Eduardo Najera Retires, Will Coach In D-League
FRIDAY, 10:20am: Najera was introduced today as the new Legends' head coach, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. According to Legends owner and Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, Najera will assist him in making basketball decisions for the Mavs, tweets Sneed.
THURSDAY, 10:52am: The Legends will introduce Najera at a press conference tomorrow morning, according to a team release. Team owner Donnie Nelson and GM Del Harris will be on hand.
TUESDAY, 2:29pm: Eduardo Najera is ending his NBA playing career, retiring to become a head coach in the D-League, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. According to Stein, Najera will become the coach and part-owner of the Texas Legends, the Mavericks' D-League affiliate. Del Harris, who had been coaching the Legends, will transition back into his original role as the team's general manager and will mentor Najera, who has no previous coaching appearance, says Stein.
Najera, 36, played 12 seasons in the NBA, averaging 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game over the course of 619 career contests. A good chunk of those games, plus all 59 of his postseason contests, came with the Nuggets and Mavericks, though the forward also spent time with the Warriors, Nets, and Bobcats. According to Basketball-Reference, Najera earned over $36MM during his playing career.
Peter Vecsey of the New York Post reported earlier this month that Najera was planning to retire to coach in the D-League.
Latest Links On Kings, Virginia Beach
Yesterday, news surfaced that Virginia Beach may be trying to attract the NBA's Sacramento Kings, with an arena proposal on the slate for next Tuesday's city council meeting. Various reports suggested that it was premature to consider Virginia Beach a real possibility for the Kings, but it appears the city is one of many that could be in play for the franchise. A few more links on the subject have trickled in today, so let's round them up right here:
- Tony Bizjak and Sam Stanton of the Sacramento Bee provide a nice round-up of yesterday's rumors, which includes quotes from multiple members of the Sacramento city council. Councilman Jay Schenirer said he'd like the Maloofs to be more upfront about their intentions, while Rob Fong noted that "it seems pretty obvious that the Kings aren't that interested in staying in Sacramento."
- At Sactown Royalty, Tom Ziller argues that it would be pretty simple for the Maloofs to kill the Virginia Beach rumor, since the area is "nowhere near ready" for an NBA franchise.
- The Kings are exploring their options, but Virginia Beach is no further along than any other options being considered, sources tell Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- Several team executives that spoke to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link) think the NBA will eventually consist of more small-market franchises, since it can be beneficial to be the "only show in town." Amico notes that it hasn't worked for Sacramento, but that Virginia Beach shouldn't be immediately ruled out.
Agent: Baron Davis To Stay Involved With Knicks
As he continues to recover from an ACL and MCL tear, Baron Davis is still hoping to return to the court at some point during the 2012/13 season. Even if that doesn't happen though, Davis will remain with the Knicks this season "in some capacity," his agent tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. According to agent Todd Ramasar, the Knicks have let Davis do physical therapy with their training staff, and have recently approached him about remaining on board in a mentorship role.
"He'll still be around the team and could kind of help some of the younger guys just through his experience," Ramasar said. "The Knicks have been wonderful in terms of just extending support to Baron, whether it be through obviously his physical therapy or just having him involved with the organization going forward. He really loves that team and that organization has done an excellent job with Baron, and Baron feels like that's home. He really, really enjoyed last season with the Knicks."
While Davis still hopes to make a comeback, Ramasar said it's too early to tell whether the point guard will be able to play this season. A 2013/14 return may be more likely. If and when he does come back, it seems as if the Knicks would be Davis' first choice, so it will be interesting to see if there's an opening for him. Raymond Felton's and Jason Kidd's contracts are both guaranteed through 2015, but third point guard Pablo Prigioni is only on a two-year, non-guaranteed deal.
Josh Harrellson Works Out For Heat
FRIDAY, 8:07am: The Heat are still weighing their options at center and haven't made Harrellson an offer, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. However, Harrellson's agent, Merle Scott, said his client had a good workout, and that the two sides are scheduled to talk again next week.
THURSDAY, 11:52am: Free agent big man Josh Harrellson worked out with the Heat this morning, according to Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com. Harrellson himself hinted at the workout yesterday, tweeting: "Miami!!! Ready to impress!"
Harrellson was traded earlier this summer by the Knicks as part of the sign-and-trade deal that sent Marcus Camby to New York. The 23-year-old's time with the Rockets was short-lived, however, as the team waived him last week in order to clear a roster spot to sign Carlos Delfino.
Since he went unclaimed on waivers, Harrellson is now free to sign with any club except the Knicks, who are ineligible to re-add him until next July. While Heat president Pat Riley has said his team doesn't need to add a center, Harrellson would be a good fit for a team that's expected to play some combination of Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, and Dexter Pittman in the middle.
Heat Eyeing Chris Andersen
FRIDAY, 8:04am: The Heat have inquired on Andersen, but have yet to schedule a visit or make an offer to the Birdman, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Andersen is "very interested" in the Heat, says Jackson.
THURSDAY, 6:02pm: Earlier today we mentioned that the Heat were interested in former Knicks backup center Josh Harrellson, but it appears they also have their sights on someone with a bit more experience. According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami is also intrigued with the possibility of adding free agent forward Chris Andersen.
Amnestied by the Nuggets earlier this offseason, Andersen has reportedly bypassed a lucrative offer overseas and is willing to take the veteran's minimum with Miami. No offer has been made at this time, and at 34 years old, coming off a season in which he played just 32 games, it's unclear as to how much the 10-year veteran has left. Andersen's off the court issues which have lingered in recent months, which may also help explain why no team has yet to sign him.
Odds & Ends: Sixers, Wade, Nuggets, Nash
Now that Andre Iguodala is with the Nuggets, CSNPhilly.com wonders how Denver's head coach George Karl will use the All-Star wing in his system. Here are a few more notes from across the league:
- Dwyane Wade told reporters on Thursday that even though Derrick Rose doesn't see himself as the type to recruit other players to join him in Chicago, it may be a necessary move later on in his career, writes ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell.
- After his involvement in the Dwight Howard trade, Andre Miller is excited to be reunited with Andre Iguodala in Denver, writes Nuggets.com's Aaron J. Lopez. The two were previously teammates in Philadelphia.
- NBA.com's John Schuhmann dives deep into the numbers to explain why the Lakers will truly benefit with the addition of Steve Nash.
- The Nets agreed to sign Donte Greene earlier today, and the New York Post's Tim Bontemps thinks it was a good move.
- NBA.com's John Denton offers various reactions to several recent NBA-related news items.
- Pistons second round pick Kim English is excited to start his career on a team that he believes to be headed down the right path, writes MLive.com's Brendan Savage.
Pincus On NBA Spending Power
We've gone over team spending here on Hoops Rumors before, but today, Hoopsworld.com's Eric Pincus broke down the remaining cap space that teams have across the league, including how much they've already spent and their current situation with regards to various exception levels. Some interesting notes from his piece:
- Before their reported agreement with Martell Webster, the Wizards were the only team left with their full $5MM mid-level exception. The Bucks have nearly all to spend, but fall just short with $4.35MM.
- Despite what appears to be a never ending spending spree that's lasted the entire summer, the Lakers still have $1.59MM left on their mini mid-level exception. They're also nearly $30MM over the tax line.
- The Hawks still have their Bi-Annual Exception, but should they choose to re-sign Ivan Johnson, will need to spend it on him.
- The Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Heat are unable to add any players unless it's through a trade or signing someone to the veteran's minimum.
- The Rockets have 20 players on their current roster, but could get between $6 and 7MM underneath the cap after waiving a few non-guaranteed players, as they recently did with Josh Harrellson. (The limit is 15 players by opening night.)
- The Cavaliers boast $11.1MM of cap space, the most in the league.
Southwest Rumors: Rookies, Mavs, Lopez, Duncan
NBA.com conducted a survey of 39 rookies, and to no one's surprise, Anthony Davis was the pick for Rookie of the Year, as NBA.com's John Schuhmann writes. The No. 1 overall pick by the Hornets also topped the list of rookies who'll have the best career, but lost the best defensive honors to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of the Bobcats. Perhaps most revelatory is the ranking of players who are most overlooked. Tony Wroten of the Grizzlies tied for first with Draymond Green of the Warriors, Perry Jones of the Thunder and Andrew Nicholson of the Magic. Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com takes a look at how Mavericks rookies fared in the survey, and we have plenty more from Dallas and the rest of the Southwest Division:
- Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com wonders whether the Mavericks might shift their focus for next summer from pursuing marquee free agents to a plan that involves re-signing their own players and going after second-tier stars, a la Josh Smith.
- Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com takes a stab at guessing the framework of the aborted Mavs–Lakers deal from 2007 that would have brought Kobe Bryant to Dallas, which Mavs owner Mark Cuban made public earlier this week. Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Devin Harris seem the most likely players to have been headed to L.A. in that near-deal, Kamenetzky says.
- We heard a little from Robin Lopez earlier, but the 7'0" center had more to say Thursday as he met with New Orleans media for the first time. He said he hopes to bring some intensity, fire and toughness to the Hornets, as Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com chronicles, and had high praise for Anthony Davis, saying, "From what I’ve seen, he looks like a great player, with great instincts, and he’s freakishly athletic. I’m especially looking forward to playing with him on the defensive end. I think we both can definitely make a strong impact there."
- Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News notes that Tim Duncan's per-36-minute stats last season were remarkably similar to those from his rookie year, one possible reason the Spurs were willing to offer Duncan the three-year, $30MM deal he signed last month.
Atlantic Rumors: Green, Zarren, Sixers, Nets
- Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald hears insurance issues were part of the reason Jeff Green's deal with the Celtics was held up for more than six weeks until it finally became official yesterday. The new CBA and side issues also played a part in the delay, agent David Falk told Bulpett.
- Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe has more from Green on what kept him from going elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent this summer. "They helped me along my route," Green said of the Celtics. "It was a no-brainer for me to come back and support the fellas and the whole organization as a whole. They were there for me through my stress of going through the surgery. I did whatever I could to pay them back by being there to support those guys, trying to be a helping hand around the team. They searched high and low for the best doctor, for the best clinic to go to handle the procedure. Everything that I needed. I didn't want the surgery. I didn't want to have this, to have to miss the season. They made it easier every step of the way."
- Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren played a key role in the complicated details surrounding Green's contract, Falk told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, and Blakely has more on what the Sixers could gain, and the Celtics would miss, if Philadelphia hires Zarren, who's interviewing for the Sixers' GM job.
- A sports investment banker estimates the Nets are worth $575MM, 60% greater than a Forbes estimate last season and more than double the initial purchase price that owner Mikhail Prokhorov paid for the team in 2010, Josh Kosman of the New York Post reports. The team is projected to make between $10MM and $15MM this year, the franchise's first profit in a decade, Kosman adds.
Virginia Beach Trying To Attract Kings
2:52pm: According to a Comcast-Spectator statement, "No specific team from any league has been identified as the potential tenant," Bizjak tweets.
2:27pm: Kings co-owner Joe Maloof tells CBS13 in Sacramento that he and his brothers have not spoken with Virginia Beach, while a Comcast-Spectator spokesman said the company would not comment until it is at the Virginia Beach city council meeting Tuesday. No representative from the Kings will be at that meeting, Bizjak tweets.
1:40pm: A source tells Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee that an arena will be part of discussions at Tuesday's city council meeting in Virginia Beach, but there's no word whether the Kings will part of that discussion. A Kings official would not confirm talks with Virginia Beach or other cities (Twitter links). The NBA says it's gotten no information from the Kings about Virginia Beach and the team has not applied for relocation, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
1:03pm: No announcement about a move is planned for next week, Sam Amick of SI.com hears (Sulia link).
12:49pm: A source tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee the Kings are not moving to Virginia, so it seems the area still has some work to do before any plans are made official. (Twitter link).
12:35pm: The Kings have been mentioned as a possible tenant for a proposed new arena in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a source tells Aaron Applegate of The Virginian-Pilot. A group of sports and entertainment companies has approached the city of Virginia Beach about forming a partnership to build an 18,000-seat arena. One of those companies, Comcast-Spectator, has guaranteed mayor Will Sessoms that it will deliver a professional sports team to the arena if it is built.
A report by Philip Newswanger and Bill Cresenzo of Inside Business, a business journal covering the Virginia coast, reports that Kings owners will be in town along with Comcast-Spectator officials for a presentation in front of city council Tuesday night, with an announcement that the team will move to Virginia Beach slated for Wednesday. It appears as though any such move would be contingent on the arena getting approval from city officials, however. A source tells Applegate that arena talks are still "very preliminary," and said assistance from the state would likely be necessary to finalize any deal.
Kings co-owner George Maloof Jr. wouldn't directly address the Virginia Beach proposal in his comments to Inside Business, saying last week that, “We have been approached by several cities over several years about moving the Kings and we will not comment other than that.”
Philadelphia-based Comcast-Spectator owns the Wells Fargo Center, the home of the Sixers. The company also owns the NHL's Flyers.
The Virginia Beach area was also considered by the Hornets back in 2001 before they moved to New Orleans. The Hornets decided against moving to Virginia because there was no suitable place to play during the two years it would have taken to construct a new building, as Applegate writes.