Nuggets Exercise Options On Faried, Fournier
4:08pm: The Nuggets have officially announced in a press release that they’ve picked up their 2014/15 options on Faried and Fournier. The release doesn’t include word on Hamilton, so it looks like his option will be declined, though that’s not official yet.
10:16am: The Nuggets have picked up their fourth-year option on Kenneth Faried and their third-year option on Evan Fournier, according to the transactions log at RealGM.com. The club has now locked up Faried for the remainder of his rookie contract, while Fournier will have one more team option for 2015/16.
With Andre Iguodala now playing in Golden State and Danilo Gallinari starting the season on the shelf, the Nuggets will be leaning on Faried and Fournier more than ever this year. Faried will earn a salary of about $1.37MM in 2013/14 before getting a bump to $2.25MM for ’14/15. Fournier, meanwhile, is in line for a guaranteed $1.48MM in ’14/15.
As for the Nuggets’ third rookie scale player, there’s no word yet on Jordan Hamilton‘s fourth-year option, which would be worth about $2.11MM. When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined this year’s rookie contract option decisions, he suggested that Hamilton would be on the bubble, particularly since Denver’s new GM and coach don’t have as strong a stake in the young swingman. The Nuggets have until tomorrow to exercise or decline Hamilton’s option.
To catch up on all of this month’s rookie contract option decisions, check out our tracker.
Odds & Ends: Miller, Kennedy, Lighty, Pau
Quincy Miller is one of a handful of players whose contract will become guaranteed by virtue of earning a spot on his team’s opening day roster, as our schedule of guarantee dates shows. Now that he’s breathing a little easier, Miller can focus on contributing to the Nuggets, particularly with players ahead of him in the rotation sidelined with injuries, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.
Here are a few more Sunday odds and ends:
- D.J. Kennedy, who was in camp with the Mavericks, has officially signed overseas with French team BCM Gravelines, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- The Hawks waived David Lighty earlier this month, and he’s headed back to JSF Nanterre in France, where he starred last season, according to Alexandre Lacoste of Catch and Shoot (hat tip to Sportando).
- As he enters a contract year, Pau Gasol feels better than he expected he would. Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details.
- Lance Thomas didn’t consider the idea of playing for another team after the Pelicans waived him in July, he tells Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. He wound up re-signing for the same salary, with a $15K partial guarantee thrown in.
- Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News writes that Stephen Jackson will have to accept a lesser role or perhaps even a D-League stint if he’s going to continue his playing career.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Northwest Rumors: Nuggets, Hayward, Tinsley
Coach Brian Shaw plans to slow down the Nuggets‘ attack, but GM Tim Connelly makes it clear that he won’t mold the roster to conform the Pacers‘ defense-first model that Shaw was a part of in Indiana, as Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post observes. The Pacers might not have too much of an effect on the front range of the Rockies, but Indiana may have indirectly put a dent in the Jazz‘s plans, as we detail in a look at the Northwest:
- Gordon Hayward and the Jazz are far apart in negotiations on an extension, and Paul George‘s max deal with the Pacers appears to be playing a role, tweets Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Jamaal Tinsley didn’t have a contract with the Jazz over the summer, but he reached out to Trey Burke to let him know he was going to an organization that would treat him well, as Tinsley recounts to Luhm. Now, Tinsley is back with Utah to help replace the injured Burke.
- Serge Ibaka‘s continued rapid growth is key to the Thunder‘s ability to climb the next rung toward a title, The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel writes.
Mavericks Waive Mickey McConnell
The Mavs have released camp invitee Mickey McConnell, the team announced via press release. The move, which had been expected, reduces Dallas’ roster count to 15, so no further cuts will be required before opening night.
McConnell, 24, spent last season playing for Tezenis Verona in Italy, averaging 13.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 2.7 APG in 32 games. He appeared in five contests for the Mavs during the preseason, but was on a non-guaranteed contract, on a club which already had 15 players on guaranteed deals. As such, he was a long shot to make the NBA roster, but could end up with Dallas’ D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends.
Central Links: Kadji, Cavs, Robinson, Pistons
Here’s the latest out of the Central Division on a busy day of roster moves in the NBA:
- The Cavs’ release of DeSagana Diop, Jermaine Taylor, Elliot Williams and Kenny Kadji means that Henry Sims and Matthew Dellavedova have made the Cavs’ 15-man roster, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. The Cavs like Kadji, however, and they’re expected to protect the power forward from the D-League draft and retain his rights for the Canton Charge once he clears waivers.
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald has more on Sims, who made the team on a non-guaranteed deal, and sizes up the chances the Cavs‘ other cuts have of ending up with the Charge.
- Nuggets guard Nate Robinson misses Chicago but he understands why the Bulls didn’t re-sign him, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “It’s a business,” he said. “Everybody knew I wanted to come back, but they had other things in mind. They signed a great shooter in (Mike) Dunleavy. They got a good rookie (Tony Snell). They’ve got a great team. I miss it. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t. … I had a hell of a year and it was a great run.”
- It’s too early to call the Pistons’ big frontline a success, but they’re optimistic about having Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, and Josh Smith on the floor together, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Nuggets Cut Damion James
The Nuggets have waived small forward Damion James, the team announced on its website. The move takes the club’s roster down to 15 players, the regular season maximum.
He had the only non-guaranteed contract remaining on the team, and though he played Jordan Hamilton to a draw, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post, Hamilton’s fully guaranteed $1.169MM salary gave him a decided advantage. The move to cut James had been expected, as Dempsey tweeted earlier today.
Quincy Miller, whose deal is guaranteed for $150K, remains on the team, and assuming he makes it to opening night, his contract will become fully guaranteed. Most deals that aren’t fully guaranteed don’t become so until January 10th, but Miller is among several players who have earlier dates written into their contracts.
Nuggets Notes: Faried, Injuries, Roster Predictions
A few notes about the Nuggets as they face an uncertain season.
- The Denver Post’s Christopher Dempsey writes that frequent injuries have given first-year head coach Brian Shaw reason to worry. Wilson Chandler, Nate Robinson, and Darrell Arthur—just to name a few—have all battled through minor hiccups since the preseason started, and it’s made it difficult for Shaw to find proper rotations.
- More from Dempsey, as he predicts which players will make the roster and which will be cut before the regular season begins.
- Hoopsworld.com’s Steve Kyler tweets that the Nuggets are trying to discover Kenneth Faried‘s value on the trade market before locking themselves into a large, long-term contract.
Northwest Rumors: Favors, Williams, James
The base salary for Derrick Favors‘ new four-year extension with the Jazz is a little lower than the $49MM+ that was originally reported, according to HoopsWorld’s Eric Pincus (Twitter link). It’s a $48MM deal, with likely incentives that would take it up to $48.733MM, and unlikely incentives that could lift the value to $53.133MM, according to Pincus. There’s that and plenty more coming out of the Northwest Division today, where we’ve also heard the Nuggets may be shopping Kenneth Faried, the Jazz are still interested in signing Jamaal Tinsley, and the Wolves will exercise their 2014/15 option on Ricky Rubio. Here’s the latest:
- The Wolves will pick up their 2014/15 option on Derrick Williams, just as they will with Rubio, and Williams expressed relief today in comments to reporters, including Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. “It helps, (having) the security.” Williams said. “You’re guaranteed at least one more year in the NBA. As long as you have that, I think everything is good.”
- Damion James is the last player without any sort of guarantee on his contract who still remains on the Nuggets roster, and it doesn’t look like he’ll entice the Nuggets into cutting one of their guaranteed deals, as Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post examines. His best shot to make the team would have been if Quincy Miller struggled in camp, but Miller has impressed new coach Brian Shaw. James has played Jordan Hamilton to a draw this month, but Hamilton’s $1,169,880 guaranteed salary gives him the edge.
- Hamilton will likely make it to opening night, but the decision on whether to pick up his $2,109,294 team option for 2014/15 is not as clear, given the Nuggets‘ depth at small forward, Dempsey observes in the same piece.
- Favors and Enes Kanter have only started one game together in the NBA, but that total figures to grow much larger, especially now that the Jazz have locked up Favors’ for the long term. Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune looks at how Favors and Kanter will fit together, noting that coach Tyrone Corbin sees them as interchangeable parts at center and power forward.
Lowe On Faried, Horford, All-NBA, Collins
Zach Lowe of Grantland unveils 32 predictions for the upcoming season in his latest post, but the column isn’t based entirely on speculation. Lowe passes along several tidbits from conversations with execs around the league, so let’s dive in:
- Multiple sources tell Lowe that the Nuggets are gauging the willingness of other teams to trade for Kenneth Faried. The sources say Denver is demanding plenty in return for the power forward, and Nuggets officials deny they’ve had any talks with other teams about Faried, but Lowe predicts a deal will happen.
- The Hawks‘ roster is “built to trade,” but Ferry has emphatically turned away teams calling about Al Horford‘s availability, Lowe hears.
- The NBA is considering the removal of the center position from All-NBA teams, shifting to two backcourt and three frontcourt players as the league did with the All-Star ballot last season. That could alleviate a logjam among forwards and result in more money for Paul George, whose new extension will become more lucrative if he earns another All-NBA selection, under the terms of the Derrick Rose Rule.
- Several executives believe Jason Collins will find an NBA home after January 10th, the date when all contracts become guaranteed for the season. Many of the guys on non-guaranteed deals will be released in advance of that date, creating opportunities for teams to sign the player who would become the first openly gay male athlete in major North American pro sports.
Western Rumors: Hayward, Nuggets, Pelicans
The Mavericks are the only Western Conference team left with 20 players, as our roster counts show. Teams can have that many until October 28th, when the regular season limit of 15 kicks in, but unless a club intends to unload some of its extra guys via trade, it needs to waive them by 4pm Central on October 26th — this coming Saturday. The decisions shouldn’t be too hard for Dallas, since the team has 15 fully guaranteed contracts and five others on fully non-guaranteed deals, but there are plenty of other places where intrigue abounds. Impending roster cuts aren’t the only drama playing out, since the October 31st deadline for rookie scale extensions also looms. Here’s more on a team and a player staring down that date and other news from the West:
- The Jazz granted Derrick Favors an extension, but Gordon Hayward and agent Mark Bartelstein are still trying to pry another long-term commitment from Utah. Coach Tyrone Corbin is hopeful that the situation will be resolved soon, observes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s part of the business,” Corbin said. “Gordon understands it. His situation is what it is. There’s talks ongoing and hopefully things get worked out. But he understands. He’s happy for Derrick. … And we love both guys and we hope everything will work out that we can keep [both] guys here.”
- New GM Tim Connelly is bringing a sharper focus on analytics to the Nuggets front office, which includes his hiring of Tommy Balcetis, the team’s full-time analytics manager. Coach Brian Shaw is on board, too, as Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post details.
- Connelly’s old team, the Pelicans, doesn’t have a single player on its roster older than 28, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe notes in his weekly roundup. Though the club is youthful, GM Dell Demps is confident the Pelicans have enough experience, pointing to the influx of one-and-done college players into the draft that’s made it possible for more guys to accrue NBA service time at younger ages.