Older NBA Rookies: Datome & Christmas
The Suns signed Dionte Christmas this year after former Celtics assistant general manager Ryan McDonough became the Suns GM earlier this summer. Christmas has been playing professionally overseas for a number of years after going undrafted out of Temple in 2009.
The 26-year-old was one of the last cuts during the Celtics' training camp last fall, and Jessica Camerato spoke with him for CSNNE.com about how his connection with McDonough helped him choose Phoenix after he'd received numerous NBA camp offers and overseas deals.
"I think (my relationship with McDonough) played a big role because he knows what type of guy I am," Christmas told her by phone on Friday. "He knows that I work hard. I come in every day, I'm going to give it 110 percent."
Another rookie who has been playing professionally for a number of years before moving to the NBA this summer is Italian import Luigi "Gigi" Datome who signed a two-year, $3.5MM deal with the Pistons in June.
Datome spoke with Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype about what he's expecting during his first season outside Italy. When asked which current player he would compare himself too, Datome mentioned the Heat's Shane Battier in terms of his shooting and all-around contributions to make the team better.
With the Pistons signing unrestricted free agent Josh Smith this summer to team with Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe in their front court, a shooter like Datome will be valuable. Gigi shot 51.5 percent from the floor with Virtus Roma last year and nearly 40 percent from three-point territory when he was named Italian League MVP.
Gigi's marksmanship will help space the floor when the 6'8" shooter replaces Monroe or Smith at either forward spot. Smith, Drummond and Monroe will be drawing the majority of their opponents' attention toward a crowded paint, and none of the three possess much accuracy outside of ten feet, so Datome's accuracy behind the arc should open up driving lanes for another new Pistons acquisition this summer, Brandon Jennings.
Pre-Camp Roster Outlooks: Eastern Conference
Training camps start in two weeks, meaning time is dwindling for teams to fill out their rosters and for remaining free agents to secure invitations. Teams can carry as many as 20 players in training camp, and between 13 and 15 in the regular season, but not all of those jobs have been filled. Our updated roster counts show a wide variance in the number of open spots around the league, so some clubs will probably be more aggressive on the market than others in the days ahead. We'll break down each team's situation, starting with the Eastern Conference:
- 76ers: The team just began to reach deals with free agents this week, bringing Darius Morris, Rodney Williams and Khalif Wyatt aboard. They still haven't signed first-round picks Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel. Once they bring them aboard, they'll have only 11 fully guaranteed contracts among their 16 players, and with plenty of room under the cap, not to mention the league's minimum salary floor, the Sixers seem like an intriguing destination for unsigned free agents. That's particularly so given how much playing time is up for grabs.
- Bobcats: The 'Cats have been relatively quiet this month as they sit at 15 players and 12 fully guaranteed contracts, but that inactivity isn't likely to last. They may be bringing Troy Daniels to camp, and the same goes for Abdul Gaddy.
- Bucks: Milwaukee has 15 players under contract, all of them on guaranteed deals. That indicates that the team has a strong idea of what its opening-night roster will look like, but it seems like a safe bet that the Bucks will bring a few players to camp to grab their D-League rights and evaluate them for the future, if nothing else. Finding a place to stash those D-League players could be tough, though with five other NBA teams sharing their affiliate.
- Bulls: Chicago has only 11 fully guaranteed deals, and four of the other five are completely non-guaranteed. That indicates that there will be a wide open competition for spots at the end of the bench. The Bulls are keeping an eye on Kurt Thomas, and it seems likely they'll add at least one or two more bodies before camp starts.
- Cavaliers: The team appears to be looking to add a big man and a backup point guard, so perhaps the Cavs will prioritize those positions as they fill out their camp roster. They're another club that only has 11 guaranteed deals, and with just 15 total players under contract, they have plenty of room for more.
- Celtics: Space is at a premium in Boston, where the Celtics already have 19 players, 14 of whom are on guaranteed deals. The C's are about $500K under the tax line, which is motivation to simply keep their 14 guaranteed guys and leave the 15th spot open. Still, they have one more training camp slot available, and with the team's focus on player development, there's a decent chance we see Boston make another non-guaranteed signing.
- Hawks: GM Danny Ferry appears busy as he targets probably two to four more players to add to the 16 the team already has. Adonis Thomas is a likely camp invitee, and the Hawks had an eye on Devin Ebanks before he signed with the Mavs. They've been linked to Chris Allen and Damien Wilkins in recent days. The Hawks have 13 players with at least a partial guarantee, and it sounds like the team will only carry 14 guys in the regular season, so everyone could be fighting over a single job.
- Heat: It sounds like there's a strong chance the Heat will carry only 13 players in the regular season. They already have 13 guaranteed contracts, and with four others on non-guaranteed deals, there's no pressing need to make another signing, even though three camp slots are available. Still, the Heat are among a group of teams reportedly looking at Hassan Whiteside, and they had workouts lined up this week for Julyan Stone, who signed with the Raptors, and Vander Blue.
- Knicks: New York only has agreements with 16 players, and with but 12 guaranteed contracts, it sounds like more signings are on the way. The team will probably add another big man, with names like Hassan Whiteside and Hamed Haddadi among the possibilities. If the Knicks seek to bolster another position, Richard Hamilton could be in the mix.
- Magic: The team still appears to be working on a deal with second-round pick Romero Osby, who would bring the roster to 15. Devin Ebanks spurned the Magic this week, but I suspect they have others lined up, with only 12 fully guaranteed contracts and the looming possibility of Hedo Turkoglu's release.
- Nets: Brooklyn, like Milwaukee, has 15 players and 15 fully guaranteed contracts, so the chances are slim that a training camp invitee will make the team. A report indicated Kyle Hunt would work out with the Nets at some point this month, and while there's been little other chatter surrounding the team, it would be a surprise if Brooklyn didn't bring a few more players to camp.
- Pacers: Larry Bird and company have mined the D-League for three training camp invitees so far, and with only 16 players and 13 fully guaranteed contracts, they may do so again. Like the Nets, they're taking a look at Kyle Hunt, who went undrafted in June.
- Pistons: Just like last September, the Pistons have 15 players with at least a partial guarantee as camp approaches. They haven't been linked to anyone of late, but last year they brought aboard two high profile invitees who didn't make the regular season roster in Terrence Williams and Jonny Flynn. We'll see if Joe Dumars goes that route again this time around or if he prefers young players instead.
- Raptors: It looks like there will be at least 17 players in Toronto's camp, meaning the club will likely add to the 16 guys it has for now after bringing aboard Julyan Stone and Chris Wright on Friday. Still, the Raptors have 14 players under fully guaranteed contracts, and there's no indication that number will change when the regular season rolls around.
- Wizards: The Wizards are another team that seems to have its 15-man roster in place, and with seven players on rookie-scale deals, there's no compelling need to bring on young talent. They'll probably bring at least a couple of players to camp, but since they're sharing a D-League affiliate with four other teams, they may not be interested in securing the D-League rights of their camp invitees, as other NBA clubs do.
Eastern Rumors: LeBron, Cavs, Beasley, McGrady
The Eastern Conference figures to be more competitive this time around, with Derrick Rose back to boost the Bulls, an improved Pacers squad, and the best team money can buy for the Nets all around to challenge the Heat. Still, the majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted in yesterday's poll think the East will once more field the league's worst team, picking the Sixers to finish last. Here's the latest from the conference that has produced the last two champions and the last two teams to finish with the league's worst record:
- The Cavaliers surely wouldn't mind it if LeBron James has a change of heart and wants to rejoin the wine-and-gold next summer, but the team isn't counting on him coming back to Cleveland, as Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer writes in her weekly mailbag column. Boyer also says she believes the Cavs are looking for another big man and a backup point guard, and she doesn't think a poor season for the team will mean the ouster of GM Chris Grant.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports confirms that Michael Beasley's minimum-salary contract with the Heat is essentially a training camp invitation, with no guaranteed money (Twitter link).
- Tracy McGrady reveals to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star that he wishes he never left the Raptors for Orlando in 2000, and he feels like the heavy minutes he played for the Magic took a toll on his body, which broke down long before most others do.
- We rounded up news on Atlantic Division teams earlier today.
Extension Candidate: Avery Bradley
In the last couple of weeks, I looked at a pair of extension–eligible Kings who must make their cases for long-term commitments almost exclusively on their offensive production. The opposite is true for Avery Bradley as he seeks an extension from the Celtics. Bradley is the rare player whose defensive prowess is perceptible even to the casual fan, as he's so often able to stand right in front of opposing ball-handlers without allowing them to blow right past him on the way to the hoop. It's an aggressive tactic that takes first-rate athleticism and a level of concentration most guys rarely exhibit on defense. That kind of play would make stars out of many mediocre NBA figures, and it would make an extension for Bradley a slam dunk if he managed so much as league-average offensive production.
Alas, the former Texas Longhorn took major steps backward on offense last year. Bradley made just 49.1% of his field-goal attempts from point-blank range in 2012/13, compared to 64.1% the year before, per Basketball-Reference data. He took fewer of those shots, too — in 2011/12, 40.8% of his field goal attempts came at the rim, but that figure dropped to 30.5% this past season. Bradley alarmingly took nearly precisely as many long-range two-pointers, widely considered the worst shots in basketball based on their risk-reward ratio, as he did shots from three feet away or less. He upped the frequency of his three-point attempts after making 40.7% of them in 2011/12, but his accuracy plummeted to 31.7% this past year.
Perhaps those numbers indicate that Bradley was still feeling the effects of the painful shoulder injuries that kept him out until January, which would suggest a turnaround is in order. His performance during the preseason will be an opportunity for him to show the Celtics whether he can at least return to his 2011/12 level of offensive production. With Rajon Rondo still recovering from his torn ACL, Bradley figures to have a chance to show whether he's improved his point guard play. He put up 2.4 assists per game against 1.6 turnovers per game in the 38 contests following Rondo's injury, a ratio that won't cut it as a team's primary ball-handler.
Still, the Celtics were a somewhat better offensive team when Bradley was on the floor last season, and a slightly worse defense team, according to points-per-possessions data on NBA.com. Of course, those stats don't account for the players surrounding Bradley, and the Celtics will certainly benefit from having a sticky perimeter defender around with Kevin Garnett no longer there to anchor the defense. It's difficult to find guys who commit as much effort to defending as Bradley does, and that sort of approach to the game has value with a young, rebuilding squad like the Celtics.
Restricted free agency generally gives teams leverage when it comes to re-signing players who are widely considered budding stars, but it can get tricky when a role player like Bradley is involved. Front offices may have widely varying assessments of Bradley's worth next summer, based on their evaluations as well as the needs of their teams. The Celtics will have $52.3MM in money committed for 2014/15, assuming they pick up the rookie-scale options for Jared Sullinger and MarShon Brooks and don't make any space-clearing moves this season. Their cap room could disappear quickly next summer if they have to match another team's bloated offer for Bradley.
Of course, an extension for Bradley would take most, if not all, of that cap room off the table to begin with. Taj Gibson's four-year, $33MM deal last fall is probably the price point for a rookie-scale extension to a valuable defensive-minded role player. Such a deal for Bradley would put the Celtics right at the cap line for next summer. Letting Bradley hit restricted free agency would afford the Celtics more wiggle room, thanks to the team's ability to keep him even if they're over the cap. If Bradley signs an offer sheet on the first day after the July Moratorium, and Danny Ainge and company want to match it, the team would have three days to use its cap room to sign other players before matching the offer sheet via Bird rights. As we saw this summer, restricted free agents were some of the last marquee free agents to sign, so the Celtics could wind up with plenty more time than that to use up their cap space before they'd be forced to either use it on Bradley or watch him walk to another team.
Bradley's agent is former NBA player Mitchell Butler, as our Hoops Rumors Agency Database shows. The Celtics recently signed obscure prospect Damen Bell-Holter, another Butler client, to a training camp deal, and perhaps that could be a sign that the team wants to extend an olive branch with the October 31st extension deadline looming. Even if my speculation here is correct, that doesn't mean the C's intend to grant Bradley an extension — it could instead signal that Ainge and company still regard Bradley and Butler highly even though they want to table talks until the summer. Regardless, there could be some intrigue as the cut-off date for extensions draws near, but given the lingering questions about Bradley's offense and the increased flexibility that restricted free agency would give the team, I don't think we'll see a deal.
Odds & Ends: Hamilton, Bogut, Heat, Beasley
Even though most of the big fish are off of the board at this stage of free agency, there are still some notable names searching for jobs. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter links) went to bat for two in particular: Richard Hamilton and Jamaal Tinsley. Even though Hamilton is obviously past his prime, he still makes sense for the minimum salary and his averages of 9.8 points and 2.4 assists last season are nothing to sneeze at. Meanwhile, Tinsley averaged 4.4 dimes in 18.5 minutes for the Jazz and Kennedy argues that he could be even more as a facilitator with a better supporting cast. Here’s more from around the Association..
- In a video interview with Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, Andrew Bogut explained that he’s not worried about working out a new contract with the Warriors. Even though the big man was on the trading block this summer, he said in July that he doesn’t have any hard feelings towards Golden State management.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the newly-acquired Michael Beasley will wind up being the sixth man for the Heat. While nothing is guaranteed in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, he expects Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Chris Andersen, Norris Cole, and, most likely, Udonis Haslem, all to see minutes ahead of the former No. 2 overall pick.
- More from Winderman, who writes that Beasley and Greg Oden give the Heat an injection of youth and hope that can help spark the club. In another time, owner Micky Arison might have spent on pricier, more reliable options, but the luxury tax has necessitated cheaper acquisitions to round out the bench.
International Notes: Saric, Ajinca, Jeter
Earlier today, we learned that former No. 6 overall pick Yi Jianlian agreed to a new two-year deal in the Chinese Basketball Association that, somewhat surprisngly, does not include an NBA out clause. Jianlian’s first go-round in the NBA was far from dazzling, but he looked rather strong last season in the CBA and had some wondering if he turned a corner in his professional career. Here’s more from around the globe..
- In a piece for ESPN.com, Mark Woods spoke with Dario Saric, who pulled out of this year’s draft despite being ticketed for a first-round selection. Scouts who have watched him play over the last couple of seasons say that he is as close to a can’t-miss prospect as there is, but Saric says that he withdrew his name based on his own assessment of his readiness.
- Big man Alexis Ajinca says his contract with Strasbourg of the French League still includes an NBA out clause and his agent is looking at options in the NBA, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter). Ajinca, taken 20th overall by the Bobcats in the 2008 Draft, says that he wasn’t mentally or physicially ready for the challenge of the NBA but believes that he’ll return (Twitter links). The 25-year-old is doing well at the Eurobasket, averaging 10.7 PPG and 6.9 RPG in less than 20 minutes per contest.
- Guard Pooh Jeter, currently playing in Ukraine, still hopes to return to the NBA, writes Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Jeter, 29, spent the 2010/11 season with the Kings, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG in less than 14 minutes per game.
- If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors’ International Player Movement Tracker.
Atlantic Notes: Rondo, Rivers, Perkins, Raptors
Celtics coach Brad Stevens reaffirmed yesterday that there is no timeline for the return of star guard Rajon Rondo, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. While former teammate Paul Pierce and current teammate Jared Sullinger have hinted that he might not return until December, Stevens insists there is no target date at the moment. While his ETA is TBD, Stevens says Rondo is keeping things positive. "My general sense is that he’s really excited," said Stevens. "He is excited about the challenge of the new season, he’s excited about the challenge of a new situation. He seems to be excited. I don’t want to speak for him, and I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but every time we’ve talked it’s been a really engaging conversation." Here's more from the Atlantic Division..
- Stevens' predecessor, Doc Rivers, acknowledged that the 2011 Kendrick Perkins–Jeff Green trade was a mistake that ultimately hurt Kevin Garnett, writes Justin Barrasso of WEEI.com. “We needed the toughness. The one thing we did by losing Perk was we removed Kevin’s protector. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that, after Perk left, that Kevin got into all those little flicks with the other teams. Perk deflected all that," Rivers said.
- The Raptors will have 17 players in camp, including Julyan Stone and Chris Wright, but that's far from a guarantee that Toronto will go with the maximum 15 players to start the season, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Currently, GM Masai Ujiri has the roster at 14.
- The Sixers announced that they appointed Brandon D. Williams as the first ever GM of the D-League's Delaware 87ers. Williams has spent the last eight seasons in the NBA’s League Office, most recently as the NBA’s Associate Vice President of Basketball Operations.
Yi Jianlian Signs Two-Year Deal In China
Former No. 6 overall pick Yi Jianlian won't be returning to the NBA anytime soon. The athletic big man has signed a two-year deal with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The deal, according to the club, does not contain an NBA-out clause.
Jianlian had scouts drooling over his athletic ability and vertical leap during the 2007 draft and he wound up going No. 6 to the Bucks. However, the Chinese sensation came with a ton of question marks, not the least of which being his age. The big man listed his birthday as October 27, 1987, but it's more likely that he was actually born in 1984, meaning that he is on the cusp of his 30th birthday today.
Over the course of five NBA seasons with the Bucks, Nets, Wizards, and Mavericks, Yi averaged 7.9 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 22.2 minutes per contest. Statistically, his best season came in 2009/10 for New Jersey where he put up 12.0 PPG and 7.2 RPG.
To keep up on the latest international player movement, be sure to check out the brand new Hoops Rumors tracker.
Teams Draw From Variety Of Sources For Camp
Training camp invitations dominate NBA headlines in September, when unfamiliar names fill our transactions page and fans often wonder just where some of these guys came from. The most frequent answer, at least this year, is that they come from pro teams overseas, but there's no single dominant source of training camp bodies. Players who spent 2012/13 in the NBA are nearly as legion among training camp invitees as the international imports are, and plenty of others come directly from college and D-League teams.
The list below shows each player who's accepted a training camp invitation by the kind of team with which he finished the 2012/13 season. It's sometimes difficult to discern whether a player is a mere camp invitee or whether a club has greater expectations of him, so this analysis includes only those who've agreed to deals that are presumably non-guaranteed for the minimum salary and cover no more than one season. So, for instance, we've excluded Jordan Henriquez's non-guaranteed minimum salary contract with the Rockets, since the deal runs through 2015/16.
Within each category, the players are grouped by the teams bringing them to camp, which shows the Pacers' unrivaled use of D-Leaguers to fill their preseason roster this year. The names of the players who've appeared in at least one NBA regular season game link to their respective Basketball-Reference pages, revealing that only one of this year's invitees from overseas has experience in the Association.
International
- Eric Dawson, Hawks — Philippines (Meralco Bolts)
- David Lighty, Hawks — France (Nanterre)
- DeShawn Sims, Celtics — Lebanon (Sagesse)
- Kammron Taylor, Celtics — Germany (Neckar Ludwigsburg)
- Patrick Christopher, Bulls — Turkey (Besiktas)
- Kalin Lucas, Bulls — Turkey (Banvit)
- Mickey McConnell, Mavericks — Italy (Verona)
- Justin Hamilton, Heat — Croatia (Cibona)
- Eric Griffin, Heat — Fileni Jesi (Italy)
NBA
- Mike James, Bulls — Mavericks
- Dexter Pittman, Bulls — Grizzlies
- Devin Ebanks, Mavericks — Lakers
- Fab Melo, Mavericks — Celtics
- DeQuan Jones, Kings — Magic
- Michael Beasley, Heat — Suns
- Xavier Henry, Lakers — Pelicans
- Julyan Stone, Raptors — Nuggets
College
- Chris Babb, Celtics — Iowa State
- Damen Bell-Holter, Celtics — Oral Roberts
- James Southerland, Bobcats — Syracuse
- Kenny Kadji, Cavaliers — Miami (Fla.)
- C.J. Aiken, Kings — St. Joseph's
- E.J. Singler, Trail Blazers — Oregon
- Reginald Buckner, Nuggets — Mississippi
D-League
- D.J. Kennedy, Mavericks — Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Damion James, Nuggets — Bakersfield Jam
- Cameron Jones, Warriors — Santa Cruz Warriors
- Rasual Butler, Pacers — Tulsa 66ers
- Ron Howard, Pacers — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Darnell Jackson, Pacers — Reno Bighorns
- Toure Murry, Knicks — Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Missed 2012/13
- Chris Smith, Knicks — Patella injury
The Hoops Rumors International Player Movement Tracker was used in the creation of this post.
Southwest Rumors: Ebanks, Rockets, Brewer
None of the teams in the Southwest Division took a significant step backward this summer, and the Rockets and Pelicans could be among the league's most improved teams in 2013/14. The division already boasts the defending Western Conference champion Spurs, as well as the Grizzlies, who totaled a franchise-record 56 wins last year. Here's the latest from the division that could well be the NBA's best:
- Devin Ebanks turned down a $650K offer from a team in China to sign with the Mavericks today, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com, who confirms that Dallas is giving the former Laker only a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal for training camp.
- Ebanks would be willing to play for the D-League's Texas Legends, the Mavs' affiliate, if he doesn't make the opening night roster for the big club, Charania adds.
- The Dwight Howard signing turned the Rockets into contenders and shifted their attention from young players to veterans like Ronnie Brewer, who tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that the on-court role he can play for the team is what persuaded him to sign. Brewer only has a partial guarantee on his deal, and Mark Deeks of ShamSports reveals tonight that it's for $100K (Twitter link).