2017 June | Hoops Rumors

Reaction To Phil Jackson’s Firing

June 28th, 2017 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

Phil Jackson is gone, but owner James Dolan’s next move will determine how soon the Knicks can rebuild, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. It’s not clear yet whom New York is targeting to take Jackson’s place, but the author points out that Dolan has a history of poor decisions when it comes to choosing someone to run his basketball team. An obvious choice, Bontemps notes, is former Cavaliers GM David Griffin, who couldn’t reach a new agreement in Cleveland.

GM Steve Mills will run the Knicks until a new president is hired, and Bontemps says he should start building the team around Kristaps Porzingis. He adds that Jackson’s feud with Porzingis, not the long-running one with Carmelo Anthony, is what led to today’s decision. Jackson shopped Porzingis around the league last week, and although there was plenty of interest, no offers were deemed acceptable.

There’s much more from a memorable day in New York:

Former Knicks executive and current New York Liberty president Isiah Thomas will not be considered to run the team, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. He adds that Jackson’s dismissal also endangers his top advisor, Clarence Gaines Jr.
Knicks consultant Tim Leiweke will lead the search for Jackson’s replacement, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Lots of candidates are expected, and one source in the organization told her, “We’re letting the phone ring.”
Leiweke has a close tie to Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who is rumored to be a candidate to take Jackson’s place, notes Sam Amick of USA Today. Leiweke is a former CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment group and hired Ujiri as Toronto’s GM in 2013. Many in the league office would like to see Ujiri join the Knicks, Amick adds, to finally have a well-run team in New York.
Toronto extended Ujiri’s contract last summer in anticipation of Jackson’s firing, according to Michael Grange of SportsNet. Ujiri had two seasons left on his deal, but the Raptors got him to agree to a new five-year pact to keep him in the organization. Grange expects Toronto to flatly deny any requests from the Knicks to speak with Ujiri.
The Knicks’ roster is in disarray as Jackson leaves, claims Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Joakim Noah‘s contract, which pays him more than $55MM over the next three years, continues to weigh down the organization, while 32-year-old Courtney Lee is signed for three more seasons at $36MM. The team has about $20MM in cap space, but Deveney states that players like Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague have little reason to come to New York.
There are five moves to set the Knicks on the right path, Deveney writes in a separate piece. He recommends buying out Anthony if a trade can’t be found, firing coach Jeff Hornacek, trading Lee, pursuing restricted free agents such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tony Snell and Jonathon Simmons and planning the future around Porzingis.

Latest On The Chris Paul Trade

June 28th, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Paul‘s departure from the Clippers today severed a relationship that began to fall apart when the team acquired Austin Rivers in 2015, according to a Facebook post from Michael Eaves of ESPN. Several Clippers believed Rivers brought an entitled attitude to the team because he is the son of coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers. Veterans didn’t think Austin Rivers tried hard enough to fit in, which created dissension in the locker room. Paul, in particular, thought that Austin Rivers got preferential treatment from his father.

The situation reportedly reached a breaking point prior to the trade deadline when the Knicks offered Carmelo Anthony and Sasha Vujacic to L.A. in exchange for Jamal Crawford, Paul Pierce and Austin Rivers. Doc Rivers blocked the deal, which led Paul to believe that coaching his son was more important than winning, with an unidentified league executive saying, “Chris despises Doc.”

There’s more fallout from today’s blockbuster trade:

The decision to opt in for the final year of his contract gives Paul more flexibility if he wants to team up with LeBron James next summer, Eaves notes in the same post. He mentions the Rockets, Lakers and possibly the Clippers, if Doc Rivers is gone, as potential destinations for that to happen. In the meantime, Paul can see how well his game meshes with James Harden‘s and gets a financial windfall because Texas doesn’t have a state income tax.
Austin Rivers denied on Twitter that he had anything to do with Paul’s desire to leave. “These false rumors are comedy…so fictional it’s actually amusing! People will say or do anything to get attention,” he posted. He concluded the message with “A lot of clowns out there,” using two clown emoji symbols.
The Clippers were concerned about the later years of Paul’s next contract, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. A five-year deal in excess of $200MM would have paid Paul nearly $45MM at age 37, and L.A. wasn’t willing to make that commitment.
Newly hired Clippers consultant Jerry West didn’t attend Tuesday’s meeting with Paul, according to Chris Broussard of Fox Sports 1 (Twitter link).
The Rockets would have preferred to clear cap space by trading Ryan Anderson, but there wasn’t much of a market available, reports Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Two teams that were interested asked for two first-round picks in exchange for taking the three years and $60MM left on Anderson’s contract.
Trading for Paul before July 1st will allow the Rockets to enter free agency over the salary cap, Lowe adds, giving them access to a full midlevel exception worth more than $8MM and a biannual exception topping $3MM.
The Rockets will continue to pursue other stars, but probably can’t offer Trevor Ariza in any deal, according to Lowe. Paul remains close with his former teammate in New Orleans, and the chance to reunite played a decision in Paul’s decision to pick Houston. The Clippers, Lowe relays, had made several attempts to obtain Ariza.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey credits Harden for making today’s trade happen. In a video posted by Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston, Morey says the Rockets now have the two best playmakers in the league.

Rockets Pursuing Paul George, Carmelo Anthony?

June 28th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets’ acquisition of Chris Paul is now official, but the team may not be done dealing yet. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link), a source tells him that the Rockets “think they are getting” Paul George or Carmelo Anthony.

Houston has been mentioned several times as a possible landing spot for George, who has made it clear he wants to leave Indiana. However, it remains to be seen whether the Rockets have enough assets to outbid rival suitors for George. Houston parted with young players (Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell), affordable veterans (Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley), and their 2018 first-round pick in today’s Paul trade. That doesn’t leave a ton of trade chips to offer the Pacers — a team like the Celtics would certainly be able to outbid Houston if they go all-in for George.

Still, the Rockets have shown in the past that they’re willing to be aggressive in trade talks for stars, even without a long-term commitment from that player. And according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, Houston would have “no qualms” about trading for George with one season left on his contract.

Although George’s preference is to sign with the Lakers in 2018, Sam Amick of USA Today writes that the Pacers forward “won’t close a window of opportunity.” According to Amick, if George were traded to the Cavaliers, he’d be open to the idea of re-signing with Cleveland in ’18 if LeBron James sticks around. If the Rockets were to acquire George, perhaps the team could pitch him on a multiyear run with Paul and James Harden.

As for Anthony, Ian Begley of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that Paul was telling people a few days ago he’d like to play with Carmelo. Anthony’s situation is up in the air, particularly with Phil Jackson no longer in the picture in New York, but sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link) that if the Knicks do decide to part with the standout forward, they still intend to trade him rather than buy him out.

If the Rockets were to trade for George or Anthony, they’d have to send out a sizable contract in the deal. Ryan Anderson ($19,578,455 salary in 2017/18) is the most obvious trade candidate on the roster, but Indiana native Eric Gordon ($12,943,020 salary in ’17/18) could be an interesting option in talks with the Pacers.

Clippers Trade Chris Paul To Rockets

June 28th, 2017 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Reversing his decision to head to the free agent market, Chris Paul has opted into the final year of his contract as part of a trade. The Clippers have sent Paul to the Rockets in exchange for a massive trade package, Houston confirmed today in a press release. The Clippers will receive the following pieces in the deal:

Lou Williams
Patrick Beverley
Sam Dekker
Montrezl Harrell
DeAndre Liggins
Darrun Hilliard
Kyle Wiltjer
Rockets’ 2018 first-round pick (top-three protected)
$661K in cash (the amount Paul agreed to reduce his trade bonus to, per Bobby Marks)

“Since winning back-to-back championships, the pursuit of a third title has remained the ultimate goal for our franchise,” Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said in a statement. “We feel that combining two of the league’s greatest players in James Harden and Chris Paul, operating in Coach [Mike] D’Antoni’s system, gives us a championship caliber team that will compete at the highest level for years to come.”

The move is a bombshell, particularly since Paul had been expected to reach free agency this weekend — a report last week indicated that he had made the decision to opt out of his contract. However, CP3 had yet to formally file the paperwork to exercise that early termination option. Instead, he’ll waive the ETO, which will allow him to play out the final year of his deal and become eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2018, unless he signs an extension with Houston before next July. Paul is currently set to earn $24,268,959 in 2017/18.

According to Wojnarowski, the Clippers and Rockets reached an agreement after Paul informed L.A. that he intended to sign with Houston in free agency. From the Clippers’ perspective, the trade with Houston is a way to recoup some value for the star point guard and avoid losing him for nothing. Meanwhile, the Rockets will no longer have to worry about trying to dump a salary or two in order to create enough room for a maximum salary slot for Paul.

The Rockets, who were reported on Tuesday to be a “serious” threat in the Paul sweepstakes, have now secured their man before the free agent period even gets underway. The club’s star-studded backcourt will create an intriguing dynamic, since Harden is coming off an MVP-caliber season in which he served as Houston’s primary ball-handler. According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Paul and Harden were “determined” to play together, so the duo is presumably unconcerned about how the ball-handling duties will be shared going forward.

It will be interesting to see if Rockets president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has anything else up his sleeve for the team in July. According to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, the club is still on the lookout for a third star to complement Paul and Harden. Houston was reportedly involved in Paul George trade talks, though the club surrendered some valuable assets in today’s move, so it’s not clear whether Morey still has enough pieces to interest the Pacers.

With Paul now headed to Houston, the Spurs – who were rumored to be a contender for Paul – will have to look elsewhere if they intend to sign a marquee free agent point guard. Teams around the NBA hoping to re-sign their own star point guards, such as the Pelicans (Jrue Holiday) and Raptors (Kyle Lowry), may also be breathing a little easier, since the Rockets were viewed as a team capable of shaking up the point guard market.

As for the Clippers, it’s not clear yet if today’s deal will be the first domino to fall in a full-fledged rebuilding process for the club, or merely a retooling of the roster. In Beverley and Williams, the Clips will acquire a pair of effective and affordable veteran guards who figure to step into key roles right away. Dekker is more of a wild card, but the 23-year-old big man flashed some upside in a rotational role for the Rockets last season, as did Harrell.

Paul’s departure also figures to be a factor in Blake Griffin‘s impending free agency. Unlike Paul, Griffin has formally exercised his ETO with the Clippers, so he’s on track to become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday. Given the reported tension between Paul and Griffin over the years, it’s possible that the trade of CP3 makes Griffin more likely to re-sign — Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link) spoke to several league executives who speculated as much.

Because the combined salaries of Beverley, Dekker, and Williams – the package reported initially for the Clippers – weren’t enough for the Rockets to land Paul, Houston spent most of the day acquiring players with non-guaranteed salaries from other teams to include in the deal. Liggins and Hilliard will be flipped to the Clippers, but Tim Quarterman, Shawn Long, and Ryan Kelly, who were all traded to Houston earlier today, won’t be part of this transactions — Houston instead included Harrell and Wiltjer.

I explained the math from the Rockets’ perspective earlier today. By structuring the deal as they did, the Rockets will remain over the cap and will have the mid-level exception ($8.4MM) and bi-annual exception ($3.3MM) available to pursue free agents when the new league year begins.

The Clippers waived retiring forward Paul Pierce in order to adhere to the NBA’s offseason roster limit of 20 players.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter links) broke news of the trade. Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle and Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times were among those who reported key details along the way.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clippers Waive Paul Pierce

June 28th, 2017 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have created room on their roster to accommodate their imminent Chris Paul trade by waiving Paul Pierce, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

Pierce, a 19-year NBA veteran, has already announced his retirement from the NBA, making today’s roster move a formality. Pierce’s contract extended through the 2017/18 season, so the Clippers had long been expected to either trade or waive him. Approximately $1MM of Pierce’s $3.58MM salary for next season is guaranteed — L.A. can either carry that entire amount on the ’17/18 cap, or stretch it across three seasons.

Pierce’s salary for 2017/18 had initially been set to fully guarantee if he remained under contract beyond June 30. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported earlier today that Pierce and the Clippers had agreed to extend that guarantee date in order to give the team a chance to use him in a trade in July. However, it seems the club won’t get that opportunity.

The Clippers’ agreement with the Rockets on the deal that will send Paul to Houston features seven players heading to Los Angeles for salary-matching purposes. The roster limit for NBA teams increases from 15 to 20 in the offseason, but by taking on six extra players in the swap, the Clips still would have been one over the 20-man limit if they had hung onto Pierce.

Lakers Pick Up Team Option On David Nwaba

June 28th, 2017 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have exercised their 2017/18 team option on David Nwaba, the team announced in a press release. Nwaba is now on track to earn a minimum salary of $1,312,611 next season.

Nwaba, 24, made his NBA debut with the Lakers earlier this year after signing a 10-day contract with the team. The 6’4″ shooting guard eventually earned a second 10-day deal and then a rest-of-season contract with an option for ’17/18.

In 20 regular season contests (19.8 MPG), Nwaba averaged 6.0 PPG and 3.2 RPG for the Lakers. The team was also said to be impressed with his play on defense.

Nwaba will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2018.

Mutual Interest Between Jeff Teague, Knicks

June 28th, 2017 at 3:29pm CST by Luke Adams

There is mutual interest between the Knicks and veteran point guard Jeff Teague, who will become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard about New York’s interest in Teague — as Begley notes, general manager Steve Mills talked to the Hawks two years ago about a potential trade for the point guard. However, the timing of the report is interesting.

[RELATED: Knicks part ways with Phil Jackson]

We learned back in March that while Teague liked New York, the Knicks’ commitment to the triangle offense would likely prevent him from seriously considering the franchise as a free agent. Since Phil Jackson is no longer heading up the Knicks’ front office, it seems likely that the team will significantly de-emphasize the triangle going forward. With no Jackson and no triangle, it’s possible that players like Teague will view New York as a more viable landing spot.

Teague, 29, had another solid season in 2016/17, averaging 15.3 PPG and a career-high 7.8 APG in what was his first – and possibly last – year in Indiana. If the Pacers move Paul George and enter a rebuilding mode, Teague is unlikely to return.

Kings Won’t Tender QO To Ben McLemore

June 28th, 2017 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings won’t tender a qualifying offer to free agent guard Ben McLemore, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move ensures that McLemore will become an unrestricted free agent, rather than a restricted free agent.

McLemore, 24, was the seventh overall pick in the 2013 draft, but has been inconsistent during his four years in Sacramento. The subject of trade rumors earlier in his career, McLemore was rumored to be making a strong impression on the Kings’ new coaching staff last fall, but he ultimately received a career-low 19.3 minutes in 61 games this season. Although McLemore’s numbers (8.1 PPG, .382 3PT%) were decent, he doesn’t appear to be a part of Sacramento’s future plans.

Because McLemore didn’t meet the starter criteria, his qualifying offer would have been worth $4,187,598. That would have given the Kings the right of first refusal if another team attempted to sign the former Kansas Jayhawk. Instead, McLemore will be free to sign outright with any club.

McLemore joins Michael Carter-Williams and Trey Burke as 2013 lottery picks whose teams won’t be tendering them a qualifying offer this week.

Rockets Acquire Shawn Long From Sixers

June 28th, 2017 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets just won’t stop trading, having reportedly completing their sixth deal of the day. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter), Houston is sending cash and a 2018 second-round pick to the Sixers in exchange for Shawn Long.

An undrafted free agent out of Louisiana-Lafayette, Long appeared in 18 games for the Sixers in his rookie season, and was productive in limited minutes. The 6’9″ center averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG in just 13.0 minutes per contest. He was even better in the G League, averaging a double-double (20.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG) in 39 games for the Delaware 87ers.

It’s not clear yet what the Rockets have in mind for Long, whose 2017/18 salary is non-guaranteed. A handful of the players acquired by Houston today will be immediately flipped and included in the club’s trade with the Clippers for Chris Paul, but not all of them will be part of that deal. It’s possible that Daryl Morey and the Rockets have another move up their sleeves.

Rockets Acquire Darrun Hilliard From Pistons

June 28th, 2017 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

2:50pm: The Pistons have officially sent Hilliard to the Rockets for cash considerations, the team announced.

1:58pm: The Rockets’ busy day continues, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), who reports that Houston will acquire Darrun Hilliard from the Pistons. The move is the fifth reported trade today for the Rockets.

Hilliard, a 2015 second-round pick, appeared in 77 games for the Pistons over the last two seasons, playing sparingly. He also appeared in seven total games for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s G League affiliate, averaging 24.4 PPG in those contests.

Hilliard, who has a $874,636 cap hit in 2016/17 and a non-guaranteed $1,471,382 salary for 2017/18, may be the last piece required for the Rockets to complete their trade for Chris Paul with the Clippers. Earlier this afternoon, I broke down the math behind Houston’s series of moves, noting that the team likely needed to acquire one player to flip to L.A. for salary-matching purposes.

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