2017 July | Hoops Rumors

Paul Pierce Officially Retires As Celtic

July 17th, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Paul Pierce has signed a contract with the Celtics in order to officially retire as a member of the franchise, the team announced today in a press release. Within the release, Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck said that he looks forward to seeing Pierce’s number “raised to the rafters of TD Garden.”

“It’s an honor to have this opportunity to once again call myself a Boston Celtic,” Pierce said in a statement. “The organization and city took me in and made me one of their own, and I couldn’t imagine ending my career any other way. I’m a Celtic for life.”

Pierce, who won a championship with the Celtics in 2008, announced last September that the 2016/17 season would be the last of his illustrious career. He was waived by the Clippers in late June for bookkeeping purposes after they reached an agreement with the Rockets on the blockbuster Chris Paul trade.

Pierce began his career in Boston in 1998 and remained there until 2013, when he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets during the offseason. He spent one season there and another with the Wizards before heading out West. He played two seasons with the Clippers and appeared in 25 regular-season and seven postseason games in his final campaign.

In 1,343 career games, the shoo-in Hall of Famer averaged 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 3.5 APG. He also appeared in 170 postseason games, finishing with a slash line of 18.7/5.8/3.4.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jazz Notes: Roster, Williams-Goss, Expectations

July 17th, 2017 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have been busy since Gordon Hayward opted to sign with the Celtics rather than returning to Utah, using their leftover cap room on a handful of smaller acquisitions rather than trying to land a single impact player. Last week, Utah agreed to sign Thabo Sefolosha, Ekpe Udoh, and Jonas Jerebko, and now a reported agreement with Royce O’Neale has also been confirmed by Jazz beat writers.

After finalizing those deals, the Jazz will have 16 players under contract for the 2017/18 season, meaning the club would likely end up having to cut someone who is owed some guaranteed money to get the regular season roster down to 15. That has created some trade speculation in Utah, but according to Jody Genessy of The Deseret News (Twitter link), the club’s recent moves aren’t setting up a potential deal. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Jazz won’t make a trade at some point before the regular season begins, but for now, nothing is on tap.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

After reaching an agreement on a two-way contract with Eric Griffin, the Jazz are considering how to use their other two-way slot, and second-round pick Nigel Williams-Goss is a candidate, sources tell Genessy (Twitter link). It appears there will be no room on the 15-man roster for Williams-Goss, so a two-way contract would allow the team to keep a close eye on him while retaining his NBA rights.
Despite losing their top scorer in free agency, the post-Hayward Jazz believe they’re capable of surprising in 2017/18, as Genessy details in a piece for The Deseret News. “We have a roster of young, talented and resilient players,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “I am confident that together we will accept this challenge while continuing to strive toward our goal of individual and collective improvement.”
Unsurprisingly, the Jazz never considered embarking on a rebuild after losing Hayward, GM Dennis Lindsey tells Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Rockets Announce Franchise Up For Sale

July 17th, 2017 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

2:58pm: The Rockets have formally issued a press release announcing that the franchise is for sale. Alexander said in a statement that it’s been a”great joy and honor” to own the team for the last 24 years.

“I’ve made this decision after much deliberation with my family and friends, and do so knowing the franchise is in great shape with the players, coaches and management team in place,” Alexander said. “CEO Tad Brown will oversee the sales process with the league office, supported by my management team.”

2:26pm: An NBA franchise is officially on the market. Rockets CEO Tad Brown announced today at a press conference that owner Leslie Alexander is putting the team – along with Clutch City Sports & Entertainment – up for sale (video link via Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston).

According to Brown, Alexander had been approached about selling the Rockets from time to time over the years, but had never really considered it until now. Brown went on to suggest that Alexander, after talking to family and close friends, is looking at “changing the fabric of his life” and focusing on different passions. Brown made it clear that Alexander isn’t dealing with any health issues (Twitter link).

As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets, the Rockets would prefer the timeline for a sale to be “sooner rather than later.” However, the club isn’t in a rush, since a stable management team is in place, Brown said today.

People around the NBA have been wondering for some time which owner or ownership group would be the first to cash out after a substantial rise in team valuations over the last several years, tweets Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Still, Alexander’s decision didn’t just come as a surprise to people around the NBA — it also surprised those within the Rockets’ franchise, says ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Many NBA franchises sold within the last decade have been smaller-market clubs, including the Kings ($534MM in 2013) and Bucks ($550MM in 2014). The Hawks ($850MM in 2015) could be another reference point. Of course, Steve Ballmer paid $2 billion for the Clippers in 2014 — I’d expect the Rockets’ sale price to be closer to that figure than the others, and potentially even higher.

Even back in February, before the Rockets won a playoff series, traded for Chris Paul, and extended James Harden, Forbes placed a $1.65 billion valuation on the franchise, and Forbes’ estimates are often low. Alexander bought the team for $85MM back in 1993, Feigen notes (Twitter link).

LeBron James Concerned With Cavs’ Offseason

July 17th, 2017 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Four-time MVP LeBron James is concerned with the Cavaliers’ offseason moves, or lack thereof, a source tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. According to Zillgitt, the team’s decision to part with its top two front office executives right before free agency left James “frustrated and concerned” about the Cavs’ ability to build a roster capable of beating the Warriors.

While the Cavaliers were linked to big-name trade targets such as Paul George and Jimmy Butler, those players ultimately ended up being sent elsewhere. Instead, Cleveland has made modest moves to attempt to fortify its bench. Jose Calderon and Jeff Green were signed to minimum salary contracts, and part of the taxpayer MLE was used on Cedi Osman, though the 22-year-old is unlikely to have a major impact in Cleveland this season.

While James is realistic about the Cavaliers’ cap- and tax-related limitations, he wonders why the club entered the offseason “without veteran front-office execs in place to execute complicated moves,” writes Zillgitt.

According to Zillgitt, the Cavs appeared to be getting close to a deal for Butler before owner Dan Gilbert decided to part ways with GM David Griffin and VP of basketball operations Trent Redden. Having been unable to secure top GM candidate Chauncey Billups, Gilbert continues to evaluate the club’s front office structure, with assistant GM Koby Altman running the show for now.

There’s still time this offseason for the Cavs to make roster additions, and it’s possible the team’s minor moves to date will turn out better than expected. However, team ownership and management will certainly need to take LeBron’s concerns seriously, since he’s eligible for free agency in 2018, and a return to Cleveland isn’t considered a lock.

Atlantic Notes: Melo, Knicks, Valanciunas, Celtics

July 17th, 2017 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

New Knicks president of basketball operations Steve Mills wasn’t in attendance at Tim Hardaway‘s introductory press conference earlier this month, but he spoke to reporters at a presser today, and Carmelo Anthony was a popular topic of discussion. While Mills didn’t drop any bombshells regarding Anthony’s status, he did confirm that the Knicks have talked to teams about a trade and would like to find an outcome that works for everyone (Twitter link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com).

Still, if a viable trade scenario doesn’t present itself, the Knicks don’t sound like they’re ready to move on from Anthony at any cost. Mills said today that the club will not pursue a buyout with the veteran forward (Twitter link via Begley). Anthony “could easily be part of our team next year,” according to Mills (Twitter link via Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press).

As the Knicks continue to weigh their options with Carmelo, here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Mills also confirmed at today’s press conference that he’s going to give new Knicks GM Scott Perry “room to make basketball decisions” (Twitter link via Begley). Per Mills, he and Perry will be “partners” in decision-making.
The Raptors haven’t had much luck in their efforts to trade Jonas Valanciunas, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News details. According to Deveney, discussions with the Kings, Suns, Hornets, Trail Blazers, Hawks, and others “did not get very far.” Now that they’ve dumped some salary by moving DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph, it’s not clear if the Raptors are still attempting to move Valanciunas.
It doesn’t appear that any additional roster moves are imminent for the Celtics, but don’t be surprised if the team makes some changes later in the year, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald in a round-up of a few Celtics-related notes.

2017 NBA Draft-And-Stash Signings

July 17th, 2017 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent signees, trade acquisitions, and 2017 draftees are the most common additions to NBA rosters this summer. However, a handful of players have come via the draft-and-stash route, as teams have brought aboard players drafted in previous years.

While players who were previously selected in the second round of a draft are free to sign any type of contract via cap room or exceptions, first-round draftees are limited to the 2017 rookie scale, unless it has been more than three years since they were selected. So when former 23rd overall pick Ante Zizic signed with the Celtics this offseason, he had to sign a rookie-scale contract since it has only been one year since he was drafted — he’ll earn the same amount as this year’s No. 23 pick, OG Anunoby.

Listed below is a round-up of the draft-and-stash prospects who have signed – or agreed to deals – so far this offseason. They’re sorted alphabetically by team, with contract details noted. If and when more teams add draft-and-stash players, we’ll update this list, which can be found at anytime on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”

Boston Celtics

Ante Zizic, C (2016 draft; No. 23): After being selected in the first round of last year’s draft, Zizic remained overseas with Cibona Zagreb and then Darussafaka Dogus, enjoying an impressive 2016/17 campaign. The Celtics may not lean on the 20-year-old for heavy minutes right away, but the team lost multiple key frontcourt players this offseason, so Zizic should get a chance to earn a rotational role. He signed a standard four-year rookie contract worth an estimated $9.75MM. (Update: Zizic was traded to the Cavaliers in the Kyrie Irving blockbuster.)
Abdel Nader, F (2016 draft; No. 58): Nader agreed to a modest salary to play for the Celtics’ G League affiliate in 2016/17, which allowed the club to monitor him and coach him, rather than having to keep an eye on him while he played overseas. The decision paid off in a big way. Nader, who averaged 21.3 PPG and 6.2 RPG for the Maine Red Claws, earned Rookie of the Year honors and agreed to a four-year contract worth about $6MM from the Celtics.
Guerschon Yabusele, PF (2016 draft; No. 16): Like Zizic, Yabusele was stashed for one more year after being selected in the first round of the 2016 draft. He played for China’s Shanghai Sharks in 2016/17, averaging an impressive 20.9 PPG and 9.4 RPG. While that performance helped earn him a roster spot in Boston for 2017/18, I’d expect the 21-year-old to see plenty of action with the Maine Red Claws in the G League. Yabusele signed a standard four-year rookie contract worth an estimated $12.81MM.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cedi Osman, F (2015 draft; No. 31): A sharpshooting 22-year-old forward, Osman will help provide the Cavaliers’ some much-needed youth and athleticism off the bench. Osman’s NBA rights, acquired by Cleveland on draft day in 2015, were one of the club’s most valuable trade chips, but now that he’s signed a contract, he won’t become trade-eligible again until later this year. For now, it looks like he’s sticking with the Cavs, having agreed to a three-year deal worth about $8.3MM.

Houston Rockets

Zhou Qi, C (2016 draft; No. 43): A 7’1″ center out of China, Zhou will be met with the inevitable Yao Ming comparisons, but his upside probably isn’t that high. Still, Zhou brings a unique skill set — the 21-year-old can protect the rim and can also make an outside shot. He received a four-year contract with the Rockets that is believed to be worth something close to the minimum.

Memphis Grizzlies

Rade Zagorac, G/F (2016 draft; No. 35): Acquired in a draft-night trade in 2016 – along with Deyonta Davis – Zagorac arrives stateside after spending one last season with KK Mega Leks in Serbia. Zagorac was the team’s leading scorer last year. The swingman, who turns 22 next month, will get a three-year deal that is worth approximately $3.9MM and features a third-year team option.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Dakari Johnson, C (2015 draft; No. 48): While many draft-and-stash prospects head overseas, where their earning power is greater, Johnson was willing to spend his first two professional seasons in the G League, playing for the Oklahoma City Blue. He took a major step forward in 2016/17, significantly increasing his PPG (18.5) and FG% (.556), and it earned him a shot with the NBA club. He’s signing a fully guaranteed two-year minimum salary contract with the Thunder.
Daniel Hamilton, G/F (2016 draft; No. 56): Despite being a second-round pick, Hamilton has yet to sign a bona-fide NBA contract. In his rookie year, he signed a G League deal, joining the Thunder’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. For the 2017/18 season, he has inked the franchise’s first-ever two-way contract, so while he’ll get a chance to spend some time with the NBA team, he’ll be earning much less than the NBA minimum for most of the year.

Philadelphia 76ers

Furkan Korkmaz, G (2016 draft; No. 26): The Sixers didn’t appear to be pushing hard to bring over Korkmaz right away, but the Turkish guard was anxious to get to the NBA and is paying a large chunk of his international buyout to make it happen. While Korkmaz is an excellent shooter, he’s still just 20 years old, so it remains to be seen what sort of role he’ll play in Philadelphia this season. He signed a four-year rookie scale contract worth about $8.9MM in total.

Sacramento Kings

Bogdan Bogdanovic, F (2014 draft; No. 27): A key piece in a 2016 draft-night trade that allowed the Suns to move up, Bogdanovic arrives in the NBA one year later. The timing was no coincidence — now that it has been more than three years since he was drafted, Bogdanovic is no longer subject to the NBA’s rookie scale for first-round picks, so he can sign a larger deal. And he did just that — his three-year contract with Sacramento is worth a reported $27MM.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker

July 17th, 2017 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2017/18 NBA league year well underway, and news of contract agreements still coming in, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this offseason. To that 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, years, salary, 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 agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data.
Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Listed salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
A restricted free agent who agrees to or signs an offer sheet will be included in the tracker, but the team won’t be specified until his original club matches or passes on the offer sheet, in order to avoid confusion.
Two-way contracts and draft pick signings aren’t included in the tracker.
Click on a player’s name for our full story on his deal.
If you’re viewing the tracker on mobile, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Our 2017 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.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Talks Between Hawks, Marreese Speights End

July 16th, 2017 at 10:24pm CST by Austin Kent

The Hawks had been in discussion with sharp-shooting center Marreese Speights for a week but those talks have ended, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The veteran is thus back in play on the open market.

Earlier this week we wrote about how the Clippers had hoped to retain both Luc Mbah a Moute and Speights. Unfortunately for them, however, Mbah a Moute has already committed to the Rockets leaving only the 29-year-old Speights available as a returning option for the transitioning franchise.

In 82 games for the Clippers last season, Speights averaged 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. His ability to spread the floor from the five position could serve any number of contenders well provided they’re able to land him at a reasonable price. From 2013 to 2016, of course, Speights was a valuable addition to the Warriors’ rotation.

Speights hit the market this summer having opted out of a minimum salary player option with the Clippers. Even if the nine-year vet only inks a veteran’s minimum deal worth $2.1MM in 2017/18, however, he’ll match the value of that player option.

Pacific Notes: Jackson, Clippers, Paul

July 16th, 2017 at 9:05pm CST by Austin Kent

No stranger to the spotlight, Josh Jackson thrived with all eyes watching how he would fare in his first summer league. In his first five games in Las Vegas, the No. 4 overall pick flourished for the Suns, Andrew Vailliencourt of The Republic writes.

Suns summer league coach Marion Garnett sees Jackson’s desire to lead the team and recognizes that it will likely be a factor when he joins the rest of his team in Phoenix.

“He has it in him,” Garnett said. “It’s kind of what he’s wired with, to be the lead dog. I don’t know how that dynamic is going to play out with our regular [Suns] group, but he does have it in him.”

In five games with the Suns’ summer league squad, Jackson posted 17.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

The Warriors have had a successful offseason, at least in the eyes of head coach Steve Kerr. Anthony Slater of the Mercury News recently caught up with the bench boss. “Happy for Steph that he got paid,” Kerr said. “Happy for Andre that he was rewarded for what he’s done here and I think he’s got gas left in the tank. KD facilitated a lot of that.“
The Clippers‘ move to add Danilo Gallinari could be indicative of the strategy Doc Rivers plans to take in 2017/18. “Losing Chris Paul is tough because he is a great player,” Rivers told Marc Spears of The Undefeated. “But we have a lot of great players on our team that play so many different ways. That is why ‘Gallo’ is so important to us, because our thought was that if you’re not going to run a point guard-dominated offense, then you’ve got to run a movement offense with versatility.“
After an injury plagued few seasons, Doc Rivers believes the Clippers‘ success was too dependent on the health of Chris Paul, Mark Medina of the Orange County Register writes.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Perry, Wiley

July 16th, 2017 at 8:03pm CST by Austin Kent

While much of the credit for “the process” can be attributed to Sam Hinkie, current general manager Bryan Colangelo has made a series of moves to keep the Sixers headed in the right direction, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes.

This summer Colangelo opted to bring a pair of veterans aboard and the impact they’ll have on the Sixers is clear.

“Now we have guys that can help grow the program with leadership, mentorship, and professionalism,” Colangelo said of the newest Sixers, Amir Johnson and J.J. Redick.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

That’s enough optimism for one week, Knicks fans. Marc Berman of the New York Post devoted a column to recently appointed general manager Scott Perry‘s involvement in the front office that gave Bismack Biyombo a four-year, $71MM contract.
After growing as a player, Tim Hardaway Jr. believes that Knicks fans skeptical of his lofty contract will see that the controversial move wasn’t a mistake. The shooting guard opened up to Steve Serby of New York Post about his return to the team that drafted him.
The 7-11 nickname for Celtics wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum was never meant to be, D.J. Bean of CSN New England writes. Following the trade that sent Avery Bradley to the Pistons, Tatum has decided to re-adopt the jersey number he wore during his one season at Duke: 0.
Now signed to a two-way contract with the Nets, recently acquired Jacob Wiley has an opportunity he never envisioned as recently as six months ago. Brian Lewis of the New York Post has penned an excellent feature on the forward’s tumultuous path.

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