Q&A With San Diego State Forward Dwayne Polee
Over the next few weeks, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with San Diego State forward Dwayne Polee.
A product of Los Angeles powerhouse Westchester High School, Dwayne Polee arrived at St. John’s in 2010 with a great deal of hype. The small forward thrived under first-year head coach Steve Lavin, but an illness at home prompted him to relocate back to the West Coast. Leaving St. John’s was a difficult decision for Polee, but he landed with another solid program in San Diego State, where he enjoyed multiple appearances in the NCAA tournament. The 23-year-old is now auditioning for teams in hopes of hearing his name called later this month. Recently, Polee took some time out of his schedule to chat with Hoops Rumors about his career going forward.
Zach Links: This year, San Diego State made the NCAA tournament and your first game was against St. John’s. Was it strange facing your old teammates in such a high stakes game?
Dwayne Polee: No it wasn’t awkward or anything because I still keep in touch with so many of those guys. I loved my time at St. John’s. I have a very close bond with my teammates that I played with in that year. Steve Lavin and that whole coaching staff was great to me. It was just a great experience all around.
ZL: Have you bumped into Phil Greene or any of your former Red Storm teammates on the draft workout circuit?
DP: Nope, not yet. Could happen over the next few weeks though.
ZL: What do you feel like your greatest strengths are on the court? What do you want to work on?
DP: I think my greatest strengths are probably my defense, athleticism, and length. With my wingspan I can clog the passing lanes and pressure ball handlers a lot more than other guys can. I want to become a more consistent shooter and a more consistent ball handler.
ZL: Your father played professionally and was drafted in the third round by the Clippers. What sort of advice has he given you about the draft process?
DP: He just told me just go out there and play like you’re in the backyard. He told me to play as though there are no GMs or scouts are watching me, because that can be a big distraction. I just go out there and play my hardest like nobody is watching.
ZL: What NBA player would you compare yourself to?
DP: I think I would compare myself to a Jeff Green or a Tony Allen type of player. They play great defense and they’re solid athletes. They can nail the open shots and they just bring their team a lot of energy.
ZL: What workouts have you had so far?
DP: Dallas and the Clippers.
ZL: What are you hearing about your chances of getting drafted?
DP: I haven’t really talked about that with my agent too much just yet, but [Jim Tanner] is just telling me to go out there and play hard. He’s pretty sure that I’ll be able to shock some teams.
ZL: Late last year in a game against UC-Riverside, you had a scary moment where you collapsed mid-game and had to be taken off the court on a gurney. I know that doctors held you out of practice for a while and you weren’t allowed to return to the court until February. We’ve heard players talk about their trepidation in cutting on a surgically-repaired knee or ankle for the first time – what was it like coming back from this incident?
DP: It was kind of weird mentally because you got to get back to the business of basketball. Being with your teammates, running the plays, the rhythm and everything…I would say that was the most challenging part for me. The rest of it didn’t stress me out too much. The way I play is that even if I don’t score a single point, I still go out there and play hard and give it my best.
ZL: What led you to choose Jim Tanner as your agent?
DP: For me, everything is just based on vibes, you know. Jim, when I met with him, he just gave me a great vibe and I just felt comfortable signing with [Tandem Sports and Entertainment]. Since then, everyone I’ve come across tells me that I picked the best agency. I’m very comfortable with the decision that I made.
Pistons Hire Arn Tellem
The Pistons announced that they have hired prominent NBA agent Arn Tellem to a senior position. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports first reported that the two sides were finalizing a deal. Tellem, an industry veteran, has been crowned the vice chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment. He is expected to join the organization on August 3 after transitioning his current responsibilities as Vice Chairman of Wasserman Media Group.
“Arn is one of the most accomplished and respected sports executives in the world,” owner Tom Gores said in a press release. “He has great passion, integrity and honesty, and he shares my belief that sports can be a catalyst for change in the community. He is an outstanding addition to our leadership team who will help us make a real difference in Detroit.”
The addition of Tellem will not affect the sovereignty of team president and coach Stan Van Gundy, who joined Detroit on a five-year, $35MM deal last year. Sources tell Woj that Tellem will answer directly to billionaire owner Tom Gores, but will not become the ultimate authority on basketball decisions. However, Gores is busy with other business ventures and it appears that Tellem will basically become the Pistons’ ownership face in Michigan.
Tellem’s deal with Gores could include an ownership stake, according to sources who spoke with Yahoo Sports. Meanwhile, Tellem will leave Wasserman Sports behind in a transition that should take place over the next few months. The agency has over 50 players and $300MM+ in player contracts on the books, including Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Derrick Rose, as shown in the Hoops Rumors Agency Database. Some of the top free agents of the summer are also WMG clients, including Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Draymond Green.
In 2012, former agent Jason Levien helped Robert Pera assemble a group of investors to buy the Grizzlies and was appointed CEO of the team. His tenure came to a close in 2014 in a front office shakeup that saw the dismissal of assistant GM Stu Lash but did not affect another unorthodox hire in former ESPN scribe John Hollinger.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Dragic, Butler
The sale of the Hawks is slated to become official on June 24th, a source tells Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Tony Ressler will become the majority owner of the franchise, which sold for a price of $730MM, down from the estimated $750MM to $1 billion figure that had previously been reported, as Vivlamore notes. The purchasing group additionally consists of Grant Hill, Rick Schnall, Sara Blakely, and Jesse Itzler. Hopefully, the sale will help turn a new page on the inner workings of an otherwise successful franchise that was marred by scandal last summer. Here’s more from the Southeast Division, who for the first time in four seasons won’t have a representative in the NBA Finals..
- One of Goran Dragic’s two agents, Rade Filipovich, believes that his client wants Dwyane Wade to stay in Miami, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “We are monitoring closely what’s going on; Wade is a very important piece for Miami’s future; he’s a superstar,” said Filipovich, who also expressed optimism that the Heat will retain Wade. “Goran wants Wade to stay. But it’s my opinion. I can’t answer for Goran. It’s not the focus for Goran.”
- If Dragic is not re-signed, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post wonders if the Heat might chase free agent Rajon Rondo. Miami would be in scramble mode for a new point guard if Dragic flees, but Rondo still doesn’t seem like a good fit given all his baggage and his decline at this stage in his career. As Lieser notes, Rondo could wind up with the Lakers, who have also been heavily connected to Dragic for some time.
- Rasual Butler wants to return to the Wizards and he’s not making a secret of it. Brandon Parker of The Washington Post looked back at the season that Butler had in D.C. and looked at how he might fit in with the team in 2015/16. Butler, 36, averaged 7.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 20.1 minutes per contest last season.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Q&A With Harvard Guard Wesley Saunders
Throughout the spring and summer, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with Harvard point guard Wesley Saunders.
Many notable figures in U.S. history have cut their teeth at Harvard, but there haven’t been a ton of high-level professional athletes to come out of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Point guard Wesley Saunders, however, could be an exception. After leading the Crimson to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and two memorable upsets, Saunders is now looking to continue his career at the highest level. Saunders, who is racking up serious frequent flyer miles as he auditions for teams all across the country, spoke with Hoops Rumors at the airport before heading to Atlanta to work out for the Hawks.
Zach Links: What workouts do you have scheduled?
Wesley Saunders: When all is said and done I’ll have worked out for the 76ers, Hawks, Mavericks, Clippers, Bulls, Magic, Bucks, and Knicks. 
ZL: Do you think it’ll be tough bouncing around from city to city so quickly and giving 100% for each of these?
WS: I don’t necessarily think it’s too much pressure, really. In the Ivy League we used to play games back-to-back on the weekends, so I have a bit of an advantage over some of the other guys from different conferences because I’m used to it. I’m used to going out there one night and giving my all on the court and doing it all over again the next night.
ZL: How did the 76ers workout go?
WS: It went well. It was my first one so I was a little bit nervous. I didn’t know what to expect going in but I think that those guys have a really great workout plan laid out. It was fast-paced, quick, and efficient. I did a lot of shooting drills, some 1-on-1, some 3-on-3. This is fun for me, we’ve been working out and getting ready for these workouts so I’m well prepared.
ZL: Where are you working out of? Are you working out with other players?
WS: I’ve been in the Los Angeles area, mostly at USC and Westchester High School. I’ve mostly been doing it solo but I’ve also worked out a bit with Dwayne Polee since we’re in the same agency.
ZL: If you had to compare yourself to an NBA player, who would it be?
WS: I’d say Wesley Matthews. I think that coming out of college we have some similar skill sets. We’re around 6’5″ and 220 pounds. A lot of people say we’re not super athletic, but we’re certainly athletic enough. [Matthews] was by no means a lights-out shooter like he is now. He developed that later on and I think I can develop in the same way that he did. He created a great career for himself and he’s one of the best shooting guards in the league right now.
ZL: What do you think makes you stand out over other point guards in this class?
WS: I think it’s my versatility. I have the ability to make plays for myself or for others and I have a high basketball IQ. I’m good at playing out of the pick-and-roll and that’s like 80 or 90% of the game in the NBA right now. I can defend against 1s, 2s, or 3s on defense and I just think that I have that jack-of-all-trades quality. I can fit into a lot of different roles.
ZL: What do you want to work on?
WS: I definitely want to work on my shooting consistency from three-point range. I shot about 42% from outside this year, but that’s the college three. The NBA three is a whole different animal. I also want to improve my lateral quickness and my explosiveness so that I can really stay in front of those quick 1s.
ZL: In the last three years your Harvard teams have wound up on the national stage in the NCAA tournament. What was your anxiety level like going into each tourney?
WS: I was the most nervous for the first one against New Mexico. I think that was because we had never been there before, so everything was kind of brand new. We were playing against a really good team and people said they were a possible FInal Four team. They were a really popular tournament pick. We were an underdog. Nobody really knew about us. We just got into a rhythm and we were able to pull out the win.
The next year against Cincinnati was a little bit different. Going into it we were really confident. We felt like with the type of team they were, we could definitely have some success against them. We went in, we executed our game plan and came out with a victory.
This year against North Carolina, that was another one where we had a lot of nerves. That’s obviously a program with a storied history and so many great players have come through there. Obviously we were all familiar with Roy Williams and all the great players they had; at the same time, we’ve been there before. We’ve been the underdogs, so we knew we could get it done. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pull it out, but we gave them a good battle.
ZL: I imagine that the academic pressures of playing at Harvard can be pretty overwhelming for some guys.
WS: Honestly, it really wasn’t for me because I went to a great high school and that prepared me for the academic load at Harvard. It all just came down to time management.
ZL: Was that a concern for you before you committed to Harvard?
WS: I don’t think I had any hesitations about Harvard from that standpoint. The real hesitation for me was from a basketball standpoint: Was Harvard good enough athletically for me to really achieve my dream in the NBA? But, after talking to Coach [Tommy] Amaker and getting a feel for his vision of the program and where I would fit in, I felt comfortable that if I worked hard and believed in his system that I would be able to achieve my dream.
ZL: What led you to choose Tandem Sports and Entertainment to represent you?
WS: I just felt like I really fell in line with the players that they have already in their agency. They have some really high character guys and I really felt like they do things the right way.
Everybody in the agency is honest and trustworthy and they’re people that really want to help me with my career going forward. I think they’re very professional and, at the same time, they really have a vested interest in my success. They’re helping me to have not only a great basketball career, but a great life just moving forward, so I definitely felt comfortable with them.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Jazz, Nuggets
Earlier today, a report surfaced indicating that Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge had put his Portland area home up for sale. Apparently, that is not the case. Yes, the house is up for sale, but the 29-year-old free agent isn’t the owner. It turns out that the West Linn, Oregon home is actually owned by former Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire and Aldridge was simply renting it, as John Canzano of The Oregonian writes. Stoudamire later confirmed as much on Twitter [sic]:
“eating lunch and my house in West Linn comes across the screen. Don’t know if LA is leaving PO but, thx for the pub! #4sale,” Stoudamire wrote.
While Blazers fans calm down a bit, let’s take a look at more news out of the Northwest Division..
- The Jazz have a greater chance at bringing over Tibor Pleiss next year than Ante Tomic, ESPN700’s Andy Larsen tweets. However, it’s also possible that both players make the jump or that neither player does. Larsen notes that what Utah does with both players is very much dependent on who they draft (link). There won’t be much room for both players if they draft a big man at No. 12 later this month.
- The Jazz formally announced on Twitter that they will work out six prospects on Friday. That group includes SMU center Yanick Moreira, UNC Asheville center Jaleel Roberts, Kentucky guard Aaron Harrison, Maryland guard/forward Dez Wells, N.C. State guard Trevor Lacey, and St. John’s guard Phil Greene. Hoops Rumors spoke with Greene and his former coach Steve Lavin recently about the guard’s NBA prospects. Greene is represented by veteran NBA agent Keith Kreiter.
- In a press release, the Nuggets announced that they will audition seven players on Friday. The morning group will feature forward Darion Atkins (Virginia), guard Devin Booker (Kentucky), forward Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), guard Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), guard Pierria Henry (Charlotte), and guard/forward SirDominic Pointer (St. John’s).
- The Blazers‘ second pre-draft workout includes Henry, George de Paula, Chris Walker, Joshua Smith, and Seth Tuttle, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (on Twitter). As previously reported, Jarell Martin will also be a participant.
Q&A With Michigan St. Forward Branden Dawson
Throughout the spring and summer, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with Michigan State forward Branden Dawson, whom Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks No. 87 in this year’s class (Chad Ford of ESPN.com does not have him ranked in his top 100 list).
No. 7 seed Michigan State upset a number of teams this spring on its way to a Final Four appearance thanks in large part to the play of forward Branden Dawson. Throughout his career at Michigan State, Dawson has been a key cog on the team, ascending from a ~20 minute per night player to a starring role. Now, after earning his degree, Dawson is turning his attention to the NBA. Dawson spoke with Hoops Rumors last week about his collegiate career and how his skill set will translate at the next level.
Zach Links: At 6’7″ with a 6’11” wingspan, you have size that could translate to either playing small forward or something of an undersized power forward. What position do you think suits you best in the NBA?
Branden Dawson: I would say the small forward position is my best position. I can play either the 3 or the 4, but I think I do better at the 3. I played small forward for the first three years at Michigan State and I find that I can use my strength and my size as an advantage there. Still, if you put me at the 4, I’m going to be faster than most other power forwards.
ZL: Between your athleticism and your wingspan, do you feel like you’re equipped to guard multiple positions at the next level?
BD: Yeah. I have the length and the mobility to do that. I can be strong and physical but also speedy enough to stay in front of smaller guys. I feel like I’m pretty versatile in that regard.
ZL: With serious leaping ability and speed, do you feel like you can out-rebound taller opponents pretty regularly?
BD: That’s something I was able to do in college a lot, but that’s not how it’s going to be in the NBA because you’re going against other elite athletes. I’m not going to be able to rebound how I did in college every single night, but I can definitely do quality work on the glass.
ZL: This year you helped lead Michigan State, a seven seed, all the way to the Final Four. What was it like to go out on such a high note?
BD: It meant a lot to me. Just to make it to a Final Four, it meant so much. Last year we had Adreian [Payne] leading the way and we still came up short of the Final Four, so we wanted to accomplish that. At the same time, a lot of people questioned whether we’d even make it to the tournament. There was a lot of pressure on us and a lot of adversity and to do it the way we did was amazing.
ZL: Back in April, Magic Johnson tweeted out that he’s looking forward to seeing you in the NBA. What did it mean to get that kind of endorsement and support from one of the game’s all-time legends?
BD: It was huge. He’s just a great guy. Magic always comes around when we’re in the tournament and he comes back and talks to us. It gives me a lot of confidence and really motivates me to succeed. If he sees great potential in me then other people will see it, too.
ZL: How often do you speak with him?
BD: Every so often, usually around tournament time. This year he checked in on us before the Sweet 16 and [again before] the Final Four. He gave us some great Dodgers hats and gear. … Just him coming back and showing his support, that means a lot to us.
ZL: How has playing under Tom Izzo prepared you for the challenges of the NBA?
BD: It has prepared me very well, I think. He’s the type of guy that just wants to see you succeed. We have a million plays and we run an NBA-type offense, so i think that’ll help my transition. When I went to the NBA combine and had my first workout with the Suns, we ran a lot of plays and drills that were exactly like what we do at Michigan State. I was like, “This is not new to me,” and I think that helped me out a ton.
ZL: How long did it take for your to rehab from your freshman year left ACL tear?
BD: It was about six months from when I tore it to when I got back on the court. I came back faster than I thought I would. Everyone was calling me Superman and the doctor said that I healed really fast, I had a quick recovery.
ZL: Did you ever consider declaring for the draft as an underclassman?
BD: No, I don’t think I ever seriously considered that. In my junior season I asked around about what I should do, but I always told my mom I’d get my degree. I’m the first in my family to graduate college and that was important to me. No one around me ever pressured me to go pro early.
ZL: Any individual team workouts coming up?
BD: I have about seven more to go. I [worked out] for the Celtics on June 1st and I have the Timberwolves coming up.
ZL: What teams have shown interest in you so far?
BD: My agent mentioned that the Lakers really like me. The Pelicans and the Clippers like me, too. I interviewed with a lot of different teams at the combine, so we’re gonna see what happens.
ZL: What led you to choose Jim Tanner and the folks at Tandem to represent you?
BD: Just the kind of people that they are. They’re great people and my mom liked them and it just made sense for me. I had that same feeling as when I committed to Michigan State. … I met with other agencies too, but they stood out to me the most. I think I made the right decision.
ZL: Defense is what you’re known for but it looked like your jump shot improved in your senior season. Was that the case? What changes did you make to improve your shot?
BD: Over the summer I was putting in more reps. People have been surprised by my progress. It all comes from repetition and building confidence, I think.
ZL: You mentioned wanting to play the small forward position and to do that, you have to have a bit of range. Are you working to develop an outside shot?
BD: If I’m gonna play the small forward position, it’s something I’m going to have to do. I see a guy like Tony Allen; he’s the type of guy who is not the best shooter, but he works hard and does everything else for his team. He goes around and just gets it done on both ends. I look at guys like him and they motivate me a lot.
ZL: In the DraftExpress recap of the combine, they noted that you displayed some ball-handling ability, which we didn’t see much of at Michigan State. Do you feel like you’re a better ball handler than most people realize?
BD: Yeah, definitely. At Michigan State our offense didn’t call for me to handle the ball a whole lot. Now I get to show that off a little bit and I think that’ll be important in the NBA.
Latest on Kevin Love
It wasn’t quite a definitive announcement of his plans, but Cavs forward Kevin Love sounds like someone who is intent on returning to Cleveland next season, as Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. When asked if he’d be back with Cleveland, Love said, “No, I truly haven’t even thought about it, but as I mentioned, I expect to be suiting up by Game 1 of next year.” When asked if that game would be with the Cavs, he responded in the affirmative. Love has read the speculation about where he might bolt to next season, but he says that he hasn’t let that affect him.
“That’s something that I guess comes with the territory,” he said. “Anybody that has pending free agency coming up in the summer, I feel like that’s going to happen. I try to not pay attention to it. I mentioned earlier in the season I learned how to just, kind of took out my Twitter, forgot looking at any kind of social media kind of stuff. Maybe Instagram here and there, but that was really it. That’s kind of been put on the back burner for me.”
Love has a player option for next season worth more than $16.744MM. In January, he told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group that he planned to opt in and remain a Cavalier.
But the decision to stay in Cleveland may not be entirely up to Love, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. If the Cavaliers want Tristan Thompson to be their power forward of the future and decide to reward him with a maximum contract, they may free up money by moving Love somewhere. One option could be a sign-and-trade deal that sends him to New York and brings back the Knicks’ No. 4 draft pick as part of the package, Berman speculates. Thompson and LeBron James share the same agent in Rich Paul, and James recently said that Thompson “should probably be a Cavalier for his whole career.”
Love also said Sunday that he and Boston’s Kelly Olynyk are back on good terms, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Love suffered the shoulder injury that knocked him out of the playoffs as he and Olynyk were chasing a loose ball during a first-round game. The Celtics had been mentioned as a possible destination for Love if he decides to pursue free agency, but there were rumors that the Olynyk incident may have removed Boston from Love’s list. That apparently is no longer a concern.
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
Hoops Links: Cavs, Millsap, Hawks
On this date in 1991, the Knicks appointed Pat Riley as their head coach. Riley’s Knicks became one of the league’s most physical teams. After three consecutive playoff ousters at the hands of Michael Jordan’s Bulls, the Knicks topped Chicago without MJ in 1994 to make their first NBA Finals appearance in many years. Soon after, Riley gave his resignation to MSG via fax machine in order to join up with the Heat.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Upside Motor spoke with Canton Charge exec Mike Gansey.
- Rant Sports says the Knicks should pursue Paul Millsap in free agency.
- Zocco’s Modern Life talked about the Hawks’ injury problems.
- Six Championship Drive looked at the free agent stock of Tobias Harris.
- Kingdome of Seattle Sports looked at players in the Finals with Seattle-area connections.
- Legion Report wonders where the Bulls go from here.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Hoops Links: Booker, Johnson, Draft
On this date in in 2000, famed Pistons floor general Isiah Thomas was voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. That year, Danny Biasone, Bob McAdoo, Charles Newton, Pat Summit, and Morgan Wootten also joined him in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Upside Motor wonders if Askia Booker is prepared for the next level.
- Rant Sports says the Pacers should pursue Stanley Johnson.
- Zocco’s Modern Life weighed in on the lottery.
- Hoop Trends predicts the destinations for some of the league’s top free agents.
- OT-Nation presented a post-lottery mock draft.
- Six Championship Drive produced its latest mock draft.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Offseason Outlook: Brooklyn Nets
Guaranteed Contracts
- Joe Johnson ($24,894,863)
- Deron Williams ($21,042,800)
- Jarrett Jack ($6,300,000)
- Bojan Bogdanovic ($3,425,510)
- Sergey Karasev ($1,599,840)
- Mason Plumlee ($1,415,520)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Earl Clark ($1,185,784)1
- Darius Morris ($1,015,421)2
- Markel Brown ($845,059)3
- Cory Jefferson ($845,059)4
Options
- Brook Lopez ($16,744,218 — Player)5
- Thaddeus Young ($10,221,739 — Early Termination)6
- Alan Anderson ($1,333,484 — Player)7
Restricted Free Agents/Cap Holds
- Mirza Teletovic ($6,399,390) — $4,210,125 qualifying offer
- Jerome Jordan ($1,147,276) — $1,147,276 qualifying offer)8
Unrestricted Free Agents/Cap Holds
- (Andray Blatche $1,788,285)9
- No. 29 pick ($950,200)
- (Jason Collins $947,276)9
- (Jerry Stackhouse $947,276)9
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (29th overall)
- 2nd Round (41st overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $58,678,533
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $3,891,323
- Options: $28,299,441
- Cap Holds: $12,179,703
- Total: $103,049,000
Mikhail Prokhorov knows how to have a good time. When he’s not counting his billions, the Nets owner is busy partying with “a phalanx of [20] beautiful women in the French Alps” or heli-skiing in Vancouver. He also knows how to hit it off with NBA superstars, like Carmelo Anthony. In 2011, the two met as the Nets were pushing Anthony (then with the Nuggets) to sign off on a trade sending him east and agree to a three-year extension.
“It was a fantastic meeting, trust me,” Prokhorov told Darren Rovell of CNBC. “No words, live music, excellent atmosphere. We looked into each other’s eyes. Just real man talk.”
It might have been for the best in hindsight – that deal would have cost the Nets Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, and four first-round picks – but the man talk of the evening did not sway Melo. Months later, the Nets parlayed Favors, Harris, and two first-round choices into Deron Williams, who would later be re-signed to a contract that stands as one of the worst in the NBA today. Williams, Celtics stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, Joe “Jesus” Johnson, and Brook Lopez were brought together to form one of the league’s best starting units, but the Nets didn’t get very far with that group. In five years, Prokhorov’s Nets have employed four coaches and made zero conference finals appearances.
Prokhorov knows how to have a good time, but it remains to be seen if knows how to bring a championship to Brooklyn, especially with the purse strings pulled considerably tighter than they were two years ago.
There are several bad contracts on the Nets’ roster but Williams’ aforementioned deal is, without question, the most onerous of the bunch. The guard is owed ~$43MM over the next two seasons and that’s a rate that would be high even if he reverted back to his Utah form. Now, Williams is a temperamental veteran with two surgically-repaired ankles and the deal is an absolute albatross. Nets GM Billy King claims that there is a market for Williams, but, frankly, that’s hard to imagine at this point, unless the Nets are willing to take back an equally bloated contract. The Nets also aren’t interested in a buyout, and that will likely lead them to turn their attention to Williams’ backcourt mate.
Set to earn $24.9MM in 2015/16, Johnson doesn’t come cheap either. However, with one less year and probably more quality basketball left in the tank, Johnson holds more trade value than Williams, if only by default. Last season, Johnson averaged 14.4 PPG while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 35.9% from beyond the arc, all significant dips from his career averages. That dip in production was reflected in his PER as well. Johnson was never an efficiency darling outside of his best years in Atlanta, but his 14.1 PER in 2014/15 rates him as a below average player. Much like Williams, any dispatching of Johnson will call for the Nets to take back a bad contract and get little else, if anything, in the way of value.
Brooklyn may be stuck with Williams and Johnson and, at this point, it seems a safe bet that they’ll be in black and white in October. The same can’t be said for other Nets notables like Lopez, Thaddeus Young, and Mirza Teletovic.
Lopez is one of the most offensively gifted centers in the NBA when he’s healthy, but unfortunately he’s spent a ton of time on the sidelines in recent seasons. In 2011-12, Lopez broke his right foot and missed the first 32 games of the lockout-shortened season and his return saw him play five games before a sprained ankle shut him down for good. Two years later, a foot injury cut his season short after just 17 games. The injury bug reared its head a bit again this past season, but Lopez mostly weathered the storm and played 72 games, averaging 17.2 PPG and 7.4 RPG in less than 30 minutes per game. This summer, Lopez will have to decide whether to exercise his $16.74MM player option or to opt out in search of a long-term deal. On one hand, Lopez might want to jump at a comfortable multi-year pact given his injury history. On the other hand, a longer deal would preclude him from truly cashing in after the league’s next big TV contract. It’s not hard to envision a scenario in which Lopez goes the safer route while staying put. The 27-year-old could very well opt out of his deal and immediately sign a max-level contract with Brooklyn.
Young, by all accounts, has been rather happy in Brooklyn following the trade that sent him from the Timberwolves to the Nets. “It was the perfect situation for me, especially with me being good friends with Billy [King], just knowing him and him drafting me in Philly,” Young said.“So it was a good situation, plus they had the right mix of players for me and I felt like I could be a great complementary piece to a lot of guys on this team.” Earlier this month, in his exit interview with the press, Young hinted to reporters that his agent, Jim Tanner, has advised him to opt in. Young’s option for 2015/16 would pay him $10.2MM and while he could get a longer deal, Tanner would like to see him wait until the summer of 2016 when the salary cap rises.
Teletovic is a restricted free agent this summer but he recently told the Bosnian press that his “desire” is to stay with the Nets. Last season was a trying one for the sharpshooter as he was diagnosed with multiple blood clots in his lungs in January, ending his season early, save for three playoff appearances. It was a year the 29-year-old would probably like to forget, but he expressed major gratitude towards the Nets for the medical care they provided him during that time. That’s a critical issue for players, and as we saw with Luol Deng and the Bulls, it’s an issue that can make or break a relationship. The Nets can match competing bids for Teletovic, who was averaging 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds across 40 games before he was shut down, if they tender a qualifying offer worth $4,210,125, and they intend to do so.
While Lopez and Young will wrestle with their decisions a bit, Alan Anderson already knows what he’s doing. “I’m free,” Anderson said earlier this month, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. “I mean, I would love to stay in Brooklyn, but I am a free agent. So I will be free.” The Nets will have Anderson’s Early Bird rights, so they’ll have some additional flexibility to re-sign him. Still, they may only go so far to retain the veteran. Anderson, like Lopez and Young, has until June 29th to make the call.
The Nets have publicly said they’re willing to go into the repeater tax to keep Lopez for next season and beyond, but there isn’t a ton of financial flexibility for them to work with this summer. Normally, the Nets could find themselves a difference maker in the draft after finishing with a pedestrian 38-44 record, but the Johnson deal of 2012 calls for them to switch first-round picks with the Hawks, leaving them with the No. 29 selection rather than the No. 15 pick.
Even though it would create a logjam, the Nets might look to grab a point guard in the draft in order to get some foot speed back at the position. With Williams and Jarrett Jack (who has had some very strong stretches in Brooklyn) at the one, the Nets were torched by Atlanta’s Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder in the playoffs. The likes of Cameron Payne and Jerian Grant will probably go earlier in the draft – you know, where the Nets were supposed to pick – but other options like Delon Wright and Terry Rozier could be available. The Nets can also be expected to target shooters given the uncertain futures of Teletovic and Anderson. Eastern Washington’s Tyler Harvey might be a bit of a one-way player, but he knows how to score and he’ll likely be there at No. 29.
Whoever the Nets take with their first-round pick had better be solid considering their lack of draft choices going forward. Brooklyn owes its 2016 and 2018 first-round picks to the Celtics thanks to the blockbuster deal of 2013 and the C’s can swap picks with the Nets in 2017. The Nets can’t afford not to get this one right and, frankly, King will have to do better than he has in years past.
Cap Footnotes
1 — Clark receives a $200K guarantee if he remains under contract through October 26th.
2 — Morris receives a $25K guarantee if he remains under contract through July 1st.
3 — Brown receives a $100K guarantee if he remains under contract through July 1st, a $150K guarantee if he remains under contract through July 15th, a $200K guarantee if he remains under contract through September 1st, and a full guarantee if he remains under contract through September 29th.
4 — Jefferson receives a $100K guarantee if he remains under contract through July 1st and a full guarantee if he remains under contract through September 29th.
5 — The cap hold for Lopez if he opts out would be the lesser of $23,578,593 or the NBA’s maximum salary for a player with seven years of experience. It’s likely to be the latter.
6 — The cap hold for Young if he opts out would be $14,491,304.
7 — The cap hold for Anderson if he opts out would be $1,658,879.
8 — Jordan’s cap hold would be $947,276 if the Nets decline to tender a qualifying offer.
9 — See our glossary entry on cap holds for an explanation why these players listed in parentheses technically remain on the books.
The Basketball Insiders Salary Pages were used in the creation of this post. Chuck Myron contributed to this post.