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Markelle Fultz In Good Spot To Redeem Career

March 19th, 2019 at 5:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Markelle Fultz is still not practicing with the Magic. There remains no timetable for his return, and with the playoffs still within reach for Orlando, it would be surprising if he plays for his new team at all this season.

However, Fultz has reached a new stage in his recovery process, moving his rehab from California – where he has spent the past few months – to Orlando, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

“I think it’s what’s best for me and the team,” Fultz said. “[It’s beneficial] just being around these guys, so they see my face and I see their face. I’m going to learn as much as I can. As we make this push for the playoffs, I want to be here with my guys and just support them.”

Fultz is in a good situation to turn his young career around, as the Magic are taking a patient approach in assisting him as he looks to return to his old form. “Nobody here is rushing me. Everybody here is just open to me getting right and healthy first,” Fultz said.

Sounds like a movie we’ve seen before? Yes, the company line in Philadelphia was patience, and while the fanbase shed its typical hard-nosed Philly reputation, cheering for Fultz and embracing any progress—even baby steps—as the teenage point guard attempted to get back to his old self, the franchise grew tired of waiting. The Sixers were ready to compete in the present.

Fultz only tallied 33 games played in Philadelphia. The 2017 No. 1 overall pick was sent to the Magic from the Sixers at the trade deadline in exchange for Jonathon Simmons, a protected 2020 first-round pick (via OKC) and a 2019 second-round pick (via Cleveland).

There are reasons to believe things will be different in Orlando. The Magic are not currently built to compete for the Eastern Conference crown and the media coverage isn’t as intense in Florida as it is in the City of Brotherly Love. Fultz’s return to the court is expected to be less pressurized than it was in Post-Process Philly.

There is also less competition for a prominent role in the backcourt, as Orlando has no point guard of the future on its roster. Veteran point guard D.J. Augustin has been one of the Magic’s most crucial players, but he’ll turn 32 at the beginning of next season and will become a free agent at the end of it.

The Magic have taken shots at a few other guard prospects who have flamed out elsewhere with no real success. Jerian Grant held a role until being supplanted by Isaiah Briscoe. When Briscoe injured his knee, the team took a flyer on former No. 11 overall pick Michael Carter-Williams, though MCW is only on a 10-day contract and could wake up next Monday without a job.

There’s some thought within NBA circles that teams are giving up on top draft picks too soon. Clippers coach Doc Rivers recently argued that teams are too finicky with regard to their top draft selections.

“You look at each draft and there’s guys that come out at 19 and they don’t take off right away. They get moved around, and the next thing you know, they’re players,” River said in reference to D’Angelo Russell and his son, Austin Rivers.

Part of the angst organizations face with past top draft selections is financially driven. Top draft picks can extremely cost efficient if they bloom, but if they wilt, their salaries can be burdensome. As part of his rookie deal, Fultz takes home slightly under $8.4MM this season and will collect roughly $9.7MM next year. The franchise will have to make a decision on his $12.3MM salary for 2020/21 by this fall.

For now, Fultz is confident that his rehab is going in the right direction. “It’s going great. I’m feeling really good. I’m happy. I’m blessed. And as I’m going forward, I’m just sticking with the plan and just going through rehab,” the point guard told Robbins.

Many people living in Northeast American cities take trips to Florida to slow down and decompress from their typical work life and while Fultz is hard at work in rehab, he’ll get to experience a similar effect. A new environment provides him with a relaxed approach compared to the hustle-and-bustle mentality of the bigger city life and that might be just what the 20-year-old needs to get back on track.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Draft Notes: Zion, Reddish, Smits, Whitt

March 19th, 2019 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Zion Williamson, unsurprisingly, remains at No. 1 in the latest mock draft from ESPN insiders Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz. As Schmitz explains, while Williamson was already considered a lock to stay in that top spot, his performance in last week’s ACC tournament was the “latest reminder of just how far ahead of his peers he is.” Schmitz adds that the Duke forward is “far and away the most impressive collegiate prospect I’ve ever evaluated.”

Further down the draft board, Schmitz’s describes Cam Reddish‘s ACC tournament performance as the “most alarming of his yearlong disappearing acts,” though Reddish still comes in at No. 6 overall.

Meanwhile, at No. 11 overall, UNC’s Coby White has emerged as the third-best point guard in the 2019 class behind Ja Morant and Darius Garland, Schmitz writes. Morant and Garland both come in as top-four selections in ESPN’s latest mock.

Here’s more on the 2019 NBA draft:

  • Valparaiso junior Derrik Smits confirmed on Monday that he plans to test the draft waters this spring, per Paul Oren of The Times of Northwest Indiana (Twitter link). The seven-footer, the son of longtime Pacers center Rik Smits, will transfer to another program if he decides to withdraw from the draft.
  • SMU guard Jimmy Whitt has announced (via Twitter) that he’s entering his name in the 2019 draft pool. Whitt, who began his college career at Arkansas, averaged 12.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 4.0 APG in his junior year for SMU.
  • Ben Nadeau of Basketball Insiders identifies four prospects he believes will improve their stocks between now and draft day, starting with their performances in the NCAA tournament. Villanova’s Eric Paschall and Duke’s Tre Jones are among Nadeau’s picks.
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Checking In On 10-Day Contracts

March 19th, 2019 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Forty-four 10-day contracts have now been signed in 2019 by a total of 30 players, as our 10-day contract tracker shows. After inking a multiyear deal with the Timberwolves today, Cameron Reynolds became the sixth of those players to parlay a 10-day contract (or two) into a rest-of-season pact with the same team.

Teams will have until the end of March to continue signing players to 10-day deals. Once the calendar turns to April, the window for 10-day signings will close, since the season ends on April 10 — any short-term contract signed next month would simply be a rest-of-season contract.

With the help of our tracker, here are several more details and stats on this season’s 10-day contracts:

10-day contracts that are currently active:

Of these seven players, only Johnson is on his second 10-day contract with his current team. When his deal expires, the Hawks will have to sign him for the rest of the season if they want to keep him. The six other players here could each sign another 10-day contract.

Teams that have signed the most 10-day contracts:

  • Atlanta Hawks: 5 (four players)
  • Houston Rockets: 4 (three players)
  • Phoenix Suns: 4 (three players)

In total, 19 teams have signed at least one player to a 10-day contract so far this season. The Celtics, Hornets, Bulls, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pistons, Warriors, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Jazz have yet to do so.

Players who have signed 10-day contracts with multiple teams:

Players who have signed rest-of-season contracts after one or two 10-day deals:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Timberwolves Sign Cam Reynolds To Multiyear Deal

March 19th, 2019 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 19: The Timberwolves’ new deal with Reynolds is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

MARCH 15: The Timberwolves and rookie swingman Cameron Reynolds have agreed to terms on a multiyear deal, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). While Charania doesn’t provide additional details on the agreement, Reynolds’ new contract is unlikely to be fully guaranteed after this season.

An undrafted free agent out of Tulane, Reynolds signed with the Kings during the 2018 offseason, but was released before the regular season got underway. After spending most of the season with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, the 24-year-old earned a call-up from the Timberwolves last month.

Reynolds is currently on his second 10-day contract with Minnesota, having averaged 4.3 PPG in six NBA games (14.8 MPG) for the Wolves. That deal is set to expire on Monday night, so the two sides figure to make Reynolds’ multiyear contract official after that.

While there’s no guarantee that Reynolds will earn a spot on the Timberwolves’ 2019/20 roster, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets that head coach Ryan Saunders is a big fan of the youngster. According to Krawcznyski, the club believes that Reynolds’ length and shooting ability could make him a solid rotation player in the future.

Once Reynolds’ new deal is finalized, the Wolves will officially have a full 15-man roster, with all 15 players on standard NBA contracts. As our 10-day contract tracker shows, Reynolds will become the sixth player this season to parlay a 10-day deal into a rest-of-season guarantee from the same club.

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Early Bird Rights

March 19th, 2019 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Bird rights offer teams the chance to sign their own free agents without regard to the salary cap, but they don’t apply to every player. Other salary cap exceptions are available for teams to keep players who don’t qualify for Bird rights. One such exception is the Early Bird, which applies to players formally known as Early Qualifying Veteran Free Agents.

The Bird exception is for players who have spent three seasons with one club without changing teams as a free agent, but Early Bird rights are earned after just two such seasons. Virtually all of the same rules that apply to Bird rights apply to Early Bird rights, with the requirements condensed to two years rather than three. Players still see their Bird clocks restart by changing teams via free agency, being claimed in an expansion draft, or having their rights renounced.

The crucial difference between Bird rights and Early Bird rights involves the limitations on contract offers. Bird players can receive maximum-salary deals for up to five years, while the most a team can offer an Early Bird free agent without using cap space is 175% of his previous salary or 105% of the league-average salary in the previous season, whichever is greater. These offers are also capped at four years rather than five, and the new contracts must run for at least two years (with no second-year options).

Bojan Bogdanovic (Pacers), Rudy Gay (Spurs), and Taj Gibson (Timberwolves) are among the notable free agents who will have Early Bird rights at the end of the 2017/18 season. The Nuggets would have Early Bird rights on Paul Millsap if they decline his $30MM team option, as is expected.

In Millsap’s case, the Nuggets would theoretically be able to offer 175% of his current $29MM+ salary using Early Bird rights, but the team’s offer couldn’t exceed the maximum salary. Millsap’s max salary projects to be just over $38MM, comfortably within the Early Bird limit. However, he would only be able to sign a four-year contract rather than a five-year deal, since he won’t have full Bird rights. Of course, Millsap’s next contract will likely be far more modest, so these numbers are just hypothetical.

In some instances, teams can benefit from having Early Bird rights instead of full Bird rights if they’re trying to preserve cap space. The cap hold for an Early Bird player is 130% of his previous salary, significantly less than most Bird players, whose cap holds range from 150-300% of their previous salaries.

That could help the Pacers, since the cap hold for Bogdanovic, who is earning $10.5MM this season, will only be $13.65MM — given how well he has played since Victor Oladipo went down, he may be in line for a starting salary higher than that. If the Pacers reach an agreement to re-sign Bogdanovic in July, they could hold off on making it official, keeping his cap hold on the books until they use the rest of their cap room. Then they could go over the cap to finalize Bogdanovic’s deal using the Early Bird exception.

Meanwhile, some players with limited NBA experience are subject to a special wrinkle involving Early Bird rights, called the Gilbert Arenas Provision, which applies to players who have only been in the league for one or two years. We cover the Gilbert Arenas Provision in a separate glossary entry, so you can read up on the details there.

Finally, one more distinction between Bird rights and Early Bird rights applies to waivers. Players who are claimed off waivers retain their Early Bird rights, just as they would if they were traded. Those who had Bird rights instead see those reduced to Early Bird rights if they’re claimed off waivers. This rule stems from a 2012 settlement between the league and the union in which J.J. Hickson was given a special exception and retained his full Bird rights for the summer of 2012 even though he had been claimed off waivers that March.

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 and salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier versions of this post were published in previous years by Luke Adams and Chuck Myron. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Jason Terry To Play In BIG3

March 19th, 2019 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA champion and Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry is the latest big-name addition to the BIG3, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Terry, 41, appeared in 51 games for the Bucks just last season, but despite his desire to play a 20th NBA season, he didn’t catch on with a team in 2018/19. Instead, he’ll set his sights on Ice Cube‘s three-on-three league, as he’ll participate in the 2019 BIG3 season. Speaking to James Herbert of CBSSports.com, Terry said he decided to join the BIG3 because of his “love for the game and for the fans.”

“Watching the BIG3 the last two years — the first year I was able to attend the championship game in Vegas, last year I was at one of the home games in Dallas — sitting courtside, I promised Cube, the very first year that I retire, that I will play in the BIG3,” Terry said.

Terry, who currently ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time list with 2,282 three-pointers made, also vowed to take full advantage of the ability to attempt four-point shots in the BIG3.

“I love it. I love that dynamic of the game,” Terry told Herbert. “I think it’s a part of the game that, guys in today’s NBA, they shoot it from long range but they only get three points for it. Now we’re out here in the BIG3, I’m going to get four points for something that I ordinarily did. An extra point goes a long way for me.”

Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Lamar Odom, Gilbert Arenas, Kendrick Perkins, Josh Smith, and Mario Chalmers are among the other players that have committed to playing in the BIG3 in 2019. The league also announced a couple more additions to its player pool in recent days, confirming (via Twitter) that NBA veterans Ronnie Brewer and Brandon Rush will participate this season.

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Central Notes: Pistons, Bullock, Bucks, Pacers

March 19th, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Pistons traded Reggie Bullock to the Lakers at last month’s trade deadline, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press says he gets the impression that Bullock would be open to returning to Detroit as a free agent this offseason (Twitter link). The Pistons would likely reciprocate that interest, though it would depend on Bullock’s price tag, Ellis adds (via Twitter).

With the Pistons projected to be over the cap next season, they’ll be limited to a few modest exceptions, including the mid-level, as they attempt to upgrade their roster. Signing a three-point shooter like Bullock – or perhaps current Piston Wayne Ellington – will be a priority, but Detroit figures to commit part of its MLE to a point guard, Ellis notes. Reggie Jackson remains under contract for another season, but Ish Smith, a key part of the club’s rotation, will be a free agent.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • After officially signing Tim Frazier today, the Bucks are now only about $250K below the tax line, tweets cap expert Albert Nahmad. As Nahmad explains, Tony Snell can earn up to $400K in bonus money if Milwaukee wins the Finals, but the team should be on track to stay out of the tax if it falls short of a title — or if Christian Wood is claimed on waivers tomorrow.
  • In a pair of recent pieces by Sam Amick and Scott Agness of The Athletic, Indiana executives revisited the Paul George trade that turned into a rare win-win for both the Pacers and Thunder. “I think it worked out good for Paul, and I think it’s working out pretty well for us,” consultant Donnie Walsh said of the deal, per Amick.
  • In Agness’ story on that trade with the Thunder, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard raves about Domantas Sabonis, who gets somewhat overlooked as the only non-All-Star (so far) involved in the swap. “When we looked at all the deals, once we heard ‘Sabonis’ is when I said, ‘I’m in. I want to do this,'” Pritchard said. “And I asked everybody around the room, ‘Is everybody on board?’ As soon as that happened, we got pretty excited about that.”
  • Dwane Casey‘s ability to respond to adversity, which has been on display throughout his first season with the Pistons, is one reason why owner Tom Gores hired him as the club’s head coach last spring, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Despite a 9-22 stretch earlier in the season, Detroit currently holds the East’s No. 6 seed.
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Grizzlies’ C.J. Miles Out For Rest Of Season

March 19th, 2019 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies sharpshooter C.J. Miles will see his 2018/19 season come to an early end, as the team announced today (via Twitter) that an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his sore left foot.

The issue will require about three to six weeks of “off-loading” to resolve, according to the Grizzlies. Miles is expected to make a full recovery, but with the final game of the ’18/19 regular season only about three weeks away, he won’t be brought back this spring.

Miles, who was included for salary-matching purposes in the trade that sent Marc Gasol to Toronto, had a down year, though he has looked better since being dealt. In 53 total games for the Raptors and Grizzlies, he averaged 6.4 PPG on .360/.330/.828 shooting. Those numbers were buoyed by his 9.3 PPG and .400/.364/.929 shooting line in his 13 games with Memphis.

Miles’ contract includes a $8.73MM player option for 2019/20. Given his struggles this year, the veteran swingman is probably a lock to exercise that option, though that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be back in Memphis next season — the club could shop his expiring contract during the offseason if it so chooses. However, I wouldn’t expect the Grizzlies to look to shed his salary unless they also try to dump the final year of Chandler Parson’s contract, worth $25MM+.

With Miles sidelined, Grizzlies fans could see more of Tyler Dorsey down the stretch, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian, who notes (via Twitter) that two-way players Julian Washburn and Yuta Watanabe could also vie for forward minutes once the G League season ends this week.

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Bucks Sign Tim Frazier, Waive Christian Wood

March 19th, 2019 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 19, 10:22am: The Bucks have officially signed Frazier to a rest-of-season deal, according to a press release from the team.

MARCH 18, 11:05am: The Bucks have officially waived Wood, the team announced today (via Twitter).

MARCH 18, 9:32am: The Bucks are making a change to their 15-man roster in the wake of Malcolm Brogdon‘s foot injury, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will sign free agent guard Tim Frazier. Milwaukee will waive forward Christian Wood to open up a spot for the new addition.

It’s a logical move for the Bucks, who carried Frazier on their roster during training camp and the preseason last fall before releasing him. The 28-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Pelicans at that point, but once New Orleans fell out of playoff contention in February, the club cut Frazier to take a flier on EuroLeague sharpshooter Dairis Bertans.

In 47 games (17 starts) this season with the Pelicans, Frazier averaged 5.0 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 2.9 RPG with a .451/.351/.780 shooting line.

Signing Frazier will allow the Bucks to address an area of need, with Brogdon expected to miss approximately six to eight weeks due to a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot. However, the move will cost the team Wood, who was a “valued member” of the organization, as Haynes tweets.

The 23-year-old played sparingly for Milwaukee this season, but has put up massive G League numbers, averaging 29.3 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 2.1 BPG on 55.9% shooting in 28 games (35.3 MPG) for the Wisconsin Herd. He’s expected to draw interest from other NBA clubs, per Haynes, though he wouldn’t be playoff-eligible this spring.

If Wood goes unclaimed on waivers, the Bucks will remain responsible for his $1,512,601 cap hit for 2018/19, but would be off the hook for $1,645,357 salary for 2019/20, since it’s non-guaranteed. Wood might be an appealing target on waivers though, since his two-year, minimum-salary contract allows any club to place a claim using the minimum salary exception. If he’s claimed, his cap charge would be removed from Milwaukee’s books.

Frazier, meanwhile, would have a $205,098 cap hit for the rest of the season if the Bucks officially sign him today.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Hawks Sign Deyonta Davis To 10-Day Deal

March 19th, 2019 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

10:21am: The Hawks have officially signed Davis to a 10-day contract, the club announced today in a press release. The deal will run through Thursday, March 28.

8:57am: The Hawks are set to sign G League big man Deyonta Davis to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Atlanta opened a spot on its 15-man roster on Monday when Tyler Zeller‘s 10-day deal expired, so no corresponding move will be necessary.

Davis, 22, was selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2016 draft and appeared in 98 total games in two seasons for the Grizzlies, averaging 4.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 12.1 minutes per contest. However, Memphis traded him to the Kings during the 2018 offseason and he was subsequently waived.

Having failed to catch on with an NBA team for the 2018/19 season, Davis headed to the G League, where he has appeared in 43 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors. The former Michigan State standout has recorded 9.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in 23.4 MPG for Golden State’s NBAGL affiliate.

With their spot in the lottery fairly secure, the Hawks have been using 10-day contracts to audition various players during the season’s second half. Davis will be the fourth player to sign at least one 10-day deal with Atlanta in 2019, joining Zeller, Jordan Sibert, and B.J. Johnson. Johnson’s second 10-day pact is set to expire this Thursday night, so the Hawks will open up another roster spot at that time.

Davis will earn $85,458 on his 10-day contract with the Hawks.

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