Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Ron Baker Exercises 2018/19 Player Option

May 31st, 2018 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks guard Ron Baker has exercised his player option for the 2018/19 season and will remain under contract with the team for one more season, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The option will pay Baker a salary of $4,544,400.

Baker, 25, joined the Knicks as an undrafted free agent out of Wichita State at the start of the 2016/17 season. After impressing the team in his rookie season, the 6’4″ guard inked a two-year deal last summer, with New York utilizing its full room exception to lock him up.

In the first year of his new contract, Baker was limited to 29 games, due in part to a season-ending shoulder injury. He averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.6 APG with a .339/.333/.769 shooting line in 13.3 minutes per contest. Those modest numbers made Baker’s 2018/19 option a lock to be exercised.

Baker’s decision continues a trend of an increasing number of NBA veterans picking up player options rather than turning them down. During the 2016 and 2017 offseasons, only eight of 53 player options were exercised. However, Baker is already the seventh player to opt into a contract this spring, joining Jeremy Lin (Nets), Cory Joseph (Pacers), Wesley Johnson (Clippers), Wesley Matthews (Mavericks), Kosta Koufos (Kings), and Jason Smith (Wizards).

Bucks To Hire Mike Budenholzer

May 16th, 2018 at 7:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:08pm: Darvin Ham, Budenholzer’s top assistant in Atlanta, will accompany him to Milwaukee and may be joined by the rest of the staff, according to David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link).

6:47pm: Budenholzer will sign a four-year contract, Wojnarowski tweets.

6:17pm: Mike Budenholzer has agreed to become the Bucks’ next coach, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Clues began to emerge over the past two days that Budenholzer was the top choice for the job. He met with team management and ownership yesterday, then had breakfast this morning with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

Budenholzer spent the past five seasons as the head coach of the Hawks before parting ways with the franchise last month. Atlanta launched a rebuilding project this year after four straight playoff appearances and Budenholzer reportedly didn’t want to go through that process. He was 213-197 with the Hawks, including a 24-58 record this season.

He succeeds interim coach Joe Prunty, who took over the team when Jason Kidd was fired in January. Prunty, who compiled a 21-16 mark, was among the coaches who interviewed for the opening, along with Ettore Messina, Steve Clifford, Monty Williams, David Blatt, Becky Hammon and Jay Larranaga. Messina was also considered a finalist and met with Bucks ownership on Tuesday as well.

Budenholzer was among the most popular candidates on the market, getting permission from the Hawks to interview with the Suns and Knicks while he was still their coach. He also had an interview Monday with the Raptors, according to Wojnarowski, but Toronto didn’t make an offer.

The Bucks are the sixth team to fill a vacancy in what has been an active offseason for coaching changes. The Pistons, Raptors, and Magic are still in the market for head coaches. Keep up to date with all the developments with our 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks Waive Tyler Cavanaugh

May 11th, 2018 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

11:25am: The Hawks have officially waived Cavanaugh, the team announced today in a press release.

8:52am: The Hawks will waive forward Tyler Cavanaugh, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski writes that an early guarantee date, an ankle injury, and a coaching change all contributed to Atlanta’s decision to part with Cavanaugh.

An undrafted rookie out of George Washington University, Cavanaugh caught on with the Hawks for training camp last fall. While he didn’t earn a spot on the regular season roster initially, he inked a two-way deal with the club in November, then was promoted to the 15-man roster in December. For the season, the 24-year-old averaged 4.7 PPG and 3.3 RPG with a .441/.360/.810 shooting line in 39 games (13.3 MPG).

Cavanaugh’s contract with the Hawks included a non-guaranteed salary of $1,378,242 for the 2018/19 season. However, had he remained under contract through May 15, he would have received a partial guarantee of $450K, according to Basketball Insiders’ data. That trigger date forced Atlanta into a decision early in the offseason.

Cavanaugh will become an unrestricted free agent, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Kings’ Kosta Koufos Exercises Player Option

May 11th, 2018 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 11: Koufos has officially exercised his 2018/19 option, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

MAY 10: Kosta Koufos won’t opt for free agency this summer, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes, who reports that the Kings center will pick up his player option for 2018/19. That option will pay Koufos a salary of $8,739,500 next season before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2019.

Koufos, 29, has been a mainstay in the Kings’ rotation for the last three seasons, having signed a four-year, $32MM+ deal with the franchise in the summer of 2015. In 2017/18, Koufos averaged 6.7 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 71 regular season contests (19.6 MPG).

Although Sacramento has added young bigs like Willie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere, Georgios Papagiannis, and Harry Giles in recent drafts, the team has yet to alter Koufos’ role, as he continues to average approximately 20 minutes per game.

Papagiannis was waived by the Kings earlier this year, but with Cauley-Stein and Labissiere still under contract, and Giles set to make his debut in the fall, it will be interesting to see if Koufos once again gets regular minutes for the club going forward. He could have a little value as a trade chip, given his now-expiring salary for 2018/19.

Koufos joins Cory Joseph, Jeremy Lin, Wesley Johnson, and Wesley Matthews as veterans who have exercised – or will exercise – player options, matching 2017’s total of five exercised options. That number will likely keep growing this year, since teams aren’t expected to be as aggressive with their spending in free agency.

Koufos is one of three Kings players with a player option for 2018/19. Iman Shumpert is considered a lock to exercise his $11MM+ option, while Garrett Temple is probably a good bet to pick up his $8MM option as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat Decline Jordan Mickey’s Team Option

May 10th, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have elected to turn down Jordan Mickey‘s team option for the 2018/19 season, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The option would have paid Mickey a salary of approximately $1.6MM. Instead, he’ll become a free agent.

Mickey, who was selected 33rd overall in the 2015 draft by the Celtics, signed with the Heat during the 2017 offseason. In his first – and potentially only – season in Miami, the 6’8″ forward averaged 4.0 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 23 games (12.3 MPG). Mickey wasn’t part of the Heat’s rotation down the stretch, appearing in just six games after the All-Star break.

Although Mickey will now be eligible for restricted free agency, I wouldn’t expect the Heat to extend him a qualifying offer, which would be worth more than his team option. He’s more likely to hit the open market on July 1 as an unrestricted free agent.

With Mickey’s option no longer in play, the Heat have 10 players under contract for the 2018/19 season, including nine guaranteed salaries and Rodney McGruder‘s non-guaranteed deal. Mickey will join Dwyane Wade, Wayne Ellington, Udonis Haslem, and Luke Babbitt as Miami’s free-agents-to-be.

Clippers’ Wesley Johnson Exercises Player Option

May 10th, 2018 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 10, 8:22am: Johnson has officially opted in for next season, according to the Real GM Transactions Page.

MAY 2, 1:24pm: Clippers forward Wesley Johnson intends to play out the final year of his current contract, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Johnson will pick up his 2018/19 option.

An unrestricted free agent back in 2016, Johnson signed a three-year contract with the Clippers worth just shy of $18MM. The deal included a third-year player option for 2018/19, and by exercising that option Johnson will earn a guaranteed $6,134,520 salary next season.

Johnson’s option decision doesn’t come as a real surprise. Although he was a regular rotation piece for the Clippers, averaging 20.1 minutes per contest in 74 games (40 starts), his production was modest. For the season, the 30-year-old averaged 5.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG with a shooting line of .408/.339/.741.

Johnson is one of a handful of Clippers who have player option decisions to make this summer. While Johnson’s salary won’t have a major impact on the team’s cap situation, the Clips’ offseason outlook could vary significantly depending on whether DeAndre Jordan ($24,119,025), Austin Rivers ($12,650,000), and Milos Teodosic ($6,300,000) also exercise their respective options.

As our tracker shows, Johnson is already the fourth veteran who has exercised – or will exercise – a player option for 2018/19, suggesting we’ll see an uptick in opt-ins this year. Last summer, only five player options were picked up; in 2016, only three were exercised.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacers’ Cory Joseph Picks Up Player Option

May 4th, 2018 at 9:28pm CST by Luke Adams

MAY 4: While there has been no formal announcement from the Pacers, Joseph has officially exercised his 2018/19 option, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

MAY 2: Pacers guard Cory Joseph will exercise his player option to return to Indiana for one more season, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The 2018/19 option will pay Joseph a salary of $7,945,000 before he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019.

Joseph, 26, was a reliable rotation piece for the Pacers in his first season with the team, appearing in all 82 games and starting 17 when Darren Collison was unavailable. In 27.0 minutes per contest, Joseph averaged 7.9 PPG, 3.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG with a shooting line of .424/.353/.745.

If Joseph had faced this year’s player option decision in either of the last two offseasons, when NBA teams had more cap room available, he likely would’ve opted out. With teams expected to spend less aggressively in free agency this summer, it’s hard to blame the veteran point guard for playing it safe and exercising that option. Joseph is already the third veteran to pick up a 2018/19 option – joining Jeremy Lin and Wesley Matthews – and he certainly won’t be the last.

While Joseph’s opt-in will add more guaranteed money to the Pacers’ cap for next season, the team remains in very good financial shape, with just under $48MM in guaranteed salary on its books. If Thaddeus Young – like Joseph – picks up his player option, that would add another $13MM+ to that total. The Pacers will face decisions of their own on Collison, Bojan Bogdanovic, Lance Stephenson, Al Jefferson, and Joe Young, all of whom have team options or non-guaranteed contracts.

You can follow all of this year’s player option decisions using our tracker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Suns To Hire Igor Kokoskov As New Head Coach

May 2nd, 2018 at 6:10pm CST by clarkcrum

The Suns are hiring Utah Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov as their new head coach, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Wojnarowski adds that Kokoskov is signing a three-year deal with the Suns, while Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets that Kokoskov will remain with the Jazz through the remainder of their playoff run.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reports that the contract will contain no options and that the final decision to hire Kokoskov came when team representatives met with him in Houston yesterday in between Games 1 and 2 of the Jazz’ first round series against the Rockets.

The Suns have confirmed the news, writing that the hire will make Kokoskov the first NBA head coach born and raised outside North America in NBA history.

“We are thrilled to bring Valley resident Igor Kokoskov back to Arizona as head coach of the Phoenix Suns,” said GM Ryan McDonough. “Igor has been a pioneer throughout his basketball career and he brings a wealth of high level coaching experience to our club.

“He was one of the first non-American born assistant coaches at both the NCAA and NBA levels and his most recent head coaching stint includes leading the Slovenian national team to the 2017 EuroBasket title, which was the first European title in the history of the country. Igor’s teams have always had a player development focus, a creative style of play and a track record of success.”

Kokoskov, 46, will become the 19th head coach in Suns’ franchise history in his 19th season as an NBA coach. He was as an assistant coach with the Suns from 2008-2013 during their run of success with Steve Nash, including a trip to 2010 Western Conference Finals.

Kokoskov is also a successful international head coach, leading Slovenia to a first place finish at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 and also coaching the Georgian national team from 2008-2015. One member of the Slovenian national team he coached: potential top-pick Luka Doncic.

Mavs’ Wesley Matthews Picks Up Player Option

April 30th, 2018 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks wing Wesley Matthews has officially exercised the player option on his contract for the 2018/19 season, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The final year on Matthews’ four-year deal with Dallas will pay him a salary of $18,622,514.

The move doesn’t come as a surprise, as we heard just last week that Matthews intended to exercise his option. He would have had little chance of matching or exceeding that $18MM+ salary if he had opted out and tested the free agent market.

Matthews, 31, appeared in 63 games for the Mavs in 2017/18, averaging 12.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 2.7 APG with a .406/.381/.822 shooting line. His season was cut short by a fractured fibula — he sustained the injury on March 10 and didn’t return before season’s end. However, Matthews confirmed earlier this month that he has been medically cleared to resume full basketball activities, so he should be back to 100% for the start of training camp in the fall.

The Mavs reportedly explored the possibility of moving Matthews at February’s trade deadline, but their asking price was high — the club was said to be seeking a first-round pick, which was unrealistic given the veteran’s modest production and his looming $18MM option.

Still, while Matthews may never replicate the numbers he posted in Portland earlier in his career, he has been a solid three-point shooter and defender during his time with Dallas, and could become more appealing as a trade chip now that he’ll be on an expiring contract. It will be interesting to see if the rebuilding Mavs revisit the trade market for Matthews during the offseason.

Matthews is the second player to formally pick up a player option for 2018/19, joining Jeremy Lin, as our tracker shows.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pelicans To Pick Up Option on Gentry’s Contract

April 23rd, 2018 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have told coach Alvin Gentry they will pick up their team option on his contract for next season, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Gentry was given the good news prior to the team’s sweep of the Trail Blazers in the opening round of the playoffs, Wojnarowski adds.

Gentry’s job status was tenuous at best coming into the season. The team’s brass didn’t decide until mid-May last year to bring him back as the head coach. When the Pelicans got off to a slow start, the heat ramped up on Gentry.

Thanks to a banner season from MVP candidate Anthony Davis, the Pelicans turned things around and qualified for the playoffs despite the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins. After finishing 22 and 14 games below .500 during Gentry’s first two seasons as head coach, the Pelicans had a 48-34 record. Then, behind Davis and the guard duo of Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo, the Pelicans stunned the third-seeded Blazers to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Gentry was the Warriors’ top assistant prior to signing a four-year, $13.7MM contract with the Pelicans in May 2015. He had previous stints as the head coach of the Pistons, Clippers and Suns.