Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Anderson, Bosh, Bryant, Najera

August 24th, 2012 at 10:37pm CST by Michael Pina

According to a tweet from Spurs guard Danny Green, James Anderson may have reached an agreement with the Hawks. Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News says the possible signing would make sense, being that current Atlanta GM Danny Ferry worked in San Antonio last season, where Anderson played.

On this Friday night, here's a look around at some other NBA related news circulating around the league.

When asked who he felt was the favorite heading into next season, Heat forward Chris Boshdeclared the Lakers to be the NBA's best team, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "The Lakers, I think, right now, I mean on paper, they probably have the best team in the West and probably the league right now," he said. "On paper. I'm saying on paper. But it's a lot, a lot, it's a long season. And the best team always isn't the one who starts out the season as the best team."
ESPNLA.com's Brian Kamenetzky wonders what the Lakers should reasonably expect from Kobe Bryant this year. The future Hall of Famer turned 34 earlier this week.
Hoopsworld.com's Bill Ingram takes a look at five veterans who he believes need to step up this season. Four of them are centers.
Earlier today it was announced that Eduardo Najera was officially retiring as a player to become the head coach in the D-League. ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan discusses how Najera could open up the league's relationship with Mexico.
Steve Aschburner of NBA.com looks at the Timberwolves heading into next season.

Pincus On NBA Spending Power

August 23rd, 2012 at 9:03pm CST by Michael Pina

We've gone over team spending here on Hoops Rumors before, but today, Hoopsworld.com's Eric Pincus broke down the remaining cap space that teams have across the league, including how much they've already spent and their current situation with regards to various exception levels. Some interesting notes from his piece:

Before their reported agreement with Martell Webster, the Wizards were the only team left with their full $5MM mid-level exception. The Bucks have nearly all to spend, but fall just short with $4.35MM.
Despite what appears to be a never ending spending spree that's lasted the entire summer, the Lakers still have $1.59MM left on their mini mid-level exception. They're also nearly $30MM over the tax line.
The Hawks still have their Bi-Annual Exception, but should they choose to re-sign Ivan Johnson, will need to spend it on him.
The Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Heat are unable to add any players unless it's through a trade or signing someone to the veteran's minimum.
The Rockets have 20 players on their current roster, but could get between $6 and 7MM underneath the cap after waiving a few non-guaranteed players, as they recently did with Josh Harrellson. (The limit is 15 players by opening night.)
The Cavaliers boast $11.1MM of cap space, the most in the league.

Extension Candidate: Jeff Teague

August 22nd, 2012 at 10:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

This will be a critical season for Jeff Teague, which might make the remaining two months of the offseason even more important. The Hawks brought in serious competition at the point guard position when they traded for Devin Harris. The pair put up similar numbers last season, with Harris averaging 11.3 points, 5.0 assists and 1.9 turnovers per game with a 16.0 PER for the Jazz, while Teague put up 12.6 PPG and 4.9 APG to go with 2.0 turnovers per game and a 15.8 PER. GM Danny Ferry gave an initial vote of confidence to Teague, as Lang Greene of HoopsWorld wrote earlier this summer.

“He’s still a young player,” Ferry said. “Last year was the first time where he just played. He got to play, totally green lighted. It will be interesting to see how he matures this year and continues to develop with things. It will be more his team. We don’t have Joe (Johnson). We don’t have Marvin (Williams). It will be more of Jeff’s team than it has ever been. I think he’s capable of stepping in and doing a good job with that.”

Teague was third behind Joe Johnson and Josh Smith in minutes played last season, so between that and Ferry's statement, it appears he'll get the initial nod as starter during training camp. That arrangement might not last. Johnson has suggested he and Harris could play together in the backcourt, as Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote, but with Lou Williams and Kyle Korver around, minutes at the two-guard spot will be tough to come by in Atlanta. The uncertainty should be enough to prompt Teague and agent Mike Conley Sr. to gauge Ferry's interest in a long-term extension before the October 31st deadline to do so. Though it would be a hedge against the 24-year-old's continued improvement in his fourth NBA season, an extension could provide security and a leg up on Harris, who's set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Teague's case centers around his play since the 2011 playoffs, when he stepped in as the starter for an injured Kirk Hinrich and averaged 11.8 PPG and 3.5 APG while shooting 51.4% in six postseason contests. He remained in the starting lineup for all 66 games last season, even when Hinrich was healthy, and drastically outdid his numbers of 4.2 PPG and 1.8 APG in 11.9 minutes per game over his first two seasons. His peripheral statistics demonstrate that his increased production has not simply been a function of more playing time, as his true shooting percentage (.551), turnover percentage (15.1) and win shares per 48 minutes (.131) were all better last season than in either of his first two years.

Despite that improvement and Ferry's stated confidence, the Hawks are likely to be a reluctant partner in extension talks. The team appears set on clearing space for the future, with only about $18.484MM committed for 2013/14. Harris, a former All-Star, has struggled in recent seasons, but at age 29 is still a reliable option at the point capable of delivering a career year. Given their similarities, it would seem wise for the Hawks to sit back and let the play of Harris and Teague this season dictate who they'll re-sign this summer. Even if Teague, given his age, appears to be the better long-term option, he'll be a restricted free agent next summer, when Chris Paul, Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, Jose Calderon, Darren Collison and others could all be part of a crowded buyer's market.

Teague's agent needn't look far for a comparison, as son Mike Conley Jr. averaged 12.0 PPG and 5.3 APG with 2.1 turnovers per game and a 16.8 PER in his third season back in 2009/10, numbers similar to Teague's last year. Conley got a five-year, $40MM extension from the Grizzlies, but that was under the old CBA. Teague isn't eligible for a five-year extension in the current set-up, and given the Hawks' leverage, I doubt they'd go for $8MM a year. If Teague would be willing to settle for $6MM a year over three seasons, a deal that would bring him to unrestricted free agency at age 28, I think that might get the job done.

Odds & Ends: Lakers, Mavs, Curry, Hudson

August 22nd, 2012 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Congratulations to Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside, who has been hired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League as the team's director of basketball operations. We wish Schroeder the best of luck with the Skyforce, the squad that will serve as the D-League affiliate for the Magic, Heat, Timberwolves, and 76ers this season. Let's round up a few more Wednesday odds and ends….

Lakers coach Mike Brown spoke to Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com in an extensive Q&A, discussing the Princeton offense, the team's new acquisitions, and the expectations heading into 2012/13.
SI.com's Zach Lowe explains how Mark Cuban's comments about the Mavs being in better position without Deron Williams make some sense. Still, it seems like most fans still view Cuban's argument as spin — in this morning's poll, over 78% of you said the Mavs would be better off if they'd signed D-Will.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com wonders what a "reasonable" extension offer by the Warriors to Stephen Curry would look like.
In a tweet, Lester Hudson shot down rumors suggesting he'd be signing with Partizan in Serbia.
Vinny Del Negro and Avery Johnson are among the coaches who could be on the hot seat with slow starts this season, writes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution examines how free agent signee Lou Williams will fit into the Hawks' lineup.
Wes Unseld Jr. is a candidate to join the Magic coaching staff, tweets Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.

Rockets Sign Carlos Delfino

August 20th, 2012 at 1:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

AUGUST 20TH, 1:32pm: The Rockets have officially signed Delfino, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 15TH, 2:57pm: Delfino's deal with the Rockets is worth $3MM in year one, with a second-year option also worth $3MM, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). Since that amount exceeds the $2.575MM room exception, Houston is using leftover cap space to complete the deal.

The team has reportedly waived Josh Harrellson to clear a spot for Delfino, so the signing should become official any time now.

AUGUST 13TH, 7:29pm: The Rockets have agreed to a two-year deal with swingman Carlos Delfino that includes a team option for 2013-14, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. It's unclear how much the contract is worth, but it's likely for more than the minimum salary, as last week's reports suggested. The Rockets have their $2.575MM room exception available, so the deal could be for all or most of that amount, but that's just my speculation.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Thursday that the Rockets were "actively chasing" Delfino, who said he would sign with a team after the Olympics. The Celtics, Hawks, Pacers and Cavaliers were all reportedly in the running for Delfino at times this summer. The 6'6" Argentinian seemingly had his heart set on a multiyear deal, so the two-year pact with the Rockets offers a compromise of sorts, giving the team an out after this season.

Delfino, who spent the last three seasons with the Bucks, saw his role in the offense diminish last year after two straight seasons of double-figure scoring. His points per game went from 11.5 in 2010/11 to 9.0 in 2011/12, as his shots were cut from 10.5 a game to 8.4. Delfino played with an injured groin the last month of the season that required surgery in May, and was disappointed the Bucks didn't show more interest in re-signing him after he played hurt for them. The Bucks held his Bird rights, so they would have had no trouble bringing him back if they had interest. Milwaukee originally brought him aboard for three years and $10.5MM on a sign-and-trade from the Raptors in 2009.

The addition of Delfino gives the Rockets 21 players on the roster, Zach Lowe of SI.com notes via Twitter. That would seem to make them prime candidates to pull off a trade sometime between now and the start of the season.

The NBA’s Next Dwight Howard

August 14th, 2012 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard is still nearly over 10 months from free agency, but it appears the "Dwightmare" is over, with D12 having been traded to a team likely to sign him long-term. However, as we saw with players such as Howard, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and others, superstars approaching unrestricted free agency have a tendency to create some drama.

Howard wasn't the first star to be the subject of months of speculation and rumors, and he won't be the last. So with his saga over, at least for now, it's no surprise that a handful of NBA scribes have started trying to determine which player will be next to hold his team hostage. Here are a few of their ideas:

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld identifies Paul, Josh Smith, and Andrew Bynum as three players facing unrestricted free agency in 2013 that could be subject of months of "will he stay or go?" speculation. However, Kyler says Paul is likely to re-up with the Clippers next summer and that Bynum is "thrilled" with his new situation in Philadelphia. Smith would also prefer to stay put, according to Kyler, but it's not out of the question that he's traded later this season.
Tom Ziller of SBNation also names Paul and Bynum, filling out his list of possibilities with Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge. Acknowledging that Love and Aldridge are still a ways off from free agency, Ziller says he thinks there's a decent chance Aldridge could want out of Portland if the team doesn't make major strides in the next couple years.
Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops looks at a number of candidates to be the next Dwight, noting that it won't be long before the speculation about the summer of 2014 begins — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all have the chance to opt out at that point.

Ferry On Hawks, Howard, Johnson, Free Agents

August 13th, 2012 at 6:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

New Hawks GM Danny Ferry recently spoke to Charles Bethea of Grantland and held forth on several topics, including the Dwight Howard trade. Ferry says he never got close to a deal for the superstar big man because Magic were unwilling to trade him within the Southeast Division, though Zach Lowe of SI.com tweets that it isn't necessarily true. The entire Q-and-A is worth a read, but we'll run down a few highlights here:

On joining the Hawks and his relationship with co-owner Bruce Levenson:

I looked at it as a challenge. But once I spent time with ownership, with Bruce, specifically — a lot of time, a lot of deep questioning and thoughts back and forth — I got the sense that: One, he was committed to do this right. And he understands that things needed to change, on his behalf, and on ownership’s behalf, to help make that happen. There was a sense of humility from him: that we can do better than what we’ve done. And I felt like he was gonna empower someone to come in and do that. On top of that, I like the man: He seemed like a pretty good guy. Him being from the D.C. area, me being from the D.C. area. From a background standpoint everything was really positive.

On trading Joe Johnson to the Nets:

"We started talking about it June 26th, and we agreed on things July 3rd. I think it was a win-win for both teams. They got a good player who’d help keep around Deron Williams. It was a hard deal for us. But, at the end, we had a good making-the-playoff run, but we hadn’t had a good playoff run, if that makes sense. And the goal is to have a good playoff run. That was going to be hard to sustain, with how we were set up."

On the ability to attract Howard and other stars scheduled to hit free agency soon:

"I can’t talk specifically about Dwight Howard, with him being a free agent next year, for one. And two, who’s to say he won’t (come here)? But it’s a hard thing to get players to leave where they are, more than anything else. This is a place guys like to play. You see them settle in the offseason here. If we start doing things in an even better way, build a better program and a better model here, then it will be more attractive. We have to make an investment in the team infrastructure."

Trade Notes: Howard, Sixers, Picks, Iguodala

August 11th, 2012 at 5:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

The four-team Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum trade continues to have reverberations around the league, as teams and players begin to figure out what happens next. Though it's no surprise, Howard remains unwilling to commit to an extension with the Lakers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein says Howard wants to see how it goes with L.A. first, and says the Mavericks and Hawks would be fallbacks if Howard doesn't warm to the purple and gold. Here's more on the players and teams involved in the wake of the mega-deal:

Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops analyzes the Sixers' offseason as the team made a series of moves and signings this summer beyond acquiring Bynum from the Lakers.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has more on the conditions of the draft picks going from the Lakers and Sixers to the Magic, and our post rounding up the deal has been updated to reflect the latest details.
Robbins adds, via Twitter, that the Nets were offering three first-round picks in their offer to the Magic last month, instead of four as we heard previously. The picks would likely have been in the high to mid-20s, Robbins says.

Earlier updates:

Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post asked Andre Iguodala if he was pleased about joining the Nuggets, and Kiszla didn't sense much enthusiasm from Iguodala's remarks. "I'm happy to play basketball," the Team USA swingman said. "I don't care if I was playing in Alaska." Iguodala has an early termination option for 2013/14.
Bynum's agent David Lee says his client is excited to be close to his native New Jersey, though no talks about an extension with the Sixers have begun, as Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld writes. Koutroupis identifies the Hawks, Mavericks and Rockets as teams that could have the cap space and interest to sign Bynum if he tests free agency next summer.
Magic officials never filed charges with the league stemming from their suspicion that the Nets had illegal contact with Howard this past December, but the hard feelings proved an obstacle in trade negotiations between the teams, a source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Hawks Notes: Roster Moves, Dwight Howard

August 10th, 2012 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Michael Cunningham and Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution each have new articles up today, detailing the Hawks' past, present, or future plans. There are plenty of interesting tidbits in each piece, so let's round up a few of the highlights….

Hawks GM Danny Ferry would like to add another wing to the roster, if possible, as he tells Cunningham: "I would say probably a wing that can compete defensively at a high level would be a good thing to be able to add at some point."
Ferry, however, cautions that any free agent signing may have to accept a non-guaranteed contract to allow the Hawks to maintain roster flexibility. "Being locked into 15 [guaranteed contracts] is generally not ideal," Ferry said.
As of September 11th, the Hawks are allowed to trade Devin Harris and the players involved in the Joe Johnson haul in deals that aggregate their salaries. Cunningham says he wouldn't be surprised to see Ferry make another trade to "reconfigure Atlanta's unbalanced roster."
Ferry kicked the tires on a major trade possibility, engaging the Magic in trade talks involving Dwight Howard, according to Schultz. But the GM says Orlando was apprehensive about dealing Howard to a division rival.

Free Agent Spending By Division: Southeast

August 9th, 2012 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

While a handful of free agents are still on the market and many will sign deals in the coming weeks, the brunt of the offseason spending is now complete. Using Hoops Rumors' Free Agent Tracker, we'll be looking back at this summer's free agent signings, checking in on which teams were the offseason's big spenders and which teams were relatively quiet. Our look at summer spending starts with the Southeast Division, and will eventually continue to cover the other five divisions.

These figures only take into account free agent signings, so salary absorbed in trades or money used to sign draft picks isn't included in this list. Additionally, not all of this salary is necessarily guaranteed, which we'll try to note as we go along. Here are the Southeast's expenditures in free agency, sorted by player salary:

Orlando Magic: $25.2MM (Jameer Nelson)
Besides adding rookies Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O'Quinn, the Magic really only made one signing, inking Nelson to a three-year deal. Not all of the $25.2MM is guaranteed, but Nelson will make a guaranteed $8.6MM in each of the first two seasons of the contract, which certainly isn't an inconsequential commitment for a team looking to create cap flexibility.

Atlanta Hawks: $22.396MM (Lou Williams, DeShawn Stevenson)
A necessary add-on via sign-and-trade in the Joe Johnson blockbuster with the Nets, Stevenson required a three-year deal, but only the first year is guaranteed. Unless Stevenson really impresses the Hawks this year, he'll likely be let go after the season, reducing the Hawks' total summer-2012 commitments to about $17.9MM. Most of that, of course, comes from Williams' deal, which is worth the full mid-level — $15.675MM over three years. Despite being the division's second-biggest spender in free agency, the Hawks cleared a ton of money from their books this offseason by moving Johnson and Marvin Williams.

Miami Heat: $12.439MM (Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis)
Lewis will earn a veteran's minimum worth over $1.3MM from the Heat in each season of his two-year deal. However, his salary will only count toward the team's cap for about $854K in 2012/13 and $884K in 2013/14, shaving a little over $1MM off the Heat's free agent bill. Allen and Lewis also have player options in the final years of their contracts, so Miami's overall price tag for the two players could end up being as little as about $7.17MM, if both opt out early.

Charlotte Bobcats: $10MM (Ramon Sessions)
It was hard to imagine coming into the offseason that the 7-59 Bobcats would be able to attract many desirable free agents to Charlotte. That's turned out to be the case, for the most part, as the club's pursuits of Carl Landry, Antawn Jamison, and others have come up short so far. Sessions was willing to take the Bobcats' money though, signing a two-year deal worth $5MM annually.

Washington Wizards: $1.801MM (A.J. Price, Cartier Martin)
The Wizards have talked about all year about using the trade market as a way of avoiding free agency. They acquired players on expensive, multiyear deals, such as Nene, Emeka Okafor, and Trevor Ariza, noting that it was easier to bring aboard a player whose salary was set in stone rather than trying to negotiate with free agents. So far this summer, the team has stuck to its word, seemingly avoiding the market entirely, except for a pair of minimum-salary deals. The Wizards will pay about $854K of both Price's and Martin's salaries, making Washington's total bill in free agency so far just $1.71MM.