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Rockets Pick Up Options On Jones, Motiejunas

October 30th, 2013 at 4:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:36pm: The Rockets have officially announced that the team exercised its 2014/15 options on Jones and Motiejunas, tweets Feigen.

OCTOBER 30TH, 10:54am: Houston will officially exercise its options on Jones and Motiejunas today, tweets Feigen.

OCTOBER 20TH, 10:16am: The Rockets plan to exercise their team options on the rookie scale contracts of Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Both are coming off their rookie seasons, so the deadline to officially lock in the third years of their respective deals is October 31st. Jones’ 2014/15 option is worth $1,618,680, while Motiejunas is in line for $1,483,920.

The team is hesitant to turn the power forward position over to either just yet, even though the front office is ready to commit to both through 2015, Feigen writes. Motiejunas started 14 regular season games last season and appeared in 30 others, averaging 5.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per contest. Still, he wasn’t a factor in Houston’s playoff series against the Thunder, notching just five total minutes. Jones saw slightly more time in the playoffs, scoring eight points in 35 total minutes, but he appeared in more D-League games than he did NBA contests last year. Jones put up 19.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in 24 games for the D-League champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The options, once officially exercised, will add about $3MM to the Rockets payroll for 2014/15, which already includes more than $53.8MM in guaranteed money. Houston will likely operate as an over-the-cap team next summer, unlike this past offseason, when the team used ample cap space to sign Dwight Howard. Keep up with each team’s rookie contract option decisions between now and the end of the month with our updated tracker.

Nuggets Exercise Options On Faried, Fournier

October 30th, 2013 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

4:08pm: The Nuggets have officially announced in a press release that they’ve picked up their 2014/15 options on Faried and Fournier. The release doesn’t include word on Hamilton, so it looks like his option will be declined, though that’s not official yet.

10:16am: The Nuggets have picked up their fourth-year option on Kenneth Faried and their third-year option on Evan Fournier, according to the transactions log at RealGM.com. The club has now locked up Faried for the remainder of his rookie contract, while Fournier will have one more team option for 2015/16.

With Andre Iguodala now playing in Golden State and Danilo Gallinari starting the season on the shelf, the Nuggets will be leaning on Faried and Fournier more than ever this year. Faried will earn a salary of about $1.37MM in 2013/14 before getting a bump to $2.25MM for ’14/15. Fournier, meanwhile, is in line for a guaranteed $1.48MM in ’14/15.

As for the Nuggets’ third rookie scale player, there’s no word yet on Jordan Hamilton‘s fourth-year option, which would be worth about $2.11MM. When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined this year’s rookie contract option decisions, he suggested that Hamilton would be on the bubble, particularly since Denver’s new GM and coach don’t have as strong a stake in the young swingman. The Nuggets have until tomorrow to exercise or decline Hamilton’s option.

To catch up on all of this month’s rookie contract option decisions, check out our tracker.

International Notes: Powell, Blue, Green

October 30th, 2013 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

A few more NBA camp invitees have landed jobs overseas, so let’s round up the latest news in today’s collection of international notes….

Josh Powell was one of the Knicks‘ camp casualties last week, but he’s found a new gig in China, where he’ll join the Guangdong Southern Tigers, tweets Evan Wang of Hupu.com (hat tip to Sportando). Powell is no stranger to international ball, having played for Olympiacos in Greece in 2012/13, following stints in Puerto Rico and China.
After leaving Marquette a year early and spending camp with the Sixers, Vander Blue has signed in Israel with Maccabi Rishon Lezion, according to the Israeli Basketball League (via Twitter). The 6’5″ shooting guard helped lead Marquette to the Elite Eight in last season’s NCAA tournament, averaging 18.3 PPG in the team’s four March Madness games.
JaMychal Green, who joined the Clippers for a brief camp stint this month, will head to France to play for Chorale Roanne, says Alexandre Lacoste of Catch-and-Shoot (hat tip to Sportando). Green, a former Alabama forward, played for the D-League’s Austin Toros last season.

Jazz Exercise Options On Kanter, Burks

October 29th, 2013 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 3:50pm: The Jazz have officially exercised their fourth-year options on Kanter and Burks, the team announced today in a press release.

MONDAY, 10:15am: As they continue to work on a potential extension for fourth-year forward Gordon Hayward, the Jazz are set to pick up their 2014/15 options on third-year players Enes Kanter and Alec Burks, GM Dennis Lindsey confirmed today (Twitter link via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News).

The decision doesn’t come as any surprise, since Kanter and Burks as viewed as part of a Utah core that also include Hayward, Trey Burke, and the recently extended Derrick Favors. Kanter and Burks, who will both be eligible for extensions next summer, are now in line for guaranteed 2014/15 salaries of about $5.69MM and $3.03MM, respectively.

The deadline to exercise ’14/15 options on rookie scale players is Thursday, so we can expect an official announcement from the Jazz by then. To follow all the decisions on rookie contract options, be sure to check out our tracker.

Odds & Ends: D-League, Tanking, Thornton

October 29th, 2013 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Now that NBA teams have finalized their opening night rosters, free agents and camp invitees who missed the cut could turn to the D-League. NBA clubs are allowed to retain D-League rights for up to three players they had in camp, and many D-League squads will still hang on to players’ rights from last season. Many D-League hopefuls, however, have their sights set on November 1st, the night of this year’s draft. Over at D-League Digest, Gino Pilato has a primer for this year’s draft, while at Secret Rival, Mark Porcaro examines the players we know will be part of the draft pool.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:

By way of Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, an anonymous NBA general manager explains first-hand why his team is in tank mode this season. Any guesses on which GM it might be?
Just five days after we passed along word that former NBA lottery pick Al Thornton had joined China’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers, Evan Wang of Hupu.com tweets that the two sides have parted ways (hat tip to Sportando). Xinjiang is eyeing James Singleton as a potential replacement for Thornton.
Although it looks like Thornton will return stateside for now, China has become a hot destination for former NBA players and NBA hopefuls, as our international player movement tracker shows. In an interesting and in-depth piece for Bleacher Report, Jared Zwerling details the emergence of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo! Sports takes a look at undrafted players who earned spots on NBA opening night rosters, as well as prospects who left college early and didn’t land on a roster.
After identifying a few trade candidates around the NBA yesterday, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld lists a few more today, including some big names (Rajon Rondo, Pau Gasol) and some under-the-radar possibilities (Alonzo Gee, Andre Miller).

Spurs Pick Up Options For Leonard, Joseph

October 28th, 2013 at 5:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Spurs have exercised their 2014/15 options on Kawhi Leonard and Cory Joseph, the team announced via press release. It’s the fourth-year option for both, meaning they’ll be eligible for extensions to their rookie-scale contracts next summer. Leonard will earn close to $2.9MM in 2014/15, while Joseph will see a little more than $2MM, as our rookie contract option tracker shows.

The move to pick up Leonard’s option is a formality, since he quickly established himself as a key part of the franchise’s future in his first two seasons in San Antonio. I had the decision on Leonard as a “no-brainer” when I looked at pending rookie options last month, but I listed Joseph as “on the bubble.” The 29th pick in 2011 has appeared in only 57 games over his first two seasons combined, though he did serve as the team’s backup point guard for the majority of the playoffs last year, averaging 3.0 points and 1.2 assists in 9.6 minutes per contest.

The moves add nearly $5MM to San Antonio’s payroll for next season, bringing the total amount of the team’s commitments to about $33.5MM. That number is deceptively low, as I pointed out earlier this month, since it doesn’t include $9MM in non-guaranteed salary for Tony Parker and a $10MM player option for Tim Duncan.

Wizards Release Brown, Marshall, Lee

October 28th, 2013 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

5:17pm: The moves are now official, as the Wizards confirm them via press release.

1:11pm: The Wizards are the last NBA team to make their roster cuts, but their plans haven’t changed over the weekend, according to J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Michael reports that Washington will officially release three players acquired on Friday: Shannon Brown, Kendall Marshall, and Malcolm Lee.

While most NBA teams cut players on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts, the Wizards had been carrying 18 players on fully guaranteed deals following their acquisition of Marcin Gortat. As such, Washington will be on the hook for most or all of the salaries for Brown, Marshall, and Lee, unless they’re claimed on waivers by another team.

A waiver claim may not be likely, but Brown and Marshall are reportedly drawing some interest around the league, and if they sign with another club, the amount owed to them by the Wizards will be slightly reduced. Brown is said to be interested in the Lakers, though he has yet to make any decisions. The Sixers, meanwhile, could be a suitor for Marshall.

Knicks Exercise 2014/15 Option On Shumpert

October 28th, 2013 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have officially exercised their 2014/15 option on Iman Shumpert, the club announced today (Twitter link). The move ensures that Shumpert will remain under team control, with a fully guaranteed salary, for the next two seasons.

Shumpert, a member of the 2011 draft class, will earn about $1.7MM this season, and then be in line for about $2.62MM in ’14/15. If the Knicks want to keep him in the fold long-term, the team could lock him up to an extension during the 2014 offseason. Otherwise, he’ll hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2015.

Shumpert’s fourth-year option was the only rookie contract decision due for the Knicks this week, but plenty of other teams will have until Halloween to decide on their own rookie scale players. You can follow our tracker for the latest updates.

Rockets Release Marcus Camby

October 28th, 2013 at 12:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 12:09pm: The Rockets have released Camby, the team formally announced today in a press release.

SUNDAY, 11:56am: The Rockets will release Marcus Camby on Monday, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. A torn plantar fascia tissue in his left foot has kept him out of action in the preseason, and he tells Mark Berman on Fox 26 Houston that he’s decided to have surgery next week to correct the problem (Twitter link). Feigen adds that the Rockets could look to re-sign him later this season once he’s healthy (Twitter link). The 39-year-old may also transition into coaching or player development with the team, as Kevin McHale would welcome him in any role, Feigen notes (on Twitter).

The move will help the Rockets pare their 17-man roster down to the 15-player regular season limit. Camby’s fully guaranteed salary will remain on the team’s books this season regardless of whether he signs another deal, providing no other team claims him off waivers. Camby will make the veteran’s minimum for players with 10 or more years of experience, which is close to $1.4MM, though Houston is only stuck with $884,293, the equivalent of the two-year veteran’s minimum. The league will pay Camby the rest, since he’s on a one-year deal.

The Rockets have 12 fully guaranteed deals aside from Camby’s, plus partially guaranteed contracts for Ronnie Brewer and Reggie Williams and fully non-guaranteed pacts for Patrick Beverley and Greg Smith. Beverley and Smith are key pieces for the team, so the Rockets figure to owe money to at least one more player who won’t be on the team’s opening-night roster. Aaron Brooks and undrafted rookie Robert Covington are guaranteed only the minimum salary this season, just like Camby, so perhaps they’re candidates to be waived, though that’s just my speculation.

Rockets Waive Reggie Williams

October 28th, 2013 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

12:08pm: The Rockets have officially waived Williams, the team announced in a press release.

11:51am: With today’s roster deadline looming, the Rockets will release Reggie Williams, according to RealGM.com. Williams, who appeared to be the odd man out after not playing in the team’s final preseason tune-up, thanked Houston for the opportunity earlier today (via Twitter).

While the Rockets have yet to officially announce the release of Williams or Marcus Camby, finalizing those cuts will reduce the club’s roster to 15 players, making it regular-season-ready. Houston will have to eat a little money in the process, since Williams’ minimum salary deal was 50% guaranteed, while Camby’s minimum salary pact was fully guaranteed.

By waiving Williams and Camby, Houston ensures that non-guaranteed players Patrick Beverley and Greg Smith have spots on the roster. Ronnie Brewer, who has a partial guarantee, also seems to have earned as spot, along with undrafted rookie Robert Covington.

Williams, who played for the Bobcats in 2012/13, will become a free agent later this week, assuming he clears waivers. At that point, the 27-year-old’s career .371 3PT% could interest some teams in need of outside shooting.