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Western Notes: Bryant, Fredette, Payne, Nance

January 6th, 2016 at 1:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers simply can’t concentrate on developing young players as they otherwise would because they need to give Kobe Bryant a “justified farewell” as he plays his final season, GM Mitch Kupchak contended in an interview with Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Kupchak expounded on comments he made in a recent meeting with season ticket-holders in which he said the team can’t fully move forward with Bryant still present, though he made it clear that the franchise has no reservations about giving Bryant his due. Kupchak argued to Holmes that the attention Bryant draws allows the young players to grow outside the harsh glare of the spotlight, calling it a “silver lining” to the situation, and the GM also insisted the team will be in better position to attract free agents this summer than it was last year.

“I think we’ll see enough [from the young players],” Kupchak said. “Yeah, I think we’ll see enough. I do. Kobe has been really good lately. He looks like he’s trying to fit in and play the right way. Yeah, I think we’ll see enough. Is it going to come as quick as you want? I mean, D’Angelo [Russell] is going to be 20. They all want it now, but it’s just going to take a year or two or three. But it’s certainly going to be a lot more attractive than what we had to offer last summer.”

See more from the Western Conference:

Utah has an open roster spot after waiving Elijah Millsap on Tuesday, but while Jimmer Fredette, who’s eligible to sign with any NBA team, is still a fan favorite from his days at BYU, the Jazz signaled their lack of interest when they passed him up in this season’s D-League draft, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. The team doubts his ability to play NBA-caliber defense and doesn’t want to deal with the crush of local interest that signing him would entail, Genessy adds (Twitter link).
Thunder coach Billy Donovan‘s decision to put rookie Cameron Payne in the rotation has helped a talented second unit to finally play up to its abilities, as Royce Young of ESPN.com examines. The process hasn’t been without hiccups, but Payne’s emergence is nonetheless one more selling point the Thunder have to use in their pitch to retain Kevin Durant this summer, Young writes.
Others still on the draft board seemed to be more likely candidates for the Lakers when they instead picked Larry Nance Jr. 27th overall this past summer, but after starting him at power forward for a month, coach Byron Scott thinks the situation has flipped, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “If you were probably to re-do the draft, he’d be a lottery pick,” Scott said. “So obviously, we got a steal.”

Jazz Release Elijah Millsap

January 5th, 2016 at 2:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:11pm: The move is official, the team announced.

2:06pm: The Jazz have told Elijah Millsap that they’re waiving him, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Charania indicates that the team has already released his non-guaranteed contract, though Utah has yet to make an official announcement. His minimum-salary pact would become fully guaranteed if not waived by the close of business Thursday, and it would also be guaranteed if another team claims him off waivers and keeps him after that date. Several other clubs are expected to have interest in the 6’6″ swingman, according to Charania. Millsap is in the second season of a three-year deal, so only a limited number of teams can snag him off waivers, unlike players signed to two-year minimum contracts.

The move, once official, will bring Utah down to 14 players, one under the limit. Chris Johnson also has a non-guaranteed contract, and while Jeff Withey has a partial guarantee of $200K, he’s already earned more than that by virtue of sticking on the roster as long as he has. That means Utah can waive Withey and avoid further financial obligation, just as with Johnson and Millsap.

Millsap, a younger brother of former Jazz power forward Paul Millsap, joined Utah on a 10-day contract almost a year ago to the day. Once that expired, he signed another 10-day deal and finally the three-year pact as the Jazz turned him into a rotation mainstay last season. That changed this year, as his 19.7 minutes per game from 2014/15 dwindled to 8.7 in 2015/16. He shot just 28.2% in 173 attempts from the floor this season, so it appears the team concluded his defensive prowess couldn’t make up for his offensive shortcomings. The 28-year-old client of Brendrick DeAngelo Simmons and Daniel Hazan has been to training camp with the Lakers, Thunder and Bucks in the past since going undrafted out of UAB in 2010, and he spoke with Zach Links of Hoops Rumors in September 2014 about his journey to the NBA.

The Jazz gave out more 10-day contracts than any other NBA team last season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them use Millsap’s roster spot to again cycle through players on those short-term deals. Millsap would be eligible to re-sign with Utah if he clears waivers, though that would seem unlikely.

Can you envision another NBA team as a better fit for Millsap? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Alec Burks To Undergo Surgery

December 29th, 2015 at 11:45am CST by Will Joseph

TUESDAY, 11:45am: Burks has elected for surgery on his fractured left fibula, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. The hope is that this procedure will expedite Burks’ return to the court, and the Jazz are hopeful that the guard will be able to rejoin the team after the NBA All-Star break in mid-February, the Yahoo scribe adds.

4:13pm: Burks is in line to miss about eight weeks, according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 2:06pm: Jazz shooting guard Alec Burks will be out at least six weeks after suffering an ankle fracture, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter). The Jazz, in a statement on its website, said Burks suffered a fractured left fibula. The team adds he is out indefinitely and no surgery is required.

It’s a significant loss for the Jazz because Burks, who is in his fifth year, is enjoying his best season. He is averaging a career-high 14.3 points on a career-best 38.7% 3-point shooting. At 12-16, the Jazz have been hit hard by injuries. Both Dante Exum and Rudy Gobert remain out indefinitely.

The Jazz signed Burks to a four-year extension worth $42MM plus incentives in October 2014. Two months after that, a left shoulder injury forced him out for the remainder of the 2014/15 season. After learning the news of Burks needing to miss time, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News tweeted that the Jazz must make a move in order to stay relevant in the playoff picture. Rodney Hood and Joe Ingles are expected to have increased roles in Burks’ absence, Wojnarowski writes in a full story.

2016/17 Salary Cap Projection: Utah Jazz

December 25th, 2015 at 6:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league prior to the official numbers being announced had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM. Many league executives and agents believe that the salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season.

The increase in the salary cap will almost assuredly set off a flurry of activity in the free agent market next summer, and it will also make it easier than ever for teams to deal away their higher-priced stars. Prudent executives are acutely aware of exactly how much cap room they have to play with, not just for the current campaign, but for next season and beyond as well. While the exact amount of 2016/17’s salary cap won’t be announced until next summer, it always pays to know just how much salary is on the books for each franchise. With this in mind, we at Hoops Rumors will be breaking down the projected 2016/17 financial commitments for each franchise, and we’ll continue onward with a look at the Utah Jazz:

Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $56,560,760
Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $0
Non Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $3,047,088
Total Projected Salary Cap Commitments: $59,607,848

If the salary cap were to fall in line with the projection of $89MM, Utah would have approximately $29,392,152 in cap space, or $35,392,152 if the cap were to be set at the higher mark of $95MM. Again, these are merely predictions until the exact cap amounts are announced, and they are not meant to illustrate the exact amount that the team will have available to spend this coming offseason.

Trades and long-term free agent signings made during the season will also have a significant impact on the figures above, and we’ll be updating these posts to reflect the new numbers after any signings and trades have been made official.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

And-Ones: Durant, Kerr, Walton, J.R. Smith

December 17th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder had some concern when Kevin Durant hired Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency, but the team and Roc Nation have developed a “positive” and “constructive” working relationship, and those initial concerns have dissipated, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, citing sources. Oklahoma City will base its pitch to Durant in free agency this summer on the the youth of its roster, its track record of spending this season and last, its ability to keep spending and the presence of coach Billy Donovan, as Windhorst details. The Thunder have learned from the mistakes the Cavs made in 2010 as they unsuccessfully tried to keep LeBron James from departing a team that was aging and largely without financial flexibility, and the Oklahoma City organization doesn’t overreact to incremental developments or discouraging rumors, Windhorst explains. While we wait to find out just what happens when Durant hits free agency in six and a half months, see more from around the Association:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr hopes to return from his leave of absence within two to three weeks, he said Wednesday, according to Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. Kerr attended practice Monday and Tuesday and the team’s shootaround Wednesday, McCauley notes.
Interim coach Luke Walton figured there was no way Kerr would miss opening night and thought his leave, which began October 1st, would last only a couple of weeks, writes Lee Jenkins of SI.com in a piece that delves into Walton’s background to find explanation for why he’s been so successful with the Warriors this season.
The Cavs and Jazz have a general reputation as the teams that players least want to play for, J.R. Smith tells of Devin Friedman of GQ.com, admitting he was “petrified” to go to Cleveland when the Knicks traded him there in January. He’s warmed to what he calls an underestimated city since then, re-signing with the Cavs this summer and falling in line with the team’s all-business, no-party approach, as Friedman details. Smith also told Friedman he endures racial slurs from fans when he plays in Utah, joked about marijuana use, and called China, where he played in 2011/12 the “worst place I’ve ever been in my life.”

And-Ones: Howard, McCallum, Payne

December 16th, 2015 at 10:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Rockets expect that Dwight Howard will turn down his more than $23.282MM player option for next season, a source told USA Today’s Sam Amick. That’s no surprise, since the 30-year-old Dan Fegan client can lock in up to five more years of guaranteed salary with a new contract in free agency next summer, when his maximum salary is projected to come in at $29.3MM. Howard hasn’t expressed any desire that the Rockets trade him, sources told Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, and in the interview with Amick, the center reiterated his public denial that he’s unhappy playing a secondary role to James Harden.

“People can say what they want about me and James and that whole situation, but I came here and the biggest reason was because of him, because I want both of us to grow and be great basketball players and be great teammates together,” Howard said to Amick.”It’s on us to do it. We are the ones who are held accountable for the good things and the bad things that happen to this team, and I came here with that mission, so that both of us can grow.“

The team still envisions Howard as a key part of its future and isn’t thinking about trading him, according to Amick. Here’s more from around the league:

The Thunder recalled Cameron Payne and Josh Huestis from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Huestis has appeared in nine games for the Blue this season, averaging 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game, while Payne has made two D-League appearances, notching 23.5 points, 7.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.00 steals in 34.0 minutes per night.
The Jazz have recalled center Tibor Pleiss from the Idaho Stampede, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the first D-League assignment of the campaign for Pleiss, who has been with the Stampede since November 30th.
The Clippers assigned C.J. Wilcox to the D-League, the team announced via a press release. Since the team does not have its own affiliate, Wilcox will report to the Canton Charge, the Cavs‘ affiliate, as part of the flexible assignment system.
The Spurs have assigned point guard Ray McCallum to their D-League affiliate in Austin, the team announced. The will be second stint with Austin this season. He logged 12 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds during his first D-League trip of the campaign.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Rondo, Jazz, Lawson, Thunder

December 14th, 2015 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Referee Bill Kennedy revealed that he is homosexual in an interview with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, and Rajon Rondo is drawing fire for the homophobic slur he directed at Kennedy during a game on December 3rd. The NBA suspended Rondo for one game and doesn’t plan to mete out additional punishment, notes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter), but the apology that Rondo offered in a pair of tweets struck a hollow tone, observe Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck and SB Nation’s Tom Ziller (All Twitter links). Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and GM Vlade Divac condemned Rondo’s use of the slur in a statement that the team released, and Rondo’s words aren’t exactly the most auspicious prelude to his free agency in the summer ahead, opines Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). See more from the Western Conference:

The Jazz are expected to be active in exploring trades when dozens of players across the league become eligible to be traded Tuesday, reports Jody Genessy of The Deseret News (Twitter links). The most likely scenario involves the team absorbing salary via its cap space, Genessy adds. Utah is more than $7MM under the cap.
Ty Lawson‘s game has responded well to Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s decision to bench him upon taking over for Kevin McHale, as Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com details. “He was trying to so hard to do the right things, I think he was frustrating himself and he got to the point where he said ‘I’m just going to play’ and I think that’s where he is now,” Bickerstaff said in part. The more and more he plays and he’s relaxed, the more that his true talent will shine through. We know what he is, we know what he’s capable of and we just got to get him there.”
The Thunder have assigned Mitch McGary to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. It’s the fourth time the former 21st overall pick has gone to the D-League this season and the third time in the past week.

Jazz Mull Signing Toure’ Murry

December 12th, 2015 at 9:18am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Jazz are considering signing combo guard Toure’ Murry, Jody Genessy of The Deseret Times reports (Twitter link). Utah isn’t the only team considering signing Murry, Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com tweets, though the names of the potentially interested clubs were not relayed.

Murry currently plays in the D-League for the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ affiliate. In eight appearances this season for the Legends, Murry is averaging 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 33.7 minutes per contest. The Wizards waived the 26-year-old during the preseason. He made five appearances for Washington while on a pair of 10-day contracts last season. Murry’s career numbers through 56 regular season NBA games are 2.6 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists to go with a slash line of .433/.417/.610.

Utah currently has the regular season maximum of 15 players on its roster, meaning the team would have to make a corresponding move in order to add Murry. Both Elijah Millsap and Chris Johnson possess non-guaranteed deals, making either a prime candidate to be released, though that is merely my speculation. Both of their deals will become fully guaranteed if they remain on Utah’s roster past January 10th, which is the leaguewide contract guarantee date.

Phil Pressey Rejoins Jazz D-League Team

December 7th, 2015 at 8:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Idaho Stampede, the Jazz’s D-League affiliate, have reacquired point guard Phil Pressey, tweets Adam Johnson of the D-League Digest.

Pressey was waived by the Sixers last week, reducing their roster to 15 players. Pressey was made expendable when Philadelphia recalled Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall from the D-League. Pressey was signed by the club last month via the hardship provision. He appeared in 14 games with the Sixers, averaging 3.9 points and 3.3 assists in 12.1 minutes.

Prior to joining Philadelphia, Pressey was on the Stampede’s roster after the Jazz designated him as an affiliate player. The Jazz briefly had him on their NBA roster after snagging him off waivers from the Trail Blazers, for whom he played in training camp. Pressey lost a training camp battle for the third point guard job in Portland to Tim Frazier, a former Sixers point guard.

Before signing a training camp deal with the Blazers, the 5’11” Pressey was on the Celtics’ roster until they released him this past summer. He appeared in 125 games with Boston in his first two NBA seasons, including 11 starts.

Western Notes: West, Gobert, Arthur

December 6th, 2015 at 8:36pm CST by Will Joseph

After crunching the numbers, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes that David West left $10,500,813 on the table to sign with the Spurs after opting out of the final year of his contract with the Pacers. West explained to Bulpett that a shot to win a championship meant more than money.

“The only question I needed to answer was, ‘Will my lifestyle change? Will my family’s lifestyle change?’ That was a no,” West said, per Bulpett. “I’ve been preparing to make a decision like this for quite some time, just planning the right way and being a little patient early on and just always having the idea of living well below my means. That’s always allowed me the room to make a decision like I made. A lot of people can’t understand that because they just don’t know me. A lot of that criticism is from far off. To me, it was just a basketball decision.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

While a definitive timeline was not provided, Jazz coach Quin Snyder hinted that Rudy Gobert, who is out indefinitely after suffering Grade II sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, could be out for a couple of months, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News tweets.
Alvin Gentry‘s job as Pelicans head coach has been made much more difficult because of the rash of injuries the team has experienced, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com writes. The Pelicans have used 11 different lineups so far this season, according to Verrier. New Orleans is 5-15, which is obviously not the start Gentry had in mind when he took the job in May and inherited what was thought to be a promising team.
Darrell Arthur, whom the Nuggets re-signed to a two-year deal in August, is playing better than he has in recent years and his success lately can be attributed to a rediscovered jumper, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post writes. Arthur has scored in double-figures in five of his last eight games, Dempsey adds.