Nuggets Sign Quincy Miller
FRIDAY, 8:19am: Miller's deal is worth about $2.2MM over three years, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). It sounds like it's a minimum-salary deal, which would pay Miller $2,177,719 if he remained under contract for all three years. It's unlikely the deal is fully guaranteed.
Because the minimum salary exception can only be used to sign players for up to two years, the Nuggets figure to have used part of their mid-level exception to bring Miller on board.
THURSDAY, 4:22pm: The Nuggets have officially signed Miller, according to a team press release. It's not clear whether Miller simply accepted the team's required tender or whether the two sides worked out a different agreement, but either way, the Baylor product is now under contract.
9:53am: The Nuggets have ensured that Quincy Miller won't hit free agency this week by submitting a required tender for the 38th overall pick, according to Nate Timmons of Denver Stiffs. Agent Dwon Clifton confirmed to Timmons that Denver has tendered his client a non-guaranteed offer.
September 6th is the last day that NBA teams can tender contract offers to unsigned second-round draft picks in order to retain their draft rights. The player then has the opportunity to accept that one-year required tender, if he so chooses. By submitting the offer, the team also buys itself a little more time to negotiate further with the player, if he's unwilling to accept the tender.
According to Timmons, Clifton is confident that the two sides will work out a deal in the coming days, which seems to suggest that Miller isn't leaning toward just accepting the one-year, non-guaranteed deal. With 14 players on board so far, the Nuggets do have room to guarantee Miller's deal for their 15th roster spot.
As Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors noted this week when he looked at the contract statuses of this year's second-round picks, the Baylor wing is one of a few second-rounders that remains unsigned.
Teams With Access To Full MLE In 2012/13
This morning, we looked at the 12 NBA teams that dipped below the cap this summer and used space under the cap to sign or trade for players. Because those teams used cap room this year, they lost access to the full $5MM mid-level exception, along with the $1.957MM bi-annual exception.
Teams that remain over the cap, however, have the option to use their full $5MM mid-level. While this exception is available to any over-the-cap team, using more than $3.09MM of the MLE means the club's payroll can't exceed the tax line by more than $4MM at any point during the season. Because the tax threshold is $70,307,000, the "hard cap" for teams spending the full mid-level is $74,307,000.
The Bulls are one notable example of a team up against that hard cap. Because the team spent nearly $4MM of its mid-level on Kirk Hinrich, payroll can't exceed that $74.3MM cut-off at any point before next July. With over $73.5MM currently committed to player salaries, the Bulls don't have a whole lot of wiggle room.
Chicago is one of 13 clubs that should have access to their full $5MM mid-level exception this season. Here's a look at the franchises that fall into this category:
- Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks used their entire mid-level on Lou Williams, but aren't in danger of approaching the hard cap, as their payroll sits around $65MM.
- Boston Celtics: Taking into account their non-guaranteed players, the Celtics are approaching that hard cap, with a cap hit at approximately $71.9MM. They still have room to use their bi-annual exception though, if they so choose.
- Chicago Bulls: As I mentioned above, the Bulls don't even have the flexibility to sign a minimum-salary player, unless he's a rookie.
- Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets only used a small portion of their mid-level to sign Anthony Randolph, so they aren't hard-capped. Still, with $63.5MM in salaries, they're not about to approach that threshold anyway.
- Detroit Pistons: The Pistons have used just $2.5MM of their mid-level, and have the flexibility to use the rest without approaching the hard cap.
- Golden State Warriors: Like the Celtics, the Warriors are slightly over the tax line, but have some breathing room before they hit the hard cap, and could still use their BAE if they want to.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Sitting about $1MM below the tax line, it's unlikely the Clippers add much more salary and risk becoming a taxpayer.
- Milwaukee Bucks: With $4.35MM of their MLE remaining, and a payroll barely over the cap, the Bucks are a decent candidate to add a free agent for more than the minimum salary. A player like Leandro Barbosa could potentially be a fit.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: I expect the Thunder won't be eager to spend the $3MM+ left on their MLE, preferring to play it safe now and open up the checkbooks later, when extensions kick in for Serge Ibaka and perhaps James Harden.
- Orlando Magic: Orlando still has over $4MM remaining on its mid-level, but will likely be trying to shed salary over the course of the year, rather than adding more.
- San Antonio Spurs: Having signed Diaw for $4.5MM of their MLE, the Spurs will be hard-capped, but still have $5MM+ of breathing room, which should be more than enough.
- Utah Jazz: Randy Foye received $2.5MM of the Jazz's mid-level, bringing the team's total payroll to about $66.6MM.
- Washington Wizards: With only about $55.4MM on their books before signing Martell Webster, the Wizards could have claimed a little cap space by renouncing their MLE and BAE. However, it makes more sense to hang on to those exceptions, meaning Webster's $1.75MM salary should come out of the mid-level.
Odds & Ends: Nuggets, Colangelo, Spurs, Celtics
The Nuggets participated in the biggest trade of the offseason, getting Andre Iguodala in the four-team swap that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers, and Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com speculates that GM Masai Ujiri might not be done dealing. Howard-Cooper, replying to a fan question on Twitter, says he thinks the team will look to move a wing player or a power forward to alleviate logjams at those positions, but cautions that Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, each of whom is owed more than $30MM, are not likely trade candidates. Here's the rest of the news from the Association with less than a month to go before the start of training camp:
- Jerry Colangelo wants to remain as chairman of USA Basketball at least through the 2016 Olympics, USA Today reports. He's likely to receive formal approval to stay in early 2013, and says he's spoken to Mike Krzyzewski in hopes of luring him back as coach.
- Agent Keith Kreiter of Edge Sports says via Twitter that the Spurs will bring in Brian Butch and Warren Carter for workouts next week, while the Celtics will audition Darryl Partin (hat tip to Michael A. De Leon of Project Spurs). Butch, a former University of Wisconsin center, was in camp with the Hornets before last season, while Carter, a forward from Illinois, got a look from the Knicks in camp in 2009. Partin, a guard, went undrafted this June out of Boston University.
- A shoulder injury forced Channing Frye to miss the Suns' de facto postseason play-in game at the end of last season with the Jazz, and while he's been cleared for contact, he might not be ready in time for opening night, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Northwest Notes: Blatche, T’Wolves, Maynor
Here's a look at some items out of the Northwest division..
- The Timberwolves were in the building to watch Hassan Whiteside work out yesterday and free agent Andray Blatche was also in attendance, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. It's not known if Minnesota scout Milton Barnes was in Houston, Texas to scope out both players or just Whiteside.
- Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld runs down the ten most important role players for 2012/13 and includes Thunder point guard Eric Maynor, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Over the weekend, I looked at what it might take for Oklahoma City to work out a contract extension for the VCU alum. While the Thunder are known to be high on Maynor for his ability to manage a game and high basketball IQ, he may not fit in their budget as they look to find the coin to keep James Harden.
- The Nuggets are on the national radar thanks to their recent acquisition of Andre Iguodala, but David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) believes that the next big star to come out of Denver is backup center Kosta Koufos. Thorpe notes that Koufos is the only center in the league who finished among the top five in offensive rebound rate and in true shooting percentage last season. While Koufos may be poised to break out in similar fashion as Marcin Gortat did with the Suns and Omer Asik for the Bulls (now with the Rockets), the Nuggets wisely signed Koufos to a contract extension that keeps him in Denver through 2013/14 at $3MM per year.
Odds & Ends: Nuggets, Harrellson, Playoffs
Here is the latest news and notes from around the NBA on Monday night:
- With Andre Iguodala on board, the new-look Nuggets are drawing plenty of attentions from the fans in Denver. Aaron Lopez of Nuggets.com addresses expectations, the projected starting lineup and more in a summer mailbag.
- According to his agent, free agent big man Josh Harrellson will visit three more teams in the next week or two, tweets Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. His agent wouldn't disclose the teams. Harrellson worked out for the Heat last week, but hadn't received an offer from the team as of Friday.
- Chris Bernucca from Sheridan Hoops gives his take on how the Eastern Conference will shake out this season, and puts the Hawks, Bulls, Bucks and Raptors on the playoff bubble. Bernucca provided his Western Conference analysis over the weekend.
Odds & Ends: Collins, Nuggets, Warriors
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday night:
- Doug Collins tells the Sporting News that he wants to coach four or five more years for the Sixers.
- Derek Page of HoopsWorld has some thoughts from Nuggets coach George Karl, who is pleased with the moves Masai Ujiri's staff has made this summer, most notably the trade for Andre Iguodala.
- The Warriors' plan to build a new arena in San Francisco is progressing. According to a team press release, they have chosen an architectural firm to begin construction on the new facility.
Odds & Ends: Sixers, Wade, Nuggets, Nash
Now that Andre Iguodala is with the Nuggets, CSNPhilly.com wonders how Denver's head coach George Karl will use the All-Star wing in his system. Here are a few more notes from across the league:
- Dwyane Wade told reporters on Thursday that even though Derrick Rose doesn't see himself as the type to recruit other players to join him in Chicago, it may be a necessary move later on in his career, writes ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell.
- After his involvement in the Dwight Howard trade, Andre Miller is excited to be reunited with Andre Iguodala in Denver, writes Nuggets.com's Aaron J. Lopez. The two were previously teammates in Philadelphia.
- NBA.com's John Schuhmann dives deep into the numbers to explain why the Lakers will truly benefit with the addition of Steve Nash.
- The Nets agreed to sign Donte Greene earlier today, and the New York Post's Tim Bontemps thinks it was a good move.
- NBA.com's John Denton offers various reactions to several recent NBA-related news items.
- Pistons second round pick Kim English is excited to start his career on a team that he believes to be headed down the right path, writes MLive.com's Brendan Savage.
Karl Talks Iguodala, Harrington, Afflalo, Future
Nuggets coach George Karl recently joined Scott Hastings on KFFN in Denver to discuss the Nuggets' part in August's blockbuster four-team trade, how losing two veteran players would affect the team, and the next step for Denver. Sports Radio Interviews provides a transcript of a few of Karl's more interesting quotes, so let's check them out:
On acquiring Andre Iguodala:
"We didn’t want to make a trade unless we knew it was going to make us better. Iguodala was kind of rumored all last year and a little bit after the season…. I think [GM] Masai [Ujiri] just did a great job of keeping a good pulse of what was going on. The negative of the trade is giving up Arron Afflalo and Al [Harrington] who were both very, very pivotal players on our basketball team last year and they’re good leaders on our team. Everybody is saying, what is the difference of the team going to be? And I’m not afraid of the differences and I’m hoping we can get whoever, Ty Lawson or Iggy or someone, into that locker room and give us the positive leadership that Arron and Al gave us and maybe a little bit more."
On whether Harrington was an ideal fit on the Nuggets:
"I think you’re defining where Al is in his career. Al was a scorer and 35 minute player as a guy that had to touch the ball and wanted to touch the ball almost all the time and he was now coming into a team where we were going to ask him to play 25 minutes and try to open up the middle of the court for us and also do some banging inside. In the first year I thought he struggled with his identity or his role on our team but I thought last year he was super. I thought he was absolutely fantastic. I can remember five or six wins that we had that had Al Harrington written all over it."
On how the team will adjust to having Iguodala in Afflalo's place:
"Arron Afflalo is just a rock, a really solid pro. He’s not spectacular, he’s not fancy, he’s not a highlight film but at the end of the game you get a guy who is going to get you 15 to 20 points and going to give you a solid playmaking game. Most of the time he’s a good defender but we made the trade to basically get better defensively. We think Iguodala is a top 10 defender in basketball and I don’t know if he can cover big guys but I don’t think he’d be afraid of the challenge. Play [him] and Gallo (Danilo Gallinari) at three and four and see if we can get away with it but the whole thing comes down to, he fits our personality, he’s one of those players in basketball that on any given night he can get a triple double and he helps you win basketball games by doing little things and team things as much as he does statistical things."
On the next step for the Nuggets:
"It’s our young guys gaining confidence and building trust…. We are excited about this season and we think we can be a top four team in the West. If we get to a top four team in the West we should expect to try to win the first round and see what happens after that."
Latest On Michael Redd
After seeing his playing time and production decline significantly due to injuries during his previous three seasons, Michael Redd had a bit of a bounceback year in Phoenix in 2011/12, averaging 8.2 points in just 15.1 minutes per game. Those numbers should be enough to earn him another NBA contract, and according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, there are a number of potential suitors in play. While Amico says the Cavs don't have interest, he lists the Nuggets, Wizards, Grizzlies, Bulls, and Thunder as possible fits (Sulia link).
I outlined yesterday why the Nuggets could use a shooter, and I could see the Wizards and Grizzlies wanting to add a little more size at the two. While we heard of the Bulls' interest earlier in the summer, I can't see them as a real possibility at this point, considering their cap situation — they'd have to trade away a player before they'd even have room to sign Redd. As for the Thunder, they could add one more backcourt player to replace Derek Fisher, as Amico notes, adding that he wouldn't be surprised to see Fisher end up in San Antonio.
Redd is probably unlikely to land more than a minimum-salary deal this offseason, which may limit his earnings, but should open up plenty of options. While a number of teams no longer have cap space or mid-level exceptions available, clubs can use the minimum salary exception as many times as they like.
Possible Fits For Leandro Barbosa
The number of household names on our list of 2012/13 free agents continues to dwindle, but there are still a handful of intriguing veterans out there, including Josh Howard, Kenyon Martin, and Anthony Tolliver, among others. One notable free agent still seeking a new contract is combo guard Leandro Barbosa. We've heard plenty of rumors involving the 29-year-old, but with September approaching, he remains unsigned.
Barbosa is coming off a five-year, $33MM contract and is still productive, so he's unlikely to accept a minimum-salary deal. And while he has the ability to play both guard positions, he's definitely a scorer first rather than a facilitator, which wouldn't be a fit for some teams. So what clubs could offer a moderate salary to Barbosa and could use a scorer off the bench? Let's run through a few possibilities….
Denver Nuggets ($3.33MM of mid-level exception available)
Denver hasn't been linked to Barbosa at all this summer, but I like the fit on paper — while the Nuggets have 15 contracts on their books, Julyan Stone's minimum-salary deal isn't guaranteed, so the team could clear a spot if it wanted to. Andre Iguodala figures to start at the two, with Corey Brewer backing him up, but neither player is a particularly strong outside shooter. Only Evan Fournier fills that role, and it might be a mistake to expect too much out of a rookie that was initially expected to continue playing overseas for a year or two before joining the Nuggets. Barbosa could provide outside scoring and act as an emergency backup at the point behind Ty Lawson and Andre Miller.
Phoenix Suns ($8MM+ in cap space, $2.575MM room exception available)
Barbosa has spent most of his career in Phoenix and the Suns certainly have the necessary money and roster space. They've also been rumored to have a little interest. With Wesley Johnson and Shannon Brown penciled in at shooting guard, the Suns could use one more reliable veteran at the position, but the team may value its cap flexibility more than the scoring Barbosa could provide.
Indiana Pacers ($2.575MM room exception available)
The Pacers had to renounce Barbosa to make their other roster moves this offseason, so they don't retain any form of his Bird rights. But Indiana does have its room exception, so if there's any interest in a reunion, the team could probably make a competitive offer. Still, the Pacers' need isn't glaring, and Barbosa didn't exactly thrive after Indiana acquired him at the trade deadline — his .399 FG% would have been a career-worst over a full season, and his mark in the playoffs (37%) was even lower.
Milwaukee Bucks ($4.35MM of mid-level exception remaining)
The Bucks' two marquee players, Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, are guards, but the team's backcourt depth doesn't extend a whole lot further. Doron Lamb and Beno Udrih are the only other guards on the roster. The Bucks would probably prefer to add at least one more player to the backcourt by trading one of their many big men, but if they can't find a deal, a free agent signing may be necessary. The Bucks actually strikes me as a solid fit for Barbosa, given the money they could offer, paired with the team's on-court need. But Milwaukee isn't the most desirable destination for free agents, so even if the club is interested, we'll have to see if Barbosa would seriously consider signing there.
Detroit Pistons ($2.5MM of mid-level exception available)
As we heard yesterday, Joe Dumars is still looking to bolster the Pistons' backcourt, but it seems he's focusing on trades for now, rather than free agents. Considering Detroit already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, it seems unlikely the team would ditch one of its current guys for a non-essential piece like Barbosa. However, if no trades are out there, it remains an outside possibility.
Cleveland Cavaliers ($11MM+ of cap space, $2.575MM room exception available)
Barbosa hinted earlier this summer that he wouldn't mind hearing from the Cavs, and it's not hard to see why — Cleveland is one of the only clubs with the space to offer him the $7.6MM salary he made last year. Of course, the Cavs aren't about to make such an offer, and with Alonzo Gee seemingly on his way back to Cleveland, the team may be close to finishing its free agent spending.
If Barbosa is open to accepting a minimum-salary contract, or perhaps the bi-annual exception, which would pay him a little less than $2MM annually, we could add plenty more potential suitors to this list. But based on reports to date, it doesn't seem like he's ready to settle just yet. It wouldn't surprise me if we heard rumors linking him to a couple more of the clubs in this post before he eventually signs a new deal.