Teams With 15 Or More Guaranteed Contracts
With most of the offseason's heavy lifting behind them, NBA teams are focusing on finalizing their camp rosters, adding players on non-guaranteed contracts to compete for the last spot or two on their benches. While clubs can carry up to 20 players during the preseason, that number must be reduced to between 13 and 15 by opening night.
For a team like the Hawks, October should be interesting, since the team currently only has 12 players whose salaries are fully guaranteed, with seven more players on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. Assuming Atlanta plans to carry 14 or 15 players, a player's performance in camp could be the difference between whether he's playing in the NBA and playing in Europe this season.
However, for several other teams, there will be little October drama, since some clubs will head into camp already carrying 15 or more players on guaranteed contracts. In those instances, a non-guaranteed camp invitee could play well enough to stick around for the regular season, but his team would have to trade or release a guaranteed contract to clear room. Waiving a player on a guaranteed deal would mean eating his salary and cap hit for at least the 2013/14 season.
Using our lists of roster counts and non-guaranteed deals for this season, let's take a look at the six teams already carrying at least 15 guaranteed contracts, along with what we can expect from them in the next few weeks:
Brooklyn Nets
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 0
There's not a whole to watch here. The Nets will probably bring in two or three camp invitees in the hopes of sending them to the D-League's Springfield Armor, but the 15-man roster looks pretty set heading into the season.
Dallas Mavericks
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 4 (Devin Ebanks, D.J. Kennedy, Mickey McConnell, Fab Melo)
The Mavericks' roster is fascinating at the moment, since three of their four camp invitees have previous NBA experience, and Ebanks and Melo seem like they should be on a roster this season. Nearly two-thirds of the team's 15 guaranteed players signed free agent contracts this summer, and can't be traded until at least December, and that doesn't include Dirk Nowitzki, who isn't going anywhere.
I doubt Dallas will trade Shawn Marion or Vince Carter, and waiving Jae Crowder seems unlikely. In other words, there's no obvious way to clear a roster spot for Ebanks, Melo, or any other camp invitees, so it will be interesting to see what happens if one of them blows the Mavs away in the preseason.
Milwaukee Bucks
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 3 (Junior Cadougan, Olek Czyz, Trey McKinney Jones)
When they sent Brandon Jennings to the Pistons in exchange for three players, the Bucks looked like they'd be carrying one too many guaranteed deals into camp, but the team managed to make a two-for-one trade for Caron Butler, reducing the roster count to 15. Many of Milwaukee's players recently signed, and therefore can't be traded and won't be cut anytime soon, so the club is virtually certain to roll with its current 15. That means the camp invitees will likely just be extra bodies, particularly since the Bucks don't run their own D-League affiliate.
Phoenix Suns
Guaranteed contracts: 16
Camp invitees: 1 (Dionte Christmas)
The Suns are the only team on this list carrying more than 15 guaranteed deals, in part because of the aforementioned two-for-one trade with the Bucks. They'll have to trade or cut a player before the regular season, and I'd guess it will be either Ishmael Smith or Malcolm Lee, who were both included in offseason trades for salary purposes.
Given the team's depth at point guard, Phoenix may prefer to hang on to Lee, who is more of a two, rather than Smith, who would be playing behind Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, and Kendall Marshall at the point. A Marshall trade is another possibility, albeit a less likely one.
Portland Trail Blazers
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 4 (Dee Bost, Terrel Harris, Richard Howell, E.J. Singler)
Harris doesn't technically qualify as a camp invitee, but he's on a non-guaranteed deal, which Portland will likely drop soon. Bost, Howell, and Singler figure to be cut eventually as well, but it's interesting that the Blazers would give small guarantees to Bost and Howell. Perhaps those guarantees will act as incentives for those players to join the Idaho Stampede, the Blazers' D-League affiliate.
Of the Blazers' guaranteed players, Will Barton has the least money owed to him, and doesn't figure to play a huge role for this year's team, so he's probably the most likely candidate to be cut, if Portland wants to add someone else.
Washington Wizards
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 0
Like the Nets, the Wizards looked to have a fairly straightforward roster situation until this week, when the team announced that Chris Singleton and Emeka Okafor were both expected to miss the preseason with injuries. That still leaves the team with plenty of healthy bodies for now, so I don't imagine any major roster shakeups are on the way. But if another frontcourt player or two goes down, a move may become necessary.
Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Sixers, Wolves, Kennedy
Few NBA teams had less roster turnover this offseason than the Grizzlies. As our free agent tracker shows, the only player who signed with the team for more than the minimum was Tony Allen, who has played in Memphis since 2010 and emerged as one of the club's leaders. However, the team will be in for some changes on the bench, where former assistant Dave Joerger takes over the head coaching job from the departed Lionel Hollins. Joerger tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that while he'll stick to many of the things that made last year's team successful, he expects to add a few new wrinkles to the mix as well.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Former Pistons head coach John Kuester is currently the top candidate to be hired as Brett Brown's lead assistant with the 76ers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype spoke to Ricky Rubio, who identified the Timberwolves' new deals with Nikola Pekovic and Chase Budinger as the club's best signings of the summer.
- Rebuilding is often a necessary process, but it has to give way to something substantial eventually, writes Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com. Deeks examines the free agent fates of Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, noting that the Hawks were able to land Millsap for fewer years and dollars than the Bobcats signed Jefferson in part because Charlotte is paying a sort of "Bobcats tax" based on its reputation as a perennial lottery team.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Larry Coon lists the Nets, Bobcats, and Rockets among the winners of the league's new CBA, while placing the Celtics, Bulls, and Thunder in the losers column.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside takes a look at D.J. Kennedy's persistent quest to earn a spot on an NBA roster. Kennedy will be in camp with the Mavericks in October.
Contract Details: Melo, Sixers, Williams, Morris
With most of the top free agents off the board by mid-July, September generally consists of minimum-salary signings with little or no guaranteed money. That's certainly the case for most of the contracts mentioned below, but since we at Hoops Rumors are interested in the minutiae of teams' cap moves, we'll pass along these updates nonetheless. Courtesy of Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld, here are a few notes on recent signings:
- Fab Melo actually signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks, albeit one that's entirely non-guaranteed, says Pincus (via Sulia). Dallas still has 15 players on fully guaranteed deals, so it'll be an uphill battle for Melo to earn a spot on the roster, but if he does, the Mavs will have him under team control for two seasons at the minimum salary.
- After I devoted a post yesterday to explaining how and why the Sixers have stayed above the cap and could continue to do so this offseason, Pincus renders my points moot (via Sulia), writing that the team has dipped below the threshold and started using cap room.
- It's interesting that the Sixers would choose this point to claim its cap space — unless the team was caught off guard by Royal Ivey and Damien Wilkins signing with the Hawks and coming off Philadelphia's books, it seems the Sixers could've stayed above the cap line, since they recently finalized their deals with Rodney Williams and Darius Morris. Of course, I'm not privy to what's going on behind the scenes in Philadelphia, so perhaps it wasn't possible or the club felt it was no longer worthwhile.
- In any case, getting back to Pincus' notes: He passes along the specifics on Williams' and Morris' deals with the Sixers, noting that both players signed four-year pacts. For Williams, it's a minimum-salary contract with a $35K guarantee in year one. Years two and three are fully non-guaranteed, while year four is a team option.
- Morris' deal is worth slightly more than the minimum, and will pay him exactly $4.2MM if he plays out his full contract without being released. The first season is guaranteed for $200K, and the remainder is structured in the same way as Williams' — two non-guaranteed seasons plus a fourth-year team option.
Odds & Ends: Dwight, Bulls, Deron
Amidst the buzz surrounding the 2013 Basketball Hall of Fame induction a little over a week ago, you may have heard legendary Brazilian basketball player Oscar Schmidt proclaim that he could have been one of the best 10 players ever if he had joined the NBA. In hindsight, it's interesting to ponder some of the 'what ifs' and how they may have altered the landscape and history of the league.
One could think about how the NBA would have been different if Larry Bird didn't fall five spots to the Celtics during the 1978 draft, if Kobe Bryant hadn't fallen to number 13 in 1996, or if Michael Jordan hadn't retired before the 1993/94 season to name a few. Regardless, there are plenty of other possibilities to consider.
Jonathan Abrams of Grantland sheds light on one particular what-could-have-been, chronicling the rise and fall of Korleone Young, a promising 6'7" small forward who like Kobe, Tracy McGrady, and Kevin Garnett before him attempted to make the jump from high school to the NBA in 1998. In his comprehensive piece, Abrams supplements Young's story with commentary from several people who had crossed paths with him along his journey, including Young's prep-school rival Al Harrington, former Pistons head coach Alvin Gentry, and former Pistons assistant (and current Bucks GM) John Hammond, who had this to share based on what he'd seen in practices:
"We used to talk about the way in which (Young) defended (then-star) Grant Hill on a daily basis. We used to say it tongue-in-cheek but [also] somewhat seriously: 'No one defended Grant Hill in this league as well as Korleone Young."
With that aside, let's round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links from the NBA:
- Sam Amick of USA Today writes about how Dwight Howard has found greener pastures in Houston and why the rest of the NBA will have to lament the reality that another Western Conference contender has been born.
- A handful of HoopsWorld panelists put together a season preview of the Bulls for 2013/14. With much of the team's success hinging on how much Derrick Rose can return to form, three writers pick Chicago to finish second in the Central Division, while two have them running away with the division title.
- Nets guard Deron Williams was spotted at his charity dodgeball event earlier today with a walking boot over the same ankle that had been giving him problems last season, though he insisted that the boot was just precautionary: “As long as I’m ready (for the season opener), that’s all that matters to me…If it was up to me, I would be playing right now. I can walk fine. It doesn’t hurt. It’s just protecting me from myself” (Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News).
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW says that with Dirk Nowitzki healthy, the Mavericks won't take a backseat to anybody in the league in terms of talent at the power forward position.
- Tommy Dee of Ridiculous Upside presents a scouting report of free agent big man Hassan Whiteside, who had recently drawn reported interest from the Knicks, Heat, and Bucks.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside explains why the NBDL will continue to develop front office executives at a much more efficient rate than players at this point, mentioning that while prospective staffers can work to rise up the ranks while committed to a specific NBA franchise, the players can be called up at anytime and by any NBA team regardless of D-League affiliation.
- HoopsWorld's Moke Hamilton held his weekly chat with readers earlier this evening, offering his thoughts on why he thinks the Knicks will repeat as Atlantic Division champions, why teams might be shying away from Renaldo Balkman, the Western Conference playoff race, and the Warriors' ceiling among other topics.
- Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com continues his countdown of reasons why New Orleans fans should be excited about training camp, placing the offseason progress made by the team's quartet of sophomores – namely Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, Brian Roberts, and Darius Miller – at number 13.
Western Rumors: Richardson, Barron, Jazz, Lakers
With training camps set to open in less than two weeks, let's round up a few of the latest notable items out of the Western Conference….
- A report from CentralIllinoisProud.com suggests that former Illinois guard D.J. Richardson has earned a "tryout" with the Jazz. It's not clear whether that means Richardson has been invited to camp or that he's just auditioning for the team, since Utah has been working out plenty of players recently.
- Case in point: Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report tweets that free agent big man Earl Barron worked out for the Jazz yesterday.
- The Lakers intend to evaluate second-round pick Ryan Kelly in about a week to see how his recovery from right foot surgery is coming, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. It's still unclear whether Kelly will get a chance to earn a spot on the Lakers' roster for the coming season.
- There should be plenty of competition in Mavericks camp to see who deserves a look at the small forward position, writes Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Vince Carter figures to play more at the three after the team signed a handful of guards in free agency, but Shawn Marion, Jae Crowder, and Devin Ebanks could also be in the mix, as Sneed notes.
Western Notes: Grizzlies, Joerger, Thunder, Ellis
A first-time coach could be an obstacle in the early season, but Grizzlies management is convinced the team will quickly gain chemistry with Dave Joerger, who was an assistant coach under Lionel Hollins. “You have to start rebuilding your momentum and re-creating your roles and we have a number of new faces,” GM Chris Wallace told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “Because of the personnel and the dynamics of the organization, you hope that his transition is looser than if an outside person came in.” Here's more from the Western Conference..
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman has some questions to ponder before training camp opens for the Thunder. One of the big question marks for OKC is whether Jeremy Lamb is ready to step up and contribute. The youngster will be called upon to be a big contributor after the Thunder let Kevin Martin go this summer.
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News sizes the Mavericks' Monta Ellis against ten other top shooting guards in the league over the last six seasons, based on scoring average. The Mavs gave Ellis a three-year, $28MM deal this offseason after missing out on some more ambitious free agent targets.
- Anthony Davis' cousin, Keith Chamberlain, was among 34 players trying out for the Pelicans' D-League affiliate this weekend, according to Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com.
Southwest Rumors: Ebanks, Rockets, Brewer
None of the teams in the Southwest Division took a significant step backward this summer, and the Rockets and Pelicans could be among the league's most improved teams in 2013/14. The division already boasts the defending Western Conference champion Spurs, as well as the Grizzlies, who totaled a franchise-record 56 wins last year. Here's the latest from the division that could well be the NBA's best:
- Devin Ebanks turned down a $650K offer from a team in China to sign with the Mavericks today, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com, who confirms that Dallas is giving the former Laker only a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal for training camp.
- Ebanks would be willing to play for the D-League's Texas Legends, the Mavs' affiliate, if he doesn't make the opening night roster for the big club, Charania adds.
- The Dwight Howard signing turned the Rockets into contenders and shifted their attention from young players to veterans like Ronnie Brewer, who tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that the on-court role he can play for the team is what persuaded him to sign. Brewer only has a partial guarantee on his deal, and Mark Deeks of ShamSports reveals tonight that it's for $100K (Twitter link).
Mavericks Sign Devin Ebanks
The Mavericks have signed Devin Ebanks, the team announced today in a press release. The signing brings the team's roster count to 19 players, including 15 with guaranteed contracts.
Ebanks had reportedly been drawing interest from the Magic and Hawks as well as the Mavs, with all three teams seemingly prepared to invite him to training camp. The 23-year-old indicated on Twitter earlier this week that he was headed to Orlando, but it seems that visit was just for a workout, rather than to sign with the Magic.
In three NBA seasons with the Lakers, Ebanks has appeared in 63 overall contests, averaging 3.6 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 11.3 minutes per game. When he first hit free agency in 2012, L.A. made a qualifying offer, which Ebanks accepted, but the team didn't tender him a QO this time around, making the 6'9" forward an unrestricted free agent.
In addition the 15 players the Mavs have on guaranteed contracts, Fab Melo, D.J. Kennedy, and Mickey McConnell are also ticketed for training camp, seemingly on non-guaranteed deals. For Ebanks or one of the other camp invitees to earn a roster spot, the club would have to trade or release one of its guaranteed players.
Western Notes: Hunter, Rockets, Melo, Ellis
Let's round up a few Friday afternoon items from around the Western Conference….
- Ex-Suns coach Lindsey Hunter is in the process of finalizing a deal that will land him on the Warriors' coaching staff, reports Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Twitter). Hunter was considered by the Suns and Pistons for head coaching openings this summer, but both teams went in other directions.
- The Rockets are engaged in discussions with Villanova assistant Billy Lange about making him the head coach of their D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. As Wojnarowski notes, the Vipers' last two coaches, Nick Nurse and Chris Finch, have since been hired as NBA assistants.
- Fab Melo's contract with the Mavericks is fully non-guaranteed, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter). Regardless of whether or not he earns a spot on Dallas' regular-season roster, Melo will still be paid by the Grizzlies under his previous contract.
- Although many observers believe adding a high-volume shooter like Monta Ellis won't improve the Mavericks, Lang Greene of HoopsWorld plays devil's advocate, arguing that perhaps Ellis is exactly the sort of scorer the team needs.
Mavericks Sign Melo, McConnell, Kennedy
According to the team, the Mavericks have officially signed Fab Melo, D.J. Kennedy, and Mickey McConnell, upping their roster total to 18 players.
Earlier today, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Melo and Dallas had reached a deal. Kennedy made the 2013 NBA D-League All-Star game as a representative of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the league's 2013 champions. He has experience with the Cavaliers.
McConnell spent last season playing for Tezenis VE in Italy, averaging 13.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 2.7 APG in 32 games.