Marc Stein On Lakers, Heisley, Calderon, Tax
Marc Stein of ESPN.com weighs in on the Lakers coaching situation to begin his Weekend Dime, but also drops plenty of knowledge about other issues around the league in his weekly roundup. We'll cover what he has to share here.
- Stein thinks the Lakers have to go with either Phil Jackson or Mike D'Antoni for their next coach, both of whom players would buy into. The pair are reportedly the leading candidates for the job.
- Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley could seek a return to the NBA if Bucks owner Herb Kohl gets a new arena or refurbishment for the Bradley Center. Heisley would then have interest in purchasing the team, which is close to his home in Chicago.
- Jose Calderon might not be long for the Raptors, but the 31-year-old is giving no thought to playing overseas, saying he wants to stay in the NBA for at least another 10 years.
- Stein breaks down the projected tax bill for the eight teams projected to be over the tax line at the end of the season. The Lakers would have to pay the most, at nearly $30MM.
Mitch Kupchak On Mike Brown’s Firing
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak spoke to reporters about the team's decision to fire coach Mike Brown today, saying the team didn't want to wait for the team to break out of its funk only to find out that it wasn't going to happen. He shared lots more insight, as Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld transcribes. We'll round up the highlights here.
On the timing of the decision:
“It wasn’t made out of panic. We were aware of this team’s progress through training camp and the beginning of the season. Only yesterday did we come to the decision to make a change. Obviously, everyone in this room knows we went 0-8 in the preseason, which doesn’t mean a whole lot, but we are 1-4 now. It didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s something that’s out there that we talked about internally, continuing to support Mike. But after our loss to Utah we came to the decision this morning to make a change.”
On why the move wasn't made after last season:
“I would say it was an incomplete evaluation. What he went through last season wasn’t really fair. Making a trade that fell apart, one of the players has moved on – Lamar Odom – and the other player was scarred for a complete season. Then we made another trade as we approached the trade deadline to get a younger ball-handling point guard. And we did no worse than we did the year before. It’s tough to grade him, plus on top of that it was a (lockout)-shortened season. So on top of that it’s tough to give a coach a grade. Maybe you call it a free pass for a year and let’s see how we do this year.”
On whether Dwight Howard's free agency next summer had to do with the firing:
"(It was) not something that was discussed between the three decision makers. Obviously we know he’s a free agent this summer and you want to make the experience for him as good as possible, but we have a lot of other people we’re trying to please as well, we have a lot of fans and players, it’s not just about one person.”
On selecting a replacement:
"The sooner the better. We don’t have a timetable. … The reality is you can’t call around and gauge coaches' interest in this job; in the fraternity that exists, a coach wouldn’t say he was interested as long as someone has the job so we haven’t even begun the search, but we do have a list that we’ve put together and we will go through that list in an orderly fashion."
Pacific Notes: Kings, West, Warriors
The firing of Lakers coach Mike Brown has been the story of the day, if not the week, in the NBA, but there are other relevant items around the Pacific Division today, believe it or not. Here's what's happening.
- Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty believes the Kings' latest flirtation with Virginia Beach smacks of desperation, and says Anaheim is the most realistic destination if the Maloofs don't want to sell.
- If the Maloofs sell, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson made his case to Sam Amick of USA Today that it should be to someone who keeps the Kings in town. "If somebody is going to pay an exorbitant price, and overpay, or do something very similar to what (Anaheim Ducks owner Henry) Samueli was going to do in Anaheim, if Chris Hansen is looking to do something like that, then that may be something that doesn't apply to us," Johnson said. "All things being considered, I would like to believe that (the Maloofs) have a change of heart and are willing to consider selling at a fair price and that they would give us a chance to keep the team here in Sacramento."
- In the same piece, Johnson said that the arena deal that the Kings and the city had seemingly agreed to in February is still on the table, as Amick notes.
- Jerry West appears comfortable in his advisory role with the Warriors, and exerted influence over the team's decision to trade Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut and draft Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Odds & Ends: Nets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Waiters
Earlier we passed along Nets GM Billy King's admission that he made roster moves this summer with the idea of taking down the Heat, which surely makes the team's 30-point loss in Miami tonight that much tougher to take. Nets coach Avery Johnson downplayed the idea that his squad is on the Heat's level, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News observes (Sulia link). Bondy juxtaposes Johnson's comments by noting that shooting guard Joe Johnson said earlier that he thinks the Nets can dethrone the champs this season. While Brooklyn's team sorts out its troubles, it's a more upbeat story on the other side of the East River, as we detail among other news on a 13-game night around the Association.
- The moves Knicks GM Glen Grunwald and company made this summer are paying early dividends, even in spite — or perhaps because — of the absence of Amare Stoudemire, as the USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt examines.
- The Grizzlies new ownership group borrowed $125MM from the NBA and another $50MM from a bank to close their deal to buy the team, but that's nothing out of the ordinary, a league executive tells Kyle Veazey of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Cavs coach Byron Scott encouraged the organization to use the fourth pick this June on Syracuse sixth man Dion Waiters, who's paying early dividends, at least offensively, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal write.
- Waiters was the choice over Harrison Barnes, who went to the Warriors at No. 7 and hasn't performed as well so far, as Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer chronicles.
- The Lakers are off to a 1-4 start, but Jordan Hill has been a bright spot, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Yesterday, Vince Carter said he wouldn't mind a return to the Raptors someday, but Doug Smith of the Toronto Star doesn't see that happening anytime soon, arguing that Carter's current skill-set isn't a match for the team's needs.
- The Celtics have hired former player Keyon Dooling as a player development coordinator, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The 32-year-old guard abruptly retired in September.
Northwest Rumors: Martin, Thunder, Blazers
The Jazz finished off a win against Lakers that moved the Northwest Division 3-0 on a busy night in the NBA. That reverses an early-season trend, since the Timberwolves are still the only team in the division with a record better than .500. It's not the way the teams envisioned things going when they made their moves this summer. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors has been reviewing the offseasons of a few Northwest Division teams this week, looking at the Trail Blazers, Nuggets and Jazz. Similar pieces covering the Wolves and Thunder are coming soon, but in the meantime, we have items about both teams and their division rivals right here.
- Kevin Martin was impressed with the greeting he got from Thunder GM Sam Presti and other team executives after he was traded to Oklahoma City, and the shooting guard has returned the favor with an impressive performance so far this season, as Sam Amick of USA Today writes.
- John Rohde of The Oklahoman examines the Thunder's bench, which has seen an overhaul since the end of last season.
- As for the Blazers' bench, it's last in the league in scoring, but coach Terry Stotts isn't concerned, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Offseason signee and backup point guard Ronnie Price has been hampered by a torn ankle ligament, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com explains.
- Blazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard is bound to see more double teams based on his hot start, but Stotts is OK with that, citing Lillard's nightly experience as the focal point of other teams' defenses at Weber State, notes Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- Nikola Pekovic of the Timberwolves may share a first name, position, and home country with Nikola Vucevic of the Magic, but the two took divergent paths to the NBA, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune details.
Injury Updates: Wall, Billups, Gordon
We don't normally report on injuries at Hoops Rumors, but when a star player goes down for a lengthy absence or the injury otherwise figures to have an impact on a team's personnel decisions, we pass along that news. Tonight we have a few updates on key figures who'll be out for a while.
- Wizards point guard John Wall was supposed to miss around eight weeks with an injury to his left patella, but now Wall says there's no target date for his return, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro was hopeful last month that Chauncey Billups could return from his torn left Achilles tendon sometime in November, but Billups doesn't think he'll recover quite so quickly, saying on ESPN's NBA Countdown this evening that he hopes to be back about a month from now, as Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles writes.
- The Hornets confirmed Eric Gordon's four-to-six-week prognosis, and announced that he'll head to Los Angeles for "more personalized and intensive" rehabilitation on his troublesome right knee. John Reid of The Times-Picayune has details.
D-League Assignment Rules
With Tyler Honeycutt today becoming the first NBA player to be assigned to the D-League this year, it's an appropriate time to outline the rules regarding D-League assignments, some of which change this year under the new CBA. Previously, only first- and second-year players could be sent down without their consent, and no one could be assigned more than three times a season. This year, teams may also send third-year players to the D-League without their permission, and there is no limit on the number of times a player can be assigned. Veterans with more experience can be sent down, too, as long as they sign off on it. Teams may elect to send their longer-tenured players down for a rehab assignment, for example.
Rules that remain unchanged include:
- There is no limit to the length of an assignment.
- NBA players receive their full salaries while on D-League assignment, but their performances don't count toward any contractual incentive clauses they may have.
- The 10-man D-League rosters may be expanded to 12 to fit NBA assignees on the team. NBA teams who share their affiliates with other teams are allowed to assign their players to another D-League team if their affiliate's roster is full.
The Spurs, Warriors, Thunder, Lakers, Cavaliers and Mavericks all own their D-League affiliates. A handful of other NBA franchises are engaged in a "hybrid partnership" in which the D-League team runs the business operation itself while the NBA parent club takes care of the basketball side. The Celtics, Rockets, Nets, Knicks and Trail Blazers all have this kind of arrangement. The 11 teams that either own their affiliates or control basketball operations have an advantage over the rest of the league, since they can govern how much playing time their assignees receive and match their affiliate's style of play with their own.
For more on the D-League, check out our list of affiliations for this year, our list of last year's D-League assignments and recalls, and bookmark https://www.hoopsrumors.com/nba-d-league/ to track the latest news about NBA players in the D-League.
Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon's Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Southeast Notes: Magic, LeBron, Beal, Biyombo
All five Southeast Division teams are in action tonight, including the Magic, who are starting Josh McRoberts at small forward against the Timberwolves. It's a lineup move coach Jacque Vaughn admits isn't ideal, tweets John Denton of Magic.com. The team had been using undrafted rookie DeQuan Jones as the starter at that position since Hedo Turkoglu broke his hand in the season opener. Mickael Pietrus, a former Magic player and current free agent who reportedly expects to sign soon, might be a tempting candidate to fill in, but that's just my speculation. In the meantime, there's more about the Magic and their Southeast Division rivals right here.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports explains how Jones went from being the seventh-leading scorer at the University of Miami last season to starting games for the Magic this year.
- After the Celtics packaged him as part of the Courtney Lee trade this summer, leading to his release by the Rockets, E'Twaun Moore is showing he's more than just an afterthought with his early season play for the Magic, notes Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com.
- Dwyane Wade earlier today revealed his reasons for not signing with the Nets in 2010, and Heat teammate LeBron James, also recruited by New Jersey that summer, said of the Nets that, "It was hard to see where they were at the time," writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. Wade and James were impressed by Brooklyn's offseason moves this year, Beck adds.
- Rob Mahoney of SI.com identifies several players who should be seeing more time on the court, including Wizards rookie Bradley Beal and Bobcats second-year man Bismack Biyombo.
Kings Assign Tyler Honeycutt To D-League
The Kings are making this year's first D-League assignment, as they've announced via press release that they're sending Tyler Honeycutt to the Reno Bighorns tomorrow. Honeycutt, whom the Kings drafted with the 35th overall pick in 2011, spent 10 games with Reno last season, almost as many as the 15 games he played with the big club in Sacramento. The move comes as little surprise, since Kings coach Keith Smart said last month he wanted to have Honeycutt go through training camp with the Bighorns, which begins in a few days, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
The 6'8" small forward from UCLA has yet to appear in a regular season game for the Kings this year, and got in only one of the team's preseason contests, thanks in part to a stress fracture in his right fibula. He saw only 88 total minutes for Sacramento last season, and in 12.8 minutes per game at Reno, he averaged 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds. Honeycutt is on a fully guaranteed contract for about $810K this season, with another partially guaranteed year on the deal for 2013/14.
Honeycutt is available for tonight's game against the Pistons, but will report to the Bighorns by Friday, the team says.
Berger On Josh Smith, Harden, Parity, Union
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com discusses the willingness of players to speak up about political issues, but also provides insight on several on-court matters, including the suprising play of rookie Damian Lillard and the Blazers. Here's more of what Berger has to share.
- While the latest we've heard on Josh Smith indicates the Hawks will most likely hold on to him this year in the final season of his deal, Berger believes there will be plenty of chatter about him as the deadline nears.
- Citing the Thunder's need to retain leverage, Berger thinks GM Sam Presti was justified in giving James Harden only one hour to consider the team's final extension offer.
- Several team executives think more teams will be hovering around .500 than usual this year, which could be a manifestation of the parity that the new CBA was designed to foster.
- A New York law firm that, along with the U.S. Attorney's Office, is conducting a review of the players union's finances and business practices has yet to file its report, even though it was supposed to be finished by the start of the regular season. Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick wrote a few days ago that the investigation was nearing an end, but Berger recently heard from one member of the union's executive committee that there is "no rush" to get the report done.