Atlantic Notes: Thompson, Sixers, Prokhorov
The Sixers currently possess an open roster spot and a clear need for depth at the wing positions, but the team is no immediate rush to add a player unless he is the right fit, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. “That’s been discussed for a while,” coach Brett Brown responded when asked when the team would add another player. “I think the thing that’s everybody’s aware of, especially now, is things will start to shake out a little bit more than right after the All-Star break.” The coach also noted that the front office planned to exercise patience when sifting through the ranks of available players, Pompey adds. “When somebody comes up that makes sense, we will do it,” Brown said. “We’re always looking. I think the thing that most stands out is we don’t feel like we have to bring in somebody just to bring in somebody. There has to be some level of cleansing as to why we’re doing it.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Jason Thompson said that he chose to sign with the Raptors over his other suitors because he felt a level of comfort with the organization and because he was familiar with a number of the players on the roster, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays in a series of tweets. Coach Dwane Casey noted that Thompson isn’t expected to impact anyone’s minutes initially and referred to the veteran as an insurance policy, Lewenberg adds. Thompson is aware he may not see steady minutes in Toronto, something he appears fine with, telling Lewenberg, “I’m not trying to come in here and mess up a great thing. I just want to be apart of something and help, see how it goes.”
- Toronto cleared a roster spot for Thompson through the release of Anthony Bennett, a player who was in a difficult situation with little playing time available for him, as GM Masai Ujiri acknowledged and as Lewenberg tweets. The GM said Bennett’s playing time took a hit because the Raptors performed better than expected this season, starting power forward Luis Scola in particular, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun relays (on Twitter).
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s personal net worth has taken a hit in recent years, going from an estimated $18 billion in 2011 down to $7.6 billion today, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com tweets. The reasons for Prokhorov’s dwindling finances include losses in the commodities market, Russian currency becoming devalued and U.S. restrictions on Russian-based businesses, NetsDaily notes (Twitter links).
Southwest Notes: Wright, Stephenson, Dejean-Jones
Brandan Wright is liable to miss anywhere from a week to eight weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee that the team revealed in a statement Monday. The Grizzlies didn’t say whether the sprain is a Grade I, which is the milder form, or a Grade II, which would keep him out longer, notes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt hears it’s merely a Grade I (Twitter link), but coach Dave Joerger hinted at a much more pessimistic outlook, saying it will be difficult for the Grizzlies the rest of the year without him, Tillery relays (Twitter links). See more on the Grizzlies and other news from the Southwest Division:
- Talk of the Grizzlies picking up Lance Stephenson‘s $9.405MM team option for next season that Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal referred to last week appears to have been speculative, as Herrington portrays it within his Pick-and-Pop column. It would take either an unexpected late-season flourish or an offseason gone awry for Stephenson’s option to look appealing to Grizzlies, Herrington believes.
- James Ennis seems like the Grizzlies player most likely to be cut if the team wants to add someone else, Herrington posits in the same piece.
- Bryce Dejean-Jones doesn’t have any guaranteed money beyond this season in his deal with the Pelicans, which is a three-year pact for the minimum salary, but he can trigger a partial guarantee of $80K for next season if he participates in summer league and a skill and conditioning program, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links). It’s unclear how his broken right wrist will affect his ability to fulfill those requirements. The partial guarantee would go to $100K if he sticks on the roster through July 25th, Pincus adds.
- Marcus Thornton‘s release from the Rockets was just that, rather than a buyout deal, as Pincus shows Thornton didn’t give up any salary when he hit waivers last week (Twitter link).
Heat Notes: Dragic, Conley, Johnson, Tax
The Heat were feeling out the trade value of Goran Dragic before the deadline, a source told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, and that jibes with an earlier report that the team was open to hearing offers for the point guard. Deveney also reiterates that Miami is unsurprisingly eyeing prime free agent Mike Conley. It’s all part of what appears to be a two-year plan that team president Pat Riley has in place to use his reputation as a recruiter and team builder and the natural appeal of Miami to restore the Heat to title contention, league sources told Deveney. See more from South Beach:
- Joe Johnson wants to play the rest of his career with the Heat, and while he acknowledged it’s not certain whether he will, the 34-year-old said that’s Riley’s goal too, observes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “The most important thing Pat told me was that this wasn’t just a short-term deal, that he would like me to finish my career here,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’re working toward. I want to come out and help as much as possible.”
- The Heat promised Johnson a starting role before he signed, The Herald’s Ethan Skolnick notes.
- The Johnson has often spent time in Miami for offseason workouts and said he felt right at home when he signed, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel details. “I really didn’t know much about the Heat organization and how they worked. Things I’ve heard that they were very first class. Just in the past couple of days, I’ve seen a lot of things I haven’t seen in my 15-year career. So I’ve been impressed,” Johnson said.
- Soon-to-be free agent Hassan Whiteside expressed some encouraging sentiments today about his future with Miami, as The Herald’s Manny Navarro relays (Twitter link). “I feel comfortable as long as I’ve got a Heat jersey on,” Whiteside said. “Coming off the bench, starting, I just love playing for this team.”
- The Heat have about $41,600 to spend without going over the tax line after Monday’s controversial buyout with Beno Udrih, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reported and as we detailed in an earlier post about the market for reported Miami target Marcus Thornton. Miami would have more to spend if another team claims Udrih off waivers.
Raptors Ink Jason Thompson, Cut Anthony Bennett
TUESDAY, 12:07pm: The moves are official, the Raptors announced via press release.
“We thank Anthony for his professionalism and for his service to our team and community,” Ujiri said. “We know he’s on his way to becoming an excellent NBA player but as we approach the end of the season Jason will provide us with a veteran presence that we need.”
MONDAY, 1:39pm: The Raptors are waiving Anthony Bennett to clear the way for a deal with Jason Thompson that covers the rest of the season, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The addition of Thompson helps fill a need at power forward for Toronto, but it’s nonetheless surprising to see the Raptors cut ties with Bennett, the former No. 1 overall pick whom GM Masai Ujiri had suggested would be with the team beyond this season in spite of his one-year contract. Bennett is on a minimum-salary deal, and the same will be true for Thompson, since that’s all Toronto can give. The full season salary for Bennett will stick on Toronto’s books unless another team claims him off waivers.
Thompson was also reportedly drawing the eye of the Heat in the wake of his release from the Warriors last week, a cut that came so that Golden State could sign Anderson Varejao. The Raptors reportedly had interest in trading for a handful of power forwards, including Ryan Anderson, Thaddeus Young, Kenneth Faried and Markieff Morris, but instead it appears they end up with Thompson, who started 63 games for the Kings last season but averaged just 6.4 minutes per contest with the Warriors.
Bennett, the NBA’s top pick in 2013, is hitting waivers for the second time in barely more than five months, after he and the Timberwolves reached a buyout agreement in late September. The Sixers and Blazers reportedly had interest at the time, but he wound up signing with the Raptors, his hometown team. The 22-year-old’s defense initially impressed coach Dwane Casey, but Bennett failed to convince Casey that he deserved more playing time, totaling just 84 minutes all season.
Who do you think is the bigger bust, Bennett or fellow former No. 1 pick Greg Oden? Leave a comment to have your say.
Knicks Meet With Tony Wroten
The Knicks met recently with free agent combo guard Tony Wroten, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The team has appeared to have some level of interest in Wroten since late December, when the Sixers released him, but his defense and unfamiliarity with the triangle have reportedly helped keep him unsigned. New York will have an open roster spot after Wednesday, the final day on Jimmer Fredette‘s 10-day contract, and the team is apparently keeping an eye out for young players as it ponders whether to re-sign Fredette or move on from him. Wroten doesn’t turn 23 until April.
Isola also pegs the freshly waived Ray McCallum as a candidate to replace Fredette on New York’s roster, though it’s unclear if the Knicks indeed have interest in the former Spurs point guard or if the idea is merely speculative. McCallum would first have to clear waivers, and New York, which has only the minimum salary exception at its disposal, is ineligible to claim him, since he’s on a three-year deal.
Wroten averaged 16.9 points in 30 games for the Sixers last season before he suffered a torn ACL in January 2015 that knocked him out until more than a month into this season. That scoring average was higher than what anyone else on the Sixers put up last year, but Philadelphia stunningly cut him just a few weeks after his return from the injury to accommodate its Christmas Eve trade for Ish Smith. The Heat have reportedly performed a due diligence check on Wroten, but he’s lingered in free agency and has publicly expressed a desire to play for the Knicks.
Suns Sign Phil Pressey To Second 10-Day
TUESDAY, 11:19am: The deal is official, the team announced.
MONDAY, 5:34pm: The Suns will sign Phil Pressey to a second 10-day contract, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The point guard’s first 10-day deal will expire after tonight. Another deal for Pressey would still leave an open roster spot, with the team linked to Anthony Bennett, who’s headed for a buyout with the Raptors. Coro indicates Pressey’s signing will take place Tuesday, which would put him in line to play six games, against the Hornets, Heat, Magic, Grizzlies, Knicks and Nuggets, before the deal expires. He’ll make $55,722.
The 25-year-old Pressey has seen no shortage of playing time for the injury-depleted Suns, averaging 5.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.3 turnovers in 22.0 minutes per game across four appearances. That’s nearly twice as much time on the court than the 12.1 minutes per game he saw during his month-long stint with the Sixers earlier this season. Phoenix is the fifth NBA team Pressey’s been on in the past 12 months, as he’s also gone through the hands of the Celtics, Trail Blazers and Jazz.
The third-year veteran impressed in his two seasons with the Celtics, and Boston president of basketball operations Danny Ainge made it clear that cutting him was a difficult move. Suns GM Ryan McDonough worked under Ainge for several years with the C’s, so it’s no surprise to see Pressey in Phoenix, at least for the time being. The Suns and the Aaron Mintz client will face a reckoning point at the conclusion of his latest 10-day deal, since Phoenix would either have to ink him for at least the rest of the season or let him walk.
Dwight Howard Eyes Bucks?
Dwight Howard said he likes Milwaukee and wanted to go to the Bucks at the trade deadline, according to Bucks television play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson, who relayed details of his conversation with the former All-Star center during Monday’s broadcast of the Rockets-Bucks game (video link via Rob Perez of The Big Lead; hat tip to Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk). Johnson said Howard told him the sticking point was that the Bucks wanted him to sign an extension. That’s similar to what Marc Stein of ESPN.com heard when he reported on deadline day that talks between the Rockets and Bucks fell apart because Howard wouldn’t agree to opt in for next season. Howard is expected to turn down his option, worth $23.282MM, in pursuit of a max deal this summer with a starting salary of about $30MM.
The news seemingly pits the Bucks as a free agent contender for Howard. Milwaukee surprisingly landed Greg Monroe last year, a signing that jarred the perception of Milwaukee as an unattractive destination, but the Bucks reportedly made Monroe available before the trade deadline last month. Jason Kidd, who’s apparently been the prime mover of player personnel for the Bucks, appears to be losing influence within the team’s power structure, and Howard recently fired agent Dan Fegan, so both sides seem to be in transition.
Howard is widely expected to leave the Rockets in free agency, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote last month, though the 30-year-old center denies that he asked to be traded, saying that he wants to find success in Houston. He’s also continually downplayed rumors of discord between him and James Harden.
Milwaukee has about $61.6MM in guaranteed salary against a projected $90MM cap, and with at least an additional $2,173,884 in cap holds the Bucks would have to carry, they’re likely a few million dollars shy of the cap space necessary to sign Howard outright to a max deal. Monroe and Howard would be an awkward pairing, particularly with fellow big man John Henson also recently signed to a four-year extension, so it’s quite conceivable another round of Monroe rumors will surface if Howard shows continued interest in Milwaukee.
Hornets Sign Jorge Gutierrez To Second 10-Day
TUESDAY, 9:09am: The signing is official, the team announced via press release. The contract will cover five games, against the Suns, Sixers Pacers, Timberwolves and Pelicans.
MONDAY, 10:07pm: The Hornets will sign point guard Jorge Gutierrez to a second 10-day contract, sources informed Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Charlotte brought in Gutierrez to fill the role of third-string point guard. He has appeared in just one game, a four-minute stint against the Cavaliers on February 24th.
The 27-year-old was in training camp with the Bucks earlier this season but did not make the opening night roster. Before signing with Charlotte, Gutierrez appeared in 22 games this season for the Canton Charge, the Cavs’ D-League affiliate, where he averaged 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 27.8 minutes per outing.
The playmaker appeared in a total of 35 NBA contests over the prior three seasons, 25 with the Nets and 10 more with the Bucks. The 6’3” Gutierrez was not drafted in 2012 after playing for the University of California and being named the Pac-12 Player of the Year as a senior. He had summer league stints with the Nuggets and Kings as well as the Nets.
Magic To Aggressively Target Chandler Parsons
The Magic loom as the most significant threat to the Mavericks to sign Chandler Parsons to a new contract this summer, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Parsons is a virtual lock to turn down his $16.023MM player option for next season with the salary cap moving sharply upward, and he’s expected to receive a maximum-salary contract, MacMahon writes. Sources who spoke with MacMahon anticipate an aggressive pursuit from Orlando and expect the Heat, Lakers, Nets, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Rockets and Nuggets to come after the 27-year-old, too. The Thunder, would also have interest if Kevin Durant bolts, MacMahon adds, pointing to the presence of Billy Donovan, Parsons’ college coach, in Oklahoma City.
The Mavs realize they’ll need to once more put on a recruiting effort for the versatile small forward they signed to a loaded offer sheet in 2014, but they nonetheless appear to be the favorites for him again this summer, according to MacMahon. That’s because of the loyalty he feels toward owner Mark Cuban and teammate Dirk Nowitzki, as well as the fondness Parsons has for Rick Carlisle, having advocated for the five-year extension the team gave the coach earlier this season, the ESPN scribe writes. The relationship between Parsons and Carlisle is nuanced, MacMahon explains, with Parsons wary of whether Carlisle fully trusts him on the court, but Carlisle this week referred to Parsons as “a franchise-caliber player in the making” in a message to MacMahon.
The Magic opened enough cap flexibility in trades last month to sign two players to max contracts this summer, with only about $36MM in guaranteed salary on next season’s books against a projected $90MM cap. Orlando and soon-to-be free agent Al Horford reportedly have mutual interest, and Horford went to the University of Florida, just as Parsons did.
Parsons is in his fifth season, so he’ll be eligible for the lowest of the three maximum salary tiers, likely with a starting salary approaching $21MM. The Mavs will have only his Early Bird rights this summer, though they’ll function essentially as full Bird rights would for Parsons because his projected max is within 175% of his nearly $15.362MM salary for this season. The only difference will be that the Mavs can only offer four years instead of the five that they could with full Bird rights. Dallas will still have the opportunity to give him 7.5% raises instead of the 4.5% that the Magic and others will be limited to. That would mean a difference of some $4MM over the life of a four-year deal. Still, Parsons will value comfort and on-court opportunity over money as he decides where to sign, sources familiar with his thinking tell MacMahon.
In any case, the Mavericks appear committed to doing what they can to keep Parsons. Cuban indicated as much about a month ago to MacMahon, referring to Parsons and Wesley Matthews as a “crushing tandem on the wing.”
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/29/16
The NBA season is entering the homestretch with approximately six weeks to go in the regular season. With most teams near or at the 60-game mark, it’s not too early to call some of them underachievers.
Glancing at the standings, there are six teams that best fit that category. The Rockets certainly qualify, as they head into the week one game under .500. No one could have expected a team led by superstars James Harden and Dwight Howard to be floundering.
The other Western Conference team that easily qualifies as a major disappointment is the Pelicans. They were supposed to be on the upswing with Anthony Davis leading the way and Alvin Gentry taking over as head coach, but they’re currently 12 games under .500.
The Eastern Conference has its share of disappointments as well. The Hawks entered last season’s playoffs as the conference’s top seed but they’ve come back to the pack this year with a 33-27 record.
The Bulls are loaded with big-name veterans but it’s been a rocky campaign in the Windy City. They head into their final 24 games just two games above the .500 mark and in some danger of missing the postseason.
Any team with John Wall at the controls should be better than the Wizards’ current 28-30 mark. Washington is on the outside looking in for a playoff berth.
Entering training camp, it seemed like the Bucks were on the upswing with young pieces surrounding free agent prize Greg Monroe. Instead, Milwaukee is wallowing at the bottom of the Central Division, 11 games under the .500 mark.
This leads us to our question of the day: Which team has been the biggest underachiever this season?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.