Pacific Rumors: Paul, Howard, Warriors, Suns
The Lakers were thought to be in the market for an extra big man earlier today, but they found out later that Jordan Hill won't need surgery on his back and should be ready for the regular season opener. Hill, of course, isn't the only Laker post player recovering from a back injury, and the team continues to get encouraging news on Dwight Howard as well. We've got more on him and other news from around the Pacific Division.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at what it will take for the Clippers to convince Chris Paul, a free agent at season's end, to stay.
- Howard has been cleared to go five-on-five for limited minutes in practice, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times. That seemed to be the final barrier between Howard and his return from back surgery, and it would take a "major setback" for Howard not to be in the lineup on opening night, opines Markazi (Twitter link).
- Warriors coach Mark Jackson has high praise for rookie Festus Ezeli, who's competing with Andris Biedrins for the backup center job. "He was spectacular. He is the real deal. I can't believe he was there at (pick number) 30," Jackson said, as Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group tweets. Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle passes along the same quote, and adds Jackson's comments about Harrison Barnes, whom the coach also believes is better than advertised.
- Thompson shares his insight on the competition to start at small forward for the Warriors, which he says is down to Barnes and Brandon Rush, with Rush having the inside track, sources say (Sulia link).
- Jermaine O'Neal, who signed a minimum-salary deal with the Suns, says training camp in Phoenix is much different from his experience with the Celtics, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes.
Magic Sign Chris Johnson
The Magic have signed Chris Johnson, who was waived this weekend by the Clippers, the team announced. Johnson is a 6'6" small forward from Dayton, and is not to be confused with the 6'11" center of the same name who's in camp with the Timberwolves. Johnson is likely joining the Magic on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
Johnson went undrafted this year, though he was ranked 74th among prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford. He played for the Sixers in the summer league this past July, averaging 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game over four contests. He put up 12.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG and shot 39.7% from three-point range in his senior year at Dayton.
The move brings the Magic roster to 20 players, the preseason limit.
Returnees By Team: Eastern Conference
There's been plenty of roster turnover this offseason, and some teams have been significantly more active than others, as usual. Though the Heat added Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, most of the players from their championship team last year were under contract for at least one more season, so they bring back a dozen members of last year's squad, more returnees than any other Eastern Conference team.
Success is not necessarily a harbinger of stability, though, with only other Eastern Conference playoff team bringing back more than seven guys. Six lottery teams have eight or more returnees, including the woeful Bobcats, who have eight of the same players from the team that set a record for the lowest winning percentage in NBA history last year.
This list includes players who were under contract with their teams at the end of last season, so Jeff Green, whose deal with the Celtics was voided last year, and Mickell Gladness, who played for the Warriors after the Heat cut him loose, are seen here. We'll follow up soon with the Western Conference list.
- Heat (12) — Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Terrel Harris, Udonis Haslem, LeBron James, James Jones, Mike Miller, Dexter Pittman, Dwyane Wade
- Bucks (10) — Mike Dunleavy, Monta Ellis, Drew Gooden, Tobias Harris, Ersan Ilyasova, Brandon Jennings, Luc Mbah a Moute, Larry Sanders, Ekpe Udoh, Beno Udrih
- Cavaliers (10) — Omri Casspi, Alonzo Gee, Daniel Gibson, Luke Harangody, Kyrie Irving, Samardo Samuels, Donald Sloan, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Luke Walton
- Wizards (10) — Trevor Booker, Brian Cook, Jordan Crawford, Shelvin Mack,Cartier Martin, Nene, Kevin Seraphin, Chris Singleton, Jan Vesely, John Wall
- Pistons (9) — Will Bynum, Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko, Brandon Knight, Jason Maxiell, Greg Monroe, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva
- Bobcats (8) — Bismack Biyombo, Matt Carroll, DeSagana Diop, Gerald Henderson, Byron Mullens, Tyrus Thomas, Kemba Walker, Reggie Williams
- Pacers (8) — Paul George, Danny Granger, Tyler Hansbrough, Roy Hibbert, George Hill, Jeff Pendergraph, Lance Stephenson, David West
- Raptors (8) — Alan Anderson, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, Ed Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Aaron Gray, Amir Johnson, Linas Kleiza
- Bulls (7) — Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Richard Hamilton, Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose
- Magic (7) — Glen Davis, Justin Harper, Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick, Quentin Richardson, Ishmael Smith, Hedo Turkoglu
- Celtics (6) — Brandon Bass, Avery Bradley, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Chris Wilcox
- Knicks (6) — Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Steve Novak, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Amare Stoudemire
- Nets (6) — Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace, Deron Williams
- Sixers (5) — Lavoy Allen, Spencer Hawes, Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young
- Hawks (5) — Al Horford, Ivan Johnson, Zaza Pachulia, Josh Smith, Jeff Teague
Texas Notes: Spurs, Lin, Rockets, Holloway
We rounded up news from the Mavericks earlier today as they continue their European tour, but there's still more from the Lone Star state, where the Spurs, with an 18-to-1 shot, are the most likely of the three Texas teams to win the championship, according to odds released today by the Bovada sports book.
- The Spurs have announced Sean Marks as their new director of basketball operations and GM of the Austin Toros, their D-League affiliate.
- The Rockets' commitment of more than $25MM to Jeremy Lin, a player with a tiny sample size of success whom the Knicks passed on keeping, says much about the team's inability to break out of a cycle of mediocrity, Fran Blinebury of Rockets.com writes.
- With 11 players eligible to be sent down to the D-League at some point this season, Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside examines how the Rio Grande Valley Vipers will play a key role in player development this season for the Rockets, their parent club. Pilato notes Scott Machado and Kyle Fogg have given their blessing to D-League assignments this season if the Rockets want to send them down.
- Fellow Ridiculous Upside scribe Keith Schlosser wonders what's next for former Xavier guard Tu Holloway, a training camp invitee whom the Mavs curiously let go before camp even began.
Southeast Rumors: Martin, Heat, Magic, Webster
The Heat are in China, where Dwyane Wade is hopeful he can return to game action for the first time since the left knee surgery that kept him out of this summer's Olympics, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Wade has extra, endorsement-based incentive to hit the court in China, where his new Li-Ning sneakers will be formally introduced this week. We've got more Tuesday notes from the Southeast Division right here:
- The signing of Rashard Lewis precluded any interest the Heat might have had in Kenyon Martin, Winderman says. Martin, who remains unsigned, is still seeking a deal worth more than the minimum, though he's said he'd make an exception for the right team. His name was mentioned in connection with the Lakers earlier today. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports Jordan Hill is expected to be healthy in time for opening night, so the team may not have as much motivation to add another big man as they would have if Hill were expected to miss time.
- Point guard Armon Johnson, on a non-guaranteed contract with the Magic, is making a case to stick around, tweets John Denton of Magic.com. Johnson faces an uphill battle to make the regular season roster, since the team has 17 players with at least a partial guarantee on their deals.
- Craig Stouffer of The Washington Examiner checks in with Martell Webster, who, along with Trevor Ariza, helps shore up a small forward position that had been a weakness for the Wizards.
Atlantic Rumors: D-Will, Bogans, Celtics, Rasheed
Commissioner David Stern, speaking to reporters in Milan, said European expansion is a long way off, but believes that when it happens, there should be five teams in Europe rather than just one, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com notes. That would be enough for an entire division. For now, the easternmost division of the NBA is the Atlantic, and we'll roundup up the latest rumblings from that group of five teams here:
- TNT's David Aldridge, as part of a lengthy look around the league, reveals that Deron Williams was recruiting Joe Johnson before the trade that brought Johnson to the Nets, and before Williams spurned the Mavs to re-sign with the Nets as well. "Four or five days before the trade, Deron called me," Johnson said, referring to the swap that the Hawks and Nets agreed to on July 2nd, the second day of free agency. "He said, 'what do you think about coming to Brooklyn?' I was like, 'man, where are you getting this from?' … I don't know what kind of strings he was pulling, but he made it happen."
- Nets trainers worked with Keith Bogans after the team waived him following a season-ending injury last year, and Bogans said that's why he's back with the team, according to NetsDaily. "From the time my ankle broke through the rehab and all the way back, I haven’t been treated the way I’ve been treated here in my whole career," he said.
- The early returns on Jared Sullinger indicate that he could be a steal for the Celtics, John Schuhmann of NBA.com says, while Darko Milicic is making a positive impact as well, as Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com writes.
- With a lack of depth up front and other aging players like Marcus Camby already beginning to break down, Rasheed Wallace will likely be more than an insurance policy for the Knicks if he makes the regular season roster, according to Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal.
Southwest Rumors: Mayo, Nowitzki, Leonard
Southwest Division teams haven't been shy about making cuts the past few days. The Spurs let go of Sherron Collins on Friday, and Sunday the Grizzlies waived D.J. Kennedy and Jarrid Famous. The Hornets will reportedly shorten their preseason bench as well, as they're set to waive Dominique Morrison. While the competition for space on the fringes of the roster gets more intense, more established players can plan far beyond October.
- O.J. Mayo deemed his time with the Grizzlies "a little bit of a failure," according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Sulia link). "I felt like I could have done better (in Memphis)," Mayo said. "Starting and then moving to bench would be tough on everybody. I had started all my life, so that was something I had to adjust to. It's a new opportunity in Dallas, so I have to play hard and hold my ground."
Earlier updates:
- Dirk Nowitzki, in Spain on the Mavs' European tour, said he was recruited by Spanish club FC Barcelona before he came over to play in the NBA, and didn't completely rule out playing in Europe after he completes the final two years of his contract with Dallas. He told reporters, including Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, that he might favor the the shorter European schedule if his body no longer feels up to an 82-game season, but cautioned, "All that is a possibility, but as of now, I don’t actually see a chance.’’
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has spoken about his desire for Kawhi Leonard to spend his entire career with the team , and though the second-year player is a long way off from free agency, Leonard says he's open to remaining with the Spurs long-term, and cites Tim Duncan as his example to follow, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
- Rockets coach Kevin McHale, on KBME radio Houston with Matt Thomas, said all five starting spots are up for grabs (transcription via Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews).
Lakers Rumors: Howard, Bryant, Nash, Jackson
It's unclear exactly when Dwight Howard will make his debut in purple and gold. Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports the All-Star center has backed off earlier remarks that he was hopeful he would play in the preseason, and though Lakers coach Mike Brown in impressed with the way Howard looks in practice, there's still no timetable for his return from back surgery. Howard quipped with reporters who asked if he might sit out the regular season opener, saying, "You're not going to trick me into that one," Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. While we await word just when he'll be playing, there's other news surrounding Howard and his new teammates.
- About the blockbuster trade that brought him to Los Angeles, Howard said, "This is one of the best things that has happened in my life," SB Nation's Mike Prada notes, via Twitter (hat tip to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel).
- Howard had a relationship with Kobe Bryant long before the trade that brought the big man to L.A., as SI.com's Sam Amick writes. "What people don't know is that this is one of the guys who I've been talking to for about four years now," Howard said of Bryant. "And he has been an amazing help to me, just pushing me in ways — secretly because we played in the Eastern and Western Conference. But it's been him just talking to me, showing me how to do certain things with my team and things like that."
- Steve Nash is forming a bond with Bryant as well, who says he's happy to let the former Sun manage the Lakers offense, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports. "He just makes the game easy," Bryant said. "It's a joy for me. I've had to facilitate and score my entire career. I don't have to do that now and I'm pretty happy about it."
- Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register takes a look at how Nash is already making his new teammates better.
- Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson hinted that he'd like to return to the NBA in a front office capacity on ESPN Chicago's Waddle and Silvy radio show, saying that coaching would be too taxing on his 67-year-old body (transcription via Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews).
Allen Iverson Unlikely To Land Deal In China
Allen Iverson, at age 37, hasn't given up on the idea of playing professional basketball, but it appears he's running out of options. He's reportedly been considering playing in China, but according to a report from the Chinese website NetEase (translation via HoopsHype), the former MVP is in poor shape and has virtually no chance of getting a contract from a team in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Iverson's has been asking for a deal worth $1MM, according to the report, but that figure appears to be out of his reach after his speed and explosiveness were missing as he took part in a recent exhibition game in Beijing. The Answer reportedly declined offers from teams in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela last year, and hasn't played in the NBA since the 2009/10 season.
According to the same NetEase report, Iverson at least stands a better shot at a deal in China than fellow former NBA All-Star Steve Francis, who has failed to earn a deal after attending multiple CBA tryouts the past few years and remains out of shape. Francis, 35, last appeared in the NBA in 2007/08.
Atlantic Rumors: Blatche, Wayns, Shurna
It's been less than a week since training camp started for most teams, but a few players are already staking claims to roster spots that were up for grabs. A pair of camp invitees appear to be making significant strides toward jobs in the Atlantic Division, according to reports.
- Former Wizards big man Andray Blatche is with the Nets on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal, but Tim Bontemps of the New York Post says "it's pretty clear" Blatche will be in the team's rotation to start the season, and is a "lock" to be on the floor whenever starting center Brook Lopez needs a break. Nets coach Avery Johnson says the team believes Blatche "could be one of the steals of free agency," echoing a comment from former NBA coach John Lucas, who spent the summer helping Blatche work back from last year's disappointing season in Washington.
- Undrafted rookie Maalik Wayns had a strong training camp with the Sixers, and could wind up as the backup to point guard Jrue Holiday at the start of the regular season, John Hollinger of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). Wayns signed a minimum-salary deal that's partially guaranteed for $75K. The Sixers only have 12 players on fully guaranteed deals, and Wayns is the lone camp invitee with a partial guarantee, so he seems a strong bet to make the opening day roster.
- John Shurna isn't turning quite as many heads in Knicks camp, but he's made a positive impression on coach Mike Woodson so far, as Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes. The 6'9" Shurna's minimum-salary contract is partially guaranteed for $50K, and Braziller believes he's competing with five others for the last spot on the team.