Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

Offseason In Review: Sacramento Kings

November 2nd, 2016 at 9:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2016 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 2016/17 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Sacramento Kings.

Free agent signings:

Camp invitees:

Trades:

Draft picks:

Waiver claims:

  • Claimed Lamar Patterson off waivers from Hawks. Later waived and re-signed him for D-League rights purposes.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Check out our salary cap snapshot for the Sacramento Kings right here.

It’s not a good sign when the defining moment of your offseason involves your franchise player tweeting, “Lord give me the strength.”Oct 27, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Arron Afflalo (40) during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center. The Spurs won the game 102-94. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

That was the reaction of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins after the Kings used their No. 13 pick on Greek center Georgios Papagiannis. Cousins later explained away his tweet, saying he was talking about yoga and it was bad timing that the comment hit social media right after Sacramento made its selection.

Whether that’s true or not, Cousins has a history of being critical of the organization, and the Kings have given him plenty of material during his seven years in the NBA. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2005/06 and their 33 wins last season were the most since Cousins arrived in Sacramento.

But there is some optimism bubbling around the franchise, stemming from a group of veteran additions and a coaching change that brought in former Grizzlies boss Dave Joerger. The Kings gave Joerger a four-year, $16MM deal to try and change the culture of the organization and erase the memories of George Karl, who had an ongoing battle with Cousins from the time he was hired.

Joerger won five championships as a minor league coach and was a respected assistant before taking over as head coach in Memphis in 2013/14. He had a 147-99 record and three playoff appearances in three seasons with the Grizzlies, but was fired in May at the end of an injury-plagued campaign. He was only out of work for two days before the Kings scooped him up.

Sacramento was aggressive in free agency for the second straight offseason, trying to assemble a group of veteran players to complement Cousins and small forward Rudy Gay. The Kings bolstered the backcourt with the signings of Arron Afflalo (two years at $25MM) and Garrett Temple (three years at $24MM). They also added toughness by inking veteran small forward Matt Barnes for two seasons at $12.26MM. In addition, well-traveled combo forward Anthony Tolliver was brought in at $16MM over two years.

The Kings had to rebuild their backcourt after losing league assists leader Rajon Rondo to the Bulls in free agency. They decided to give the point guard job to holdover Darren Collison, who is missing the first eight games of the season with a suspension relating to a domestic violence case, and signed Ty Lawson to a non-guaranteed one-year, minimum salary deal to be his backup. Lawson has a lot to prove after being traded out of Denver, waived by Houston and then not re-signed by Indiana, all in the space of a year.

One of Sacramento’s 2015 signees, veteran swingman Marco Belinelli, was traded to Charlotte for the draft rights to Syracuse shooting guard Malachi Richardson, the No. 22 selection this year. Belinelli was a productive reserve for the Kings in 2015/16, averaging 10.2 points per night in 68 games, but his 3-point shooting percentage plunged to a career-low .306.

Of course, that wasn’t Sacramento’s most controversial trade of the summer. That deal, which may or may not have prompted Cousins’ tweet, came on draft night when the Kings sent the rights to No. 8 pick Marquese Chriss, an athletic power forward out of Washington, to the Suns in exchange for Papagiannis at No. 13, Kentucky center Skal Labissiere at No. 28, the draft rights to Serbian guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and a 2020 second-rounder that originally belonged to the Pistons.

It was a curious move from a franchise that drafted 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein in the first round the year before and already had Cousins and Kosta Koufos manning the middle. The Kings used the 59th pick of the draft on Oklahoma guard Isaiah Cousins, who was later waived.

Sacramento is entering another season with Cousins and Gay as its foundation, but it’s anybody’s guess how long they’ll be around. Gay, who averaged 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in 70 games last season, has already announced that he plans to opt out of his current deal next summer and won’t re-sign with the Kings. The 12th-year small forward is making $13,333,333 this season and figures to get a nice-sized raise in free agency. Gay seems like a good bet to be dealt during the season so the Kings don’t wind up with nothing, and Miami has already emerged as a rumored trading partner.

Cousins is signed through the 2017/18 season, but the clock may be ticking on his time in Sacramento as well. For all his on-court success, the 26-year-old has clashed with coaches and management throughout his stay with the team and may have the same attitude as Gay once he begins to see his freedom. Cousins will make nearly $17MM this season, more than $18MM next season and seems like a lock for a max contract after that. Sacramento may have to start seriously considering offers soon, as Cousins’ trade value will only decline as he gets closer to free agency.

There are plenty of mixed feelings surrounding the Kings as they embark on a new season. The hiring of Joerger, the addition of the veteran free agents and the opening of an impressive new arena called Golden 1 Center are all signs that the franchise is looking up. However, the impending loss of Gay and the possible exit of Cousins after that could devastate the franchise. If the front office loses both players without acquiring some new stars, they will be the ones who will need divine intervention.

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

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Remaining Recent Signees With Trade Restrictions

November 2nd, 2016 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, we examined two groups of players who signed free agent contracts this summer. The smaller of the two groups featured players who can’t be traded by their current teams until January 15, having re-signed with their teams this summer on contracts that met a set of specific criteria. The remaining offseason signees we examined aren’t eligible to be traded until December 15.

However, there is a third group of players who signed new contracts in recent months and don’t fall into either of those groups. These players also can’t be traded yet, but they won’t necessarily become trade-eligible on December 15 or January 15 either — their trade restrictions lift on different dates.

Trade rules for recently-signed players call for a three-month window before a player can be dealt, so guys who signed after September 15 aren’t eligible to be traded starting on December 15. Similarly, players who sign veteran contract extensions with their current clubs can’t be dealt for six months after they ink their new deals, meaning the players who were extended by their teams earlier this week can’t be traded at all this season.

Listed below are the recently-signed players who weren’t on our previous two lists, but still have restrictions limiting their ability to be traded. This list, which will continue to be updated as teams sign new players, is sorted by the dates that players will become trade-eligible:

December 21:

December 23:

January 9:

February 4:

Players who won’t be trade-eligible before February 23 deadline:

Information from RealGM.com’s transactions log was used in the creation of this post.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: NBA’s Undefeated Teams

November 2nd, 2016 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2016/17 NBA season is now eight days old, and already 25 teams have suffered at least one loss, leaving just five undefeated teams. The Thunder, Clippers, Bulls, and Hawks are 3-0, while the Cavaliers are 4-0.

Of those five clubs, the Cavaliers and Clippers were expected to be title contenders this year, so their hot starts don’t come as a real surprise. However, the other three remaining undefeated franchises had more question marks entering the season. The Thunder and Hawks lost top free agents this summer, in Kevin Durant and Al Horford, and the Bulls’ roster construction led many observers to question whether they’d have enough shooting and spacing to be effective on offense.

While three or four games is hardly enough of a sample size to draw definitive conclusions about any NBA team, it’s worth keeping an eye out for early signs of potential surprises. So today’s Community Shootaround discussion questions center around these five clubs.

Which of the NBA’s five remaining undefeated teams do you think will continue to rank among the league’s elite? Are the Cavs and Clippers still the only safe bets among the group, or do the Thunder, Hawks, and Bulls have a good chance to keep up their hot starts and outperform expectations? Are any of these clubs mediocre squads that have been helped in the early going by soft schedules?

Weigh in below in our comments section with your thoughts on which of the NBA’s five remaining undefeated teams are for real, and which ones you expect to come back down to earth soon.

Retweet 10 Share 0 Send via email0

Key In-Season NBA Dates For 2016/17

November 2nd, 2016 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

The 2016/17 NBA regular season is now a week old, which means our calendar of key 2016 offseason dates can be retired in favor of a schedule of important in-season dates for the ’16/17 campaign. While we’ve passed a few of these deadlines within the last couple week or two, there are still plenty of key dates to watch in the coming weeks and months. Here’s a breakdown of the deadlines and events that will influence player movement for the next several months across the NBA:

October 22 — Last day to waive summer contracts without having them count toward team salary.

October 24 — Roster limit declines from 20 to 15. Last day for sign-and-trades.

October 25 — NBA regular season begins.

October 31 — Deadline to complete rookie scale extensions. Deadline to exercise rookie scale team options for 2017/18.

December 1 — Waiver order becomes based on 2016/17 record, rather than 2015/16 record.

December 15 — Most offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades.

January 5 — First day teams can sign players to 10-day contracts.

January 7 — Last day to waive non-guaranteed contracts before they become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Salaries officially guarantee on January 10 if players haven’t cleared waivers before that date.

January 15 — Most other offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades. Last day to apply for a disabled player exception.

February 1 — Former first-round picks playing overseas may sign NBA contracts for the 2017/18 season.

February 19 — All-Star Game in New Orleans.

February 23 — Trade deadline (2:00pm CT).

February 28 — Last day for contract renegotiations.

March 1 — Last day a player can be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another team.

March 10 — Last day to use a disabled player exception.

April 12 — Last day of the regular season. Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.

April 14 — Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).

April 15 — Playoffs begin.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post. Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Retweet 8 Share 0 Send via email0

Top 50 NBA Salaries For 2016/17

November 1st, 2016 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The unprecedented increase in the NBA’s salary cap this past offseason led to a frenzy of big money free agent deals. Quite a few players garnered contracts that would have been unheard of in the past, and with the cap set to jump to over $100MM next season, we’re likely to see even more agreements that will make us shake our heads in disbelief…and envy, if we are to be completely honest with ourselves. It’s a great time to be an NBA player, with the average salary in the league for the 2015/16 campaign currently sitting at $5,381,744.

Listed below is a rundown of the top 50 earners this season around the league. LeBron James tops the list with a fully guaranteed salary of $30,963,450, which also marks the first time in his career that King James is the highest paid player in the league. But it is Mike Conley of the Grizzlies who currently has the most guaranteed money set to come his way — $140,529,829 over the life of his current deal.

As you peruse the list below, make note of the player or players you believe to be the most overpaid, as well as those who you think are the best values for their salary. And for those wondering, the Warriors’ Stephen Curry didn’t even come close to cracking this list, landing at No. 82 overall with his salary of $12,112,359 for this season. Talk about getting value for your dollars, Golden State! Sound off in the comments section below with your picks for best/worst value based on the below list. We look forward to what you have to say.

  1. LeBron James [Cavaliers] —$30,963,450
  2. DeMar DeRozan [Raptors] —$26,540,100
  3. Russell Westbrook [Thunder] —$26,540,100
  4. Mike Conley [Grizzlies] —$26,540,100
  5. Kevin Durant [Warriors] —$26,540,100
  6. James Harden [Rockets] —$26,540,100
  7. Al Horford [Celtics] —$26,540,100
  8. Dirk Nowitzki [Mavericks] —$25,000,000
  9. Carmelo Anthony [Knicks] —$24,559,380
  10. Damian Lillard [Trail Blazers] —$24,328,425
  11. Chris Bosh [Heat] —$23,741,060
  12. Dwyane Wade [Bulls] —$23,200,000
  13. Dwight Howard [Hawks] —$23,180,275
  14. Chris Paul [Clippers] —$22,868,828
  15. Harrison Barnes [Mavericks] —$22,116,750
  16. Bradley Beal [Wizards] —$22,116,750
  17. Anthony Davis [Pelicans] —$22,116,750
  18. Andre Drummond [Pistons] —$22,116,750
  19. Chandler Parsons [Grizzlies] —$22,116,750
  20. Hassan Whiteside [Heat] —$22,116,750
  21. Derrick Rose [Knicks] —$21,323,250
  22. Marc Gasol [Grizzlies] —$21,165,675
  23. DeAndre Jordan [Clippers] —$21,165,675
  24. Brook Lopez [Nets] —$21,165,675
  25. Kevin Love [Cavaliers] —$21,165,675
  26. Nicolas Batum [Hornets] —$20,869,566
  27. LaMarcus Aldridge [Spurs] —$20,575,005
  28. Blake Griffin [Clippers] —$20,140,838
  29. Paul Millsap [Hawks] —$20,072,033
  30. Ryan Anderson [Rockets] —$18,735,364
  31. Allen Crabbe [Trail Blazers] —$18,500,000
  32. Paul George [Pacers] —$18,314,532
  33. Luol Deng [Lakers] —$18,000,000
  34. Kyrie Irving [Cavaliers] —$17,638,063
  35. Kawhi Leonard [Spurs] —$17,638,063
  36. Jimmy Butler [Bulls] —$17,552,209
  37. Tobias Harris [Pistons] —$17,200,000
  38. Enes Kanter [Thunder] —$17,145,838
  39. Wesley Matthews [Mavericks] —$17,100,000
  40. Greg Monroe [Bucks] —$17,100,000
  41. Bismack Biyombo [Magic] —$17,000,000
  42. Evan Fournier [Magic] —$17,000,000
  43. Joakim Noah [Knicks] —$17,000,000
  44. DeMarcus Cousins [Kings] —$16,957,900
  45. John Wall [Wizards] —$16,957,900
  46. Klay Thompson [Warriors] —$16,663,575
  47. Evan Turner [Trail Blazers] —$16,393,443
  48. Gordon Hayward [Jazz] —$16,073,140
  49. Timofey Mozgov [Lakers] —$16,000,000
  50. Ian Mahinmi [Wizards] —$15,944,154
Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0

Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Lakers

November 1st, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2016 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 2016/17 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Free agent signings:

Camp invitees:

Trades:

  • Acquired Jose Calderon, the Nuggets’ 2018 second-round pick, and the Bulls’ own 2019 second-round pick from the Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok.

Draft picks:

  • 1-2: Brandon Ingram. Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-32: Ivica Zubac. Signed for three years, $3.245MM. Third year non-guaranteed.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Check out our salary cap snapshot for the Los Angeles Lakers right here.

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers-Media DayThe Lakers’ 2015/16 campaign was more about Kobe Bryant‘s farewell tour than it was about trying to move forward as a franchise. As the Mamba wrapped up his Hall-of-Fame career, the team sputtered to a record of 17-65, four less wins than the previous season, and missed out on the playoffs for the third straight year. Entering the offseason Los Angeles had the opportunity to make a fresh start, but rather than committing to rebuilding through its young talent or chasing veteran stars for a quicker fix, the organization dipped its toe into both wells, resulting in an end product that raised more questions than it answered.

L.A.’s best offseason was move was changing head coaches. Gone is Byron Scott, who was fired after compiling a record of 38-126 in his two seasons with the team, and in comes Luke Walton, who did a phenomenal job in guiding the Warriors last season while Steve Kerr was recovering from multiple back surgeries. Scott was the wrong coach for the Lakers and he had alienated a number of the younger players that the franchise is counting on to lead its resurgence. That wasn’t a healthy situation for any of the parties involved, and Walton’s presence has been a breath of fresh air in Los Angeles. It remains to be seen how well he’ll fare without having a ready made contender dropped into his lap, but I credit the franchise for taking a chance on an up-and-comer rather than recycling another coach who has already made the NBA rounds. Walton’s player-friendly demeanor and high basketball IQ should benefit both he and the team over the next few seasons.

Despite being situated in a prime location, warm weather, high-profile city like Los Angeles, the Lakers haven’t been an upper-tier free agent destination the past few years. The domineering presence of Bryant was often blamed for the lack of big name players willing to sign with the team, but his retirement didn’t suddenly open the floodgates for A-List players who wanted to play their home games in the Staples Center. Instead, GM Mitch Kupchak made a number of questionable signings given the team’s current state.

I like the idea behind inking veteran forward Luol Deng, whose professionalism and leadership will certainly be a boon to Walton and the franchise as he tries to teach his young roster how to win. But signing the 31-year-old to a four-year, $72MM pact may not turn out well in the long run. First off, Deng has a lot of mileage on his legs after playing in 825 regular season games over the course of his 12 years in the league. His offensive output has been steadily declining the past few years and that isn’t likely going to turn around as he approaches his mid-30s. Leadership is a valuable commodity, but I don’t feel it’s worth an average of $18MM over the next four years for the Lakers. Plus, his presence could hamper the playing time and growth of a number of the team’s young frontcourt players. I’d be a bigger fan of his addition if it was on a short-term pact, but I suppose that L.A. had to overpay in order to get Deng in the fold.

Despite my reservations regarding Deng’s signing, his addition is much easier to accept and quantify than the Lakers throwing center Timofey Mozgov a contract worth $64MM over four years. This is a deal that will almost assuredly haunt the team over the life of the arrangement. With the league moving further and further away from using traditional big men, committing an average of $16MM to a player with an extremely limited offensive game who is already in his 30s makes little sense to me. The Lakers almost certainly could have signed a player or players who could provide the same amount of production for much less and not be hamstrung with a long-term deal of this dollar value on their balance sheet.

It’s not that Mozgov doesn’t have value as a player, but he is an ill-fitting part on this particular roster. He offers up solid defense, but as was illustrated in the 2016 NBA Finals, he is virtually unplayable when teams shift to smaller lineups. With Los Angeles moving toward an up-tempo attack that favors perimeter shooting, it is difficult to see where and how Mozgov fits into that equation moving forward. He very well may become Roy Hibbert 2.0, being relegated to spot duty when the match-ups allow for him to remain on the court. If this indeed becomes the case, adding Mozgov will garner significant buyer’s remorse in the near future.

L.A. did more shuffling of its frontcourt during the offseason, signing Yi Jianlian to a team-friendly deal, with just $250K of his $8MM salary guaranteed. The Lakers took a chance that the player could produce off the bench, but Yi ultimately requested his release when it became apparent he didn’t factor into the team’s plans, and was likely viewed as more of a trade piece thanks to his contract than a rotation player. Instead, Los Angeles settled on keeping veteran Metta World Peace and Thomas Robinson, who is a reclamation project of Walton’s after a solid preseason showing. There were rumblings that the franchise wanted World Peace to transition into a coaching role, but the player wasn’t ready to hang up his high-tops just yet, and the team parted ways with former second round pick Anthony Brown and his fully guaranteed pact instead.

Kupchak continued to add veterans to the mix, filling out the backcourt by re-signing Marcelo Huertas and acquiring Jose Calderon and a pair of second round picks from the Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok. Both moves were low-risk for the team, and while neither point guard is a high-impact player, they can provide a spark in limited minutes and help tutor young guards D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. Calderon is in the final year of his current deal and Huertas’ salary is non-guaranteed for 2017/18, so L.A. can easily move on from them after the season.

The Lakers’ biggest move regarding their backcourt was re-signing Clarkson, who was a restricted free agent, to a four-year, $50MM deal. Given the exorbitant contracts handed out this offseason to players who had inferior stats to the 24-year-old, an average annual value of $12.5MM should be considered a steal for Los Angeles. While I think Clarkson’s best role moving forward is as a sixth man, his salary shouldn’t hamper the team the way Mozgov’s and Deng’s will. Plus, if the team ever decides to flip Clarkson as part of a package for a star player, his contract will be an easy one to move.

While the logic of a number of the team’s free agent signings can be questioned, there are no such issues regarding the Lakers’ 2016 NBA Draft. No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram has the potential to become a two-way star in the league with his length, athleticism, ridiculous wingspan and shooting range. He’ll need to put on some pounds in order to survive in the NBA, but that can be said for most underclassmen who enter the league. The player should benefit from Deng as a mentor, but the length of Deng’s deal also means that one of the players’ minutes will suffer over the next few seasons. Deng could possibly slide over and play the four spot alongside Ingram, but that would subsequently impact the playing time of Julius Randle and/or Larry Nance Jr., both of whom are still works in progress and in need of minutes to realize their potential, or to show the Lakers that they shouldn’t be part of their long-term plans.

I’m also a big fan of L.A. snagging Ivica Zubac with the No. 32 overall pick. The 7’1″ center has a wealth of potential, with the player having a surprisingly fluid post game at such a young age (19). It will likely take him a season or two to establish himself as a regular rotation player for the team, but his solid summer league play, where he averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 64.7% from the field, certainly bodes well for the future. But here is another instance where the team’s free agent signings could hamper its long-term player growth. I’ve already noted why I wasn’t a fan of the addition of Mozgov, and Zubac’s presence on the roster is another reason. If the young big man turns out to be a solid player, then either he or Mozgov will need to ride the pine. If it’s Mozgov, that’s quite a bit of salary to have parked off the court, and if it’s Zubac, it could hamper the development of a player who could end up being far more integral to the Lakers’ next playoff team.

The Lakers are in a developmental year this campaign, with the team highly unlikely to snag a postseason spot. That assessment shouldn’t come as a surprise given the lack of star talent and copious amount of young, still-developing players on the team’s roster. However, it will be much easier to accept another 20-25 win season without Kobe on the roster, provided players such as Russell, Clarkson and Randle can continue to progress and Ingram shows flashes of what made him the No. 2 overall pick. The team does have an odd blend of veterans on long-term deals to go along with these young players, a number of who may hamper Los Angeles’ chances of landing a significant free agent haul over the next few summers — provided the franchise is able to once again attract upper-tier talent to the Staples Center.

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

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Recap Of Decisions On 2017/18 Team Options

November 1st, 2016 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to being the deadline for teams to sign fourth-year players to rookie scale extensions, October 31 also represented the deadline for clubs to pick up 2017/18 team options on players in the earlier stages of their rookie deals. Earlier today, we recapped this year’s rookie scale extension action, so now we’ll shift our focus to those team options.

As we’ve discussed before, those team options for players on rookie contracts were always team-friendly, and became even more of a bargain this year, as the salary cap shot up to $94MM+. Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, rookie scale contracts increase at a modest fixed rate, rather than being linked to salary cap increases, so players on rookie deals are taking up a smaller amount of their teams’ caps than ever before.

As such, most of this year’s option decisions were fairly straightforward, with teams simply exercising those options and locking their players in for another year. However, a handful of options were declined, and in some cases players were waived, rendering their options irrelevant.

Here’s a breakdown of this year’s decisions on 2017/18 options:

Exercised:

Fourth-year options:

The following players will be eligible for extensions in 2017 and restricted free agency in 2018.

Third-year options:

The following players will be eligible for extensions in 2018 and restricted free agency in 2019.

Declined:

The following players will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017.

Waived:

The following players immediately became unrestricted free agents

Check out the full breakdown of decisions on 2017/18 team options sorted by team right here.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2016 Rookie Scale Contract Extension Recap

November 1st, 2016 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

During the days leading up to the October 31 deadline, it appeared that uncertainty about the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement may suppress the number of rookie scale extensions signed in 2016. A few players had already locked in new deals, but there was speculation that a handful of extension candidates taking things down to the wire may opt for restricted free agency next summer instead.

On Monday though, a flurry of players inked last-minute deals before the deadline of midnight eastern time, bringing the total number of 2016 rookie scale extensions to eight. In 2015, seven extension-eligible players signed new deals, while nine did so in 2014, so this year’s total nestles right in between those figures.

Here’s a breakdown of the eight rookie scale extensions agreed upon on or before October 31 this year, sorted by total value:

Based on the numbers we know are official and those that have been unofficially reported, these eight extensions will total nearly $665MM, which would easily dwarf the totals in past years for rookie scale extensions. That doesn’t come as a real surprise, based on this year’s salary cap increase and record-setting free agency period.

[RELATED: Rookie scale extension recaps for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and the preceding five years]

With those eight fourth-year vets locked up, that leaves the following players, who had been eligible for rookie scale extensions, on track for restricted free agency in 2017:

Meanwhile, there are a few other members of the 2013 rookie class who were former first-round picks but weren’t eligible for extensions because they had previously been waived or had one of their team options declined. They are as follows:

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Clippers

October 31st, 2016 at 11:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2016 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 2016/17 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Free agent signings:

Camp invitees:

Trades:

Draft picks:

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Check out our salary cap snapshot for the Los Angeles Clippers right here.

Oct 18, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY SportsLast season ended in familiar fashion for a franchise that has often seemed jinxed. The core of that Clippers team has returned for another run at the title, but this could be their last one together.

L.A.’s playoff hopes went down in flames in April when Blake Griffin and Chris Paul were lost to injuries on the same day. Griffin re-aggravated a partially torn quad muscle and Paul suffered a fracture in his right hand that required surgery. In their absence, the Trail Blazers rallied to win the series and set up a summer of uncertainty in Los Angeles.

Clippers management extended a vote of confidence to this current group by not making any major deals during the offseason and re-signing four significant free agents. A few veterans were brought in to strengthen the bench and put the team in a better position to contend for the title.

There’s definitely a sense of urgency to the new season as Griffin and Paul both have opt-out clauses in their contracts, which could give L.A. two very pricey free agents to re-sign next summer. In addition, shooting guard J.J. Redick will definitely be a free agent and figures to be highly in demand in a league that is placing an increased emphasis on outside shooting. Veteran Paul Pierce, who considered retirement over the summer, decided to return but let the organization know this will be his final season.

The Clippers were one of the suitors to get a meeting with Kevin Durant in July, but when he chose the Warriors, L.A. launched into Plan B, which was to keep its team together. Free agent guard Austin Rivers re-signed for $35.475MM over three years. Small forward Wesley Johnson received $17.644MM over three years and Luc Mbah a Moute got $4.505MM for two years. All three have player options for the final year of their deals.

Also brought back was reigning Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford. At least five teams made pitches to the 36-year-old, who was unhappy with L.A.’s initial offer of $12MM for one season. The Clippers responded with a number more to Crawford’s liking and he re-signed for three years at $42MM. Crawford was the team’s top offensive threat off the bench once again last season, averaging 14.2 points per game and shooting 34% from 3-point range.

The Clippers enjoyed what they consider to be a free agent coup when they landed Golden State big man Marreese Speights, who was looking for a larger role than he had with the Warriors. Speights agreed to a two-year, minimum-salary deal with a player option, and coach Doc Rivers was elated to add him to the team.

“I don’t think anyone has a guy like that on their bench, for that matter,” Rivers said. “Golden State had one last year, and now he’s on our team.”

L.A. brought in three other veteran free agents to fortify its bench: power forward Brandon Bass, who averaged 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game with the Lakers in 2015/16, point guard Raymond Felton, who put up 9.5 points and 3.6 assists per night in Dallas and swingman Alan Anderson, who was coming off a season with the Wizards in which he averaged 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Depth has been an ongoing problem during the Griffin-Paul era, along with small forward. L.A. hasn’t been able to find the right complement to an otherwise stellar starting lineup of Griffin, Paul, Redick and DeAndre Jordan. Several candidates have passed through the organization in recent years, but none has been able to hold the job. Pierce, Johnson and ex-Clipper Lance Stephenson all held the starting role at times last year before defensive specialist Mbah a Moute won the job. He enters this season in the starting three spot, but it remains a position of need for Los Angeles if a midseason trade opportunity comes along.

After having no picks in 2015, the Clippers landed two promising young big men and a draft-and-stash point guard this year. At No. 25, they drafted North Carolina power forward Brice Johnson, a first-team AP all-American who averaged a double-double in his senior year with the Tar Heels and set the school’s single-season rebounding record. The Clippers hope he can develop into an effective backup for Griffin, but he suffered a preseason setback with a herniated disc in his back that has him out indefinitely.

The Clippers owned the Nets’ second-round pick at No. 33, but traded Kansas center Cheick Diallo to the Pelicans for two later picks. They used the No. 39 choice on point guard David Michineau, who will spend at least one season in France, and the No. 40 selection on Maryland center Diamond Stone, who made the 15-man roster.

After years of misery, the Clippers have become one of the league’s most successful and entertaining teams over the past four seasons, with at least 53 wins each year. But each of those seasons has ended in playoff disappointment, and gaudy regular season win totals may not be enough to keep this team together.

The front office is looking at some difficult decisions next summer. If this year’s free agency is any guide, tons of cash will be thrown around again, and Griffin, Paul and Redick will all have huge offers to sort through. If the Clippers’ current core wants to remain together for the rest of the decade, this is the year they will have to prove themselves in the playoffs.

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

Retweet 8 Share 0 Send via email0

Deadline For Rookie Extensions, Team Option Decisions

October 31st, 2016 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Today is October 31, which is the last day for NBA teams to sign players in the final year of their rookie contracts to extensions. It’s also the last day for clubs to exercise team options on rookie contracts for the 2017/18 season.

If a player eligible for a rookie-scale extension hasn’t received a new deal yet, and doesn’t sign one today, he’ll remain on track for free agency in the summer of 2017, at which point his team can make a qualifying offer to ensure he’s a restricted free agent. Meanwhile, players who don’t have their third- or fourth-year options for 2017/18 picked up today will see their rookie deals end prematurely, making them eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.

With tonight’s deadline looming, there are a few situations worth watching. As our extension tracker shows, three players – C.J. McCollum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Dennis Schroder – have signed new contracts with their respective clubs, but that still leaves plenty of extension-eligible players on the board.

According to reports on Sunday, candidates for extensions include Steven Adams (Thunder), Victor Oladipo (Thunder), Rudy Gobert (Jazz), Cody Zeller (Hornets), Gorgui Dieng (Timberwolves), and Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves). The Pistons also haven’t ruled out the possibility of new deals for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and/or Reggie Bullock. Even with a handful of other players, including Nerlens Noel (Sixers), Trey Burke (Wizards), and Tony Snell (Bucks) looking unlikely to re-up with their current teams, we could see some action today.

Meanwhile, most teams have already announced that they’ve exercised 2017/18 team options on their eligible players or waived players who would had those options on their contracts. According to our tracker, six players still on rosters haven’t had their options exercised: Marcus Smart (Celtics), James Young (Celtics), Terry Rozier (Celtics), Tyler Ennis (Rockets), Adreian Payne (Timberwolves), and C.J. Wilcox (Magic).

Smart’s option will certainly be picked up today by the Celtics, and the team is reportedly set to exercise Rozier’s as well. However, there’s a little more uncertainty on Young, and that uncertainty applies to the Rockets with Ennis and the Magic with Wilcox too. As for Payne, one report has already indicated his option won’t be exercised by the Wolves.

Stay tuned to Hoops Rumors today for updates on rookie-scale extension talks and team option decisions.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts