Month: November 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Held Workouts In L.A.

June 21st, 2018 at 10:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

Kentucky point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander held workouts in Los Angeles for teams interested in him, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reports.

According to Deveney’s sources, the one-and-done Wildcats guard has spent the predraft process in California and his agent, Thad Foucher of the Wasserman Group, told teams to visit him there.

This sheds some light on why Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t make the rounds working out from city to city like other draft prospects. One reason why Gilgeous-Alexander chose that unusual route, according to a Deveney source, was a desire to be drafted by the Clippers with one of their late lottery picks.

However, Gilgeous-Alexander could go as high as No. 6 to the Magic, with the Cavaliers (No. 8) and Hornets (No.11) also taking a long look, Deveney adds. The Raptors are also reportedly trying to move into the lottery to secure his services.

Suns Could Add Another Lottery Pick

June 21st, 2018 at 10:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns could move some of their assets to gain another lottery pick, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic tweets.

Phoenix is expected to select Arizona center Deandre Ayton with the top pick. They also own the No. 16 pick, courtesy of the Goran Dragic deal with the Heat, as well as two second-rounders – Nos. 31 and 59. They are interested in forward Michael Porter Jr. and one of the top three college guards – Trae Young, Collin Sexton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – if they can make a deal, Bordow adds.

Porter Jr. could team up with Ayton and give the Suns a formidable frontcourt duo for the next few seasons. They are also in need of a point guard, with Elfrid Payton headed to restricted free agency if they extend a qualifying offer of $4.75MM by the June 29th deadline.

Timberwolves Seeking Another Draft Pick

June 21st, 2018 at 8:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves have talked to at least two teams about acquiring another pick, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. Those inquiries regarded another first-round selection, though a high second-rounder could also appeal to the team, Wolfson adds.

The Timberwolves own the No. 20 and No. 48 picks. They have a lot of roster spots to fill with only eight players on fully guaranteed deals next season. However, with a handful making between $14MM-$25.25MM they are already over the cap.

Thus, most of the players they add to the roster will have to come with low pricetags. Another first-round pick outside the lottery or second-rounder would help facilitate that goal.

Givony’s Latest: Kings, Doncic, Porter, Gilgeous-Alexander

June 21st, 2018 at 8:21am CST by Dana Gauruder

ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony posted his latest mock on Thursday morning, along with the updated information regarding what teams are planning to do. Here’s some of the most noteworthy nuggets he passed along:

The Kings will target Duke forward Marvin Bagley III if they keep the No. 2 overall pick but they have their eyes on Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. if they trade down in the lottery.
Hawks ownership has pushed for Euroleague guard Luka Doncic with the No. 3 pick because of star power. The compromise between the front office and ownership could be trading down and then selecting Oklahoma point guard Trae Young.
Porter is favored by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban at No. 5 but they’re also considering Texas center Mohamed Bamba and Duke center Wendell Carter Jr.
Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appears to be on the rise and Givony has him going at No. 6 to the Magic.
If the Clippers don’t trade their picks at No. 12 and No. 13, they’ll draft one of the top three college point guards – Gilgeous-Alexander, Alabama’s Collin Sexton or Young – if any are still on the board.
Boston College guard Jerome Robinson, Maryland forward Kevin Huerter and Texas A&M big man Robert Williams are under consideration with the Clippers’ second first-rounder.

Five Key Offseason Questions: Toronto Raptors

June 21st, 2018 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

The most successful Raptors team ever finished 2017/18 with 59 wins and claimed the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time in club history. With a revamped offensive approach and a dynamic bench, the Raptors appeared poised to make a deep playoff run, but for a third straight year, LeBron James and the Cavaliers made quick of Dwane Casey‘s club in the postseason.

While no one in the Eastern Conference has defeated a LeBron-led team in the playoffs since 2010, Toronto’s four straight losses reflected particularly poorly on the club, considering the Pacers and Celtics both pushed the Cavs to seven games. As a result, Casey was dismissed and the Raps enter a second straight offseason weighing whether or not to make significant changes to a roster that won 50+ games.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. Was firing Casey and replacing him with Nick Nurse the right move?

Casey, who was named the 2017/18 Coach of the Year by the National Basketball Coaches Association last month, is also a finalist for the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award. When the league announces the winner of that award next week, it’s entirely possible that Casey, now the Pistons’ head coach, will be formally recognized for his excellent work with the Raptors.

Why would a coach who had so much on-court success and who was so highly regarded in Toronto be fired, especially since the club eventually replaced him one of his top assistants? If the Raptors really felt they had to move on from Casey, wouldn’t it make sense to go in an entirely new direction? Wouldn’t Nurse, an assistant on Casey’s staff since 2013, already have shared many of his best ideas?

Those are fair questions, but I still believe there’s some sound logic behind the change. As good as he was at building a culture and developing players, Casey struggled with in-game adjustments, which hurt the Raptors at key moments in the postseason. Additionally, there were whispers in Toronto that Casey, a fairly conservative, defensive-minded coach, was more inclined to lean on his defense-first assistants like Rex Kalamian rather than Nurse, who received much of the credit for the Raps’ new-look offense.

While Nurse may not have been the Raptors’ first choice – the team reportedly coveted Mike Budenholzer before he was hired by the Bucks – he’s a creative thinker who will be willing to take some risks and experiment with new approaches. That could be just with the team needs.

2. Will the Raptors break up their All-Star backcourt?

Best friends Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have excelled in the regular season for years, but remain inconsistent in the Raptors’ biggest postseason games, raising questions about whether the team can ever seriously vie for a title with Lowry and DeRozan as its best players.

Even if the Raptors decide to trade one of its two star guards, it’s unclear if either player would return the sort of value the team would want. Lowry’s abilities as a play-maker, shooter, and defender are underrated to some extent, but he’s also 32 years old and is owed $64MM+ over the next two years.

As for DeRozan, he has established himself as one of the game’s most effective scorers, expanding his shooting range in 2017/18, but he’s still not a consistent three-point threat, and he’s a below-average defender. Like Lowry, he’s pricey too, with three years and $83MM left on his contract.

Lowry and DeRozan have positive trade value, but moving contracts of that magnitude is complicated — when the Pistons traded Blake Griffin and his $29MM+ salary earlier this year, the deal involved six players, plus draft picks. Putting together a blockbuster trade with Lowry or DeRozan at the center that would appeal to both the Raptors and another team would be tough. Making it a deal that allows Toronto to rework its roster without taking a step backward would be even tougher.

3. Who are the Raptors’ other trade candidates?

The Raptors have made it clear that they’d be willing to discuss any player on their roster and are even said to be exploring the market for a lottery pick, so no one is untouchable. Having said that, there are a handful of players that Toronto will be reluctant to move. OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, for instance, look like long-term building blocks at the three and four, respectively. The Raptors would certainly prefer to trade the higher-priced veterans at those positions, like Serge Ibaka ($21.67MM) and C.J. Miles ($8.33MM), allowing the youngsters to take on larger roles.

The same could be said at center, where Jakob Poeltl often earned key minutes over Jonas Valanciunas ($16.54MM). However, Nurse is fond of Valanciunas and may like to see the club keep him around.

Toronto’s most obvious trade candidate is Norman Powell, who signed a four-year extension with the club last fall. At the time, locking up the young swingman – who had provided a spark in the playoffs and showed three-and-D potential – seemed like the savvy move. After a disappointing 2017/18 campaign, that four-year, $42MM investment looks like a misstep.

Still, Powell is young enough to bounce back, and there should be teams around the NBA willing to buy low on a high-energy wing who shot 35.1% on three-pointers prior to last season. Powell has a $1.47MM cap hit until June 30, so a team that wants to roll the dice on him could move quickly to avoid having to match his $9MM+ salary for 2018/19.

4. Will Fred VanVleet remain with the Raptors?

An undrafted rookie two years ago, VanVleet enjoyed a breakout season in 2017/18. He was the unofficial captain of the Raptors’ vaunted second unit, thriving against opposing teams’ benches and earning regular minutes in the club’s crunch-time lineups alongside Lowry and DeRozan.

VanVleet will be a restricted free agent this summer and GM Bobby Webster has said the team’s “highest priority” this offseason will be re-signing the young point guard. Negotiating with VanVleet directly would be preferable to waiting on an offer sheet, since the Arenas provision would allow a rival team to include a massive third-year raise in its offer, like the Nets did with Tyler Johnson in 2016 — Johnson’s cap hit will rise from $5.88MM to $19.25MM this summer as a result of that deal.

With Early Bird rights on VanVleet, the Raptors could offer a four-year deal worth up to about $9MM annually. That may seem like an overpay for someone whose NBA résumé is so limited, but it’s less than a third of what Lowry will earn per year, and VanVleet’s abilities as a defender and three-pointer shooter aren’t as far behind Lowry’s as you’d think.

5. Is Raptors ownership ready to pay the tax?

With Powell’s new extension about to kick in, the Raptors have a 2018/19 team salary of $126MM+ for just 11 players. That figure projects to cross the luxury tax line and doesn’t include a new deal for VanVleet.

Team ownership would likely be willing to foot a luxury tax bill for a title contender, but after a second consecutive second-round playoff exit, Toronto can’t afford to just run things back with the same group. Still, after giving up their 2018 first-round pick to dump DeMarre Carroll‘s contract last summer, the Raps also don’t want to make a habit of attaching good assets to bad contracts just to cut costs.

It’s a tough call for the franchise and one that ownership will be involved in. If the Raptors re-sign VanVleet, it would be hard to avoid becoming a taxpayer, but I’d expect the team to be a little more aggressive in that scenario in its attempts to move a contract or two. It’s also worth noting that Toronto could enter the season above the tax line and still make an effort to avoid the tax later in the year by making a mid-season trade or two.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Raptors financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Kyle Lowry ($31,000,000)
DeMar DeRozan ($27,739,975)
Serge Ibaka ($21,666,667)
Jonas Valanciunas ($16,539,326)
Norman Powell ($9,367,200)
C.J. Miles ($8,333,333)
Jakob Poeltl ($2,947,320)
Delon Wright ($2,536,898)
OG Anunoby ($1,952,760)
Malachi Richardson ($1,569,360)
Pascal Siakam ($1,544,951)
Justin Hamilton ($1,000,000) — Waived via stretch provision
Total: $126,197,790

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Alfonzo McKinnie ($1,378,242)¹
Total: $1,378,242

Restricted Free Agents

Lucas Nogueira ($4,140,964 qualifying offer / $8,841,915 cap hold): Bird rights
Nando De Colo ($1,828,750 qualifying offer / $1,901,900 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Fred VanVleet ($1,699,698 qualifying offer / $1,699,698 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Total: $12,443,513

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Lorenzo Brown ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
Jason Thompson ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
Total: $2,999,396

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: None

The Raptors have more than $126MM in guaranteed salaries on their books before even accounting for a raise for VanVleet. They won’t have cap space available.

Footnotes:

McKinnie’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 20.

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seven Teams Discussing No. 4 Pick With Grizzlies

June 20th, 2018 at 11:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies remain in discussions with a number of clubs about the possibility of a trade involving the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com. Givony identifies the Mavericks, Magic, Bulls, Knicks, Nuggets, Celtics, and Clippers as teams that have shown “varying degrees of interest” in making a deal.

Memphis has been exploring the idea of trading the No. 4 selection throughout the pre-draft process, and would like to include Chandler Parsons‘ unwanted contract in any swap. According to Givony, Parsons would likely be part of any deal Memphis makes involving that fourth overall pick.

Sources tell Givony that the Grizzlies don’t want to move out of the lottery altogether, so teams picking within a few spots of Memphis will likely have the best odds of making a deal, which could be bad news for a club like Boston. According to Givony, the Grizzlies have their eye on Wendell Carter Jr. as a potential target, so they may not want to drop too far — Carter is considered a probable top-10 pick.

A trade involving the Grizzlies and Magic, who hold the No. 6 pick, might appeal to Memphis if Orlando is willing to include Evan Fournier, per Givony. However, the Magic are hesitant to do so, preferring to offer up Bismack Biyombo. We heard earlier on Wednesday evening that the Knicks have considered a move up – perhaps to No. 4 – for Mohamed Bamba.

It’s possible that trade talks will go right down to the wire, since teams interested in moving up will likely want to make sure that their preferred prospect is available at No. 4.

For what it’s worth, Kevin O’Connor reported earlier in the evening (via Twitter) that the Mavs, Magic, Bulls, Knicks, Clippers, and Celtics have also explored the possibility of moving up to No. 3 in a trade with the Hawks. O’Connor suggested that Luka Doncic or Bamba would be the targets in that spot.

Lakers Front Office Wary Of Tampering Possibility

June 20th, 2018 at 10:49pm CST by clarkcrum

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN is reporting that the Lakers, who have been fined for tampering twice in the past calendar year (links here), recently called an organizational meeting warning all employees about possible tampering ahead of the upcoming free agent signing period.

The Lakers, who are expected to play a key role during free agency this summer, also sent written notices to employees that referenced possible termination as punishment for anyone who does not adhere to NBA rules.

Per Shelburne, Lakers’ co-owner and governor Jeanie Buss called the meeting, which was led by president of basketball operations Magic Johnson who, somewhat ironically, was involved in both of the team’s prior tampering violations.

As our Hoops Rumors Glossary shows, the July Moratorium doesn’t allow free agent deals to become official until July 6. However, free agents are still permitted to negotiate with teams and agree to terms on new contracts during the moratorium. As such, the Lakers, as with the other 29 NBA franchises, aren’t allowed to begin negotiating with free agents until midnight on July 1.

Five Key Offseason Questions: Boston Celtics

June 20th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Buoyed by savvy free agent signings, last summer’s acquisition of Kyrie Irving, and years of draft picks from 2013’s blockbuster Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade, the Celtics improved their regular-season win total for the fourth consecutive season in 2017/18, coming within one game of an NBA Finals appearance.

The team’s performance was made all the more remarkable by the fact that Gordon Hayward missed the entire season and Irving was unavailable during the playoffs. The absence of the Celtics’ two veteran stars allowed youngsters like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier to take on larger roles than anticipated, and those players thrived with their increased responsibilities.

Now, it will be fascinating to see what the C’s look like when their stars get healthy and those players on rookie contracts enter the season confident in their ability to be impact players.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. Will the Celtics make another major trade this offseason?

Before acquiring Irving from the Cavaliers last August, the Celtics seemed unwilling to dip into their treasure trove of assets for the league’s top trade candidates, most notably missing out on Paul George earlier that summer. However, the Irving deal showed that Danny Ainge and his front office were ready to pull the trigger when the right opportunity arises.

Unlike in 2016 and 2017, when the Celtics handed out maximum-salary contracts to Horford and Hayward, respectively, they’ll head into the 2018 offseason without any cap room available. That means the trade market represents Boston’s best chance to make another major splash.

The Celtics still have a ton of trade assets available, including future first-round picks from the Kings, Grizzlies, and Clippers, but they can afford to be patient and wait for the right opportunity, since their championship window should remain open for a while.

If Kawhi Leonard becomes available, he’d make sense as a trade target for the Celtics, but putting together a trade package could be tricky. The club doesn’t currently have any players set to earn between $7MM and $20MM in 2018/19, which makes salary-matching a chore. If Boston doesn’t want to part with Irving, Hayward, or Horford, that would mean building an offer using multiple young players, likely including Brown and Rozier.

A package headlined by Brown, Rozier, and the Kings’ 2019 first-round pick (top-1 protected) would probably appeal to the Spurs, but the Celtics would be rolling the dice on a player who is entering a contract year, coming off a major injury, and reportedly has a preference to play on the other side of the country (for the Lakers).

Given how cautious they were when they discussed trade targets like George and Jimmy Butler, I wouldn’t necessarily expect the C’s to go all-in on a risky investment like Leonard. Especially since we still haven’t seen how good the current core can be when everyone’s healthy.

2. Will the Celtics re-sign Marcus Smart?

Of course, that “current core” includes a couple players who will be free agents this summer, with Smart the most notable veteran in that group. While his shooting numbers haven’t improved during his four-year career, Smart is an elite perimeter defender and a culture-setting presence in Boston. His value extends far beyond his box-score numbers, and the Celtics figure to make a strong effort to keep him around.

With three max contracts already on their books and Brown and Tatum in line for massive new deals down the road, the Celtics will be wary of investing too heavily in Smart. Even if they can avoid the tax this season, the C’s will likely become a taxpaying club down the road, so any long-term commitment warrants serious consideration.

A $10-12MM annual salary for Smart would likely appeal to the Celtics, but the four-year veteran has already said he feels he’s worth more than $12-14MM per year. If another team agrees and signs him to an aggressive offer sheet – say, $60MM over four years – it would be very hard for the C’s to justify matching it.

It’s a good problem to have, but the downside of drafting well and effectively identifying talent is that you can’t necessarily afford to keep everyone. In the coming weeks, Smart may become a casualty of the front office’s success.

3. Will the Celtics extend Terry Rozier?

While Smart’s rookie deal expires this offseason, Rozier remains under contract for one more year, making him eligible for a rookie scale extension as of July 1. Rozier, who emerged as a play-maker and shot-maker in Irving’s absence, has a different skill set than Smart, but the duo’s positional overlap means their futures in Boston may be tied together. If the Celtics invest heavily in Smart, it would reduce the odds of a lucrative long-term deal for Rozier, and vice versa.

With Smart’s future likely to be determined in July, the Celtics can afford to wait on extension talks with Rozier. If Smart re-signs, the team may be more inclined to include Rozier in a trade package for an impact player. If not, those extension negotiations will likely take place before the 2018/19 regular-season opener.

Ultimately, I don’t expect the Celtics and Rozier to come together on an extension agreement this year. That doesn’t mean Rozier’s days in Boston are numbered, but it means that it makes some sense for both sides to take a wait-and-see approach. The Celtics will still have the right of first refusal on Rozier as a restricted free agent in 2019, which is the same year Irving can reach the open market.

4. How will the Celtics address the center position?

While Horford has been a center throughout his 11-year NBA career, Basketball-Reference’s positional data indicates he only played 57% of his minutes at the five in 2017/18. Against certain teams and certain lineups, it made more sense for Horford to play the four, alongside a center like Aron Baynes, Daniel Theis, or Greg Monroe.

Theis has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2018/19, and after a strong first season in Boston, it’s a no-brainer to bring him back. However, Baynes and Monroe will both be unrestricted free agents. I don’t expect the Celtics to have much interest in re-signing Monroe, and Baynes might have priced himself out of the team’s range with a strong year — he even flashed outside shooting potential at the end of the season, making 11 of 23 three-pointers in the playoffs.

If Baynes and Monroe don’t return, the Celtics may have to scour the free agent market in search of another bargain at the five after investing approximately $5MM in Baynes and Theis for the 2017/18 season.

One intriguing candidate would be Nerlens Noel, whose stock has taken a hit after underwhelming stints in Philadelphia and Dallas. The former lottery pick is still only 24 years old and has potential that has yet to be unlocked. While Brad Stevens may not be able to turn him into the player he was expected to become out of Kentucky, Noel seems capable of giving the Celtics a solid 20 minutes per game, pairing with Horford to create an imposing defensive duo up front.

If there’s no mutual interest between Noel and the Celtics, Tarik Black, Alex Len, and Kyle O’Quinn are among the other veteran free agents the club could kick the tires on.

5. What will the Celtics do with the No. 27 pick?

While the Celtics have had a ton of draft success in recent years, it’s easier to strike gold with a top-three pick than it is at No. 27. Boston’s scouting department will be put to the test this year as the team looks to add another promising young prospect to its core.

Fortunately for the C’s, the back half of the first round this year looks to be littered with the kind of players the organization loves. This year’s draft class is a deep one, and is heavy on wings.

At No. 27, it’s possible that guys like Troy Brown, Kevin Huerter, Josh Okogie, Dzanan Musa, Chandler Hutchison, Donte DiVincenzo, and Grayson Allen will no longer be available. But even if they aren’t, the Celtics could still have several good options, including Bruce Brown, Jacob Evans, Khyri Thomas,and Melvin Frazier.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Celtics financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Gordon Hayward ($31,214,295)
Al Horford ($28,928,710)
Kyrie Irving ($20,099,189)
Jayson Tatum ($6,700,800)
Marcus Morris ($5,375,000)
Jaylen Brown ($5,169,960)
Terry Rozier ($3,050,390)
Guerschon Yabusele ($2,667,600)
Semi Ojeleye ($901,965) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.¹
Abdel Nader ($450,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.²
Demetrius Jackson ($92,857) — Waived via stretch provision
Total: $104,650,766

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Daniel Theis ($1,378,242)³
Abdel Nader ($928,242) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.²
Semi Ojeleye ($476,277) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.¹
Total: $2,782,761

Restricted Free Agents

Marcus Smart ($6,053,719 qualifying offer / $13,614,060 cap hold): Bird rights
Jonathan Gibson ($1,699,698 qualifying offer / $1,699,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Total: $15,313,758

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Greg Monroe ($6,000,000): Non-Bird rights
Aron Baynes ($5,193,600): Non-Bird rights
No. 27 overall pick ($1,640,266)
Shane Larkin ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
Total: $14,333,564

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: None

After carrying cap room and vying for the top free agents during the last couple offseasons, the Celtics head into the summer of 2018 over the cap. Even if they renounce all their free agents, they’d still be over the projected $101MM cap line due to their $104MM+ in guaranteed salaries. With their eight fully guaranteed contracts, plus Theis, Ojeleye, Nader, and the cap hold for their first-round pick, the Celtics’ total team salary increases to $109,073,793.

Footnotes:

Ojeleye’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 15.
Nader’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 1.
Theis’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 10.

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Knicks’ Kyle O’Quinn Declines Player Option

June 20th, 2018 at 8:05pm CST by clarkcrum

Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn has declined his player option for the 2018/19 season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. O’Quinn will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Quinn, 28, enjoyed a career year with the Knicks during the 2017/18 season, averaging a career-high 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game with a .598/..235/.772 shooting line.

Unlike the Hawks’ Dewayne Dedmon, who was reported to have picked up his player option at nearly the same time that news broke on O’Quinn, the Knicks’ big man was only scheduled to make $4,256,250 next season, nearly $3MM less than what Dedmon will make.

As noted by Bobby Marks of ESPN, O’Quinn’s decision to decline his option likely won’t have any impact on the Knicks’ 2018/19 cap situation unless Enes Kanter also decides to decline his $18.62MM option, as the Knicks would likely only have the ability to operate under the cap if Kanter becomes a free agent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks’ Dewayne Dedmon Exercises Player Option

June 20th, 2018 at 7:52pm CST by clarkcrum

Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon has opted into his contract for the 2018/19 season, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Dedmon will earn a salary of $7,200,000 next year after exercising his player option.

Dedmon, 28, enjoyed a career-best season in Atlanta during the 2017/18 campaign, averaging a career-high in points (10.0), rebounds (7.9), and assists (1.5) per game. Dedmon was even able to increase his range to the three-point line, shooting a relatively respectable 35.5% from deep on 141 attempts after only attempting one three-pointer in his entire career before this season.

Despite those improved numbers, it remained unlikely that Dedmon would have commanded a higher annual salary than the $7.2MM he will earn next season.

Meanwhile, the Hawks have openly discussed their plans to build for the future, so Dedmon’s expiring contract could potentially become a trade asset sometime in the not-so-distant future. However, given Dedmon’s production, he’s probably an unlikely candidate to be waived.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Load More Posts