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Week In Review: 9/11/16 – 9/17/16

September 17th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

With 2016’s offseason winding down and the preseason almost upon us, here’s a look back at all the notable news and events from around the NBA this past week:

Signings/Agreements

NBA

International

News/Rumors

  • Heat swingman Josh Richardson suffered a partially torn MCL in his right knee and will miss six to eight weeks of action.
  • The Nuggets named Chuck Hayes as their Associate of Basketball Operations.
  • Mario Hezonja signed with Creative Artists Agency for representation.
  • The Lakers officially named Coby Karl as the coach of the L.A. D-Fenders, their D-League affiliate.
  • LeBron James, James Jones and Chris Paul were served with notices of deposition in former NBA players’ union executive director Billy Hunter’s wrongful termination lawsuit against the NBPA.
  • Mitch McGary was suspended an additional 10 games by the league for non-compliance with the NBA’s drug policy. His suspension is now 15 games.
  • The Suns hired Mehmet Okur as player development coach.
  • The Nuggets hired former Rockets assistant Chris Finch to join their coaching staff.
  • Suns forward P.J. Tucker will miss six to eight weeks after undergoing a successful microdiscectomy procedure on his lower back.
  • Nate Loenser was named the head coach of the Bulls’ new D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.
  • The Spurs added former Pelicans head coach Monty Williams to their basketball operations staff and Landry Fields as a college scout.
  • Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, who missed the end of the 2015/16 season and the Olympics after breaking his foot in February, has been cleared to return to the court.
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Salary Cap Snapshot: Toronto Raptors

September 16th, 2016 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Here’s a breakdown of where the Raptors currently stand financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Total Guaranteed Salary= $108,649,970

Cash Sent Out Via Trade:  $1MM sent to Suns in P.J. Tucker trade [Amount Remaining $2.5MM]

Cash Received Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]

Payroll Exceptions Available

  • Bi-Annual Exception — $2,203,000
  • Trade Exception — $328,000 (Jared Sullinger trade) — Expires on 2/23/18
  • Mid-Level Exception — $0 [Used to sign Jared Sullinger]

Total Projected Payroll: $108,649,970

Salary Cap: $94,143,000

Estimated Available Cap Space: –$14,506,970

Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000

Total Projected Payroll For Tax Purposes: $109,086,930

Amount Below Luxury Tax: $4,200,070

Latest Update: 2/24/17

The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.

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And-Ones: Roberson, Babcock, Ujiri

September 16th, 2016 at 8:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Raptors executive Masai Ujiri noted that the decision to sign a multiyear extension with the team this offseason was an easy one, given his love for the city of Toronto, Lauren La Rose of The Toronto Star writes. “I love it here. I really do. Toronto is home for me,” Ujiri said. “We don’t go to another home in the States or somewhere else. This is our home. And I love the organization, I think they’ve treated me well. They’ve given it their all. It’s humbling for me for them to come to me and say: ‘Hey, let’s do this.’ And then the city, the fans, everybody — what else can you ask for?”

Here’s more from around the league:

  • With the offseason addition of guard Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson, who is a natural shooting guard, will likely see extended time at small forward for the Thunder this season, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. The potential shift doesn’t trouble Roberson because coach Billy Donovan’s offensive scheme, Horne adds. “With our offense, the way we want to run it, it doesn’t really matter what position you’re in,” Roberson said. “We all kinda work together, jell together and have the offense cutting, moving and just sharing the ball more. It’s definitely going to be a fun year and more ball-oriented stuff, so it should be fun.”
  • Former Raptors and Wolves executive Rob Babcock is currently doing some consulting work to pass the time, with the former executive hoping to land another NBA post in the future, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. Minnesota fired Babcock, who was the team’s Vice President of Basketball Operations, back in May.
  • Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who is from North Carolina, has mixed emotions regarding all the events that have pulled from the state due to a controversial bill that many say will lead to discrimination for LGBT people, The Associated Press relays. “I think it’s unfortunate for our city and our state to be under the microscope with HB2 and how it’s unfolded,” Curry said. “I’m all for equal and fair rights and treatment for everybody. Until it gets addressed, until some changes are made, this could be a recurring theme in North Carolina. I don’t want that happen.“
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Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 26)

September 16th, 2016 at 6:46pm 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 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). Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking readers to vote on whom teams should have selected in each spot.

We’ve arrived at the No. 26 overall pick, which was held by San Antonio. In the “real world” draft, the Spurs nabbed George Hill, who was selected with pick No. 12 by the Kings in our re-draft.  So cast your vote for who the Spurs select and check back on Saturday to see the results, as well as to vote on whom the Hornets/Pelicans take with the No. 27 pick.

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.

  1. Bulls — Russell Westbrook [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
  2. Heat — Kevin Love [Actual Pick — Michael Beasley]
  3. Wolves — Derrick Rose [Actual Pick — O.J. Mayo]
  4. Sonics/Thunder — DeAndre Jordan [Actual Pick — Russell Westbrook]
  5. Grizzlies — Brook Lopez [Actual Pick — Kevin Love]
  6. Knicks — Serge Ibaka  [Actual Pick — Danilo Gallinari]
  7. Clippers — Nicolas Batum [Actual Pick — Eric Gordon]
  8. Bucks — Goran Dragic [Actual Pick — Joe Alexander]
  9. Bobcats/Hornets — Danilo Gallinari [Actual Pick — D.J. Augustin]
  10. Nets — Ryan Anderson [Actual Pick — Brook Lopez]
  11. Blazers (from Pacers) — Eric Gordon [Actual Pick — Jerryd Bayless]
  12. Kings — George Hill  [Actual Pick — Jason Thompson]
  13. Pacers (from Blazers) — Robin Lopez [Actual Pick — Brandon Rush]
  14. Warriors — Courtney Lee [Actual Pick — Anthony Randolph]
  15. Suns — Roy Hibbert [Actual Pick — Robin Lopez]
  16. Sixers— Nikola Pekovic [Actual Pick  — Marreese Speights]
  17. Raptors — O.J. Mayo [Actual Pick — Roy Hibbert]
  18. Wizards — Mario Chalmers [Actual Pick — JaVale McGee]
  19. Cavaliers — Timofey Mozgov [Actual Pick  — J.J. Hickson]
  20. Bobcats/Hornets (from Nuggets) — Michael Beasley [Actual Pick — Alexis Ajinca]
  21. Nets (from Mavs) — Omer Asik [Actual Pick — Ryan Anderson]
  22. Magic  — D.J. Augustin [Actual Pick — Courtney Lee]
  23. Jazz — Marreese Speights [Actual Pick — Kosta Koufos]
  24. Sonics/Thunder (from Suns) — Jerryd Bayless [Actual Pick — Serge Ibaka]
  25. Rockets — Kosta Koufos [Actual Pick — Nicolas Batum]
  26. Spurs — ?? [Actual Pick — George Hill]

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

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Bulls Sign D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera

September 16th, 2016 at 6:45pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 16th: The signing is official, per the RealGM transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 15th: The Bulls have taken another step toward filling out their training camp roster, according to Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has signed former Georgetown guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera to a training camp contract. The deal will likely be a minimum-salary pact featuring little or no guaranteed money.

Smith-Rivera, who will turn 24 in December, initially declared for the 2015 NBA draft, but withdrew his name and returned to his Georgetown for his senior year. In 2015/16, the 6’3″ guard saw his PPG (16.2), FG% (.413), and 3PT% (.330) slip for a third straight season, though he did dish out a career-high 4.5 APG. Smith-Rivera went undrafted this June.

While the Bulls may be planning on having Smith-Rivera join their new D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, Chicago currently only has 13 guaranteed salaries on its books for 2016/17, so the Georgetown alum could get a chance to earn a regular-season roster spot. In addition to those 13 players on guaranteed contracts, the Bulls also have Spencer Dinwiddie and Cristiano Felicio on non-guaranteed deals.

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Warriors Sign Elgin Cook

September 16th, 2016 at 6:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 16th: The signing is official, per the RealGM transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 14th: The Warriors have signed former Oregon star Elgin Cook, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Details were not released, but Golden State is far over the salary cap, so it is assumed to be a minimum-salary deal.

The signing of Cook brings the Warriors up to the maximum of 20 players for training camp. Golden State has just 14 guaranteed contracts, so there should be a camp battle for the final roster spot.

The 6’6″ small forward wasn’t selected in this year’s draft and played for the Kings’ entry in the summer league, averaging 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in four games. He averaged 14.7 points and 5.1 rebounds during his senior season with the Ducks.

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Celtics Sign Jalen Jones, Damion Lee

September 16th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

SEPTEMBER 16th: The signing is official, according to the RealGM transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 14th: The Celtics have signed undrafted free agents Jalen Jones and Damion Lee, RealGM reports. The exact details of the arrangements are not yet known, but with Boston virtually out of cap room, they are almost assuredly one-year, minimum salary training camp pacts. The duo are far more likely to begin the season as a member of the Maine Red Claws in the D-League than in Boston.

Jones is a 23-year-old shooting guard out of Texas A&M. He appeared in 33 games as a senior, averaging 15.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 27.3 minutes per outing. His slash line on the campaign was .425/.324/.702. Jones participated in the Las Vegas summer league as part of the Raptors’ squad where he averaged 3.2 points on 35.3% shooting.

Lee, who is also 23 and a shooting guard, appeared in 30 games for Louisville in 2015/16, averaging 15.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 33.5 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .428/.341/.843. Lee participated in both the Orlando and Las Vegas summer leagues as a member of Miami’s squad, averaging a combined 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds on 32.5% shooting.

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Brett Brown On New-Look Sixers

September 16th, 2016 at 5:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers head coach Brett Brown has endured three life-sapping seasons since leaving his assistant post in San Antonio to steward over Philadelphia’s rebuilding efforts. Brown’s teams have lost 63, 64, and 72 games respectively the last three campaigns as the team purposely bottomed-out under former GM Sam Hinkie in an effort to retool via the NBA draft lottery. While no one realistically expects the Sixers to suddenly make the playoffs this season, the franchise has been active in the free agent market for the first time during Brown’s tenure and the team should make strides toward respectability in 2016/17.

Brown spoke with members of the media on Thursday regarding a number of subjects, including his revitalized enthusiasm resulting from the team’s positive offseason, Mike Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “Given our experience together, from where we were to where we are now, how can we all not feel a breath of fresh air, a new bounce, a higher level of hope and an excitement that together we haven’t experienced for awhile?” Brown said.

The coach noted that there are numerous reasons for him to be optimistic, including the highly anticipated debut of former lottery pick Joel Embiid, who sat out his first two NBA campaigns following foot surgeries, the addition of No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons and the arrival of 2014 draftee Dario Saric from overseas, Narducci notes. Brown did acknowledge that Embiid’s health is a wild card, telling reporters, “He will play and everybody understands there will be parameters, restrictions.” The coach noted that what those restrictions will be should be determined during the preseason.

The frontcourt rotation remains a bit of a mystery, with Brown acknowledging that the pairing of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor last season wasn’t a successful one, Narducci relays. Brown did offer high praise for Noel, telling reporters, “Nerlens has elite gifts. He is athletic, quick off the floor, and as quick to the rim as anybody I have coached, as any big man in the league.” The coach refused to indulge any speculation as to which of the big men, if any, are likely to be dealt this season. “I will coach them until they are not [here],” Brown said.

The Sixers should also benefit greatly from the free agent additions of veterans Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson, and Sergio Rodriguez, Brown told the media. The coach is especially excited about Philly upgrading the point guard position, Narducci adds. “If the season started today, you give Jerryd Bayless the ball and go from there,” Brown said. “I feel there will be times you will see Ben Simmons with the ball as the traditional point guard.” Brown also noted that shooting guard Nik Stauskas, who averaged 8.5 points in his first season with the Sixers, worked hard in the weight room this offseason and should benefit from that.

Do you think Brown has a reason to be optimistic at the Sixers’ chances this season? Which addition to the roster are you most excited about? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions.

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J.R. Smith Discusses Free Agency, Cavs

September 16th, 2016 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been about two and a half months since J.R. Smith officially became a free agent, and the veteran shooting guard still doesn’t have a contract for the 2016/17 season. While Smith is expected to re-sign with the Cavaliers eventually, the two sides have yet to strike a deal with training camp right around the corner.

In a conversation with Adam Caparell of Complex Sports, Smith said that he hopes to sign a new contract with the Cavs “soon,” but admitted that even after seeing all the money thrown around in free agency earlier this summer, he doesn’t want to feel like he’s “taking advantage” of the team.

“Obviously we’re not where we want to be at from a personal standpoint,” Smith said. “But it’s more than just numbers. I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of the Cavs for everything they’ve done for me, and I don’t want them to feel like I’m taking advantage of them. It’s more of a mutual respect thing.”

We’ve heard throughout the offseason that Smith has been seeking a deal in the range of $15MM annually, while the Cavs’ offer is closer to $10-12MM per year. The gap is small enough that the Cavs and Smith should reach a compromise at some point, particularly since it’s a good fit for both sides — there are no other realistic suitors out there for Smith at his asking price at this point, and the Cavs won’t want to lose another key rotation player from their championship roster after seeing Matthew Dellavedova and Timofey Mozgov walk in free agency.

Smith, who turned 31 last Friday, started a career-high 77 games for the Cavs during the 2015/16 season, and also started all 21 of the team’s playoff games. During the season, he averaged 12.4 PPG and shot 40.0% from long distance, making 2.6 threes per game. He increased those three-point numbers to 43.0% and 3.1 per game during the postseason.

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Marc Gasol Cleared For Training Camp

September 16th, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, who missed the end of the 2015/16 season and the Olympics after breaking his foot in February, has been cleared to return to the court, reports Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. According to Tillery, Gasol recently headed back to Memphis for strength and conditioning, and has been playing in some pickup games as he prepares for training camp.

As Tillery details, Gasol spent a good chunk of the offseason doing rehab work in his home country of Spain, though his regimen was monitored closely by the Grizzlies. The club took a cautious approach to the 31-year-old’s rehab and are “upbeat” about having a healthy and productive Gasol for the coming season, a source tells Tillery.

Although there’s “growing optimism” about Gasol’s recovery, Memphis will proceed with some caution, Tillery writes. Gasol suffered his fracture in the mid-foot area, which is a tough injury to recover from, so the Grizzlies may keep the two-time All-Star on a minutes limit to start the year.

Gasol, who ultimately missed 30 regular-season games and was out for the playoffs last season, will enter the second year of a five-year, maximum-salary contract in 2016/17. After a busy offseason, the Grizzlies will now have three players on max salaries, with Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons joining Gasol to combine for a total cap hit of nearly $70MM this season.

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