Jazz Sign 2nd-Round Pick Kevin Murphy
6:32pm: The Jazz have officially confirmed that they've signed Murphy, though terms of the deal were not released. Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune first reported the signing once it became official (via Twitter).
4:34pm: The Jazz are close to a deal with Kevin Murphy, whom they took with the 47th pick in June's draft, reports Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). The 6'6" Murphy averaged 20.6 points and 5.2 rebounds as a senior for Tennessee Tech last year.
Fellow Salt Lake Tribune scribe Brian T. Smith reported the two sides were making progress on a deal back in August, and that the Jazz were hopeful to have him in camp. If they want to go above the minimum to sign him, the Jazz could use part of their mid-level exception, since they have $2.5MM left after giving $2.5MM to Randy Foye earlier in the summer. The Jazz currently have 14 players on fully guaranteed deals, so bringing in Murphy would put them at the 15-man regular season limit.
Most of the second-round picks who have signed this year have gotten the minimum salary or slightly more in the first year of their deals, followed by one or two more non-guaranteed seasons at the minimum, so Murphy could be in line for a deal with a similar framework. He was one of a handful of unsigned picks when I provided an update on second-rounders earlier this month.
Pacific Notes: Barbosa, Hill, Warriors, Suns
We heard earlier this week that former Suns guard Leandro Barbosa, who finished last season in Indiana, had spoken with the Suns, the Nets and the Lakers about his destination this year. The Nets roster looks set at guard, and yesterday it looked like the Suns weren't interested either. We will keep an eye on the Lakers' interest in Barbosa, but in the meantime let's round up all things Pacific Division:
- We learned yesterday that Dwight Howard will not be ready for the Lakers first preseason game in early October. According to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers will likely shift Pau Gasol to center and insert Jordan Hill into the starting power forward spot in Howard's absence. The uncertainty that the Lakers face with Howard's back problems makes their ability to keep Gasol in the deal look even better, if that is possible.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area hosted a Warriors chat today. Among the topics covered are the expectations for Andrew Bogut in his first year in Oakland, Stephen Curry's future with the Warriors as well as newcomer Harrison Barnes' rookie role.
- Paul Coro from the Arizona Republic checks up on the Suns as we get closer to the starting of training camp. He says the only three players who haven't shown their face in Phoenix of late are Jermaine O'Neal, Marcin Gortat and Michael Beasley. In addition to a Beasley update, Coro says their is word that Goran Dragic, Markieff Morris and Kendall Marshall look good. He also reiterates what we heard yesterday, that Leandro Barbosa's interest in coming back to Phoenix is one-sided.
Texas Rumors: Mayo, Brand, Collison, Spurs
"The Texas Triangle" has long been the NBA's equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle, as teams have rarely gone undefeated on a three-game swing through Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. It might not be as much of a challenge this year, with the Rockets in flux, but if road-weary teams have to go to Houston on a back-to-back after facing the Spurs or Mavs, the Rockets could pick up a few extra wins this year. Here's the latest Lone Star news:
- Chauncey Billups, recalling his growth under coach Rick Carlisle when they were together with the Pistons, persuaded O.J. Mayo to sign with the Mavs, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes.
- Elton Brand is entering the final year of his deal after the Mavs claimed him off amnesty waivers from the Sixers, but he told the Ben and Skin show on ESPNDallas 103.3 that he'd be willing to come off the bench, something he's done only 30 times in 860 career regular season games.
- Mavs point guard Darren Collison, also heading into a contract year, spoke about his goals for the season with HoopsWorld, as part of a larger roundup by Bill Ingram.
- The Spurs announced via press release that the Austin Toros, their D-League affiliate, have hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach.
- Carmelo Anthony gives the Rockets front office credit for snaring Jeremy Lin away from the Knicks, as we noted earlier.
Roster Sizes: Eastern Conference
Training camps start to open two weeks from Saturday, and the scramble for the last available roster spots is under way. We've seen a significant uptick in free agent activity this past week, and that should continue as we get ever closer to the 2012/13 season. Teams can have as many as 20 players during the offseason and in camp, but once the regular season begins, the limit is 15. That's why many unsigned free agents are holding out for a guaranteed deal, since they would otherwise be vulnerable to getting waived, particularly if they sign with a team that's carrying more than 15 players right now.
A guaranteed deal ensures a player will get his money, but it doesn't mean he'll start the regular season with his current team. Some teams, like the Raptors and Pacers, have more than 15 players on at least partially guaranteed deals, so those clubs will either have to make a trade or waive one of their players, eating the guarantee in the process. Also, teams can carry as few as 13 players in the regular season, so even guys on teams with 14 or 15 players aren't completely assured of sticking.
Here's a rundown of the roster sizes for every Eastern Conference team, with the Western Conference to come soon. This includes some deals that have not yet been finalized, and because teams don't disclose the terms of their contracts even when they are finalized, there is a margin of error in these counts. However, they're based on a variety of reports from around the league this summer, so they're as accurate as possible. When we hear more, we'll update the count.
The first number is the total number of players under contract, and the number of players who have at least a partial guarantee is in parentheses.
Updated 10-29-12
Atlantic Division
Celitcs 15 (14)
Knicks 15 (13)
Nets 15 (13)
Raptors 15 (15)
Sixers 14 (13)
Southeast Division
Bobcats 14 (13)
Hawks 14 (14)
Heat 15 (13)
Magic 15 (14)
Wizards 15 (14)
Central Division
Bucks 15 (15)
Bulls 13 (13)
Cavaliers 15 (14)
Pacers 15 (14)
Pistons 15 (15)
Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Green, Lin, Brooks
An active offseason for Atlantic Division teams continued this week, with the Knicks bringing in a handful of training camp invites, the Nets finalizing deals with Josh Childress and Andray Blatche, the Celtics signing Rob Kurz, and the Raptors inking Dominic McGuire. The Sixers didn't make any signings, but we heard Tony DiLeo has become a candidate to replace Rod Thorn as GM. Our Transactions page will fill you in on any signings you may have missed, and we've got the latest rumors out of the Atlantic right here:
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com hears the Knicks are prioritizing a big man as they seek to make one more signing, a point he reiterated in a chat today, but Ian Begley, his ESPNNewYork.com colleague, says the team is still deciding between a big and a wing (Twitter link).
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passed along comments from Celtics forward Jeff Green, who spoke about the perception that he's playing under pressure after signing a sizable, four-year, $36MM deal so soon after heart surgery. "You guys put the pressure on me," Green said to reporters. "There’s no pressure on myself. What I went through, it’s a blessing in disguise, it allowed me to sit back, see things from a different point of view. Now I have to go out there and play basketball."
- Carmelo Anthony says the Knicks are still trying to get over the loss of Jeremy Lin, as the Associated Press reports, via ESPN.com. "I know it was kind of hard for the Knicks to let him go," said Anthony, in Puerto Rico with his charitable foundation. "(The Rockets) played the free agents' market to a T."
- Zwerling checks in with Nets guard MarShon Brooks, who's traveling in Russia as part of the Basketball Without Borders tour. Brooks and owner Mikhail Prokhorov met for the first time as part of the trip, Zwerling reports.
Matt Barnes Signs With Clippers
THURSDAY, 2:23pm: The team confirmed the move via press release on its website, and Berger adds that it's a one-year, minimum-salary deal (Twitter link). For the nine-year veteran, that'll be $1.229MM, but by rule the Clippers are only on the hook for the two-year veteran's minimum of $854,389, with the league reimbursing the rest.
THURSDAY, 2:09pm: The Clippers have officially announced the move, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 9:49am: Matt Barnes has informed the Clippers that he'll sign with them, according to SI.com's Sam Amick (via Twitter). It was Amick who reported yesterday that Barnes was leaning toward joining the Clippers and that he could finalize a deal with the team by week's end.
Amick's report yesterday indicated that the Heat, Lakers, and Nets were among the other teams in play for Barnes, who also had serious talks with the Knicks, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Agent Aaron Goodwin told Zwerling that he spoke to the Knicks several times about Barnes, but that he believes coach Mike Woodson never got "truly on board" with the idea of adding the veteran wing.
Although the Clippers waived Ryan Gomes via the amnesty provision and let Nick Young walk in free agency, they added Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, and Willie Green, and didn't appear to require more wing help. Still, Barnes will provide the team with added depth and versatility. When I looked at the top rebounders and outside shooters available in free agency a couple weeks ago, Barnes ranked in the top 10 in both categories.
Because the Clippers have already used both their mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, Barnes figures to be signing a minimum-salary deal. It's not clear yet whether or not it will be guaranteed.
Wizards Close To Deal With Brian Cook
The Wizards have offered Brian Cook an invitation to training camp, and the 31-year-old big man could sign a non-guaranteed deal by sometime this afternoon, Michael Lee of the Washington Post hears. Cook has also been in contact with the Suns, Lee also reports.
Washington acquired Cook last year in the same deadline deal that brought in Nene. The nine-year veteran, who would make $1.229MM on a minimum-salary deal, averaged 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in just 8.6 minutes a game for the entire season, though his numbers went up to 3.1 PPG and 2.5 PPG in 9.7 MPG after he went to the Wizards. He became an unrestricted free agent after a two-year, minimum salary deal he signed in 2010 expired this summer.
Lee also confirms a report from Jeff Zillgitt of the USA Today that we passed along last night saying that the Wizards had interest in Maurice Evans for their front office, though Evans, the vice president of the players union, wants to continue playing.
The Suns, who have more than $8MM in cap room, could go over the minimum to sign Cook, as could the Wizards, who have $3.25MM of their midlevel exception available after signing Martell Webster, though it seems unlikely either team would do so. Lee says the Wizards, who have 14 players with at least a partially guaranteed deal, would probably go with someone who can play up front for their final roster spot, which signals their interest in Cook.
Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, LeBron, Nets, Gordon
Here's this morning's look around the Association..
- Andrei Kirilenko spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune about why he ultimately chose to sign with the Timberwolves this summer. The forward said that he picked Minnesota in part because of his affinity for coach Rick Adelman, who he first started following when he was coaching the Kings.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't believe that LeBron James changing agents indicates that he's thinking about leaving Miami in 2014, but thinks that the Heat will have to hold their breath for at least few days during that summer. Earlier this week, James left CAA to join up with a newly-formed agency headed by childhood friend Rich Paul.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld identifies the coaches that need to win in 2012/13 in order to keep their jobs. The list is headlined by Nets coach Avery Johnson, who was never expected to win in New Jersey but will have to deliver in Brooklyn. Bucks coach Scott Skiles could also be looking for work if he can't guide Milwaukee to the postseason.
- Players from non-playoff teams got a bigger chunk of the free agency money pie this offseason than those hitting the market after taking part in the postseason, writes Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. The "losers" topped the "winners" $651MM vs. $608MM thanks in part to lucrative deals for Eric Gordon and Nicolas Batum.
Atlantic Notes: McGrady, Nets, Sixers, Celtics
The Knicks worked out Tracy McGrady yesterday to see if the 33-year-old could give the club some extra depth with Iman Shumpert and Ronnie Brewer recovering from injuries. A team source told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that even though McGrady appeared to be in good health, it doesn't appear that a signing is imminent. T-Mac also worked out for the Spurs this week and hopes to land a guaranteed deal with a contender. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..
- While the Nets are still expected to bring two or three more players to training camp, Josh Childress and Andray Blatche are solid bets to be on the roster when they open the season, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Childress fills a significant need for the Nets at backup small forward after Donte Greene, who was set to sign on a non-guaranteed deal, injured his ankle in a pickup game.
- Sixers head coach Doug Collins told Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News that he felt last year's team peaked, necessitating some significant changes this offseason. Collins also insisted that the club did not draft Moe Harkless as trade bait for the Magic but instead truly believed that he was the best player on the board at No. 15.
- Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe profiles center Jason Collins, who hooked on with the Celtics for the veteran's minimum this summer. The C's won't look for a ton of minutes out of the big man with Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass, Chris Wilcox, and Jared Sullinger playing in front of him.
Warriors Close To Signing Alex Renfroe
Guard Alex Renfroe is close to signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Warriors, a source told Sportando. The former Belmont University standout spent last season with Brindisi of the Italian League, putting up 12.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.6 APG. The deal would allow Renfroe to enter camp with Golden State and fight for one of their reserve roster spots.
Renfroe, 26, closed out his collegiate career with Belmont in 2008/09 and averaged 16.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 5.1 APG before going undrafted. The two-guard eventually worked his way overseas, however, and hooked on with KK Zagreb of the Adriatic League.