At this week’s NBA Board of Governors meetings, teams were reportedly advised that the league’s salary cap could rise past the $100MM mark as early as the 2017/18 season. Based on current projections, league officials expect the salary cap to increase from its current $63.1MM figure to $67.1MM next season, $89MM in 2016/17, and $108MM in 2017/18. The league has been careful to stress to its teams that these projections are contingent on the NBA and its players avoiding a work stoppage after the 2016/17 season when the league and the NBPA can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement. Here’s the rest of the happenings from the week that was…
Signings
- The Suns signed Jerel McNeal to a multiyear deal.
- Lester Hudson inked a multiyear pact with the Clippers.
- The Nuggets signed Jamaal Franklin for the remainder of the season.
- The Kings and David Stockton signed a multiyear deal.
- Vander Blue signed with the Lakers for the remainder of the season.
- Mavs camp invitee Eric Griffin has signed to play in Puerto Rico for Leones de Ponce.
2015 NBA Draft News
- Duke freshman small forward Justise Winslow is entering the NBA draft.
- Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis will declare for the 2015 NBA draft.
- Virginia junior small forward Justin Anderson plans to enter this year’s draft.
- Ohio State freshman D’Angelo Russell plans to declare for the 2015 NBA draft.
- Duke freshman point guard Tyus Jones will leave school to enter the NBA draft.
- Notre Dame sophomore point guard Demetrius Jackson will return to school for another season.
- Gary Payton II intends to return to Oregon State next season.
- Wichita State junior guards Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet plan to remain out of this year’s NBA draft.
- Arkansas sophomore power forward Bobby Portis has decided to enter this year’s draft.
- Boston College junior combo guard Olivier Hanlan will declare for this year’s draft.
- Draft prospects Montrezl Harrell of Louisville and Trey Lyles of Kentucky signed with agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
- Sam Dekker of Wisconsin signed with agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports. Georgia State junior R.J. Hunter also inked a pact with the agent.
- Ryan Harrow, a senior from Georgia State, has signed a deal with agent Wallace Prather of Perennial Sports & Entertainment.
- Eastern Washington’s Tyler Harvey has signed with agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports.
- West Virginia senior guard Juwan Staten has signed with agent Colin Bryant of Max Deal Sports.
- Arkansas junior guard Michael Qualls is leaving school early to enter the draft.
- Stanford senior guard Anthony Brown has also hired Goldfeder as his agent.
- Murray State sophomore Cameron Payne has hired Travis King of Relativity Sports as his agent.
- Alpha Kaba, a 6’10” forward playing for the French team Espoirs Pau-Orthez, will enter the 2015 NBA draft.
- N.C. State junior shooting guard Trevor Lacey has decided to enter this year’s draft.
- French big man Mouhammadou Jaiteh will enter this year’s draft.
- Overseas prospects Cedi Osman and center Nikola Milutinov will enter this year’s draft.
- 21-year-old Bosnian forward Adin Vrabac, who is currently playing in Germany, will declare for the 2015 NBA draft.
News/Rumors
- NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn plans to retire in August.
- Al Jefferson said that he is likely to opt in and remain with the Hornets next season.
- Ares Capital’s Tony Ressler, who is fronting a group that includes Grant Hill, is making a bid to purchase the Hawks.
- NBA coaching veteran Scott Skiles, Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg and Blazers assistant coach David Vanterpool are among the candidates for the Nuggets coaching job. Also garnering interest are Billy Donovan, Michael Malone, Mike D’Antoni, Alvin Gentry and, if the Thunder let him go, Scott Brooks.
- LaMarcus Aldridge may be more willing to leave the Blazers this summer than previously thought.
- The NBA and the NBPA announced that blood testing for Human Growth Hormone will commence under the league’s anti-drug program, beginning during the 2015/16 NBA season.
- Dwyane Wade confirmed that he intends to pick up his $16.125MM player option for next season.
- The Lakers reportedly will attempt to trade Nick Young this offseason.
- Goran Dragic confirmed that he’ll turn down his $7.5MM player option for next season, as he’s long planned to do.
- The Hawks nominated Mike Budenholzer, and not Danny Ferry, for the Executive of the Year award, which reportedly irked a number of executives around the league.
- Rockets rookie K.J. McDaniels will likely miss the playoffs due to a fractured wrist.
- The Knicks are reportedly one of Greg Monroe‘s preferred free agent destinations.
- Thabo Sefolosha blames New York City police for the season-ending injury he suffered outside a New York nightclub last week.
- Soon-to-be free agent forward DeMarre Carroll acknowledged interest in the Knicks and hinted that he wouldn’t mind signing with the Lakers or Clippers, either.
- The Magic intend to make Kyle O’Quinn the qualifying offer necessary for them to be able to match offers for him in free agency this summer.
- There is mutual interest between Joe Ingles and the Jazz in the player returning to Utah next season.
- A number of draft order tiebreakers were settled.
- The Lakers reportedly intended to re-sign Dwight Buycks prior to him suffering a broken right hand during game action.
- Wolves forward Kevin Garnett is reportedly leaning toward playing next season.
- All of the week’s NBA D-League assignments and recalls can be found here.