Kupchak On Bryant, Gasol, Free Agency, Draft
Earlier today, Lakers’ General Manager Mitch Kupchak spoke to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com regarding questions every Lakers fan has seemed to ask so far this season. It is a great read for anyone interested in the direction the Lakers are headed in the near future. Here are a few takeaways from the discussion.
- It was no coincidence at the beginning of this season that the Lakers’ payroll aligned to only have Steve Nash under contract beyond this season. Kupchak and the Lakers made a conscious decision to plan their roster this way so they could take a fresh look at everyone on their roster. Kupchak’s didn’t want to fall in the same trap as other championship teams who sign star players a few years beyond their prime. Although extending Kobe Bryant was a diversion from this plan, Kupchak believes the Lakers still have plenty of flexibility to sign a max contract free agent each of the next two summers.
- Which free agent the Lakers pursue is still up in the air because according to Kupchak, the league is “too competitive” to plan for one player’s contract actions. Kupchak did hint however that if the 2014 free agent market doesn’t turn out like he hopes the Lakers may not sign a maximum contract player this summer and instead wait until the 2015 or 2016 free agent markets.
- Looking at the young players on the team, Kupchak credited his familiarity with watching the college careers of Xavier Henry and Kendall Marshall as selling points in signing both of them this season. For Nick Young, it was the conversations between his agent, Mark Bartelstein, and Kupchak that sold Young on the Lakers as a place he could thrive with playing time and style of play. Kupchak would like to continue giving Young playing time as he hopes Nick will opt in to his player option this summer and become “a Laker for a long time”.
- On an older player on the roster, Pau Gasol, Kupchak thinks he is having a great year given the circumstances. Gasol never planned to return from major surgery to a Lakers lineup sans Bryant, Steve Nash, and Steve Blake but has handled it well according to Kupchak. Regarding Gasol’s upcoming free agency, Kupchak knows Pau will have other offers but thinks if all things remain constant, Gasol would “love to continue to play here, and we’d love to have him here”. He also believes Gasol is bound for the Hall of Fame.
- On the luxury tax, Kupchak said the “ownership here has never been afraid to be in the tax.” He also agreed with Trudell that the luxury tax is a major factor to be aware of but for the Lakers it is not a black and white line they aren’t allowed to cross.
- Regarding next summer’s draft, Kupchak thinks the first 10 players drafted will be as “good as [he’s] seen in a long time”. Kupchak also noted he prepares for every draft so that he could make every pick, 1 through 60.
Mutual Interest Between Tom Thibodeau, Knicks?
In his latest piece for the New York Daily News, Mitch Lawrence says there are rumors around the Bulls’ camp that Tom Thibodeau might have a deal in place to become the head coach of the Knicks next season.
Thibodeau was an assistant coach in New York from 1996-2001 and is represented by CAA, Knicks owner James Dolan’s favorite agency. Lawrence is quick to note that Thibodeau is under contract through the 2016/17 season, and a regular season transition is extremely unlikely because there would be a major tampering case that might prevent Thibodeau from returning to New York at all. Doc Rivers proved last summer that coaches under contract can be shipped to another squad for the right price, and after the season ends, Thibodeau will be a viable candidate to land a job leading the Knicks.
Lawrence hears from league sources that Thibodeau was “kept in the dark” about certain details during the development of the Luol Deng trade, namely when Deng was being shipped and where he was heading. Since Deng was one of Thibodeau’s favorite players, withholding these details surely rubbed him the wrong way. Plus, we heard last week that Thibodeau wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of rebuilding, and the Deng deal certainly indicates the Bulls are interested in changing the core of their team. It’s possible that the club might want to reshape itself and form a new identity that doesn’t include Thibodeau.
Of course, Mike Woodson would need to be fired by the Knicks before any of these rumors could come to life, and right now he’s under contract through the end of the 2014/15 season. It’s worth mentioning that Dolan spoke out and gave Woodson his full support in late November. However, no one from upper management has spoken publicly on Woodson’s job status since then, leaving some to speculate that he’s on the hot seat. These are only rumors right now, but it doesn’t seem out of the question that Thibodeau might land a job with New York sometime in the not-so-distant future.
D-League Notes: Gobert, Clark, Shengelia
Here are a few points pertaining to the NBA’s D-League:
- The Jazz are expected to recall rookies Rudy Gobert and Ian Clark from the D-League this weekend, tweets Jody Genessy of Deseret News. The duo spent time playing for the Bakersfield Jam but should rejoin the Jazz sometime today or tomorrow.
- Tornike Shengelia has been recalled by the Nets, the team announced. Shengelia, who had been playing with the Springfield Armor, has played sparingly throughout his career after being selected late in the 2012 draft by the 76ers. So far for this season, Shengelia has averaged 8.4 MPG in 15 contests for Brooklyn.
- Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times takes a look at how a couple of former D-League players, Jon Leuer and Ed Davis, have been able to be productive for the Grizzlies. With Marc Gasol sidelined, the two big men have gained valuable experience by playing more minutes than they would have otherwise.
- Earlier today, we passed along that the Hawks had officially signed James Nunnally to a 10-day contract. Nunnally caught Atlanta’s attention after a strong showing in this year’s D-League Showcase where he earned a spot as a member of the All-Showcase Second Team.
Hawks Sign James Nunnally
SATURDAY, 2:47pm: The Hawks have officially signed Nunnally to a 10-day deal, the team announced via press release.
FRIDAY, 7:51am: The Hawks have reached an agreement to sign D-League forward James Nunnally to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Gino Pilato of D-League Digest first reported that Nunnally was in line for a D-League call-up from Atlanta.
Nunnally, who went undrafted in 2012, has spent most of the last two seasons with the Bakersfield Jam, and also received a training camp invite this past fall from the Suns. In 19 games for the Jam this season, the 23-year-old has averaged 18.2 PPG and shot 41.5% on three-pointers. Nunnally was a hot name at the D-League Showcase in Reno this week, reportedly meeting with the Cavs, Bulls, and Thunder before agreeing to sign with the Hawks.
Having waived Cartier Martin before this week’s contract guarantee deadline, the Hawks have a single open spot on their roster, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary to make room for Nunnally. If the team wants to keep the UC Santa Barbara alum around after his first deal expires, it can sign him to a second 10-day contract, then must decide whether to let him go or guarantee him a full-season salary.
Knicks Notes: Smith, Woodson, Hardaway
The Knicks are preparing to face the 76ers on the road tonight, and we heard earlier today that J.R. Smith is once again unlikely to see any action. Much has been said about the still-developing Smith saga, but all the attention hasn’t seemed to negatively affect the team’s play. They’ve won four out of their last five games, including key victories against the Spurs and Heat. Here’s the latest on Smith and the Knicks:
- Smith spoke to reporters, including Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) about his reaction to the Knicks souring on him as of late. “What have you done for me lately, pretty much. You miss shots, it’s going to happen,” the guard said. Smith has been in the doghouse thanks to his public reaction to his younger brother getting cut. His proclivity for untying his opponent’s shoes probably doesn’t help things either.
- Rather than taking responsibility for his actions, Begley hears that Smith is frustrated at how much his name’s been in the media lately and doesn’t understand what all the fuss is over. Smith says he’s simply misunderstood. “I guess some people don’t have a sense of humor that others have… I’ve been misunderstood my whole life. it’s not going to change now.” Coach Mike Woodson has gone on the record as saying Smith needs to grow up.
- Meanwhile, Keith Schlosser from Knicks Journal suggests Tim Hardaway Jr. might be ready to take over Smith’s role as sixth man. Schlosser argues that despite Hardaway’s lack of experience and sometimes poor shot selection, the rookie guard has the skills necessary to warrant more minutes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, D-League, Boogie, Melo
LeBron James has a lot of reasons to be unhappy following last night’s double overtime loss to the Nets, but he’s especially irked over Mirza Teletovic‘s foul on him in the fourth quarter. The horsecollar tackle has been outlawed in football, but Teletovic apparently wanted to give it a try on the hardwood. At any rate, the game saw the Nets beat the Heat for the second time this year behind Joe Johnson‘s team high 32 points. Here’s more from around the Association..
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com runs down his All-D-League Showcase team. Stein’s five: Pierre Jackson, Seth Curry, Devin Ebanks, James Nunnally, and Jarvis Varnado. No NBA assignees made the cut, but the Wolves’ Shabazz Muhammad and Nando De Colo and Malcolm Thomas of the Spurs all received something of an honorable mention.
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Count DeMarcus Cousins among those who are happy to see Rudy Gay with the Kings. “He helps this team out so much. Another option offensively – I think he’s great addition,” Boogie said, according to the Kings’ official Twitter account. Since joining Sacramento, Gay is averaging 20.6 PPG and, perhaps more importantly, a career-high PER of 19.7.
- Before last night’s game, James offered up some unsolicited advice for free-agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com observes. “You got to do whatever makes [you] happy at the end of the day. If you’re happy, the game of basketball is going to be fun for you,” the Heat star said. “Strive to be great every day, and you can live with whatever else happens.“
Eastern Notes: Smith, Boozer, Knicks, Heat
Indications are that J.R. Smith is still on the outs with the Knicks and his benching will probably continue today against the SIxers, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The benching appears to have the full support of owner James Dolan and, as Berman notes, most people that cross the Knicks owner can’t get back into his good graces. More from the East..
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if Carlos Boozer could be a fit for the Heat if the Bulls use the amnesty clause on him. While he’s likely to available come July and has South Florida ties, Winderman doesn’t see it happening. Boozer has always gone for top dollar and that probably wouldn’t change this summer.
- With Luol Deng in the mix, the Cavs suddenly seem to have a balanced roster and much better ball movement on offense, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Cleveland is now 2-0 in the Deng era.
- James Nunnally, whose ten-day deal with the Hawks should be finalized today, made the D-League Showcase first-team, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Stein On Raptors, Lowry, Chandler, Afflalo
For the first time, there’s real talk from Toronto that the Raptors might keep point guard Kyle Lowry for the rest of the season, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Word is that GM Masai Ujiri won’t commit to any firm position and is open to moving Lowry if the offers suddenly get sweeter. However, team officials appear to prefer the idea of going for what would be just Toronto’s third playoff berth in 13 seasons rather than attempt a colossal tank and go from .500 to Andrew Wiggins territory. Here’s more from Stein’s latest offering..
- The Knicks were linked heavily to Lowry just a few weeks ago but they’re now said to want to work their way into the bidding for Nuggets guard Andre Miller. Unfortunately for them, they have the same problem in chasing Miller that they did with Lowry: a lack of assets to offer.
- The Knicks are still getting calls for center Tyson Chandler but sources close to the situation tell Stein that they’re brushing each one of them off. At this stage, New York has no interest in parting with its defensive anchor, which makes sense if the Knicks are set on re-signing Carmelo Anthony this summer.
- The Magic, meanwhile, continue to stiff-arm teams registering interest in shooting guard Arron Afflalo. The difference there, though, is that some rival clubs aren’t convinced that the Magic’s stance is as absolute as the Knicks’ stance is with Chandler. The lure of the 2014 draft is strong, but it’s not out of the question that someone could offer up a first-round pick for Afflalo. In that event, Orlando would have to give serious thought to pulling the trigger.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Nunnally, LeBron
The Knicks have been shopping J.R. Smith ever since he reacted negatively to the team’s decision to waive his brother, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith’s public and private responses to his brother’s dismissal put him in owner James Dolan’s doghouse, and evidence suggests it was Dolan who ordered Smith’s surprise benching Thursday, Isola writes. Carmelo Anthony nonetheless remains supportive of the troubled swingman, and that could be the key to Smith’s ability to stick around New York, Isola believes. While even Thursday’s win over the Heat apparently can’t stop the New York soap opera, there’s also plenty of scuttlebutt from elsewhere in the NBA:
- The Hawks are set to finalize their 10-day signing of James Nunnally on Saturday, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- LeBron James and Tom Thibodeau share mutual admiration, but the Bulls would have to OK repeated luxury tax payments and Derrick Rose would have to cede crunch-time shots for LeBron to wind up with Chicago, notes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Thibodeau indicated today that the Bulls plan to send Erik Murphy to the D-League soon, observes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link).
- Giannis Antetokounmpo would love to play with his brother, Thanasis, but he won’t pressure the Bucks to draft him this year, writes Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links).
- Australian guard Dante Exum has been meeting with agents the past few weeks, as expected, and the projected top-five pick appears to be a “lock” to enter the draft this year, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter).
- There isn’t as much motivation for teams to tank as popular opinion suggests, and even when there is, the practice demonstrates a willingness to win as much as much as it does an intention to lose, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports opines in a piece for SB Nation.
Poll: Will Luol Deng Remain With Cavs?
The Cavaliers turned their experiment with Andrew Bynum into one of the game’s top perimeter defenders this week, sending the oft-injured center and three draft picks in a trade for Luol Deng. It’s a successful deal for Cleveland, opines Jim Ingraham of The News-Herald. It will become exponentially more beneficial for the Cavs if they can convince Deng, who’s in the final year of his contract, to stay, Ingraham writes.
The Cavs and Deng’s agent, Herb Rudoy, aren’t ready to discuss an extension yet, but Rudoy said those talks will happen at some point. Deng reportedly rejected a three-year, $30MM offer from the Bulls shortly before the trade, so it’ll take more than that to keep him around. A $12-13MM range seems realistic, and Rudoy has also pointed to Andre Iguodala‘s deal with the Warriors, which has an average annual value of $12MM, as comparable to the kind of contract he feels his client deserves. Deng and Rudoy are adamant that they haven’t set the price at $15MM a year, but it looks like they might come close to that.
Cleveland, by rule, can do whatever it takes to keep Deng, since the team has his Bird rights and can give him a deal for up to the max. The Cavs surely aren’t going that high, but the question might not revolve around exactly how much the team is willing to pay him.
Deng has been used to contending for championships in Chicago, and the Cavs are a long way from those kinds of aspirations. GM Chris Grant has promising young point guard Kyrie Irving as the linchpin of his rebuilding effort, but it will take much more to get into the title hunt. Deng could wind up as the most sought-after free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension and if more prominent names like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony take themselves off the market. A team with legitimate championship hopes for next season could prove more attractive, even if they don’t offer quite as much money or years as the Cavs do.
Still, Cleveland has the built-in advantage of Deng’s Bird rights and nearly four months to make an impression. An extension isn’t out of the question, so Deng, who turns 29 this spring, might not even get to free agency.
Let us know what you think Deng will decide to do, and elaborate on your thoughts in the comments.
Will Luol Deng Remain With The Cavs Beyond This Season?
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No 55% (647)
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Yes 45% (534)
Total votes: 1,181