Eastern Notes: Rondo, Harris, Larkin, Butler
Whether they decide to keep him or trade him, the Celtics are convinced that Rajon Rondo is back to normal, reports Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Rondo, who had 4 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists Saturday in a loss to the Rockets, played in just 30 games last season because of an ACL injury. “He kind of looks like what I’d seen on film before I got here,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. “I don’t think he ever looked like that at any time last year, because he was coming back. And that’s just the way it goes with that injury. But he is back to full speed.” Rondo is in the final season of a five-year, $55MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Tobias Harris faces a new challenge as he plays this season without certainty of his future status, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The Magic and Harris did not reach an extension agreement by the October 31st deadline. “It’s business,” Harris said. “It’s a little disappointing. But at the same time, I’ll just approach it the same way.”
- Shane Larkin understands the “business deal” that led the Knicks not to pick up his third-year option, but he told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com he wants to show the team he can be part of its future. “Obviously they want to build a championship team here,” Larkin said, “and they need as much money as they can next summer to be able to bring in the big free agents that they’re looking at.” Larkin will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and can re-sign with New York, but only for up to $1,675,320, the amount of the option that was declined, The Knicks, who also decided not to offer an extension to Iman Shumpert, are expected to chase maximum-salary players next summer when the hefty contracts of Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani expire.
- The Bulls‘ Jimmy Butler is headed toward restricted free agency, but he explained to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com that doesn’t mean he’s headed out of Chicago. Friedell adds that Butler and his agent, Happy Walters, were asking for a deal similar to the $12MM a year that the Hornets gave to Kemba Walker last week. Bulls GM Gar Forman said the uncertainty looming over the salary cap with the league’s new TV deal affected the decision not to give Butler a long-term deal.
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
Southeast Notes: Bosh, Jordan, Hornets, Heat
Hornets owner Michael Jordan has finally learned how to win games without the basketball in his hands, writes Steve Reed of the Associated Press. “I can impact the game in shorts and tennis shoes,” Jordan said. “When I had those on it was easy to prove people wrong. It’s hard to do that now when I have a suit on. I have to rely upon other people understanding my message and my focus.” The Hornets have high expectations this season and many expect the team to make playoffs. Here’s more from the Southeast division:
- Chris Bosh isn’t shy about stating his desire to have more freedom in the offense as a reason he chose the Heat over the Rockets in free agency, tweets Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. In terms of a slice of an apple pie chart, said Bosh (link), “It would be a big slice, a nice slice. A big-man slice. Big. Huge. Unhealthy slice. Close to half.”
- Although the Hornets are not making a substantial amount of money, Jordan claims the team is getting closer to breaking even, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Charlotte is believed to have lost $34MM in basketball operations last year, according to Zach Lowe of Grantland.
- Jordan was quick to point out that money wasn’t a main reason why Josh McRoberts departed the Hornets this offseason, writes Bonnell. McRoberts signed with the Heat for a four year deal worth the full value of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception (~$22.6MM).
- One of the reasons Danny Granger chose the Heat in free agency was the team’s high shooting percentage over the last few years, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “They have a lot of layups, a lot of open threes, things some other teams just don’t get, which is why they shot such a high percentage. I definitely think I will be able to do that here. I’m definitely going to be over 40 percent, probably 45, 46,” said Granger. Granger added that he hopes to become a more efficient player with the Heat.
Knicks To Waive Travis Outlaw, Keep Wear?
The Knicks will waive forward Travis Outlaw, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. The move will bring the Knicks‘ preseason roster to 15 players and is likely an indication that Travis Wear has made the team, notes Zagoria. The Knicks would be on the hook for Outlaw’s $3MM contract, which is the last year of a fully guaranteed four year, $12MM deal. Wear is signed to a minimum-salary arrangement of which only $62K is guaranteed.
“Travis [Wear] ia a really good player,” Knicks coach Derek Fisher said last weekend, notes Zagoria. “He works hard every single day. He has some natural talents and some natural gifts that you can’t coach. He’s extremely athletic and he has a feel for the game of basketball. He’s helped us in the minutes that he has gotten out on the floor. We have a lot of veteran guys that are already on our roster and it might be tough for him to break through that but he has definitely proven in a short segment that he has some potential so we’re excited about it and we’ll try to make the best decision for him and the team going forward.”
The move to release Outlaw is likely an indication that Knicks believe Ware, who is shooting 45% in the preseason, is a better fit than Outlaw for the triangle offense. Outlaw has averaged 8.5 PPG while shooting 42.3% from the floor for his career.
Western Notes: Ballmer, Rockets, Canaan, Afflalo
Steve Ballmer brings enthusiasm and loyalty to the Clippers as their new owner, writes James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times. Ballmer wants to be the NBA version of the Seattle Seahawks, whose fans are widely known as the 12th man for being the most passionate in the NFL. “We want better energy. I do. The players do. Doc [Rivers] does. Everybody does,” Ballmer said. “More. Better. We would love to be known for the most energetic fans in the NBA.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Isaiah Canaan, who’s so far secured a roster spot with his preseason play, hopes his hard work translates into playing time in the regular season for the Rockets, writes Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. “I have to be strong in practice so that the coaches will feel like they can trust me out there,” Canaan said. “And when I get out there, I need to do my best, work hard and prove that I belong on the floor.”
- The return of Arron Afflalo brings major changes to the guard rotation in Denver, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Because of his improved game, Dempsey notes, Afflalo will surely take on a bigger role with the Nuggets than he had in his first stint with the team two years ago.
- A lack of depth on the bench could be the Rockets‘ Achilles heel, opines Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. In his season preview, Amico wonders whether there is talent on the roster to fill the void left by the departures of Chandler Parsons, Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik.
Eastern Notes: Raptors, Stiemsma, Celtics, Sixers
The Raptors are one of 13 teams in the league without a one-to-one setup with a D-League affiliate, as our table of affiliations shows. Toronto GM Masai Ujiri said that it’s difficult to establish their own D-League affiliate because it’s difficult to find a suitably close location, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun reports (Twitter links). Ujiri also said that it was a mid-term goal and not a priority, notes Wolstat. For now, the franchise will continue to utilize the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, which is the only D-League team that’s not in a one-to-one partnership at this time.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Raptors like Greg Stiemsma for his ability to block shots, Wolstat writes in a separate piece. Stiemsma, who won the team’s 15th and final regular season roster spot, has blocked 2.8 shots per 36 minutes over his three year NBA career.
- Although many would call the Celtics’ strategy rebuilding, GM Danny Ainge doesn’t refer to it as anything besides progress and believes coach Brad Stevens is right man to lead the inexperienced team, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “We don’t really look at it as rebuilding or changing direction, we’re trying to build a championship,” said Ainge. “We have some really nice players and I know Brad is really understanding the NBA game and all the things that come from making the transition to coaching in college. I couldn’t be happier with Brad and his staff. I think he’s done a great job of communicating to all the players.”
- While the rest of the league may look down upon the Sixers‘ rebuilding plan, GM Sam Hinkie only cares about winning an NBA title and isn’t worried about the perception of the team, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It is really important, I think, not to take your eyes off what matters,” Hinkie said. “And what matters is not feeling great about yourself the third of March, but to give yourself a chance to feel good about yourself on the third of June.”
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Bradley, Celtics, Harkless
Avery Bradley credits the D-League as a huge factor in his success playing for the Celtics, explains Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. “I was able to learn a lot up [in Maine],” says Bradley. “I didn’t take it as punishment at all. That’s one thing I do remember. At first I was disappointed, and being a young guy, it’s kinda overwhelming at first [in the NBA] seeing all the superstars, all the guys you watch watch on TV, and now you’re practicing and I had the injury. I got down on myself a lot, but the D-League gave me a chance to get that confidence back.” Bradley hopes to take his game to new heights after signing a new four year, $32MM deal this offseason.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- While many experts have picked the Celtics to finish near the cellar of the Eastern Conference, Jeremy Gottlieb of Boston.com sheds some optimism on Boston’s upcoming season. While Gottlieb admits that the idea of the Celtics contending for a playoff berth is far-fetched, he cites the presence of coach Brad Stevens, the potential financial motivations of some of the players on the roster, such as Rajon Rondo and Evan Turner, and the weakness of the Eastern Conference as reasons not to underestimate this team.
- Although the Celtics were never in contention to acquire Kevin Love due to a lack of an ability to create a package that Minnesota coveted, co-owner Wyc Grousbeck is confident that GM Danny Ainge will turn the franchise’s assets into a winning team, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “I’ve got confidence that with all these picks and these young guys and our willingness to spend money that we can get there,” said Grousbeck. “We’re a patient group. We will take a multiyear plan if that’s what it takes. But I think this June there could be some fireworks. I think this June we’ve got so many pieces to this puzzle that we might be able to shake loose a real piece or two for this team going forward. So, I’m hoping it’s sooner rather than later.”
- Magic forward Maurice Harkless is playing with more confidence this year, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Coach Jacque Vaughn has praised Harkless for his continued development. “There’s some areas that he’s improving, and he still can improve some more. But overall his confidence and feel on the floor has definitely grown,” said Vaughn.
Western Notes: Rockets, Lin, Coaches, Kanter
The Rockets have not settled on their opening night roster yet, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “That’s why we’re experimenting,” coach Kevin McHale said. “There are still a lot of unknowns. We have a lot of guys who haven’t just taken a spot where you say, ‘I’m really comfortable. This guy has really taken the backup spot.’ We have a lot of guys still fighting for spots.” Houston brought 20 players to camp and has not made any official cuts, although it would seem the team is down to 18 players for 15 roster spots with Robert Covington and Akil Mitchell not having been with the team for the last week.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Jeremy Lin is humbled by the offseason trade that sent him to the Lakers, writes Mike Bresnahan of the The Los Angeles Times. Lin said, “When I first got there [Houston], I was supposed to be the guy and they were supposed to kind of hand the torch to me. And I ended up getting traded away basically for nothing. Actually, they had to give a draft pick to convince someone else to take me. Pretty much given away for nothing. Definitely not how I envisioned it.”
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich loves the play of JaMychal Green, tweets Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News. The unfortunate thing for Green is that the Spurs don’t currently have an opening-night roster spot for him, Monroe adds.
- Wolves head coach Flip Saunders is praised by local high school and college coaches for his open-door policy, writes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “We are a very close fraternity as far as coaches, and what you want to do is make sure you’re open,” Saunders said.
- Jazz forward Enes Kanter has as much to gain this season as anyone on the team, opines Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune. Kanter will head into restricted free agency next summer if the Jazz do not reach a deal on an extension with him by the October 31st deadline.
- In a roundtable preview for the Kings, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller predicts that Sacramento will pull off a major trade this season, citing GM Pete D’Alessandro‘s aggressive track record and abundance of assets at his disposal.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Moon, Griffin, Jazz, Kerr
Former NBA player and Harlem Globetrotter Jamario Moon returns to the D-League this season and is confident in his ability to play in the NBA again, writes Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. “I’m at the point now where I want to show people that I can still play the game, even at 34 years old. I’m a freak of nature, and I’m a better player now. I’ve always kept myself in good physical condition, but I hit the weights harder than I ever have before this last summer. I’m ready.” Moon said.
Here’s more from around the Association:
- Shooters might be valued more now by NBA teams than ever, argues Bruce Ely of The Oregonian. Ely identifies those who can connect from beyond the three-point line as the most valued player assets and notes that more than 86% of those who played in the league attempted at least one three-pointer last season.
- Blake Griffin chronicles his time playing for Donald Sterling and shares his thoughts on playing for new Clippers owner Steve Ballmer in a piece for The Players’ Tribune. Griffin applauds the new owner’s management style, “Ballmer wants to win no matter the cost. Donald Sterling didn’t care if we won — at least if it meant he had to spend money.”
- Jazz players and coaches believe the team’s chemistry has improved, writes Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. Guard Trey Burke sees the teams chemistry as a foundation. “We’ve got a lot of guys on this team who are easy to get along with and hold each other accountable, so we’ll just continue to build from here,’’ said Burke.
- New Warriors coach Steve Kerr badly wanted to draft Stephen Curry when he was the GM of the Suns back in 2009, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Cooper adds that the Suns had internal conversations about trading Amar’e Stoudemire for the point guard but without Stoudemire showing a strong likelihood of re-signing with the Warriors, Golden State was not going to pull the trigger on the trade.
Eastern Notes: Allen, Heat, Cavs
Many around the NBA believe Ray Allen will become a member of the Cavs this season and Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is among the Cleveland optimists. “My gut tells me he’ll join the Cavs,” Amico said. Cleveland is among the many teams with interest in bringing the shooting guard aboard. Amico also notes that he believes Allen has already decided on whether or not he’ll play this season, and where.
Here’s more from Eastern Conference:
- After he struggled last postseason there were doubts the Heat would re-sign Mario Chalmers, but head coach Eric Spoelstra is a firm believer in the point guard, writes Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. “He’s one of the all-time clutch players in this game,” Spoelstra said. “How many times does he have to prove himself?”
- In a separate piece, Richardson documents how the environment around the Heat is changing post-LeBron James. Dwyane Wade couldn’t be happier about the changes. “It’s more relaxed, more chill, an opportunity we can get some work in,” Wade said. “We can actually make some mistakes and not do things as great and not really be talked about as much. We’re a team that needs time individually to get comfortable with whatever roles we’re going to be in. It’s good it’s quiet.”
- Although Kevin Love‘s neck injury isn’t believed to be too serious, Jeff Caplan of NBA.com wonders if LeBron’s new teammates can stay healthy. Caplan points out the injury history of Love and Kyrie Irving and notes how crucial it is that the new big three get as much time on the court together as possible
- There are Atlantic Division teams that have young players with the potential to improve such as Terrence Ross of the Raptors and Tyler Zeller of the Celtics, writes Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com. Mason Plumlee of the Nets, Iman Shumpert of the Knicks and Michael Carter-Williams of the Sixers are also among the players Tjarks lists as internal improvement candidates for the coming season.
Western Notes: Mavs, Warriors, Thunder
Dallas GM Donnie Nelson admits 5’7” point guard Yuki Togashi’s immediate future isn’t likely with the Mavs but rather with the team’s D-League affiliate, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Nelson explains, “I’d say it’s a long shot at best for him to make [an NBA regular season] roster right now. But it’s an opportunity for him to make his dream come true in reality to play for the Legends and, like so many guys before him, to use this as a springboard to get in the league.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Golden State’s decision to not include Klay Thompson in a Kevin Love trade will determine the fate of the Warriors, Cavs and Wolves, opines Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Golden State never wavered from its original stance of not breaking up its talented backcourt despite the appeal of bringing Love to the Bay Area, notes Bontemps.
- Mavs big man Brandan Wright faces a pivotal year in his NBA career, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Wright, who is in the final season of a two year, $10MM contract, has carved out a nice niche as a role-player in Dallas.
- Reggie Jackson is the biggest “winner” from Kevin Durant‘s injury, writes Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman. Jackson, who the Thunder have until October 31st to offer an extension, will have an opportunity to showcase himself on the offensive end in Durant’s absence.
- Durant underwent successful surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot, the Thunder announced in a press release. According to the release, Durant will be re-evaluated in six weeks to determine his next step toward returning to action
- The Wolves currently have a logjam at the small forward position and the team is rumored to be fielding offers for Chase Budinger to help pare down the roster to 15. One player who is looking likely to make the regular season roster is Glenn Robinson III, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities notes (Twitter link). According to Wolfson, Robinson, who is signed to a partially guaranteed deal, has impressed the team during training camp.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.