2017 June | Hoops Rumors

Breakdown Of Math Behind Rockets’ Trades

June 28th, 2017 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, news broke that the Clippers will be sending Chris Paul to the Rockets in a blockbuster trade, with Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Sam Dekker heading to Los Angeles. However, that trade is not yet official, and can’t be made official based on the terms reported, since it doesn’t meet the NBA’s salary-matching rules.

The Rockets are currently a little below the cap, but Paul’s salary would take them above the cap, with means they’d need to take advantage of the traded player exception to complete the deal. Based on NBA rules, Houston needs to include enough outgoing salary to get within $5MM of Paul’s 2016/17 salary, which is $22,868,827. So, if Paul is willing to waive the 15% trade kicker in his contract, the Rockets’ magic number for outgoing salary is $17,868,827.

Here are the 2016/17 cap numbers for Williams, Beverley, and Dekker:

Williams: $7,000,000
Beverley: $6,000,000
Dekker: $1,720,560
Total: $14,720,560

That package leaves the Rockets $3,148,267 short of the outgoing salary required to land Paul before the new league year begins. It’s possible Houston could wait until after July 1 to complete the deal, but the team would need to include even more salary at that point, since CP3 will get a raise, while the total value of the Rockets’ value decreases due to a slight pay cut for Beverley.

The Rockets have reportedly now added Montrezl Harrell and his $1,045,000 salary to their trade package, and have other pieces on their roster that they could include, but the majority of those players are either too valuable to move or don’t earn enough money to make up the difference.

That’s why, as David Aldridge of TNT tweets, the Rockets have been calling teams all over the league in an effort to find non-guaranteed salaries to include in the deal. A “horde” of teams is involved or trying to get involved in those discussions, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who adds that the Rockets are telling teams they’ve assembled the necessary pieces. Since rosters expand to 20 players in the offseason, roster limits haven’t stopped Houston from adding extra players.

Because the Rockets finished the season about $3.1MM below the cap, the team can acquire players in trade using that cap space. Typically, the CBA restricts teams from trading for a player, then flipping him right away in another deal that aggregates his salary with other salaries. However, that rule doesn’t apply to players acquired using cap room.

Here’s what the Rockets have done so far today:

Acquired DeAndre Liggins ($1,015,696) from Mavericks.
Acquired Tim Quarterman ($543,471) from Trail Blazers.
Acquired Ryan Kelly ($286,785) from Hawks.

Liggins, Quarterman, and Kelly all have fully or heavily non-guaranteed salaries for the 2017/18 season, making them ideal trade pieces. If we assume all three of those players – plus the original four Rockets – will be included in the Paul trade, Houston now appears to be just $257,315 away from having enough salary to make the deal work, and the club still has enough cap room left to absorb up to about $1.27MM in salary.

Unless our math is slightly off, it seems the Rockets will need to include one more salary in their trade. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear by the end of the day about one last player who will make up that difference. And if Houston is able to include a little more salary than the absolute minimum required, Paul could also potentially hang onto part of his trade bonus.

[Update #1: The Rockets have reportedly agreed to acquire Darrun Hilliard ($874,636) from the Pistons. Houston now has enough players to send out for Paul, though the Clippers don’t have enough roster spots to take them all back, so the Rockets may end up involving a third team in the deal.]

[Update #2: The Rockets have reportedly included Liggins, Hilliard, and Kyle Wiltjer ($543,471) in the trade for Paul, reaching the required outgoing salary threshold without using Quarterman or Kelly.]

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Hawks Trade Ryan Kelly To Rockets

June 28th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have made yet another trade, acquiring Ryan Kelly from the Hawks for cash considerations, Atlanta announced today in a press release. Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported (via Twitter) that a deal was close.

Kelly, 26, appeared in just 16 games for the Hawks in 2016/17, spending part of the season with the team. The former Laker averaged 1.6 PPG and 1.1 RPG in limited minutes.

The trade looks like another precursor to the Rockets completing their acquisition of Chris Paul. Kelly will likely be included in that deal for salary-matching purposes.

Rockets Acquire Tim Quarterman From Blazers

June 28th, 2017 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have traded Tim Quarterman to the Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). It’s Houston’s third reported trade agreement of the day.

Quarterman, an undrafted free agent who signed with Portland out of LSU last offseason, played sparingly in his NBA rookie season, appearing in 16 games for the Trail Blazers and averaging 1.9 PPG (in 5.0 MPG).

The Rockets appear to be aggressively attempting to acquire players who can be included in Houston’s blockbuster deal with the Clippers for Chris Paul. Based on the terms initially reported, the Rockets aren’t sending out enough salary in that trade, but the team can acquire players using its cap room and flip them again right away in another deal.

Assuming the Rockets intend to use Quarterman and DeAndre Liggins along with Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Sam Dekker in the Paul trade and complete the move before the new league year begins on Saturday morning, they’ll still need to find about $1.589MM in additional salary to include in the deal.

Rockets Acquire DeAndre Liggins From Mavericks

June 28th, 2017 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Having already agreed to a blockbuster trade today, the Rockets have officially made a much smaller deal, acquiring DeAndre Liggins from the Mavericks in exchange for cash considerations. The Mavs confirmed the move in a press release.

Liggins, 29, spent the majority of the 2016/17 season with the Cavaliers, appearing in 61 games (19 starts) for the team. However, Cleveland waived him during the last week of the regular season, and Liggins was claimed off waivers by the Mavs.

A report earlier this week indicated that the Mavs intended to decline their team option on Liggins, but it appears that option was exercised after all in order to complete this deal. Liggins’ salary for the 2017/18 season remains mostly non-guaranteed, making him a useful trade chip.

The Rockets will acquire Liggins using their excess cap room, which means the team could turn around and trade him again right away. It looks like Liggins may be used as a piece to help make the salaries work in Houston’s Chris Paul acquisition, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the former Kentucky guard flipped and included in that deal.

Clippers Confident About Re-Signing Blake Griffin

June 28th, 2017 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers reached a deal to trade away one of their stars today, but remain confident about re-signing another. According to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), the Clips believe today’s Chris Paul trade agreement clears the way for the club to re-sign Blake Griffin.

While the idea of re-signing Griffin after losing Paul may seem counter-intuitive, there are some reasons why it makes sense to bring back one without the other. Paul and Griffin were never believed to be the best of friends, with multiple reports over the years suggesting there was some tension between the two players.

Additionally, had the Clippers re-signed both Paul and Griffin to maximum salary contracts, the club would have gone well into luxury tax territory. Without Paul’s max salary to consider, the Clips’ books will be a little easier to manage, even with a lucrative new deal for Griffin on the cap.

Along the same lines, the Clippers wouldn’t necessarily be able to create a significant chunk of cap room by letting Griffin walk, since they already have upwards of $74MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap after taking into account the additions of Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, and Sam Dekker. Re-signing Griffin and staying over the cap would allow the team to keep the trade exception it figures to acquire in the CP3 deal.

Multiple teams, including the Celtics, Heat, and Thunder, are expected to pursue Griffin in free agency, so a return to Los Angeles is hardly a sure thing for the former No. 1 overall pick. Nonetheless, if the Clippers are willing to offer five years, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be the favorite. As our maximum salary projections show, the Clips could offer a five-year deal worth an estimated $172MM+, while any other team could offer up to about $127.7MM over four years.

Meanwhile, in other Clippers news, the team has reached an agreement with forward Paul Pierce to extend the guarantee date on his salary for the 2017/18 season, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Pierce, who remains under contract for one more year despite his plans to retire, currently has approximately $1MM of his $3.68MM salary guaranteed. The full amount was set to become guaranteed after June 30, but pushing back that deadline could allow L.A. to use Pierce’s contract in a trade once the new league year begins.

Kevin Durant Will Wait To Sign New Deal With Warriors

June 28th, 2017 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

While Kevin Durant is a lock to return to the Warriors, he doesn’t intend to finalize a new deal with the team when free agency opens on July 1, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. According to Stein, Durant’s plan is to wait until after Golden State has conducted most of its offseason business to re-sign with the team.

Sources tell Stein that Durant has made it clear he won’t meet with other teams or field rival offers from potential suitors, so it’s a matter of when – not if – he officially signs a new deal with the Warriors. One of Stein’s sources suggests it may not happen until “later” in July, though if Golden State wraps up most of its other major moves shortly after the moratorium ends, Durant would likely have no reason to wait beyond mid-July.

Durant, who turned down a player option for 2017/18, is eligible for a starting salary worth up to $34.65MM based on a $99MM cap. However, he’s expected to accept a slightly more modest raise in order to allow the Warriors to attempt to sign Andre Iguodala and/or Shaun Livingston. By signing Durant to a raise using his Non-Bird rights, the Warriors would retain full Bird rights on Iguodala and Livingston, allowing the team to make competitive offers to those key role players.

Of course, just because the Warriors have Bird rights on Iguodala and Livingston, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll return. If a rival team makes a lucrative multiyear offer that the Warriors aren’t comfortable matching, it’s possible Iguodala and/or Livingston will head elsewhere rather than accepting a “hometown” discount to remain with the defending champions.

If the Warriors were to lose Iguodala and Livingston, waiting to sign his new contract could allow Durant to potentially earn the full max after all, since the club would be able to renounce its rights to its other free agents and create cap room to accommodate Durant.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Nurkic, Murray, Wolves

June 28th, 2017 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are in a tough spot heading into this year’s free agency period, with more than $133MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap, not to mention cap holds for a pair of first-round picks. However, as Joe Freeman of The Oregonian details, Neil Olshey continues to explore ways to make his team better, even if his financial flexibility is virtually non-existent.

“We’re never content with the roster,” said the Trail Blazers’ president of basketball operations. “Every day we wake up looking to find ways to improve the roster, to accelerate what we’ve been trying to do the last couple of years and make the team more competitive. We’re incredibly pleased with what we were able to accomplish in the draft with both of these guys and they are going to contribute. But until we get to October and training camp starts, the roster always is in a state of flux and we’re always looking to upgrade and we’re always looking to accelerate what we’ve been trying to build the last couple of years.”

While Olshey doesn’t intend to stand pat in July, he also cautioned against pursuing “quick fixes,” stressing that the Trail Blazers front office wants to build a team capable of long-term success, rather than pushing all its chips into the middle.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

Jusuf Nurkic continues to recover from a broken leg, but the Trail Blazers expect him to be healthy and ready to go by the time training camp begins in September, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. As Richman notes, the franchise is also counting on Ed Davis (torn labrum) and Allen Crabbe (foot surgery) to be back for training camp.
Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post has a Nuggets injury update, writing that Jamal Murray played in a two-on-two game on Tuesday. Murray, who underwent surgeries to repair core muscle-related injuries in April, “thinks he’s ready to go now,” according to GM Tim Connelly. The 2016 lottery pick is expected to be medically cleared well before training camp begins.
Appearing on The Scoop podcast with Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said that the Bulls initiated talks related to Jimmy Butler, and added that the Wolves wouldn’t have made the deal if Chicago hadn’t included the No. 16 pick.

Raptors Promote Bobby Webster To GM

June 28th, 2017 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 28: The Raptors have officially announced Webster’s promotion to general manager (Twitter link). Dan Tolzman has also received a promotion and will be the team’s new assistant GM and VP of player personnel.

Ujiri, rumored to be a Knicks target, continues to oversee the Raptors’ basketball operations department.

JUNE 26: Raptors assistant general manager Bobby Webster has been considered the favorite to receive a promotion since GM Jeff Weltman‘s departure earlier this offseason, and it sounds like the club will make it official soon. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050 (Twitter link), the Raps are expected to announce Webster as their new GM at some point this week.

After working at the NBA offices for several seasons, Webster joined the Raptors’ front office in 2013 as the team’s VP of basketball management and strategy. Webster, who is well-versed in salary cap matters, ascended the ranks quickly in Toronto, earning a promotion to assistant GM last summer. Now, according to TSN’s full story on the move, Webster is set to become the NBA’s youngest general manager, just four years after joining the Raptors.

Masai Ujiri, Toronto’s president of basketball operations, retains control over the club’s basketball decisions, but the general manager position is still a crucial one. Weltman’s performance in the Raptors’ front office earned him the president of basketball operations job in Orlando, vacating the GM position in Toronto.

Webster and Ujiri will have plenty of big decisions to make this summer, with key Raptors like Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Patrick Patterson, and P.J. Tucker all eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Knicks Part Ways With Phil Jackson

June 28th, 2017 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

8:37am: The Knicks have officially parted ways with Jackson, according to an announcement from the team. The club’s statement describes it as a mutual decision.

“After careful thought and consideration, we mutually agreed that the Knicks will be going in a different direction,” Dolan said. “Phil Jackson is one of the most celebrated and successful individuals in the history of the NBA. His legacy in the game of basketball is unmatched. We wish him the best and thank him for his service to the Knicks as both a player and an executive.”

Former Raptors executive Tim Leiweke will assist the Knicks as an advisor during their search for a new head of basketball operations, per Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

7:54am: Dolan and the Knicks are targeting Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri for their top front office job, according to ESPN’s new NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Ujiri signed a multiyear extension with Toronto last September that tacked multiple years onto his contract beyond 2017/18, so if he’s interested in heading to New York, the Raptors would likely require compensation for their division rivals to let him out of his deal.

Ujiri, of course, has been on the other end of multiple notable Knicks trades, including the Anthony deal with Denver and an Andrea Bargnani swap with Toronto.

7:40am: The Knicks are expected to formally announce on Wednesday that they’re parting ways with president of basketball operations Phil Jackson, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The news comes on the heels of a report late on Tuesday night that Knicks owner James Dolan was weighing Jackson’s future with the franchise.

According to Shelburne, conversations about Jackson’s future “accelerated” in recent days after the organization decided that it wouldn’t buy out Carmelo Anthony. Jackson has been vocal for most of the year about his desire to move on from Anthony, but with Carmelo unwilling to waive his no-trade clause and the Knicks not open to accommodating a buyout, the two sides were at a stalemate.

Since Anthony seemingly wasn’t going anywhere, and it had become clear that Jackson didn’t intend to remain with the Knicks beyond the two years left on his contract, it made more and more sense for the two sides to go their separate ways, as Shelburne details.

While the public feud with Anthony was a key factor in Jackson’s departure, he made several other questionable moves during his tenure as Knicks president, including signing Joakim Noah to a $72MM+ contract last summer and seriously considering trading Kristaps Porzingis after the young Latvian skipped his exit meeting at the end of the 2016/17 season.

The decision on Jackson’s future represents an about-face for Dolan. Despite the fact that some people close to him had been urging him to move on from Jackson for some time, per ESPN, the Knicks owner exercised his side of Jackson’s option earlier this year, locking him in for the final two years of his contract. Assuming the two sides didn’t reach some sort of buyout agreement, the Knicks will remain on the hook for a reported $24MM for Jackson’s final two years.

With Jackson no longer in the picture in New York, it’s possible that Anthony will become more open to a trade, having outlasted the team president and “won” the feud. However, it seems more likely that GM Steve Mills, who will run the show in the interim, will put less pressure on Anthony to waive his no-trade clause, allowing him to remain with the Knicks. I would expect that the team no longer intends to run the triangle offense going forward either.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Thunder Exercise Team Option On Jerami Grant

June 28th, 2017 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have officially exercised their 2017/18 team option on forward Jerami Grant, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter) first reported that Oklahoma City would be picking up the option, which is worth a modest $1,524,305, Grant’s minimum salary.

Grant, 23, spent his first two NBA seasons in Philadelphia, but was traded from the Sixers to the Thunder early in the 2016/17 season in a deal for a protected first-round pick. After the trade, Grant appeared in 78 games for Oklahoma City, averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.6 RPG with a .469/.377/.619 shooting line.

If the Thunder had opted to turn down Grant’s option, he would have been eligible for restricted free agency, since he only has three years of NBA experience under his belt. Instead, he’ll remain under contract for one more year and then will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018.

Grant’s option was technically the only one on Oklahoma City’s books for the ’17/18 season, though the team will also have to make a decision soon on point guard Semaj Christon. Christon has a non-guaranteed salary that will become fully guaranteed if he remains on the roster beyond July 8.

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