Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

2018 Offseason In Review: Orlando Magic

September 7th, 2018 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Orlando Magic.

Signings:

Trades:

  • Acquired the draft rights to Justin Jackson (No. 43 pick) and either the Nuggets’ or Wizards’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable) from the Nuggets in exchange for the draft rights to Jarred Vanderbilt (No. 41 pick).
    • Note: The Nuggets’ 2019 second-round pick would be sent to Milwaukee if it falls between 56-60, in which case the Magic would receive the Wizards’ second-rounder.
  • Acquired Timofey Mozgov and Jerian Grant in a three-way trade with the Hornets and Bulls in exchange for Bismack Biyombo (to Hornets), either the Wizards’ or Nuggets’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable; to Hornets), and either the Nets’ or Knicks’ 2020 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable; to Hornets).
  • Acquired Dakari Johnson and cash ($1,978,242) from the Thunder in exchange for Rodney Purvis.
  • Acquired Jarell Martin and cash ($1,037,980) from the Grizzlies in exchange for Dakari Johnson and the draft rights to Tyler Harvey.

Draft picks:

  • 1-6: Mohamed Bamba — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-35: Melvin Frazier — Signed to three-year, $4.13MM contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
  • 2-43: Justin Jackson — Unsigned.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Team owner Richard DeVos died at age 92.
  • Hired Steve Clifford as head coach to replace Frank Vogel; finalized coaching staff.
  • Will host Bulls, Jazz in Mexico City games during 2018/19 regular season.

Salary cap situation:

  • Remained over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $111.6MM in guaranteed salaries.
  • $6.75MM of mid-level exception still available ($1.89MM used on Melvin Frazier and Isaiah Briscoe).
  • Full bi-annual exception ($3.38MM) still available.

Check out the Orlando Magic’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

When president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond took over the Magic’s front office in 2017, the expectation was that the two executives would focus on adding length, athleticism, and wingspan to the team’s roster, like Hammond had done in Milwaukee. The new management group has delivered on that expectation, drafting Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba with its last two lottery picks.

Still, the roster remained caught between two eras, with long-term deals for the likes of Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic still on the team’s books, and Aaron Gordon – perhaps Rob Hennigan‘s most successful lottery pick in Orlando – eligible for restricted free agency.

While Weltman and Hammond have focused on drafting the best players available that fit their vision for the franchise, those players have overlapped in terms of position with many of the Magic’s highest-paid veterans, creating a logjam in the frontcourt and an odd mix of players on the team’s depth chart.

At some point, the Magic will have to address the roster imbalance, but for now, the club remains focused on compiling as much talent as possible and identifying the long-term keepers from that group. Unlike Hennigan, who went all-in when he acquired Biyombo and Serge Ibaka in 2016, the new Magic decision-makers don’t yet feel any pressure to push for a playoff spot, and the team’s offseason moves reflected their patience.

Read more

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

What To Watch For In September

September 7th, 2018 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

NBA training camps are still a few weeks away, but executives around the league are returning from late-summer vacations and many players will report to their respective cities for informal workouts with teammates before camps officially get underway.

With the NBA news wire becoming a little more active as the season inches closer, here are a few things to keep an eye on during the month of September:

Dwyane Wade‘s decision:

Udonis Haslem has made his decision, with word breaking on Thursday morning that the veteran big man will return to the Heat for at least one more season. Now, it’s up to his longtime teammate, Wade, to decide whether or not he’ll be back too.

Although he has signed deals with the Bulls and Cavaliers in recent years, Wade is considered unlikely to play for any team besides the Heat for the rest of his NBA career, so there should be no drama about which team he’ll play for — it’s simply a matter of whether he actually wants to continue his NBA career, as retirement looms as a real possibility.

I’d expect Wade to announce his decision within the next couple weeks, or perhaps even in the coming days.

The remaining restricted free agents:

A year ago, four restricted free agents remained unsigned at this time: Mason Plumlee, Alex Len, Nikola Mirotic, and JaMychal Green. All four resolved their contract situations between September 20 and September 27, right around the time training camps opened.

This year’s unsigned restricted free agents, Rodney Hood (Cavaliers) and Patrick McCaw (Warriors), are good bets to follow in the footsteps of last year’s RFAs. Neither player will want to drag his free agency into the preseason and risk not being ready for the start of the regular season, so resolution within the next three weeks or so seems likely. It’ll just be a matter of whether or not they remain with their current clubs, and whether they end up signing multiyear deals or accepting their qualifying offers.

It’s also worth noting that Xavier Munford, a Bucks two-way player last season, received a qualifying offer from Milwaukee and technically remains a restricted free agent too, as far as we know. He’s in the same situation as Tyrone Wallace, a two-way RFA who had his offer sheet with the Pelicans matched by the Clippers earlier this week.

2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers:

The qualifying contests for the 2019 FIBA World Cup haven’t exactly been packed with NBA stars so far, but there are some familiar names taking part in the qualifiers happening in mid-September. Jordan Crawford, Frank Mason, Dwayne Bacon, Henry Ellenson, and Derrick White are among the NBA players in training camp with Team USA.

This is the first of three windows of games in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers — the next two windows are scheduled for November and February, meaning we likely won’t see any NBA players taking part in those. That makes this month’s results a little more important.

Team USA currently has a 5-1 record in qualifiers, so a pair of wins against Uruguay and Panama this month would put the squad in a comfortable spot to eventually lock up a spot in the 2019 World Cup. An upset loss or two would put a little pressure on Team USA, with no NBA players coming to bail them out during the next two qualifying windows.

It’s extremely unlikely that Team USA will be at risk of missing out on the 2019 World Cup, but FIBA’s new qualifying process opens the door for some intrigue. It’s worth keeping an eye on the club’s performances in games on September 14 and September 17.

Potential rule changes:

The NBA’s Board of Governors will conduct meetings two weeks from now, before training camps begin, and they’re scheduled to vote on three rule changes proposed by the league’s competition committee. While one – an expanded definition of what constitutes a “hostile act” during an NBA game – may not have a major on-court impact, the other two are interesting.

The NBA’s competition committee has suggested simplifying the clear-path foul rule to expand the number of situations in which fouling a team during a transition scoring opportunity results in a clear-path foul.

Additionally, the Board of Governors will vote on whether to have the shot clock reset to 14 seconds rather than 24 seconds after a team grabs an offensive rebound.

All three rules are expected to be approved, with at least two-thirds of the vote, so it’ll be worth watching to see how they affect NBA games in the early going this season.

Teams finalizing training camp rosters:

At this time last year, veteran free agents like Dante Cunningham, Gerald Green, Aaron Brooks, Shabazz Muhammad, Jarrett Jack, and Jason Terry still didn’t have teams. All of them signed before training camps started and ultimately spent most or all of the season on NBA rosters. We’ll likely see a similar pattern this year.

Currently, veterans like Jamal Crawford, Nick Young, Arron Afflalo, Corey Brewer, and a number of others are still unrestricted free agents. I’d imagine by the time the regular season gets underway, most or all of them will be on NBA rosters.

The trade market could also be active in the coming weeks. In 2017, three trades were completed in the few days before training camps begun, with Carmelo Anthony‘s move from New York to Oklahoma City representing the most noteworthy deal of the bunch. There may not be any trades of that caliber this September, but I expect we’ll see at least a little player movement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Lakers’ No. 2 Option

September 5th, 2018 at 6:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers will have enough salary-cap space to sign another top-level free agent next summer and there’s sure to be plenty of speculation about who will join LeBron James in Los Angeles. Will it be Kevin Durant? Kawhi Leonard? Jimmy Butler? Klay Thompson? DeMarcus Cousins?

However, there’s still a full season to be played before those stars hit the market. Someone will have to emerge as the No. 2 scoring option from the current roster and establish himself as a top-level performer in his own right.

After securing a commitment from James, the Lakers front office brought in an eclectic mix of free agents on short-term deals. It’s more likely that James’ right-hand man will be one of the young holdovers.

Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma are the most obvious candidates. Ingram, the second overall pick of the 2016 draft, showed significant improvement in his second season. He averaged 16.1 PPG and shot 47% from the field and 39% from long range. He also display playmaking ability by averaging nearly four assists per contest.

Kuzma made an immediate impact despite lasting until the 27th pick of the 2017 draft. The stretch four also averaged 16.1 PPG last season while connecting on 45% of his attempts and 36.6% from deep.

It’s logical to assume they’ll play together when the Lakers go small; in more conventional looks, one or the other will be on the bench when James is on the court.

That could open up the possibility of a guard becoming the secondary option. If that’s the case, then Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could wind up as the second-leading scorer. Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.4 PPG in his first season with the Lakers and re-signed on a one-year deal. He’s improved steadily as a 3-point threat, making a career-best 38.3% last season.

And while Lonzo Ball‘s first year in the league didn’t go as smoothly as planned, the Lakers thought enough of him to use the No. 2 overall pick last summer on him. His shot needs a lot of work but he’s always a threat to post a triple-double and he’ll play more off the ball with the additions of James and Rajon Rondo.

That leads us to our question of the day: Who will emerge as the Lakers’ No. 2 scoring option during the upcoming season?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

2018 Offseason In Review: Atlanta Hawks

September 5th, 2018 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Atlanta Hawks.

Signings:

Trades:

  • Acquired the draft rights to Trae Young (No. 5 pick) and the Mavericks’ 2019 first-round pick (top-5 protected) from the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Luka Doncic (No. 3 pick).
  • Acquired the Hornets’ 2019 second-round pick and the Hornets’ 2023 second-round pick from the Hornets in exchange for the draft rights to Devonte’ Graham (No. 34 pick).
  • Acquired Jeremy Lin, the Nets’ 2025 second-round pick, and the right to swap 2023 second-round picks with the Nets from the Nets in exchange for the draft rights to Isaia Cordinier and the Trail Blazers’ 2020 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
  • Acquired Carmelo Anthony, Justin Anderson, and the Thunder’s 2022 first-round pick (top-14 protected) in a three-way trade with the Thunder and Sixers in exchange for Dennis Schroder (to Thunder) and Mike Muscala (to Sixers).

Draft picks:

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Salary cap situation:

  • Used cap space. Now over the cap, carrying approximately $106.2MM in guaranteed salaries. Used room exception to sign Alex Len ($99K remaining).

Check out the Atlanta Hawks’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Having torn down the Hawks’ roster in his first summer as the team’s general manager a year ago, Travis Schlenk was in no hurry to accelerate the rebuild in his second offseason.

Rather than using the No. 3 overall pick on a player many experts viewed as the top prospect in the draft (Luka Doncic), Schlenk traded down to No. 5, selecting a more divisive prospect (Trae Young) and acquiring an extra 2019 first-rounder in the process.

Instead of using Atlanta’s excess cap room to pursue a promising young restricted free agent or two, Schlenk used it to absorb Carmelo Anthony‘s $28MM salary, acquiring a draft pick that the Hawks won’t receive until at least 2022. On top of that, the Hawks included their most productive player (Dennis Schroder) in the trade, leaving the roster without anyone who averaged more than 14.1 PPG in 2017/18.

The Hawks’ roster-building strategy might not be quite as extreme as “The Process” used in Philadelphia, but it’s not far off. So it made sense that the team hired a Sixers assistant, Lloyd Pierce, to replace Mike Budenholzer, a veteran coach who didn’t have much interest in a lengthy rebuild.

Pierce will be tasked with taking on a Brett Brown-esque role in Atlanta, focusing on developing the organization’s young prospects and building a positive culture rather than trying to turn the club into an immediate contender.

Read more

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Detroit Pistons’ Playoff Chances

September 4th, 2018 at 8:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pistons entered the 2017/18 campaign with dreams of making the postseason but finished with a 39-43 record and a date with the lottery for the second straight year. The disappointing season brought changes in the Motor City, and with LeBron James out of the Central Division picture, the team may have an opportunity to rise in the standings.

Rod Beard of The Detroit News believes the best case scenario for the Pistons involves new coach Dwane Casey getting the team’s core to jell, thus getting the most out of the talent on the roster. Blake Griffin is in the midst of his first offseason with the club and he feels he’s at full health for the first time in several years.

Reggie Jackson is set to enter the season healthy after missing 37 games last season. Beard notes that the Pistons went just 12-25 during that span. Jackson’s presence on the court allows Detroit to get the most out of its other pieces, so having him healthy will be key this upcoming season.

The Pistons brought in Jose Calderon to mitigate the risk of a Jackson injury. Calderon may not see many minutes unless Jackson is sidelined, but if he’s called to action, he should be more effective at running the first team than Ish Smith, whose ball-dominant game is more suited for the second unit.

Offshore sportsbook Bovada has the Pistons’ over/under at 38.5 wins, the ninth-highest mark in the Eastern Conference and the third-highest in the Central Division. If Detroit can surpass its over/under by just a few wins, a playoff birth could be in the cards for this squad.

Do you believe the Pistons will surpass their projected win total and make the postseason? Do they have a chance to steal the Central Division crown in a weakened group? Or will they yet again fall short of their preseason goals?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Highest-Paid NBA Players By Team

September 4th, 2018 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, we listed the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2018/19 season. While that list presented a clear picture of the highest earners for the upcoming season, not every NBA team was represented.

The Hawks, Nets, Knicks, and Kings didn’t have any players crack the top 50, which isn’t a huge surprise, considering none of those teams are expected to be championship contenders during the 2018/19 season. Atlanta and Brooklyn will actually be carrying dead money hits larger than any of their actual players’ salaries, thanks to Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, respectively.

That list of highest-paid players for 2018/19 also only provided a snapshot for the coming year. It included veterans like Jabari Parker, Paul Millsap, and Ryan Anderson, all of whom will be well compensated for the coming season, but aren’t on long-term deals.

Today, we’re shifting our focus to the highest-paid players by team. This will allow us to check in on those clubs that weren’t represented on our initial list, as well as exploring teams’ most lucrative multiyear commitments — we’ve included each club’s highest-paid player for the 2018/19 season and its highest-paid player in total.

Let’s dive in…

Atlanta Hawks

  • 2018/19: Kent Bazemore ($18,089,887)
    • Note: Carmelo Anthony has a $25,534,253 cap hit for the 2018/19 Hawks, but the team is paying that salary over three seasons.
  • Total: Kent Bazemore (two years, $37,359,549)
    • Note: Bazemore’s final year is a player option.

Boston Celtics

  • 2018/19: Gordon Hayward ($31,214,295)
  • Total: Gordon Hayward (three years, $98,102,070)
    • Note: Hayward’s final year is a player option.

Brooklyn Nets

  • 2018/19: Allen Crabbe ($18,500,000)
    • Note: Dwight Howard has a $18,919,725 cap hit for the 2018/19 Nets, but the team is paying that salary over three seasons.
  • Total: Allen Crabbe (two years, $37,000,000)

Charlotte Hornets

  • 2018/19: Nicolas Batum ($24,000,000)
  • Total: Nicolas Batum (three years, $76,695,651)
    • Note: Batum’s final year is a player option.

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • 2018/19: Kevin Love ($24,119,025)
  • Total: Kevin Love (five years, $144,521,197)

Dallas Mavericks

  • 2018/19: Harrison Barnes ($24,107,258)
  • Total: Harrison Barnes (two years, $49,209,770)
    • Note: Barnes’ final year is a player option.

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

  • 2018/19: Blake Griffin ($32,088,932)
  • Total: Blake Griffin (four years, $142,306,920)
    • Note: Griffin’s final year is a player option.

Golden State Warriors

  • 2018/19: Stephen Curry ($37,457,154)
  • Total: Stephen Curry (four years, $166,476,240)

Read more

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0

Extension Candidate: D’Angelo Russell

September 4th, 2018 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Twenty-three players became eligible for rookie scale extensions when the 2018/19 NBA league year began in July. One of those 23, Devin Booker, quickly finalized a new deal with the Suns, leaving 22 other players who could sign rookie scale extensions before the October 15 deadline. In the weeks leading up to that deadline, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the strongest candidates for new contracts.

[RELATED: 2018 NBA Extension Candidate Series]

Our examination of this year’s candidates for rookie scale extensions continues today with Nets guard D’Angelo Russell. Let’s dive in…

Why the Nets should give him an extension:

The second overall pick in the 2015 draft, Russell was the first player to come off the board after Karl-Anthony Towns was selected. A play-making point guard with size, the former Ohio State star has shown intriguing upside during his first three NBA seasons, averaging 14.6 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 3.6 RPG in 191 games (27.8 MPG).

Given the Nets’ dearth of lottery picks in recent years, a result of their ill-fated trade with the Celtics years ago, the team was willing to surrender longtime center Brook Lopez and a first-round pick for Russell last summer, taking on Timofey Mozgov‘s oversized contract in the process.

That trade signaled that the Nets believed in Russell’s potential, and with the club’s cap now cleared of pricey long-term deals, this could be the time to invest in his future. Injuries and adjustments to Kenny Atkinson‘s system limited Russell’s impact in his first year in Brooklyn, but the club is reportedly excited to see what he can do in year two. If the 22-year-old enjoys a breakout season, he’ll only get more expensive as a restricted free agent in 2019.

Why the Nets should avoid an extension:

Beyond clearing Mozgov’s contract and clearing a path for Lonzo Ball to assume point guard duties, there’s a reason the Lakers were willing to trade Russell in 2017. The young guard faced scrutiny about his work ethic and his drive in Los Angeles, with president of basketball operations Magic Johnson hinting after the trade was completed that the franchise didn’t necessarily view Russell as a “leader.”

Russell’s on-court production may also be a cause for a concern, as he hasn’t shown much improvement in that department since his rookie season. Most players who enter the NBA as 19-year-olds and develop into reliable regulars see their numbers steadily rise over the course of their rookie contracts, but Russell’s 2017/18 stats (15.5 PPG on .414/.324/.740 shooting) look awfully similar to his 2015/16 figures (13.2 PPG on .410/.351/.737 shooting).

Russell didn’t exactly make a strong case for a long-term contract during his first season as a Net, with injuries limiting him to 48 games. He was outplayed by former second-round pick Spencer Dinwiddie at times, and his on/off-court numbers weren’t flattering — Brooklyn had a -7.1 net rating when Russell played, including an ugly 111.7 defensive mark. Those numbers improved to -2.8 and 107.0 when he wasn’t on the court.

Read more

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0

Six Possible Landing Spots For Luol Deng

September 3rd, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After two years in Los Angeles, Luol Deng finalized a buyout agreement with the Lakers over the weekend and is set to become an unrestricted free agent. While he’ll still receive most of the money left on his deal with L.A., Deng will be free to sign with a new team.

A two-time All-Star in 2012 and 2013, Deng is no longer the dynamic, game-changing player he was in his prime. However, he’s just 33 years old and showed during the NBA Africa game this summer that he still has something left in the tank. The Lakers may have chosen not to play Deng at all after last year’s season opener, but that doesn’t mean he’s not capable of contributing to an NBA team in 2018/19.

One reason Deng was willing to accept a buyout from the Lakers was his desire to get back on the court for a new club, so it will be interesting to see how he balances that appetite for regular playing time with an interest in playing for a potential contender. It’s possible there are some teams that could offer both.

As we wait to see what Deng’s future holds, here are several teams that could make sense for the veteran forward:

  1. Minnesota Timberwolves: At least one report has already linked Deng to the Timberwolves, which comes as no surprise, given the presence of Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. Deng’s old coach in Chicago has brought in a handful of former Bulls, including Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and Derrick Rose, and would surely find room on the roster for Deng if he’s interested in signing with the Wolves. It doesn’t hurt that Minnesota still has a couple regular season roster spots available.
  2. Houston Rockets: Deng was never an elite three-point shooter, so he’s not quite an ideal three-and-D wing for Houston’s system, particularly as he enters his mid-30s. Nonetheless, the veteran may appeal to a Rockets team that’s in the tax and in need of one more wing — a minimum-salary deal for Deng would be more affordable and less risky than addressing that need in a trade.
  3. Golden State Warriors: Having entered the offseason expecting to fortify their depth on the wing, the Warriors instead spent their taxpayer mid-level exception on DeMarcus Cousins. The Dubs’ offseason work will likely be done once they re-sign restricted free agent Patrick McCaw, but if they can’t find common ground with McCaw, Deng could be an interesting alternative. Current Warriors assistant Ron Adams spent a number of seasons on the Bulls’ staff coaching Deng.
  4. Toronto Raptors: There’s another coaching connection to Deng in Toronto, where former Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin has been hired as Nick Nurse‘s lead assistant. The Raptors have no shortage of depth at small forward, so they might not be able to guarantee Deng many minutes, but if the club plans to part ways with someone like Norman Powell or C.J. Miles to reduce its tax bill, there may be an opening here.
  5. Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks were named last month as one of the teams that inquired about Kent Bazemore‘s availability, a signal that they’re still in the market for help on the wing. Although there have been no reports suggesting that interest would extend to someone like Deng, it’s not a stretch to imagine him as the sort of player new head coach Mike Budenholzer would appreciate.
  6. Charlotte Hornets: A lottery team last year, the Hornets probably have more modest expectations in 2018/19 than the rest of the clubs on this list. They also have plenty of options at forward already, with guys like Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist doing many of the things Deng does. Still, they’re worth mentioning because it was their general manager, Mitch Kupchak, who originally signed Deng to that huge four-year contract with the Lakers. Even though that deal didn’t work out, Kupchak may be willing to roll the dice again at a fraction of that price.

While I view the teams listed above as the best fits for Deng, there are several more possible landing spots for him around the NBA, such as the Pelicans, Spurs, Pacers, and Heat, among others. With training camps set to get underway in about three weeks, we’ll see whether he’s on an NBA roster by then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 9 Share 0 Send via email0

Suns’ Contract Options For De’Anthony Melton

September 3rd, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns acquired Ryan Anderson, a veteran stretch four they like, in their trade with the Rockets last week, but the prize of the deal looks to be rookie guard De’Anthony Melton. Melton was highly regarded by several draft experts and flashed his NBA potential in Las Vegas in July with a strong Summer League performance.

However, Melton remains unsigned, meaning the Suns will have to lock him up to an NBA contract now that they’ve traded for him. And because Melton was a second-round pick, he’s not subject to any sort of rookie scale — Phoenix will have to use cap room or an exception to sign him.

NBA teams have increasingly used either cap space or the mid-level exception to sign these second-round picks, since doing so allows clubs to offer three- or four-year contracts to those players. Nearly all of this year’s second-rounders have signed for at least three years, with only a small handful of exceptions, such as Jevon Carter of the Grizzlies and Alize Johnson of the Pacers.

[RELATED: 2018 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

The Suns’ options for signing Melton are somewhat limited though, since the team has used up its cap room, going over the cap as part of that trade with Houston. Here are Phoenix’s potential avenues for signing Melton:

Minimum salary exception:

The minimum salary exception can be used by any team at virtually any time. However, the exception limits contract offers to two years and – of course – the minimum salary.

Going this route would put Melton on track to reach restricted free agency in 2020, at which point the Suns could match any offer and the Arenas provision would limit other teams’ ability to do a huge offer sheet. This is how the Grizzlies signed Carter.

It wouldn’t be the end of the world to only offer Melton two years, but there’s a chance he’d hit free agency just as he’s starting to hit his stride.

Room exception:

Like the minimum salary exception, the room exception can’t be used for contract offers exceeding two years. The difference is that the Suns could offer more money with the room exception, going all the way up to $4.449MM in year one.

It’s possible that the Suns will go this route, but there’s little incentive to do so. A guaranteed two-year, minimum-salary contract is already a solid outcome for the No. 46 overall pick, so if Phoenix makes a two-year offer, I’d expect the club to stick to the minimum salary exception.

Creating cap space:

Having used cap room this offseason, the Suns have forfeited their right to the full mid-level exception, meaning the only way they can offer Melton more than two years is to do so with cap space. Right now, Phoenix is over the cap, but there are a couple ways the team could sneak back under…

(Note: We’re assuming Isaiah Canaan‘s non-guaranteed deal is a summer contract that doesn’t currently count against the cap. If that’s not the case, he would need to be waived as part of most of the plans outlined below.)

  • Waiving Shaquille Harrison and Richaun Holmes: Both Harrison and Holmes are on non-guaranteed salaries, so the Suns could clear their cap hits from the books by waiving them, creating enough room to sign Melton. The Suns could subsequently go back over the cap by re-signing Harrison and Holmes to new minimum deals, if they want to. This is risky though. Both players would be prime candidates to be claimed off waivers, and the Suns probably won’t want to lose them just to get Melton an extra year or two.
  • Buying out Darrell Arthur or Tyson Chandler: Of the two veteran big men, Arthur looks to be the more likely buyout candidate. If he’s willing to give up the equivalent of his minimum salary, the Suns could reduce his cap hit by nearly $2.4MM, opening about $1.45MM in cap space, more than enough for Melton. Arthur would have to be motivated to get out of Phoenix and would probably need to have a new destination lined up in order to agree to a buyout though.
  • Making a trade that cuts costs: The Suns are said to be in the market for a point guard after sending Brandon Knight to Houston. If they could find a way to make a deal that also reduces their team salary by $2MM or so, it’d be an ideal outcome, allowing them to upgrade their point guard spot while also creating the cap room necessary to offer Melton a longer contract. This would require a willing trade partner and the right sort of salaries though, making it the trickiest of these options.

It may ultimately not matter much whether Melton signs a two- or three-year deal with the Suns. But if the club makes a roster move in the near future that looks designed to trim team salary, Melton’s first NBA contract is probably the motivating factor.

Retweet 10 Share 0 Send via email0

Weekly Mailbag: 8/27/18 – 9/2/18

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:59pm 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.

With the Lakers buying out Luol Deng‘s contract, is it still possible we could see a move made for Kawhi Leonard before the season begins? What would it take to make that transaction? — Omar A. Gonzalez, via Twitter

The Raptors aren’t going to pull up off a blockbuster trade that involves giving up DeMar DeRozan, one of the most popular players in franchise history, without seeing what they have in Leonard. If he’s fully healed from the quad issue that limited him to nine games last season, Leonard has a chance to be the best player in the East and the Raptors are legitimate contenders for the NBA Finals. But Lakers fans should be patient. Leonard is still coming up on his option year, and nothing stands in his way of leaving for Los Angeles in 10 months if he’s not happy in Toronto. If the Raptors aren’t confident by the February deadline that they can re-sign Leonard, a trade with the Lakers becomes much more likely.

With Deng out, who’s in? Kawhi Leonard or Damian Lillard? — Boy Roy, via Twitter

A free agent signing next summer is more likely than a trade this year. With nearly $37MM in projected cap space after the Deng buyout, the Lakers will be on the radar for just about every marquee free agent. Leonard should be considered the favorite if he’s fully healthy, but the list of free agents for next summer is impressive. It starts with Kevin Durant and includes Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, Kemba Walker, Al Horford and Khris Middleton. Who wants a max contract to play alongside LeBron James, live in Los Angeles and be part of one of the league’s glamour teams? Just about everybody.

Do you think Carmelo Anthony will be a big boost and fit in with the Rockets as a championship contender?– Greg Dizon

The good news is that Anthony doesn’t have to do a whole lot to make the situation in Houston work. He doesn’t have to be part of a Big Three or challenge for the scoring title. James Harden and Chris Paul do the heavy lifting for the Rockets’ offense. Anthony just has to hit the open shots that are created for him and be willing to move the ball so the offense doesn’t stagnate. The main doubts involve whether he can help replace the contributions on defense from Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, who both left in free agency. The Rockets have other options if Anthony doesn’t work hard on both ends of the court, and his effort on defense may determine how large his role is.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts