Western Notes: Thunder, Blazers, Spurs
It would behoove Tim Duncan to convince LaMarcus Aldridge to join the Spurs this summer, Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News writes. The Spurs are reportedly at the top of Aldridge’s list. Duncan, 39, would have a more realistic shot at another title playing alongside Aldridge, a native of Texas, if Duncan decides he wants to play next season, Harvey adds. Harvey also speculates that since Aldridge already has a list of teams in May, the star forward conceivably will be on the move.
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard’s intention to seek a maximum contract extension from the team this offseason is a shrewd move and one that makes Portland’s offseason even trickier, John Canzano of the Oregonian opines. Lillard is basically using Aldridge’s free agency as leverage, Canzano writes. If the team says no to Lillard, it seemingly sends a signal to Aldridge that it’s not invested in competing, Canzano adds. As reported last week, Lillard has no plans to consider agreeing to an extension for less than the designated maximum.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti said he was looking for a coach with tactical gumption and Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman writes the executive found one in former Florida coach Billy Donovan. The new coach wants to put an emphasis on unselfish ball movement and a lot of offensive freedom for players, Mayberry adds, which is similar to what the Thunder tried to implement last season before injuries helped derail expectations. More creativity would benefit the Thunder, Mayberry writes, and the consensus among those the reporter interviewed is that Donovan is the man who can add that aspect to the team. Another important part of the hire is that Donovan has solid experience working with players like Russell Westbrook, who is very talented, but has an emotionally charged personality, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes.
New York Notes: Lopez, Young, Gasol
The Nets have made it clear to Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young — both can opt out of their current deals — that they would like them to return, Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Young said he first would want to see what Lopez plans to do before making a decision. “I definitely wanna see what the big fella’s gonna do also, but we’ve already been told that they expect us back next year and they want us back next year — no matter if we pick up our options or opt out,” Young said. “But for me, like I said, I’m just gonna factor in everything possible across the board and just try to make the right decision.” In what Mazzeo describes as an uncertain offseason for the Nets, Alan Anderson said he plans to opt out of his current deal, while Mirza Teletovic can become an unrestricted free agent if the Nets don’t submit a qualifying offer.
Here’s more from the Big Apple:
- In the same piece, Mazzeo writes that Nets coach Lionel Hollins believes Lopez has the potential to be a franchise player — if the big man’s low-post game gets better.“I think when you look at Brook, I think that you can think about him that way,” Hollins said. “He has some limitations. When I say limitations, I think that if he developed his post-game, he could be a franchise player. But I don’t want to put that pressure on him, to say that if he doesn’t do that, he isn’t. I’m just saying that potentially with size and athleticism and the whole nine yards, from an offensive perspective. But there’s a lot more that goes into a franchise player than just skill, so I don’t even want to go there.” There’s a strong belief around the league, according to previous reports, that Lopez will opt out but re-sign with the Nets on a max deal this summer.
- Lopez said his mind isn’t made up on what to do, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “You know, I don’t know,” Lopez said. “There’s lots of different stuff. I haven’t thought about it at all. The season just ended, so I haven’t given it any thought.”
- Anderson, on the other hand, is very sure about opting out, Bontemps adds in the same piece. “I’m free,” Anderson said. “I mean, I would love to stay in Brooklyn, but I am a free agent. So I will be free.” The Nets, as Bontemps notes, will have Anderson’s Early Bird rights, giving them some additional flexibility to re-sign him, after he spent the past two years with the team.
- Former Knicks player Beno Udrih, who is now on the Grizzlies, said New York doesn’t have much of a shot at landing Memphis’ Marc Gasol, who will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, tweets Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. “They’re not going to get him. He’s a laid-back guy and doesn’t like drama,” Udrih told Zwerling.
Spurs Notes: Ginobili, Duncan, Free Agency
The Spurs need to add some new pieces to help rekindle their desire to keep winning championships, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report opines. A top-level player like the Trail Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge, an unrestricted free agent who is still seeking his first title, would bring more fire to the locker room since the team can no longer count on aging Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker to give the Spurs that competitive edge, Ding adds. Kawhi Leonard does not have the personality to become a leader at this stage of his career while other players, such as Tiago Splitter, have not developed as well as San Antonio had hoped, Ding adds. Chris Paul‘s burning desire to advance in the playoffs was evident as he carried the Clippers past the Spurs in the opening round of the playoffs, while San Antonio often looked complacent during the regular season and that cost it homecourt advantage in the opening series, Ding concludes.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Ginobili offered a candid response about his future, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, saying that he sometimes just wants to be home with his family and the decision on whether or not to come back is a very difficult one.“Some days you feel proud and think you did great,” Ginobili said. “Other games I say, ‘What the hell am I doing here when I should stay home and enjoy my kids?’ So it’s a tough moment. You’ve just got to sit, wait, let it all go and then make a decision.” Last month, Ginobili, 37, said he plans to retire either this coming offseason or next.
- With mainstays without a contract, next season will likely feature a different look to the Spurs, Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News opines. Duncan and Ginobili will become free agents in July. So, too, will starters Kawhi Leonard, who will be restricted, and Danny Green, who is unrestricted. It’s worth noting, as Harvey did, that despite his age (39), Duncan played remarkably well down the stretch. He had 27 points and 11 rebounds in Game 7’s loss to the Clippers. “He’s a miracle to me at 39,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “the way he plays at both ends of the court.”
Will Joseph contributed to this post.
Eastern Rumors: Love, Raptors, Stevens
Kevin Love has a complicated relationship with LeBron James but there’s a good chance that he will remain with the Cavaliers even if he opts out of the final year of his contract this summer, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. James has not spoken to Love about his future plans but said that Love is focused on recovering from shoulder surgery rather than his free-agency options, Finnan adds. Early indications are that Love wants to remain in Cleveland, though Love would draw significant offers on the market despite the injury he suffered during the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Finnan contends. Love has already proven his quality and his potential suitors will look at that rather than being overly concerned about his recovery, Finnan adds.
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews would be a good fit for the Raptors, Doug Smith of the Toronto Sun opines in his weekly mailbag. Matthews, an unrestricted free agent this summer, averaged 15.9 points this season until he suffered a season-ending Achilles’ tendon injury. Toronto should not overspend this summer on the market, even though it also needs help in the frontcourt as well as the wing positions, because it will need plenty of salary-cap room in the summer of 2016, Smith continues. The Raptors should also be patient with center Jonas Valanciunas, Smith argues, pointing out that other top-caliber centers such as Joakim Noah, Roy Hibbert, Tyson Chandler and Marc Gasol need time to develop.
- Brad Stevens has made such a strong impression in his first two seasons with the Celtics that other teams are looking at college coaches much differently when shopping for a new head coach, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports. Stevens’ poised, professional approach to the job, as well as the way he has bonded with younger players and built relationships with veterans, has made it more palatable for NBA teams to look at top-level college coaches, Washburn continues. It paved the way for the Thunder to hire Florida’s Billy Donovan and strongly consider Connecticut’s Kevin Ollie even though the team is in a win-now mode, Washburn adds. Stevens had the benefit of being handed a younger club without many older players to challenge him in the locker room but his transition to the pros has still been an eye-opener, Washburn concludes.
Hoops Links: Rondo, D-League, Rockets
On this date in 1988, Michael Jordan became the first player to score 50 or more points in consecutive playoff games when he drilled Cleveland for 55 points in the Bulls’ 106-101 victory in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first round series. In the game prior, Jordan scored 50 points to power Chicago’s 104-93 victory.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Posterized Basketball tries to pinpoint where it all went wrong with Rajon Rondo.
- Upside Motor has an FAQ for the D-League.
- House Of Houston didn’t get their wish.
- Rant Sports pondered Roy Hibbert‘s future.
- OT Nation previewed the Western Conference semifinals.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Offseason Outlook: Dallas Mavericks
Guaranteed Contracts
- Chandler Parsons ($15,361,500)
- Dirk Nowitzki ($8,333,334)
- Devin Harris ($4,053,446)
- Gal Mekel ($315,759)1
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Dwight Powell ($845,059)2
Options
- Monta Ellis ($8,720,000 — Player)3
- Raymond Felton ($3,950,313 — Player)4
- Al-Farouq Aminu ($1,100,602 — Player)5
Restricted Free Agents/Cap Holds
- Bernard James ($1,181,348) — $1,181,348 qualifying offer6
Unrestricted Free Agents/Cap Holds
- Tyson Chandler ($22,270,331)7
- Rajon Rondo ($16,441,500)
- No. 21 pick ($1,207,500)
- J.J. Barea ($947,276)
- Richard Jefferson ($947,276)
- Greg Smith ($947,276)
- Amar’e Stoudemire ($947,276)
- Charlie Villanueva ($947,276)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (21st overall)
- 2nd Round (52nd overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $28,064,039
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $845,059
- Options: $13,770,915
- Cap Holds: $44,655,711
- Total: $87,335,724
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban undoubtedly didn’t start the season with the thought that it would end with a meek 4-1 series loss to archrival Houston in the first round of the playoffs. Such an ending had seemingly become much less likely when the Mavs traded for Rajon Rondo in December. Instead, Rondo didn’t play like the top-tier point guard he used to be, clashed with coach Rick Carlisle, and came to a mutual agreement with the team to part ways midway through that Rockets series. The most significant move Dallas made this past season could scarcely have turned out more poorly. It wasn’t the true worst-case scenario, since the Mavs made the playoffs and avoided having to forfeit their would-be lottery pick per the terms of the Rondo trade, but times have changed from when it appeared that Cuban would do whatever was necessary to keep the starting lineup together for next season.
The failure of Rondo to play up to expectations leaves the Mavs at square one in their quest for the high-performing point guard that so many other NBA teams have nowadays. Backup Devin Harris was an All-Star in 2009 and is signed through 2017/18, but his time as an elite point guard was fleeting, and it would be surprising to see the Mavs settle on him as the starter. The free agent market is thin for point guards this summer, with Goran Dragic and Reggie Jackson strong bets to return to the Heat and Pistons, respectively. The Suns will surely be loath to let Brandon Knight go after giving up their protected first-rounder from the Lakers in the trade to acquire him, so it would take a bloated offer sheet for Phoenix to even consider not matching.
Dallas could travel the same route it took with Chandler Parsons last summer and give Knight a deal close to the maximum salary with a player option after year two, one that the Rockets found too player-friendly to match. Paying at or near max money to two players who aren’t truly worthy of those salaries comes with its consequences, though Knight, like Parsons last year, is only eligible for the 25% max, not the 30% or 35% the NBA reserves for longer-tenured veterans. The catapulting salary cap would render such a deal much less burdensome in years two and three, so it’s a strategy to consider. The Mavs also have a chance to evoke Parsons memories if they chase Patrick Beverley, which would entail a bid for a Rockets restricted free agent a second year in a row. There’s mutual interest between Houston and Beverley in a new deal, though again, the Mavs could shoehorn their way into consideration with an offer to overpay him.
Still, there are legitimate questions about whether Beverley or Knight can play the point at an elite level. The trade market might be more fruitful, with Ty Lawson the most obvious candidate. Deron Williams could probably be had, but finding the salaries to match wouldn’t be easy, and Nets coach Lionel Hollins put it bluntly this weekend when he said that Williams isn’t a franchise player anymore. Maybe the Bulls would entertain a Derrick Rose deal if they can’t get past a weakened Cavs team in the playoffs, but his salary and questions about his status as a franchise player are complicating factors, too.
The frontcourt is a different story, and there appears to be a level of mutual interest between the Mavs and both LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan. The most natural fit would be Jordan, who would give the Mavs a chance to upgrade from soon-to-be free agent Tyson Chandler with a younger, more athletic version of Chandler. Aldridge is generally the more well-regarded player, but he plays the same position as franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki, who’s still perhaps the team’s best player. It would be difficult for the Mavs to get by defensively with either Aldridge or Nowitzki at center or small forward, so it’s tough to envision them playing side-by-side for significant stretches. The Mavs, with only about $28MM in guaranteed salary against a projected $67.1MM cap, technically have the wherewithal to sign both, but Raymond Felton is almost certain to opt in for more than $3.95MM, and if Monta Ellis opts in to $8.72MM, the idea of signing two max-level free agents is essentially kaput barring salary-clearing trades. Regardless, signing both Aldridge and Jordan would be overloading the frontcourt at the expense of the guard positions, and it would more than likely require the team to renounce its rights to Ellis if he does opt out.
An Ellis opt-out would present the Mavs with another conundrum. He led the team in scoring but slumped in the second half and shot an atrocious 16.9% from three-point range in regular season games after the All-Star break. He canned 11 of 30 three-point attempts in the playoffs, but outside shooting has never been his calling card. That’s an inauspicious trait for a shooting guard who’ll turn 30 when next season begins, so a long-term deal at market value would be troublesome for the Mavs. Still, Ellis has probably played his way into making eight-figure salaries again after two years of pulling in an average of a little more than $8MM with the Mavs. Even a starting salary of $14.63MM, the most Dallas could give him through his Early Bird rights, wouldn’t impinge upon the Mavs, at least in a vacuum, as long as he agrees to a short-term arrangement. Still, if the team signs a scorer at another position, perhaps Dallas would look harder at lower-cost alternatives at shooting guard, like Arron Afflalo, Lou Williams and Wesley Matthews.
Cuban acknowledged that he erred when he let Chandler go after one season in 2011, but a repeat wouldn’t necessarily be a mistake this time around. The 32-year-old was healthy this year, playing in 75 games, and he delivered the third-best rebounding season of his career while finishing 10th in Basketball-Reference’s Defensive Box Plus Minus among centers who played at least 1,000 minutes. Still, Jordan was fifth in that metric and the league’s leading rebounder, so the chance to upgrade would be difficult for the Mavs to pass up. Chandler probably wouldn’t accept a backup role or the salary that would come with it if Jordan came to take his place. Jordan probably represents the Mavs’ best shot at landing a defensive anchor who’s clearly superior to Chandler, so if the Clippers re-sign their center, the wisdom of re-signing Chandler becomes a matter of his willingness to sign a short-term deal, just as with Ellis.
Felton, whom the Mavs took on in order to reacquire Chandler last summer, and Harris were the only two Mavs reserves who weren’t making the minimum salary at the end of the season. That’ll have to change if the Mavs want to retain the best of their bench, particularly Al-Farouq Aminu, who’s opting out. He and the Mavs have mutual interest in a new deal, but the Celtics intend to wedge their way into the discussion, and other opposing teams will probably follow for the versatile forward who proved an eminently valuable defender. The Mavs only have his Non-Bird rights, and if they open cap space, they’d either have to use a chunk of that or the $2.814MM room exception to re-sign Aminu, the latter of which would probably require the Raymond Brothers client to take a discount from market value.
The same could be said for Amar’e Stoudemire, who still averaged double-digit scoring even in just 16.5 minutes per game down the stretch for Dallas. J.J. Barea has hinted that it won’t be as difficult for the Mavs to re-sign him this time around as when he bolted for a four-year, $18MM deal in 2011, so perhaps Dallas could retain him using Non-Bird rights for a 20% raise on the minimum salary. Charlie Villanueva was a long shot to make this year’s team on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal, but he did so and averaged 6.3 PPG in 10.6 MPG, probably enough to warrant a guaranteed minimum salary arrangement this time around, and he’s spoken of a desire to keep working with Carlisle.
The Mavs still haven’t landed the marquee free agent they’ve hoped for ever since breaking up their 2011 championship team, the Parsons signing notwithstanding, and they still haven’t won a playoff series since walking off the floor with the NBA title. Dallas nonetheless has the makings of an attractive destination, with no state income tax, relatively mild winter weather and, most importantly, an existing roster that won 50 games this past season. The ultimate decisions rest with the elite free agents, and not the Mavs, so if they overlook Dallas again, there will be more pressure than ever on Cuban and GM Donnie Nelson to make creative moves to maintain a winning team around the aging Nowitzki.
Cap Footnotes
1 — The Mavs waived Mekel in October and used the stretch provision to spread his guaranteed salary for 2015/16 over a three-year period. The number represented above is the amount owed to Mekel in 2015/16 following the application of the provision.
2 — Powell’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he remains under contract through opening night.
3 — The cap hold for Ellis would be $11,336,000 if he opts out.
4 — The cap hold for Felton would be $7,505,595 if he opts out.
5 — The cap hold for Aminu would be $947,276 if he opts out.
6 — The cap hold for James would be $947,276 if the Mavericks decline to make a qualifying offer.
7 — The cap hold for Chandler will be the lesser of $22,270,331 and the NBA’s maximum salary for a veteran of 10 or more seasons.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Green, McNeal, Paul
The Lakers should forget about free agent Rajon Rondo and stick with Jordan Clarkson as their point guard, contends Howard Ruben of Bleacher Report. The rookie out of Missouri showed poise from the time he took over the position, Ruben writes, making Rondo unnecessary. Clarkson is a much more affordable alternative, with a non-guaranteed salary of $845K for next season. Ruben also notes that Los Angeles has a shot to draft D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, either of whom could be a long-term answer at point guard.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Whether they’re able to keep him this summer or not, the Warriors understand the value of Draymond Green, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Green has been a force for Golden State both offensively and defensively this season, as he showed by frustrating the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis in a first-round sweep. “He does everything; he’s a jack of all trades,” coach Steve Kerr said of Green. “On top of that, he’s one of our leaders and the guy who talks the most trash to the other team, to the refs, to his teammates, to me. He’s kind of our life line.” Green is almost certain to command a max deal this summer, but he can cement that by continuing to shine in the playoffs.
- Jerel McNeal hopes to continue his NBA career after earning a late-season spot on the Suns‘ roster, writes Matt Petersen of NBA.com. After an outstanding season with Bakersfield in the D-League, Phoenix signed McNeal to a 10-day contract April 1st, then rewarded him with a two-year deal April 11th, although no money is guaranteed beyond this season. “I’ll probably end up doing Summer League with Phoenix and just use that as another opportunity to show what I can do and go do what the coaching staff asks,” McNeal said. “I’ll do whatever I need to do to stick around.”
- Chris Paul gave the Clippers the kind of moment they were hoping for when they traded for him in 2011, according to Ben Golliver of SI.com. Playing with an injured hamstring, Paul scored with 1 second left to defeat the Spurs in Game 7 of their playoff series. It was a breakthrough moment for Paul, who has often been the target of criticism for his playoff performances. The hamstring problem may force Paul to miss Monday’s opener of the Rockets series, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Rockets, Barea
After Saturday’s Game 7 loss to the Clippers, thoughts quickly turned to the Spurs‘ future, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Specifically, the questions were about Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, and whether this was the final game of their long NBA careers. Duncan dismissed questions on the topic, saying, “I’m not making any statements.” Ginobili was a little more open. “I don’t want to make a decision after being a disappointment in a game like this,” he said. “So I’ll have a lot of time. I will sit with my family and try to evaluate what happened during the season, how I feel and if I am ready to go at it again. I guess the Spurs are going to have to make a decision, too, and see what they want to do.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- GM R.C. Buford said the Spurs will give Duncan, Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich plenty of time to ponder their future, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “We’re not going to rush them,” he said. “They’ll have time to talk amongst themselves, and we’ll have time to listen to what they’re saying and act accordingly.” Along with Duncan and Ginobili, San Antonio has seven other players who will become free agents in July. That list includes starters Kawhi Leonard, who will be restricted, and Danny Green, who is unrestricted.
- Two huge moves in December turned the Rockets into a team that could win in the playoffs, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Within seven days, the team reached a deal with the Wolves for Corey Brewer and signed Josh Smith after he was waived by the Pistons. They improved the team’s bench, tightened its defense and brought a veteran presence to Houston for the postseason. “If we don’t have Brew and Josh come to our team, we’re not here right now, doing this,” coach Kevin McHale said. “Those two guys have been fantastic for us.” Smith will be a free agent this summer; Brewer has a player option worth $4.9MM.
- Free agent J.J. Barea hopes his future is with the Mavericks, writes Tim Cato of mavsmoneyball.com. “It feels like home for me here in Dallas,” Barea said, “so hopefully I can come back and finish my career here for the next couple years.”
Southeast Notes: Gortat, Sessions, Wittman
After an up-and-down regular season, Marcin Gortat is justifying the Wizards‘ faith in him in the playoffs, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Last summer, Gortat received a five-year, $60MM contract that made him one of the team’s cornerstones. But the relationship began to sour around midseason when Gortat’s playing time and touches both declined. However, the team started using more small-ball lineups — a philosophy that Gortat thrived under in Phoenix — and his numbers improved, especially in the first-round sweep of the Raptors. “I mean, he is 7 feet, so we got to get him the ball whenever he’s open,” teammate Bradley Beal said of Gortat. “You got to throw it to him because he can score.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division on a playoff Sunday:
- A midseason trade to the Wizards has reinvigorated Ramon Sessions, Castillo writes in a separate story. Washington sent Andre Miller to Sacramento at the deadline in exchange for Sessions in hopes of bringing a faster pace to its second unit. The Wizards have been pleasantly surprised by his shooting since the deal — 41.4% from the field and 43.9% from three-point range. Sessions admits he was playing the worst basketball of his career with the Kings, which he attributes to a back injury and a changing role on a team that had three coaches before the deal.
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis says coach Randy Wittman makes “proper use of analytics,” despite his old-school approach, Castillo writes in another story. One way that Wittman has adapted to the new thinking around the NBA is by using Paul Pierce and Drew Gooden as stretch fours in the series against the Raptors. “I didn’t really understand it, and I mean that sincerely,” Leonsis said of an ESPN report that listed the Wizards as “skeptics” when it comes to analytics. “I read it and I just said, ‘I think that’s because our coach is not driven by PR.’ ”
- Jeff Teague‘s emergence as an elite defender helped the Hawks become the top seed in the East, according to KL Chouinard of nba.com. Teague limited opposing guards to just 38.4% from the field this season and 42.8% from two-point range. He is in the middle of a four-year, $32MM contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in 2017.
Northwest Notes: Lawson, Matthews, Crabbe
Ty Lawson‘s days with the Nuggets may be numbered, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Lawson created a stir on Instagram last week when he responded to a question from a Mavericks fan about playing in Dallas with the phrase, “I wish.” The incident might not mean much on its own, but Dempsey points out that there were rumors this season that Lawson wanted out of Denver. He writes that Lawson was never comfortable in former coach Brian Shaw’s halfcourt offense, and that the constant losing wore him down. Dempsey charges that Lawson undermined Shaw by not playing as hard as he could and by having a series of off-court disciplinary problems.
There’s more news from the Northwest Division:
- Free agent Wesley Matthews isn’t sure if he’ll be back in Portland next season, reports Kerrry Eggers of The Portland Tribune. Matthews, 28, is still rehabbing from surgery he had in March for a torn Achilles tendon. He will be among the top shooting guards on the market this summer. “So much stuff can happen between now and when free agency starts,” he said in response to a question about returning to the Blazers. “Ideally, perfect situation, yeah, who doesn’t want to go for the ideal, perfect situation? But right now, my focus is on getting [the foot] right.” Center Robin Lopez said he is “very open” to re-signing with Portland.
- Allen Crabbe filled in effectively when the Blazers needed him, but still faces an uncertain future in the NBA, according to Jabari Young of CSNNW.com. Crabbe appeared in 51 games this season and helped the team go 4-0 as a starter when Nicolas Batum was sidelined with an injury. But Crabbe’s contract for next year isn’t guaranteed, which means he will have to fight to earn a roster spot. “The offseason is really going to have to be a lot of focus on the things I need to improve on,” Crabbe said.
- Billy Donovan’s biggest challenge as Thunder coach will be to get his stars to buy into his system, writes Royce Young of ESPN. At Florida, Donovan ran an NBA-style offense that emphasized trust over individuality, but NBA stars don’t necessarily like that approach to the game. Scott Brooks tried to invoke a similar philosophy last season, Young notes, but it was overwhelmed by injuries.