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Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 3/22/15-3/28/15

March 28th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have added 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. Now for this week’s inquiries:

“Do you see DeAndre Jordan commanding a max salary in free agency?” — Phil B.

I can certainly see Jordan seeking a max deal, but I’m not sure that he gets one. He’s having a great season, but the league doesn’t revolve around centers the way that it used to. Jordan will certainly be in line for a raise from the $11.4MM he is making this season. I just can’t see him being worth a $17MM+ annual salary. $15MM per feels about the right ballpark for him, though even that is a risk given how poorly big men age in the NBA.

The big unknown involved here is how the 2016 salary cap increase will change teams’ approaches this summer. There may be a few more franchises that will be willing to go into the luxury tax in 2015/16, knowing that the cap will increase significantly the following year. Plus, if upper tier salaries are going to jump as much as some speculate, Jordan inking a max deal this summer could end up looking like a bargain in three years time.

“What are the chances that John Calipari ends up coaching the Knicks next season?” — Tim

I’ll go with slim-to-none on this one. I just don’t see Calipari and Phil Jackson working well together. Plus, Calipari would likely ask for some level of control over personnel moves as part of his contract. That’s a likely deal-breaker in New York right now. I also don’t see the team giving up on Derek Fisher after a single season unless there are some serious philosophical differences that pop up between the coach and the front office. Plus, if Calipari actually wants to leave Kentucky, he can do much better than the Knicks for an NBA gig. Flip Saunders may want to get off of the sidelines in Minnesota and Coach Cal has a bit of experience developing young talent…

“Will both Monta Ellis and Rajon Rondo be in Dallas’ starting backcourt next season?” — Randall J.

It’s not looking good right now for the two to re-team next season in Dallas. The team’s offense has been flowing better with Rondo on the bench — not a great sign when talking about a point guard. I was willing to give the two players the benefit of the doubt, but it’s looking more and more like Ellis and Rondo just aren’t compatible. Rondo’s clashes with coach Rick Carlisle aren’t a great incentive for Rondo to want to return either. So there’s all of that.

But the factor that is usually the true determining one in these situations is money. Rondo is likely to seek a maximum salary deal, which isn’t something he’s likely to be worth at this stage of his career. I don’t see the Mavs offering that level of financial commitment to retain Rondo. With the Knicks and Lakers both set to have cap space and tons of desperation this summer, Rondo could be one of the beneficiaries. I think Rondo leaves Dallas for more zeroes on his paycheck.

As for Ellis, he has a tougher decision to make. The veteran guard has a player option worth $8.72MM for next season. It’s not clear yet whether or not he’ll opt out and try to secure a long-term deal. The cap is set to jump in 2016, so opting in and hitting the market that summer may hold more appeal. Out of the two players, Ellis is the one who is more likely to be back.

“Does J.R. Smith opt out of his deal this summer? Do you see him staying in Cleveland long-term?” — Alex V.

A couple of months ago I would have been sure that Smith would opt in on his $6,399,750 player option for 2015/16. I’m not so certain any more. That’s what competing for a contending team will do for a player’s energy level and stat line. Smith has fit in rather well in Cleveland, so there’s that to consider. He could opt in and try to cash in when the cap jumps during the summer of 2016. That would be the safe play. But if Smith has a stellar playoffs and can control his antics, he could be looking at a number of long-term offers. I’d speculate that the Mavs would be interested in signing Smith if Ellis departs as a free agent. My guess is that barring a spectacular individual playoff run, Smith opts in or works out a long-term deal with the Cavs.

“Give me your mock draft for the top five picks (using the current standings as the draft order)” — Aaron

It’s still a bit early to make an accurate mock draft. Quite a few things can change during the pre-draft process. But now that I’ve blanketed myself in the warmth of a disclaimer I’ll answer the question. Using Hoops Rumors’ Reverse Standings to determine the draft order, here’s how I see the first five picks shaking out…

  1. Knicks — C Jahlil Okafor (Duke)
  2. Timberwolves — F Karl-Anthony Towns (Kentucky)
  3. Sixers — G Emmanuel Mudiay (China)
  4. Lakers — G D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State)
  5. Magic — F Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia)

That’s all the space I have for this week’s inquiries. Please keep all the submissions coming and I’ll be back next Saturday with more thoughts and opinions.

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2015/16 Salary Commitments: Heat

March 27th, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.

We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. While the exact amount of the 2015/16 salary cap won’t be announced until July, the cap is projected to come in somewhere around $67.4MM, with the luxury tax threshold projected at approximately $81MM. This year’s $63.065MM cap represented  an increase of 7.7% over 2013/14, which was well above the league’s projected annual increase of 4.5%.

We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Heat’s cap outlook for 2015/16…

Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:

Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:

Players with options:

The Heat’s Cap Summary for 2015/16:

  • Guaranteed Salary: $42,892,085
  • Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $38,819,644
  • Total: $81,711,729

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

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2015/16 Salary Commitments: Grizzlies

March 27th, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.

We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. While the exact amount of the 2015/16 salary cap won’t be announced until July, the cap is projected to come in somewhere around $67.4MM, with the luxury tax threshold projected at approximately $81MM. This year’s $63.065MM cap represented an increase of 7.7% over 2013/14, which was well above the league’s projected annual increase of 4.5%.

We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Grizzlies’ cap outlook for 2015/16…

Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:

Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:

Players with options:

The Grizzlies’ Cap Summary for 2015/16:

  • Guaranteed Salary: $37,881,575
  • Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $13,022,583
  • Total: $50,904,158

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

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Suns Tops In Newcomers Since Start Of Season

March 27th, 2015 at 10:55am CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns have done a lot of roster shuffling this season to reach more or less the same point. Phoenix was widely expected when 2014/15 began to fall somewhere near the final playoff berth in the Western Conference, just as the team did last year, and that’s right where the Suns are, three games out of eighth place. They nonetheless have a league-high seven players who weren’t around for opening night, thanks in large measure to six trades, including three on deadline day. The likes of Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas have given way to Brandon Knight and Brandan Wright, but the Suns are more or less right where they started.

A pair of new coaches who also run the basketball operations for their teams have been active as well. Stan Van Gundy and Flip Saunders have brought six new players apiece to their respective rosters since the beginning of the season, though neither the Pistons nor the Timberwolves are playoff-bound. The same is true of the Sixers, who have just as many new faces, to no one’s surprise. By contrast, the Heat, whose most significant move was either acquiring Dragic from the Suns or signing Hassan Whiteside midseason, are in position to make the postseason with six players who weren’t around on opening night.

They’re competing for a playoff spot with the Pacers, who clearly haven’t panicked with Paul George out. Indiana picked up A.J. Price earlier this season via the hardship exception, letting him go when some of the team’s other injured players returned. Aside from that, the Pacers have stood pat in the face of a trying season. The Magic haven’t touched their roster all year, instead seemingly placing the blame for their continued struggles on Jacque Vaughn, whom they fired as coach. The Bulls and Raptors have high hopes for deep playoff runs, but neither team has anyone it didn’t have when the season began.

Here’s a look at how each team stacks up in terms of additions since the beginning of the season, categorized by the volume of new players. Those on 10-day contracts have an asterisk by their names.

Seven newcomers

Six newcomers

Five newcomers

Four newcomers

Three newcomers

Two newcomers

One newcomer

No newcomers

  • Bulls
  • Magic
  • Pacers
  • Raptors
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2015/16 Salary Commitments: Lakers

March 26th, 2015 at 9:44pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.

We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. While the exact amount of the 2015/16 salary cap won’t be announced until July, the cap is projected to come in somewhere around $67.4MM, with the luxury tax threshold projected at approximately $81MM. This year’s $63.065MM cap represented  an increase of 7.7% over 2013/14, which was well above the league’s projected annual increase of 4.5%.

We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Lakers’ cap outlook for 2015/16…

Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:

Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:

Players with options:

The Lakers’ Cap Summary for 2015/16:

  • Guaranteed Salary: $35,075,659
  • Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $12,772,068
  • Total: $47,847,727

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

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2015/16 Salary Commitments: Clippers

March 26th, 2015 at 6:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.

We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. While the exact amount of the 2015/16 salary cap won’t be announced until July, the cap is projected to come in somewhere around $67.4MM, with the luxury tax threshold projected at approximately $81MM. This year’s $63.065MM cap represented  an increase of 7.7% over 2013/14, which was well above the league’s projected annual increase of 4.5%.

We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Clippers’ cap outlook for 2015/16…

Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:

Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:

Players with options:

  • None

The Clippers’ Cap Summary for 2015/16:

  • Guaranteed Salary: $58,077,790
  • Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $7,732,921
  • Total: $65,810,711

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

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2015/16 Salary Commitments: Pacers

March 25th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.

We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. While the exact amount of the 2015/16 salary cap won’t be announced until July, the cap is projected to come in somewhere around $67.4MM, with the luxury tax threshold projected at approximately $81MM. This year’s $63.065MM cap represented  an increase of 7.7% over 2013/14, which was well above the league’s projected annual increase of 4.5%.

We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Pacers’ cap outlook for 2015/16…

Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:

Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:

  • None

Players with options:

The Pacers’ Cap Summary for 2015/16:

  • Guaranteed Salary: $36,022,711
  • Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $28,114,031
  • Total: $64,136,742

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

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2015/16 Salary Commitments: Rockets

March 25th, 2015 at 5:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.

We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. While the exact amount of the 2015/16 salary cap won’t be announced until July, the cap is projected to come in somewhere around $67.4MM, with the luxury tax threshold projected at approximately $81MM. This year’s $63.065MM cap represented  an increase of 7.7% over 2013/14, which was well above the league’s projected annual increase of 4.5%.

We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Rockets’ cap outlook for 2015/16…

Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:

Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:

Players with options:

The Rockets’ Cap Summary for 2015/16:

  • Guaranteed Salary: $54,479,767
  • Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $6,242,236
  • Total: $60,722,003

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

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Staggered Deals For 10-Day Signees

March 25th, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

There’s a familiar pattern that usually plays out whenever someone on a 10-day contract makes enough of an impression for his team to keep him around. The team signs him to a second 10-day contract within a few days of the expiration of the first, in most such cases. The same is true if a team decides to keep the player for the balance of the season, as a deal typically follows in quick succession. But, as we saw with the Pelicans and Toney Douglas, who wound up with a rest-of-season deal Tuesday after the team had seemingly moved on from him, that’s not always the case.

Douglas signed the first of his two 10-day contracts with the Pelicans on February 4th, and while the Pelicans took a few days after it expired to sign him to 10-day deal No. 2 on February 18th, that wasn’t really out of the ordinary. However, the Pelicans terminated that second 10-day deal the very next day as they swung a pair of trade deadline swaps. They emerged from deadline day with an open roster spot, but instead of re-signing Douglas, they picked up Elliot Williams on a 10-day contract, and signed him to another the day after the first expired. The day after that second 10-day deal for Williams expired, the Pelicans gave out a deal for the rest of the season — not to Williams, but to Douglas, who had been off the roster for more than a month.

The team has reportedly decided against signing Williams to a deal that covers the balance of 2014/15, even though the Pelicans still have an open roster spot following the Douglas deal. It’s unclear what led New Orleans to make such a move, but it’s not unprecedented. Holdups have stalled but not prevented deals involving a few other 10-day signees across the NBA this season. Hoops Rumors learned that a desire to retain flexibility for a possible trade kept the Heat from signing Tyler Johnson to a second 10-day contract for a week after his first one expired. There was no such delay when Miami re-signed him to a multiyear deal the day after his second 10-day pact was up. The specter of would-be trades appeared to hold sway when the Grizzlies waited to sign JaMychal Green for a week after his first 10-day contract with the team expired. He signed his second on February 19th, the day of the trade deadline, and inked a multiyear pact of his own shortly after the second 10-day expired. A similar dynamic was seemingly at play with James McAdoo, who signed his second 10-day contract with the Warriors on February 2nd, just a few days after his first had expired. He, like Green, signed his next contract, a multiyear deal, on the day of the deadline.

An injury concern was apparent as the Clippers hesitated to re-sign Jordan Hamilton when his second 10-day deal was up, but the team ultimately gave him a multiyear deal after he languished for five days. There was a much larger gap between the first and second 10-day contracts Jack Cooley signed with the Jazz. Utah signed Jerrelle Benimon to a 10-day contract in between the time of Cooley’s deals, much as the Pelicans turned to Williams while Douglas was away. The day after Benimon’s deal expired, Cooley was back with the Jazz. Today’s the final day of Cooley’s second 10-day deal, so we’ll soon find out whether there’ll be another gap.

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2015/16 Salary Commitments: Warriors

March 24th, 2015 at 8:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBA trade deadline passed, teams are focusing on locking down playoff spots or vying for a better chance in the draft lottery. Outside of the players who are added on 10-day deals, or those lucky enough to turn those auditions into long-term contracts, teams’ rosters are relatively set for the remainder of the season.

We at Hoops Rumors are in the process of taking a look ahead at each franchise’s salary cap situation heading into the summer, and the free agent frenzy that occurs every offseason. While the exact amount of the 2015/16 salary cap won’t be announced until July, the cap is projected to come in somewhere around $67.4MM, with the luxury tax threshold projected at approximately $81MM. This year’s $63.065MM cap represented  an increase of 7.7% over 2013/14, which was well above the league’s projected annual increase of 4.5%.

We’ll continue onward by taking a look at the Warriors’ cap outlook for 2015/16…

Here are the players with guaranteed contracts:

Here are the players with non-guaranteed contracts:

Players with options:

The Warriors’ Cap Summary for 2015/16:

  • Guaranteed Salary: $77,601,793
  • Options/Non-Guaranteed Salary: $5,831,023
  • Total: $83,432,816

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

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