2019 March | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Will Kemba Walker Re-Sign With Hornets?

March 22nd, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

When longtime Hornets beat reporter Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer addressed Kemba Walker‘s contract situation in a column this past Sunday, his piece opened with a compelling lede.

“I no longer think it’s likely Kemba Walker re-signs with the Charlotte Hornets,” Bonnell wrote. “More importantly, I no longer can give you a strong argument why he should.”

Walker has had another terrific season in Charlotte, averaging a career-high 25.0 PPG to go along with 5.7 APG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.3 SPG. On a team that features no clear second-best player, Kemba earned All-Star honors for a third straight year and has single-handedly kept Charlotte in the playoff race.

Walker has also repeatedly expressed a desire to remain in Charlotte, despite the fact that the team hasn’t won a playoff series since he arrived in 2011. The Hornets have reciprocated that interest — after briefly gauging the trade market for the star point guard prior to the 2018 trade deadline, the team replaced GM Rich Cho with Mitch Kupchak, who has maintained since his hiring that he wants to retain Walker going forward.

Still, with the Hornets’ playoff hopes fading fast and unrestricted free agency right around the corner, Walker definitely can’t be considered a lock to stay, Bonnell writes. While Charlotte could offer him more years and dollars than any rival suitor, doing so would make it that much harder to build a contender around him in the coming years, as Bonnell observes. And Kemba, who turns 29 in May, figures to be seeking an opportunity to contend as he decides where he wants to spend his next few years.

A looming All-NBA decision could have an impact on the summer negotiations between Walker and the Hornets. If he earns an All-NBA spot, the former UConn standout would be eligible for a five-year deal that starts at up to 35% of the cap, rather than 30%. The difference would work out to a projected $31MM+ over those five years. Would the Hornets put that offer on the table if they’re able to? Would it sway Walker’s decision? It’s hard to say at this point, but it’s a factor worth considering.

If Walker seriously considers other teams, there should be no shortage of outside options for him. The Knicks and Mavericks are among the clubs that have been most frequently cited as possible suitors, but there will be many more teams with the ability to open maximum-salary cap room. And there are just as many teams that could use a guard with Walker’s scoring, shooting, and play-making abilities.

What do you think? Will Walker ultimately decide to stick with the Hornets after another disappointing season in Charlotte? Or do you expect the three-time All-Star to move on and sign with a new team this summer?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your two cents on Walker’s future.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Kelly Oubre Out For Rest Of Season

March 22nd, 2019 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 22: The Suns have officially announced that Oubre underwent a procedure on his sprained left thumb, ruling him out for approximately four to six weeks.

MARCH 21: Suns forward Kelly Oubre is set to undergo a minor procedure on his left thumb, which will sideline him for the rest of the 2018/19 season, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The regular season will end in less than three weeks, and Oubre’s recovery projects to take about four to six weeks, per Wojnarowski.

Oubre will be a restricted free agent this summer and should be fully recovered well before he’s eligible to sign a new deal in July. As Wojnarowski observes, the 23-year-old’s play since arriving in Phoenix has also helped raise his stock as he prepares to enter free agency.

In 40 games for the Suns, Oubre has averaged 16.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 29.5 minutes per contest. Since entering the starting lineup after the All-Star break, he has boosted those numbers to 20.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.1 SPG with a .469/.343/.750 shooting line in 12 games.

The Suns will have the right of first refusal on Oubre this offseason, assuming they issue him a qualifying offer, so they’d have the ability to match any offer sheet he signs. While Phoenix’s small forward spot is somewhat overcrowded, Oubre – who was acquired earlier this season in the swap that sent Trevor Ariza to D.C. – looks like a potential keeper.

With Oubre sidelined down the stretch and T.J. Warren still on the shelf too, Mikal Bridges and Josh Jackson should get the opportunity to play big minutes in Phoenix’s final 10 games.

Grizzlies Bring On Two New Minority Shareholders

March 22nd, 2019 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Joshua Kushner and Brandon Arrindell have purchased separate minority stakes in the Grizzlies, league sources tell Geoff Calkins and Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. A team spokesperson has confirmed the news to The Daily Memphian, while Kevin Draper and Marc Stein of the New York Times report that Kushner’s transaction was finalized in February.

Kushner, the founder of venture capital investment firm Thrive Capital, is the brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, though he’s a lifelong Democrat who said he voted against Trump, per The Times’ report. Neither Jared nor his father Charles is involved in Joshua’s investment in the Grizzlies, Draper and Stein add.

According to Calkins and Herrington, Arrindell is a senior analyst and principal at Southeastern Asset Management, a local investment management firm which boasts another Grizzlies minority owner – Staley Cates – as its vice-chairman.

It’s not clear how much of the team the Grizzlies’ new minority shareholders will control. Per the Daily Memphian’s report, a stake of 10% or more would trigger a review by the NBA’s Board of Governors, and that didn’t happen. A league source tells Calkins and Harrington that Kushner’s and Arrindell’s new shares are of “comparable though perhaps not equal” value.

Grizzlies controlling owner Robert Pera reached a deal about a year ago to buy out Steve Kaplan and Daniel Straus, who owned approximately 28% of the team at that time. It seems likely that the portion of the franchise sold to Kushner and Arrindell came out of those shares.

Syracuse’s Tyus Battle To Enter 2019 NBA Draft

March 22nd, 2019 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Following his junior season, Syracuse swingman Tyus Battle intends to enter the 2019 NBA draft and go pro, a source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. News of Battle’s decision comes shortly after the Orange were eliminated from the NCAA tournament following a Thursday loss to Baylor.

In 32 games for Syracuse in 2018/19, Battle averaged 17.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.5 APG with a .431/.321/.763 shooting line. He tested the draft waters a year ago, but ultimately decided to withdraw and return to college for another year.

At the time he pulled out of 2018’s draft, Battle was ranked 40th overall on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. Over the last year, he has slipped to No. 63 on that list, so he’s not a lock to be drafted. While he’s a candidate to come off the board in the second round, Zagoria has heard from a couple NBA sources that Battle may be a candidate for a two-way contract next season (Twitter link).

The Clippers, Nets, Magic, Lakers, and Knicks were reportedly among the teams that worked out Battle when he went through the pre-draft process in 2018.

Hoops Rumors Commenting Policy

March 22nd, 2019 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

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Community Shootaround: Defensive Player Of The Year

March 22nd, 2019 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Around the NBA, the field of legit contenders in many of this year’s award races has been narrowed to just one or two players. It’s hard to imagine anyone besides Giannis Antetokounmpo or James Harden being named Most Valuable Player. Trae Young looks like the only real threat to Luka Doncic for Rookie of the Year. And Lou Williams appears to be tightening his grip on a second consecutive Sixth Man of the Year award.

However, no clear frontrunner has emerged yet for Defensive Player of the Year. The award is typically one of the trickier ones to forecast, since voters have to rely on much different metrics and statistics than they would for most of the NBA’s other accolades. With so many different ways to measure a player’s defensive impact, it’s impossible to rely on a single stat, and it’s rare that every defensive metric will point to a single candidate.

For instance, Rudy Gobert – last season’s Defensive Player of the Year – figures to be a popular choice again this time around. In terms of defensive real plus-minus, he easily ranks first among players who have averaged at least 20 minutes per game. He’s also tied for fourth in total defensive win shares. However, his on/off-court numbers suggest that the Jazz have actually been a slightly better defensive team when Gobert isn’t on the court — their 103.1 defensive rating when he sits edges out their 103.5 rating when he plays.

Joel Embiid, on the other hand, ranks far down the list in DRPM, but has more defensive win shares per game than Gobert, and the Sixers have a noticeably better defensive rating when he plays (103.1) than when he doesn’t (107.7).

Antetokounmpo, who ranks first in the NBA in defensive win shares, isn’t necessarily the same sort of rim-protecting anchor that Gobert and Embiid are, but he can play that role if needed, in addition to chasing more active players around the perimeter.

Marcus Smart and Paul George are two of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, and you could make an argument in favor of either player this season. George’s case is particularly compelling, given the quality of the players he has matched up against, and his impact on the Thunder‘s defensive net rating (102.8 when he plays vs. 107.4 when he doesn’t).

This list of players – and statistics – is just a start, as there are several other candidates who deserve consideration for 2018/19’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

What do you think? Who is your pick for Defensive Player of the Year? Is there an under-the-radar contender you believe deserves the honor? Which factors do you believe should be weighed more or less heavily when making a selection?

Head below the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!

Suns Sign Jimmer Fredette

March 22nd, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 22: The Suns have made it official, announcing Fredette’s new deal today in a press release.

MARCH 21: The Suns have reached an agreement to sign former lottery pick Jimmer Fredette to a rest-of-season contract which will include a team option for 2019/20, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Because Phoenix has an open spot on its 15-man roster, no corresponding move will be required to create an opening.

The move is not yet official, as Fredette still requires clearance after spending the 2018/19 season in the Chinese Basketball Association, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. That should happen soon.

Once Fredette officially finalizes his new deal with the Suns, he’ll be back in the NBA for the first time since the 2015/16 season, when he appeared in just six games for the Pelicans and Knicks. Since then, the 30-year-old guard has made a name for himself in China, where he has put up huge scoring numbers for the Shanghai Sharks. In 43 games this season, Fredette averaged a league-leading 36.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, and 2.6 SPG.

Although he never developed into a reliable rotation player in 235 games for the Kings, Bulls, Pelicans, and Knicks, the former BYU star has said that he feels as if he’d succeed if given another opportunity in the NBA. Given how often teams are launching three-point shots these days, Fredette’s outside touch should be an asset — he made 38.1% of his three-point attempts in his previous five NBA seasons.

“I definitely get that itch when I watch NBA games, I know that I can be out there,” Fredette told Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype in November. “They’re shooting so many three-pointers and so much of it has to do with space, movement and transition. During half-court sets, they’re looking to space and drive and shoot and that plays into my skill set so well. It’s absolutely my style. I see their offensive systems and everyone can use another shooter, another scorer.”

The Suns will now have a full 15-man roster, with all 15 players on guaranteed contracts. The exact terms of Fredette’s deal aren’t yet known, but if he signed for the minimum, his non-guaranteed 2019/20 option would be worth just shy of $2MM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Sign-And-Trades

March 22nd, 2019 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Each year when July rolls around, a ton of NBA free agents sign new contracts and teams around the league consummate trades. However, on a few occasions, these two forms of transactions are combined into something called a sign-and-trade deal. Sign-and-trades occur when a team re-signs its own free agent, only to immediately send him to another team in exchange for players, draft picks, and/or cash.

In order for a sign-and-trade deal to be completed, the following criteria must be met:

A free agent must be signed-and-traded by the team with whom he finished the season. For instance, the Sixers could sign-and-trade Jimmy Butler this offseason, but another team couldn’t sign Butler and immediately move him.
If the free agent is restricted, he can’t be signed-and-traded after he signs an offer sheet with a rival team.
A team acquiring a player via sign-and-trade cannot be over the tax apron after the deal, and can’t have used the taxpayer mid-level exception.
A free agent can’t be signed-and-traded once the regular season is underway.
A free agent can’t be signed using the mid-level exception or any exception that doesn’t allow for a three-year contract.
A player receiving a Designated Veteran contract can’t be signed-and-traded.

Sign-and-trade contracts can be worth any amount up to the player’s maximum salary (with 5% annual raises), and must be for either three or four years. However, only the first year of the deal has to be fully guaranteed.

If a sign-and-trade contract includes a signing bonus, either team can agree to pay it, though if the signing team pays it, it counts toward that club’s limit for cash included in trades for that league year. As for trade bonuses, they would kick in upon any subsequent trades rather than as part of the sign-and-trade transaction itself.

Under some previous Collective Bargaining Agreements, there was more incentive for players to work out sign-and-trade deals, since the contract restrictions weren’t as strict. For example, when Kevin Durant hits free agency this summer, he’d be eligible for a five-year contract worth up to a projected $221.27MM if he re-signs with the Warriors, but only four years and approximately $164MM with another team.

Prior to 2011’s CBA agreement, Durant could have received that five-year deal if Golden State had signed-and-traded him. But if the Dubs sign-and-trade KD this summer, he’d only be eligible for that four-year, $164MM max.

Under the current CBA, there’s less incentive for teams and players to participate in sign-and-trades. Generally, if a player wants to change teams, it makes more sense for him to sign with the new team outright, rather than making that club give up assets to complete the acquisition. Even the player’s old team may prefer to simply let the free agent walk and claim the resulting cap space, rather than taking back unwanted assets in a sign-and-trade.

There are other roadblocks as well. A team acquiring a player via sign-and-trade subsequently becomes hard-capped for the rest of that league year. Plus, a signed-and-traded player’s salary may be viewed differently than it would be in a standard trade for salary-matching purposes, which can compromise a team’s ability to meet those salary-matching requirements.

If a potential suitor is over the cap and under the tax, and wants to sign a player for more than the mid-level amount, then a sign-and-trade could make sense, particularly if that team can offer the free agent’s prior team something of value. But these transactions are becoming less frequent than they once were.

Since the summer of 2015, only four players have been involved in sign-and-trade deals: Kyle O’Quinn (2015), Troy Daniels (2016), Matthew Dellavedova (2016), and Danilo Gallinari (2017). No sign-and-trades were completed during the 2018/19 league year.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

An earlier version of this post was published in 2013 by Luke Adams.

Tim Hardaway Jr. To Miss Rest Of Season

March 22nd, 2019 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s first season with the Mavericks will come to an early end, as the team has shut down the veteran wing after he suffered a stress reaction in his left tibia, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

Hardaway, 27, arrived in Dallas last month along with Kristaps Porzingis, Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke as part of a blockbuster trade with the Knicks. In 19 games (29.4 MPG) for his new team, he averaged 15.5 PPG on .404/.321/.767 shooting.

There are still two more years on Hardaway’s contract after this season, including a 2020/21 player option, so he’s expected to remain a part of the Mavs’ roster and rotation going forward. Since the former Knick previously battled a stress injury in his left leg during the 2017/18 season, he and the team figure to be extra cautious with his latest ailment. However, there’s no indication that he won’t be fully healthy and ready to go for the 2019/20 season.

With Hardaway on the shelf, Justin Jackson and Ryan Broekhoff look like prime candidates to see their roles increase down the stretch. Jackson moved into Dallas’ starting lineup for the first time on Thursday, while Broekhoff logged 17 minutes after playing a total of just six minutes in the team’s previous eight games.

Pacific Notes: Bogut, Rivers, Crawford, Buss

March 21st, 2019 at 10:47pm CST by JD Shaw

Andrew Bogut returned to the Warriors this month after spending the last three years away from the team, rejoining the franchise he won a championship with in 2015. Bogut played a key role on that championship squad, forever stamping his mark in history as the club’s starting center.

The break-up between Bogut and the Warriors was rather simple, and both sides understood one another: Golden State cleared cap space as the summer of 2016 approached, gearing up for a run at Kevin Durant in free agency. Bogut was one of the players separated at the time.

“Look, I’m not stupid, man,” Bogut told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “The dude they made cap space for, I mean, look who he is. I’m not an idiot. You know, if it was someone else, a 12th man, I’d be pissed. But it’s one of the best players in basketball. So I totally get it.

“Was I disappointed? Of course. I wasn’t happy to get traded from a team that just went 73-9, went to the Finals, thought we had a chance to win it, but didn’t. But as far as hating the Warriors? No. I kept in touch with all the guys in this locker room — Andre, Draymond, Steph, Klay at times. Former guys like Harrison. Steve would text me.”

With no hard feelings or ill will toward the team, Bogut left Australia and returned to Oakland for what could be another championship run in the spring. He’s expected to provide frontcourt depth and a veteran presence for the club, with the 34-year-old having already played multiple seasons with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and other former teammates.

Here are some other notes from the Pacific Division tonight:

Players on the Clippers appreciate the long-term commitment given by head coach Doc Rivers this week, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. Rivers revealed that he and team owner Steve Ballmer verbally agreed on a contract extension last summer, one that will likely become official in the coming months. “It’s gonna be fun,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously, I like playing for Doc. Good coach. He’s helped me get better in ways I couldn’t have imagined. The fact that he’s committed to us the same way we’re committed to him every night on the floor is cool.”
Suns veteran Jamal Crawford reflected on his season in Phoenix, calling this year “the most challenging year by far on so many levels” of his NBA career. “This is a younger team and I’m having to lead more,” Crawford said, as relayed by Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I’m talking more than I ever have as well. Just different challenges.” Phoenix has the second-worst record in the league at 17-55, with Crawford stepping into more of a leadership role to help the team’s younger players.
Jeanie Buss has a golden opportunity to become more of an active owner with the Lakers following their disappointing season, Bill Oram of The Athletic writes. The underwhelming acquisitions made by president Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka, a lack of overall camaraderie between the players, and an awkward fit on the court have generated questions from fans and league observers, something Buss will have to take a closer look at during the offseason.

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