Atlantic Notes: Young, Babb, Johnson, Knicks
While Thaddeus Young is focused on finishing the Sixers dismal season on a high note, he admits to Christopher A. Vito of The Delaware County Daily Times that his player option for the 2015/16 season has crossed his mind. “It’s a lot of money to leave on the table. At the end of the day, I’m not a guy that spends a lot of money,” Young said Friday. “Obviously, I want to be winning on a championship team. At the end of the day, like I said, it’s a card that could be played.” Young added that coach Brett Brown and GM Sam Hinkie have done their best to include the power forward on board with the rebuilding process. Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens says that the recently signed duo of Chris Babb and Chris Johnson were brought in to add character to the locker room and enhance practices with their good attitudes, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Babb and Johnson both hooked onto Boston with multi-year deals after each seeing a pair of 10-day contracts.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines the likelihood that the Celtics re-sign Jerryd Bayless for next season. Bayless will need to work on his defense if he wants to be in Boston long-term, says Forsberg.
- Steve Mills’ new role in the Knicks organization will likely turn out to be only ceremonial, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Team president Phil Jackson will look to bring in a different GM to handle day-to-day operations for the club, and Lawrence lists Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons, Ronnie Lester, and Mike Dunleavy as possible candidates for the job.
- Crafting his front office team is only one of the tasks Jackson will face in the early stages of his new role for the Knicks. Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders discusses the other challenges the Zen Master will deal with in the early stages of his tenure in New York.
- Harvery Araton of the New York Times thinks that the Knicks’ move to bring in Jackson has overshadowed the impressive recovery that the Nets have been able to make over the second half of the season. Brooklyn sits just one game back from third place in the East after an underwhelming start to the 2013/14 campaign.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Bulls, Harris, Jackson, Powell
In his latest piece for ESPNChicago.com, Nick Friedell discusses with Jon Greenberg and Scoop Jackson what the Bulls’ offseason plan should consist of if they can’t land Carmelo Anthony. Friedell think bringing Nikola Mirotic from overseas makes the most sense, while Greenberg believes Lance Stephenson would be a great fit with coach Tom Thibodeau. Here’s more from around the Association:
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confesses he regrets rescinding a contract offer he made to Devin Harris last summer that would have locked up the former All-Star for three years, reports Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW. Cuban decided to only offer Harris a one-year pact in wake of the news that the point guard would need foot surgery.
- Bill Bradley was Phil Jackson‘s teammate on the Knicks’ two championship teams of 1969/70 and 1972/73, and he sees Jackson as a perfect fit as team president, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I think he’s got an unparalleled record,” Bradley said, “a good head on his shoulders, knows what’s important in building a winning culture. That’s a great combination“
- Gregg Popovich is known for his tendency to blow off reporters, but the Spurs coach had no shortage of words on how beneficial he thought the hiring of Jackson would be for the Knicks, says Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “To have somebody of Phil Jackson’s stature back in the mix is just a huge plus for everybody involved, so I think it’s great,” said Popovich. “When you put together a group and there’s synergy between the general manager, a president, as he’s going to be, and a coach… He just has to make sure that synergy exists and I’m sure that he will. He’s a smart man. There will be a system and a culture, for sure.“
- ESPN’s 5-on-5 panel breaks down the NBA prospects they find most intriguing, and Brett Koremenos of Grantland writes that while Stanford forward Dwight Powell is often overlooked, a strong tournament showing by him and his team could boost his standing on scouts’ draft boards around the league.
Atlantic Notes: Stoudemire, Jackson, Livingston
The Knicks are riding the second-longest winning streak in the NBA at seven games, and the resurgence of Amar’e Stoudemire has been instrumental in their recent success. Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report sat down with Stoudemire and spoke about the big man’s tenure in New York. Stoudemire touches on why he was initially excited to play for the Knicks and reveals he’s interested in taking on a front office role for the team someday. Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times runs down the 2014 cap situation for each team in the Atlantic Division. The Celtics, Knicks, and Nets are likely to remain over the cap this offseason, while the Raptors and Sixers will probably have the chance to slip underneath.
- New Knicks president Phil Jackson is likely to be a big draw for free agents, but Jeanie Buss doesn’t think he’ll be able to match the allure that the Lakers franchise has, write Pincus and fellow LA Times scribe Mike Bresnahan. “I think the Lakers are a legacy franchise,” Buss told ESPN 710. “Players know when they come here this is the ultimate platform… I’m not worried about that in any way, shape or form.”
- Five analysts discuss Jackson’s hiring in a USA Today piece. Most of them don’t think bringing in Jackson will win the Knicks a championship, but the consensus is that it ultimately won’t harm the Zen Master’s legacy.
- Shaun Livingston was able to recover from a gruesome injury and become a key piece in the Nets’ rotation this season. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today elaborates on the point guard’s career.
Draft Rumors: Wilbekin, Young, Sixers, Embiid
March Madness is officially underway, and Chris Dortch of NBA.com has complied a list of players who have the most to gain from a good performance in the NCAA Tournament. Gator seniors Scottie Wilbekin and Patric Young are among the players mentioned, and Dortch thinks a tourney title from Florida would greatly help their stocks. Let’s round up some more draft rumors:
- Having lost 22 straight contests and sitting at 15-53, the Sixers are sure to receive a high lottery pick in June’s draft. Rather than addressing needs at a particular position, Philly coach Brett Brown‘s draft strategy is to “take the best player and figure it out,” reveals Tom Moore of the Intelligencer.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com breaks down each tournament team’s prospects (Insider link). The South region has the most NBA-talent, according to Ford, but the Midwest region isn’t far behind.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports gives an NBA scout’s take on 10 potential lottery picks. According to the scout, Joel Embiid will likely be the first player taken if his back problems prove to be a non-issue. “Teams don’t want to draft another Greg Oden,” said the scout. “Embiid will be No. 1 if there is no back issue. There is only one player in the draft that’s a potential franchise player, and that’s Embiid. It’s a deep draft. When I say franchise player, there are only eight or 10 of those in the league. Embiid has the potential to be one.”
- The latest mock draft from Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders sees Embiid going third overall, behind Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.
- Adreian Payne‘s 41 point performance today will do nothing but help the MSU Spartan’s draft stock, and Chad Ford tweets that a few more big games out of Payne could help boost him into a lock for the lottery. Ford notes Payne is particularly appealing because there aren’t many stretch fours in this year’s class. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com thinks Payne will be a mid-first-round pick, but that he won’t end up being a star in the NBA (Twitter link).
- Michigan forward Glenn Robinson III needs to have a strong performance in the tournament to prove he’s not just coasting off his family name, opines Howard-Cooper. Robinson is the son of the former All-Star who shares the same name.
Pacific Rumors: Sacre, Kings, White, Kuzmic
Although Robert Sacre isn’t likely to make any All-Star teams in the foreseeable future, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni is happy to have the big man on his squad, according to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. “He works harder than anyone on the team, without a doubt, it’s not even close,” said D’Antoni. “In the weight room, on the floor, before practice, he’s trying to make himself into a player.” Sacre’s deal runs through the 2015/16 season, though his final year is non-guaranteed. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Sacramento has received the legal OK to take possession of a former Macy’s store on the site of the planned Kings arena, eliminating one of the final hurdles to beginning construction, the team announced. Sacramento and the Kings must open the arena by 2017 to prevent the league from seizing control of the team and perhaps selling it to investors who’d move it to another city.
- Kings coach Mike Malone says Royce White might make his NBA debut as early as tomorrow night, reveals Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. White is on his second 10-day deal with Sacramento and has played four games with their D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. Apparently, White’s discussions with team GM Pete D’Alessandro have been positive, and White doesn’t have any doubts that the organization will work to properly handle his anxiety disorder that kept him from taking the court last season (All twitter links).
- The Warriors have recalled Ognjen Kuzmic from the D-League, the team announced. In 18 appearances for Golden State, Kuzmic has played just 61 minutes and averaged 0.5 PPG.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Eastern Rumors: Cavs, Jackson, Brown, Rondo
Here’s the latest slate of rumors out of the NBA’s Eastern Conference..
- The Cavaliers were interested in hiring Phil Jackson in some capacity, writes Bob Finnan of the Morning Journal. However, the Knicks moved in quickly and signed him before they could act.
- In the same piece, Finnan notes that Mike Brown has had to alter his coaching style to accommodate to a young and inexperienced Cavaliers team this season. Still, Brown is on the hot seat and might find himself out of the job in Cleveland, Finnan suggests.
- Charley Rosen of HoopsHype runs down the Knicks‘ roster and explores the likelihood that each player has of being retained by Jackson. Rosen notes many of the players on the team don’t appear to be fits for Jackson’s system.
- Rajon Rondo has consistently been the topic of trade rumors, but Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck recently spoke out and said that Rondo will continue to be the leader of the franchise going forward. Grousbeck’s words mean a lot to Rondo, reports Mike Petraglia of WEEI. “It means a lot, especially coming from the head guy,” Rondo said. “With all the rumors swirling, the criticism that I was having throughout the past couple weeks, he stuck his neck out. He didn’t have to say anything, but he did.”
Knicks Rumors: Jackson, LeBron, Woodson, Kerr
The Knicks suddenly find themselves only three games back from a playoff berth after winning six straight contests. Even if they can sneak into the postseason, it seems unlikely they’d be able to upset the Heat or Pacers, but New York might have a brighter future ahead of them now that they have Phil Jackson on board. Here’s the latest out of NYC:
- With Jackson taking control of the Knicks, LeBron James will now at least look at the possibility of signing in NYC this summer, one James confidant tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. “There’s no way LeBron would have gone to New York under the current climate,” said the source. “He had a falling-out with CAA (agency) and that was a problem as well. But with Phil there I think he will look at it.”
- At least one NBA coach thinks Jackson is taking the role in New York simply because he’s interested in the payday, reports Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News. Jackson’s $12MM salary is much higher than the league average for other executives, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders points out (on Twitter).
- Mike Woodson sounds like he’s worried about his job security, suggests Adam Zagoria of The Knicks Blog. “It’s basketball,” Woodson said. “They try to re-shape, they go through changes and this is no different. You bring in a great basketball mind into your organization and eventually it will be reshaped, so how and who and when, only time will tell.”
- Growing belief around the Knicks organization is that Steve Kerr will replace Woodson as the next Knicks head coach, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.
- Jackson has been critical of Carmelo Anthony‘s game in the past, but Melo doesn’t take it personally, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Anthony believes his game has evolved since the Zen Master criticized him back in 2012.
- Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated thinks the decision to bring in Jackson is more style than substance. With great executives like Masai Ujiri earning a fraction of Jackson’s salary, Mannix thinks the move by owner James Dolan is a definite overpay.
D-League Notes: Larkin, Mekel, Reed, Rice
Here’s a quick look at the latest news and notes out of the NBA D-League on Saturday afternoon:
- The Mavericks have recalled Shane Larkin from his D-League assignment, the team announced today in a press release. Gal Mekel will be sent down to take Larkin’s place on the Mavs’ D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends. It was a quick stint for Larkin, who appeared in just one D-League game after being sent down yesterday afternoon.
- The Sixers have assigned Arnett Moultrie to join the Delaware 87ers of the D-League, the team announced this afternoon. This confirms a report we heard last night speculating that Philly would make such a move.
- Willie Reed is working hard to put up big numbers in the D-League and hoping to catch an NBA club’s attention, writes Scott Rafferty of Ridiculous Upside. Reed was able to sign on with Memphis last April, but he never saw any action and was waived prior to the start of the 2013/14 season.
- J. Michael of CSNWashington.com examines Glen Rice Jr.‘s latest trip to the D-League and concludes Rice needs to focus on improving his shooting stroke. Through nine games for the Iowa Energy, Rice has averaged 18.9 points per contest, but he’s shooting just 44% from the floor and 30% from beyond the arc. The Wizards opted send Rice on a minor league assignment after the club inked a deal with Drew Gooden.
Eastern Notes: LeBron, George, Billups, Thornton
As tonight’s NBA action begins to wind down, let’s take a look at a few tidbits from around the Eastern Conference..
- The Heat and Pacers might be fighting for the top seed in the East, but LeBron James is still open to the idea of mentoring Paul George in the offseason, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. George had expressed interest in the possibility of learning anything he could from James this summer to Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders.
- The Pistons are no strangers to losing this season, and Chauncey Billups doesn’t think some of his teammates are bothered by their poor play, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. “The thing I hate, to be honest with you, is that losing don’t really hurt to a lot of our guys,” Billups said. “People don’t take it personal, and if you don’t, people will beat you every night. Because everybody needs a win, no matter if you’re on a winning streak or losing streak.”
- Sacramento was looking to move Marcus Thornton all season long, and the Nets are happy to have acquired him. Thornton has averaged 13.4 points in just 23 minutes per contest over five games. Brian Lewis of the New York Post breaks down Thornton’s game and explores the value he’s brought to Brooklyn so far.
- With Derrick Rose sidelined, the Bulls have had to rely on more production from Joakim Noah. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times thinks Rose’s absence has forced all of the players on the team to improve.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh didn’t command as much star power as LeBron James or Dwyane Wade when the trio grouped together in the summer of 2010, but he’s played a huge part in the Heat’s three consecutive finals appearances and might have surpassed Wade as the second most productive member of the Big Three. In fact, the first installment of Hoops Rumors’ 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings has Bosh ranked as the third biggest name set to test the market this summer behind only LBJ and Carmelo Anthony. Bosh’s contract will afford him the option to remain a member of the Heat if he so chooses, but a report has indicated the big man will likely choose to exercise the early-termination option on his contract and enter free agency to seek a max deal.
After being selected fourth overall in the 2003 NBA draft, Bosh quickly made a name for himself in Toronto. The club saw him as its cornerstone to build around after Vince Carter was shipped off to the Nets in 2004, and he lived up to the expectations, to be sure. He holds the Raptors franchise records for points, rebounds, blocks, and minutes played. He helped lead the Raptors to their first division title and quickly found himself as a fan favorite north of the border. However, after seven seasons in Toronto, Bosh’s desire to win a championship led him to decide to sign in Miami so he could play with LeBron and D-Wade.
A report earlier today indicated that Bosh would like to play until he’s 36 years old, and that desire might factor into his decision to opt of his contract early. Although still a very efficient player, Bosh’s best years might be behind him. He turns 30 years old this month and is likely interested in locking up a long-term deal. If he chooses to stay in a Heat uniform with his current contract, he’ll have next season guaranteed at $20.6MM and a player option for the 2015/16 campaign worth $22.1MM. It’s tough to turn down a guaranteed $42MM, but opting out would give a team the chance to offer Bosh a four- or a five-year contract on which the big man could stand to make even more money over a longer period of time.
Waiting until his pact with the Heat is up means risking serious injury or a production drop-off, which would hurt his ability to secure a lucrative deal down the road. It’d certainly be possible for Bosh to exercise his early-termination option only to land another long-term deal with Miami. However, although the Heat could technically offer Bosh more money in free agency than any other squad since they own his Bird Rights, doing so would greatly limit their flexibility in signing other players in years to come, so they might be hesitant to do so. Bosh took a discount to play with James and Wade in Miami in 2010, and reports have indicated he won’t be interested in giving up guaranteed money this time around.
Bosh has said he’d like to remain in Miami for the remainder of his career, but we know that such statements don’t always hold true. Rumors have circulated suggesting that he’s actually the most likely of the Big Three to leave Miami this summer, due in large part to the temptation of taking on more of a leading role for another squad. The Heat haven’t utilized Bosh in the same way the Raptors did. His usage rate dropped from 28.7% during his last year in Toronto to 23.5% in his first year in Miami, and his value has often been overshadowed by the success of James and Wade. Bosh has made it known that his main priority is playing for a winning team, but it’s tough to imagine that a chance to play in a leading role isn’t one of his top wishes as well.
The Mavericks are one team said to have interest in Bosh, and a move to Dallas would make a lot of sense for the Creative Artists Agency client. Bosh was born and raised in the Lone Star State, and the Mavs will likely have the flexibility to retain Dirk Nowitzki and target another big name since we’ve heard that Nowitzki won’t be asking for an outrageous contract this summer. Bosh mostly played the four earlier in his career, but he’s recently been more of a center, and a frontcourt pairing of Dirk and Bosh would have the potential to be a headache for opposing defenses.
Nothing is written in stone, and Bosh might very well end up deciding to remain a member of the Heat for at least one more season by choosing not to exercise his early-termination option. His value isn’t the same at age 30 as it was at age 26, but he’s shooting an impressive 52.7% from the floor and a solid 36.6% from beyond the arc. With efficiency numbers just a smidgen below his career marks, Bosh will likely be able to garner a sizable level of interest from teams around the league this offseason, and he’ll be able to make his money whatever he decides to do. It’s just a question of whether he feels like staying in Miami or taking his talents elsewhere.