Atlantic Notes: Martin, Knicks, Celtics, Sixers
The Nets-Bulls series was panned as one of the less exciting first round matchups this year through the first three games, but that all changed with a triple overtime thriller in game four. After a grueling back-and-forth that saw Nate Robinson and Joe Johnson come up in the clutch for their teams, the Bulls ultimately wound up on top with a 142-134 victory. Here's a look at the latest out of the Atlantic as the Nets are now charged with winning three straight to extend their season..
- Knicks forward Kenyon Martin told Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com last month that he was "real close" to signing with the Celtics earlier this season. He characterized the negotiations differently this week when he spoke to reporters, including Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. "I didn't come close at all," he said. "They didn't offer me anything, so it wasn't close. I didn't talk to them per se; my agent did. It didn't happen, so it doesn't matter at this point."
- As they appear to be on the verge of getting swept by the Knicks, this is likely the end of the Celtics as we know them, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Deveney also suggests that Danny Ainge should have been more open to welcoming either Chris Andersen or Kenyon Martin to the Celtics’ fold when both were free agents to enhance their frontcourt depth.
- Tom Moore of Calkins Media could see the Sixers' coaching search coming down to Mike Malone and Sixers associate head coach Michael Curry. Philly hopes to land a solid prospect with their No. 11 pick as well and Moore believes that Victor Oladipo would be a strong choice if he falls that far.
Prospect Profile: Trey Burke
They say it's great to leave on a high note and no one understands that better than Michigan's Trey Burke. After guiding the Wolverines to a National Championship and picking up every national player of the year award along the way, the sophomore announced that he would enter the 2013 draft. In the last couple of months, Burke has vaulted up mock drafts all across the web and appears to be a mortal lock for the top ten.
There's no debate about it, Burke is universally regarded as the top point guard in this year's class. The 20-year-old has tremendous passing ability and has a knack for finding the open man in traffic. He also knows how to keep command of the basketball with his high-level ball handling and he has cut down on turnovers from his freshman to sophomore year. Burke completes the triple threat profile with his shooting ability and has tremendous range from outside. Offensively, his skill set projects extremely well to the next level.
The Michigan star isn't quite as promising on the other side of the floor and bigger opponents have given him trouble at various points this season. That's obviously going to come up even more often for the 6'0" guard in the NBA and he'll have to toughen up in order to keep his assignment in check. It's worth noting that while Burke is undersized, he does boast an impressive 6'5" wingspan which will be a major asset as he looks to improve his defense.
Despite his height disadvantage, Burke still holds more promise than the other true point guards in this class such as Syracuse standout Michael Carter-Williams and Miami's Shane Larkin. Burke is extremely well-rounded on offense and when we look back on this year's draft, Burke may stand out as one of a few memorable talents from a thin class. How high will he go? DraftExpress currently has him pegged at No. 5 while the latest mock draft from ESPN's Chad Ford puts Burke at No. 6. It's hard to imagine Burke surging ahead of Ben McLemore or projected No. 1 pick Nerlens Noel, but strong showings in workouts coupled with a favorable lottery draw could vault him as high as No. 3.
Lakers Rumors: Dwight, Brown, Goudelock
Teams facing an 0-3 deficit have never won an NBA playoff series, and the Lakers appear to face even longer odds than usual. Steve Nash, Metta World Peace, Steve Blake, Jodie Meeks and, of course, Kobe Bryant, will all miss Game 4 against the Spurs. Even those who will play aren't necessarily healthy, as Pau Gasol is considering an offseason procedure to address a degenerative condition in both knees. As the Lakers season crash lands, here's the latest on the purple and gold:
- Dwight Howard's future will be a central topic in the coming months, but Howard told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, that he hasn't given thought to where he'll sign next season (Twitter link).
- Wherever he winds up, the Hack-a-Howard fouling strategy figures to follow, though NBA president of basketball operations Joel Litvin wishes it wouldn't. Litvin expressed distaste for the rules that allow teams to intentionally foul players away from the ball, but commissioner David Stern seems to favor the status quo, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times observes.
- In the same piece, Bresnahan provides more details on the set-off rights the Lakers have on their contract with Mike Brown now that he'll be coaching the Cavs. Brown was slated to receive about $7MM from the Lakers over the next two seasons, but L.A. could recoup anywhere from $1.5MM to $3.5MM of that. As we've heard before, the precise amount of the relief for the Lakers won't be known until the league finalizes Brown's contract, which could take a month.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com chroncles the journey of Andrew Goudelock from getting waived in training camp to winning the D-League MVP award to starting in the NBA playoffs.
Bucks OK Weltman To Interview For Suns GM Job
The Bucks have granted assistant GM Jeff Weltman permission to interview for the Suns vacant GM job, reports Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic first identified Weltman as a candidate for the position, and Chris Broussard named him as the frontrunner this week. Weltman was a finalist for the Phoenix job in 2010, when the team instead hired Lance Blanks, who on Monday parted ways with the Suns.
Lon Babby, the Phoenix president of basketball operations, will allow the new GM to make a decision on the team's head coach, Gardner reports. Interim Lindsey Hunter currently holds that job, though he'll interview for the Pistons coaching vacancy amid speculation he could be on the way out.
Babby promises the offseason will be "a summer of analytics" for the franchise. That could mean candidates like Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren or Rockets executive vice president of basketball operations Sam Hinkie could be considered for the Suns GM job, though that's just my speculation.
Weltman joined the Bucks along with GM John Hammond in 2008. He reportedly was one of several who engaged in preliminary discussions with the Clippers about their GM opening last summer.
Midseason Signees On Playoff Rosters
A pair of unexpected starters delivered performances that were even more surprising this week in the playoffs. Andrew Goudelock of the Lakers sprang for 20 points last night, while Patrick Beverley delivered 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for the Rockets in Wednesday's loss to the Thunder.
Beverley also lunged at Russell Westbrook, who was trying to call for a timeout, and that resulted in a tear of the right lateral meniscus in Westbrook's knee. The injury will keep Westbrook out for the rest of the playoffs, the team announced today. That could open up an opportunity for Derek Fisher, another player who wasn't on an opening-night roster, just like Beverley and Goudelock. Similarly, Aron Baynes may be thrust into the spotlight with Tiago Splitter out indefinitely with a sprained ankle, just as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News suggests (Twitter link).
All but three playoff teams have players who went from out of the league on opening night to the postseason. The Celtics, Heat, Rockets and Grizzlies all have three such players. Here's a complete list:
- Celtics: Terrence Williams, Shavlik Randolph, D.J. White
- Knicks: Kenyon Martin, Quentin Richardson
- Heat: Chris Andersen, Juwan Howard, Jarvis Varnado
- Bucks: None
- Nets: None
- Bulls: Malcolm Thomas
- Pacers: None
- Spurs: Aron Baynes, Tracy McGrady
- Lakers: Andrew Goudelock
- Thunder: Derek Fisher
- Rockets: Patrick Beverley, James Anderson, Tim Ohlbrecht
- Clippers: DaJuan Summers
- Grizzlies: Keyon Dooling, Donte Greene, Willie Reed
- Warriors: Dwayne Jones
Sixers Announce New D-League Affiliate
SATURDAY, 1:41pm: The Sixers have made it official, and team spokesperson Michael Preston announced via Twitter that the D-League affiliate will be known as the Delaware 87ers (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 1:45pm: After sharing the Sioux Falls Skyforce with three other NBA teams during the 2012/13 season, the 76ers have secured an exclusive D-League affiliate that will be based in Newark, Delaware, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Berger reports that an official announcement is expected to come tomorrow, as the Sixers have scheduled a press conference for 1:00pm CST.
Berger adds in a second tweet that the Sixers' new D-League affiliate won't be an expansion team, but rather a relocation of a franchise that had been dormant. That echoes a report from last fall, which suggested the Sixers were targeting a suspended Utah Flash team. Owner Josh Harris had confirmed last week that the Sixers were in "advanced discussions" to secure an exclusive D-League affiliate.
When the Sixers officially announce the move, they'll become the 12th NBA team to have an exclusive D-League affiliate. These single-affiliate relationships have proven to be a boon for NBA clubs, allowing teams to more effectively oversee player development at the D-League level. The final four squads standing in the D-League postseason this year (Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Santa Cruz Warriors, Tulsa 66ers, Austin Toros) are all associated with a single NBA franchise (Rockets, Warriors, Thunder, Spurs).
Brandon Jennings Softens Stance On Bucks
Brandon Jennings has made no secret of his desire to leave Milwaukee of late, having threatened to take the qualifying offer from the Bucks this summer and leave as an unrestricted free agent in 2014. He's also expressed his interest in playing with the Mavericks. Jennings backtracked those statements in an interview Thursday with Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com, and indicated he'd like to stick around.
"I said some things, you know, that I probably shouldn't have to make (the fans) think that (these might be my last days in Milwaukee)," Jennings said. "But in general I wouldn't want to leave without actually accomplishing something here and that's getting out of the first round or something like that."
The 23-year-old point guard is set to hit restricted free agency in the offseason, meaning the Bucks will have the right to match offers from other teams as long as they extend a one-year, $4.531MM qualifying offer. Jennings could command offers much greater than that, but taking the qualifying offer would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2014.
If Jennings doesn't take the qualifying offer, the Bucks appear poised to match just about any offer sheet he signs with another team this summer, which likely would be for multiple years. Jackson suggests that the Bucks could choose to sign-and-trade Jennings elsewhere, a maneuver that would allow Jennings to play in another city without taking a pay cut next season. Jennings would have to consent to that, however, and his comments to Jackson indicate he'd be hesitant to do so.
"At the end of the day they have supported me here since day one," Jennings said. "The good and the bad. From my rookie year, from being a little guy that came from Italy that nobody knew about, they still had my back through it all. So at the end of the day, I still love this town and hopefully I'll be here."
This isn't the first time there's been conflicting information on Jennings. A report in February said that he and the Bucks had come to "irreconcilable differences," but Jennings responded that it wasn't true. Regardless, the former 10th overall pick hasn't made it easy to gauge his true feelings, so there will be plenty of intrigue when he and the Bucks must make their decisions in the offseason.
Odds & Ends: Pistons, Carlesimo, Lakers
We've got four great playoff games on the docket today, starting with the Nets and Bulls at 1pm Central. After that, it's Clippers-Grizzlies at 3:30, Pacers–Hawks at 6:00, and Thunder–Rockets at 8:30. Here's today's look around the Association..
- David Mayo of MLive.com doesn't necessarily expect the Pistons to rush when it comes to finding a new head coach. At this point it has become clear that there may be a wish list, but there is no clear front-runner for the gig.
- Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo finds himself in a must-win situation to keep his job, writes George Willis of the New York Post. General Manager Billy King recently got a contract extension but its believed that Carlesimo has to take Brooklyn deep into the playoffs in order to get a contract for next season and beyond.
- There will be plenty of finger pointing going on when it comes to the Lakers this summer, writes Brian Kamenetzky of SheridanHoops.com. Some will blame coach Mike D'Antoni for the teams woes while others will put the onus on the front office. No matter how things shake out, it figures to be an interesting offseason in L.A.
- This was a season that was never meant to be for the Lakers, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Spurs cruised to a 120-89 victory on Friday night to take a 3-0 lead in their first round series.
LeBron Unlikely To Sign With Jay-Z
Ever since rapper Jay-Z announced that he would be making a foray into sports representation with his Roc Nation company, there has been speculation that he could sign longtime friend LeBron James. However, there is no reason to believe that James will abandon Klutch Sports to sign on with Jay-Z, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today.
The theory that James would hook on with Jay-Z's company centers around the star's relationship with William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley. Wesley is a part of CAA Sports, the company that has partnered with Jay-Z but also lost James as a client in September when he left for the newly formed Klutch Sports, captained by former CAA agent Rich Paul.
However, James has long since moved on from the "Worldwide Wes" chapter of his life and according to one source, the two hardly, if ever, speak these days. Without that bridge, there's little reason to believe that James would consider a reunion with CAA. Even if that connection was still in place, it would still be a stretch for him to come back to his old agency less than a year after parting ways.
You can keep up with the latest in NBA player representation with Hoops Rumors' brand new Agency Database.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Jackson, Nets, Wallace
Here’s a look at the latest out of the Atlantic as the Nets look to even up their series with the Bulls tonight in Chicago..
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star hears from a lot of people that Phil Jackson to the Raptors isn’t far-fetched at all. However, he also spoke to someone who suggested that Jackson wouldn’t leave his kids, grandkids, and fiancé on the West Coast. Because of that, the source suggested that Seattle – if the Kings wind up there– might be a more logical landing place for him.
- As the Nets find themselves down 2-1 to the Bulls, forward Gerald Wallace says that he doesn’t “have a clue” as to what his role is supposed to be, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Wallace signed a new four-year, $40MM deal with Brooklyn over the summer.
- Jackson looks primed for a return to the NBA, opines Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. If anyone could make that return happen north of the border, Brigham writes, it’s new Raptors hire Tim Leiweke.