Sixers Receive Permission To Interview Three GM Candidates
The Sixers have been granted permission to interview three candidates for their open general manager position, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, Larry Harris (Warriors), Gersson Rosas (Rockets), and Justin Zanik (Jazz) are among Philadelphia’s potential targets. Team ownership intends to start meeting with candidates next week, league sources tell ESPN.
An assistant GM and director of player personnel for the Warriors, Harris previously spent nearly two decades with the Bucks, serving as Milwaukee’s general manager from 2003 to 2008. He headed to Golden State for the 2008/09 season, initially serving as an assistant coach before moving to the team’s front office.
Rosas has spent the better part of two decades with the Rockets and is currently the executive vice president of basketball operations for the team. A close associate of general manager Daryl Morey, Rosas had a brief stint as the Mavericks’ general manager in 2013 but returned to Houston shortly thereafter. He was reportedly considered for front office openings in Charlotte and Detroit earlier this year.
Zanik, who held an assistant general manager position with the Jazz until 2016, left to join the Bucks at that time. Milwaukee appeared to be grooming Zanik as the eventual replacement for general manager John Hammond, but the club passed over him last summer following an unusual GM search, opting to promote Jon Horst instead. Zanik left the franchise in the wake of that decision, returning to Utah in his old assistant GM role.
Following the dismissal of Bryan Colangelo in Philadelphia, the Sixers initially targeted big-name NBA GMs and presidents like Morey, but have since cast a wider net, focusing more on executives who would view the Philadelphia job as a promotion rather than a lateral move.
Team owner Josh Harris recently said that the 76ers want to make sure they find a perfect fit, and would be content leaving their interim structure in place if necessary. Head coach Brett Brown is currently serving as the club’s interim president of basketball operations, though he has plenty of help in the front office — Ned Cohen, Marc Eversley, and Elton Brand were among those receiving promotions this week.
Warriors Notes: West, Myers, Jerebko, Cousins
David West was a team leader and legitimate tough guy with well-rounded off-the-court interests, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The 38-year-old big man announced his retirement today after a 15-year NBA career that included the past two seasons with Golden State, where he won two titles.
In addition to his longevity, West will be remembered for a decision in made in 2015 to bypass an option year with the Pacers and sign with the Spurs in pursuit of a championship. The choice cost him about $10MM, but West felt it was worth it to pursue a ring. He joined the Warriors a year later and became the perfect veteran leader for a team coming off a disappointing finals loss.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- In a post on the team website, GM Bob Myers and coach Steve Kerr talked about how much West’s presence with the team will be missed. “There should be a picture in the dictionary of David under ‘pro’s pro’,” Myers said. “He’s one of the most decent people I’ve ever met. His depth of character is unmatched. We are all better for having spent the last two years with him. There is no doubt the best is ahead of him.” Kerr added: “David was a consummate professional throughout his entire career and was a huge presence in our locker room the last two years. The respect that he commanded was palpable every single day he walked in the door and the leadership that he provided to our team was critical to our success.”
- Free agent addition Jonas Jerebko is prepared to do anything he can to help the Warriors stay on top. In a recent appearance on the Bay Area Sports Warriors Insider Podcast, Jerebko said he’s more confident than ever in his 3-point shot and believes he can help the team in other ways as well. “I’ve been in the league for 10 years now,” he said. “I know Steve [Kerr] and those guys have watched me and know what I can do on the court. I’m going to help every which way I can. If that’s on the defensive end, getting steals or rebounds, whatever it may be, hustling, you’re going to see me all over the court.”
- The signing of DeMarcus Cousins gives the Warriors a potentially dominant big man once he’s fully healthy, but the team doesn’t plan any changes in its approach, writes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re not going to change our style of play,” Kerr said. “We’ll definitely add a few plays for DeMarcus down on the block. But for the most part, we’re not going to change who we are.”
David West Announces Retirement
Longtime NBA big man David West has announced his retirement from the NBA after 15 seasons. West issued a statement on Twitter confirming his decision, which comes one day after he turned 38 years old.
“I have been fortunate enough to live out my childhood dream of playing in the NBA. After 15 seasons I have decided to retire from the game of basketball,” West wrote. “I am humbled and thankful for the support of my family, friends, coaches, teammates, organizations, and fans throughout this experience. To anyone who has ever cheered me on, been in my corner, prayed, or simply said a nice word on my behalf, I am grateful.”
West, who began his career as a New Orleans Hornet after being selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2003 draft, played in New Orleans for his first eight years in the NBA, earning a pair of All-Star nods in 2008 and 2009 and teaming with Chris Paul during many of the most successful seasons in franchise history.
West later spent four years with the Pacers, one with the Spurs, and his last two in Golden State, where he won a pair of NBA championships with the Warriors. For his career, the former Xavier standout averaged 13.6 PPG and 6.4 RPG in 1,034 regular season games. He also appeared in 118 postseason contests, contributing 11.3 PPG and 5.6 RPG in the playoffs.
Although West earned nearly $100MM in salary throughout his NBA career, per Basketball-Reference, his last few years in the league were defined by his willingness to play for the veteran’s minimum for championship contenders.
After winning his first title in 2017, West re-signed with the Warriors, but reports at the time indicated that it was expected to be his last year, with retirement coming in 2018. That’s exactly what happened, with West’s announcement coming just days after another accomplished NBA veteran, Manu Ginobili, announced his own retirement.
While it’s unclear what the next step will be for West, he has long been one of the most widely-respected players in the game, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, who tweets that the 38-year-old could have a future in anything from coaching to broadcasting to front office work. It likely won’t take long for West to receive coaching and front office offers, if he wants them, notes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Warriors Have Options If They Lose McCaw
- The Warriors have several options if they can’t reach a deal with restricted free agent Patrick McCaw, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Golden State made a $1.74MM qualifying offer in June that now can’t be pulled without McCaw’s consent. If the second-year shooting guard finds a better deal elsewhere and the Warriors choose not to match, Poole outlines the team’s alternatives, which include re-signing veteran guard Nick Young. Other possibilities are Corey Brewer, Jamal Crawford, Josh Huestis or if he can get medical clearance, Chris Bosh.
Warriors Sign Danuel House To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 22: The Warriors have officially signed House, according to RealGM’s transactions log.
JULY 25: The Warriors are signing free agent swingman Danuel House to a one-year contract, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). House’s deal will be a non-guaranteed training camp contract, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).
House, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2016, has spent time with the Wizards, Suns, and various G League teams since entering the league. Last season, he inked a two-way contract with Phoenix in December and appeared in 23 games for the club.
While House’s overall numbers with the Suns were modest, he finished the season strong when he got the opportunity to take on a major role down the stretch. In Phoenix’s final five games, the 25-year-old averaged 14.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.4 APG with a .492 FG%. That wasn’t enough to earn a qualifying offer last month though, so he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Golden State currently has 13 players on guaranteed contracts, with restricted free agent Patrick McCaw expected to get a new deal at some point. If the team carries a full 15-man roster into the regular season, House should get a chance to earn that final opening, but the in-the-tax Warriors may leave that 15th spot open to start the year.
Western Notes: Lakers, Beyer, Grant, Morey
The Lakers front office felt they couldn’t fight fire with fire to overtake the Warriors, so their offseason acquisitions beyond LeBron James were aimed toward another approach, as Kevin Ding explains in an extensive piece posted on the team’s website. By signing Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo and Michael Beasley, the Lakers signaled that they want to rise to the top in a different way. “To try to play the Warriors in their own game is a trap,” GM Rob Pelinka told Ding. “No one is going to beat them at their own game. That’s why we wanted to add these elements: defense, toughness and depth—and try to look at areas where we’ll have an advantage.”
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- The Thunder have added Bob Beyer to Billy Donovan‘s coaching staff, according to a team press release. Beyer spent the last four seasons on Stan Van Gundy’s Pistons staff, serving as the associate head coach the past two seasons. His NBA coaching experience dates back to the 2003/04 season as an assistant with the Raptors.
- Thunder forward Jerami Grant anticipates a bigger role during the upcoming season after signing a multi-year contract, as he told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype in a Q&A session. Grant appeared in 81 games last season, averaging 8.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 20.3 MPG. He anticipates even more playing time with the departure of Carmelo Anthony. “I’m definitely excited to be able to play extensive minutes and play important minutes on a contender. Getting a chance to show what you can do while being part of an organization like this, being part of a team like this, it means a lot. They’ve shown a lot of trust in me by giving me this new contract and [and a bigger role].” Grant signed a three-year, $27MM contract to remain with OKC.
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey is just as curious as anyone how DeMarcus Cousins will fit in with the Warriors, as he told radio host Dan Patrick in comments relayed by NBC Sports’ Dan Feldman. “They’ll probably figure out how to make it work, but it’s a little bit hard on paper to figure out how to make it work. But we do that well and so do they, obviously. They’re gonna be a tough out again, obviously. They’re arguably the best team in NBA history,” Morey said.
Remaining Offseason Questions: Pacific Division
NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps more than a month away, most clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.
We’re in the midst of looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on the key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2018/19 regular season begins.
After focusing on the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast last week, we’ve moved to the Western Conference this week, starting with the Southwest. Today, we’re focusing on the Pacific…
Golden State Warriors
When – and how – will Patrick McCaw‘s contract situation be resolved?
One of two restricted free agents on the market, McCaw doesn’t appear to have drawn a whole lot of outside interest this offseason. The Warriors kept his qualifying offer on the table through July’s withdrawal deadline and seem prepared for the possibility of McCaw accepting that offer, which is worth a modest $1.71MM.
If McCaw signs his one-year qualifying offer, he’d fill the 14th spot on Golden State’s roster and would likely get another chance to prove his worth before returning to the free agent market in 2019.
The Warriors entered the offseason focused on adding wings, but DeMarcus Cousins‘ unexpected availability changed the team’s plans, resulting in first-rounder Jacob Evans being the only true swingman added to the roster. As such, there should be a spot for McCaw in the rotation if he returns and is healthy to start the season.
Los Angeles Clippers
Who will be traded or released in order to finalize the 15-man roster?
The Clippers sent Sam Dekker to the Cavaliers in an early-August trade that saved the team a little money and began the process of cutting down the roster to 15 players for the regular season. Still, even with Dekker gone, the Clips have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, with Patrick Beverley and his non-guaranteed salary still very much in the mix as well.
Beverley is unlikely to be cut, so unless the Clippers can reduce their roster count via another trade, someone on a guaranteed deal figures to be waived. While Jawun Evans and Sindarius Thornwell have the smallest salaries on the team’s books, both players – particularly Thornwell – showed some promise in their rookie years.
Veteran wing Wesley Johnson, who is entering a contract year, could also be a release candidate, though he’s a Doc Rivers favorite. For now, Evans looks like the odd man out in Los Angeles, but the club has a number of paths to choose from as it sets its roster for opening night.
Los Angeles Lakers
How will the new-look Lakers mesh?
The Lakers‘ roster doesn’t seem likely to undergo any real changes before the regular season starts. The team has 15 players on guaranteed contracts and two on two-way deals, plus three camp invitees who appear to be eventually ticketed for the South Bay Lakers. It’s not entirely impossible that we get a surprise cut or a Luol Deng trade in the next couple months, but that looks like a long shot.
So for the Lakers, the most pressing question is simply this: How will the new-look roster mesh during training camp and the preseason? LeBron James is the NBA’s best player, but it can be a challenge to play alongside him. And many of the Lakers’ other newly-acquired players – including Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and Michael Beasley – have had some bumpy periods during their respective NBA careers.
Throw in a young core led by Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Kuzma, and the Lakers will be one of the NBA’s most fascinating clubs to watch this fall, even with no further tweaks to the roster.
Phoenix Suns
Are any buyouts coming before the season begins?
It has been a fairly quiet offseason for the Suns since July 1, when they struck a deal with Trevor Ariza. However, the team made one notable trade since then, sending Jared Dudley to Brooklyn in exchange for Darrell Arthur, who is on an expiring contract.
At the time, reports suggested that Arthur would likely be bought out by Phoenix, but that hasn’t happened yet. For now, he’s one of 14 players on the Suns’ roster with a guaranteed contract. Tyson Chandler – also entering a contract year – is another one of those 14 players, and a few buyout rumors have swirled around him too.
Of the two veteran big men, Arthur is the more likely buyout candidate, but it’s not a lock that either player will start the season with Phoenix. With Deandre Ayton, Richaun Holmes, Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, Ariza, and Josh Jackson all potentially vying for minutes at the four or five, Arthur and Chandler could be expendable.
Ultimately, I expect the Suns to waive Arthur and retain Chandler for now, perhaps dangling the veteran center as a trade chip during the season.
Sacramento Kings
Who will be traded or released in order to finalize the 15-man roster?
Like the Clippers, the Kings have more than 15 candidates to make their regular season roster, and will have to trade or release a player with a guaranteed contract by mid-October.
It will be interesting to see which direction the Kings go here. The team has several veterans on expiring contracts who probably don’t have long-term futures in Sacramento, including Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, Iman Shumpert, and Ben McLemore. There may not be much trade interest for those players though, and it’s not clear if the Kings are willing to waive any of them and eat their remaining salaries, which range from $5.46MM (McLemore) to $11.69MM (Randolph).
Players like Skal Labissiere, Deyonta Davis, Frank Mason, and Justin Jackson are on cheaper salaries and have no guarantees beyond this season, but the Kings will be wary of giving up too early on any of their young prospects.
With upwards of $11MM in cap room still available, the Kings aren’t exactly strapped for cash, so I think one of their veterans will be the odd man out, though I don’t yet have a feel for which one it might be.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA Teams With Open Two-Way Contract Slots
Only a small handful of two-way players from 2017/18 had their contracts carried over to the 2018/19 season, while a few more signed new two-way deals. For the most part though, NBA teams have filled their two-way contract slots for the coming season with new faces, including several rookies who went undrafted in 2018.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts]
At the moment, 44 of 60 league-wide two-way contract slots are occupied, with a 45th set to be filled once the Wizards finalize their reported agreement with Jordan McRae. That leaves just 15 two-way deals available across the NBA as training camps approach.
Some clubs may not fill these slots before camps get underway, preferring to sign players to non-guaranteed NBA contracts and then convert those deals to two-way pacts later, depending on how players perform in camp and in the preseason. By the time the 2018/19 regular season begins though, I don’t expect many two-way slots to still be open.
With the help of our two-way contract tracker, which lists all the players currently on two-way deals, here are the teams who can still offer two-way contracts without waiving anyone:
Two open slots:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Houston Rockets
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
One open slot:
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Golden State Warriors
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
- Toronto Raptors
Mychal Thompson: Expect Klay To Stay With Warriors Long-Term
While Klay Thompson is set to enter the final year of his contract with the Warriors, his father Mychal Thompson doesn’t expect Klay to leave the Bay Area anytime soon, as Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle details.
“Oh yeah, you can mark it down,” Mychal Thompson told Ostler. “Klay’s going to retire in the Warriors’ uniform. He’s going to play at Chase Center (the Warriors’ new arena, opening in 2019), and he’s not going to be at Chase Center as a visiting player, he’s going to be a Warrior for the next seven or eight years.”
The Warriors are said to be interested in completing an extension with Klay Thompson at some point before he reaches free agency in 2019. He would be eligible for a more lucrative deal if he waits to hit the open market, but there has been speculation that he’d be open to accepting a team-friendly offer worth less than the max. If that’s the case, he and the Warriors could work something out in the coming months.
[RELATED: Steph Curry wants to be a Warrior for life]
Of course, Mychal Thompson’s opinions on his son’s future don’t come with any guarantees. It will be up to Klay whether or not he wants to remain in Golden State for the long term. The 28-year-old is only the third option on a potent Warriors offense that features Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, so the opportunity to be the leading scorer – with a new maximum-salary contract – on another team could be appealing. However, the Warriors provide him the best chance to compete for a title on a yearly basis, as his father points out.
“He’s got such a good thing here,” Mychal Thompson said, per Ostler. “The Warriors have such a special thing here. For the next six or seven years, they’re going to be championship material, they’re not going to break that up. The (1990s) Bulls were broken up too prematurely. (Warriors co-owners) Joe Lacob and Peter Guber aren’t going to let that happen. Are you kidding? They can afford it. They’re the Warriors, this is the Bay Area, they got a beautiful arena, and money’s no object for this team.”
For his part, Klay Thompson has also said in the past that he would like to stick with the Warriors, albeit in more general terms than those used by his father. He maintained that stance during a conversation with Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group, indicating that he’d like to be a “Warrior for life.”
“Contract negotiations are way down the line,” the four-time All-Star said. “But I think we all have the same interest. I would love to be here for the rest of my career.”
NBA Teams With Most, Fewest Guaranteed Salaries
At this point in the NBA offseason, most teams are carrying 14 and 15 players on guaranteed salaries. The clubs with 14 guaranteed contracts on their books will likely either enter the season with an open roster spot or allow camp invitees to compete for that 15th-man role. Teams with 15 players already on guaranteed deals have their regular-season rosters all but set already.
Still, several teams around the NBA have more than 15 or fewer than 14 fully guaranteed salaries on their cap for now. Using our roster counts tool, here’s a look at those teams, with details on what they might be thinking as the 2018/19 season nears:
Fewer than 14 guaranteed contracts:
Houston Rockets (11 guaranteed contracts): In addition to their 11 fully guaranteed contracts, the Rockets also figure to hang onto Michael Carter-Williams, who has a significant partial guarantee. Second-round pick De’Anthony Melton is a good bet to sign a guaranteed contract at some point too. That would increase the Rockets’ roster count to 13, with Zhou Qi the most likely candidate for the 14th spot.- Cleveland Cavaliers (12): While they only have 12 guaranteed salaries on their books for now, the Cavaliers figure to increase that count by two once they officially sign David Nwaba and bring back Rodney Hood.
- Miami Heat (12): The Heat continue to wait on Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem to make decisions on whether or not they’ll continue their respective careers. They’ll be penciled in to the 13th and 14th spots if they elect to return.
- Minnesota Timberwolves (12): Although he only has a partial guarantee, James Nunnally is a safe bet to make the Timberwolves’ roster as the 13th man. It’s not clear what the team intends to do with its last opening or two.
- New Orleans Pelicans (12): Only 12 Pelicans have fully guaranteed salaries, but there are several legit NBA players – Emeka Okafor, DeAndre Liggins, Jahlil Okafor, and Troy Williams – vying for roster spots on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. At least two of them figure to make the team.
- Atlanta Hawks (13): The Hawks will increase their roster count to 15 guaranteed salaries once Vince Carter and Daniel Hamilton make their deals with Atlanta official.
- Golden State Warriors (13): The Warriors plan to enter the season with 14 players under contract, leaving a spot open for flexibility. Their 14th man will likely be Patrick McCaw, who is still a restricted free agent for now.
- Toronto Raptors (13): The Raptors may enter the season with a 14-man roster. Lorenzo Brown is currently the top candidate for that 14th spot, though Chris Boucher and others could provide competition.
More than 15 guaranteed contracts:
- Sacramento Kings (16): When the Kings took advantage of their leftover cap room to sign Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell, it created a roster crunch. If the club doesn’t trade a player before the season begins, Iman Shumpert, Kosta Koufos, Ben McLemore, and Deyonta Davis are among the release candidates on the roster — all four are on expiring contracts.
- Los Angeles Clippers (15 + Patrick Beverley): The Clippers technically only have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, but Beverley, who is on a non-guaranteed deal, will probably make the team. Assuming he does, that will mean trading or releasing another player, perhaps Wesley Johnson or Jawun Evans.
- Memphis Grizzlies (15 + Andrew Harrison): Like Beverley in L.A., Harrison is on a non-guaranteed salary, but may not be expendable. If he remains on Memphis’ roster, the Grizzlies may end up releasing Dakari Johnson.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.