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Author: Eddie Scarito

Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

By | at November 4, 2015 7:39 pm

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 Saturday.

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.

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Southeast Notes: Chalmers, Fournier, Washburn

By | at November 4, 2015 6:35 pm

Evan Fournier says that his focus will not be affected just because he and the Magic didn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension prior to Monday’s deadline, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “My main focus was always just playing good basketball and winning games,” Fournier said. “And then, of course, the contract is going to follow. You don’t have to think about the contract first and then basketball. You have to think about basketball first, and then everything’s going to follow. So I’m just focused on winning, man.” Not reaching an agreement could become a positive for Fournier since the expected increase in next season’s salary cap will mean more teams will be flush with cash, which could serve to drive up the market for the swingman, Robbins adds.

Here’s more from out of the Southeast:

  • Hornets GM Rich Cho said that the contract extensions the team has handed out to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeremy Lamb, and Kemba Walker were partially about avoiding the free agent market that could become overheated during the next two summers thanks to the expected rise in the salary cap brought on by the league’s new TV deal, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer relays (on Twitter).
  • The trade rumors surrounding Heat point guard Mario Chalmers loom as a potential distraction for the team this season, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald writes. Skolnick also opines that the team needs to address the issue with Chalmers as soon as possible to help avoid it becoming an issue between the player and the team. Chalmers indicated that he learned of the rumors when he arrived at the arena on Tuesday night, and he has not heard from the front office regarding his status with the franchise, the Herald scribe adds.
  • Jason Washburn, who was in training camp with the Hornets this season, has signed a deal in Kosovo with Sigal Prishtina, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando relays. Washburn spent the 2014/15 season overseas playing for Brussels, where he averaged 8.9 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 27 appearances.
0 comments Charlotte Hornets Miami Heat Orlando Magic

2015/16 Salary Cap: Detroit Pistons

By | at November 4, 2015 4:15 pm

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 Detroit Pistons, 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= $76,594,794*
  • Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $60,000
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $0
  • Total Salary Cap Commitments= $76,654,794
  • Remaining Cap Room= -$6,654,794
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $8,085,206

*Note: This amount includes the $5,400,000 owed to Josh Smith, and the $452,049 owed to Aaron Gray, both of whom were waived using the stretch provision. This amount also includes the $2,170,465 due Danny Granger, and the $1,270,964 owed to Cartier Martin, both of whom were waived.

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: 11/4/15 @ 4:15pm

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/3/15

By | at November 3, 2015 11:00 pm

Monday was the leaguewide cutoff for teams to exercise their 2016/17 rookie scale options on any eligible players. If a team passed on exercising its option on a player, that player will now become an unrestricted free agent next summer, instead of a restricted free agent, as would have been the case if the team had exercised the option and allowed the player’s contract to run its full course. Any team that declines a rookie scale team option will only be permitted to re-sign that player for no more than the option amount next offseason, a rule in place to prevent teams from circumventing the salary cap to funnel higher paydays to star young players after two or three seasons. You can see the full list of players who were eligible this fall, as well as the status of their options here:

This brings me to the question/topic for today: Which rookie scale team option that was exercised prior to this year’s deadline was the biggest surprise, and why?

These rookie scale options are bargains for the teams in most instances, and as a result franchises will usually exercise them, even if the player hasn’t quite lived up to his potential during his time in the league thus far. But there are cases where it may be evident that a player isn’t cut out for the NBA, and the team may be better served to decline the option and move on. Browsing the list of eligible players linked above, were there any who fell into the latter category whose team may have been better served to have cut its losses and declined that player’s option? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

3 comments Community Shootaround Hoops Rumors Originals

Western Notes: Mudiay, Davis, West

By | at November 3, 2015 10:24 pm

Lakers coach Byron Scott thinks Nuggets rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay will be “pretty good,” but he had concerns about his three-point shooting and wasn’t as high on him coming into the draft as he was on D’Angelo Russell, whom the Lakers picked second overall, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Discussing what stood out about Russell leading up to the draft, 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.”

Here’s more from out of the Western Conference:

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

1 comment Dallas Mavericks Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers

2015/16 Salary Cap: Denver Nuggets

By | at November 3, 2015 9:30 pm

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 Denver Nuggets, 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= $67,715,421*
  • Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $450,000**
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $450,321
  • Total Salary Cap Commitments= $68,615,742
  • Remaining Cap Room= $1,384,258
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $15,572,347

*Note: This amount includes the $440,000 owed to Pablo Prigioni, the $815,421 owed to Joey Dorsey, as well as the $845,059 due Nick Johnson, all of whom were waived by the team.

**Note: This amount includes the $100,000 due Erick Green, who was waived by the team.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • None

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $2,960,000

Last updated: 11/7/15 @ 8:00am

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

2 comments Denver Nuggets Hoops Rumors Originals

Southeast Notes: Beal, Nicholson, Lamb

By | at November 3, 2015 8:30 pm

Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal is relieved that the extension deadline has passed, because now the focus can shift back to on-court matters, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic writes. “It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Beal. “It’s business at the end of the day. We couldn’t reach an agreement. It’s not going to stop me from being the player I am. It’s not going to stop me from continuing to work hard. Or it doesn’t mean I’m not going to be part of the organization. I’m just controlling what I can control and let [GM] Ernie [Grunfeld] and my agent deal with it.” It was reportedly a mutual decision between Beal and the team to table contract discussions until next offseason.

Beal expects to remain with the Wizards for the long haul, Michael notes. “Either way it goes they can match any offer. Hopefully I’ll be here. That’s my goal,” Beal said. “I love being in D.C. I’m a cornerstone of this thing. I want to be part of this for a long time. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get a deal done but [there’s] no hard feelings. There’s no beef between Ernie and I or the organization. We’re still good.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast:

  • The Magic had talks with Andrew Nicholson, just as they did with fellow rookie scale extension candidate Evan Fournier, but they never moved toward a deal before Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extensions passed, sources close to both told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
  • Jeremy Lamb‘s three-year contract extension with the Hornets will see him earn $6.5MM during the 2016/17 campaign, $7MM in 2017/18, and $7.5MM for the final year of the agreement, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter).
  • Hornets GM Rich Cho said the team’s decision not to pick up P.J. Hairston’s option for next season was related to the player’s lack of consistency and focus, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “I spoke with P.J. and his agent [Jonathan Stahler]. We just feel like P.J. has got to get more consistent and focused on and off the court,” Cho said. “He knows what he has to do. P.J. has still got a bright future if he continues to work hard.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

0 comments Charlotte Hornets Orlando Magic Washington Wizards

2015/16 D-League Assignments, Recalls

By | at November 3, 2015 7:30 pm

The NBA’s relationship with the D-League continues to grow, and this season a total of 19 NBA teams will have one-to-one affiliations with D-League clubs. The 11 NBA teams without their own D-League squads this season will need to assign players to D-League clubs associated with other NBA franchises. D-League teams can volunteer to take on the assigned players, and if no volunteers emerge, the players will be assigned at random. This significant change from the 2014/15 season came about after the Pacers purchased the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and turned them into their one-to-one partner.

The Raptors avoided the disappearance of their shared affiliate this summer when they created Raptors 905, a D-League expansion team, to serve as their one-to-one affiliate. Other NBA teams have interest in following suit in the years ahead, and the NBA’s ultimate goal for the D-League is for all 30 NBA franchises to have their own D-League squads. You can view the complete list of D-League affiliates here.

Players assigned to and recalled from the D-League differ from those who receive D-League “call-ups.” A “call-up” happens when a player on a D-League contract signs a new contract with an NBA team. Those whom NBA teams assign and recall are already under contract with NBA teams, and they remain on NBA rosters even while they toil on the farm team.

We’ll use this space to track this year’s assignments and recalls, team by team, throughout the season. You can find this page, which we’ll update throughout the season, anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.” Here are the NBA’s D-League assignments and recalls for 2015/16:

Atlanta Hawks (No Affiliate)

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)

Charlotte Hornets (No Affiliate)

Chicago Bulls (No Affiliate)

Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge)

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)

Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors)

Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)

Los Angeles Clippers (No Affiliate)

Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders)

Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy)

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

Milwaukee Bucks (No Affiliate)

Minnesota Timberwolves (No Affiliate)

New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks)

Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue)

Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks)

Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers)

Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam)

Portland Trail Blazers (No Affiliate)

Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns)

San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs)

Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905)

Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede)

*Note: The numbers in parentheses after each player’s name are a running total denoting how many D-League assignments the player has this season.

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Atlantic Notes: Green, D-League, Ross

By | at November 3, 2015 6:15 pm

Spurs shooting guard Danny Green acknowledged that the Knicks had reached out to him over the summer, but said that he couldn’t gauge their sincerity and he instead agreed to re-sign with San Antonio when the free agent signing period began back in July, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I was very much leaning towards [the Spurs] than anywhere else,’’ Green said. “New York reached out, but I don’t think they were as interested as I thought they’d be. My deal was done pretty quick.’’

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Celtics have assigned power forward Jordan Mickey and swingman James Young to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). This marks the first assignment of the 2015/16 season for each player. The Red Claws don’t officially open their season until November 12th, so this is likely a move designed to get the duo more practice time, though that is merely my speculation.
  • Terrence Ross, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Raptors on Monday, will earn $10MM in 2016/17, and $10.5MM per year for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Nets have officially added Randy Ayers and Bob Bender to their player personnel scouting staff, the team announced. Ayers was named to the position of college scout, while Bender was named pro scout, according to the press release.
  • Jared Sullinger, who failed to reach an agreement with the Celtics on an extension prior to Monday’s deadline, said that he’ll be playing the rest of the season with a chip on his shoulder, and added that even some of his own family members have doubted his abilities, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe relays (via Twitter).
0 comments Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets NBA G League New York Knicks San Antonio Spurs Toronto Raptors

2015/16 Salary Cap: Dallas Mavericks

By | at October 31, 2015 5:15 pm

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 Dallas Mavericks, 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= $71,163,485*
  • Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $860,000**
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $520,964
  • Total Salary Cap Commitments= $72,544,449
  • Remaining Cap Room= -$2,544,449
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $12,195,551

*Note: This amount includes the $315,759 owed to Gal Mekel, who was waived via the stretch provision, as well as the $1,499,187 due Samuel Dalembert, who was also waived.

**Note: This amount includes the $50K owed to both Jamil Wilson and Brandon Ashley, as well as the $10K owed to Jarrid Famous, 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: 10/31/15 @ 5:10pm

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

1 comment Dallas Mavericks Hoops Rumors Originals
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