2016 September | Hoops Rumors

Bucks Sign Xavier Henry

September 12th, 2016 at 4:14pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 12th: The signing is official, the Bucks announced.

AUGUST 30th: The Bucks have added a well-traveled NBA veteran to their offseason roster, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that Xavier Henry has agreed to a training camp deal with Milwaukee. Henry worked out for the Lakers earlier this month and had been considering his options, per Charania.

Having recently signed Jason Terry and Steve Novak, the Bucks now appear to have 15 players on guaranteed salaries for the 2016/17 season, assuming Novak’s contract is guaranteed. That will make it an uphill battle for Henry as he attempts to earn a regular-season roster spot. However, if he has a strong preseason, he could attract interest from other teams and may become a 10-day contract candidate later in the season.

Henry, 25, was the 12th overall pick in the 2010 draft, and has since appeared in 185 total regular-season NBA games. Henry’s best season came in 2013/14 with the Lakers, when he averaged 10.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.0 SPG in 43 contests (21.1 MPG). He previously spent time with Memphis and New Orleans, and last year played for the Warriors’ D-League affiliate.

Henry is now nearly two years removed from suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon, an injury that required a long recovery period. The 6’6″ wing said earlier this month that he’s healthy and feels “blessed” that he’s even able to play basketball again.

Hoops Rumors 2016 Free Agent Tracker

September 12th, 2016 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been nearly two and a half months since the NBA’s 2016 free agent period got underway, and while a few notable players – such as Lance Stephenson – are still coming off the board, the majority of deals these days are for lower-profile camp invitees.

With training camps fast approaching, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players have landed with which teams this offseason. To this end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, position, free agent type, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

Some of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect reported contract agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data as needed. A few rumored back-of-the-roster signings that have not yet been officially confirmed aren’t included in our tracker, for now.
When the years and dollars for a contract haven’t yet been confirmed, our data will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in some cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
A restricted free agent who signs an offer sheet will be listed under the team that extended the offer sheet, but note that those signings won’t be official unless the player’s original team declines to match within the three-day period to do so. If the original team matches, we’ll update the tracker to show that the player is back with that team.

Our 2016 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. It will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Reggie Jackson Praises Pistons’ Offseason Moves

September 12th, 2016 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, Reggie Jackson‘s new contract was the big offseason expenditure for the Pistons, as the team locked up the point guard to a five-year, $80MM extension. This time around, Detroit locked up another core player – center Andre Drummond – and added a few complementary pieces to its roster. Outside of Drummond’s max contract, the moves may not have turned many heads around the NBA, but Jackson likes what the Pistons did, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.

“I’m impressed,” Jackson said. “I feel like we’ve gotten overlooked because people don’t necessarily think we’ve made some ‘great’ – with the emphasis on the quotes – off-season moves. But I think, for our team, we had some great pickups.”

Although they weren’t massive spenders in free agency, the Pistons did award three- or four-year contracts to several free agents besides Drummond. Jon Leuer inked a four-year, $41MM pact; Boban Marjanovic got a three-year, $21MM offer sheet; and Ish Smith received a three-year, $18MM deal. The Pistons also added rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije in the draft.

None of those players is expected to be an All-Star anytime soon, but Jackson likes the depth the’ll provide, and tells Langlois he’s optimistic about the team’s chances for the upcoming season.

“I think people are looking for huge names and that’s not necessarily what Detroit’s ever done,” Jackson said. “We do it collectively. We don’t need anyone to believe in us. We’ll still find a way. But I think we shored up our second unit and added some more versatility and some more depth. I think we’ll be scary this year. But you know what? I don’t want to talk about it too much. We’ll let the season speak for itself.”

Knicks Notes: Early, Rose, Jennings

September 12th, 2016 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have yet to make a final decision on whether or not to bring Cleanthony Early to training camp, an NBA source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. The 25-year-old remains on the free agent market, while New York still has room on its offseason roster to bring him back.

Phil Jackson admitted last month that his biggest regret since arriving in New York was passing on Jae Crowder in a trade with the Mavericks, opting for a second-round pick instead. That pick became Early, so presumably the Zen Master would like to give the Wichita State product every opportunity to carve out a role with the Knicks.

Here’s more out of New York:

Within his scouting report and analysis of the Knicks’ roster, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider-only link) notes that the team made a significant gamble this offseason on the health of players like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Brandon Jennings. Pelton also suggests that it might make sense to use Jennings when Rose and Carmelo Anthony aren’t on the floor, since Jennings tends to be better at creating shots than making them.
The Knicks’ ability to make room for a maximum-salary free agent in 2017 will hinge largely on what happens this year with Rose and Jennings, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. As Begley observes, the cap holds for Rose and Jennings will exceed $30MM, so the team will have to make important decisions on whether to re-sign or renounce the duo.
Be sure to check out our salary cap breakdown for the Knicks to get an idea of how the team is using its cap space for the 2016/17 league year.

Trail Blazers Sign Greg Stiemsma

September 12th, 2016 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

1:40pm: The Blazers have officially signed Stiemsma, the team announced today in a press release.

10:47am: The Trail Blazers have added another veteran free agent to their offseason roster, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is signing center Greg Stiemsma to a training camp deal.

Stiemsma, who will turn 31 later this month, has four years of NBA experience under his belt, having appeared in regular-season games for the Celtics, Timberwolves, Pelicans, and Raptors from 2011 to 2015. In 203 total games, the former Wisconsin big man has averaged 3.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in a part-time role, shooting 50.9% from the field.

Last fall, Stiemsma participated in training camp with the Magic, but was ultimately waived during the team’s preseason roster cutdowns. The veteran center may face a similar fate this year in Portland, but the team does currently have at least one potential open roster spot. The Blazers have 14 guaranteed contracts on their books for 2016/17, with Grant Jerrett, Luis Montero, and Tim Quarterman on non-guaranteed or partially-guaranteed deals.

Exact deails on Stiemsma’s new pact aren’t known, but Wojnarowski describes it as a training camp contract. It will likely be a minimum-salary deal with little to no guaranteed money.

Mario Hezonja Changes Agents

September 12th, 2016 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Mario Hezonja has made a change to his representation, according to a report from SportsBusiness Journal. Having previously been represented by Wasserman, Hezonja has hired Creative Artists Agency to represent him going forward, per SBJ.

The fifth overall pick in 2015, Hezonja had a somewhat underwhelming rookie season, averaging just 6.1 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 79 contests for the Magic. However, he’s also only 21 years old, and will be given plenty of time to develop in Orlando.

The Magic will have to make a decision on Hezonja’s 2017/18 team option by October 31, and it’s virtually a lock that the club will exercise that $4.078MM option. Assuming Orlando also picks up the Croatian’s fourth-year option next year, Hezonja will become eligible for an extension for the first time in the summer of 2018. So barring a disappointing 2016/17 performance, or a surprising decision by the Magic, CAA likely won’t be negotiating a new contract for its new client for at least a couple more years.

Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer recently examined how the Magic might use Hezonja in his sophomore season, and how much patience the team will have with him, noting that some of Orlando’s recent veteran additions could eat into Hezonja’s minutes.

DeAndre Daniels To Play In Italy

September 12th, 2016 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

Former second-round pick DeAndre Daniels appears ticketed for Italy for the upcoming season, according to international basketball reporter David Pick. Pick reports (via Twitter) that Daniels has agreed to terms with Italian team Stings Mantova (Pallacanestro Mantovana).

Daniels, 24, was a key member of the 2014 UConn squad that won a national championship. After declaring for the draft that year, the 6’9″ forward was selected in the second round – 37th overall – by the Raptors.

Since being drafted, Daniels has honed his game elsewhere, spending a year in Australia and playing for Toronto’s D-League team last season. A Jones fracture in his right foot derailed Daniels’ 2015/16 season, limiting him to just eight games for the Raptors 905 in the spring. After playing for the Raptors’ in Summer League play this July, Daniels will head to Europe in the hopes of logging a healthy, productive season overseas.

While Toronto continues to hold Daniels’ NBA rights, the Raptors added two more rookies to their roster this year and have several young players in the mix. The team also holds an extra first-round pick next year, so it remains to be seen if there will be room for Daniels on the roster anytime soon — the Raps could potentially include the forward’s rights in a trade if they make a move at the deadline.

Tibor Pleiss To Play In Turkey

September 12th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Less than two weeks after being waived by the Sixers, German big man Tibor Pleiss has found a new home for the upcoming season. Pleiss will head to Turkey for the 2016/17 campaign, having signed a one-year contract with Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul. The team issued a press release announcing the deal, with Pleiss confirming it on his Facebook page as well.

Pleiss, a former second-round pick who signed with the Jazz last summer, barely saw any action in his first and only NBA season, playing just 82 total minutes for Utah in 2015/16. The German big man was assigned to the D-League for a good chunk of the year, and he performed well for the Idaho Stampede, averaging 12.3 PPG and 10.4 RPG in 28 contests.

In August, the Jazz sent Pleiss to the Sixers in exchange for Kendall Marshall in a cost-cutting trade. Philadelphia, armed with a ton of cap room, had the flexibility to take on Pleiss’ $3MM guaranteed salary even though he wasn’t in the club’s plans, picking up a couple second-round picks in the process. The 76ers waived the 26-year-old less than a week after acquiring him.

Over the weekend, international basketball reporter David Pick indicated that the Nets had invited Pleiss to come to training camp with them, but that the free agent center turned down that offer, with an eye toward playing in Turkey. According to NetsDaily.com (via Twitter), Brooklyn had interest in bringing in Pleiss for a workout, and so did the Spurs, but he passed on both invitations.

Western Notes: Gobert, Durant, Gasol

September 11th, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

A lesson from Gordon Hayward‘s free agency three years ago might affect the way the Jazz approach Rudy Gobert, writes Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. Although Hayward and Utah were only a few million dollars apart in extension talks, the Jazz decided to let him become a restricted free agent. He signed an offer sheet with Charlotte that Utah eventually matched, but the shorter contract means the team lost a year of his services. Hayward is now in a position to opt out next summer. Gobert, who is eligible for an extension through October 31st, has a comparatively low cap hold and may be able to help Utah by holding off on extension talks until July. But the Jazz have to be concerned that he might sign an offer sheet before they can line up other free agents.

There’s more news from the Western Conference:

Clippers coach Doc Rivers says Kevin Durant was intrigued by the team’s offer to make him the focus of its offense, relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Rivers adds that the Clippers’ representatives had a good feeling after their meeting with Durant and were disappointed when he chose the Warriors. “The Celtics and us and Oklahoma [City], we all thought we were going to get Kevin Durant,” Rivers said. “I don’t have a problem with that, I really don’t. I think the players have a right. They take the risk of being free agents. A lot of guys could sign early and play it safe. A lot of these guys take a risk because of their health. Durant did that, and when we left the meeting, we thought he was coming to us. When Boston left the meeting, they thought he was coming to them. I think Golden State knew where he was going. Good for them. But you’ve still got to play the game.”
The Spurs picked up a top 10 center when they signed free agent Pau Gasol, according to A.J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today. Gasol is coming off an All-Star season in Chicago where he ranked fifth among centers in scoring, sixth in rebounding, first in assists and fourth in blocks. The Spurs will count on him to help fill the void left by Tim Duncan‘s retirement.

Weekly Mailbag: 9/5/16-9/11/16

September 11th, 2016 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:

Should the Celtics bite the bullet and trade for Kevin Love in a deal that sends Nerlens Noel to the Cavs, Love to Boston and Jaylen Brown to 76ers, then target Gordon Hayward in free agency should he opt out, which seems to be the consensus around the NBA. Or should they wait until Blake Griffin hits the market and see what the Nets pick brings during the lottery process, where they’ll likely target Harry Giles? — Chris Hawkins

That’s a lot of moving parts. Let’s address them one at a time. Boston probably would have been the best destination for Love if the Cavaliers had lost in the Finals and were looking to shake up the team. But right now, Cleveland has no intention of breaking up the core of its world champions. Also, Love is too similar to Al Horford and that combination would leave the Celtics with no rim protector. Boston will have about $26MM to spend next summer, so it can afford to target Hayward, who has become one of the league’s best small forwards. Griffin seems like a long shot, and Boston shouldn’t be making plans around the possibility that he will decide to leave L.A. And whether it’s Giles or someone else, the Celtics seemed poised to hit the jackpot with the Nets’ picks in the next two drafts. That’s another reason to hold onto Brown and set up a mega-offer for someone like DeMarcus Cousins.

Which free agents are most likely to be off the market at the start of the season? — Ryan Smith

J.R. Smith, for sure. With no other offers to give him leverage, he should sign fairly soon at a number close to what the Cavs offered. Likewise, Donatas Motiejunas got no offers as a restricted free agent and appears to be a lock to remain in Houston. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole have both been linked to the Cavaliers, who need an experienced point guard to back up Kyrie Irving. Carl Landry was waived by the Sixers last week, and someone will probably pick him up before training camp opens.

What are your thoughts on every NBA team getting to choose its own rep for an All Star dunk, skills or 3-point competition? Seems like this would increase fan interest, as everyone would have a hometown guy to root for. Also, how close are we to having an NBA and D-League relationship that more closely mirrors what MLB has with its upper minor leagues? (Example: Each NBA team has an expanded 20-man roster and 12-man active roster, while the other eight would be in the D-League or disabled list.) Seems this would give more guys a path to the NBA, solve some of the fatigue and injury complaints from the players, increase talent in the D-League, while also keeping more talent stateside instead of going to Europe. — Beauen Bogner

Your first suggestion is intriguing, but I don’t know if it’s workable to have 30 contestants in any of those contests. They often stretch out too long as it is. The D-League has added five teams for the upcoming season, bringing its total to 22, and all have a direct association with an NBA team. There are so many advantages to having a D-League affiliate that it seems eventually all 30 teams will go that route. But even if the D-League evolves into a baseball-style minor league, it will never be able to compete with the salaries that overseas teams pay, so that’s going to remain the first choice for players who don’t make an NBA roster.

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