2017 September | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Waiters, Hawks, Meeks

September 28th, 2017 at 4:02pm CST by Austin Kent

When Dion Waiters hurt himself last March he had the option to pursue a surgical treatment that would have sidelined him for eight to 10 months, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes. The Heat guard, and at that point pending free agent, opted against going under the knife to repair his ankle and instead has been strengthening it and undergoing treatment.

Winderman stresses that Waiters only brought up the injury when asked at the Heat’s media day on Wednesday but admitted that some days are better than others.

“I’ll get four or five treatments every day,” Waiters, who re-signed with the Heat this summer, said. “Some days you’re going to feel great, some days it might be just one of them days. You have to push through it and be smart about the whole situation.”

In 46 games with the Heat last season, Waiters averaged 15.8 points per game. This year his contract will pay an additional $1.1MM if the guard stays on the court for 70 games, one of several incentives built into contracts that Miami extended this offseason.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

On the verge of what could be his first full season since 2014/15, Wizards guard Jodie Meeks is eager to show that he can still contribute to an NBA team. “Just because I want to show that I’m healthy,” Meeks told Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. “I’m not old and washed up or whatever you want to call it.“
A hamstring injury will sideline Hornets forward Treveon Graham, the team’s PR department tweets. Graham is one of five players on non-guaranteed deals hoping to make the team’s opening day roster.
The Hawks will receive $100K for taking DeAndre Liggins‘ deal off of the Clippers’ hands, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. We wrote about the September 25 deal here.

NBA Approves Lottery Reform, Change Effective 2019

September 28th, 2017 at 2:09pm CST by Austin Kent

The NBA’s Board of Governors passed a motion to reform the draft lottery today, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN writes. The new rules will be in place for the 2019 NBA Draft.

Modifications to the lottery process were originally proposed earlier this month and include a number of strategies aimed at flattening the odds that basement dwelling teams have of landing the top pick. The idea behind the motion is to curb tanking.

Under the new rules, teams will be able to drop four places in the lottery. Previously teams could drop no more than three places, meaning that the worst team in the league would be guaranteed to pick in the top four. Now, in that same scenario, the team could fall as far as No. 5.

Beyond that, however, the odds of each team’s ping pong balls being selected have flattened dramatically, as portrayed in a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski. Not only do the three worst teams have a lesser chance of winning the lottery, but there’s no longer any difference between finishing last, second-last or third-last when it comes to odds for the No. 1 pick.

In contrast, the team with the fourth-greatest shot at winning the lottery (ie; the fourth-worst team in the NBA) now has a better chance of landing the top pick, as does every team that finished ahead of it in the regular season with the exception of the best team in the lottery (which has the same odds as it had previously).

To demonstrate the point, consider the change in fortune that will await whatever team finishes ninth-last in the 2018/19 season. Whereas last season’s Mavs finished ninth-last and received a 2.8% chance of winning the lottery and a 10% chance of landing a top-three pick, under the new rules that team would have a 6% chance of winning the lottery and a 15% chance of landing a top-three pick.

All told, much of the incentive that middle-of-the-pack lottery clubs had of embracing a full-out tank and dropping to the bottom of the league has been reduced. Now the worst team in the league will have a 40% chance of landing a top-three pick as opposed to the 64% chance it previously had. That same team will now have a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick (vs. the 25% chance it had previously).

For a pick-by-pick breakdown of the probability changes, refer to the chart in the Wojnarowski tweet.

Another proposal formally approved by the league is one that extends commissioner Adam Silver’s authority to potentially fine teams for resting players in nationally televised games or in other select scenarios.

Bulls Sign Bronson Koenig

September 28th, 2017 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 28: The Bulls have officially signed Koenig, according to a press release issued by the club.

SEPTEMBER 27: Having been waived by the Bucks less than a week ago, rookie guard Bronson Koenig is poised to join a new NBA team. According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Koenig will sign a training camp contract with the Bulls, who have an open spot on their 20-man roster after buying out Dwyane Wade.

Koenig, 22, went undrafted this spring after finishing his college career at Wisconsin. As a senior in 2016/17, Koenig averaged 14.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 2.0 APG, shooting 39.5% on three-point attempts. He made 2.9 threes per game.

Koenig caught on with Milwaukee this summer, becoming the first player to sign a two-way contract with the club. However, after signing Koenig and Jalen Moore to fill the two-way slots on their roster, the Bucks waived both players this month, opting to fill their roster with 20 players on NBA contracts and figure out those two-way spots later.

The Bulls will now have a full roster, including 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts. Koenig will join Jarell Eddie, Jaylen Johnson, David Nwaba, and Diamond Stone as camp invitees without guaranteed salaries. Ryan Arcidiacono and Antonio Blakeney are currently occupying the club’s two-way slots.

Nuggets Exercise 2018/19 Options On Five Players

September 28th, 2017 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets entered the offseason with decisions to make on five team options for the 2018/19 season, and the team has elected to pick up all five of those options, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. Here are the details on the rookie-scale team options exercised this week by Denver:

Emmanuel Mudiay (fourth year, $4,294,480)
Jamal Murray (third year, $3,499,800)
Trey Lyles (fourth year, $3,364,249)
Juan Hernangomez (third year, $2,166,360)
Malik Beasley (third year, $1,773,840)

The moves ensure that Mudiay, Murray, Lyles, Hernangomez, and Beasley are now locked up to guaranteed contracts through at least 2019. The numbers listed above reflect the cap hits on Denver’s books, and not necessarily the players’ exact salaries, since players on rookie contracts received pay bumps as a result of the new CBA.

Mudiay and Lyles will be eligible for rookie scale extensions during next year’s offseason, and then will be on track for restricted free agency in 2019 if the Nuggets don’t extend them in 2018. Murray, Hernangomez, and Beasley, meanwhile, will have fourth-year options for 2019/20 for Denver to decide on during next year’s offseason. If those options are picked up, the trio will be extension-eligible in 2019 and RFA-eligible in 2020.

With those five 2018/19 options exercised, the Nuggets now have approximately $73.4MM in guaranteed salaries on their cap for the ’18/19 season, per Basketball Insiders. That number isn’t exorbitant, but it could skyrocket before next July — it doesn’t include potential player options for Wilson Chandler ($12.8MM) or Darrell Arthur ($7.5MM) or possible extensions for Gary Harris or Will Barton.

That total for 2018/19 also doesn’t include Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets have an inexpensive team option on Jokic for next season, but may opt to turn it down and negotiate with him as a restricted free agent, rather than exercising it and having him reach unrestricted free agency a year later.

And-Ones: Pierce, Josh Smith, Morris Twins

September 28th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After announcing his retirement from the NBA following the 2016/17 season, 10-time All-Star Paul Pierce has lined up a new job. According to a press release issued today by ESPN, Pierce is joining the network as a studio analyst for the upcoming season. The longtime NBA forward will appear regularly on ESPN’s NBA Countdown and The Jump.

“I always had fun doing guest coverage with ESPN, so it is exciting to officially join the teams at NBA Countdown and The Jump,” Pierce said in a statement. “I love hoops, my whole life has been about the game, so this feels like a natural evolution in my career and I can’t wait for the season to get started.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As he continues to look for an NBA opportunity, veteran forward Josh Smith has caught on with Israeli team Maccabi Hunter Haifa for a three-game tour against NBA teams this October, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando details. Smith worked out for the Pelicans and has been linked to the Rockets this offseason, but hasn’t landed an NBA contract.
Closing arguments in the assault trial involving Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris are expected to be heard by jurors today, per an Associated Press report (link via USA Today). Depending on the outcome of the trial, the Wizards and Celtics forwards could face NBA discipline, not to mention possible jail time.
While not every player to change teams this offseason moved to a better situation, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated identifies seven players whose new NBA homes should pay dividends. Kyrie Irving (Celtics), Paul George (Thunder), and Nick Young (Warriors) are among Spears’ picks.
After seeing how long it took for a number of restricted free agents to secure new contracts this offseason, a number of extension-eligible players may be more inclined to get deals done now, rather than taking their chances on the RFA market next summer, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link) writes in his latest breakdown of NBA roster moves. T.J. Warren of the Suns was the first player to complete such a deal this week.

Poll: Which Team Is Biggest Threat To Warriors?

September 28th, 2017 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The brunt of the NBA’s offseason action typically happens in June or July, when the draft takes place and free agency opens. Generally, a week or two into the free agent period, all the big-name players are off the board, most trades have been finalized, and we have a pretty good idea of what teams will look like in the fall.

That wasn’t quite the case this summer. Three teams with championship aspirations look a whole lot different now than they did in mid-July. In mid-July, we didn’t even know that Kyrie Irving wanted to be traded by the Cavaliers. Now, he’s a member of the Celtics, with Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Ante Zizic in Cleveland.

Of course, that wasn’t the Cavs’ only major move. The team also locked up Dwyane Wade on Wednesday following his buyout with the Bulls, reuniting the former Finals MVP with his friend LeBron James.

Meanwhile, Western Conference teams also continued to load up on talent, with the Knicks sending Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City. It was the Thunder’s second notable acquisition of an Eastern All-Star this offseason, and while it wasn’t a surprise to see Anthony dealt, his destination raised some eyebrows. Following Houston’s trade for Chris Paul in June, one report suggested the Rockets expected to land either Paul George or Anthony, but both those players ultimately ended up in OKC.

Now that the dust has settled and it appears most contending clubs are done making major moves, it’s worth taking stock of where those contenders stand in relation to one team that has been quiet in recent months — the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors had an excellent offseason, but conducted all their business in June and July, not taking part in the flurry of last-minute upgrades happening around the league.

Taking into account each team’s roster heading into the summer, along with every club’s offseason moves, which team do you view as the biggest threat to the Warriors in 2017/18? Will a Western Conference rival like the Rockets, Spurs, or Thunder have a chance to take down the defending champs? Or will the best chance at an upset come from the Eastern Conference?

Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Carmelo Anthony Confirms He Thought He’d Be Traded To Rockets

September 28th, 2017 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

Carmelo Anthony‘s no-trade clause gave him the power to approve a deal to specific teams, and for most of the offseason, the only team on his wish list was the Rockets. In an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio (link via Ian Begley of ESPN), Anthony confirms that he believed earlier in the summer that a trade to Houston was all but finalized.

“A deal was done with Houston early, then for some reason – whatever happened behind the scenes – it didn’t go through, it fell through,” Anthony said. “Then we had to really start paying attention and thinking about other options.”

According to Carmelo, another deal – one that would have sent him to the Cavaliers – nearly got done on draft night, back when Phil Jackson was still running the Knicks (link via Begley). That proposed trade would have landed both Anthony and Paul George in Cleveland, Carmelo said today.

Based on various reports, it sounds like the Knicks and Rockets came closest to a deal right before New York hired Scott Perry as the team’s new general manager in July. At that point, the Knicks put trade talks on hold as Perry got acclimated to his new job and assessed the Anthony situation himself. Ultimately, the Knicks and Rockets never found common ground after that, and Anthony admits he had been preparing last week to show up for Media Day as a Knick.

“Me and my team sat down on Friday night and were like, ‘Man, we best prepare for going back to Media Day on Monday and training camp that week,'” Anthony said. “And then we got the call that said, ‘Would you open it up to OKC?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, at this point, yeah.’

“I don’t think it would have been beneficial for me to come back to Media Day after everything that was going on in the offseason,” Anthony continued. “For me to have to deal with that it would have been unfair for the organization, the Knicks, to have to deal with that. It would have been too much noise, too many questions to answer and I don’t think either party wanted to deal with that.”

While Anthony seems happy to have landed in Oklahoma City, it will be interesting to see whether the trade – and the non-trade to Houston – will have an impact on the Western Conference playoff picture next spring. The Thunder and Rockets faced each other in the postseason in 2017, and if they do so again next year, Anthony would be squaring off against the team he was all but certain he’d join.

Grizzlies Notes: Green, Parsons, Evans, Offense

September 28th, 2017 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

Restricted free agent JaMychal Green officially signed his new deal with the Grizzlies on Wednesday, and Bobby Marks of ESPN indicates (via Twitter) that the pact will mirror the mid-level exception. If that’s the case, Green would make about $8.41MM in year one and approximately $8.83MM in year two, though those details aren’t official.

As Chris Herrington of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, Green is part of a trio of Grizzlies rotation players in their prime. Green, like James Ennis and Ben McLemore, isn’t one of Memphis’ stars, but should play a key role in determining how far the Grizzlies can go this season, with Herrington suggesting that the club would probably like to see a little more offensive production out of the power forward.

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

While Chandler Parsons may not quite be back to his old self, he has done a ton of work over the last few months to get healthy and prepare for the upcoming season. Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at Parsons’ offseason routine and his expectations for the 2017/18 campaign.
After averaging 16.7 PPG in his first seven NBA seasons, Tyreke Evans scored just 10.3 PPG last year. Evans is hoping to rejuvenate his career in Memphis, and the Grizzles are optimistic that he can become one of the offseason’s best bargain signings, says Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
In a separate piece for The Commercial Appeal, Tillery details the Grizzlies’ desire to play a more fast-paced game this season, with head coach David Fizdale encouraging his club to run more after years of playing a “ground-and-pound” style.

Dwyane Wade Wants To Eventually Retire With Heat

September 28th, 2017 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

After being bought out by the Bulls earlier this week, Dwyane Wade officially signed with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, choosing Cleveland over potential suitors like the Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, and Warriors. Another notable team that had interest in Wade was the Heat, and while the veteran guard didn’t return to Miami this season, he made it clear to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that he envisions a reunion down the road.

“Miami, the door’s always unlocked,” Wade said. “One day I want to retire in a Miami Heat jersey. I don’t know how that will happen, but I definitely want to make sure than when I decide to hang it up, that jersey is on. Whether it’s being back there or signing a one-day deal like Paul Pierce, I want to make sure that I go out the way I came in.”

[RELATED: Cavaliers sign Dwyane Wade]

In his report earlier this week on Wade joining the Cavs, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN noted that Wade is open to returning to the Heat at some point, but believed Cleveland gave him a better shot this season at competing for a championship, which is still his top priority.

Reynolds also indicates that, while Wade considered the Heat this week, he didn’t view Miami as an ideal fit given the team’s depth at shooting guard. Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Rodney McGruder, and Wayne Ellington are all candidates to see time at the two for the club this season.

“Honestly, I didn’t feel they needed me there,” Wade said. “I feel that those guys are in a good place. They deserve to come back this year and see what that 30-11 was about. They don’t need me there over their shoulder or anything like that. That’s kind of how I approached it.”

Wade’s deal with the Cavs is reportedly just for a single season, so it will be interesting to see if the three-time NBA champion finds his way back to Miami during the 2018 offseason.

Clippers Sign LaDontae Henton

September 28th, 2017 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 28: Henton’s deal with the Clippers is now official, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

AUGUST 24: The Clippers have reached an agreement with veteran forward LaDontae Henton and will sign him to a training camp contract, a league source tells Chris Reichert of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link). According to Reichert, the deal will include an Exhibit 10 clause, meaning it’ll be a one-year, minimum salary contract.

Henton, 25, went undrafted in 2015 after playing his college ball at Providence. Since then, the 6’6″ small forward has spent time with teams in Spain and the Philippines. He also played for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League last season, averaging 13.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG with a .402/.383/.735 shooting line in 37 games.

Because Henton played for Santa Cruz last year, the Warriors’ G League affiliate will still hold his returning rights heading into the 2017/18 season. The Clippers’ new G League team, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, will have to trade for those rights in order to make him an affiliate player this fall. Convert Henton’s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal would be another way L.A. could hang onto him.

Once the Clippers officially finalize their reported agreements with Henton and Marshall Plumlee, the team will have 19 players under contract, one short of the 20-man offseason limit.

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