2017 September | Hoops Rumors

Suns’ Alex Len Plans To Sign Qualifying Offer

September 21st, 2017 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

Another restricted free agent is set to come off the board, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that Suns big man Alex Len intends to sign his one-year qualifying offer before training camp gets underway. Signing that qualifying offer will put Len on track to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

Len, the fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, has spent the first four years of his NBA career in Phoenix, but the Suns remain reluctant to commit to him for the long term. Wojnarowski suggests in his report that the club wants to study the 24-year-old’s progress during the 2017/18 season before offering him a lucrative long-term contract. Of course, by putting a potential extension off for another year, the Suns will lose the right of first refusal that they had this offseason.

While Len and his camp investigated the possibility of signing an offer sheet with a rival suitor, or working out a sign-and-trade arrangement with the Suns, none of those scenarios were as appealing as the prospect of hitting unrestricted free agency next year, says Wojnarowski.

In 2016/17, Len appeared in 77 games for the Suns, starting 34. He averaged 8.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 20.3 MPG, chipping in 1.3 BPG with a .497 FG%. Like Nerlens Noel, the other RFA to sign a qualifying offer this offseason, Len didn’t meet the starter criteria, so his qualifying offer was worth just $4.188MM instead of $6.4MM.

After adding that $4.188MM salary for Len to their books, the Suns will still only be at about $82MM in guaranteed money for the 2017/18 season. That number will increase a little if Phoenix carries a couple non-guaranteed salaries, but the club will remain well below the salary floor.

Unless the Suns intend to make a run at another restricted free agent – JaMychal Green or Nikola Mirotic – that cap room is unlikely to be put toward a major signing, but it could be used to accommodate a salary dump in a trade later this season.

With Len on a one-year deal, the Suns will also retain plenty of cap space for the summer of 2018. Currently, the club has less than $60MM in guaranteed money on its cap for 2018/19, per Basketball Insiders, though that figure will increase once Phoenix exercises options on Devin Booker, Marquese Chriss, and a couple other players.

Once Len officially signs his qualifying offer, he’ll gain the ability to veto trades during the 2017/18 league year, since he would lose his Bird rights if he’s dealt.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Billy King Looks Back On Tenure With Nets

September 20th, 2017 at 10:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Nets GM Billy King, who is widely blamed for turning the organization into a perennial loser with no lottery picks, tells his side of the story in an interview with The Glue Guys, a Nets-themed podcast.

King touches on several controversial issues in the 45-minute session, including an effort to acquire Chris Paul, the failure to get Dwight Howard when he wanted to join the Nets and the ill-fated trade that sent three unprotected first-rounders to Boston for a package centered around veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

The highlights:

King tried to get Paul from New Orleans before dealing with Utah for Deron Williams. King believed he was making progress, but the deal went cold after Jeff Bowers was replaced as GM by Dell Demps. “At that time, I don’t think Dell wanted his first thing to be trading Chris Paul,” King said.
The Nets believed they were close to acquiring Howard from Orlando just before the 2012 trade deadline. “We went to bed as a staff — we left the office pretty late — we went to bed pretty much knowing that tomorrow we’re going to get Dwight,” King said. Magic GM Otis Smith had planned to finalize the deal the next morning, but King woke up to a text saying that Howard had elected to opt in for the following season. King reached out to Howard’s agent, who responded, “I don’t think he did,” and even Smith hadn’t heard the news when King called him. However, Smith returned the call an hour later and confirmed the news.
The Nets responded by trading their 2012 first-round pick to Portland in exchange for Gerald Wallace in an attempt to appease Williams and discourage him from opting out over the summer. The Blazers used that pick to draft Damian Lillard.
King reached out to the Celtics in 2013 because he thought he had a talented nucleus that needed veteran leadership and was interested in acquiring Pierce. Negotiations led to Garnett and Jason Terry being included and the package of picks going to Boston.
King made an offer to Pierce in the summer of 2014, but he got a better deal from Washington and the Nets decided not to match it. “Once that decision was made, I think it changed our thought process,” King said. “I think some of the players even thought, ‘What’s going on here? We were committed and now we’re not.” King added that he wouldn’t have made the deal with Boston if he knew he couldn’t keep Pierce longer than one season.

Sixers Will Try Again To Trade Jahlil Okafor

September 20th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers plan to call around the league again to see what they can get in exchange for third-year center Jahlil Okafor, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Coach Brett Brown confirmed that the team will see what sort of return might be available.

The third player taken in the 2015 draft, Okafor hasn’t lived up to expectations in two seasons in Philadelphia. Injuries and off-court issues have gotten in the way as Okafor has played just 103 games over two years.

There are also financial considerations, as the Sixers have yet to make a decision on Okafor’s $6.3MM option for 2018/19. The team may be reluctant to tie up that much cap space with a banner crop of free agents due to hit the market next summer.

Okafor is stuck behind Joel Embiid in the Sixers’ rotation and may never be a full-time starter if he remains in Philadelphia. The team also signed Amir Johnson over the summer and got a promising second season out of Richaun Holmes, so there may not be many minutes left for Okafor if he stys.

The Sixers were reportedly engaged in Okafor trade talks with the Pelicans and Bulls before the February deadline to clear up their logjam at center. However, those deals fell through and they wound up sending Nerlens Noel to the Mavericks instead.

Central Notes: James, Jefferson, Stephenson, Wade

September 20th, 2017 at 8:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James‘ future in Cleveland could be tied to the Brooklyn Nets’ performance this season, writes Harvey Araton of The New York Times. The value of the Nets’ unprotected first-rounder that the Cavaliers received in the Kyrie Irving trade won’t be known until much later in the season. If Brooklyn finishes last in the league again, the Cavs will have a 25% shot at the number one selection and their choice of players such as Michael Porter Jr., Luka Doncic and Marvin Bagley.

Although rumors have been persistent that James will be headed to the Lakers next summer, Araton speculates that scenario might change if the Cavaliers are in position to add another franchise player. If Isaiah Thomas returns to All-Star form after his hip injury, Jae Crowder improves the perimeter defense and James returns to the Finals for the eighth straight year, he might have a difficult time saying good-bye to Cleveland.

There’s more news from the Central Division:

Pacers center Al Jefferson lost a significant amount of weight in preparation for his second season in Indiana, relays Scott Agness of VigilantSports. The 32-year-old opted for a vegetarian diet after posting his worst season in more than a decade, averaging 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 66 games. “He looks incredible, man,” said teammate Myles Turner. “I think he’s dropped 40 pounds. When you see him you’ll see [how] he’s really trimmed down a lot. He’s moving well, he’s running the floor.”
The Pacers are counting on youthful energy to carry them through the season after most of the organization’s veteran presence was lost over the summer, relays Mark Montieth of NBA.com. In addition to Paul George, who was traded to Oklahoma City, Indiana cut ties with Jeff Teague, Rodney Stuckey, Monta Ellis, Aaron Brooks and Lavoy Allen. “Everybody wants to talk about the whole Paul thing, but we’ve blocked all that out,” said Glenn Robinson III. “We’re looked at as an underdog team, but we’re coming in very hungry. I’m excited for this team. It seems we all have our minds in a great place and are ready to get better.”
Lance Stephenson, who returned to the Pacers in March, will be used as a sixth man, Montieth adds in the same piece.
Bulls vice president John Paxson and GM Gar Forman will meet with Dwyane Wade when he returns to Chicago to discuss his future with the team and a possible buyout, according to CSN Chicago. Paxson insists he and Forman were honest about their plans for the offseason during Wade’s exit meeting after the playoffs.

Lakers Notes: Bogut, Walton, Ball, Ingram

September 20th, 2017 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The one-year, $2.3MM contract Andrew Bogut signed with the Lakers is only guaranteed for $50K, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Bogut and his agent spent the summer trying to convince teams there would be no lingering effects from the broken left tibia he suffered in March while with the Cavaliers. Other organizations expressed interest, but Bogut opted for the Lakers, even though the guarantee is extremely low for a veteran of his caliber.

The 32-year-old center was plagued by injuries last year, well before the mishap in Cleveland. Knee and hamstring issues limited him to just 26 games in Dallas before he was shipped to Philadelphia at the February trade deadline. Bogut’s agent, David Bauman, said last week that a CT scan showed a “complete healing” of the break. If that means Bogut can contribute the way he did in Golden State, the Lakers may have nabbed a major bargain.

There’s more today out of Los Angeles:

GM Rob Pelinka said Bogut was signed because the team needs a defensive presence in the middle, tweets Serena Winters of LakersNation.com. Pelinka said the Lakers were among the worst teams in the league last season at stopping opponents at the rim, and he sees Bogut as a “paint protector.” Coach Luke Walton, who talked to Bogut on the phone before the signing, is excited about what he can bring. “It was a very honest conversation about where he’s at and where we’re at and what possible minutes would be at,” Walton explained, “and I said I would obviously love to have you, you can anchor our defense, the way you can pass the ball, the fact that you are a champion around our young players is something that can be huge for us.”
The addition of Lonzo Ball should transform a team that was in the bottom five last season in assist percentage, writes Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer. Observers raved about Ball’s passing and court vision as the Lakers captured the Las Vegas Summer League title, and Uggetti thinks those skills will be even more evident with veteran teammates. However, he expects L.A. to keep struggling on defense, although the signing of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will help on the perimeter, and believes another 50-loss season might lie ahead.
After a summer filled with roster upheaval, Ball and Brandon Ingram are the only players certain to be long-term Lakers, according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report.

Reggie Jackson: Knee Feels Good Heading Into Camp

September 20th, 2017 at 6:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

A year ago, Pistons guard Reggie Jackson was dealing with a sore left knee that caused him to miss the first 21 games of the season, but he tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press he believes that problem is in the past.

“With my knee, I’m feeling good,” Jackson said. “With the health of it, I’m feeling great. I just got to do the best I can to take care of it. The team is doing a great job of monitoring it. I’ve had no setbacks. I’m on pace, which is to be ready by training camp.”

Jackson’s early-season absence, followed by inconsistent play once he returned, was a major reason for the Pistons’ 37-45 record a year after making the playoffs. Jackson managed just 52 games, and his scoring, rebounding, assists and shooting numbers were all down significantly from 2015/16.

Diagnosed with chronic tendinitis, Jackson spent the offseason trying to manage the condition. He recently finished a 16-week protocol designed to cut down the strain of summer workouts. Under the supervision of team physical therapist Mark Cranston, Jackson’s basketball-related activities were limited to light shooting and jumping off one leg.

Jackson, who underwent platelet-rich plasma injections last fall, believes he made a mistake by trying to get back on the court as quickly as possible.

“It came about unexpectedly,” Jackson said. “Got injured and the whole key was to try to rush back in six weeks. We went into three weeks of the season, but the goal each day was to try to get back as soon as possible vs. knowing you have a nice amount of time to really take care of the knee and build everything up.”

The Pistons plan to be cautious with Jackson when training camp opens Tuesday. Coach Stan Van Gundy won’t have him practice twice when the team has two-a-days.

Jackson believes the knee is ready, but he can’t be certain until he can test it under game conditions.

“We won’t know until you are in competition and you get to see it,” Jackson said. “If I can get the burst by my man, if I can make the play like I did two years ago. That will be the only true test of knowing it. It feels healthy, but it’s really going to be playing to figure out what it truly is.”

NBA Teams That Can’t Offer More Than The Minimum

September 20th, 2017 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

At this point in the NBA offseason, most free agents who remain on the open market will have to settle for minimum salary contracts, if they receive an NBA offer at all.

There are some exceptions, particularly on the restricted free agent market, where Mason Plumlee just signed a three-year, $41MM deal with the Nuggets. Within the last week or two though, we’ve seen top remaining unrestricted free agents like Shabazz Muhammad, Tony Allen, and Andrew Bogut settle for minimum salary contracts.

That’s good news for several teams who have used all their available cap room and/or exceptions and can only offer minimum salary contracts for the rest of the 2017/18 league year. They won’t necessarily be at a disadvantage when it comes to signing free agents if those players aren’t being offered more than the minimum by teams with the means to do so.

In some cases though, an inability to offer more than the minimum can handicap a team. Dante Cunningham‘s free agent decision this week reflects this — according to multiple reports, the deal Cunningham agreed to with the Pelicans is actually worth $2.3MM, which is more than his minimum salary of $2.1MM. While we haven’t seen the official terms of Cunningham’s new contract yet, it’s possible that the $200K difference was one reason Cunningham chose New Orleans over a suitor like the Timberwolves, who could only offer the minimum.

Teams with the flexibility to offer more than the minimum could also benefit later in the NBA season. For instance, if Dwyane Wade negotiates a buyout with the Bulls and considers which team to join as a free agent, the fact that the Heat have retained their $4.328MM room exception could be a factor — it would allow Miami to make a stronger offer than the Cavs could.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the teams that currently don’t have the ability to offer more than the minimum salary, which is $815,615 for a first-year player:

Boston Celtics
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets: $350 of mid-level exception available
Los Angeles Clippers: $774,770 of mid-level exception available
Memphis Grizzlies: $1,440,385 of mid-level exception available, but will use at least $815,615 to sign Ivan Rabb.
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder

Meanwhile, the following teams have less than $3.29MM (the value of the bi-annual exception) to offer to free agents:

Cleveland Cavaliers: $2,549,143 of taxpayer mid-level exception available
Utah Jazz: $1,128,000 of room exception available
Washington Wizards: $1,902,000 of taxpayer mid-level exception available

Of course, just because a team has an exception available, that doesn’t mean the club will be eager to use it. Teams like the Bucks or Pelicans, for instance, still have various MLE and BAE exception money available, but their proximity to the luxury tax threshold will make them reluctant to offer more than the minimum salary to anyone the rest of the way.

For a full breakdown of how teams have used their mid-level, room, and bi-annual exceptions for the 2017/18 league year, be sure to check out our MLE tracker and BAE tracker.

Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Raptors, Anunoby, Kyrie

September 20th, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

It appears all but certain at this point that the Knicks will begin training camp with Carmelo Anthony still on their roster, but Anthony’s camp is holding out hope that the team can get a trade done before Monday, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. According to Isola, Anthony and his family have “mentally” moved to Houston, having believed that the Knicks would get a deal done with the Rockets.

Unless the Knicks were bluffing all offseason about their unwillingness to take Ryan Anderson‘s contract in a trade with the Rockets, it doesn’t seem likely that the two teams will get a deal done in the coming days, so we’ll see what happens if and when Anthony has to report to camp with the Knicks.

In the meantime, here are a few more items from around the Atlantic division:

Having lost some veteran depth in the offseason, the Raptors will be counting on some young players to step up and claim rotations roles. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca explores whether those youngsters will be ready to contribute.
Within his piece, Lewenberg also notes that the Raptors don’t expect to get injured first-round pick OG Anunoby back on the court until November at the earliest, and writes that the team is taking a “zero tolerance” policy with Bruno Caboclo. Caboclo was removed from Brazil’s national team this summer for refusing to re-enter a game, and Raptors sources cited some behavioral issues in the G League last season as well, says Lewenberg.
Following up on Kyrie Irving‘s comments this week on ESPN’s First Take, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders suggests there’s nothing wrong with the new Celtics point guard wanting to get out from under LeBron James‘ shadow and be his own star.
Earlier this afternoon, we passed along several comments from Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo, including his assertion that the club is “cautiously optimistic” about working out an extension for Joel Embiid.

Nuggets Sign Josh Childress

September 20th, 2017 at 1:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 20: Childress has officially signed his new contract with the Nuggets, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

SEPTEMBER 12: Josh Childress has reached an agreement with the Nuggets, making him the first BIG3 player to get an NBA deal, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. According to Scotto, it’ll be a one-year, non-guaranteed pact for the veteran forward.

Childress, 34, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he had a four-game stint with the Pelicans. He was the sixth pick in the 2004 draft and had four strong seasons with the Hawks before signing in Greece in 2008. He returned to the United States in 2010, spending two seasons with Phoenix and one with Brooklyn before being waived. He has also played in Australia and the G League and spent last season in Japan.

Childress will be a long shot to make the team in Denver, but there is a potential roster spot open. His signing brings the Nuggets to 17 players in camp, with 14 having guaranteed money. Those totals don’t include restricted free agent center Mason Plumlee, who remains unsigned.

Sixers ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Embiid Extension

September 20th, 2017 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today, Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo confirmed that discussions concerning an extension for Joel Embiid are underway. Colangelo added that the 76ers are “cautiously optimistic” that they’ll be able to find common ground with Embiid before next month’s deadline (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Athletic).

Although he has only appeared in 31 total NBA games, Embiid is entering his fourth season as a pro, making him eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. He and the Sixers have until October 16 to work out an agreement — if they can’t strike a deal, the young center will be on track to reach restricted free agency in 2018.

[RELATED: Extension Candidate: Joel Embiid]

If the Sixers could be fully confident in Embiid’s health going forward, the club likely wouldn’t hesitate to offer a maximum salary extension, but the 23-year-old’s ability to stay on the floor remains a question mark. Head coach Brett Brown indicated today that Embiid hasn’t played 5-on-5 ball yet, and he isn’t sure what to expect from the fourth-year center in training camp next week (Twitter link via Bodner).

While Embiid hasn’t yet been cleared to participate in all basketball activities for training camp, he also hasn’t suffered any setbacks, Colangelo stressed today. The Sixers are taking an “ultra-conservative” approach with their potential franchise center, and will have a better idea next week of what he’ll be able to do in camp (Twitter links via Bodner).

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Colangelo and the Sixers don’t anticipate any restrictions in camp for Ben Simmons, who has been playing 5-on-5 for some time — Simmons has been “dominating the gym,” per Colangelo (Twitter links via Bodner).
Although the Sixers used a chunk of their cap room this offseason, the team stuck to one-year deals for J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson, retaining future flexibility, as Ian Thomsen of NBA.com details. “We went through free agency this year with discipline by not spending multiyear dollars,” Colangelo said. “That was hard but it was the right thing to do, and I think that we’re going to be very happy. That’s not to say that J.J. Redick or Amir Johnson will be a one-and-done guy. We’re going to see how we play and grow with this group.”
The goal in avoiding multiyear contracts for free agents was to retain max room for 2018, and Colangelo believes that space will come in handy next summer, as Thomsen writes. “Right now we see a great young core of players that will hopefully maintain the type of health we have currently — and then the ability not only to develop that core but to be in a position to add a max player next year,” Colangelo said. “We think it’s very feasible.”
While expectations are on the rise for the Sixers, Colangelo is trying to keep them in check, per Thomsen. “Any talk of playoffs is getting a little ahead of ourselves,” Colangelo said. “You clearly want that to be a goal that you discuss internally. But the reality is we’re so young, we’re so inexperienced right now. … Forecasting (the playoffs) would be definitely, I believe, unrealistic. But hoping for that? It’s on everybody’s mind.”

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