And-Ones: Pacers, Lowry, Raptors, Magic
The Pacers started the season 41-13, but since the trade that brought Evan Turner to Indiana, the team has gone 12-11, and not looked at all like a championship contender, writes Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com. It’s not all Turner’s fault, opines Kaskey-Blomain, and in the article he breaks down what has gone wrong for the team.
More from the east:
- Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders breaks down the true cost of guaranteed contracts in the NBA.
- The news that the Raptors plan to re-sign Kyle Lowry doesn’t surprise Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). Wolstat mentions that there aren’t many eastern teams that have cap space and are in need of a point guard, which would limit Lowry’s options should he want to depart after the season.
- Wolstat also tweeted that while it’s always possible Lowry could depart, the player just built a home, which would make the Lakers a long shot because of the distance. Another team that has expressed interest in Lowry, the Knicks, don’t have the cap space to sign him, notes Wolstat.
- Jazz player development coach Alex Jensen has a bright coaching future in the NBA, writes Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News.
- It wasn’t that long ago when the Magic were a contender in the Eastern Conference, writes Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. Taylor lays out the steps the team needs to take in order for the organization to rebuild quickly.
Windhorst On Cavs: Thompson, Hawes, Griffin
Robert Attenweiler of Cavs:The Blog.com chatted with ESPN’s Brian WIndhorst about the Cavs. The entire article is worth a read, but here are some of the highlights from their Q & A session:
- Windhorst believes re-signing Tristan Thompson is very dangerous. He thinks the team shouldn’t extend him this summer and let him test his market in free agency. Thompson is looking for a salary in the $10MM range, and Windhorst doesn’t think the team should pay more than $8MM.
- He believes Spencer Hawes has a future with the Cavs, but only at a salary similar to his current $6.5MM. Windhorst mentions that Cleveland will need to overpay to attract unrestricted free agents, but long-term deals to players like Hawes and Luol Deng carry big risks.
- The team most likely won’t keep David Griffin as GM beyond this season, Windhorst opines. He believes that team owner Dan Gilbert will “swing for the moon” and go out and make a big name hire.
- One of those names might be Isiah Thomas. Windhorst says that, “Thomas wants the job really bad. He’s pretty much out in New York. His influence is over. He’s met with Gilbert a couple of times – they had lunch or dinner together – and he really wants it. I think Gilbert is charmed by him, as everyone else is.“
- Windhorst believes that Kyrie Irving wants out of Cleveland. He says, “The truth is [Kyrie’s] camp has been putting out there for years – years – that he doesn’t want to be in Cleveland. That they don’t want him in Cleveland. He doesn’t like Mike Brown. He didn’t like Chris Grant. He doesn’t like Dion Waiters. He’s already gotten a General Manager fired. He might get Mike Brown fired. This is the last time – once he signs he loses all of his leverage – so this is the last time he gets to enact leverage. I know he’s said all the right things so, fine, on July 1, when they offer a max contract – which they will – and I don’t even know if he’s a max player, but you have to sign him – sign a five-year, no out. That’s what a max contract is. A max contract is five years, no out. If you want out or you want three years, that’s not a max contract. You want three years? Okay, we’ll give you $12MM a year. We’re not giving you the full thing.”
- He doesn’t think Irving leaving would have a negative effect on their chances to lure LeBron James back to town. Windhorst believes the team would have to trade Irving to accommodate LeBron, and said, “LeBron and Kyrie have drifted apart in the last few years, even to the point that if the Cavs wanted to get LeBron they would maybe trade Kyrie for someone who would fit better with LeBron.”
Kennedy Notes: Draft, Gasol, Sixers
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders held his weekly chat. He touched on a number of topics, and some of the highlights are listed below:
- Kennedy believes the biggest sleeper pick in the upcoming NBA Draft is Wichita State’s Cleanthony Early. He also believes the player most likely to be taken too high is Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein.
- Pau Gasol is most likely done with the Lakers after this season, opines Kennedy. He cites the Lakers’ desire to have cap flexibility heading into the summer of 2015, as well as Gasol’s reluctance to be part of a rebuild.
- On who the Sixers will take in the draft, Kennedy believes the team will simply select the best two players available. His draft scenario has the team selecting Andrew Wiggins and Dario Saric.
- He doesn’t believe that Victor Oladipo is the long term answer for the Magic at point guard. Kennedy believes the team should look at drafting Dante Exum and keeping Oladipo at shooting guard.
- Kennedy also believes the rumors that Kyrie Irving wants out of Cleveland. He opines that Irving might sign an extension and then demand a trade from the Cavs.
Western Notes: Lakers, Saunders, Henry
The Lakers know their fans and Kobe Bryant aren’t sold on Mike D’Antoni, but with the team’s free agency focus on 2015, they’re hesitant to bring on a new coach who might not mesh with the players they target then, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding writes. They’re also not sure that D’Antoni has performed poorly enough to warrant his dismissal, Ding adds, suggesting assistant Kurt Rambis as a possible replacement if D’Antoni is ousted.
More from out west:
- Xavier Henry will indeed miss the rest of the season, as Mike Trudell of Lakers.com confirms.
- Wolves owner Glen Taylor said on WCCO-AM that he doesn’t want president of basketball operations Flip Saunders to coach the team if Rick Adelman doesn’t return next season, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Saunders was reticent to address the issue in an appearance with Dan Berreiro on KFAN-FM today, but he said that he enjoys his front office work, according to Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter).
- Wolves forward Dante Cunningham was arrested on Thursday and was today formally charged with domestic assault. This will certainly have a negative impact on the pending free-agent’s options, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com. Cunningham is averaging 6.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 19.5 minutes this season. He’s in the final year of his contract, which pays him $2.1 MM. He was jailed and not with the team as it traveled to Florida for a two-game road trip.His attorney’s office said it’s possible that he posts bail of $40,000 this weekend.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Roscoe Smith To Declare For NBA Draft
UNLV junior forward Roscoe Smith intends to hire an agent and declare for the 2014 NBA Draft, the team announced via a press release. Smith led the Mountain West Conference and was ranked sixth in the nation with 10.9 RPG during the 2013/14 season. He also averaged 11.1 PPG for the Runnin’ Rebels, while recording 16 double-doubles, which was good for 10th in the country.
Smith said, “I had a great experience at UNLV and really enjoyed playing for Coach [Dave] Rice and his staff. I am ready to take the next step in my career, but I love UNLV and will always be a Runnin’ Rebel. I am planning to finish my classes this semester in addition to preparing for the draft.”
Rice praised Smith, saying, “Roscoe is such a hard worker and good player. We were fortunate to be able to see his work ethic first-hand these last two years. He was one of the best rebounders in the country and provided great energy and leadership. We appreciate all of his contributions to our program and wish him the best.”
ESPN’s Chad Ford ranks Smith as the 24th best small forward, and as the 110th overall ranked prospect. He is projected as a possible second round pick.
Updates On Protected 2014 First-Round Picks
There were five protected first-round picks that appeared up for grabs a month ago when I last looked at the 2014 selections that could change hands. Now, there are only two. The Pistons have little to play for, suggesting their free fall will help them keep their pick, protected for the top-eight selections, from going to the Bobcats. The Mavs, fighting for a playoff spot, are in a much more intriguing position, with their pick headed to the Thunder if its not in the top 20.
Dallas sits 22nd in our Reverse Standings, and the Mavs are in line for the seventh playoff seed in the Western Conference. They’re also just a half-game up on the Grizzlies and Suns, who are tied for eighth. Missing the playoffs would guarantee that Dallas keeps its pick, but that’s clearly not the ideal outcome for the franchise.
The disparity between the conferences has much to do with the uncertainty. Normally, a team with the ninth-best record in the league would be a shoo-in for the playoffs, but that’s not the case this year. Dallas has a better record than all but two Eastern Conference teams, and that could still be true even if the Mavs miss the playoffs. The Bulls and Raptors are tied for 19th and 20th in our Reverse Standings, and their records are a game and a half inferior to Dallas’ 45-31 mark. Memphis, at 44-31, is a game better than the Bulls and Raptors, but the Grizzlies would be out of the playoffs if they started today.
In all likelihood, either the Bulls or Raptors will have to finish well to give the Mavs a shot to make the playoffs and keep their pick. It would help the Mavs if they, the Suns, and the Grizzlies all struggle in the season’s final days, but that seems unlikely, given their strong records and how much is at stake.
It’s so much simpler for the Pistons. They’ll be rooting for the Cavs, who are ninth in the Reverse Standings, to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race and keep winning. The Pistons have a realistic shot to finish with the sixth-worst record in the league. If they finish in the eighth position, they’d run a slight risk of having a team behind them in the order jump ahead of them during the May 20th draft lottery.
The fate of the rest of the picks is more or less decided. The Timberwolves sit 13th in the Reverse Standings, and they’d have to give their pick to the Suns if it’s No. 14 or lower. But, Minnesota is six and a half games worse than Memphis, which is currently in the 14th spot. It appears that unless the Grizzlies, or whoever finishes in the 14th spot at the end of the regular season, gets incredibly lucky in the lottery, the Wolves will keep their pick.
Here’s a rundown of all the protected picks, sorted by the likelihood that they’ll change hands:
Up in the air
- Detroit Pistons (to Bobcats if not in top 8). Current projection: tied for 7th/8th.
- Dallas Mavericks (to Thunder if not in top 20). Current projection: 22nd.
Will change hands (mathematically certain)
- Washington Wizards (to Suns if not in top 12). Current projection: 17th.
- Indiana Pacers (to Suns if not in top 14). Current projection: 26th.
Likely to change hands
- New Orleans Pelicans (to 76ers if not in top 5). Current projection: 10th.
- Charlotte Bobcats (to Bulls if not in top 10). Current projection: 16th.
- Portland Trail Blazers (to Bobcats if not in top 12). Current projection: 24th.
Unlikely to change hands
- Minnesota Timberwolves (to Suns if not in top 13). Current projection: 13th.
- Sacramento Kings (to Bulls if not in top 12). Current projection: tied for 7th/8th.
Will not change hands (mathematically certain)
- Philadelphia 76ers (to Celtics if not in top 14). Current projection: 2nd.
Southeast Rumors: Haslem, Brand, Magic
The Hawks can go a long way toward the playoffs if they win at home tonight against the Cavs, while a loss puts Atlanta in trouble. The Southeast Division could have as many as four teams in the playoffs, with the Heat leading the way, as usual. Here’s the latest on the Heat and their division rivals:
- A source tells Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick that the Heat fielded offers for Udonis Haslem before the deadline this year, and Mario Chalmers and others in the locker room are glad the team didn’t deal away Haslem and mess with its chemistry.
- Elton Brand still hasn’t made up his mind about returning for a 16th NBA season next year, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks center will be a free agent at the end of the season.
- The players the Magic acquire in the offseason could determine whether the team continues its experiment with rookie Victor Oladipo at point guard, coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters, including Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Raptors CEO Says Team Will Re-Sign Kyle Lowry
Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment group that owns the Raptors, answered affirmatively when CBC TV host George Stroumboulopoulos asked him whether the team can and will re-sign point guard Kyle Lowry (video link; scroll ahead to 5:50 mark). The point guard is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and ever since the team came close to trading him to the Knicks in December, there’s been little certainty about Toronto’s plans. Leiweke’s answers today offer the strongest indication yet that Toronto intends to retain Lowry.
“There’s a really special bond between [GM] Masai [Ujiri] and Kyle,” Leiweke said. “This town should be in love with this guy. What a great story. He’s vented that anger and energy that he had last year, and it was sometimes aimed at the refs, sometimes aimed at other people. He’s figured out how to vent that and put that into the team, and this team truly loves each other.”
When the Knicks made an unsuccessful attempt to circle back and trade for Lowry at the deadline, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports pegged Lowry’s market value at more than $11MM a year. The Rockets also sought a deadline deal for him, and it’s clear that the ASM Sports client will be one of the most sought-after free agents on the market this summer after a strong performance this season.
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. Still, Lowry can choose his destination, and Toronto has never been a free agent mecca. The 28-year-old is having his finest season, averaging 17.4 points and 7.6 assists per game with a 19.9 PER for a Toronto team tied for third place in the Eastern Conference. Just how far the Raptors get in the playoffs may go a long way in convincing Lowry whether to stay.
Central Notes: Pacers, Josh Smith, Rasheed
The Pacers are no longer a title contender, Grantland’s Zach Lowe concludes. The trade for Evan Turner hasn’t worked out, Lowe believes, pointing to a postgame tiff between Paul George and Roy Hibbert three weeks ago as indicative of the team’s struggles. The second half of the season hasn’t been kind to Indiana, but the Pacers are still just percentage points behind the Heat for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Josh Smith insists to Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News that he’s not the only one to blame for the Pistons‘ disappointing season. Smith has drawn plenty of criticism since signing his four-year, $54MM contract in the offseason, and the Pistons reportedly tried to trade him at the deadline.
- Pistons assistant coach Rasheed Wallace‘s ties to the organization give him a “good chance” to remain with the team, but the fate of the rest of the staff is likely up to whomever ends up as head coach next season, as MLive’s David Mayo writes. Mayo, answering reader questions, also suggests everyone except Andre Drummond could be on the trade block this summer.
- Mike Dunleavy‘s name emerged in trade rumors before the deadline, but he’s pleased with his decision to sign with the Bulls this past summer, as he tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- We rounded up more on the Bulls earlier today, and passed along news that the team is likely to target Pau Gasol this summer.
NBA Suspends Larry Sanders For Drug Violation
The NBA has suspended Bucks center Larry Sanders for five games without pay for violating the terms of the league’s anti-drug program, the league announced. Sanders is out for the season with a fractured orbital bone, so he’ll have to serve the suspension at the beginning of the 2014/15 regular season. Sanders admits in a statement from the Bucks that the drug he used is marijuana.
The news is the latest setback in what’s been a nightmare season for Sanders and the Bucks, who have the league’s worst record. Sanders suffered a broken hand in a nightclub fight early this season, knocking him out of the lineup for nearly two months. He appeared in only 23 games before breaking his orbital bone while playing against the Rockets in February.
The 6’11” center signed a four-year, $44MM extension this past fall that doesn’t kick in until next season, tethering the Bucks to him for the long term. A December report indicated the team was aggressively trying to trade him, but Milwaukee began turning away suitors for him prior to his latest injury. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team dangle him again in talks this summer, but at this point, his value has cratered and the Bucks would be selling low.
It’s the second five-game suspension for drugs that the league has handed out this week, with the Arnett Moultrie of the Sixers having been penalized Monday. J.R. Smith of the Knicks received a five-game suspension that he served at the beginning of the season.