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2015/16 Salary Cap: Philadelphia 76ers

November 17th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from this past season, and the luxury tax line will be $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM.

With the October 26th cutoff date to set regular season rosters now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of running down the current salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Philadelphia 76ers, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

  • 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
  • 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $55,104,015
  • Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $359,267
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $4,639,797
  • Total Salary Cap Commitments= $60,103,079*
  • Remaining Cap Room= $9,896,921
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $24,636,921

*Note: This figure includes the $12,000,000 due JaVale McGee, the $10,105,855 owed to Gerald Wallace, the $2,836,768 due Furkan Aldemir, the $750,000 owed to Pierre Jackson, the $200,000 due Scottie Wilbekin, the $6,178 in salary paid to Jordan McRae, the $183,883 owed to Phil Pressey, the $2,179,353 due Tony Wroten and finally, the $3,089 paid to J.P. Tokoto, all of whom were waived by the team.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • Room Exception= $2,814,000

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $2,400,000

Last updated: 12/24/15 @ 6:00pm

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

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How 2015 First-Rounders Are Faring

November 17th, 2015 at 4:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s early, but three weeks into the season, we’re getting a glimpse at how well this year’s rookies are transitioning to the NBA, and we’re finding out which teams have expectations of receiving early dividends. We’ll check in on all 30 first-round picks:

  1. Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves — Towns has looked sharp. He’s the leading rebounder among rookies at 10.2 per game and is second among first-rounders points per game with 15.5.
  2. D’Angelo Russell, Lakers — His lack of playing time during fourth quarters has been well-documented, but he’s still playing more than half the game, with 9.5 points and 2.7 assists in 24.8 minutes per contest.
  3. Jahlil Okafor, Sixers — Philadelphia has given him plenty of opportunities, and he’s taken advantage, leading all first-rounders in points (19.2) and minutes (33.7) per game.
  4. Kristaps Porzingis, Knicks — The Latvian has surprised with his early adaptation to the NBA, notching 11.4 points and 8.4 boards per game so far.
  5. Mario Hezonja, Magic — He’s brought the shooting, as advertised, knocking down 38.5% of his 3-pointers, but he’s only seeing 14.8 minutes per game, fewer than all but one other top 10 pick.
  6. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kings — He’s been in and out of a fluctuating Kings starting lineup, but he’s been efficient on the boards with 5.9 rebounds in just 19.8 minutes per game.
  7. Emmanuel Mudiay, Nuggets — Denver handed its offense over to him, and while he leads all first-rounders with 6.2 assists per game, he’s also turning it over 4.7 times a night. His 30.4 minutes per game are second only to Okafor’s among first-rounders.
  8. Stanley Johnson, Pistons — He’s been up and down, springing for 20 points against the Warriors a night after scoring only three against the Trail Blazers.
  9. Frank Kaminsky, Hornets — Four years of college ball were supposed to allow him to step right into a prominent role, but instead he’s seen only 10.2 minutes per game.
  10. Justise Winslow, Heat — He isn’t starting yet, but he’s already playing the majority of the game and is looking like the steal he was thought to be.
  11. Myles Turner, Pacers — An injury will shelve him for at least six weeks, and minor ailments had helped limit the big man to just 15.9 minutes per game so far, despite Indiana’s high hopes for him.
  12. Trey Lyles, Jazz — The power forward has made two starts but has seen just 8.7 minutes per game.
  13. Devin Booker, Suns — The youngest draftee has predictably seen little playing time, with just 8.3 minutes per contest.
  14. Cameron Payne, Thunder — He may be a lottery pick, but among first-rounders who’ve made it into games so far this year, he has the third fewest minutes per game, with 4.0.
  15. Kelly Oubre Jr., Wizards — Injuries have thrust a modicum of playing time on Oubre, though the expected December return of Alan Anderson threatens to change that.
  16. Terry Rozier, Celtics — The point guard has made it into six games and averaged 8.3 minutes per, but he’s also gone on D-League assignment.
  17. Rashad Vaughn, Bucks — Vaughn’s a project, but he’s shown glimpses, as his 10-point, 12-minute opening-night performance demonstrates.
  18. Sam Dekker, Rockets — No first-rounder has seen less playing time than Dekker has, as he’s managed just six minutes total so far, despite Houston’s struggles.
  19. Jerian Grant, Knicks — Like Porzingis, his teammate, Grant has also played a surprisingly prominent role for New York, averaging 6.8 points, 3.7 assists and 1.5 turnovers in 21.3 minutes per contest.
  20. Delon Wright, Raptors — Kyle Lowry and Cory Joseph have the point guard position locked down in Toronto, where Wright has only seen 10 total minutes thus far.
  21. Justin Anderson, Mavericks — The Mavs have found opportunities to give Anderson at least a taste of game action amid their fast start, as he’s notched 3.2 points in 7.4 minutes per game.
  22. Bobby Portis, Bulls — The frontcourt in Chicago has simply proven too stacked for Portis to get much run. He’s only appeared in a pair of games, averaging 10 minutes per appearance.
  23. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Nets — It’s been a woeful season in Brooklyn, where Lionel Hollins hasn’t been reluctant to turn to the rookie. At 6’7″, he’s grabbed an impressive 5.7 boards in just 18.7 minutes per contest.
  24. Tyus Jones, Timberwolves — The Final Four Most Outstanding Player is behind Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine, and he’s only seen 14 total minutes so far.
  25. Jarell Martin, Grizzlies — He’s yet to play because of a broken foot he suffered in the offseason.
  26. Nikola Milutinov, Spurs — Playing overseas and averaging 3.4 points in 12.9 minutes per game for Olympiacos of Greece.
  27. Larry Nance Jr., Lakers — He’s played in each of the team’s last seven games, averaging 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per contest, including a 6 for 6 shooting night against the Magic.
  28. R.J. Hunter, Celtics — Unlike Rozier, he hasn’t gone on D-League assignment, and he’s averaging 12.3 minutes per game even though he’s yet to find his outside shot.
  29. Chris McCullough, Nets — Still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in college.
  30. Kevon Looney, Warriors — He’s yet to play after offseason hip surgery.
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Following Specific Players On Hoops Rumors

November 17th, 2015 at 3:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The regular season is well underway, and some teams are starting to separate from the pack while others are lagging behind. We’ve already seen one trade, and more will follow. Hoops Rumors lets you keep up with your favorite teams as they plot for the future, and we also provide ways to easily follow the latest on all of your favorite players and trade candidates. If you want to stay up to date on DeMarcus Cousins rumors, you can find Cousins’ page right here. For intel on soon-to-be free agent Kevin Durant, go here. Updates on top draft prospect Ben Simmons are found on this page.

You can get news about players wherever you go with our Trade Rumors app, available for iOS and Android devices. The app is free and allows you to add a feed for any player and set up notifications that will alert you whenever we write about him.

Every player we’ve written about has his own rumors page. You can find any player by using our search box (located in the right sidebar); by clicking his tag at the bottom of a post in which he’s discussed; or, by simply typing his name in your address bar after hoopsrumors.com, substituting dashes for spaces. For example, Stephen Curry’s page is hoopsrumors.com/stephen-curry.

You can also set up an RSS feed for any of our player pages by adding /feed to the end of the page URL, like this: hoopsrumors.com/mike-conley/feed. Entering that URL into the reader of your choice should enable you to get updates whenever we write about Mike Conley. It works for teams, too. If you’re a Spurs fan, you can enter hoopsrumors.com/san-antonio-spurs/feed into your reader and stay on top of all the latest from San Antonio.

In addition to players and teams, there are a number of other subjects you can track by clicking on the tags that we use at the bottom of posts. You can keep tabs on news related to the draft right here. Items about the salary cap can be found on this page. You can simply scan our top stories here. Again, you can set up a feed with any of these pages by adding /feed to the end of the URL.

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More Than Two Dozen Join $10MM-Plus Club

November 17th, 2015 at 12:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The NBA’s salary cap hit a record $70MM this season, and with it, 28 players are making eight-figure salaries this season after pulling in less than $10MM in 2014/15, including 26 who’ve never eclipsed the $10MM mark before. Two-thirds of the teams in the league have at least one player who’s new to the $10MM club.

Only six of those 28 changed teams in the offseason. Some of that is because a few of the players simply crossed the $10MM mark because of raises built into their existing contracts, but it nonetheless illustrates the advantages that teams have to retain their own players with new deals. Bird rights, extensions, and even a renegotiation, for Wilson Chandler, came into play.

The volume of players crossing the $10MM threshold only stands to increase next season, when the salary cap is projected to shoot up to $89MM. In the meantime, here’s a list of each player making an eight figure salary this season who didn’t last year, categorized by team with the salaries rounded to the nearest $1K:

Bucks

Bulls

Cavaliers

Celtics

Clippers

  • None

Grizzlies

  • None

Hawks

Heat

Hornets

Jazz

  • None

Kings

  • None

Knicks

  • Robin Lopez — $12.65MM (last season $6.125MM on Trail Blazers)

Lakers

  • None

Magic

Mavericks

Nets

Nuggets

Pacers

  • *Monta Ellis — $10.3MM (last season $8.36MM on Mavericks)

Pelicans

Pistons

Raptors

Rockets

  • None

Sixers

  • None

Spurs

Suns

Thunder

Timberwolves

Trail Blazers

  • None

Warriors

Wizards

  • None

— Players marked with an asterisk made less than $10MM last season, but have cleared $10MM in previous seasons.

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

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Offseason In Review: Dallas Mavericks

November 17th, 2015 at 10:05am CST by Chuck Myron

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 Zaza Pachulia from the Bucks in exchange for Dallas’ 2018 second round pick (top-55 protected).

Waiver Claims

  • None

Draft Picks

  • Justin Anderson (Round 1, 21st overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
  • Satnam Singh (Round 2, 52nd overall). Signed in the D-League.

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

  • None
NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The offseason was a lesson in the differences between the terms “free agency” and “team control.” DeAndre Jordan famously taught the Mavs and the NBA world about the vagaries of the July Moratorium, too, with his infamous flip-flop that left Dallas with no alternative that was nearly as attractive as Jordan following through on his commitment to the Mavs would have been. Tyson Chandler, surprised by the team’s decision to prioritize Jordan instead of him, had already bolted for the Suns. Only the defensively challenged Enes Kanter, essentially a mirror opposite of Jordan, was left among marquee free agent centers by the time Jordan signed with the Clippers, and as the Thunder proved when they matched the offer sheet that Kanter signed with the Trail Blazers, he wouldn’t have ended up in Dallas, anyway.

The Pacers had already committed to trade Roy Hibbert to the Lakers, and the Kings clung fast to DeMarcus Cousins in spite of all the rumors. So, the Mavs came up with a low-cost alternative, sending virtually nothing to the Bucks for Zaza Pachulia, whom Dallas absorbed into its cap space. It was not a heralded acquisition, to be sure, yet Pachulia has long proven a valuable part of winning teams. He was a mainstay on the Joe Johnson/Josh Smith Hawks, and he started 45 regular season games and all six postseason contests for a resurgent Milwaukee squad last season. He’s only once been a full-time starter, but as his averages of nearly a double-double so far for the Mavs prove, he’s capable of filling that role with the right supporting cast around him.

Of course, it’s debatable whether the Mavs have enough around him to make the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki had another birthday in June, his 37th, and the month before that, Chandler Parsons had right knee surgery that’s limited his playing time this season. Plus, Wesley Matthews, who inherited both a max contract and the mantle of having been the team’s most prominent offseason addition when Jordan turned tail, hasn’t quite looked himself yet as he returns from a torn Achilles tendon.

Matthews was a gamble on the four-year, $57MM deal to which Dallas originally signed him, and he comes with an even greater risk at the four-year max of about $70MM that he wound up with post-Jordan. The Mavs reached agreement with Matthews before their ill-fated deal with Jordan, and when they did, they promised Matthews they’d give him $57MM, the most they’d have left over if they signed Jordan, and the max if they didn’t, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. They honored that commitment when Jordan backed out and even gave Matthews the chance to get out of his deal, but the Jeff Austin client decided to stick to it, as MacMahon detailed. It all added up to a contract for the former Blazers shooting guard that at least one opposing GM called “insane”, but the Mavs nonetheless have a player who wants to be part of the team and who’s determined to return to form as perhaps the best three-and-D wing in the game.

He replaces Monta Ellis, whom the team appeared to show little interest in retaining. The same was true of backcourt partner Rajon Rondo, as three-fifths of last year’s starting lineup, which the team had appeared eager to keep together in the days shortly after the Rondo trade, departed via free agency. Filling Rondo’s place is Deron Williams, whom the Mavs reportedly emerged as a strong bet to sign even before he worked his buyout with the Nets. His presence on the Mavs roster at not quite $5.379MM this season represents a touch of optimism about the team’s plight this summer, not necessarily because of his ability to outplay that salary, but because the Mavs would be paying him more than $20MM this year if he had picked Dallas when he was the No. 1 free agent target in 2012. The 31-year-old is clearly no longer an elite talent, and he’s averaging his fewest points, assists and minutes per game since he was a rookie, but at a salary akin to the mid-level, his production is commensurate with his pay.

The Dallas bench is devoid of a couple of key figures from last season, including Al-Farouq Aminu, who quickly committed to the Blazers and thus was unavailable when Jordan’s return to L.A. meant the Mavs suddenly had the cap space necessary to keep the combo forward who’d blossomed under coach Rick Carlisle. The specter of the broken Jordan deal also painted the departure of Richard Jefferson, who backed out of his deal to re-sign to instead ink with the Cavs, albeit with owner Mark Cuban’s blessing.

J.J. Barea, like Matthews, received a bump in his pay because of Jordan’s indecision, going from a two-year, $5.7MM arrangement to $16MM over four years. The 31-year-old spark plug still provides a lift off the bench and a link to the franchise’s championship squad, but while $4MM isn’t too much to pay at this point, a strong chance exists that he won’t be nearly as productive by the fourth year. It’s a front-loaded contract, but it still calls for him to make more than $3.71MM in the final season.

The Mavs didn’t invest nearly as much in JaVale McGee, whom they hope will be just as integral as Barea is, if not more so. McGee’s slow-healing leg hasn’t allowed him to play despite the team’s commitment of a $750K partial guarantee, but the Mavs could use a jolt, especially at center. They can go until January without committing more than $1MM to see if the 27-year-old can rekindle the promise he once showed with the Nuggets, and with a team salary just slightly above the cap, it’s a justifiable gamble.

That’s especially so with the team’s strong contributions for minimum-salary players Dwight Powell and John Jenkins so far. The Mavs elected to keep Powell and cut others with fully guaranteed deals despite Powell’s quiet rookie season, and he’s rewarded them with 10.5 points and 8.1 rebounds in just 22.1 minutes per game. Jenkins, a former first-round pick who has struggled to find his footing in the NBA, was a preseason sensation for Dallas after signing in the offseason, and he had a 17-point game against the Clippers in his second regular season game for the Mavs.

It’s a testament to Carlisle’s skill and further reason why the Mavs signed him to a five-year, $35MM extension this month, picking up his 2016/17 team option in the process. He’d made the case for it time and again over the years, and while speculation mounted about Carlisle’s future before the deal, it didn’t seem as though Cuban and the Mavs would ever let one of the game’s best coaches get away.

Carlisle’s fingerprints are all over the team’s surprising 7-4 start. It was a most heartbreaking offseason for the Mavs, but they remain a threat on the market for next summer, and with Carlisle, Matthews, Parsons, whatever Nowitzki can give them and perhaps a budding mainstay in Powell, who’ll be a restricted free agent next summer, they have an attractive supporting cast. It’s just that the superstar addition they’ve longed for still remains out of reach, and out of their hands.

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

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Offseason In Review: Orlando Magic

November 16th, 2015 at 8:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

  • None

Draft Picks

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Magic’s most significant offseason acquisition has not appeared in a game with them since 1994. The reason they brought him back was that many of the players on the current roster weren’t even born when he was wearing the Magic uniform.

Orlando spent the last few years acquiring young talent. GM Rob Hennigan needed a defensive-minded taskmaster to mold that group into a cohesive unit. Hennigan and the rest of the Orlando front office sought a proven NBA head coach who fit that description and chose an old fan favorite in Scott Skiles. “Our young roster will benefit greatly from Scott’s extensive head coaching experience and commitment to teaching smart, physical, unselfish basketball,” Hennigan said when he announced the decision. “We believe in Scott’s ability to establish a culture of winning habits and accountability that will help guide our team in a positive direction.”

The Magic also interviewed Mike Woodson for the job and a number of high-profile coaches, including Tom Thibodeau, Alvin Gentry and Scott Brooks, were reportedly potential candidates. Skiles received a four-year deal in late May, with a team option on the last season. It’s fair to wonder whether Skiles will last that long, or whether he’ll live up to his reputation of improving his team in the short run and then quickly wearing out his welcome.

That’s essentially what happened with Skiles in his previous head coaching stints with the Suns, Bulls and Bucks. But as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com recently noted, none of his successors won championships. He also had the chance to step back after those experiences and learn from his mistakes, which will theoretically make him a better coach as he tries to get the most out of his youth-laden roster.

Orlando is so young that reserve center Dewayne Dedmon, who is in his third NBA season, is the fourth-oldest player on the team. That a 26-year-old with 90 games of experience entering the season would be considered a graybeard by Magic standards shows just how green a group Skiles has inherited. The Magic have 10 players 25 or younger, while just two players have reached their 30th birthday.

Instilling a defensive mentality was the most crying need for the kiddie corps. The Magic finished 28th in defensive field-goal percentage last season at 46.3% and second-to-last in defensive 3-point percentage (36.8%). Thus far, the results have been promising. Through their first 11 games, the Magic are holding opponents to 42.3% shooting overall and 31.9% from long range.

Orlando added another top-five draft pick to its collection in June, choosing swingman Mario Hezonja. The 6’8″ Hezonja provides depth at both wing positions and has jumped right into the rotation. Hezonja’s athleticism and outside shooting elevated him to the top of the draft among shooting guard/small forward prospects but there’s no obvious starting spot for him in the foreseeable future unless the Magic fail to re-sign impending restricted free agent Evan Fournier.

The Magic made a couple of under-the-radar signings to bring in some experienced players, inking point guard C.J. Watson to a three-year deal and big man Jason Smith to a one-year pact. Watson not only gives starter Elfrid Payton a voice of experience to consult as he learns the intricacies of the position, he’s also a valuable rotation piece. Watson is averaging 19.5 minutes per game.

Smith has also gotten some minutes in a backup role at power forward and center, mainly due to an early-season injury to center Nikola Vucevic. But Smith seems more like an insurance policy, especially since Skiles has often used a smaller lineup.

The biggest development in free agency was the Magic’s decision to retain forward Tobias Harris. Orlando opened its vault and locked him up with a four-year, $64MM deal three days into free agency, rather than waiting for a suitor to extend an offer sheet and being forced to match those figures. The Magic were reportedly unwilling to match a maximum salary offer sheet, but Harris didn’t receive such an offer when the free agent signing period officially commenced. Several teams, including Hawks, Knicks, Pistons, and Celtics, had interest in him.

The club could find itself in a similar spot next summer with Fournier becoming a restricted free agent. The two parties passed on a rookie scale extension, setting up the scenario of Orlando doling out a sizable deal to retain him. Fournier has gotten off to such a strong start that his foray into free agency could determine the direction of the franchise, according to Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com.

By adding Hezonja and re-signing Harris, the Magic didn’t have a role for another young swingman, Maurice Harkless. They found a new home for him, shipping him to the Trail Blazers for a future second-rounder. They also fortified their backcourt by acquiring Shabazz Napier from the Heat. Napier, who recently had a 22-point outing with Watson sidelined by a minor injury, made them deep at the point guard spot at the cost of a protected second-round pick for next season.

Personnel moves aside, the biggest change for the Magic this season is the man running the show. It’s almost certain that a team loaded with so many young players will improve. The extent of that improvement — and Skiles’ ability to learn from the past and stick around long enough to turn this core group into a perennial playoff contender — will decide how meaningful this offseason was for the Magic.

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

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Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Lakers

November 16th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

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

  • None

Draft Picks

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

More than half of last year’s roster is gone, so in one sense, this is a new beginning for the Lakers. Still, the purple-and-gold are stuck in the same non-contending circumstances in which they’ve found themselves since their star-studded 2012/13 underwhelmed, and whether the Lakers are any closer to escaping that realm is in the eye of the beholder. Executive VP of basketball operations Jim Buss believes the Lakers are “in dynamite position,” and though he meant it favorably with regard to the state of the franchise, some might have raised an eyebrow at his use of a term most commonly defined as an explosive.

Indeed, the Lakers’ reputation as a pre-eminent free agent destination has suffered serious damage over the past few years. The team’s presentation to LaMarcus Aldridge missed the mark, focusing far too much on business and not enough on basketball for the power forward’s liking. Their pitch to DeAndre Jordan was “somewhat underwhelming,” a source told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Rumors consistently linked former UCLA standout Kevin Love to the Lakers, but he recommitted to the Cavs on the first day of free agency. The Lakers reportedly planned to target Goran Dragic but lost interest when they became enamored with D’Angelo Russell before the draft, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

The addition of Russell turned out to be the most significant offseason move for the team, though early returns aren’t particularly favorable, thanks in large measure to coach Byron Scott‘s reluctance to play him during fourth quarters. Still, he’s only 19, and the Lakers clearly believe in him, taking a risk as they did to defy the conventional wisdom that center Jahlil Okafor and his polished offensive talents represented the best option outside of No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns. Part of that had to do with the team’s belief that it could snag one of the top big men on the free agent market, which turned out to be misguided. Still, it became clear that the Lakers fell in love with Russell’s diverse offensive skill set. He played shooting guard at Ohio State, so it was a bit odd to see Scott use Russell’s acumen at the point as a rationale for picking him instead of Emmanuel Mudiay, who slipped to the Nuggets at No. 7. Mudiay probably has a higher ceiling, as Russell doesn’t have super athleticism, but scouts and executives had much more to go on with Russell, whose stock rose as he performed deftly for Ohio State last season.

Russell joins Julius Randle, who’s returned from a broken leg, along with an upgraded cast of veterans that had the team hoping it could focus on player development and win more games at the same time, as Medina told us in a recent edition of The Beat. The winning part hasn’t happened much yet, but Randle and Jordan Clarkson represent two of the top four Lakers in shots per game, so Scott hasn’t been afraid to go young. Naturally, Kobe Bryant leads the team in field goal attempts, but the other player in that top four, Lou Williams, joined the Lakers at the peak of his powers. Williams is coming off a Sixth Man of the Year award with the Raptors, though the team decided against offering him a chance to return as it instead decided to focus on defense. That’s an indictment of Williams, but his scoring prowess isn’t lacking, and the Lakers pounced on him for $7MM a year over the next three seasons, a bargain, especially considering the rising salary cap.

The Lakers will shell out much more than that for their lone trade acquisition. Roy Hibbert was the team’s fallback option when the marquee free agent big men went elsewhere, though GM Mitch Kupchak has expressed optimism that Hibbert will nonetheless become a core player. This is a trial season of sorts for the former All-Star whose game regressed in his last season and a half with Indiana. He’s on an expiring contract that’ll pay him nearly $15.6MM this season, though he’ll have to perform to make a case for a similar salary again next season, not to mention to keep his newfound spot as the Lakers starting center. Like Williams, he’s another player his old team seemingly didn’t want anymore. Still, the Lakers are asking him to concentrate on just one end of the floor, and if he can prove the game-changing defender he was in his heyday at Indiana, the Lakers will have Bird rights and seemingly an inside track to re-signing a key player.

The Lakers did come away with a well-regarded inside player, though Brandon Bass is apparently on the roster for his abilities as a complementary player and as a veteran mentor for Randle, whom the Lakers have chosen to start instead of Bass at power forward. Bass is also ostensibly around to aid the development of Larry Nance Jr., the power forward out of Wyoming who was the team’s other first-round pick this year. The 30-year-old Bass is making a positive contribution on the court even in limited minutes, doing the finest per-36-minute work on the glass of his career so far. He comes cheaply at a salary of just $3MM this season, but the Lakers may only benefit from him for a year, since he has a player option for next season.

No such early exit clause is a part of Nick Young‘s contract, perhaps a factor in the team’s inability to find a trade partner willing to take him in a deal the Lakers found palatable. The team reportedly abandoned its exploration of the trade market for him over the summer after coming up empty. It leaves the scorer in a reduced role with Russell and Williams in the backcourt, but he’s still a part of the rotation, and with salaries of $5-6MM a year between now and 2017/18, he doesn’t eat too much of the cap.

The Lakers can offset salaries they don’t want with bargain finds like Marcelo Huertas, who’s at the back end of the rotation on a deal for the rookie minimum salary. They also have Metta World Peace on a minimum-salary deal, but he hasn’t been an on-court factor and seems to chiefly be around as another mentor for Randle.

World Peace and Bryant are reminders of the Lakers’ gloried past, one that casts a broad shadow over the team’s rebuilding project. It’s one that seems likely to take time, and ultimately, the Lakers will probably have to reckon with the interpretation primary owner Jeanie Buss takes of her brother’s promise to step down if the team isn’t contending again soon. Jeanie Buss believes it’s a vow to resign if the team doesn’t reach the Western Conference Finals this season or next, though Kupchak apparently doesn’t see it that way, and Jim Buss isn’t focused primarily on making the playoffs for this season.

Kupchak sees Clarkson and Russell as the team’s backcourt of the next 10 to 12 years, and if they show signs this year that they’re capable of becoming a long-term starting guard tandem, it’ll also serve as a positive bellwether of the team’s ability to draft. The Lakers owe a top-three protected first-round pick to the Sixers this season, and they still must give a first-rounder to Orlando to pay off the ill-fated Dwight Howard trade. The draft will nonetheless be as important a tool as any for a franchise that’s clearly no longer the free agent draw it once was.

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

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2015/16 NBA Reverse Standings

November 16th, 2015 at 12:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

The 2015/16 season isn’t quite three weeks old yet, but many scouts and executives around the league are already preparing for the 2016 NBA draft. They’re no doubt cognizant of how their respective NBA teams are doing as they attempt to get an idea of where they’ll be picking, and with our Reverse Standings, which list the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, you can easily follow along, too. Hoops Rumors will be updating these standings daily to reflect the outcomes of the games that took place the night before.

The Reverse Standings take into account playoff teams in each conference, so they’re essentially a reflection of what the 2016 first-round order would look like with no changes to lottery position. Traded picks are included via footnotes. For instance, the note next to the Lakers’ pick indicates that they’ll give up their pick to the Sixers if they finish outside the top three. The Lakers are currently fourth, so that means the Sixers are in line for both the top pick and the fourth overall pick, depending on how the lottery shakes out.

The existence of the lottery means the teams atop the Reverse Standings aren’t guaranteed to draft in the order in which they finish, but the worse a club’s record, the better shot it has at landing the cream of the 2016 draft class. This year’s group of prospects, which includes Ben Simmons, Skal Labissiere, Brandon Ingram and Dragan Bender, is heavy on frontcourt players, and we’ll be finding out more about them in the month ahead with posts under our 2016 NBA Draft tag.

Our Reverse Standings feature can be found at anytime on our right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.” It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2016. Be sure to check back often!

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Top Bloggers: Nate Parham On The Warriors

November 16th, 2015 at 9:02am CST by Zachary Links

Anyone can have a blog about an NBA team, but some set themselves apart from the rest with the dedication and valuable insight they bring to their craft. We’ll be sharing some knowledge from these dialed-in writers on Hoops Rumors in a new feature called Top Bloggers. As with The Beat, our ongoing series of interviews with NBA beat writers, it’s part of an effort to bring Hoops Rumors readers ever closer to the pulse of the teams they follow. Last time, we spoke with Troy Tauscher, who is a writer for Fansided’s Valley Of The Suns. Click here to see the entire Top Bloggers series.

Next up is Nate Parham, who is the Managing Editor of SB Nation’s Golden State Of Mind. You can follow Nate on Twitter at @NateP_SBN and click here to check out his stories.

Hoops Rumors: Do you sense that the Warriors have picked up a lot of bandwagon fans since winning the title? Do you find that those fans are being embraced by the Warriors community at large or is there some sort of divide between them and those that have been fans for years?

Nate Parham: There’s no question that the Warriors have picked up a large group of bandwagon fans as a result of the championship.  As a Warriors fan, I feel that “We Believe” was a flash in the pan that was exciting, but mostly in a way that diehards were best positioned to appreciate because it happened so fast after years of mediocrity. In this case, I’ve never seen so much Warriors merchandise or excitement in the Bay Area and that is definitely a sign that the Warriors have finally become cool.

Along those lines, I think the Warriors were in a unique position to expand their base.  For the majority of the target demographic (18-35 year olds), they’d never really known much but losing and, as a result, a general lack of respect. And I have personally never met anyone who holds that up as a badge of honor; there’s nothing to really celebrate as valued knowledge during that time and I wouldn’t wish that torture on anyone. When the team is suddenly the “Brand New Hotness,” it’s mostly just sort of nice to have this thing you’ve invested so much emotion into finally get any type of respect. That bandwagon fans joining the party just makes it more exciting.

Hoops Rumors: Where is the expectation level for Warriors fans now? Is it title-or-bust?

Nate Parham: I think that depends on who you talk to.  I think this whole thing is still sort of surreal for most people. Since the late ’70s, it’s not just that the Warriors didn’t make the playoffs much, it’s that they were never close to being a contender. Again, you sort of just have to appreciate the fact that the team is in the mix. I think another title would just be gravy at this point.  

The West is tough, LeBron has a pretty easy path through the East, and there are a number of variables that could work against the Warriors this year that would lead to falling short. I fully expect this team to repeat, but if they don’t, there’s no reason that this group can’t grow from the experience and contend again next season. To me, it’s about continuing to grow and making moves to keep themselves at the top for as long as possible rather than winning every single year.  It’s always interesting to note that the Spurs have never won back-to-back titles despite being considered one of the top franchises in all of U.S. pro sports.

Hoops Rumors: David Lee is out, Jason Thompson is in. What do you think the Warriors have gained in Thompson and how will the loss of Lee affect them?

Nate Parham: Well, I don’t think the loss of Lee will affect them much at all…but there are certainly Warriors fans who think that’s a huge loss. I just think that he did little for the team defensively and Harrison Barnes has been so effective as a small ball four that Lee really didn’t have a place on the team. The hope was that Thompson would be a defensive presence off the bench, but even with Bogut injured he has hardly played. So right now, all I can say we’ve gained is salary cap room because Thompson isn’t necessary to beat another team some consider a contender by 50.

Hoops Rumors: Big man Festus Ezeli did not sign an extension prior to the deadline. What was your reaction to that news? What do you think would have been a fair deal for both sides?

Nate Parham: There’s risk involved, certainly, as I really don’t think Ezeli’s value can go anywhere but up.  He hadn’t played 82 games over a two year span due to injury so he had no leverage by signing now. Conversely, consider that a player like Enes Kanter got a four-year, $70MM contract to come off the bench for the Thunder this year; if Ezeli proves that he can be a functional starter for a contender this year, he’s going to command a lot of money. I’m sure he knew that. And with Bogut’s body only getting more worn down, it would make a ton of sense for the Warriors to be thinking about Ezeli as his homegrown replacement for the future.

Ultimately, reasonable money for Ezeli is probably in the $15MM per year range.  Capable bigs are hard to find and if you’ve already invested the time and money developing one, you might as well hold on to him if possible.

Hoops Rumors: Barnes also broke off talks with the Warriors prior to the deadline. How do you see things playing out with him as he heads towards restricted free agency?

Nate Parham: Barnes is tricky. I’ve taken the position that not only does he fit the system but he’s also an extremely unique player in his 3-and-D versatility. I’m not one who believes he’ll be an All-Star, but he’s already becoming an elite role player and when you have Steph, Klay and Dray as your core, a young player like Barnes to go with them, that seems like a great recipe for success.

The big question is whether Barnes believes he could blossom elsewhere in an environment where he would be given more freedom to be his own man. I honestly believe that the big limiting factor for him is his handle and ability to consistently create offense: it’s nice to see him dunk on Dwight Howard, but it’s troubling to see Jamal Crawford shut him down in the post the next week. It’s hard to read minds, but if the Warriors do repeat it just seems silly to leave a championship situation. He has time to chase individual glory with his next contract; it makes far more sense right now for him to stick with a contender. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Warriors sign him for the exact contract that was turned down this summer.

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The Beat: Ben Bolch On The Clippers

November 15th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Chuck Myron
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch

Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.

We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post about the Wizards. Click here to see all the previous editions of this series.

Today, we gain insight on the Clippers from Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @latbbolch, and check out his stories right here.

Hoops Rumors: Have you noticed any changes in DeAndre Jordan or the way the team regards him in the wake of his near-defection to the Mavs this summer?

Ben Bolch: Jordan has seemed a touch more serious than in recent seasons, perhaps a sign of his maturity and increased leadership role. His offensive game seems about the same, though, and that’s fine because the Clippers don’t need him to score more than he does. He just needs to continue being the defensive captain and rebound-grabbing force that has made him one of the league’s most coveted big men. His rebounding is down a bit from recent seasons but it’s still too early in the season to think those numbers won’t go up.

Hoops Rumors: Lance Stephenson unexpectedly won a spot in the opening-night starting lineup. What has he done that’s impressed Doc Rivers?

Ben Bolch: Well, he lost that spot against the Pistons and it will be interesting to see whether he starts going forward once the entire roster is back intact. Rivers thought Stephenson was a better fit with the starters and it helped the second unit’s rhythm as well. I’m not sure that’s been the case through the season’s first few weeks. My take is that Stephenson is best with the ball in his hands and the floor spaced so he can attack the basket, something he can’t do with Blake Griffin and Jordan on the court. He might be best utilized with the second unit.

Hoops Rumors: Jamal Crawford‘s minutes are down, but he seems OK with it so far, even though he appeared to hint at dissatisfaction over the summer and is entering a contract year. How have the Clippers convinced him to stay engaged?

Ben Bolch: Crawford’s immense value was never clearer than in the game against the Pistons where he scored 37 points in a spot start. He’s done a great job of staying patient and professional amid the reduced playing time and will be an important part of whatever success the Clippers have this season. It was interesting to note that Crawford’s best game came with Stephenson barely playing — less than two minutes. One of the big questions coming into the season was whether Crawford and Stephenson could coexist as contributors and it hasn’t been answered.

Hoops Rumors: Paul Pierce was a locker room leader for the Wizards, but the Clippers have others to fill that role, Chris Paul in particular. What sort of approach is Pierce taking on this team?

Ben Bolch: He’s been vocal. Doc Rivers said he’s entered the locker room on several occasions to find Pierce addressing the team and saying things that Rivers had planned to say. That’s a big boost for the coaching staff and the players to have that voice of someone who has won a championship. Paul said he welcomes it.

Hoops Rumors: Josh Smith is the only big man off the bench in the rotation thus far, but even he hasn’t seen that many minutes. Have the Clippers had success with all their small ball lineups, or are they just trying to keep up with what their opponents are doing?

Ben Bolch: The Clippers’ second unit has been hit and miss. They have tried to match up at times and tried to exert their own will at others. The small-ball lineups haven’t terrorized opponents as some thought before the season, but they have been moderately effective in stretches. Wesley Johnson and Smith have been effective at times playing alongside Austin Rivers, Crawford and Pierce. It just hasn’t all come together yet.

Hoops Rumors: The Clippers haven’t gone with a traditional point guard to back up Chris Paul too much this year, either. How well has Austin Rivers handled those duties so far?

Ben Bolch: He’s been solid defensively but a little erratic offensively, especially with the jump shot that he worked so hard to improve during the summer. He hit a big 3-pointer late in the game against Detroit, though, so maybe things are starting to turn in a better direction for him. Austin is usually at his best attacking the basket, something the Clippers hope he does more than becoming largely a jump shooter.

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