Knicks Continue To Pursue Kenyon Martin
TheKnicks continue to rate Kenyon Martin as the veteran free agent they like the most, but still haven’t sold him on playing for the veteran’s minimum, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Celtics and Lakers are among the other teams that have shown interest in the forward, but like the Knicks, won’t offer more than $1.35MM.
Martin hooked on with the Clippers mid-season last year for the team’s full room exception of $2.5MM. While the 34-year-old offered toughness to the Los Angeles frontcourt, he didn’t light up the stat sheet as he averaged just 5.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG. It’s quite possible that those career-low numbers hurt the veteran’s value heading into this offseason.
Odds & Ends: Tolliver, Rubio, Knicks
Anthony Tolliver has been working out with several Timberwolves players, namely Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) looks at it as a sign that Tolliver "badly" wants to remain in Minnesota next year. In another tweet, Zgoda caught Nikola Pekovic's thoughts regarding Ricky Rubio, saying that while the Spanish point guard looks good and hopes to be running again next week, he is still aiming for a return in December. We've had quite a bit of updates tonight, so be sure to check out the newest tidbits from around the league here..
- Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that Trail Blazers guard Elliot Williams is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a ruptured achilles tendon.
- Justin Verrier of ESPN talks about Chris Bosh's willingness to continue playing center after contributing to a successful title run at that position with the Heat.
- Free agent Maurice Evans remains confident in the leadership ability he can bring to a team, says Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Although a source suggested that the Wizards offered him a position in their front office, Evans says that he believes he still has value as a player.
- ESPN's Chris Broussard writes that Hakeem Olajuwon is slated to visit with the Knicks for several days next week to continue working out with Amare Stoudemire in addition to helping Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Marcus Camby. On another matter, Tracy McGrady's health looked "good" during his workout with the team (Ian Begley of ESPN New York tweets).
- According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, Dwight Howard's rehab is going well, although he won't be ready for the start of training camp or the start of pre-season. Earlier, Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register reported (via Twitter) that the Lakers were expected to make an announcement today regarding an update of Howard's recovery from back surgery.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Mavericks, Cuban, Davis
Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation interestingly points out that eleven NBA teams either have a coach, general manager, or both that have strong ties to the Spurs franchise. Former San Antonio assistant GM and current Thunder GM Sam Presti acknowledged t RC Buford, Gregg Popovich, and owner Pete Holt and the important role they played in his development as a front office executive, saying, "(They) have created an infrastructure that has afforded many of us tremendous learning and development opportunities…It is important to acknowledge that they generally have an even more profound impact on their people on a personal level than simply professionally.”
Here are other rumblings from the Southwest Division tonight…
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW writes that both Chris Kaman and O.J. Mayo are ready to take advantage of their new opportunity with the Mavericks. Mayo has already started working out with head coach Rick Carlisle for the last month.
- Sefko also documented some thoughts from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who implied that it's refreshing to observe practices and finally see centers on the team, namely Kaman and Elton Brand, being able to knock down a mid-range jump shot. Cuban also commented on the Lakers, adding that he's not sure "if all their guys want to be there."
- Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated relayed Maurice Evans' take on Hornets number one pick Anthony Davis, saying that the hype surrounding the former Kentucky star has been "over the top" (Sulia link).
Dileo Being Considered For 76ers’ GM Position
John Mitchell of Philly.com reports that Tony DiLeo is a lead candidate to eventually replace Rod Thorn as the general manager of the 76ers. Dileo, who is currently the team's senior vice president of basketball operations, reportedly impressed the franchise with the role he played in assisting Thorn build the team around Andrew Bynum this summer. Although there is not timeline as to when Philadelphia looks to name a general manager, Thorn's contract is set to expire after the upcoming season where he will then transfer to an advisory role with the franchise.
Other candidates that had been mentioned for the position included Mike Zarren, former Trail Blazers assistant GM Tom Penn, and former Hornets GM Jeff Bower. In late August, Zarren had withdrawn his name from consideration, and Mitchell also mentions that the team has cooled on Penn.
Derrick Rose On Rehab, Bulls’ Offseason
Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press (via the Star Tribune) hears that Derrick Rose's surgically repaired knee is getting better and that he has been able to start jumping just "a couple of days ago." The Bulls guard recently unveiled his new sneaker and apparel line with Adidas, where both he and his older brother Reggie later spoke glowingly about his progression this summer. On a related note, Adam Fluck of Bulls.com recently caught up with the former MVP to ask him about his recovery and thoughts on the Chicago's acquisitions this offseason. Here are more highlights from the interview..
On the overall development of his rehab:
“I got through the hard part I think…At first, I couldn’t believe it at all. But now, I have a lot of confidence in myself…I appreciate everything—bending my leg, getting rid of my crutches and braces, sleeping without the brace..I could go on and on, but I know where I’ve come from and I’ll never forget that. That’s why I say it’s going to make me a better player…My rehab is good, my leg is getting a lot stronger and I’m able to run a little bit more. My body is feeling good. I’m in a peaceful place right now.”
"I don’t know what to expect (when I return), I just know it’s going to be something good. It won’t just surprise you; it’s going to surprise me as well.”
On the Bulls re-acquiring Kirk Hinrich:
"…knowing what kind of player he is, as well as the type of person that he is—he’s a guy who wants to win. You’ve got to go with that, if anything. I’m the same way where I want to win at everything. So I know that I’m going to have somebody back there who is going to be fighting with me.”
Regarding the large influx of new reserves and the departure of many teammates:
“I’m going to miss those guys knowing what we went through those two years together…We were the ones that helped build this Bulls image—we played hard. For them to be gone, I’ll definitely miss them, but it’s the league and things change. We’ve got to work with the guys that we have now. We’re still young, we’re hungry and we want to win. I’m with my teammates no matter what.”
Suns Not Pursuing Barbosa
Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic tweets that although Leandro Barbosa says he has talked to the Suns, the team is not currently pursuing him. The Brazilian guard has also been recently linked to the Lakers and Nets, and whereas Steve Nash has apparently been working to recruit his old Phoenix running mate to Los Angeles, Howard Beck of the New York Times reported on Tuesday that the possibility of Brooklyn had become unlikely.
Barbosa was a member of the Suns from 2003-04 through the middle of the 2009-10 season, winning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2007. Last year, he averaged 11.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG between the Raptors and Pacers.
Heat Sign Garrett Temple
THURSDAY, 3:40pm: The Heat have officially signed Temple, according to a team release.
TUESDAY, 5:55pm: The Heat have an agreement in principle to sign guard Garrett Temple, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The 6'6" Temple has played for the Rockets, Kings, Spurs, Bucks and Bobcats all in the course of two NBA seasons, the last of which was 2010/11. He also has 54 games of D-League experience and spent last year with Novipiu Casale Monferrato in Italy.
The deal is likely for the minimum, and probably is without a guarantee, meaning Temple will have to beat out another guard in training camp for a roster spot. He'll become the 19th player on the Heat's preseason roster.
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Perkins: Thunder, Harden “Getting Close”
THURSDAY, 1:51pm: Contrary to Perkins' "report," the Thunder and Harden aren't close to an extension agreement, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter). The two sides are talking and Harden wants to stay in Oklahoma City, but he's also seeking a max contract, says Broussard.
WEDNESDAY, 5:10pm: The James Harden rumors have been heating up this week, from Thunder GM Sam Presti hinting that an extension will be difficult to a Marc Stein report suggesting the Mavericks and Rockets are among the teams hoping to get a chance to land Harden. The latest to weigh in on the All-Star guard's contract situation? Teammate Kendrick Perkins, as Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman tweets.
"We're getting close with James," Perkins said (Twitter link). "And we're getting close to keeping our unit together."
Perkins doesn't necessarily have any inside info on extension negotiations, and could just be expressing optimism about the Thunder's chances of retaining Harden. But it still sounds like welcome news for OKC fans that don't want to see the team's core broken up at all in the next year. As I outlined when I passed along Presti's comments yesterday, the Thunder's cap situation will make it tricky to give Harden a fair deal without heading well into luxury-tax territory.
I looked at Harden as an extension candidate a few weeks back, though my analysis came before Oklahoma City agreed to a long-term deal with Serge Ibaka.
Celtics Sign Rob Kurz
The Celtics have signed Rob Kurz to a non-guaranteed deal with a camp invite, according to SI.com's Sam Amick (via Twitter). The move brings the Celtics' roster to 17 players, including four on non-guaranteed contracts.
Kurz, a Notre Dame product, went undrafted in 2008 and appeared in 40 games for the Warriors in the 2008/09 season. The 27-year-old has spent the last few seasons overseas before joining the Kings' summer league squad in July.
Even with two roster spots potentially open, Kurz appears to be an extreme long shot to make the Celtics' roster, with Kris Joseph, Dionte Christmas, and Jamar Smith also competing for those open spots. If the 6'9" forward doesn't make the Celtics' regular-season roster, he could end up on the team's D-League affiliate in Maine.