Knicks Expected To Sign Rasheed Wallace
WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: Wallace missed the Knicks' first practice on Tuesday because his contract has yet to be finalized. Agent Bill Strickland is working out some "minor details" of the agreement, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, who adds that Wallace's pact is unlikely to be guaranteed unless he makes the team.
MONDAY, 10:46am: Wallace has yet to sign with the Knicks, but the team still he expects him to, as GM Glen Grunwald told the media today (Twitter link via Al Iannazzone of Newsday).
FRIDAY, 11:48am: Rasheed Wallace has informed the Knicks that he'll come out of retirement and will be in attendance on Monday when the team opens training camp, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. As of this morning, agent Bill Strickland said he hadn't begun formal contract negotiations with the Knicks, but it appears Wallace will officially sign with the team within the next few days.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com had reported earlier today that Wallace took a physical on Thursday and that Knicks players expected the team to sign the veteran forward. Newsday's Al Iannazzone, meanwhile, heard from Strickland that if his client decided to come out of retirement, it would be for the Knicks (Twitter link).
If and when Wallace's deal becomes official, it would put the Knicks' roster at the offseason maximum of 20 players. Assuming the team guarantees Wallace's contract, 14 of those 20 players would be fully guaranteed.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reported today (via Twitter) that the Knicks could still attempt to sign Josh Howard if Wallace agreed to join the team, but it would likely be one or the other. If New York did still want to add Howard, the club would need to waive another player to make room.
Odds & Ends: Kobe, Nets, Deron, Anderson
After getting media day out of the way on Monday, the Lakers took to the floor for their first full open practice. While they're not in full scrimmage mode yet, press in attendance did get to see the early stages of the Princeton Offense with one of the system's biggest proponents, assistant coach Eddie Jordan, overseeing everything. The new scheme won't be the only big change this year as head coach Mike Brown says that he wants to cut down on Kobe Bryant's minutes in 2012/13, tweets Mike Trudell of NBA.com. The 34-year-old was asked to play 38.5 minutes per game, but Brown says that the team's improved depth will allow him to give his star guard more rest. More from around the Association..
- Despite the frustrations of last season, Nets point guard Deron Williams is confident that the team will turn things around thanks to their offseason upgrades, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. Coach Avery Johnson added that Williams seems more focused now that the distraction of free agency is in his rear view mirror.
- Former Wizards forward Andray Blatche is grateful for his new opportunity with the Nets, Boone writes. "Last season with the Wizards, the whole situation that happened there was really a wake-up call to show me that the job of my life, the job I love doing, can be taken from me in an instant. So to see what happened to me, to see that I have another chance, I don't want that to happen again," Blatche said. The Wizards amnestied the 26-year-old and absorbed the remaining $23MM owed to him earlier this year.
- Hornets rookie Anthony Davis already sees the benefit of new arrival Ryan Anderson being on the roster, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. The sharpshooting forward has the ability to knock down shots from the outside and take attention away from the No. 1 overall pick on the inside.
- The 76ers have hired former Nets scout Jordan Cohn as their new pro personnel scout, writes John Finger of CSNPhilly.com. Cohn spent the previous eight seasons covering the NBA, D-League, and NCAA games in New Jersey. The club is also set to hire an analytics guru in the near future, according to General Manager Tony DiLeo.
- Celtics summer league standout Stephane Lasme has signed with Greek team Panathinaikos Athens, according to Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com.
Central Notes: Bulls, Gibson, Pistons, Allen
Here's a look at the latest out of the Central Division..
- The Bulls and Taj Gibson have been talking about a possible extension since June, but the forward says that he isn't preoccupied with the contract talk, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Yesterday, it was reported that the two sides are "getting closer" on agreeing to a long-term extension. For his part, Gibson has said that he would like to remain in Chicago.
- For the Pistons to have success in 2012/13, they'll need further development from their young players and an immediate impact from the newcomers, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Forward/Center Greg Monroe is among those who need to take the next big leap in Goodwill's view.
- Despite his brother Tony Allen's ties to Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, Ryan Allen is a long shot to make Chicago's roster, as Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com writes. However, it helps that like his older brother, the younger Allen also very defensive-minded – an obvious plus with Thibodeau.
Heat Exercise Norris Cole’s Option
8:01pm: The Heat have confirmed the extension via press release.
7:42pm: The Heat have exercised Norris Cole's $1.2MM option for the 2013/14 season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Cleveland State product averaged 6.8 PPG with 2.0 APG and 0.7 SPG in his rookie campaign last season.
The 28th overall pick in the draft impressed early on in the season, making him look to be one of the early steals of the 2011 class. However, the explosive athlete would quickly hit the rookie wall and had a rather up-and-down year in total. Regardless, the Heat believe that the explosive athlete has shown enough upside to warrant another year under contract in Miami.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Millsap, Carter
Israeli point guard Gal Mekel wasn't talked about much as a possibility for the NBA this summer but yesterday we learned that the Jazz have their eye on him. However, visa complications would make it difficult for Mekel to get into camp on time and make his case for a roster spot. If the 24-year-old does wind up with the Jazz or another club, he would become the league's second Israeli player after Cleveland's Omri Casspi. Here's more on the Jazz and other notes out of the Northwest division..
- Paul Millsap reiterated yesterday that he'd "absolutely" like to re-sign with the Jazz next summer, but it's unclear whether the Jazz will commit to both Millsap and Derrick Favors long-term, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune. Over the summer, the Jazz reportedly offered Millsap a three-year, $25MM contract extension.
- Millsap is among the players to keep an eye on as they enter a contract year, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The 27-year-old has shown progress in every season and another significant step forward can put him in line for a major payday in the summer. As it stands now, the powerful big man looks to be one of the bigger gets in the 2013 free agent class.
- Fan favorite Anthony Carter is excited to be back with the Nuggets in camp, even though he is fighting to crack the roster during this go 'round, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Denver's signings of Carter and Ben Uzoh yesterday brought the roster count to 17. The two are now in a three-horse race with point guard Julyan Stone for the final spot with the club.
Adam Morrison To Retire If Waived By Blazers
Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts told the media yesterday that Adam Morrison has a legitimate chance to earn a roster spot in Portland this month. If Morrison doesn't earn a spot on the team, however, he intends to retire, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
"I'm going to finish school and start coaching," Morrison said of his alternate plans. "I did the Europe thing and it just wasn't for me. Not saying the (European) culture or anything like that, (or) the people. It just wasn't for me. So, yeah, if it doesn't work out, I'm willing to look myself in the mirror and say, 'I gave it a honest shot' and turn the page. Do something else."
Morrison, 28, has had a disappointing NBA career since being drafted by the Bobcats third overall in 2006, but showed promise at this July's summer league. The former Gonzaga star played for the Nets in Orlando and the Clippers in Las Vegas, averaging 20.0 PPG and shooting 61.9% on three-pointers in Vegas. With Elliot Williams out for the year with an achilles injury, the door may be open for Morrison to earn a spot on the Blazers' roster.
Latest On Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, Bucks
When the Bucks acquired Monta Ellis from the Warriors at last season's trade deadline, the compressed 2011/12 schedule meant that the team only had 21 games to see Ellis and Brandon Jennings play together in the backcourt. The Bucks expect to get a better idea this season of whether the duo will be a long-term fixture in Milwaukee, but the club won't have a time of time to assess the situation — Ellis can opt out of his contract at season's end, while Jennings could become a restricted free agent.
According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, the "scuttlebutt around the league" suggests that Ellis will exercise his early termination option and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. That wouldn't be a shock — the $11MM salary on his 2013/14 option isn't extravagant, and at age 27, Ellis could probably secure a more lucrative, longer-term deal on the open market. For his part, the former Warrior says he's "just thinking about basketball," and that his agent and the Bucks have only talked once about a possible extension.
While there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency yet regarding Ellis' contract situation, the Bucks only have until the end of the month to work out a contract extension for Jennings. If the two sides don't reach an agreement, Jennings will have the opportunity to sign an offer sheet with a rival team next July. Like Ellis though, Jennings had little to say this week about a new contract, offering: "I think that’s why players hire agents, so they can take care of that."
Jennings, who will earn about $3.18MM in the last year of his rookie contract, did add that he likes Milwaukee, and he has expressed in the past that he'd be open to a long-term extension. Still, as Woelfel writes, agent Bill Duffy is likely to push for a maximum-salary deal, something the Bucks would probably rather avoid.
Paul Reiterates Desire To Remain With Clippers
Trade requests and expiring contracts have been major stories in the NBA in recent years, from 2010's Decision to 2011's Melo-drama to 2012's Dwightmare. However, Chris Paul isn't expecting his contract situation to turn into a distraction, as Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes. Paul will become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but it sounds as if he's leaning toward remaining with the Clippers long-term.
"At the end of the season, I'll evaluate everything. But it's no secret. Everybody knows I love it here," Paul said. "I love our team, I love everything that's going on."
Paul, of course, was at the middle of a controversial off-court story last December when a trade that would have sent him to the Lakers was shot down by David Stern, leading to the Clippers trade. He hasn't forgotten that situation, but strongly indicated that he isn't expecting history to repeat itself in Los Angeles.
"I sort of went through one of those the year before last in New Orleans," Paul said. "Been there, done that. For me, I don't pay much attention to it. I wouldn't even have thought about that today until you asked me the question. I think that says a lot about our team, about everything that's going on around here. We don't focus on that."
Although the Knicks were viewed at one point as a strong potential suitor for Paul in free agency, New York has committed over $77MM in 2013/14 team salary. Since the CBA won't allow teams over the tax threshold to complete sign-and-trade deals starting next summer, the Knicks likely won't have a way to even make a run at Paul.
As I explained earlier this summer, Paul's contract options suggest that his most likely outcome is re-signing with the Clippers next summer as a free agent. If he were to sign an in-season extension with the club, he could only earn up to about $60MM, whereas he could sign for $107MM+ next July. A maximum-salary contract with another team would be worth up to about $80MM.
Ty Lawson, Others Leaving CAA
On the heels of LeBron James' decision to leave Creative Artists Agency to join Rich Paul's newly-formed Klutch Sports Group, a number of other CAA clients appear to be leaving the agency, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst. Windhorst reports that Ty Lawson, Tristan Thompson, Eric Bledsoe, and Cory Joseph are among the players filing paperwork to leave CAA.
Thompson, Bledsoe, and Joseph were clients of Paul's at CAA, so it's not a surprise that they'll follow him to Klutch Sports, as Windhorst writes. However, Lawson wasn't a Paul client, and is expected to hire Happy Walters, according to Windhorst. We heard last week that Walters and Dan Fegan were forming a new agency called Relativity Sports.
While many of these players are a ways off from signing new deals, Lawson's representation could play a major part in contract negotiations this month. Lawson is eligible for an extension of up to five years if he re-ups with Denver before October 31st, and both he and Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri have expressed optimism that an agreement will be reached.
Atlantic Links: Sixers, Ujiri, Wayns, White, Nets
Before the 76ers promoted Tony DiLeo to general manager last month, we heard a report that the Sixers had made a run at Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri. However, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said on Monday that Philadelphia's interest in Ujiri didn't get the Sixers far. According to Kroenke, the Nuggets didn't allow the Sixers to even talk to their GM, as Adrian Dater of the Denver Post writes.
"You hire good people for a reason, and sometimes other people take notice of that," Kroenke said. "But we never gave permission to Philly to talk to Masai."
Here are a few more Tuesday updates out of the Atlantic Division:
- 76ers backcourt mainstays Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner both had praise for Maalik Wayns, who grew up a Sixer fan and is excited to be in Philadelphia. Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News has the details.
- Even though the offseason didn't play out exactly how the Celtics anticipated, team president Danny Ainge feels like "the things that we lost we were able to replace in a big way" (link via CSNNE.com).
- James White tells Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside that he doesn't expect to play in the D-League if he fails to earn a roster spot with the Knicks.
- According to Nets GM Billy King, the Magic were "determined to send [Dwight Howard] west" when Brooklyn was trying to land D12. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports writes that King has done well to build a contender in the East without acquiring Howard.
- Nets forward Kris Humphries has hired Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media as his agent, according to Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick.