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And-Ones: Free Agent Market, Payne, Perkins, Booker

February 8th, 2018 at 10:54am CST by Arthur Hill

The bull market for free agents has ended and there will be few free-spending teams this summer, according to Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks of ESPN. Many organizations are paying the price for the huge contracts that were handed out in 2016 as cap issues are forcing much of the league to take a more frugal approach.

This season, five teams are on pace to pay the luxury tax, which kicks in with a payroll topping $119MM. Twelve teams are projected to be in tax territory for 2018/19 and several more are in danger of getting there just by re-signing their own free agents. The authors list the Bucks as one team that will cross the line if they hold onto Jabari Parker.

“The luxury tax was not designed for this many teams to pay it,” a league executive told Windhorst and Marks. “Many of those owners probably didn’t think they’d be paying it. Quite a few of those teams are probably going to take steps to get out of the tax or limit new spending.”

When teams were handing out big contracts in the summer of 2016, they were expecting a salary cap in the range of $108MM for next season. That projection has been revised down to $101MM, leaving many in an unexpected dilemma. Only seven teams — the Lakers, Sixers, Bulls, Hawks, Mavericks, Suns and Nets — will have more than $10MM available to chase free agents, and virtually all of those teams are in rebuilding mode.

NBA agent Mark Bartelstein expects the situation to improve in 2019 and 2020 when those 2016 contracts start to expire.

There’s more NBA-related news this morning:

Max and “supermax” deals are the reason more stars seem to be on the trade market, writes Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer. Clippers consultant Jerry West had been urging owner Steve Ballmer to trade Blake Griffin ever since Chris Paul let the team know he wouldn’t be re-signing. Ballmer was convinced after Griffin’s latest injury, recognizing the risks of paying him $171MM over five years, including nearly $39MM in the 2021/22 season when he will be 32. Teams are taking stock of their future and weighing whether maxing out a star is worth giving up financial flexibility. O’Connor predicts fewer mid-sized deals, like the approximately $17MM the Magic are giving to Bismack Biyombo and Evan Fournier, in favor of more non-taxpayer midlevel exceptions, which are valued at $8.4MM an will rise to about $10MM before the current CBA expires.
Adreian Payne, who was waived by the Magic last month in the wake of the Michigan State scandal, had signed to play in Greece, relays the Associated Press. Payne had a two-way contract and played just four games for Orlando.
Veteran center Kendrick Perkins has decided to leave the G League Canton Charge, tweets Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. Several teams have contacted him about signing after the deadline, and he may consider playing in China or Japan next year, depending how the rest of this season turns out, adds Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Perkins officially “retired” from the G League so the Charge can receive compensation, according to 2 Ways & 10 Days.
Sixers forward Trevor Booker has changed agents in advance of his upcoming free agency, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Booker has signed with Jim Tanner’s Tandem Sports + Entertainment.
Lavoy Allen, who played 61 games for the Pacers last season, has joined the Northern Arizona Suns of the G League, the team tweeted.

Pacers Willing To Absorb Bad Contract To Get Pick

February 8th, 2018 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have been aggressively seeking out deals that would allow them to land a first-round pick while taking on a bad contract, tweets Wojnarowski. Indiana is willing to offer Al Jefferson in such a deal, Woj adds. The veteran big man doesn’t have a lot of value, but his $10MM salary for 2018/19 is only partially guaranteed for $4MM, making it a pseudo-expiring contract.

O’Connor’s Latest: Thunder, Bradley, Simmons

February 7th, 2018 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

When we relayed the latest rumors on the Thunder‘s search for wing help on Tuesday, Avery Bradley was one player we mentioned, with a report suggesting Oklahoma City has done its due diligence on the Clippers guard. It wasn’t the first time Bradley’s name has surfaced as a potential OKC target, and multiple league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that Bradley’s name “keeps popping up” as a player of major interest to the Thunder.

As O’Connor observes, one deal that would make sense on paper and would work financially is Bradley for Alex Abrines and Terrance Ferguson. However, the Thunder are reportedly very reluctant to part with Ferguson, recognizing that they’ll need inexpensive role players for the next few years if they hope to keep their current core together.

Still, some sort of deal involving Abrines could be possible. O’Connor hears from a league executive that Clippers director of pro player personnel Johnny Rogers – who played and broadcasted in Spain – “loves” Abrines, a former Barcelona standout.

O’Connor shares a few more items of interest in his latest piece for The Ringer, so let’s round them up…

Although the Thunder have kicked the tires on Magic swingman Jonathon Simmons, multiple sources tell O’Connor that Simmons isn’t expected to be available — at least not for what Oklahoma City would offer.
Two front office sources have informed O’Connor that the Thunder would be among the frontrunners to sign Joe Johnson if he’s bought out by the Jazz this month.
The Hawks have had some trouble gaining traction on deals for some of their veterans, according to O’Connor, who says that the Thunder and Pacers are among Atlanta’s potential trade partners for players like Marco Belinelli, Dewayne Dedmon, or Ersan Ilyasova. O’Connor notes that the Hawks had interest in T.J. Leaf prior to last year’s draft, but he’s skeptical that the Pacers would surrender the rookie forward for a veteran rental.

Forbes Releases 2018 NBA Franchise Valuations

February 7th, 2018 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are still reeling from Tuesday’s news that Kristaps Porzingis has suffered a torn ACL and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. While Porzingis’ injury essentially eliminates the Knicks from the playoff race in the East, team ownership can at least find some solace in the fact that the organization remains the highest-valued franchise in the NBA, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.

For the first time, all 30 NBA teams have a perceived worth of $1 billion or more, per Forbes’ annual report. In 2017, 18 teams had a valuation exceeding $1 billion, which was up from 13 teams in 2016 and just three teams in 2015.

The league-wide average of $1.65 billion per team is also a record, with franchise valuations up 22% in total over last year’s figures. NBA franchise values have tripled over the last five years, according to Badenhausen.

Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:

New York Knicks: $3.6 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $3.3 billion
Golden State Warriors: $3.1 billion
Chicago Bulls: $2.6 billion
Boston Celtics: $2.5 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $2.3 billion
Houston Rockets: $2.2 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $2.15 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $1.9 billion
Miami Heat: $1.7 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $1.55 billion
Toronto Raptors: $1.4 billion
Sacramento Kings: $1.375 billion
Washington Wizards: $1.35 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.325 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $1.3 billion
Phoenix Suns: $1.28 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.25 billion
Orlando Magic: $1.225 billion
Utah Jazz: $1.2 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $1.18 billion
Indiana Pacers: $1.175 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $1.15 billion
Denver Nuggets: $1.125 billion
Detroit Pistons: $1.1 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $1.075 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.06 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $1.05 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $1.025 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $1 billion

For comparison’s sake, Forbes’ 2017 valuations can be found right here.

Lowe’s Latest: Cavs, Jordan, Magic, Nuggets, Sixers

February 6th, 2018 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

On Monday, we rounded up some of the highlights from a Lowe Post podcast featuring ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski. Late last night, Lowe published an extensive look at the trade market at ESPN.com, following up on some of the scuttlebutt he shared in that podcast. While there are a few repeated items with Lowe’s piece, he also has plenty of new notes for us as Thursday’s trade deadline approaches. Let’s dive in…

Lowe views Marc Gasol as a target that would make sense for the Cavaliers if they’re willing to trade the Nets’ 2018 first-rounder. However, he notes that the Grizzlies seem satisfied to stand pat, and the two teams haven’t discussed Gasol. Rival executives also say that the Cavs continue to act as if they won’t trade the Brooklyn pick.
Outside of the teams already known to have expressed interest in DeAndre Jordan – such as the Rockets, Bucks, and Trail Blazers – the Wizards are another club that has looked into the Clippers center, says Lowe. However, despite investigating the market for Jordan, Washington hasn’t gained any momentum toward a deal.
Every Magic player except for Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac is “readily available,” sources tell Lowe. Most people around the league think that Elfrid Payton will be playing somewhere besides Orlando next season, Lowe adds.
As Lowe observes, Nuggets may not be able to afford Will Barton‘s next contract, but the team appears okay with holding onto him through the deadline and risking losing him for nothing this summer. Denver also remains on the lookout for point guards, having kicked the tires on Pacers backup Cory Joseph, per Lowe. However, potential targets like Joseph and Garrett Temple may not be viable due to the guaranteed 2018/19 money on their contracts.
The Sixers are approaching the trade deadline as buyers, but no longer have as many extra first-round draft picks as they’ve had in recent years, so they may only willing to dangle second-rounders, says Lowe.
According to Lowe, the Timberwolves have been very cautious about discussing the 2018 first-rounder they’ll get from the Thunder, since they recognize they’ll need cheap players to fill out the roster as Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns get very expensive.
The Warriors remain on the lookout for bench help — they inquired on Avery Bradley, but got nowhere, league sources tell Lowe.
The Heat don’t appear to have traction on any major deals, according to Lowe.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/5/18

February 5th, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pacers assigned swingman Glenn Robinson III to their Fort Wayne affiliate on a rehab assignment and then quickly recalled him, according the team’s website. Robinson has appeared in two G League games and is close to returning after suffering a left ankle injury during the preseason.
The Bulls assigned guard Cameron Payne to the Windy City Bulls, the team tweets. Payne has not played for either team this season due to a right foot injury.
The Lakers assigned center Thomas Bryant to the South Bay Lakers, according the G League team’s Twitter feed. Bryant has already appeared in 22 games with South Bay, averaging 19.3 PPG and 7.0 RPG.
The Blazers recalled rookie forward Caleb Swanigan from the Canton Charge, The Oregonian reports. Swanigan has posted averages of 14.2 PPG and 11.9 RPG in 14 G League games.
The Spurs recalled rookie guard Derrick White from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. He’s averaged 15.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 2.6 APG in 13 games with Austin.
The Warriors assigned center Damian Jones to their Santa Cruz affiliate, per team release. Jones has started all 33 games for the G League team, averaging 15.3 PPG and 8.0 RPG.

Pacers Guard Darren Collison Out 2-3 Weeks

February 5th, 2018 at 4:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard Darren Collison will undergo arthroscopic left knee surgery and miss 2-3 weeks, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.

This comes as somewhat of a surprise, considering Collison hadn’t missed any recent game action. He played 33 minutes against the Sixers on Saturday and 30 minutes the previous night against the Hornets.

Collison has started 52 of a possible 54 games for Indiana this season, averaging 12.8 PPG and 5.3 APG for a team that appears headed for a playoff berth. In his absence, Cory Joseph and Joe Young will likely pick up his minutes.

This could scuttle any trade talk involving Collison. The Nuggets were reportedly very interested in Collison’s services. Collison signed a two-year, $20MM contract over the summer but the second year isn’t guaranteed.

Glenn Robinson Recalled After Rehab Assignment

February 4th, 2018 at 10:29pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Pacers have recalled swingman Glenn Robinson III from their G League affiliate in Fort Wayne, the team announced. He was on a rehab assignment after undergoing surgery on his left ankle in October. Robinson has yet to play in the NBA this season.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/3/18

February 3rd, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pacers have assigned swingman Glenn Robinson III to their G League affiliate in Fort Wayne, the team announced on its website. He is on a rehab assignment after undergoing surgery on his left ankle in October. Robinson had a career-best season for the Pacers last year, averaging 6.1 points in 69 games. He has yet to play in the NBA this season, but did score 12 points for the Mad Ants on Thursday.
The Bucks assigned rookie power forward D.J. Wilson to their Wisconsin affiliate, according to the team website. He has appeared in 18 NBA games, but is averaging just 3.3 minutes per night.

Glenn Robinson III Plays In G League On Rehab Assignment

February 1st, 2018 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Glenn Robinson III continues to work his way back from left ankle surgery, heading on a G League assignment today to play for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers announced in a press release. Robinson played 27 minutes in the day game, picking up 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Rookie Ike Anigbogu joined GRIII on the G League assignment.