Dennis Schröder

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Schroder, Hardaway, Zeller

The Hawks and the city of Atlanta issued a joint press release today announcing plans to renovate Philips Arena. The team and the city reached an agreement to put toward $192.5MM toward the project, with Mayor Kasim Reed committing $142.5MM from the city, while the Hawks will pay the remaining $50MM. Along with the renovations, the Hawks extended their lease extension by an additional 18 years, committing to remaining in downtown Atlanta through 2046.

“I want to thank Tony Ressler and the Atlanta Hawks’ ownership for committing to this deal that will keep the NBA in our City and help re-imagine downtown for the millions of residents, visitors and tourists who come to Atlanta each year,” Mayor Reed said in a statement.

Here’s more from around the Southeast division:

  • Dennis Schroder‘s new four-year deal with the Hawks has a base value of $62MM, but it can be worth up to $70MM if the point guard gets an All-Star nod or if Atlanta plays in the NBA Finals, says Bobby Marks of The Vertical.
  • While Schroder got a new deal with the Hawks, Tim Hardaway Jr. remains unsigned, despite having several conversations with the club leading up to Monday’s deadline. As Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Hardaway says he’s still “excited” to be in Atlanta and both sides are optimistic about striking a deal next summer.
  • Two years ago, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer would have thought the Hornets‘ four-year, $56MM extension for Cody Zeller was nuts, but now he explains why he believes it’s prudent. As Bonnell tweets, Hornets GM Rich Cho felt that Zeller would have been a “priority target” for multiple teams if he reached restricted free agency in 2017.
  • Wizards point guard John Wall recently spoke to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com about making a speedy recovery from offseason knee surgeries and getting back on the court to start the 2016/17 season.

Southeast Notes: Batum, Magic, Schroder, Heat

Nicolas Batum drew interest this summer from several potential suitors, such as Dallas and New York, but he never seriously considered any team besides the Hornets, as Shams Charania of The Vertical details. “There were options with other teams and different scenarios,” Batum said. “But I tried to look at what suited me best, and look at this franchise long term. Having Kemba [Walker] under contract, having [Michael Kidd-Gilchrist] under contract, having Frank [Kaminsky] under contract, having Coach [Steve] Clifford under contract, we have the same core.”

Here’s more from out of the Southeast division:

  • The Magic expect to choose the location for their new D-League affiliate within the next month or so, CEO Alex Martins tells Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando hopes to have a D-League affiliate ready to begin play in 2017/18, and the team has narrowed the potential location down to two Florida-based candidates: Kissimmee (Silver Spurs Arena) and Lakeland (Lakeland Center).
  • Bobby Marks of The Vertical has the details on Dennis Schroder‘s new deal with the Hawks, who will carry a $15.5MM annual cap hit for the point guard for four years, from 2017/18 through 2020/21. According to Marks (via Twitter), the extension features $2MM per year in unlikely incentives, so the total value could max out at $70MM.
  • Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel isn’t sure there’s room in the Heat‘s rotation for Derrick Williams, who joined the team on a one-year, $4.6MM deal in July.
  • The Hornets‘ first game of the season showed that new center Roy Hibbert, who signed a one-year deal with the team this summer, can impact games in a way that no Charlotte player could last season, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.

Hawks Sign Dennis Schroder To Extension

4:58pm: The Hawks have issued a press release officially confirming Schroder’s extension.

“I am excited to sign this long-term deal with the Hawks. Since coming from Germany as a rookie, this organization and the entire city of Atlanta has embraced me and watched me grow,” Schroder said in a statement. “I would like to thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the front office for having faith in me. I’m determined to keep improving as a player and I believe that our team has a chance to accomplish some special things together.”

4:16pm: Schroder’s new deal will include $62MM in guaranteed money over the next four years, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). Based on the original report of $70MM, it appears that a portion of the total salary will either be non-guaranteed or available via incentives.

3:09pm: Dennis Schroder will be taking over as the Hawks’ full-time starting point guard this season, and the team has now ensured he’ll remain in Atlanta for several more years beyond that. According to Marc Stein and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com, Schroder and the Hawks have reached an agreement on a four-year, $70MM contract extension. Schroder confirmed the deal, tweeting out a photo that shows him signing his new pact."<strong

Schroder has gradually taking on a larger role over the course of his three seasons with the Hawks, having seen his minutes per game increase from 13.1 in his rookie season to 20.3 in 2015/16. Last season, he established new career highs in PPG (11.0), APG (4.4), RPG (2.6), SPG (0.9), and several other categories.

During the summer, the Hawks agreed to a three-way trade that sent starting point guard Jeff Teague to the Pacers, opening the door for Schroder to take on a larger role in Atlanta. Both players had been set to enter contract years, but Schroder is younger and is still on his rookie contract, making him the more appealing option for the long term.

Schroder will earn a modest $2,708,582 salary in 2016/17, but rather than being eligible for restricted free agency next summer, he’ll now move on to his second contract, with his extension going into effect in July 2017. Assuming there are no options on the deal, it will keep the 23-year-old under team control through the 2020/21 season.

We’ll have to wait for the exact terms and details on Schroder’s new deal to properly evaluate it, but it looks awfully similar to the ones signed by a pair of free agent wings this summer — Evan Turner inked a four-year, $70MM contract with the Trail Blazers, while Schroder’s teammate Kent Bazemore got a four-year, $70MM deal from the Hawks, as our free agent tracker shows.

Although there’s some uncertainty about how the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement will look next summer if and when the league and the NBPA reach a new agreement, that hasn’t stopped extension-eligible players from signing new deals early — Schroder becomes the third player eligible for a rookie-scale extension to agree to terms with his team so far this offseason, just five days before the October 31 deadline. Previously, C.J. McCollum signed a four-year, $106MM+ extension with the Blazers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo agreed to a four-year, $100MM deal with the Bucks.

Earlier today, Schroder headlined our list of five rookie-scale extension candidates to watch before Monday’s deadline, so we’ll see if others on that list – such as Rudy Gobert, Steven Adams, and Gorgui Dieng – can reach agreements with their respective clubs as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Moreland, Schroder, Young

The Cavs waived Eric Moreland earlier today to make room to sign Toney Douglas. The forward isn’t upset with the move since he’s still recovering from a foot injury he suffered last season and isn’t quite ready to return to action, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com notes. “I feel it is in my best interest for me to take my time to make sure I am 100 percent healthy,” Moreland told Goodman. “I feel really good and think I am close to being game ready but with the setback I have already been through, I want be extra cautious with my return and do everything I can to make sure I my foot has completely healed.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder returned to practice on Monday after resting a sore ankle for the past several days, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. “The trainers told me to relax a little bit and not put pressure on it,” Schroder said. “In training camp it was hurting a little bit. It was bothering me so they said take off. I took off Friday, Saturday and Sunday and today was the first time practicing again. I could run up and down the floor. Now, I’m healthy.
  • Hornets coach Steve Clifford is thrilled that Marvin Williams re-signed with the team this offseason, because of the forward’s versatile skillset and leadership, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “To me, he’s such a winning player. He totally fits what this league is all about,” Clifford said. “He’s a stretch 4, so he creates space [with his 3-point shooting]. Defensively, he can guard the smaller 4s who shoot 3s and drive the ball, and the bigger 4s who post it. There aren’t many guys who can do that.”
  • Swingman James Young is one of the players on the bubble to make the Celtics‘ roster this season. One of the things making the coaching staff’s decision difficult is the fact that Young hasn’t seen much regular season action, making it difficult to judge his true fit within Boston’s system, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.

Eastern Notes: Schroder, Lee, Magic, Heat

With last season’s starter Jeff Teague traded to the Pacers, point guard Dennis Schroder has big shoes to fill. The front office has full confidence in the young player, but his performance will be closely scrutinized since his play thus far has been inconsistent and his brash attitude has occasionally rubbed opponents and teammates the wrong way, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “Dennis (Schroder) has an incredible talent,” teammate Thabo Sefolosha told Vivlamore “He’s going to be great. He’s going to be the point guard. It’s going to be tough. I think we are all going to help him. I think it’s a tough position to be so young and to have so much on your shoulders. I think it’s going to be on all of us to help him.

The Hawks will also have a tough decision to make involving Schroder, with him eligible for a rookie contract extension, Vivlamore adds. Atlanta could wait to see how he performs in 2016/17 and issue Schroder a qualifying offer next summer, which will likely be around $4.5MM if he maintains his starter criteria. making him a restricted free agent, the scribe adds. The deadline to agree to an extension is October 31st, and if the team does decide to float Schroder an offer, it would likely be close to that deadline, Vivlamore opines.

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

  • Malcolm Lee, who last appeared in the NBA during the 2014/15 season when he played in one game for the Sixers, has signed with the Turkish club Trabzonspor, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports (via Twitter). The 26-year-old guard spent last season playing in Puerto Rico for Brujos de Guayama, appearing in 19 games and averaging 13.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
  • After adding a number of veterans this offseason, the Magic aren’t necessarily more talented than they were a season ago, but their current roster should be smarter and better defensively, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes in his season preview of Orlando. The scribe does question the team’s logic in trading away Tobias Harris and adding Jeff Green for roughly the same salary, even if Green’s deal is only for one season.
  • Though the loss of Josh Richardson to start the season is a blow to the Heat‘s continuity, it does open the door for Tyler Johnson or Dion Waiters to step up and seize the starting shooting guard spot, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel opines in response to a reader query. The scribe also notes that it also provides Briante Weber to show that he can be a viable rotation option for the team.

Southeast Notes: Spoelstra, Ibaka, Splitter

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made no mention of Chris Bosh in two video messages posted today on the team’s website, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The status of the veteran big man remains uncertain after his past two seasons were cut short because of blood clots. Spoelstra singled out Hassan Whiteside, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Tyler Johnson as defensive leaders who will define the team in the post-Dwyane Wade era. “You learn pretty quickly in this league that your roster is going to change,” Spoelstra said, “sometimes your staff changes. Expectations change. It’s like that every year. Just when you get comfortable, it will change. This is a new challenge. We’re embracing the change. We’re excited about the future, excited about the guys we have on our team. You also have to have the right kind of players.” Owner Micky Arison named Bosh as part of the Heat’s future in a recent letter to Miami fans.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • The Magic can offer an extension to newly acquired power forward Serge Ibaka, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Ibaka, whom Orlando picked up in a draft-night deal with the Thunder, is about to enter the last season of a four-year, $49MM extension he received from Oklahoma City. Ibaka would be limited to a 4.5% raise from his $12.2MM salary in the first year of an extension because the Magic are over the salary cap, Marks notes, and because he has been traded in the past six months Ibaka can only have two years added to his contract.
  • Tiago Splitter believes the Hawks will be a much better defensive team with Dwight Howard replacing Al Horford at center, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He also cited an improvement in defense at point guard, where Dennis Schroder is taking over for the traded Jeff Teague. “[Howard] is a little bit more of a defensive player than Al, more rebounds, more physical presence on the court,” Splitter said. “That is going to change our team. … Dennis, he is also a great defender. He’s a better defender than Jeff. He will pressure the point guard the whole court.” Splitter, who had hip surgery in February and was limited to 36 games last season, also figures to improve the defense with his return to the lineup.
  • The Hawks hired Richard Midgley as their west coast scout, Vivlamore writes in a separate story. Midgley has been a coach at Modesto Christian High School in California for the past two seasons.

And-Ones: Beal, Oladipo, Gasol, Gobert

Turnover among NBA coaches has been extremely high over the past few seasons, with only four current head coaches having been with their respective teams for at least five seasons. Just this calendar year alone there have been 12 new coaching hires made, with more likely to come if some teams get off to rocky starts to the 2016/17 season. Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders ran down the coaches who are under the most pressure to perform well this coming campaign, including Alvin Gentry (Pelicans), Steve Kerr (Warriors) and Quin Snyder (Jazz).

Here’s more from around the league:

And-Ones: Schröder, Harris, Selden

Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder was amenable to a reserve role this season but reiterated his desire to be the starter going forward, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. “In the future, I want to be a starting point guard,” Schröder said. “Everybody knows it. But in the situation I was this year, I was fine with it. I played my minutes, and I just tried to get better. When the coaching staff and everybody decides I get the team [and start], I’m going to be ready for it.

When coach/executive Mike Budenholzer was asked about the possibility of Schröder displacing Jeff Teague as Atlanta’s starter, Budenholzer was diplomatic in his response, the ESPN scribe notes. “We value both Jeff and Dennis,” Budenholzer said. “They have both been incredibly good for us. Part of the reason we have had success is we have had two really good point guards. I am not ready to say anything other than how much we love them both. They are a big part of why we have been successful.” Teague was reportedly in high demand from a number of teams prior to February’s trade deadline.

Here’s the latest from around the league:

  • Point guard Devin Harris underwent successful surgery today to repair damage to his left big toe and left thumb, the Mavericks announced. No timetable was given for Harris’ return to basketball-related activities. Harris appeared in 64 games this season and averaged 7.6 points, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 20.0 minutes per outing. His contract runs through the 2017/18 season with a partially guaranteed salary for the final year.
  • Kansas junior combo guard Wayne Selden won’t participate in draft combine workouts this week after undergoing surgery to repair a small meniscus tear in his right knee, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports. Selden, who is the No. 44 overall player according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, will still participate in the interview portion of the event with Miami senior shooting guard Sheldon McClellan taking his place on the court for the scrimmage portion of the combine, Charania notes.

Southeast Notes: Horford, Hawks, Powell, Batum

Al Horford will be among the most popular free agents this summer, but he didn’t sound ready to leave Atlanta after the Hawks were eliminated today, relays Chris Vivlamore of the Journal-Constitution. “My main priority tomorrow is to meet with the team and the coaches one last time [for the season] and go from there and figure out how we can be a better group,” Horford said. The Hawks are planning to offer Horford a maximum contract, and several other teams are expected to bid on him. The nine-year veteran made $12MM this season but could more than double that amount in free agency.

The Hawks are the only team Horford has played for, and he has developed a strong attachment to Atlanta. “I’ve set up here with my family,” he said. “We all live here. We live here in the summer. We live here year-round. I’m very grateful for all the people here. They have taken me in from the very first day, even though I was a [Florida] Gator. They loved me. I really love the city.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • The Hawks need “major change and major improvement,” starting with a go-to scorer who can carry the team late in games, writes Jeff Schultz of The Journal-Constitution. Schultz says Paul Millsap disappeared too often in the playoffs, and Horford isn’t strong enough in the paint or reliable enough outside to be a dependable scorer. The writer adds that Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder are too inconsistent, while Kyle Korver is headed toward reserve status and Kent Bazemore may be leaving as a free agent.
  • The Wizards would have drafted Dwight Powell in 2014 and may take another shot at the Dallas big man in free agency, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Washington was one pick away from landing Powell when he went at No. 45 to the Hornets. The Wizards sold their pick to the Lakers after he was taken. Powell, who earned $845K this season, will be a restricted free agent and could fill a backup role in Washington.
  • Small forward Nicolas Batum plans to make the Hornets his top priority when free agency arrives, as the The Associated Press relays. Batum, who has played one season in Charlotte after being traded from Portland, is encouraged by the team’s potential. “I want to talk to [the Hornets] first, for sure,” Batum said. “July 1st will be a crazy day, but will Charlotte be my first call? Yes.” Hornets starters Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson will also be unrestricted free agents, and reserve point guard Jeremy Lin is expected to opt out.

And-Ones: Cousins, Hinrich, Richardson, Varejao

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins took another verbal swipe at coach George Karl, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. After being suspended for Friday’s game following a tirade directed at Karl, Cousins remained combative following tonight’s loss to the Jazz. “That wasn’t a suspension from the organization,” Cousins said. “That was a suspension from the head coach.” Their ongoing battle has led many to speculate that neither will be in Sacramento next season.

There’s more tonight from around the basketball world:

  • Veteran guard Kirk Hinrich is probably looking at a short stay with the Hawks, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Coach Mike Budenholzer said Dennis Schröder will be the backup point guard, and it’s not in the “plans” to use Hinrich in that role any more. The 35-year-old soon-to-be free agent to be has appeared in just three games since coming to Atlanta from the Bulls in a deadline-day trade.
  • Josh Richardson is shaping up as a major bargain for the Heat, writes Ethan Skolnick of The Miami Herald. He has settled into Miami’s rotation and now trails only the Sixers‘ Richaun Holmes in minutes played among 2015 second-round picks. Richardson is signed through 2017/18 and will make a little less than $875K next season.
  • Anderson Varejao is still adjusting to the idea of not being with the Cavaliers, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon-Journal. After 12 years in Cleveland, Varejao was shipped to the Blazers in a deadline-day trade, and he signed with the Warriors after Portland released him. “If you told me at the start of the season I’d be here, I never would’ve believed it,” he said. “With my contract, how could anyone have predicted this?”
  • The Warriors were honored as the“Best Analytics Organization” at this year’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The Chicago Blackhawks, Houston Astros and FC Midtjylland, a Danish soccer team, were the other finalists for the award.
  • The Hornets have assigned rookie guard Aaron Harrison to Erie of the D-League. Harrison is averaging just 4.3 minutes in 16 games with Charlotte, along with 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds.