Warriors Sign Scott Machado
The Warriors announced that they have signed guard Scott Machado to a 10-day contract. Machado played in nearby Santa Cruz for the club's D-League affiliate.
Machado, 22, came to the Santa Cruz Warriors in a trade with Rio Grande Valley last month. In 28 D-League games for Santa Cruz and Rio Grande Valley, the Iona product has averaged 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 24.0 minutes per contest. The guard already has six NBA games to his credit this season from his time with the Rockets.
Western Notes: Allen, Kings, Gasol, Warriors
A few notes from around the league's Western Conference.
- Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is focused on his team's upcoming playoff run, not the fact that he's an unrestricted free agent this summer, writes the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery.
- The Sacramento Bee's Ailene Voisin gives the latest on the Kings situation.
- Pau Gasol has had an injury plagued season, but he appears to finally be getting on the right track with Dwight Howard and his coach, Mike D'Antoni, writes Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Pincus.
- MercuryNews.com's Marcus Thompson II writes that the Warriors' recent success can be attributed to their improved defense.
Sacramento/Seattle Updates: Monday
The next major step in determining the future of the Kings is slated for Wednesday, when competing bidders for the team will make their presentations before a dozen NBA owners. There's sure to be plenty of news in the next 48 hours as we wait for that, and we'll round up today's latest right here:
- Sactown Royalty's Tom Ziller identifies the owners who'll be present at the meeting, which is a joint session of the league's Relocation and Finance committees, and speculates on which of them might be leaning toward either side.
- TNT's David Aldridge, in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com, provides plenty of detail about the meeting, which is in advance of a pair of votes the Board of Governors will take on April 18th. The first ballot will be on whether to approve the deal in place to sell the team to the Seattle group headed by Chris Hansen. Approval of that measure requires a three-fourths majority, meaning eight "no" votes would nix the sale. If that passes, the next vote is on whether to OK the franchise's move to Seattle. That would require a simple majority. Conceivably, that means the Kings could stay in Sacramento but wind up being owned by Hansen's group, though Aldridge doesn't address what would happen in that case.
- Aldridge hears from sources who give him conflicting word on whether the owners are leaning toward the Seattle group or the Vivek Ranadive-led Sacramento bidders.
- Ranadive would have to sell his minority share of the Warriors before assuming control of the Kings, and it's unlikely he'll have unloaded his stake in Golden State by April 18th, Aldridge writes. But the league is likely to give him sufficient time to do so if his group wins control of the Kings, and Aldridge hears that Ranadive likely already had a deal in place to unload his Warriors stake before he got involved with the Kings effort.
Western Links: Maloofs, Rush, D’Antoni
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com hears more and more that the Maloof brothers could keep the Kings rather than sell the team to the Sacramento-led group if the NBA declines the Seattle bid, adding that it's not a total longshot at this point. Howard-Cooper also says that whether the possibility could drag on into this summer or next season, the Maloofs may step back and re-assess their options (All Twitter links). Interestingly enough, Aaron Bruski of USA Today tweeted that league sources "have maintained without any equivocation that the Maloofs will not own an NBA franchise next season."
We've got more to share out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Howard-Cooper reiterates that he's not saying the above scenario will happen, but it's still a possibility. He also clarifies that the Maloofs keeping the Kings would be a way for them to start a bidding war and evaluate at the type of offers they can receive (Twitter links).
- Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle says that Brandon Rush plans to do some light running and jumping in three weeks, and that the Warriors guard/forward should be ready by the start of the 2013-14 training camp (Twitter links).
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that he thinks Mike D'Antoni's job is safe for next season at least, being that the Lakers coach is still owed a lot of money and hasn't had a healthy roster.
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes that Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman has a tough challenge of trying to evaluate upcoming free agents Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson without enough playing time to find for them.
Western Notes: Lakers, Dirk, Clippers
Mike Trudell of Lakers.com writes that with the exception of Jordan Hill, the Lakers appear on the verge of being the healthiest they've been all season when Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are expected return to the lineup on Friday. Though Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times noted that Kobe left practice early after his ankle stiffined during scrimmages, coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters after practice that the Lakers star will be ready tomorrow. We've got a few more links to share out of the Western Conference below:
- Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki briefly discussed his NBA future with Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. When asked about playing for three more seasons: "I’m not sure about all that. We’ll just have to wait and see…Hopefully I can finish this season strong and have a good summer like I basically did last year with a lot of lifting and running and hopefully not have a setback with a surgery. We’ll see how consistent I can be again next season."
- Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles says that the Clippers are still searching for an identity at this point in the season, mostly because of how their defense has regressed since their 17-game winning streak earlier in the year.
- John Reid of NOLA.com talks with Eric Gordon about being the Hornets' go-to-scorer, becoming familiar with his teammates this year after returning from his injury, and where he is in terms of his knee rehab.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com takes a look at what has motivated Warriors All-Star David Lee throughout his career, including a fear of failure.
Western Notes: Kings, Grizzlies, Jazz, Warriors
Having dropped nine of their last 12 games, the Jazz will play a crucial contest tonight in Houston. According to ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton (Twitter link), Utah's playoff chances will increase to 38.7% with a win against the Rockets today, but would drop to 18.7% with a loss. As the Jazz prepare for what is virtually a must-win game, let's round up a few Western Conference notes….
- Sacramento city officials remain on track to unveil a proposal for funding a new arena on Thursday, according to Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis, and Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. Releasing the term sheet for public viewing on Thursday would give Sacramento City Council five days to examine it before voting on Tuesday.
- Grizzlies players have come around on management's belief that Memphis is a better team following the trade that sent Rudy Gay to Toronto, as Zach Randolph tells Sam Amick of USA Today: "You're (getting) the whole team playing one way, and guys sticking to what they do and playing together, playing for each other and playing defense and playing inside-out basketball. It's a lot better – a better mindset – playing like that…. When it first happened, everybody was down about it, especially because Rudy was like a brother to us. It was difficult at first. You wouldn't think it would be this way now, but it is."
- Asked about his 2013/14 player option, Marvin Williams said that he hasn't even thought about his decision yet, according to Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Oram notes that Williams is unlikely to exceed the $7.5MM he'd make in his option year on the open market, and he seems to like playing in Utah, so he's a good bet to be back with the Jazz (Twitter links).
- Responding to a Tim Kawakami piece on how a rumored James Harden/Klay Thompson swap between the Thunder and Warriors in 2012 would have been impossible, Daniel Leroux of RealGM.com explores some ways in which a deal could have worked.
Teams Projected To Be Taxpayers In 2013/14
Earlier this month, I looked at Eastern and Western Conference teams that could create room for a maximum contract this offseason. With more punitive luxury-tax penalties on the way, and CBA rules in place that restrict flexibility for taxpaying teams, more clubs are looking to maintain cap space, or at least stay well below the tax line.
Still, there are plenty of teams whose commitments for 2013/14, the first year that those more punitive tax penalties will take effect, already put them well into tax territory. We won't know for sure until the summer what the tax line for '13/14 will be, but it's unlikely to be too much higher than this season's $70.307MM mark.
In addition to facing increased penalties for being in the tax, taxpaying teams will lose the ability to make certain roster moves. Any club that spends more than the taxpayer mid-level exception, uses its bi-annual exception, or acquires a player via sign-and-trade next season won't be permitted to increase its team salary more than $4MM above the tax threshold — those clubs will face a hard cap similar to the one the Bulls have been up against this year.
There's still plenty of time between now and the start of next season for teams to cut salary, whether that means making trades, using amnesty clauses, or reaching buyout agreements with players. But for now, here are the teams projected to be in tax territory for 2013/14:
- Boston Celtics: If Paul Pierce chooses to turn down his $15.33MM player option, or the team buys him out for the guaranteed $4MM on that option, perhaps the Celtics can avoid the tax, but both scenarios are improbable. With Pierce's full salary on the books, the C's have $72.77MM committed to 11 players, which will put them slightly over the tax threshold. The C's could be candidates to explore a trade or two that would help them slide back below that line.
- Brooklyn Nets: With over $84MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2013/14, the Nets are on their way to becoming perennial taxpayers — incredibly, the club also has $76MM+ committed for '14/15, and potentially close to $73MM for '15/16.
- Chicago Bulls: Poised to pay the tax for the first time this season, the Bulls might have to do it again next year if they don't make any cost-cutting moves. The team currently has more than $74MM committed to eight players.
- Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers' current commitments total $77.63MM, which doesn't seem too bad until you consider that a maximum-salary contract for Dwight Howard will likely be added to that figure. If the Lakers don't make any trades or use the amnesty clause, their tax bill will end up being nearly as large as their team salary.
- Miami Heat: The Heat will rack up a significant tax bill in '13/14, but ownership should be happy to pay that price for what could be the team's last run together. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all the have the ability to opt out of their contracts in the summer of 2014.
- New York Knicks: Interestingly, the six teams that look like near-locks to be in the tax next season are the same six that will be taxpayers this season. Considering the looming repeater tax that takes effect in 2015, some of these clubs have to be prioritizing getting below the tax line by '14/15. It won't be easy for the Knicks to do that though — they no longer have the amnesty clause, and don't have many trade assets. New York has $74MM+ in commitments for '13/14 (assuming J.R. Smith declined his player option) and $76MM+ for the following season (assuming Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire exercise their player options).
Honorable mention:
- Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets' position in relation to the tax will depend in large part on Andre Iguodala's contract situation. If Iguodala were to pick up his player option or sign a long-term deal with a similar starting salary, Denver would be up to nearly $68MM in commitments for 11 players, meaning minimum-salary players might be necessary to fill out the roster and avoid the tax.
- Golden State Warriors: Player options will also have a significant impact on the Warriors' team salary, as Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, and Brandon Rush all appear to be near-locks to opt in. If Carl Landry does too, Golden State's salary would be about $73MM for 11 players, making it tricky to get out of the tax.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Avoiding becoming a long-term taxpayer was a primary motivation in the James Harden trade, so one would assume the Thunder will do everything they can to stay out of the tax next season. Still, if the team hopes to bring back Kevin Martin, they'll have to add him to a roster that already includes $65MM+ in salary commitments.
- Toronto Raptors: Currently projected to be in the tax, the Raptors could easily avoid it by amnestying Andrea Bargnani ($10.75MM), but will likely amnesty Linas Kleiza ($4.6MM) instead. That should be enough to sneak below the tax line, but it won't give them a ton of flexibility to make additional moves without going back into tax territory.
Storytellers Contracts was used in the creation of this post.
Bulls Sign Malcolm Thomas To 10-Day Contract
TUESDAY, 12:05pm: The Bulls have officially signed Thomas to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release. The club now has 15 players under contract.
MONDAY, 1:25pm: The Bulls and Malcolm Thomas have reached agreement on a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Thomas' 10-day deal with the Warriors expired last night. The 6'9" power forward saw plenty of action while with Golden State, appearing in five games with the Warriors and one game with their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
Thomas has made plenty of stops since going undrafted out of San Diego State in 2011. He was in camp with the Lakers that year, and spent a month with the Spurs last season, appearing in three games. The Rockets signed him to a 10-day contract later in 2011/12, but he didn't make an appearance for Houston. In addition to his cameo with the Santa Cruz Warriors last week, he's also played for three other D-League teams in the past two seasons, and spent time with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.
The Bulls have maintained interest in Thomas since he caught their eye in summer league this past offseason, Charania writes. The 24-year-old will occupy the final spot on Chicago's roster and give the team depth up front, where Taj Gibson is dealing with a knee injury. The Bulls had big man Louis Amundson on a 10-day deal earlier this month, but he signed with the Hornets for the rest of the season when his contract with Chicago was up.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Jackson, Thompson, Paul
Here's a look at some notes out of the Pacific Division..
- Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News asked Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob if he will consider an extension for coach Mark Jackson and the owner said that it has yet to be discussed and won't be looked at until after the season. Jackson is set to enter the final year of his initial three-year pact in 2013/14.
- The biggest statement about the Warriors' non-interest in James Harden is that they are very, very high on Klay Thompson, tweets Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com. Last week, Kawakami explained why a proposed swap involving Harden and Thompson would have been impossible over the summer.
- Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops has his top free agents for next summer and it's little suprise to see the Lakers' Dwight Howard and the Clippers' Chris Paul at the top of the list. Even though the Clips have bent over backwards to appease Paul, he hasn't publicly endorsed a return to L.A.
Proposed Harden For Thompson Deal “Impossible”
Although we recently picked up on Bill Simmons' Grantland article mentioning that the Warriors and Thunder engaged in exploratory talks involving Klay Thompson and James Harden last summer, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News firmly refutes the interpretation that Golden State 'turned down' an offer with Oklahoma City. While he says that Simmons' information in the article is correct and acknowledges that GM Sam Presti's interest in Thompson was accurate, Kawakami explains why a deal would have been "practically impossible."
First, Kawakami looks at Harden's eventual max-contract extension, which would have likely required the Warriors to simultaneously unload Richard Jefferson or Andris Biedrins' contracts. That alone, he says, was already a non-starter for the Thunder, who would not have been willing to take back either of those deals. Secondly, Kawakami points out that the earliest draft choice that Golden State could have offered would have been a 2015 first-rounder, due to the fact that this year's pick is owed to the Jazz and that teams are unable to trade a first-round pick in consecutive seasons (therefore eliminating the inclusion of a 2014 pick). With that in mind, he argues that Oklahoma City wouldn't have favored or been able to gauge the value of a draft choice that would be determined two years from now.
He then refers to what the Thunder actually received in the deal: Kevin Martin on a short-term contract, two potential first round picks this summer (one likely to fall in the lottery), and Jeremy Lamb (a lottery pick from 2012).
While it's reasonable to presume that Presti would have been willing get into more serious discussions with the Warriors if they were able to somehow acquire one or two 2013-14 draft picks, Kawakami says that doing so would have required a major roster shake up, possibly costing Harrison Barnes and/or trading David Lee for much lesser value, and thus leaving a roster with heavy financial commitments to Stephen Curry, Harden, and Andrew Bogut.
In the event that Golden State wouldn't have had to give up Lee and also kept Jefferson and Biedrins, Kawakami shows how the team could have had an annual salary figure of $78MM spanning just 8 players, with the task of filling out the roster potentially costing an additional $6MM. In summation, he concludes that there was no draft choice for the Warriors include, no clear way of making the numbers work, and "no official give and take in the supposed offer."