Olshey On Williams, Aldridge, Offseason
With the signing of Mo Williams now official, Portland general manager Neil Olshey introduced his newest addition to Blazers fans and media earlier today. Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge provides a transcript here and also offered his own thoughts on what Olshey had to say:
- Olshey indicated that LaMarcus Aldridge was excited by the Blazers signing of Williams, writes Golliver, adding that Aldridge expressed similar sentiments earlier this offseason when Portland added Robin Lopez.
- When asked about the Aldridge trade rumors that surfaced this summer, Olshey lectured the media about spreading false reports in an attempt to be the first to break what would be big news. Olshey assured reporters that Aldridge never asked to be traded and is happy in Portland.
- While Olshey conceded that the Blazers didn't do everything they could to be competitive last year, he also insisted that it was by design. The result, Olshey said, has been the additions of Lopez, Thomas Robinson and now Williams, according to Golliver.
- Williams will be the Blazers' sixth man, writes Mike Tokito of the Oregonian, adding that Olshey was Williams' pre-draft 'coach' a decade ago. Olshey also pushed to bring Williams to the Clippers two seasons ago, where he was able to fit into a guard rotation that contained several guys capable of running the point, much like the situation in Portland.
- Tokito also tweeted that Olshey implied the Williams signing would wrap up Portland's offseason.
Sixers’ Head Coaching Search Primer
We asked you earlier today which team in the Eastern conference made the best coaching hire this offseason. Missing from that list was the 76ers, who have mulled over their list of candidates for nearly four months now. There is word that their search will come to an end at some point this week, so while we continue to wait for an announcement from the team, let's round up the latest on all of the names that have been linked to the Philly job throughout the offseason:
- Kenny Atkinson, Hawks assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 17. Atkinson, who was with the Knicks last season, is rumored to be in line for a second interview, so he appears to be in the mix.
- Brett Brown, Spurs assistant: Interviewed at some point after June 24. Brown is one of the favorites for the job, and is also rumored to have a second interview. Brown was apparently interested in the Celtics' post, but it is unknown if the same can be said for the Sixers' job.
- Michael Curry, Sixers assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 10. Curry has long been considered a leading candidate for the job but nothing concrete has surfaced on him since around the time of his interview.
- David Fizdale, Heat assistant: Interviewed after July 16, if ever. The Sixers received permission to interview Fizdale, but there's been no word since. He is a longshot at best.
- Adrian Griffin, Bulls assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 16. Griffin was rumored to have landed a second interview with Philly, but we heard tonight that he is no longer being considered for the position.
- Melvin Hunt, Nuggets assistant: There is no confirmation that Hunt even interviewed with Philly, but multiple reports put him on their radar. It would be a shock if he was still a candidate.
- Jay Larranaga, Celtics assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 12. Larranaga did enough to earn a second interview with Philly, but seems to be one of the longshots of that select group. It is worth noting that multiple reports have indicated Larranaga made a strong impression.
- Ed Pinckney, Bulls assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 16, but we haven't heard much other than that the meet did, in fact, happen. Pinckney does not appear to be a realistic candidate.
- Quin Snyder, Hawks assistant: If Snyder was interviewed, it was at some point after July 17. He does not seem to be in consideration any longer.
- David Vanterpool, Blazers assistant: Interviewed on July 29. While no second interview has been confirmed for Vanterpool, he is still being seriously considered according to several reports, and has even recently been tabbed as the frontrunner.
We know that Atkinson, Brown, Griffin and Larranaga either had or will have a second interview with the team, and that Curry, who coached the Sixers summer league squad, is also considered one of the frontrunners. Sam Hinkie has has kept the media in the dark throughout the offseason, so the best anyone can do, reporters included, is guess. My money is on Brown, who was rumored to be the guy on draft night and seems tailor made to work with Hinkie. But again, at this point, it's anyone's guess.
Adrian Griffin Out Of Running For Sixers’ Job?
Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin is out of the running for the Sixers head coaching position, reports Dei Lynam of CSN Philly, citing an NBA source with knowledge the situation. Griffin was one of four coaching candidates scheduled to interview a second time with the Sixers this week.
The Sixers are finally nearing a decision in their summer-long quest to find Doug Collins' replacement, and it sounds like Michael Curry, Brett Brown, Jay Larranaga, Kenny Atkinson and David Vanterpool are currently the only ones left standing.
Luke Harangody Signs With Unics Kazan
Luke Harangody has signed with Unics Kazan in Russia, the team announced according to Sportando. Harangody spent last season in the D-League, where he averaged 19.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per contest for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
The Notre Dame product spent the two seasons prior in the NBA, appearing in 70 games in stops with the Celtics and Cavs. Cleveland thought enough of Harangody to extend him a $1.1MM qualifying offer last summer, but he was waived before the season began and ended up in the D-League.
Sixers Ready To Explore Free Agent Market
It's been more than a month since the Sixers shipped Jrue Holiday and Pierre Jackson to New Orleans in exchange for Nerlens Noel and a 2014 top-five protected first round pick. But outside of trading for the enigmatic Royce White, the team hasn't done anything to fill out its roster and is the only NBA team remaining without a head coach.
One of those things is about to change, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who writes that the Sixers are finally ready to shop in free agency. According to Pompey, on the team's wish list is a point guard to backup and mentor rookie Michael Carter-Williams as well as a perimeter shooter.
"We have needs all around," said Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie. "We are going to look for guys who can be a part of our future and have a chance, some guys who can grow with our team."
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20130801_Sixers_finally_ready_to_shop_for_free_agents.html#AmvLHMYrYrPI64PB.99
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20130801_Sixers_finally_ready_to_shop_for_free_agents.html#AmvLHMYrYrPI64PB.99
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20130801_Sixers_finally_ready_to_shop_for_free_agents.html#AmvLHMYrYrPI64PB.99
At this point the Sixers intentions for next season are pretty obvious, making the addition of even mid-level free agents unlikely despite having the most available cap room in the league. Pompey suggests that the team could bring back free agents Royal Ivey and/or Damien Wilkins, and also lists Ronnie Brewer, Luke Babbitt, Xavier Henry and Cole Aldrich as younger options that could pique the team's interest.
We heard yesterday that Hinkie believes the Sixers cap room enables them to be active trade participants if they choose to be and Pompey reiterates that in this story, specifically mentioning Evan Turner as a player who could be on the block and leaving the door open for the team to move any player on their roster.
"It's a little early now," Hinkie added. "There's a lot of work to do for the team to be filled out. You could see all sorts of things happening."
Odds & Ends: Wall, James, OKC, Haddadi
With John Wall's long-awaited max contract finally on the books for the Wizards, NBA writers around the league have already begun to weigh in. Sean Highkin of USA Today writes that Wall is definitely worth the risk for the Wiz, while J. Michael of CSN Washington crunches the numbers to show why the team values Wall like they do. There is sure to be more where that came from. Until then, let's take a look at what else is going on in the Association on Wednesday night:
- Free agent point guard Mike James, who spent last season with the Mavericks, will not retire at age 38 and is determined to play his 12th NBA season next year, tweets Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. James emerged as a viable backup, starting 23 of the 45 games he appeared in last season for Dallas and averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 assists per contest.
- The Thunder have named Robert Pack and Mike Terpstra as assistant coaches, the team announced today in a press release. Pack spent the past three years on the Clippers staff after a year in New Orleans. This will be Terpstra's NBA coaching debut, but he has experience working in the D-League. “We’re excited to add Robert and Mike to our coaching staff for the upcoming season,” said head coach Scott Brooks in the release. “These additions bring diverse backgrounds to our group that will help the further development of our players.”
- The Knicks have shown interest in center Hamed Haddadi, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday, adding that nothing is imminent. Only able to offer minimum salary contracts, we heard today the Knicks were hoping to land Beno Udrih and yesterday that they had some interest in Delonte West. Haddadi finished last season in Phoenix after more than four years with the Grizzlies.
- Alan Anderson, who signed with the Nets yesterday, says he took less money to join a winner, writes Iannazzone. At 30 years old, it sounds like the veteran guard was more concerned with contention than playing time and therefore agreed to a contract in Brooklyn for the league minimum. He was a double-digit scorer in Toronto last season for the first time in his career, but the Raptors missed the playoffs. In his four NBA seasons, Anderson has yet to see the postseason.
Lakers Expected To Sign Marcus Landry
Marcus Landry is expected to sign a deal with the Lakers to attend training camp that contains a "small guarantee," tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. While she adds that it's more of a camp invite than a contract, Shelburne says the team has legitimate interest in the former Wisconsin Badger.
Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times, who predicted the signing last week, tweets the deal is not yet official but he fully expects Landry to be in Lakers camp and to have a realistic shot at a roster spot. With Elias Harris in the fold and the not-yet-signed Ryan Kelly a near lock to make the roster, Pincus opines that Landry could make the team as the 14th man if the Lakers don't add a veteran forward (Twitter links here).
Marcus, the younger brother of Carl Landry, appeared in 18 games in the 2009/10 season with the Knicks and Celtics. He has since bounced between the D-League and Europe, and played with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League last season.
LeBron James Eyeing NBPA Presidency?
LeBron James is mulling over a bid to become the President of the NBA players association, writes Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports, citing a source close to James. The Thunder's Derek Fisher served as the union's president until his term expired this summer. Whitlock opines that the veteran point guard, nearing the end of his career and still under fire from the union's former executive director, is unlikely to retain the position.
With Adam Silver set to step into the commissioner's office and the players union in search of a new executive director, Whitlock's source claims that James recognizes this as an opportunity for the union to implement much-needed change. However, the source also cautions that while it's possible, James' pursuit of the presidency is unlikely considering the time commitment the job requires, adding that he's more likely to influence the union in more of an informal role.
Jerry Stackhouse, the union's vice president, is currently leading the search for a new executive director and would presumably be involved in the process of naming a president, which could happen as early as late August according to Whitlock. Whitlock writes that, with James as president, the union could more effectively get star players to participate in league matters, in turn leading to additional clout in talks with owners. The union has not had a star player as president since Patrick Ewing, who held the position from 1997 to 2001, and has not had an "in-his-prime" president since Isiah Thomas.
Timberwolves Sign Ronny Turiaf
JULY 18TH: The Timberwolves have made the signing of Turiaf official (Twitter link).
JULY 11TH: According to agent Mark Bartelstein, Ronny Turiaf has agreed to sign with the Timberwolves, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (via Twitter). The deal is worth $3.2MM over two years, tweets RealGM's Shams Charania. The Wolves will be the seventh team in nine years in the NBA for the 30-year-old Turiaf, who spent the 2012/13 season with the Clippers. He played 65 games in Los Angeles, averaging 1.9 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 10.8 minutes.
Per Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, Bartelstein said that team president Flip Saunders was pivotal in recruiting Turiaf to Minnesota. Bartelstein added that Turiaf sees himself playing a Brad Miller-like role in head coach Rick Adelman's system, and the Gonzaga product expects to compete for minutes right away (Twitter links). Given all the injury problems they had last year, Turiaf should at least provide some much-needed depth for the Wolves.
2013 Amnesty Period Ends
Tuesday night marked the last chance this offseason for eligible teams to exercise the amnesty clause, which allows them to waive a player and remove his name from their books for salary-cap and luxury-tax purposes (while continuing to pay him). Amnesty week started on July 10, and while the 2013 period wasn't as busy as last season, there were still five teams that chose to take advantage of the clause, including three today. As a reminder, amnestied players are placed on waivers, but the rules are a little different than usual, as we outlined in our 2013 Amnesty Primer.
As of 11:00pm CT tonight, teams that had yet to utilize the amnesty provision won't get another chance to do so until next July. With the deadline now behind us, here's the complete list of players who were amnestied this offseason, along with the teams and players that are still amnesty-eligible, and the teams that will not be able to utilize the provision:
Amnestied:
- Charlotte Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas
- Los Angeles Lakers: Metta World Peace
- Miami Heat: Mike Miller
- Milwaukee Bucks: Drew Gooden
- Toronto Raptors: Linas Kleiza
Remaining amnesty-eligible teams and players:
- Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford
- Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo
- Chicago Bulls: Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer
- Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph, Mike Conley
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison
- Sacramento Kings: John Salmons
- San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker
Amnesty-eligible teams without amnesty-eligible players (cannot use clause):
- Detroit Pistons
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Utah Jazz