International Notes: Mbenga, Pruitt, Karasev
The only official NBA roster move so far today saw Jannero Pargo ink a rest-of-season deal with the Bobcats. However, a handful of teams overseas have been active, so let's check in on a few transactions of note….
- D.J. Mbenga, who was in camp with the Mavericks this fall and spent some time in China earlier in the season, has signed with Barako Bull Energy in the Philippines, the team announced on its Twitter account (hat tip to Sportando).
- Former Celtic Gabe Pruitt has spent most of the season in the D-League, but is heading overseas to join Greek team AGOR Rethymno, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes.
- Italian club Dinamo Sassari announced the signing of Drew Gordon, who went undrafted last summer (link via Sportando). The New Mexico product played with the Mavs in last July's Summer League, and started the 2012/13 season with Serbia's Partizan Belgrade.
- Russian journalist Vladimir Spivak reports (via Twitter) that 19-year-old forward Sergey Karasev is expected to officially announce soon that he'll enter the 2013 NBA draft. Karasev, who is ranked as this year's 27th-best prospect by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com, was said last month to be leaning toward not entering the draft, so we'll have to wait for official word from his camp.
Bobcats Sign Jannero Pargo For Season
WEDNESDAY, 10:38am: The Bobcats have officially signed Pargo for the remainder of the season, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 3:22pm: Jannero Pargo's second 10-day contract with the Bobcats will expire tonight, and he's set to sign with the team for the rest of the season tomorrow, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Charlotte had to make a decision regarding Pargo, who occupies the team's final roster spot, since clubs can only sign a player to a pair of 10-day deals per season. I'd guess his new contract will include a non-guaranteed year or a team option for 2013/14 so that the Bobcats can retain his rights and evaluate him during the summer, but that's just my speculation.
Pargo has seen plenty of action in his brief time in Charlotte so far, appearing in 10 games and averaging 9.4 points and 2.5 assists in 17.4 minutes per night. His three-point shooting is down to 38% from the 55.6% clip he showed during his first 10-day stint, but the 33-year-old point guard is still attempting an average of five treys per game over his time as a Bobcat.
Pargo also signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Hawks earlier this season after the Wizards waived him in November. Jeremy Pargo, Jannero's younger brother, was waived this weekend by the Sixers.
Latest On Kings, Sacramento, Seattle
It's a big day for the future of the Kings, as the Sacramento and Seattle investment groups vying for the team are prepared to make presentations to the NBA, explaining why their respective cities deserve the franchise. In advance of that meeting, let's quickly round up a few of the latest links on the fight for the Kings….
- David Lucchetti, who currently owns just 1% of the Kings, is the minority shareholder matching Chris Hansen's bid for the 7% currently owned by Bob Cook, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
- According to Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com (via Twitter), Sacramento's acquisition of Cook's 7% share could give them the right of first refusal on the Maloofs' 65% share.
- Bruski also reports (Twitter links) that environmental challenges could delay Seattle's arena plan, pushing it back to 2017/18, whereas Sacramento's arena proposal has it on track for 2016.
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets the 12 owners on the joint committee who will hear today's pitches from the Sacramento and Seattle groups: Peter Holt (Spurs), Glen Taylor (Timberwolves), Micky Arison (Heat), Clay Bennett (Thunder), James Dolan (Knicks), Wyc Grousbeck (Celtics), Greg Miller (Jazz), Robert Sarver (Suns), Herb Simon (Pacers), Larry Tanenbaum (Raptors), and Jeanie Buss (Lakers).
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com revisits an argument he has made before, writing that giving Seattle an expansion team is the most logical solution for the NBA.
Odds & Ends: Jay-Z, Salary Cap, Free Agency
Here are some odds and ends from around the NBA as we wind down on this Tuesday night:
- In HoopsWorld's daily NBA PM feature, Yannis Koutroupis writes that Jay-Z, between his relationships with the NBA's stars and the respect he gets amongst America's youth, could become a "serious force in quick fashion" as he enters the realm of the sports agency. Koutroupis also hits on the Pacers coping to life without Granger and the Knicks thriving with a healthy roster.
- ESPN's salary cap guru Larry Coon separates about half of the NBA's teams into four tiers in his latest Insiders only piece; big spenders, low-tax teams, just below the [luxury] tax line and teams with big cap room. It looks like the new CBA rules will harshy impact the Heat, Knicks and Lakers, while the Cavaliers, Pistons, Jazz and Hawks are in good shape to make an offseason splash.
- Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops releases version 5.0 of his free agency rankings, within which Kenyon Martin and Andray Blatche have slid into the 11 and 15 spots respectively, and bumped Manu Ginobili and Andrew Bynum from the list.
Sacramento/Seattle Updates: Tuesday
Tomorrow, competing bidders from Sacramento and Seattle will convene in New York to make their pitches for ownership of the Kings in a joint meeting of the NBA's Relocation and Finance committees. Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has already been in New York for days, since, as luck would have it, he had a wedding to attend there over the weekend. As we get down to the business portion of Johnson's trip, here's the latest on the Kings saga:
- On the eve of Wednesday's critical meeting in New York, there is trouble on the homefront in Sacramento, as a citizens' group filed a "notice of intent" to sue the city in order to block the proposed downtown arena, reports Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. The "Coalition for Responsible Arena Development" intends to challenge last week's approval to finance the downtown arena on the grounds that it committed to construction and operation without completing environmental reviews.
- According to an Associated Press report (via NBA.com), Seattle fans have already requested 44,000 season tickets in the event that the team relocates. The prospective ownership group urged fans to join a "priority ticket waitlist" to display their desire for a team and the results have been "nothing short of stunning," according to Chris Hansen.
- State Senator and Sacramento native Darrell Steinberg will head to New York to join the group lobbying to keep the Kings in Sacramento on Wednesday, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. Steinberg will try to persuade the NBA's committees that the rallying effort of the city's political community is reason enough for Sacramento to keep their team. "There is political support for streamlining the regulatory process of environmentally sustainable and economically vital projects like the proposed Sacramento downtown arena," said a Steinberg statement released today.
Earlier updates:
- Lawyers for the longshoremen's union in Seattle are trying to expedite their appeal in response to a February ruling that rejected their lawsuit against a plan for a new arena in Seattle, reports Jon Humbert of KOMO-TV in Seattle (Twitter link). According to one of the union's lawyers who spoke to Aaron Bruski of ProBasketballTalk.com, there's strong public sentiment in Seattle against the arena plan (Twitter link).
- Johnson spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today about how he'll make his case on Wednesday, and explains how Vivek Ranadive became the primary investor in the group bidding to keep the team in Sacramento. Johnson also said he's not concerned about the notion that the Maloofs may decide to keep the team for a while if the league won't allow them to sell it to the Seattle group.
- Last we heard, a pair of Kings minority owners were considering exercising their right to match the offer for fellow minority owner Bob Cook's 7% stake in the team from Chris Hansen's group of Seattle investors. A source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that other minority owners will indeed match the bid for Cook's share by Wednesday.
- In the same piece, Berger argues that while it may initially seem like a better financial move for the owners to approve a move to Seattle, the NBA should be worried about setting an unwanted precedent should the league ignore Sacramento's willingness to fund a new arena. Other cities may not be so eager to build if there's a chance their team will move away regardless.
- Tom Ziller of Cowbell Kingdom believes the presence of the Maloof family, which owns the Kings and has a deal in place to sell the team to Hansen's group, could be a negative for the Seattle bidders, considering how clumsy the Maloofs have come off in past presentations.
- In response to a source who told TNT's David Aldridge that the Seattle investors would announce an additional $20MM for improvements to Key Arena, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports Hansen and city officials are still negotiating over the arena upgrades, and no one has made an announcement yet. Still, a spokesman for Seattle mayor Mike McGinn says the city officials present at Wednesday's meeting will make it clear that the arena will be ready for an NBA team in time for next season.
Hornets Notes: Williams, Forwards, Free Agents
Sitting at 26-48, the Hornets head to Golden State tomorrow night to take on the Warriors. With only eight games remaining, it sounds like the team will have some decisions to make in the offseason. Let's round up all things New Orleans here on this Tuesday night:
- Hornets coach Monty Williams does not foresee the Hornets (soon to be the Pelicans) having any problems attracting top talent this offseason, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Along with the name change, the New Orleans franchise has a 55,000 square foot practice facility in the works as well as ample cap space to make a splash. Williams says that multiple free-agents-to-be have suggested to him during games that they'd love to play for him in New Orleans.
- Williams addressed the idea of changes to the team's roster over the summer, notes Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com (Twitter link). "That’s just the nature of it. When you have a record like we have, you’re not going to settle for this production," Williams said.
- Williams expressed his displeasure with the team's small forwards earlier this season, and Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune echoes that sentiment, imploring the team to prioritize an upgrade at the three this summer. As it stands now, the Hornets use Al-Farouq Aminu, Darius Miller and Lance Thomas at that spot, who barely combine for 12 points per night.
- The Hornets could have as many as eight players become free agents when the season ends in two weeks, including the entire small forward trio mentioned above, Reid writes. Aminu will become a free agent, along with Xavier Henry, Roger Mason and Louis Amundson. The Hornets must decide whether to extend team options to Miller, Thomas and backup point guard Brian Roberts. Per Reid, this has resulted in an environment where the current players are desperate to make an impression. While Reid doesn't mention him, Terrel Harris has a non-guaranteed deal next season and could also become a free agent.
Draft Notes: McGary, Risers, Adams, Thunder
As more draft news pours in, be sure to check out our Early Entrants tracker which will be continuously updated as more underclassmen declare for the draft. Here are the latest news and notes on the NBA Draft:
- Goodman also tweets that all signs still point toward Nerlens Noel entering the NBA Draft. Noel's rehab is "well ahead of schedule" according to Goodman, who adds that he doesn't envision Noel making an announcement by the April 16 NCAA deadline. Since he will likely sit out next season regardless, Noel has the luxury of being able to wait until the April 28 NBA deadline to make dis decision.
Earlier updates:
- Despite his exploding draft stock, Michigan freshman sensation Mitch McGary will return to Ann Arbor for his sophomore season regardless of what happens in the Final Four, he told MLive.com's Kyle Meinke on Tuesday. McGary and Trey Burke have fueled the Wolverines run this March, and some draft experts think his performance was impressive enough to have moved him into the first round conversation.
- In an Insiders Only piece, Chad Ford of ESPN included McGary in his list of five draft prospects who gave NBA scouts and GMs something positive to think about with their play in the NCAA Tournament. Also included are Louisville's Russ Smith, Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas and LaQuinton Ross, and Syracuse's C.J. Fair.
- Meanwhile, Pittsburgh 7-footer Steven Adams has decided to enter the NBA Draft, writes Jeff Goodman, adding that NBA executives have indicated to CBS Sports that Adams will be a first round pick. Adams, from New Zealand, averaged 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and two blocks per game as a freshman Panther. Goodman is told that Adams primary motivation is to provide for his family. Adams and his 18 siblings lost their father when he was 14.
- Royce Young of Daily Thunder breaks down the draft odds for the Thunder, who stand an excellent chance of being able to utilize the protected pick they received in the James Harden deal now that the Raptors have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. The pick is top-3 and 15-30 protected and Toronto is currently tied for the seventh worst record. Young outlines who should be available at seven or eight, according to an assortment of big boards and mock drafts.
- Here are a handful of early entry draft trackers, courtesy of Draft Express, ESPN and HoopsWorld.
Alex Poythress To Return To Kentucky
Alex Poythress will return to Kentucky for his sophomore season, reports the Courier-Journal's Kyle Tucker (via Twitter). Yesterday, we heard that Poythress was leaning towards entering the draft. As Tucker points out via Twitter, Poythress' decision means the Wildcats will have at least eight McDonalds All-Americans and 10 top-40 recruits on the roster next year. Both of those numbers could go up by one if the Cats land Andrew Wiggins, who many believe is the front runner to be the No. 1 pick in 2014.
"I want to come back and do what we said we wanted to do and that's win a national title," Poythress said, adding, "I want to develop more as a player and the competition coming in next year should help me do that."
This decision is a curious one largely because Kentucky's roster is so insanely loaded next year. Per Tucker, John Calipari is quoted in the press release that he has "only scratched the surface" with Poythress. Yes, the 6-foot-7 forward could certainly improve under Cal for one more year. But those improvements may only be visible behind closed practice doors, as Poythress is likely to be buried on the bench unless he significantly improves, as Tucker points out.
According to Jeff Goodman of CBS, Poythress was told by NBA scouts he was a lock to be a first-round pick and could have even gone in the lottery had he come out. With that said, Goodman likes the decision, tweeting that even if Wiggins does commit to Kentucky, it only means that Poythress will stay for three years. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com agrees with the draft assessment of the NBA scouts, tweeting that Poythress' projection was the middle of the first round. Poythress's announcement comes only one day after teammates and fellow freshman Willie Cauley-Stein and Kyle Wiltjer communicated their intent to return to Lexington.
Woelfel On Heisley, Josh Smith, Bucks, Hornets
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times touches on several juicy topics from around the league in his latest piece. We'll hit the highlights here:
- Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has been in a coma for more than a month, and prospects for his recovery from a February stroke are "extremely bleak," Woelfel reports. Heisley was nearing a deal to join the Bucks ownership group with the intention of becoming the primary owner in a few years, but current primary owner Herb Kohl backed out of the deal, according to Woelfel, who adds that Kohl is still open to finding a partner.
- We heard before the deadline that the Hawks wanted a "quality young center" in return for Josh Smith, but the Bucks deemed Larry Sanders and power forwards Ersan Ilyasova and John Henson off-limits as the teams engaged in talks.
- Woelfel heard from Smith, who adds the Hornets to the lengthy list of teams that were after him at the deadline.
- The Bucks would have made additional trades if they had acquired Smith, and they had interest in Eric Maynor, who wound up going from the Thunder to the Blazers.
- Woelfel spoke to Kyle Korver, who indicates the Hawks are in the driver's seat when he hits free agency this summer. "I’m definitely hoping to stay here (with Atlanta)," Korver said. "It’s been a great experience. And we have an awesome coach (Larry Drew) to play for."
- Some NBA scouts believe Georgia shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could wind up being drafted at the back end of the lottery this year. He's listed as No. 38 on the DraftExpress top-100 prospects list, and No. 20 in ESPN's rankings.
Suns, Lon Babby Agree On New Two-Year Deal
2:58pm: The Suns confirmed the news of Babby's new contract, which runs through the 2014/15 season, on the team's website.
"I greatly appreciate the faith that (owner) Robert Sarver and the entire Suns organization have demonstrated with this new contract," Babby said. "We have begun the heavy lifting needed to rebuild our team. While the transition is often painful, I am entirely confident that we are taking the necessary steps to regain elite NBA status. I fully embrace the opportunity to continue on that path."
2:34pm: The Suns and president of basketball operations Lon Babby have agreed to a two-year extension, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The news appears to put to rest speculation about Babby's future, as fellow Arizona Republic scribe Scott Bordow wrote today about questions regarding the team's front office and interim head coach Lindsey Hunter. This had been the final year of Babby's contract.
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News wrote in January that Babby was "probably done" in Phoenix, and Lawrence figured that might also mean the end for general manager Lance Blanks, who reports to Babby. It appears that Babby will instead be sticking around, but it's unclear what the move means for Blanks, whose contract runs through 2013/14. Hunter took over at midseason for former coach Alvin Gentry, and at least one report seems to indicate Hunter will be sticking around beyond this year. The Suns are in the midst of rebuilding following the offseason sign-and-trade that sent Steve Nash away, and this year's 23-51 record is the worst since the team went 16-66 as a first-year expansion club in 1968/69.
Phoenix could have as little as $44.4MM in commitments for next season, so the team figures to have the flexibility to try to lure more talent to the desert. The Suns have the fourth-best shot at the No. 1 overall pick, as our tentative draft order shows, and thanks to the Nash trade, they could have an extra first-round pick this June if the Lakers fail to make the playoffs.