Atlantic Notes: White, Celtics, Kenyon, Sixers
The Nets were one of the most active teams in pre-deadline talk, but they were the only Atlantic Division team not to make a swap this week. The other four teams didn't exactly make waves, however, as Jordan Crawford, Sebastian Telfair and Charles Jenkins are division's only trade acquisitions. Still, they aren't the only players joining the Atlantic, and we examine that and other news from around the division:
- Paperwork related to D.J. White's release from the Chinese league is delaying his signing with the Celtics, and until he or another big-man signee contributes for the Celtics, the onus is on Chris Wilcox as the team's primary interior player off the bench. Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald has details.
- Terrence Williams spent two weeks this summer as a free agent working out with the Celtics, and those workouts convinced the team he could play point guard, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe.
- Replacing Ronnie Brewer with Kenyon Martin on a 10-day contract is a low-risk upgrade for the Knicks, Newsday's Al Iannazzone opines. Iannazzone also runs down a list of players who could be headed elsewhere in the offseason, including Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce of the Celtics, Amare Stoudemire of the Knicks, and Kris Humphries of the Nets.
- Interpreting Andrew Bynum's response this week to a question about whether he'd like to re-sign with the 76ers, Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com doesn't think he's too keen on returning. Moore looks at the options the Sixers have, including a sign-and-trade, if Bynum won't be around next season.
Omri Casspi No Longer In Cavs’ Plans
The Israeli website Walla Sport published a report indicating that Omri Casspi would like a buyout from the Cavs within the next few days (translation via HoopsHype), and Bob Finnan of The News-Herald wouldn't be surprised if that takes place. The 6'9" forward is no longer in the team's plans, Finnan writes. Casspi's rookie-scale contract expires at the end of the season, and, as Finnan already reported, he's not expected to re-sign with Cleveland this summer.
There were conflicting reports last month about whether Casspi asked for a trade, though at the time the 24-year-old professed happiness about being in Cleveland. Casspi appeared a likely trade candidate before the deadline, and drew interest from the Spurs this week. The Walla Sport report said Casspi is waiting to have a deal in place, ideally with the Grizzlies or Rockets, before accepting any buyout offer from the Cavs.
Casspi had his appendix removed this weekend, according to the Plain Dealer (Twitter link), a painful sidenote to a season of minimal impact in Cleveland. His points, rebounds, assists and minutes per game, as well as his field goal percentage, have declined each year from his rookie season, when he was a double-figure scorer and started 31 games for the Kings. Sacramento traded the 24th overall pick in the 2009 draft to the Cavs two years ago, and this season Casspi is putting up just 4.0 PPG in 11.4 MPG.
The Cavs can tender a $3,313,480 qualifying offer this summer to retain their right to match offers for Casspi, but it doesn't appear likely they'll do so. Casspi may return to his native Israel play, as Finnan reported a few weeks ago.
James Jones Mulling Retirement
James Jones has made a minimal impact this season for the Heat, totaling just 88 minutes of playing time spread out over 21 games. He occupies $1.5MM worth of space on Miami's payroll and has a player option to earn that same salary next year, but if the Heat win the championship again, Jones is prepared to walk away, as he tells HoopsWorld's Lang Greene.
The 32-year-old small forward nearly retired over the summer, but felt physically capable of returning. He said it's "bittersweet" to come back and play such limited minutes, though he acknowledged the well-stocked Heat have plenty of other options at the wing.
The Heat probably stand to benefit if the Miami native retires, since that would likely mean he'd decline his option and reduce the team's tax bill for next season. The Heat have $75.547MM in commitments for 2013/14, so they'll almost certainly exceed the tax threshold. That figure doesn't include a $4MM team option for Mario Chalmers or the player options for Jones, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.
Central Rumors: Pistons, Redick, Bynum, Ayon
A pair of Central Division teams welcomed additions to their lineups last night, as J.J. Redick made his debut for the Bucks while Danny Granger saw his first action of the season for the Pacers. If and when Derrick Rose makes his way back to the Bulls this year, the Central's playoff-bound teams will be poised to enter the postseason on an upswing. Here's more on Redick, the Bucks, and other news from the Central:
- The Magic's pursuit of a first-round pick derailed talks the Pistons had about acquiring Redick, reports MLive's David Mayo. The Blazers' insistence on a first-rounder also put an end to Detroit's pursuit of J.J. Hickson, as we heard earlier, but according to Mayo, the Pistons never spoke to the Thunder about Will Bynum.
- The Spanish website El Contraataque is reporting that FC Barcelona is trying to engineer a buyout of Gustavo Ayon's contract with the Bucks so that he can sign a three-year deal worth the equivalent of $2MM annually with the overseas club (translation via HoopsHype). FC Barcelona acquired his Spanish league rights in October, but shortly thereafter, Ayon's agent, Emilio Duran, said his client is content to remain in the NBA. Milwaukee holds a $1.5MM team option on Ayon for next season.
- USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that Kyrie Irving will be invited to a four-day tryout camp this summer in Las Vegas for Team USA's entry in the 2014 basketball World Cup.
Eastern Rumors: Kenyon, Celtics, Morrow, Cavs
After all the pre-deadline rumors about Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo changing places, more than a few people around the NBA might have been scratching their heads when none of them were dealt. A check of the standings reveals that both the Hawks and Celtics are within reach of high playoff seeds, so perhaps both teams felt like they could make a run with their teams largely intact. Atlanta is just three games back of the Pacers, who sit in second-place, while Boston trails Indiana by five games. While we wait to see how a tightly packed East shakes out, here's the latest from the conference:
- Kenyon Martin is on a 10-day contract with the Knicks, but GM Glen Grunwald is hopeful the arrangement lasts for the rest of the season, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com documents. The veteran big man is glad months of waiting to rejoin the NBA are at an end, and he's eager to dispel criticism about his ability to fit in a team's locker room culture, Begley also writes.
- The Celtics are close to signing D.J. White, but coach Doc Rivers said the team will look for another big man as well. Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com runs down a few likely candidates.
- Anthony Morrow, whom the Mavs acquired at the deadline for Dahntay Jones, is glad to be in Dallas, and hinted at displeasure about his time with the Hawks, as Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com notes via Twitter. "I feel so blessed to be here, coming from my last situation," Morrow said.
- A half dozen draft picks changed hands at the trade deadline, but all of them were second-rounders. That's why Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer thinks the Cavs were shrewd to acquire a first-rounder from the Grizzlies as part of their swap last month.
Mavs, Brandon Jennings Have Mutual Interest
The Mavericks were looking at Brandon Jennings prior to the trade deadline, and it appears they aren't giving up on pursuing the Bucks point guard. They'd "love" to nab him in restricted free agency this summer, and that's an outcome Jennings would like to happen as well, as Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News writes. The Bucks, though, will have the right to match any offer he gets, and earlier this season they informed him they intend to do just that.
Jennings and the Bucks failed to agree on an extension to his rookie-scale contract before the October deadline. Since then, the point guard switched agents, replacing Bill Duffy with Jeff Schwartz, an advocate for the endorsement opportunities that major markets can provide. Jennings has made no secret of his desire to explore what big cities could do for his career, though he recently expressed his affection for Milwaukee as he denied that he had encountered "irreconcilable differences" with the team.
The Bucks appear to hold Jennings' talents in high regard, as they reportedly consider him one of their "untouchable" players, along with Larry Sanders and rookie John Henson. Backcourt mate Monta Ellis and deadline acquisition J.J. Redick could both leave as unrestricted free agents in the summer, so Jennings is the only one of Milwaukee's top three guards under team control beyond this season.
The Mavs will have plenty of cap space, and could make it difficult for the Bucks to bring Jennings back if they sign him to an offer sheet at or near the maximum salary, which is 25% of the salary cap for a player with six or fewer years of experience, like Jennings. I'm not sure either team believes Jennings is a max player, however, and Dallas appears eager to go after established superstars like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. They figure to be in the mix for Josh Smith as well. Yet if Mark Cuban and company miss out on those targets, they might be willing to overspend to land Jennings.
Last Year’s Key Post-Deadline Transactions
Just because the trade deadline is over doesn't mean we have to wait until the offseason for NBA teams to make more significant moves. Plenty of transactions take place once trading is done for the season, from buyouts to notable 10-day deals and, more recently, signings involving players returning from China.
One notable post-deadline signing has already taken place, as the Knicks have brought Kenyon Martin aboard with a 10-day contract. Richard Hardy of HoopsWorld looks at some other players who could wind up on new teams in the coming days and weeks. To help give you more of an idea of what sort of moves to expect, here's a glimpse at what happened after last year's March 15 trade deadline:
- March 18: Nuggets sign Wilson Chandler to a five-year deal. The total package is worth $37.858MM, including $6.137MM in deferred compensation. — Chandler spent most of last season playing in China and after his return engaged in protracted negotiations with the Nuggets on the long-term deal. He could have waited to sign until the summer, when other teams could bid on him as a restricted free agent. The Nuggets could simply have signed him for the rest of the season, but that would have meant he'd become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Instead, both sides made a lengthy commitment, though injuries have kept Chandler from making much of an impact this season.
- March 19: Greg Oden clears waivers — The Blazers finally cut ties with their oft-injured No. 1 overall pick from 2007. He still hasn't played in an NBA game since December 2009, but he's eyeing a return.
- March 21: Blazers claim J.J. Hickson off waivers from Kings — Hickson believed he would clear waivers, as most players do, so he was all set to sign with the Warriors before Portland snatched him up. The big man had a sudden revival with the Blazers, more than tripling his points-per-game mark to 15.1 from the 4.7 he put up with Sacramento. He's continued to play well, averaging a double-double this season as Portland's starting center on a one-year, $4MM contract he signed in the summer.
- March 21: Thunder sign Derek Fisher to one-year, $2.33MM deal — Oklahoma City used part of its mid-level exception to land the veteran point guard, and he helped shepherd the team to the Finals. This year, Fisher may be a late-season addition again, as he is apparently eager to return to the NBA.
- March 21: Heat sign Ronny Turiaf to two-year, minimum-salary deal — The Nuggets waived him after receiving him as part of the Nene Hilario/JaVale McGee deal. He started seven playoff games for the Heat, though he only averaged 10.1 minutes per game in a dozen postseason contests last year. The second year of his contract was a player option, and Turiaf declined it over the summer in hopes of a raise. Instead, he wound up signing with the Clippers for the same minimum salary he would have earned with Miami.
- March 23: Spurs sign Boris Diaw to minimum-salary deal for the rest of the season — Diaw revived his career after a buyout from the Bobcats, and went from the worst team in the league to one that tied for the NBA's best record. He started all 14 playoff games for San Antonio, averaging 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, and re-signed with the Spurs for a two-year, $9.2MM contract this summer.
- March 26: Raptors sign Alan Anderson to first 10-day contract — Toronto eventually signed Anderson for the rest of the season, and in the summer the team inked him to a minimum-salary deal for this year as well. He's become an indispensable part of Toronto's rotation, averaging 11.0 points in 25.5 minutes per game in his time with the Raptors.
Magic Waive Hakim Warrick
The Magic have officially released Hakim Warrick, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Warrick came over in a deadline deal from the Bobcats, and USA Today's Sam Amick reported at the time that Orlando was expected to waive Warrick. The move leaves 14 players on the Magic roster, one less than the maximum, freeing the team to either bring in players on 10-day contracts or sign someone for the rest of the season.
The Magic will be on the hook for Warrick's full $4MM salary unless another team claims him off waivers, though Orlando could recoup some of that money through the set-off provision if he signs another professional contract this year. The 30-year-old power forward also has a $4MM team option on his contract for next season, but that will disappear unless he's claimed.
Warrick has been traded or released four times within the last seven months. He went from the Suns to the Hornets in July's Robin Lopez deal, and New Orleans shipped him to the Bobcats for Matt Carroll in November. Warrick and New Orleans were reportedly working on a buyout prior to that trade, but it doesn't appear as though the Magic were able to convince Warrick to take less money this time around.
Thunder To Send Eric Maynor To Blazers
2:27pm: The Blazers are sending the draft rights to Giorgio Printezis to the Thunder as part of the deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
2:14pm: Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman reports the Blazers will not send a draft pick to the Thunder (Twitter link). It's unclear exactly what Oklahoma City is getting for Maynor.
1:53pm: The Thunder will send Eric Maynor to the Blazers, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com, via Twitter. The teams had been in serious discussions about such a trade, as Stein tweeted just moments earlier. Portland will absorb Maynor with an exception, and is likely sending a draft pick to Oklahoma City, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If the Blazers aren't giving up anyone in return, that means they'll have to waive someone, since they're at the 15-man roster limit. Mike Tokito of The Oregonian tweets speculation that Elliot Williams could be the one to go.
Williams is attempting to make it back from a torn Achilles' tendon. The Blazers have a disabled player exception for Williams, but it's not worth enough to accomodate Maynor. Portland has a $2,247,740 trade exception from the Raymond Felton deal, and since teams are allowed to add $100K to trade exceptions to accomodate someone, that's how Maynor's $2,338,721 salary fits in.
Maynor had fallen out of favor in Oklahoma City, where he'd lost the backup point guard job to Reggie Jackson. The Thunder were holding out hope for a first-round pick in return as they shopped Maynor aggressively toward the deadline. The Raptors and Jazz had been linked to him in recent days.
The Blazers pick up a piece for their under-performing bench in the deal. Maynor will be a restricted free agent at season's end, and Portland will have the ability to match offers from other teams. Though he kept his interest quiet, Blazers GM Neil Olshey has had Maynor on his radar for more than a month, according to The Oregonian's Jason Quick (Twitter link).
Hawks, Mavs Swap Morrow, Dahntay Jones
The Hawks have sent Anthony Morrow to the Mavericks for Dahntay Jones, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jones was reportedly going to be part of a deal for Beno Udrih, but apparently that one didn't materialize for Dallas. Both swingmen are on expiring contracts, though Morrow makes $4MM while Jones is earning $2.9MM this year. The salaries are still close enough for salary-matching purposes, and neither team is close enough to the tax for the difference to have an effect.
Morrow, 27, is seeing a career low 12.5 minutes per game this year with Atlanta after coming over during the summer in the Joe Johnson trade. He led the league in three-point percentage in 2o08/09 for the Warriors, making 46.7% of his long-range attempts as a rookie. He's a career 42.5% three-point shooter.
Jones, 32, saw about the same amount of floor time for Dallas (12.7 MPG), but doesn't provide the outside shooting presence that Morrow does. Instead, he's seen as a defensive presence, and started 71 games in front of J.R. Smith for the 2008/09 Nuggets, who advanced to the Western Conference Finals.