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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: New Orleans Pelicans

May 30th, 2017 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans entered the 2016/17 season with playoff aspirations, but quickly fell out of the race and couldn’t climb back in, even after their deadline acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins. The frontcourt pairing of Cousins and Anthony Davis is a very intriguing one, particularly with a full offseason ahead for the two star bigs to get comfortable with one another. Still, the duo will need some help and New Orleans doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility to continue adding complementary pieces.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Pelicans financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Cap Holds

Trade Exceptions

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $13,308,395

  • Adding three cap charges for empty roster spots to New Orleans’ nine guaranteed contracts results in a total team salary of $87,691,605. The cap space created in that scenario is minimal, so the Pelicans are more likely to retain one or two of their players on non-guaranteed contracts and to keep Holiday’s cap hold on the books as they attempt to re-sign him. That would mean staying over the cap.

Footnotes:

  1. Crawford’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 1.
  2. Cook’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($25,000) after July 5. Guarantee increases to $100,000 after July 25.

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

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2017 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest Series

May 30th, 2017 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

As we approach the 2017 NBA draft and free agent period, Hoops Rumors has been examining each team’s cap situation, breaking down the guaranteed salaries, non-guaranteed salaries, options, free agents, and cap holds on the books for each of the league’s teams.

We’re also previewing each club’s offseason in more depth, but these salary cap digests provide a bare-bones look at where teams are at with their spending, how much cap room they figure to have this summer, and which players may not be safe, given their contract situations.

You can find the link to your favorite team’s offseason salary cap digest below. If we haven’t covered your team yet, we’ll be doing so soon. You can find this post anytime on our right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

Central Division

Southeast Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest Division

Pacific Division

Southwest Division

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Five Key Offseason Questions: Los Angeles Lakers

May 29th, 2017 at 8:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s rare for a team that finished 41 games out of the top spot in its conference to have an air of optimism surrounding the organization. One of the league’s storied franchises has hit hard times lately but the Los Angeles Lakers headed into the offseason with some real hope for a turnaround.

They got lucky in the lottery, securing the No. 2 pick and putting off the first-round debt they owe to the Sixers for another season. They have a new front office direction, thanks to the in-season shakeup which saw Lakers legend Magic Johnson and former agent Rob Pelinka become the franchise’s top two executives. They already hired a coveted young coach prior to last season in Luke Walton.

There’s also a reasonable chance they can attract a top-level free agent or use some of their assets to trade for an All-Star level player.

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

NBA: Playoffs-Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers1. Should the Lakers pursue a trade for Pacers star Paul George or wait until he becomes a unrestricted free agent?

George’s desire to play for the Lakers is an open secret. He would give Johnson the star he covets, and Magic has no bones that he’ll be shopping for a superstar.

Whether George fits that category is debatable but he’s undeniably one of the top forwards in the league. In a perfect world, the Lakers could sit back and wait for George to sign the dotted line next summer.

If the Lakers really want him, a preemptive strike might be necessary. They would probably have to move the No. 2 overall pick and a couple of young players to entice the Pacers to trade George prior to his walk year. Magic apparently views last June’s lottery pick, Brandon Ingram, as his only untouchable.

2. Assuming the Lakers don’t trade their lottery pick, is Lonzo Ball the right choice?

Read more

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Community Shootaround: Blake Griffin

May 29th, 2017 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Blake Griffin enters unrestricted free agency with some question marks but undoubtedly the Los Angeles Clippers star will wind up with a max contract. The big mystery is whether he’ll re-sign with the Clippers or seek a fresh start elsewhere.

The Clippers have the advantage of being able to offer him a five-year deal worth approximately $175MM. He would have to accept a maximum of four years and $130MM elsewhere but opt out clauses are often used by agents to circumvent those restrictions.

Griffin’s last two seasons have been sidetracked by injuries. He appeared in just 35 games in 2015/16 because of a quad injury. This past season, a knee injury limited him to 61 regular-season games. He missed the last four games of the opening-round playoff series against the Jazz with a toe injury that required surgery.

Griffin’s defense, and occasionally his character, has also been criticized. But there’s no denying his offensive talent. A power forward who can average 21.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG and 4.9 APG, as he did in his walk year, will have plenty of suitors on the market.

The Celtics, Wizards, Thunder and Heat are some of the teams expected to pursue him. Boston needs a big-time power forward to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference and Washington needs more balance to its backcourt-oriented attack. Griffin could return to his home state of Oklahoma and take some of the scoring and playmaking burden off Russell Westbrook. He could be “the man” for a club like Miami and even the Lakers could be an option, considering that he’d be surrounded with young talent and their No. 1 scoring option.

Of course, the Clippers will do everything they can to keep their core of Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan intact, despite the playoff flops in recent years.

That brings us to our question of the day: Which team do you think unrestricted free agent Blake Griffin will sign with and why?

Please take to the comments section and share your opinion on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Dallas Mavericks

May 29th, 2017 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have been a perennial playoff team for most of the last two decades, but after posting their worst record (33-49) since 1998/99, they finally seem ready to retool — even as Dirk Nowitzki‘s career nears its end. While the Mavs don’t have any players eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, they have nine players on team options, on non-guaranteed contracts, or eligible for restricted free agency. That should create plenty of opportunity for roster turnover in Dallas in the coming weeks and months.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Mavericks financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • Nerlens Noel ($4,187,598 qualifying offer / $10,961,225 cap hold)
  • Total: $10,961,225

Cap Holds

  • No. 9 overall pick ($2,681,900)
  • Total: $2,681,900

Trade Exceptions

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $34,340,379

  • The Mavericks have six fully guaranteed contracts on their books. Adding cap charges for their first-round pick and five empty roster spots brings their total team salary to $66,659,621. That would create enough flexibility to pursue a maximum salary player, but it also doesn’t account for players like Noel or Nowitzki, who will almost certainly be back. So, barring cost-cutting trades, Dallas figures to have less cap room than that when July begins.

Footnotes:

  1. Merji’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 12.
  2. Liggins’ salary becomes partially guaranteed ($26,773) after June 24 if team option is exercised.
  3. Brussino’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.
  4. Finney-Smith’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($100,000) after July 6.
  5. Uthoff’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($200,000) after July 30.

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

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Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

May 29th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

If you enjoy Hoops Rumors on your smartphone or tablet, be sure to check out our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Pro Football Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications. For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting. You can read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
  • Customer service. If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download it now!
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Community Shootaround: Chris Paul And The Spurs

May 28th, 2017 at 9:05pm CST by marksuleymanov

After another early playoff exit with the Clippers, Chris Paul is expected to exercise his early-termination option, give up almost $24.27MM for next season and hit the free agent market. If and when he does, the Spurs have quickly come to the forefront as a possible destination for the nine-time All-Star.

There has been rumored “mutual interest” between both sides and while San Antonio has limited cap space, the Clippers view the Spurs as a serious threat for Paul’s services, per ESPN’s Marc Stein (link via Twitter). As previously noted, to make room for Paul’s hefty salary, the Spurs would likely have to renounce the rights to Patty Mills and not match an offer sheet to restricted free agent Jonathan Simmons. Additionally, Dewayne Dedmon and David Lee have player options the Spurs would likely have to renounce to swing an agreement with Paul — trading Tony Parker, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Danny Green could make space, too.

At 32 years old, Paul is still one of the best players at his position and in the NBA. Adding him to a Gregg Popovich-led Spurs could help the team — which was swept by the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals — possibly supersede Golden State in the Western Conference.

Last October, Paul said to reporters, including ESPN’s Andrew Ham, that he does not look ahead, instead prioritizing his current situation.

“And I always say this — I don’t think about things long term,” Paul said. “I think about right now. I don’t know who said it — somebody said it: The funny thing about the NBA is, everybody comes into the season pretty optimistic. You know what I mean? Everybody is like, ‘Oh, this could be our year.’ I guess it’s one of those things only time can tell.”

Six years in Los Angeles has not yielded a championship and Paul is not getting any younger. However, the Clippers, led by Doc Rivers, have always been on the verge of greatness but have fallen short each year. It will be up to Paul to decide what he wants to do.

That brings up a series of important questions:  Does it make sense for the Spurs to devote a significant chunk of their cap space to Paul? Would acquiring Paul be the move that puts the Spurs over the top? Is staying with the Clippers Paul’s best best at a championship?

Share your thoughts on Paul down below!

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Weekly Mailbag: 5/22/17 – 5/28/17

May 28th, 2017 at 11:45am 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:

I heard Paul George has interest in playing with Gordon Hayward. What if Indiana traded George to Utah for Derrick Favors, Dante Exum , the 24th pick, 42nd pick and the rights to the higher first-rounder in 2020 between Utah’s pick and Oklahoma City’s. Resign Hayward using his Bird rights. — Jason Tom

The key for any team that trades for George is confidence in re-signing him past next season. George has a player option in 2018 that he’s almost guaranteed to use to set up a long-term maximum contract. George grew up near Los Angeles, and rumors have been circulating for some time that he wants to play for the Lakers. L.A. has about $19MM in available cap space for 2018 (including a $5.67MM player option for Nick Young), so look for deals over the next 12 months designed to free up cash for a max offer. George would be a nice running mate for Hayward, but there’s little chance that he signs a long-term deal in Utah. Your trade idea would be a nice offer to give Utah six or seven seasons of George, but it’s way too much for one.

What type of moves will the Pistons be involved in? — Rick Fuller, via Twitter

Detroit’s primary concern will be keeping Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The fourth-year shooting guard is a restricted free agent, so the Pistons can match any offer, but the size of his new deal is going to eliminate any future flexibility for a team that is already over the cap next season. The Nets reportedly have KCP in their sights, so expect an offer similar to what they gave to Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson last summer. Detroit would also like to re-sign Aron Baynes, who can opt out of his $6.5MM contract, but there may not be enough money to keep him. The Pistons made some calls before the deadline to gauge league interest in Andre Drummond. Don’t be surprised if his name gets thrown around again over the summer as a way to open up future cap room.

Is there a chance the Knicks trade  Kristaps Porzingis this offseason? — Nathan Dylong, via Twitter

It sounds like there’s much more smoke than fire coming out of New York about a possible Porzingis deal. There was a skipped exit meeting, a failure to disclose plans to play for the Latvian National Team and a mysterious tweet about the Clippers, but that’s not enough evidence to suggest that the Porzingis era is about to end. Phil Jackson’s primary offseason focus will be to get a deal done for Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks will need a team leader after that happens, and Porzingis is the only name on the roster qualified to fill that role.

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Community Shootaround: Brighter Future, Cavaliers or Warriors?

May 27th, 2017 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

When Ohio State and Michigan were dominating Big 10 football in the 1970s, the conference was often referred to as the “Big 2 and the Little 8.” That same feeling has taken hold over the past three years in the NBA, which is turning into the Big 2 and the Little 28.

The Cavaliers and Warriors are preparing to meet in a third straight finals, which has felt inevitable since training camp. After winning 67 regular-season games, Golden State tore through the Western Conference playoffs with three straight sweeps. Cleveland nearly matched that in the East, with its only loss coming in Game 3 of the conference finals on a last-second shot.

The lack of competitiveness doesn’t bother Kevin Durant, who is largely responsible for it. The former MVP, who joined a record-setting Warriors team in free agency last summer, said to fans last week, “If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.”

But people are watching it. ABC’s ratings are up 5% from a year ago, and ESPN’s online audience has grown by 24%. Just as fan interest spiked when the Celtics and Lakers were battling for supremacy in the 1980s and when Michael Jordan’s Bulls ruled the league in the 1990s, fans seem drawn to the idea of superteams.

Whether sustained dominance will remain good for the league is an interesting question, but we have another one: How long can this last? No teams have ever met in three straight finals before, but the Cavs and Warriors look like overwhelming favorites to do this again next year, and possibly a few years after that.

Golden State is built around four elite players who are all still in the prime of their careers. Stephen Curry (age 29) and Durant (28) are both expected to sign long-term deals this summer. Klay Thompson (27) is inked through 2018/19, and Draymond Green (27) is under contract through 2019/20. The Warriors may have to juggle some pieces around them, but the core of this team should remain together for at least five more seasons.

Cleveland’s fortunes have risen and fallen with LeBron James since he entered the league in 2003. Now 32, he may be having the best postseason of his career, averaging 32.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists through 13 games. For all the talk about resting James, he appeared in 74 games and averaged a league-high 37.8 minutes per night. He doesn’t appear to be showing any effects of age, and with his physical conditioning he might be able to play five more years at an elite level.

If LeBron does slow down, the Cavs still have Kyrie Irving (25) and Kevin Love (28), who are both signed for two more seasons with player options in 2019/20.

Both teams are well positioned for the future, but obviously this can’t last forever. Considering their current rosters and their potential challengers in each conference, who do you believe misses the finals first, the Warriors or the Cavaliers?

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 5/20/17 – 5/27/17

May 27th, 2017 at 12:21pm 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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