2018 August | Hoops Rumors

2018/19 NBA Contract Extension Tracker

August 15th, 2018 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

So far this offseason, we’ve been keeping close tabs on the way teams are acquiring new players, tracking free agent signings, draft pick signings, draft-and-stash deals, two-way contracts, trades, and waiver claims. However, there’s one more form of transaction worth monitoring: contract extensions.

Extensions, of course, don’t involve adding a new player to the roster. By extending a contract, a team ensures that a current player will remain locked up for multiple years to come. Although a contract extension may not change the club’s outlook on the court, it can have a major impact on that team’s salary cap situation for the next several summers.

Rookie scale extensions are the most common form of contract extension, and Devin Booker became the first member of the 2015 draft class to sign one back in July. However, he’s unlikely to be the last. There are many other players eligible for new deals up until the October 15 deadline, and it’s common for about four to eight players entering the final year of their respective rookie contracts to sign extensions.

While they’ve historically been less common than rookie-scale extensions, veteran extensions are happening a little more frequently these days, with the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement expanding the rules for eligibility and creating some additional incentives for star players to sign new deals before they reach free agency. Seven players signed veteran extensions during the 2017/18 league year. Kevin Love was the first veteran to sign one this offseason.

Listed below are the players who have finalized contract extensions so far in the 2018/19 league year. This list, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site (or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu) will be kept up to date throughout the offseason, and even throughout the ’18/19 regular season if any veteran players ink an extension at that point.

Veteran extensions:

Kevin Love (Cavaliers): Four years, $120,402,172 (story). Starts in 2019/20.
Eric Bledsoe (Bucks): Four years, $70MM (story). Partial guarantee ($3.9MM) in fourth year. Starts in 2019/20.
Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets): Three years, $34,360,473 (story). Third-year player option. Starts in 2019/20.

Rookie scale extensions:

Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves): Five years, 25% maximum salary (story). Projected value of $158,050,000. Can be worth 30% of the cap (projected value of $189,660,000) if Towns earns All-NBA honors or wins MVP or DPOY in 2018/19. Starts in 2019/20.
Devin Booker (Suns): Five years, 25% maximum salary (story). Projected value of $158,050,000. Can be worth up to 30% (projected value of $189,660,000) if Booker earns First Team All-NBA honors in 2018/19. Starts in 2019/20.
Myles Turner (Pacers): Four years, $72MM (story). Includes $8MM in unlikely incentives. Starts in 2019/20.
Larry Nance Jr. (Cavaliers): Four years, $44.8MM (story). Starts in 2019/20.
Justise Winslow (Heat): Three years, $39MM (story). Third-year team option. Starts in 2019/20.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Eastern Rumors: Embiid, Wade, Kander, Magic

August 15th, 2018 at 12:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid‘s ability to work out this summer without restrictions may turn out to be the Sixers’ biggest offseason improvement, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic details. Embiid has always been in rehab mode from foot or knee injuries during his previous offseasons, Bodner notes. This summer, Embiid has been working with renown skills coach Drew Hanlen to refine his offensive game, which could vault Embiid into a greater level of dominance and consistency, Bodner continues. Hanlen has put a great emphasis on making Embiid virtually unstoppable in the low post while also creating more open looks for his teammates and committing fewer turnovers, Bodner adds.

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

If Dwyane Wade returns to the Heat, he’ll be part of the rotation, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Adding Wade to the backcourt would create a logjam that would likely cut dramatically into Tyler Johnson‘s minutes, Winderman adds. Wade has indicated if he plays next season, it will be with the Heat.
Former Pistons strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander has turned down a position with the franchise but will remain in a consultant’s role, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Kander, who worked with the team for 23 seasons, has given the front office input on its search for a new medical director and has also been involved in Reggie Jackson‘s offseason training, Ellis continues. Last season’s director of sports medicine and head trainer, Jon Ishop, is no longer with the organization, Ellis adds.
The Magic will not host the All-Star Game until at least 2024, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports. The franchise put in a bid to host the 2023 All-Star Weekend and were informed by league officials that another location will be selected, Robbins continues. The sites for the next three All-Star Games have already been set, starting with Charlotte next season, and Orlando can’t host in 2022 because of a major convention in the city, Robbins adds.

Heat Sign Forward Marcus Lee

August 15th, 2018 at 11:08am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have signed undrafted forward Marcus Lee, according to a team press release.

The terms of the contract were not released but it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal, which would allow Miami to designate Lee as an affiliate player in order to retain his G League rights if he’s waived during training camp.

The 6’9′ Lee played one season at Cal, averaging 11.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.6 BPG and 1.3 APG in 27.8 MPG while shooting 56.3% from the field as a senior. He began his college career at Kentucky.

Lee was a member of the Cavaliers’ summer league squad, averaging 6.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 1.6 blocks in 15.9 MPG while appearing in seven games.

Western Notes: Kuzma, Anthony, Thunder, Jazz

August 15th, 2018 at 10:04am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma doesn’t think his team will have to wait a year to contend, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. Kuzma believes the additions of LeBron James and other big-name free agents makes them instant contenders. “We think that a lot of people are underestimating us,” he told Youngmisuk. Kuzma added that many teams need to work on their chemistry but he’s confident the team’s younger players will blend well with the veteran additions. “I don’t know why people kind of just rule us out because we are young,” he said. “We are hungry. We are competitive. Anybody that watched us play last year, we were in a lot of games.”

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Rockets forward Nene Hilario believes Carmelo Anthony is still one of the elite players in the league, Mark Berman of KRIV tweets. “When he commits to do the right thing and they use his talent, man get out of the way. Simple as that. For me, he’s a top-10 player in the league,” Hilario told Berman. Anthony officially signed with Houston earlier this week.
The Thunder catch a little bit of a scheduling break, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman points out. Each team plays four conference foes three times while facing every other conference team four times. The Thunder only have to play the two-time defending champion Warriors three times, with the Lakers, Spurs and Grizzlies also in that group. The Grizzlies are the only projected non-playoff contender among that quartet.
The Jazz franchise has become a haven for foreign-born players and coaches, Brad Rock of the Deseret News notes. The current roster includes Rudy Gobert, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto, Naz Mitrou-Long and Thabo Sefolosha and the team also recently hired the league’s first Greek assistant coach.

Clarkson Permitted To Play In Asian Games

August 14th, 2018 at 10:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson and two other NBA players have been granted permission by the league to participate in the Asian Games. The story was first reported by CNN Philippines.

Clarkson was originally barred from playing in the event because it wasn’t sanctioned by the NBA and FIBA. The NBA has an agreement with FIBA to permit players to take part in the Olympics, the FIBA World Cup and Continental Cups, plus qualifying tournaments. The Asian Games do not fall into any of those categories, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN notes.

Clarkson will play for the Phillippines, while the Rockets’ Zhou Qi and Mavericks’ Ding Yanyuhang are expected to suit up for China, Windhorst adds. The Philippines will play their first game on Thursday when they face Kazakhstan.

Dwight Howard Is Serious About Playing At 40

August 14th, 2018 at 9:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dwight Howard wasn’t kidding about playing into his 40s. Howard, 32, declared during his introductory press conference with the Wizards that he had “another good eight years.” As Candace Buckner of the Washington Post details, Howard has changed his training regimen over the past two summers to extend his career.

Howard has slimmed down to 265 pounds with 3.3 percent body fat, according to his trainer Ed Downs. Howard weighed 285 pounds with 12.5 percent body fat when he played for the Hawks during the 2016/17 season.

Howard realized he needed to be more agile in the current NBA climate.

“When I came into this league, I was playing against the Shaqs, the Alonzo Mournings, the Jermaine O’Neals and it was more so a physical — I’m going to see who’s the strongest guy in the paint,” Howard told Buckner. “It’s like an arm wrestling match for the big guys. And nowadays, it’s not the same game. So it’s either evolve, adapt or get left behind.”

Howard, who has battled back problems during his career, proved more durable during his season with the Hornets, appearing in all 81 games in which he was eligible, Buckner notes. The only game he missed was due to a league suspension for exceeded the league’s limit for technicals.

Howard has also worked diligently on his ballhanding and shooting in order to become more versatile. Another one of Howard’s handlers, Justin Zormelo, wants his client to evolve into “his own version” of Anthony Davis or Kevin Durant.

Buckner later clarified Zormelo’s statement, assuring that Howard doesn’t think he’s at Durant’s level but simply wants to expand his game by incorporating elements from other players (Twitter links).

Southwest Notes: Capela, Anderson, Harden, Mejri

August 14th, 2018 at 7:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clint Capela‘s five-year contract with the Rockets includes $1.5MM in yearly incentives that he’s likely to reach and another $500K in yearly incentives he’s unlikely to attain, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports.

As previously noted, Capela’s $90MM is technically guaranteed for $80MM with $10MM in incentives. He’ll receive $1MM annually if he plays 2,000 minutes or if the Rockets make the Western Conference Finals. He also has a $500K annual incentive for reaching 2,000 minutes played and a defensive rebound percent greater than 30 percent. Pincus considers those incentives well within reach. As a point of reference, Capela logged 2,034 minutes in 74 regular-season games last season with a defensive rebounding percentage of 30.8.

He also has a $500K annual incentive for taking at least 150 free throws and making 65% or more, which Pincus considers unlikely. Capela shot a career-high 56% from the line last season.

If he reaches the likely incentives, the cap hits on Capela’s contract will be $15.3MM, $16.4MM, $17.5MM, $18.6MM and $19.7MM (Twitter links).

We have more from around the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies lost some scoring punch with the departure of Tyreke Evans but they’ll gain two-way versatility and playmaking efficiency from Kyle Anderson, according to Grizzlies website reporter Michael Wallace. Anderson will start at small forward but he can help Memphis at as many as four positions, Wallace continues. Anderson ranked sixth among qualifying NBA players in defensive rating last season, Wallace adds. Anderson was acquired in free agency when the Spurs declined to match a four-year, $37.2MM offer sheet.
Rockets star and league MVP James Harden is under investigation by Scottdale, Ariz. police over a nightclub incident, BrieAnna J Frank of the Arizona Republic reports. According to a TMZ report that Frank relayed, a woman was recording a scuffle involving someone in Harden’s entourage. Harden then alleged grabbed the woman’s phone and threw it onto a roof so she couldn’t sell the video footage.
Salah Mejri is once again looking at defensive-oriented reserve role with the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. The 32-year-old Mejri will back up DeAndre Jordan, though Dirk Nowitzki will also cut into Mejri’s minutes when he gets shifted to center. Mejri signed a one-year veteran’s minimum contract earlier this month.

Nets Guarantee Spencer Dinwiddie’s Contract

August 14th, 2018 at 6:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets have guaranteed the contract of point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Dinwiddie will make $1,656,092 during the upcoming season.

Brooklyn didn’t have to fully guarantee Dinwiddie’s deal until January 10, so if nothing else this gives Dinwiddie some peace of mind when he heads to training camp.

The Nets have a muddled point guard situation with D’Angelo Russell and Shabazz Napier, a rotation player with the Trail Blazers last season, also in the mix.

The Nets could also sign Dinwiddie to an extension during the season, though not until December 8, the two-year anniversary of inking his current deal, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

Dinwiddie had a breakout season in his second year with the franchise, averaging 12.6 PPG and 6.6 APG in 28.8 MPG while appearing in 80 games. The 6’6” Dinwiddie also played two seasons with the Pistons.

Jazz Waive Guard David Stockton

August 14th, 2018 at 4:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have waived guard David Stockton, the son of their Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.

This comes as no surprise since the younger Stockton had already signed to play in Germany with Medi Bayreuth. Stockton had a non-guaranteed contract with the Jazz for the upcoming season.

Stockton joined Utah on a pair of 10-day contracts, then signed for the rest of the season in early April. He appeared in three games and played nine total minutes. He also made a couple of playoff cameos.

With Stockton off the books, the Jazz now have a roster total of 18, with 14 guaranteed contracts, two non-guaranteed contracts and a pair of two-way deals. Stockton had no path to playing time on the Jazz with Ricky Rubio, Dante Exum and Raul Neto ahead of him on the point guard depth chart.

Stockton has previous overseas experience in Croatia and New Zealand. He also played three games for the Kings in 2015.

Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until January 15

August 14th, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed earlier, players who signed new contracts as free agents during the 2018/19 league year can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever comes later. That means that nearly every team has at least one player – and generally a handful – who won’t become trade-eligible until mid-December.

There’s also a small subset of free agent signees whose trade ineligibility lasts for an extra month. These players all meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.

Listed below are the players who meet this criteria and can’t be traded until at least January 15, 2019. Players who have the ability to veto trades in 2018/19 are marked with an asterisk. We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months, if necessary.

Utah Jazz

Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

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