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15 Two-Way Contract Slots Remain Open

September 13th, 2017 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

With NBA training camps just a couple weeks away, most teams are putting the finishing touches on their respective rosters. In addition to having secured at least a dozen players on guaranteed contracts and perhaps a handful of camp invitees, each NBA club has also signed at least one player to a two-way contract.

As we explain in depth in our FAQ, two-way contracts – a new concept under the league’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement – allow NBA teams to carry two extra players in addition to the 15 on their regular season roster. These players spend most of their time with the club’s G League affiliate, but are eligible to join the NBA roster for up to 45 days per season, and remain under team control — they can’t be poached by rival franchises.

Teams have been signing players to two-way contracts since July, so we’re starting to get a better idea of what players on those deals will look like — some are late second-round draft picks; some are undrafted rookies; others are G League or international veterans, or former NBA players looking to work their way back into the league.

Every NBA club has signed at least one player to a two-way deal, but only half of those 30 clubs have filled both spots, meaning that there are still 15 two-way openings around the league. With the help of our two-way tracker, here’s a breakdown of the teams that still have an open two-way slot:

Atlanta Hawks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers

While the Suns and Jazz technically could be included on this list, they’ve reportedly reached agreements – with Alec Peters and Nate Wolters, respectively – to fill their second two-way slots, so unless those deals unexpectedly fall through, they won’t have any openings.

Although some of these two-way openings figure to be filled in advance of training camp, many of the clubs listed above have signed camp invitees to Exhibit 10 contracts, which can later be converted into two-way deals. So rather than signing someone new and waiving a camp invitee, a handful of teams may simply convert an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract before the regular season begins.

Kyler: Could Doc Rivers Land On Hot Seat?

September 6th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of that performance, Warney spoke to HoopsHype and expressed hope that he’ll get a chance to make his NBA debut this season, as Bryan Kalbrosky details. While there has been no word yet of a contract agreement for Warney, he seems like a good bet to land a training camp deal or a two-way contract. In the days since Team USA’s win, his teammates Larry Drew II and C.J. Williams have landed camp deals with the Heat and Clippers respectively, so we’ll see if Warney is next.

In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler examines some head coaches around the NBA who may find themselves on the hot seat if their teams struggle out of the gate in 2017/18. Kyler identifies Dwane Casey (Raptors), Mike Budenholzer (Hawks), Steve Clifford (Hornets), Doc Rivers (Clippers), and Brett Brown (Sixers) as coaches who fit that bill.

Dwyane Wade To Consider Miami, L.A. If Bought Out?

September 4th, 2017 at 8:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Dwyane Wade remains under contract with the Bulls for 2017/18 and appears virtually certain to open the year with the club, but he’s also considered a strong bet to be bought out at some point during the season. If and when that happens, Miami and Los Angeles are among Wade’s possible landing spots, says Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

According to Jackson, a Wade associate has been telling people that Miami and L.A. would appeal to the veteran guard. The Herald scribe adds that this same source was the first to inform him of trouble in contract negotiations between Wade and the Heat before the former Finals MVP left Miami as a free agent.

A return to the Heat certainly wouldn’t be out of left field for Wade — despite a breakdown in contract talks last summer, he still has a good relationship with Udonis Haslem and others within the organization. Wade’s children are also currently enrolled at a South Florida school, Jackson notes, citing WINZ-940’s Andy Slater.

As for Los Angeles, Jackson doesn’t specify whether Wade would have his eye on the Clippers or Lakers, but the Clips figure to be closer to contention this year, even without Chris Paul. The Lakers may become a more viable option for Wade in future seasons, particularly if the team could land LeBron James or another marquee free agent.

In addition to Miami and Los Angeles, Cleveland is considered a very real possibility for Wade, and the Cavaliers may still be the favorite if and when the Bulls buy him out. However, as Jackson’s report suggests, the Cavs won’t be the only team in the mix.

So far, Wade and the Bulls reportedly haven’t engaged in discussions about a buyout, though that’s expected to change in the coming months.

NBA Draft Rights Held: Pacific Division

September 1st, 2017 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

When top college prospects like Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball are drafted, there’s virtually no doubt that their next step will involve signing an NBA contract. However, that’s not the case for every player who is selected in the NBA draft, particularly for international prospects and second-round picks.

When an NBA team uses a draft pick on a player, it gains his NBA rights, but that doesn’t mean the player will sign an NBA contract right away. International prospects will often remain with their professional team overseas for at least one more year to develop their game further, becoming “draft-and-stash” prospects. Nikola Mirotic, Dario Saric, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are among the more notable players to fit this bill in recent years.

However, draft-and-stash players can be former NCAA standouts too. Sometimes a college prospect selected with a late second round pick will end up playing overseas or in the G League for a year or two if there’s no space available on his NBA team’s 15-man roster.

While these players sometimes make their way to their NBA teams, others never do. Many clubs around the NBA currently hold the rights to international players who have remained overseas for their entire professional careers and are no longer viewed as top prospects. Those players may never come stateside, but there’s often no reason for NBA teams to renounce their rights — those rights can sometimes be used as placeholders in trades.

For instance, earlier this summer, the Pacers and Raptors agreed to a trade that sent Cory Joseph to Indiana. Toronto was happy to move Joseph’s salary and didn’t necessarily need anything in return, but the Pacers had to send something in the deal. Rather than including an NBA player or a draft pick, Indiana sent Toronto the draft rights to Emir Preldzic, the 57th overall pick in the 2009 draft.

Preldzic is currently playing for Galatasaray in Turkey, and at this point appears unlikely to ever come to the NBA, but his draft rights have been a useful trade chip over the years — the Pacers/Raptors swap represented the fourth time since 2010 that Preldzic’s NBA rights have been included in a trade.

This week, we’re taking a closer look at the players whose draft rights NBA teams currently hold, sorting them by division. These players may eventually arrive in America and join their respective NBA teams, but many will end up like Preldzic, plying their trade overseas and having their draft rights used as pawns in NBA trades.

Here’s a breakdown of the draft rights held by Pacific teams:

Golden State Warriors

Mladen Sekularac, G/F (2002; No. 55): Retired.

Los Angeles Clippers

Maarty Leunen, F (2008; No. 54): Playing in Italy.
David Michineau, G (2016; No. 39): Playing in France.

Los Angeles Lakers

Brad Newley, F (2007; No. 54): Last played in Greece.
Chinemelu Elonu, C (2009; No. 59): Playing in Greece.

Phoenix Suns

Ron Ellis, F (1992; No. 49): Retired.
Milos Vujanic, G (2002; No. 36): Retired.
Cenk Akyol, G/F (2005; No. 59): Last played in Turkey.
Dwayne Collins, F (2010; No. 60): Retired.

Sacramento Kings

Alex Oriakhi, F (2013; No. 57): Playing in Uruguay.
Dimitrios Agravanis, F (2015; No. 59): Playing in Greece.
Luka Mitrovic, F (2015; No. 60): Playing in Germany.

Previously:

Information from Mark Porcaro and Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Pacific Notes: Ingram, Randolph, Warriors, Kings

August 31st, 2017 at 9:52pm CST by marksuleymanov

Kings‘ forward Zach Randolph was formally charged with two misdemeanors after his August 9 arrest for possession of marijuana, John Schultz of the Sacramento Bee writes.

Charges against Randolph were reduced from possession of marijuana with intent to sell to possession of more than one ounce of marijuana and resisting arrest, per the Los Angeles County Superior Court website.

Possession of marijuana comes with a possible six-month sentence, a fine not exceeding $500, or both. The resisting arrest charge comes with up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000.

Randolph, 36, signed a two-year, $24MM deal with Sacramento in July, bringing a stable veteran presence to an otherwise rebuilding Kings team. While age has slowed Randolph’s production, he has still posted at least 14.1 PPG and 7.8 RPG the last five seasons. Needless to say, this type of legal issue is not what the Kings had in mind when they committed two years to the NBA veteran.

Below you can read other tidbits of news around the Pacific Division:

In a piece for ESPN Insider (subscription required and recommended) Mike Schmitz examines Lakers‘ forward Brandon Ingram. The second overall pick from last year’s draft did not have the type of season he and the organization hoped for in 2016/17. Schmitz — who expects a breakout season — explains that Ingram’s shooting was impacted by a change of position and simply adjusting from college to the professional level.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic (subscription required and recommended) explains how the Warriors‘ star players can be even better in 2017/18. Golden State has made three consecutive NBA Finals appearances, winning two out of the three.
A state senator in Inglewood, California, says it is possible that a proposal to fast track a new arena for the Clippers will be introduced, Liam Dillon of the Los Angeles Times writes.
Shaun Powell of NBA.com has compiled an offseason recap for the Kings.

Patrick Beverley Embraces New Opportunity

August 29th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Austin Kent

After years counterbalancing James Harden‘s offensive presence in Houston, Patrick Beverley will step into a larger role as Chris Paul‘s replacement with the Clippers, James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes.

Not only has the veteran guard embraced the trade to the Clippers, he asked for the change of scenery. Now the 29-year-old will get a chance to showcase what he’s capable of above and beyond his reputation as a tenacious perimeter defender.

While Beverley will have big shoes to fill even on the defensive side of the ball – Paul was the only player that ranked higher than him in defensive real plus minus – he brings leadership qualities that should help the Clippers franchise in the midst of a critical transition.

A handful of Pacific Division rotation players could make names for themselves as sleepers this season, David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders writes, including Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. and recently acquired Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell.

Former GM Dave Wohl To Serve As Advisor

August 25th, 2017 at 7:37pm CST by Austin Kent

The Clippers have shuffled around their executive team this summer. Most recently, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets, the Clips have named Michael Winger their new general manager and Dave Wohl (their previous GM) a special advisor to the team.

Clippers Sign Marshall Plumlee

August 25th, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 25: Plumlee’s deal with the Clippers is now official, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log. It’s a one-year pact.

AUGUST 19: Marshall Plumlee has agreed to join the Clippers on a partially guaranteed contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The 25-year-old center has brief NBA experience, playing 21 games with the Knicks last season and averaging 1.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in about 8 minutes per night. Undrafted out of Duke in 2016, he signed with New York as a free agent and spent most of the year in the G League.

The Knicks decided to waive him in July to create cap room to sign Tim Hardaway Jr. Plumlee received the $100K that was guaranteed on his contract for next season. New York considered trying to bring him back earlier this month, but Plumlee has opted for L.A.

The signing brings the Clippers up to 18 players in camp, with 14 having guaranteed contracts. Plumlee will try to earn a roster spot as a third center behind DeAndre Jordan and Willie Reed.

Kyler’s Latest: Irving, Cavaliers, LeBron

August 24th, 2017 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

One of the most surprising things about the blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving from Cleveland to Boston this week was the Cavaliers‘ willingness to deal with their closest conference rival, just months after facing the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Cavs did try to find a deal with a Western team, having worked the Suns and Nuggets “pretty hard.” Cleveland also had some discussions with the Spurs and Clippers, but those clubs didn’t have the right combination of assets to really intrigue the Cavs, Kyler adds. Eventually, the Cavs circled back to the Celtics, who had expressed interest in Irving earlier and could put together the right sort of package to appeal to Cleveland.

Kyler’s latest piece at Basketball Insiders includes many more notes on the Irving deal, so let’s round up some of the highlights…

After news of his trade request leaked, Irving essentially stopped talking to the Cavaliers, sources close to the situation tell Kyler. Even before that news came out, the Cavs hadn’t heard much from Irving’s camp after he informed them of his desire to be moved, per Kyler.
Sources close to Irving tell Kyler that the star point guard was very aware of the age difference between him and many of his Cavaliers teammates. Irving is looking forward to joining a roster that features more players around his age, and hopes that he can build stronger connections and become more of a team leader rather than being viewed as a “little brother,” according to Kyler.
Kyler hears that new Cavaliers GM Koby Altman spoke to LeBron James on Tuesday after completing the deal. Although LeBron had hoped the relationship between Irving and the team could be repaired, he’s happy to have closure on the situation, says Kyler.
The Irving trade hasn’t changed James’ stance on his future — the four-time MVP enjoys having options and the freedom to make his own choices when the time comes, and doesn’t intend to give that up by locking himself into anything early, says Kyler. This stance was reflected in a series of pro-player tweets issued by LeBron earlier today.

Clippers Hiring Mark Hughes As Assistant GM

August 24th, 2017 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers continue to revamp their front office, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is hiring longtime Knicks executive Mark Hughes as an assistant general manager.

Hughes, formerly the Knicks’ director of player personnel, interviewed with the Hawks and Bucks earlier this offseason when those teams were retooling their own front offices. Hughes is said to have been heavily involved with the Knicks’ drafts over the last decade or so, and was highly regarded within the organization. However, he interviewed last month with the Clippers for their assistant GM job and now will join the team in that capacity.

The Clippers also recently reached an agreement with Thunder executive Michael Winger to become their new GM, and are also reportedly bringing aboard former Cavs exec Trent Redden as an assistant GM. There’s no indication that the deal with Redden has fallen through, so it appears Hughes is coming aboard alongside Redden, rather than in his place.

The Clippers began overhauling their front office earlier this summer when the team removed the president of basketball operations title from Doc Rivers, elevating Lawrence Frank to head of the basketball operations department.