Sixers Notes: Brand, Fultz, M. Williams
The Sixers are staying in-house with their new general manager pick, as former NBA big man Elton Brand will receive a promotion to replace Bryan Colangelo. Although elevating an internal candidate may seem like a safe choice, it’s a risk for the 76ers, who are giving significant responsibility to an executive who retired as a player less than two years ago, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic and Tom Ziller of SBNation.com write. People within the organization have raved about Brand’s work ethic since he was hired, but he lacks the front office experience of virtually any other candidate the Sixers considered, Bodner notes.
Of course, Brand won’t be asked to make personnel decisions on his own, and it’s possible he won’t even have the final say on roster moves. The Sixers have talked extensively about their front office’s collaborative approach to key decisions, and as Sarah Todd of Philly.com observes, it remains to be seen what exactly the management power structure will look like. While relying on a collaborative process is fine, “collaborative won’t work forever,” according to Todd, who points out that someone will have to take responsibility for the team’s moves at some point — especially if those moves don’t pan out.
Here’s more out of Philadelphia:
- While Brand’s promotion may have come as a bit of a surprise, it was welcome news for multiple Sixers players, some of whom played with the former No. 1 pick, per Keith Pompey of Philly.com. “Since we were teammates, I have always been so impressed with EB’s work ethic and professionalism,” T.J. McConnell said. “I’m really happy for him, and I know he’ll carry those same traits into his new job.”
- Markelle Fultz remains the biggest X-factor on the 76ers’ roster entering the 2018/19 season, according to David Murphy of Philly.com, who suggests that the team could get a good idea in the coming months whether 2017’s top pick can still develop into a difference-making player.
- Monty Williams, who stepped away from coaching in 2016 after his wife Ingrid died from injuries suffered in a car accident, was hired as the Sixers’ lead assistant earlier this offseason and feels like he’s ready to return an NBA bench, as he tells Sarah Todd of Philly.com. “It’s a great time for me to get back to full-time coaching,” Williams said this week.” It was Brett [Brown], it was the team. I’ve played here before so I kind of know the culture of the city. Most importantly, my family was ready for me to get back into coaching.”
Wizards Sign Lavoy Allen To Camp Deal
Free agent center Lavoy Allen has signed a training camp contract with the Wizards, reports Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link). Washington currently has 18 players under contract, so once the team completes its reported deals with both Allen and Chasson Randle, its 20-man offseason roster will be full.
According to Buckner, Allen has been in Washington for the last week working out with Wizards players. He seemingly made an impression on the team, and will now compete for the final regular season roster spot, Buckner adds.
Allen, 29, didn’t play an NBA game last season, but has extensive experience with the Sixers and Pacers over the course of a six-year career. Most recently, he averaged 2.9 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 61 games in a minor role for the Pacers in 2016/17.
The Wizards have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Allen, Randle, Tiwian Kendley, and Chris Chiozza on non-guaranteed deals. While Allen and Randle are seemingly the best bets for that 15th roster spot, it’s possible Washington will carry just 14 players to start the season due to tax concerns.
Courtney Lee Says He’s Not Seeking Trade
Responding to rumors that he’s seeking a trade out of New York, veteran swingman Courtney Lee tells Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he’s happy to be a Knick, refuting the idea that he prefers to be dealt. According to Begley, Lee has not expressed a desire to be moved.
A story from Marc Berman of The New York Post jump-started the Lee rumor mill, though for what it’s worth, Berman’s report doesn’t say that the 32-year-old wants to be traded. If he gets traded, Berman writes, Lee’s preference would be to join a playoff team or contender. According to the Post scribe, the Knicks have explored the trade market in search of a possible Lee deal.
Trading Lee would make sense for the Knicks, who aren’t expected to be in the playoff mix this season with Kristaps Porzingis still recovering from his ACL tear. Lee, who will turn 33 next month, is under contract for two more years, but probably isn’t part of New York’s long-term plans, and he’s coming off one of his best seasons, meaning his trade value should be higher than in the past.
In 76 games (30.4 MPG) in 2017/18, Lee averaged 12.0 PPG on .454/.406/.919 shooting, chipping in 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG. While he might not be a difference-maker for a contending team, Lee is the sort of three-point marksman on the wing that many playoff clubs could use.
While it remains to be seen if the Knicks will push to move Lee before the season or at the trade deadline, the franchise has been sending some subtle signals this season that he’s not a future building block.
A Knicks Instagram post in August on the “Future of New York” featured a montage of nine players, including Trey Burke, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Lance Thomas, but didn’t include Lee. Earlier this week, new head coach David Fizdale referred to Thomas as a “natural” lader, but didn’t mention Lee, who was a co-captain last season alongside Thomas.
Rodney Hood Hopes To Remain With Cavs Long-Term
Rodney Hood accepted his one-year, $3.4MM qualifying offer from the Cavaliers earlier this month after a summer that didn’t go as planned. Despite settling for the deal that creates the quickest path to unrestricted free agency, the Duke product says he hopes to parlay the QO into a long-term contract with the Cavs.
“I believe strongly in myself that after this year, I’ll be able to make Cleveland my home and we’ll get a better deal next summer,” Hood tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
“Just because he signed the qualifying offer, he’s not on the first train out of here,” Hood’s agent Travis King said. “He plans to stay in Cleveland.”
Hood struggled during limited action in the playoffs for the Cavaliers and was relegated to the bench. He also reportedly refused to enter a postseason game against the Raptors during garbage-time minutes. Then, once he hit the restricted free agent market, teams weren’t willing to make a hefty investment in the 25-year-old.
Hood was reportedly seeking a deal with annual values in the $10-12MM range. According to his agent, he only received offers in the $5-8MM range.
“At first I kind of felt bad for myself, but then it was like I don’t want to feel this feeling again, sitting on the bench, or playing 8-10 minutes a game,” Hood said. “I want to be a big part of a really good team, so that was my focus this whole summer.”
The Cavaliers offered Hood a multi-year pact for roughly $7MM per season, a source tells Vardon. Hood told the scribe that he wasn’t “comfortable” accepting that offer from the Cavs. He hopes to sign a more lucrative deal with Cleveland next offseason.
“My twins were born here,” Hood said. “I like the community, even though I haven’t been out there a lot. I want to make this a home. It’s just didn’t happen this summer. That’s how I look at it.”
Knicks Determined To Stick To Long-Term Plan
The Knicks have a plan in place, one that doesn’t involve taking shortcuts or making decisions that don’t align with long-term goals. Team president Steve Mills reiterated that the franchise won’t deviate from that blueprint, as Marc Berman of The New York Post relays.
“We’re going to build this team the right way,” Mills said when asked during a “town hall” forum with some of the team’s season holders if the Knicks would trade for any notable 2019 free-agents-to-be. “We’re not going to trade assets that we can get on our own later. … We’re not taking shortcuts. We’re not going to trade our draft picks. We believe New York will buy into a plan.”
Kyrie Irving has long been rumored to be on the team’s radar. Jimmy Butler seems destined for a new team, as he’s meeting with the Wolves today to discuss his future with the club. Kemba Walker, a New York native, is also scheduled to be a free agent. The Knicks believes it’s too early to know which star would be the best fit.
“Our main focus is the ’18/19 season,” GM Scott Perry added. “As much as we talked about having cap space, we are trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves. This team requires our undivided attention. I understand fans drifting to the future. Part of my job and Steve’s job is to stay grounded. We’ll deal with that class next summer when that arises.’’
The Knicks haven’t made the playoffs since the 2012/13 season and Mills understands that fans, especially those from the Big Apple, are getting impatient.
“You have a reason to be skeptical,” Mills said to the season-ticket holders. “All we can do is by demonstrating what we do. We’re sticking with the plan. Since Scott’s been aboard, we’ve been true to what we said we’d do. I’m a New Yorker. I don’t want what happened in the past to happen again.”
Hawks Sign Cole Aldrich
SEPTEMBER 18: The Hawks have filled their offseason roster by officially signing Aldrich, the team announced today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 6: The Hawks have reached an agreement with free agent center Cole Aldrich on a contract, reports Charley Walters of The St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). According to Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN (via Twitter), Aldrich will sign a non-guaranteed camp deal with Atlanta.
Aldrich, who will turn 30 next month, spent the last two seasons in Minnesota, playing a limited role for the Timberwolves. In 2017/18, he appeared in just 21 games and played only 49 total minutes. While his contract covered the 2018/19 season, Aldrich’s salary for the coming year only featured a modest partial guarantee, so the Wolves waived him in June before the full guarantee kicked in, making him an unrestricted free agent.
An eight-year veteran, Aldrich has never played a huge role for any NBA team since entering the league as the 11th overall pick in 2010, but he has logged 339 total games for six clubs. His most productive season came in 2014/15, when he averaged 5.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 61 contests (16.0 MPG) for the Knicks.
Before making their reported agreement with Aldrich official, the Hawks have two openings on their 20-man offseason roster. However, 15 of their 18 players currently under contract have guaranteed standard contracts for 2018/19, leaving no clear path for the veteran big man to make the regular season roster.
Still, Wolfson suggests that Aldrich is “motivated” to stick with Atlanta, so we’ll see if the club considers trading or waiving any players from its presumed 15-man squad to open up a spot for the former Timberwolf. Another former lottery pick, Thomas Robinson, will also be in camp with the Hawks on a non-guaranteed deal in the hopes of claiming a roster spot.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Maverick Notes: Playoffs, Jordan, Frontcourt Minutes
The additions of rookie Luka Doncic and DeAndre Jordan have the Mavericks thinking about the playoffs in a crowded Western Conference, Dwain Price of Mavs.com writes.
“I think we have a good team, but the West is loaded,” said Dirk Nowitzki. “Now LeBron came over to the West as well, so there are a lot of great, great players in the West. It’s going to be a fight every game, but I think we’re up for it.”
Here’s more from Dallas:
- The team isn’t holding Jordan’s infamous 2015 decision to not sign with the Mavs against him, as Price relays in the same piece. “I think we’re going to all make him feel welcome,” Nowitzki said of Jordan. “He’s from Texas, so he’s going to love the community. I think he’s going to be great, I think he’s going to fit in great with coach’s system. The [center] is always running and rolling and protecting the rim, so we’re looking forward to him really fitting in.”
- Jordan will start at center and likely average around 32 minutes per game, but the frontcourt rotation outside the former Clipper is up in the air, Eddie Sefko of Sports Day explains. Nowitzki will likely see slightly over 20 minutes per contest, though it’s uncertain as to how many of those will come alongside Jordan. The Mavericks have Dwight Powell, Salah Mejri, and Harrison Barnes among their options for the remaining frontcourt minutes.
- Wesley Matthews, who will be a free agent after the season, wants to deliver a playoff run to the Mavs‘ fan base, as he tells Sefko in a separate piece. “I don’t want another long offseason,” Matthews said. “I don’t. I want a postseason [after the 2018/19 season]. We deserve it – this organization, these fans, us players – we deserve to be in the postseason competing.”
Sixers Hire Elton Brand As GM
The Sixers have promoted Elton Brand to general manager, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The team is expected to introduce Brand in his new role during a press conference on Thursday.
Brand held the role of VP of Basketball Operations while also serving as the GM of the Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, prior to landing the position. He made a strong impression on ownership and head coach Brett Brown during the interview process, winning the job over several internal and external candidates, Wojnarowski adds.
Brand, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 draft, spent 17 seasons as a player in the league, including two separate stints in Philadelphia. He signed as a free agent during the summer of 2008 and spent four years with the franchise before departing for Dallas in 2012. He re-joined the 76ers during the middle of the 2015/16 season, serving as a veteran mentor to the team’s young roster.
One of a handful of in-house candidates to receive consideration to replace Bryan Colangelo, Brand was promoted over fellow executives Ned Cohen, Marc Eversley, and Alex Rucker. The Sixers were also reportedly considering Jazz assistant GM Justin Zanik and Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, as each executive received a second interview with the club.
During a media luncheon earlier today, Brown mentioned that Philadelphia was expecting to have a GM in place before the start of season. Brown also indicated that the idea of bringing back Sam Hinkie back in his old role was never under consideration, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets.
Latest On Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis spent much of the summer in Spain rehabbing as he recovers from a torn ACL, but he has remained in close contact with the Knicks.
“KP is engaged — we’re in a good place with him,” team president Steve Mills said of the former No. 4 overall pick during a recent “town hall” forum with season-ticket holders (via Marc Berman of The New York Post).
Mills was asked if having Porzingis sit out for the entire season was the best course of action for the team to take with its top player.
“Our goal is not to do anything that jeopardizes KP’s future as being one of the foundational pieces of this team,” Mills said. “…. We’ll have some medical evaluations of him this week, and we’ll start to develop [what] the right plan is for him, his plan to come back. But we’re not going to do anything that jeopardizes the future of this franchise. We’re going to be consistent and stay true to that.”
The Knicks can offer Porzingis an extension worth approximately $158MM over five years prior to the start of the 2018/19 season. It’s unlikely he’ll receive such as offer, as the team plans to preserve its cap space in hopes of luring at least one max player. Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, and Kemba Walker are among the players who will be unrestricted free agents after the season.
New York will be able to go over the cap to sign Porzingis to a new deal next summer.
Spurs Sign Amida Brimah, Julian Washburn
The Spurs have added a pair of players to their offseason roster, signing Amida Brimah and Julian Washburn to one-year contracts, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Those deals are be Exhibit 10 contracts, tweets Keith Smith of RealGM.
Brimah, who played his college ball at UConn, went undrafted in 2017 and joined the Spurs for training camp. The 7’0″ center has yet to make his NBA debut, but spent the 2017/18 season with the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate, averaging 6.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 2.6 BPG in 48 games (22.6 MPG).
Washburn, meanwhile, is a former UTEP small forward who went undrafted in 2015 and has spent time with the Austin Spurs and international clubs since then. He helped the Spurs’ G League squad win the NBAGL title earlier this year, starting both games in the club’s best-of-three series sweep over the Raptors 905. Most recently, Washburn played for the Cantebury Rams in New Zealand.
The Spurs now have 18 players under contract. That number will increase by one when Drew Eubanks finalizes his reported two-way deal, but will decrease by one when the club officially removes Manu Ginobili from its roster.