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Pacific Notes: Redick, Hield, Lakers, Clippers

May 9th, 2017 at 10:10pm CST by marksuleymanov

J.J. Redick has been a prolific scorer during his four-year stint with the Clippers, being a key cog in the team’s journey to four straight playoff appearances. However, with the sharpshooter set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, it may be time to move on, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders opines.

Redick enjoyed another strong season in Los Angeles, averaging 15.0 PPG while still shooting an astounding .429 percent from beyond the arc. But there have noticeable differences in Redick’s output, especially during the postseason. As Blancarte points out, issues creating space have caused Redick to take lower percentage shots — his three-point shooting percentage has fallen each postseason since 2013 and this year, he attempted just 3.7 treys during the Clippers’ seven-game series against the Jazz.

Also, despite being an above average defender, Blancarte writes that “Joe Johnson, Rodney Hood and Gordon Hayward were simply too big and too skilled for Redick to handle defensively.” Redick will be 33 when he inks a new deal and there has been speculation of him joining the Knicks, potentially in a sign-and-trade scenario involving Carmelo Anthony, Marc Berman of the New York Post previously detailed. With four years and four early exits in the playoffs with the Clippers current core, it could be time for all parties to move on.

Here is some more news coming out of the Atlantic division:

  • The Hawks recently readjusted Mike Budenholzer’s role, taking him out of the team president position so he can focus solely on coaching. SB Nation’s Tom Ziller believes the Clippers should do the same with Doc Rivers. While Rivers is a well-regarded coach, the Clippers are at a crossroads following another early playoff exit and Ziller believes GM Rivers is not as effective as coach Rivers — especially given the team’s aforementioned core not yielding championship results.
  • Buddy Hield experienced a rejuvenation after he was sent from the Pelicans to the Kings in the DeMarcus Cousins trade several months ago. As Benedict Tagle of NBA.com writes, Hield increased his production from 8.6 PPG and 2.9 RPG to 15.1 PPG and 4.1 RPG per game in Sacramento. The sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft now understands how he can make additional strides.“I need a lot of things, this summer is great for me because next year it will show how big of a jump I can make,” Hield told NBC Sports California. “After that, we build off of that. Just keep building. I’m never going to take a step back.”
  • In a lengthy piece, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus examines how a Lakers team that has completely restructured its front office plans to tackle this offseason and beyond. The team will divide its focus into four tiers of scouting: College, international, NBA and the NBA Development League.“We don’t have to really change the way we have done the draft,” an anonymous source said to Pincus in regards to the team’s strategy. “In terms of everything else, I feel we have areas to improve, especially in free-agent acquisitions…we just have to be precise and efficient in every area.”

 

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Porzingis Has Message For Clippers In Tweet

May 6th, 2017 at 9:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis sent out an unexplained tweet today that he quickly deleted, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post.

The social media message read simply, “LA Clippers” and was accompanied by three smiling faces.

The Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs last week and are believed to have interest in Porzingis’ teammate, Carmelo Anthony, whom the Knicks would like to trade this summer.

There has been no publicly stated connection between Porzingis and the Clippers, although there was a report that several teams contacted New York’s front office about his availability last month after he skipped an exit meeting as a form of protest. He left for Latvia and announced his intention to play for the national team without consulting anyone from the Knicks.

Still, there’s little reason to believe that Porzingis is being shopped around, especially if New York gets rid of Anthony. The 7’3″ forward/center is still seen as part of the Knicks’ foundation and is under team control on his rookie contract for two more seasons.

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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Los Angeles Clippers

May 5th, 2017 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have three players who are perennial All-NBA candidates, and have racked up at least 51 victories in each of the last five seasons. However, they’ve also only won two playoff series during that stretch — that’s why, with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin headed toward potential free agency, there are so many calls for Los Angeles to blow things up this offseason. A full-scale rebuild seems unlikely, since the Clippers won’t want to lose their top free agents for nothing, and sign-and-trades are difficult to pull off under the current CBA. Still, changes of some sort are looming in the wake of another postseason disappointment.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Clippers financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options / Early Termination Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • Paul Pierce ($2,583,760) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
  • Total: $2,583,760

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Cap Holds

  • Chris Paul ($34,303,241) — If early termination option is exercised
  • Blake Griffin ($30,211,259) — If early termination option is exercised2
  • J.J. Redick ($14,017,250)
  • Luc Mbah a Moute ($2,863,900) — If player option is declined
  • Alan Anderson ($1,471,382)
  • Brandon Bass ($1,471,382)
  • Raymond Felton ($1,471,382)
  • Marreese Speights ($1,471,382) — If player option is declined
  • Total: $87,281,178

Trade Exceptions

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $36,357,897

  • Determining the Clippers’ maximum cap space is a less interesting exercise than it is for most other teams, since there’s very little chance the Clips will part ways with all their free-agents-to-be in an effort to create cap room. Still, it’s worth noting that if the club renounces those free agents and exceptions, keeps its six guaranteed salaries, and accounts for six empty roster spots, that would result in a $64,642,103 team salary. A new deal for Paul would eat up most of that room, and if the Clippers are able to retain Griffin as well, that would send team salary way over the cap.

Footnotes:

  1. Pierce’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
  2. Griffin’s cap hold can’t exceed his maximum salary, which is currently projected to be $30,300,000.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.

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Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Trade Scenarios, Ntilikina

May 5th, 2017 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have been frequently cited as a potential destination for Carmelo Anthony, assuming the Knicks forward is willing to waive his no-trade clause. But after another early playoff exit, Doc Rivers‘ club will have some major decisions to face even before determining whether an Anthony trade is possible.

As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, the belief around the NBA right now is that the Clippers will make every effort to lock up Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to new deals, but may not push quite as hard to retain veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick. If that’s the case, Berman writes, then several NBA executives believe there’s only one trade scenario involving Carmelo and the Clippers that would make sense — signing-and-trading Redick along with Austin Rivers and perhaps Wesley Johnson in exchange for Anthony and maybe one of the Knicks’ two second-round picks.

The math for that hypothetical swap would work, depending on Redick’s new contract, and one NBA executive suggests to Berman that “it’s really the only thing that makes sense.” Another exec believes it would be a good trade for the Knicks, who would get a reliable shooter in Redick and a good sixth man in Rivers. Whether the Clippers, Knicks, and Carmelo could all get on the same page on such a deal remains to be seen, however.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Tommy Beer runs through a number of possible trade scenarios involving Anthony, including theoretical proposals for long-shot suitors like the Trail Blazers, Bucks, and Pistons.
  • We heard earlier this week that GM Steve Mills was overseas scouting French point guard Frank Ntilikina, and international basketball reporter David Pick reiterates (via Twitter) that the Knicks are fond of the 18-year-old prospect. Knicks scout Makhtar N’Diaye, in particular, likes Ntilikina, according to Pick.
  • While Ntilikina should still be on the board if New York picks seventh overall, the Knicks would likely be eyeing different prospects if they get some lottery luck and move into the top three. MSG Network analyst and former NBA forward Wally Szczerbiak spoke to Berman (link via New York Post) about some of the top players on draft boards who have a chance to land with the Knicks.
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Is Blake Griffin a Lock to Leave the Clippers?

May 4th, 2017 at 9:23pm CST by marksuleymanov
  • Several NBA.com writers discussed several potential directions the Clippers may go in now that they have been eliminated from the postseason. The collection of scribes discuss Blake Griffin‘s potential plans in free agency, Chris Paul‘s future, and injuries decimating the team.
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Clippers Notes: Rivers, Griffin, D-League, Pierce

May 3rd, 2017 at 7:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach/executive Doc Rivers identified the Clippers’ offseason priorities during a press conference today, relays Jill Painter Lopez of The Associated Press. “We need length,” he said. “We need more length and two-way players. Again, that’s easy to say. Little harder to do with the way our contracts are. We may continue to do what we’ve done or we may decide to change our contracts and have more flexibility.”

The Clippers’ ability to add players will be hampered by their cap status. They are about $10MM over the cap heading into the offseason, and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are both expected to exercise early termination options and become free agents. Starting guard J.J. Redick will also be a free agent, and forwards Luc Mbah a Moute [$2.3MM] and Marreese Speights [nearly $1.46MM] both have player options. Rivers expressed hope that the core of the team can be kept together, saying, “I think they deserve a chance to win.”

There’s more Clippers news out of Los Angeles:

  • In the same story, Rivers offered the first medical update on Griffin since his surgery Tuesday on the right big toe that knocked him out of the playoffs. “He’s doing well … The surgery went better than we thought,” Rivers said.
  • Griffin will be the best available free agent on the market this summer, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Ziller notes that Griffin finished third in the 2014 MVP voting and argues that there wouldn’t be speculation about his availability if not for his injury history and the Clippers’ playoff disappointments.
  • A D-League affiliate is “going to happen at some point,” Rivers said today (Twitter link). The Clippers are one of just a handful of NBA teams without a direct affiliate in the D-League, and Rivers said the organization is committed to adding one.
  • Paul Pierce exits the NBA with a wealth of iconic moments, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Sunday’s Game 7 loss to Utah was the final game for the 19-year veteran, who revealed his retirement plans before the season began.
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Timberwolves Finalize Purchase Of Iowa Energy

May 3rd, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have finalized the purchase of the Iowa Energy, a D-League franchise, the team announced today (Twitter link). The Energy previously had a partnership with the Grizzlies, but we learned back in January that the Wolves would be taking over control of the Des Moines-based club going forward.

In the wake of today’s announcement, it makes sense to take stock of where things stand in regard to NBA teams and their D-League affiliates. In 2016/17, 22 NBA clubs had one-on-one relationships with D-League teams, leaving eight NBA franchises without their own affiliates. However, changes are in store for the 2017/18 season, as the Development League becomes known as the Gatorade League.

Here are the changes expected for the 2017/18 G-League season, including updates on all the teams without affiliates:

  • Atlanta Hawks: Will take over the Erie BayHawks, with an affiliate of their own in College Park, Georgia lined up for the 2019/20 season. Previously unaffiliated.
  • Denver Nuggets: No concrete plans reported.
  • Los Angeles Clippers: Hoping to operate new affiliate in 2017/18.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Southaven, Mississippi. Previously affiliated with the Iowa Energy.
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Previously unaffiliated.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Will take over the Iowa Energy. Previously unaffiliated.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: No affiliation for 2017/18. Intend to own and operate a new affiliate for the 2018/19 season. Search reportedly narrowed to six cities.
  • Orlando Magic: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Lakeland, Florida. Previously affiliated with the Erie BayHawks.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: No concrete plans reported.
  • Washington Wizards: No concrete plans reported.
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Western Notes: Barnes, Onuaku, Noel

May 1st, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Warriors will face the Jazz in the conference’s semifinals, though Golden State was rooting for the Clippers to beat Utah in the previous round, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com writes. Were the Warriors concerned about the opposition’s slow pace, Gordon Hayward‘s perimeter game, or Rudy Gobert‘s defensive presence? None of the above. They were worried about being bored.

“There’s no nightlife in Utah,” Matt Barnes said. “Obviously, as players, you want to be able to have a little bit of a nightlife, but the main focus is winning games. Me personally, I want to get out there because I want to beat the Clippers. That’s my former team, and my kids are out there. But as far as nightlife, there’s no comparison to nightlife in Utah and L.A.”

Barnes added that he’s not sure what he’ll do during his spare time in Utah.  “I think there’s an Olive Garden out there and then a Benihana. So you’ll definitely be locked in [on the game] all the way,” He said.

The small forward hasn’t played yet in the postseason because of ankle and foot issues, though it appears he’s getting set to play in Game 1 against Utah, according to Golden State’s Twitter feed. Shaun Livingston, who has a hand injury, is considered questionable for the contest.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

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Clippers Notes: Paul, Griffin, Redick

May 1st, 2017 at 10:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Clippers are hoping to re-sign Chris Paul to a max deal this summer, sources tell Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The point guard can receive approximately $205MM over the next five years if he stays with the franchise. He could only sign a four-year contract, which would be worth roughly $152MM, if he goes elsewhere. Los Angeles could ostensibly attempt to bring Paul back at a figure below the max, but above what another team could offer, though it appears that option is unlikely.

Here’s more from Los Angeles

  • Blake Griffin would like to sign a max deal with the Clippers this offseason, Turner adds in the same piece. The scribe hears that Los Angeles is angling for that outcome as well. Earlier today, we passed along five potential landing spots should he decide to leave the Clippers.
  • Multiple NBA sources tell Turner (same piece) that they expect J.J. Redick to sign elsewhere. Turner estimates that the shooting guard will command $18-20MM per year, which could be too high of a price for the Clippers to pay.
  • The Clippers announced that Griffin underwent surgery to repair an injury to his right toe, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders passes along (Twitter link). Los Angeles did not provide a recovery timetable for Griffin, who will be a free agent this offseason.
  • Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report wonders if it’s time for the Clippers and Paul to go their separate ways. Ding examines Paul’s game and argues that while he hasn’t won a championship, his presence allows his teams to contend nearly every season.
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Should The Knicks Trade Carmelo Anthony?

May 1st, 2017 at 6:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks are expected to re-open trade talks with the Clippers, though with different terms than the last time the two sides discussed a Carmelo Anthony deal. Instead of an Austin Rivers-centered proposal, which was reportedly on the table during the middle of the season, the Knicks would receive J.J. Redick via sign-and-trade.

While Redick is a great starter, that kind of package doesn’t seem to provide New York with the kind of return teams normally receive when trading away a star. Yet, it may be the franchise’s best option on the trade market. The Knicks will be hard-pressed to find a typical star trade offer —one laced with young prospects and favorable draft picks—because Anthony isn’t your typical star on the market. The small forward’s no-trade clause, contract, and age (he’ll turn 33 later this month) suppress his value in trade negotiations, as I discussed in his Trade Candidate piece. On top of all those factors, Phil Jackson further decreased Anthony’s trade value by declaring that star would be better off in a different uniform.

Rival teams will low-ball the Knicks this summer and if a deal materializes, the return will likely be underwhelming. However, New York should remember that it has the option of keeping Melo on the team, as Dan Favale of NBA Math writes. Favale notes that the 10-time All-Star has the support of Kristaps Porzingis and the duo plays well together on the court. Porzingis made 44.1% of his shots from behind the arc and 50.5% of them overall off of Anthony’s passes this season.

Favale also points out that Anthony plays well off the ball. Melo hit 41.8% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities behind the arc, a figure that ranks eighth in the league among players with at least 175 such attempts.

As Anthony glides further away from his prime, he’s going to have to play off the ball more for whichever team he’s on. If the Knicks keep him this summer and put him in that kind of role to begin the 2017/18 campaign, perhaps they can moderately rehabilitate his trade value (or even less likely: create a peace treaty between Anthony and Jackson that would allow Melo to stick around through the end of his deal).

The team will need to eventually rebuild around Porzingis and the haul it receives for Anthony will likely dictate the timeline on becoming a playoff contender again. Simply cutting bait with the soon to be 33-year-old by taking the best trade offer this offseason is the likeliest option for the Knicks. Is it the best option? Perhaps, but it’s not the only one and the Knicks are in no position to be closed-minded.

What should New York do with Anthony this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

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