Pacific Notes: Warriors, Jackson, McLemore
With the Kings, Suns and the 17-2 Warriors in action tonight, let’s take a look at some of the news and notes coming out of the Pacific division:
- In an era when frequent player movement allows new NBA powers to seemingly spring up overnight, Warriors GM Bob Myers credits roster continuity with his team’s white-hot start, and it was ultimately why a Klay Thompson-for-Kevin Love swap never materialized, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. “We have a cohesive roster where we haven’t had a lot of change, and it’s hard in this day and age to keep your roster together for a lot of different reasons — free agency, trades, financial reason,” said Myers. “To keep a team together was important to us, and that has helped us early in the season while other teams are trying to work in new personnel.”
- Many assign significant credit to Steve Kerr for the Warriors‘ early success, and it’s a group that presumably includes co-owner Joe Lacob, who took some shots at departed coach Mark Jackson last week. While star guard Stephen Curry called Lacob’s comments a “distraction” today, he also seemed content that Lacob apologized Sunday, writes Diamong Leung of the Bay Area News Group. “For him to apologize is a big gesture,” Curry said. “My whole thing is to not discredit anything Coach Jackson did because he was such a great coach for us and elevated a lot of our individual games, and I’m proud of that and I appreciate that.”
- Rather than fretting when the Kings drafted the similarly positioned Nik Stauskas in the lottery this past June, second-year shooting guard Ben McLemore worked in the offseason to elevate his game and the results have been evident in the early going this season, writes Aaron Fischman of Cowbell Kingdom. Sacramento selected McLemore No. 7 out of Kansas in the 2013 draft.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Lakers Notes: Kobe, Scott, Lin
After showing signs of life last week with consecutive wins over the Raptors and Pistons, the Lakers have since lost three straight and now sit at a disappointing 5-16. They don’t play tonight, but that never prevents the Lakers news from flowing out of Hollywood. Here is the latest on the purple and gold:
- Byron Scott thinks the Lakers will be “right back where we belong” for the 2016/17 season, as he tells TNT’s David Aldridge, and in position to try to convince Kobe Bryant to stay past his contract, which runs through 2015/16. GM Mitch Kupchak isn’t optimistic that Kobe will keep playing, as he says in Aldridge’s weekly Morning Tip column for NBA.com. “All indications are, to me, from him, that this (two-year contract) is going to be it,” Kupchak said. “If somebody’s thinking of buying a ticket three years from now to see Kobe play, I would not do that. Don’t wait. Do it this year.”
- Kupchak and Lakers part-owner Jim Buss have told Scott that his first two years as head coach might be difficult as the team rebuilds, Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune writes in a profile of Scott. According to Smith, Scott had long wanted to return to Los Angeles, where he grew up and played professionally, but was leading the franchises in New Orleans and then Cleveland the previous two times the Lakers had head coaching vacancies.
- Kupchak had wanted to bring offseason acquisition Jeremy Lin to the Lakers for the entirety of the point guard’s career, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Lin, born in Los Angeles and raised in Northern California, has had a rocky start to his stint in L.A. and was recently removed from the starting lineup. The Lakers acquired the fifth-year guard from the Rockets this summer.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Poll: Reggie Jackson’s Future In OKC
A week ago, our own Chuck Myron unveiled our 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings, a list that profiles the top 10 targets for next summer and also lists the next 10 best. Absent from that compilation is restricted free agent-to-be Reggie Jackson, who has been on a mission over the past week to keep the Thunder afloat while Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook heal up. The fourth year point guard — whose extension talks with Oklahoma City fell apart in October — is averaging 21.5 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds in the team’s first 11 games. All of a sudden, the Boston College product seems destined for quite the payday come summertime.
With the Rockets in town yesterday, Jackson’s recent play led Houston’s James Harden to weigh in on the backup point guard’s situation. Harden is uniquely qualified to comment, as the Rockets’ superstar was once the tertiary option himself in Oklahoma City. After he played a major role in the Thunder’s 2011/12 Finals appearance, Harden was shipped to Houston once it became clear the two sides couldn’t agree to an extension. He immediately emerged as a superstar in Houston, averaging over 25 points since in 161 career games with the Rockets.
Sitting at 3-8 with their two megastars on the shelf, the Thunder are feeling the ramifications of that trade at this very moment. Some think small-market OKC didn’t want to pay the luxury tax, which would have been inevitable had they ponied up the necessary money for a Harden extension. Others say the Thunder, already armed with Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, thought that the package of Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two first round picks was enough to ensure long-term success.
More than two years and zero additional Finals appearances later, it’s safe to say the decision to move Harden was a bust. The question is, what does that mean for Jackson? He might not possess the All-NBA potential of Harden, but Jackson has showed so far this season that he can fill up a box score with the best of them. Have the Thunder learned their lesson? Jackson is sure to get lucrative offers next summer from teams hoping to pry him from OKC. What do you think the Thunder should do?
Eastern Notes: Mudiay, Pacers, Kidd, Melo
With the Sixers well on the way to their 10th straight loss to start the 2014/15 season tonight, they’re undoubtedly keeping tabs on top prospect Emmanuel Mudiay, who recently recorded a triple double in China. Mudiay is a consensus top-five pick according to NBA scouts, says Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher, who adds that the 18-year-old has displayed the type of skills in his time with the Guangdong Tigers that has some talent evaluators thinking he can play point guard in the NBA right now.
The bad news for Sixers fans, of course, is that they still have 72 games to endure until they can truly salivate over the 2015 draft class. Here are some other notes coming out of the East:
- The Pacers have received clearance from the NBA to continue with 16 players on their roster, so A.J. Price remains with Indiana, the team announced. The allowance, which the Pacers merited because at least four players were expected to miss significant time, will provide for Price to stay with the club for at least three more games, according to Mark Montieth of Pacers.com.
- Rumors indicated that Jason Kidd was angling for front office control before he jumped to the Bucks merely to coach this past summer, but Milwaukee GM John Hammond doesn’t feel threatened by Kidd’s presence, as he tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. “I wasn’t concerned,” Hammond said. “I am in a position in my life and professionally where I am secure in myself. I feel very fortunate about that, that I have been around the league for so long — this is my 25th year in the NBA. I know who I am and I know my abilities, so it is not about being concerned. You’re not looking over your shoulder, you’re just glad you have the opportunity. Obviously, you’d like to keep the opportunity, but I feel good about the chances I have.”
- Carmelo Anthony recently had a helpful conversation with Knicks president Phil Jackson regarding his role in the team’s triangle offense, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Begley points out that, with triangle-enthusiasts Jackson and head coach Derek Fisher under contract through 2018/19 — the same season that Anthony’s deal ends — the forward knows the system is here to stay.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Brewer, Jackson, Gay
Tonight’s matchup between Memphis and Houston is a good one, but it’d be hard to fault fans looking forward to Wednesday night’s clash between the defending champion Spurs and the LeBron James-led Cavaliers. Sam Amick of USA Today writes that the Cleveland faithful should thank the Spurs for their part in sending James back to his hometown club, as few dispute that a Miami victory last June would have prevented the offseason’s biggest shakeup.
We’ll have to wait until Wednesday to see if the Spurs get their due from the Quicken Loans Arena crowd. Until then, let’s see what else is going on out West:
- While Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders tried to downplay the Corey Brewer rumors earlier today, it sure appears that interest in the veteran swingman is legitimate. However, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities isn’t getting the sense that a trade is imminent (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle questions whether the Rockets would use their traded player exception this early in the season (via Twitter). As our Outstanding Trade Exceptions guide shows, Houston obtained a trade exception of nearly $8.4MM when they sent Jeremy Lin to the Lakers.
- With superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the shelf, Thunder guard Reggie Jackson has had the spotlight to himself in Oklahoma City recently, averaging 21.5 points in the team’s first 11 games. Jackson and the Thunder broke off extension talks in October and the fourth-year guard is set for restricted free agency this summer. One guy who knows what it’s like to be the third fiddle in OKC is James Harden, who told Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman that Jackson should take advantage of this opportunity. “I fell into the same situation, and that could have been my only contract. And I’m sure Reggie feels the same way. He has to get the money that he’s earned and that he’s worked his whole life for. It’s the nature of the business. It’s going to happen every single year and it’s going to continue to happen.”
- Rudy Gay and the Kings are perfect for each other, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Ziller considers the extension agreed upon yesterday to be mutually beneficial, with Sacramento keeping a good player at a reasonable price while Gay pockets a nice chunk of change in the short term without totally sacrificing his ability to take advantage of the league’s new TV money. Assuming his success continues in Sacramento, Gay can decline his player option for 2017/18 and cash in one year after the cap explodes skyward in 2016.
And-Ones: Nene, Green, Cap, Johnson
We have nine games on the NBA slate for tonight, the best of which is undoubtedly the Southwest division showdown in Memphis between the 9-1 Rockets and the 9-1 Grizzlies. Some might say the Grizzlies’ impressive record should include an asterisk, as the Kings continue insist that last week’s game-winner by Courtney Lee be overturned. However, Memphis GM Chris Wallace is confident the league will uphold his team’s victory, he tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
With that settled, let’s take a look at what else is going on around the Association on Monday night:
- Nene and Gerald Green have joined the BDA Sports agency, as Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal reports in a subscription-only piece. Nene had been with Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, while agent Kenton Edelin was Green’s representative. Green’s contract with the Suns is up after this season, while Nene’s deal with the Wizards runs through 2015/16.
- Almost all team executives believe the salary cap for 2015/16 will fall somewhere between $66MM and $68MM, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe. Lowe includes this nugget in a longer analysis of yesterday’s Rudy Gay extension, which the Grantland scribe describes as “fair-ish” next season and as a potential steal come 2016/17. Lowe also believes that the Kings would like to add another piece after this season if they can free up some salary. He speculates that Jason Thompson and his $6.43MM 2015/16 salary could be a trade candidate.
- Now in his 14th season at age 33, Joe Johnson tells David Aldridge of NBA.com that he can’t imagine playing too much longer after his deal is up with the Nets. Johnson, who recently got into some hot water after saying his team was playing selfishly, is under contract through next season with Brooklyn and will hit free agency at age 35 in the summer of 2016.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Internationals, Crowder, Cavs
With Rockets and Timberwolves playing below the border and the Blazers scoring 111 points in the first three quarters in Denver, the NBA’s Wednesday night has been anything but normal. As the final quarter ticks away in Mexico City, let’s look at some news and notes from around the league:
- David Pick of Basketball Insiders includes Vasilije Micic (Sixers), Alex Abrines (Thunder), Davis Bertans (Spurs), Dario Saric (Sixers), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (Suns) on his list of six international draft-and-stashes who could contribute in the NBA now.
- In a chat with readers, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News calls the Mavericks‘ Jae Crowder a “keeper in this league” on a good team. Crowder will hit restricted free agency after this season, but has not really gotten an opportunity to put his skills on display thus far in his third NBA season, as Sefko adds.
- Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders provides an extensive evaluation of how the Cavaliers have handled building around their trio of stars, for this and the coming years. As Duncan points out, the Anderson Varejao extension now looks a bit riskier considering the team’s defense struggles. Duncan opines that locking up fellow big Tristan Thompson might be shrewd since the Varejao deal has limited any other options.
Poll: How Many Games Will Sixers Win?
At the end of the summer, Hoops Rumors readers weighed in on the Sixers’ tanking strategy, with nearly 45 percent of the votes advocating GM Sam Hinkie‘s controversial methods. The NBA brass didn’t share the same enthusiasm, however, as the league tried to push through lottery reform that would’ve immediately discouraged tanking only to then have it rejected last month.
So, for now, it appears that the Sixers’ quest for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft will move forward unimpeded. And they’re off to quite a start, losing their first seven games by a league-worst margin of 12.9 points per contest. The Sixers began last season with the veteran likes of Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen, enabling the team to win 19 games and somehow avoid finishing the season as the league’s worst team.
Those guys are gone and Hinkie didn’t do much to replace them — at least not with guys ready to make an NBA impact anytime soon. As they wait for Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, the Sixers will presumably continue to employ the white-glove treatment with Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel. The losses will pile up; the only question is how many? Will the Sixers come anywhere near their win total of 19 from a year ago? If not, will they challenge the 1973 Sixers, who finished at 9-73? Just how low can Hinkie and company go?
And-Ones: Griffin, Lakers, Draft, Harris
Clippers star forward Blake Griffin was officially charged with a misdemeanor count of battery today stemming from an October incident at a Las Vegas night club, reports Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. We’re sure to hear more on this in the very near future. For now, though, let’s take a look at what else is happening around the league:
- Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times provides some additional detail around the disabled player exception the Lakers were granted for Julius Randle on Monday, including a list of players that the team could pursue within the guidelines of the exception. In addition to the 15 players they could target via trade, Pincus also mentions Ray Allen, Emeka Okafor and Quincy Miller as free agents worth considering. Meanwhile, though it’s not Laker-specific, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders has compiled his own list of notable players that are still unsigned.
- The crop of freshman talent in the 2015 draft class pales in comparison to last year’s group, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports hears. Utilizing opinions collected from various NBA scouts, Spears compiles his own top 10 prospect list which is topped by Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, Kentucky’s Karl Towns and Texas’ Myles Turner.
- Orlando forward Tobias Harris reiterated his commitment to the Magic tonight when asked about the New York Post report from earlier today that indicated he’d have interest in joining the Knicks this offseason, reports John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (via Twitter). Harris will be a restricted free agent next summer.
Atlantic Notes: Rondo, McDaniels, Fisher
With tip off for the Celtics and Knicks only a few minutes away, let’s take a look at some of the news and notes coming out of the Atlantic division:
- Rajon Rondo would like to stay in Boston, according to close friend and former teammate Kendrick Perkins, who spoke to a number of Celtics reporters, including Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, before Wednesday night’s Thunder-Celtics game (via Twitter). Rondo will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and we recently heard the Lakers might pursue him.
- The impressive play of Sixers’ second round pick K.J. McDaniels has many in Philly wondering how long it will be before the rookie cracks the starting lineup, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While starting for the downtrodden Sixers is hardly remarkable — even for a rookie — McDaniels’ success is noteworthy because the Clemson product opted to gamble on himself with a one-year deal earlier this fall rather than sign the team’s four-year offer.
- Knicks head coach Derek Fisher said he would currently be suiting up for his 19th season had the opportunity to hop right into coaching not come up this offseason, according to Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal (via Twitter). Fisher, of course, spent the past two-plus seasons in the Oklahoma City backcourt rotation.