Knicks Rumors

Free Agent Spending By Division: Atlantic

Over the course of this week, we’ve been 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 Atlantic division. Let’s dive in…

1. New York Knicks

  • Total money committed: $164,387,929
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $153,474,723
  • Largest expenditure: Joakim Noah (four years, $72,590,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Sasha Vujacic will earn a $1,410,598 salary, but the Knicks will be on the hook for just $980,431 of that total, with the NBA picking up the rest of the bill.
    • The exact terms of reported deals for Chasson Randle and J.P. Tokoto aren’t yet known, so they haven’t been included here.
    • The Knicks also signed Willy Hernangomez, but he was a draft-and-stash player, rather than a free agent, so his deal isn’t included here.
    • The fourth year of Thomas’ deal, worth $7,583,975, is fully non-guaranteed, contributing significantly to the gap between the team’s total money and guaranteed money committed.

2. Toronto Raptors

  • Total money committed: $146,025,440
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $143,228,000
  • Largest expenditure: DeMar DeRozan (five years, $137,500,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • The Raptors were one of just three teams that didn’t go under the cap this summer, so their free-agent expenditures came using Bird rights (DeRozan), the mid-level exception (Sullinger), and the minimum-salary exception (other signees).

3. Boston Celtics

  • Total money committed: $130,306,661
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $122,306,661
  • Largest expenditure: Al Horford (four years, $113,326,230)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • Gerald Green will earn a $1,410,598 salary, but the Celtics will be on the hook for just $980,431 of that total, with the NBA picking up the rest of the bill.
    • The second year of Zeller’s deal, worth $8MM, is fully non-guaranteed, creating the gap between the team’s total money and guaranteed money committed.

4. Brooklyn Nets

  • Total money committed: $78,488,356
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $74,963,953
  • Largest expenditure: Jeremy Lin (three years, $36,000,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • If offer sheets for Allen Crabbe ($74MM+) and Tyler Johnson ($50MM) hadn’t been matched by the Blazers and Heat, respectively, the Nets likely would have been the Atlantic’s highest-spending team.
    • Anthony Bennett, Joe Harris, Beau Beech, Yogi Ferrell, and Egidijus Mockevicius all have contracts that include some non-guaranteed money.

5. Philadelphia 76ers

  • Total money committed: $57,346,160
  • Guaranteed money committed (including player options): $44,220,000
  • Largest expenditure: Jerryd Bayless (three years, $27,000,000)
  • Other notable signings:
  • Notes:
    • The totals above don’t include the Sixers’ previously-reported agreement with Cat Barber, which has not been made official.
    • The Sixers also signed Dario Saric, but he was a draft-and-stash player, rather than a free agent, so his deal isn’t included here.
    • The second year of Henderson’s deal, worth $9MM, is fully non-guaranteed, contributing significantly to the gap between the team’s total money and guaranteed money committed.

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Ron Baker Contract Details

  • The Knicks formally signed undrafted rookie Ron Baker to a one-year contract on Monday, and the guaranteed portion of that deal is worth $75K, according to Pincus.

Knicks Sign J.P. Tokoto

A day after announcing the signing of undrafted free agent Ron Baker, the Knicks have added another player to their offseason roster, confirming (via Twitter) that they’ve finalized a contract for shooting guard J.P. Tokoto. Details of the agreement aren’t known, but it’s likely a training camp deal with a partial guarantee, as Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets.

Tokoto, who will turn 23 next month, was a second-round pick in 2015, coming off the board at No. 58. He spent last offseason with the Sixers, but was ultimately cut before the regular season began, and landed in the D-League with the Oklahoma City Blue. The former Tar Heel appeared in 48 D-League contests (25 starts), averaging 11.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.5 SPG, while shooting 46.0% from the floor. Tokoto also played for the Knicks in Summer League action last month.

A busy offseason has left the Knicks with 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts for the 2016/17 season, with Baker and likely Tokoto receiving partial guarantees. Assuming the team heads into the regular season carrying the maximum 15 players and doesn’t waive a guaranteed salary, Tokoto, Baker, and others should have the opportunity to vie for the one open roster spot.

The Knicks’ roster and depth chart can be found right here.

Knicks Sign Ron Baker

AUGUST 1: More than a month after agreeing to terms with Baker, the Knicks formally announced today that the deal is official (Twitter link).

JUNE 24: The Knicks didn’t have a pick in Thursday’s draft, but the team didn’t waste much time in securing at least one prospect from this year’s class. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter), New York agreed to a partially-guaranteed, one-year deal with Wichita State’s Ron Baker.

Baker ranked as a top-20 senior in this year’s class and a top-80 prospect overall, per DraftExpress.com. The 23-year-old wing wasn’t drafted on Thursday night, despite a solid senior season that saw him average 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game for the Shockers.

Baker’s contract will likely be a minimum-salary pact, so even if he receives a decent guarantee in terms of salary, that won’t necessarily guarantee him a roster spot in New York this fall.

Still, the Knicks’ roster is currently fairly barren, with only five players under contract before Baker signs, as the team’s depth chart at Roster Resource shows. The roster will obviously fill up in July, but Baker should be in good position to vie for a place on the regular-season roster.

Amar’e Stoudemire Received NBA Offers

Amar’e Stoudemire‘s decision to join Hapoel Jerusalem isn’t about “collecting a paycheck overseas,” the veteran big man writes in a piece for The Players’ Tribune. According to Stoudemire, the two-year deal he has signed with one of the top teams in Europe will be part of a “spiritual journey” for him.

“The Scripture speaks about Jerusalem as a holy place, and I can feel that whenever I’m in the city,” Stoudemire writes. “This is a chance for me to be a better husband and a better father, to help me lead my family into righteousness. The opportunity to play there, and grow as a player and person, is a blessing.”

We passed along the news of Stoudemire following up his NBA retirement by inking a deal in Israel in an earlier post, but when the longtime Sun and Knick made it official today, a few more details trickled out, so let’s round those up below…

  • According to Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters, his client received several offers from NBA teams this offseason, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. However, those offers came from non-playoff teams, which didn’t interest Stoudemire.
  • Walters also clarified that he and Stoudemire didn’t ask the Suns about the sort of one-day contract that the 33-year-old signed with the Knicks when he announced his retirement (Twitter link via Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic). Reports had indicated that Stoudemire would have liked to return to Phoenix, but it sounded like he’d wanted to actually play one last year for the Suns — not simply sign a ceremonial contract with the team as he retired.
  • Stoudemire’s contract in Israel won’t allow him to join an NBA team in the spring, as Frank Isola of The New York Daily News tweets. That’s no surprise for 2017, since it’s a two-year contract, but it’s not clear if Isola is referring to 2018 as well.
  • As part of the agreement that will see him become a player for Hapoel Jersualem, Stoudemire is selling his minority stake in the team to majority owner Ori Allon, per Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Melo Surprised Wade Switched Teams, Pleased With Knicks's Moves

Like many around the NBA, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony was taken by surprise that Dwyane Wade left the Heat to join the Bulls this offfseason, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “I was shocked,” Anthony said. “I was shocked more from a standpoint it was just hard to see. It’s hard to see some players in different uniforms and he’s one of those guys who I never thought I would see in a different uniform other than Miami. But it happened, and I got a chance to talk to him and sit down with him and really dig deep about his feelings and what happened. He’s at peace now. And when he’s at peace, I’m at peace with it.”

Melo also took the time to express his happiness at the Knicks’ new-look roster, Friedell adds. “We love them,” Anthony said. “We love those additions. And we’re looking forward to getting the season going. And I think everybody is excited, the excitement is back. Right now there’s an adjustment on paper, but of course we have some work to do putting it all together, making it work. But we’re going to ride the wave of this excitement right now.”

Amar’e Stoudemire Announces Retirement

NBA: Preseason-Charlotte Hornets at Miami HeatAmar’e Stoudemire has decided to call it a career, announcing his retirement today after signing a ceremonial contract with the Knicks, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

“I want to thank Mr. Dolan, Phil [Jackson] and Steve [Mills] for signing me so that I can officially retire as a New York Knick,” Stoudemire said in a statement. “I came to New York in 2010 to help revitalize this franchise and we did just that. Carmelo [Anthony], Phil and Steve have continued this quest, and with this year’s acquisitions, the team looks playoff-bound once again. Although my career has taken me to other places around the country, my heart has always remained in the Big Apple. Once a Knick, Always a Knick.”

The 33-year-old was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, entering the league fresh out of high school. He appeared in 846 regular season games in his career, averaging 18.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per contest and shooting .537/.236/.761 from the field. Stoudemire likely expected to play more than he did with Miami in 2015/16, appearing in just 52 games and logging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per outing on the campaign.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Ainge, Kuzminskas, George, Scola

President of basketball operations Danny Ainge was able to quickly rebuild the Celtics by maximizing the return for his stars when the team got too old, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Ainge sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets for a package of draft picks and traded Rajon Rondo to the Mavericks instead of letting him become a free agent. This summer’s signing of Al Horford accelerated the building process, and Hamilton believes it makes the Celtics legitimate contenders in the East. Boston is also set up well for the future, with only Horford, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas under contract for 2017/18. Even if the Celtics pick up their team option on Marcus Smart, they may have more than $50MM to spend on free agents next July.

There’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

  • Mindaugas Kuzminskas provides enough offense to become a rotation player for the Knicks, according to Trevor Magnotti of Upside and Motor. The 6’9″ Lithuanian forward signed with New York earlier this month after playing in Europe for the past five seasons. Knicks president Phil Jackson said the team wanted to find a mobile small forward who could shoot from distance. That describes Kuzminskas, who gets most of his points on cuts to the basket, but is also a streaky shooter from 3-point range. However, there are questions about his defense, which Magnotti warns might limit his playing time until he proves he can contribute on that end.
  • Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski says Paul George is playing the best basketball of his life two years after the broken leg that had many concerned about his career, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. The Pacers‘ star, who had 18 points in Friday’s exhibition win over Argentina, said he had to put that scary incident out of his mind to be effective again. “It’s behind me,” George said. “I don’t play the game expecting to get hurt. I know it’s a possibility. But there’s no thought in my mind I’m going to get hurt. I play this game because I love it. I just play hard.”
  • Newly signed Nets power forward Luis Scola will be Argentina’s flag bearer at the Summer Olympics, according to the Associated Press. “I had the chance to play four Olympics, to play 10 years in the NBA, to carry the flag for my country, win an Olympic gold medal,’’ Scola said. “I mean, different things that happened along those days that I couldn’t even dream of those because it would be too wild to dream.”

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Raptors

DeMarcus Cousins said he has enjoyed being around Carmelo Anthony with Team USA because the Knicks star has experience playing on both winning and losing teams in an interview posted on the Sacramento Bee’s website. The comment is interesting and while Knicks fans may read it and envision Cousins in blue and orange, there may not be much to put stock into. The Kings are refusing to listen to trade offers for the talented big man, who has two seasons remaining on his contract.

It’s well-known that I have been a Melo fan my whole life so just to work with him on a daily, I think it is going to help me be a better player.” Cousins said. “I‘m excited for it.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • DeMar DeRozan has epitomized the idea of staying loyal by never forgetting his Compton roots in California and choosing to remain with the Raptors this summer, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes in a worthwhile profile of the Toronto star. DeRozan told Medina that the reason he chose to re-sign with the Raptors and not sign with the Lakers had nothing to do with the latter’s recent shortcomings. “When you have an opportunity to go home, that’s something that certainly would cross your mind. But it wasn’t anything,” DeRozan said. “After I finish playing, I’m pretty sure I’ll live in L.A. But I just wanted to do something special and leave a legacy of my own in Toronto.”
  • With a need for shooting, the Celtics could conceivably make a bid for free agent J.R. Smith after failing to add more offense via free agency, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Lin, Embiid

The Celtics have put major trade talks on hold after today’s flurry of signings, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. So far, the quest to obtain Russell Westbrook or Blake Griffin has made little progress, with the Thunder and Clippers wanting more than Boston is willing to surrender. Instead, the Celtics wrapped up a few smaller moves today, agreeing to terms with free agent swingman Gerald Green and center Tyler Zeller, in addition to deals with second-round picks Demetrius Jackson and Ben Bentil. The Celtics now have 18 players under contract, three over the roster limit. Bulpett expects Bentil to battle in training camp with R.J. Hunter, James Young and John Holland for the last roster spot, with Hunter as the early favorite. That would mean the end in Boston for Young, a 2014 first-round pick whose $1,825,200 salary might be included in any Celtics trade.

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

  • A source confirms, “There is no big deal right now” for the Celticstweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
  • New Nets point guard Jeremy Lin moved around the league so much because he has yet to find the “perfect” situation, relays Steve Serby of The New York Post. Lin recently signed a three-year deal with Brooklyn, which will be the sixth franchise for the six-year veteran. “And because I’ve been in situations I didn’t want to be in,” Lin explained, “I’ve created and negotiated in terms of free agency a lot of shorter deals that give me the flexibility to leave if I’m not happy with the way things are going.” In a wide-ranging interview, Lin expresses excitement about the future of the Nets and the chance to once again play for new head coach Kenny Atkinson, who tutored Lin when he was an assistant with the Knicks.
  • Defeating Justin Bieber in an arm-wrestling match may not prove that the SixersJoel Embiid is ready for the NBA, but that was just part of an active weekend in Los Angeles, writes Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer. More significant was a video of Embiid working out on the court that was posted online this morning by his trainer, Drew Hanlen. Embiid, who sat out his first two NBA seasons with injuries, was cleared for five-on-five play last month.