Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/21/15
The Kings have been derailed with injuries, but the team has had some bright spots with the play of Rajon Rondo topping that list. Entering Saturday, no one in the league had more assists per game than the Kentucky product. The point guard also has four triple-doubles in just 13 games, which also leads the NBA.
Rondo signed a one-year, $9.5MM deal with Sacramento after it appeared interest in him was dwindling. His contract is being lauded as one of the best bargains in the NBA in the wake of his hot start, as 17 point guards have a higher salary this season than the 29-year-old Rondo. That includes Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, who both play the point at times, but often share the backcourt as well.
Rondo needs to have a strong 2015/16 season in order to rehabilitate his value after a failing to live up to expectations upon arriving in Dallas via trade last season. He’s trending in the right direction and if he continues his level of production, he will likely see a hefty raise on his current salary.
That leads us to tonight’s topic: What kind of offers will Rondo receive when he hits the open market next summer and do you think he stays with Sacramento or signs a pact with another team?
Take to the comments section below to voice your thoughts and opinions, as well as to provide us with your best predictions. We look forward to what you have to say.
2015/16 Salary Cap: Toronto Raptors
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 Toronto Raptors, 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= $71,819,710
- Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $150,000*
- Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $0
- Total Salary Cap Commitments= $71,969,710
- Remaining Cap Room= -$1,969,710
- Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $12,770,290
*Note: This amount includes the $75,000 owed to Ronald Roberts as well as the $25,000 each due Shannon Scott, Axel Toupane and Michale Kyser, all of whom were waived by the team.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- None
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000
Last update: 11/21/15 @ 3:50pm
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 11/15/15-11/21/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. This week, in a continued effort to change things up a bit, I’ve once again invited some of the other staff members to join in on the fun. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“Which player’s deal this year is looking the best value for his team? Why?” — Silas
Chuck Myron: Bargains always emerge. You could say Sixers point guard T.J. McConnell, making the rookie minimum and among the league leaders in assists, is the best value, and you could say much the same about Ish Smith, who’s only costing the Pelicans the two-year veteran’s minimum. Plenty of others make a lot more but are still well worth the money. If you’re just talking about guys who signed this summer, I’d nominate Brandon Knight, who took more than $24MM less than the max on his five-year, $70MM deal with the Suns and is playing lights-out ball so far this season. If you’re talking about guys on existing deals, Hassan Whiteside is the clear choice in the minimum-salary category. Stephen Curry‘s $11.37MM salary is nowhere close to the minimum, but it’s also nowhere close to his market value.
“How much stock do you place in the rumors that Dion Waiters wants to play for the Sixers?” — Damon
Eddie Scarito: I think there is definitely some legitimacy to the chatter, though Waiters did take to his Twitter account to deny the rumors. But I think that’s just a case of him being diplomatic and not rankling the folks signing his paychecks. Waiters didn’t get a contract extension prior to this season’s deadline, so there is the possibility that he feels a bit slighted by OKC, and the team may also not be sure about Waiters’ long-term future with the franchise as well. That leaves the door open for many different scenarios.
I’d be shocked if Philly offered Waiters a boatload of cash and he declined it. There are quite a few players in the league who grew up dreaming of playing for their hometown squads, and Waiters is likely no different. Plus, with the Sixers bereft of talent, the numbers he would have the opportunity to put up in Philly would certainly be a draw for him. He’d also be one of the team’s focal points, a role he hasn’t had the opportunity to have with either Cleveland or Oklahoma City. So to answer your question…yes, I do think that there is an excellent chance Waiters could be a Sixer at some point…voluntarily. An important distinction to make given the team’s penchant for taking on bad contracts in exchange for draft picks.
“What is the current trade market for Ricky Rubio? Is Minnesota better with him or without him in the long run?” — Zeve
Charlie Adams: I have a hard time believing there’s a team interested in giving up any valuable assets in exchange for a point guard who has yet to prove he can stay healthy for an extended period of time. I think the Wolves would be foolish to sell low on someone with the potential that Ricky has, and their decision to sign him to $55MM extension speaks to their commitment of keeping him long term. The numbers speak for themselves; Minnesota is a much better team on both sides of the ball when Rubio is on the floor, so I think it’s fair to say the greatest value he provides the team is as their starting point guard and not as a trade chip. He has the ability to facilitate for the young pieces Minnesota has, and he can contribute without taking 20 shots from the floor each night. If he can stay healthy, he’s the ideal fit for a young team with the sort of potential that the Wolves have.
“With the way Mario Chalmers is lighting it up in New Orleans, how big of a contract is he setting himself up for this summer? Where do you think he may end up playing next season?” — Kyle
Chris Crouse: Chalmers looks like he found himself a good fit and he could very well return to the Grizzlies next season. If he continues playing this way, he’ll certainly see a raise on his current $4.3MM salary. Memphis will probably want him back, as starter Mike Conley will be a free agent and Chalmers would serve as a decent plan B. As far as his next contract, I can envision him getting a deal in the four-year, $40MM territory, but that’s on the high end of the scale.
“What has gone wrong with the Rockets this season? Were they simply overrated? Or is it something deeper? The curse of Ty Lawson perhaps?” — Chris
Will Sammon: We hear this a lot — so much so that it sounds annoying — but it’s fitting at this time of the year: It’s a long season. There’s a lot of talent in Houston so there’s reason to think the Rockets can turn it around despite defensive woes. That said, acquiring Ty Lawson was a questionable move. It was an interesting gamble that looks like it has backfired. It’s unlikely that it will cost them, though.
That’s going to do it for this week’s edition. Thanks to all those who sent in their inquiries. We’ll see you back here next Saturday with more responses.
Offseason In Review: Atlanta Hawks
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
- Justin Holiday: Two years, $1.96MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception.
- Paul Millsap: Three years, $60.216MM. Signed via cap space. Third year is a player option.
- Lamar Patterson: Two years, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception.
- Terran Petteway: Two years, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception. First year partially guaranteed for $75K, second year is non-guaranteed. Waived.
- Jason Richardson: One year, $1.499MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception. Richardson subsequently retired and was waived by the team.
- Edy Tavares: Three years, $3.014MM. Signed via cap space. First two years are fully guaranteed, third year is non-guaranteed.
Extensions
- None
Trades
- Acquired Washington’s 2015 first round pick (No. 19 overall) and Washington’s second round picks in 2016 and 2019 from the Wizards in exchange for the Hawks’ 2015 first round pick (No. 15 overall).
- Acquired Tim Hardaway Jr. from the Knicks in exchange for Washington’s 2015 first round pick (No. 19 overall).
- Acquired Tiago Splitter from the Spurs in exchange for the draft rights to Georgios Printezis and Atlanta’s 2017 second round pick (top 55 protected).
Waiver Claims
- None
Draft Picks
- Marcus Eriksson (Round 2, 50th overall). — Playing overseas.
- Dimitrios Agravanis (Round 2, 59th overall). — Playing overseas.
Camp Invitees
- Earl Barron — Waived.
- DeQuan Jones — Waived.
- Arsalan Kazemi — Waived.
- Edgar Sosa — Waived.
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (fourth year, $2,281,605) — Exercised.
- Dennis Schröder (fourth year, $2,708,582) — Exercised.
The Hawks won a franchise-best 60 games in 2014/15, but the campaign ended with disappointment when the Cavaliers eliminated them in the Eastern Conference Finals. Injuries certainly played a role in Atlanta’s ouster, including the loss of swingman Thabo Sefolosha, who missed the entire 2014/15 playoffs after suffering a broken leg at the hands of police outside a New York City nightclub back in April. The franchise began its offseason with the free agent departure of a significant piece when DeMarre Carroll left for the Raptors and their four-year, $58MM offer, making a repeat of last season’s success an even more daunting task.
Atlanta was in a bit of a financial bind entering the summer, with Carroll and Paul Millsap both unrestricted free agents, and the team possessing only their Early Bird Rights, meaning the Hawks couldn’t exceed the salary cap to re-sign them. Coach/executive Mike Budenholzer had said before the 2014/15 season that the team wanted to keep Millsap, whose previous two-year, $19MM deal from 2013 turned out to be one of the most team-friendly arrangements in recent memory. Budenholzer held true to his word and Millsap re-joined the team to the tune of three years and $60.216MM.
It will certainly be difficult to replace the defense, energy and outside shooting of Carroll, but I believe Atlanta chose wisely in deciding to retain Millsap over him. The 30-year-old Millsap has been a remarkably consistent performer in the NBA for the last five seasons, and a three-year commitment to him isn’t a tremendous risk, though he has almost certainly reached his plateau as a player and is more than likely going to begin regressing toward the end of this pact. But with the salary cap set to see a significant increase next summer, his deal won’t cripple the franchise if he underperforms.
While I certainly like what Carroll brings to the hardwood as a player, he has only averaged double-figure scoring twice in his six-year NBA career, topping out with the 12.6 points per game he contributed last season. Carroll’s value does stretch beyond the box score, but a four-year deal with an average annual value of close to $15MM seems a bit risky for a late-blooming player who is on the threshold of his 30s. The Hawks’ offer to the small forward reportedly topped out at $50MM on a four-year arrangement, as Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com reported. That still would have been a risk, but a much more palatable one for the franchise from my perspective.
Atlanta also made a number of low-risk, low-reward signings over the summer, adding Justin Holiday, Edy Tavares, Lamar Patterson and Jason Richardson, though Richardson subsequently retired, and the team waived him. Out of the group, Tavares is the most intriguing given his height (7’3″) and youth (23 years old). He’s most definitely a project, and it could be years before he produces in the NBA, if ever.
The Hawks made three trades over the summer, acquiring Tiago Splitter from San Antonio for virtually nothing, swapping first-round picks with the Wizards, and flipping Washington’s pick to the Knicks for swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. Landing Splitter was a solid move, especially given how little Atlanta gave up to acquire him. Given the similarities between the Hawks’ and Spurs’ systems, Splitter should fit right in and become a solid rotation player for Budenholzer. The only negative is that he’s not on an expiring contract and will earn $8.55MM in 2016/17. That’s hardly a king’s ransom, but it’s a significant amount for a team that, with Splitter taken into account, has about $52.7MM in guaranteed salary committed for 2016/17. That amount doesn’t include center Al Horford, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season is done.
The most questionable move of the Hawks’ offseason was the acquisition of Hardaway, a one-dimensional player who regressed during his second season with the Knicks, and who doesn’t fit a clear need for the team. I firmly believe that Atlanta would have been better served to hold onto its original pick, which the Wizards used to select Kelly Oubre. Oubre has a much higher upside than Hardaway, and he also has the capability of developing into a legitimate two-way threat in the NBA. I would even go as far as to say that the team would have been better served to stand pat after its first pick swap and nab Jerian Grant at No. 19 instead of letting him go to the Knicks. Hardaway has yet to log a single regular season minute for the team as of this writing, making the trade even more of a head-scratcher from my perspective.
Drafting Grant would have also had an important secondary benefit for the club, as it would have provided the flexibility to explore potential trades for point guard Dennis Schröder. The team currently has no plans to part ways with the young German point guard, but he is stuck behind Jeff Teague on the depth chart, something that has reportedly displeased Schröder, with the player telling Sport Bild magazine in his native Germany that he would “explore other possibilities” if the Hawks don’t give him a chance to start. However, Schröder did make it clear that he likes playing in Atlanta. The 22-year-old is under contract through 2016/17, after which he is eligible to become a restricted free agent, so there is no pressure on the Hawks to deal him quite yet, though he is one of their most valuable trade assets, and he could bring back a significant return if they trade him. Atlanta exercised both his and Hardaway’s fourth-year rookie scale options prior to the deadline this month.
The franchise will have a major decision to make this coming offseason regarding Horford. He will almost assuredly command a maximum salary, or close to it. If Horford were to depart, the franchise would be hard-pressed to find a player who could replace him, though he is another player about to enter his 30s, and big men don’t tend to age well in the league.
Atlanta is unlikely to duplicate its magic from 2014/15, and the franchise was more than likely headed back toward the pack in the East prior to losing Carroll in free agency anyway. While a playoff berth is certainly attainable, it would be a surprise if the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals for a second straight campaign. The offseason was a mixed bag for the team, with retaining Millsap a success while the draft day trade for Hardaway tarnishes it somewhat. Regardless of anyone’s opinion of the trade, it’s difficult to argue that Atlanta didn’t regress from last season talent-wise. With numerous other Eastern Conference teams improving themselves over the summer, the Hawks and their fans may be left wondering what might have been during the 2014/15 postseason if the team had remained healthy.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Hoops Rumors Originals 11/15/15-11/21/15
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…
- If you missed the week’s live chat, you can view the transcript here.
- As a part of our continuing series, “The Beat,” Chuck Myron interviewed Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times and Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- I broke down the 2015/16 salary cap figures for the Thunder, Magic, Sixers, Suns, Kings, Spurs and Blazers.
- Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- As part of our “Top Bloggers” series, Zach spoke with Nate Parham, who is the Managing Editor of SB Nation’s Golden State Of Mind.
- We took a look at coaching changes that have been made prior to New Year’s Day since 2005.
- Chuck looked back at the offseasons for the Lakers, Magic, Mavericks and Warriors, and I examined the Nets and Bucks.
- If you missed any of our daily reader-driven discussions, be sure to check out the Community Shootaround archives.
- Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on social media and RSS feeds.
- Chuck ran down the former lottery picks on each team’s roster.
- We answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag.
- You can keep track of where your favorite team currently stands in relation to the 2016 NBA Draft lottery with our reverse standings tracker.
- We reviewed our commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
- Chuck ran down how the first-rounders from the 2015 NBA Draft were faring thus far this season.
- Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/20/15
Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, doesn’t appear to be anxious to leave Memphis, but the veteran also isn’t making any promises that he will return to the team next season. “It’s easy to feel obligated; it’s easy to want to stay,” Conley told SI.com’s Chris Mannix recently. “This is where I’ve had my whole career. At the same time I understand this is a business. I have to weigh my options just like Marc Gasol did. Hopefully it will be an easy decision, whatever it is.”
Conley, who is currently slotted No. 3 in our 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, has been a rock-solid performer for the Grizzlies since being selected with the No. 4 overall pick back in 2007. The 28-year-old is set to earn $9,588,426 this season, a pittance for a player as talented as Conley is, and its hard to imagine him settling for less than the maximum on his next deal, though that is merely my speculation. The Grizzlies possess Conley’s Bird rights, which means that the team can exceed the cap to re-sign him if necessary. With the salary cap set to increase markedly in 2016/17, and Memphis currently committed to $47.657MM in guaranteed salaries, there shouldn’t be much of an issue in bringing Conley back into the fold. Of course, Conley could decide that he’d like to play elsewhere, and if that is indeed the case, he will have no shortage of suitors lining up to bid on him.
So here’s the topic for today: Will Mike Conley re-sign with Memphis next season? If not, where do you see him landing?
Take to the comments section below to voice your thoughts and opinions, as well as to provide us with your best predictions. We look forward to what you have to say.
Hoops Rumors On Social Media/RSS
The 2015/16 is less than a month old, and we’ve already seen a trade, a coaching change and more turmoil in Sacramento. Hoops Rumors gives you a handful of ways you can keep tabs on the latest news and rumors as stories like these unfold.
We have a Google Plus account that you can follow for headlines and links to all of our posts. You can also Like us on Facebook and see our content through your account there. Follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to you. Our RSS feed is located here if you’d like to follow us using your reader of choice.
If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.
And, as always, the easiest way to stay up to date on the go is with our free Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android. You can set up notifications and set up custom filters to tailor the news to your favorite teams and players, so go download it!
Offseason In Review: Brooklyn Nets
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
- Andrea Bargnani: Two years, $2.9MM. Signed via minimum salary exception. Second year is a player option.
- Ryan Boatright: Two years, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum salary exception. First year includes $75K in partially guaranteed salary and the second year is non-guaranteed. Waived.
- Wayne Ellington: Two years, $3MM. Signed via taxpayer’s mid-level exception. Second year is a player option.
- Shane Larkin: Two years, $3MM. Signed via taxpayer’s mid-level exception. Second year is a player option.
- Brook Lopez: Three years, $63MM. Signed via Bird rights.
- Willie Reed: One-year, $947K. Signed via minimum salary exception. Includes partial guarantee of $500K.
- Thomas Robinson: Two years, $2MM. Signed via minimum salary exception. Second year is a player option.
- Donald Sloan: One year, $947K. Signed via minimum salary exception. Includes partial guarantee of $50K.
- Thaddeus Young: Four years, $50MM. Signed via Bird rights. Fourth season is a player option.
Extensions
- None
Trades
- Acquired the rights to 2015 No. 23 overall pick Rondae-Hollis Jefferson and Steve Blake from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Mason Plumlee and the rights to Pat Connaughton, the 41st overall pick in the 2015 Draft.
- Acquired Quincy Miller from the Pistons in exchange for Blake. Miller was subsequently waived.
Waiver Claims
- None
Draft Picks
- Chris McCullough (Round 1, 29th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
Camp Invitees
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Sergey Karasev (fourth year, $2,463,754) — Declined.
The Nets as a franchise are still recovering from their ill-advised attempt to win a title by going all-in on an aging roster that never gelled. The aging group of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams won a total of one playoff series for Brooklyn during their tenure, and they cost the franchise numerous future first-round picks to assemble, which will serve to make the team’s current rebuilding process especially daunting. While I appreciate the verve the Nets had in shooting for the stars, the franchise has been set back years as a result.
Brooklyn is attempting to move on and pick up the pieces as best it can. All of the players from the ill-advised Boston deal are gone, as is Deron Williams, whom the Nets waived via the stretch provision this offseason, ending his difficult and disappointing tenure with the team. The point guard was acquired to anchor the franchise, as well as to drum up extra interest in the team since the Nets, moving from New Jersey to Brooklyn, desired to make a dent in the Knicks’ hold over New York basketball fans. Injuries, a questionable work ethic and an occasionally combative attitude toward coaching sunk Williams, reducing him to a shell of the player he was while with the Jazz. Waiving Williams will cost the team $5,474,787 per season through 2019/20, but with the salary cap rising next season the team shouldn’t feel the sting that much. Plus, all parties are better served by breaking up and moving on.
Entering this offseason, the Nets’ plan was relatively straightforward. The team wanted to get younger, cheaper and to work its way from out of the pile of player-friendly deals that it had committed to with less than successful results. Depending on your perception of the values of Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, the team was relatively successful at achieving this goal over the offseason.
Lopez, who had been the subject of copious trade rumors involving the Thunder for the better part of the 2013/14 campaign, is one of the top offensive-minded centers in the game, but he remains a constant injury concern, having missed a combined 160 contests over the past four seasons. But inking the 27-year-old to a three-year pact will temper the risk the franchise is taking, and the escalating salary cap will also serve to provide some breathing room for the front office, not only to try and build the roster around Lopez, but also to find a suitable fill-in if the big man were to miss significant time in the future due to injury. I’m not quite sure Lopez is worth an average annual salary of $21MM, given his less-than-stellar defense and merely adequate rebounding, but such are the economics of today’s game. Plus, he’s a player the Nets could ultimately not afford to lose, especially given their lack of future draft picks.
With the Nets unable to go after the top names on the free agent market this offseason, retaining their own players became paramount for the team if it wished to have any chance at remaining competitive in 2015/16. That mindset clearly influenced the team’s negotiations with Lopez, as well as unrestricted free agent combo forward Thaddeus Young. Young is a solid complementary player who hasn’t had the opportunity to play alongside much talent over the course of his career, and he remains underrated as a result. Young isn’t a franchise-altering talent, but if utilized the proper way, he can be a solid producer and valuable rotation piece. His four-year, $50MM deal, which includes a player option for the final season, is a fair one based on today’s market, though he’s destined to be a productive player on what are likely to be some lousy Brooklyn teams the next few seasons.
The team supplemented the signings of Young and Lopez with a number of smaller deals for players who aren’t likely to do more than fill a roster slot for the near future. Brooklyn added oft-injured power forward Andrea Bargnani, under-performing shooting guard Wayne Ellington, reserve playmaker Donald Sloan, combo forward Thomas Robinson, as well as promising young point guard Shane Larkin this offseason. I do like the addition of Larkin, a player who in the right system could be successful in the NBA. With Williams gone and Jarrett Jack the starter, the Nets need to improve at the one spot, and Larkin may offer a glimmer of hope in that regard, though his ceiling is likely of a solid reserve, and not a starting-caliber guard.
Brooklyn also took to the trade market this summer in an effort to reshape its roster, dealing away promising young big man Mason Plumlee to the Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to Arizona defensive whiz Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. This was a risky but interesting move by the team. Plumlee is a talented big who has the potential to be a breakout player, but he wasn’t a favorite of coach Lionel Hollins, and he will be better served by a change of scenery. But for the Nets to deal away their best option in the event that Lopez goes down again may invite some second guessing at some point down the line.
If the team did have to part ways with Plumlee, adding an uber-athletic wing who can defend multiple positions like Hollis-Jefferson was a solid move for the future. Likewise the team taking a chance on injured Syracuse power forward Chris McCullough with the No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft. McCullough is extremely raw, with only 16 games of college experience under his belt, and some level of uncertainty exists about how well he’ll recover from the torn ACL he suffered last season. But if he is able to make a full recovery, the Nets landed themselves a player who had lottery potential at the bottom of the first round.
The Nets also needed to make a decision regarding Sergey Karasev‘s fourth year rookie scale option, and they elected not to exercise it. Karasev underwent season-ending surgery on his right knee in March, but he was ready in time for the start of this season. The 22-year-old nonetheless hasn’t been an integral part of the team’s rotation, and the Nets’ decision to decline the option despite their need to retain players says a lot about how the team values the Russian’s services. Rumors of his desire for a trade aren’t entirely surprising.
This is likely going to be a lost season for the franchise and its fanbase. The team likely improved its overall chemistry by parting ways with Williams, and it managed to tread water talent-wise by retaining Lopez and Young, though I doubt anyone would argue that this year’s Brooklyn squad is an improvement over last season’s. The team added some intriguing young pieces in McCullough and Hollis-Jefferson, whom the Nets desperately need to pan out, given their lack of draft picks and tradeable assets. The light on the horizon is that Brooklyn could have in the neighborhood of $40MM in cap space next summer, though it remains to be seen how attractive a free agent destination the team will be after what is likely to be a soul-crushing 2015/16 campaign.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
2015/16 Salary Cap: San Antonio Spurs
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 San Antonio Spurs, 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= $83,991,382
- Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $1,257,305*
- Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $1,144,958
- Total Salary Cap Commitments= $86,393,645
- Remaining Cap Room= -$16,393,645
- Amount Above Luxury Tax Line= $3,179,650
*Note: This amount includes the $507,711 due Jimmer Fredette, who was waived by the team.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- None
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000
Last update: 11/20/15 @ 9:00am
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Coaching Changes Prior To New Year’s Day
Houston’s firing of Kevin McHale this week came as a shock, but neither McHale nor NBA teams are unfamiliar with early-season coaching changes. McHale took over the Timberwolves for a fired Randy Wittman in December 2008, just 19 games into the 2008/09 season. It was one of just 14 times since 2005, including the Rockets’ move Wednesday, that a team changed coaches before New Year’s Day.
Each such occasion is listed below, with the date of the change, the coach’s record, and the names of the coach, or coaches, who followed him in the position that season. Only Pat Riley, who replaced Stan Van Gundy as Heat coach in 2005, went on to win the championship with his team.
- November 9th, 2012: Lakers, Mike Brown (1-4) — Bernie Bickerstaff/Mike D’Antoni
- November 12th, 2009: Hornets, Byron Scott (3-6) — Jeff Bower
- November 18th, 2015: Rockets, Kevin McHale (4-7) — J.B. Bickerstaff
- November 21st, 2008: Thunder, P.J. Carlesimo (1-12) — Scott Brooks
- November 24th, 2008: Wizards, Eddie Jordan (1-10) — Ed Tapscott
- December 3rd, 2008: Raptors, Sam Mitchell (8-9) — Jay Triano
- December 8th, 2008: Timberwolves, Randy Wittman (4-15) — Kevin McHale
- December 12th, 2005: Heat, Stan Van Gundy (11-10) — Pat Riley
- December 13th, 2008: Sixers, Maurice Cheeks (9-14) — Tony DiLeo
- December 15th, 2008: Kings, Reggie Theus (6-18) — Kenny Natt
- December 15th, 2014: Kings, Michael Malone (11-13) — Tyrone Corbin/George Karl
- December 22nd, 2010: Bobcats, Larry Brown (9-19) — Paul Silas
- December 24th, 2007: Bulls, Scott Skiles (9-16) — Pete Myers/Jim Boylan.
- December 28th, 2006: Grizzlies, Mike Fratello (6-24) — Tony Barone
The following coaches would have appeared on the list above if the 2011/12 season had started on time. Instead, the lockout pushed opening night to December 25th, 2011. Within a month, these two moves took place:
- January 5th, 2012: Kings, Paul Westphal, (2-7) — Keith Smart
- January 24th, 2012: Wizards, Flip Saunders (2-15) — Randy Wittman