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Contract Details: Papanikolaou, Suns, Sixers

September 30th, 2014 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Teams have made several roster moves in the past few days as they’ve prepared for camp, leaving a few loose ends to resolve contractually. Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders provides a few answers to the questions left unresolved, so we’ll pass along his revelations here:

The Rockets essentially reversed the salaries in each year of Kostas Papanikolaou‘s deal after the league forced the team to sign him to a new contract. He’ll make slighly more than $4.591MM this year and nearly $4.798MM next season, Pincus reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether the contract has guarantee dates, like the original pact, but it does include a signing bonus of almost $207K, according to Pincus (Twitter links).
The extensions that Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris signed with the Suns include salaries that go down in year two before rising again in years three and four, Pincus reveals (Twitter links). An earlier report had indicated that they were all escalating salaries.
Zoran Dragic will only make $1.5MM this year and the same amount in 2015/16, so his Suns contract is slightly less lucrative than thought, as Pincus details (Twitter link). Those figures include a signing bonus of about $413K.
The Sixers used some of their cap space to give Jerami Grant, this year’s No. 39 overall pick, a four-year contract that’s fully guaranteed for the first two seasons and non-guaranteed thereafter, according to Pincus (Twitter link). The final season also features a team option, Pincus adds. The salary of nearly $885K in the first year is more than the rookie minimum, but it’s otherwise a minimum-salary arrangement.
Christian Watford‘s new deal with the Celtics covers one year at the minimum salary and is non-guaranteed, Pincus shows (Twitter link). That makes him eligible to have signed an Exhibit 9 Contract that would keep the C’s from paying him if he were to suffer an injury in preseason, though it’s not clear whether it is indeed one of those sorts of pacts.

Suns Rumors: Morrises, Bledsoe, Zoran Dragic

September 29th, 2014 at 1:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby negotiated a total figure for Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris with agent Leon Rose, letting the twins decide how to split what turned out to be a $52MM pot, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic chronicles.

“They’re very close and we didn’t want to suggest anything that would be a disconnect to what they thought their value was,” Babby said. “I didn’t delegate the whole project to them but I did ask, ‘How would you divide it up?’ They’re so close and in it together that it was better to negotiate the total amount and then go to them for how to divide it. They desperately wanted to be together and they play better together. They motivate each other and it’s been fun for me to watch their maturation.”

There’s more from Coro’s piece amid the latest from the Valley of the Sun:

It would have been harder for the Morris brothers to stay together if they had hit restricted free agency next summer, GM Ryan McDonough said today, according to Coro, who writes in the same piece. That suggests the team pressured the twins to sign their extensions rather than let the October 31st deadline pass.
There are no option clauses or trade kickers in the deals for the Morrises, whose salaries will escalate each year, Coro adds.
Bledsoe largely repeated to reporters, including Coro, his assertion from the team’s statement on his new deal that he preferred to return to the Suns all summer, in spite of tense public negotiations (Twitter link).
Zoran Dragic was just a part-timer starter for his Spanish team the past two seasons, but McDonough is confident the new Suns signee’s game is on the upswing, as the exec tells Matt Petersen of Suns.com. “Guys mature and develop at different rates,” McDonough said. “Zoran is a bit of a late-bloomer, but I’ve seen rapid improvement lately. He was better when I saw him last year in Slovenia than what I’d ever seen before. He took another step and was even better this year in Spain than what I’d seen before.”
Suns owner Robert Sarver is calling for a new arena to replace the existing building, which opened in 1992, as Coro relays in a separate piece.

Suns Sign Morris Twins To Extensions

September 29th, 2014 at 9:17am CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns have signed twins Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris to four-year extensions, the team announced. Markieff’s deal is worth a total of $32MM, while Marcus will see $20MM, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, who reported that the agreements had been struck (Twitter link). Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported that the team was close to a pair of deals totaling $52MM (All Twitter links).

Both 25-year-old forwards will spend the coming season on rookie scale contracts that pay them nearly $6MM combined, split almost evenly, and the extensions will kick in for 2015/16. GM Ryan McDonough, in the team’s statement, expressed belief that both will continue to improve, pointing out that they’re just entering their primes, while president of basketball operations Lon Babby spoke to their unusual brotherly connection.

“We are particularly pleased to have reached extension agreements with Marcus and Markieff before the start of training camp,” Babby said. “There is an extraordinary bond between these twin brothers; they make each other better players and better men. We take pride in their growth and look forward to their bright futures.”

Markieff earned the larger deal, having been more productive in his playing time last season. He averaged 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game, all career highs. Marcus put up 9.7 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 22.0 MPG, though he was significantly better from behind the arc, shooting 38.1% compared to Markieff’s 31.5%.

The deals for the Leon Rose clients are somewhat surprising, since most players who ink rookie scale extensions do so for eight-figure salaries, or close to it. Still, there are occasional examples of teams and players who’ve come to terms on extensions for even smaller amounts, including Quincy Pondexter‘s four-year, $14MM deal with Memphis last year and the three-year, $9MM extension that Kosta Koufos signed with the Nuggets in 2012.

The past week has seen the Suns invest heavily in their future. They struck a new five-year, $70MM deal with Eric Bledsoe, but even so, they still had only about $32.5MM in commitments for next season, leaving plenty of room for reasonable deals with both Morrises.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lowe’s Latest: Salary Cap, TV Deal, Burks, Morris

September 16th, 2014 at 10:45am CST by Chuck Myron

Teams around the league are projecting that the salary cap will leap to as high as $80MM for 2016/17, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes, but next season’s salary cap is shrouded in uncertainty. Executives from around the league believed earlier this summer that the NBA would gradually phase in the increase in the salary cap with a larger than usual uptick next summer, but the league has told teams within the last two weeks to hold steady on their projections for 2015/16, according to Lowe. The uncertainty makes it more difficult for teams to make long-term commitments at this point as the October 31st deadline for rookie scale extensions looms. The focus of the Grantland scribe’s piece is on that rookie scale extension market, and his entire piece is worth a read to juxtapose his insight with our in-depth pieces on some of the same up-and-comers featured in our Extension Candidate Series. Lowe also has a few more newsy tidbits, as we’ll pass along here:

There’s chatter around the league suggesting that the NBA will backload its new television deal, which is expected to be more than twice as lucrative as the current arrangement that runs out after the 2015/16 season, Lowe reports. The aim would be for the league to negotiate the ability to keep a larger percentage of that media rights revenue for itself in the next collective bargaining agreement with the players union.
Executive around the league see Alec Burks as a sixth man rather than a starter, according to Lowe, who argues that there’s a case to be made to the contrary. Still, it bodes well for the Jazz‘s leverage in extension talks.
Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris told teams before the 2011 draft that they would take less money to play together, sources tell Lowe. That didn’t end up happening right away, since Houston drafted Marcus and Phoenix took Markieff, but the Suns reunited the twins at the 2013 trade deadline, and if their desire to stick together still holds true, that gives the Suns the ability to exert some pressure, Lowe surmises. Both are extension-eligible.

Western Notes: LeBron, Warriors, Mavs

July 6th, 2014 at 8:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Warriors could have dealt Harrison Barnes to the Magic for Arron Afflalo and a future first-round pick, a source tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter). The Warriors passed, but such a deal would have eased losing Klay Thompson in a Kevin Love trade.

Odds & Ends: Cunningham, Suns, Abdul-Jabbar

March 3rd, 2014 at 10:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Welp, this figures to be a fun MVP race. In case you were leaning towards the likes of Kevin Durant or Chris Paul, LeBron James re-stated his case tonight in a big, big way. The Heat star put up a career-high 61 points on 22-33 shooting, 8-10 from three-point range, with seven rebounds, and five assists. LeBron bested his previous career-high of 56 (2005 against the Raptors) and blew past Glen Rice‘s franchise record of 56 points. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

Former Oregon State star Jared Cunningham says he plans to sign with an NBA team this week, writes Conner Letourneau of The Oregonian.
The Morris twins will be eligible for contract extensions in the fall and both players are hoping they’ll be with the Suns, together, for the long-term, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. “The game is more fun when I have my brother. I look forward to it every day. look forward to getting better. I look forward to watching him get better and I know he looks forward to me improving and having good games. I’m excited when he plays good, even when I don’t play good. If I see him scoring and all the small stuff to win, I’m excited and that brings me up no matter what,” Markieff Morris said of playing with brother Marcus Morris.
Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says he’s interested in returning in some capacity to the Bucks, writes Andrew Wagner of the Associated Press. “If I get a call, I will definitely offer my services,” said the Bucks’ career leading scorer with 14,211 points. “There’s nothing on the table right now. A couple of people have asked me and if I had the chance to be part of this franchise again, I would take it.“
If Dwyane Wade continues to play at his current level and helps lead the Heat to another championship, there won’t be much negotiating when it comes to his contract, writes Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders. Wade recently re-iterated his desire to stay put in Miami to David Aldridge of NBA.com.

Zwerling On Randolph, Anderson, Gordon

December 12th, 2013 at 1:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The latest dispatch from Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling is chock full of rumors. Let’s dive in:

The Grizzlies are shopping Zach Randolph, with Ryan Anderson of the Pelicans as the primary target, Zwerling reports. Memphis wants to see Ed Davis continue to develop, and that may help push Randolph out the door. The Pelicans would have to add salary to such a deal to make it work, and Zwerling mentions Austin Rivers as a possibility, noting that he’s dissatisfied with his lack of playing time and is open to a trade.
A source tells Zwerling that he believes the Pelicans will trade Eric Gordon at some point this season.
Zwerling hears conflicting reports on whether a rumored Kenneth Faried/Iman Shumpert swap is a possibility for the Nuggets and Knicks, but he says the Knicks are currently reluctant to move Shumpert.
It’s unlikely the Suns trade either Marcus Morris or twin brother Markieff Morris, according to Zwerling.
The Sixers would trade Evan Turner for Dion Waiters “in a heartbeat,” a source tells Zwerling, though Cavs owner Dan Gilbert reportedly doesn’t want to trade his shooting guard. The Sixers are worried about what Turner may command in restricted free agency this summer. The Suns could be another landing spot for Waiters, Zwerling writes.
Courtney Lee, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries are on the market in Boston. The Celtics offered Avery Bradley a four-year, $24MM extension this fall, but the guard turned it down, looking for a deal with annual salaries of $8MM.
The Rockets “adore” D-Leaguer Troy Daniels, Zwerling writes. Daniels is displaying a three-point stroke to go with his 25.1 points per game.

Pacific Notes: Bryant, Morris Twins, Warriors

November 28th, 2013 at 11:08pm CST by Charlie Adams

Chris Paul exited early from the Clippers’ Wednesday night game against New York, but Broderick Turner of the LA Times reports that Paul plans on playing and starting in Friday night’s divisional match up versus the Kings. Sacramento currently resides in the cellar of the Pacific Division, but the Kings are hoping that recently acquired Derrick Williams will help turn their fortunes around. Let’s take a look at a couple tidbits from the Pacific..

Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News suggests the value Kobe Bryant brings to the Lakers goes beyond his production on the hardwood. Goodwill states that Bryant is the face of the Lakers in the same way that Michael Jordan was the face of the Bulls, and that his ability to draw fans to games is a valuable asset. Bryant signed a controversial two-year, $48.5MM extension on Monday.
Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris are both seeing career highs in MPG and PER for the Suns this season, and their increased production is an important part of Phoenix’s solid start to the year. Paul Coro of AZCentral sports details how it was the advice of Bill Self that brought the duo together in Phoenix.
The offseason departures of Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry have hurt the Warriors’ depth, and Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News writes that Toney Douglas and Marreese Speights have yet to prove they can sufficiently replace them. With Andre Iguodala sidelined indefinitely, Thompson suggests Stephen Curry is left as the team’s sole reliable playmaker.

Odds & Ends: Morris Twins, Draft, Asik, Butler

November 20th, 2013 at 11:12pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

As tonight’s action on the court winds down, a few notes around the league off the court.

The Morris twins, Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris, have played on the same roster their entire lives, sans one and a half NBA seasons. However, Suns president Lon Babby revealed to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports that if it were up to him, the twins never would have been separated. The Suns drafted Markieff in the 2011 NBA draft and had it not been for such a high price tag, would have also traded for the draft rights to Marcus on draft night. Babby and the Suns believe the synergy of the brothers is “extraordinary” but reminded the twins prior to exercising both of their options this offseason that this unique opportunity comes with expectations.
Looking forward to upcoming draft nights, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that the Knicks and Nets, who both fell to 3-8 tonight, do not have a bright future if they continue to lose. Both teams are without a first-round pick in the 2014 draft, so losing won’t even better their chances of a franchise player next season.
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld believes (Twitter link) the Rockets are asking a high price for Omer Asik and a Mavericks‘ package of Shane Larkin and Shawn Marion would not be enough.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Bulls will be without guard Jimmy Butler for at least two weeks due to turf toe suffered Monday against the Bobcats.

Suns Pick Up Options On Plumlee, Morris Twins

October 26th, 2013 at 3:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns have exercised their 2014/15 options on center Miles Plumlee and forwards Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Markieff Morris will make $2,989,239 next season, slightly more than his twin brother Marcus, who’ll earn $2,943,221. The option covers the fourth season for both Morrises, while Plumlee’s $1,169,880 option is for his third, as our rookie contract option tracker shows.

Plumlee has impressed in the preseason after arriving over the summer via trade from the Pacers, and his improvement made the Suns more comfortable with trading Marcin Gortat to the Wizards. Marcus Morris also came to the Suns in a trade, as the Rockets shipped him to Phoenix at the deadline in February. Houston drafted him 14th overall in 2011, one pick before the Suns took his brother at No. 15, which accounts for the slight difference in salary between the two.

The more than $7.1MM the exercised options add to Phoenix’s books still leave the team with ample projected cap space next summer. The Suns will have only about $22.1MM in commitments for 2014/15, about $40MM beneath the cap.