Sixers Sign Casper Ware To 10-Day Contract
10:15am: The deal is official, according to Sixers spokesperson Michael Preston (Twitter link).
8:29am: The Sixers will sign the defensive-minded Casper Ware to a 10-day contract today, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Philadelphia’s 10-day deal with Darius Johnson-Odom expired Sunday night, leaving an open roster spot. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported Philly’s interest in the point guard, who most recently played for Virtus Bologna of Italy.
The 5’10” Ware has racked up honors at mediocre levels of basketball. He won back-to-back Big West Player of the Year honors in his final two seasons at Long Beach State, and he was the Big West Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. He went undrafted in 2012 and wound up in Italy’s second division, where he won MVP honors last year. He hasn’t been able to duplicate his success at Italy’s highest level this season, averaging 11.7 points, 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game.
He’ll now have a chance to see how he fares against another jump up in competition. His only glimpse of NBA action so far has been in summer league with the Pistons in 2012 and the Rockets this past offseason.
Vasilije Micic To Enter Draft
Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic will enter this year’s draft, agent Misko Raznatovic tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Givony has Micic at No. 41 on his list of the top 100 prospects, the same ranking that Chad Ford of ESPN.com assigns the 20-year-old.
Micic plays for KK Mega Vizura in his native country, and has been averaging 11.5 points and 5.6 assists in 30.0 minutes per game. Ford lists his three-point range as one of his strengths, but his percentage has plunged from 38.4% last year to 29.3% this season. Still, he won All-Tournament Team honors in the FIBA Under-19 World Championships this past summer, leading Serbia to a second place finish and, as Givony points out, holding his own against projected top-10 pick Marcus Smart.
The 6’4″ Micic wouldn’t be automatically draft-eligible until 2016, but apparently he feels ready to at least gauge his draft stock. Overseas prospects have a later deadline to withdraw from the draft than college players do, so Micic has plenty of time to change his mind if he prefers.
Noah Vonleh To Enter Draft
Indiana University freshman Noah Vonleh will enter this year’s draft, as he tells Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. The big man is a “guaranteed” lottery pick, sources inform Parrish, and Vonleh has heard that he’s going anywhere between the fourth and 12th picks.
The 6’10” Vonleh played center for the Hoosiers, but he projects as either a power forward or a center in the NBA, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, who pegs him as the seventh-best prospect in this year’s draft class. Chad Ford of ESPN.com lists Vonleh as a power forward and has him at No. 8 in his rankings.
Vonleh and the Hoosiers fell short of the NCAA tournament, finishing 17-15 a year after losing Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, both of whom were top-four picks in the 2013 draft. Vonleh is just 18 years old and won’t turn 19 until August.
Grizzlies Have ‘Secondary’ Interest In Pau Gasol
The Grizzlies are eyeing soon-to-be free agent Pau Gasol, who said in December that Memphis would be an “appealing” option, but the team would make Gasol a “secondary” priority to re-signing Zach Randolph if Z-Bo opts out, USA Today’s Sam Amick reports. Gasol’s brother Marc Gasol is under contract with Memphis through next season, but it appears the team would prefer to keep its current frontcourt pairing intact rather than seek out a family connection.
Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien said last month that he hoped that Randolph would remain with the team long-term. The power forward has voiced frustration with the club this season and remains undecided on his roughly $16.9MM player option, but he said in November that he’d like to retire in Memphis, and as Amick notes, he’s made his affection for Memphis clear on multiple occasions.
Pau Gasol has said a team’s chances of winning will weigh most heavily on his decision in the summer, and while Memphis has been significantly more successful than the Lakers this season and last, the Grizzlies are scrapping for one of the last playoff berths this year. The Lakers, armed with cap room and a lottery pick in June’s draft, have an 80% chance of re-signing Gasol, according to teammate and close friend Kobe Bryant. Still, both Bryant and Gasol would reportedly like to see the Lakers replace coach Mike D’Antoni.
In any case, Gasol seems primed for a drastic cut in pay after making more than $19.2MM this season. If Randolph opts in or re-signs for a salary close to what he’s in line to make in 2014/15 under his current contract, the Grizzlies will have about $65MM in commitments for next season. That means they’d be limited to the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception of $5.305MM for Gasol.
Nets Prioritize Re-Signing Shaun Livingston
The Nets will make re-signing unrestricted free agent Shaun Livingston their top priority in the offseason, GM Billy King says, according to Newsday’s Rod Boone (Twitter link). The 28-year-old point guard suggested earlier this week that he’d seek a lucrative payday in the summer. Brooklyn will be limited to giving Livingston a starting salary of no more than $3.278MM via the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, since they hold only Non-Bird rights on the rejuvenated Henry Thomas client.
Livingston, a former No. 4 overall pick, is enjoying his best season since a gruesome knee injury in early 2007 derailed his career. He’s started 43 games, many of them as part of Brooklyn’s successful small-ball lineup, and while his numbers of 8.0 points and 3.1 assists in 25.1 minutes per game aren’t flashy, the Nets are 27-16 when he starts and 8-15 when he doesn’t.
Brooklyn signed Livingston to a guaranteed minimum-salary contract before this season after he finished up 2012/13 with the Cavs. Since he’s been with the team for just a single season and makes the minimum salary, Brooklyn has Non-Bird rights with Livingston that only allow them to give him a new contract with a starting salary worth 120% of the minimum. That makes it likely the team gives him at least a portion of its mid-level, which will almost assuredly be the smaller, taxpayer’s variety, since the Nets already have more than $85MM in commitments for next season.
The mid-level may get a deal done for Livingston, but he isn’t the only free agent the Nets will have, as Paul Pierce‘s contract also expires at season’s end. King says that he and Pierce haven’t talked about an extension, as Boone notes via Twitter, and the GM’s assertion that Livingston will be his No. 1 offseason focus might indicate that the Nets won’t put much effort into re-signing Pierce, though that’s just my speculation. The Nets have full Bird rights on the former Celtic, since they acquired him via trade, so they have much greater latitude to re-sign him, and Brooklyn hasn’t shown any reluctance to spend on its roster under owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
Andrei Kirilenko and Andray Blatche have player options worth about $3.3MM and $1.4MM, respectively, and both could probably command more if they opted out. If they decide to hit the market, they’ll join Jason Collins, who’s on a deal for just the rest of the season, as other Nets becoming free agents on July 1st.
Players Who Can Earn Higher Qualifying Offers
The stretch run of the season matters a lot to members of this summer’s free agent class. But the effect of what happens between now and the end of the regular season will perhaps be more well-defined for Trevor Booker, Brian Roberts and Jordan Crawford than anyone else. That’s because all three have a chance to trigger the league’s starter criteria and boost the value of their qualifying offers.
Teams must extend qualifying offers to their restricted free agents to reserve the right to match offers that other teams might make. Without a qualifying offer, a restricted free agent becomes an unrestricted free agent. For most players, the amounts of their qualifying offers are set in stone, and they’re usually determined by draft position. Whether or not the starter criteria come into play depends on whether or not a player logs at least 2,000 minutes or 41 starts during the season prior to his free agency, or hits those benchmarks over the average of the final two seasons before he becomes a free agent. Here’s what’s at stake:
- A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter criteria will receive the same qualifying offer equal to 120% of the amount applicable to the 15th overall pick.
- A player picked between 10th and 30th who meets the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to 120% of the amount applicable to the ninth overall pick.
- A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to 100% of the amount applicable to the 21st overall pick.
These four players have already triggered higher qualifying offers for this summer:
- Avery Bradley, Celtics ($4,677,708) — would have been $3,581,302
- Greivis Vasquez, Raptors ($4,677,708) — would have been $3,203,780
- Isaiah Thomas, Kings ($2,875,131) — would have been $1,148,163
- P.J. Tucker, Suns ($2,875,131) — would have been $1,148,163
Conversely, three will likely see their qualifying offers reduced:
- Ekpe Udoh, Bucks ($4,268,609) — would have been $5,962,377
- Ed Davis, Grizzlies ($4,268,609) — would have been $4,361,788
- Patrick Patterson, Raptors ($4,268,609) — would have been $4,319,474
Booker, Roberts and Crawford are toss-ups, as we explain here:
- Trevor Booker, Wizards — This appears to be the most intriguing case. Booker could be in line for a higher qualifying injury because of Nene‘s injury. Booker has been starting in his place, and if he makes 10 more starts over Washington’s final 14 games, his qualifying offer increases from $3,420,443 to $4,677,708. Nene is already in the middle of his original four-to-six week timetable for a return, so if he comes back anytime soon, Booker will end up with the lower qualifying offer.
- Brian Roberts, Pelicans — An injury also affected Roberts’ case. He became the starter at point guard when Jrue Holiday went down with injury in January, and with Holiday lost for the season, it looks like Roberts will make the 41 starts needed to raise his qualifying offer from $1,115,243 to $2,875,131. He’s seven starts shy, and the Pelicans have 15 games left.
- Jordan Crawford, Warriors — He’d have to average 28.5 minutes over the last 12 games for the Warriors, or start half of those contests. Both are long shots, but if he accomplishes either, his qualifying offer would escalate from $3,206,867 to $4,677,708.
Basketball Insiders and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.
Eastern Rumors: Stoudemire, Knicks, Pistons
Amar’e Stoudemire envisions remaining with the Knicks organization beyond his playing career, as we noted last night. Still, the 31-year-old hopes he doesn’t leave the court anytime soon, telling Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling that he wants to “play until I can’t walk any more.” Stoudemire says he wants to stay on the Knicks roster, which is indication that he intends to opt in for next season. That wouldn’t be at all surprising, but it sounds he’d also like to re-sign with the club in the summer of 2015. Whether the Knicks will have mutual interest remains to be seen, of course. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- A source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that new Knicks president Phil Jackson is high on Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, Cole Aldrich, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Toure’ Murry. Carmelo Anthony is on that list as well, and Jackson has already publicly expressed his regard for the star.
- The Pistons have denied that Isiah Thomas is a candidate to run their basketball operations, but MLive’s David Mayo wouldn’t be “thoroughly and completely shocked” if Thomas ends up in that role, as Mayo writes in his latest mailbag column.
- The Sixers and Pacers had nearly identical records over a seven-year span from 2005/06 through 2011/12, but the teams have taken drastically different paths since, notes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. The Pacers have distinguished themselves primarily because of their success uncovering gems in the draft, Cooney argues, suggesting much is at stake for the Sixers come June.
Celtics Re-Sign Chris Babb To Three-Year Deal
2:36pm: It’s a three-year contract that’s non-guaranteed next season and for 2015/16, reports Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. That means Babb received essentially the same deal that the Celtics gave Johnson, as I speculated. Murphy also confirms that it’s a minimum-salary arrangement.
FRIDAY, 9:54am: Boston has made the signing official, the team announced. The statement confirms that it’s a multiyear deal, but it doesn’t provide any further details.
THURSDAY, 1:00pm: The Celtics will re-sign Chris Babb to a deal that covers the rest of the season and beyond, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Babb is on the final day of his second 10-day contract with the team. Babb’s latest pact will likely be non-guaranteed for next season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it also covers 2015/16 with non-guaranteed salary, since that’s the very sort of deal that Chris Johnson got from the team this year following his 10-day contract.
Babb’s new deal will be the 15th guaranteed contract on the books for the Celtics this season, meaning Boston is likely done making moves for 2013/14. The 24-year-old former Iowa State shooting guard hasn’t dazzled in his limited playing time in Boston, averaging 2.2 points on 2.3 field goal attempts in 11.5 minutes per game. Still, coach Brad Stevens has called him a “perfect fit,” and Stevens seems particularly high on Babb’s defensive ability.
The Greg Lawrence client was initially with the Celtics in training camp this fall after going undrafted in June, though he saw time in summer league with the Suns. He failed to make Boston’s opening-night roster, but the Celtics kept his D-League rights and Babb wound up playing for the C’s D-League affiliate, posting 12.0 points and 35.4% three-point shooting in 37.5 minutes per game over 33 appearances. That led to his first 10-day contract, which he signed on the final day of February.
Celtics Notes: Bass, Babb, Bradley
The Celtics visit Brooklyn tonight for a game against Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett‘s team, but the front office will probably be far more plugged in to what happens during this evening’s NCAA tournament action. The C’s are in line for the sixth overall pick, but they’re just a game up on the Jazz, who have the league’s fourth-worst record, as our Reverse Standings show. That means a marquee prospect figures to be wearing green soon. Here’s the latest on the future-focused Celtics:
- Brandon Bass will be a trade candidate again this summer, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The power forward has played well and isn’t pouting, according to Washburn, who says Boston’s frontcourt logjam and its focus on rebuilding could be the impetus for a deal.
- Today’s addition of Chris Babb on a contract that’s non-guaranteed for next season gives the Celtics four players with non-guaranteed deals for 2014/15, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The Celtics have proven adept at using non-guaranteed contracts as trade ballast the past two summers, and Boston has the chance to do so again in a few months, as Forsberg examines.
- Avery Bradley has suggested that his desire to stay with the Celtics is tied to his enthusiasm for playing with Rajon Rondo. They’ve nonetheless shared the court for a total of just 159 minutes since Rondo made his season debut January 17th, as Forsberg points out in a separate piece. The C’s should pair them together more often before Bradley hits restricted free agency this summer, Forsberg argues.
Cavs Sign Seth Curry, Release Shane Edwards
The Cavaliers have officially signed Seth Curry to a 10-day contract, the team announced. To make room, Cleveland terminated its 10-day deal with Shane Edwards, which was set to expire tonight. Curry, the 23-year-old former Duke shooting guard, appeared to have a deal with the Cavs earlier this week, but the team seemed to waffle and considered re-signing Edwards instead. The Cavs also apparently had their eyes on another player. Ultimately, the Cavs circled back to their original target. Curry, brother of Warriors star Stephen Curry, had a brief stint with the Grizzlies earlier this season after going undrafted this past summer.
Seth Curry was also in camp with the Warriors in the fall, but he failed to make the opening-night roster. He appeared in just one game for a four-minute stretch with the Grizzlies, who waived him in January shortly before his contract would have become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Memphis decided against bringing him back on a 10-day, and he’s been playing with the Warriors D-League affiliate ever since. The 6’2″ client of Jeff Austin is averaging 19.4 points and 5.9 assists in 35.3 minutes per game for the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Today’s moves leave Cleveland with 15 players, 14 of whom are on guaranteed contracts. Edwards appears to be headed back to the D-League affiliate of the Cavs, where he played before signing his 10-day deal.
Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group initially reported that Curry and the Cavs had a deal (Twitter link). Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal followed with a report that Curry, Edwards and another player were all in the mix to fill Cleveland’s open roster spot. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio identified Edwards as the favorite and wrote that he’d head back to the D-League if he didn’t re-sign with the Cavs. The Plain Dealer followed with a report that Curry would sign, and Lloyd seconded that (Twitter link). The Plain Dealer’s Mary Schmitt Boyer followed up minutes later to note that Curry had put pen to paper on his contract.