Odds & Ends: Rivers, Granger, Ellis, Muhammad
Doc Rivers is sold on the "new" Clippers, but still isn't sold on owner Donald Sterling. That could be part of the delay in the two sides hammering out the final details of his contract. A source close to Rivers told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald he was getting pulled hard in different directions last week as the Celtics and Clippers were negotiating a deal.
On one hand, Doc had coaching types telling him he had to jump at the opportunity to coach Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. However, others told him he would be crazy to step into the asylum that has been the Clippers over the years. Regardless, the contract seems like nothing but a formality at this point and we should see Rivers introduced as the new head man in L.A. this week. Here's more from around the Association..
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com hears that the Cavs are engaged in trade talks with a number of teams and sources say the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Blazers have been the most proactive in trying to get the No. 1 pick. Meanwhile, Ford still believes that Cleveland will go with Nerlens Noel if they keep the top selection.
- Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) asked an NBA executive for some names that are hot-and-heavy in trade talks. The names he got back were the Pacers' Danny Granger, the Bucks' Monta Ellis (sign and trade), the Rockets' Thomas Robinson, and the Wizards' Jan Vesely.
- Brian Shaw's deal with the Nuggets will be either three years or four years, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Nuggets hired the Indiana assistant earlier this evening.
- A source tells Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) that UCLA product Shabazz Muhammad worked out for the Pistons today. The source said that the audition went well for the guard/forward.
- The Wolves are still offering Derrick Williams around the league to see what they can get for him, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. The T-Wolves reportedly believe that Williams and the No. 9 pick can vault them into the top three.
- Recently appointed Kings assistant GM Mike Bratz said he's more of a see and "feel" guy in evaluating talent, but does use stats and analytics, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
- Former Celtics standout Antoine Walker told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) that he is "serious" about becoming an NBA coach.
Grizzlies Hire Dave Joerger
The Grizzlies have promoted team assisstant Dave Joerger to head coach, according to Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Joerger has long been considered to be the leading candidate for the job, despite several big names coming through Memphis in recent weeks.
George Karl, Ed Pinckney, and Alvin Gentry all interviewed with the Grizzlies as they looked to fill their vacancy. The Grizzlies parted ways with coach Lionel Hollins earlier this month after months of reported struggles between him and team management. The club's revamped front office, which includes stats guru John Hollinger, had a very different take on roster building than the 59-year-old.
Joerger was the early favorite to take the Memphis job, but he also had interest from the Sixers. Joerger shouldn't expect a Christmas card from Hollins, who has made comments that seem to hint at a behind-the-scenes rift between the two.
Offseason Outlook: Phoenix Suns
Guaranteed Contracts
- Marcin Gortat ($7,727,280)
- Goran Dragic ($7,500,000)
- Channing Frye ($6,400,000)
- Michael Beasley ($6,000,000)
- Luis Scola ($4,508,504)
- Jared Dudley ($4,250,000)
- Markieff Morris ($2,091,840)
- Kendall Marshall ($2,005,560)
- Marcus Morris ($1,987,320)
Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Shannon Brown ($3,500,000; guaranteed for $1,750,000)1
- Hamed Haddadi ($1,397,500; guaranteed for $200,000)1
- P.J. Tucker ($884,293)2
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- Wesley Johnson ($5,421,233)
- No. 5 pick ($2,910,600)
- Diante Garrett ($988,872)3
- Jermaine O'Neal ($884,293)
- No. 30 pick ($880,600)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (5th overall)
- 1st Round (30th overall)
- 2nd Round (57th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $44,420,504
- Options: $0
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $3,831,793
- Cap Holds: $11,085,598
- Total: $59,337,895
The Suns didn't waste time in making changes this offseason as they became the first NBA club to can their GM. Lance Blanks was shown the door on April 24th and a few weeks later, the Suns found their next decision maker in Ryan McDonough. Blanks didn't have the easiest job with the Suns as he joined the club in the summer of 2010, shortly after Amar'e Stoudemire left for the Knicks. The Suns went from a Western Conference finalist in 2010 to a mediocre team the next two seasons, capped off by a 25-57 mark this year. McDonough's job won't be easy, but he doesn't necessarily have a tough act to follow.
We saw multiple coaches under contract given the greenlight to look elsewhere this offseason – Larry Drew, Lionel Hollins, Doc Rivers - but the Suns did that before it was cool. Lindsey Hunter was still technically the club's interim head coach this summer and while Phoenix mulled their options, they gave the former guard a chance to explore his options elsewhere. That didn't officially spell the end of Hunter's tenure with the Suns, but it more or less sealed his fate and made way for new head coach Jeff Hornacek.
One would expect a team as young and, sorry, as unimpressive as the Suns to have enough cap room to ink someone to a max deal, but that's just not the case. The club has two deals that are only partially guaranteed in Shannon Brown and Hamed Haddadi plus a non-guaranteed pact with P.J. Tucker, but the team will still have more than $44MM committed to nine players for next season if they were to cut bait with those three. When you couple that with the two first-round picks that the Suns have in the June draft, there's just no way that they can throw someone max money. Even if they could, the Suns aren't in a position to court an elite player and overpaying for a near-max type like Andre Iguodala or Monta Ellis doesn't fit their gameplan since they aren't going to contend right away.
The Suns hold two first-round picks in this Thursday's draft (No. 5 and No. 30) and no matter how the top of the board shakes out, the Suns figure to come away with a quality talent. The latest mock draft from DraftExpress has the Suns taking Victor Oladipo but the Indiana high flyer may not be available and could even be in the mix at No. 1. In a draft that is said to be short on stars, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic hears that they'll be in best player available mode, which could even mean taking a point guard, despite having Goran Dragic under contract for the next three years and 2012 first-rounder Kendall Marshall. I don't think the Suns are enamored enough by Trey Burke to overload themselves at the one-guard position and even if their not drafting for need, it's hard to rule out the appeal of Ben McLemore. The Suns need perimeter shooting and athleticism and the Kansas product provides both.
Two of this year's top prospects are centers (Nerlens Noel and Alex Len) and neither player would seem to fit a need for the Suns, but that could change if they were to part with Marcin Gortat. The Blazers have interest in the 29-year-old and if the Suns can get one of those prospects at No. 5 (Len is far more likely than Noel), they could be thinking big with their highest pick since 1968/69. With the late first-rounder or their second-round selection, the Suns could be thinking international since they're building for the future.
Additional notes:
- P.J. Tucker's $884K salary is non-guaranteed for 2013/14, but he's a mortal lock to return. There weren't a whole lot of bright spots for the Suns last season, but Tucker's hard-nosed style of play was one of them.
- The Nos. 5, 30, and 57 selections in the draft may not be enough for the Suns. They're reportedly open to adding another first-round pick and for a forward-thinking franchise, that possibility can't be ruled out. It sounds as though we'll see a lot of movement on draft night and the Suns are one of the clubs to keep an eye on.
Cap footnotes:
- Brown's and Haddadi's salaries become fully guaranteed if they're not waived on or before June 29th.
- Tucker's salary becomes fully guaranteed if he's not waived on or before July 1st.
- $988,872 is the amount of Garrett's potential qualifying offer. If the Suns don't extend a QO, Garrett's cap hold will be reduced to $788,872.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
Florida Notes: Magic, Bledsoe, Heat, Birdman
While the Heat can’t and won’t do too much to shake up their roster this summer, they do have some important decisions to make as they chase their third consecutive NBA title. Five Miami veterans in total will be eligible for free agency but there’s one in particular that is a higher priority than the others. Here’s more out of Miami and Orlando..
- Not a shocker, but Chris Andersen confirmed to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (via Twitter) that he wants to re-sign with the Heat when the free agency period kicks off on July 1st. “He put it clearly,’’ said agent Mark Bryant of his client’s stated desire to return for a three-peat next year. “(The Heat) gave him an opportunity and he absolutely wants to come back.’’ The most the Heat could pay Andersen next season is their taxpayer midlevel exception of $3.183MM. Meanwhile, the least they could pay is the veteran minimum of $1.4MM.
- The Magic‘s pursuit of Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe continues and reports of a draft day deal sending him and Caron Butler to Orlando for Arron Afflalo has legs, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. The Magic have been aggressive in looking at trades in addition to draft prospects and a Bledsoe package could be part of bigger deal (link).
- The Magic need a young point guard but it doesn’t seem like they’ll reach and take one at No. 2, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
Sixers Fire CEO Adam Aron?
7:55pm: Sixers spokesperson Michael Preston told Bob Cooney of the Daily News (on Twitter) that Aron has not been fired.
4:26pm: The Sixers have fired CEO Adam Aron, sources confirmed to Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). It was rumored back in May that Aron was taken out of the basketball side of things but that was denied by a league source at the time. The move was first reported by Howard Eskin of WIP (on Twitter).
Last month, John Nash said in an interview that Aron had his role reduced after a clash with consultant and former coach Doug Collins. It's unclear if Aron's dismissal has anything to do with that rumored tiff or if it could be tied to the arrival of new GM Sam Hinkie. There has been quite a bit of change in Philly recently with both Collins and former team president Rod Thorn transitioning into advisory roles.
Northwest Notes: Shaw, Nuggets, Blazers
Here's a look at the latest out of the Northwest Division..
- New Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw told Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post (on Twitter) that he likely won't run the triangle offense in Denver. As a former Phil Jackson pupil, many expected Shaw to implement the Zen Master's patented gameplan where ever he went. Most recently, Shaw worked under Pacers coach Frank Vogel and helped take the Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals.
- The Trail Blazers have interest in restricted free agents Tiago Splitter (Spurs) and Nikola Pekovic (Wolves), according to John Canzano of 750 The Game (on Twitter). Canzano warns, however, that the Blazers should be very reluctant to get involved in a free agent offer sheet that will be matched.
- Wolves president Flip Saunders doesn't sound as though he's looking to move up in Thursday's draft, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. The Wolves have the No. 9 and No. 26 picks in the draft but Saunders sees this class as being full of players who are good, not great.
Atlantic Notes: Brown, Shaw, Celtics, Knicks
After a strong interview with the Nuggets, Spurs assistant Brett Brown has drawn the interest of the Sixers and led them to ask for – and receive permission – to interview him, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Brown met with Nuggets officials on Sunday and emerged as a significant candidate in the search process, according to league sources, making him a hot commodity this summer. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..
- Brian Shaw's agent told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (on Twitter) that his client has yet to hear from the Celtics. However, he added that "there would be interest" if the C's called.
- The Knicks are seeking cheaper alternatives with Jason Kidd gone and Rasheed Wallace retired, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Quincy Douby will be brought in for a workout tomorrow following Shawne Williams' audition today. Douby, who has spent a good amount of time overseas, is no stranger to the New York area thanks to his starring role at Rutgers.
- Brazilian prospect Alexandre Paranhos is working out for the Nets today, the Sixers tomorrow, and the Knicks on Wednesday, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Draft Notes: Nets, Hawks, Franklin, Oladipo
Earlier today, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Nuggets have made their first-round pick (27th overall) available via trade, in the hopes of acquiring a future first-rounder or moving down to the second round. But it sounds like Denver isn't the only team potentially interested in such a deal. Wojnarowski tweets that the more he talks to teams drafting in the late-20s, the less enthusiasm he hears from them about keeping their picks. Here are more draft news, notes, and rumors, with just over 72 hours remaining until things get underway:
- Nets GM Billy King echoes Wojnarowski's point, telling Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) that plenty of GMs are looking to trade out of the draft, but they may not have many willing trade partners.
- The Hawks are interested in using their 17th and 18th overall picks in an attempt to move up in the draft, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears, Atlanta has had trade conversations with at least one team picking in the top five. Spears adds that the Hawks, who will have a final workout tomorrow featuring Jamaal Franklin, are intrigued by Shabazz Muhammad.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) asked NBA GMs and scouts to rate the top 50 prospects in the 2013 draft using a 1-10 scale. Ford then took those scores, averaged them, and prorated them on a 100-point scale. Somewhat surprisingly, the top-rated player was not Nerlens Noel but instead Indiana's Victor Oladipo.
- Franklin met and worked out with the Bucks today, according to the team's official PR Twitter account. Franklin wasn't part of the team's group workout for possible second-rounders (Twitter link).
- Michael Carter-Williams worked out for the Sixers over the weekend, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- TNT's David Aldridge has unveiled his mock draft at NBA.com, with a surprise name at the top.
- The Pacers announced that their workout schedule for prospects on Tuesday. Reggie Bullock (North Carolina), A.J. Davis (James Madison), and Greg Echenique (Creighton) are among the players participating.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Patty Mills Exercises 2013/14 Player Option
Patty Mills has picked up his player option for 2013/14, and will remain under contract for one more season, the Spurs announced today in a press release.. By exercising the option, Mills is guaranteed a salary of $1,133,950 for next year.
Mills, 24, signed a two-year contract last summer with the Spurs that started at about $1.09MM, the maximum the team could offer him using the Non-Bird exception. Since the second year of the deal was a player option, Mills could have opted out and attempted to renegotiate another new contract, but based on his modest production this past season (5.1 PPG, 1.1 APG, 11.3 MPG), he wouldn't have been able to make a particularly strong case for a raise.
As I noted earlier this afternoon in my preview of the Spurs' offseason, Mills represented one of a handful of option decisions to be resolved this week. Boris Diaw also has a player option he's likely to exercise, while the team will have to decide whether to fully guarantee Matt Bonner's 2013/14 salary.
Offseason Outlook: San Antonio Spurs
Guaranteed Contracts
- Tony Parker ($12,500,000)
- Tim Duncan ($10,361,446)
- Danny Green ($3,762,500)
- Kawhi Leonard ($1,887,840)
- Nando De Colo ($1,463,000)
- Cory Joseph ($1,120,920)
- Aron Baynes ($788,872)
Options
- Boris Diaw ($4,702,500, Player)
- Patty Mills ($1,133,950, Player)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Matt Bonner ($3,945,000; guaranteed for $1,000,000)1
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- Manu Ginobili ($19,136,250)2
- Tiago Splitter ($7,493,600)3
- DeJuan Blair ($2,002,600)
- Gary Neal ($1,116,099)4
- No. 28 pick ($893,500)
- Tracy McGrady ($884,293)
- (Robert Horry – $6,897,000)
- (Glenn Robinson – $884,293)
- (Damon Stoudamire – $884,293)
- (Nick Van Exel – $884,293)
- (Jacque Vaughn – $884,293)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (28th overall)
- 2nd Round (58th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $32,884,578
- Options: $5,836,450
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $2,945,000
- Cap Holds: $41,960,5142
- Total: $83,626,5422
After the Spurs came within a few baskets of the 2013 championship, it's becoming clear that the team's long-awaited drop-off may just not be coming. We've all assumed that core players like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili would eventually slow down, resulting in at least one or two down years for a club that hasn't had a winning percentage below .610 since 1996/97.
And that process is starting to happen — Ginobili has had trouble staying on the court the last couple seasons, and his 11.8 PPG and .425 FG% marks in 2012/13 were both nearly career-lows. Duncan, meanwhile, remains productive, but isn't logging the same 35-40 minutes he was earlier in his career, having averaged 28.9 MPG over the last three seasons.
Nonetheless, the Spurs continue to rack up wins. Tony Parker only just turned 31 and should have a few good years left in him, while a wave of younger players are starting to make significant contributions, picking up some of the slack for San Antonio's veterans. The 21-year-old Kawhi Leonard looks like the player with the most star potential, but Danny Green, Tiago Splitter, and Cory Joseph also played key roles for the Western Conference champs.
Still, at some point Ginobili and Duncan will retire, and to extend the franchise's incredible run of success, the Spurs will have to find a way to not just keep their younger contributors locked up, but also to continue adding useful pieces to the core. With Ginobili, Splitter, and Gary Neal among the players headed for free agency next week, this summer represents an important one for the Spurs to begin putting those long-term pieces in place.
Assuming the Argentinian guard doesn't decide to retire, re-signing Ginobili figures to be a priority for the Spurs in July. Since he earned a $14MM+ salary in 2012/13, Ginobili will have a cap hold worth the max salary, but is likely in line for a significant pay cut. Agreeing to a new deal with him early on in the offseason will allow the Spurs to reduce that big cap hit to his new salary, potentially something below $5MM, giving the team room to pursue other players.
If we assume Boris Diaw and Patty Mills exercise their respective player options, and the Spurs decide to fully guarantee the final year of Matt Bonner's contract, a salary around $4-5MM for Ginobili would bring the overall team salary to about $46MM for 11 players. However, that would still leave the club with decisions to make on Splitter and Neal.
Grantland's Zach Lowe recently suggested that executives believe Splitter, a productive and fairly young big, will earn an annual salary in the neighborhood of $8-10MM. If Splitter gets such a deal from the Spurs, and Neal receives a modest raise to return, the team won't have any cap space, and will have to use its mid-level exception to add another rotation player.
On the other hand, if the team decides to renounce its rights to Splitter and Neal, and perhaps waives Bonner and signs Ginobili at an even more discounted rate, San Antonio could nearly have enough room to make a max-salary offer to a free agent. There has been some speculation that the team could be a dark horse suitor for Dwight Howard, but I have a hard time seeing it. The Spurs pride themselves on their chemistry, and Howard hasn't exactly blended in seamlessly on or off the court for the Magic or Lakers during the last couple seasons.
It's possible the Spurs could decide that pursuing a free agent veteran like Howard, Paul Millsap, or Al Jefferson makes more sense than bringing back Splitter, but I think the most likely scenario involves Ginobili, Splitter, and Neal returning to San Antonio. We typically don't see the Spurs too involved with major free agents — most of their rotation players were drafted or acquired by the team early in their respective careers, and have been developed and groomed by San Antonio for years. R.C. Buford and the team's front office have displayed a real knack for identifying diamonds in the rough, so even if the club uses its full MLE to bring in a veteran, I don't expect a major splash in San Antonio this offseason. It's possible that the Spurs' most impactful long-term addition this summer will be selected with the No. 28 pick this Thursday, given how well the team has drafted over the years.
Assuming this Spurs team returns relatively intact, with a few minor changes around the edges, we'll likely hear plenty of chatter in the fall about that long-awaited drop-off finally arriving in 2013/14. But with Leonard evolving into a potential star, Green claiming a bigger role, and Parker continuing to run the offense, I'm guessing San Antonio will be just fine.
Additional notes:
- While I think there's a good chance Ginobili, Splitter, and Neal all re-sign with the Spurs, it's a virtual lock that DeJuan Blair will sign elsewhere. He and the team didn't exactly see eye-to-eye over the last year or two.
- Considering the handful of overseas gems the Spurs have brought stateside over the years, it will be interesting to see if Nando De Colo and Aron Baynes take a step forward during their second year with the Spurs. Both players saw limited playing time in 2012/13, but remain under contract next season.
- The Spurs' long-term cap flexibility is admirable — Green, Leonard, and Joseph will be in line to receive new contracts, and perhaps significant raises, in 2015/16. Currently, the Spurs have no money on their books for that season or beyond, meaning they shouldn't have any trouble re-signing all the players they want to keep.
Cap footnotes:
- If Bonner is not released on or before June 29th, his salary will become fully guaranteed.
- Ginobili's cap hold will be worth the maximum salary for a player with his experience (10+ years). That amount is not yet known — the number listed was 2012/13's max salary, so it figures to be a little higher than that.
- Splitter will be eligible for a qualifying offer worth $4,930,000.
- $1,116,099 is the amount of Neal's potential qualifying offer. If the Spurs don't extend a QO, Neal's cap hold will be reduced to $884,293.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.