Clippers Pick Up Option On Eric Bledsoe
The Clippers announced today they have picked up the fourth year option on point guard Eric Bledsoe. As we outlined yesterday, teams have until October 31 to pick up their fourth year options on 2010 first round draftees like Bledsoe if they want to prevent them from hitting unrestricted free agency after this season. Now that the Clippers have exercized his option, unless Bledsoe receives an extension by that same date of October 31, he will hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2014.
It's no surprise that the Clippers decided to keep Bledsoe, as they were hesitant to move him this summer despite rumors of heavy interest from around the league. Due to last summer's acquisition of Chris Paul, Bledsoe's minutes and statistics were essentially cut in half in 2011-12. But he got a chance to make his mark in the playoffs, averaging 11.5 points per game in the Spurs sweep of Los Angeles.
The Clippers added Jamal Crawford this offseason who will likely also cut into Bledsoe's playing time, so it will interesting to see how he he fares in his third year out of Kentucky. He shows his potential nearly every time he gets a chance, making it almost a certainty that he will continue to draw trade interest as long as he is blocked in Los Angeles.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Thibodeau, Heat, Miles
Let's round up a few Thursday afternoon updates from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Knicks are looking to sign a veteran two guard with NBA experience as insurance while Ronnie Brewer gets healthy, tweets Tommy Dee of The Knicks Blog. One candidate that pops to mind is Tracy McGrady, who worked out for the Knicks last week.
- Appearing on the Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN Radio, Charles Barkley spoke highly of Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, saying he doesn't understand why the Bulls haven't extended him yet (link via ESPNChicago.com).
- In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman discusses new Heat big man Josh Harrellson, and addresses the reasons why Miami didn't sign Hassan Whiteside.
- Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com spoke to new Cavalier C.J. Miles about adjusting to Cleveland and his motivation for signing with the Cavs.
- Former Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is the latest to argue that Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire aren't a good fit on the floor together in New York, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
Derrick Brown, Spurs Agree To One-Year Deal
The Spurs have reached an agreement with free agent forward Derrick Brown on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The Spurs, who worked out Brown earlier this month, "like him a lot and we feel comfortable about the opportunity," agent Calvin Andrews told Haynes.
Brown, 24, had his best season for the Bobcats in 2011/12, averaging 8.1 PPG with 3.6 RPG and a .518 FG% in 22.2 MPG. The 6'7" forward appeared in all but one game for Charlotte, making 17 starts and recording a solid 14.7 PER. Nonetheless, the team decided not to bring Brown back this season, withdrawing their qualifying offer in July to make him an unrestricted free agent.
The Spurs have only 14 players under contract before signing Brown, and not all of those deals are even guaranteed, so it would seem like the former Bobcat has a good chance to earn a spot on the club's regular-season roster. Still, San Antonio has worked out a number of free agents in recent weeks, and could make another veteran addition or two before training camp opens.
Free Agent Notes: Spurs, Pargo, Aguilar, Kennedy
The Spurs worked out unrestricted free agents Tracy McGrady and Josh Howard recently, and while San Antonio may not sign either player, the team has a history of signing veteran free agents, says LeAnna Kosub of the San Antonio Express-News. In a lengthy list, Kosub recalls some of the Spurs' more memorable veteran acquisitions, including Robert Horry, Michael Finley, and Antonio McDyess. As McGrady and Howard continue to look for work, here's the latest on a few other free agents that also remain unsigned:
- Jannero Pargo is in discussions with a few NBA teams, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Pargo, who ranks among the top scorers, shooters, and distributors still on the free agent market, hopes to sign an NBA deal before training camps begin.
- Last Tuesday, we heard that former Philippine Basketball Association first overall pick Japeth Aguilar had a workout scheduled with the Spurs and was trying to line one up with the Magic. Now, Joseph Pimentel of ABS-CBN News reports that two NBA teams have contacted Aguilar's agent about the 6'9" forward. The description of the teams (one Eastern Conference club and one Western team that's a "top-five" squad) seems to fit the Magic and Spurs, but the report suggests that these potential suitors are different from the two that worked out Aguilar last week. Either way, the 25-year-old is hoping to earn a training-camp invite in the coming weeks.
- D.J. Kennedy isn't technically a free agent yet, but after being waived by the Grizzlies, he's expected to clear waivers and hit unrestricted free agency. Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if a return to the D-League is in the cards for Kennedy.
Option Decisions For Second-Year Players
Under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, rookie scale contracts for first round picks include two guaranteed seasons and two option years. Teams are required to make decisions on those contract options a year ahead of time. So players heading into the second year of their rookie contracts this season will have their third-year options either picked up or turned down by October 31st.
Yesterday, we looked at the third-year players whose teams must decide on their fourth-year options by Halloween. Today, we're focusing primarily on members of the 2011 draft class — guys heading into their second year whose teams will decide on their third-year options for 2013/14 in the next few weeks.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, players on rookie deals are typically cheap enough and have a strong enough pedigree that their teams won't hesitate to exercise those options, but that's not always the case. Last year, James Anderson, Daniel Orton, and Damion James were among the second-year players whose third-year options weren't picked up.
Here's the complete list of players for whom a third-year option decision is due by October 31st, sorted by team. The salary for the 2013/14 option year is in parentheses.
- Bobcats: Bismack Biyombo ($3.05MM), Kemba Walker ($2.57MM)
- Bucks: Tobias Harris ($1.55MM)
- Bulls: Jimmy Butler ($1.11MM)
- Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving ($5.61MM), Tristan Thompson ($4.06MM)
- Heat: Norris Cole ($1.13MM)
- Jazz: Enes Kanter ($4.51MM), Alec Burks ($2.2MM)
- Kings: Jimmer Fredette ($2.44MM)
- Knicks: Iman Shumpert ($1.7MM)
- Magic: Nikola Vucevic ($1.79MM)
- Nets: MarShon Brooks ($1.21MM)
- Nuggets: Kenneth Faried ($1.37MM), Jordan Hamilton ($1.17MM)
- Pistons: Brandon Knight ($2.79MM)
- Rockets: Marcus Morris ($1.99MM), JaJuan Johnson ($1.14MM)
- Spurs: Kawhi Leonard ($1.89MM), Cory Joseph ($1.12MM)
- Suns: Markieff Morris ($2.09MM)
- Thunder: Reggie Jackson ($1.26MM)
- Timberwolves: Derrick Williams ($5.02MM), Ricky Rubio ($4MM)
- Trail Blazers: Nolan Smith ($1.42MM)
- Warriors: Klay Thompson ($2.32MM)
- Wizards: Jan Vesely ($3.34MM), Chris Singleton ($1.62MM)
Brooks: Thunder May Still Re-Sign Derek Fisher
With training camps approaching, veteran point guard Derek Fisher remains on the free agent market, and we heard last week that the odds of him returning to the Thunder are "remote." However, Thunder coach Scott Brooks didn't rule out the possibility when talking to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times. According to Brooks, the situation is fluid and there's still a chance Oklahoma City could re-sign Fisher.
With Eric Maynor set to return from an ACL injury, the Thunder will have three point guards on the roster without Fisher — Maynor and Reggie Jackson are set to back up All-Star Russell Westbrook. Still, the Thunder only have 14 guaranteed contracts on their books, so there's room to add one more player. And it sounds as if Brooks would love to have Fisher back.
"Just being around him, I can tell why he's loved by so many people and why the Lakers won so many championships," Brooks said. "He puts everything he has into every possession, every practice and every game. In our practices, he is 37 and he did everything we asked, every drill and every possession. He practices every day. It was great. I don't think we could've gone as far as we did without him. I thought he was terrific and I love him. I really have a lot of respect for him."
Brooks added that he leaves the team's personnel decisions up to GM Sam Presti. Presti and the Thunder still have a good chunk of their mid-level exception available, but if the team were to make an offer to Fisher, I'd expect it to be for the veteran's minimum.
Celtics Pursuing Darko Milicic?
A month ago today, we heard that Spanish club Real Madrid was looking into the possibility of signing the recently amnestied Darko Milicic. Now, according to a Novosti.rs report (English link via Sportando), it seems that Milicic has turned down a three-year, $6MM offer to play for Real Madrid. Milicic prefers to play in the NBA, according to the report.
It makes sense that money isn't necessarily Milicic's top priority, since, as an amnesty victim, he's still being paid a sizable salary by the Timberwolves. Darko is reportedly open to signing a minimum-salary contract to remain in the NBA, and according to Novosti.rs, the Celtics appear to be interested in the Serbian big man.
The Celtics could still offer free agents their $1.957MM bi-annual exception, but it seems the team would prefer to hang on to that. If Boston were to sign Milicic, it would almost certainly be for the veteran's minimum. The Celtics are currently carrying 17 players, but four of those contracts are either partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed, meaning there could be a couple roster spots up for grabs.
Kings To Sign Tony Mitchell
When the Kings opening training camp in a week and a half, Tony Mitchell will be with the team, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). It appears the Kings will sign Mitchell to, at the very least, a minimum-salary, non-guaranteed deal.
It was just two days ago that we heard Mitchell was drawing interest from the Kings, who hoped to bring him to camp. The former University of Alabama forward played for Sacramento's summer league squad in July, perhaps giving the Kings the upper hand on signing him for camp. Mitchell averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.0 RPG in his final year at Alabama, though his stint with the Crimson Tide wasn't without turmoil. The 23-year-old was suspended and eventually released by the program for an "accumulation" of incidents.
Mitchell will be the Kings' 15th player under contract, though the team hopes to add a few more players to its training-camp roster. With 14 guaranteed contracts on their books, the Kings will likely expect Mitchell and the other camp invitees to compete for the club's final roster spot.
Taylor Considering Prospective T-Wolves Owners
10:09pm: Walters has tweeted that Glen Taylor now has three interested buyers.
12:24pm: Back in late July, we heard from Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor had found a buyer to succeed him as majority owner of the franchise. However, according to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Taylor is now considering more than one prospective owner.
"At first I opened it up to just one person and said I would 'hold it for you for a while,'" Taylor said. "But when we didn't get a deal done, I told that person there are other people who had made inquiries and that I'm going to talk to them, and that's what I'm doing now."
While Taylor didn't reveal specific details about the interested parties, Walters says there are believed to be three prospects in play. The plan would be for Taylor's eventual successor to first invest in about 25% of the franchise before gradually assuming more than 50% control of the team.
Inquiries have been made to Taylor about buying the franchise and moving it elsewhere, but that's "not part of the conversation," according to the Wolves owner — the new owner would be required to keep the team in Minnesota. Taylor added that he's in no rush to sell his majority stake in the franchise.
"I'm not anxious, and I'm not in a hurry," Taylor said. "I just think it's wise of me to investigate it for planning for the future, my family and the club. This isn't something I get real excited about. I just think it's the right thing to do."
Poll: Most Likely To Be Extended?
Given Rick Carlisle’s recent comments about this being the season Mavericks guard Rodrigue Beaubois‘ finally “puts it all together,” we at Hoops Rumors are wondering which of the listed players entering extension eligibility are most likely to stay with their current teams. Earlier this month I posted a poll asking which higher profile player was most likely to change teams, but here the question is inverted.
Which Player Is Most Likely To Be Extended?
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Gerald Henderson 46% (146)
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Rodrigue Beaubois 24% (76)
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Austin Daye 17% (55)
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Omri Casspi 10% (30)
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Wayne Ellington 3% (8)
Total votes: 315