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Hoops Rumors Originals

Weekly Mailbag: 7/3/17 – 7/9/17

July 9th, 2017 at 4:57pm 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. Here are this week’s inquiries:

Which veteran free agent guard would best suit the Knicks, Derrick Rose or Rajon Rondo? — Charles Johnson, via Twitter

If we are to believe what the Knicks are saying, they want to get serious about building around a young core of Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez, Frank Ntilikina and the newly acquired Tim Hardaway Jr. That means no long-term, big-money offers for veterans like the 31-year-old Rondo or the 28-year-old Rose. Things could always change, of course. A trade of Carmelo Anthony or Courtney Lee could free up cap room or David Griffin could make the case for some veteran leadership if he becomes the new GM, but for now count New York out of the race for Rondo and Rose.

Any closer to knowing what will happen with D-Rose? Are the Bucks still trying to clear space to get him, or has that passed? — Ben J. Fischer, via Twitter

Rose had a meeting with Milwaukee this week, but it looks like an awkward fit. The Bucks are already about $10MM over the cap, so the only way they could afford him is in a sign-and-trade with the Knicks, probably involving Greg Monroe, who is entering the final year of his contract. Also, Milwaukee spent heavily on a point guard last summer in Matthew Dellavedova, and Giannis Antetokounmpo runs the offense there anyway. Right now, there isn’t a clear landing spot for Rose unless he’s willing to take a short-term deal or drastically reduce his salary expectations.

What direction do the Grizzlies go in the offseason? How bad do they regret giving Chandler Parsons $94MM? — Hugh Austin

The first year of the Parsons deal was a disaster. He managed just 34 games and had another knee surgery, this time in March to repair a partial tear of his left medial meniscus. However, Parsons is only 28, is under contract for three more seasons and remains a very good player when healthy. Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace took an optimistic approach toward Parsons last month, saying the team expects him to be a full participant when training camp opens in September. But the Parsons contract does limit Memphis’ options in free agency, especially when combined with large deals for Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, giving them three players who will make more than $74MM next season. The Grizzlies will be limited to small deals as long as all three remain on the roster.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/1/17 – 7/8/17

July 8th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Joshua Fischman

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

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Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker

July 8th, 2017 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

With the July moratorium over and news of contract agreements still coming in, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this July. 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:

  • Much of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect reported agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Listed salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
  • A restricted free agent who agrees to or signs an offer sheet will be included in the tracker, but the team won’t be specified until his original club matches or passes on the offer sheet, in order to avoid confusion.
  • Two-way contracts and draft pick signings aren’t included in the tracker.
  • Click on a player’s name for our full story on his deal.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on mobile, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

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 site. It will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. 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 players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

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Community Shootaround: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

July 8th, 2017 at 11:06am CST by marksuleymanov

After the Pistons‘ acquisition of Avery Bradley from the Celtics, the team promptly renounced restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The move puts Caldwell-Pope on the open market, free to sign with any NBA team and there has been no shortage of interest in the 24-year-old guard.

The Lakers are reportedly interested in Caldwell-Pope on a one-year commitment whereas the Nets have remained a suitor — and were expected to issue him an offer sheet before he hit unrestricted free agency. The Nets’ cap space is currently tied up after issuing a four-year, $101MM max offer sheet to Otto Porter. While the Wizards are believed to match the offer sheet, the Nets can continue their pursuit of KCP through discussion with his camp about a potential offer if and when Brooklyn retains cap space.

Los Angeles has about $17MM in cap space, which the team can use on a potential one-year deal. The Nets are more interested in long term pacts, especially after acquiring former second overall pick D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers. It’s ironic that the Lakers could have assembled a Caldwell-Pope/Russell back court and now the Nets are in a better position to do so.

In his fourth NBA season in 2016/17, Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, and shot nearly 40% from the floor in 76 contests. His numbers have not seen a drastic improvement but – given his age and ability – his potential may outweigh his production as teams consider his worth.

One minor detail to remember for any team interested in Caldwell-Pope’s services is that he’s suspended for the first two games of the 2017/18 season. Therefore, he will be eligible for 80 out of 82 games but that will likely not impact any teams pursuit.

With all of this in mind, which destination is most ideal for Caldwell-Pope? Does a one-year investment or a long term teal make more sense for the 24-year-old? Which team would benefit most from plugging him into their starting lineup?

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Community Shootaround: Lakers Future

July 7th, 2017 at 10:55pm CST by Austin Kent

The Lonzo Ball Era has officially arrived in Los Angeles – well, Las Vegas technically – and the potential impact the No. 2 overall pick will have on the franchise can already be felt world-wide.

Sure the Lakers lost to the Clippers (in what Lavar Ball calls his son’s ‘worst game ever‘) but the rookie’s vision was on full display right from the onset of the first quarter.

Just over ten seconds into his NBA debut, Ball connected with Lakers 2016 first-round pick Brandon Ingram for a casual alley-oop.

Already the prospect of seeing Ball and the new-look Showtime squad has pushed the organization into new territory (or at least familiar territory that they haven’t seen in some time).

After years of Post-Prime-Kobe and consistent asset collection, the team has brought in a new executive staff, committed to a highly regarded young coach and laid out a framework for a roster that could remain in Los Angeles for years.

The result?

History. Sort of. As Ohm Youngmisuk detailed for ESPN – and we broke down here – the Las Vegas Summer League sold out their venue for Saturday’s entire session and had done so by noon today. That’s a first, Youngmisuk reports, reminding readers that the Thomas & Mack Center’s venue seats over 15,000 people.

The question, of course, is whether the franchise will live up to the hype or not. While there are several legitimate reasons to be genuinely optimistic about the future of the franchise, there was no shortage of hype this time last year either, when the team presented Ingram, D’Angelo Russell and then-new head coach Luke Walton as the pillars of the team’s future. Ball, then, hadn’t even yet suited up for a single Bruins game at that point.

We ask you, Lakers fans and haters alike, will this go down as the beginning of the next great Showtime dynasty? Are we finally seeing the core building blocks of the organization’s next great run? Or, for the pessimistic among us, will we simply be having an entirely different conversation this time next year?

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NBA’s July Moratorium Ends Today

July 6th, 2017 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s July moratorium will end on Thursday at 11:00 am central time, allowing teams to conduct official business beginning today. The July moratorium is the period from July 1 to July 6 when teams are permitted to agree to trades and free agent contracts, but can’t yet formally finalize them.

[RELATED: 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker]

There are a number of types of deals that can be finalized during the moratorium, as we’ve seen this week. Teams can sign first-round picks to their rookie contracts, two-way contracts can be made official, and players signing minimum salary contracts can also finalize those deals. Restricted free agents are also permitted to sign offer sheets during the moratorium, though only one player – Otto Porter – has agreed to an offer sheet this week, and he hasn’t yet made it official with the Nets.

Although the end of the moratorium signals the beginning of official business for many teams, those teams aren’t obligated to immediately finalize deals reached during the moratorium. For instance, if the Celtics still haven’t found a taker for Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, or Marcus Smart by 11:00 am CT today, it’s not as if their deal with Gordon Hayward will fall apart — Boston can take as much time as it needs to get its cap in order before making Hayward’s deal official, though I’m sure the team won’t want to drag out the process too long.

In some cases, trades that were agreed to in June before the new league year began still need to be officially finalized too. The Thunder‘s acquisition of Paul George from the Pacers is the most notable outstanding trade. However, a pair of draft-day deals involving the Sixers still need to be made official as well.

Philadelphia sold the 39th and 46th overall selections, but the team had reached its limit for cash received during the 2016/17 league year, so the Clippers and Bucks, respectively, agreed to postpone those deals until 2017/18, when the Sixers’ cash-received limit for the year will reset to $5.1MM.

[RELATED: 2017 NBA Offseason Trades]

Once the moratorium lifts, we’ll be updating our stories of contract and trade agreements to reflect when they become official. For top headlines from the last week, like the deals for Hayward, Paul Millsap, Blake Griffin, and other big-name free agents, we’ll bump those stories to the top of the site so you don’t miss news of them becoming official. However, since we don’t want to bury new news amidst confirmation of old news, our stories on smaller deals won’t be moved to the top of our feed unless there are new developments or details.

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Top NBA Free Agents Still Available

July 5th, 2017 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Five days into the 2017/18 league year, most of the NBA’s top free agents are off the board. And while players like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, and Kyle Lowry stayed put, there has been some interesting movement at the top of the free agent board. Gordon Hayward is headed to Boston, Paul Millsap will be a Nugget, George Hill is joining the Kings, and Danilo Gallinari is signing with the Clippers.

Cap room is becoming increasingly scarce around the league, but many clubs still have exceptions available, and sign-and-trades are always a possibility, so we should still see more lucrative deals agreed upon in the coming days.

Which players are the strongest candidates to receive those lucrative deals? Let’s dive in and round up some of the most noteworthy free agents still on the board.

Here are 20 key unrestricted free agents who remain unsigned, listed in alphabetical order:

In addition to those players, veterans like Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili, Pau Gasol, and Zaza Pachulia don’t have formal agreements in place, though they’re all considered likely to return to their respective clubs. Euroleague star Milos Teodosic has also yet to find an NBA home, and as cap space dries up around the league, it will be interesting if he ends up sticking with CSKA Moscow.

While there are plenty of notable names on the unrestricted free agent market, the restricted market is getting even more intriguing. Otto Porter was able to land a big offer sheet, but many of the players listed below won’t have the same luck, as teams no longer have the flexible to overpay RFAs in an effort to pry them away. That means many of these guys will likely stay with their current teams, and some may even sign their qualifying offers. It’s possible that some of these situations may drag out too.

Here are the remaining RFAs:

For the full list of remaining free agents, click here.

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Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker

July 5th, 2017 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

With free agency officially underway and news of contract agreements still coming in, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this July. To this 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:

  • During the July moratorium (July 1-6), most of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
  • A restricted free agent who agrees to or signs an offer sheet will be included in the tracker, but the team won’t be specified until his original club matches or passes on the offer sheet, in order to avoid confusion.
  • Two-way contracts and draft pick signings aren’t included in the tracker.
  • Click on a player’s name for our full story on his deal.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on mobile, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

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 site. It will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. 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 players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

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2017 NBA Draft Pick Signings

July 5th, 2017 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent news has dominated NBA headlines over the last week, but teams around the league are also taking care of the rookies they drafted last month, signing them to their first NBA contracts. Because cap holds for first-round picks now count for 120% of the rookie scale instead of 100%, there’s little incentive for teams to wait to lock up their first-rounders.

For first-round picks, rookie contracts are fairly rigid, having essentially been predetermined. The NBA’s rookie-scale structure dictates that first-rounders will be signed to four-year deals, which include two guaranteed years, then team options in years three and four.

The value of those contracts depends on where a player was drafted. This year, No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz is in line for a four-year deal worth in excess of $37.4MM, which represents the maximum allowable 120% of his scale amount. No. 30 pick Josh Hart, on the other hand, figures to get a four-year contract worth just under $8.5MM.

The full breakdown of this year’s first-round rookie salaries and contracts can be found right here — if you see a first-rounder listed below as “signed,” you can assume his contract looks like that, unless otherwise indicated.

Second-round picks, meanwhile, aren’t assured of two guaranteed seasons, though some players will receive them. Teams can sign second-rounders to whatever amount they choose, using cap room or various exceptions. Those players who immediately join their NBA teams figure to get a minimum salary or something slightly above the minimum. We’ll make a note of contract details for second-rounders below, as they become available.

Finally, some second-rounders – and perhaps even some first-rounders – won’t sign in the NBA immediately, heading overseas to refine their games while their NBA teams retain their rights. We’ll make note of that below too, wherever it’s applicable.

Here’s a breakdown of 2017’s draft pick signings. This list will be updated as more draftees sign their first NBA contracts:

First round:

  1. Philadelphia 76ers: Markelle Fultz, PG (Washington): Signed
  2. Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball, PG (UCLA): Signed
  3. Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum, SF (Duke): Signed
  4. Phoenix Suns: Josh Jackson, SF (Kansas): Signed
  5. Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox, PG (Kentucky): Signed
  6. Orlando Magic: Jonathan Isaac, F (Florida State): Signed
  7. Chicago Bulls: Lauri Markkanen, PF (Arizona): Signed
  8. New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina, PG (France): Signed
  9. Dallas Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr., PG (North Carolina State): Signed
  10. Portland Trail Blazers: Zach Collins, F/C (Gonzaga): Signed
  11. Charlotte Hornets: Malik Monk, G (Kentucky): Signed
  12. Detroit Pistons: Luke Kennard, SG (Duke): Signed
  13. Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell, G (Louisville): Signed
  14. Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo, C (Kentucky): Signed
  15. Sacramento Kings: Justin Jackson, SF (North Carolina): Signed
  16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Justin Patton, C (Creighton): Signed
  17. Milwaukee Bucks: D.J. Wilson, PF (Michigan): Signed
  18. Indiana Pacers: T.J. Leaf, PF (UCLA): Signed
  19. Atlanta Hawks: John Collins, PF (Wake Forest): Signed
  20. Sacramento Kings: Harry Giles, C (Duke): Signed
  21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Terrance Ferguson, G/F (Australia): Signed
  22. Brooklyn Nets: Jarrett Allen, C (Texas): Signed
  23. Toronto Raptors: OG Anunoby, F (Indiana): Signed
  24. Denver Nuggets: Tyler Lydon, F (Syracuse): Signed
  25. Philadelphia 76ers: Anzejs Pasecniks, C (Spain): Will play overseas
  26. Portland Trail Blazers: Caleb Swanigan, F/C (Purdue): Signed
  27. Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma, PF (Utah): Signed
  28. Utah Jazz: Tony Bradley, C (North Carolina): Signed
  29. San Antonio Spurs: Derrick White, G (Colorado): Signed
  30. Los Angeles Lakers: Josh Hart, SG (Villanova): Signed

Second round:

  1. New Orleans Pelicans: Frank Jackson, SG (Duke): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed.
  2. Phoenix Suns: Davon Reed, SG (Miami): Signed
    • Four-year contract. Minimum salary. First year fully guaranteed; second year half guaranteed.
  3. Orlando Magic: Wesley Iwundu, SG (Kansas State): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.05MM contract. Fully guaranteed.
  4. Sacramento Kings: Frank Mason, PG (Kansas): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.18MM contract. First two years fully guaranteed.
  5. Memphis Grizzlies: Ivan Rabb, F/C (Cal): Signed
    • Three-year, $3.95MM contract. First two years fully guaranteed.
  6. Philadelphia 76ers: Jonah Bolden, PF (Serbia): Will play overseas
  7. Boston Celtics: Semi Ojeleye, F (SMU): Signed
    • Four-year, $6.04MM contract. First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed.
  8. Golden State Warriors: Jordan Bell, PF (Oregon): Signed
    • Two-year contract. Minimum salary. Fully guaranteed.
  9. Los Angeles Clippers: Jawun Evans, PG (Oklahoma State): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years guaranteed. Third year team option.
  10. Charlotte Hornets: Dwayne Bacon, SF (Florida State): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years are guaranteed.
  11. Atlanta Hawks: Tyler Dorsey, SG (Oregon): Signed
    • Two-year contract. Minimum salary. Fully guaranteed.
  12. Los Angeles Lakers: Thomas Bryant, C (Indiana): Signed
    • Two-year contract. Minimum salary. First year guaranteed.
  13. Houston Rockets: Isaiah Hartenstein, F/C (Lithuania): Signed G League contract
  14. New York Knicks: Damyean Dotson, SG (Houston): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.1MM contract. First two years are guaranteed.
  15. Memphis Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks, SF (Oregon): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years are guaranteed.
  16. Milwaukee Bucks: Sterling Brown, SG (SMU): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years are guaranteed.
  17. Indiana Pacers: Ike Anigbogu, C (UCLA): Signed
    • Three year, $3.9MM contract. First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed.
  18. Los Angeles Clippers: Sindarius Thornwell, SG (South Carolina): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years are guaranteed.
  19. Denver Nuggets: Vlatko Cancar, PF (Serbia): Will play overseas
  20. Philadelphia 76ers: Mathias Lessort, F/C (France): Will play overseas
  21. Denver Nuggets: Monte Morris, PG (Iowa State): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  22. Indiana Pacers: Edmond Sumner, PG (Xavier): Signed
    • Two-year, two-way contract
  23. Boston Celtics: Kadeem Allen, PG (Arizona): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  24. Phoenix Suns: Alec Peters, PF (Valparaiso): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  25. Utah Jazz: Nigel Williams-Goss, PG (Gonzaga): Will play overseas
  26. Boston Celtics: Jabari Bird, SG (Cal): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  27. Brooklyn Nets: Aleksandar Vezenkov, F (Spain): Expected to play overseas
  28. New York Knicks: Ognjen Jaramaz, PG (Serbia): Expected to play overseas
  29. San Antonio Spurs: Jaron Blossomgame, F (Clemson): Will play in G League
  30. Atlanta Hawks: Alpha Kaba, C (Serbia): Will play overseas

Note: Players drafted in previous years who signed their first NBA contracts this offseason are not included here. They’ll be featured in a separate roundup.

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NBA Free Agency: July 3-4 Recap

July 5th, 2017 at 12:11am CST by Luke Adams

After an eventful weekend, NBA free agency slowed down a little on Monday, prompting us to skip our usual roundup of the day’s events. However, with Gordon Hayward making his decision (eventually) on Tuesday, things began to heat up once again on the Fourth of July.

In addition to rounding up Tuesday’s free agency highlights, we’ll also double back to Monday and recap the most noteworthy NBA headlines from both days.

Here’s our breakdown of the notable contract agreements from the last two days:

Be sure to use our 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker to keep tabs on all of this summer’s contract agreements.

Here are a few more of the notable headlines from the last two days:

Previously:

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