2016 February | Hoops Rumors

Wizards Sign J.J. Hickson

February 25th, 2016 at 11:18am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards have signed J.J. Hickson, the team announced. Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reported that a deal was expected between the sides after Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports wrote that they were engaged in advanced discussions about a prorated minimum-salary contract that would run through the rest of the season. The pact indeed covers the balance of 2015/16, as Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld confirmed in the team’s press release.

“Signing J.J. for the remainder of the season gives us another solid veteran who will bring more depth to our frontcourt,” Grunfeld said. “His experience, athletic ability and physical presence will be solid additions to our team as we continue our playoff push.”

Hickson became a free agent earlier this week after the Nuggets waived him Saturday. Denver and the Jeff Schwartz client were planning to do a buyout deal, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported shortly before Hickson’s release, though it’s unclear how much salary, if any, Hickson forfeited from the $5,613,500 his Nuggets contract called for him to make this season. Assuming he’s getting the minimum as reported, he’ll make $366,337 with the Wizards as a seven-year veteran, though Washington only has to pay $273,038, the equivalent of the prorated two-year veteran’s minimum, with the league picking up the tab for the rest. That’s key, since the Wizards were already only about $1MM shy of the tax line.

Washington was only carrying only 14 players, one below the regular season maximum, so the team didn’t have to make a corresponding move. The Wizards were short a big man, since they sent Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair to the Suns for Markieff Morris in a two-for-one trade at last week’s deadline. The 27-year-old Hickson appeared in only three games for the Nuggets after December 8th, but he made nine early-season starts prior to that, eclipsing the eight starts in 73 appearances he made last year.

Joe Johnson Interested In Playing For Hawks

February 25th, 2016 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Joe Johnson has interest in joining the Hawks if he shakes free from the Nets, several sources tell Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That adds some doubt to the notion that Johnson would sign with the Cavaliers if he becomes a free agent this season, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer had heard. The Nets and Johnson have reportedly begun buyout talks, with the Hawks among a handful of teams interested in signing him.

Only three Hawks, Jeff Teague, Al Horford and Kirk Hinrich, remain from the seven seasons Johnson spent with Atlanta between 2005 and 2012, Vivlamore notes. The Hawks originally signed Johnson to the contract that pays him nearly $24.895MM this season before trading him to the Nets in the 2012 offseason. The 34-year-old would be giving up a portion of that salary in exchange for his way off the 15-42 Nets if the sides work a buyout deal, and he’d be available much more cheaply should he clear waivers, as would be expected.

Atlanta has an open roster spot and can offer Johnson a prorated portion of the room exception, which would work out to about $2MM. That’s not as much as he could get from the Thunder, who can offer about $2.4MM, but it’s more than the Cavaliers and several others can offer. The Celtics, Rockets, Heat and Raptors are also in pursuit, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who broke the story of the buyout talks between Johnson and the Nets. Johnson would have to hit waivers no later than March 1st to be eligible to play for the Hawks or any team other than Brooklyn in the postseason, and that would largely represent Johnson’s motivation to do the buyout, since the Nets have virtually no shot of making the playoffs.

Nets, Joe Johnson Start Buyout Talks

February 25th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Joe Johnson have begun talks about a would-be buyout deal, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Johnson would reportedly sign with the Cavaliers if he becomes a free agent this season, but Stein hears that the Hawks, Celtics, Rockets, Heat, Thunder and Raptors are also pursuing him (Twitter link). Multiple reports in recent weeks have cast doubt on the idea that Johnson would engineer a buyout, which would entail him giving back part of his nearly $24.895MM salary, and Johnson has said he wouldn’t rule out re-signing with the Nets this summer, when his contract is set to expire. Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who reported the Cavs link, heard that whether a buyout happens comes down to Brooklyn’s willingness to reap financial savings at the cost of a move that would help Cleveland.

Johnson, 34, is averaging 11.8 points per game on 40.6% shooting this season, his lowest figure in either category since the 2002/03 season. Still, he’s shooting 37.1% from 3-point range, mirroring his career average. He remains in a starting role and hasn’t appeared as a reserve in any game since 2003/04, though many of the teams that would sign him would probably ask him to come off the bench.

It’s nonetheless no surprise to see Johnson attract interest from multiple suitors in spite of his declining production, as he’s still capable of delivering an offensive boost. He put up 27 points and 11 assists on February 5th in Brooklyn’s win against the Kings. That was a few days after Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald reported that Johnson would stir the Heat’s interest if he came free on the buyout market.

The Cavs and Raptors only have the prorated minimum salary of about $400K to offer, while the Thunder have the most to spend among the teams connected to him, since they have a prorated portion of the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which is now worth about $2.4MM. The Hawks and Celtics have prorated portions of the room exception now worth about $2MM. The Heat can’t pay even the minimum salary on a contract for the rest of the season until March 6th without inviting repeat-offender tax penalties, while the Rockets are roughly $500K shy of the hard cap they triggered when they signed Montrezl Harrell earlier this season.

Johnson would have to hit waivers by the close of business on March 1st to be eligible to appear in the playoffs with a team other than Brooklyn, a club with no postseason hopes of its own. The Jeff Schwartz client has been in the postseason every year since missing out with the Hawks in 2007.

Atlantic Notes: Marks, Dolan, Casey, Hinkie

February 25th, 2016 at 9:28am CST by Chuck Myron

New Nets GM Sean Marks took the job on the condition that he have the authority to make moves as he sees fit, writes USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, who nonetheless wonders how much autonomy Marks will have to rebuild at a pace he sees appropriate. People around the league believe the Nets are anxious to go after a marquee free agent to hasten the team’s climb up the standings, Zillgitt notes. While we wait to find out if owner Mikhail Prokhorov displays more patience than he has to date, see more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks owner James Dolan was agitated after Monday’s loss, a source told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, and the frustration is evident throughout the organization, as Isola details. New York dropped another game Wednesday against the Pacers. “We’re all frustrated. We can’t accept this,” said interim head coach Kurt Rambis after Monday’s game. “For the organization, for our team, ourselves as individuals, the coaching staff. We can’t accept losing. I want players to be angry. I want players to be frustrated. That’s the right attitude to have.”
Toronto’s offseason defensive upgrades were “huge,” as coach Dwane Casey puts it, but they won’t matter if the Raptors can’t break through and win a playoff series, which the franchise hasn’t done in more than a decade, opines Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie might have lost power to new chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo this season, but Hinkie remains philosophically tied to the idea of his aggressive rebuilding campaign, observes Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/24/16

February 25th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Grizzlies’ season was dealt a crushing blow with the news that Marc Gasol would miss the rest of the campaign after undergoing surgery to repair his broken right foot this past Saturday. In addition to potentially derailing any realistic notion the team had about competing for an NBA title in 2015/16, the injury to Gasol could also spell the end of point guard Mike Conley‘s tenure in Memphis.

Conley is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and any potential long term impact to Gasol’s health and productivity could nudge the point guard toward another franchise come July. While the Grizzlies remain publicly optimistic that Gasol will make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2016/17 season, a physical therapist who is well-versed in the recovery process the big man will undergo told Peter Edmiston of The Commercial Appeal that there is less than a 10% chance that the Spaniard will return to his pre-injury form. Only time will tell if Gasol will be the player we are used to seeing when he makes his way back, but this offseason will likely be Conley’s last chance at a significant long-term payday. He may decide that risking his last remaining peak seasons on the durability of Gasol’s right foot isn’t the smart play and bolt for what he perceives to be greener pastures.

That brings me to the question/topic for today: What impact, if any, will Marc Gasol’s injury have on Mike Conley’s upcoming free agency?

Take to the comments section to share your thoughts, predictions and potential doomsday scenarios for what Gasol’s injury potentially does to the Grizzlies’ chances of retaining Conley. We look forward to what you have to say.

And-Ones: Anthony, D-League, Mack

February 24th, 2016 at 10:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the mild awkwardness of being back in a Pistons uniform after the three-team trade he was a part of was nixed, Joel Anthony says he’s glad to return to Motown after nearly becoming a member of the Sixers at the trade deadline, David Mayo of MLive writes. “It is obviously a little awkward, a little weird,” Anthony said. “It’s been one of the weirdest weeks I’ve had as a professional. It’s great to be back here. I love the guys on the team. Everyone was happy with me coming back. So just looking forward to being a part of this team and helping us move forward.”

“Things like this happen in the league where guys get hurt, guys get injured,” Anthony also said. “It’s really about that next man up, the next guy’s supposed to step up. You have guys on the roster for a reason, so those guys are going to have to play their role the way they’re supposed to, and continue to help us win.”

Here’s the latest from around the league:

Shelvin Mack has impressed the Jazz with his solid play since arriving in a trade deadline deal from Atlanta, but his emergence may further cloud Utah’s unsettled point guard rotation, writes Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. “We’ve had — I wouldn’t say a revolving door — but we’ve found that depth from internally, essentially using guys out of position,” coach Quin Snyder said. “If we would have had three point guards at the beginning of the year, you’d see some sort of separation in the early part of the year. We haven’t had that. As a result, that process has to occur now. There’s going to be decisions I have to make relative to who’s going to play.”
The Jazz have assigned center Tibor Pleiss to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Pleiss’ fifth trek to Idaho on the season. He has appeared in 15 games, averaging 12.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.7 assists in 31.3 minutes per contest.
The Kings have recalled power forward Duje Dukan from the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This concludes Dukan’s fifth trip to the D-League.

Eastern Notes: Riley, Bargnani, Lee

February 24th, 2016 at 9:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Heat team president Pat Riley said that Miami intends to have 15 players on its roster by season’s end, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays (Twitter links). The executive indicated that the team plans to add one player by March 10th and another prior to the end of the campaign, Winderman notes. The Heat currently possess 13 players on their roster and are unable to sign anyone to more than a 10-day contract until March 6th, or else the team would be back over the luxury tax line and risk repeat-offender tax penalties. Miami’s roster situation is further complicated by the losses of Beno Udrih, who is out for three months, Tyler Johnson, who is on the shelf for at least two, and Chris Bosh, whom the team is thinking about shutting down for the remainder of the 2015/16 campaign as he deals with blood clot issues for the second straight season.

Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:

Andrea Bargnani gave up $323,599 in salary for 2015/16 and $1,228,060 for 2016/17 as part of his buyout arrangement with the Nets, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter). The oft-injured power forward will earn $1,039,298 this season and will give Brooklyn a cap hit worth $323,599 next season. The move gives the Nets about $1.7MM in breathing room beneath the luxury tax line.
David Lee sacrificed $458,575 in salary to facilitate his buyout from the Celtics, Pincus tweets. Boston is on the hook for the remainder of Lee’s $15,035,105 post-buyout salary. Lee ultimately profited from the arrangement, since he signed a deal with the Mavericks that’s worth more than $2MM.
The Bulls have officially announced today that their new D-League affiliate, which begins play next season, will be called the Windy City Bulls.

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Boston Celtics

February 24th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades now past and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts rapidly approaching, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Boston Celtics, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $77,098,629*
Remaining Cap Room= -$7,098,629
Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $7,641,371

*Note: This amount includes the $1,706,250 owed to Zoran Dragic, who was waived by the team, the $2,038,206 owned to Perry Jones III, who was also waived and the $25K each owed to Levi Randolph, Corey Walden and Malcolm Miller, who were waived. This amount also reflects David Lee‘s salary of $15,035,105, who was waived as part of a buyout arrangement.

Cap Exceptions Available:

Room Exception= $2,814,000

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $300,000

Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.

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

Northwest Notes: Favors, Malone, Pleiss

February 24th, 2016 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Tuesday morning marked the five year anniversary of the trade that sent Deron Williams to the Nets and landed Derrick Favors in Utah, a place the power forward initially wasn’t thrilled to be headed to, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News writes. But despite his initial concerns, Favors is content playing for the Jazz, Genessy adds. “Welcome to the NBA, basically. That’s my memory,” Favors said. “Coming from New Jersey, being 19 coming all the way over to Utah, a place I’d never been before. It was different, but I grew up, got used to it and I like it here. I’ve matured a lot. Obviously I’m not 19 anymore. My game changed a lot. I’ve changed as a person. Five years ago seems like forever.“ The 24-year-old still has two more seasons remaining on his contract after this one, so his loyalty to the Jazz won’t be put to the test until the summer of 2018, when he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz are pleased with the development of center Tibor Pleiss and credit his four stints in the D-League this season for his improvement, Genessy notes in the same piece. “He’s getting an opportunity to play. Whatever his play looks like in my mind is what’s being accomplished is just those minutes,” coach Quin Snyder said. “Look at his line, his numbers. He’s fouling less, been more productive. Really, if you watch him, he looks more comfortable and that’s the primary thing.” The 26-year-old has appeared in 15 games for Idaho this season and has averaged 12.6 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Stampede.
The Nuggets are a much more stable team with Michael Malone as head coach, and his no-nonsense demeanor and desire to avoid discord separates him from former Denver coach George Karl, who has had numerous issues since taking over as coach of the Kings, Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post writes. Malone, whom Sacramento was fired last season, has observed Karl’s difficulties getting along with Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, a player with whom Malone had reached a common ground, Kiszla adds. “I was real with him, I was honest with him, I coached him, I disciplined him, I held him accountable. I never tried to be his buddy. I never tried to coach around him,” Malone said of his relationship with Cousins. “And, at the end of the day, I am a competitor. I hate to lose. At the end of the day, DeMarcus is a competitor. He hates to lose. We had that in common.“
One of the reasons that the Blazers are in the playoff hunt this season is the play of shooting guard C.J. McCollum, whose emergence is not a surprise to Portland’s front office, Ian Thomsen of NBA.com writes. “Damian [Lillard] and C.J. are our two best players,” GM Neil Olshey said. “They are our two best passers, our two best shooters and our two best scorers. The irony is, if C.J. doesn’t get hurt in camp as a rookie, then we were having this conversation two years ago. He was that good.“

Suns Claim John Jenkins Off Waivers

February 24th, 2016 at 7:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:03pm: The Suns have officially announced the waiver claim of Jenkins.

4:14pm: The Suns have claimed John Jenkins off waivers from the Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The team has yet to make a formal announcement, but the move had to have taken place before 4:00pm Central, when Jenkins was set to become a free agent had no team put in a claim. He’s on a three-year minimum-salary contract, and the minimum salary exception only accommodates two-year deals, so Phoenix is using part of the $1.56MM trade exception it created in the Markieff Morris deal last week. It’s a boon for Dallas, which gets to subtract the more than $981K cap hit for Jenkins from this season’s books. The Suns are responsible for that plus his remaining paychecks this year.

Jenkins, who turns 25 next month, goes into Phoenix’s open roster spot, so no corresponding move is necessary. He’ll provide depth on the wing, where the Suns have been thin in the wake of T.J. Warren‘s season-ending broken foot. The Mavericks didn’t give Jenkins much playing time in the regular season, as he’s averaged a career low 9.2 minutes per game, even though he was one of the surprises of the preseason, when he put up 19.7 points in 28.4 minutes a night across seven appearances. Dallas waived Jenkins to make room for David Lee, who came free via buyout from the Celtics.

The Suns have the ability to control Jenkins through 2017/18, since his contract contains non-guaranteed minimum salaries for the next two seasons. He holds promise, having been the 23rd overall pick in 2012, and he’s a passable floor-stretching threat, having hit 35.7% of his 227 3-point attempts over the course of 119 NBA regular season games. Phoenix nonetheless burns the majority of the Morris exception, which declines in value to $578,652, largely unusable except for rookie minimum deals.

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