Odds & Ends: Nets, C’s, Bennett, Pacers, Mavs
There are plenty of names being thrown into the mix for the Nets' head coaching opening and seemingly just as many being taken out of the equation. Sam Amick of USA Today is the latest to chime in on the subject, reporting that Scott Skiles is among Brooklyn's candidates, but that the chatter about a Jerry Sloan/Deron Williams reunion probably shouldn't be taken seriously. Here are a few more Tuesday odds and ends from around the NBA:
- As he tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, Celtics president Danny Ainge hasn't sat down with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Doc Rivers yet to talk about their respective futures. "I don’t really pay much attention to what anybody says in the first week after the season," said Ainge, referring to comments made by the Celtics leaders immediately after last week's elimination.
- Likely lottery pick Anthony Bennett will undergo rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder tomorrow, agent Jeff Schwartz tells ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Bennett, who will miss about four months, becomes the third top prospect that will miss the summer with an injury, along with Nerlens Noel and Alex Len. However, two GMs who spoke to Ford don't think the procedure will affect Bennett's draft stock.
- Pacers president Donnie Walsh told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he's unsure whether he'll remain in his current role next season. According to Berman, Walsh still believes there's a chance Larry Bird will unretire and assume his old position for the Pacers.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com examines the ways in which the Mavericks could add a maximum-salary free agent without breaking up their veteran core.
- With the Thunder and Grizzlies squaring off in the Western Conference Semifinals, Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth wonders if either team will end up regretting its blockbuster trade — James Harden for the Thunder and Rudy Gay for the Grizz.
Re-Examining Stephen Curry’s Extension
Last October, on the final day before 2012's extension deadline, the Warriors and Stephen Curry reached an agreement on a four-year, $44MM deal. As we watch Curry put up one memorable postseason performance after another for the Warriors this spring, it's easy to forget, but at the time the move was viewed as a significant risk for Golden State. Curry was coming off an injury-plagued 2011/12 season and had just reinjured his ankle during camp.
Six months later, it's not as if the Warriors are entirely in the clear, considering the extension hasn't even officially kicked in yet. But if Curry's long-term contract was a high-risk, high-reward move for Golden State, the team is certainly reaping the rewards at the moment.
Earlier today at SBNation.com, Tom Ziller noted that the Warriors saved themselves a significant amount of money by extending Curry when they did. Let's take Ziller's point one step further and take a closer look at exactly how much money the Warriors may have saved, and how the decision to get something done last fall affected Curry's potential free agency and Golden State's long-term cap situation.
First, here's how Curry's actual extension breaks down:
It's safe to assume that if Curry had reached restricted free agency this summer, he would have received at least one maximum-salary offer. The Warriors could have offered Curry a five-year max with 7.5% raises, or matched a four-year max (4.5% raises) offer sheet from a rival team. We won't know the exact amount of next year's maximum salaries until July, but we should be able to make a decent guess. A year ago, maximum salaries for players with 1-6 years of experience increased by 5.77%. If they increase by the same rate this year, these would have been the potential max scenarios for Curry:
For our hypothetical scenario, let's say the Warriors, having been reluctant to extend Curry last fall because of knee troubles, were once again reluctant to commit huge money to him for five years and simply matched a four-year offer sheet from a rival club. That would still put Curry on the books for about $61.74MM over the next four seasons, rather than $44MM. That's an increase of between $4-5MM in annual salary for every season between now and 2016/17.
Would that $4-5MM have made much difference for the Warriors? By '16/17, maybe not, but in the short-term, it would have had a huge impact on the team's cap situation. Assuming Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins, and Brandon Rush exercise their player options for next season, the Warriors already have about $69MM committed to guaranteed salaries for 10 players. That doesn't leave much wiggle room below the tax line for the club to bring back Jarrett Jack or Carl Landry, or to add further reinforcements.
Now imagine if the team had to pay Curry a max salary of more than $14MM next season. That would put the Warriors' salary commitments over $73MM, meaning the club would already be in tax territory before even filling out the rest of its roster. Deadline deals this past year allowed the Warriors to avoid being a 2012/13 taxpayer, but barring a more significant trade, they won't be as fortunate in '13/14. Paying the max to Curry would have pushed the club even further into the tax, in a season when CBA changes ensure that tax penalties will become even more punitive.
The Warriors haven't always made the smartest roster decisions — the presence of Biedrins and Jefferson on next year's books is proof of that. But extending Curry when they did looks like a stroke of genius at this point. Not only is the fourth-year guard shooting the Warriors into legit contention in the Western Conference, but his affordable salary next season and beyond should significantly reduce Golden State's tax bill and allow for additional cap flexibility down the road.
Suns Hire Ryan McDonough As GM
The Suns officially have a new general manager, having hired Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough to replace Lance Blanks, the team announced today in a press release. The team will formally introduce McDonough at a press conference this Thursday.
"Ryan distinguished himself among an impressive group of candidates for our GM position," said Suns president Lon Babby in a statement. "His natural leadership and communication skills will serve the Suns well. And, his prodigious work ethic and ability to identify talent will enable us to take full advantage of the 10 draft choices, including six in the first round, that we have over the next three years. We welcome his championship pedigree to our organization."
McDonough had been considered one of the frontrunners for the Suns' GM opening along with Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman. Various reports, including one earlier today, suggested that Phoenix was also interested in hiring Grant Hill for the position. McDonough's hiring seems to indicate that either the Suns weren't seriously interested in Hill or that the veteran intends to continue his playing career.
McDonough joined the Celtics' front office in 2003, as a 23-year-old special assistant to basketball operations. After working in the team's scouting department and as Boston's director of player personnel, he has served as an assistant GM to Danny Ainge for the last three seasons. McDonough is expected to work with Babby to make a decision on the Suns' head coach.
Coaching Rumors: Clippers, Pistons, Nets, Hawks
The latest piece from Marc Stein at ESPN.com includes word that Dwight Howard remains more likely than Chris Paul to leave Los Angeles this summer. One source predicted to Stein that there's "zero chance" Paul signs with any team besides the Clippers. However, while Paul looks like a strong bet to return to L.A., the same can't be said for his head coach. Here are the latest rumblings on Vinny Del Negro and the rest of the NBA's coaching carousel:
- Stein refers to Del Negro's dismissal as seemingly "inevitable" and suggests that the Clippers want to go "big" with their next hire. Stan Van Gundy is one name likely to surface, according to Stein.
- If Del Negro is let go, Michael Malone, Alvin Gentry, and Byron Scott also figure to be a few top candidates for the position, according to Mark Heisler of HoopsHype.com. Stein endorses that list of contenders, particularly if the team's interest in Van Gundy doesn't go anywhere.
- Kelvin Sampson is the Rockets assistant frequently mentioned as a head coach candidate, but J.B. Bickerstaff is also on the Pistons' list, says Stein.
- Sampson and Mike Dunleavy aren't currently being considered for the Nets' opening, reports Stein.
- Assuming Larry Drew is done in Atlanta, Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer and former Lakers assistant Quin Snyder are expected to be among the Hawks' targets, says Stein.
- Coaching candidate Brian Shaw has yet to be contacted about job openings, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter). I'd assume the Pacers will give Shaw permission to interview for coaching jobs once Indiana is out of the playoffs.
- Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com surveyed leagues execs, players, and team personnel on who would make a good first-time NBA coach, and Heat assistant David Fizdale, Grizzlies assistant David Joerger, and Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg were among the top selections.
Free Agent Market For Centers
Over the last week, we've been taking a closer look at this summer's free agent market by position, starting with point guards, and progressing through shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards. Our tour of the 2013/14 free agent class comes to an end today with a look at this year's centers, perhaps the most intriguing FA position this year.
2013's group of free agent centers features the player most likely to land the year's biggest contract (Dwight Howard), a player who may have the summer's most fascinating free agent case after missing a full season (Andrew Bynum), and an intriguing human-interest story that even non-NBA fans will be following (Jason Collins).
Let's dive in and break down this year's free agent centers….
Unrestricted free agents
Assuming Dwight Howard re-signs with the Lakers, the $117.95MM he'd receive this summer would be the largest contract signed this year or last. It's not a lock that Howard will return to L.A., but considering the Lakers can offer him $30MM+ more in guaranteed money than any other team, they have to be considered the favorites.
A year ago, we would have assumed Andrew Bynum would be heading for a maximum contract of his own, but a lost season in Philadelphia means Bynum's future is up in the air. I have to think there will be at least one team willing to roll the dice on a potential franchise player, offering him a big-money, multiyear deal. But there's so much uncertainty surrounded Bynum that you could conceivably picture him signing for anywhere between $8MM and $80MM. For teams not interested in gambling on Bynum, Al Jefferson represents a more stable (and more healthy) top-tier option, though you'll have to be willing to live with some shortcomings on the defensive end.
Beyond the big three in this group, there are still plenty of interesting options, including Chris Kaman, Samuel Dalembert, and Zaza Pachulia. Additionally, Chris Andersen, Nazr Mohammed, and Jermaine O'Neal all played on minimum-salary deals in 2012/13, but were productive enough that they could draw interest at a slightly higher price this summer.
We'll definitely be keeping a closer eye on Jason Collins than we typically would on a backup free agent center (say, Johan Petro), as he attempts to become the first active gay athlete in one of North America's major sports leagues. And if the coverage of Collins' free agency is disproportionate to his career production, the same could be said of Greg Oden, the former first overall pick, who will look to return to action for the first time since 2009/10. I'll be pulling for both guys to find NBA jobs this offseason.
Restricted free agents
Eight of this summer's potential restricted free agents, including Blake Griffin, James Harden, and Stephen Curry, signed long-term extensions last fall, so there aren't a ton of big names among this year's restricted FAs. Still, compared to the other positions, center is relatively stacked.
Nikola Pekovic figures to receive an annual salary of at least $10-12MM from the Timberwolves or another club. Tiago Splitter will be in line for a raise of his own after playing crucial minutes for the Spurs all year. And even Byron Mullens had his moments for the Bobcats this season, though he's not close to being in Pekovic's class, or even Splitter's.
Team and player options
Expensive player options like Andris Biedrins' ($9MM) and Emeka Okafor's ($14.49MM) are certain to be exercised, but it's not just those big-money options that figure to be picked up. I'd be surprised to see either Kwame Brown ($2.95MM) or Aaron Gray ($2.69MM) opt out of their deals, since they'd be hard-pressed to land new multiyear contracts or even to sign for more than the minimum.
Even once we get past the player options, there don't seem to be many candidates to hit the market among this group. Robin Lopez ($5.12MM) and Gustavo Ayon ($1.5MM) are on non-guaranteed deals, but their price tags are affordable enough that I'd be surprised to see the Pelicans or Bucks, respectively, cut them loose. Perhaps the most notable likely free agent in this group is Greg Stiemsma, who has a non-guaranteed $2.69MM and wasn't exactly indispensable in Minnesota in 2012/13.
Previously:
Free agent market for power forwards
Free agent market for small forwards
Free agent market for shooting guards
Free agent market for point guards
Pacific Notes: Suns, Hill, Meeks, Clippers
Coming into the 2012/13 season, the Lakers and Clippers were receiving most of the attention out west, but with four Western Conference teams still alive, the only Pacific team still standing is Golden State. Stephen Curry and the Warriors played in perhaps the best game of the 2013 postseason last night in San Antonio, but ultimately couldn't hold off the Spurs, who escaped with a 129-127 victory. As we hold out hope that the rest of the series lives up to the standard set by Game One, let's check out some other notes from around the Pacific….
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that "rumblings persist" about the Suns holding off on their decision on a new general manager because they're hoping to land Grant Hill for the job. Stein adds in a second tweet that if Hill can't be persuaded to return to Phoenix, the Suns figure to decide between Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough and Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman. Charles Barkley didn't receive an interview for the position, says Stein (via Twitter).
- Even if the Lakers could save a bit of money by declining Jodie Meeks' 2013/14 option and replacing him with a minimum-salary player, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Sulia link) expects the team to bring back Meeks, who could be L.A.'s starting shooting guard on opening night.
- Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times examines the futures of Chris Paul and Vinny Del Negro in L.A., noting that the Clippers and Del Negro discussed an extension a couple times early in the season, but ultimately elected to wait until season's end.
Los Angeles Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Del Negro
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni doesn't know if he'll have all of his familiar faces back next season, but he decided to shake things up the sidelines in advance of what should be a very interesting summer in L.A. D'Antoni has informed assistants Bernie Bickerstaff and Chuck Person that they won't be back with the Lakers in 2013/14, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter). Here's more out of the Staples Center..
- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro says that he has no read on whether he will return for next season, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Clippers vice president of basketball operation Gary Sacks says he will take feedback from exit interviews with players and coaches into consideration when deciding on Del Negro.
- Speaking of Sacks, the Clippers exec says he is confident that Chris Paul will be back, writes Markazi. "I think he's an integral part of this. We feel like we had a great partnership for the last couple of years and we want to continue it obviously. These are decisions that have to be made and some of them will be taken care of at the appropriate time. We can't talk to him until July 1, so we'll go ahead and do that. We'll move forward when it's appropriate," the GM said.
- Earl Clark may be a vital piece for the Lakers to keep, simply because their ability to add talent will be so limited, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (via Sulia).
- Mike Trudell of NBA.com spoke to Lakers management and players about Dwight Howard and his impending free agency.
Berger On Malone, 76ers, Hornacek, Nets
Here’s the latest news on coaching and GM vacancies courtesy of CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger..
- It’s too early to identify a front-runner in the Sixers search, but things sound promising for Warriors assistant Mike Malone. Philly execs have contacted the Warriors multiple times about Malone, including several conversations with consultant Jerry West. In fact, the Sixers are consulting players who’ve played under both Malone and Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer to get a feel for how the two candidates differ, according to one source.
- To the surprise of some rival executives, the Sixers‘ coaching search is being led by GM Tony DiLeo, whose contract expires this summer. With team president Rod Thorn moving into a smaller role and DiLeo’s contract expiring, rival execs expect the Sixers seek out a new decision maker as well. In fact, that process has already begun through back-channel conversations, one person contacted on the Sixers’ behalf told Berger.
- Nets star Deron Williams has been vocal in his support of Jerry Sloan for the job but also has a strong relationship with Jeff Hornacek. In addition to the Sixers, the former Jazz sharpshooter has attracted interest from the Bobcats, Suns, and Bucks, sources told Berger.
- The Suns are in the advanced stages of their GM search and the latest word is that Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough‘s is gaining momentum. Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman has been viewed as the favorite in some circles, however, and the Suns also have interviewed Spurs exec (and former Knicks GM) Scott Layden.
- The Clippers are expected to can Vinny Del Negro and Hawks are expected to let Larry Drew go, league sources said. The Clippers are said to be “exploring all options,” while the Hawks’ decision on Drew’s future is expected “sooner than later,” sources said. It is widely believed that GM Danny Ferry prefers to install his own head coach in Atlanta.
Western Notes: Rockets, Perkins, Nuggets, Jazz
When discussing potential landing spots besides L.A. for Dwight Howard this summer, many pundits point to Houston as an ideal fit for the big man, given the Rockets' combination of young talent and cap space. Of course, the Rockets already have a solid defensive center in their starting lineup, but Omer Asik tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he's not letting the Howard rumors affect him.
"It’s all things that happen out of my control," Asik said. "I really don’t know and I really don’t care. Whether it happens, we’ll see. I’m just looking forward to rest and getting better for the next season."
Here's more on the Rockets and their Western Conference rivals:
- Although the Rockets are unlikely to exercise a team option that would pay him $6.4MM, Francisco Garcia would still like to find a way to return to Houston, as he tells Feigen.
- After explaining over the weekend why Kendrick Perkins is unlikely to be amnestied, Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman wonders if the Thunder big man is undervalued, at least by fans.
- If the Jazz don't spend heavily this summer, it will be a "strategic decision" rather than an indication the team is financially strapped, according to GM Dennis Lindsey (Twitter link via Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune).
- Despite an early exit from the postseason, GM Masai Ujiri isn't worried about the Nuggets, telling 9News in Denver that the team will "get ready for next season and figure out ways to fix it and get better." As Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post points out, a new contract for Ujiri figures to be one item near the top of the club's offseason to-do list.
- Following another unproductive season, Xavier Henry doesn't have a clear spot in the Pelicans' future plans, writes Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Latest On Kings, Sacramento Group
As the Sacramento investment group led by Vivek Ranadive moves toward finalizing its bid for the Kings, the investors have offered to make a major concession to the NBA, according to Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal (hat tip to Dale Kasler and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee). Kaplan reports that the group is willing to limit the money ownership would receive through the league's revenue-sharing program.
According to the SBJ report, if the group should acquire the Kings, it would agree to accept a reduced amount of revenue-sharing money during the team's final years at Sleep Train Arena, then would receive no revenue-sharing money after moving to the proposed downtown arena.
Kasler and Bizjak note that the Kings would be in line for about $18MM per year under the NBA's revenue-sharing program, which means such a concession would be significant. As Zach Lowe of Grantland points out (via Twitter), during the 2011 lockout, the NBA consistently pointed to the need for balance and profitability, so having a smaller-market team offer to opt out of the revenue-sharing program would be a bit of a shock.
Kasler also reports that the meeting to decide the Kings' fate is scheduled for next Wednesday, May 15th. The NBA's Board of Governors will meet in Dallas to officially vote on whether to allow the team to relocate and whether to allow Chris Hansen's purchase of the franchise. Based on the relocation committee's recommendation, the Kings are expected to remain in Sacramento.