Josh Howard Unlikely To Sign With Knicks
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com hears that the Knicks are probably out of the running for swingman Josh Howard (Twitter link). Zwerling's source believes Howard will find a better fit elsewhere, but all offers are likely to be for the minimum salary.
Howard met with the Spurs and Sixers this month, and Zwerling indicates the Jazz and Bobcats are potential destinations as well. This week Howard was said to be negotiating with four unknown teams, and the Knicks appeared to be one of them. That was the case even after Rasheed Wallace told the team he would come out of retirement to fill its final preseason roster spot, though signing both Wallace and Howard would have required New York to part ways with one of its training camp invitees.
Several teams have been linked to Howard at different points throughout the summer, with as many as five teams in the running when he was reportedly close to a deal in July. The 32-year-old former All-Star has remained on the shelf after a season in which he averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds with a 10.5 PER in 23.0 minutes per game for the Jazz.
Northwest Rumors: Kirilenko, Kahn, Darko, Batum
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune details the reasons why some of the Timberwolves' free agent acquisitions wound up in Minnesota, including Andrei Kirilenko, who signed with the Wolves in part because of his memories of coach Rick Adelman's old Kings teams. "Those Sacramento teams were some of my favorite teams," the former Jazz forward said. "I like that style. It's more like how we play in Europe." We passed along comments about the makeup of the Nuggets from coach George Karl earlier today, and there's more news out of the Northwest Division.
- In the same piece, Zgoda says it's likely the Wolves must make the playoffs for GM David Kahn to keep his job. Minnesota has been a lottery team in each of Kahn's three seasons in charge of the front office.
- Kevin Love told Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer press in July that he was glad the Wolves were rid of what he called "bad blood" in the locker room. Zgoda identifies amnestied center Darko Milicic as the player to whom Love was referring.
- Blazers small forward Nicolas Batum is ready to live up to the four-year, $46.5MM deal he signed over the summer, as he told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. "I signed an All-Star-type contract and now it's up to me to play up to that level," Batum said. "I got team goals and personal goals I want to accomplish and becoming an All-Star one day is one of them. I want to be an NBA champion, I want to be a three-point champion. It's all about winning in this league and I'm ready for that next step in my career."
George Karl On Acquisitions, Centers, Iguodala
Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri has been lauded for his moves of late, in particular his involvement in the Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum blockbuster that netted the team Andre Iguodala. Coach George Karl is also regarded as one of the league's best, and he spoke about the team's moves and how he expects to use a roster he described as "a big bucket of talent" to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. Here are a few highlights from the Q&A:
About the summer and the team's offseason moves:
"We just had a summer of constant positive momentum. The Olympics were great. And then you get (JaVale) McGee signed and Andre (Miller) signed, both really important to our team. All our young guys had good summers — (Danilo) Gallinari had a good summer with the Italian national team, Timo (Mozgov) was kind of a superstar for Russia (at the Olympics). And of course, the Iguodala trade was the (big) piece that makes us a better basketball team, though to get a good player you've got to give up good players. We'll miss Arron Afflalo. There will be some games in which we'll say, "I wish we had Arron out there." But in the end, we think we made a step forward, and hopefully a step to get into the top-eight teams in basketball, maybe a little bit further. Our goal in the next three to four years is to build this thing and make steps toward a championship."
On who will start at center:
"Training camp is going to tell me who plays. My idea right now is Mozgov would start with (Kenneth) Faried and JaVale would stay with (backup point guard) Andre Miller. But again, I don't (care) about starting lineups, and (the media is) already stirring the pot. It's all about how many minutes you play, who you play with, how well you play and how we play (when you're on the court). Kosta Koufos is in the mix, too. Let's make sure you understand that. In the last 15 to 20 games of the season, when Timo got hurt, Kosta not only played well but good enough to get us to the playoffs."
Regarding the way Iguodala fits into the team's system:
"I don't think there's any question that defense is what we need to get better at. I don't think we're a bad defensive team, but I don't think we're a top-notch defensive team. We gave away Kenyon Martin and some of the "A" defenders that we used to have, and last year we weren't good enough defensively. We get a guy who fits how we play — he's an athlete, loves to run, he's a play-maker, but also a top-10 defender in the game. So how we build our defense with a great defender who can (defend) point guard, shooting guard, small forward and probably power forward."
Grizzlies Rumors: Power Forward, Gay, Randolph
The Grizzlies were dealt some tough news this week when Darrell Arthur and Hamed Haddadi went down with injuries, leaving the team thin up front. Arthur will be out four to six weeks, while Haddadi will be down for eight. That's a challenge for a team that GM Chris Wallace says has "more talent across the board and more depth than in any other season" that he's been on the job, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Tillery has plenty of news on the Grizzlies as training camp begins, and we'll round it up here.
- The Grizzlies are considering signing "an athletic power forward" to a non-guaranteed deal to make up for the losses of Arthur and Haddadi. Hoops Rumors list of remaining free agents shows some of the most prominent free agent power forwards include Kenyon Martin, Chris Andersen, Troy Murphy and Jordan Williams, though it's unclear which, if any of them, fit the "athletic" profile Wallace and company are looking for.
- The team fielded several offers for Rudy Gay over the offseason, but Wallace turned them down because the team still values him highly and because the perception around the league that the Grizzlies simply wanted to dump Gay's contract led teams to lowball offers, Tillery writes. Gay's contract has three years and $53.667MM left on it.
- Zach Randolph addressed concerns that he and Gay aren't a good mix, saying, "I don't understand where that comes from. Me and Rudy play well together. Before he got hurt a couple of years ago we were winning. Me, Coach and Rudy used to laugh when people said that. We complement each other very well."
Camp Rumors: Howard, Hornets, Murray, Miller
It's looking more like the Lakers will have Dwight Howard in the lineup to start the regular season, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports hears the big man is determined to be ready for opening night, and that the progress he's made in recent weeks has upped his chances. Howard says his surgically repaired back is at 85%, Wojnarowski reports. The Lakers still don't have a timetable for his return, but it's just one more reason for optimism in L.A. The mood is upbeat all around the league this time of year, as teams start fresh in training camp. Here's a roundup of news from camps across the Association.
- John Reid of The Times-Picayune hears that Hornets GM Dell Demps will work in tandem with executives Mickey Loomis and Dennis Lauscha on the team's basketball-related decisions. It's unclear exactly what role everyone will play, but I imagine Demps will continue to function in the day-to-day role of most GMs.
- Ronald "Flip" Murray, who has an agreement to join the Grizzlies, was not on the camp roster released by the team today, but Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says the journeyman guard will indeed be in camp (Twitter link).
- This could be the last training camp for Heat swingman Mike Miller, who hinted at retirement after last season and wants to see how his back responds before promising anything beyond this year, Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida writes (Sulia link). Miller's deal has more than $13MM left on it and runs through 2015, with a player option in the final season.
- Many of the Celtics veterans have been working out together since early September, while the rookies have been in Boston for most of the past three months. That's led to better chemistry as camp starts, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes.
Mavericks Notes: Carlisle, Starters, Mbenga, D-Will
The Mavericks are one of a handful of teams that get to open training camp early today, since they're headed overseas for part of the preseason. It brings to a close an offseason that was all about Plan B after they were spurned by Deron Williams. GM Donnie Nelson instead went about acquiring players on short-term deals that will allow the team to go after marquee free agents again in the future. The team took a step back last year after winning the championship in 2011, but not everyone believes that will be the case again this season.
- The additions of O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand might not be splashy, but coach Rick Carlisle thinks they're still enough to allow Dallas to compete for another championship, as Jan Hubbard of SheridanHoops.com writes. Carlisle notes that the Mavs were an underdog when they won the title in 2011, and draws parallels to wild card teams going on playoff runs in other sports. Whether there's any truth to that, or it's just a coach's motivational ploy, remains to be seen.
- Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes that "by all accounts," newcomers Collison, Mayo and Kaman will join Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion in the starting lineup. Price also says Elton Brand, Dahntay Jones and D.J. Mbenga could also find a way into the rotation. In Mbenga's case, that's a bit surprising, considering he has a non-guaranteed deal and the team would have to let go of a guaranteed contract to keep him for the regular season.
- Marion isn't bitter that Williams isn't coming to Dallas, and believes his Nets will challenge the Heat atop the Eastern Conference this year, as Price notes. "It is what it is and I wish him the best," Marion said of his would-be teammate. "They’ve got a hell of a team this year in Brooklyn."
Billy Hunter’s $3MM Salary Under Investigation
U.S. Department of Labor filings show that player's union executive director Billy Hunter made $3MM for the 2011/12 season, a raise of $600K over the salary he made the previous year, Jeff Zillgitt of USAToday.com reports. Hunter's salary, along with the bylaws and union constitution that allow him to make that much, is part of an internal business review that is also examining charges that Hunter funneled millions of dollars to his relatives, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com hears.
The business review, conducted by a New York law firm, is going on side-by-side with a U.S. Attorney's office investigation. The examinations were prompted by a rift between Hunter and union president Derek Fisher. In April, the union's executive committee asked Fisher to resign, but he has remained in office and, with two years left on his term, has no intention of stepping down, sources tell Berger. Fisher remains unsigned as a player, though, and it's unclear how long he can continue as president if he's not with a team. Seven of the nine seats on the executive committee are up for re-election, but a vote may be postponed until the All-Star Game, Berger reports.
Hunter makes more than union chiefs in the NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball, though at 16 years of service he has the longest tenure amongst his peers in the other sports, Zillgitt writes. The Labor Department filings revealed Hunter's daughter Robyn, a union employee, received a raise last year, while his daughter-in-law, Inaba, who also works for the union, took a paycut. The union increased payments to a pair of firms that each employs a relative of Hunter.
Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Knicks, Allen, Nets
The Celtics have won the Atlantic Division five straight years, but the Nets and Sixers made changes this offseason that they hope will put them over the top. The Knicks have been active as well, and that's the club that wears the bullseye in the mind of Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, as Peter May writes in the New York Times. "My favorite games in this league are going down to Madison Square Garden and beating those guys," Grousbeck said. "We don’t always do it, but that’s my favorite experience of all — going to New York and beating the Knicks." Coach Doc Rivers acknowledged the division will be tough, but says he's primarily focused on beating the Heat, the team that kept the C's from the Finals last season. There's more from Boston and the rest of the Atlantic Division today, and we'll round it up here:
- Ray Allen spoke about his departure from the Celtics, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel notes. "You always felt you had one foot in, one foot out," he said, referring to trade rumors he'd been a part of during his time in Boston. Still, he said the decision to leave the Celtics was more difficult than the choice he made to sign with the Heat.
- Allen responded to comments Kevin Garnett made to reporters at Celtics media day, including Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com. Garnett said that he no longer has his former teammate's phone number. "That's a shame," Allen told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com and other reporters following the Heat, saying he still considers Garnett a friend. "I'm a good person to talk to on the phone."
- Nets GM Billy King believes his team's backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson is the best in the league, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USAToday.com, who sizes up the Nets as they begin training camp.
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, writing for USAToday.com, briefly examines the potential impact of Rasheed Wallace, who's expected to sign with the Knicks.
Clippers, Del Negro Have Talked Extension
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro says he and the team have had "a little bit" of discussion about a contract extension, but feels there's "no sense of urgency for either side" to complete a deal soon, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports. The team picked up Del Negro's option for 2012/13 in May, ending a year full of speculation that he could be on his way out of L.A. despite the team's newfound success.
Del Negro will make about $2MM this season in the final year of his contract, Turner writes. There was reportedly internal discussion about letting him go last season when the team hit the skids after a fast start, but the team finished just one game shy of the Lakers for the Pacific Division title and made it to the conference semifinals. Still, there were rumors that Neil Olshey, then GM of the team, was undecided about bringing Del Negro back just days before the Clippers exercised his option in May.
When Olshey jumped to the Blazers the next month, Del Negro became one of three people in charge of the Clippers front office, and he maintains a voice even after Gary Sacks earned a promotion to vice president of basketball operations, essentially filling the role of GM. Del Negro acknowleged the pressure he's under, and said he embraces it, Turner writes.
"Of course, I wish it was under maybe a different situation," the coach said. "But I was on a one-year deal last year and I'm still here and enjoying myself and believe in what we're doing. I think all those things work themselves out over time."
Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Young, Bell, Thunder
Earlier today, we heard Grizzlies power forward Darrell Arthur had suffered a leg fracture, and the team's website reports the left leg injury will keep him out four to six weeks. The timetable is longer for center Hamed Haddadi, who'll be rehabbing for the next eight weeks after right thumb surgery, according to the team. Since Marreese Speights enters camp as the only healthy big man on a guaranteed deal behind Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, the injuries could represent an opportunity for camp invitees Jerome Jordan, Jarrid Famous and Michael Dunigan. Here's the rest of what's happening around the Association:
- Nick Young expressed his excitement about his new Sixers teammates to reporters today, including Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. He also spoke about how he ended up in Philadelphia. "I was shocked. I didn’t see this being one of the places I was going to come to," he said. "(Coach) Doug (Collins) called me early, 6:00am L.A. time, and we were just talking and it was a great talk. He had a good spirit to him. He talked to my dad and my mom and once my mom started raving about him that was pretty much it."
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune hears that Raja Bell and the Jazz haven't made any progress toward a buyout with the start of training camp looming just five days from now (Twitter links).
- Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman believes the Thunder are willing to become a taxpaying team to retain James Harden, but the question is just how much they're willing to dole out.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has details on some of the 23 new members of the Magic front office, coaching and scouting staffs, including recently retired guard Anthony Parker, who'll work as a scout.
- James Worthy's favorite offseason addition for the Lakers is Steve Nash, and the Hall-of-Fame forward has some strong criticism of Dwight Howard, as Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register writes.