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NBA Teams Designate Affiliate Players

November 3rd, 2015 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

NBA teams cut as much as 25% of their rosters at the end of the preseason, but franchises that have D-League affiliates have a way to maintain ties to many of the players they release from the NBA roster. An NBA team can claim the D-League rights to up to four of the players it waives, as long as the players clear waivers, consent to join the D-League, and don’t already have their D-League rights owned by another team. These are known as affiliate players, as our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry details.

NBA teams allocated 46 affiliate players to the D-League at the beginning of the season last year, and this year, that number has risen to 56, according to the list the D-League announced today. These players are going directly to the D-League affiliate of the NBA team that cut them and weren’t eligible for the D-League draft that took place Saturday. Teams that designated fewer than the maximum four affiliate players retain the ability to snag the D-League rights of players they waive during the regular season, but for now, this is the complete list:

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)

Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge)

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)

Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors)

Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)

Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders)

Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy)

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks)

Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue)

Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks)

Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers)

Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam)

Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns)

San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs)

Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905)

Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede)

Also, several players who were on NBA preseason rosters are on D-League rosters through means other than the affiliate player rule. Most of them played under D-League contracts at some point within the last two years, meaning their D-League teams have returning player rights to them. Others entered through last weekend’s D-League draft, while others saw their D-League rights conveyed via trade. Most of these players aren’t with the D-League affiliate of the NBA team they were with last month, with a few exceptions.

Roster information from Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor and freelancer and Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro was used in the creation of this post.

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Magic, Evan Fournier Pass On Extension

November 2nd, 2015 at 11:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

11:10pm: The sides failed to reach an extension by the deadline, as expected, Robbins notes (on Twitter).

9:40am: The Magic aren’t expected to sign Evan Fournier to a rookie scale extension by the 11pm Central deadline for them to do so tonight, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That will set up the former 20th overall pick for restricted free agency in July.

The Bouna Ndiaye client who just turned 23 seemed eager for a deal, expressing his hopes for an extension at the start of camp, though he said within the past several days that it would be OK if an extension didn’t happen. Chatter about the prospect of an extension between Fournier and the Magic was quiet over the offseason, so today’s news comes as no surprise despite the shooting guard’s breakout season in 2014/15. He made 32 starts and scored a career-high 12.0 points per game, though injury limited him to just five games after the All-Star break.

Fournier is making more than $2.288MM this season, the last on his rookie scale contract. His qualifying offer is worth almost $3.279MM, but he has a decent chance to up that to about $4.434MM if he triggers the starter criteria this season. He’s started all three games for Orlando so far this season, and if he starts 41, the value of his qualifying offer rises to the larger amount.

The Magic acquired Fournier from the Nuggets in the summer of 2014, and the French native who was a bit player on Denver’s 57-win 2012/13 team is eager to win again, notes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Fournier is off to a strong start this season, averaging 14.7 points in 35.7 minutes per game, better numbers in a small sample size than in any of his previous seasons, but his mid-range game and his defense show room for improvement, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors wrote in September when he profiled Fournier’s extension candidacy.

Orlando already has more than $60.5MM committed for 2016/17, so a deal for Fournier would further impinge on the team’s flexibility against a projected $89MM cap. Still, some agents and executives around the league reportedly believe the cap will surge to $95MM.

What sort of deal do you think Fournier will end up with in restricted free agency? Leave a comment to let us know.

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Magic, Andrew Nicholson Unlikely To Do Extension

November 2nd, 2015 at 11:08am CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic and Andrew Nicholson are unlikely to reach a deal on an extension by tonight’s 11pm Central deadline, as TNT’s David Aldridge hears (Twitter link). That’s not at all surprising, since little, if any chatter about an extension existed over the summer, as our rumors page for Nicholson suggests. He, like Evan Fournier, whom the Magic are also reportedly unlikely to extend, is poised for restricted free agency in July.

Nicholson, 25, has only seen four minutes of playing time in the regular season so far. His minutes per game have declined each season since his rookie year, when he averaged 7.8 points in 16.7 minutes per game and made 28 starts for the Magic. Orlando drafted him 19th overall in 2012, making him one of many young players in which the team invested for its post-Dwight Howard era, but others have passed him by in the rotation.

Orlando doesn’t have a ton of flexibility heading into the summer of 2016, when many teams will be able to lavish free agents with lucrative deals under a projected $89MM cap that some apparently think will skyrocket to $95MM. The Magic already have more than $60.5MM in commitments to nine players.

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Southeast Rumors: Heat, Fournier, Batum, Wizards

October 31st, 2015 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though they’re facing a large luxury tax bill, the Heat should hold on to Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen, writes Ethan Skolnick of The Miami Herald. He notes that although both players are drawing salaries beyond their expected contribution — $4.3MM for Chalmers and $5MM for Andersen — they have value for a Miami team that will need depth to become a threat in the East. The columnist points to Chalmers’ familiarity with the system, which gives him an advantage over younger guards like Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson, and Andersen’s durability, which will come in handy if new addition Amar’e Stoudemire gets injured or cannot overcome his defensive lapses. Skolnick cautions that the Heat shouldn’t make moves that could be perceived as “skimping” while they’re trying to build a contender.

There’s more news from the Southeast Division:

  • Magic guard Evan Fournier can already feel a difference under new coach Scott Skiles, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. Even though Orlando is off to an 0-2 start, Fournier said the team’s role has been clearly defined. “I feel like we have an identity right now,” he said. “We are a defensive team and we share the ball offensively.” When asked about the team’s identity last season under coaches Jacques Vaughn and James Borrego, Fournier said, “We didn’t have one. We were basically looking for it throughout the whole season.”
  • The Hornets want their offense to run through Nicolas Batum, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte traded for Batum in  June with the confidence that he could handle a playmaker’s role. “He comes across as a very quiet player, but he’s one of the most intense, competitive kids we had in our time in Portland,” said Hornets assistant GM Chad Buchanan, who worked with the Trail Blazers while Batum was there. “He internalizes that competitiveness. But he’s very driven to win, very team-first. He has a very high IQ, always knows what everyone on the court has to do and where they’re at. Such a student of the game.”
  • After being ousted from the playoffs last spring, the Wizards identified four strengths and tried to add players to complement them, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The team was rebuilt around John Wall‘s speed and passing, Bradley Beal‘s shooting, Otto Porter Jr.‘s cutting and Marcin Gortat‘s willingness to run the floor and get to the rim on pick-and-rolls.
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Southeast Notes: Clifford, Sefolosha, Magic

October 29th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat‘s starting five is both a source of optimism as well as concern for the team, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. “It’s going to be a challenge,” Dwyane Wade said of this starting group, each of whom averaged double figures in scoring last season. “We don’t know how shots are going to be passed out. We don’t know how it’s going to affect someone’s confidence when they’re not getting the opportunities they’re used to. The only thing that scares me about it is that we’ve got a lot of guys who are offensively minded … in that first unit. There’s not a lot of role players in that first unit. It’s a good thing to look on paper saying we’ve got scorers, so you don’t necessarily have to rely every night on one or two guys. But that could be a bad thing, too, because maybe there’s no one willing to sacrifice. When you have a lot of [scoring] depth, sometimes guys like to individually will it.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Thabo Sefolosha suffered ankle ligament damage in the incident in which he also suffered a broken leg at the hands of police outside a New York City nightclub in April, as the Hawks swingman writes in a first-person account for GQ.com. He lost 15 pounds in the month leading up to training camp from worry over his trial, in which a jury ultimately found him not guilty on charges that Sefolosha says could have landed him in jail for two years. The testimony that coach/executive Mike Budenholzer made in that trial sticks in Sefolosha’s mind, as the 2017 free agent makes clear. “It was emotional, hearing him say those things, me feeling that I let the team down and him having my back like this,” Sefolosha wrote about Budeholzer. “He was incredible throughout the whole ordeal.”
  • Hornets coach Steve Clifford is in the final year of his contract with the team, but he indicated that he wants to remain in Charlotte long-term, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports writes. Speaking about his coaching future, Clifford told Wojnarowski, “I hope it works out. I really like this place. [Owner] Michael [Jordan] has been great to me. I like the people here. And I love the players. I remember when I first got into the league with the Knicks, seeing the fan-base here. It’s terrific. If we become a consistent contending team, or a playoff team, we can get those fans back and have that same type of environment.”
  • The Magic enter the season needing to determine if their young nucleus can be successful together, or if the team needs to head in another direction with its roster, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “Because of the lack of wins so far we have to also be in evaluation mode and see who going forward are guys who can truly be built around,” coach Scott Skiles said. “And that’s hard to know when you’re not winning enough games. It’s really hard to know. We’re high on all the guys. We like all the guys. We think we have good, young talent. All that stuff I’ve said many times before. But until you go out and perform in crunch time and win big games, go on the road and win games — that’s when guys really show themselves to you.“

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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And-Ones: Paul, Agent Changes, Leonard

October 28th, 2015 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Paul rejects the notion that he’s a poor teammate, an idea that rumors of a rift between Paul and DeAndre Jordan helped fuel this summer, writes Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. Jordan has downplayed any tension, citing a mutual desire to win, and that’s just what Paul is thinking about as he envisions playing the rest of his career with the Clippers, as Woike details.

“Hell, I never imagined I’d leave New Orleans, but there’s no question this is where I want to be,” Paul said to Woike. “I want to win. Here.”

The earliest Paul can elect free agency is the summer of 2017. See more from around the NBA:

  • Agent Michael Tellem, the son of former agent turned Pistons organization executive Arn Tellem, is leaving the Wasserman Media Group for the Creative Artists Agency and taking high-profile client Danilo Gallinari with him, reports international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Mario Hezonja, Bojan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica have dropped Tellem and will continue with Wasserman, Pick adds (on Twitter). The loss of Arn Tellem has proven tough for Wasserman, which also lost Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge and Joe Johnson over the offseason. Gallinari, Hezonja and Bjelica all signed new deals earlier this summer, while Bogdanovic remains on a deal with the Nets that runs through 2016/17.
  • Extension talks between the Trail Blazers and Meyers Leonard are off to a late start, but Leonard’s preference is to stay in Portland, observes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The deadline for the sides to reach a deal is Monday. “I really, really like and love this city,” Leonard said. “I love the organization and now that a greater opportunity has presented itself, I think a lot more people are embracing me. I’d love to be here. That’s my hope. But I don’t know if I’ll get an extension. I don’t know what will happen after this year. We’ll have to wait and see.”
  • Al Harrington said in March that he was retiring, but instead the 16-year NBA veteran is joining the Sydney Kings of Australia on a four-week deal, league sources told Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia.
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Eastern Notes: Fournier, Cunningham, Hardaway Jr.

October 27th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Swingman Evan Fournier wants to remain with the Magic for the long-term, but he is not stressing the November 2nd deadline for an extension to be worked out between himself and Orlando, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “I don’t even think about it, because in my mind I know we have a game tomorrow, and that’s all that matters,” Fournier said. “A contract, if it happens, that’s great, man. If it doesn’t, it’s going to be next summer. It’s that simple.” If the Magic and Fournier don’t reach an agreement prior to the deadline, then the 22-year-old would be eligible to hit restricted free agency next summer, provided the team tenders him a qualifying offer worth $3,278,998. The two sides are still engaged in discussions, Robbins notes.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Jared Cunningham fought hard to secure the Cavaliers‘ final regular season roster spot on a non-guaranteed deal, and now the team is looking for him to add defense and energy to the second unit, Spencer Davies of AmicoHoops.net writes. “He was aggressive from day number one,” said coach David Blatt. “He played the game with a lot of passion on both ends. He did not shy away from responsibility, and obviously, he performed really well. He earned that spot without question, and he should help us this year.”
  • Tim Hardaway Jr.  is excited to be a member of the Hawks, a franchise that has enjoyed much more recent success than the Knicks, the swingman’s former team, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “It’s a different vibe; everybody is about their business and moves at their pace. It’s not too fast and everybody is serious about their work,” Hardaway said. “I’m coming to a team that made it to the playoffs last year and got deep into the playoffs; they have high expectations of themselves and it’s great to come into an environment like that.” Atlanta announced that it had picked up Hardaway’s fourth-year option earlier this evening.
  • The unveiling of the Bucks‘ new arena will be delayed by a year, and it is now scheduled to open in time for the 2018/19 season, the Associated Press reports. The team had hoped to have the arena ready by the start of the 2017/18 campaign, but team spokesman Jake Suski said that the earlier date “simply isn’t realistic,” according to the report.
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Southeast Notes: Schröder, Stoudemire, Marble

October 27th, 2015 at 3:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks are among the six teams in action as the 2015/16 regular season gets underway tonight, though they’ll be hard-pressed to match the 60 wins they had last season. They also face a stiff challenge simply to win the Southeast Division, where the Heat and Wizards loom. See news on the Hawks and elsewhere from the Southeast as we count down the last few hours before tip-off:

  • The relationship between Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder is solid, and people close to the situation tell Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders that they don’t anticipate locker room problems developing even in light of Schröder’s public desire for a starting job. Schröder recently told Sport Bild magazine in his native Germany that he would “explore other possibilities” if the Hawks don’t give him a chance to start, though he made it clear that he likes playing in Atlanta.
  • The Heat don’t plan to push Amar’e Stoudemire‘s body any more than the Knicks and Mavs did the past two seasons, when he missed a combined 32 games because of injury or rest, and the veteran big man will essentially be on a maintenance program, as Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald details. Miami invested only a one-year deal for the minimum in the former All-Star who turns 33 next month, far from the $20MM-plus he earned each of the last two years.
  • Devyn Marble made the opening night roster for the Magic, so the full guarantee on his minimum salary kicks in, as our schedule of salary guarantee dates shows. The 56th overall pick from 2014 still has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2016/17 left on his deal.
  • The arrival of new coach Scott Skiles places the pressure squarely on the players and the front office in Orlando, opines Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The Magic “desperately” need to attract an All-Star in free agency but stand little shot of doing so if they don’t improve their win-loss record this year, Schmitz believes.
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Southeast Notes: Johnson, Heat, Murry

October 25th, 2015 at 5:35pm CST by Will Joseph

Heat shooting guard Tyler Johnson will have his contract fully guaranteed for the season on opening night, becoming the 14th of the 15 players on the roster to have such security, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. Winderman tweeted Saturday that the terms of Johnson’s contract were reworked so that his full guarantee kicks in with the start of the regular season instead of the leaguewide guarantee date in January.

Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

  • In discussing the composition of the team’s roster Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said cutting  John Lucas III was a tough decision, Winderman relays. Lucas was among five players the Heat waived educe Miami’s roster to 15 players, the regular season maximum.
  • Damien Wilkins, who was recently waived by the Hornets, has signed a deal overseas to play for Guaros de Lara of Venezuela, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia reports. Wilkins, 35, had spent the 2012/13 season with the Sixers. He has played overseas and in the D-League since.
  • Toure’ Murry, who was waived by the Wizards, will start the season in the D-League, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports tweets.
  • Magic rookie Mario Hezonja seems to be adjusting well to life in the United States and the caliber of play in the league, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “He’s progressing for sure,” coach Scott Skiles said. “What we’ve been talking to him about is he has a tendency, like a lot of young players, [where] he checks into the game at whatever point we put him in and teams either go right at him or plays are occurring that he’s not yet comfortable with, and he gets taken advantage of often.”
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Magic Pick Up Options On Napier, Three Others

October 25th, 2015 at 1:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

SUNDAY, 1:58pm: The team announced it has exercised the options on each of the players, Robbins tweets.

TUESDAY, 11:24am: Shabazz Napier‘s strong preseason performance has won over the Magic, who plan to pick up their $1,350,120 team option for 2016/17 on his rookie scale contract, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The team is also planning to exercise its rookie scale options on Aaron Gordon, Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton, according to Robbins, but unlike those three, the team wasn’t quite convinced about the option for Napier heading into camp, Robbins indicates.

The deadline for all four options is Monday, November 2nd, and Orlando is expected to make the moves official soon after its last preseason game on Friday, Robbins writes. The options add up to precisely $14.868MM, lifting the Magic’s payroll for 2016/17 to more than $60.5MM against a projected $89MM cap.

Napier, 24, is fifth on the team in preseason points per game, with 10.2, and is putting up that number in just 17.0 minutes per contest. The point guard whom the Magic acquired for virtually nothing in a trade with the Heat this summer has posted 2.2 assists and 1.2 turnovers per game in his five preseason appearances. That’s slightly better than the 2.2-to-1.6 assists-to-turnover ratio he put up in his rookie season with Miami last year, and he’s scoring at about double the rate he did with the Heat.

The 2014 Final Four Most Outstanding Player went 24th overall in the 2014 draft on the same night the Magic came away with Gordon and Payton, who were top-10 picks. Payton finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting while injury limited Gordon’s impact. Oladipo was the second pick in the 2013 draft and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2014.

I regarded the option pickup for Napier as generally likely, while the same move for Gordon, Payton and Oladipo seemed highly likely. The options for Napier, Gordon and Payton are for the third seasons of their respective rookie scale contracts, which cover four years. The option for Oladipo is for his fourth season, and he’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

Do you agree with the Magic’s plan to pick up Napier’s option? Leave a comment to let us know.

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