- The Hornets should offer the max to Nicolas Batum and pursue rim protectors, including Charlotte-area native Hassan Whiteside, instead of a new deal with Al Jefferson in the offseason ahead, opines Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, who lists seven items on his proposed to-do list for the team.
- Hornets star point guard Kemba Walker underwent surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the team announced on its website. Walker is expected to resume basketball activities in early July, according to the release. This was Walker’s second procedure on the knee in 16 months, but it was more elective than urgent, a source told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Walker has experienced soreness in the knee since his high school days, Bonnell adds.
- The Wizards would have drafted Dwight Powell in 2014 and may take another shot at the Dallas big man in free agency, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Washington was one pick away from landing Powell when he went at No. 45 to the Hornets. The Wizards sold their pick to the Lakers after he was taken. Powell, who earned $845K this season, will be a restricted free agent and could fill a backup role in Washington.
- Small forward Nicolas Batum plans to make the Hornets his top priority when free agency arrives, as the The Associated Press relays. Batum, who has played one season in Charlotte after being traded from Portland, is encouraged by the team’s potential. “I want to talk to [the Hornets] first, for sure,” Batum said. “July 1st will be a crazy day, but will Charlotte be my first call? Yes.” Hornets starters Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson will also be unrestricted free agents, and reserve point guard Jeremy Lin is expected to opt out.
The Hornets have only about half as much guaranteed salary for next season as the projected $92MM salary cap, but don’t count on them formally opening any cap room this summer. GM Rich Cho wants to keep the team intact, having said he wants to re-sign as many of the team’s free agents as possible. That means Charlotte will probably keep their cap holds on the books until those free agents either re-sign or sign elsewhere, and with the cap holds for Nicolas Batum and Al Jefferson taking up nearly $40MM alone, the Hornets are unlikely to have cap space to use on outside free agents if Batum and Jefferson return. Instead, the team appears poised to stay above the cap and take advantage of the larger mid-level exception afforded capped-out teams, worth $5.628MM, to supplement the roster or simply to re-sign Jeremy Lin, with whom they have only Non-Bird rights. See how Charlotte’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($13,000,000)
- Kemba Walker ($12,000,000)
- Jeremy Lamb ($6,511,628)
- Spencer Hawes ($6,348,759)
- Cody Zeller ($5,318,313)
- Frank Kaminsky ($2,730,000)
- Total: $45,908,700
Player Options
- Jeremy Lin ($2,235,255)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Aaron Harrison ($874,636)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Troy Daniels ($1,215,696/$1,215,696)
- Jorge Gutierrez ($1,215,696/$1,215,696)
- Totals: ($2,431,392/$2,431,392)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Al Jefferson ($20,250,000)
- Nicolas Batum ($19,687,961)
- Courtney Lee ($10,782,500)
- Marvin Williams ($9,100,000)
- Jeremy Lin ($2,566,800) — pending player option
- Tyler Hansbrough ($980,431)
- Total: $63,367,692
Other Cap Holds
- No. 22 pick ($1,199,900)
- Jason Maxiell ($980,431)
- Jeff Taylor ($980,431)
- Total: $3,160,762
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Hornets GM Rich Cho wants to re-sign as many of the team’s own soon-to-be free agents as possible, and he made it clear in his season-ending press conference today that Nicolas Batum is chief among his priorities, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer relays (All Twitter links). Cho said he told Batum that bringing him back tops his to-do list, and the Charlotte executive is confident the swingman wants to stay. “[Nic] definitely wants to be here,” Cho said, according to the Hornets Twitter feed. “He’s grown to like the city. He just had a child and his family likes it here. … We want him here.” Batum said earlier this week that he’s not sure how his free agency will play out but noted that he’d talk to Charlotte before speaking with any other teams.
See more on the Hornets amid news from the Southeast Division:
- Cho also mentioned that he’d like to add a rim protector in the offseason and said he thinks this year’s draft class has enough decent players for the Hornets to land one with their pick at No. 22, as Bonnell passes along (Twitter links).
- Jeremy Lin is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the point guard wants to remain with the Hornets because of how much fun he had this season while a member of the team, as Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer relays. “This is the most fun I’ve had in my six years [in the NBA],” Lin said. “Being around a great group of guys and a coaching staff that really cares. I’ve learned so much about the game of basketball, particularly at the defensive end. My biggest thing is I want to have fun and be happy. I’ve been paid on the lower end and had a blast, and I’ve been paid on the higher end and not enjoyed it at all. Honestly, money has never been the most important thing. Money is important because it shows how a team values you. But beyond that I don’t care all that much about money. Me coming here showed that.”
- Lin also noted his appreciation for Hornets coach Steve Clifford, citing Clifford’s honesty and communication skills as the primary reasons, Bonnell relays in the same piece. “He’s not one to sugarcoat or lie to you, which is why a lot of guys love playing for him,” Lin said of Clifford. “What he told me from the beginning is pretty much how it went. I felt like for me, some of the adjustment was playing in such different roles. But that wasn’t because of false expectations, it was just about guys getting hurt.”
Nicolas Batum isn’t entirely sure whether he’ll re-sign with the Hornets when he hits free agency this summer, but he feels he has unfinished business in Charlotte and the Hornets will be the first team he talks to when free agent negotiations are allowed to begin July 1st, as he said today to reporters, including Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Coach Steve Clifford confirmed Batum is the team’s top priority among its free agents, Bonnell notes.
“When I came here they let me know they wanted me to be one of the [top] two options with Kemba [Walker],” Batum said. “I liked that. I like that they trusted me. It was a pretty cool year. First time I got to play like I want to in eight years in the NBA.”
Clifford showered praise on Batum’s size, skill and basketball IQ, expressing belief that he’s an All-Star-caliber player in the right circumstances, according to the Hornets Twitter feed. See more from Charlotte, where only six players have guaranteed salaries for next season:
- Al Jefferson gave perhaps the strongest endorsement of the Hornets among Charlotte’s soon-to-be free agents who spoke today following Sunday’s playoff ouster, telling the gathered media that he’d like to spend the rest of his career with the team and that money won’t be an issue, notes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Jefferson recorded his lowest scoring and rebounding averages in 10 years amid a season marred by injury and a suspension for marijuana use, but Clifford believes the big man can still produce and thinks he looks healthier and more capable than he has in two years (Twitter link).
- Jeremy Lin is enthusiastic about a return, too, saying he’d take a discount to remain in Charlotte and doesn’t care so much about money, Boone relays. Lin has a player option worth more than $2.235MM for next season, but he’d prefer to opt out and sign a long-term deal with the Hornets, having grown tired of moving, as Boone passes along (All five Twitter links here). “I’ve been paid on the lower end and had a blast, and I’ve been paid on the higher end and not enjoyed it at all,” Lin said.
- Marvin Williams planted himself firmly among those who’d like to re-sign, as the Hornets relay (on Twitter). “There’s no question. I want to return,” Williams said. “I’ll let it be known right now this is the most fun I’ve had in a season.”
The Kings have scheduled an interview for early this week with former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Blatt was one of the first names connected to the Sacramento coaching vacancy and has been a rumored candidate for several jobs since Cleveland fired him in January.
Blatt met with the Knicks this week to discuss the possibility of replacing interim coach Kurt Rambis and was believed to be a candidate for the Lakers’ job before they hired Luke Walton. During his brief stay in Cleveland, Blatt led the Cavaliers to the 2015 NBA Finals and compiled an 83-40 record.
Blatt will be at least the fifth candidate to interview for the head coaching position, according to James Ham of CSNBayArea. Ham reports that Sam Mitchell, Mike Woodson, Kevin McHale and Vinny Del Negro have all gone through formal interviews.
Indiana assistant Nate McMillan may soon join that group, Ham reports, depending what the Pacers do in tonight’s Game 7 with the Raptors. McMillan has a 266-269 career record in 12 years as head coach of the SuperSonics and Blazers.
The Kings are also planning to interview Charlotte assistant Patrick Ewing, whose team was eliminated from the playoffs today. Ham says Mark Jackson of ESPN and Grizzlies assistant Elston Turner are also on the list to be interviewed.
Once the interviews are complete, GM/executive Vlade Divac plans to whittle the list down to three finalists that he will present to Sacramento management. Despite earlier reports that the Kings wanted to find a coach this week, Ham says there is no timetable. The organization has been without a coach since it fired George Karl after the season ended.
- The identity of the coach means little in free agent recruiting, but muted though it may be, the presence of Steve Clifford has a positive impact on the way players view the Hornets, observes Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Clifford, like Terry Stotts of the Trail Blazers and Quin Snyder of the Jazz, makes a small-market team attractive through his ability to get the most out of players and increase their market value, Wojnarowski writes. The Hornets signed Clifford in November to an extension that ties him to Charlotte through at least the 2018/19 season.
Hornets center Spencer Hawes underwent an MRI today that revealed a sprain of the MCL in his right knee, and he’ll miss the remainder of Charlotte’s first round series against the Heat as a result, the team announced via press release. The big man will be re-evaluated in a week’s time, according to the team. Hawes has appeared in five playoff games for the Hornets and has averaged 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per contest. The 28-year-old still has two years remaining on his contract, though his pact does include a player option for 2017/18 worth $6,021,175, so he should have more than ample time to recover prior to hitting the open market.
- Hornets swingman Courtney Lee wasn’t initially thrilled about the deadline trade that landed him in Charlotte but said a phone conversation with coach Steve Clifford changed his mind about the move, as Justin Verrier of ESPN.com details. “I know what type of coach he is and what he demands of his players, the amount of hours he put in with preparing the team and his attention to detail,” Lee said of Clifford. “So I got excited about joining him again.” Clifford was an assistant with the Magic when Lee was a rookie during the 2008/09 campaign.