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Atlantic Notes: Hayward, Knicks, Raptors, Draft

November 17th, 2020 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics will get some clarity on their offseason by 5:00 pm eastern time on Tuesday, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald, who says that’s the deadline for Gordon Hayward to either exercise or pass on his $34.1MM player option for 2020/21.

A pair of league sources tell Murphy that Hayward still hadn’t finalized a decision as of Monday night. One source predicted Hayward would opt in, but the other suggested there would be plenty of interest for the Celtics forward if he becomes a free agent. “All I know is that there’s a lot of people who want him,” that source said.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Knicks reopened their Tarrytown practice facility on Monday, nearly a week after shutting it down due to three members of the organization testing positive for COVID-19, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Sources tell Berman that no players were among those who tested positive.
The Raptors‘ chances of re-signing Fred VanVleet increased as a result of the Suns’ acquisition of Chris Paul, according to Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. Phoenix was considered one of the few teams that could make a run at VanVleet in free agency — Toronto still may have to contend with New York and Detroit, among others, however.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, and Bobby Marks (Insider-only link) identify the Knicks, Celtics, Nets, and Sixers as four of the eight best candidates to make draft-night trades on Wednesday.

James Harden Seeking Trade, Turns Down Extension Offer

November 16th, 2020 at 7:55pm CST by Luke Adams

7:55pm: The Rockets offered Harden the maximum allowable extension — a two-year, $103MM deal that would start in 2023 — but he turned it down, according to Wojnarowski. There has been contact between Houston and Brooklyn, Harden’s desired destination, but there’s been no meaningful dialogue, Wojnarowski adds.

While Harden is seeking a trade, he appears “singularly focused” on Brooklyn as a landing spot, per Wojnarowski. Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston conveys a similar sentiment, tweeting that Harden only wants to be dealt to the Nets.

With at least two years still left on Harden’s contract, the Rockets can afford to “slow-play the process,” according to Wojnarowski, who says the team’s preference is to work through the issues with its star guard. That looks like a challenge at this point, but there’s also no indication that Houston believes the Nets could deliver the massive return of assets the Rockets would be seeking for Harden, writes Woj.

1:46pm: Harden wants to be on a contender elsewhere, and the Nets and Sixers are believed to be atop his wish list, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Crucially, Charania notes that the Rockets are “fully comfortable” keeping both Harden and Westbrook into the season. Both players still have two fully guaranteed years left on their contracts, with pricey player options for 2022/23.

10:38am: Superstar guard James Harden wants to move on from the Rockets, according to Brian Smith of The Houston Chronicle, who says the former MVP is pushing for a trade to Brooklyn. ESPN first reported on Sunday that Harden was intrigued by the possibility of being traded to the Nets.

The dissatisfaction of the Rockets’ two star guards has apparently escalated within the last week. On Wednesday, we heard that Harden and Russell Westbrook had expressed concerns about the team’s direction and that the idea of them requesting trades had become a “plausible eventual possibility.” Less than 24 hours later, word broke that Westbrook was hoping to be dealt. Now it sounds as if Harden feels the same way.

ESPN’s report on Sunday indicated that Houston hasn’t engaged in any trade talks with the Nets. However, the team is evaluating its options moving forward, sources tell Chris Mannix of SI.com.

The Rockets have repeatedly stated that they’re intent on contending in 2020/21 and that their plan is to “run it back” with Harden, as ESPN reported on Sunday. Rather than blowing up their roster, their goal is to reignite their core players’ belief in their championship chances, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

As Feigen explains, Houston’s decision-makers have no interest in starting over by “tearing things down to restock shelves with draft picks and prospects.” Trading Harden would only make sense in a full-scale rebuild, and since they’ve already traded away a pair of future first-round picks and agreed to two other pick swaps, that’s not a particularly appealing option for the franchise.

The Rockets still believe they can bring in help this offseason to rebuild Harden’s confidence in their title chances, per Feigen. It’s unclear if trading Westbrook would be part of that plan — so far, new general manager Rafael Stone is in the “listening” and “exploring” stage on Westbrook, rather than the “shopping” stage, says Feigen. Houston would ideally want win-now pieces in a Westbrook deal, rather than future assets. For what it’s worth though, the Westbrook market is said to be “relatively barren,” per ESPN.

If the Rockets do become open to the idea of moving Harden, the Nets would be a fascinating trade partner. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would almost certainly be off-limits, but Brooklyn could theoretically put together a package headlined by some combination of Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, and Taurean Prince, with draft picks and pick swaps also in play.

ESPN reported on Sunday that it’s unclear how far the Nets would be willing to go in an offer for Harden, who has had conversations with Durant about the possibility of teaming up. A move to Brooklyn would also reunite Harden with former head coach Mike D’Antoni, who is now an assistant on Steve Nash‘s staff.

Of course, even if Brooklyn is Harden’s preferred destination, he’s still under contract through at least 2022, limiting his leverage to push for a deal to a specific team. If the Rockets convey a willingness to listen to offers for the 31-year-old, more clubs would presumably get involved, including Daryl Morey‘s new team, the Sixers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Daryl Morey's Rebuilding Project Could Start With Draft

November 15th, 2020 at 5:42pm CST by JD Shaw

Daryl Morey‘s rebuilding of the Sixers could ultimately start with the draft, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Sixers own the No. 21, No. 34, No. 36, No. 49 and No. 58 picks in the draft, which is set to commence on Wednesday.

Spurs Shopping Mills, Aldridge, DeRozan?

November 12th, 2020 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed on Wednesday, there has been increasing chatter as of late about the possibility that the Spurs will have an active offseason. Addressing that possibility within his latest mock draft, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports that San Antonio is shopping point guard Patty Mills and is also “looking to unload” veterans LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan.

All three players are entering contract years in 2020/21, with Mills set to earn $13.3MM, Aldridge to make $24MM, and DeRozan on the books for $27.7MM.

According to O’Connor, the Bucks and Sixers are among the teams that have expressed interest in Mills. If the Spurs were to make a deal with Philadelphia, Josh Richardson would likely head to San Antonio in the swap, O’Connor notes.

As for Aldridge and DeRozan, O’Connor confirms that there is buzz – first reported by ESPN’s Zach Lowe – about the possibility of the Warriors pursuing Aldridge in a deal that would involve the No. 2 pick in the draft. It’s not clear exactly what such a trade would look like, but Andrew Wiggins would presumably have to be included for salary-matching purposes.

Meanwhile, O’Connor has also heard that the Lakers have some interest in acquiring DeRozan, suggesting that Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma would be part of a hypothetical deal. In order to match DeRozan’s $27.7MM cap hit, the Lakers would have to add a few million more dollars to that package.

The Spurs typically don’t make major splashes on the trade market unless their hand is forced, as in the case of 2018’s Kawhi Leonard blockbuster. However, with virtually all of their veteran players – including Rudy Gay – expected to be on expiring contracts next season, the team could have some interesting options available as it looks to pivot to building around its younger generation of players.

Sixers Hire Jameer Nelson As Scout, G League Exec

November 11th, 2020 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 11: Nelson’s hiring is now official, with the Delaware Blue Coats announcing he has joined the team as its assistant general manager and will also assist the 76ers in their scouting efforts.

OCTOBER 21: Former NBA point guard Jameer Nelson is poised to join the Sixers‘ front office, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, who hears from sources that the 76ers are hiring Nelson as a scout and as the assistant GM of the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate.

The 20th overall pick in the 2004 draft, Nelson spent 14 seasons in the NBA, averaging 11.3 PPG and 5.1 APG across 878 regular season contests, earning All-Star honors for the Magic in 2009. He last appeared in the league during the 2017/18 season, when he played a total of 50 games for the Pelicans and Pistons.

About a month before the 2019/20 season began, Nelson said he hadn’t given up on the idea of making an NBA comeback and was putting off retirement for the time being. However, after not catching on with a team over the last year, it sounds like he’s prepared to transition into the next stage of his career.

Nelson’s agreement with the Sixers will represent a homecoming of sorts for the 38-year-old. Nelson grew up in Chester, Pennsylvania and played his college ball at Saint Joseph’s before going pro.

The Sixers have been making an effort to revamp their front office around general manager Elton Brand this offseason, with Nelson’s hiring representing the latest part of that effort. The team is also bringing aboard Peter Dinwiddie as executive VP of basketball operations and Prosper Karangwa in a key scouting role.

NBA, NBPA Agree To Amended CBA; Free Agency To Begin Nov. 20

November 10th, 2020 at 5:09am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have reached an agreement on an amended Collective Bargaining Agreement in advance of the 2020/21 league year, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim Bontemps. The league and union issued a press release confirming the news.

As a result of the agreement, free agency will begin on 6:00 pm eastern time on Friday, November 20, less than 48 hours after the November 18 draft. After a brief moratorium, signings will officially be permitted starting on Sunday, November 22 at 12:01 pm.

Here are several of the other highlights of the new deal:

As expected, the regular season will begin on December 22 and there will be a 72-game schedule. The full schedule will be released at a later date.
The salary cap will once again be $109,140,000 and the luxury tax line will be $132,627,000. Those are the same numbers as in 2019/20. As a result, figures like minimum and maximum salaries and mid-level/bi-annual amounts will remain the same.
The NBA will reduce the luxury tax bill of taxpaying teams at the end of 2020/21 season by the percentage amount that the league’s Basketball Related Income falls short of its initial projections. For instance, a 30% decline in BRI would result in a 30% reduction of a taxpayer’s bill — say, from $10MM to $7MM. This should benefit projected taxpayers such as the Warriors, Nets, Celtics, and Sixers, among others.
The cap will increase by a minimum of 3% per year and a maximum of 10% per year through the rest of the current CBA. For 2021/22, that means the cap will be at least $112,414,200, and could be as high as $120,054,000.
The standard 10% of player salaries will continue to be held in escrow for the time being. Any necessary salary reductions will be spread out over next season and the following two seasons, but players can never have more than 20% of their salaries withheld in a single season.

The NBA’s transaction freeze remains in place for now, but the expectation is that it will be lifted early next week, perhaps two or three days before the November 18 draft, according to Bontemps and Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Once that freeze ends, teams will be permitted to formally finalize trades and other roster moves.

The league is also expected to soon announce new dates and deadlines for player/team option decisions, certain salary guarantees, qualifying offer decisions, and the expiration of trade exceptions.

Sixers Officially Announce Coaching Staff

November 9th, 2020 at 4:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have officially announced Doc Rivers‘ new coaching staff, confirming today in a press release that Dave Joerger, Sam Cassell, Dan Burke, Popeye Jones, and Brian Adams have been hired as assistants. All five assistant coach additions were reported in the past few weeks.

In addition to those five hirings, the 76ers are retaining Eric Hughes as an assistant, hiring Pete Dominguez as a coaching associate, and giving Todor Pandov the role of assistant coach/performance director.

“After taking this job, one of my top priorities was forming the best staff in the NBA,” Rivers said in a statement. “I’m thrilled with the way it came together as this group boasts years of valuable NBA experience, both playing and coaching, and each member brings a championship-level mindset to the table. I’m confident in my staff’s ability to best support our players and look forward to getting into the lab with our team as soon as we get the green light.”

Joerger, Cassell, and Burke are the most notable additions to Rivers’ staff. Joerger is a former NBA head coach, having compiled a 245-247 (.498) record with the Kings and Grizzlies from 2013-19; Cassell is a veteran assistant who was a member of Rivers’ staff in Los Angeles and received some head coaching buzz this year; and Burke is a highly respected defensive specialist who spent the last two-plus decades in Indiana.

Sixers To Hire Popeye Jones As Assistant Coach

November 7th, 2020 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Pacers assistant Popeye Jones will join Doc Rivers‘ coaching staff in Philadelphia, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. A Sixers source confirmed the news to Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Jones, who had been with Indiana since 2013, becomes the second former Pacers coach to work under Rivers, joining defensive specialist Dan Burke, who was hired last month. Sam Cassell, Dave Joerger and Brian Adams have also been added to Rivers’ staff.

Jones turned to coaching after playing 11 years in the NBA. He started as a player development coach with the Mavericks in 2007, then got his first job as an assistant with the Nets in 2010. He spent three years there before joining the Pacers.

Levick cited a 2019 interview in which Jones talked about his coaching influences.

“You try to take something away from each guy you played for, and that you worked for as a coach,” he said. “There’s Dick Motta, my first coach — I take a lot from him. I played for Doug Collins, who I love, who’s a perfectionist. I take a lot from him. I worked for Rick Carlisle for a year. I worked for Avery Johnson, who came out of the San Antonio system under (Gregg Popovich). Frank Vogel, who was great in Indiana, I learned from him. And then there’s Nate (McMillan) … all those guys have been instrumental in developing me as a coach.”

Draft Rumors: Mavs, P. Williams, Trades, Sixers

November 4th, 2020 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have made the No. 18 overall pick in this year’s draft available as they search for immediate help, according to Jeremy Woo of SI.com.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that the Mavericks will likely be active in trade talks this offseason. A previous report suggested that Dallas would like to upgrade its roster prior to the 2020/21 season rather than waiting until 2021 to make a splash, once the team can open up some cap space.

The Mavericks don’t have a ton of expendable assets that would interest potential trade partners, having surrendered a pair of future first-round picks when they acquired Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. But the team does have the 18th and 31st picks in the 2020 draft, which will be of interest to teams looking to add young talent.

Here’s more from Woo on the draft:

Expect Florida State big man Patrick Williams to be drafted ahead of his former college teammate Devin Vassell, says Woo. Williams’ “raw skill set” and potential upside are viewed favorably by teams, Woo adds.
While it’s widely known that Golden State and Minnesota have interest in moving down in the draft, there are plenty of other lottery teams viewed as trade-candidates too. Woo says the Bulls (No. 4), Cavaliers (No. 5), Hawks (No. 6), and Suns (No. 10) are all worth keeping an eye on.
The Sixers have five picks in this year’s draft, starting with No. 21, but probably aren’t “married” to any of them and are a strong candidate to be active on draft night, per Woo.
Woo also confirms a pair of items that were previously reported by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, writing that the Hornets have interest in Onyeka Okongwu and that teams expect Tyrell Terry to be drafted in the mid-to-late teens.

Daryl Morey's Deal Believed To Be Worth $10MM+ Per Year

November 4th, 2020 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

Industry sources estimate that Daryl Morey‘s salary on his new five-year contract with the Sixers is worth over $10MM per year, according to Stein, who adds that some people insist Morey’s new annual salary may even exceed $12MM. Morey had been planning to take a year off after leaving the Rockets this fall, but such an aggressive offer from Philadelphia would certainly have been a factor in his decision to change course.

[SOURCE LINK]

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