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Clippers’ Wesley Johnson Exercises Player Option

May 10th, 2018 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 10, 8:22am: Johnson has officially opted in for next season, according to the Real GM Transactions Page.

MAY 2, 1:24pm: Clippers forward Wesley Johnson intends to play out the final year of his current contract, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Johnson will pick up his 2018/19 option.

An unrestricted free agent back in 2016, Johnson signed a three-year contract with the Clippers worth just shy of $18MM. The deal included a third-year player option for 2018/19, and by exercising that option Johnson will earn a guaranteed $6,134,520 salary next season.

Johnson’s option decision doesn’t come as a real surprise. Although he was a regular rotation piece for the Clippers, averaging 20.1 minutes per contest in 74 games (40 starts), his production was modest. For the season, the 30-year-old averaged 5.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG with a shooting line of .408/.339/.741.

Johnson is one of a handful of Clippers who have player option decisions to make this summer. While Johnson’s salary won’t have a major impact on the team’s cap situation, the Clips’ offseason outlook could vary significantly depending on whether DeAndre Jordan ($24,119,025), Austin Rivers ($12,650,000), and Milos Teodosic ($6,300,000) also exercise their respective options.

As our tracker shows, Johnson is already the fourth veteran who has exercised – or will exercise – a player option for 2018/19, suggesting we’ll see an uptick in opt-ins this year. Last summer, only five player options were picked up; in 2016, only three were exercised.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Knicks Notes: Fizdale, Woodson, Ntilikina, M. Bridges

May 9th, 2018 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks coach David Fizdale is confident he can make New York a popular free agent destination again, but he knows it will take time and success, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Fizdale isn’t addressing questions about the top free agent on the market, LeBron James, whom he worked with for four years as an assistant coach in Miami, but he knows the city can be a strong selling point if the Knicks get competitive again.

“[Free agents] are not just going to go there to live in New York City,’’ Fizdale said. “You’re going there to be in a culture. When you start showing that through action, players are going to come. New York is a special place.”

During a series of media appearances, Fizdale promised that once that culture is instilled, the team will be able to attract “the right players here to take us to another level.’’

There’s more tonight out of New York:

During an appearance on MSG Network, Fizdale singled out Clippers assistant Mike Woodson as one of his most important influences, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Woodson, who hired Fizdale as an assistant in Atlanta, has expressed interest in joining Fizdale’s staff if Doc Rivers isn’t retained in L.A. “Mike Woodson was really the person who instilled a work ethic,” Fizdale said. “Understanding that no matter what’s going on around you, you have to bring a certain work ethic and really check your ego at the door because when you’re going through 13-win seasons, 26-win seasons [in Atlanta] and getting to places like that, there’s no room for ego.”
Fizdale is excited to begin working with last year’s first-rounder, Frank Ntilikina, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Ntilikina saw time at both backcourt positions last season, which isn’t an issue for Fizdale, who envisions “positionless basketball” with Ntilikina possibly sharing the court with fellow point guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke.
Fizdale made a couple of eye-opening comparisons during an appearance today on WFAN, Bondy tweets. He said he coached players like Mudiay before, citing Dwyane Wade and Tyreke Evans as examples, then compared Lance Thomas with Draymond Green.
Villanova’s Mikal Bridges would enjoy having Madison Square Garden as his home court if he gets drafted by the Knicks. In an interview tweeted by DraftExpressContent, Bridges says he enjoyed the surroundings during the Wildcats’ frequent trips to the Garden. “Great atmosphere, great venue, lot of great things happening here,” he said.

Draft Notes: Washington, Ward, Brown, Hudson

May 8th, 2018 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kentucky freshman forward PJ Washington is working out for the Clippers this week and will meet with the Timberwolves and Bucks before next week’s draft combine, Fletcher Page of the Louisville Journal Courier reports. Washington, who has already visited the Celtics and Nets, has a pinky finger injury that will require surgery, Page continues. Father Paul Washington told Page that his son isn’t assured of staying in the draft.

“It’s real simple — if he’s guaranteed a first round pick, then he’ll stay in the draft,” Paul Washington said. “If he doesn’t get that, we’ll have to make a decision. It’s PJ’s decision.”

The 6’8” Washington is listed at No. 51 among Jonathan Givony’s top 100 prospects at ESPN.com. He averaged 10.8 PPG and 5.7 RPG for the Wildcats.

In other draft developments:

Michigan State sophomore center Nick Ward will work out for the Pistons this weekend, Brendan Quinn of The Athletic tweets. Ward has already worked out for the Knicks and Thunder and at least eight other teams are interested in bringing him in, Quinn adds. He averaged 12.4 PPG and 7.1 RPG for the Spartans. He is not listed among Givony’s top 100 prospects.
The Hawks are bringing in six prospects on Wednesday, according to a team press release. South Carolina forward Brian Bowen, Auburn guard Bryce Brown, Purdue guard Nojel Eastern, Maryland forward Bruno Fernando, Florida shooting guard Jalen Hudson and Utah Valley center Akolda Manyang are the players visiting Atlanta. Hudson, ranked No. 45 by Givony, is the most prominent member of the group.

2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Los Angeles Clippers

May 7th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago at this time, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan were all still members of the Clippers. Now, Paul and Griffin are long gone, and it’s possible that Jordan – who holds a player option – will follow them out the door. The Clippers are in the midst of a transition period, and while they still don’t project to have a ton of cap room this summer, parting ways with Paul and Griffin created some long-term flexibility.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Clippers financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Danilo Gallinari ($21,587,579)
Tobias Harris ($14,800,000)
Lou Williams ($8,000,000)
Boban Marjanovic ($7,000,000)
Sam Dekker ($2,760,095)
Jawun Evans ($1,378,242)
Sindarius Thornwell ($1,378,242)
Carlos Delfino ($650,000) — Waived via stretch provision
Miroslav Raduljica ($252,043) — Waived via stretch provision
Total: $57,806,201

Player Options

DeAndre Jordan ($24,119,025)
Austin Rivers ($12,650,000)
Milos Teodosic ($6,300,000)
Wesley Johnson ($6,134,520): Will be exercised
Total: $49,203,545

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Patrick Beverley ($5,027,028)
C.J. Williams ($1,378,242)¹
Total: $6,405,270

Restricted Free Agents

Montrezl Harrell ($1,839,228 qualifying offer / $1,839,228 cap hold): Bird rights
Total: $1,839,228

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Avery Bradley ($13,213,484): Bird rights
No. 12 overall pick ($3,179,248)²
No. 13 overall pick ($3,020,246)³
Total: $19,412,978

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $13,182,757

With four veterans holding player options, there are a number of potential scenarios in play for the Clippers’ cap outlook this summer. For our cap projection, we’ve counted the team’s seven guaranteed salaries, Beverley’s non-guaranteed salary, cap holds for the two lottery picks, and Rivers’ and Johnson’s player-option salaries. The Clips’ total team salary in that scenario is $87,817,243.
This projection assumes that Jordan and Teodosic both opt out, which is far from a lock. If either player opts in, L.A. will most likely operate as an over-the-cap team, barring other trades and/or cuts.
If they want to clear as much cap room as possible for a run at a star, the Clippers could technically get up to about $33.7MM without trading or stretching guaranteed salaries. However, that would mean trading their first-round picks, waiving Beverley, and counting on all three of Jordan, Rivers, and Teodosic to opt out. That’s probably not realistic.

Footnotes:

Williams’ exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
This pick, acquired from the Pistons, is top-three protected, so the Clippers would lose it if it jumps into the top three in the draft lottery. It could also end up as low as No. 14 ($2,869,353).
The Clippers are 13th in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) and as low as No. 14 ($2,869,353).

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

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

Raptors Notes: Casey, Valanciunas, Lowry, DeRozan

May 6th, 2018 at 11:39am CST by Arthur Hill

Rival executives expect the Raptors to make a coaching change if they can’t rally from a 3-0 deficit against the Cavaliers, writes Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer. Dwane Casey is a Coach of the Year candidate after leading Toronto to a 59-win season, but his lack of playoff success may have caught up to him.

Toronto has three qualified replacements in its organization in assistants Nick Nurse and Rex Kalamian and G League coach Jerry Stackhouse. Nurse, who recently interviewed with the Suns and Hornets about their head coaching vacancies, would be the favorite to take over if Casey is dismissed, according to O’Connor, who adds that Nurse played a bigger role than Casey in the changes the Raptors made to their offensive system.

There’s more today out of Toronto:

The series with the Cavaliers is displaying the problems with Toronto’s roster, O’Connor notes in the same story. The Raptors are short on defenders at the wing and forward, their big men aren’t versatile enough for the modern NBA game and they don’t have a superstar who can be the best player on the court in a playoff series. O’Connor states that even if LeBron James heads to the Western Conference in free agency, the Raptors will have difficulty getting past the Celtics or Sixers in the future.
With Toronto already in tax territory for next season and this year’s draft picks dealt away, O’Connor points to trades as the only realistic way to improve. He notes that the Raptors had interest in DeAndre Jordan before this year’s deadline and may explore that route again if he opts in. O’Connor states that a young player like Jakob Poeltl or Delon Wright would have to be included along with Jonas Valanciunas to get the Clippers’ interest. He suggests offering Lowry, C.J. Miles and Pascal Siakam to the Wolves for Jeff Teague and Andrew Wiggins. That would free Minnesota from the cap-clogging contract it gave to Wiggins, and it would pair Lowry and Jimmy Butler, who became friends during their Olympics experience.
DeMar DeRozan had his worst postseason game Saturday with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting and was benched for the final 14 minutes, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Casey told reporters not to read too much into the move and expressed confidence that DeRozan will get back to normal. “He had a tough night,” Casey said. “He wasn’t the reason we lost. We are professionals, he’s a pro. He has had tough games before, he’ll bounce back. But we have one more game, our pride is on the line, basically our season is on the line, but I think he’ll bounce back.”

Juwan Howard Unlikely To Join Fizdale In New York

May 5th, 2018 at 7:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat assistant Juwan Howard isn’t expected to join David Fizdale’s staff with the Knicks, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now.

Fizdale may want to bring Howard aboard, but he remains under contract to the Heat. They would have to give him permission to leave, which Begley calls “highly unlikely.” Howard, who also interviewed for the head coaching job in New York, worked with Fizdale for several years in Miami, both as a player and a fellow assistant. He has been a Heat assistant since his playing career ended five years ago.

Begley confirms that Keith Smart, who worked with Fizdale in Memphis and Miami, is expected to join his staff. Another strong candidate is Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, who also interviewed to be the Knicks’ head coach and expressed a willingness this week to be part of Fizdale’s staff if he got the job.

Another possibility Begley mentions is Adam Johansen, a scout for the Grizzlies who also spent time with the Heat while Fizdale was there.

Doc Rivers, Clippers Agree To Extension?

May 5th, 2018 at 5:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

All indications are that Clippers coach Doc Rivers has reached an agreement with owner Steve Ballmer on a multi-year extension, reports Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times. Nothing has been made official, but Plaschke speculates the news means Rivers is willing to be part of a rebuilding effort in L.A.

There had been rumors that Rivers, who has one year remaining on his current contract, may not want to stay with the organization after it traded Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in the past year and faces the possible loss of DeAndre Jordan in free agency.

Rivers and the Clippers declined to comment on the report, but Plaschke notes that both sides have been complimentary in their recent statements.

“I love where the organization is at right now,” Rivers said in an interview this week, while Ballmer stated that Rivers did an “amazing” job this season with an injury-depleted roster.

Plaschke notes that Rivers is a valuable asset for the franchise as it tries to accelerate its rebuilding process by attracting a top-level free agent like Paul George or LeBron James, who are both rumored to have a desire to play in Los Angeles. The Clippers, who will likely have two lottery picks, have also been mentioned as a possible destination if the Spurs decide to trade Kawhi Leonard.

“This season gave me life, it really did,” Rivers said. “This year’s group was great to coach, an extraordinary group, and it tells you that you can bring in the right guys and build the right culture and we can get this done.”

Woodson Willing To Serve As Assistant To Fizdale With Knicks

May 3rd, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Woodson is among 11 candidates who interviewed for the Knicks’ head coaching job, but he would be happy as an assistant if David Fizdale is hired, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Fizdale is reportedly among the favorites, along with Mike Budenholzer and David Blatt, as the Knicks get closer to a decision. Woodson is currently the top assistant with the Clippers, but Doc Rivers isn’t certain to return next season and Woodson said he would listen if offered a similar post under Fizdale in New York.

“I love David. I gave him his first job on the bench — I know he worked one season before in Golden State,” he said. “We’re very close. I’m sure he would call.’’

Fizdale, who is set to interview with the Magic, has also talked to the Hornets and Hawks, along with the Suns, who will fill their vacancy with Igor Kokoskov. Fizdale spent four seasons as Woodson’s assistant in Atlanta and they share an agent, so they have a good working relationship.

If Fizdale does come to New York, he may not have access to all the assistants he had in Memphis, which decided to keep interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Berman adds. That group is made up of Keith Smart, Bob Bender, Nick Van Exel, Greg Buckner and Adam Mazarei. Heat assistant Juwan Howard, who worked with Fizdale in Miami and interviewed for the Knicks’ opening as well, could be a candidate for Fizdale’s staff.

Woodson called his interview with Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry a “great meeting,” adding that “everyone’s just waiting.”

Clippers Were Better With A Healthy Teodosic

April 29th, 2018 at 8:14pm CST by marksuleymanov

Milos Teodosic came to the Clippers this past season as one of the most popular and decorated players in Europe. While his first season was mired with injuries, his prolific passing ability was on display. Also, when healthy, the Clippers were 29-16 with Teodosic on the court, according to the Clippers’ website.

Potential Destinations For DeAndre Jordan

April 26th, 2018 at 10:52pm CST by marksuleymanov

If he decides to turn down his player option for 2018/19, DeAndre Jordan will enter this summer as one of the league’s most intriguing free agents and will likely have no shortage of suitors. No teams can offer Jordan as much money as his current team, the Clippers, but his steady defense and elite rebounding should interest several clubs.

Among the possible teams, Urbina lists the Clippers, their hometown rival Lakers, plus the Knicks and Kings. The Lakers enter the offseason with major cap space that can be used on multiple free agents; the Knicks may have a season-long void in the frontcourt if Enes Kanter opts out and Kristaps Porzingis‘ ACL injury recovery lingers; and the Kings are rebuilding with money to spend.