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.
Lawrence Frank Replaces Doc Rivers As Head Of Clippers’ Basketball Ops
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers will no longer oversee the team’s basketball operations, owner Steve Ballmer tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, Clippers executive VP of basketball operations Lawrence Frank will assume control of the club’s basketball ops going forward.
Although Rivers will continue to have a “strong voice” in personnel and basketball matters, and will work closely with Frank, he’ll no longer have the title of president of basketball operations, and will instead focus primarily on coaching, as Wojnarowski details. Both Frank and Rivers will report directly to Ballmer. Rivers confirmed his re-assignment and endorsed the decision, as Bill Oram of The So Cal News Group tweets.
“I’ve owned the team for three years now, and I really better understand what an owner’s responsibility is — and it turns out that running a franchise and coaching are two enormous and different jobs,” Ballmer told Wojnarowski. “The notion that one person can fairly focus on them and give them all the attention they need isn’t the case. To be as good as we can be, to be a championship franchise, we need two functioning strong people building teams out beneath them. There needs to be a healthy discussion and debate with two strong, independent minded people.”
This is the second time this offseason that a team has removed a president of basketball operations title from its head coach, assigning those duties to someone else. The Hawks did the same thing with Mike Budenholzer before hiring Travis Schlenk to run the front office. With Budenholzer and Rivers focused on coaching again, only Gregg Popovich, Stan Van Gundy, and Tom Thibodeau hold dual roles as head coach and president of basketball ops for their respective clubs.
For Frank, it represents another step forward in what has become an interesting career path. A longtime assistant coach and head coach, Frank transitioned into a front office role with the Clippers last year, handling day-to-day operations for the franchise. He was impressive enough in that capacity that he’ll be charged with overseeing the entire department now, though Rivers – and presumably consultant Jerry West – will remain involved in the process.
“There are different relationships that a player needs to have with the coach and the front office,” Ballmer said. “Doc put Lawrence in charge of the non-coaching aspects of the front office last year, and he’s done a fantastic job. I want each of them to dig in and do what they do best. Lawrence has come on so strong in that role, and that has helped us go down this path.”
Pistons Have Interest In Kyrie Irving
The Pistons are interested in star point guard Kyrie Irving, a person with knowledge of the team’s front office tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. As Ellis notes, Detroit’s interest shouldn’t come as a major surprise, considering approximately 20 teams are believed to have inquired with the Cavaliers about Irving.
[RELATED: At Least Six Teams Have Made Offers For Irving]
Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy confirmed that the Pistons have had “some level of conversation” with the Cavs about Irving, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com wrote earlier this week.
In discussing the subject, Langlois says he doesn’t see a logical match between the Pistons and Cavaliers, and Ellis is also skeptical that Irving will land in Detroit. Still, it’s not impossible to envision a package that might interest the Cavaliers.
As Langlois notes, Reggie Jackson or Avery Bradley could make some sense as a point guard replacement for Cleveland, and Tobias Harris may have some appeal to the Cavs. Stanley Johnson, who just recently turned 21, may also be an intriguing long-term piece. The Pistons also still hold all their future first-round picks, and Andre Drummond‘s name has come up in trade rumors multiple times this year.
Although the Pistons could potentially put together a viable trade offer for Irving, it almost certainly wouldn’t be an overwhelming one, so the Cavs will probably look elsewhere unless the other incoming offers for Irving are unimpressive. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that the Pistons aren’t necessarily satisfied to stand pat with their current roster — particularly if an All-Star caliber player becomes available.
Timberwolves Rumors: Wiggins, Thibodeau, FAs
The Timberwolves’ trade offer for Kyrie Irving doesn’t include Andrew Wiggins, and that appears unlikely to change. According to Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune, team owner Glen Taylor has “made it clear” that the club intends to lock up Wiggins to a five-year, max extension in the near future. Hartman adds that the former top pick “is not available to anybody in a trade.”
While that news doesn’t come as a huge surprise, it’s hard to imagine the Wolves being putting together a viable package for Irving without including Wiggins, so Minnesota looks to be a long shot to acquire the Cavaliers’ star point guard.
Here’s more from out of Minnesota:
- Taylor owns about 70% of the Timberwolves, and while a pair of minority stakeholders are looking to sell their shares in the franchise, that’s not the case for Taylor, as Hartman details. “We have a couple of my limited [owners] that have indicated that they’re going to sell, and we have another limited [owner] that is going to buy them,” Taylor said. “I won’t be selling any of my stock. Whatever I have, I’m keeping.”
- Although Taylor would have liked to see the Timberwolves play better in 2016/17, he remains confident in Tom Thibodeau‘s long-term vision for the team, per Hartman. “I brought him in here for the long run,” Taylor said of Thibodeau. “We tried it with the young players, and it appears that we need more experience on the team to get where we want to get. [Thibodeau] is flexible and he’s trying his best to bring in the quality guys we need to get to the championship, so I’m happy.”
- Taylor’s sights for 2017/18 are set higher, according to Hartman. “Well, of course we have to get into the playoffs,” Taylor said. “And where we get into … the playoffs is probably very important for us. To get into fourth place so you have home-court advantage would really be the super position.”
- The Wolves expect to sign three more players to veteran minimum contracts, according to Taylor, via Hartman. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News indicated earlier this week (via Twitter) that the club had a contract offer out to a shooter.
Spurs Re-Sign Patty Mills To Four-Year Deal
AUGUST 4: More than a month after agreeing to terms with Mills, the Spurs have made his new deal official, announcing the signing in a press release.
JUNE 30: The Spurs and point guard Patty Mills have come to terms on a four-year, $50MM deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
With the status of Tony Parker in flux following his postseason-ending injury earlier this year, Mills could play a vital role in the future of the Spurs organization, if not as a starter than at least as a key reserve.
In 80 games for the Spurs last year, the backup guard averaged 9.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. Those numbers could easily increase if the veteran plays more than the 21.9 minutes per game he saw in 2016/17.
Last month we wrote that Parker has eyed a possible return date next January, but even if that holds true, Mills will have an opportunity to start for the first half of the 2017/18.
That said, with players like George Hill and Kyle Lowry on the market, Gregg Popovich and company could look to bring another starter on board, bumping Mills back to his reserve role.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jason Maxiell Retires As Piston
Longtime NBA big man Jason Maxiell has signed a contract with the Pistons in order to officially retire as a member of the organization, the club announced today in a press release. The 10-year NBA veteran spent eight of those seasons in Detroit.
“The best years of my professional career were spent in Detroit and it’s important to me to retire as a Detroit Piston,” Maxiell said in a statement. “This is a special franchise with great tradition and history. I want to thank all the fans who supported me during my eight seasons representing Detroit.”
Maxiell, the Pistons’ first-round pick in 2005, came off the bench for his first several years with the team, though he was the team’s starting power forward by the end of his time in Detroit. His best season came in 2007/08, when he appeared in all 82 games for Detroit, averaging 7.9 PPG and 5.3 RPG, with a .538 FG%.
In 618 career regular season games for the Pistons, Magic, and Hornets, Maxiell posted averages of 5.6 PPG and 4.2 RPG. Maxiell hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2014/15 season, having spent the last two seasons playing for teams in China and Turkey.
“Jason and his representatives reached out to us regarding his desire to sign one last contract with the team in order to retire as a Detroit Piston,” Pistons GM Jeff Bower said in a statement of his own. “Jason made an impact on and off the court with the organization, spending eight seasons in Detroit, many with deep playoff runs. We’re pleased that Jason has chosen to remain connected to our organization and wish him well in the future.”
Kevin Seraphin To Play For Barcelona
Veteran big man Kevin Seraphin will head back overseas to continue his basketball career, having reached an agreement on a two-year deal with Barcelona, according to an announcement from the team (Twitter link). Seraphin cleared waivers and became an unrestricted free agent earlier this week after being cut by the Pacers.
Seraphin, 27, averaged 4.7 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 49 games in Indiana last season, playing a part-time role in his first and only season with the team. Prior to his lone season with the Pacers, Seraphin spent one year with the Knicks and five with the Wizards.
A native of France, Seraphin started his professional career overseas, playing for Cholet Basket from 2007 to 2010 before he was selected in the first round of the 2010 draft. The 6’9″ forward/center also has a little experience playing in Spain — he signed with Baskonia in 2011 during the NBA lockout, but returned to the Wizards when the lockout ended.
Word of Barcelona’s interest in Seraphin surfaced last month as his NBA salary guarantee deadline approached, so his decision to sign with the team doesn’t come as a major surprise.
Several Teams Eyeing Alan Anderson
Alan Anderson is drawing interest from several teams, according to Darren Wolfson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Timberwolves, Nets, Raptors, and Knicks are among the teams to check in on the 34-year-old.
Anderson played for the Clippers last season after signing a one-year deal with the club. He didn’t play much for Doc Rivers, appearing in only 30 games. He scored 2.9 points in 10.3 minutes per contest.
Prior to arriving in Los Angeles, Anderson played for the Wizards, Nets, Raptors, and Bobcats. He also spent time abroad playing for teams in Italy, Russia, Croatia, and Israel.