Hoops Rumors Originals

2017 Offseason In Review: Washington Wizards

October 24th, 2017 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 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 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Washington Wizards.

Signings:

Otto Porter: Four years, $106.525MM (25% maximum salary). Fourth-year player option. Matched Nets’ offer sheet.
Jodie Meeks: Two years, $6.745MM. Second-year player option.
Mike Scott: One year, minimum salary.
Devin Robinson: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed for each season.
Michael Young: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed for each season.

Camp invitees:

Carrick Felix: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine.
Donald Sloan: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine. (Waived)

Trades:

Acquired Tim Frazier from the Pelicans in exchange for the No. 52 overall pick.

Draft picks:

None

Extensions:

John Wall: Four years, 35% maximum salary. Designated Veteran Extension. Starts in 2019/20.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Laurene Powell Jobs buying significant minority stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Wizards.
Markieff Morris acquitted on aggravated assault charges; Morris out until November due to sports hernia surgery.
Sheldon Mac to miss most or all of season due to torn Achilles.
Will add G League affiliate for 2018/19 season.

Salary cap situation:

Operating over the cap and over the tax line by approximately $4MM. Carrying approximately $123.5MM in guaranteed team salary. Portion of taxpayer mid-level exception ($1.902MM) still available.

Check out the Washington Wizards’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Restricted free agency was an all-or-nothing proposition for many players this summer, with multiple RFAs – including Nerlens Noel and Alex Len – remaining on the market for months before signing their respective qualifying offers. Others – like Shabazz Muhammad and Joffrey Lauvergne – had those QOs rescinded, forcing them to settle for minimum salary contracts.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, was Otto Porter. The top restricted free agent on the market, Porter reportedly received a maximum-salary proposal from the Kings before instead inking a max offer sheet with the Nets. That four-year offer, worth north of $106MM, also featured a 15% trade kicker and a fourth-year player option, making it as player-friendly as possible — and, in turn, not so team-friendly for the Wizards.

If the Wizards had decided that a price tag exceeding $26MM annually simply wasn’t worth it for Porter, it would have been hard to fault them for that. After all, even though Porter enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2016/17, posting a blistering .516/.434/.832 shooting line, he wouldn’t be more than the third option in Washington, with the team leaning heavily on John Wall and Bradley Beal to carry the ball-handling and scoring loads.

Letting Porter go to the Nets would have left the Wizards with a significant hole at small forward though, and the team wouldn’t have had the financial flexibility to acquire a viable replacement. So, stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Wizards moved swiftly to match Porter’s offer sheet and brought him back into the fold.

The move loomed large over the rest of the Wizards’ offseason, ensuring that the club would surpass the luxury tax threshold and would be unable to make any other major splashes. Even minor upgrades to the bench would be tricky for the cap-strapped Wiz. But after the franchise posted its highest win total (49) in nearly four decades, the front office wasn’t about to let its 24-year-old starting small forward get away for nothing.

Key offseason losses:

The Wizards did let one RFA small forward go this summer, as Bojan Bogdanovic became too expensive to re-sign once it became clear Porter would be back. Bogdanovic was only a Wizard for a few short months at the end of the 2016/17 campaign, but he was one of the club’s most reliable marksmen during that stretch, making 39.1% of his three-point tries in 26 regular season contests. His outside shot will be missed.

The other notable offseason departures for the Wizards were less worrisome than the loss of Bogdanovic. In fact, parting ways with Trey Burke and Brandon Jennings may end up being addition by subtraction, given how little the duo gave the Wizards last season as Wall’s backups at the point. Jennings, in particular, saw his numbers crater after heading to Washington when he was bought out by the Knicks. The Wizards hoped Jennings could provide some much-needed bench scoring, but he shot just 27.4% from the field and averaged 3.5 PPG in 23 regular season games in D.C.

Key offseason additions:

The Wizards’ second unit was a significant area of concern for the team in 2016/17, so adding a shooter to replace Bogdanovic and a reliable point guard to back up Wall was a top priority heading into the offseason. Washington addressed the point guard spot first, completing a pre-draft trade with the Pelicans for Tim Frazier.

Frazier, who is playing for his fourth team in four NBA seasons, certainly won’t be the best backup point guard in the NBA, but he was solid in New Orleans last season, averaging 7.1 PPG and 5.2 APG in 65 games. He also came fairly cheap — he’s earning just $2MM in 2017/18, and only cost the Wizards the 52nd overall pick in their trade with New Orleans.

It’s possible the Wizards could have landed a veteran backup for an even more modest price in free agency, considering Raymond Felton, Ramon Sessions, Mario Chalmers, Aaron Brooks, and even Derrick Rose were among the point guards who inked minimum salary deals. But it made sense for the Wizards to play it safe and address the position early in the offseason, recognizing that the free agent market could be unpredictable.

The Wizards did delve into the free agent market to sign a replacement for Bogdanovic, landing on veteran sharpshooter Jodie Meeks. It’s a somewhat risky move, as injuries have limited Meeks to just 39 games in the last two seasons. But if he’s healthy, the former second-roud pick is an inexpensive rotation piece, and one who is reliable from the outside — he has made 37.6% of his career three-point attempts.

Washington also signed Mike Scott and Carrick Felix to minimum salary deals. Scott should have a rotation role this season, providing some additional frontcourt depth.

Outlook for 2017/18:

The Wizards received a healthy dose of criticism – or at least skepticism – a year ago for signing Beal to a maximum salary contract, but the young shooting guard responded by staying healthy for a career-high 77 games and enjoying a career year. If Porter makes the same sort of leap Beal did during the first season on his own mega-deal, Washington will be in position to challenge the Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference crown.

Even without huge strides from Porter, the Wizards are in an enviable position this season. Conference rivals like the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Raptors underwent major offseason changes and have real questions to answer on the court this season. The Wizards, on the other hand, still look a lot like the team that finished last season on a 42-20 run, then got within one game of the Eastern Finals.

On paper, that Wizards team looks like it may still be one piece away from legit title contention, but with so many Eastern contenders going through periods of transition, the door may be open this season for Washington to make a surprisingly deep playoff run.

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

Weekly Mailbag: 10/16/17 – 10/22/17

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:57pm 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.

Will the Pistons blow up their roster? — Sundeep Kothari, via Twitter

It all depends on the results. Detroit has just one playoff appearance during the current decade and needs to give fans a reason to keep coming to the team’s new home at Little Caesars Arena. The postseason is certainly within reach in a weakened Eastern Conference, and the Pistons will probably still be in the race when the trade deadline arrives in early February. If something goes terribly wrong, the first player on the trading block will be Andre Drummond, who is owed more than $52.5MM over the next two seasons and has a player option of more than $28.75MM for 2020/21. Next would be Reggie Jackson, who had a disappointing season while battling injuries last year and is owed more than $35.1MM over the next two seasons. Detroit isn’t projected to have any significant cap room until 2019/20, so there’s no way to blow up the team without moving those two.

Are the Suns the worst team in the NBA? — Dalai Llama, via Twitter

Anyone who watched their season opener against the Trail Blazers or Saturday’s rout by the Clippers could certainly reach that conclusion. Phoenix has chosen to rebuild with youth and the results aren’t going to be pretty, especially with so many good Western Conference teams on the schedule. The Suns might have as much talent as the Bulls, Hawks or Nets, but playing in the West will put them in the running for the league’s worst record. With Phoenix so far from contention, it makes sense to find the best possible deals for Eric Bledsoe, who has one year left on his contract at $15MM, Tyson Chandler, who is signed for one more season at $13.585MM, and Jared Dudley, who has another year left at $9.53MM. It’s time to fully embrace the rebuilding process and use those assets to create a brighter future.

What do the Wizards have to do to get a good seed and advance to Eastern Conference finals? — Swaggtastic Jackson, via Twitter

The season-ending injury to Celtics forward Gordon Hayward improved Washington’s chances. Boston and Cleveland both had massive roster overhauls this summer, while the Wizards kept their key pieces together. Markieff Morris is expected to return next month from abdominal surgery, which will put all of last year’s starting unit back in place. The bench remains unremarkable, however, and won’t be easy to improve with Washington already projected to be in tax territory for this season and the next two. The front office will have to be aggressive with trades between now and February for the Wizards to reach the top of the Eastern Conference.

Community Shootaround: Boston Celtics

October 21st, 2017 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After a summer upheaval that included adding a pair of All-Stars, the Celtics appeared headed for at least another trip to the Eastern Conference finals. Their fortunes may have changed Tuesday when Gordon Hayward took a hard fall less than six minutes into the season opener that left him with a dislocated and fractured left tibia.

It was a shocking way to start the year for Celtics fans and for Hayward, who left Utah for Boston and a four-year, maximum-salary contract. He was expected to be one of the top forwards in the East and part of the foundation for the team’s future, along with newly acquired point guard Kyrie Irving.

The Celtics still have plenty of talent, including the No. 3 picks in the last two drafts, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. They have both moved into the starting lineup and added youthful energy to the team. Still, it’s hard to replace someone who can score [21.9 points per game last season] and shoot [nearly 40% from 3-point range] like Hayward.

The injury plunges the Celtics into a pack of teams that will fight to be the chief challenger to Cleveland in the East. The Wizards took Boston to seven games last season in the conference semifinals, the Raptors are back with a wealth of talent and the young Bucks could be ready for a major step forward.

That brings us to tonight’s question: With the loss of Hayward, are the Celtics still among the two best teams in the East? Please share your thoughts in the space below. We look forward to your responses.

Hoops Rumors Originals: 10/14/17 – 10/21/17

October 21st, 2017 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

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

Our Offseason in Review series, which sees us looking back at the biggest stories and roster moves of each team’s summer, continued this week with breakdowns of the following clubs:
- Chicago Bulls
- Denver Nuggets
- Miami Heat
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
It was a quiet year for rookie scale extensions. In our recap, we examined the four players who signed rookie scale extensions and detailed how 2017 compared to past years.
Which teams have the oldest and youngest rosters for 2017/18? We took a closer look.
We also explored which clubs have the most and least roster continuity from last season.
Several NBA teams entered the 2017/18 season with open spots on their respective rosters. We identified those clubs this week, though a few have since filled their open two-way contract slots.
There are a number of important dates and deadlines to be aware of during the 2017/18 season, including an earlier-than-usual trade deadline. We’ve listed those dates in one place to help you stay on top of them.
After our readers placed over/under votes for the win totals of each of the NBA’s 30 teams, we rounded up the results.
In a Community Shootaround discussion, we invited you to make your predictions for the 2017/18 NBA season.
Our 2017 Free Agent Tracker rounds up all of the free agent signings that took place in the 2017 offseason, meaning it won’t be updated going forward. You can still use it to revisit all of the signings from the last four months though.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

2017 Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls

October 20th, 2017 at 6:59pm CST by Austin Kent

Signings:

Cristiano Felicio: Four years, $32MM.
Nikola Mirotic: Two years, $25MM. Second-year team option.
Justin Holiday: Two years, $9MM.
Antonio Blakeney: Two-way contract. Two years, $50K guaranteed for each season.
Ryan Arcidiacono: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.

Camp invitees:

Diamond Stone: Two years, minimum salary. $50K guarantee. (Waived)
Bronson Koenig: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
Jaylen Johnson: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Jarell Eddie: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)

Waiver claims:

Claimed David Nwaba off waivers from the Lakers.
Claimed Kay Felder off waivers from the Cavaliers.

Trades:

Acquired Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen (No. 7 pick) from the Timberwolves in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the draft rights to Justin Patton (No. 16 pick).
Acquired cash ($3.5MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to Jordan Bell (No. 38 pick).
Acquired Quincy Pondexter, the Pelicans’ 2018 second-round pick, and cash ($2.5MM) from the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok.

Draft picks:

1-7: Lauri Markkanen — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Jimmy Butler
Isaiah Canaan (waived)
Michael Carter-Williams
Joffrey Lauvergne
Anthony Morrow
Rajon Rondo (waived)
Dwyane Wade (bought out)

Other offseason news:

Hired Doug Collins as senior advisor of basketball operations.
As a result of a punch thrown by Bobby Portis, Nikola Mirotic expected to be out until late November with facial injuries; Portis suspended for eight games.
Cameron Payne out until at least December with a foot injury.

Salary cap situation:

Operating over the cap, but can create more than $17MM in cap room if necessary. Carrying approximately $81.4MM in guaranteed team salary. Portion of mid-level exception ($3.79MM) and full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) still available.

Check out the Chicago Bulls’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

With mounting pressure to commit to an inevitable rebuild, the Bulls finally opted to ship lone star Jimmy Butler westward for a handful of intriguing young building blocks.

To say that Chicago fans have grown skeptical that Gar Forman and John Paxson are the men to lead them into the next great era of Bulls basketball is an understatement. Nevertheless, the executive team has accepted the ambitious task and attempted to make the most of a less-than-stellar chapter in franchise history.

While the Bulls may be a way off from their next postseason appearance, we can give the organization credit for hopping off the treadmill of mediocrity. Baby steps, people.

Key offseason losses:

The Bulls managed to break the 40-win mark in each of the past two seasons largely because they’ve had Butler on board to keep the team relevant in the Post-Healthy-Derrick-Rose Era. This season, however, the All-NBA forward will ply his trade for former coach Tom Thibodeau in Minneapolis. The team will miss Butler’s ability to shoulder the offensive load, among other things, but fans should be reasonably pleased with the haul he yielded.

Besides Butler, a pair of former All-Star guards made their exit from Chicago this summer — Dwyane Wade received a late offeseason buyout, while Rajon Rondo was waived before his full 2017/18 guarantee kicked in. While Wade and Rondo were valued pieces that nearly helped the Bulls upset the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last spring, they’re 35 and 31 years old, respectively, and weren’t going to be part of the all-out rebuild unfolding at the United Center.

The Bulls also said farewell to backup guard Michael Carter-Williams this summer, and while he didn’t play much of a role in his only season with the squad, he could have been an intriguing piece for the team if given more of an opportunity. That opportunity could have come this season considering that Wade and Rondo are gone, but the 26-year-old former Rookie of the Year will play for the Hornets instead.

Key offseason additions:

While he’ll need to prove that he can bounce back from the torn ACL he suffered last season, Zach LaVine represents Chicago’s closest thing to a star. LaVine averaged 18.9 points per game for the Timberwolves last season, despite competing with two franchise cornerstones for touches. The 22-year-old will have plenty of chances to reach his ceiling when he finally sets foot on the court in a Bulls jersey.

The shine on Kris Dunn has dulled since he was drafted fifth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, but the young guard – who drew significant trade interest on draft night a year ago – still has tantalizing potential. Although we saw first hand that Dunn may not be ready to guide a team as its starting point guard just yet, his development will be among his new organization’s chief priorities in 2017/18.

There’s no consensus on what to expect out of Lauri Markkanen in his rookie season, but the forward out of Arizona could step into a significant role out of the gates. Markkanen lands in a unique situation this year with room to develop, though he’ll have to share the spotlight with several promising young teammates.

The Bulls managed to lure journeyman Justin Holiday back to the organization and the 28-year-old wasted no time stepping up as a leader of the youthful roster. Holiday’s career mark of 5.7 points per game leaves much to be desired, but the new-look Bulls core will benefit from his presence in the locker room.

Outlook for 2017/18:

While Chicago’s return in the Butler deal was widely panned, it stacks up well to the packages included in the offseason’s other blockbuster trades. Even if the Bulls didn’t net any sure-fire studs, the fact that they landed three potentially substantial building blocks in a summer when Paul George, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony were traded for pennies on the dollar should be celebrated.

Things will get a lot uglier before they get better in Chicago, something made abundantly clear when Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic threw down in a practice prior to the team’s season opener. But at least the front office, for better or worse, finally committed to a rebuild.

Don’t expect many wins out of the team in 2017/18, but rather a genuine commitment to developing their young core. If the front office shows any signs of mishandling that process, then don’t rule out another Fire GarPax billboard before the season’s out.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

2017 Offseason In Review: Portland Trail Blazers

October 20th, 2017 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

C.J. Wilcox: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.

Camp invitees:

Isaiah Briscoe: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
Archie Goodwin: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine. (Waived)
Anthony Morrow: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Zach Collins (No. 10 pick) from the Kings in exchange for the draft rights to Justin Jackson (No. 15 pick) and Harry Giles (No. 20 pick).
Acquired cash ($100K) from the Rockets in exchange for Tim Quarterman.
Acquired Andrew Nicholson from the Nets in exchange for Allen Crabbe.
- Note: Nicholson was later waived.

Draft picks:

1-10: Zach Collins — Signed to rookie contract.
1-26: Caleb Swanigan — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Allen Crabbe
Festus Ezeli (waived)
Tim Quarterman

Other offseason news:

Extended president of basketball operations Neil Olshey through 2021.

Salary cap situation:

Operating over the cap and over the tax line by approximately $3MM. Carrying approximately $122MM in guaranteed team salary. Full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.192MM) still available.

Check out the Portland Trail Blazers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Most NBA teams head into the offseason looking to improve their respective rosters by spending money, but that wasn’t necessarily the case for the Trail Blazers, whose primary goal over the summer was to trim their projected team salary.

The summer of 2016 loomed large over the 2017 offseason for the Blazers, who handed out lucrative long-term contracts to several free agents in ’16. Not all of those deals look awful a year later, but the team probably wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to take many of them back, including huge multiyear investments in Meyers Leonard, Evan Turner, and Allen Crabbe.

Portland entered the offseason with $133MM+ in guaranteed team salary on the books for 2017/18, not including cap holds for the club’s three first-round picks. By the time the dust settled and the regular season roster was set, the Blazers had sliced that number by more than $10MM, exponentially reducing the franchise’s projected luxury tax bill. So, in at least one sense, the club’s offseason was a success.

Key offseason losses:

The transaction that was responsible for reducing the Trail Blazers’ team salary most significantly was the trade that sent Crabbe to the Nets in exchange for Andrew Nicholson. Crabbe was a productive wing for the Blazers in 2016/17, setting new career highs in PPG (10.7), FG% (.468), and 3PT% (.444), among other categories. However, he was set to earn $19.3MM this season and $56MM+ in total over three years, making him a logical trade chip.

The Nets, who originally signed Crabbe to his current contract in the form of an offer sheet last year, were happy to take him off the Blazers’ hands, ditching Nicholson’s unwanted contract on Portland as part of the deal. Portland waived and stretched Nicholson’s contract, reducing his cap hit to just $2.844MM. But Nicholson will count against the Blazers’ cap for that amount for the next seven seasons. In the end, it probably would’ve been in the Blazers’ best interests to just let Brooklyn have Crabbe when he first signed his offer sheet with the club in 2016.

Outside of Crabbe, there were no major departures for the Blazers, who also traded Tim Quarterman and waived Festus Ezeli. Quarterman only played 80 total minutes for Portland in his rookie season, while Ezeli never appeared in a single game for the franchise, having been sidelined with a career-threatening knee injury.

Key offseason additions:

There were several NBA teams that essentially sat out the free agent period in July, but none were less active than the Trail Blazers. Portland was the lone NBA club that didn’t sign a single player to a guaranteed NBA contract this offseason. The team’s only signings were three training camp invitees – all of whom were later waived – and two-way player C.J. Wilcox (the club also inked Wade Baldwin to a two-way deal after the regular season got underway).

Although they have no incoming veterans to incorporate into the lineup, the Blazers did add a pair of potential core pieces in the draft. Using the 15th and 20th overall picks, Portland traded up to No. 10 to snag Gonzaga big man Zach Collins, and then selected power forward Caleb Swanigan with the No. 26 pick.

While Collins wouldn’t have been my choice at No. 10, with Malik Monk and Donovan Mitchell still on the board, he should be a good fit in Portland. Jusuf Nurkic will handle starting duties in the middle, but Nurkic has battled some health problems this year, and the Blazers don’t have a reliable backup at center after Leonard struggled and Ezeli failed to pan out last season.

As for Swanigan, the Purdue alum was one of my favorite prospects in this year’s draft class after he averaged a double-double (18.5 PPG, 12.5 RPG) and shot 44.7% on three-pointers in his sophomore season. Despite only being 20 years old, Swanigan looks ready to step in and play a rotation role in Portland right away.

Outlook for 2017/18:

While ownership must be happy to see the Blazers’ projected luxury tax bill decline so significantly, the club’s approach to the offseason and its lack of cap flexibility made it difficult to upgrade the roster. President of basketball operations Neil Olshey and company did okay given their limited options — there’s some value in continuity, and Portland’s new rookies are promising. I do expect the club to be a solid playoff contender in 2017/18.

Still, after a season in which Portland struggled to earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, the team’s ceiling may not be much higher than that in the short term, given the lack of offseason modifications to the roster.

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

Key In-Season Dates For 2017/18

October 20th, 2017 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2017/18 NBA season underway, our calendar of key 2017 preseason dates can be retired in favor of a list of important in-season dates for the ’17/18 campaign. Here’s a breakdown of the deadlines and events that will influence player movement for the next several months across the NBA:

October 21

NBA G League draft.

October 31

Deadline for teams to exercise rookie scale options for 2018/19.

November 3

NBA G League season begins.

December 1

Priority order for waiver claims is now based on 2017/18 record, rather than 2016/17 record. Teams with the worst records receive the highest waiver priority.

December 15

Most offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades.

January 5

First day teams can sign players to 10-day contracts.

January 7

Last day to waive non-guaranteed NBA contracts before they become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Salaries officially guarantee on January 10 if players haven’t cleared waivers before that date.

January 15

Most other offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades.
Last day to apply for a disabled player exception.
Last day to sign a two-way contract.

January 20

Salaries for all two-way contracts become fully guaranteed.

February 1

Former first-round picks who were stashed overseas may sign rookie scale NBA contracts for the 2018/19 season.

February 8

Trade deadline (2:00pm CT).

February 18

All-Star Game in Los Angeles.

February 28

Last day for contract renegotiations.

March 1

Last day a player can be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another team.

March 12

Last day to use a disabled player exception.

April 11

Last day of the regular season.
Last day players can sign contracts for 2017/18.
Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.

April 13

Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).

April 14

Playoffs begin.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker

October 20th, 2017 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2017/18 NBA regular season underway, the 2017 offseason has officially come to an end, and Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players signed new contracts over the last several months.

To that end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, years, salary, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

Contract years and dollars are sometimes based on what’s been reported to date, so in a few cases those amounts may be approximations rather than official figures. Listed salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either — deals marked with a † symbol are primarily non-guaranteed.
Two-way contracts and draft pick signings aren’t included in the tracker.
Click on a player’s name for our full report on his deal.
If you’re viewing the tracker on mobile, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.
Now that the offseason has come to an end, we won’t be continuing to update the tracker with in-season moves.

Our 2017 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the desktop site. You can find it on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the NBA players who have yet to reach contract agreements, or who were waived after being signed.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

2017 Offseason In Review: Miami Heat

October 19th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Signings:

James Johnson: Four years, $60.002MM. Fourth-year player option.
Dion Waiters: Four years, $47.3MM.
Kelly Olynyk: Four years, $45.611MM. Fourth-year player option.
Jordan Mickey: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option.
Udonis Haslem: One year, minimum salary.
Derrick Walton Jr.: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.

Camp invitees:

Larry Drew II: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
Erik McCree: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
Matt Williams: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Converted to two-way contract)
DeAndre Liggins: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed. (Waived)
Tony Mitchell: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed. (Waived)

Trades:

Acquired A.J. Hammons from the Mavericks in exchange for Josh McRoberts, the Heat’s 2023 second-round pick, and cash ($5.1MM).

Draft picks:

1-14: Bam Adebayo — Signed to rookie contract.

Extensions:

Josh Richardson: Four years, $41.965MM.

Departing players:

Luke Babbitt
Chris Bosh (waived; medical retirement)
Josh McRoberts
Willie Reed

Other offseason news:

Purchased a controlling interest in the Sioux Falls Skyforce; will now own and operate the G League affiliate.
Rodney McGruder to miss three to six months with leg injury.
Exercised 2018/19 rookie scale option on Justise Winslow.

Salary cap situation:

Used up cap room. Now operating over the cap, but well under the tax. Carrying approximately $100MM in guaranteed team salary. Room exception ($4.328MM) still available.

Check out the Miami Heat’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

An annual threat to land the top players on the free agent market, the Heat are an appealing possible destination for stars for a variety of reasons, including the head coach, the management team, the culture, and – not least of all – the climate. As such, it’s no surprise that the front office went after Gordon Hayward this offseason — the All-Star forward wasn’t the best free agent on the market, but he was probably the best one who legitimately considered changing teams.

For the second straight year, however, the Heat secured a meeting with the summer’s top free agent, only to be eliminated from consideration early. A year ago, Kevin Durant passed on the allure of South Beach, and this time around, Hayward’s decision ultimately came down to Utah vs. Boston.

A lack of recent success chasing stars won’t necessarily diminish Pat Riley‘s enthusiasm for pursuing them in future offseasons, but it did force him to change directions this year. Rather than locking up a bunch of players to one-year contracts and rolling over their cap space to the summer of 2018, the Heat made lucrative, long-term commitments to a handful of players after missing out on Hayward.

James Johnson went from a one-year deal worth $4MM to a four-year deal worth $60MM. Dion Waiters, coming off a contract that paid him less than $3MM for one year, inked a four-year pact worth $47MM+. Josh Richardson wasn’t a free agent, but he got a new contract too, signing an extension that will bump his salary from the minimum this year to more than $10MM annually for the next four seasons.

It’s an intriguing strategy for the Heat, one that probably eliminates any chance they had of making a free agent splash in 2018. There are many movable contracts on the roster, so targeting stars on the trade market will still be an option. But Miami’s Plan B this summer suggests that Riley – in the years between legit title contention – is far more comfortable putting together a solid, but unspectacular, roster capable of making the playoffs than he would be blowing things up in search of potential star power in the draft.

Key offseason losses:

The remaining members of the Heat’s Big Three played their final games with the club back in 2015/16, before Dwyane Wade left in free agency and Chris Bosh was sidelined with blood clot issues. However, Bosh technically remained on the roster through the 2016/17 campaign, having been officially waived just this spring. Miami was able to remove his remaining cap hits from the club’s books as a result of Bosh’s medical retirement.

Obviously, the big man’s departure won’t have an on-court impact on the Heat from last year to this year, since he didn’t appear in a single game last season. Nonetheless, Bosh was a significant part of the Heat’s most recent championship teams, and his departure represents the official end of an era in Miami.

As for the departing players who actually played in 2016/17, none are irreplaceable. Willie Reed (5.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG) was a productive backup center behind Hassan Whiteside, and Luke Babbitt (.414 3PT%) was an effective sharpshooter during his lone season with the Heat, but both players only averaged about 15 minutes per game.

The club also parted ways with Josh McRoberts this offseason, bringing his frustrating tenure in Miami to an end. While McRoberts would have been a nice fit for the Heat if he had been able to stay on the court, injuries limited him to just 81 games in three seasons with the organization.

Key offseason additions:

The Heat’s most notable offseason acquisition was big man Kelly Olynyk, whose arrival in Miami was indirectly as a result of the club’s inability to land Hayward. When the Celtics secured a commitment from Hayward, they had to rescind their qualifying offer to Olynyk in order to maximize their cap room. At that point, the Heat pounced on the newly unrestricted Olynyk, agreeing to terms with him just a few hours later.

A former lottery pick, Olynyk was a solid rotation piece in Boston, but even after a memorable performance against the Wizards in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals earlier this year, he wasn’t viewed as a marquee free agent. The Heat’s willingness to offer him a four-year contract worth over $45MM was a surprise, and I’ll be curious to see how he fits in the team’s frontcourt alongside Whiteside.

The Heat are a smart franchise, and they’re renowned for an intense conditioning program that helps get the most out of players. If they were eager to bring Olynyk into the mix, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they have a vision for how he’ll make the team better.

Outside of Olynyk, the team’s offseason additions were limited. Miami used its 14th overall pick on Bam Adebayo, but he’s an unfinished product at just 20 years old, and is unlikely to play a major role in his rookie season. Elsewhere in the frontcourt, free agent signee Jordan Mickey is more likely to earn a rotation spot than A.J. Hammons, who was a throw-in in a trade with the Mavericks and will likely be first on the chopping block if the Heat need to open up a roster spot.

Outlook for 2017/18:

Despite finishing last season on a 30-11 run, this Heat club almost certainly doesn’t have a 60-win ceiling. It’s a solid roster, and players like Whiteside and Goran Dragic are perhaps borderline stars, but neither of them is equipped to be the best player on a serious championship contender — a playoff appearance is possible and a postseason series win isn’t entirely out of the question, but that’s probably as far as Miami can hope to go in 2017/18.

That’s not bad, but it’s also not the sort of season Riley has grown accustomed to. It will be interesting to see whether he remains patient and sticks with the current version of this Heat team, or if he gets antsy and looks to make a major move or two at this season’s trade deadline.

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

2017 Offseason In Review: Oklahoma City Thunder

October 19th, 2017 at 3:29pm CST by Austin Kent

Signings:

Andre Roberson: Three years, $30MM.
Patrick Patterson: Three years, $16.355MM. Third-year player option.
Nick Collison: One year, minimum salary.
Raymond Felton: One year, minimum salary.
Daniel Hamilton: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
P.J. Dozier: Two-way contract. Details not yet known.

Camp invitees:

Bryce Alford: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
Markel Brown: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
Rashawn Thomas: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
Isaiah Canaan: One year, minimum salary. Exhibit nine. (Waived)
Yannis Morin: One year, minimum salary. Exact details not known. (Waived)
Chris Wright: One year, minimum salary. Exact details not known. (Waived)

Trades:

Acquired Paul George from the Pacers in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
Acquired Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and the Bulls’ 2018 second-round pick.

Draft picks:

1-21: Terrance Ferguson — Signed to rookie contract.

Draft-and-stash signings:

Dakari Johnson (2015; No. 48) — Signed to two-year, minimum salary contract.
Daniel Hamilton (2016; No. 56) — Signed to two-way contract.

Extensions:

Russell Westbrook: Five years, 35% maximum salary. Designated veteran extension.

Departing players:

Semaj Christon (waived)
Norris Cole
Taj Gibson
Enes Kanter
Doug McDermott
Victor Oladipo
Domantas Sabonis

Other offseason news:

Hired Rob Hennigan as vice president of insight and foresight.
Lost assistant general manager Michael Winger to the Clippers.

Salary cap situation:

Operating over the cap and over the tax. Carrying approximately $131MM in guaranteed team salary. Only minimum salary exception available.

Check out the Oklahoma City Thunder’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The Thunder approached the 2017 offseason with one goal and one goal only: To lock Russell Westbrook into as long a contract extension as they were eligible to offer. It wasn’t a question of money – the organization was more than willing to offer top dollar – but rather a question of whether Oklahoma City would be the right place for Westbrook to play out the prime of his NBA career.

To convince the reigning MVP to stay on board, the Thunder went out and made it abundantly clear that they were willing to surround him with a formidable supporting cast. General manager Sam Presti pulled the trigger on not just one blockbuster trade this summer, but two. Shortly thereafter, Westbrook put pen to paper on the largest contract extension in NBA history.

The Thunder had no qualms brazenly committing to superstars, and managed to get a pair of them discounted heavily after months of trade rumors. Even if the organization’s ambitious reload doesn’t result in a title before Paul George and Carmelo Anthony hit the open market as free agents, it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t a successful summer in OKC.

Key offseason losses:

Victor Oladipo didn’t exactly flourish in the same backcourt as ball-dependent Westbrook last season, but there’s no denying that the 25-year-old combo guard was intriguing in the long term. His 15.9 points per game should be easily replaced in 2017/18.

While Enes Kanter gets panned for his defensive inefficiencies, he remains a potent offensive weapon that could very well fill the stat sheet as a freshly minted member of the Knicks. Alas, considering that the 25-year-old played just 9.0 minutes per game for the Thunder in the playoffs, it’s safe to assume that he wasn’t part of the team’s long-term plans.

The Thunder have been struggling to find a suitable backup point guard to slot in behind Westbrook and weren’t impressed with the performances of Norris Cole and Semaj Christon in that role last season. Both are currently out of the league to start the 2017/18 season.

Finally, Domantas Sabonis, another valued long-term asset, was Indiana-bound alongside Oladipo. Sabonis showed flashes of the skills that made him a lottery pick in 2016, but his inclusion in the George trade was fair and logical.

Key offseason additions:

The Thunder landed two of the biggest available players on the trade market this summer, starting with George in a late June blockbuster. While there’s always the possibility that the All-Star forward will head elsewhere as a free agent next July, he’ll break camp as the team’s most prolific wing since Kevin Durant.

The version of Carmelo Anthony that the Thunder pried away from New York may have lost a step, but the veteran has the opportunity to play a major role on a contender after a disconcerting number of uninspired seasons with the Knicks. Anthony is expected to play the four full-time this season.

Overshadowed by the two aforementioned acquisitions is the solid signing of ex-Raptors big man Patrick Patterson. Patterson will provide a nice offensive spark off the bench and has the ability to make an impact on games from beyond the arc.

Oklahoma City’s latest attempt to find a suitable backup for Westbrook has brought them to veteran Raymond Felton. Felton has toiled in relative obscurity since 2013, but could be a reliable, stabilizing force in the Thunder’s backcourt. He’s also already familiar with one member of the team’s new Big Three, having played with Anthony in New York.

Outlook for 2017/18:

The Thunder went all-out in an attempt to prove to Westbrook that they’re serious about winning ball games. Oklahoma City may have given away a few intriguing long-term assets, but with a player of Westbrook’s magnitude already on board, it would have been silly to be anything but ambitious while looking to retain him. Even if those blockbuster moves don’t lead to a ring, locking Westbrook into his contract extension is a major win for the franchise.

It remains to be seen just how well the experiment will work, as Westbrook, Anthony and George all tend to need the ball in their hands in order to perform. Perhaps we’ll see the most significant transformation out of Anthony, the 33-year-old All-Star in line to prove that he can still play a major role on a winner.

If things go south, George turns out to be merely a rental, and the optimism surrounding the club ultimately fades, the small market club could find itself saddled with Anthony’s substantial contract in 2018/19. However, that’s a risk that Presti and the front office are willing to take. Given that the team now presents one of the league’s greatest threats to the reigning champion Warriors less than half a year after getting bounced in the first-round of the playoffs, I’d agree that it looks like a risk worth taking.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.