Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Longest-Tenured NBA Head Coaches

August 7th, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The turnover in the NBA’s coaching ranks reached a high point during the 2016 offseason, when 10 teams – one-third of the league – named new permanent head coaches. Since then, however, none of the NBA’s 30 teams have made a coaching change.

The current streak without a firing is an impressive one, and is perhaps reflective of the prevailing belief that head coaches need time to find their footing — and that significant value should be placed on continuity. It’s no coincidence that many of the NBA’s most highly-regarded franchises, including the Spurs, Heat, and Mavericks, feature some of the league’s longest-tenured head coaches.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t see some changes in the head coaching ranks during – or after – the 2017/18 season, but for the first time since Hoops Rumors’ inception, our annual list of the league’s longest-tenured head coaches doesn’t include any new hires.

Here are the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches, sorted by the date they were hired:

  1. Gregg Popovich, Spurs: December 1996
  2. Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
  3. Rick Carlisle, Mavericks: May 2008
  4. Dwane Casey, Raptors: June 2011
  5. Terry Stotts, Trail Blazers: August 2012
  6. Mike Budenholzer, Hawks: May 28, 2013
  7. Steve Clifford, Hornets: May 29, 2013
  8. Doc Rivers, Clippers: June 2013
  9. Brad Stevens, Celtics: July 2013
  10. Brett Brown, Sixers: August 2013
  11. Stan Van Gundy, Pistons: May 14, 2014
  12. Steve Kerr, Warriors: May 14, 2014
  13. Quin Snyder, Jazz: June 2014
  14. Jason Kidd, Bucks: July 2014
  15. Billy Donovan, Thunder: April 2015
  16. Alvin Gentry, Pelicans: May 2015 (remained Warriors assistant through playoffs)
  17. Fred Hoiberg, Bulls: June 2, 2015
  18. Michael Malone, Nuggets: June 15, 2015
  19. Tyronn Lue, Cavaliers: January 2016
  20. Earl Watson, Suns: February 2016
  21. Kenny Atkinson, Nets: April 17, 2016 (remained Hawks assistant through Atlanta’s playoff run)
  22. Tom Thibodeau, Timberwolves: April 20, 2016
  23. Scott Brooks, Wizards: April 26, 2016
  24. Luke Walton, Lakers: April 29, 2016 (remained Warriors assistant through playoffs)
  25. Dave Joerger, Kings: May 9, 2016
  26. Nate McMillan, Pacers: May 16, 2016
  27. Frank Vogel, Magic: May 20, 2016
  28. David Fizdale, Grizzlies: May 29, 2016
  29. Mike D’Antoni, Rockets: June 1, 2016
  30. Jeff Hornacek, Knicks: June 2, 2016
Retweet 14 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Teams Projected To Be 2017/18 Taxpayers

August 7th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of 2016’s salary cap spike, the luxury tax line was higher than ever in 2016/17, and only two teams finished the season above it. The Clippers barely crossed over into taxpayer territory, while the Cavaliers blew past that threshold and were on the hook for a big tax bill.

In 2017/18, the salary cap increase was far more modest, and as a result, it appears that several more teams will finish the season as taxpayers, surpassing this year’s $119.266MM tax line. Teams have until the end of the ’17/18 regular season to adjust team salary in an effort to get back under the tax line, but most of those clubs will have little leverage if they try to dump salary, so it won’t be easy to cut costs.

Here’s an early look at the teams likely to finish 2017/18 as taxpayers:

Cleveland Cavaliers
Current guaranteed team salary (approximate): $139.73MM
No team is further over the tax line than the Cavaliers, and Cleveland will also qualify as a repeat taxpayer for the first time this year, making the penalties levied against the franchise more punitive. Currently, the Cavs’ projected tax bill is approaching $70MM, which explains why the team is interested in attaching an extra contract or two to Kyrie Irving in any trade.

Golden State Warriors
Current guaranteed team salary (approximate): $135.36MM
Last year’s dominant Warriors team actually didn’t have one of the more expensive rosters in the league, but that will change this time around, with several players signing lucrative new deals. The biggest raise belongs to Stephen Curry, who played out the final season of a four-year, $44MM deal in 2016/17, and will now start a five-year, $200MM+ pact.

Oklahoma City Thunder
Current guaranteed team salary (approximate): $125.99MM
Years ago, the Thunder decided to move on from James Harden when he and the team couldn’t agree to terms on an extension that would have created luxury-tax issues for the franchise. Now, Oklahoma City has the third-highest team salary in the NBA, and a projected tax bill that will exceed $10MM.

Portland Trail Blazers
Current guaranteed team salary (approximate): $124.25MM
The Trail Blazers managed to slash their projected tax bill significantly a couple weeks ago when they sent Allen Crabbe to the Nets for Andrew Nicholson. Assuming they eventually waive and stretch Nicholson’s contract, as expected, the pair of transactions will save the club upwards of $40MM in tax payments alone.

Washington Wizards
Current guaranteed team salary (approximate): $123.54MM
Going into tax territory was necessary if the Wizards wanted to match Otto Porter‘s offer sheet from the Nets and bring him back. Fortunately for the club, John Wall‘s new super-max extension won’t go into effect until 2019/20 — his current salary is far below the 2017/18 max, which will save the Wizards from paying more exorbitant tax penalties.

Milwaukee Bucks
Current guaranteed team salary (approximate): $119.38MM
The Bucks currently project to be over the tax threshold by a very small amount, and I’d be surprised if the team doesn’t make every effort to trim payroll and sneak below that line before the season is over. Milwaukee isn’t a big-market team, and the opportunity to be on the receiving end of the luxury tax – rather than the paying end – will be tantalizing.

Outside of the six teams listed above, a handful of other clubs are inching dangerously close to tax territory. Among them: The Clippers, whose estimated guaranteed team salary sits about $100K below the tax threshold; the Pelicans, who are less than $1MM below the tax line; and the Rockets, who only have about $114.75MM in guarantees, but are carrying several million more dollars in non-guaranteed contracts.

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

Retweet 12 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker

August 7th, 2017 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

With the majority of 2017’s top free agents off the board, and news of contract agreements still trickling in, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this offseason. To that end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, years, salary, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

  • Some of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect reported agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Listed salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
  • A restricted free agent who agrees to or signs an offer sheet will be included in the tracker, but the team won’t be specified until his original club matches or passes on the offer sheet, in order to avoid confusion.
  • Two-way contracts and draft pick signings aren’t included in the tracker.
  • Click on a player’s name for our full report on his deal.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on mobile, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Our 2017 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. It will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Poll: Northwest Division Winner

August 6th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Jazz made the leap last season, winning 51 games while taking home the Northwest Division crown. After an offseason of change, a repeat is far from certain. Utah lost Gordon Hayward in free agency, something that should knock them down in the standings. Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com projects the Jazz to take home under 45 wins next season.

Pelton predicts that the Wolves will win the division after they brought in 3-time All-Star Jimmy Butler this offseason. Minnesota added several other pieces in free agency, including Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson. Pelton has the Thunder placing second in the division with his model predicting OKC takes home 49.5 wins.

The statistician has the Nuggets finishing third in the division with Utah and Portland behind them. The mathematical model gives Denver 47.2 wins which puts them third in the division and seventh in the conference. Adding a proven veteran like Paul Millsap will certainly increase a team’s chances of making the postseason, something that the franchise hasn’t done in each of the last four seasons. The addition of Millsap, along with the progression of the team’s young nucleus, should also give the team a chance to steal the division’s crown and land a top-4 seed in the Western Conference.

What do you think? Which team will win out in what should be a tight race for the Northwest Division crown? Weigh in below with your vote and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

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.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

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.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

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:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

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?

Retweet 17 Share 0 Send via email0

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
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

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:

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts