Yi Jianlian Still Seeking NBA Contract
An unrestricted free agent, Yi Jianlian is reportedly drawing interest overseas — we heard yesterday that Real Madrid was giving him a look. However, Yi's preference would be to continue his NBA career, says Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com, translating a NetEase report. According to Pastuszek, Lu Yu, one of Yi's representatives, has said that he views Europe as a secondary option for the Chinese big man.
"For now, we’re not considering playing in Spain," said Lu. "I can only say that Yi’s first choice is to return to the NBA."
As Pastuszek points out, Yi's performance in Dallas last year, combined with the strained MCL he suffered during Olympic play, has likely cooled any interest from NBA teams. Based on Yi's reported salary request of two million euros from Real Madrid, it's unlikely the Spanish team could afford him anyway, says Pastuszek.
While reports yesterday suggested that Real Madrid was eyeing both Yi and Darko Milicic, various outlets have suggested today that the chances of signing either player are dwindling. Pastuszek passes along word from French outlet BasketNews that Real Madrid have cut off negotiations with Yi, while HoopsHype translates a Kosarka 24 report that suggests Darko has passed on the team's offer.
Morris Almond Signs With Serbian Team
Serbian basketball team Red Star Belgrade announced that it has signed Morris Almond to a one-year deal, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Almond finished the 2011/12 year on a ten day contract with the Wizards, scoring a combined 14 points in four appearances.
The 27-year-old wasn't asked back for 2012/13 after fellow shooting guard Cartier Martin was re-signed and Bradley Beal was tabbed with the third overall pick. Almond has spent the bulk of the last three seasons in Europe and in the D-League after being drafted in the first-round by the Jazz in 2007.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Green, Celtics, Hornets
In tonight's column, Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld wonders what the future will hold for the Lakers, who appear to be going all-in for the short-term with their current roster. Assuming the Lakers sign Dwight Howard to a new deal and have him under contract for 2014, they'll likely have to ask Kobe Bryant to take a pay cut in order to keep the core together. Some may be wondering if the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is going to do anything to prevent supercharged teams from forming in desirable markets, but Ingram notes that the tax penalties for clubs in two years will make teams think twice about having a $100MM payroll. Here's more from around the Association..
- Gerald Green has found his way back in the league after GMs around the league all but gave up on him three years ago, writes Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. Green's path took him to Russia, China, and the D-League before hooking on with the Nets last season. The forward's 12.9 PPG in 31 games for the Nets last season led to him inking a three-year, $10MM deal in July with the Pacers.
- The Celtics have hired Jay Larranaga as an assistant coach, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Larranaga previously served as the head coach of Erie BayHawks of the D-League.
- Hornets Coach Monty Williams says that shortly after Tom Benson took over the club, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis told him he that would be around for awhile, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. Williams and the Hornets agreed to a four-year extension over the weekend that will keep him in New Orleans through 2016.
- The Cavs announced that they have promoted Mike Gansey to director of development league operations, according to the Associated Press. In his new role, Gansey will work closely with Cavs vice president David Griffin and Canton Charge (NBA D-League) coach Alex Jensen on personnel matters.
Northwest Notes: Tolliver, Maynor, T’Wolves
The latest out of the Northwest Division..
- Even with limited cap space, the Timberwolves have not ruled out signing Anthony Tolliver, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Of course, team president David Kahn would need to create space to bring the big man is, as he refuses to sign for the minimum salary. Recently, we learned that Tolliver is receiving heavy interest from Greek team Panathinaikos.
- John Rohde of The Oklahoman wonders if the Thunder will sign point guard Eric Maynor to an extension. Maynor is looking for an extension to his rookie contract, but obviously hasn't received the same amount of attention as teammates Serge Ibaka (recently signed to a four-year, $48MM deal) and James Harden. Maynor saw his season end in early January this year but has shown that he is an effective backup for the lightning-quick Russell Westbrook.
- AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops previews this season's European imports, including Timberwolves rookie Alexey Shved. Mitnick writes that Shved is coming into a great situation for a European transplant as he will be playing for a Euro friendly coach in Rick Adelman, alongside fellow European playmaker in Ricky Rubio, and will get to pick the brain of Brandon Roy.
Van Gundy On Rose, Bulls, Paul, Magic
Earlier today, former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy appeared on Mike Bianchi's show on AM-740's "The Game" in Orlando to discuss a wide range of topics from around the league. Van Gundy touched on Magic CEO Alex Martins' handling of the drama that plauged the team last season and much more. Let's take a look at some of the highlights, courtesy of ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell..
On Derrick Rose and his future in Chicago:
"I think the interesting one coming up in the future is going to be Derrick Rose. I think Derrick Rose is a great, great representative of our league, and he's a great player. And he's got good players around him, very good players around him, but if (the Bulls) can't get another star there for him is he eventually going to look around and say, 'Hey, I've got to work this out on my own and I've got to find somehow to get somewhere else so that I will have a chance to play with another star.' The league has changed."
On the new complexion of the league and formation of superteams:
"The league has changed. It used to be the stars wanted to sort of have their own team, they certainly wanted good players around them, but now everything's changed. I think it started with the Celtics, bringing (Kevin) Garnett, (Paul) Pierce and (Ray) Allen together and everybody saw that and decided, 'Look, this is the only way we're going to win.'
On Chris Paul and whether he'll stay long-term with the Clippers:
"And so then LeBron [James] goes to Miami and Chris Paul takes off and goes to the Clippers, which isn't going to be enough for him, I don't think. And so if you're Dwight [Howard], you're looking around and saying, 'I got to get somewhere where there's more people somehow.' Either they've got to come here, which if you don't have a way to do that then you've got to go somewhere else."
On Orlando's ability to lure top free agents:
"I think they can lure free agents. Look, free agency comes down to the money, first of all. It comes down to the money. This isn't a college recruiting situation, though that a lot of times comes down to money, too. But this is (about) money. So if you've got more money than somebody else, you're going to get the guy."
Southwest Notes: Mavs, O’Brien, Rockets, Hornets
Let's round up a few items out of the Southwest, which was the NBA's second biggest-spending division in free agency this summer, as we outlined earlier today.
- The Mavericks have agreed to hire Jim O'Brien, former head coach of the Celtics, Sixers, and Pacers, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. O'Brien will be Rick Carlisle's top assistant in Dallas.
- In other coaching news, former Rockets VP of player personnel Dean Cooper will rejoin the club as an assistant coach, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
- A handful of former NBA players that spoke to John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune were positive about the Hornets' direction and future.
- Darryl Watkins received a shot from the Hornets near the end of the 2011/12 season, but after playing just a few games with the team, it appears he'll be heading overseas for the coming year. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along a report suggesting that Watkins has agreed to sign with a team in Bulgaria.
Free Agent Spending By Division
Last week, we took a look at each of the NBA's six divisions, recapping 2012 free agent spending around the league. The upshot? The five Atlantic teams combined to spend way more than any other division, while the Southeast squads spent significantly less than any other division. The results provided a number of other items of note though, so let's take a look at some of our findings.
Because these figures are based solely on free agent spending, our numbers don't take into account money committed to draft picks or salary exchanged in trades. Additionally, these totals are based on the potential earnings for every free agent if he plays out his whole contract, so option years and nonguaranteed years are included in our calculations. Here are this summer's top five spenders in free agency:
- Brooklyn Nets: $243.053MM
- Boston Celtics: $133.606MM
- Indiana Pacers: $128.366MM
- New Orleans Hornets: $108.948MM
- Denver Nuggets: $63.875MM
Bottom five spenders:
- Washington Wizards: $1.801MM
- Detroit Pistons: $4.875MM
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $7.598MM
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $7.682MM
- Utah Jazz: $8.000MM
And each division's total commitments:
- Atlantic: $498.269MM
- Southwest: 262.169MM
- Central: 196.083MM
- Pacific: $189.221MM
- Northwest: 179.711MM
- Southeast: $71.836MM
For more information on the offseason's free agent spending, check out our posts for the individual division (linked above) or peruse Hoops Rumors' free agent tracker.
Cavs, Gee Nearing Three-Year Deal?
MONDAY, 2:48pm: The Cavs and Gee aren't "especially close" to finalizing anything, a source tells Amico (Sulia link). It still appears as if Gee will return to Cleveland, but a deal may not be signed until closer to the start of training camp.
SATURDAY, 1:20pm: The Cavs and Alonzo Gee are nearing agreement on a three-year deal worth roughly $10MM, a source tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter).
The news was first reported by John Telich of FOX Sports 8 (via Twitter). Telich adds that discussions between the Cavs and Gee are ongoing in regards to how much money will be guaranteed. There is also a possibility that the contract will include a team option for a fourth year.
Gee, 25, averaged 10.6 PPG with 5.1 RPG in 29 minutes per contest last season for Cleveland.
Southeast Notes: Blatche, Van Gundy, Magic, Heat
It doesn't appear that 2012/13 will be a season of parity in the Southeast Division. The NBA champion Heat are the overwhelming favorites to win the division again, but the Southeast may also feature a pair of the league's worst teams — when we asked last week which club would finish 2012/13 with the worst record in the NBA, over 80% of you voted for either the Magic or Bobcats. Here are a few Monday notes out of the Southeast:
- Andray Blatche spoke to Donna Ditota of the Syracuse Post-Standard about the way his time with the Wizards ended and the next step for his career. Asked about possible interest from the Heat and Spurs, Blatche said simply expressed a desire to get back on the court: "It doesn’t matter if it’s the Heat or the Spurs or the D-League. Whatever. As long as I’m back on the court playing ball."
- Appearing on Mike Bianchi's radio show in Orlando this morning, Stan Van Gundy criticized Magic CEO Alex Martins for the way he handled the discord between Van Gundy and Dwight Howard (link via Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel).
- In a mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explains why it was necessary for the Heat to include 2014 opt-out clauses in the contracts for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Rockets Sign Carlos Delfino
AUGUST 20TH, 1:32pm: The Rockets have officially signed Delfino, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 15TH, 2:57pm: Delfino's deal with the Rockets is worth $3MM in year one, with a second-year option also worth $3MM, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). Since that amount exceeds the $2.575MM room exception, Houston is using leftover cap space to complete the deal.
The team has reportedly waived Josh Harrellson to clear a spot for Delfino, so the signing should become official any time now.
AUGUST 13TH, 7:29pm: The Rockets have agreed to a two-year deal with swingman Carlos Delfino that includes a team option for 2013-14, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. It's unclear how much the contract is worth, but it's likely for more than the minimum salary, as last week's reports suggested. The Rockets have their $2.575MM room exception available, so the deal could be for all or most of that amount, but that's just my speculation.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Thursday that the Rockets were "actively chasing" Delfino, who said he would sign with a team after the Olympics. The Celtics, Hawks, Pacers and Cavaliers were all reportedly in the running for Delfino at times this summer. The 6'6" Argentinian seemingly had his heart set on a multiyear deal, so the two-year pact with the Rockets offers a compromise of sorts, giving the team an out after this season.
Delfino, who spent the last three seasons with the Bucks, saw his role in the offense diminish last year after two straight seasons of double-figure scoring. His points per game went from 11.5 in 2010/11 to 9.0 in 2011/12, as his shots were cut from 10.5 a game to 8.4. Delfino played with an injured groin the last month of the season that required surgery in May, and was disappointed the Bucks didn't show more interest in re-signing him after he played hurt for them. The Bucks held his Bird rights, so they would have had no trouble bringing him back if they had interest. Milwaukee originally brought him aboard for three years and $10.5MM on a sign-and-trade from the Raptors in 2009.
The addition of Delfino gives the Rockets 21 players on the roster, Zach Lowe of SI.com notes via Twitter. That would seem to make them prime candidates to pull off a trade sometime between now and the start of the season.