Aldridge’s 2020/21 Salary Guarantee Becomes Official Today
New Year’s Day 2020 has special meaning for Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge. His $24MM contract for next season becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on the team’s roster through 5 PM EST, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.
Aldridge’s salary guarantee was originally scheduled for June 29, 2020 but the two parties agreed to move up the date to January 1 in October.
Aldridge isn’t going to be waived. The club pledged to agent Jeff Schwartz during training camp that they would fully guarantee his client’s 2020/21 salary. However, that guarantee doesn’t become official until Wednesday afternoon.
Aldridge’s salary for next season had previously only been partially guaranteed for $7MM, per Basketball Insiders’ contract data. Aldridge, who is making $26MM this season, remains on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2021.
The Spurs will remain significantly below the projected cap for 2020/21 even with Aldridge’s salary added but that comes with a major asterisk. They’ll move over the cap in salary guarantees if DeMar DeRozan opts into his $27.7MM contract for next season.
Aldridge, 34, is having another solid season for San Antonio. He’s averaging 19.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.9 BPG in 30 games this season while playing 33.0 MPG. He posted 21.3/9.2/2.4/1.3 in the same categories last season.
Pelicans Targeting January Return For Zion Williamson
The Pelicans are optimistic that Zion Williamson will be ready to make his NBA debut sometime in January, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link from Stadium). The No. 1 pick is due to start practicing shortly after the start of the new year.
The organization has been extremely careful with Williamson since the meniscus injury that required surgery in October. He was originally given a six- to eight-week prognosis to return, but the Pelicans have delayed that as they take precautions to minimize the risk of further injury.
Charania adds that there has been an “education process” for the team and for Williamson to get him physically ready for the rigors of an NBA schedule. At 6’6″ and 285 pounds, he arrived in the league with a unique body type and Pelicans officials have been working to change his eating habits and the way he moves on the court.
Williamson could provide a huge boost to a New Orleans team that has edged its way back into the playoff race with four straight wins. Entering today, the Pelicans are still in 14th place, but are just 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Spurs.
Williamson looked like a potential star in the preseason, averaging 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in four games while shooting 71.4% from the field.
Latest On Tristan Thompson
The Cavaliers participated in the first trade of the 2019/20 NBA season when they sent Jordan Clarkson to Utah last week, and they likely aren’t done dealing. There’s a widespread belief that Cleveland is willing to sell off more veterans for draft picks and young assets, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who hears from sources that Tristan Thompson is drawing interest from playoff contenders around the NBA.
Thompson, 28, is having arguably his best season as a pro so far in 2019/20, with 12.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 BPG, and a .503 FG% through 31 games (31.4 MPG). He has also helped anchor the Cavs’ defense and has been a leader in the locker room.
While Thompson would certainly appeal to contenders, his $18.5MM+ expiring contract won’t necessarily be easy to move. Many clubs with title aspirations don’t have the contracts necessary to match that salary in a trade, which will limit Cleveland’s options.
While a deal remains possible, both the Cavaliers and Thompson are considering the possibility of continuing their relationship beyond this season. According to Fedor, Thompson said on Monday that it’d be “cool” to finish his career in Cleveland. Meanwhile, the Cavs have had internal conversations about re-signing the big man and would be open to an extension, sources tell Fedor. However, there’s a belief that agent Rich Paul would prefer to see his client reach free agency in 2020.
For now, Thompson is letting Paul and the Cavaliers handle any trade or contract talks while he focuses on what he control and attempts to block out the speculation.
“Take it one game at a time,” Thompson said. “Keep the main goal the main goal, which is to come out and compete with my guys and be ready to go to war.”
Tom Thibodeau Still Wants To Coach
It has been nearly a full year since former Timberwolves head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau was fired. Speaking to Frank Isola of The Athletic, Thibodeau said that he has kept busy over those last 11+ months with plenty of traveling, TV work, and visits to teams. However, if the opportunity arises, he wouldn’t hesitate to return to the sidelines for an NBA franchise.
“Oh, yeah. I want to coach,” Thibodeau told Isola. “I’ve always known that.”
Thibodeau, who took over as the Bulls’ head coach in 2010, compiled a 255-139 (.647) record in Chicago before going 97-107 (.475) in two-and-a-half seasons in Minnesota.
Thibodeau took a year off from coaching between his stints with the Bulls and Wolves, and it’s no surprise he seems willing to accept an even longer layoff this time around. He said in June that he wants to be patient and wait for the right NBA opportunity, since he “still [has] some time” on his contract. Thibs’ five-year deal with Minnesota ran through the 2020/21 season, so he’s still getting paid by the club.
It remains to be seen how many head coaching jobs will open up around the league this spring, but it’s safe to assume at least one big-market team – the Knicks – will make a new hire unless Mike Miller makes a very strong impression. Thibodeau was recently rumored to be among the names on New York’s potential wish list.
Thibodeau’s conversation with Isola also features the former head coach’s thoughts on load management, his job performance in Minnesota, Jimmy Butler‘s fit in Miami, and more, so it’s worth reading in full if you’re an Athletic subscriber.
Warriors Among Teams Keeping Eye On Towns
Less than a week after one report indicated the Knicks are monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns‘ situation in Minnesota in the hopes of eventually making a play for the Timberwolves star, Ethan Strauss of The Athletic writes that the Warriors are doing the same.
According to Strauss, Towns’ situation was a popular topic of conversation among team executives at this month’s G League Showcase, with some of those execs believing that the 24-year-old is unhappy in Minnesota.
Towns has been better than ever this season, averaging a career-best 26.5 PPG to go along with 11.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.3 BPG, and a .514/.418/.796 shooting line. However, the Timberwolves have slumped after a strong start and currently have an 11-20 record, good for 13th in the Western Conference.
Despite the Wolves’ struggles, the franchise is extremely unlikely to consider trading Towns anytime soon, as Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets. The big man is in the first season of a five-year, maximum-salary contract and can’t reach the open market until 2024.
Even if Towns expresses dissatisfaction with his circumstances, the Wolves are more likely to make moves to improve their roster around him than to send him elsewhere. So while the Knicks, Warriors, and the rest of NBA will continue to keep an eye on Minnesota, Wolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas figures to remain focused on acquiring upgrades that can make a Towns-led squad a contender.
Kings’ Dewayne Dedmon Confirms Trade Request
11:40am: The NBA will investigate Dedmon’s comments to determine whether he’ll be fined, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. As noted below, the league’s CBA prohibits players from publicly requesting a trade.
8:55am: Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Friday that Kings center Dewayne Dedmon, who has fallen out of the team’s rotation after signing a three-year, $41MM contract in the summer, wants to be dealt. Speaking on Sunday to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, Dedmon made no effort to deny Charania’s report or downplay his desire to be moved.
“I would like to be traded,” Dedmon confirmed. “I haven’t been playing, so I would like to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated.”
Dedmon, 30, was coming off two solid seasons in Atlanta when he reached unrestricted free agency this past offseason. In 2018/19, he averaged a career-best 10.8 PPG to go along with 7.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG, and a .382 3PT%. That performance made him a popular target on the open market and resulted in a lucrative contract offer from Sacramento.
However, Dedmon was outplayed by bigs like Richaun Holmes and Nemanja Bjelica in the early going this season. With Marvin Bagley III and Harrison Barnes also in the frontcourt mix, head coach Luke Walton hasn’t found minutes for the former Hawk as of late — Dedmon, who is making just 41.9% of his shots from the field this season, has only played seven total minutes since December 6, and is frustrated that he hasn’t gotten more of a chance to reverse his slow start.
“I’m not the only person struggling with my shot, so if that’s a factor then it’s kind of crazy,” Dedmon told Anderson. “If you’re not allowed to shoot through your slumps, I don’t know how you’re supposed to make shots.”
Dedmon is earning $13MM+ this season and has another fully guaranteed year left on his deal, so the Kings may still want to get him back into the rotation at some point to rebuild his value and salvage their investment. However, the veteran big man sounds skeptical that things will turn around for him in Sacramento.
“I definitely appreciate (the Kings’ investment), but I want to be somewhere where I get to play,” Dedmon said. “That’s my biggest thing. I’m trying to play and I’ve been told I’m no longer in the rotation here, so there’s really nothing to wait on.”
According to Anderson, the Kings are listening to offers for Dedmon and there may be a market for his services, but the front office will insist that any deal must make sense for the team’s future. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports recently speculated that teams like the Clippers, Celtics, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, and Hawks could be fits for Dedmon. Anderson adds the Mavericks and Magic to that list of hypothetical suitors.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits players from making public trade demands, so we’ll see if the league responds to Dedmon’s comments. Anthony Davis was fined $50K last winter when agent Rich Paul publicly requested a trade.
Injuries Continue Piling Up For Wizards
The injury situation continues to get worse in Washington and there’s little sign of relief. The short-handed Wizards received permission to sign two hardship players this week, adding Gary Payton II and Johnathan Williams, and both were in the starting lineup for tonight’s game with the Knicks.
The latest Wizard on the shelf is leading scorer Bradley Beal, whose consecutive games streak has ended at 194. Beal is dealing with “right lower leg soreness,” tweets Candace Bucker of The Washington Post, who adds that the schedule factored into the decision to keep him out of action tonight. Beal will get a three-day rest before the team begins a stretch of eight games in 14 days. He left Thursday’s game against the Pistons in the third quarter, but an MRI showed no significant damage to the leg.
Coach Scott Brooks provided pre-game updates on Davis Bertans, who is sidelined with a quad injury, and Moritz Wagner, who is dealing with a sprained left ankle, relays Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Brooks said it will be “probably a good week” before Bertans can return, while Wagner remains in a walking boot and hasn’t practiced since suffering the injury nearly three weeks ago. Brooks said it’s “for sure gonna take him some time” before Wagner is ready to play again.
Brooks also expects Rui Hachimura will need at least another week to recover from a groin injury, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Brooks said the rookie forward is “still sore,” adding, “I anticipate he won’t play next week.” That means he’ll be sidelined at least another three to five games.
Hardship exceptions can be granted to teams with at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. The Wizards originally qualified because of John Wall, C.J. Miles, Thomas Bryant and Jordan McRae, although McRae played Thursday and Bryant appears close to returning.
Warriors Willing To Trade Alec Burks, Other Veterans
Shooting guard Alec Burks is among several players the Warriors are willing to part with before the February 6 trade deadline, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Poole suggests Golden State could be one of the most active teams on the trade market after virtually ignoring it during the past five years.
He identifies Burks as the most coveted of the Warriors’ assets because he can stretch defenses and has an affordable contract at $2.3MM. Burks is averaging 15.5 PPG through 30 games and shooting 34.9% from 3-point range.
Poole names the Lakers, Mavericks, Clippers, Pacers and Raptors as teams that could use another wing player who can shoot from the outside. He states that the Warriors will be looking for future assets such as draft picks and young players.
Although Golden State’s front office likes Burks, they need to open up roster spots soon to keep two-way players Damion Lee and Ky Bowman, who are both nearing their 45-day NBA limit. Lee has 12 days remaining and Bowman has 11. After that, they will have to have their contracts converted to NBA deals or remain in the G League until that season is over.
“It’s an awkward situation for us, because Ky and Damion are coming up on their limit,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Friday’s game. “And they’re two of our top seven players in our rotation. And yet the rules are that we only have them for another nine or 10 days each. Everybody is aware of that. We don’t know how it’s going to play out.”
Several league sources told Poole that the Warriors are ready to move into serious trade discussions. They added several veterans over the summer on contracts that they believed would be easy to move when the time came.
Those include Glenn Robinson III at $1.9MM, Marquese Chriss at a non-guaranteed $1.7MM and Willie Cauley-Stein at $2.2MM with a $2.3MM player option for next season. They also traded for Omari Spellman, who makes $1.9MM this year, and picked up his option for 2020/21 at nearly $2MM.
Dennis Smith Jr. Responds To Trade Rumors
Dennis Smith Jr. insisted today that he wants to remain in New York, but rumors persist that he wouldn’t object to a trade, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Asked about that possibility at this morning’s shootaround, Smith responded, “I like playing for the Knicks. So whatever I’ve got to do, I’m going to take care of that.’’
When pressed on the topic, Smith said, “I want to be here” and “My thing is to take care of what I got going on now. I’m with the New York Knicks, so I try to be the best version of me with this team.”
Berman notes that Smith became concerned about his future in New York when the Knicks signed free agent Elfrid Payton in July and virtually promised him the starting point guard role. Smith’s camp considered asking for a trade at that point, but decided against it. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported this week that executives from several teams have contacted the Knicks about trading for Smith, and they believe he would welcome a fresh start.
“The way I look at it, of course, you come in and you want to play,’’ Smith said. “I don’t know how much you’re supposed to feed into it. You want to see (Payton) do well. You want to do well yourself. That’s what it’s really about.’’
Smith, Payton and Frank Ntilikina have been staging a three-way battle for playing time at point guard since training camp. Smith is currently at the back of the line, averaging just 16.1 minutes per night, and will miss his second straight game tonight with a strained oblique. He was slowed by a back injury in training camp and left the team for two weeks after his stepmother died.
The injuries and the lack of playing time are driving down Smith’s trade value, creating a difficult situation for team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry, who are already on shaky ground. Smith was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks in January, and it would be embarrassing for the front office to ship him off now without getting something significant in return.
Zach Randolph Confirms Retirement With Heartfelt Tweet
After announcing his retirement earlier this week, 17-year NBA veteran Zach Randolph took to Twitter early Saturday to confirm the end of his career in a heartfelt post.
“I gave this game my all, and it gave everything back and more. Basketball will always be a part of me,” he wrote. “From Marion, to East Lansing, to Portland, NY, LA, Memphis and Sacramento and everyone in between — thank you all for an incredible journey.
“Special thank you to the Memphis Grizzlies and entire city which I will forever call home, my family for always supporting me — my mom, brother and sisters for taking this journey with me, the Portland Trail Blazers for taking a chance on a young kid from Marion, Coach Moe Smedley, Coach Tom Izzo, Commissioners David Stern and Adam Silver for the opportunity, all the NBA organizations, front offices, staff, and every single teammate. To my agent Raymond Brothers — you’ve not only been my agent my whole career, you’ve been my big brother as well.
One love. Z-Bo”
Randolph, 38, seemed intent on getting one more shot in the NBA just a few months ago, stating he “ain’t retired yet.” However, after not finding another opportunity, he decided to call it quits.
It was a stellar career for the two-time All-Star as he suited up for five teams (Blazers, Knicks, Clippers, Grizzlies, Kings), played in several NBA postseasons and netted north of $200MM for his career.