Bobcats Sign Jamario Moon
The Bobcats are signing Jamario Moon to a contract that covers the rest of the season, confirms Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. SI.com's Sam Amick first reported the move via unnamed sources earlier today.
Rod Higgins, Bobcats vice president of basketball operations, said the team was looking for an athletic wing player to replace Corey Maggette, who's out for the season with a strained Achilles' tendon. Moon, listed at 6'8" and 215 pounds, averaged 17.7 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 12 regular season games with the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders this season. The 31-year-old, undrafted out of Meridian Community College, has played parts of five D-League seasons and four NBA seasons, averaging 6.4 PPG and 4.3 RPG in the NBA. He split last year between the Cavs and Clippers, and started 75 games for the Raptors in 2007/08.
The Bobcats had 14 players on their roster, so they won't have to make a corresponding move.
Southwest Notes: Boykins, Duncan, Diaw
If the postseason began today, the Southwest Division would boast the greatest number of playoff participants, with four. The Spurs can clinch the division title in the next few days, while the Grizzlies, Mavericks and Rockets scramble for favorable seedings behind them. Even the lowly Hornets have gotten positive news lately, as Eric Gordon has returned from injury and new owner Tom Benson is already providing stability. Here's the rest of what's up around the Southwest:
- Earl Boykins' second 10-day contract with the Rockets expires after today, but indications are the Rockets will sign him for the rest of the season, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. He practiced with the team today and boarded a flight to Denver ahead of Sunday's game with the Nuggets (Twitter links). Keep tabs on all the 10-day deals with our tracker.
- Speaking with Harvey Araton of the New York Times, Tim Duncan said he doesn't understand why players change teams simply to get to a larger market, and said none of the league's young superstars have sought his advice on becoming a franchise fixture as he has with the Spurs.
- Boris Diaw speaks fondly of his time in Phoenix to Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News as the Spurs and Suns prepare for a possible preview of a first-round matchup tonight. Diaw, who signed with the Spurs after being bought out by the Bobcats, is a free agent this summer.
Gerald Wallace Open To Returning To Nets
Gerald Wallace hasn't decided whether to pick up his $9.5MM option for next season, but after an upbeat meeting with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov this week, his comments to Fred Kerber of the New York Post indicate he's open to coming back to the team next year.
Wallace said he can see himself in a Nets uniform next season, and relayed that he and agent Rob Pelinka have talked about the possibility. Though he said he'll wait to make a decision until the offseason, he is already thinking about what he and his teammates must do next year to improve on their 22-38 record.
“The biggest thing for this team is going to be training camp — keeping guys accustomed to having that real training camp,” he said. “Coming back next year, we’re able to get adjusted to being together.”
Before the Blazers traded him to New Jersey at the deadline, Wallace had indicated he would turn down the option, but was seeking a long-term deal with the Blazers. It's unlikely that the 29-year-old Wallace, two years removed from his All-Star season and putting up his lowest scoring average in seven years, could command $9.5MM a year on the open market. Still, he could secure much more than that spread over a number of years, so that sort of guarantee might be enticing.
Nets GM Billy King said last week he sees Wallace as the key to the team's success going forward, an interesting comment considering the pending free agency of Deron Williams. Though Wallace seems high on Prokhorov, it's unlikely he sees the Nets as favorably as they see him. Still, opting in might be a smart move. He's averaged 14.8 PPG in 13 games with New Jersey after posting just 13.3 PPG in Portland this season, and most of his other numbers are up since the trade as well. If he keeps it up for another season, he could erase some of the doubts raised by his time with the Blazers and increase the value and likelihood of the long-term contract he seeks in free agency.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Goran Dragic
Perhaps no free agent has done more to lift his stock down the stretch than Rockets point guard Goran Dragic. In 19 games since stepping into the starter's job for Kyle Lowry, who's battling a bacterial infection, Dragic has put up 18.7 PPG and 8.5 APG, well above the marks of 7.1 PPG and 3.0 APG he had produced up to that point. Dragic had only started 15 games total in four NBA seasons prior to Lowry's illness, so it's the first time the native of Slovenia has really had a chance to run an NBA team. Now that other teams have seen what he can do, Dragic stands to get a significant raise on his $2.1MM salary this season when he enters unrestricted free agency in the summer.
Dragic could be the second best point guard behind Deron Williams on the unrestricted market, depending on how highly GMs value aging Steve Nash, whom Dragic used to back up in Phoenix. Dragic credits his development in large part to Nash's influence, while Nash speaks highly of Dragic's game as well. It's a stretch to say Dragic is playing up to the level of the two-time MVP, but it's clear he learned much from his role as understudy. He played a key role in Phoenix's run to the conference finals in 2010, posting a 17.2 PER in 14.8 minutes a game during the postseason, a level of efficiency he never quite matched in the rest of his time with the Suns. That's changed in Houston, where his PER is 18.0 this year. The bugaboo for Dragic has always been turnovers. He's averaged 3.3 giveaways per 36 minutes for his career, and has continued to turn the ball over at nearly that rate despite his otherwise dazzling play since becoming a starter. While his assist numbers make it nearly a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio during his hot stretch of late, GMs will likely still call his ballhandling into question.
Dragic is a product of the Spurs international scouting. San Antonio drafted him in the second round in 2008 before shipping him to Phoenix for a pick that became DeJuan Blair. Whether he'll be on the move again this summer depends on whether the Rockets are willing to abandon their commitment to Kyle Lowry, whom they were reluctant to trade before the deadline this year. That's an iffy proposition at best, especially considering Lowry's reasonable contract numbers of $5.75MM for next season and $6.21MM for 2013/14. Still, it's not as if Lowry is entrenched as Houston's starter at point guard, having held the job only a year and a half. Lowry is better on the boards, but Dragic has put up better points and assists numbers as a starter, so it may come down to what the Rockets value at the position, as well as Dragic's ability to keep up his torrid play. Lowry recently returned to action and has looked none the worse for wear, so he may soon retake his spot in the lineup. If Dragic stays in front of Lowry during the playoffs, or if Kevin McHale elects to go small and starts both Dragic and Lowry, that may be an indication the Rockets will look to bring him back next year. The Rockets will likely have to choose one or the other, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle wrote this week, if they're to continue their pursuit of a superstar.
If the Rockets do want him back, they'll have plenty of competition. He could be an option for teams who miss out on Williams, and he might be a fit for the Blazers, who have plenty of cap room and haven't traditionally signed high-profile free agents like Williams. Regardless of what the Suns do with Steve Nash, they could be inclined to try to bring Dragic back, since he knows coach Alvin Gentry's system. If they retain Nash, though, I wouldn't expect Dragic to want a reunion. Despite their fondness for one another, it's clear that the time has come for Dragic to run a team of his own.
Odds & Ends: Lee, Bynum, Howard, Spurs, Wolves
It's been a full day in the NBA, with a dozen games on the schedule and plenty of news coming out of the Board of Governors meetings in New York, including a new owner for the Hornets and turmoil in Sacramento. Here are a few links to round out an eventful Friday the 13th:
- David Lee is likely out for the year with a groin strain and stress reaction, the Associated Press reports. The Warriors announced that team doctors have advised him to rest until he's healed. Golden State may put a fourth rookie, Mickell Gladness, in their depleted starting lineup, notes Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Fran Blinebury of NBA.com argues a change of scenery might have been best for Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard, and speculates that the Lakers and Magic may regret not swapping their centers before the trade deadline this year.
- Mike Monroe of the Express-News takes a look at how the Spurs are integrating midseason pickups Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson into their system.
- The last days of the season will be critical for Wolves Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, Malcolm Lee and Wesley Johnson, whose futures are up in the air, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
- The NBA expects to lose money this season on the heels of significant losses the last two years, but is projecting a profit for next season, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (hat tip to TNT's David Aldridge).
Draft Notes: Measurements, Sullinger, Rivers
Many of the underclassmen declaring for the draft this week hope to take after Avery Bradley. His success with the Celtics this year defies criticism that he shouldn't have left the University of Texas after only one season in 2010, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Here's the latest news on NBA hopefuls:
- The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, taking place in Virginia this week, is a showcase for top seniors. It's also when many draft prospects have their measurements taken, which can either help or hurt a player's stock. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express passes on the measurements of all the participants, as well as some observations on some notable dimensions.
- Bob Baptist of The Columbus Dispatch tweets that Jared Sullinger has signed with agent David Falk, and Givony adds via Twitter that Austin Rivers has done the same.
- French big man Rudy Gobert will not enter the draft this year, Givony reports (Twitter link). The 6'11" 19-year-old is second on the Draft Express list of international prospects born in 1992 and projects him as the 15th pick in the 2013 draft.
- Givony tweets that Brazilians Cesar Lima, Lucas Nogueira and Raul Neto aren't entering the draft either, according to their agency. Lima is the No. 2 Draft Express prospect born in 1991, Lucas Nogueira is No. 3 from 1992, and Neto is No. 7 from 1992.
Shawne Williams To Opt In
Blazers forward Shawne Williams, rehabbing from surgery to repair a broken left foot, will exercise his $3.135MM option for next season as expected, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports. Portland acquired the 6'9", 225-pound forward from the Nets at the trade deadline after he signed a two-year deal with New Jersey in December.
The Blazers tried to buy him out shortly after acquiring him, but he rebuffed their attempts. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors said then that the chances he'd turn down the option were "close to zero." The move eats into the Blazers' cap space for the offseason, but with Jamal Crawford expected to decline his $5.23MM option, the team should still have plenty of room to pursue free agents. They should have only about $32MM committed for next season, though that doesn't count cap holds set aside for what could be a pair of first-round draft picks.
Williams, making $3MM this year, went down in February and hasn't played at all for Portland after averaging 4.5 PPG on 28.6% shooting in 25 games for the Nets. The 17th pick in the 2006 draft had resurrected a foundering career last season with the Knicks, when he connected on 40.1% of his three-point attempts, but couldn't duplicate that success this year, making just 24.1% of his three-pointers.
Southeast Notes: Howard, Richardson, Bobcats
Dwight Howard has been diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back and will be missing some time, though there are conflicting reports as to how long he'll be out. Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM reports Howard has been advised to rest for 10 to 15 days after getting a second opinion today in Los Angeles. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports that a team spokesman has told him there is no timetable, but his colleague Brian Schmitz says Howard will miss 14 to 16 days (Twitter links). That would put his return right around the start of the playoffs, though Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that there's "serious doubt" Howard will be ready in time. While drama and Dwight seem synonymous this season, let's check in with what else is stirring with the Magic and the rest of the Southeast Division:
- Jason Richardson, who signed a four-year, $24MM deal in December, admitted to Schmitz that he's 6'4", not his listed height of 6'6". It's certainly not the first time a player has fudged his height, but because Richardson has been forced to play small forward with Hedo Turkoglu out, those missing two inches become a disadvantage for the Magic.
- HoopsWorld's Derek Page takes a stab at figuring out how to fix the moribund Bobcats. He identifies center and small forward as the positions in need of the most help on a team with plenty of holes.
- Hawks big man Ivan Johnson missed tonight's game against the Magic after the team sent him home for getting into a "verbal altercation" during Wednesday's game against the Celtics, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He's expected to rejoin the team Saturday, but the incident can't help Johnson, whose minimum-salary deal is not guaranteed for next season.
Notable April Extensions
April is a time when most teams have set their rosters and are either making a playoff push or evaluating the assets they have going into the offseason. That doesn't mean front offices are ghost towns this time of year, and last couple of April have featured some notable contract extensions. No such deals are on the horizon this year, but let's take a look back and see how these late-season decisions have panned out for teams and players:
- On April 2, 2010, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers agreed to a three-year, $83.5MM extension that kicked in this season. It's certainly paying dividends for L.A. so far, as Bryant is leading the league with 28.1 PPG and averaging 38.4 MPG, almost five more minutes a game more than last season despite the condensed schedule. Though he's missed the last few games with an injury to his shin, Bryant, 33, has looked as spry and healthy as ever after receiving experimental treatment on his knees in the offseason. The team expects Bryant to continue playing after the extension is up, and seems committed to making him a Laker for life. We'll see come 2014, but for now, it seems Bryant is content and will continue to produce for L.A. as one of the NBA's highest paid players.
- Manu Ginobili and the Spurs agreed to a three-year, $38.9MM extension April 8, 2010. The deal makes him the highest paid player on the Spurs aside from Tim Duncan, giving him more per year than Tony Parker. It took effect last season, when Ginobili became more of a focal point of the offense, taking the second greatest number of shots per game in his career (5.5) and delivering his second highest scoring average (17.4). He also tied a career high with 4.9 APG. A full-time starter last season, he's most appeared off the bench this year, and his numbers have tailed off, in part due to a broken left hand and a strained left oblique that caused him to miss significant time. Still, Ginobili is making a career-best 51.3% of his shots from the floor, and the Spurs continue to win, so the deal continues to look smart for both sides.
- Marcus Camby signed an incentive-laden two-year extension with the Blazers on April 20, 2010. The base pay is $17.7MM, and there was $7.8MM available to Camby if he reached certain benchmarks, though at least $1.49MM of that won't be claimed. The Blazers sent Camby to the Rockets in March, the same month the veteran big man turned 38. He's seen fewer minutes the past two seasons, but will go into free agency this summer having proven he's still one of the league's most effective rebounders. In fact, he's averaged more than 14 rebounds per 36 minutes during the extension, a number he had never before reached. He led the NBA in blocks per game four times, and has averaged 1.8 blocks a night with Houston. His board work and basket protection were certainly assets that helped the Blazers claim a playoff spot last year, and it appears the same will be true for the Rockets this season. Still, his likely incentives push his cap hold to more than $11.2MM this season, and it's probably a stretch to say someone who plays only about half the game and is not much of an offensive factor is worth that amount of money.
- One year to the day after the Blazers extended Camby, Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies agreed to a four-year, $66MM extension that begins this season. The final year is a player option, and the $66MM figure doesn't include $1.25MM per year in unlikely incentives. It represented quite a comeback for Randolph, whom the Clippers saw as expendable before trading him straight up for Quentin Richardson in the summer of 2009. With the ink barely dry on the extension, Randolph powered Memphis to an unlikely playoff run last year, averaging 22.2 PPG and 10.8 RPG in 13 postseason games. A knee injury caused Randolph to miss most of the deal's first year, however, and he's putting up his lowest scoring and rebounding numbers in nine years as coach Lionel Hollins works him back in a bench role. I doubt that, with the money he's making, Randolph will be out of the starting lineup for too long. Injuries happen, but it's disconcerting to see Randolph go down in just the first year of his deal. Even at 30 years old, he carries 253 pounds on his 6'9" frame, and it makes you wonder what condition his knees will be in come 2015.
Tony Mitchell Expected To Enter Draft
North Texas power forward Tony Mitchell is "almost certainly" going pro, reports Jonathan Givony of Draft Express (via Twitter). The move comes on the heels of LSU hiring North Texas coach Johnny Jones to take over its program. Givony says Mitchell may reconsider if North Texas hires one of Jones' assistants, but calls a change of heart unlikely.
The 6'9", 220-pound Mitchell is ranked No. 26 on the Draft Express list of the top 100 prospects. The site projected him to go eighth in the 2013 draft and NBADraft.net has him at No. 7 if he stays in for one more year, so coming out early may adversely affect his draft position. Nonetheless, he could still wind up as a first-round selection, putting him in line for a guaranteed contract.
Mitchell was one of the top players coming out of high school in 2010, but academic issues cost him the entire 2010/11 season. This year, he put up 14.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 3.0 blocks per game for the Mean Green, who compete in the Sun Belt Conference.