Pincus On NBA Spending Power
We've gone over team spending here on Hoops Rumors before, but today, Hoopsworld.com's Eric Pincus broke down the remaining cap space that teams have across the league, including how much they've already spent and their current situation with regards to various exception levels. Some interesting notes from his piece:
- Before their reported agreement with Martell Webster, the Wizards were the only team left with their full $5MM mid-level exception. The Bucks have nearly all to spend, but fall just short with $4.35MM.
- Despite what appears to be a never ending spending spree that's lasted the entire summer, the Lakers still have $1.59MM left on their mini mid-level exception. They're also nearly $30MM over the tax line.
- The Hawks still have their Bi-Annual Exception, but should they choose to re-sign Ivan Johnson, will need to spend it on him.
- The Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Heat are unable to add any players unless it's through a trade or signing someone to the veteran's minimum.
- The Rockets have 20 players on their current roster, but could get between $6 and 7MM underneath the cap after waiving a few non-guaranteed players, as they recently did with Josh Harrellson. (The limit is 15 players by opening night.)
- The Cavaliers boast $11.1MM of cap space, the most in the league.
Atlantic Rumors: Green, Zarren, Sixers, Nets
- Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald hears insurance issues were part of the reason Jeff Green's deal with the Celtics was held up for more than six weeks until it finally became official yesterday. The new CBA and side issues also played a part in the delay, agent David Falk told Bulpett.
- Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe has more from Green on what kept him from going elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent this summer. "They helped me along my route," Green said of the Celtics. "It was a no-brainer for me to come back and support the fellas and the whole organization as a whole. They were there for me through my stress of going through the surgery. I did whatever I could to pay them back by being there to support those guys, trying to be a helping hand around the team. They searched high and low for the best doctor, for the best clinic to go to handle the procedure. Everything that I needed. I didn't want the surgery. I didn't want to have this, to have to miss the season. They made it easier every step of the way."
- Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren played a key role in the complicated details surrounding Green's contract, Falk told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, and Blakely has more on what the Sixers could gain, and the Celtics would miss, if Philadelphia hires Zarren, who's interviewing for the Sixers' GM job.
- A sports investment banker estimates the Nets are worth $575MM, 60% greater than a Forbes estimate last season and more than double the initial purchase price that owner Mikhail Prokhorov paid for the team in 2010, Josh Kosman of the New York Post reports. The team is projected to make between $10MM and $15MM this year, the franchise's first profit in a decade, Kosman adds.
Cuban: Mavs In Better Position Without D-Will
Although the Mavericks made a handful of smart, low-cost moves to fill out their 2012/13 roster and maintain flexibility going forward, the team was still widely considered one of the offseason's "losers," having missed out on top target Deron Williams. However, owner Mark Cuban, appearing on the Ben and Skin Show in Dallas, suggested he feels the Mavs are in better position having failed to sign Williams than they would have been with him (link via the Dallas Morning News).
"In hindsight, I don’t know if I would have been happy," Cuban said of signing D-Will to a max-salary deal. "I think we’re in better position now then we would’ve been if we’d gotten him…. I don’t want to pick on Deron Williams because he’s a great, great, great, great player, so it’s not necessarily him, per se. Obviously the decision was to go for him. But the conversation was, 'OK, once you take $17.1MM in salary to what we have with Dirk [Nowitzki] and [Shawn Marion], then what do you do?' That’s your squad. And it’s not just your squad for this year, it’s your squad for next year, other than the $3.3MM mini mid-level."
Since deciding not to re-sign Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea last December, breaking up the squad that beat the Heat for the title in 2011, Cuban has repeatedly talked about adjusting to the new CBA, including the benefits of maintaing cap flexibility and avoiding expensive, long-term contracts. While it's easy to view his comments on Williams as spin, it's true that committing big money to D-Will would have prevented Dallas from making many other moves to complement its stars.
Cuban added that the Mavs' potential inability to make more moves after landing Williams likely influenced the point guard's decision to remain in Brooklyn: "Everybody talks about Dirk’s window, but not only would it have been difficult to add players, it also would have been difficult to trade players. In reality, that was the same problem that Deron had. Because he looked and saw the same thing and said, ‘Now what are you going to do?’"
Odds & Ends: Harden, Hornets, James, Olympics
Sad news today as former NBA Deputy Commissioner and Players Association executive director Simon Gourdine passed away at the age of 72. As deputy commissioner in 1976, Gourdine was instrumental in helping to facilitate the merger of the NBA and ABA, which brought the Nets, Pacers, Spurs, and Nuggets over to the Association. Here's more from around the league on this Sunday evening..
- If Eric Gordon is a max player, and Brook Lopez is a max player, reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden is certainly a max player, opines Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops. After signing Serge Ibaka to a four-year, $48MM contract extension, the Thunder will have to get creative if they hope to hang on to Harden. Of course, Oklahoma City may opt to trade the super sub to avoid the possibility of having to match a lucrative backloaded offer sheet down the line.
- The Hornets have gone to great lengths to revamp their club this summer and Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com runs down the newest additions to the hive. Eichenhofer notes that the recently-acquired Hakim Warrick may have to shift from power forward to small forward in order to see time in New Orleans.
- It may be four years away, but LeBron James already says that he hopes to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, according to the Associated Press. James joked that he has "done the math" and is well aware that he will be 31-years-old during those games. Of course, James could only play if there isn't an under-23 age limit applied for USA Basketball starting in 2016.
Deron Williams Talks Olympics, Barclays, Season
Nets.com writer Ben Couch had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Deron Williams upon the All-Star guard's return to Brooklyn after the Olympics. The two-time Olympic gold winner admitted his latest medal hasn't really left his neck since receiving it on Sunday. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
On what it feels like to win a second gold medal during the Olympics:
It means a lot. I think it's really special to be an Olympian, to have that honor just to be an Olympian. But to win two Gold Medals is a great accomplishment — there's only eight people that have done that as far as basketball is concerned. I definitely feel honored to have had the opportunity.
On how he developed a relationship with the many talented players on the roster as a point guard:
It's a little bit of both: it's easier, just because you have so many weapons and you know it can come from anywhere on any given night. But for the most part, you don't play like you do during the season; you kind of have to adapt and adjust, and that takes some getting used to. But I think it's fun, and I think we enjoyed it.
On his perceptions of the Barclays Center and his level of excitement to play there:
I'll be surprised if it's open in a month, from looking at it. I kept messing with them: 'You guys got a lot of work to do in the next 43 days.' We'll see, but I went a week before I left (for the Olympics) — so about six weeks ago — and the changes from then to now, you definitely can see them. And I went a couple of months before that, and it didn't look anything like it does now, then. So they're definitley making progress. They're working on it 24-7, they've got the scoreboard up. I went and saw my suite, where my family's going to sit during games. So that was cool.
On the moves the Nets made during the offseason and how he thinks the team will fare in 2012/13:
I thought we made great moves. I think we'll put a great team out there. It should be an exciting team. Only time will tell how good we can be, once we get into training camp and see how we mesh and jell.
International Notes: Gordon, Simmons, Wallace
With things relatively quiet on the NBA front these days, we'll keep track of today's international news and rumors right here….
- Undrafted rookie free agent Drew Gordon has signed with Serbia's Partizan Belgrade, according to Sportando. The 6'9" forward out of New Mexico was ranked as this year's 56th-best prospect by ESPN.com's Chad Ford and played for the Mavericks at the Las Vegas Summer League, but won't be heading to camp with an NBA team.
- Former NBA big man Cedric Simmons has signed with Enel Brindisi in Italy, according to Sportando. Simmons played for the Hornets, Cavs, Bulls, and Kings from 2006 to 2009.
Earlier updates:
- Greek's Panathinaikos reportedly has some interest in Ben Wallace, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando notes. I imagine it's unlikely anything comes of this, since Wallace is said to be debating between retiring or returning to the Pistons.
- Goran Dragic's brother Zoran Dragic played in the Las Vegas Summer League for the Rockets, but won't be coming to the NBA at this point. As Wendell Maxey writes at Ridiculous Upside, Spanish reports suggest Zoran is close to signing a two-year deal with Unicaja Malaga.
- Ilkan Karaman, who was selected 57th overall by the Nets in the June draft, has officially signed with Fenerbache Ulker Istanbul, the team announced (link via Sportando). Brooklyn will retain the Turkish forward's rights if and when he eventually makes his way over to the NBA.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Nets, Thunder, Jazz
Let's round up a few Thursday odds and ends from around the Association:
- One agent tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that the Knicks are in no rush to sign any more free agents, while another agent says the Knicks "never do what you would assume."
- Jay-Z's influence on the Nets eclipses his ownership stake, which is just one-fifteenth of 1%, as David M. Halbfinger of the New York Times writes.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti values sustainability, and won't overpay James Harden and/or Serge Ibaka if there are more efficient ways to remain competitive, says Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman.
- Even when the CBA's more restrictive rules for taxpaying teams take effect next summer, teams willing to spend money will find a way to spend it, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation.com.
- The Jazz are making progress in contract talks with second-round pick Kevin Murphy and hope to have him signed before camp starts, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- Rockets owner Leslie Alexander is in talks to buy the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
Free Agent Spending By Division: Atlantic
Having already looked at 2012 free agent spending by teams in the Central and Southeast, we're using Hoops Rumors' Free Agent Tracker to move on to the Eastern Conference's biggest-spending division: the Atlantic. All five Atlantic clubs spent more in free agency this summer than any team in the Southeast.
Once again, these figures only take into account free agent signings, so salary absorbed in trades or money used to sign draft picks isn't included in this list. Additionally, not all of this salary is necessarily guaranteed, which we'll try to note as we go along. Here are this summer's Atlantic Division free agent costs, sorted by player salary:
Brooklyn Nets: $243.053MM (Keith Bogans, Reggie Evans, Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez, Jerry Stackhouse, Mirza Teletovic, Gerald Wallace, C.J. Watson, Deron Williams)
No team threw more money around this offseason than the Nets, whose $98MM+ commitment to Williams dwarfed every other contract signed this summer. Besides spending about $200MM on D-Will, Wallace, and Lopez alone, the Nets handed out deals for Evans, Humphries, and Teletovic worth more than the minimum, and took on Joe Johnson's remaining $89MM via trade. As the team makes its move to Brooklyn, no one can accuse the Nets of being thrifty.
Boston Celtics: $133.606MM (Brandon Bass, Dionte Christmas, Jason Collins, Keyon Dooling, Kevin Garnett, Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, Jamar Smith, Jason Terry, Chris Wilcox)
This total figure for the Celtics is based on a reported four-year, $36MM agreement with Jeff Green, but that deal has, somewhat bizarrely, yet to be finalized. Still, even without that deal, Boston has committed almost $100MM to new deals, including $15MM+ each to Bass, Garnett, Lee, and Terry. With a handful of minimum-salary contracts and partially-guaranteed deals rounding out their commitments, a little money figures to be reduced from the Celtics' offseason bill, but it was still a significant spending free for the club.
New York Knicks: $61.976MM (Ronnie Brewer, Marcus Camby, Chris Copeland, Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Steve Novak, Pablo Prigioni, Chris Smith, J.R. Smith, James White)
Without retaining Jeremy Lin or having any cap space available, the Knicks still managed to do their share of spending over the last few weeks. Novak and the elder Smith were retained with some form of Bird Rights, while Felton and Camby were acquired via sign-and-trades, allowing the team to use its mini mid-level exception on Kidd. New York managed to include just a partial guarantee on Camby's third year, and players like Copeland, White, and Chris Smith didn't receive full guarantees either. Still, the deals for Felton, Kidd, and Novak are all fully guaranteed, significant expenditures for a franchise that balked at Lin's price tag.
Philadelphia 76ers: $32.797MM (Lavoy Allen, Kwame Brown, Spencer Hawes, Royal Ivey, Maalik Wayns, Nick Young)
Prior to acquiring Andrew Bynum, the Sixers' offseason was a curious one. The club amnestied Elton Brand to make room to add free agents, but as the list above shows, that cap room was used primarily on Young and Brown, not exactly the kinds of impact additions you'd expect when you clear an $18MM+ salary from the books.
Toronto Raptors: $26.837MM (Landry Fields, Aaron Gray, John Lucas III)
The Raptors cleared cap room in the hopes of signing Steve Nash, but ended up missing out on the Canadian star, leaving them to spend on other players instead. While Fields at $6MM+ annually was probably an overpay, I like the rest of the Raptors' moves, which included using that aforementioned cap space to absorb Kyle Lowry's salary in a trade with Houston.
Ferry On Hawks, Howard, Johnson, Free Agents
New Hawks GM Danny Ferry recently spoke to Charles Bethea of Grantland and held forth on several topics, including the Dwight Howard trade. Ferry says he never got close to a deal for the superstar big man because Magic were unwilling to trade him within the Southeast Division, though Zach Lowe of SI.com tweets that it isn't necessarily true. The entire Q-and-A is worth a read, but we'll run down a few highlights here:
On joining the Hawks and his relationship with co-owner Bruce Levenson:
I looked at it as a challenge. But once I spent time with ownership, with Bruce, specifically — a lot of time, a lot of deep questioning and thoughts back and forth — I got the sense that: One, he was committed to do this right. And he understands that things needed to change, on his behalf, and on ownership’s behalf, to help make that happen. There was a sense of humility from him: that we can do better than what we’ve done. And I felt like he was gonna empower someone to come in and do that. On top of that, I like the man: He seemed like a pretty good guy. Him being from the D.C. area, me being from the D.C. area. From a background standpoint everything was really positive.
On trading Joe Johnson to the Nets:
"We started talking about it June 26th, and we agreed on things July 3rd. I think it was a win-win for both teams. They got a good player who’d help keep around Deron Williams. It was a hard deal for us. But, at the end, we had a good making-the-playoff run, but we hadn’t had a good playoff run, if that makes sense. And the goal is to have a good playoff run. That was going to be hard to sustain, with how we were set up."
On the ability to attract Howard and other stars scheduled to hit free agency soon:
"I can’t talk specifically about Dwight Howard, with him being a free agent next year, for one. And two, who’s to say he won’t (come here)? But it’s a hard thing to get players to leave where they are, more than anything else. This is a place guys like to play. You see them settle in the offseason here. If we start doing things in an even better way, build a better program and a better model here, then it will be more attractive. We have to make an investment in the team infrastructure."
Trade Notes: Howard, Sixers, Picks, Iguodala
The four-team Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum trade continues to have reverberations around the league, as teams and players begin to figure out what happens next. Though it's no surprise, Howard remains unwilling to commit to an extension with the Lakers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein says Howard wants to see how it goes with L.A. first, and says the Mavericks and Hawks would be fallbacks if Howard doesn't warm to the purple and gold. Here's more on the players and teams involved in the wake of the mega-deal:
- Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops analyzes the Sixers' offseason as the team made a series of moves and signings this summer beyond acquiring Bynum from the Lakers.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has more on the conditions of the draft picks going from the Lakers and Sixers to the Magic, and our post rounding up the deal has been updated to reflect the latest details.
- Robbins adds, via Twitter, that the Nets were offering three first-round picks in their offer to the Magic last month, instead of four as we heard previously. The picks would likely have been in the high to mid-20s, Robbins says.
Earlier updates:
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post asked Andre Iguodala if he was pleased about joining the Nuggets, and Kiszla didn't sense much enthusiasm from Iguodala's remarks. "I'm happy to play basketball," the Team USA swingman said. "I don't care if I was playing in Alaska." Iguodala has an early termination option for 2013/14.
- Bynum's agent David Lee says his client is excited to be close to his native New Jersey, though no talks about an extension with the Sixers have begun, as Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld writes. Koutroupis identifies the Hawks, Mavericks and Rockets as teams that could have the cap space and interest to sign Bynum if he tests free agency next summer.
- Magic officials never filed charges with the league stemming from their suspicion that the Nets had illegal contact with Howard this past December, but the hard feelings proved an obstacle in trade negotiations between the teams, a source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.