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Hoops Rumors Originals

2015/16 NBA Free Agent List Updated

August 27th, 2014 at 2:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

The flurry of signings and roster moves in the first few weeks of free agency left several details unresolved, particularly when it came to the option years or non-guaranteed seasons included in each new contract signed this summer. Now that the dust has settled and the terms of most contracts have been reported, we have a clearer idea of what the free agent picture will look like in future offseasons.

We’ve combed over the reports and updated our register of the players who can hit the market next summer. Our list of 2015/16 free agents encompasses players with one last season to go on their contracts, players eligible for restricted free agency, and players with non-guaranteed salary and option clauses for the 2015/16 season. Names like Rajon Rondo, LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol highlight the list, and LeBron James is once more just months away from becoming a free agent if he chooses, since he has a player option.

Many players with option years or non-guaranteed deals almost certainly won’t hit the free agent market next summer. For instance, Jamal Crawford‘s contract for 2015/16 isn’t fully guaranteed, so you’ll find his name on our list, but barring a catastrophic turn of events, the Clippers will certainly be guaranteeing his deal eventually. We’ll continue to update our list as those sorts of decisions become official, and the list can be found anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”

Additionally, a handful of players with non-guaranteed salary for 2015/16 also have non- or partially guaranteed contracts for 2014/15. Those players won’t find a spot on our ’15/’16 list until their statuses for the coming season are officially determined, so they can be found on the list of 2014/15 free agents in the meantime.

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Hoops Rumors 2014 Free Agent Tracker

August 26th, 2014 at 12:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

This summer’s free agency has significantly changed the NBA landscape. LeBron James lifted the Cavs from lottery team to title contender, the move of Chandler Parsons to the Mavs made one Western Conference playoff team stronger while weaking another, and Lance Stephenson‘s jump to the Hornets was a major swing for the East. Our Free Agent Tracker will help you evaluate all the moves. Using the tracker, you can quickly sort through contract agreements and categorize by team, position, free agent type, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

  • Contract years and dollars are based on what’s been reported to date, so in some cases those amounts are approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed, either.
  • Eric Bledsoe, Greg Monroe and Aron Baynes are the three remaining restricted free agents. If one of them signs an offer sheet, he’ll be listed under the team that extended the offer sheet, even though that team wouldn’t hold his rights unless the player’s original team declines to match within the three-day period to do so. If the original team matches, we’ll update the tracker to show that the player is back with his old club.
  • The tracker doesn’t include signed draft picks, since those players weren’t free agents. We’re keeping on top of 2014 draft pick signings in this post. The tracker also doesn’t include “draft-and-stash” players who’ve signed this summer, but they’re listed here. A list of all the offseason trade acquisitions is right here.

Our 2014 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. It will continue to be updated until the offseason is through, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

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Extension Candidate: Jimmy Butler

August 25th, 2014 at 10:34am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls scored a major coup when they drafted Jimmy Butler 30th overall in 2011. A team that compiled the best record in the league in the previous season, as the Bulls did, isn’t supposed to be able to find a starting-caliber player in the draft. That’s exactly what Chicago has, and then some, in Butler, who became a full-time starter just last season but had already established himself as a future building block the year before, when he started 20 regular season games and all 12 playoff games for an ailing Luol Deng. Now the task for GM Gar Forman and his staff is to keep that building block in place and ensure the embodiment of that draft-night success from three years ago doesn’t turn into either an overpaid burden for Chicago or, perhaps even worse, a former Bull.

A report from last autumn indicated that the Bulls were higher on retaining Butler for the long term than they were on Deng, and that was born out when the team traded Deng to the Cavs at midseason. Chicago isn’t alone in its affection for the 24-year-old Butler, as there was reportedly wide belief that the Wolves would ask for Butler as part of Kevin Love trade talks with the Bulls. Love appears safely on his way to the Cavs, but there’s little doubt that other teams would relish the chance to snatch Butler away.

Butler endured a tough shooting season on a Bulls team that struggled mightily to score once Derrick Rose went down with yet another injury. The subtraction of Deng didn’t help matters, either, allowing perimeter defenses to focus more keenly on stopping Butler, Chicago’s remaining wing threat. Butler’s three-point shooting percentage dropped from 38.1% in 2012/13 to 28.3% last year, even as he nearly tripled his number of attempted treys per contest. His shooting percentage from the floor as a whole dropped from 46.7% to 39.7%, reflective of his greater focus on three-pointers.

The Bulls asked Butler to do much more this past season than he’d ever done in the league, and his efficiency dropped as a result, with his PER sinking from 15.2 in his second season to 13.5 in year three. Still, it would have been difficult for just about any player to have been effective offensively on last year’s Bulls, one of just four teams in the league to score fewer than a point per possession in 2013/14, according to NBA.com. Butler isn’t capable of single-handedly carrying a scoring attack, at least not yet, but he’s defined himself as a key part of one of the most well-coordinated defenses in league history. The Bulls gave up 1.5 points fewer points per 100 possessions when Butler played, as NBA.com shows, and while Butler alone didn’t influence that statistic, Chicago has been at least slightly better defensively when he’s played in each of his three seasons with the club.

The Bulls were also more effective defensively with Taj Gibson on the floor in each of his first three seasons in the league, which was no doubt on the minds of Forman and company when they reached a deal with Gibson on a four-year, $33MM rookie scale extension two years ago. It stands as an example of the team’s willingness to lock up a player who’s a mainstay but not quite a star, a description that also fits Butler, but there are differences between the two cases. Gibson came off the bench at a position that the highly paid Carlos Boozer occupied, while Butler is a starter on the wing, where the Bulls are thin. Butler is also a more integral part of Chicago’s offense than Gibson had been when he signed his extension. Those factors combined with rising salary cap projections for years to come make it unlikely that Butler will settle for salaries anywhere in the neighborhood of what Gibson is making.

It appears as though Chicago would like to keep Butler around, as I surmised last month when I predicted that the Bulls and the Happy Walters client would come to terms on a four-year, $42MM extension. That’s $9MM more than Gibson saw, but there’d still be a decent chance that it would end up a relative bargain for the Bulls, particularly if the deal is backloaded. Chicago already has about $58.6MM in commitments for 2015/16 and $43.8MM for 2015/16, so creating enough wiggle room as possible beneath the tax threshold will be important as the team attempts to contend in the next few years.

There’s a case to be made that the Bulls should hold off on an extension to see whether Butler’s offensive efficiency improves with Rose back in the lineup. Butler and Rose have only shared the floor for 273 total minutes over their careers, so surely Chicago is curious to see how they mesh in more significant time together. That question mark shouldn’t dissuade the Bulls from committing to a reasonable extension this offseason, lest Butler’s negotiating power increase commensurate with his continually expanding role on the team. Restricted free agency proved more kind this year to Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons, a pair of wing players on the market’s second tier, than it has for point guard Eric Bledsoe and big man Greg Monroe, seemingly more attractive options. That would bode well for Butler, even though there are few certainties in restricted free agency, as this summer’s surprises have shown.

It’s quite a risk in today’s NBA for a team to commit an average of more than $10MM a year to a swingman who’s just a 30.9% three-point shooter, but for the Bulls, it appears worth it to do so with Butler. Chicago’s primary focus is on defense, anyway, where Butler has proven valuable, and Gibson’s blossoming offensive game is evidence that coach Tom Thibodeau and his staff are adept at continually developing players well into their careers. Butler needs to improve for the Bulls to have reaped a bargain with such an investment, but there’s plenty of evidence to suggest he’ll do just that.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

August 24th, 2014 at 7:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..

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Trade Retrospective: Chris Paul To The Clippers

August 24th, 2014 at 12:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Kevin Love blockbuster now official, time will tell which franchise got the better of the trade. The Wolves dealt away their star player for a number of intriguing pieces, and the Cavs netted a another star to pair alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, while the Sixers look to nab the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. It’s always a risky proposition to deal a top-flight player away, as past deals have demonstrated. It’s with that in mind that I’ve been looking back at other blockbuster trades and how they have worked out for all involved.

So far I’ve examined the trades that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers; Deron Williams to the Nets; Kevin Garnett to the Celtics; Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks; and Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat. Next up is the 2011 deal that saw Chris Paul traded from the Pelicans to the Clippers.

On December 8, 2011, the Pelicans had agreed to a three-team trade that would send Paul to the Lakers; Pau Gasol to the Rockets; and Kevin Martin; Luis Scola; Lamar Odom; Goran Dragic; and a 2012 first-rounder (Royce White) that Houston had acquired from the Knicks, to New Orleans.

During this time the league was in charge of all decisions involving the Pelicans while they awaited new ownership to take control of the franchise. There were numerous reports that other team owners were angry about the trade due to their focus at achieving competitive balance between the larger and smaller market teams. The league allowing a pairing of Paul alongside Kobe Bryant was the antithesis of this goal.

An email that was sent to then Commissioner David Stern was published in The New York Times and Cleveland Plain Dealer, in which Cavs owner Dan Gilbert called the proposed deal “a travesty” and urged Stern to put the deal to a vote of “the 29 owners of the Pelicans,” referring to the rest of the league’s teams. Despite the backlash, the league claimed the deal was turned down for purely basketball reasons. “It’s not true that the owners killed the deal,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said at the time. “The deal was never discussed at the Board of Governors meeting and the league office declined to make the trade for basketball reasons.”

The second attempt at trading Paul to a team in Los Angeles went a bit smoother, and on December 15th, Paul was dealt to the Clippers. Let’s take a look at the players and assets involved:

It’s hard to compare the two deals and not think that the league and the Pelicans would have been better served with the initial trade to the Lakers, seeing how well Dragic has developed, and how Gordon’s injury woes and bloated contract haven’t quite worked out in New Orleans’ favor.

Once the trade was completed, Paul announced that he would opt in for the final year of his deal, thus ensuring he’d remain with the Clippers for at least two seasons. Paul would later sign a five-year, $107MM contract extension on July 10, 2013.

The Clippers’ records in the years leading up to the Paul trade were quite dismal.

  1. 2007/08: 23-59
  2. 2008/09: 19-63
  3. 2009/10: 29-53
  4. 2010/11: 32-50

Their records after the deal:

  1. 2011/12: 40-26 (Lost in second round of playoffs to the Spurs)
  2. 2012/13: 56-26 (Lost in first round to Grizzlies)
  3. 2013/14: 57-25 (Lost in second round to Thunder)

While they haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs yet, there is a marked improvement in the franchise since Paul arrived. Let’s look at his production since arriving in Los Angeles.

  1. 2011/12: 19.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.1 APG, and 2.5 SPG. His slash line was .478/.371/.861.
  2. 2012/13: 16.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 9.7 APG, and 2.4 SPG. His slash line was .481/.328/.885.
  3. 2013/14: 19.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 10.7 APG, and 2.5 SPG. His slash line was .467/.368/.855.

While Paul isn’t solely responsible for the reversal of the Clippers’ fortunes, he’s been an integral part of the turnaround, and it’s hard to argue that Los Angeles didn’t win this deal easily, especially since Paul still has a number of seasons left in his prime before he begins to hit his decline phase.

The Pelicans definitely took a major step back with the trade. First let’s look at their records in the seasons prior to the trade.

  1. 2007/08: 56-26 (Lost in second round to the Spurs)
  2. 2008/09: 49-33 (Lost in first round to the Nuggets)
  3. 2009/10: 37-45
  4. 2010/11: 46-36 (Lost in first round to Lakers)

While they weren’t anyone’s definition of a Championship caliber team, here are their records after Paul was traded.

  1. 2011/12: 21-45
  2. 2012/13: 27-55
  3. 2013/14: 34-48

This trade would look a bit different if Eric Gordon had avoided injuries and continued the developmental progress he displayed during his first three seasons in the league, when he was considered a budding star. Here are his numbers with the Clippers.

  1. 2008/09: 16.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.8 APG. His slash line was .456/.389/.854.
  2. 2009/10: 16.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 3.0 APG. His slash line was .449/.371/.742.
  3. 2010/11: 22.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 4.4 APG. His slash line was .450/.364/.825.

Gordon only managed nine games during his first season in New Orleans. It was revealed that he had a pre-existing knee injury that was aggravated during the first game of the season. The injury was originally believed to be just a bone bruise, but further examinations determined that Gordon had cartilage damage in his right knee, and he underwent surgery in February of 2012. Gordon returned toward the end of the season, but was noticeably slowed as he continued to recover.

He entered the summer of 2012 as a restricted free agent and on July 11, 2012, Gordon signed a four-year, $58MM offer sheet with the Suns. The Pelicans matched the offer, much to Gordon’s displeasure, and the Indianapolis native returned to New Orleans a touch disgruntled by the events. At the time Gordon said, “If (the Pelicans) were interested, there wouldn’t have been no tour, there wouldn’t have been nothing. There’s been no negotiations. I was right there in Indiana. I haven’t received no calls, to me personally, they’ve contacted my agent. As for now, I don’t know what’s going on. If the Pelicans match as of right now, I’d be disappointed.”

Since the surgery Gordon hasn’t been the same player. Here are his numbers since arriving in New Orleans:

  1. 2011/12: 20.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 3.4 APG. His slash line was .450/.250/.754.
  2. 2012/13: 17.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 3.3 APG. His slash line was .402/.324/.842.
  3. 2013/14: 15.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 3.3 A{G. His slash line was .436/.391/.785.

The injury to Gordon wasn’t something that could be predicted, but it’s interesting to look at the numbers of the players New Orleans could have gotten if the first trade went through.

Here are Kevin Martin‘s stats during the same span:

  1. 2011/12: 17.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.8 APG. His slash line was .413/.347/.894.
  2. 2012/13: 14.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.4 APG. His slash line was .450/.426/.890.
  3. 2013/14: 19.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.8 APG. His slash line was .430/.387/.891.

Martin’s numbers are comparable to Gordon’s, and he’s currently signed to a four-year, $28MM contract, which is significantly less than Gordon’s deal. To compound the disparity, let’s look at Goran Dragic‘s numbers during the same span.

  1. 2011/12: 11.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 5.3 APG. His slash line was .462/.337/.805.
  2. 2012/13: 14.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 7.4 APG. His slash line was .443/.319/.748.
  3. 2013/14: 20.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 5.9 APG. His slash line was .505/.408/.760.

Dragic is currently in the middle of a four-year, $30MM deal he signed as a restricted free agent back in 2012. If you do the math, the Pelicans could have had both Martin and Dragic for the same price they are paying the oft-injured Gordon now.

Chris Kaman only played for one season in New Orleans, averaging 13.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. He would then sign with the Mavericks in the offseason for one year and $8MM.

Al-Farouq Aminu lasted three seasons in New Orleans before leaving this summer to also sign with Dallas as a free agent on a two-year, $2.1MM deal. Aminu’s numbers with the Pelicans were:

  1. 2011/12: 6.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.0 APG. His slash line was .411/.277/.754.
  2. 2012/13: 7.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 1.4 APG. His slash line was .475/.211/.737.
  3. 2013/14: 7.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG. His slash line was .474/.271/.664.

In keeping with the theme of “what could have been,” here are Luis Scola‘s numbers during the same stretch:

  1. 2011/12: 15.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG. His slash line was .491/.000/.773.
  2. 2012/13: 12.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.2 APG. His slash line was .472/.188/.787.
  3. 2013/14: 7.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.0 APG. His slash line was .470/.143/.728.

The polite way to describe Austin Rivers‘ career thus far would be to say he’s been a disappointment, as he hasn’t lived up to having been a lottery pick. Rivers was a highly touted freshman when he entered college for his lone season at Duke, but many draft experts correctly predicted that he should have remained in school for at least one more season. Rivers’ numbers in the NBA thus far are:

  1. 2012/13: 6.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 2.1 APG. His slash line was .372/.326/.546.
  2. 2013/14: 7.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 2.3 APG. His slash line was .405/.364/.636.

Rivers is only 22 years old, and he could still develop into a serviceable rotation player, but from what he’s shown on the court thus far, it is extremely unlikely he’ll justify being selected in the lottery, even in a draft as weak as 2012’s.

The results of this trade are a prime example of how it is almost impossible to get equal value when trading away a star player. Granted, if Gordon had not have been injured and he continued to be a 20+ PPG scorer, the deal would look a lot more favorable for New Orleans.

The only benefit the franchise received from the trade was losing enough games during the 2011/12 season to secure the No. 1 overall pick they used to select Anthony Davis, who has the potential to become a top-five player in the league over the next few seasons. If Paul had remained on the roster it isn’t likely they would have been in that draft position, and Paul would have almost assuredly left as a free agent as soon as he was able.

It’s hard to predict what the Pelicans’ record would have been had the league not nixed the original trade. But looking at the transactions with hindsight, the franchise would have received better value with the original deal. The Suns should also send yearly thank-you cards to the Pelicans for matching their offer sheet to Gordon.

As for the Clippers, they clearly got the best player in the trade, and though it hasn’t resulted in a trip to the Conference Finals and beyond thus far, I’d be willing to bet they would make this deal 100 times over. This transaction is another shining example of the worth of a superstar in today’s NBA.

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Trade Retrospective: Shaq To The Heat

August 22nd, 2014 at 10:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the impending blockbuster deal that will send Kevin Love to the Cavaliers less than a day away, I’ve been taking a look back at past trades involving superstar players. It’s always interesting to see how these deals have worked out over the years for all of the franchises that were involved.

So far I’ve examined the trades that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers; Deron Williams to the Nets; Kevin Garnett to the Celtics; and Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks. Next up on the agenda is a look back at the July 14, 2004 trade that saw Shaquille O’Neal head from the Lakers to the Heat.

Let’s first recap the players and assets involved:

  1. The Heat received O’Neal.
  2. The Lakers received Caron Butler; Lamar Odom; Brian Grant; and a 2006 first-rounder (Jordan Farmar).

Shaq’s last few seasons in purple-and-gold were tumultuous to say the least. His relationship with the franchise became contentious over his perception that the front office was catering to the whims of Kobe Bryant; his displeasure at being called out publicly over his lack of conditioning by the front office and coaching staff; and his contract squabbles, which Bryant slammed O’Neal over, implying that Shaq was putting himself before the good of the team.

2004 was an offseason of big changes for the Lakers franchise as a whole. Phil Jackson had stepped down as coach of the team, Bryant was a free agent, and was courted heavily by the Clippers, and the roster was in a state of flux. This was after the franchise had gone 56-26, and lost to the Pistons in the NBA Finals.

O’Neal wanted a contract extension, despite having a year left on his current deal, being scheduled to make $29.5MM in 2004/05, a raise from his 2003/04 salary of $26.57MM. O’Neal was the highest paid player in the league at the time, and for comparison, the second highest paid player was Dikembe Mutombo, who earned $19.68MM in 2004/05.

The day after the season ended, O’Neal demanded a trade. “The team wasn’t going in the right direction, and it wasn’t something I wanted to be a part of, so I asked to be traded,” O’Neal said at the time. After the trade, Shaq would end up signing a five-year, $100MM extension with the Heat in 2005. O’Neal was still the highest paid player that year, with Chris Webber coming in a close second, earning $19.12MM in 2005/06. Shaq would later be overtaken for the top spot in 2006/07 by Kevin Garnett, who was paid $21MM that season, compared to Shaq’s $20MM.

The Heat had a record of 42-40 the season prior to O’Neal’s arrival, and reached the second round of the playoffs where they lost to the Pacers in six games. They improved to 59-23 in Shaq’s first season, losing to the Pistons in the Conference Finals. In his second season, they went 52-30, capturing the franchise’s first NBA title by defeating Dallas in six games.

Lets look at O’Neal’s numbers during his time with the Heat:

  1. 2004/05: 22.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. His slash line was .601/.000/.461.
  2. 2005/06: 20.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.8 BPG. His slash line was .600/.000/.469.
  3. 2006/07: 17.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. His slash line was .591/.000/.422.
  4. 2007/08: 14.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. His slash line was .581/.000/.494.

From Miami’s perspective the trade paid off handsomely the first two seasons, as O’Neal performed rather well, despite not being the same dominant player that he was during his time in Los Angeles. But injuries and conditioning problems eventually took their toll. In 2006/07, O’Neal missed 35 games with a knee injury, and wasn’t quite the same when he returned, and the team only won 44 games, losing to the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

The next season saw career lows from O’Neal in virtually every statistical category, and he missed time with various injuries. His coach at the time, Pat Riley, even went as far as to accuse O’Neal of faking some of the injuries to take time off. This was one factor that contributed to his relationship with Riley fracturing, and was the main reason the team decided to trade O’Neal midway through the 2007/08 season.

In February of 2008, O’Neal was dealt to the Suns for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. Shaq would see an upswing in his performance during his first full season in Phoenix, averaging 17.8 PPG and 8.4 RPG, while appearing in 75 contests, his most since the 1999/00 campaign. This was Shaq’s last productive season in the league, and his one-year stints in Cleveland and Boston after that were unremarkable.

During Shaq’s eight seasons in Los Angeles, the franchise averaged 54 wins and captured three championships. O’Neal averaged 24.3 PPG and 11.8 RPG during this stretch. The Lakers took an immediate hit after Shaq’s departure, going 34-48 and missing the playoffs during the 2004/05 season.

Caron Butler only spent one season in purple-and-gold, averaging 15.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.9 APG. He would then be dealt along with Chucky Atkins to the Wizards for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit.

Brown spent three seasons with the Lakers, and his numbers were:

  1. 2005/06: 7.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 1.0 APG. His slash line was .526/.000/.545.
  2. 2006/07: 8.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 1.8 APG. His slash line was .591/.000/.440.
  3. 2007/08: 5.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 0.8 APG. His slash line was .515/.000/.406.

The Lakers would trade Brown, along with Javaris Crittenton; Aaron McKie; the rights to Marc Gasol, and the Lakers’ 2008 (Donte Greene) and 2010 (Greivis Vasquez) first-rounders, for Pau Gasol and the Grizzlies’ 2010 second round pick (Devin Ebanks).

Brian Grant spent one season with the Lakers, appearing in 69 games, and averaging 3.8 PPG and 3.7 RPG. He was released after the season, then signed as a free agent with the Suns, but he only appeared in 21 games during the 2005/06 campaign, averaging a career low 2.9 PPG. This was Grant’s last year in the NBA.

Jordan Farmar was selected with the No. 26 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, and spent four seasons with the Lakers. His numbers during that stretch were:

  1. 2006/07: 4.4 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 1.9 APG. His slash line was .422/.328/.711.
  2. 2007/08: 9.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 2.7 APG. His slash line was .461/.371/.679.
  3. 2008/09: 6.4 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG. His slash line was .391/.336/.584.
  4. 2009/10: 7.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG, and 1.7 APG. His slash line was .435/.376/.671.

Farmar left after the 2009/10 season to sign a three-year, $12MM contract with the Nets. His numbers improved in New Jersey, where he averaged 10.0 PPG in his two seasons there, before being included in the deal with the Hawks that sent Joe Johnson to the Nets in 2012.

Lamar Odom was the most important and productive piece the Lakers received in the trade, and he was a valuable part of their Championship teams in 2009 and 2010. His numbers with the Lakers were:

  1. 2004/05: 15.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 3.7 APG. His slash line was .473/.308/.695.
  2. 2005/06: 14.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 5.5 APG. His slash line was .481/.372/.690.
  3. 2006/07: 15.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 4.8 APG. His slash line was .468/.297/.700.
  4. 2007/08: 14.2 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 3.5 APG. His slash line was .525/.274/.698.
  5. 2008/09: 11.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 2.6 APG. His slash line was .492/.320/.623.
  6. 2009/10: 10.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 3.3 APG. His slash line was .463/.319/.693.
  7. 2010/11: 14.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 3.0 APG. His slash line was .530/.382/.675.

While Odom didn’t measure up to O’Neal’s production during his prime, he was certainly an effective player for the Lakers, and his versatility was a big part of Los Angeles’ success during his years with the team. It’s sometimes easy to forget just how talented a player he was in light of how far he’s fallen in the past few years, mainly due to his off the court issues and reported drug problems.

Odom’s time with the Lakers came to an end in 2011. He was originally a part of the trade with the Pelicans that would have sent Chris Paul to Los Angeles, but the league vetoed the trade. This was when the New Orleans ownership situation was in a state of flux, and the NBA was in charge of the franchise. Many team owners spoke up against the deal, but the league office said the trade was turned down for purely basketball reasons.

After the details of the proposed trade were made public, Odom stated that he felt disrespected, and demanded a trade to a contending team. One week later his wish was granted, and he was shipped to the Mavericks along with a 2012 second-rounder (Darius Johnson-Odom), which was later sold back to the Lakers, for an $8.9MM trade exception, along with a 2012 (top-20 protected) first-rounder. The first round pick was later sent to the Rockets in the deal that netted the Lakers Jordan Hill. The pick was then sent to the Thunder in the James Harden trade, who in turn used it to select Mitch McGary with the No. 21 selection in the 2014 NBA Draft.

The O’Neal trade was one that worked out in the end for both sides. The Heat reaped the immediate benefits, winning the title in his second season with the team. Most franchises would gladly make a deal that netted them a banner to hang in their arena’s rafters. But Shaq’s tenure didn’t end well in Miami, due to injuries and clashes with the coaching staff, which somewhat lessens the Heat’s end of the trade despite their having obtained the best player in the deal.

The Lakers’ situation was different than the one that the Wolves now find themselves in with Love. Shaq was openly disruptive his last season and a half in Los Angeles, and he publicly demanded a trade. Retaining him could have caused Bryant to sign elsewhere as a free agent, which would have been disastrous, especially if he went to the Clippers.

Love has been a good soldier throughout all of the losing seasons in Minnesota, but the franchise still has no choice but to deal their star, lest they lose him for nothing next summer. It’s not an ideal situation, but the Timberwolves’ return for Love could turn out to be rather decent if Andrew Wiggins develops into the superstar many scouts project him to be.

Los Angeles didn’t net a player of Wiggins’ potential in their trade with Miami, but Odom was a vital piece of the puzzle during his time with the Lakers. It’s doubtful that the Wolves will contend for a championship in the next few seasons, though the Cavs hope to repeat what the Heat did after the Shaq trade and vie for the title in the coming years. It’s never an easy decision to trade away a star player, but some franchises have no other choice. Time will tell who wins the Love-Wiggins swap.

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Undrafted Players From 2014 With NBA Deals

August 22nd, 2014 at 11:40am CST by Chuck Myron

Going undrafted is far from a death knell for an NBA prospect’s hopes of joining the league. Last year, 17.4% of NBA players who appeared in a regular season game had never been drafted, as we noted earlier this week. The path of an undrafted player to an NBA roster is often easier than that of a second-round pick. Anyone passed over on draft night becomes a free agent, open to negotiate with all 30 teams, in stark contrast to a draftee, who can only sign with the team that selected his rights.

That helps explain why 14 players who were eligible for the 2014 draft but weren’t selected have agreed to terms with NBA teams this summer, while only 12 of this year’s second-round picks have done so. Of course, undrafted players rarely see any fully guaranteed seasons on their NBA deals, unlike second-rounders, who routinely command fully guaranteed salaries for at least their rookie seasons.

No team has come to terms with more players who went undrafted in spite of having been eligible for this year’s draft than the Kings, who’ve signed Sim Bhullar, Deonte Burton and Eric Moreland, perhaps compensating for their lack of a second-round pick. The Lakers have deals with a pair of undrafted players — Keith Appling and Roscoe Smith — even though they came away with the rights to No. 46 overall pick Jordan Clarkson on draft night and have yet to agree on a pact with him.

The players passed over for this year’s draft who have secured NBA deals anyway are listed below, followed by their NBA teams, and their predraft teams in parentheses.

  • Keith Appling, Lakers (Michigan State)
  • Jerrelle Benimon, Nuggets (Towson)
  • Sim Bhullar, Kings (New Mexico State)
  • Deonte Burton, Kings (Nevada)
  • Justin Cobbs, Hornets (California)
  • Bryce Cotton, Spurs (Providence)
  • Aaron Craft, Warriors (Ohio State)
  • Tim Frazier, Celtics (Penn State)
  • Tyler Johnson, Heat (Fresno State)
  • Alex Kirk, Cavaliers (New Mexico)
  • Eric Moreland, Kings (Oregon State)
  • Roscoe Smith, Lakers (UNLV)
  • Shayne Whittington, Pacers (Western Michigan)
  • Patric Young, Pelicans (Florida)
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Update On Unsigned 2014 Draft Picks

August 21st, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nearly two months have passed since this year’s draft, but it’s still unclear where 11 of the 60 draftees will play this year. Most have either signed with their NBA teams or agreed to play overseas or in the D-League, as our log of draft pick signings shows, but the fates of a significant portion of this year’s draftees are unknown. The Sixers, who’ve taken the past two summers at a glacial pace under GM Sam Hinkie, account for four of the unsigned draft picks, but they aren’t alone.

Here’s a look at where each unsigned draftee stands. The situations involving some of them have been well-documented, while others remain largely shrouded in mystery, so I’ve taken my best educated guess about the reasons behind the delays. The position in which each player was drafted is in parentheses.

  • Joel Embiid, Sixers (third overall) — Embiid won’t be hitting the court for a while, no matter when he signs. The latest timetable for his recovery from a broken foot would put him back in action sometime between November and February, so while it’s possible he plays a majority of the season, there’s a decent chance he won’t be back until after the All-Star break. In any case, it seems he’ll miss time, but probably not the entire season, as the highly drafted Nerlens Noel did for the Sixers last year. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sixers held off on signing Embiid until late September, the time of year when they inked Noel in 2013. Keeping Embiid unsigned maximizes Philadelphia’s flexibility, since the Sixers could exceed the salary cap to sign him if they find a way to use their ample room beneath the cap.
  • P.J. Hairston, Hornets (26th overall) — Hairston signed with an agent who wasn’t union-certified, and that appears to be at the root of the hold-up here. Charlotte is only carrying 14 players, so it would seem there’s a spot set aside for Hairston once his representation is in order.
  • K.J. McDaniels, Sixers (32nd overall) — There are no cap exceptions set aside specifically for second-round draftees as there are for first-rounders, so Philly’s plausible explanation for the lack of an Embiid signing doesn’t apply to McDaniels. Most picks at the top of the second round receive slightly more than the minimum salary, but perhaps the Sixers are holding out for the possibility that they’ll need to use the minimum salary exception should they manage to exhaust their cap room. McDaniels would probably prefer a deal with the rebuilding Sixers, for whom he could play a significant role as a rookie, rather than a trek overseas, so that could be behind his patience.
  • Jerami Grant, Sixers (39th overall) — What holds for McDaniels probably holds for Grant, too. Philadelphia’s apparent inclusion in the Kevin Love trade agreement also looms as a possible explanation for the hesitance the Sixers have shown to sign their draft picks.
  • Glenn Robinson III, Timberwolves (40th overall) — The Wolves reportedly would like to bring Robinson aboard, but they’re carrying 15 guaranteed contracts, and that number doesn’t appear set to change according to the latest reports on the structure of the Love deal.
  • Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (41st overall) — Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post wrote last month that Jokic wouldn’t be on the Nuggets roster for this fall, but definitive word on where he’ll end up remains elusive. The Nuggets have at least a partially guaranteed commitment to 16 players, so there’s little wiggle room for a change of plans on Denver’s end.
  • Dwight Powell, Cavaliers (45th overall) — The Love swap could be playing into Powell’s situation, too, and Cleveland has generally been slow to formalize deals with its free agent signings this summer. There’s been no report of an agreement between the team and Powell, but the dynamics of the Love trade agreement appear to set the Cavs up to have no more than 14 players with any guaranteed salary for this season. It’s conceivable that there will be news of a Powell signing soon after the Love trade becomes official.
  • Jordan Clarkson, Lakers (46th overall) — Multiple reports have indicated that the Lakers are expected to sign Clarkson before training camp begins, but there doesn’t appear to have been any agreement yet. The Lakers can offer no more than a two-year deal for the minimum salary, more or less locking in the terms for any deal, and the team is only carrying 14 players, so it’s tough to see why Clarkson remains unsigned.
  • Alec Brown, Suns (50th overall) — Brown originally appeared set to play overseas, but Channing Frye‘s departure apparently changed that, as Suns GM Ryan McDonough said last month. It still remains unclear whether Brown will end up with Phoenix this year, and the Suns appear to be putting much of their business on hold until Eric Bledsoe‘s restricted free agency is resolved. Phoenix is carrying 13 players, all on guaranteed deals.
  • Semaj Christon, Thunder (55th overall) — Oklahoma City has 14 guaranteed deals, but Hasheem Thabeet‘s non-guaranteed contract is set to become guaranteed next month, so there doesn’t appear to be room for Christon. It’s possible that the Thunder envision having Christon sign with the D-League and play with their affiliate, much like the team’s arrangement with 29th overall pick Josh Huestis. Grant Jerrett, the Thunder’s second-rounder from 2013, began last season on a D-League deal, so there’s plenty of precedent.
  • Jordan McRae, Sixers (58th overall) — McRae seems caught up in the same dynamics in which the other Sixers draftees find themselves, though as a player taken near the end of the second round, it’d be a long shot if he were to ink for more than the minimum salary, unlike McDaniels and Grant.
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Top Ball Distributors Still On The Market

August 21st, 2014 at 1:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Our look at the top scorers, rebounders and three-point shooters remaining on the free agent market over the past week highlights role players who can each fill a specific niche. Still, It’s perhaps appropriate that our list of the top available ball distributors begins and ends with the two stars still left without NBA deals.

Restricted free agents Eric Bledsoe and Greg Monroe each appear on three of the four compilations we’ve put together as part of this series, a testament to their wide-ranging skills. It’s no surprise that Bledsoe is tops among unsigned assist makers, but Monroe’s presence demonstrates that slick passing isn’t the exclusive domain of point guards. There are other notable big men among the names that appear below, including Andray Blatche, who, like Monroe, is also among the top scorers and rebounders on the market.

The list below ranks the remaining free agents by assist rate, a percentage of a team’s made baskets that a player assisted, according to Basketball-Reference. The figures are from the 2013/14 season. Proficient ball distributors abound, as the four names at the head of this ranking have assist rates better than or equal to the mark that Damian Lillard put up for the Blazers.

The assist rate for each player here is in parentheses. Free agents had to appear in at least 20 games and average at least 10 minutes per contest to qualify for the list.

  1. Eric Bledsoe (27.0%)
  2. Ramon Sessions (25.7%)
  3. Ronnie Price (25.6%)
  4. Jordan Crawford (25.1%)
  5. Eric Maynor (23.0%)
  6. Darius Morris (21.5%)
  7. Tyshawn Taylor (21.4%)
  8. Leandro Barbosa (13.4%)
  9. Andray Blatche (12.8%)
  10. Kenyon Martin (11.9%)
  11. Hedo Turkoglu (11.9%)
  12. E’Twaun Moore (11.8%)*
  13. Ray Allen (11.1%)
  14. Roger Mason (10.5%)
  15. Greg Monroe (10.3%)

* — Moore is reportedly expected to sign with the Bulls, but it’s not entirely clear whether the sides have an agreement.

Honorable mention:

  • Nando De Colo would have ranked eighth with his 19.7% assist rate, but he signed with CSKA Moscow in Russia. Toney Douglas would have been right behind De Colo on the list with a 14.6% assist rate had he not agreed to play for China’s Jiangsu Dragons.
  • Derek Fisher would have been on this list, just as he would have appeared among the top unsigned three-point shooters, if he hadn’t taken the Knicks head coaching job. Fisher’s assist rate from last season is 11.6%.
  • Chauncey Billups played in only 19 games, missing the cut by a single contest, but his 18.7% assist rate would have put him among these rankings.
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Undrafted Players In The NBA

August 20th, 2014 at 5:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

August and September are the months when undrafted players step into the spotlight around the NBA, as many of them sign training camp deals with hopes of making an opening-night roster. Most of them are long shots to make it past the preseason, but as a group, it’s a fair bet that a few of them will stick around for a while, and not just for token appearances.

There were 482 players who appeared in an NBA game last season, and 84 of them were never drafted. That represents about 17.4% of the league. Many of them were just briefly passing through the league, on 10-day contracts or non-guaranteed deals, while others have long since blossomed into mainstays. Jeremy Lin, Wesley Matthews, Jose Calderon, Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen are just a few of the notable undrafted players around the league.

Many of them hail from the international ranks, since players from overseas are generally more receptive to playing outside of the NBA if they don’t hear their names called on draft night. Still, there’s a diverse mix of players from around the globe and former collegians alike among last year’s 84 undrafted players, as I’ve listed below in alphabetical order, followed by the team with which each of them played:

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