2012 November | Hoops Rumors

Mavs Sign Derek Fisher

November 29th, 2012 at 2:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 2:39pm: Fisher is officially a Maverick, as the team announced today in a press release that it has signed the veteran point guard.

WEDNESDAY, 9:41pm: Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said the team will sign Derek Fisher tomorrow, reports Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter link). The team has a full roster, with 15 players, and will have to release someone before the signing becomes official. Troy Murphy, who is presumed to be on a non-guaranteed deal, seems the best bet to go. It's not clear what the terms of Fisher's deal will be, but the Mavs have $1,974,509 of their room exception available after using part of it to sign second-round pick Jae Crowder this summer.

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reported earlier tonight that the team was looking for a veteran point guard, and the 38-year-old Fisher fits that description. Fisher had narrowed his choices to three teams, as we passed along earlier tonight. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who broke that news, noted that Fisher was seeking to sign with a contender, but the Mavs, at 7-9 following a blowout loss to the Bulls tonight, seem outside of the championship picture, even with the return of Dirk Nowitzki looming. It could be that he chose the Mavs because they could give him more than the minimum, but the difference between the amount they can pay him and the $1.352MM he would earn as a 16-year veteran is not great.

Sefko wrote 10 days ago that the Mavs weren't interested in Fisher, but Carlisle told TNT's David Aldridge that the Mavs have been eyeing Fisher for "a while" (Twitter link). Darren Collison, who was benched for last night's game against the Sixers, missed tonight's contest with a sprained middle finger, and while X-rays are negative, there's no word on when he'll return.

Now that Fisher is returning to the league, it presumably erases doubts about his ability to remain as president of the players union. Fisher has been under fire from the union's executive committee, which asked him to resign in April amid a feud between Fisher and executive director Billy Hunter.

Mavericks Release Troy Murphy

November 29th, 2012 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

2:38pm: The Mavs have officially waived Murphy, according to a team release.

12:00pm: A day after reaching an agreement to sign Derek Fisher, the Mavericks will waive Troy Murphy in order to clear a roster spot, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Fisher's deal with the team is expected to be finalized once Murphy is released.

Murphy, 32, appeared in 14 games for the Mavericks, including one start. In 18.3 minutes per contest, he averaged 4.6 PPG and 3.5 RPG, shooting just 36.1% from the floor and 31.4% from downtown, well below his career rates (44.5% and 38.8%). Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted last night (via Twitter) that Murphy and his non-guaranteed deal would be a strong candidate to be waived for Fisher if Dallas felt Dirk Nowitzki was making good progress in his recovery.

Because he was on a non-guaranteed contract, Murphy won't remain on the books for the full veteran's minimum. However, having spent nearly four weeks with the team, he will earn a pro-rated portion of that salary, and the Mavs will take a cap hit for the same amount. Earlier today, I detailed Murphy's role in the revolving door that has been the Mavericks' 15th roster spot so far this season.

Odds & Ends: Maggette, Pargo, Harden, Kapono

November 29th, 2012 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he only turned 33 years old earlier this month, Corey Maggette has been around the NBA for a long time, having made his debut back in 1999. With his contract set to expire next summer, Maggette was non-committal about what his immediate future may hold, says David Mayo of MLive.com.

"Who knows what will happen? Who knows? I might be a guy that might be in a front-office position," Maggette said. "I'm already preparing myself for that as I finish this career. The biggest thing is to worry about what's going on now and let the future take care of itself. We don't even know if we're going to wake up tomorrow."

While I'd be surprised if Maggette retired as a player next year, it seems he's already considering the next stage of his career, having spoken to Pistons GM Joe Dumars and assistant GM George David about the paths they took to their current jobs. Here are a few more odds and ends as we prepare for a light Thursday evening NBA schedule:

Speaking to USA Today's Sam Amick about his extension negotiations with the Thunder and the trade that sent him to the Rockets, James Harden says the final offer he got from Oklahoma City was for four years and $53MM.
Jannero Pargo is on top of "several NBA teams' radars," Pargo's agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link). Considering the source of the info, it's not clear how much stock we should put in it, but Pargo was recently said to be drawing interest from the Bulls and others, and is hoping to get a deal done soon.
Jason Kapono, whose agreement with Panathinaikos has been on hold, is expected to join the Greek team on December 10th, according to a Gazzetta.gr report (English translation via Sportando).
Thunder coach Scott Brooks thinks Jeremy Lamb's D-League assignment is a great opportunity for the rookie to earn some playing time, according to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman. "He's going to get great work on the practice floor and game floor," Brooks said. "But we like what he does. He has a very high skill set. He definitely needs to continue to develop his body and his game, but that’s a great position for him to be in."
If you're curious about which D-League players may be in line for a shot from an NBA team in the coming weeks, keep an eye on four players Ryan Ripley of Ridiculous Upside identifies as hot starters.
Offseason signee Randy Foye has found a home in the starting lineup for the Jazz, as Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune chronicles.

Suns Assign Kendall Marshall To D-League

November 29th, 2012 at 12:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 12:32pm: The Suns made Marshall's assignment official today, as Stefan Swiat of Suns.com writes.

“Right now Kendall is our third point guard on the depth chart," Suns GM Lance Blanks said. "We made the judgment that it'd be better to get Kendall some live game repetitions and game-time experience in case coach [Alvin] Gentry wants to play him."

WEDNESDAY, 10:29pm: The Suns will send rookie point guard Kendall Marshall to their D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam, tweets Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The 13th overall pick in this year's draft had seen limited playing time behind Goran Dragic and Sebastian Telfair, and the Suns want to get him some time on the court, Coro says.

Marshall's demotion, however temporary, represents the wide chasm between his sitution and the one enjoyed by Damian Lillard, the other point guard taken in the lottery, who's drawing Rookie of the Year consideration with the Blazers. Portland chose Lillard with the sixth overall pick.

Marshall's assignment is the first for the Suns this year, who didn't send anyone down last season. New D-League rules this year allow teams to assign and recall a player as many times as they want, while the previous limit on demotions per season for a single player was three. To keep tabs on all the movement between NBA teams and their affiliate this year, bookmark our list, which we'll be updating throughout the season.

Thunder Assign Jeremy Lamb To D-League

November 29th, 2012 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have assigned Jeremy Lamb to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Lamb will be in uniform for the Tulsa 66ers when the team hosts the Rio Grande Valley Vipers tomorrow night.

A week ago, Oklahoma City assigned Daniel Orton and DeAndre Liggins to the 66ers. As Larry Coon writes in his CBA FAQ, NBA teams are believed to be able to assign up to two players to the D-League at any one time, so it's unclear whether that rule has been modified or whether one of the previous assignees is rejoining the Thunder. Assuming there's no corresponding announcement, it seems Lamb, Orton, and Liggins will all be on the 66ers' roster.

Lamb, the 12th overall pick in June's draft, was sent to Oklahoma City in last month's James Harden trade. The 20-year-old has appeared briefly in eight games for the Thunder, scoring a total of 17 points and making four of his eight shots from three-point range.

Atlantic Links: Rondo, Green, Knicks, Kidd, Brown

November 29th, 2012 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

While much has been made about the new, cross-city rivalry between the Nets and Knicks, the Atlantic Division's fiercest rivalry might be between the Nets and Celtics. Things got scrappy between the two teams last night, with Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Kris Humphries, and Gerald Wallace among the players involved in a scrum that spilled off the court below the Nets' basket. While we wait to see what sort of fines or suspensions are in store for the players involved, let's round up a few other items out of the Atlantic….

As the Celtics' star, Rondo should be avoiding confrontations like last night's, not instigating them, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Appearing on WEEI this morning, Celtics coach Doc Rivers expressed some disappointment in Jeff Green's play so far (link via ESPNBoston.com). As Grantland's Zach Lowe tweeted this morning, Green's PER (8.3) and salary ($8.385MM) are nearly identical, an indication that big four-year deal Green signed this offseason isn't off to a great start.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com wonders what the Knicks' best offseason move was, with a number of the team's decisions paying dividends already.
One of the Knicks' summer additions, Jason Kidd, continues to be sidelined with back spasms, but Tyson Chandler recognizes that it's important for the team to have a healthy Kidd later in the season rather than rushing him back now. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News has the story.
Sixers center Kwame Brown tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he's modeled himself after players with longevity rather than continuing to try to live up to the expectations of being a first overall pick.

Pacific Notes: Kings, Virginia Beach, Billups

November 29th, 2012 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

The latest update on Virginia Beach's arena proposal comes from Dale Kasler, Tony Bizjak, and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. According to the Bee report, the arena proposal would include commitments of $150MM from the state of Virginia, $195MM from the city of Virginia Beach, and just $35MM from Comcast-Spectator. Part of that cost would be put toward relocating a professional sports team, presumably the Sacramento Kings, to Virginia Beach.

Given that the proposal calls for 90% public funding, it's already drawing opposition from some public officials, according to the Bee report — city councilman Bill DeSteph suggested that Virginia Beach "can't afford" to put $195MM into the project.

As we wait to see if Virginia Beach's arena plan continues to move forward, here are a few more notes from around the Pacific Division:

Rob McAllister of Cowbell Kingdom is skeptical that Virginia Beach is really a viable relocation option for the Kings, contending that the Maloofs are playing the city in order to boost the value of the franchise.
Chauncey Billups' return to the Clippers lineup was timely, writes Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, who says Billups helped quell a locker-room revolt last season and could be instrumental in convincing Chris Paul to remain long-term with the Clips.
Young Warriors players like Jeremy Tyler and Kent Bazemore could be shuttled back and forth between the NBA and the D-League this season, given the proximity of the team's Santa Cruz affiliate, writes Carl Steward of the Oakland Tribune.
Making his case for why the Lakers should trade Pau Gasol, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News writes that it's "becoming obvious that the rumor mill may know something the Lakers and Gasol don’t seem to know — he would be better off elsewhere."

The Mavericks’ Early-Season Roster Turnover

November 29th, 2012 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

Unsatisfied with the production the team has received from the point guard spot so far this season, the Mavericks have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Derek Fisher, as we heard last night. Although the Mavs have yet to officially announce the move, the club is expected to finalize the signing of Fisher and add him to the 15-man roster today.

Of course, Fisher isn't expected to be the Mavs' true 15th man. According to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, head coach Rick Carlisle indicated last night that the veteran point guard could step into the team's starting lineup almost immediately. Still, with 15 players already under contract, the Mavs will need to make a cut in order to make room for Fisher on the roster.

Most NBA teams have stood relatively pat so far this year, moving forward with the rosters they finalized at the end of the preseason, unless injuries have made that impossible. The Mavs, on the other hand, have been very active, making multiple signings and waiving at least one player with a guaranteed contract. Here's a look at the team's roster turnover since the season got underway, including how it affects Dallas' cap figure:

October 29th: Delonte West released. Having claimed Eddy Curry on waivers just days before, the Mavs made the somewhat surprising decision to waive West and keep Curry in advance of the regular season, in large part due to West's off-court conduct. The point guard had a guaranteed contract, so he'll earn $1,223,126 this season, with the Mavs taking the minimum-salary cap hit of $854,389 for him.
November 2nd: Troy Murphy signed, Eddy Curry released. Because Curry's deal was non-guaranteed, the Mavs only took a small cap hit for his salary — $55,678, which represents 7/170th of his full-season $1,352,181 salary. Murphy received a non-guaranteed contract of his own with Curry gone.
November 29th: Derek Fisher to be signed. With Fisher's deal expected to be finalized today, the Mavs will have to waive another player to make room for the 38-year-old. Murphy's is the only non-guaranteed deal, so he'd be a candidate to go, particularly if the Mavs feel like Dirk Nowitzki is close to returning, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Having been under contract for nearly a month, Murphy would still have earned a six-figure salary if he were released today. If the Mavs decide to waive another player, such as Dominique Jones, who is earning a guaranteed $1,276,560, the team will already be on the hook for $2MM+ in salaries for players cut within the last month.

Categories:
Dallas Mavericks

Western Notes: Fisher, Collison, Kings, Harden

November 28th, 2012 at 11:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

If the playoffs began today, a team below .500 would make it to the postseason out of the Western Conference, a rare occurance in recent years, when the bulk of the league's better teams have been in the West. Of course, one of the sub-.500 teams right now is the Lakers, who are expected to turn it around sooner or later. The Mavs are another, and there's more news about their expected signing of Derek Fisher and other notes of interest from around the West.

Darren Collison's inconsistent play had the Mavs thinking about a move for the past week or two, and it appears Fisher will take over as the starter in Dallas, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle says Fisher isn't a cure-all for the team, as Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com notes via Facebook, and Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com believes Fisher's signing is a desperate move that follows a series of mistakes.
Virginia Beach mayor Will Sessoms hopes to have a binding term sheet with a pro team, presumably the Kings, by March, which would pave the way for the Kings to file for relocation in April, according to Nick Monacelli of WAVY-TV 10.
James Harden shared his thoughts with reporters shortly before tipoff of his return to Oklahoma City as a member of the Rockets tonight, and John Rohde of The Oklahoman provides excerpts.
There's a "decent" chance Nemanja Bjelica, a 2010 second-round pick whose rights are owned by the Timberwolves, winds up in Minnesota next year, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
Blazers COO Sarah Mensah told Joe Freeman of The Oregonian that losing out on the team president job was a factor in her decision to leave.
The Nuggets promoted a pair of front-office mainstays, observes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.

Eastern Notes: Stoudemire, Evans, Bayless

November 28th, 2012 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards finally broke through tonight, winning their first game in 13 tries with a victory over the Blazers. With a tough stretch ahead, however, it doesn't seem like they'll be catching anyone in the Eastern Conference standings soon. Here's the latest from around the East.

Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com hears Amare Stoudemire would accept a bench role when he returns from injury, and that the Knicks are indeed considering making Stoudemire, on a nearly $100MM contract, their sixth man.
Offseason sign-and-trade acquisition Reggie Evans could earn Sixth Man of the Year consideration if he keeps up his mastery of the boards for the Nets, opines A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
The Raptors were high on the idea of re-signing Jerryd Bayless, according to coach Dwane Casey, but the point guard decided to go to the Grizzlies instead, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
The pressure has been on Magic GM Rob Hennigan as soon as he took the job, and after trading Dwight Howard, he must be right about his next big move, argues Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News rates Kyle Singler among the top five rookies, identifying him as a steal for the Pistons on his three-year, $3.135MM deal (Twitter link).
The Pistons had no idea Brandon Knight would fall to them at pick No. 8 in the 2011 draft, and had been targeting Tristan Thompson and Markieff Morris instead, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reveals via Twitter.
Nets newcomer Mirza Teletovic said he isn't concerned by his lack of playing time as he spoke about his adjustment to the NBA with Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Sulia link).
Omri Casspi, in the last year of his rookie deal with the Cavs, is among the league leaders in three-point shooting after working on his shot in the offseason, notes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.

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