Paul Millsap Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Embiid Bonus Could Affect Sixers’ Cap Space

December 2nd, 2017 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Joel Embiid‘s strong start could lead to a bonus that would affect the Sixers’ ability to compete on the free agent market next summer, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN.

The second-year center signed a five-year extension over the summer that has a base value of $146MM, but could rise as high as $178MM if he reaches certain benchmarks. That includes a hefty bonus if he is named Most Valuable Player or earns first-team All-NBA honors this season. Embiid, who came into tonight averaging 22.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, is certainly a candidate to make the All-NBA team at center, especially with the injury to Rudy Gobert and the move of Anthony Davis to power forward.

The bonus would raise Embiid’s cap hit from $25.3MM to $30.3MM for 2018/19 and would cost Philadelphia $5MM in cap space for each subsequent year of the contract. The Sixers have nearly $32MM in projected cap room right now, not counting $1.6MM team options for T.J. McConnell and Richaun Holmes, so $5MM could affect their ability to offer a full max contract.

Emiid’s contract also contains a minutes clause that could boost his future earnings. He can make his contract fully guaranteed starting in 2020/21 or 2021/22 if he plays at least 1,650 minutes in three consecutive years or three out of four starting with this season. He has accumulated 532 minutes in 18 games, putting him on pace to reach that figure for this year.

Marks passes on a few other tidbits related to contract incentives:

The punch from Bobby Portis that hospitalized Nikola Mirotic has cost the Bulls forward $1MM in bonuses. Mirotic had four benchmarks valued at $250K each, and although each was unlikely, he needed to play 65 games to be eligible and he has already missed 20.
Nets guard Jeremy Lin, who played just one game this season before needing knee surgery, missed a chance to earn several bonuses worth $750K.
Nuggets forward Paul Millsap has a $500K incentive for making the All-Star team, which is impossible after wrist surgery that will keep him sidelined until after the February 18 game. Millsap had been an All-Star the past four seasons in the East. He also would receive a $150K bonus for playing 65 games and averaging seven rebounds per 36 minutes, but that’s out of reach because of the injury. He can still get $150K if the Nuggets make the playoffs, but for now his cap hit for next season will be cut from $29.7MM to $29.2MM.
Gobert took the biggest hit because of injury, which could cost him up to $2MM. The Jazz center, who is not expected back until the middle of the month because of a bone bruise in his right knee, had a pair of $250K incentives based on 67 games played, along with a $500K bonus for being named first team All-Defense and $1MM for making the All-Star game.
Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon needs his scoring and rebounding averages to total more than 16 to collect a $900K bonus. He was at 11.1 PPG and 7.8 RPG before his recent injury.
The Trail Blazers could see a smaller luxury tax bill if Maurice Harkless continues to struggle with his three-point shot. Currently shooting 24.3% from distance, Harkless needs to reach 35% at the end of the season to get a $500K bonus. If he falls short, Portland’s tax bill will dip from $4.3MM to $3.5MM.

Paul Millsap Undergoes Surgery, Out Three Months

November 26th, 2017 at 8:17pm CST by Austin Kent

After some debate, Paul Millsap and the Nuggets decided that surgery would be the best option for the injured forward. Per Shams Charania of The Vertical, Millsap underwent successful surgery on his left wrist today and is expected to be sidelined for three months.

Last week we wrote about Millsap injuring his wrist in a game. It was determined by way of an MRI at the time that the forward hadn’t fractured it but sprained it. Eventually, word spread that it was a torn ligament.

While Millsap has taken time adjusting to his new role with the Nuggets, he’s put forth respectable numbers, including 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Just as the 32-year-old seemed to be acclimating himself, however, this setback has thrown a wrench in plans.

Northwest Notes: Millsap, Summer League, Thunder

November 22nd, 2017 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets forward Paul Millsap is exploring alternatives to wrist surgery that would keep him out of action for about three months, according to Gina Mizell of The Denver Post. The four-time All-Star, who came to Denver this summer on a three-year contract worth more than $90MM, has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his left wrist.

Coach Mike Malone said today that Millsap is “going to talk to some other doctors, get some other opinions before we make a decision on what the best course of action is.” However, he added that the team is preparing for a long stretch without its second-leading scorer. Millsap is averaging 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in 16 games.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

In the wake of the Magic’s decision to cancel the Orlando Summer League for next year, Jazz officials plan to continue the competition in Utah, tweets Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. Next year will mark the fourth season for the event, which is much smaller than the leagues in Las Vegas and Orlando. The Jazz were joined this year by the Celtics, Sixers and Spurs.
The Thunder’s star players are remaining calm despite their slow start, relays Sam Amick of USA Today. Oklahoma City was expected to be among the elite teams in the West after a pair of offseason trades united Paul George and Carmelo Anthony with Russell Westbrook, but OKC remains under .500. “I think they all understand that they can’t do it by themselves, and I think they all realize that from the situations they’re coming from, that now, ‘How do we figure out how to do it together?’” said coach Billy Donovan. “In order to compete at the highest level, you’ve got to have several really good players on your team. And there may be some truth to that, but I think people think that all of a sudden you take a collection of talent and just throw it together [and it works].”
The offseason moves have solidified the faith that Westbrook has in the organization, relays Royce Young of ESPN. Westbrook, who added stability to the Thunder by agreeing to extensions the past two summers, is a huge proponent of GM Sam Presti. “He’s done an amazing job. He’s done a great job ever since I’ve been here,” Westbrook said. “He’s finding ways to constantly keep making us a better team. … You definitely are very, very thankful to have somebody like that in charge of making those decisions.”

Northwest Notes: Lillard, Nurkic, Nuggets, Wolves

November 21st, 2017 at 11:06pm CST by marksuleymanov

Damian Lillard has become the face of the Trail Blazers and one of the most dynamic point guards in the NBA. By the same token, the 27-year-old has taken on a mentorship role with Portland, specifically with young center Jusuf Nurkic. In a well-written piece by NBC Sports Northwest’s Jason Quick, Lillard’s relationship with Nurkic is highlighted in comparison to Lillard’s relationship with the departed LaMarcus Aldridge.

As a mentor for the 23-year-old Nurkic, Lillard said their relationship is “almost what I wish I had with LaMarcus.’’ Lillard and Aldridge were teammates in Portland during Dame’s first three NBA seasons. While the duo enjoyed some success, the team never managed a deep playoff run. In turn, Lillard wants to provide Nurkic with the help he never received while teammates with Aldridge.

“Me and LaMarcus had a good relationship. We never had a single argument. We really got along,’’ Lillard said. “I’m just saying the stuff I want to go out of my way to do for (Nurkic), is the stuff I wish I got from LaMarcus.’’

For his part, Nurkic said that Lillard is “the best thing that has happened to me in my life.’’ Thus far, Nurkic’s career in Portland has been strong as he’s averaging 14.3 PPG and 7.2 RPG through the Trail Blazers’ first 17 games. In Lillard’s view, Nurkic has a high ceiling and he wants to do his part to help him reach it.

“With Nurk, I know how good he is, how good he could be, I know what he means to the team, so I don’t want to let that opportunity slip,’’ Lillard said. “I don’t want him to feel any less important. I don’t want to be like (sucks teeth) ‘he good enough he will figure it out.’”

Check out other notes across the Northwest Division:

After crowded frontcourt rotation has become a feature rather than a bug for the Nuggets, who will have to rely heavily on the likes of Kenneth Faried and Mason Plumlee to produce in Paul Millsap‘s absence, Gina Mizell of the Denver Post writes. As we noted earlier, Millsap may miss two or three months after undergoing surgery on his left wrist.
In a lengthy feature, ESPN’s Nick Friedell writes that time has run out for the Timberwolves to wait for winning based on the team’s potential. With a 10-7 record, Minnesota occupies fifth place in the Western Conference. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said earlier this season that, “If you’re waiting on potential, you’re waiting on losing.” That edict will now follow the team until they prove they can win with a blend of budding superstars and established veterans.

Paul Millsap To Undergo Wrist Surgery, Miss 2-3 Months

November 21st, 2017 at 5:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Paul Millsap will undergo surgery on his left wrist and he’ll be sidelined indefinitely as he recovers, Sham Charania of The Vertical reports (Twitter link). The power forward injured his wrist on Sunday against the Lakers.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) hears that the surgery is to repair a torn ligament in the wrist and the power forward could be sidelined for the next three months.

Millsap signed a three-year, $90MM deal with the Nuggets this past offseason and he got off to slow start with the club, as I detailed in a recent edition of Fantasy Hoops. However, he was starting to look more comfortable in his new offense prior to leaving the game on Sunday.

Denver has morphed into a respectable team on the defensive end this season and Millsap’s presence is a major reason why. The Nuggets currently rank 17th in the league in defensive rating, a season after finishing with the second-worst mark in the league (Lakers).

Kenneth Faried got the start at power forward against the Kings on Monday, but it’s unclear if he’ll remain as involved after a poor showing. Faried was relegated to the bench after just 19 minutes of action where he made just one of seven shots.

X-Rays Negative On Paul Millsap’s Wrist

November 20th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

X-ray results on Paul Millsap‘s injured wrist came back negative, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN (Twitter link). Although Millsap won’t play for the Nuggets tonight, the team can breathe a sigh of relief that those x-rays didn’t show a break.

Millsap left Sunday’s game against the Lakers with a left wrist injury that was diagnosed as a sprain. However, as Haynes notes, there was some concern that x-rays may reveal a fracture. The Nuggets big man avoided that worst-case scenario, but it’s not clear when he’ll get back on the court — he may still miss several games, depending on the severity of the sprain.

Millsap, 32, signed a three-year deal with Denver in the offseason and has played well for the club so far, averaging 15.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG in 16 games (all starts). While his numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, particularly for one of the NBA’s highest-paid players, Millsap has stabilized the Nuggets’ frontcourt defense, and has helped the club get off to a 9-7 start.

In Millsap’s absence, Kenneth Faried and/or Mason Plumlee could receive an increase in playing time. With Wilson Chandler listed as questionable for tonight’s game, Juan Hernangomez and Will Barton may also see expanded roles.

Northwest Notes: D. Johnson, Felton, James, Millsap

November 11th, 2017 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rookie center Dakari Johnson is making a case to stay in the Thunder rotation once Steven Adams returns from injury, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. The 48th pick in the 2015 draft, Johnson saw his first significant NBA playing time Friday and responded with nine points in 23 minutes in a win over the Clippers.

Johnson earned a spot on the G League All-Rookie team in 2015-16 and the All-League team last year, but hasn’t gotten a shot at the NBA until this season. His early-season play is attracting the attention of coaches and teammates. “I think going forward it’s something huge for us,” said Paul George. “When we don’t have Steven on the floor, to rely on Dakari to step in and just give Steven a break and a breather at times, I think that’s all Coach is looking for.”

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

Raymond Felton‘s steadying effect on the Thunder bench has been a bright spot in a disappointing start to the season, notes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. The veteran point guard signed with Oklahoma City for the veterans’ minimum over the summer and is now on his seventh team since entering the league in 2005. “I think the glue guy to that group has really been Raymond,” OKC coach Billy Donovan said. “I think having veteran leadership back there from him at least allows me to communicate, and then he’s so good at managing the game, that regardless of the personnel that’s out there he can do a really terrific job of getting everybody where they need to be.”
The Timberwolves aren’t surprised by the success of Suns point guard Mike James, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Minnesota considered signing the 27-year-old before he agreed to a two-way contract with Phoenix in July.
Free agent addition Paul Millsap jokes that finally “knowing the plays” has led to the improvement in the Nuggets’ offense, relays Gina Mizell of The Denver Post. Millsap, who signed with Denver in July after four years in Atlanta, rates his current comfort level with the team’s approach at seven out of 10. “It’s a relief,” he said. “Your mind’s not all over the place. You’re not guessing or thinking. It’s second nature. You get out there and just play basketball. I dreamed of getting to this place, where I can just get out there and just play. I’m pretty much there.”

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Beasley, Thunder

November 5th, 2017 at 7:31pm CST by Austin Kent

The new Nuggets frontcourt has gotten off to a slow start this season but that doesn’t mean Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap won’t figure it out eventually. As Buddy Grizzard of Basketball Insiders writes in a feature exploring the duo’s production thus far, the club is committed to building something special.

It initially seemed inevitable that Jokic’s passing abilities would make Millsap’s life easier scoring in the post. A boost in efficiency down low, however, hasn’t yet materialized.

Over the course of his first 10 games with the Nuggets, Millsap has averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. That’s down from his last year averages of 17.1 and 7.7, respectively, with the Hawks.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers will host the Thunder in a Sunday tilt, the first appearance either Carmelo Anthony and Paul George will make in Portland this season. As Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes, the franchise actively pursued both over the course of the summer, to no avail.
The Nuggets are starting to incorporate sophomore Malik Beasley into their rotation. Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders spoke with the 20-year-old about vying for a consistent role.
The Thunder have struggled in the clutch, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes, thanks in no small part to the 6.3 rebounds per game the club allows its opponents to pull down in the final five minutes. That mark sits dead last in the league and the club is 29th in opponent’s field-goal percentage during that stretch, too.

Hawks Fully Embrace Total Rebuild

October 30th, 2017 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks majority owner Tony Ressler is convinced the franchise had no choice but to go into full rebuild mode, as he told NBA.com’s David Aldridge in an extensive piece on the team’s direction. New GM Travis Schlenk helped convince Ressler that the franchise was spinning its wheels and needed to stockpile draft picks while developing a young core, Aldridge continues.

“Truly, there are three options in the NBA, I would argue: being a contender, being a competitive team, and being young and fun,” Ressler told Adridge. “At least that would be my opinion. And we didn’t have the option of being a contender. So we could be competitive, or more competitive, and maybe, shall we say, with a whole bunch of higher-priced vets that made us older and made our payroll less flexible, and made our future more cloudy.”

Instead, Ressler selected the “young and fun” option, despite knowing the losses would pile up this season. The team has five first-round picks during the next two drafts, including one from the Clippers that they acquired this offseason by getting involved in a three-way deal that included the Nuggets. The Hawks also traded away center Dwight Howard and opted not to pursue their top free agent, power forward Paul Millsap.

Aldridge also offered these nuggets in the story:

The team is building around point guard Dennis Schroder, second-year wings Taurean Prince and DeAndre’ Bembry, and rookie big man John Collins.
Schlenk feels pressure to produce on the draft picks: “It’s my job to, hopefully, get four of those right,” he said.
Ressler told coach Mike Budenholzer that he didn’t think anyone could be an effective head coach and run the organization at the same time. Budenholzer relinquished his duties as president of basketball operations. “I tried to convince him and I think he realized fully that being the GM is a full-time job,” Ressler said. “So why does anyone on earth think they can do two extraordinarily difficult jobs? And I believe Bud saw that very clearly.”
Budenholzer lobbied Schlenk to make an offer to Millsap even after the decision to rebuild was made.

Nuggets GM Talks Harris, Faried, Expectations

October 6th, 2017 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

A September report indicated that Gary Harris and the Nuggets have a good chance of reaching an agreement on a contract extension for the fourth-year shooting guard before the October 16 deadline. With 10 days left for the two sides to work something out, Nuggets GM Arturas Karnisovas confirmed that a potential deal with Harris is “in the works,” telling Gina Mizell of The Denver Post that he’s optimistic about getting something done.

“He’s been such a huge part of what we’re trying to do here, a representation of what we’re building here,” Karnisovas said of Harris. “Him going through trade rumors and still staying with us and being consistent and being a good leader for our guys and (knowing) how to do it, he was the ultimate professional. We’re trying to find ways to keep him here as long as we can.”

During his visit to The Denver Post’s newsroom, Karnisovas – who received a promotion to general manager during the offseason – also addressed a few other noteworthy topics, so let’s round up a few of the highlights from the Nuggets executive:

On Kenneth Faried‘s strongly-worded comments about wanting to be a starter:

“We welcome that. It’s a competitive spirit, and we want our training camp to be competitive. We didn’t want to just give guys playing time. We want them to earn it. That’s a good approach. Whoever earns minutes in the preseason is going to play.”

On the most challenging aspect of building a roster and dealing with constant player movement:

“Overall, it’s continuity and do not exaggerate your wins and don’t over-exaggerate your losses. Just kind of stay calm through all this process. I think we also have to figure out the healthy balance between young talent and meshing it with veteran players. Players like Paul [Millsap]. We chased [Dwyane] Wade before. We kind of need players in the locker room that have done it.

“Paul has been an All-Star four times and he’s been part of 60-win teams. It was important for us to find a formula that we can kind of use a vet. Last year, we were (one of the) top three youngest teams in the league. When we added Paul, we were very excited. Ultimate professional. Good teammate. Our young players gravitate toward that kind of good example, and they learn from it.”

On his goal for the Nuggets’ progress in 2017/18:

“Progress is a good word. We never like to put a number on wins. Playoffs is our target. Where, in terms of [seeding], we don’t know. But I think from previous years, we need to start well. The first 20 games are a huge emphasis for us, to be competitive and hopefully to stay .500 and over .500. Just be better than last year. We were close last year to making the playoffs, so this year should be a good year. I think we have a group of young players that got better, and we added Paul Millsap. Hopefully, we can stay healthy. That’s always a huge factor