Knicks Notes: Lin, Stoudemire, Woodson
Amare Stoudemire looked great in his return to the New York lineup yesterday, but another Knicks' starter, Jeremy Lin, may not make it back before the end of the first round. Coach Mike Woodson told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, that Lin isn't in great shape and that he's not counting on the point guard to return for Game Five. Here are few more of the latest Knicks items:
- Even if Lin doesn't return this season, Iman Shumpert is confident his teammate will be back in New York next season, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com writes. "Oh yeah, oh yeah," Shumpert said. "We all miss him. But if he's not able to come back this year, next year I'll be back with him, so we'll all be back together again."
- In his latest column for Bulls.com, Sam Smith tries to find potential trade partners for the Knicks and Stoudemire. Meanwhile, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post says Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony showed in Game Four that they can thrive playing alongside one another in New York.
- TNT's David Aldridge gives his opinion on 10 up-in-the-air offseason situations, including the Knicks' head coaching job. According to Aldridge, the Knicks should give Woodson a contract extension rather than pursuing Phil Jackson.
Free Agent Stock Watch: JaVale McGee
During his time with the Wizards, JaVale McGee was a walking highlight reel. Of course, for every memorable dunk or blocked shot, there was even more memorable miscue, whether it was running back on defense when his team had the ball, or blatantly goaltending a shot into the fifth row. Michael Lee of the Washington Post said it best earlier this season when he wrote that McGee has a penchant for mixing "the spectacular with the perplexing."
The deadline deal that sent McGee to Denver in a package for Nene gave the seven-footer a chance for a fresh start, and he took advantage, averaging a career-best 18.0 points per 36 minutes and .612 FG% in his 20 games with the Nuggets. His play in the postseason has been inconsistent, but he's shown flashes of brilliance, swatting away six shots in Game Two and grabbing 15 boards to go with 16 points in Game Three.
Although McGee hasn't necessarily shed the "perplexing" label he earned with the Wizards, he appears to have benefited from a change of scenery and a chance to be a contributor on a veteran squad, rather than a leader on a young lottery team. His play in Denver should earn him more interest in free agency than he would have received had he finished the season mixing highlights with lowlights in Washington.
The Nuggets figure to make a play to retain McGee this year, having parted with a quality big man in Nene to acquire him. But there's no guarantee the restricted free agent will return to Denver, if another team swoops in with an aggressive offer sheet. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reported in March that McGee will be seeking a contract worth $14MM annually this summer, and while that amount may be wildly optimistic, McGee is the type of high-upside player that could inspire a team desperate for size to make an overly aggressive offer.
Last month, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported that the Nuggets would likely match any offer of $7MM or less annually, and I could even see them going a little higher than that. But the Nuggets are very unlikely to match anything approaching the $13MM-per-year price tag they just shed by moving Nene.
Will JaVale get an offer anywhere near the amount he's reportedly seeking? Probably not. Even considering the premium price placed on NBA bigs, it's hard to imagine which team would offer McGee an annual eight-digit salary. The Cavaliers, Rockets, Bucks, and Trail Blazers are a few clubs who will be in the market for a center and should have plenty of cap space, but I wouldn't be surprised if McGee ultimately re-signed in Denver for a multiyear deal worth about $8-9MM annually.
Coach/GM Notes: McMillan, Petrie, Woodson, SVG
As teams continue to play their final games of the 2011/12 season, jobs on NBA benches and in NBA front offices will begin to open up. Already, rumors are swirling about who could be on the hot seat and who could be in line for a new position, so let's round up a few Monday morning coach and GM updates….
- It seems likely that Nate McMillan will return to an NBA bench soon, and the former Trail Blazers coach isn't necessarily interested in a win-now position, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. "Coaching is coaching," McMillan said. "It would be a new beginning for me. Young team or a veteran team….If you're saying, 'I'm just looking for a veteran team,' that's not true." There has been some speculation that McMillan could be a fit for the Bobcats.
- McMillan's old team in Portland is seeking a GM, and Kings president Geoff Petrie has been cited as a possible candidate. Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee says that if the Blazers are interested, Petrie should listen, given Sacramento's uncertain future.
- On a conference call with reporters this morning, Knicks coach Mike Woodson dismissed questions about his future with the team: "Right now, it's not about Mike Woodson and my contract… I'm still coaching this team and the job is not done."
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel doesn't believe Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy have "kissed and made up" and says it would be impossible for both to return to the Magic next season.
Lakers Notes: Jordan Hill, Ramon Sessions
Not even a fan running out onto the court during last night's game could slow down the Lakers, who beat the Nuggets in Denver to take a 3-1 series lead. Jordan Hill and Ramon Sessions, who Los Angeles acquired at the trade deadline, combined for 24 points, with Hill pulling down 11 rebounds for a double-double. Two of the newest Lakers could end up being more than just rental players, as Monday morning's Lakers links outline:
- It seems "increasingly probable" that the Lakers will attempt to re-sign Hill this summer, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
- Hill on the offseason: "Being a free agent, anything can happen. I'm just trying not to focus on that right now. I'm just trying to focus on this ring. It will definitely feel great to have a ring on my finger and after the season, we'll go from there."
- Talking to Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News, Sessions echoed Hill's sentiment, noting that he was focusing on the playoffs for now. The point guard holds a $4.55MM player option for 2012/13, but the general belief is that he'll turn down the option to negotiate a multiyear deal with the Lakers. Said Sessions: "It's not even a concern. I don't know what's going to happen. I know it's coming. It's something I'll deal with."
Mavs Rumors: Williams, Terry, Nowitzki
With the Mavericks' season in the books and an important summer looming, news and rumors continue to roll in from Dallas. We rounded up yesterday's Mavs-related items here, and today's can be found below:
- Mavs players are ready to roll out the welcome mat for Deron Williams, says Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News argues that this season's struggles and cap decisions will all be worth it if the Mavs can land Williams this summer.
- Earlier this weekend, Marc Stein of ESPN.com heard from a source that the odds of Williams signing in Dallas are considered no better than about 50-50.
- Sefko examines which free agents the Mavericks could target if they miss out on Williams.
- Mavs GM Donnie Nelson says the team would love to re-sign Jason Terry, but suggests the decision may come down to Terry's price tag.
- Price identifies five questions the Mavs will have to answer this summer, which he says could be the team's busiest offseason ever.
- Dirk Nowitzki would be very open to sharing the Dallas spotlight with another star player, writes Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
- We previewed free agency for two Mavs guards yesterday: Jason Terry and Jason Kidd.
Odds & Ends: Allen, Hawks, Anderson, Voting
It was a day of odd sightings on the hardwood, as the Knicks overcame the loss of Baron Davis to a dislocated kneecap to win their first postseason contest in 11 years. A No. 1 seed lost a third straight playoff game as the Bulls fell to the 76ers. And in Denver, a woman with a history of stalking the Nuggets came onto the court during Game 4 against the Lakers, reports J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. Here's the rest of what raised eyebrows around the Association today:
- Teams interested in Celtics free agent Ray Allen this summer might not have to worry about how he'll respond to ankle surgery, since he says he may not go through with the procedure he originally thought was inevitable. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com first tweeted the news, and Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com adds detail.
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes the Hawks will deal either Josh Smith or Al Horford if the team can't rally from its 3-1 deficit to the Celtics (Twitter link). Of the two, Smith seems the easiest to trade, since 2012/13 is the last season on his contract.
- Despite a subpar showing in the playoffs so far, restricted free agent Ryan Anderson figures to be near the top of this summer's market for power forwards. There's mutual admiration between Anderson and the Magic, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, who also notes the team's recent history of matching offer sheets.
- The NBA released a statement acknowledging that Ernst & Young, the same accounting firm that handles the draft lottery, made an error tabulating the Most Improved Player of the Year voting, reports Chris Bernucca of SheridanHoops.com. A first-place vote meant for Andrew Bynum was mistakenly counted for Andrew Bogut. Either way, award winner Ryan Anderson comes out on top of the voting.
- Fran Blinebury of NBA.com examines the divergent career paths of Spurs point guard Tony Parker and Jazz counterpart Devin Harris, more than four years after Parker expressed relief that Harris was traded away from the Mavs.
Central Notes: Morway, Bucks, Hamilton, Hammond
There's plenty of news out of the Central Division today, with the Bulls on the brink of elimination against the Sixers while the Pacers are in command against the Magic. The latest updates are at the top:
- Pacers GM David Morway responded to Friday's news that the Blazers are interested in him for their GM position, telling The Oregonian's Jason Quick that he's "flattered" but "right now I'm focused on the playoffs and focused on our team.'' He could also be in line for a promotion in Indiana if president of basketball operations Larry Bird steps aside, but Morway said no interview has been scheduled with Portland and he'll evaluate his options at a later date. (All Twitter links).
- Though Forbes ranks the Bucks as the NBA's least valuable franchise, there's little reason to worry that Milwaukee will go down the same path as Seattle did with the Sonics, writes Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Richard Hamilton, who's strugged in three straight losses, hasn't been giving the Bulls what they expected when signed him before the season, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes.
- In a roundup of candidates for the Blazers GM job, Sam Amick of SI.com says multiple sources have told him the Bucks have denied GM John Hammond permission to interview for the position. Last month we heard about the mutual interest between Hammond and the Blazers, but Friday's joint press conference between Hammond and Bucks owner Herb Kohl seems to indicate that the Bucks will be keeping their GM.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star sat down with commissioner David Stern to talk Pacers and other topics. Stern says he's not concerned about the team's lagging attendance, which ranked 26th in the regular season this year.
- John Paxson, vice president of basketball operations for the Bulls, recently underwent surgery to try to correct a heart arrhythmia, according to an ESPN.com report. Paxson said in a statement released by the team that the procedure has been planned for over a month. The news of his health trouble came out in comments made by Sixers coach Doug Collins after today's game.
Mavs Notes: Odom, Mahinmi, Kidd, Williams
There's been plenty of news out of Dallas today after the defending champion Mavs were swept out of the playoffs by the Thunder. Let's round up what we've heard today, with the latest news on top:
- Mavs players decided not to give Lamar Odom a share of the nearly $282K in playoff money the team earned in its first round loss to the Thunder, reports Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Ian Mahinmi probably isn't atop the lengthy offseason to-do list of the Mavs, but the unrestricted free agent center says he'd like to return to Dallas, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter link).
- Despite speculation to the contrary, Jason Kidd says he won't have any influence on where fellow free agent Deron Williams signs, but Shawn Marion has a to-the-point recruiting message he hopes will inspire the Nets point guard to come to Dallas, as Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes.
- Jason Kidd plans to continue his career with the Mavs and hopes that he can recruit Deron Williams to join him and Nowitzki in Dallas, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. There is speculation, though, that Kidd will sign wherever Williams ends up even if that means returning to the Nets organization in Brooklyn. Kidd and Williams share the same agent in Jeff Schwartz, which would seemingly make negotiations easier.
- Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News says Nowitzki wants the Mavs to sign players that can create their own shots and do something dynamic on the court like the Thunder's Big 3. "We need some guys that can make plays for themselves," Nowitzki said. "That's pretty obvious. If you look at all the top teams now, they have at least two-three guys they can throw the ball to and they do their thing."
- Jason Terry may have played his last game for the Mavs after spending eight seasons with the team, reports Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. The former Arizona star is set to become a free agent for the first time in his career and will explore his options before settling on a new home. Terry, 34, was traded to Dallas in 2004 by the Hawks after spending five seasons in Atlanta where he was the team's first-round pick in 1999.
Best Second-Round Picks Of 2011
There's a bold line between the first and second rounds in the NBA draft. First-rounders get guaranteed contracts that last two years with team options for third and fourth seasons. Nothing's certain for second-rounders, who often fail to make the team out of training camp and find themselves scrambling for a job. Still, plenty of quality players emerge after pick No. 30, like Carlos Boozer, Marc Gasol and Monta Ellis. Here's a look at the top performers picked in last year's second round:
- The last player picked in the second round (and the entire draft) might be the best of them. Former University of Washington point guard Isaiah Thomas was impressive enough for the Kings to move Tyreke Evans to small forward to accomodate him in the starting lineup. He improved his PPG and APG each month, and wound up averaging 14.8 points and 5.4 assists in 37 games as a starter. He's on a three-year unguaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- The Rockets didn't treat Florida product Chandler Parsons much like a player picked 38th overall for the Rockets this year. They gave him a four-year deal worth more than $3.6MM that's guaranteed for his first two seasons, and he started all but nine of the team's games, averaging 9.5 PPG and 4.8 RPG. The 6'9" forward was particularly effective in March, when he shot 52.6% and put up 12.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG.
- Stephen Curry's creaky ankles opened up a spot in the Warriors starting lineup for Charles Jenkins, and the 44th overall pick out of Hofstra took advantage. He averaged 9.4 PPG and 6.3 APG in 16 April games, all as a starter. He has one more season left on his contract, which is an unguaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- Few expected much of a pro career from Josh Harrellson when he was at Kentucky, but the 6'10", 275-pound center is a playoff contributor for the Knicks. He started four games but has been primarily a bench option, though his 13.7 PER and 9.6 rebounds per 36 minutes show he's been productive when called upon. The last season of his two-year minimum-salary contract is not guaranteed.
- Lavoy Allen got the start in Game 1 of the playoffs for the Sixers, an unlikely fate when the team drafted him 50th overall out of Temple. He also started 15 games in the regular season, but saw only 18.9 minutes per game in those starts. Still, like Harrellson, he displayed a knack for rebounding in his limited floor time, collecting 9.9 boards per 36 minutes. He has no deal for next season yet, and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
More On Changes In The New CBA
Computer scientist Larry Coon is probably the foremost expert on the NBA's collective bargaining agreement among those who've never worked for the league or a team. Today, he updated his CBA FAQ website with the details of the latest CBA. We've heard plenty about the agreement over the past several months, including Coon's summary of the changes for ESPN.com. Some components of the new CBA haven't been widely reported until Coon's update today, though, so let's check out the highlights:
- Teams can now rid themselves of the cap hold for a first-round draft pick if the player and team agree in writing not to sign a contract for the season. This applies mostly to European players that teams sometimes draft before they're ready to play in the league.
- There is a new formula used for calculating whether teams are eligible for mid-level exceptions or eligible to receive a player in a sign and trade.
- While the salary cap is set at 44.74% of basketball related income, maximum salaries are based on 42.14% of BRI, meaning that max deals will be slightly lower than 25%, 30% or 35% of the cap, depending on the player's years of service.
- Players will receive their yearly salary over a 12-month period unless they request to have it doled out in larger chunks over six months or smaller payments over 18 months.
- Teams may defer up to 25% of a player's salary, down from 30% in the last CBA.
- Cap holds are as much as 50% larger, depending on whether the player is coming off a rookie scale contract.
- Certain criteria related to playing time will affect the size of the qualifying offers for players coming off their rookie contracts.
- Teams can now only load contracts with unlikely bonuses that total as much as 15% of the base salary, instead of 25%.
- A larger amount of money can be used to buy out a player's contract from overseas without counting against the cap.
- Non-taxpaying teams can trade for as much as 150% of the salaries they send out, plus $100K, when trading $0 to $9.8MM worth of salary. The amount is 100% plus $5MM when trading $9.8MM to $19.6MM, and 125% plus $100K when trading more than $19.6MM. This rule is more nuanced than previously reported.
- Teams can't do sign-and-trade deals once the season starts.
- Trade kickers are paid by the team trading the player, and not the other way around as it was in the old CBA.