Josh Powell To Play In Philippines
According to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link), former NBA player Josh Powell is signing a deal in the Philippines to play with Barangay Ginebra. Powell spent the first half of the season in China playing with Guangdong where he averaged 15.0 PPG and 9.9 RPG. Powell is no stranger to international basketball, having previously played for Olympiakos in Greece in 2012/13, following previous stints in Puerto Rico and China.
Powell was in camp with the Knicks prior to the start of the NBA season, but the team reportedly had no intention of retaining him for opening night, no matter how well he played in preseason. He was waived by the team in October then penned a deal with Guangdong.
In six seasons in the NBA he has career averages of 3.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 0.5 APG in 12.5 minutes per contest, but Powell is best known for being a member of two championship winning Lakers teams in 2009 and 2010.
And-Ones: Cauley-Stein, Draft, Izzo
When Kentucky squares off against Michigan in Sunday’s Midwest Regional final, the Wildcats may be looking for their 16th Final Four appearance without a big part of their lineup, center Willie Cauley-Stein, who is doubtful to play because of a sprained ankle. Even if Cauley-Stein is done for the season, it is unlikely to affect his draft stock, writes Josh Newman of SNY.tv. He is currently slotted No. 12 in June’s NBA Draft by Draft Express. “An ankle sprain, it’s nothing. He will be a top-20 pick regardless of him playing another college game. He could be a Lottery pick if he stayed another year at Kentucky,” a former NBA executive told SNY.tv per the article.
More from around the league:
- The staff at Basketball Insiders takes a look at the three teams, the Bulls, Magic, and Bucks, they believe are poised to make a significant jump in the standings next season.
- Louisville’s Russ Smith is most likely going to be a second-round pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He could find a niche on a bench somewhere and maybe even land a starting job over time, if he continues to progress as a point guard, writes Adi Joseph of USA Today.
- Drew Sharp of The Detroit Free Press examines what factors in the college game might influence Michigan State coach Tom Izzo to consider a move to the NBA. Sharp cites the increasing frequency of one-and done players, which Izzo isn’t big on recruiting, the rise of rival Michigan, and several rule changes that are negating the Spartans defensive strategies as the main reasons.
- Tom Izzo has never stated he wouldn’t leave Michigan State, just that he wasn’t thinking about it, writes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Wolstat points to a lack of strong recruits coming in next year and to three top MSU players leaving this summer, as reasons Izzo might leave. He thinks Izzo has geared up for “one last run” and will strongly consider the Pistons head coaching position.
Eastern Notes: Cavs, Billups, Stoudemire
Isiah Thomas has been campaigning for a position with either the Pistons or the Cavaliers front offices, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Whether those overtures will bear fruit or not will have to wait to be seen, but both those teams really have their eye on another soon-to-be former Piston, Chauncey Billups, notes Windhorst. According to the article, Billups is likely headed towards retirement after knee surgery ended his season, and is the apple of both the Cavs’ and Pistons’ eye for a role in their respective franchise’s leadership. While there might be some interest in getting Billups to follow in Jason Kidd’s footsteps and go right from player to coach, Billups has been hinting openly for years he’d rather graduate to the front office at the end of his career, reports Windhorst.
More from the east:
- The Pistons’ Gigi Datome met with Italian National Team head coach Simone Pianigiani and officially confirmed that he’ll play for Italy next summer, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Datome said, “At the end of the NBA season I will remain in Detroit to work. But next summer I will play for Italy. It is going to be my 14th with Italy and I am proud of that.”
- Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal makes the case that the Cavaliers should re-sign Spencer Hawes this summer and only consider re-signing Luol Deng if he is willing to take something in the $8MM-$10MM a year range.
- In the same article, Finnan also thinks the Cavs will entertain trade offers for Tristan Thompson this offseason. The team has Anthony Bennett waiting in the wings and Thompson could be looking for upwards of $10MM a season this summer when he is eligible to sign a contract extension.
- Marc Berman of The New York Post examines the revival of Amar’e Stoudemire‘s career since he was inserted into the Knicks starting lineup, and what that might do for his trade value this offseason.
Western Notes: Tucker, Aldridge, Carter
P.J. Tucker has made it known that he wants to re-sign with the Suns this summer, albeit at a higher salary than the veteran’s minimum he has been playing for the last two seasons, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Tucker said, “The love I have for this organization will always be. They gave me a chance to prove myself and actually to prove that I’m a player in this league. It’s almost emotional for me to think about everything I’ve been through and for them to give me an opportunity to do it. Not just to be on the team, but in two seasons, I’ve started a whole year and a half for the team on a minimum contract. That doesn’t happen. When I sit back and think about it, which I never do, it’s too much. So I’ll always be indebted.” The article notes that Tucker was named by Forbes magazine as the most underpaid player in the league with his $884,000 salary. In 72 games, Tucker has averaged 9.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 30.9 minutes per game.
More from out west:
- Sean Highkin of USA Today analyzes the Trail Blazers performance with and without LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup.
- Vince Carter hopes to return to the Mavericks next season, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. “I think I’ve earned the right to stick around,” Carter said. He will be an un-restricted free agent after this season when his three year, $9.3MM deal expires.
- We rounded up the news from the Pacific Division earlier today, and had the latest on Kevin Love.
Nets Re-Sign Jorge Gutierrez To Two-Year Deal
SATURDAY, 5:45pm: Gutierrez said Friday that his two-year contract isn’t guaranteed for next season, but a source tells Tim Bontemps of The New York Post that there is a “very nominal” guarantee involved (Twitter link).
9:22am: Gutierrez tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that next season isn’t guaranteed, as I suspected (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 8:51am: The Nets have re-signed Jorge Gutierrez to a deal that covers the rest of this season and beyond, the team announced via press release. The terms of the contract are unclear, but since Brooklyn is without cap space and possesses no exceptions that allow for a deal longer than two seasons, it has to be a pact for the minimum salary for the balance of 2013/14 and 2014/15. Next season is most likely not fully guaranteed.
Gutierrez had been on a pair of 10-day contracts with the club, the last of which expired Wednesday night. Earlier that evening he was ejected from Brooklyn’s overtime loss to the Bobcats for committing a flagrant-two foul. Still, the 6’3″ point guard saw more than 19 minutes in that contest, his most during his five-game stint. He’s averaged 3.4 points, 1.4 assists and 0.2 turnovers in 13.4 minutes per game for the Nets.
Brooklyn brought the Arn Tellem client to camp in the fall, but the team released him before opening night, and he spent most of this season with the D-League affiliate of the Cavs. The Nets circled back to him earlier this month when he beat Darius Johnson-Odom in an audition for a roster spot.
Gutierrez becomes the 15th player on the Nets with a guaranteed contract for this season, meaning the team is likely done making moves in 2013/14. They have a disabled player exception worth $5.15MM for Brook Lopez, but it looks like that will go unused. That exception would cover a contract that runs only through the end of the season, so for Gutierrez the Nets are instead using the minimum-salary exception, which provides for deals of up to two years.
Draft Notes: Hairston, Bhullar, Randle, Parker
P.J. Hairston has been able to find success in the D-League after walking away from the University of North Carolina basketball team in wake of suspension, as Nate Taylor of the New York Times details in his newest piece. The latest mock draft from DraftExpress sees Hairston going 22nd overall. Here’s the latest on the 2014 draft:
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders thinks New Mexico State’s Sim Bhullar could get selected near the end of the draft but isn’t sure he could succeed in the NBA (Twitter link). Bhullar’s main appeal lies in his massive size; the sophomore center is listed at 7’5″ and 355 lbs.
- Kyler adds that the Raptors are a potential match for the Indo-Canadian Bhullar, as they hold a second round pick that will fall very late in the second round (Twitter link).
- Kentucky’s strong tournament run has only helped improve Julius Randle’s draft stock, an executive tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The same executive compared Randle to Jamal Mashburn and Paul Millsap.
- There’s still no word on whether or not Jabari Parker will declare for the draft, an executive tells Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. I profiled Parker’s game earlier this afternoon.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Prospect Profile: Jabari Parker
Jabari Parker‘s season came to an abrupt end when Duke lost to Mercer in their opening matchup of the NCAA tournament. Despite the Blue Devils’ crushing early exit, executives around the league still see the explosive forward as a near lock to go in the top three of June’s exceptionally deep draft. DraftExpress has Parker going third in its mock draft, and he’s listed second on Chad Ford of ESPN.com’s Big Board. Certainly there’s been speculation that Parker’s might be the first named called come draft day, but the Kansas duo of Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins are generally seen as more likely candidates for the top overall selection.
While the consensus might be that he doesn’t look to have as high a ceiling as the freakishly athletic Wiggins, scouts who spoke to Ford are intrigued by Parker’s tantalizing offensive skill set and readiness to compete at the next level. He was the second-ranked recruit coming out of high school, and he didn’t disappoint in his freshman season at Duke. Parker led the Blue Devils in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.1 points and 8.7 boards per contest while shooting an impressive 47.3% from the floor in the process. His ability to score stems from his high basketball IQ and desire to put up big numbers, but he’s not a selfish player by any means. He’s just capable of getting to the basket and finds a way to the hoop often. His size and speed allow him to get around less capable defenders, and his willingness to attack the basket resulted in an average of six free throws attempted per night.
Parker isn’t going to shoot the lights out, but he’s got good mechanics and can drain jumpers from all over the floor. He was prone to hot and cold shooting streaks during his freshman season, but scouts were impressed at his ability to switch up his game and attack the paint while his shot was struggling. Still, he’s been known to put up questionable mid-range heaves and will need to be more selective if he wants his game to translate to the next level. His excellent passing skills and impressive ball handling abilities are rare in a wing of his size and definitely contribute to his knack for getting out and making an impact in transition plays. ESPN.com lists his wingspan at 7’0″ (Insider piece).
Scouts were initially a bit alarmed when Parker’s numbers took a hit during the start of conference play, and his performance in the tournament has pundits questioning his ability to carry a team. At just 19 years old, Parker certainly has some growing up do, and he will need to get used to playing with elite competition since he struggled at times against longer, athletic opponents. Guys who can get around Parker were able to expose his less-than-stellar defensive abilities that caused Coach K to actually bench Parker in the late minutes of Duke’s loss to Mercer. It’s true that there are more athletic players in the draft class, but Parker can hold his own because of his high motor and thirst to score.
There’s been speculation throughout the season that Parker might return to school for his sophomore season, and earlier this month Parker still said he was undecided about whether or not he’d be declaring for the draft. Parker’s desire to play with Blue Devil recruit and former AAU teammate Jahlil Okafor might impact his decision, but it would be hard to pass up such a sure shot at going as a top three selection. While Parker hasn’t declared anything yet, an executive recently told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that he fully expects Parker to enter his name as an early entrant.
Parker has lived up to the hype at Duke and been able to prove he belongs in the elite prospect category. Neither Embiid nor Wiggins is as NBA-ready as Parker, and although those two figure to have greater potential, Parker is definitely more of a “sure thing.” This isn’t to say Parker doesn’t have a high ceiling himself, however, and certainly any team would consider itself lucky to land him in June’s draft. In fact, Parker would be a lock to go first overall most seasons. He can score in bunches and in a variety of ways, and while his defense is far from elite at this stage of his career, he has character and he’ll work to improve at the next level. NBADraft.net lists his pro comparison as Carmelo Anthony, which isn’t a bad level of talent to be associated with. In a class that might go down as one of the deepest groups in the history of the NBA, Parker has found a spot sitting comfortably near the top.
Southeast Notes: LeBron, Bobcats, Oladipo
LeBron James‘ $19MM salary makes him the ninth highest paid player in the NBA, but the Heat superstar is admittedly a bit jealous of players in other professional sports leagues who aren’t bound by a salary cap, revealed an Associated Press report (via USA Today). “The best players in each sport should be rewarded,” James said. “It would be nice to sign a 10-year contract for $300MM. I would do it. I would do it for sure… I wish we didn’t have a salary cap.” Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer explores Chris Douglas-Roberts‘ role on the Bobcats and examines the steps he’s needed to take to make a comeback in the NBA after failing to secure a contract for the 2011/12 season.
- Josh McRoberts has become a key piece for the Bobcats, and his former Magic teammate Jameer Nelson told Charlotte coach Steve Clifford that he’d be wise to keep McRoberts around, reports John Denton of NBA.com. McRoberts is averaging 8.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per contest this season.
- The Magic‘s decision to select Victor Oladipo second overall in last June’s draft looks like it’s going to pay off, opines Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Schmitz thinks Oladipo is the type of a player a franchise can be built around.
- The Wizards are looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2007/08, and offseason signee Al Harrington will provide a young Washington team with veteran leadership and playoff experience, writes Brandon Parker of the Washington Post. Harrington has appeared in six postseasons throughout his career.
Pacific Notes: Jackson, Kings, Cap Space
Both Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group and Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report believe the Warriors players and coaches made a statement of support for coach Mark Jackson with their effort and emotion in a win against the Grizzlies last night, with both Andrew Bogut and David Lee injured (Twitter links). Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- After the game, Warriors forward Draymond Green told Kawakami that the team is in fact unified behind Jackson. “Coach is a guy we fight for and we’re going to continue to fight for,” said Green. “He’s given his all to us and we’re going to continue to give our all to him.”
- Marcus Thompson of Bay Area News Group thinks that the Warriors would be more at risk by parting ways with Jackson than the coach would be (Twitter link). Thompson says that Jackson would land another job, but the team might not find a suitable replacement as easily.
- The Kings don’t plan to use their open roster spot on a guard yet as they monitor the health of injured Isaiah Thomas, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The roster spot remains vacant after the team opted not to sign Royce White for the rest of the year following his second 10-day contract with Sacramento.
- The Kings struggled in a loss to the Thunder while Thomas sat another game, but Jones finds a bright side to the situation: opportunity and development for Sacramento’s rookie backcourt pairing of Ben McLemore and Ray McCallum. Both players said they were excited to see more minutes. “I’ll take all the minutes I can get,” McCallum said. “I’ve been waiting for the opportunity all year and getting a good opportunity to go out here and get some good experience and go out there and play.”
- Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders takes a look at the projected cap space for teams in the Pacific, and how each team might use its cap space this summer.
- We looked at the latest with the Lakers in an earlier roundup.
Shane Battier Sure He Will Retire
Heat veteran Shane Battier has already said this would “probably” be his last year, but it appears that his pending retirement is now a certainty. Battier told reporters including Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report last night that his mind is made up (Twitter link). “It would take an act of God to change it and that act of God hasn’t come,” said Battier.
Battier is playing out the last year of the 3-year, $9.4MM deal he signed with Miami after the team lost in the 2011 Finals. The small forward has been instrumental in the Heat’s two subsequent championships, providing both the long-range shooting ability and defensive versatility that coach Erik Spoelstra has needed to fit his offensive and defensive schemes built around the unique strengths of LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Battier has long been considered a player whose value isn’t evident in the box score, and was an early darling of the advanced metrics community. Still, his performance has waned of late. He spent much of last year’s title run out of the rotation, and is averaging career lows in minutes, points, and field goal percentage this season.