Community Shootaround

OKC shooting guard Dion Waiters is eligible to sign a rookie scale extension prior to the deadline this fall. The Thunder are reportedly open to extending the 23-year-old’s deal if he would do so at a discounted rate, something that Waiters might not be too keen on, especially given the impending salary cap jump next offseason. Further complicating matters is that Waiters is coming off a poor statistical season that saw him post career lows in points (11.8), assists (2.0), overall field goal percentage (39.6%), and three point shooting percentage (29.7%).

To be fair to Waiters, his production was likely affected by the Cavs’ multitude of roster additions, as well as by the trade that landed him in Oklahoma City, though few would argue that he was at his best during the 2014/15 campaign. Unfortunately for Waiters and his agent, Rob Pelinka, the decline in the guard’s numbers won’t aid them at the negotiating table this offseason.

This brings me to the topic/question of the day: Should the Thunder sign Dion Waiters to a rookie scale extension? If so, then what sort of deal would be fair for both sides?

Waiters is set to earn $5,138,430 this season, and if he doesn’t ink an extension he’ll be eligible to become a restricted free agent next Summer, provided that the Thunder tender him a qualifying offer worth $6,777,589. It’s unknown just how much Waiters’ camp will be looking for on his next contract, and if it is anywhere near the ballpark of a maximum salary request, the two sides will likely have difficulty reaching an accord since the franchise has more pressing financial concerns, namely the upcoming free agency of Kevin Durant next offseason followed by Russell Westbrook in 2017.

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on whether or not the Thunder should sign Waiters to an extension prior to the deadline. Would the franchise be better served to see how he performs this season? That would risk him hitting restricted free agency during an offseason when numerous teams should have ample available cap space. If you don’t believe he’s worth extending, tell us why you feel that way. If you agree that OKC should pony up the cash and lock up Waiters on an extension, chime in with what length and terms you believe would be warranted. We look forward to what you have to say.

Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot us a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com.

The Hornets and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are reportedly putting the finishing touches on a four-year, $52MM contract extension for the small forward. The 21-year-old out of the University of Kentucky has had an inconsistent NBA career thus far, with him struggling to improve upon his shaky outside game over the past three campaigns. But Kidd-Gilchrist has been working hard behind the scenes to improve upon that aspect of his game, according to coach Steve Clifford, who said, “He’s totally changed his shooting mechanics really more than any player I’ve ever seen. It’s increased his confidence level. His whole leadership, assertiveness on the court and his understanding of the game has come out more for his teammates as he’s gotten more confident.”

While Kidd-Gilchrist apparently has his coach’s support, the results in the stat sheet haven’t been as readily apparent. The player’s field goal percentage from the 2014/15 season was 46.5%, down from the 47.3% of his shots he connected on back in 2013/14. Of course, Clifford was likely referring to Kidd-Gilchrist’s improved shooting form, which will hopefully garner the player and team better results moving forward. The forward did manage to notch career bests in points (10.9) and rebounds last season (7.6), though his campaign was cut short thanks to an ankle injury he suffered at the end of March.

Despite his debatable offensive skills, Kidd-Gilchrist’s defensive abilities are some of the best at his position in the entire league. The Hornets were 27-28 in 2014/15 with him in the lineup and just 7-18 without him on the court. “Last year he was a really good individual defender and a very solid team defender. But now he’s much more verbal and takes much more of a lead in organizing our defense,” Clifford said of Kidd-Gilchrist. “I think he is one of the few guys in this league who has the ability to make it hard on many of the primary scorers.”

This brings me to the topic of the day: Is Michael Kidd-Gilchrist worth the $13MM annually he is set to make on his contract extension?

In today’s NBA, where outside shooting is a major focus, is a throwback type of player like Kidd-Gilchrist worth that level of financial investment? A defensive stopper like Kidd-Gilchrist can change an opponent’s strategy on a nightly basis, which is arguably just as valuable as dropping 20 points a night in the league. The other factor that needs to be considered when weighing the value of any new contract is the impending salary cap explosion that is set to occur next offseason. The economics of deals and how they are viewed are certainly going to change over the next few seasons as a result, which could potentially make $13MM per season for the young forward seem like a bargain.

What do you think? Is $13MM in line with what Kidd-Gildchrist is worth on the open market? If he were to hit unrestricted free agency, what sort of offers do you think he would draw? Take to the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have top say.

Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot us a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com.

Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant turned 37 today. What better time than now to discuss his future? He is back on the court practicing shooting drills for the first time since tearing the rotator cuff in his right shoulder, as Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times writes.

Bryant is in the last year of his current deal, which will pay him $25MM. He isn’t making any definitive statements about whether he’ll retire after this coming season, even though that seems the most likely outcome.

Thus, the question of the day: Depending on how it plays out, what should Kobe Bryant do after this season?

Personally, I’d like to see Bryant hang it up after this season for a few reasons. He’s obviously been limited because of injuries, he has nothing more to prove in the league and another contract — unless it is a one-year deal — would only hurt the Lakers’ rebuilding process more.

Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what you think is the most underrated signing of the summer so far.

Rookie of the Year honors normally go to players at or near the top of the draft board. In fact, four of the last seven winners were drafted No. 1 overall — Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin (although he sat out his first season with an injury), Kyrie Irving and last year’s winner, Andrew Wiggins.

This year’s No. 1 pick, center Karl-Anthony Towns, figures to see a lot of minutes as part of the young core in Minnesota. However, several other rookies are also in position to get a large share of playing time. The Lakers liked point guard D’Angelo Russell enough to take him No. 2 ahead of Jahlil Okafor. Russell could put up impressive numbers and plenty of flashy highlights in Los Angeles. And Okafor, who landed in Philadelphia, could lead the Sixers in scoring with his polished post game.

Beyond the top three selections, there are plenty of intriguing possibilities for this year’s award. The Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis will face a bright spotlight in New York. Overseas products Mario Hezonja and Emmanuel Mudiay will get to show their skills to American audiences. Rookie big men Willie Cauley-Stein and Frank Kaminsky should both be part of their teams’ rotations, as will small forwards Stanley Johnson and Justise Winslow. And there’s always the possibility that someone outside of the top 10 will surprise, much like Michael Carter-Williams did in 2013/14.

Today’s topic is: Who do you expect to be the Rookie of the Year for 2015/16 and why? Remember, the question isn’t just who is the most talented player from this year’s draft or which team made out the best considering its draft position. Taking into account the opportunity for playing time and the adjustment to the NBA game, who do you believe will take home the trophy next spring?

Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, send a message to hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com or hit up Eddie Scarito on Twitter at @EddieScarito to submit topics or ideas for what we should present in future posts.

On Thursday, the Raptors officially announced that they and center Jonas Valanciunas reached an agreement on a contract extension worth $64MM over four years. The pact also includes a player option on the fourth year. “Jonas’ contributions continue to improve with each season and we view him as a significant part of what we are building in Toronto,” Toronto GM Masai Ujiri said in the team’s press release regarding the deal.

The extension didn’t come as a surprise after Ujiri had relayed this past spring that Valanciunas was “a huge part of our team” for the future. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun had reported in early July that the Raptors planned to work toward extensions with both Valanciunas and Terrence Ross, though the team’s front office has seemed to be especially enamored with Valanciunas, and they seemed to blame the team’s coaching staff for the slow development in the center’s game. The Raptors and head coach Dwane Casey overhauled the team’s group of assistant coaches this offseason, bringing in Rex Kalamian, Andy Greer and Jerry Stackhouse to hopefully hasten Valaciunas’ development along.

Valanciunas’ $60MM deal makes him one of the league’s most highly paid big men, eclipsing the $12MM a year that Nikola Vucevic snagged on the extension he signed with the Magic this past fall. Enes Kanter came away with a max deal of about $70MM this summer as the salary structure of the NBA continues to change in advance of the projected leaps in the salary cap. This brings me to today’s topic: What are your thoughts on Jonas Valanciunas’ extension with the Raptors?

Do you feel that a $15MM annual salary is in line with Valanciunas’ production and potential? With salaries expected to jump dramatically on deals signed beginning next Summer, will this pact be looked at as a bargain in a few short seasons, or a bust? Whatever your feelings are on the matter, we want to hear them. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot me a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter at @EddieScarito to submit topics or ideas for what we should present in future posts.

There was quite a bit of hype leading up to the 2014 NBA Draft, and that class was supposed to contain a number of players possessing star-level talent who were worth tanking for. Unfortunately, the reality didn’t quite live up to the hyperbole that preceded last year’s draftees, and in fact, quite a few of the top ranked players missed significant time last season due to various injuries. These players included No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker, No. 3 overall pick Joel Embiid, and No. 7 pick Julius Randle, just to name a few. The rest of the rookie class struggled to adjust to the pro game, as was to be expected, and while a number of players showed flashes of promise, none enjoyed a particularly dominant first year.

Of course, one lone season is not a sufficient sample size to properly judge a player, and many of these NBA sophomores should demonstrate significant improvement in their second professional campaigns. This brings me to the topic of the day: Which second-year player do you expect to have a breakout season in 2015/16?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the player or players whom you expect to have breakout seasons. If you are taking the glass is half empty approach, and don’t think any of last year’s draftees will distinguish themselves, then feel free to weigh in on why you feel that way. We look forward to what you have to say.

Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot me a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter at @EddieScarito to submit topics or ideas for what we should present in future posts.