Thunder Ink Royal Ivey To 10-Day Contract
THURSDAY, 11:16am: Oklahoma City has announced the signing of the Jim Tanner client, via press release.
WEDNESDAY, 10:16am: The Thunder will sign Royal Ivey to a 10-day contract pending the results of today’s physical, tweets Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. The 32-year-old guard was in camp with the Hawks this past fall, and spent the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons with Oklahoma City. The Thunder have two open roster spots, so there’s plenty of room for Ivey.
A second-round pick by the Hawks in 2004, Ivey has managed to spend at least part of every season since then on an NBA roster despite never averaging more than 19.2 minutes per game. He was with the Sixers last season, when he scored 3.2 points in 13.2 minutes a night.
Ivey, familiar with the Thunder’s system, will help shore up a backcourt that’s missing the injured Russell Westbrook. The team reportedly interviewed D-League guard Manny Harris about a week ago, but apparently Ivey’s beaten out the former Cavalier for a spot, at least for now.
Heat Rumors: Bynum, Additions, Temple
Yesterday was an eventful day for the Heat, who saved on salary and their projected luxury bill with their swap of Joel Anthony for Toney Douglas, and welcomed Greg Oden back for an eight-minute stint that was his first official NBA action in more than four years. The day ended with the thud of a blowout loss to the Wizards, resulting in Miami’s first three-game losing streak since the 2011/12 season. Here’s more from South Beach:
- In spite of speculation that yesterday’s trade would lead the Heat to sign Andrew Bynum, team president Pat Riley told reporters yesterday that nothing’s going on between Bynum and the club, Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick tweets.
- Riley also said that he’d be meeting with others in the front office and looking for pieces to add to the club, Skolnick notes via Twitter.
- The Heat’s next priority should be finding an energetic wing player who can defend well, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel opines in his latest mailbag column.
- Miami tried to bring back 2012 training camp invitee Garrett Temple when he was a free agent this summer, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. The point guard re-signed with the Wizards instead, and the Heat’s decision to cut him two years ago still serves as motivation, Temple says.
Warriors Acquire Crawford In Swap With C’s, Heat
THURSDAY, 10:12am: The Heat is the team sending cash to the Celtics, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who notes that the amount is $1MM.
WEDNESDAY, 3:17pm: The Warriors and Celtics have hooked up on a three-team trade with the Heat that sends Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the W’s, as the teams confirmed via press release. The Warriors send Toney Douglas to Miami, which deals Joel Anthony, a first-round pick, and its 2016 second-round pick to the Celtics. Boston also receives cash in the deal, though it’s not immediately clear from whom.
The Warriors have been looking for an upgrade behind point guard Stephen Curry, and it appears they envision putting Crawford in that role. The 25-year-old has performed well in stretches as he’s manned the point for Boston in the absence of Rajon Rondo, but with Rondo set to return, it appears the Celtics found him expendable. Veteran NBA reporter Peter Vecsey tweeted overnight that Boston was close to dealing Crawford, and listed the Warriors as one of the teams with interest.
The Heat likely save $7.7MM in salary and tax penalties for this season in unloading Joel Anthony‘s deal, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (on Twitter), with Anthony slated to make $3.8MM this season. His contract also includes a player option for the same amount next season. The first-round pick they’re sending the the Celtics is the Sixers’ lottery protected first-rounder this year, but if Philadelphia doesn’t make the playoffs this season or next, the Celtics get the Sixers 2015 and 2016 second-round picks instead, as Wojnarowski points out (Twitter link). Miami had been looking to bolster its backcourt last month when Windhorst reported that they were shopping Anthony.
The Warriors add money in the deal, but they avoid the luxury tax and don’t have to relinquish a first-round pick or one of their core pieces, as Zach Lowe of Grantland speculated yesterday that they might have to do. Crawford doesn’t carry the cachet of other guards the Warriors have pursued, like Kyle Lowry, Andre Miller and Kirk Hinrich, but he comes relatively cheaply. He’ll be a restricted free agent at season’s end. The Warriors will likely use part of the $4MM trade exception they got for Brandon Rush this summer to make the deal work.
The Celtics also slightly up their payroll, though they also continue to stockpile draft picks. The deal sets Boston up with a half dozen extra draft picks between now and 2018. Perhaps most profound from Boston’s side of the transaction is the decline in value of Brooks, the 25th overall pick in 2011. He played well as a rookie with the Nets, but was a throw-in as part of the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce blockbuster this summer and appears to be an afterthought in this deal, as well.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the deal (All Twitter links). Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group and Grantland’s Zach Lowe also tweeted details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Celtics Not Sure If Keith Bogans Will Return
THURSDAY, 9:17am: The decision to excuse Bogans from the team was a mutual one, Ainge told 98.5 the SportsHub this morning, Forsberg notes in a full story. Ainge said he told Bogans to stay ready “if we have an injury and need him to come back,” but went on to say “it’s better for the team and better for him to part ways.” Still, it appears he’ll remain on the roster for a while, as I speculated yesterday.
“It’s a unique situation, very unique,” Ainge said in reference to Bogans’ contract. “His value to us is he has nonguaranteed contract and, for us, he’s a chip at the trade deadline or this summer, most likely, that has value around the league. We don’t want to release him, we don’t want to let go, we want to keep that chip as we’re rebuilding.”
THURSDAY, 8:51am: Celtics GM Danny Ainge confirms it was indeed Bogans’ frustration over a lack of playing time that led the team to send him home, tweets Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Ainge has nonetheless told Bogans to remain ready to play, Forsberg notes, which hints at a possible reconciliation.
WEDNESDAY, 5:16pm: The Celtics excused Keith Bogans from the team for personal reasons last night, but it’s not clear whether he’ll return at any point this season, according to coach Brad Stevens, who says the matter is “undecided,” tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. Bogans has complained about a lack of playing time after inking a three-year, $15.86MM contract as part of a sign-and-trade over the summer. Only this season’s salary is guaranteed, but it’s nonetheless a sweetheart deal for the veteran guard.
Bogans, 33, has appeared in only six games for a total of 55 minutes all season, though his two longest stretches of playing time this year came earlier this month. He played in 74 games, and started 23, for the Nets last season.
The 11th-year veteran is on the books for a little more than $5MM this year, so the Celtics would likely be reluctant to waive him without trying to see what they can get for him in a trade if they decide to formally part ways. I’d also imagine Boston would try to negotiate a buyout in advance of the March 1st deadline for players to be waived and remain eligible to join another team for the playoffs.
Latest On Carmelo Anthony
Mike Woodson told a New York radio station Wednesday that while he’s concerned that Carmelo Anthony will leave in free agency, he nonetheless believes the star will remain with the Knicks for the rest of his career. That reflects the sentiment of the organization, which “can’t imagine” that Anthony would sign elsewhere, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link). Berman nonetheless hears that last year’s scoring champ will depart if the team continues to lose.
Anthony has been publicly supportive of embattled teammate J.R. Smith, and the two have played together for several years, dating back to their time in Denver. Smith’s presence on the team nonetheless doesn’t make it any more attractive to Anthony, Berman writes, referencing a report in 2012 that Anthony had reservations about the team’s decision to sign Smith. Anthony denied that report.
The team’s confidence that it can re-sign Anthony, who’ll almost certainly opt out of his contract this summer, is why the organization laughs off the notion that they would trade the star for Blake Griffin. The Knicks will have the advantage of being able to offer more money and an extra year in a new contract for Anthony, a Creative Artists Agency client like so many on the Knicks.
Chris Johnson Working Out For Celtics
Small forward Chris Johnson is in Boston to take part in a workout with the Celtics, and there’s a “good chance” he’ll sign a 10-day contract with the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The former University of Dayton Flyer is not to be confused with center Chris Johnson from LSU, who played briefly with the Celtics during the 2010/11 season. The Celtics have two open roster spots following yesterday’s three-team trade.
Johnson’s only official NBA action came while on a pair of 10-day contracts last season with the Grizzlies. He spent camp this fall with the Nets, and he’s currently a member of the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, with whom he’s spent much of the past two seasons. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 37.2 minutes per game for the Vipers, the affiliate of the Rockets.
Wojnarowski’s tweet seems to indicate that there will be other free agents in the workout, though that’s not entirely clear. The Celtics traded swingman MarShon Brooks and guard Jordan Crawford yesterday and received center Joel Anthony in return, so it makes sense that they’re eyeing another guard/forward type.
Atlantic Rumors: Smith, ‘Melo, Young
J.R. Smith expressed his displeasure both during and after Monday’s game to Mike Woodson, who had decided against starting him for overtime that night, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith was late for a meeting Tuesday, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, and Woodson benched him for the entirety of last night’s game. Begley hears Smith is still angry at the team for waiving his brother last month. Still, Woodson said today on The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show on ESPN New York 98.7 that he’s not “kicking J.R. to the curb,” and that he’ll remain a “big part” of the club, Berman notes. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division on the day that Smith and six others become eligible to be traded.
- Woodson also said on radio that he’s “concerned” that the events of this season might lead Carmelo Anthony to sign elsewhere, but the coach nonetheless believes Anthony will play for the Knicks his entire career, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone observes.
- The Sixers are ramping up discussions with other teams about potential Thaddeus Young trades, and executives around the league consider it a “lock” that they’ll try to trade Evan Turner, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe in a piece on today’s three-team swap.
- The Warriors reportedly passed on Kyle Lowry because they were worried he’d be a poor fit for their locker room, but the Raptors point guard tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that he’s unaware of how the team would get that impression.
- Nerlens Noel has been medically cleared to play, and while Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com hears he could make his NBA debut in four to six weeks, Sixers coach Brett Brown says there’s no such timetable, and that he still may sit out the season, notes Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link).
- Conversely, Jason Richardson says there’s a “good chance” he’ll come back from injury to play for the Sixers this season, Moore tweets.
- The Sixers recalled Lorenzo Brown from the D-League today, one day after sending him down, the team announced via Twitter. He had 22 points and eight assists for the Delaware 87ers last night.
- Rajon Rondo‘s brief trip to the D-League today didn’t involve any travel, as the Maine Red Claws came to the Celtics practice facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, to practice with him, as Chris Mannix of SI.com explains (on Twitter).
Fallout From Warriors/Celtics/Heat Trade
The Heat made initial inquiries about Kyle Lowry prior to today’s three-team trade with the Celtics and Warriors, but those talks with the Raptors went nowhere, Grantand’s Zach Lowe reports. Lowe predicts the Heat will cut either the newly acquired Toney Douglas or Roger Mason Jr. to open a roster spot for Andrew Bynum. Regardless, the trade is a “no-brainer” for Miami, Lowe believes. We’ve roundup up more news and reaction in the wake of today’s deal below:
- Even if the protected first-rounder the Celtics acquired turns into a pair of second-round picks after next season, the trade still provides Boston with a “small bounty,” Lowe writes in the same piece, as teams around the league are valuing second-rounders more highly.
- The departure of Joel Anthony prompts Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel to wonder if Udonis Haslem might be the next to go as the Heat continue to pursue a strategy of freeing money to keep their three stars and supplementing them with bargains.
- The Warriors are still “thrilled” to have essentially passed on Jarrett Jack in favor of Andre Iguodala this summer, even though Douglas proved ineffective as a replacement at backup point guard, forcing today’s move, notes Sam Amick of USA Today.
- Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com figures the depature of Crawford, who was developing into a serviceable point guard, strengthens the chances that the Celtics will keep Rajon Rondo long-term (Twitter link).
- Today’s trade means the Heat have cut their projected luxury tax bill by more than 50% since the start of July, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com explains (Twitter links).
- The Timberwolves weren’t among the teams interested in Jordan Crawford, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- Crawford played point guard for the Celtics, but he’s otherwise been a shoot-first gunner, and Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group believes he’ll benefit the Warriors most as a pure scorer.
Players Eligible To Be Traded As Of Today
It’s been an active season for trades in the NBA. We’re still more than a month away from the deadline and we’ve already seen five swaps, including today’s three-teamer between the Warriors, Celtics and Heat. The door to the action opens just a little bit wider today, as seven more players become eligible to be included in trades. It’s not quite a landmark sort of occasion like December 15th, when most free agents signed in the offseason, along with a few others, become fair game for trades, but the arrival of January 15th nonetheless represents one fewer obstacle to player movement.
Players who received a raise of better than 20% this summer when they re-signed via Bird or Early Bird rights with a team that was over the cap weren’t eligible to be traded until today, as long as they were making more than the minimum salary last season. That narrow distinction applies to the following players:
- Tony Allen, Grizzlies
- Chase Budinger, Timberwolves
- Timofey Mozgov, Nuggets
- J.R. Smith, Knicks
- Tiago Splitter, Spurs
- Nikola Pekovic, Timberwolves
- Brandan Wright, Mavericks
The Wolves are the only team with two players on that list, but J.R. Smith seems far and away the most likely trade candidate, and he’s uncertain about his future in New York, as we passed along this morning. It doesn’t seem as though there’s much of a market for him, but if a team wants to engage in talks with the Knicks about the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, collective bargaining agreement rules won’t forestall a move any longer.
ShamSports, RealGM, and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.
Ford’s Latest: Embiid, Wiggins, Jazz
Chad Ford has made the season’s first change to the top spot of the Insider-only Big Board for ESPN.com, bumping Andrew Wiggins from the No. 1 one spot in favor of Kansas teammate Joel Embiid. Wiggins doesn’t fall far, landing at No. 2, right in front of Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Dante Exum. Ford joined readers to chat about the new projected No. 1 overall pick and other draft topics, and we’ll run down the highlights:
- Wiggins hasn’t demonstrated that he’s a franchise player capable of immediately turning around a moribund team, and neither has anyone else in this year’s draft class, Ford observes.
- Parker is a “lock” to go to the Jazz if they wind up picking first, Ford writes. The Celtics also prefer him to Embiid, but they’re more open to changing their minds. The Magic and Sixers still prefer Wiggins, but they, too, seem flexible enough to switch to Embiid over time.
- Most people around the league think the Celtics would like to end up with a top three pick in this year’s draft, but Ford isn’t so sure, noting that GM Danny Ainge isn’t as high on this year’s prospects as other teams are.
- The Kings would probably choose between Parker and Embiid with the No. 1 pick, though their urgency to win soon could turn them off from Embiid, according to Ford, who adds that Sacramento also regards Exum highly.
- There’s a significant drop-off in talent after the top five prospects, and another after the top 10, according to Ford, who says the middle of the first round isn’t as deep as in years past.