Cavaliers To Work Out Obi Toppin
The Cavaliers will send a contingent to New Jersey this week to conduct a private, in-person workout with former Dayton forward Obi Toppin, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. According to Fedor, the Cavs intend to dine with Toppin as part of the visit to get to know him better.
General manager Koby Altman, assistant GM Mike Gansey, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will be part of Cleveland’s traveling party as the team takes a closer look at Toppin and other top prospects this week, Fedor writes. It’s not yet clear which other players the group will be visiting, but Isaac Okoro, Onyeka Okongwu, James Wiseman, and Deni Avdija are among the other players the Cavs have done plenty of homework on, per Fedor.
While some teams may not take advantage of the change to the pre-draft rules that allows clubs to conduct up to a total of 10 in-person workouts prior to next month’s draft, the Cavs view it as a “vital part of the process,” according to Fedor, who notes that in-person visits played important roles when the team drafted Collin Sexton in 2018 and Darius Garland in 2019.
Fedor has reiterated throughout the pre-draft process that Toppin is very much in play for the Cavs, who hold the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft. The former Flyer is already 22 years old and there are some concerns about his defense, as well as where he fits into a crowded Cleveland frontcourt. However, Fedor says that some members of the organization think the roster could use another long-term frontcourt piece, with Tristan Thompson facing free agency and Andre Drummond on an expiring deal. Additionally, Toppin’s defensive shortcomings aren’t considered a deal-breaker.
“It’s certainly not a strength, but is he a liability on that end? I won’t go that far,” one source told Fedor.
Isaac Doesn’t Think He Returned Too Soon From Knee Injury
After being diagnosed in early January with a severe left knee sprain and bone bruise, Magic forward Jonathan Isaac returned to action during the summer restart at Walt Disney World. His comeback was short-lived, however, as he went down with a torn left ACL during Orlando’s second seeding game.
Having suffered such a significant injury to the same knee that had just sidelined him for months, Isaac faced questions about whether he should have returned at all this summer, especially with the Magic viewed as an extreme long shot to make any noise in the postseason. However, he tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic that he has “no regrets” about the decision.
“In retrospect, no, I don’t think I came back too soon,” Isaac said. “I really was ready to go. I didn’t have any doubts about where I was in terms of moving or playing. I mean, you can watch from the clips of when I was playing — I was fine. I was in great shape outside of just my wind getting back. But I was in great shape. I think I was jumping my highest that I’ve done so far in my career.
“So I have no regrets about coming back or the timing that I did,” Isaac continued. “I trusted the staff, and we came to a decision: ‘I’m ready to play.’ It was my decision at the end of the day, and I went with it. And I’m glad I did.”
While his ACL tear is expected to cost Isaac the entire 2020/21 season, he has maintained a positive attitude about his recovery, telling Robbins that he’s not getting “down” or “upset” about the lengthy process. Isaac added that he has been comparing the steps of his recovery to those of teammate Chuma Okeke, who missed the 2019/20 season with a torn ACL of his own.
“I think he’s upbeat,” head coach Steve Clifford said of Isaac. “He’s attacking the rehab with a good, positive attitude, and that’s who he is. That’s the way he’s always been.”
Isaac is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, though it remains to be seen if he and the Magic will seriously attempt to negotiate a new deal while he’s still on the way back from his injury.
Teams Lobbying For Higher Tax Line In 2020/21
Even if the NBA’s salary cap doesn’t end up increasing at all for the 2020/21 season, teams are lobbying for a bump in the luxury tax line, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
In 2019/20, the cap was set at approximately $109.1MM, with the luxury tax line at $132.6MM. Generally, the tax threshold is directly tied to where the cap lands, so if the ’20/21 cap remains at $109.1MM, the tax line would remain unchanged too. Teams that cross the tax line must pay a penalty for each extra dollar they spend.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Luxury Tex Penalties]
However, given the unusual financial circumstances dictated by the coronavirus pandemic, clubs are hoping the NBA will consider artificially setting next season’s tax level at around $139MM, with a $145MM tax apron, says Marks. Those are approximately the figures the NBA had projected before the pandemic, when the league was forecasting a $115MM cap for 2020/21.
It’s not hard to see why teams – or at least the teams without cap room – would be pushing for a higher tax line. The pandemic has already had a major financial impact on many clubs, and having to pay bigger tax bills than initially expected would only exacerbate those financial woes. Increasing the apron – which serves as a hard cap in certain situations – would also give teams more roster flexibility.
While it’s not clear how the NBPA feels about the issue, there’s incentive for them to favor artificial changes to the tax line as well. Increasing the tax level certainly doesn’t guarantee that teams will put those savings toward player salaries, but it would likely make at least some clubs more willing to be active in free agency and open to taking on money in trades, which would benefit players.
As cap expert Albert Nahmad points out (via Twitter), there are a number of other ways the NBA and NBPA could temporarily tweak the luxury tax rules for the 2020/21 season to lessen the risk of a widespread spending freeze. Besides artificially increasing the tax threshold, the two sides could explore reducing taxpayer penalties or waiving the more punitive repeater tax penalties altogether.
David Stockton To Play In Puerto Rico
Veteran free agent guard David Stockton, the son of Hall-of-Famer John Stockton, has agreed to join Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Stockton, 29, went undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2014 and has spent most of his professional career since then in the NBA’s G League. In five total seasons with the Reno Bighorns and South Bay Lakers, he has averaged 17.5 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 3.5 RPG on .450/.372/.823 shooting in 169 games (30.0 MPG).
Stockton has also appeared in six total NBA games for the Kings and Jazz, and has some international experience, having played in Croatia in 2016, New Zealand in 2016/17, and Germany in 2018/19.
The timing of Stockton’s move to Puerto Rico is interesting, since a recent report said he has been named vice president of the new G League players’ union (the Basketball Players Union). That report indicated that Stockton was part of the BPU’s “interim” executive committee, so perhaps he’ll be replaced now that he’s apparently headed to Puerto Rico.
Stockton is the second former NBA player to reach an agreement with Mets de Guaynabo this month. Terrence Jones reportedly struck a deal with the Puerto Rican club last week.
2020 NBA Offseason Preview: Houston Rockets
Hoops Rumors is previewing the 2020 offseason for all 30 NBA teams. We’re looking at the key questions facing each club, as well as the roster decisions they’ll have to make this fall. Today, we’re focusing on the Houston Rockets.
Salary Cap Outlook
Nearly identical $41MM salaries for James Harden and Russell Westbrook will prevent the Rockets from opening up any cap space this offseason, barring a major roster shakeup. With over $123MM in guaranteed money already committed to just six players, Houston is in position to surpass the luxury tax threshold in 2020/21 unless the club cuts costs.
For now, we’re assuming the Rockets will be operating with the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.72MM) rather than the full MLE or the bi-annual.
Our full salary cap preview for the Rockets can be found right here.
Roster Decisions To Watch
Options:
- Austin Rivers, player option: $2,436,046
- David Nwaba, team option: $1,824,003
Non-Guaranteed Contracts:
- Ben McLemore ($2,283,034)
- Chris Clemons ($1,517,981)
Two-Way Contracts:
- Michael Frazier (expiring)
- William Howard (expiring)
Free Agents:
- Bruno Caboclo (Early Bird)
- Jeff Green (Non-Bird)
- DeMarre Carroll (Non-Bird)
- Thabo Sefolosha (Non-Bird)
- Tyson Chandler (Non-Bird)
- Luc Mbah a Moute (N/A)
- Note: Mbah a Moute won’t have any form of Bird rights because he was signed as a substitute player.
2020 Draft Assets
First Round:
- None
Second Round:
- None
While it remains possible that the Rockets will trade back into the draft, they’re currently the only team without a 2020 pick.
Houston dealt its first-rounder (No. 22) to Denver in the four-team deadline deal last season involving Robert Covington and Clint Capela. The Rockets’ second-rounder (No. 52) went to Sacramento in a three-team 2019 deadline trade that sent Brandon Knight to Cleveland and Iman Shumpert to Houston.
Three Key Offseason Questions
1. What will the Rockets look like without Daryl Morey and Mike D’Antoni in charge?
All NBA franchises reflect the philosophies of the people in charge to some extent, but few teams have been more defined by the their leaders during the past several years than the Rockets.
Morey and D’Antoni have each played a major role in revolutionizing the way modern basketball is played, and the marriage of their overlapping philosophies in Houston has resulted in an extreme style of small-ball that features an unprecedented amount of outside shooting.
Before D’Antoni arrived in Houston in 2016, no NBA team had ever come close to averaging 40 three-point attempts per game in a single season. Over the last four years, the Rockets have done it four times in a row, ranking first in the league in three-point attempts in each one of those seasons and establishing new records on three separate occasions (after averaging 45.4 threes per game in 2018/19, Houston averaged “only” 45.3 in ’19/20, preventing a fourth straight record season).
With Morey and D’Antoni both now out of the picture in Houston, it’s fair to wonder if we’ll see the Rockets modify their style of play going forward. If so, it would have a major impact on the roster moves they make this offseason and beyond.
I wouldn’t expect any major immediate changes, however, for a few reasons. For one, Morey’s replacement at the head of the basketball operations department is Rafael Stone, a veteran Rockets executive who presumably shares many of the same philosophies as his longtime boss. He’s helping to lead the search for a new head coach, so he’ll – in turn – likely be targeting candidates whose philosophies match up with his own.
Additionally, the Rockets have poured a ton of money, draft picks, and other resources into building a roster capable of thriving by playing small ball and launching three-pointers. Adopting a brand-new style of play would mean revamping the roster in a major way, and team owner Tilman Fertitta has said there are no plans to take that path this fall.
Having said that, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Rockets make some minor adjustments to their roster going forward. Perhaps they’ll be willing to spend a few extra million bucks this offseason to bring in one or two more traditional big men who can be relied upon to play rotation roles. But I certainly wouldn’t expect Houston to fall back to the middle of the pack in three-point attempts next season just because Morey and D’Antoni aren’t pulling the strings anymore.
2. How much is Tilman Fertitta willing to invest into the 2020/21 roster?
After coming within one game of the NBA Finals in 2018, the Rockets have seemingly been losing ground in their playoff appearances since then. They fell to Golden State a round earlier – and without putting up as strong a fight – in 2019, then were dispatched from the 2020 postseason by the Lakers relatively unceremoniously, dropping four consecutive games in the second round.
Still, it’s not as if Houston is in a downward spiral. After all, the club lost to the eventual champions this year and can bring back essentially the same core next season. The Rockets’ most important players – James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Robert Covington, P.J. Tucker, and Danuel House – are all under contract for 2020/21.
Unfortunately, that core won’t come cheap. The Rockets are already on the hook for more than $123MM in guaranteed money for those six players, including nearly $83MM for just Harden and Westbrook. Assuming the tax line remains relatively unchanged from the 2019/20 threshold (approximately $132.63MM), Houston projects to surpass it simply by filling out its roster with minimum-salary players.
The Rockets’ projections for 2020/21 will put team ownership to the test in a major way. Since buying the franchise in 2017, Fertitta has publicly conveyed a willingness to be a taxpayer if it means contending for a title, but the team’s actions have told another story.
Houston made a series of minor cost-cutting trades leading up to the 2019 deadline, surrendering cash and draft picks in order to sneak below the tax line. At the 2020 deadline, the Rockets didn’t have to work quite as hard to reduce salary, but the four-team trade that sent Clint Capela to Atlanta and brought Covington to Houston allowed the team to shed some money and get out of tax territory.
If the Rockets want to make any real upgrades to their roster and truly compete for a championship in 2021, they’ll probably have to be willing to use their mid-level exception. That will mean surpassing the tax line by a comfortable margin — or perhaps an uncomfortable one, if you’re Fertitta. If he was hesitant before about becoming a taxpayer, the Rockets’ owner certainly won’t be any more enthusiastic going forward, having had his businesses hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
But it would be counter-intuitive for the Rockets to dump their team-friendly contracts – like Covington’s, Tucker’s, or House’s – and the team probably can’t afford to give up more draft picks to entice a team to take Gordon’s long-term deal. Assuming Harden and Westbrook aren’t going anywhere, there just aren’t many avenues left to cut costs. So it’s time to see just how willing Fertitta is to spend on the roster.
3. How can the Rockets upgrade their roster around their core players?
Even if we assume the Rockets are ready to spend to add complementary pieces this offseason, the team doesn’t have a ton of tools at its disposal.
One of those tools is the mid-level exception, worth will be worth approximately $5.72MM, assuming Houston uses the taxpayer MLE rather than the full version. With teams around the NBA not expected to spend big in free agency this offseason, the Rockets might actually be able to get a pretty solid rotation player with that exception.
If they target a wing, players like Garrett Temple, Wesley Matthews, Justin Holiday, Maurice Harkless, and Glenn Robinson III could be options.
They might be able to find an even bigger bargain if they focus on big men. I wouldn’t normally expect guys like Serge Ibaka or Derrick Favors to be in Houston’s price range, but Texas is a favorable landing spot and it’s possible there will be an established veteran willing to sign a team-friendly one-year deal before returning to a more player-friendly 2021 market.
As for non-mid-level options, players who have signed minimum-salary deals with Houston in past seasons – including Austin Rivers, Jeff Green, and Gerald Green – might be attainable at the same price this fall. Rivers may even exercise his minimum-salary player option to return.
The Rockets also have a handful of trade exceptions on hand, though none are worth more than about $3.5MM. Those exceptions are essentially only good for players on rookie contracts or veterans earning close to the minimum, but perhaps an inexpensive player in need of a change of scenery – such as Omari Spellman – would appeal to Houston.
Of course, the draft represents the best opportunity to add young talent on the cheap, but the Rockets are the only team without any picks in 2020. Still, if there are teams looking to sell second-round picks and Houston is willing to spend a few million dollars, there could be opportunities to trade back into the draft and take advantage of what looks to be a deep class.
The Rockets may not have the flexibility to add big-time talent this offseason, but the club doesn’t necessarily need another star. Acquiring a couple rotation players who can be counted on to produce in the playoffs would go a long way toward keeping Houston in contention.
Information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA Targeting December 22 Start, 72-Game Season
After a report surfaced earlier today suggesting the logistics of the NBA’s 2020/21 season would be discussed during a board of governors meeting, more details have emerged, per Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic.
As Windhorst and Wojnarowski report, the NBA is aiming to begin the ’20/21 season prior to Christmas Day. Charania indicates that December 22 is the current target date, with both ESPN and The Athletic reporting that the league is proposing a truncated 72-game season instead of the usual 82.
The plan would allow for players to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in July and August and would put the NBA on track to resume its usual October-to-June schedule for the 2021/22 season.
Beginning the ’20/21 season just two months from now would almost certainly eliminate the possibility of fans attending games in-person due to ordinances restricting large indoor gatherings in many teams’ home markets.
However, waiting for fan attendance to become viable in all 30 markets likely would’ve resulted in a significant delay for the start of next season, and the NBA now sees more value in beginning the season sooner rather than later.
Charania reports that the league office projected a $500MM revenue value in NBA resumption transpiring a few days before Christmas instead of a later 2021 date. The 2020 NBA Finals concluded on October 11.
While fans may not be permitted in arenas by December, the NBA “strongly prefers” to avoid another single-site bubble, according to Wojnarowski and Windhorst, who say that the league is discussing travel and game schedules that would keep teams in certain marketplaces for longer than normal — teams may play multiple consecutive games against one another, similar to regular-season series in MLB.
The NBA is also hoping to once again implement a play-in tournament prior to the postseason and may propose eliminating All-Star Weekend in 2021 in favor of a two-week break halfway through the season, per ESPN.
All of these details must be approved by the National Basketball Players Association before they become official. Wojnarowski and Windhorst report that the league intends to “move quickly” to negotiate the details with the NBPA and set the plan in motion.
The league has vowed to give players approximately eight weeks notice before the start of the 2020/21 season, which means that the goal would be to wrap up negotiations between the NBA and NBPA sometime next week.
Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this story.
Central Notes: Griffin, Wood, Drummond, Bucks
Coming off a down year in which he was limited to just 18 ineffective games due to a knee injury, Pistons forward Blake Griffin is owed $36.8MM in 2020/21, with a player option worth nearly $39MM for ’21/22. As a result of that onerous contract, he’s not expected to be the most popular player on the trade market this offseason.
Still, on his Lowe Post podcast this week, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said that people around the NBA are keeping an eye on Griffin and asking Lowe what he’s hearing about the six-time All-Star. That doesn’t mean that the Pistons will get positive value in a trade for Griffin – or that they’ll move him at all this fall – but Lowe doesn’t believe that clubs have given up on the 31-year-old.
“I’ve had enough teams ask me about Blake Griffin that I think there’s still interest in what he can do to help you win,” Lowe said (hat tip to RealGM).
With Lowe’s comments in mind, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic put together some trade ideas involving Griffin and had his colleague John Hollinger evaluate each hypothetical proposal. Edwards cautions that he doesn’t think the Pistons are particularly eager to trade Griffin, but puts forth a few scenarios involving Golden State, Sacramento, Brooklyn, and Phoenix.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press considers the three directions the Pistons could go with Christian Wood‘s free agency, weighing the pros and cons of re-signing Wood, letting him walk, or signing-and-trading him to a new team.
- In a conversation with Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Cavaliers center Andre Drummond said his new team “did a really, really good job” of making him feel comfortable after he was acquired from Detroit in February. Although Drummond talked as if he’s preparing to be with the Cavs next season, he was evasive when repeatedly asked by Fedor about his upcoming player option decision and potential free agency, claiming that he’s “not really thinking about it” yet.
- With the Bucks expected to be aggressive in seeking roster upgrades this offseason, Eric Nehm of The Athletic assesses a series of trade ideas from his readers, determining which team would balk at each hypothetical proposal.
Spencer Dinwiddie Leaves Roc Nation, Considering Self-Representation
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has parted ways with Roc Nation Sports and is seriously considering the possibility of representing himself, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Dinwiddie became a Roc Nation client about a year ago after his representative, Raymond Brothers, joined the agency. He hasn’t signed a new contract since December 2018, when he inked a three-year extension that locks him up through at least the 2020/21 season — he has a $12.3MM player option for ’21/22, so he can reach the open market next year at age 28.
Dinwiddie, who has been with the Nets since 2016, enjoyed perhaps his best season in 2019/20, establishing new career highs in PPG (20.6), APG (6.8), and RPG (3.5), among other categories. Those numbers figure to slip a little with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving back in Brooklyn’s lineup, but Dinwiddie has established himself as a reliable scorer and play-maker and should do well on his next deal.
If Dinwiddie elects to negotiate his next contract on his own, it will be interesting to see what it ends up looking like. The point guard has exhibited a willingness to get creative with his financial portfolio, having made an effort last year to turn his NBA contract into a digital investment vehicle. When he eventually launched his investment bond in January, the league prevented him from tying it directly to his contract.
Gordon Hayward Remains On Pacers’ Radar
Some members of the Pacers‘ organization continue to have interest in making a trade for Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who cautions that it’s not clear whether Boston is open to moving Hayward or what the C’s would want in return for him.
This isn’t the first time this year that Hayward has been linked to Indiana. Approximately four months ago, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star said during a podcast appearance that the veteran forward – an Indianapolis native who played his college ball at Butler – was a potential target for the Pacers.
“The kind of player Hayward is, is the kind of player (the Pacers) would definitely be interested in,” Michael said at the time.
Although Hayward can technically become a free agent this offseason, he’s expected to pick up his $34MM+ player option instead. Turning down that option in favor of a longer-term extension that locks in more overall guaranteed money is a possibility, but a new deal likely wouldn’t pay Hayward anything close to $34MM in 2020/21.
If and when he opts in, Hayward will be eligible to be traded, so it’s possible the Pacers and Celtics could work out a deal at that point — Myles Turner is one player who might pique Boston’s interest, for example. However, no Pacer is earning more than $21MM in ’20/21, so multiple pieces would be required in any trade and it would probably be a challenge for the two teams to agree on a fair deal.
Additionally, Begley’s report doesn’t specify exactly which members of the Pacers’ front office are intrigued by the possibility of acquiring Hayward. President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has the final say on personnel moves, so he’d obviously have to be on board with the idea.
We shouldn’t close the door on the idea of a homecoming for Hayward, but his contract situation complicates matters, as does the fact that neither Boston nor Indiana has a ton of cap flexibility. We’ll have to wait to see if anything comes of the Pacers’ alleged interest in the coming weeks.
Warriors Work Out Deni Avdija
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and other members of the organization traveled to Atlanta to work out Israeli draft prospect Deni Avdija on Thursday morning, sources tell Ethan Strauss of The Athletic.
According to Strauss, Avdija performed well in the workouts and Warriors officials were “blown away” after meeting with him. The club was impressed with the 19-year-old’s work ethic, Strauss adds.
[RELATED: Omri Casspi thinks Avdija would be good fit for Warriors]
For the past few months, NBA teams haven’t been permitted to work out prospects as part of this year’s pre-draft process, but the league recently loosened restrictions on those in-person meetings. Clubs are now allowed to conduct 10 in-person workouts with draft-eligible players by November 16.
Not every team has been enthusiastic about taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with prospects in person, as we detailed last weekend. However, the expectation has been that teams with high lottery picks will be active in lining up meetings with top prospects, so it makes sense that the Warriors – who own the No. 2 selection – would be one of the clubs to take advantage.
As Strauss notes, the Warriors’ workout with Avdija doesn’t necessarily mean that the team is zeroing in on the former Maccabi Tel Aviv star. However, the fact that members of the organization were willing to travel to Atlanta to get a closer look at the young forward is at least a signal that Golden State hasn’t committed to the idea of trading out of the No. 2 spot in a win-now deal.