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Sixers Exercise T.J. McConnell’s Team Option

June 13th, 2018 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 13: The Sixers have officially exercised McConnell’s team option, the club announced today in a press release. The announcement also confirmed that Richaun Holmes‘ option has been picked up, as we relayed earlier today.

MAY 11: The Sixers intend to pick up their 2018/19 team option on T.J. McConnell, team president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo told reporters today (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Athletic). That option is worth $1,600,520.

McConnell, 26, is coming off a third straight year as a rotation player for the Sixers. In 76 regular season games this season, he averaged 6.3 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 3.0 RPG with a shooting line of .499/.435/.795.

With Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz seemingly ready to handle point guard duties coming into the season, McConnell’s role was expected to be reduced. However, health problems limited Fultz to just 14 regular season games, opening the door for the veteran to be Simmons’ primary backup at the point. McConnell was particularly effective in the postseason, making 25 of 36 shots (.694 FG%) in 10 games against the Heat and Celtics.

While McConnell’s $1.6MM option is obviously a steal for the 76ers, there was a chance the club would decide to turn it down. Like Nikola Jokic in Denver, McConnell would have been a restricted free agent this summer if his option had been declined, but will now be on track for unrestricted free agency in 2019.

Unlike Jokic, McConnell isn’t a franchise-type player, so Philadelphia will opt for the bargain price in 2018/19 and then take its chances with the point guard in unrestricted free agency in 2019, rather than ensuring they can keep him long-term by giving him a raise this offseason.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), McConnell’s salary for 2018/19 remains non-guaranteed even after his option is exercised. However, that shouldn’t matter much, since Philadelphia won’t waive him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sixers Exercise Team Option On Richaun Holmes

June 13th, 2018 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have picked up their 2018/19 team option on big man Richaun Holmes, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). The option will pay Holmes a salary of $1,600,520 next season.

The move comes as no surprise for a couple reasons. For one, Holmes’ play has certainly justified a minimum-salary investment. In a part-time role in Philadelphia’s frontcourt, Holmes averaged 6.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 1.3 APG in 48 games (15.5 MPG) last season, and he was even more productive the year before, with 9.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 57 contests (20.9 MPG).

Additionally, exercising Holmes’ option for next season reportedly won’t actually lock in his $1.6MM salary. According to contract information from Basketball Insiders, Holmes’ salary remains non-guaranteed until January 10, even with his option picked up. T.J. McConnell‘s team option is said to have the same structure.

While exercising Holmes’ option may not provide any guarantees for the coming season, I’d be very surprised if he’s cut before his January guarantee date. Assuming he plays out the full 2018/19 season on his current deal, the 24-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Wizards’ Jodie Meeks Exercises Player Option

June 12th, 2018 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards shooting guard Jodie Meeks has opted in for the 2018/19 season, exercising the second-year player option on his contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Meeks’ option is worth $3,454,500, though he won’t earn that full amount since he still has to serve the remaining 19 games on his 25-game suspension. The veteran sharpshooter received the 25-game ban at the end of the regular season for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. As a result, he sat out the Wizards’ six-game playoff series against Toronto.

The league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement calls for a player who receives a suspension of 20 or more games to forfeit 1/110th of his salary per game. As such, Meeks’ 2018/19 salary will be reduced by nearly $600K.

Meeks, 30, signed a two-year contract with the Wizards last summer, as the team hoped he could provide some outside shooting off the bench following Bojan Bogdanovic‘s departure. While Meeks was a regular rotation piece throughout the season, averaging 14.5 MPG in 77 contests, he struggled a little with his three-point shot. His 0.9 threes per game and .343 3PT% were the lowest marks he had posted since his rookie season.

Meeks is the second Wizards to pick up a player option this offseason, with Jason Smith also exercising his $5.45MM option. Combined with Washington’s guaranteed contracts, those options take the club’s total team salary above $124MM for next season. A taxpaying team in 2017/18, the Wizards will likely have to trim some salary to avoid being in the tax again in 2018/19.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Iman Shumpert Opts In With Kings For Next Season

June 8th, 2018 at 7:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings guard Iman Shumpert has opted in for the final year of his contract, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.

Shumpert will make just over $11MM next season. He had until June 14 to make a decision on his player option.

Shumpert’s decision to take the guaranteed money comes as no surprise after his injury-plagued 2017/18 season. He only appeared in 14 games, all with the Cavaliers, before he was dealt at the trade deadline to Sacramento. He was part of a multi-player, three-team deal that also involved the Jazz.

Shumpert was sidelined by knee and foot injuries and the Kings weren’t in any rush to have him play this past season, as they were evaluating younger players during the second half of the campaign.

Shumpert appeared in 76 regular-season games with Cleveland, including 31 starts, in 2016/17. He averaged 7.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 1.4 APG that season. He also appeared in 58 playoff games with the Cavaliers over a three-year span. Shumpert turns 28 later this month.

The decision won’t have a major effect on the Kings’ offseason plans as they remain well under the cap.

Pistons Part Ways With GM Jeff Bower

June 1st, 2018 at 3:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have decided to cut ties with GM Jeff Bower, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Bower was hired to be Stan Van Gundy’s right-hand man when he took charge four summers ago. Owner Tom Gores fired Van Gundy last month and is currently conducting a search for a coach and front-office executive.

Ed Stefanski was hired last week as a senior advisor in charge of overhauling the team’s basketball operations. Van Gundy served as both head coach and president of basketball operations but Gores now wants separation between the two jobs.

Bower had continued his duties after Van Gundy’s departure but his contract was expiring at the end of June and Gores had to make a decision whether to retain him or move on.

Searches to fill the coaching and front office vacancies are ongoing.

On the coaching front, the team has lined up or already interviewed TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Heat assistant Juwan Howard, Spurs assistant Ime Udoka, Michigan coach John Beilein and former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey.

Nets assistant Trajan Langdon , TNT analyst Brent Barry, Hawks executive Malik Rose, Grizzlies assistant Tayshaun Prince and ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups are among the candidates for the front-office job.

Ron Baker Exercises 2018/19 Player Option

May 31st, 2018 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks guard Ron Baker has exercised his player option for the 2018/19 season and will remain under contract with the team for one more season, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The option will pay Baker a salary of $4,544,400.

Baker, 25, joined the Knicks as an undrafted free agent out of Wichita State at the start of the 2016/17 season. After impressing the team in his rookie season, the 6’4″ guard inked a two-year deal last summer, with New York utilizing its full room exception to lock him up.

In the first year of his new contract, Baker was limited to 29 games, due in part to a season-ending shoulder injury. He averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.6 APG with a .339/.333/.769 shooting line in 13.3 minutes per contest. Those modest numbers made Baker’s 2018/19 option a lock to be exercised.

Baker’s decision continues a trend of an increasing number of NBA veterans picking up player options rather than turning them down. During the 2016 and 2017 offseasons, only eight of 53 player options were exercised. However, Baker is already the seventh player to opt into a contract this spring, joining Jeremy Lin (Nets), Cory Joseph (Pacers), Wesley Johnson (Clippers), Wesley Matthews (Mavericks), Kosta Koufos (Kings), and Jason Smith (Wizards).

Bucks To Hire Mike Budenholzer

May 16th, 2018 at 7:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:08pm: Darvin Ham, Budenholzer’s top assistant in Atlanta, will accompany him to Milwaukee and may be joined by the rest of the staff, according to David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link).

6:47pm: Budenholzer will sign a four-year contract, Wojnarowski tweets.

6:17pm: Mike Budenholzer has agreed to become the Bucks’ next coach, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Clues began to emerge over the past two days that Budenholzer was the top choice for the job. He met with team management and ownership yesterday, then had breakfast this morning with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

Budenholzer spent the past five seasons as the head coach of the Hawks before parting ways with the franchise last month. Atlanta launched a rebuilding project this year after four straight playoff appearances and Budenholzer reportedly didn’t want to go through that process. He was 213-197 with the Hawks, including a 24-58 record this season.

He succeeds interim coach Joe Prunty, who took over the team when Jason Kidd was fired in January. Prunty, who compiled a 21-16 mark, was among the coaches who interviewed for the opening, along with Ettore Messina, Steve Clifford, Monty Williams, David Blatt, Becky Hammon and Jay Larranaga. Messina was also considered a finalist and met with Bucks ownership on Tuesday as well.

Budenholzer was among the most popular candidates on the market, getting permission from the Hawks to interview with the Suns and Knicks while he was still their coach. He also had an interview Monday with the Raptors, according to Wojnarowski, but Toronto didn’t make an offer.

The Bucks are the sixth team to fill a vacancy in what has been an active offseason for coaching changes. The Pistons, Raptors, and Magic are still in the market for head coaches. Keep up to date with all the developments with our 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks Waive Tyler Cavanaugh

May 11th, 2018 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

11:25am: The Hawks have officially waived Cavanaugh, the team announced today in a press release.

8:52am: The Hawks will waive forward Tyler Cavanaugh, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski writes that an early guarantee date, an ankle injury, and a coaching change all contributed to Atlanta’s decision to part with Cavanaugh.

An undrafted rookie out of George Washington University, Cavanaugh caught on with the Hawks for training camp last fall. While he didn’t earn a spot on the regular season roster initially, he inked a two-way deal with the club in November, then was promoted to the 15-man roster in December. For the season, the 24-year-old averaged 4.7 PPG and 3.3 RPG with a .441/.360/.810 shooting line in 39 games (13.3 MPG).

Cavanaugh’s contract with the Hawks included a non-guaranteed salary of $1,378,242 for the 2018/19 season. However, had he remained under contract through May 15, he would have received a partial guarantee of $450K, according to Basketball Insiders’ data. That trigger date forced Atlanta into a decision early in the offseason.

Cavanaugh will become an unrestricted free agent, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Kings’ Kosta Koufos Exercises Player Option

May 11th, 2018 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 11: Koufos has officially exercised his 2018/19 option, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

MAY 10: Kosta Koufos won’t opt for free agency this summer, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes, who reports that the Kings center will pick up his player option for 2018/19. That option will pay Koufos a salary of $8,739,500 next season before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2019.

Koufos, 29, has been a mainstay in the Kings’ rotation for the last three seasons, having signed a four-year, $32MM+ deal with the franchise in the summer of 2015. In 2017/18, Koufos averaged 6.7 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 71 regular season contests (19.6 MPG).

Although Sacramento has added young bigs like Willie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere, Georgios Papagiannis, and Harry Giles in recent drafts, the team has yet to alter Koufos’ role, as he continues to average approximately 20 minutes per game.

Papagiannis was waived by the Kings earlier this year, but with Cauley-Stein and Labissiere still under contract, and Giles set to make his debut in the fall, it will be interesting to see if Koufos once again gets regular minutes for the club going forward. He could have a little value as a trade chip, given his now-expiring salary for 2018/19.

Koufos joins Cory Joseph, Jeremy Lin, Wesley Johnson, and Wesley Matthews as veterans who have exercised – or will exercise – player options, matching 2017’s total of five exercised options. That number will likely keep growing this year, since teams aren’t expected to be as aggressive with their spending in free agency.

Koufos is one of three Kings players with a player option for 2018/19. Iman Shumpert is considered a lock to exercise his $11MM+ option, while Garrett Temple is probably a good bet to pick up his $8MM option as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat Decline Jordan Mickey’s Team Option

May 10th, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have elected to turn down Jordan Mickey‘s team option for the 2018/19 season, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The option would have paid Mickey a salary of approximately $1.6MM. Instead, he’ll become a free agent.

Mickey, who was selected 33rd overall in the 2015 draft by the Celtics, signed with the Heat during the 2017 offseason. In his first – and potentially only – season in Miami, the 6’8″ forward averaged 4.0 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 23 games (12.3 MPG). Mickey wasn’t part of the Heat’s rotation down the stretch, appearing in just six games after the All-Star break.

Although Mickey will now be eligible for restricted free agency, I wouldn’t expect the Heat to extend him a qualifying offer, which would be worth more than his team option. He’s more likely to hit the open market on July 1 as an unrestricted free agent.

With Mickey’s option no longer in play, the Heat have 10 players under contract for the 2018/19 season, including nine guaranteed salaries and Rodney McGruder‘s non-guaranteed deal. Mickey will join Dwyane Wade, Wayne Ellington, Udonis Haslem, and Luke Babbitt as Miami’s free-agents-to-be.