Central Notes: Monroe, Butler, Osman, Johnson
Bucks GM John Hammond believes the team’s plan for a new arena, which has since cleared all hurdles for public funding, played a role in convincing Greg Monroe to sign with the team, as Hammond told NBA TV’s Dennis Scott and TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Monroe cites advice from former Bucks who became his teammates on the Pistons.
“When I signed, it wasn’t all the way done yet, but now, they have a new stadium coming,” Monroe said. “And I saw how the fans were. We played there, been coming there for years now, multiple times a year in the division. I know what kind of fan base they have. And I talked to a couple of my former teammates in Detroit who played here before, and they had nothing but great things to say about the city and the organization. So with all of that combined, I just definitely felt I made the right decision.”
See more from the Central Division:
- Jimmy Butler thinks new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg will improve the team’s floor-spacing, an element Butler thought was “terrible” last season, but Butler, in an interview with Aldridge for the same piece, identifies Hoiberg’s personal touch as the most significant change from former coach Tom Thibodeau.
- The Cavs spoke with No. 31 overall pick Cedi Osman about a month ago, but he’s planning to remain overseas with Anadolu Efes, where he has a contract that runs through at least 2017/18, for the next two seasons, as Osman writes for Eurohoops.net. “I’m happy that my rights are owned by the Cleveland Cavaliers and I hope that when I go there, I’ll meet LeBron James!” Osman writes. “I have a lot to learn from him!”
- Stanley Johnson was a surprise pick at No. 8 with Justise Winslow still on the board and he struggled in the Pistons‘ open scrimmage Saturday, apart from a highlight-reel play, but he’s otherwise made a strong impression with the team so far, observes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
And-Ones: Cavs, Celtics, Nuggets
With plenty of health concerns regarding the team, it is imperative that the Cavs and Tristan Thompson strike a deal as soon as possible, especially after LeBron James called the situation a distraction, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group opines. Kevin Love isn’t cleared for full contact, Timofey Mozgov is around 60% and Anderson Varejao is still working his way into shape from an Achilles tear while Thompson appears to be in very good shape, Haynes writes.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Marcus Smart appeared in 67 games last season with 38 starts, but he is well aware that there is a competition for the Celtics‘ starting point guard job, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. In addition to Smart, the Celtics are also giving serious thought to having Isaiah Thomas in the starting unit, Blakely adds.
- With the Nuggets in search of a long-term solution at shooting guard, second-year player Gary Harris seems primed to receive more playing time, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post relays. “It’s a huge season,” Harris said. “I don’t think it because other people are saying it. I just think it’s going to be a huge season for myself personally, just for me.”
- With the addition of Tyson Chandler, the Suns‘ defense has the potential to represent one of the team’s greatest improvements, along with perimeter shooting, from the offseason as Phoenix tries to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes.
Central Notes: Thompson, Bucks, Bulls
LeBron James urged that the Cavs and Tristan Thompson need to bend in order to work out a deal as soon as possible because the situation is becoming a distraction and told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (Twitter links), that his Instagram post last night was meant to illustrate that thought.
“The last thing you need is a distraction when you’re trying to make a championship run and we have that,” James told reporters.
Thompson let the deadline pass without signing his qualifying offer earlier this week, which reduces his options to signing a long-term deal with the Cavs, signing an offer sheet from another team or continuing to sit out.
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Cavs coach David Blatt admitted that he needed to learn a lot last year in his first season in the league, but he seems much more comfortable and confident than he was at this point last year, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal details. “I feel more at home,” Blatt told Lloyd. “It wasn’t easy what I had to go through last year from the standpoint of a whole new environment and whole new way of doing things.”
- The Bucks have a few options at point guard heading into this season so it will be interesting to see who emerges during the preseason and what Jason Kidd‘s lineup will look like, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. The Bucks, who already had Michael Carter-Williams and Jerryd Bayless, acquired Greivis Vasquez in a trade with Toronto.
- Players on the Bulls respect their former coach, Tom Thibodeau, but are, at least so far, seemingly happier with new coach Fred Hoiberg‘s player-friendly style, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes after speaking with several veterans.
Cavs Notes: James, Thompson, Jefferson
LeBron James has ended his silence regarding Tristan Thompson‘s contract situation, posting a picture of the two of them on his Instagram account with the caption, “Get it done!!!!! Straight up. #MissMyBrother.”
Thompson let the deadline pass without signing his qualifying offer earlier this week, which reduces his options to signing a long-term deal with the Cavs, signing an offer sheet from another team or continuing to sit out. However, if he does sit out the season, he will remain a restricted free agent next offseason. It was reported on Friday that Thompson and his camp prefer a three-year max contract to the five-year max they sought most of the summer, but Cleveland is uninterested in such a proposal.
Here’s more from the reigning Eastern Conference champs:
- A five-year, $85MM deal would be a logical conclusion to Thompson’s stalemate with the Cavs, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post opines. Such a figure would allow Thompson to get a bigger contract than fellow restricted free agent power forward Draymond Green, who signed a five-year deal worth $82MM with Golden State this summer, while saving Cleveland a significant amount of money in luxury tax payments.
- Kevin Love‘s first year as a Cavalier didn’t go as smoothly as planned, but James believes he will thrive in Cleveland this season, Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “I just think [Love’s] more comfortable in the situation that he’s in,” James said. “He’s got a year under his belt, he knows what he expects out of himself and what his teammates expect out of him. I expect big things from him this year with a year up under his belt.”
- New addition Richard Jefferson hopes to give the Cavs 10-12 minutes each night, but the injury to Shumpert could force him to play more, Vardon writes in the same piece. The veteran is just excited to play alongside the four-time MVP. “With LeBron and his versatility … when you have that piece, kind of like the queen in chess, that can do everything, you realize that, ‘Hey if I can play the four and LeBron can go to the two, somebody else can play the three or vice versa, it makes everyone’s job a lot easier,'” Jefferson said.
Cavaliers Rumors: Thompson, Daye, Cook
Tristan Thompson‘s decision not to accept the Cavaliers’ qualifying offer may indicate that he overestimated the market for his services, writes Zach Lowe of Grantland.com. Thompson and his agent, Rich Paul, had threatened to take the one-year, $6.8MM offer and pursue a max-level deal with another team next summer. Lowe speculates that their change of heart may mean they no longer expect that deal to materialize. The Cavs’ problem is that they won’t have cap space available to pursue a high-salaried replacement for Thompson if he does leave after this season. With only small cap exceptions, the columnist said Cleveland would be limited to chasing players such as Trevor Booker or Ed Davis.
There’s more news out of Cleveland:
- Thompson’s asking price is out of line for a player of his production, according to Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. As a reserve who averaged 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last season, Blancarte contends Thompson isn’t worth either the max deal he sought or the three-year alternative worth nearly $53MM that his representatives floated this week. He notes that Thompson ranked 116th in the league last season with a Real Plus-Minus Rating of 0.86 and sported a 15.6 Player Efficiency Rating (compared to 20 for Davis, who signed just a three-year, $20MM deal with Portland).
- Coach David Blatt’s preference for power forwards who can make three-pointers gives Austin Daye hope of making the roster, writes Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. At 6’11”, Daye is a career 35% shooter from long distance. He has been with five teams in seven seasons and averaged 3.8 points per game last year in 34 games with the Spurs and Hawks.
- Duke rookie Quinn Cook has been impressive during training camp, Pluto writes in the same story. Injuries to Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert have given Cook a larger-than-expected role, and although he isn’t especially athletic, the coaches like Cook’s ability to run a team.
Central Notes: Thompson, Rose, Gansey
Tristan Thompson has become a virtual outsider for the Cavaliers as his training camp holdout continues, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com writes. “Right now, my thoughts are just about the guys that are here and how hard and how well they are working and no specific expectation otherwise,” said coach David Blatt when asked for his reaction to Thompson not signing the team’s qualifying offer. “Just happy to see our guys working as well as they are.” The coach noted that he isn’t losing any sleep over the situation — literally, with Blatt admitting that he was fast asleep when Thursday night’s deadline for Thompson to accept the qualifying offer passed, McMenamin adds. “I was liking the dream I was having,” Blatt said. “Usually I don’t go to sleep that early, but [that] night I was tired. We’re just back at it. We’ve got to focus on the now and here and that’s what we’re doing.”
Here’s what else is happening around the Central Division:
- The city of Chicago’s love for hometown star Derrick Rose is waning rapidly, and the story between him and the Bulls may not have a happy ending, Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com writes. Outside of his numerous injuries the past few seasons, Rose didn’t help public perception of himself with his comments saying that he was looking forward to becoming a free agent in 2017, Jackson notes. “What is interesting about Derrick Rose’s career is the public has seen him grow as a man and a spokesperson for himself and the team. For someone who has played in so little games, he is still the face of the team. He has gone from a shy introvert to an aggressively vocal [player] on the court and defender of himself and team to the media,” communications strategist Micaeh Johnson of Carte Blanche LTD, a Chicago-based public relations firm, told Jackson. When asked what Rose could do to help the public’s perception of him, Johnson said, “In short: Recover, stay away from the media, don’t respond to the sport of media and fan [expletive] talking, speak to his fans with humility and confidence when he returns and play ball.“
- The Pacers have officially named Steve Gansey as the head coach of their new D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced. Gansey spent the 2014/15 season as associate head coach for Cleveland’s affiliate, the Canton Charge.
- The Pistons have been hit by the injury bug at the point guard spot early on in training camp, which will give 2014 second-rounder Spencer Dinwiddie a chance to show what he can do, and potentially earn himself a slot in the team’s regular season rotation, Aaron McMann of MLive.com writes.
Latest On Tristan Thompson
FRIDAY, 8:07am: Thompson and his camp prefer a three-year max contract to the five-year max they sought most of the summer, league sources tell McMenamin. Thompson reportedly became willing to do a three-year max deal last week, but the Cavs are uninterested in such a proposal. The full value of the three-year max for Thompson would be precisely $52,914,188.
11:04pm: Thompson let the deadline pass without signing the qualifying offer, a source tells McMenamin (Twitter link). So, his choices are either to sign a long term deal with the Cavs, sign an offer sheet with another team, or continue to sit out. March 1st would be the last day for him to sign an offer sheet this season, if the saga dragged on that long, and if he held out all season, the Cavs would have the chance to issue another qualifying offer to renew his restricted free agency next July. Both the Cavs and Mark Termini, the negotiator for Paul and the Klutch Sports agency, which represents Thompson, have a history with holdouts, as Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports points out.
2:54pm: The Cavaliers had until last night to extend tonight’s deadline, as former Nets executive Bobby Marks points out (Twitter link), and they decided against it, reports USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt (Twitter link), so the clock ticks for Thompson.
THURSDAY, 2:36pm: The Cavs are operating on the assumption that Thompson will be with team in camp Friday, Griffin said today on NBA TV, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The qualifying offer disappears if Thompson doesn’t accept it by midnight Cleveland time tonight. He would remain a restricted free agent in that scenario. He would be free to re-sign with the Cavs or sign an offer sheet with another team, and Cleveland would retain the right to match any offer he signs. He would simply be unable to sign Cleveland’s qualifying offer.
“We fully expect he’ll be here in some form or fashion [on Friday] and we’re excited to get going,” Griffin told NBA TV. “We’re hopeful that he wants to move forward with his teammates in the same way we want to have Tristan here. If we can come to some agreement we will.”
MONDAY, 4:12pm: LeBron James expressed optimism that Tristan Thompson, who continues to linger in restricted free agency, will work out a new deal with the Cavaliers, and GM David Griffin conveyed similar sentiments at media day today, an event that Thompson didn’t attend. USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt rounds up comments from Griffin and James.
“We feel very good about where this is because of who Tristan is and because of the competitor he is and because of the relationship he has with his teammates,” Griffin said.
Griffin said “nothing is lost by what Tristan is doing right now” and said that he doesn’t find his ongoing free agency a distraction, as Zillgitt also relays. Thursday is the final day that Thompson may accept his qualifying offer of nearly $6.778MM before it expires, barring the unlikely event that Cleveland decides to push that deadline back.
“Double T is a huge piece of our team, and he showed to the world how important he is in the postseason,” James said, according to Zillgitt. “I’m optimistic about him being back. All sides — the team, the organization, Tristan and myself — would love to have him for the long term.”
James, a fellow client of agent Rich Paul, added that he would not get involved in the negotiations, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (Twitter link), a stance he has maintained for months. James was reportedly planning to delay his signing until after Thompson signed his deal, but the four-time MVP instead inked a new contract with the Cavs in early July.
Griffin admitted he would have loved to have come to a deal with Thompson around that time. It appeared on the opening day of free agency that the sides were close on a five-year, $80MM deal, but the power forward instead has sought the max of around $94MM over five years. It again appeared the sides were close to a signing last week, but Thompson and the team still don’t see eye-to-eye. Thompson has threatened to sign his qualifying offer, which would entail a one-year contract, with Paul insisting he won’t re-sign with Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent if it comes to that. I broke down a handful of contract scenarios for the former No. 4 overall pick earlier this week.
Central Notes: Drummond, Felicio, Cavaliers
Pistons center Andre Drummond is cautiously optimistic about his team’s chances heading into the 2015/16 campaign, John Niyo of The Detroit News writes. “I feel like now is the time for us to really do what we set out to do every year,” said Drummond. “We say we’re gonna do one thing, and then one thing leads to another and we don’t do it. But I feel like now, this is our time. We’re on the rise, and we’re gonna do it.” The young big man declined to make a specific prediction for Detroit’s fortunes in 2015/16, but he did say, “It’s just words until you do it. I hate losing. I can’t stand it. It’s the worst feeling. People laughing at our team, that’s not a good feeling. I want to rub it in somebody’s face that we’re a great team.”
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- With the Bulls already carrying 13 players with fully guaranteed deals, power forward Cristiano Felicio, who is in camp on a non-guaranteed pact, could be a victim of the numbers game in his quest to make the regular season roster, but the team is extremely high on his potential, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweets. Coach Fred Hoiberg raved about how strong the 23-year-old is, Johnson adds.
- Cavaliers coach David Blatt said that the team intends to carry the maximum of 15 players on its regular season roster, so all of the camp invitees have a shot at making the final cut, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter).
- Expect Kevin Love to have a more prominent role in the Cavs‘ offense this season, McMenamin writes in a separate piece. LeBron James noted that Love’s importance to the team was illustrated after Love went down during last year’s playoffs with an injury, McMenamin adds. “I think him being out showed even more of what he means to this team, more than him being on the floor for those three and a half games,” James said. “It would’ve been huge for us obviously if he was in the lineup, but it gave him the opportunity to put things in perspective and see what his presence can mean to our team. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to see how important you are.“
- The addition of Steve Blake, who came to the Pistons via a July trade with the Nets, makes perfect sense given the uncertainty surrounding the health of Brandon Jennings, who isn’t expected to return to action until December, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press writes. “It’s exactly what we wanted,” president/coach Stan Van Gundy said. “A guy that’s good enough to come out and be your everyday backup and mature enough that, when Brandon comes back, that if there’s not as much or any minutes there, can handle that role.“
Central Notes: Jackson, Parker, Smith
The Pistons will look to Reggie Jackson, who re-signed with the team this offseason for five years and $80MM, to assume more of a leadership role within the franchise, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press writes. “The best leaders are normally the best followers,” Jackson said. “I have a tendency — I want to do everything perfect. I want to know why it works, why it doesn’t work and everybody’s position on the floor. I like to know what’s going on. Everybody doesn’t deliver the message well, but you have to filter out and listen to the message. I think that goes a long ways. I think a lot of my leadership comes from being willing to listen and in following. If I know how to do things right, then I feel like I’m confident enough to steer you in the right direction without hindering you, questioning myself if I’m giving you good advice.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- J.R. Smith is a fan of Cavaliers coach David Blatt, saying, “Coach really cares about me as a person…I’d run through a brick wall for coach,” Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com tweets.
- Bucks forward Jabari Parker has been medically cleared to participate in training camp activities, but the team will limit how much the second-year player does, Matt Velazquez of The Journal Sentinel writes. “I go within the hours, and whatever I’m able to complete, then you’ll be able to analyze that, but I can’t predict anything,” Parker said about the team’s precautions with him. “I’m just going to give everything I have for the amount of time and opportunity that I get.“
- Before signing with the Cavaliers this summer, Mo Williams sought out and received LeBron James‘ blessing, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group relays. “Yeah, you have to call. This is his team,” said Williams. “That’s no secret. The conversation was made and the feeling was mutual. It was a good conversation.” Williams had been publicly critical of James departing Cleveland to sign with the Heat, but the two have apparently mended fences since then.
- The addition of Greg Monroe as a free agent fits well with the Bucks‘ desire to be a more balanced offensive team, and not to overly rely on the deep ball for offense, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. “The game is looked upon as just shooting threes,” coach Jason Kidd said. “For us, last year we were a team that was very successful in the paint. That’s where we scored a lot of our points and hopefully we can continue that. It’s all right to score twos, and if they’re close to the rim that helps. We have guys that can shoot the three, but we want to be able to get the ball in the paint, take the easy shot first and work inside-out.“
Central Notes: Rose, Ilyasova, Hammond, Crawford
It’s not yet clear how long Derrick Rose will be out with his latest injury, an orbital bone fracture suffered during practice, but it’s poor timing, given that new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg must implement his system in camp without him, and Rose’s recent comments about free agency, opines Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The point guard is well-known for his frequent injuries, but he also makes a habit of remarks that antagonize him to fans, Berger notes. The latest such slip of the tongue came Monday when he talked about all the money he could make when he hits free agency in 2017, the summer the cap is projected to hit $108MM. David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune takes Rose to task for coming across as “a tone-deaf millionaire,” though Rose insists he’s just making prudent plans for the future.
“I’m trying to prepare myself and my family,” Rose said, according to Haugh. “It’s all for my son, even though we’re comfortable. You talk about ‘X’ amount of dollars, it raised everybody’s eyebrows. There’s nothing wrong with being overprepared.”
See more on the Bulls and their Central Division rivals:
- Ersan Ilyasova was discontented with the revolving door of coaches he had with the Bucks and has already taken to Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, who traded for him this past summer, as the stretch four tells Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Van Gundy is entering the second season of a five-year deal. “Me and Stan had this conversation by phone,” Ilyasova said. “It’s a really good thing. I played for a lot of coaches; I never see a coach like this who really cares about you and when you see something like that, you want to give even more. On some level, coach and player, is going to be always issues. The communication is a key all the time and it’s really important. If you have a coach like this, Stan, who is going to explain to you, it helps.”
- Bucks co-owner Wesley Edens said Monday that he felt it important to align the end of GM John Hammond‘s contract with that of coach Jason Kidd, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). The deals for both Hammond and Kidd are set to expire in the summer of 2017 following the one-year extension the Bucks granted Hammond earlier this month.
- The non-guaranteed contract that Jordan Crawford signed with the Bulls is for the minimum salary and covers only one season, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Camp invitees Jake Anderson and Marcus Simmons are also on one-year, non-guaranteed deals for the minimum salary, according to Pincus.
- Cavaliers coach David Blatt bristled last season whenever someone mentioned that he was a rookie NBA head coach, but he admitted Monday that he didn’t realize how much he had to learn about coaching in the league, observes Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Blatt survived apparent early-season doubts from Cavs brass about his performance before guiding the team to the Finals.