Community Shootaround: 2016/17 Schedule
For years, the idea of a sellout crowd packing Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena to watch Kevin Durant hasn’t been big news. But when it happens on Feburary 11th, it will be one of the most important nights of the season.
The NBA released its schedule for 2016/17 this week, and Durant’s return to OKC to face his former fans is among the highlights. Durant shook the franchise on July 4th when he announced he was joining the Warriors, and Thunder fans have been waiting for the new schedule to see which date they should circle on their calendars.
But Durant wasn’t the only big name to change teams this offseason, and there are many more eventful nights on the schedule. Along with Durant’s return, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated ranks these as the most intriguing games to watch:
- Warriors at Cavaliers, December 25th: These teams have met in the last two NBA finals and may be headed for a third. But first, they will be part of the annual ABC/ESPN Christmas marathon. The addition of Durant should add spice to an already intense rivalry.
- Knicks at Cavaliers, October 25th: It may be Cleveland’s most anticipated home opener ever as the city will raise its first championship banner in any sport since 1964.
- Cavaliers at Warriors, January 16th: LeBron James and company will make their first trip back to Oracle Arena since winning Game 7 of the finals.
- Bulls at Heat, November 10th: Miami fans still may not be over the shock of Dwyane Wade leaving town by the time this game tips off. Wade’s career with the Heat included 13 seasons and three NBA titles, and he remains a fan favorite no matter what uniform he wears.
- Rockets at Lakers, October 26th: The reality of the post-Kobe Bryant era settles in as L.A. plays its first home game without him on the roster since 1996.
- Pelicans at Spurs, October 29th: There will be a similar situation in Texas, as San Antonio starts its first season without Tim Duncan since 1997.
- Knicks at Bulls, November 4th: Chicago native Derrick Rose comes to town in a visiting uniform for the first time in his NBA career. Accompanying him will be long-time Bulls center Joakim Noah.
- Spurs at Warriors, October 25th: Both teams were chasing history for most of last season before Golden State got there with 73 wins. With Durant gone from Oklahoma City, there’s a good chance these will be the top two teams in the West again.
- Lakers at Sixers, December 16th: The top two picks in the draft, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, square off for the first time in the NBA.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Which game are you most anticipating next season and why? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Salary Cap Snapshot: Indiana Pacers
With the free agent signing period winding down and teams looking ahead to the preseason, we at Hoops Rumors will be tracking the Salary Cap figures for each team around the league. These posts will be maintained throughout the season once financial data is reported. They will be located on the sidebar throughout the year, once all the teams’ cap figures have been relayed. You can always check RosterResource.com for up-to-date rosters for each franchise, with the Pacers’ team page accessible here.
Here’s a breakdown of where the Pacers currently stand financially:
Guaranteed Salary
- Paul George — $18,314,532
- Thaddeus Young — $14,153,652
- Monta Ellis — $10,763,500
- Al Jefferson — $10,230,179
- Jeff Teague — $8,000,000
- Rodney Stuckey — $7,000,000 [Waived by team]
- C.J. Miles — $4,583,450
- Lavoy Allen — $4,000,000
- Lance Stephenson — $4,000,000
- Aaron Brooks — $2,700,000
- Myles Turner — $2,463,840
- Kevin Seraphin — $1,800,000
- Jeremy Evans — $1,227,286 [Waived by team]
- Rakeem Christmas — $1,052,342
- Joseph Young — $1,052,342
- Glenn Robinson III — $1,050,500
- Georges Niang — $650,000
- Ben Bentil — $50,000 [Waived by team]
- Julyan Stone — $50,000 [Waived by team]
- Alex Poythress — $35,381 [Waived by team]
- Nick Zeisloft — $25,000 [Waived by team]
Total Guaranteed Salary= $94,002,004
Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]
Cash Received Via Trade: Received $3,227,286 from Mavericks as part of Jeremy Evans trade [Amount Remaining $272,714]
Payroll Exceptions Available
- Room Exception: $2,898,000
Total Projected Payroll: $94,002,004
Salary Cap: $94,143,000
Estimated Available Cap Space: $140,996
Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000
Amount Below Luxury Tax: $19,284,996
Last Updated: 4/6/17
The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.
Poll: 2005 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 10)
We’re in the process of revisiting the 2005 NBA Draft, the year that the Bucks nabbed big man Andrew Bogut with the No. 1 overall pick. That year’s draft class is generally viewed as one of the weaker ones in recent memory, though, there were quite a few second-rounders that year (Ersan Ilyasova, Monta Ellis, Lou Williams, Amir Johnson and Marcin Gortat) who have gone on to have very solid NBA careers.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be posting a series of reader polls that ask you to vote on the player whom you believe should have been selected with each pick. We’ll continue onward with the Lakers, who held the No. 10 pick that season. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Los Angeles’ pick and check back Sunday for the results, as well as for your chance to vote for whom the Magic should have taken at No. 11. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
Selections
- Bucks — Chris Paul [Actual Pick — Andrew Bogut]
- Hawks — Deron Williams [Actual Pick — Marvin Williams]
- Jazz — Monta Ellis [Actual Pick — Deron Williams]
- Hornets/Pelicans — Andrew Bogut [Actual Pick — Chris Paul]
- Bobcats/Hornets — Danny Granger [Actual Pick — Raymond Felton]
- Trail Blazers — David Lee [Actual Pick — Martell Webster]
- Raptors — Andrew Bynum [Actual Pick — Charlie Villanueva]
- Knicks — Marcin Gortat [Actual Pick — Channing Frye]
- Warriors — Lou Williams [Actual Pick — Ike Diogu]
- Lakers — ?? [Actual Pick — Andrew Bynum]
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 8/7/16-8/13/16
Here’s a look back at the original content and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week.
- Dana Gauruder examined Derrick Favors as an extension candidate.
- We asked readers to do over the 2005 NBA Draft. Here’s who you selected for picks No. 5, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 overall.
- Luke Adams recapped the free agent spending this offseason for each division.
- We ran down the players that teams will need to make Rookie Scale Option decisions on.
- You can stay up to date on any contract extensions agreed to this season with our tracker.
- Will Joseph highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- We looked at the 2016/17 Salary Cap figures for the:
- Arthur Hill answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag. Here’s how you can submit your own questions for our mailbag feature.
- We ran down the current longest tenured NBA player for each team.
- Luke ran down the free agents who inked five-year deals this summer.
- In our Community Shootarounds this week we discussed:
- If the NBA needs a franchise tag added in the next CBA.
- If Ray Allen can still contribute and what team would be the best fit.
- If the Spurs have enough firepower to beat the Warriors this season.
- What the Raptors need to do in order to move forward as a franchise.
- Who is the favorite to win 2016/17’s Rookie of the Year award.
- Carmelo Anthony‘s potential NBA legacy.
- Our Free Agent Tracker continues to have up-to-date data on this summer’s contract agreements and signings from around the NBA.
- Arthur looked at the extension candidacy of Victor Oladipo.
- We ran down the players who enter the 2016/17 season without guaranteed deals.
- If you haven’t already, be sure to download the Trade Rumors app for your iOS or Android device.
Extension Candidate: Victor Oladipo
The Thunder won’t get to watch Victor Oladipo as part of their team for very long before having to make an important decision. The 6-4 combo guard, who was acquired from the Magic in a draft-day trade, will be entering his fourth NBA season this fall, making him eligible for a rookie scale extension.
The extension deadline is October 31st, and Oklahoma City has just three regular season games before that date arrives. So the Thunder front office will have to base its decision largely on the three productive seasons Oladipo had in Orlando before the deal was made.
After being taken second overall in the 2013 draft, Oladipo developed quickly with the Magic, playing 80 games as a rookie and starting 44. His best season came in 2014/15, when he started 71 of the 72 games he appeared in and averaged 17.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per night. His scoring average dipped to 16.0 last season and he suffered two concussions and battled a variety of other injuries, starting just 52 of the 72 games he played.
But the Thunder saw enough that they liked in Oladipo to give up Serge Ibaka, one of the cornerstones of their recent success, to add him to their roster, along with veteran power forward Ersan Ilyasova and the rights to rookie big man Domantas Sabonis. Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti explained the move at a press conference on draft night, saying the Thunder will benefit from Oladipo’s competitive attitude.
“I think the number one thing with Victor is his make-up,” Presti said about his new guard. “… He is tough-minded, he’s competitive, he’s selfless. He is a guy that we really feel like not only brings things on the floor for us, but I think he’s going to be a real add to our environment, our culture on an everyday basis.”
Presti also said he was intrigued by Oladipo’s ability to play multiple positions, noting that his flexibility will give coach Billy Donovan more options when it comes to designing lineups.
But if the Thunder hope to keep Oladipo as a long-term backcourt partner for Russell Westbrook, they will need to make a significant salary commitment, whether it comes by October 31st or next offseason. Oladipo has made no secret about his desire for a full maximum extension, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman.
The former Indiana Hoosiers star was paid roughly $4.7MM, $4.9MM and $5.1MM during his first three years in the NBA and will receive a little more than $6.5MM next season. A maximum deal would bring his salary close to $24MM for 2017/18, with annual raises as high as 7.5% to follow.
Oklahoma City has a recent history of not giving rookie extensions to guards who were eligible to receive them. In 2014/15, the Thunder couldn’t reach a deal with combo guard Reggie Jackson and wound up trading him to the Pistons. Last year, OKC let the extension deadline pass for shooting guard Dion Waiters. The Thunder pulled their qualifying offer to Waiters last month, freeing him up to sign with the Heat.
But the Thunder front office is expected to try much harder to reach a deal with Oladipo, considering the price they paid to acquire him. Giving up Ibaka, who helped make Oklahoma City one of the league’s best teams during his seven seasons with the franchise, suggests that Oladipo will be an important part of the team’s long-term plans.
If the sides can’t reach an agreement before Halloween, Oladipo will become a restricted free agent after the season, joining center Steven Adams and shooting guard Andre Roberson in that category. With Adams coming off a breakthrough season and also likely to be in the market for a max or near-max deal next summer, it may be in the Thunder’s best interests to reach a deal with Oladipo before the deadline arrives.
The contract situations of Oladipo and Adams led the Thunder to be conservative in free agency this offseason, once Kevin Durant announced that he was leaving for Golden State. Other than re-signing and extending Westbrook, OKC’s only significant offseason moves were to bring back veteran Anthony Morrow at $3.4MM and sign Spanish star Alex Abrines for nearly $6MM.
The Thunder are in a unique situation as they address their short- and long-term future. The loss of Durant means they aren’t an elite NBA power any more, but the deal with Westbrook should keep them in playoff contention and may give them a shot at hosting a first-round series. Oladipo, at age 24, and Adams, at 23, are expected to be part of the core in Oklahoma City as the team tries to establish a new identity. Over the next year, it will be in the Thunder’s best interests to keep them both happy and lock them down with new contracts for as long as possible.
Photo courtesy of Mike DiNovo / USA TODAY Sports Images
Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
We at Hoops Rumors love interacting with our readers. This is why we provide an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Sunday.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
Poll: 2005 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 9)
We’re in the process of revisiting the 2005 NBA Draft, the year that the Bucks nabbed big man Andrew Bogut with the No. 1 overall pick. That year’s draft class is generally viewed as one of the weaker ones in recent memory, though, there were quite a few second-rounders that year (Ersan Ilyasova, Monta Ellis, Lou Williams, Amir Johnson and Marcin Gortat) who have gone on to have very solid NBA careers.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be posting a series of reader polls that ask you to vote on the player whom you believe should have been selected with each pick. We’ll continue onward with the Warriors, who held the No. 9 pick that season. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Golden State’s pick and check back Saturday for the results, as well as for your chance to vote for whom the Lakers should have taken at No. 10. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
Selections
- Bucks — Chris Paul [Actual Pick — Andrew Bogut]
- Hawks — Deron Williams [Actual Pick — Marvin Williams]
- Jazz — Monta Ellis [Actual Pick — Deron Williams]
- Hornets/Pelicans — Andrew Bogut [Actual Pick — Chris Paul]
- Bobcats/Hornets — Danny Granger [Actual Pick — Raymond Felton]
- Trail Blazers — David Lee [Actual Pick — Martell Webster]
- Raptors — Andrew Bynum [Actual Pick — Charlie Villanueva]
- Knicks — Marcin Gortat [Actual Pick — Channing Frye]
- Warriors — ?? [Actual Pick — Ike Diogu]
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Community Shootaround: Melo’s Legacy
In an interview with ESPN’s Marc Stein, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony indicated that if his professional basketball career were to end without him winning an NBA championship, he’d still consider it a success if he walked away with three Olympic gold medals and an NCAA title. “I would be very happy walking away from the game knowing that I’ve given the game everything I have, knowing I played on a high level at every level: high school, college, won [a championship at Syracuse] in college and possibly three gold medals,” Anthony said.
Anthony has long been a polarizing player among fans, thanks to his gaudy statistics and lack of playoff success over the course of his career. The tale of the tape on the forward’s NBA career thus far is: In 902 career regular season games Anthony has averaged 24.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists to accompany a shooting line of .453/.344/.812. He’s a nine-time NBA All-Star, has won an NBA scoring title (2013) and is one of the more versatile players the league has ever seen on the offensive side of the game. But…he’s only made it out of the first round of the playoffs twice in his 13-year career.
The player whose career I’ve often compared Anthony’s to is former Hawks great, Dominique Wilkins. While Melo’s game is certainly different from the “Human Highlight Film’s,” Wilkins is a prime example of a star whose statistics never translated into an NBA title. To further illustrate my point, take a gander at Wilkins’ career numbers, which are eerily similar to Anthony’s. In 1074 career regular season contests, Wilkins notched averages of 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists to go along with his shooting line of .461/.319/.811. Wilkins enjoyed a bit more playoff success, advancing past the first round on four occasions during his time in Atlanta, but never past the second round.
I reference Wilkins because despite never having won an NBA title, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006 and is generally regarded as one of the greats of the game, though not in the same conversation as Jordan, Bird, Magic, etc. Unless the Knicks strike gold in the near future, it appears that Anthony is also destined to end his career with an impressive stat line, but no ring to silence his detractors.
This brings to today’s topic, which is a two-parter: What will Carmelo Anthony‘s NBA legacy be if he fails to win a title during his career? And if he indeed fails to lead a team to a championship, is he worthy of being inducted into the Hall Of Fame?
Take to the comments section to share your thoughts on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Decisions On 2017/18 Rookie-Scale Team Options
Teams hoping to extend players eligible for rookie-scale extensions this offseason must get those deals completed by October 31, as we’ve discussed in recent weeks. However, that’s not the only reason that Halloween is a notable date on the NBA calendar. October 31 is also the deadline for clubs to exercise team options on the rookie-scale contracts of former first-round picks.
All the players whose options will be exercised or declined by October 31 are already under contract for the 2016/17 season. Their teams will have to make a decision on whether they want to keep those players beyond the coming season, picking up or turning down team options for the 2017/18 campaign.
For players who signed their rookie-scale contracts in 2014 and have been in the NBA for two years, teams must decide on fourth-year options for 2017/18. For players who just signed their rookie deals last year, and only have one season of NBA experience under their belts, teams will already be faced with a decision on third-year options for ’17/18.
In most cases, these decisions aren’t hard ones. Rookie-scale salaries are so affordable – particularly with the salary cap up to $94MM+ this year – that it usually makes sense to exercise most of these team options, even if a player isn’t a key cog on the roster. And for those players who do have a significant role on a team’s roster, the decision is even easier — it’s not as if the Timberwolves would ever consider declining their options on Andrew Wiggins or Karl-Anthony Towns.
Still, we’ll wait for a trusted reporter, a player (or his agent), or a team itself to confirm that an option is indeed being exercised or declined, and we’ll track that news in this space. Listed below are all the rookie-scale decisions for 2017/18 team options that clubs must make by October 31. This list can be found at any time under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on our right-hand sidebar, and will be updated throughout the rest of the offseason, as teams’ decisions are reported and announced.
Here are the NBA’s rookie-scale team option decisions for 2017/18 salaries:
Atlanta Hawks
- None
Boston Celtics
- Marcus Smart (fourth year, $4,538,020): Exercised
- James Young (fourth year, $2,803,507): Declined
- Terry Rozier (third year, $1,988,520): Exercised
- R.J. Hunter (third year, $1,251,960): Waived
Brooklyn Nets
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (third year, $1,455,720): Exercised
- Chris McCullough (third year, $1,242,840): Exercised
Charlotte Hornets
- Frank Kaminsky (third year, $2,847,600): Exercised
Chicago Bulls
- Doug McDermott (fourth year, $3,294,994): Exercised
- Jerian Grant (third year, $1,713,840): Exercised
- Bobby Portis (third year, $1,516,320): Exercised
Cleveland Cavaliers
- None
Dallas Mavericks
- Justin Anderson (third year, $1,579,440): Exercised
Denver Nuggets
- Emmanuel Mudiay (third year, $3,381,480): Exercised
- Jusuf Nurkic (fourth year, $2,947,305): Exercised
- Gary Harris (fourth year, $2,550,055): Exercised
Detroit Pistons
- Stanley Johnson (third year, $3,097,800): Exercised
Golden State Warriors
- Kevon Looney (third year, $1,233,840): Exercised
Houston Rockets
- Clint Capela (fourth year, $2,334,528): Exercised
- Sam Dekker (third year, $1,794,600): Exercised
- Tyler Ennis (fourth year, $2,666,707): Declined
Indiana Pacers
- Myles Turner (third year, $2,569,920): Exercised
Los Angeles Clippers
- None
Los Angeles Lakers
- D’Angelo Russell (third year, $5,562,360): Exercised
- Julius Randle (fourth year, $4,149,242): Exercised
- Larry Nance Jr. (third year, $1,259,640): Exercised
Memphis Grizzlies
- Jordan Adams (fourth year, $2,410,057): Waived
- Jarell Martin (third year, $1,341,600): Exercised
Miami Heat
- Justise Winslow (third year, $2,705,040): Exercised
Milwaukee Bucks
- Jabari Parker (fourth year, $6,782,392): Exercised
- Rashad Vaughn (third year, $1,889,040): Exercised
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Andrew Wiggins (fourth year, $7,574,323): Exercised
- Karl-Anthony Towns (third year, $6,216,840): Exercised
- Zach LaVine (fourth year, $3,202,218): Exercised
- Adreian Payne (fourth year, $3,100,094): Declined
- Tyus Jones (third year, $1,397,400): Exercised
New Orleans Pelicans
- None
New York Knicks
- Kristaps Porzingis (third year, $4,503,600): Exercised
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Mitch McGary (fourth year, $2,430,982): Waived
- Cameron Payne (third year, $2,203,440): Exercised
- Josh Huestis (third year, $1,242,840): Exercised
Orlando Magic
- Aaron Gordon (fourth year, $5,504,420): Exercised
- Mario Hezonja (third year, $4,078,320): Exercised
- Elfrid Payton (fourth year, $3,332,340): Exercised
- C.J. Wilcox (fourth year, $2,183,328): Declined
Philadelphia 76ers
- Joel Embiid (fourth year, $6,100,266): Exercised
- Jahlil Okafor (third year, $4,995,120): Exercised
- Nik Stauskas (fourth year, $3,807,147): Exercised
Phoenix Suns
- T.J. Warren (fourth year, $3,152,931): Exercised
- Devin Booker (third year, $2,319,360): Exercised
Portland Trail Blazers
- Noah Vonleh (fourth year, $3,505,233): Exercised
- Shabazz Napier (fourth year, $2,361,360): Exercised
Sacramento Kings
- Willie Cauley-Stein (third year, $3,704,160): Exercised
San Antonio Spurs
- Kyle Anderson (fourth year, $2,151,704): Exercised
Toronto Raptors
- Lucas Nogueira (fourth year, $2,947,305): Exercised
- Bruno Caboclo (fourth year, $2,451,225): Exercised
- Delon Wright (third year, $1,645,200): Exercised
Utah Jazz
- Dante Exum (fourth year, $4,992,385): Exercised
- Trey Lyles (third year, $2,441,400): Exercised
- Rodney Hood (fourth year, $2,386,864): Exercised
Washington Wizards
- Kelly Oubre (third year, $2,093,040): Exercised
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Poll: 2005 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 8)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t often allow for second chances, we at Hoops Rumors believe it’s fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
We’ve previously tackled the 2003 and 2013 NBA Drafts and the next one we’re tackling is 2005’s, the year that the Bucks nabbed big man Andrew Bogut with the No. 1 overall pick. That year’s draft class is generally viewed as one of the weaker ones in recent memory, though, there were quite a few second-rounders that year (Ersan Ilyasova, Monta Ellis, Lou Williams, Amir Johnson and Marcin Gortat) who have gone on to have very solid NBA careers.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be posting a series of reader polls that ask you to vote on the player whom you believe should have been selected with each pick. We’ll continue onward with the Knicks, who held the No. 8 pick that season. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for New York’s pick and check back Thursday night for the results, as well as for your chance to vote for whom the Warriors should have taken at No. 9. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
Selections
- Bucks — Chris Paul [Actual Pick — Andrew Bogut]
- Hawks — Deron Williams [Actual Pick — Marvin Williams]
- Jazz — Monta Ellis [Actual Pick — Deron Williams]
- Hornets/Pelicans — Andrew Bogut [Actual Pick — Chris Paul]
- Bobcats/Hornets — Danny Granger [Actual Pick — Raymond Felton]
- Trail Blazers — David Lee [Actual Pick — Martell Webster]
- Raptors — Andrew Bynum [Actual Pick — Charlie Villanueva]
- Knicks — ? [Actual Pick — Channing Frye]