Central Rumors: Gibson, Thomas, West, Kravtsov
- As the Bulls and Taj Gibson make progress toward an extension, Shams Charania of RealGM.com says both sides want to make a long-term commitment (Twitter link).
- Charania also checks in with Malcolm Thomas, the Bulls summer league standout who signed to play in Israel. Before he inked that contract, Thomas had an agreement in place with Dongguan on the Chinese Basketball Association, but the deal fell apart, Charania reports.
- Entering the final year of his contract with the Pacers, David West appears much healthier to start this season than he was a year ago, when he was still feeling the effects of his torn left ACL, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- The Pistons are impressed with Ukrainian big man Slava Kravtsov despite a language barrier that causes some on-court communication problems, as MLive's David Mayo writes.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio shares Cavs coach Byron Scott's thoughts on the new anti-flopping rule, and the coach seems unconcerned, despite the presence of noted flopper Anderson Varejao on the roster. Scott also says he's impressed with second-year man Tristan Thompson, and says he has an edge over Samardo Samuels and Jon Leuer for the starting power forward job.
- Kelenna Azubuike started 51 games for the Warriors in 2008/09, but in large measure because of two surgeries on a torn left patella tendon, he's only played in 12 NBA games since. Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer looks at how he's trying to resurrect his career with the Cavs this season. Valade also passes along a note from Scott hinting that the team may keep both Donald Sloan and Jeremy Pargo as backups to Kyrie Irving.
- Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com chronicles the unconventional path Alonzo Gee took to become an established player in the NBA.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Walton, D12, Jazz, Wright
As NBA training camps continue, the big stories around the league today involved the Association's new anti-flopping policy and the Knicks finally making Rasheed Wallace's signing official. In spite of the buzz surrounding Wallace's return to the NBA, Knicks coach Mike Woodson tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that he views 'Sheed as an insurance policy, rather than someone who will play big minutes. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:
- There's still a chance Josh Howard ends up on the Knicks, but the team would have to cut someone to make room for him, tweets Zwerling. For now, New York is in "wait-and-see mode" while the team evaluates its current players, a source tells Zwerling (Twitter link).
- If the Cavaliers have made Luke Walton a buyout offer, he isn't aware of it, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link). According to Amico, Walton leaves such matters to his agent, and is expecting to play out the final year of his contract with the Cavs.
- The timetable for Dwight Howard's potential return keeps moving up, if you ask Howard, who tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he could play in the preseason.
- While Jazz players like Chris Quinn, Brian Butch, Darnell Jackson, and Trey Gilder are long shots to make the club's roster, coach Tyrone Corbin says everyone has a chance, according to Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News.
- Israeli team Maccabi Rishon LeZion has announced the signing of 2007 lottery pick Julian Wright, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's David Thorpe explores the impact it would have if the D-League evolved into a full minor league system for the NBA.
Knicks Sign Rasheed Wallace
2:38pm: Wallace's contract is non-guaranteed, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com confirms (via Twitter). You can view the full list of Knicks on non-guaranteed deals right here.
12:24pm: The Knicks have officially signed Rasheed Wallace, the team announced today in a press release. The deal is expected to be for one year at the minimum salary, though it's not clear whether or not it's fully guaranteed. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported earlier today that the deal likely won't be guaranteed unless Wallace makes the team.
Although Wallace has flirted with the idea of a comeback over the last two years, he hasn't played in an NBA game since the 2010 playoffs, when he and the Celtics were defeated by the Lakers in the Finals. The veteran big man has played in nearly 1100 games since entering the league in 1995, but it'll be interesting to see if he's still able to contribute much at age 38, after two years out of the NBA.
With Wallace's signing, the Knicks now have 20 players in training camp. Of the other 19 Knicks contracts, 13 are believed to be fully guaranteed, so there should be a couple roster spots available for the remaining camp participants. If Wallace shows he's healthy and in shape, I imagine he'll earn one of those last two spots.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com first reported that Wallace had taken a physical with the Knicks last week, while Berman reported that Wallace had informed the Knicks he'd sign with them.
Poll: NBA’s New Anti-Flopping Rule
As we covered earlier this afternoon, the NBA announced today that it has adopted an anti-flopping rule for the 2012/13 season, designed to discourage players from embellishing contact. Given the increase in flopping we've seen in the Association in recent years, it's hard to argue that the NBA wasn't right to do something to try to discourage the practice.
But is the NBA's solution the best approach the league could have taken? "Flops" will be determined using video review after the games, with first-time offenders receiving a warning, and fines starting with the second violation. I would guess that only egregious flops will be considered, but there's still a level of subjectivity involved — as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News points out, there can be a fine line between selling a call and "flopping" (all Twitter links).
McDonald rightly adds that there could also be a disparity between an in-game call and a post-game ruling. For instance, a player could sink a pair of game-winning free throw following a foul that is ruled later to be a flop (Twitter links). Among the other cons for the new rule: Players are now being fined significantly more for "flops" than for technical fouls, which max out at $5K.
No rule instituted to prevent flopping will be perfect, and it's a step in the right direction for the league to adopt a policy for the coming season. But are you happy with the NBA's solution, or would you rather see flopping combated in another way? Submit your vote below and feel free to weigh in under the comments section.
Are you happy with the NBA's new anti-flopping rule?
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Yes, it's the best option available 62% (180)
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No, there are better alternatives 38% (110)
Total votes: 290
Eastern Notes: Blatche, Pacers, Allen, Nelson
The Magic were ripped by fans and pundits alike when they dealt Dwight Howard and failed to receive a true impact player like Andrew Bynum in the trade. However, as Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes today, the team's decision not to take on Bynum and his balky knees is looking better now than it did at the time. The former Laker, who has been ruled out for three weeks, may end up being fine, but it's something of an ominous start for the Bynum era in Philadelphia, says Bianchi. Here are the rest of the morning's notes out of the Eastern Conference:
- Former NBA head coach John Lucas believes the Nets' signing of Andray Blatche could be the "steal of the summer," as Howard Beck of the New York Times writes. Of course, Lucas may be a little biased — Blatche spent three months this offseason working out in Houston under Lucas' tutelage.
- The Pacers are keeping an "open mind" about whether to carry 15 players into the regular season or whether to keep an open roster spot, according to GM Kevin Pritchard. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says he would be "shocked" if Sam Young didn't earn a place on Indiana's roster.
- Ray Allen spoke on the Dan LeBatard Show in Miami about how Pat Riley influenced his decision to sign with the Heat, and Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews has the transcript.
- Raymond Felton will get the first shot to start at point guard for the Knicks, and fellow free agent signee Jason Kidd doesn't mind assuming the backup role, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Sulia link) explains why the Magic re-signed Jameer Nelson this summer and looks at whether they'd consider trading him later in the season.
- The Bulls' bench may include plenty of new faces, but Taj Gibson doesn't want to retire the "bench mob" moniker. Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Tribune writes that the team's new additions are looking to be just as productive as last year's second unit.
Greene On Lou Williams, Morrow, Korver
The sound bites we hear in the first week of NBA training camps often fall into the same few categories: Every player is in great shape, no one is worried about contract situations, and every team expects to be in the playoffs. It makes it all the more difficult to get an interesting quote, but Lang Greene of HoopsWorld managed to get a few out of some Hawks, which he rounded up in today's NBA AM piece. Here are the highlights:
- Lou Williams admits that he was caught off guard when the Sixers decided they didn't want to bring him back: "Just to be honest, I was completely surprised. But I think they were in a position where they were trying to transition to a different style of basketball and that showed with them going with bigger guards and getting Andrew Bynum."
- After playing his college ball at Georgia Tech, playing in Atlanta is something of a homecoming for Anthony Morrow, who says he'd like to remain with the Hawks past this season: "I would love to be here long term. It’s like home for me. I’m familiar with here. It would be great. I’m looking forward to it, when that day comes. So I just want to come out and focus on having a great season."
- According to Kyle Korver, the Bulls' front office was upfront with him toward the end of last season about the fact that major personnel changes were coming in Chicago. Korver, along with most of the rest of the Bulls' "bench mob," including Omer Asik, C.J. Watson, John Lucas III, and Ronnie Brewer, are playing for other teams now, and Korver understands why: "It wasn’t anything about our play. It was strictly a business decision. They were way over the salary cap. Derrick [Rose]’s contract is a big one and it kicked in and you already have a lot of other guys locked in."
Coach/Exec Notes: Gentry, Petrie, Drew
While Hoops Rumors focuses primarily on trades and free agency involving NBA players, there's another group entering contract years as the 2012/13 season approaches — coaches and front office personnel. This could be a crucial year for many coaches and executives who are in the final year of their deals, so let's take a look at some stories on a few guys in contract years….
- Alvin Gentry is a good fit for the Suns, and extending his contract would not only be the right move, but would send the right message, argues Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic. It doesn't sound as if the team is negotiating a new contract for its head coach at the moment though. "It's not an issue for this season," said Suns owner Robert Sarver. "I don't think it's an issue with Alvin, and it's not an issue for us. I've worked with Alvin for the last eight years. I think he's treated the organization fairly, and I think we've treated him fairly."
- Kings president Geoff Petrie is entering the last year of his deal, but doesn't appear concerned about his uncertain future, telling Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee: "I think really for me the only contract I'm concerned about is the one all of us have, and that's the contract with life. And you take that one day at a time."
- Like Petrie, Hawks coach Larry Drew is downplaying any worries about his long-term future as he enters the final year of his contract. New GM Danny Ferry agreed with the team's decision to pick up Drew's 2012/13 option, but the two will wait until after the season to discuss a new contract for the coach, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. If the Hawks underachieve at all this year, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Ferry bring in his own man for the job.
McGrady Drawing Interest From Chinese Team
9:26am: ESPN.com's Chris Broussard tweets that McGrady may end up playing in China, but signing with an NBA contender remains his first choice, and he won't rush into a decision.
9:21am: Despite receiving some interest from the Spurs, Bobcats, and Knicks, unrestricted free agent Tracy McGrady is still looking for work, with NBA training camps underway. According to a report from QQ.com (Chinese link; translation via HoopsHype), McGrady's most aggressive suitor may not be an NBA club, but a team from the Chinese Basketball Association. The Qingdao Doublestar are said to be in touch with the seven-time All-Star, in an effort to bring him overseas.
According to the QQ.com report, McGrady has previously been courted by Chinese teams, but turned down their advances for a number of reasons, including proximity to his family. However, it appears he's at least considering the idea of signing with Qingdao. There are some obstacles on both sides — Qingdao has concerns about McGrady's injury history, and questions about whether he'd adjust well to CBA travel, which isn't as comfortable as in the NBA. Salary is, of course, also expected to be an issue, though the report suggests the 33-year-old's asking price wouldn't be exorbitant.
As we saw during last year's lockout, the salaries that NBA veterans can earn from teams in China aren't insignificant. Kenyon Martin signed a $2.6MM contract, about double what he would have earned on the veteran's minimum in the NBA. If McGrady can't find an NBA team willing to offer more than the non-guaranteed minimum, the CBA may be his most lucrative option.
Bobcats To Explore Extension For Henderson
Although players like James Harden, Stephen Curry, and Ty Lawson have been cited more frequently as extension candidates this offseason, one 2009 first-rounder also eligible for a new long-term deal is the Bobcats' Gerald Henderson. And a team source tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that the Bobcats figure to explore an extension for Henderson before the October 31st deadline.
Bonnell cautions that if history is any indication, the Bobcats are more likely to let their first-round picks become restricted free agents rather than locking them up in advance of free agency. Charlotte may prefer to simply let the season play out and make Henderson a qualifying offer next summer, likely worth about $4.27MM.
As Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors wrote when he examined Henderson as a potential extension candidate in August, the Bobcats had trouble convincing free agents like Carl Landry and Antawn Jamison to sign in Charlotte this summer. If free agents continue to shy away from Charlotte, the team's best approach may involve locking up its own players, particularly one like Henderson, who has shown consistent improvement over his first three seasons and is still just 24 years old.
Malcolm Thomas Signs With Maccabi Tel Aviv
WEDNESDAY, 8:12am: Thomas has officially signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv on a one-year deal, according to Euroleague.net (hat tip to Sportando). The Israeli club also has an option on Thomas for 2013/14.
FRIDAY, 8:35am: After failing to secure a satisfactory NBA offer, Malcolm Thomas has agreed to join Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv on a multiyear contract, according to David Pick of Sportando. Pick had reported yesterday that the two sides were in "advanced talks."
Thomas played just three games for the Spurs last season, and also signed a 10-day contract with the Rockets, though he didn't appear in any games for Houston. The 6'9" forward saw his stock increase, however, after a standout performance with the Bulls' summer league squad in July.
Although Chicago badly wanted to bring him to camp on a non-guaranteed deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter), it seemed Thomas was seeking a larger financial commitment. The 23-year-old worked out for the Knicks as well, and was reportedly looking for a guaranteed contract from the team.
Maccabi Tel Aviv was also said to be interested in Kenyon Martin to bolster its frontcourt. However, Martin turned down the club's offer of $900K, according to Pick (Twitter link).