Eastern Rumors: Bynum, Irving, LeBron
Andrew Bynum didn’t play in the preseason, but it looks like he might get in the Cavaliers‘ season opener tonight. It would be his first action since the spring of 2012 and his initial step toward convincing the team to fully guarantee his $12.25MM salary. Only $6MM of Bynum’s two-year, $24.79MM contract is guaranteed, so he has much riding on his ability to return to health and productive play this season. Here’s more on the Cavs and a few of their Eastern Conference rivals:
- Owner Dan Gilbert is confident the Cavs have built an environment conducive to enticing Kyrie Irving to stay with Cleveland for the long term, and Gilbert is encouraged by the youth of the team’s core, observes Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- LeBron James has become close with Erik Spoelstra, who dared to drive the superstar hard, and Spoelstra’s presence in Miami means James is best advised to remain with the Heat, too, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports argues. Spoelstra’s new extension runs four years, Wojnarowski reveals.
- Bulls camp cut Patrick Christopher is headed to the team’s D-League affiliate after turning down offers to play overseas, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link).
- Knicks GM Steve Mills is OK with the expectations that stem from owner James Dolan’s belief that the team has enough talent to win a title this year, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “You always feel pressure in an environment like this but it’s a good pressure,” Mills said.
- Mills also responded to a question about Chris Smith‘s place on the Knicks roster by passing along that Dolan wants the team to carry young players it can develop this year, Begley adds (Twitter link).
Rockets Pick Up Options On Jones, Motiejunas
4:36pm: The Rockets have officially announced that the team exercised its 2014/15 options on Jones and Motiejunas, tweets Feigen.
OCTOBER 30TH, 10:54am: Houston will officially exercise its options on Jones and Motiejunas today, tweets Feigen.
OCTOBER 20TH, 10:16am: The Rockets plan to exercise their team options on the rookie scale contracts of Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Both are coming off their rookie seasons, so the deadline to officially lock in the third years of their respective deals is October 31st. Jones’ 2014/15 option is worth $1,618,680, while Motiejunas is in line for $1,483,920.
The team is hesitant to turn the power forward position over to either just yet, even though the front office is ready to commit to both through 2015, Feigen writes. Motiejunas started 14 regular season games last season and appeared in 30 others, averaging 5.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per contest. Still, he wasn’t a factor in Houston’s playoff series against the Thunder, notching just five total minutes. Jones saw slightly more time in the playoffs, scoring eight points in 35 total minutes, but he appeared in more D-League games than he did NBA contests last year. Jones put up 19.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in 24 games for the D-League champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
The options, once officially exercised, will add about $3MM to the Rockets payroll for 2014/15, which already includes more than $53.8MM in guaranteed money. Houston will likely operate as an over-the-cap team next summer, unlike this past offseason, when the team used ample cap space to sign Dwight Howard. Keep up with each team’s rookie contract option decisions between now and the end of the month with our updated tracker.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, LeBron, Gibson, KG
Magic Johnson tells the “Max and Marcellus Show” on ESPNLA 710 that he’d be willing to help the Lakers recruit free agents during what he calls a “crucial summer” ahead. “If it’s (Lakers co-owner) Jim Buss going up against Pat Riley, he’s going to lose that battle. He needs help,” Johnson said. “You have to have a recruiter. Jim needs a recruiter with him.” Johnson touched on plenty more about the Lakers and their recent past, and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com rounds up the highlights. Here’s more from opening night in the Association:
- LeBron James tried to recruit Taj Gibson to the Heat when Gibson was a year away from restricted free agency, but Gibson doesn’t think he’ll return the favor with James poised to hit free agency this summer, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times details.
- Kevin Garnett has yet to make his official debut for the Nets, but he’s already the “heartbeat of the team,” according to fellow offseason addition Alan Anderson. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News has more.
- Kevin Love tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune that he and Ricky Rubio have spoken about a long-term future together, but for now, they’re focusing on the present. Both Timberwolves can become free agents in 2015.
- Sixers GM Sam Hinkie is confident that the city of Philadelphia can be a selling point for marquee free agents when he’s ready to make a run at them, but Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if local fans will turn on him before he gets to that point.
- Brett Brown admits that the challenge of coaching the Sixers is harder than he envisioned when he took over the team in August, observes Tom Moore of The Intelligencer.
- Xavier Henry remains on a non-guaranteed contract after making the Lakers out of camp, but he’s drawing raves from coach Mike D’Antoni, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
Poll: Which Team Wins The 2013/14 NBA Title?
We had our say on the 2013/14 NBA season this morning, unveiling our predictions for the coming year. If our opinions are any indication, it’ll be a wide open race for the title this season. Only two of our eight writers are picking a Heat three-peat, with just as many envisioning Derrick Rose capping his comeback with a championship for the Bulls. The Spurs, Thunder, Nets, and — thanks to me — the Pacers received one vote apiece. I hesitated a little after yesterday’s news that Danny Granger will miss the first three weeks, but I’m confident he’ll return to health and that the team’s new-look bench, led by Luis Scola, will be enough to lift the Pacers over the top.
We collectively picked six different contenders, but that might not cover the entire list of teams with legitimate hopes. Among us we’ve named what appear to be the four strongest Eastern Conference teams, but the Rockets, Clippers, Grizzlies and Warriors all seem primed to make runs out of the West. So, I’ve added those clubs as options, too, along with an “other” choice if you think a dark horse will emerge from the pack. Let us know who you think will win, and follow my lead by explaining your choice in the comments.
Clippers Owner Nearly Scuttled Redick Trade
TUESDAY, 9:13pm: Rivers has confirmed Wojnarowski’s story, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (Twitter link).
MONDAY, 9:02pm: Clippers owner Donald Sterling instructed team president Andy Roeser to call off the team’s three-team swap that brought in J.J. Redick on a sign-and-trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Sterling only consented to the deal after Doc Rivers appealed to him to change his mind.
Front office executives from the Bucks, Suns, Clippers, along with Redick, whose willingness to join the Clippers in the sign-and-trade was at the center of the deal, reached an agreement on July 2nd, but Sterling called Roeser the next day to veto the trade. Sterling had OK’d the deal on July 1st, but had a change of heart. That left Rivers “beyond embarrassed and humiliated,” Wojnarowski hears, as Rivers feared the failure of the trade would short-circuit his credibility in his new role as Clippers senior vice president of basketball operations. Redick and agent Arn Tellem were incensed, as well, since the sharpshooter’s other suitors had moved on once the news that he was headed to the Clippers had emerged.
Rivers heard appeals to bring Chris Paul along with him to lobby Sterling, but Paul ultimately wasn’t involved, Wojnarowski writes. Rivers never threatened to resign when he spoke with Sterling, but a source tells Wojnarowski that Rivers stepping down was a possibility.
Ultimately, the mercurial Sterling changed his mind before the league’s July Moratorium ended on July 10th and allowed the deal to go through. The incident showcases the volatility of any trade before it’s officially announced, but it also casts suspicion on the level of trust between Sterling, Rivers and the rest of the front office. Sterling was fond of Eric Bledsoe, who went to Phoenix in the swap, and some believe he questioned the wisdom of awarding Redick a four-year, $27.755MM contract when he’s often been a bench player, according to Wojnarowski. Still, it’s unclear what made Sterling hesitate and ultimately change his mind.
Western Notes: Westbrook, Kobe, Carney, Rosas
There’s some auspicious news for the Thunder on opening night, as it appears Russell Westbrook could be back as early as two weeks from now, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Thunder originally projected he’d miss at least the first month of the season. Here’s more from the West:
- Kobe Bryant addressed extension talks with the Lakers during a Q-and-A session with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, indicating that discussions have yet to begin but will soon. Lakers co-owner Jim Buss said last week that negotiations had already begun.
- Bryant also told Spears that he hasn’t spoken to Carmelo Anthony about free agency next summer. A recent report suggested Anthony would be open to a recruiting pitch.
- Rodney Carney, fresh off a camp stint with the Pelicans, has signed to play in Puerto Rico with Capitanes de Arecibo, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia reports.
- It appears philosophical differences were at the root of Gersson Rosas‘ decision to resign as Mavs GM today, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, while Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram hears the Mavs shared the concerns Rosas had about the fit.
- Jazz CEO Greg Miller says he’s OK with the front office’s plan to endure a rough season this year as long as it helps move the team toward a title down the road, as Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune examines.
- Wolves camp invitee Othyus Jeffers is set to join the team’s D-League affiliate, while second-round pick Lorenzo Brown, whom the team also cut last week, will not, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
Heat, Bobcats Have East’s Most Stable Rosters
The Heat finished with the league’s best record and won their second straight title last season, while the Bobcats and Magic were the two worst teams in the league. Yet somehow, those three clubs and the Wizards are the only ones in the Eastern Conference to bring back 10 or more players from last season.
Miami kept 12 of the 15 players it carried at the end of the regular season and in the postseason as it made its run to the championship. There was no reason to mess with a winning formula, and aside from the amnesty waiving of Mike Miller, Juwan Howard‘s transition from player to assistant coach, and the team’s decision to cut Jarvis Varnado last week, everyone’s back to try for a three-peat.
The Bobcats made a splash in free agency, signing Al Jefferson, but they elected to bring back 11 players from the roster that went 21-61 last season, re-signing Josh McRoberts, Gerald Henderson and Jannero Pargo while failing to make any offseason trades. The Magic largely stood pat, too, though one of the 10 players they kept from the end of last season isn’t really around anymore. The team has told Turkoglu to stay home while they attempt to trade him, and it’s clear he won’t put on a Magic uniform again, even though he remains on the roster.
The Bucks were the Eastern Conference’s least-stable team, gutting the squad that finished with a losing record but slipped into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. Every other Eastern team had about the same level of stability, keeping between seven and nine players.
Here’s the complete list of players who remain on the Eastern Conference teams with which they finished last season. We’ll follow with the Western Conference soon:
- Heat (12): LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers, Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Ray Allen, James Jones, Rashard Lewis, Norris Cole, Chris Andersen
- Bobcats (11): Ben Gordon, Ramon Sessions, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Josh McRoberts, Gerald Henderson, Bismack Biyombo, Kemba Walker, Brendan Haywood, Jeff Adrien, Jeff Taylor, Jannero Pargo
- Magic (10): Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo, Glen Davis, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Kyle O’Quinn, E’Twaun Moore, Doron Lamb
- Wizards (10): Nene, Trevor Ariza, John Wall, Bradley Beal, Jan Vesely, Kevin Seraphin, Martell Webster, Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker, Garrett Temple
- Bulls (9): Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler, Marquis Teague, Nazr Mohammed
- Raptors (9): Rudy Gay, Landry Fields, Amir Johnson, Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, DeMar DeRozan, Aaron Gray, Terrence Ross, Quincy Acy
- Knicks (8): Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Pablo Prigioni, Kenyon Martin
- Nets (8): Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Mirza Teletovic, Reggie Evans, Andray Blatche, Tornike Shengelia, Tyshawn Taylor
- Pacers (8): Roy Hibbert, Danny Granger, David West, George Hill, Ian Mahinmi, Paul George, Lance Stephenson, Orlando Johnson
- 76ers (7): Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes, Jason Richardson, Evan Turner, Lavoy Allen, Kwame Brown, Arnett Moultrie
- Hawks (7): Al Horford, Kyle Korver, Lou Williams, Jeff Teague, John Jenkins, Mike Scott, Shelvin Mack
- Celtics (7): Rajon Rondo, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee, Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, Jordan Crawford
- Cavaliers (7): Anderson Varejao, Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Alonzo Gee, C.J. Miles, Tyler Zeller
- Pistons (7): Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva, Jonas Jerebko, Will Bynum, Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond, Kyle Singler
- Bucks (4): Ersan Ilyasova, Ekpe Udoh, Larry Sanders, John Henson
Mavericks Notes: Calderon, Nowitzki, Dalembert
The Mavericks made some surprising news today, parting ways with GM Gersson Rosas, who apparently wanted more power over the team’s player personnel than the team was willing to give him. Rosas might not have been the proper fit in Dallas, but he figures to be a hot name in front office circles now that he’s back on the market. The Spurs were reportedly after him before he took the Mavs job, and Rosas drew mention as a possible candidate for the Nuggets GM opening this summer. Here’s more on the team he leaves behind:
- The Mavs feel Jose Calderon is the caliber of point guard they’ll need when they return to contention, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who wonders how long it will take the club to get back to the top. Calderon fit the bill this summer as Dallas prioritized finding a ball-handler who didn’t commit too many turnovers, as Price examines.
- Dirk Nowitzki will be 36 when he hits free agency in July, but Mavs owner Mark Cuban doesn’t think he’s close to the end of his career, Price notes in the same piece. “He’s disciplined enough that I think he sees guys like Ray Allen and others who are going later and later and later,” Cuban said. “So who knows? I won’t put a limit on him.”
- Rick Carlisle identified Samuel Dalembert as the player who improved most from the start of training camp to the end, observes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com, who writes that the Mavs’ playoff hopes hinge on the performance of the 6’11” free agent signee.
- The Mavericks haven’t given Carlisle much to work with in the seasons since he guided the team to a championship, but he tells Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News that he’s prepared to stick it out “for the long haul” in Dallas.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Jazz, Brown, Bucks
Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni says the way he emphasized Dwight Howard over Pau Gasol in his offense last season “wasn’t fair” to the Spaniard, admitting that “if nobody had names on their jerseys,” the situation would have been different, as USA Today’s Sam Amick observes.
“It was hard to be in that position,” said Gasol, a free agent at season’s end. “I understood the politics of it, and why things were a certain way, but it didn’t make it any easier during the process. But you learn and move on and you grow, and you go to the next chapter. I’m excited about my new position. It’s a different situation, a different team. I’m happy and proud to continue to be here, despite everything. I’m ready to play and have a great year.”
That year is just about to start, with the first games of the 2013/14 season just hours away. Here’s the latest from around the Association:
- Jazz CEO Greg Miller, coach Tyrone Corbin, and Derrick Favors all conveyed hopes today that Gordon Hayward remains in Utah long-term, a sentiment Hayward himself echoes. Jody Genessy of The Deseret News has the details as Thursday’s deadline for Hayward to sign an extension looms.
- The Timberwolves aren’t among the teams interested in Shannon Brown, whom the Wizards waived today, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- The Wolves announced a deal for renovations to the Target Center today, but Bucks owner Herb Kohl says the NBA prefers there be a new arena in Milwaukee rather than a renovation to the Bucks’ existing home, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel.
- Former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins has changed agents, signing with Steve Kauffman of Kauffman Sports Management Group, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Warren LeGarie had previously represented Hollins.
- The Bulls signed Kalin Lucas and Patrick Christopher in September and waived them on the second day of training camp. The maneuver allowed Chicago to sign their other camp invitees to summer contracts that gave the team an out in case they suffered an injury, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains in a piece for HoopsWorld.
Eastern Rumors: Granger, Raptors, Osby
After missing nearly the entire 2012/13 season, Danny Granger is off to an ominous start this season as well. Entering the final year of his contract, Granger will be sidelined for the next three weeks as he recovers from a calf injury, the Pacers announced today. Indiana held off on trading Granger this summer, optimistic that he’d bounce back from an injury-plagued season and help the team overcome the Heat on the way to a title. As we wonder whether that optimism remains for team president Larry Bird and company, here’s the latest out of the East:
- Sources tell Bruce Arthur of the National Post that Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has talked about trading Rudy Gay, though it’s unclear whether those discussions were within the organization or involved other teams. Arthur also passes along thoughts from Ujiri about setting the Raptors on the right course toward contention.
- HoopsWorld’s Eric Pincus confirms to Hoops Rumors that the Magic are paying Romero Osby $100K this year, despite his earlier report that Osby’s partial guarantee would only kick in if he made the opening-night roster. The team waived Osby on Friday. Pincus lists the $100K on the Magic’s updated salary page at HoopsWorld.
- Khalif Wyatt, whom the Sixers released last week, has signed a one-year deal with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News speculates that Thaddeus Young would most likely be the centerpiece of any trade the Sixers make this year. Part of Cooney’s suspicion that an early-season trade might be in the works was based on the team’s roster standing at 14 players, but the Sixers got back up to the 15-man limit when they signed Brandon Davies today.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.