Mike Conley Out 3-4 Weeks With Achilles Woes
Mike Conley is expected to miss three to four weeks of action due to Achilles tendinitis, the Grizzlies announced today. The point guard has missed the team’s last two contests with left foot soreness, and a followup examination Friday revealed the tendinitis, according to the team’s official statement.
Memphis has been slammed with injuries this season and this latest news certainly won’t improve the team’s roster situation. The Grizzlies are 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 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. The team had an update on Andersen, noting that an MRI revealed he suffered a left shoulder subluxation during a contest against the Suns on March 6th. He remains out indefinitely.
Beyond the effect it may have on the remainder of Memphis’ season and the playoffs, Conley’s injury certainly comes at an inopportune time for the 28-year-old who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Achilles injuries are some of the most difficult for players to recover from, especially for guards who rely on making quick cuts and moves to the basket. It’s unclear how this would affect the market for Conley if the injury were to linger into the summer. I’d speculate that it increases the chances Conley would re-sign with Memphis, though there will likely be suitors lining up regardless, given the additional cap space teams will have to work with this offseason.
Conley has appeared in 56 games this season and is averaging 15.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 31.4 minutes of action per contest. The point guard’s career numbers since entering the league in 2007 are 13.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game to accompany a slash line of .440/.373/.806.
2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Los Angeles Lakers
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 Los Angeles Lakers, 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= $72,390,465*
- Remaining Cap Room= –$2,390,465
- Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $11,825,135
*Note: This amount includes the $525,093 owed to Jonathan Holmes, the $50,000 due Michael Frazier, the $35,000 owed to Robert Upshaw, and the $9,942 salary already paid to Jabari Brown, all of whom were waived by the team. Metta World Peace‘s actual salary is $1,499,187.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- Room Exception= $2,814,000
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000
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.
Week In Review 3/6/16-3/12/16
Spurs owner Peter Holt is relinquishing control of the team to wife, Julianna Hawn Holt, the team announced this week. The 67-year-old Spurs boss is retiring as chairman, CEO and representative on the board of governors, turning those capacities over to his wife. The Holts jointly became the franchise’s largest shareholders in 1996, when Peter Holt ascended to the top of the organization. He’ll remain on the board of managers of Spurs Sports & Entertainment and continue as part of the ownership group.
“Our ownership in the Spurs has always been a family affair,” Julianna Hawn Holt said. “For many years I’ve had the desire to take a more active role with Spurs Sports & Entertainment. We felt this was the right time to make this transition. We are very excited about the current Spurs season and the future of the organization.”
The changing of the guard closes a remarkably successful era for the Spurs, who missed the playoffs only once under Peter Holt’s reign. The franchise has won five NBA titles while qualifying for the postseason for an amazing 19 straight seasons. “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved over the last two decades,” Peter Holt said. “The championships are wonderful, bringing new sports franchises to San Antonio is important but the biggest accomplishment for me will always be the impact we’ve had in our community. The pride, support and love that our city has for the Spurs is truly amazing.”
Here’s more from the week that was…
Signings
- The Thunder signed Nazr Mohammed for the remainder of the season.
- The Pistons signed Justin Harper to a second 10-day contract.
- The Pacers signed Ty Lawson.
- The Celtics signed Coty Clarke to a 10-day contract.
- Wizards draft-and-stash prospect Tomas Satoransky signed a four-year extension with Barcelona of Spain.
- The Suns signed Alan Williams to a 10-day contract.
- The Suns signed Chase Budinger.
- Sampson Carter, who was with the Grizzlies during the preseason, signed with the Mexican club Caballeros de Culiacan.
- The Nets signed Sean Kilpatrick to a second 10-day contract.
- The Spurs signed Kevin Martin.
- The Cavaliers signed Jordan McRae to a multiyear deal.
- The Pelicans used their hardship exception to sign Orlando Johnson to a 10-day contract.
- The Wizards signed Marcus Thornton.
- The Hornets signed Jorge Gutierrez for the remainder of the season.
- The Grizzlies signed Briante Weber to a 10-day deal.
You can stay up to date on all the 10-day deals handed out with our 10-day contract tracker.
Waivers
- The Suns waived Sonny Weems, who was subsequently claimed by the Sixers.
- The Spurs waived Rasual Butler.
- The Wizards waived Gary Neal.
- The Grizzlies waived Mario Chalmers.
Miscellaneous News
- The Nets named Cavs front office executive Trajan Langdon their assistant GM.
- Lakers rookie small forward Anthony Brown is expected to miss at least a month due to a stress reaction in his right foot.
- The National Basketball Players Association is reportedly thinking about filing a grievance with the league over the voided Donatas Motiejunas trade. The Pistons elected to cancel the trade on February 22nd after several medical tests failed to convince them that Motiejunas’ back was sufficiently healed from surgery last spring.
- Michael Carter-Williams will miss the rest of the season and undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip.
- Pelicans shooting guard Eric Gordon will miss the remainder of the 2015/16 season as a result of surgery to repair damage to his fractured right ring finger.
- The Kings suspended DeMarcus Cousins for one game without pay in the wake of his outbursts toward coach George Karl and GM Vlade Divac during and reportedly after Wednesday’s game.
- Bucks shooting guard O.J. Mayo broke his right ankle and will miss the remainder of the season.
- Jahlil Okafor will miss the rest of the season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee.
D-League News
- The D-League tossed Lakers affiliate player Robert Upshaw from the league for violating its anti-drug program.
- The D-League forced the affiliate of the Kings to forfeit a game because it played Duje Dukan, who was on assignment from Sacramento, during the All-Star break.
- Jimmer Fredette returned to the Westchester Knicks, New York’s D-League affiliate.
- Jared Cunningham rejoined the Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League as a returning player.
You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/11/16
Injuries will always be a part of professional sports. They are one of the primary risks that athletes take on in return for being compensated rather handsomely for their hard work. Most injuries are unavoidable despite the best efforts of training staffs, medical personal, coaches and the players themselves. It’s virtually impossible to play a sport at the professional level for any length of time without incurring some form of physical malady. No matter how well-conditioned a player is, nor how careful a team is with an athlete, muscles and tendons will pop and tear over the course of the long season.
Professional sports leagues, for the most part, try to look out for the best interests of the players. The overall product suffers, and revenue along with it, when the top names in the game are sitting behind the bench in street clothes instead of dazzling the crowd on the court with their athleticism. But is the NBA doing everything it can to reduce the number of injuries incurred each season? This brings me to the topic for today, with a hat tip to reader JB, whose comments in the wake of the announcement that Mario Chalmers was lost for the season sparked this idea. Thanks JB!
Should the NBA reduce the number of games played during the regular season?
There are currently 19 NBA players officially out for the remainder of the season, with three more potentially done for the campaign. New Orleans, Memphis and Milwaukee have all been hit especially hard this season, which I’m sure isn’t a whole lot of fun for fans of those teams. The 82-game NBA season can be a grind for players, and to be honest, for many fans as well. Some coaches regularly rest players to try and keep them fresh for the playoffs. That is a wise practice, but it can be a bummer for patrons. Imagine waiting all year to go to an NBA game, spending hard-earned money to purchase your ticket in order to see your favorite player in action, only to find out that he’s taking a breather on the bench that game. It’s happened to me, and I can tell you I wasn’t thrilled. Perhaps if the regular season was a tad shorter, coaches would be more hesitant to sit players for rest and recovery purposes. Reducing the number of contests would also limit the number of back-to-back games, which take an enormous toll on the players both physically and mentally.
But what say you out there? Do you think cutting down on the number of regular season matchups would reduce the volume of injuries in the NBA? If so, how many games do you believe is the proper amount? Or are you on the other side of the argument and believe that the same number of players would be injured regardless of the length of the season? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Anderson, Howard, Ellis
Southeast Missouri State freshman Tony Anderson intends to enter the 2016 NBA Draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports. “This was the plan before I got to college,” Anderson told Goodman. “I don’t plan on playing college basketball again. I know it’s a rare situation, but my goal is to play in the NBA.” The league’s new rules allow underclassmen to again “test the waters” and take part in the NBA combine while still maintaining their college eligibility should they decide to withdraw from the draft. But it appears Anderson is set on leaving school, telling Goodman he has already withdrawn from classes and intends to hire an agent. The power forward did note that he hasn’t spoken with any potential representatives yet, the scribe adds. “I’m taking the process slow of getting an agent,” Anderson said. “I’m letting God lead me in that.”
If Anderson does hire an agent he won’t have the option to return to school, which could prove problematic if he goes undrafted in June, an outcome that is a distinct possibility, according to several NBA executives Goodman spoke with about the player. “He needs to go back to school,” one executive told Goodman. “With his numbers — on that team — he doesn’t have a chance.” The 18-year-old only notched 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per contest this season.
Here’s more from around the league:
- If LeBron James can return to Cleveland and be embraced by the fans, the possibility exists that the same could happen for Dwight Howard in Orlando, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel posits. The scribe notes that a reunion, while improbable, has the potential to benefit both sides. Returning to a star-hungry Magic squad would allow Howard to be the primary option once again on offense, while Orlando would land itself an upper-tier player who could help attract other free agents, Schmitz adds. Howard’s firing of agent Dan Fegan could also help make a reunion happen, as Fegan’s relationship with the team was a contentious one, Schmitz also notes. The Rockets center is widely expected to turn down his player option and hit free agency this summer.
- The Mavericks believe they will be better off in the long run having allowed Monta Ellis to depart as a free agent and adding Wesley Matthews in his stead, despite Matthews not yet providing the same production Ellis did during his two-year stint in Dallas, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. Coach Rick Carlisle did note that he was pleased with Ellis’ play for the team and added that salary cap constraints factored heavily into the decision to not pursue the shooting guard last summer, Sefko relays.
- The Suns, Nets, Wizards and Pelicans all saw disabled player exceptions expire Thursday, the leaguewide deadline to use them. Phoenix’s was worth $5.464MM to offset Eric Bledsoe‘s injury, Brooklyn had one worth $3.1MM for Jarrett Jack, Washington’s came in at $2,806,750 for Martell Webster, and New Orleans had one for $1,691,012 because of Quincy Pondexter‘s injury.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Los Angeles Clippers
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 Los Angeles Clippers, 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= $96,128,930*
- Remaining Cap Room= –$26,128,930
- Amount Above Luxury Tax Line= $11,388,930
*Note: This amount includes the $650,000 owed to Carlos Delfino, the $510,922 owed to Jordan Farmar, and the $252,042 owed to Miroslav Raduljica, all of whom were waived via the stretch provision.
**Note: Luc Mbah a Moute‘s actual salary is $1,270,964 and Pablo Prigioni‘s is $981,348.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- None
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $2,943,079
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000
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.
Western Notes: Williams, Martin, Cousins
Assistant coach Monty Williams will not return to the team this season as he continues to grieve in the wake of the tragic passing of his wife, Ingrid, the team announced today. “The most important thing for Monty during this time is for him to be with his family, and the most important thing for us as an organization is to support him as a person, in any way that we can,” GM Sam Presti relayed in the team’s statement. “Even though Monty will not return to the team this season, his presence will be felt by all of us within the program and we will remain close with him and his family.”
Coach Billy Donovan also expressed his support for Williams, saying, “I have really enjoyed my relationship with Monty, and clearly we will miss him, but we value and embrace that it is critical he is there for his family at this time and our focus is on doing whatever we can, in any small way, to help him. He and his family will continue to be in our thoughts.”
Here’s more from out West:
- Kevin Martin joined the Spurs with his eyes firmly fixed on playing in the postseason, which was his primary motivation for choosing San Antonio over other suitors after reaching a buyout arrangement with the Wolves, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News relays. “I think you look at where you’re at in your career, when you’ve kind of been on a lot of teams where you’re a No. 1 option guy, but you really don’t get to play until the end of May or early June,” Martin said. “So I think I just wanted to be with a championship pedigree. That was the ultimate No. 1 thing in my decision.” The veteran shooting guard sacrificed exactly half of his $7,377,500 player option for next season and $352,750 of this season’s salary in order to secure his departure from Minnesota.
- The Kings should give DeMarcus Cousins one more chance to make things work in Sacramento by hiring a new coach for next season, J.A. Adande of ESPN.com opines (video link). The ESPN scribe notes that the situation between the volatile but talented center and coach George Karl is toxic, and Cousins was seemingly in check under former coach Michael Malone, which demonstrates that the big man can be kept in line if he respects the person in charge. Trading Cousins should be the absolute last resort, Adande adds, since it would be virtually impossible to receive equal value in return. The team suspended Cousins this week for one game without pay for his latest verbal run-in with Karl.
Hoops Rumors Resources
Hoops Rumors has a wealth of available resources readily at your disposal. From the most casual basketball fan to the hard-core salary cap aficionado, we have something for everyone to enjoy and delve into. We have you covered if you want to track the latest trades, browse all 30 team rosters, and find easy-to-read articles that explain the nuances of the collective bargaining agreement.
Here are some of the resources we have available at a glance:
- Check out our expanded Roster Counts for each team’s current roster, as well as the contract status for each player.
- You can view a full recap of all the deals that went down at this season’s trade deadline here.
- You can review the summer moves for all 30 NBA teams by checking out our Offseason In Review series.
- Each weekday we host a reader-driven discussion regarding trending NBA topics in our Community Shootaround. You can view the full archive here.
- If you want to know more about the nuances of the salary cap or some of the more complicated NBA roster rules, check out the Hoops Rumors Glossary.
- On Wednesdays at 3pm CT, Chuck Myron answers reader questions in a live chat. You can check out transcripts of our past discussions here.
- Each week we answer readers’ questions in Hoops Rumors’ Weekly Mailbag. You can submit your queries to HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
- Want to see which players have trade kickers included in their deals? Head here.
- Every Sunday we feature some of the best content from basketball blogs in our Hoops Links series.
- Over the summer, Zach Links interviewed a number of potential NBA draftees as a part of our Draft Prospect Q&A Series.
- You can keep track of all the players inked to 10-day deals from the 2006/07 season through today by going to our 10-Day Contract Tracker.
- If you’re looking to catch up, our Week in Review posts compile the top news and rumors from the past seven days, while our Hoops Rumors Originals posts recap the site’s original content for the week. Both roundups are published every Saturday.
- Curious as to how your team utilized the NBA D-League last season? Check out our complete D-League Usage Reports for the 2014/15 campaign. You can stay on top of all the D-League assignments for the 2015/16 season here.
- You can view all of the NBA D-League team affiliations here.
- Stay up to the minute on all of the breaking news and original content that we feature here at Hoops Rumors by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook, as well as Google+.
- You can view the complete 2015/16 schedule for each NBA team here.
- We profiled a number of players eligible for contract extensions as a part of our Extension Candidate Series.
- Our list of outstanding traded player exceptions is updated whenever a trade exception is created, used or expires.
- You can keep up with the players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2015/16 season here, as well as those who are eligible after the 2016/17 season here.
- Want to know the key days on the calendar for NBA player movement between now and the end of the 2015/16 regular season? You can find them here.
- Want to keep up to date on all the rumors, signings, trades, and roster moves for all of your favorite baseball, football, and basketball teams? Download the free Trade Rumors app for iOS and Android devices. The Trade Rumors app is highly customizable. You can add feeds for any of the 92 MLB, NBA, and NFL teams, as well as for any of the thousands of players in our archives, by using the settings icon up top for iOS and the pencil icon up top for Android. You can create a multi-sport experience tailored to your specific interests, or you can limit your app entirely to one sport by removing the others.
Eastern Notes: Mayo, Millsap, Jackson
The Bucks have suffered a rash of injuries this season and the team is currently down to just 10 healthy bodies, though center John Henson is getting closer to making his return from back woes. Despite his team being depleted, coach Jason Kidd indicated that Milwaukee has no immediate plans to add a player via hardship allowance, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal-Sentinel relays. “We’re going to play with the group we have,” Kidd said. “We have plenty of guys still; we’re not down to eight.” The Bucks are without O.J. Mayo, Michael Carter-Williams and Steve Novak, who are lost for the season, and Greivis Vasquez is out until at least March 25th with an ankle injury.
Kidd also noted that Mayo went to the doctor on Wednesday, the day prior to the announcement that he broke his right ankle walking down a flight of stairs at his home, because he we sick, Gardner relays. While the timing may raise eyebrows, Kidd indicated that the organization was taking the veteran shooting guard at his word, Gardner adds. “Anytime someone is sick, unless you’re going to play, we keep you home,” Kidd said. “Then the next day we get the call that he tripped and hurt himself, that he was going to the hospital. There are going to be stories. Everyone is going to have their opinion. But we can only go on what O.J. told us, and that’s what he told us.”
Here’s more from the East….
- Knicks team president Phil Jackson downplayed the notion that he would leave the team prior to the expiration of his five-year deal, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “I’m still in it,” Jackson said. “I’m in it to win it.” Jackson didn’t deny his fondness for the West Coast, but noted his job in New York isn’t complete yet, Medina adds. “The energy that I have is directed toward turning this team around,” Jackson continued. “That’s taken my full effort.”
- Returning to Utah this week brought back memories for Paul Millsap, who spent his first seven seasons in the league with the Jazz, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News relays. Millsap said he had fond regards for his time in Utah, while Atlanta coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said he’s thrilled the talented big man is a member of the Hawks organization, telling Genessy, “He means so much. He fits us well. He’s a great teammate. He plays both ends of the court at a high level. He’s very unique in how talented he is with some of the things he does. I’m just very thankful that he’s with us.”
Grizzlies Sign Briante Weber To 10-Day Deal
FRIDAY, 9:18am: The Grizzlies announced the signing this morning. Still, given the conflicting information about whether his signing took place Wednesday or today, it’s unclear whether it expires at the end of March 18th or March 20th. Thus, his status for the March 19th game against the Clippers is a mystery.
THURSDAY, 10:07am: The signing took place Wednesday, according to the RealGM transactions log, though the Grizzlies made no announcement of the move. His name didn’t appear in the NBA.com box score from Wednesday’s Memphis-Boston game. He’d be eligible for games against the Pelicans, Hawks, Rockets, Timberwolves and Bucks if the signing happened Wednesday, but not a game on March 19th against the Clippers, the team directly in front of the Grizzlies in the Western Conference standings.
WEDNESDAY, 10:05am: The league hasn’t granted the team a hardship exception, and it’s not a certainty that the Grizzlies will get it, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, who confirms the team plans to sign Weber if the league OKs the 16th roster spot. The exception, if granted, won’t come until at least another day or so, Tillery adds. Barnes and Randolph missed the team’s last game primarily because of rest, but the other injured players will be out for a while, Tillery writes. Just how long they’re likely to be out will probably determine whether the Grizzlies get the extra roster spot to sign Weber.
TUESDAY, 10:21pm: The Grizzlies intend to ink combo guard Briante Weber to a 10-day deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter). The signing is expected to take place on Friday, Charania notes. The Vertical scribe also relays that Memphis will utilize the hardship provision to add Weber, which ostensibly means that the league has granted, or will grant, the team the means to add a 16th player.
Memphis is 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 shoulder issue, Mike Conley has a bum foot, Zach Randolph and Matt Barnes are both day-to-day with assorted woes, while Jordan Adams is out indefinitely with a knee injury. The team has two days from the time the league formally grants the provision to use it. The roster spot lasts 10 days, though the team can apply to renew it.
Weber, who is an affiliate player of the Heat, joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce after the Heat cut him in the preseason. The 23-year-old has made 22 D-League appearances this season and is averaging 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 28.5 minutes per contest. His slash line on the campaign is .453/.444/.750.