2016 March | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Sign Tim Frazier To 10-Day Contract

March 16th, 2016 at 5:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

WEDNESDAY, 5:20pm: The signing is official, the team announced in a press release.

TUESDAY, 9:10pm: The Pelicans intend to ink point guard Tim Frazier to a 10-day deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). New Orleans currently has 16 players on its roster, including Orlando Johnson, who was signed to a 10-day deal after the Pelicans were granted an extra roster spot via the hardship provision. According to Stein (ESPN Now link), the franchise was granted a 17th slot to accommodate the addition of Frazier.

In order for a team to be granted an extra roster spot, it must have three players who have missed at least three straight games because of injury or illness, plus a fourth player who is also unable to perform. The Pelicans have been pummeled by injuries this season and certainly fit the prerequisite. New Orleans is currently without Eric Gordon, Bryce Dejean-Jones, Tyreke Evans and Quincy Pondexter, all of whom are out for the remainder of the campaign. Adding to the team’s woes, center Alexis Ajinca is expected to be out until the end of this month and Norris Cole is day to day with back issues.

Frazier, 25, saw just 7.8 minutes per game in 35 appearances for the Blazers this season, averaging 1.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists to accompany a slash line of .333/.176/.533. The playmaker rejoined the D-League affiliate of the Celtics last week after clearing waivers from the Trail Blazers, who cut him to accommodate their deadline-day trades.

Atlantic Notes: Durant, Vaulet, Roberts

March 16th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics, who are among many teams dreaming of signing Kevin Durant this summer, would have taken the Texas product first overall in the 2007 draft if the pingpong balls had bounced their way, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Instead, Portland landed the top pick and selected Ohio State center Greg Oden, with Durant falling to the Thunder at No. 2. “I was in the draft room, and they would have taken Durant,” said Austin Ainge, son of Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “I did have some inside information there.” Team co-owner Wyc Grousbeck has verified that claim, according to Forsberg.

Boston may be able to make its pitch to Durant more appealing by acquiring another high-level talent first. Forsberg suggested the Celtics may pursue Hawks free agent center/power forward Al Horford, who is also headed toward free agency and whom they reportedly targeted prior to last month’s trade deadline. Boston will have about $34MM in guaranteed salary for next season if it elects not to hang on to Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko. If the salary cap tops $90MM, as some estimates have suggested, the Celtics could have enough room for two elite free agents.

There’s more on the Atlantic Division:

Durant, who will face the Celtics in Boston tonight for the first time since 2012, had plenty of good things to say about the city, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “I like the city a lot,” Durant told reporters this morning. “It’s cold, but they love sports here. It’s a family atmosphere I feel when I walk around the city, so yeah, I like it a lot.”
The Nets are hoping they might have “the next Manu Ginobili” in second-round pick Juan Pablo Vaulet, according to NetsDaily. Playing in Argentina, Vaulet missed 19 games with an early-season stress fracture in his ankle, but he is starting to show why Brooklyn and other observers were so high on him during the draft. That includes new Nets GM Sean Marks, who was watching Vaulet closely when he was still with the Spurs’ front office.
The Raptors‘ D-League affiliate has announced that Ronald Roberts Jr. will miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury, tweets Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor. Three NBA teams had considered signing Roberts to a 10-day contract before the injury, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (Twitter link).

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Memphis Grizzlies

March 16th, 2016 at 3:50pm 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 and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, 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 Memphis Grizzlies, 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= $83,093,980*
Remaining Cap Room= -$13,093,980
Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $1,678,225**

*Note: This amount includes the $437,080 owed to Fab Melo, and the $163,297 owed to Jamaal Franklin, both of whom were waived via the stretch provision. It also includes the $4,300,000 due Mario Chalmers, the $845,059 owed James Ennis, the $845,059 due Russ Smith, the $122,238 paid to Ryan Hollins and the $6,000 owed to Patrick Christopher, all of whom were waived by the team.

**Note: Memphis’ payroll for tax purposes was reduced by $32,205 as a result of Matt Barnes‘ two-game suspension.

Cap Exceptions Available:

Trade Exception= $122,441 (Jon Leuer. Expires June 25, 2016)
Trade Exception= $450,000 (Jeff Green. Expires February 18, 2017)

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $2,857,286

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000

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.

Clippers Sign Jeff Ayres For Rest Of Season

March 16th, 2016 at 3:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 3:27pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

TUESDAY, 1:57pm: The Clippers will sign Jeff Ayres to a contract that covers the rest of the season, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Grizzlies had reportedly been eyeing the veteran big man following the expiration of his second 10-day contract with the Clips, but instead L.A. and Ayres are apparently circling back to one another for the balance of 2015/16. It’ll have to be a prorated minimum-salary deal, since that’s all the Clippers can hand out.

Ayres, 28, appeared for just 14 total minutes spread over five games with the Clips on his pair of 10-day deals, which he signed January 23rd and February 2nd. L.A. later turned to rookie Alex Stepheson, who also signed two 10-day contracts with the team, the last of which ran to term last week. Memphis snapped him up the next day, furthering the idea that the Clippers and Grizzlies, who would meet in the first round of the playoffs if they started today, are trolling the same free agent waters. The teams also pulled off a deadline-day swap, exchanging Lance Stephenson and Jeff Green.

A roster spot is open for the Clippers, who won’t have to make a corresponding move to usher Ayres back onto the team. Just how much he’ll make depends on when he signs, but, as a veteran of five previous NBA seasons, he’d get $194,224 if the deal becomes official today. The Clippers would only have to pay him $167,166, with the league picking up the tab for the difference, but the Clips are above the tax threshold, so the signing would add $417,915 to their projected tax bill.

Stepheson, who’d make less money based on his lack of experience, would have been a cheaper option for the Clippers, but Ayres gives the team some veteran know-how, particularly about the Spurs, a potential playoff opponent who had Ayres on their roster for the two seasons prior to this one. He averaged 13.0 minutes per game and made 10 starts for the title-winning 2013/14 San Antonio team.

Western Notes: Carter, Harper, Lee

March 16th, 2016 at 2:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Swingman Vince Carter appreciates the freedom the Grizzlies have allowed him to express himself on the court and off, which is a big reason why he decided to sign with the team in 2014, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. When asked what he looks for in an organization, Carter told Aldridge, “Like anything else, you just have to do your research. There’s a lot of guys in the league that I’ve played with that are now either young coaches or whatever. So you just have to do your research. We played year to year now. You see what’s going on. Now, I look for what fits right with my style. That’s kind of how I approach it. I think everybody’s approach is different, of course. For me, it’s just who will allow me to be me. I like to help the young guys do that. So I bring that to the table, and that’s what Coach has allowed me to do here, while still playing. One thing that I’ll never do is overstep my boundaries. I’m not trying to be the coach, be the voice. I’m just trying to make the game easier. As a player, you hear what the coaches say, but sometimes, when another teammate delivers it, it’s a little different. It makes sense, or hits home.”

Here’s more from out west:

The 39-year-old’s contract is partially guaranteed for 2016/17, the final one in his current deal, and despite his love for helping younger players develop, Carter doesn’t envision himself making the jump to the coaching ranks when his playing career is over, Aldridge adds in the same piece. “I think I’d rather do some broadcasting, to be honest with you,” Carter said. “I think that’s where my passion lies. I enjoy coaching. I enjoying Coach allowing me to coach, or [offer] words of wisdom. I don’t know if it’s coaching. Just helping, being another coach on the floor, or just off the bench, or anything. Sometimes it’s easy to translate and relay the message he’s trying to portray, or make. So I think I enjoy that part of it. But I think I want to do some broadcasting.“
David Lee signed with the Mavericks after agreeing to a buyout with Boston because he believed they were the best fit for him, a move that has paid off for both him and the team thus far, Adi Joseph of The Sporting News writes. “I saw the possibilities on paper, thought it’d be a great fit on both sides. But you know, you’ve just got to make it [happen],” Lee told Joseph. “It’s still, until you go out there and play, you never know how you’re going to feel with the guys and how things are going to work. But I think it’s been a tremendous fit here, and I’m just excited — excited to be here and excited to give it everything I have for them this year.”
Justin Harper has rejoined the Lakers‘ D-League affiliate after the Pistons elected not to ink him for the remainder of the season when his second 10-day contract with the team expired, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor tweets.

Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

March 16th, 2016 at 12:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Sunday.

Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.

If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Bucks Ink Jared Cunningham To 10-Day Deal

March 16th, 2016 at 11:36am CST by Eddie Scarito

WEDNESDAY, 11:36am: The signing is official, the team announced.

TUESDAY, 6:33pm: The Bucks are close to signing Jared Cunningham to a 10-day deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Milwaukee currently has the league maximum of 15 players on its roster, which likely means that the team has applied for an extra slot via the hardship provision, though that is merely my speculation. Otherwise, the Bucks would be forced to waive a player prior to inking Cunningham.

In order for a team to be granted an extra roster spot, it must have three players who have missed at least three straight games because of injury or illness, plus a fourth player who is also unable to perform. The Bucks certainly meet that criteria, with O.J. Mayo, Steve Novak and Michael Carter-Williams all lost for the season and Greivis Vasquez expected to be out of action until at least the end of March.

Cunningham, 24, recently rejoined the Idaho Stampede in the NBA D-League as a returning player after the Magic waived him. Orlando had acquired him via the swap that sent Channing Frye to the Cavaliers at the trade deadline. The shooting guard appeared in 40 games for the Cavaliers, including three starts, but he didn’t see action for the Magic. His numbers on the season are 2.6 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 8.9 minutes per contest. His slash line is .352/.313/.625.

Central Notes: James, Lawson, Pistons

March 16th, 2016 at 11:17am CST by Eddie Scarito

The importance of LeBron James‘ sometimes cryptic tweets regarding his teammates has been a source of debate among the media and fans, but with James’ social media reach exceeding his on the court presence, they certainly warrant scrutiny, argues Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. To support his assertion, the scribe notes that James has a combined social media following that tops 47 million, while last year’s NBA Finals drew approximately 20 million viewers per contest on average. James’ most recent Twitter controversy, albeit a minor one, was in response to his posts regarding heading down to Miami during an off day to work out with former teammate Dwyane Wade. “Can’t replace being around great friends that reciprocate the same energy back to you in all facets of life,” James tweeted, in what appeared to be an obvious reference to Wade and a slam of his Cleveland squad.

Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving downplayed the notion that LeBron was calling out his teammates and noted that he doesn’t pay much attention to other players on social media, McMenamin adds. “I don’t really check Twitter for people’s comments or what they’re saying or anything like that,” Irving told McMenamin. “I didn’t think it was directed toward me at all. I know everybody made a big deal about it and then I tweet and then all of the sudden it’s a subtle beef between me and Bron. No, I don’t think Bron tweets for me and I don’t think I tweet for LeBron.”

Here’s more from out of the Central Division:

Ty Lawson has only seen five minutes of action since signing with the Pacers thanks to a foot injury he suffered during his first contest in an Indiana uniform. The point guard says he isn’t being rushed back by the team, but admitted he feels significant internal pressure to contribute to his new squad, Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star relays. “I’m not feeling pressured by the team, but I’m putting pressure on myself,” Lawson said. “I’m eager to get out there and just play. You get a chance to play and the first five minutes I get hurt. I’m pushing myself to get back. I might have pushed it too much yesterday [in practice]. Maybe I should have waited until today to push it in the game and be sore tomorrow.”
Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, responding to a media inquiry, indicated that he wasn’t sure what the identity of his team was, which is troubling this far into the NBA campaign, David Mayo of MLive writes. Detroit has been a remarkably inconsistent squad this season, something not aided by the roster turnover and injuries the team has dealt with, Mayo notes. The scribe also notes that while the frontcourt pairing of Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris has been successful thus far, the two players’ skill sets are similar enough that it may cause problems down the line.

Grizzlies Sign Xavier Munford To 10-Day Pact

March 16th, 2016 at 10:38am CST by Eddie Scarito

WEDNESDAY, 10:38am: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.

TUESDAY, 6:18pm: The Grizzlies intend to sign point guard Xavier Munford to a 10-day deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). Memphis applied for an extra roster spot via the hardship provision, which will presumably be approved by the league, according to Charania. The Grizzlies currently have 17 players on their roster, which is already two over the regular season maximum.

Memphis currently has nine players who are dealing with some sort of ailment, according to CBSSports.com, ranging from minor issues that could allow four of them to play in the team’s next game Wednesday against the Timberwolves to Marc Gasol‘s season-ending broken foot. The Grizzlies have already used 25 players through a combination of trades, signings and attrition this season. That’s significantly more than any other team, including the banged-up Pelicans, whom the league has also allowed to exceed the 15-man roster ship via hardship, as Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron ran down earlier today.

Munford will join the team out of the D-League where he has appeared in 40 games for the Bakersfield Jam, the Suns’ affiliate. The 23-year-old is averaging 20.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists to accompany a shooting line of .490/.415/.817.

Southeast Notes: Hardaway Jr., Johnson, Magic

March 16th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks‘ patience with Tim Hardaway Jr. is beginning to pay off, with the player finally rounding into shape after a wrist injury he suffered last season derailed his offseason program, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. The swingman’s progress is due to the team being more concerned about getting him healthy than getting him on the court early in order to justify sacrificing a 2015 first-rounder in order to acquire him, Aldridge adds. Hardaway admitted it was difficult for him when told he wasn’t going to begin the season in the rotation, but coach/executive Mike Budenholzer‘s willingness to communicate assuaged any doubts he may have had, the scribe relays.

“I knew what was at stake,” Hardaway said. “I know what coach wanted me to do. When the coaches are able to talk to the players one on one, it makes life a lot easier, just to know what they want out of that player. It was great to have coach Bud just talk to me one on one, consistently, and not have me worry about it. He hears the positives I’m doing. And that helped me out tremendously.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Heat are hoping the addition of Joe Johnson and their newfound offensive versatility will allow them to be a factor in the playoffs, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I think we’re an unpredictable team as far as who’s going to score the basketball,” Johnson said. “We’re not predictable in who’s going to have a big night. We’ve got a lot of guys that are very versatile, who make plays offensively and defensively. So I think it takes pressure off of everybody.” Miami has a 6-2 mark since signing Johnson, who agreed to a buyout with the Nets in order to join a playoff contender, Winderman notes.
The Magic are a long shot to make the playoffs this season, with coach Scott Skiles pointing to the team’s lack of consistency throughout the campaign as a major contributing factor to its woes, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel relays. “My ego would be crazy big if I thought it was having an effect right now,” Skiles said regarding his rallying cry for the team to make a postseason push. “We just came out and laid an egg. The rallying cry’s been the rallying cry. But you’re not eliminated ’til you’re mathematically eliminated. That’s just the way it goes. But the fact that we haven’t been able to consistently do the things that we need to do is not a good sign. But at any point we could do them. We just haven’t gotten it done.” Orlando is currently 4.5 games behind Chicago for the eighth and final playoff slot in the East.

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