Celtics Notes: Datome, Larranaga, Zeller
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge isn’t insisting on a development-focused approach from Brad Stevens, who’s instead doing what he can to help the team win now and grab a playoff berth, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald details. So, soon-to-be free agent Gigi Datome has taken 2014 first-rounder James Young‘s place in the rotation, Bulpett writes. That leads right into other news from Boston, as we detail:
- Datome says he’s having a “fantastic” time as a member of the Celtics, who’ve given him the sort of playing time he never saw with the Pistons, observes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Datome is set for restricted free agency this summer.
- Celtics assistant coach Jay Larranaga wouldn’t leave the Celtics for a college job, but he’ll consider interviewing for George Mason’s open head coaching position out of respect for the program, which used to employ his father in that job, a source tells Murphy for the same piece. The school had yet to reach out to Larranaga by midday Monday, a source told Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), and both Bulpett and Mannix hear that Larranaga is happy in Boston. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported early Monday that the school was eyeing him for the gig.
- The Celtics pulled off a steal when they landed Tyler Zeller from the Cavs this past summer, opines Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com. Boston gave up only a protected second-round pick that the team is unlikely to ever have to actually convey to Cleveland, and the C’s also took back Marcus Thornton and a first-rounder, which they flipped to the Suns at the deadline for Isaiah Thomas, further sweetening the deal. Zeller scored a career-high 26 points Monday.
Pacific Notes: Karl, Cousins, Price, McAdoo
George Karl acknowledged that he and DeMarcus Cousins started their relationship under trying circumstances and that it will take a while for them to truly build camaraderie, asthe Kings coach detailed in an interview with TNT’s David Aldridge for his NBA.com Morning Tip column.
“I’ve had some really good, serious talks about him,” Karl said of Cousins. “I think it’s hard, because of the skepticism of his agent and all that. It’s a process right now. I’m not saying the trust is with capital letters yet. But I think it’s on the page. That’s all I can ask for. I hope he understands that the process is not going to work coming in the middle of the season, taking a team that was basically a possession, defensive-minded team, and turning it into a running team. I think we’re getting a good pace, but we’re not doing it that well.”
Karl arrived in Sacramento amid Cousins’ frustration with the team’s frequent coaching turnover, and a person familiar with Karl’s thinking apparently told Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck that the Kings are open to trading Cousins this summer. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Ronnie Price was a revelation for the Lakers this season, becoming a starter after signing a non-guaranteed deal for the minimum salary in the offseason, and he’d like to come back to the team even if he’d only be a third-stringer, as he told Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Price, who seems doubtful to play again this season because of a bone spur in his right elbow, will be a free agent this summer.
- The Warriors have recalled James Michael McAdoo from the D-League, the team announced. The rookie scored 25 points in 29 minutes for Golden State’s affiliate Sunday the day after the Warriors sent him on assignment.
- Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob shared his thoughts on Draymond Green, David Lee and more with Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group, as we passed along earlier today.
Wolves, Nemanja Bjelica Have Mutual Interest
5:08pm: Bjelica is ready to sign with Minnesota if the Wolves hold on to his rights, a source tells Cauchi. Several NBA teams are interested in trading for those rights, but Minnesota has set a high bar for such proposals, sources also indicated to Cauchi. In any case, the Timberwolves plan to either sign him this summer or trade his rights, Wolfson tweets. There is the matter of a buyout worth 1.2 million euros, as Cauchi points out. That would be the equivalent of about $1.268MM at the current exchange rate. Minnesota or another NBA team would only be able to foot the bill for about half of that.
12:05pm: Draft-and-stash power forward Nemanja Bjelica has interest in signing with the Timberwolves this summer, according to Sportando’s Orazio Cauchi (Twitter link), who confirms an earlier report from Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that the Wolves also want a deal with him. Wolfson wrote in February that Minnesota is planning a strong push for the 26-year-old whose rights the Wolves acquired on draft night in 2010 shortly after the Wizards made him the 35th overall pick. His contract with Turkey’s Fenerbahce Ulker runs until 2016, as Mark Porcaro notes in our Draft Rights Held Players Database, but there’s an opt-out that would allow him to jump to the NBA this summer, sources tell Cauchi (Twitter link).
Bjelica signed with agent Arn Tellem’s Wasserman Media Group prior to the season, and the Wolves have a strong relationship with Tellem, as Wolfson noted. Wolfson speculated that signing Bjelica would require an offer similar to the three-year deal worth more than $16.6MM that fellow draft-and-stash prospect Nikola Mirotic inked with the Bulls this past summer. The starting salary in Mirotic’s contract is equivalent to the full value of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, seemingly a high price tag for a player who’s putting up solid but unspectacular averages of 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game overseas.
The Wolves have about $51MM in guaranteed salary for next season against a salary cap that’s projected to come in at around $68MM, not including a $5MM player option for Chase Budinger or the cap hold for what’s sure to be a high lottery pick. Minnesota would be hard-pressed to open significant cap room, making it more likely that at least a portion of the mid-level, or the biannual exception, would go toward signing Bjelica if the sides were to reach a deal.
Eastern Notes: Irving, Heat, Scott, Perkins
Reports last season that made claims of a rift between Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters and alleged that Irving wanted to leave the Cavaliers put a strain on the point guard, as he tells Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Irving silenced much of the chatter when he agreed to a five-year extension with Cleveland on the first day he could this past July.
“It really got to me,” Irving said of the rumors. “I’m not a big Twitter person and I don’t tweet a lot of my emotions, but last year I was clarifying because there were so many sources. I’m dealing with people coming at my character. Saying I’m detrimental to my teammates and I’m like, ‘Man, that’s not even close to who I am at all.’ It started to get to me because once people start to question the things that you’re doing, and you know you’re not doing them, then it starts to get to you.”
There’s more on the Cavs amid the latest from around the Eastern Conference:
- Dwyane Wade believes Goran Dragic is a fit for the Heat, but even if he re-signs and Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts return healthy for next season, Wade thinks the team would still need to add more to return to contention, as he told Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post.
- Mike Scott is expected to miss four to six weeks with his broken left big toe, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Hawks signed Austin Daye on Saturday to a 10-day contract to help offset the loss. The regular season ends four weeks from this coming Wednesday.
- Kendrick Perkins is enthusiastic about the way he’s fit in with the Cavs and the warm reception his new teammates have given him, as he tells Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links). Perkins, who nonetheless added that he misses his former Thunder teammates, will once more hit free agency in the summer.
- Public funding for pro sports facilities is coming under fire from President Obama, who’s proposed eliminating the ability for states and cities to use bonds that are exempt from federal taxes to raise money for construction, reports Elaine S. Povich of Stateline (USA Today link). It’s unclear whether that would affect the Bucks‘ plan, which is based on a “jock tax” that draws from players.
Jazz CEO Greg Miller To Step Down
4:30pm: Rigby stopped short of acknowledging the move and made it clear that whatever is taking place, it won’t affect the day-to-day operations of the Jazz, as he said in a statement that the Jazz have released.
“I can reassure fans that the Jazz are conducting business as usual and that the changes are designed to keep the LHM Group, including the Utah Jazz, intact as a community asset for future generations,” Rigby said in the statement. “We are grateful to Greg for his many contributions in supporting the Jazz, and look forward to him continuing to serve as our Governor on the NBA Board and as an active member of several NBA executive committees. As owners, the Miller family still runs the Jazz and remains engaged and committed to building a championship-caliber team.”
1:21pm: Greg Miller, the CEO of the Miller Management Corporation that controls the Jazz, has decided to step down after a seven-year tenure, as Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune confirms (Twitter link). The news appears to have first leaked when an employee at a Miller-owned radio station mentioned the move on Twitter, as Andy Larsen of Salt City Hoops notes (Twitter link). The Jazz have yet to make an official announcement, but Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News has obtained a copy of the press release the franchise is seemingly set to deliver. Miller, the son of late Jazz owner Larry Miller, is second in command to Gail Miller, Larry’s widow, in the organization, but Greg Miller’s decision will have little impact on the Jazz, according to Jazz president Randy Rigby, as Falk writes in a full story. Miller, along with his family, will continue to be involved in signing off on player personnel moves, Falk tweets.
Miller was reportedly part of a group of decision-makers behind the hiring of coach Quin Snyder this past offseason, and he made the team’s official statement when Snyder joined the Jazz. Steve Miller, another of Larry Miller’s sons who had been president of Miller Sports Properties, is also stepping down, Sorensen reports.
The press release that Sorensen obtained indicates that Gail Miller will set up a new corporate structure with an outside board of directors. Forbes recently valued the Jazz at $850MM, pitting it as the 20th most valuable franchise in the league.
Warriors Co-Owner On Green, Lee, Luxury Tax
Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob takes an aggressive approach to running his team, and it’s paid off, with Golden State a half-game in front of the Hawks for the league’s best record. His bold approach extends even to his plans for a new arena in San Francisco, though he told Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group that he now finds a 2017 opening date for that building unlikely and is instead focused on 2018. Lacob had plenty more to say, including a remark in which he expressed his hope that Stephen Curry is “a Warrior for life,” in a podcast taped Friday with Kawakami, who transcribes 20 of Lacob’s responses in a full story. The entire interview is worth your time, particularly if you’re a Warriors fan, but we’ll share three of Lacob’s remarks here:
On Draymond Green, set for restricted free agency this summer:
“I obviously have to choose my words carefully here — we’re not trying to make any claims or anything like that. He will go through the restricted free agency process; I’m sure he’ll get offers from other teams. And he’ll have an offer from us, obviously. Look, he’s very much a part of the core here. That’s the way we view him. He just turned 25 years old and along with Steph and Klay [Thompson] and Harrison [Barnes] we have our sort of core young four, if you will, along with a lot of other really good players. All I can say is we’re going to do everything we can to convince him to stay and be a Warrior for a long time. Of course we have the ultimate [choice] in all that — we can match any deal he gets.”
On the possibility of trading David Lee:
“This is really for [GM] Bob [Myers] to figure out and our basketball ops team. We’re going to figure out how to put together the team for next year. And let’s wait to see how the season ends, first. … You don’t know what’s going to happen. … Sometimes you change your view by the end of the year. Look, if that’s the way it works out, he’s an expiring contact and if it’s better for him to move on somewhere else, maybe that might happen. But it might not. I think we have to wait until the end of the year and assess everything when the season’s over.”
On paying the luxury tax:
“No one should be comfortable with that because the penalties are obviously quite severe. We’d always prefer not to. I can’t sit here and lie and say that I would love to pay the luxury tax. No one would love to pay the luxury tax. But we always have known that there could be a time when it’s required, when the team is at such a point, to keep it together, maybe it’s just that point where we have overlapping contacts that add up … where we have to pay the luxury tax to do that, to keep our long-term plan intact. So the answer, without going on and on, is that we are prepared to pay the luxury tax, yes, if we have to. That’s just a part of the business. It’s not something we want to do. And we’ll all see what happens. A lot depends on what other teams do and how free agency goes and so on. There’s really quite a few factors.”
Mavs Drop Out Of Running For JaVale McGee
The Mavs are no longer interested in signing JaVale McGee, and they aren’t seeking any other upgrades to their roster, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who writes amid his weekly power rankings. They join the Warriors among the teams who have apparently grown chilly on the idea of signing the free agent center after he and the Celtics failed to reach a deal earlier this month. Dallas reportedly had serious interest in McGee as of a couple of weeks ago.
McGee has been a free agent after securing his release from the Sixers, who acquired him in a deadline-day trade with the Nuggets. There’s little financial pressure for McGee to find a deal, since the B.J. Armstrong client didn’t have to give up any of his $11.25MM salary for this year or his $12MM salary for 2015/16 to part ways with Philly. The Mavs already have 15 players on their roster, as our roster counts show, so there’s financial disincentive for Dallas to make a move. The Mavs were reportedly the front-runners for Jermaine O’Neal earlier this season before he called a halt to his comeback efforts, while Dallas also apparently had cautious interest in Larry Sanders.
The Rockets, Raptors and Heat were still interested in signing McGee as of 10 days ago, Spears reported then. The center has reportedly been seeking a player option for 2015/16 in his next contract, a demand that apparently helped unravel the would-be deal with Boston.
Bucks Sign Chris Johnson To Second 10-Day
The Bucks have signed small forward Chris Johnson to a second 10-day contract, the team announced. The move is no surprise, since Bucks coach Jason Kidd said this weekend that a another deal for the 24-year-old was likely. Johnson’s first 10-day contract with Milwaukee expired overnight.
Johnson averaged 20.0 minutes per game in five contests for the Bucks on his initial deal with the team, notching 4.6 points per game. He also saw action with the Jazz on a 10-day contract earlier this year, and he was briefly with the Sixers as the season began after they claimed him off waivers from the Celtics in September.
The signing bumps Milwaukee back up to a full 15-man roster. Johnson and the Bucks would have to commit through season’s end if they want to continue their partnership at the end of their latest deal. Johnson is not to be confused with the three-year veteran NBA center by the same name.
Jazz Sign Bryce Cotton To Multiyear Deal
The Jazz have signed Bryce Cotton to a multiyear deal, the team announced. Shams Charania of RealGM reported earlier that the sides were making progress as they spoke about a deal that covered the rest of the season. I speculated then that Utah and the Passing Lane Sports Management client were probably haggling over the existence of additional seasons on such a contract and the details thereof. It’s unclear just how long the deal stretches and whether there’s any guaranteed salary beyond this year.
Jazz coaches have liked what they’ve seen from Cotton in practice and the limited time he’s seen in games, tweets Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. The 22-year-old point guard saw only 12 total minutes of action on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Jazz, but Utah has nonetheless committed to him for at least the balance of the season. He saw a ton of playing time in 34 games with San Antonio’s D-League affiliate earlier this season, averaging 40.3 minutes per game. Cotton was also on San Antonio’s NBA roster for the preseason and joined the Spurs for summer league this past offseason after going undrafted out of Providence.
Utah filled its open roster spots in quick succession with announcements separated by a few minutes of Cotton’s deal and a new 10-day contract with Jack Cooley. The Jazz have signed a half dozen players to at least one 10-day deal this season, as our 10-Day Contract Tracker shows, but Cotton and Elijah Millsap, who received a three-year deal, are the only ones to have been re-signed for the balance of the season.
Northwest Notes: Hunt, Neal, Gasol, Tomic
The Trail Blazers have never won a Northwest Division title, but they’re seemingly destined to do so this year, since they’re up nine games in the loss column on the Thunder with less than a month to go in the regular season. The last time Portland won a division title, in 1999, the team was in the Pacific Division. Here’s the latest on the teams looking up at the Blazers in the standings:
- Nuggets players, and Kenneth Faried in particular, are ecstatic about interim coach Melvin Hunt and would unanimously vote to remove the interim tag from his title, observes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. However, owner Stan Kroenke is still dissatisfied with a team far from playoff contention, Dempsey also notes.
- Timberwolves guard Gary Neal doesn’t regret chasing the money and leaving the Spurs to sign a two-year, $6.5MM deal in 2013 in part because he saw DeJuan Blair go from a starter to signing a minimum-salary contract in short order, as Neal tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Neal will be a free agent again at season’s end.
- Kevin Durant has posited that Oklahoma City’s lack of “orchestras and plays” dissuaded Pau Gasol from signing with the Thunder this past summer, but Gasol said this weekend that such cultural attractions weren’t a factor, according to The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry. The Bulls big man instead said it was a matter of on-court fit that led him to choose Chicago, as Mayberry relays.
- Jazz draft-and-stash prospect Ante Tomic believes the offseason ahead is his last legitimate opportunity to join the NBA, and while he acknowledged that he’s in talks about a new deal with his Spanish team, he won’t rule out a jump to Utah. The 7’2″ center made his remarks to Jesús Pérez Ramos of Mundo Deportivo (translation via HoopsHype). FC Barcelona has a team option on the 28-year-old for next season, but the Jazz are reportedly willing to pay to buy Tomic out of his contract.