Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Expansion, Kings, Brown
USA Today's Sam Amick rounds up the news from the Board of Governors meeting today, which featured unanimous approval of Charlotte's name change from Bobcats to Hornets. Commissioner David Stern initially laughed off the idea of the switch, but fan support for the Hornets monicker persuaded him to take the issue seriously, Amick writes. Stern also offered hints that the league could consider expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas in the future, and he said the union's lack of an executive director has hung up the league's plans to implement human growth hormone testing by next season. Amick also passes along the league's rule adjustments, and we've got more from the meeting as we look around the Association this evening:
- In May, the league imposed a deadline of 2017 for the opening of a new arena in Sacramento, but Stern indicated today that he's pleased with the progress the Kings and the city are making, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee observes.
- The Nuggets, Wizards, Grizzlies, Suns and Knicks were all in attendance as Bobby Brown participated in a five-on-five scrimmage Wednesday, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. The Knicks also saw Brown workout Tuesday, and they're reportedly moving toward a deal.
- Eric Gordon tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that the Pelicans have assured him that he's a part of the team's long-term plans.
- Lakers VP Jim Buss said on NBA TV tonight that he strongly believes Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles will be healed in time for him to play in preseason games this fall, notes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.
- The Bulls may have promised a training camp invitation to Andrew Goudelock as an enticement to get him to play for their summer league team, according to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald (Twitter link).
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has maintained flexibility with his underwhelming free agent haul this summer, but his decision to keep the core of the team intact could have negative consequences, as Eric Koreen of the National Post examines.
Thunder To Get Cash For Change To Durant’s Deal
10:32pm: The league is giving the Thunder only a partial amount of the difference between a 25% max and a 30% max extension for Durant, Mayberry tweets.
10:10pm: Durant's cap figure will not change as a result of the reimbursement, reports Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). That means his full paycheck will still count toward the Thunder's team salary for cap and luxury tax calculations.
9:36pm: The NBA's Board of Governors voted to compensate the Thunder for the additional salary Kevin Durant is receiving as a result of the "Derrick Rose rule" in the latest collective bargaining agreement, Grantland's Zach Lowe reports (Twitter link). The vote, which was not unanimous, followed a protest from Oklahoma City's brass over the adjustment that allowed Durant to receive a starting salary worth 30% of the salary cap in 2011/12 instead of 25%, Lowe tweets.
Durant received more than $15.5MM in the first season of the five-year extension to his rookie-scale contract. Without the benefit of the Rose rule, he only would have made about $12.9MM. The original value of the deal was approximately $75MM over five years, but that figure jumped to more than $89MM with the rule change. The Thunder will now receive the difference from the league. It's unclear whether Durant's cap figure will be reduced, Lowe adds (Twitter link), though the extra $14MM or so could persuade the team to dip into the tax this season to sign free agent target Mike Miller or another player.
The Rose rule stipulates that a former first-round pick who signs an extension to his rookie-scale contract may receive up a starting salary of up to 30% of the salary cap, with 7.5% raises, if he meets certain criteria. The "super-max" is triggered if the player is named to the All-NBA First, Second or Third team at least twice, voted as a starter in the All-Star game at least twice, or named the NBA Most Valuable Player at least once before the extension kicks in. Otherwise, the maximum starting salary the player could get would be 25% of the cap, also with 7.5% raises. Durant qualified for the 30% max thanks to multiple appearances on the All-NBA First Team.
Durant signed his extension in the summer of 2010, a year before the lockout took place. The new CBA took effect for the 2011/12, the first year the extension was in effect. The league applied the Rose rule to Durant, even though he and the Thunder negotiated and finalized the extension long before the new CBA was in place.
Northwest Notes: Pekovic, Neto, Jazz, Blazers
The Thunder's courtship of Mike Miller is the dominant headline among Northwest Division teams this evening, but it's not the only news. Here's more on some of the teams who've spent the last two seasons looking up at Oklahoma City in the standings:
- Nikola Pekovic has yet to receive an offer sheet from any team trying to pry him away from the Timberwolves, according to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Wolves reportedly have offered a four-year deal worth as much as $50MM, and Walters figures he'll wind up signing it.
- Soon after the draft, it seemed unlikely 47th overall pick Raul Neto would join the Jazz for this season, and the Brazilian point guard recently told Basketeria that he'll probably spend 2013/14 playing in Spain (translation via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News). That appears to be the Jazz's preference, as Neto said last week that his choice is to play in the NBA, while Genessy notes that Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey wouldn't mind if he got more experience overseas.
- Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake Tribune believes that it's premature to declare the Jazz winners of the Deron Williams trade, in spite of the collection of assets Utah received.
- Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey noted his preference to keep the team's roster at 14 players for now as he spoke on video with Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com. Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge has a transcript of the conversation, which touched on a range of topics.
- Timberwolves 2012 second-round pick Robbie Hummel is with Minnesota's summer league squad as he attempts to find a way to the NBA. If he falls short, Spanish club Obradoiro CAB, with whom he played this season, and Pallacanestro Cantu of Italy are pursuing him, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports.
Bobcats Receive NBA’s OK To Become Hornets
The Bobcats have received official league approval to change their name to the Hornets, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Board of Governors voted unanimously to grant the team permission to adopt the Hornets monicker that the New Orleans Pelicans abandoned this spring. Approval had been widely expected since the team announced its intentions in May. The change will take place for the 2014/15 season.
The franchise now known as the Pelicans originally began as the Charlotte Hornets, and sellout crowds were the norm for the first several years of the franchise. North Carolina fans soured on ownership in the late 1990s and early 2000s, prompting the move to New Orleans.
Still, the Hornets nickname evokes fond memories for some in the Charlotte area, though Bobcats owner Michael Jordan called results from a poll of the team's fans "very mixed." The Bobcats nonetheless made the decision to change their name following the market research the club began in January. When the club made its announcement in May, Jordan indicated that fan response to the Hornets name was mostly positive, saying in part that, "Our fans spoke and we listened.”
Eastern Rumors: KG, Mo Williams, Hawks, Cavs
In his introductory press conference with the Nets today, Kevin Garnett admits he "absolutely" considered retirement this spring, and indicated that Paul Pierce's uncertain future with the Celtics was a major reason why. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has more from Garnett. Washburn rounds up Pierce's comments as well, and we'll take a look at the rest of the East:
- The last we heard on Mo Williams was that he's prepared to take a discount to sign with a contender, and HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler reiterates that, tweeting that Williams is telling people he'll look to sign with the Heat if offers from other clubs don't improve.
- The Hawks are mulling whether to sign 16th overall pick Lucas Nogueira this summer or let him play overseas this year, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution examines (subscription required).
- Atlanta paid $550K to buy 15th pick Dennis Schröder out of his European deal, and a larger buyout would be probably be necessary for Nogueira, Vivlamore writes in the same piece. NBA clubs can only pay up to $575K in a buyout without money coming out of the player's check.
- The Cavs are high on undrafted guard Matthew Dellavedova, and would like see him play for their D-League affiliate, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The St. Mary's product is drawing offers from overseas that could complicate matters, Lloyd notes.
- Foreign clubs are also showing interest in Chris Quinn, who's with the Cavs on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal. Quinn isn't likely to last long in Cleveland, and the Cavs may cut him soon to allow him to pursue other opportunities, according to Lloyd (Twitter link).
- Talks between the Knicks and Bobby Brown are gathering steam, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The Creative Artists Agency client was among a group who worked out for the Knicks this week, though five other teams have interest, Zwerling says.
- Toure Murry has also made a positive impression on the Knicks, Zwerling adds.
Kings Sign Ray McCallum
5:58pm: Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee hears McCallum received a guaranteed three-year contract (Twitter link).
5:50pm: The Kings have officially signed Ray McCallum, the 36th pick in last month's draft, the team announced in a press release. Financial terms weren't disclosed, but it's probably a partially guaranteed multiyear deal, based on what we've seen a few other second-rounders sign for this year. It's unlikely he'll make much more than the minimum salary.
McCallum, a 6'2" point guard out of the University of Detroit, will join fellow rookie Ben McLemore on the Kings this season. The steady floor general figures to have an uphill battle for minutes, with veteran Greivis Vasquez set to start and Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette also on the roster.
The 22-year-old McCallum averaged 18.7 points, 4.5 assists and 2.1 turnovers per game this past season at Detroit. He's not a long-distance shooter, having drained just 32.3% of his three-point looks last year, but he hit the boards for 5.1 rebounds per contest.
Andrew Bynum Signs With Cavs
JULY 18TH: Bynum has officially signed his contract, the team announced. For cap-related reasons, the Cavs had delayed finalizing the deal while they considered claiming Mike Miller off waivers, but with Miller now a free agent, that appears to have cleared the way for Bynum to officially join the Cavs.
JULY 10TH, 7:01pm: Bynum's deal is for $12MM this season, only $6MM of which is guaranteed, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. It also includes a $12.5MM team option for 2014/15.
6:52pm: Andrew Bynum has decided to sign with the Cavaliers, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). Bynum and agent David Lee just got off the phone with Cleveland to inform the club of the center's intentions, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. The Cavs, who reportedly offered a partially guaranteed two-year, $24MM deal, were growing increasingly unsure of their ability to land the oft-injured center, Amico wrote earlier today, but it looks like their fears were unfounded.
Only $6MM was guaranteed in the team's offer to Bynum, but it still appeared to be the most guaranteed money any team was willing to give him as his field of suitors narrowed to the Cavs, Mavericks and Hawks. The Sixers weren't ruling out a return, but they seemed a longshot.
The Cavs will bank on a return to health for the 2012 All-Star who missed the entire 2012/13 season. The Sixers acquired Bynum last summer as part of the blockbuster Dwight Howard deal, but he never suited up for Philadelphia, felled by a pair of balky knees that also caused him to miss significant time during his seven years with the Lakers.
Cleveland could wind up with a marquee player on the cheap, as Bynum appeared headed toward a maximum-salary contract, or something close to it, before he missed last season. The deal adds to a crowded frontcourt that includes Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson and No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, and it could signal a trade is forthcoming, though that's just my speculation.
Bynum will reunite with Cavs coach Mike Brown, who coached him during his final season with the Lakers. Brown's presence was a factor in Bynum decision, Amico tweets, as the big man feels the team simply wanted him more than any other club.
Odds & Ends: Billups, Jennings, Bobcats, Pelicans
- The Bucks and Jennings' camp both see a sign-and-trade as ideal, but it seems he's more likely to ink his qualifying offer, writes Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Hoops Rumors readers see a signed QO as the most likely outcome.
- Bobcats coach Steve Clifford wants the team to carry six big men and add a third point guard, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. There are six bigs on the roster, but Jeff Adrien's deal is non-guaranteed.
- Charlotte's name change from the Bobcats to the Hornets is set to receive official NBA approval Thursday, Bonnell notes in a separate piece. The switch will occur next summer.
- The Pelicans' offseason is a "game-changer" for Eric Gordon, writes Sam Amick of USA Today, as the team's moves have helped sculpt an intriguing core that figures to entice the once-disgruntled shooting guard to stay.
- Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee spoke with Kings minority owner John Kehriotis, who's in a somewhat awkward situation after making a play at the majority interest in the team that went to new principal owner Vivek Ranadive.
- Kurt Rambis made comments on ESPN last fall that reportedly prompted Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni to cross him off his list of potential assistants, but it appears D'Antoni has changed his mind, as Rambis is set to join his staff, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Johnny Davis will join him, along with fellow newcomers Mark Madsen and Larry Lewis.
- The Wizards will hire Frank Ross as director of player personnel, TNT's David Aldridge tweets. Ross has been serving as the Thunder's scouting director for the East Coast.
Blazers GM, Aldridge Reps Discuss Possible Trade
Blazers GM Neil Olshey met Sunday in Las Vegas with members of LaMarcus Aldridge's camp who suggested several trade scenarios, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The source described the meeting as productive, with both sides focused on the best outcome for all involved. Still, Haynes hears the team is in no hurry to trade the All-Star power forward, particularly if there isn't a fair deal available. Olshey and company don't want a package of draft picks in return, according to Haynes.
The Bulls, Timberwolves, Clippers, Hawks and Pelicans have declined to include Joakim Noah, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Al Horford and Anthony Davis, respectively, in any deal for Aldridge, Haynes hears. Aldridge has told Haynes and others that he has not requested a trade, and Haynes has confirmed that he hasn't done so. Still, Aldridge isn't opposed to a trade, just as he'd be OK with returning to Portland, as Haynes writes, echoing his report from last month.
A strong performance from Aldridge this season could help Olshey find the deal he wants next summer, when Aldridge will be down to one more year on his contract. The 28-year-old Arn Tellem client will make $14.628MM this season and $15.756MM in 2014/15.
Baron Davis Seeking Return To NBA
Baron Davis hasn't played since a devastating knee injury in the 2012 playoffs, but he told MSG's Alan Hahn tonight that he hopes he's ready to play with an NBA team by the time training camps begin in October (Twitter link). Davis has been with the Knicks in an advisory role since September, and has been observing free agent workouts this week with other members of the team's staff.
Davis spent 2011/12 with the Knicks, and while he held out hope that he'd be healthy enough to play this past season, agent Todd Ramasar said last August that his client would like to stay with the Knicks "in some capacity." The 13-year veteran indicated last summer that he'd like to play again with the Knicks, so they appear to be the leading candidate for him. The Knicks could be in the market for a third-string point guard following the retirement of Jason Kidd, so perhaps there's a fit there.
The 34-year-old is a two-time All-Star whose declining production landed him on amnesty waivers from the Cavs in 2011. The Knicks picked him up after that, and he averaged 6.1 points per game with a 4.7-to-2.6 assists-to-turnover ratio in 20.5 minutes per contest for New York.