- Jazz forward Georges Niang gave insight into his first workout at Utah’s practice facility, which was recently reopened amidst the coronavirus pandemic, as relayed by Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune. “The guy that is on our training staff has to be in full [personal protective equipment] — whether that’s a mask, gloves; I know he’s carrying around a spray bottle and a towel,” Niang said. “So, basically every step that I take or wherever I go, that place is getting sprayed down.”
A pair of early entrants out of Duke have signed with agents who aren’t NCAA-certified, officially signaling that they’ll go pro and remain in the 2020 NBA draft. Tre Jones has signed with BDA Sports, according to the agency’s Instagram account, while Cassius Stanley has joined ISE Basketball (Twitter link).
Both Blue Devils prospects had been expected to keep their names in the draft, so their moves to secure representation don’t come as a surprise. Both players are ranked in the top 50 on ESPN’s big board for 2020, with Jones coming in at No. 33 and Stanley at No. 50.
Here’s more on the 2020 draft:
- A couple more players on this year’s early entrants list have signed with agents and will remain in the draft. Minnesota big man Daniel Oturu has joined BDA Sports, per the agency (Instagram link). Meanwhile, DePaul’s Paul Reed has opted for Ron Shade of Octagon, tweets Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com. Oturu and Reed place 36th and 51st respectively on ESPN’s list of 2020’s top prospects.
- Arizona forward Zeke Nnaji has had virtual meetings with the Pelicans, Wizards, and Hornets so far, and has one lined up with the Jazz later this week, says Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). A possible first-round pick, Nnaji is ranked 34th overall on ESPN’s big board.
- The NBA has sent teams ballots to vote on prospects they’d like to see participate in the 2020 draft combine, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The combine, originally scheduled to take place next week, has been postponed indefinitely, but the league still hopes to hold it in some revamped form, either in-person or virtually.
A handful of Jazz players participated in voluntary, individual workouts on Monday at their practice facility, the Zions Bank Basketball Campus, Aaron Falk of the team’s website reports.
The Jazz entered their team’s practice facility for the first time since the NBA suspended play after March 11. Utah’s game at Oklahoma City was postponed prior to the opening tip that night after game officials were informed Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Hawks also reopened their facility on Monday after the Trail Blazers and Cavaliers reopened on Friday, the first day the NBA allowed teams to return to their practice gyms for controlled workouts.
The workouts were done in accordance with Utah Department of Health and NBA regulations, including the prohibition of more than four players inside the facility at any one time. Practices and scrimmages are also barred.
The Jazz strength staff has conducted individual and video workouts over the past two months but many of their players do not have home gyms or access to basketball courts, Falk adds.
- The Jazz will be affected by furloughs announced Friday by the Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment group, writes Art Raymond of The Deseret News. There will be a 40% reduction in staff throughout the organization, but a spokesman said all employees are expected to return to work when coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
Speaking today to reporters, Jazz executive VP of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey downplayed the idea that the relationship between All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell remains icy.
“They’re ready to put this behind them, move forward, act professionally,” Lindsey said of the recent rift between Gobert and Mitchell (Twitter link via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon). “… We’re very pleased with the collective makeup of our group, Donovan and Rudy in particular. We look forward to moving forward.”
Lindsey added that Gobert and Mitchell “know they need each other,” as Sarah Todd of The Deseret News tweets.
There was said to be tension between the third-year guard and the two-time Defensive Player of the Year in March, stemming from their positive coronavirus tests and the cavalier attitude Gobert reportedly showed with teammates and their belongings in the days leading up to his diagnosis. Although there was a perception that Mitchell was upset with Gobert, at least one report indicated that both players had issues with one another.
That rift still existed a month later, but a subsequent report suggested the two Utah stars had begun working on repairing their relationship. Gobert confirmed at that time that he had spoken to Mitchell, adding that both players were “ready to go out there and try to win a championship” for the Jazz.
While the Jazz may eventually have to consider a major roster shakeup if they can’t break through and make a deep playoff run, the idea that coronavirus-related tension between Gobert and Mitchell would result in a blockbuster trade always seemed far-fetched. We’ll have a better sense of where things stand when teams reunite and Mitchell publicly addresses the situation, but Lindsey’s comments today indicate the organization doesn’t expect it to be an issue going forward.
All-NBA selections have become more important than ever in recent years, since teams can agree to increase the overall value of certain maximum-salary contracts based on whether or not a player has earned All-NBA honors in a given season.
Those higher max salaries are also available to players who win MVP or Defensive Player of the Year, but there’s only one of each of those awards per year. There are 15 All-NBA players annually, creating more opportunities for players to become eligible for those more lucrative contracts, informally known as “super-max” deals.
As we explain in our glossary entry on the “Designated Veteran Extension,” a player with between seven and nine years of NBA experience who meets certain contract criteria and hasn’t changed teams since the end of his rookie contract become eligible for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap – instead of 30% – if he was named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
Similar incentives are available for players coming off their rookie scale contracts, as noted in our glossary entry on the “Derrick Rose Rule.” Those players can earn max deals worth up to 30% of the cap instead of 25% if they were named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
The differences between the various levels of maximum salaries can be substantial over the course of a long-term contract. For instance, in 2019/20, a five-year max contract that starts at 25% of the cap and includes 8% annual raises is worth just over $158MM. By comparison, a five-year deal that starts at 35% of the cap with 8% annual raises is worth over $221MM. A five-year contract at the 30% max falls in between, at about $190MM.
We don’t know yet what this year’s All-NBA teams will look like – or even when voting will take place – but as our informal polls last week showed, there are a number of candidates whose future earnings could be affected by whether or not they earn one of those 15 spots.
Let’s take a closer look at some of those players…
Players who have already qualified for super-max contracts:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Antetokounmpo and Gobert didn’t even need to rely on All-NBA spots to qualify for super-max contracts — Giannis’ MVP award last year and Gobert’s back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2018 and 2019 secured their eligibility.
Because both players only had six years of experience entering the 2019/20 season, they had to wait one more year to be eligible to actually receive super-max extension offers, which would be worth 35% of the cap instead of 30%.
Antetokounmpo is a lock to receive such an offer from the Bucks, who have publicly said they’ll put it on the table as soon as they can. That was supposed to happen this July, but the NBA’s hiatus has thrown that timeline into flux. Whenever Milwaukee makes its offer, it would be for a five-year extension that would start in 2021/22 and be worth 35% of that season’s cap.
Gobert’s outlook is cloudier. He could also sign a five-year, 35% max-salary extension that would start in 2021/22, but he’s not at the same level of superstardom that Giannis is, so it remains to be seen how aggressive the Jazz will actually be in attempting to lock him up beyond next season.
Players whose already-signed rookie extensions would be impacted by an All-NBA selection:
- Pascal Siakam (Raptors)
- Ben Simmons (Sixers)
Siakam and Simmons signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions with their respective teams last fall. Both contracts will go into effect in 2020/21 and both include Rose Rule language, meaning they’ll be among the players closely monitoring this year’s All-NBA results.
In our series of polls, Siakam earned a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. However, I think there’s a real possibility he could end up on the Third Team. Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard will likely receive more votes than Siakam. Anthony Davis will place higher than Siakam too if voters consider him a forward. And even if Davis is listed as a center, Jayson Tatum is among those who should give Siakam a strong push for that Second Team forward spot.
While Siakam might be satisfied to end up on any All-NBA team, a spot on the Second Team would be far more satisfying from a financial perspective. His deal calls for a starting salary worth 28% of the cap if he earns All-NBA Second Team honors, but just 25% if he makes the Third Team.
As we outlined in the fall, that difference would have been worth nearly $16MM over four years based on a $116MM cap. The cap is no longer expected to get that high, but even so, missing out on a Second Team spot would cost Siakam millions.
As for Simmons, he wasn’t one of the 15 players voted to an All-NBA team by Hoops Rumors readers, but he looks to me like a viable candidate for the Third Team. If he makes the Third Team, his starting salary would be 28% of next year’s cap, rather than the 25% he’d get if he doesn’t make an All-NBA squad. Those three percentage points would impact Simmons even more than they would Siakam over the life of their contracts, since Simmons’ five-year deal runs for an extra season and the amount of the annual raises are based on the starting salary.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray also signed a rookie scale extension with Rose Rule language, but isn’t a realistic candidate for an All-NBA nod.
Players whose next contract could be impacted by an All-NBA selection this season:
- Joel Embiid (Sixers)
- Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
If Embiid – who was voted onto Hoops Rumors’ All-NBA Third Team – earns an All-NBA spot this season after doing so last year, he’d be in the same position heading into 2020/21 that Antetokounmpo and Gobert were entering 2019 — he’d have qualified for a super-max extension, but wouldn’t yet be eligible to sign one.
Once the 2021/22 league year begins, Embiid would have seven years of NBA experience, with All-NBA nods in at least two of the last three years, making him eligible to sign a four-year super-max extension that would begin in 2023/24, with a starting salary worth 35% of the cap. Even if Embiid doesn’t make an All-NBA team this season, doing so next year would still make him eligible for that same deal.
As for Ingram, he’s a long shot to be named to an All-NBA team, but in the unlikely event that he is, he’d be eligible to sign for a starting salary of up to 30% of the cap on a new free agent contract with the Pelicans. No other team looking to sign him to an offer sheet could exceed 25% of the cap in that scenario.
Other players to start monitoring if they earn All-NBA honors this season:
- Bam Adebayo (Heat)
- Devin Booker (Suns)
- Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Trae Young (Hawks)
These players fall into a few separate sub-categories. Jokic and Booker, for instance, are in their fifth seasons and on their second NBA contracts. An All-NBA spot – which is far likelier for Jokic – would be a good start toward earning super-max eligibility, but they’d still have to make another All-NBA team in either 2021 or 2022 to become eligible to sign a Designated Veteran Extension in 2022.
Doncic, an All-NBA lock, and Young, a lesser candidate, are only in their second NBA seasons. If they were to make All-NBA teams this year and next, they’d be eligible to sign rookie scale extensions with starting salaries worth up to 30% of the cap during the 2021 offseason. Those deals would go into effect in 2022/23.
Adebayo, Mitchell, and Tatum are all in their third seasons and will be extension-eligible during the 2020 offseason. Earning an All-NBA spot this year actually wouldn’t do much for their Rose Rule eligibility — they’d still have to do it again in 2021 to qualify, since the criteria calls for an All-NBA berth in either the season before the new contract begins or in two of the three prior seasons.
Still, earning All-NBA honors this year would give those three players additional leverage to negotiate Rose Rule language into their potential rookie scale extensions, which would go into effect in 2021/22.
Strong All-NBA candidates who are notably ineligible for super-max contracts:
- Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Beal was in position to qualify for a super-max extension if he had earned All-NBA honors this season, but the short-term contract extension he signed last October eliminated that possibility. By the time that extension expires, he’ll have 10 years of NBA experience and will be eligible for the 35% max anyway.
Davis has the right amount of NBA experience to gain eligibility and should be an All-NBA lock, but the fact that he changed teams last summer ensures he’ll no longer qualify for a Designated Veteran Contract this offseason — he missed out on the possibility of the super-max as soon as he left the Pelicans.
Various other All-NBA candidates won’t meet the super-max criteria for various reasons. Some, like James Harden, are already on a super-max contract. Others, such as LeBron James, already have 10+ years of experience and can’t qualify for a higher max than the 35% they already get. Recently changing teams (ie. Jimmy Butler) or signing new long-term deals (ie. Khris Middleton) also remove certain players from super-max contention.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- Although his first season with the Jazz has been a little up and down on the court, Mike Conley said in a Twitter Q&A on Tuesday that the transition to Utah itself has been as smooth as he could have hoped. “Salt Lake has been unbelievable to me,” Conley said, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “My family loves it. Obviously some of the best fans in the world. Truly a different experience for us, I think being in the mountains and altitude has been an adjustment. But, everywhere you go everyone is a diehard Jazz fan and truly care about you and your family.”
- Jazz swingman Joe Ingles plans to return to Australia when he retires but he’s not sure what the future holds when his current contract expires, according to Aaron Falk of the team’s website. “My whole plan was to play out my deal and make a decision after that,” Ingles said. “But if it’s time to go home and put them in school and settle down, that’s obviously my first priority. It’s not whether I want to keep playing. It’s a family deal.” Ingles is signed through the 2021/22 season, including a one-year, $13MM extension he signed last October.
A recent rift between Jazz All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert led to speculation that the Jazz may be forced to move one or the other this offseason, but that is not the case.
Mitchell and Gobert admitted to going through a rough patch after both players tested positive for COVID-19, with reports suggesting that Gobert was cavalier with teammates and their belongings leading up to his diagnosis. However, the two Jazz cornerstones are said to be repairing their relationship and are expected to remain together for the foreseeable future.
Utah has no plans to trade either player and Mitchell should be considered “untouchable” in trade talks, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. Jones, who addressed a reader’s question on the matter, cites Mitchell’s talent as well as his involvement in Utah’s community and his contract status as reasons why the Jazz are unlikely to consider a move.
Mitchell has one more year left on his rookie-scale contract, though he’s expected to sign an extension this summer. Gobert has just one season left on his deal. The center will make approximately $26.5MM during the 2020/21 campaign.
Jazz point guard Mike Conley isn’t concerned about a rift between teammates Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. Gobert and Mitchell are trying to repair their relationship after Mitchell felt Gobert’s careless actions led to his positive test for COVID-19. “They’re fine,” Conley said. “They’re competitors. They want to win.” Conley feels confident that there won’t be any locker room issues when the hiatus ends. “Our team chemistry has been as solid as ever and I am excited to hopefully get out there soon once this thing gets under control,” he said.