NBA Executives Discuss Sixers, Tanking
The Sixers have come back to earth a little since their hot start, but their resumé still includes impressive wins over presumed title contenders like the Heat and Bulls. While I expect the club to finish in or near the Eastern Conference cellar, the team’s first week had observers wondering if GM Sam Hinkie needed to alter his approach one way or the other. Perhaps the team could build around its current nucleus, or maybe Hinkie needed to move a productive veteran or two to ensure that the better-than-anticipated performance didn’t continue.
ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard spoke to several East executives about the Sixers, and how those execs would handle the situation if they were running the show in Philadelphia. The answers, which touched on tanking and trade scenarios, were pretty interesting, so let’s round up a few of the more notable quotes….
A general manager on trade possibilities:
“What I would expect Sam Hinkie to do is to get on the phone and try to move his last good veteran pieces that are playing well. I’m sure [agent] David Falk is trying to get Evan Turner out of there. But I don’t know who takes him because Turner is in the last year of his contract, and Falk is trying to get a lot of money for him. And the problem is that a guy like Thaddeus Young is hard to move because of his contract. So I don’t know who would trade anything of value for him.”
A second executive on the odds of the Sixers continuing to stay above .500:
“I would be stunned if they can sustain this. Besides Michael Carter-Williams, Turner, [Spencer] Hawes and Thaddeus Young, they’ve got nobody. There is no way, if I were Hinkie, I would begin to think this is a nucleus I can build around. No way. Not right now. I thought before the season they were going to win less than 10 games. Their bench guys weren’t even that good in college.”
That same executive on tanking:
“Tanking is a hard thing to do. It’s easy to say you’re going to do it, but when you’re going through the dog days of January and you’re 5-30 and there are 4,000 people in the stands, it’s painful. The other thing is that while Andrew Wiggins is a good prospect, he’s not the next LeBron [James] — or even Kobe [Bryant] when he came out back in ’96. He’s not that. He’s a very good player, but it’s not like when Tim Duncan was coming out of college.”
A third executive on whether the Sixers should try building around their core:
“Would I start to think I’ve got a nucleus to build around if I were Hinkie? Hell no. There is no part of me that thinks they have something to build around. Come on, look at that roster. I’m not saying they’re horrible, but it’s just not realistic at all. They will probably try to trade Evan Turner, but that’s going to be tough. David Falk is going to ask for the world [in Turner’s next contract]. He’s a tough agent. Everybody’s thinking that.”
Knicks To Stand Pat, Won’t Add Big Man
9:51am: Head coach Mike Woodson confirmed today to reporters, including Newsday’s Al Iannazzone (Twitter link), that the Knicks won’t sign or acquire anyone for now.
8:19am: A week and a half into the NBA season, the Knicks are the first team under pressure to make changes to their opening night roster. Following Tyson Chandler‘s right fibula injury, which will sideline the center for four to six weeks, the Knicks are thin in the frontcourt, but according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the club appears likely to stand pat, at least for the short term.
Berman reports that “if things become a disaster,” the Knicks will seriously consider signing Ike Diogu, who had an impressive showing in camp with the team last month. However, for now, the front office is content to see how the club fares with a shortened frontcourt rotation and a few more small-ball lineups.
We heard yesterday that the Knicks have spoken to Louis Amundson, and Berman cites a source who says the team has been in touch with Jason Collins‘ reps as well. Berman notes that Collins, a 12-year veteran, would qualify for a minimum salary of about $1.4MM and suggests James Dolan doesn’t want to spend the money.
It’s unclear if Berman is referring to spending specifically on Collins, but either way, mentioning his potential $1.4MM salary is a bit disingenuous. Any player who has two or more years of NBA experience would cost an equal amount to the Knicks on a one-year deal: A pro-rated portion of about $884K, with the league picking up the rest of the tab. That means most of New York’s likely targets, including Collins, Amundson, Diogu, and Jeremy Tyler, would have identical cap and tax hits for the club, though perhaps some of those players are more willing to sign non-guaranteed contracts than others.
Berman also reiterates that Chris Smith is the strongest candidate to be cut if the Knicks change their stance and sign a big man. Nonetheless, New York wants to keep J.R. Smith‘s younger brother as a practice player until the D-League starts, according to Berman. D-League camps are set to open today, while the regular season will get underway in two weeks.
Western Notes: Timberwolves, Pekovic, Rockets
Timberwolves GM Milt Newton is content with how the roles have worked themselves out on the roster: “I see our team already falling into knowing their roles and playing their roles, so that’s good to see. I’ve spoken to guys from other teams, and there’s a period that a lot of teams go through when they’re trying to figure out who is the go-to guy, who is the guy who’s going to get the most shots. We don’t seem to have that problem” (Charley Walters of TwinCities.com).
It doesn’t seem to be as easy of an adjustment for everybody, however. With Kevin Love‘s return to the lineup and Kevin Martin securing a major role within the team’s offense, Nikola Pekovic has been struggling to return to the niche he found on that side of the floor last season. Though Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune points out that Pekovic’s scoring average (11.0) and shooting percentage (38.9%) are significantly lower than last year (16.3 and 52%), the 6’11 center insists that he isn’t unhappy and is focused on trying to find other ways to help the team win games.
Here’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN examines the Rockets’ offensive struggles while using a big lineup, and suggests that dealing Omer Asik for Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson or the Bucks’ Ersan Ilyasova would be ideal (Insiders only).
- Lakers star Kobe Bryant opened up about his health and Dwight Howard among other things in this video from Hoopsworld. Earlier this evening, Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles tweeted that Kobe had been sprinting as part of his rehab, but hasn’t begun any lateral/ cutting movement yet.
- As brilliant as the Clippers have been offensively, Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld gathers up some thoughts about their defensive struggles.
- Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram writes that the Mavericks have been able to develop chemistry by keeping the same starting five, which is worth noting considering that Rick Carlisle had shuffled through 23 different starting lineups last season.
Poll: Will Andrew Bynum Retire Early?
I remember attending the Long Beach Summer Pro League back in 2006, and one of the scheduled matchups pitted the Grizzlies – featuring Hakim Warrick and then-rookie Kyle Lowry – against newly drafted Jordan Farmar and the Lakers. Though it’s difficult to recall most of the remaining players who suited up for that particular game, I do remember seeing 19-year-old Andrew Bynum matched up against Andreas Glyniadakis at the center position. Though he finished with 12 points, Bynum seemingly had his hands full that afternoon, committing six fouls in 20 minutes and appearing a bit out of rhythm.
Two of the biggest question marks surrounding Bynum as he entered the league was how he’d fare having to fill the void at center after the departure of Shaquille O’Neal, and how he’d handle developing in a city that had been accustomed to competing for championships. During his sophomore season that year, he averaged 7.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 1.3 BPG. In 2007/08, Bynum posted 13.1/10.2/2.1, and despite being limited to 35 games, continued to show promise as a potential franchise cornerstone. HIs scoring averages would increase to 14.3 and 15.0 respectively over the next two seasons, and just a little over four years after that forgettable performance in Long Beach, Bynum would be celebrating his second consecutive NBA title as the team’s starting center.
Though he struggled with injuries during his seven-year stint in Los Angeles, he statistically peaked in his final year with the Lakers, appearing in 60 games and scoring 18.7 PPG on 55.8% shooting, grabbing 11.8 RPG, blocking nearly 2 shots per night, and would consequently earn his first All-Star berth. Unfortunately, Bynum wouldn’t be able to follow up in 2012/13, as injuries kept him from playing a single game for the 76ers. Cleveland appeared to present another chance at returning to prominence, though it appears that things don’t seem to progressing as well as he would like.
Earlier today, we heard that Bynum’s continued battle to stay healthy has mentally taken it’s toll, and he says he can’t enjoy playing the game knowing that he’s unable to completely do what he used to (Keith Pompey of Philly.com):
“It’s tough to enjoy the game because of how I am physically. I’m certain that I will work through the pain…My health is my concern…My knees are my knees. They’re not going to get better. They are what they are. And that’s really it.”
For some, the period of NBA prime arguably lasts between ages 26-33. While it’s hard to believe that he’s already considering retirement at 26, if you consider what he’s already accomplished in the league at this point, do you think Bynum will ultimately retire early?
Poll: Will Andrew Bynum Retire Early?
-
Yes 75% (421)
-
No 25% (141)
Total votes: 562
Odds & Ends: Bledsoe, Stephenson, Korver
Eric Bledsoe has kicked off his inaugural campaign as a full-time starter in Phoenix with a bang, averaging 21.0 PPG, 7.2 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG in 33.8 MPG, and helping the Suns to a 3-2 record after five games. The 4th year veteran is set to become a restricted free agent next summer after failing to land an extension last week, and while some may be worried that this potentially means a short tenure for Bledsoe in Phoenix, GM Ryan McDonough was openly optimistic about being able to re-sign him (Adam Green of Arizona Sports, hat tip to Burns and Gambo of Arizona Sports 620):
“I feel very confident that he’s going to be a Sun long-term…We negotiated with Eric and his agents. I think the contract situation was handled very professionally on both ends…We can match any offer to Eric next summer…Another advantage would be we have an extra year to play with. Other teams who are making Eric an offer can offer him four years, we can offer him up to five if we chose to do so…So there’s some inherent advantages that I just mentioned, also we can give higher percentage increases than another team could give Eric in a contract.”
Here are some more miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight:
- Looking into Lance Stephenson‘s comments that he thinks the Pacers would “do anything” to keep him in Indiana for the long term, Candace Buckner of IndyStar.com (along with USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt) explores how the 23-year-old shooting guard could be positioning himself for a five-year max deal next summer. While I’m not too sure about labeling Stephenson as a max-level player at this point, if he can maintain his current averages of 16.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 47% shooting from the field, he should draw some very lucrative offers next July.
- Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post notes how the Nuggets’ plans to recruit Kyle Korver this past summer led to nothing more than brief contact because of the massive turnover that had been going on within the front office and coaching staff. Korver would eventually re-sign with the Hawks.
- The Thunder have hired former Raptors vice president and assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini in a senior adviser/international affairs position, according to Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK.
Knicks Have Spoken With Amundson
There has been ample speculation about the Knicks looking to add some help in the front court after learning that center Tyson Chandler would be sidelined for four-to-six weeks. The latest comes from ESPN New York’s Ian Begley, who tweets that the front office has reportedly spoken with Louis Amundson.
The 6’9 forward participated in training camp with the Clippers this past fall but had been waived prior to the start of the regular season. During 2012/13, Amundson played a total of 39 games with New Orleans, Chicago, and Minnesota, averaging 1.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 9.5 MPG. Yesterday, our own Luke Adams discussed potential frontcourt options available on the free agent market for the Knicks, and Amundson was among those mentioned.
The Knicks currently have 15 players on their roster, so if they were to eventually decide on signing Amundson (or any other free agent big man), they’d have to waive someone first. It’s also worth mentioning that Mike Woodson told reporters yesterday that the team is still open to bringing Jeremy Tyler back on board at some point (Marc Berman of the New York Post).
Bynum Considered Retirement, Unsure Of Future
Earlier today, we relayed a report out of Cleveland which revealed that Cavaliers center Andrew Bynum had considered retirement in the past and still thinks about it occasionally. Taking a closer look at the original piece from Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, it appears that those thoughts stem from the frustration of not enjoying the game because he currently isn’t the player he once was:
“(Retirement) was a thought, it was a serious thought,..At the moment, it’s tough to enjoy the game because of how limited I am physically. I’m still sort of working through that…I’m a shell of myself on the court right now, I’m struggling mentally. I’m trying.”
Bynum, taken tenth overall by the Lakers during the 2005 NBA Draft, also revealed that there weren’t any discussions about re-signing with the 76ers this past summer after he had missed all of the 2012/13 season. Lloyd writes that this was the first instance in which Bynum had spoken about contemplating retirement, and adds that Cavs head coach Mike Brown hasn’t had any conversations with the 7’0 center on that subject. While Lloyd says it was difficult to determine just how serious Bynum was about his comments or if he’d just been having a bad day, it was clear that the one-time All-Star is mentally exhausted from having to deal with his physical limitations:
“Battling pain is annoying…I’m not able to do the things I used to be able to do and it’s frustrating…I feel like I can still be a double-double guy in this league, but it’s just going to take some modifications to my game and whether or not I want to accept the challenge and do that.”
Through four of Cleveland’s first five games thus far, the New Jersey native is averaging 5.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in 12.8 MPG. He is currently signed to a partially-guaranteed contract with the Cavs through 2014/15.
Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- Mike Dunleavy: Two years, $6.51MM. Signed via mid-level exception.
- Mike James: One year, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum salary exception. Non-guaranteed.
- Nazr Mohammed: One year, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.
Trades
- None
Draft Picks
- Tony Snell (Round 1, 20th overall). Signed via rookie exception.
- Erik Murphy (Round 2, 49th overall). Signed via minimum salary exception. First year is partially guaranteed for $250K. Second year is non-guaranteed.
Camp Invitees
- Patrick Christopher
- Dahntay Jones
- Kalin Lucas
- Dexter Pittman
- D.J. White
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Jimmy Butler (4th year, $2.01MM): Exercised
- Marquis Teague (3rd year, $1.12MM): Exercised
For the last couple years, Bulls fans have been waiting on the team’s front office to make the move that will turn Chicago from a perennial contender into an Eastern Conference powerhouse. While the Heat have come out of the East in each of the last three seasons, the Bulls finished atop the regular season standings in two of those seasons, only dropping off in 2012/13 when Derrick Rose was sidelined for the year. The perception is that if the Bulls could find one more star to complement Rose, it may be Chicago, not Miami, that enters the playoffs as the odds-on favorite for the title.
But multiple offseasons have come and gone without the Bulls trading or amnestying Carlos Boozer. Luol Deng‘s contract inches closer to its end date. And future assets like 2011 first-round pick Nikola Mirotic and a future Bobcats’ first-rounder remain unused. Are the Bulls failing to take advantage of what could be a fleeting championship window, or is the front office simply biding its time, waiting for the best opportunity to strike?
I’m inclined to give the Bulls the benefit of the doubt, and assume that any major changes the club plans to make will happen next summer. Deng’s contract expires at that point, while Boozer’s becomes an expiring deal, making it easier to move, or at least easier to swallow via amnesty. There’s a chance Mirotic will finally come stateside for the 2014/15 season, and the club will have a clearer idea of when that Charlotte pick will finally change hands (it’s top-10 protected in 2014, top-8 protected in 2015, and unprotected in 2016).
Since the opportunity to make the biggest possible splash is still a few months away, it comes as no surprise that this past offseason was a fairly quiet one for Chicago. Despite not having Rose for the 2012/13 season, the Bulls still managed win 45 games and a playoff series. Re-adding a former MVP to a team that performed admirably without him qualifies as a big enough splash to make the Bulls a legit threat to topple the Heat and Pacers and win the conference.
Although much has been made about the lack of a second star to play alongside Rose, it’s worth noting that Deng is now a two-time All-Star, while Joakim Noah is coming off a top-five finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Throw in a still-productive Boozer, a solid third big man in Taj Gibson, and a rising star in Jimmy Butler, and there are certainly enough pieces here to compete. The Bulls may have missed out on putting together a Heat-like Big Three of their own when LeBron James hit free agency in 2010, but the current roster compares favorably to recent Finalists like the Mavericks and Spurs.
So with the promise of a returning superstar, the Bulls’ summer was about making small tweaks here and there. Mike Dunleavy was one of the first free agents off the board in July, and he’s an excellent fit for a team that lost Marco Belinelli. The veteran Dunleavy is said to be a fan of Chicago’s work ethic under head coach Tom Thibodeau, and the fact that he can make a three-pointer doesn’t hurt, since that’s not a huge strength for the Bulls’ starting wings — over his last three seasons, Dunleavy has averaged 1.6 threes per game on 41.1% shooting from downtown.
The return of the Bulls’ star point guard meant there wasn’t a strong need to retain Nate Robinson, who was likely out of the team’s price range anyway. In his place, the club re-acquired Mike James, a veteran who is already familiar with Thibodeau’s system and one who was willing to sign for a non-guaranteed minimum salary. Nazr Mohammed was also re-signed, and the Bulls added a pair of rookies in the draft, though neither Tony Snell nor Erik Murphy figure to get big minutes anytime soon.
The Bulls have always been a cost-conscious franchise, paying the luxury tax last season for the first time in club history. That’s likely a big reason why Chicago is one of only two NBA teams carrying the minimum 13 players into the regular season. Nonetheless, the club is well into the tax again this year, with $78MM+ in guaranteed salaries. Sneaking below the threshold looks nearly impossible, barring a huge salary dump, so it appears ownership is willing to pay those penalties again. I’d guess Bulls ownership would even be willing to use those open roster spots to add a veteran or two to fill out the roster in the second half, when they wouldn’t be earning full-season salaries.
Outside of the excitement of seeing Rose return to the court, it wasn’t a dramatic summer for the Bulls, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the league’s most successful teams are the ones with the least amount of annual roster turnover, and Chicago has enough talent to be a serious contender without any major changes. If the Bulls fall short again in the postseason in 2014, the club could seriously shake things up next July, but the decision to stand relatively pat this time around makes sense.
Odds & Ends: Bynum, Warriors, Howard, Draft
Andrew Bynum has returned to the court for the Cavaliers this fall after a lost season in Philadelphia, but as the big man prepares to suit up against the Sixers tomorrow night, the news coming out of his camp isn’t exactly positive. Bynum indicated earlier this week that he doesn’t expect to ever regain his old explosiveness, and acknowledged that he’s still getting “little sharp” pains in his knees.
Today, speaking to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal and other media members, Bynum admitted that he considered retirement, and still thinks about it occasionally (Twitter link). I’m hopeful that the 26-year-old will get healthy and have a productive year in Cleveland, but his latest comments are a little ominous.
Here’s more from around the NBA:
- While eventually signing Klay Thompson to a long-term extension should be tenable, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com questions whether the Warriors will or should retain Harrison Barnes beyond his rookie contract.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports spoke to current and former Lakers in an attempt to determine why the marriage between Dwight Howard and the Lakers was destined for a divorce. Sources tell Spears that the Lakers’ brass told its employees to make Howard feel “special and important,” but that Dwight still felt undervalued by the team.
- Howard cites Kelvin Cato as the first person to suggest that he should join the Rockets, well before D12 neared free agency, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Over at ESPN.com, Chad Ford’s Insider-only list of the top wings for the 2014 draft is headlined, unsurprisingly, by Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Nets, Sanders, Knicks
We rounded up a few items out of the Western Conference this morning. Now it’s time to head east and check in on the latest from the NBA’s only undefeated team and a few of their Eastern rivals….
- While they aren’t a taxpaying team, the fact that the Pacers are only a couple million dollars away from that threshold signals that owner Herb Simon is shoving his chips all-in, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. So far, so good for the 5-0 Pacers.
- The Nets became the second team in the NBA to assign players to the D-League this season, announcing in a press release that Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor are ticketed for the Springfield Armor.
- The Bucks had been hoping that after signing a lucrative long-term extension this offseason, Larry Sanders would come into the year feeling comfortable about his future, which would help his on-court performance. As Sean Deveney of the Sporting News details, that’s certainly not how the season has played out for Sanders so far, but there’s plenty of time to turn things around.
- In a piece for The Score, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com points to the Andrea Bargnani trade as one reason why the Knicks find themselves without a decent fill-in for Tyson Chandler. Deeks also notes that Kenyon Martin‘s contract will become non-guaranteed if K-Mart misses 15 or more games due to preexisting knee injuries.