Eastern Notes: Raptors, Wizards, Harkless
Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast hard, but it won't postpone Thursday's clash between the Knicks and Nets in Brooklyn, as had been feared. That's just one of many intriguing openers this week, including the Celtics' visit to Miami, where the Heat were presented with their championship rings. As the NBA tips off, we'll share some Eastern Conference news to go along with our update from the West earlier this evening.
- Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo admitted it's been difficult not to try to speed up his team's rebuilding process, as he tells Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. "We passed on multiple opportunities to bring in players via transactions that would have thwarted our efforts," Colangelo said. "At times, it was tempting. But we had to stick to the plan. There has had to be a patience and strategy to every decision we’ve made. The deals we could have made were more of a tonic than a long-term solution."
- Colangelo also shared his feelings about rookie Jonas Valanciunas, saying, "It’s become apparent that in order for us (to get better) Jonas needs to be thrown into the fire. The sooner he develops into a nightly contributor, the sooner we get closer to our goal.”
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman said injuries to John Wall and Nene Hilario influenced the team's decision to keep Jannero Pargo and Earl Barron over Shelvin Mack and Brian Cook, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic should give rookie Maurice Harkless significant playing time this season so they can figure out whether the 19-year-old small forward is a building block for the future.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com notes via Twitter that every player in the three-team trade that brought Courtney Lee to the Celtics has been waived except Lee and Sasha Pavlovic, whose presence on the Blazers roster is helped along by the fact the Celtics are paying his salary.
- Carlos Boozer's five-year, $75MM contract obscures the valuable production he brings to the Bulls, argues Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com.
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer saw lots of positives about the Cavs' youth movement in the team's opening-night win against the Wizards.
Clippers Waive Travis Leslie
The Clippers have waived guard Travis Leslie, trimming their roster to 14, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The team will be on the hook for the one-year veteran's guaranteed minimum salary of $762,195. They could have saved some of that money by waiving him by August 1st, when the deal included only a partial guarantee of $250K for this season, but opted to bring him to training camp instead.
Leslie, whom the Clippers drafted 47th overall in 2011, saw action in just 10 games for the team last season, averaging 1.4 points in 4.5 minutes. The 6'4" University of Georgia product got in just as many games for the Bakersfield Jam, the Clippers' D-League affiliate, putting up 10.2 PPG in 20.4 MPG. He appeared in four of L.A.'s preseason contests this year, putting up 3.0 PPG in 8.2 MPG.
The move frees up a roster spot, though the Clippers can only sign someone to the minimum salary after using their full mid-level exception on Jamal Crawford and their bi-annual exception on Grant Hill over the summer. That would seem to put them out of the running to re-sign Kenyon Martin, who's reportedly seeking a deal around $3MM.
Western Notes: Meeks, Tinsley, Roy, Blazers
The NBA released its annual report on the growing international presence on its rosters, noting the Spurs have a record eight players from overseas, notes Art Garcia of Fox Sports Southwest, and that includes players from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy points out (Twitter links). The Timberwolves have five of the league's international players from four different countries, according to the team (Twitter link). As the league continues to attract talent from around the world, here's what's going on around the Western Conference.
- Jodie Meeks couldn't be more content with his decision to sign with the Lakers, even though the Wizards and Bucks offered him more money this summer, Kennedy reports.
- In the same piece, Kennedy also checks in with Jamaal Tinsley, whose deal with the Jazz is non-guaranteed, as we learned last night. The backup point guard is enthusiastic about Utah's veteran offseason additions, but Brad Rock of the Deseret News believes the team's younger players are the key.
- Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press looks at how the Timberwolves plan to use Brandon Roy this season, noting that the plan is for him to see 30 to 32 minutes per game, down from his career 35.6 MPG average.
- The Blazers hired Chris McGowan as team president last night, but he'll take a hands-off approach to the basketball operations side of the franchise, reports Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis is set to make his debut for the Hornets on Wednesday against the Spurs, and Davis believes he gained much from going against Duncan as the Hornets conducted voluntary scrimmages against the Spurs in the summer, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
- The focus is on the present in Memphis, where Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace largely stood pat over the summer with a roster on the fringes of contention amid the ownership transfer from Michael Heisley to Robert Pera, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal examines.
Kenyon Martin Seeking Mini Mid-Level
Kenyon Martin's name is one of the most prominent remaining on our list of free agents, and he still believes he's worth the mini mid-level exception, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. It's unclear whether Zwerling is referring to the $3.09MM taxpayer's mid-level exception or the $2.575MM room exception. Martin's preference is to play for a championship contender, as Zwerling also notes.
Martin's agent, Andy Miller, indicated his client was conditionally open to playing for the veteran's minimum in September, saying he would do so in a "comfortable team role." It seemed he was on the verge of signing with the Knicks right before training camp, and went so far as to take a physical for the team, but no deal ever materialized. The Knicks instead turned to Rasheed Wallace, who made the opening-night roster after inking a non-guaranteed minimum salary deal. Martin also drew interest from a team in Israel, but turned down its offer of $900K.
It seems as if Martin, who turns 35 in December, is willing to wait for injuries and other matters to arise that would put a team in greater need for his services. Still, he might be asking a bit much for a deal around $3MM in the middle of the season, especially since Martin averaged career lows in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage last season.
Central Rumors: Jennings, Bulls, Gibson, Pacers
The 2012/13 season is now under way, as the Cavaliers and Wizards have tipped off in Cleveland. Even as we celebrate the start of a new season, there are a few offseason matters still to be resolved, with decisions on rookie-scale extensions chief among them. There's news on a couple of Central Division players up for those extensions this evening, along with other a few other notes of interest.
- Knowing other teams can't backload an offer to Taj Gibson in restricted free agency the same way the Rockets did with Omer Asik this past summer, the Bulls are holding firm on their four-year extension offer of $30-32MM to Gibson, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports. Still, the two sides have made progress in talks that Gibson characterized as positive, Johnson adds.
Earlier updates:
- The odds of an extension for Brandon Jennings are "more none than slim," according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link). Last we heard, Jennings was reportedly seeking a deal worth $9-10MM from the Bucks.
- The success of the past two seasons gave Bulls GM Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson leeway as the team regressed the summer in the wake of Derrick Rose's injury, but the executives will ultimately be judged by whether they find another star to complement their former MVP point guard, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune believes.
- In the same piece, Haugh notes that Forman doesn't anticipate losing Taj Gibson in restricted free agency if the Bulls don't sign him to an extension before tomorrow's 11pm Central time deadline.
- Despite last season's success, few pundits are predicting another step forward for the Pacers, who are still approaching this year with the mentality of an underdog, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- Anderson Varejao's name has come up in several trade rumors over the past several months, but Zach Lowe of Grantland.com opines that he's just the sort of players the Cavs should want around their younger guys (Twitter link).
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert regrets guaranteeing his team would win a championship before LeBron James, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal notes (Sulia link).
Buyout Talks Resume Between Raja Bell, Jazz
5:51pm: Charania tweets more from Bell's radio interview, noting that Bell characterized the situation as a "waiting game until [the Jazz] can either get rid of the contract and trade it or we can find a good situation for a buyout." Charania concludes that the situation is fluid, and no one on either side of the dispute is quite sure how it will turn out (Twitter links).
5:12pm: Raja Bell told Jorge Sedano of WQAM in Miami that he and the Jazz are once more working toward some means of parting ways, whether through a trade or a buyout, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.com. This comes a week after Bell's agent, Herb Rudoy, told Charania that the two sides had ended buyout negotiations that had dragged on all summer. The report indicated Rudoy and the Jazz were discussing trade scenarios, but Rudoy later denied that part of it to Jody Genessey of the Deseret News.
The 36-year-old shooting guard is due $3.48MM this season in the final year of a three-year, $9.72MM contract. He started 33 of the 34 games he played last season in Utah, but clashed with coach Tyrone Corbin and saw his playing time disappear. Though it's long been clear that the Jazz organization sided with Corbin, their decision to exercise their 2013/14 option on Corbin today is further evidence of where they stand. Bell didn't attend camp with the Jazz after he was told to stay away, and hasn't been with the team at all in the preseason.
Bell attended high school and college in Miami, and last month he identified the Heat as his top choice for his next destination. The Heat currently have 15 players under contract, but Josh Harrellson and Terrel Harris are on non-guaranteed deals.
Extension Talks Stall Between Ty Lawson, Nuggets
MONDAY, 2:33pm: While there's still time for the two sides to reach an agreement, Lawson sounds pessimistic about working out an extension, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
"I don’t think we’re at the point where we want to be at right now," Lawson said today. "We’ll see, we have two days left. “Today it weighed on me (at practice) more than most days. I talked to my agent right before I came here. I was kind of disappointed. But we’ll see what happens."
SUNDAY, 11:39am: Discussions about an extension for Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson have stalled with three days to go before the deadline, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy reports via Twitter. Lawson has been one of the few players from the 2009 draft class thought to be likely to get an extension, and earlier this month Marc Stein of ESPN.com heard that it seemed a matter of "when," not "if" a deal would get done.
The Nuggets could give Lawson a five-year extension to make him the team's designated player, and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post wrote that such a deal for around $65MM could be in play. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors believes it might not take that much to get it done, having speculated in July that a $10MM annual salary could work for both sides. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld recently wrote that the team has been looking for creative ways to structure the deal, and could be exploring incentives.
If Lawson fails to sign an extension by Wednesday, he'll hit the market as a restricted free agent next summer, when several other top-flight point guards could also be available, including Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday,
Rockets Waive Johnson, Forbes, Brockman
MONDAY, 2:27pm: The Rockets have waived Forbes and Brockman as well, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (via Twitter).
SUNDAY, 12:11pm: The team has waived Johnson, according to his agent, Kevin Bradbury, Mark Berman of FOX 26 reports (Twitter link).
11:20am: The Rockets are expected to waive Gary Forbes, Jon Brockman and JaJuan Johnson on Monday, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). All three have fully guaranteed salaries, with two more cuts necessary to get down to the regular-season roster limit of 15 by Monday's 4:00pm Central time deadline.
Forbes is set to make $1.5MM, Johnson $1.089MM, and Brockman $1MM this season, all of which the Rockets would have to pay regardless of whether they're waived. Houston has three players with partially guaranteed contracts, but no one on a non-guaranteed deal.
Mavs Likely To Waive Delonte West, Keep Curry
MONDAY, 9:36am: According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), the Mavs have shopped Dominique Jones in hopes of trading him and buying more time to make a decision on West. However, there have been no takers so far. Dallas has until 4:00pm CT today to set its regular-season roster.
SUNDAY, 11:08am: Mavericks executives appear to have convinced owner Mark Cuban not to try to keep suspended guard Delonte West on the team's roster, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports, adding that West is likely to be waived before Monday's 4:00pm Central time deadline to finalize opening-night rosters. Cuban has hinted that the troubled West could remain with the team, but Eddy Curry looks to be in line to take his roster spot, according to Sefko.
The Mavs suspended West indefinitely Thursday, his second such punishment of the preseason for unspecified conduct detrimental to the team, and Sefko reports Dallas is wary of the influence West might have on its young players. The Mavs moved swiftly to claim Curry off waivers from the Spurs and sign Melvin Ely and Chris Douglas-Roberts, ostensibly to audition for a roster spot that would come open if West were to be let go. All three are on non-guaranteed contracts, but Curry seemed to distinguish himself with 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in Friday's preseason game against the Bobcats.
West is due a guaranteed $1.2MM this season, but the Mavs are only on the hook for $854,389 of it, since he's on a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum. His is one of 15 fully guaranteed deals on the team.
Atlantic Rumors: Kidd, Knicks, Richardson, Pierce
The seismic NBA news in the last 24 hours has come out of the West, but that doesn't mean the East is all quiet with the season two days away. Here's the latest from around the Atlantic Division.
- Jason Kidd turns 40 in March, but said he wants to play until the end of his three-year contract with the Knicks, and also spoke highly of his time with the Mavericks in a wide-ranging Q&A with Steve Serby of the New York Post.
- Chris Smith was waived by the Knicks this week, but he's rehabbing his injured patella at the team's facility, observes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
- Nate Taylor of The New York Times examines the unlikely training camp success story of 28-year-old rookie Chris Copeland, who made the team's opening-night roster on a non-guaranteed deal.
- Jason Richardson was pleased with the trade to the Sixers, where coach Doug Collins was sold on Richardson after a glowing recommendation from Grant Hill, reports John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Paul Pierce isn't a trade candidate, and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that the team had no serious discussions about trading Pierce last season, either, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes.
- Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft, knows he has a long way to go to live up to expectations as he begins his NBA career, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.