Central Notes: Allen, Morris, Thompson
Lavoy Allen received incentive clauses on his three-year deal with the Pacers instead of the $1.5MM signing bonus that was originally reported, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It appears that those incentives call for Allen to get an extra $500K each year if he keeps his weight down, Pincus also tweets. Allen is considered likely to make weight, so the cap hits of $4.05MM this season and $4MM each of the next two years remain the same, unless he fails to hit the target at preseason weigh-ins.
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- One of the reasons that the Pistons acquired Marcus Morris was to prevent 2015 first round draftee Stanley Johnson from being pressured to start and produce for the team immediately, David Mayo of MLive.com opines. Mayo also notes that Morris’ $5MM salary this season, and the $4.625MM he will earn for the 2016/17 campaign, will make him a bargain as a reserve player once Johnson assumes a starting role.
- The Cavaliers need to be careful that whatever the outcome of their contract negotiations with restricted free agent Tristan Thompson, they don’t alienate LeBron James, who is on record as being a big supporter of the forward, Tom Ziller of SBNation writes. Though Ziller doesn’t necessarily believe that James would leave Cleveland again, he doesn’t think it wise for the franchise to roll the dice and risk losing the superstar next summer. Also complicating matters is the fact that Thompson’s agent, Rich Paul, also represents LeBron.
- Earlier this evening we broke down the 2015/16 salary cap figures for the Pistons, and previously had done the same for the Bulls and Cavaliers, which can be viewed here and here.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Poll: 2013 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 10)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t allow for such opportunities, we at Hoops Rumors decided it would be fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
The first NBA Draft lottery picks we’re tackling is 2013’s, the year that the Cavaliers surprised quite a few people when they nabbed UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick. Quite a number of talented players were in that year’s player pool, including Victor Oladipo, Nerlens Noel, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Rudy Gobert, just to rattle off a few.
In the days ahead, we’ll be posting a series of reader polls that will ask you to vote on the player whom you believe should have been selected with each pick in the 2013 Draft lottery. We’ll continue onward with the Trail Blazers, who held the No. 10 overall pick that season. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Portland’s pick and check back tomorrow night for the results, as well as for your chance to vote for whom the Sixers should have taken at No. 11. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
Draft Results thus far:
- Cavaliers: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Magic: Victor Oladipo
- Wizards: Nerlens Noel
- Hornets: Rudy Gobert
- Suns: Michael Carter-Williams
- 76ers: Ben McLemore
- Kings: Mason Plumlee
- Pistons: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- Jazz: Dennis Schröder
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Thunder To Sign Dez Wells
The Thunder have reached an agreement on a contract with undrafted free agent Dez Wells, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (via Twitter). While the length and terms of the pact are not yet known, it is likely a training camp pact that may possibly include a small partial guarantee, though that is just my speculation.
The former Maryland guard had previously been extended a training camp invite by the Wizards, as well as by five other unnamed teams. He reportedly turned down Washington’s offer because they already possess 15 players on guaranteed pacts, and he wanted better odds at landing a regular season roster spot. Wells was reportedly open to signing with the Wizards if Garrett Temple was dealt to the Jazz and a roster spot opened up as a result. Oklahoma City also has 15 players on guaranteed deals, as our roster count for the team shows, so it’s curious what led Wells to choose the Thunder, seeing as his odds are equally long to stick once the regular season commences.
In 28 appearances during his senior season with the Terrapins, Wells averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists to go along with a slash line of .464/.510/.806.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 8/13/15
Former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden‘s name will forever be associated with injuries, and it is difficult to make a compelling argument that he wasn’t one of the biggest NBA Draft busts of all-time as a result of his maladies. The 27-year-old center has managed to appear in just 105 games spread out over three NBA campaigns, and his career averages of 8.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.2 BPG to go along with a slash line of .574/.000/.648 certainly underwhelm. For Portland fans, I’m sure simply evoking his name is enough to elicit a wince, and it becomes even more painful knowing that the Blazers could have nabbed former MVP Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft instead.
Oden found a new reason to remain off the court during the 2014/15 season — legal troubles, as he faced multiple charges related to domestic violence. He avoided jail time as part of a plea agreement in February in which he pleaded guilty to a felony battery charge and the three other charges against him were dismissed.
The latest news on the former Ohio State star is that he signed a deal with the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2015/16 campaign. Oden would be eligible to ink an NBA deal at the completion of the CBA season in February, or when/if his team was eliminated from the playoffs. This brings me to the topic of the day: Will Greg Oden play in the NBA again? If so, which team would be the best fit for the oft-injured big man?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. Or if you are a Trail Blazers fan who never quite got the closure you needed on that chapter of your basketball life, feel free to share your feelings, and hopefully achieve some level of catharsis. We look forward to what you have to say.
Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot me a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter at @EddieScarito to submit topics or ideas for what we should present in future posts.
And-Ones: Rose, McGee, Jordan
The Hawks have hired former NBA player Malik Rose as their manager of basketball operations, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter). Rose confirmed the news via his personal Twitter account. Rose will report to coach Mike Budenholzer, who remains in charge of player personnel as president of basketball operations. The 40-year-old spent 13 seasons in the NBA as a player with the Hornets, Spurs, Knicks, and Thunder.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The first year of JaVale McGee‘s deal with the Mavericks is partially guaranteed for $250k, with another $250k becoming guaranteed if he remains on the roster past September 29th, and an additional $250k will become guaranteed if he is still on Dallas’ roster past October 27th, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The second season of the arrangement is non-guaranteed, Pincus adds.
- McGee is still undergoing rehab for his injured leg, but the Mavs remain confident that he will be ready to play in time for training camp, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com relays (on Twitter).
- Former St. John’s University shooting guard Rysheed Jordan is considering playing overseas or joining the NBA D-League for next season, Keith Schlosser of SBNation writes. “I don’t know yet. It’s either overseas or the D-League, two options,” Jordan told CityofBasketballLove.com. “It depends whether I would prefer to go far or stay local.” Jordan departed the Red Storm after his sophomore season, and back in June said, “Playing professional basketball has always been a goal of mine. I believe I am ready to take the next step in my basketball career and plan to work hard to achieve my dream of playing in the NBA. I am thankful for the opportunities and support St. John’s University has provided to me. This decision was made with my family’s best interests in mind.“
Poll: 2013 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 9)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t allow for such opportunities, we at Hoops Rumors decided it would be fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
The first NBA Draft lottery picks we’re tackling is 2013’s, the year that the Cavaliers surprised quite a few people when they nabbed UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick. Quite a number of talented players were in that year’s player pool, including Victor Oladipo, Nerlens Noel, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Rudy Gobert, just to rattle off a few.
In the days ahead, we’ll be posting a series of reader polls that will ask you to vote on the player whom you believe should have been selected with each pick in the 2013 Draft lottery. We’ll continue onward with the Jazz, who acquired the No. 9 overall pick that season. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Utah’s pick and check back tomorrow night for the results, as well as for your chance to vote for whom the Trail Blazers should have taken at No. 10. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
Draft Results thus far:
- Cavaliers: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Magic: Victor Oladipo
- Wizards: Nerlens Noel
- Hornets: Rudy Gobert
- Suns: Michael Carter-Williams
- 76ers: Ben McLemore
- Kings: Mason Plumlee
- Pistons: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Central Notes: Thompson, D-League, Butler
Despite Rich Paul’s proclamation that his client, Tristan Thompson, would not re-sign with the Cavaliers next summer if he were to sign his qualifying offer, worth nearly $6.778MM, Cleveland should not offer the forward a maximum salary deal, opines Bill Livingston of The Plain Dealer. Livingston points to the exorbitant luxury tax hit that would go along with such a lucrative contract for Thompson, and notes that prior to the 2014/15 campaign the forward had been considered a disappointment by many. The Plain Dealer scribe also adds that despite the threat by Paul that Thompson would depart, the Cavs would still retain the 24-year-old’s Bird rights, meaning that they could outbid other teams for Thompson’s services next offseason.
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pacers will meet with officials from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants next week to discuss terms of the prospective sale of the D-League franchise to Indiana, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest tweets.
- Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler acknowledges that the chemistry between he and point guard Derrick Rose needs to improve next season, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “I think we can,” Butler said during an appearance on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000, when asked about his chemistry with Rose. “I think we will. And I think we better, because the way I look at it, I don’t think either one of us is going anywhere anytime soon.”
- Toney Douglas said that the presence of Donnie Walsh as a consultant helped him decide to sign with the Pacers, Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com writes. “I love Donnie,” Douglas said. “Donnie has always been a great guy. I loved him when I was in New York. Him being here was really a great situation. I trust him. He’s not going to lie to you; he’s going to keep it real and tell you what you need to do.” Walsh was president of the Knicks when the team swung a deal with the Lakers to acquire the draft rights to Douglas back in 2009.
Lakers Sign Jonathan Holmes
THURSDAY, 12:27pm: The deal is official, the Lakers announced. The team refers to it as a multiyear pact, so that means it covers two years, since the Lakers don’t have the capacity to give out a longer contract.
SATURDAY, 2:09pm: The Lakers have reached a contract agreement with undrafted forward Jonathan Holmes, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the deal are not yet known, but Charania indicates that it includes a significant amount that will be partially guaranteed.
The addition of Holmes will increase the Lakers’ roster count to 15 players, including 12 fully-guaranteed pacts. The forward out of Texas will compete for a roster spot and frontcourt minutes. But it’s also entirely possible that Los Angeles has designs on sending Holmes to its D-League affiliate to gain seasoning for a large chunk of the 2015/16 campaign, though that is merely my speculation.
In 32 appearances for the Longhorns last season, Holmes logged averages of 10.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 26.1 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .389/.331/.778. His career NCAA numbers are 9.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 0.7 APG.
Lakers Work Out Jeremy Tyler
Forward Jeremy Tyler worked out for the Lakers this week, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Ricky Ledo, Toure’ Murry, Sean Kilpatrick, Bobby Brown, Eric Moreland and D.J. Kennedy are also among those reportedly trying out this week for a spot on the Los Angeles roster. The Lakers currently have a roster count of 16 players, 12 of whom possess fully guaranteed pacts, with two other players owning partial guarantees, making it a long shot for any of the previously mentioned players to remain with the team come the regular season, even if they sign.
The 24-year-old’s last NBA regular season action came during the 2013/14 campaign when he played in 41 contests for the Knicks, averaging 3.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in 9.7 minutes per outing. The Lakers signed him for the preseason last fall, waiving him shortly before opening night. His career numbers through 104 regular season games are 3.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 0.4 BPG to accompany a slash line of .450/.000/.557. Tyler was the No. 39 overall pick back in 2011.
Tyler played for the Mavericks’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League this year, notching averages of 11.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.8 SPG in six contests.
Eastern Notes: Scott, Davies, Jordan, Mickey
Mike Scott faces up to 25 years in prison on a pair of felony drug charges following his arrest late last month, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Scott’s salary of more than $3.333MM for this coming season with the Hawks is guaranteed, but next season’s salary is not. The 27-year-old appeared in 68 games for Atlanta last season, averaging 7.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per contest.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Brandon Davies, who played for the Nets and Sixers during the 2014/15 campaign, has officially signed with Pallacanestro Varese of Italy, the team announced via Twitter (translation courtesy of Enea Trapani of Sportando). The impending deal was first reported by Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia.
- The Knicks finished third in the running to sign free agent center DeAndre Jordan, who was the team’s top offseason target, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. The turning point in New York’s recruitment of Jordan was a face-to-face between the player and team president Phil Jackson in early July, Berman notes. Jordan left the meeting with a positive impression of the team’s rebuilding plan, though he ultimately decided to rejoin the Clippers after awkwardly changing his mind about signing with the Mavericks, the Post scribe relays. “I had a great meeting and great presentation,’’ Jordan told Berman. “Phil Jackson speaks for himself. Fish [Derek Fisher] did a great job. The whole team had a plan with the organization, a plan for me that was cool. I just decided to stay with the Clippers, but it was great. The Knicks were definitely a team I was considering.’’
- Jordan Mickey preferred to sign a three-year deal with the Celtics that included two fully guaranteed seasons, but Boston’s persistence in pushing for a four-year pact won out, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “They made it obvious they wanted to sign a longer deal, and I’ve got to admit, at the beginning we just weren’t hearing that,” James Wright Sr., who is Mickey’s stepfather, said. “We didn’t want a four-year deal. We wanted a chance to get back to the table earlier. But Jordan, his mother, and I sat and talked and decided it made the most sense to just work this thing out, because this is the team he wants to play for.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.