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Five Key Offseason Questions: Atlanta Hawks

May 8th, 2019 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks entered the 2018/19 season facing some major questions. Did they pick the right head coach when they hired Lloyd Pierce to replace Mike Budenholzer? Was it the right choice to give up on Dennis Schroder? Did they make a mistake passing on an opportunity to draft Luka Doncic by moving down for Trae Young?

While it’s probably premature to say that the team’s ’18/19 showing definitively answered all those questions, they’re at least much less pressing heading into the 2019 offseason. Pierce had a solid first year as the young, run-and-gun Hawks began to form their own identity. And Atlanta didn’t miss Schroder as Young gave Doncic a serious run for Rookie of the Year honors.

There’s still a long way to go in the rebuild, but the Hawks certainly seem pointed in the right direction. Now, they have the opportunity to take another step or two toward contention with this offseason’s moves.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. How aggressive will the Hawks be in free agency?

As we outlined in our look at Atlanta’s cap situation, the team can expect to have over $40MM in cap room at its disposal this summer. That’s more than enough to sign… well, any free agent available.

It’s probably not realistic to expect a star like Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard to choose the Hawks in free agency, but a February report indicated that the franchise planned to be aggressive in pursuing that sort of player in the hopes of at least getting a meeting. With a young nucleus already in place, along with an upgraded arena and practice facility, the Hawks could make a decent pitch.

More recently though, general manager Travis Schlenk suggested that the Hawks are more likely to take a similar approach to free agency that they did a year ago, waiting out the market and looking for discounts in the second or third wave of signings.

Does that mean that Atlanta recognizes it won’t get an audience with those top-tier players? Or does Schlenk simply believe it’s too early in the rebuilding process to attempt that sort of splash? Either way, at this point, it would be surprising if the Hawks pursue a star free agent, and even more surprising if they land one.

2. Will the Hawks focus on productive veterans or salary dumps on the trade market?

During the 2017 offseason, the Hawks took on Jamal Crawford‘s unfavorable contract from the Clippers because it was attached to a first-round pick, then immediately waived Crawford. In the 2018 offseason, they made a similar deal with the Thunder, acquiring Carmelo Anthony‘s pricey expiring contract along with a future first-round pick before cutting Anthony.

With over $40MM+ in projected cap room this summer, the Hawks could easily accommodate a similar salary dump — or even two of them. But the club doesn’t necessarily have to go in that direction.

The Hawks already control extra first-round picks in 2019, 2020, and 2022, so at some point they may want to consolidate their assets and make a run at a star player in a trade. It may be too soon to take a swing like that, especially for a player who isn’t on a long-term contract. For instance, Atlanta could, in theory, put together a pretty intriguing package for Anthony Davis, but it wouldn’t make sense to do so if he’ll likely leave in a year.

Even if the Hawks don’t want to part with any of their first-round picks in a trade for a veteran, their cap room could be a useful tool in trade talks. If there’s a team out there looking to move a useful player in order to open up more space – say, the Clippers with Danilo Gallinari – Atlanta’s cap space could provide the means to accommodate that sort of deal without parting with any major assets.

3. Will the Hawks waive-and-stretch Miles Plumlee?

Plumlee, who has spent the last two seasons in Atlanta, appeared in just 18 games and played 173 total minutes in 2018/19. He’s entering the final year of his contract and is owed $12.5MM in 2019/20. Theoretically, the Hawks could create nearly $8MM in additional cap room by waiving him and stretching his salary over three seasons.

In reality though, I doubt we see that move. Plumlee would be an ideal stretch candidate on another roster, but it’s hard to imagine why the Hawks would need to move from $41MM in cap room to $49MM. And stretching Plumlee would add $4MM+ cap hits to Atlanta’s books for the following two seasons, when that cap space might be even more useful.

That’s not to say that Plumlee will be a Hawk to start the 2019/20 season, or that the team won’t waive him. But trading the big man’s expiring contract for a longer-term deal in order to pick up an extra asset seems like a more Schlenk-esque move than simply waiving and stretching him.

4. Will the Hawks extend Taurean Prince?

Prince was drafted a year before the Hawks’ current management group assumed control of the front office, and his name has intermittently popped up in trade rumors, which may be an indication that he’s not viewed as a lock to be a long-term building block.

Still, the former Baylor standout has developed into an increasingly reliable three-and-D wing, making 38.7% of his three-point attempts over the last two seasons. His perimeter defense may not be as strong as the Hawks might like, but Prince looks like the sort of contributor who could have a real role on a playoff team.

Schlenk has said he plans to talk to Prince’s agent this offseason about a potential extension – he’ll be eligible for one starting in July, up until opening night – so it will be interesting to see if the two sides can reach an agreement.

Of the players who have signed rookie scale extensions signed in recent years, Justise Winslow (three years, $39MM) and T.J. Warren (four years, $47MM) may be the best comparables for Prince. Neither player has exactly the same skill set, but if Prince gets a long-term deal from the Hawks, an annual salary in that neighborhood seems about right to me.

5. What will the Hawks do with their draft picks?

This question can only really be answered once we know the answer to another one: How many picks will Atlanta actually have, and where will those picks land? Next Tuesday’s lottery is a huge one for the Hawks, whose best-case scenario could have them picking first and ninth overall, thanks to a trade with Dallas. The worst-case scenario? The Mavs keep their pick and Atlanta’s first-rounder slips all the way to No. 9.

If we assume the lottery plays out in a relatively straightforward manner, the Hawks should own a pair of picks in the back half of the top 10, plus three more selections in the first half of the second round (Nos. 35, 41, and 44). That’s too many picks to use them all on immediate contributors.

There are a ton of scenarios in play for Schlenk and the Hawks with those picks. Packaging multiple picks to move up could be an option if there’s a player they really have their eye on. Selecting a draft-and-stash prospect is another option. So is trading a pick or two for future selections, ensuring that they stay well-stocked with draft assets going forward.

The Hawks may wait to see how the draft plays out before making any final decisions on their picks, but it’s reasonable to expect them to be one of the league’s active teams on June 20.

Check out the Atlanta Hawks’ offseason salary cap outlook right here.

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

2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: San Antonio Spurs

May 8th, 2019 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

After a tumultuous offseason that included the departures of three longtime core players – Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker – the revamped Spurs did what they always do and earned a playoff spot for the 22nd consecutive year. The current roster may not have the same upside as the title-winning squads led by Tim Duncan, but with Derrick White on the rise and Dejounte Murray on the mend, there’s still room for San Antonio to improve.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Spurs financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:

Guaranteed Salary

DeMar DeRozan ($27,739,975)
LaMarcus Aldridge ($26,000,000)
Patty Mills ($12,428,571)
Davis Bertans ($7,000,000)
Marco Belinelli ($5,846,154)
Pau Gasol ($5,074,856) — Waived
Jakob Poeltl ($3,754,886)
Bryn Forbes ($2,875,000)
Lonnie Walker ($2,760,480)
Dejounte Murray ($2,321,735)
Derrick White ($1,948,080)
Chimezie Metu ($1,416,852)
Total: $99,166,589

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

None

Restricted Free Agents

None

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Rudy Gay ($13,113,360): Early Bird rights
Dante Cunningham ($2,984,400): Non-Bird rights
No. 19 overall pick ($2,686,440)
Nikola Milutinov ($2,033,160) ¹
No. 29 overall pick ($1,947,960)
Joffrey Lauvergne ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights ²
Donatas Motiejunas ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
Quincy Pondexter ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
Matt Costello ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights ²
Darrun Hilliard ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights ²
Ben Moore ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights
Total: $31,952,304

Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000

Offseason Cap Outlook

Realistic cap room projection: $0
Barring a cost-cutting move or two, the Spurs project to have $103.8MM on their books for 11 guaranteed salaries plus two first-round picks. Working as an over-the-cap team and retaining their mid-level and bi-annual exceptions makes more sense than renouncing those exceptions for a mere $5.2MM in potential cap room. If they want to re-sign Gay, going under the cap becomes even less realistic.

Cap Exceptions Available

Mid-level exception: $9,246,000 ³

Footnotes

Milutinov was the 26th overall pick in the 2015 draft. His cap hold (the equivalent to the 26th overall pick in the 2019 draft) will remain on the Spurs’ books unless the team receives permission to remove it, which would ensure Milutinov won’t be signed in 2019/20.
Lauvergne’s, Costello’s, and Hilliard’s cap holds remain on the Spurs’ books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2018/19. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
This is a projected value. In the unlikely event the Spurs risk going into the tax, they may forfeit the bi-annual exception and have to use the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,711,000) rather than the full mid-level exception.

Note: Minimum-salary and 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 and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Poll: Kyrie Irving’s Future

May 7th, 2019 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Three of the NBA’s four conference semifinals appear very much up in the air, as they head into their respective Game Fives all tied up at 2-2. However, with a second consecutive resounding road victory over the Celtics on Monday, the Bucks took a 3-1 lead and now have up to three chances to end Boston’s season.

If the Bucks can finish off the series at home in Game Five, Monday’s loss might be the last time that fans ever see Irving wear a Celtics uniform in Boston. And if that’s the case, then it wasn’t a particularly memorable end to a short-lived era.

As Jay King of The Athletic details, Irving headed to the Celtics’ locker room before the game was officially over on Monday, with fans in Boston booing the club’s second straight home dud. After the game, Irving bristled when he was asked about his shooting woes (he’s 19-of-62 in the team’s last three games), as Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston writes.

“Who cares?” Irving said of his slump. “I’m a basketball player. Prepare the right way. Like I said, it’s a little different when your rhythm is challenged every play down. You’re being picked up full court. They’re doing things to test you. The expectations on me are going to be sky high.

“I try to utilize their aggression against them and still put my teammates in a great position, while still being aggressive. I’m trying to do it all. For me, the 22 shots, I should have shot 30. I’m that great of a shooter.”

While Irving isn’t necessarily wrong, his defiant attitude with the Celtics on the brink may not be the best look, according to Forsberg, who suggests that Boston’s star point guard probably should’ve expressed more frustration and disappointment with himself.

A second-round exit looks like a near certainty for the C’s, in which case Irving’s upcoming free agency will be more interesting than ever. Although he vowed before the season that he intended to stick around long-term, Irving backtracked on that promise during a drama-filled season, and it’s hard to imagine he’ll be eager to re-up with Boston after what has been a disappointing year. The possibility of an Anthony Davis trade could entice him to stay, but that’s no certainty.

Appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up” this morning, analyst Jalen Rose declared that Irving is “done in Boston,” adding that his teammates will probably “help him pack,” since they won’t mind seeing him go (video link).

What do you think? Is it premature to assume Irving will sign elsewhere in free agency, or do you agree with Rose that we’re seeing his last games as a Celtic?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Orlando Magic

May 7th, 2019 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2018/19 season was widely expected to be a rebuilding season for the Magic, and the team even made the ultimate rebuilding at the move at the trade deadline, acquiring injured prospect Markelle Fultz. However, an All-Star performance from Nikola Vucevic and the eighth-best defense in the NBA helped buoy Orlando to a playoff spot.

Now, the team will have to decide whether to try to build on that success by re-signing key contributors like Vucevic and Terrence Ross, or whether to pivot to a full-fledged youth movement.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Magic financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:

Guaranteed Salary

Aaron Gordon ($19,863,636)
Evan Fournier ($17,000,000)
Timofey Mozgov ($16,720,000)
Markelle Fultz ($9,745,200)
D.J. Augustin ($7,250,000)
Jonathan Isaac ($5,806,440)
Mohamed Bamba ($5,697,600)
Melvin Frazier ($1,416,852)
C.J. Watson ($333,333) — Waived via stretch provision
Total: $83,833,061

Player Options

None

Team Options

Wesley Iwundu ($1,618,520)
Total: $1,618,520

Non-Guaranteed Salary

None

Restricted Free Agents

Jerian Grant ($3,763,662 qualifying offer / $7,917,942 cap hold): Bird rights
Jarell Martin ($3,549,430 qualifying offer / $7,248,666 cap hold): Bird rights
Khem Birch ($1,818,486 qualifying offer / $1,818,486 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Amile Jefferson (two-way qualifying offer / $1,443,842 cap hold): Non-Bird rights ¹
Total: $18,428,936

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Nikola Vucevic ($19,125,000): Bird rights
Terrence Ross ($15,750,000): Bird rights
Fran Vazquez ($4,028,400) ²
No. 16 overall pick ($3,117,000)
Arron Afflalo ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights ³
Michael Carter-Williams ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
Marreese Speights ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights ³
Troy Caupain ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights
Total: $48,319,700

Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000

Offseason Cap Outlook

Realistic cap room projection: $0
This projection assumes that the Magic keep either Vucevic’s or Ross’ cap hold on their books in an attempt to re-sign them. Retaining even one of those holds would make Orlando an over-the-cap team.
If the Magic let both of their top free agents walk, there’s a path to possible cap room. Waiving all their non-guaranteed contracts and renouncing their free agents could create as much as about $19.4MM in space. I’m not sure that’s a likely scenario though. I expect the Magic to try to re-sign at least one of Vucevic or Ross, and even if they don’t, bringing back less expensive players like Iwundu and Birch would also cut into that projected room.

Cap Exceptions Available

Mid-level exception: $9,246,000 ⁴
Bi-annual exception: $3,619,000 ⁴

Footnotes

The salaries for two-way players don’t count against a team’s cap, but their cap holds do during the offseason.
Vazquez was the 11th overall pick in the 2005 draft. His cap hold (the equivalent to the 11th overall pick in the 2019 draft) will remain on the Magic’s books unless the team receives permission to remove it, ensuring Vazquez won’t be signed in 2019/20.
Afflalo’s and Speights’ cap holds remain on the Magic’s books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2018/19. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
These are projected values. In the event the Magic use cap room, they’d lose these exceptions and would instead would gain access to the $4,760,000 room exception.

Note: Minimum-salary and 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 and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Offseason Questions: Dallas Mavericks

May 6th, 2019 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

After making the playoffs 15 of 16 times from 2001-16, the Mavericks have now missed out on the postseason for three straight years, failing to surpass 33 wins in a single season during that stretch.

Having tried in vain to build one more contending team during Dirk Nowitzki‘s twilight years, the Mavs switched gears in 2018/19 and began looking ahead to the future. That meant moving up in the draft to nab potential franchise player Luka Doncic and then surrendering a few more assets – and taking on some unwanted contracts – to acquire a potential long-term running mate for Doncic (Kristaps Porzingis) at the trade deadline.

The Mavs still have plenty of work to do on the rest of their roster, but with a pair of potential stars in the mix, the organization no longer feels like it’s treading water in the same way it did during many of Nowitzki’s final few seasons.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. What will Kristaps Porzingis’ new contract look like?

A healthy, scandal-free version of Porzingis would likely receive a maximum salary contract from just about any team capable of offering him one as a restricted free agent. That isn’t the version the Mavericks have though.

A torn ACL has sidelined Porzingis for nearly a season and a half. He hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since February 6, 2018, and it’s not as if he was a paragon of health before that injury — he missed 10 games in his rookie year and 16 more in his sophomore season. There’s no indication that he won’t be back to 100% for the start of the 2019/20 campaign, but that injury history is still concerning for a 7’3″ big man.

On top of that, Porzingis is facing a rape accusation related to an encounter that allegedly occurred during his time with the Knicks. The timeline for that case remains unclear, and the Mavs will have to be extra cautious as they navigate the situation after dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct within their workplace a year ago.

While it’s hard to predict how those allegations will impact contract negotiations this summer, Joel Embiid‘s deal with the Sixers could at least provide a framework for how to handle Porzingis’ injury history.

Embiid’s five-year, maximum salary extension with Philadelphia was worth the 25% max, and could have increased to the 30% max if he had earned First Team All-NBA honors in 2018. However, the deal also contained language that would have made future salaries non-guaranteed if Embiid suffered another major injury related to one of his previous health problems. So far, that deal has worked out for both sides, so perhaps the Mavs and Porzingis will explore a similar arrangement.

2. What will the Mavericks do with their cap room?

Finding common ground with Porzingis will be important, since reaching an agreement with KP and then waiting to officially re-sign him will allow the Mavericks to maximize their projected cap room. Porzingis’ cap hold is worth about $17MM, and as long as they keep that hold on their books, the Mavs will be able to go over the cap later in free agency to give him a higher salary.

Currently, the Mavs project to have about $29-30MM in available cap space. That’s not quite enough for a maximum salary contract for a veteran with seven-plus years of NBA experience, but it’s enough to make a strong offer to a player who is a borderline max candidate, and Dallas appears to be shopping in that aisle.

A recent report indicated that point guard Kemba Walker and shooting guard Khris Middleton are among the free agents on the Mavs’ wish list. Both would be very nice additions — Middleton’s three-and-D style fits on any roster, and Walker could certainly coexist with Doncic, given his catch-and-shoot ability. Nikola Vucevic has also been cited as a potential target, though there are conflicting reports on Dallas’ level of interest in the Magic center.

Of course, the Mavericks’ last few forays into the upper echelon of free agency haven’t been major successes. Wesley Matthews and Harrison Barnes are the only big names the team has signed as free agents since 2015, and even calling them “big names” might be a stretch. Perhaps the presence of Doncic and Porzingis attracts a new caliber of free agent, but Dallas should be wary about throwing a ton of money at players in that Matthews/Barnes tier. Using that cap room on one-year signings – or to accommodate salary dumps – might make more sense.

3. Are Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee keepers?

Hardaway and Lee were the pieces the Mavericks had to take on to make the Porzingis trade work. Their contracts run through 2020 (Lee) or 2021 (Hardaway), so the Knicks had to get off them to open up two max slots for the summer of 2019.

If the Mavs trade one or the other in the coming months, they could create even more cap room of their own for the 2019 offseason. However, I don’t expect that to happen.

While they’re both a little overpriced, Lee and Hardaway can still be useful assets on the court. Lee is just a year removed from averaging 12.0 PPG on .454/.406/.919 shooting, and is a 38.7% career three-point shooter. Hardaway averaged a career-high 18.1 PPG and is capable of handling some play-making duties when Doncic needs a break.

Both players dealt with injuries in 2018/19 and weren’t at their best, so I’d expect the Mavs to hope for better health from the duo in 2019/20. If they can increase their value with strong performances in the first half, they could become positive trade assets by the ’20 deadline.

4. What’s the Mavs’ plan for Dwight Powell?

Powell holds a $10,259,375 player option for next season, but it sounds like his offseason won’t just be a matter of making a decision on whether to exercise or decline that option.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban suggested in a radio appearance last month that Dallas plans to extend Powell for multiple seasons, and Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News recently tweeted about Powell’s upcoming extension as if it’s a given.

While it sounds like Powell will stick around beyond 2019/20, we still don’t know exactly what that new deal will look like, or how it will happen. If Powell opts out and re-signs with Dallas as a free agent, it would give both sides more flexibility in terms of years and starting salary. However, a veteran extension is also a possibility if Powell simply picks up his option — the extension would simply begin a year later.

The veteran power forward averaged 10.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG with a .597 FG% in 77 games (21.6 MPG) this season, and could be in line for a larger role with Nowitzki retiring, so it will be interesting to see what his new deal looks like.

5. Will the Mavericks keep their first-round pick?

There’s nothing the Mavs can do at this point to swing this question one way or the other — the answer will be determined by a series of ping-pong balls at the draft lottery on May 14.

The NBA’s new lottery format could help Dallas out. Under the old system, the Mavs – who finished in a three-way tie for seventh place in the lottery standings – would have had just a 10% chance of jumping into the top three and keeping their top-five protected pick. The new system gives the club a 26.2% chance to move into the top four, as our lottery odds chart shows. That means there’s a 73.8% chance the pick heads to Atlanta.

Unlike the Grizzlies, who have a top-eight protected pick and hope it conveys this year so that they can move onto a potential rebuild without having that commitment hanging over their heads, the Mavs would probably prefer to keep their pick. Adding another top-four caliber talent to their roster would put the club in better position to contend sooner rather than later, and could mean handing over a much less favorable first-rounder next year.

Plus, because the Mavs traded away two more first-round picks in their deal for Porzingis, it benefits the team to have those selections pushed back as much as possible as a result of the Stepien rule, which prevents clubs from trading consecutive future first-rounders. The longer their commitment to the Hawks gets postponed, the less likely the Mavs are to ultimately send two future first-rounders to the Knicks — the second of those picks (top-10 protected) must be conveyed by 2025, or it will turn into a second-rounder.

Check out the Dallas Mavericks’ offseason salary cap outlook right here.

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

2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Los Angeles Clippers

May 6th, 2019 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

After trading away Chris Paul in the summer of 2017 and Blake Griffin at the 2018 trade deadline, the Clippers moved leading scorer Tobias Harris at 2019’s deadline. Somehow, the club looked better than ever after the exodus of its stars, posting a 18-8 record down the stretch and securing a playoff spot. While Los Angeles’ playoff run was brief, the team notched a pair of impressive victories over the Warriors before being eliminated, and now heads into the offseason well positioned to land a star.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Clippers financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:

Guaranteed Salary

Danilo Gallinari ($22,615,559)
Lou Williams ($8,000,000)
Montrezl Harrell ($6,000,000)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($3,952,920)
Jerome Robinson ($3,567,720)
Landry Shamet ($1,995,120)
Total: $46,131,319

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Sindarius Thornwell ($1,618,520) ¹
Tyrone Wallace ($1,588,231) ²
Total: $3,206,751

Restricted Free Agents

Rodney McGruder ($3,021,354 qualifying offer / $3,021,354 cap hold): Bird rights
Ivica Zubac ($1,931,189 qualifying offer / $1,931,189 cap hold): Bird rights
Johnathan Motley (two-way qualifying offer / $1,443,842 cap hold): Early Bird rights ³
Total: $6,396,385

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Wilson Chandler ($19,200,843): Bird rights
Garrett Temple ($15,200,000): Bird rights
JaMychal Green ($14,566,667): Bird rights
Patrick Beverley ($9,551,353): Bird rights
Angel Delgado ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights
Total: $59,962,705

Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000

Offseason Cap Outlook

Realistic cap room projection: $56.5MM
This projection assumes that the Clippers retain their six players on guaranteed contracts and keep Zubac’s cap hold on their books. Hanging onto any other players would reduce this figure.
On the other hand, if the Clips were able to trade Gallinari without taking back any salary, they could keep Zubac and their other five guaranteed contracts and increase their cap projection to $78.2MM. That would be more than enough space for two maximum salary free agents.

Cap Exceptions Available

Room exception: $4,760,000 ⁴

Footnotes

Thornwell’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 20.
Wallace’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($300K) after September 12.
The salaries for two-way players don’t count against a team’s cap, but their cap holds do during the offseason.
This is a projected value. In the unlikely event the Clippers remain over the cap, they’d instead have access to the full mid-level exception ($9,246,000), the bi-annual exception ($3,619,000), and three trade exceptions (their most valuable TPE is worth $9,800,000 and expires on 2/6/20).

Note: Minimum-salary and 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 and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Detroit Pistons

May 5th, 2019 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons‘ first full season with Blake Griffin on the roster and Dwane Casey on the sidelines was a relative success, as the team fought its way back into the postseason after a two-year absence. Of course, a No. 8 seed and a first-round sweep at the hands of the Bucks showed that Detroit still has a ways to go to join the upper echelon of the East, and the club will have limited resources to upgrade its roster this summer.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Pistons financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:

Guaranteed Salary

Blake Griffin ($34,449,964)
Andre Drummond ($27,093,019)
Reggie Jackson ($18,086,956)
Jon Leuer ($9,508,043)
Langston Galloway ($7,333,333)
Josh Smith ($5,331,729) — Waived via stretch provision
Luke Kennard ($3,827,160)
Thon Maker ($3,569,643)
Bruce Brown ($1,416,852)
Khyri Thomas ($1,416,852)
Total: $112,033,551

Player Options

None

Team Options

Glenn Robinson III ($4,278,750)
Total: $4,278,750

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk ($1,416,852) ¹
Total: $1,416,852

Restricted Free Agents

None

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Ish Smith ($11,400,000): Bird rights
No. 15 overall pick ($3,280,920)
Wayne Ellington ($2,859,691): Non-Bird rights
Jose Calderon ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
Jameer Nelson ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights ²
Zaza Pachulia ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
Kalin Lucas ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights
Isaiah Whitehead ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights
Total: $25,283,753

Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000

Offseason Cap Outlook

Realistic cap room projection: $0
The Pistons would have to make major cost-cutting moves to create cap room, which is unlikely. The good news is that, taking into account nine players on guaranteed salaries and the cap hold for their first-round pick, they’re still about $16.7MM away from the projected tax line, so using the full mid-level exception is viable.

Cap Exceptions Available

Trade exception: $2,500,000 (expires 2/6/20)
Trade exception: $1,140,682 (expires 2/7/20)
Mid-level exception: $9,246,000 ³
Bi-annual exception: $3,619,000 ³

Footnotes

Mykhailiuk’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 5.
Nelson’s cap hold remains on the Pistons’ books because he hasn’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2018/19. He can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
These are projected values. If the Pistons are at risk of going into tax territory, they may forfeit the bi-annual exception and have to use the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,711,000) rather than the full mid-level exception.

Note: Minimum-salary and 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 and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Weekly Mailbag: 4/28/19 – 5/5/19

May 5th, 2019 at 1:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.

If the Lakers hire Tyronn Lue as head coach, is it the right hire or just not putting in the effort and going with the easy hire? Or maybe both? — NoSpoilersPlease, via Twitter

It’s not easy for a coach to build a rapport with LeBron James, and Lue will have that from the minute he takes over the team. They had a very successful partnership in Cleveland that resulted in a championship and three trips to the NBA Finals. Lue also has a history in L.A., spending his first three years as a player with the Lakers. He may not be the right long-term coach for the franchise, but as long as LeBron is there — at least for the next two or three years — it’s best to have someone running the team that he trusts.

If the Knicks don’t get the first pick, what could they get for pick 2, 3, 4 or 5? – Howie2104

Whether the Knicks want to trade their pick — and what they’ll ask in return — will depend on their luck in free agency, and that won’t be known until early July. If they can’t hit the jackpot with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving or some other combination of stars, it make more sense to hold onto the pick and continue building for the future. While Zion Williamson is obviously the biggest prize in the draft, Ja Morant could solve New York’s long-running point guard problem, and R.J. Barrett would provide another scoring wing player to pair with Kevin Knox. If the Knicks do get lucky in free agency, their need for youth goes away and they’ll start looking for a combination of veterans who fit well with their new stars.

What are the chances that the Sixers replace Brett Brown if they don’t reach the conference finals? –R.B., via Twitter

Brown received an extension after last season ended and is under contract through 2021/22, so he shouldn’t be in any immediate danger. He suffered through a lot of lean years in Philadelphia as the Sixers tanked tanked away seasons to accumulate assets and he has done a much better job than his 178-314 record indicates. Management wanted to give Brown a chance to show what he could do with a real team, and that chance is just starting. Brown has built up a lot of trust in his six years behind the Sixers’ bench. He should be safe no matter how long their playoff run lasts.

Five Key Stories: 4/27/19 – 5/4/19

May 4th, 2019 at 3:59pm CST by clarkcrum

If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:

The Suns have agreed to hire Sixers’ assistant coach Monty Williams as the franchise’s next head coach. Williams, who first interviewed with the Suns on April 26, was the first candidate that Phoenix brought in after parting ways with Igor Kokoskov. He was also reportedly always the Suns’ prime candidate for the job. Williams will stick with Philadelphia until the end of the club’s playoff run before officially making the move to Phoenix and signing a five-year deal. Williams, 47, previously served as head coach for the Pelicans from 2010-2015 where he posted a modest record of 173-221.

In other head coaching news, the Lakers have no plans to interview any other candidates and will reach out to Tyronn Lue in the coming days to offer him the team’s head coaching position. Lue, who met with Lakers’ brass for a second time last week, has not yet heard from L.A., but reports suggest it’s only a matter of time. The hire will reunite Lue with Lakers’ forward LeBron James, a coupling that brought the Cavaliers their first-ever NBA championship back in 2016.

The Timberwolves plan to hire Rockets’ executive Gersson Rosas as their new president of basketball operations. Rosas, who has spent the better part of two decades with the Rockets under Daryl Morey, has been a popular target in recent years for teams with openings in their front office. He was reportedly considered by the Hornets, Pistons, and Sixers in 2018 and he interviewed with both the Pelicans and Wizards this spring. It remains to be seen whether or not Rosas will retain GM Scott Layden and/or head coach Ryan Saunders.

Nets’ shooting guard Allen Crabbe has exercised his player option for the 2019/20 season, thereby locking in his $18.5MM salary for next year and putting the 27-year-old veteran on track to reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020. Crabbe, whose cap hit could derail some offseason free agency plans for the Nets, may find himself on the trade block, or the Nets could waive and stretch his salary over the next three seasons. Doing so would create dead cap hits of $6.17MM for the 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22 seasons.

Veteran NBA shooting guard Gerald Henderson has ended his comeback effort and officially announced his retirement. Henderson underwent multiple surgical procedures on his hip last summer to treat ongoing arthritis and when he was finally able to work out again, he tore his Achilles tendon during a pickup game. Henderson, still only 31, joined the Hornets’ broadcast team at FOX Sports Southeast in January for the second half of the 2018/19 season.

Here are 10 more NBA-related headlines worth passing along this week:

The Grizzlies, continuing to revamp their front office, promoted former NBA champion Tayshaun Prince to the title of Vice President of Basketball Affairs within the franchise’s basketball operations department.
Head coach Doc Rivers officially signed his long-term contract extension with the Clippers after hinting at the same in March in an effort to quell rumors that had begun to swirl about his interest in the Lakers.
Despite a relatively disappointing 2018/19 season, the Thunder have no plans to move on from head coach Billy Donovan, with general manager Sam Presti telling reporters that he expects Donovan to be back in Oklahoma City for the 2019/20 season.
While it remains to be seen for what team, veteran shooting guard Vince Carter, now 42, has confirmed that he intends to continue his playing career into the 2019/20 season.
It’s looking more and more likely that Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich will return next season, and if he does, he is expected to sign a three-year contract that will ensure he remains the NBA’s highest-paid coach.
The Wizards, looking for a someone to replace Ernie Grunfeld atop the front office, met with former Pelicans’ interim GM Danny Ferry on Tuesday to discuss the opening. They also met with Rosas before he took the head position in Minneapolis and with Troy Weaver, the VP of basketball operations for the Thunder.
The Mavericks plan to target both Kemba Walker and Bucks’ swingman Khris Middleton in free agency this summer to solidify the team’s starting lineup around Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
Beginning as early as the 2021/22 season, the Pistons’ G League franchise will begin playing in Detroit at a new $25MM athletic facility that will house the Wright State University basketball teams.
Celtics’ president of basketball operations Danny Ainge suffered a mild heart attack on Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Ainge, 60, has since returned to Boston and is expected to make a full recovery.
The Bulls and head coach Jim Boylen agreed to terms on a deal that will extend Boylen’s contract beyond the 2019/20 season. Despite a rough year record-wise, Chicago’s front office views Boylen as the teacher that the club’s young roster needs, and love the way he was able to build relationships with his players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/27/19 – 5/4/19

May 4th, 2019 at 2:04pm CST by clarkcrum

Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:

Some player option decisions are a foregone conclusion, but here are five to watch this offseason.
In this week’s polls, we asked:
- Which team is going to win the Bucks/Celtics series?
- Which team is going to win the Nuggets/Blazers series?
- Which conference semifinal series is most likely to go the full seven games?
We provided the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery odds, with the Knicks, Cavaliers, and Suns all having a 14% shot at the top-overall pick.
Our 2019 Offseason Salary Cap Digest series focused on the following teams:
Luke Adams provided an interesting perspective on this year’s draft, analyzing four lottery scenarios that are more likely than not to occur.
In this week’s Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- Which NBA Finals match-up would you most like to see?
- Do the Rockets have what it takes to come back and beat the Warriors in four out of five games?
To begin this year’s Five Key Offseason Questions series, Luke Adams took a look at some pressing issues facing the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Dana Gauruder’s Stock Watch series focused on Eastern Conference playoff participants whose free agent value has risen or dropped due to their playoff performance.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

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