Hoops Rumors Originals 11/1/15-11/7/15
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.
- As a part of our continuing series, “The Beat,” Chuck Myron interviewed Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com and Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star.
- We released our latest edition of the 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings.
- I broke down the 2015/16 salary cap figures for the Cavaliers, Mavericks, Pistons, Nuggets, Pacers, Rockets, Warriors and Clippers.
- Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- Chuck looked back at the offseasons for the Spurs, Raptors and Nuggets, while I examined the Knicks and Bulls.
- As part of our “Top Bloggers” series, Zach interviewed Troy Tauscher, who is a writer for Fansided’s Valley Of The Suns.
- 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 feed.
- Chuck ran down the rookie scale extensions handed out this season.
- We answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag.
- We reviewed our commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
2015/16 Salary Cap: Los Angeles Lakers
The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from this past season, and the luxury tax line will be $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM.
With the October 26th cutoff date to set regular season rosters now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of running down the current 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= $69,453,002
- Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $194,942*
- Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $2,317,428
- Total Salary Cap Commitments= $71,965,372
- Remaining Cap Room= -$1,965,372
- Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $12,222,717
*Note: This amount includes the $100,00 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.
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
Last updated: 11/7/15 @ 10:20am
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Week In Review 11/1/15-11/7/15
The Mavericks and head coach Rick Carlisle reached an agreement on a five-year, $35MM contract extension this week. Carlisle will finish out his current deal covering both this season as well as 2016/17, which is a team option, and his extension will run through the 2021/22 campaign. The 56-year-old is the president of the NBA Coaches Association and is widely respected around the league. Carlisle led the Mavs to the NBA title in 2011 and has been with the franchise since May 2008, making him the third longest-tenured head coach in the NBA. He won Coach of the Year honors for the Pistons in 2002, which was his first season as an NBA coach. Carlisle led Detroit to back-to-back 50-win seasons before beginning a four-year tenure with the Pacers. He’s 619-431 over 13 full seasons as an NBA head coach, and he owns a 57-58 postseason record. For Dallas, he’s gone 338-220 in the regular season and 27-26 in the playoffs.
Here’s the rest of the happenings from the week that was…
Free Agent Signings
- The Rockets signed Chuck Hayes.
- The Sixers signed Phil Pressey via the hardship provision.
- The Nuggets signed Kostas Papanikolaou.
International
- Nikoloz Tskitishvili signed with Tochigi Brex in Japan.
- Four-year NBA veteran and Grizzlies camp cut Yakhouba Diawara signed with CSP Limoges of France.
- Mavericks camp cut Jarrid Famous signed with Fujian of China.
- Jason Washburn, who was in training camp with the Hornets this season, signed a deal in Kosovo with Sigal Prishtina.
- Henry Walker signed with Cedevita Zagreb of the Croatian League.
You can stay up to date on all of the signings with Hoops Rumors’ free agent tracker.
Waivers
- The Nuggets waived Erick Green.
Contract Options
- The Rockets exercised their 2016/17 team option on Clint Capela.
- The Hornets exercised their 2016/17 team option on Cody Zeller.
Contract Extensions
- The Hornets signed Jeremy Lamb to a three-year extension worth approximately $21MM.
- The Raptors signed Terrence Ross to a three-year extension worth nearly $33MM.
D-League News
- The annual D-League Draft was held, and you can view the list of draftees here. You can view the list of players with NBA ties who were eligible for the 2015/16 D-League draft here.
- The Sixers traded their D-League rights to guard J.P. Tokoto to Oklahoma City.
- The Cavs named former player Damon Jones an assistant coach for their D-League team.
- The league released the complete list of affiliate players, which can be viewed here.
- The Nets are establishing a D-League team to serve as their one-to-one affiliate for the 2016/17 season.
You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.
Miscellaneous News
- Pelicans center Kendrick Perkins is expected to miss three months of action while rehabilitating a right pectoral injury.
- The Nets officially added Randy Ayers and Bob Bender to their player personnel scouting staff.
- Jabari Parker left the Wasserman Media Group and agent B.J. Armstrong, and reportedly agreed to sign with Dr. Charles Tucker for his representation, while Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol are also reportedly looking for new agents.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/6/15
The Mavericks and head coach Rick Carlisle reached an agreement Thursday on a five-year, $35MM contract extension that will keep him in Dallas through the 2021/22 campaign. Carlisle will first finish out his current deal covering both this season as well as 2016/17, which is a team option. “We are excited to retain Coach Carlisle in the Mavericks family,” owner Mark Cuban said in the team’s official release. “He is a championship-caliber coach that has made this organization better on and off the court.”
The 56-year-old is the president of the NBA Coaches Association and is widely respected around the league. Carlisle led the Mavs to the NBA title in 2011 and has been with the franchise since May 2008, making him the third longest-tenured head coach in the NBA. He won Coach of the Year honors for the Pistons in 2002, which was his first season as an NBA coach. Carlisle led Detroit to back-to-back 50-win seasons before beginning a four-year tenure with the Pacers. He’s 619-431 over 13 full seasons as an NBA head coach, and he owns a 57-58 postseason record. For Dallas, he’s gone 338-220 in the regular season and 27-26 in the playoffs.
That is quite a solid résumé for Carlisle, and it’s one that would likely garner considerable interest around the NBA if he were to suddenly become unemployed or hit the open market. Carlisle is obviously happy being a part of the Mavericks organization, and judging by the average annual value of his new extension, the franchise reciprocates that feeling. But is remaining in Dallas with a team that is clearly in a rebuilding phase and will eventually need to forge ahead without franchise stalwart Dirk Nowitzki, who at 37 years old is nearing the end of his Hall-of-Fame career, a smart move for the coach?
This brings me to the topic for today: Was signing an extension with the Mavericks the right move for Rick Carlisle, or should he have waited to see the state of the roster in 2017/18, the first year his extension kicks in, prior to signing on for five more seasons?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Northwest Notes: Durant, Mudiay, Papanikolaou
Kevin Durant is well known around the league for his humility, which was certainly on display when he called teammate Russell Westbrook the best player on the Thunder, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman relays. The Slim Reaper’s comments came mere months after he had proclaimed himself the “world’s best player,” Slater notes. When asked about Westbrook comment, Durant explained, “That’s how I feel. And he feels the same about me. We hold each other on that pedestal. That’s what makes us great teammates. I believe he’s the best player in the world, and he believes the same about me. Of course I’m gonna say that. There’s gonna be nights where I’m the best player on the team. There’s gonna be nights where he’s the best player on the team, when Dion Waiters is the best player on the team. That’s how I feel about my teammates. A lot of people may read into it but any given night it’s different.”
Here’s more from out of the Northwest:
- Not surprisingly, Nuggets coach Michael Malone doesn’t have the doubts about Emmanuel Mudiay‘s ability that Byron Scott said he had going into the draft, when the Lakers picked D’Angelo Russell instead. Bill Oram of the Orange County Register has the details. “Unlike some others, we feel he is a point guard that can make good decisions and we feel he’s going to showcase that throughout the season,” Malone said.
- Kostas Papanikolaou‘s two-year, minimum salary deal with the Nuggets includes a partial guarantee of $350K for the 2015/16 season, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter).
- Thunder big man Enes Kanter is fitting in well with the team and the community, a distinct difference from his time spent in Utah with the Jazz, Nick Gallo of NBA.com writes. “Enes has really embraced the community since he arrived in Oklahoma City last season,” said Christine Berney, the Thunder’s Vice President of Community Relations. “From planting trees in Myriad Gardens during NBA Green Week last spring to stopping by the OKC Turkish Festival this fall to visiting the kids and families at OU and Children’s Hospital after the tragedy at OSU’s Homecoming parade, Enes has been so generous with his time. He’s a great ambassador for the team, and a pleasure to work with.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Kendrick Perkins Expected To Miss Three Months
Pelicans center Kendrick Perkins is expected to miss three months of action while rehabilitating a right pectoral injury, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. This unwelcome news comes while New Orleans is dealing with an 0-4 start to the young season, as well as adding to the team’s growing list of players dealing with injuries that includes Omer Asik, Tyreke Evans, Quincy Pondexter, and Norris Cole.
The veteran big man wasn’t expected to play a major role for the team this season, but with Asik being limited to just 10 minutes of action this season courtesy of a calf injury, this forced coach Alvin Gentry to utilize Perkins in a larger role than intended. His presence has also been considered important to the Pelicans’ coaching staff, which considered him a needed veteran voice in the locker room, Wojnarowski adds. Perkins had been a starter in three Pelicans games, averaging 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds, before going suffering the injury last Saturday against Golden State.
Perkins appeared in a combined 68 games for the Thunder and the Cavaliers during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 4.0 points and 5.5 rebounds for OKC and 2.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG for Cleveland. His career numbers through 12 NBA seasons are 5.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 1.2 BPG to go along with a slash line of .530/.000/.597. Perkins signed a one-year, minimum salary deal with the Pelicans back in July.
Pacific Notes: Rondo, Ezeli, Price
The Kings‘ top priority in free agency this past offseason was Rajon Rondo, who was viewed as the perfect fit on a young Sacramento squad, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports writes. “I knew he was going to be available,” Vlade Divac, the Kings’ president of basketball and franchise operations, told Spears. “He was my first choice when I went after some free agents. Honestly, we weren’t a perfect destination in free agency and that was something we could take advantage of. He works well for us. We have things to turn around. I was very honest with him. I knew people were talking. But this is a great opportunity not only for him, but for us. Honestly, we were probably the first ones to approach. Everyone was scared. I wasn’t. As a player, I knew what he could do.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Festus Ezeli hasn’t played much during his time with the Warriors, but an injury to Andrew Bogut is giving him a chance at spot starts this season, and he’s making the most of the playing time he’s getting, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group examines. The rim protector is showing off the strides he’s made as he’s poised for restricted free agency, with extension talks breaking down before Monday’s deadline.
- Ronnie Price‘s affection for his time with the Lakers last season is clear, but he instead wound up signing this summer with Phoenix, where coach Jeff Hornacek says he’s been impressed with him since their days together with the Jazz, as Matt Petersen of Suns.com details. “Ronnie’s always been on our list,” Hornacek said. “He’s that veteran guy who understands what his role is. He plays hard in practice. You put him in the game, he’ll be the guy that’s picking guys up full-court. I like that energy.”
- The Clippers could have a D-League team by next season if they want to, but coach/executive Doc Rivers isn’t sure whether that’s the choice they’ll make, tweets Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. The Clips are one of 11 teams without an affiliate this season but, with the Hornets and Nets already with deals to start their own affiliates and the Bulls not far behind, they’re part of a quickly shrinking group of holdouts. The Clippers, Hawks and Wizards are among the teams close to starting D-League teams, according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt (Twitter link).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2015/16 Salary Cap: Los Angeles Clippers
The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from this past season, and the luxury tax line will be $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM.
With the October 26th cutoff date to set regular season rosters now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of running down the current 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= $95,505,710*
- Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $0
- Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $947,276
- Total Salary Cap Commitments= $96,452,986
- Remaining Cap Room= -$26,452,986
- Amount Above Luxury Tax Line= $12,622,657
*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.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- None
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000
Last updated: 11/4/15 @ 6:45pm
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Henry Walker Signs Overseas Deal
Five-year NBA veteran Henry Walker has signed with Cedevita Zagreb of the Croatian League, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). The deal covers the 2015/16 campaign, and the contract does include an NBA out clause, Pick notes.
Walker, 28, appeared in 24 games with the Heat last season, averaging 7.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 26.2 minutes per contest. His career numbers are 6.0 PPG and 2.2 RPG to accompany a slash line of .446/.369/.760. The swingman had joined Miami on a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the 2014/15 season, with a non-guaranteed salary for the 2015/16 campaign included in that pact. Miami released him back in July, and it was reported that the Blazers had interest in Walker, but no NBA deal materialized for the player.
The small forward had agreed to a deal to join the fledgling Amerileague back in October, but that was before the league’s CEO, Cerruti Brown, was outed for using a fictitious name and was revealed to be Glendon Alexander, a former McDonald’s All-American with multiple fraud convictions.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/5/15
Thanks to some comments made by Lakers coach Byron Scott regarding Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, a mini debate has arisen regarding the merits of Mudiay versus Lakers rookie playmaker D’Angelo Russell. Scott said that as the draft approached he didn’t think that Mudiay was a true point guard, and the coach also questioned Mudiay’s decision-making. As for his own rookie guard, Russell, Scott said, “His workouts were extremely good. You saw the leadership qualities that he had. You saw the ability to pass the ball and make other guys better, the ability to get to the basket and the ability to knock down 3s, open jump shots and off-the-dribble shots. He had the total package offensively. Defensively, the one thing I thought he did was he competed.”
Mudiay and Russell will always be linked and compared to each other because they were both first-rounders in the same draft class, such is the nature of sports. It’s an especially interesting debate considering neither player is a pure point guard, and both are learning the position and the league on the fly. Which brings me to today’s topic for discussion: Based on the early season returns, who do you believe is the better point guard — Emmanuel Mudiay or D’Angelo Russell?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. But don’t just settle for providing us with a name, we want to hear why you feel the way you do. We look forward to what you have to say.