2017 July | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Sign Abdel Nader To Four-Year Deal

July 15th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Luke Adams

July 15: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

July 14: The Celtics and 2016 second-round pick Abdel Nader have agreed to a four-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). According to Charania, the deal will be worth $6MM, which figures to put it at – or very close to – the minimum.

The 58th overall pick in last year’s draft, Nader didn’t sign an NBA contract right away, instead agreeing to a G League deal to play for the Maine Red Claws. Nader had an excellent rookie season for Boston’s G League affiliate, averaging 21.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.9 APG in 40 games. The 23-year-old forward was named the league’s 2016/17 Rookie of the Year.

After waiving Jordan Mickey, the Celtics have enough cap room to finalize their maximum salary contract with Gordon Hayward and to squeeze in a long-term deal for Nader. If the club had used all its cap room, it would only have the ability to offer Nader a two-year contract using the minimum salary exception, which explains the timing of the move.

Although he now has an NBA contract, Nader is still a good bet to spend a portion of the 2017/18 season in the G League with the Red Claws.

Carmelo Anthony Expecting Trade To Rockets

July 15th, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New York is looking to sit down with Carmelo Anthony over the next few days to discuss the possibility of keeping him on the roster. However, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the small forward intends to tell the Knicks that he would like them to go forward by trading him to the Rockets.

Anthony expects the team to carry on a rebuild without him on the roster. He’s been willing to waive his no trade clause for either the Cavs or Rockets, but Wojnarowski hears that Houston is his preferred destination at this time.

The Rockets are determined to complete a deal with the Knicks and the franchise believes Anthony is focused on playing in Houston next season.

The Knicks have paused trade talks with both teams. Scott Perry, who was recently hired as the team’s GM, wants an opportunity to talk with the franchise’s star player. Wojnarowski adds that Perry has a history with Anthony and “strong relationships” with some of the small forward’s inner-circle.

Perry and team president Steve Mills are evaluating whether it makes more sense to hold onto Anthony through part of the 2017/18 season in order to rehabilitate the 32-year-old’s trade value. Phil Jackson, who was fired by the organization last month, publicly tried to get Anthony to waive his no-trade clause, something that arguably hurt the 10-time All-Star’s trade value.

The franchise realizes that convincing Anthony to accept returning to the team remains a long-shot. Anthony didn’t come to the acceptance of waiving his no-trade clause easily, which means the team can’t expect him to shift his decision on a whim, Wojnarowski notes.

Pistons Waive Swingman Michael Gbinije

July 15th, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

7:23 PM: Detroit has officially waived Gbinije, according to a team press release.

12:35 PM: The Pistons will waive swingman Michael Gbinije on Saturday before his $1.3MM salary for next season becomes guaranteed, a source with firsthand knowledge told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

A second-round pick in 2016, Gbinije spent most of his time with the G League’s Grand Rapids Drive last season. The 6’7” Gbinije, who played college ball at Syracuse before he was selected with the 49th overall pick, appeared in just nine games with Detroit during his rookie season. He battled some injuries that affected his chances of seeing more time with the Pistons.

Gbinije started 16 games for the Drive, averaging 12.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG and 1.9 SPG.

The move was expected, given the recent roster decisions made by Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy. He acquired Avery Bradley from the Celtics, signed Langston Galloway as a free agent and drafted Luke Kennard, giving the Pistons three shooting guards. Detroit also re-signed Reggie Bullock this week as the No. 3 option at small forward behind holdovers Tobias Harris and Stanley Johnson. The Bullock signing made Gbinije expendable.

Kendrick Perkins Looks To Make NBA Comeback

July 15th, 2017 at 6:45pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kendrick Perkins, who hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2015/16 season, is looking to get back in the league, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.

“The body feels good, man, I’m just sitting here waiting on an opportunity,” Perkins said. “Hopefully I can get a training camp invite soon. I want to earn my way. I don’t want nobody to give me nothing. So I’ve been working hard, going two or three times a day, working and grinding. I’m just trying to stay with it.”

Washburn adds that Perkins wanted to play last season, but couldn’t find a deal. The time off allowed the center to rest and heal, though he feels it hurt his chances at getting another shot in the league.

“You’re sitting back, waiting on a job, you want in and not just sitting around the house. I wasn’t ready for that in that point in my life,” Perkins said. “I think it was a very humbling situation for me. I thought it made me realize the importance and not to take it for granted.”

The 32-year-old has been working on his conditioning over the past few months and he hopes to receive a training camp invite this fall. The big man would like to contribute to a team as a backup center.

“I’ve been keeping my weight down, making sure I’m getting all the cardio I need, staying in great shape,” he said. “I’m just going to do what I can. I feel good. I’ve been on top of my basketball work and I’m just waiting for my opportunity, it if happens. I’ve just changed my diet, working on my quickness, and just trying to get better. It’s 30 teams out there and I’m just looking for one opportunity. It will come. I’m just trying to leave it in God’s hands.”

Kendrick Perkins

Clippers Waive Kyle Wiltjer

July 15th, 2017 at 5:11pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Clippers have waived Kyle Wiltjer, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The power forward was traded to Los Angeles in the deal that sent Chris Paul to Houston.

The 24-year-old spent most of his 2016/17 campaign playing for the Rockets’ G-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was able to see some NBA action last year. He played in 14 games for Houston where he scored a total of 13 points.

Wiltjer played four seasons in the collegiate ranks, spending two seasons at Kentucky before transferring to Gonzaga. He entered the 2016 draft but was not selected.

Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/8/17 – 7/15/17

July 15th, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team compiles original content to complement our news feed. Here are some of our favorite segments and features from the past seven days:

Luke Adams rounded up a list of Notable Remaining NBA Free Agents By Position.
Here are the NBA Teams With Cap Room Remaining.
Arthur Hill discussed the best free agent guard option for the Knicks, Derrick Rose‘s free agency fate, and Chandler Parsons’ fat Grizzlies contract in his weekly Sunday mailbag. Submit your questions via Twitter (@HoopsRumors) or by sending us an email (hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com).
Check out our free Trade Rumors app available for IOS and Android.
Here are the questions we asked you in our Community Shootaround discussions this week:
- Which team has improved the most this offseason?
- Who is the favorite to represent the East in the Finals? Have the Celtics closed the gap or should LeBron James and the Cavaliers still be considered king?
- What are your thoughts on the trade deadline being moved up to early February?

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Community Shootaround: Earlier Trade Deadline

July 15th, 2017 at 3:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA’s Board of Governors made a significant decision this week regarding in-season roster moves, as they voted to move the trade deadline 10 days before the All-Star Game. For the 2017/18 season, the deadline will be Feb. 8.

Traditionally, the deadline was set in late February and trade chatter was prevalent during All-Star weekend. Now, teams’ rosters will be virtually set by the break, save for the occasional buyout and 10-day deals with lower-level free agents. The statement issued by the league read in part that the new deadline will allow teams to “avoid the disruptions that result from players joining new teams just as practices and games are beginning to resume following the All-Star break.”

This means that front offices will have to decide earlier rather than later whether to be buyers or sellers on the market. Teams that are struggling will be essentially waving the white flag for over two months if they decide to deal veteran players for salary relief, draft picks and/or unproven players.

There will also be more pressure on teams in mid-season to decide whether to retain impending free agents and players with opt-outs or trade them for assets, rather than lose them during the offseason without compensation.

This leads us to our question of the day: Do you like the NBA’s decision to move the trade deadline to early February or would you rather have it after the All-Star break?

Please take to the comments section and share your opinion on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Sergio Rodriguez Heading Back Overseas

July 15th, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Unrestricted free agent point guard Sergio Rodriguez has agreed to a three-year contract with CSKA Moscow, international journalist David Pick tweets.

Rodriguez, who played for the Sixers last season, reportedly preferred to stay in the NBA but CSKA Moscow made a strong push for him after losing its starting point guard, Milos Teodosic, to the Clippers this summer.

The former Euroleague MVP had not played in the NBA since the 2009/10 season before he signed with the Sixers. He appeared in 68 games last season, including 30 starts, and averaged 7.8 PPG and 5.1 APG in 22.3 MPG. Philadelphia filled its point guard spot by moving up to draft Markelle Fultz No. 1 overall.

There didn’t appear to be a whole lot of interest in Rodriguez, 31, in the free agent market as it was flooded with point guards. He played for Real Madrid from 2010-16.

Five Key Stories: 7/8/17 – 7/15/17

July 15th, 2017 at 1:02pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last week at Hoops Rumors:

The Lakers signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. KCP, at 24 years old, had widely been considered the top unrestricted free agent still available. The former Piston signed a one-year, $18MM deal, which is now official. The Lakers still have their $4.3MM room exception available for free agents.

The Rockets have signed James Harden to a massive contract extension. The Designated Veteran Extension will keep the superstar guard with the Rockets through the 2022/23 season. The contract begins in 2019/20, replaces Harden’s player option, and will add four years to the guaranteed two years on his current deal. Harden is now on track to earn approximately $228MM over the next six seasons.

The Wizards have matched Otto Porter Jr.‘s offer sheet from the Nets. Brooklyn had offered Porter a four-year, $106.5MM deal, but the small forward is to remain a Wizard. Porter will be coming off a career season, which witnessed him averaging 13.4 points per game, while shooting 43.4% from three-point territory and 51.6% from the field.

Jamal Crawford has agreed to sign with the Timberwolves. Although the move cannot be official until the waiver process is complete, Crawford will be offered a two-year contract worth $8.9MM with a player option on the second season. After the Hawks placed Crawford on waivers, the Cavaliers had been the favorites to land him.

Scott Perry has agreed to become the Knicks’ new general manager. The Kings will receive a 2019 second-round pick and cash as compensation for Perry’s departure. With the shakeup, Steve Mills, who had been acting general manager, will become the Knicks‘ team president.

Ten More Stories

Here is the latest on Carmelo Anthony trade talks and the forward’s reported frustration.
The Hawks did not match Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s offer sheet, making him a member of the Knicks.
In a trade, C.J. Miles was sent to the Raptors, while Cory Joseph landed with the Pacers.
The Raptors traded DeMarre Carroll to the Nets.
The Magic have agreed to sign Jonathon Simmons to a three-year contract.
The Pelicans will sign Rajon Rondo to a one-year deal.
The Cavaliers have agreed to sign draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman for three years.
The Jazz agreed to sign three free agents this week: Thabo Sefolosha (link), Jonas Jerebko (link), and Ekpe Udoh (link).
The Hawks will sign Dewayne Dedmon and re-sign Ersan Ilyasova.
Paul George characterized his interest in joining the Lakers next offseason as “overstated.”

Categories:
Week in Review

Magic, Jonathon Simmons Agree To Three-Year Deal

July 15th, 2017 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 15, 12:34pm: The breakdown for Simmons’ deal is $6.3MM the first year, declining to $6MM and $5.7MM in the last two years of the contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The final year is partially guaranteed at $1MM, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).

JULY 14th, 3:25pm: Simmons’ three-year deal is worth $20MM, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). That should leave a little cap room for the Magic after they complete the signing.

2:42pm: The Magic have reached an agreement with Jonathon Simmons and will sign the free agent swingman to a three-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. The deal will be fully guaranteed, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge. Because the Spurs withdrew their qualifying offer for Simmons on Thursday, Orlando can sign him outright as an unrestricted free agent.

A former undrafted free agent out of Houston, Simmons played a career-high 78 games for the Spurs last season, averaging 6.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.6 APG in part-time minutes for the club. Simmons also took on a larger role in the postseason, averaging 15.3 PPG and 3.3 APG in the Warriors’ four-game sweep of the Spurs and entering the starting lineup after Kawhi Leonard went down.

Simmons began the month as a restricted free agent, having received a modest qualifying offer from the Spurs. San Antonio was said to be preparing an offer in the range of $9MM annually for Simmons, but it’s not clear if that offer ever materialized. The Kings, Clippers, Knicks, and Timberwolves were among the teams that expressed interest in Simmons during his restricted free agency, but by the time the Spurs renounced his rights on Thursday, most of those clubs had used up all their cap room.

San Antonio’s decision to pull its qualifying offer before Thursday’s deadline was a bit of a surprise, but it reportedly came after a request from Simmons’ camp. Prior to renouncing Simmons, the Spurs were said to have explored a sign-and-trade scenario that would have sent him to Phoenix for Tyson Chandler, but San Antonio balked at taking on Chandler’s contract.

As for the Magic, they have been fairly quiet so far in free agency — outside of Shelvin Mack, no veteran free agents have signed with the team. Orlando’s new top decision-makers, Jeff Weltman and John Hammond, are known for their willingness to roll the dice on upside, however, and even though Simmons will turn 28 in September, he’s considered a player who has the potential to improve and play a larger role for a team. The Magic have about $8MM in cap room and could open up a little more by waiving non-guaranteed contracts, so it appears they’ll use most or all of that space to lock up Simmons.

Simmons’ path to the NBA was an unusual one. As detailed by Michael C. Wright in an excellent ESPN feature, the 6’6″ guard paid $150 back in 2013 to participate in an open D-League tryout. Less than four years later, he’s on the verge of finalizing his first huge NBA payday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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