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Knicks, Lakers Top Forbes’ NBA Franchise Valuations

February 15th, 2017 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have been one of the NBA’s most dysfunctional teams this season. On the court, the team has gone just 23-33, with $72MM man Joakim Noah failing to make a significant impact, and Jeff Hornacek and Phil Jackson not always on the same page when it came to the use of the triangle. Off the court, things have been even worse, with Jackson criticizing star forward Carmelo Anthony, and owner James Dolan at odds with former Knicks star Charles Oakley.

On the west coast, the Lakers haven’t been much better, racking up a 19-38 record, good for the No. 14 seed in the West. The team hasn’t made as many off-court headlines, but the structure of the front office is currently up in the air, with new advisor Magic Johnson publicly declaring that he wants to be the one calling the shots on roster decisions.

Despite the problems in New York and Los Angeles, the Knicks and Lakers remain the NBA’s two most valuable franchises, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes. The Knicks and Lakers are the only teams valued at more than $3 billion by Forbes.

Team valuations are up around the league, with the Warriors leading the way among this year’s increases — according to Forbes, the Dubs are 37% more valuable that they were at this time in 2016. In total, 18 teams have a valuation exceeding $1 billion, which is up from 13 teams last year and just three teams in 2015. The average NBA franchise is now worth $1.36 billion, according to the report.

Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:

New York Knicks: $3.3 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $3 billion
Golden State Warriors: $2.6 billion
Chicago Bulls: $2.5 billion
Boston Celtics: $2.2 billion
Los Angeles Clippers; $2 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $1.8 billion
Houston Rockets: $1.65 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $1.45 billion
Miami Heat: $1.35 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.2 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $1.175 billion
Toronto Raptors: $1.125 billion
Phoenix Suns: $1.1 billion
Sacramento Kings: $1.075 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $1.05 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.025 billion
Washington Wizards: $1 billion
Orlando Magic: $920MM
Utah Jazz: $910MM
Detroit Pistons: $900MM
Denver Nuggets: $890MM
Atlanta Hawks: $885MM
Indiana Pacers: $880MM
Philadelphia 76ers: $800MM
Memphis Grizzlies: $790MM
Milwaukee Bucks: $785MM
Charlotte Hornets: $780MM
Minnesota Timberwolves: $770MM
New Orleans Pelicans: $750MM

For comparison’s sake, Forbes’ 2016 valuations can be found right here.

Heat Notes: Riley, Whiteside, Wade

February 14th, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Austin Kent

With just nine days left before the trade deadline, Heat president Pat Riley is running out of time to decide whether his team will be buyers or sellers. Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel isn’t a firm believer in the current squad and cautions against overvaluing players who’ve seen their stock rise on the heels of Miami’s recent 13-game win streak.

Hyde writes that the decision to play and develop young players is an easier one to make when buried in the standings. Now that the Heat sit just two games back of the eight-seed in the Eastern Conference, it’s harder to make that justification.

Should Riley be convinced that his team is capable of making noise in the postseason – or is perhaps one player away from doing so – then he’ll have the rest of the week and a little bit of the next one to make something happen. The executive that landed Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning isn’t afraid of making big moves, Hyde reminds us, but his biggest decision this year may very well be deciding whether or not to pursue a move at all.

There’s more from the Heat today:

Emotions are running high in Miami after the Heat dropped their second consecutive game after reeling off 13 straight wins, writes Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. In the club’s Tuesday night loss to the Magic, center Hassan Whiteside was temporarily benched for a lack of rebounding. “When a team hasn’t lost in almost a month, guys forget what it feels like to lose a game,” Whiteside said. “I think that pain came back and it was a thing we forgot about for a while.”
If there was ever any doubt, Riley established that winning is more important to him than having a high draft pick. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the team president said as much when he spoke with season-ticket holders following the club’s 13-game win streak.
The Heat ultimately let Dwyane Wade walk in an effort to retain cap flexibility for this upcoming summer, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reminds readers in a mailbag, so don’t expect them to open their pocket books just for the sake of nostalgia. The team’s salary-cap resources have to be used responsibly heading forward, Winderman says.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Bazemore, Magic, Heat

February 13th, 2017 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Having won 16 of their last 19 games, the Wizards have moved into the No. 3 spot in the East, and look increasingly well-positioned to land home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason. While critics have pointed to Washington’s bench as an area that needs to be upgraded if the team wants to make a playoff run, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com says there’s “ample evidence” to suggest the bench’s production has been “adequate if unspectacular.” As Michael explains, the box-score numbers for the Wizards’ second unit may not pop off the page, but the unit has been impressive defensively, particularly with Ian Mahinmi back in the mix.

Here’s more from around the Southeast division:

Kent Bazemore received several lucrative four-year contract offers in free agency last summer, but he had an up and down first half after re-signing with the Hawks. As Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes, Bazemore has turned a corner in recent weeks as he’s gotten healthy, and he’s now making good on his $70MM deal.
A weekend report indicated that the Magic will wait until the offseason to make a decision on the fate of general manager Rob Hennigan, but in the view of Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel, it’s an easy decision. According to Bianchi, Hennigan’s rebuild has been a failure, and he needs to go.
In a pair of pieces for The South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman examines how the Heat‘s chances of landing an impact player in the 2017 draft have been affected by the team’s recent hot streak, and explores what the team might have to give up in a hypothetical Serge Ibaka trade.
Veteran forward James Johnson has a larger role with the Heat this season than he has ever had before in his NBA career, and he has responded with career-best production, including 12.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 3.3 APG. Shandel Richardson of The Sun Sentinel takes a look at how Johnson has thrived in an expanded role, which bodes well for the 29-year-old’s upcoming free agency.

And-Ones: Christmas, Calderon, Fultz, Parker, Dolan

February 10th, 2017 at 8:35pm CST by Milo Taibi

A right Achilles tendon rupture has brought an end to Dionte Christmas‘ season, Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com reports. It’s an unfortunate development for the 30-year-old, as Christmas had averaged 14.9 points with 3.2 assists in 31 games with the Delaware 87ers. Delaware’s GM, Brandon Williams, lauded Christmas’ efforts in a team statement:

“[Christmas] has been a consummate professional, positive influence on the development of our young roster, and vital to our energy and drive. We will certainly miss his leadership on the court, but are inspired by his confidence as he attacks the next steps on the road to recovery.”

Win Streak May Make Heat Buyers, Not Sellers

February 10th, 2017 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

On January 13, at the season’s halfway mark, the Heat had just dropped their fourth straight game and sat at 11-30, on track for a top-three draft pick. Since that day, however, the team hasn’t lost a single game, and according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, the improbable winning streak has drastically changed how Miami will approach the trade deadline. The team is now more likely to be a buyer than a seller this month, sources tell Deveney.

“They were willing to listen to whatever anyone wanted to offer,” one league executive said of the Heat. “But those calls have changed, because now they’re looking for pieces to help them as they are.”

According to one of Deveney’s sources, the Heat were never overly eager to trade marquee players like Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside during the season. However, Dragic, in particular, had drawn interest around the NBA. Deveney identifies the Bucks as one team that had interest in the veteran point guard, in addition to previously-reported suitors like the Kings and Magic.

Still, even if the Heat weren’t shopping Dragic or Whiteside, the team considered likely to move other veterans on the roster before the deadline. But that was before the current 12-game winning streak — now, the team is in the market for power forward help, sources tell Deveney. Miami is reportedly looking for a big man who can shoot from outside and play solid defense, which makes it unsurprising that the club was linked to Serge Ibaka this week.

The Heat’s trade assets are somewhat limited, since they’ve already moved their 2018 and 2021 first-round picks, which prevents them from sending out their 2017, 2019, or 2020 first-rounders. As such, any trade for veteran help would likely have to involve a young player such as Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, or Justise Winslow.

At 23-30, the Heat are still likely prioritizing their long-term goals over short-term success, so it would be a surprise to see the team give up much young talent to improve this year’s squad. But the fire sale of veteran players that appeared likely a month ago is no longer in the cards either, making it an interesting deadline for the franchise.

Goran Dragic Unfazed By Trade Rumors

February 9th, 2017 at 10:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat point guard Goran Dragic finds it much easier to ignore trade rumors at this stage of his career, as he told Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Dragic’s name has circulated on the rumor mill this winter, though that chatter has died down during the Heat’s current winning streak. “I was really nervous all the time. I was reading articles,” Dragic told Scotto about previous trade deadlines. “When I got traded the first time it kind of changed me because then I realized this is normal, this is part of the business. Now I’m not even paying attention about that, I’m only focused on basketball, because it can mess your head up if you’re not mentally strong. I don’t want to read those or even hear those rumors.”

Serge Ibaka On Heat’s Radar

February 9th, 2017 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

Potential trade candidate Serge Ibaka is on the Heat’s radar, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. It’s not clear how seriously Miami would consider pursuing Ibaka, or whether the Heat would have the assets to tempt their division rivals in Orlando. Nonetheless, Ibaka “intrigues” the Heat, per Jackson.

A longtime member of the Thunder, Ibaka was sent to Orlando this past summer after spending his first seven NBA seasons in Oklahoma City. Currently, Ibaka is averaging a career-high 15.2 PPG for the Magic, though he’s playing a different style of game than he did earlier in his career.

Ibaka’s 1.5 three-pointers per game and 38.5% conversion rate on long-distance attempts are career bests. Those numbers reflect the fact that he has developed an outside shot in recent years after barely attempting any three-pointers during his first few seasons. However, Ibaka’s rim-protection numbers have taken a hit as of late — he’s averaging fewer than two blocks per 36 minutes this season for the first time in his career.

Still, while he may not be the shot-blocker he was earlier in his career, Ibaka can provide solid defense and rebounding in addition to his expanded offensive game. The 27-year-old is on track for unrestricted free agency this summer, which will make him an interesting trade chip. Suitors may be reluctant to give up much for a player that could be a rental, but the Magic will likely be seeking a significant return after surrendering Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, and Ersan Ilyasova for Ibaka last summer.

While it remains to be seen whether the Heat could offer the Magic a package that would pique their interest, acquiring Ibaka would give the team a leg up on re-signing him this summer, since they’d hold his Bird rights. Even if Miami doesn’t make a move for Ibaka this month, he’ll likely remain a potential target for the franchise in free agency this offseason.

It’s also worth noting that today is the first day the Heat are eligible to pursue medical retirement for Chris Bosh, who has been out of action for a full year. Miami would have the opportunity to clear Bosh’s cap hits from the team’s salary cap, though reports have indicated that the club won’t necessarily move forward with that process right away.

Heat Sign Marcus Georges-Hunt To 10-Day Deal

February 8th, 2017 at 7:29pm CST by ChrisCrouse

7:29 PM: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

5:27 PM: The Heat will sign Marcus Georges-Hunt to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Miami will be granted a hardship exception, so the team won’t have to make a corresponding move.

Hunt was signed by the Celtics during the preseason, but he was waived before the regular season began. He has been playing for the Maine Red Claws of the D-League where he is averaging 16.4 points per game.

The 6’5″ small forward played four seasons at Georgia Tech. He started for the team each year and he was named Third Team All-ACC after the 2015/16 campaign. Hunt was not selected in the 2016 draft.

Heat Notes: White, Waiters, Richardson, Williams

February 7th, 2017 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Okaro White‘s new two-year deal with the Heat will feature a guaranteed prorated minimum salary for the rest of 2016/17, but the details of his 2017/18 salary are a little more complicated.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, White’s minimum salary ($1.3MM) for next season is currently non-guaranteed. However, he’ll get a 25% guarantee if he remains on the team through July 1, with another 25% becoming guaranteed on August 1. If White earns a spot on Miami’s opening-night roster, his full salary will become guaranteed.

Because he won’t have to wait until January for his full salary to become guaranteed, White is in a better spot than most players on similar deals — if the Heat don’t want to commit to his full salary, they’ll have to waive him in the summer, or by the start of the season, which would allow him more time to catch on with another club in the NBA or elsewhere.

Let’s round up a few more Heat-related notes…

Dion Waiters, who has played a key role in the Heat’s current 11-game winning streak, isn’t certain whether he’ll be able to play in the club’s next game after spraining his left ankle, per Jackson. Meanwhile, another Heat player battling a foot injury, Josh Richardson, hopes to play at least once for the team before this month’s All-Star Game, Jackson writes.
After being waived by the Heat on Monday, Derrick Williams sent out the following tweet: “Pat Riley is a man of his word. Ultimate respect.” According to Jackson (via Twitter), that message stemmed from the fact that Williams’ release was a mutual decision. The former second overall pick wanted a chance to get more minutes with another team, and the Heat were willing to give him that opportunity by cutting him rather than hanging on to him in an effort to find a trade partner.
Within his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explores whether Goran Dragic might be the Heat’s point guard of the future, and discusses whether the club might get a chance to reunite with Briante Weber down the road.

Heat Cut Derrick Williams, Re-Sign Okaro White

February 6th, 2017 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

3:50pm: The Heat have confirmed in a press release that they’ve re-signed White and waived Williams.

10:44am: Okaro White‘s second 10-day contract with the Heat expired on Sunday night, but the team won’t waste any time in bringing him back into the fold, opening up a roster spot to do so. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter), the Heat will waive veteran forward Derrick Williams and will sign White to a two-year contract.

Miami had been carrying 16 players on its roster, having been afforded a hardship exemption by the NBA due to four separate major injuries. Justise Winslow and Chris Bosh are expected to miss the rest of the season, while Josh McRoberts and Josh Richardson had also been sidelined for weeks. However, with Richardson set to return to the lineup, the team needed to pare its roster down to 15 players, and didn’t want to lose White.

A former FSU standout, White was in camp with the Heat in the fall, but didn’t crack the club’s regular season roster at the time. After playing well for Miami’s D-League affiliate (18.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG in 23 contests), White was called up to the NBA squad again, and has looked good in nine games for the Heat, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 16.4 MPG. The team is 9-0 in those games.

As for Williams, the Heat reportedly tried to find a trade partner to accommodate a deal for the former No. 2 overall pick, but came up empty-handed. Williams, who signed a one-year deal with Miami last summer, has appeared in 25 games this season, making 11 starts. He has averaged 5.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG in those contests, with a career-low .394 FG%, and has fallen out of the rotation in recent weeks, despite the team’s injury woes.

[RELATED: Salary Cap Snapshot: Miami Heat]

Because they used their room exception on Dion Waiters during the offseason and are now over the cap, the Heat’s options for signing White are limited. The team has a disabled player exception worth just under $1.3MM available, but it can only be used for a one-year deal, and White will sign a two-year pact. That means he’ll receive a minimum salary, which works out to about $210K for the rest of this season, and $1.32MM for next season, per Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link). White’s 2017/18 salary won’t be fully guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Williams’ $4.598MM salary will continue to count against the Heat’s cap unless he’s claimed off waivers by another team. His contract could be appealing to a team below the salary floor, since it would move that club nearly $4.6MM closer to the floor, despite the fact that his remaining salary is significantly lower than that.