2017 September | Hoops Rumors

Extension Candidate: Clint Capela

September 10th, 2017 at 9:14pm CST by Austin Kent

The Rockets can be forgiven for not coming to terms on a contract extension with 23-year-old Clint Capela so far this offseason, but despite the fact that the franchise is undergoing a change in ownership, the deadline for locking in fourth year players looms.

While Capela has been regarded as a low-key game-changer for Houston ever since a strong showing in the 2015 postseason, the steady strides that he’s made ever since have put him firmly on the fringe of the mainstream hoops community’s radar.

In 65 games for the Rockets last season, including 59 starts, Capela averaged 12.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Those are per-minute production rates on par with some of the best versatile big men in the game. That the 6’10” center did so while shooting a staggering 64.3% from the floor puts him in a class of his own.

Houston will welcome Chris Paul this fall, and it’s hard to imagine Capela’s offense will do anything but continue to expand, considering the legendary playmaker’s ability to work with athletic big men like Tyson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan.

Of course whether or not Capela has made a case for an extension is only half the battle. The team will need to justify spending the money, something that’s not necessarily a given considering that the Rockets can so easily obliterate the luxury tax line in the coming years if they’re not careful.

Per Kevin Pelton of ESPN (via ABC), Houston will presumably sign Paul to a max contract next summer. That, paired with James Harden‘s monster extension, will give the Rockets over $80MM in committed salary for their backcourt alone.

Throw in the fact that Houston will commit over $40MM to the trio of Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker through 2019/20 and it’s not hard to forecast major luxury tax bills in new owner Tilman Fertitta‘s future.

Pelton projects that Capela and fellow free agent-to-be Trevor Ariza could seek a combined $20MM in salary (a figure that Capela alone could draw, if you ask me) and suddenly Houston runs the risk of annihilating the luxury tax line by nearly $20MM come 2019/20.

The Rockets, of course, could choose to let Ariza walk in the hopes of the recently acquired Tucker filling the role of scrappy perimeter defender, but even that scenario is complicated by the fact that Ariza and Paul have a close enough friendship to have supposedly influenced the trade that brought Paul over from the Clippers in the first place.

As Pelton suggests, the Rockets could make life considerably easier for themselves by finding a taker for the $60MM owed to Anderson through 2019/20. Doing so won’t be easy though.

If Houston has a plan in place, it’s not one that’s been broadcast at this point in the offseason. In May, we discussed a rather innocuous quote from general manager Daryl Morey suggesting that it would be “normal business” to discuss an extension, but all has been silent since.

If the Rockets choose to hold off on extending Capela, the big man would become a restricted free agent next summer. While the 2018 offseason is projected to be slightly tamer than the ones we’ve seen over the past two years, it’s hard to imagine Capela’s value going anywhere but up, relative to where it is currently.

Relative, however, is the operative term. Should the parties decide to go that route, Capela will look to compete with potential free agent centers like Joel Embiid, Jusuf Nurkic and Nerlens Noel, all promising anchors for teams looking to build youthful cores at a time when available cap room, a bountiful resource in 2016 and 2017, normalizes.

So sure, at the end of the day, the Rockets may be able to sit tight on Capela in hopes of retaining him at a lower rate via restricted free agency next summer but doing so would run the risk of letting a team like the Nets extend to him a poison pill offer sheet that Houston would be pressured to match, lest they let a significant part of their core walk just in time for the last few great years Paul will have left in the tank.

Perhaps the best bet for the Rockets when the dust settles from the ownership transition, then, is to square things away with Capela at a generous rate prior to the contract extension deadline on October 16 and then challenge Morey with the task of making the numbers work before Paul’s and Harden’s annual salaries start escalating dramatically after next season.

Regardless, just how the team handles the Capela contract could really shed light on Fertitta’s mentality with his new franchise. While it’s only my speculation, it seems logical enough to infer that an individual who just spent $2.2B on a sports franchise (well over the projected value) wouldn’t be opposed to shelling out extra luxury tax money to preserve one of the most talented cores of NBA players outside of the Bay Area.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Wade, Bucks, Antetokounmpo

September 10th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Austin Kent

Speculation that Dwyane Wade could become a free agent this offseason hit a new level this week when the Bulls guard said that he’d be willing to sit down and chat about his future with the organization. If he were to be bought out in order to pursue a role elsewhere, what sort of impact could he reasonably expect to make? Frank Urbina of HoopsHype decided to take a look.

The two teams most often linked to Wade have been the Cavaliers and the Heat. A move to Cleveland would pair Wade with former teammate LeBron James while Miami is, of course, the place he spent the first 13 seasons of his career. Urbina, however, argues that the 35-year-old could have more suitors than just that and could end up being a game-changing reserve for a team’s second-unit if he parts ways with the Bulls.

In a comprehensive look at the type of value Wade is still capable of providing in the twilight of his career, Urbina writes that the Bulls vet has carved out a few reliable offensive moves that have helped him remain competitive despite dwindling athleticism, including an impressive post-up game and a potent fadeaway jumper.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Shortly after the news of Kyrie Irving‘s trade request broke, Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman was formally offered his position. His first order of business, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes, was to gauge if the point guard was serious. “I think we were in information-collecting mode when stuff first broke,” Altman said. “We had numerous teams call about it.“
The Bucks have seen their season ticket numbers rise this summer on the heels of a solid 2016/17 and the looming benefits of a new venue. James Nelson of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the franchise is selling multi-year packs that will give fans the chance to watch the team in the BMO Harris Bradley Center this season and the team’s yet-to-be-named new facility in 2018/19.
Ever wonder just how much of a physical advantage Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has over some of his opponents? A post on Reddit demonstrates just how big the 22-year-old’s hands really are.

Community Shootaround: NBA Coverage Trends

September 10th, 2017 at 5:40pm CST by Austin Kent

Sep. 10: Yesterday we asked hoops fans to tell us what NBA storylines they grew tired of hearing about over the summer as well as what items they felt may have flown under the radar. Not surprisingly, the Knicks came up as one of the teams most heavily discussed.

Between the ongoing Carmelo Anthony saga, controversy surrounding Kristaps Porzingis and the eventual dismissal of Phil Jackson, New York has been as much a part of the public’s consciousness this summer as any.

In contrast, a few teams that quietly did work this offseason were the Kings and Hornets. Will Sacramento’s shrewd draft and Charlotte’s gamble to bring Dwight Howard back under the tutelage of a former coach equate to noticeable improvements in 2017/18? It’s hard to imagine otherwise.

Yesterday I wrote that I’d pull from our own Hoops Rumors database to get a handle on some of the coverage trends that we’ve relayed over the summer.

As expected, the Knicks were the team that we covered the most over the course of the period ranging from the day after the NBA draft up until yesterday. Following the Knicks were the Cavaliers and, as one reader suspected, the Celtics. Rounding out the top five were the Clippers and Rockets.

Of the top five all but the Knicks made significant roster moves and, of course, two of those moves were blockbuster trades involving another team in the top five.

For science, here are the teams ranked 1-30.

Knicks
Cavaliers
Celtics
Clippers
Rockets
Timberwolves
Lakers
Heat
Kings
Pacers
Mavs
Bucks
Hawks
Warriors
Jazz
Nuggets
Nets/Thunder/Pelicans
Pistons
Suns/Bulls/Wizards
Sixers
Raptors
Spurs
Hornets
Magic
Grizzlies
Trail Blazers

Sep. 9: The NBA offseason can be a fascinating thing, this summer especially considering all of the blockbuster moves that went down. Inevitably, however, the excitement of the rookie draft and the ensuing start of the league’s free agency period gives way to the doldrums of August and September.

Now that the whirlwind of player movement has started to slow down, it’s a good time to reflect back on the weeks that were, as well as on the coverage that surrounded them.

We here at Hoops Rumors pride ourselves on being a repository of NBA news, earth shattering or trivial, whether that means bringing context to the Kyrie Irving trade mere minutes after news broke or updating minor storylines that few outside of a niche group would ever find particularly riveting.

As such, the archive of Hoops Rumors stories serves as comprehensive database of all headline-worthy items big and small that transpired over the course of the summer, an analogue of the highs and lows of the NBA news cycle.

Our question to you, on this quiet Saturday night in September, is what teams did you grow tired of hearing about this offseason? What teams did you feel flew under the radar of the hoops community at large?

We’ve compiled a list of the teams that pinged our radar the most over the offseason and, generally speaking, it’s not hard to guess which teams got the most coverage. There were some items that the NBA media wrote about ad nauseum while others barely caused a ripple.

Before we unveil specifically what teams took up the most real estate in our pages, however, we figured we’d field a bonus question to see if our community could guess which teams we talked about the most this summer and which teams we talked about the least.

Weigh in below!

Categories:
Community Shootaround

Southeast Notes: Beal, Monk, Collins

September 10th, 2017 at 4:15pm CST by Austin Kent

A number of developments in Bradley Beal‘s game could help the Wizards two-guard earn his first career All-Star berth, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. Last year, for instance, the guard managed to stay healthy after missing considerable time the previous two seasons and looked to gain confidence attacking the basket as a result.

In 2017/18, with last year to reflect back on, Beal could ride that confidence to a new level. Another component that contributed to Beal’s success last season was his improved ball handling. If that continues, the swingman will be able to slash more competently and maybe even drive up his free-throw attempts as Wizards teammate John Wall has done.

Beal watched his average jump from 17.4 points per game to 23.1 last year and there’s no reason to believe that he can’t continue to thrive heading forward. Still just 24 years old, Beal represents a major part of the core that Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is so eager to keep together.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The ankle injury that kept Hornets rookie Malik Monk out of summer league is still “significant” and could even limit his availability at the start of the season, Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports writes. In the article, Carbaugh cites two Steve Clifford quotes that Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reported via Twitter. Monk, who was initially said to be out 2-4 weeks, is still regaining his conditioning and recently struggled with a relatively lightweight optional workout.
After ten consecutive playoff appearances, the Hawks have handed the reins of the team over to their young players, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes. With little established competition on the team’s depth chart, rookie John Collins could find a way to produce in Year 1.
The Hornets have every intention of keeping Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the starting lineup, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The only tweak to Steve Clifford‘s starting five will be the addition of Dwight Howard in place of Cody Zeller.

Celtics Notes: Ainge, Thomas, Rozier, Pierce

September 10th, 2017 at 2:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics president Danny Ainge says the decision to include Isaiah Thomas in a package to get Kyrie Irving from Cleveland was “the toughest call I ever had to make,” relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Thomas shared his thoughts on the deal in an article this week for The Players Tribune, which Ainge called a “fabulous job.” As a former player, Ainge said he empathizes with the feelings of being sent from one organization to another.

Ainge refused to explain his motivation for the deal, but explained that he is always trying to improve the team. “It’s in everybody’s best interest that I don’t share all the reasons [for the trade],” he said. “But the bottom line is obviously I felt like it was the right thing for our franchise to do. But it’s a deep and complicated process. It’s not as simple as people think it is. … It’s not easy for these office people that become great friends with the players. There’s a reality that I see and that’s what makes any sort of trade challenging. But it’s just part of the world that we live in, but it’s got to be done. You’ve got to do what’s best for the franchise. The franchise is bigger than all of us. Bigger than one individual.”

There’s more out of Boston:

Terry Rozier wasn’t worried about being traded over the offseason, he told Adam Kaufman of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. Entering his third season with the Celtics, Rozier is among the most tenured players on the team following this summer’s roster shakeup. He said he concentrates on producing on the court and leaves the personnel decisions to the front office. “The guys up top, their job is to get the team together and our job is to play,” Rozier said. “I’m pretty sure Danny and all our organization who make the decisions will have us ready, put us in the right spot.”
Paul Pierce is ready to end his feud with Ray Allen, according to Adam Reisinger of ESPN. Pierce posted a photo on social media of himself and Allen, who are both serving as coaches for a celebrity basketball game in Shanghai, with a caption that read, “Time to get the band back together.” Allen has been an outcast with many of his former teammates since leaving Boston to sign with the Heat in 2012.

And-Ones: Early, Wanamaker, Munford, Bond

September 10th, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

An apparent dispute over his diet has led to Cleanthony Early being stripped of his $150K deal with AEK Athens. International writer David Pick cited “disciplinary reasons” for the Greek club terminating the contract that Early agreed to last week (Twitter link). The Knicks fan site, Posting and Toasting, part of SB Nation, fleshed out the story with a few now-deleted screen shots of messages between Early and a team official. Early is a vegan and claims he couldn’t find the food he needs close to Athens. He added that he lost seven pounds since coming to Greece and told the team to release him if there wasn’t a way to solve the problem.

There’s more basketball news from around the world:

Brad Wanamaker, who was hoping to get an offer this summer from the Pelicans or Celtics, has accepted a deal with Fenerbahce in Turkey, according to Sportando (Twitter link).
After two successful G League seasons, Xavier Munford is hoping a team will give him an invitation to training camp, writes Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days. The 25-year-old point guard, who was part of the gold-medal-winning Team USA squad at AmeriCup, played briefly for the Grizzlies at the end of the 2015/16 season and was in training camp with the Clippers last year.
Jaylen Bond, who spent last season with the Westchester Knicks in the G League, has signed with Flexx Pistoia in Italy, Reichert relays (Twitter link).
Kevin Jones, who has spent the past three seasons overseas but was involved in a G League trade in March, is in advanced talks with Crvena Zvezda in Serbia, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Jones’ only NBA experience came in 2012/13 with the Cavaliers.

Weekly Mailbag: 9/4/17 – 9/10/17

September 10th, 2017 at 12:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.

Why did Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander lure Chris Paul to create a super team with James Harden only to sell the team two months later? — Greg Dizon

When Alexander announced that the team was for sale in July, the decision seemed to come out of nowhere. Team president Tad Brown said the 73-year-old didn’t have any health problems, but the day-to-day responsibilities of owning a franchise “can wear on you after so many decades.” Alexander owned the team for 24 years and said he has other passions he wants to pursue. Profit was undoubtedly another motivating factor as Alexander bought the team for $85MM in 1993 and sold it for a record $2.2B. The presence of an All-Star backcourt in Harden and Paul no doubt boosted that price a little bit.

What will the Bucks do with Jabari Parker? — Dan Vachalek, via Twitter

There was a report this week that Milwaukee has started extension talks with the 22-year-old forward, but circumstances make it seem doubtful anything will get done before the October 16 deadline. Parker is believed to be asking for a five-year maximum-salary extension, but the situation is complicated by his injury status. He is recovering from the second ACL tear of his career and won’t play again until sometime in 2018. Parker has been productive when healthy, averaging 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 51 games last season, but the injuries are a concern. The Bucks will probably let him become a restricted free agent and try to work out a long-term deal next summer.

How many games this year will Celtics get a combined 50 points from Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward? — bmitch, via Twitter

Any number would just be a guess and it could be affected by injuries or other factors, but it’s clear that Irving and Hayward will be the top two options in Boston’s offense. The Celtics traded away their three leading scorers from last season in Isaiah Thomas (28.9 points per game), Avery Bradley (16.3) and Jae Crowder (13.9) and lost Kelly Olynyk (9.0) and Amir Johnson (6.5) to free agency. That’s a lot of points to replace. It’s hard to say how many times they’ll reach 50 together, but Irving and Hayward will be the leaders of the offense for as long as they’re both in Boston.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Doncic, Lottery Reform, Brown

September 10th, 2017 at 11:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Fans shouldn’t put much stock in a report that Joel Embiid won’t play five-on-five until he gets a maximum contract extension and might hold out if that doesn’t happen, according to Derek Bodner and Mike O’Connor of The Athletic. The Philadelphia-based writers address that rumor and other Sixers topic in a podcast, saying it would be unprecedented for someone with so little NBA experience to hold out for a max deal.

The Sixers have until October 16, the day before the regular season opens, to negotiate an extension with Embiid, who would become a restricted free agent next summer if a deal can’t be reached. Bodner speculates that Embiid’s representatives may relax their demands as the deadline gets closer, settling for a lower dollar amount or a provision to tie guaranteed money to the number of games Embiid can play. Bodner adds that a holdout seems unlikely because Embiid has shown so much dedication to the franchise.

There’s more news out of Philadelphia:

Bodner and O’Connor also discussed Luka Doncic, an 18-year-old Slovenian who is currently starring in the EuroBasket tournament and may be a top three pick in next year’s draft. O’Connor sees him as the best fit for the Sixers based on his elite passing and outside shooting. The Sixers are expected to be a playoff contender this year, but will receive the Lakers’ pick if it falls at No. 1 or between sixth and 30th.
The Sixers and former GM Sam Hinkie shouldn’t get all the blame for the league’s proposal to reform the draft lottery, writes Kevin Pelton of ESPN. He notes that tanking has been an issue for years in the NBA, which tried similar reforms in 2014 but couldn’t get enough votes from owners to approve them. Even so, Pelton notes that a successful season from Philadelphia could reinforce the perception that tanking is an effective strategy.
Sixers coach Brett Brown will conduct his annual Coach the Coaches Clinic on Tuesday, writes Kevin Callahan of nba.com. This is the third year for the event, which is open to coaches from grade school up to college. More than 200 coaches attended last year and more are expected this year.

Bucks Waiving Jalen Moore

September 10th, 2017 at 10:44am CST by Arthur Hill

10:44am: Moore tells Matt Velasquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he asked to be released from his contract because of anxiety issues (Twitter link). Moore said he wants to get help with that problem before pursuing an NBA career.

10:01am: The Bucks have requested waivers on Jalen Moore, who signed a two-way contract July 8, the team announced via Twitter.

Milwaukee signed former Celtics guard James Young to a training camp deal this week, so it’s possible the team is considering him for the open two-way spot. Bronson Koenig has the Bucks’ other two-way contract. The Bucks now have 17 players under contract for training camp, but only 13 have guaranteed money.

Moore, who played for Milwaukee’s entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, was an All-Mountain West selection last season at Utah State. The 6’8″ forward averaged 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds as a senior and shot 38.3% from 3-point range.

Raptors Attempted To Sign Vince Carter

September 10th, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors wanted to bring 40-year-old free agent Vince Carter back to Toronto this summer, tweets Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.

Many observers were surprised when Carter elected to sign with the Kings instead of trying to finish his career with a contender. Money was certainly a factor, as Sacramento offered $8MM for one season, along with the chance to play for former Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger again. The Kings signed Carter, Zach Randolph and George Hill as veteran presences on an otherwise youthful team.

Despite his age, Carter has remained a productive player. He appeared in 73 games for Memphis last season, starting 15, and averaged 8.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per night. He could have provided wing depth to a Toronto team that traded DeMarre Carroll to the Nets in July and sent Terrence Ross to the Magic at the February deadline to pick up Serge Ibaka.

Carter has a checkered history in Toronto, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1999 and spending more than six seasons there before demanding a trade. However, that was almost 13 years ago and it didn’t prevent the management team currently running the Raptors from reaching out to him.

Month: November 2024