Northwest Notes: Wolves, Robinson, Gasol
Flip Saunders, the Wolves‘ president of basketball operations, said it was “unfortunate” the club released rookie Glenn Robinson III when Minnesota claimed Justin Hamilton off waivers, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “We really like Glenn,” Saunders said. “It was unfortunate for him he never really had an opportunity, and we didn’t see that changing. When we drafted him, we didn’t have Andrew Wiggins, so the dynamics of that changed. It’s tough to develop three young players at the same position.” More from the Northwest Division..
- Thunder coach Scott Brooks and star guard Russell Westbrook were part of the team’s recruitment efforts for Pau Gasol over the summer, but neither one is sure how close they were to sealing the deal, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman writes. Brooks would only say that OKC was “one of a few teams” in the mix for Gasol while commending him on his play this season with the Bulls.
- So far, the Enes Kanter trade is looking like a win-win for the Jazz and the Thunder, Doug Robinson of the Deseret News writes. Since the February deal, the Jazz are 5-2 in what has easily been their best stretch of the season and OKC has been getting solid production out of the big man. Utah hasn’t gotten much in the way of on-court impact for this season, of course, but they’re playing better basketball without Kanter and they added assets for the future.
- Chauncey Billups joined Woody Paige and Les Shapiro of The Denver Post to address Kevin Garnett‘s comments about the Nuggets and the ouster of former coach Brian Shaw, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post writes.
Will Joseph contributed to this post.
Alexey Shved Not Planning Return To Europe
When the Rockets dealt guard Alexey Shved to the Knicks at the trade deadline, the club did so believing that he was likely planning a return to Europe next season, an NBA source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. However, Shved, a pending free agent, says that’s not the case.
“I don’t know who said this,’’ Shved said regarding rumblings that he’d be heading overseas next season. “But I’ve never said this. I’m not thinking about that. I want to stay here.”
Shved, 26, didn’t get much playing time in Houston but he’s seeing decent minutes in New York (10.0 minutes per contest through six games) and he says he’d like to make a future with the Knicks. From the Knicks’ perspective, they have to be pleased with the 6’6″ guard’s skill set and his ability to succeed in the triangle offense. Shved obviously won’t be retained at his current salary of $3.5MM, but president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills will be evaluating him for the remainder of the year and could look to re-sign him at a more reasonable price.
In six games for the Knicks, Shved is averaging 10 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per night. The Rockets sent Shved and second round choices in 2017 and 2019 to the Knicks for guard Pablo Prigioni last month.
Teammate Andrea Bargnani was also asked about his own level of interest in returning to Italy after the season and he made it clear that he wants to remain in the NBA, Berman writes.
“Absolutely, I don’t see this question at this point,’’ he said angrily. “What’s the point of the question at this point of season? But yeah, I want to play in the NBA.’’
Bargnani has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, playing just 119 games across the last four years and just eleven games this season. Still, the big man has scored at least 17 points in four of the last five games and hit for 25 twice, including Wednesday’s loss to the Pacers. Like Shved, Bargnani is slated to hit the open market this summer.
Jazz Willing To Pay Buyout For Ante Tomic
The Jazz have informed draft-and-stash prospect Ante Tomic that they’re willing to pay the buyout of his contract with FC Barcelona Bàsquet, according to Joan Solsona of Marca.com (Spanish link, h/t Orazio Cauchi of Sportando). If the two sides finalize a deal, Tomic will get to realize his NBA dream in the 2015/16 season.
The 28-year-old center was the 44th overall pick in the 2008 draft and the Jazz were said to be weighing all options after selecting him. After thinking about trading his rights or buying his Spanish contract out immediately, Utah decided to exercise some patience and wait an extra year to bring the center over the to the States. Back in January, Tomic told David Pick of Eurobasket.com that he still had NBA aspirations and was hopeful that he could make the jump next season.
The collective bargaining agreement allows NBA teams to contribute up to $625K towards an international player’s buyout for the 2015/16 season. Teams can contribute more than that amount, but anything extra counts against the cap and comes out of the player’s paycheck. The cost of Tomic’s buyout has yet to be made public.
Jazz Sign Jerrelle Benimon To 10-Day Deal
In addition to signing Bryce Cotton to another 10-day deal, the Jazz announced the signing of forward Jerrelle Benimon to a 10-day pact. Utah won’t have to release anyone as he’ll be taking over the roster spot previously occupied by Jack Cooley, according to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (on Twitter).
As the press release notes, Benimon is now the 32nd different player to be called up from the D-League this season. With the former Idaho Stampede standout in the fold, the Jazz are at the maximum 15-man roster.
The Towson product appeared in 35 games (29 starts) for the Stampede this season, averaging 19.9 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 34.9 minutes per contest while shooting 62.4% from the floor.
Jazz Sign Bryce Cotton To Second 10-Day
The Jazz announced that they have signed guard Bryce Cotton to a second 10-day contract. Cotton signed his first 10-day with the Jazz on Feb. 24 and has appeared in one game.
Cotton, who had three points, two boards and one assist in seven minutes against the Nuggets on February 27th, was picked up after he impressed as a member of the D-League’s Austin Spurs. In Austin, Cotton averaged 22.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 1.3 SPG in 40.5 minutes per contest. His scoring average placed him third in the D-League this season.
Cotton reportedly turned down several offers to play in Europe that came his way earlier this season in hopes of landing an NBA deal, and he eventually found that opportunity with Utah. The 6’1″ guard signed a partially guaranteed deal with the Spurs in July and although he was waived in October, he did walk away with $50K for his time. Cotton first displayed his skills for Utah when he worked out for the Jazz prior to the 2014 draft.
Brian Shaw Would Have Interest In Magic Job
Brian Shaw would “absolutely” be “very interested” in coaching the Magic if that job were to become available, a person close to the former Nuggets coach told Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Shaw, 49 in a few weeks, spent three seasons (1994/95-1996/97) with the Magic during his playing career.
Of course, it’s no guarantee that the Magic will be looking at Shaw or any other coaching candidate. Recently, GM Rob Hennigan said that interim head coach James Borrego could be considered a candidate to be hired on a permanent basis, Schmitz writes. The Magic are 4-6 under Borrego, who previously served as Jacque Vaughn‘s top assistant.
Magic CEO Alex Martins, meanwhile, told the Sentinel scribe that the team would not begin any search until after the season. However, he indicated that the Magic have received substantial interest in the position.
Shaw was in his second year of a three-year deal with the Nuggets when he was fired earlier this week. Denver dropped 17 of its last 19 games under Shaw and even though GM Tim Connelly said in February that they had no plans of firing Shaw before season’s end, the organization apparently had a change of heart. Shaw finished his Nuggets tenure at a combined 56-85 between this season and last.
Wesley Matthews Tears Achilles, Out For Season
Soon-to-be free agent Wesley Matthews will miss the rest of the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon in Thursday’s win against the Mavs, the Blazers announced (Twitter link). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the news. It’s a crushing blow not only to Portland’s title hopes but to the Jeff Austin client, who appeared poised for a lucrative contract in free agency this summer.
The 28-year-old was averaging 16.1 points in 34.0 minutes per game on 39.1% three-point shooting with a career-best 16.1 PER this season. The trade deadline acquisition of fellow shooting guard Arron Afflalo looms even larger for the Blazers in the wake of Matthews’ injury. It’s too late for Portland to apply for a disabled player exception, but the team does have an open roster spot, another product of that Afflalo trade.
Matthews hinted before the start of the season that he had no intention of leaving the Blazers when he hit the open market in July, and last month he made his preference to stay in Portland clear. The Knicks nonetheless apparently plan to give chase. The Cavs were reportedly a trade suitor for him this season, though it’s unlikely they end up with enough cap flexibility to make a competitive contract offer for him in the offseason.
Just what sort of money a healthy Matthews would have merited isn’t exactly clear, but he was probably set for a significant raise on his salary of more than $7.245MM this season, likely into eight-figure territory, though that’s just my speculation. The torn Achilles clearly hurts his value, though Matthews, a sixth-year veteran, has only missed 13 regular season games in his NBA career. He said tonight that he’ll try to heal within five months, according to Jabari Young of CSNNW.com (Twitter link), which would bring him back to the court in August. Matthews nonetheless acknowledged a more common timetable would encompass about eight months, Young also notes, putting him in line to miss the first few games of the regular season in 2015/16.
Atlantic Notes: Prokhorov, Bargnani, Smart
Nets CEO Brett Yormark told reporters, including John Brennan of The Record, that he does not “think anything’s gonna happen” and that “we have an ownership group that is very committed,” when asked about rumors of a sale of the team by Mikhail Prokhorov. Yormark also added to the pressures of the Nets, who dropped from the eighth seed to the 10th seed after Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets, by saying he wants the team to “own” New York City.
“This market is very competitive,” Yormark said. “As much as I say we don’t compete against the Knicks or the Garden, we do. That’s the reality of it. I’m opportunistic, right? They’re struggling, and – it’s going to be cyclical. So I want to own this city. That’s critical for us. I think the way you own it is by winning and getting to the playoffs this year.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Andrea Bargnani, who’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and who missed all but two of New York’s first 51 games with leg injuries, has stepped up in scoring for the Knicks with Carmelo Anthony out for the season, Peter Botte of The New York Daily News writes. The veteran big man has averaged 17.8 PPG over his last five contests. Bargnani was a buyout candidate as the March 1st deadline for waived players to still be playoff eligible approached.
- Citing Kevin Garnett‘s sharp statistical decline, Andy Vasquez of The Record opines the Nets are a better team since they traded the future Hall of Famer for Thaddeus Young. In his first seven games as a member of the Nets, Young is averaging 12.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per night. Garnett has made four appearances for the Wolves, contributing 8.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 19.3 minutes per game since the swap.
- Marcus Smart, who was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for February, is having a growing impact on the Celtics and as a result, Boston coach Brad Stevens’ confidence in the point guard has increased, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes.
And-Ones: Williams, Curry, Green, Draft
Since being acquired in a February trade, Mo Williams has been thriving with the Hornets, who have won three straight and are currently clinging to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, writes Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. The Hornets are planning on playing both Williams and Kemba Walker together once Walker, who has been cleared to resume all basketball activities, returns to the lineup, Taylor adds. Williams, who’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, is averaging 21.6 points and 8.9 assists in 35.0 minutes per game, and, as Taylor notes, his leadership has been valued by Hornets coach Steve Clifford.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Venezuelan club Marinos de Anzoategui tried to sign former NBA lottery pick Eddy Curry, but visa issues scuttled the deal, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports (Twitter link). The 32-year-old big man last played in the NBA for the Mavs during the 2012/13 campaign.
- JaMychal Green‘s three year deal with the Grizzlies will pay him $134,295 for the remainder of this season, $845,059 in 2015/16, and $980,431 for the 2016/17 season, Eric Pincus of Basketball insiders notes (Twitter link). Green’s deal comes with a partial guarantee of $150K for next season, Pincus adds.
- Texas freshman center Myles Turner’s decision to play for embattled coach Rick Barnes has hurt the NBA prospect’s draft stock, writes Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.
- University of Wisconsin sophomore forward Nigel Hayes might be headed to the NBA, writes Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. Woelfel has heard Hayes is viewed as a late first-round pick with upside. Hayes is not currently listed in the top 100 players by DraftExpress, and is the No. 80 prospect on Chad Ford of ESPN.com‘s (Insider subscription required) big board.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Green, Johnson, Hamilton
Despite the Grizzlies going on a 13-2 run after acquiring Jeff Green from the Celtics the forward has been a mild disappointment so far in Memphis, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal (subscription required) writes. Herrington cites Green sinking multiple three-pointers in a game only once in February, and the starting lineup with Green in it being 12 points worse offensively, per 100 possessions, than when Tony Allen was the starter.
Here’s more from the Western conference:
- The Rockets are sending Nick Johnson down to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Johnson will likely rejoin the Rockets in Portland on Wednesday, he adds.
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr was coy when asked if Golden State had interest in signing free agent big man JaVale McGee, Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group relays. Kerr did say that he didn’t want anything or anyone to disrupt the team’s excellent chemistry, Kawakami adds.
- Justin Hamilton, whom the Wolves claimed off of waivers from the Pelicans, has been on Minnesota’s radar for some time Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press tweets. The Wolves tried to work out a trade with Miami for the big man before he was dealt to New Orleans, Krawczynski adds.
Zach Links contributed to this post.