Amico’s Latest: Allen, Battier, Rivers, Kerr
Ray Allen appears unlikely to return to the Heat next season, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. League insiders nonetheless believe that if the Heat’s trio of stars return, there’s a strong chance the team will try to re-sign Allen, too, so it seems his future is contingent on what LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh decide to do. Indeed, those three will have much to say about what happens in free agency leaguewide, and Amico has more on the summer ahead and another member of the Heat as we highlight here:
- Several teams are expected to court Heat forward Shane Battier for an executive job or a gig related to player development, Amico hears. Battier recently reiterated his plans to retire at season’s end.
- The emergence of Brian Roberts has strengthened the belief around the league that the Pelicans will trade former lottery pick Austin Rivers this summer, according to Amico. Roberts is set to become a restricted free agent.
- Sources tell Amico they wouldn’t be surprised if several teams aside from the Knicks try to convince Steve Kerr to run their basketball operations. Kerr has expressed a desire to coach, but it looks like the leaguewide interest in him is as an executive, the role he held with the Suns from 2007 to 2010.
- Boris Diaw, Luol Deng, C.J. Miles, Marvin Williams, Luke Ridnour, Kris Humphries, Devin Harris and Jimmer Fredette are other free agents who appear unlikely to be back with their respective teams, Amico writes.
Southeast Rumors: LeBron, Heat, Magic
Last week, we learned that the Heat almost traded forward Udonis Haslem at the deadline this year. Aside from what he brings on the court, his locker room presence is perhaps even more valued, as Mario Chalmers explained to Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick. “That’s a tough question,” the guard said when asked to quantify Haslem’s value to the team. “U.D., besides Dwyane [Wade] and [LeBron James] and [Chris Bosh], he is the heart and soul of this team. He is one of the captains, one of the leaders on this team. He sets a good example for everybody else. I don’t know. It wouldn’t have been a good thing.” More out of the Southeast..
- If LeBron opts out of his current contract, the most the Heat can pay him is about $20MM in 2014/15 thanks to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Of course, James is worth much more than that in reality, and Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel speculates that he could demand that the Heat bridge that gap by diving even further into the luxury tax to sustain a solid supporting cast. Mario Chalmers’ free-agent contract, a mini-mid-level replacement for Shane Battier, another deal for Ray Allen, or even a pay bump for Chris Andersen could be on LeBron’s mind this summer.
- Second-year forward Kyle O’Quinn says the secret to his success has been the ability to have a short memory and put bad games behind him, writes Ken Hornack of FOX Sports Florida. The Magic can match offers for the restricted free agent O’Quinn after this season with a modest qualifying offer of $1.18MM. Beyond that, Orlando will likely have to give him a significant pay bump.
- Earlier today, Magic chairman Dan DeVos emphatically stated that the team is not for sale.
Hoops Links: Monroe, McRoberts, Livingston
On this date in 1996, Charlotte’s Robert Parish became the NBA’s all-time leader in games played, surpassing the previous record of 1,560 set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Parish went on to play a record 1,611 games in his career.
Got a great basketball blog post you want featured on Hoops Links? Email it to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere..
- Six Championship Drive looks ahead to Greg Monroe‘s future.
- Shaw Sports runs down their favorite glue guys, including the Bobcats’ Josh McRoberts.
- The Brooklyn Game caught up with Shaun Livingston.
- Legion Report gives you waiver wire pickup ideas to help you win your fantasy league.
- Hardwood Paroxysm looks at the difference that one play can make.
- A Wolf Among Wolves brings us another installment of their suggestion box series.
You can send your submissions to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Prospect Profile: Joel Embiid
This wasn’t the year that Kansas had envisioned for themselves at the outset and it certainly wasn’t the season that Joel Embiid had hoped for. At least, it’s not how he wanted it to end. The 7-foot center saw his draft stock steadily rise throughout the year but the back injury he suffered earlier this year might eliminate him from contention for the first overall pick. Out of action since March 1st, the big man is now unsure of whether he will enter the June draft at all.
If Embiid decides to go pro, he’ll go through an medical exam that is stringent even by NBA Draft standards. He’ll also have to go in with absolute confidence in his ability to perform in workouts. Embiid could probably keep away from live competition and still land in the top three, but he’ll at least have to audition for teams and show that his mobility is still there.
In a season that was supposed to be all about teammate Andrew Wiggins, Embiid averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game. While the preordained No. 1 overall pick in the draft failed to display a killer instinct at crucial times throughout the year, Embiid likely made scouts drool with his athletic ability. He could probably stand to add some weight to his 250 pound frame, but the 7-footer boasts a 7’5″ wingspan that allows him to disrupt any offense he goes up against.
On the other side of the ball, Embiid’s agility allows him to move quite well in transition for easy buckets. Meanwhile, in the halfcourt set, Embiid probably offers more low post ability than your average college big man. He can also convert from mid-range, making him a tough assignment for any center.
For all of the praise that Embiid received throughout his freshman campaign, no one has accused him of being a polished product. The 20-year-old came off of the bench for the first eight games of the KU season and while he took off like a rocket ship from that point, it’s clear that he still has a long way to go. In any given draft, you’ll find that the top prospects available were veterans of the AAU circuit with an eye on the NBA dating back to middle school. In Embiid’s case, the Cameroonian has only been playing hoops since 2011. That should mean a high ceiling for the Jayhawk, but it could also signal some rough patches early on in his NBA career.
Will Embiid ultimately enter the draft? Back in January, he confessed that he wasn’t sure if he was quite ready to make the jump and he sounds just as conflicted today. However, as Marcus Smart has reminded all of us, staying in school can be a risky and somewhat regrettable move. Sometimes life offers us opportunities before we’re actually ready for them and, usually, you can’t put them on hold. Embiid may not feel like he’s ready, but the only logical choice for him is to dive into the deep end and become a top pick while it’s still a lock. Returning for his sophomore season may be the more comfortable option, but it’s not the wise one.
Magic Up For Sale Soon?
SUNDAY, 4:03pm: The Magic aren’t for sale, chairman Dan DeVos tells Josh Robbins of Orlando Sentinel.
“As a family, the topic of selling the team has not come up,” DeVos wrote in an e-mail. “In fact, we are enjoying the team more than ever. Especially my father. We are very excited about our focus on winning a NBA championship. The family is fully engaged and active with the team. All four generations. The Magic are not for sale.”
SATURDAY, 8:43am: A league source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that in addition to the Bucks, the Orlando Magic might become available for purchase in the near future. Blakely is referring to a majority ownership sale potential, as he doesn’t mention the Hawks, who have already made a minority share in team ownership available. Rich DeVos is the Magic’s principal owner, who has previously stated he intended for his children to manage the team after him.
Aside from the affects an ownership change could mean for the team itself, another majority ownership changing hands in the league also raises the possibility of a relocation. Chris Hansen’s ownership group lost out in the sale of the Kings last year, nearly succeeding in purchasing the team and moving it to Seattle. The Bucks haven’t officially opened up bidding for a majority ownership purchase, and current owner Herb Kohl has repeatedly made it clear that he will do everything in his power to leave the Bucks in the hands of an ownership group that won’t move the team from Milwaukee. Hansen said on Thursday that his investor group is still on the prowl, and in even better shape to win league approval to bring the next available team to Seattle to replace the void left from the sale of the Supersonics, who were bought and moved to Oklahoma City, becoming the Thunder.
Blakely details that former NBA player Leon Powe is putting together an ownership group to be active in a future team sale. Other names rumored to be interested in ownership include Arn Tellem and David Kahn, although they have exclusively been linked to the Bucks.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- A growing number of free agents are signing deals with team options, Chuck Myron writes.
- Cray Allred looked at the draft prospects of Doug McDermott, an established shooter with a few question marks.
- Will Eric Bledsoe change teams for the second consecutive summer? Chuck doesn’t think so.
- We have some changes in the order of Hoops Rumors’ 2014 free agent power rankings.
- Chuck updated us on protected 2014 first-round picks.
- Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis has established himself as a likely lottery pick, writes Eddie Scarito.
- Is your team out of the playoff hunt? Keep up with their lottery prospects using our Reverse Standings.
- Eddie looked at UCLA’s Kyle Anderson.
- Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
- We featured the best comments on Hoops Rumors in this week’s edition of Featured Feedback.
- If you missed out on this week’s chat, you can check out the transcript here.
Week In Review: 3/31/14 – 4/6/14
For a while, it seemed like Kyle Lowry was a goner in Toronto. This week, however, Raptors CEO Tim Leiweke came out and said that the Raptors will likely re-sign the veteran guard. The Raptors have Lowry’s Bird rights and only about $39MM in commitments for next season, so they appear to have the resources necessary to bring him back. However, Toronto has never been a free agent destination and the 28-year-old may choose to go elsewhere. More from the week that was..
- The Bulls, Cavs, and Bobcats will likely go after Pau Gasol.
- Tony Parker says Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will return.
- The Knicks will reportedly fire Mike Woodson if they don’t make the playoffs.
- The Mavs want to re-sign Vince Carter. Ditto for Samuel Dalembert.
- Knicks president Phil Jackson met with Lamar Odom recently.
- The Lakers are leaning towards keeping Mike D’Antoni.
- The Lakers plan to keep both Steve Nash and Kendall Marshall.
- No surprise here: Andrew Wiggins is entering the 2014 draft.
- Dario Saric is likely entering the draft.
- The Jazz claimed Erik Murphy after he was waived by the Bulls.
- The Kings inked Jared Cunningham to a 10-day pact.
- The Bucks signed Chris Wright to a 10-day deal.
- The Bobcats gave DJ White another 10-day deal.
- The Cavs signed Scotty Hopson.
- The 76ers re-signed Casper Ware to a 10-day.
- Seth Curry joined the Warriors’ D-League affiliate.
- Agent Arn Tellem could be interested in buying the Bucks.
- The Spurs signed Damion James to a 10-day.
- The Wolves waived A.J. Price.
- The Rockets are eyeing German league point guard Malcolm Delaney.
- The Magic could be up for sale soon.
- North Carolina junior James Michael McAdoo announced his decision to enter the NBA draft.
- Missouri combo guard Jordan Clarkson will enter the NBA draft.
- Missouri junior Jabari Brown is entering the draft.
- Roscoe Smith is going pro.
- Michigan State sophomore Gary Harris will be in the draft.
- Johnny O’Bryant III is in as well.
- The Warriors are making some changes to their assistant coaching staff.
Sixers Won’t Re-Sign Nunnally
With his second 10-day contract having expired, the Sixers won’t sign wing James Nunnally for the remainder of the season, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The Sixers have used the end of their roster for auditioning players for the future, and Nunnally averaged three points and shot 33.3 percent from three-point range in nine games.
Nunnally said he had enjoyed his time with the Sixers, and now his agent, Bill Neff, will try to find a team with a more structured offensive system to better utilize his client, writes Charania. Nunnally had also earned two 10-day deals with the Hawks back in January.
Undrafted in 2012, Nunnally excelled in Summer League a season ago and has used the NBA Development League to earn two call-ups. He has averaged 18.1 PPG and 4.5 RPG in 35 games this season with the Texas Legends and Bakersfield Jam.
And-Ones: Faried, Draft, Gay
Kenneth Faried is headed toward the final year of his rookie-scale contract and will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2015. Re-signing him to an extension this summer will certainly cost the Nuggets, but figuring out what he’s worth is the harder question, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. The article analyzes what the top power forwards are paid, and Faried’s financial place amongst them. In 74 games this season, Faried has averaged 13.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 26.6 minutes per contest.
More from around the league:
- Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv runs down the NBA Draft prospects who will be playing in Monday night’s NCAA Championship game.
- Former NBA player Danny Schayes of Sheridan Hoops gives his thoughts on why raising the minimum draft age is a bad idea for both the NCAA and the NBA.
- Despite being able to opt out of his current deal this summer, Rudy Gay feels that there is a good chance he could be back with the Kings next season, writes Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders. Gay said that, “Everything is a possibility. For right now I just owe it to my teammates to finish out the season to the best of my ability, and not to comment too much. Obviously this team has the talent and the coach to put it all together.“
- Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) believes it’s a good move for Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky to return to school for another season. Mannix thinks another year could improve their draft stocks, as he had them both slotted as second-rounders this year.
Eastern Notes: Anthony, Cavs, Bucks, Sixers
Celtics center Joel Anthony has a $3.8MM player option this summer that he is expected to exercise, but he’s still unsure of his decision, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Anthony said, “When the season’s over, I’ll talk with my agent and look to see what we’re going to do.” Anthony hasn’t seen much playing time, primarily because he is new to the system and the club wanted to play Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk in the frontcourt, opines Washburn. But he also believes that Anthony could be a more useful asset next season when the Celtics move forward from rebuilding mode.
More from the East:
- The Cavs have assigned Sergey Karasev and Scotty Hopson to the Canton Charge of the NBA D-League, the team announced. Karasev has appeared in 18 games for the Charge with averages of 13.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG in 30.0 minutes per game. Hopson was signed on March 31st and has appeared in one game for Cleveland this season.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio looks at what issues the Cavs will have to address prior to next season.
- The Sixers are on their way towards securing the second worst record in the NBA. Tom Moore of Calkins Media looks at what the team’s options would be if they secured the second pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Moore’s scenario is based on the Bucks selecting Andrew Wiggins with the first overall pick.
- The reports that the Bucks might be sold as early as this weekend are premature, as Don Walker and Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel detail. Steve Greenberg of Allen & Co., the firm that owner Herb Kohl retained to bring in new team investors, said, “The process is ongoing. There is a lot of speculation out there. There is an active and ongoing process with respect to the Bucks. But we are not going to comment on speculation.”