Heat Sign Tyler Johnson To 10-Day Deal
MONDAY, 2:45pm: The deal is official, the team announced.
SUNDAY, 9:01am: The Heat will re-sign Tyler Johnson, as Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders reports and as a source confirms to Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). It’ll be a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link).
The Heat have an open roster spot and won’t need to make a corresponding move to accommodate the signing. The team originally signed Johnson in August to a multiyear contract, and the team kept his D-League rights when it waived him at the end of preseason.
Miami is struggling this season with a record of 15-21 and the team ranks 27th in the league on offense, scoring only 93.8 points per game. Johnson, a Pedro Power client, has averaged 18.5 points per game and has shot 46.3% from behind the arc in 13 D-League games this season. Perhaps the shooting guard can provide a boost to one of the league’s most stagnant offenses.
Cavs Notes: James, Mozgov, Love
When LeBron James returns to the court from his injury, he will have three new teammates after the Cavs swung two trades this past week. The team is 1-7 without James in the lineup this season. James is second in the league points per game with 25.2, third in the league in minutes per game averaging 37.5 and has a player efficiency rating of 25.2, which ranks eighth in the league. Those numbers, coupled with the team’s win discrepancy without James on the floor, should put the four-time MVP in contention to win his fifth award this season.
Here’s more from Cleveland:
- Newly acquired center Timofey Mozgov is ready to help turn around the disappointing Cavaliers, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Coach David Blatt said the organization has been trying to work out a deal for Mozgov since July. The efforts paid off on Wednesday, as the team picked him up from the Nuggets in exchange for two first-round draft picks. Mozgov said he tried not to follow the off-the-court rumors. “I always try to be away from this business,” he said. “I just try to do my stuff on the court. Of course, I read the news, I knew it. But not too deep to think about it every day.”
- Kevin Love is unlikely to sign a long-term deal with the Cavs due to the expected rise in the salary cap, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd speculates that he might only sign a short-term deal, similar to what LeBron James signed this offseason, in order to maximize the benefit of the potential rising salary cap. Love could simply exercise his player option worth $16.7MM for next season to get the same effect; however, if he signs a new deal, he will likely get a raise on that figure, although that is just my speculation.
- Despite struggling to live up to expectations this season, the Cavs are not panicking, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. “We know that things are going to work out,” Love said. “I know that we have a lot of talent here, guys who can do a lot of different things, so I tend to look at that more than the negative stuff.” Love hasn’t played well this year by his standards. His player efficiency rating is 19.1, down from 26.9 last season and his scoring has fallen by 8.4 points per game.
Arthur Hill contributed to this post
Northwest Notes: Waiters, Nurkic, Millsap
New addition Dion Waiters will be the NBA’s latest reclamation project, writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. The Thunder believe Waiters can help them overcome their early season deficit because his mentality is aligned with the team’s. “I’m excited about bringing Dion aboard,” teammate Kevin Durant said. “A guy that has a lot of toughness. Being from the East Coast, I know a lot about Philadelphia, South Philly, where he comes from. Those guys are tough and they play with an edge. And that’s what we need here.” Oklahoma City is 1-1 since Waiters joined the team and he is shooting 34.8% from the field in his first two games.
Here’s a look at the rest of the Northwest Division:
- One of the beneficiaries of the Timofey Mozgov trade will be the new starting center for the Nuggets, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Jusuf Nurkic‘s teammates are optimistic that the rookie can thrive in his new role. “He’s going to have to learn,” said guard Arron Afflalo. “It’s tough getting thrown in there under these circumstances. Sometimes when you become a starter in the NBA, it’s kind of earned over time or there’s a transition period within a summer or something. But to have a trade go down and suddenly you’re starting, it may be a lot for him, but he’s a maturing kid at this moment. He’s got a lot of tools and hopefully he takes advantage of this opportunity.”
- Elijah Millsap, the newest member of the Jazz, is making a name for himself in Utah, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. The younger brother of veteran Paul Millsap has played 71 minutes in three games and has shot the ball well from behind the arc since arriving in Utah on a 10-day contract. With his impressive play, another deal from the Jazz could be on the horizon for the 27-year-old rookie, but that is simply my speculation.
- The Wolves are struggling this season and mental errors plague the young team, writes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Minnesota has lost 15 games in a row and currently resides in second place of our reverse standings with a record of 5-31.
- LaMarcus Aldridge needs to be mentioned more often when discussing the best big men in the league, opines Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Turner argues that other players such as Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis and Kevin Love get unfairly mentioned ahead of Aldridge when the discussion of the best power forward in the league comes up. Griffin has never advanced farther in the playoffs than Aldridge has, while Davis and Love have yet to make the postseason. The Blazers currently sit atop the Northwest Division with a record of 29-8.
Wolves Ink Miroslav Raduljica To 10-Day Pact
JANUARY 8TH, 5:53pm: The Timberwolves have signed Miroslav Raduljica to a 10-day contract, the team has announced (Twitter link). The center will take the open roster spot the team had created by waiving Jeff Adrien on Wednesday.
JANUARY 2ND, 12:29pm: It looks like Raduljica will end up in Minnesota next week, Wolfson tweets. It’d be surprising if the team lets go of Jeff Adrien to make room on the roster, Wolfson asserts, though Adrien holds the team’s only contract without any guaranteed money.
DECEMBER 29TH: There’s no deal between Raduljica and the Wolves yet, and if it’s to happen, it probably won’t for at least a few more days, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Sunday, Wolfson cautioned that at least one hurdle remained but said that signs pointed toward a pact between Minnesota and the big man (Twitter link).
DECEMBER 28TH: Free agent center Miroslav Raduljica is finalizing a deal to play with Minnesota for the remainder of the season, according to Shams Charania of Real GM. The deal is reported to be fully guaranteed and while there is no salary reported, it is likely a minimum salary arrangement. The Wolves currently have a 15-man roster and will have to unload somebody, by release or by trade, to accommodate the signing.
Raduljica recently agreed upon a buyout with Shandong of the Chinese Basketball Association. The seven-footer played the 2013/14 season with Bucks and shot 54.0% from the field while averaging 3.8 points per game.
Last offseason, Raduljica was traded to the Clippers along with Carlos Delfino and was subsequently waived. The Bucks received Jared Dudley and a first-round draft pick in the deal.
Eastern Notes: Sixers, Bosh, Mirotic, Hawks
The Sixers have played as well as expected this season and Tom Moore of Calkins Media wonders if Joel Embiid is the only star-caliber player on the roster. He admits that Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel and even Tony Wroten are serviceable NBA players, but none are likely to lead a team deep into the playoffs. At 4-27, Philadelphia currently owns the worst record in the league, which would guarantee the team a top four draft pick. You can follow our reverse standings to see which teams have the inside track to the top picks in the 2015 draft.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Chris Bosh didn’t foresee the Heat struggling this season but believes he can lead the team into the playoffs, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “I wanted to see if I [was] able [to] have that increased role and still be successful. It’s out there in front of me and it’s out in front of this team. I just have to make sure I do my part in making sure we don’t lose track of what’s important,” Bosh said. The 11-year veteran has missed eight games this season due to injury and Miami is 11-14 with him in the lineup.
- Bulls fans can thank the sign-and-trade that sent Carlos Boozer to the Bulls for having Nikola Mirotic on the team, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune explains. The Jazz agreed to send a second-round pick to Chicago for allowing them to make Boozer’s departure a sign-and-trade. Then, the Bulls parlayed that second-rounder into the draft rights of Mirotic during the 2011 draft.
- The uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the Hawks hasn’t impacted the team on the court this season, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The current owners of the Hawks have agreed to sell 100% of the team. Meanwhile, on the court, Atlanta sits atop the Eastern Conference with a record of 25-8.
Poll: Can The Pistons Make The Playoffs?
Addition by subtraction is an overused phrase in the sports world but sometimes it holds true. The Pistons were struggling during the first two months of the season, and the team decided that a change was necessary. Josh Smith signed a four-year, $54MM contract with the Pistons during the 2013 offseason but after playing just 105 games with the team, Detroit waived him.
At 5-23, the 2014/15 season seemed to be a good opportunity for Detroit to tank and end up with a valuable pick in the 2015 draft. However, the team responded by winning four straight games and its unified play has drawn comparisons to the Raptors of last season. Toronto traded Rudy Gay midseason and earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference with stellar play in the second half of the 2013/14 campaign. It’s early but the Pistons are only four games behind the Heat for the eighth seed and only four teams in the Eastern Conference have longer win streaks than Detroit’s current four game streak.
There remains a lot of uncertainty with this team. Although starting point guard Brandon Jennings has emerged as a leader since Smith’s departure, the 25-year-old is reportedly on the trade block. There have been rumors of Greg Monroe being dealt since he signed his qualifying offer, but the fifth-year forward would have to approve any trade since he essentially has a de-facto no-trade clause in his contract. After the shocking release of Smith, it’s clear that Stan Van Gundy isn’t shy about moving on from players whom he inherited from the previous regime.
Still, the Eastern Conference isn’t strong beyond its top five teams and to earn a lower seed, teams will most likely not even need a record above .500. The Pistons have the talent to compete with any contender for the eighth seed and 35 of their 49 remaining games are against Eastern Conference foes. Will Detroit keep up its current play and reach the postseason this year?
Will Detroit Make The Playoffs?
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Yes 53% (546)
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No 47% (482)
Total votes: 1,028
Pacific Notes: Green, Lakers, Clippers
Gerald Green would like to play more minutes but he understands the Suns‘ game plan, writes Paul Coro of The ArIzona Republic. “It’s frustrating at times, I’m not going to lie, because I’m a basketball player, but I know everybody has made sacrifices on this team,” Green said. “I just don’t want to be the only person who is pouting about it. Certain games aren’t going to be my game. Certain games aren’t going to be other people’s games. As long as we win with the main goal to make the playoffs, that’s all that matters.” Green entered Friday averaging 30.0 points per 48 minutes, which is the 13th highest scoring rate in the NBA. The seven-year veteran will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and with his superb offense play, he may have offers from other teams with the promise of more playing time, although that is just my speculation.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers have assigned Jordan Clarkson and Tarik Black to their D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the team announced via Twitter. The duo will play tonight against the Reno Bighorns.
- The Clippers have lost four out of their last eight games but with Spencer Hawes returning from injury, optimism surrounds the team, writes Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “He adds a lot to our team,” said coach Doc Rivers. “It’s valuable for everybody to stay healthy, when you think about it. When he’s out, it obviously stretched us a little bit. We had to put lineups on the floor that we really didn’t want to put on.” The Clippers currently own the sixth seed in the conference with a record of 22-11.
- The Warriors sit atop the Western Conference with a record of 26-5 but it wasn’t too long ago that the team was considered a non-contender, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle discusses. Just three seasons ago, Golden State finished the year with only 23 wins and seemed destined for a long rebuild but the signing of Andre Iguodala, the shrewd drafting by front office executives and the progression of their stars, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, have propelled the team into the upper echelon of the Western Conference.
Northwest Notes: Matthews, Daniels, Tinsley
Wesley Matthews has steadily improved his game over the last few seasons for the Blazers, especially from behind the arc, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Matthews leads the league with 96 three-pointers made on the season, and he’s compiled a 59.5% effective field goal percentage. With three-point shooting being such a valuable commodity, the soon to be free agent could be in line for a hefty raise over his current $7.25MM salary, although that is just my speculation.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Newly acquired guard Troy Daniels has fit in well with the Wolves, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “He shoots the basketball,” coach Flip Saunders said. “I probably should have found a way to put him in sooner. As I told our guys, when you utilize your minutes on the floor, you either gain trust from your teammates and coaches or not. So he did a good job and gained some trust.” Daniels was acquired from Houston in a trade for Corey Brewer earlier in the month.
- The Thunder offered Jamaal Tinsley an opportunity to join the team last offseason, as the former first-round pick tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com. “OKC offered but I elected not to indulge because it wasn’t a guaranteed deal and I’m too far along in my career for non-guarantees,” Tinsley said. The 36-year-old guard is currently entertaining offers to play overseas.
- If the Thunder are going to make the playoff this season, Serge Ibaka has to become more involved in the offense, particularly in the fourth quarter, argues Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Mayberry points out that Ibaka is averaging only 3.4 points on just 2.6 attempts per game in the fourth quarter. The Thunder sit three games out of the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a record of 15-17.
Western Notes: Black, Smith, Hill, Len
New addition Tarik Black comes to the Lakers with a reputation as a gritty defender, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register. Coach Byron Scott believes Black could become a contributor to the team. “All the reports are that his upside is tremendous,” Scott said. “It was a no brainer for us. Once he gets out here, we’ll put him out here and see what he can do.” Los Angeles ranks 30th in the league on defense, allowing 109.2 points per game.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Josh Smith‘s deal with the Rockets covers just this season, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders confirms. There were previously conflicting reports about the length of the contract. In his first two games for Houston, Smith has scored 26 points on 28 shots from the field, which are the second most attempts on the team during that stretch.
- Jordan Hill has struggled recently for the Lakers and he could lose playing time in a suddenly crowded front court, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Hill has a $9MM team option on his contract for the 2015/16 season. If he keeps up this level of play, it might be hard for the Lakers to justify picking that up, although that is just my speculation.
- The Suns believe they have a star in second-year center Alex Len, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. “He’s not afraid of anything,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “He’s not afraid of big moments. He’s not afraid of hitting somebody or getting hit. He just plays. That’s great to see in a young guy.” The team is 6-1 since it moved Len into the starting lineup.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: LeBron, Hawks, Knicks, Bass
LeBron James insists that coach David Blatt has the players’ attention, writes Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group. “I think my relationship with the coach continues to get better and better every day,” James said. “It’s just two months of us being together. I don’t know him fully, he doesn’t know me fully, he doesn’t know any of the guys fully, and that’s to be expected. It’s our first year together. But he has our attention.” There were reports that members of the Cavs organization were concerned about how the players are responding to Blatt. The team hasn’t met expectations this season and has lost two of three games since center Anderson Varejao was sidelined with a torn Achilles.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The sale of the Hawks is still slow-going, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who writes in his weekly power rankings column. Spears piggybacks on September speculation from TNT’s David Aldridge that Grant Hill will be among the bidders.
- The Knicks aren’t ready to make “fire-sale” maneuvers just yet, one NBA GM told Spears for the same piece. New York is 5-28 on the season and ranks 27th in the league on offense, scoring only 94.6 points per game.
- Celtics forward Brandon Bass understands the team’s decision to trade Rajon Rondo and is committed to the team as currently constructed, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. “My job is to work with what we have. That’s what I do. It’s sad to see Rondo leave, but at the end of the day, it’s a business,” said Bass. “Every year here somebody left. You’ve got to work with what you’ve got. I am a firm believer that, I don’t believe in looking for no people to come join a team — I ain’t into looking and searching for a team to go to win a championship. That’s not who I am. I’m into working with what we’ve got and making the best of it.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.