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Players Whose Contracts Became Guaranteed Today

January 7th, 2017 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Technically, all NBA contracts don’t become guaranteed until January 10th, but teams that planned to release players without fully guaranteed deals had to do so by 5 pm Eastern today to give them time to clear waivers before the deadline.

Minnesota’s John Lucas III and Orlando’s Arinze Onuaku were the last two players to be waived, but the vast majority of players who were waiting out the deadline received good news. Notable players with newly guaranteed contracts include DeAndre Liggins, who has become a starter in Cleveland, Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the few pleasant surprises of a down season in Dallas, 37-year-old Metta World Peace, who many observers thought might be done with the Lakers, and Ron Baker, who closed out Friday’s win for the Knicks in place of Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings.

Here’s the complete list by team:

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

  • None

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

  • None

Detroit Pistons

  • None

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Indiana Pacers

  • None

Los Angeles Clippers

  • None

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

  • None

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • None

New Orleans Pelicans

  • None

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

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

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/1/17 – 1/7/17

January 7th, 2017 at 3:26pm CST by Austin Kent

There was plenty of original content published by Hoops Rumors staffers this week as we approach a few major milestones on the NBA calendar:

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Hoops Rumors Retro: Gary Payton To The Bucks

January 7th, 2017 at 10:54am CST by Austin Kent

The mandate at Hoops Rumors is to consolidate news from throughout the professional basketball world, but nobody ever specified from which decade. Join us as Austin Kent, a grown man with a binder of 1996/97 NBA trading cards beside his desk, cannonballs down the rabbit hole of nostalgia to give significant trades of yesteryear the modern media treatment.

It’s mid-February 2003 and the Seattle SuperSonics are slogging through a fifth consecutive mediocre season. As the club preps for an inconsequential contest with the New York Knicks, their leader, a goateed franchise legend, wears a scowl equal parts “Classic Glove branding” and “I’m too old for this s–t.”

Though they’ve averaged over 44 wins per year in each of the previous three campaigns, the Sonics have just one postseason berth to show for it in the unrelenting Western Conference that crushes the spirits of would-be playoff contenders annually. Gary Payton knows this. What Gary Payton might not know is that this will be the last time1 he wears green and yellow.

Though the Sonics had a rich history in Seattle, it had been half a decade since their last taste of genuine title aspirations. The roster with which Payton battled his way to the 1996 Finals was long gone, his most influential teammate at that time now an overweight footnote2 on the other side of the country.

It’s presumably misting ominously in Seattle on this February 19, a much-anticipated deadline day, when the Sonics decide to formally cut ties with their 13-year veteran. Payton, of course, has plied his trade in the rainy state of Washington since the club selected him with the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. Payton had been an eight-time All-Star for the Sonics during his tenure and still leads the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise in nearly ever significant guard stat category3.

Also outgoing is Desmond Mason, a 25-year-old scorer on the wing just two years removed from one of the most underrated Slam Dunk Contest victories of the decade.

That Payton is on the move isn’t particularly surprising; the superstar is in the final year of a contract that pays him $13MM a year. Since Payton’s performance hasn’t subsided with age, Rick Sund and the rest of the Seattle executive staff recognize that they’d likely be asked to shell out at least that much on the next contract for a 34-year-old guard on a team spinning its wheels in a constant bid for the West’s eight-seed.

On the other side of the blockbuster trade – an unexpected one, given the tentative way in which general managers were approaching the newly instituted luxury tax rules – is Ray Allen.Read more

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Remaining Decisions On Non-Guaranteed Deals

January 5th, 2017 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Within the last week or so, several teams have made decisions on players who have non-guaranteed salaries, opting to cut them before their 2016/17 contracts become fully guaranteed. The Bulls waived R.J. Hunter, the Spurs cut Nicolas Laprovittola, and the Hornets parted ways with Aaron Harrison, among other moves.

Still, there are still 35 players around the NBA who are on non-guaranteed contracts, and decisions will be required on those players by Saturday. Although 2016/17 salaries technically don’t become guaranteed until January 10, players must clear waivers by that date to avoid having their full salaries count against teams’ caps. In order for that to happen, they must be waived on or before January 7.

Of the 35 players still on non-guaranteed deals, some will have to sweat out Saturday’s decision less than others. For instance, Rodney McGruder‘s $543K deal with the Heat is already guaranteed for $400K, and even if it wasn’t, his play this season has assured him of a roster spot the rest of the way. McGruder is one of several players on the list below that almost certainly won’t be going anywhere this week. But not everyone will be so fortunate.

Listed below are the players whose 2016/17 contracts aren’t yet fully guaranteed, sorted by team. Each of these players is on a minimum salary deal, though some have partially guaranteed salaries — if a player’s partial guarantee exceeds the total amount he would earn if he were cut today, we’ve noted it in parentheses.

Here’s the full list:

Atlanta Hawks

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Minnesota Timberwolves

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: 10-Day Contracts

January 4th, 2017 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Thursday marks the renewal of the annual tradition of the ultimate on-the-job tryout in professional sports. The 10-day contract has been the foot in the door for several players who’ve gone on to lengthy, successful NBA careers, like Anthony Mason, Bruce Bowen, Raja Bell, Kurt Rambis, Howard Eisley and several others. C.J. Watson saw his first NBA action on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Warriors in 2008, and blossomed into a sought-after backup point guard. He signed a three-year, $15MM deal with the Magic in 2015.

Ten-day deals also help veterans make comebacks. Chris Andersen languished in free agency for six months after the Nuggets used the amnesty clause to get rid of him, but a pair of 10-day contracts with the Heat in 2013 kick-started a revival for the Birdman. He wound up signing for the rest of the season that year and played a key role in Miami’s championship run. Andersen reprised that role on a guaranteed minimum-salary contract the next season, and that led the Heat to re-sign him in 2014 to a two-year, $10.375MM deal.

More recently, Tim Frazier parlayed multiple 10-day contracts last year into a two-year, $4MM+ deal with the Hornets over the summer, while Jordan McRae landed with the Cavaliers after signing 10-day deals last year with multiple teams. McRae remains under contract for the defending champions this season. Still, the 10-day is usually a fleeting glimpse at NBA life for players on pro basketball’s fringe — most of last year’s signees aren’t currently in the league.

Beginning on Thursday, January 5, a team can sign a player to as many as two 10-day contracts before committing to him for the rest of the season, or, as in many cases, turning him away.

Ten-day deals are almost always for a prorated portion of the minimum salary, though they can be for more. A minimum-salary 10-day contract for a rookie this season is worth $31,969, or 10/170ths of the full-season rookie minimum salary. A one-year veteran would make $51,449. A minimum-salary 10-day deal for any veteran of two or more seasons would represent a cost of $57,672 to the team.

Veterans with more than two years of NBA experience would earn more than $57,672 on a 10-day contract, but the league would pay the extra freight. However, teams gain no financial advantage if they eschew 10-day contracts with more experienced players to sign rookies or one-year veterans to 10-day deals in an effort to avoid the tax, as those deals count the same as the ones for two-year veterans when the league calculates a team’s salary for tax purposes.

Teams would have to pay slightly more if they sign a player to a 10-day contract and they have fewer than three games on their schedule over that 10-day period. In those cases, the length of the 10-day contract is extended so that it covers three games for the team.

It’s rare that any team would have such a light schedule, since most play at least three games a week, but the rule came into play in February 2015 with the Pistons and John Lucas III. Detroit signed him to a 10-day contract after its final game prior to the All-Star break, which the NBA lengthened last season. The Pistons played only three games in the 13 days that followed the signing, so Lucas was essentially on a 13-day deal. He received 13 days’ worth of prorated minimum salary, meaning the pact was worth more than a standard 10-day contract. The All-Star break will be extended again in 2017, so the situation could repeat itself.

A team may terminate a 10-day contract before it runs to term if it wants to use the roster spot to accommodate a waiver claim, signing, or trade acquisition. Players whose 10-day contracts end early don’t go on waivers, so they become free agents immediately. Still, those players receive their full 10-day salaries, as the contracts are fully guaranteed for the 10 days.

A team like Portland, which is perilously close to the luxury tax, may be wary of bringing anybody aboard via 10-day contract. Other teams will make liberal use of 10-day deals, in part because they’re relatively inexpensive. A year ago, no team handed out more 10-day contracts than the injury-ravaged Grizzlies, who signed eight different players to at least one 10-day deal.

Usually, teams only have one player on a 10-day contract at a time, though they’re allowed to carry as many 10-day contracts as they have players on the inactive list. If a team has 13 players on the active list, it can carry one more 10-day contract than the number of inactive players it has, meaning that if a team has a full 15-man roster, as many as three of those players may be on 10-day deals.

Players whom NBA teams have recently released, like R.J. Hunter and Nicolas Laprovittola, figure to draw consideration for 10-day contracts, as should notable veterans who have gone unsigned this season, such as Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry. D-League standouts like Briante Weber, Ray McCallum, and Jalen Jones could all find paths to the NBA via 10-day contracts, and hopefuls from the D-League will make their cases to scouts at the five-day NBADL showcase, which will take place later this month in Mississauga, Ontario.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Versions of this post were initially published by Chuck Myron on January 5, 2013; January 4, 2014; January 5, 2015; and January 4, 2016.

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Fantasy Hoops: Johnson, Rondo, Ilyasova

January 3rd, 2017 at 10:34pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The 2016/17 campaign is entering its eleventh week and Hoops Rumors is examining the fantasy basketball landscape in order to help you dominate the competition. Check back weekly for more fantasy basketball analysis.

Tyler Johnson’s Value

The Nets shocked the basketball community when they signed Tyler Johnson to an offer sheet worth $50MM over four years. The move was seen as an overpay, but that sometimes comes with the restricted free agency territory, as teams have to find ways to discourage the incumbent team from matching. Many thought the offer meant that Johnson, a player who only played 36 games last season, would find his way to Brooklyn, but the Heat decided to match and give the 24-year-old an increased role. So far this season, it appears the team made the right decision.

The Heat are struggling, but Johnson isn’t the reason why. He’s one of five shooting guards seeing at least 30 minutes per game to have a positive rating on both the offensive and defensive end, according ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus. He’s making 39.1% of his shots from behind the arc, though his increased role has led to a dip in his overall field goal percentage.

Johnson missed tonight’s game against the Suns with a migraine, marking only the third time this season he’s been out of the lineup. The combo guard was playing well entering the contest. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game over his last seven. He also added two 3-pointers and nearly a block per contest.

Goran Dragic was sidelined in three of those games and he was hindered in parts of others due to back pain. Dragic may be on the trade block and if the team deals the point guard, Johnson’s fantasy value could see a substantial boost.

Johnson is available in over 43% of ESPN leagues and he’s worth adding for both his production now and his potential to take on an even bigger role of the offense later in the season.

Here’s more fantasy analysis and notes from around the league:

  • The Bulls benched Rajon Rondo and he will reportedly seek a trade if he doesn’t see playing time. If he’s dealt, he could actually see a nice bump in value. His usage rate with the Bulls is his lowest since his rookie season and that’s due in part to the presence of Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. A new team may give him an opportunity to regain his status as a fantasy starter. If you can afford to wait out the situation, leave Rondo on your bench rather than dropping him, though taking the latter approach is a defensible action.
  • Michael Carter-Williams is starting in place of Rondo, but he’s not necessarily a must-own commodity. MCW won’t provide much 3-point shooting and he will certainly hurt your team in the field goal percentage category. However, he will add value in several other categories, such as steals, blocks, assists and rebounds, and he’s a nice streaming option in the right match-up.
  • Ersan Ilyasova continues to be useful for the Sixers and for fantasy purposes. He scored 19 points while shooting 50% from the field in tonight’s game against the Wolves. On Friday, Philadelphia will take on Boston, a team that is allowing the most points and eighth best field goal percentage to opposing forwards over their last five games.
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Community Shootaround: What Should Hawks Do?

January 3rd, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A weekend report suggesting that the Hawks are open to listening to trade offers for Paul Millsap has generated plenty of discussion and speculation over the past couple days, but Millsap isn’t the only Atlanta player who could be available. Reports have indicated that the Hawks are open to talking about anyone on an expiring contract, which means Kyle Korver, Thabo Sefolosha, Tiago Splitter, and Kris Humphries figure to be involved in trade rumors as well.

Of course, just because the Hawks are fielding incoming calls and are receptive to trade ideas, that doesn’t mean the team will actually make a move. Millsap has been the subject of trade speculation for years, and hasn’t gone anywhere — it’s more likely than not that he’ll remain in Atlanta through the deadline once again this season.

Still, the Hawks’ upside with the current roster isn’t exactly sky-high. The team got off to a hot start in 2016/17, running out to a 9-2 record to open the season, but a 1-10 stretch followed. Recently, the club has bounced back a little, sitting now at 18-16, good for a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Hawks aren’t a viable title contender, and moving a few players before they get a chance to walk in free agency could help the team retool its roster.

The asking price in any Millsap deal will reportedly be huge, even though he’ll have a chance to opt out of his contract a few months from now. Any team willing to make a play for him will have to be confident that he’ll strongly consider re-signing in July. That’s not necessarily the case for the Hawks’ other trade candidates.

What do you think? Should the Hawks seriously consider making a trade or two to shake up their roster? Will their approach depend on how they play over the next few weeks, or should they make a move regardless? If they decide to move Millsap, what sort of package should they need to get back? Jump into the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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Checking In On Traded 2017 Draft Picks

January 3rd, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Depending on how active this year’s trade deadline is, we could see a number of first- and second-round draft picks change hands next month. But even if that doesn’t happen, there will be plenty of 2017 picks on the move. Many of those traded picks come with certain protection criteria, as we detailed back in September when we took a closer look at the first-rounders and second-rounders that have already been dealt.

With the 2017 draft inching closer and the February trade deadline just several weeks away, it’s worth checking in to see how this year’s standings have affected those traded picks. If a team knows it will likely have an extra pick or two coming its way in 2017, it could impact what sort of moves that club is willing to make at this year’s deadline.

So, using our 2016/17 Reverse Standings, here’s a breakdown of how the traded draft picks for 2017 would look if the season ended today and the lottery standings held to form:

First Round:

Conveyed:

  • Celtics would swap No. 21 pick for Nets‘ No. 1 pick (swap rights).
  • Sixers would receive No. 7 pick from Lakers (top-3 protected).
  • Bulls would receive No. 15 pick from Kings (top-10 protected).
  • Nuggets would receive No. 23 pick from Grizzlies (top-5 protected).
  • Raptors would receive No. 24 pick from Clippers (top-14 protected).
  • Jazz would receive No. 30 pick from Warriors (unprotected).

Not conveyed:

  • Sixers would not have opportunity to swap No. 2 pick with Kings‘ pick (swap rights; 11-30 protected). Sacramento’s obligation to Philadelphia would be extinguished.

Second Round:

Conveyed:

  • Hawks would receive No. 31 pick from Nets (unprotected).
  • Pelicans would receive No. 32 pick from Sixers (unprotected).
  • Grizzlies would receive No. 33 pick from Heat (41-60 protected).
  • Celtics would receive No. 36 pick from Timberwolves (unprotected).
  • Rockets would receive No. 39 pick from Nuggets (unprotected).
  • Rockets would receive No. 40 pick from Trail Blazers (unprotected).
  • Sixers would receive No. 41 pick from Pistons. May be No. 42 pick, depending on coin flip.
  • Jazz would receive No. 43 pick from Knicks.
  • Knicks would receive No. 46 pick from Bulls (unprotected). May be No. 47 pick, depending on coin flip.
  • Nets would receive No. 51 pick from Celtics (31-45 protected; contingent on Celtics swapping first-rounders with Nets).
  • Nuggets would receive No. 52 pick from Thunder (31-35 protected).
  • Nuggets would receive No. 53 pick from Grizzlies (31-35 protected).
  • Celtics would receive No. 54 pick from Clippers (unprotected).
  • Knicks would receive No. 57 pick from Rockets (unprotected).
  • Celtics would receive No. 58 pick from Cavaliers (unprotected).
  • Sixers would receive No. 60 pick from Warriors.

Not conveyed:

  • Hawks would not receive No. 33 pick from Heat (31-40 protected). Miami would owe Atlanta its 2018 second-round pick (unprotected).
  • Timberwolves would not receive No. 38 pick from Pelicans (31-55 protected). New Orleans’ obligation to Minnesota would be extinguished.
  • Magic would not receive No. 45 pick from Kings (31-55 protected). Sacramento’s obligation to Orlando would be extinguished.
  • Nets would not receive No. 46 pick from Pacers (45-60 protected). Indiana would owe Brooklyn its 2018 second-round pick (45-60 protected).
  • Spurs would not receive No. 49 pick from Hawks (31-55 protected). Atlanta’s obligation to San Antonio would be extinguished.

RealGM.com’s database of traded draft picks was used in the creation of this post.

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Community Shootaround: MVP Race Check-In

January 2nd, 2017 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA season is nearing its halfway mark, which means it’s worth checking in on what’s shaping up to be perhaps the most interesting MVP race the league has seen in years. Multiple young players have made the leap to superstardom this season, while others who have been stars for years have taken their games to a new level so far in 2016/17.

Two of those young players that have taken a leap this season likely won’t receive a ton of MVP votes, given their teams’ middling performances. But Anthony Davis is blowing away his career highs in PPG and RPG, with 29.2 and 11.7, respectively, while also contributing a league-leading 2.6 BPG. Giannis Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is doing a little of everything for the Bucks, with an eye-popping stat line of 23.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG, and a .536 FG% in 32 games. Davis and Antetokounmpo are 23 and 22 years old, respectively, so even if they don’t get serious MVP consideration this season, they’ll have plenty more chances to compete for the award in the future.

Two former MVP winners have been as good as ever this season for the two teams expected to meet again in the Finals. In the East, LeBron James had been expected to play a slightly lesser role during the regular season in order to make sure he’s fresh for the playoffs, but the veteran forward has actually seen his MPG increase to 37.1, and his numbers this year are the best they’ve been since his return to Cleveland — 25.6 PPG, 8.7 APG, 7.9 RPG, and a .511 FG%, including 38.4% on three-pointers.

In the West, Kevin Durant has been the best player on a Warriors team that already featured three All-NBA stars, including last year’s MVP. While Stephen Curry‘s production has dipped a little, Durant’s efficiency has gone through the roof — he’s shooting a career-best 53.7% from the field, and has also emerged as a solid rim protecter and rebounder for a team lacking a traditional impact center. His 8.9 RPG and 1.6 BPG are career highs.

At this point though, the MVP race may come down to two of Durant’s former teammates. James Harden, who is coming off an astonishing 53-point, 17-assist, 16-rebound showing on New Year’s Eve, has led the league in assists with 12.0 per game, and has also averaged 28.5 PPG and 8.1 RPG for an overachieving Rockets team that won 15 of 17 games in December.

In a season full of incredible statistical achievements though, it has been Russell Westbrook who has arguably put off the most impressive stat line so far. Through 34 games, the Thunder point guard continues to average a triple-double, having scored a league-leading 30.9 PPG to go along with 10.7 APG and 10.5 RPG. As has been mentioned often this season, Westbrook would be the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double if he can keep up the pace.

With so many worth candidates this season, including a few I didn’t mention, who do you like so far in the NBA’s MVP race? Do you expect one player to take hold of the race in the second half, or will it be a toss-up at season’s end? Jump into the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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Hoops Links: Lillard, Grizzlies, Mavs

January 1st, 2017 at 3:23pm CST by Will Joseph

Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …

Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Will at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.

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