Texas Rumors: Rockets, Mavs, Griner
The chances of all three Texas clubs making the playoffs took a hit last night when the Mavericks lost to the Lakers, falling two and a half games off the pace for the final Western Conference postseason berth. That didn't stop the Mavs from making a roster move today, replacing Justin Dentmon with Josh Akognon, another 10-day contract signee. That's not the only Mavs-related news we have this evening, as we detail:
- Salary Cap FAQ author Larry Coon looks at the flexibility the Rockets and Mavs will have this summer, concluding that both will fall short of the cap space needed to offer Dwight Howard a max contract. The teams can clear additional cap room by trading one of their players or waiving someone who signed under the current CBA and spreading out his remaining cap hit using the stretch provision. They could also try to entice the Lakers into giving up Howard via sign-and-trade.
- Mavs owner Mark Cuban told reporters, including Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, that he'd have "no problem whatsoever" drafting Baylor women's star Brittney Griner or having her on the Mavs' Summer League team if she was the best option available. "She'd still have to make the team," Cuban said. "I'm not going to carry her just to carry her. I don't think, anyways. But I certainly wouldn't be opposed to giving her the opportunity."
- Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, wouldn't rule out the possibility her client would play in the NBA, but said she doesn't think Griner needs to prove her mettle by playing against men, notes Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). "I am sure a lot of WNBA teams would love if she played for the Mavs!" the agent said.
- An NBA Western Conference exec laughed and said, "No way," when HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy asked him if he thought Griner could play in the league (Twitter link).
Josh Smith On Hawks, Max, Free Agency, Dwight
As the end of the 2012/13 season draws near, Josh Smith could be in his last few weeks as a member of the Hawks. Of course, it seemed we were just seconds away from hearing he'd been traded on deadline day, when Smith remained in Atlanta. Hawks GM Danny Ferry spoke to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com about the circumstances leading up to the deadline.
"I think our situation was unique in terms of still being competitive but also having cap space and flexibility going forward," the GM said. "We looked at all of our options at the end of June up until the trade deadline. Josh and I have had a positive and honest relationship from Day 1. He's been professional this season despite a lot of change and obviously a lot of distractions. I've enjoyed working with him."
Smith also opened up to Shelburne, and said he's open to re-signing with the Hawks. Still, he's looking forward to exploring unrestricted free agency for the first time. We'll round up the highlights of Smith's conversation with Shelburne here:
On why he answered affirmatively when asked if he deserves a max contract:
"The question was asked to me, 'Do I feel like I'm a max player?' And I gave him an honest answer. I said, 'Yes I do.' And the reason why I say this, is because if you don't know your worth, who will? I can't set my standards low. If you set them low, that's how people are going to view you. Like when you sell a house, you don't sell the house for $2 million. You put the $5 million sticker on there … and then you work it out. You negotiate."
On what he's looking for in his next team:
"Winning. That's all I care about. I want to have an opportunity to have a legitimate shot at getting a ring. I've been successful in high school, AAU, I want to have a legitimate shot at winning a title."
On his experience in restricted free agency in 2008, when he signed an offer sheet with the Grizzlies that the Hawks matched:
"I went to Philadelphia and sat down with the Clippers for dinner because I was already out here in Los Angeles (where he now lives during the offseason) for an adidas photo shoot. So this is going to be exciting for me to travel to different cities, and sit down and talk to executives and GMs."
On friend and fellow free agent Dwight Howard:
"Is Dwight serious about (Atlanta)? That's the question. Everybody would probably want to have him on the team. But Dwight is global now. That's in his mindset. He's addicted to it now. He's addicted to being global and international. That was the whole reason he wanted to leave Orlando is he wanted to have that big market."
On whether Howard would sign with the Hawks, who may make a push for him:
"I'm not going to say it's farfetched, but it is going to be kind of difficult to be able to persuade him."
Seattle, Sacramento Make Presentations To NBA
5:54pm: Commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver addressed the media after both sides finished the presentations. Here are the updates based on their remarks, along with some more updates from Sacramento's side.
- Stern said the Kings' future may still be unresolved by the time the two-day Board of Governors meeting that's set to begin April 18th is finished, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Still, Stern doesn't expect the decision will take too much longer, as TNT's David Aldridge points out (Twitter links).
- Stern spoke about the timelines involved for a new arena in either city, and Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com believes it will be a hot-button issue (Twitter link).
- The 12 owners who met today will do so again before the full Board of Governors meeting later this month, Berger notes via Twitter.
- Deputy commissioner Adam Silver said the $30MM down payment the Seattle group gave to the current Kings owners "was a contingency deal" to buy the team, Aldridge tweets. The Sacramento bidders are operating on a different model, Silver added.
- Vivek Ranadive, the primary investor in Sacramento's bid, wouldn't say whether his group will match that $30MM deposit or the $341MM total that Hansen's group agreed to pay, Aldridge also reports (Twitter link).
- Nonetheless, when asked whether the Sacramento side needs to improve its offer, Stern said, "That is not one of the issues," tweets Cowbell Kingdom's James Ham.
- The Sacramento group was "extremely loose and confident" after their presentation, according to Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press (Twitter link).
4:55pm: Following their presentation to the committee of NBA owners, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, prospective lead partner Vivek Ranadive, and Senator Darrell Steinberg spoke to the media about the meeting. Here are a few highlights, via TNT's David Aldridge, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (all Twitter links):
- The owners were "very open-minded" about Sacramento's presentation, according to Johnson.
- The Sacramento pitch promoted the market, the arena deal, and the potential ownership group, along with the strength of the fans. Johnson believes the group made a "compelling" argument.
- The Sacramento group described the atmosphere in the meeting as very positive, and felt that the questions from the NBA committee were all fair.
- Senator Steinberg said the state of California is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure there aren't any unnecessary delays in the arena construction.
- Ranadive on the Sacramento bid: "We feel like our offer is very, very good. I think all our stakeholders were pleased with the offer we made."
- Johnson noted that George Maloof was in the room for the presentation, and told reporters that the Sacramento group was happy to share its story for the Maloofs.
2:54pm: Sacramento's and Seattle's investment groups are each meeting with a committe of 12 NBA owners today, making their cases for why their respective markets make the most sense for the Kings franchise. Chris Hansen's Seattle group has already completed its presentation to the committee, with the Sacramento group currently making its pitch. We'll round up the highlights from the Sacramento meeting when it finishes, but in the meantime, here are a few tidbits from Seattle's meeting, via Twitter:
- Although King County executive Dow Constantine and Seattle mayor Mike McGinn were in Seattle's presentation to the NBA, it was Hansen that led the meeting on the group's behalf.
- George, Gavin, and Phil Maloof were also in the meeting, with George expressing that the family wants to move forward on its deal with the Seattle group.
- During the presentation, Hansen stressed Seattle's appeal as a "marketplace and destination for the NBA.
- Mayor McGinn called the meeting "very positive" and said there's still strong political support to bring the NBA back to Seattle, which was a question raised by the NBA committee.
- The Seattle group repeatedly suggested that the "pieces are in place" for an NBA franchise.
- The committee asked the Seattle group about environmental studies and lawsuits that could delay the process, but were given assurances that those wouldn't be an issue.
Allen Crabbe To Enter Draft
Junior forward Allen Crabbe has elected to forgo his remaining year of college eligibility and enter the NBA draft, the University of California announced today in a press release.
"It has been a dream of mine to play at the next level for a long time and I feel deep down in my heart this is the right decision," Crabbe said in a statement. "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Cal and learned a lot from my coaches and teammates. I will miss a lot of people at this University both in basketball and in school. I will always be a Golden Bear at heart."
Crabbe, the Pac-12 Player of the Year, is ranked 34th on Jonathan Givony's big board at DraftExpress.com and 29th by ESPN.com's Chad Ford, making him a candidate to go in the first round in June. Crabbe, who turns 21 tomorrow, averaged 18.4 PPG and 6.1 RPG in his final season with the Golden Bears.
Mavs Sign Josh Akognon To 10-Day Contract
3:49pm: The Mavs have officially signed Akognon to a 10-day deal, the team confirmed in a press release. To create space on the roster, Dentmon was released from his contract before it expired.
8:13am: Justin Dentmon's 10-day contract with the Mavericks is set to expire tonight, and the team will not re-sign him to a second 10-day deal. Instead, the Mavs will continue to audition guards, adding Josh Akognon on a 10-day contract later this week, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
Akognon, 27, was in camp with the Mavericks in the fall, but was cut by the team a couple weeks before the regular season got underway. He spent the season in China, pouring in 29.0 PPG on 54.8% shooting in 36 games for the Liaoning Jiebao Hunters. It was Akognon's second straight impressive season in the CBA, after he averaged 28.2 PPG for the DongGuan New Century Leopards in 2011/12.
The Mavs have had a revolving door of guards occupying their 15th roster spot in recent weeks, including Dentmon, Chris Wright, and now Akognon. Depending on when Akognon's 10-day deal is finalized, it appears it will expire before the postseason, though after last night's loss in Los Angeles, Dallas is extremely unlikely to advance to the playoffs anyway.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jose Calderon
It's been nearly five years since Jose Calderon last hit the open market. Back in the summer of 2008, the point guard was coming off a season in which he established career-highs in PPG (11.2), APG (8.3), FG% (.519), PER (20.5), and a handful of other categories. The performance earned Calderon a five-year, $45MM contract from the Raptors, a deal that will come to an end this June.
Calderon still hasn't topped a few of those marks he established in 2007/08, but the last five seasons have shown that his breakout year was no fluke. Since signing that lucrative deal with the Raps, Calderon has averaged 11.0 PPG, 7.9 APG, and a 17.5 PER, along with excellent shooting percentages (.474/.408/.892).
While he has been remarkably consistent to date, Calderon will be entering his age-32 season this fall. Steve Nash is living proof that it's possible for a point guard to have his best years in his 30s, but Nash is probably the exception, rather than the rule. In Calderon's case, we shouldn't expect him to get any better, though it's also safe to assume his production shouldn't fall off a cliff anytime soon. Considering his age and the new CBA, Calderon won't get another five-year contract, but a multiyear deal, perhaps for three seasons, appears likely.
After spending the first seven and a half seasons of his NBA career in Toronto, Calderon was sent to the Pistons in January's three-team Rudy Gay blockbuster. The Spaniard has expressed a willingness to listen to the Raptors if there's interest from his old team this summer, but it's his new team that appears to have the most interest in keeping him long-term. GM Joe Dumars and the Pistons have made no secret of the fact that they'd like Calderon to remain in Detroit beyond this season, helping the club's young bigs (Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond) grow and develop.
Unlike the Raptors, who figure to have only the mid-level exception at their disposal in July, the Pistons are poised to clear a huge amount of cap room this summer, with Calderon's $11.05MM salary and Corey Maggette's $10.92MM cap hit among the contracts coming off the books. Even if the team intends to pursue marquee free agents, it should have plenty of room to re-sign Calderon as well.
Of course, the Pistons and Raptors won't be the only teams in the mix for Calderon. Although he's not a strong defender, Calderon's steady offensive efficiency should attract interest from teams with a hole at the point and no way of acquiring an elite option. The Mavericks and Jazz are a couple clubs that could fit the bill, depending on how they end up using their cap space.
In addition to being unlikely to match the five years he received on his last deal, Calderon probably isn't a great bet to land the $9MM annual salary he got back in 2008. Still, he'll almost certainly receive more than mid-level money, which figures to reduce the number of potential suitors for his services. David Mayo of MLive.com recently predicted a $7-8MM annual salary for Calderon, while Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press estimated something slightly lower, at $6-7MM annually. I think both Detroit scribes are in the ballpark, and I could see Calderon inking a three-year deal worth north of $20MM.
Calderon isn't a truly elite point guard, and his defense leaves something to be desired, but there aren't many players in the NBA more capable of running an offense. Calderon's talent and ability on that side of the ball should ensure that at least two or three suitors make competitive bids for his services, but I expect the Pistons to ultimately win out.
Lakers Assign Sacre, Morris To D-League
We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- The Lakers have assigned a pair of players to the Los Angeles D-Fenders, according to the D-Fenders' official Twitter account. Robert Sacre and Darius Morris are headed back to the Lakers' D-League affiliate. Despite having been assigned to the D-League multiple times this season, neither player has logged much time with the D-Fenders. Sacre has averaged 11.0 PPG and 8.8 RPG in his six contests with the club, while Morris recorded 21 points in his lone game with the D-Fenders.
Odds & Ends: Draft, Carlesimo, Kings, Mbakwe
One general manager of a playoff-bound team tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that he's happy his team won't have to deal with the draft lottery this season. While the GM stopped short of calling the 2013 draft class weak, he suggested that there won't be many immediate-impact guys, but that there could be some value picks later in the first round.
"This is the perfect draft for that type of situation — guys drafted later who go to good organizations and surprise," the GM said. "It always seem to happen whenever there’s a so-called 'bad' draft. That’s because the talent level among prospects seems to be very similar. No one’s really separated themselves."
Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends from around the Association:
- P.J. Carlesimo and the Nets have yet to discuss a contract extension for the interim head coach, which is okay with Carlesimo, as he tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. "The impression from Day 1 is that when the year is over, we’ll sit down and talk," Carlesimo said. "There was no expectation (for me) given."
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com presents a primer on the current status of the battle between Sacramento and Seattle for the Kings. The two investments groups vying for the franchise are currently in the process of making their presentations to the NBA.
- Former New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum has joined Mark Bartelstein's Priority Sports & Entertainment agency. Tannenbaum will head the agency's new Coaches, Front Office & Broadcasters division, and will oversee contract negotiations for college and professional basketball and football coaches (Twitter links via Jeff Zilgitt of USA Today).
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld takes a look at some teams still owing significant money to players who are on the decline.
- Minnesota senior Trevor Mbakwe has signed with agent Andy Miller of ASM Sports, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
Sergey Karasev To Enter Draft
Russian forward Sergey Karasev will enter the 2013 NBA draft, the 19-year-old revealed to R-Sport today. Vladimir Spivak first reported (via Twitter) that Karasev was expected to declare his intent, with an official announcement on the way.
"I was thinking for a long time with my father and agent and we finally made the decision that I will put myself on the draft list this year," Karasev told R-Sport. "I've decided that I won't lose another year."
As Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com notes (via Twitter), Karasev isn't bound by NCAA restrictions, since he's an international prospect. So unlike NCAA underclassmen, Karasev will have the opportunity to gauge his stock up until 10 day before the June draft. If he withdraws his name by June 17th, he'd be eligible to re-enter next year.
While ESPN.com's Chad Ford rates Karasev as this year's 46th-best prospect, Givony appears more bullish on the Russian's potential, placing him 27th on his top 100 list. In the Russian Professional Basketball League this season, Karasev averaged 18.5 PPG in 11 contests. He also averaged 16.1 PPG in 11 Eurocup games, shooting 49.0% on three-pointers.
Grizzlies Sign Keyon Dooling
WEDNESDAY, 11:49am: The Grizzlies have officially signed Dooling, the team announced today in a press release. The release didn't specify that the deal was a 10-day contract, so I'd assume it's for at least the rest of this season.
MONDAY, 11:12am: The Grizzlies will sign Keyon Dooling today, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, formalizing a move that had been rumored since Wednesday, when former New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey originally reported the story. The Grizzlies had been looking at other options in their search for a point guard, including Jonny Flynn, Scott Machado, Courtney Fortson, and Sundiata Gaines.
According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the move has been held up as the team waited on the results of physical and psychological tests on Dooling, who retired after a nervous breakdown this past summer (Twitter link). Dooling had originally wanted to return to the Celtics, with whom he spent last season, but since Boston waived him following his retirement, the team wasn't allowed to bring him back.
The 32-year-old Dooling, who's averaged 7.0 points and 2.2 assists per game over his 12-year career, will give the Grizzlies some more depth at point guard. Memphis has been using rookie Tony Wroten as a backup to Mike Conley. The signing will bring the team's roster to 14 players, leaving room for one more.