2017 July | Hoops Rumors

Jack Cooley Signs Two-Way Contract With Kings

July 29th, 2017 at 3:01pm CST by Joshua Fischman

JULY 29th, 3:01pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

JULY 22nd, 12:17pm: Free agent power forward Jack Cooley will sign a two-way contract with the Kings, reports Chris Reichert of 2Ways10Days.com (link via Twitter). It will be the first two-way contract offered in franchise history.

Cooley went undrafted in 2013 out of Notre Dame, but has had two 10-day stints with the Jazz, playing limited minutes in 16 career NBA games. The burly Fighting Irish product has also played in 26 G League games over two seasons and holds the league record with 29 rebounds in a game. In 2015, the Cavaliers signed Cooley, only to then waive him in the preseason.

In 2016/17, Cooley played professionally in Germany for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg after playing the previous season in Spain for Unicaja. In five games for the Kings in the 2017 Las Vegas Summer League, Cooley averaged 9.2 PPG and 6.6 RPG on 64% shooting in just under 18 minutes per contest.

Here is Hoops Rumors’ updated 2017/18 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker, so you can keep up with the two-way signings.

JaKarr Sampson Signs Two-Way Deal With Kings

July 29th, 2017 at 2:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward JaKarr Sampson has agreed to a two-way contract with the Kings, the team announced on its website.

The 6’9” Sampson, 24, has 147 NBA games on his resume but did not play in the league last season. He wore the Sixers uniform in 2014/15 and played for both the Sixers and Nuggets in 2015/16. He posted averages of 5.2 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 15.6 MPG during those two seasons.

Last season, Sampson was a G-League Western Conference All-Star for the Iowa Energy, averaging 15.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 47 games, including 22 starts.

Sampson made a favorable impression on the Kings’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, posting averages of 7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 1.2 BPG in four appearances.

The Kings signed another forward, Jack Cooley, with their other two-way contract.

Thunder Sign First-Round Pick Terrance Ferguson

July 29th, 2017 at 12:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 29th, 12:42 pm: Ferguson has signed the contract, Royce Young of ESPN.com tweets. FIBA clearance issues prevented him from signing earlier, Young adds.

JULY 27th, 8:55pm: The Thunder have agreed to a four-year deal with Terrance Ferguson, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (Twitter feed). With Ferguson coming to an agreement with OKC, every first-round pick in the 2017 draft class is now under contract for the 2017/18 season.

The 19-year-old, who played for an Australian team last season, received clearance from FIBA to play in the NBA earlier today. Up until today, Ferguson was not eligible to sign an NBA deal because of the contractual conflict with his international club. He was also unable to play for the Thunder’s Summer League team because of the previously made agreement.

Ferguson, who was selected with the No. 21 overall pick in this offseason’s draft, is set to make roughly $10.33MM over the next four seasons assuming he signs for the standard 120% of the rookie scale.

Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/22/17 – 7/29/17

July 29th, 2017 at 12:30pm 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 checked in on the new Designated Veteran Extension.
Adams also delved into which teams hold the largest trade exceptions.
Arthur Hill discussed the likelihood of Kyrie Irving being traded to the Heat, Cavaliers turmoil, and the status of Nerlens Noel 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 and polls this week:
- Chris Crouse asked for your thoughts on a potential Kyrie to the 76ers trade.
- Arthur Hill asked how you expect the Kyrie situation to unfold. Will the point guard remain in Cleveland or be traded?

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Five Key Stories: 7/22/17 – 7/29/17

July 29th, 2017 at 11:30am CST by Joshua Fischman

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

The Cavaliers have signed free agent point guard Derrick Rose. The signing of the former MVP is now official and comes at a time when the future of the Cavaliers‘ current starting point guard Kyrie Irving remains in limbo. Rose’s contract is for one year at a minimum salary. The long-time Bull played last season with the Knicks, averaging 18.0 PPG, while shooting 47.1% from the floor and 87.4% from the charity stripe.

The Nets have acquired Allen Crabbe via trade. In the deal, the Trail Blazers will receive Andrew Nicholson, who the team will subsequently waive and stretch his contract. Just a year ago, the Nets presented Crabbe with an extremely generous offer sheet that ended up being matched by Portland.

Brandon Knight is expected to miss the entire 2017/18 season. Knight suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and will undergo surgery. The Suns guard averaged 11.0 PPG last season in 21.1 MPG. The Kentucky product is owed $13.6MM this season, $14.6MM next, and $15.6MM more the following season.

Several teams have made offers for Kyrie Irving. Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Spurs, Clippers, Knicks, Suns, and Timberwolves have each made a trade offer for the disgruntled Cavaliers star point guard. The Heat were originally included by Woj in that group, but Miami denied putting an offer on the table for Irving.

The Knicks will hire Gerald Madkins as their assistant GM. Madkins had been an assistant GM with the Clippers for the past two seasons. Since joining the organization in 2012, he also served as director of basketball operations and director of scouting. The Kings and Bucks had also expressed interest in Madkins.

Ten More Stories

Andrew Wiggins is seeking a maximum salary contract extension.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver described expansion as “inevitable” and said that Seattle is on the short list.
Mikhail Prokhorov may consider selling controlling interest in the Nets.
The Magic signed Marreese Speights to a minimum salary deal. Arron Afflalo also signed with Orlando for a year.
The Warriors will re-sign JaVale McGee to a one-year contract.
The Hawks have claimed former Maverick Nicolas Brussino off waivers.
The Knicks are signing Ramon Sessions to a one-year deal.
The Kings are actively seeking a VP of Basketball Operations and Otis Smith has withdrawn from consideration.
The Suns reportedly will not include Josh Jackson in any trade offer for Kyrie Irving.
Thunder rookie Terrance Ferguson has obtained FIBA clearance that will allow him to sign his NBA contract.

Categories:
Week in Review

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Hawks, Robbins, Bembry

July 29th, 2017 at 10:36am CST by marksuleymanov

While the Wizards had an expensive offseason which mostly centered around maintaining the current core intact, it was also a successful offseason, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes. John Wall signed a designated veteran player extension, the Wizards matched Otto Porter‘s offer sheet to retain him, and Bradley Beal is already signed to a long term contract.

Washington is coming off a season in which the team made waves in the playoffs, defeating the Hawks in the first round before falling to the Celtics in a thrilling seven game series. As team majority owner Ted Leonsis explained to Bucker last week, this is the opportune time to lock up the team’s foundational pieces.

“They’re entering their prime while some other players are getting older,” Leonsis said. “I think we feel really good about keeping this core together.”

As Bucker adds, the Wizards have committed over $404MM in salary to Wall, Porter, and Beal. However, those deals are calculated ones as ownership has made it clear it intends to compete and keeping talented fixtures who have shown improvement each season are the type of players worth the investment. After finishing as the fourth seed in the East last season, the Wizards are in a position to make more strides in a weakened conference.

Below are additional notes around the Southeast Division:

The Orlando Magic‘s depth signings of to Jonathon Simmons, Shelvin Mack, Arron Afflalo, and Marreese Speights shows the team is committed to winning as much as possible, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
After a strong Summer League performance, swingman DeAndre’ Bembry has made people around the Hawks and the league wonder if he’s poised for a breakout, Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype writes.
Former Knicks assistant coach and Kristaps Porzingis favorite, Joshua Longstaff, has been named head coach of the G-League’s Erie Bayhawks, the team announced.

Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Crabbe, Ujiri

July 29th, 2017 at 9:25am CST by marksuleymanov

Markelle Fultz, the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, has brought enthusiasm to Philadelphia, a city that has already been told to trust the process. The Washington product now joins a Sixers team that enters 2017/18 with a hopefully healthy duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid alongside veteran acquisition J.J. Redick ready to compete.

In Fultz’s mind, Philadelphia will not just be a fun team, it will be a competitive one, as the first overall pick said to CSNPhilly from Sixers Day Camp at Valley Forge Military Academy.

“We’re going to be in the playoffs this year, and I think everybody is willing to put forth their best effort and listen to the coaches and listen to the bench. We’ve got to just do whatever it takes to get there,” Fultz said. “That’s practicing even harder, that’s doing extra work in the gym by ourselves, I mean, we’re going to do whatever it takes.”

Fultz, 19, also addressed several other topics, including his rehab from an ankle injury he suffered at the onset of the Las Vegas Summer League; LeBron James possibly joining the Sixers next season in free agency; and his relationship with fellow rookie and top two draft pick, Lonzo Ball.

Below are additional notes around the Atlantic Division:

A year after Trail Blazers matched the Nets‘ offer sheet for then-restricted free agent Allen Crabbe, the guard is now a part of the Brooklyn roster, Ethan Sears of the New York Post writes. Now, in an offseason where the Nets have pulled off calculated trades, Crabbe joins the team a year later and he expressed confidence in his new team at an introductory presser Thursday.
Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri spoke to Michael Lee of The Vertical to cover this year’s offseason for the team. Ujiri, who was mentioned as a possible GM candidate for the Knicks, proclaimed his team’s focus is to beat LeBron James and he discussed new Cavaliers GM Koby Altman‘s tough predicament.

And-Ones: Free Agency, Stretch Provision, Fredette

July 28th, 2017 at 9:29pm CST by marksuleymanov

NBA players have been the victors indulging in the spoils as the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and lucrative television deals have allowed teams to spend a small fortune on the game’s elite. Yet, as Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks of ESPN discuss in a lengthy article, that could change as soon as next year.

The entire article is a worthwhile read, as the veteran ESPN writers examine how many teams have entered free agency with little-to-no cap space and crossed the tax threshold. This offseason alone, only 14 teams had cap space and a mere 22 players — down from 60 last year — were signed with that space. The article notes that projections for next offseason include just nine teams with cap room and possibly 10 teams in the tax.

“The real story is the nuclear winter for free agents coming next year,” one team executive with authority over personnel decisions said to ESPN. “Teams planned the last two summers for the cap to be much higher. The fact that it went way down from the projections crushed teams.”

While the game’s top stars have made out well financially, it will be interesting to monitor how the markets develop and how several organizations’ cap space, or lack thereof, will play out in free agency.

Central Notes: Rose, Parker, Mirotic, Harris

July 28th, 2017 at 7:25pm CST by marksuleymanov

Newest Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose, who signed with the club on a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum contract, is viewed by the team as a backup, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor writes. New Cavs general manager Koby Altman was careful in describing his new point guard, stating that the former Most Valuable Player will be an asset off the bench.

Entering free agency, Rose reiterated on many occasions that his goal was to sign a max contract in free agency. After a decent – if unspectacular – year with the Knicks in 2016/17 that ended with knee surgery, Rose’s free agency destinations dwindled, as did his salary. However, Altman noted that Rose was mostly interested in a winning environment.

“He wanted to be in a place where he can play with excellent players and a place where he can play in meaningful games,” Altman said at his introductory press conference.. “It’s funny, he uses the term, ‘I just want to hoop.’ He just wants to be here. He’s excited to be here. He’s in a great space mentally and his body looks great and we’re really excited about him. He came here for the opportunity to win. He came here for the opportunity to play with other great players.”

Rose, still just 28 years old, will focus on helping the team, even if it means sacrificing playing time.

Below are additional links around the Central Division:

Bucks‘ forward Jabari Parker is recovering from a second tear of his ACL but is recovery is going well, he tells ESPN’s Nick Friedell. The 22-year-old has previously suffered a tear in the same ACL but despite not having a return date in mind, he expects to be back on the court this upcoming season.
Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy views Tobias Harris as a starter but it will be up to the rest of the team’s performance to see if he becomes a starter, NBA.com’s Keith Langois writes.
Nikola Mirotic, who is currently in talks with the Bulls, will not play in Eurobasket 2017, according to Sportnado. Mirotic’s focus is his NBA career, the brief report states.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Irving, Melo, Mavericks

July 28th, 2017 at 5:50pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Pelicans will enter the 2017/18 season with a rising superstar in Anthony Davis, prized acquisition DeMarcus Cousins, long-term investment Jrue Holiday, veteran Rajon Rondo and others ready to compete. Davis, in particular, is focused on turning the franchise’s fortunes around and proclaimed the team is “tired of losing,” per the Associated Press.

Davis, still just 24 years old, wants to lead New Orleans out of the Western Conference cellar into the playoff picture, which could prove difficult if the rest of the conference plays to its potential. However, Davis explained that the team is making efforts to improve and the talented roster must perform.

“We’re doing everything, whether it’s signing players, trading players … whatever it is to just try to make sure that we try to be a winning organization,” Davis said. “We have the tools right now to be successful. … Right now, I think we look good on paper. So we’ve just got to figure it out.”

Below are additional notes around the Southwest Division:

As the Carmelo Anthony-to-the-Rockets rumors persist, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News examined Anthony’s play on Team USA during the Olympics. While Anthony is often viewed a “selfish” player focused on scoring, Deveney writes that his Olympic exploits show he’s a versatile player who can be effective as a number two or three option. If Anthony does end up in Houston, alongside James Harden and Chris Paul, that side of Anthony could prove to be effective.
Newy Scruggs of Dallas Sports Day answered several fan questions, one of which involved Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving. Scruggs believes Irving is not ideal for the Mavericks, given the presence of Dennis Smith Jr. and Irving’s reported desire to be a No. 1 option.
While 2017/18 may be Dirk Nowitzki‘s final season, Kevin Sherrington of Dallas Sports Day believes that “tanking” may not be the right word for the Mavericks‘ approach to the year. Sherrington writes that tanking is the fault of an organizational mindset and not the players; the team can be competitive with its current core, he adds.

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