Celtics Notes: Horford, Green, Brown
Isaiah Thomas has embraced the idea of sharing the spotlight in Boston with new addition Al Horford, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. Thomas anticipates that there will be a learning curve as the two stars build chemistry, but he does not expect it to be a long one, Blakely adds.
“It’s only going to help. That’s what we need, other guys that can put the ball in the basket, other guys that can do a variety of different things and he’s one of those guys,” Thomas told Blakely. “The attention will go off me a little bit with having Al Horford on our team.”
Here’s more out of Boston:
- Thomas applauded all of the Celtics’ moves this summer, but especially expressed a fondness for Gerald Green‘s return to Boston because Green can guard multiple positions and shoot well, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays. “We need something like that,” Thomas said, referring to Green.
- Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown performed well during the Las Vegas portion of the summer league and said he had no plans to rest in the 10-week period between its conclusion and the beginning of training camp, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. Brown, who plans to work with his personal trainer during that time period, added he has talked with Celtics coach Brad Stevens about the best opportunity to earn minutes, Washburn relays.
Hoops Links: Allen, Westbrook, Bucks
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The Jump Ball details what Russell Westbrook‘s extension means for the Thunder.
- Sir Charles In Charge catches up with Rio Grande Vipers assistant coach Cody Toppert.
- The Runner Sports recaps Spike Lee’s recruitment of Ray Allen.
- Raptors HQ has predictions for every month of the Raptors’ upcoming season.
- Indy Cornrows runs down highlights of the Pacers’ preseason schedule.
- Blazer’s Edge discusses the Blazers with SI.com’s Ben Golliver.
- Daily Knicks argues that New York’s bench will be its most important key for a winning season.
- Behind The Buck Pass wonders who will be the Bucks’ backup shooting guard.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Poll: 2005 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 11)
We’re in the process of revisiting the 2005 NBA Draft, the year that the Bucks nabbed big man Andrew Bogut with the No. 1 overall pick. That year’s draft class is generally viewed as one of the weaker ones in recent memory, though, there were quite a few second-rounders that year (Ersan Ilyasova, Monta Ellis, Lou Williams, Amir Johnson and Marcin Gortat) who have gone on to have very solid NBA careers.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be posting a series of reader polls that ask you to vote on the player whom you believe should have been selected with each pick. We’ll continue onward with the Magic, who held the No. 11 pick that season. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Orlando’s pick and check back Monday for the results, as well as for your chance to vote for whom the Clippers should have taken at No. 12. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
Selections
- Bucks — Chris Paul [Actual Pick — Andrew Bogut]
- Hawks — Deron Williams [Actual Pick — Marvin Williams]
- Jazz — Monta Ellis [Actual Pick — Deron Williams]
- Hornets/Pelicans — Andrew Bogut [Actual Pick — Chris Paul]
- Bobcats/Hornets — Danny Granger [Actual Pick — Raymond Felton]
- Trail Blazers — David Lee [Actual Pick — Martell Webster]
- Raptors — Andrew Bynum [Actual Pick — Charlie Villanueva]
- Knicks — Marcin Gortat [Actual Pick — Channing Frye]
- Warriors — Lou Williams [Actual Pick — Ike Diogu]
- Lakers — Marvin Williams [Actual Pick — Andrew Bynum]
- Magic — ?? [Actual Pick — Fran Vazquez]
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Thunder Sign Ronnie Price
AUGUST 14: The deal is official, the team announced today.
AUGUST 11: The Thunder have finalized a guaranteed two-year, $5MM deal with Price, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Although Oklahoma City could use its room exception to accommodate the move, the team still has cap room available as well.
JULY 31: Veteran point guard Ronnie Price is set to join the Thunder, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Price is expected to receive a two-year deal, but the exact terms are not certain.
The 33-year-old free agent had the highest scoring average of his career last season in Phoenix at 5.3 points per game to go with 2.4 assists. However, a report came out July 13th that the Suns weren’t going to re-sign Price and he had a deal in place with an unidentified team.
Oklahoma City still has more than $20MM in cap room remaining, so fitting Price in will be no problem. The Thunder are hoping to convince Russell Westbrook to take about $9MM of that cap space in a renegotiated and extended deal.
OKC will be the seventh NBA stop for Price, who has changed teams every season since 2011.
Heat Notes: Udrih, Williams, Ellington, Bosh
The Heat could use a veteran like Beno Udrih to serve as a backup to Goran Dragic, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Miami doesn’t have anyone else on its roster who has played point guard on a regular basis at the NBA level, and Winderman points out that Dragic, who missed 10 games last season, is susceptible to injury with his attacking style of play. The Heat reportedly have a “standing invitation” for Udrih to join them in training camp on a veterans’ minimum contract if he can’t get a better deal elsewhere. Udrih played 36 games with Miami last season before agreeing to a buyout in February to help the team avoid the luxury tax.
There’s more news out of Miami:
- There could be a shortage of minutes on the front line for recent additions Derrick Williams, James Johnson and Luke Babbitt, Winderman notes in the same piece. They will essentially be competing at the same position, and shooting guards Josh Richardson, Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington and Tyler Johnson could all see time at small forward because of an overcrowded backcourt.
- Ellington is a prime candidate to be traded once this year’s offseason signees are eligible to be dealt starting December 15th, Winderman writes in a separate story. The Heat signed the 28-year-old shooting guard away from the Nets in July, but later added Waiters in free agency. Winderman believes Ellington will have to be exceptional from 3-point range to earn a regular spot in the Heat’s rotation. He shot 36% from long distance last season and is at 38% for his career.
- The Heat are “cautiously optimistic” that Chris Bosh will be able to play this season, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. However, he cautions that nothing is certain with the veteran big man, who has had his last two seasons cut short by blood clots.
Earl Clark Will Play In Turkey
NBA veteran Earl Clark, who was cut by the Nets last year, will play in Turkey next season, according to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Clark, who played in the D-League and China in 2015/16, will sign a deal with the Besiktas franchise.
Clark last played for Brooklyn at the end of the 2014/15 season, averaging 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10 games. The Nets signed the 6’10” power forward in late March of 2015, but released him during the offseason. He was part of a D-League trade in January, going from the Suns‘ Bakersfield affiliate to the Sixers‘ Delaware affiliate.
The 28-year-old had a journeyman NBA career after the Suns made him a lottery pick out of Louisville in 2009. He also played for the Magic, Lakers, Cavaliers and Knicks during his six years in the league. Clark’s best season was with L.A. in 2012/13, when he averaged 7.3 points per night in 59 games.
Kings Notes: Gay, McLemore, Cousins, Casspi
The Heat could be interested in a Rudy Gay trade if the Kings are willing to wait until after December 15th, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. That’s the date when the free agents that Miami added to its roster this offseason are eligible to be moved. Gay’s salary would require the Heat to send back about $13.3MM, which means point guard Goran Dragic would probably have to be included, and Miami doesn’t seem inclined to part with him. By waiting until mid-December, Winderman notes, the Heat will have a better feeling for how much Chris Bosh will be able to contribute and whether Justise Winslow will have to spend more time at power forward, which would create a greater need to have Gay on the roster.
There’s more tonight out of Sacramento:
- The Kings almost certainly won’t negotiate a rookie contract extension with shooting guard Ben McLemore, contends Bobby Marks of The Vertical. McLemore, who was drafted in 2013, is the only Sacramento player eligible for the extension before this year’s October 31st deadline, but Marks says the Kings have been trying to trade him for more than a year. McLemore averaged 7.8 points in 68 games last season and will have a $1oMM cap hold next offseason.
- DeMarcus Cousins will become eligible for a contract extension on September 30th, Marks notes in the same piece. The Kings’ all-star center still has two seasons and more than $35MM left on his current deal, but he can agree to an extension at the end of September because it will be three full years from his when the contract was signed. If he takes an extension, Cousins would be limited to 7.5% raises from his $18,063,850 salary in 2017/18, so it’s more likely that he waits for free agency.
- Omri Casspi sees improved camaraderie as a key to ending Sacramento’s 10-year run of missing the playoffs, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Casspi is touring Israel this week with Gay and a group of former NBA players and celebrities. “We’ve added some good guys, some good quality players and quality individuals to our locker room, which is important, I think,” Casspi said. “The great teams in the NBA have great locker rooms.Just in general we need to start making strides, try to make the make playoffs. With a new coaching staff, we need to make a big stride forward.”
Community Shootaround: 2016/17 Schedule
For years, the idea of a sellout crowd packing Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena to watch Kevin Durant hasn’t been big news. But when it happens on Feburary 11th, it will be one of the most important nights of the season.
The NBA released its schedule for 2016/17 this week, and Durant’s return to OKC to face his former fans is among the highlights. Durant shook the franchise on July 4th when he announced he was joining the Warriors, and Thunder fans have been waiting for the new schedule to see which date they should circle on their calendars.
But Durant wasn’t the only big name to change teams this offseason, and there are many more eventful nights on the schedule. Along with Durant’s return, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated ranks these as the most intriguing games to watch:
- Warriors at Cavaliers, December 25th: These teams have met in the last two NBA finals and may be headed for a third. But first, they will be part of the annual ABC/ESPN Christmas marathon. The addition of Durant should add spice to an already intense rivalry.
- Knicks at Cavaliers, October 25th: It may be Cleveland’s most anticipated home opener ever as the city will raise its first championship banner in any sport since 1964.
- Cavaliers at Warriors, January 16th: LeBron James and company will make their first trip back to Oracle Arena since winning Game 7 of the finals.
- Bulls at Heat, November 10th: Miami fans still may not be over the shock of Dwyane Wade leaving town by the time this game tips off. Wade’s career with the Heat included 13 seasons and three NBA titles, and he remains a fan favorite no matter what uniform he wears.
- Rockets at Lakers, October 26th: The reality of the post-Kobe Bryant era settles in as L.A. plays its first home game without him on the roster since 1996.
- Pelicans at Spurs, October 29th: There will be a similar situation in Texas, as San Antonio starts its first season without Tim Duncan since 1997.
- Knicks at Bulls, November 4th: Chicago native Derrick Rose comes to town in a visiting uniform for the first time in his NBA career. Accompanying him will be long-time Bulls center Joakim Noah.
- Spurs at Warriors, October 25th: Both teams were chasing history for most of last season before Golden State got there with 73 wins. With Durant gone from Oklahoma City, there’s a good chance these will be the top two teams in the West again.
- Lakers at Sixers, December 16th: The top two picks in the draft, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, square off for the first time in the NBA.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Which game are you most anticipating next season and why? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Timofey Mozgov Suffers Groin Injury
With training camp a little more than a month away, one of the Lakers’ free agency additions has an injury that will force him to miss at least two international games, according to the team’s website. Russian center Timofey Mozgov, who received $64MM over four seasons to come to L.A., injured his groin Friday in a game against Ukraine.
Mozgov had an MRI today and will be held out of Russia’s next two games in a tournament in Tbilisi, Georgia, relays Lakers spokesman John Black. Mozgov will be re-evaluated in a few days, probably around mid-week. It is not known yet if the injury is something that will linger into training camp or the preseason.
The 30-year-old Mozgov is entering his seventh year in the NBA, and the Lakers are counting on him to provide stabillity at center. He appeared in 76 games for the Cavaliers last season, averaging 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per night.
Heat Notes: Bosh, Stoudemire, Stokes
It’s unlikely the Heat will use the stretch provision on Chris Bosh this year, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Teams face an August 31st deadline to trigger that option for the 2016/17 season, and Miami officials don’t appear ready to commit to such a move. The stretch provision is a relatively new rule that allows teams to ease the burden of an unwanted contract by waiving the player and stretching his cap hit for double the number of years left on his deal, plus one. Bosh has three years remaining at $75,868,170, so the Heat could choose to pay him $10,838,750 each year through 2022/23.
One consequence of using the stretch provision is it erases the possibility of a medical retirement, which could happen if an independent doctor rules that Bosh, whose past two seasons have been cut short by blood clots, cannot continue playing in the NBA. That must occur at least one year after a player’s final game, which in Bosh’s case was February 9th, 2016, and would take the entire remaining contract off the Heat’s cap.
There’s more news out of Miami:
- Bosh continues to send positive messages to teammates about resuming his career, Winderman notes in the same story. If the Heat decide to use the stretch provision on Bosh, he could immediately sign with any other team, most likely one with fewer objections than Miami about letting him play again.
- Amar’e Stoudemire would have preferred more time in the NBA before joining the Israeli team that he co-owns, Winderman adds in the same piece. Stoudemire appeared in 52 games for the Heat last year and became a regular starter by the end of the season. “I started 37, 38 of the last 40 [regular-season] games,” he said at a press conference in Jerusalem. “My stats were pretty good. But teams want to go younger and have a different mindset about basketball.”
- Jarnell Stokes, who appeared in five games for Miami last season, hired Priority Sports as his new agent and turned down offers in excess of $500K to play in Europe, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. The 6’9″ center/power forward was acquired in a trade with Memphis last November, but spent most of the season in the D-League, where he earned MVP honors. Miami traded him to New Orleans in February, and the Pelicans promptly released him. The Lokomotiv Kuban franchise in Russia is among the teams interested in signing Stokes, according to Sportando.