2017 NBA Draft-And-Stash Signings
Free agent signees, trade acquisitions, and 2017 draftees are the most common additions to NBA rosters this summer. However, a handful of players have come via the draft-and-stash route, as teams have brought aboard players drafted in previous years.
While players who were previously selected in the second round of a draft are free to sign any type of contract via cap room or exceptions, first-round draftees are limited to the 2017 rookie scale, unless it has been more than three years since they were selected. So when former 23rd overall pick Ante Zizic signed with the Celtics this offseason, he had to sign a rookie-scale contract since it has only been one year since he was drafted — he’ll earn the same amount as this year’s No. 23 pick, OG Anunoby.
Listed below is a round-up of the draft-and-stash prospects who have signed – or agreed to deals – so far this offseason. They’re sorted alphabetically by team, with contract details noted. If and when more teams add draft-and-stash players, we’ll update this list, which can be found at anytime on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”
Boston Celtics
- Ante Zizic, C (2016 draft; No. 23): After being selected in the first round of last year’s draft, Zizic remained overseas with Cibona Zagreb and then Darussafaka Dogus, enjoying an impressive 2016/17 campaign. The Celtics may not lean on the 20-year-old for heavy minutes right away, but the team lost multiple key frontcourt players this offseason, so Zizic should get a chance to earn a rotational role. He signed a standard four-year rookie contract worth an estimated $9.75MM. (Update: Zizic was traded to the Cavaliers in the Kyrie Irving blockbuster.)
- Abdel Nader, F (2016 draft; No. 58): Nader agreed to a modest salary to play for the Celtics’ G League affiliate in 2016/17, which allowed the club to monitor him and coach him, rather than having to keep an eye on him while he played overseas. The decision paid off in a big way. Nader, who averaged 21.3 PPG and 6.2 RPG for the Maine Red Claws, earned Rookie of the Year honors and agreed to a four-year contract worth about $6MM from the Celtics.
- Guerschon Yabusele, PF (2016 draft; No. 16): Like Zizic, Yabusele was stashed for one more year after being selected in the first round of the 2016 draft. He played for China’s Shanghai Sharks in 2016/17, averaging an impressive 20.9 PPG and 9.4 RPG. While that performance helped earn him a roster spot in Boston for 2017/18, I’d expect the 21-year-old to see plenty of action with the Maine Red Claws in the G League. Yabusele signed a standard four-year rookie contract worth an estimated $12.81MM.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Cedi Osman, F (2015 draft; No. 31): A sharpshooting 22-year-old forward, Osman will help provide the Cavaliers’ some much-needed youth and athleticism off the bench. Osman’s NBA rights, acquired by Cleveland on draft day in 2015, were one of the club’s most valuable trade chips, but now that he’s signed a contract, he won’t become trade-eligible again until later this year. For now, it looks like he’s sticking with the Cavs, having agreed to a three-year deal worth about $8.3MM.
Houston Rockets
- Zhou Qi, C (2016 draft; No. 43): A 7’1″ center out of China, Zhou will be met with the inevitable Yao Ming comparisons, but his upside probably isn’t that high. Still, Zhou brings a unique skill set — the 21-year-old can protect the rim and can also make an outside shot. He received a four-year contract with the Rockets that is believed to be worth something close to the minimum.
Memphis Grizzlies
- Rade Zagorac, G/F (2016 draft; No. 35): Acquired in a draft-night trade in 2016 – along with Deyonta Davis – Zagorac arrives stateside after spending one last season with KK Mega Leks in Serbia. Zagorac was the team’s leading scorer last year. The swingman, who turns 22 next month, will get a three-year deal that is worth approximately $3.9MM and features a third-year team option.
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Dakari Johnson, C (2015 draft; No. 48): While many draft-and-stash prospects head overseas, where their earning power is greater, Johnson was willing to spend his first two professional seasons in the G League, playing for the Oklahoma City Blue. He took a major step forward in 2016/17, significantly increasing his PPG (18.5) and FG% (.556), and it earned him a shot with the NBA club. He’s signing a fully guaranteed two-year minimum salary contract with the Thunder.
- Daniel Hamilton, G/F (2016 draft; No. 56): Despite being a second-round pick, Hamilton has yet to sign a bona-fide NBA contract. In his rookie year, he signed a G League deal, joining the Thunder’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. For the 2017/18 season, he has inked the franchise’s first-ever two-way contract, so while he’ll get a chance to spend some time with the NBA team, he’ll be earning much less than the NBA minimum for most of the year.
Philadelphia 76ers
- Furkan Korkmaz, G (2016 draft; No. 26): The Sixers didn’t appear to be pushing hard to bring over Korkmaz right away, but the Turkish guard was anxious to get to the NBA and is paying a large chunk of his international buyout to make it happen. While Korkmaz is an excellent shooter, he’s still just 20 years old, so it remains to be seen what sort of role he’ll play in Philadelphia this season. He signed a four-year rookie scale contract worth about $8.9MM in total.
Sacramento Kings
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, F (2014 draft; No. 27): A key piece in a 2016 draft-night trade that allowed the Suns to move up, Bogdanovic arrives in the NBA one year later. The timing was no coincidence — now that it has been more than three years since he was drafted, Bogdanovic is no longer subject to the NBA’s rookie scale for first-round picks, so he can sign a larger deal. And he did just that — his three-year contract with Sacramento is worth a reported $27MM.
Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker
With the 2017/18 NBA league year well 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 offseason. 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:
- Some 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.
Community Shootaround: Melo On The Blazers
Carmelo Anthony has been open to a trade to the Cavs or Rockets, though it was recently reported that he’s focused on joining Houston over any other destination. The Rockets also have interest in such a pairing but they aren’t the only team that would like to bring Melo aboard.
We learned this weekend, that the Blazers have interest in Anthony. Portland feels that it can compete with nearly any team in the Western Conference should Melo come to town. Apparently, the team’s star shooting guard agrees. C.J. McCollum posted a picture of Anthony in a Blazers jersey on his Instagram earlier today, signaling his support for an Anthony deal.
Anthony hasn’t made any public statements since the report of Portland’s interest in him. The Blazers have never been included in any reported short list of teams for which he was willing to waive his no-trade clause.
Yet, for the sake of tonight’s community shootaround, let’s assume Anthony is willing to accept a deal to Portland. Should the Blazers make a deal for the 10-time All-Star and if so, what should they give up in return?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Weekly Mailbag: 7/10/17 – 7/16/17
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:
How will the Celtics fit Isaiah Thomas‘ extension max contract as they are near max cap after signing up Gordon Hayward? — Greg Dizon
The first step, as Thomas stated last week, is to load up a Brinks truck full of money because he sees himself as a max player and won’t accept anything less. The Celtics own Thomas’ Bird rights, so they have the freedom to give him a full five-year max extension. The only question is whether Boston wants to accept the tax ramifications of carrying three max deals in Thomas, Hayward and Al Horford. Apart from them, most of the roster is still on rookie contracts, so the Celtics won’t face any other difficult financial decisions for a few years. Golden State and Cleveland have proven that if you want to be a super team, you have to have to pay super salaries, and there’s every indication that the Celtics plan to do that with Thomas.
Why does a team have to clear cap space to sign a free agent, but most teams sign way over cap? Very confused on signing with cap or having to make trades to make it happen. — Keith
Every team receives salary exceptions that can be used to sign free agents. Teams operating above the salary cap get a mid-level exception, which is $8.406MM this year for non-taxpaying teams and $5.192MM for teams over the tax apron (or in danger of passing that threshold). Teams that are under the cap receive a “room” exception valued at $4.328MM.
Also, teams over the cap – but below the apron – have a bi-annual exception. It can’t be used two years in a row and is valued this year at $3.29MM. As an example, the Rockets went over the cap when they completed their trade for Chris Paul. However, they were able to use the MLE to sign P.J. Tucker and the BAE to add Tarik Black. Most teams don’t mind being over the cap. It’s the tax threshold where they start to get nervous.
What will happen with the Carmelo Anthony situation? — 617 Sports News, via Twitter
Acknowledging that the Knicks are among the most unpredictable franchises in all of sports, here’s how it’s likely to play out. New GM Scott Perry has requested a meeting with Anthony. Even if that happens, don’t expect Anthony to change his mind about a trade. He wants to join his friends and get a shot at a title before he retires. The Knicks want to rebuild around younger players. They don’t fit together any more.
New York’s front office doesn’t have as much leverage here as it might believe. Having Anthony on the team at the start of the season, or even the start of training camp, could be a disaster. He could be disruptive in any number of ways and poison his young teammates’ view of the organization. Don’t forget that Kristaps Porzingis isn’t that far away from his first taste of free agency. Prolonging the standoff with Anthony any further is also going to hurt the Knicks’ prospects with future free agents and anger Anthony’s powerful agent, Leon Rose, who could respond by discouraging any of his clients from signing there. In short, it’s a players’ league now and the top players get what they want. Anthony wants to go to Houston, so expect him to be there by the end of summer.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/8/17 – 7/15/17
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 rounded up a list of Notable Remaining NBA Free Agents By Position.
- Here are the NBA Teams With Cap Room Remaining.
- Arthur Hill discussed the best free agent guard option for the Knicks, Derrick Rose‘s free agency fate, and Chandler Parsons’ fat Grizzlies contract in his weekly Sunday mailbag. Submit your questions via Twitter (@HoopsRumors) or by sending us an email (hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com).
- Check out our free Trade Rumors app available for IOS and Android.
- Here are the questions we asked you in our Community Shootaround discussions this week:
- Which team has improved the most this offseason?
- Who is the favorite to represent the East in the Finals? Have the Celtics closed the gap or should LeBron James and the Cavaliers still be considered king?
- What are your thoughts on the trade deadline being moved up to early February?
Community Shootaround: Earlier Trade Deadline
The NBA’s Board of Governors made a significant decision this week regarding in-season roster moves, as they voted to move the trade deadline 10 days before the All-Star Game. For the 2017/18 season, the deadline will be Feb. 8.
Traditionally, the deadline was set in late February and trade chatter was prevalent during All-Star weekend. Now, teams’ rosters will be virtually set by the break, save for the occasional buyout and 10-day deals with lower-level free agents. The statement issued by the league read in part that the new deadline will allow teams to “avoid the disruptions that result from players joining new teams just as practices and games are beginning to resume following the All-Star break.”
This means that front offices will have to decide earlier rather than later whether to be buyers or sellers on the market. Teams that are struggling will be essentially waving the white flag for over two months if they decide to deal veteran players for salary relief, draft picks and/or unproven players.
There will also be more pressure on teams in mid-season to decide whether to retain impending free agents and players with opt-outs or trade them for assets, rather than lose them during the offseason without compensation.
This leads us to our question of the day: Do you like the NBA’s decision to move the trade deadline to early February or would you rather have it after the All-Star break?
Please take to the comments section and share your opinion on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Notable Remaining NBA Free Agents By Position
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope agreed to a deal with the Lakers on Tuesday night, which means one more team with cap room has used all its space, and yet another one of the top remaining free agents is off the board. We’re not yet two weeks into the new NBA league year, but for clubs still in the market for free agents, the viable options are dwindling.
Listed below are some of the top free agents still available, by position. This list isn’t exhaustive or definitive, so you can check out our full list of current free agents for a more complete idea of which players remain unsigned.
Point Guards:
Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo are the most noteworthy veterans left on the point guard market, and it’s starting to look like both players may have to accept substantial pay cuts. Rose, in particular, has no clear path to a deal worth anywhere near the $21.3MM+ he earned in 2016/17.
Elsewhere, Ty Lawson enjoyed a decent bounce-back season last year and could provide solid backup minutes, while Aaron Brooks was one of the better shooters at the position, making 37.5% of his three-point attempts.
C.J. Watson, Ramon Sessions, Brandon Jennings, and Deron Williams are coming off down years – or, in Williams’ case, a poor postseason showing – but could still be reliable backups. Greivis Vasquez, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, and Jarrett Jack were non-factors last season due to injuries, but may still have a place on an NBA roster if they’re healthy.
Trey Burke and Tyler Ennis have yet to deliver on their draft promise, but are still young (24 and 22, respectively). And finally, Sergio Rodriguez may return overseas, but could be an NBA fit if he’s willing to accept a reduced role.
Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android
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Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Favorite
LeBron James and the Cavaliers have dominated the Eastern Conference playoffs for three consecutive seasons, advancing to the NBA Finals with ease each year. King James himself has represented the East for the past seven seasons in the the league championship.
Last season, however, the Celtics finished with the best record in the conference and have enjoyed a productive offseason. Boston landed prized free agent Gordon Hayward and drafted Jayson Tatum. In addition, Danny Ainge traded for Marcus Morris and signed Aron Baynes. While Boston did trade key two-way player, Avery Bradley, and lost Kelly Olynyk in free agency, the team may be prepared to contend for its first NBA Finals berth since 2010.
For Cleveland’s part, it re-signed Kyle Korver this offseason, inked veteran Jose Calderon to a one-year contract backing up Kyrie Irving at point guard, and brought in another vet in forward Jeff Green. Over their past three Eastern Conference Finals series, the Cavaliers have won 12 of 15 games.
Will the Cavs’ recent playoff domination continue or have the Celtics suddenly emerged as the favorite to represent the East in the Finals? Which team will finish with the better record this season and what, if anything, will home-court advantage mean if the teams face off in the postseason?
We look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section.
Community Shootaround: Most Improved Team
Some of the biggest names in the game have changed uniforms during this action-packed offseason. Some teams have made bold moves to become contenders or to improve their chances of making the Finals. Others have gone into full rebuild mode.
The Warriors clearly “won” the offseason last summer by signing superstar Kevin Durant, which led to their second championship in three seasons.
There are at least a handful of teams that can lay claim to that title, now that most of the big-name free agents are off the board. Here are some of the teams that obviously upgraded:
- Rockets – The stunning trade by the Clippers that sent Chris Paul gave the Rockets a legitimate All-Star to pair up with James Harden. The also added a defensive-minded veteran forward in P.J. Tucker and re-signed Nene.
- Celtics – Gordon Hayward hemmed and hawed but ultimately decided to ditch the Jazz in favor of the Celtics. The combination of Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford and Hayward gives them a more serious chance to unseat the Cavaliers in the East, even if they had to trade Avery Bradley to make it happen. They also picked up another future lottery pick by moving down from the top spot in the draft and the player they selected, Jayson Tatum, has impressed in summer-league action.
- Timberwolves – The long-awaited Jimmy Butler trade came to fruition, giving Minnesota another star to join the duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. They also signed Jeff Teague to replace Ricky Rubio, who was traded, and added veteran big man Taj Gibson.
- Thunder – Russell Westbrook will no longer have to carry the entire load, thanks to the addition of Paul George. The Pacers traded away the disgruntled forward, providing Oklahoma City with an All-Star to share the scoring burden with Westbrook. They also fortified their frontcourt with the addition of Patrick Patterson.
- Sixers – They moved up in the draft to snag the player they coveted, point guard Markelle Fultz. They also signed free agents J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson to provide a veteran presence to the locker room without sacrificing cap room for next summer, when they’re expected to pursue high-level free agents.
This leads us to our question of the day: Which team do you feel has improved the most during this offseason and why?
Please take to the comments section and provide your thoughts on this subject. We look forward to what you have to say.