Hoops Rumors Originals

Five Notable Veteran Free Agents Still Available

September 29th, 2017 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

While most noteworthy free agents came off the board in July, September brought with it a wave of pre-camp signings that saw the last few restricted free agents locked up, along with veteran unrestricted free agents like Tony Allen, Dante Cunningham, Aaron Brooks, and Shabazz Muhammad.

That wave of pre-camp signings created a scarcity of viable options on the list of 2017 free agents, but the shrinking group of available options still features a handful of intriguing vets. Here’s a breakdown of five names worth keeping an eye on:

Deron Williams, PG: While the former third overall pick is obviously no longer the player he was seven years ago – when he averaged 20+ PPG and 10+ APG – it was just last summer that he received $9MM from the Mavericks to be the club’s starting point guard. For the season, Williams averaged a respectable 11.0 PPG and 5.6 APG, with a .363 3PT% in 64 games for the Mavs and Cavs, but a disastrous showing in the NBA Finals against Golden State diminished his value heading into 2017/18. Still, he’s only 33 years old, and it would be surprising if he didn’t get an opportunity with an NBA team as a backup point guard this year.
Monta Ellis, SG: Ellis is facing a five-game suspension to start the 2017/18 season and is coming off his worst year (8.5 PPG) since his rookie season. He’s not far removed from a 2014/15 campaign in which he averaged 18.9 PPG though, and while he’ll likely never match that figure again, this is only his age-32 season. He should still have something in the tank and could appeal to a team seeking a scorer off the bench.
David Lee, PF: Like Ellis, Lee posted his worst scoring average since his rookie year last season, recording just 7.3 PPG. But Lee’s declining numbers were mostly a result of his new role in San Antonio — his .590 FG% was his best mark in a decade, and his per-minute averages weren’t far off from his career rates. Given how the value of offensive-minded, low-post bigs around the NBA has declined in recent years, however, it’s not a huge surprise that Lee has had trouble finding work.
Derrick Williams, PF: Williams, of course, hasn’t lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he was selected second overall in the 2011 draft. But he was a part of the Cavaliers team that went to the NBA Finals last season, and was solid when he saw action for the team, scoring 6.2 PPG on 50.5% shooting in 25 regular season contests. If former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett can get a training camp invite from an NBA team, it seems like Williams should be on a roster too.
Spencer Hawes, C: Hawes’ contract made him an expendable piece in 2017, first in Charlotte and then in Milwaukee. After acquiring him at the trade deadline, the Bucks waived and stretched him in August to avoid the luxury-tax threshold. Like most of the other players on this list, Hawes’ best days are probably behind him, but his ability to knock down the occasional three-point shot (.350 career 3PT%) and to help out on the glass (9.0 career rebounds per 36 minutes) could make him a target for teams in need of frontcourt help.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2017 Offseason In Review: Toronto Raptors

September 28th, 2017 at 9:06pm CST by Austin Kent

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Toronto Raptors.

Signings:

Kyle Lowry: Three years, $93MM. Includes unlikely incentives.
Serge Ibaka: Three years, $65MM.
C.J. Miles: Three years, $25MM. Third-year player option.
Lorenzo Brown: Two-way contract. One year, $50K guaranteed.
Malcolm Miller: Two-way contract. One year, $50K guaranteed.

Camp invitees:

Alfonzo McKinnie: Two years, minimum salary. $100K guarantee.
K.J. McDaniels: One year, minimum salary. $100K guarantee.
Kennedy Meeks: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract.
Kyle Wiltjer: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract.
Andy Rautins: One year, minimum salary. Exact terms not yet known.

Trades:

Acquired Magic’s 2018 second-round pick from the Magic in exchange for the right to hire Jeff Weltman.
Acquired Justin Hamilton from the Nets in exchange for DeMarre Carroll, the Raptors’ 2018 first-round pick (top-14 protected), and a 2018 second-round pick (less favorable of Lakers and Magic picks).
Acquired the draft rights to Emir Preldzic from the Pacers in exchange for Cory Joseph.

Draft picks:

1-23: OG Anunoby — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

DeMarre Carroll
Cory Joseph
Patrick Patterson
P.J. Tucker

Other offseason news:

Promoted Bobby Webster to general manager after GM Jeff Weltman left to become Magic’s president of basketball operations.
Tendered qualifying offer to Nando De Colo to retain RFA rights.

Salary cap situation:

Operating over the cap and slightly under the tax. Hard capped. Carrying approximately $117MM in guaranteed salary. Full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) still available.

Check out the Toronto Raptors’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The Raptors faced an existential fork in the road this summer and made the decision to keep their core in place. By re-signing Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, the club doubled down on a formula that has delivered mixed results, depending on whom you ask.

Put simply, the Medium Three of DeMar DeRozan, Lowry, and Ibaka may not be enough to legitimately contend with the Cavaliers or Celtics, but it’s reasonably safe to say it’s enough to clinch home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs in the watered-down Eastern Conference.

To afford Lowry and Ibaka, owed $28.7MM and $20.1MM this season, Toronto needed to drastically limit future financial flexibility and also forego some of its peripheral core, including several prominent rotation pieces.

The jury is out on whether or not the Raps’ decision to stick with their stars as opposed to explore a more intensive overhaul was a smart one, but that’s a question for basketball philosophers.

Will the moves bring the franchise the success that it pines for? And what constitutes success for a fringe contender in the Super-Team Era anyway?

Key offseason losses:

The Raptors said farewell to four rotation players out of financial necessity this summer, and only one of them turned around and bad-mouthed the roster on his way out the door.

Don’t expect head coach Dwane Casey to lose sleep thinking of ways to replace DeMarre Carroll‘s 8.9 points per game. Rather, clearing out the depth chart at the three should open more of an opportunity for third-year man Norman Powell.

Patrick Patterson, however, will represent a more significant on-court loss. For years, Patterson stepped up as a reliable deep threat off the bench. He never consistently dominated ball games, hence his expendability, but he was a valuable option at the team’s disposal over the course of the last few seasons.

The loss of local boy Cory Joseph, a capable spot starter whenever called upon to fill in for Lowry, will be felt in the second unit, but could open an opportunity for Delon Wright.

Another veteran that will suit up elsewhere in 2017/18 is P.J. Tucker. The scrappy forward came over from the Suns at the deadline, but didn’t leave much of an impact during his brief stay in Canada.

Key offseason additions:

The Raptors added a potent perimeter threat through the draft this summer and there’s a chance he’ll find a way into the team’s rotation before the end of the 2017/18 season. Just last January, OG Anunoby was considered a possible top-10 pick, but a knee injury derailed his only season with Indiana and allowed the Raptors to snag him with the No. 23 pick.

The biggest free agent addition made by the Raptors this summer was C.J. Miles. Miles, a 12-year vet, will slot in on the perimeter as a potent three-and-D asset. Outside of his three-point shooting, he could contribute leadership and various other intangibles that the club hoped to get out of Carroll and Tucker last season.

Outlook for 2017/18:

The Raptors made a splash at the trade deadline last season by bringing in Ibaka, but the theme of the campaign still ended up being stagnancy. Not only did the team’s streak of consecutive seasons with improved win totals come to an end at five, but Toronto was systematically dismantled in the postseason by a Cavaliers team that barely even put a dent in the ultimate NBA champion.

The difference between this season and last, however, is that the obligatory turnover within the organization could usher in a semblance of change. On paper, the Raptors may be worse off than they were when they lost to the Cavs. However, a full season with Ibaka on board – coupled with all of the new opportunities their young rotation players will get – provides an element of excitement that wasn’t there this time last year.

Adding to the excitement is the possibility that this could be the year that the iso-heavy team finally adopts a new playing style, as Ujiri implied last May, although we’ll believe that when we see it.

Nonetheless, everybody knows what to expect out of Lowry, DeRozan and Ibaka by now — a solid regular season record and perhaps a trip to the second round. Now, Masai Ujiri and company are rolling the dice on their ability to build the rest of a contender from within.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

2017 Offseason In Review: New Orleans Pelicans

September 27th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Jrue Holiday: Five years, $131.1MM. Fifth-year player option. Includes unlikely incentives.
Darius Miller: Two years, $4.305MM. Second year non-guaranteed.
Rajon Rondo: One year, $3.3MM.
Dante Cunningham: One year, $2.3MM (reported).
Tony Allen: One year, minimum salary.
Ian Clark: One year, minimum salary.
Jalen Jones: Two-way contract. Two years.
Charles Cooke: Two-way contract. One year.

Camp invitees:

Cliff Alexander: One year, minimum salary. Exact terms not known.
Perry Jones: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract with exhibit nine.
Martell Webster: One year, minimum salary. Exact terms not known.

Trades:

Acquired the No. 52 overall pick from the Wizards in exchange for Tim Frazier.
Acquired the draft rights to Frank Jackson (No. 31 pick) from the Hornets in exchange for the draft rights to Dwayne Bacon (No. 40 pick) and cash ($1.8MM).
Acquired cash ($1MM) from the Pacers in exchange for the draft rights to Edmond Sumner (No. 52 pick).
Acquired the draft rights to Ater Majok from the Bulls in exchange for Quincy Pondexter, the Pelicans’ 2018 second-round pick, and cash ($2.5MM).

Draft picks:

2-31: Frank Jackson — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. Third year partially guaranteed ($506K).

Departing players:

Quinn Cook (waived)
Tim Frazier
Donatas Motiejunas
Quincy Pondexter
Axel Toupane (waived)

Other offseason news:

Retained head coach Alvin Gentry and general manager Dell Demps.
Hired Chris Finch as assistant coach.
Solomon Hill underwent surgery to repair torn hamstring, expected to miss most of season.
Frank Jackson underwent surgery to repair broken foot, expected to be out until at least December.
Reportedly narrowed search for G League home to two cities.

Salary cap situation:

Operating over the cap and slightly under the tax. Currently carrying approximately $115MM in guaranteed salary. Portion of mid-level exception ($2.19MM) and full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) still available.

Check out the New Orleans Pelicans’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Entering the 2017 offseason, there was no guarantee that general manager Dell Demps and head coach Alvin Gentry would be back with the Pelicans. The club has posted a 64-100 record during Gentry’s two seasons with the team, despite having arguably the NBA’s best big man in Anthony Davis. As for Demps, New Orleans won 46 games during his first year as GM back in 2010/11, but has topped 34 wins just once since then.

After pulling off a widely lauded trade for DeMarcus Cousins last winter though, Demps bought himself a little more time to see if the club can make the Davis/Cousins tandem work, and Gentry is sticking around too. Still, while the Pelicans didn’t make any leadership changes this offseason, the clock may be ticking on Demps and Gentry.

That ticking clock meant that the Pelicans entered the summer intent on building a win-now roster, but didn’t have the salary cap flexibility necessary to be as aggressive as the front office might have liked. The outcome? A potential overpay for Jrue Holiday, whose Bird rights were held by the team, and then a few smaller moves intended to fill in the gaps of the rotation.

The resulting roster looks stacked in certain areas and lacking in others, and will be under a lot of pressure to perform this season. If things go south in New Orleans, major changes could be in store for the Pelicans at the trade deadline or during the 2018 offseason.

Key offseason losses:

The Pelicans traded Tim Frazier for a second-round pick, then sold that pick for a modest $1MM on draft night, meaning Frazier essentially amounted to a salary dump. The young point guard had shown some promise last season as the club’s primary backup and occasional starter, but with luxury tax concerns looming and Rajon Rondo landing in New Orleans, jettisoning Frazier was probably the right call.

The club’s decision to trade Quincy Pondexter to Chicago in another salary dump was a little more questionable. The Pelicans sent their own 2018 second-round pick and $2.5MM in cash to the Bulls to complete the deal, which netted them nothing but cap savings.

Stretching Pondexter’s salary instead of trading him would have left New Orleans with an extra $1.28MM on its cap for 2017/18, and given the club’s proximity to both the tax line and the hard cap, it’s easy to see why management – and possibly ownership – felt clearing that money was necessary. But it was a steep price to pay to clear such a small cap hit, and raises larger questions about the Pelicans’ cap management.

The Pelicans’ other departing players – Donatas Motiejunas, Quinn Cook, and Axel Toupane – played small roles for the club last season. Losing them won’t have a significant impact on the roster.

Key offseason additions:

While I have serious questions about the Pelicans’ investment in Holiday, particularly since the addition of Rondo signals that Holiday may not even open the season as the starting point guard, the team did some solid work on the periphery of the free agent market this summer. For less than $11MM in guaranteed money, New Orleans picked up Rondo, Darius Miller, Dante Cunningham, Tony Allen, and Ian Clark.

Rondo has been one of the NBA’s biggest enigmas in recent years, but at a price of $3.3MM, it’s certainly worth rolling the dice to see how frequently he can be the player who looked dominant in leading the Bulls to a 2-0 series lead over the Celtics in the spring.

Cunningham, Allen, and Clark were all players I expected to land larger contracts in free agency this summer, so it was a coup for the Pelicans to re-sign Cunningham for $2.3MM and to land Allen and Clark for the minimum.

Of the Pelicans’ offfseason additions, Miller is perhaps the biggest wild card. Last seen in the NBA during the 2014/15 season, the former second-round pick was essentially a non-factor in his previous stint with New Orleans. However, the Pelicans clearly liked what they saw from him during his time with Brose Bamberg in Germany, having used part of their mid-level exception to sign him.

Miller shot 41.5% on threes last season for his German club, so he’ll join Clark and Cunningham as some of the only long-distance threats on the Pelicans’ roster. Neither Clark nor Cunningham attempted a ton of three-pointers last season, but they had good percentages, and will be relied upon to keep defenses honest and help space the floor, particularly if Allen and Rondo are on the court.

Outlook for 2017/18:

Although the combination of Cousins and Davis is a tantalizing one, the Pelicans will face an uphill climb in a daunting Western Conference. With Solomon Hill, Frank Jackson, and Omer Asik already battling health problems, New Orleans’ depth will be tested early, and the team will be under pressure to make both its frontcourt duo and its point guard pairing (Rondo and Holiday) work out of the gate.

There’s no questioning the talent on the roster, and it’s possible the Pelicans will find a way to make it work. But it’s not hard to imagine a worst-case scenario that looks something like the 2016/17 Magic, who made a similar win-now push after a 35-win showing, only to have their season blow up. Serge Ibaka was flipped to a new team months after Orlando acquired him, and the front office was overhauled at season’s end. That same fate could await Cousins and Pelicans management if the club’s new-look roster doesn’t deliver on-court success this season.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2017 Offseason In Review: Phoenix Suns

September 26th, 2017 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Alan Williams: Three years, $17.04MM. Second year non-guaranteed. Third year team option.
Alex Len: One year, $4.188MM. Signed qualifying offer.
Mike James: Two-way contract. One year.
Alec Peters: Two-way contract.

Camp invitees:

Anthony Bennett: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract.
Peter Jok: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.

Trades:

Acquired Troy Daniels and a 2018 second-round pick (second-most favorable of Grizzlies, Heat, and Hornets second-rounders) from the Grizzlies in exchange for Suns’ own 2018 second-round pick (top-55 protected)

Draft picks:

1-4: Josh Jackson — Signed to rookie contract.
2-32: Davon Reed — Signed to four-year, minimum salary contract. Second year partially guaranteed. Third and fourth years non-guaranteed.
2-54: Alec Peters — Signed to two-way contract.

Extensions:

T.J. Warren: Four years, $50MM (reported)

Departing players:

Leandro Barbosa (waived)
Ronnie Price

Other offseason news:

Extended general manager Ryan McDonough.
Hired James Jones as vice president of basketball operations.
Brandon Knight expected to miss 2017/18 season due to ACL tear.
Alan Williams expected to be out until March due to meniscus tear.
Davon Reed expected to be out until at least December due to meniscus tear.

Salary cap situation:

Operating under the cap and under the salary floor. Could create up to $13MM+ in cap space (carrying approximately $85.4MM in guaranteed salary), plus full room exception ($4.328MM) still available.

Check out the Phoenix Suns’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The Suns entered the 2017 offseason armed with cap room and ready to make a major splash in free agency or on the trade market. After having been linked to Kevin Love in several trade rumors, Phoenix lined up meetings with the top two free agent big men on the market, Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap.

Ultimately, Love remained in Cleveland, Griffin cancelled his meeting with the Suns after quickly coming to the terms with the Clippers, and the Suns reconsidered their direction. Less than 24 hours after the free agent period began, the Suns backed off their pursuit of Millsap, opting instead to continue taking a patient approach to the rebuilding process and to potentially use their cap space to accommodate salary dumps rather than to sign an impact free agent.

The Suns may have been tempted to deviate from that approach later in the summer when Kyrie Irving made his trade request — Irving is younger than Love, Griffin, or Millsap, and would’ve been a better fit for the Suns’ timeline. However, acquiring Cleveland’s star point guard likely would have cost the Suns Josh Jackson and a future first-round pick, and despite being the club most frequently linked to Irving, Phoenix wasn’t willing to pay that price and compromise its rebuild.

That looks to me like the right call. Clawing their way back to the upper ranks of the Western Conference will be a long, challenging road for the Suns, but going out and compromising their future cap flexibility to land an impact player would have represented an ill-advised short cut. This roster has a long way to go before it’s ready to contend, and adding a single star wouldn’t have changed that.

Key offseason losses:

Veteran guards Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight continued to be the subjects of trade rumors throughout the offseason, and young bigs Alan Williams and Alex Len reached free agency. All four of those players are still Suns though, as the roster remained surprisingly stable over the summer.

Thirteen of the 15 players who finished the 2016/17 season as Suns are still on the roster, with Leandro Barbosa and Ronnie Price representing the only departing vets. While their career résumés are impressive (they’ve appeared in nearly 1,400 combined regular season games), Barbosa and Price didn’t have a major impact on last season’s club. Barbosa at least had a rotation role, averaging 6.3 PPG in 67 games, but Price only appeared in 14 total contests.

Key offseason additions:

The Suns’ only major moves in free agency involved re-signing their own players, with Williams and Len getting new deals from the team. That meant that Phoenix’s most notable additions came in the draft, and fourth overall pick Jackson topped the list of the Suns’ draftees.

The Suns headed into the draft lottery as the second-highest seed and slipped two spots to No. 4, so it will be interesting to see if that outcome ends up coming back to haunt the team in the years to come. Having a shot to draft Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball likely would’ve resulted in a very different offseason for the Suns, who could have shopped Bledsoe more aggressively in that scenario.

Instead, the Suns came out of one of the best point guard drafts in recent memory with a versatile, two-way forward who – even at age 20 – should be able to contribute immediately, particularly on the defensive end. Jackson’s jump shot will have to improve significantly if he’s going to fully live up to his potential and become an All-Star caliber player, but even if that shot takes some time to come around, his athleticism and his ability to guard multiple positions make him a valuable piece for the Suns’ core. And the team clearly recognizes that value, having resisted including Jackson in an offer for Irving.

The Suns also looked to make up for the loss of Barbosa and Price by adding Davon Reed with the 32nd overall pick in the draft. A 39.5% three-point shooter over the course of his college career, the rookie guard could have teamed with Bledsoe, Knight, Devin Booker, and Tyler Ulis to form a young, promising backcourt.

Instead, after suffering a meniscus tear, Reed looks likely to miss most of the first half of the season, while an ACL tear for Knight is expected to sideline him for the entire 2017/18 campaign. Newly acquired shooting guard Troy Daniels figures to help fill out the backcourt rotation in their absence.

Outlook for 2017/18:

On paper, the Suns look pretty similar to the team that finished 24-58 and finished dead last in the Western Conference in 2016/17. Of course, Phoenix wasn’t trying too hard to win games down the stretch, and another year of development for the club’s young players should result in an improvement on the court.

Still, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Suns aren’t once again occupying one of the spots at the bottom of the conference. Fellow lottery teams like the Nuggets, Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Lakers made more tangible improvements this offseason, and key Suns frontcourt players like Jackson, Marquese Chriss, and Dragan Bender will still be finding their footing in the NBA this season. Plus, the Suns have been hit hard by the injury bug this offseason, with Knight, Reed, and Williams all poised to miss extended time.

Another finish in the bottom five of the NBA standings may not thrill fans, but it’s probably good for the Suns’ long-term outlook. When Phoenix made the decision this summer to be patient with the rebuild rather than looking for a short-term fix, the club committed to at least another year or two in the lottery. That should help give the Suns’ young nucleus some time to grow, while giving the franchise the opportunity to add a couple more core pieces in the coming drafts.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2017 Offseason In Review: Charlotte Hornets

September 25th, 2017 at 8:00am CST by Austin Kent

Signings:

Michael Carter-Williams: One year, $2.7MM.
Julyan Stone: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed.
Mangok Mathiang: Two-way contract. Two years, $50K guaranteed.
Marcus Paige: Two-way contracts. One year, $50K guaranteed.

Camp invitees:

Terry Henderson: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Isaiah Hicks: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Luke Petrasek: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
T.J. Williams: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.

Trades:

Acquired Dwight Howard and the No. 31 overall pick from the Hawks in exchange for Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli, and the No. 41 overall pick.
Acquired the draft rights to Dwayne Bacon (No. 40 pick) and cash ($1.8MM) from the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Frank Jackson (No. 31 pick).

Draft picks:

1-11: Malik Monk — Signed to rookie contract.
2-40: Dwayne Bacon — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. Third year non-guaranteed.

Departing players:

Marco Belinelli
Miles Plumlee
Brian Roberts
Ramon Sessions (declined team option)
Briante Weber (waived)
Christian Wood

Other offseason news:

Assistant general manager Chad Buchanan hired away by the Pacers.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap all offseason. Carrying approximately $116MM in guaranteed salary, pushing them close to the tax line.
Portion of mid-level exception ($4.89MM) and full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) still available.

Check out the Charlotte Hornets’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The Hornets followed up a feel-good return to relevance with an uninspired effort last season, leaving fans of the rebranded franchise wondering if the club’s brief dalliance with the postseason was anything more than a simple aberration.

In the wake of that 2016 playoff appearance, the club lost a handful of impactful veterans, won 12 fewer contests, and ultimately returned to the lottery wondering what went wrong.

This summer, then, served as a critical indicator of the club’s frame of mind heading forward, and it didn’t take long for general manager Rich Cho to make it loud and clear that he has no intention of blowing up the squad’s current core anytime soon.

The Hornets were aggressive this summer, pulling off one of the biggest heists of the offseason, drafting pragmatically, and generally supplementing their lineup with genuinely complementary players.

At a time when most fringe playoff squads with little cap flexibility might consider blowing things up and starting a new Process, that’s inspiring in itself.

Key offseason losses:

The Hornets came away from the summer mostly unscathed, but the loss that they’ll notice most is that of veteran Marco Belinelli. The Italian two guard led the club’s reserve corps, averaging 10.4 points per game in 74 contests and providing reliable three-point shooting.

The loss of Miles Plumlee is significant for different reasons. The fact that Cho found a way to pawn off the three-year, $37.5MM hot potato that is Plumlee’s contract – just months after acquiring it from Milwaukee – is national holiday-level impressive.

Another notable change to the team comes on the depth chart. Last season Charlotte trotted out Ramon Sessions and Brian Roberts as reserve point guards but neither were particularly effective spelling Kemba Walker. The club even gave G League star Briante Weber a shot at the role but were ultimately underwhelmed there, too. All three are gone for 2017/18.

Key offseason additions:

The last half-decade of Dwight Howard‘s career hasn’t exactly been filled with kittens and rainbows, but the public’s perception of the fallen superstar has over-corrected. The 31-year-old averaged 13.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game last season on a squad that didn’t particularly want or need him.

Now back under the tutelage of former coach Steve Clifford – who guided Howard during his Magic days – the eight-time All-Star will see his best opportunity to succeed in years. No longer just that dude somebody invited to the party out of obligation, Howard will join a team that actually looks forward to including him and maybe even featuring him in their offense (although let’s not get too crazy).

Another promising move the Hornets made was drafting Malik Monk out of Kentucky. The fact that Charlotte filled an obvious need with an established college player capable of producing out of the gates speaks to the club’s willingness to improve as soon as possible. Monk isn’t a project — not on the offensive side at least. He’s a legitimate scorer who can share some of the scoring burden with Walker.

Finally, dissatisfied with their backup point guard situation, the Hornets went out and picked up Michael Carter-Williams. One of many victims of the chaos in Chicago last season, Carter-Williams arrives in Charlotte as a 26-year-old former Rookie of the Year. Even if the guard never does quite live up to the expectations he set for himself after Year 1, he’s a steal at $2.7MM. Julyan Stone, pried away from an Italian team, will provide additional depth at point guard.

Outlook for 2017/18:

The Hornets put forth a decent start to last season, but started to struggle just before the midway point. This summer they added to their core with established pieces whose skill-sets won’t interfere with any of the team’s incumbent go-to talents.

The fact that the returning lineup has had several years to grow and gel together will serve the Hornets well as they battle with the likes of the Pistons and Sixers for the last few playoff spots. The fact that the new additions will bolster what’s quietly become one of the top-down deepest teams in the East could get them back where they belong: the postseason.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Weekly Mailbag: 9/18/17 – 9/24/17

September 24th, 2017 at 12:04pm 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.

With Carmelo Anthony joining Russell Westbrook and Paul George at OKC, forming their version of a super team, what do you think are their chances of beating the Warriors or even winning the NBA championship this season? — Greg Dizon

Having three [or more] stars has become the path to an NBA title in recent years, so obviously that’s what the Thunder have in mind. The Warriors are obviously the toughest obstacle, but there are many others in an increasingly loaded Western Conference. The Rockets won 55 games last season and added Chris Paul. The Spurs won 61 games and added Rudy Gay. The Nuggets, Timberwolves and Pelicans all made moves to get better. Getting through the West won’t be easy, even with three great scoring options in Anthony, Westbrook and George. Then there’s the question of whether Anthony is still an elite player. Don’t forget that ESPN ranked him 64th in this year’s top 100 list, and he’s coming off four straight non-playoff seasons in a weak Eastern Conference. In a seven-game series with the Warriors, maybe the Thunder have the firepower to make it interesting, but they’ll have to make some moves to improve defensively to give themselves a fighting chance.

Who gets the ball when the game is on the line? — Boozybua, via Twitter

That’s one of the first questions to work out in Oklahoma City, just as it was for the Warriors when Kevin Durant arrived and for the Heat when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade. Westbrook, George and Anthony are all used to being their team’s primary scorer and taking the important shots. Sometimes it takes a few months for everyone to get comfortable with their roles, but the best guess here is that the ball still belongs to the MVP. Westbrook will dictate play, not just in crunch time but whenever he’s on the floor, with George and Anthony settling into complementary roles.

How can the Knicks get rid of Joakim Noah’s contract? That’s the only bad situation they have now. Any realistic options? — Scottie2hottie, via Twitter

The Knicks will be paying nearly $38MM this season for the center combination of Noah and Enes Kanter, while Willy Hernangomez and Kyle O’Quinn might be better options. Noah is part of the Phil Jackson legacy, with $55MM still due over the next three seasons and the perception that he is done as a productive player at age 32. As we outlined earlier today, the Knicks could use the stretch provision, although they missed the deadline for this season, so it would only help with the final two years of the deal. Noah’s contract probably makes him untradable unless the Knicks are willing to take on an equally bad arrangement in return.

2017 Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Lakers

September 23rd, 2017 at 9:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Signings:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: One year, $17.746MM.
Tyler Ennis: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed.
Andrew Bogut: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($50K).
Alex Caruso: Two-way contract. One year.

Camp invitees:

V.J. Beachem: One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
Vander Blue: One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
Briante Weber: One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
Stephen Zimmerman: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.

Trades:

Acquired Brook Lopez and the draft rights to Kyle Kuzma (No. 27 pick) from the Nets in exchange for D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.
Acquired the draft rights to Josh Hart (No. 30 pick) and the draft rights to Thomas Bryant (No. 42 pick) from the Jazz in exchange for the draft rights to Tony Bradley (No. 28 pick).

Draft picks:

1-2: Lonzo Ball — Signed to rookie contract.
1-27: Kyle Kuzma — Signed to rookie contract.
1-30: Josh Hart — Signed to rookie contract.
2-42: Thomas Bryant — Signed to two-year, minimum salary contract. Second year non-guaranteed.

Departing players:

Tarik Black
Timofey Mozgov
David Nwaba (waived)
Thomas Robinson
D’Angelo Russell
Metta World Peace
Nick Young

Other offseason news:

Fined $500K for tampering with Pacers/Paul George.
Re-branded G-League affiliate. Formerly known as Los Angeles D-Fenders, franchise is now South Bay Lakers.

Salary cap situation:

Started under the cap and used all cap space. Currently carrying approximately $101MM in guaranteed salary. Full room exception ($4.328MM) still available.

Check out the Los Angeles Lakers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Magic Johnson entered his first offseason as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations with a clear objective: set the stage for a star-studded 2018 free agency.

Johnson hired former player agent Rob Pelinkia as the team’s GM, something that may help with recruiting big names to the Lakers’ organization. He refrained from adding substantial salary to the future books in free agency, a mistake of the previous regime. And he cleared long-term salary in the D’Angelo Russell trade by attaching Timofey Mozgov to the former No. 2 overall pick in a deal that yielded Brook Lopez and the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 draft (Kyle Kuzma) from the Nets.

If the organization makes a few smaller-scale moves at some point, such as moving Jordan Clarkson or other players on manageable contracts, it will have the ability to add multiple max-salary free agents next offseason. Maintaining flexibility trumped the desire to contend immediately and with Johnson running the show, the strategy could easily be lauded as soon as next July.

Key offseason losses:

Shipping away Russell just two seasons after spending a top-2 pick on him is puzzling in a vacuum, though it’s a much easier pill to swallow with Lonzo Ball coming into the fold. The organization realized that Russell and Ball were unlikely to form a sustainable backcourt combination and decided to make a move, betting on Ball to become the better long-term option.

The Lakers will also begin the season without the services of Nick Young for the first time since opening night in 2012. Young, who signed with the Warriors this offseason, enjoyed one of his most efficient campaigns last season, posting career-high 58.8 true shooting percentage. However, it was nearly a foregone conclusion by the end of the 2016/17 campaign that the veteran swingman wouldn’t return, since it didn’t make sense for him to continue playing for a team destined for the lottery yet again.

Key offseason additions:

Many expected the Lakers to swing a deal with the Pacers for Paul George, especially with George reportedly telling the Pacers that he wanted to be in Los Angeles. Johnson and the Lakers’ organization held firmly onto their assets (perhaps because of Johnson’s relationship with PG13) and George was shipped elsewhere.

Unable to bring in a star for the sixth straight offseason, Los Angeles opted to acquire talent that would help in the short-term without sacrificing future flexibility. The front office made several moves that project to be clear upgrades in their starting lineup.

Bringing in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a one-year, $18MM provides the team with an offensive threat on the wing and a potential long-term backup plan should the franchise not land top talent during the summer of 2018. Had KCP hit the free agent market just one year earlier, perhaps he would have signed a maximum salary deal. Reaching the market a year after many teams overspent based on projections, he found fewer suitors willing to make big offers and settled for a lucrative one-year, prove-it deal.

The addition of Lopez adds a level of legitimacy to the Lakers’ frontcourt. The 29-year-old posted a player efficiency rating above 20 for the sixth straight year last season, even as he incorporated the three-ball into his game. Lopez’s 387 shots from behind the arc ranked 34th in the league last season, ahead of other notable marksmen such as Kawhi Leonard, Gordon Hayward, and Kyle Korver. His ability to stretch the floor should allow Ball, Caldwell-Pope, and sophomore Brandon Ingram more space to penetrate opposing defenses.

Adding a natural playmaker like Ball should allow the team to get the most of out its talent. Many have criticized the UCLA product’s shooting form, though there’s no denying the skill set that this kid possesses. Will he be as great as his father proclaims he will be? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean he won’t progress into a star.

The Lakers spent the last few offseasons attempting to add star free agents but ultimately ended up with lesser additions. This offseason yielded the same results, though it seems more orchestrated, organized, and executed with greater long-term objectives in mind than past offseason outcomes.

Outlook for 2017/18:

While Johnson’s plan for this offseason was more about the bigger picture than it was for the upcoming season, the team should easily be able to improve upon its 26-win campaign. Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com projects L.A. to end up with 33 wins this season, an improvement that’s driven by upgrades on the offensive side of the court. The projected starting lineup of Ball, KCP, Ingram, Lopez, and Julius Randle, who’s an extension candidate, should make scoring a non-issue for this team.

The defense is another story, as Luol Deng and Larry Nance Jr. are the only players on the roster to be included in the top-25 of their respective position’s defensive ranking, per ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus.

Is it possible that the Lakers hang in the conference’s eighth seed race through March? Sure, but competing in the Western Conference was no child’s play last season and it will be even more challenging this season after several teams made strides to get better.

Still, the Lakers will put out an entertaining product on the court this season, with Ball shooting and distributing, Lopez owning the post, and KCP driving and finishing. They’ll likely pull off some upsets and have a few games where they look like playoff contenders. However, with so many young players on the roster, inconsistency will likely be the factor that plagues the club this season and that will likely result in another lottery appearance.

For Johnson and the Lakers, this season’s win total isn’t an overly important factor; it’s all about the following season, when the team hopes to employ multiple All-Stars and compete for a title.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Hoops Rumors Originals: 9/16/17 – 9/23/17

September 23rd, 2017 at 5:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

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

Luke Adams examined Five Lingering Offseason Questions before the opening of training camps.
We provided a list of the teams that are now limited to just minimum contract offers.
Our weekly mailbag answered questions on LaMarcus Aldridge, Carmelo Anthony and Nikola Mirotic.
Our Contract Extension Tracker is the best way to follow all the players who are eligible to receive extensions this fall.
We looked at the case for the Lakers’ Julius Randle in our Extension Candidate Series.
Our Offseason in Review series examined the Mavericks and Magic.
Our Community Shootarounds discussed which non-playoff teams from last year are ready to make the postseason and who are the best available free agents.
We conducted polls for the win totals of the Jazz, Sixers, Blazers, Hornets, Heat, and Clippers, respectively.
If you don’t have it already, be sure to download the Trade Rumors app for iOS/Android and give it a try.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Extension Candidate: Julius Randle

September 22nd, 2017 at 7:58pm CST by Austin Kent

For the third straight season, Julius Randle made progress establishing himself as a significant factor in the Lakers’ frontcourt. However, that progress won’t impact whether or not the 22-year-old inks a contract extension prior to the October 16th deadline.

No, Randle’s fate – perhaps more than any other player headed into the final year of a rookie contract – is tied to the lofty ambitions of the franchise that he plays for.

Put simply, the Lakers are all-in on preserving cap space for the 2018 free agency period — a period in which they’ll inevitably pursue LeBron James and Paul George. Or LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. Or LeBron James and any other star player who opts to test the waters next summer, it really just depends on which barber you ask.

This isn’t a knock on Randle. It’s a reality. The same reality that saw L.A. ship D’Angelo Russell out of town just to alleviate the club’s $16MM obligation to Timofey Mozgov in 2018/19.

Signing Randle to any extension in the realm of what he would justifiably qualify for before the October deadline would unnecessarily eat into the room that the Lakers would need in order to make a big, nay, massive splash next offseason. As it stands, Los Angeles has just under $54MM on their books for the 2018/19 season and you can bet the farm that they club will do anything within reason to unload Luol Deng‘s 18MM as soon as conceivably possible.

Of course, the Lakers can always circle back to Randle as a restricted free agent once they have a better idea of how their 2018 offseason will play out, but that obviously comes with inherent risk. It’s not inconceivable that Randle will raise his value this season and coax an aggressive offer sheet out of a team with cap space to burn.

So the question isn’t whether Randle will earn a contract extension in the next month – that almost certainly won’t happen – but rather if his play thus far has warranted it.

In his two full seasons with the Lakers, Randle has averaged just under a double double, putting up 12.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG while flashing impressive vision for a post player and a handle reminiscent of a slightly less polished Blake Griffin (that’s still a good thing).

Randle’s per-36 numbers ooze Zach Randolph-esque potential and the fact that he’s a productive contributor who doesn’t require much of the spotlight bodes well for a Lakers team that has every intention of filling the lineup around him with stars.

Expect Randle, already a competent third or fourth option, to take yet another step forward in 2017/18. The power forward has committed to improving his physical conditioning this summer and will now play alongside Lonzo Ball, one of the most exciting playmakers to come into the league in years.

We saw excellent rebound and assist rates out of Randle last season, as well as a modest 13.2 points per contest. That last figure could jump up to a more headline-worthy level, conveniently ahead of July 2018, when he hits the market for the first time.

If the pending restricted free agent drives his value to a level that precludes Los Angeles from retaining him, then that’s simply a consequence of the Lakers’ own ambition.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2017 Offseason In Review: Orlando Magic

September 22nd, 2017 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

Jonathon Simmons: Three years, $18MM. Third year partially guaranteed ($1MM).
Shelvin Mack: Two years, $12MM. Second year non-guaranteed.
Arron Afflalo: One year, minimum salary.
Marreese Speights: One year, minimum salary.
Adreian Payne: Two-way contract. One year.

Camp invitees:

Khem Birch: Two years, minimum salary. $25K guaranteed.
Troy Caupain: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Kalin Lucas: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Damjan Rudez: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Rodney Purvis: Reported agreement not yet finalized.

Trades:

Acquired a 2020 first-round pick (Thunder; top-20 protected) and a 2020 second-round pick (less favorable of Knicks’ and Nets’ picks) from the Sixers in exchange for the draft rights to Anzejs Pasecniks (No. 25 pick).
Acquired a 2019 second-round pick (Nets) from the Grizzlies in exchange for the draft rights to Ivan Rabb (No. 35 pick).

Draft picks:

1-6: Jonathan Isaac — Signed to rookie contract.
2-33: Wesley Iwundu — Signed to three-year, $4.047MM contract. Third-year team option.

Departing players:

Patricio Garino (waived)
Marcus Georges-Hunt (waived)
Jeff Green
Jodie Meeks
C.J. Watson (waived)
Stephen Zimmerman (waived)

Other offseason news:

Fired general manager Rob Hennigan.
Hired Jeff Weltman as president of basketball operations; sent 2018 second-round pick to Raptors as compensation.
Hired John Hammond as general manager.
Hired Randy Wittman as coaching consultant.
Will have new G League affiliate (Lakeland Magic).

Salary cap situation:

Essentially capped out (carrying approximately $98MM in guaranteed salary), but full room exception ($4.328MM) still available.

Check out the Orlando Magic’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

No NBA teams replaced head coaches this offseason, but Orlando was one of several clubs to make changes to its basketball operations department. The Magic had been patient with general manager Rob Hennigan, watching as he made incremental improvements over the course of his first four years with the franchise, increasing the club’s win total from 20 to 23 to 25 to 35. After a series of major moves failed to pan out, however, the Magic slipped back to 29-53 in 2016/17.

With no playoff berths or star players to show for five years of work in Orlando – and an embarrassing dry-erase board incident fresh in everyone’s mind – Hennigan was a goner. To replace him, the Magic brought in Raptors executive Jeff Weltman to run the basketball operations department, and poached John Hammond from the Bucks to become their new GM.

In his fifth year, Hennigan clearly felt the pressure to make win-now moves, which resulted in overpays for players like Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo. The new management group won’t be under the same sort of pressure — this roster isn’t capable of legit contention in the short term, which means Weltman and Hammond can be patient and focus on longer-term moves.

Both of the Magic’s new executives showed a willingness in their old jobs to gamble on young, athletic prospects with high upside. So far in Orlando, they’ve exhibited that same tendency. Not all of those moves will pan out, but with the Magic still going through a rebuild, Weltman and Hammond will likely be happy to roll the dice on a few Bruno Caboclos if the process eventually leads them to a Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Key offseason losses:

Considering the new front office had no attachment to most of the players brought in by the old regime, it came as no surprise that everyone with a non-guaranteed contract for 2017/18 was waived over the summer. Of that group, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Patricio Garino, and Stephen Zimmerman were young players who didn’t play much for Orlando last season, but C.J. Watson was the team’s primary point guard for most of last season.

Still, the Magic’s decision to move on from Watson made sense — he struggled mightily during his two years with the team, posting a shooting line of .371/.301/.867 in 95 total games. His $5MM salary was only partially guaranteed for $1MM, so releasing him gave the team an extra $4MM to use in free agency.

Speaking of free agents, the Magic also didn’t appear to make a strong effort to re-sign two veterans whose contracts expired. Jodie Meeks only appeared in 36 games for the team last season but was an effective outside shooter when he did play, making 40.9% of his three-point attempts.

Meanwhile, Jeff Green also spent just one season in Orlando, setting new career lows in several categories, including FG% (.394) and 3PT% (.275). A look at his year-to-year salary reflects how much his value slipped during his single season with the Magic — he signed for $15MM a year ago, and settled for the veteran’s minimum this offseason. Letting him walk shouldn’t negatively impact the Magic.

Key offseason additions:

Many of the top picks in June’s draft looked like ideal marriages between players and teams, and that was especially true of the Magic’s selection of Jonathan Isaac. Widely considered one of the more intriguing and athletic young prospects in the 2017 class, Isaac looks like exactly the sort of project that appeals to Weltman and Hammond. It’s not clear yet exactly what position he’ll play, or how long it will take him to develop into a reliable contributor, but the Magic have plenty of time to figure it out.

On the free agent market, the Magic mostly opted for veteran stability over youth and upside, though their investment in Jonathon Simmons was an interesting one. Simmons began the offseason as a restricted free agent, and was expected to attract significant interest after flashing some two-way potential in the playoffs following Kawhi Leonard‘s injury. However, the 28-year-old lingered on the market longer than anticipated, and eventually asked the Spurs to withdraw his qualifying offer, making him unrestricted. The Magic quickly swooped in and locked up Simmons at the very reasonable price of $6MM annually, with only two fully guaranteed seasons.

Simmons’ 2016/17 regular season stats – including a shooting line of .420/.294/.750 – weren’t overly impressive, but even if he doesn’t live up to the promise hinted at in the postseason, his cost will never become exorbitant. If he still has room to improve, he could end up turning into a bargain for the Magic, who figure to use him a more expanded role than the one he saw in San Antonio.

Outside of Simmons, the Magic also used their cap room to sign point guard Shelvin Mack, shooting guard Arron Afflalo, and big man Marreese Speights. None of those players figures to be part of the long-term plan in Orlando, but Mack could represent an upgrade at the backup point guard spot, and the Magic know what they’re getting from Afflalo and Speights, who will play rotation roles and provide some veteran leadership in the locker room.

Outlook for 2017/18:

In a weakened Eastern Conference, a playoff spot isn’t necessarily out of reach for the Magic, if everything breaks right. But that shouldn’t be the expectation — or even the goal.

In their first year with the franchise, Weltman and Hammond should be focusing on identifying which players are keepers and which ones are expendable. Guys like Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton, who are both already eligible for extensions this offseason, haven’t fully lived up to their potential so far, so it will be interesting to see whether Orlando holds off on new deals for the duo, opting to assess their play in their respective contract years before deciding whether to invest. Mario Hezonja is another lottery pick who has underperformed early in his NBA career, so 2017/18 should be a big year for him too.

With a focus on player development, the Magic will likely consider the season a success if a handful of those young players – including rookies Isaac and Wesley Iwundu – make positive strides, even if the club misses the postseason for a sixth straight year.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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