Glen Grunwald Talks Smith, Anthony, Point Guard
While the Nets have stolen the NBA headlines in New York for the most part this offseason, the Knicks have been busy as well lately. Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald met with the media today, after adding Metta World Peace and re-signing J.R. Smith in the past week.
- Grunwald said Smith's knees shouldn't be a long-term issue, which is why he had no qualms committing four years and $24.7MM to the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN New York. SNY's Adam Zagoria adds that the team is hopeful that Smith will be ready for the start of the regular season. Grunwald was no doubt responding to the concern that was expressed after news broke that Smith underwent knee surgery less than a week after the Knicks re-signed him. Grunwald said that the decision to hold off on the surgery came from Smith, who probably didn't want news of his surgery to impact free agency.
- Grunwald also addressed the possibility of Carmelo Anthony opting out of his deal after the upcoming season, writes Zagoria, who opines that the situation could loom over the team like a black cloud. To no one's surprise, Grunwald stressed the team's desire to keep Anthony in New York long-term, saying, "We obviously love Carmelo. We think he's great for New York and New York's great for him." Anthony's player option for 2014/15 is for $23.5MM. Should he opt out, he would be eligible for a new five-year contract from the Knicks, adds Zagoria.
- Grunwald confirmed that the team is looking to add a point guard to go behind Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni. Zagoria lists Aaron Brooks, Sebastian Telfair, Toure Murry and J.R.'s younger brother Chris Smith as possibilities to fill the role, but adds that Grunwald expressed interest in waiting until training camp to let it play out.
Bucks Amnesty Drew Gooden
The Bucks have used their amnesty provision on Drew Gooden, the organization announced today via the team Twitter account. Gooden was rumored to be on the block for much of the winter, so it's no surprise that the Bucks amnestied the former Kansas star, who had two years and more than $13MM remaining on his contact.
Gooden signed a five-year, $32MM deal with Milwaukee before the 2010/11 season but appeared in only 16 games with the team last year, as the Bucks went young on the front line. He had arguably his best season as pro in Milwaukee in 2011/12, averaging 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game, which added up to a PER of 18.88.
Gooden, an 11-year veteran whose been traded five times, will now enter the amnesty waiver process, where teams with cap room can put in a claim for him over the next 48 hours. If no team bids, he will become an unrestricted free agent. According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, the move frees up $8-9MM of cap space for Milwaukee while keeping the cap hold for Brandon Jennings on the books (Twitter link). This assumes the Bucks don't re-sign Samuel Dalembert.
Raptors Amnesty Linas Kleiza
The Raptors will use their amnesty provision on Linas Kleiza, the team officially announced today through a press release. We heard earlier that this move was to be expected, as the deadline for teams to use their amnesty clause for this season is tonight. Kleiza signed with Toronto as a free agent three years ago and appeared in 108 games for the Raptors, averaging 9.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game.
“We thank Linas for his contributions as a Raptor and wish him all the best,” Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said in the press release.
Kleiza will now be subject to the amnesty waiver process, where teams with cap room can put in a claim for his services over the next 48 hours. If no team bites, Kleiza becomes an unrestricted free agent and, as our earlier report indicates, will probably head overseas for the coming season. While this move won't clear any cap room for Toronto, it should allow the team to move below the tax threshold.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Hawks, Tyler, Adams
Various recent reports have suggested the Pistons are looking for an upgrade at point guard, linking the team to Rajon Rondo and Brandon Jennings. Speaking to reporters today, including David Mayo of MLive.com, GM Joe Dumars confirmed he'd talked to the Celtics about Rondo, but adamantly denied offering Brandon Knight to Boston, or having any talks with the Bucks about Jennings.
Here's more out of the Eastern Conference:
- According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, a few teams inquired on Greg Monroe's availability prior to the draft, but were given a flat "no" by the Pistons.
- Although there were several teams interested in Gigi Datome, the Pistons viewed the Heat as the biggest threat to nab the Italian sharpshooter, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- Even after reaching deals with Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll, and Elton Brand, the Hawks have interest in bringing back Ivan Johnson, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
- Jeff Teague spoke to Shams Charania of RealGM.com about the Hawks' decision to match his offer sheet with the Bucks, indicating that he's happy to be returning to Atlanta.
- Gabe Giordano, the agent for Jeremy Tyler, is hopeful that his client will be able to finalize a contract with the Knicks in the next few weeks that will at least earn him a training camp invite, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
- Former Bulls lead assistant Ron Adams will be joining the Celtics' coaching staff in a similar role, says Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe.
- George Hill of the Pacers and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of the Bobcats have been added to the Team USA mini-camp roster, along with Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Kawhi Leonard will no longer participate due to a left knee injury.
Raptors Sign Dwight Buycks
JULY 16TH: The Raptors have officially signed Buycks, according to the team (via Twitter).
JULY 12TH: The Raptors have reached a contract agreement with point guard Dwight Buycks, according to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman (via Twitter). Buycks will have a chance to earn the backup point guard job with the Raptors, says Mayberry, while Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports it will be a multiyear contract.
Buycks spent last season with BCM Gravelines in France, averaging 18.0 PPG on 48.6% shooting. Prior to playing in France, the 24-year-old played in Belgium and spent time with the Thunder's D-League team, the Tulsa 66ers. The Marquette product also had been playing well for Oklahoma City in Summer League play in Orlando this month, prompting Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside to wonder if he'd earn an NBA contract.
The Raptors figure to head into 2013/14 with Kyle Lowry as the starting point guard, but may not have a veteran backing up, with Sebastian Telfair and John Lucas III on the open market. In addition to Buycks, the Raptors have also agreed to terms with Julyan Stone.
The Trail Blazers, Thunder, and Heat were also interested in Buycks before he agreed to sign with the Raptors, says Charania.
Knicks Sign Metta World Peace
TUESDAY, 3:57pm: The Knicks have officially signed World Peace, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 3:07pm: World Peace confirmed on NBA TV that he has agreed to sign with the Knicks, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
2:46pm: In spite of World Peace's denial, new reports on the agreement continue to trickle in, and Ron Artest Sr. has essentially confirmed the deal with multiple outlets, so it looks to me like it'll get done.
2:28pm: Despite multiple outlets reporting the agreement, World Peace has texted Sam Amick of USA Today to say it's not a done deal, and that he's "still talking to other people" (Twitter link).
2:14pm: Newsday's Al Iannazzone reports (via Twitter) that World Peace will receive the rest of the Knicks' mini MLE and will have a second-year player option, as I speculated below.
2:04pm: The Knicks and Metta World Peace have reached an agreement in principle on a two-year deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Sam Amick of USA Today reported earlier this afternoon that World Peace had met with the Knicks in Las Vegas and planned to sit down with other teams, but it appears as if those additional meetings won't be necessary.
We heard nearly a week ago that the Knicks would top World Peace's wish list if the Lakers were to amnesty him. Since then, the Lakers made the move official, and many more rumors about World Peace's preferred destinations surfaced. Various reports over the last week, including many that quoted MWP himself, indicated that he might sit out the 2013/14 season, end up on the Clippers, or play with a Chinese team.
Ultimately, it seems as if many of those quotes from World Peace were intended to ensure that he cleared waivers and was able to choose his own destiny. It's not clear yet whether the ex-Laker will receive the rest of the Knicks' mini mid-level exception, or if he'll sign for the minimum. Either way, he'll still earn more than the $7.73MM salary that the Lakers cleared from their cap. It wouldn't surprise me if the second year of his deal with the Knicks is a player option, giving him some security while allowing him to hit the open market next summer if he so chooses.
Multiple Teams Preparing Offers For Greg Oden
3:30pm: Oden's agent tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that it will likely still be a few weeks before his client picks a team, and stopped short of calling Miami the frontrunner, though Oden is "very interested" in the Heat (Twitter links).
9:50am: ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported yesterday that Greg Oden was expected to meet with the Mavericks, Kings, and Pelicans this week in Las Vegas, as the list of potential suitors for the former first overall pick grew. Stein and Yahoo! Sports scribe Marc J. Spears have updates on the Oden situation today, so let's dive in and check out the highlights from their respective pieces….
- Oden has now had meetings with the Heat, Spurs, Celtics, Mavs, and Kings, according to Spears. The Pelicans had been hoping to meet with Oden on Wednesday, but he's heading back to Indianapolis today, which figures to postpone that meeting until later this week.
- New Orleans' pitch to Oden figures to focus on the fact that the big man could start his comeback attempt away from the media spotlight and with no immediate pressure to contribute if he signed with the Pelicans, according to Stein.
- The Pelicans are expected to make Oden an offer with a starting salary of about $3MM, reports Spears, noting that three other clubs will likely extend offers in the same ballpark.
- Stein reports that the Kings are viewed as "long-shot contenders" for Oden, and may end up shifting their attention to Nuggets restricted free agent Timofey Mozgov. Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld mentioned that possibility yesterday (on Twitter), and Stein says Sacramento is "planning a hard push" for Mozgov.
- The Mavericks are still hoping they'll be able to sign both Oden and Samuel Dalembert to solidify their frontcourt, writes Stein.
Bulls GM Talks Deng, Roster, CBA, Mirotic
While in Las Vegas for Summer League action, Bulls GM Gar Forman spoke to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times about his team, and the shape he expects the roster to take moving forward. Here are a few of the more notable quotes from Forman's conversation with the Sun-Times scribe:
On Luol Deng's future with the Bulls:
"Well, we love Luol. We see Luol as a valuable member of this team moving forward, so the window is open to talk about an extension. We’ve had some conversations. Whether something gets done, I don’t know. But whether it’s this summer or next summer, those are conversations we’ll continue to have."
On the Bulls' roster for the coming season:
"I mean our goal has been to bring this group back, and I know [Deng’s] name was floated out there [in trade rumors], but we didn’t initiate calls. We’ve gotten calls on some of our guys, but our goal has been to bring this group back healthy."
On how the Collective Bargaining Agreement has limited the Bulls' options:
"We put this team together and then the new CBA came out. The new CBA is very restrictive in your ability to improve your basketball team because it’s taken away a lot of the avenues there are to continue to build your team. So I’ve talked about it as almost a stock market correction…. We like our team, we have a good group of guys, but we haven’t had flexibility. Next summer will be the first chance we have to have some level of flexibility in order to add to the team."
On the possibility of bringing over 2011 first-rounder Nikola Mirotic a year from now:
"We knew he wouldn’t be able to come under the rookie scale slot that he was drafted, so we knew it would be at least three years. And it could be longer, but we’re hopeful at that point there will be an opportunity to bring him over."
Heat Amnesty Mike Miller
2:11pm: The Heat have officially confirmed the move in a press release, with Riley calling the decision "very difficult" and adding that Miller will be "sorely missed."
1:48pm: Mike Miller's agent was informed by the Heat last night that the team will use the amnesty clause to release Miller, according to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Heat president Pat Riley told reporters last week that the team was leaning toward not using its amnesty provision this year, but left the door open to the possibility.
Miller was set to earn $6.2MM in 2013/14 and had a $6.6MM player option for '14/15. The Heat will still pay him those two years of salary, or perhaps a slightly smaller amount if Miller ends up signing with another team. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the veteran's reps are reaching out to gauge interest from other clubs.
The Heat won't create any additional cap flexibility this season to add another player by amnestying Miller, but will significantly reduce their tax bill. The exact amount won't be finalized until the end of the season, but like the Lakers with Metta World Peace, the Heat should easily save $10MM+ by removing Miller from their books.
Although Miller had some big moments in the postseason over the last couple years, injuries have limited his production since he signed a five-year deal with the Heat in the summer of 2010. During his three seasons with the team, he has averaged 5.4 PPG and shot 41.2% on three-pointers in 139 regular-season contests.
The Heat had five other amnesty-eligible players besides Miller, all of whom would have still been eligible next summer. Assuming the Miller move becomes official later today, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Joel Anthony will no longer be amnesty-eligible.
Pistons Sign Chauncey Billups
JULY 16TH: The Pistons have made the Billups signing official, issuing a press release and (re-)introducing the veteran guard to Detroit media today.
JULY 11TH: The Pistons have reached a contract agreement with former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, the ex-Piston will return to Detroit on a two-year deal worth $5MM+. The second year will be a team option, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Billups, 36, indicated last week that he hoped to play at least two more years in the NBA, so seeing him secure a multiyear deal, even if the second year isn't fully guaranteed, isn't a shock. In addition to the Pistons, the Cavaliers, Spurs, Mavericks, Knicks, Kings, Nets and Wolves all expressed some level of interest in the veteran guard.
The two years Billups spent with the Clippers only resulted in 44 total games, due mostly to a torn Achilles tendon suffered in February 2012. In the contests he did play with the club, he averaged 11.5 PPG and 3.1 APG in 24.4 minutes per game, while shooting 37.7% on three-pointers.
For the Pistons, the hope is that Billups will be solid as a backcourt rotation piece and will help mentor Brandon Knight. The team appears to be using either cap space or its $2.65MM room exception to fit Billups onto the roster.