Western Notes: Bryant, Garrett, Craft, Smith
Kobe Bryant needs to take a step back and allow some of his teammates to take charge of the Lakers, opines Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Coach Byron Scott agrees. “I’ve talked to a couple individuals about just being a little bit more assertive, not relying on Kobe as much,” Scott said. “You guys can ask Kobe this. I think he wants to get those guys to step up. He really does. Take shots when they have them. Not defer to him as much.” Earlier this week in a loss to the Suns, Bryant took 37 shots, while the rest of the team’s starters combined to take only 35.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Diante Garrett will be returning to the Iowa Energy, who are the D-League affiliates of the Grizzlies, the team announced. The Blazers recently waived the Iowa State product after spending just a month on their roster.
- Aaron Craft is mulling a contract offer from Partizan Belgrade of the Serbian League, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando reports. Craft spent training camp with the Warriors and was set to play for Golden State’s D-League affiliate this season. Though the amount of Partizan Belgrade’s offer to Craft has not been reported, it’s likely for more than the guard would have earned playing in Santa Cruz this season, though that is just my speculation.
- Ish Smith is excited to be the newest member of the Thunder because of his relationship with his new teammates, writes Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman. “I’m really good friends with a lot of guys, played against them. Russ (Russell Westbrook), (Kevin Durant), Lance (Thomas), all in the ’06 class, so I know a lot of them,” Smith said.
- Canada is producing basketball prospects at unheard of rates, writes Dave Skretta of the Associated Press. Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett of the Wolves are the past two No. 1 overall NBA draft picks and are each of Canadian descent. Many, including Bennett, have attributed their interest in basketball to watching Vince Carter when he was on the Raptors. “That’s when we seen him doing all these types of dunks,” Bennett said of watching Carter. “We just had a love for his game.”
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Wiggins, Ariza, Mavs
No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins is only averaging 9.8 PPG after his first four NBA games, but the Wolves rookie is already drawing comparisons to another NBA star, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops writes. “He reminded me of Paul George,” an Eastern Conference GM told Scotto. “Paul came in a better off-ball defender than Andrew. He’s [Wiggins] probably a good on-ball defender. Paul had a very difficult time handling the ball when he came in and worked on it and their shooting is similar. I’d say Andrew is a hair better athlete and Paul is a little bigger maybe.” The biggest difference between the two players as rookies is Wiggins is under much more scrutiny and pressure than George was as a rookie thanks to his top slot on the draft board, adds Scotto.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Despite quite a few predictions of a Cavs–Bulls Eastern Conference Finals, the Raptors and the Wizards might prove those prognostications premature, Eric Koreen of The National Post writes. Toronto and Washington are taking different approaches regarding the mixture of veterans and younger players on their respective rosters, notes Koreen. The Raptors are building around a younger core, and the Wizards, despite younger stars like Bradley Beal and John Wall, have added a number of long-in-the-tooth veterans this past offseason. Wizards coach Randy Wittman said, “Obviously, talent prevails. You’ve got to have that first. It was important for us to have a mixture of veterans with our young guys,” Koreen adds.
- The Mavs have been affiliated with the Texas Legends of the D-League for five seasons and view the partnership as a way to experiment with new ideas, Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com writes. “There have always been a lot of advantages to having the team in Frisco, but we’re using it more experimentally now,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban said. “There are certain things we’ll hopefully unveil that will be different. We’ve been practicing some things, and hopefully they will work. We want to try some things that will hopefully change things up.”
- Trevor Ariza is making it easy for Rockets fans to forget that Chandler Parsons is now in Dallas, Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) writes. Thus far, Ariza is averaging 15.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.2 APG, while shooting a ridiculous 55% from behind the arc for the 6-0 Rockets.
Offseason In Review: Toronto Raptors
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- Kyle Lowry: Four years, $48MM. Signed via Bird rights. Fourth year is player option.
- Patrick Patterson: Three years, $18.15MM. Signed via Bird rights.
- Greivis Vasquez: Two years, $13MM. Signed via Bird rights.
- James Johnson: Two years, $5MM. Signed via mid-level exception.
- Greg Stiemsma: One year, $981K. Signed via minimum-salary exception.
Extensions
- None
Trades
- Acquired cash from the Nets in exchange for 2014 pick No. 59.
- Acquired Lou Williams and the rights to Lucas Nogueira from the Hawks in exchange for John Salmons and Toronto’s 2015 second-round pick.
- Acquired Diante Garrett from the Jazz in exchange for Steve Novak and New York’s 2017 second-round pick. Garrett was subsequently waived.
Waiver Claims
- None
Draft Picks
- Bruno Caboclo (Round 1, 20th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
- DeAndre Daniels (Round 2, 37th overall). Playing in Australia.
- Lucas Nogueira (2013, Round 1, 16th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
Camp Invitees
- Will Cherry
- Jordan Hamilton
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Terrence Ross (fourth year, $3,553,917) — Exercised
- Jonas Valanciunas (fourth year, $4,660,482) — Exercised
The results of this past offseason seem rather tame for GM Masai Ujiri, who made his mark with splashy moves in Denver and in his first months in Toronto. Still, it’s not as if the former Executive of the Year award-winner didn’t put in his fair share of work this summer. Kyle Lowry admitted that the Raptors weren’t always the favorite in the race to re-sign him but said that Ujiri’s enthusiasm for bringing him back influenced his decision to stay north of the border. There was a relatively slim field of suitors for the point guard who wound up with a four-year, $48MM deal, with the Rockets, Lakers, Mavs and Heat seemingly the only legitimate competition for Toronto, and reports later in the summer indicated that Miami’s interest was overstated.
That weak market for Lowry had much to do with a glut of quality point guards around the league, but it also speaks to the uneasiness that comes with projecting Lowry’s performance. Last season was a career year for the now 28-year-old, and while it could be a signal that he’s entering his prime, it could also be a blip on the radar that precedes a regression during the season ahead. Many reports have documented Lowry’s attitude change for the better over the past year, but it remains to be seen if his demeanor is truly the key to his on-court production. The Raptors bet heavily that the 2013/14 version of Lowry more closely resembles the one who’ll be around for the next few years, but in Toronto, where free agents aren’t known to flock, the need to take such risks is higher than it is elsewhere.
The former Villanova standout isn’t the only Raptors point guard who’s back after having been a free agent. Greivis Vasquez made it clear that he longed to stay in Toronto, where he’d spent only a partial season after stops in Memphis, New Orleans and Sacramento during a whirlwind tour of the league on his rookie scale contract. Vasquez is only a season removed from having averaged 9.0 assists in New Orleans during his only full year as a starter. The buyer’s market for point guards surely didn’t help Vasquez, either, though he still probably could have ended up with a starting job somewhere, provided the Raptors didn’t exercise their right to match offers for the restricted free agent. The Raptors paid a premium of a contract valued slightly above the mid-level salary to keep him, but Vasquez is probably worth it, particularly since he gives the team a solid Plan B in case Lowry indeed regresses, and his presence tacitly puts pressure on Lowry to perform.
The Raptors were reportedly worried at one point that they wouldn’t be able to keep both Vasquez and Patrick Patterson, their other restricted free agent, but thanks in large measure to the Steve Novak trade, they were able to accommodate new deals for both under the tax line. The only cost of unloading Novak’s nearly $3.446MM salary on the Jazz, other than Novak himself, was a second-round pick that Ujiri had acquired from the Knicks in 2013’s Andrea Bargnani trade. Toronto took back the non-guaranteed salary of Diante Garrett and promptly waived him, opening the flexibility to give Patterson a three-year deal with salaries similar to Vasquez’s two-year pact. Patterson, the last pick of the lottery in 2010, never had the breakout year that Vasquez had, though he’s never had the opportunity to be a full-time starter, except for the first half of the 2012/13 season before the Rockets traded him to Sacramento. Vasquez has done more to merit his deal than Patterson has to earn his, but Patterson is nonetheless a floor-spacing power forward who provides a complement to the inside game of starting power forward Amir Johnson. Fit often trumps talent when it comes to building benches.
The Raptors had enough flexibility left over to bring in a player who once started for them and slot him for a bench role. James Johnson‘s stock had cratered before the Grizzlies signed him last December, but he made it plain that he deserves a place in the league, helping Memphis stay afloat while the team was dealing with numerous injuries. The 16th overall pick from 2009 can play either forward position, and though his lack of three-point shooting makes it a tougher go for him at small forward, Patterson’s floor-stretching ability once more comes in handy, since he and Johnson will likely see plenty of time together. Reports indicated the Rockets had interest while the Grizzlies were split on whether to re-sign him, but that doesn’t suggest there was a robust market for the 27-year-old, making his $2.5MM salaries seem pricey for the Raptors.
They’re still much less than what the Raptors would have had to pay John Salmons, whom Ujiri shipped to Atlanta before his $7MM salary for this season became fully guaranteed. The Raptors are shelling out more this year to the two players they received in return, but the 28-year-old Lou Williams, a double-figure scorer for the past seven seasons, has much more upside than the 34-year-old Salmons. Lucas Nogueira, the raw big man from Brazil whom the Raptors also received in the trade, ostensibly has more upside than Salmons, too, though his potential won’t be realized for a while.
Ujiri is clearly not averse to raw Brazilian big men, as he proved when he made one of the most shocking draft picks in the past several years, taking Bruno Caboclo with the 20th overall pick. Just 18 years old on draft day, Caboclo had spent the past season in the lightly regarded Brazilian league, scoring 5.2 points in just 13.0 minutes per game. There were other teams that reportedly planned to draft him before the Raptors would have had a chance to nab him with their second-round pick, at No. 37, but it’s unclear if those clubs would have had the temerity to go through with such a bold move when their picks came around. Perhaps most surprisingly, the Raptors signed him over the summer, starting the clock on his rookie scale contract and committing two years of guaranteed salaries to him rather than letting him develop overseas. That could pay off if he hits restricted free agency before he truly breaks out, allowing the Raptors to re-sign him at a discount, but there’s certainly no promise that he’ll ever truly pay off for the Raptors or anyone else in the league.
Ujiri filled his team’s final opening-night roster spot with Greg Stiemsma, an experienced backup center who can supplement an otherwise unproven (Nogueira, Caboclo) or undersized (Chuck Hayes) group of reserve big men. Stiemsma beat out Jordan Hamilton and Will Cherry in a spirited preseason competition, and with both Hamilton and Cherry now under contract with other NBA teams, it’s clear the Raptors are paying a premium for using a pair of roster spots on long-term projects. There’s an opportunity for the Raptors to go to the Eastern Conference Finals this season if they play well and catch a break, with Derrick Rose‘s health a question mark and many uncertainties surrounding the way the new Cavs will mesh. Still, the Raptors are at their heart a young team, with DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross still gaining steam and Lowry seemingly just hitting his stride. Ujiri has as much of an obligation to look toward the future as he does to the present, and in that context, the Brazilian big men are just two more examples of Ujiri’s fearlessness.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Jazz Claim Hamilton, Ingles, Waive Felix
The Jazz have waived Carrick Felix, and they’ve claimed Jordan Hamilton and Joe Ingles off waivers, the team announced in a pair of releases. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the waiver claims and tweeted the news that the team would release Felix. Utah had been carrying 14 players, so at least one had to go to accommodate the pair of claims. Hamilton, whose minimum-salary deal is partially guaranteed for $25K, comes from the Raptors, so Toronto is no longer on the hook for that money. The Clippers had placed their non-guaranteed contract with Ingles on waivers.
Hamilton made it tough on the Raptors this month, though they ultimately decided to go with Greg Stiemsma over both Hamilton and Will Cherry as they all battled for one open regular season roster spot with matching $25K guarantees. Hamilton averaged 9.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game in the preseason, more playing time than he had seen in any of his three regular seasons since becoming the 26th overall pick in 2011.
Ingles was a hot commodity after his showing for the Australian national team in the World Cup. The Jazz were among a host of teams that were eyeing the swingman as early as this past spring, and he ultimately decided on the Clippers, though it was surprising to see him fail to garner any guaranteed salary. He’ll make the minimum this year.
Felix’s minimum salary was fully guaranteed, so Utah is on the hook for that money unless he clears waivers. The 33rd overall pick from last year played nine D-League games and seven NBA contests last year with the Cavs, who sent him out primarily for financial reasons in the July trade that brought him to Utah. He has a non-guaranteed salary for 2015/16 that will disappear if he clears waivers.
Utah creeps closer to this year’s $63.065MM cap with today’s pickups, but the Jazz still have less than $60MM in committed salary for this season.
Eastern Notes: Raptors, Stiemsma, Celtics, Sixers
The Raptors are one of 13 teams in the league without a one-to-one setup with a D-League affiliate, as our table of affiliations shows. Toronto GM Masai Ujiri said that it’s difficult to establish their own D-League affiliate because it’s difficult to find a suitably close location, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun reports (Twitter links). Ujiri also said that it was a mid-term goal and not a priority, notes Wolstat. For now, the franchise will continue to utilize the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, which is the only D-League team that’s not in a one-to-one partnership at this time.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Raptors like Greg Stiemsma for his ability to block shots, Wolstat writes in a separate piece. Stiemsma, who won the team’s 15th and final regular season roster spot, has blocked 2.8 shots per 36 minutes over his three year NBA career.
- Although many would call the Celtics’ strategy rebuilding, GM Danny Ainge doesn’t refer to it as anything besides progress and believes coach Brad Stevens is right man to lead the inexperienced team, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “We don’t really look at it as rebuilding or changing direction, we’re trying to build a championship,” said Ainge. “We have some really nice players and I know Brad is really understanding the NBA game and all the things that come from making the transition to coaching in college. I couldn’t be happier with Brad and his staff. I think he’s done a great job of communicating to all the players.”
- While the rest of the league may look down upon the Sixers‘ rebuilding plan, GM Sam Hinkie only cares about winning an NBA title and isn’t worried about the perception of the team, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It is really important, I think, not to take your eyes off what matters,” Hinkie said. “And what matters is not feeling great about yourself the third of March, but to give yourself a chance to feel good about yourself on the third of June.”
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Raptors Waive Will Cherry, Jordan Hamilton
The Raptors have officially waived Will Cherry and Jordan Hamilton, the team announced (Twitter link). These moves reduce Toronto’s preseason roster count to 15 players, which is the league’s regular season limit. Both players had their deals partially guaranteed for $25K, so the Raptors are on the hook for a total of $50K as a result. Presumably, that means Greg Stiemsma has made the opening-night roster on his $25K partially guaranteed deal.
The 6’1″, 23-year-old Cherry averaged 12.8 PPG and 4.0 RPG while logging 25.3 minutes per contest in five games for the Cavs Summer League team in Las Vegas. Cherry also played for the Cavs’ D-League affiliate last season, when he provided 11.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG in 30.4 MPG.
Hamilton is a player who is sure to garner interest from other NBA teams looking for some help on the wing. The 24-year-old out of Texas for his career has appeared in 126 games, averaging 5.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 0.8 APG. His slash line is .406/.358/.671.
And-Ones: Thunder, Raptors, D-League
Although the Thunder have sustained a rash of injuries, the team will only keep 14 players on the roster, writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Slater also notes that Michael Jenkins, Richard Solomon, Talib Zanna and Lance Thomas have all played vital roles in the preseason, yet it is unlikely any of them force the team to consider filling their 15th and final regular season roster spot before opening night.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Raptors still have 17 players on their preseason roster, and haven’t decided on who will make the final cut. Head coach Dwayne Casey said the final roster decisions would come down to the wire, Jay Satur of NBA.com reports.
- The Wizards signing of Paul Pierce was a short-term fix with the franchise hoping that Otto Porter can develop into a valuable contributor in the coming season, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. With the injury to Bradley Beal, and with Trevor Ariza departing as a free agent to Houston, Porter may be called upon to log heavy minutes early in the season.
- Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is against maximum individual salaries for NBA players, writes David Mayo of MLive. “If it were more of a free-market system, I think things would change,” Van Gundy said. “I think you’d see greater parity in the league — especially having the (salary) cap and no individual max.”
- Teams are finding ways to get around the D-League’s individual maximum salary restrictions to entice players to sign with their affiliates, writes Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). This preseason, many NBA teams have signed players to their active roster only to release or waive the player shortly thereafter. By doing this, the team obtains the player’s D-League rights and the player can sign a partially guaranteed contract that trumps the D-League maximum salary which is slightly less than $26K per year. Elhassan points out this loophole would motivate fringe NBA talent to play in the D-League rather than take international offers.
- Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links) disputes the notion that the Kings had interest in Jordan Crawford prior to him heading over to China to play. The two sides never had serious discussions, and if Sacramento was interested in signing a veteran shooting guard they would have preferred MarShon Brooks, who played well for them in Summer League, Jones notes.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Celtics, Teletovic, Sixers
The Sixers have company in their opposition to draft lottery reform, but it looks like change is inevitable. That figures to make a long season even longer in Philadelphia, but in the meantime, there’s news on the Sixers amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:
- Greg Stiemsma would seem the favorite for the 15th regular season roster spot on the Raptors based on Toronto’s needs at center, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, but Jordan Hamilton and Will Cherry are making strong cases for themselves, as Wolstat examines. Each has a partial guarantee of $25K.
- The Celtics signed Tim Frazier, Rodney McGruder and Christian Watford with the intention of keeping their D-League rights, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Boston is set to release the trio, as well as Erik Murphy, from its NBA roster soon.
- Mirza Teletovic plans to listen to offers from the Nets as well as other teams when his contract expires after the season, as he said this week to Avaz, a newspaper in his native Bosnia and Herzegovina, as Robert Windrem of Nets Daily translates. The Nets can make Teletovic a restricted free agent, though their right of first refusal wouldn’t apply if he chose to go back overseas.
- JaKarr Sampson has been especially impressive, as Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters this week as he discussed the team’s players fighting for a regular season roster spot, observes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Atlantic Notes: Teletovic, Jackson, Drake
Carmelo Anthony thinks back-to-backs should be reduced, telling Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com it’s something that should be discussed. “I don’t know if that will ever happen, but that’s the dream,” Anthony said. “Maybe it will happen 10 years from now when I’m out of the league.” The extended All-Star break has actually resulted in more back-to-backs for 2014/15. Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Mirza Teletovic‘s development this season will go a long way in deciding his fate as a restricted free agent next year. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes that the 29-year-old small forward’s play could also soften the lingering effects of what Bondy believes are poor decisions for the Nets, who let Paul Pierce walk this summer after acquiring him in an expensive blockbuster deal the year before.
- Al Iannazzone, Mark La Monica, and Anthony Carrozzo of Newsday have compiled a timeline of Phil Jackson‘s first seven months as Knicks president, offering analysis of each move Jackson has pulled off in his attempt to overhaul the franchise.
- Rapper and Raptors team ambassador Drake was involved in Kentucky’s Midnight Madness festivities, spending time among the college players as Kaitlyn McGrath of the National Post reports. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders wonders (on Twitter) if he might draw league attention for his participation, after having earned Toronto a tampering fine by leading a recruitment chant for Kevin Durant at a concert.
Eastern Notes: Allen, Heat, Cavs
Many around the NBA believe Ray Allen will become a member of the Cavs this season and Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is among the Cleveland optimists. “My gut tells me he’ll join the Cavs,” Amico said. Cleveland is among the many teams with interest in bringing the shooting guard aboard. Amico also notes that he believes Allen has already decided on whether or not he’ll play this season, and where.
Here’s more from Eastern Conference:
- After he struggled last postseason there were doubts the Heat would re-sign Mario Chalmers, but head coach Eric Spoelstra is a firm believer in the point guard, writes Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. “He’s one of the all-time clutch players in this game,” Spoelstra said. “How many times does he have to prove himself?”
- In a separate piece, Richardson documents how the environment around the Heat is changing post-LeBron James. Dwyane Wade couldn’t be happier about the changes. “It’s more relaxed, more chill, an opportunity we can get some work in,” Wade said. “We can actually make some mistakes and not do things as great and not really be talked about as much. We’re a team that needs time individually to get comfortable with whatever roles we’re going to be in. It’s good it’s quiet.”
- Although Kevin Love‘s neck injury isn’t believed to be too serious, Jeff Caplan of NBA.com wonders if LeBron’s new teammates can stay healthy. Caplan points out the injury history of Love and Kyrie Irving and notes how crucial it is that the new big three get as much time on the court together as possible
- There are Atlantic Division teams that have young players with the potential to improve such as Terrence Ross of the Raptors and Tyler Zeller of the Celtics, writes Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com. Mason Plumlee of the Nets, Iman Shumpert of the Knicks and Michael Carter-Williams of the Sixers are also among the players Tjarks lists as internal improvement candidates for the coming season.