Pacific Notes: Chandler, Holmes, Cousins, Gortat
The Suns‘ buyout with Tyson Chandler would have helped the team much more if it had occurred during the preseason, tweets salary cap expert Albert Nahmad. The parties have reportedly had a standing deal on a buyout in place for some time, but Chandler was reluctant to commit until he was confident that another organization would pick him up. The consensus is the Lakers will be his next team.
The money saved through Chandler’s buyout could have benefited the Suns in a number of ways, Nahmad notes. De’Anthony Melton, a second-round pick acquired in a trade with the Rockets, was limited to a two-year, minimum-salary deal because Phoenix didn’t have money available for a three- or four-year offer (Twitter link). Nahmad is assuming Chandler will give back about $452K in his buyout, and notes that the Suns waited until just before the start of training camp to sign Melton in the hopes that they could free up more cash.
Unloading Chandler earlier would have also opened a roster spot and would have eliminated the need to waive Davon Reed when Jamal Crawford was signed (Twitter link). Reed, who is now on a two-way deal with the Pacers, is still owed his entire $1.4MM salary from the Suns.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- The news about Chandler explains why Richaun Holmes was the Suns‘ first choice at backup center in Friday’s game, tweets Gina Mizell of The Athletic. Holmes, who was acquired from the Sixers in an offseason trade, played a season-high 13 minutes.
- DeMarcus Cousins is expected to have a one-year stay with the Warriors, but GM Bob Myers isn’t giving up on the idea of extending their arrangement, relays Chelsea Howard of The Sporting News. During a recent appearance on the team’s pre-game show, Myers said “options are open” when it comes to keeping the All-Star center. “These type of predictions — good or bad — are pretty fruitless because you just don’t know,” he said. “You don’t know what’s going to be going on on July 1, 2019. You don’t know if it’s going to be better than you think … but it’s not going to be what you think. So, with a guy like DeMarcus, who knows? If he wants to come back, let’s bring him back.” If Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both re-sign, Golden State would be well above the cap and would be limited to offering Cousins its mid-level exception again.
- Clippers center Marcin Gortat re-tweeted a message bemoaning the end of his consecutive games streak. L.A. traded for Gortat in June to help offset the expected loss of DeAndre Jordan, but he has averaged just 3.6 PPG and 3.9 RPG and is losing minutes to Montrezl Harrell and Boban Marjanovic.
International Notes: Buycks, Sessions, Eddie, Sloan
Dwight Buycks, who has NBA experience with the Raptors, Lakers and Pistons, has joined the Shenzhen Leopards in the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Sportando. Spanish reporter Chema de Lucas was the first to break the news of the deal.
Buycks has 49 games of NBA experience, including 29 last season with Detroit, where he averaged 7.4 points in about 15 minutes per night. He signed a two-way contract with the Pistons in September of 2017, then had the deal converted into a standard NBA agreement in January. However, the team opted to waive him in July rather than guarantee his contract for another season.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Veteran guard Ramon Sessions has finalized a deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, the team announced on Twitter. He split last season between the Knicks and Wizards, playing a combined 28 games.
- Jarell Eddie, who had brief stays with the Celtics and Bulls last year, has signed to play in France, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Eddie bounced around the NBA after going undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2014. He signed a 10-day contract with Boston in January and another with Chicago in March, but couldn’t stick with either team.
- Donald Sloan, who has played for five NBA teams, has signed with the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association, Sportando reports. He was last in the NBA with the Nets in 2015/16.
- Former Pistons forward Tony Mitchell has signed a short-term deal to play in Argentina, Carchia tweets.
Wizards Notes: Leonsis, Beal, Satoransky, Brown
A couple of recent comments by Wizards owner Ted Leonsis suggest he is running short on patience with the team’s 1-7 start, relays Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Leonsis, who attended Saturday’s debut game for the G League’s Capital City Go-Go, responded to a comment from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about increased scoring around the league. “They just have to play us,” Leonsis said about teams wanting to score more points.
Leonsis was still frustrated after watching his team surrender 79 points in the first half — and 134 overall — in Friday’s loss to the Thunder. “When you score 125 points and you’re losing by 25, it usually says you need to play a little bit of defense,” he said afterward. “Right now, we really have to get a structure in place and especially defend the three-ball.”
Leonsis issued a “no-excuses” ultimatum to the organization before the start of the season, making it clear that he expected a title contender. Hughes notes that Leonsis has a right to want a return on his investment after giving the team a $133MM payroll, a highly paid head coach and a newly built, state-of-the-art practice facility.
There’s more today out of Washington:
- The Wizards are paying the price for years of failing to make bold moves, writes Michael Lee of The Athletic. They traded away a lottery pick in 2009 and passed on the chance to get Stephen Curry; they let a team leader in Paul Pierce get away and replaced him with Jared Dudley; and they refused to admit that last year’s problems went beyond John Wall‘s extended absence with a knee injury. An unidentified scout predicts major changes in Washington once the season ends, saying, “April 9, “That’s it for these guys.”
- All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal says the team has to ignore the negativity in order to turn the season around, Lee shares in the same piece. Beal is putting together his best season, posting a 23.1/4.0/3.8 line through eight games, but it hasn’t translated into victories. “I’m a leader of this team,” he said. “I’ve been here for seven years. I refuse to have any type of ship sinking. I can’t let it sink without fighting.”
- Hughes offers several suggestions for coach Scott Brooks to shake things up in a separate story. His ideas include changing the starting lineup, giving more minutes to Tomas Satoransky or rookie Troy Brown and offering Jason Smith or Thomas Bryant a chance to crack the rotation.
Cavaliers Notes: Sexton, Drew, Smith, Korver
The Cavaliers are in a state of chaos that stretches from the front office to their first-round draft pick, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The four-time defending Eastern Conference champs dropped to 1-8 last night after their latest lopsided loss, a 32-point blowout in Charlotte, and there seems little chance of righting the ship without a major roster upheaval.
There’s a significant divide in the locker room between players who are holdovers from the LeBron James era and the younger talent that management sees as the team’s future, Vardon adds. The focal point is 19-year-old Collin Sexton, who was taken with the eighth pick in this year’s draft. Any time a veteran talks about someone not knowing their role or where to be on the court, it’s usually a reference to Sexton, Vardon states.
Sexton is shooting 41.3% from the field through his first nine games and has about an equal number of assists and turnovers. However, he still has the backing of owner Dan Gilbert, who wants Sexton to keep playing, according to Vardon. Also, Sexton knows he has a future with the organization, unlike many of his veteran critics.
There’s more out of Cleveland, all courtesy of Vardon:
- A week after firing Tyronn Lue, the Cavs still doesn’t have an official interim head coach. Larry Drew is running the team, but retains his title of associate head coach while trying to negotiate an increase in his salary. The front office offered a modest raise after Lue was dismissed, but Drew is holding out for a contract extension for himself and his assistants. When management refused, Drew went public with his demands. The players support Drew, but they don’t view him as an official head coach because of the contract standoff.
- Through nine games, J.R. Smith has been told twice that he was being taken out of the rotation, then was quickly reinstalled by both Lue and Drew. Earlier this week, GM Koby Altman offered Smith the chance to go on paid leave because he wouldn’t be playing, but he got 24 minutes last night and led the team with 14 points. “As far as I’m concerned, given what our circumstances are, J.R., he’s a member of our team, and if I need him I’m going to call on him,” Drew said.
- When Altman re-signed Kyle Korver to a three-year deal last summer, it came with an understanding that Korver would be traded or bought out if James left in free agency. Korver asked to be dealt after James joined the Lakers, but the front office refused, saying it wanted to keep the veteran core together to compete for a playoff spot. The Cavs would want maximum value if they do move Korver, likely a first-round pick.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Walton, Chandler
LeBron James made a strong statement in support of Luke Walton and the Lakers’ coaching staff following last night’s win in Portland, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Walton started to feel some heat after a 2-5 start and was “admonished” this week by team president Magic Johnson. The team has responded with two straight wins, and James left no doubt that he is in Walton’s corner.
“Listen, coaching staff put us in a position to win, and it’s up to us to go up and execute,” he told reporters after the game. “Luke can care less about what’s going on outside. We could as well. I’m the last person to ask about scrutiny or anything of that nature. So none of that stuff matters to me. The only thing that matters to me is what goes on inside this locker room, both home and away.”
James has clashed with coaches in both Miami and Cleveland and reportedly played a large role in getting David Blatt fired a year after he took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. James’ endorsement of Walton should carry a lot of weight with the Lakers’ front office.
There’s more this morning out of Los Angeles:
- Johnson was less upset about the team’s won-loss record than what he perceived as a lack of identity at both ends of the court, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. A source tells Amick that Walton’s job wasn’t threatened and that Johnson hasn’t lost confidence in his coach, even though he was hired by the previous administration. Amick also notes that owner Jeanie Buss viewed frequent coaching changes as a weakness of the management team that was in place before Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka were hired.
- In that meeting, Walton appealed for another big man to back up starting center JaVale McGee, Amick adds in the same piece. That request appears to have been answered with the expected addition of Tyson Chandler, who is nearing a buyout with the Suns.
- Chandler may not be enough to solve the Lakers’ issues on defense when McGee is off the court, suggests Kevin Pelton of ESPN. Pelton runs the numbers on Chandler and finds that his ability to protect the rim has been on a steady decline over the past six seasons. He states that the Lakers might have been better off waiting for another center to become available, such as the Bulls’ Robin Lopez or the Hawks’ Dewayne Dedmon.
Lamar Odom Plans To Join BIG3
Lamar Odom hasn’t given up on his basketball career, even at age 38 and after a catastrophic health emergency in 2015, tweets Ryan Ward of Clutch Points. Odom told Ward that he plans to play in the BIG3 League next summer and would like to get an opportunity in China (hat tip to Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype).
“I’m getting myself into game shape, which I’m not too far from it now,” Odom said. “I’ll be playing. Hopefully, I’ll be playing. I also plan to play in the CBA in China in 2019 … I just want to compete again. NBA2K is not enough.”
Odom spent 14 seasons in the NBA, but hasn’t been in the league since 2012/13, when he wrapped up his career with the Clippers. He signed with a team in Spain in 2014, but lasted just two games before returning home with a back injury.
Odom suffered a severe health scare following a drug overdose three years ago. He claims he had 12 strokes and six heart attacks and was hospitalized for about three months.
Several of Odom’s former teammates have prominent roles in the BIG3, Kalbrosky notes, including Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson and Kwame Brown.
Five Key Stories: 10/27/18 – 11/3/18
In case you missed any of this past week’s biggest stories from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Listed below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Lakers’ disappointing start is turning up the heat on coach Luke Walton. Team president Magic Johnson “admonished” Walton for the team’s poor performance and delivered a message that improvement is necessary. The front office is counting on a trip to the playoffs after signing LeBron James and a group of veterans over the summer.
The Cavaliers’ Tyronn Lue became the first coach to be fired this season. He was dismissed for the team’s 0-6 start and a dispute with GM Koby Altman about who should be getting playing time. Larry Drew has taken over, but he describes himself as the “voice of the team,” rather than an interim coach as he tries to work out a more permanent arrangement.
Cleveland lost star forward Kevin Love for at least six weeks after surgery on his left foot. Love had missed four straight games with a toe injury before the decision was made to operate. Sam Dekker has taken over his starting spot.
The news wasn’t all bad this week in Cleveland, which learned it will be the host city for the 2022 All-Star Game. It will mark the first time the Cavs have hosted the game since 1997.
Jimmy Butler made headlines again when he opted to sit out Wednesday’s game because of “general soreness.” There was speculation that he might be planning an extended absence to force the Timberwolves’ hands on his trade request, but he was back in the lineup Friday in Golden State.
Here are 10 more notable headlines from last week:
- Wizards’ management pledged its full support to coach Scott Brooks despite a disastrous start to the season.
- Frustrated over losing and reduced playing time, veteran guard J.R. Smith said he would welcome a trade out of Cleveland.
- The NBA plans to start its schedule a week later next season. The 2019 FIBA World Cup was a factor in the decision.
- The Wizards filled their 14th roster spot by signing guard Chasson Randle. Washington had been carrying 13 players since the start of the season and was facing a deadline to add a player.
- Wednesday was the deadline for rookie scale option decisions, and although most were picked up, a few significant players had theirs declined and are headed to free agency.
- The Grizzlies waived third-year guard Andrew Harrison, who had fallen out of the rotation. His contract was non-guaranteed.
- Rick Pitino is hoping to return to the NBA after being dismissed from Louisville in the wake of an FBI investigation.
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that the team probably can’t count on having DeMarcus Cousins for more than one season.
- In New Orleans, Anthony Davis expressed hope that Cousins can return to the Pelicans.
- Former Rockets guard Bobby Brown signed a deal to play in Montenegro.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/3/18
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Celtics recalled rookie center Robert Williams from their Maine affiliate, according to a tweet from the team.
- The Nets have sent rookies Rodions Kurucs and Dzanan Musa to their Long Island team, tweets Brian Lews of The New York Post. Kurucs is returning from a sprained ankle he suffered October 20.
- The Suns shipped rookie guard De’Anthony Melton to their affiliate in Northern Arizona, the team announced on its website.
- The Clippers assigned guards Tyrone Wallace and Jerome Robinson to Agua Caliente, relays Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register.
- The Bucks sent Sterling Brown to their G League affiliate in Wisconsin, the team announced on Twitter.
Jimmy Butler Doesn’t Believe He’s A Distraction
Jimmy Butler stressed team unity in an interview with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports and said he doesn’t think he’s taking that away from the Timberwolves.
It has been more than six weeks since Butler issued his trade request, and he continues to pressure Minnesota’s front office to make a deal. There have been reports of unorthodox behavior since then, including challenging teammates and management at his first practice, but Butler insists that nothing has affected the bond in the locker room.
“They can write whatever they want, they can say whatever they want and I can address it the way that I want to,” he said after Friday’s loss at Golden State. “But at the end of the day, I go to war with my guys. Those are my guys. We’re out there trying to win. Nothing is going to come between us. I’m going to play the right way, do what I do, and they know that. They know that.”
The latest Butler-related incident was his decision to skip Wednesday’s game due to “general soreness and precautionary rest.” While it was viewed at first as another possible ploy to force the team into a trade, Butler was back on the court yesterday.
The Wolves have back-to-back road games tomorrow against the Trail Blazers and Monday against the Clippers, and Butler told Nick Friedell of ESPN that he hasn’t decided whether he will play in both.
“I let them know,” Butler said. “They don’t know how my body feels. So if I’m nicked up, then you can count on that. I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes. I don’t know what we plan on doing tomorrow. Obviously, I got to get some treatment along with a lot of other guys. But we’ll see whenever Sunday and Monday gets here.”
[UPDATE: Butler won’t play on Sunday]
Minnesota is continuing to listen to trade offers for Butler, with the Rockets and Heat considered to be the most aggressive and the Sixers and Lakers also believed to be in the running. Coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau has reportedly been sending mixed messages to interested teams, leading some to believe that the Wolves haven’t gotten serious yet about completing a deal.
Jalen Lecque May Enter 2019 Draft
Elite high school prospect Jalen Lecque may skip college basketball and declare for the 2019 draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Lecque, who committed to North Carolina State in October, could be eligible because he is in his fifth year of high school at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He reclassified after his junior year and claims he has already met all the NCAA guidelines to graduate from high school.
“I could be a freshman on a college campus right now,” Lecque said. “I am eligible for the [2019] draft. I’m a fifth-year senior, but I’m also eligible for the draft because of my grades.”
A 6’4″ point guard, Lecque plans to delay a final decision until his high school season ends in March. Because he didn’t receive a diploma from his last school, he will need to petition the NBA by sending paperwork to the league office to declare himself eligible by the April 21 deadline for early entry into the draft.
Lecque is considered the best athlete in high school basketball, Givony adds, with a build similar to Russell Westbrook and Kris Dunn. Seven NBA teams are expected to send representatives to a tournament in the Bahamas for a closer look at Lecque and some other top prospects.
“I want to be a great college player, but my end goal is to help my family,” he said. “I want to be a concrete Round 1 player if I do make that decision. If I’m guaranteed a Round 1 position, then you never know. I could see myself doing it if I am in a good position at the end of the year.”