Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/17/16 – 7/23/16
Here’s a look back at the original content and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week.
- Four NBA teams have remained over the cap and haven’t used cap room so far this month, and one of those four may dip below the cap soon. We have the details right here.
- We provided an update on traded player exceptions around the NBA, including which ones are left from the previous league year, which ones have expired or been renounced, and which teams have created new ones.
- We’re keeping tabs on this offseason’s draft-and-stash signings, as teams formally sign players whose draft rights they held.
- Will Joseph highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- Arthur Hill answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag. Here’s how you can submit your own questions for our mailbag feature.
- Our Community Shootaround discussions this week included conversations about the offseason moves for this year’s playoff teams in the East and the West, and a discussion on the outlook for the three remaining restricted free agents on the market.
- Our Free Agent Tracker continues to have up-to-date data on this summer’s contract agreements and signings from around the NBA.
- If you haven’t already, be sure to download the Trade Rumors app for your iOS or Android device.
Community Shootaround: Intentional Fouls
Commissioner Adam Silver vowed during the NBA playoffs that changes were coming to discourage defenders from intentionally fouling poor free throw shooters. The Board of Governors approved some new rules this month in that regard, though it seems to be a watered-down compromise.
Under the new rules, if a player is fouled away from the ball in the last two minutes of a quarter, his team will receive one free throw and retain possession of the ball. That rule has been expanded to a player being fouled during an inbounds play.
Previously, the free-throw-plus-possession rule only applied to the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Board also expanded its rules on flagrant fouls to include deliberate, overaggressive fouls such as jumping on the back of an opponent during a free throw attempt. That tactic was sometimes used during the last two minutes of games once the free-throw-plus-possession stipulation was in effect.
These changes might make it a little less appealing to intentionally foul but it’s certain that poor free throw shooters such as Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan will continue to get grabbed off the ball before the last two minutes of a quarter. Anybody hoping to see “Hack-A-Dre” and “Hack-A-Dwight” go away will be disappointed.
It’s also difficult for their coaches to leave them in the game during the final two minutes, knowing those big men could be grabbed during pick-and-roll plays or while going for an offensive rebound, which wouldn’t be considered an “away from the ball” foul.
The league could have, for example, given teams the option to decline free throws and simply retain possession on intentional fouls, or even provide the option of having a better free throw shooter go to the line in those situations.
Some executives, such as Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, believe the new rules won’t have much of an effect. Others, such as Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, believe the league shouldn’t be doing anything to discourage “Hack-A” strategies.
This leads us to our question of the day: Did the new rules changes regarding intentional fouls go too far or should the league have done more to prevent the “Hack-A” tactic?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Three Teams Not Using Cap Room In 2016/17
In previous NBA seasons, there was usually a reasonably balanced split between teams that went under the cap and used cap room to sign free agents or to acquire players via trade and teams that remained over the cap and relied on exceptions to add new players. With the salary cap taking an unprecedented leap this summer from $70MM to $94MM, however, nearly every NBA team renounced its mid-level, bi-annual, and trade exceptions and went under the cap.
While many of those teams have since used up their cap space and gone back over the cap, there are only four NBA teams that have stayed over the cap for the 2016/17 league year so far, and one of those four likely won’t be over the cap for much longer.
Here’s a breakdown of the teams not using cap room in 2016/17:
Will not use cap room in 2016/17:
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers could still technically get under the cap, but it would require parting ways with LeBron James, so that’s a non-starter. Without LeBron under contract, the Cavs still have over $81MM in guaranteed 2016/17 salary on their books, and the team would also like to re-sign J.R. Smith. Those two players could cost upward of $40MM combined for the coming season, putting Cleveland back into tax territory.
With no cap room available, the Cavs have had to rely on exceptions to make tweaks to their roster — the team used a trade exception to land Mike Dunleavy and will sign Chris Andersen using the minimum-salary exception. One move to keep an eye on is the signing of Richard Jefferson, which is not yet official. Assuming the initially-reported terms of the agreement – $5MM over two years – are accurate, Jefferson may be receiving a portion of the club’s mini mid-level exception. Cleveland only has Jefferson’s Non-Bird rights, which wouldn’t accommodate a salary worth up to $5MM over two years.
Los Angeles Clippers
With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan combining for nearly $65MM in total salary in 2016/17, the Clippers would have had to part ways with most of the rest of their players in order to create a significant chunk of cap room. Instead, the team re-signed many of its own free agents, including Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford, Wesley Johnson, and Luc Mbah a Moute.
Since the Clippers didn’t have full Bird rights on Johnson, the club used its full mid-level exception on him, creating a hard cap of $117,287,000 for the coming season. Los Angeles is currently less than $4MM away from that hard cap.
L.A. is using the minimum-salary exception to fill out the rest of its roster, using that exception to add players like Marreese Speights, Brandon Bass, Raymond Felton, and second-round pick Diamond Stone.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors entered the offseason with the opportunity to open up a little cap room, even if they re-signed DeMar DeRozan. But the team wouldn’t have been able to create more than $6-7MM in space, so it made more sense for Toronto to keep its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions.
The Raptors ultimately remained over the cap and used their MLE to sign Jared Sullinger. It appears the rest of the club’s free agent additions to date – Fred VanVleet and Jarrod Uthoff – will be signed using the minimum-salary exception, so the team should still have its bi-annual exception available. Like the Clippers, the Raptors are hard-capped at $117,287,000, but Toronto is currently in no danger of reaching that mark.
Have not used cap room yet in 2016/17:
Oklahoma City Thunder
Having lost Kevin Durant, the Thunder could open up a sizable portion of cap room if they renounce Dion Waiters‘ cap hold, along with their mid-level, bi-annual, and trade exceptions. That may ultimately be the plan, particularly if Russell Westbrook is open to renegotiating his contract, but for now, the team is waiting to see what happens with Waiters.
The Thunder agreed to terms with Alex Abrines on a deal that can be finalized using the mid-level exception if they remain over the cap. If they dip below, they’ll use cap room to complete that signing.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
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 each 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.
Community Shootaround: Restricted Free Agents
While unrestricted free agents have been scoring record contracts this summer, many of their restricted counterparts have been waiting for the phone to ring.
Once the free agent frenzy was unleashed shortly after midnight on July 1st, most teams were reluctant to tie up cap room for three days while waiting to see if an offer sheet would be matched.
The Nets were an exception. Their offers brought huge paydays for Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe, but neither wound up in Brooklyn. The Heat matched Johnson’s offer and the Trail Blazers did the same with Crabbe’s as the Nets saw both players slip away in one day.
Johnson and Crabbe may have cashed in, along with Miles Plumlee, who signed a four-year deal this week worth more than $50MM, and Boban Marjanovic, who got $21MM over three years from the Pistons, but the market hasn’t been kind to many others. Nobody wanted Jared Sullinger until the Celtics rescinded his qualifying offer, and he would up taking $6MM for one season in Toronto. Dion Waiters was in the same situation in Oklahoma City before his qualifying offer was pulled on Monday.
Three weeks into free agency, three restricted free agents remain on the market. The Rockets’ Donatas Motiejunas would like to stay in Houston, but says he’s talking to “a couple of teams.” The Blazers’ Maurice Harkless also wants to stay with his team, but has seen little progress on a new deal. The Celtics’ Tyler Zeller is in limbo as he waits to see if Boston can put together a blockbuster trade.
As Kevin O’Connor of CSNNE notes, there are only seven teams remaining with enough cap space to make a significant offer, and none has an obvious need for help on the front line. The market for restricted free agent big men started out slow and may already have dried up.
That brings us to tonight’s question: What do you foresee for Motiejunas, Harkless and Zeller? Will any of their teams come through with a Plumlee-like deal? Will another team give them the offer sheet they’ve been hoping for? Or will they accept their qualifying offers and try free agency next summer whey they’re unrestricted?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Update On NBA Traded Player Exceptions
Traded player exceptions, which we’ve explained extensively in a Hoops Rumors glossary entry, are a tool that over-the-cap teams can use to complete trades. For mid-season deals, when most teams are at or over the salary cap, these exceptions are typically used and created frequently.
This summer, however, with the salary cap increasing by more than $24MM and most teams choosing to use cap room rather than staying over the cap, trade exceptions have become scarcer — and less useful. In order for teams to actually use their available cap room to take on salaries or to sign free agents, those exceptions must be renounced.
Heading into the 2016/17 league year, teams around the NBA held a total of 29 trade exceptions. After the new league year officially got underway and the moratorium ended, the majority of those TPEs were lost. In total, 22 of the 29 previously-existing traded player exceptions were renounced or expired.
Earlier this month, only the Clippers, Cavaliers, and Thunder still held any TPEs, with Cleveland hanging onto five of them, and L.A. and OKC holding one apiece. Over the last week or so, a few new trade exceptions have been created, but with so many teams still under the cap, the full list is much shorter than it has been in past years.
Here’s a breakdown of the newly-created TPEs:
Charlotte Hornets
Amount: $1,666,470
Expires: 7/12/17
How it was created: When the Grizzlies signed Troy Daniels away from the Hornets, they did so in a sign-and-trade deal, allowing Charlotte to create a TPE for half of Daniels’ $3,332,940 salary.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Amount: $1,333,420
Expires: 7/15/17
How it was created: The Cavaliers created this TPE worth Sasha Kaun‘s 2016/17 salary when they sent him to Philadelphia without receiving any NBA salary in return.
(Note: The Cavaliers also created a $4,803,750 trade exception by signing-and-trading Matthew Dellavedova to the Bucks, but immediately used that exception to acquire Mike Dunleavy.)
Los Angeles Clippers
Amount: $1,209,600
Expires: 7/15/17
How it was created: When the Clippers acquired Devyn Marble from the Magic for C.J. Wilcox, the team actually used its old $947,276 TPE (acquired in January’s Josh Smith trade) to absorb Marble’s salary, then created a new exception worth Wilcox’s salary.
The traded player exceptions listed above have been added to our full breakdown of the TPEs available around the league. That list no longer includes the $2,038,206 exception the Thunder created last summer when they sent Perry Jones III to the Celtics — that TPE expired on July 14.
Our full list of TPEs also no longer features the following exceptions, all of which were renounced earlier this month when these teams went under the cap (expiry date listed in parentheses):
- Atlanta Hawks: $947,276 (2/18/17)
- Brooklyn Nets: $2,170,465 (7/13/16)
- Chicago Bulls: $2,854,940 (2/18/17)
- Chicago Bulls: $947,276 (6/22/17)
- Denver Nuggets: $135,000 (2/18/17)
- Detroit Pistons: $6,270,000 (6/29/17)
- Golden State Warriors: $5,387,825 (7/27/16)
- Golden State Warriors: $3,197,170 (7/31/16)
- Memphis Grizzlies: $450,000 (2/18/17)
- Miami Heat: $1,706,250 (7/27/16)
- Miami Heat: $1,294,440 (7/27/16)
- Miami Heat: $2,129,535 (11/10/16)
- Miami Heat: $2,145,060 (2/16/17)
- Miami Heat: $845,059 (2/18/17)
- Miami Heat: $2,854,940 (2/18/17)
- Milwaukee Bucks: $5,200,000 (7/9/16)
- Milwaukee Bucks: $4,250,000 (7/9/16)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $5,000,000 (7/12/16)
- New Orleans Pelicans: $102,217 (12/24/16)
- New York Knicks: $1,572,360 (6/22/17)
- Phoenix Suns: $578,651 (2/18/17)
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Community Shootaround: Eastern Playoff Team Most Likely To Slide?
Last week, one of our Community Shootaround discussions focused on this year’s non-playoff teams in the East, asking which of those clubs had done the most to improve its roster so far this summer. The Knicks and Sixers received the most support, but several lottery teams got positive reviews from Hoops Rumors commenters for their offseason work.
Today, it’s time to look at the other eight teams in the East. The Cavaliers, Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons all earned spots in the postseason. How many of those teams will be back in 2017, and how many will drop out?
The Heat had the most notable departure of any of those eight playoff teams, when Dwyane Wade left Miami to sign with his hometown Bulls. But Miami wasn’t the only club to lose a notable player. The Hawks saw Al Horford depart, and the Raptors parted ways with breakout rim-protector Bismack Biyombo.
The Hornets and Pistons, meanwhile, managed to re-sign their own key free agents, including Nicolas Batum and Andre Drummond, and added some complementary pieces. But Charlotte, at least, will have to deal with some notable departures as well, including Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin, and Courtney Lee.
Finally, the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Pacers have all received solid reviews for their summer decisions — in Cleveland’s case, it’s simply enough to bring back most of the team that beat the 73-win Warriors for the championship. For Boston and Indiana, the changes are more notable — the C’s added Horford and No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown, while the Pacers brought in Jefferson, Thaddeus Young, and Jeff Teague, among others.
What do you think? Which of the Eastern playoff teams is most likely to slide down the standings in 2016/17? How many of these eight clubs do you expect to finish in the lottery next year? Is Miami the most obvious candidate to take a step or two backwards, or is there another team more in danger of underachieving?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the Cavs, Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
2016 Draft-And-Stash Signings
Free agent signees, trade acquisitions, and players selected in the draft are the most common additions to NBA rosters this summer. However, a handful of players have come via the draft-and-stash route, as teams have finally brought aboard players drafted in previous years.
While players who were previously selected in the second round of a draft are free to sign any type of contract via cap room or exceptions, first-round draftees are limited to the 2016 rookie scale, unless it has been more than three years since they were selected. So when former 12th overall pick Dario Saric signed with the Sixers this offseason, he had to sign a rookie-scale contract since it has only been two years since he was drafted — he’ll earn the same amount as this year’s No. 12 pick, Taurean Prince.
Listed below is a round-up of the draft-and-stash prospects who have signed – or agreed to deals – so far this offseason. They’re sorted alphabetically by team, with contract details included wherever possible. If and when more teams add draft-and-stash players, we’ll update this list, which can be found at anytime on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”
Let’s dive in…
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Andrew Harrison, G (2015 draft; No. 44): Unlike twin brother Aaron Harrison, who went undrafted but played in 21 NBA games last season, Andrew was a second-round pick who spent the year in the D-League. He impressed the Grizzlies enough during the 2015/16 season, averaging 18.5 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.3 RPG, to earn a three-year contract worth about $3MM, with two fully guaranteed seasons.
- New York Knicks
- Willy Hernangomez, C (2015 draft; No. 35): The Knicks traded a pair of future second-round picks last year for the rights to draft Hernangomez, and have now brought him over a year later. Reports have suggested that the Spanish big man’s contract will be for at least three years, which means the Knicks completed the deal using cap room.
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Alex Abrines, G/F (2013 draft; No. 32): The Thunder and Abrines are in agreement on a three-year deal worth $17.175MM. The deal could have fit into the team’s mid-level exception, but was ultimately finalized using cap room when Oklahoma City dipped under the cap. The Spanish forward was originally selected by OKC with one of the picks the team acquired in the James Harden trade with Houston.
- Semaj Christon, G (2014 draft; No. 55): Upon being drafted in 2014, Christon joined the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, though he headed overseas and played in Italy in 2015/16. Now, Christon has signed with the Thunder, on a three-year, minimum-salary deal with $200K guaranteed. Whether or not he earns a spot on the 15-man roster, the young point guard figures to be rejoining the D-League’s OKC Blue at some point.
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Dario Saric, F (2014 draft; No. 12): A highly-lauded international prospect, the 22-year-old Croatian finally arrived stateside this year, inking a four-year, rookie-scale contract with the Sixers. Philadelphia believes he’ll be in contention for the Rookie of the Year award in 2016/17, along with teammate Ben Simmons.
- San Antonio Spurs
- Davis Bertans, F (2011 draft; No. 42): Kawhi Leonard will always be the gem of the trade that saw the Spurs send George Hill to Indiana, but Bertans was also involved in that deal, and will finally have a chance to prove his worth in San Antonio. Bertans will earn a guaranteed, two-year minimum salary on his first NBA contract.
- Livio Jean-Charles, F (2013 draft; No. 28): One of multiple former first-round picks stashed by the Spurs, Jean-Charles wouldn’t necessarily have been limited to a rookie-scale contract, since it has been more than three years since he was drafted. However, he is believed to have inked a four-year, rookie-scale pact with the team.
- Washington Wizards
- Tomas Satoransky, G (2012 draft; No. 32): Satoransky, who turns 25 this fall, has played in Spain for several years, spending the last two seasons with Barcelona. He inked a three-year, $9MM deal with the Wizards, making him eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2019.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/10/16-7/16/16
Here’s a look back at the original content and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week.
- We’re keeping tabs on all the offseason trades completed by NBA teams. Our full list of the 27 deals finalized so far can be found right here.
- We have NBA rosters and depth charts available at Roster Resource. Here’s a breakdown of those depth charts for all 30 teams.
- Will Joseph highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- Arthur Hill answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag.
- Our Free Agent Tracker continues to have up-to-date data on this summer’s contract agreements and signings from around the NBA.
- Our Community Shootaround discussions this week included conversations about the most improved lottery teams in the East and the West, and a debate on the best non-Kevin Durant free agent deal of the offseason.
- Check out the latest news on 2016 draft pick signings using our tracker.
- If you haven’t already, be sure to download the Trade Rumors app for your iOS or Android device.
Community Shootaround: Most Improved Lottery Team In West?
Earlier this week, we asked Hoops Rumors readers to identify the most improved lottery team in the East. While several teams received support, the general consensus was that the Sixers look like the strongest candidate to significantly improve their win total, while the Knicks might be the best bet of those seven teams to earn a playoff spot next spring.
In the Western Conference, the franchise that missed the playoffs by the smallest margin may be this summer’s most improved lottery team. The Jazz finished just a game out of the postseason, but were plagued by injuries all year. With better health, another year of experience for their young players, and contributions from offseason additions like George Hill and Joe Johnson, Utah looks poised to contend for a top-five spot in the West.
But is there another lottery team in the West that’s a strong candidate for most improved? The Kings, Nuggets, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Suns, and Lakers round out the conference’s non-playoff teams, and all six clubs have made some notable moves this offseason.
In the Pacific Division, the lottery teams relied heavily on the draft to improve their rosters, with the Lakers selecting Brandon Ingram, the Suns picking Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, and the Kings adding three first-rounders. However, those teams also dipped into free agency as they attempted to upgrade their rosters — Los Angeles signed Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng, Sacramento added Arron Afflalo and a handful of role-playing veterans, and Phoenix brought back a pair of familiar faces in Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa.
The Timberwolves took a safe approach to the offseason, adding a highly-regarded prospect (Kris Dunn) and only delving into free agency to add complementary players like Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill, and Brandon Rush. They’ll rely on their core players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins to take another step forward, and the same can be said about the Nuggets, who sat out free agency almost entirely.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, surrounded Anthony Davis with a handful of intriguing free agent additions, including Solomon Hill, E’Twaun Moore, Langston Galloway, and Terrence Jones.
What do you think? Which franchise is the most improved lottery team in the Western Conference? Do the Jazz deserve that title, or does another club have a stronger case, particularly if we’re looking at the largest projected increase in wins?
Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the Jazz, Kings, Nuggets, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Suns, and Lakers. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.