Odds & Ends: Atkinson, Spurs, Macklin, Amundson
Knicks assistant coach Kenny Atkinson will be leaving New York and taking the same position with the Hawks, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley. Atkinson was a crucial cog in the development of Jeremy Lin. Here's more of what we're hearing from around the Association:
- With a report being released tonight that Spurs assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey might be heading to the Jazz to become their new general manager, Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News writes that other teams are gutting San Antonio's front office.
- Vernon Macklin's agent has informed Hoopshype.com that his client is currently drawing interest from the Nets, Suns, Bucks, Wizards, and Lakers. Macklin spent last season in Detroit, and is also drawing interest overseas, in Turkey and Greece.
- Free agent power forward Louis Amundson is in discussions with a number of teams, but has yet to make up his mind, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com reports, adding that he's likely to sign for a team's mini mid-level exception (Twitter link). It's not clear whether Zwerling means the taxpayer's mini mid-level of $3.09MM or the room exception, a mini-midlevel of $2.575MM available to teams under the cap. However, the list of remaining mid-level exceptions that Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors put together Friday provides a hint. Only the Lakers have all of the taxpayer's mini mid-level available, and they're looking for backcourt help, meaning that if Amundson goes for a mini mid-level, it's likely to be the room exception currently held in full by nine teams.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel ponders the merits of Dexter Pittman, 45th overall pick Justin Hamilton and free agent Mickell Gladness as reserve center options for the Heat. As Winderman points out, Pittman will almost assuredly be on the team, since his minimum-salary contract is guaranteed.
- The Jazz starting lineup isn't set in stone, and Jody Genessy of the Deseret News handicaps the team's positional battles.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com catches up with recent Bulls signee Nazr Mohammed, a Chicago native who says he always dreamed for playing for his hometown team.
Jazz Continue Search For New GM
8:42pm: The Jazz will be holding a press conference on Tuesday morning to make a "front office related" announcement, tweets the Salt Lake City Tribune's Brian T. Smith.
7:04pm: As was reported earlier today, longtime Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor is taking a new role with the team, moving into a top executive position within the organization and creating a hole at general manager.
While Cavaliers assistant general manager David Griffin and Thunder assistant general manager Troy Weaver have both pulled out of the running to take over, it appears Spurs executive Dennis Lindsey has met with Jazz officials earlier today, and is currently finalizing a deal to replace O'Connor, according to Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski's report, O'Connor will move away from the day-to-day responsibilities that are required in a typical GM position. Instead he will oversee his replacement while still having a role in Utah's decision making process.
Poll: Who Benefits Most From The Olympics
The Olympics can be a career-altering experience, even for the world's greatest players. It's a time when work ethic is observed, and little bits of helpful advice are shared. Team USA is loaded with several young, up and coming talents, but beside them even the greatest of superstars, like LeBron James, are currently finding themselves in new roles that could help the rest of their professional careers. Here, we're asking which player on the 2012 Olympic team's 12-man roster will benefit the most from playing in London.
Which Team USA Member Most Benefits From The Olympic Experience
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Anthony Davis 65% (668)
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Kevin Love 12% (122)
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Kevin Durant 10% (108)
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LeBron James 7% (68)
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Other 6% (64)
Total votes: 1,030
Potential Free Agent Wings For The Lakers
AUGUST 6, 6:55 pm: Jodie Meeks' agent says his client will not sign with any team for the veteran's minimum, according to the Los Angeles Times. Meeks has been linked to the Lakers organization in recent days, but this development could put Meeks out of the Lakers price range. The team still has a $3MM mini mid-level exception available to spend, but Laker GM Mitch Kupchak has repeatedly stated his reluctance to use it before opening night.
AUGUST 3, 3:56 pm: The Lakers' offseason has been a successful one so far, with the team adding Antawn Jamison, re-signing Jordan Hill, and of course acquiring Steve Nash to man the point. But one area where the Lakers could still use an upgrade is on the wing. A veteran that could be penciled in behind Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace on the depth chart would go along way toward further strengthening Los Angeles' bench.
Before he agreed to sign with the Cavaliers, C.J. Miles was reportedly drawing serious interest from the Lakers, but he appears to be off the market now. The Lakers have also reportedly displayed some interest in Jodie Meeks and Leandro Barbosa, though Mitch Kupchak has expressed a reluctance to use the team's $3.09MM mini mid-level exception.
Assuming the Lakers are likely looking for a player that can shoot threes, play solid defense, and is willing to sign for the veteran's minimum, let's run through a few possible free agent targets for the club….
- Leandro Barbosa: While Barbosa is a dangerous scorer off the bench, I'm not sure he's an ideal fit for this Lakers squad. Barbosa is more of a combo guard than a wing player, and figures to be seeking a multiyear deal for more than the veteran's minimum.
- Matt Barnes: After the last game of the 2011/12 season, Barnes suggested he may prioritize financial considerations rather than taking a discount for a chance at a ring. Throw in his recent run-in with the law, and I doubt he's high on the Lakers' wish list.
- Josh Childress: If the Lakers want outside shooting, they'll be looking elsewhere — Childress is five for 40 from three-point range in his last two seasons.
- Carlos Delfino: From an on-court perspective, Delfino appears to be a perfect fit for the Lakers. He plays tough on the defensive end, and while he's a streaky shooter, his 3PT% always ends up around 36% or 37%. Again though, money could be an issue. Like Barbosa, Delfino is reportedly seeking a multiyear contract worth more than the veteran's minimum. If he and the Lakers were willing to compromise and work out a one-year, mini mid-level deal, this could be a nice fit.
- Ryan Gomes: Gomes' track record suggests he could bounce back from a horrible 2011/12 campaign and become a decent rotation player, but there are safer ways for the Lakers to spend their money.
- Tracy McGrady: There are better three-point shooters and better defenders on this list than McGrady, but he'd be a solid veteran presence for the Lakers. He's coming off a minimum-salary contract with the Hawks, so I'd guess he would play for the veteran's minimum. And although he set career lows in points and minutes per game in 2011/12, he was still relatively efficient for a part-time player.
- Jodie Meeks: Meeks remains perhaps the most likely target for the Lakers — he's not a deadly outside shooter, but he's reliable, and he's not a liability on defense. If Meeks is willing to sign for the minimum, I bet he ends up wearing a Lakers uniform.
- Mickael Pietrus: Pietrus wouldn't be a bad pickup for the Lakers, but he shot a few too many threes last year, given his mediocre percentage (33.5%). And based on recent comments made by his agent, it doesn't sound as if Pietrus will be signing a minimum-salary deal anytime soon.
- Martell Webster: For all we know, Webster could thrive in L.A., but the Lakers figure to be looking to bring in someone a little more reliable, rather than an underachiever with upside. I'd guess the same argument applies to Terrence Williams.
I'm relatively confident that at least one of the players listed above will sign with the Lakers in the coming weeks, but it's not clear which one(s) it'll be. To me, Meeks looks like L.A.'s best bet, followed by Delfino, McGrady, and perhaps Barbosa, but we'll have to wait and see which direction the team goes.
Kings Extend Keith Smart’s Contract
The Kings have extended Keith Smart's contract through the 2013/14 season, according to an announcement by the team. After replacing a fired Paul Westphal early in the 2011/12 season, Smart coached Sacramento to a 20-39 record the rest of the year.
Smart's contract was scheduled to expire after the 2012/13 season. After previously experiencing head coaching stints with the Warriors and Cavaliers, the Kings are the third organization where Smart has spent time as a head coach.
Eastern Notes: Green, Deng, Howard
Nene found himself on the bench in London as Brazil beat Spain in Olympic basketball play this afternoon. The Wizards big man doesn't plan on playing again until the semifinals as he rests his left foot, currently feeling the effects of plantar fasciitis. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the Eastern Conference…
- The Celtics have yet to make their agreement with Jeff Green official, but A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com notes that Green's recent comments indicate he's looking forward to returning to action with Boston after missing last season with a heart ailment. "I actually feel a lot better than I did prior to the surgery. It was a blessing, and I'm doing better now," said Green.
- Luol Deng may not be missing any time this upcoming season as his performance during the Olympics has him thinking he won't need immediate surgery on his wrist, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The Bulls forward plans to be ready to play in eight weeks when training camp opens and may elect to have the surgery after the 2012/13 season.
- Dwight Howard will not be attending his summer youth basketball camp later this month for undisclosed reasons, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). The Magic big man will send teammate Andrew Nicholson to the camp as his replacement.
Western Notes: Jazz, DeMarre Carroll, Suns
- Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor is moving into a new role with Utah as a top executive within the organization and will no longer serve as GM, writes Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. O'Connor will oversee the process of hiring his replacement, which has already begun, as the 2012/13 season quickly draws closer. Troy Weaver of the Thunder and Cavs assistant GM David Griffin were both tied to the job but will remain with their respective organizations, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links).
- Jazz small forward DeMarre Carroll welcomes the challenge of competing with the glut of forwards currently on the Utah roster, tweets Smith. Head coach Tyrone Corbin told Carroll that starting positions are up for grabs heading into the season as the former Missouri star plans to stake his claim to one of the spots. Carroll, 26, averaged 4.5 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 24 contests with the Nuggets and Jazz.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com takes an optimistic view of the Suns as they move forward without Steve Nash. While the organization may have lost its backbone from nearly the past decade, the team isn't in shambles as they enter the season sans Nash for the first time since 2003, which Howard-Cooper considers to be a good thing. "Eventually there was going to have to be closure," coach Alvin Gentry said. "The organization decided to do it right now, so it's just a matter of us taking that transition and moving into another phase of Suns basketball."
Southwest Notes: Collison, Crowder, Benson
Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.com tots up the off-court endorsement earnings for Team USA, noting that everyone on the team except Kevin Love has a deal with Nike. The absences of Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard leave Adidas without a representative, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Before USA Basketball takes on Argentina later this afternoon, let's catch up on the latest news and notes out of the Southwest Division…
- Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com looks at how the Mavs point guards line up behind presumptive starter Darren Collison. Delonte West should serve as a solid backup to Collison as Rodrigue Beaubois continues to learn the position.
- Jae Crowder, the 34th overall pick in this year's draft, isn't guaranteed a roster spot with the Mavs, even though he's already signed to a deal, as Earl K. Sneed writes on Mavs.com. Nonetheless, his impressive summer league stint gives him hope of cracking the rotation at either forward spot.
- The Hornets have cut ties with numerous members of their respective broadcast teams as new owner Tom Benson wants to take the franchise in a new direction, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. The latest to go include longtime television play-by-play announcer Bob Licht and analyst Gil McGregor.
The Going Rate For Top 10 Assist Producers
Only two players averaged more than 10 assists per game last season, and there's no convenient numerical threshold to assess the salaries for elite passing talent as we've done for the dozen players who averaged 20 or more points last season and the eight who collected 10 or more rebounds per game. So, we've simply taken a look at the top 10 guys on the assist leaderboard from last season. On average, they're paid less than their scoring and rebounding counterparts, and thanks to paycuts for Steve Nash and Andre Miller that aren't completely offset by raises for the others on the list, they'll make even less in 2012/13 than they did last season.
Here are the top 10 assist producers from 2011/12, along with their salaries for the past and coming seasons and what they make for each assist on their nightly average.
Some observations:
- Deron Williams was the only player to finish in the top 10 in assists and scoring average last year, but thanks to the timing of his contract and the new CBA, he won't get the highest raise among players on this list. That distinction belongs to Chris Paul, who was making just as much as Williams did last season and will get slightly more in 2012/13.
- Andre Miller makes more money and was a slightly more prolific assist maker last season, but Nuggets teammate Ty Lawson is the starter and saw more minutes per game in 2011/12.
- Lawson will probably soon make more than Miller when his rookie deal runs out after this season. Lawson, John Wall and Ricky Rubio all made this list on their rookie scale contracts, representing bargains for their teams. Rubio was the only first-year player last season to be either a top 10 assist producer, 20+ PPG scorer or 10+ RPG rebounder.
- The Lakers, Clippers, Nets and Wolves all have a player on this list as well as the scoring and rebounding lists.
Storytellers Contracts and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.
Amick On Olympics, Martin, Mason, Harden
You might expect Thunder GM Sam Presti to fall in line behind Mavs owner Mark Cuban in calling for limits on the participation of NBA players in the Olympics, considering Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka are all playing in London after a long postseason run this spring. Sam Amick of SI.com writes that while Presti is officially neutral on the issue, his enthusiasm for the benefits of international play is apparent, as he harked back to the growth he saw in Durant and Westbrook after the 2010 World Championships. "I think it's really helpful for them to play under different circumstances; it only rounds them out as players and makes them better," Presti said. "What we observed from the World Championship was just the mental endurance that it takes to go through an international competition and the training camp that leads up to it in medal-round play just to get there." The comments made by Presti, a product of the Spurs front office, seem to echo what Spurs GM R.C. Buford has said about the issue. Amick has plenty more in today's piece, and we've got the highlights here:
- The market for remaining frontcourt players is being held up while teams wait for Kenyon Martin to sign, Amick hears. The Lakers and Nets are among teams he's considering, but the willingness of many others to settle for the minimum salary so far this summer has eroded Martin's leverage. Martin is reportedly uninterested in a deal for the minimum.
- Amick takes a closer look at how NBA teams are being more cautious in handing out deals under the new CBA, along with the rise in minimum-salary deals. Luke Adams compiled a list of pacts for the minimum through August 1. The contract Roger Mason signed this weekend with the Hornets is another minimum deal, Amick reports. He also notes that players union president Derek Fisher and vice president Maurice Evans, two key figures in last year's lockout, remain unsigned.
- Emptying his notebook, Amick passes along a James Harden quote from last month that gives indication he's confident about his prospects for an extension with the Thunder. "I'm pretty, a hundred percent, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be in Oklahoma City," Harden said. "I'll let my agent and Mr. Presti and [Thunder owner Clay] Bennett discuss all that, so I'll let them handle that and stay out of it for right now and worry about the USA Olympics."