Eastern Notes: DeRozan, Plumlee, Pistons, Heat
Earlier this week, we passed along some comments made by DeMar DeRozan about the free agency process, which only lasted about two hours for him, as he quickly agreed to re-sign with the Raptors in the early hours of July 1. DeRozan also spoke to Michael Lee of The Vertical about his offseason, and he admitted that the idea of having the NBA’s highest salary in 2016/17, approximately a $16MM increase on his previous salary, hasn’t really sunk in.
“Honestly, I haven’t looked at it like [that],” DeRozan said. “It’s crazy when you do say it. But I’m going to go out there and play like I’m still playing for a contract.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- According to Bobby Marks of The Vertical, Miles Plumlee‘s new four-year deal with the Bucks has an annual $12.4MM cap hit, making it worth $49.6MM in total. Plumlee’s contract can max out at $52MM, so it features about $600K in unlikely incentives annually.
- In his latest mailbag at NBA.com, Keith Langlois discusses a handful of Pistons-related topics, including the possibility of a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope extension and Stanley Johnson‘s role and future with the team.
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel cautions that Heat fans should keep their expectations in check regarding the possibility of landing Russell Westbrook in free agency next summer, since Miami – and any other team besides Oklahoma City – is a long shot for the star point guard. Winderman suggests that it makes more sense for the Heat to focus on developing their young talent rather than to “build an entire season around an all-or-nothing run for Westbrook.”
Jarrod Uthoff Contract Details
The Raptors officially announced earlier today that their deal with undrafted free agent Jarrod Uthoff is done, and Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has the details on that agreement. As Pincus outlines, it’s a two-year, minimum-salary pact with a $50K guarantee in year one. If Uthoff earns a spot on the regular-season roster and remains on the team beyond January 10, his first-year salary will become guaranteed. In that scenario, he’d have $100K of his 2017/18 salary guaranteed if he’s still on the roster past next July 25.
Raptors Sign Jarrod Uthoff
AUGUST 2: The Raptors have officially signed Uthoff, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 21: The Raptors and undrafted free agent Jarrod Uthoff have agreed on a partially guaranteed two-year deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). It figures to be a minimum-salary pact, since Toronto is over the cap and has used its mid-level exception.
Uthoff will compete for the Raptors’ final roster spot. Uthoff was an All-American at Iowa last season. Among Big Ten players, Uthoff ranked second in scoring (18.9), first in blocked shots (2.7), and tied for 11th in rebounding (6.4).
Uthoff was expected by many draft pundits to get picked as a late first round selection. In a draft that featured a heavy influx of foreign talent, that, of course, was not the case. Uthoff did work out for several teams, including the Clippers, Grizzlies and Suns.
Stackhouse Named Raptors' D-League Coach
The Raptors are expected to name former All-Star Jerry Stackhouse as head coach of their D-League affiliate, Raptors 905, sources told Chris Reichert of UpsideMotor.com. Stackhouse, who played for eight teams during a career that lasted from 1995-2013, spent last season on Dwane Casey’s staff. He would replace Jesse Mermuys, who is now an assistant to new Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton. Stackhouse coached the Raptors’ Summer League team in Las Vegas last month. Raptors 905 was an expansion team last season and had several players that also saw action in the NBA, including Anthony Bennett, Bruno Caboclo, Delon Wright and Lucas Nogueira, Reichert adds.
Raptors Notes: DeRozan, Wright, Ibaka
DeMar DeRozan signed the second-largest free agent contract of 2016, but his foray into free agency flew somewhat under the radar — perhaps because it only lasted for a matter of hours. Although he admits to David Morrow of DefPen.com that the idea of joining his hometown Lakers was somewhat intriguing, DeRozan never took a meeting with a team besides the Raptors.
“It was tough,” DeRozan said of his free agency decision. “But at the same time, I know what I created in Toronto, and it was something I wanted to continue building.”
Here’s more on DeRozan’s free agency, along with a few other Raptors-related notes:
- DeRozan also spoke to Morrow about the stress of entering free agency: “You got everybody pulling at you, trying to give you a reason to come to their team, and it’s tough. Especially when you’ve been with one team for so long, you feel like you mold into that one team, that community. It’s tough.”
- Raptors point guard Delon Wright underwent arthroscopic surgery today to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder, the Raptors announced today (via Twitter). The 20th overall pick in last year’s draft, Wright didn’t see much NBA action in his rookie year, having spent a portion of the season in the D-League. His quest for a larger role in his second season will be put on hold while he recovers.
- The Raptors reportedly made an effort to trade for Serge Ibaka earlier this summer, but balked at Oklahoma City’s asking price, and Ibaka ultimately landed in Orlando. However, the big man will be a free agent in 2017, and Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes in his mailbag that Ibaka is “very much on [the Raptors’] minds” as a possible target next summer.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Olynyk, Sloan, Nets
The Raptors have focused on keeping as much of their own talent as possible in free agency, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Over the years, Toronto has been a place that star players have left, with the list including Marcus Camby, Damon Stoudamire, Vince Carter and Chris Bosh. This summer, the Raptors didn’t have the cap room to keep backup center Bismack Biyombo, but they held onto DeMar DeRozan as part of a core that is largely tied up with long-term contracts. “The improvement of our team is going to come from inside,” said GM Masai Ujiri. “Kyle [Lowry], DeMar, and Jonas [Valanciunas] and Patrick [Patterson] and Terrence [Ross]. They will probably take it to another level.” The Raptors’ major addition in free agency was former Boston power forward Jared Sullinger.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics will probably wait until next offseason to make a long-term decision on Kelly Olynyk, Washburn writes in the same piece. Olynyk can sign an extension up to the October 30th deadline, but Boston wants to see the 25-year-old big man for one more season before making a commitment. Olynyk has missed 43 games in his first three seasons, and Washburn writes that the Celtics want him to display more “toughness and consistency.”
- Donald Sloan, who played 61 games for the Nets last season, has reached an agreement to play in China with the Guangdong Tigers, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. His teammates will include former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer and one-time lottery pick Yi Jianlian. The 28-year-old Sloan averaged 7.0 points and 4.4 assists with Brooklyn in 2015/16.
- The $100K guarantees the Nets gave to Yogi Ferrell and Egidijus Mockevicius are the largest the organization has ever handed out to an undrafted college player, according to NetsDaily. Brooklyn signed both players to partially guaranteed training camp contracts this week, along with Beau Beech, who got $45K in guaranteed money. Brooklyn now has 18 players under contract, and the website projects veteran big man Henry Sims and summer league standout Marcus Georges-Hunt as possibilities if GM Sean Marks decides to go with the league maximum of 20.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Raptors
DeMarcus Cousins said he has enjoyed being around Carmelo Anthony with Team USA because the Knicks star has experience playing on both winning and losing teams in an interview posted on the Sacramento Bee’s website. The comment is interesting and while Knicks fans may read it and envision Cousins in blue and orange, there may not be much to put stock into. The Kings are refusing to listen to trade offers for the talented big man, who has two seasons remaining on his contract.
It’s well-known that I have been a Melo fan my whole life so just to work with him on a daily, I think it is going to help me be a better player.” Cousins said. “I‘m excited for it.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- DeMar DeRozan has epitomized the idea of staying loyal by never forgetting his Compton roots in California and choosing to remain with the Raptors this summer, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes in a worthwhile profile of the Toronto star. DeRozan told Medina that the reason he chose to re-sign with the Raptors and not sign with the Lakers had nothing to do with the latter’s recent shortcomings. “When you have an opportunity to go home, that’s something that certainly would cross your mind. But it wasn’t anything,” DeRozan said. “After I finish playing, I’m pretty sure I’ll live in L.A. But I just wanted to do something special and leave a legacy of my own in Toronto.”
- With a need for shooting, the Celtics could conceivably make a bid for free agent J.R. Smith after failing to add more offense via free agency, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.
Three Teams Not Using Cap Room In 2016/17
In previous NBA seasons, there was usually a reasonably balanced split between teams that went under the cap and used cap room to sign free agents or to acquire players via trade and teams that remained over the cap and relied on exceptions to add new players. With the salary cap taking an unprecedented leap this summer from $70MM to $94MM, however, nearly every NBA team renounced its mid-level, bi-annual, and trade exceptions and went under the cap.
While many of those teams have since used up their cap space and gone back over the cap, there are only four NBA teams that have stayed over the cap for the 2016/17 league year so far, and one of those four likely won’t be over the cap for much longer.
Here’s a breakdown of the teams not using cap room in 2016/17:
Will not use cap room in 2016/17:
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers could still technically get under the cap, but it would require parting ways with LeBron James, so that’s a non-starter. Without LeBron under contract, the Cavs still have over $81MM in guaranteed 2016/17 salary on their books, and the team would also like to re-sign J.R. Smith. Those two players could cost upward of $40MM combined for the coming season, putting Cleveland back into tax territory.
With no cap room available, the Cavs have had to rely on exceptions to make tweaks to their roster — the team used a trade exception to land Mike Dunleavy and will sign Chris Andersen using the minimum-salary exception. One move to keep an eye on is the signing of Richard Jefferson, which is not yet official. Assuming the initially-reported terms of the agreement – $5MM over two years – are accurate, Jefferson may be receiving a portion of the club’s mini mid-level exception. Cleveland only has Jefferson’s Non-Bird rights, which wouldn’t accommodate a salary worth up to $5MM over two years.
Los Angeles Clippers
With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan combining for nearly $65MM in total salary in 2016/17, the Clippers would have had to part ways with most of the rest of their players in order to create a significant chunk of cap room. Instead, the team re-signed many of its own free agents, including Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford, Wesley Johnson, and Luc Mbah a Moute.
Since the Clippers didn’t have full Bird rights on Johnson, the club used its full mid-level exception on him, creating a hard cap of $117,287,000 for the coming season. Los Angeles is currently less than $4MM away from that hard cap.
L.A. is using the minimum-salary exception to fill out the rest of its roster, using that exception to add players like Marreese Speights, Brandon Bass, Raymond Felton, and second-round pick Diamond Stone.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors entered the offseason with the opportunity to open up a little cap room, even if they re-signed DeMar DeRozan. But the team wouldn’t have been able to create more than $6-7MM in space, so it made more sense for Toronto to keep its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions.
The Raptors ultimately remained over the cap and used their MLE to sign Jared Sullinger. It appears the rest of the club’s free agent additions to date – Fred VanVleet and Jarrod Uthoff – will be signed using the minimum-salary exception, so the team should still have its bi-annual exception available. Like the Clippers, the Raptors are hard-capped at $117,287,000, but Toronto is currently in no danger of reaching that mark.
Have not used cap room yet in 2016/17:
Oklahoma City Thunder
Having lost Kevin Durant, the Thunder could open up a sizable portion of cap room if they renounce Dion Waiters‘ cap hold, along with their mid-level, bi-annual, and trade exceptions. That may ultimately be the plan, particularly if Russell Westbrook is open to renegotiating his contract, but for now, the team is waiting to see what happens with Waiters.
The Thunder agreed to terms with Alex Abrines on a deal that can be finalized using the mid-level exception if they remain over the cap. If they dip below, they’ll use cap room to complete that signing.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Contract Details For DeMar DeRozan, Fred VanVleet
DeMar DeRozan‘s new five-year contract with the Raptors has a maximum salary in the first year, but it’s not a true max deal, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders details. In years two through five, DeRozan will earn a salary of $27,739,975 annually, a figure which will fall increasingly below the max over the length of the contract. In total, Pincus pegs the five-year value of DeRozan’s deal at $137.5MM, which is slightly lower than the figure initially reported ($139MM), so it’s possible the pact features unlikely incentives. Still, it looks like Toronto got a bit of a hometown discount, since DeRozan surely could’ve commanded a full max from other suitors.
- Undrafted rookie Fred VanVleet inked a two-year minimum-salary deal with the Raptors, receiving a $50K guarantee in year one from the team. He’ll face an uphill battle in his attempt to earn his roster spot, with three point guards ahead of him on the depth chart.
Community Shootaround: Eastern Playoff Team Most Likely To Slide?
Last week, one of our Community Shootaround discussions focused on this year’s non-playoff teams in the East, asking which of those clubs had done the most to improve its roster so far this summer. The Knicks and Sixers received the most support, but several lottery teams got positive reviews from Hoops Rumors commenters for their offseason work.
Today, it’s time to look at the other eight teams in the East. The Cavaliers, Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons all earned spots in the postseason. How many of those teams will be back in 2017, and how many will drop out?
The Heat had the most notable departure of any of those eight playoff teams, when Dwyane Wade left Miami to sign with his hometown Bulls. But Miami wasn’t the only club to lose a notable player. The Hawks saw Al Horford depart, and the Raptors parted ways with breakout rim-protector Bismack Biyombo.
The Hornets and Pistons, meanwhile, managed to re-sign their own key free agents, including Nicolas Batum and Andre Drummond, and added some complementary pieces. But Charlotte, at least, will have to deal with some notable departures as well, including Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin, and Courtney Lee.
Finally, the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Pacers have all received solid reviews for their summer decisions — in Cleveland’s case, it’s simply enough to bring back most of the team that beat the 73-win Warriors for the championship. For Boston and Indiana, the changes are more notable — the C’s added Horford and No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown, while the Pacers brought in Jefferson, Thaddeus Young, and Jeff Teague, among others.
What do you think? Which of the Eastern playoff teams is most likely to slide down the standings in 2016/17? How many of these eight clubs do you expect to finish in the lottery next year? Is Miami the most obvious candidate to take a step or two backwards, or is there another team more in danger of underachieving?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the Cavs, Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.