NBA Delays Vote On Kings
Seattle mayor Mike McGinn said that he has been informed that there will be no vote regarding the fate of the Kings taken this week when the NBA Board of Governors meets in New York City, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. A combination of the NBA's relocation and finance committees are meeting in New York tomorrow and the full Board of Governors (the owners of the 30 NBA teams) will be meeting on Thursday and Friday.
Tony Bizjak and Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee confirm Condotta's report, adding that while no reason was given for the postponement, David Stern did hint a few weeks back that a decision may not be made by this week. Per the Bee, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson indicated the city's bid is being finalized and will be ready by tomorrow's NBA meetings. Johnson expressed confidence that the bid "can win favor with both the NBA and the Maloof family," but also implied that it will not match the increased offer Seattle's group announced Friday night.
Votes on the approval of sale and relocation were expected to happen this week, but McGinn said he was told by Stern himself not to expect a decision by Friday. As we outlined yesterday, once it does happen, it will take the votes of 23 of 30 owners to approve the sale of the Kings to the group led by Seattle investor Chris Hansen and the votes of 16 of 30 owners to approve the request to relocate the team.
Despite this latest delay, Seattle continues to move forward with their plans. According to King TV's Chris Daniels, McGinn also announced on Tuesday that a formal deal for Key Arena has been struck between the city and Hansen's group that calls for a minimum of $3MM in permanent investments and guarantees $2MM more annually, which will bump to $750,000 should the arena add an NHL team. The investments will enable seating and technology upgrades along with locker room and club improvements. (Twitter links located here)
Western Notes: Mayo, Blazers, Clark, Prince
We rounded up a few items from out of the Eastern Conference earlier in the day. Now let's head west….
- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle had harsh words for O.J. Mayo during and after last night's game against the Grizzlies, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details. Mayo is widely expected to decline his 2013/14 player option and test free agency this summer, though MacMahon notes that the USC product recently told ESPNDallas.com he has yet to make a decision on the option.
- Carlisle's comments on Mayo show why the Trail Blazers shouldn't consider pursuing the shooting guard if he hits free agency this summer, says Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com.
- According to a Sports Business Daily report passed along by HoopsHype, Earl Clark has changed agents, making the transition from Happy Walters of Relativity Sports to Kevin Bradbury at BDA Sports.
- Having been acquired by the Grizzlies in January's Rudy Gay blockbuster, Tayshaun Prince is excited to be back in the postseason, and tells Derek Page of HoopsWorld he's happy for Ed Davis and Austin Daye, who also came to Memphis in the deal.
Spurs Sign Tracy McGrady
3:45pm: The Spurs have officially signed McGrady, the team announced in a press release.
3:25pm: The Spurs will sign Tracy McGrady for the remainder of the regular season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Because McGrady hasn't played for an NBA team this season, he'll be playoff-eligible for the Spurs.
McGrady, 33, spent most of the 2012/13 season with China's Qingdao Double Star Eagles, averaging 25.0 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 29 games in the CBA. Despite his solid scoring totals overseas, one executive told Ian Thomsen of SI.com last month that he'd be "shocked" if McGrady signed with an NBA team this season. Zach Lowe of Grantland.com tweets that the move is one of the most "out-of-nowhere" end-of-season signings he can recall.
The agreement with McGrady comes on the heels of another surprising transaction by the Spurs, as the team waived Stephen Jackson on Friday. Jackson's release left the club with just 14 players, so a corresponding roster move won't be necessary to clear room for T-Mac.
McGrady was actually reasonably effective for a bench player in his last NBA action. He spent 2011/12 with the Hawks, putting up 5.3 PPG and a 13.6 PER in 52 contests (16.1 MPG).
Amnesty Provision Refresher
In the wake of Kobe Bryant's Achilles injury, the amnesty provision has dominated Bryant-related discussion, with various writers and fans speculating that perhaps the Lakers could amnesty Kobe this summer. While that's a real long shot, the amnesty clause has been in enough headlines that it's worth revisiting how exactly it works, which teams still have the opportunity to use it, and which players might be amnesty candidates….
How does it work?
The amnesty provision provides a team an opportunity to clear a bad contract from its books for salary cap and luxury tax purposes. Although a team still has to pay the remainder of the amnestied player's salary, as it would for any released player, the player's salary no longer counts against the team's cap (except for minimum payroll purposes) when the amnesty clause is used. So in the unlikely event that the Lakers amnestied Bryant, the team would still have to pay him his $30MM+ salary for 2013/14, but would remove that figure from its cap, significantly reducing its tax bill.
The amnesty provision can be used on any player, as long as the following rules are observed:
- A team can only amnesty one player — not one player per season.
- The amnesty provision can only be used on a player who signed his contract prior to July 1st, 2011. If a contract was signed, extended, or renegotiated after that date, the player cannot be amnestied.
- A team can only use its amnesty provision on a player who was on its roster on July 1st, 2011. If a player was traded after that date, he cannot be amnestied.
- The amnesty clause can only be used during the seven days following the July moratorium. If a team doesn't amnesty a player during that week, it won't get another chance to do so until the following July. This year's amnesty period is set to begin on July 10th.
- A team that has yet to use its amnesty clause can do so in any of the next three years. The 2015/16 season is the last year that a player can be amnestied under the current CBA.
Amnestied players are placed on waivers, but the waiver rules are slightly different than usual. An under-the-cap team can still place a full waiver claim on an amnestied player, if it doesn't mind being on the hook for the rest of the player's contract. However, clubs also have the option to submit partial waiver claims, in what essentially amounts to an auction for the player's services. If no team places a full claim, the team with the highest partial claim is awarded the player. If two teams bid the same amount, the club with the worse record wins out.
For a few more details on the amnesty process, check out our complete explanation in the Hoops Rumors glossary.
Which teams still have the amnesty provision available?
Exactly half of the NBA's 30 teams have used the amnesty provision in the last two offseasons, leaving 15 clubs with the option of amnesty still at their disposal. These are the teams still in play, per our amnesty provision tracker:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Charlotte Bobcats
- Chicago Bulls
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New Orleans Hornets
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
- Utah Jazz
Which players are still eligible to be amnestied?
While there are 37 players still eligible to be amnestied, some are likelier candidates than others. I examined a few of this summer's potential amnesty candidates back in March, but here's the complete list of players that technically remain amnesty-eligible, along with the money left on their deals (starting in 2013/14):
- Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford ($36MM)
- Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo ($24.86MM), Paul Pierce ($15.33MM), Avery Bradley ($2.51MM)
- Charlotte Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas ($18.08MM)
- Chicago Bulls: Joakim Noah ($36.7MM), Carlos Boozer ($32.1MM), Luol Deng ($14.28MM)
- Detroit Pistons: Charlie Villanueva ($8.58MM), Greg Monroe ($4.09MM)
- Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant ($30.45MM), Pau Gasol ($19.29MM), Metta World Peace ($7.73MM), Steve Blake ($4MM)
- Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph ($34.3MM), Mike Conley ($26.08MM)
- Miami Heat: LeBron James ($61.77MM), Chris Bosh ($61.77MM), Dwyane Wade ($60.49MM), Mike Miller ($12.8MM), Udonis Haslem ($8.96MM), Joel Anthony ($7.6MM)
- Milwaukee Bucks: Drew Gooden ($13.37MM), Larry Sanders ($3.05MM)
- New Orleans Pelicans: No players eligible
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant ($56.99MM), Kendrick Perkins ($18.63MM), Nick Collison ($4.83MM), Thabo Sefolosha ($3.9MM)
- Sacramento Kings: John Salmons ($14.58MM), DeMarcus Cousins ($4.92MM)
- San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker ($25MM), Matt Bonner ($3.95MM)
- Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani ($22.25MM), Amir Johnson ($13.6MM), Linas Kleiza ($4.6MM)
- Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors ($6.01MM), Gordon Hayward ($3.45MM)
Eastern Links: Miller, Heat, Sixers, Raptors
Due to yesterday's Boston Marathon tragedy, tonight's Celtics/Pacers game has been cancelled, leaving just two games on the NBA's schedule. Another Eastern matchup will take the place of the C's and Pacers on TNT, as the Hawks host the Raptors in search of the conference's fifth seed. While we wait to see which team extends its winning streak, let's round up a few notes from around the East….
- Mike Miller was "very close" to ending his NBA playing career last offseason, but tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he feels great now.
- In a mailbag for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman discusses the possibility of the Heat bringing back Chris Andersen next season or potentially pursuing Stephen Jackson.
- As a disappointing season for the Sixers winds down, Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com looks ahead to the team's next step, concluding that there are plenty of unknowns and no obvious ways to improve immediately.
- This offseason figures to have a different feel for the Raptors, since there isn't a sense that major roster changes are on the way, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
- Will Bynum will test the free agent market this summer, but his first choice would be to return to the Pistons, says Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press.
Draft Updates: Robinson, Hardaway, Kabongo
All eyes will be on the Jazz/Grizzlies and Lakers/Rockets games on Wednesday night, as Utah and L.A. battle for a playoff spot, but another less glamorous race has gone down to the wire as well. The Bobcats and Magic are tied for the NBA's worst record at 20-61, and will each play their 82nd game on Wednesday night. Charlotte has the easier matchup on paper, hosting the Cavs, but many of the Heat's key players are unlikely to see much or any playing time against the Magic in Miami.
If both teams lose (or win), they would each receive about a 22.5% chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery. If one loses and the other wins, the loser would have a 25% chance at the top pick, while the winner would have 19.9% odds.
As we keep on eye on the NBA's reverse standings, here are a few other Tuesday notes related to the draft:
- Michigan prospects Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr. are moving closer to turning pro, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
- ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reports (via Twitter) that Myck Kabongo of Texas has signed with Rich Paul's Klutch Sports Group, which also represents LeBron James, among other NBAers.
Earlier updates:
- Oregon State's Eric Moreland declared for the draft last month, but didn't hire an agent, which allowed him to withdraw his name before today's NCAA deadline. According to the school, he has done just that, and will return to Oregon State for his junior season.
- Isaiah Sykes of Central Florida has also withdrawn his name from draft consideration in advance of today's deadline, as first reported by Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel. The junior guard later confirmed the news himself on Twitter.
- Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along a Spanish report indicating that international prospect Alex Abrines is expected to declare for this year's draft. The young Spaniard is ranked second among 1993-born international prospects by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com, and had been projected as a potential first-rounder for 2014 by Givony.
- If the Bobcats are able to land the first overall pick this June, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer likes Nerlens Noel as a fit for the team.
Knicks Sign Quentin Richardson
The Knicks have officially signed Quentin Richardson for the remainder of the season, the team announced today (Twitter link). Since the club released Solomon Jones yesterday, there is an open roster spot, meaning no corresponding move will be required to clear room for Richardson.
When the Knicks waived Jones, I speculated that perhaps James Singleton's CBA clearance issues had been resolved, since Singleton was the player the team initially wanted to sign. It doesn't appear that was the case, but Richardson, like Singleton, isn't a big man, so it seems the team is comfortable with its frontcourt depth heading into the postseason.
Richardson, who spent four seasons with the Knicks earlier in his career, is still being paid by the Magic, who released him prior to the start of the season. The 33-year-old spent two fairly unsuccessful seasons in Orlando, averaging just 4.5 PPG and an 8.4 PER in 105 contests for the Magic in 2010/11 and '11/12.
Because he hasn't signed with an NBA team since October, Richardson remains playoff-eligible, though I can't imagine him playing much of a role for the Knicks in the postseason.
Shabazz Muhammad To Enter Draft
UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad has elected to forgo his remaining years of collegiate eligibility and enter the NBA draft, the school announced today in a press release.
"I am so thankful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at UCLA and will always be proud to be a Bruin," Muhammad said in a statement. "From a young age, I have dreamed of playing in the NBA, and I believe that this is the right time for me to move to the next level."
Muhammad was once viewed as a potential candidate for the first overall pick this year, but his stock took a bit of a hit last month when the Los Angeles Times revealed that the Bruin was actually 20 years old, rather than 19. He also had a bit of an up-and-down freshman season at UCLA, though his overall averages of 17.9 PPG and 5.2 RPG were solid.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com each still have Muhammad ranked ninth overall among draft prospects, making the 6'6" forward a very good bet to be a lottery pick in June. Our Zach Links profiled Muhammad as a prospect earlier this month.
Central Notes: Dumars, Frank, Bulls, Scott
As we wait to see if the Central's top two teams, the Pacers and Bulls, will meet in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, here's the latest out of the division:
- As Vince Ellis writes in a pair of pieces for the Detroit Free Press, Pistons owner Tom Gores didn't exactly give coach Lawrence Frank and GM Joe Dumars ringing endorsements, noting his disappointment that the team fell short of playoff contention this season. "I will say I expected better results," Gores said. "I met with Joe and Lawrence (on Sunday) and I let them know that. They’re great guys that know their business, but I’m here assessing everything. My job is to move this franchise forward."
- In Ellis' view, Frank appears to be on the way out in Detroit, but Dumars likely "isn't going anywhere." Gores did express excitement about the way Dumars and the Pistons' basketball operations had set the franchise up financially, with plenty of cap room available this summer.
- Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press argues that Dumars has earned at least one more year with the Pistons.
- In his latest mailbag for CSNChicago.com, Aggrey Sam addresses the future of Luol Deng in Chicago and speculates on whether or not Nate Robinson will be back with the Bulls next season.
- Kyrie Irving told reporters last night, including Rick Noland of the Chronicle-Telegram, that he "absolutely" wants to see Byron Scott return as the Cavaliers' head coach in 2013/14.
Vander Blue To Enter Draft
Marquette's Vander Blue has decided to forgo his final year of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2013 draft, the school announced today in a press release. The junior guard will sign with an agent, making his early entry official.
"I've had three great years here and appreciate everything Marquette has done for me during that time to help me develop," Blue said in a statement. "At this point I want to pursue my dream. I've prayed about it and discussed it with my family and think this is the right decision for me at this time."
Although Blue helped lead Marquette to the Elite Eight in this year's NCAA tournament, averaging 18.3 PPG in the team's four March Madness games, he's only ranked 76th among 2013 prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Still, Ford wrote last month that Blue's stock was on the rise, and that the 20-year-old shouldn't be counted out of the first-round conversation just yet.