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Extension Candidate: Reggie Jackson

August 16th, 2014 at 10:35pm CST by Cray Allred

Thunder fans are experiencing some déjà vu. A guard entering his fourth year with the team, proven as an effective backup and a capable starter, is due for rookie contract extension talks. The player shined in the postseason, helping guide Oklahoma City deep into the playoffs, and is seeking an increased role with the team next season. No, we’re not talking about James Harden; the spotlight is now on Reggie Jackson. At 23, Jackson is a year older than Harden was when the Thunder made a stunning move to trade the bearded star rather than meet his max contract demands. Like Harden, he is a ball-dominant player with a knack for getting to the rim.

While the similarities are notable, there are significant differences that make this situation distinct from the 2012 offseason. Jackson does not have the elite foul-drawing ability or scoring efficiency that Harden has always possessed, and his asking price will presumably be lower. Still, he had per-36 averages of 16.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while fluctuating between a starter and sixth man as Russell Westbrook missed large chunks of the season. His three-point shot was putrid in his first two seasons (below 24% in both) but improved last year, coming close to average (33.9%).

Jackson brings little to the defensive side of the floor, but the Thunder coaching staff has turned players with similar length and speed into solid defenders before. Jackson is a standout free-throw shooter in his own right, and he knocked down a number of clutch freebies in close games last season. Jackson also exploded for a 32-point effort in Game 4 against a stifling Grizzlies defense in the first round of the playoffs, keeping the Thunder from going down 1-3 in and facing a disappointing first-round exit. Jackson’s desire to start has been on the table as a contract consideration since late 2013.

Thus far, GM Sam Presti has played it close to the vest regarding Jackson. When the season closed, Presti said there was no consideration of trading Jackson, but the GM wasn’t optimistic that an extension would be worked out by the October 31st deadline. Jackson’s camp has been quiet as well, with no reports of where either side pegs his value. Two point guards in Phoenix might be instructive in looking at Jackson’s potential market. Isaiah Thomas is a scoring machine who took off in his third year as a pro, fighting his way off the bench in a crowded Sacramento backcourt. He was rewarded with a four-year, $27MM contract this summer. Eric Bledsoe exploded as a starter in his first year with the Suns, but health concerns and Phoenix’s vow to match any offer sheet have kept him from generating anything near the max contract he wants. The Suns’ offer to Bledsoe currently sits at four years and $48MM. My estimation is that Thomas’ lower ceiling, limited more than Jackson’s due to size and age, means his deal is near the low end of what Jackson could secure. Bledsoe’s offer seems to be a price ceiling for Jackson. Again, this is all just my speculation, but I would expect Jackson to fetch between $7MM and $10MM annually.

Aside from Jackson’s value as a player, the Thunder’s financial outlook is different this time around as well. Presti held firm to a near-max offer for Harden because the team wanted to avoid incurring harsh repeater-tax penalties that a true max offer might have triggered. NBA revenue has since boomed, driving the salary cap — and tax threshold — up significantly. In fact, Zach Lowe of Grantland wonders whether the Thunder would have increased their offer to Harden if they had projected as rosy a cap future as the league arrived at. If the Thunder pick up the 2015/16 options for Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III, Andre Roberson, and Steven Adams, they will still have at least $10MM in room beneath the tax for that season, and they could conceivably have plenty more room than that if league revenue keeps shooting up.

Of course, the Thunder also have to think beyond that season, as they seek to keep Kevin Durant, Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka around while the rest of the league prepares to snag them away. Locking in Jackson as a significant part of the team’s core would prevent them from adding much in the way of impact players through free agency next year. The early signals are that Oklahoma City is comfortable counting on the young supporting cast that Jackson anchors, built around their established core. The team saw the departures of veterans Thabo Sefolosha, Derek Fisher, and Caron Butler this summer, and have only added Anthony Morrow in free agency.

Outside of Kendrick Perkins‘ contract, the Thunder haven’t overpaid on any long-term contracts, and their resolve in that aspect was proven with the Harden situation. I can’t imagine they would offer Jackson anything they thought was at or above market value; the team believes in its philosophy, and Presti and company would likely feel confident in their ability to influence his restricted free agency in their favor like Phoenix has managed to do with Bledsoe.

Still, Jackson is the most developed of an athletic stable of young players that the Thunder need to support their star trio in chasing a title the next two seasons. My guess is the decision will come down to whether the team envisions Jackson as a good fit next to Westbrook in the starting lineup. The starting shooting guard has yet to be named, with Jackson, Lamb, Morrow, and Roberson all on the table for the spot. If they determine Jackson’s the man for the job, I see the two sides reaching an agreement for an extension this fall. If not, I’ll go with Chuck Myron’s prediction from the Hoops Rumors Rookie Extension Primer: no deal.

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Free Agent Stock Watch: Jordan Crawford

August 16th, 2014 at 4:11pm CST by Charlie Adams

The offseason is winding down, and most free agents capable of contributing on the hardwood have found homes by now. One player who’s been unable to secure a deal is the well-traveled Jordan Crawford. The 25-year-old out of Xavier has been a useful piece throughout his career, which has consisted of stops with the Hawks, Wizards, Celtics, and Warriors. Most teams’ rosters are looking pretty well-set as the regular season approaches, so Crawford’s options appear to be dwindling.

Crawford was shipped from Boston to Golden State last January as part of a three-team deal with Miami. Prior to the trade, Crawford was a big part of the Celtics offense, putting up nightly averages of 13.7 points and 5.7 assists while seeing 30.5 minutes per game. The combo guard has displayed good scoring instincts throughout his career, which his mark of 17.8 points per 36 minutes speaks to.

The strong start Crawford had in Boston had him looking like a potential candidate for the Most Improved Player Award, but his 2013/14 campaign took a dramatic shift post-trade. After being dealt to the W’s, Crawford saw his minutes drop to an average of just 15.7 per night, as he was not a major part of Golden State’s rotation. At season’s end, backcourt peers Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Steve Blake all played more minutes per contest than Crawford, who was never able to find regular playing time on his new club in spite of a strong start to the year with Boston. To no surprise, the financially limited and guard-stocked Warriors chose not to extend Crawford his $3,206,867 qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. The four-year veteran is still without a team midway through August.

Several squads were said to have interest in the former first-rounder, with the Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Knicks, and Nets all being mentioned as possible suitors. Since more than a couple of those teams have now supplemented their backcourts with other players, a question arises: why hasn’t Crawford found a team? It’s possible that the Creative Artists Agency client is holding out for more than the minimum salary, which is the most any of those clubs could offer him, as Hoops Rumors details. However, his lack of playing time in Golden State might have hindered his chances at drawing anything above that sum, so he might need to settle on such an amount.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see him on the Bulls next year, given their apparent dedication to bolstering their scoring. The Lakers would make sense too, given their dearth of backcourt depth and concerns regarding Kobe Bryant‘s health. The Mavericks, Knicks, and Nets all have rosters that currently boast at least 15 players so they seem like a less logical destination. There’s still time between now and the beginning of the regular season, and teams are capable of shuffling their roster, so really a move to any of the aforementioned teams wouldn’t be out of the realm of feasibility.

I’d be surprised if Crawford isn’t on an NBA by roster by the beginning of the season, as he’s proven throughout his career he can pack a scoring punch off of the bench. He’s lacked efficiency at times, taking too many shots, but his strong, albeit short campaign as a Celtic demonstrated he’s a player with the ability to contribute in a meaningful way. If he’s truly holding out for more than the minimum, and no team offers him an amount greater than that, he’ll have little choice but to simply take what he’s offered.

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Trade Retrospective: Carmelo Anthony To Knicks

August 16th, 2014 at 9:16am CST by Eddie Scarito

There are only eight more days until Andrew Wiggins can officially be traded, and Kevin Love can put on a Cavaliers jersey, which would complete the biggest trade of the summer. But the trade doesn’t guarantee that Cleveland will hoist a Championship banner next year, or that the Timberwolves will break their string of missing the playoffs.

I’ve been taking a look back at past blockbuster deals, and how they worked out for both sides involved. So far I’ve recapped the deals that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers; Deron Williams to the Nets; and Kevin Garnett to the Celtics. Next on the docket is the February of 2011 trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks.

Anthony pushed for the trade during the 2010/11 season primarily because of the new CBA in the works that would reduce the maximum contract amount he would be able to re-sign for. With the labor agreement ending June 30th, 2011, and uncertainty surrounding what the next pact would look like, it was in Anthony’s best financial interests to sign an extension as part of an extend-and-trade transaction with the Knicks rather than wait for free agency.

The cuts didn’t end up being quite as harsh as the players had feared. As part of the trade, Anthony signed a three-year, $65MM extension with the Knicks. The maximum amount he could have signed for under the new CBA as a free agent would have been approximately $58MM. The first-year salary would have still allowed for a maximum of 105% of his prior salary. It was after that first year, where the annual increases dropped under the new agreement, going from the previous CBA’s 8% maximum increase, down to 4.5%. It’s worth noting that since Anthony opted out of his contract’s final year, he only gained roughly $3MM over the course of that deal than if he would have simply signed with New York as a free agent.

The trade involved New York, the Nuggets, and the Timberwolves. Let’s begin by recapping the pieces involved.

  1. The Knicks received Anthony; Renaldo Balkman; Chauncey Billups; Anthony Carter; and Shelden Williams from Denver. They also received Corey Brewer from Minnesota.
  2. The Timberwolves received Eddy Curry; Anthony Randolph; and $3MM from New York. They also received a 2015 second-rounder from Denver.
  3. The Nuggets received Danilo Gallinari; Wilson Chandler; Raymond Felton; Timofey Mozgov; the right to swap first-round picks in 2016; a 2014 first-rounder (No. 12 overall); a 2012 second-round pick (Quincy Miller); a 2013 second-round pick (via Golden State); and $3MM cash from the Knicks. Denver also received Kosta Koufos from Minnesota.

For the Knicks the big prize was obviously Anthony. Team owner James Dolan had been seeking a big name player, but had struck out in trying to lure LeBron James to New York the prior year, and the team had to settle for Amar’e Stoudemire instead. Dolan’s biggest fear was that Anthony could end up with the rival Nets, which would have been a blow to his ego, as well as threaten the Knicks’ position as the No. 1 team in New York.

The knock on ‘Melo has always been the same: he’s a ball-stopper who doesn’t make the players around him better. He had also led the Nuggets out of the first round of the playoffs just once (2008/09) during his tenure in Denver. Anthony may have broken the first-round curse of the Knicks back in 2012/13, but the criticisms still remain.

Anthony has been a stat-sheet filler for the Knicks during his time in New York. Here are his numbers by season since the trade:

  1. 2010/11: In the final 27 games after the trade, he averaged 26.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 3.0 APG.
  2. 2011/12: 22.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 3.6 APG. His slash line was .430/.335/.804.
  3. 2012/13: 28.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 2.6 APG. His slash line was .449/.379/.830.
  4. 2013/14: 27.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG. His slash line was .452/.402/.848.

If you look at the trade based on Anthony’s statistical production, then it’s hard to argue that the deal was a failure. The Knicks hadn’t made the playoffs since the 2003/04 campaign, and their record since that year leading up to the Anthony acquisition was 173-319. Since the deal, the Knicks have made the playoffs three of the four seasons ‘Melo has been with the franchise. Their record during this stretch is 169-143.

As the team’s star player, Anthony gets a lot of heat for the Knicks’ failure to advance past the second round. I personally feel that while Anthony isn’t necessarily the problem, he hasn’t been the solution either. The front office hasn’t been able to pair him with the right group of players who maximize his talents and hide his deficiencies. The team has also suffered from poor point guard play throughout Anthony’s tenure, which is a major reason for the team’s disappointments.

But Anthony hasn’t been able to elevate those around him either. LeBron had less talent around him during his first stint in Cleveland, yet he was able to make it to the NBA Finals, losing to the Spurs in 2007. The Knicks and their fans had better hope that the triangle offense and arrival of Jose Calderon will help Anthony take his play to the next level, seeing as he isn’t leaving anytime soon. Anthony recently re-signed with the team for five years and $124MM.

Renaldo Balkman was originally drafted by the Knicks back in 2006. He was traded to the Nuggets in 2008, in what was essentially a salary dump. His second stint in New York lasted all of 17 games, where he averaged 2.0 PPG, in parts of two seasons. Balkman was released on February 17, 2012, to make room on the roster for J.R. Smith, who was signed as a free agent after playing in China. Balkman hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since. His only claim to fame since leaving the NBA was an incident where he choked a teammate during a game in the Philippines.

Chauncey Billups was a good pickup for the Knicks. At the time of the trade, he was averaging 16.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 5.3 APG. He finished out the season strong for New York, putting up 17.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 5.5 APG. But in December of that year the Knicks used the Amnesty Provision to waive Billups in order to clear enough cap space to sign free agent Tyson Chandler. Some would argue, myself included, that New York would have been better served in the long run to have amnestied Stoudemire instead.

The Clippers claimed Billups off of waivers for the bargain price of $2MM, leaving the Knicks on the hook for the remaining $12.2MM the player was owed for that season. Billups provided Los Angeles with 15.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 4.0 APG that year.

Anthony Carter was essentially a throw-in, and finished the season with the Knicks, averaging 4.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 2.3 APG. Carter became a free agent at the end of the season and signed with the Raptors. He appeared in 24 contests, averaging 2.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG, and 1.4 APG. He was waived by Toronto on March 15, 2012. He hasn’t played in an NBA game since, and is now an assistant coach in the NBA D-League.

Shelden Williams appeared in 17 games for New York, averaging 3.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG. The Knicks didn’t re-sign him at the end of the 2010/11 season. Williams then signed a one-year deal with the Nets, and appeared in 58 games for New Jersey, averaging 4.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG. That was Williams’ last season in the NBA, and he last saw action over in China.

Corey Brewer was waived by the Knicks without ever appearing in a game for them.  Two days later, once Brewer cleared waivers, he signed a three-year, $8MM deal with the Mavericks. Brewer was part of Dallas’ championship team that season, averaging 5.3 PPG and 1.8 RPG. He was then traded that December to the Nuggets along with Rudy Fernandez in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick.

Brewer played well for Denver, averaging 8.9 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 2011/12, and 12.1 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 2012/13. He then left Denver as a free agent, signing a three-year, $15MM contract to return to the Wolves. Brewer averaged 12.3 PPG and 2.6 RPG last year for Minnesota.

Minnesota was involved to help the Knicks make the salaries work for matching purposes. They took on Eddy Curry‘s expiring deal, and they bought out his contract without him ever playing a game for them.  Curry signed with the Heat in December of 2011, appearing in 14 games, averaging 2.1 PPG that year.

Anthony Randolph was supposed to be a big part of New York’s future when he was acquired as part of the sign-and-trade deal that sent David Lee to the Warriors. But he remained buried on the Knicks’ bench, averaging 2.1 PPG and 2.4 RPG, in just 7.1 minutes a night. He fared slightly better after the trade, averaging 7.4 PPG and 3.6 PPG to finish out the year.

After the season, Randolph left Minnesota and signed a three-year, $6MM deal with the Nuggets. He didn’t log many minutes in Denver either, averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.6 RPG in his two seasons with the Nuggets. He was then traded during the 2014 NBA Draft in the deal that sent the rights to Doug McDermott to the Bulls, and netted Denver the rights to Gary Harris.

This brings us to the Nuggets, and how they have fared since the trade. In Anthony’s eight seasons in Denver, the team’s cumulative record was 388-268. Since the trade, they have gone 131-99, with two playoff appearances, losing both series in the first round. Injuries have certainly taken their toll, and they’re the main reason the team missed the playoffs last year.

The centerpiece of the trade from Denver’s side, was Danilo Gallinari. The Nuggets were hoping that he could replace Anthony as the team’s primary scorer, and they were banking on his potential to make the trade work in their favor.  It hasn’t quite worked out that way as injuries have mounted. He missed half of the 2011/12 season and the entire 2013/14 season.

Gallinari’s numbers in Denver are:

  1. 2010/11: 14.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His slash line was .412/.370/.772.
  2. 2011/12: 14.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.7 APG. His slash line was .414/.328/.871.
  3. 2012/13: 16.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.5 APG. His slash line was .418/.373/.822.
  4. 2013/14: Missed entire season.

It remains to be seen how Gallinari will fare this coming season, but it’s hard to count on him as a cornerstone thanks to his injury history. He originally came into the league with a history of back problems, which slowed him his first season in New York. Denver better hope he can return to form, seeing as they signed him to a four-year, $42MM extension in January of 2012.

Wilson Chandler was the other significant piece the Nuggets acquired, and he has also been bitten by the injury bug during his time in Denver. He missed half of the 2011/12 season when he signed with a team in China during the NBA lockout. Since Chandler didn’t have an out-clause in his contract, he couldn’t return to the NBA until after the Chinese playoffs ended. Once he was permitted to return to the NBA, he signed a five-year, $37MM deal with the Nuggets, but Chandler only appeared in eight games that season before suffering a labral tear in his left hip.

Chandler’s numbers since arriving in Denver are:

  1. 2010/11: 12.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His slash line was .419/.347/.810.
  2. 2011/12: 9.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.1 APG. His slash line was .392/.250/.833.
  3. 2012/13: 13.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.3 APG. His slash line was .462/.413/.793.
  4. 2013/14: 13.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.8 APG. His slash line was .416/.348/.724.

Prior to the trade, Raymond Felton was enjoying a strong first season in New York, thriving under then-coach Mike D’Antoni‘s system. In 54 games, Felton averaged 17.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 9.0 APG.

Once he arrived in Denver, Felton was relegated to backing up Ty Lawson, which didn’t sit well with Felton. After the season he requested a trade, and was dealt as part of a three team trade with Dallas and Portland during the 2011 NBA Draft. In return the Nuggets received Andre Miller and the rights to the No. 26 pick Jordan Hamilton.

Miller played well during his 2+ seasons in Denver, averaging 8.4 PPG and 5.3 APG. He was dealt to the Wizards last season after a falling out with coach Brian Shaw over his playing time.

Hamilton was also dealt last season, being sent to the Rockets in exchange for Aaron Brooks. During his time in Denver, Hamilton averaged 5.5 PPG and 2.7 RPG. Brooks played well after he trade, appearing in 29 games, and putting up 11.9 PPG and 5.2 APG. Brooks signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Bulls this summer.

Felton hasn’t enjoyed the same success that he did under D’Antoni. His one season in Portland was marred by Felton arriving out-of-shape after the lockout ended, and he averaged 11.4 PPG and 6.5 APG during the 2011/12 season.

That was Felton’s only season in Rip City. He was sent back to the Knicks in a sign-and-trade deal along with Kurt Thomas in exchange for Jared Jeffries; Dan Gadzuric; Kostas Papanikolaou; Georgios Printezis; and a 2016 second round pick. Felton’s new deal with New York was for four years and $14.86MM with a fourth-year player option.

Felton’s second stint in New York came to an end when he was dealt along with Tyson Chandler to the Mavericks in exchange for Jose Calderon; Samuel Dalembert; Wayne Ellington; Shane Larkin; and the No. 34 (Cleanthony Early) and No. 51 (Thanasis Antetikounmpo) picks in the 2014 NBA Draft.

The Nuggets used the 2012 second-rounder they obtained in the Anthony trade to select Quincy Miller at No. 38. Miller hasn’t done much to impress in his short career, averaging 3.1 PPG and 1.5 RPG in two seasons.

The 2013 second-round pick they obtained was sent to the Magic as part of the Dwight Howard to the Lakers trade, which was then used to select Romero Osby. The 2014 first rounder Denver received from the Knicks was also packaged in this deal, which the Magic later used as part of the 2014 draft-night swap that netted Orlando the rights to Elfrid Payton.

As a part of the Howard deal, the Nuggets received Andre Iguodala, who averaged 13.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 5.4 APG in his one season in Denver. Iguodala was shipped to the Warriors in a sign-and-trade after the 2012/13 season for Randy Foye. Foye had a decent season last year, averaging 13.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 3.5 APG for the Nuggets.

The final player that Denver received from the Knicks was the one who almost scuttled the deal, Timofey Mozgov. The talks almost broke down when New York was adamant at first about not including the 7’1″ center. Mozgov has always been viewed as a player with upside, but he has never quite realized that potential. Mozgov did have his best season as a pro last year, averaging 9.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG. He is 28 years old though, and he may have already reached his peak as a player.

The Nuggets also received Kosta Koufos from the Wolves in the deal. In his two seasons in Denver, Koufos averaged 6.8 PPG and 6.1 RPG. He signed a three-year, $9MM extension on January 25, 2012, but was traded last June to the Grizzlies for Darrell Arthur and the rights to the No. 55 Joffrey Lauvergne. During the 2013/14 season with Denver, Arthur averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG.

The Anthony trade hasn’t quite worked out for either side like they had hoped. ‘Melo has put up fantastic individual numbers in New York, but the sheer amount of assets the franchise gave up to acquire him surely set them back. It could set New York back even further depending on how the draft picks work out in 2016 since Denver has the right to switch places with the Knicks.

For the Nuggets, the team played better after Anthony departed, making up for the loss of their star by having exceptional depth and athleticism on their roster. But injuries have certainly taken their toll, with both Gallinari and Chandler missing significant time.

Looking back at this trade, I’d have to call it a draw. New York got the best player in the deal, but Anthony hasn’t been able to improve the franchise’s fortunes yet. He just turned 30, and the near-max contract he just signed will limit the Knicks’ future options in constructing a winning roster around him before he hits his decline phase.

The Nuggets’ depth has translated into wins when everyone was healthy, but it’s rare in this league to win a championship without at least one star player on the roster, an asset the Nuggets do not currently possess. If they can remain injury-free, they should be a playoff team next season, but it’s doubtful that they can overtake the upper-echelon teams in the brutal Western Conference.

Kevin Love certainly shares some comparisons with Anthony, seeing as he also takes heat for not making those around him better, as well as being a poor defender. The big difference though is Anthony didn’t join a team with players of LeBron or Kyrie Irving‘s talent level. Time will tell if Love can silence his critics, which ‘Melo is still trying to do.

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The Oldest NBA Players Currently Under Contract

August 15th, 2014 at 12:47pm CST by Zachary Links

They say 40 is the new 30 and there are a number of NBA free agents who are hoping that’s really true.  Yesterday, we learned that the Cavs have legitimate interest in bringing Chauncey Billups aboard even though he’s coming off of a season in which he averaged just 3.8 PPG and 2.2 APG in 19 games.  Of course, a veteran like Billups is probably coveted more for his experience and leadership skills than what he can contribute on the hardwood.

Billups isn’t the only older player who could have a spot on an NBA team next season.  Mike James, 39, didn’t see much burn with the Bulls last year but he did finish the 2012/13 season as the starting point guard for the Mavericks, so it’s not hard to see a team having interest.  Ray Allen, also 39, has been heavily linked to the Cavs and former coach Doc Rivers would love to have him join the Clippers, but he’s also considering retirement.  Antawn Jamison (38), Nazr Mohammed (36), and Kenyon Martin (36) are also available, though we haven’t heard much about them in recent weeks.

As we wait to see what happens with Billups, Allen, and the rest, here’s a look at the oldest NBA players currently under contract:

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Free Agent Stock Watch: Andrew Bynum

August 15th, 2014 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

It has been a rough couple of years for center Andrew Bynum.  Prior to the 2012/13 season, the big man was shipped from the Lakers to the 76ers as a part of the four-team Dwight Howard trade.  Unfortunately, knee troubles cost him the entire year and he never suited up for Philadelphia.

The Cavs then seized the opportunity to sign a potentially elite big man at a discounted rate and inked him to a two-year, incentive-laden deal.  Bynum conceded early in the season that his knees were still holding him back and, for one reason or another, he wanted out of Cleveland.  He wrote his ticket out by shooting every time he touched the ball in practice regardless of where he was on the floor.  Apparently unimpressed by his confident approach to offense and his long-distance range, the Cavs packaged his contract and draft picks to acquire Luol Deng from the Bulls.  The Bulls dropped him, the Pacers picked him up, and he played in a grand total of two games for Indiana.

This isn’t quite how we all envisioned things working out for the former No. 10 overall pick.  Of course, while the last couple of years have raised major concerns about Bynum’s health and general attitude, it’ll be hard for teams to overlook the potential upside in signing him.  After all, he’s only a few years removed from his 2011/12 campaign where he averaged career highs in points (18.7) and rebounds (11.8) on his way to his first career All-Star nomination.

Thanks to his physical condition and reputation, one has to imagine that Bynum can be had for the minimum salary.  And, even though he might not be the consummate teammate, we’d be surprised if someone wasn’t willing to roll the dice on him.  Earlier this month, the Clippers reportedly auditioned the big man while also scoping out Andray Blatche and Greg Oden in the same week.  Agent David Lee said in July that the Knicks could also have interest in his client while Bynum himself would like to reunite with the Lakers.  One has to wonder whether the Doc Rivers-led Clippers would want to chance tinkering with locker room chemistry.  Same goes for Phil Jackson in New York who waived fellow former pupil Lamar Odom after his conduct was apparently not up to par.

Bynum is also thinking about undergoing German Regenokine therapy on his knees which would cost him the entire 2014/15 season, so he might not sign with anyone for the upcoming season.  And, if Bynum decides to never return at all, he won’t be hurting for cash as he has earned nearly $80MM over the course of his career.

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Poll: Will NYC’s Teams Make The Playoffs?

August 15th, 2014 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

You can’t walk a block in New York City without seeing an orange-and-blue or black-and-white jersey, but those fans could also be sporting frowns next spring.  The Nets and Knicks, for all of their star power both on the court and on the sidelines, aren’t looking all that formidable heading into the 2014/15 season.

The high-priced Nets started to give Mikhail Prokhorov his money’s worth starting in the the second half of last season, but they won’t be bringing the same team back this year.  Coach Jason Kidd shocked everyone when he bolted for the Bucks and Paul Pierce quickly followed suit.  Pierce was a vocal leader, a solid scoring threat, and the key to the team’s Brook Lopez-less small ball lineup.  The Nets get Lopez back this year and while the return of one of the league’s top offensive centers is nothing to sneeze at, it’s worth noting that the team enjoyed greater success with Lopez in a suit and tie.  Highly touted draft-and-stash pick Bojan Bogdanovic is finally joining the team, but the Nets will surely miss guard Shaun Livingston, especially with starting one-guard Deron Williams coming off of double ankle surgery.

Meanwhile, the Knicks accomplished their No. 1 goal of retaining Carmelo Anthony but it’s hard to say whether they’ve actually improved from last season.  Their biggest transaction of the offseason, aside from re-signing Melo, was trading Tyson Chandler and Ray Felton to the Mavericks for Jose Calderon, Wayne Ellington, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, a pair of second round picks (Cleanthony Early and Thanasis Antetokounmpo).  Later, in a trade with the Kings, the Knicks turned Ellington and Jeremy Tyler into forwards Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw.   To oversee this tweaked version of the Knicks, new team president Phil Jackson appointed the inexperienced Derek Fisher as head coach.  Fisher believes the Knicks can win 8-10 more games as currently constructed, but not everyone agrees with him.

How do you see things playing out for NYC’s teams?

Will The NYC Teams Make The Playoffs
The Nets will make the playoffs, but not the Knicks. 30.90% (330 votes)
No, neither team will make the postseason. 23.97% (256 votes)
The Knicks will make the playoffs, but not the Nets. 22.75% (243 votes)
Yes, both the Nets and Knicks will make the playoffs. 22.38% (239 votes)
Total Votes: 1,068
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Poll: Which Departures Will Teams Regret?

August 13th, 2014 at 8:29pm CST by Cray Allred

While many teams were spurned by their players for greener pastures despite their best efforts this offseason (the Heat by LeBron James, the Lakers by Pau Gasol, the Nets by Shaun Livingston) some teams decided not to up the ante when they could have, allowing key contributors to sign elsewhere. We’ll run down a few of the latter, and explore whether these teams will regret their decision:

  1. Lance Stephenson – from Indiana to Charlotte. Had Paul George‘s injury occurred before free agency, the Pacers might have been more willing to meet Stephenson’s demands. Instead, they let arguably their most versatile offensive piece walk, refusing to improve their five-year, $44MM offer before the combo guard signed with the Hornets for three years and $27.4MM. Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles are the incoming guards Indiana hopes can lessen the combined loss of Stephenson and now George. The Pacers also seeking Shawn Marion‘s services, but aren’t expected to win out over the Cavs in that pursuit.
  2. Chandler Parsons – from Houston to Dallas. The Rockets declined an option to retain Parsons for another season on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league. The team decided to take their chances with the forward’s restricted free agency this summer rather than letting him hit unrestricted free agency next offseason, but ultimately decided against matching the Mavs’ three-year, $46.1MM offer sheet. The Rockets let Parsons go in part because they had already locked up Ariza, who is next on the list.
  3. Trevor Ariza – from Washington to Houston. Ariza bolted from the Wizards after turning in a career year for a team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Wizards were unwilling to increase their offer, which equaled Houston’s four-year, $32MM arrangement, but practically amounted to $3MM less due to differences in state taxes. Washington quickly signed Paul Pierce in the wake of Ariza’s departure, and received an exception by signing-and-trading Ariza that was partially spent on Kris Humphries.
  4. Channing Frye – from Phoenix to Orlando. In a surprise signing, the Magic snatched the sharp-shooting Frye away from the Suns, who wanted to bring him back to their surprise-playoff roster. Frye is one of a few bigs that stretch the floor at an elite level, and the team signed another shooter in Anthony Tolliver to make up for Frye’s loss. Orlando’s deal with the 31-year-old was for four years and $32MM.
  5. Isaiah Thomas – from Sacramento to Phoenix. The Kings didn’t see the scoring machine of a point guard in their future, signing Darren Collison while Thomas was still a restricted free agent. Thomas was one of only five players to average 20 PPG and 6 APG last season. Sacramento hasn’t recouped much scoring punch in free agency, but did acquire a $7.2MM trade exception, as well as the rights to Alex Oriakhi, by executing a sign-and-trade sending Thomas to Phoenix.

As with any transaction, these front offices weighed the immediate future against their long-term plans, and tried to make the wisest choice. It might be painful to lose some of these players in year one, but fans might breathe a sigh of relief if the same players are underperforming for their new teams in the future. Then again, a player could blossom into an even stronger producer, compounding any misgivings about the teams’ non-action. What do you think?

Which Free Agent Departure Will His Team Regret Most?
Lance Stephenson 53.58% (1,151 votes)
Chandler Parsons 28.03% (602 votes)
Isaiah Thomas 9.64% (207 votes)
Trevor Ariza 3.26% (70 votes)
None - Each GM made the right move in letting their player walk 3.03% (65 votes)
Channing Frye 2.47% (53 votes)
Total Votes: 2,148
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Late Signees Who Made It To Opening Night

August 13th, 2014 at 4:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

The heavy rush of free agency is over, but many teams have plenty of work left before their rosters are finalized. More than two dozen players signed between this time last year and the end of September, when training camps begin, made it to opening night in 2013. That doesn’t count all the signees whom teams released before the preseason was over, nor does it count those who made it to opening night with another team if they were released in October. Draft picks from 2013 don’t figure into the calculation, either.

The list of signings that do fit the criteria is below. It includes sought-after players, like Nikola Pekovic, just as such a list for this year’s late signees would have Eric Bledsoe and Greg Monroe on it. There are also names, like Toure’ Murry and Michael Beasley, who figure to repeat as late-season signees this year, too. The date listed is when the team formally announced the signing or the transaction otherwise became official, according to the RealGM transactions log.

The RealGM transactions log was used in the creation of this post.

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Each Team’s Most Expensive Signing

August 13th, 2014 at 2:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Teams take vastly different approaches when it comes to signing players. The Knicks made it a priority to re-sign Carmelo Anthony, even if it took the maximum salary to do so, as it nearly did. The Sixers are laying back in rebuilding mode, and they haven’t signed a single free agent so far. Their only addition has been draft-and-stash signee Pierre Jackson, whose rights they acquired via trade from the Pelicans. He inked for the rookie minimum salary.

The other 28 teams fall in between, and the methods each club used to make its most lucrative signing of the summer are almost as varied as the amounts of money all the teams spent. Some teams made their most significant expenditure by re-signing one of their own free agents, while others signed outside free agents, signed offer sheets, matched offer sheets, completed sign-and-trades, signed first-round picks to rookie scale contracts, and, like the Sixers, signed players drafted in previous years. The only avenues of player acquisition not accounted for here are waiver claims, since no team made its most lucrative addition this way, and trades, since trades generally involve an exchange of salaries already on the books (sign-and-trades are counted here, however). The list also includes Tony Parker‘s veteran extension, which outpaces San Antonio’s four-year, $28MM re-signing of Boris Diaw.

The complete list of each team’s most lucrative signing of the summer is below, in descending order of expense, with the amount of the payout in parentheses. These amounts, rounded to the nearest $1K, include all options and non-guaranteed salary, where applicable:

  1. Knicks: Carmelo Anthony (five years, $124.065MM — re-signing)
  2. Heat: Chris Bosh (five years, $118.705MM — re-signing)
  3. Jazz: Gordon Hayward (four years, $62.965MM — matched offer sheet)
  4. Wizards: Marcin Gortat (five years, $60MM — re-signing)
  5. Raptors: Kyle Lowry (four years, $48MM — re-signing)
  6. Mavericks: Chandler Parsons (three years, $46.085MM — unmatched offer sheet signing)
  7. Spurs: Tony Parker (three years, $43.336MM — veteran extension)
  8. Cavaliers: LeBron James (two years, $42.218MM — free agent signing)
  9. Rockets: Trevor Ariza (four years, $32MM — sign-and-trade)
  10. Celtics: Avery Bradley (four years, $32MM — re-signing)
  11. Magic: Channing Frye (four years, $32MM — free agent signing)
  12. Hornets: Lance Stephenson (three years, $27.405MM — free agent signing)
  13. Suns: Isaiah Thomas (four years, $27MM — sign-and-trade)
  14. Clippers: Spencer Hawes (four years, $22.652MM — free agent signing)
  15. Bulls: Pau Gasol (three years, $22.346MM — free agent signing)
  16. Bucks: Jabari Parker (four years, $22.24MM — rookie scale contract signing)
  17. Lakers: Nick Young (four years, $21.326MM — re-signing)
  18. Pistons: Jodie Meeks (three years, $18.81MM — free agent signing)
  19. Pacers: C.J. Miles (four years, $18MM — free agent signing)
  20. Warriors: Shaun Livingston (three years, $16.631MM — free agent signing)
  21. Kings: Darren Collison (three years, $15.041MM — free agent signing)
  22. Grizzlies: Vince Carter (three years, $12.264MM — free agent signing)
  23. Hawks: Thabo Sefolosha (three years, $12MM — sign-and-trade)
  24. Nets: Bojan Bogdanovic (three years, $10.277MM — draft-and-stash signing)
  25. Thunder: Anthony Morrow (three years, $10.032MM — free agent signing)
  26. Timberwolves: Zach LaVine (four years, $9,647MM — rookie scale contract signing)
  27. Trail Blazers: Chris Kaman (two years, $9.816MM — free agent signing)
  28. Nuggets: Jusuf Nurkic (four years, $8,473,305 — rookie scale contract signing)
  29. Pelicans: John Salmons (one year, $2MM — free agent signing)
  30. Sixers: Pierre Jackson (one year, $507K — draft-and-stash signing)

ShamSports was used in the creation of this post

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Extension Candidate Series

August 13th, 2014 at 1:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

Eric Bledsoe and Greg Monroe have yet to sign, and the Kevin Love trade agreement will remain unofficial for another 10 days or so, but the first part of the NBA’s offseason has largely come to a close. The main feature of the back end of the offseason involves players signing extensions, with rookie scale extensions chief among them. I took a look at the rookie scale extension market as a whole last month, and I also listed those eligible for veteran extensions. We’ll be taking focused, in-depth looks at some of the most intriguing candidates on each list as part of our Extension Candidate series in the months to come.

This list of our Extension Candidate posts can be found at any time under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar. We’ll continue to update it as we examine more players who might be in line for long-term commitments to their current teams in the near future. Here are the extension candidates we’ve previewed so far, in alphabetical order:

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