Hoops Rumors Originals

Weekly Mailbag: 5/15/17 – 5/21/17

May 21st, 2017 at 11:34am 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:

With only a second round pick in this year’s draft [52nd] and Bojan Bogdanovic as a free agent, who should the Wizards target in free agency/trade to help improve their bench? — Nick Elliston

The bench was an enormous issue for Washington in the playoffs, but with little cap room and just one draft pick, it might be even worse next year. The Wizards have more than $94MM committed for next season without figuring in Bogdanovic or Otto Porter, who appears headed for an extension. They traded their first-rounder to Brooklyn for Bogdanovic, who will want a long-term deal worth significantly more than the $3.73MM he made this season. Point guards Trey Burke and Brandon Jennings are both free agents, with Burke seeming certain to leave and Jennings expected to get much better offers than the $1.2MM he took home this year. Washington will be shopping for bargains on the free agent market and hoping for luck in the draft, which is no way to rebuild a bench. They might be able change the equation by finding a taker for center Marcin Gortat, who will make $12.78MM next season is unhappy with the organization once again.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens has said the Cavaliers have the “perfect roster” around LeBron James. Do you believe that’s true? — CavsFan, via Twitter

Theoretically, the perfect roster would include 11 other guys with LeBron’s skillset, but this might be the best group of teammates he has ever had. There’s plenty of shooting to space the floor for his drives to the baskets, and everyone seems to be comfortable in a complementary role. GM David Griffin has done a remarkable job of assembling players who fit well alongside LeBron, and the Cavs would be in an even better position to defend their title if Andrew Bogut hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury in his first game after joining the team. If Griffin winds up in Orlando or Atlanta, it will be interesting to see how well he can build a team without a superstar like LeBron as the foundation.

Which of the Spurs’ veterans will be back with the team next season? — Grant Lawson

Start with Pau Gasol, who will turn 37 in July. He has a player option worth nearly $16.2MM for next season and announced back in January that he plans to opt in. Gasol has found a good situation in San Antonio and would probably be open to a new deal next summer. Tony Parker has one season left on his contract, but could miss training camp and the start of the season while recovering from a ruptured quadriceps tendon. Manu Ginobili has considered retirement over the past two offseasons. He has been effective in the playoffs, but will turn 40 this in July. It could be another late-summer decision. David Lee turned 34 in April and has a $1.6MM option for next season. Assuming he recovers from what appears to be a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, he should be back for another year. Joel Anthony will be 35 in August and is playing for the veteran’s minimum. The Spurs will look for better options at backup center.

Hoops Rumors Originals: 5/13/17 – 5/20/17

May 20th, 2017 at 1:09pm 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:

Stay current with Hoops Rumors’ team option decision tracker.
Luke Adams prepares you for the draft with his complete 2017 NBA Draft Order and Draft Picks By Team.
Luke Adams helps you comprehend team’s specific salary cap landscapes with four more analyses in his Salary Cap Digest series: the Sixers, Lakers, Wizards, and Suns.
We also offer four more installments to our Five Offseason Questions series: the Clippers and Thunder from Chris Crouse, the Jazz from Dana Gauruder, and the Bulls from Arthur Hill.
Luke Adams has the NBA Jersey Sponsors for 2017/18.
Arthur Hill talks Kristaps Porzingis, potential surprise selections for the Hall of Fame, and the transparency of the NBA draft lottery in his weekly Sunday mailbag. Submit your questions via Twitter (@HoopsRumors) or by sending us an email (hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com).
In our weekly Hoops Links roundup of interesting articles from around the blogosphere, Austin Kent shares pieces on the decreasing likelihood of Jimmy Butler being traded to the Celtics, Joel Embiid‘s contrived quirkiness, and how the Hawks could have done more to integrate Dwight Howard.
Here are the questions we asked you in our Community Shootaround discussions and polls this week:
- How would you assess the All-NBA teams announced this week by the league?
- What kind of contract should Patty Mills expect receiving this offseason?
- Should Zaza Pachulia be suspended for his questionable defensive play that injured Kawhi Leonard?
- Finally, should the Celtics keep or trade the No. 1 pick?

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Five Key Offseason Questions: Los Angeles Clippers

May 19th, 2017 at 1:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

“What if” is a question we often ask in sports. What if the Blazers had drafted Michael Jordan? What if Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw had been available for Game 5 of the 2007 Western Conference Finals? What if the Wolves hadn’t passed on Stephen Curry (twice!)? What if the Lakers had officially acquired Chris Paul? One can easily wander down one of the many “what if” roads throughout NBA history.

The Paul-era Clippers represent another “what if” avenue. What if the club hadn’t been plagued with such bad injury luck? Would this team have a title? Would it be blasphemous to talk about breaking up the Clippers’ core when Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan remain very much in their primes? Perhaps we’re watching Griffin in awe, debating where he ranks among the all-time great big men in league history. Yet, as with all of the NBA’s “what if” quandaries, they simply are not reality.

The 2016/17 season provided another gruesome chapter in the Lob City era. Another injury to Griffin crushed any hope the club had of stealing a title from the Warriors or Cavs. The organization faces an inflection point this summer and it must determine whether or not its collection of talent can compete at the highest level.

Here are five questions facing the Clippers as they enter the offseason…

1. Can the Clippers re-sign Chris Paul?

The Clippers have a massive advantage over rival teams when it comes to re-signing Paul. The CBA will allow the franchise to give Paul a five-year, max deal, something that wasn’t always available for players in his age bracket. In the previous CBA, players could not sign max contracts that ran past their 36th birthday. That threshold has been extended to 38, which gives the Los Angeles the ability give the 32-year-old a five-year, deal worth a projected $205MM+. The most any other team can offer is four years and an estimated $152MM.

While Paul may take meetings with other clubs, it’s unlikely he plays for any team besides the Clippers. Reports of a verbal agreement in place have been swirling since mid-season and a source told Mitch Lawrence of Forbes prior to the postseason that the deal is “all done, with a wink and a nod.”

Team president Doc Rivers‘ top priority this offseason will be bringing back the chronically underrated point guard. It appears that task is already in hand, which will allow the front office to determine the next steps this offseason.

2. Can the Clippers bring back Blake Griffin?

Whether or not the Clippers should give Griffin north of $175MM over five seasons is up for debate. His injury history, as well as his fit next to Jordan, should give Los Angeles pause when entering negotiations. However, the Clips knows that some team will pay Griffin the max (albeit, on a four-year deal) if they don’t and it’s not as if they can just spend elsewhere to replace him should they deem he’s not worthy of that kind of deal.

The franchise has nearly $60MM in guaranteed deals on its books for the 2016/17 campaign. Of those contracts, only six players are under control for next year (L.A. will pay parts of three contracts it waived via the stretch provision and the team will likely pay just over $1MM to Paul Pierce). Let’s assume the Clippers brings back their future Hall of Fame point guard on a max contract (estimated first-year salary of $35.35MM), and account for at least five minimum salaried slots. In that scenario, Los Angeles is already at the projected $101MM salary cap without re-signing Griffin.

The Clippers can go over the cap to sign Griffin since they own his Bird rights, and giving the 28-year-old power forward whatever it takes to keep him on the team makes the most sense for the franchise.

3. Is J.J. Redick worth his market price?

The Clippers’ front office will have to evaluate the financial ramifications of bringing the team’s core back and Redick could be a casualty of a business decision. The Duke product will likely command an annual salary of $15MM+ per season, which means the Clippers would continue to rampage through tax territory if they re-sign their top three pending free agents.

It’s unclear if owner Steve Ballmer is willing to pay the luxury tax for a team that remains unlikely to beat the Warriors in a seven-game series. Even if Ballmer doesn’t find the tax line to be a deterrent, Redick is far from a lock to return. He has several rival teams interested in his services and, among the Clippers’ top free agents-to-be, he’s the most likely to sign elsewhere.

4. Should the Clippers trade for Carmelo Anthony?

Nearly every commodity has a price at which it makes sense to buy, and we may find out what price the Clippers are willing to pay for Anthony this offseason.

For the last couple seasons, it appeared the cost of acquiring Anthony was too high for the Clippers to take on. It wouldn’t make sense for the team to trade someone like Griffin for the right to pay Anthony nearly $31MM during the 2017/18 season, only to negotiate another lucrative deal with the 10-time All-Star during the 2018 offseason. However, if the cost is Austin Rivers and Redick (via sign-and-trade), then the price of acquiring Anthony begins to match the value he would bring.

Anthony won’t vault the team into true contender status, but his presence would help the Clippers compete with any non-Warriors Western Conference team. If Ballmer is willing to pay the tax for the luxury of being in the league’s second tier and the Knicks are willing to accept the aforementioned offer, then bringing Anthony on board may be Los Angeles’ best option this offseason.

5. Can the front office develop talent and effectively round out the roster?

One of the franchise’s major issues has been its inability to find talent on the cheap. Teams like the Hawks and Grizzlies find the Kent Bazemores and JaMychal Greens of the world because of their ability to identify and develop talent, while the Clippers constantly make questionable decisions with their end of bench roster spots. Rivers has signed the likes of Brandon Bass and Alan Anderson—veterans who are largely ineffective and don’t have much room to grow—instead of younger players with more potential.

The Clippers’ use of their minimum salaried slots will be more important than ever this season. Los Angeles doesn’t have any draft selections this year and it won’t have the bi-annual exception at its disposal since it signed Luc Mbah a Moute last offseason. Outside of the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, the team will likely fill its remaining open roster spots with minimum salaried deals. Taking a new approach to filling those slots will be crucial and it’ll be a harder task now that every team will have up to two additional roster spots to stash young talent.

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

Guaranteed Salary

DeAndre Jordan ($22,642,350)
Jamal Crawford ($14,246,988)
Austin Rivers ($11,825,000)
Wesley Johnson ($5,881,260)
Brice Johnson ($1,331,160)
Diamond Stone ($1,312,611)
Paul Pierce ($1,096,080) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.¹
Carlos Delfino ($650,000) — Waived via stretch provision
Jordan Farmar ($510,921) — Waived via stretch provision
Miroslav Raduljica ($252,043) — Waived via stretch provision
Total: $59,748,413

Player Options / Early Termination Options

Chris Paul ($24,268,959) (ETO)
Blake Griffin ($21,373,952) (ETO)
Luc Mbah a Moute ($2,302,135) (PO)
Marreese Speights ($2,116,955) (PO)
Total: $50,062,001

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Paul Pierce ($2,583,760) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.¹
Total: $2,583,760

Restricted Free Agents

None

Cap Holds

Chris Paul ($34,303,241) — If early termination option is exercised
Blake Griffin ($30,211,259) — If early termination option is exercised²
J.J. Redick ($14,017,250)
Luc Mbah a Moute ($2,863,900) — If player option is declined
Alan Anderson ($1,471,382)
Brandon Bass ($1,471,382)
Raymond Felton ($1,471,382)
Marreese Speights ($1,471,382) — If player option is declined
Total: $87,281,178

Trade Exceptions

C.J. Wilcox TPE ($1,209,600) — Expires 7/15/17

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $36,357,897

Determining the Clippers’ maximum cap space is a less interesting exercise than it is for most other teams, since there’s very little chance the Clips will part ways with all their free-agents-to-be in an effort to create cap room. Still, it’s worth noting that if the club renounces those free agents and exceptions, keeps its six guaranteed salaries, and accounts for six empty roster spots, that would result in a $64,642,103 team salary. A new deal for Paul would eat up most of that room, and if the Clippers are able to retain Griffin as well, that would send team salary way over the cap.

Footnotes:

Pierce’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
Griffin’s cap hold can’t exceed his maximum salary, which is currently projected to be $30,300,000.

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

Poll: Should Celtics Keep Or Trade No. 1 Pick?

May 19th, 2017 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

Few teams in NBA history have found themselves in the Celtics’ current position. Boston is not only one of the four teams still alive in the playoffs, but also has landed the No. 1 overall pick in what’s considered a very strong 2017 draft.

The Celtics’ showing this season, which included earning the first overall seed in the East, is proof that the team isn’t too far away from being a serious title contender. However, if Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals was any indication, the team may not just be one player away from seriously threatening LeBron James‘ Cavs.

That creates an interesting dilemma for the Celtics, who have stashed away three extra first-round picks beyond 2017, including the Nets’ unprotected 2018 selection. Boston has enough young players and future assets to continue taking its time in building a contender, perhaps waiting out LeBron’s peak. However, that stash of extra picks and assets, along with an already-talented roster, provides a unique opportunity — the C’s could move the No. 1 pick this year for a star, improve their roster immediately, and still be well-positioned to keep their window of contention open for years.

There’s no obvious answer for the Celtics, with some NBA observers arguing in favor of trading the pick and some insisting they need to keep it. The probable No. 1 pick, point guard Markelle Fultz, plays the same position as the team’s current MVP, Isaiah Thomas. What would it mean for Thomas’ long-term future if Fultz joins the mix in Boston?

Conversely, if the C’s were to trade the pick, what kind of player could they land? Jimmy Butler and Paul George have been frequently mentioned as targets, but are the Bulls ready to trade Butler? Would George, on track for 2018 free agency, be willing to commit to an extension with the Celtics? Is there another player – perhaps someone like Kristaps Porzingis – who might be available for the No. 1 pick, and who would appeal to Boston?

What do you think the Celtics should do with the first overall pick? Place your vote below, and then jump into the comments section to share your thoughts!

What should the Celtics do with the No. 1 overall pick?

Use it 62.23% (1,595 votes)

Trade it 37.77% (968 votes)

Total Votes: 2,563

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Phoenix Suns

May 19th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns added a pair of cornerstone frontcourt pieces in the 2016 draft when they selected Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss in the top eight, then saw backcourt players like Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis take promising steps forward during the season. However, Phoenix’s 2016/17 record (24-58) was virtually the same as 2015/16’s mark (23-59), and Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, and Tyson Chandler weren’t thrilled to be benched after the trade deadline. Going forward, the Suns will have decisions to make on how to balance their youth movement with playing time for their veterans.

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

Guaranteed Salary

Eric Bledsoe ($14,500,000)
Brandon Knight ($13,618,750)
Tyson Chandler ($13,000,000)
Jared Dudley ($10,000,000)
Dragan Bender ($4,468,800)
T.J. Warren ($3,152,931)
Marquese Chriss ($3,073,800)
Devin Booker ($2,319,360)
Tyler Ulis ($1,312,611)
Leandro Barbosa ($500,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.¹
Total: $65,946,252

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Leandro Barbosa ($3,500,000) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.¹
Elijah Millsap ($1,524,305)
Derrick Jones ($1,312,611)
Total: $6,336,916

Restricted Free Agents

Alex Len ($4,187,598 qualifying offer / $12,059,053 cap hold)
Alan Williams ($1,671,382 qualifying offer / $1,671,382 cap hold)
Total: $13,730,435

Cap Holds

No. 4 overall pick ($5,090,040)
Ronnie Price ($1,471,382)
Total: $6,561,422

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $28,332,478

The Suns have nine players on fully guaranteed contracts. If they were to waive their non-guaranteed players and renounce all their free agents, they’d also have to account for cap holds for their first-round pick and two empty roster spots, creating a total team salary of $72,667,522. That would be enough room to make a play for a maximum-salary restricted free agent, but not enough to fit a max contract for a veteran with seven or more years of NBA experience.

Footnotes:

Barbosa’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 3

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

Community Shootaround: All-NBA Teams

May 18th, 2017 at 8:02pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The league announced the All-NBA teams for the 2016/17 season and we broke down the financial ramifications of the honors earlier today. Here are the players deemed worthy of being named All-NBA:

All-NBA First Team

Guard: Russell Westbrook (Thunder)
Guard: James Harden (Rockets)
Forward: LeBron James (Cavaliers)
Forward: Kawhi Leonard (Spurs)
Center: Anthony Davis (Pelicans)

All-NBA Second Team

Guard: Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Guard: Isaiah Thomas (Celtics)
Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Forward: Kevin Durant (Warriors)
Center: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)

All-NBA Third Team

Guard: John Wall (Wizards)
Guard: DeMar DeRozan (Raptors)
Forward: Jimmy Butler (Bulls)
Forward: Draymond Green (Warriors)
Center: DeAndre Jordan (Clippers)

Tonight’s topic is simple: Do you believe the voters got all 15 selections correct? If not, what is your biggest issue with the list?

DeMar DeRozan was not among the players on my All-NBA teams; I had Chris Paul as my sixth guard. The 32-year-old point guard put together one of his most effective seasons as a pro, leading the league in ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus. He made 47.6% of his shots from the field, including 41.1% of his 302 attempts from behind the arc. He sported a player efficiency rating of 26.2 and record 118 steals. He topped DeRozan in all those categories and despite playing 13 fewer games, he edged Toronto’s shooting guard in win shares as well as NBAMath’s Total Points Added metric.

DeRozan certainly had a great season and while his inclusion is not egregious, when talking about the best of the best, we must nitpick and split hairs to sort talent. Out of all the players who missed the cut, Paul probably has the biggest gripe (although, Draymond Green will tell you that Klay Thompson holds that distinction).

Tell us what you think. Did the voters get it right or should Paul, Thompson or someone else be on one of the All-NBA teams? Let us know in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Philadelphia 76ers

May 18th, 2017 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

After three straight seasons of the Sixers failing to reach the 20-win mark, fans in Philadelphia finally got a thrilling glimpse of the future in 2016/17, as Joel Embiid made his NBA debut and looked like a potential franchise player. Embiid’s rookie season was cut short by more injuries, as was Ben Simmons‘, but assuming the 76ers have better health luck going forward, there’s plenty of reason for optimism — and the team still has plenty of cap flexibility to continue adding talent.

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

Guaranteed Salary

Jerryd Bayless ($9,000,000)
Ben Simmons ($6,168,840)
Joel Embiid ($6,100,266)
Jahlil Okafor ($4,995,120)
Nik Stauskas ($3,807,147)
Dario Saric ($2,422,560)
Justin Anderson ($1,579,440)
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot ($1,386,600)
Gerald Henderson ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.¹
Tibor Pleiss ($500,000) — Waived
Total: $36,959,973

Player Options

None

Team Options

Robert Covington ($1,577,230)²
Total: $1,577,230

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Gerald Henderson ($8,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.¹
Richaun Holmes ($1,471,382)
T.J. McConnell ($1,471,382)
Shawn Long ($1,312,611)
Total: $12,255,375

Restricted Free Agents

Alex Poythress ($1,512,611 qualifying offer / $1,512,611 cap hold)
Total: $1,512,611

Cap Holds

Tiago Splitter ($12,825,000)
Sergio Rodriguez ($9,600,000)
No. 3 overall pick ($5,645,400)
Furkan Korkmaz ($1,465,920)
Total: $29,536,320

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $55,186,167

The Sixers have eight players on guaranteed salaries, a cheap team option for Covington that will be exercised, and a cap hold for their No. 3 overall pick. Throw in a couple cap charges for empty roster spots and their team salary is a modest $45,813,833. Even if the Sixers retain a couple of their non-guaranteed players, as expected, they’ll have more than enough space for a maximum salary contract, with plenty of room to spare.

Footnotes:

There are conflicting reports about whether or not Henderson’s contract has a partial guarantee or no guarantee. Either way, Henderson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
Covington’s salary remains non-guaranteed if team option exercised; becomes partially guaranteed ($53,547) after August 9.

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

Hoops Links Vol. 5: Shirley Temple Lies, Milkshake Theft, More

May 18th, 2017 at 8:49am CST by Austin Kent

Welcome to the fifth installment of Hoops Links, where we round up our favorite content from around the NBA blogosphere and shine a light on it here. Every week we set out to feature entertaining, original content powered by the blogging community.

See your own piece plugged? Well done! Now share the love by spreading the word about Hoops Links – we’re talking favs, retweets, postcards to mom and everything in between. Help us build a bigger stage for your best work!

If you want to hit us up with a link in the future, make sure to drop me a line on Twitter (@AustinKent) or even just email HoopsRumorsTips@Sports.ws. Remember, we want to be intrigued and captivated. It also helps if the content is relatively fresh (considering we publish on Thursdays).

Without further ado…

With a roster full of young players and a negligible chance of winning a meaningful amount of ball games, the Suns made the decision with months remaining in the season to tank unabashedly. After Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery, in which Phoenix dropped from a projected No. 2 seed to the No. 4 seed, Adam Maynes of Valley of the Suns wrote a spirited column suggesting that the organization got what it deserved.

Rating: 9 out of 10 Angry Earl Watsons
Author: Adam Maynes – @Adam4America
Link: Phoenix Suns tank fail

We’re all happy to buy into the quirky Joel Embiid narrative whenever the goofy big man does something like sip a Shirley Temple on live television. But what if we’re living a lie? Kyle Neubeck of Liberty Ballers revealed that the pink beverage at Embiid’s side during the Draft Lottery was little more than a prop.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Red Pills
Author: Kyle Neubeck – @KyleNeubeck
Link: Joel Embiid’s Shirley Temple prop

Are the Bulls less likely to deal Jimmy Butler to the Celtics now that Boston has landed the No. 1 pick in the draft? Vijay Vemu of Blog A Bull suggests as much, writing that Danny Ainge took a risk holding onto the pick at the deadline rather than going the safe route and dealing for an established star.

Rating: 7 out of 10 Fortunate Gambles
Author: Vijay Vemu – @VJVemu
Link: Jimmy Butler to Celtics less likely

The Hawks could have done more to involve Dwight Howard in their offense, Da’Vonte Hughes of Soaring Down South writes, suggesting that the big man had reason to be upset with how he was utilized during his first season Atlanta.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Neglected Supermen
Author: Da’Vonte Hughes – @CookieByNature
Link: Dwight Howard non-option for Hawks

Did you forget that Joel Anthony was still in the NBA? You aren’t alone. Dan Devine of Ball Don’t Lie noticed the big man’s name trending on Twitter and discovered that people all around the world were shocked to see the veteran big man suit up in the Spurs‘ blowout loss Wednesday.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Two-Time NBA Champions
Author: Dan Devine – @YourManDevine
Link: Joel Anthony trends on Twitter

There are similarities between Jimmy Butler and Stanley Johnson, including underwhelming freshman and sophomore seasons, says Luke Wolthuis of Piston Powered. Could Johnson, a well-built two-way forward, make a leap similar to that of Butler’s in Year 3?

Rating: 7 out of 10 Better Late Than Nevers
Author: Luke Wolthuis – @WolthuisLuke
Link: Stanley Johnson, Jimmy Butler comparison

Although he may not win the award, Harrison Barnes deserves a spot in the Most Improved Player conversation, Sam Guertler of Mavs Moneyball suggests. The forward’s offensive game improved dramatically in his first year as a targeted weapon in Dallas, without any compromise in efficiency.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Additional Better Late Than Nevers
Author: Sam Guertler – @SamGuertler
Link: Harrison Barnes Most Improved Player

It takes a delicate balance of usefulness and expendability for a player to suit up for three different franchises in one season. This year, Ersan Ilyasova dressed for the Thunder, Sixers, and Hawks, and still managed to set a new career high for points in a season. Miles Wray of The Step Back took a good long look at how the season stands up historically.

Rating: 9 out of 10 Bonus Points For Playing For Two Altogether Different Teams Last Year
Author: Miles Wray – @MilesWray
Link: NBA players who play for three teams in one season

It was hard to evaluate the first season in the NBA for Jakob Poeltl, a lottery pick on a reigning Eastern Conference Finals squad, but Brian Boake set out to do so anyway for Raptors Rapture. In Poeltl, the Raptors have a cheap, malleable option to audition as their Stretch 5 of the Future.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Teenage Mutant Ninjas
Author: Brian Boake – @NewmarketBrian
Link: Jakob Poeltl’s future with Raptors

Over the years, Gregg Popovich has simply owned Mike D’Antoni in the NBA playoffs, so much so that the J.R. Wilco over at Pounding the Rock had a particularly specific video commissioned just to drive home the point.

Rating: 9 out of 10 Academy Award-Winning Method Actors
Author: J.R. Wilco – @JRWilco
Link: Gregg Popovich, Mike D’Antoni History

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Los Angeles Lakers

May 17th, 2017 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers posted a bottom-five record for the third straight season, but there were some positive signs for the franchise in 2016/17. The Lakers appear to have found a keeper in head coach Luke Walton, and after some turmoil in the front office and the ownership group, Jeanie Buss re-asserted control of the organization and brought in Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka to run the basketball operations department. Johnson and Pelinka caught a break when the Lakers kept their lottery pick – now No. 2 overall – and they’ll be tasked with determining how best to return the franchise to contention.

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

Guaranteed Salary

Luol Deng ($17,190,000)
Timofey Mozgov ($15,280,000)
Jordan Clarkson ($11,562,500)
Corey Brewer ($7,579,366)
D’Angelo Russell ($5,562,360)
Brandon Ingram ($5,519,400)
Julius Randle ($4,149,242)
Larry Nance Jr. ($1,471,382)
Ivica Zubac ($1,312,611)
Total: $69,626,861

Player Options

Nick Young ($5,668,667)
Total: $5,668,667

Team Options

David Nwaba ($1,312,611)
Total: $1,312,611

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Tarik Black ($6,655,325)¹
Total: $6,655,325

Restricted Free Agents

None

Cap Holds

Nick Young ($10,343,444) — If player option is declined
No. 2 overall pick ($6,286,560)
Tyler Ennis ($2,666,707)
Thomas Robinson ($1,471,382)
Metta World Peace ($1,471,382)
No. 28 overall pick ($1,414,920)
Total: $23,654,395

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $22,856,044

With nine guaranteed contracts, two cap holds for first-round picks, and one cap charge for an empty roster slot, the Lakers would have $78,143,956 on their books. That would give the team a sizable chunk of cap room, albeit not quite enough for a maximum salary player. The Lakers aren’t likely to sign anyone to a max contract this summer, but if they wanted to, they’d need to move guaranteed contracts and/or draft picks to create space.

Footnotes:

Black’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 4.

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

2017 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 17th, 2017 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery officially established the order for the top 14 picks next month, and contributed to finalizing the rest of this year’s draft order as well. Trades can – and likely will – happen in the coming weeks, and on draft night itself. But for now, we know what the 60 picks in the 2017 NBA draft will look like.

After breaking down this year’s draft picks by round on Tuesday night, we’ll examine 2017’s selections by team today. No club in ’17 has stockpiled picks like the Celtics did a year ago, when they had eight, but a handful of teams have added at least a couple extra selections, with the Sixers’ five picks leading the way. Those teams at the top of our list will likely be busy fielding calls about possible trades in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to the draft.

Teams listed below are sorted by their total number of picks, with their highest pick acting as a tiebreaker. Here’s the full breakdown:

Philadelphia 76ers (5): 1, 36, 39, 46, 50
Boston Celtics (4): 3, 37, 53, 56
Orlando Magic (4): 6, 25, 33, 35
Utah Jazz (4): 24, 30, 42, 55
Phoenix Suns (3): 4, 32, 54
Sacramento Kings (3): 5, 10, 34
New York Knicks (3): 8, 44, 58
Portland Trail Blazers (3): 15, 20, 26
Atlanta Hawks (3): 19, 31, 60
Brooklyn Nets (3): 22, 27, 57
Los Angeles Lakers (2): 2, 28
Charlotte Hornets (2): 11, 41
Denver Nuggets (2): 13, 49
Chicago Bulls (2): 16, 38
Milwaukee Bucks (2): 17, 48
Indiana Pacers (2): 18, 47
Oklahoma City Thunder (2): 21, 51
San Antonio Spurs (2): 29, 59
Houston Rockets (2): 43, 45
Minnesota Timberwolves (1): 7
Dallas Mavericks (1): 9
Detroit Pistons (1): 12
Miami Heat (1): 14
Toronto Raptors (1): 23
New Orleans Pelicans (1): 40
Washington Wizards (1): 52

The Cavaliers, Warriors, Clippers, and Grizzlies currently don’t have any picks in the 2017 draft.

Load More Posts