Donte Greene’s Deal With Nets On Hold
6:45pm: Luchey says he expects Greene to become a Net, but just when that happens depends on the results of an MRI on Greene's ankle, reports Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
AUGUST 29TH, 4:12pm: Agent Chris Luchey tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that Greene suffered an ankle fracture while working out in Charlotte over the weekend (Twitter link). Greene's deal with the Nets is now on hold as he awaits surgery on the ankle, Luchey adds (Twitter link). The forward is still hopeful of signing with the Nets after it's determined how much time he'll miss (Twitter link).
AUGUST 23RD, 1:09pm: The deal is non-guaranteed and is just an invitation to camp, tweets Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld. Still, Greene appears to have a decent chance of making the opening-night roster, as Sam Amick of SI.com hears the Nets have "high hopes" for him (Sulia link).
11:17am: The Nets have reached an agreement in principle with unrestricted free agent Donte Greene, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). With no cap space or exceptions available, the Nets figure to sign Greene for the minimum salary, which would be about $915K for the former King.
A first round pick in 2008, Greene started 50 games in 2009/10 for the Kings, but has seen his minutes decline each year since then. This past season, he averaged just 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game for Sacramento, though he did record a career-high 11.8 PER. The Kings elected not to extend the 6'11" forward a qualifying offer back in June, which made him an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Earlier in August, Greene indicated that he was likely to sign with the Knicks, Pacers, or Bulls, so his decision to head to Brooklyn is a little unexpected. The 24-year-old will add more depth to a Nets' frontcourt that includes Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, Mirza Teletovic, and Reggie Evans.
Nets Seeking Small Forward, Center
6:42pm: With Donte Greene's deal on hold because of his ankle injury, the Nets may intensity their search for another small forward, and Fred Kerber of the New York Post suggests Sam Young, Josh Childress and Damion James could be candidates. James was with the Nets the past two seasons, but the team did not pick up his option and renounced his rights, so Brooklyn would only be able to give him the minimum salary, just like Young, Childress or any other free agent.
12:14pm: The Nets are working out free agent big men Eddy Curry and Hilton Armstrong today, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Spears, Nets GM Billy King is still seeking a center and a small forward, and is hoping to discover another "diamond in the rough," as the team did last season with Gerald Green.
We heard earlier today that Armstrong is interested in returning to the NBA, but the former lottery pick hasn't played in the Association since before the lockout. The 27-year-old big man, who participated in a minicamp for the Nets in May, appeared in 277 games for five teams in his five NBA seasons, most notably starting 29 contests for the Hornets in 2008/09.
Curry, meanwhile, saw limited minutes in 2011/12 with the Heat, but hasn't seen regular action for an NBA team in years — since the end of the 2007/08 campaign, the former fourth overall pick has played in just 24 games. The seven-footer has had some success in the past, averaging 19.5 PPG in 2006/07, but has been plagued by health and conditioning issues in recent years.
While Spears says the Nets are targeting both a center and a small forward, it appears a center is Brooklyn's more pressing concern at the moment. That's no surprise, considering the club agreed to sign Donte Greene last week, and still doesn't have a true backup behind Brook Lopez in the middle.
Kendall Marshall On Suns, Nash, Dragic, Tar Heels
The Suns have consistently employed some of the league's best point guards over the last 25 years, with Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash among the perennial All-Stars the team has had at the position. They signed Goran Dragic this summer to replace Nash, but the future may lie with Kendall Marshall, whom Phoenix took 12th overall in June. The former North Carolina Tar Heel spoke with Dylan Murphy of Dime magazine and shared his thoughts about the Suns' offseason moves, missing out on the chance to play with Nash, backing up Dragic, and more. Here are a few of the highlights:
On the Suns' pursuit of Eric Gordon this summer and rumors connecting them to James Harden next year:
"Well they want to win, and that’s why I think it’s a great organization to be a part of. They’re going to do what it takes to get to that next level."
Whether he regrets not getting the chance to play with Nash:
"I won’t say regret, but I was looking forward to the opportunity. You know he’s a great player, I feel like I really could have learned a lot from him. But you can also learn a lot from playing against him. We get to see him four times, that’s also exciting."
About Suns coach Alvin Gentry's fast-paced system and how he feels about coming off the bench behind Dragic:
"That’s what I’m most excited about, the up-tempo offense. I feel like getting up and down with the pieces we have on our team, we can really play to our strength. As far as playing time goes, starting or coming off the bench, that’s all up to the coach. He’s going to do what’s best for the team."
On the three other Tar Heels selected in the first round (Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson) and the timing of their decisions to turn pro:
This started last year, when Z, John and H were all contemplating whether they were leaving or not. I was praying that they would stay for one more (year). I think that the lockout helped with their decision to come back, especially knowing that we were going to have a great team. With this year, we felt like, we tried that once. Let’s chase more dreams and goals that we had.
Northwest Links: Blazers, Osbourne, Maynor
Let's round up a few afternoon links relating to a handful of Northwest Division squads….
- The Trail Blazers have hired Dale Osbourne as an assistant coach, the team announced today (Twitter link). Last season, Osbourne served as the head coach for the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder's D-League affiliate.
- Speaking of the Thunder, Royce Young at DailyThunder.com takes an in-depth look at a few of the options available for Oklahoma City and Eric Maynor. Young thinks Maynor is unlikely to be extended this offseason, but says that doesn't mean the point guard won't remain part of the Thunder past this season. Our Zach Links examined Maynor as an extension candidate over the weekend.
- In his latest column, Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com poses three potential trade scenarios that he feel would benefit each team involved. Cohen's ideas include the Timberwolves acquiring Pau Gasol in a three-way deal with the Lakers and Hawks, and the Jazz trading for Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Jimmy Butler.
Mavericks Notes: Najera, Finley, Mayo
Two former Mavericks players and fan favorites will be a part of the Mavs' front office this season, as the team announced last week. Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com examines the additions of Michael Finley and Eduardo Najera to the Mavs' staff, noting that owner Mark Cuban already feels like Finley has been a "great add" for the club. Let's round up a few more of today's Mavs-related links, as the team's season inches ever closer….
- The Mavericks aren't quite sure what to expect from O.J. Mayo, Sneed writes at Mavs.com, but judging by Cuban's recent comments on ESPN Radio 103.3's Ben and Skin Show, the team believes Mayo can thrive in the team's open offense.
- It's been a wild offseason in Dallas, but Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com doesn't expect the regular season to be any calmer, warning Mavs fans to expect trade rumors and speculation until the February trade deadline.
- In another piece for ESPN Dallas, Caplan says the new-look Mavs should take the ball to the rim more often than last year's squad did.
Blake Griffin Talks Health, Paul, Billups, Sacks
Blake Griffin recently spoke to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com and appeared on Fox Sports Radio to discuss his rehabilitation from last month's arthroscopic surgery, the Clippers' offseason moves, and his thoughts on the team's open general manager position. Here are a few of Griffin's notable comments, courtesy of ESPNLA and Sports Radio Interviews….
On his own recovery:
The surgery wasn't one of those things that took a long time (to recover from). It was just a matter of getting my strength back and we really took our time with it. I could have been back even earlier than that. I just needed to get the swelling out of the knee. That was the biggest battle. There's nothing that needs time to repair or heal. It was just reducing the swelling and getting the strength back in my leg and once I got that, I was out on the court every day."
On how injured teammates Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups are progressing:
"I talked with Chris yesterday and I think he'll be back for sure before the start of the season. Chauncey, I'm not sure. He looks great. He's been in working out and I've seen him the past couple days. He looks really good. He looks like he's ahead of schedule but at the same time, it's not worth it to rush it for him because we do have guys who can fill that void until he is 100% healthy."
On the Clippers' summer additions:
"I was very excited about them. A lot of the guys, we picked up Jamal Crawford, Lamar Odom and all of those guys are going to be great for us. Got a nice mix of veterans and guys that have a lot of experience winning games in the playoffs so I think that will be great for our young guys, myself included to kind of learn from them."
On the offseason moves by L.A.'s "other" team:
"It's huge for L.A. basketball. It's great for the Lakers and great for the NBA in general to have all those players on the same team. It's going to be fun to play against them and I'm looking forward to playing against them. It's going to bring a lot of excitement but they still have to play just like everybody else."
On Clippers director of player personnel Gary Sacks and the job he did this summer:
"He did an unbelievable job, Gary Sacks did, along with Coach [Vinny] Del Negro. I think they both kind of teamed up and I think we have a lot of respect for Gary. As far as the players go, we have a lot of respect for him and everything he’s been able to do. I know a lot of us are pulling for him to get that GM job and definitely hope he gets it."
International Moves: Songaila, Woods, Armstrong
Many of the overseas leagues begin their seasons about a month earlier than the NBA does, meaning international training camps are getting under way. Some of the player movement involves guys with NBA ties, and we'll round up all today's international news here, with the latest on top:
- Darius Songaila has signed with BC Donetsk in the Ukraine, according to the team website (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Songaila, an eight-year NBA veteran, had expressed an interest in returning to the NBA after a strong performance with the Lithuanian Olympic team, but he apparently won't be coming back this year.
- Former first-round draft pick Qyntel Woods confirmed via Twitter that he's heading to Lagun Aro of Spain, Carchia reports. Woods was taken 21st overall by the Blazers in 2002, and spent parts of four seasons in the NBA with Portland, the Heat and the Knicks.
- Hilton Armstrong wants to return to the NBA, but is drawing interest from Panathinaikos of Greece, a source tells Carchia. The 12th overall pick in the 2006 draft by the Hornets, Armstrong hasn't played in the NBA since a 12-game stint with the Hawks in 2010/11.
- We heard last night that guard Sergio Llull is content to remain with Real Madrid in Spain, and the Spanish website Marca.com reports the team has offered him a six-year contract with an option for a seventh season (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). It's not clear whether the contract would include a clause that would allow him to sign at any point with the Rockets, who hold his NBA rights.
Wizards Sign Martell Webster
AUGUST 29, 11:01am: The Wizards have confirmed the signing via the team's website. Webster's addition brings the roster to 14 players.
AUGUST 23, 8:08pm: A source has told SI.com's Sam Amick that Webster's contract would be for one year and $1.6MM. (Twitter link)
6:51pm: The Wizards have signed free agent forward Martell Webster, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Webster was waived by the Timberwolves earlier this summer and auditioned for Washington earlier this week. In seven NBA seasons, Webster has averaged just 8.4 PPG in 394 career contests for the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves.
As our Luke Adams wrote yesterday, Webster is still just 25 years old and could really help Washington's depth at shooting guard and small forward. The Wizards still have their entire $5MM mid-level exception, but it's unlikely they use it all with this signing.
Clippers Looking At Marqus Blakely
The Clippers brought in 6'5" forward Marqus Blakely for a workout last week and are considering signing him, a source told Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Blakely was in camp with the Clippers in 2010 and the Rockets last year, but has yet to make his official NBA debut. He split time last season between a pair of D-League teams as well as a club in the Philippines.
The undrafted University of Vermont product averaged 15.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and put up a PER of 19.3 over a combined 35 games with the D-League's Iowa Energy and Sioux Falls Skyforce last season. With B-Meg Llamados in the Philippines, he averaged 24.7 PPG and 13.2 RPG in 13 games.
If he signs with the Clippers, it would likely be a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal, but he would figure to stand a decent chance at making the roster, since the team only has 13 fully guaranteed contracts for 2012/13.
Wolves Rumors: Tolliver, Blatche, Okur, Andersen
We've heard a few dispatches about Wolves GM David Kahn's pursuit of an additional big man in recent days, and Darren Wolfson provides further detail on 1500ESPN.com. We've got the highlights here:
- Though earlier reports seemed to indicate the Wolves weren't seeking to trade for a big man, Wolfson hears the team has asked Anthony Tolliver to be patient as the team seeks a trade to free up more cap room. Tolliver's agent has said his client is not interested in the minimum salary, which is all the Minnesota has to offer free agents. Even though Tolliver has been with the Wolves the past two seasons, the team renounced his Early Bird rights earlier in the summer to clear room for Nicolas Batum's offer sheet. Tolliver is reportedly in "constant contact" with a handful of teams, including the Wolves.
- We heard yesterday that Andray Blatche and Hassan Whiteside worked out in front of a Wolves scout, and according to Wolfson, Blatche is "said to be open" to signing for the veteran's minimum.
- Mehmet Okur is a "long shot" to sign with Minnesota, a source close to Okur tells Wolfson. The 6'11" outside marksman is seeking more than the minimum.
- Wolfson reported last week that Josh Harrellson isn't in the Wolves' plans because the 6'10" former Knick doesn't possess the requisite length. Chris Andersen, who's the same height, apparently possesses a wingspan that fits what Kahn and company are looking for, but the Wolves aren't considering him, either.