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Community Shootaround: Trading Block

August 1st, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Major league baseball teams just completed a whirlwind of activity prior to the non-waiver trade deadline this afternoon. The NBA’s trade deadline doesn’t arrive until after the All-Star break but there could still be a big deal or two prior to training camp.

We’ve already seen some well-known players swap uniforms this offseason, mostly during the week of the draft. Derrick Rose was dealt to the Knicks. Serge Ibaka was sent packing to the Magic in a deal that brought Victor Oladipo to the Thunder. The Pacers picked up a pair of starters in Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young, while George Hill wound up with the Jazz in one of those deals.

Overall, there really hasn’t been a flurry of activity via the trade market. With the rising salary cap, most teams opted to improve through free agency.

Several All-Star caliber players enveloped in trade rumors in recent months appear to be staying put, a group that includes DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler and Blake Griffin.

There are some other starters out there who could eventually get dealt, with an All-Star heading that list. Russell Westbrook‘s situation is fluid, as the Thunder await to hear if he’ll sign an extension. The Sixers have made it known — probably too public — that they’re willing to deal either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor.

The Kings are more than willing to move Rudy Gay, while the Bucks are looking for someone to take Greg Monroe off their hands. Kenneth Faried, Ricky Rubio and D’Angelo Russell are some other players who have heard their names pop up on the rumor mill. It’s also fair to wonder what the Wizards will do with Marcin Gortat, considering they spent a lot of money to sign another center, Ian Mahinmi.

That leads us to our question of the day: Which high-profile player is most likely to be traded prior to the start of the season?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Players Eligible For Rookie-Scale Extensions

August 1st, 2016 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Just when it seemed like the NBA’s flurry of spending had died down, the Trail Blazers added another $100MM+ deal to the growing list of this offseason’s nine-digit contracts, reaching a four-year extension agreement with C.J. McCollum. Of course, McCollum wasn’t eligible for free agency until next summer, so his signing made him the first player in 2016 to ink a rookie-scale extension a year before his contract was set to expire.

While McCollum was the first player to get such a deal, he almost certainly won’t be the last. Teams have until October 31 to try to work out long-term deals with former first-round picks who are heading into the fourth and final year of their respective rookie contracts. As long as a player signed his rookie-scale contract in 2013 and hasn’t become a free agent since then, he’ll be eligible to sign such an extension up until the end of October.

Of course, even if a team ultimately intends to extend a player who fits this description, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen this year. As we saw with the Pistons and Wizards, who waited until this summer to sign Andre Drummond and Bradley Beal to maximum-salary contracts, clubs can maintain a little extra cap flexibility by holding off on making those deals official.

If a team this year decides to wait until next summer to lock up an extension-eligible player, that team would be allowing the player to reach restricted free agency in 2017 — but as long as a qualifying offer is extended, the player’s club would have the right of first refusal and could match any offer sheet. In a case like Drummond’s or Beal’s, neither the Pistons nor the Wizards was worried about losing their player, since they were willing to go to the max to retain them.

Here are the players who are eligible to sign rookie-scale extensions, up until October 31, 2016:

The following players were selected in the first round of the 2013 draft along with the players above, but aren’t eligible for rookie-scale extensions this year:

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Free Agent Spending By Division: Southeast

August 1st, 2016 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the next several days, we’ll be breaking down 2016 NBA free agent spending by division, examining which teams – and divisions – were the most active this July.

These divisional breakdowns won’t present a full picture of teams’ offseason spending. Some notable free agents, including LeBron James, remain unsigned, so there’s still money out there to be spent. Our lists also don’t include money spent on this year’s first- and second-round picks or draft-and-stash signings. There are a few free agent names missing in some instances as well, since those deals aren’t yet official or terms haven’t been reported.

Still, these closer looks at divisional spending should generally reveal how teams invested their money in free agency this summer, identifying which clubs went all-out and which ones played it safe.

With the help of our Free Agent Tracker and contract info from Basketball Insiders, we’ll focus today on the Southeast division. Let’s dive in…

1. Washington Wizards

  • Total money committed: $239,223,166
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $234,026,744
  • Largest expenditure: Bradley Beal (five years, $127,171,313)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Marcus Thornton will earn $1,315,448 on a minimum-salary contract, but the Wizards will only pay $980,431 of that salary, with the NBA footing the rest of the bill.

2. Charlotte Hornets

  • Total money committed: $197,549,753
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $187,517,567
  • Largest expenditure: Nicolas Batum (five years, $120,000,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Brian Roberts will earn $1,050,961 on a minimum-salary contract, but the Hornets will only pay $980,431 of that salary, with the NBA footing the rest of the bill.
    • Sessions’ deal contributes significantly to the gap between the Hornets’ total money and guaranteed money committed, since his second year ($6.27MM) is a team option.

3. Orlando Magic

  • Total money committed: $197,000,000
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $197,000,000
  • Largest expenditure: Evan Fournier (five years, $85,000,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • The Magic have yet to add any camp invitees or players on partially-guaranteed deals, so the four players listed above make up the team’s entire free agent haul so far.

4. Miami Heat

  • Total money committed: $186,713,810
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $175,347,388
  • Largest expenditure: Hassan Whiteside (four years, $98,419,537)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Like Sessions for the Hornets, Ellington’s second-year salary of $6.27MM is not guaranteed, which contributes to the gap between the Heat’s total money and guaranteed money committed.

5. Atlanta Hawks

  • Total money committed: $151,929,151
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $150,530,431
  • Largest expenditure: Dwight Howard (three years, $70,500,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Jarrett Jack will earn $1,551,659 on a minimum-salary contract, but the Hawks will only pay $980,431 of that salary, with the NBA footing the rest of the bill.

Previously:
Southwest

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Community Shootaround: Chicago Bulls

July 30th, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Following a season in which they missed the playoffs, the Bulls figured to be busy this summer. That’s certainly been the case, though they have made a number of surprising moves and decisions.

They traded former franchise player Derrick Rose, which appeared to signal they were in a rebuild mode. Rumors were rampant that their best player, Jimmy Butler, would also be dealt on draft night. Unsatisfied with the packages offered by the Timberwolves and Celtics, among others, Chicago decided to hold onto Butler.

Free agency provided its own series of twists and turns. Veteran big men Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah found new homes, as expected. But rather than build around younger players, the Bulls chose to replace Rose with free agent Rajon Rondo. Then came the big shocker, as Dwyane Wade bolted the Heat and signed with his hometown team.

Second-year coach Fred Hoiberg must now blend the talents of Rondo, Wade and Butler on the court and massage their egos off it. None are adept at 3-point shooting, leaving forwards Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic as their main long-distance threats. They also don’t have a lot of inside punch with Robin Lopez, Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis in the rotation.

The addition of Wade still makes the Bulls an intriguing team to watch. Unfortunately, they’re in an increasingly tough division. Not only are the Cavaliers poised to defend their title, the Pacers and Pistons upgraded their rosters after making the playoffs last season. The Bucks have some serious young talent of their own and should also be on the upswing.

That leads us to our question of the day: Did the Bulls’ moves this offseason make them a playoff team or did they take another step back?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/24/16-7/30/16

July 30th, 2016 at 11:45am CST by Eddie Scarito

Here’s a look back at the original content and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week.

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Salary Guarantees To Watch This Weekend

July 29th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, the Pacers announced that they’d parted ways with Shayne Whittington, placing the big man on waivers. The timing of the move seemed odd at first glance, but it made sense when considering the language in Whittington’s contract — his full salary for the 2016/17 season would have become guaranteed if he’d remained on Indiana’s roster beyond August 1.

As our list of upcoming salary guarantee deadlines shows, Whittington isn’t the only player who will either make some money or lose his roster spot within the next few days. Six other players will have some or all of their ’16/17 salary guaranteed if they remain on their respective teams’ rosters beyond August 1.

Here’s a closer look:

  • Jonathon Simmons (Spurs): Full $874,636 salary to become guaranteed
    • Simmons’ guarantee date is actually on Saturday, rather than Monday, but it shouldn’t make much of a difference. After averaging about 15 minutes per game in 55 regular-season contests for the Spurs in his rookie season, Simmons may be in line for a bigger role in 2016/17, as we heard earlier this month.
  • Michael Beasley (Rockets): Full $1,403,611 salary to become guaranteed
  • Dahntay Jones (Cavaliers): Full $1,551,659 salary to become guaranteed
    • Jones appeared in 15 playoff games for the NBA champions in the spring, but his most memorable moment may have involved earning a one-game suspension for hitting Bismack Biyombo in the groin. There has been no indication yet whether the Cavs, who will likely be back in tax territory in 2016/17, intend to keep Jones — he’s a candidate to be cut.
  • Rodney McGruder (Heat): $150,000 of $543,471 salary to become guaranteed
    • The Heat just signed McGruder about three weeks ago, so it seems unlikely they’d waive him already, especially since only a small portion of his 2016/17 salary will become guaranteed on Monday.
  • Josh Richardson (Heat): Full $874,636 salary to become guaranteed
    • In the wake of Dwyane Wade‘s departure, the Heat will be going younger this season, and Richardson figures to be a big part of that youth movement. He’s not going anywhere.
  • Glenn Robinson III (Pacers): Full $1,050,500 salary to become guaranteed
    • When the Pacers announced Whittington’s release without cutting Robinson as well, it was a sign that the former Wolverine should be safe. Assuming that’s the case, he’s a good bet to earn a regular-season roster spot for Indiana.
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Salary Cap Snapshot: Chicago Bulls

July 29th, 2016 at 8:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the free agent signing period winding down and teams looking ahead to the preseason, we at Hoops Rumors will be tracking the Salary Cap figures for each team around the league. These posts will be maintained throughout the season once financial data is reported. These posts will be located on the sidebar throughout the year, once all the teams’ cap figures have been relayed. You can always check RosterResource.com for up-to-date rosters for each franchise, with the Bulls’ team page accessible here.

Here’s a breakdown of where the Bulls currently stand financially:

Guaranteed Salary

Total Guaranteed Salary= $92,551,106

Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]

Cash Received Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]

Payroll Exceptions Available

  • Trade Exception — $5,462,000 (Taj Gibson trade) — Expires on 7/12/17
  • Room Exception — $2,898,000

Total Projected Payroll: $92,551,106

Salary Cap: $94,143,000

Estimated Available Cap Space: $1,591,894
(Note: team would have to renounce trade exception to use cap space)

Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000

Amount Below Luxury Tax: $20,735,894

Last Update: 2/24/17

The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.

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Free Agent Spending By Division: Southwest

July 29th, 2016 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the next week, we’ll be breaking down 2016 NBA free agent spending by division, examining which teams – and divisions – were the most active this July.

These divisional breakdowns won’t present a full picture of teams’ offseason spending. Some notable free agents, including LeBron James, remain unsigned, so there’s still money out there to be spent. Our lists also don’t include money spent on this year’s first- and second-round picks or draft-and-stash signings. There are a few free agent names missing in some instances as well, since those deals aren’t yet official or terms haven’t been reported.

Still, these closer looks at divisional spending should generally reveal how teams invested their money in free agency this summer, identifying which clubs went all-out and which ones played it safe.

With the help of our Free Agent Tracker and contract info from Basketball Insiders, we’ll kick off the series today with a look at the Southwest division. Let’s dive in…

1. Memphis Grizzlies

  • Total money committed: $266,310,613
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $251,079,762
  • Largest expenditure: Mike Conley (five years, $152,607,578)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Wayne Selden‘s deal is not included in these totals, since it’s a summer contract and won’t count toward the Grizzlies’ cap unless he makes the regular-season roster.
    • The fifth year of Conley’s deal is not fully guaranteed for now, but will become guaranteed if Conley plays in 55 games in the 2018/19 or 2019/20 seasons.

2. Dallas Mavericks

  • Total money committed: $208,352,773
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $173,518,115
  • Largest expenditure: Harrison Barnes (four years, $94,438,523)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Keith Hornsby‘s contract with the Mavericks is not included in these figures, since details haven’t yet been reported.
    • Nowitzki’s deal contributes significantly to the gap between the Mavs’ total money and guaranteed money committed, since his second year ($25MM) is a team option.

3. Houston Rockets

  • Total money committed: $135,784,790
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $135,784,790
  • Largest expenditure: Ryan Anderson (four years, $80,000,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • The Rockets are believed to have two-year, minimum-salary agreements in place with Pablo Prigioni, Kyle Wiltjer, Isaiah Taylor, and Gary Payton II. However, those deals haven’t been made official, so they’re not included in our totals.
    • Bobby Brown‘s deal is not included in these totals, since it’s believed to be a summer contract which won’t count toward the Rockets’ cap unless he makes the regular-season roster.

4. New Orleans Pelicans

  • Total money committed: $99,104,431
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $99,104,431
  • Largest expenditure: Solomon Hill (four years, $48,000,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Terrence Jones will earn $1,050,961 on a minimum-salary contract, but the Pelicans will only pay $980,431 of that salary, with the NBA footing the rest of the bill.
    • The Pelicans still figure to add non-guaranteed deals to fill out their preseason roster, but all their signees so far have had fully guaranteed contracts.

5. San Antonio Spurs

  • Total money committed: $57,678,976
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $54,981,536
  • Largest expenditure: Pau Gasol (two years, $31,697,500)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Lee’s contract hasn’t been formally announced, but it’s said to be a two-year, minimum-salary pact with a player option in year two. We’ve included that deal in our count, but not Patricio Garino‘s, since the official terms on that one haven’t been reported.
    • Ryan Arcidiacono and Bryn Forbes are the only Spurs free agent signings without fully guaranteed deals so far.
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Community Shootaround: NBA’s Worst Team

July 29th, 2016 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Much of the offseason discussion over the last month has centered on the Warriors’ chances to make history now that they’ve added Kevin Durant to a team coming off a 73-win season. While most of us expect Golden State to be the NBA’s No. 1 team in 2016/17, it’s also worth taking a look at the clubs on the other end of the spectrum.

Very few NBA franchises head into training camp without playoff aspirations, but there are a handful of teams that will be facing a challenging uphill battle if they attempt to earn a trip to the postseason this season.

The Sixers, despite adding some veteran talent to go along with incoming rookies Ben Simmons and Dario Saric, are still in rebuilding mode, and the Nets are right there with them. The Suns and Lakers signed some veterans in free agency too, but it’s not clear whether either club has enough talent to even aim for a .500 record.

When ESPN released its Eastern and Western Conference forecasts for the 2016/17 season this week, those four clubs were the only ones projected to win less than 30 games. ESPN has the Suns down for 26 victories, with the Lakers (25), Sixers (20), and Nets (20) right behind them. Meanwhile, the Heat, Magic, Pelicans, Nuggets, and Kings are considered likely to compile win totals in the low-to-mid-30s, per ESPN.

What do you think? Which team will be the NBA’s worst in 2016/17? Will the Sixers earn that title for the second straight year, or will another club slip below them? Does ESPN’s projection model have it generally right, or is there a club heading for disaster that’s being overlooked?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on which team will be the worst in the NBA in 2016/17. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

July 28th, 2016 at 9:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

We at Hoops Rumors love interacting with our readers. This is why we provide an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted each Sunday.

Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.

If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.

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