Daniel Gibson Drawing NBA Interest
Former Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson says that last month he was “flooded with calls” from NBA teams looking to sign him to a 10-day contract, as he tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Gibson hasn’t played in the NBA this season after the Cavs elected not to re-sign him in the summer following seven years with the team.
Gibson says he’s turned down the offers because he doesn’t feel he’s ready to play at a high level, though it’s unclear if there’s any injury in particular that he’s recovering from. The 27-year-old suffered from ailments in both elbows last season. He says he hasn’t worked out for any teams, but he adds that when he’s ready, he’ll play.
The Blazers, Nuggets and Sixers had interest in signing the ASM Sports client close to the start of training camp, while the Rockets, Knicks, Pacers and Bucks were linked to Gibson over the summer. Cleveland hasn’t been among the teams with reported interest, but Gibson, who’s never played for an NBA team other than the Cavs, says he’s been keeping tabs on his old team throughout its tumultuous 2013/14 season.
“Earlier I was mad,” he said about the team’s lack of success. “I wanted to be there helping because I love that franchise. I miss that franchise. I see the talent and I see them growing and coming closer together as the year goes on. Every year has ups and downs. It’s the NBA season. But I see them now starting to play the way they’re capable of playing.”
White, Roberts Finalists For Union Chief
SATURDAY, 6:52pm: No one was officially elected today as NBPA executive director today despite the NBPA executive committee having deliberated for almost three hours. It appears though, the search is down to two finalists: White, and Michele Roberts, an attorney from Washington D.C., tweets Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. No timetable has been set for when someone will be appointed, but certain powerful agents have been frustrated with the search, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. According to Berger, multiple influential agents say they have candidates in mind who have not been considered. At least one player involved in the search believes the it should be started over and a new list of candidates should be developed, to be voted on at the NBPA’s summer meeting.
FRIDAY, 10:02am: Screen Actors Guild executive director David White is the front runner to take the same job with the National Basketball Players Association, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Union president Chris Paul and the NBPA’s executive committee have already interviewed White, though Wojnarowski hears no formal vote on whether to hire him will take place among union membership this weekend.
White first joined the actors union in 2002, and he became the group’s executive director in 2009. He signed a three-year extension in 2012, so it’s unclear what the players union will have to do to get him out of his contract.
The NBPA has been without an executive director since the All-Star break last year, when longtime chief Billy Hunter was let go amid controversy. Attorney Ron Klempner is serving in an interim capacity. Steve Mills was at one point the favorite for the job before he became Knicks GM, and other rumored candidates have included Isiah Thomas and current NHL and former baseball union head Don Fehr, though none of those three appear to be in the running now.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Carmelo Anthony Wants To Stay With Knicks
5:15pm: Supporting the possibility that was tweeted earlier today about Anthony being willing to sign for less money if it would help the Knicks be more competitive, comes this piece from Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Anthony stated, “Any opportunity I have to build that up in New York, I’d do it. I told people all the time, always say, if it takes me taking a pay cut, I’ll be the first one on (Knicks owner) Mr. [James] Dolan’s steps saying: ‘Take my money and let’s build something strong over here.”’ The problem for the team is that even if ‘Melo agreed to a $1 contract for 2014/2015, the team would still be over the cap primarily because of the salaries of Amar’e Stoudemire ($23.4MM), Andrea Bargnani ($11.5MM), and Tyson Chandler ($14.6MM), writes Begley. That is working under the assumption that both Stoudemire and Bargnani trigger their options, which it seems most likely they will.
3:53pm: Carmelo intends to sit down with Knicks executives after the season, and Anthony’s impression of the team’s plan to become a contender will be critical as he makes his final decision, Berman writes.
1:51pm: Carmelo Anthony told reporters covering All-Star weekend today that his first priority is to stay with the Knicks, and that he’d like to remain with the organization for the rest of his career, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. ‘Melo also dispelled any speculation the Knicks will trade him before the deadline.
“I know for a fact I’m not being traded,” Anthony said, as Ben Golliver of SI.com observes (Twitter link).
Scores of reports over the past several weeks have cast the idea of an Anthony trade as unlikely after the Knicks and Clippers dismissed rumors they were considering an Anthony-for-Blake Griffin swap. Anthony also says he’d take less on his next contract if it would help the Knicks retain flexibility, as Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets.
Anthony reiterated his desire to opt out of his contract and become a free agent at season’s end in an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter today (video link), though his other comments today suggest he’s strongly leaning toward re-signing with the Knicks. Anthony says the Knicks should do whatever is necessary to become a title contender, notes Al Iannazzone of Newsday (Twitter link).
‘Melo also says there’s no doubt coach Mike Woodson will lead the team in practice on Monday, quelling speculation about the embattled coach for at least a few more days, Berman tweets. The Knicks have reportedly considered firing Woodson before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Anthony could re-sign with the Knicks for more than $129MM over five years if he takes a max deal. Just how much less he’ll accept remains to be seen, but New York is set to have about $66.5MM on its payroll for next season if Anthony opts out and Amar’e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani and Metta World Peace opt into their deals, which seems the most likely scenario. That would put the Knicks over the projected salary cap and unable to sign any outside free agents to more than the mid-level exception.
While Anthony apparently hasn’t made a definitive statement about whether he’ll re-sign, today’s comments should allow the club, which has remained confident about Anthony’s desire to stay, to focus on building around Anthony, rather than fretting about his decision. The team’s payroll doesn’t allow for much flexibility this summer, but the team has only about $10.35MM committed for 2015/16 in the form of player options for J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton. Anthony could help the team recruit marquee free agents in 2015, when Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love and perhaps LeBron James could all hit the market.
The Bulls, Clippers and Lakers have at various times appeared to be possible alternative destinations for Anthony, though just about any team with cap space this summer likely will make some sort of run at last year’s scoring champ to see if his mind can be changed. The Leon Rose client would appear to be the second most desirable player with a chance to hit free agency this summer, behind only James, as our list of 2014 free agents shows.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Teams With Open Roster Spots
Flexibility is a buzzword when it comes to player movement in the NBA. Teams often go to great lengths to make sure their payrolls allow for as much wiggle room as possible when they dip into the talent market, but as complicated as the salary cap can make those efforts, one number is paramount: 15. That’s the maximum number of players a team can carry during the regular season, and a team’s inability to take on additional players can throw a wrench into an otherwise well-constructed trade proposal.
The majority of NBA teams already have 15 guaranteed contracts, as our continuously updated roster counts show. Any of those clubs can still take back more players than they give up at Thursday’s trade deadline, but they’ll have to either finalize another unbalanced trade first, or, more likely, waive a player on a guaranteed deal. Most teams are understandably loath to pay anyone who’s no longer on the roster. There’s also the specter of having to watch the waived player flourish with the team that picks him up, as D.J. Augustin is doing with the Bulls, who signed him after the Raptors cut him to facilitate their December trade with the Kings.
So, the teams with fewer than 15 players are in better position to deal as the deadline approaches. Here’s how they break down:
Teams with three open roster spots:
- Bulls — The league granted Chicago an extension that will allow the team to stay at 12 players through the All-Star break, but they’ll have to add someone before the trade deadline. It’ll most likely be a 10-day contract, given the team’s tax issues. Still, unless the Bulls find a tempting deal that allows them to flip a high-salaried player for multiple guys who combine to make less, it seems improbable that the Bulls will fill their open roster spots at the deadline.
Teams with two open roster spots:
- Kings
- Magic
- Thunder
Teams with one open roster spot:
- 76ers
- Celtics
- Clippers
- Grizzlies
- Nets
The Lakers have 14 guaranteed contracts plus a 10-day deal, but their pact with Shawne Williams expires Saturday night, meaning they’re set to have an open roster spot at the deadline. The team probably won’t decide whether to re-sign Williams until after the deadline.
Two additional teams each have 14 guaranteed contracts and a 10-day deal that won’t expire until after Thursday. The Spurs and Hawks can nonetheless unilaterally terminate the 10-day contracts for Shannon Brown and Cartier Martin, respectively, at any time if they want to make a lopsided trade.
It’s highly unlikely any team will add a guaranteed contract between now and Thursday’s deadline. There’s a greater possibility that a player will sign a 10-day deal during that time, since the team can let that player go, but for now, most teams will refrain from dipping into the free agent market until the deadline has passed.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Suns, Bulls, Mirotic
At least three NBA GMs won’t be in New Orleans for All-Star weekend, as technology has changed the way deadline deals take shape, observes Ian Thomsen of SI.com. Thomsen’s piece is a revelatory examination of what goes on in the hidden world of NBA executives, and it’s worth a read. We’ll pass along another tidbit from it here among our look at the league’s latest:
- Executives think Pau Gasol is the most significant player with a strong chance to be dealt, Thomsen writes. The likehihood of a Gasol deal has grown as the Lakers have dropped further from contention, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding writes, identifying Chris Kaman, Jordan Hill and Steve Blake as other prime trade candidates on the Lakers.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com hears the Suns, who’ve been pursuing Gasol and his expiring contract, aren’t looking for short-term help and would prefer to trade for a player who can be a mainstay for years to come.
- Smith also says that the Bulls are targeting veterans and buyout candidates rather than D-Leaguers for their 13th roster spot, suggesting Marcus Camby as a possibility, though it’s unclear if the Bulls truly have interest in signing the 39-year-old big man.
- An NBA executive thinks that if Nikola Mirotic were eligible for this year’s draft, he’d be a top-three pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- Jameer Nelson says the Magic haven’t indicated to him they have any plans to trade him, and, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling, he has no plans to test free agency this summer. Of course, Nelson might not have a choice, since the Magic can save $6MM of his $8MM salary for next season if they waive him on or before July 15th.
- Adam Silver isn’t quite sure why players would be opposed to the idea of raising the age limit to 20, which he supports, as the commissioner tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Silver also suggests that allowing teams an extra year to scout prospects will help clubs with high draft picks make the right choice more often, leading to more leaguewide parity.
Rockets Notes: Trade Targets, Bynum, Asik
No NBA executive makes deadline trades as often as Rockets GM Daryl Morey does, so Houston figures to get involved in the fun on Thursday. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle takes a broad look at the moves the Rockets have considered so far and the ones they might make in the next six days, and we’ll hit the highlights here:
- Feigen hears the Rockets have been on the lookout for a backup wing player who’s a strong defender and can catch and shoot. That desire eclipsed the team’s pursuit of a power forward or a perimeter player who can create off the bounce. It’s not entirely clear from Feigen’s wording whether the team is currently seeking that sort of backup wing.
- The Rockets had talks last month with Andrew Bynum before he signed with the Pacers, a source tells Feigen. Houston didn’t extend an offer, but Feigen isn’t sure whether that’s because the team didn’t think Bynum could contribute or whether it’s simply a reflection of the team’s intention to hold on to Omer Asik.
- Morey says that he continues to focus on improving the club for the future, though he admits he’s putting a greater emphasis on helping the present incarnation of the team than at past trade deadlines, Feigen notes. The Chronicle scribe also points to concerns about the length of Courtney Lee‘s contract as the reason the Rockets passed on a December trade that would have sent Asik to Boston for Lee and Brandon Bass. That’s a signal of the team’s reluctance to add commitments beyond next season, Feigen concludes.
Eastern Rumors: Sanders, Celtics, Bulls
A few Eastern Conference teams have picked up their play of late, but there are still only four East clubs with a record of .500 or better as the All-Star break arrives. Here’s the latest on the NBA’s weaker half:
- Larry Sanders will be out at least six weeks after surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone, the Bucks announced. The team has reportedly been rejecting trade offers for the center, and today’s news makes it seem even less likely that he’ll be dealt.
- Danny Ainge is “more open to a deal than most” NBA executives as the deadline approaches, but rivals believe he’d like to hang on to his future draft picks while adding as little money to the Celtics books as he can, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
- The Bulls have been at 12 players since February 1st, and they were facing a Saturday deadline to add to their roster, but the league has granted the team an exception to its two-week limit on 12-man teams, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link). Chicago can stand pat until Monday.
- Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick identifies Caron Butler as a player the Heat may target if the Bucks agree to a buyout after the trade deadline, citing mutual admiration between the veteran small forward and Miami’s front office. Skolnick also says Butler or Shawn Marion could become a free agent replacement for Shane Battier this summer, when Battier is likely to retire (video link).
Kupchak On Tax, Draft, D’Antoni, Tanking, Nash
Mitch Kupchak told reporters Thursday that the Lakers scouting staff isn’t attending more college games than in years past, in spite of the likelihood the team will end up with a rare top-10 pick. Still, he admitted his focus on the future probably means he’ll be dedicating more of his own time to the draft this year. The Lakers GM also said it’s “not a big concern at all” that the team move below the tax line this year. He had plenty more to say about the draft, the tax, and other subjects, and we already passed along a few snippets of his remarks Thursday night. We’ll provide much more here, courtesy of a pair of pieces from Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News and a single story from Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
On the repeater tax:
“It’s going to be very difficult for us to be a repeater in the next two years just by virtue of all the free agents we have. And then even if you’re in the repeater tax, if you’re in the repeater tax by $30MM, you get killed. If you’re in the repeater tax by a $1.5MM or $2MM, then it’s really inconsequential.”
On this year’s draft:
“I think it’s a really good draft. Like most drafts, it changes going into the season and when you’re in the middle of the season and I expect it to change still a little bit between the beginning of March until the end of March, but I think it’s a good draft and some players that I don’t think anybody expected to be formidable picks in the draft a month ago, you’re starting to see some guys you didn’t hear about play really well. So, I think it’s a good draft in general and I think there’s a couple, three name guys that really jump out at you.”
On Mike D’Antoni:
“I think he’s done a great job. Under very trying circumstances, I think he’s done a great job.”
On the notion of tanking:
“Winning is never a bad thing. I’m not a karma guy, but if you try to manipulate this thing, it doesn’t work out the way you think it works out. You’re better off doing the right thing to do and whatever happens, happens for the right reason.”
On the acquisition of Steve Nash in 2012:
“No regrets. We had a chance. You have to recognize where you are as a franchise. We felt we had a two year window, maybe three to go for a championship. That’s what we did. Looking back on it, which nobody can do, that’s a different story. But at the time, we knew exactly what we were doing.”
Cavs Consider Mark Bartelstein For Front Office
The Cavs are thinking about making a pitch to agent Mark Bartelstein to have him join the team’s front office, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. It’s unclear whether Cleveland envisions putting the founder and CEO of Priority Sports & Entertainment in the role of primary decision maker, or if he’d serve in an assistant capacity. In any case, it’s unlikely the team can convince Bartelstein to make the move, Stein writes.
Any significant change the Cavs might make to their management team probably wouldn’t happen until after the season, according to Stein. Cleveland hopes interim GM David Griffin is successful enough at the trade deadline and through the rest of the season to make a convincing case to retain his job permanently. Griffin apparently has a mutual desire to head up Cleveland’s front office for the long term, Stein says.
David Lee, Taj Gibson and Gordon Hayward are among the prominent names on Bartelstein’s list of clients, as our Agency Database shows. The notion of an agent joining team management is unusual, but not unprecedented. Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby and Warriors GM Bob Myers are former agents, as Stein points out.
Thunder Seeking Wing Player Via Trade
10:55pm: The Thunder are shopping for a two-way wing player, and not simply just a shooter, tweets Wojnarowski.
4:32pm: The Thunder are actively seeking a shooter as the deadline draws near, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Oklahoma City has a pair of trade exceptions, and Wojnarowski suggests the team will use those to take back salary in an uneven exchange.
Oklahoma City has a $6.5MM exception left over from the departure of Kevin Martin this past summer, as well as an exception worth $2,338,721 created in last year’s Eric Maynor trade. It’s most likely the Thunder would use the Maynor exception, which expires at the deadline, given the team’s proximity to the $71.748MM luxury tax line. Oklahoma City is about $2.2MM shy of that threshold.
Anyone the Thunder might be specifically targeting hasn’t been linked to the team in rumors of late. Oklahoma City reportedly has interest in Brandon Bass, but presumably the club is looking for an outside threat rather than a player with a mid-range game. The Thunder was eyeing Evan Turner earlier this year, but he’s shooting just 28.5% from behind the arc. The team is investigating the possibility of bringing career 36% three-point shooter Rudy Fernandez over from Spain, but that probably wouldn’t happen until after the season.
The Thunder could wind up with an additional late-first-round pick from Dallas, and GM Sam Presti might use that as trade bait. Oklahoma City gets the Mavs’ 2014 first-rounder if it falls outside the top 20. The pick is currently at No. 23, as our Reverse Standings show.