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Hoops Rumors Originals

Weekly Mailbag: 7/31/17 – 8/6/17

August 6th, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.

I am a Warriors fan. Is there really a chance the W’s go after Paul George next summer? Good lord! — Phillip Malan, via Twitter

That became a rumor this week, and although Golden State’s cap situation makes it very unlikely, it’s not impossible. Kevin Durant will have a player option worth $26.5MM for 2018/19, which means the Warriors will be just a little over the salary cap when free agency begins next July. If they decide to offload a significant contract — possibly Klay Thompson, who will be entering the final year of his deal at nearly $19MM — they could theoretically sign George, although the offer would be well below the maximum. Nothing would shake up the NBA like the Warriors landing another All-Star, but the chances of it happening are extremely small.

What is one thing the Knicks could do to change the direction of the franchise? –SKPlayBall, via Twitter

They probably did it already when they fired Phil Jackson as team president. Jackson’s devotion to the triangle offense and his public feud with Carmelo Anthony were dragging down the franchise faster than anything else. There was a sense throughout the league that the Knicks were being poorly run, with few free agents willing to give them serious consideration. Going forward, the best thing the franchise can do to turn itself around is stick with its stated plan of building around young players. Even tanking for a season or two wouldn’t be a bad idea. Drafting a young star like Michael Porter next year would get New York fans excited about the team again.

I’m confused when I see someone like Nicolas Brussino claimed off waivers and not see other players who I think of as better who don’t. Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson both were blocked from any kind of advancement in Boston due to its depth, yet they were highly touted prospects just two years ago. Why did no one claim them? — Holger P. Stolzenberg

There’s a lot that factors into waiver claims, including contract terms and team needs. The Hawks were looking for help on the wing and decided to take a chance on Brussino, who is only 24 and has extensive international experience. Brussino will make about $1.3MM this year and a nonguaranteed $1.544MM in 2018/19, which offers a small risk and makes him a bargain if he can contribute. No one was willing to take the same chance on Mickey, who remains unsigned, or Jackson, who later signed a two-way contract with the Rockets. Most players who wind up on waivers don’t get claimed, as teams would rather negotiate with them as free agents instead of taking on their current contracts.

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Community Shootaround: Coaches/Executives

August 5th, 2017 at 8:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers have become the latest organization to decide that coaching and running the front office is too much for one man.

The team announced Friday that Lawrence Frank has assumed the role of president of basketball operations, leaving Doc Rivers as a full-time coach. Rivers has held both positions since coming to L.A. in 2013.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced the move, explaining that the requirements of each job are too numerous for them to be combined effectively.

“I’ve owned the team for three years now, and I really better understand what an owner’s responsibility is — and it turns out that running a franchise and coaching are two enormous and different jobs,” Ballmer said. “The notion that one person can fairly focus on them and give them all the attention they need isn’t the case.”

Rivers’ input will still be sought on personnel matters, Ballmer said, adding that he believes “healthy discussion and debate” is good for the franchise.

The number of combined coach/executives is dwindling, with the Hawks making a similar move with Mike Budenholzer in May. Travis Schlenk was hired as the GM in Atlanta and is overseeing personnel decisions while Budenholzer concentrates on coaching.

There are now just three NBA coaches who also hold the title of president of basketball operations: Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, Stan Van Gundy in Detroit and Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. Popovich, with help from ace GM R.C. Buford, has built a perennial contender with the Spurs. Van Gundy has seen moderate success with the Pistons, while Thibodeau rebuilt the Timberwolves this summer after posting a 31-51 record in his first season at the helm.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Are teams wise to separate front office responsibilities from coaching duties, or do you believe there are people who can handle both jobs? Please leave your comments below. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/29/17 – 8/5/17

August 5th, 2017 at 3:32pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team compiles original content to complement our news feed. Here are some of our favorite segments and features from the past seven days:

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Poll: Best Rookie Point Guard Season

August 5th, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The 2017 NBA Draft was loaded with talented point guards, including first overall pick Markelle Fultz, No. 2 selection Lonzo Ball, and fellow lottery picks De’Aaron Fox, Frank Ntilikina, and Dennis Smith Jr. 

Fultz showed flashes of brilliance in the NBA Summer League amid overall inconsistent play before he ultimately injured his ankle in his Las Vegas debut. The 76ers guard was promptly shut down for the remainder of Summer League. This season, the rookie figures to be a regular fixture in the Philadelphia backcourt.

After dominating his freshman season at UCLA, Ball won Las Vegas Summer League MVP honors, racking up assists (9.3 APG) and steals (2.5 SPG), as well as points and rebounds. Although it is not clear whether Ball will start for the Lakers right out of the gate, he will certainly be the beneficiary of a hearty amount of playing time.

Fox is also expected to see his fair share of action this season, but averaged just 21.3 minutes per game in four Las Vegas Summer League games. Like Fultz and Ball, Fox exhibited tantalizing athleticism. The Kentucky product averaged a solid 11.8 points per contest and 3.0 assists. Fox’s 2.3 SPG were extremely impressive.

The Knicks drafted Ntilikina eighth overall because of his speed and agility. Last season, the point guard averaged just 15.5 minutes per game for Strasbourg in France but displayed tremendous promise and improved noticeably as a shooter. With D. Rose out of town, it appears as if the keys to Madison Square Garden are about to be Frank’s.

In six games in Las Vegas, Smith averaged 17.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.2 APG, shooting 45.7% from the floor and electrifying with the occasional powerful dunk. The Mavericks prospect also tallied 2.2 SPG.

This brings us to today’s poll: Which of these point guards will have the best rookie season in 2017/18?

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Longest-Tenured Players By NBA Team

August 4th, 2017 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Three of the NBA’s longest-tenured players by team were free agents this offseason, but Dirk Nowitzki, Nick Collison, and Udonis Haslem all returned to their respective clubs on new deals, holding their spots as the longest-tenured members of the Mavericks, Thunder, and Heat, respectively.

Still, there has been plenty of turnover on the list of longest-tenured players by team in this last year. Brook Lopez (Nets), Gordon Hayward (Jazz), Paul George (Pacers), and Avery Bradley (Celtics) were all the longest-tenured players on their respective teams until they found new homes via trade or free agency this offseason.

Meanwhile, teams like the Kings have undergone a ton of turnover within the last several months, jettisoning several of their longest-tenured players. In Sacramento’s case, guys like DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Darren Collison, and Ben McLemore are no longer around, leaving two-year veteran Willie Cauley-Stein as the longest-tenured King. In Indiana, 21-year-old Myles Turner is the longest-tenured Pacer.

Be sure to check out the rosters and depth charts at RosterResource.com for full details on how and when each team acquired every player on its roster.

Here are the NBA’s current longest-tenured players by team:

  1. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (draft trade), June 1998
  2. San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker (draft), June 2001
    • Manu Ginobili was selected by the Spurs in the 1999 draft, but didn’t sign with the team until 2002.
  3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nick Collison (draft), June 2003
    • Collison joined the franchise when it was the Seattle SuperSonics.
  4. Miami Heat: Udonis Haslem (free agent), August 2003
  5. Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley (draft), June 2007
  6. Los Angeles Clippers: DeAndre Jordan (draft), June 2008
  7. Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (draft), June 2009
  8. Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan (draft), June 2009
  9. Washington Wizards: John Wall (draft), June 2010
  10. Denver Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (trade), February 2011
  11. New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony (trade), February 2011
  12. Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors (trade), February 2011
  13. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving (draft), Tristan Thompson (draft), June 2011
    • Irving is technically the slightly longer-tenured Cavalier, having been selected first overall, while Thompson was picked fourth overall.
  14. Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker (draft), June 2011
  15. New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis (draft), June 2012
    • Davis joined the franchise when it was the New Orleans Hornets.
  16. Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard (draft), Meyers Leonard (draft), June 2012
    • Lillard is technically the slightly longer-tenured Blazer, having been selected sixth overall, while Leonard was picked 11th overall.
  17. Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond (draft), June 2012
  18. Milwaukee Bucks: John Henson (draft), June 2012
  19. Orlando Magic: Nikola Vucevic (trade), August 2012
  20. Houston Rockets: James Harden (trade), October 2012
  21. Phoenix Suns: Alex Len (draft), June 2013
    • Len is currently a restricted free agent. If he doesn’t return, the longest-tenured Sun would be Eric Bledsoe (July 2013).
  22. Atlanta Hawks: Dennis Schroder (draft), June 2013
    • Mike Muscala was acquired hours after Schroder in a draft trade.
  23. Minnesota Timberwolves: Gorgui Dieng (draft trade), June 2013
    • Nemanja Bjelica was acquired by the Timberwolves in a 2010 draft trade, but didn’t sign with the team until 2015.
  24. Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (draft), June 2014
  25. Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart (draft), June 2014
  26. Los Angeles Lakers: Julius Randle (draft), June 2014
  27. Chicago Bulls: Nikola Mirotic (draft-and-stash signing), July 2014
    • Mirotic was acquired by the Bulls in a 2011 draft trade, but didn’t sign with the team until 2014. Mirotic is currently a restricted free agent. If he doesn’t return, the longest-tenured Bull would be Bobby Portis (June 2015).
  28. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein (draft), June 2015
  29. Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner (draft), June 2015
  30. Brooklyn Nets: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (draft trade), June 2015
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NBA Players With Trade Kickers In 2017/18

August 3rd, 2017 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Trade kickers are contractual clauses that pay a player a bonus when he’s traded. They’re one of the tools teams have at their disposal to differentiate their free agent offers from the ones put on the table by competing clubs.

According to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, a trade bonus must be paid by the team that trades the player, rather than the team acquiring him. The new CBA also allows a player to waive his trade kicker, if he so chooses, as Allen Crabbe recently did when he was sent from Portland to Brooklyn.

Sometimes the kicker is worth a fixed amount, but usually it’s based on a percentage of the remaining value of the contract. So, a player who has a 10% trade kicker is given 10% of the amount of money he has yet to collect on his deal.

The trade kicker on Kelly Olynyk‘s new contract is an unusual one, as it calls for him to see either a set amount ($2MM) or 15% of the value of his contract, whichever is less. Regardless of whether a trade kicker is set at a fixed amount or a percentage, the bonus can’t exceed 15% of the remaining value of the contract. Most trade kickers are worth 15%, the highest percentage allowed.

If you want a more detailed explanation of how trade kickers work, check out our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on the subject.

Using contract from information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN, here’s a list of the NBA players who have active trade kickers for 2017/18, listed alphabetically, along with the details of those trade bonuses:

The following players have trade bonuses on their contracts, but those bonuses would be voided if they were to be traded during the 2017/18 league year, since they’re already earning this season’s maximum salary:

Finally, while Basketball Insiders and ESPN agreed on all the players mentioned above, only one of the two outlets lists each of the following trade kickers. If we receive confirmation on the details of any of these bonuses, we’ll update our list to reflect the correct info. For now, here’s what we know about these players and their potential trade kickers:

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Players Who Can Veto Trades In 2017/18

August 2nd, 2017 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, but one such provision has been the subject of much discussion so far in 2017, as Carmelo Anthony made use of his NTC to block the Knicks from sending him to an undesirable destination. For much of the offseason, Anthony was focused on joining the Rockets, but he eventually agreed to a deal that sent him to Oklahoma City.

Anthony is one of just two NBA players whose contract includes an explicit no-trade clause, but there are still several players each year who have the ability to veto trades. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year deal with an option year – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie deals expire can also block deals.

Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2017/18 league year:

No-trade clauses

Players whose offer sheets were matched

  • Otto Porter (Wizards)
    • Note: Even with his consent, Porter cannot be traded to the Nets during the 2017/18 league year.

Players accepting qualifying offers

Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)

In addition to the players listed above who can veto trades through the 2017/18 league year, there’s another small handful of players who can’t be dealt under any circumstance until at least next July. The following players signed a Designated Veteran Extension this season, which precludes them from being traded for a full calendar year:

Information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

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Community Shootaround: Andrew Wiggins’ Future

August 2nd, 2017 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

With all of this year’s top free agents off the board, the focus of the NBA rumor mill has shifted to trade candidates and extension candidates. Former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins certainly falls under the latter category, and it’s not unreasonable to include him in the former category as well.

As a former first-round pick entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract, Wiggins is eligible to sign a contract extension, and the Timberwolves have reportedly been discussing the prospect of a five-year, maximum salary deal. At the same time, the new-look Wolves have been linked to Kyrie Irving, who has asked the Cavaliers to trade him, and Wiggins appears to be the most logical trade chip Minnesota could include in an offer for Irving. However, the Wolves have thus far been unwilling to make Wiggins available in any Irving proposal.

As I discussed at length when I profiled Wiggins as an extension candidate last month, the 22-year-old can score at an elite level, but has yet to round out his game in other areas — he was a below-average defender, rebounder, and distributor last season. He’s young enough and talented enough on offense that it’s easy to make a case for a maximum-salary investment, but it’d still be a bit of a gamble.

In an in-depth piece of his own, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com makes the case today that the Wolves should be in no rush to lock up Wiggins to a max extension. In Ziller’s view, it makes sense for the club to be patient, giving Wiggins another year to develop and perhaps even allowing for more potential trade opportunities to arise. If the young forward takes another step forward, the Wolves could still sign him to a max deal next summer as a restricted free agent.

That argument is a fair one, though waiting on a new deal for Wiggins isn’t without potential downside either. This year’s top free agent, Gordon Hayward, is case study in the risks of letting a potential star reach restricted free agency after his rookie contract. The Jazz could have locked up Hayward with a five-year extension entering the final year of his rookie deal, but the club instead let him reach restricted free agency, where the Hornets signed him to a four-year offer sheet that included an opt-out after year three.

The Jazz matched that offer sheet and retained Hayward, but instead of having him locked up for five years, the team only had him for three, plus an option year. That allowed Hayward to opt out after three seasons and reach the open market this summer, at which point he signed with a new team. If the Jazz had signed him to a five-year extension when they had a chance, he’d still be under contract with Utah for two more years. The Wolves will have to consider that scenario if they decide to let Wiggins reach free agency.

What do you think? Should Wiggins and the Timberwolves get an extension done as soon as possible? Is he worth a maximum-salary investment? Should Minnesota wait until he becomes a restricted free agent to act? Or is trading him in a deal for Irving the most logical move for the Wolves?

Jump into the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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How Teams Are Using 2017/18 Mid-Level Exceptions

August 1st, 2017 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to receiving $99MM+ in cap room and being allowed to surpass that threshold in order to sign players using Bird Rights or the minimum salary exception, each NBA team also receives a mid-level exception. The value of this exception varies depending on a club’s total team salary.

A team that goes under the cap to use its available cap room, for instance, receives only a modest form of the MLE known as the room exception. An over-the-cap team receives the full mid-level exception, unless that team is also over the tax line, in which case it gets a taxpayer version of the MLE that falls in between the full MLE and the room exception. We detailed the exact values of each form of mid-level exception earlier this offseason, but here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Room exception: Can be used for contracts up to two years, with a starting salary worth up to $4.328MM.
  • Taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to three years, with a starting salary worth up to $5.192MM.
  • Full mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to four years, with a starting salary worth up to $8.406MM.

Now that a majority of the NBA’s teams have used up their cap space, it’s worth keeping an eye on which teams still have part or all of their mid-level exceptions available, which we’ll do in the space below. This list will be kept up to date throughout the year.

Here’s where things currently stand:

Mid-Level Exception:

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Available: $2,549,143 (taxpayer)
  • Used: $2,642,857 (Cedi Osman)

Dallas Mavericks

  • Available: $8,406,000
  • Used: $0

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

  • Available: $0 (taxpayer)
  • Used: $5,192,000 (Nick Young)

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

Memphis Grizzlies

Milwaukee Bucks

New Orleans Pelicans

Oklahoma City Thunder

Portland Trail Blazers

  • Available: $5,192,000 (taxpayer)
  • Used: $0

San Antonio Spurs

  • Available: $0
  • Used: $8,406,000 (Rudy Gay)

Toronto Raptors

  • Available: $469,491
  • Used: $7,936,509 (C.J. Miles)

Washington Wizards

  • Available: $1,902,000 (taxpayer)
  • Used: $3,290,000 (Jodie Meeks)

Room Exception:

Atlanta Hawks

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Denver Nuggets

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Indiana Pacers

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Miami Heat

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Minnesota Timberwolves

New York Knicks

Orlando Magic

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Phoenix Suns

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Sacramento Kings

  • Available: $4,328,000
  • Used: $0

Utah Jazz

  • Available: $1,128,000
  • Used: $3,200,000 (Ekpe Udoh)

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

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Five Notable Forwards Still Available In Free Agency

August 1st, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

While most of the biggest names still available on the free agent market are restricted free agents, there are several noteworthy unrestricted players who are free to sign outright with any NBA team. Over the last several days, we’ve identified a number of those players, examining five notable guards, wings, and big men who remain unsigned.

Today, we’ll close out our look at those notable remaining free agents by focusing on a handful of forwards who could appeal to NBA clubs. Some of these players could be considered wings or bigs, but we’ve split them off into their own category — these are frontcourt players who probably shouldn’t be relied on as the man in the middle of any lineup that’s not unusually small.

The Raptors, Hawks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Spurs, and Hornets are among the teams that could potentially use a little more frontcourt depth, though those aren’t the only clubs who may be suitors for the players listed below.

Here are five notable free agent forwards to keep an eye on:

  • Dante Cunningham — An eight-year veteran, Cunningham has been a solid rotation player for most of his career, but recently added a new wrinkle to his game. After making just two three-pointers in his first six seasons, Cunningham has made 126 over the last two years, shooting an impressive 39.2% from long range in 2016/17. The apparent lack of interest in the 30-year-old so far suggests teams may be a little skeptical of his newfound range, but if he can keep it up, he’d make for an intriguing stretch four. The Knicks were linked to Cunningham in May and the Jazz were said to have interest last month, though it’s not clear if either team is still in on him.
  • Michael Beasley — While he never lived up to his pre-draft billing, Beasley – a former second overall pick – continued to provide value as a scorer off the bench in Milwaukee last season. In 56 games for the Bucks, the veteran forward averaged 9.4 PPG with a career-best .532 FG% and .419 3PT%. The lack of recent updates on our player page on Beasley suggests that he hasn’t been the subject of any substantial rumors this summer, which is a little surprising. I can think of several teams that could use a player like him in their second unit.
  • Luke Babbitt — Babbitt started 55 games for the Heat last season, but only averaged 15.7 minutes per contest, so his role was limited. Still, few players around the NBA have been more reliable three-point shooters in recent years. Babbitt has made an impressive 43.8% of his long-distance attempts since the start of the 2014/15 season. Miami was reportedly monitoring the former first-round pick earlier in the free agent period, but with Kelly Olynyk now in the mix for the Heat, a reunion may not be cards — Babbitt is said to be weighing other options.
  • Boris Diaw — A longtime contributor in San Antonio, Diaw joined the Jazz last season and saw his production dip — his PPG (4.6), FG% (.446), and 3PT% (.247) marks were all among the worst of his career. Diaw is 35, so we shouldn’t necessarily count on him to bounce back strong in 2017/18, but if he still has something left in the tank, he’s worth a minimum salary investment. Diaw’s ability to distribute the ball is somewhat rare for a forward, and he can fit into a wide range of lineups. The Raptors may be one possibility for him.
  • Mike Dunleavy Jr. — Like Babbitt, Dunleavy could provide immediate help for a team in need of some outside shooting, but like Diaw, his age is a concern; he’ll turn 37 in September. Nonetheless, Dunleavy continued to make threes at a consistent rate in 2016/17, converting 39.6% of his outside attempts despite averaging a career-low 15.9 minutes per game. The Timberwolves were identified as a possible suitor for Dunleavy earlier in the offseason, and even though that report is over a month old, Minnesota still makes sense as a landing spot. Tom Thibodeau‘s club could use another shooter or two, and Thibodeau coached Dunleavy in Chicago.

Note: Restricted free agents aren’t noted here, since they’re not free to sign with any team, but Nikola Mirotic and JaMychal Green are among the noteworthy RFA forwards still on the market.

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