Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hoops Rumors Originals

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Milwaukee Bucks

March 17th, 2016 at 10:10am 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 Milwaukee Bucks, 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= $70,521,788*
  • Remaining Cap Room= -$521,788
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $14,218,212

*Note: This amount includes the $1,865,546 owed to Larry Sanders, who was waived via the stretch provision.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • Room Exception: $1,057,129
  • Trade Exception= $4,250,000 (Jared Dudley. Expires July 9th, 2016)
  • Trade Exception= $5,200,000 (Zaza Pachulia. Expires July 9th, 2016)

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.

Retweet 4 Share 1 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/16/16

March 16th, 2016 at 10:54pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sources close to Knicks team president Phil Jackson recently floated the notion to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com that the Zen Master would consider coaching home games and have interim coach Kurt Rambis lead the team when on the road next season. Jackson has often cited his health as he’s maintained in recent years that coaching is out of the question, but people around the 70-year-old say he appears to have more energy than usual, and he’s reportedly lost 20 of the 30 pounds he gained since taking the Knicks job, according to Shelburne.

It’s unclear what the chances of this kind of arrangement coming to pass are, but it would certainly make for an intriguing compromise if Jackson meets resistance to the idea of hiring Rambis full-time, according to Shelburne’s report. Jackson hasn’t officially committed to keeping Rambis beyond the season, but he has hinted that he’d like to see him earn the removal of his interim tag, which jibes with an earlier report that Jackson was pulling for Rambis to win the permanent job when he named him interim boss. The executive has yet to give any indication he is considering other candidates besides Rambis and many league executives believe he is the Zen Master’s one and only choice for the slot.

Knicks star small forward Carmelo Anthony wasn’t enthusiastic about the notion of Jackson coaching part time and didn’t think it was a realistic option given the executive’s age and health concerns. “Nah, nah, nah. I don’t think that should be accepted,” Anthony said. “I wouldn’t accept that if that was the case. Phil is cool man. He doesn’t need to be on the sidelines no more. He put so many years into this game. He’s cool. He doesn’t need to be on the sideline. I don’t think he’s thinking about coming back down on the sideline. I hope not. Let him ride on out. Let him sit out and be the president.”

This brings me to the topic for today: Would the Knicks benefit from Phil Jackson returning to coaching on a part-time basis?

Jackson’s coaching resume certainly speaks for itself, but he hasn’t patrolled an NBA sideline since the 2010/11 campaign. The game has certainly changed over the past few years and the jury is still out on whether or not the triangle offense, a staple of Jackson’s, is still a viable system in the league. There is also the matter of how players would respond to two coaches leading them and doling out minutes. It could cause a schism within the locker room, especially if Jackson and Rambis differed on the rotation and substitution patterns. It could also place Rambis in an extremely difficult position if players saw him as just a placeholder while on the road and his authority suffered as a result.

But what say you? Is having Jackson as a part-time coach a better alternative to retaining Rambis or hiring a new coach altogether? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

Retweet 18 Share 2 Send via email0

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Memphis Grizzlies

March 16th, 2016 at 3:50pm 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 Memphis Grizzlies, 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= $83,093,980*
  • Remaining Cap Room= -$13,093,980
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $1,678,225**

*Note: This amount includes the $437,080 owed to Fab Melo, and the $163,297 owed to Jamaal Franklin, both of whom were waived via the stretch provision. It also includes the $4,300,000 due Mario Chalmers, the $845,059 owed James Ennis, the $845,059 due Russ Smith, the $122,238 paid to Ryan Hollins and the $6,000 owed to Patrick Christopher, all of whom were waived by the team.

**Note: Memphis’ payroll for tax purposes was reduced by $32,205 as a result of Matt Barnes‘ two-game suspension.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • Trade Exception= $122,441 (Jon Leuer. Expires June 25, 2016)
  • Trade Exception= $450,000 (Jeff Green. Expires February 18, 2017)

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $2,857,286

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.

Retweet 3 Share 1 Send via email0

Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

March 16th, 2016 at 12:30pm 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.

Retweet 2 Share 1 Send via email0

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Indiana Pacers

March 16th, 2016 at 8:53am 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 Indiana Pacers, 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= $72,358,004*
  • Remaining Cap Room= -€“$2,358,004
  • Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $12,381,996

*Note: This amount includes the $600,000 owed to Toney Douglas, the $6,178 in salary paid to Terran Petteway, as well as the $5,000,000 due Chase Budinger, all of whom were waived by the team.

Cap Exceptions Available:

  • Room= $1,787,718

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.

Retweet 4 Share 1 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/15/16

March 15th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Lakers are going to miss the playoffs for the third straight season, something that almost assuredly won’t sit well with team ownership or the fans. With Kobe Bryant set to retire, the franchise will look markedly different next season. What remains to be seen is if the team will build around its younger players or attempt to remake itself by chasing big-name free agents. Los Angeles certainly has a number of young, intriguing players, but it remains to be seen if any among them are stars who are capable of carrying the franchise back to glory.

According to an informal poll of NBA front office executives, point guard D’Angelo Russell is viewed as having the potential to develop into a franchise-player, but the same sentiment wasn’t shared in regard to 2014 lottery pick Julius Randle, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The dozen executives Berger polled relayed that Randle is seen more as a piece to the puzzle or an energy guy than a bonafide franchise cornerstone. The scribe also noted that it was conceivable that the Lakers could deal one or both of the duo to land a proven star, adding that the organization’s decision-making this summer will be shaped by whether or not it retains its 2016 first-rounder. The Lakers must convey their pick to the Sixers if they fall out of the top three selections.

This brings me to the topic for today: Should the Lakers focus on building around younger players like D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, or should the team look to deal them for an established star?

If you think the team should look to trade the young pair, who would be a realistic target? Or do you believe Los Angeles needs to take it slow and rebuild through the draft instead of chasing big names on the open market? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter.

Retweet 3 Share 1 Send via email0

Looming Player Option Decisions: East

March 15th, 2016 at 1:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

The NBA regular season ends in less than a month, so time is running short for players to make their final impressions. The stakes are higher for those whose contract situations for next season are unresolved. Player options are a coveted contractual feature, but the decisions players make often depend on how other teams regard them. Players do well to gauge the potential free agent market for their services, lest they follow the path of J.R. Smith, who turned down a $6.4MM player option last summer and wound up languishing in free agency for two months until accepting a deal from the Cavs that pays him only $5MM this season.

Most option decisions aren’t due until late June, but as the season winds to a close, we’ll examine the likelihood of each player opting in or out, starting in the Eastern Conference, where no one seems a lock to opt in. We’ll follow later with a look at the West.

Likely to opt out:

Toss-up:

  • Arron Afflalo, Knicks ($8,000,000) — Afflalo told Marc Berman of the New York Post just a few days ago that he’s not sure what he’ll do about his option. An up-and-down season makes it tough to predict, but his 38.7% 3-point shooting and the rising salary cap will tempt him to turn down the $8MM.
  • J.R. Smith, Cavaliers ($5,375,000) — This one is tough to call in part because of the unusual structure of the contract. Smith can pick up the option, but even if he does, his salary would be only partially guaranteed for $2.2MM until September 7th, when a full guarantee would kick in. Smith is in the midst of switching agents, which would suggest he’d opt out, but he reportedly plans to sign with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, the agency of LeBron James, Smith’s close friend. That suggests Smith would opt in, or at least stay with the Cavs.
  • Derrick Williams, Knicks ($4,598,000) — Williams said recently that he’s undecided. His scoring and rebounding averages are better than last season’s even though he’s seen fewer minutes per game, but his deal was player friendly from the start.
  • Bismack Biyombo, Raptors ($2,940,630) — He’s made it clear he loves the Raptors, but he’s a 23-year-old defensive stalwart who’s scoring and rebounding as well as he ever has.
  • Jeremy Lin, Hornets ($2,235,255) — Lin has fit in much better as a backup for the Hornets than as a starter in recent seasons for the Lakers and Rockets, but many of his numbers are either equivalent to or worse that what he put up last year.
  • Mo Williams, Cavaliers ($2,194,500) — The 13th-year veteran in January called this season the most difficult challenge of his pro career but said he’s not interested in playing for another team. His 8.9 points and 19.7 minutes per game are his fewest since the 2003/04 season, his rookie year, so the market for him doesn’t figure to be robust.

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

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies Near Record, Thanks To Injuries

March 15th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Chuck Myron

The injury problem facing the Grizzlies is so profound that the NBA has allowed the team to carry 17 players, two more than the standard regular season limit. Nine players are dealing with some sort of ailment, according to CBSSports.com, ranging from minor issues that could allow four of them to play in the team’s next game Wednesday against the Timberwolves to Marc Gasol‘s season-ending broken foot.

Still, Memphis is in fifth place in the Western Conference and seven games up on the ninth place Jazz, meaning the Grizzlies are closing in on a remarkable distinction. They’re poised to become the first team in NBA history to make the playoffs in a season in which two dozen or more players appeared in a game, according to Grizzlies spokesperson Ross Wooden (Twitter link). Memphis has used 25 guys through a combination of trades, signings and attrition. That’s significantly more than any other team, including the banged-up Pelicans, whom the league has also allowed to exceed the 15-man roster via hardship. Only the Suns, with 22 players, come close.

Here’s a look at the number of players who’ve played in a game for each team this season, in descending order of volume from the Grizzlies on down. Note that it doesn’t correspond with the number of players who’ve appeared on each team’s roster, since some haven’t made it into games.

  • Grizzlies, 25
  • Suns, 22
  • Nuggets, 19
  • Wizards, 19
  • Clippers, 18
  • Heat, 18
  • Pelicans, 18
  • Rockets, 18
  • Sixers, 18
  • Cavaliers, 17
  • Hawks, 17
  • Hornets, 17
  • Jazz, 17
  • Magic, 17
  • Pistons, 17
  • Spurs, 17
  • Bucks, 16
  • Bulls, 16
  • Knicks, 16
  • Mavericks, 16
  • Nets, 16
  • Raptors, 16
  • Thunder, 16
  • Timberwolves, 16
  • Trail Blazers, 16
  • Warriors, 16
  • Celtics, 15
  • Lakers, 15
  • Pacers, 15
  • Kings, 14
Retweet 3 Share 1 Send via email0

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/14/16

March 14th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeMarcus Cousins was back in the news last week and, not surprisingly, it involved a disciplinary issue. The mercurial Kings big man received a one-game suspension from the team following a verbal tirade directed at head coach George Karl. Cousins then complained that Karl was responsible for the suspension, not the front office.

Cousins’ relationship with the coach has been volatile since Karl took over during the middle of last season. It hasn’t gotten any better this season as Sacramento has fallen out of the playoff race over the past six weeks. Cousins recently aired some his grievances to Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears, complaining that there’s “a lot of chaos” and “extra unnecessary stuff” going on in the organization.

Of course, Cousins’ hot temper often rubs officials the wrong way as well. He leads the league with 15 technical fouls and has also received an ejection.

It’s been widely speculated that Karl won’t return next season, but that doesn’t mean Cousins will get along with his potential replacement. However, Nuggets coach and former Kings head man Michael Malone recently said it’s possible to coexist with Cousins by using as a no-nonsense approach.

“I was real with him, I was honest with him, I coached him, I disciplined him, I held him accountable,” Malone told Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. “I never tried to be his buddy. I never tried to coach around him.”

No one questions Cousins’ talent. In his sixth NBA season, the 25-year-old is averaging a career-high 27.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. With a dearth of quality centers in the league, Cousins would certainly draw plenty of interest if the Kings decided to move him. The Kings could get plenty in return for him, despite all the baggage.

Any possible suitor would have to determine whether Cousins would thrive in another environment, or whether his abrasive personality would lead to locker room strife anywhere he goes.

This leads us to our question of the day: Will the Kings trade DeMarcus Cousins this summer? If so, where do you think he’ll end up?

Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Retweet 7 Share 2 Send via email0

Suns Hesitant To Commit To 10-Day Signees

March 14th, 2016 at 5:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

Many teams use 10-day contracts as tryouts of sorts for players they’re interested in signing for the rest of the season and beyond. That evidently hasn’t been the case for the Suns this year, who’ve cycled through six players on 10-day contracts this year without signing any of them for the balance of the season. It remains to be seen what they end up doing with Alan Williams, who’s on a 10-day deal that expires after Thursday’s game against the Jazz, but the five other Phoenix 10-day signees have since moved on.

Two of them — Jordan McRae and Orlando Johnson — are with other NBA teams. The Cavs took a much different approach with McRae, signing him to a deal that covers the rest of this season and next after he completed just one 10-day contract, dispensing with the conventional practice of doing a pair of 10-day deals before committing for a longer stretch.

Injuries have surely played into Phoenix’s strategy, as the Suns are missing Eric Bledsoe and T.J. Warren, and they’ve been without Brandon Knight and others for significant stretches of the season. Still, it’s unusual to see a team go through this many 10-day contracts without keeping at least one of the players. Here’s a look at what has happened with each of the players the Suns have had on 10-day deals, with an assist from our 10-Day Contract Tracker:

RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

Retweet 4 Share 2 Send via email0