Western Notes: Parker, Ginobili, Henry, Karl
Longtime Spurs stars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili both wrapped up their international careers with Olympic losses today in Rio de Janeiro. Parker confirmed that this afternoon’s defeat to Spain was his “last game” for the French team, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The 34-year-old Parker, whose playing time was limited during this Olympics, added that he’s “not gonna change his mind like that.”
Ginobili, 39, also acknowledged his retirement from international basketball after his Argentinian team was soundly defeated by the United States. He got more of a sendoff than he was expecting, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. “It was emotional,” Ginobili said. “I didn’t want it to be. I was hoping to sneak out and go to the locker room and do what I had to do there, but everybody conspired against it. The coach put me back in to play together one last time, somebody gave me the ball and brought me back in, somebody threw me a shirt. Then my teammates — it got emotional.” Ginobili has already signed with the Spurs for next season, and Parker is under contract until 2017/18.
There’s more news tonight from the Western Conference:
- Former Laker Xavier Henry is optimistic as he continues the long road back from a ruptured left Achilles tendon, writes Joey Ramirez of NBA.com. Henry, who was one of several NBA veterans at L.A.’s mini-camp today, spent last season with the D-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors and credits their coaching and training staffs for helping with his comeback. “I’ve been doing a lot of workouts this summer with a lot of different teams and getting feedback and seeing how I feel,” Henry said. “I’ve been feeling really good. I’m feeling blessed that I can even play basketball again.”
- The Lakers will hire Coby Karl, son of former NBA coach George Karl, to be head coach of their D-League affiliate, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. Karl was an assistant with the D-League’s Westchester Knicks last season.
- The Grizzlies have made the final two additions to new head coach David Fizdale’s staff, the team announced today. Bob Bender, who worked as a scout for the Nets last season, was hired as an assistant coach, and former Clippers and Nets shooting coach Bob Thate will fill that role in Memphis.
Salary Cap Snapshot: Los Angeles Lakers
With the free agent signing period winding down and teams looking ahead to the preseason, we at Hoops Rumors will be tracking the Salary Cap figures for each team around the league. These posts will be maintained throughout the season once financial data is reported. They will be located on the sidebar throughout the year, once all the teams’ cap figures have been relayed. You can always check RosterResource.com for up-to-date rosters for each franchise, with the Lakers’ team page accessible here.
Here’s a breakdown of where the Lakers currently stand financially:
Guaranteed Salary
- Luol Deng —$18,000,000
- Timofey Mozgov —$16,000,000
- Jordan Clarkson —$12,500,000
- Jose Calderon —$7,315,950 [Waived by team; 7,708,427 cap hit reduced by buyout]
- Corey Brewer —$7,612,172
- Tarik Black —$6,191,000
- Nick Young —$5,443,918
- D’Angelo Russell —$5,332,800
- Brandon Ingram — $5,281,680
- Julius Randle —$3,267,120
- Tyler Ennis —$1,733,880
- Larry Nance Jr. —$1,207,680
- Ivica Zubac —$1,034,956
- Metta World Peace — $980,431 [Actual Salary — $1,551,659]
- Thomas Robinson — $980,431 [Actual Salary — $1,050,961]
- Anthony Brown —$874,636 [Waived by team]
- Yi Jianlian — $250,000 [Waived by team]
- David Nwaba — $73,528
- Zach Auguste — $60,000 [Waived by team]
- David Nwaba — $31,969 [10-day contract (Feb 28)]
- David Nwaba — $31,969 [10-day contract (Mar 11)]
Total Guaranteed Salary= $94,204,120
Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]
Cash Received Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]
Payroll Exceptions Available
- Room Exception: $2,898,000
Total Projected Payroll: $94,204,120
Salary Cap: $94,143,000
Estimated Available Cap Space: –$61,120
Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000
Amount Below Luxury Tax: $19,082,880
Latest Update: 3/24/17
The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.
Young Ready To Forgive Russell
Nick Young is ready to end the feud with Lakers teammate D’Angelo Russell that resulted in the rookie being ostracized last season, relays Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. The dispute started when Russell secretly recorded Young talking about being unfaithful to his former fiancee, a clip that was later posted to social media. “It’s been so long, so it’s kind of old,” Young said. “We’ll be able to work it out. We’ve already been working it out. I can’t be mad forever.”
Young, who shot a career-low 34% from the field last season, may not be back with the Lakers, as there have been rumors that the team might buy out the final two years and $11MM left on his contract. If he does return, he’s looking forward to a chance to play for new head coach Luke Walton, who was hired over the offseason to replace Byron Scott. “Luke is a big-time coach and came from a championship team,” he said. “I think I have the tools that we can use as a shooter.”
Timofey Mozgov Suffers Groin Injury
With training camp a little more than a month away, one of the Lakers’ free agency additions has an injury that will force him to miss at least two international games, according to the team’s website. Russian center Timofey Mozgov, who received $64MM over four seasons to come to L.A., injured his groin Friday in a game against Ukraine.
Mozgov had an MRI today and will be held out of Russia’s next two games in a tournament in Tbilisi, Georgia, relays Lakers spokesman John Black. Mozgov will be re-evaluated in a few days, probably around mid-week. It is not known yet if the injury is something that will linger into training camp or the preseason.
The 30-year-old Mozgov is entering his seventh year in the NBA, and the Lakers are counting on him to provide stabillity at center. He appeared in 76 games for the Cavaliers last season, averaging 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per night.
Marcelo Huertas Contract Details
- Now that Marcelo Huertas‘ two-year deal with the Lakers is official, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has provided the specific details on Huertas’ contract. The point guard will earn $1.5MM guaranteed this season, then has a $1,567,500 non-guaranteed salary on the books for 2017/18.
Update On Larry Nance Jr.'s Wrist
- Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr., who injured his wrist during Las Vegas Summer League play, is progressing well and is expected to resume full basketball activities in two weeks time, per an announcement by the team.
Lakers Re-Sign Marcelo Huertas
AUGUST 5: The Lakers have officially signed Huertas, the team announced today in a press release.
“Marcelo’s understanding of the game, unselfishness, and professionalism are assets to our team and he has an uncanny ability to change the pace of the game,” GM Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “He’s fundamentally solid but also has a flair and excitement to his style of play, which makes him a fan favorite.”
Estimates from Bobby Marks of The Vertical and Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders put the value of Huertas deal at about $1.6-1.7MM annually over two years.
JULY 7: The Lakers and restricted free agent Marcelo Huertas have agreed to a deal that will keep the point guard in Los Angeles, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. It’s a two-year pact, Wojnarowski notes, but the scribe does not relay the amount, nor what guarantees, if any, are included in the arrangement.
Los Angeles had tendered the 33-year-old a qualifying offer worth $1,074,636, which made Huertas a restricted free agent. He’ll be the the third-string point guard behind recently acquired Jose Calderon and 2015 lottery pick D’Angelo Russell, the scribe adds.
Huertas appeared in 53 games for the Lakers in 2015/16, averaging 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 16.4 minutes per outing. His shooting numbers on the campaign were .422/.262/.931.
Metta World Peace Wants To Continue Career
Veteran NBA forward Metta World Peace will turn 37 this fall and he has already given some consideration to what he’ll do once his playing career is over, but he’s not ready to call it a career quite yet. Speaking to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, World Peace said he’s “absolutely” planning to play in 2016/17, adding that the NBA is “always on the front burner.”
“I’m waiting for teams. I can still play. I can play, it’s not even a question man,” World Peace said. “But, you know, sometimes you don’t get in the game, man. What are you going to do? I’m not going to be upset, I’m going to support. So if I don’t play, like this year on the Lakers I could have averaged 15 or 20 on the Lakers if I played, easily. But you know, I’ll be supportive [if I don’t play].”
The man formerly known as Ron Artest appeared in 35 games for the Lakers this past season, making five starts. He averaged 5.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG in those contests, averaging a dismal 31.1% from the floor. His stat line in Los Angeles makes it seem unlikely that he’ll get a guaranteed contract offer from an NBA team anytime soon, but the former first-round pick says he has been staying busy in the meantime, and hinted at what he’d like do once his playing career is officially over.
“Right now, I’m life coaching a lot of people that are in the NBA,” World Peace said to Begley. “I can’t say [who]. But I coach a couple players. But it’s not a thing where I’m going to hide and be that perfect mentor. I just give them the best advice I can and live my life accordingly. I’m doing that now and one day I would love to coach. The Lakers are tattooed in my heart. They gave me a second chance when everyone was down on me, they gave me a chance to win a ring. The city of Los Angeles, they put up with me.”
Free Agent Spending By Division: Pacific
Over the course of the last week, we’ve been breaking down 2016 NBA free agent spending by division, examining which teams – and divisions – were the most active this summer.
These divisional breakdowns won’t present a full picture of teams’ offseason spending. Some notable free agents, including LeBron James, remain unsigned, so there’s still money out there to be spent. Our lists also don’t include money spent on this year’s first- and second-round picks or draft-and-stash signings. There are a few free agent names missing in some instances as well, since those deals aren’t yet official or terms haven’t been reported.
Still, these closer looks at divisional spending should generally reveal how teams invested their money in free agency this summer, identifying which clubs went all-out and which ones played it safe.
With the help of our Free Agent Tracker and contract info from Basketball Insiders, we’ll focus today on the Pacific division. Let’s dive in…
1. Los Angeles Lakers
- Total money committed: $186,000,000
- Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $186,000,000
- Largest expenditure: Luol Deng (four years, $72,000,000)
- Other notable signings:
- Timofey Mozgov (four years, $64,000,000)
- Jordan Clarkson (four years, $50,000,000)
- Notes:
- The Lakers have yet to finalize long-ago reported deals for Tarik Black and Marcelo Huertas. Based on estimated values for those contracts, they’ll likely total about $16MM+ combined, but we haven’t included them in the team’s totals for now.
2. Los Angeles Clippers
- Total money committed: $105,428,788
- Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $93,928,788
- Largest expenditure: Jamal Crawford (three years, $42,000,000)
- Other notable signings:
- Austin Rivers (three years, $35,475,000)
- Wesley Johnson (three years, $17,643,780)
- Luc Mbah a Moute (two years, $4,505,135)
- Marreese Speights (two years, minimum salary)
- Notes:
- Raymond Felton ($1,551,659), Brandon Bass ($1,551,659), and Alan Anderson ($1,315,448) will be paid $980,431 apiece by the Clippers, with the NBA on the hook for the rest of their minimum salaries.
- Crawford’s $14.5MM third-year salary is only guaranteed for $3MM, creating the gap between the Clippers’ total money and guaranteed money committed.
3. Sacramento Kings
- Total money committed: $77,525,625
- Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $60,525,625
- Largest expenditure: Arron Afflalo (two years, $25,000,000)
- Other notable signings:
- Garrett Temple (three years, $24,000,000)
- Anthony Tolliver (two years, $16,000,000)
- Matt Barnes (two years, $12,525,625)
- Notes:
- Afflalo and Tolliver only have small partial guarantees in the second years of their respective contracts. $1.5MM of Afflalo’s $12.5MM second-year salary is guaranteed, while $2MM of Tolliver’s $8MM second-year salary is guaranteed.
4. Golden State Warriors
- Total money committed: $61,094,229
- Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $61,094,229
- Largest expenditure: Kevin Durant (two years, $54,274,505)
- Other notable signings:
- Zaza Pachulia (one year, $2,898,000)
- David West (one year, minimum salary)
- Anderson Varejao (one year, minimum salary)
- Notes:
- The reported deals for JaVale McGee and Elliot Williams aren’t yet official and exact details on those contracts aren’t known, so they haven’t been included here.
- West ($1,551,659), Varejao ($1,551,659), and Ian Clark ($1,015,696) will be paid $980,431 apiece by the Warriors, with the NBA on the hook for the rest of their minimum salaries.
5. Phoenix Suns
- Total money committed: $38,000,000
- Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $34,500,000
- Largest expenditure: Jared Dudley (three years, $30,000,000)
- Other notable signings:
- Leandro Barbosa (two years, $8,000,000)
- Notes:
- The second year of Barbosa’s deal, worth $4MM, is only guaranteed for $500K, creating the gap between the Suns’ total money and guaranteed money committed.
Raptors Notes: DeRozan, Wright, Ibaka
DeMar DeRozan signed the second-largest free agent contract of 2016, but his foray into free agency flew somewhat under the radar — perhaps because it only lasted for a matter of hours. Although he admits to David Morrow of DefPen.com that the idea of joining his hometown Lakers was somewhat intriguing, DeRozan never took a meeting with a team besides the Raptors.
“It was tough,” DeRozan said of his free agency decision. “But at the same time, I know what I created in Toronto, and it was something I wanted to continue building.”
Here’s more on DeRozan’s free agency, along with a few other Raptors-related notes:
- DeRozan also spoke to Morrow about the stress of entering free agency: “You got everybody pulling at you, trying to give you a reason to come to their team, and it’s tough. Especially when you’ve been with one team for so long, you feel like you mold into that one team, that community. It’s tough.”
- Raptors point guard Delon Wright underwent arthroscopic surgery today to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder, the Raptors announced today (via Twitter). The 20th overall pick in last year’s draft, Wright didn’t see much NBA action in his rookie year, having spent a portion of the season in the D-League. His quest for a larger role in his second season will be put on hold while he recovers.
- The Raptors reportedly made an effort to trade for Serge Ibaka earlier this summer, but balked at Oklahoma City’s asking price, and Ibaka ultimately landed in Orlando. However, the big man will be a free agent in 2017, and Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes in his mailbag that Ibaka is “very much on [the Raptors’] minds” as a possible target next summer.