Celtics Sign Darko Milicic
SEPTEMBER 28TH, 10:16am: The Celtics have officially signed Milicic, according to a team release.
SEPTEMBER 20TH, 10:27am: According to Blakely, Milicic's deal with the Celtics is expected to be a one-year, minimum-salary pact. It will also be guaranteed, giving the C's 14 guaranteed contracts, says Blakely.
9:20am: Two months after being amnestied by the Timberwolves, Darko Milicic will be joining the Celtics, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). Blakely confirms the news that a Novosti.rs report (English link via Sportando) suggested earlier today.
It appears Milicic will sign with the Celtics on a minimum-salary contract, rather than getting a portion of the team's bi-annual exception. As I mentioned in this morning's post, Milicic is still receiving a salary from the Timberwolves, so while Boston would only be paying him the veteran's minimum, he would be earning much more than that overall.
Milicic, 27, has played in 467 total NBA games with the Pistons, Magic, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Timberwolves since entering the league in 2003. He had one of his worst seasons in Minnesota in 2011/12, averaging just 4.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG while posting a 9.0 PER, his worst mark since 2004/05. Still, while the former second overall pick has never lived up to expectations, his 12.3 PER is respectable for a backup big man not expected to receive huge minutes.
If and when the Celtics finalize their agreement with Milicic, he'll be the 18th player under contract for the team, though only 13 of those deals are fully guaranteed. It appears Milicic will be competing with Dionte Christmas, Jamar Smith, Kris Joseph, and Rob Kurz for one of those final two roster spots, though Darko's size (7'0") and experience should give him an edge.
Celtics Sign Micah Downs
SEPTEMBER 28TH: The Celtics have officially signed Downs, according to a team release. The team also officially announced the signing of Rob Kurz, within the same press release.
SEPTEMBER 20TH: Micah Downs will sign with the Celtics and will be present at the team's training camp next month, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. After agreeing to sign Darko Milicic earlier today, the Celtics have now reached agreements with 19 players, giving them space to sign one more player in addition to Downs and Milicic, if they so choose.
Downs, 26, played his college ball for Kansas and Gonzaga before going undrafted in 2009. He has spent his playing career primarily overseas since then, playing last season for Assignia Manresa in Spain. The 6'8" swingman appeared to be headed to Russia for the coming season, but he and Nizhny Novgorod broke off their contract agreement earlier this month.
While terms of Downs' deal aren't known, it's almost certainly a non-guaranteed pact, making it very unlikely he'll earn a spot on the Celtics. He could be a candidate to play for the team's D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.
Gilbert Arenas Considering Playing In China
Gilbert Arenas would love to secure a camp invite from the Lakers or Clippers, but without an offer from either of the Los Angeles club, or any other NBA teams, Arenas is contemplating signing in China, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. While he's holding out hope that the Lakers or Clippers, his preferred destinations, come to him with an offer, the 30-year-old has begun to assess his non-NBA options, with China atop the list, according to Stein.
Because the Chinese Basketball Association season doesn't get underway until October, Arenas still has some time to seek out NBA offers and then perhaps weigh his options in the CBA or other professional leagues. Signing in China would also allow Arenas the opportunity to return to the NBA late in the season, if he impresses overseas, since the CBA regular season ends in March.
After being amnestied by the Magic last December, Arenas sat out most of the 2011/12 season before signing with the Grizzlies late in the year. He didn't make much of an impact in Memphis, but reports this offseason have suggested that the three-time All-Star is in good shape and is fully healthy.
Jameer Nelson Talks Smith, Van Gundy, Howard
Most of the Magic's offseason moves, most notably August's Dwight Howard blockbuster, indicated that the team was entering a full-on rebuilding process. However, one transaction that didn't seem to align with that approach was the team's re-signing of veteran point guard Jameer Nelson to a three-year deal that could pay him more than $25MM. Nelson will be one of the few core veteran players on a roster otherwise dominated by guys on rookie deals or bad contracts. He recently appeared on WYGM in Orlando to discuss his new role with the Magic, and Sports Radio Interviews transcribed a few of the highlights. Let's check them out….
On whether he approved of the team letting go of GM Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy:
"I’ve never said this publicly, but no, I wasn’t in favor of it. But I understand it’s a business. I had talks with Otis and Stan prior to the situation and after, so that tells you my relationship with those guys…. I just know that they put me in a great situation, being my coach and being my GM, and giving me opportunities…. But I also know that sometimes you need change and it’s not my decision to make the changes."
On his decision to re-sign with the Magic despite the looming front office and roster overhaul:
"The thing was, you have to make a business decision for yourself and your family when you’re dealing with any business…. After that, the thing I had to think about was, what’s my business going to be and where do I want to have my business? And I wouldn’t want to have it anywhere else but Orlando. I love the fans and the fans love me. They’ve definitely embraced myself and my family…. We feel like this is our home now."
On Howard being traded to the Lakers:
"He wanted a change and that’s what he got. My job, for Dwight and to Dwight, is to be a friend. I told him I was happy for him. I was happy for him to be able to move on with his career and I wished him best of luck and hoped he got his recovery and his rehab and everything went well…. We’d been together for X amount of years and it’s tough to see guys go, but like I said earlier, it’s always that business side of things."
On whether he and Howard had a falling out during Dwight's last days in Orlando:
“No. My agent actually told me that he read something saying that me and Dwight almost got into a fight and I just laughed it off. We’re grown men and anytime you’re competing, you’re going to have disagreements. That’s happened numerous amount of times and not just last year…. Everything and anything was just kind of taken out of proportion. And also we were watched closely. We never got into a scuffle, never got into a bad situation and we still remain friends to this day.”
Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Nets, Daniels
- In a Q&A with Mike Wells of IndyStar.com, Danny Granger said that he will try to take things slow through training camp after experiencing irritation in his knee this summer. He also mentioned that he would play if the Pacers were currently in the regular season, adding that the team is just being cautionary right now.
- Paul Flannery of WEEI.com provides a comprehensive breakdown of the Celtics' moves this offseason, complete with some input from coach Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge.
- Tyson Chandler told Tim Bontemps that his workouts with Hakeem Olajuwon have been going very well, says Marc Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link).
- After recently signing an extension in Boston, Keyon Dooling talked about his abrupt decision to retire from the NBA (Jessica Camerato of CSNNE reports).
- The Kamenetzky Brothers of 710 ESPN in Los Angeles took to their radio show to discuss Steve Blake's injury and the possible opportunities for Chris Duhon and Darius Morris, Kobe Bryant's ESPN ranking at number six, and Jason Terry's recent comments about the Heat and Lakers.
Western Notes: Warriors, Lakers, Davis
Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group summarized Warriors GM Bob Myers' meeting with the local media today, and writes that the team has very important decisions to make in the near future. Thompson mentions that Golden State has the ability to significantly be under the salary cap in two years, but will also have to deal with the possible contract extensions of Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut in addition to deciding the futures of players that are still on their rookie-scale deals. "The players can stay as long as they want if we win…but if we don't win, maybe some things do get turned over," said Myers.
With that being said, we have a few more links to share with you tonight out of the Western Conference:
- Andrew Bogut is on schedule to play on opening night and possibly in some pre-season games, although the Australian center has not yet been cleared for five-on-five scrimmages yet, writes Rusty Simmons of SF Gate. GM Bob Myers also talked about Festus Ezeli, adding that he is a "team-first" guy who gives multiple efforts make him a quality prospect. Myers chose to remain neutral on Andris Biedrins not showing up for voluntary pre-training camp workouts, but added that he will have the opportunity to compete in camp and that his role will ultimately be left up to head coach Mark Jackson.
- Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles thinks that the last three roster spots on the Lakers will ultimately be decided between Andrew Goudelock, Darius Morris, Darius Johnson-Odom, and Robert Sacre (Twitter link). In another tweet, Markazi says that Goudelock seems to be the odd man out at this point.
- Hornets rookie Anthony Davis spoke about what he took away from his experiences at the Olympics, teaming with Robin Lopez this season, and head coach Monty Williams' expectations (Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune reports).
- Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com spoke with Nuggets assistant coach Melvin Hunt to evaluate Jordan Hamilton's rookie season and what he was told to work on this summer.
Josh Howard In Negotiations With Four Teams
Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune says (via Twitter) that Josh Howard is still negotiating with four NBA teams, listing the Knicks as one of the possible destinations. In another tweet, Smith says that Howard hopes to sign a contract before the start of NBA training camp, and that any move involving the Jazz will be contingent on what the team does with Raja Bell. Yesterday, we relayed a report that intimated New York's continued interest in the 32-year-old swingman.
Heat Sign Carney, Dozier
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports that the Heat have signed guard Rodney Carney and forward Robert Dozier to their training camp roster, which now stands at the maximum of 20 players (Twitter link).
Dozier had reportedly agreed to terms with Miami earlier this month and was working out with the team, although nothing had been officially announced until today. Carney, a former first round pick of the 76ers, had also drawn interest from the Bucks in recent weeks.
Martin Conditionally Open To Veteran’s Minimum
Yahoo's Marc J. Spears says that according to agent Andy Miller, Kenyon Martin would be open to signing a veteran's minimum deal in a "comfortable team role" although nothing is currently imminent with any NBA team (Twitter link). We recently noted that the 6'9 forward had been among the remaining free agents who have been seeking a contract higher than the minimum.
The former number one overall pick appeared in forty-two games with the Clippers last season, averaging 5.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1 BPG, and 1 SPG in 22.4 minutes per game. Miller made it clear that Martin wants to play in the NBA during the 2012-13 season and has just turned down an offer to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, Spears tweets.
Spoelstra On Juwan, Injuries, Cole
Erik Spoelstra has had a busy summer, consulting with former NBA coach Paul Westhead about his perspective on fast break offenses in addition to meeting with Florida Gators head coach Billy Donavan to talk about the pressures associated with aiming to repeat as national champions (Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes). Now on the cusp of training camp, Spoelstra opened up on a few notable topics regarding the Heat:
- Juwan Howard will not be a member of the team's training camp, but could eventually join the team down the line.
- Dwyane Wade has been recovering from an arthroscopic surgery procedure in July, but is expected to be ready for the season opener on October 30. Spoelstra added Wade is "not 100 percent" and that he will be brought along slowly as training camp begins. Ray Allen has been recovering from offseason ankle surgery in July, and while Spoelstra says that the sharpshooter isn't 100 percent healthy either, it's not noticeable. Mike Miller is well enough to take part in all the training camp drills, but will be limited at times as a precaution. Lastly, Jarvis Varnardo is dealing with a strained hamstring that will sideline him heading into camp.
- Norris Cole appears to be doing well after experiencing some issues with his groin recently, and has had a strong summer considering the team's goal of improving his playmaking and shooting.
- Dexter Pittman has had a productive offseason and will be in the best condition he's been in going into a training camp.