Nah, Fultz apparently killed his workout and the Lakers were trying to trade up to get him.
The Sixers offer was better than Randle + 2.
Random NBA Observations 2017 - 2018
- Thread starter Big Jo
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Nah, Fultz apparently killed his workout and the Lakers were trying to trade up to get him.
The Sixers offer was better than Randle + 2.
VegetasHairline
Veteran
<<TheStandard>>
I Am A God
Apparently Magic didn't want Ball.
He's just selling it for appearances.
Nate is a pretty reliable source.
VegetasHairline
Veteran
How is scouting your job and you miss on Mitchell and kuzma?
Could All-NBA Embiid cost Philly? That and more bonuses to watch
What started as 34 players with incentive bonuses in their contract in early September has now increased to 39 with the late September signings of Nikola Mirotic, JaMychal Green and rookie extensions of Joel Embiid, TJ Warren and Gary Harris.
While there are five months for teams to improve upon their early-season record, the first six weeks of the season have begun to separate which players are trending toward likely and unlikely bonuses (and which have been eliminated because of injury).
Once again, the media will have an impact with All-Star and postseason honors, votes that could change the landscape financially for some players and potentially even decrease cap space in July for one team.
The rookie extensions
Embiid is a unique case because his on-court performance and health this season have an impact not only for 2018-19 but for the next five seasons.
Signed to a five-year $146 million extension, Embiid's total compensation will increase to $178 million if he earns first-team All-NBA honors or is named Most Valuable Player this season. While the MVP is unlikely, Embiid could have an outside shot at first-team All-NBA based on his strong early-season play and the injury to Rudy Gobert. Unlike the All-Star selection process, in which the voting is split into backcourt and frontcourt, All-NBA is designated by position. Anthony Davis, named first-team All-NBA last season, should receive votes at power forward with DeMarcus Cousins now entrenched at center. Cousins -- on pace for a career season statistically -- is the biggest challenger to Embiid for the spot.
The 76ers would lose $5 million in cap space next season (and future seasons) with the Embiid cap hit increasing from $25.3 million to $30.3 million, which could make Philly's path to adding a max free agent over the summer more complicated.
Embiid also has a minutes clause that would see his future compensation guaranteed. If Embiid plays a minimum of 1,650 regular-season minutes in three consecutive years during the extension -- or three out of four including the 2017-18 season -- his contract starting in 2020-21 or 2021-22 will become guaranteed even if Embiid suffered an injury to his feet or back.
Embiid currently has played 532 minutes (29.6 per game) in the 18 games played and is on pace to reach the criteria this season. Once he does, the clock will start for future compensation to become guaranteed.
Harris and Warren would only create a larger cap hit next season if they reach their incentive clauses. Both players are still operating under their rookie scale contracts and there would be no financial reward (like Embiid). The bonuses would be deemed likely for the 2018-19 season.
Harris has 12 sets of bonuses, ranging from All-NBA to the Nuggets' success in the postseason (advancing to the second round and beyond). Though Harris is having a consistent season and the Nuggets are in contention for a playoff spot, each one of the bonuses is unlikely.
Warren is on pace for a career year and could be in the category of Most Improved Player when the season ends. If Warren does garner the award, the Suns will lose $500K in cap space next season with the Warren cap number increasing from $11.75 million to $12.25 million.
The $1 million punch
The mid-October altercation with teammate Bobby Portis not only sidelined Nikola Mirotic for the first six weeks of the season with a concussion and facial injury but will cost the forward $1 million in potential bonus money. Each of the four statistical benchmarks valued at $250K apiece applied only if Mirotic appeared in 65 games or more. Mirotic has already missed 20 games.
Would Mirotic have earned the bonuses had there not been an incident? Unlikely.
Besides the games played criteria, Mirotic would have needed to average 28 MPG along with 8 RPG, have a true shooting percentage greater than 61.5, be named most improved and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.5. In his first four seasons Mirotic had not reached the criteria, including minutes per game.
The injured corner
Snake-bit for a second consecutive season, Jeremy Lin will once again miss out on incentive bonuses as a result of an injury.
Lin is out for the season after knee surgery. Though the bonus for All-NBA would have been unlikely this season had Lin stayed healthy, statistical achievements based on 3-point shooting (37 percent) and attempts per game (2), free throw attempts per 36 minutes (more than 6) and assists (more than 7) and turnovers (less than 3.5) will see Lin miss out on a combined $750K.
The recent left wrist surgery that sidelined Paul Millsap will cost the former All-Star at least $650K in bonus money. Millsap had $500K in incentives for making the Western Conference All-Star team as a starter or reserve. A deep Western Conference frontcourt field and the wrist injury make that unfeasible. The bonus was deemed likely based on his playing in the All-Star Game last season as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. Millsap's $29.7 million cap hit for next season will be reduced to $29.2M.
Millsap also has a games played (65) and per 36 defensive rebounds (7) bonus that is valued at $150K. Now that he is out until February, this bonus will become void. Prior to the injury, Millsap was averaging 5.69 defensive rebounds per 36.
Millsap could recoup $150K of lost incentives if the Nuggets do reach the first round of the playoffs, which ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI) is projecting with a 68 percent chance.
There is no bigger loser in terms of financial incentives than Gobert.
While Lin and Millsap will lose $500K-$750K based on their respective injuries, the Jazz center could lose $2 million in incentives because of a recent right knee injury.
Gobert, who will not return to the court until mid-December at the earliest, will lose a combined $500K (two sets of $250K bonuses) based on a minimum of 67 games played. The games played are tied into a per-game rebounds average greater than 3.2 (minutes divided by rebounds) and having a defensive rating less than 100. Before the injury, Gobert had a defensive rating of 101.5 and had met the rebound criteria.
How the knee injury factors into the remaining $1.5 million in available incentives will rest with the media, fans and Western Conference head coaches. Left off the All-Star team last season, Gobert's statistics are similar to 2016-17.
Gobert has a $500K bonus for All-Defense first team (achieved last season) and $1 million for being named a Western Conference All-Star.
Other injured players
Give credit to Dewayne Dedmon's agent Mike Silverman for betting on the journeyman center's increased role in Atlanta this season.
Even with Dedmon expected to miss three to six weeks due to a left tibia stress reaction, the center is on pace to earn $900K based on his combined points and rebounds average being greater than 16. Dedmon has played 21 games and has to play only an additional 20 games to meet the criteria.
Dedmon is averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. As a fallback, Dedmon can earn $300K or $600K if his points and rebounds dip during the season. Dedmon has a unique structure that will see the center earn $300K for points and rebound averaging between 12 and 14, and $600K if points and rebounds average between 14 and 16.
Potential luxury tax savings
The Portland Trail Blazers' Maurice Harklesswill need to find his shooting touch if he wishes to be rewarded with a $500K bonus, as he was last season. The small forward, currently shooting 24.3 percent from 3, has to reach 35 percent by the end of the season.
The cost of Harkless not reaching the 3-point percentage criteria could result in financial savings for the Blazers. Portland would see its luxury tax bill drop from $4.3 million to $3.5 million, a savings of $800K.
The cost of staying healthy
Could this be the year that the Bucks' John Henson stays healthy for a full season?
Falling two games short last season of earning $250K (60 games played) because a late-season wrist injury, Henson has appeared in 19 of the Bucks' 20 games, including starting 12 at center.
If Henson remains on the court for more than 60 ($250K) and 75 ($500K) games, the center will earn $750K, a tall task for a player who has appeared in 58, 57, 67, 70 and 63 games during his first five years in the NBA.
An injury ended the Heat's Dion Waiters' 2016-17 season. Waiters missed 36 games last season with an ankle and groin injury. Now finally healthy, Waiters is on pace to receive a $1.1 million bonus if he plays more than 70 regular-season games. Besides missing two games because of the birth of his daughter, Waiters has played every regular-season game.
The starting point guards
Five starting point guards -- Ricky Rubio, Dennis Schroder, Jrue Holiday, Patty Mills and Kyle Lowry -- have seen mixed results so far. Only Holiday and Rubio are on pace to reach part of their incentives.
Holiday is on pace to reach $765K of the $1 million likely bonuses in his contract. Healthy for the first time since the 2012-13 season (when he played 78 games), Holiday will reach the criteria for games (66) and minutes (2,075) played barring injury. Both incentives have a combined value of $510K.
Holiday is also posting a career high (4.3) in rebounds per game. There is $255K of financial incentive if Holiday exceeds 3.2 during the season.
The addition of Rajon Rondo and Jameer Nelsonhas improved the product on the court but has impacted Holiday's assist per game average. With Holiday playing off the ball, his assists per game have dropped from 7.3 last season to currently 5.7. There is a $255K bonus if his assists per game are greater than 7.3. Rubio has three sets of bonuses -- free throws attempt (4.1), free throw percentage (82 percent) and field goal percentage (40 percent) -- that would result in $250K of extra compensation.
Through the first 20 games, Rubio has met the criteria for only free throw percentage (87.3 percent) while falling short of field goal percentage (38.8 percent) and free throws attempt (3.6).
The fate of the bonuses for Lowry will not be determined until late January and after the season. Lowry has a $200K bonus for returning to the All-Star Game and an additional $2.1 million in postseason honors ranging from All-Defense and All-NBA to the Raptors' progress in the playoffs (conference championship, NBA Finals and winning the Finals).
The mid-October altercation with teammate Bobby Portis not only sidelined Nikola Mirotic for the first six weeks of the season with a concussion and facial injury but will cost the forward $1 million in potential bonus money. Each of the four statistical benchmarks valued at $250K apiece applied only if Mirotic appeared in 65 games or more. Mirotic has already missed 20 games.
Would Mirotic have earned the bonuses had there not been an incident? Unlikely.
Besides the games played criteria, Mirotic would have needed to average 28 MPG along with 8 RPG, have a true shooting percentage greater than 61.5, be named most improved and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.5. In his first four seasons Mirotic had not reached the criteria, including minutes per game.
The injured corner
Snake-bit for a second consecutive season, Jeremy Lin will once again miss out on incentive bonuses as a result of an injury.
Lin is out for the season after knee surgery. Though the bonus for All-NBA would have been unlikely this season had Lin stayed healthy, statistical achievements based on 3-point shooting (37 percent) and attempts per game (2), free throw attempts per 36 minutes (more than 6) and assists (more than 7) and turnovers (less than 3.5) will see Lin miss out on a combined $750K.
The recent left wrist surgery that sidelined Paul Millsap will cost the former All-Star at least $650K in bonus money. Millsap had $500K in incentives for making the Western Conference All-Star team as a starter or reserve. A deep Western Conference frontcourt field and the wrist injury make that unfeasible. The bonus was deemed likely based on his playing in the All-Star Game last season as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. Millsap's $29.7 million cap hit for next season will be reduced to $29.2M.
Millsap also has a games played (65) and per 36 defensive rebounds (7) bonus that is valued at $150K. Now that he is out until February, this bonus will become void. Prior to the injury, Millsap was averaging 5.69 defensive rebounds per 36.
Millsap could recoup $150K of lost incentives if the Nuggets do reach the first round of the playoffs, which ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI) is projecting with a 68 percent chance.
There is no bigger loser in terms of financial incentives than Gobert.
While Lin and Millsap will lose $500K-$750K based on their respective injuries, the Jazz center could lose $2 million in incentives because of a recent right knee injury.
Gobert, who will not return to the court until mid-December at the earliest, will lose a combined $500K (two sets of $250K bonuses) based on a minimum of 67 games played. The games played are tied into a per-game rebounds average greater than 3.2 (minutes divided by rebounds) and having a defensive rating less than 100. Before the injury, Gobert had a defensive rating of 101.5 and had met the rebound criteria.
How the knee injury factors into the remaining $1.5 million in available incentives will rest with the media, fans and Western Conference head coaches. Left off the All-Star team last season, Gobert's statistics are similar to 2016-17.
Gobert has a $500K bonus for All-Defense first team (achieved last season) and $1 million for being named a Western Conference All-Star.
Other injured players
- Solomon Hill ($$980K): Minutes played (1,000) and All-Defense
- Omer Asik ($1.025M): Games played and team success, All-Star, All-NBA
- Alexis Ajinca ($225K): Games played (60) and team success
- Miles Plumlee ($500K): Games started (41) or minutes played (2,000)
Give credit to Dewayne Dedmon's agent Mike Silverman for betting on the journeyman center's increased role in Atlanta this season.
Even with Dedmon expected to miss three to six weeks due to a left tibia stress reaction, the center is on pace to earn $900K based on his combined points and rebounds average being greater than 16. Dedmon has played 21 games and has to play only an additional 20 games to meet the criteria.
Dedmon is averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. As a fallback, Dedmon can earn $300K or $600K if his points and rebounds dip during the season. Dedmon has a unique structure that will see the center earn $300K for points and rebound averaging between 12 and 14, and $600K if points and rebounds average between 14 and 16.
Potential luxury tax savings
The Portland Trail Blazers' Maurice Harklesswill need to find his shooting touch if he wishes to be rewarded with a $500K bonus, as he was last season. The small forward, currently shooting 24.3 percent from 3, has to reach 35 percent by the end of the season.
The cost of Harkless not reaching the 3-point percentage criteria could result in financial savings for the Blazers. Portland would see its luxury tax bill drop from $4.3 million to $3.5 million, a savings of $800K.
The cost of staying healthy
Could this be the year that the Bucks' John Henson stays healthy for a full season?
Falling two games short last season of earning $250K (60 games played) because a late-season wrist injury, Henson has appeared in 19 of the Bucks' 20 games, including starting 12 at center.
If Henson remains on the court for more than 60 ($250K) and 75 ($500K) games, the center will earn $750K, a tall task for a player who has appeared in 58, 57, 67, 70 and 63 games during his first five years in the NBA.
An injury ended the Heat's Dion Waiters' 2016-17 season. Waiters missed 36 games last season with an ankle and groin injury. Now finally healthy, Waiters is on pace to receive a $1.1 million bonus if he plays more than 70 regular-season games. Besides missing two games because of the birth of his daughter, Waiters has played every regular-season game.
The starting point guards
Five starting point guards -- Ricky Rubio, Dennis Schroder, Jrue Holiday, Patty Mills and Kyle Lowry -- have seen mixed results so far. Only Holiday and Rubio are on pace to reach part of their incentives.
Holiday is on pace to reach $765K of the $1 million likely bonuses in his contract. Healthy for the first time since the 2012-13 season (when he played 78 games), Holiday will reach the criteria for games (66) and minutes (2,075) played barring injury. Both incentives have a combined value of $510K.
Holiday is also posting a career high (4.3) in rebounds per game. There is $255K of financial incentive if Holiday exceeds 3.2 during the season.
The addition of Rajon Rondo and Jameer Nelsonhas improved the product on the court but has impacted Holiday's assist per game average. With Holiday playing off the ball, his assists per game have dropped from 7.3 last season to currently 5.7. There is a $255K bonus if his assists per game are greater than 7.3. Rubio has three sets of bonuses -- free throws attempt (4.1), free throw percentage (82 percent) and field goal percentage (40 percent) -- that would result in $250K of extra compensation.
Through the first 20 games, Rubio has met the criteria for only free throw percentage (87.3 percent) while falling short of field goal percentage (38.8 percent) and free throws attempt (3.6).
The fate of the bonuses for Lowry will not be determined until late January and after the season. Lowry has a $200K bonus for returning to the All-Star Game and an additional $2.1 million in postseason honors ranging from All-Defense and All-NBA to the Raptors' progress in the playoffs (conference championship, NBA Finals and winning the Finals).
Mills, inserted into the starting lineup in early November, has 38 3-pointers made during the first 22 games. Mills will earn $250K if he makes more than 185, a pace he is slightly behind right now. In addition, there is another $250K in bonuses that are tied to Mills having a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Mills has 80 assists to 28 turnovers (2.86-to-1).
Stuck in a numbers crunch
There are still 60 games to play catch-up, but Miami forward Kelly Olynyk is not on pace to reach his $1 million bonus for 1,700 minutes played. Despite playing a season-high 30 minutes against Charlotte on Dec. 1, Olynyk has averaged 19.6 MPG and would fall 94 minutes short of the minutes criteria.
After signing a four-year, $45 million contract in the offseason, Olynyk has seen his minutes in Miami decrease slightly compared to his first four seasons with the Celtics.
The inconsistent start could also cost Olynyk an additional $400K in bonuses if the Heat fail to make the playoffs. The Heat are currently 11-11 with a 31.6 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to BPI.
Stuck in a numbers crunch
There are still 60 games to play catch-up, but Miami forward Kelly Olynyk is not on pace to reach his $1 million bonus for 1,700 minutes played. Despite playing a season-high 30 minutes against Charlotte on Dec. 1, Olynyk has averaged 19.6 MPG and would fall 94 minutes short of the minutes criteria.
After signing a four-year, $45 million contract in the offseason, Olynyk has seen his minutes in Miami decrease slightly compared to his first four seasons with the Celtics.
The inconsistent start could also cost Olynyk an additional $400K in bonuses if the Heat fail to make the playoffs. The Heat are currently 11-11 with a 31.6 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to BPI.
Oubre would be enough for Jordan or Gasol but I and many other fans would not be supportive of that.
MooseMouthMthafuga
Veteran
Kyrie might go for 50 playing against Tyler Ulis & Mike James today
Hope Booker's alright..
Young Gawd is merciless
You’re gonna be eating tonight both of your youngins going at it..