2016 October | Hoops Rumors

Extension Rumors: Plumlee, Hardaway, Zeller

October 31st, 2016 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers big man Mason Plumlee doesn’t expect to get a new deal done today, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (Twitter link). “Unless I go to my phone and my agent has something unexpected for me, there’s not going to be an extension,” Plumlee said. Agent Mark Bartelstein said earlier today that there was “no news” on the Plumlee front, Freeman notes (via Twitter). Still, the 26-year-old would like to remain in Portland long-term (Twitter link via Freeman).

Here are a few more updates and rumors on extension talks around the NBA, with tonight’s deadline looming…

Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Hawks continue to discuss a possible extension, but an agreement remains unlikely, several people familiar with the situation tell Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. According to Vivlamore, both sides have interest in working something out, but may wait until 2017 to attempt to finalize a deal.
It doesn’t appear as if Cody Zeller and the Hornets will complete a new deal before today’s deadline arrives, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
Stan Van Gundy continues to express pessimism about reaching an agreement with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Reggie Bullock. Van Gundy said this afternoon he’d be “surprised” if the Pistons lock up either player today, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves and Shabazz Muhammad are “far apart” in negotiations, a source tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

Hawks’ Mike Scott To Miss Four Weeks

October 31st, 2016 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks power forward Mike Scott has yet to make his regular-season debut in 2016/17 due to a knee issue, and that injury is expected to sideline him for most or all of November as well. The Hawks announced today in a press release that Scott will miss approximately four weeks as he undergoes a series of “non-surgical procedures” to address his left knee soreness.

Scott, 28, has been with the Hawks since 2012, providing the team with regular minutes off the bench as a power forward who can stretch the floor. Although he only averaged 6.2 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 2015/16, he shot a career-best 39.2% from three-point range.

Scott’s diagnosis brings the Hawks’ decision to sign Ryan Kelly into sharper focus. Kelly, who was with the team in camp, brings a somewhat similar skill set, and he’s capable of stepping in and playing off the bench in the short term. It remains to be seen what sort of guarantees are included on Kelly’s contract — if he signed a non-guaranteed deal, and Scott returns to the team in late November or December, the Hawks could part ways with Kelly again before the salary guarantee deadline of January 10.

Hawks Sign Ryan Kelly, Waive Edy Tavares

October 31st, 2016 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

1:39pm: The Hawks have announced both Kelly’s signing and Tavares’ release in a pair of press releases, making the moves official.

12:02pm: The Hawks will become the first team to make a change to their 15-man, regular-season roster. Less than a week into the season, Atlanta is releasing center Edy Tavares and intends to sign Ryan Kelly to fill the open roster spots, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter).

The 43rd overall pick in the 2014 draft, Tavares joined the Hawks last season, appearing in just 11 games and averaging 6.6 minutes per contest. The 24-year-old Cape Verde native also made 29 D-League appearances, averaging 9.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 3.3 BPG in 21.6 minutes per game. While Tavares is viewed as a raw prospect with potential, the Hawks have apparently decided his roster spot can be better used on a more seasoned player.

Kelly, 25, was waived by the Hawks earlier this month, having previously spent his first three seasons in the NBA as a member of the Lakers. After averaging 22.9 minutes per contest during his first two years in Los Angeles, Kelly saw his playing time reduced last season, as he played just 13.1 MPG in 36 contests. He averaged 4.2 PPG and 3.4 RPG in those games, shooting just 36.9% from the floor, 13.5% from beyond the arc, and 68.5% from the line.

Kelly signed with the Celtics after being cut by the Hawks, though he was quickly waived by Boston as well, so it looked like the C’s wanted to gain his D-League rights. Rather than heading to the D-League though, Kelly is on his way back to an NBA roster, and figures to sign a minimum-salary deal with the Hawks.

As for Tavares, his $1MM salary for 2016/17 was fully guaranteed, so the Hawks will have to pay it unless he’s claimed on waivers later this week. The club won’t be on the hook for his 2017/18 salary worth $1.015MM, since it was non-guaranteed.

The Bulls claimed R.J. Hunter off waivers last week after the regular season had gotten underway, but Chicago had an opening on its roster, so no corresponding move was necessary. As such, the Hawks will become the first team in 2016/17 to actually replace one player with another on their regular-season roster.

Celtics Exercise Marcus Smart’s 2017/18 Option

October 31st, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have exercised their 2017/18 team options on Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The team’s decision on Rozier had been previously reported, while there was never a question that Smart’s option would be picked up.

Smart, 22, continues to battle a sprained ankle and has yet to make his 2016/17 regular-season debut. In his first two seasons with the Celtics, he averaged 8.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.5 SPG, shooting just 35.7% from the field but providing solid perimeter defense.

Smart will earn about $3.579MM this season, and his $4.538MM salary for 2017/18 will now be fully guaranteed, since the Celtics have picked up his fourth-year option. Assuming Smart remains in Boston, the C’s will have the opportunity to sign him to a rookie-scale extension next offseason. If he doesn’t sign an extension, the former OSU guard will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2018.

With the options for Smart and Rozier exercised, the Celtics still have one decision to make on James Young. The former first-rounder beat out R.J. Hunter to earn the Celtics’ final roster spot, but according to Blakely (via Twitter), he has yet to be informed one way or the other if the club is picking up his fourth-year option. If the C’s decide not to exercise Young’s option, he’ll hit unrestricted free agency in July.

Rockets To Decline Tyler Ennis’ 2017/18 Option

October 31st, 2016 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

A week ago, the Rockets appeared to be on the verge of parting ways with Tyler Ennis, despite having just acquired him in a trade last month. Houston ultimately decided to waive Pablo Prigioni instead, keeping Ennis, but the team isn’t ready to make a multiyear commitment to the former Buck. According to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), the Rockets won’t exercise Ennis’ 2017/18 team option in advance of today’s deadline.

Ennis, who will earn a guaranteed $1.734MM salary in 2016/17, would have been in line for a pay increase to $2.667MM next year if Houston had exercised his option. Instead, he’ll head into the summer of 2017 as an unrestricted free agent. That doesn’t necessarily mean the 22-year-old will leave the Rockets, who could still re-sign him, but he’ll get a chance to explore the open market in July.

The 18th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Ennis started his career with the Suns before being sent to the Bucks at the 2015 trade deadline. He was moved again in September in exchange for veteran forward Michael Beasley. In 82 total career NBA games so far, Ennis has averaged just 4.0 PPG and 2.2 APG in 13.4 minutes per game, while posting a shooting line of .405/.294/.732. He scored just a single basket in three games for the Rockets during the first week of this season, though he also picked up nine assists and a pair of steals in that stretch.

As we noted earlier this morning, Ennis was one of six players still on an NBA roster whose rookie-scale option for 2017/18 had yet to be exercised. The full recap of this year’s decisions can be found right here.

Central Notes: Wade, Bulls, Pistons, Smith

October 31st, 2016 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Following the Bulls‘ home opener last week, a 105-99 win over the Celtics, Dwyane Wade told Shams Charania of The Vertical that he “closed the Miami chapter” of his basketball career. The veteran guard admitted, with a smile, that he still hadn’t received the email that Pat Riley claimed to write to him in the wake of his departure, but added that he isn’t thinking much about the Heat anymore anyway.

“I can’t focus over there anymore,” Wade said after the Bulls’ opener. “I want those guys in Miami to be successful, but I’m motivated by greatness here. I’m motivated by doing what people think I can’t do, for sure. I had to make a decision, and I feel good about the decision I made. … I’m not here because I’m angry at [Riley] or the Heat. There’s no anger. I’m happy because I got the freedom to look elsewhere. I got to look at home.”

Here’s more from around the Central division:

Much has been made over the last few months about the Bulls‘ unusual roster construction, and Wade admits that it’s “not the ‘new traditional’ team” that features several three-point shooters. However, Wade suggests to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com that he expects the club to have success if it plays to its strengths.
With Reggie Jackson ailing, the Pistons have asked Ish Smith and Beno Udrih to carry the load at point guard early, and those players are delivering, writes Aaron McMann of MLive.com. Smith signed with the team this summer and Udrih was just claimed off waivers last week, but the duo has held its own early in the season for Detroit, as McMann details.
Due to a contract stand-off between J.R. Smith and the Cavaliers, the veteran shooting guard missed most of the training camp and preseason. As Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal observes, it has taken some time for Smith to get his legs under him, but he’s starting to round into form.

Deadline For Rookie Extensions, Team Option Decisions

October 31st, 2016 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Today is October 31, which is the last day for NBA teams to sign players in the final year of their rookie contracts to extensions. It’s also the last day for clubs to exercise team options on rookie contracts for the 2017/18 season.

If a player eligible for a rookie-scale extension hasn’t received a new deal yet, and doesn’t sign one today, he’ll remain on track for free agency in the summer of 2017, at which point his team can make a qualifying offer to ensure he’s a restricted free agent. Meanwhile, players who don’t have their third- or fourth-year options for 2017/18 picked up today will see their rookie deals end prematurely, making them eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.

With tonight’s deadline looming, there are a few situations worth watching. As our extension tracker shows, three players – C.J. McCollum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Dennis Schroder – have signed new contracts with their respective clubs, but that still leaves plenty of extension-eligible players on the board.

According to reports on Sunday, candidates for extensions include Steven Adams (Thunder), Victor Oladipo (Thunder), Rudy Gobert (Jazz), Cody Zeller (Hornets), Gorgui Dieng (Timberwolves), and Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves). The Pistons also haven’t ruled out the possibility of new deals for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and/or Reggie Bullock. Even with a handful of other players, including Nerlens Noel (Sixers), Trey Burke (Wizards), and Tony Snell (Bucks) looking unlikely to re-up with their current teams, we could see some action today.

Meanwhile, most teams have already announced that they’ve exercised 2017/18 team options on their eligible players or waived players who would had those options on their contracts. According to our tracker, six players still on rosters haven’t had their options exercised: Marcus Smart (Celtics), James Young (Celtics), Terry Rozier (Celtics), Tyler Ennis (Rockets), Adreian Payne (Timberwolves), and C.J. Wilcox (Magic).

Smart’s option will certainly be picked up today by the Celtics, and the team is reportedly set to exercise Rozier’s as well. However, there’s a little more uncertainty on Young, and that uncertainty applies to the Rockets with Ennis and the Magic with Wilcox too. As for Payne, one report has already indicated his option won’t be exercised by the Wolves.

Stay tuned to Hoops Rumors today for updates on rookie-scale extension talks and team option decisions.

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Rockets Pick Up 2017/18 Option On Sam Dekker

October 31st, 2016 at 8:28am CST by Will Joseph

OCTOBER 31: Houston has officially exercised its option on Dekker for 2017/18, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

OCTOBER 30: The Rockets are expected to pick up their team option on Sam Dekker for the 2017/18 season, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com relays (ESPN NOW link). Watkins notes that the Rockets will also pick up the team option on center Clint Capela, which we relayed earlier in the week.

The option would be for Dekker’s third year and is valued at $1,794,600. Dekker played in only three games last season because of back issues and surgery. He was the 18th overall pick in the 2015 draft.

The 22-year-old small forward enjoyed a productive summer league for the Rockets. Dekker, a Wisconsin product, has appeared in both of the Rockets’ games this season. He played 13 minutes against the Mavs and 14 minutes against the Lakers. The only other rookie-scale team option decision for 2017/18 salaries for the Rockets is whether or not to pick up the fourth-year team option on Tyler Ennis.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Olynyk, Teague, Arenas

October 30th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t rule out the possibility of extensions for the Pistons‘ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock before Monday’s deadline, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said today that he doesn’t expect the deals to get done, but GM Jeff Bower remains in contact with the agents for both players in hopes of getting something in place under the wire.

There’s more tonight out of the Eastern Conference:

Kelly Olynyk is hoping to be cleared for practice without restrictions this week in his return from offseason surgery on his right shoulder, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. The Celtics‘ fourth-year center plans to be ready for game action within two weeks.
New Pacers point guard Jeff Teague is trying to figure out the cause of his disappointing start, relays Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana was counting on a spark from Teague when it unloaded George Hill to get him from Atlanta in a three-way trade. But Teague has shot just 20% from the floor in his first three games and has allowed opposing point guards Deron Williams, Jeremy Lin and Rajon Rondo to combine for 52 points and 29 assists. “It’s way different than any team I’ve played on in the past,” Teague said. “We’ve got a lot of talent, but it’s just different. It just is. Everything is different, the concepts; everything is totally different. I’m just trying to get used to it.”
The Magic will make their final payment on Monday to former All-Star Gilbert Arenas, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. The high-scoring guard was waived by Orlando in 2011, but the franchise has continued to pay on his $111MM contract. Arenas no longer counts against the Magic’s salary cap.

Weekly Mailbag: 10/24/16-10/30/16

October 30th, 2016 at 9:45pm 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:

Two games into the season and Anthony Davis has 95 combined points. If the Pelicans start winning games and make the playoffs, do you think he would be Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year or Most Improved Player? — Will Johnson

Davis might win an armful of awards this season, but Most Improved won’t be one of them. He has always been an exceptional talent. He is just fully healed from the knee and shoulder issues that plagued him last season. Davis has the ability to win multiple MVPs in his career, but he may need a lot of improvement from the Pelicans before that happens. He’s definitely in line for another First Team All-NBA honor this season.

What do you think the odds are of Masai Ujiri finally making a big splash with the Raptors? I’m not sure he has the intestinal fortitude to swing a big deal [Carmelo Anthony forcing his way out of Denver aside]. He hasn’t been able to put a team over the top in his career. Sixty wins is impressive, but it’s not a championship. Do you see any scenarios in which he can finally swing a deal to put a team over the top? And if so, is there a person or people that you think would be smart targets to put them over the top? — Mike Robins

Ujiri never really had a chance to put the Nuggets over the top, so it’s too early to judge him by that standard. The Raptors have an obvious need at power forward, so if a major deal is coming, that’s where it will be. Greg Monroe in Milwaukee is an obvious target. Another is the Sixers’ Nerlens Noel. A longer shot might be Zach Randolph, who has already been demoted to a reserve role in Memphis and is headed toward free agency. Any of them would make the Raptors a bigger threat to Cleveland in the East.

Does Marcus Smart ever have a shot at being an above average starting point guard in Boston or anywhere else? — Kyle Duzinckas

As long as Isaiah Thomas is with the Celtics, he’s going to be running the offense. Smart is very talented, but I’m not sure he has the point guard skills to ever be a full-time starter, let alone an above average one in a league full of stars. But we probably won’t find out until he goes to another organization.

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