Sixers Notes: Korkmaz, Redick, George
Furkan Korkmaz, who was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2016 draft, continues to impress overseas, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Sixers‘ draft-and-stash prospect was named the Best Young Player of the Basketball Champions League. Pompey notes that team president Bryan Colangelo was in Spain to watch Korkmaz compete in the BCL playoffs over the weekend.
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- Korkmaz may be better served to wait one more season before coming stateside, Pompey argues in a separate piece. The scribe believes the 6’8″ shooting guard needs to add bulk to his 198 lb frame.
- The Sixers would be smart to pursue J.J. Redick in free agency, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News argues. The team lacks shooting from the outside and adding Redick would be a great way to solve that issue.
- Adding Paul George could be the defining moment for the Colangelo administration, Smallwood opines in the same piece. Indiana could move George this summer, though it appears the franchise is trying to work with the 4-time All-Star to build a winning squad.
Western Notes: Barnes, Onuaku, Noel
The Warriors will face the Jazz in the conference’s semifinals, though Golden State was rooting for the Clippers to beat Utah in the previous round, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com writes. Were the Warriors concerned about the opposition’s slow pace, Gordon Hayward‘s perimeter game, or Rudy Gobert‘s defensive presence? None of the above. They were worried about being bored.
“There’s no nightlife in Utah,” Matt Barnes said. “Obviously, as players, you want to be able to have a little bit of a nightlife, but the main focus is winning games. Me personally, I want to get out there because I want to beat the Clippers. That’s my former team, and my kids are out there. But as far as nightlife, there’s no comparison to nightlife in Utah and L.A.”
Barnes added that he’s not sure what he’ll do during his spare time in Utah. “I think there’s an Olive Garden out there and then a Benihana. So you’ll definitely be locked in [on the game] all the way,” He said.
The small forward hasn’t played yet in the postseason because of ankle and foot issues, though it appears he’s getting set to play in Game 1 against Utah, according to Golden State’s Twitter feed. Shaun Livingston, who has a hand injury, is considered questionable for the contest.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Chinanu Onuaku has been suspended two games for pushing an official during a D-League Finals appearance, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Onuaku was not available for the Rockets‘ tilt with the Spurs tonight and he’ll miss Game 2 as well.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News believes the Lakers could be a threat to sign Nerlens Noel. GM Rob Pelinka recently said that the team is looking for a big man who fit’s in today’s NBA.
- The Clippers will face some tough decisions this offseason, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register writes. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and J.J. Redick will all be free agents, though it appears Los Angeles is committed to doing whatever it takes to bring Paul and Griffin back.
- Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic wonders if the Suns can find their point guard of the future in the upcoming draft and he examines some of the top options. Phoenix has a 19.9% at grabbing the No.1 pick and a 55.8% chance of landing in the top-3, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors recently detailed.
Clippers Notes: Paul, Griffin, Redick
The Clippers are hoping to re-sign Chris Paul to a max deal this summer, sources tell Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The point guard can receive approximately $205MM over the next five years if he stays with the franchise. He could only sign a four-year contract, which would be worth roughly $152MM, if he goes elsewhere. Los Angeles could ostensibly attempt to bring Paul back at a figure below the max, but above what another team could offer, though it appears that option is unlikely.
Here’s more from Los Angeles
- Blake Griffin would like to sign a max deal with the Clippers this offseason, Turner adds in the same piece. The scribe hears that Los Angeles is angling for that outcome as well. Earlier today, we passed along five potential landing spots should he decide to leave the Clippers.
- Multiple NBA sources tell Turner (same piece) that they expect J.J. Redick to sign elsewhere. Turner estimates that the shooting guard will command $18-20MM per year, which could be too high of a price for the Clippers to pay.
- The Clippers announced that Griffin underwent surgery to repair an injury to his right toe, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders passes along (Twitter link). Los Angeles did not provide a recovery timetable for Griffin, who will be a free agent this offseason.
- Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report wonders if it’s time for the Clippers and Paul to go their separate ways. Ding examines Paul’s game and argues that while he hasn’t won a championship, his presence allows his teams to contend nearly every season.
Thunder Hope To Extend Russell Westbrook This Offseason
GM Sam Presti is “hopeful” that the Thunder can sign Russell Westbrook to a long-term extension this summer, Royce Young of ESPN.com reports.
“The rules are that you can’t have that conversation until July 1, and you know, when that time comes, we’ll sit down, we’ll have conversations with him about what that opportunity presents,” Presti said. “And you know, we’re obviously hopeful that he remains really excited about being a part of this organization for the remainder of his career.”
Westbrook will be eligible for a Designated Player Extension this summer. An agreement could yield him upwards of $217MM over five years, though those figures are not exact since it’s a product of next year’s salary cap which won’t be determined until July.
The point guard has a player option on the end of his current deal, meaning he could become a free agent during the 2018 offseason. Royce notes that should Westbrook not sign an extension this offseason, it may raise concerns that he is looking to leave OKC. If the Thunder enter next season without a long-term deal, they would justifiably have to at least listen to trade offers for the MVP Candidate. However, the front office isn’t playing out the doomsday scenario.
“Let’s not think so far ahead,” Presti said. “Let’s just see where the information takes us. I understand the question. I think the biggest thing is, we had that conversation with Russell last year, and you know, he was really clear, and it worked itself out. So before we get all the way down the road on what if, what if this happens, what if that happens: Again, that’s one of those things where we’re talking about a very complex question, a very complex situation with a lot of moving parts, and looking for, like, a simple answer to that.”
“So let’s just have the conversation, see where it goes,” Presti added. “I think everybody knows how we feel about him. He’s a transcendent player. I think he’s a futuristic player. I think he’s a tremendous competitor, and we’re fortunate to have him. We’ll have a conversation, and hopefully, it goes our way.”
Westbrook recently declared that Oklahoma City is where he wants to be. Young adds that the franchise feels like the extension Westbrook signed last offseason was just as much about committing to the organization as it was to financial security. The new Designated Player Exception will allow Westbrook to achieve both of those objectives in his next deal and Presti is thankful for the CBA’s new resource.
“I think it is a good thing for the league, right,” Presti said of the new extension. “I think it’s important for franchises, especially outside of a handful, to be able to have the opportunity to keep their best players.That’s probably healthy. If you’re serious about having like a competitive balance and serious about lauding sustainability and things of that nature, like then the rules need to kind of align with that. Unfortunately the last CBA, they didn’t, and this CBA, they did. You know, I think it’s positive that those things are in place for a lot of cities.”
The GM was asked about whether or not the team planned to add another star to pair with Westbrook and the league will certainly hear about his response. “The first thing I’m going to do is go back to the office and call Adam Silver and see if he can arrange one of those cap spikes,” Presti said. “I’m learning those things tend to come in handy.”
The salary cap increased so drastically over the last two seasons because of the league’s historic television deal.It resulted in teams gaining exorbitant amounts of cap space. That’s how the Warriors were able to sign Kevin Durant away from the Thunder, though it may have never occurred had the “smoothing” proposal gained enough support. The proposal, which had support from the Thunder organization, would have increased the cap at a much slower rate from year-to-year. It was shot down back in 2015.
Warriors Not Counting On Postseason Return For Kerr
Steve Kerr is battling complications stemming from back surgery and it has forced him to miss Golden State’s last two playoff games. Mike Brown took over duties in his place and the Warriors are preparing as if Brown will lead them for the rest of the postseason.
“We plan on Steve not to come back,” Draymond Green said (via Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Gate. “That’s the way we’re approaching this thing. We’re not going to sit around and say, ‘Oh, man, if we can get to the conference finals Steve may be back!’ Nah. Mike Brown is our coach.”
Kerr remains involved in the team’s strategy, though it’s unclear exactly how much input he is giving. Brown, who has been friends with Kerr for nearly 17 years, is preparing to be the head coach for as long as Golden State has basketball left to play, but he’s doing so by communicating regularly with the 2015/16 Coach of the Year.
“My whole deal is I’m going to coach the team until Bob [Myers] and Steve tell me otherwise,” Brown said. “I’m not putting a timetable on it, just taking it one day at a time. The reality of it is, Steve and I talk a couple times a day.”
Should The Knicks Trade Carmelo Anthony?
The Knicks are expected to re-open trade talks with the Clippers, though with different terms than the last time the two sides discussed a Carmelo Anthony deal. Instead of an Austin Rivers-centered proposal, which was reportedly on the table during the middle of the season, the Knicks would receive J.J. Redick via sign-and-trade.
While Redick is a great starter, that kind of package doesn’t seem to provide New York with the kind of return teams normally receive when trading away a star. Yet, it may be the franchise’s best option on the trade market. The Knicks will be hard-pressed to find a typical star trade offer —one laced with young prospects and favorable draft picks—because Anthony isn’t your typical star on the market. The small forward’s no-trade clause, contract, and age (he’ll turn 33 later this month) suppress his value in trade negotiations, as I discussed in his Trade Candidate piece. On top of all those factors, Phil Jackson further decreased Anthony’s trade value by declaring that star would be better off in a different uniform.
Rival teams will low-ball the Knicks this summer and if a deal materializes, the return will likely be underwhelming. However, New York should remember that it has the option of keeping Melo on the team, as Dan Favale of NBA Math writes. Favale notes that the 10-time All-Star has the support of Kristaps Porzingis and the duo plays well together on the court. Porzingis made 44.1% of his shots from behind the arc and 50.5% of them overall off of Anthony’s passes this season.
Favale also points out that Anthony plays well off the ball. Melo hit 41.8% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities behind the arc, a figure that ranks eighth in the league among players with at least 175 such attempts.
As Anthony glides further away from his prime, he’s going to have to play off the ball more for whichever team he’s on. If the Knicks keep him this summer and put him in that kind of role to begin the 2017/18 campaign, perhaps they can moderately rehabilitate his trade value (or even less likely: create a peace treaty between Anthony and Jackson that would allow Melo to stick around through the end of his deal).
The team will need to eventually rebuild around Porzingis and the haul it receives for Anthony will likely dictate the timeline on becoming a playoff contender again. Simply cutting bait with the soon to be 33-year-old by taking the best trade offer this offseason is the likeliest option for the Knicks. Is it the best option? Perhaps, but it’s not the only one and the Knicks are in no position to be closed-minded.
What should New York do with Anthony this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Pacers Notes: Pritchard, George, McMillan
The Pacers are transitioning from Larry Bird to Kevin Pritchard and the move could signal an active offseason for the team, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes.
“You have to be bold in this position,” Pritchard said. “But the one thing I’ve learned from Larry is how important continuity is.
“When you say I’ve been a dealmaker, a lot of them have been in the summer, specifically the draft. I don’t mind moving up. Once I see someone in the draft that I think can really help us, I want to be aggressive that way. [Scouting director] Ryan Carr and our scouts do an amazing job identifying talent, and it’s up to me to go get them. I like moving around in the draft. That doesn’t mean it happens every time. But I want to be aggressive.”
Indiana owns the No. 18 and No. 47 overall picks in the upcoming draft and the team could have upwards of $32MM in cap space this summer, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors recently detailed.
Here’s more from Indiana:
- Owner Herb Simon may be willing to pay luxury tax under the right circumstances, Montieth adds in the same piece. “I don’t like talking about a small market; we are a market,” Pritchard said. “We’re given every opportunity to succeed. Going into the tax will be challenging, but I’ve never heard Herb say, ‘Hey, listen, we can never go into the tax.’ If you’re on a timeline where you’ve got good players and you want to win, you’re on the cusp of moving up, I don’t think there’s a doubt he would take a look at that.”
- Paul George told Pritchard that he wants to remain with the Pacers, though it must be a winning situation, Monteith relays in the same piece. “The one thing Paul realizes is, the Indiana Pacers drafted him, developed him, gave him an opportunity to succeed. He talked about how much he enjoyed getting to the Eastern Conference Finals. He wants to win. The Pacers want to win. We’re on the same page,” Pritchard said.
- The Pacers might be better off moving on from Nate McMillan, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe argues. Washburn cites Indiana’s first-round matchup with the Cavs where Tyronn Lue seemingly outcoached McMillan.
- Bird will stay with the organization as an advisor and the Hall of Famer doesn’t believe his move will have any impact on George’s future with the team, as we passed along earlier today. “Paul is going to do what Paul wants to do.”
Thunder Notes: Gibson, Kanter, Westbrook
The NBA is migrating toward an environment where small-ball is prevalent and the Thunder must adapt to the changing times, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman argues. The scribe notes that five of the Oklahoma City’s 10 best players are big men (Steven Adams, Taj Gibson, Enes Kanter, Jerami Grant and Domantas Sabonis). Playing two of those players at the same time is a risky proposition because of the league’s new landscape and Tramel believes that as a result, GM Sam Presti will be forced to shake up the roster this offseason.
Here’s more from Oklahoma City:
- Tramel can’t envision Gibson returning to OKC next season, as he writes in the same piece. The scribe believes the Thunder can only keep either Gibson or Kanter on the roster. Kanter has two years and approximately $36.5MM left on his deal after this season, so trading him could be problematic.
- The Thunder may have difficulties upgrading their talent because of their cap issues, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe explains. Extensions for Victor Oladipo and Adams kick in next season, which will give the team four players who are each making over $17MM per season. The team’s core isn’t championship worthy right now and the number of large salaries on the books could make it difficult to change that fact.
- Russell Westbrook is doing a tremendous job of being a leader on this team, Washburn opines in the same piece. The scribe is impressed with how the star handles himself in the media and he’s not overly concerned about a number of shots Westbrook takes, citing the lack of talent on the roster.
Bucks Notes: Henson, Terry, Parker
The Bucks may be watching the rest of the playoffs from afar after losing their opening round series to the Raptors. Despite the loss, the team is optimistic about the future, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.
“We were a couple shots falling from this series going to Game 7, and in a Game 7 anything can happen,” Bucks center John Henson said. “I think it’s going to fuel the hunger next year. But you win your first playoff series by getting the higher seeds. That’s what we want to do. Being in the top four, that’s when the expectations come on you to win. You get home court first so if you can get a couple home-court wins, the pressure is on them.”
Here’s more from Milwaukee:
- The Bucks will likely be open to re-signing Jason Terry, according to Andrew Wagner of the Star Tribune. The 39-year-old shooting guard played 74 games for Milwaukee this past season, averaging 4.1 points in 18.4 minutes per game.
- Coach Jason Kidd believes Terry and Matthew Dellavedova will be key members of the Bucks‘ future, Gary D’Amato of the Journal Sentinel relays. “ ‘Jet’ and ‘Delly’ are winners,” Kidd said. “Hopefully, that will help our culture as we move forward.”
- Henson added that he believes Jabari Parker, who is recovering from an ACL injury, can help take the Bucks to the next level, as Gardner passes along in the aforementioned piece. “I think he’s an all-star level player, a great kid,” Henson said of Parker. “If we add him into what we do now, with Khris and Giannis, it could be scary.”
Eastern Notes: Carter, George, Ibaka
Vince Carter, who will be a free agent this summer, can still be a contributor on a contending team despite his age, Benny Nadeau of Basketball Insiders contends.
Carter will turn 41 in January, though he recently said he would like to play two more seasons. He played in 73 games for Memphis this past season, scoring 8.0 points per game while making 37.8% of his 3-point shots.
Nadeau names the Celtics as a potential fit based on Carter’s ability to make shots from behind the arc. The scribe also wonders if the veteran would be open to a reunion with the Raptors, something that may help to heal wounds with Toronto fans who never forgave him for pushing his way out of town back in 2004.
As we await Carter’s decision in free agency, check out some notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Larry Bird decided to step down as the Indiana’s team president and A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet wonders how that impacts the Celtics chances of landing Paul George. Kevin Pritchard, who took over Bird’s role, previously worked in Portland and has a history of making deals with GM Danny Ainge. Blakely believes Boston is in a great position to make a competitive offer for the small forward should the Pacers look to trade him.
- The Cavaliers handily beat the Raptors last postseason, but coach Tyronn Lue believes Toronto’s midseason trade acquisitions will make the team tougher to beat this time around, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. ” You get a guy who is a great shot blocker, a great defender,” Lue said of Serge Ibaka. “A great one-on-one defender and he can also make a shot. He can make a 3-point shot now. His mid-range game is very nice also, so he adds a different dimension to their team and I know they was talking about being better defensively, so adding Ibaka and adding P.J. Tucker really helps that for them.“
- Kevin Love agrees with Lue’s assessment of Ibaka and the Raptors, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays. “Just a different dynamic,” Love said of Ibaka. “Definitely shooters with both him and [Patrick] Patterson out there. He brings a ton of energy. Played really well in Round 1, so he just gives them a whole different look and a guy who has a ton of playoff experience coming from Oklahoma City. Obviously getting traded from Orlando, but all his playoff experience being there and playing in a lot of big games. He really helps them.”