Heat Notes: Johnson, Haslem, Luxury Tax
The athletic Tyler Johnson impressed with his ball-handling and playmaking this season for the Heat, and he’ll need to show more improvement with those ball-handling skills and shoot more consistently, as Surya Fernandez of Fox Sports Florida examines. Johnson has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for next season that becomes 50% guaranteed if he remains under contract through August 1st, and he made his case for the Heat to keep him. “He’s relentless with his work ethic and with his drive,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “A lot of players would have gotten discouraged by being cut after a full summer and having to go to [D-League] Sioux Falls. He looked at it as an opportunity to get better and play minutes under our guidance and our system. Doors happen to open for players like that and it did when we re-signed him and he made the most of his opportunities so I know he’s poised and looking forward to this offseason.”
Here’s more out of Miami:
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News has doubts about Heat owner Micky Arison’s willingness to pay the luxury tax next season, noting that bringing back Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng would give the Heat room for little else. If Dragic re-signs for the max and Wade and Deng return with salaries equivalent to the values of their player options, the rest of the guaranteed salary on the books for the Heat would send them above next season’s projected $81.6MM tax.
- Heat president Pat Riley has offered Udonis Haslem to several teams in trade conversations in the past few years, league sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Windhorst’s piece juxtaposes Riley’s willingness to sacrifice loyalty for winning against similar choices LeBron James has made in light of Riley’s recent remarks that seem to show the Heat president questioning James’ decision to leave for Cleveland.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Bhamara, Jazz, Brooks
Satnam Singh Bhamara, a 7’1” 290-pound player from India, is considering declaring for the 2015 NBA Draft, Pete Thamel of SI.com writes. While the 19-year-old is unlikely to be selected this June, Bhamara is considered India’s best chance for producing its first NBA player, Thamel notes. Sim Bhullar became the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA this past season, but Bhullar was born in Canada.
Bhamara will be represented by both Relativity Sports and WME/IMG, and his advisers felt the best course of action for the player would be to develop and refine his skills instead of attending a junior college, the SI scribe adds. “I do think he’ll end up in the NBA because I’ve seen his progress over the last four years,” said IMG Director of Basketball Kenny Natt. “I’ve been in the league and know how guys like Satnam are looked upon. He has size, strength and touch. He has good hands and can run the floor. Those are the types of things that NBA teams value.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey‘s moves have resulted in Utah notching a record of 19-10 after the All-Star break, and the team being on the rise heading into the 2015/16 season, Doug Robinson of The Deseret News writes. Robinson points to the hiring of coach Quin Snyder, the selection of Dante Exum in the 2014 NBA draft, and matching the Hornets’ offer sheet to Gordon Hayward last summer as some of Lindsey’s recent successes.
- History is not on Thunder coach Scott Brooks‘ side in regards to retaining his job, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. Tramel points to a number of instances where long-tenured coaches were replaced mainly to provide a new voice for the players, and the teams experiencing an uptick in performance as a result.
- The Knicks‘ difficult season at least allowed Carmelo Anthony to have surgery without impacting his team’s postseason chances, a luxury ‘Melo wouldn’t have had if he signed with a different franchise last summer, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “It was at a point if this was any other team he had to gone to, then they’d be taking away a lot of playoff hopes,’’ team president Phil Jackson said. “In our situation it was something he could do and we could accept it and move forward because next year was a real important year for him to come back and play at the highest level he can play at.’’
Western Notes: Leonard, Aldridge, Green
Kawhi Leonard could sign an offer sheet that allows him to become an unrestricted free agent in three years or a qualifying offer that takes him to unrestricted free agency in 2016, but the Spurs are confident he’ll remain in San Antonio for the long term, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes. “I don’t know that I’m worried about [the cap],” GM R.C. Buford said. “It is what it is. We’ll deal with the guidelines. I hope that Kawhi is with us for a long time, and I know that’s no secret to Kawhi or his family.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Lowe continues to hear talk among sources who say that the Spurs might get to have a meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge, as Lowe writes in the same piece. That echoes a report from January in which Lowe wrote that he’d spoken with a half-dozen executives from four different teams who raised the possibility that Aldridge would sign with San Antonio.
- Plenty of executives would point to the notion that Danny Green would be much more successful within the Spurs‘ system than out of it, and they’d be hesitant to shell out $10MM a year for him, Lowe surmises. The Grantland scribe nonetheless stumps for Green’s value based on “elite” defense and his status as a legitimate “3-and-D” player. An executive who spoke with Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops said that he wouldn’t mind paying a $6MM annual salary for the swingman.
- Matt Petersen of NBA.com looked back on Suns guard Eric Bledsoe‘s 2014/15 campaign, his first after inking a five-year, $70MM deal with the team. The 25-year-old appeared in all 81 games for Phoenix this past season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Bucks, Thibodeau, Grant
Bucks president Peter Feigin impressed upon bickering local and state government officials to wrap up a deal within the next 10 days to secure the public’s $250MM share of financing for a $500MM new arena for the team in Milwaukee, reports Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Without an arena, “the Bucks will be gone from the state of Wisconsin,” Feigin warned. Realistically, groundbreaking must take place by early this fall so that the arena remains on schedule to beat an NBA-imposed deadline, as Feigin told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com for a story this weekend. Sources told Windhorst the NBA would indeed exercise its right to buy the franchise and seek to move it if construction doesn’t begin soon.
Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:
- Despite the upgrade Tom Thibodeau would provide as coach, the Magic should pass on the longtime Bulls coach if it required the team to surrender its first round draft pick as compensation, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel opines. Orlando previously traded for Stan Van Gundy, sending the Heat a second-rounder back in 2007 in return for the coach, Schmitz notes.
- 2014 second-rounder Jerami Grant turned out to be one of the Sixers‘ biggest surprises this season, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. An undersized power forward in college, Grant adapted well when the team moved him to small forward, Pompey adds. “Whatever position they put me at, I think I will be fine with it,” Grant said. “But in the offseason, I’m definitely going to work on a lot of things that a four-man can do and what a three-man can do. I’m just going to work on my overall game.” In 65 games this season Grant averaged 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per contest.
- Dwyane Wade isn’t in a rush to make a decision regarding his player option worth $16,125,000, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes. The veteran also indicated that the 2015/16 campaign isn’t likely to be his last in the league, Reynolds adds. “I don’t sit on my hands,” Wade said. “Obviously, everything’s about life after [basketball] and seeing what you want to do as well. So this is a perfect time to figure it out. I signed my deal the way I did for a reason … and the organization did it for a reason. It’s my option. I’ll decide when the time is right. Everyone knows I always try to do what’s best for the organization, but I also have to do what’s best for Dwyane Wade as well.” This conflicts with earlier statements from Wade that he intended to opt in for next season.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Jones, Turner, Winslow
South Korean prospect Jong-Hyun Lee intends to enter the 2015 NBA draft, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter links). The 6’9″ forward led the 2014 World Cup in blocks per game with 2.6, and he also added 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds on 54.5% shooting. The 21-year-old isn’t currently projected to be selected in June’s draft, and he is the No. 47 ranked international prospect according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Here’s the latest NBA draft news:
- Duke point guard Tyus Jones is expected to ink a deal with agent Rob Pelinka of the Landmark Sports Agency, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets. Jones is the No. 20 overall prospect according to DraftExpress and comes in at No. 22 on Chad Ford of ESPN.com‘s (Insider subscription required) rankings.
- Myles Turner has hired agent Andy Miller of ASM Sports to represent him, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). ESPN.com slots the center as the No. 9 prospect and DraftExpress ranks him 11th. You can check out my full prospect profile for Turner here.
- Projected lottery pick Justise Winslow has decided on agent Joe Branch of Roc Nation Sports, the agency announced via Twitter (hat tip to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal). DraftExpress rates the forward as the No. 5 overall prospect and ESPN.com slots him at No. 6.
- Hazan Sports Management has signed on to represent University of Houston guard Jherrod Stiggers and Michigan State guard Russell Byrd, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets. Neither player is currently projected to be taken in June’s draft.
Atlantic Notes: Ross, Jackson, Fisher
Knicks president Phil Jackson has indicated that he won’t be attending next month’s NBA draft lottery, which is something the Zen Master needs to rethink, opines Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. It’s important for Jackson to represent New York at the event not only for him to take ownership of the team’s 17-win season, but to show potential free agents that he is indeed a hands on executive working to right the ship, Isola adds.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors‘ patience with Terrence Ross is beginning to pay dividends during this season’s NBA playoffs, Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun writes. It took coach Dwane Casey removing him from the starting lineup midway through the season to accomplish it, but the forward’s focus on the defensive end has improved greatly during the second half of the 2014/15 campaign, Ganter notes. “The bench is a great motivator sometimes,” Casey said. “You don’t want to wear that out but I think he had a chance to sit back and watch and see what he needed to do and he’s done it.” Ross is eligible to ink a rookie scale extension this summer.
- Derek Fisher, reflecting on his rookie season as Knicks coach, was appreciative of the effort that his players provided him throughout the team’s dismal 2014/15 campaign, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. “I’m thankful for each and every one of them regardless if they’re back or not,’’ Fisher said. “These guys will always be my first team, no matter what. Any success we have as an organization or me as a coach will start from there and from these guys. I think a number of them can be back. But at this point, I respect them too much to start trying to determine who that should or shouldn’t be. They’ve given this organization a lot.’’
- Though the Knicks‘ roster is expected to undergo a significant overhaul this offseason, 2014 second-rounder Cleanthony Early is one player whom the team considers part of its future, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. The 24-year-old didn’t live up to the team’s expectations this season, averaging just 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 39 appearances. Injuries certainly played a factor, with Early dealing with knee and ankle issues the entire campaign, Begley notes.
And-Ones: Cauley-Stein, Parsons, Knicks
Mavs forward Chandler Parsons understands the criticism levied against him regarding his production not being worthy of his $14.7MM salary this season, Ben Golliver of SI.com writes. “The whole expectations of being a max player and taking that next step, it’s tough to manage at first,” Parsons said. “A lot of people look at me like I’m a different player. I’m the same player. I’ve gotten better. My numbers are down a little bit but at the same time I continue to get better. I’m on a different team. We’re very explosive offensively, we have more of a balanced attack, and I’m playing five minutes less than I did in Houston. I’m a basketball player and I impact the game in many different ways. My job is to be a good teammate, work extremely hard and do whatever it takes to win games.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Rich Kleiman of Roc Nation Sports and Leon Rose of the Creative Artists Agency will team up to represent Willie Cauley-Stein, as Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal reports in a subscription-only piece. The center from the University of Kentucky is the No. 6 prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and No. 7 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
- Nuggets GM Tim Connelly indicated that there are no players on Denver’s roster who are untouchable in terms of trades, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post tweets.
- The Knicks are expected to have a busy offseason, and team president Phil Jackson will need to make decisions regarding a large number of players on his current roster. Marc Berman of The New York Post breaks down the team’s roster, and who the franchise should retain for the 2015/16 campaign. Players whom the Post scribe believes the team should bring back include Louis Amundson, Lance Thomas, and Cleanthony Early, while the team should part ways with Cole Aldrich and Travis Wear.
- The Cavaliers have assigned Joe Harris to the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team announced.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
A.J. Hammons Declines To Enter Draft
Purdue junior A.J. Hammons will skip the NBA draft this season and return to school for his senior campaign, the team has announced. The big man was a potential second-rounder if he entered this year’s draft, with Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranking him the No. 45 overall prospect, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress slotting him 51st.
“Earning my degree is one of the most important goals that I have for myself and returning to Purdue next year will enable me to reach that,” Hammons said. “In addition, I feel that our team has a lot of unfinished business to reach next season and I want to be a part of something special. Purdue is an outstanding school with great people and the chance to compete for a Big Ten Championship and more is something I want to experience again with my teammates.”
In 34 appearances for the Boilermakers last season, the seven-footer averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in 24.3 minutes per game. His career numbers are 11.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.6 BPG. Hammons’ career slash line is .516/.000/.684.
2015/16 Salary Commitments By Team
Hoops Rumors took a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the offseason, and the inevitable free agent frenzy that occurs every year when the weather turns hot. We went through the contracts on each teams’ books for next season, minus any cap holds for unrenounced free agents.
While the exact amount of the 2015/16 salary cap won’t be announced until July, the cap is projected to come in somewhere around $67.4MM, with the luxury tax threshold projected at approximately $81MM. This year’s $63.065MM cap represented an increase of 7.7% over 2013/14, which was well above the league’s projected annual increase of 4.5%. It would appear that these figures are due for a significant bump in the near future. NBA teams were recently advised that the league’s salary cap could rise past the $100MM mark as soon as the 2017/18 season. These estimates should make the hearts of NBA agents palpitate, and set the stage for some exciting future offseasons.
Here are each of the teams’ 2015/16 salary cap listings organized by conference and division:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Central Division
Southeast Division
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
Pacific Division
Southwest Division
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of these posts.
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 4/12/15-4/18/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have added a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“Do you see the Knicks signing Greg Monroe this summer? If so, what kind of a fit do you think he’ll be with New York?” — Vinny
I would definitely say that the Knicks are the favorites to sign the big man when he hits free agency this offseason. The team has more than enough cap space to offer Monroe a max deal, something he’ll likely be seeking this summer. I don’t happen to believe that Monroe is a max contract player, a sentiment many NBA teams are likely to share. But New York will be in full desperation mode after enduring all of the losses this campaign, so the franchise will be more apt to overpay for someone like Monroe.
As for how he would fit with the Knicks, the jury is still out. Team president Phil Jackson has indicated that the team is seeking players who can defend, which is in no way Monroe’s forte. I’m also not sold that Monroe and Carmelo Anthony would be a good pairing. Both players like to occupy similar spots on offense, and ‘Melo has been his best when playing the four. New York could use Monroe as a center, but then the team may as well lay out some red carpet in the lane at Madison Square Garden to make opposing players’ trips to the hoop even more accommodating. If Monroe does end up in New York he’ll be an upgrade to what they have had in the post in recent seasons, but I don’t see him and Anthony as a championship-caliber pairing.
“Which coaches do you see getting the axe this offseason?” — Sam R.
Now that the regular season is over we should start seeing some proverbial heads start to roll shortly. I don’t see too many vacancies opening up though, since Orlando, Denver, and Sacramento already changed coaches during the season. The Kings already filled their spot with George Karl, who was a great hire in my view. I don’t think James Borrego is retained by the Magic, nor do I think the Nuggets keep Melvin Hunt. Hunt has a better chance to stay on than Borrego does, but if he’s still running the show next season in Denver it will be because “plan A” failed.
As for the rest of the league, I think Scott Brooks is in real danger of being let go by the Thunder. That franchise probably needs to make a change at this point, and it will likely begin with a new coach. The only other coach who I think could be jettisoned is the Hornets’ Steve Clifford. The franchise had an extremely disappointing campaign, and Clifford could pay the price. I do think he’ll get one more season to turn things around, but wouldn’t be at all surprised if Clifford was let go. Flip Saunders could also end up firing himself so that he can concentrate more on his executive duties. Mike Malone to the Wolves would be a nice fit in that scenario. But my most likely non-interim coach to be let go is Brooks, though he probably wouldn’t be out of work for long.
“Which projected lottery pick this year is the most likely to be a bust?” — Carter
This is always a tough call, and it’s one that has cost numerous executives their jobs. But this one for me is an easy choice. I think this year’s candidate for biggest draft disappointment will be Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis, who is currently projected as a top seven pick. Now, I will fully admit to being automatically skeptical of Euro players making the jump to the NBA. While there have been a number of notable exceptions, the washout rate is far too high for my tastes, and I wouldn’t risk an early lottery pick on such an unknown quantity.
Porzingis is uber-athletic, especially for his size. But it takes more than athleticism to make it in the NBA. All the scouting reports that I have read on Porzingis laud his physical tools, which are quite stellar. But he isn’t dominating competition overseas, which is a big red flag for me. While the overseas game has made incredible strides over the years, the competition and talent levels involved pale in comparison to what is awaiting Porzingis in the NBA. Draft history is on my side in predicting Porzingis won’t live up to the billing, though I hope I’m wrong. He’d be pretty fun to watch if he did live up to the hype.
“With the playoffs beginning this weekend let’s get this on record — who do you have making it to the NBA Finals? Who takes home the trophy this season?” — Arthur
I guess it’s prediction time. It really feels wide open this season, as each playoff team has a number of questions heading in. For the NBA Finals I’ll go with the Cavs against the Warriors (if they can stay healthy for once in the postseason). The Cavs are a flawed team, but I’m not betting against LeBron James and company when the spotlight is on. The Warriors have been the best team all season, but the playoffs are a whole different story. Many talented teams have fallen in the playoffs because of lack of experience. Golden State may be a season away, but I’m still going with them as my choice. As for who will be hoisting a championship banner to the rafters…I’ll go with the Cavaliers.
That’s all the space I have for this week. Thanks for all of the submissions! I’ll be back next week with more answers to your inquiries.