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Following Specific Players On Hoops Rumors

June 11th, 2014 at 11:32am CST by Chuck Myron

Free agency and the draft are on the horizon, and in addition to methods of keeping track of your favorite teams, Hoops Rumors also provides ways to easily follow the latest on all of your favorite players and draft prospects. If you want to stay up to date on all the latest news and rumors on Carmelo Anthony as his free agency approaches, you can visit this page. If you’re interested in how the trade market for Kevin Love is shaping up, you can find Love’s page right here. For intel on where Andrew Wiggins might end up, go here.

Every player we’ve written about has his own rumors page. You can find any player by using our search box (located in the right sidebar); by clicking his tag at the bottom of a post in which he’s discussed; or, by simply typing his name in your address bar after hoopsrumors.com, substituting dashes for spaces. For example, Carmelo’s page is located at hoopsrumors.com/carmelo-anthony.

You can also set up an RSS feed for any of our player pages by adding /feed to the end of the page URL, like this: hoopsrumors.com/carmelo-anthony/feed. Entering that URL into the reader of your choice should enable you to get updates whenever we write about Anthony. It works for teams, too. If you’re a Bulls fan, you can enter hoopsrumors.com/chicago-bulls/feed into your reader and stay on top of all the latest on the Bulls.

In addition to players and teams, there are a number of other subjects you can track by clicking on the tags we use at the bottom of posts. You can keep tabs on head coaching candidates as they vie for jobs, like Alvin Gentry and Nate McMillan. Items related to the NBA D-League, for instance, can be found on this rumors page. If you want to follow updates on the 2014 NBA draft, those are all available here. Again, you can set up a feed with any of these pages by adding /feed to the end of the URL.

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Hoops Rumors Featured Feedback

June 10th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

We value your input on the news we cover here at Hoops Rumors. That’s why we’re passing along some of the best insight from our comments and the Hoops Rumors Facebook page. Share your reaction to and insight on the news and rumors around the league, and you’ll have a chance to see your name here. Check out what readers had to say in previous editions of Hoops Rumors Featured Feedback.

It’s easy to sign up and start commenting on Hoops Rumors. First, read our Commenting Policy. Then, scroll to the bottom of any post, and you’ll see the word “Login” on the right side atop the comments section. Click the word and choose whether you want to comment using a Disqus account or your existing Facebook, Twitter or Google account. If you don’t have a Disqus account and you want to create one, just choose that option and click “Need an account?” at the bottom right of the box that pops up.

The announcement of this year’s All-NBA teams sparked a strong debate in our comments. Several readers gave strong feedback, including Aaron Pi, who touched on Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love, perhaps the two most available superstars.

  • For everyone who says ‘Melo deserved [an All-NBA nod], he didn’t. I like Melo a lot, and think he is a good player, but he didn’t make it to the playoffs in the East. He team only won 37 games, in the East again! Someone like that does not deserve to be on this list. (I do say the same thing about Kevin Love. There should be more complaints about him being so high on this list.)

The Bulls have their eyes on both Anthony and Love, and in response to a dispatch suggesting a path to the Wolves star, Vegandork thinks Chicago should favor a star-heavy approach.

  • The Bulls certainly aren’t winning with their current pieces, so why not try the three superstar/minimum-salary role player route. It works for Miami, and one would argue the Bulls trio would be better.

Some in the Pacers front office reportedly questioned the wisdom of re-signing Lance Stephenson, but dogmanx23 seems to agree with Pacers president Larry Bird, who’s trying to bring the shooting guard back.

  • They need Lance. He does a little bit of everything and finding players like that isn’t easy. Yeah I don’t pay him over $10MM, but I would offer somewhere around $6-$7MM a year. Chances are a team out there will go into the $10MM range and his time in Indy is over. Pacers need a point guard and should maybe try and use Lance to get one if they don’t plan to keep him. George Hill can be moved to shooting guard if they need him to.

We appreciate everyone who adds to the dialogue at Hoops Rumors, and we look forward to seeing more responses like these from you!

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Minimum Salary Exception

June 10th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The minimum salary exception is something of a last resort for capped-out teams seeking to add players, as well as for players seeking NBA contracts. It allows an over-the-cap team to sign a player to a one- or two-year minimum-salary deal, as the name suggests. Teams can use the exception multiple times, allowing clubs that have spent all of their other exceptions an avenue to add to their rosters. It also allows for the acquisition of minimum-salary players via trade, without the players being counted for salary-matching purposes.

Players are entitled to varying minimum salaries based on how long they’ve been in the NBA. In 2013/14, a player with no prior NBA experience was eligible for a $490,180 minimum salary, while a player with 10 or more years of experience was eligible for $1,399,507. Over the course of the current collective bargaining agreement, the minimum salary will increase each season, as Larry Coon’s CBA FAQ outlines. For both this season and next season, the breakdown is as follows:

minimumsalary3

The graph demonstrates the wide disparity between the minimum salary for rookies and for long-tenured players. A minimum-salary veteran of 10 or more seasons will earn almost three times as much as a rookie making the minimum next season. The NBA doesn’t want clubs to shy away from signing qualified veterans, so the league reimburses teams for a portion of a minimum-salary player’s cost if he has two or more years of experience, as long as the contract isn’t a multiyear deal. For instance, when the Knicks signed 13-year veteran Kenyon Martin for 2013/14 using the minimum salary exception, he earned $1,399,507, but the team’s cap hit was just $884,293. The league reimburses the Knicks for the remaining $515,214.

Most salary cap exceptions can only be used once each season. When a team uses its full mid-level exception to sign one or more players, the club can no longer use that exception until the following season. Unlike the mid-level and other cap exceptions, the minimum salary exception can be used any number of times in a single season. The Nets, for example, used the minimum salary exception to sign four players who ended the season on the team’s roster.

The vast majority of 10-day contracts are for the minimum salary, and it’s the minimum salary exception that allows clubs to accommodate those 10-day deals. Teams used the minimum salary exception to sign 41 players to 10-day contracts during the 2013/14 season.

Many exceptions begin to prorate on January 10th, but the minimum salary exception prorates from the first day of the regular season. Teams often take advantage of this to sign players for cheap at the end of the season primarily so they can use them to help salaries match in a trade over the summer.

For example, the Knicks signed Lamar Odom on the last day of the 2013/14 regular season, even though he wasn’t healthy enough to play in the team’s game that night, and even though the team had already been eliminated from the playoffs. The Knicks used the minimum salary exception to sign Odom to a two-year contract that covered the final day of the 2013/14 season and 2014/15. The 2014/15 portion was non-guaranteed, so the only guaranteed money in the deal was Odom’s prorated minimum salary, equal to 1/170th of 1,399,507. Odom doesn’t stand much of a chance to make the Knicks next season, but if the Knicks make a trade over the summer, they can include Odom’s contract as part of the swap to make the salaries match if necessary, allowing the team that acquires Odom to do the same in another trade or simply waive his non-guaranteed contract at no cost before the 2014/15 season begins.

Earlier versions of this post, written by Luke Adams, were published on May 7th, 2012 and April 28th, 2013.

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

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Offseason Outlook: Sacramento Kings

June 9th, 2014 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Guaranteed Contracts

Options

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Free Agents / Cap Holds

Draft Picks

  • 1st Round (8th overall)

Cap Outlook

Guaranteed Salary: $47,031,882
Options: $19,317,326
Non-Guaranteed Salary: $1,830,486
Cap Holds: $11,766,262
Total: $79,945,956

You can say a lot of things about the Kings, but you can’t say they’re not aggressive.  In December of last year, the Kings shipped Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson, and Chuck Hayes north of the border for Rudy Gay and spare parts.  They made that trade even though Gay had become a human punching bag for his U.S. government level of inefficiency and had the ability to flee after the season.  Even though they could go bust on their big gamble, they’re contemplating making an even bigger one.

If dealing for Gay while knowing that he could bounce months later was like playing roulette, gearing up to trade for Kevin Love without any assurances that he’ll re-sign would be like playing high-stakes roulette and craps at the same time.  While other clubs would probably want a wink and a nod from a member of the All-Star’s entourage before making a deal, the Kings have no such reservations.  The Kings have a rabid fan base supporting them and a new arena in the works, but what they don’t have is a proven winner.  Banking on wooing Love to re-sign over the course of the season seems, well, crazy.  On the other hand, one could argue that a small market team has to either make major gambles or tank in order to compete since they are disadvantaged in free agency.  Forking over a package of young talent and draft picks for Love might be ill-advised, but shooting for the moon is a lot more entertaining than a string of sub-30-win seasons.

Even though they’re willing to take that risk, prying Love away from the Wolves won’t be all that simple as there are a number of teams circling like sharks.  Still, according to at least one report, the Kings are the favorites in the Love sweepstakes.  The Kings can build a package around the No. 8 pick, which the Wolves would reportedly use for either Julius Randle or Noah Vonleh.  Beyond that, the Kings are said to be willing to throw in anything not nailed down or named DeMarcus Cousins.  There might not be much of a supporting cast behind them, but a frontcourt of Gay, Cousins, and Love would do an awful lot of damage.  Of course, with the Celtics, Lakers, Knicks, Warriors, Rockets, Cavs and Bulls working the phones, Love may wind up visiting California’s capital just once or twice next season.

So, back to the notable name that is more likely to be in purple and black next season.  Gay seemed poise to take off his coat and stay a while back in January but he now appears to be waffling pretty hard on the matter.  Not only is the small forward unsure of what he’s going to do, he’s unsure of the criteria that he’ll use to make his decision.  Statistically speaking, Gay played the best basketball of his career during his Sacramento stint and one has to wonder if he could flourish the same way in a different system.  He also won’t find teams lining up to throw money at him.  As a player who hasn’t cracked the top ten of Hoops Rumors’ Free Agent Power Rankings, he’d be much better off in the short-term financially if he accepted his $19.3MM deal. Still, money alone won’t get it done and the Kings are bringing in the big guns – Chris Mullin and The Scorelord – to convince him to stay.

On top of that, the Kings also have a big decision to make when it comes to diminutive point guard Isaiah Thomas.  The 5’9″ guard is a restricted free agent this summer and the Kings, unsurprisingly, will extend the $2.875MM qualifying offer to the fan favorite.  Unfortunately for the Kings, their cap situation isn’t an ideal one as they have $47MM on the books without factoring in Gay’s option.  Still, as long as things don’t get too out of hand, the Kings will keep their shoot-first point guard, whom they “think the world of.”

Jason Thompson, meanwhile, is under contract for another three seasons, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if he asks out.   The pride of Rider University signed a five-year, $30MM deal two summers ago when he figured to be a cornerstone of the Kings’ lineup.  This past season, he saw his role decrease to the point where he lost his starting job in March.  The Kings are probably open to moving Thompson for a number of reasons.  Thompson is one of the veteran holdovers from the Geoff Petrie era and seeing as how the club’s new regime deported Salmons and Hayes, it stands to reason that they could do the same with Thompson.  The big man is also making $6MM a season, money that could be better allocated elsewhere.  And, even if Love isn’t Sacramento-bound, they have two other power forward options in the returning Carl Landry and former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams (hey, I didn’t say great options, I just said options).  It’s not clear exactly what they could get for him in a deal where he’s the featured piece, though it’s a safe bet that any deal for Love or another similarly high-salaried star would include Thompson in the package.  Teams won’t be lighting up the phones to get him, but he does represent a very realistic reclamation project.

There are, of course, other trade pieces outside of Thompson.  Williams still hasn’t realized his potential (and maybe he never will) , but he’s still only 23 years old and has upside.  With a $6.3MM expiring deal, a team could acquire Williams without making a commitment to him beyond next season.  The cost, in a simple one-for-one trade, could be as little as a second rounder.  The Kings could also free up space by trading Jason Terry, or, more accurately, Terry’s contract.  Unfortunately, the soon-to-be 37-year-old has been slowed down by injuries and could choose to retire or try and come back next season and play limited minutes.  Terry’s deal, which ends after next season, is probably only intriguing to trade suitors as an expiring contract, so Sacramento would likely have to take back long-term money to ship Terry out.

Kings fans got the owner that they wanted, and a shiny new arena where they can cheer on their team is on its way.  Now, they want to see a winner.  Sacramento can do a lot of great things with their core, but they’ll have to augment it in the coming months in order to build a .500+ team for 2014/15.

Cap footnotes

* — If Gay opts out, his cap hold would be the greater of $18,783,379 or the maximum salary for a player with between seven and nine years of experience. That maximum was $16,441,500 this past season, so it’s a near-certainty that Gay’s cap hold would be $18,783,379 if he opts out.
** — Acy’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 25th.
*** — GM Pete D’Alessandro has stated his intention to tender a qualifying offer to Thomas, but if he changes his mind, the cap hold for Thomas would be $915,243.

ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

June 8th, 2014 at 9:50pm CST by Zachary Links

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

  • On Friday I reported the latest workouts scheduled for draft prospects Rodney Hood, K.J. McDaniels, Jarnell Stokes, Josh Huestis, and Justin Jackson.
  • I interviewed Tennessee guard Jordan McRae for the latest installment of our Prospect Profile series.
  • Chuck Myron looked at the offseason ahead for the Lakers.
  • Here’s my look at what the Cavs’ offseason might hold.
  • Chuck gave us his latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.
  • I looked at the different ways the Clippers could upgrade this offseason with limited flexibility.
  • The Rockets should exercise caution this summer and save up for the summer of 2015, Chuck writes.
  • I examined what the Magic can do this summer to position themselves for 2015/16.
  • Charlie Adams asked Hoops Rumors readers where they think Kevin Love will start the 2014/15 season.  The Celtics were the leading votegetter, followed by the Bulls and Timberwolves.
  • This offseason will amount to a dud if Celtics GM Danny Ainge can’t make a big trade happen, Chuck writes.
  • Here’s a refresher on Early Bird rights, courtesy of Chuck.
  • Hoops Rumors readers say the Spurs will win the Finals in six games.
  • Did you miss out on this week’s chat?  Check out the transcript here.
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Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Cavaliers

June 8th, 2014 at 6:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Guaranteed Contracts

Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Free Agents / Cap Holds

Draft Picks

  • 1st Round (1st overall)
  • 2nd Round (33rd overall)

Cap Outlook

  • Guaranteed Salary: $36,189,162
  • Options: $0
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary: $10,971,905
  • Cap Holds: $36,566,450
  • Total: $83,727,517

Last June, the Cavs tabbed UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick in part because he was widely regarded as the most NBA-ready prospect at the top of the draft.  So much for that.  Bennett began his NBA career with an ugly scoreless streak and things didn’t get much better from there.  While Bennett still has years and years in front of him to turn things around, Cleveland must be having second thoughts about how he’ll end up   This year, they have the No. 1 pick again and what they do with it will set the tone for next season and beyond.

Will the Cavs go against the grain again?  Last year, there were whispers that Cleveland was considering Bennett but most of us ignored that talk and believed that he would go closer to No. 10 than No. 1.  The consensus this year, of course, is that it’s a three-horse race for the top slot.  Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins has been projected as the first overall pick in this draft for at least three years, but his inconsistency and lack of killer instinct last season has teams concerned.  Teammate Joel Embiid offers a very polished inside game and shot-blocking ability, but his back problems are troubling.  Will Cleveland, fresh off of their botched Andrew Bynum experiment, want to gamble on another 7-footer with serious injury troubles?  That seems questionable, especially when considering that agent Arn Tellem is keeping his medicals under wraps.  Power forward Jabari Parker has also been mentioned as a top pick possibility, but some say he’s falling out of the mix.  Of course, we wouldn’t bet on what the Cavs will do with the pick, but it’s hard to see anyone outside of that top three being in the mix.  Aussie guard Dante Exum could very well stand as the best talent from this class five years from now, but there’s simply no room for him with a starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.

So, while the Cavs have some quality options in front of them, none are free of question marks.  Beyond that, the Cavs are in win-now mode and a 19-year-old rookie may not be the fastest way to contention.  What if the Cavs trade the pick?  They’re bound to find a ripe market and they could theoretically turn the pick into an All-Star caliber player who can elevate them to a top team.  Kevin Love is the hottest name on the market and if the T’Wolves decide to go with (another) reboot, one would think that there’s no better way for them to start off than with the first pick in the draft.  Still, a report from late last week indicated that the Wolves don’t see the Cavs as a good partner for a trade.

Of course, what the Cavs to with the top pick rests heavily on what they intend to do with free agent Luol Deng.  Reports from during the season said that the veteran forward wants out of Cleveland badly.  Meanwhile, the Cavs were only 19-21 with Deng in the lineup for the second half – an improvement over their previous 42 games, but not much better.  The Cavs gave up quite a bit for Deng in terms of draft picks, but the sunk cost fallacy says that Cleveland shouldn’t go chasing a new deal with the 29-year-old just for that reason.  For all his talent, The Man from Sudan isn’t a No. 1 star for any team and a new deal for Deng could call for the Cavs to almost pay him like one.  For a lot of reasons, it seems like a reunion isn’t in the best interest of either party.  If the Cavs feel good about Wiggins at No. 1, we say they should pull the trigger there and let Deng go elsewhere this summer.  They won’t get the entire haul back with a sign-and-trade, but they can recoup some of their losses by going that route.  It doesn’t seem unreasonable for the Cavs to net a first rounder plus a second-round pick in a Deng S&T.

Deng clearly isn’t a No. 1 type but this season Irving’s play at times and obvious dissatisfaction gave off the vibe that he might not be either.  There was speculation that the guard wanted out of Cleveland, despite Irving’s denials, and many said the Cavs were fed up with him too.  However, after a report yesterday from The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto, it sounds like we can put any speculation to rest, at least from the team’s end.  The Cavs plan on offering Irving the maximum five-year extension and will do so as soon as they’re allowed on July 1st.  It’s not a guarantee that Irving will accept, but the guard is reportedly happy about the Cavs’ decision to install David Griffin as the permanent GM.  If the Cavs can hire a coach that meshes well with Irving, that would probably go a long way towards convincing him to stay.

Speaking of the coaching search, the Cavs don’t appear to be in any sort of rush, but they could be getting closer to making a hire.  As best as we can tell, there are six candidates at the time of this writing: Vinny Del Negro, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins, Adrian Griffin, Tyronn Lue, and David Blatt.  Del Negro, Hollins, and Gentry all offer previous head coaching experience and Gentry has already been asked back for another interview.  Griffin, one of the first candidates named for the job, and Lue are both up-and-coming assistants who have had head coaching buzz around them for much of the season.   Blatt, of course, is the wild card.  The Maccabi Tel Aviv coach has been considered for assistant jobs elsewhere with Minnesota’s Flip Saunders reportedly seeing him as someone that he can groom to take over the position eventually.  Blatt would be an exciting new hire but owner Dan Gilbert, who is focused on winning now, may prefer to go with an NBA retread in the end.

The Cavs, in theory, could save money by cutting Anderson Varejao since only $4MM of his $9.7MM salary is guaranteed.  If they move on from the longtime Cavs centerpiece, it seems more likely that they’ll trade him, something that the front office is open to.  We’d stop short of saying he’d be expendable, but the Cavs could afford to deal Varejao if they re-sign free agent big man Spencer Hawes.

In a league perpetually starving for competent centers, Hawes figures to be something of a hot commodity this summer with the Hawks and Mavs as possible suitors.  It was said back in April that Griffin would make a strong push to retain the 26-year-old but a recent report has cast doubt on that.  In 27 games (25 starts) for Cleveland last season, Hawes averaged 13.5 PPG and 7.7 RPG with a 16.6 PER, a few notches above his career average.  He could be back in Cleveland if the price is right, but that’s far from a given.

Another notable name that could be elsewhere next season is Dion Waiters.  The Cavs have done their best to quiet down trade speculation around the former No. 4 overall pick but we learned late last week that there has been preliminary trade talk involving Waiters and Tristan Thompson with another team in the lottery that’s looking to move up.  Pairing the top pick with either player, especially Waiters, should net the Cavs a decent haul.  Depending on who you ask, Irving and Waiters aren’t getting along too well, so moving him could be a case of addition by subtraction even though he’s obviously talented.

The Cavs have a different guy at the helm this summer, but things still feel awfully familiar for Cleveland as they hold the No. 1 pick and search for a rapid turnaround.  There’s no denying the talent that the Cavs’ core possesses and there’s no reason why they can’t find their way to the playoffs with the right additions.

Cap footnotes

* — Dellavedova’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 25th.
** — Deng’s cap hold will be the lesser of $21,412,500, which is 150% of his 2013/14 salary, or the maximum salary for a veteran of 10 or more seasons, which won’t be determined until after the July Moratorium. The number here is this past season’s max.

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Draft Notes: Hood, Stokes, Jackson, Anderson

June 6th, 2014 at 9:42pm CST by Zachary Links

This morning, Hoops Rumors learned (Twitter link) that Duke sharpshooter Rodney Hood will audition for the Celtics, Kings, Hawks, and Hornets in the next few weeks.  As previously reported, his future workout schedule will also include the Sixers and he has already worked out for the Bulls, Magic, Nuggets, and Suns.  Back in May, Hood told Hoops Rumors that he could go as high as No. 6-12 and it sounds increasingly plausible as he has worked out for most of the top half teams. Here’s the latest draft news..

  • Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders explains why he thinks Noah Vonleh would have limited upside as a lottery pick. Duncan thinks Vonleh’s leaping ability has become overrated, and cites poor instincts on both ends of the floor as reason to temper expectations.
  • Robby Kalland of Hawks.com checked in with Brian Schroeder of Hardwood Paroxysm to get the goods on first round draft prospect Jusuf Nurkic.  Schroeder raves about his size, relative mobility, rebounding, and scoring touch.  Currently, the big man is slated to go No. 11 to the Nuggets in DraftExpress‘ mock draft.
  • Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders runs down some common mistakes teams make in the draft, highlighting players from this year’s pool that could produce similar letdowns.

Earlier updates:

  • Jabari Parker would have no issue with being drafted by the Bucks, his father Sonny and Duke teammate Hood tell Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
  • The Suns were expected to work out Adreian Payne, Jordan Adams, Markel Brown, Sean Kilpatrick, Daniel Miller, and C.J. Wilcox today, reports azcentral sports.
  • Shawn Glover worked out for the Jazz today, reports Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune, and both Payne and David Stockton will work out for Utah tomorrow, Falk tweets. Payne is projected near Utah’s No. 23 overall pick, but neither Glover or Stockton (son of Jazz legend John Stockton) are projected as either first or second round picks.
  • A source tells Hoops Rumors (Twitter link) that Clemson small forward K.J. McDaniels will work out for the Thunder tomorrow.  McDaniels is projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick and while he figures to be in range, he could be gone by the time OKC picks at No. 21.
  • Hoops Rumors has also learned (via Twitter) that Stanford forward Josh Huestis auditioned for the Knicks this week and will be playing in front of the Magic today.  The source adds that there aren’t enough days before the draft for Huestis to work out for every team that wants to see him (link).
  • In continuing their trend of working out point guards, the Magic will work out Tyler Ennis and Elfrid Payton over the next few days, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
  • Hoops Rumors has also learned (via Twitter) that former Tennessee Volunteers big man Jarnell Stokes is one of the 12 players working out for the Jazz today.  Stokes is projected to be a first round pick thanks to his tenacious rebounding and high motor.
  • A source tells Hoops Rumors (via Twitter) that Cincinnati forward Justin Jackson has worked  out for the Bulls with the Mavs, Pacers, Hawks, Hornets, and Suns still on the docket.  To learn more about Jackson, a second-round prospect, check out the interview we conducted with him last month as a part of our Prospect Profile series.
  • Former UCLA point guard Kyle Anderson will work out for the Thunder tomorrow and the Sixers on Monday, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.
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Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Clippers

June 6th, 2014 at 8:51am CST by Zachary Links

Guaranteed Contracts

Options

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Free Agents / Cap Holds

Draft Picks

  • 1st Round (28th overall)

Cap Outlook

  • Guaranteed Salary: $66,322,769
  • Options: $4,530,294
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary: $5,398,490
  • Cap Holds: $2,755,286
  • Total: $79,006,839

Despite what the news might lead you to believe, the Clippers have things on their agenda that don’t concern embattled owner Donald Sterling.  Yes, it’s true, the Clippers front office, led by coach Doc Rivers, has a whole to-do list that has nothing to do with this spring’s TMZ bombshell.  The Clippers have needs to fill and while they don’t have a ton of cap space to do it, they will have their opportunities to improve.

The Clippers’ 2013/14 season ended at the hands of the Thunder in the second round and while there’s not much shame in losing to a Kevin Durant-led team, that’s no consolation to the Clippers, who, rightfully, had title aspirations.  Part of their downfall came from an inability to keep KD in check (he averaged 33.2 PPG in the series, a tick higher than what he averaged during his MVP season) and Russell Westbrook had a field day as well.  It’ll take more than a quick fix to slow down someone like Durant, but finding a strong perimeter defender would go a long way towards that effort.  The Clippers’ trade of Eric Bledsoe badly hurt their defense on the outside and they’ve yet to fill that void.

The small ball lineup that worked so well with Bledsoe in 2012/13 didn’t run as smoothly last season. The offense continued to put up points but the team struggled in terms of rebounding and defense.  None of the small forwards that the Clippers tried out – including Danny Granger, Hedo Turkoglu, and Stephen Jackson – were successful at playing as an undersized four.  If the Clippers intend to continue playing with a smaller lineup, and there’s no reason to think they won’t, they’ll have to find a small forward with size and grit who can help open up the offense without being a liability elsewhere. That leads us to one of the more intriguing storylines of the offseason: the possible reunion of Rivers and his former star pupil, Paul Pierce.

Pierce was the key to the Nets’ small ball success last season and is hitting the open market at a time where there is total uncertainty around teammate Kevin Garnett and the team as a whole.  If Garnett, who is slated to make $12MM next season, retires, many have theorized that Pierce will leave in search of familiarity, whether that’s joining up with Rivers in L.A. or ending his career in Boston.  The Nets, meanwhile, may not be the biggest basketball mess in New York City, but they’re a mess nonetheless.  Deron Williams just underwent double ankle surgery, free agents Shaun Livingston and Andray Blatche could very well bolt, and oft-injured center Brook Lopez is returning to a lineup that might be better off without him.  Will the 36-year-old leave the land of plaid shirts and ironic mustaches behind?  Pierce doesn’t have any pre-dating ties to Brooklyn, but his work ethic endeared him to scores of Nets fans who probably weren’t paying attention when Pierce was enemy No. 1 to the team while they were in New Jersey.  He also ended the season with a bad taste in his mouth after his mouth wrote a check to LeBron James that his behind couldn’t cash.  Avoiding a showdown with LeBron until the Finals would be the easy route; staying with the Nets, clashing with him in the conference semifinals or finals, and coming out on top would mean total redemption.  And, oh yeah, the Nets can give him more money, but after banking $300MM+ over the course of his career, he’s not exactly starving.  We’d venture to say that the Nets are still the frontrunners, but the Clippers have to be a very appealing option for Pierce, especially if KG hangs ’em up.

The Clippers could also use some shooting reinforcements.  The Bledsoe deal that allowed for J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley to come to L.A. should have given them all the outside shooting they needed, but things didn’t quite work out that way.  Redick played what was maybe the best basketball of his career with career-highs of 15.2 PPG and 45.5% shooting from the floor plus 39.5% from downtown…when he was healthy.  That wasn’t the case for much of the season, as he played just 47 games thanks to different injuries.  It was a similar story for Dudley as injuries slowed him down and he ultimately lost his starting job to Matt Barnes due to his slipping play.  So what can the Clippers do?  Sharpshooters like Anthony Morrow, Mike Miller, and Trevor Ariza (he shot 40.7% from downtown this year, despite a 32.5% average in previous seasons) are available on the open market.  They could also bring in the aforementioned Pierce to kill two birds with one stone with his size and shooting ability.

The Clips can make additions with their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will allow them to sign any free agent to a contract with a starting salary as high as $5.3MM, but there’s little flexibility outside of that.  Without significant wiggle room, the Clippers’ draft pick at No. 28 takes on a little extra importance.  If they want a shooter with that pick, it might be slim pickins as Rodney Hood and Nik Stauskas will be long gone, unless they rob a bank in the next three weeks, and the pool of first-round caliber shooters is pretty shallow.  They could instead use the pick to improve their front court situation and find a big body to help spell DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin.  Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes, who spoke with Hoops Rumors back in April, is rising fast up draft boards but could be available at No. 28.  Stokes is a bit undersized at 6’9″, but he brings high energy and very tenacious rebounding.  Baylor sophomore Isaiah Austin offers rim protection and should also be available in that range, though his lack of physical strength and vision troubles are worrisome.

When it comes to their own free agents, the Clippers would surely like to retain veteran guard Darren Collison, who will decline his one-year player option.  The 26-year-old averaged 11.4 points in a career-low 25.9 minutes per game in 2013/14 and was called upon to make 35 starts thanks to the injuries in the Clippers’ starting backcourt.  Keeping him could be easier said than done, however, as the Clippers only hold his non-bird rights, meaning that they can only pay him 120% of last season’s paltry salary.  Re-signing Collison likely means dipping into the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which they may choose to allocate elsewhere.

Fellow backup guard Jamal Crawford figures to be back and while it’s possible that some players will be anxious to leave L.A. in the wake of this year’s fiasco, the veteran has already come out and said that the ownership issues won’t dissuade him from returning.  Of course, the Clippers are unlikely to waive his non-guaranteed deal, so he probably wouldn’t have much of a choice to begin with.  Now that the messy situation has finally been resolved – we hope – with Steve Ballmer’s purchase, it stands to reason that no one will hesitate to stay with or join the Clippers.

The Staples Center’s other tenants are armed with Microsoft money now, but they’ll be  restricted this summer as they try to build around their talented core.  Still, with the right free agent pickup, a good selection at No. 28, and good health, the Clippers can put themselves at the top of the Western Conference next season.

Cap footnotes

* — Collison’s cap hold would be $2,280,000 if he opts out, as he reportedly intends to do.
** — Granger’s cap hold would be $915,243 if he opts out.
*** — The cap hold for Davis would be $915,243 if he opts out.
**** — Crawford’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 30th.
***** — Green’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 1st.

ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.

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Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Lakers

June 5th, 2014 at 1:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

Guaranteed Contracts

Options

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Free Agents / Cap Holds

Draft Picks

  • 1st Round (7th overall)

Cap Outlook

  • Guaranteed Salary: $34,116,243
  • Options: $1,227,985
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary: $915,243
  • Cap Holds: $57,286,538
  • Total: $93,546,009

The summer ahead for the Lakers will be unlike any the franchise has ever faced. The purple-and-gold are coming off their worst season since before they were the purple-and-gold, having only finished with an inferior winning percentage once, in 1957/58, as the Minneapolis Lakers. That bunch of Lakers took Elgin Baylor with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1958 draft and made the Finals in 1959, but chances are the team won’t be adding a Hall-of-Famer with the seventh overall pick this month.

The pick is just one of several priorities for GM Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss, the team’s co-owner and executive vice president in charge of basketball operations. The Lakers are conducting a methodical coaching search that’s threatening to extend past the draft and into free agency, when the team will have to rebuild a roster with just three players on guaranteed contracts for next season. Kobe Bryant, empowered by a two-year, $48.5MM extension that won’t kick in until next season, excoriated management earlier this spring, insisting that he has “not one lick” of patience for another losing season. Bryant later backed off some of his remarks, expressing support for the organization, but no one still with the franchise is more of a symbol for the Lakers than he is. His words will echo throughout the summer, even as Kupchak downplays Bryant’s influence on the team’s coaching search.

Indeed, Bryant might not have a direct effect on the team’s decision, but Kupchak pointed to the ability to get the most out of Bryant as a top priority as the team sifts through its coaching options. Mike Dunleavy, Byron Scott, Alvin Gentry and Lionel Hollins have received interviews, and while there’s dispute over whether the team’s discussion about the head coaching position with assistant coach Kurt Rambis constituted an interview, it’s clear that he’s a candidate for the job. Still, those five aren’t necessarily the front-runners, and more interviews appear likely. In other years, when more obvious choices were present and the Lakers fortunes were brighter, the search might not move so slow, but with Phil Jackson ensconced as Knicks team president and serious doubts surrounding the roster, there is no easy answer.

The same could be said of the team’s approach to free agency. LeBron James seems increasingly likely to remain with the Heat for at least one more year. Carmelo Anthony is thinking of taking a pass on free agency, but the Lakers aren’t that high on him, anyway. There’s mutual interest with Chris Bosh, but he says he’s staying in Miami, too. The Lakers have considered a bloated offer for Eric Bledsoe, but the Suns intend to match whatever comes their way for the restricted free agent. League executives reportedly believe the Lakers are among the teams most likely to throw a max offer at Greg Monroe, but he, too, is a restricted free agent, and Pistons boss Stan Van Gundy has been speaking highly of him. There’s been little chatter connecting the Lakers to fellow restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, and he seems most likely to return to Utah. Dwyane Wade probably won’t leave Miami, and even if he does, the Lakers already have an aging shooting guard with mounting injury woes. The team apparently isn’t high on Kyle Lowry, and while the Lakers like Luol Deng, they’re wary of overpaying him. Zach Randolph pointed to the Lakers, among others, for their tradition of loyalty when he was upset over trade rumors this season, but he and the Grizzlies are in preliminary talks on an extension. That accounts for all 10 players in the latest Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, casting serious doubt over whether the Lakers will use their ample cap flexibility to pull off a marquee signing this summer.

Kevin Love and perhaps Rajon Rondo loom as stars obtainable via trade, but the competition for Love is fierce and the Celtics seem more focused on adding stars around Rondo than dealing him away. The Lakers have sign-and-trade fodder, a middling lottery pick, and little else to offer in exchange, making it difficult to envision them coming up with an offer that’s attractive enough for a rival team to part with its star. The quickest path back to contention probably involves waiting for next summer, when Love, Rondo, and a host of other enviable names can hit free agency, but the willingness of Bryant to buy into that idea is a questionable prospect, at best. That’s no doubt playing into the team’s coaching search, as Kupchak and Buss seek someone able to manage Bryant’s moodiness during a non-contending season in a way that doesn’t poison the locker room. Bryant could just as easily serve as a model of passion and preparation for whomever the team drafts at No. 7, so getting the best out of Bryant off the court will be as important as getting the best out of him on it.

Power forwards are clustered within range of the seventh pick, with names like Julius Randle, Noah Vonleh, Dario Saric and Aaron Gordon likely to be in the mix. Former coach Mike D’Antoni might have liked to have seen the team shy away from traditional fours, but the position is a need if the Lakers are to return to a conventional attack. Point guard Marcus Smart is interspersed among that bunch, but the Lakers already have Kendall Marshall, who’s yet to turn 23 and is just two years removed from having been the 13th overall pick. His 8.8 assists per game in 54 contests would have been tied for the second most in the league had he played a full season. There’s little need for the Lakers to upgrade at his position.

The necessity for a big man is much greater, and that becomes even more so if Pau Gasol heads elsewhere. Gasol has gone back and forth about his unrestricted free agency this summer, and his latest comments put the Lakers in the mix for him along with the Grizzlies, Bulls and Spurs. The resignation of Mike D’Antoni removed a likely barrier to his willingness to re-sign, and that was after Bryant pegged the chances that the Spanish 7-footer would stay at 80% this past March. Nonetheless, 50% appears a more realistic figure, and even that might be too high. Jordan Hill and Chris Kaman also appear less than likely to return, putting pressure on the team to re-sign Ryan Kelly and aggressively seek big men from outside the organization.

The team has no such problem with perimeter players. The Lakers and Nick Young have mutual interest in a return, as do the team and Jodie Meeks. The same can be said for the Lakers and Jordan Farmar, and Wesley Johnson believes the team reciprocates his desire to re-sign. There’s also a chance, however faint, that Steve Nash will contribute in some significant way to the team next year. The Lakers have little need to use the stretch provision to waive Nash and reduce his cap hit unless the team’s options in free agency improve drastically, and indeed the team plans on keeping the 40-year-old under contract. Stretching his deal would compromise the team’s cap space for the summer of 2015, and the Lakers need not extend the pain of what’s already proven a burdensome arrangement.

Buss said in October 2012 that the Lakers wanted to make a “splash” in the summer of 2014, but it was at about that point that fortunes for the franchise suddenly went south. The same verbiage was used in regard to the team’s plans for its coaching search, but it seems less likely by the day that the team will hire anyone with jaw-dropping credentials. The glitz and glamour surrounding the Lakers may never vanish, but the winning has. The chasm wasn’t as deep between Finals appearances in 2004 and 2008, but Bryant nearly forced his way out before management proved adept at building the team back to contention. Bryant’s ability to remember that experience will have much to do with how well the Lakers are able to climb back toward the familiar top.

Cap footnotes

* — Young’s cap hold would be $915,243 if he were to opt out, an outcome that appears likely.
** — Gasol’s cap hold will be the lesser of $20,250,143, which is 150% of his 2013/14 salary, or the maximum salary for a veteran of 10 or more seasons, which won’t be determined until after the July Moratorium.
*** — See our glossary entry on cap holds for an explanation of why Harper and others listed in parentheses below his name technically remain on the books for the Lakers.
**** — The cap hold for Brooks is equivalent to the greatest amount the Lakers can offer him for next season. Because the Celtics declined their fourth-year team option on Brooks before the season, the Lakers aren’t allowed to re-sign him for a 2014/15 salary that’s more than he would have earned on that option. That’s true even though Brooks was traded twice, first to the Warriors and then the Lakers.
***** — The cap hold for Bazemore would be $915,243 if the Lakers decline to tender his qualifying offer.
****** — The cap hold for Kelly would be $816,482 if the Lakers decline to tender his qualifying offer.

ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.

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Offseason Outlook: Houston Rockets

June 4th, 2014 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Guaranteed Contracts

Options 

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Free Agents / Cap Holds

Draft Picks

  • 1st Round (25th overall)
  • 2nd Round (42nd overall)

Cap Outlook

  • Guaranteed Salary: $56,983,489
  • Options: $3,098,041
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary: $3,873,094
  • Cap Holds: $3,100,294
  • Total: $67,054,918

In October 2012, just 20 months ago, the Rockets had one of the worst rosters in the league, having skinned the team of five of its top six scorers from the 2011/12 season. Two superstar acquisitions later, the Rockets enter the summer of 2014 with some sense of disappointment over a first-round exit. The prolific duo of James Harden and Dwight Howard came together quickly, but Houston still lacks the third star that’s required to build the prototypical title contender. GM Daryl Morey pulled off the cap gymnastics necessary to accommodate a max deal for Howard last summer, but finding another marquee player this time around will require even more challenging payroll manipulation.

The Rockets enter the summer with commitments that are about $6.2MM short of the projected $63.2MM salary cap. That only covers seven players and doesn’t take into account the player option for Francisco Garcia, who denied a report last month that he intends to opt out. It also doesn’t factor in the nearly $1MM on Houston’s books for the 25th overall pick, but that’s an asset the team would probably have little trouble shedding if it wants to. Even if Garcia opts out and the Rockets dump their first-rounder, they’re set to enter free agency with no more than $3.7MM in cap flexibility, thanks to the roster charges equivalent to the rookie minimum salary they would incur for having fewer than 12 players under contract. That figure also leaves out the final year of Chandler Parsons‘ contract, a thorny issue that will force the team into one unappealing set of consequences or another.

Morey certainly can’t begrudge his deal with Parsons, which has proved such a bargain over the past three years that it’s become a model for others like it around the league. The Rockets have the opportunity to enjoy another season of a starting-caliber small forward for less than $1MM, but picking up the option would put Parsons on a path toward unrestricted free agency next summer. The Rockets have reportedly decided to decline the option to allow themselves the chance to make Parsons a restricted free agent this summer, giving Morey the final say on where the former University of Florida standout ends up next season. The decision also plays a critical role in the team’s ability to sign other free agents this summer and next.

Picking up the option would impinge upon the team’s already limited flexibility for the summer ahead and invite bidders who’d be scared off by Houston’s ability to match offers this summer to jump into the Parsons sweepstakes next year. Setting Parsons free at the end of the month would allow the Rockets to simply take a pass on re-signing him if another small forward like Carmelo Anthony came calling, but it seems more likely that Houston would end up re-signing Parsons to a long-term, market-rate contract. Doing so would add to Houston’s books for the summer of 2015, the very time for which most other teams are clearing money for an enticing class of free agents. This is no easy call.

Complicating the pursuit of next summer’s free agent class is the possibility that Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo and others end up in their next destinations via trade before they ever hit the market. That’s why Morey isn’t idly waiting for the burdensome contracts of Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin to expire next summer. The GM says he doesn’t expect a deal to come together involving one or both of them, but in the same interview with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, he restated his commitment to an aggressive search for upgrades. A more recent report indicated the team is shopping Lin and Asik in an effort to clear room for Anthony. Still, I’d be surprised if Houston pulled the trigger on any such deal at any point before it became clear that Anthony or another such talent could be had. Knicks team president Phil Jackson‘s assertion that ‘Melo is at least thinking about opting in for next season rather than hitting free agency is a caution flag for teams that have been eyeing him, even if he’s still more likely than not to opt out, as he’s said on many occasions that he’ll do.

Trading either Asik, Lin or both in any deal that would clear significant cap space would be remarkably challenging. Few teams are willing and able to absorb nearly $8.4MM cap hits without giving up salary in return, and the balloon payments for Asik and Lin make it doubly hard for the Rockets to find trade partners. Each of them is due $14,898,938 in actual paychecks next season, as I explained a while back when I examined how such backloaded deals affect trades. There might be some charm for the Knicks in bringing Lin back for old time’s sake as part of a sign-and-trade for Anthony, but it seems doubtful that Jackson would agree to help a team with little other recourse to clear the necessary cap room for ‘Melo. Most teams would have more interest in Asik, whom the Hawks are reportedly pursuing. Still, trading only Asik in exchange for assets that don’t add to Houston’s payroll for next season would give Houston about $12.6MM worth of cap flexibility at best, not nearly enough to get into the running for ‘Melo. That almost certainly wouldn’t be enough to woo reported targets LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dirk Nowitzki, who appear even less available than Anthony.

Trades might allow an easier path to improvement, but while Love represents the primary trade target for just about every team, Houston doesn’t appear to be Love’s preferred destination. The Rockets seemed interested in Rondo at the trade deadline, though talks apparently never got started. The Celtics were one of the teams involved in Morey’s attempted Asik auction in December, but Morey would have to offer more than his backup center to pry an elite point guard from the hands of Danny Ainge, his old boss. The Celtics seem much more focused on convincing Rondo to stay rather than preparing for his departure, so the Rockets would probably meet a dead end down this avenue, too.

The prudent path for the Rockets this summer appears to be a quiet one, as unfulfilling as it might be for the creative, trade-happy Morey. The Rockets can have the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception at their disposal if they decide to operate above the cap, and that can serve as a handy tool to help the team upgrade its defense with a rotation-caliber player. Houston finished just 12th in points allowed per 100 possessions this season, per NBA.com, in spite of the pairing of All-Defensive Second Team selection Patrick Beverley and Howard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, in the starting lineup. Oklahoma City free agent Thabo Sefolosha would seem like a fit for the Rockets if he rediscovers the stroke he had when he hit 42.2% of his three-point attempts in 2011/12 and 2012/13, though there have been no reports linking the longtime member of the Thunder to Houston.

The Rockets have only about $39MM on the books for 2015/16, so there’s plenty of reason for the team to exercise caution as it spends this summer. Flashy names like Love and Rondo may already be in their long-term homes by this time next year, but Goran Dragic, Paul Millsap, David West, Monta Ellis, Marc Gasol and Al Jefferson are among the others who can become unrestricted free agents in 2015. Morey has quickly turned the Rockets into a Western Conference heavy. The question is whether he’ll have the gumption to wait for just the right finishing touch that can turn the team into a true contender.

Cap footnotes

* — Garcia’s cap hold would be $915,243 if he turns down his player option.
** — Parsons’ qualifying offer would be $3,270,004 if the Rockets decline his option, as they reportedly intend to do. That figure would also be the amount of his cap hold. If Houston declines the option and doesn’t tender the qualifying offer, his cap hold would be $1,760,350.
*** — Daniels’ qualifying offer and cap hold would be $1,016,482 if the team turns down its option. His cap hold would be $816,482 if the team doesn’t tender the qualifying offer.
**** — The cap hold for Hamilton is equivalent to the greatest amount Houston can offer him for next season. Because the Nuggets declined their fourth-year team option on Hamilton before the season, the Rockets, who acquired him via trade, aren’t allowed to re-sign him for a 2014/15 salary that’s more than he would have earned on that option.

ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.

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