- Brad Botkin of CBSSports.com singles out five praiseworthy roster moves that flew under the radar this offseason, starting with the Thunder‘s signing of Patrick Patterson.
- The Thunder elected not to waive Kyle Singler at the stretching deadline yesterday. While that may not mean he’s in for a big role in 2017/18, the veteran forward’s contract could be a valuable asset to include in a mid-season trade, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes.
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 Northwest teams:
Denver Nuggets
- Sani Becirovic, G (2003; No. 46): Retired.
- Xue Yuyang, F/C (2003; No. 57): Retired.
- Izzet Turkyilmaz, F/C (2012; No. 50): Last played in Croatia.
- Nikola Radicevic, G (2015; No. 57): Playing in Serbia.
- Petr Cornelie, F (2016; No. 53): Playing in France.
- Vlatko Cancar, F (2017; No. 49): Playing in Serbia.
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Lior Eliyahu, F (2006; No. 44): Playing in Israel.
- Henk Norel, C (2009; No. 47): Playing in Spain.
- Paulao Prestes, C (2010; No. 45): Last played in Brazil.
- Bojan Dubljevic, F/C (2013; No. 59): Playing in Spain.
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Abdul Shamsid-Deen, C (1990; No. 53): Retired.
- Sofoklis Schortsanitis, C (2003; No. 34): Last played in Greece.
- Szymon Szewczyk, F/C (2003; No. 35): Playing in Poland.
- Paccelis Morlende, G (2003; No. 50): Last played in France.
- Yotam Halperin, G (2006; No. 53): Playing in Israel.
- DeVon Hardin, C (2008; No. 50): Retired.
Portland Trail Blazers
- Marcelo Nicola, F (1993; No. 50): Retired.
- Doron Sheffer, G (1996; No. 36): Retired.
- Federico Kammerichs, F/C (2002; No. 51): Retired.
- Nedzad Sinanovic, C (2003; No. 54): Retired.
- Daniel Diez, F (2015; No. 54): Playing in Spain.
Utah Jazz
- Peter Fehse, F (2002; No. 49): Retired.
- Mario Austin, F/C (2003; No. 36): Retired.
- Ante Tomic, C (2008; No. 44): Playing in Spain.
- Shan Foster, G/F (2008; No. 51): Retired.
- Nigel Williams-Goss, G (2017; No. 55): Playing in Serbia.
Previously:
Information from Mark Porcaro and Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
- Big man Steven Adams and his Thunder head coach, Billy Donovan, have spent time bonding in Adams’ native New Zealand, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. “For me, there’s an incredible power with a group of people that are connected in what they’re doing,” Donovan said. “I feel like my job, my role, my responsibility – whether it be during the season or in the offseason – is to try and create those connections. Because if we’re all unified, connected and moving in the right direction, it has a chance to be something really powerful.“
Enes Kanter holds a player option worth slightly over $18.62MM for the 2018/19 campaign and the center is expected to exercise it, according to Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript (Twitter link). A source close to the situation told Katz that it would be shocking if Kanter opts to become a free agent after this season.
Kanter signed a four-year, $70MM offer sheet with the Blazers back in the summer of 2015 when he was a restricted free agent. The Thunder then matched the offer despite the presence of a blossoming Steven Adams on the roster. Heading into this offseason, some speculated that Kanter could be on the move, as Oklahoma City had a surplus of big men. No trade materialized and the Turkey native is slated to begin the season as the team’s backup five.
Kanter played in 72 games for OKC last season, coming off the bench in each one. He scored 14.3 points and grabbed 6.7 rebounds per game and sported an excellent 23.7 player efficiency rating during the regular season. However, he struggled mightily on the defensive end during the playoffs, prompting coach Billy Donovan to play him in only 45 minutes of action during the team’s five postseason games.
As Doug McDermott prepares for his first full season with the Thunder, he knows that he will have to improve, writes Nick Gallo of NBA.com. “I try to add something each summer because I don’t want to stay the same player,” McDermott said. “I feel like I can still get a lot better.”
McDermott will need to be a more dynamic threat. The forward must take better advantage of post-up opportunities, as he did in high school and college. “I’m just more than a spot-up shooter. I know I can move without the ball, and I think that just puts more pressure on them, and it can open up more things for everyone out there,” McDermott explained.
“The way the league is trending, it’s getting smaller with a lot of small ball and guys that can really spread the floor regardless of their position. I feel like I’m just a basketball player,” McDermott added. “I’m excited after talking with Coach Donovan. We’ve got a great facility here, and it’s a great city, too, so I plan on bouncing around a little bit, having some fun, but also coming here ready to work.”
Here’s more from the Northwest division:
- Of all the teams trading for superstar players this offseason, the Thunder gave up the least in return, argues Berry Tramel of NewsOK.com. Tramel looks at the Paul George trade, as well as the deals involving Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, and Kyrie Irving, and the scribe pronounces that the Thunder traded away the least value.
- Mike Jensen of Philly.com profiles Nuggets veteran point guard Jameer Nelson, focusing on what it takes to thrive in the NBA at Nelson’s advanced age of 35 years old. Nelson’s boxing training has helped him stay in peak physical condition. “He’s in better shape than the first five years I trained him,’’ Nelson’s trainer said, adding that Nelson picked up boxing part “like it was walking.”
- The Trail Blazers have named Jesse Ellis the new Director of Player Health and Performance. “The addition of Jesse is another step toward developing the finest health and performance staff in the NBA,” said general manager Neil Olshey.
The G League held its expansion draft to accommodate for the association’s four new franchises and Chris Reichert of 2 Ways, 10 Days has broken down the results, recapping the nuances of the developmental league’s various processes.
As Reichert lays out, teams made their bids for each player’s returning rights for a period of two seasons. What that means is that the G League clubs will effectively reserve those players should they ever find themselves back in the league. Many currently ply their trade either for NBA squads or for teams overseas.
The current NBA crop selected in the G League expansion draft is headlined by Sean Kilpatrick and Okaro White. The big league rotation players, however, are unlikely to return to the G League, at least in 2017/18, rendering them ineffective selections.
There’s more from around the NBA:
- Speaking of G League peculiarities, the Oklahoma City Blue (the G League affiliate of the Thunder) made a trade with the SLC Stars (Jazz affiliate) for the rights to Marcus Paige but, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer explains, Paige will actually suit up for the Greensboro Swarm (Hornets affiliate). Earlier this month the Hornets signed Paige to a two-way deal and that supersedes whichever team owns his G League rights.
- With one more year left on his suspension, former Bucks guard O.J. Mayo could consider a gig in the G League, Adam Johnson of 2 Ways, 10 Days opines. There is, however, no guarantee that he would be permitted to do so.
- It’s been a decade since he coached the Rockets, which makes Jeff Van Gundy‘s return to the bench with Team USA all that much more exciting. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN recently spoke with Van Gundy about his role with the USA Basketball World Cup qualifying team.
The introduction of the designated veteran player extension in the new collective bargaining agreement has forced Russell Westbrook to re-evaluate his future, writes Royce Young of ESPN.
The DVPE didn’t exist last summer when Westbrook agreed to a three-year extension with a player option for the final season. His plan, Young explains, was to get two more years of service to become a 10-year veteran, which qualifies him for an extension worth up to 35% of the salary cap, then make a long-term decision in 2018.
But Westbrook became retroactively eligible for the new extension option and can make that decision now if he chooses. The Thunder formally made a max offer almost two months ago worth $207MM over five years. Westbrook has until October 16, the day before the season starts, to accept the deal.
The Thunder would like an answer this summer, but other than long-term security there is no advantage to Westbrook from signing right away. As a 10-year vet in 2018, he can receive the same money, although he could opt for a shorter contract, while the DPVE is locked in at five years.
Thunder officials may be getting nervous after watching Kevin Durant walk away last summer, but Young says the team is giving no thought to trading Westbrook if he lets the offer expire. Likewise, there hasn’t been any indication that the reigning MVP is giving consideration to signing elsewhere if he hits free agency again.
With Michael Winger headed to the Clippers to become L.A.’s new general manager, the Thunder will once again have to replace a departing executive. As Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman observes, Rich Cho and Rob Hennigan previously left the organization to become GMs with new teams. It’s not yet clear who will replace Winger as assistant GM for the Thunder, but Dawson notes that there are internal options in the front office if GM Sam Presti doesn’t want to make an outside hire.
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- With Presti having delivered a significant offseason acquisition in the form of Paul George, the pressure in Oklahoma City may now shift to head coach Billy Donovan, who will be tasked with building on last season’s 47-win showing. Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman spoke with Donovan about the new challenges facing him and the Thunder this season.
- Erik Horne of The Oklahoman examines whether the addition of George has had an impact on 2017/18 ticket sales for the Thunder.
- Besides Sixers draftee Anzejs Pasecniks, who will play overseas in 2017/18, Terrance Ferguson was the last of this year’s first-round picks to sign with his new NBA team. The fact that Ferguson played in Australia rather than in the NCAA last season contributed to that delay, and as Jonathan Givony of ESPN notes (via Twitter), it also cost the Thunder a little money — OKC paid the Adelaide 36ers a small buyout in order to free up Ferguson.
After having offered their general manager position to Michael Winger several days ago, the Clippers have now reached an agreement to bring the Thunder executive aboard as the team’s new GM, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, Winger will get a multiyear contract from Los Angeles.
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Winger’s hiring is one move in a series of changes to the Clippers’ front office this month. The overhaul began in early August when the team announced that it was removing Doc Rivers‘ president of basketball operations title, allowing him to retain a voice in the front office but to focus primarily on coaching.
Executive VP of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was elevated to the top front office role to replace Rivers, and the Clips have since committed to filling out the front office with more seasoned executives. Winger, who will report to Frank, was the assistant general manager in Oklahoma City, where he worked closely with GM Sam Presti over the last several years. The Clippers have also agreed to hire former Cavaliers executive Trent Redden, who will be L.A.’s new assistant GM.
Winger had been a key voice in the OKC front office under Presti, along with Troy Weaver, so the Thunder figure to promote or hire a replacement to fill his role in the not-too-distant future.