NBA Thread

[¿PapaPancho?]

In your defense Jon I was wrong though ... the 12 hours you had Chris Paul was the last time you had a decent scoring PG ...


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[Jon]

In your defense Jon I was wrong though ... the 12 hours you had Chris Paul was the last time you had a decent scoring PG ...


TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

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[GM Franchise]

Sim Bhullar Signed by Kings: Latest News, Reaction and Analysis

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2109911-sim-bhullar-signed-by-kings-latest-news-reaction-and-analysis

The biggest man of the 2014 NBA draft is soon to be the biggest man in Sacramento.

Sim Bhullar, a 7'5" New Mexico State center who burst onto the scene at this year's NCAA tournament, wasn't selected in the draft itself, but the Kings will reportedly sign the big man on Friday.

He was not listed among the top 100 players ranked by ESPN's Chad Ford (subscription required), while DraftExpress had him 73rd—well out of the 60-player range selected at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

Lightly regarded coming out of high school, Bhullar initially committed to Xavier before heading to New Mexico State. Playing near-identical roles in each of his two seasons, he led the Aggies to consecutive NCAA tournament berths and became infamous in college basketball circles for his size.

He's listed at 7'5" and 360 pounds, which would make him instantly the league's biggest player and one of the largest in history.

[GM Franchise]

Eric Bledsoe gets qualifying offer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAtGT-fFvr0

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have extended qualifying offers to point guard Eric Bledsoe and forward P.J. Tucker.

The move was necessary by Monday for the team to retain the rights to the players, who both are restricted free agents.

Both players can sign a contract with another team but the Suns have the right to match it and keep the player.

The free agent period begins Tuesday.

[GM Franchise]

Source: Heat-Raptors Deal for Kyle Lowry 'Imminent'

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2112449-source-heat-raptors-deal-for-kyle-lowry-imminent?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national

An agreement in principle on a deal that would send point guard Kyle Lowry from the Toronto Raptors to the Miami Heat is "imminent," a league source with direct knowledge of the negotiations said Friday.

The deal, which will consist of the Raptors signing and trading Lowry in exchange for Heat point guard Norris Cole, cash and a combination of future draft picks, can't be officially consummated until sometime after July 1 because Miami is currently over the salary cap and must sort out its position with its existing core of superstars—LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

But James already has opted out of the remaining two years of his Heat contract and the team is aggressively looking to upgrade its point-guard position to persuade James to return. Miami traded up to acquire University of Connecticut point guard Shabazz Napier in Thursday night's NBA draft, but apparently aren't stopping there to show James he will not have to carry the same ball-handling and playmaking duties as he did during the team's failed attempt to snare a third consecutive championship this past season.

Regardless of how the discussions go with James, Wade and Bosh, however, "Lowry will be a member of the Heat" next season, the source said. The Heat's grand plan is to transform its Big Three into a Big Four that would include Knicks free agent Carmelo Anthony, multiple league sources have said. The addition of Lowry, though, could mean only part of the current Big Three comprises the new quartet.

Lowry, a nine-year veteran, put up career highs in points (17.9 per game), assists (7.4), rebounds (4.7) and starts (79) to help Toronto make the playoffs for the first time since 2008 with a franchise-record 48 wins. The exact terms of his deal are being worked out, but its value will be $9-$10 million a year for at least three years. He made roughly $6.2 million this past season.

Ongoing concerns within the Raptors organization that Lowry's notable improvement was inspired by his pending free agency and mutual interest between Lowry and the Heat prompted the three parties—Toronto, Miami and Lowry—to work toward a mutually beneficial agreement.

"I'm happy with making the playoffs and doing that, but the end game for all players should be a championship and that's what I want to play for," Lowry told Basketball Insiders this week. "I want to play for a championship."

Coming to terms on a deal as early as possible allows both teams to know exactly where they stand and act quickly when free agency begins.

Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri knows all too well the perils of going into the summer uncertain about a superstar with an expiring contract. He served as an assistant GM when Chris Bosh bolted Toronto to join James and Wade in Miami in 2010. Shortly thereafter he was hired away by the Denver Nuggets as their VP of basketball operations and presided over dealing presumptive free agent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks less than a year later.

Bosh now is expected to follow James into free agency by opting out of the remaining two years of his Heat contract, the source said, and the Raptors intend to meet with him to gauge his interest in returning to Toronto.

The attraction for Bosh to Toronto would be a more significant role and a longer-term deal with the Raptors. Were he to stay in Miami and the pursuit of Anthony prove successful, Bosh would be looking at a significant pay cut and remaining the third option, if not possibly sliding to the fourth, offensively. Bosh has repeatedly stated that he'd like to stay in Miami, but rival GMs and executives have indicated that if the Heat's current Big Three were broken up, they have believed that Bosh would be the one to leave.

[GM Franchise]

Here's an update for my Canadian peeps about Bruno Caboclo.



MEET BRUNO CABOCLO, TORONTO'S BAFFLING FIRST-ROUND PICK

http://dimemag.com/2014/06/meet-bruno-caboclo-surprise-pick-first-round/

The Toronto Raptors targeted Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis in the first round last night. When he went to the Phoenix Suns at No. 18, general manager Masai Ujiri went with the second prospect on his draft board, a player no one had heard of coming into the draft.

When the Raptors selected Bruno Caboclo from Brazil, there was an audible silence in the draft room, on the ESPN panel, and from basketball fans everywhere. Somehow, in an age where mock drafts are churned out on an hourly basis, none of us had Caboclo on the board or had much information about him at all.

Here's the skinny on the Raptors pick: he's 6-foot-9, and at 18 years old, is the youngest player taken in this year's draft. Among prospects born in 1995, he was ranked 18th by Draft Express. Actual basketball footage of Caboclo is scarce, here's one that we found which doesn't tell us very much except he has a lot of athletic potential:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVk4t-H0XaA

Ujiri and head coach Dwane Casey did talk to the media afterwards. Casey tells Eric Koreen of The National Post, he was impressed by what he saw from Caboclo during a pre-draft workout:

The Raptors first noticed him at Basketball Without Borders in 2013, and two Raptors scouts watched Caboclo play at a tournament in Brazil in December. They told Ujiri to check him out, and he flew to Brazil three times to watch him play.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey said he recently saw Caboclo working out in Houston. Casey conceded that only "three or four" teams knew of Caboclo, but they were worried that he would not make it to the 37th pick, which the Raptors eventually used on Connecticut forward DeAndre Daniels.

"Bruno is an athletic phenomenon," Casey said. "At 20, you're not going to get a perfect player, but this young man has a chance to hit it big. He's raw. But he's going to be a guy that's going to develop in our program, grow and do a lot of things for us. Defensively, he's long. He covers a lot of ground down in a stance. He blocks shot with his length."

And then there's this:

Ryan Wolstat        ✔ @WolstatSun
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Some info from a North American source: Utah and Phoenix were hot after Caboclo, would have taken him if on the board with next picks

Ryan Wolstat        ✔ @WolstatSun
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Same North American source: Raptors promised Caboclo many months ago. That's why he didn't do workouts.

The Raptors weren't the only team who had an eye on Caboclo. It should be noted Ujiri was enamored with Giannis Antetokounmpo's raw athleticism in last year's draft and tried to trade up to select him. Caboclo's appeal is similar.

According to the Raptors, Caboclo will play in the summer league and join the team for training camp. We'll get a first-hand look at the most surprising first round pick from last night very soon.

Oh, and there's this front page of a Toronto newspaper today:

[GM Franchise]

NBA Cap Space Meter

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11145515/teams-most-salary-cap-space

[Reya Serra]

I'd take wins over cap space.

Also I'm not sure why but none of the Suns draft picks really overly impressed me.  I felt the same way last year though so take from that what you will.

[Gravedigger]

TJ Warren is a good pick in my opinion. Great scorer.

[GM Franchise]

TJ Warren is a good pick in my opinion. Great scorer.

I like him and I think Bogdanovic is going to become a big time player in the league.

[GM Franchise]

Knicks targeting Melo-Gasol combo

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/11148045/new-york-knicks-carmelo-anthony-chances-eye-pau-gasol

The New York Knicks are increasingly optimistic about their chances of re-signing star Carmelo Anthony even as he readies himself to talk to other teams next week, according to sources close to the situation.

Sources told ESPN.com that Knicks officials, while not willing to trumpet it publicly with free agency fast approaching, are quietly confident about their odds of retaining Anthony thanks in part to the idea that new team president Phil Jackson and the high-scoring forward have "connected" to some degree.

Furthermore, one source close to the process told ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne that Jackson is planning to make a determined attempt to try to recruit his former Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol to replace the freshly traded Tyson Chandler alongside Anthony on the Knicks' front line, despite the fact New York is limited to offering Gasol less than $4 million for next season.

Time will tell if the Knicks' internal confidence in retaining Anthony proves justified, given that he opted out of the final year of his contract at $23.3 million -- with Jackson urging him to opt in -- and will soon be courted face-to-face by a handful of top teams in big cities.

The 30-year-old officially becomes an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. and, as ESPN.com reported earlier this week, is planning to go on visits or hold meetings with the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Lakers all before the Fourth of July. It also must be noted as July 1 draws near that the Bulls and Rockets have likewise been radiating no shortage of positivity about their chances of stealing Anthony away from the Knicks.

The Miami Heat are likewise expected to have Anthony's ear if they choose to formally jump into the race, thanks to the close relationship between LeBron James and the Knicks' star, sources say. But Heat president Pat Riley -- after confirming a recent ESPN.com report that Miami has Anthony on its radar despite the challenges it faces just to get James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all re-signed -- has acknowledged that growing the Heat's Big Three into a Big Four is a "pipe dream."

Sources told ESPN.com this week that the Knicks swung their trade with the Mavericks to send out Chandler and the out-of-favor Raymond Felton to bring back a clutch of veterans in return -- headlined by point guard Jose Calderón -- in their belief that Anthony would relish the prospect of playing with the Spaniard. Calderon has been a perimeter threat and a beloved teammate everywhere he's played.

Jackson, though, was guarded Thursday in his public comments about the Knicks' chances of retaining Anthony, with New York hamstrung in what it can to do to upgrade the roster around him until it has significant salary-cap space in the summer of 2015.

"It's a big question because there are so many things that can happen out there," Jackson said. "We really don't know. With LeBron getting in this free agency ... we don't know what all that means. But we have every confidence that Carmelo is good for what his word is, that he wants to be in New York, he likes playing in New York, he wants to compete, he wants to be part of a playoff team that is competitive toward a championship."

Sources nonetheless insist that the Knicks feel far better about their chances than Jackson is letting on. No team can match the five years and $129 million that New York can provide if it wishes to offer a maximum contract to Anthony, and while Anthony is undoubtedly intrigued by the chance to team with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and coach Tom Thibodeau in Chicago, he also still loves the Madison Square Garden stage dearly.

Anthony also said in an interview in early June that he would be hesitant to uproot his family -- 7-year-old son Kiyan in particular -- from New York to another city.

"The average person sees the opportunity to say, 'Melo should go here; Melo should go there; he should do this; I think he should do that,'" Anthony said in an interview with Vice Sports. "They don't take in consideration the family aspect of it. Where are you going to be living at? Do you want your kids to grow up in that place or that city? Do I want to stay the rest of my career in that situation and city? All that stuff comes into play."

A source told ESPN New York that Anthony has expressed similar concerns to close friends in recent days.

Amid speculation that the Knicks are reluctant to offer a max deal to Anthony, Jackson said: "We haven't come to that. But the perception is we want Carmelo to be as interested in winning. When saying he's competitive and wants to be on a competitive team to also being able to demonstrate that if push comes to shove in a situation where he may have to take a little bit less and we're more competitive to bring in another player to help us bring this concept along."

A source told ESPN New York recently that Anthony viewed Jackson's message as "piggybacking" off what the All Star forward himself suggested in February about taking a pay cut and doesn't necessarily see it as Jackson placing a demand on him.

Anthony can receive a maximum of $95.9 million over four seasons if he decides to leave. Jackson has refused to address whether he will consider doing a sign-and-trade if Anthony opts to leave, but he did insist that the Knicks improved their chemistry Wednesday by shedding Chandler and Felton in the Dallas deal and contends that the trade sends "a message to all of our players that we are on the move and we are making changes."

As ESPN.com reported earlier this week, sources say Chicago has been plotting its free-agent pursuit of Anthony all the way back to the January trade of Luol Deng, while Houston on Wednesday night struck a deal to trade center Omer Asik to New Orleans in the first major step toward clearing enough salary-cap space to pursue Anthony or James. The Rockets have been telling teams for weeks that they have a subsequent trade lined up to move out guard Jeremy Lin if a marquee free agent verbally commits to Houston.

Chandler, for his part, thinks his return to the Mavericks will enhance Dallas' pitch to Anthony greatly.

"[Anthony] wants to win and he wants to be in a system and he wants to be in a culture," Chandler said this week. "I think that's going to go into a big part of his decision-making.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to help the team and the organization. At the end of the day, free agency is kind of an individual thing ... But I'll tell you one thing: Dallas isn't a bad place to be; it's a great opportunity and clearly we've done it in the past. It's not a hard place to sell. I'm going to do whatever it takes."

[GM Franchise]

Report: Udonis Haslem opts out

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/11149349/udonis-haslem-opts-contract-miami-heat

Veteran power forward Udonis Haslem has opted out of his deal with the Miami Heat and will become an unrestricted free agent, according to a report.

Bleacher Report reported Saturday that Haslem did not exercise his $4.62 million player option and now is free to sign with any team -- including re-signing a team-friendly deal with the Heat to create extra space under the salary cap -- starting Tuesday.

LeBron James has already opted out of his deal with the Heat, and teammates Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade -- who have the same representation as Haslem -- have until midnight on Monday to make the same decision.

James, Bosh and Wade met Wednesday over a meal to discuss their futures, sources told ESPN.com.

If all re-sign with the Heat, team president Pat Riley would have more financial flexibility with which to work to lure other free agents. The Heat have been to the Finals the past four seasons, winning two titles.

Haslem has spent 11 NBA seasons with the Heat, but averaged 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds over 14.2 minutes per game this season -- all career lows.

[GM Franchise]

Dwayne Wade opts out of contract, becomes free agent



http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/6/28/5849474/dwyane-wade-opts-out-contract-free-agent

In a mild surprise, the Heat's star wing will leave two years and $41 million on the table to become a free agent.

Dwyane Wade has exercised the early termination clause in his contract, becoming a free agent with the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.


Wade was slated to make $41 million over the next two years, but elected to become a free agent anyway even though his game is in clear decline. The hope is that he can sign a long-term contract, presumably at a lower annual figure.

Wade only played in 54 regular-season games last season, battling through various injuries and getting rest throughout the campaign. The former Marquette star averaged 19 points per game, the lowest number since Wade's rookie season in 2003-04 when he scored 16.2 points per night. Wade's rebounding was also down to to 4.5, the lowest since 2007-08.

In the NBA Finals, Wade suffered through a nightmare of a series. Wade only averaged 15 points per game and shot just 7 of 25 over the last two games, both which the Heat were blown out of.

By opting to leave, Wade opens up a huge chunk of Miami's salary cap. By leaving a salary of $20.1 million on the table for 2014-15 and an option of $21.6 million for 2015-16, the Heat have ample room to bring back James and Wade, perhaps at a much lower cap figure.

By opening up money, general manager Pat Riley can add better depth and role players after being demolished by the San Antonio Spurs. Should Chris Bosh also opt out and forfeit his $20.6 million number, Miami suddenly has the most cap space in the NBA.

Wade will turn 33 years old in January and is likely looking for his last substantial contract.

[GM Franchise]

Bosh has joined in on the fun.

Wade, Bosh choose free agency

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/11149842/dwyane-wade-tells-miami-heat-test-free-agency

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are opting out of their contracts to join LeBron James in free agency, their agent Henry Thomas tells ESPN.

The Big 3 also will be joined as free agents by forward Udonis Haslem, who is represented by Thomas as well.

The moves will provide the Heat with a record $55 million in cap space.

Wade, Bosh, James and Haslem are free to negotiate with any teams starting at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

[GM Franchise]

Report: LeBron James Seeks Max Contract, Wants Roster Improvements

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2068925-lebron-james-reportedly-opts-to-become-free-agent-latest-details-reaction?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national

Updates from Saturday, June 28

ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Associated Press reporter Tim Reynolds have the latest on Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade's situation:


Original Text

Break out your "take my talents" jokes from 2010. LeBron James has exercised his early termination option for the 2014-15 NBA season and will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

ESPN's Chris Broussard reports Rich Paul, LeBron James' agent, has informed the Heat of his client's decision:


Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski provides details on the decision:

While Bosh, Wade and Haslem could ultimately take less money with the early termination outs in their deals, James, the NBA's four-time MVP, is seeking a full maximum contract extension – or something close to it – to stay with Miami, sources told Yahoo Sports.

[...]

James' priority remains to find a way to make a future work with Miami, but a failure by the organization toward improving the Heat's roster to his satisfaction could send him aggressively into free agency, sources said.

Following the news, Pat Riley issued a statement on James via the Heat website:

"I was informed this morning of his intentions. We fully expected LeBron to opt-out and exercise his free agent rights, so this does not come as a surprise. As I said at the press conference last week, players have a right to free agency and when they have these opportunities, the right to explore their options. The last four seasons have been historic and LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Erik Spoelstra have led the Miami HEAT to one of the most unprecedented runs in the history of the NBA. We look forward to sitting down with LeBron and his representatives and talking about our future together. At the moment, we are preparing for the opportunities in the Draft and Free Agency as we continue with our goal of winning NBA Championships."

Brian Windhorst of ESPN provides details on teams looking to schedule meetings with James:


Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated notes that the decision to opt out was a tactical one:


The Miami Heat forward was due $20.59 million for next season, which could have been his fifth with the club. James' six-year, $109.83 million contract carried early termination options for both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

Speculation about James' potential departure has run rampant for much of the season. Almost half the league will have significant cap space this summer, most notably the Los Angeles Lakers. James will lead a free-agent class that also includes friend Carmelo Anthony, though it's far more surprising to see the four-time NBA MVP's name on the open market.


"At this point, I can't," James told NBATV in February, when asked if he could see himself leaving the Heat. "At this point, I can't. We don't know what can happen from now to July, so what I've been able to do this whole season to this point is just worry about what's at hand, and that's winning another championship."

While understandably worrisome, James opting out far from ends his Heat career. Under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, Miami can offer him a five-year maximum deal worth roughly $127.7 million. Other teams are limited to a four-year pact maxing out at $94.8 million. That $33 million can make all the difference, even for someone of James' financial means.

As Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick points out, opting out merely allows James to assess his options.


Dwyane Wade's prime has either already been passed, or close to it. Chris Bosh has disappeared in three consecutive postseasons against the Indiana Pacers, and he turned 30 in March. Both have the same ETO as James.

Ray Allen turns 39 in July and is hitting free agency, Shane Battier is retiring, and Mario Chalmers can walk this summer. Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen each have player options, though it'd be a surprise to see either opt out.

There are a ton of moving components here, each of which will have to be solved by Pat Riley.

The Heat, despite their aging roster and noticeable foibles, have won two NBA championships and gone to four straight Finals over the past four seasons. It would have been an historical anomaly to see James walk away at the pinnacle of an ongoing dynasty. But Riley needs to provide James with a cogent plan on how to rebuild the talent surrounding the Big Three. Miami is well over the projected salary cap if you include cap holds, and it's nearing the dreaded repeater tax bracket.

Given the Heat amnestied Finals hero Mike Miller to reduce their tax last summer, this is no longer the no-brainer situation James walked into.

There is also an underlying financial component.

James is risking his long-term earning power and maximizing it. His five-year max, had he opted into the 2014-15 season, would have allowed his next contract to begin at 107.5 percent of that year's salary. He'd be 35 by the end of his next five-year contract, an age at which not many players (Kobe Bryant exceptions aside) are handed massive paydays. Analytically speaking (per wagesofwins.com), ages 34 and 35 feature among the biggest drops in expected performance.

Should James leave now, his four-year deal would end at age 33. He might even be able to force a third-year player option, which maximizes his potential of procuring max-level money into his late 30s. Doing so also means leaving $30 million guaranteed on the table.


There is a loyalty factor to consider as well. The biggest draw to Miami beyond winning has been the familial atmosphere Riley has cultivated. As Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald wrote in April, James may have played close to home when in Cleveland, but he never felt at "home" until he signed with the Heat. Beginning with the Big Three and on down the line through Riley and owner Micky Arison, these guys like each other.

But, as we saw in "The Decision" era, he is also a pragmatist. James spurned his hometown and engulfed his public reputation in flames to win in Miami. He's older and more comfortable with his all-time standing now, yet James is understandingly unwilling to play out the remainder of his prime in mediocrity. A source told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that the James situation remains fluid:


There were already ever-so-slight signs of slippage. Though he averaged his customary 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists, James was downright bad defensively at times last season. His effort waxed and waned, his rotations were sloppy, and there were countless moments when he'd eschew transition defense entirely to complain about a missed call.

Those are signs of the incredible wear James has put on his body these last few seasons. No player on the planet has played more minutes since the 2010-11 season, and only Kevin Durant is remotely close. With Wade breaking down, James might be reading the tea leaves and looking to repeat history—a situation where he can be The Man without having to carry the entire load.

Or he could just be looking for a fat new contract. Either way, Riley and Co. officially have their work cut out for them.