Hoops Rumors Originals

Five Key Offseason Questions: Orlando Magic

June 17th, 2017 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

High lottery picks don’t always guarantee success. The Orlando Magic can attest to that. The Magic had a top-five pick in three consecutive drafts, starting in 2013, and failed to come away with a franchise player.

Last season, Orlando tried a different approach, packaging the No. 11 overall pick in a trade with the Thunder to acquire Serge Ibaka, who was entering his walk year. When their season fell apart once again, the Magic ended up dealing Ibaka to the Raptors. Orlando finished 29-53 during Frank Vogel’s first season as head coach with the franchise, a six-game slide from the 2015/16 campaign. Now under new management, the Magic will try to snap their streak of five consecutive losing seasons.

Here are five key questions for the Magic as they enter this offseason:

1. Who should they take with the No. 6 pick in the draft?

It’s generally believed that there’s a drop-off after the first five players come off the board on Thursday. Just the Magic’s luck, they have the sixth pick.

If Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, De’Aaron Fox and Jayson Tatum are all gone by the time the Magic’s turn comes up — a pretty safe assumption — they’ll have to strike gold with a less-heralded prospect.

The team’s newly-hired decision-makers, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman and GM John Hammond, have some interesting options and will probably settle on the one with the highest ceiling. Florida State forward Jonathan Isaac could be that guy. His length and ability to guard multiple positions would boost the team’s defense and he has the range to step out and make 3-pointers.

Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen and Kentucky’s Malik Monk would be safer options. Markkanen is a classic stretch four — he made 42% of his 3-point attempts during his lone college season. Monk, a shooting guard, could emerge as the No. 1 scoring option on a team that needs one.

2. Should the Magic offer extensions to Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton?

Payton’s numbers have steadily improved through his first three seasons. He averaged 12.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 6.5 APG with an above-average 17.25 PER this past season. But it would be surprising if Payton received a serious extension offer. Payton hasn’t convinced anyone that he can be the floor leader for a contending team and he’s a poor three-point shooter, a very big hole in his game. It’s awfully tough to give big money to a point guard who can’t shoot from outside, unless he’s an elite passer.

Gordon is a tougher call. His scoring totals jumped after Ibaka was dealt to Toronto and he was able to slide to his natural power forward position. He averaged 15.8 PPG in March and 19.0 PPG in April. Like Payton though, he’s not adept at shooting three-pointers and he needs to become a better rebounder. It’s likely the new regime will take a wait-and-see approach on Gordon, assuming they don’t deal him.

3. What is the best way for the new regime to upgrade the roster?

Make trades. The Magic won’t be able to acquire a top-level free agent. Not only do they lack the cap room (a max of about $15.7MM to spend), but quality players aren’t going to sign on with a franchise that has become a perennial loser, no matter how nice the Orlando weather is in the winter. The giant contract handed to Bismack Biyombo last season will limit any free agent spending to depth-related causes.

Gordon is the player most likely to be dealt, mainly because he’s a starter still working on his rookie deal. Ideally, Orlando would package him with one of their more onerous contracts such as Biyombo’s or D.J. Augustin‘s. Nikola Vucevic could draw some interest around the league — he’s a solid scorer and rebounder with a reasonable contract (two years, $25MM remaining).

The Magic need more versatile defenders and shooters. They were a woeful perimeter-shooting team last season.

4. What should the Magic do with their other picks?

Orlando has a pair of first-round rounders, with the No. 25 pick (courtesy of the Raptors) to go along with their lottery selection. They also have two high second-rounders (Nos. 33 and 35).

It’s a good bet that Weltman will trade at least one of these picks. Don’t be surprised if the Magic move the late first-rounder and one of the second-rounders to move up in the first round. Orlando has needs all over the board and could probably find another rotation piece with an extra pick in the top 20.

The Magic could also go the draft-and-stash route with at least one of the picks.

5. Should the Magic try to re-sign unrestricted free agent Jodie Meeks?

It depends on what they do with their lottery pick. If they select Monk, then there would be no need for Meeks with Evan Fournier and Monk at the shooting guard spot.

If they draft a forward, or perhaps even a point guard, then bringing back Meeks would make some sense. Meeks can deliver shooting off the bench and his injury history will probably limit his options in the open market. Meeks is a career 37.6% shooter from long range and made 40.9% of his three-point tries last season.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Magic financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Bismack Biyombo ($17,000,000)
Evan Fournier ($17,000,000)
Nikola Vucevic ($12,250,000)
Terrence Ross ($10,500,000)
D.J. Augustin ($7,250,000)
Aaron Gordon ($5,504,420)
Mario Hezonja ($4,078,320)
Elfrid Payton ($3,332,340)
C.J. Watson ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.¹
Total: $77,915,080

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

C.J. Watson ($4,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.¹
Patricio Garino ($1,312,611)
Marcus Georges-Hunt ($1,312,611)
Stephen Zimmerman ($1,312,611)²
Total: $7,937,833

Restricted Free Agents

Damjan Rudez ($1,724,305 qualifying offer / $1,724,305 cap hold)
Total: $1,724,305

Cap Holds

Jeff Green ($18,000,000)
Jodie Meeks ($12,426,000)
No. 6 overall pick ($4,186,320)
No. 25 overall pick ($1,516,200)
Total: $36,128,520

Trade Exceptions

Serge Ibaka TPE ($2,250,000) — Expires 2/14/18

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $15,751,170

Orlando’s eight guaranteed salaries, cap holds for two first-round picks, and cap charges for two empty roster spots total $85,248,830 in team salary. The Magic aren’t likely to waive all their non-guaranteed players, but they don’t have any free agents they badly needs to bring back, so renouncing those FAs and getting close to their maximum cap room is possible.

Footnotes:

Watson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 10.
Zimmerman’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.

Hoops Rumors Originals: 6/10/17 – 6/17/17

June 17th, 2017 at 3:15pm 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:

Luke Adams provides an explanation as to how cash-trading rules may affect teams’ draft plans.
We offer five more installments in our Five Key Offseason Questions series with the Nuggets, Rockets, Nets, Spurs, and Heat.
Arthur Hill discusses whether the 76ers can nab any big-name shooting guards this offseason, if the Pistons are breaking up the band, and draft rumors in his weekly Sunday mailbag. Submit your questions via Twitter (@HoopsRumors) or by sending us an email (hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com).
In his weekly Hoops Links roundup of interesting articles from around the blogosphere, Austin Kent shares pieces on the Celtics‘ imminent need to make difficult choices, unlikely ambassador Dennis Rodman‘s unique capability to broker peace between the United States and North Korea, and how the Cavaliers should resist pulling the trigger on any blockbuster trades this offseason.
Check out our free Trade Rumors app available for IOS and Android.
Here are the questions we asked you in our Community Shootaround discussions and polls this week:
- Which team will win Game 5 of the NBA Finals?
- What should the 76ers do with their first-round pick in the draft?
- What are your thoughts on Adam Silver’s new policy on resting players?
- What are your thoughts on a potential 76ers big three of Markelle Fultz– Ben Simmons –Joel Embiid?

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Five Key Offseason Questions: Denver Nuggets

June 16th, 2017 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After three straight seasons with win totals in the 30s, the Nuggets took a modest step forward in 2016/17, battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and ultimately falling just short of the postseason – and of .500 – at 40-42.

While the end result was somewhat disappointing, the Nuggets can view the season as an overall success, since it saw the emergence of a potential franchise player. Nikola Jokic, a second-round pick in 2014, entered Denver’s starting lineup for good on December 15, and from that point on, he averaged an eye-popping 19.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 5.8 APG to go along with a shooting line of .587/.342/.825. The Joker is still only 22 years old, and looks like a tremendous building block for a Nuggets team that has lacked star power since trading Carmelo Anthony.

Still, while Jokic’s breakout season was encouraging, the team has several key questions to answer as the offseason gets underway. Here are five:

1. Will Danilo Gallinari be back?

Gallinari, a key piece in that aforementioned Carmelo trade, has been a Nugget since 2011, but will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this July after turning down his player option with the team. Gallinari has been one of the league’s more underrated scorers in recent years, and is coming off the best shooting season of his career (.447/.389/.902). The Nuggets also have more than enough cap flexibility to bring him back.

On the other hand, Gallinari has a lengthy history of injuries, having failed to play more than 63 games in a season since 2012/13. Furthermore, Denver has a crowded rotation at the forward position, with Kenneth Faried, Juan Hernangomez, Wilson Chandler, and Darrell Arthur among the players who would be vying with Gallinari for minutes at the three and four. If the Nuggets trade one or two of those forwards, re-signing Gallinari makes a little more sense, but it’s not hard to imagine him ending up elsewhere this summer.

2. How can the Nuggets acquire another star to pair with Jokic?

If Gallinari doesn’t return, the Nuggets could create more than $35MM in cap room, which would be enough to make a maximum salary contract offer to a free agent. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised then that Denver has been mentioned as one of the teams that Chris Paul intends to talk to if he explores leaving the Clippers this offseason.

Still, while newly-promoted president of basketball operations Tim Connelly says agents have told him their clients want to play with Jokic, Denver hasn’t historically been a top destination for elite free agents. The Nuggets made an unsuccessful push for Dwyane Wade last summer, and Connelly has talked about being wary of free agents using Denver for leverage. Jokic’s presence and a solid core makes the Nuggets a more appealing landing spot, but it’s still hard to believe that a player of Paul’s caliber would choose Denver over teams closer to contending or over more glamorous cities.

While it doesn’t hurt to go after a marquee free agent, the Nuggets may have more luck pursuing a top player via trade. The team holds all its future first-round picks and has a handful of young players of various appeal on cheap contracts, including Will Barton, Jamal Murray, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Malik Beasley. Denver could put together a tantalizing trade package, but once again, the team would have to be careful about targeting a player who could depart in free agency in the near future. There’s probably no sense giving up several assets for Paul George if you’re concerned he’ll head to the Lakers in 2018.

3. How will the Nuggets address the point guard spot?

On paper, the Nuggets’ point guard duo of Mudiay and Jameer Nelson seems somewhat promising — the former seventh overall pick heading into his third year paired with the reliable veteran backup. However, Mudiay’s development in his first two NBA seasons has been slow, and Nelson will turn 36 years old during the 2017/18 season. For a team with an All-Star caliber center and solid performers on the wing, there’s a real risk that the point guard spot will be the lineup’s weak link.

The handling of Mudiay is perhaps the trickiest decision for the Nuggets going forward. He’s still only 21 years old, and the club certainly shouldn’t give up on him yet. But Denver is getting to the point in its rebuild where annual postseason contention is expected, and it’s not clear that Mudiay is capable of leading a playoff team.

This year’s class of free agent point guards is a strong one, and while the Nuggets probably won’t land Paul, it will be interesting to see whether the team shows serious interest in any other top FAs at the position. A veteran point guard like George Hill, Jeff Teague, Jrue Holiday, or even Kyle Lowry would look good in Denver’s lineup, though adding a player of that caliber would create uncertainty about Mudiay’s future with the franchise. Will he continue to get significant minutes, or will he become a potential trade chip this offseason?

4. What will the Nuggets do with their lottery pick?

Although they won’t pick as high as they have in the last couple years, the Nuggets should be able to land a talented prospect with the No. 13 pick. Chad Ford’s tiers at ESPN.com (Insider link) suggest that a few players out of a third tier that includes OG Anunoby, Zach Collins, Harry Giles, Luke Kennard, and Donovan Mitchell should be available for Denver.

I’d expect Kennard and perhaps Mitchell to be off the board by No. 13, but players like Anunoby and Giles would present the Nuggets with an interesting choice. Denver already has a fairly deep roster and doesn’t need to draft someone who can step into the rotation immediately. As such, it might make sense for the Nuggets to roll the dice on a player like Anunoby or Giles.

Both players are risks because of their injury histories, but would likely be top-10 selections based on talent alone. Denver is in a spot where it can afford to take a chance on a prospect with major upside — and potential downside.

5. What will Mason Plumlee‘s new deal look like?

The Nuggets would have had a second first-round pick in this year’s draft if not for a February deal with Portland. That trade looks like a heist for the Trail Blazers, who not only landed Jusuf Nurkic, but also picked up a first-round pick, which will be the No. 20 overall selection.

Nurkic likely wouldn’t have blossomed in Denver like he did in Portland, so the Nuggets shouldn’t feel too disheartened, but in order to salvage some value from the move, the team will need to get good production out of Plumlee in the coming years. The only problem? Plumlee is already eligible to hit the market as a restricted free agent this offseason.

Connelly has said that the team views Plumlee as a key part of its core, so it doesn’t sound like the Nuggets will let him get away. But if a team makes an aggressive offer like the Nets did to multiple RFAs last year, keeping him could get pricey. Plumlee is a solid player, but as a backup center, his role won’t necessarily be substantial unless Jokic gets hurt. The Nuggets will have to be determine how high they’re willing to go if Plumlee gets a big offer sheet.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Nuggets financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Kenneth Faried ($12,921,348)
Wilson Chandler ($12,016,854)
Darrell Arthur ($7,464,912)
Jameer Nelson ($4,736,050)
Will Barton ($3,533,333)
Emmanuel Mudiay ($3,381,480)
Jamal Murray ($3,355,320)
Gary Harris ($2,550,055)
Juan Hernangomez ($2,076,840)
Malik Beasley ($1,700,640)
Nikola Jokic ($1,471,382)
Total: $55,208,214

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Mike Miller ($3,500,000)¹
Total: $3,500,000

Restricted Free Agents

Mason Plumlee ($4,588,840 qualifying offer / $5,821,325 cap hold)
Total: $5,821,325

Cap Holds

Danilo Gallinari ($22,575,000) — Player option declined.
Roy Hibbert ($6,000,000)
No. 13 overall pick ($2,621,280)
Total: $31,196,280

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $43,170,506

With 11 guaranteed salaries on their books and a cap hold for their first-round pick, the Nuggets have a modest team salary of $57,829,494. If the club intends to make a serious effort to re-sign Gallinari, that figure will grow, reducing cap flexibility. But if Gallinari departs and Denver makes a trade or two, the team could create even more cap room.

Footnotes:

Miller’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 12.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

How Cash-Trading Rules May Impact Teams’ Draft Plans

June 16th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, five draft-night trades involving second-round picks saw money change hands between two NBA teams. In some cases, the cost of those picks wasn’t exorbitant — the Nuggets reportedly only received $730K from the Thunder in exchange for the rights to the No. 56 pick, which was used on Daniel Hamilton. However, the price tag on a few other picks was higher.

The Warriors, for instance, sent $2.4MM to the Bucks in exchange for the right to draft Patrick McCaw. The Nets gave $3MM to the Jazz for the right to move up and nab Isaiah Whitehead. The No. 54 pick, which was used on Kay Felder, cost the Cavaliers $2.47MM to acquire from Atlanta.

Teams with an excess of second-round picks will likely look to sell a selection or two this year, while clubs looking to get back into the second round can dangle cash in lieu of players or picks. But teams can’t simply send as much money as they want in order to acquire draft picks.

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the amount of money teams can send and receive in trades during a given league year. For the 2016/17 season, the maximum is $3.5MM. A team can send out as much as $3.5MM in trades, and receive up to that amount as well, but after that point, they can’t use any more cash in trades.

Cash paid and cash received are separate entities, so a team that has sent out $3.5MM in trades can’t “start over” by receiving $3.5MM in another trade — once they’ve paid $3.5MM, they’re essentially capped out in terms of tradeable cash. Since the new league year doesn’t begin until July 1, trades made since July 2016 will affect how much money teams can pay or receive in this year’s draft.

There are potentially ways to get around these restrictions — if a team without any tradeable cash left badly wants to buy a second-round pick, it’s possible an agreement in principle with another club could be reached, and a trade could be finalized in July when spending resets. But both teams would have to be on board, and a team with the ability to send or receive cash this year may not want to hamper its 2017/18 flexibility by waiting. When teams sell draft picks for cash, those deals are generally made official on draft night.

According to data from Basketball Insiders, these are the teams that have already paid or received more than half of their $3.5MM limit in 2016/17, reducing their flexibility on draft night:

Cash Paid:

Cleveland Cavaliers: $0 remaining ($3,500,000 paid)
Dallas Mavericks: $272,714 remaining ($3,227,286 paid)
Portland Trail Blazers: $575,000 remaining ($2,925,000 paid)

Cash Received:

Denver Nuggets: $0 remaining ($3,500,000 received)
Philadelphia 76ers: $100,000 remaining ($3,400,000 received)
Indiana Pacers: $272,714 remaining ($3,227,286 received)

The two teams impacted most by the money they’ve already spent or received in trades are probably the Cavaliers and Sixers. Cleveland has traded both of its 2017 picks, and will have a hard time getting back into the draft without any cash to use.

As for the Sixers, they have more picks than any other team in this draft, including four second-rounders. Philadelphia probably doesn’t want to use all of those picks, but trading them could be tricky, since the team isn’t eligible to receive more than $100K. If Philadelphia does trade a second-rounder or two, the return could be future picks rather than cash.

Hoops Links Vol. 9: Time Travel, North Korean Diplomacy, More

June 15th, 2017 at 3:25pm CST by Austin Kent

We’re back with the latest edition of Hoops Links, one that will make you appreciate the joys of the NBA blogosphere as much as we do. Now, with the Finals in the rear-view mirror, celebrating good original content is as important as ever.

Once a week we round up the best content that we come across while obsessively perusing the internet and now you can help. Find a blog article that you think deserves a shout out next Thursday? Send it my way on Twitter (@AustinKent). Even if you wrote the blog yourself, nominate it for inclusion in future editions.

Remember, keep things limited to Cavaliers Era Shawn Kemp, relevant, original and fresh.

The Celtics have plenty of decisions to make over the course of the next few years, especially since their cap space projects to dry up after this offseason. Retaining their roster as is and signing a big name free agent in 2017 could put Boston in position to far exceed the luxury tax next season when it comes time to re-sign Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley. Jason Sullivan of You’re Ducking Right recently broke down the pros and cons of retaining each guard, coming to the conclusion that the C’s will inevitably need to part with one if they want to build around Markelle Fultz.

Author: Jason Sullivan – @Sully6827
Rating: 9 out of 10 Sophie’s Choices
Link: Isaiah Thomas vs. Avery Bradley.

Much has been said about how an increasing reliance on three-point shooting has changed the game of basketball, but few have delved into what it takes to stop a successful team on the perimeter. Thomas Bassine of Big Three Sports went to work compiling the three-point percentages certain teams allowed compared to what one might reasonably expect those opposing percentages to be. The result? A statistical analysis of how teams are defending against the biggest trend in basketball.

Author: Thomas Bassine – @Big3Sports
Rating: 9 out of 10 Scatter Plots
Link: Three-point defense trends.

There’s a decent chance that Dennis Rodman‘s latest trip to North Korea will have a negligible impact on anything but perhaps the quarterly sales of bootlegged Bulls jerseys on the streets of Pyongyang, but that doesn’t change the fact that the retired forward is likely the only person alive that has personal relationships with both Donald Trump and Kim-Jong Un. Dan Devine of Ball Don’t Lie summarizes the Washington Post’s reporting.

Author: Dan Devine – @YourManDevine
Rating: 7 out of 10 Mermaid Puzzles
Link: Dennis Rodman in North Korea, 2017.

It didn’t take long for the speculation about hypothetical Cavaliers trades to kick in following their loss in the NBA Finals. Sam Beech of the King James Gospel, however, insists that Cleveland should resist making a blockbuster trade. Forget Carmelo Anthony altogether and don’t rush out to trade Kevin Love or Kyrie Irving, Beech says, thwarting some of the most frequently discussed trade possibilities.

Author: Sam Beech – @KJG_NBA
Rating: 7 out of 10 Hasty Overreactions
Link: Cavs should not make blockbuster trade.

If you were simultaneously granted the abilities to go invisible and time travel, it’s presumed that you’d skip ahead to the day the free agency moratorium lifts in order to sneak through the journals of various general managers. I get it. Alas, for now at least, we’re stuck with David Nash’s thought exercise. For The Four Point Play, Nash imagines what the diaries of Rockets GM Daryl Morey and Thunder GM Sam Presti might look like after two vital 10-day stretches in each executive’s career.

Author: David Nash – @DKN17
Rating: 9 out of 10 Cringeworthy Drakes
Link: Sam Presti, Daryl Morey diaries.

After last summer’s historically mediocre shopping spree, the Trail Blazers don’t have much cap space in 2017. Eric Griffiths of Blazer’s Edge, however, has some options that could create some breathing room for the franchise. Griffiths floats Pat Connaughton and Tim Quarterman as possible cuts with Meyers Leonard an intriguing salary dump option.

Author: Eric Griffiths – @EricG_NBA
Rating: 8 out of 10 Scroungers
Link: How Blazers can make cap space.

The Wizards haven’t had much success luring NBA superstars home to the D.C. area, most recently missing out on Kevin Durant last summer. Durant, a Washington native, didn’t even grant the franchise a meeting last offseason before taking his talents to Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach. Ryan Eugene of Wiz of Awes, however, thinks the tide could be changing, citing recent comments from Will Barton and Greivis Vasquez about returning home.

Author: Ryan Eugene – @ButterScotchT
Rating: 8 out of 10 Google Searches For Beaches Near Oracle Arena
Link: Local players interested in playing for Wizards.

After spurring a chorus of speculation at the trade deadline by tweeting an emoji, Pistons big man Andre Drummond has done it all over again. Count Steve Hinson of Detroit Bad Boys among those frustrated that we may be in line for another barrage of social-media-fueled angst as the rumor mill surrounding possible transactions begins to fly.

Author: Steve Hinson – @Shinons8
Rating: 7 out of 10 Damn Millennials
Link: Andre Drummond’s emoji tweet.

While they’ve managed to turn themselves into a perennial playoff team and regular dark horse option to make noise in the west, make no mistake, the Clippers Curse is alive and well. Need a reminder of just how blech things have been for the franchise? Autumn Anderson of Clipperholics recently published a feature detailing just how much of an impact the Michael Olowokandi-era bad luck continues to have on the organization.

Author: Autumn Anderson – @AAAutumn_
Rating: 8 out of 10 Eric Piatkowski Jerseys
Link: The Clippers Curse is real.

The thought of Dwight Howard putting up jump shots from beyond the arc is naturally unsettling, but that’s exactly what the big man plans to do for the Hawks in order to prolong his career. Justin Hodges of Soaring Down South weighed in on some recent comments made by the traditional back-to-the-basket big man, suggesting that Howard no longer boasts the impressive interior defense to get away with being a one-trick pony.

Author: Justin Hodges – @HodgepodgeHoops
Rating: 8 out of 10 Ambitious Shooting Coaches
Link: Dwight Howard to add three-pointer.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Offseason Questions: Houston Rockets

June 15th, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

A year ago, the Rockets were a directionless team that barely snuck into the playoffs. They had no coach after dispatching both Kevin McHale and J.B. Bickerstaff, and there was disharmony in the locker room stemming from a cold war between James Harden and Dwight Howard.

The problems cleared up over the span of a few weeks last summer, and Houston emerged from the wreckage with a team that posted the league’s third-best record. Mike D’Antoni was hired as head coach in early June and brought a fast-paced, spread-the-floor philosophy that the Rockets embraced. Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon signed as free agents, adding two weapons that were perfect for D’Antoni’s system. Howard left for Atlanta, ending the behind-the-scenes dissension.

But even with those problems solved, there are questions that remain. Here are five:

1. Does this really work?

D’Antoni has a history of excellent regular-season teams that had short playoff runs. In four straight seasons in Phoenix, he coached clubs with 62, 54, 61 and 55 wins, but never advanced past the conference finals. So even as the Rockets strung together a 55-27 campaign with a record number of 3-point attempts and makes, there were plenty of skeptics waiting for the playoff failure.

It came against San Antonio, a familiar nemesis for D’Antoni teams. The Rockets’ three-point marksmen misfired badly in the elimination game as the Spurs embarrassed them by 39 points in Houston, despite playing without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker. A second-round ouster raises the age-old question of whether a team that so heavily emphasizes offense over defense can ever be a serious threat to the NBA title.

2. How do the Rockets get better?

The Rockets shipped this year’s first-round draft pick to the Lakers in a deadline deal for Lou Williams, and their second-rounder belongs to the Knicks from a 2015 trade. They own Denver’s second-round pick at No. 43 and Portland’s at No. 45, but it’s hard to find someone who can contribute right away at that point in the draft.

Free agency options will also be limited, as the Rockets lack real cap space. The good news is nine of their top 10 players are under contract next season, with Harden secured for the next two years and Anderson and Gordon for the next three. However, any significant personnel moves this summer will probably have to come through trades. GM Daryl Morey pledged this week to “keep improving our roster,” saying he doesn’t view the champion Warriors as unbeatable.

3. Will Nene be back?

The one member of the rotation headed for free agency is veteran center Nene. The Rockets signed him with their room exception last summer, getting valuable interior help for the bargain price of $2.898MM. Nene became a dependable backup, averaging 9.1 PPG in 17.9 MPG over 67 games and posting his best production per 36 minutes since 2011/12.

Nene will turn 35 before next season opens, and it’s hard to picture a better situation at this stage of his career. Look for him to re-sign in Houston, probably with a modest raise.

4. How many extensions will get handed out?

The Rockets knew they had decisions to make this summer on Clint Capela and Trevor Ariza, but changes in the new collective bargaining agreement mean Williams, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell with be eligible for extensions as well.

Beverley can receive $31MM over three years in a new contract that would start with 2019/20. That represents a nice increase for a player who will be paid $10.5MM total over the next two seasons, but he will turn 31 before that contract kicks in, so the Rockets have to consider whether it’s a wise investment. Williams, who is two years older, can get $39MM over four years, starting with 2018/19. Capela, entering his fourth season, can be extended for four years at up to 25% of the salary cap for ’18/19.

5. Should they go over the cap or under?

Being so close to the cap line gives the Rockets a lot of flexibility heading into the summer. They could create up some extra room by renouncing all their cap holds and non-guaranteed deals, but that would mean giving up Nene and would still give them only about $12MM to work with, along with a room mid-level exception worth $4.2MM.

If Houston decides to operate over the cap, it would have two exceptions available in the amounts of $8.4MM and $3.1MM. That’s enough for a couple of small roster tweaks, but likely wouldn’t be enough for a real difference maker.

The Rockets are fully committed to their style of play, from management to the coaching staff to their superstar to their roster decisions over the past year. There’s no turning back now, so look for any personnel moves this summer to set up another record-setting year of bombing away from behind the three-point line.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Rockets financially:

Guaranteed Salary

James Harden ($28,299,399)
Ryan Anderson ($19,578,455)
Eric Gordon ($12,943,020)
Trevor Ariza ($7,420,912)
Lou Williams ($7,000,000)
Patrick Beverley ($5,513,514)
Clint Capela ($2,334,528)
Sam Dekker ($1,794,600)
Montrezl Harrell ($1,471,382)
Chinanu Onuaku ($1,312,611)
Total: $87,668,421

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Kyle Wiltjer ($1,312,611)¹
Isaiah Taylor ($1,312,611)
Total: $2,625,222

Restricted Free Agents

Bobby Brown ($1,724,305 qualifying offer / $1,724,305 cap hold)
Troy Williams ($1,512,611 qualifying offer / $1,512,611 cap hold)
Total: $3,236,916

Cap Holds

Nene ($3,477,600)
Total: $3,477,600

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $11,700,349

With more than $87MM on their 2017/18 cap in the form of guaranteed salaries, the Rockets would have a team salary of $89,299,651 if they added a couple cap charges for empty roster spots to that total. That would give the club about $11.7MM in cap room, which isn’t much more than what the mid-level exception is expected to be worth. In order to clear out additional space, a trade would be necessary.

Footnotes:

Wiltjer’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 1.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Offseason Questions: Brooklyn Nets

June 13th, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

For the second straight season, the Nets struggled to crack the 20-win mark, and for the second straight year, the race for the top spot in the lottery was no silver lining for fans, since the Celtics will end up with Brooklyn’s pick.

The 2013 blockbuster that saw the Nets trade multiple first-round picks (and swap rights) to Boston for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett continues to loom large over the franchise. Although there were some positive signs from some of the Nets’ young players in 2016/17, Brooklyn finished with an NBA-worst 20-62 record and owes the Celtics one more first-round pick in 2018, hampering the organization’s ability to accelerate its rebuild.

Here are five key questions facing the Nets this offseason:

1. Is Brook Lopez staying put?

Few NBA players have been involved in as much trade speculation in recent years as Lopez, but the Nets continue to show little interest in moving their veteran big man, despite not being close to contention. Brooklyn was reportedly seeking multiple first-rounders in exchange for Lopez earlier this year, reluctantly lowering the asking price to a first-round pick and a second-rounder just before the deadline, as bigs like DeMarcus Cousins and Nerlens Noel were dealt for modest packages.

Lopez is heading into the final year of his contract with the Nets, which means the team could risk losing him as an unrestricted free agent in 2018. Lopez seems happy in Brooklyn, and the franchise likes having him around as a reliable veteran presence. But the Nets aren’t going to contend in 2017/18, which means that if Lopez is going to be a part of Brooklyn’s next playoff roster, he’ll have to re-sign.

Lopez has stayed healthy in recent years and even added a three-point shot to his arsenal last season. He’d have value in a trade, so the Nets will have to decide in the coming months – or perhaps even the coming weeks – what his future holds. Is he considered a long-term piece? If so, is the club confident he won’t leave as a free agent in 2018? If not, Brooklyn may have to seriously listen to trade inquiries.

2. Will the Nets return to the restricted free agent market?

A year ago, the Nets aggressively pursued multiple restricted free agents, inking Tyler Johnson, Allen Crabbe, and Donatas Motiejunas to offer sheets. All of those offers were matched, leaving Brooklyn empty-handed, so it will be interesting to see if the team dips back into that well in 2017.

Restricted free agents are generally younger and less expensive than the top players on the unrestricted free agent market, which appeals to a Nets team building for the future. But the fact that teams have the ability to match any offer sheet their restricted free agents sign makes it difficult to pry them away. The Nets would likely have to overpay to avoid having their offers matched, and even then, there are no guarantees — Crabbe’s deal looked untenable for the Blazers, but they still matched.

This time around, the Nets could splash around for RFAs like Otto Porter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Nerlens Noel, but those players likely aren’t going anywhere even if Brooklyn offers the max. Second-tier RFAs like Jonathon Simmons, Mason Plumlee, Nikola Mirotic, and Tony Snell may make better targets for the Nets, if they decide to go that route.

3. What should the Nets do with their two first-round picks?

Although the Nets were forced to give up the No. 1 overall pick to Boston, the team still holds a pair of first-rounders. Brooklyn has the Celtics’ first-rounder (No. 27) as a result of that pick swap, and also acquired the Wizards’ pick (No. 22) in a deadline deal for Bojan Bogdanovic.

A year ago, the Nets showed that they were willing to roll the dice on a player who wouldn’t necessarily be ready to contribute right away, when they used their lone first-round selection on injured guard Caris LeVert. That’s looking like a savvy pick 12 months later, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Nets go a similar route this time around.

Prospects with health questions, such as Harry Giles and OG Anunoby, could be on the Nets’ radar, and draft-and-stash prospects like Andzejs Pasecniks and Isaiah Hartenstein may also make sense. Rodions Kurucs and Jonathan Jeanne may also have been possibilities for Brooklyn, but Kurucs has withdrawn from the draft, and Jeanne was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, putting his basketball career in jeopardy.

4. Are there other opportunities to add draft picks?

If the Nets don’t dive into the free agent market as actively as they did a year ago, they’ll have plenty of cap room available. In order to reach the salary floor, it might make sense for the team to accommodate another club’s salary dump, if it means gaining an asset of value.

For instance, the Trail Blazers are believed to be shopping one of their three first-round picks in an effort to reduce team salary, and the Nets have reportedly inquired. The opportunity to add a first-round pick as a reward for taking on a contract like Crabbe’s or Evan Turner‘s or Meyers Leonard‘s should be appealing to the Nets. Particularly since each of those players has some upside, even if they are overpriced.

Crabbe, a Nets target last summer, would be the most obvious fit for Brooklyn, though he’ll be even more expensive than he was in 2016, due to a 15% trade kicker. It’s also worth noting that the Nets currently don’t have a 2018 first-round pick, so if they want to get back into that draft, they could seek out a trade partner besides Portland.

5. Which of the Nets’ non-guaranteed players are keepers?

The Nets only have one free agent – Randy Foye – but six of their players have non-guaranteed contracts or team options for the 2017/18 season. In some cases, those decisions should be fairly easy — Sean Kilpatrick will be brought back on his minimum salary deal, for example. Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris should return too.

In some instances though, those decisions may not be so simple. Did the Nets see enough from K.J. McDaniels down the stretch to warrant picking up his $3.48MM team option? How about former first-round pick Archie Goodwin, who is on a minimum salary contract? For every player the Nets bring back, there will be one fewer roster spot to use on a new draft pick or free agent signing.

Brooklyn has plenty of time to make many of those decisions, but will have to make early calls on Kilpatrick, Harris, and Quincy Acy, whose 2017/18 salaries will all be guaranteed by mid-July.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Nets financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Brook Lopez ($22,642,350)
Jeremy Lin ($12,000,000)
Trevor Booker ($9,125,000)
Andrew Nicholson ($6,362,998)
Deron Williams ($5,474,787) — Waived via stretch provision.
Justin Hamilton ($3,000,000)
Caris LeVert ($1,632,480)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($1,471,382)
Isaiah Whitehead ($1,312,611)
Total: $63,021,608

Player Options

None

Team Options

K.J. McDaniels ($3,476,873)
Total: $3,476,873

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Quincy Acy ($1,709,538)¹
Archie Goodwin ($1,577,230)
Spencer Dinwiddie ($1,524,305)
Joe Harris ($1,524,305)²
Sean Kilpatrick ($1,524,305)³
Total: $7,859,683

Restricted Free Agents

None

Cap Holds

Randy Foye ($3,000,000)
No. 22 overall pick ($1,713,720)
No. 27 overall pick ($1,423,560)
Total: $6,137,280

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $33,209,882

With eight guaranteed salaries, two cap holds for first-round picks, and a pair of cap charges for empty roster spots, the Nets would have a team salary of $67,790,118. Their available cap room will dip a little if they keep some of their players with non-guaranteed salaries, as is expected, but they’d still have more than enough room to aggressively pursue at least one major free agent — perhaps an RFA, if they follow 2016’s blueprint.

Footnotes:

Acy’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 16.
Harris’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
Kilpatrick’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Offseason Questions: San Antonio Spurs

June 12th, 2017 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The San Antonio Spurs enjoyed another banner regular season and deep playoff run, only to see their championship aspirations destroyed by a key injury. When superstar Kawhi Leonard landed on the foot of the Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia in Game 1 of the Western Conference series, all the drama was drained from the series.

Gregg Popovich railed on Pachulia’s closeout, which the coach felt was a careless and dangerous play. Whether Popovich’s criticism was justified, it certainly prevented Leonard from playing the rest of the way and turned the intriguing series into a formality.

The Spurs remain one of the league’s elite teams and they could potentially be even better next season, depending upon how free agency plays out.

Here’s a look at the major questions confronting the club this offseason:

1. Can the Spurs sign unrestricted free agent Chris Paul?

The Clippers will undoubtedly offer a max deal in an effort to retain the perennial All-Star point guard. Paul’s free agent tour could be this year’s version of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Paul is desperately seeking a ring and the Clippers have consistently underperformed in the postseason.

If he bolts, San Antonio is the favorite to land him. The Spurs have an obvious need at the position and the possibility of CP3 joining Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge would give the NBA a third ‘Super Team’ to rival the Warriors and Cavaliers.

The major stumbling block is that the Spurs don’t have enough cap space to give Paul a max contract without some roster maneuvers. Trading sharpshooter Danny Green and his $10MM deal for next season would help the cause. However, it’s quite possible that Paul could accept a lesser deal with an opt-out after the first or second year if he’s serious about joining the Spurs.

2. If the Spurs fail to land Paul, what should they about their point guard situation?

Tony Parker is expected to miss at least the first two months of the season and Patty Mills is an unrestricted free agent.

The Spurs did draft Dejounte Murray last June and his role could expand. Mills obviously knows the system and there may not be a ton of competition to bring him back. The Spurs could easily get by with the Mills-Murray combo and get a boost from Parker when he’s ready to go.

The alternative would be to pursue one of the other starter-quality free agents on the market. Kyle Lowry, Derrick Rose, Jeff Teague and former Spur George Hill will all be seeking long-term deals.

3. Should the Spurs re-sign swingman Jonathon Simmons?

Simmons will be a restricted free agent after the club extends him a qualifying offer. The University of Houston alum saw his playing time expand during the postseason, which enhanced his chances of receiving a lucrative offer sheet.

San Antonio owns Simmons’ Early Bird rights, but a heavily backloaded deal would make it difficult for the Spurs to keep him around. He’s not a young player by NBA standards — though Simmons has only two years of NBA experience, he’s 27. While the Spurs would like to keep him around, they’re not going to significantly damage their cap situation for the next few years to retain him.

4. Will Pau Gasol and David Lee exercise their player options?

One of the Spurs’ frontcourt rotation players, Dewayne Dedmon, has already decided to opt out and test the market. Gasol and Lee are more likely to stick around.

Gasol will make $16.2MM next season and he’s not going to find a better situation at his age to get another ring. He has already strongly hinted that he has no plans to leave the Spurs.

Lee would only make approximately $2.3MM if he decides to stay. Like Gasol though, he may not find a better place to pursue a championship. Lee has bounced around the league in recent seasons and suffered a knee injury in the Western Conference Finals, which would further depress his value on the open market.

5. If Manu Ginobili retires, what should the Spurs do to replace him?

Ginobili’s playing time decreased in recent years, but he was still averaging nearly 20 minutes a game. His unique skills as a sparkplug would be hard to replace.

Simmons’ playing time would spike if he re-signs and there are plenty of wing players who will be looking for teams on the free agent market.

If they don’t eat up their cap space by signing Paul or some other high-priced point guard, the Spurs could go the “you can never have enough shooters” route and try to land a J.J. Redick or C.J. Miles. Another option is to sign Adam Hanga, the Euroleague’s Defensive Player of the Year. The Spurs retain his rights after drafting him back in 2011.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Spurs financially:

Guaranteed Salary

LaMarcus Aldridge ($21,461,010)
Kawhi Leonard ($18,868,625)
Tony Parker ($15,453,126)
Danny Green ($10,000,000)
Kyle Anderson ($2,151,704)
Tim Duncan ($1,881,250) — Waived via stretch provision.
Davis Bertans ($1,312,611)
Dejounte Murray ($1,312,611)
Livio Jean-Charles ($1,035,200) — Waived.
Total: $73,476,137

Player Options

Pau Gasol ($16,197,500)
David Lee ($2,328,652)
Total: $18,526,152

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Bryn Forbes ($1,312,611)¹
Total: $1,312,611

Restricted Free Agents

Jonathon Simmons ($1,671,382 qualifying offer / $1,671,382 cap hold)
Total: $1,671,382

Cap Holds

Manu Ginobili ($21,000,000)
Patty Mills ($6,800,001)
Dewayne Dedmon ($3,477,600) — Player option declined.
Joel Anthony ($1,471,382)
No. 29 overall pick ($1,404,600)
Total: $34,153,583

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $22,856,803

With seven guaranteed contracts, plus cap holds for a first-round pick and four empty roster spots, the Spurs’ team salary is $78,143,197. That figure doesn’t include Gasol or Lee, who could pick up player options, and also doesn’t include Ginobili, Mills, or Simmons, all free agents. Even if none of those players return, San Antonio would still have work to do to clear enough room for a maximum salary player like Chris Paul.

Footnotes:

Forbes’ salary becomes partially guaranteed ($100,000) after August 1.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Offseason Questions: Miami Heat

June 12th, 2017 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Through the first half of the 2016/17 season, the 11-30 Heat looked like the greatest threat to the Celtics for the No. 1 spot in the NBA’s lottery rankings.

If the Heat had performed the entire season like they did the second half, when they went 30-11, they would’ve be the greatest threat to Boston for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

That red-hot second-half run didn’t earn Miami a spot in the postseason, but it significantly changed the team’s outlook for 2017/18. While president Pat Riley may still use the dreaded R-word (“rebuild”), a 25-win season likely would’ve seen the Heat undertaking a multiyear retooling process — instead, Riley has hinted at an accelerated rebuild with an eye toward getting the club back in contention within the next couple years.

As they look to build a roster capable of getting back into the playoffs, here are five key questions facing the Heat this offseason:

1. Will the Heat pursue a “whale”?

Even when the Heat aren’t a title contender, they’re a popular destination for free agents. South Beach is a draw, as is Florida’s lack of income tax, but the culture Riley has built in Miami is perhaps the strongest selling point. That’s what gave the Heat the opportunity to sit down with Kevin Durant during his free agency last summer, despite having the weakest roster of the six teams Durant considered.

At season’s end, Riley suggested that the Heat wouldn’t be in the market for a “whale” this offseason, but the club may not be able to help itself. A recent report suggested that the Jazz view Miami as a legit threat to poach free-agent-to-be Gordon Hayward, who reportedly has interest in the Heat.

Hayward would be a terrific fit in Miami, as a scorer and shooter capable of playing at the three or four, depending on the lineup around him. A maximum salary contract, or something close to it, would eat into the Heat’s cap room in a major way, but the team could afford it, and Hayward – who just turned 27 – might be worth the investment.

2. Will Dion Waiters and James Johnson be re-signed?

After realizing last summer that Dwyane Wade wouldn’t be returning, the Heat completed a flurry of signings using their excess cap room, and many of these contracts were for one year. That allowed the team to maintain its flexibility for this summer, but it has created a tricky situation in instances where Miami wants to re-sign some of those players.

Waiters and Johnson are the two most obvious examples — both players will be in line for big raises after earning $3MM and $4MM respectively, but the Heat don’t hold either player’s Bird rights, meaning they’ll need to use cap room to re-sign them.

As it stands, the Heat have more than enough space to sign both players, but that could change if they pursue Hayward or another top-tier free agent. Even if the Heat are able to re-sign both Waiters and Johnson, locking them up on fair, market-level deals would mean dedicating most of their available cap room to retaining last year’s roster. Unless both Waiters and Johnson are willing to accept discounted offers, it might make sense for the Heat to just bring back one of them, rather than both.

3. Will Wayne Ellington and Josh McRoberts be retained?

As opposed to Waiters and Johnson, who are free agents the Heat want to bring back, Ellington and McRoberts are under team control, but may become expendable if more cap room is needed for other players.

In Ellington’s case, the team holds a $6.27MM option on him for the 2017/18 season. For a player who made 2.4 three-pointers per game at a 37.8% rate, that price is certainly reasonable. However, Ellington’s days in Miami may be numbered if the team decides it needs that $6MM+ in cap room to sign or retain an impact player.

Ellington’s salary doesn’t become guaranteed until the end of the July moratorium, so the club should have plenty of time to determine its free agent options before a final decision on the 29-year-old sharpshooter is required.

As for McRoberts, he has already picked up his own player option to stick with the team, but that doesn’t guarantee him a spot on the ’17/18 roster. If they waive him and stretch his salary, the Heat could slice McRoberts’ $6MM cap hit to $2MM, easily creating an extra $4MM in cap room. Nagged by injuries in recent seasons, the 30-year-old big man has only appeared in 81 games in three years for Miami. He may be expendable, particularly if the Heat have lingering concerns about his foot.

4. Is Justise Winslow ready for a breakout year?

The Heat’s impressive second-half run came without 2015 first-rounder Justise Winslow in the lineup. Winslow continues to rehab a shoulder injury, and is expected to be ready to go for the 2017/18 season, but he remains a wild card for the franchise.

On one hand, Winslow is still just 21 years old, and his tremendous upside and very affordable salary make him an appealing trade asset if the Heat are looking to acquire an impact veteran. However, those traits also make him very intriguing to the Heat as a possible breakout candidate. With no guarantee that James Johnson returns, Winslow could be in line for a key role as a wing player capable of defending multiple positions — if he’s ready for it.

5. What will the Heat do with their lottery pick?

Unless their 2018 first-round pick lands in the top seven, the Heat will send it to Phoenix, so Miami’s 14th overall selection this season may be the team’s last chance for a couple years to add a young, highly-regarded prospect.

The Heat could go in a number of directions at No. 14, depending on how the rest of the lottery plays out. Swingmen like Donovan Mitchell, Justin Jackson, and Terrance Ferguson may still be on the board; three-point specialist Luke Kennard could also be available; if the Heat want to go big, Zach Collins and John Collins may be options.

If Riley and the Heat really want to roll the dice, they could target a high-upside player coming off an injury, such as Harry Giles or OG Anunoby. It’s possible that – after their experience with Chris Bosh – the Heat would shy away from players with major health concerns, but Riley has shown a willingness in the past to roll the dice rather than playing it safe.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Heat financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Hassan Whiteside ($23,775,506)
Goran Dragic ($17,000,450)
Josh McRoberts ($6,021,175) — Exercised player option.
Tyler Johnson ($5,881,260)
Justise Winslow ($2,705,040)
Total: $55,383,431
Note: Chris Bosh‘s $25,289,390 salary removed from cap due to medical ruling.

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Wayne Ellington ($6,270,000)¹
Josh Richardson ($1,471,382)²
Rodney McGruder ($1,312,611)³
Okaro White ($1,312,611)⁴
Total: $10,366,604

Restricted Free Agents

None

Cap Holds

Udonis Haslem ($7,600,000)
James Johnson ($4,800,000)
Dion Waiters ($3,477,600) — Player option declined.
No. 14 overall pick ($2,490,360)
Luke Babbitt ($1,471,382)
Willie Reed ($1,471,382) — Player option declined.
Total: $21,310,724

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $38,232,519

Taking into account their five guaranteed contracts, plus cap holds for a first-round pick and six empty roster spots, the Heat have a team salary of $62,767,481. However, that would mean waiving all their non-guaranteed players, including Richardson and McGruder, which is very unlikely — still, since those players are on veteran minimum salaries, they won’t cut into Miami’s cap room in a major way.

Footnotes:

Ellington’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.
Richardson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
McGruder’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($452,625) after August 1.
White’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($226,312) after July 1. Partial guarantee increases to $452,624 after August 1.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Community Shootaround: Sixers Draft

June 11th, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

What the Sixers decide to do with the No. 3 overall pick could shape the entire draft, as I suggested in the team’s offseason preview. While it’s not a forgone conclusion that Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball go in the top-2, counting on any other outcome would be unwise.

Philadelphia has a tough decision to make with No. 3 and that leads us to tonight’s topic: Assuming Fultz and Ball are off the board, what should the Sixers do with their first round pick?

Malik Monk seems like a great fit because of his outside shooting, though it’s likely that he’ll be available in the latter half of the top-10, so trading down may be the best maneuver. If the team stays put, Josh Jackson could be the selection because of his tremendous upside or team president Bryan Colangelo could opt for the explosive skill-set of De’Aaron Fox.

Jayson Tatum is arguably the most pro-ready player in the draft and he could step in from day one alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to form a special young nucleus. If the team intends on playing the 2016 No. 1 overall selection at the point guard spot, having a slasher with Tatum’s repertoire on the wing will only help his development.

Philly could go in multiple directions on draft night and we’re putting you on the clock in tonight’s community shootaround. Tell us what you would do with the No. 3 overall pick in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!