Wizards Rumors: Wall, Bynum, Haynes
Over the weekend, John Wall spoke with Michael Lee of the Washington Post about his expectations for the upcoming season. While many are wondering about his future with the Wizards, he claims that his focus will be reaching the postseason for the first time in his NBA career. Could he be headed to the negotiating table sooner rather than later? Here's more on that and other notes on D.C..
- The Wizards have began talking with Wall's agent, Dan Fegan, regarding an extension before the regular season, according to J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Wall will make $7.259MM this season and if he and the team don't reach a deal on an extension by October 31st, the Wizards have the option of extending him a qualifying offer of $9.698MM in the spring. The Wizards star believes that he is deserving of a max deal, but many in the basketball world do not agree.
- Guard Will Bynum said that he had an offer from the Wizards and was drawing heavy interest from the Knicks and Clippers, but the Pistons were always his preference, tweets Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Detroit re-signed Bynum to a two-year, $5.75MM deal earlier this month.
- Wizards summer league invite Marquez Haynes is impressing people in the organization, including assistant coach Sam Cassell, Michael writes. The guard had interest from other clubs this summer, including the Mavs and Jazz, but wound up with the Wizards' squad.
Sixers Claim Tim Ohlbrecht, James Anderson
The Sixers have claimed Tim Ohlbrecht and James Anderson off of waivers from the Rockets and signed both players to non-guaranteed deals, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Rockets placed both players on waivers this past Saturday.
Anderson and Ohlbrecht were each about to enter the second year of a three-year minimum-salary deal with the Rockets, but the final two seasons were non-guaranteed in both cases. Philadelphia is a logical landing spot for both players as recently-minted GM Sam Hinkie spent years in the Houston front office. If they make the 76ers, they'll join another ex-Rocket (sort of) in Royce White.
Anderson was the 20th overall pick in the 2010 draft, but the Spurs declined to pick up the third-year option on his rookie-scale contract, making him a free agent last summer. He spent training camp with the Hawks, re-signed with the Spurs early in the season, and wound up with the Rockets in January after San Antonio let him go.
Ohlbrecht was undrafted out of Germany, but Houston picked him up in February in the hopes that the 6'11" center could develop into a frontcourt contributor. Neither he nor Anderson played an integral role for the Rockets this past season.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Central Notes: Bucks, Jennings, Pistons, Bulls
Brandon Jennings remains under team control for the Bucks, but the standout guard reportedly doesn't want to return to Milwaukee. Jennings has had an up-and-down relationship with the Bucks over the years and it would appear that he's not so high on the club as it stands. The 23-year-old is also said to be seeking a deal with a $12MM average annual value, but if he really wants to escape Milwaukee, he just might sign the $4.53MM qualifying offer so that he can be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Here's more on Jennings and other items out of the Central Division..
- The Pistons and Bucks haven't had any conversation about a sign-and-trade involving Jennings, according to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
- Lionel Hollins said that he thought he was bound for the Bucks before the club decided to tap former Hawks head man Larry Drew, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
- Marquis Teague thinks Bulls Summer League teammate Andrew Goudelock deserves a a job on an NBA roster this season, but it remains to be seen if a GM will agree, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Latest On Antawn Jamison
Antawn Jamison has been on the free agent radar of teams for the last couple of weeks, but he says that teams have shied away from him due to unnecessary concerns about his surgically-repaired wrist, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). He has been linked to the Clippers quite a bit, but a source tells Spears (link) that the Bobcats are interested as well.
Jamison told Spears (Twitter link) that he began shooting 3-pointers again last Friday and can do full contact 5-on-5 in a month. He's also willing to workout for teams to show that he will be good to go in time for the start of the 2013/14 season.
Last week we heard that the Clippers continue to eye both Jamison and Lamar Odom, but are taking their time as they determine the best fit. The Clips are unlikely to sign both, so it's probably a one-or-the-other scenario for them.
Southwest Notes: Oden, Bynum, Pelicans, Dirk
Here's a look at the latest out of the Southwest Division..
- We can add the Pelicans to the list of teams that are in the mix for free agent center Greg Oden, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The former No. 1 overall pick is also attracting interest from the Spurs, Mavericks, and Kings.
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News explains why the Mavericks would gamble on Oden but not on Andrew Bynum. Oden, of course, will come much cheaper than the new Cavs center and while he's a gamble, he's an affordable gamble.
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The latest Morning Tip column from David Aldridge at NBA.com includes an examination of the Mavericks' retooling plan. Aldridge asked one league exec if Dallas could get a decent return for Dirk Nowitzki if they decided to start shopping him. "It is possible," one general manager texted Sunday. "It is a tough set of circumstances to get value…1 year deal, 35/36 year old, big dollar contract, trade rules. The team receiving Dirk would have to be close to the title; does Dirk stay in a year. Mark Cuban and [Mavs GM] Donnie [Nelson] are good at what they do, but they have always been loyal to keeping Dirk."
Contract Details: Ginobili, Knicks, Bogans
CBA guru Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com passed along a few specific figures on some recently signed contracts today, including the new salary for the real winner of the Celtics/Nets blockbuster. Let's round up Deeks' updates….
- Manu Ginobili's two-year contract with the Spurs will pay him $14.5MM over two seasons, and the first-year salary will be slightly higher than the second-year figure (Twitter links).
- The Knicks used $1,591,350 of their mini mid-level exception to re-sign Pablo Prigioni, which leaves $1,591,650 for Metta World Peace (Twitter link).
- C.J. Leslie's two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Knicks will guarantee him $200K for 2013/14, but is fully non-guaranteed for year two (Twitter link).
- In a full blog post, Deeks goes into detail on Keith Bogans, the biggest beneficiary of the Celtics/Nets deal. Because he needed to be signed-and-traded to help match salaries, Bogans will receive a three-year contract. Only the first year is guaranteed, but for 2013/14, he'll earn a staggering $5,058,198.
Celtics Waive Kris Joseph
One of the five players acquired by the Celtics in their trade with the Nets has already been released. The Celtics announced today in a press release that they've waived Kris Joseph.
For Joseph, it's the second time in the last year that he has been cut by the Celtics. The team drafted him in the second round of the 2012 draft, but elected to release him last season before his '12/13 contract became fully guaranteed. Boston is doing the same thing this year — Joseph's deal was set to start becoming guaranteed if he remained on the roster beyond August 1st.
Joseph, 24, had been a part of the Nets/Celtics blockbuster for salary-matching purposes. Assuming he isn't claimed on waivers, the former Syracuse forward figures to seek out a training camp invite with another NBA team for the fall. Failing that, he could return to the D-League, where he earned All-NBDL Second Team honors last season.
Lakers Sign Wesley Johnson
MONDAY, 3:30pm: The Lakers have officially signed Johnson, the team announced today in a press release.
SUNDAY, 12:09am: The Lakers agreed to a one-year deal with shooting guard Wesley Johnson, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The fourth pick in the 2010 draft signed for the veteran's minimum, which is about $916K for a player with Johnson's experience.
The 6'7" Johnson played for the Suns last season and averaged 8.0 PPG in 19.1 MPG. Johnson was drafted by the Timberwolves and played limited minutes with the Wolves through his first two seasons.
According to our Agency Database, Johnson is represented by Landmark Sports Agency, Inc. Bresnahan mentions, via Twitter, that Johnson's length allows him to play a little small forward as well as his more natural shooting guard position.
Wolves Rumors: Pekovic, Prince, Henderson
As I explained last Friday, the Timberwolves have done a good job this summer managing the cap, allowing the team to add Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer, and Ronny Turiaf, while locking up Chase Budinger. However, the offseason can't truly be viewed as a success until the T-Wolves re-sign free agent big man Nikola Pekovic. Here's the latest on that front, along with a few more noteworthy items out of Minnesota:
- A source close to Pekovic tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that there has been no movement in negotiations with the Wolves. Minnesota still has an offer on the table, believed to be for four years and $50MM, and persumably Pekovic's camp feels comfortable that the offer isn't going anywhere.
- Timberwolves president Flip Saunders still intends to hire a general manager and VP of basketball operations. According to Wolfson, two candidates we've heard mentioned before remain in play: Rob Babcock and Milt Newton. Wolfson's report suggests two candidates will be hired (or promoted), rather than one exec filling both roles.
- While a Wolves source says a three-year, $21MM deal for Andrei Kirilenko was at least briefly discussed, a source close to Kirilenko tells Wolfson that there was never an offer on the table to bring the forward back to Minnesota.
- Before they signed Brewer, the Wolves had a chance to acquire Tayshaun Prince from the Grizzlies, but passed, given Prince's price tag, according to Wolfson.
- The T-Wolves had "heavy interest" in Gerald Henderson prior to agreeing to terms with Martin.
- The Wolves like O.J. Mayo, but determined he wouldn't be a good fit with Ricky Rubio, since the team wanted to add a two guard who didn't need the ball in his hands a whole lot, says Wolfson. Minnesota also pursued J.J. Redick before landing Martin, but couldn't negotiate a sign-and-trade as beneficial as the Clippers' deal.
- Reps for Nate Robinson and Delonte West called the Wolves to see if the club has interest in either player, but the answer appears to be no, writes Wolfson.
- After being selected 58th overall in the 2012 draft, Robbie Hummel spent last season playing in Spain, but now that he's back with the Wolves' Summer League squad, he's eager to show that he's deserving of the team's final open roster spot, as he tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. "That’s the ultimate goal," Hummel said. "It always has been my dream to play in the NBA. I’m thankful for this opportunity and want to show I belong."
NBA D-League Affiliations For 2013/14
In 2012/13, 11 NBA teams had single-affiliate relationships with D-League squads. That number has increased to 14 this year, with the NBA’s other 16 teams sharing the remaining three D-League clubs. The league officially announced the D-League affiliations for 2013/14 today, so here’s the complete list:
- Austin Toros: San Antonio Spurs
- Bakersfield Jam: Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz
- Canton Charge: Cleveland Cavaliers
- Delaware 87ers: Philadelphia 76ers
- Erie BayHawks: New York Knicks
- Fort Wayne Mad Ants: Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic
- Idaho Stampede: Portland Trail Blazers
- Iowa Energy: Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards
- Los Angeles D-Fenders: Los Angeles Lakers
- Maine Red Claws: Boston Celtics
- Reno Bighorns: Sacramento Kings
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers: Houston Rockets
- Santa Cruz Warriors: Golden State Warriors
- Sioux Falls Skyforce: Miami Heat
- Springfield Armor: Brooklyn Nets
- Texas Legends: Dallas Mavericks
- Tulsa 66ers: Oklahoma City Thunder