Hoops Rumors Originals

Free Agent Stock Watch: Wesley Matthews

May 13th, 2015 at 11:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Blazers head into the offseason with several question marks, one being the status of Wesley Matthews. The shooting guard tore his left Achilles tendon on March 5th, 60 games into the season. Portland went 41-19 with the guard in the lineup and just 10-12 without him. The Marquette product averaged 15.9 points and 1.3 steals per game and sported a player efficiency rating of 16.1. He shot 38.9% from behind the arc and only MVP Stephen Curry and Warriors backcourt-mate Klay Thompson made more three-pointers per game.

Feb 22, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews (2) dribbles the ball up court against the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Shooting wasn’t the only thing Matthews excelled at this season. His defense was just as impressive as his offense, as he ranked fifth among shooting guards in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus. He played a good chunk of his minutes next to point guard Damian Lillard, who has a negative Defensive Real Plus/Minus. Despite employing such a defensive liability at the point guard position, the team ranked third in the league in defensive efficiency leading up to his injury. In the 22 games without him, the team ranked 24th.

Jeff Austin, Matthews’ agent, is likely to cite all of the above in the guard’s contract negotiations this summer. Many of the teams in the league are transitioning to a pace-and-space style of play and because of his shooting range and ability to play efficiently without the ball in his hands, Matthews should have no shortage of suitors. Before the injury, Matthews was in line to see a hefty raise on his roughly $7.25MM salary and he could have seen a salary that approached the max, although that is just my speculation.

The injury complicates things, though while he may not even be ready for the beginning of the season, he’s said he expects to return to the court well in advance of opening night (video link). It’s unclear what kind of offer teams will be willing to give Matthews in July. Signing a one-year deal to prove his health, re-establish his stock and enter the free agent pool next offseason when the salary cap is expected to reach $89MM might be beneficial for the sixth-year veteran. Yet, he could also, with great trepidation, simply seek the highest guaranteed salary he can get this summer. The 28-year-old has made it known that he would like to re-sign with the Blazers.

“So much stuff can happen between now and when free agency starts,” Matthews said in response to a question about returning to Portland. “Ideally, perfect situation, yeah, who doesn’t want to go for the ideal, perfect situation?”

The status of free-agent-to-be LaMarcus Aldridge could be a factor in his decision. One of Aldridge’s teammates reportedly believes it is a 50-50 proposition whether the power forward leaves Portland. If the Blazers lose the former No. 2 overall pick to free agency and cannot add an All-Star caliber replacement, like Paul Millsap, it would be unlikely they contend for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

If Portland doesn’t remain a contender, I’d imagine it would like to rebuild a younger team around Lillard. Playing on a young team without any real playoff aspirations wouldn’t be in Matthews’ best interest, especially if he decides to go with a one-year-prove-it deal. Whether he intends to sign that kind of deal or not, this scenario would give outside suitors an advantage in courting Matthews since he would probably be in his early 30s by the time Portland is ready to contend again.

New York was reportedly planning to target the 28-year-old in free agency and the team employs the NBA Trainers Association’s 2014 Physician of the Year. Yet, the Knicks haven’t exactly been a stable franchise known to rehabilitate players’ values and Matthews’ injury probably dilutes their interest anyway. The Celtics are reportedly “open to putting together some type of package deal” for Aldridge and Matthews. Boston has a stable front office but hasn’t been a real contender in a few years.

A franchise that’s stable, has won recently, and has a history of rehabilitating player values resides in Dallas. Brandan Wright and O.J. Mayo are among the players who have seen significant raises after playing for the team. Monta Ellis and Al-Farouq Aminu should also see raises this offseason after playing for the Mavs this year. Matthews, a Texas native, would give Dallas a defensive stopper on the perimeter, which is something the team should focus on acquiring if it intends to stick with the Dirk Nowitzki–Chandler Parsons-defensive-liability pairing.

Dallas has slightly more than $28MM in commitments for the 2015/16 season against a projected $67.1MM salary cap. That figure doesn’t include Raymond Felton‘s player option, which, unsurprisingly, he intends to exercise. Even with the former No. 5 overall pick returning to Dallas, the team could still offer Aldridge or DeAndre Jordan a max contract and still have enough cap space for two mid-sized contracts. If the team can land Matthews, it can afford to offer Ellis another contract, despite his defensive inefficiencies, and trot Ellis out as its starting point guard on opening night. The Ellis-Matthews-Parsons-Nowitzki-Jordan starting lineup would recapture the offensive firepower that the Mavs had before the Rajon Rondo trade and give them the defensive improvement they hoped to achieve with that deal.

The Spurs are another team to watch out for. San Antonio has shied away from giving significant money to free agents. However, the team appears to be a legitimate suitor for Aldridge. Perhaps Matthews follows his current teammate to San Antonio, the guard’s birthplace, and signs a one-year in hopes of cashing in once the cap rises.

Matthews’ defense and ability to shoot from behind the arc makes him an attractive addition to any team, but the Achilles injury certainly complicates matters. The guard was in line for a huge payday prior to the injury and he most likely will not realize that earning potential now. Matthews has a key decision to make about whether to sign a one-year deal and re-enter the free agent pool next summer or sign a multiyear deal that gives him more long-term security. His risk appetite will likely determine his list of potential suitors. Any team hungry for a championship next season should inquire about his services.

2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Sixers

May 13th, 2015 at 4:04pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season. We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll continue onward with a look back at how the Sixers utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…

D-League Team: Delaware 87ers

Affiliation Type: One-to-one

D-League Team Record: 20-30

Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 1

Total D-League Assignments: 1

Player Stats While On Assignment:

JaKarr Sampson: 1 assignment, 2 games, 15.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.5 APG. .367/.250/.667.

D-League Signings

Larry Drew II (Sioux Falls SkyForce-Heat affiliate): Signed 1st 10-day deal on January 16th. Inked 2nd 10-day pact on January 26th.
Tim Frazier (Maine Red Claws-Celtics affiliate): Inked 1st 10-day contract on February 5th. Signed 2nd 10-day agreement on February 20th.
Malcolm Lee (Grand Rapids Drive-Pistons affiliate): Signed multiyear deal on December 5th. Lee was waived by Philadelphia on December 11th.
Ronald Roberts (Delaware 87ers-Sixers affiliate)*: Signed for remainder of season on December 12th. Was waived by the Sixers on December 15th.

*Roberts was later dealt by the 87ers to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s affiliate.

Assignment/Recall Log

November 21st: Assigned JaKarr Sampson (Recalled November 24th)

Early Termination Options

May 13th, 2015 at 12:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Early termination options were a factor in 2014, when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all exercised the early termination options in their contracts to hit free agency. In 2015, this sort of option is largely a vestige of rules from previous collective bargaining agreements. Thaddeus Young and Jared Dudley are the only players with early termination options for 2015/16, and only Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony have contracts that include this type of option for any subsequent season.

Early termination options, or ETOs, are opportunities for players to free themselves from their contracts before they run to term, as the name suggests. They’re essentially player options, but with a few tweaks. They were originally designed to give players a second chance to escape from their deals, since player options can only cover one season. That’s why James, Bosh and Wade all had early termination options for 2014/15 and player options for 2015/16 as part of the contracts that they opted out of in 2014. All three signed under the previous collective bargaining agreement, just like Dudley and Young. The existing collective bargaining agreement prevents deals from running longer than five seasons, and since early termination options may only be included in five-year pacts, a contract can no longer contain both an ETO and a player option.

That ETOs are only allowed in five-year deals also means that most of the players who will hold ETOs from now on will be marquee names, since few others sign deals that cover five seasons. Going forward, ETOs will be exclusively for free agents who re-sign with their teams via Bird rights, since there’s no other way to obtain a five-year contract in the current collective bargaining agreement. That was the case with Anthony when he re-signed with the Knicks in 2014 and with Williams in 2012, when he was the most sought-after free agent on the market before re-upping with the Nets. Both signed their contracts under the current collective bargaining agreement rules.

Perhaps one of the most notorious ETOs belonged to Dwight Howard. Now, he doesn’t have an ETO in his contract with the Rockets, and he couldn’t have received one anyway, since he signed it under the existing collective bargaining agreement and changed teams as he did so. His previous contract contained one, but when the 2012 trade deadline came and rumors swirled about his future with the Magic, he formally agreed not to exercise it, thus giving up the chance to hit free agency that summer. It was an odd move, in part because players with ETOs don’t have to tell the league or their teams that they’re not going to use them. They can simply keep silent on the matter through the option deadline, which is June 29th unless the team and player negotiated an earlier date, and remain under contract. Players with ETOs only have to give notice by the option deadline if they’re using them to opt out. The opposite is true with player options; those who have player options and want to remain under contract have to say so by the option deadline. Otherwise, they become free agents.

ETOs allow teams and players slightly more room for negotiation than standard player options do, since the salary in a player option year can’t be any lower than in the previous season. There’s no such rule with an ETO, so players can have their contracts front loaded, with an ETO season at a reduced salary around as insurance against an injury or decline in play. If the player is still performing at a high level after four seasons, he can exercise the early termination option to hit free agency and seek another lucrative contract. Teams may also benefit from this rule, similarly using the cheaper fifth season as protection against a drop-off in the player’s production. Still, no existing contract with an ETO is structured this way.

A player who signs a deal with a trade kicker stands to benefit if the contract also includes an early termination option. A trade kicker is a bonus that a player receives when he’s traded, and it’s usually equal to a percentage of the money remaining on the deal. Standard player option seasons don’t count toward trade kickers, but seasons covered by ETOs do.

Another difference between player options and ETOs rarely comes into play. If a player opts out using a standard player option, he can still sign an extension before hitting free agency. That’s not the case with ETOs. However, most players make formal decisions on these options not long before becoming free agents, leaving little time to negotiate extensions. Veteran extensions usually aren’t beneficial to players under the current collective bargaining agreement anyway, so there’s little incentive to choose a player option over an ETO just to gain more flexibility in signing an extension.

ETOs probably won’t disappear completely from the NBA landscape, as the deals Williams and Anthony signed proved that there are still circumstances in which they’re desirable in the NBA’s current landscape. Yet unless rules change during the next labor negotiations, don’t expect to see too many of these options.

Here’s a look at the only early termination options in existence as of May 2015:

Thaddeus Young, Nets — $10,221,739 for 2015/16
Jared Dudley, Bucks — $4.25MM for 2015/16
Deron Williams, Nets — $22,331,135 for 2016/17
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks — $27,928,140 for 2018/19

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and the Basketball Insiders Salary Pages were used in the creation of this post.

An earlier version of this post appeared on March 11, 2014.

Early Look At The Rookie Scale Extension Market

May 13th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Last year’s rookie scale extension market yielded some $450MM in deals, but with the salary cap set to zoom for 2016/17, when this year’s rookie scale extensions would kick in, uncertainty clouds the market. The deadline for these extensions isn’t until October 31st, but negotiations can start on July 1st, just as free agency opens. Here are the extension-eligible players split into three tiers, with players likely to make the max at the top, those unlikely to receive extensions at the bottom, and the most interesting cases in between.

Max

Andre Drummond, Pistons
Anthony Davis, Pelicans
Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers

Debatable

Harrison Barnes, Warriors — David Lee‘s contract will be up just as an extension for Barnes would kick in for 2016/17, but the Warriors already have about $54MM on the books for that season, not counting any new deal they give Draymond Green this summer. There’s a strong chance an extension for Barnes would bring the Warriors right up to the cap for that season, making them one of the few teams without flexibility. Prediction: No extension
Bradley Beal, Wizards — Washington has reportedly been planning an extension for Beal since before the season, when league executives were apparently confident that he could command the max. Injuries and stalled development have thrown that into question, but a four-year deal with terms similar to John Wall‘s would make sense. Prediction: Four years, $65MM.
Evan Fournier, Magic — He missed the second half of the season with injury and cooled after a hot start, but he showed promise in the early part of the season that he never did with Denver. A smaller extension in the range of the four years and $41MM Alec Burks received from the Jazz would probably be the model here, but there’s still only a small sample size to go off of. Prediction: No extension.
John Henson, Bucks — Henson has been in and out of the lineup for Milwaukee, though at 6’11”, he carries some intrigue. Still, if the Bucks didn’t extend Brandon Knight last year, it’d be tough to see them doing so with Henson. Prediction: No extension
Terrence Jones, Rockets — Houston has Jones, Donatas Motiejunas and soon-to-be free agent Josh Smith all occupying the power forward spot. Motiejunas is up for a rookie scale extension, too, but with the team’s desire to remain a player in the free agent market, it’s tough to see the Rockets making a commitment to either extension-eligible four man, particularly if they re-sign Smith. Prediction: No extension
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Hornets — Kidd-Gilchrist’s is one of the most intriguing cases, especially considering he was a No. 2 overall pick. He improved this year, but he doesn’t appear capable of becoming a threat from deep anytime soon, and that’s a problem at small forward. Still, his defense helps anchor the Hornets, and he’s a strong rebounder for his position, too. Prediction: Four years, $52MM
Meyers Leonard, Trail Blazers — Leonard broke out to a degree in the playoffs, finally delivering on some of the promise that made him a lottery pick. Still, there’s so much uncertainty in Portland this summer, so it’s tough to see the team making a long-term commitment to Leonard just yet. Prediction: No extension
Donatas Motiejunas, Rockets — He’s largely in the same spot as Terrence Jones, with a logjam at his position. Prediction: No extension
Miles Plumlee, Bucks — He was a starter for the 2013/14 Suns, who came agonizingly close to a playoff berth, but he wasn’t a factor for the Bucks after the deadline trade that brought him to Milwaukee. Prediction: No extension
Terrence Ross, Raptors — The former eighth overall pick has talent, but he plateaued this year, which seemed to contribute to the stall in Toronto’s climb up the Eastern Conference. Prediction: No extension
Jared Sullinger, Celtics — Sullinger has said he’s willing to consent to the weight clause that president of basketball operations Danny Ainge wants, but what Ainge wants even more is a star. It’ll be tough for the C’s to commit long-term to anyone until they know what their team will look like in the long run. Prediction: No extension
Jonas Valanciunas, Raptors — GM Masai Ujiri made it clear he believes in the big man, and though he hasn’t quite lived up to having been a No. 5 pick and often didn’t finish games this season, the potential is still there. Prediction: Four years, $48MM
Dion Waiters, Thunder — Waiters struggled with his outside shot and wasn’t the difference-maker the Thunder hoped when they traded for him in January. No one knows what Oklahoma City will look like in a year when an extension for Waiters would kick in as Kevin Durant‘s future looms over the franchise. Prediction: No extension
Tony Wroten, Sixers — Philadelphia has shown a reluctance to commit money to free agents, so it would seem somewhat antithetical for the team to do so at this point to anyone else, particularly a player who might not be a starter in the long run. Prediction: No extension
Tyler Zeller, Celtics — The former Cavalier started much of the season, but as with Sullinger, uncertainty about Boston’s future makes it risky for the Celtics to tie up money in anyone who doesn’t project to become a star. Prediction: No extension

Extension longshots

Festus Ezeli, Warriors
Maurice Harkless, Magic
Perry Jones III, Thunder
Jeremy Lamb, Thunder
Andrew Nicholson, Magic

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Timberwolves

May 12th, 2015 at 9:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season. We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll continue onward with a look back at how the Timberwolves utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…

D-League Team: Fort Wayne Mad Ants

Affiliation Type: Shared

D-League Team Record: 28-22

Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 0

Total D-League Assignments: 0

Player Stats While On Assignment:

D-League Signings

Lorenzo Brown (Grand Rapids Drive-Pistons affiliate): Signed 1st 10-day contract on January 28th. Inked 2nd 10-day pact on February 6th. Signed multiyear arrangement on February 19th.
Sean Kilpatrick (Delaware 87ers-Sixers affiliate): Inked 10-day pact on March 19th. *
Arinze Onuaku (Canton Charge-Cavs affiliate): Signed for remainder of the season on April 7th. *

*Both Kilpatrick and Onuaku were added to the Wolves’ roster via the hardship exception.

Assignment/Recall Log

No players assigned to the D-League.

Evaluating Last Year’s Rookie Scale Extensions

May 12th, 2015 at 1:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler and Tristan Thompson are among the headliners for this summer’s restricted free agent class, one that would have been more robust if not for the more than $450MM that teams around the league put into rookie scale extensions this past fall. The postseason would have loomed even larger for Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson if they had the value of their next contracts to think about, but both are tied to their teams for the long term, thanks to their extensions.

Such deals are always gambles of sorts for teams as well as players, since they’re based on projections for what someone with three years of experience will be worth after his fourth. Many players eligible for rookie scale extensions aren’t yet 25 years old, so there’s room for growth, but just how much growth will actually happen is difficult to predict.

So, now that a full season has passed for most around the league, barring those who made the playoffs, let’s evaluate how the extensions look now:

Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers): Five years, maximum salary: Irving committed to the Cavs before LeBron James did, and it was somewhat surprising given rumors indicating the point guard’s discomfort in Cleveland. But either that discomfort never existed or max money made them go away. Irving agreed to take less than the 30% max that he’d earn if he triggered the Derrick Rose rule, but he did not, making that concession moot. Irving will make the 25% max instead for a team that figures to compete for titles for most if not all of the five years the deal covers, and even with James around, he improved his scoring average this season over last. Verdict: Good deal for both sides
Klay Thompson (Warriors): Four years, maximum salary: Thompson and the Warriors also hedged slightly against the max, agreeing that he would make the 25% max next season as long as it didn’t exceed $15.5MM. The max won’t be known until July, and it’ll probably come in right around $15.5MM, or perhaps slightly higher. Regardless, Thompson set career highs in points per game, assists per game and three-point shooting percentage as the Warriors compiled one of the best regular seasons ever. If Thompson doesn’t get the full max, it’ll tilt ever so subtly in the team-friendly category, but for the most part, the extension serves both team and player well. Verdict: Good deal for both sides
Ricky Rubio (Timberwolves): Four years, $55MM (plus incentives): Injuries once more befell the point guard, limiting him to a career-low 22 games. Rubio had career-best per-game numbers in assists and rebounding, but his struggles with the long ball continued, as he made just 25.5% of his three-point attempts, his worst percentage as an NBA player. All of it is nonetheless skewed by the diminutive nature of the sample size. Verdict: Better deal for Rubio than for the Timberwolves
Kenneth Faried (Nuggets): Four years, $50MM (plus incentives): A report suggested the Nuggets weren’t all that high on the power forward even at the time of his extension. Still, Denver appeared reluctant to put him into a deal at the deadline. His scoring was off slightly this season, the product of fewer shot attempts, though his efficiency was down, as he recorded a career-low 18.4 PER for a Nuggets team that failed to compete for a playoff berth. The leap that he showed for Team USA in the offseason never materialized in Denver. Verdict: Better deal for Faried than for the Nuggets
Nikola Vucevic (Magic): Four years, $48MM (plus incentives): The center became the focal point of the Magic offense, leading the team in shot attempts, scoring and rebounding. He’s a minus defensively, as Basketball-Reference’s Defensive Box Plus/Minus shows, but there’s always been a premium on 7-footers who can put up 19.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, as Vucevic did this season. Verdict: Better deal for the Magic than for Vucevic
Kemba Walker (Hornets): Four years, $48MM: The shine was off the Hornets this season after a playoff berth in 2013/14, but Walker scored at a per-36-minute rate superior to last year, bettered his assist-to-turnover ratio, and increased his PER and steals per game. He’s not an elite point guard in a league full of them, but he represents one of the few parts of the Hornets that’s on the right track. Verdict: Good deal for both sides
Alec Burks (Jazz): Four years, $42MM (plus incentives): As with Rubio, Burks missed most of the season with injury. He shot a career-best 38.2% from three-point range, but his scoring was down in the small sample size, and his PER dipped to a subpar 13.0. Verdict: Better deal for Burks than for Jazz
Markieff Morris (Suns): Four years, $32MM: Handed a starting job after having played exclusively as a reserve in 2013/14, the per-36-minute scoring and rebounding numbers for Morris went down, as did his PER. He’s relatively cheap for a starter, but the numbers suggest he might be better as a well-paid reserve. Verdict: Better deal for Morris than for Suns
Marcus Morris (Suns): Four years, $20MM: The lesser-paid Morris was a part-time starter after mostly coming off the bench last season, but he didn’t see too much more playing time, and his production was largely consistent with what it was last season. Verdict: Good deal for both sides

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Q&A With Draft Prospect Chris Walker

May 11th, 2015 at 11:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Throughout the spring and summer, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with Florida product Chris Walker, whom Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks No. 52 in this year’s class and Chad Ford of ESPN.com rates 56th.

Chris Walker came to the University of Florida with a tremendous amount of hype behind him. Offered by top programs all over the country – including Kansas, Louisville, UNC, Ohio State, and many many more – Walker was arguably one of the most talented recruits ever brought into the fold by coach Billy Donovan.

How good was Walker? Top scouting services put the forward in their top ten nationally, ahead of names like Noah Vonleh, Joel Embiid, and James Young. Walker wasn’t an elite collegiate performer at Florida, but he showed glimpses of his tremendous talent over two years and NBA scouts know that the skills are still there. Now, Walker is gearing up for the workout circuit to convince a team to draft him and mine his vast untapped potential. Walker, a client of Travis King at Relativity Sports, spoke with Hoops Rumors about his time at Florida and what he hopes to do going forward.

Zach Links: You came out as sophomore this year. Did you wrestle with the decision to go pro early? What went into the decision? Were you hearing from NBA people that you had an excellent chance of getting drafted?

Chris Walker: It was a tough decision, but I wanted to focus on basketball and put 100% of my focus on my craft. Just from talking with my family and my agent, it was clear that everybody believed that I could do it and I did, too. I felt like if I could focus on basketball exclusively, then I could achieve great things in this sport.

ZL: You have the ability to drive to the basket and you don’t see that too often in a 6’10” big man. Have you always been strong at slashing to the hoop?

CW: That’s something that I’ve always done but I was actually told not to do that as much at Florida, because it didn’t fit in with the offense there. I’m excited to show that off now.

ZL: Do you have any regrets about how things played out at Florida?

CW: Of course I wish I could have done better, but I don’t know, I just feel like if I wanted to get better, I needed to go up a notch in competition to get better. I feel like everything happens for a reason and I have a great future ahead of me.

ZL: Are you a more mature person than you were when you came out of high school?

CW: I feel like I’m a way more mature person right now; I’ve grown physically and mentally. Mainly, I feel like I’ve grown a lot. I think some of the struggles actually woke me up a bit and humbled me and made me a tougher guy both on and off the court.

ZL: You’re fairly skinny at 6’10”, 220 pounds. Do you plan on getting bigger? How much bigger?

CW: I plan on getting bigger and getting up to the 235-240 pound range. At the same time though, I’m trying to keep my athleticism, explosiveness, and lateral movement. Right now I’m just being disciplined with how I eat and how I work out and taking all my supplements. I make sure that I take my creatine every day.

ZL: If you had to write your own scouting report, what would you say about yourself and what you can do on the court?

CW: I’m going to be a player in the NBA that is an energy guy. I’m going to give 110% every time. When the coach comes to me on the floor during practice I’m going to work out as hard as I can, pay attention to the veteran guys, and follow their lead. I want to learn from the best guys out there and I really feel that the sky is the limit for me.

ZL: While you’re writing your own scouting report, how about an NBA comparison for yourself?

CW: Right now I think I’m sort of an Anthony Davis type player, even if i’m not as polished as he is. He put on a lot of weight and I feel like we have the same frame and that’s who I want to pattern my game around.

ZL: So you must really pride yourself on your defense.

CW: I really enjoy playing D, even more than offense. I like blocking shots, rebounding the ball, and helping. Don’t get me wrong, I like the offensive end too and getting up and down the floor in transition. I want to work on post moves even more though so that I can really be effective in the halfcourt set.

ZL: What are you hearing about where you might get drafted?

CW: I’m not really hearing much specifically, but whatever team wants to take a shot at me, they won’t regret it.

ZL: Why did you choose Travis King and the folks at Relativity Sports to represent you?

CW: They’re like family to me. They have my back and it feels like a family connection, so that’s why I chose them.

Prospect Profile: Devin Booker

May 11th, 2015 at 9:20pm CST by Charlie Adams

Devin Booker’s name is one that often goes unmentioned when discussing the best talent in this year’s draft class, but that’s not because of unimpressive play during his brief stint with Kentucky. Instead, the NBA-bound Wildcat freshman can blame his hyper-talented team for overshadowing the efficient numbers he was able to put up during his lone season in blue and white. Booker is one of seven Kentucky players leaving school early to enter the pros, and while ex-teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein almost certainly figure to be taken ahead of him, there’s little doubt that Booker’s game will effectively translate to the next level and give whichever team that takes him a solid NBA shooting guard.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks Booker as the 12^th best prospect in this year’s class, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) has him a decent amount lower at 19^th. At only 18 years old, Booker is the youngest player in the upcoming crop of rookies; he won’t even turn 19 until the 2015/16 season has already tipped off. In spite of his youth, Givony writes in the previously linked piece that Booker’s strong fundamentals and high basketball IQ should definitely stand to appeal to GM’s around the Association. Younger players can oftentimes be knocked for taking bad shots or turning the ball over, but Booker’s stellar 47.1% field goal percentage and ultra-low 1.8 turnovers per 40 minutes prove that he makes good decisions when he’s got the rock in his hands.

While his intelligence on the floor shouldn’t be overlooked, it’s obvious that the most impressive skill Booker brings to the table is his lights-out shooting. He nailed 41.1% of his takes from beyond the arc last season, and his 60% true shooting percentage was fourth best in the SEC. Right around half of his attempted field goals came from three point range, so his eye-catching numbers don’t come from a small sample, and at 6.9 threes attempted per 40 minutes, it’s clear Booker is confident in his ability to hit from downtown (rightfully so). Floor spacing is a critical component in today’s NBA game, and Booker’s excellent mechanics and high release point make him arguably the best marksmen in this year’s class.

At 6’6” and over 200 pounds, Booker definitely possesses enough size to play shooting guard at the next level. He’s not an elite-level athlete, but he does have the capability to create his own shot and doesn’t just rely on spot-up jumpers to earn his points. Excellent footwork and crafty use of teammates’ screens give Booker the ability to hit on looks from all over the floor, and he’s not afraid to drain it from anywhere he can get open. Still, Booker’s game primarily takes place outside of the paint, and Ford believes he’ll need to improve his ability to drive to the basket if he wants to become a complete offensive player at the next level. It’s not that Booker struggles to finish once he’s at the rim; he just has a tough time cutting through defenses and making adjustments to get there.

Booker’s defense was nothing spectacular last year, but he didn’t hurt his team while he was on the floor either. His 92.2 defensive rating was good enough to rank eighth in the SEC, but that figure was heavily impacted by the presence of teammates Towns and Cauley-Stein, two elite rim protectors who gave opposing offenses nightmares. Booker’s height and weight will allow him to stick with most two-guards in the NBA, but Givony notes that Booker’s diminutive 6’6″ wingspan will likely prevent him from effectively guarding longer wing players, severely limiting his positional versatility.

It’s almost impossible to find a “sure thing” in the draft, but Booker’s high IQ and precise shooting make him a low-risk selection worthy of being taken in the middle of the first round. In fact, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him taken in the back end of the lottery, depending on how his workouts go over the next month and a half. Booker will probably never develop into a perennial All-Star, but his combination of youth, intelligence, and floor spacing capabilities have him looking like he has the makeup to be a solid NBA two-guard at the very least, with the ceiling of a very good fundamental player who can score in bunches.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Goran Dragic

May 10th, 2015 at 4:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat lost their top free agent last summer, and even though the stakes are much lower this time around, the franchise is hoping to keep Goran Dragic in Miami. The Heat are still reeling from LeBron James‘ announcement last July that he was returning home to Cleveland. After four straight trips to the NBA Finals, Miami missed the playoffs with a 37-45 record this season. Now, instead of dominating the NBA, the Heat have started rebuilding.

Part of that process will be re-signing Dragic, who came to Miami from Phoenix in a three-team deal at February’s trade deadline. It cost the Heat four players and two first-round draft picks to acquire Dragic, who was a Third-Team All-NBA selection in 2013/14. To get the seventh-year guard from Croatia, Miami dealt Danny Granger to the Suns, along with a top-seven protected pick in 2017 and an unprotected selection in 2021. The Heat also sent Norris Cole, Shawne Williams, Justin Hamilton and cash considerations to New Orleans to complete the deal.

After shelling out so much to get Dragic, Miami wants to make sure he stays with the franchise for the long term. He has a $7.5MM player option for next season that he has already announced he will decline. Dragic has seemed to form a bond with Miami since the trade, calling it his favorite U.S. city. “I had a great time in Miami and I want to come back,” he told Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post last month, “but we’ll see what happens.”

What might happen is a large offer from the Lakers or Knicks, who were both reportedly on a list of favored destinations — along with Miami — that Dragic compiled before being traded from Phoenix. Both teams could use an experienced point guard and both have plenty of cap room to throw maximum offers at Dragic. And there are likely to be more suitors. Dragic, represented by agents Rade Filipovich and Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management, has repeatedly made it clear that he will listen to every offer that comes his way.

One possible landing spot for Dragic is Houston, although the Rockets would have to clear some cap room to become serious bidders. Dragic spent part of the 2010/11 season and all of 2011/12 in Houston before leaving in the summer of 2012 to sign a four-year, $30MM free-agent deal with Phoenix. The Rockets were pursuing Dragic at this year’s trade deadline before he was dealt to Miami. It was reported in February that Dragic wasn’t willing to sign a long-term deal with Houston or any other team not on his list of preferred destinations. Dragic was apparently reluctant to sign long-term with the Rockets for fear that they would trade him later.

No matter who comes calling, Dragic noted that the Heat have a “huge” advantage because they own his Bird Rights and can offer a five-year deal, while other teams are limited to four. The total value of a maximum offer from Miami would be roughly $110MM, compared to about $81MM from anyone else. Miami also has the built-in financial advantage of being located in Florida, which has no state income tax.

“As long as I’m in a happy environment and a healthy organization, that’s the most important thing,” Dragic told Lieser in a separate story. “The next three, four, five years — I want to spend it on this kind of team, like the Miami Heat. They have great players, great coaching staff and great training staff.”

The attraction of Dragic, who turned 29 last week, is obvious. In 26 games after being traded to Miami, he averaged 16.6 points and 5.3 assists. He’s a 36% career shooter from three-point range and has a reputation for being durable, appearing in 77, 75 and 78 games the last three seasons.

The Heat have been open about their desire to retain Dragic. Shortly after their season ended, coach Erik Spoelstra said that he wants to bring back Dragic and Luol Deng, who also has a player option. “They’re absolute pros,” Spoelstra said, “the kind of guys you want to build your team around, the guys you want to go to work with, the guys you want to be in a foxhole with.”

Still, the Heat have some cap concerns. Chris Bosh signed a max deal last summer that will pay him more than $118MM through 2018/19; Dwyane Wade has a player option worth more than $16MM next season, and Hassan Whiteside will be seeking a sizable new deal next summer. But if Dragic stays in Miami, his new contract will be offset by an expected jump in the salary cap once the new television deal kicks in after next season. Dragic is certain to get plenty of offers this summer, but his fondness for the city and the Heat’s financial edges should be enough to make him one of the leaders of a post-LeBron resurgence in Miami.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Magic

May 9th, 2015 at 4:49pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season. We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll continue onward with a look back at how the Magic utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…

D-League Team: Erie BayHawks

Affiliation Type: One-to-one

D-League Team Record: 24-26

Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 1

Total D-League Assignments: 3

Player Stats While On Assignment

Devyn Marble: 3 assignments, 6 games, 13.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG. .341/.321/.591.

D-League Signings

None

Assignment/Recall Log

December 26th: Assigned Devyn Marble (Recalled January 1st)
February 2nd: Assigned Devyn Marble (Recalled February 7th)
February 17th: Assigned Devyn Marble (Recalled February 21st)

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