And-Ones: Hornets D-League, Final Cuts, Johnson
Greensboro, North Carolina, will be the site of the Hornets‘ new D-League team, reports Jeff Mills of the Greensboro News & Record. The new franchise, which will expand the league to 20 teams, will begin play next fall. Charlotte currently has no D-League affiliate. Players on D-League assignment will go to the one-to-one affiliate of another NBA team. “Greensboro’s approach to the process was innovative,” said Fred Whitfield, the Hornets’ president and chief operating officer. “Taking the Pavilion and renovating it into a basketball-style fieldhouse for us was very attractive. Especially when you could have offices for us right across the street.” The move is expected to be officially announced Tuesday. Asheville and Fayetteville were the other finalists.
There’s more news from around the basketball world:
- After a flurry of moves Saturday, seven NBA teams still have final cuts to make before Monday’s roster deadline, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Mavericks, Pistons, Pacers, Lakers and Grizzlies each have to unload one player to reach the roster limit of 15. The Nets still have 17 players and the Sixers have 20, which is the training camp maximum (Twitter link). The five teams with roster openings are the Rockets, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic and Suns, who each have 14 spots filled. (Twitter link).
- Several teams have expressed interest in Nick Johnson, who was waived Saturday by the Nuggets, according to Sam Amico of Amicohoops.net. Citing an unidentified source, Amico says there’s a chance someone could pick up Johnson by Monday. Johnson was one of four players sent from Houston to Denver in the Ty Lawson trade.
- The league is looking into the reported confrontation between Knicks coach Derek Fisher and the Grizzlies‘ Matt Barnes, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the investigation, but did not offer specifics regarding possible punishment for either Fisher or Barnes. They were allegedly involved in a physical altercation at the house of Barnes’ estranged wife.
Eastern Notes: Jones, Pistons, Lin
The Celtics knew there wasn’t a market for Perry Jones III, but they liked him and probed other trades with the thought of keeping him on the roster, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. No deal materialized and Boston waived the 24-year-old earlier today.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Detroit hopes that Adonis Thomas, who was waived by the team on Friday, will play for Grand Rapids Drive, the team’s D-League affiliate, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. “I hope it’s an option he’ll look at,” President of Basketball Operations/coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Selfishly, we hope so. But I don’t know what he’s thinking about.” The Pistons own Thomas’ D-League rights, but the 22-year-old could look to secure a roster spot on another NBA team or look to sign overseas, where the money is often significantly more.
- The entire reason the Pistons were so judicious in their handling of Greg Monroe on the business side was that they wanted to be careful not to overspend on a center who isn’t a rim protector at the core, David Mayo of Mlive.com opines in his latest mailbag. Mayo believes Monroe could have played center in Van Gundy’s system, but Andre Drummond‘s defensive ability and athleticism gives him a better chance to succeed at that spot.
- New addition Jeremy Lin has helped the Hornets go undefeated in the preseason and he has proven to be a good fit next to Kemba Walker in the backcourt, Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer writes. “It takes a lot of pressure off me.” Walker said of playing with Lin. “I don’t always have to go back for the basketball every time. When he’s out there, he’s helping me with the pace, with the tempo. He’s very unselfish and he can score the basketball very well. So that’s fun.” The Hornets and Lin agreed to a two-year, $4.3MM deal with a player option in year two.
Central Notes: Granger, Noah, Thompson
It’s all but inevitable that the Pistons will waive Danny Granger, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy admits, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). They’re exploring trade options in the interim, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who cautions that it doesn’t mean a deal will happen (Twitter links). Granger has a fully guaranteed salary of $2,170,465, one of 16 full guarantees on the Pistons.
Here’s the latest from the Central Division:
- The Pacers‘ new D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, officially hired Harrison Greenberg as Director of Basketball Operations, the team announced.
- LeBron James is pleased that Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is willing to venture deep into luxury tax territory in an effort to put together a contending team, Joe Vardon of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “It’s a sign that he’ll do anything to help us go out there and perform,” James said of Gilbert’s spending. “I’m not comparing us to the New York Yankees, because we’re not, we’re so nowhere near compared to the New York Yankees, but they have one of the highest payrolls every year,” James continued. “They don’t win it every year but that’s what they believe in. They believe in going out there and getting the best talent that can play. When you have an ownership group or a collection round that believes what it’s going to take, then money is not an object.“
- While Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has yet to make it official, center Joakim Noah is likely to begin the season coming off the bench, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. “We’ll start the same way,” Hoiberg said. “If it looks good, [that’s] a pretty good chance that’s the way we’ll go on opening night.” When asked about Noah’s response to the potential move, Hoiberg said, “We’ve talked. We talk about everything that he’s done. He was great, he was excited about playing with Taj Gibson last game. I think those two have a very good chemistry out there together. And [Noah] was the one that talked to me about that, about how well he feels he and Taj play together out there on the floor.”
- Tristan Thompson is glad to be back with the Cavaliers, but does maintain that he was prepared to miss regular season time if a contract agreement had not been reached, Chris Fedor of The Northeast Ohio Media Group relays. “I love playing basketball,” Thompson said. “That’s my love, that’s my passion. But with this business it comes with a business side of it. For me, that’s how I approach it. Business is business and my approach is if a deal gets done before the season that’s great, but if not then so be it. I’m not a rookie no more. I’m a veteran. It’s not something to take lightly. It’s a serious matter.“
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Pistons Sign Ryan Boatright
The Pistons have signed point guard Ryan Boatright, the team announced via a press release. Detroit intends to waive Boatright and assign him to its D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter). Teams can retain the D-League rights for up to four players.
The Suns, Hornets and Blazers were also reportedly interested in Boatright, whom the Nets waived Tuesday. The undrafted point guard from Connecticut performed well during limited preseason action, averaging 4.2 points, 3.8 assists and 1.0 turnover in 13.9 minutes per game. His career NCAA numbers were 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, with a slash line of .416/.380/.794.
The addition of Boatright raises the Pistons’ roster count to 17 players, including 16 with fully guaranteed pacts. The team is expected to waive veteran Danny Granger, who along with Boatright, would reduce the team’s roster to the regular season maximum of 15 once they are indeed let go.
Pistons Waive Martin, Thomas, Bachynski
9:49am: Bullock has indeed won a regular season roster spot, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
9:21am: The Pistons have waived Cartier Martin, Adonis Thomas and Jordan Bachynski, the team announced via press release. The moves leave Detroit with 16 players, all of whom are on fully guaranteed contracts, but they nonetheless provide a strong indication of what the opening night roster will look like. Danny Granger has been away from the team rehabilitating his knee trouble, and indications surfaced even when the Pistons traded for him this summer that they would waive him, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press recently explained to Hoops Rumors. That, plus the three players hitting waivers today, puts Reggie Bullock in a strong position to make the regular season roster. Martin also has a fully guaranteed salary, so the Pistons will swallow $1,270,964 assuming he clears waivers, and they’ll eat the $60K guarantee for Thomas if he passes through waivers, too. Bachynski’s deal is non-guaranteed.
Martin, 30, picked up a player option after teammates reportedly encouraged him to do so despite his apparent dissatisfaction with his playing time. He appeared in only 23 games last season, averaging 8.6 minutes per contest, even though Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy committed a two-year deal to him on the first day of free agency in 2014.
The 22-year-old Thomas said that Van Gundy assured him he had a shot to make the regular season roster when the Pistons signed him this summer, but Thomas has dealt with Achilles tendon issues that limited him to a single preseason appearance of about 10 minutes. He spent last season with Detroit’s D-League affiliate, making the All-D-League Third Team, and the Pistons still own his D-League rights.
Bachynski scored six points in about six minutes of action spread over two preseason games. The 26-year-old center who went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2014 joined the Pistons on his first NBA contract this summer after having split last season between the D-League affiliate of the Knicks and Turkey’s Ekishehir Basket.
Bullock already had a line on a regular season roster spot because of his strong preseason play, and the Pistons are thinking about picking up Bullock’s $2,255,644 team option for 2016/17, Ellis reported. A decision on the option, part of the rookie scale contract for the former 25th overall pick, is due November 2nd. The Pistons acquired him from the Suns in the same trade that brought in Granger and Marcus Morris.
Central Notes: Drummond, Jackson, Vaughn
It’s a credit to the relationship formed between Pistons owner Tom Gores, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, and center Andre Drummond that all parties would agree to hold off on signing an extension to allow the team to retain more cap space heading into next offseason, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press writes. “I will tell you I’ve learned from conversations that we had we’re really giving ourselves the flexibility to build this team up and do the right things to get us where we need to be,” Drummond told reporters. “I’m just ready to prepare for the season, and whenever that time comes again, I’ll be prepared for it.”
Drummond’s willingness to put his future payday on hold impressed Van Gundy, Ellis notes. “As much as Andre wants to be here, he desperately wants to win and wants to be part of a contender and wants us to have the flexibility to continue to add people to this team,” Van Gundy said. “He has a great relationship with Tom — a very open, honest, trusting relationship. They spend a lot of time talking about this. I think it shows Andre’s maturity and leadership that he would step forward and put the team ahead of himself.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Reggie Jackson, who re-signed with the Pistons this summer for five years and $80MM, has a stake in whether or not Drummond remains in Detroit, Aaron McMann of MLive.com writes. “He’s a big reason, reason 1A-1B, I went solely into staying here,” Jackson said. “He was always on me about making sure I signed. So I’m just trying to make sure everything’s going in the right direction to still be here and try and make a lot of memories.“
- Jackson also relayed that he and Drummond spoke privately about the center’s decision, and the point guard called it a big one for the big man’s future, McMann adds in the same piece. “It’s a mature move either way,” Jackson said. “Whatever he decides is what he decides. I just would love to know that I have this guy with me during my tenure being here, wearing this red and blue. I just want what’s best for Andre. I want what’s best for his career. I definitely want him to be here and I want to make a lot of memories and a lot of highlights in the Palace and bring back this city.“
- Bucks rookie shooting guard Rashad Vaughn has been turning heads with his stellar preseason play, and he may turn out to be the steal of the 2015 NBA Draft, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “He plays with a great demeanor,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He doesn’t get up too high and doesn’t get too down in the things that he’s done. He is showing that he deserves time to play and he’ll get it. … At 19 years old, he’s very mature. He acts a lot older on the court and off the court.”
- The Cavs finally struck a deal with Tristan Thompson today, as we passed along earlier. See the details here.
Pistons, Andre Drummond Not Planning Extension
Andre Drummond wants to wait until next summer to talk contract with the Pistons instead of signing an extension before the November 2nd deadline, Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy told reporters today, including Keith Langlois of Pistons.com and Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). The lack of an extension will give the Pistons more than $12MM in additional cap flexibility for next summer, Langlois notes (Twitter link). Regardless, Drummond has been likely to get a new max deal with the Pistons, whether through an extension this fall or a new contract in restricted free agency next summer, as Ellis recently explained to Hoops Rumors.
“Andre wants to be here long term,” Van Gundy said, according to Langlois (Twitter link). “He … wants us to have the flexibility to continue to add people to this team.”
Pistons owner Tom Gores referred to Drummond this past spring as a “max player,” so it’s clear how much the team values the Jeff Schwartz client. At issue is the size of his cap hold, which will remain at $8,180,228 until he signs a new deal. The projected maximum salary for a player with Drummond’s years of experience for next season is $20.4MM, and if Drummond were to sign an extension this fall, that number would count again the cap for the Pistons, limiting their flexibility. Keeping him unsigned allows the Pistons to sign others and then follow up and sign Drummond, or match any offer sheet he signs with another team, via Bird rights. The Spurs pursued a similar path with Kawhi Leonard this summer, allowing them to sign LaMarcus Aldridge. Leonard re-signed with the Spurs for five years at the max after Aldridge signed his contract with San Antonio.
Van Gundy cited $12.7MM as the amount of extra cap flexibility the Pistons will reap from delaying a deal with Drummond, Langlois notes (Twitter link). That’s perhaps an indication that either the Pistons, the league or both foresee a slightly higher than projected cap for 2016/17, since the difference between Drummond’s cap hold and the current projected max is only about $12.2MM.
In any case, the Pistons were willing to let Drummond decide whether to do an extension, as Ellis wrote this summer. Initially, it appeared that he wanted to go ahead with a deal this fall, and that seemed the likeliest outcome, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors wrote when he looked at Drummond’s extension candidacy. Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago, a former Pistons beat writer, hears that ex-agent Arn Tellem, who joined the Pistons organization as an executive this summer, worked to convince Drummond to delay his signing (Twitter link).
The danger, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out, is that Drummond signs a short-term offer sheet that would allow him to hit free agency sooner than the Pistons would like (Twitter link). Still, Van Gundy cited Drummond’s trust in Gores, Langlois notes (on Twitter). The team has consulted Drummond on almost every major move, and Gores and Drummond see themselves as partners, Ellis tweets.
The Pistons already have about $42MM in salary commitments for 2016/17, and that number will rise to more than $48MM if they pick up their team options on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock. The salary cap is projected to rise to $89MM next season.
Do you think waiting until next summer to do a deal is a wise choice for both sides? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Central Notes: Pistons, Bulls, Butler
While center Andre Drummond, shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and point guard Reggie Jackson are guaranteed starting spots, Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova and Stanley Johnson are still fighting for the other two starting roles with the Pistons, Terry Foster of The Detroit News details. Each player has skills that make for a compelling argument, Foster writes, and no one seems to have the edge yet. Ilyasova can stretch the floor with his 3-point shot, Morris provides toughness and Johnson is quick in transition, Foster adds.
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- Bulls rookie Bobby Portis is standing out early because of his confidence, rebounding ability and scoring touch, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg acknowledged it would be hard to envision a scenario where Portis isn’t given rotational minutes early in the season, Friedell adds. “I just think it’s his energy,” Hoiberg said. “Anybody that goes out and plays that hard every possession, good things generally happen and that’s exactly what Bobby has done.”
- Look for Jimmy Butler, who re-signed with the Bulls over the summer, to pick up his intensity on the court as the regular season draws near, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes. Butler, according to first-year coach Hoiberg, has been focused on getting his teammates more involved in a new system, Johnson adds.
Northwest Notes: Presti, Malone, Gobert
Thunder GM Sam Presti is looking to a fresh start in Oklahoma City with Billy Donovan taking over the coaching reins, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Thunder were overwhelmed by injuries last season, particularly to star Kevin Durant, and narrowly missed the Western Conference playoffs. A revival is seen as key this year with Durant becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. “The combination of the transition to a new coaching staff, a healthy team with the benefit of seven years of experience together that is now entering its prime years, and some additions to our roster that fit our age horizon also help fortify the existing culture,” Presti said, “and has created an organizational momentum that has everyone excited about the present but also very optimistic about the future.”
There’s more news from the Northwest Division:
- New Nuggets coach Michael Malone has brought an emphasis on defense to Denver, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Darrell Arthur said that when he was traded from the Grizzlies to the Nuggets in 2013, he was surprised how rarely defense and communication were taught by former Denver coach Brian Shaw. “It’s the exact same thing, what we did in Memphis to what coach Malone is doing,” Arthur said. “This is the way I was taught to play. I’m pretty sure this is the right way to play basketball.”
- Utah’s Rudy Gobert is among the most likely candidates for Most Improved Player honors this season, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. The Jazz center finished third in voting for the award last season, but Brigham believes he can still get much better by improving his offensive game. Former Thunder guard Reggie Jackson, now with the Pistons, is also on the list, along with the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Wizards’ Bradley Beal, the Sixers’ Nerlens Noel, the Magic’s Victor Oladipo and the Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas.
Heat Rumors: Deng, Roster, Richardson, Bosh
Luol Deng is convinced that he made the correct move last summer by choosing Miami over Atlanta in free agency, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Deng remains happy with his choice of the Heat, even without considering the alleged race-related comments by former Hawks GM Danny Ferry that led to him taking a buyout deal. Deng could have pursued free agency again this year, but chose to opt in for $10.15MM. “I know I made the right decision,” Deng said of coming to the Heat. “What happened last year was a lot of injuries and ups and downs. I’m happy where I’m at. I love the organization. I love my teammates and I love Miami.”
There’s more Heat-related news this morning:
- Several players who spent time on Miami’s roster last year won’t be in the league this season, Winderman notes in the same story. Henry Walker, Shannon Brown and Shawne Williams failed to sign training camp deals, while Justin Hamilton is playing in Spain, Andre Dawkins is in Italy and Michael Beasley is in China. Walker signed with the new Amerileague, becoming the league’s first player who saw regular season NBA action last year. In addition, Danny Granger got permission from the Pistons to stay in Arizona and rehab his knee, and could be released. Walker signed
- Josh Richardson is too talented for the Heat to give him extended stays in the D-League, Winderman contends in a separate story. In his “Ask Ira” column, Winderman says Richardson should push Tyler Johnson for playing time, although it appears Miami is giving Johnson the first crack at being the third-string point guard behind Goran Dragic and Mario Chalmers. As the columnist notes, Richardson’s contract is fully guaranteed, while Johnson only carries a partial guarantee.
- Chris Bosh understands that he will be judged by the numbers he puts up, even if the balanced Heat lineup isn’t conducive to big numbers, Winderman writes in another story. After receiving a five-year max contract to stay in Miami in the summer of 2014, Bosh had his season cut short by blood clots in his lungs, playing in just 44 games. “I knew what that meant when I signed my name on the dotted line,” Bosh said. “It’s always everybody’s dream, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m going to be the team’s highest-paid player.’ And then, do it, and you expect things that aren’t realistic.”