Cavaliers Notes: Irving, Varejao, Jones
Here's the latest out of Cleveland on a Cavs team that Kyrie Irving thinks is ready to contend for the playoffs:
- Appearing on ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland (link via Sports Radio Interviews), Irving talked about his expectations for the team: "I have high hopes for us. Obviously our number one goal is to make the playoffs this year and we’re definitely going to attain that as long as we continue to get better and as long as we compete every single night."
- Irving added that he's excited about the players the front office drafted and acquired in the offseason, and that he's looking forward to starting to play with them.
- Several sources tell Bob Finnan of the News-Herald that they believe Anderson Varejao will be traded by the Cavs at this season's trade deadline.
- Varejao, for his part, said yesterday that he wants to remain a Cav, though he recognizes he doesn't have much control over the situation: "I'm still here. I can't control that. If they trade me, they trade me…. I'm happy in Cleveland. I love the city and I love the fans."
- The Cavs aren't worried about replacing Antawn Jamison's 17.2 points per game, according to head coach Byron Scott.
- Kevin Jones signed a three-year pact with the Cavs, but only $50K of his 2012/13 salary is guaranteed, as Finnan writes. Our list of non-guaranteed contracts shows that a number of Cavs players have partial guarantees on their deals.
Lakers Notes: Howard, Kobe, Douglas-Roberts
After the Lakers' biggest offseason in years, more than 300 media members attended the opening of the team's camp yesterday, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. With expectations high for the Lakers' new-look roster, there were plenty of highlights from media day to round up….
- Dwight Howard is hoping to play on opening night, but isn't guaranteeing anything yet, as Spears writes. "It’s a goal, but I’m not rushing it," Howard said. "Everybody wants me to play on opening night. But we are not going to rush it."
- Also within Spears' piece, Kobe Bryant said yesterday that he still expects to be the Lakers' leader, but that he's prepared to hand the team over to Howard within the next few years. "It’s my team," Bryant said. "But I want to make sure that Dwight knows that when I retire this is going to be his. I want to teach him everything I possibly know so this organization can ride as if I never left."
- Bryant also told the media yesterday that he urged executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss to try to acquire Howard this summer if the possibility arose. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details and quotes.
- Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside believes a stint with the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders could benefit Lakers camp invitee Chris Douglas-Roberts.
Mavericks Waive D.J. Mbenga, Tu Holloway
Just a few days after officially signing them, the Mavericks have waived D.J. Mbenga and Tu Holloway, the team announced today in a press release. With Mbenga and Holloway no longer on the training camp roster, the team now has 16 players under contract.
With the preseason still a few days from getting underway, the timing of the moves seems a little unusual. Dallas was under no pressure to reduce its roster size yet, and I would've assumed the club would at least take a look at Mbenga and Holloway in camp this week. Perhaps the pair of players is being given the chance to explore other opportunities, though that's just my speculation.
Mbenga, 31, has appeared in 234 career games for the Mavericks, Warriors, Lakers, and Hornets, and was reportedly prepared to join Dallas' D-League affiliate if he didn't earn a spot on the team. Holloway, 23, was ranked as this year's 68th-best prospect by ESPN.com's Chad Ford but went undrafted. The 6'0" point guard averaged 17.5 PPG and 4.9 APG in his senior year at Xavier before playing for the Mavs' summer league squad in July.
Manu Ginobili Talks Impending Free Agency
Back in May, when he was just weeks from becoming an unrestricted free agent, Tim Duncan told Johnny Ludden of Yahoo! Sports that he "wasn't going anywhere" in free agency, adding that he was a "Spur for life." While Duncan joked that he was reducing his leverage by making such a public statement, his comments came as no surprise.
Now, just over four months later, Manu Ginobili is borrowing a page from Duncan's playbook. The veteran guard is entering the final year of his contract, and was asked about his situation yesterday at the Spurs' media day. Like Duncan, Ginobili probably didn't do his agent any favors with his response.
"I don’t care," Ginobili said, according to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News. "If it’s for a lot of money, a huge amount of money, I don’t care. I’m fine with what I’ve earned in my career. That is not a point of emphasis this year. I just want to play well and help my team make it as far as last year…. If I’m going to play next year, it’s highly likely it’s going to be here. So I really don’t care (about this being a contract season)."
Duncan, who made over $21MM in 2011/12, took a significant pay cut with his new contract, and will earn under $10MM this season, keeping the Spurs under the tax threshold. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if Ginobili worked out a similar deal with San Antonio next summer. The 35-year-old will make over $14MM in 2012/13, but could accept a seven-digit annual salary next July, if he feels as if he has some more years left in the tank.
Southeast Notes: Smith, Hawks, Thomas, Heat
A report last week suggested that Josh Smith is open to a long-term future in Atlanta, even if he and the Hawks are unlikely to work out an extension before next summer. At the team's media day, Smith didn't quite confirm that idea, but did indicate that he won't let his impending free agency become a distraction this season, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.
"I’m not worrying about any contract discussions," Smith said. "I think the team and I are on the same page. We know what we are going to do. My main concern is making the playoffs and winning basketball games."
Here are a few more media day leftovers out of the Southeast Division:
- Tyrus Thomas spoke to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer about his disappointing 2011/12 campaign, and his excitement about working with new coach Mike Dunlap. Thomas is the only Bobcats player still eligible to be amnestied, and will have two years remaining on his contract after this season, so it's a big year for the former fourth overall pick.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel expects the Heat to see what they have in camp in bigs like Dexter Pittman, Josh Harrellson, Mickell Gladness, and Jarvis Varnado. If the team feels uncomfortable with its options heading into the season, they could look to add a veteran big. Ben Wallace, Kenyon Martin, Mehmet Okur, and Juwan Howard are among those still on the market.
- Chris Vivlamore rounds up a few notable quotes from the Hawks' media day, while Michael Lee of the Washington Post does the same for the Wizards.
Derrick Rose Helped Bulls Recruit Kirk Hinrich
Although Derrick Rose has expressed a reluctance in the past to take an active role in recruiting free agents, that stance came to an end this summer, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. Rose told media in Chicago yesterday that he played a role in helping the Bulls attract Kirk Hinrich in free agency.
"Kirk is someone I could see playing alongside a long time," Rose said. "When you’re a hooper and you know someone on the court is going into a battle with you, and he’s not giving up if he knows you are going to keep battling and I’m someone that will keep fighting to the end, and he’s the same as you, so why not have him on the team? Kirk is the first person I recruited."
As Shams Charania of RealGM.com writes, Rose has talked in the past about wanting to stay out of the team's personnel decisions and leaving that to the front office. However, Charania says Rose sent a "clear message" yesterday that he wants to see the Bulls add players that are passionate to play in Chicago.
"My teammates, they want to be here," Rose said. "It isn’t no trade thing. The people that want to be here, they’re here for a reason: It’s because they want to be here."
Hinrich, who signed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Bulls is expected to step in for Rose during the season's first half, while the All-Star point guard recovers from his ACL injury.
Odds & Ends: George, Bobcats, Wade, Cole
On this busy Monday night, here's a look at some random bits of news from around the league.
- Paul George is aiming to make the All-Star game this season, writes NBA.com's Mark Montieth.
- The Bobcats have promised no positions in the starting lineup according to new head coach Mike Dunlap, writes the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell.
- Heat guard Dwyane Wade has left the Jordan brand and will join the Chinese shoe company Li-Ning, according to ESPN.com's Jared Zwerling.
- According to a tweet from HoopsHype.com, Julian Wright is considering an offer from Israel's Maccabi Rishon LeZion. He'll make an offer in the middle of this week.
- The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman gives a detailed list of all the available free agents still left on the market.
- Coming off a championship rookie season, Heat guard Norris Cole has worked hard this summer to improve all different aspects of his game, writes the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Shandel Richardson.
- Derrick Rose begins cutting drills in two weeks, and is vowing he'll be an even better player upon his return, writes the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson.
- Heading into a contract year, the Sixers are hoping Jrue Holiday can emerge into a leadership role, writes CSNPhilly.com's John Finger.
Eastern Notes: Bynum, Celtics, Daye, Magic
Here are a few pieces of news from around the Eastern Conference.
- Pistons guard Will Bynum appears much more comfortable heading into the second season with Lawrence Frank's system in Detroit, writes MLive.com's David Mayo.
- The Celtics aren't worried about their lack of a true back up point guard, writes ESPNBoston.com's Greg Payne.
- The Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis writes that Pistons forward Austin Daye is headed into what could be the third make-or-break season of his three year career.
- Kyrylo Fesenko passed up more than one other offer to join the Bulls training camp, tweets RealGM.com's Shams Charania.
- To the untrained eye, it would appear the Magic are a franchise in rebuild mode, but as the team prepares to begin training camp, Orlando head coach Jacque Vaughn says the word "rebuilding" isn't allowed around his team, writes the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins.
Western Notes: Evans, Trail Blazers, Fournier
Here are a few notes from around the Western Conference.
- According to a tweet from the Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones, Kings general manager Geoff Petrie says the team hasn't had any significant discussion regarding a contract extension for Tyreke Evans.
- The San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons tweets that Warriors center Andris Biedrins has never asked for a trade, and, despite recent reports that the team spent the summer trying to move him, believes he can turn his career around with Golden State.
- According to CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes, Ronnie Price and Damian Lillard could have a mentor, protege relationship this season with the Trail Blazers.
- Nuggets 2012 first round draft pick Evan Fournier probably won't be receiving regular minutes with the team this season, but Denver management still preferred he stay in the United States as opposed to another year over in Europe, writes the Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman.
- Mercurynews.com's Tim Kawakami gives his training camp primer for the Warriors.
Southwest Notes: Morris, Martin, Hornets, Vazquez
Here are some notes from around the Southwest Division.
- Hornets owner Tom Benson addressed his team for the first time since purchasing the organization, saying he's all about winning writes the Times Picayune's John Reid.
- Marcus Morris told reporters today that even though his rookie season with the Rockets was a disappointment in terms of a lack of playing time, he approaches this year with an unrelenting work ethic, writes the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen.
- Given the team's offseason reconstruction, Kevin Martin is a little surprised to still be a member of the Rockets franchise, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen.
- Hornets.com writer Jim Eichenhofer writes that Greivis Vasquez's third season in the league will be his first with a normal beginning.