Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Sunday.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
Wizards, J.J. Hickson In Advanced Talks
WEDNESDAY, 11:10am: The expectation is that a signing will take place on Thursday, Castillo writes, noting that Hickson has to pass a physical before joining the Wizards.
4:36pm: The contract would be a prorated minimum salary arrangement that covers the remainder of this season, Charania writes in a full-length story.
4:30pm: Hickson and the Wizards are indeed engaged in contract talks, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post tweets, though the scribe notes that no agreement is expected to be formalized today.
TUESDAY, 4:18pm: The Wizards are in advanced contract discussions with free agent power forward J.J. Hickson, Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). The exact terms of the proposed deal are unknown but Charania notes that it would be for the remainder of the 2015/16 season. Washington currently has 14 players on its roster, so no additional move would be required to sign Hickson.
Hickson was waived by the Nuggets on Friday after Denver was reportedly shopping him leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline but found no takers. The power forward was scheduled to make $5,613,500 this season, an amount that the Nuggets will be on the hook for less any salary Hickson may have given up in a buyout arrangement.
The 27-year-old appeared in 20 games for Denver this season averaging 6.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 15.3 minutes per contest. Hickson’s career numbers through eight NBA seasons are 9.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists to accompany a shooting line of .505/.000/.622.
Beno Udrih Likely To Miss Remainder Of Season
WEDNESDAY, 10:26am: Udrih will undergo surgery for what the Heat are calling a torn plantar plate in his right foot, the team announced via press release. He’ll miss three months, according to the club. That timetable would put him back in action by late May, so ostensibly a slim chance exists that he’ll play again this season, if the Heat make the Eastern Conference Finals.
TUESDAY, 9:44am: Heat backup point guard Beno Udrih will undergo surgery to repair damage to his right foot, Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports. As a result of the procedure Udrih will miss the remainder of the 2015/16 campaign, Charania adds. No official announcement has been made by the team as of yet regarding Udrih’s injury.
Miami isn’t able to apply for any sort of roster relief to compensate for the injury, with the January 15th deadline to apply for a disabled player exception well in the rearview. Further complicating matters for Miami is the fact that they are unable to sign anyone to more than a 10-day contract until March 6th or else they would creep over the luxury tax line once again. The Heat are currently just $218,000 below the tax line, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports notes (on Twitter).
Combo guard Tyler Johnson is already out indefinitely after undergoing left shoulder surgery earlier this month, which makes the loss of Udrih sting even more. Udrih became the team’s primary backup to Goran Dragic after Johnson went down, appearing in 36 games for the team since being acquired from Memphis back in November. The 33-year-old averaged 4.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 16.3 minutes per outing to go along with a slash line of .434/.333/.882 since arriving in South Florida.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/23/16
The trade deadline deal that sent Markieff Morris to the Wizards brought to a close to the unhappy relationship between the power forward and the Suns organization. The bad blood between the two sides had begun last summer with the trade that sent Marcus Morris, Markieff’s twin brother, to the Pistons. The siblings had inked rookie scale extensions mere months earlier with designs on playing alongside one another, a dream that was scuttled with Marcus heading east.
But it wasn’t merely the notion of playing for different teams that upset the brothers, Marcus told Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher recently. “Everybody thinking that we’re upset because we don’t get to play with each other,” Marcus said. “Kieff can’t deal with adversity? We’re from north Philadelphia. This isn’t adversity. This is betrayal.” The alleged betrayal that Morris refers to is that of Suns team owner Robert Sarver, who had maintained a close relationship with the twins, not providing them with any advance warning that one was about to be traded, according to Bucher’s article.
Today’s topic for discussion is not about the Morris twins directly, but rather about their argument that they should have been informed prior to the deal being consummated. Do franchises owe it to players to inform them they are about to be dealt?
The majority of us can’t fathom earning what NBA players do, so it is sometimes easy to discount the human element involved in any form of player movement. Don’t forget that many of these players have families whose lives are impacted by trades and that isn’t a trivial concern. Keeping this in mind I can certainly empathize with the Morris twins, though I don’t necessarily agree with how they have conducted themselves since Marcus became a Piston. The flip side to this argument is that any deal between two or more teams is a fragile thing that is never officially done until the trade call with the league office is complete. What if a player who was told he was about to be traded took to social media to express his feelings about the pending deal? This is something that could kill the negotiations or make them significantly more difficult to complete.
What do you have to say on the matter? Are you of the opinion that because of their exorbitant salaries, NBA players aren’t owed any warning or input when they are being discussed in a potential trade? Or do you sit on the other side of the fence and believe that teams owe it to players to keep them 100% in the loop regardless of any potential secrecy risks? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Bargnani, Draft, Leonard
Andrea Bargnani has received a contract offer from the Greek club Olympiacos, Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net reports. The power forward is not eager to head overseas to finish out the season, Varlas notes, but the team will require a definitive answer from Bargnani prior to Wednesday’s Euroleague transfer deadline. Bargnani was recently waived by the Nets in an apparent buyout arrangement. Also on Olympiacos’ radar is former Warriors big man Jason Thompson, who was waived via the stretch provision by Golden State in order to clear a roster spot for the newly signed Anderson Varejao.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Trail Blazers big man Meyers Leonard has had a tough season thus far dealing with injuries as well as a significantly reduced role for the team and he is trying to remain positive throughout it all, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian writes. “As a competitor, it’s a bit frustrating,” Leonard said. “I want to be out there. I want to help the team win. I’ve said it before and I truly believe this: I’m a starter, talent-wise. But sometimes you have to be willing to sacrifice for the team, which I am. That’s just the kind of guy I am. So I have to keep working hard. I have to keep being a good teammate.“
- Heat executive Andy Elisburg noted that the front office was under no specific directive from ownership to get itself out of the luxury tax this trade deadline and stressed that the deals the team did make in no way compromised its playoff chances this season, Couper Moorhead of NBA.com relays. “There was never a mandate to get out of the tax,” Elisburg said. “We always look at the basketball and business benefits of every trade we make or choose not to make. Sometimes you make a trade to open up a roster spot. Sometimes you don’t make a trade because you like the players you have more than the players you may be acquiring. Once we determined that we did not have another trade to make, we chose to move forward with the opportunity to get under the tax.“
- The Wasserman Media Group has officially renamed itself the Wasserman agency, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today relays (via Twitter).
- A number of highly-touted freshman continue to fall in the latest 2016 mock draft from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes. Kentucky center Skal Labissiere, UNLV big man Stephen Zimmerman and Kansas small forward Cheick Diallo are some of the players who have fallen out of the projected draft lottery picks since the college season began, Zagoria writes.
Western Notes: Gasol, Olshey, Motiejunas
The Blazers approached this season’s trade deadline determined not to part with one of their top rotation players unless the team was able to land a major upgrade in return, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com relays. “We went into the trade deadline trying to be opportunistic,’’ Portland executive Neil Olshey said. “I’m happy for this group. What they have been able to do on the floor put us in position where we weren’t looking to break up the roster and look to change the core group of guys. It’s a testament to the work they have done and the success they have had. We shaded ourselves toward more future assets as opposed to bringing in guys right now who might – quite honestly – disrupt the chemistry we have going. It took a lot of work to put this group together knowing how all the pieces fit and how they would fit into [coach] Terry’s [Stotts] system and how they would fit into our culture and how they would basically fall in line behind Damian Lillard‘s leadership. We are not going to tinker with that.’’
Here’s more from out West:
- The Rockets don’t mind being back over the luxury tax threshold as a result of the Donatas Motiejunas trade with Detroit being voided, but the loss of the top-eight protected 2016 first-round pick they would have received from Detroit stings, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter). The power forward not passing Detroit’s physical scuttled a three-way deal made prior to last Thursday’s trade deadline.
- According to a physical therapist who is well-versed in the recovery process ahead of Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, the chance that the big man returns to the form he displayed before his injury is less than 10%, Peter Edmiston of The Commercial Appeal relays (on Twitter). Gasol will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery Saturday on his broken right foot.
- The Rockets have assigned Sam Dekker to their D-League affiliate as he continues to make his way back from surgery, the team announced. This will be the rookie’s third trek of the season to Rio Grande Valley.
2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Brooklyn Nets
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 now past and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts rapidly approaching, 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 Brooklyn Nets, 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= $82,384,834*
- Remaining Cap Room= -$12,384,834
- Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $2,287,021**
*Note: This amount includes the $5,474,487 owed to Deron Williams, who was waived via the stretch provision. This amount also includes the $75K owed to Ryan Boatright and the $50K owed to Quincy Miller, who were waived, as well as the $17,638 paid to Dahntay Jones, and the $9,942 paid to Justin Harper, both of whom were waived after earning two days salary. This amount also does not reflect any salary Andrea Bargnani may have given up as part of a buyout arrangement.
**Note: Donald Sloan‘s actual salary for tax purposes is $1,015,421.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- Mid-Level Exception= $2,464,000
- Trade Exception= $1,357,080 (Mason Plumlee. Expires June 27th, 2016)
- Trade Exception= $2,170,465 (Steve Blake. Expires July 13th, 2016)
- Disabled Player Exception= $3,150,000 (Jarrett Jack. Expires March 10th, 2016)
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.
Eastern Notes: Anthony, Beasley, Varejao
Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony, who has been through four coaches and three general managers since being acquired from Denver five years ago, admits that he is growing frustrated with the franchise’s continued struggles, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. “It’s been tough. It’s challenging,” Anthony said. “It’s challenging to kind of stay strong and positive through all this. You can’t control that. When you look at it, how many different coaches? Four different coaches. [A lot of] different players. I mean, that’s a lot to go through.” Several teams reportedly believe that if New York doesn’t make much progress in their rebuilding by the middle of July, Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a better chance at competing for an NBA title with another franchise.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis isn’t upset with Anthony publicly voicing his displeasure, believing that the veteran has the proper attitude regarding the team’s losing ways, Barbara Barker of Newsday writes. “I want the players to be angry. I want the players to be frustrated,” Rambis said. “That’s the right attitude to have. If guys aren’t playing, they should be frustrated that they are not playing. We’re not winning right now, so they have to be believing in their hearts and minds that [they] could be doing a better job out there on the court. Those are the kind of players you want on your team. You don’t want guys that just roll over and accept this losing.”
- Anderson Varejao signing with the Warriors sets up a potential NBA Finals matchup against the Cavaliers, something his former teammates don’t hold against him, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “It’s a business,” Tristan Thompson said regarding Varejao. “He wants to keep playing ball, so whatever is the best fit for him and whatever he’s looking for, you have to be happy for him. Andy was more than just a teammate; he was a friend, a big brother, and so wherever he can go to keep playing, I’m happy for him, even with him being with the Warriors.“
- The Heat are not among the teams reportedly thinking about signing former NBA player Michael Beasley, whose season in the Chinese Basketball Association recently ended, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays (Twitter link). Beasley has spent four of his seven NBA seasons as a member of the Heat, including 24 appearances for the franchise last season.
Suns Waive DeJuan Blair
MONDAY, 6:11pm: The team officially announced today that Blair has been waived (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 5:15pm: The Suns will waive newly acquired power forward DeJuan Blair, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports. The news that Phoenix would waive Blair or Kris Humphries was first relayed by Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Blair was shipped to the Suns along with Humphries in exchange for Markieff Morris earlier today.
Blair is earning $2MM this season, the remainder of which Phoenix will be on the hook for. The power forward is under contract for 2016/17, but that salary is non-guaranteed, so the Suns won’t have any impact on their salary cap for next season as a result of this move.
The 26-year-old appeared in 29 contests for the Wizards this season and averaged 2.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 7.5 minutes of action per outing. His shooting numbers are .412/.000/.385.
Suns Sign Phil Pressey To 10-Day Pact
1:20pm: The deal is official, the Suns announced (Twitter link). It’ll cover four games, against the Spurs, Clippers, Nets and Grizzlies. The first game, against San Antonio, isn’t until Sunday, and the Suns have a game on March 1st, the day after the contract expires, against the Hornets, so it’s somewhat surprising that Phoenix didn’t wait one more day to sign him.
9:47am: The Suns intend to ink free agent Phil Pressey to a 10-day deal, Marc J. Spears of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter). Phoenix has an available roster spot after Jordan McRae‘s second 10-day deal with the team ended on Friday. Teams can only ink players to a maximum of two 10-day contracts per season, so the Suns would have had to sign McRae for the remainder of the season if they wished to retain his services.
Pressey was with the Sixers early this season as their 16 man via the hardship provision. He appeared in 14 games and averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 assists in 12.1 minutes. The point guard became expendable in December when Philadelphia recalled Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall from the D-League after the duo had recovered from injuries, leading to Pressey’s release.
After the Sixers cut him loose, Pressey rejoined the Idaho Stampede, Utah’s D-League affiliate. The 25-year-old appeared in 25 contests for Idaho, averaging 13.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 33.9 minutes per outing. His slash line in the D-League this season is .440/.333/.724.