THE MINDSET OF THE FRONT OFFICE
Don’t be afraid to eat contracts
The trend has already started in which teams in the playoff race or heading to the lottery are waiving players with guaranteed contracts to create a roster spot.
Memphis waived injured Mario Chalmers to create an open roster spot for the stretch run. The Chalmers injury was unfortunate, but the Grizzlies’ lack of healthy players forced management to bring in reinforcements. Washington, another team in the playoff race, waived injured guard Gary Neal to sign Marcus Thornton for the remainder of the season.
The Suns waived guard Sonny Weems to get a 20-game look at veteran Chase Budinger. Fortunately for Phoenix, Weems was claimed by Philadelphia 48 hours later.
Although there are financial consequences to eating a contract, the reward of having a new player contribute to a playoff race or finding a hidden gem for the future far outweighs the financial component.
Look at the whole body of work
There are going to be college prospects who are going to jump off your TV screen or wow you in person over the next few weeks.
Although the stage is a bit bigger, scouting the NCAA tournament should not carry more weight than watching a prospect in a conference tournament or a regular-season January game.
The good teams will focus on the whole body of work and not just a two- or three-game sample in late March.
The goal for NBA teams is to block the outside noise and not get fooled by the hype.
Dive into the D-League pool 30
It’s not the number of your favorite basketball player, but the number of NBA Development League call-ups this year.
Compared to past seasons – 63 in 2014-15 and 49 in 2013-14 – the league has seen a significant drop-off in players being called up with just 30.
The number of call-ups might not show it, but the D-League is still rich in talent.
Former NBA players Tim Frazier, Russ Smith, Erick Green and Vander Blue are a few players looking to get back into the league.
TEAMS WITH ROSTER SPOTS
Brooklyn, Phoenix, Minnesota, Orlando, the Clippers, Miami and Cleveland each have a roster spot open.
Brooklyn, Minnesota, Denver, Detroit and Boston have players on a 10-day contract and can create a roster spot if needed.
UNDER-THE-RADAR FREE AGENT
F Marvin Williams, Charlotte
Williams is the unsung hero and glue guy for the playoff-bound Charlotte Hornets. He has really turned himself into one of the better stretch fours in the NBA. He’s having his best year across the board even as his minutes have remained pretty consistent from previous years.
Williams is also very reliable, missing only six games the past two seasons.
He will be one of the more low-profile signings in July, but he will really help a team.
He’s best suited for a playoff team and not being the main focus on a bad team.
WHAT SCOUTS ARE SAYING ABOUT …
Sophomore F Ben Bentil, Providence
In all fairness to Big East Player of the Year Kris Dunn, Ben Bentil is the best player on Providence. A bit of an undersized power forward who has transformed his game from his freshman year. Can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end, posting up, stretching the floor, displaying really nice footwork with a soft touch around the basket. The question for Bentil is what position can he defend at the next level.
If he declares for the NBA draft, it will be interesting to see how tall he measures. He’s listed at 6-foot-8, but there is a good chance he is closer to 6-6.
The feeling around the NBA is that he will declare with Dunn.
He has great value for a team picking in the mid-30s.
SALARY CAP TERM OF THE WEEK
Cap hold and Bird rights for waived players
Players waived during the season will not have a cap hold in July, or Bird or early Bird rights. For example, Memphis will not be allowed to sign Mario Chalmers and the Heat will not be allowed to sign Beno Udrih using a form of Bird or early Bird rights.
However, a player can regain Bird rights if he signs a one-year contract in the offseason with cap space or a type of exception (minimum, mid-level, etc.).
In 2012, the Nets signed Keith Bogans to a one-year contract.
Bogans was injured midseason and was eventually waived. The following season (2012-13), Bogans signed a one-year contract at the minimum with Brooklyn. Because Bogans did not change teams, he was deemed to have early Bird rights when he was a free agent in 2013.
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