury during his rookie campaign to average 18.9 points and 6.6 rebounds after the All-Star break. The shooting guard spot is also in good, young hands, as Khris Middleton averaged a career-high 18.2 points and shot 39.6% on 3-point attempts.
Now, GM John Hammond must find better pieces to surround his budding stars. There are plenty of areas for improvement. The Bucks need to develop a defensive mindset, upgrade their perimeter shooting, become a better rebounding team, and add veteran savvy to the mix. They finished 17th in defensive field-goal percentage, 21st in 3-point percentage, and 25th in rebounding.
Big Man Dilemma
The Bucks were eager to upgrade their frontcourt last summer and were thrilled when Monroe chose to sign a three-year max deal with them. They soon learned that Monroe’s shortcomings often outweigh the positives he brings to the table.
Monroe is a solid low-post scorer and rebounder, but lacks the foot speed and athleticism to guard the paint or pick-and-rolls effectively. He also doesn’t block shots. Monroe often sat during crunch time while Miles Plumlee closed out games.
“We got him to help score, and he did that,” head coach Jason Kidd recently told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Charles F. Gardner. “He delivered. I think with our defense, we’ve got to do a better job.”
The best solution would be to move Monroe and find a better rim protector. Milwaukee reportedly shopped Monroe to the Pelicans prior to the trade deadline but couldn’t get the package it wanted for him. The Bucks will surely continue to pursue deals involving Monroe, hoping to find a team willing to live with his deficiencies.
Plumlee is a restricted free agent and the Bucks have expressed their desire to re-sign him. But he’s nothing more than a complementary piece and the Bucks will still need a starter to replace Monroe if they’re successful in moving him and his $17.14MM salary for next season.
Free Agent Targets
With approximately $61.6MM committed to guaranteed salaries next season, the Bucks have plenty of cap room to sign free agents. Dwight Howard and Hassan Whiteside will be the top big men available, though it would be a big surprise if either would want to spend their winters in Milwaukee.
The Bucks could certainly use a forward with a consistent long-distance stroke to improve spacing. Ryan Anderson, Marvin Williams or Harrison Barnes could fill that need but they’ll all come with hefty price tags.
It’s more likely Milwaukee will chase second-tier free agents. The Bucks had one of the worst benches in the league last season and have vowed to improve it. They especially need to find shooters — Middleton and oft-injured point guard Jerryd Bayless were their only reliable 3-point threats last season.
The Bucks have to decide whether to pursue any of their unrestricted free agents, a quartet of backcourt players who had injury issues last season — Bayless, O.J. Mayo, Steve Novak and Greivis Vasquez. They will reportedly try to retain Bayless and Novak while letting Mayo and Vasquez find new homes.
Potential Trades
Besides Monroe, the Bucks must figure out what to do with Michael Carter-Williams, who is now in an awkward situation with Antetokounmpo essentially taking his job. Carter-Williams is a subpar shooter, so playing him off the ball doesn’t work. He’s still on his rookie contract, so a potential suitor could acquire the 24-year-old to audition him at the point without committing to him beyond next season.
Draft Outlook
- First-round pick: No. 10
- Second round picks: Nos. 36, 38
The Bucks could go any number of ways with their lottery pick, but the smart money has them taking a big man. Jakob Poertl and Skal Labissiere are the top centers expected to go in the bottom half of the lottery. Should they target a stretch four, Marquette product Henry Ellenson and/or Domantas Sabonis could still be on the board when their pick comes up.
Coaching Outlook
Anyone who thought the Bucks might sour on Kidd after their subpar season were proven wrong when the team agreed to a contract extension with him this week. Kidd still has one year left on his original deal before that new three-year, $18MM extension kicks in.
Final Take
The Bucks aren’t a typical last-place team. They have some real hope of getting back into the playoff picture next season, thanks to the talented young trio of Antetokounmpo, Parker and Middleton. But they’ll need to make shrewd decisions while restructuring their roster around those players. Milwaukee must find a defensive stalwart in the middle and more perimeter threats. Monroe and Carter-Williams don’t seem like a part of the long-term plan and need to be moved. The Bucks also need to acquire some veterans who can help nurture the talented young core
Guaranteed Salary
- Greg Monroe ($17,145,838)
- Khris Middleton ($15,200,000)
- John Henson ($12,267,606)
- Jabari Parker ($5,374,320)
- Michael Carter-Williams ($3,183,526)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo ($2,995,421)
- (Larry Sanders $1,865,547) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Rashad Vaughn ($1,811,040)
- Tyler Ennis ($1,733,880)
- Total: $61,577,178
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Damien Inglis ($980,431)
- Johnny O’Bryant ($980,431)
- Total: $1,960,862
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Miles Plumlee ($3,113,318/$5,273,235)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- O.J. Mayo ($12,000,000)
- Greivis Vasquez ($9,900,000)
- Jerryd Bayless ($3,900,000)
- Steve Novak ($980,431)
- Total: $26,780,431
Other Cap Holds
- No. 10 pick ($2,140,500)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Timberwolves Pursue Butler Deal, Dangle Pick
The Timberwolves are willing to move the No. 5 overall pick as the centerpiece of a trade package to acquire Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler, league sources told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford and Marc Stein. The Timberwolves are eager to reunite Chicago’s top scorer with new coach and former Bulls head man Tom Thibodeau and have told the Bulls they’re strongly interested in making such a deal if Butler is available, the story continues.
While Bulls are not believed to be shopping Butler, they are willing to listen to offers, Ford and Stein claim. The Bulls would demand a major package in return, which would likely translate to at least one front-line player in addition to a top lottery pick, sources told the ESPN duo. Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns would seemingly be untouchable but the Timberwolves have some other young talent to dangle, including Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng.
A multi-team trade scenario is also in play, according to the story. Butler has four years remaining on his five-year, $90MM contract.
The Celtics, who have three first-rounders including the No. 3 pick, are also angling to acquire Butler, according to Ford and Stein. The Bulls are high on Providence point guard Kris Dunn, a projected Top 5 selection, the story adds.
The Bulls would save $2.6MM on a trade kicker if they deal Butler this month, according to a tweet from Basketball Insiders’ Eric Pincus.
Eastern Draft Notes: Sixers, Celtics, Pistons
LSU forward Ben Simmons may not work out for the Sixers or any other team prior to the draft, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Media Network reports. Philadelphia, which has the top pick, is trying to get Simmons in for a workout, Pompey continues. Simmons is expected to be the Sixers’ choice over Duke forward Brandon Ingram. “It’s not a red flag,” Sixers president of basketball operation Bryan Colangelo told Pompey. “Everybody deals with the draft process differently.” The Sixers did not work out Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid or Jahlil Okafor before selecting them in the last three drafts, Pompey notes.
In other draft developments around the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers will bring in California small forward Jaylen Brown for a workout on Tuesday afternoon, the team announced via press release. Brown could be a darkhorse candidate for the top pick in the draft. He could also be an option if Philadelphia trades down in the lottery, or if they package their two late first rounders to acquire another lottery selection. He’s ranked No. 8 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board and No. 5 by Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony. The Sixers will bring in six second-round hopefuls earlier in the day, including Iowa State forward Georges Niang, Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff, UC Santa Barbara guard Michael Bryson, Iona guard A.J. English, Mississippi forward Tomasz Gielo and Dayton swingman Dyshawn Pierre.
- The Celtics worked out two projected lottery picks on Monday, Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield and Washington power forward Marquese Chriss, ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman tweets. The workouts were held in California, Goodman adds. Ford slots Hield at No. 7 and Chriss at No. 6 on his Big Board, while Hield is rated No. 7 and Chriss is ranked No. 11 by Givony. The Celtics have three first-rounders, including the No. 3 pick.
- The Pistons worked out six players on Monday, the most prominent being Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter links). The Pistons, who hold the No. 18 pick, need a backup point gaurd and Jackson is ranked No. 26 by Ford and No. 16 by Givony. Washington point guard Andrew Andrews and a quartet of big men — Greece native Georgios Papagiannis, Clemson’s Landry Nnoko, Purdue’s A.J. Hammons and Maryland’s Diamond Stone — also participated in the workout, Beard adds.
- Marquette power forward Henry Ellenson will meet with the Bucks on Tuesday, Gery Woelfel of Woelfelspressbox.com reports. The Bucks have the No. 10 pick and the 7’0” Ellenson is rated No. 11 by Ford and No. 13 by Givony.
Offseason Outlook: Chicago Bulls
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.
Big Men, Big Decisions
The Bulls’ frontcourt could look very different next season with veterans Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah hitting the free agent market.
Gasol has a player option of $7.77MM but it’s a near certainty he’ll decline it so that he can become an unrestricted free agent. Despite turning 36 next month, Gasol should get some juicy offers from playoff contenders. He is coming off a stellar season in which he averaged 16.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 blocks.
It would be a surprise if Gasol stuck around with a team that didn’t even make the playoffs this spring. Gasol expressed disappointment as last season wound down with the way the team fell apart during the second half of the season.
It’s also questionable whether the front office wants to give its aging center a big contract, unless they plan on making other moves with a ‘win now’ mentality, rather than rebuilding around younger players.
Pau’s brother, Grizzlies big man Marc Gasol, believes he should chase another championship ring by signing with the Spurs.
There are conflicting reports on whether Noah will consider staying with the Bulls, but it’s likely he’ll be wearing another uniform next season.
A league source told ESPN.com’s Nick Friedell late last month that the team has had positive discussions on a new contract. Earlier reports indicated that Noah distrusts the front office and wants out.
Noah, who was in Italy last week, told Sportando he would “consider every offer on the table this summer.” He added that he was “very focused” on free agency and was disappointed with his playing time and the culture change in the locker room last season.
Noah’s season was cut short by shoulder surgery and that could affect the offers he receives, while also improving the Bulls’ chances of retaining him if they’re intent on doing so. The Timberwolves, who hired ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, are one of the teams reportedly interested in his services.
Breaking Up The Backcourt
Trade rumors are swirling around both of Chicago’s starting guards. The Bulls will certainly entertain offers for Derrick Rose. The question is whether they can stir up any interest in the former MVP.
Rose’s career has been marred by knee issues and he’s been unable to play a full season since suffering an ACL tear during the 2012 playoffs. He managed to play 66 games this past season but, as his subpar 13.5 PER suggests, he’s nowhere near the player he used to be.
Rose has one year and $21.3MM remaining on his contract. Given the salary-cap explosion this summer, some teams could fit him into their salary structure but it’s unlikely the Bulls could get much for him. Not only is his declining production an impediment, he expressed eagerness as far back as last summer about testing the free agent market in 2017.
It may be in both parties’ interest for Rose to stay put this season. He’ll have every incentive to prove he can regain his previous All-Star form.
If the Bulls really want to blow things up, they could shop their best player in Jimmy Butler. That would seem foolhardy unless they got an overwhelming package in return but that could be the case.
The Timberwolves and Celtics, who both own Top 5 picks, are eagerly pursuing a trade for Butler. Undoubtedly, other teams would jump into the sweepstakes if the Bulls were willing to move Butler, but it’s unclear if they’ll make him available.
Free Agent Targets
The Bulls will have the financial flexibility to pursue top-level free agents if both Gasol and Noah bolt. They would be in the market for younger replacements, as well as upgrades at small forward or shooting guard, depending upon whether they retain Butler and which position they want him to play.
Al Horford‘s skill set would make him a natural replacement for Gasol. If they decide to pursue a more traditional center, the enigmatic Dwight Howard would have to be on their radar screen.
Nicolas Batum‘s versatility would upgrade them dramatically at small forward as would Chandler Parsons, contingent on his health issues.
They could also look for depth at point guard if Rose is dealt, or to have a quality veteran to replace him when he misses games. Jeremy Lin or Brandon Jennings could fill that need.
Potential Trades
Besides Rose and Butler, the Bulls could dangle some of their frontcourt pieces if they decide to get younger and acquire future draft picks. Taj Gibson‘s $8.95MM salary for the upcoming season is not the deal breaker it might have been in past, and the Bulls have a similar, younger power forward in Bobby Portis to take his minutes.
Nikola Mirotic would certainly attract interest around the league if he were made available, considering the value teams place on stretch fours.
Draft Outlook
- First round pick: No. 14
- Second round pick: No. 48
The Bulls find themselves in the unusual position of drafting in the lottery, though they’re in the middle of the first round. Considering they have needs at most positions, they’ll go the “best player available” route.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Rose’s future with the club, a point guard like Demetrius Jackson or Wade Baldwin would make sense with the No. 14 pick.
Coaching Outlook
Fred Hoiberg’s first year was a lot stormier than anyone could have imagined. Given that he was handed a five-year, $25MM contract last summer, Hoiberg will get at least one more season to prove himself as an NBA head man.
Final Take
The Bulls’ summer is shrouded with mystery. They could try to make a big splash and sign a top-flight free agent to join Butler and get the team back in the playoff picture. Or they could opt to go into full rebuild mode by selling off assets and stockpiling draft picks. It seems nearly certain they’ll lose both Gasol and Noah, so the latter approach might be best.
Guaranteed Salary
- Derrick Rose ($21,323,252)
- Jimmy Butler ($17,552,209)
- Taj Gibson ($8,950,000)
- Nikola Mirotic ($5,782,450)
- Mike Dunleavy ($4,837,500)
- Doug McDermott ($2,483,040)
- Tony Snell ($2,368,327)
- Bobby Portis ($1,453,680)
- Justin Holiday ($1,015,696)
- Total: $65,766,154
Player Options
- Pau Gasol ($7,769,520)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Cameron Bairstow ($980,431)
- Cristiano Felicio ($874,636)
- Total: $1,855,067
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Joakim Noah ($20,100,000)
- Pau Gasol ($9,683,388) — pending player option
- Aaron Brooks ($2,925,000)
- E’Twaun Moore ($980,431)
- Total: $33,688,819
Other Cap Holds
- No. 14 pick ($1,743,500)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Raptors Guard DeMar DeRozan Officially Opts Out
Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan has officially opted out of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent, league sources informed Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). The deadline for the decision is Wednesday.
It was a foregone conclusion that DeRozan would test the free agent market. DeRozan was due to make $10.35MM in the final year of his deal but he’ll be worth much more on the open market, considering his banner season. He made his second All-Star game while averaging a career-high 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the regular season. The 6’7” DeRozan even improved his subpar long-distance shooting to a respectable 33.8% in 3-point tries. DeRozan averaged 20.9/4.2/2.7 in the postseason as Toronto reached the Eastern Conference Finals before succumbing to the Cavaliers.
The Raptors are optimistic of keeping DeRozan, who expressed his desire to re-sign with the club during a post-playoff media session.
“My mindset has always been Toronto,” he said. “I always preached it. I was passionate about it when we was losing. When we was terrible, I said I’m going to stick through this whole thing and I want to be that guy who brings this organization to where it is now. I definitely don’t want to switch up after we win.”
Toronto GM Masai Ujuri said during his postseason press conference that retaining DeRozan is the team’s top offseason priority, though he deflected a question on whether DeRozan was worth a max deal.
Pistons Sign GM Jeff Bower To Extension
MONDAY, 9:27am: The Pistons have officially announced their new deal with Bower.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the job Jeff has done for our organization,” Van Gundy said in a press release. “He’s been at the forefront of all the moves we’ve made over the last two seasons and has implemented much of the strategy and structure throughout our basketball operations department. The confidence I have in his ability allows me to go out and coach during the season knowing that he’s always looking to make our team better.”
SUNDAY, 11:25 am: The extension is for one year, meaning that Bower is under contract until June 30, 2018, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
10:55 am: The Pistons have reached a multiyear contract extension with GM Jeff Bower, league sources told The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bower has been Stan Van Gundy‘s right-hand man since Van Gundy was named head coach and president of basketball operations in the summer of 2014. Bower was entering the final year of a three-year contract.
Bower, 55, has negotiated several trades that have transformed the Pistons’ roster, including the acquisitions of forwards Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris and point guard Reggie Jackson. The Pistons made the Eastern Conference playoffs as the N0. 8 seed after a six-year absence and lost to the Cavaliers in the first round.
Bower was the GM for the New Orleans Hornets from 2001-03 and 2005-10, and was the head coach of Marist College from 2013-14 before Van Gundy hired him. Van Gundy has deflected credit for the team’s deals to Bower and other members of the front office, indicating that he simply rubber stamps or nixes the trade proposals that Bower and his staff negotiate.
Van Gundy praised Bower’s roster-building skills in an interview with Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel this spring.
“I think that’s where Jeff Bower is really at his best,” Van Gundy told Seidel. “It’s not just one big splash. He really understands how to put a team together. I think we have a lot of good people in our organization, but he is the one who has run a team before, and he is a guy who understands team building and how to put it together.”
Atlantic Notes: Ingram, Anthony, Ferrell, Love
The Sixers will bring in Duke small forward Brandon Ingram for a workout on Monday, according to Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com. This confirms a Twitter item from The Vertical’s Shams Charania on Friday that Ingram was coming in for a workout with Philadelphia. The Sixers are expected to select either Ingram and LSU power forward Ben Simmons with the top pick in the draft. Ingram will be the only participant in the workout, Seltzer continues. Philadelphia has not held a workout since June 2nd because president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo was overseas, visiting 2014 lottery pick Dario Saric and scouting in Italy. The Sixers have conducted five other workouts sessions with six invitees in each one, Seltzer adds.
In other news around the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek believes Carmelo Anthony still has the ability to carry the team, though he needs some help, Hornacek stated on the Boomer and Carton radio show via Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “I think [Anthony] just turned 32, so he’s right at that prime time for him,” Hornacek said. “He’s going to help to carry this team but we can’t put it all on him. The other guys have to step up and if he’s having a tough night the other guys are able to fill in.”
- Indiana point guard Yogi Ferrell displayed a good shooting touch in workouts with the Nets and Knicks last week and may have boosted his draft stock, sources told ESPN.com’s Ian Begley. The Knicks don’t have a draft pick but are hoping to acquire one, according to Begley. The Knicks have worked out several prospects in recent days with an emphasis on the triangle offense, Begley adds. Ferrell is currently ranked No. 80 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board and No. 63 by Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony.
- The Celtics must decide if a Kevin Love trade is worth pursuing and how they would fit the Cavaliers’ power forward into their offensive scheme, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald opines. Love thrives when the offense revolves around him, as it did when he played for the Timberwolves, but the Celtics — like the Cavs — have a score-first point guard in Isaiah Thomas, Bulpett continues. Love’s defensive shortcomings are also a major consideration since he’s due approximately $68MM over the next three years, plus the Celtics’ wealth of draft picks probably wouldn’t interest a title contender like Cleveland, Bulpett adds.
Spurs Plan Offer To Euro Forward Davis Bertans
The Spurs are expected to make a minimum contract offer to Latvian combo forward Davis Bertans, Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net reports. San Antonio acquired his rights during the 2011 draft after the Pacers selected the 6’10” Bertans with the No. 42 pick. The Spurs also acquired the draft rights of small forward Kawhi Leonard in the same deal that sent point guard George Hill to the Pacers.
Bertans’ career has been marred by knee injuries. He tore his right ACL in March 2015 just two years after suffering a tear in the same knee. He had surgery for the second tear in San Antonio. He has been playing for the Spanish team Laboral Kutza Baskonia and has one year remaining on his contract, though he can be bought out for an unspecified amount, according to Varlas.
Bertans averaged 11.o points for Baskonia in 22 games prior to the 2015 tear. He appeared in 15 games last season, including eight starts, and averaged 7.9 points.
His biggest asset is his ability to stretch the floor. He has averaged 38.8% from 3-point range during his Euroleague career and is also an excellent free throw shooter at 82.4%.
Beyond starters LaMarcus Aldridge and Leonard and promising Kyle Anderson, there’s a lot of uncertainty regarding the Spurs’ forwards. Tim Duncan has to make a decision whether he wants to play at least one more year, while David West has a player option on his contract and could decide to reenter the free agent market. Matt Bonner is an unrestricted free agent, while swingman Jonathan Simmons has a non-guaranteed contract.
Bismack Biyombo Opts Out Of Contract
June 6th: 10:20pm: Biyombo has officially opted out, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
May 28th 9:10pm: Raptors center Bismack Biyombo will decline his $2.9MM option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent, sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. Biyombo’s floor in contract negotiations is anticipated to be $15MM annually, thanks to the impending salary-cap increase (Twitter links).
Biyombo’s stock rose dramatically during the Eastern Conference playoffs, when his playing time spiked after Jonas Valanciunas was injured. He averaged 5.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while appearing in every regular-season game, then bumped those averages to 6.2/9.4/1.4 in 20 playoff games.
He had two double-doubles in the Eastern Conference semis against the Heat, including a 17-point, 16-rebound outburst in Game 7. He also had a 26-rebound effort against the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the conference finals.
An Eastern Conference GM told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News earlier this week that Biyombo could command a salary in the $16-17MM annual range, while another said that a contract averaging $20MM per season is a possibility.
Biyombo has been in Toronto for just one season, so the team only holds his Non-Bird rights. That means that, unless the Raptors renounce DeMar DeRozan‘s rights or get creative elsewhere on the roster, there’s virtually no chance that the club can retain Biyombo if he receives offers of $15MM or more per season. The Raptors already have nearly $70MM in guaranteed contracts on their books for next season.