2015/16 Salary Commitments: Magic
With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.
We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. 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%.
We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Magic’s cap outlook for 2015/16…
Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:
- Evan Fournier — $2,288,205
- Channing Frye — $8,193,029
- Aaron Gordon — $4,171,680
- Maurice Harkless — $2,894,059
- Andrew Nicholson — $2,380,593
- Victor Oladipo — $5,192,520
- Elfrid Payton — $2,505,720
- Nikola Vucevic — $11,250,000
Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:
- Dewayne Dedmon — $947,276
- Ben Gordon — $4.5MM
- Devyn Marble — $845,059
- Luke Ridnour — $2,750,000
Players with options:
- None
The Magic’s Cap Summary for 2015/16:
- Guaranteed Salary: $38,875,806
- Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $9,042,335
- Total: $47,918,141
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Brown, Pistons
The Knicks have thought about trading their first-round pick, but they haven’t given it much consideration, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News hears. New York has canvassed other teams about their feelings on the strength of this year’s draft, as most front offices do, but that’s the extent of it, according to Deveney, who adds that teams rarely give much thought to trading lottery picks until the lottery takes place.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Knicks president Phil Jackson is expected to prioritize young free agents this summer, as Deveney writes in the same piece, figuring the Knicks will make Brandon Knight among their targets.
- Nets rookie Markel Brown‘s improved play has gained him coach Lionel Hollins‘ confidence, as well as cut into the playing time of teammate Bojan Bogdanovic, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “When you start leaving Markel out there, the minutes have to be skewed for somebody,” Hollins said. “It’s nothing more than that. I have to kind of manage the game as I see it in that moment. It’s all a part of utilizing the group we have. It’s nothing personal. It doesn’t have to do with anybody playing poorly. It’s the way I see it. It’s part of my job, and I have to be the final decision on it.” Brown, the No. 44 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, is averaging 4.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per contest.
- The Pistons are pleased with how their relationship has gone this first year with the Grand Rapids Drive, their new D-League affiliate, Peter J. Wallner of MLive.com writes. “Every year will be different,” said Detroit GM Jeff Bower. “The makeup of your Pistons roster will dictate how much crossover we’ll have. The younger the team, the more the need for minutes with the Drive. Having gone through it the first year now, we have a baseline sense of it and it is only going help us with our planning in the future. I thought that was a strength going into the year, and it’s a strength as we wrap up. Our comfort level with knowing what, for example, Quincy Miller would find when he got here [Grand Rapids] was very high.“
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Napier, Lopez, Tavares
Shabazz Napier underwent successful surgery to repair a sports hernia, the Heat announced. The point guard is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, though no mention was made about Napier’s availability for the playoffs, should Miami hold onto its postseason spot. The Heat currently hold a half game lead over the Nets for the seventh seed in the East. In 51 appearances for the Heat as a rookie, Napier averaged 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports hears estimates that Brook Lopez would draw offers with annual salaries of $13-14MM in a new deal this summer if he turns down his player option, as Wojnarowski said in a radio appearance with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on WFAN-AM (transcription via NetsDaily). Lopez’s option with the Nets is worth more than $16.744MM, but a long-term deal would guarantee him more.
- A report Tuesday linked Brad Stevens to the University of Texas opening, but the idea that he’ll be coaching any team other than the Celtics anytime soon is far-fetched, as Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com explains. Stevens has indicated that he has no intentions of leaving Boston, flatly telling reporters today, “I’ll be in Boston,” as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays.
- The Hawks intend to bring 2014 draftee Edy Tavares, who is also known as Walter Tavares, to the NBA next season, David Pick of Eurobasket.com tweets. Tavares’ deal with CB Gran Canaria contains NBA outs, Pick adds. The 7’3″ center was selected with the No. 43 pick in last year’s NBA draft.
- The Cavs have recalled guard Joe Harris from the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. Harris has played in nine games for the Charge this season, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 31.7 minutes per contest.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2015/16 Salary Commitments: Thunder
With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.
We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. 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%.
We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Thunder’s cap outlook for 2015/16…
Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:
- Steven Adams — $2,279,040
- D.J. Augustin — $3MM
- Nick Collison — $3,750,000
- Kevin Durant — $20,158,622
- Serge Ibaka — $12,350,000
- Perry Jones — $2,038,206
- Jeremy Lamb — $3,034,356
- Mitch McGary — $1,463,040
- Anthony Morrow — $3,344,000
- Steve Novak — $3,750,001
- Andre Roberson — $1,210,800
- Dion Waiters — $5,138,430
- Russell Westbrook — $16,744,218
Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:
- None
Players with options:
- None
The Thunder’s Cap Summary for 2015/16:
- Guaranteed Salary: $78,260,713
- Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $0
- Total: $78,260,713
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Aaron Thomas To Enter NBA Draft
Florida State junior Aaron Thomas will enter the 2015 NBA draft, his agent Seth Cohen informed Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link). Thomas is no lock to be selected in June, and the guard didn’t make either Chad Ford of ESPN.com‘s (Insider subscription required) or Givony’s top 100 player rankings.
The 6’5″ shooting guard’s junior season was interrupted when he was declared academically ineligible back in December. He only appeared in six contests this season for the Seminoles, averaging 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 28.3 minutes per game. Thomas’ career numbers are 10.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.5 APG. His career shooting line is .441/.319/.771.
Thomas’ best hope to make it into the NBA is to snag a summer league invite from a team and turn that opportunity into a training camp deal. His odds are quite long, so heading to the D-League or overseas to play is the more likely scenario for the 23-year-old next season.
Suns Sign Jerel McNeal To 10-Day Contract
WEDNESDAY, 2:38pm: The deal is official, the team announced.
TUESDAY, 7:07pm: The Suns intend to sign Jerel McNeal to a 10-day contract, and they will not re-sign A.J. Price, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports (Twitter link). Price’s first 10-day deal with Phoenix expired last night. The Suns’ roster count will move back to 15 players once McNeal is officially signed.
McNeal is a 6’3″ shooting guard who went unselected back in the 2009 NBA draft. The 27-year-old had been playing for the Bakersfield Jam, the Suns’ D-League affiliate. In 27 games for the Jam, McNeal averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 32.6 minutes per contest. He has previously had NBA training camp stints with the Clippers, Raptors and Rockets. The Pelicans and Jazz have briefly carried him on regular season rosters in the past, but he didn’t see action during either stint, so he’s technically a two-year veteran even though he has yet to make his official NBA debut.
Price had also played for the Pacers and Cavaliers this season. He appeared in 10 games with Indiana, averaging 10.5 points, 2.7 assists and 19.3 minutes, before the club waived him in late November. Cleveland then claimed him off waivers and he appeared in 11 games with the Cavs, averaging just 2.0 points, 1.2 assists and 7.9 minutes, until they waived him in early January. In five appearances for the Suns, Price notched 1.2 PPG and 1.2 APG in 8.8 minutes per contest.
And-Ones: Cavs, Stephenson, Payne, Dekker
J.R. Smith, and not Iman Shumpert, was the player whom LeBron James most wanted the Cavs to obtain from the Knicks, according to Brian WIndhorst of ESPN.com (audio link), who spoke on the B.S. Report podcast with Grantland’s Bill Simmons, as RealGM transcribes. Of course, Cleveland traded for both in the January deal that sent out Dion Waiters.
“He [James] is so excited about the talent on this team,” Windhorst said. “He loves playing with [Timofey] Mozgov. He loves Smith. He was the guy who pushed for that trade. The Cavs were trying to get Iman Shumpert; that’s what the conversations were and of course the Knicks were saying ‘We’ll give you Shumpert, but you have to take J.R.’ They went to LeBron and he said ‘No, you get J.R. and if you get Shumpert with him that’s great.’ He, I think, really loves their top seven.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Lance Stephenson says that despite his struggles during his first season in Charlotte, he doesn’t regret signing with the Hornets, Steve Reed of The Associated Press writes. “I love this system. I love my coaches. I love my teammates,” Stephenson said. “Some people come into systems and fit right in. Some people it takes time. I feel like with me I’m going to take time.” In 58 appearances this season Stephenson has averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 26.4 minutes per night.
- Murray State sophomore guard Cameron Payne is leaning toward entering this year’s draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Payne averaged 20.2 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 37.7% from three-point range this season. The 20-year-old is ranked No. 23 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com and No. 32 by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
- New No. 1 prospect Karl-Anthony Towns, Justise Winslow, Frank Kaminsky and Jerian Grant are among those who helped themselves during the second week of the NCAA Tournament, according to Ford, who writes in an Insider-only piece. Still, no prospect has boosted his stock more during the tournament than Sam Dekker, whom Ford believes has risen into the back end of the top 20 prospects.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Commenting Policy
Comments of this nature are not allowed at Hoops Rumors:
- Attacks or insults toward other commenters, the post author, journalists, teams, players, or agents.
- Inappropriate language, including swearing and related censor bypass attempts, lewdness, insults, and crude terms for body parts, bodily functions, and physical acts. In essence, we don’t want any language that parents would not want their kids to see.
- Juvenile comments or extensive use of text message-type spelling.
- Writing comments in all or mostly caps.
- Spam-type links or self-promotion.
- Comments about how you’re sick of this topic or it’s not newsworthy.
- Inappropriate avatars or images.
- Anything else we deem bad for business.
If you see comments that fit the above criteria, please flag them and/or contact us. Bans may be handed out liberally by our moderators, without second chances. Remaining civil is not that difficult, and most commenters have no problems doing so, nor with helping rein each other in. We are grateful for long-time commenters and readers, though this policy applies equally regardless of tenure.
All comments on Hoops Rumors or the Hoops Rumors Facebook page may be repurposed as a part of the Hoops Rumors Featured Feedback series. In these instances, comments may be edited and abridged.
This policy is always available at the bottom of the site, and will be re-posted monthly.
2015/16 Salary Commitments: Knicks
With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.
We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. 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%.
We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Knicks’ cap outlook for 2015/16…
Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:
- Carmelo Anthony — $22,875,000
- Jose Calderon — $7,402,812
- Cleanthony Early — $845,059
- Tim Hardaway Jr. — $1,304,520
Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:
- Langston Galloway — $845,059
Players with options:
- None
The Knicks’ Cap Summary for 2015/16:
- Guaranteed Salary: $32,427,391
- Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $845,059
- Total: $33,272,450
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Mavs Notes: Chandler, Rondo, Felton
With Monta Ellis out due to injury it is time for Rajon Rondo to show the Mavs and the league what his true worth is, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. The point guard needs to step up his game on both ends of the court if he intends to seek a maximum salary contract when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, Sefko adds.
Here’s more from Dallas:
- Center Tyson Chandler is the free agent who the Mavs should re-sign at all costs this summer, opines Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News. The veteran big man is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, and with Dallas’ lineup heavy with shooters, Chandler would be extremely difficult to replace, Gosselin adds.
- With the Mavs’ backcourt hit hard by injuries, Raymond Felton has proven a capable fill-in option for coach Rick Carlisle, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. “He’s a high-integrity guy. He really is, said Carlisle. “He’s a high-integrity competitor. There hasn’t been one time this year where he’s dropped his head or pouted. When he was hurt, when he came back and there weren’t minutes right away, he’s just remained consistently professional and he kept working extremely hard, which shows now that he’s getting an opportunity to play.”
-
Finnish guard Petteri Koponen, 26, who was selected with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2007 draft, is hoping to make the jump to the NBA next season, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com relays. Koponen is much happier with his level of communication with the Mavs, who hold his draft rights, than with the Blazers, the team that drafted him, Sierra adds.
- The Mavs have $28,064,039 in guaranteed salary already committed for the 2015/16 campaign, as our salary cap breakdown shows.