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Extension Rumors: Sunday

November 1st, 2015 at 11:13pm CST by Will Joseph

It seems unlikely that Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal and Warriors center Festus Ezeli will receive rookie-scale contract extensions and thus will be restricted free agents come July, barring an unexpected late turnaround in negotiations, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports.

The news regarding Beal does not come as a surprise because though the Wizards fully intend to sign him to a maximum-salary contract, they prefer to do so next summer. Stein adds that the Wizards have been consistent with their message that they see Beal as a future and long-term star for the franchise. Reports have conflicted about how much negotiating has occurred between Ezeli and the Warriors, but an extension never seemed imminent.

The window for former first-round picks to sign contract extensions during the fourth and final year of their rookie contracts is Monday.

Here is more news on extensions:

Players known to still be in negotiations entering the deadline include Raptors shooting guard/small forward Terrence Ross, Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard and Thunder shooting guard Dion Waiters, according to Stein. Regarding Ross, it’s likely to go down to the wire and the Raptors would be open to giving him an extension, if the price is to their liking, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. reports. “I mean it would be an honor to get an extension,” Ross told Lewenberg. “If that doesn’t happen then we’ll take it from there.”
Extensions at this point are looking unlikely for Sixers shooting guard Tony Wroten and Celtics big men Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger, according to Stein.

Eastern Notes: Sefolosha, George, Pistons

October 26th, 2015 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha will file a civil lawsuit against New York City, its police department and the officers involved for injuries suffered during his arrest outside a Manhattan night club in April, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Hannah Storm of ESPN.com report. In an interview with Storm — who broke the story — Sefolosha expressed concern about long-term effects from the fractured right tibia and ankle ligament damage he suffered during the arrest. “There is a lot of unknown about how this will affect me two years from now, five years from now, 10 years from now,” Sefolosha said in the television interview. “Also because I think it’s the right approach to put lights on a situation like this and be able to fight back in a legal way and in a way that can empower, hopefully.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Paul George is getting comfortable with the idea of moving to power forward after initial resistance, according to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. Pacers coach Frank Vogel told Aschburner that George won’t be a prototypical power forward; he’ll just have more space to utilize his skills. George has gained a greater understanding of his new role after talks with Vogel and team president Larry Bird. “At one point, it was hard to wrap [my head around] everything,” he told Aschburner. “Here I am coming back from a big-time injury and wanting to get back to what I used to be, playing the three. Then I come back playing a stretch four — it took a toll on me mentally. But the more we’ve had practice time and I’ve had sit-down moments with coach and with Larry, the more at ease I’ve felt about the situation.”
Reggie Bullock wowed Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy during the preseason, which secured not only his place on the roster but also his 2016/17 team option, which Detroit exercised Sunday. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press has the details. “If you really look at the whole thing and you look at consistency game in and game out he was our best player in preseason,” Van Gundy said of the small forward. “I mean, certainly our most consistent guy in the preseason. Really, I mean it would be hard to really find any fault with what he did in the preseason. He’s certainly gained our confidence and by ours, I mean coaching staff and teammates. I think he’s got everybody’s confidence heading into the season.”
Point guard Marcus Smart, rookie shooting guard R.J. Hunter and power forward Kelly Olynyk are among the players who excelled during the Celtics’ training camp, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports. Smart is emerging as a team leader, Hunter has opened eyes with his playmaking skills and Olynyk is shooting with more confidence, Washburn continues. But power forward Jared Sullinger reported to camp overweight and small forward James Young is still another season away from cracking the rotation, Washburn adds.

Atlantic Notes: Zeller, Lee, Ross, Faverani

October 24th, 2015 at 3:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics are interested in rookie scale extensions for Tyler Zeller or Jared Sullinger only if they consent to decidedly team-friendly deals, league sources tell Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The C’s are prioritizing flexibility and the “feeling is” that the team would be pleased to re-sign them in restricted free agency next summer if they perform well this season, Bulpett writes. The extension window for both closes at the end of November 2nd. Perry Jones is also up for a rookie scale extension, but he’s in a fight simply to preserve his roster spot for this season.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

David Lee concedes that he would have preferred to stay with the Warriors for the rest of his career, but he also makes it clear that he’s “really, really excited” to join the Celtics, Bulpett relays in the same piece.
A 50-50 chance exists that the Raptors and Terrence Ross will reach an extension deal by the November 2nd deadline, sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who takes educated guesses on Zeller and other rookie scale extension candidates.
Former Celtics big man Vitor Faverani, who reached a two-year agreement to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv back in July, is likely to be let go by the team due to knee issues, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link).
Wesley Saunders, who was waived by the Knicks on Friday, is expected to join the team’s D-League affiliate in Westchester, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com tweets.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Celtics Likely To Exercise Options On Smart, Young

October 23rd, 2015 at 4:03pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics are expected to exercise the third-year options on point guard Marcus Smart and swingman James Young, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reports. Both options are for the 2016/17 season, with Smart set to earn $3,578,880 that year, while Young would be paid $1,825,200. Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, declined to comment on the team’s intentions in terms of picking up team options or the status of potential extensions for fourth-year players Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger, Blakely notes in the same piece. November 2nd is the deadline this year for teams to decide on rookie scale options and extensions.

It was almost assured that Boston would pick up its option on Smart, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. During his rookie campaign in 2014/15, the 21-year old appeared in 67 contests, including 38 as a starter, averaging 7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 27.0 minutes per night. His slash line was .367/.335/.646. He remains a big part of the Celtics’ future, though he is still learning the nuances of the point guard position.

Young’s situation is not so clear, with the 20-year-old struggling with his outside shooting since arriving in the NBA. Given the presence of 2015 first-rounder R.J. Hunter, his rotation spot is tenuous, though the young player certainly still has a high upside. “James is growing as a player and as a person,” Ainge told Blakely. “He has a better work ethic and he’s a better player.”

The Celtics executive did note that injuries and bad luck have played a part in holding Young back, the CSN scribe adds. “Last year, James’ development was stunted with no training camp, no summer league and hurt a couple times when he was just getting there and would have some kind of setback,” Ainge continued. “He had some really tough luck as a rookie.” In 31 appearances last season, Young averaged 3.4 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 10.7 minutes per contest.

Eastern Notes: Sullinger, Zeller, Blair

October 4th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Celtics president Danny Ainge said he will continue to have contract extension conversations with the agents for forwards Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger, but he added “there’s nothing imminent,” Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reports.

The two players are eligible for rookie scale extensions between now and November 2nd. Ainge reportedly began negotiating with both players’ camps in August.

Here is more out of the Eastern Conference:

Jonas Jerebko re-signed with the Celtics over the summer on a two-year, $10MM deal because he felt comfortable with the team and now he is eager to compete for the spot as the first small forward off the bench, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.
Wizards backup center DeJuan Blair believes he needs to rebound from his disappointing campaign last season for the sake of his career and his own dignity, J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic details. Blair’s career took a major hit last year because he was relegated to mop-up duty in blowouts and never even made an appearance for the Wizards during the playoffs.
Andrew Nicholson‘s scoring and playing time both diminished after he stopped attempting shots in the low post with his back to the basket, but with a new coaching staff in place for the Magic, Nicholson expects to be used more effectively, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sullinger, Sixers

September 29th, 2015 at 8:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s statement that he’d be more involved with coach Derek Fisher and the team this season could potentially send a confusing message to the locker room, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News writes. “I really don’t know what standpoint he’s coming from,” Carmelo Anthony said of Jackson’s increased role. “If I think I know Phil the way I know him, I think it’s more of being involved with coaching staff, being in with them, watching film with them, kind of opening up dialogue a little bit more, him sitting in the film room with us, after the games, going over the games, watching more tape, talking to the coaching staff.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The minimum salary deal that the Knicks signed DaJuan Summers to is non-guaranteed, Darion Atkins‘ pact includes a partial guarantee of $75K, Travis Trice‘s arrangement includes $50K in guaranteed money, and Wesley Saunders‘ deal includes a partial guarantee of $75K, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter).
Celtics big man Jared Sullinger believes that his improved conditioning will elevate his game to the next level this season, CSNNE.com relays. “A lot of shots that I’ve missed is due to conditioning. A lot of rebounds I missed is due to conditioning. The defensive plays that I’ve missed – conditioning,” said Sullinger. “Now that my conditioning is at a level where I’m comfortable at but can still improve, I think I have a chance [to be an All-Star].“
Even though Joe Johnson knew that the Nets were going to make some offseason changes, he was still caught by surprise by Deron Williams‘ buyout arrangement, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Johnson. “But I didn’t see [the buyout] coming. I don’t think [being here] was that bad. It’s not that bad here. To want to get bought out … I couldn’t really put my finger around that one. But I hear that he’s happy and that’s the most important thing. He’s back home, so good for him.”
The contracts that the Nets signed Justin Harper and Chris Daniels to are both one-year, minimum salary arrangements that include no guaranteed money, Pincus tweets.
The success of Sixers big men Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel this season will depend on how effective the outside shooting of Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson is, Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News writes. “You hear me say this all the time: My offensive world, how I see it, is pace, space and pass,” coach Brett Brown said. “Post spacing really comes with shooters. Maybe the best play that Jahlil has is Covington and Stauskas. He’s got space to do stuff. We experienced it [in San Antonio] all the time. So, these shooters will most definitely complement Nerlens, and especially Jahlil.“
T.J. McConnell‘s four-year, minimum salary arrangement with the Sixers includes a partial guarantee of $100K for the 2015/16 season, Pincus tweets. The final three seasons are non-guaranteed, and the fourth year is both non-guaranteed and a team option.

Latest On Celtics Extension Negotiations

August 31st, 2015 at 5:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed an earlier report from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that they’ve had talks about an extension with Tyler Zeller, and he said they’re engaged in discussions with Jared Sullinger, too, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The negotiations are preliminary, according to Himmelsbach.

“Obviously, those are two guys that we like moving forward,” Ainge said to Himmelsbach. “So, yeah, there will be more discussions with both of them, probably during the month of October.”

They, along with offseason trade acquisition Perry Jones III, are eligible for rookie scale extensions between now and November 2nd, but Jones doesn’t appear to be a lock to so much as make the opening night roster, Himmelsbach writes.

Zeller is the most likely of the three to receive an extension, Himmelsbach opines. That’s the same sentiment expressed by CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely in an earlier report. Grantland’s Zach Lowe speculated recently that the Celtics would extend Zeller as long as the annual salaries are worth less than $12MM.

The 7-foot center averaged 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds last season and shot a team-high 54.9% from the field. Zeller and Kelly Olynyk are the only true centers on the current roster, though Sullinger and David Lee can slide to that spot in smaller lineups.

Sullinger averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 58 games last year but has undergone back and foot surgeries, Himmelsbach notes. There are also lingering questions about his conditioning, Himmelsbach adds, though an apparently slimmer Sullinger has been training in Houston with former NBA player and coach John Lucas for much of the summer.

Boston’s front office challenged Sullinger after last season to get in better shape. Ainge told ESPNBoston.com’s Jackie MacMullan in March that he would have “great interest” in giving Sullinger an extension, but a weight clause would likely be part of any deal. The Celtics can afford to be more cautious with Sullinger compared to Zeller because they have four other power forwards on the roster.

Extension Candidate: Jared Sullinger

August 23rd, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Will Joseph

There are signs that a breakout season for Celtics power forward Jared Sullinger is forthcoming. The biggest one being that Sullinger has seemingly committed to getting in much better shape this summer. Of course, each summer, there are a plethora of stories about players suddenly in the best shape they’ve ever been in. With Sullinger, however, there seems to be a lot of validity behind the claims.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, for one, has heard Sullinger has worked hard. There’s plenty of motivation for Sullinger, who was listed at 260 pounds last season, to get healthier, as Stevens alluded to.

Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) shoots against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-78. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

“He’s been working out in a couple different locations,” Stevens said in late July on SiriusXM’s NBA Radio, as transcribed on ESPN Boston. “But everything that I have heard, every time I’ve spoken with him, every time I have spoken to people around him, it sounds like he’s doing great. Hey, he wants to be in the best shape of his life, he wants to be in great condition, and he’s working towards that, and I think he’s excited for a new season to show that’s been his focus and to show off the work that he’s put in to get there.”

Sullinger is eligible for an extension this summer, but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com wrote in May that serious contract talks are more likely to happen when he becomes a restricted free agent in 2016. Sullinger, who will make $2.3MM next season, is trying to meet Boston’s front office challenge to get in better shape. The challenge specifically came from Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who said, “I think he’s hurting the longevity of his career and his play now by not being in as good shape as he can be in.”

Sullinger has until November 2nd to agree to a long-term contract extension. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe doesn’t believe Sullinger will ink an extension, as Washburn writes that Sullinger’s agent, David Falk, told Washburn in February that an extension wouldn’t be possible unless it was for the maximum — an estimated $85MM. That won’t happen, according to Washburn. So that would mean Sullinger is headed for restricted free agency.

If Sullinger is in better shape — and maintains his conditioning throughout the season — he will likely enjoy a big scoring season, especially considering he has always been thought of by many as a very talented player. With better conditioning, there is reason to believe his jump shooting would be improved because of better leg strength. Still, if he ends up losing too much weight, there’s a chance Sullinger, who has been a good rebounder in the past, loses strength.

Despite the expected rise in the salary cap and the idea that Sullinger could walk after a big season, I do not think it would be wise for the Celtics to extend him mainly because health and injury concerns have followed Sullinger ever since he was drafted in 2012. What’s more, Sullinger could become a valuable trade chip for the Celtics down the road. It seems the Celtics are willing to move him. Boston discussed a package that included multiple draft picks and Sullinger with the Knicks before the draft. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Celtics inked power forward Amir Johnson and acquired David Lee, who might be better long-term fits than Sullinger. With Sullinger reportedly looking for the maximum and considering the team’s depth chart, it seems unlikely to me that the Celtics extend him.

Do you think the Celtics and Sullinger will do an extension, and if so, how much do you think he’ll get? Leave a comment to tell us.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sullinger, Tokoto

June 27th, 2015 at 1:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Members of the Knicks’ front office were involved in trade discussions with the Magic, Suns, and Celtics in the hours leading up to Thursday night’s NBA Draft, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Boston discussed a package that included multiple draft picks and Jared Sullinger with New York, and Phoenix also spoke with members of the Knicks about a trade involving Eric Bledsoe in the hours leading up to the draft, Begley adds. Team president Phil Jackson said the Knicks had talked to teams about potential offers but all the offers were contingent on which players were selected ahead of them, the ESPN scribe notes. “Those things fell the way they did. We had what we wanted and we went with it,” Jackson said.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Knicks coach Derek Fisher indicated that finding frontcourt help will be a priority once the free agent signing period begins, Begley also relays. “I don’t think it’s any secret we need to get some size up front, and I think that’ll be a big focus for us,” Fisher said. Potential targets include DeAndre Jordan, David West, Omer Asik, Greg Monroe, and Marc Gasol, Begley adds.
In addition to a pair of second round draft picks, the Nets also sent $880K to the Hornets as part of the deal to acquire the rights to Argentinian small forward Juan Vaulet, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily tweets. Brooklyn doesn’t intend for Vaulet to play in the NBA next season, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter).
According to multiple sources, the Sixers nabbed North Carolina swingman J.P. Tokoto with the No. 58 overall pick with the understanding that he would either play in the D-League or overseas next season, Jake Fischer of LibertyBallers reports (Twitter links). Tokoto will have the chance to compete for a roster spot, but told Philly he would be open to being stashed during the 2015/16 campaign, Fischer adds.
The Greivis Vasquez trade allowed the Raptors to generate a $6.4MM trade exception, since they gave him up without taking back any salary in return, notes Pincus (on Twitter), though with Toronto possessing only about $42.4MM in guaranteed salary for next season, it seems there’s a fair chance they’ll dip under the cap after the July Moratorium and renounce the exception.
The Nets could have created a $1,357,080 trade exception for Mason Plumlee if they decided to use their $2,339,131 Kevin Garnett trade exception to absorb Steve Blake, as Pincus presumes they’ve done (Twitter link). That would knock the Garnett exception down to $982,051. Alternatively, they could have taken Blake into the $3,326,235 Andrei Kirilenko exception and reduced its value to $1,969,155, a move the Nets might have preferred because the Kirilenko exception expires more than two months sooner than the Garnett exception does. The trade meanwhile allowed the Blazers to create an exception worth the $719,920 difference between the salaries of Blake and Plumlee, though that exception would vanish if they go under the cap, as they may well do if LaMarcus Aldridge ends up elsewhere.
The tiny $355,016 leftover portion of the trade exception that the Knicks generated in last year’s Tyson Chandler trade has expired. New York used the bulk of what was once a $3,637,073 exception to acquire Alexey Shved at the trade deadline. The Tim Hardaway Jr. trade afforded the Knicks the chance to create a new $1,250,640 exception for his salary, as we noted, though that will disappear if the Knicks dip below the cap next month, as expected.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Sullinger, Hollins

May 23rd, 2015 at 9:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers GM Sam Hinkie may exceed the 75 players he worked out last year, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Philadelphia had already talked to more than a dozen players before Tuesday’s lottery, which saw the team land the third overall pick. If Hinkie targets a certain player — Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell for instance — the front office will contact the player’s high school and college coaches, along with rival college coaches and players. Then comes a workout, followed by an interview process that can last for several hours. “We’ll spend all the available time between now and then to try to gain all the information we can to make good decisions,” Hinkie said. “By design, we’ll have to make a decision at the end of June. I think it’s really a mistake to make one sometimes much, much earlier.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers will likely pursue the best player — not the best fit — with their first-round selection, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Loaded with big men but in need of backcourt help, the Sixers probably won’t have a tough decision if Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke’s Jahlil Okafor are the first two players selected. However, if the Lakers make a surprise decision with the second pick, Philadelphia could face a choice between a much-needed guard and a suddenly available big man. Pompey notes that Joel Embiid missed his entire rookie year due to injury and Nerlens Noel enjoyed success at center, where he won’t play once Embiid returns.
The Celtics‘ Jared Sullinger is eligible for an extension this summer, but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes that serious contract talks are more likely to happen when he becomes a restricted free agent in 2016. Sullinger, who will make $2.3MM next season, is trying to meet Boston’s front office challenge to get in better shape. “I think it’s just, they want me to go one step further,” he said. “I think that’s what it is — one step further. That’s pretty much what I’m doing [this offseason], every day at Ohio State.”
The Nets‘ need for stability at coach should work in favor of Lionel Hollins, writes Daniel LoGiudice of netsdaily.com. LoGiudice gives Hollins a C grade for his first season behind Brooklyn’s bench, saying the coach will need to fix his rotations and rely more on analytics to succeed long-term.