Petr Cornelie Signs With Real Madrid
Former NBA second-round pick Petr Cornelie has signed a new contract with Real Madrid, the Spanish team announced in a press release. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
The 53rd overall pick in 2016, Cornelie remained overseas for several seasons after being drafted, playing for multiple teams in his home country of France. The veteran forward/center eventually signed a two-way contract with the Nuggets during the 2021 offseason and made his NBA debut last fall.
Cornelie, who turned 27 on Tuesday, appeared in 13 games for Denver, logging just 38 total minutes. He spent most of his first NBA season with the Grand Rapids Gold in the G League, where he put up 17.8 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game on .497/.362/.688 shooting in 25 regular season appearances (33.2 MPG).
While Cornelie’s strong G League play could have earned him another look on an NBA roster at some point this season, he opted for the security of a spot on a Real Madrid team that competes in Spain’s top division (Liga ACB) and the EuroLeague. He figures to play a key role for the Spanish club, which also recently signed former NBA lottery pick Mario Hezonja.
How Rising Salary Cap Could Impact NBA Teams, Players
The NBA’s revenue was significantly impacted in 2020 and 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded in a big way this past season, resulting in the league’s biggest single-year salary cap bump since 2016.
As John Hollinger of The Athletic writes, the salary cap projects to continue increasing rapidly in the coming years, particularly after the NBA completes a lucrative new television deal that will take effect in 2025. That rising cap will have a real impact on how teams approach contract and extension talks with their players, and how those players weigh their contract decisions.
For starters, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits veteran players who are earning more than the league average salary from receiving a raise of more than 20% in the first year of an extension. As a result, players like Dejounte Murray and Jaylen Brown, who have significantly outperformed contracts in the range of $16-26MM per year, are extremely unlikely to sign extensions before they reach free agency, which could result in difficult decisions for teams.
For instance, an inability to extend Murray now and an uneasiness about going all the way to free agency in 2024 with him was believed to be one reason why the Spurs traded the All-Star guard this offseason. Now Brown finds himself in trade rumors as well.
For now, those extension rules are only really creating problems for teams who sign players for less than the maximum and then watch those players prove worthy of max extensions. However, the issue could become more widespread if the cap continues to rocket upward.
According to Hollinger, a “50-60 percent increase in the cap over a period of half a decade” isn’t out of the question, in which case even players who sign maximum-salary contracts may have to put off extensions until their next free agency in order to maximize their earnings.
Given the anticipated cap jumps coming in the next few years, Hollinger suggests that teams may be more willing to lock in long-term deals that look like bad present values, since they’ll be worth a much smaller percentage of the cap by the time they expire. He points to Jordan Poole, RJ Barrett, and Tyler Herro as examples of extension-eligible players who could be worth maximum-salary investments based on current and future cap numbers.
As Hollinger observes, locking in a player to a more lucrative longer-term deal now would also make it more viable to extend that player down the road, whereas a contract like Keldon Johnson‘s new four-year, $80MM pact with the Spurs could make him virtually unextendable if the cap continues to increase by 10% per year (or anything close to it).
Conversely, certain players might become more inclined to seek shorter-term contracts in order to reach unrestricted free agency in 2025 or shortly thereafter, after the NBA’s new TV deal money comes in.
There has been speculation that the NBA and NBPA may agree to “smooth” out a significant salary cap increase across several seasons this time around, rather than allowing a massive one-year spike like in 2016. But either way, the expectation is that there will be an influx of new revenue in the coming years, and the players are entitled to about half of it.
It’s still a little too early to say with any certainty how the NBA’s salary cap outlook is affecting teams’ and players’ decisions, but it’ll be an issue to keep a close eye on going forward.
Celtics Rumors: Brown, Durant, Trade Talks
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was “perplexed” by a recent report claiming he doesn’t intend to re-sign in Boston when his current contract expires in 2024, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who hears from sources that Brown denied that report behind closed doors.
As Weiss observes, Brown is unlikely to sign a contract extension anytime soon, but that’s because his maximum earnings in an extension would fall far short of what he could earn if he reaches free agency and signs a new deal at that time.
Brown’s name has once again popped up in trade rumors this offseason, as it did in 2018 when San Antonio was shopping Kawhi Leonard and in 2019 when New Orleans was shopping Anthony Davis. However, despite those rumors, Brown wants to remain in Boston, Weiss writes.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Although Brown’s name came up in past trade rumors involving star players, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says the Celtics never actually made the former No. 3 pick available when Leonard was on the block in 2018 and only internally discussed the possibility of offering Brown in 2019 after Davis requested a trade. The Celtics began to consider what they could get for Brown this January, following a 23-24 start, but didn’t seriously entertain the idea of moving him at the deadline, Fischer adds. In other words, the Kevin Durant talks represent the first time the club has seriously mulled moving Brown.
- Within the same Bleacher Report story, Fischer says the Celtics’ most serious discussions with the Nets about Durant happened at the start of July, noting that those talks were considered to be part of Brooklyn’s “first stage of continuing negotiations.” Most trade negotiations around the NBA “have come to a momentary lull” since Summer League ended, according to Fischer.
- Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, and Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe each broke down the rumors linking Durant to Boston, exploring whether it makes sense for the Celtics to make a strong push for the star forward and evaluating what they should be willing to give up. Washburn argues that the C’s should stand pat and hang onto Brown, while O’Connor says he’d probably be willing to give up both Brown and Marcus Smart in order to land Durant.
- Washburn, like Weiss, hears that Brown is “invested” in Boston and wants to be part of the Celtics’ future.
Wizards Hire James Posey As Assistant Coach
JULY 26: The Wizards have officially hired Posey as an assistant coach, the team announced today in a press release.
“We are excited to add James to our staff, as he brings championship experience both as a player and coach,” Unseld Jr. said in a statement. “As one of the toughest defenders in the league and a clutch shooter during his NBA tenure, we will be able to lean on his playing and coaching experiences to help the development of our players.”
JULY 22: The Wizards and James Posey are finalizing an agreement that will make the former NBA forward an assistant coach on Wes Unseld Jr.‘s staff, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Posey played in the NBA from 1999-2011, winning titles in 2006 with the Heat and 2008 with the Celtics. Following his retirement, he joined the coaching staff of Cleveland’s G League team in Canton, then became an assistant on the Cavaliers’ staff from 2014-19. He won another championship with the Cavs in 2016.
Most recently, Posey was an assistant coach in 2021/22 for the women’s basketball program at the University of Virginia.
According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link), while Posey’s job title hasn’t been finalized yet, he’ll essentially fill the opening on the staff that was created when assistant coach and player development manager Mike Batiste left D.C. to take a job on Stephen Silas‘ staff in Houston.
Rockets Re-Sign Bruno Fernando
1:43pm: Fernando received an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The deal could be converted into a two-way contract prior to the season or would entitle Fernando to a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins the Rockets’ G League team.
1:31pm: The Rockets have re-signed free agent big man Bruno Fernando to a new contract, the team announced today in a press release. Houston now has a full 20-man offseason roster.
Fernando, who will turn 24 next month, was the 34th overall pick in the 2019 draft. He began his career in Atlanta, was sent to the Celtics in a 2021 offseason trade, then was flipped to Houston at the 2022 deadline in February.
The former Maryland standout played some of the best basketball of his career down the stretch with the Rockets, albeit in a limited role. He averaged 6.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 0.8 BPG on 70.7% shooting in 10 appearances (9.4 MPG) for Houston.
The terms of Fernando’s new deal are unclear. The Rockets already have 18 players on guaranteed standard contracts, so it seems unlikely they’d want to bring in a 19th without clearing that logjam.
Fernando is technically eligible for a two-way contract, but there’s no indication in Houston’s announcement that he got a two-way deal. That makes a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed standard contract the likeliest outcome, but we’ll wait for confirmation on the details.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 7/26/2022
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat this afternoon.
Click here to view the transcript, and join us on Thursday at 11:00 am Central time when Dana Gauruder hosts our next live chat.
Yves Pons Signs With French Team ASVEL
After spending his rookie year with the Grizzlies, free agent forward Yves Pons is headed to Europe for the 2022/23 season. Pons has signed a two-year deal with ASVEL Villeurbanne, the French team announced today in a press release (hat tip to Eurohoops).
Pons was born in Haiti and grew up in France, so while this will be his first professional season spent overseas, it won’t be an entirely new experience for him. He played in France’s amateur third-tier division before moving to the U.S., where he played his college ball at Tennessee.
Undrafted in 2021, Pons caught on quickly with the Grizzlies as a free agent and signed a two-way contract with the team last offseason. The 23-year-old only played 71 total minutes in 12 games at the NBA level, but saw a little more action at the G League level, starting 14 of the 15 contests he played for the Memphis Hustle.
Pons averaged 10.1 PPG and 6.2 RPG for the Grizzlies’ NBAGL affiliate, making 47.6% of his shots from the floor, including 33.3% of his threes. When his two-way deal with Memphis expired at season’s end, the club didn’t issue him a qualifying offer, so he became an unrestricted free agent.
Pons’ new team, which competes in France’s top league and the EuroLeague, is owned by former NBA star Tony Parker. ASVEL also recently signed former NBA guard Nando De Colo.
Larry Bird No Longer Has Active Role With Pacers
Larry Bird, who stepped down as the Pacers‘ president of basketball operations in 2017, has continued to work with the team in recent years in an advisory role, but he didn’t attend any of Indiana’s pre-draft workouts this spring, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, who hears that Bird no longer has an active role with the franchise.
“Yeah, he’s not active,” current Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confirmed to Agness.
However, Pritchard suggested that he and head coach Rick Carlisle can still reach out to the Hall of Famer for advice or feedback if they need it.
“Larry is a good friend of mine and he’s a good friend of Rick’s,” Pritchard said. “At any time we need help, we know where to look. He’s always available.”
Bird, of course, was a Celtic for his entire career as a player, but the Indiana native – who played his college ball at Indiana State – spent most of his post-playing career with the Pacers.
Bird was named Indiana’s head coach in 1997, resigned after three years, then was hired as the team’s president of basketball operations in 2003. He stepped away for a year from 2012-13 due to health reasons, but otherwise held his position in the Pacers’ front office until 2017. After stepping down in ’17, he held the title of advisor to the president of basketball operations (Pritchard).
According to Agness, while Bird wasn’t an everyday presence around the team in recent years, he enjoyed attending pre-draft workout in May and June to evaluate prospects and also played a role in the rehiring of Carlisle in 2021. However, Agness says he didn’t see Bird at a practice or game at all during the 2021/22 season.
Nuggets’ Booth Talks Offseason Moves, Murray, MPJ, Jokic
Following Tim Connelly‘s departure for Minnesota, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth was thrust into the lead role of Denver’s front office just weeks before the 2022 draft and wasn’t shy about immediately shaking up the roster this offseason.
Of the 17 players who currently have standard guaranteed contracts or two-way deals with the Nuggets for 2022/23, eight have joined the team since the ’21/22 season ended. That group includes wings Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown and rookies Christian Braun and Peyton Watson, among others.
Speaking to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Booth said that last year’s team was “a little bit smaller” than the front office had envisioned, so it was a priority this summer to add some size, especially on the perimeter. Upgrading the defense was also a goal, according to Booth, who discussed a few specific roster moves in his conversation with Vorkunov.
Here are a few of the most noteworthy comments from the Nuggets’ new head of basketball operations:
On the motivation for the trade that sent JaMychal Green to Oklahoma City:
“It helped us open up another roster spot to get a more regarded or better defender on the perimeter. JaMychal brought a lot of toughness and explosion around the rim and he’s a great shooter, but (defending) in space wasn’t his strength. So, it allowed us to open up a roster spot where we can get somebody that could be more versatile and switch and do something like that.”
On whether Booth thinks the defense will be better in 2022/23, particularly on the perimeter:
“Yeah, definitely do. I think, again, with the injuries, and Jamal (Murray), I think, is an underrated defender. Obviously, it’s gonna take a while to get back into tip-top form for him coming back off the injury, but I fully expect him to be a two-way guy once he’s back feeling like himself.
“But Aaron Gordon had to cover a lot of holes last year; he had to go into the backcourt a lot more probably than Coach (Michael) Malone or himself would have liked to. So, hopefully with the addition of KCP and Bruce Brown and Christian Braun and some of the guys of this nature — Davon Reed, he’s back, he does some good things for us — Aaron won’t have to go into the backcourt quite as much.”
On the plan for Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. as they return from injuries this fall:
“I definitely think they’ll both be healthy (to start the season). Especially with the nature of Mike’s injury, and even Jamal, we’ll probably have to be wary about back-to-backs and things of that nature. As we get close to the season Coach Malone and I will sit down with performance staff and map out a plan for what that looks like during the regular season.”
On attempting to maximize Nikola Jokic‘s prime years:
“That’s just a priority. That’s the No. 1 focus. Maximize the timeline. Put personnel around him that allows him to play his best and get the most out of his teammates. So, that’s the No. 1 priority in our organization right now.”
Freddie Gillespie Signs Two-Year Deal With Bayern Munich
Free agent big man Freddie Gillespie is headed overseas for the coming season, having signed a two-year contract with Bayern Munich in Germany, according to a press release.
Gillespie said in a statement that he’s looking forward to making the move to Munich and intends to bring rebounding, defense, rim protection, and strong screen-setting to the German team, which competes in the EuroLeague.
After going undrafted out of Baylor in 2020, Gillespie has spent the last two seasons bouncing back and forth between the NBA and the G League. He has appeared in 29 total games at the NBA level for Toronto and Orlando, averaging 4.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 17.6 minutes per contest.
Gillespie has also played in 37 G League regular season games for the Memphis Hustle – the Grizzlies’ NBAGL affiliate – across the last two years, putting up 9.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 23.6 MPG.
Assuming Gillespie plays out his new contract with Bayern Munich, he’ll return to the free agent market in 2024.