Western Notes: Newton, Rockets, Durant
Most of the day's news has come from the Western Conference, where the Trail Blazers signed a player, the Thunder dropped one, the T-Wolves added to their front office. We also asked whether the Jazz are likely to extend Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, both, or neither, with a majority of readers who responded feeling as though Utah will get a pair of deals done. There's yet more going on in the West, as we detail:
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post provides background on new Timberwolves GM Milt Newton, whose hiring became official today. Newton spent the last 10 seasons with the Wizards.
- The Rockets have four players on their roster currently participating in international competitions, as well as a pair of "draft-and-stash" guys who are also taking part in those events. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle checks in on how all of them are doing,
- Kevin Durant gave a qualified no when asked if he'd ever leave the Thunder, and while Royce Young of DailyThunder.com says Durant's "as of now" caveat is noteworthy, Young doesn't think it carries too much significance with KD tied to the team until 2016.
Thunder Waive DeAndre Liggins
7:17pm: The Thunder are unlikely to sign anyone of note for training camp as a replacement for Liggins, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Still, I'd expect them to bring on a few inexperienced hopefuls, as most teams do as camp draws near.
7:07pm: Liggins was formally charged with seven felonies shortly before the Thunder waived him, reports Matt Dinger of The Oklahoman. The charges include counts of domestic abuse, kidnapping, and domestic assault and battery.
6:16pm: The Thunder have waived DeAndre Liggins, the team has announced via press release. Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman speculated that such a move was on the way this week after reporting Saturday that the former University of Kentucky Wildcat had been arrested for alleged domestic abuse. Liggins was already on shaky ground, with a non-guaranteed contract that seemed expendable when the team was chasing Mike Miller.
Liggins was set to make the minimum salary this season, the second of a two-year deal to which the Thunder inked him last fall. His release drops the team to 15 contracts, only 12 of which are fully guaranteed. Ostensibly, it's a boost for Daniel Orton's hopes of making the team, since the departure of Liggins makes him the only Oklahoma City player without at least a partial guarantee, but the Thunder are likely to invite more players to compete for a spot in training camp.
Orton and Liggins have an extensive shared history. They played together at Kentucky, spent their rookie years with the Magic, and joined OKC last season. Both made frequent trips to the Thunder's D-League affiliate in Tulsa in 2012/13, though Liggins, unlike Orton, saw the majority of his action with the big club. The 6'6" swingman averaged 7.4 minutes per game in 39 NBA contests, and saw increased run in the playoffs as the Thunder dealt with Russell Westbrook's injury, notching 8.5 MPG. Still, Liggins scored only eight total points in eight playoff games, which wasn't much better than his 1.5 PPG during the regular season.
Teams With Preseason Cap Decisions
Most NBA teams will have to make a handful of personnel decisions next month, paring down their roster sizes from the 20-player summer max to the 15-man regular season limit. However, just because a camp invitee earns a spot on the regular season roster doesn't mean his contract automatically becomes guaranteed.
For most players on non-guaranteed deals, the date of truth won't come until January 7th. January 10th is the day that all full-season contracts become guaranteed for the season, so if players aren't released on or before the 7th, clearing waivers by the 10th, they'll be assured of a full-season salary. Until that point though, teams can release non-guaranteed players and only pay a pro-rated portion of their salaries.
That January 7th deadline doesn't apply to everyone on non-guaranteed deals though. As our schedule shows, a few players have contracts that specifically included earlier guarantee dates, with many coming by the end of October. So while many teams will only face preseason decisions on who to keep and who to cut, this handful of clubs will be facing decisions on larger commitments. Let's break them down, case by case….
Oklahoma City Thunder: Ryan Gomes
Currently guaranteed for $25,000.
Becomes guaranteed for $50,000 if not released on or before October 1st.
Becomes guaranteed for $75,000 if not released on or before October 30th.
Gomes' bonuses are awfully insignificant in the big picture, but for a small-market team hovering right around the tax line, they're not entirely inconsequential. I imagine OKC will guarantee Gomes at least $50K, allowing him to try to earn a roster spot in October, but if he doesn't impress, the team could save a little cash by cutting him before October 30th.
Denver Nuggets: Quincy Miller
Currently guaranteed for $150,000.
Becomes fully guaranteed ($788,872) if not released on or before opening night (October 29th).
Miller is just entering his second year and is on a minimum-salary contract. We've also seen the Nuggets carry projects at the end of the bench before, such as Julyan Stone. But there's also a new GM and coach in place, and Miller's production last year was extremely limited — he appeared in just seven games for the Nuggets, and didn't blow anyone away in 26 D-League games either (11.3 PPG, .391 FG%). Without an impressive preseason, Miller could be in danger of being cut before Denver's regular-season opener.
Orlando Magic: Kyle O'Quinn
Becomes fully guaranteed ($788,872) if not released on or before opening night (October 29th).
Unlike Miller, O'Quinn gave his NBA team some solid minutes last season, recording a 15.8 PER in 57 contests (11.2 MPG). Based on his rookie season and the fact that the Magic aren't exactly in win-now mode, O'Quinn looks like a safe bet to remain on the regular-season roster and earn a fully guaranteed salary.
Miami Heat: Jarvis Varnado
Becomes guaranteed for $250,000 if not released on or before opening night (October 29th).
Varnado earned a championship ring with the Heat last season, but with the team more conscious of cutting costs due to increasing tax penalties, he may become a cap casualty this time around. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel views Varnado as a long shot to stay with the club long enough to earn that $250K bonus.
Philadelphia 76ers: James Anderson
Becomes fully guaranteed ($916,099) if not released on or before October 31st.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie nabbed Anderson and Tim Ohlbrecht off waivers from his old team in Houston earlier this summer, and based on Philadelphia's free agent activity since then, there's no reason to think both players don't have a great chance to earn roster spots. A poor camp could derail Anderson's chances, but with the Sixers prioritizing player development over playoff contention for 2013/14, the ex-Spur is in good position for a guaranteed salary for now.
Portland Trail Blazers: Terrel Harris
Becomes guaranteed for $150,000 if not released on or before October 31st.
Because Harris was a throw-in for salary-matching purposes in the three-team deal that also sent Robin Lopez to Portland, it's possible the Blazers always intended to cut him eventually. That became more of a certainty after he was suspended for violating the NBA's drug policy. Now, it sounds like Harris won't even start camp with the team, let alone finish it.
Utah Jazz: Jerel McNeal
Becomes fully guaranteed ($884,293) if not released on or before October 31st.
Despite never actually appearing in a regular-season game, McNeal has spent parts of two seasons on NBA rosters, meaning he could be in line for a fully guaranteed third-year salary before he even makes his NBA debut. And like the Sixers, the Jazz aren't a team that will cut young players to ensure that veterans get playing time, so I would guess McNeal earns a regular-season roster spot, barring a disastrous camp or injury.
Non-Guaranteed Players On Non-Minimum Deals
In many cases, players on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts are slated to earn minimum salaries if they remain on NBA rosters. That's especially true at this time of year, when most players who had been on non-guaranteed contracts worth more than the minimum have already seen their deals become fully guaranteed — Kyle Lowry, for instance, was only owed $1MM of his $6.21MM salary for 2013/14, but that full $6.21MM became guaranteed when he wasn't waived on or before July 15th.
There are still a handful of players though who are on non-guaranteed deals worth more than the minimum, and still aren't entirely safe. Last night, we passed along our complete list of non-guaranteed contracts for '13/14, but this morning we'll highlight a few specific cases, weighing the likelihood of these guys earning their full salaries.
Listed below are the players believed to still be on non-guaranteed contracts worth more than the minimum salary for the coming season. These deals will become fully guaranteed if the players aren't released on or before January 7th.
- Andrew Bynum, Cavaliers ($6MM of $12.25MM currently guaranteed). Bynum's health figures to play a role in determining whether or not he earns the additional $6.25MM on his contract this year. Still, I think the Cavs will probably keep Bynum around barring anything short of a season-ending injury. Even if he has only appeared in a handful of games by the time decision day rolls around in January, it's hard to imagine Cleveland releasing Bynum if the team believes he could be healthy in the second half, considering the potential upside.
- C.J. Miles, Cavaliers (none of $2.225MM currently guaranteed). If the Cavaliers were going to cut Miles, I think they would have done it by now, to maximize their summer cap space. At $2.225MM, the eight-year veteran, who averaged 11.2 PPG and a .384 3PT% in his first year as a Cav, is a relative bargain, and figures to remain in Cleveland beyond January 7th.
- Hasheem Thabeet, Thunder ($500K of $1.2MM currently guaranteed). Thabeet may never live up to the expectations placed on him when he was drafted second overall in 2009, but if you're looking for a big man capable of playing 10-15 minutes per game off the bench, you could do worse. Oklahoma City is flirting with the luxury tax line, and has a few non-guaranteed deals on the books, so at least one or two of those guys will likely be waived. Still, I'd be a little surprised if Thabeet was one of those cuts, particularly since OKC holds a cheap 2014/15 option on him.
- Hedo Turkoglu, Magic ($6MM of $12MM currently guaranteed). The Magic continue to work on a buyout for Turkoglu, and it sounds like he'll probably be off the roster well before January. One report suggested that Turkoglu's big expiring contract could become a decent trade chip at the February deadline, but that would mean guaranteeing him another $6MM, which seems like bad business.
Western Notes: Seattle, Suns, Gomes, Mavs
As Labor Day weekend comes to an end in North America (or Labour Day weekend, for our readers north of the border), let's round up a few holiday Monday items from around the Western Conference….
- In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, Gary Payton discusses the probability of an NBA team returning to Seattle and shares his thoughts on Dwight Howard leaving the Lakers.
- Dave King of Sheridan Hoops identifies five things to watch for when it comes to the 2013/14 Suns. Unsurprisingly, the first item on King's list deals with first-time head coach Jeff Hornacek.
- Ryan Gomes, who signed with the Thunder earlier this summer, earned a guaranteed $25K when he remained on OKC's roster past September 1st. As our schedule of contract guarantees shows, Gomes will make another $25K if he's not waived on or before October 1st.
- Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com gives the Mavericks a grade of A+ on their signing of Devin Harris to a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
Odds & Ends: D-League, Liggins, 76ers, McGrady
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside asks if the D-League would be a worthwhile investment for a developing or well-established cable sports network. The NBA's farm system has had a number of homes over the years, from Versus to NBA D-League Futurecast to NBATV to the CBS Sports Network last season.
It's an interesting question to pose, particularly with the NBC Sports Network shelling out a fortune for the Premier League and the fledgling FOX Sports 1 putting a great deal of resources behind pushing the UFC. It's conceivable that a network out there will want to help the D-League realize its potential and, in turn, boost their profile in an increasingly crowded market.
Here's today's look around the Association…
- Speaking of the D-League, Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival (Twitter links) counts 51 D-League players from a year ago that have signed overseas contracts for next season. Others figure to be featured in the NBA this year, however. Jeremy Tyler (Knicks) and Glen Rice Jr. (Wizards) have NBA deals while Ron Howard (Pacers), Marcus Landry (Lakers), and Arinze Onuaku (Pelicans) got training camp invites.
- After his arrest last week, many believe that DeAndre Liggins has played his final game in a Thunder uniform, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.
- Adi Joseph of USA Today projects the records for every NBA team in 2013/14. In his estimation, the 76ers will have the best shot at Andrew Wiggins with a 16-66 record.
- Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld looks at the Hall of Fame cases for Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Chris Webber, Tracy McGrady, and others. There has been a great deal of debate over TMac's candidacy after he announced his retirement last week.
- Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops ranked the top ten offseason free agent signings. Some of the league's best bargains make the list such as Matt Barnes (three-year, $10.2MM deal; Clippers) but Dwight Howard of the Rockets takes the top spot.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Aldridge, Thunder
LaMarcus Aldridge's reps reportedly met with Blazers brass earlier this summer to discuss trade possibilities as the big man was unhappy with the direction of the franchise. However, Aldridge made it known this week that he never asked out of Portland. Here's the latest out on Aldridge and other notes out of the Northwest Division..
- Even though LaMarcus Aldridge says that he didn't demand to be traded from the Blazers, he did converse with GM Neil Olshey about the direction of the club, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo. "I did the whole rebuilding thing. I want to win. I told him let's get better this summer. I think (Olshey's) done that," said the All-Star.
- When asked if he feels like he's wasting the prime of his career with the Blazers, Aldridge said he doesn't and says that he still has "a lot" of years left in his prime (link). The big man added that the Blazers have a chance to make the playoffs, but they'll have to work hard for it (link). Hoops Rumors readers are split 50/50 on whether that's a reality for Portland.
- DeAndre Liggins was already going to have to fight to make the Thunder roster and his arrest only hurts his chances, notes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (on Twitter). Liggins is on a non-guaranteed minimum salary.
Odds & Ends: Sixers, Garrett, Butler, Iguodala
In his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Eric Pincus takes a look at the outstanding trade exceptions currently being held by NBA teams. Pincus' list matched up nearly perfectly with our own trade exception tracker, but added one we didn't have: Incredibly, the Sixers, despite being well below the league's minimum payroll threshold, have continued to function as an over-the-cap team this summer, with an assist from a trade exception obtained when the club send Jrue Holiday to New Orleans. That TPE is now worth $5,128,993, after a portion of it was used to absorb Tony Wroten's salary.
Check out Pincus' piece for more details on how the Sixers could be considered over the cap, and read on for a few more Thursday odds and ends:
- Former Suns guard Diante Garrett tweeted today that he'll "be with OKC this year." We haven't heard any confirmation from Oklahoma City beat writers or national reporters, but it looks as if Garrett will, at the very least, be in training camp with the Thunder.
- Sources tell Jake Pavorsky of Liberty Ballers that the Sixers may take a look at big man Micheal Eric in training camp this fall. Eric was in camp with the Cavaliers a year ago.
- Grantland's Zach Lowe takes an in-depth look at the Caron Butler swap between the Suns and Bucks, noting that Butler's expiring contract "is sexy [as a trade chip] in theory, but not in reality." I wrote earlier today about some of the cap and roster implications of the trade.
- Warriors GM Bob Myers spoke to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News about all the behind-the-scenes work it took to land Andre Iguodala, a task Myers says "looked futile" at some points.
Odds & Ends: Brewer, Bucks, McGrady, Heat
Ronnie Brewer considered signing with the Bulls, Jazz and Lakers before ultimately choosing the Rockets, the 28-year-old swingman tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. He also reiterated his assertion from June that the Thunder were in play to re-sign him, too, but Houston's up-tempo style of play helped sway him. Despite having only a partially guaranteed deal on a team with a league-high 19 players under contract, he's not worried about getting cut. "If I come in and I do what I'm supposed to do, all of that goes out the window," he said to Berman. As Brewer gets set to officially sign his contract, here's more on the league's comings and goings with about a month to go before training camp:
- The Bucks have hired David Morway as assistant GM and Jim Cleamons as the team's top assistant coach, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel.
- So much of Tracy McGrady's talent vanished long before he announced his retirement today, and he went underappreciated in Orlando during his peak years, as John Denton of Magic.com argues. The Magic, Raptors and Rockets are all left wondering what might have been, the Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat writes.
- Toure Murry still hasn't committed to the Knicks nearly a month after the club extended him a training camp invitation, but the 6'5" guard is expected to pick a team later this week, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
- In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman discusses the Heat's luxury-tax situation, their mid-level exception, and the possibility of the team signing Richard Hamilton.
- Now that 14 NBA teams have one-on-one relationships with their respective D-League affiliates, the remaining 16 teams are sharing three D-League clubs. Nonetheless, those squads with five or six NBA affiliations can still help young NBA players develop, as Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside outlines.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Adelman, Pelicans, Calathes, Grizzlies
Heading into the 2013/14 season, Moke Hamilton of HoopsWorld gives us a seat check on the coaches of the Western Conference. The column starts with a look at Wolves coach Rick Adelman, who was the hire of previous decision maker David Kahn. While Adelman has tons of respect in the basketball world, it's possible that Flip Saunders will look to bring in his own coach, especially if Adelman cannot end the club's nine-year playoff drought. In Hamilton's view, the Rockets' Kevin McHale and Thunder coach Scott Brooks are also on the hot seat because of the lofty expectations their respective teams have. Here's more out of the West..
- It's more than just a new name. Fran Blinebury of NBA.com writes that the Pelicans are serious about rebranding, especially when it comes to their roster. While New Orleans made some seriously bold moves this summer, Blinebury wonders aloud if Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday, and Tyreke Evans can all co-exist together.
- New Grizzlies guard Nick Calathes says that he's not a normal rookie, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. The 24-year-old has succeeded in Europe and feels that he'll have a very smooth transition to the NBA.
- Holiday only adds to the glut of talented guards in the Western Conference and Jeff Caplan of NBA.com writes that we're in store for some major All-Star snubs this winter.