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John Wall Undergoes MRI; Mike Scott Draws Praise From Markieff Morris

November 24th, 2017 at 4:43pm CST by Austin Kent

The Wizards may be without John Wall this weekend, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. The point guard continues to experience discomfort in his knee and underwent an MRI on it this afternoon.

“John is definitely going to be questionable tomorrow,” Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said. “We’ll see how he feels [Saturday morning] and then make a decision from there.”

The knee issues can be traced back to two weekends ago when members of the Wizards training staff administered a pair of IVs to help Wall recover from migraines and a general sickness. That fluid, however, collected in his knee.

Backup forward Mike Scott has thrived in his first year with the Wizards. The 29-year-old has averaged 8.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game off the bench in Washington and the man he replaces in the starting lineup has taken notice of his playing style. “I think he’s trying to steal my game,” Markieff Morris joked. “We kind of resemble each other a lot more than what I thought before he got here.“

25 Players Still On Non-Guaranteed 2017/18 Salaries

November 23rd, 2017 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

There are 25 players around the NBA playing on 2017/18 salaries that aren’t yet fully guaranteed. While having those salaries guaranteed will be a mere formality for some players, others may be at risk of losing their roster spot with decision day nearing. If teams keep non-guaranteed players under contract beyond January 7, their salaries will become guaranteed for the season on January 10, so clubs still have more than a month to decide whether to lock in these players’ full-season salaries.

Listed below is the team-by-team breakdown of the players who are still on non-guaranteed salaries or partially guaranteed salaries. Unless otherwise indicated, each of these players is set to earn the minimum. Partial guarantees are noted if they exceed a player’s prorated salary to date. Any teams not listed below are only carrying players with fully guaranteed salaries.

Atlanta Hawks

Luke Babbitt: Partial guarantee of $987,080.
Isaiah Taylor

Brooklyn Nets

Spencer Dinwiddie

Charlotte Hornets

Treveon Graham

Chicago Bulls

Kay Felder: Partial guarantee of $456,529.
David Nwaba

Dallas Mavericks

Dorian Finney-Smith
Devin Harris: Partial guarantee of $1,339,662.
- Full salary: $4,402,546
Jeff Withey: Partial guarantee of $350,000.

Detroit Pistons

Eric Moreland: Partial guarantee of $1,000,000.
- Full salary: $1,739,333

Minnesota Timberwolves

Marcus Georges-Hunt: Partial guarantee of $275,000.

New York Knicks

Jarrett Jack

Oklahoma City Thunder

Jerami Grant

Orlando Magic

Khem Birch: Partial guarantee of $407,808.

Philadelphia 76ers

Richaun Holmes
T.J. McConnell

Phoenix Suns

Derrick Jones

San Antonio Spurs

Bryn Forbes

Toronto Raptors

Alfonzo McKinnie

Utah Jazz

Raul Neto

Washington Wizards

Sheldon Mac
- Note: Mac is recovering from a torn Achilles and will continue to be paid his full-season salary until he’s cleared to return.

To keep tabs on these 25 players over the next several weeks, be sure to check back on our regularly-updated lists of salary guarantee dates and of non-guaranteed contracts.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images and USA Today Sports Images. Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Injury Notes: A. Davis, Thomas, Porzingis, Wall

November 19th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Earlier today, we passed on the news that Sixers guard Markelle Fultz in making progress with his shoulder ailment. Here are a few more injury notes involving some of the NBA’s top players:

Pelicans forward Anthony Davis has cleared the concussion protocol and is probable for Monday’s game, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate. Davis was diagnosed with a contusion of the orbit bone above his right eye after a collision the third quarter of Friday night’s contest. He was removed from the game and didn’t re-enter.
Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas participated in some five-on-zero drills and worked on his shot today in practice, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).
Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis has swelling in his elbow caused by bursitis, but says it isn’t the reason for his recent shooting problems, according to Ian Begley of ESPN (Twitter link). “At the end of last season, it was really swollen; it was really, really big,” he said of the elbow. “But it was never really bothering me. Now this season, kind of fell on it a couple of times. It wasn’t bothering me either. In Sacramento, I fell kind of on the side. It was a new spot. It was much more sensitive. Now I’m doing treatment. Today’s the day I’m almost back to normal. I almost don’t feel it at all anymore.”
Wizards guard John Wall will miss today’s game with soreness in his left knee, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.
Warriors forward Kevin Durant suffered a sprained ankle last night and will sit out today’s game in Brooklyn, tweets Warriors PR.

2018 Salary Cap Outlook: Southeast Division

November 15th, 2017 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

NBA rosters will undergo some changes over the course of the 2017/18 season, particularly around the trade deadline, and those changes may have an impact on teams’ cap sheets for future seasons. Based on the NBA’s current rosters, however, we can identify which teams are most and least likely to have cap room in the summer of 2018, which will dictate the type of moves those clubs can make in the offseason.

We’re taking a closer look at each of the NBA’s 30 teams by division this week. Today, we’re tackling the Southeast division. With the help of salary information compiled by Basketball Insiders, here’s how the summer of 2018 is shaping up for the five Southeast teams:

Miami Heat
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $117,444,952
Projection: Over the cap

Since the start of the 2016 offseason, the Heat have handed out lucrative long-term contracts to Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson, Dion Waiters, Kelly Olynyk, and Josh Richardson. It will be Tyler Johnson‘s deal that will be the toughest to swallow in 2018/19 though. Because of the way his 2016 offer sheet from the Nets was structured under the old CBA, Johnson’s cap charge will jump from about $5.88MM this season to $19MM+ next year.

Barring major cost-cutting moves, the Heat will be well over the cap in 2018/19, and may end up surpassing the luxury tax line too.

Charlotte Hornets
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $116,377,251
Projection: Over the cap

The Hornets have six players on their roster set to make at least $12MM apiece in 2018/19, including two – Nicolas Batum and Dwight Howard – earning about twice that. Most of those contracts won’t be easy to move, and Charlotte won’t want to dump the more team-friendly salaries from that group, like Kemba Walker‘s $12MM expiring deal. As such, we can expect the Hornets to head into the 2018 offseason as an over-the-cap club.

Washington Wizards
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $115,896,497
Projection: Over the cap

Despite the fact that John Wall‘s super-max extension won’t go into effect until 2019/20, the Wizards have nearly $116MM committed to just eight players next season. Even if the team were to trade a non-core player on an eight-figure salary, such as Ian Mahinmi or Marcin Gortat, it wouldn’t be enough to create meaningful cap space.

Orlando Magic
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $78,180,655
Projection: Up to approximately $19.5MM in cap room

The summer of 2018 will be a good test for just how attached the Magic’s new front office is to the old regime’s top draft picks. Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton will be restricted free agents, and if Orlando intends to retain both players – or even just Gordon – the team’s cap room will disappear. Letting Gordon and Payton walk and waiving Shelvin Mack and his non-guaranteed salary would get the Magic up to nearly $20MM in cap space.

Atlanta Hawks
Guaranteed 2018/19 team salary: $56,232,915
Projection: Up to approximately $41MM in cap room

The Hawks’ maximum available cap space for 2018 will hinge in part on whether Dewayne Dedmon and Mike Muscala decide to pick up their respective player options. Those options being exercised would reduce the Hawks’ max cap room to about $31MM, which would still be more than enough to make a major addition or two — or to take on a couple undesirable contracts along with picks or young players, if Atlanta isn’t ready yet to accelerate its rebuilding timeline.

Previously:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wizards Notes: Beal, Porter, LeBron

November 6th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards didn’t have the flexibility to go out and make major moves in free agency this offseason, so after keeping their roster relatively intact, they had to bet on improvement from within for the 2017/18 season. As Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter have been making good on that bet so far this season.

Bradley Beal, in the second year of a maximum-salary contract with the Wizards, is coming off a career season and has looked even better so far in 2017/18, averaging a career-high 25.7 PPG and .503 FG%. As for Porter, he’s in the first year of a max deal of his own, and he’s topping last season’s career year so far too, with new career-bests in PPG (18.3), FG% (.569), 3PT% (.525), RPG (6.9), and several other categories.

It still feels like the Wizards might meed a midseason trade to turn into a legit title contender, but with the Cavaliers looking vulnerable and the Celtics missing Gordon Hayward, the door is open for Washington to make a move in the East this year.

This year’s cavalcade of LeBron James free agency predictions is underway, with former Wizards forward Paul Pierce suggesting recently on ESPN that D.C. would be an ideal landing spot for the four-time MVP in 2018. Hughes passes along the rationale for Pierce’s idea, which seems like a long shot.

No Structural Damage For John Wall

November 4th, 2017 at 4:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tests conducted today on John Wall‘s injured left shoulder showed no structural damage, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The star guard is reporting soreness and is questionable for Sunday’s game with the Raptors.

Wall was diagnosed with a sprained shoulder after Friday’s game with the Cavaliers, according to Brian Windhorst on ESPN Now. X-rays taken Friday night were negative, but Wall had his arm in a sling as he left Capital One Arena.

Wall said the damage was done when he ran into the Cavs’ Channing Frye on a play in the fourth quarter. He told reporters he should have left the game after that happened.

The Wizards are relieved that they won’t be without their leader for an extended time. The four-time All-Star is averaging 20.5 points and 10.4 assists through eight games.

Kelly Oubre Earns Larger Role; Otto Porter Earning Paycheck

November 3rd, 2017 at 9:18pm CST by Austin Kent

The Wizards have benefited from third-year swingman Kelly Oubre‘s energy so far this season and the 21-year-old is earning a more substantial role with the squad, Chris Gehring of the team’s official site writes.

The Wizards paid big bucks to bring Otto Porter back and, to this point, LeBron James believes he’s earned his $107MM contract. “He’s worked on his game extremely well and he’s earned the big paycheck that he got,” James told Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.

Southeast Notes: Simmons, Batum, Wizards

November 2nd, 2017 at 2:58pm CST by Austin Kent

The Magic have jumped out to a 6-2 start this season despite the fact that much of the core they’ve featured this season is a carryover from last year’s team that finished just 29-53. The X-Factor that’s helping the team perform so much better in 2017/18 could very well be Jonathon Simmons, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes.

Simmons signed a three-year deal worth $20MM this summer and has earned the trust of head coach Frank Vogel early in his Magic career.

“He has earned the trust. You know, when we put the ball in his hands, typically, he makes good things happen,” Vogel said. “He’s a good decision maker, and he’s a threat going to the basket. I mean, he really attacks the rim and will get to the free throw line and will finish. He does a good job making the extra pass, too. I do have a lot of trust; he’s earned it very early with me in his stay [with the Magic].”

Through eight games with the Magic so far this year, Simmons has averaged 15.8 points and 3.6 rebounds.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

According to the man himself, Nicolas Batum could be cleared to practice in the next nine days. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, caught up with the Hornets swingman as he recovers from a torn ligament in his left elbow that has sidelined him since early October.
The Heat have looked thin on the perimeter thanks to a rash of injuries at the position. In a question-and-answer with readers, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel discusses whether or not the team ought to have considered using the money spent on Kelly Olynyk to pursue a wing, like Rudy Gay.
The Wizards parted ways with Carrick Felix earlier today but have no immediate plans to fill the vacant roster spot, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post tweets.

Wizards Waive Carrick Felix

November 2nd, 2017 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have cut shooting guard Carrick Felix from their roster, the team announced today in a press release. Felix will become an unrestricted free agent this weekend, assuming he clears waivers.

Felix beat out Donald Sloan for a spot on the Wizards’ roster to open the season, but his hold on that 15th and final slot was precarious, since his salary remained non-guaranteed. The 27-year-old didn’t end up playing any regular season minutes for Washington during his stint with the team. In fact, the one time he got on the court, he was suspended for it — the NBA banned him one game for leaving the bench during last Friday’s altercation between the Wizards and Warriors.

Because Felix’s contract was non-guaranteed, the Wizards will only be on the hook for a prorated portion of his minimum salary. By my count, Felix should receive about $132K for his brief stay in D.C. That figure takes into account the money he lost due to his suspension, though perhaps Bradley Beal will compensate him for that game, as he suggested a few days ago.

“I might help him out, man. It was all my fault, anyways,” Beal said of last week’s altercation. “I gotta help my guy out. We might start a Go Fund Me and help out my guy Carrick Felix. He’s gonna need some cash, for sure.”

The Wizards now have an open spot on their 15-man NBA roster.

Morris Serves Suspension, Ready To Play

November 1st, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards forward Markieff Morris was ready to make his season debut in tonight’s loss to the Suns, but he had to serve a one-game suspension first, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Washington. Morris, who has been sidelined since abdominal surgery in late September for a sports hernia, was suspended for leaving the bench in Friday’s game against Golden State.

Also suspended after Friday’s altercation was Wizards guard Carrick Felix, who is less able to afford the loss of money or playing opportunities, Hughes writes in a full story. Felix earned a roster spot with Washington after being out of the NBA since 2014. His only previous experience was seven games with the Cavaliers. “I might help him out, man. It was all my fault, anyways,” said teammate Bradley Beal. “I gotta help my guy out. We might start a Go Fund Me and help out my guy Carrick Felix. He’s gonna need some cash, for sure.” Hughes notes that Felix served his suspension in Sunday’s rout at Sacramento, which could have provided his first game action of the season.

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