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NBA Teams Carrying At Least 15 Guaranteed Contracts

August 9th, 2017 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed earlier today in our breakdown of each NBA team’s current roster count, clubs can carry up to 20 players in the offseason, but are limited to 15 players on their regular season rosters. As such, teams will often only carry 13 or 14 players on guaranteed contracts into training camp, giving a non-guaranteed player or two the opportunity to impress coaches and earn a spot on the 15-man squad.

However, even with training camps still a month and a half away, several NBA teams are already carrying 15 or more players with fully guaranteed salaries, limiting their roster flexibility and their ability to take fliers on camp invitees.

Here’s a breakdown of those teams, with their fully guaranteed salaries noted in parentheses:

Boston Celtics (16)
Golden State Warriors (15)
Memphis Grizzlies (15)
Sacramento Kings (15)
Utah Jazz (15)

Of those five teams, the Celtics are the only club that will absolutely have to trade or waive a player on a guaranteed contract before the regular season gets underway. Shane Larkin and Daniel Theis may be the most at-risk players, since they don’t have any guaranteed money on their deals beyond the 2017/18 season. Abdel Nader and Semi Ojeleye also don’t have fully guaranteed salaries beyond this season, though they have partial guarantees for 2018/19.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies will be in the same boat as Boston if they ultimately bring back restricted free agent JaMychal Green. A new deal for Green would give Memphis 16 guaranteed salaries. The Grizzlies also haven’t signed second-round pick Ivan Rabb, so if they intend to do so, they could create an even more significant roster crunch.

The other teams on the list above should, for the most part, have their 15-man regular season rosters locked in at this point, but if changes need to be made, the Kings should be willing to eat a guaranteed contract — they’re still well below the cap. The Jazz could afford to eat some money too, if necessary. The Warriors may be the team that needs to best make use of all 15 roster spots as they look to defend their title, but replacing a player on a guaranteed contract would be pricey, since Golden State is already deep into tax territory.

Finally, one other team worth watching is the Thunder. Currently, Oklahoma City only has 14 players on guaranteed contracts for 2017/18, but that figure doesn’t include Jerami Grant or Semaj Christon, both of whom could have a place on the club’s roster this season. I don’t think Grant will be going anywhere, so the Thunder may have to decide whether to part ways with Christon or whether another move can be made to keep him on the 15-man roster.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Aldridge: Kings' Offseason Ranks In Top 10

August 9th, 2017 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors earned the No. 1 spot on David Aldridge’s list of offseason rankings, as he details in a piece for NBA.com. Aldridge’s list is based on each team’s summer roster moves, rather than its overall roster strength, so the Kings and Lakers rank in his top 10 as well.

And-Ones: Rookies, All-Stars, Breakouts

August 6th, 2017 at 6:02pm CST by Austin Kent

A number rookies appear poised to outperform their draft slot, Mike Schmitz of ESPN Insider writes, including one Dennis Smith Jr. whose impressive summer league performance and prime situation with the Mavs have already been discussed ad nauseam.

The scribe makes compelling cases for five other breakout candidates, however, ranging from Jazz lottery pick Donovan Mitchell to the Lakers‘ Kyle Kuzma, selected 27th overall. Schmitz cites Mitchell’s length and defensive ability, arguing that the wing will work his way into Utah’s still-relevant rotation.

Schmitz also speculates that Justin Jackson will thrive with the Kings considering that he’s a poised perimeter option that doesn’t need the ball in his hands on offense.

Although the profiles are hidden behind Insider’s paywall, they discuss the upside and various situation’s that these first-year players find themselves. In addition to the abovementioned, John Collins of the Hawks and Nets big man Jarrett Allen are also featured.

There’s more from throughout the NBA:

In a comprehensive account of Darko Milicic‘s life after basketball, ESPN’s Sam Borden revealed that Milicic had made up his mind about never playing in the NBA again when he left the Celtics. It was said, at the time, that he was returning to be with his ailing mother.
It may be early to speculate about the 2018 NBA All-Star Game but that didn’t stop A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England from stringing together a potential squad. Familiar faces make up the starting lineup but new additions Jimmy Butler and Paul George make the case for qualifying as a reserve ever more difficult for the players in the conference.
With a new season comes new opportunity and David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders has pieced together a summary of Pacific Division players that he thinks may be able to take the next step in 2017/18.

Poll: Best Rookie Point Guard Season

August 5th, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The 2017 NBA Draft was loaded with talented point guards, including first overall pick Markelle Fultz, No. 2 selection Lonzo Ball, and fellow lottery picks De’Aaron Fox, Frank Ntilikina, and Dennis Smith Jr.

Fultz showed flashes of brilliance in the NBA Summer League amid overall inconsistent play before he ultimately injured his ankle in his Las Vegas debut. The 76ers guard was promptly shut down for the remainder of Summer League. This season, the rookie figures to be a regular fixture in the Philadelphia backcourt.

After dominating his freshman season at UCLA, Ball won Las Vegas Summer League MVP honors, racking up assists (9.3 APG) and steals (2.5 SPG), as well as points and rebounds. Although it is not clear whether Ball will start for the Lakers right out of the gate, he will certainly be the beneficiary of a hearty amount of playing time.

Fox is also expected to see his fair share of action this season, but averaged just 21.3 minutes per game in four Las Vegas Summer League games. Like Fultz and Ball, Fox exhibited tantalizing athleticism. The Kentucky product averaged a solid 11.8 points per contest and 3.0 assists. Fox’s 2.3 SPG were extremely impressive.

The Knicks drafted Ntilikina eighth overall because of his speed and agility. Last season, the point guard averaged just 15.5 minutes per game for Strasbourg in France but displayed tremendous promise and improved noticeably as a shooter. With D. Rose out of town, it appears as if the keys to Madison Square Garden are about to be Frank’s.

In six games in Las Vegas, Smith averaged 17.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.2 APG, shooting 45.7% from the floor and electrifying with the occasional powerful dunk. The Mavericks prospect also tallied 2.2 SPG.

This brings us to today’s poll: Which of these point guards will have the best rookie season in 2017/18?

New Kings Assistant GM Talks About His New Team

August 3rd, 2017 at 9:19pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Kings‘ organization has had its share of dysfunction over the past few years, but Brandon Williams, who was recently named the team’s assistant GM, believes the franchise doesn’t get enough credit, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee passes along.

Before joining the Kings, Williams worked in the Sixers’ front office during their rebuild and his time in Philadelphia should only help him as he looks to build the Kings into playoff contenders.

The Kings added several veterans this offseason and Garrett Temple tells Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype that he believes it will help the team build a winning culture. Sacramento added Zach Randolph on a two-year, $24MM deal, George Hill on a three-year, $51MM contract, and Vince Carter on a one-year, $8MM deal this summer.

Kings Hire Brandon Williams As Assistant GM

July 30th, 2017 at 4:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Kings have hired Brandon Williams to be their new assistant GM, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reports (Twitter link). The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are so excited that Brandon is joining our front office team,” GM Vlade Divac said (via Sean Cunningham of ABC 10). “He is an experienced and talented basketball executive. His knowledge of player development and basketball operations combined with his legal skills will be a strong addition to our team.”

Williams most recently served as the Sixers VP of Basketball Administration and GM of Delaware 87ers, the team’s G-League affiliate. Williams also previously worked within the NBA’s league office, taking on the role of Director of Player Development before becoming the Associate Vice President of Basketball Operations.

Jack Cooley Signs Two-Way Contract With Kings

July 29th, 2017 at 3:01pm CST by Joshua Fischman

JULY 29th, 3:01pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

JULY 22nd, 12:17pm: Free agent power forward Jack Cooley will sign a two-way contract with the Kings, reports Chris Reichert of 2Ways10Days.com (link via Twitter). It will be the first two-way contract offered in franchise history.

Cooley went undrafted in 2013 out of Notre Dame, but has had two 10-day stints with the Jazz, playing limited minutes in 16 career NBA games. The burly Fighting Irish product has also played in 26 G League games over two seasons and holds the league record with 29 rebounds in a game. In 2015, the Cavaliers signed Cooley, only to then waive him in the preseason.

In 2016/17, Cooley played professionally in Germany for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg after playing the previous season in Spain for Unicaja. In five games for the Kings in the 2017 Las Vegas Summer League, Cooley averaged 9.2 PPG and 6.6 RPG on 64% shooting in just under 18 minutes per contest.

Here is Hoops Rumors’ updated 2017/18 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker, so you can keep up with the two-way signings.

JaKarr Sampson Signs Two-Way Deal With Kings

July 29th, 2017 at 2:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward JaKarr Sampson has agreed to a two-way contract with the Kings, the team announced on its website.

The 6’9” Sampson, 24, has 147 NBA games on his resume but did not play in the league last season. He wore the Sixers uniform in 2014/15 and played for both the Sixers and Nuggets in 2015/16. He posted averages of 5.2 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 15.6 MPG during those two seasons.

Last season, Sampson was a G-League Western Conference All-Star for the Iowa Energy, averaging 15.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 47 games, including 22 starts.

Sampson made a favorable impression on the Kings’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, posting averages of 7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 1.2 BPG in four appearances.

The Kings signed another forward, Jack Cooley, with their other two-way contract.

Kings Seek VP Of Basketball Ops; Otis Smith Withdraws

July 28th, 2017 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 28, 2:05pm: Otis Smith has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Kings’ job, a source tells Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). According to Turner, Smith met with the club twice this month, and still has interest in a front office role, but determined that Sacramento wasn’t the right fit for him.

JULY 26, 2:39pm: In the wake of Scott Perry‘s departure for the Knicks, the Kings are seeking a new vice president of basketball operations to report to Vlade Divac in their front office. And according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, team officials have met with former Magic general manager Otis Smith to discuss the job.

Smith, who appeared in 375 NBA games as a player between 1986 and 1992, transitioned into a front office role after his playing career ended, and eventually became the GM in Orlando in 2006. He held that position for six years, and has since worked out as a G League head coach and an NBA assistant with the Pistons.

Perry was believed to have played a major role in the Kings’ offseason this year after joining the franchise in April, following his dismissal from Orlando’s front office. Perry’s reputation around the NBA – and his solid work in Sacramento – attracted the attention of the Knicks, who sent cash and a second-round pick to the Kings in exchange for the right to hire Perry as their new GM.

With Perry out of the picture, the Kings had been expected to hire a new VP of basketball ops. In addition to Smith, Milt Newton and Troy Weaver were believed to be candidates, but they’re no longer in play, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. However, Jones adds (via Twitter) that former Lakers assistant GM Ronnie Lester is worth keeping an eye on.

Knicks, Kings Can't Trade For Rest Of 2017/18 Season

July 26th, 2017 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks sent $400K to the Kings as part of their “trade” that allowed them to hire Scott Perry away from Sacramento, tweets Pincus. Pincus adds (via Twitter) that the Kings and Knicks are now ineligible to trade with one another through the 2017/18 season. We saw that same restriction occur with the Clippers and Celtics a few years ago after L.A. sent Boston compensation to land Doc Rivers.