Bucks Sign Tony Mitchell To 10-Day Contract
TUESDAY, 10:58am: The team officially announced the move, via Twitter.
MONDAY, 5:30pm: The Bucks are set to sign forward Tony Mitchell to a 10-day contract, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Mitchell has been with the D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Mitchell is putting up averages of 19.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 21 games with Fort Wayne this season. It’s an encore of his 2012/13 campaign in which he put up 21.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest over 48 games. Mitchell, 24, was in camp with the Kings over the offseason but was unable to survive the final cut.
The 6’6″ forward is not to be confused with the Pistons’ 6’9″ forward of the same name. The Bucks’ Mitchell was a standout at Alabama while the Pistons forward made his name at North Texas.
Cavs Sign Arinze Onuaku To Second 10-Day
TUESDAY, 10:40am: Cleveland has made the signing official, the team announced on its website.
MONDAY, 9:48pm: The Cavaliers will sign forward Arinze Onuaku to a second 10-day contract, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. Onuaku’s first 10-day deal expired on Monday.
Before hooking on with Cleveland, the undrafted 6’9″ forward also found his way to a deal with the Pelicans. In four games this season for the Cavs and Pelicans, Onuaku has scored three points and grabbed seven rebounds in 26 minutes.
The 26-year-old spent parts of the past two seasons with the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s D-League affiliate. This season, he has appeared in 27 games for Canton with averages of 14.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 24.2 MPG.
Pacific Notes: Nash, Granger, Armstrong
The Clippers have a comfortable lead of four and a half games for first place in the Pacific Division, but the Warriors and Suns are separated by just half a game in their battle with the Mavericks and Grizzlies for one of the final three playoff spots in the Western Conference. There’s plenty at stake at the bottom of the division, too, where the Lakers and Kings are in a three-way tie with the Jazz for the worst record in the West and the improved draft lottery chances that come with that distinction. Here’s the latest from the Pacific:
- Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni doubts that Steve Nash will return this season, but the 40-year-old point guard remains intent on coming back for 2014/15, notes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
- Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders indicated earlier this week that Danny Granger is on a deal for just the rest of this season with the Clippers, but he actually signed a two-year deal with a player option for next season, Pincus clarifies (on Twitter). It’s a minimum-salary contract, and I’d be a little surprised if Granger picks up that option, since he could probably command more as a free agent this summer.
- The Warriors don’t anticipate re-signing Hilton Armstrong to another 10-day contract, tweets Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. The center made it into only a single game for just seven minutes while on his 10-day deal Golden State, which expired Monday night. The Warriors have invited Armstrong to rejoin their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, where the 29-year-old has made 23 appearances this season.
Odds & Ends: Cunningham, Suns, Abdul-Jabbar
Welp, this figures to be a fun MVP race. In case you were leaning towards the likes of Kevin Durant or Chris Paul, LeBron James re-stated his case tonight in a big, big way. The Heat star put up a career-high 61 points on 22-33 shooting, 8-10 from three-point range, with seven rebounds, and five assists. LeBron bested his previous career-high of 56 (2005 against the Raptors) and blew past Glen Rice‘s franchise record of 56 points. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- Former Oregon State star Jared Cunningham says he plans to sign with an NBA team this week, writes Conner Letourneau of The Oregonian.
- The Morris twins will be eligible for contract extensions in the fall and both players are hoping they’ll be with the Suns, together, for the long-term, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. “The game is more fun when I have my brother. I look forward to it every day. look forward to getting better. I look forward to watching him get better and I know he looks forward to me improving and having good games. I’m excited when he plays good, even when I don’t play good. If I see him scoring and all the small stuff to win, I’m excited and that brings me up no matter what,” Markieff Morris said of playing with brother Marcus Morris.
- Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says he’s interested in returning in some capacity to the Bucks, writes Andrew Wagner of the Associated Press. “If I get a call, I will definitely offer my services,” said the Bucks’ career leading scorer with 14,211 points. “There’s nothing on the table right now. A couple of people have asked me and if I had the chance to be part of this franchise again, I would take it.“
- If Dwyane Wade continues to play at his current level and helps lead the Heat to another championship, there won’t be much negotiating when it comes to his contract, writes Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders. Wade recently re-iterated his desire to stay put in Miami to David Aldridge of NBA.com.
Northwest Notes: Fredette, Butler, Nuggets
Earlier today, Chuck Myron released the first edition of the 2014 Free Agency Power Rankings. Jazz forward Gordon Hayward, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, comes in at No. 8 on the list. Utah was unable to hammer out an extension with the soon-to-be 24-year-old before the season began and it seems like they’ll have to pay a hefty price to hang on to him this offseason. More out of the Northwest..
- It may come as a surprise, but Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports hears from a source that the Jazz never seriously pursued Jimmer Fredette. The former BYU superstar was on the open market after being bought out by the Kings and, of course, wound up inking a deal with the Bulls.
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman has a Q&A with the newest member of the Thunder, Caron Butler. Within the interview session, the veteran touches on why he chose to join OKC and what he brings to the Western Conference power.
- The Nuggets have a rising prospect waiting in the wings in Europe’s Joffrey Lauvergne, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. The 22-year-old, currently playing in Serbia, was selected with the 55th pick in last year’s NBA draft by the Grizzlies and traded to the Nuggets on draft night. The 6-foot-11 power forward and center is turning heads with his stretch four skillset and three-point range.
Pacific Rumors: Nash, Granger, Warriors
Steve Nash, who’s likely out for the season, doesn’t think GM Mitch Kupchak‘s recent comment that it would be “unethical” for the team not to let the point guard determine his own future with the club is a guarantee he won’t be waived. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News has more. “You never know what the case is in a month or two weeks physically from a club standpoint and from my standpoint,” Nash said. “When you’re looking at potentially the last few months of your career, I didn’t want that to slide by without getting back on the court. It motivated me. Who knows now.” More from around the Pacific Division..
- Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) confirms that Danny Granger‘s deal with the Clippers is a one-year pact for the prorated minimum. It was widely assumed that this was the case after Granger and the Sixers agreed to a buyout, springing him loose for the rest of the season and postseason.
- Warriors veteran Jermaine O’Neal is taking one last shot at winning a ring, writes Diamond Leung of the Mercury News. The Warriors big man says he can envision a scenario this offseason in which he can’t get into the proper frame of mind to start training for another season.
- The Warriors and the San Francisco Giants could team up to get a new basketball arena built near AT&T Park, write Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle. The W’s say they’re still going “full steam ahead” with the Piers 30-32 project, but they’re also considering fallback options.
- The Warriors announced that they have assigned Nemanja Nedovic to their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. Nedovic has appeared in five games (all starts) for Santa Cruz this season, compiling averages of 19.0 points, 3.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.60 steals in 29.2 minutes.
Odds & Ends: Wade, Colangelo, Deng
The Heat seem to be chief in Dwyane Wade‘s mind as he eyes his early termination option this summer, but the decision won’t necessarily be straightforward, as he tells TNT’s David Aldridge, who shared Wade’s thoughts in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.
“Well, I want to be here,” Wade said. “I think that’s always the things I’ve always said and I’ve always expressed. And after that, I want to win. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m starting over and I’m rebuilding. I want to win. And I want to be on a team that has an opportunity to do that, and feel like I’m a big part of that. This is where I want to be. But as players, [having] options is good. Because you don’t know what is to happen or what is to come. So for us, I think we’re in a great situation. Guys have options as players, and they can exercise those options. Who knows what that means? But right now, for us, we’re on a very good team. We enjoy each other. We enjoy this city and we enjoy playing for this organization, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Here’s more from Aldridge’s piece and other news from around the league:
- Bryan Colangelo spoke with Aldridge and attempted to walk back his comments from Friday in which he said he tried to tank as GM of the Raptors in 2011/12.
- The Pacers reportedly spoke with the Cavs about Luol Deng before the trade deadline, but Andrew Perna of RealGM hears Indiana had no interest in the soon-to-be free agent (Twitter link).
- The Rockets have recalled Troy Daniels from the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. Daniels had been with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers before the Rockets signed him last month. Houston immediately assigned him back there after inking the deal, which is for the minimum salary, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes in an update to the team’s salary page.
2014 Free Agent Power Rankings
With the trade deadline and buyouts behind us, our focus at Hoops Rumors will shift to the summer ahead. There’s an intriguing list of players who could become free agents in the offseason, and we’ll be ranking the top 10 on a regular basis from now until free agency begins in July. Here’s the initial installment of the Hoops Rumors 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings:
- LeBron James — The four-time MVP is keeping mum on whether he’ll enter free agency at all, never mind where he’d sign if he hits the market. Many around the league speculate that the Heat have the inside track to retain him, with the Cavs looming as a possibility, but no one knows for sure. What is clear is that no other player would be as sought after on the market as James would be, even if he comes up empty in his quests for a third straight MVP and a third consecutive title.
- Carmelo Anthony — Last year’s scoring champ has insisted throughout the season that he’ll exercise his early termination option to hit free agency in the summer. He said at the All-Star break that he’d like to return to the Knicks next season, as long with the team’s plan for the future meets with his approval. The qualifier on that statement has led to game-by-game fret among New York writers as the Knicks continue to plummet in the standings. There are hints that the Knicks may be the only team willing to offer a maximum-salary contract, and while I suspect another max-salary suitor will emerge at some point, ‘Melo still has plenty of financial incentive to remain in New York.
- Chris Bosh — The third man in on the Heat’s trio of stars has surpassed Dwyane Wade and many others as he’s helped the Heat win back-to-back titles. He’s taking more three-pointers than ever this season, and making 37.3%, furthering his value as an all-around offensive weapon. The athleticism that allows him to jump out to double-team guards on pick-and-rolls and quickly scramble back to the paint helps state his case as the ultimate small-ball center. He has a $20.59MM early termination option.
- Eric Bledsoe — The Suns intend to match any offer for the soon-to-be restricted free agent point guard, so he’ll probably stay put. The Lakers are apparently thinking of overpaying to make a run at him anyway, so a maximum-salary contract is in play for the 24-year-old.
- Greg Monroe — The Pistons big man is a restricted free agent with a much greater chance of changing teams than Bledsoe has. Agent David Falk has a knack for finding maximum-salary bidders for borderline max-salary players, and with a handful of suitors already lining up, expect a robust market for the former seventh overall pick.
- Luol Deng — The 28-year-old was traded in January and nearly flipped again at the trade deadline, but he’s by no means unwanted. The durable two-way weapon isn’t a superstar, but he could be the missing piece for a team chasing a championship. He won’t come cheaply, since agent Herb Rudoy is reportedly seeking annual salaries north of $13.5MM.
- Lance Stephenson — There appears to be plenty of mutual interest in a new deal with the Pacers, but luxury tax concerns and multiple teams already eyeing the former second-round draft steal could make it tough. He was vastly improved last season, and this year’s averages of 14.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists, all career highs, are demonstrative of an all-around menace.
- Gordon Hayward — The Celtics considered reuniting the former Butler star with college coach Brad Stevens at the trade deadline, but in the aftermath of that report, it appears the Jazz are as high on the swingman as they’ve ever been. Hayward’s game isn’t flashy, but he’ll be just 24 this summer, so they may have to pay dearly to match an offer for him in restricted free agency.
- Dwyane Wade — There’s been more talk about Wade’s knees than his game the past two seasons, but the 32-year-old still plays like a star, averaging just a hair under 20 points, five rebounds and five assists a game. He’s not a maximum-salary player anymore, but he’s still worth yearly pay well into eight-figure territory. The question is how much longer he’ll be that valuable. His decision about whether to exercise his early termination option, and what to do if he does so, will likely be tied to what teammates James and Bosh decide to do.
- Zach Randolph — Another still-productive 32-year-old has expressed his affection for Memphis multiple times, and the Grizzlies reciprocate those feelings. Trade rumors this season nonetheless left the power forward with a sour taste in his mouth, and he’s undecided about a player option worth more than $16.9MM.
These rankings will no doubt change throughout the next few months as players state their cases in the waning weeks of the regular season and the playoffs. Guys with a chance to crack the top 10 later on include Dirk Nowitzki, Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry and Evan Turner. I’m not listing players under team control for 2014/15, like Tony Parker, who has a partially guaranteed contract.
2013/14 NBA Reverse Standings
For the third straight year, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on how the summer’s draft order will play out. Throughout the season, our 2013/14 NBA reverse standings, which list the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, are updated daily to reflect the outcomes of the games from the previous day.
These reverse standings take into account playoff teams in each conference, so they’re essentially a reflection of what this year’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. Traded picks are also included via footnotes, so, for instance, the note next to Minnesota’s pick indicates that it will be sent to Phoenix if it doesn’t fall within the top eight. Given those conditions, the Timberwolves probably wouldn’t mind seeing the regular season end today, since their pick is currently projected to land 13th overall.
With a little more than six weeks to go in the regular season, draft position is starting to become paramount for many teams, and unlike last year, when there were no legit blue chip prospects to dream about, there’s a lot at stake. This year’s draft class figures to include Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, Dante Exum, and Marcus Smart. The general consensus among draft experts is that any one of those players, and perhaps others, would have had been selected first overall if they’d been available in 2013. So, it’s worth getting excited if your favorite team has a shot to land a top pick.
Our reverse standings feature can be found at anytime on our right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.” It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands this year. Be sure to check back often!
Eastern Rumors: Jackson, Riley, Muscala
The Eastern Conference’s glut of struggling teams means the worst clubs in the Western Conference have an advantage as they jockey for lottery position, explains Tom Ziller of SB Nation. East teams don’t have to play as many heavies as their Western Conference counterparts do, leading to more wins and fewer ping-pong balls. That helps perpetuate the East’s mediocrity year after year, Ziller writes. Here’s more from the NBA’s weaker side:
- Phil Jackson tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he remains an “unpaid adviser” to Pistons owner Tom Gores. Jackson, who reiterates that he doesn’t want to coach again, helped the team with its search for former coach Maurice Cheeks, who was fired a couple of weeks ago.
- Another championship coach is feeling no urge to get back to the sidelines, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel observes. “I’m six years out of coaching right now,” Heat president Pat Riley said. “Look at me, man, I’m full of vitality to have some fun. Six years ago, when I was coaching, I would wake up 5:00 a.m. and it was dark and I was depressed. Not anymore.”
- The contract that Mike Muscala signed with the Hawks last week is a four-year pact for the minimum salary, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals. This year is fully guaranteed and next season is partially guaranteed for $408K, but the deal otherwise contains no guaranteed salary, Pincus tweets. There’s a team option on the final year.
- Gerald Wallace expressed his displeasure with winding up on a rebuilding Celtics team when the Nets traded him to Boston this summer, but the veteran says he enjoyed his first year in green, as he tells Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. “I just hope the fans didn’t take offense to me saying I didn’t want to be here as me not wanting to be a part of the organization,” said Wallace, who’s out for the season with a knee injury. “My main thing was the rebuilding process, I didn’t want to go through a whole rebuilding process where you have to start all over 13 years into my career.”