Western Notes: World Peace, Kings, Young, Pek
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni told Marc Berman of the New York Post that the team's decision to amnesty Metta World Peace was purely financial.
"Obviously it’s a byproduct of the CBA," D’Antoni said. "As a person and player, I couldn’t find anyone better. He’s great. I enjoyed coaching him. I hope he finds something great. He deserves it. It’s not the coaches. It’s management. They have to manage the cap."
The former Ron Artest probably won't be heading back to Sacramento, with the Kings not planning to place a bid through amnesty waivers, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). While World Peace contemplates a future with another L.A. team, the Lakers have turned their attention elsewhere, and we cover that and other news out of the Western Conference:
- Nick Young's minimum-salary pact with the Lakers is only for one year, but GM Mitch Kupchak suggested that the 28-year-old is a part of the team's long-term plans, as Dave McMenamin passes along (Twitter link). "Although it's a short contract, we hope he would be here for a very long time," Kupchak said.
- Talks between the Wolves and Nikola Pekovic are still going on, but they're moving slowly, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, who figures they'll drag on into next week, at least. President of basketball ops Flip Saunders characterizes the negotiations as "progressing," Zgoda observes in another tweet.
- Saunders also indicated that the Wolves aren't planning another major move this summer. "What you see is what you get," he said, as Zgoda notes via Twitter.
- The Warriors' ambitions of opening a San Francisco arena by 2017 seemed far-fetched in the beginning, and it's becoming clear that the building won't be ready until 2018 at the earliest, as Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group details.
Atlantic Rumors: Nets, Kirilenko, Kenyon, Knicks
GM Billy King says there's nothing untoward about the Nets discount signing of Andrei Kirilenko, despite whispers about under-the-table dealings, as Newsday's Roderick Boone reports.
"I can’t control what people think, what they say," King said. "I think some of the same things were said when Miami got the Big 3 together or guys have moved around. When things happen, people are surprised. My conscience is clean. I know in dealing with [Kirilenko's agent] Marc Fleisher and getting this deal done, I can’t control what people think."
There's more on Kirilenko's decision and other Atlantic Division rumblings, as we detail:
- King said Kirilenko rejected the Nets' pursuit earlier this month, but the forward had changed his mind by the time King checked in with him again, Boone notes in the same piece.
- The Knicks are eyeing free agent Kenyon Martin as they look for a backup big man, and Martin is keeping the Knicks in mind, guard Iman Shumpert tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Wolves assistant Bill Bayno and Rockets assistant Jesse Mermuys are set to join Dwane Casey's staff with the Raptors, as Eric Koreen of the National Post passes along.
- Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie held forth on all things Sixers in his interview with HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram, affirming that ownership is on board with the drastic changes he's making to the team.
- The Sixers' acquisition of Nerlens Noel for Jrue Holiday, Hinkie's first major move, became official today, as did the Celtics/Nets blockbuster. Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press examines Brooklyn's high-priced gamble.
Pelicans, Sixers Finalize Trade
The Pelicans and Sixers have officially announced their swap involving Jrue Holiday and Nerlens Noel, a trade that was agreed upon on draft night but held up until after the July Moratorium. The Pelicans bring aboard Holiday and Pierre Jackson, the 42nd pick in last month's draft, in exchange for Noel and a 2014 first-round draft choice. The 2014 pick will remain with the Pelicans if it falls in the top five.
The delay in finalizing the trade stemmed from the Pelicans' inability to absorb Holiday's $9,213,484 salary until the NBA's calendar flipped over to 2013/14 this month, and the newlywed Holiday's honeymoon caused a further holdup. The 23-year-old point guard is now finally entrenched in New Orleans, where he'll begin drawing paychecks from the four-year, $41MM extension he signed last October with the Sixers a few months before making his first All-Star appearance.
Noel, who seemed the odds-on favorite to become the No. 1 pick last month, heads to Philadelphia after slipping to the No. 6 spot in the draft. The 7'0" center from Kentucky will miss the first part of the season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in his only collegiate season. The 5'10" Jackson, the other 2013 draftee involved in the swap, heads to New Orleans after distinguishing himself as a point guard at Baylor.
That protection attached to the 2014 first-rounder extends in perpetuity, so if the Pelicans wind up with a string of top-five picks over the next few years, they won't have to give them up, as Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. For additional details about the swap, see our post about the initial agreement.
World Peace Not Interested In NBA For 2013/14?
8:00pm: There are still indications that World Peace would have interest in joining a contending team in the NBA if he clears amnesty waivers, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. The veteran appears intent on becoming a free agent rather than being claimed, Amick adds, pointing out that World Peace would forfeit his salary from the Lakers if a team claims him and he fails to report to camp. The Clippers have overtaken the Knicks as the top team on World Peace's list of preferred destinations, but both clubs appear to have interest in signing the man formerly known as Ron Artest, even though they can only offer the minimum salary.
4:21pm: Metta World Peace is now officially on amnesty waivers, meaning teams with cap space are allowed to place partial bids during the next two days. If more than one team places a claim, the highest bidder will land World Peace, assuming a portion of his salary. If there are no bidders, the man formerly known as Ron Artest becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Considering under-the-cap teams – many of them non-contenders – have the opportunity to claim World Peace without his say, we should probably take any comments he makes over the next couple days with a grain of salt. But according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com and Shahan Ahmed of NBC Los Angeles, the ex-Laker told the duo that he's not interested in playing in the NBA in 2013/14. The 33-year-old's top choice is to play in China, while his other potential options include coaching with an NBA team, or playing arena football (Twitter links).
Again, with World Peace at the mercy of the waiver system, it's reasonable to assume that he may be trying to scare off non-contenders from claiming him. If he were to become an unrestricted free agent, he'd be able to sign with any team besides the Lakers, and he reportedly has interest in joining the Knicks, among others.
Howard Beck of the New York Times noted earlier today (via Twitter) that World Peace wouldn't officially be placed on waivers until 4:00pm CST today, so the bidding period will end on Sunday afternoon.
Mavs Scrap Deal With Devin Harris
7:46pm: The injury to Harris prompted the Mavs to sign Ellis, Stein writes. That makes sense, since GM Donnie Nelson said two days ago that the team likely wouldn't be in the mix for Ellis, comments that seemed misleading when word broke of the Mavs' agreement with Ellis earlier today. The money that was to go to Harris is now set to go to a big man, according to Stein, so perhaps the club won't be signing another point guard. The Mavs envisioned Harris starting at shooting guard, as he often did with the Hawks, Stein says, so that lends further credence to the Ellis-for-Harris substitution.
6:51pm: A toe injury has prompted the Mavericks to nix their agreement to sign Devin Harris to a three-year, $9MM deal, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The decision was mutual, Stein notes. Dallas remains interested in signing him, but the surgery required is expected to keep Harris out until the start of the regular season, according to Stein (Twitter link). First-round pick and fellow point guard Shane Larkin suffered a broken ankle in summer league practice, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports notes via Twitter, so it's possible the pair of injuries prompted the Mavs to call off their plans with Harris.
"All indications" are the Mavs will sign Monta Ellis using cap room instead of a sign-and-trade with the Bucks, Stein tweets. So, the decision not to sign Harris gives the club the flexibility to sign a big man as well, with Samuel Dalembert still the primary target, according to Stein (Twitter link).
The Mavs have signed point guards Jose Calderon and Gal Mekel to deals this summer, as our Free Agent Tracker shows, and they have Josh Akognon on a non-guaranteed contract, so they're not entirely devoid of help at the position. Still, Calderon is the only point guard with more than eight games of NBA experience on the roster now, so perhaps the team will look elsewhere. Aaron Brooks, D.J. Augustin and Beno Udrih are among veteran point guards still available on the free agent market, though none have been linked to Dallas this summer.
Harris, an Excel Sports Management client, remains an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks had been in touch with his representatives prior to his decision to head to Dallas, and the former No. 5 overall pick out of Wisconsin said this spring that he'd be open to listening to offers from the Bucks. Milwaukee has hired former Hawks coach Larry Drew, inked Zaza Pachulia and has a signed offer sheet from Jeff Teague, all of whom played with Harris in Atlanta this past season.
Sixers To Interview Jay Larranaga
The Sixers will interview Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga for their vacant head coaching position, sources tell Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. He joins Sixers assistant Michael Curry in the mix for the vacancy, as Curry is also reportedly scheduled to sit down with the Philadelphia brass.
Larranaga appeared to be a candidate for the top job in Boston before it went to Brad Stevens. Doc Rivers was interested in bringing Larranaga on as an assistant with the Clippers, but he instead remained in Boston as the only holdover from Rivers' staff. Larranaga coached the C's entry in the Orlando summer league this week.
The 38-year-old Larranaga has served as a head coach in the D-League and overseas, as Lynam points out. This past season on Boston's bench was his first as an NBA assistant.
The Sixers are the final team in the NBA with an open head-coaching position, after a dozen other teams changed coaches this offseason. New GM Sam Hinkie has taken a deliberate approach to the search, preferring to first fill out his front office staff.
Nets Sign Andrei Kirilenko
FRIDAY, 3:50pm: The Nets have officially signed Kirilenko, the team announced today in a press release.
THURSDAY, 6:22pm: According to multiple reports, Andrei Kirilenko has agreed to sign with the Nets for their taxpayer's mini mid-level exception, which is worth about $3.1MM. The move was first reported by longtime NBA writer Peter Vecsey (Twitter link) and then confirmed by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), who later tweeted that the deal is a two-year contract with a player option for the second year. The 6-foot-9 forward is the latest big splash for the Nets in an offseason full of them. He will join a talented and determined group of veterans in a ring-or-bust environment in Brooklyn.
Kirilenko, 32, averaged 12.4 PPG and 5.7 RPG last year for the Timberwolves after spending the entire lockout-shortened season of 2011/12 playing back in his native Russia. He spent the 10 years prior in a Jazz uniform. While he wasn't the All-Star he was in his Utah days last year, Kirilenko was still an efficient player for Minnesota, tallying a PER of 17.67 in 64 games. He will presumably come off the bench in Brooklyn.
This moves promises to raise some eyebrows, as Kirilenko turned down a player option from the Wolves worth more than $10MM and has now chosen to sign with the Nets and fellow Russian Mikhail Prokhorov for considerably less. Prior to his NBA career, Kirilenko played for CSKA Moscow from 1998 to 2001, then owned by Prohkorov. We had heard Kirilenko's name primarily connected with the Spurs and Cavs of late, so this news definitely comes as a surprise. Just yesterday, Bondy reported that there was "nothing happening" between Kirilenko and the Nets.
Kirilenko is represented by Marc Fleisher at Entersport, as shown in our agency database.
Lakers Sign Chris Kaman
FRIDAY, 3:49pm: The Lakers have formally announced the Kaman signing, making it official.
MONDAY, 3:40pm: Kaman will get the Lakers' mini mid-level exception, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter). Assuming Kaman receives the full amount of the exception, he'll earn a one-year salary of $3,182,700.
3:13pm: The Lakers and free agent big man Chris Kaman have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).
Because they're an over-the-cap team, the Lakers can only sign free agents using the mini $3.18MM mid-level exception or the minimum-salary exception. Coming off a one-year, $8MM deal with the Mavericks, Kaman will presumably sign for more than the veteran's minimum, but the terms of the deal have yet to be reported.
It goes without saying that Kaman wasn't the Lakers' top target among free agent centers this summer, but the 31-year-old remains relatively productive. In 66 contests for the Mavericks last season, he averaged 10.5 PPG and 5.6 RPG in just 20.7 MPG. The Landmark Sports client also shot 50.7% from the floor and recorded a 16.3 PER.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported yesterday that there was mutual interest between the Lakers and Kaman.
Warriors Sign Speights To Three-Year Deal
FRIDAY, 3:38pm: The Warriors have officially signed Speights, the team announced today in a press release.
WEDNESDAY, 7:32pm: The deal will be for three years and $11MM, with a team option for the final season, tweets Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group.
MONDAY, 6:32pm: The Warriors have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with big man Marreese Speights, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). The final year of the deal is a club option, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter) first reported that a deal was close.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old spent last season with the Grizzlies and Cavs, averaging 8.3 PPG and 3.0 RPG. The Grizzlies dealt him, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby, and a future first-round pick to the Cavs for Jon Leuer in January, a deal that helped Memphis ease some of their payroll burden and get beneath the tax line.
Speights will help to fill the void left in Golden State when Carl Landry declined his paltry $4MM player option and wound up signing a four-year, $26MM deal with the Kings. Landry had said that he hoped to remain with Golden State, but a significant raise was enough to lure him away.
Speights had a $4.52MM player option for next season with the Cavs but opted out and Cleveland reportedly didn't pursue re-signing him. The Cavs didn't see him as a tremendous fit anyway, but with a frontcourt group that includes Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, and Tyler Zeller, there wasn't much room for him.
The big man is represented by ASM Sports, according to the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Eastern Notes: Kirilenko, Henderson, Oden, Heat
When he turned down his $10MM+ player option with the Timberwolves, Andrei Kirilenko wasn't necessarily expecting to match that annual salary on a long-term deal, but he was seeking a three-year contract worth $8MM+ per season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. As Wojnarowski writes, that's why Kirilenko's decision to accept the Nets' $3.18MM mini mid-level exception is raising eyebrows around the NBA. Rival teams are suggesting the league look into the deal to make sure Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov isn't somehow circumventing the league's CBA.
"There should be a probe," an Eastern Conference general manager said. "How obvious is it?"
"Let's see if the league has any credibility," one team owner said. "It's not about stopping it. It's about punishing them if they're doing it."
As we wait to see if the NBA looks into the Nets' agreement with Kirilenko, let's check in on a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference….
- While the Bobcats are wary of overpaying Gerald Henderson, there's no doubt the team wants to bring him back, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Bonnell adds in a tweet that the team talked to Henderson's reps today and there was a "positive tone."
- Bonnell says in another tweet that even though Greg Oden's agent, Mike Conley Sr., continues to list the Bobcats among potential destinations for his client, center is no longer an area of need for the team.
- Conley's comments to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida suggest that Miami remains atop Oden's wish list anyway, and Heat president Pat Riley confirmed today the team remains interested, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
- Riley also told reporters, including Winderman (Twitter links), that the Heat don't plan to use their amnesty provision this week and that it's also becoming less likely that the team's mini MLE gets used. However, Riley didn't shut the door on either option.
- Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's younger brother, is hoping to earn a spot on the Knicks' opening night roster, but acknowledges to Marc Berman of the New York Post that he'll have to prove he belongs.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com examines how much value is attached to the option to swap draft picks with a trading partner, with a focus on today's completed Nets/Celtics deal.