Northwest Notes: KAT, Westbrook, Rubio, Jazz
The Timberwolves‘ moves this offseason have drastically improved the team and put the organization in a position to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The acquisition of Jimmy Butler and the free agency signing of Jeff Teague fusing with the current core of Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns poses a serious threat to the Western Conference.
Towns spoke to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News to clarify his recent comments in which he referred to the Timberwolves as a budding dynasty. The former Rookie of the Year cited the Warriors, Spurs, and Cavaliers as real dynasties but maintained confidence in winning with Minnesota’s upgraded roster.
“For me, what everyone needs to know is that we’ve made great moves,” Towns said. “We made great moves to make ourselves better. I have been very fortunate to be with such a great franchise and the organization is going to do so well from here on out. I think we are building a team that has a great sense of what it wants to be, and also adding players who ooze greatness and ooze winning, it’s just something that is contagious.”
The team’s quest for improvement has been noticed by other stars, most prominently disgruntled Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, who reportedly listed Minnesota as one of his four preferred destinations if he was traded. Playing in the same conference with the defending champion Warriors and perennial powerhouse Spurs will be difficult but a young, athletic, and hungry Minnesota squad could see a drastic improvement in 2017/18.
Below are additional notes around the Northwest Division:
- Reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook recently visited Oklahoma City but he is not in the Thunder‘s home city to sign an extension, Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman writes. Westbrook, a Los Angeles native, primarily spends his summers in California but is known to visit OKC periodically during the offseason, Dawson adds.
- Newest Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio no longer has to worry about trade talk after the deal that brought him Minnesota to Utah. After years of rumors involving Rubio, the six-year NBA veteran tells Ryan McDonald of The Deseret News that he was happy to be dealt to “an organization that really believed in me.”
- After the losses of Gordon Hayward and George Hill, the Jazz may have an issue with spacing and three-point shooting next season, Benjamin Nehic of The Desert News writes. Utah’s spacing with its current roster is projected to dip and with less effective outside shooters, the team may have to adopt a new primary scoring method.
Community Shootaround: Joel Embiid Extension
Although he hasn’t yet been cleared for contact drills or 5-on-5 play, Joel Embiid expects to be ready in time to break camp with the Sixers this fall, whether or not he’ll have his contract extended before he returns or not, is another question.
Shortly after the June 22 draft, Sixers’ managing owner Josh Harris spoke about how committed he was to keeping the current Philadelphia squad together. One way of doing so could come in the form of a five-year, roughly $130MM contract extension.
Such a deal would begin in 2018/19 after Embiid plays out the final year of his rookie deal (worth $6.1MM) but would need to be agreed upon prior to opening day on October 17.
Another option the Sixers have is to let Embiid play through the 2017/18 campaign and then extend him a qualifying offer worth $8MM next offseason. That would make the then-24-year-old a restricted free agent.
There’s little doubt that an undeniably healthy Embiid would be worth a max contract extension as soon as possible but the big man has missed 215 of the 246 games the Sixers have played since they drafted him.
What then, is he worth now, considering that an element of uncertainty looms over what we can reasonably expect in the future? You tell us.
Are the Sixers better off to see how the 2017/18 season unfolds before they commit to Embiid long-term? Or would they benefit from locking the big man in at some point before mid-October. If you were at the helm of Philly’s front office, what would you look to do?
Southeast Notes: Leonsis, Stone, Mahinmi
The Wizards have made no secret their plan to double down on their current core and a recent blog post from franchise owner Ted Leonsis only further documents how Washington plans to craft a winner.
The Wizards boast the youngest core of long-term signed max players, a testament to their willingness to commit to their guys, and they’re not afraid to dip into the luxury tax in order to preserve what they think is going to work eventually.
Further, Leonsis writes, the Wizards plan to invest in basketball development at all levels, citing the team’s acquisition of a G League club and plans for a new arena to house the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets are said to be interested in signing Julyan Stone to a two-year contract but the 28-year-old is unable to opt out of his current deal with his Italian club, Emilio Carchia of Sportando writes. Per Stone’s Instagram account, the club hasn’t exactly made pursuing a buyout easy.
- Having recently extended his contract, John Wall is in no rush to leave the Wizards, Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press writes. “There’s no point in testing free agency if I know where I want to be,” the guard said.
- After re-signing with the Hawks, big man Mike Muscala will look to continue his impressive development under the tutelage of the franchise’s staff, K.L. Chouinard of the team’s official website writes.
- Big man Ian Mahinmi had a minor procedure on his knee this summer, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. Mahinmi missed 51 games for the Wizards with a knee injury last season. “He’s down to like 238, he’s in the best shape he’s ever been. He’s working hard and looking forward to coming back,” head coach Scott Brooks said.
Central Notes: Irving, Drummond, Pritchard
Although they didn’t make Cavaliers All-Star Kyrie Irving‘s specifically curated list of preferred destinations, the Suns have come up as a potential landing spot for the disgruntled point guard. Details of a supposed Phoenix offer have come to light, an azcentral report writes.
The Suns are said to have offered the Cavaliers Eric Bledsoe, Dragan Bender and a first-round pick, the article says, attributing the initial report to an ESPN radio station in Minnesota.
It’s not hard to see why the Cavaliers didn’t immediately accept the offer. While Bledsoe is a serviceable veteran guard, his injury history only reduces his already limited value (relative to Irving, that is).
Further, 19-year-old Bender was quite raw during his first NBA season and wouldn’t likely impact the Cavaliers’ chances of contending with the Warriors next season.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- After a sinus operation, Pistons center Andre Drummond is breathing easier, sleeping better and growing less tired on the court. Rod Beard of the Detroit News documents the big man’s offseason, noting that the soon-to-be 24-year-old has taken trade rumors to heart.
- When the Pacers let Kevin Seraphin go, they freed up more cap space, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. His contract would have become guaranteed on August 1.
- Although it’s hard to truly gauge the Paul George trade, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has had a successful offseason since, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star writes. Unfortunately, he suggests, the franchise may have been better off temporarily bottoming out.
Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Embiid, Tatum
If you ask Carmelo Anthony, there hasn’t been a breakdown of communication between him and the Knicks. In fact, the forward says, the team’s front office knows exactly what he’s looking for and how he feels. Marc Berman of the New York Post breaks down the latest in the ongoing saga.
Put simply, Anthony would like to be traded to the Rockets and has a powerful no-trade clause that he can wave around until he gets there. The Knicks, however, don’t see a deal worth pulling the trigger on.
Despite the standstill, Anthony remains hopeful. “I’m very optimistic. I’ve had great conversations with new [Knicks] GM Scott Perry,” he says. “He understands my mindset, where I’m at. My career right now, what I’m looking for.”
Whether or not that will translate into a trade to Houston, however, remains to be seen.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- According to Jayson Tatum himself, the Celtics intended to draft him all along, even prior to trading down from No. 1 to No. 3 ahead of the June 22 draft. Tatum explained as much on a recent podcast. The Sixers, he says, were under the assumption that Boston was looking at Markelle Fultz with the top pick.
- While he hasn’t been cleared to play 5-on-5, Sixers big man Joel Embiid is doing non-contact drills and expects to be ready for training camp, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets.
- Offseason signee Daniel Theis could bring energy on the glass and defensive versatility to the Celtics, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes in a profile piece on the German forward.
- After a solid first campaign, Ron Baker is back with the Knicks on a far more lucrative contract. Barbara Barker of Newsday writes that head coach Jeff Hornacek continues to see parallels between himself and his undrafted role player. “I may not have been the fastest guy or the strongest guy or the highest jumper. But I did things that the coach wanted to see. I got the ball to the star guys. Ron came in doing the same thing and that’s what made him earn minutes with us,” the coach said.
Southwest Notes: Nowitzki, Olajuwon, Spurs
The give-and-take relationship that Dirk Nowitzki and Mavs owner Mark Cuban have has never been on clearer display than when the 39-year-old took a $20MM pay cut between this year and last, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes.
“Mark and I obviously have a close, close relationship,” Nowitzki said. Last year, he really, really took care of me as we all know […] and it was my time to show again that I love being [with the Mavs]. I gave him a little bit of a deal, maybe.”
The big man is optimistic about the Mavs’ young core built around Harrison Barnes, Dennis Smith Jr. and, hopefully, Nerlens Noel, suggesting that he’s hopeful to leave the franchise in as good a position as possible when he retires after this season or next.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs have named Blake Ahearn the new head coach of their G League affiliate, the team announced in a press release on its website. Ahearn, who played briefly in the NBA, will be at the helm of the Austin Spurs in 2017/18.
- Count Hakeem Olajuwon among those interested in buying a portion of the Rockets. The franchise Hall of Famer has been approached by several groups that want him involved in a potential purchase, Mark Woods reports for ESPN.
- The Mavs have a young core in place that they’re happy with and aren’t afraid to let it develop organically. “I think that young core is what we want to continue to build on, grow with and hopefully surprise a lot of people,” owner Mark Cuban told Earl Sneed of Dallas’ official website. “I think Dennis [Smith Jr.] is going to be able to come in, play and hopefully have an impact his first year, and we don’t want to take anything away from that.“
Poll: Which Northwest Team Had Best Offseason?
The Jazz took home the Northwest division crown in 2016/17, finishing with a 51-31 record despite having several key players miss time due to injuries. However, with Gordon Hayward heading from Utah to Boston this summer, and several other Northwest teams making impact moves, things look a little more wide open in the division as the 2017/18 season nears.
The Timberwolves struck first, acquiring Jimmy Butler in a blockbuster draft-day trade that sent Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and a draft pick to Chicago. Having traded for Butler, the Wolves continued to stock up on veterans in free agency, adding Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, and Jamal Crawford to a young core that already features Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
With one All-Star Eastern forward headed to Minnesota, the Thunder worked quickly to snag another, reaching a deal with the Pacers that saw Paul George land in Oklahoma City. It was an impressive move by Sam Presti, who didn’t appear to have the assets necessary to make the winning bid for George. The team’s strong offseason continued in free agency, as OKC secured Patrick Patterson on a very affordable contract and re-signed standout defender Andre Roberson.
A third All-Star made the move from the Eastern Conference to the Northwest division when the Nuggets locked up Paul Millsap to a three-year contract in free agency. Denver lost longtime forward Danilo Gallinari, but the addition of Millsap creates a formidable frontcourt duo, as the former Hawk will be paired with Nikola Jokic.
The Trail Blazers have had a quiet offseason, but did make a few moves of note, drafting big men Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan in June and then slicing their projected tax bill in a massive way by trading Allen Crabbe to the Nets.
Meanwhile, the defending division champs recovered nicely from losing Hayward and George Hill. The Jazz re-signed Joe Ingles, and Ricky Rubio, Thabo Sefolosha, Donovan Mitchell, Jonas Jerebko, and Ekpe Udoh are among the new additions who will contribute to the 2017/18 squad.
What do you think? Which Northwest team had the best offseason? Weigh in below with your vote and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
Which Northwest team has had the best offseason?
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Minnesota Timberwolves 72% (1,258)
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Oklahoma City Thunder 18% (311)
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Utah Jazz 4% (65)
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Denver Nuggets 3% (61)
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Portland Trail Blazers 3% (58)
Total votes: 1,753
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Previously:
Nets Sign Milton Doyle, Jeremy Senglin
The Nets have added a pair of players to their roster, announcing today in a press release that guards Milton Doyle and Jeremy Senglin have signed with the club. The signings appear to be training camp deals, making it likely that both players will ultimately end up with the Long Island Nets in the G League.
Senglin’s agreement with Brooklyn was first reported shortly after the draft. and was said to be partially guaranteed. Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter) that Doyle’s one-year deal is also partially guaranteed.
Doyle, who worked out for the Nets a week before June’s draft, played his college ball at Loyola, averaging 15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.8 SPG in his senior year.
Senglin, a point guard out of Weber State, averaged 21.1 PPG during his senior season, with an impressive shooting line of .522/.429/.766. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com ranked him 48th among NCAA seniors in this year’s draft class.
Both Doyle and Senglin played for the Nets’ Summer League team last month in Las Vegas.
After adding Doyle and Senglin, the Nets now have 16 players on NBA contracts, including 13 with fully guaranteed salaries. That total doesn’t include Yakuba Ouattara, who has a two-way contract with the club, and Jacob Wiley, who reportedly agreed to a two-way deal as well.
Longest-Tenured Players By NBA Team
Three of the NBA’s longest-tenured players by team were free agents this offseason, but Dirk Nowitzki, Nick Collison, and Udonis Haslem all returned to their respective clubs on new deals, holding their spots as the longest-tenured members of the Mavericks, Thunder, and Heat, respectively.
Still, there has been plenty of turnover on the list of longest-tenured players by team in this last year. Brook Lopez (Nets), Gordon Hayward (Jazz), Paul George (Pacers), and Avery Bradley (Celtics) were all the longest-tenured players on their respective teams until they found new homes via trade or free agency this offseason.
Meanwhile, teams like the Kings have undergone a ton of turnover within the last several months, jettisoning several of their longest-tenured players. In Sacramento’s case, guys like DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Darren Collison, and Ben McLemore are no longer around, leaving two-year veteran Willie Cauley-Stein as the longest-tenured King. In Indiana, 21-year-old Myles Turner is the longest-tenured Pacer.
Be sure to check out the rosters and depth charts at RosterResource.com for full details on how and when each team acquired every player on its roster.
Here are the NBA’s current longest-tenured players by team:
- Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (draft trade), June 1998
- San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker (draft), June 2001
- Manu Ginobili was selected by the Spurs in the 1999 draft, but didn’t sign with the team until 2002.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Nick Collison (draft), June 2003
- Collison joined the franchise when it was the Seattle SuperSonics.
- Miami Heat: Udonis Haslem (free agent), August 2003
- Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley (draft), June 2007
- Los Angeles Clippers: DeAndre Jordan (draft), June 2008
- Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (draft), June 2009
- Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan (draft), June 2009
- Washington Wizards: John Wall (draft), June 2010
- Denver Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (trade), February 2011
- New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony (trade), February 2011
- Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors (trade), February 2011
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving (draft), Tristan Thompson (draft), June 2011
- Irving is technically the slightly longer-tenured Cavalier, having been selected first overall, while Thompson was picked fourth overall.
- Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker (draft), June 2011
- New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis (draft), June 2012
- Davis joined the franchise when it was the New Orleans Hornets.
- Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard (draft), Meyers Leonard (draft), June 2012
- Lillard is technically the slightly longer-tenured Blazer, having been selected sixth overall, while Leonard was picked 11th overall.
- Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond (draft), June 2012
- Milwaukee Bucks: John Henson (draft), June 2012
- Orlando Magic: Nikola Vucevic (trade), August 2012
- Houston Rockets: James Harden (trade), October 2012
- Phoenix Suns: Alex Len (draft), June 2013
- Len is currently a restricted free agent. If he doesn’t return, the longest-tenured Sun would be Eric Bledsoe (July 2013).
- Atlanta Hawks: Dennis Schroder (draft), June 2013
- Mike Muscala was acquired hours after Schroder in a draft trade.
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Gorgui Dieng (draft trade), June 2013
- Nemanja Bjelica was acquired by the Timberwolves in a 2010 draft trade, but didn’t sign with the team until 2015.
- Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (draft), June 2014
- Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart (draft), June 2014
- Los Angeles Lakers: Julius Randle (draft), June 2014
- Jordan Clarkson was acquired one day after Randle in a draft trade.
- Chicago Bulls: Nikola Mirotic (draft-and-stash signing), July 2014
- Mirotic was acquired by the Bulls in a 2011 draft trade, but didn’t sign with the team until 2014. Mirotic is currently a restricted free agent. If he doesn’t return, the longest-tenured Bull would be Bobby Portis (June 2015).
- Mirotic was acquired by the Bulls in a 2011 draft trade, but didn’t sign with the team until 2014. Mirotic is currently a restricted free agent. If he doesn’t return, the longest-tenured Bull would be Bobby Portis (June 2015).
- Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein (draft), June 2015
- Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner (draft), June 2015
- Brooklyn Nets: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (draft trade), June 2015
Lakers Sign Vander Blue
AUGUST 4: The Lakers have officially signed Blue, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 29: The Lakers have reached an agreement with combo guard Vander Blue on a partially guaranteed contract, sources told Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The guarantee is $50K, Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets.
Blue, 25, played eight games for Los Angeles’ summer-league team in Las Vegas and made a strong impression, averaging 15.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 3.0 APG in 27.4 MPG. The 6’4” Blue also made half of his field-goal attempts.
Blue did not play in the NBA the past two seasons but lit up the G League last season, earning MVP honors. He played 47 games for the Lakers’ affiliate, the D-Fenders, and averaged 24.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.6 SPG in 34.8 MPG.
Blue, a Marquette product, has a limited NBA resume. He appeared in three games with the Celtics during the 2013/14 season and two games with the Lakers the following season. Mainly a shooting guard, Blue joins a backcourt that includes rookies Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Ennis and free agent signee Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
While not all the contract details have been revealed, it’s safe to assume there are no guarantees beyond this season. The Lakers want to have as much salary-cap space as possible next summer in order to make runs at top free agents.