Maloofs Set Deadline For Sacramento Bidders
6:25pm: The Maloofs want the Sacramento bidders to include a $30MM non-refundable down payment in their bid, just like the one the Seattle investors paid, according to Sean Cunningham of News10 KXTV in Sacramento (Twitter link). Sources tell fellow News10 reporter Nick Monacelli that Ranadive is willing to cover that payment if necessary (Twitter link).
5:11pm: The current principal owners of the Kings have informed a group of investors seeking to keep the team in Sacramento that they want a binding offer in writing for the team by 5:00pm Pacific Time on Friday, report Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee. If the offer doesn't arrive in time or match the $341MM price that the Maloof family has agreed upon for its share of the team with Seattle-based bidders, the Maloofs say they won't have any more talks with the Sacramento group.
Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com cautions that the league, and not the Maloofs, is in charge of deciding the Kings' next move, and a source downplayed talk of a deadline, characterizing it as a publicity stunt (All four Twitter links). According to The Bee report, the NBA forwarded a statement of interest from the Sacramento bidders to the Maloofs a few weeks ago, but commissioner David Stern said the amount of that offer was well short of the money the Seattle group has ponied up. Yet, more recently, at last week's presentations from both bidding groups, Stern said the size of the offers was no longer an issue. California State Senate President Darrell Steinberg, who spoke in support of Sacramento during its presentation, assured The Bee that the city's offer is equivalent to Seattle's.
While the deadline may have no bearing on whether or not the league approves the sale of the team to the Chris Hansen-led Seattle group and a subsequent move up the coast, it seems as though it may complicate the matter of what happens to the Kings if the league blocks the Hansen sale. Since the NBA is deciding whether to allow that sale, and not simply choosing between the two competing bidders, there's no compulsion for the Maloofs to sell to the Sacramento group. Indeed, there have been whispers that the Maloofs may hold on to the team if they can't sell to Hansen and company.
Western Notes: Mavs, Wright, Marion, Pau
Earlier today, we passed along a few of the day's stories out of the Eastern Conference. Now, let's head west and round up a handful of Western Conference headlines….
- Brandan Wright has increased his free agent stock in recent weeks and could be in line for a deal similar to the four-year, $16MM pact Ian Mahinmi signed with the Pacers last summer, says Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. MacMahon wonders whether Wright is worth that much to the Mavericks or whether he'll land on another team for next season.
- Set to turn 35 years old next month, Mavericks forward Shawn Marion spoke to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about his future in the NBA, noting that he feels as if he has "a lot of basketball left" in him.
- Examining whether the Lakers ought to consider amnestying Pau Gasol in July, salary cap expert Larry Coon concludes that the idea is "ridiculous." Gasol's trade value may not be at a high point this summer, but Coon thinks that at least half the teams in the league would have some level of interest in a player like Pau.
- The five-year contract Mike Conley received from the Grizzlies in 2010 was viewed by many at the time as a signficant overpay, but as Sean Deveney of the Sporting News writes, that's certainly not the case anymore.
Knicks Eyeing Free Agent Bigs
With the postseason approaching and frontcourt players like Kurt Thomas, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Amare Stoudemire out of action, the Knicks had resolved to take a wait-and-see approach with their injured bigs. However, after Kenyon Martin left last night's game with an ankle injury, the Knicks have changed course and intensified their search for a big man, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
Head coach Mike Woodson had said previously that if guys like Thomas and Wallace still aren't close to returning at the end of the regular season, the Knicks would consider adding a free agent. While neither of those players has a timetable for his return yet, New York had been getting by with Martin playing increased minutes. Now that Martin's return date is questionable, the Knicks figure to play more small-ball and rely more heavily on Chris Copeland and/or Steve Novak as they weigh their options.
As our list of current free agents shows, there aren't a ton of attractive veterans on the market, though our list doesn't include players in the D-League. Nate Taylor of the New York Times took a look at a few D-League options for the Knicks back in March.
According to Begley, no signing is imminent for the Knicks. The team would have to finalize a move within the next week in order for a new addition to be eligible for the postseason. Someone on the current roster would have to be released as well, since the Knicks are currently carrying the maximum 15 players.
Michael Carter-Williams To Enter Draft
Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams has elected to forgo his remaining two years of NCAA eligibility and will enter the NBA draft, the school announced today (link via Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com).
Carter-Williams helped lead Syracuse to the Final Four, though he had arguably his worst game of the season in the national semifinals against Michigan, scoring a season-low two points and recording five turnovers. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old projects as a likely lottery pick, ranked 9th overall among this year's prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford and 12th by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
Carter-Williams is the latest addition to our list of early entrants, which now includes 25 players.
Draft Notes: Early Entrants, McDermott, Pressey
With the NCAA's early entry withdrawal deadline less than a week away, at least two more underclassmen are putting their names into this year's draft class today. Missouri junior Phil Pressey has declared his intent, while Indiana sophomore Cody Zeller will do the same later this afternoon at a press conference. As we wait to see what other early entrants will enter the mix for the 2013 draft, here are a few of the latest draft-related links:
- A number of NBA GMs believe that the NCAA's conference shake-ups, and the "changing caliber of competition" at the college level will influence players' decisions to declare early, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- Creighton's Doug McDermott will likely wait until the NBA's early-entry deadline (April 28th), rather than the NCAA's withdrawal deadline (April 16th), to make a decision on the draft, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). As Goodman notes (via Twitter) and as others have pointed out, there's little upside for a player to officially declare his intent before the NBA's deadline, since it limits his options.
- Goodman adds in a separate tweet that he believes Missouri's Pressey made a "poor decision" to go pro after his junior year.
- With the NCAA Tournament now in the rear-view mirror, NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper updates his mock draft, though there aren't many changes at the top of his board.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Tony Allen
The Grizzlies haven't missed a beat following their trade of Rudy Gay, going 24-9 since adding Tayshaun Prince, Ed Davis, and Austin Daye to the active roster in Gay's place. Zach Randolph and other Grizzlies have even come around on management's stance that Memphis may be a better team without Gay, as Randolph told Sam Amick of USA Today last month.
However, while the Grizzlies have survived the loss of Gay, there's another player on the perimeter in Memphis who is even more essential to the team's success: Tony Allen. One of the league's best defenders, Allen is a key piece on a Grizzlies club that hopes to make a deep run in the 2013 playoffs. But after Memphis' season ends, either with a postseason defeat or a title, Allen will become an unrestricted free agent, giving him the opportunity to sign anywhere.
As Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote in March, Allen has been a perfect fit in Memphis, where the defense-first Grizzlies get a good chunk of their scoring from big men Randolph and Marc Gasol, meaning they don't need much offense from Allen. Like Andre Iguodala in Denver, Allen has a role in Memphis that plays to his strengths, something that wouldn't necessarily happen if he were to sign with another team. Still, at least one Eastern Conference executive told Mannix that he thinks the 6'4" guard would be a good fit just about anywhere.
"I like him a lot," the exec said. "He adds instant toughness and a defensive mentality to your team. He's a leader on the floor and he isn't going to back down from anyone. I think everyone in the league would love to have him."
Not only would every team in the NBA likely have some interest in a player like Allen, who has the ability to shut down the league's premier perimeter players, but his price tag may be affordable enough that just about every club could have a real shot. The Oklahoma State product is playing in the final year of a three-year contract that paid him just over $3.1MM annually, and one Eastern Conference general manager predicted to Mannix that Allen could sign a similar deal this time, perhaps with a slight raise — "three years at $4MM per year sounds right," said the GM.
At age 31, Allen seems to be hitting the market at an ideal time. His last three seasons in Memphis have been the best three-year stretch of his career, as he's seen his playing time steadly increase (from 18.4 career MPG prior to joining the Grizzlies to 27.1 MPG this season). His defensive prowess has also become more widely recognized, culminating with a spot on the NBA's All-Defensive First Team in 2012. Based on his production and his reputation, I could see the bidding going even higher than $4MM per year on Allen. He seems to me like the kind of player to whom a contending team would be willing to commit its full mid-level exception.
While that sort of salary would still put him within most teams' price range, it may make it tricky for the Grizzlies to bring him back. Even after clearing Gay's and Marreese Speights' projected salaries for 2013/14 from their books, the Grizz have over $60MM committed to next year's roster. The team could still re-sign Allen for a fair market price and avoid going into tax territory, but barring any further cost-cutting roster moves, it wouldn't leave much wiggle room for other upgrades.
Still, based on Allen's comments and his attitude since arriving in Memphis in 2010, I get the impression that the veteran would be reluctant to leave, particularly if the difference in money elsewhere wasn't significant. As such, I expect Allen and the Grizzlies to work something out this July, perhaps for a slightly lesser salary than the 31-year-old would receive from a rival suitor. A multiyear deal would provide some long-term security for Allen, while the Grizzlies would avoid having to try to replace Allen's production as effectively as they replaced Gay's.
Phil Pressey To Enter Draft
Junior point guard Phil Pressey has elected to go pro, forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility, according to a press release from the Missouri Tigers. Pressey has signed with Creative Artists Agency, making him ineligible to withdraw his name from draft consideration.
"Many college basketball players dream of this day, but when I had to finally make this decision it was difficult because it means I am leaving a place I love so much," Pressey said in making his announcement.
Pressey, 22, averaged 11.9 PPG and 7.1 APG in the 2012/13 season. Though his shooting averages (.376/.324/.735) were all the lowest of his three-year NCAA career, he became Missouri's career leader in assists (580) and steals (196). Pressey ranks 53rd overall on Jonathan Givony's big board at DraftExpress.com and 81st on Chad Ford's at ESPN.com.
Eastern Notes: Young, Lowry, Bulls, Heat
With just a handful of games left in the 2012/13 regular season, only one postseason club in either conference is locked into its playoff seed — the East's top team, the Heat, remain a comfortable 10 games up on the second-place Knicks, despite the fact that New York has won 13 consecutive contests. The Bucks aren't locked into that No. 8 seed in the East yet, but they'll likely end up there, meaning last night's game in Miami, in which the Heat beat Milwaukee 94-83, figures to be a playoff preview.
Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:
- When he hits free agency this summer, a long-term contract will be a priority for current Sixers guard Nick Young, as he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
- Kyle Lowry called his first year with the Raptors frustrating and disappointing, but believes the team has the talent to bounce back next season, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. As Smith notes, Lowry's contract for 2013/14 is mostly non-guaranteed, but after giving up a likely lottery pick for Lowry and trading Jose Calderon, the Raptors are a mortal lock to bring back the former Rocket next season.
- Given Jimmy Butler's emergence, the Bulls should "think long and hard" this offseason about whether to consider shopping Luol Deng, says Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
- Earlier this week, Heat president Pat Riley suggested that he wants to keep Miami's Big Three intact for years to come and "have one of those 10-year rides." Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explores Riley's comments in his latest mailbag.
- Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, who may be on the hot seat this summer, expressed some annoyance to Terry Foster of the Detroit News about the way many of his coaching colleagues are criticized.
Cody Zeller To Enter Draft
Indiana big man Cody Zeller has a press conference scheduled for 4:00pm this afternoon, at which point he'll announce that he's entering this year's NBA draft, according to Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). The Star reported yesterday that Zeller would hold a presser today to reveal his decision.
Like his teammate Victor Oladipo, who officially declared his intent to go pro yseterday, Zeller projects as a likely lottery pick in June. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com had Zeller atop his big board earlier this season, though now he has dropped him to No. 6. ESPN.com's Chad Ford ranks Zeller 10th among 2013's prospects.
In his sophomore year at Indiana, Zeller averaged 16.5 PPG and 8.1 RPG. Assuming he's drafted and sees action next year, he'll be the third Zeller brother to appear in an NBA game. His older siblings Tyler Zeller and Luke Zeller made their debuts for the Cavaliers and Suns, respectively, in 2012/13.
To keep tabs on all the NCAA underclassmen who have decided to go pro, be sure to check out our complete list of early entrants.
Brandon Roy Intends To Continue Playing Career
Two months ago, Brandon Roy told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he would have to seriously consider retirement if he couldn't get healthy and return to the court by season's end. Roy hasn't appeared in a game since making those comments, but according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link), the veteran guard is holding out hope that he can play in at least one of the Timberwolves' last five games.
The fact that Roy believes he's healthy enough to return to action this season also means he's looking to continue his playing career. However, according to Bucher, Roy's contract is written in such a way that he's not sure whether he'll still be under Wolves' control — his agents at Wasserman Media Group and the players' union will examine the language of the deal more closely to determine whether he can become a free agent this summer, says Bucher.
Based on the contract details we heard from Mark Deeks of ShamSports last offseason, I would assume Roy's deal has in fact become non-guaranteed. Although the second year of the contract was initially guaranteed, it was agreed that it would become non-guaranteed if his previous knee problems resurfaced. Once that happened, the second year could only become guaranteed again if Roy played more than 1,400 minutes in 2012/13 or if he was on the active list for 65+ games — he failed to meet either benchmark.
Perhaps some specific wording in the contract raises questions, or perhaps there's some debate over whether Roy's knee issues this season were directly related to his previous injuries. Either way, I imagine the Wolves will do their best to ensure they're not on the hook for the $5.33MM owed to Roy next season, considering they reportedly explored buying him out or trading his contract earlier this year.
Roy, 28, has only appeared in five games for the Wolves since returning to the game following his 2011 retirement with the Trail Blazers.