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Players Who Can Veto Trades In 2017/18

August 2nd, 2017 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, but one such provision has been the subject of much discussion so far in 2017, as Carmelo Anthony made use of his NTC to block the Knicks from sending him to an undesirable destination. For much of the offseason, Anthony was focused on joining the Rockets, but he eventually agreed to a deal that sent him to Oklahoma City.

Anthony is one of just two NBA players whose contract includes an explicit no-trade clause, but there are still several players each year who have the ability to veto trades. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year deal with an option year – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie deals expire can also block deals.

Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2017/18 league year:

No-trade clauses

Carmelo Anthony (Thunder)
LeBron James (Cavaliers)
Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)

Players whose offer sheets were matched

Otto Porter (Wizards)
- Note: Even with his consent, Porter cannot be traded to the Nets during the 2017/18 league year.

Players accepting qualifying offers

Alex Len (Suns)
Nerlens Noel (Mavericks)

Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)

Nick Collison (Thunder)
Kevin Durant (Warriors)
Udonis Haslem (Heat)
Ersan Ilyasova (Hawks)
JaVale McGee (Warriors)
Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves)
Mike Muscala (Hawks)
Zaza Pachulia (Warriors)
Jason Terry (Bucks)
David West (Warriors)

In addition to the players listed above who can veto trades through the 2017/18 league year, there’s another small handful of players who can’t be dealt under any circumstance until at least next July. The following players signed a Designated Veteran Extension this season, which precludes them from being traded for a full calendar year:

Stephen Curry (Warriors)
James Harden (Rockets)
John Wall (Wizards)
Russell Westbrook (Thunder)

Information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

Southwest Notes: Smith Jr., Anthony, F. Jackson

July 30th, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by Austin Kent

Count Chauncey Billups among those who think that Mavs rookie Dennis Smith Jr. will be able to make a serious case for Rookie of the Year, Adam Grosbard of the Dallas Morning News writes.

“I think he’s the most polished out of all the point guards that were out there this year,” the former All-Star said of the Mavs’ ninth-overall pick. “I think he’s the most polished, pro-ready in my opinion and there’s some really good ones that came into the draft this year.”

Smith Jr. has been perceived as an early leader for the Rookie of the Year after an impressive summer league showing and will join the Mavs as an explosive playmaker cut from the same cloth, Billups believes, as Baron Davis.

“I’m happy that he’s going to get to play for Rick Carlisle, who’s a guy that I believe in,” Billups added. The current Mavs head coach, of course, coached Billups and his 2002/03 Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Although he isn’t a free agent, Carmelo Anthony holds his fate in his own hands. Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes about how it’s in his best interests, financially, to end up with the Rockets sooner than later.
One of the things that sets Mavs icon Dirk Nowitzki apart is his willingness to work with young players, Harrison Barnes said in an interview on The Fan’s Ben and Skin. “The biggest thing for me when I came to Dallas was how open and willing he was to work with young guys. Work on the court every day, be willing to talk, have access to. Guys of his status, All-Stars or future Hall of Famers, can kind of be distant,” he said.
The majority of Frank Jackson‘s contract with the Pelicans is guaranteed, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Jackson’s first two seasons are guaranteed at the league minimum, as is $506K of his third season.

Contract Details: Tucker, Holiday, Lowry, Collison

July 8th, 2017 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

With more and more of the early free agent contract agreements being finalized, official numbers on those deals are starting to trickle in, and Eric Pincus, who operates Basketball Insiders’ salary database, is passing along the specifics on many of them. In instances where the official numbers are essentially identical to what was reported initially, we won’t pass along that info, but we want to provide updates in cases where new details surface.

Here are some new contract details on this week’s deals, with all links via Pincus’ Twitter feed:

Western Conference:

The Rockets split their mid-level exception between two players, with P.J. Tucker getting about $7.59MM and Zhou Qi getting the remaining $816K or so. Tucker’s contract is partially guaranteed in its fourth year ($2.6MM of $8MM guaranteed), while Zhou’s four-year pact isn’t guaranteed beyond year one (Twitter links).
As was expected based on initial reports, Jrue Holiday‘s total earning potential over five years with the Pelicans ranges from $126-150MM based on bonuses (Twitter link).
Dirk Nowitzki‘s two-year pact with the Mavericks will pay him an even $5MM in each of the next two seasons, with a second-year team option (Twitter link).
The first season of Wayne Selden‘s two-year minimum salary deal with the Grizzlies is fully guaranteed (Twitter link).
The Suns‘ new four-year contract for second-rounder Davon Reed is fully guaranteed for the first year, half guaranteed in the second year, and non-guaranteed in years three and four (Twitter link).

Eastern Conference:

Although Kyle Lowry‘s three-year contract with the Raptors can be worth up to $100MM, the base value is $93MM, with the remaining $7MM coming in the form of unlikely bonuses. Unlikely bonuses don’t count against the cap at this point (Twitter link).
The second year of Darren Collison‘s contract with the Pacers is only partially guaranteed. Currently, $2MM of his $10MM second-year salary is guaranteed (Twitter link).
The Hornets signed Michael Carter-Williams using a portion of their taxpayer mid-level exception. Since he’s receiving an even $2.7MM, the team doesn’t have a hard cap at this point (Twitter link).
Eric Moreland‘s three-year deal with the Pistons includes a $500K guarantee for year one. The deal starts at $1.7MM, which means it was finalized using the amount of the mid-level exception that was left over after Langston Galloway‘s signing (Twitter link).

Mavericks Re-Sign Dirk Nowitzki

July 6th, 2017 at 7:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:42pm: The Mavericks have officially re-signed Nowitzki, the team announced today in a press release.

1:15pm: The Mavericks are finalizing a two-year, $10MM deal with Dirk Nowitzki, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. The second season will be a team option, so Nowitzki could be a free agent again next summer.

That marks a serious reduction for Nowitzki, who could have made $25MM next season if the Mavericks hadn’t declined his option, but owner Mark Cuban seems likely to make up for it at some point. Nowitzki has been with the franchise for 19 seasons and has shown a willingness to be flexible with his contract to help the team create cap space.

Dallas has $45MM in combined cap holds for Nowitzki and Nerlens Noel, so this new deal should give the team some flexibility.

Nowitzki was slowed by an early-season Achilles injury this year, but returned to average 14.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in 54 games. He turned 39 last month, but hasn’t given any indication that retirement is near.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southwest Notes: Noel, Gentry, Paul

June 29th, 2017 at 10:57pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavs won’t be travelling far when the free agency period officially opens tomorrow night at midnight, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. Instead, he says, the franchise will zero in on its two own free agents: Nerlens Noel and Dirk Nowitzki.

While a Nowitzki deal is a foregone conclusion, the interesting part will be whether the Mavs can come to terms with Noel before the the restricted free agent lands a lofty offer sheet from a team willing to pay top dollar.

Currently, Sefko notes, the cap-hit the Mavs take for Noel is $11MM, a mark that figures to be considerably lower than what the 23-year-old would be able to land on the open market.

The decision to focus on Nowitzki after declining his team option this week and bringing Noel back is representative of the change in direction the Mavs have undergone this season.

Having landed Harrison Barnes in free agency last year and traded for Noel at the trade deadline in February, the Mavs have promptly patched together an intriguing young core.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

After two lackluster seasons at the helm of the Pelicans, Alvin Gentry is well aware of the fact that the NBA is a “results industry.” The head coach spoke with Scott Kushner of The Advocate, noting that he doesn’t feel that there’s any extra pressure this season.
There’s no denying that for Chris Paul to thrive with the Rockets, he, Mike D’Antoni and James Harden will all have to end up on the same page. Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes about how they’ll need to adapt to make that happen.
There was some truth to the speculation that linked Chris Paul to the Spurs but two things sullied the opportunity. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated notes that the uncertainty of LaMarcus Aldridge‘s status, coupled with the notion of having to replace Tony Parker at point guard, dissuaded Paul from exploring things further.

Mavericks To Decline Option On Dirk Nowitzki, Negotiate New Deal

June 25th, 2017 at 12:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks will decline their $25MM option on Dirk Nowitzki for next season and work out a new contract, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

The team is considering a two-year deal for the veteran forward, although one source tells Stein that Dallas will do “what Dirk wants.” He has previously indicated that he wants to continue his NBA career on a year-by-year basis.

Nowitzki signed a two-year deal last summer worth $50MM that contained a team option for 2017/18. Turning down that option will give Dallas more financial flexibility when free agency starts on Saturday.

The move leaves Dallas with $64.4MM in guaranteed contracts for next season, along with $55MM in cap holds for Nowitzki and Nerlens Noel, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical. The team could have as much as $21MM to work with, but only if Nowitzki agrees to take the $4.3MM room mid-level exception (Twitter link).

Sources tell Stein that Dallas plans to re-sign Noel and focus on its young core and won’t pursue Pelicans free agent Jrue Holiday, who has been linked to the team in past rumors.

Nowitzki has played 19 NBA seasons, all in Dallas. He remained productive this year, averaging 14.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in 54 games after returning from an early-season Achilles injury.

Mavericks Notes: Nowitzki, Noel, Ntilikina, Isaac

June 10th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks’ best financial move may be to decline their option on Dirk Nowitzki, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki agreed to a two-year deal last summer that pays him $25MM each season. Dallas has until June 29th to either pick up his salary for 2017/18 or renounce him and try to fit his new deal under the team’s cap. By opting out, the Mavericks could extend Nowitzki’s contract for another season, again with an option, and create more financial flexibility to re-sign Nerlens Noel. Nowitzki has been willing in the past to adjust his contract to help the team, and would almost certainly play along with any new scenario, Sefko adds.

There’s more news out of Dallas:

Stuck behind the Knicks in the draft is the worst place for the Mavericks to be, Sefko contends in a separate story. Both teams need help at point guard in a class that’s loaded with them, but Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and De’Aaron Fox are expected to go early, and the Knicks are in front of the Mavs to take the best one left on the board. Even if Dallas grabs a point guard on draft day, the team still may pursue a veteran such as Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague or George Hill in free agency. If two new point guards join the roster, it will probably signal the end in Dallas for Devin Harris, who has one year left on his contract at about $4.4MM.
Dallas sent a large contingent, including owner Mark Cuban, to Italy today to meet with French point guard Frank Ntilikina, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Ntilikina didn’t work out for the group, and probably won’t get to, as his Strasbourg team is in the French League final, which could last until the day before the draft. Several NBA teams have representatives in Italy for the youth Adidas Eurocamp, Berman notes, but Ntilikina met only with the Mavericks. Knicks GM Steve Mills traveled to France last month for a first-hand look at Ntilikina, and the team’s former European scout, Tim Shea, is convinced that he’s ready for the NBA. “If he was coming now [for pre-draft workouts], the Knicks aren’t going to get him,’’ Shea said. “He’d have a good showing and might be a top-seven pick. He’ll still be top 10. He’s 18 and has a man’s body now.’’
If the Mavs can’t get the point guard they want at No. 9, they should opt for Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac, says Matt Mosley of The Dallas Morning News.

Mavs Notes: Nowitzki, Draft, Liggins, Powell

June 6th, 2017 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Last summer, Dirk Nowitzki signed a two-year deal with the Mavericks that included a team option for 2017/18. The Mavs are due to make a decision on that option before the end of June, but Nowitzki told local reporters today, including Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter video link), that he doesn’t know yet what the club plans to do.

According to Nowitzki, team owner Mark Cuban is on vacation, and the two sides will likely sit down and discuss the big man’s contract situation when Cuban returns. While Dallas will certainly keep Nowitzki on the roster, his option is worth $25MM, so the team may be interested in lowering that number.

Here’s more from out of Dallas:

Nowitzki was also asked today about the Mavericks’ draft plans, and acknowledged that it’s “not a secret” the club would “love” to add a point guard (Twitter link via Sneed).
After claiming DeAndre Liggins off waivers late in the 2016/17 season, the Mavericks intend to use the summer to get more familiar with the former Cavalier and to evaluate whether he has a spot on the roster going forward. Sneed has the story at Mavs.com, with some quotes from Cuban and head coach Rick Carlisle.
Given Dwight Powell‘s contract situation, he’s unlikely to draw a whole lot of trade interest anytime soon, which means it makes sense for Dallas to be patient and eventually hope for a payoff on the team’s four-year contract investment, says Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
Former Iowa State wing Deonte Burton is participating in a group workout for the Mavs today, league sources tell Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).

Southwest Notes: Leonard, Pelicans, Parsons, Nowitzki

May 15th, 2017 at 9:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kawhi Leonard‘s MRI revealed no structural damage, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com tweets. Leonard injured his left ankle twice in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday, including a controversial play in which Warriors center Zaza Pachulia moved into his landing space after Leonard released a jump shot. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ripped Pachulia on Monday for what Popovich felt was a reckless closeout. Leonard is expected to miss Game 2.

In other news around the Southwest Division

Donatas Motiejunas is unlikely to re-sign with the Pelicans because of their frontcourt logjam, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets. Motiejunas told Urbonas, ‘They don’t need me with already 4-5 big (men) on the roster for the next season.’ The 7-foot forward, who is an unrestricted free agent this summer, averaged 4.4 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 14.1 MPG over 34 games with the Pelicans.
Chandler Parsons‘ future with the Grizzlies could be as a stretch four rather than playing his natural small forward spot, according to Michael Wallace of the team’s website. That could be a sensitive subject this offseason with veteran power forward Zach Randolph becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer and fellow big man JaMychal Green entering restricted free agency. Knee injuries limited Parsons to 34 games in the first year of his four-year, $94MM contract with Memphis.
Dirk Nowitzki is willing to assist the front office as the Mavericks prepare for the draft, according to team website reporter Earl K. Sneed. The club holds the No. 9 overall pick, pending the results of Tuesday’s lottery. “Maybe I’ll be in the draft room this year, if that’s what it takes,” Nowitzki told Sneed. “I think we’ve got plenty of time over the next few weeks to set a plan, execute the plan on draft day hopefully and maybe in free agency, and we’ll go from there.”
Improving 3-point shooting is paramount for the Pelicans to make the playoffs next year, coach Alvin Gentry said on The Vertical podcast. Gentry’s comments were relayed in a story by Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Advocate. The Twin Tower duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins won’t work unless the club acquires better perimeter shooters, according to Gentry. “We are going to have to upgrade there and the players that we have are going to have to show vast improvement over the summer,” Gentry said on the podcast. “If you’re going to play the two big guys that we have, obviously, there are going to be a lot of double-teaming. … in order to make that work, we’re going to have to be able to knock down perimeter shots.”

Dirk Nowitzki To Return For 20th Season With Mavs

April 13th, 2017 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Dirk Nowitzki completed his 19th NBA season this week and will turn 39 in June, but he’s not ready to call it a career just yet. As expected, Nowitzki said today that he intends to return for the 2017/18, which will be his 20th year with the Mavericks (Twitter link via Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com). Nowitzki also left the door open to play in 2018/19, depending on how next season goes.

“I think my body will tell me when it’s time,” Nowitzki said (Twitter link via Sneed). “I’m going to play next year as hard as I can.”

Nowitzki technically remains under contract for next season with the Mavs, but his $25MM salary for 2017/18 is a team option. Team owner Mark Cuban has displayed a strong willingness to work with Nowitzki over the years when it comes to new deals, so he’d likely be happy to pick up that option, if that’s the future Hall-of-Famer’s preference. The two sides could also work out a new arrangement.

Health issues nagged at Nowitzki throughout the 2016/17 season, with Achilles injuries slowing him and limiting him to 54 games, his lowest mark since his rookie season. Although he’s no longer at the peak of his powers, Nowitzki was still an effective scorer for Dallas this season, averaging 14.2 PPG and shooting 37.8% on three-pointers.

The German big man could have an opportunity to pass Wilt Chamberlain for fifth on the all-time NBA scoring list next season if he stays healthy. Nowitzki currently ranks sixth with 30,260 points, which puts him 1,159 points behind Chamberlain.