Bradley Beal Continues To Prove He's Elite
- With Bradley Beal stepping up his performance in recent weeks to lead the Wizards without John Wall, Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington writes about Beal’s place among the best guards in the league.
Sixers Notes: Buyout Candidates, Milton, Roster Spot, Bolden
The Sixers are in position to be among the league’s most active teams once the trade deadline passes and buyout season begins, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Philadelphia still has its entire $4.449MM room exception available and can offer players the chance for a significant role on a title contender.
Last year, the Sixers improved their shooting in the buyout market by adding both Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova. Bodner admits it’s hard to pinpoint who this year’s candidates will be, as much depends on how the playoff races develop between now and the deadline date of February 7.
He speculates Trevor Ariza could be a possibility if the Wizards aren’t in contention next month and can’t find a team willing to trade for his $15MM salary. Bodner mentions the Timberwolves’ Anthony Tolliver as another possibility, along with Knicks’ center Enes Kanter and Bulls’ center Robin Lopez, although neither is an ideal fit as a backup to Joel Embiid. The Knicks’ Courtney Lee and the Cavaliers’ J.R. Smith could both provide outside shooting, but Bodner believes the team has a greater need for perimeter defenders.
There’s more Sixers news to pass along, all courtesy of Bodner:
- Shake Milton is approaching the 45-day limit on his two-way contract and is likely to receive a standard deal soon. However, Bodner cautions that the new arrangement might be temporary if Philadelphia finds a couple of players to add through trades or buyouts. The Sixers acquired Milton’s rights on draft night after he was taken 54th overall by the Mavericks. He has appeared in 11 games this season, averaging 3.4PPG in 7.7 minutes per night.
- Bodner questions why GM Elton Brand has kept a roster spot open throughout the season when the team is already shorthanded because of injuries to Markelle Fultz, Zhaire Smith and Justin Patton. Brand has claimed it’s to preserve flexibility for future moves, but Bodner notes it would have been easy to add someone to the roster and cut them before salaries became guaranteed for the rest of the season last week.
- Jonah Bolden has played well, but his shooting issues make it risky to insert him into the starting lineup. Bodner states that Bolden makes the Sixers a better defensive team and provides offensive rebounding in addition to energy and athleticism, but he is hitting just 16.7% on 3-pointers, something opposing teams will exploit, especially in the playoffs.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/12/19
Here are Saturday’s NBA G League assignments and recalls from across the league:
- The Magic recalled rookie Melvin Frazier from their Lakeland affiliate, the team announced in a tweet. The second-round pick has seen limited playing time in three NBA games.
- The Wizards announced that rookie Troy Brown was assigned to the Capital City GoGo so he could play in tonight’s game against Long Island.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/11/19
Here are Friday’s NBA G League assignments and recalls from across the league:
- The Magic have assigned rookie shooting guard Melvin Frazier Jr. to Lakeland, the team’s PR department tweets. He’s made three cameos with the Magic this season. The second-round pick averaging 12.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.8 APG in 10 outings with Lakeland.
- The Wizards recalled rookie forward Troy Brown from the Capital City Go Go, their team’s PR department tweets. The 15th overall pick has seen action in 21 games with Washington this season. He’s averaging 17.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 4.0 APG in seven G League games.
Wizards Unlikely To Use Disabled Player Exception
Even if the Wizards are granted an $8.6MM disabled player exception, they’re more likely to sign players to 10-day contracts than use that exception, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Washington applied for the exception due to John Wall‘s season-ending heel surgery.
The Wizards’ cap issues make it unlikely they’d find a free agent enticing enough to sign for the remainder of the season by using a portion of the exception. The Wizards inked point guard Ramon Sessions to a pair of 10-day contracts last season before signing him for the rest of the season, Hughes notes.
Roster Notes: Wizards, Suns, Blazers, More
Early to mid January is a period of flux for a number of NBA rosters, as teams navigate two key deadlines.
[RELATED: NBA Dates, Deadlines To Watch In January]
All full-season contracts officially became guaranteed on Thursday, after a handful of clubs beat the deadline earlier this week and released players on non-guaranteed contracts to avoid having those cap hits lock in.
The next deadline arrives on January 15, which is the last day of the 2018/19 league year for teams to sign players to two-way contracts. After that day, teams can waive players on two-way deals, or convert them to standard contracts, but they can’t add anyone new on a two-way pact.
With those factors in mind, here are a few teams to keep an eye on within the next week or two:
Washington Wizards:
Having waived Ron Baker on Monday, the Wizards dipped down to 13 players on standard contracts. Teams are permitted to carry fewer than 14 players for up to two weeks at a time, so Washington will have until January 21 to sign or acquire a player to fill that slot.
It’s unlikely that the Wizards will guarantee that 14th player a rest-of-season contract, unless there’s someone they really love. A series of 10-day contracts is more likely, particularly before the February 7 trade deadline arrives.
Phoenix Suns:
The Suns are in a similar spot to the Wizards, with just 13 players on full-season standard contracts. However, Phoenix already filled its 14th roster slot by signing by signing Quincy Acy on Monday.
Still, Acy received a 10-day deal which will expire after next Wednesday, so the Suns are on track to have their roster count drop back to 13 players soon. They’ll have to eventually re-sign Acy or add someone new to the roster in order to get back to the league-mandated minimum of 14 players on standard deals.
Portland Trail Blazers:
In one of 2018/19’s under-the-radar roster oddities, the Trail Blazers have kept both of their two-way contract slots open all season. Portland doesn’t have its own G League affiliate, so perhaps the franchise views two-way players as unnecessary if they’re not contributing to the NBA team — so far, the club hasn’t been short-handed enough to need those extra contributions.
The club’s unsettled ownership situation could also be a factor here. Two-way players are very inexpensive in relative terms, but they still represent two more player salaries that need to be paid. Longtime Blazers owner Paul Allen passed away in 2018, so perhaps the front office hasn’t felt the need to ask ownership for the money for those two extra salaries.
Nonetheless, with Tuesday’s deadline for two-way signings fast approaching, it would be a surprise to see the Trail Blazers leave both spots open for the rest of the season. It could make sense for Portland to sign a player or two with some NBA experience, who could contribute down the stretch if necessary.
New York Knicks / New Orleans Pelicans:
The Knicks and Pelicans are currently the only two other NBA teams with two-way contract openings — they each have one. I’d expect both clubs to fill those slots by the January 15 deadline, though their priorities may be different.
The Pelicans – like Portland – don’t have their own affiliate and may prefer a player capable of helping out right away rather than a raw prospect, given their position in the standings. The Knicks, on the other hand, have their nearby Westchester affiliate at their disposal for developmental purposes. And given their current focus on developing prospects, even at the NBA level, it would be in the club’s best interests to bring aboard another young player for that two-way opening.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/10/19
Here are Thursday’s NBA G League assignments and recalls from across the league:
- The Wolves recalled Keita Bates-Diop from their G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, announcing the news on social media today. Bates-Diop has averaged 17.8 points and 8.9 rebounds in 16 games with Iowa this season.
- The Wizards assigned rookie Troy Brown Jr. to the Capital City Go-Go, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. Brown Jr. has averaged 18 points per contest on 49% shooting with the Go-Go.
- The Jazz assigned then later recalled Grayson Allen to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to a tweet from their PR department. Allen will miss Friday’s game against the Lakers with an ankle injury.
- The Magic have recalled Melvin Frazier Jr. from the G League, announcing the move on social media. Frazier Jr. was drafted by Orlando with the No. 35 pick last June.
- The Warriors assigned Jacob Evans lll to the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the club announced in a press release. Evans lll has appeared in 21 games with Golden State this season and was drafted 28th by the team last June.
Wizards Apply For Disabled Player Exception
The Wizards have applied for an $8.6MM disabled player exception in the wake of the heel surgery that will keep point guard John Wall out for the rest of the season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Teams are permitted to seek the exception to replace a player who becomes seriously injured. An NBA-designated doctor must determine that the player is likely to be sidelined through June 15, but there’s little doubt in the case of Wall, who is projected to be out of action for six to eight months.
Clubs that receive the DPE can normally sign a replacement for up to 50% of the injured player’s salary, but it is capped at the level of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, notes Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That’s why the Wizards are limited to the $8.6MM figure, even though Wall makes more than $19MM this season.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Disabled Player Exception]
The DPE doesn’t allow teams to expand their rosters, but that’s not presently an issue for Washington, which has 13 players, one below the league minimum, after waiving Ron Baker on Monday. The Wizards have two weeks to re-add a 14th man.
Wall was released from the hospital today, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. He played just 32 games this season, posting a 20.7/3.6/8.7 line.
Wizards Weighing Options For Open Roster Spots
- After waiving Ron Baker earlier this week, the Wizards now have two open spots on their 15-man roster and will need to fill at least one of those two openings soon. Head coach Scott Brooks said on Tuesday that the club is exploring its options, with power forward and point guard among the positions that could be fortified (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington).
Wizards Exploring Extension For Tomas Satoransky
The Wizards are making a push to sign Tomas Satoransky to a contract extension before he reaches restricted free agency in July, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, who hears from sources that the two sides have engaged in preliminary talks.
The interest in a new deal appears to be mutual, as Hughes reports that Satoransky is open to remaining with the Wizards long-term. Although the 27-year-old is in just his third NBA season and is still on his first contract, he technically signed a “veteran” contract as a former second-round pick rather than the rookie contract signed by first-rounders. That means he’s eligible to sign an in-season extension.
[RELATED: Players eligible for veteran contract extensions in 2018/19]
Satoransky, the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 draft, has developed into a reliable contributor for the Wizards over the course of 171 regular season games. Although he has primarily served as a backup point guard, Satoransky has taken on a starting role in each of the last two seasons due to John Wall‘s health issues.
Overall this season, Satoransky has averaged 7.0 PPG, 3.1 APG, and 2.4 RPG with a .495/.397/.813 shooting line in 41 games (21.6 MPG). Those numbers have increased to 10.1 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 3.4 RPG on .509/.429/.714 shooting in his 15 starts.
A player who signs a veteran contract extension is permitted to earn a starting salary worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary of 120% of the NBA’s estimated average salary, whichever is greater. Since Satoransky is making just $3.13MM this season, he could get a starting salary worth up to approximately $10.6MM (120% of the estimated average salary) if he’s extended. Such a deal would max out at about $47.5MM over four years.
Spencer Dinwiddie signed a version of that extension last month, though Dinwiddie’s new contract is for just three years (and $34.4MM), rather than four. Of course, the Wizards – who already have $111MM+ on their books for 2019/20 – are under no obligation to offer Satoransky a full $10.6MM starting salary in an extension, so the actual terms would be a matter of negotiation. If the two sides can’t find common ground, Washington will need to issue a qualifying offer to Satoransky this summer to make him a restricted free agent.