Montrezl Harrell

Rockets Face Tough Choice With Montrezl Harrell

NCAA Basketball: Louisville at Pittsburgh

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jason Terry helped the Rockets make a key step toward completing their roster for the season ahead, agreeing this week to return on what appears to be a one-year, minimum salary deal. That leaves Houston with wiggle room to sign No. 32 overall pick Montrezl Harrell, but the Rockets still face a dilemma as they attempt to do so. Signing Harrell, a Rich Paul client, would almost certainly impose a hard cap on the team, and Harrell’s contract would leave the Rockets so close to that cap that they’d have almost no room to maneuver the rest of the season, barring some kind of other move to clear salary.

The collective bargaining agreement calls for a hard cap of $4MM above the tax threshold on teams that use the $5.464MM non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception instead of the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level. The Rockets have already re-signed K.J. McDaniels for nearly $3.19MM. That’s close enough to $3.376MM that any use of the mid-level for a full-season salary for Harrell would push the Rockets above that figure and trigger the hard cap.

Houston couldn’t have paid McDaniels nearly as much had they not used the mid-level, because they didn’t have cap space and because their Non-Bird rights with McDaniels would provide no more than about $1.014MM, which is 20% greater than the minimum. They were hemmed in with McDaniels because he took his one-year required tender from the Sixers last year, the very sort of scenario Houston is seemingly trying to avoid with Harrell.

High second-round picks almost always end up with more than the minimum salary. That’s the case with each of the five second-round picks from No. 31 through 39 who have signed with their NBA teams so far this summer. Thus, the Rockets probably wouldn’t be able to convince Harrell and Paul to take a deal via the minimum-salary exception, unless it’s his required tender. That tender functions like a miniature version of a qualifying offer. Teams have to submit required tenders to their second-round picks no later than September 5th, or they lose the draft rights to them and they become free agents. The tender is for a one-year, non-guaranteed contract at the minimum salary. Some second-rounders wouldn’t sign the tender out of fear that their teams would cut them in training camp, leaving them with no salary for the season ahead. That’s assuredly not the case for Harrell, who was just two picks shy of becoming a first-rounder and who had been a lottery prospect at times during his college career at Louisville.

Harrell could seek a lucrative deal overseas, but if he signs his required tender, he’d become an NBA free agent next summer. That proved a lucrative path for McDaniels, last year’s No. 32 overall pick, who took his required tender from the Sixers a few months before they traded him to the Rockets. No second-round pick from last year will make a salary this season that comes close to the nearly $3.19MM that McDaniels will see.

Harrell’s association with Paul adds another wrinkle. Paul recently declared that Tristan Thompson, another of his clients, wouldn’t re-sign with the Cavs next year if he took his qualifying offer this summer. The Rockets would have the right to match offers for Harrell next year if he signs his required tender this year, a privilege the Cavs wouldn’t have with Thompson if he takes his qualifying offer, but Houston wouldn’t have Harrell’s Bird rights. The Rockets would probably have to use cap space or their mid-level to keep him, just as with McDaniels. The Gilbert Arenas provision would be around to protect the Rockets from having to commit more than the non-taxpayer’s mid-level, but the Rockets would surely prefer to avoid a bidding war for a player with whom they currently have exclusive NBA negotiating rights.

Averting that scenario may prove just as thorny for GM Daryl Morey and company, however. Any deal that Houston gives Harrell this season that’s worth more than the minimum salary or runs for more than two years would result in a hard cap. The Rockets have a payroll of $85,233,113, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, not counting the minimum salaries for Terry and Chuck Hayes, whom the Rockets have also agreed to sign. Both Terry and Hayes reportedly have one-year deals for the minimum salary. Since their pacts only cover one year, the Rockets would have to pay them no more than $947,276, the two-year veteran’s minimum. The Hayes deal apparently carries only a partial guarantee, though it’s unclear just how much guaranteed money is involved. Assuming Terry’s deal is fully guaranteed, and assuming Harrell would take a first-year salary equivalent to the $1,170,960 that No. 33 overall pick Jordan Mickey will make this season, according to Pincus, Houston’s payroll would be $87,351,349 absent of Hayes. The hard cap would be $88.74MM, so depending on the amount of the partial guarantee for Hayes, the Rockets would only have about $1MM to play with the rest of the season.

That would handicap the team if it wants to make a trade, since the Rockets wouldn’t be able to do a deal that brings their salary above the hard cap. Houston would have to be especially choosy with midseason signees, since their salaries couldn’t add up to more than the $1MM or so that the team would have left to spend. Claiming an intriguing player off waivers would be nearly impossible. Houston could create more flexibility with a salary-clearing trade, but the Rockets, who are title contenders, must be careful not to trim too much talent from the roster, especially after injuries left the team thin at critical times last season. Waiving a player via the stretch provision before September 1st would represent another path to increased flexibility beneath the hard cap, but that, too, would reduce talent, since no obvious waiver candidate exists.

The constraints of that hard cap nonetheless seem more palatable than allowing Harrell to hit the open market next year. The Rockets could match competing bids for him, since he’d be eligible for restricted free agency, but they wouldn’t truly hold sway over his price point. A hard cap would provide Morey with a measure of control, since he’d have several months to find a trade that reduced salary without draining talent. That’s a difficult task, but Morey has proven among the most canny and creative dealers in his eight-plus years in charge of Houston’s front office. No one stands a better chance of wriggling free from the chains of the hard cap than he does.

Regardless, we’ll soon find out just which less-than-appealing option the Rockets choose. For now, we know simply that the Harrell dilemma proves that negotiations between teams and their second-round picks are infinitely more fascinating than the straightforward rookie scale signings of their more celebrated first-round counterparts.

What do you think the Rockets should do with Harrell? Leave a comment to tell us.

Texas Notes: Matthews, Harrell, Duncan, Fredette

The Mavericks figure to have a balanced offensive attack again this season, writes Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com, but max-salary signee Wesley Matthews appears the best bet to take over the role of lead scorer from Monta Ellis, who’s now a Pacer, Sneed adds. That’s not a familiar job for Matthews, but given the similarity between the offense he was a part of under former Mavs assistant Terry Stotts with the Blazers and the one that Mavs coach Rick Carlisle employs, the shooting guard is confident he can expand his game, as Sneed relays. 

“You know, I’ve never been one to allow someone to label me,” Matthews said. “I always continue to try to get better. I’m not a content type of person. If they come up with a term three-and-D and they want to fit me in that category, that’s fine. But there’s not a thing that I don’t think I can do on the court, and I’m excited for the opportunity. You know, talking to coach Carlisle, I’m obviously familiar with the system, having ran it in Portland. And talking to him, there’s opportunities that he sees how I can help this team. And I’m excited for those opportunities.”

See more from around the Texas triangle:

Latest On Carlos Boozer

The Knicks, Rockets and Mavericks continue to have interest in signing Carlos Boozer, league sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link). Scotto first identified the Knicks as among the teams eyeing the Rob Pelinka client earlier this month, though Marc Berman of the New York Post reported soon thereafter that the Knicks had engaged in internal conversations about him but hadn’t made a formal pursuit. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com pegged the Mavs and Rockets as among the teams in on Boozer just before free agency began, while Broussard later heard that the Mavs were one of four teams in talks with the former All-Star.

The Knicks and Mavericks have access to the $2.814MM room exception. The Rockets are in a tough spot, since they only have roughly $2.3MM left on their mid-level exception to spend but would trigger a hard cap if they gave any of it to Boozer. Houston also has No. 32 pick Montrezl Harrell who remains unsigned.

Several other teams, including the Clippers, Spurs, Raptors, Pelicans, Nuggets, Nets, Lakers and Heat, have reportedly been interested in Boozer over the last month, but it’s unclear if any of them remain in the mix. Boozer and the Clippers reportedly had mutual interest.

Central Notes: Boylen, Bucks, Pistons

The Bulls have officially named Jim Boylen as associate head coach on Fred Hoiberg’s staff, the team announced. “I am very excited to add Jim to our staff as our associate head coach. His track record speaks for itself with nearly 30 years of coaching experience and three NBA championships on his resume,” said Hoiberg. “His work ethic and attention to detail will help our team every day, and I look forward to working with him as we prepare for next season.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

  • Also being considered for a spot on Hoiberg’s staff with the Bulls is Pete Myers, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweets. Myers had previously been an assistant in Chicago, but was let go when Tom Thibodeau was named head coach. Myers last served as an assistant for the Warriors, but he was not retained when Steve Kerr took over for Mark Jackson as coach.
  • The Bucks held pre-draft workouts today for Ziga Dimec (Slovenia), Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Terry Rozier (Louisville), and Brad Waldow (St. Mary’s), the team announced.
  • The Pistons will work out Cady Lalanne (Massachusetts) and Kendall Gray (Delaware State) today, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops relays (Twitter link). Detroit will also host Jonathan Holmes (Texas), Levi Randolph (Alabama), Aaron White (Iowa), and Rayvonte Rice (Illinois), Keith Langlois of NBA.com adds (via Twitter).
  • Cavs coach David Blatt credits his players with continuing to fight even as injuries continued to mount during the playoffs, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. “This is a process,” Blatt said. “You don’t wake up one morning and fall out of bed and expect to win the NBA Championship. You hope that you can, but it doesn’t always work that way, and our guys did more than anyone could expect to put themselves and put our organization in this situation.
  • Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is breathing easier now that his starting lineup for 2015/16 is beginning to take shape with the acquisition of Ersan Ilyasova, Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press writes. “It was a little scary thinking about going into the summer and saying you might have to go get two starters,” Van Gundy said. “Now we feel like we’ve got four starters that we are really happy with.

Central Notes: Pistons, Draft, Rozier

Pistons executive/coach Stan Van Gundy believes that the trade market and NBA Draft are the franchise’s best opportunities to build a contender, Noah Trister of The Associated Press relays. “I think free agency is a little bit of a crapshoot. Guys, they’re out there picking a team. A lot of teams are chasing them,” Van Gundy said. “You never know what’s going to happen, and so, we said coming in that as much as we would go out and try to be players in free agency, [a] great path for us to building a team is through … the draft and trades.” Van Gundy doesn’t anticipate the acquisition of Ersan Ilyasova being the move that makes the team a contender, but rather as another step in a long process, Trister adds. “We’ve got two more years under contract with Ersan – those kinds of things are invaluable to us as we’re building,” Van Gundy continued. “I think as we build and get better, then obviously we become more attractive to free agents. But right now, quite honestly, coming off a tough year, the whole thing, this is a better path for us.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Pistons held workouts on Monday for Stanley Johnson (Arizona), Michael Frazier (Florida), Wayne Blackshear (Louisville), and Terran Petteway (Nebraska), the team announced (via Twitter). This was Petteway’s second workout with Detroit, which could make him a potential second round target of the team, notes Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (on Twitter).
  • Working out for the Pistons today were Justise Winslow (Duke), Bryce Dejean-Jones (Iowa State), Branden Dawson (Michigan State), and Jabril Trawick (Georgetown), the team announced (Twitter link).
  • The Bucks held workouts today for Justin Anderson (Virginia), Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona), and R.J. Hunter (Georgia State), Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times tweets. Milwaukee also announced that Derrick Marks (Boise State) and Royce O’Neale (Baylor) would also be participating.
  • The Bulls have met with Louisville point guard Terry Rozier three times already, and may have him back for a fourth go around prior to the NBA Draft, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders notes. Chicago owns the No. 23 overall selection.

Atlantic Notes: Monroe, Raptors, Bogdanovic

There is “strong speculation” that Pistons free agent Greg Monroe will sign with the Knicks or Celtics, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. Detroit apparently prepared for Monroe’s departure with this week’s trade that sent Caron Butler and Shawne Williams to the Bucks for Ersan Ilyasova. Monroe signed a one-year qualifying offer with the Pistons for nearly $5.5MM last offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent July 1.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Minor injuries disrupted a scheduled workout with the Raptors Saturday for Kansas’ Cliff Alexander and Utah’s Delon Wright, writes Steven Loung of sportsnet.ca. Alexander was nursing an injury from a prior workout and was forced to skip the event, while Wright had to end his session early after tweaking something, a team official said. The biggest names at the workout were Montrezl Harrell of Louisville and Kevon Looney of UCLA. Louisiana Tech forward Michale Kyser was also on hand, conducting his second workout of the week for Toronto.
  • Bojan Bogdanovic may have a larger role with the Nets next season, according to Fred Katz of Bleacher Report. Bogdanovic averaged 9.0 points per game and was a second team All-Rookie selection this season, but his responsibilities could increase dramatically if Brooklyn can find a taker for Joe Johnson
  • The Knicks are in position to land the tall type of point guard they like for the triangle, according to the latest mock draft from Tim Bontemps of The New York Post. Bontemps has New York selecting 6-foot-5 Emmanuel Mudiay with the fourth pick, behind Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D’Angelo Russell.

Atlantic Notes: Russell, Celtics, Draft

Illness prompted D’Angelo Russell to cancel a workout with the Sixers planned for this weekend, a source close to the combo guard told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who heard from another source who wouldn’t rule the notion of the workout taking place sometime later. Still, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Twitter links) speculates that Russell may have received a promise from the Lakers, a prospect that could have a trickle-down effect that would make Jahlil Okafor available to the Knicks at pick No. 4. That seems far-fetched, particularly since the Lakers have reportedly zeroed in on Okafor for the second pick. Still, plenty is unknown with less than two weeks to go before the draft.

Here’s the latest from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Celtics are having trouble attracting players with lottery aspirations to work out with them in spite of “better than average” odds that Boston trades up from the 16th overall pick, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Wisconsin small forward Sam Dekker pulled out of a workout with the C’s last week.
  • Working out for the Raptors this Saturday will be Delon Wright (Utah), Jabril Trawick (Georgetown), Kevon Looney (UCLA), Michale Kyser (Louisiana Tech), Cliff Alexander (Kansas), and Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), the team announced.
  • The Nets have four upcoming workouts scheduled, the team has announced. Monday’s group will be Ryan Boatright (UConn), T.J. McConnell (Arizona), D.J. Newbill (Penn State), Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s), Larry Nance Jr. (Wyoming), and Brandon Ashley (Arizona).
  • Working out for Brooklyn on Tuesday will be Marcus Thornton (William and Mary), Will Cummings (Temple), Tyler Haws (BYU), Julian Washburn (UTEP), Jordan Mickey (LSU), and Yanick Moreira (SMU).
  • Displaying their wares on Wednesday for the Nets will be Mike Caffey (Long Beach State), Ray Parks Jr. (Melrose H.S.), Dez Wells (Maryland), Norman Powell (UCLA), Le’Bryan Nash (Oklahoma State), and Vince Hunter (UTEP).
  • The final batch of players working out for the Nets, which will take place on Thursday, are Travis Trice (Michigan State), Rashad Madden (Arkansas), Michael Qualls (Arizona), Trawick, Richaun Holmes (Bowling Green), and Josh Smith (Georgetown).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Saric, Celtics, Daniels, Holmes

Dario Saric‘s buyout with Anadolu Efes after next season would cost about 800K euros, as USA Today and DraftExpress contributor Derek Bodner hears. That’s about $900K at today’s exchange rate, but much less than the $2MM-plus it would apparently take to buy Saric out of his deal for this coming season, as the Sixers are reportedly trying to do. Bodner breaks down the numbers involved with Saric’s potential buyout and his rookie scale contract, concluding that it would be most financially rewarding for Saric to stay overseas for two more years and sign with the Sixers in 2017, when he’d no longer be bound by the rookie scale. Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

  • Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge denied to reporters today that the team has had any substantial talks about trading picks, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The C’s have reportedly been offering around their first-round picks, at Nos. 16 and 28, to move into the lottery. Still, Ainge admitted the team is at least exploring the idea of trading some of the four total picks it has in this month’s draft, among other options that would keep the team from having to bring four rookies onto the roster.
  • Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, Florida’s Chris Walker, Wisconsin’s Duje Dukan, Butler’s Kameron Woods, and Georgetown’s Greg Whittington all worked out for the Celtics today, Forsberg notes (on Twitter). Jamal Jones, who spent last season in the D-League but remains draft-eligible, is also part of the workout, as Forsberg relays.
  • Draft-and-stash prospect DeAndre Daniels is hopeful that the Raptors will sign him for next season, and the team, which still sees him as part of its future, won’t rule out the idea, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports (Twitter links). The small forward who was last year’s 37th overall pick spent this past season with the Perth Wildcats of Australia.
  • The Knicks will soon work out Bowling Green forward Richaun Holmes, sources told Shams Charania of RealGM. Holmes spoke to Zach Links of Hoops Rumors recently about his improved shooting and his goal to make the same strides in ball handling.

Southeast Notes: Wade, Bynum, Borrego

Heat teammates are in the dark about Dwyane Wade‘s contract situation, and even Mario Chalmers, who’s spoken to Wade, doesn’t know what will happen, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel details. Wade would reportedly like to opt out and is open to leaving the Heat, who would apparently prefer that he opt in, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported. I looked at the dynamics between Wade and the Heat in depth earlier today as I examined the offseason ahead for Miami. Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

  • The Guangdong Southern Tigers have given Will Bynum a standing offer to return to China on a three-year deal, as Bynum tells Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The point guard, whose contract with the Wizards expires at month’s end, said to Castillo that he’s “definitely considering” the Chinese offer but will seek a comparable NBA pact before committing to it.
  • Speaking of standing offers, former interim coach James Borrego has one from the Magic to return to the team as an assistant coach, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com amid a full piece that advances his earlier report on interest in the coach from the Thunder and Pelicans. Borrego is expected to make his decision this week about whether to stay with the Magic, Stein adds.
  • The Hornets are holding a predraft workout today for Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, UNC Charlotte’s Pierria Henry, UTEP’s Vince Hunter, Davidson’s Tyler Kalinoski, Nebraska’s Terran Petteway and William & Mary’s Marcus Thornton, the team announced (on Twitter).

Northwest Notes: Brooks, Cook, Jazz, Blazers

Kendrick Perkins didn’t see the firing of his former coach Scott Brooks coming, Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman writes.

“I was surprised. I was surprised. You can have all the talent you want. But one thing about Scotty is he won games,” Perkins said. “A lot of people talk about the offense, but he allowed KD and Russ to play their games. He let them play with a lot of freedom. But sometimes, I guess, you just gotta roll with a new voice. I wish them nothing but the best.”

Here are some notes from the Northwest Division:

  • The Jazz will bring in Quinn Cook for a workout, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Cook believes he is better prepared for the NBA than some of the other guys in this year’s draft class thanks to spending time under coach Mike Krzyzewski, as he tells Zach Links of Hoops Rumors.
  • Utah will also work out Terran Petteway, Montrezl Harrell, Kenny Chery, Darrun Hilliard and Maurice Walker, according to the the team’s Twitter feed. The Jazz own the No. 12, No. 42 and No. 54 selections in the draft, as our Draft Order page shows.
  • The Blazers will work out Delon Wright, J.P. Tokoto, Jordan Mickey, Norman Powell, Vince Hunter and Keifer Sykes, according to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian (Twitter link).