Jazz Sign Rudy Gobert To Contract Extension
NOVEMBER 1, 10:26am: Only $90MM of Gobert’s $102MM extension is fully guaranteed, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who tweets that the deal features $3MM annually in incentives.
OCTOBER 31, 6:20pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
4:21pm: The Jazz and Rudy Gobert have reached an agreement in principle on a four-year, $102MM contract extension, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. The projected average annual salary of $25.5MM is quite a leap from the $2,121,287 Gobert is earning this season. There is no word yet on whether the new pact contains any options, player or team.
By locking up Gobert now, Utah will avoid the player hitting restricted free agency next July, where he would have likely been able to land an offer sheet in the $110MM range, Wojnarowski notes. The deal is for slightly less than the max, which will save the Jazz approximately $8MM-$10MM over the life of the pact, the scribe adds. While Gobert almost assuredly preferred to reach an agreement on an extension, he would have been willing to test the waters as a restricted free agent next offseason if no deal was struck, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Gobert was selected with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and has quickly developed into one of the most intimidating rim-protectors in the game. The 24-year-old appeared in 61 games a season ago for the Jazz, averaging 9.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 blocks in 31.7 minutes per outing. His slash line was .559/.000/.569. In three contests this season, Gobert has notched 11.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG and 2.7 BPG.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hornets, Cody Zeller Agree To Extension
10:54pm: The signing is official, the team announced. “Maintaining and building our young core of players has been a key goal for us the last few years,” GM Rich Cho said. “We’re excited that Cody will be part of the Hornets organization for years to come. Cody is a hard worker, a team-first player and a versatile talent that was a large part of our success last year. He has improved in each of his three seasons in the NBA. We look forward to a bright future with Cody as a part of the roster that we are continuing to build.”
9:30pm: The Hornets have agreed to a contract extension with Cody Zeller, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). It will be a four-year, $56MM arrangement per the scribe. The pact doesn’t include any options, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The extension is a solid value for Charlotte, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical (via Twitter), who notes that the first year salary on the deal is below his free agent cap hold and it won’t push the Hornets over the luxury tax line in 2017/18. Zeller is earning $5,318,313 this season.
The 24-year-old was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft out of Indiana. His career numbers through 220 regular season contests are 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists to accompany a shooting line of .476/.167/.750.
Zeller becomes the eighth player from the 2013 NBA Draft to agree to an extension, joining C.J. McCollum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Gorgui Dieng, Dennis Schroder, Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo and Rudy Gobert.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 10/31/16
Here are the D-League assignments and recalls for the day:
- The Rockets are the first team to send a player to their D-League affiliate this season, with the team announcing (via Twitter) that Chinanu Onuaku will be joining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The power forward has yet to see the court during the regular season for Houston.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Clippers, Joerger
With the solid depth the Clippers possess this season, coach/executive Doc Rivers will have his hands full trying to balance his rotations and keep the bulk of his players happy, Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times writes. “Yeah, it’s called coaching,” Rivers said. “No, literally, it’s called coaching. You coach them. You try to get them to buy in. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they say they do and don’t. It’s a process and you just go through it. There’re a lot of teams that can play a lot of different groups, but there’s very few teams that all the players can handle those different rotations when they’re not in on a given night. So, I think that’s the type of team we have and if it does it’ll serve us well.”
Here’s more from out of the Pacific Division:
- The NBA fined Kings center DeMarcus Cousins $25,000 for throwing his mouthpiece and entering the spectator area during Saturday night’s game against the Wolves, the league announced via press release. Cousins was also assessed a technical foul for his actions.
- Lakers coach Luke Walton believes in going deep into his bench in order to keep his roster engaged, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register writes. Discussing his rotation plans, Walton told the scribe, “I know how much more a part of the team you feel even if it’s just only four or five minutes on a certain night. With the environment we’re trying to build and foundation we’re trying to set, we want everyone believing in the idea that it is our team, and different nights it’s going to be different people.”
- Dave Joerger is still settling in as head coach of the Kings and believes that he has found a long-term home in Sacramento, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes. “I’m very fortunate because Sacramento is a really cool community,” Joerger said. “It is as Midwestern a city as far as the people as you’ll find in California. The people are pretty genuine, pretty sincere and they’re very passionate about the Kings, so that part is all really, really cool.”
Eastern Notes: Tavares, Carter-Williams, Lamb
Edy Tavares, who was waived earlier today by the Hawks, may not be out of work for long. The Spanish club FC Barcelona is interested in the center, according to Marca.com (h/t Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype). The team has already reached out to the big man’s representatives, according to the report. The 43rd overall pick in the 2014 draft, Tavares joined the Hawks last season, appearing in just 11 games and averaging 6.6 minutes per contest. The 24-year-old also made 29 D-League appearances, averaging 9.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 3.3 BPG in 21.6 minutes per game.
Here’s more from the East:
- It is highly unlikely that the Bulls and Michael Carter-Williams agree to an extension prior to tonight’s deadline, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). There are no talks currently ongoing between the point guard and the team, the scribe adds.
- Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb suffered a strained left hamstring during Saturday’s game against the Celtics, the team announced. Lamb is expected to be out of action for one to two weeks, per the team. The player is averaging 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game in three appearances this season.
- The Sixers still need to address their lack of outside scoring as well as to increase the frequency and effectiveness of their fastbreak offense, Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We’re not forcing a lot of turnovers so we’re not able to get out and get easy buckets,” point guard T.J. McConnell said of Philly’s offense. “We have to get ready on the defensive end and get some stops. When we’re in the halfcourt and stand and watch Joel Embiid, we’re just so easy to guard. We have to get better pace and better movement when we’re in the halfcourt. You can feel it, you can see it. When we get the ball to him and they double him, we just stand and don’t help him. We’ve got to do a better job as a team to move, move without the ball and screen.”
Wolves Agree To Extension With Gorgui Dieng
The Timberwolves and Gorgui Dieng are in the process of finalizing a contract extension, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). The deal will be for four years and is valued at $64MM, per the scribe. No word yet on whether or not the arrangement includes any options, player or team. His new deal with an average annual value of $16MM is certainly a hefty bump from the $2,348,783 he is earning this season.
The 26-year-old is off to a solid start to the 2016/17 campaign under new head coach Tom Thibodeau. Dieng is averaging 13.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 blocks in 34.5 minutes through the team’s first two games.
Originally selected with the No. 21 overall pick in 2013, Dieng’s career numbers are 8.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocks to accompany a shooting line of .516/.276/.780.
Dieng becomes the seventh player from the 2013 NBA Draft to agree to an extension, joining C.J. McCollum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dennis Schroder, Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo and Rudy Gobert.
The Wolves have another extension candidate on their roster in Shabazz Muhammad, but the latest report on the fourth-year guard suggests that he and the team are “far apart” in negotiations.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jazz, Rudy Gobert Nearing Extension
With the deadline to reach an agreement on a rookie-scale contract extension nearing, the Jazz and Rudy Gobert continue to engage in talks and the two sides are working on a potential deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter). The two sides are closing in on a four-year, $100MM+ arrangement, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter).
While Gobert would almost assuredly prefer to reach an agreement on an extension, he would willing to test the waters as a restricted free agent next offseason if no deal is struck, Stein tweets. The center is on the books for a fully guaranteed salary of $2,121,287 for 2016/17 and would require a qualifying offer of $3,145,869 from Utah if no new deal was finalized by tonight’s deadline for the team to have the right o match any offer he were to receive on the open market.
The 24-year-old appeared in 61 games a season ago for the Jazz, averaging 9.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 blocks in 31.7 minutes per outing. His slash line was .559/.000/.569. In three contests this season, Gobert has notched 11.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG and 2.7 BPG.
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Eastern Notes: Pistons Arena, Morris Twins, Wade
The Pistons are moving closer toward a move to downtown Detroit and the new Little Caesar’s Arena, team owner Tom Gores confirmed on Friday, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. Gores wouldn’t address specifics regarding the potential deal, but did note that it could happen as early as the 2017/18 season, McMann adds. “If we do it, it’s going to be soon,” Gores said. “I’ve always been relatively transparent with you guys, and we’re getting close. We’re getting close. Look, we’re serious. We’re serious about making this move. And I think we should take it in and enjoy the Palace. It’s been an historic arena.”
If the Pistons do make the move, they would share the arena with the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. Both sides are researching what it would take to retro-fit the still-under-construction venue for basketball, and Pistons ownership is seeking space downtown for executive offices and a team practice facility, McMann writes. “There’s a lot going on down there,” Gores said of downtown Detroit. “If you look at it, you got the Tigers, the Red Wings, the Lions. There’s a lot going on down there. There’s a lot of activity.”
Here’s more from the East:
- Wizards forward Markieff Morris and his twin brother, Marcus Morris, who is a member of the Pistons, are the subjects of a civil lawsuit in Arizona stemming from an alleged assault last year that has also garnered the pair criminal charges, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post reports. The criminal case is ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for November 4th, Buckner notes.
- The Bulls intend to juggle Dwyane Wade‘s minutes in an effort to strike a balance between keeping the veteran fresh, while also maximizing his production on a nightly basis, Mark Strotman of CSNChicago.com notes. “(Coach Fred Hoiberg) hasn’t said, ‘You’re going to play 30 minutes exactly,’” Wade said. “A lot of it is just, looking at preseason, I think I’m going to be around 30-32 minutes just by the substitution patterns that [Hoiberg] is thinking about for me. I’m good with it. We haven’t had a [direct] conversation, but we’re both cool with it. I’m not a kind of guy that wants to stay out for 10-12 minutes on the clock because I’m gonna get a little stiff. I’m also not a kind of guy that wants to go for 12 minutes straight, so I think he is learning me, and we stay in constant communication about when I’ve got a little break and I’m ready to go again.”
- Despite coming out of college with the reputation as an outside shooter, Nik Stauskas aims to be seen as a well-rounded player, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com writes. When asked to describe himself, the Sixers guard told the scribe, “I consider myself gamer. I don’t think I’m an effective NBA player when I just stand and spot up and shoot threes. That’s really not my game. Although I feel like I can do that, it’s not something that I want to be doing, just standing out there. I feel I can be a lot more effective for this team doing other things.”
Bucks Exercise 2017/18 Option On Rashad Vaughn
The Bucks have picked up the third-year option on Rashad Vaughn‘s rookie-scale contract, the team announced. Vaughn will earn $1,889,040 in 2017/18 as a result of the move. Milwaukee will have another decision to make next season regarding his fourth-year option, which would pay the guard $2,901,565 if exercised.
Vaughn appeared in 70 contests a season ago for the Bucks, averaging 3.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 14.3 minutes per outing. His shooting line on the campaign was .305/.291/.800.
The 20-year-old was taken with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft after just one season at UNLV. Vaughn’s college stats were 17.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 1.6 APG in 32.2 minutes. His slash line was .439/.393/.694.