Free Agent Stock Watch: Eric Gordon
In theory, a player like Eric Gordon, who has been limited to just five games this season, should be seeing his free agent stock take a huge hit. After missing most of the season with a knee injury, Gordon has also been bothered by back and hip issues recently. For a player who also missed significant time in 2010/11 with a wrist injury, it seems like earning the "injury-prone" label is unavoidable, hurting his leverage in free agency.
However, Gordon is in a unique position as he approaches restricted free agency. Having been the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade that sent him to New Orleans for Chris Paul, Gordon isn't a player the Hornets can simply let walk away without a fight at season's end. The 23-year-old's leverage is strong enough that he reportedly turned down a four-year deal worth about $50MM earlier this season, while he was on the shelf with knee problems.
Gordon's free agency will be perhaps the most fascinating case to watch this offseason. He probably won't receive the most money — Deron Williams figures to receive that honor. But Gordon should draw interest from a number of teams. His hometown Pacers have long been rumored to have interest, and other teams facing possible holes at shooting guard, such as the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Trail Blazers, will have the cap room to make Gordon a big offer, if they so choose.
Gordon is a talented scorer who poured in 22.3 PPG with the Clippers a year ago and figures to only get better, as long as he stays healthy. But he's not a superstar, and his health issues are a genuine cause for concern. I don't think he deserves the sort of four-year, maximum-salary contract that Kevin Love signed with the Timberwolves.
With the league-owned Hornets determined to salvage the Paul trade though, they'd likely be willing to pay close to the max to keep Gordon in a New Orleans uniform for the next few years. The question is whether or not another team will force them to go that high. If you're the Pacers, do you offer Gordon a lucrative four-year deal that could compromise your tremendous cap flexibility? What if the Hornets decide not to match, and you end up locked into a contract in the neighborhood of $14MM annually for a pure scorer who may be an ongoing injury risk?
For Gordon, the other question is whether or not he even wants to play in New Orleans long-term. If he prefers to sign elsewhere, he could simply accept the Hornets' qualifying offer, bet on his health for next season, and then become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2013. That'd be a big risk though, since he'd giving up his current leverage with New Orleans, and another injury or two next year would raise serious red flags.
Although I expect Gordon to ultimately re-sign to a near-max deal with the Hornets, this one could go in a number of different ways. The Pacers still seem to be the most serious threat to New Orleans, but we'll see how this plays out in July.
Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Hickson, Andersen
We already rounded up the latest on the Trail Blazers today, but the afternoon brought a couple more updates out of Portland, so let's get to those, along with a pair of Nuggets links….
- LaMarcus Aldridge will undergo hip surgery and miss the rest of the season, the Blazers announced (via Twitter). The procedure puts Aldridge's Olympic availability in doubt, though he hopes to recover in time to compete for a spot on Team USA, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (Twitter link).
- J.J. Hickson would like to remain in Portland past this season, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The Blazers have yet to make a decision on Hickson, acting GM Chad Buchanan tells Haynes: "We still want to evaluate J.J. in these next seven games. We're excited to have him and he's playing some great ball for us. We have time before making a decision."
- Within a Nuggets mailbag, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post says it's definitely possible that Denver uses its amnesty clause on Chris Andersen next season.
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post thinks the Nuggets would be better served missing the playoffs and drafting in the lottery than qualifying for a likely first-round exit.
Southeast Notes: Maggette, Odom, Wade, Wittman
Eastern Conference playoff seeding will be on the line the next two nights, with a focus on Southeast teams. Tonight, the Heat take on the Bulls in what is a must-win game if Miami wants a shot at the East's top seed. Tomorrow night, the Hawks and Magic, who have identical 34-24 records, play in Orlando in a game Dwight Howard is expected to miss. While we await what should be some good on-court action, let's catch up on the latest off-court updates out of the Southeast Division….
- In a press release, the Bobcats announced that Corey Maggette will miss the rest of the season with an ongoing right Achilles injury. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer wonders if Maggette has played his last game for the Bobcats, identifying the veteran as a potential amnesty candidate.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel thinks the Heat could be a good fit for Lamar Odom, if Odom was willing to accept a significant pay cut to come to Miami next season.
- After saying yesterday that he believed players should be compensated for playing in the Olympics, Dwyane Wade backtracked on those comments today. The Heat star released a statement clarifying that he didn't want to be paid to play for Team USA in London this summer.
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman isn't worried about his fate for next season, telling Michael Lee of the Washington Post that "whatever happens, happens."
Rockets Sign Diamon Simpson
The Rockets have signed Diamon Simpson, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The deal, which was first reported by Jarrod Waerea of NBADownUnder.com, will be for the rest of the season, with a non-guaranteed year for next season, according to Feigen (via Twitter).
Simpson, 24, was part of the Warriors' training camp in 2009, but was waived prior to the season. The St. Mary's product has yet to make his NBA debut, spending the last few seasons playing in the D-League, the Philippines, Turkey, and, most recently, Australia.
The 6'7" forward will take the roster spot vacated by Malcolm Thomas when Thomas' 10-day contract expired.
Draft Updates: Dominic Cheek, Jonathon Simmons
Earlier today, we heard that UConn freshman Andre Drummond would leave school early and declare for the NBA draft. While Drummond projects as a potential top-five pick, many of the underclassmen entering the draft early figure to be picked later, if they're drafted at all. We'll keep track of today's early entry decisions for those players here:
- Junior guard Dominic Cheek will declare for the draft, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (via Twitter), who notes that the Villanova product may end up overseas. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com adds (via Twitter) that Cheek wasn't enjoying his college experience and would also be willing to play in the D-League. Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks Cheek 118th on his prospect board.
- University of Houston guard Jonathon Simmons will forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the draft, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. The junior doesn't show up anywhere on Chad Ford's or DraftExpress.com's top prospect lists, so it'd be a surprise if he's drafted. "I know right now that I'm kind of at the bottom of the list, but I've always been the underdog all my life," Simmons said. "So it's nothing I can't overcome."
Austin Daye Talks Future, Role With Pistons
In his third season with the Pistons, Austin Daye hasn't taken the step forward he or the team hoped he would, averaging a career-worst 4.9 PPG, 1.1 TO, and .324 FG% in 2011/12. Daye talked to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld about his disappointing year and his role in Detroit going forward.
On his role with the Pistons:
"I wouldn't even say I have one. I'm honest with myself. I haven't played enough to say I have a legit role on this team yet. I've played the games; I've been hurt a lot this season with my ankles but besides that it's just been tough for me to get consistent minutes. That's the answer in itself, I guess."
On the Pistons saying they're still committed to him:
"They did enough by their actions. Saying that they wouldn’t trade me before the deadline or after the deadline. I guess that’s enough confidence within myself that they want me here. I just have to keep working and try to get better and just try to please as many people in their seats as I can."
On the Pistons unexpectedly re-signing Tayshaun Prince, who plays Daye's position:
"He’s back, he’s here and there’s nothing I can do about that. It’s not my job to be dwelling on him. It’s just a fact that I’m going to be playing with him so I have to figure out a way I can play and play with him when he’s here."
On his goals going forward:
"Just be in the right situation where I can get some minutes. I don’t want to see anybody go down or anything like that but people have been hurt so I’ve been able to play some games. Besides that, when the roster is full there’s not a lot of minutes to be had, it’s really a numbers game. For myself, I just have to figure out a way that I can get out on the floor."
Daye's $2.96MM team option for the final year of his rookie contract has already been exercised, so he's under contract with the Pistons for 2012/13. Still, with Prince under contract for another three seasons, it's unclear whether Daye fits into the team's long-term plans. If he didn't, he could be an intriguing trade candidate this summer for teams who believe a change of scenery could help the 23-year-old flourish.
Blazers Notes: GM Search, Batum, Hickson
It's been a busy few days for the Trail Blazers, as the team deals with LaMarcus Aldridge's injury woes amidst reports that Steve Kerr isn't interested in Portland's GM vacancy and Jamal Crawford is expected to turn down his 2012/13 player option. A number of Blazers beat writers have a few more updates on the team this morning, so let's round them up….
- Blazers president Larry Miller says ideally the team would hire a general manager before deciding on a new coach, so the new GM could help with the coaching hire, as Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune writes.
- Miller added that he hopes to bring the new GM aboard "well before" the June 28th draft. The timetable is complicated by the team needing to be granted permission to talk to candidates currently with NBA clubs.
- Miller on restricted free agent Nicolas Batum: "Right now, our plan is to retain him. Hopefully, (another team) doesn't make him a crazy offer."
- The Blazers would like to pursue free agents using their cap room before turning to their own free agents like Batum and J.J. Hickson, potentially going over the cap to keep them.
- With his recent play on the court, Hickson is making a case to stay with the Blazers long-term, writes Mike Tokito of the Oregonian.
- Talking to Jason Quick of the Oregonian, Miller downplayed the team's current GM "vacancy": "If we decided tomorrow to name Chad [Buchanan] the GM, what would change? In essence, the reality is nothing would change other than we would promote Chad into that permanent role. It's not like we have nobody watching the store. That's not the case. We have a really effective person and an effective team who are managing our basketball operations…. So to the fans and to the people who are saying the answer is getting a GM … we have a GM."
- Earlier this morning, we discussed Jamal Crawford's potential free agent interest in the Warriors.
Jamal Crawford Interested In Warriors?
Jamal Crawford lit up the Warriors last night, scoring a season-high 34 points last night en route to a 118-110 Trail Blazers win. However, there's a possibility Crawford could be doing that scoring for the Warriors next year, rather than against them. Golden State is a potential free agent destination for the guard, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, who has heard the Warriors on Crawford's list of desired locations.
Crawford, 32, is expected to decline his $5.23MM player option for 2012/13, making him a free agent this summer. While the Warriors couldn't increase his annual salary much, since they'll only have the mid-level exception available, they could tack on a couple extra years at that price. However, Thompson points out that a two guard won't necessarily be a priority for Golden State in free agency.
Assuming he turns down his option for next season, Crawford will join Eric Gordon, Ray Allen, Jason Terry, and O.J. Mayo as a few of the top shooting guards available on the free agent market this July.
Metta World Peace Considered Retirement
A month ago, it was reported that Metta World Peace was looking into retirement. At the time, it sounded like World Peace, who was an amnesty candidate for the Lakers, would merely use the threat of retirement as leverage in case he was amnestied and was claimed by a team he didn't want to join. However, last night, the man formerly known as Ron Artest told reporters (including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com) that he seriously considered retiring last year, due to a lumbar disorder in his lower back.
"I just thought my body was maybe messed up," World Peace said. "I was like, 'Yeah, 15 years is a lot of years. I got two more years on my contract and I could potentially be done.'"
The pain in his L4 and L5 vertebrae was affecting World Peace's jumping ability and range of motion in his legs and feet. Although the problem was identified last May, the 32-year-old forward was unable to participate in a rehab program with the Lakers' training staff for most of the year, since contact between team employees and players was banned during the lockout. World Peace came into camp overweight and with work to be done on his back, but says he's "getting in more shape every day."
While World Peace could still be amnestied by the Lakers later this year, his improved health has significantly reduced the likelihood of retirement.
"They set me up with a great program and I've been jumping, rebounding and, wow," World Peace said. "Now that I'm taking care of my body, I don't know. I don't know what could happen now. But, I'll just keep working hard and see where it takes me."
Free Agent Stock Watch: Ersan Ilyasova
The 2005 NBA draft contained some names considered to be among an intriguing pool of talent at the time: Sean May, the burly and crafty big man who had just won a national title with North Carolina; Julius Hodge, the silky smooth 6'7'' guard out of N.C. State capable of playing both back court positions; Salim Stoudamire, a sweet-shooting off-guard who thrived under the tutelage of legendary coach Lute Olson at Arizona. If you glance at the top 30 selections of that year, you'll find that Yaroslav Korolev, Ike Diogu, and Fran Vazquez were selected in the lottery. All the way at pick number 36 was 17-year-old Turkish forward, Ersan Ilyasova.
Nearly seven years later, Ilyasova is averaging 13.0 PPG and 8.8 RPG while shooting 49.4% from the field and 44.9% from three-point range. The other aforementioned players, all selected before Ersan, are currently not on NBA rosters. Coming off of what will be his most productive NBA season to date, the 6'10'' big man's contract expires this summer and he is looking for a payday. In February, we documented his mindset as it related to his impending free agency:
"It's hard to say where I'll be next season," said the 24-year-old. "It's going to be about the money difference (whether he remains in the NBA or goes overseas). It's always business. I don't want to think about it because I don't want it to affect my game. We'll see what happens."
Ilyasova has started just 36 of the 55 total games he's played this season, and one selling point for an interested team would be to offer a starting role. Milwaukee is also a forward-heavy team having just dealt for Ekpe Udoh, Mike Dunleavy finding a niche in Scott Skiles' rotation, and with Luc Mbah a Moute and Drew Gooden signed through 2014-15. The Bucks own Ilyasova's Bird Rights, so they would be able to retain him for any number up to a max contract. With that being said, unless Milwaukee chooses to break the bank and is willing to deal with a logjam at the forward spot, Ersan could be on his way out.
Last month, we made note that he could be a target for the Nets. I would even say that Dallas could show some interest, as Ilyasova would be a solid consolation addition should they fail in their pursuit of Deron Williams. Regardless of whoever lands him, Ilyasova would be a nice young player who at best is good enough to start. At worst, he has shown he can be a mainstay in a coach's rotation for many years to come.