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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 4/8/16

April 8th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

While the NBA will always be a game that favors size, there have been a number of diminutive players who have made their mark on the league over the years. The most recent example of a player overcoming his lack of size, or physical shortcomings, if you’ll forgive the pun, is the Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas, who is averaging an outstanding 22.4 points and 6.3 assists per contest this season. While Thomas’ success is hardly the norm for a player standing 5’9″ in shoes, he has certainly proven that heart and talent can trump stature in the league.

One of the next players who will look to find success in the league despite being undersized is Kentucky point guard Tyler Ulis, who has declared for the draft and is reportedly going to hire an agent, a move that would eliminate the possibility of him returning to the Wildcats for another campaign. Like Thomas, Ulis also stands 5’9″, though that measurement may be a tad on the generous side for the sophomore. Ulis, who was arguably Kentucky’s best player this past season, averaging 17.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists to accompany a slash line of .434/.344/.856. The freshman is currently ranked No. 20 overall by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com slots him at No. 17 overall.

Here’s today’s topic: How successful will Tyler Ulis be in the NBA?

Sound off in the comments section with your predictions for Ulis once he takes the floor in the NBA. Do you think he’ll achieve a similar level of success as the aforementioned Thomas, end up as a bench player, or is he destined to toil away in the D-League or overseas? Give us your best predictions for his career, take a guess at his stat line or share your own scouting report on the player. We look forward to what you have to say.

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2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Toronto Raptors

April 8th, 2016 at 5:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Toronto Raptors, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

  • 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
  • 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
  • Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $72,214,887*
  • Remaining Cap Room= –$2,214,887
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $12,525,113

*Note: This amount includes the $947,276 due Anthony Bennett, the $75,000 owed to Ronald Roberts, as well as the $25,000 each due Shannon Scott, Axel Toupane and Michale Kyser, all of whom were waived by the team.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • None

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000

Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

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Six Contracts In One Season For Ryan Hollins

April 8th, 2016 at 3:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ryan Hollins has lived a journeyman NBA existence, playing for nine teams in 10 NBA seasons and starting just 76 times, but he’s had a knack for staying in the league. The 31-year-old entered this season having been waived only once in his career, by the Cavs in 2012, and that was reportedly a mutual decision that led to his signing with the Celtics shortly after he cleared waivers. Circumstances changed this year, however.

When Hollins hit waivers Thursday, it was the fourth time a team released him this season. If no team claims his contract, a prorated minimum-salary deal for the rest of the season, Saturday will mark the sixth time he’s become a free agent this year since Memphis originally signed him on September 25th.

The Grizzlies and the Wizards are the only teams Hollins has played for this season, and Washington only signed Hollins to one of the six contracts he’s been on, so much of his whirlwind of movement is courtesy of the Grizzlies. That’s not just because of the injury problems in Memphis, which only became profound over the past six weeks or so.

Instead, several other factors have been at play, as we’ve detailed below as part of this timeline of the moves involving the Todd Ramasar client this season.

  • September 23rd — Hollins agrees to a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal with the Grizzlies after fielding interest from multiple other teams over the summer.
  • September 25th — Hollins formally signs with the Grizzlies, though the team doesn’t announce it until three days later.
  • October 26th — The Grizzlies waive Hollins, keeping Jarell Martin instead.
  • October 28th — Hollins clears waivers, becoming a free agent.
  • November 30th — The Wizards sign Hollins to a non-guaranteed deal for the minimum salary to replace the injured Martell Webster. The contract includes language stipulating that Hollins’ salary would become fully guaranteed if he sticks through December 27th.
  • December 22nd — The Wizards waive Hollins to instead sign Jarell Eddie, though they don’t announce the move until the next day.
  • December 24th — Hollins clears waivers, becoming a free agent and missing out on the December 27th guarantee date.
  • December 29th — The Grizzlies again sign Hollins to a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract, waiving Russ Smith to make room. Brandan Wright‘s injury had created the need for a big man like Hollins, and coach Dave Joerger asked the front office to re-sign him.
  • January 7th — The Grizzlies waive Hollins on the final day they could without his minimum salary becoming fully guaranteed, electing to keep James Ennis and guarantee his salary instead. Memphis signs Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract the next day.
  • January 9th — Hollins clears waivers, becoming a free agent.
  • January 21st — The Grizzlies sign Hollins to a 10-day contract, electing not to re-sign Williams on a second 10-day.
  • January 31st — Hollins’ 10-day contract runs to term, so he again becomes a free agent.
  • February 1st — The Grizzlies sign Hollins to a second 10-day contract.
  • February 11th — Hollins’ 10-day contract runs to term, so he again becomes a free agent. The Grizzlies carry an open roster spot into the February 18th trade deadline, filling it through a three-way trade with the Hornets and Heat in which Chris Andersen and P.J. Hairston come in and only Courtney Lee goes out.
  • March 2nd — The Grizzlies backtrack on a decision they made nearly a month prior to keep Ennis over Hollins, waiving Ennis and signing Hollins to a minimum-salary contract for the rest of the season. Hollins’ prorated salary is guaranteed through the end of the season.
  • April 7th — The Grizzlies waive Hollins again, this time to re-sign Xavier Munford. Memphis had been allowed to carry Hollins and Munford, along with others, via the hardship provision, but it doesn’t appear likely the NBA will allow the team to continue carrying extra roster spots once the playoffs began.

The RealGM transactions log was used in the creation of this post.

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Three Can Trigger Higher Qualifying Offers

April 8th, 2016 at 11:28am CST by Chuck Myron

Update: Motiejunas and Galloway met the starter criteria, but Canaan suffered a torn left labrum that prevented him from doing so.

Original post: The playoff races and pending first-round pick exchange scenarios provide intrigue for the regular season’s final few days, but the games that remain have quantifiable financial implications for three players in particular. Donatas Motiejunas, Langston Galloway and Isaiah Canaan are all within striking distance of meeting the NBA’s starter criteria and upping the worth of the qualifying offers their teams have to make to match competing bids for them in free agency this summer.

Qualifying offers took on a new level of importance the past two years, when Greg Monroe, Kevin Seraphin, Matthew Dellavedova and Norris Cole all signed qualifying offers and others, notably Klutch Sports clients Eric Bledsoe and Tristan Thompson, have threatened to do so. The qualifying offer almost always represents a steeply discounted salary for a player of the likes of Monroe, Bledsoe, and Thompson, which helps explain why Monroe is probably the best player ever to have signed one. Still, for others, like Seraphin, Dellavedova and Cole, it represents a salary in line with their market value. That’s why the starter criteria, which help determine how much qualifying offers are worth, are key factors for many.

The starter criteria are fulfilled if a player eligible for restricted free agency makes 41 or more starts or plays 2,000 minutes in the season preceding the end of his contract, or in the average of the two seasons preceding the end of his contract. The following are the consequences for meeting or not meeting the starter criteria as they appear in our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on qualifying offers and as informed by Larry Coon’s invaluable Salary Cap FAQ:

  • A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 15th overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
  • A player picked between 10th and 30th who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the ninth overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
  • A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 21st overall pick would receive if he signed for 100% of the rookie scale.
  • For all others, the standard criteria determine the amounts of their qualifying offers.

Here’s what’s at stake for Motiejunas, Galloway and Canaan, and what they need to do to lock in higher qualifying offers:

  • Donatas Motiejunas, Rockets — He needs to make just one more start to reach 82 over the past two seasons, enough to trigger the starter criteria and lift the value of his qualifying offer from $3,278,998 to $4,433,683. Motiejunas has started every game since the beginning of March except for Wednesday’s, in which he picked up a DNP-CD. The Rockets elected to put him back in the starting lineup for Thursday’s game, but he played only 12 minutes.
  • Langston Galloway, Knicks — Galloway is 60 minutes shy of 2,000, the number he needs to hit the starter criteria and lift his qualifying offer from $1,180,431 to $2,725,003. The Knicks have three games left, and he’s averaged 22.5 minutes per game since the beginning of March, so this one could come down to the wire.
  • Isaiah Canaan, Sixers — Canaan is two starts and 34 minutes away from triggering the starter criteria, with four games left to go for the Sixers. He’s been a starter for every game since March 12th and has averaged 29.2 minutes per contest over that stretch, so he’s a strong bet to lift his qualifying offer from $1,215,696 to $2,725,003.

The following players are former second-round picks or undrafted players who’ve already triggered the starter criteria and are due qualifying offers of $2,725,003 this summer. Their previous qualifying offers are listed by their names.

These are the players selected with picks 10-30 in the 2012 draft who’ve triggered the starter criteria for qualifying offers of $4,433,683 in the offseason ahead. Again, the previous qualifying offers are listed next to their names.

Meyers Leonard is the only 2012 lottery pick who won’t meet the starter criteria, meaning his qualifying offer will decline from $4,210,880 to $4,045,894.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 4/7/16

April 7th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The sudden resignation of Sixers GM Sam Hinkie on Wednesday night brought an end to one of the more controversial front office tenures the NBA has experienced in recent memory. Philadelphia went 47-195 in Hinkie’s time, its winning percentage decreasing in each of his three seasons. Now, it appears the task of rebuilding the Sixers will fall to Bryan Colangelo, whom the team is reportedly poised to hire as its new GM, and his father, Jerry Colangelo, the team’s chairman of basketball operations.

In his somewhat bizarre 13-page letter of resignation, Hinkie wrote, “There has been much criticism of our approach. There will be more. A competitive league like the NBA necessitates a zig while our competitors comfortably zag,” Hinkie wrote. “We often chose not to defend ourselves against much of the criticism, largely in an effort to stay true to the ideal of having the longest view in the room. Given all the changes to our organization, I no longer have the confidence that I can make good decisions on behalf of investors in the Sixers — you. So I should step down. And I have.”

Love him or hate him, Hinkie was certainly a GM cut from a different cloth than most. His plan of rebuilding through bottoming out was met with much derision around the league, but Hinkie was steadfast in his belief in “the process.” It remains to be seen how the young assets and future draft picks Hinkie accumulated during his tenure will pan out, as well as who will receive the bulk of the credit should Philadelphia turn things around in the near future. It does appear that better things are on the horizon for the Sixers, who are awaiting the NBA debuts of Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, both of whom were draft picks of Hinkie’s. Plus, Jerry Colangelo has indicated that the team intends to be active on the free agent market this offseason, which is likely music to coach Brett Brown‘s ears, seeing as how he’s been saddled with rosters of D-League quality throughout his time in Philly.

Now it’s time for today’s topic: How would you grade Sam Hinkie’s tenure in Philadelphia?

If you are going to judge Hinkie strictly on wins, the result won’t be pretty. After all, managing just 47 wins in three seasons is certainly not a statistic one would place at the top of a résumé. But there is far more to rebuilding a team than short-term gains, and it is in the big picture where Hinkie needs to be judged. Will the collection of young big men and future draft picks he acquired allow Philadelphia to become a perennial power in the near future? Or do you believe Hinkie squandered those picks and set the franchise back even further with the players he chose? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts, vent your frustrations or defend the former GM’s actions. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 4/6/16

April 6th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA is giving serious consideration to allowing advertising on the jerseys of teams beginning in 2017/18 and the Raptors have reportedly suggested to potential advertisers that the on-jersey ads will cost between $4MM and $5MM per season. During their sales pitches, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment executives have discussed the prospect of ads of about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, which would be the same size as the Kia Motors Corp. ad that appeared on the NBA All-Star Game jerseys this year in Toronto, according to a report by Rick Westhead of TSN.ca. It still remains unclear just how on-jersey ads would affect the revenue sharing around the league. One possible scenario drawing mention would see teams keep 50% of the revenue they generate from such ads and put the other half into a league-wide fund that is split equally between franchises, according to Westhead.

Fans of soccer and international basketball are no strangers to on-jersey ads, but they are a relatively new concept to professional sports in the U.S.. In the never-ending search to locate new revenue sources, advertisements on team uniforms are the logical next step for the NBA. But it is also a change that may ruffle the feathers of some purists out there who believe the game should keep paid advertisements off of the players.

This brings me to the topic for today: Should the league allow on-jersey advertising?

Does the thought of potentially seeing advertisements on your favorite team’s uniforms distress and annoy you? Or do you think its no big deal and a change that the NBA should make to increase its earning power? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and feelings on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

April 6th, 2016 at 4:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every 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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Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript

April 6th, 2016 at 4:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:02pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:30pm: Early entrants for the NBA draft have dominated the headlines this week, but it’s been a newsy day in more traditional NBA circles, with the Knicks, Timberwolves and a possible reunion for Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons making waves. All the stories have left less than the usual amount of time to chat, but we can still cover lots of ground.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 4/5/16

April 5th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield‘s draft stock has risen markedly over the course of the 2015/16 campaign. The 22-year-old began the season as a projected second-round pick, but his stellar play now has Hield in line to be an early lottery pick this June. NBA scouts and front office personnel will have to make the call as to whether Hield’s senior season breakout was a fluke or if the scorer has the potential to be the next Stephen Curry, who is arguably the best player in the NBA right now. Curry was severely underestimated coming out of college and lasted until the No. 7 overall pick in 2009. He was selected after Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans and Jonny Flynn, which certainly proves that the scouts don’t always get it right when evaluating and projecting how well players will transition into professional ball.

Hield appeared in 33 games for the Sooners this season and notched career-best numbers in virtually every statistical category. The shooting guard averaged 25.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists to accompany a shooting line of .498/.462/.890 for the 2015/16 campaign. While Hield certainly has scouts buzzing about his potential, it remains to be seen if he was a one-year wonder or if he’s set to become the next big thing in the NBA.

That brings me to the topic for today: How successful will Buddy Hield be in the NBA?

There have been numerous players throughout the years who filled up stat sheets and lit up scoreboards in college but were unable to succeed in the NBA. Will Hield be the next Jimmer Fredette, or is he in line to follow in Curry’s footsteps and prove all of his doubters wrong once he hits the NBA hardwood? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and predictions for Hield’s professional career. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Lack of NBA Draft Prospects Sets ‘Nova Apart

April 5th, 2016 at 4:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Villanova’s buzzer-beating victory in Monday’s NCAA championship game was remarkable by itself, but perhaps most amazing is that the team accomplished what it did with so little in the way of NBA-level talent. That’s not to say that some of this year’s Wildcats won’t play in the NBA, as it seems likely that at least one or two of them will find their way into the league at some point. Still, it’s no safe bet that any of them will be drafted into the NBA, which is highly unusual.

Every NCAA champ since 1950 has had a player drafted in at least the top 40 picks, as SB Nation’s Kevin Trahan points out. The last NCAA champion without an eventual first-round pick on its roster was the 1986/87 Indiana team, which also won in dramatic fashion on a shot by Keith Smart, who became a second-round pick the next year.

Junior shooting guard Josh Hart appears to be the Villanova player with the best chance of getting drafted, ranking 69th in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress prospect listings for this year. Senior center Daniel Ochefu isn’t far behind at No. 76. Still, neither is in the top 60, and there are only 60 NBA draft picks each year. Hart could return to school and improve his stock, as could a few others on the Wildcats who are at least on NBA radars.

So, it’ll be a while before we know whether Villanova won a title without an NBA draftee, though we’ll know in June if they’re the first team to win the NCAA championship without a player who would be drafted that same year since Duke in 2010. Those Blue Devils weren’t exactly devoid of talent, however. They had five eventual draftees, and Lance Thomas has carved out a steady NBA career as an undrafted player.

Here’s a look at the draftees from NCAA champions this decade. Each player was drafted the year his school won the championship unless otherwise noted:

Duke, 2015

UConn, 2014

Louisville, 2013

Kentucky, 2012

Connecticut, 2011

Duke, 2010

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