Mavs Part Ways With Lamar Odom
The Mavs and Lamar Odom have mutually agreed to part ways, ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting. The team is not releasing him, and will simply make him inactive for the rest of the season, Stein says. That way, the Mavs can still try to trade his contract in the offseason.
Odom is scheduled to receive $8.2MM in the last year of his deal next season, but if he's released by June 29, the team that holds his rights is only on the hook for $2.4MM. The Mavs acquired Odom from the Lakers in December for a first-round pick, but his tenure in Dallas has been marked by controversy and poor play. Still, the Mavs have gone 0-7 without Odom this year, including the nearly two weeks he missed while dealing with his ailing father in late February and early March.
Odom is averaging career lows in points (6.6), rebounds (4.1), minutes (20.5), field goal percentage (35.2%) and three-point percentage (25.2%). His minutes dwindled even further in the past week, and after he played just four minutes Saturday in a loss to Memphis, both coach Rick Carlisle and Dirk Nowitzki refused to answer questions about Odom.
Odom was reportedly "desperate" to return to Los Angeles at one point this season, and another report has suggested Kobe Bryant wants the Lakers to bring him back this summer. Even if the Mavs were to formally let go of Odom, he would be ineligible to play for another team in the playoffs this year.
Odom issued a statement to ESPN.com, saying, "The Mavericks and I have mutually agreed that it's in the best interest of both parties for me to step away from the team. I'm sorry that things didn't work out better for both of us, but I wish the Mavs' organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship."
Thomas Robinson To Enter Draft
Kansas junior power forward Thomas Robinson will announce at a press conference today he is entering the NBA draft, Kansas coach Bill Self told Andy Katz of ESPN.com. Robinson, who measures 6'9" and 240 pounds, is slated to go second overall in NBADraft.net's latest mock, and fourth according to Draft Express and ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
He put up 17.9 PPG and 11.8 RPG for the Jayhawks, who fell in last week's national championship game to Kentucky. He trailed only Anthony Davis, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick, in voting for the Wooden Award and Associated Press Player of the Year.
In the Hoops Rumors Prospect Profile of Robinson, Daniel Seco writes that his 7'1" wingspan and rebounding ability are his greatest assets as he heads into the NBA. Ford lists his weaknesses as a lack of size (wingspan notwithstanding) and too much of an infatuation with the perimeter game.
Prospect Profile: Jared Sullinger
The story of Ohio State sophomore Jared Sullinger is one of the most intriguing as the draft approaches. He could have gone No. 1 overall if he had come out after his freshman season. The latest mock drafts have him going much farther down the line: Draft Express has him going sixth, ESPN's Chad Ford projects him as the 13th pick (Insider link), and NBADraft.net predicts he'll fall out of the lottery completely, landing at No. 15. His fate is one many players will surely cite when they decide to come out earlier than perhaps they should. You may have plenty to gain by staying in school, but there's a lot to lose, too. Last year's No. 1 pick, Kyrie Irving, signed a four-year deal that will give him between $3MM and $4MM more each season than No. 15 pick Kawhi Leonard gets.
What's caused him to slip in the eyes of NBA teams is his lack of athleticism and explosion around the rim. Still, that's been a criticism all along, as witnessed by Josh Cochran's NBADraft.net scouting report from 2009. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express cites his 6'9", 280-pound frame as a problem — he's too small to be a prototypical center, and not agile enough to cover the league's increasingly athletic power forwards. Tommy Dee of Sheridan Hoops cites his difficulty defending taller players as a weakness, yet, as Givony points out, it didn't stop Ohio State from being an elite defensive team in college basketball this year. While it's difficult to draw conclusions about a player's worth based on his team's success in college, the fact that the Buckeyes went to two Sweet 16s and a Final Four during Sullinger's time can't be a knock on him.
Givony points to his polished post game, lack of turnovers and passing ability as some of his positives, and Dee calls him "the most complete post player in the nation." Efficiency is one of his hallmarks, and he makes opposing teams pay at the foul line, knocking down 76.8% of his free throws this year, a plus for a big man. When it's not working down low offensively, he can go outside, too. He took 1.1 three pointers a game and nailed 42.1% of them. He has a midrange game, too, as Dee praises his ability to knock down looks from 15 to 18 feet.
Givony compares him to Kevin Love, and while that's not the kind of analogy being bandied about too often now as Sullinger's stock takes a nose dive, I think it still holds. It would be a challenge for Sullinger, or anyone else, to put up the kind of numbers Love does, but Love's ability to maximize his basketball skills while minimizing his lack of overpowering athleticism provides a blueprint for Sullinger to follow. Love, who was the 5th pick in 2008, would probably be drafted higher if teams had a chance to do it over again, and unless teams brighten their outlook on Sullinger between now and June, the same could be said for him in a few years.
Nets GM Billy King Confident In Quick Turnaround
The Nets are just 20-37, but GM Billy King has his eyes on building a winner for next season, reports Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. The GM is counting on Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace, both of whom could elect free agency this summer, to return, but believes the cap flexibility they'll have if they don't would be a positive as well.
"I think we’re headed in the right direction, and if you look at our team this year, being as banged up (as it was), to beat Chicago in Chicago, Philly in Philly, New York in New York… we won some games in tough places,'' the GM said. "And you see things getting in the right direction. Winning is important. And that’s what I told Deron: ‘We’re not rebuilding this year. We’re going to build this team to win next year.’''
King sees the trade deadline acquisition of Gerald Wallace as a key to the team's success going forward, even though the former All-Star hasn't turned the team into a winner since the trade, going 5-7 in the 12 games he's played for New Jersey. Plus, his acquisition likely means they'll give up their 2012 first-round draft pick, unless it falls within the top three.
Much rides on the offseason, when the team could lose Williams, Wallace, Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries, four-fifths of its preferred starting lineup. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes that the pursuit of Williams, in particular, is key for owner Mikhail Prokhorov. Still, the free agent point guard says he doesn't know enough about the owner for him to be a factor in his decision. One team executive Williams presumably does have a relationship with is King, so the onus is on him to woo Williams back.
The Nets have built-in advantages with their free agents, since they can go over the salary cap to sign them and, at least in Williams' case, a max deal could be on the table. Plus, the team is moving to Brooklyn next year, a move that can't hurt the endorsement opportunities available for its players. Still, it's hard to see how bringing them all back, and convincing Wallace to take his $9.5MM option for next season, could instantly turn the team into a contender. The trick might be to let some of them go and find other available parts that are a better fit with what they do bring back, or continue to pin their hopes on convincing Dwight Howard and the Magic to end their troubled relationship. In any case, it's going to be a challenge for King to turn the franchise around as quickly as he'd like.
Stan Van Gundy Intends To Return As Magic Coach
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy wants to coach the Magic again next season despite the knowledge that Dwight Howard has been trying to fire him, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports. The contracts of both Howard and Van Gundy expire after next season.
“They’re going to have to make decisions," Van Gundy said of the team. "But I’m a basketball coach and I know this: I don’t want to go anywhere else. I mean, I love Orlando, and this is where I want to be. And I want to coach.”
While finishing this season as coach appeared a shaky proposition after he revealed Thursday that Howard has been asking management to fire him, the team seems content to keep him for now. Whether the team wants him around longer is unclear. Yesterday, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported that team executives have been more open to the idea of firing Van Gundy than even Howard has been, so if that's true it would be hard to see Van Gundy back in Orlando next year.
Robbins notes that earlier this season, Van Gundy characterized it as his most challenging as a coach, as the team has dealt with uncertainly concerning Howard's future. Now, the team is dealing with speculation about both its coach and its superstar. If the Magic can somehow overcome this and make a deep run in the playoffs, perhaps to the conference finals, it might be enough to save Van Gundy. Still, the locker room dynamic will seem dysfunctional at best until Howard and Van Gundy either settle their differences or one of them departs.
Examining How The Spurs Keep Winning
Last night the Spurs pulled into a virtual tie with the Thunder for first place in the Western Conference. It's a remarkable achievement for a franchise that doesn't attract marquee free agents and hasn't drafted higher than 20th overall since landing Tim Duncan in 1997. (The trade for the rights to Kawhi Leonard, the 15th pick last year, didn't officially go down until after the draft.) Much of the credit deservedly goes to coach Gregg Popovich, but GM R.C. Buford, who somehow has never won the Executive of the Year award, deserves kudos as well. Let's take a look at how he's kept the Spurs among the elite for so many years.
The mainstays of Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were already in place when Buford was promoted to general manager in 2002. Buford was, however, in charge of scouting when Parker and Ginobili were taken with the 28th and 57th picks in their respective drafts, so we can give him at least some of the credit for those selections. Buford was GM when all of them signed their current contracts, and the fact that the team's three best players are also its three highest-paid players speaks to how well Buford has kept the house in order.
Parker and Ginobili, along with Tiago Splitter, the 27th pick in the 2007 draft, represent the fruits of the Spurs' international scouting, which has been viewed as a hallmark of the franchise. Still, a great deal of the Spurs' success is based on simply getting the greatest value possible out of draft picks and trades, with rebounding and three-point shooting as the common statistical themes. Leonard cost the team a valuable contributor in George Hill, but the Spurs got a rookie who has already started 28 games and, at 6'7", has averaged 5.2 RPG in 25.4 minutes a game. Another 6'7" overachiever is DeJuan Blair, who dropped into the second round in 2009 because of concerns about the lack of ACLs in his knees. He's turned into a starter who's averaged 11.4 rebounds per 36 minutes for his career. Matt Bonner, acquired from the Raptors in 2006, has been a mainstay off the bench, knocking down 41.6% of his three-point attempts, including a league-leading 45.7% last season, as a 6'10" power forward making $3.3MM this season.
Buford's crowning achievements might be Danny Green and Gary Neal, D-League refugees making less than $1MM a year who play key roles for the team. Green, on a minimum-salary deal, has taken over as the starting two-guard despite a lack of flashy numbers outside of a 39.3% three-point percentage. Neal backs up at either guard position and provides outside shooting as well (39.8% three-point percentage).
Whether it's because Buford has figured out something related to long-distance shooting and rebounding that gives his team the edge, or simply because his scouting, both domestically and internationally, allows him to stay a step ahead of the opposition, it's clear the Spurs have a winning formula. The key now is for Popovich and the players to find a way to make it all translate into one more championship this year.
Atlantic Notes: Farmar, Green, Allen, Chandler
We could be in for quite a finish in the Atlantic Division, as the Sixers trail the first-place Celtics by a game while the Knicks are two and a half games back. The Celtics are just four games ahead of the Bucks for the final playoff spot, so it's conceivable that any of the Atlantic contenders could miss the playoffs. Here's the buzz from around the division:
- Nets guard Jordan Farmar was thought to be done for the season with a groin injury, but Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record tweets that he may be back sooner than that. Farmar has a $4.25MM player option for next season, and if he can prove he's healthy and maintain his career-high 10.4 PPG scoring average in a few more outings this year, he may be inclined to turn down the option and test free agency.
- Chris Mannix of SI.com chronicles the long road back to the NBA for Gerald Green, who's made solid contributions for the Nets and is drawing interest from the Lakers as this summer's free agency looms.
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald looks at the Celtics' decision to bring shooting guard Ray Allen, a free agent this summer, off the bench for just the fifth time in his career last night against the Bulls.
- Keith Schlosser praises the impact that free-agent signee Tyson Chandler has had on defense for the Knicks, while Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com makes the case that Chandler should win the Defensive Player of the Year award. You can give your thoughts on the award in this Hoops Rumors poll.
Draft Rumors: Boynton, Young, Beal
Tuesday is the last day for underclassmen who have officially entered their names in the draft to withdraw and still retain their college eligibility, and today, those who filed for reports from the Undergraduate Advisory Committee should be receiving them. Keep tabs on all the draft-related deadlines in this post, and check out today's latest news here:
- Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv passes along confirmation that Florida guard Kenny Boynton will return to school, and says fellow Gator Patric Young is expected to return as well. Draft Express has Young as the 13th pick in the 2013 draft while projecting Boynton to go in the middle of the second round next year.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com says Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal, projected as the No. 5 pick this June by Draft Express and No. 7 by NBADraft.net, is leaning toward entering the draft (Insider only). He rounds up the pending decisions from underclassmen considering the draft and looks ahead at some of the upcoming scouting showcases.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com unveils his latest mock draft, with Anthony Davis on top, followed by Thomas Robinson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Beal and Andre Drummond.
Latest On Howard/Van Gundy
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy's revelation that Dwight Howard wants him fired was the dominant story in the NBA yesterday. Many, including a slight majority of Hoops Rumors readers, believe Van Gundy will be gone before the end of the season. Here's what's happening as the saga continues to unfold:
- Magic executives have been more open to the idea of firing Van Gundy than even Howard has as the team looks to build a cooperative relationship with its superstar, notes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- Howard also pushed the team to fire former coach Brian Hill, according to Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Van Gundy believes he'll finish the season as the Magic coach, HoopsWorld reports. He met with GM Otis Smith and Howard yesterday, the report states.
- The coach is expected to travel with the team to Philadelphia for its game with the Sixers tomorrow night, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets, so it looks like Van Gundy's job is safe for the moment. Magic CEO Alex Martins doesn't want to make a change now, Berger also notes via Twitter.
- The Magic threatened Howard with a trade to the Lakers if he didn't opt in to his deal at the trading deadline, reports Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Despite the presence of the Lakers on his list of preferred teams, the Nets were far and away Howard's top choice, Kerber writes. The Magic favored the Lakers' offer of Andrew Bynum, Devin Ebanks and Steve Blake over New Jersey's package of Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, Mehmet Okur and two first-round picks.
- Howard and Van Gundy tried their best to deflect the glare of yesterday's events in their comments following last night's loss to the Knicks, notes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. While Howard simply declined to comment on the matter, Van Gundy tried to shift the topic to on-court matters when asked about his future with the team. “That’s not what’s important right now,” the coach said. “It’s not. My job security is not what’s important right now. What Dwight wants is not important. What’s important is that we focus on playing better as a team. That’s what is important.”
- J.J. Redick has Van Gundy's back, Kennedy also reports.
- On ESPN.com's Daily Dime, Zach McCann says the Magic locker room might be beyond repair now, with some players frustrated with Howard's power plays and others in agreement with D12 that it's time for Van Gundy to go. McCann also mentions assistants Brendan Malone and Patrick Ewing as possible interim replacements should the Magic let Van Gundy go this season.
- Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News calls on the Nets to end their pursuit of Howard in light of how he's tried to undermine his coach.
- Tom Ziller, writing for SBNation.com, says that the Magic would have been better off trading Howard at the deadline, despite his willingness to stick around for another season.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld gathers a few more reactions from around the league.
Central Notes: Lucas, Thibodeau, Hudson
The Bulls and Cavs are two teams heading in opposite directions of late, but there's some news coming out of both camps. Here's the latest:
- The impending return of Derrick Rose will likely send John Lucas III back to the end of the Bulls bench, but Lucas believes his performance this season has proven his ability to play in the league, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. Lucas, averaging 7.0 PPG and 2.1 APG in 14 minutes a game this year, is on a minimum-salary deal expires at the end of the season.
- It's no surprise, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers would like to see the Bulls extend the contract of coach Tom Thibodeau, a former assistant to Rivers in Boston, reports Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com. The Bulls have a team option on Thibodeau for next season.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com answers reader questions on the Bulls, free agency and the draft, among other topics.
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald examines the impact of guard Lester Hudson, who's with the Cavs on a 10-day contract. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal recounts Hudson's long journey to Cleveland.
- Both Manny Harris and Donald Sloan have non-guaranteed contracts for next season, according to the joint Twitter feed of Plain Dealer reporters Tom Reed and Mary Schmitt Boyer. Storytellers Contracts has the non-guaranteed contracts extending out another year, ending in 2014. Neither is slated to make as much as $1MM in any season.
- Sloan and presumably Harris will play for the Cavs' summer league team in the offseason, Reed and Boyer also note, via Twitter.