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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/1/15

December 1st, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Since the Magic made Victor Oladipo the No. 2 overall pick back in the 2013 NBA draft the team has been waiting for him to develop into a franchise player. The results have been mixed during his first two seasons in the league, though Oladipo did demonstrate improvement in virtually every statistical category in 2014/15 over his rookie numbers. New head coach Scott Skiles is still experimenting with his rotation, and one of his riskier moves was shifting Oladipo to a sixth man role. Oladipo has responded well and has averaged 20.0 points per game over his three appearances as a reserve, and the team has gone 3-0 in those contests.

This brings me to the topic for today: Should the Magic keep Victor Oladipo in the sixth man role for the remainder of the season?

The easy response is the affirmative, going by the logic that if it’s working, then it’s best for the squad. But there are other concerns that accompany any dramatic role change, especially for a player expected to develop into a star. The 23-year-old will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer, and any displeasure with his playing time or role on the team could impact Oladipo’s willingness to commit to Orlando for the long term. The Magic are 9-8 thus far in 2015/16 and appear to be a much-improved team from last season, especially on the defensive end, which comes as little surprise given the presence of Skiles. But if the team hopes to take the next step toward being a contender in the East, Oladipo’s talent and buy-in will be needed, which makes any changes in his role a risky proposition.

But what say you? Is keeping Oladipo in a reserve role the best tactic for the team, or should he return to the starting lineup full-time? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

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2016/17 Salary Cap Projection: Dallas Mavericks

December 1st, 2015 at 9:34pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league prior to the official numbers being announced had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM. Many league executives and agents believe that the salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season.

The increase in the salary cap will almost assuredly set off a flurry of activity in the free agent market next summer, and it will also make it easier than ever for teams to deal away their higher-priced stars. Prudent executives are acutely aware of exactly how much cap room they have to play with, not just for the current campaign, but for next season and beyond as well. While the exact amount of 2016/17’s salary cap won’t be announced until next summer, it always pays to know just how much salary is on the books for each franchise. With this in mind, we at Hoops Rumors will be breaking down the projected 2016/17 financial commitments for each franchise, and we’ll continue onward with a look at the Dallas Mavericks:

  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $59,301,517*
  • Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $0
  • Non Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $3,329,208
  • Total Projected Salary Cap Commitments: $62,630,725

*Note: This amount includes the player options for Chandler Parsons ($16,023,000), Dirk Nowitzki ($8,692,184), and Deron Williams ($5,621,026). It also includes the $437,318 due Maurice Ndour, who was waived, and the $315,759 due Gal Mekel, who was waived via the stretch provision.

If the salary cap were to fall in line with the projection of $89MM, Dallas would be approximately $26,369,275 beneath the cap, or $32,369,275 if the cap were to be set at the higher mark of $95MM. Again, these are merely predictions until the exact cap amounts are announced, and they are not meant to illustrate the exact amount that the team will have available to spend this coming offseason.

Dallas will also need to make a decision regarding Dwight Powell, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer. If the Mavericks wish to retain the right to match any offer sheet he were to receive the team would need to submit a qualifying offer worth $1,180,431. This would increase the team’s projected cap commitment by that amount, though that number would merely be a place holder until Powell either inked a new deal or signed the qualifying offer, which would then set him up for unrestricted free agency the following offseason.

Trades and long-term free agent signings made during the season will also have a significant impact on the figures above, and we’ll be updating these posts to reflect the new numbers after any signings and trades have been made official.

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2016/17 Salary Cap Projection: Cleveland Cavaliers

December 1st, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league prior to the official numbers being announced had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM. Many league executives and agents believe that the salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season.

The increase in the salary cap will almost assuredly set off a flurry of activity in the free agent market next summer, and it will also make it easier than ever for teams to deal away their higher-priced stars. Prudent executives are acutely aware of exactly how much cap room they have to play with, not just for the current campaign, but for next season and beyond as well. While the exact amount of 2016/17’s salary cap won’t be announced until next summer, it always pays to know just how much salary is on the books for each franchise. With this in mind, we at Hoops Rumors will be breaking down the projected 2016/17 financial commitments for each franchise, and we’ll continue onward with a look at the Cleveland Cavaliers:

  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $91,329,188*
  • Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $11,561,446
  • Non Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $5,155,431
  • Total Projected Salary Cap Commitments: $108,046,065

*Note: This amount includes LeBron James‘ player option worth $24,004,173 and Mo Williams‘, which is worth $2,194,500.

If the salary cap were to fall in line with the projection of $89MM, Cleveland would be approximately $19,046,065 over the cap, or $13,046,065 if the cap were to be set at the higher mark of $95MM. Again, these are merely predictions until the exact cap amounts are announced, and they are not meant to illustrate the exact amount that the team will have available to spend this coming offseason.

Cleveland will also need to make a decision regarding Matthew Dellavedova, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer. If the Cavs wish to retain the right to match any offer sheet he were to receive the team would need to submit a qualifying offer worth $1,434,095. This would increase the team’s projected cap commitment by that amount, though that number would merely be a place holder until Dellavedova either inked a new deal or signed the qualifying offer, which would then set him up for unrestricted free agency the following offseason.

Trades and long-term free agent signings made during the season will also have a significant impact on the figures above, and we’ll be updating these posts to reflect the new numbers after any signings and trades have been made official.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

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Traded 2016 First-Round Pick Exchange Scenarios

December 1st, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nearly 20 different scenarios exist in which a 2016 first-round pick may change hands. Of course, some outcomes are more likely than others, but the relative likelihood in many cases has changed since the start of the season.

We’ll break down every scenario here, with an assist from our Round-by-Round Traded Picks Register, which Mark Porcaro compiles, and RealGM’s comprehensive database, as well as our Reverse Standings, which are updated daily. The simple explanation for the likelihood of each pick exchange is in bold, with details to follow:

  • Nets to Celtics (unprotected) — 100% certain to happen
  • Cavaliers to Suns (top-10 protected) — Overwhelmingly likely to happen: The Cavs haven’t disappointed thus far this season, as they sit atop the Eastern Conference, so barring a catastrophic turn of events for Cleveland, the Cavs are giving up this pick.
  • Mavericks to Celtics (top-7 protected) — Likely to happen: The Mavs, at 10-8 entering Tuesday’s game, have been surprisingly competitive, and with other Western Conference contenders struggling, the odds of Dallas keeping its pick look longer than they did at the beginning of the season.
  • Heat to Warriors (Golden State gets Miami’s pick if it falls outside the top 10 and comes after Golden State’s pick and Oklahoma City’s pick) — Unlikely to happen: A complicated set of scenarios surround this exchange, but essentially, the Heat would have to finish with a better record than the Warriors, who are already 19-0, as well as the Thunder. The Heat and the Thunder entered Tuesday separated by only a game, but that won’t matter as long as the Warriors stay out in front, so Miami’s pick probably won’t be going to Golden State.
  • Heat to Sixers (Philadelphia gets Miami’s pick if it falls outside the top 10 and comes before either Golden State’s pick or Oklahoma City’s pick) — Likely to happen: This would-be swap is a corollary to the long-shot Heat/Warriors possibility described above. Assuming Golden State keeps in front of Miami and the Heat, who are 10-6 so far, make the playoffs, Miami’s pick is going to Philly.
  • Thunder to Warriors (Golden State gets Oklahoma City’s pick if it falls outside the top 15 and comes after Miami’s pick and Oklahoma City’s pick) — Unlikely to happen: This is another one related to the Heat/Warriors exchange above. The Warriors already hold a seven and a half game lead on the Thunder, so don’t expect the Warriors to end up with this pick.
  • Thunder to Sixers (Philadelphia gets Miami’s pick if it falls outside the top 15 and comes before either Golden State’s pick or Oklahoma City’s pick) — Likely to happen: If the Thunder don’t send their pick to the Warriors, and it seems they won’t, they’re probably sending the pick to Philly. Oklahoma City, at 11-7, would have to miss the playoffs — or make the playoffs with the worst record among postseason teams — to keep the pick.
  • Warriors to Sixers (Philadelphia gets Golden State’s pick if it comes before either Miami’s pick or Oklahoma City’s pick, as long as Miami’s pick falls outside the top 10 and Oklahoma City’s pick falls outside the top 15) — Unlikely to happen: The final of this string of five possible outcomes depends on whether the Thunder or the Heat can catch the Warriors. It doesn’t seem anyone can, so this pick probably stays put.
  • Rockets to Nuggets (top-14 protected) — Toss-up: When I last looked at these scenarios, I called the Rockets a shoo-in for the playoffs. So much for that. Houston is 7-11, and after a coaching change, it’s anyone’s guess whether the team can right itself in time to make the playoffs.
  • Lakers to Sixers (top-3 protected) — Toss-up: The Lakers made moves that seemingly upgraded the team in the offseason, but that hasn’t shown up in the standings yet. Unless the Lakers start a major surge, this one likely comes down to the bounce of a pingpong ball.
  • Grizzlies to Nuggets (Denver gets the Memphis pick if it falls anywhere from No. 6 to No. 14) — Unlikely to happen: The Grizzlies looked shaky to start the season, but they entered play Tuesday at 10-8 and tied for fourth place in the Western Conference. They seem in strong position to at least make the playoffs, with so many other Western teams struggling.
  • Timberwolves to Celtics (top-12 protected) — Toss-up: The Wolves, at 8-9 going into Tuesday’s game, seem to be ahead of schedule in their climb up the Western Conference standings, but that doesn’t bode well for their chances of keeping this pick.
  • Knicks to Nuggets (Denver gets the better pick among its own and New York’s) —Toss-up: The Knicks appear to have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this season, but they’re still just two games better than Denver.
  • Knicks to Raptors (Toronto gets New York’s pick if it comes after Denver’s pick) —Toss-up: The Raptors will end up with whichever pick the Nuggets don’t take in the pick swap described immediately above, so with little separation between Denver and New York, this one is just as hard to call.
  • Nuggets to Raptors (Toronto gets the Denver’s pick if it comes after New York’s pick) — Toss-up: See the explanation for the last two picks.
  • Trail Blazers to Nuggets (top-14 protected) — Unlikely to happen: Portland has been competitive, but at 7-11 going into Tuesday’s game, the Blazers appear to have little chance at making the playoffs, so this pick is likely staying put.
  • Kings to Bulls (top-10 protected) — Toss-up: It’s tough to tell how strong the Kings truly are this season, since DeMarcus Cousins has missed seven of the team’s 19 games, and it’s hard to predict much of anything involving the Kings.
  • Kings to Sixers (Philadelphia gets the better of Sacramento’s pick and its own if Sacramento’s pick falls inside the top 10) — Unlikely: The Sixers will root for chaos in Sacramento, since Philadelphia will have a better chance to win the lottery the more the Kings lose. Still, the Kings will probably finish better than the Sixers do this year, since Philly is once more plumbing the depths of the standings, so this pick doesn’t appear destined for Philly.
  • Sixers to Kings (Sacramento gets the inferior of its own pick and Philadelphia’s pick if its own pick falls inside the top 10) — Unlikely: Since Philadelphia probably doesn’t end up with Sacramento’s pick, the Sixers probably won’t be sending their pick to the Kings.
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Several Starters From Last Season Now Out Of NBA

December 1st, 2015 at 1:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant has started in all 13 of his appearances this year for the Lakers, and if he manages to get through this season relatively healthy, he’ll stand a strong chance of leading an unusual list. Bryant won’t be playing in 2016/17, so assuming he keeps his promise to retire, he’ll be among those who started 10 or more games for a team one season and failed to so much as appear on an NBA roster the next. Nearly a dozen such players who made double-digits starts for a team last season are currently out of the league, and that doesn’t include others who made 10 or more starts spread among multiple teams last year, like Justin Hamilton, who is playing in Spain this season after splitting a total of 14 starts between the Heat and Timberwolves in 2014/15.

Henry Sims started nearly half the games the Sixers played last season, but he’s with the D-League affiliate of the Pistons this year, since the Suns cut him at the end of the preseason after he signed a non-guaranteed deal with Phoenix in the summer. The whereabouts of the rest of the players on the list run the gamut from free agency to overseas competition to retirement. Here’s a look at all 11 and what they’re up to now, with the number of starts they made for a single team in 2014/15 to left of each name and the team they made those starts for to the right:

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2015 Offseason In Review Series

December 1st, 2015 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Most of the NBA’s major offseason moves take place in July, but many significant transactions take place just as the season begins, as the Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson can attest. We at Hoops Rumors took a look at the full arc of the 2015 offseason, team by team, throughout November. The pieces linked below recapped and examined the offseason moves for each of the league’s 30 clubs, encompassing the June draft and going all the way up to the extensions and option decisions that took place in the season’s first week. If you missed any of our Offseason in Review posts, you can see them here, and this post will be linked on the sidebar under the “Featured Posts” menu.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Central Division

Southeast Division

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Pacific Division

Southwest Division

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Offseason In Review: Utah Jazz

November 30th, 2015 at 10:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Extensions

  • None

Trades

  • Acquired $1.5MM from the Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to Daniel Diez, the 2015 No. 54 overall pick.

Waiver Claims

Draft Picks

  • Trey Lyles (Round 1, 12th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
  • Tibor Pleiss (Round 2, 2010, 31st overall). Signed via cap room for three years, $9MM. Third year is partially guaranteed for $500K.
  • Olivier Hanlan (Round 2, 42nd overall). Signed overseas.
  • Raul Neto (Round 2, 2013, 47th overall). Signed via cap room for three years, $2.9MM. Third year is non-guaranteed.

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

The Jazz began to look like a real contender over the second half of last season and one strategy entering the 2015 offseason would have been to make a major acquisition to take the team to the next level. However, Utah wasn’t going to take any shortcuts. Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin O’Connor and GM Dennis Lindsey have built the team’s foundation over the past several years and this summer was about supplementing the young core that the executive tamdem had already assembled.

Nov 30, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) dunks the ball during the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Russ Isabella/USA TODAY Sports

The seeds of this team’s success were planted nearly five years ago when Utah traded Deron Williams to the Nets. In retrospect, the trade was an outstanding sell-high moment for the franchise and it provided an important building block for the future. Derrick Favors was the prize of the trade and he has developed into a force on both ends of the floor. The other pieces in the trade didn’t produce any significant building blocks, although one piece indirectly shaped the franchise going forward.

Enes Kanter, whom the Jazz took with the Nets’ first round pick in 2011, showed some promise with Utah, but after three and a half seasons, the Jazz gave up on the Kanter-Favors pairing and shipped Kanter to Oklahoma City. In return, the Jazz netted a few picks and the rights to Tibor Pleiss, whom the team signed to a three year, $9MM deal this offseason. Pleiss wasn’t expected to soak up major minutes, but he gives the team frontcourt depth in case of injuries.

The real value of the Kanter trade came in the form of minutes for Rudy Gobert, whose sudden emergence, as Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune told Hoops Rumors, no one saw coming. Once coach Quin Snyder inserted Gobert into the starting lineup, the team’s defense really started to hum. The success carried over this season, as Utah ranks third in the league in points allowed per game. Gobert is sixth in the league in rebounds thus far in the season with 10.8 per contest and second in the league in blocks with 2.77 per game.

The Jazz added another athletic big man when they used the No. 12 overall pick on Trey Lyles. The 6’10” Lyles, a power forward, often played out of position as a small forward at Kentucky, but the experience allowed him to develop a perimeter game, as Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors detailed in his Prospect Profile.  The 20-year-old has the length and frame to play both power forward and center and Snyder has given him run at the four and the five this season. He hasn’t seen many offensive opportunities thus far, scoring only 2.1 points in 8.5 minutes per game. The team isn’t really counting on him for production this season, as he’s viewed as more of a long-term project.

Utah was counting on Dante Exum to take the next step in his game, but the Australian tore the ACL in his left knee late in the summer and isn’t expected to play during the 2015/16 campaign. The Jazz didn’t respond to the Exum news with a major transaction, even though they had the cap room — nearly $7.27MM — to make a substantial offer to a free agent. Instead, they increased the roles of the players who were already in house. The Jazz inserted Raul Neto, who signed a three-year, $2.9MM deal with the team earlier in the offseason, into the starting lineup and he has impressed in 18.0 minutes per game this season. Neto is snatching 1.2 steals per game and the only point guard who ranks ahead of him in ESPN’s Real Defensive Plus/Minus is Kyle Lowry. Trey Burke is getting 21.5 minutes per game, but he’s improved since last season, shooting 44.9% from behind the arc while sporting a player efficiency rating of 15.8.

The play of Burke and Neto will be crucial this season, but the development of Alec Burks, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, will be key to the team’s success as well. Snyder has used Burks off the bench and at times as a de facto point guard this season and the Colorado product has meshed well with fellow wings Gordon Hayward, Joe Ingles and Rodney Hood. Burks is only dishing out 2.0 assists per game, but he’s scoring 15.1 points per game and shooting 39.5% from 3-point range, with a player efficiency rating of 16.2. If Burks can continue to progress on the defensive end and demonstrate that he can be proficient at both backcourt positions, his four-year, $42MM extension from the fall of 2014 will start to look like a bargain and the team will have serious sleeper potential.

The Jazz want to develop their core. They’re counting on Hayward, Hood, Burks, Favors and Gobert to take the next step together and form a contender in a loaded Western Conference. Development takes time. The franchise could have tried to accelerate the process this past summer by signing a few veterans or trading for an established talent. However, that’s not the front office’s current objective and a quiet offseason sounds like it was a solid plan for an up-and-coming team.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of it.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/28/15

November 28th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors and Rockets have been on completely different paths since meeting in the Western Conference Finals last spring. Golden State went on to win the title and set a record for consecutive victories to start a season. Houston started so poorly that coach Kevin McHale was sent packing after 11 games, as we chronicled in our Offseason in Review.

The Rockets’ 6-10 start is even worse than it looks on the surface. They have played 11 of their first 16 games at home, where they are just 4-7, including losses to the Nuggets, Nets, a depleted Mavericks team and then nearly to the winless Sixers on Friday night. That two-point win over Philadelphia and an overtime decision over Portland on November 18th (where Corey Brewer hit a long three-pointer off one leg at the buzzer to force the extra session) are all that separate the Rockets from a nine-game losing streak. They are 0-3 in the Southwest Division, 4-6 in the Western Conference and have an average point differential of -6.5.

In the James Harden era, the Rockets have succeed by bombarding their opponents with three-point shots. This season, they’re still taking them, but they aren’t making them. Going into today’s games, Houston led all NBA teams with an average of 31.7 three-point attempts per game, but is 29th in three-point percentage at an abysmal 31%. Some of the biggest offenders behind the arc include Trevor Ariza at 31%, Ty Lawson at 25% and Brewer at 23%. Even Harden, who has built a reputation as a three-point marksman, is connecting on just 31%.

Things aren’t any better when their opponents have the ball, as the Rockets are 28th in the league in points allowed. They are also 29th in committing turnovers and 17th in rebounding, mostly because of Dwight Howard, who gets 12.7 per game.

There is some hope, however. Point guard Patrick Beverley returned from an ankle injury this week, and power forward Donatas Motiejunas, out since April with back problems, may be ready next month. Plus it’s only November, and despite their awful start, the Rockets are just two games out of a playoff spot.

That leads us to our question of the day: Will the Rockets be a playoff team this season?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Please be aware of our commenting policy and use the comments section below to give us your opinion.

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Offseason In Review: Houston Rockets

November 28th, 2015 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Extensions

  • None

Trades

Waiver Claims

Draft Picks

  • Sam Dekker (Round 1, 18th overall). Signed via rookie scale exception to rookie scale contract.
  • Montrezl Harrell (Round 2, 32nd overall). Signed via mid-level exception for three years, $3.135MM.

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

The Rockets were having a wonderful offseason until something went wrong — they started playing games.

"Nov

Thomas B. Shea/USA TODAY Sports Images

After landing two projected first-round talents in the draft, re-signing nearly everyone from last year’s Western Conference finalists and dealing four spare parts for Ty Lawson, there were championship dreams in Houston. But the early-season reality has been far different. The Rockets have been plagued by a combination of poor shooting, poor defense and poor effort as they stumbled to an embarrassing start that led to the firing of coach Kevin McHale after 11 games.

“We just weren’t playing with any juice, with any rhythm,” McHale told Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle after the move was announced. “We haven’t been able to get the problems solved. We probably had more meetings in the last six weeks than in my previous four years here. It wasn’t working.” 

But it was expected to work, especially after a summer that appeared to be successful in every phase. It started in late June with the draft, where the Rockets were pleasantly surprised with the two players who fell to them. Using the 18th overall pick, which they acquired from the Pelicans in the 2014 trade involving Omer Asik, Houston landed Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker, a 6’9″ sharpshooter out of Wisconsin who was ranked 20th by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and 16th by ESPN’s Chad Ford. With the second pick in the second round, acquired from the Knicks in a 2012 deal involving Marcus Camby, the Rockets selected Montrezl Harrell (ranked 24th by Givony, 17th by Ford), a bruising 6’8″ forward out of Louisville known for his tenacity and rebounding. Dekker is expected to be sidelined for about three months after undergoing back surgery November 20th, while Harrell has fallen out of the rotation lately but showed flashes of promise in early-season play.

“I’m very excited,” GM Daryl Morey said to Feigen after the draft. “We got two top-, top-, top-level winners in college on extremely good Wisconsin and Louisville teams.”

With their draft picks in hand, the Rockets set out to keep the core of last year’s Southwest Division champs. Point guard Patrick Beverley signed for $23MM over four years. Reserve swingman Corey Brewer received $23.4MM over three years. Reserve forward K.J. McDaniels, who saw little playing time after coming to Houston in a midseason trade with the Sixers, wound up with a three-year, $10MM deal in late July, and veteran guard Jason Terry, after considering an offer from the Pelicans, decided in late August to remain in Houston, agreeing to the veteran’s minimum of nearly $1.5MM for one year. The only rotation players from 2014/15 who didn’t return were Josh Smith, who accepted a veteran’s minimum contract with the Clippers, and Pablo Prigioni, who also joined the Clippers on a minimum deal after having been included in the Lawson trade and then having been waived by the Nuggets. The Rockets added one outside free agent in Marcus Thornton, who signed a one-year minimum-salary deal worth nearly $1.2MM in July.

Even with the success in other areas, the Lawson trade was supposed to be the centerpiece of the Rockets’ offseason. The seventh-year point guard averaged a career high in assists with 9.6 per game last season, and he was expected to be the second playmaker Houston needed to reduce the burden on James Harden. Not only did he seem like a perfect fit, but his price tag was low, brought down by off-court issues, like a pair of DUI arrests and skipping practice. In return, Houston sent Prigioni, Joey Dorsey, Kostas Papanikolaou, Nick Johnson, cash considerations and a protected draft pick to Denver. The Nuggets subsequently waived all four players.

In one of the conditions of the deal, the Rockets got Lawson to agree to make his $13.2MM salary for the 2016/17 season — the final year of his contract — non-guaranteed. It’s a decision that may limit his time in Houston to one season, or possibly less. The fit the Rockets envisioned hasn’t worked out, and Lawson’s early-season numbers are down in nearly every category. Through 16 games, he is averaging 7.0 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 36% from the floor and 25% from 3-point range. He was pulled from the starting lineup when the Rockets made their coaching change and may be in danger of falling out of the rotation altogether with Beverley returning from injury this week.

The Rockets are dealing with the disconnect between a seemingly successful offseason and a nightmarish November. They’re currently getting nothing from Dekker and Harrell, the players they re-signed over the summer are off to slow starts and the addition of Lawson has been a disaster. A roster shakeup may be necessary to give new coach J.B. Bickerstaff any chance at leading the team back to the playoffs, which means the work Morey did over the offseason may not be complete.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of it.

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2016/17 Salary Cap Projection: Chicago Bulls

November 28th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league prior to the official numbers being announced had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM. Many league executives and agents believe that the salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season.

The increase in the salary cap will almost assuredly set off a flurry of activity in the free agent market next summer, and it will also make it easier than ever for teams to deal away their higher-priced stars. Prudent executives are acutely aware of exactly how much cap room they have to play with, not just for the current campaign, but for next season and beyond as well. While the exact amount of 2016/17’s salary cap won’t be announced until next summer, it always pays to know just how much salary is on the books for each franchise. With this in mind, we at Hoops Rumors will be breaking down the projected 2016/17 financial commitments for each franchise, and we’ll continue onward with a look at the Chicago Bulls:

  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $72,519,978
  • Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $0
  • Non Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $1,855,067
  • Total Projected Salary Cap Commitments: $74,375,045

If the salary cap were to fall in line with the projection of $89MM, Chicago would have approximately $14,624,955 in cap space, or $20,624,955 if the cap were to be set at the higher mark of $95MM. Again, these are merely predictions until the exact cap amounts are announced, and they are not meant to illustrate the exact amount that the team will have available to spend this coming offseason.

Trades and long-term free agent signings made during the season will also have a significant impact on the figures above, and we’ll be updating these posts to reflect the new numbers after any signings and trades have been made official.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

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