Western Rumors: Neal, Miller, Teodosic
The Spurs, like the Thunder last season, have largely stood pat the summer after winning the Western Conference title. The substitution of Marco Belinelli for Gary Neal stands as the most significant change in San Antonio, but, just as Oklahoma City was frequently overlooked in favor of the Lakers in 2012, the Spurs don't appear to be clear favorites to make it back to the Finals. The Thunder are lurking, the Rockets and Warriors have made major upgrades, while the Clippers, Grizzlies and perhaps the Nuggets could also win the West. Here's more on the Spur who got away and other news from the Western Conference:
- The Timberwolves never spoke with agent David Falk or anyone else from Neal's camp about signing the guard before he reached agreement yesterday with the Bucks, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- Nikolaos Lotsos, the agent for Serbian-born guard Milos Teodosic, tells Sports.ru that his client rejected an offer from the Grizzlies so that he can continue his career overseas (translation via Sportando).
- Darius Miller's minimum-salary contract with the Pelicans became fully guaranteed for the coming season when the team elected not to waive him by the end of yesterday. Previously, the deal had been completely non-guaranteed.
How Teams Have Used The Bi-Annual Exception
More players have signed for the bi-annual exception this summer than in any offseason since 2009. Still, few teams in recent years have made use of the tool that's available to every club with a team salary between the cap and the luxury tax apron.
This year, the bi-annual allows for a starting salary of up to $2.016MM. Contracts can be for two seasons, with a 4.5% raise allowed for year two. Nate Robinson and the Nuggets, Eric Maynor and the Wizards, and C.J. Watson and the Pacers have all agreed to the full amount. The Warriors and Jermaine O'Neal struck a one-year deal for $2MM, just a shade under the full bi-annual amount. There's dispute over whether the Timberwolves used the bi-annual for Ronny Turiaf's new contract. Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld has Turiaf's two-year, $3MM deal down for a partial amount of the bi-annual, while Mark Deeks of ShamSports lists him as having signed for part of the mid-level exception.
Either way, that's the most bi-annual signings we've seen in a while, and there could be more on the way. The trend won't necessarily continue, since, as the name suggests, teams can't use the bi-annual two years in a row. As more teams use the bi-annual this year, fewer will be eligible to do so next year.
Here's a look at the use of bi-annual exception over the last several years. The use of the term "full amount" below refers to the starting salary, as some of those players signed for the maximum two years while others took only a one-year deal.
2013/14
- Nuggets — Gave the full amount to Nate Robinson
- Wizards — Gave the full amount to Eric Maynor
- Timberwolves — Gave a partial amount to Ronny Turiaf1
- Warriors — Gave a partial amount to Jermaine O'Neal
- Pacers — Gave the full amount to C.J. Watson
2012/13
- Bulls — Gave the full amount to Marco Belinelli
- Spurs — Gave a partial amount to Nando De Colo
- Clippers — Gave the full amount to Grant Hill
2011/12
- Raptors — Gave the full amount to Gary Forbes
- Grizzlies — Gave the full amount to Jeremy Pargo
2010/11
- Pistons — Gave the full amount to Ben Wallace
- Bucks — Gave the full amount to Keyon Dooling
2009/10
- Celtics — Gave the full amount to Marquis Daniels
- Bulls — Gave the full amount to Jannero Pargo
- Bobcats — Gave the full amount to Ronald Murray
- Cavaliers — Gave the full amount to Zydrunas Ilgauskas2
- Pacers — Gave a partial amount to Solomon Jones
- Lakers — Gave the full amount to Shannon Brown
- Timberwolves — Gave a partial amount to Sasha Pavlovic
- Raptors — Gave the full amount to Rasho Nesterovic
- Wizards — Gave the full amount to Fabricio Oberto
2008/09
- Rockets — Gave the full amount to Brent Barry
- Bucks — Gave a partial amount to Francisco Elson
- Nets — Gave the full amount to Jarvis Hayes
- Magic — Gave the full amount to Anthony Johnson
2007/08
- Mavericks — Gave the full amount to Eddie Jones
- Pelicans — Gave the full amount to Jannero Pargo
- Suns — Gave the full amount to Grant Hill
- Raptors — Gave the full amount to Maceo Baston
2006/07
- Pistons — Gave full amount to Ronald Murray
- Clippers — Gave full amount to Aaron Williams
- Lakers — Gave full amount to Shammond Williams
- Knicks — Gave a prorated amount to Randolph Morris2
- Sixers — Gave a partial amount to Shavlik Randolph
- Kings — Gave a partial amount to Loren Woods
- There are conflicting reports over whether the Timberwolves used the bi-annual exception for Turiaf's deal. See the introduction above.
- The bi-annual exception begins to prorate downward on January 10th. Ilgauskas and Morris signed after that date.
Storytellers Contracts and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.
Odds & Ends: Pacers, Billups, Mavs, Reinsdorf
The Mavs have had a busy offseason, since there was so much turnaround after loading up on expiring contracts last season with a chance to nab Dwight Howard or Josh Smith in free agency this summer. Since they failed to land any of the upper-tier free agents, they decided to surround 35-year-old Dirk Nowitzki with mid-tier acquisitions in an attempt to get Dirk a second title, but without spending their way out of contending for the free agents next summer when Dirk, Shawn Marion and others have their contract's expire.
Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram listed all the Mavericks from last season who will be playing on different rosters next season (Twitter): O.J. Mayo is on the Bucks, Elton Brand and Jared Cunningham joined the Hawks, Darren Collison signed with the Clippers, Chris Kaman joined the Lakers after they failed to re-sign Howard, and Anthony Morrow joined an improved Pelicans team. Two former Mavs are still unsigned, though, as Price tweets: Rodrigue Beaubois and Mike James.
Here are a few more tidbits as the NBA comes up on the end of the free agency period…
- Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweets that the Pistons have talked with recent free agent signee Chauncey Billups about joining the front office in Detroit after he retires
- The Pacers are “going for it” with their recent trade for Luis Scola, writes Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star.
- Kyrie Irving has been impressing once again at Team USA tryouts in Las Vegas this past week. Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer talked with the 2012 Rookie of the Year about what he's trying to improve as he comes up on his third season in the league with a much-improved Cavs team.
- Melissa Harris and Jared S. Hopkins of the Chicago Tribune profile Bulls COO, Michael Reinsdorf, the son of Bulls owner, Jerry Reinsdorf. The younger Reinsdorf is seen as his father's successor with the team.
- The bizarre Tennesse "Jock Tax" that Grantland's Zach Lowe wrote about a couple weeks ago, is something NBA millionaires can afford, writes Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal.
- Pablo Prigioni is "really excited" to come back to the Knicks next year reports Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
New York Notes: Lopez, Johnson, Garnett
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News says the Eastern Conference has returned to its most competitive since the 1990s (Twitter link). But whereas the Heat have LeBron James, the Bulls get back Derrick Rose and the Pacers have improved, neither New York Team – the Knicks, or the Nets – had the "backbone" for the playoffs last year.
The only difference between the two New York teams is the Nets had “surgery” this summer (Twitter link), adding Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce without giving up any of their core players – save an unproductive Gerald Wallace - in an offseason splurge that also saw them sign Andrei Kirilenko.
The Nets are coming off a tough season that ended with a game 7 loss at home to the Bulls in the first round. Bondy mentions, via Twitter, that some players were partying at the 40/40 club the same night of the loss. Garnett's presence changes the culture that would allow that sort of behavior following an elimination defeat.
Pierce and Garnett's former coach, Doc Rivers, agreed about KG changing the culture in Brooklyn when he spoke to the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. But there are some players who might not gel with Garnett's brand of basketball intensity.
- Bondy mentions that Brook Lopez took the game 7 loss the hardest out of anyone else on the team (Twitter), which could mean a good partnership with Garnett returning to his more comfortable position at power forward and with Brook on the block.
- If Lopez's foot can stay healthy, he might have a real future, but Bondy is concerned about where Joe Johnson fits in with this new team led by the experienced former Celtics (Twitter).
- Lopez's toughness shouldn't be an issue now, and Bondy tweets that the seven-footer turned a corner last season; the only real question that remains is whether the foot is fully healed.
- The game 7 loss by the Nets was so brutal because it was at home and there were such high hopes for the Nets during their inaugural season at the Barclay's Center. Bondy singled out Johnson for the 40/40 Club visit over Twitter, saying that it was not the best night to go party. It's Johnson's demeanor that could clash with the win-at-all-costs mantra of Garnett.
Rivers On Pierce & Garnett’s Chances With Nets
The Celtics sent Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and GM Billy King a gift-wrapped invitation to the Eastern Conference elite by dealing Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn. Before the mammoth trade went down, though, Doc Rivers was trying to get his two former players to join him with the Clippers.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe spoke with the new Clippers head coach to ask him about how his former players will do with the Nets and rookie head coach Jason Kidd. Pierce turns 36 in October and Garnett turned 37 in May, so many are wondering how much they have left for a possible Nets title run.
On whether he's given any thought to his Clippers playing the Nets:
"I hadn't thought about the Brooklyn part of it. That's the first time I've been asked that question. I don't know, that's going to be strange. I get very emotional whenever I talk about Kevin and Paul. To see them somewhere else, our business sometimes it's tough. I leave (Boston) and people get upset at me and I don't think there's a lot of difference in their case but it was obvious the Celtics decided to move on.
"So Paul and Kevin had to go and that's a tough part of the business. But that will be strange for me, I want them to do well. For a lot of reasons I want them to do well, they could knock off Miami. But it will be interesting. It will be a while different feeling."
On what sort of role Garnett and Pierce will play for the Nets next season:
"I think obviously Paul's younger and in tune to play more minutes than Kevin. But I think they're still at the top of their games. I think Paul is still one of those guys who can go off for big nights and still have big scoring nights. Kevin is a culture change. He won't play but 20 to 25 minutes a night and there'll probably be nights when he doesn't play but his presence there alone will absolutely change the culture of Brooklyn. There's no doubt about it. I think for some of the young guys, even some of the veteran stars, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, will learn and understand what a winner is and looks like and professionalism and being prepared.
"That's what I was most impressed with Kevin, how every game he prepared himself for games. That's what I told our young guys that I just wanted them to watch him prepare for games. It was why he was so consistent. I thought it was that important."
On how rookie coach Jason Kidd will dole out minutes for Garnett and how assistant coach, Lawrence Frank, will help:
"I think Jason [Kidd] will be fantastic in that because he probably when through that a little bit himself last year He'll be able to relate to that 100 percent. I think Lawrence Frank will be so important for Jason as well. You think about Lawrence, he worked with (the Celtics) staff, so he's worked with Kevin and he's knows Kevin as well as anybody. So I think that combination will be great for Kevin."
Western Notes: Beasley, Grizzlies, Harden
Michael Beasley is entering the final fully guaranteed year of his contract, and he's in danger of seeing his NBA career come to an early end, as Jeff Caplan of NBA.com examines.
Caplan spoke with 33-year-old Suns GM Ryan McDonough about the their rebuilding efforts designed to add hardworking athletes who can run their up-tempo offense, led by their newest addition in the back-court, Eric Bledsoe.
But when asked if the 24-year-old Beasley–who averaged career lows across-the-board last season in Phoenix–would be a part of the Suns' rebuilding efforts, McDonough's message was loud and clear for the maladroit former No. 2 overall pick:
"I guess what I’ll say generally about that is we’re going to treat everybody the same,” McDonough explained.
“There won’t be any special treatment for anybody on the roster and as Jeff [Hornacek] and I told all the guys coming in, we don’t care how much money you’re making, where you were drafted, how long you’ve been in the league, what, if anything, you’ve been promised in the past. We’re going into this as an open competition, and when training camp comes, guys who buy in and play the right way and play hard will play, and those who don’t, won’t.”
Beasley signed a three-year $18MM contract with the Suns in July of 2012, but the 2014-15 season is only guaranteed for $3MM. According to Mark Deeks at ShamSports.com, the final year becomes fully guaranteed for $6.25MM if the Suns don't waive him on, or before, 5 p.m. Mountain Time on the second day after the team's final gaeme of the 2013-14 season, including playoffs, or June 15th.
Here's what else is happening around the Western Conference on Saturday night…
- Mike Krzyzewski's decision to remain as coach of Team USA has swayed Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he's leaning toward playing in the 2016 Olympics.
- Mike Miller is set to sign his deal with the Grizzlies on Tuesday, reports Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- James Harden reflects on the growing spotlight with his Rockets team while he’s in the Philippines, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News on the battle for Los Angeles when Dwight Howard returns to LA with the Rockets to go against some of his former Lakers teammates on November 7th next season.
Grizzlies In The Mix For Mo Williams
Unrestricted free agent, Mo Williams, has yet to make a decision about where he'll sign for next season, but Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears the Grizzlies are firmly in the mix for the veteran point guard who is unexpectedly still available.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says the Heat are also keeping an eye on the veteran guard, who has drawn interest from a number of other clubs. Last week, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld said that Williams was prepared to take a discount to sign with a contender like the Heat, but Williams is still looking to add a "solid, multiyear offer" before signing a one-year deal with a contender, added Kyler.
Williams is represented by Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports & Entertainment, according to Hoops Rumors' Agency Database.
Mo averaged 12.8 PPG in 30.8 MPG last season with the Jazz, while shooting 43 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from behind the arc. So a contender who needs shooting–like the Grizzlies–would love to add the 10-year vet.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Knicks, Scola
The Pacers' acqusition of Luis Scola from the Suns today involved them sending out Miles Plumlee, Gerald Green and a lottery-protected 2014 first-round pick. That first-round pick is lottery-protected through 2019, and would become unprotected in 2020, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Of course, the Pacers seem like shoo-ins for the playoffs, so the Suns will likely get the pick in 2014.
The Suns and Pacers had been discussing the Luis Scola trade for weeks, but when Indiana threw Miles Plumlee into the deal, the two sides quickly reached an agreement, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard said the team doesn't plan another major move anytime soon, but said "we are always open for business" when addressing reporters today, including Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star:
"(Team president) Larry (Bird) has long admired Scola’s ability to rebound and score the ball," Pritchard also said. "We watched him last year with Phoenix. We always felt he would be a perfect person for us in terms of backing up (David) West and backing up (Roy) Hibbert, being part of our second unit and being a scorer on that unit."
Larry Bird, especially, has coveted Luis Scola for years, notes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com, and the opportunity to add his skills as a sub for front-court starters Roy Hibbert and David West, proved too juicy to pass up, despite losing a likely late first-round pick next year.
Here's what else is happening around an increasingly top-heavy Eastern Conference, including more from the Pacers…
- NBC 6 anchor Adam Kuperstein and Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel discussed the upgrades the Pacers have made to their bench this offseason (Twitter link): Chris Copeland and Scola in place of Tyler Hansbrough and Sam Young, while C.J. Watson replaced D.J. Augustin as the backup for George Hill at the point.
- Winderman details the familiar opponents the Heat will likely face this coming season in the Eastern Conference playoffs, with the Pacers, Knicks and Bulls leading the charge to unseat the Eastern Conference champions over the last three seasons.
- The Knicks and Gustavo Ayon have not engaged in discussions, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Ayon is still on waivers after the Bucks released him Thursday. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors examined teams who could claim the big man before he hits free agency.
- J.R. Smith has already received $8.974MM of his $17,947,125 deal with the Knicks, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Mark Deeks of ShamSports reported this week that Smith would receive half of this year's salary by November 15th, but it appears the Knicks have already given him all of his salary for 2013/14 and part of his 2014/15 pay.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer answers questions in her mailbag including whether the Cavs' 33rd pick in this year's draft, Carrick Felix, has enough abilities to secure a roster spot.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Knicks, Grizzlies In Talks For Delonte West
The Knicks and Grizzlies have engaged in talks about bringing free agent guard Delonte West aboard, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Neither team has made an offer, and while Haynes hears the talks are still preliminary, they've begun to ramp up, Haynes writes.
West didn't play in the NBA this past season after his behavior in Mavs training camp prompted the team to cut him. West signed with the D-League's Texas Legends, but it took him several weeks to report to the team, and he averaged just 10.3 points and 4.4 assists in eight games with the squad.
The 30-year-old former first-round pick has an advocate for his case to join the Grizzlies. Tony Allen doesn't want to interfere with Grizzlies management, but he says he'd "love to have" West join the team, as Brandon Speck of Fox Sports Tennessee writes. Still, the Knicks are limited to giving him the minimum, and I'd be surprised if the Grizzlies or any other team offered him any more than that.
International Rumors: Brown, White, Gelabale
NBA opportunities are dwindling for free agents, allowing clubs from overseas to jump into the game. Here's the latest international news on players with NBA ties:
- A Chinese team has offered Bobby Brown a deal that would net him $1.2MM, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Agent Aaron Mintz has met with the Knicks, and though New York can only give him a minimum-salary deal, Brown has told Zwerling he'd prefer the Knicks to China (Twitter links).
- Former Knicks small forward James White has drawn interest from China as well, and he's still thinking about signing to play there, Zwerling tweets.
- A source tells Sportando's Emiliano Carchia that Mickael Gelabale will sign with Russian team BC Khimki (Twitter link). Shams Charania of RealGM.com tweeted earlier today that Gelabale was set to finalize a lucrative deal overseas. The 30-year-old swingman returned this past season to the NBA after an absence of nearly five years, but interest from NBA teams dissapated this summer, prompting him to return overseas, according to Charania (Twitter link).
- Charania noted in his tweet that Gelabale wouldn't sign with Olympiacos in Greece, as Lefteris Moutis of Eurohoops.net reported. One part of Moutis' report appears to be true, however, as Carchia hears that Olympiacos is no longer likely to sign Cartier Martin, who appeared this week to be close to a deal with the club (Twitter link). Martin spent 2012/13 with the Wizards.
- Agent Alexander Raskovic tells Carchia that Vladimir Radmanovic is still intent on remaining in the NBA and won't return to Europe this season. Raskovic said as much in June, and it doesn't appear that a lack of an NBA deal nearly a month into free agency has prompted Radmanovic to change his mind.