Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
We at Hoops Rumors love interacting with our readers. This is why we provide an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted each 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.
Western Conference Salary Rankings: Power Forwards
Hoops Rumors is in the process of ranking the salaries, separated by conference, for each NBA player by position. We’ve already looked at the point guards, shooting guards and centers of the Western Conference and will now turn our attention toward the conference’s power forwards.
All told, the teams out west have committed a total of $264,583,807 in cap hits this season to the men who man the four spot. The average conference salary for power forward this season is currently $5,512,163, with Dirk Nowitzki topping the list with a more than respectable $25,000,000 to account for on his year-end W-2 form.
It should be noted that teams won’t necessarily pay out every dollar listed here. There are quite a few players who have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. Some of those players won’t make it out of the preseason, while others will be sweating it out until January 10th. That’s when teams must waive players with no specific guarantee date written into their contracts to avoid having to guarantee their salaries for the rest of the season. In addition, incentive clauses that a player either triggers or fails to meet can leave a player with more or less money than his cap hit reflects. Still, the purpose of this list is to show the relative pay scale by position, which is why all contracts are included in this post.
I should also add that not every player listed below will play power forward this season, as some will likely see some time at center. To maintain uniformity, I used their positions listed on the teams’ official rosters to determine which list to include them on. So if you see a player who isn’t expected to play power forward for his team this season listed below, that’s why.
The Western Conference’s power forwards are listed below, in descending order of salary:
- Dirk Nowitzki [Mavs] — $25,000,000
- Anthony Davis [Pelicans] —$22,116,750
- LaMarcus Aldridge [Spurs] —$20,575,005
- Blake Griffin [Clippers] —$20,140,839
- Ryan Anderson [Rockets] —$18,735,364
- Draymond Green [Warriors] — $15,330,435
- Kenneth Faried [Nuggets] — $12,078,652
- Derrick Favors [Jazz] —$11,050,000
- Zach Randolph [Grizzlies] — $10,361,445
- Meyers Leonard [Blazers] —$9,213,484
- Ersan Ilyasova [Thunder] —$8,400,000
- Dwight Powell [Mavs] — $8,375,000
- Darrell Arthur [Nuggets] — $8,070,175
- Anthony Tolliver [Kings] —$8,000,000
- Ed Davis [Blazers] —$6,666,667
- Brandan Wright [Grizzlies] — $5,709,880
- Dragan Bender [Suns] —$4,276,320
- Nemanja Bjelica [Wolves] —$3,800,000
- Nick Collison [Thunder] —$3,750,000
- Julius Randle [Lakers] —$3,267,120
- Dante Cunningham [Pelicans] —$2,978,250
- Noah Vonleh [Blazers] —$2,751,360
- Domantas Sabonis [Thunder] —$2,440,200
- Trey Lyles [Jazz] —$2,340,600
- Luc Mbah a Moute [Clippers] —$2,203,000
- Adreian Payne [Wolves] —$2,022,240
- Juan Hernangomez [Nuggets] — $1,987,440
- Skal Labissiere [Kings] —$1,888,840
- Brandon Bass [Clippers] —$1,551,659
- David Lee [Spurs] —$1,551,659
- David West — [Warriors] $1,551,659
- Mitch McGary [Thunder] —$1,526,040
- Deyonta Davis [Grizzlies] — $1,369,229
- Jarell Martin [Grizzlies] — $1,286,160
- Brice Johnson [Clippers] —$1,273,920
- Larry Nance Jr. [Lakers] —$1,207,680
- Terrence Jones [Pelicans] —$1,050,961
- Thomas Robinson [Lakers] — $1,050,961
- Montrezl Harrell [Rockets] —$1,045,000
- JaMychal Green [Grizzlies] — $980,431
- Grant Jerrett [Blazers] —$980,431
- Jarnell Stokes [Nuggets] — $980,431
- Alan Williams [Suns] —$874,636
- Joel Bolomboy [Jazz] —$600,000
- Zach Auguste [Lakers] — $543,471
- Cheick Diallo [Pelicans]—$543,471
- Chinanu Onuaku [Rockets] —$543,471
- Kyle Wiltjer [Rockets] —$543,471
Hawks Waive Richard Solomon
1:05pm: The Hawks have officially announced the move via press release.
12:53pm: The Hawks have made their first training camp cut of the preseason, waiving Richard Solomon, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (on Twitter). The subtraction of Solomon leaves Atlanta with a roster count of 19, one below the league maximum. No official announcement has been made by the team regarding the move.
The power forward’s contract worth $543,471 was non-guaranteed, so Atlanta won’t be on the hook for any salary as a result of this move. The Hawks are likely to sign a guard to replace Solomon on their roster, Vivlamore notes.
Solomon appeared in 59 games in the Japanese League last season and averaged 11.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists. His shooting line was .536/.179/.660. In his senior season with the Bears, he averaged 11.0 points and 10.2 rebounds in 29.2 minutes. In July, he played in Orlando for the Suns’ summer league squad and then in Las Vegas with the Thunder.
Western Notes: Powell, Hairston, Payne
Mavs big man Dwight Powell, who inked a four-year, $37MM deal to remain in Dallas this offseason, will be counted on to play center more this season as well as to expand his shooting range to help stretch defenses, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. “The 3-point shot is a natural progression,” coach Rick Carlisle said regarding his expectations for Powell. “We’ve worked extremely hard with him on it. And exhibition season is a great opportunity to [work on it]. He’s a two-position player who gives us flexibility because he can switch and move his feet and stay in front of little guys, too. He’s a player at four and five that is starting to really define our game, the ability to play big and small, to some degree.” The 25-year-old is a career 18.5% shooter from beyond the arc, connecting on just 5 of his 27 attempts.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- The Rockets‘ deal with P.J. Hairston is non-guaranteed and will pay him $980,431 for 2016/17, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter).
- Thunder coach Billy Donovan is taking a positive approach to Cameron Payne‘s broken foot that will keep him out of action indefinitely, believing that the missed time won’t necessarily impede the second year player’s development, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. “I think any player, when they get back, it’s just getting into that rhythm of being able to play and that comfort and getting back in shape,” Donovan said. “So, I think once he gets back to that point — then I think that there may be this opportunity for him — sitting out could be the best thing for his growth. Sometimes, you get a chance to grow when you’re not playing.”
- With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin able to opt out of their deals and become unrestricted free agents next summer, the Clippers will have some decisions to make regarding their futures in Los Angeles. Based on owner Steve Ballmer’s track record and the word of team sources, the franchise will pay whatever it takes to retain both players, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com writes. The scribe adds that both players have deep business and personal ties to the area, which increases the likelihood they will re-sign with the Clippers. Shelburne also notes that the only way the team would net a decent return if it decided to trade one of the duo this season, would be if Paul/Griffin would agree to waive their player option for 2017/18. With the cap set to jump to over $100MM next summer, there is no logical reason for either player to agree to that stipulation, Shelburne opines.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 9/25/16-10/1/16
Here’s a look back at the original content and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week.
- We reviewed the Knicks’ offseason moves.
- Will Joseph highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- We ran down the non-guaranteed player salaries for each team.
- Arthur Hill answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag. Here’s how you can submit your own questions for our mailbag feature.
- We ran down the salary rankings of the centers and shooting guards of the Western Conference.
- In our Community Shootarounds this week we discussed:
- The Cavaliers lack of depth at point guard.
- The future of Sixers shooting guard Nik Stauskas.
- Our Free Agent Tracker continues to have up-to-date data on this summer’s contract agreements and signings from around the NBA.
- You can stay up to date on any contract extensions agreed to this season with our tracker.
- If you haven’t already, be sure to download the Trade Rumors app for your iOS or Android device.
Week In Review: 9/25/16-10/1/16
With training camps now in full swing, here’s a look back at all the notable news and events from around the NBA this past week:
Waivers
- The Spurs waived Ryan Richards.
Signings/Agreements
NBA
- The Pelicans signed Quinn Cook.
- The Suns signed Gracin Bakumanya, Derek Cooke, Shaquille Harrison and Derrick Jones.
- The Spurs signed Joel Anthony.
- The Nets signed Jorge Gutierrez.
- The Nets signed Chase Budinger.
- The Cavs signed Jonathan Holmes.
- The Grizzlies signed Chris Crawford.
- The Rockets signed P.J. Hairston.
News/Rumors
- San Antonio waived its rights to Marcus Denmon. The Spurs made the former Missouri combo guard the 59th pick in the 2012 draft. He has spent his professional career overseas and played last season in the Turkish Basketball League.
- Wolves center Nikola Pekovic won’t play for the team this year, and may be bought out.
- Minnesota named Andy Greer and Rick Brunson as assistant coaches, Peter Patton as shooting coach and Daisuke Yoshimoto as special assistant to the president of basketball operations. In addition, Vince Legarza was promoted to player development coach.
- Clippers forward Paul Pierce will retire at season’s end.
- Heat president Pat Riley said that Chris Bosh‘s career with the Heat is likely over.
- Knicks point guard Derrick Rose remains under investigation by the LAPD.
- Mo Williams decided to call it a career and retire.
- Nate Reinking was named coach of the Cavaliers’ D-League affiliate in Canton.
- Kent Lacob was named as the new GM of the Warriors‘ D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
- Thunder point guard Cameron Payne suffered an acute fracture to his fifth metatarsal.
- Sixers forward Ben Simmons fractured a bone in his right foot.
Donatas Motiejunas, Rockets Not Close To Deal
The Rockets and restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas have previously exchanged contract proposals, but the two sides remain far apart and are not close to reaching an accord, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com reports. The forward is seeker a larger payout than Houston is offering and Motiejunas and the team haven’t engaged in serious discussions in over a month, league sources inform Watkins. This info jibes with what Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported on Friday.
Motiejunas has until midnight on Sunday to accept the team’s qualifying offer worth $4,433,683. By submitting a qualifying offer, Houston has the right of first refusal on any offer sheet Motiejunas were to ink, which prevents him from signing outright with another club. The Lithuanian big man, who turned 26 in September, could sign that one-year qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but he obviously prefers longer-term security and a bigger payday. It could also lead to a tense situation between himself and the front office if he were to have to accept the QO against his wishes, which isn’t an ideal situation for either party heading into the new season.
The forward’s agent, B.J. Armstrong, told Watkins that he gave the Rockets a deadline of today to work out a deal for his client. If no deal is agreed upon prior to the deadline and Motiejunas chooses not to sign the qualifying offer, or if he allows it to expire, he can eventually sign a one-year deal with the Rockets that could end up being for less money. If that is the route the forward takes, the Rockets would not be able to trade him unless he grants them permission. For what it’s worth, the Rockets have kept an open roster spot for Motiejunas, with the team currently having 19 players under contract, which is one under the preseason limit.
Motiejunas could also seek to sign a contract with another team, but there are only three franchises — the Sixers, Nuggets and Nets — who have the cap space needed to sign him, according to Watkins. If no NBA opportunity presented itself, Motiejunas could seek a deal overseas or choose to sit out the 2016/17 season. Neither of which is as palatable as remaining in the league and earning an NBA paycheck. It is doubtful that Motiejunas could snag a one-year deal overseas that would exceed the amount of his qualifying offer in Houston.
Atlantic Notes: Carroll, Rose, Kuzminskas
DeMarre Carroll‘s first season with the Raptors after signing with the team as a free agent was marred by injury, with him seeing action in only 26 games as a result. While he’s still not 100% recovered, Carroll hopes his second campaign in Toronto is more productive, The Associated Press relays. “I look at it as basically my first season [with Toronto],” the 30-year-old Carroll said. “A new season, a new beginning. I’ve just got to come in and get back to playing DeMarre Carroll basketball when I’m healthy.” Speaking about the steps he took to prepare his injured knee for a return to the court, Carroll said, “We took a hard approach about it and we did it the right way. Last season it was more of a rush, trying to get me back. We didn’t go through the whole thing we needed to go through to get the knee to where it needs to be. I feel that we’re on the right track.”
Here’s more out of the Atlantic:
- Not only is Derrick Rose getting used to a new city and new teammates, he’s also attempting to acclimate to the Knicks‘ triangle offense, which isn’t an easy task, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. “It’s complicated a little bit right now because it’s new to us. It’s foreign. But I think the more we work on it and the way the coaches are putting it into the offense, it’s [going to get] little bit easier,” Rose said after Thursday’s practice. “[There’s] like 40 to 50 options on one side of the floor. It’s like giving you your space for creativity. It’s like if you’re doing it the right way, you could do everything you want, you could freelance but you just got to know where you’re going.”
- The Knicks are pleased with the outside shooting of rookie Mindaugas Kuzminskas, who may end up being Carmelo Anthony‘s primary backup at small forward, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “He’s a guy that with his size, got agility, you can look at him at the 2 or 3,’’ coach Jeff Hornacek said. “There could be times we use his length at the 2 spot. He’s a guy who cuts — cutters open everything up. The stat’s not in the paper. You don’t get glory from it but it’s a huge part.’’
- Dario Saric‘s athleticism and versatility is earning him praise from the Sixers coaching staff and is setting the rookie forward apart from the other members of the team’s crowded frontcourt, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
Pacific Notes: Chandler, Clarkson, Garnett
Veteran center Tyson Chandler isn’t upset that the Suns selected two big men (Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss) in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “I thought it was good for the future to be quite honest,” Chandler said. “I thought that was where we lacked last year – at power forward. We’ve already got young guards with all the shooting in the world so we needed to build on that side of the ball. That’s what I came here for. That’s my job, to help hand the leadership off. It’s even that much more important for me to teach them how things are supposed to be done. I want to be part of this franchise getting back to the glory days. I feel like I’m definitely going to tap into it. I feel like we’ll be better than people expect. Just the competition. If we play like we’ve been playing out here, that’s good enough for me.”
Here’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers want to push Jordan Clarkson, who inked a four-year, $50MM deal this summer, to become a better defender, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register writes. The guard has embraced the challenge that new coach Luke Walton has given him for the season, Medina adds. “I was just terrible on that end, taking wrong angles, wasn’t there on tags and wasn’t there on late closeouts,” Clarkson said of his 2015/16 performance. “It got to the point where it was bad. We were a bad defensive team as a whole last year. But I take it upon myself really to improve on that.”
- Kevin Garnett attending the Clippers‘ practice on Thursday and he worked with a number of the team’s big men, Jovan Buha of ESPN.com relays. “KG was phenomenal today,” coach Doc Rivers said of Garnett’s appearance. “This morning, before practice, he had a teaching clinic that you would pay a lot of money to see. It was great. It was great for Blake Griffin and [DeAndre Jordan] and the young guys as well. It’s great to have him around. He’s a great teacher. We know him as a great player. I knew him as a great teacher. He’ll be really good for us.” Garnett reportedly has been offered a coaching position with Los Angeles, as well as with the Cavs.
- Despite the presence of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors want Kevin Durant to feel comfortable and to not pass up open shots, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com writes. “That’s why they wanted me here! They want me to come out here and be myself. I’m not going to play timid or not step on anyone’s toes, but I’m still going to be myself,” Durant said. “Nobody’s telling me I’m shooting too much. They want me to be myself out there.“
Celtics Notes: Green, Young, Rozier, Brown
One of the main reasons Gerald Green decided to sign with the Celtics this offseason was the impression that Isaiah Thomas left on him when the two were teammates with the Suns, Mike Petraglia of WEEI 93.7 FM notes. “It kind of began in Phoenix,” Green said. “He was a genuine guy, came in really humble. I see the talent was there I knew he could be one of the best point guards in the league, and right away when we both stepped on the court we both had the same mentality. By any means necessary, go get a bucket and go get stops. We both had the same mentality, just try to push the first team because we were both coming off the bench. Just try to make the first team better and that’s what we did every day. We were able to finish games as a unit at both ends of the floor. Now, me teaming up with him here, we’re gonna try to do the same thing.”
Thomas is also a fan of Green’s, noting that he had no doubts about the swingman’s value to the franchise, Petraglia adds. “We needed someone like him,” Thomas said. “A guy that can shoot the ball, a guy that can space the floor, and he’s just an instant scorer — whether he starts, whether he comes off the bench, that’s what he’s going to do. And he’s explosive. We needed somebody like him and, when we played in Phoenix, it was like we played together for years because we clicked so easy. I know where he likes the ball, I know where his hot spots are. He’s just somebody that’s very excited and something we need. I just put my magic on it and usually it works. I can’t tell you my secrets.”
Here’s more out of Beantown:
- James Young is entering his third year in the league and will need to impress the Celtics’ coaching staff in order to land a roster spot for 2016/17. The swingman feels that he’s off to a solid start in training camp and isn’t focusing on what may happen if he doesn’t make the team, Marc D’Amico of NBA.com relays. “I’m playing well so far, so I’m not worrying about [the final roster spot]. Just going out here and playing my game,” Young told D’Amico. “I’m grabbing boards, I’m making the right plays and I’m just knocking down shots. Those are the main things, and things have been clicking so far.”
- Another player who’s on the bubble for a regular season roster spot is Terry Rozier, but the point guard has impressed coach Brad Stevens thus far with how his game has improved from a season ago, Logan Mullen of WEEI 93.7 FM writes. “You can see Terry’s a different guy year two than he was in the first couple of days of year one, he just stands out right now,” Stevens said. “And I think that’s probably pretty typical because of the comfort level of going through camp again, for the first time versus again.”
- Jaylen Brown is trying to manage the expectations that come along with being the No. 3 overall pick on a team that is expected to compete for an NBA title, Mullen relays in a separate piece. “There’s going to be highs, there’s going to be lows. Just the peaks and valleys,” Brown told Mullen. “But, just to stay with the process, just to keep confidence and keep working. Just stay with the process. Defensively I think I add it right way. I think I talked to Brad [Stevens] a lot about that. Just being able to get on the floor, defending at a high level. It would be one thing, and just hitting open shots would be another. Those are two key things to get me on the floor and that will help me add to this team.”