2014 June | Hoops Rumors

Cavs, Hawks, Lakers Eye LeBron-‘Melo Pairing

June 24th, 2014 at 11:47am CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks, Cavs and Lakers are considering clearing the cap space necessary to double up on marquee free agent signings this summer and ink both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, report Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. James’ decision to opt out of his contract and hit free agency has spurred the thinking of the Hawks and Cavs, while the Lakers have been considering this scenario for a while, according to the ESPN scribes.

James timed his opt-out nearly a week ahead of his June 30th deadline to do so to give potential suitors a better chance to make the necessary cap-clearing moves, sources tell Windhorst and Stein. He also plotted the timing to give the Heat a chance to make moves of their own, Windhorst and Stein add. The Heat have given at least some thought to recruiting Anthony to join James in Miami.

The Lakers probably possess the easiest path to the requisite cap space with about $34MM in commitments for next season and Nick Young‘s player option, which he appears likely to decline. They’ve been linked to trades in which they’d give up Steve Nash and the No. 7 overall pick, and they’ve entered those discussions with clearing cap space in mind, as Stein and ESPN.com colleague Ramona Shelburne wrote earlier today.

The Cavs don’t have much more in guaranteed salary, with just about $36MM, and they believe they can clear about $30MM in space under the projected $63.2MM cap without giving up Kyrie Irving or the No. 1 overall pick. The Hawks have a little more than $47MM tied up for next year, and they’re reluctant to tear apart their roster, according to Windhorst and Stein, in spite of a report earlier this morning that they were pondering a run at Anthony.

In any case, Cleveland, Atlanta and the Lakers all face a tight squeeze if they hope to accommodate both James and Anthony, who can command combined maximum salaries of roughly $42.5MM. Still, there’s been talk that each would be willing to take a discount, and, as Windhorst and Stein note, James and Anthony will likely communicate during free agency.

Southeast Notes: LeBron, Wizards, Hornets

June 24th, 2014 at 10:35am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat granted agent Rich Paul and LeBron James‘ friend and adviser Maverick Carter unprecedented access to the team in the past year, prompting consternation from many within the organization, as Mike Wise of The Washington Post details. We’ll soon find out whether it was worth it for Miami, now that James has decided to opt out of his contract and hit free agency. Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

Wizards “draft and stash” prospect Tomas Satoransky wants the team to sign him before he competes in summer league this year, and he’s also pushing for a larger amount than the team is willing to give, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com hears. The former 32nd overall pick isn’t bound by the rookie scale, so it would likely take a portion of the mid-level, which Michael says Washington doesn’t want to give up, to give him more than the minimum salary. Ultimately, the Wizards are willing to stand firm and have no intention of trading Satoransky’s rights, according to Michael.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford has indicated a preference for adding size and experience rather than more young perimeter players, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer examines.
Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops adds Gary Harris and Scottie Wilbekin to the list of draft prospects working out for the Magic (Twitter link).
Wizards are auditioning Jahii Carson, Dwight Powell, Roscoe Smith, Sean Kilpatrick, Chaz Williams, Richard Solomon, Isaiah Armwood, Maurice Creek, Halil Kanacevic, Devin Oliver and Talib Zanna, the team announced. They’re also giving LaQuinton Ross his second workout, having also taken a look at him two weeks ago.
The Hawks are giving thought to clearing cap space and making a run at Carmelo Anthony, as we passed along earlier.

Andrei Kirilenko Opts In With Nets

June 24th, 2014 at 9:22am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 9:22am: Kirilenko has officially opted in, the team announced via press release.

MONDAY, 5:57pm: Forward Andrei Kirilenko has decided to opt in with the Nets for next season at $3.3MM, a source tells David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter). Kirilenko inked a one-year deal with a player option with the Nets last summer that caused quite a bit of controversy in NBA circles.

AK47 turned down a $10MM+ player option with the Timberwolves to sign a one-year, ~$3.1MM deal with Brooklyn that included a player option at roughly the same total. Almost instantly, executives were in an uproar and accusations of impropriety starting flying quickly. The league looked into the matter though and, ultimately, the Nets and Kirilenko were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Kirilenko walked from a big payday with the Wolves and didn’t really boost his value in his first season with the Nets. In 45 games, Kirilenko averaged 5.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.6 APG in 19.0 minutes per night. The 33-year-old was dogged by back trouble early in the season and had something of an up-and-down year after that. The Nets were 30-15 in the games that Kirilenko played in but coach Jason Kidd took the veteran out of the game plan for more than one postseason contest.

Hawks Ponder Run At Carmelo Anthony

June 24th, 2014 at 9:05am CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks are thinking about launching a run at Carmelo Anthony, according to Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who deem Atlanta a “sleeper” team in the race for the star forward. A run at ‘Melo reminiscent of last year’s darkhorse pitch to Dwight Howard is one of many options that Hawks GM Danny Ferry is considering, though it would require that the team clear a significant amount of cap space.

Atlanta and the Heat are on the fringes of an Anthony sweepstakes that more prominently features the Rockets, Mavs and Lakers, as well as the Bulls, who appear to have taken the lead, as Shelburne and Stein write. The Knicks are in the running, too, as they bid to keep Anthony from leaving New York.

The Knicks can re-sign him using Bird rights, but the Lakers have the most cap flexibility among the teams in the race. Still, Anthony wants the Lakers to upgrade their roster before he would consider them, according to Shelburne and Stein. That’s why rumors involving No. 7 pick and Steve Nash have cropped up, as Lakers look to part with them in search of improvements, as the ESPN scribes explain. Sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that ‘Melo met recently with Kobe Bryant in Europe, and while Bryant denies that any meeting took place, he said a meeting with Anthony is indeed on his agenda (Twitter link).

Ferry would have to make a few trades of his own just to open up room for a competitive contract offer. The Hawks have slightly more than $47MM in commitments to eight players next season, not counting their first-round pick at No. 15 overall. If the Hawks renounced all of their free agents, roster charges would bring Atlanta’s cap hits to about $49MM, leaving only about $14.2MM under the $63.2MM projected salary cap to bid for Anthony, who can make a starting salary of nearly $22.5MM.

LeBron James To Opt Out, Hit Free Agency

June 24th, 2014 at 8:27am CST by Chuck Myron

LeBron James will opt out of his contract and become a free agent next month, agent Rich Paul has told the Heat, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That means he’ll exercise his early termination option to get out of his contract that called for him to make $20.59MM next season and another $22.1125MM in 2015/16. It also opens the possibility that the four-time MVP will change teams and invites suitors to make pitches beginning a week from today.

The chances that he’d opt out appeared better than that he’d opt in, but while James reportedly has some hard feelings about what he perceives as Miami owner Micky Arison’s spending cutbacks this past season, most reports suggest that the Heat will likely retain him. That’s not a given, as the Rockets, Clippers, Cavs and others line up bids for the player in the top spot of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, but the decision from James is far from a death knell for his tenure in Miami.

The opt-out decision keeps the alive the notion that James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh could all re-sign at discounts to allow the Heat to court Carmelo Anthony, or perhaps Kyle Lowry or another top-tier free agent. James is determined to push the Heat to spend money and improve their roster, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Still, Miami’s abillity to do so will have much to do with whether Wade, Bosh and Udonis Haslem follow suit and opt out of their deals, as well as just how much of a discount that trio plus James are willing to take, as I explained when I looked at the offseason ahead for the Heat.

Just how much James can make on his next deal will depend on where the NBA sets the maximum salary for a player of his experience following the July moratorium, as our Luke Adams examined before the season. While it seems likely that he’d be limited to an amount that’s slightly less what he’d have made if he’d exercised his option, it appears as though James is prioritizing the chance to win over gathering every last dollar available. If that’s so, it mitigates the advantage the Heat have to offer a contract with higher raises than other teams can offer. Miami can also offer a fifth year, while other clubs are limited to four.

Byron Scott Takes Lead For Lakers Coaching Job

June 24th, 2014 at 8:08am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 8:08am: Scott and Kobe Bryant have been engaging in conversations on “coach/player terms,” while Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Michael Cooper, a few of Scott’s former Lakers teammates, are pushing the Buss family to hire him, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

MONDAY, 12:41pm: Byron Scott has become the front-runner in the race for the Lakers head coaching job, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Shelburne also identifies Lionel Hollins, Mike Dunleavy and Alvin Gentry as serious candidates. The inclusion of Gentry on that list is curious, since he’s agreed to leave his job as a Clippers assistant coach for an assistant’s job with the Warriors.

Scott has interviewed three times for the position, according to Shelburne. The Lakers have had at least one interview with Hollins, Dunleavy and Gentry, too, and they’ve also spoken with Kurt Rambis, whom Howard Beck of Bleacher Report listed as one of three favorites for the job about two weeks ago.

The 53-year-old Scott took this past season off from coaching after the Cavs fired him last year. It was the first time since the Nets hired him in 2000 that he hasn’t spent at least part of the season as the head coach of an NBA team. He’s 416-521 overall with the Nets, Pelicans (then Hornets) and Cavs, but he was the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2008 with New Orleans.

The Lakers are the only team without a head coach at this point, and while they appear poised to go through the draft and the start of free agency without one, they like the idea of waiting to see what potential signees are looking for in a coach, Shelburne tweets. Scott and the others still in the mix aren’t necessarily the only ones who’ll get consideration for the job as the Lakers remain open to other candidates, Shelburne adds (Twitter link).

Offseason Outlook: Philadelphia 76ers

June 23rd, 2014 at 10:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Guaranteed Contracts

Thaddeus Young ($9,410,869)
Nerlens Noel ($3,315,120)
Michael Carter-Williams ($2,300,040)
(Eric Maynor $2,106,720)*
Tony Wroten ($1,210,080)
Arnett Moultrie ($1,136,160)

Options

Jason Richardson ($6,601,125, Player)**
Byron Mullens ($1,063,384, Player)***

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

James Anderson ($981,084)****
Elliot Williams ($981,084)
Henry Sims ($915,243)
Jarvis Varnado ($915,243; guaranteed for $75,000)
Brandon Davies ($816,482)
Hollis Thompson ($816,482)
Casper Ware ($816,482)

Free Agents / Cap Holds

No. 3 pick ($3,689,700)
No. 10 pick ($1,998,200)
Adonis Thomas ($1,016,482 – QO)*****
(Charles Jenkins $915,243)

Draft Picks

1st Round (3rd overall)
1st Round (10th overall)
2nd Round (32nd overall)
2nd Round (39th overall)
2nd Round (47th overall)
2nd Round (52nd overall)
2nd Round (54th overall)

Cap Outlook

Guaranteed Salary: $19,553,989
Options: $7,664,509
Non-Guaranteed Salary: $6,167,100
Cap Holds: $7,619,625
Total: $41,005,223

In the modern NBA, teams believe that you have to move in one of two directions: either toward the No. 1 record or toward the No. 1 pick. We all know which way the Sixers went last season. Now, armed with more picks than any other team in the 2014 draft, GM Sam Hinkie has to show fans that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The 76ers won’t be expected to contend this season but there has to be an improvement over their 19-63 mark. Any discussion of the 76ers’ offseason has to start with Thursday’s draft. The 76ers have been heavily connected to Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins since they’re in desperate need of an impact wing. Unfortunately for them, Joel Embiid‘s injury figures to have a domino effect at the top of the draft that could leave them shut out of their guy at No. 3. Wiggins could have been there for Hinkie with Embiid and Jabari Parker coming off the board at Nos. 1 and 2, but Embiid being taken out of the picture makes Wiggins seem like the best option for the Cavs at the top of the draft. If Hinkie is dead set on landing Wiggins, the consensus No. 1 overall pick before the 2013/14 college season got underway, he could try getting on the phone with the Cavs and offering up the No. 3 and other picks. However, that’s probably a long shot given the win-now directive that has been handed down for Cleveland by owner Dan Gilbert.

A truly pragmatic approach to the situation would be for the 76ers to draft Embiid. Yes, Embiid will be out of commission for at least four to six months. And, yes, Embiid had some pretty serious back trouble that was causing red flags before the foot injury. And, yes, the 76ers are still waiting on Nerlens Noel to make his NBA debut. But, if Embiid comes back strong from the injury and doesn’t miss extended time, he could very well turn out to be the best talent in the entire class. Besides, the Sixers can get someone at No. 10 who can come in and hit the ground running while the KU big man heals up.

A third scenario for the Sixers at No. 3 would be drafting Australian guard Dante Exum. It has been an open secret for months that the Sixers are high on the 6’7″ 19-year-old but, of course, he’s not a fit with Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams running the point. But what if he wasn’t anymore? Philly is said to be open to trading MCW and there’s no question that he could yield something of considerable value. The Syracuse product averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.2 rebounds in 34.5 minutes per game this past season, but his shooting deficiencies are troubling and his 15.5 PER casts him as more of a big fish in a small pond than anything. In theory, Philly could try pairing Exum and Carter-Williams in the backcourt together, but shooting isn’t Exum’s strength either. The Sixers wouldn’t fetch nearly as much for last year’s No. 11 overall pick if he goes out and shoots 26.4% from downtown again without someone to help cover up his lack of range.

There are plenty of possibilities at No. 3 and there are also tons of options at No. 10, depending on how the draft plays out. If the Sixers don’t pluck Embiid at No. 3, there are a couple of very promising bigs that could fall to them at their second first-round slot. The Celtics (No. 6) and Lakers (No. 7) are thought to covet Aaron Gordon, but it’s conceivable that he falls. Same goes for Julius Randle, a player who not long ago was thought to be a certainty for the top five.

The 76ers currently hold an eye-popping seven picks (Nos. 3, 10, 32, 39, 47, 52, 54) and while at least one or two of those picks figure to be used on European draft-and-stash candidates, Philly is expected to trade a few of them, either to land a veteran or to perhaps acquire a third first-round pick. If they take some of those choices and package them with Thaddeus Young, they could get the kind of impact piece they’re looking for. A trade could be beneficial for all parties involved. Young stopped short of demanding a trade this spring but he said that requesting a change of scenery was a possibility. The former lottery pick is coming off of a season in which he averaged a career-high 17.9 PPG and even though the increased scoring load caused a dip in efficiency, it stands to reason that he’ll have suitors if he’s put on the block. Of course, Young is completely expendable if Randle or Gordon falls to Hinkie’s lap at No. 10. A scenario where the 76ers draft Exum and Randle or Gordon while turning MCW and Young into a starting-caliber shooting guard and small forward sounds like a pretty solid plan.

With more draft picks than guaranteed contracts on the roster and less than ~$30MM on the books, the possibilities for the 76ers are endless. Much of what they do this offseason will hinge on what happens with the first and second overall picks and the timetable that Hinkie wants to pursue.

Cap footnotes

* — The Sixers waived Maynor in March in spite of a player option on his contract for 2014/15. Since he didn’t have a chance to decide on that option, Philadelphia owes Maynor his salary for next season, just as if Maynor had opted in.
** — Richardson has reportedly opted in, but if there’s somehow a last-minute change and he opts out, his cap hold would be $9,306,375.
*** — The cap hold for Mullens would be $915,243 if he were to opt out.
**** — Anderson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 30th.
***** — The cap hold for Thomas would be $816,482 if the Sixers declined to tender his qualifying offer. ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.

And-Ones: Frye, Thomas, Love, Lue

June 23rd, 2014 at 9:14pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s mutual respect between Channing Frye and Warriors coach Steve Kerr, as TNT’s David Aldridge notes in his latest Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Warriors are reportedly eyeing the sharpshooting big man who’ll almost certainly opt out of his deal with the Suns.

It would “mean a lot” to Kings restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas to receive an offer sheet from the Lakers, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The guard grew up as a diehard Lakers fan and has idolized Kobe Bryant since he was a child, but he still spoke highly of the Kings and would like to return.
There have been mixed reports on this aspect of the Kevin Love talks, but Sam Amick of USA Today hears that the Warriors are very wary about taking on Kevin Martin‘s contract as a part of a deal. Meanwhile, despite the hangups in talks and the buzz that a deal with the Warriors is dead, Amick believes that things could pick up again between Golden State and the Wolves.
Sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue has agreed to become the associate head coach of the Cavaliers. Lue was considered a head coaching candidate for Cleveland but the Cavs opted to hire David Blatt instead.
Marquette forward Jamil Wilson worked out for the Mavericks today, according to Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times (on Twitter). Wilson has auditioned for about a dozen teams in total.
The Cavs will bring in Oregon’s Mike Moser and Iowa State’s Melvin Ejim for a workout on Tuesday, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
The Suns worked out center Walter Tavares earlier today, Scotto tweets. The 7’3″ center is rising up draft boards around the league. DraftExpress currently has Tavares going to the Bucks with the No. 31 pick in their mock draft.
The Pistons will bring in DeAndre Daniels and Mike Moser for a workout on Wednesday, tweets Scotto.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Prospect Profile: Leslie McDonald

June 23rd, 2014 at 8:17pm CST by Zachary Links

In a draft full of 19-year-old athletes with high upside but little in the way of experience against high quality competition, teams more or less know what they could be getting out of UNC’s Leslie McDonald. The shooting guard doesn’t have the name value of teammate James McAdoo and others, but he knows that he still has a lot to offer for any NBA team’s bench.

“I’m a hard-worker, i can bring experience to the table,” McDonald told Hoops Rumors earlier today. “I know the game very well. I’m a great shooter, I can bring an outside presence to a team that needs it, and when I get open I’m going to nail that set shot.”

With plenty of skill but less hype than others, McDonald knows that he’ll have to rely on that tireless work ethic to vault himself to the NBA level. The guard had just one private team workout this summer when the Hornets called him in as a last-minute substitute for Virginia’s Joe Harris and others. McDonald may have been a late fill-in for Charlotte, but he was able to come in on short notice and hold his own against Washington’s C.J. Wilcox and Florida’s Casey Prather in scrimmages.

As the shooting guard explained himself, his shooting range is one of his best qualities and will likely be his calling card going forward as he attempts to endear himself to an NBA team. Aside from that, McDonald offers a sharp basketball IQ and he believes that he has a stronger understanding of the game than many of the guards in this year’s draft class.

“I’ve been in different situations where I know what to do at certain times, as far as shot selection and pass selection and just doing things at the right time. Knowing the right time to shoot the ball and when to take a different course of action is such an important thing in this game,” McDonald said.

McDonald was given an opportunity to contribute as an underclassman for UNC when he came on campus but, unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL that wound up costing him his entire junior season. Before his injury in the summer of 2011, the guard averaged 38.1% from downtown and was proving himself to be an important piece for the Tar Heels. When he came back on the court for his redshirt junior season in 2012/13, McDonald admits that he wasn’t quite the same player, though he still managed to bring the shooting when it counted. McDonald never flexed that same kind of efficiency from downtown in the remaining two seasons of his collegiate career, but he attributes that partially to rust and partially to changing his style of play.

“When I got hurt my shooting wasn’t quite the same but it’s definitely coming back to me. I’m regaining it and I think I nailed some really big shots towards the end of my senior season,” the guard explained. “My first two years, I was more of a spot-up shooter. I was known more for that than all the things I can do so well now like driving to the basket and knocking down mid-range shots. There was just less of a focus on three-point shooting for me.”

One of the main knocks on McDonald is his size. At 6’4″, the UNC product matched up just fine at the collegiate level but would be a bit smaller than most two guards in the NBA. However, McDonald isn’t the least bit concerned about going up against bigger opponents.

“For me, its all about production and I feel like on the defensive side I’m not a liability. I’m comfortable sticking a bigger guard or a smaller guard and on offense I just feel like I can shoot the ball against anybody. My release is quick and when guys are taller than me, I know how to create space or drive the lane or dish out to different people. No matter who is on me, there’s no reason why I can’t get my shot off or create an opportunity for someone else,” the 23-year-old explained.

It’s not guaranteed that McDonald will hear his name called on Thursday night, but if he doesn’t, his representatives at Tandem Sports will find plenty of opportunities for him to showcase his stuff for clubs this offseason. With four years of big-game experience under Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, one imagines that plenty of teams will be interested in seeing what McDonald has to offer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cavs, Jazz Talking Swap Of No. 1 Pick, Favors

June 23rd, 2014 at 8:00pm CST by Zachary Links

8:00pm: The sense is that, despite the buzz, the Cavs really aren’t close to a deal they like, Amico tweets. Meanwhile, a source close to Waiters tells Amico (link) that Waiters believes he or Kyrie Irving will be traded. The two guards reportedly clashed last season.

7:16pm: The Jazz and Cavs are discussing a trade that would involve Derrick Favors going to the Cavs for the No. 1 pick, according to Spencer Checketts of 1280 AM (via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News on Twitter). Checketts says that Utah is offering Favors, Alec Burks, and the No. 5 pick to the Cavs for the No. 1 selection and Jarrett Jack. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter), meanwhile, hears that the deal being discussed also includes Utah’s No. 23 pick.

Checketts adds that the Utah front office is split about including Burks in their offer to Cleveland (link). Checketts hears (link) that the Jazz initially offered Favors and the No. 5 pick for the No. 1. The Cavs wanted an unprotected first-round pick thrown in and the Jazz then countered with the No. 23 in this year’s draft.

The Cavs have also talked with the Sixers, Magic, and Timberwolves within the past 24 hours, Amico tweets. Meanwhile, the Cavs have also discussed Dion Waiters with an unknown team in the top ten (link).

Favors is set to begin a four-year, $49MM deal this season and one surprised NBA insider tells Genessy (via Twitter) that he can’t see Utah moving the former No. 3 overall pick. This past season was Favors’ best to date. The soon-to-be 23-year-old averaged 13.3 PPG and 8.7 RPG in 30.2 minutes per contest. His 19.0 PER was also a career best and the youngster has seen that number rise in each of his NBA seasons.

Depending on who you ask, the Cavs may have discussed Jack with the Nets last week in a deal that would have brought them guard Marcus Thornton. Jack signed a $25MM contract with the Cavs last summer after a successful 2012/13 campaign in which he came off the bench behind Stephen Curry for the Warriors. His 2013/14 season was a disappointing one however, as the point guard shot just 41% from the floor and posted a career-low 11.5 PER.

It was reported last week that Utah was making Burks available in order to move up in the draft. The shooting guard averaged 14.0 points in 28.1 minutes per game with a 15.8 PER, all career highs.

While there has been a lot of buzz around Andrew Wiggins as the clear-cut No. 1 choice in this year’s draft following Joel Embiid‘s injury, the Jazz could be eyeing the top pick in order to tab Duke’s Jabari Parker. Parker, who is of the Mormon faith, would be tremendously marketable in Utah.

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