Atlantic Notes: Towns, Sixers, Nets, Sullinger
Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns said Knicks president Phil Jackson has the “presence” he’s looking for in his NBA experience, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. “He knows how to win,” Towns said. “At the end of the day, what every player wants to do is win. If I have the opportunity to ever play for the Knicks, that’s what I would love to do.’’ Towns, who is expected to be the first or second player taken in next month’s draft, declined to say if he is rooting for the Knicks — or any other team — to land the top pick. Berman notes that Jackson has said repeatedly that he wants a defensive-oriented center, indicating a preference for Towns over Duke’s Jahlil Okafor.
There’s more this morning from the Atlantic Division:
- Towns would be a better fit than Okafor with the Sixers, contends Tom Moore of Calkins Media. He argues that Towns’ shooting range and perimeter defense make him an intriguing frontcourt partner for Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid.
- Count Joe Johnson among the many Nets who expect major changes this offseason, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. “I’m sure something is going to happen,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what, but I don’t see us coming back with the same team. This is my third year here and I could see if each year we’ve gotten better, but it’s kind of been the opposite.” Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young and Alan Anderson can all opt out of their current deals. Anderson has already said he plans to test the market, while Lopez and Young haven’t committed. Mirza Teletovic can become an unrestricted free agent if the Nets don’t submit a qualifying offer.
- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Jared Sullinger needs to improve his conditioning if he wants to prosper in the NBA, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. “I’m a big fan of Jared’s, and I think he has a very, very bright future,” Ainge said. “But I think he’s hurting the longevity of his career and his play now by not being in as good of shape as he can be in.” Sullinger is still on his rookie contract and is under Boston’s control through the 2016/17 season.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Mavericks, Rockets
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich gave an early indication that he will return next season, along with free agents Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Responding to a question shortly after San Antonio’s Game 7 loss to the Clippers Saturday night, Popovich said, “We’ll probably come back. The paycheck’s pretty good.” Duncan refused to answer two questions about returning, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Ginobili was also vague about retiring, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “I don’t know, it could happen,” he said. “But I’m not going to make that decision now.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Rajon Rondo still has all-star talent, but he was a terrible fit in the Mavericks‘ system, argues Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. In his post-season report card, the columnist gives Rondo an F for his time in Dallas, but says finding a point guard to replace him won’t be easy. Sefko also expects Charlie Villanueva to get a much bigger contract next season and said the team needs to spend to keep Tyson Chandler.
- The “Grandpas” have become key playoff contributors for the Rockets, writes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. That’s James Harden‘s nickname for point guards Jason Terry and Pablo Prigioni, both 37, who have seen increased playing time since a wrist injury to starter Patrick Beverley. Terry came to Houston in September in a little-noticed trade with Sacramento. Prigioni was acquired in a deadline deal with the Knicks. “They’ve done a great job seriously of doing everything right, defensive schemes, knocking down shots, being vocal leaders, going out there and being ready every single night and it’s carried us every single night,” Harden said. Terry will be a free agent in July; Prigioni is scheduled to make $1.7MM next season, but only $440K of that is guaranteed.
- The Pelicans should try to re-sign Omer Asik, but at a price far less than the $14.8MM he earned this season, contends John Reid of The Times-Picayune. If they can’t agree to terms with the free agent center, Reid recommends pursuing Blazers’ free agent Robin Lopez, who made nearly $6.125MM this season. Reid also advises trying to reach a new deal with backup center Alexis Ajinca.
Celtics Rumors: Ainge, Jerebko, Bass, Crowder
The Celtics are looking forward to having cap space this summer for the first time in recent memory, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The team has to renounce some trade exceptions and cap holds (including Stephon Marbury and Shaquille O’Neal) to get there, but president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is enjoying the thought of having some ammunition — possibly as much as $33.2MM — to chase free agents. “We need to use that space wisely,” Ainge said. “We can’t just spend it just because we have it.”
There’s much more from Boston:
- The Celtics have important decisions to make on unrestricted free agents Jonas Jerebko and Brandon Bass, Forsberg writes in a separate story. He says Boston would like to keep Jerebko, who became an important bench player after being acquired in a trade with the Pistons. However, Jerebko’s large cap hold could make that problematic, and a decision will have to be made before the Celtics can start pursuing free agents. Forsberg adds that the team’s depth at power forward will likely make Bass expendable.
- Ainge wouldn’t commit to bringing back Jerebko or Bass — or restricted free agents Gigi Datome and Jae Crowder — but he had encouraging words for all four, writes Brian Robb of Boston.com. “I would just say that we like all of them to some degree,” Ainge replied. “Some of it’s going to be dependent on numbers and roster spots and draft and trades and everything else.”
- To become a contender, the Celtics need to find a rim protector, more size and depth in the frontcourt and a true superstar, contends Rich Levine of CSNNE.com. He also touts Crowder and Marcus Smart as the only current Celtics worthy of being locked up to long-term deals.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Vucevic, Hornets
The slow pace of the Magic’s coaching search may be tied to the Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando hasn’t interviewed anyone for the opening since the season ended, and Robbins notes that many speculate the Magic are waiting to see if Chicago fires Thibodeau after its playoff run ends. The Nuggets are the only other NBA team with a coaching vacancy, and many league insiders say the Magic’s job is considered more attractive in coaching circles. So there is little pressure to fill the job right away, but that could change soon if Dwane Casey is fired in Toronto.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The four-year extension Nikola Vucevic agreed to in October should be a bargain for the Magic once the new television deal takes effect, Robbins contends in a separate story. Vucevic’s contract can be worth up to $53MM, which could be cheap for a productive center with the expected jump in the salary cap. The deal could eventually make Vucevic, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder this season, an attractive trade piece, but Robbins said he’s definitely in Orlando’s immediate plans. “They signed me here for the future, and that’s a responsibility I wanted: to be one of these leaders on the team,” Vucevic said.
- An early-season ankle sprain was a bad omen for the Magic’s Kyle O’Quinn, writes Ken Hornack of Fox Sports Florida. The third-year player missed nearly a month with the ankle and was limited to just 51 games for the season. He will become a restricted free agent in July after making slightly more than $900K this year. “I don’t think that’s the biggest thing I have to worry about right now,” he said about free agency. “My biggest thing is being a better player, becoming more of a student of a game, getting back to where I need to be.”
- The Hornets would like to own and operate their own D-League franchise, reports Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Eight teams currently have that arrangement with their D-League affiliates, while eight others fund the franchise and handle the basketball — but not the business — side of the operation. Charlotte officials have targeted seven cities in the Carolinas: Asheville, Charleston, Columbia, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville (S.C.) and Raleigh. “We think this is a great opportunity for our basketball people to have complete autonomy and control of how that part of the business is run,” said team president Fred Whitfield.
Central Notes: Love, Bucks, Kidd, Henson
Whether he stays in Cleveland or not, Kevin Love has some intriguing financial decisions to make, according to Chris Haynes of Northeast Ohio Media Group. Love, whose first playoff run with the Cavaliers was cut short by injury, can opt out of his contract for next season, which is worth $16.7MM. Love stated in January that he planned to opt in and put off free agency until 2016, but Haynes notes that some circumstances have changed, including the shoulder injury, which could make Love seek long-term security right away. Cleveland owns his Bird Rights and can offer a five-year max deal, while other teams are limited to four years.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Bucks coach Jason Kidd sees a bright future after his first season in Milwaukee, writes Jim Hoehn of The Associated Press. Although the Bucks were bounced from the playoffs Thursday with a 54-point loss to the Bulls, their 26-game improvement in the regular season is cause for optimism. Milwaukee will also benefit from the return of rookie Jabari Parker, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in December. Most of the Bucks’ key players are under contract for next season, but Jared Dudley can opt out and Khris Middleton is a restricted free agent. “I definitely feel like everybody wants me back here, but at the end of the day, it is a business,” Middleton said. “So, you’ve got to make the right decision for you, but I would just love to be here.”
- Kidd deserves the title of “point guard on the sidelines,” contends Steve Aschburner of nba.com. He credits the coach with infusing his personality into the Bucks and helping the team stay afloat after the injury to Parker, the buyout of Larry Sanders and the trade of Brandon Knight.
- The Bucks‘ John Henson saved some of his best games for the playoffs, writes Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. After a subpar regular season, the Milwaukee reserve averaged nearly a double-double in the loss to the Bulls. “He brings a lot of energy off the bench,” Middleton said of his teammate. “He is a long, athletic big who can challenge at the rim.” Henson is signed through next season and will make nearly $3MM in 2015/16.
Nets Rumors: Hollins, Williams, Lopez, Young
Nets coach Lionel Hollins offered a blunt assessment of point guard Deron Williams, telling Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork, “He’s not a franchise player anymore,” Hollins’ comments came a day after Brooklyn’s short playoff run ended with a Game 6 loss to the Hawks. Williams averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 assists in the series, while shooting just 39.1% from the floor. The veteran guard is under contract with Brooklyn for two more seasons, although he can opt out of the final year. The Nets owe him $21MM next year and $22.3MM in 2016/17.
There’s more news out of Brooklyn:
- It could be a summer of change for the Nets, according to Howard Megdal of USA Today. He notes that both Williams and Joe Johnson have been the subjects of trade rumors, while Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young can opt out of their current deals. Young said he wants to see what Lopez does before making a decision, Mazzeo tweets. Young confirmed that the Nets would like both players to return.
- Lopez tells Tim Bontemps of The New York Post that he hasn’t made up his mind about his future. The Nets’ center has one more year on his contract; he will make more than $16.7MM next season if he doesn’t opt out, but will become an unrestricted free agent for the first time if he does. “The season just ended,” Lopez said, “so I haven’t given it any thought.” Bontemps notes that Lopez had his best career stretch after the All-Star break, averaging 19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 52.5% from the field.
- The Nets are congratulating themselves too much for this year’s playoff appearance, writes Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. He argues that 38 wins and an early exit from the postseason is way too little to expect from a team with the league’s highest payroll and three players with maximum contracts.
Northwest Notes: Donovan, Matthews, Durant
New Thunder coach Billy Donovan indicated that he had no second thoughts about making the jump to the NBA this time, unlike his previous flirtation with the Magic back in 2007, Royce Young of ESPN.com writes. “I think the Orlando situation really had nothing to do with Orlando,” Donovan said. “It had a lot more to do with me and I think where I was at, at that time in my life. We were coming off two national championships and I didn’t feel like my job was completed there. I felt like I had more to do. This time around, when Sam [Presti] called and said he wanted to meet and talk, I knew it was going to have to take something very, very special.”
Here’s what else is happening around the Northwest Division:
- Donovan also understands that his new job with the Thunder comes with a level of pressure and expectations that he didn’t have to deal with coaching at the NCAA level, Young notes. “I think any time you walk into the unknown, there’s going to be a level of uncertainty — I don’t think there’s any question about that. I’m OK with that,” Donovan said. “I’m excited for the challenge, I’m excited to bring value.“
- Unrestricted free agent Wesley Matthews says that his ideal outcome would be to re-sign with the Trail Blazers this summer, Sean Meagher of The Oregonian writes. The swingman also acknowledged that he has the ideal setting for him in Portland as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered this season. “So much stuff can happen between now and when free agency starts,” Matthews said. “Ideally, perfect situation, yeah. Who doesn’t want to go for the perfect situation?“
- One of Donovan’s most important jobs as coach of the Thunder will be to build rapport with Kevin Durant, who can depart as an unrestricted free agent after the 2015/16 campaign, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman notes. The new coach addressed his star’s pending free agency, saying, “Whatever decision that he [Durant] has to make, I feel very, very strongly about the organization, about [GM] Sam Presti, about Mr. [Clay] Bennett and the [franchise’s] commitment. I think a lot of those things probably line up with Kevin and how he feels. So I feel very, very confident in the organization and I think the organization and Kevin – from an outsider because I’m just coming in right now – are a great match.”
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Lakers
The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season. We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll continue onward with a look back at how the Lakers utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…
D-League Team: Los Angeles D-Fenders
Affiliation Type: One-to-one
D-League Team Record: 17-33
Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 4
Total D-League Assignments: 9
Player Stats While On Assignment
- Jordan Clarkson: 5 assignments, 5 games, 22.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 7.8 APG. .500/.222/.810.
- Xavier Henry: 2 assignments, 2 games, 26.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG. .455/.500/.895.
- Tarik Black: 1 assignment, 1 game, 23.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 3.0 APG. .643/.500/.833.
- Ryan Kelly: 1 assignment, 1 game, 30.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG. .444/.333/.917.
D-League Signings
- Vander Blue (L.A. D-Fenders-Lakers affiliate): Signed for the remainder of season on April 13th.
- Dwight Buycks (Oklahoma City Blue-Thunder affiliate): Inked a 10-day pact on April 3rd.
- Jabari Brown (L.A. D-Fenders-Lakers affiliate): Signed 1st 10-day contract on March 10th; inked 2nd 10-day deal on March 21st; signed multiyear deal on April 1st.
Assignment/Recall Log
- November 15th: Assigned Jordan Clarkson (Recalled November 16th)
- November 15th: Assigned Xavier Henry (Recalled November 16th)
- Novermber 22nd: Assigned Jordan Clarkson (Recalled November 23rd)
- November 22nd: Assigned Xavier Henry (Recalled November 23rd)
- December 6th: Assigned Jordan Clarkson (Recalled December 7th)
- December 18th: Assigned Jordan Clarkson (Recalled December 19th)
- January 3rd: Assigned Jordan Clarkson (Recalled January 4th)
- January 3rd: Assigned Tarik Black (Recalled January 4th)
- January 30th: Assigned Ryan Kelly (Recalled January 31st)
Eastern Notes: Magic, Celtics, Middleton
The Magic‘s biggest need heading into the 2015 NBA draft is for a rim protector who can also stretch the floor with his shooting, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Two players who could fill that need, and who Orlando could look to select in the first round, are Kristaps Porzingis or Willie Cauley-Stein, Robbins notes. While Porzingis may have a higher ceiling, the Magic’s need to win now may predicate the team targeting the more NBA-ready big man in Cauley-Stein, the Sentinel scribe adds. Orlando had hoped it found the stretch-four it was seeking when the team inked Channing Frye to a four-year, $32MM contract last summer. But Frye only notched averages of 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in his 75 appearances for the team in 2014/15.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Nets have not picked up the team option on assistant GM Bobby Marks‘ contract for 2015/16, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). The deadline to do so was May 1st, though the team could still elect to extend Marks’ deal once other offseason personnel decisions have been made, Mazzeo adds.
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens is looking forward to what he hopes is a productive offseason for the franchise, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes. When asked what he was most excited about this summer, Stevens responded, “I like the draft. I think it’s a fun thing to watch guys, to come in to learn, to meet them in interviews, to talk to them. I know a lot of them or at least a lot about them. And then free agency, we didn’t get a chance to experience it much last year because we didn’t have any [salary cap] space. And we knew that. We made a couple of calls but really we didn’t have any chance, because we didn’t have very much money available.“
- Khris Middleton, coming off of a season where he averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds, both career highs, is likely in line for a hefty pay raise this summer. The Bucks can make the 23-year-old a restricted free agent if they tender him a qualifying offer worth $2,725,003. For his part, Middleton hopes to re-sign with Milwaukee this offseason, Matt Velazquez of The Journal Sentinel writes. “I got here, nobody really knew what to expect,” Middleton said. “We had a terrible season, then this year I feel like we found our foundation of what we can be and what we can become. I feel like we have a great young team going in the right direction. Would love to be a part of that here.“
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 4/26/15-5/2/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“If both Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili return to the Spurs next season, what happens to San Antonio’s chances to land a big name free agent like LaMarcus Aldridge?” — Kelly
Well, the short answer is that it doesn’t help those chances one bit financially. But from a recruitment standpoint it would be a nice selling point for Spurs GM R.C. Buford to have in his pocket when he meets with Aldridge and his representatives. The appeal of playing alongside those two veterans, along with young star Kawhi Leonard, sure sounds better than what most teams would be able to sell Aldridge. And that’s on top of playing in his home state of Texas, which also happens to lack a state income tax, which would mean more of Aldridge’s salary would remain in his possession.
As for the numbers involved, the Spurs have roughly $34,159,326 in guaranteed salary on the books for next season already, not counting Leonard’s cap hold, which will be in the ballpark of $7,235,148. With the 2015/16 salary cap expected to be approximately $67MM, some quick math shows that would leave San Antonio around $25,605,526 to work with. If the team were to offer Aldridge a max contract, which is what it would likely take to reel him in, that would eat up roughly $19MM of that amount. While Duncan and Ginobili are both fantastic team-first guys, the idea of them splitting under $7MM of salary for next season seems like a tremendous flight of fancy to me. Of course, Aldridge could elect to take less, or sign a one-year deal to try and cash in on the expected salary cap jump in 2016. But those are extremely unlikely scenarios as well. So, if both veterans return next season, the Spurs probably can’t land Aldridge, or Marc Gasol, who is also reportedly on the team’s wish list this offseason.
“If the Mavs have to choose between signing DeAndre Jordan and Tyson Chandler this offseason, who should they pick?” — Deacon
This is going to be a difficult call for the Mavs this summer. Chandler is a great team guy who seems to love it in Dallas, and he obviously fits in with the franchise’s culture. Not a small consideration in the wake of how poor a fit Rajon Rondo was after being acquired from Boston. But Chandler, 32, is six years older than Jordan, which is a lifetime when looking at NBA big men. Chandler showed he can still be an asset with his play this season, but his best basketball is most assuredly behind him.
Jordan is currently in his prime, and will be coming off a very solid and highly productive campaign for the Clippers. Replacing Chandler with Jordan would certainly be considered an upgrade, both in the short-term, as well as over the life of a four-year contract, which is almost assuredly what Jordan will be seeking this offseason. The Mavs do need to work on getting younger, and adding a talented big man like Jordan would certainly help this process.
The wildcard here is what other moves the Mavs wish to make this offseason. I haven’t seen any reports on what kind of deal Chandler will be seeking this summer just yet. If he is interested in signing a short deal (one or two years), and would accept a paycut from the $14,846,887 he earned in 2014/15, then Chandler may in fact be the better option. If the team could retain Chandler for another season, then have him off its books in time for the summer of 2016, that may be the wiser move. But if both big men were seeking similar contract terms, then youth will always be the wiser choice.
“Now that Kevin Love is done for the year, what is your assessment of the Cavs/Wolves trade? Which team is the winner?” — Xavier
I don’t know that this trade can be fairly judged after just one season. Love being out of action for four to six months certainly doesn’t help Cleveland’s side of the ledger here. But if the Cavs won the title with Love in the lineup, then things would certainly be judged differently by many. Hanging banners from the rafters always paints risky roster decisions in a more favorable light.
As for the trade, I thought it was a bad move when the Cavs pulled the trigger on it, and I think the same thing today. Love’s injury aside, Cleveland gave up far too much for a player who has never proven that he is more than a stat sheet filler, and who can leave after this season to boot. Andrew Wiggins is a potential superstar, and I think Cavs fans will really begin to feel the sting of what could have been as he continues to improve and develop.
So if I have to crown a winner right now, then I’ll go with the Wolves on this one. They turned an asset (Love) who was almost assuredly going to be lost after this season to free agency, and netted themselves the Rookie of the Year. Wiggins has the potential to carry a franchise for years to come, and he also fits in well with what Flip Saunders is building in Minnesota. It’s hard to find fault on the Wolves’ side of things. However, if Love re-signs with the Cavs and they win a title or two during his tenure, then I’ll reassess my position.
“You’re on record as being a Knicks fan. What is your opinion of Phil Jackson forcing the triangle offense on the team for better or worse?” — Sammy
I take it that you’re not a fan of the system judging from your tone. That makes two of us. The league has changed quite a bit from when the Bulls and Lakers were winning titles and running that particular offense. Players who are entering the league nowadays are as a whole, less disciplined and experienced than in the past, and with the AAU pipeline emphasizing more of a ball-dominating style of offense, there are simply not enough players who can thrive in such a complex, and unselfish system like the triangle.
But I’ve also never been a fan of teams trying to shoehorn players into a particular system instead of designing one around the strengths of their rosters. Admittedly, the 2014/15 campaign isn’t a great case study in how effective the system can be in New York, considering the Knicks’ roster would have struggled to make the D-League playoffs this past season. But I’m not thrilled with the organization’s seemingly stubborn commitment to sticking with the triangle regardless of who is suiting up for the team next season. Time will tell on this one, but I can’t shake the feeling that Jackson will bolt by year three of his five-year deal, and then the team will have to start from scratch once again, rendering this whole triangle experiment pointless.
That’s all the space I have for this week. As always, I appreciate all of the submissions, and please keep them coming! I’ll be back next week with more responses and opinions.