Northwest Notes: Jazz, Blazers, Marshall, T-Wolves
The Northwest Division won't be a major focus in tonight's games, with the Thunder off, the Jazz locked into the eighth seed, and the Timberwolves' and Trail Blazers' spots in the lottery set. Only tonight's Nuggets game in Minnesota will have an impact — a win would result in a first-round matchup against the Lakers, while a loss and a Mavericks win over Atlanta would see the Nuggets head to Oklahoma City.
As we prepare for the last night of the regular season, let's check in on the latest updates from the Northwest:
- Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor spoke to the media Wednesday about a number of topics related to the team's season and direction going forward. Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune has the highlights in two parts.
- ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) examines the Blazers' needs heading into the draft, and explains why UNC's Kendall Marshall is the best fit for Portland.
- Rick Adelman, like Kevin Love, hopes the Timberwolves are aggressive in pursuing roster upgrades this summer, writes Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. After saying he'll lobby management to make moves, Love adds that he'd like to have some input in personnel decisions.
Disabled Player Exception
While salary cap workarounds like the mid-level exception can be used annually, the disabled player exception is only available under certain circumstances. Like other salary cap exceptions though, the DPE allows a team to sign a player without using cap space.
If a player is injured and ruled out for the rest of the season, his team can apply for the disabled player exception. It allows a club to sign a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary, or for the amount of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. So if the non-taxpayer MLE were worth $5MM, a team could replace a disabled $7MM player for up to $3.5MM (50%) or a disabled $13MM player for up to $5MM (MLE amount).
A team must formally apply for a disabled player exception and it requires the approval of the league. The cutoff to apply for a DPE each season is January 15th. If a team has a player go down with a season-ending injury after that date, it cannot obtain a DPE to replace him. For instance, the Clippers were ineligible for the exception this year when Chauncey Billups was injured in early February. A team must also use its DPE by March 10th of the current season, or it will expire.
Unlike the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, the disabled player exception can only be used on a single player. However, a team can use it to either sign a free agent or acquire a player in a trade. If a team uses its exception to take on salary in a trade, it can acquire a player making up to 100% of the DPE amount, plus $100K. For example, a $4MM DPE could be used to trade for a player making $4.1MM. A free agent signed using the DPE can be offered a maximum of one year, while a player acquired via trade using the DPE must be in the final year of his contract.
The disabled player exception is rarely exercised, but it does give teams a backup plan of sorts, providing the means to replace seriously injured players.
Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Atlantic Notes: Lottery, Knicks, Novak, Davis, Nets
Typically, a matchup between a pair of 22-43 clubs doesn't make for appointment viewing, but fans of the Nets and Raptors will be watching the last game of the season with interest tonight. Of course, most of those fans will be rooting for a loss. With lottery positioning at stake, the loser of tonight's game could climb as high as third in the lottery standings, while the winner could "fall" as low as eighth. Here are Hoops Rumors' lottery standings as we head into the regular season's final evening, and here's the latest out of the Atlantic:
- Glen Grunwald, the Knicks' new permanent GM, gave interim coach Mike Woodson a ringing endorsment yesterday and appears to be leaning toward bringing Woodson back next season, says Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Glunwald didn't want to specifically address staffing decisions, but said Woodson has done a fantastic job: "I can't give him enough credit for the job he's done. Normally, coaching changes don't result in such a dramatic improvement in the team performance, so I think that speaks very well of him."
- Steve Novak seems to have found his niche with the Knicks this season, but Steve Kerr always wanted to bring Novak to Phoenix when he worked in the Suns' front office. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
- Ed Davis is expected to see a lot of playing time in the Summer League this year. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun says the Raptors will use the opportunity to get a better of idea of whether Davis is part of the team's long-term plans.
- Rich Calder and Tim Bontemps of the New York Post report that the alleged Brooklyn Nets logo that leaked yesterday is indeed the real deal.
Latest On Steve Nash
During the fourth quarter of last night's regular-season finale in Phoenix, Suns fans chanted "We want Steve!" and were eventually rewarded with a curtain call from Steve Nash. After eight years as a Sun, Nash's future is up in the air, and many pundits don't believe he'll be back in Phoenix next season.
J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today tweeted that Nash "isn't coming back to the Suns," adding that Phoenix needs to rebuild and the veteran point guard wants to join a contender. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld agreed (via Twitter), noting that Nash was "likely playing his final minutes as a member of the Phoenix Suns."
Nash himself remained noncommital on his future in a Q&A session with Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Asked about the odds that he'll remain in Phoenix, the 38-year-old replied, "Honestly, I have no clue. I couldn’t predict. I don’t know what the future holds at this point. And I’m actually OK with that. I think now’s the time to maybe get some distance from it and try to find a clear perspective on where I am. Until I do that, I couldn’t put a number on it or take a guess on what the chances are on whether I’ll be back or not."
While Nash's scoring average fell to 12.5 PPG this season, his lowest mark since 1999/2000, he continues to be efficient as ever. He also dished out 10.7 APG, posted an incredible .532 FG%, and matched his career average with a 20.2 PER. The two-time MVP wants to play for three more years, and given his continued excellence, it wouldn't surprise me at all if one of his suitors was willing to offer the three-year deal he'll be seeking.
Antawn Jamison Won’t Return To Cavaliers
Antawn Jamison had hinted earlier this season that it might be his last year with the Cavaliers, but following Wednesday's game, the season's last in Cleveland, he was more equivocal in discussing his future.
"It’s time for me to move on," Jamison told reporters, including Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. "I don’t know what the future holds, but I definitely have a great feeling this is probably my last home game and [Thursday] will be my last game as a Cav."
Jamison, 35, is in the final season of a four-year contract, earning $15MM+ in 2011/12. While he won't land that sort of annual salary on the open market this summer, his continued production will make him an attractive target for teams in need of frontcourt help. In 64 games this season, the forward has averaged 17.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 33.2 minutes per contest.
Clearing Jamison and other free agents off the books will leave Cleveland with just over $28MM+ in guaranteed money committed to its 2012/13 payroll.
Ryan Raroque of Hoops Rumors examined Jamison's free agent stock earlier this month.
Spurs Sign Derrick Byars
The Spurs have officially signed Derrick Byars, the team announced. San Antonio had an extra roster spot, so the team didn't need to make a corresponding move to clear room for Byars.
Byars, who turns 28 today, has played for the D-League's Bakersfield Jam for the past three seasons, averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 35.3 minutes per game in 104 career contests for the team. The wing player was selected in the second round of the 2007 draft by the Trail Blazers and was in camp with the Heat this preseason, though he has never appeared in a regular season NBA game.
It would be surprising if Byars received any playing time in the postseason for San Antonio, but he'll provide extra depth at the end of the bench in a spot that otherwise wouldn't have been used. The Spurs also recalled Cory Joseph from their own D-League squad Wednesday.
Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside first reported that the Spurs would sign Byars. According to RealGM's transactions log, the 28-year-old inked a multiyear deal, so there's likely a non-guaranteed year in addition to the remainder of this season.
Odds & Ends: Vujacic, Lee, Love, Wall
In a tweet, ESPN.com's Marc Stein says that the Raptors have no interest in former Net and Laker, Sasha Vujacic. Here are the rest of the evening's updates:
- The Warriors shut forward David Lee down with what they called a groin injury earlier this month. At the time, the team was well out of the playoff picture, and the Warriors' main goal down the stretch was to lose as many games as possible in order to try and get their first round draft pick back from the Jazz. Lee's injury was treated as a convenient way to tank games, and the announcement was viewed with a skeptic eye by many. Now it appears Lee will have surger on Thursday to repair a torn abdominal muscle, according to the team.
- MercuryNews.com's Marcus Thompson II breaks down what the Warriors need to do if they want to keep their first round draft pick.
- Stephen Curry underwent successful surgery on his ankles today. He's expected to be ready for action in 3-4 months, NBA.com's David Aldridge reports in a tweet.
- The Plain Dealer's Bill Livingston points out the significance of what a third MVP for LeBron James would mean.
- Even before Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge suffered injuries that will prevent them from participating in this summer's Olympic games, there was a strong chance Kevin Love would make the 12-man roster. The Timberwolves forward feels more confident than ever before that he'll make the team, according to TwinCities.com's Ray Richardson.
- Kobe Bryant fully expects the Lakers to win the title, writes ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin.
- John Wall spoke to his friend Kevin Durant about what it took to turn one of the league's worst teams into one of the best, writes FoxSportsFlorida.com's Chris Tomasson.
- The Timberwolves will receive the Jazz's first round draft pick now that Utah is heading to the playoffs, according to the StarTribune's Kent Youngblood.
Trail Blazer Free Agents Talk About Their Future
With the Trail Blazers assuming the look of a franchise trying to turn the page and overhaul almost every key piece, CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes attended the team's final practice today and asked seven of the team's free agents—Nicolas Batum, Raymond Felton, Joel Przybilla, Jamal Crawford, J.J. Hickson, Hasheem Thabeet, and Jonny Flynn—if they expected to be back with the team next season. Their answers were both varied and interesting. Here's what they said.
Batum, a restricted free agent, said he would see whether or not the team is willing to match any offers he gets. If they don't he'll probably leave. Hickson called his relationship with the Trail Blazers a "win-win" situation; he'd prefer to stay. Thabeet said he'd love to stay in Portland. Flynn says anything could happen, but that he appreciates the opportunity the Trail Blazers organization gave him to see the court.
Przybilla says he'll probably have minor surgery on his left foot once the season ends, but that he'd like to come back next year and thinks he'd be more effective in a regular 82 game campaign. Felton and Crawford, two players who had disappointing first years with the team, both gave uncommitted answers as to whether or not they pictured themselves back next season. Crawford's contract has a player option for next season, but it's believed he will opt out of it.
Poll: Will The Spurs Get Upset Again?
Last night, in what basically amounted to a play-in game for the Western Conference's eighth seed, Utah took advantage of their deep front court and home crowd to defeat Phoenix. The Jazz are now scheduled to face off against the number one seeded Spurs. With last year's tough first round loss to Memphis fresh in everybody's mind, this sets up a very interesting first round series. Utah's great strength is their very skilled front court, headed by Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter. Last year the Spurs struggled against the Grizzlies dynamic duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Will history repeat itself?
Al Horford Will Not Return For The First Round
Hawks center Al Horford will not be return for his team's first round series against the Celtics, according to the Associated Press. After waffling back and forth earlier this week, conflicting reports had said Horford might be able to come back in time, but today he said there was no chance he'd be ready for the first round. Horford has missed most of the season after having surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle.
"I have very, very little strength," he conceded. "The playoffs are intense. The intensity goes way up. I can go in and play with the guys in practice here. I might even be able to play in a regular-season game. But the playoffs are different. The way I play, to be most effective to the team, I’m not at that point yet."
Horford is still hoping to play in the second round if the Hawks advance.