Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/15/16
The Lakers are going to miss the playoffs for the third straight season, something that almost assuredly won’t sit well with team ownership or the fans. With Kobe Bryant set to retire, the franchise will look markedly different next season. What remains to be seen is if the team will build around its younger players or attempt to remake itself by chasing big-name free agents. Los Angeles certainly has a number of young, intriguing players, but it remains to be seen if any among them are stars who are capable of carrying the franchise back to glory.
According to an informal poll of NBA front office executives, point guard D’Angelo Russell is viewed as having the potential to develop into a franchise-player, but the same sentiment wasn’t shared in regard to 2014 lottery pick Julius Randle, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The dozen executives Berger polled relayed that Randle is seen more as a piece to the puzzle or an energy guy than a bonafide franchise cornerstone. The scribe also noted that it was conceivable that the Lakers could deal one or both of the duo to land a proven star, adding that the organization’s decision-making this summer will be shaped by whether or not it retains its 2016 first-rounder. The Lakers must convey their pick to the Sixers if they fall out of the top three selections.
This brings me to the topic for today: Should the Lakers focus on building around younger players like D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, or should the team look to deal them for an established star?
If you think the team should look to trade the young pair, who would be a realistic target? Or do you believe Los Angeles needs to take it slow and rebuild through the draft instead of chasing big names on the open market? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter.
And Ones: Budenholzer, Payton, D-League
The Hawks have increased their use of analytics and technology in how they help players recover from injuries and maintain their bodies, David Aldridge of NBA.com notes. The use of new and nontraditional techniques is one change that Mike Budenholzer implemented when he took over as the team’s president of basketball operations, Aldridge adds. “We wanted to have all of the groups, everybody within the organization that had a great synergy and worked well together, and had a passion,” Budenholzer told the scribe. “Keke Lyles, [trainer] Art Horne and [strength and conditioning coach] Mike Roncarati and [Athletic Performance Coach] Chris Chase and [assistant trainer] Scottie Parker have a passion for athletic performance, keeping our guys, pushing the envelope for them being the best they can be. You could feel that when we interviewed them and talked with them.”
Lyles, who is Atlanta’s director of player performance, told Aldridge of the team’s approach, “I think the biggest thing is, [Budenholzer] has a certain vision about the court, and what the players are doing. And he wanted that to carry over into what guys did as prep. Obviously, our field is not his area of expertise, but he knew the value of it, and how important it is. And so I think he saw the opportunity to bring a group in that was kind of on the same page, and thought the same way, and had very specific goals that we wanted to accomplish in treatment.” Budenholzer credits Lyles with helping Kyle Korver and Tim Hardaway Jr. return to form after their respective surgeries, Aldridge also notes.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Elfrid Payton has yet to establish himself as the Magic‘s point guard of the future despite making small strides in improving his scoring average and shooting numbers, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “I don’t want to single a spot out. We’re 9-24 since the first of the year. So all of our our spots…we’re not playing well enough in general,” coach Scott Skiles responded when asked about the play of the team’s playmakers. When asked specifically about Payton, the coach said, “Again, I just don’t think it’s fair….I’m not trying to duck the question. If we were having a more consistent season, I’d feel a little bit more comfortable answering that. Again, our troubles are at many spots.“
- The Pistons have an available roster spot after not electing to sign Justin Harper for the remainder of the season after his second 10-day deal came to an end, but Detroit has no immediate plans to bring in another player, Keith Langlois of NBA.com tweets.
- The Pacers have recalled center Shayne Whittington from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the big man’s fifth stint with the Mad Ants on the season.
Latest On ‘Melo, Knicks Coaching Situation
Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony said he wouldn’t accept an arrangement wherein 70-year-old team president Phil Jackson coaches the team on a part-time basis next season, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News writes. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com relayed that people close to Jackson raised the possibility that the Zen Master could offer to coach home games for the team next season and have Kurt Rambis coach on the road. “Nah, nah, nah. I don’t think that should be accepted,” Anthony said. “I wouldn’t accept that if that was the case. Phil is cool man. He doesn’t need to be on the sidelines no more. He put so many years into this game. He’s cool. He doesn’t need to be on the sideline. I don’t think he’s thinking about coming back down on the sideline. I hope not. Let him ride on out. Let him sit out and be the president.”
The veteran scorer doesn’t think Jackson could handle the rigors of returning to coaching on a full-time basis, nor does he believe there is any substance to the rumors the executive would consider returning to the sidelines, Isola notes. “He’s 72? He’s 70 years old. He actually looks pretty good for his age,” Anthony said. “But he doesn’t want to deal not just with the game of basketball but the strenuous schedule and having to mentally get focused for games and prepared for players and prepared for teams and sit on the sidelines. I don’t think he wants to deal with that. I think just the grind of the NBA season, I don’t think he wants to deal with that. Phil ain’t coaching no more man. So let’s [kill] that rumor. Phil ain’t coaching no more.”
Anthony also noted that while he is open to Rambis remaining coach, he does want Jackson to expand his search to consider other candidates as well, Isola relays. “I think you still have to go out there and at least listen to other candidates out there,” Anthony said. “I think you consider Kurt at that job,” Anthony said. “[Jackson] brought Kurt here for that reason if anything was to happen and the situation is here for him now. I think it’s just more of seeing how Kurt handles the situation right now, how the team does, how the team responds to Kurt.”
Jackson hasn’t officially committed to keeping Rambis beyond the season, but he has hinted that he’d like to see him earn the removal of his interim tag, which jibes with an earlier report that Jackson was pulling for Rambis to win the permanent job when he named him interim boss. The executive has yet to give any indication he is considering other candidates besides Rambis and many league executives believe he is the Zen Master’s one and only choice for the slot, Isola writes.
‘Melo believes he should have some input regarding the team’s next coach, but he doesn’t want to be viewed as the one responsible for Rambis not being retained, the Daily News scribe relays. It is unclear what effect keeping Rambis on as coach would have on Anthony’s willingness to waive his no-trade clause if the team approached him about a potential deal. Anthony has publicly expressed his desire to remain with the Knicks, though some have speculated that he would readily accept a deal that would allow him to join the Clippers and good friend Chris Paul in Los Angeles.
Wolves Ink Greg Smith To Second 10-Day Pact
SUNDAY, 12:54pm: The signing is official, the team announced. It’ll cover four games, against the Suns, Grizzlies, Rockets and Warriors.
SATURDAY, 10:35am: The Timberwolves intend to sign Greg Smith to a second 10-day contract, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Teams can only sign players to two such deals per season and if Minnesota wishes to retain Smith when this second agreement ends, it will have to sign him for the remainder of the campaign. The power forward’s initial 10-day pact expired on Friday.
It’s not a surprise that the Wolves would elect to retain Smith for another 10 days, as the team is still thin in its frontcourt. Kevin Garnett is dealing with knee issues and Nikola Pekovic isn’t slated to return until at least April as he struggles to recover from his torn Achilles tendon. Minnesota still has an open roster spot after reaching buyout arrangements with Andre Miller and Kevin Martin, so the flexibility remains to add another player in addition to Smith.
Smith has seen appeared in six contests and averaged 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game during his time in Minnesota so far. The 25-year-old is shooting an outstanding 87.5% from the field, connecting on seven of the eight shots he has taken since joining the squad.
Knicks Notes: Wroten, Vujacic, Jackson
Knicks team president Phil Jackson acknowledged that New York needs to improve its backcourt this offseason, but he also noted that the help may come from within the organization rather than spending on the free agent market this summer, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. The executive admitted that Jose Calderon is “entering the latter part of his career” and raised the possibility that Tony Wroten, who isn’t likely to play again this season after reportedly agreeing to a deal with the Knicks, could very well be the team’s staring point guard in 2016/17, Berman relays. “My idea of chasing a point guard where it becomes just an obsession isn’t necessary,’’ Jackson said. “It’s not necessary. We can play the game without that. But we still need good performers.”
With the salary cap set to increase dramatically this summer, there will be plenty of teams with money to spend on free agents, but Jackson believes players will view the Knicks as an attractive destination despite their recent struggles, Berman relays. “Everybody’s going to be flush with money. It’s going to be a seller’s [player’s] market,’’ Jackson said. “We have a definite idea how to help this team. I don’t think they’re secrets or mysteries. We’re just going to do just fine in free agency.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Jackson accompanied the team on its recent road trip in order to evaluate the team’s pending free agents, noting that he wants to retain a number of them without mentioning anyone by name, Berman notes in the same piece. The executive did indicate that shooting guard Sasha Vujacic probably wouldn’t be a part of the team’s future, the scribe adds. Lance Thomas, Langston Galloway and Kevin Seraphin will be free agents after the season, while Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams hold player options on their deals for 2016/17.
- The team president’s insistence on running the triangle offense because of his history with it in Chicago and Los Angeles ignores the fact that Jackson is virtually the only coach to have had success with it in the NBA, Chris Mannix of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports writes. The scribe also opines that the team’s No. 1 priority should be developing rookie Kristaps Porzingis and ponders why Jackson hasn’t looked to the Mavericks and the way they use Dirk Nowitzki on offense as a guide for how the Knicks should design their attack to maximize the talented rookie’s abilities.
2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Miami Heat
The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Miami Heat, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:
- 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
- 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
- Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $84,596,138*
- Remaining Cap Room= –$14,596,138
- Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $46,106**
*Note: This amount includes the $2,080,465 due Beno Udrih, who was waived by the team.
**Note: The Heat’s tax amount was reduced by $4,461 due to Hassan Whiteside‘s one-game suspension.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception= $2,850,907
- Trade Exception= $1,706,250 (Zoran Dragic. Expires July 27th, 2016)
- Trade Exception= $1,294,440 (Shabazz Napier. Expires July 27th, 2016)
- Trade Exception= $2,129,535 (Mario Chalmers. Expires November 10th, 2016)
- Trade Exception= $2,145,060 (Chris Andersen. Expires February 16th, 2017)
- Trade Exception= $2,854,940 (Brian Roberts. Expires February 18th, 2017)
- Trade Exception= $845,059 (Jarnell Stokes. Expires February 18th, 2017)
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $0
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,325,000
Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Atlantic Notes: Hollis-Jefferson, Turner, D-League
One bright spot during the Nets‘ dismal 2015/16 campaign was the early season play of rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who has been sidelined since December after undergoing surgery to repair his fractured right ankle. The initial estimate was that Hollis-Jefferson would miss three months of action and the player appears to be on schedule to make that prognosis a reality, though no firm date has been established for the swingman to return to game action yet, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “Not [a rush] at all. Not at all. Whenever I’m ready and they call my name, that’s how it’ll go,” Hollis-Jefferson told reporters on Friday.
Interim coach Tony Brown was pleased with the rookie’s progress and was impressed with Hollis-Jefferson’s work ethic, Lewis relays. “Whenever that is. I’m not sure when that’s going to be, but he’s putting in the work and he’s obviously trying to get himself in better conditioning so that we can put him out there on the floor,” Brown said. “But he’s doing all the necessary work. Even though he hasn’t played in the games, he’s doing all the work to get himself ready. He’s doing what’s been asked of him. He’s come in and worked on his shot, he’s getting extra work in practice on the days that we do practice, and on the days that we don’t, he’s coming in.”
Here’s the latest regarding the teams of the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens is a fan of Evan Turner and the versatility he brings to the team’s roster, Mike Petraglia of WEEI 93.7 FM relays. “I think Evan Turner’s been really good since he’s been here,” Stevens said. “The thing I’ve said all along is he’s a jack of all trades. He does a lot of good things for our team. The other thing is he just loves the game, and I really appreciate that about him. I appreciate a guy that every single day practice or game is really into it, really into improving, really into watching it, really into talking about it. It’s just important to him. He’s done a great job. I’m really happy for him. We really value what he brings to the table.” It remains to be seen whether the high praise from Stevens indicates that Boston plans to make a push to re-sign Turner, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after earning $3,425,510 in 2015/16.
- The Raptors have recalled center Lucas Nogueira and combo guard Delon Wright from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Bruno Caboclo remains on assignment with the Raptors 905.
Grizzlies Sign Ray McCallum To 10-Day Deal
2:29pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release. It will be a 10-day pact for McCallum, per the official announcement.
SATURDAY, 11:29am: The signing is expected to be announced today, Charania tweets. It’s unclear if it will be a 10-day arrangement or cover the remainder of the season.
THURSDAY, 9:09pm: Free agent point guard Ray McCallum is en route to Memphis to meet with the Grizzlies and the team is likely to sign him, Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports. The Grizzlies currently have 15 players on their roster, provided Briante Weber was indeed signed to a 10-day deal. Weber’s signing took place Wednesday, according to the RealGM transactions log, though Memphis has made no official announcement regarding the move.
It is unclear if Memphis has been granted a hardship exception by the league that would allow them to add a 16th player, which McCallum would be if the Weber signing is indeed official. The move to add McCallum is in response to Mario Chalmers being lost for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. The team waived Chalmers earlier today in an effort to clear roster space. Marc Gasol is also done for the season, while Jordan Adams, Chris Andersen, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph and Brandan Wright are all out for indefinite periods with maladies of some kind.
McCallum has had contract discussions with the Knicks and the Rockets since the Spurs waived him last month, Charania notes. McCallum is eligible to appear in the playoffs for the Grizzlies since he was released on February 29th, one day before the cutoff for postseason eligibility, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports tweets. The 24-year-old has appeared in 31 games this season and is averaging 2.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 8.3 minutes per outing.
Grizzlies Sign Alex Stepheson To 10-Day Deal
2:28pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.
11:48am: The Grizzlies intend to sign power forward Alex Stepheson to a 10-Day contract today, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The team will add the big man via hardship exception, Charania notes. Memphis also plans on inking point guard Ray McCallum today, which would give the Grizzlies a roster count of 17 players. The plan to add the two likely means the NBA has granted, or will grant, two extra roster spots to the team.
There should be no issue with the Grizzlies securing the extra slots given the plague of maladies that has befallen the team’s roster. In addition to Mike Conley being lost for approximately a month due to Achilles woes, the team is already without Marc Gasol for the rest of the year, and backup center Brandan Wright is liable to miss another seven weeks, which would finish him for the season. Fellow big man Chris Andersen is dealing with a serious shoulder issue, Zach Randolph has missed the last three games with a knee injury, and Jordan Adams is out indefinitely with a knee injury of his own. Vince Carter left Friday’s win against the Pelicans with a left calf strain and is questionable for tonight’s game.
Stepheson, 28, just completed his second 10-day contract with the Clippers, who apparently declined to sign him for the remainder of the season. He made four appearances for Los Angeles and averaged 0.5 points and 0.5 rebounds in just 3.0 minutes per contest. He’ll almost assuredly see more burn for the Grizzlies given how thin they are in the frontcourt.
Hoops Rumors Originals 3/6/16-3/12/16
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…
- If you missed the week’s live chat, you can view the transcript here.
- Chuck Myron ran down the traded first round draft pick exchange scenarios for this season.
- Dana Gauruder profiled Michigan State swingman Denzel Valentine.
- Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- Arthur Hill answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag.
- Chuck explained how the Hardship Provision works.
- I ran down the updated 2015/16 salary cap numbers for the Warriors, Rockets and Clippers.
- If you missed any of our daily reader-driven discussions, be sure to check out the Community Shootaround archives.
- Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on social media and RSS feeds.
- Chuck looked at the financial impact of the trade deadline and buyout market moves for teams of the Atlantic Division.
- You can keep track of where your favorite team stands in relation to the 2016 NBA draft lottery with our reverse standings tracker.
- We reviewed our commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
- Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.