Pacers Rumors: Granger, Green, Augustin, Mahinmi
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star shares a number of noteworthy tidbits from his conversation with Pacers coach Frank Vogel, including word that Danny Granger will be brought along slowly in training camp after a left knee issue that arose over the summer. He'll only play in some of the team's preseason games, but the Pacers don't expect it to become a major issue, Wells writes. Here's more from the coach of the team that held a 2-1 lead on the eventual champion Heat in the conference semis this spring:
- Vogel is impressed with new acquisitions Gerald Green and D.J. Augustin. "Gerald Green is doing things everyday I didn’t think was possible for human beings to do," he said. "D.J. has really blown me away in the limited time that he’s been here in terms of his ability to create and make others better. That’s a unique talent to have. Literally on almost every possession he makes somebody better with his passing."
- The coach also shed some light on the team's decision to let go of Louis Amundson, who signed today with the Wolves, and commit $16MM over four seasons to Ian Mahinmi in the sign-and-trade that sent away Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones. "We felt like Lou did a great job last year, but we also felt like we got lucky with injuries to (Andrew) Bogut, (Al) Horford, (Brook) Lopez and (Dwight) Howard," Vogel said. "We think Mahinmi will size up and give us more depth against those elite centers better than Lou did."
- Lance Stephenson is the early favorite to backup Paul George at shooting guard, Wells writes, a role filled by current free agent Leandro Barbosa when last season ended. "Lance Stephenson has challenged for playing time for two years," Vogel said. "Now he’s playing with more confidence than he ever has. So he’s going to challenge the starters."
Extension Candidate: Paul Millsap
A few days ago when I looked at the extension candidacy of Al Jefferson, I surmised that if the Jazz want to re-up one of their pair of veteran big men eligible for an extension, Paul Millsap might be the better choice. In August, Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune wrote that the Jazz offered Millsap about $25MM over three years, all they're capable of paying him in an extension under the rules of the CBA, but Millsap has let the offer sit. He'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and Smith estimated that he could be in line for a contract worth at least $9MM a year, more than he could get in an extension. Yet it would be hard for Millsap to get the most out of free agency if he spends the year coming off the bench, and Smith wrote yesterday that he'll engage in an "old-school, winner-take-all position battle" in camp against Derrick Favors for the starting power forward job. Losing that competition might be enough to prompt Jefferson to reconsider the Jazz's offer.
Millsap's cap hit will be $8.6MM this season, though he'll actually only clear about $7.2MM, since the other $1.4MM came as part of a signing bonus in 2009. Either way, that's about half of Jefferson's $15MM salary this year. For a much cheaper price, Millsap comes off a season in which he delivered production that was remarkably similar to Jefferson's. Millsap shot 49.5% while Jefferson shot 49.2%. Millsap grabbed 8.8 rebounds per game, and Jefferson notched 9.6 RPG. Millsap's 21.8 PER is just a tick down from Jefferson's 22.8. Millsap scored fewer points per game (16.6 to Jefferson's 19.2), but saw fewer shot opportunities, attempting 13.5 field goals per game while Jefferson took 17.2. They're separated in age by little more than a month, but still, Millsap seems likely to continue to make less than Jefferson does when they sign their next contracts. That's in part because of what they've both made in the past and in part because the 6'10" Jefferson is two inches taller and capable of manning the center position, where there's a league-wide dearth of talent.
The Jazz only have about $25MM tied up for 2013/14, including team options, so they don't necessarily have to choose between Millsap and Jefferson. Still, cap space would become tighter if the team elects to re-sign its younger bigs, Favors and Enes Kanter, when they finish their rookie contracts in 2014 and 2015, respectively. It doesn't make much sense to pay four guys major money when only two of them can start without playing out of position, so one, if not two, of them will have to move on eventually. Millsap was reportedly part of trade talks involving Ryan Anderson this summer, and while the Jazz were apparently reluctant to make a deal, it certainly seems there's no guarantee Millsap will finish the season in Utah if he doesn't sign an extension.
Between trade rumors and the specter of a contract-year benching, there's plenty of motivation for Millsap to take the Jazz's offer, especially if he's truly interested in remaining in Utah. The priority for the 27-year-old Millsap, who made close to the minimum salary his first three seasons in the league and has spent his last three as a relative bargain, might be to seek the most guaranteed money he can get as he approaches unrestricted free agency for the first time. For that reason, I still think he's unlikely to accept the offer from the Jazz, though I wouldn't be completely shocked if he did. Unlike players coming off of rookie-scale contracts, Millsap is eligible to sign an extension right up until June 30th of next year, so if he loses the starting job to Favors in training camp or at a later point this season, that $25MM offer might start to look more attractive to him, providing it's still on the table.
Atlantic Rumors: King, Wright, Rondo, Terry, Rivers
We rounded up several notes from the Atlantic Division earlier today, but the news just keeps coming, so we'll dive in for more:
- Nets GM Billy King is optimistic about his roster, and he's relieved that the team can begin training camp without speculation about a major move, as with rumors linking Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard to the team the past two seasons, Newsday's Roderick Boone writes.
- We heard Dorell Wright heap praise on new teammate Andrew Bynum earlier today, and Wright also spoke about his own game to Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. After a down year in his final season with Golden State made finding a new starting small forward a priority for the Warriors, Wright wants to showcase more than his three-point shooting ability for the Sixers.
- Celtics GM Danny Ainge says this year's playoffs proved Rajon Rondo is the team's best player, and Paul Flannery of WEEI.com examines whether that's indeed the case.
- Free agent signee Jason Terry, who said his "mission is to kill" the Heat and the Lakers, is fine with seeing time as the backup point guard for the Celtics, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. It appears he may have to fill that role, since Ainge doesn't expect the team will sign another ballhandler to replace Keyon Dooling.
- Forsberg also passed along Terry's comments indicating that coach Doc Rivers was an important factor in his decision to sign with the Celtics. "He's a guy that I wanted to play for," Terry said. "I played for him, it was probably 2000, 2001, in the Goodwill Games and we won a gold medal. Our relationship is pretty easy. And he was the first one to call me. When Doc calls, you answer. And I'm just happy to be here."
Northwest Rumors: Hickson, Morrison, Jazz
It's been a busy day for current and former members of the Timberwolves. The team officially announced the signing of Louis Amundson, having reportedly passed on Sean Williams and Yi Jianlian. Anthony Tolliver was also in the running to return until yesterday, and today he agreed to sign with the Hawks. Mark Deeks of ShamSports revealed the Wolves can get out of the last year of their contract with Brandon Roy if he reinjures his knees this season, and after an offseason of changes, Kevin Love says he's satisfied with the team's moves. There's news on Minnesota's Northwest Division rivals as well, and we'll round it up here:
- J.J. Hickson will start training camp with the inside track to be the starter at center for the Blazers, said coach Terry Stotts, who also gave a nod to the strides rookie Meyers Leonard made over the summer, as The Oregonian's Joe Freeman writes.
- In the same piece, Freeman reports that the Blazers will give strong consideration to keeping Adam Morrison for the entire season. The third overall pick in the 2006 draft signed a non-guaranteed contract with the team last week.
- The Jazz have added 27-year-old former University of Utah guard Johnnie Bryant to their staff as a player development assistant, reports Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: T-Wolves, Yi, Arroyo, Rockets
Let's round up a few of today's odds and ends from around the Association….
- The Timberwolves ultimately signed Louis Amundson to a minimum-salary deal to bolster their frontcourt, but were also seriously considering Sean Williams and were close to signing Yi Jianlian, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500. Yi ended up signing in China, where he presumably received a larger guarantee.
- Two and a half months after urging management to make roster upgrades, Kevin Love says he's happy about the changes and is optimistic about the Timberwolves' playoff chances, according to an AP report (via NBA.com).
- According to a Primera Hora report (Spanish link), longtime NBA point guard Carlos Arroyo is still debating whether to join an NBA team's training camp or play in Turkey.
- The Rockets announced a series of coaching and basketball operations hirings and promotions today, including a pair of assistant coaches.
- There has been so much turnover in New Orleans in recent years that Jason Smith, who joined the team almost exactly two years ago, is now the longest-tenured Hornet. Smith spoke to Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com about the club's offseason acquisitions and his expectations for the coming year.
Rockets Waive Fortson, Sign McCamey, Fogg
5:34pm: The Rockets have made the series of transactions official in a press release.
1:24pm: Before training camp opens next week, the Rockets will waive Courtney Fortson and his non-guaranteed contract, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). That will reduce the team's roster to 18 players, at which point Houston will fill its last two roster spots by signing Demetri McCamey and Kyle Fogg, says Feigen.
We heard back in June that the Rockets had decided to bring back Fortson for this season, but the 24-year-old's contract ensured that Houston actually had to make two decisions on whether or not to retain him. As Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains, Fortson's deal included a team option for 2012/13, but despite that option being exercised, Fortson's contract was still non-guaranteed, meaning the Rockets won't take a cap hit by releasing him.
McCamey, 23, went undrafted out of Illinois in 2011, despite being ranked as the 53rd-best prospect of the class by ESPN.com's Chad Ford. The 6'3" point guard played in Turkey last season before joining the Bulls' summer league squad this July. Another 6'3" guard, Fogg went undrafted out of Arizona this June. The 22-year-old averaged 13.5 PPG in his senior year with the Wildcats, and played for the Rockets' summer league team in July.
Assuming the deals for McCamey and Fogg are fully non-guaranteed, the Rockets now have 18 contracts on their books that are at least partially guaranteed. Shaun Livingston, Greg Smith, and Scott Machado will all require small buyouts if they don't make the team's final roster and aren't traded.
Josh Smith Open To Long-Term Future With Hawks
A contract extension for Josh Smith before he hits free agency next summer looks unlikely, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That's no surprise — for players of Smith's caliber, free agent contracts are more appealing than in-season extensions, which max out at three new years. However, Smith is open to a long-term future in Atlanta, according to GM Danny Ferry.
"I’ve been clear that I value Josh as a player," Ferry said. "He has worked hard this summer and I believe he is going to have a great season. I’ve been in contact with his representatives. Josh and his representatives have been clear that he is excited about the direction of the team and wants to be part of the future in Atlanta. That being said, I don’t expect the contract situation to be resolved until next summer."
The stance represents something of a 180 for Smith, who had long hoped to be traded and hinted as recently as May that he was still dissatisfied with the Hawks. Since Ferry took over though, and moved big contracts like Joe Johnson's and Marvin Williams', Smith seems to have come around on the club's direction, according to multiple reports.
Smith will earn $13.2MM in 2012/13, the final year of his current contract. If he were to sign an in-season extension, he could land a new deal of up to three years and about $45MM. In free agency, he'd be eligible for a four-year deal with a new team or a five-year deal with Atlanta. In both cases, his annual salary could be higher than what he'd earn if he simply signed an extension.
Vivlamore notes that negotiations between the two sides aren't completely closed, and that there's still a chance, albeit a slim one, that an extension could be worked out before Smith becomes an unrestricted free agent next July.
Timberwolves Sign Louis Amundson
TUESDAY, 3:25pm: The Timberwolves have officially signed Amundson, according to the team's Twitter feed.
MONDAY, 1:37pm: After we heard last night that unrestricted free agent Louis Amundson was closing in on a new deal with an unknown team, Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida fills in the blanks — Tomasson hears from a source that Amundson is set to sign with the Timberwolves (Twitter link).
Amundson will only receive a one-year, minimum-salary deal, but it will be for guaranteed money, according to Tomasson (via Twitter). The big man is already in Minnesota and will be with the team for the start of training camp (Twitter link).
Amundson, a six-year veteran, spent last season with the Pacers, recording 3.6 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 60 contests (12.6 MPG). Prior to his brief stint in Indiana, the 6'9" forward also played for the Warriors, Suns, Sixers, and Jazz. In part-time action over the course of 288 career contests, Amundson has posted a 12.8 PER.
Up against the cap and having already used their room exception on Greg Stiemsma, a minimum-salary contract was the most the Timberwolves could offer. Amundson was said to be in the market for a deal worth around the mini mid-level a few weeks back, but with few players receiving more than make-good deals for the minimum these days, the 29-year-old may be fortunate just to receive a guarantee. When Amundson's deal becomes official, the T-Wolves will have 15 players under contract, including 14 with full guarantees. Will Conroy's deal is only partially guaranteed.
Eastern Notes: Nets, Bynum, Celtics, Brooks
While very few teams still have cap space available as the 2012/13 season approaches, there are a number of clubs in good position to clear a ton of money from their books next summer. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld takes an early look at which teams have the least guaranteed money on their cap next summer and beyond, and notes that many of the teams in the best position are in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons, Bobcats, Hawks, Cavaliers, and Wizards all only have between $17MM and $22MM in guaranteed money on their caps for 2013/14, though many of those numbers will increase when rookie-contract options are exercised.
Here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference on a Tuesday afternoon:
- Nets GM Billy King said today that he talked to free agent point guards Steve Nash and Goran Dragic before he knew for sure whether Deron Williams would be back, tweets Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.
- The general consensus around the NBA would suggest Dwight Howard is the league's best center, with Andrew Bynum placing second, but Dorell Wright would give the nod to his new Sixers teammate. "[Bynum]’s going to need two defenders to stop him," Wright told John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I would say he’s the best big man in the NBA right now, hands down."
- Celtics GM Danny Ainge spoke briefly to ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg about a number of topics. According to Ainge, the team doesn't expect to bring in another ball-handler to replace Keyon Dooling, preferring to let its young guys compete for that roster spot.
- Within a piece about Brook Lopez's and MarShon Brooks' futures in Brooklyn, Howard Beck of the New York Times mentions that the Hawks "pushed hard" to acquire Brooks in the deal that sent Joe Johnson to the Nets.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star examines whether the Pacers really upgraded their bench over the offseason.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, David Thorpe explains how the Celtics quietly had one of the NBA's best offseasons.
Grizzlies To Re-Sign D.J. Kennedy
Just a week after waiving him, the Grizzlies will re-sign D.J. Kennedy to their training camp roster, reports Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). Kennedy had already been on a non-guaranteed contract, so I'm not 100% sure why it was necessary to sign him to a new deal, but according to Tillery, the new contract limits the Grizzlies' liability.
Kennedy was acquired by the Grizzlies two months ago in the swap that sent Jeremy Pargo to the Cavaliers. When the 6'6" wing was cut by Memphis, it appeared the deal had just been a salary dump for the Grizzlies, but it seems the team at least likes Kennedy enough to bring him to training camp.
Kennedy spent most of last season in the D-League playing for the Erie Bayhawks, with whom he averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 44 games. When the 22-year-old was released, Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wondered if a return to the D-League would be next. Kennedy probably isn't a strong bet to make the Grizzlies' regular season roster, so perhaps we'll see him on the Reno Bighorns when the D-League season gets underway.