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2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Sacramento Kings

April 30th, 2018 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings entered the 2017/18 season looking set to straddle the line between developing young players like De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Buddy Hield, and potentially pushing for the eighth seed in the West led by veterans like George Hill. However, Hill struggled mightily in Sacramento and the team quickly fell out of contention, shifting the focus exclusively to player development by the second half. Barring an unexpected splash in free agency this summer, the focus will likely remain on those young prospects heading into 2018/19.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Kings financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $21,562,883

  • Our cap projection for the Kings includes their nine guaranteed contracts, the cap hold for their lottery pick, and all three player options. While it’s possible that one or more of Shumpert, Koufos, or Temple opts out to explore free agency, they seem unlikely to top their player-option salaries for 2018/19, making them decent bets to opt in. Taking into account all those salaries and cap holds, and assuming all free agents are renounced, the Kings’ total team salary adds up to $79,437,117.
  • If any of those player options are declined, or the Kings make a trade or two, they could create more cap room. However, the club doesn’t look ready to contend, and may exercise restraint in free agency after last year’s big veteran investment (Hill) backfired.

Footnotes:

  1. Hayes’ exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  2. The Kings are seventh in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) or as low as No. 10 ($3,522,533).

Note: 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 was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Chicago Bulls

April 29th, 2018 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

No NBA team had a lower projected win total than the Bulls entering the 2017/18 season, but Chicago didn’t look too bad in the first half, picking up victories behind the solid play of guys like Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis, Lauri Markkanen, and Nikola Mirotic. Trading Mirotic and benching some veterans helped keep the Bulls’ win total in check as they continued their rebuild, but that early-season hot streak means they’ll need some draft-lottery luck to nab a top-five pick.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Bulls financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

  • No. 6 overall pick ($4,823,489)3
  • No. 22 overall pick ($1,974,488)
  • Total: $6,797,977

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $26,660,833

  • Our cap projection for the Bulls includes the amount of their 10 guaranteed contracts, cap holds for their two first-round picks, and LaVine’s cap hold, since the Bulls are viewed as a near-lock to bring him back. That result in a total team salary of $74,339,167.
  • Even if they bring back a couple other players, the Bulls should have plenty of cap room to work with. However, retaining Kilpatrick, Nwaba, and LaVine and keeping both their first-round picks would add up to 15 players, assuming the team doesn’t trade or release any of its 10 players with guaranteed contracts. Given their roster constraints and the fact that they’re still in the midst of a rebuild, the Bulls seem unlikely to be very aggressive in free agency.

Footnotes:

  1. Kilpatrick’s exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  2. Zipser’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 18.
  3. The Bulls are sixth in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) and as low as No. 9 ($3,708,089).

Note: 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 was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Free Agent Stock Watch 2018: Miami Heat

April 29th, 2018 at 3:01pm CST by Austin Kent

The Heat doubled down on a committee of above-average role players last summer and have leveraged their depth into unexpected success after a dismal 2016. With an elite head coach and an established culture of winning, Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra have no reason to believe that they can’t continue to field a winner so long as they’re willing to invest in solid players.

The downside of a team built in this fashion, however, is that it lacks the ceiling to be truly dangerous in the postseason and the financial flexibility to change that. Not helping matters, of course, is the fact that the Heat’s highest paid player, Hassan Whiteside, could barely get off the bench in the club’s most recent first-round playoff exit.

The Heat are on pace to cross the luxury tax threshold in 2017/18 thanks to dramatic escalations in the contracts of players like Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson, making it inevitable that a dramatic roster move is forthcoming.

Is the on-court product good enough to justify the luxury tax expenses? Not likely, so all that’s left is for the franchise decide what direction to go when the dominoes start falling.

Luke Babbitt, SF, 29 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
The Heat brought Babbit aboard in a minor deal at the deadline and it wasn’t hard to understand why. The career 40.2% three-point shooter is an attractive niche add and he shot 44.1% on threes through the first half of the season with the Hawks. Unfortunately, he didn’t make enough of a splash in an inconsequential stint with Miami to warrant major interest from the franchise this summer. Babbit will have suitors as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and could end up plucked by a team able to invest slightly more.

Wayne Ellington, SG, 30 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $12MM deal in 2016"<strong
Ellington represents this Heat roster as well as anybody — he’s a reliable veteran that can consistently get the job done. In the hands of the right coach and surrounded by the right players, that’s invaluable. If the Heat decide to continue pushing to contend in the East, it would make sense to retain Ellington for a few more years as a solid rotation piece. That being said, simply bringing back Ellington is no small feat considering the luxury tax implications of such an investment. If the Heat suspect their window is closing, all parties might be better off if the nine-year vet latches on with another contender elsewhere.

Udonis Haslem, C, 38 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
The Heat don’t have to worry about long-time big man Haslem testing the waters anywhere other than South Beach, the question is whether or not the 15-year veteran will opt instead for retirement. Haslem seems to have enough in the tank to continue playing in his drastically reduced role and, despite the luxury tax implications making even a minimum deal painful for ownership, there’s no reason to believe the franchise wouldn’t be happy to have him.

Jordan Mickey, PF, 23 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $5MM deal in 2015
Despite cracking the team’s rotation for a few weeks last December, Mickey didn’t make much of an impact with the Heat during his first season in Miami. One thing that the young big man does have going for him, however, is that his team option is for a modest $1.6MM. At a time when the franchise will be hard-pressed to fill out its 15-man roster without going into tax territory, cheap deals will be of particular interest.

Dwyane Wade, SG, 36 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
After an awkward season and a half with the Bulls and Cavaliers, Wade returned to Miami. Immediately, the franchise icon fell back into a rhythm and outplayed his minimum contract. If the Heat opt to continue competing in the East, bringing Wade back is practically essential – from a marketing point of view as much any. While he’s more than a simply symbolic figure, he’s not quite a leading man either, so a deal in the same vein as Dirk Nowitzki‘s $5MM annual with team options could be a solid starting point. If Wade is willing to sign another minimum contract, that’d be all the better for the cap-strapped Heat.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Weekly Mailbag: 4/23/18 – 4/29/18

April 29th, 2018 at 12:55pm 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.

When will Carmelo Anthony learn he’s not a superstar? — Sam, via Twitter

Often the player is the last to know, and from the tone of Anthony’s exit interview yesterday, it’s clear the message hasn’t gotten through. His first clue should have been the Knicks’ strong desire to ship him out of town, followed by a summer with little trade interest until the Thunder swooped in at the last minute. Anthony’s scoring average dipped below 20 points per game for the first time in his career, and he was held out for long stretches in the playoff loss to Utah. The Thunder would love for the 33-year-old to use his early termination option on next season’s $28MM salary, but there’s little chance he would get an offer anywhere close to that in free agency. He and Oklahoma City management seem to have very different ideas of his role for next year, so don’t be surprised if buyout talks take place at some point.

What are the realistic landing spots for Kahwi Leonard should the Spurs actually lose their minds and decide to trade him? — Clinfton Lewis, via Twitter

The Spurs’ first choice is to hold onto Leonard, but if they do move him, it’s unlikely it will be to a Western Conference rival, as Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register noted recently. Looking eastward, the Celtics are always among the favorites for a big deal because of their collection of young talent and draft picks. The Sixers could offer a package centered around Dario Saric and Markelle Fultz. The Heat may be willing to part with Goran Dragic and have enough other assets to get a deal done. If Leonard goes on the market, San Antonio will have plenty of offers to choose from, even if they’re limited to just one conference.

With the passing of his wife, it really hit not only Gregg Popovich and his family, but the rest of the NBA family as well. Do you think Popovich will be coaching next season? That’s a tough situation to overcome. — Deven Parikh, via Twitter

This will be one of the underrated subplots of the summer. Popovich, who will serve as the Olympics coach in 2020, could decide to take a break from the NBA and focus his energies on USA Basketball. He appeared exasperated by the long-running drama with Leonard, and the tragic death of his wife surely took a supreme emotional toll. The Spurs could look much different next season with much of the veteran core gone, and it would be understandable if Popovich decides to step away as well.

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Five Key Stories: 4/21/18 – 4/28/18

April 28th, 2018 at 4:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

In case you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the league, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

The Grizzlies filled their head coaching job by signing interim J.B. Bickerstaff to a three-year contract. Bickerstaff took over after David Fizdale was fired early in the season and posted a 15-48 record in 63 games. This is the second head coaching opportunity for the long-time assistant, who spent most of the 2015/16 season as the interim in Houston.

The Hawks and head coach Mike Budenholzer reached a mutual decision to end their relationship. Budenholzer had interviewed for coaching jobs with the Suns and Knicks, and wasn’t interested in staying in a rebuilding situation in Atlanta. He received the full $13MM+ salary for the two seasons left on his contract.

The Pelicans elected to pick up the option on coach Alvin Gentry for next season. Gentry’s job was considered in jeopardy coming into this season, but he solidified his standing with management by leading the team to the sixth seed and a first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers.

Wizards forward Otto Porter missed the final game of the series with Toronto after having a procedure done on his left leg. Porter was listed as out indefinitely after the “lower leg fasciotomy for compartment syndrome,” which was performed to ease the build-up of blood flow around a contusion.

Veteran center Andrew Bogut signed a two-year deal to play for the Sydney Kings in his home country of Australia. The 33-year-old had a brief NBA comeback after fracturing his tibia late last season, but played just 23 games for the Lakers before being waived in January.

Here are eight more headlines from last week:

  • Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews plans to exercise his option for next season. He played 63 games this year before suffering a fractured fibula in March.
  • Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had a “minimally invasive” procedure done on his left knee to repair a slight tear of his medial meniscus. He is expected to make a full recovery well before training camp.
  • Nuggets center Mason Plumlee had surgery to fix a core muscle injury that bothered him for much of this season. The team expects him to be cleared for full basketball-related activities this summer.
  • Jay Wright’s agent informed NBA teams that he has no plans to leave Villanova. Two clubs reportedly reached out to Wright, and there is speculation that the Knicks were one of them.
  • The Nets added two former players to their staff. Pablo Prigioni was hired as an assistant coach and Tiago Splitter was named as a pro scout with additional duties related to on-court player development.
  • Mike James, who held two-way contracts with the Suns and Pelicans, signed a three-year contract to play in Italy. He played a combined 36 games in his rookie NBA season.
  • The Commission on College Basketball recommended an end to the NBA’s one-and-done rule regarding draft eligibility. The commission, headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, was created after a federal investigation into corruption in the college game.
  • Kentucky coach John Calipari, also an advocate of eliminating the one-and-done system, met with the NBA Players Union to discuss his ideas.
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Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/21/18 – 4/28/18

April 28th, 2018 at 1:00pm CST by clarkcrum

Every week, we here at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Here are the original segments and features from the past seven days:

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Poll: Breaking Up The Wizards’ Backcourt

April 27th, 2018 at 9:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

After winning their division and taking the Celtics to the brink in a second-round series last year, the Wizards entered this season among the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they settled for an eighth seed and a first-round elimination.

It appeared Washington might miss the playoffs altogether when John Wall underwent knee surgery at the end of January. However, the Wizards managed a 15-12 record in his absence, sparking whispers that the team was better without him because of better ball movement.

Backcourt mate Bradley Beal, who has been beset by injury problems in the past, played all 82 games for the first time. He emerged as a team leader in Wall’s absence, averaging 22.6 points per game and posting career-best marks in rebounds (4.4 per game) and assists (4.5).

Washington has its All-Star backcourt locked up for the foreseeable future, but at a very expensive price. Wall will make nearly $19.2MM next season, then will start enjoying the benefits of a supermax extension that pays him $170MM over four years. Beal is owed nearly $81.3MM over the next three seasons.

With Otto Porter also getting a rich new extension last summer, the Wizards have extreme cap concerns over the next three years. They are already nearly $15MM over next season’s cap without counting possible player options for Jason Smith ($5.45MM) and Jodie Meeks ($3.45MM).

Operating so close to the luxury tax, the Wizards are limited in their ability to shake up the roster without a major trade. We’re asking our readers if they think it’s time to consider moving Wall or Beal as a potential cap solution. Please vote in our poll and give us your opinion on how Washington should handle the offseason.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Orlando Magic

April 27th, 2018 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic’s seemingly endless rebuild continued in 2017/18, as the team had its sixth straight season with 35 or fewer wins. While a new management team is in place, led by Jeff Weltman and John Hammond, Orlando doesn’t appear ready to make a major step forward yet. Questionable investments by Rob Hennigan have left the team without significant cap room in 2018, meaning we shouldn’t expect any major free agent moves from the team this summer, though trades are an option.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Magic financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • Shelvin Mack ($5,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
  • Khem Birch ($1,378,242)2
  • Rodney Purvis ($1,378,242)3
  • Total: $7,756,484

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $15,014,470

  • Our Magic cap projection takes into account the team’s eight fully guaranteed contracts, the projected cap hold for the lottery pick, and three cap charges for empty roster spots, resulting a total team salary of $85,985,260. In that scenario, the team would have to waive all of its non- and partially-guaranteed contracts and renounce its free agents.
  • The Magic may ultimately decide to remain an over-the-cap team this summer. If they want to re-sign Gordon, that’s all but guaranteed, since his $16MM+ cap hold would take them over the $101MM mark.

Footnotes:

  1. Mack’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 25.
  2. Birch’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 29.
  3. Purvis’ exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  4. The Magic are fifth in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) and as low as No. 8 ($4,033,884).
  5. Vazquez was the Magic’s 11th overall pick in 2005 and has yet to be renounced, meaning his cap hold is equal to the rookie scale amount for this year’s No. 11 pick. That cap hold will be removed when it’s officially determined that Vazquez won’t sign with the Magic for 2018/19.

Note: 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 was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Five Player Options That Look Like Locks To Be Exercised

April 27th, 2018 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As we recently detailed when we previewed this summer’s player option decisions, those options have been overwhelmingly declined over the last two offseasons.

Over the last two years, only eight of 53 veterans who held player options on their contracts have actually exercised those options. Half of those eight players (Tim Duncan, Caron Butler, Mo Williams, and Spencer Hawes) haven’t played a single NBA minute since picking up their options, having either retired or been waived. Another one of the eight (Chris Paul) only opted in because it cleared the way for him to be traded to his preferred destination.

However, those opt-outs came at a time when NBA free agent spending was at an all-time high, primarily due to the substantial salary-cap jump in the 2016 offseason. For most players with an opportunity to reach the open market, it made sense to test free agency rather than playing out a contract that had been negotiated when the cap was far lower.

That may not be the case this summer though. The increases in the salary cap have become more modest, with the cap for 2018/19 projected to only be about $2MM higher than this year’s figure. With fewer teams armed with cap room and less money available in free agency, many of the player options for 2018/19 don’t look too bad.

I expect more than five player options to be exercised this offseason, but here are five that look like virtual locks to be picked up:

  1. Carmelo Anthony, Thunder ($27,928,140): Our list starts with a player option that’s technically not a player option. Anthony actually has an early termination option, which essentially gives him the same rights as a player option would — he’ll simply have to waive his ETO in order to opt in and finish out his current contract. Given Anthony’s underwhelming season in Oklahoma City, which saw him set new career lows in PPG (16.2) and FG% (.404), opting in looks like an easy call. If the Thunder lose in the first round and Paul George departs in free agency, it will be interesting to see how enthusiastic Anthony is about remaining in OKC. This situation reminds me a little of Dwyane Wade‘s in Chicago a year ago, when Wade exercised his $23MM player option, then surrendered a big chunk of it as part of a buyout agreement.
  2. Wesley Matthews, Mavericks ($18,622,514): Matthews has already indicated he plans to opt in, so it’s probably cheating a little to include him here. Still, his case is an interesting one. Matthews is still capable of being a useful wing who can make three-point shots — that could make him more valuable to a contender than to the rebuilding team, and an $18MM+ expiring salary would also look appealing to a club looking to clear cap room for 2019. If and when Matthews officially picks up the option, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Mavs explore the trade market for him, likely expressing a willingness to take on longer-term money.
  3. Iman Shumpert, Kings ($11,011,234): Shumpert’s player option decision figures to hinge on money rather than destination. After an injury-plagued season in which he played in just 14 games, the veteran swingman won’t come close to matching his $11MM option salary, so it’s the right move to opt in and then see what happens. The rebuilding Kings, who held onto vets like Zach Randolph and Vince Carter for the entire 2017/18 season, could try the same approach with Shumpert next year, but I’d expect him to become a buyout candidate sooner or later — assuming he’s not traded first.
  4. Darrell Arthur, Nuggets ($7,464,912): In Denver, Wilson Chandler‘s player option decision will be a tougher one than Arthur’s, which looks like a mere formality. Ongoing knee issues – as well as a deep Nuggets roster – resulted in Arthur appearing in just 19 games and playing 141 total minutes in 2017/18. If he were to opt out, he’d almost certainly be looking at a minimum-salary offer, so picking up his option makes sense.
  5. Ron Baker, Knicks ($4,544,400): It’s hard to call a contract worth less than $10MM in total a disastrous signing, but the Knicks’ decision to commit their entire room exception to Baker last offseason on a two-year deal was immediately panned, and it doesn’t look any better now. Like other players on this list, Baker didn’t play a whole lot in 2017/18 due to injuries – and to not having a permanent spot in the rotation – which would limit his value significantly if he were to hit free agency. He’s recovering from shoulder surgery now, making his option decision an easy one.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: Game 6 Predictions

April 27th, 2018 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

After the Pelicans, Rockets, Warriors, and Sixers won their respective opening-round series in either four or five games, the first Game 6 of this year’s postseason took place on Thursday night, with the Bucks holding home court against the Celtics to push their series to a Game 7.

On Friday night, three more series will play a Game 6, so we want to hear your thoughts and predictions on tonight’s matchups.

In the East, the Cavaliers will look to close out the Pacers in Indiana to advance to the second round. The series has been a back-and-forth affair, featuring several close games and each team picking up a win in the other club’s building. Cleveland’s supporting cast has been somewhat underwhelming and George Hill remains questionable with a back injury, but if LeBron James keeps playing like he did in Game 5 (44 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists), it might not matter.

It’ll be interesting to see if Victor Oladipo can bounce back from an underwhelming Game 5. Since he scored 32 points in the series opener, Oladipo has seen his scoring output decline in each game, all the way down to 12 points in Game 5. His field-goal percentage has dipped in every game too, culminating in a 2-for-15 showing on Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the East, the Wizards will host the Raptors and look to avoid elimination in D.C. The home team has won every game in this series, so the fact that this one takes place in Washington bodes well for a Game 7, but this is another matchup that has been fairly even throughout the first round. Otto Porter is questionable to play in this game for the Wizards, while Fred VanVleet remains questionable for Toronto.

A Game 6 win would be a good sign for the Raptors, who have yet to pick up a statement victory in these playoffs. As long as the Raps keep winning at home, they could theoretically advance to the NBA Finals, since they’re the East’s No. 1 seed, but a solid road win would make them look like a much more formidable opponent heading into round two.

Over in the West, the road team is in a much tougher spot than the Cavs or Raptors — the Thunder trail 3-2 in their series with the Jazz, meaning they’ll need to win tonight in Utah just to keep their season alive. Oklahoma City looked all but dead in the third quarter of Game 5, but stormed back from a 25-point deficit behind huge games from Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

The Westbrook/George duo combined for 79 points in Game 5, with OKC’s next-highest scorer (Carmelo Anthony) scoring just seven. That’s a storyline worth watching in Game 6 — the Thunder probably can’t keep relying solely on the heroics of Westbrook and George, so someone else will need to step up. It’s not clear if Anthony will be that player, as the club looked better when he wasn’t on the court in Game 5.

What do you think? How will tonight’s games play out? Will the three teams in the driver’s seat be able to take care of business and advance to the next round, or can we look forward to another Game 7 or two on Sunday?

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