Month: December 2024

Nets Hold Informal Free Agent Workout

September 20th, 2016 at 7:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets currently have 18 players under contract, including 15 with fully guaranteed deals, which means the team still has two available training camp spots it could fill. Brooklyn may be moving toward maxing out its preseason roster, holding workouts today for unrestricted free agents P.J. Hairston, Jorge Gutierrez and Kendall Marshall, NetsDaily reports. A league source told NetsDaily that the trio were at the team’s facility just to get some court time and that no decisions have been made on any of them. But, it’s also possible, even likely, that there were others present in what amounted to a last minute free agent mini-camp, NetsDaily writes.

The presence of the two point guards (Gutierrez and Marshall), could indicate that Greivis Vasquez, who is slated to back-up starter Jeremy Lin, may not be fully recovered in time for opening night from surgery to repair a bone spur, the scribe notes. This may also mean that rookie Isaiah Whitehead could be called upon to provide meaningful minutes earlier than anticipated, NetsDaily adds.

Hairston, 23, appeared in 66 games last season split between the Hornets and Grizzlies, averaging 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 19.9 minutes per outing. The former No. 26 overall pick’s shooting line on the campaign was .355/.290/.781. Hairston reportedly worked out for the Lakers back in Au.gust.

Gutierrez, 27, made 12 appearances in 2015/16 for the Hornets, averaging 1.8 points, 0.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 5.3 minutes per night. His shooting line was .545/.000/.909. The point guard also made 22 appearances for the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, averaging 11.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 5.7APG.

Marshall’s best season as a pro came in 2013/14, when he averaged 29 minutes per game in 54 contests for the Lakers. The former UNC standout averaged a career-high 8.0 PPG and 8.8 APG that year, while shooting 39.9% on three-point attempts. Marshall has taken a step back since then, though he was off to a solid start as a backup for the Bucks in 2014/15 before he suffered a season-ending ACL injury. He made 30 appearances for the Sixers last season, logging averages of 3.7 points and 2.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per contest.

Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 30)

September 20th, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Scouting players and predicting how their skills will translate to the NBA is one of the more difficult tasks front offices have on their plates. Looking back over past drafts and how many lottery picks never evolved into stars, or even made a significant impact in the league, illustrates just how often stats, combine numbers and pure gut instinct often come up short.

Of course, we get the opportunity to critique these moves with the benefit of hindsight — a luxury that GMs don’t have on draft night. Having said that, it’s still fun to go back in time and take a theoretical look at how these drafts should have/could have gone.

We’ve been revisiting the 2008 draft, which had a number of players who have gone on to post big numbers in the league. This was the year of Derrick Rose (No. 1 overall), Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Kevin Love (No. 5), Brook Lopez (No. 10) and Nicolas Batum (No. 25). We’ve now arrived at the No. 30 overall pick, the final one in our re-draft. That pick was held by the Celtics, who in the “real world” draft, select J.R. Giddens. So cast your vote for who Boston nabs to close out the first round.

Also, don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. If we fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and we’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.

Bulls — Russell Westbrook [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
Heat — Kevin Love [Actual Pick — Michael Beasley]
Wolves — Derrick Rose [Actual Pick — O.J. Mayo]
Sonics/Thunder — DeAndre Jordan [Actual Pick — Russell Westbrook]
Grizzlies — Brook Lopez [Actual Pick — Kevin Love]
Knicks — Serge Ibaka [Actual Pick — Danilo Gallinari]
Clippers — Nicolas Batum [Actual Pick — Eric Gordon]
Bucks — Goran Dragic [Actual Pick — Joe Alexander]
Bobcats/Hornets — Danilo Gallinari [Actual Pick — D.J. Augustin]
Nets — Ryan Anderson [Actual Pick — Brook Lopez]
Blazers (from Pacers) — Eric Gordon [Actual Pick — Jerryd Bayless]
Kings — George Hill [Actual Pick — Jason Thompson]
Pacers (from Blazers) — Robin Lopez [Actual Pick — Brandon Rush]
Warriors — Courtney Lee [Actual Pick — Anthony Randolph]
Suns — Roy Hibbert [Actual Pick — Robin Lopez]
Sixers— Nikola Pekovic [Actual Pick — Marreese Speights]
Raptors — O.J. Mayo [Actual Pick — Roy Hibbert]
Wizards — Mario Chalmers [Actual Pick — JaVale McGee]
Cavaliers — Timofey Mozgov [Actual Pick — J.J. Hickson]
Bobcats/Hornets (from Nuggets) — Michael Beasley [Actual Pick — Alexis Ajinca]
Nets (from Mavs) — Omer Asik [Actual Pick — Ryan Anderson]
Magic — D.J. Augustin [Actual Pick — Courtney Lee]
Jazz — Marreese Speights [Actual Pick — Kosta Koufos]
Sonics/Thunder (from Suns) — Jerryd Bayless [Actual Pick — Serge Ibaka]
Rockets — Kosta Koufos [Actual Pick — Nicolas Batum]
Spurs — JaVale McGee [Actual Pick — George Hill]
Hornets — J.J. Hickson [Actual Pick — Darrell Arthur]
Grizzlies — Luc Mbah a Moute [Actual Pick — Donte Greene]
Sonics/Thunder —Anthony Morrow [Actual pick — D.J. White]
Celtics — ?? [Actual Pick — J.R. Giddens]

If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.

Community Shootaround: OKC Extension Candidates

September 20th, 2016 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Of all the players eligible for a rookie-scale extension this year, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the nearest to a lock for a maximum-salary deal. However, rather than playing hardball with the Bucks or potentially risking changes to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement by the time he signed his new contract, Antetokounmpo agreed to an extension this week that will pay him less than the maximum. One report indicated that The Greek Freak wanted to help Milwaukee retain talent going forward.

With Antetokounmpo having settled for less than the max, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman wonders if two Thunder extension candidates – Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo – could be persuaded to do the same. While neither player is a bona-fide NBA star, the league’s rising salary cap and relative dearth of young, top-tier free agents means that both players are good bets to get a max offer if they reach restricted free agency in 2017. Whether or not either of them will receive an offer like that from the Thunder by this year’s October 31 extension deadline remains to be seen.

As Horne notes, Oladipo is reportedly seeking a max deal, while Adams has off-handedly stated that he’ll play negotiations “by ear.” We’ve examined the extension candidacy of both Oladipo and Adams, pointing out that if the Thunder want to be players in free agency in 2017, it might make sense to hold off on extensions for the duo. However, in that scenario, Oklahoma City would be more likely to have to pay the max to keep one or both players.

It also remains to be seen which player will be valued more highly by the Thunder. Adams has become a cornerstone frontcourt player for the franchise, particularly after the trade of Serge Ibaka, and his toughness and rim-protecting ability would be hard to replace. Oladipo, on the other hand, was the key piece of that Ibaka trade, and could be the backcourt partner for Russell Westbrook that OKC has long been seeking.

What do you think? Will either Adams or Oladipo be extended within the next few weeks, or will they head to restricted free agency next summer? If one or both of them signs an extension, will the Thunder be able to lock them up at a reasonable price, avoiding the max?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the Thunder’s pair of of extension candidates. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Jazz Announce Coaching Staff Changes

September 20th, 2016 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have finalized their coaching staff for the coming season and have also announced some changes to their basketball staff, the team announced in a pair of press releases. Most notably, assistant coach Igor Kokoskov has received a promotion to lead assistant in Utah, as he prepares for his second year with the club. Kokoskov previously served as an assistant for five other NBA teams, including a Pistons squad that won the 2004 NBA Finals.

[RELATED: Salary Cap Snapshot: Utah Jazz]

In other coaching staff moves, Zach Guthrie was elevated from manager of basketball strategy/technology to assistant coach/basketball strategy, while Lamar Skeeter was promoted from player development/video analyst to assistant coach/player development. Guthrie, Skeeter, and Kokoskov will join five other returning Jazz assistants on Quin Snyder‘s staff.

In the scouting department, Richard Smith was promoted to executive director of international scouting. Elsewhere in the front office, Bart Taylor was named the Jazz’s director of scouting and the VP of basketball operations for the D-League’s Salt Lake City Stars.

While Snyder is just 78-86 in his two years with the Jazz, the team heads into the 2016/17 season with increased expectations, having added some veteran talent to a young roster in the offseason. Although Utah missed the postseason this spring, many fans and observers expect the club to take a step forward and compete for a top-five seed in the Western Conference.

Key Upcoming NBA Dates And Deadlines

September 20th, 2016 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

By this time next week, training camps for NBA teams around the league will have gotten underway, and we’ll be less than a month away from the start of the 2016/17 regular season. Although most of 2016’s important offseason dates and deadlines have long passed, there are still a few important dates worth noting before the end of October. Here’s a breakdown:

September 23/24: Teams participating in the NBA’s Global Games will get the opportunity to open their training camps early, a few days ahead of the rest of the league’s teams. That means that the Thunder, who are playing two games in Spain next month, as well as the Rockets and Pelicans, who will play each other twice in China, will begin training camps on September 24, holding their respective media days on September 23.

September 26/27: The rest of the NBA’s teams will hold media days on September 26, with training camps getting underway on September 27.

October 1: This is the last day for restricted free agents to accept a qualifying offer, which makes it a deadline of interest for the Rockets and Donatas Motiejunas, the last RFA remaining on the market. Here’s the latest on where things stand in those talks.

October 24: With the NBA’s regular season schedule set to begin on October 25, this is the last day for teams to set their 15-man rosters for the coming season. Teams can carry 20 players during the offseason and preseason, so we’ll see plenty of cuts made on and before October 24.

October 31: This is the last day for teams to sign players entering the final year of their rookie-scale contracts to extensions for 2017/18 and beyond. If those players aren’t extended by this deadline, they’ll be on track to reach restricted free agency in July 2017. Here’s the full list of players eligible for rookie-scale extensions. Giannis Antetokounmpo and C.J. McCollum have already signed new deals with the Bucks and Blazers, respectively.

October 31: Halloween is also the deadline for teams to exercise 2017/18 options for players entering the second or third years of their rookie-scale contracts. If a rookie-scale team option for ’17/18 isn’t picked up by October 31, the player will be on track to reach unrestricted free agency in July 2017. Here’s the full list of players whose teams will have option decisions to make.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Alec Brown Signed, Waived By Suns

September 20th, 2016 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Former second-round pick Alec Brown signed a contract with the Suns last week, but was waived by the team just three days later, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Per RealGM, Brown signed with Phoenix on Wednesday and was cut by the team on Saturday.

Brown, 24, was selected by the Suns in the second round of the 2014 draft with the 50th overall pick, after having averaged 15.7 PPG and 5.7 RPG with a 42.0% three-point percentage in his senior year. With his NBA rights held by Phoenix, the former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay center agreed to play for the Suns’ D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam, in his rookie year. Last season, he headed to Galicia to play for Rio Natura Monbus Obradoiro.

In order to continue to hold Brown’s NBA rights, the Suns tendered him a contract offer – presumably a one-year, non-guaranteed deal – earlier this month. Teams typically have understandings with players who they don’t intend to bring to camp that those tenders are only meant to retain their rights, and they usually go unsigned. However, it seems Brown decided to sign his offer even though he wasn’t in Phoenix’s plans.

It’s possible that the Suns were willing to give Brown the freedom to potentially join any NBA team, but if that had been the case, it would have been easier for Phoenix to simply renounce his rights. The fact that Brown signed the team’s tender offer, then was waived later in the week, suggests the Suns weren’t expecting him to sign it.

In any case, Brown has since cleared waivers, according to RealGM. That makes the big man an unrestricted NBA free agent, though he’s probably more likely to end up overseas or with a D-League squad for the 2016/17 season.

Raptors Sign Brady Heslip

September 20th, 2016 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 20: The Raptors have officially signed Heslip, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 15: The Raptors will add a Canadian sharpshooter to their roster for training camp, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that Brady Heslip will get a partially guaranteed contract from the team.

Charania’s report comes on the heels of an announcement by Raptors 905, Toronto’s D-League affiliate, indicating that the club has acquired Heslip’s D-League rights (Twitter link). Heslip’s rights were previously held by the Reno Bighorns, the Kings’ affiliate. The Raptors 905 traded second- and third-round picks in the 2016 D-League draft, along with the rights to Ronald Roberts, to the Bighorns in exchange for Heslip’s rights and a second-round pick.

The pair of moves suggests that the Raptors are signing Heslip with an eye toward assigning him to their D-League affiliate for the 2016/17 season. Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic confirms as much, tweeting that the Baylor alum is headed for the D-League.

After going undrafted out of Baylor in 2014, Heslip joined the Bighorns for a brief stint before heading overseas and playing in Bosnian and Italian leagues. Last season, the 26-year-old played for Acqua Vitasnella Cantù in Italy, averaging 12.7 PPG and shooting 45.5% on three-pointers in 29 Italian League contests.

Hawks Sign Will Bynum, Ryan Kelly

September 20th, 2016 at 11:23am CST by Eddie Scarito

SEPTEMBER 20: The Hawks have formally signed Bynum and Kelly, according to a press release issued by the team. Atlanta also confirmed its deal with Richard Solomon, which brings the club’s training camp roster to the maximum 20 players.

SEPTEMBER 16: The Hawks have signed unrestricted free agents Ryan Kelly and Will Bynum to training camp deals, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (via Twitter). Both arrangements are non-guaranteed and for the minimum salary, Vivlamore adds. The addition of the pair brings Atlanta’s roster count to 19, which is one below the preseason maximum.

Atlanta already has 15 players with fully guaranteed contracts on the books for this season, plus one more player with a partial guarantee (Mike Muscala). But the team was reportedly seeking to add another point guard and a frontcourt player to bulk up its roster for the preseason. Mission accomplished, with Bynum a point guard and Kelly a power forward, fitting those needs. If either player is to unseat one of those guaranteed deals and make the regular season roster, they’ll certainly need to play lights-out in training camp and during preseason contests.

A longtime Piston, Bynum has appeared in 360 career NBA games over the course of eight seasons since 2005/06. In that time, the veteran guard has averaged 8.1 PPG and 3.3 APG while playing primarily as a backup. Over the last two seasons, Bynum has played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China — he averaged 17.8 PPG and 6.5 APG while shooting 58.0% from the field this past season. The 33-year-old had worked out for the Hawks earlier this week.

Kelly, 25, spent his first three seasons in the NBA as a member of the Lakers after being selected 48th overall in the 2013 draft. He appeared in 36 games in 2015/16, averaging 4.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 13.1 minutes per outing. His shooting line on the year was .369/.139/.685.

Hawks Sign Richard Solomon

September 20th, 2016 at 11:21am CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 20: The Hawks have officially announced the signing of Solomon, issuing a press release today to confirm the move.

SEPTEMBER 15: Power forward Richard Solomon will sign a non-guaranteed contract with the Hawks and join them for training camp, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The 6’10” Solomon, who played college ball at California, obviously impressed the club enough during workouts on Wednesday and Thursday to receive an offer. He still faces long odds to make the opening-day roster. The Hawks already have 15 fully guaranteed contracts on the books, plus one more player with a partial guarantee. Vivlamore previously reported that the team wanted to add another point guard and a frontcourt player to bulk up its roster for the preseason.

Atlanta’s power forward spot looks crowded with Solomon joining Paul Millsap, Kris Humphries, Mike Scott and Mike Muscala. Though Muscala’s contract is not guaranteed, Solomon would probably need an injury or two to the players ahead of him on the depth chart to survive the final cut.

Solomon at least has a chance to make the team, unlike some of the other players the team recently inquired about or tried out. It was reportedly speaking with Bryce Cotton prior to the guard signing a one-year deal with the Turkish club, Anadolu Efes.

The Hawks also worked out forward Ryan Kelly and guards Xavier Munford and Dionte Christmas.

Solomon appeared in 59 games in the Japanese League last season and averaged 11.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists. His shooting line was .536/.179/.660. In his senior season with the Bears, he averaged 11.0 points and 10.2 rebounds in 29.2 minutes.

In July, he played in Orlando for the Suns’ summer league squad and then in Las Vegas with the Thunder, according to Vivlamore. Solomon reportedly worked out for the Jazz on Monday and Tuesday.

Bulls Sign J.J. Avila, Vince Hunter

September 20th, 2016 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls continue to fill out their roster for training camp, having signed a pair of free agent forwards to contracts. According to RealGM’s transactions log, J.J. Avila and Vince Hunter have signed with Chicago. Terms of the deals aren’t known, but they will likely be one-year, minimum-salary summer contracts.

Avila, who played his college ball at Navy and Colorado State, averaged 16.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG in his senior year for the Rams, shooting 55.2% from the floor. The 24-year-old went undrafted in 2015, but played for the Rockets in Las Vegas Summer League action last year before joining the Knicks for Summer League play in Orlando this year.

As for Hunter, he also went undrafted in 2015 after a 2014/15 season in which he averaged 14.9 PPG and 9.2 RPG for UTEP. The 22-year-old was in camp last fall with the Kings, but didn’t make Sacramento’s regular-season roster. Hunter did spend a good chunk of last season with the Kings’ D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, in addition to playing for Greek team Panathinaikos.

The Bulls currently have 13 players on guaranteed contracts for the 2016/17 campaign, and have now added five players on non-guaranteed deals, assuming that’s what Avila and Hunter received. The duo should have an opportunity to compete for one of Chicago’s open roster spots, though Spencer Dinwiddie, Cristiano Felicio, and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera will also be in the mix, and the Bulls could still add two more players to their camp roster.

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