Northwest Rumors: Hickson, Fisher, Miles
Three Northwest Division teams are playing tonight, all of them on the road, while the first-place Thunder await their showdown with the Lakers tomorrow night. Here's what's news around the Northwest:
- New Thunder point guard Derek Fisher is spilling his vast knowledge of the Lakers to Oklahoma City coach coach Scott Brooks and his staff in advance of tomorrow night's meeting, but Brooks downplays the value of such insight, given the advanced scouting and video study that teams do on their opponents, writes John Rohde of The Oklahoman.
- Jazz swingman C.J. Miles will be a restricted free agent this summer, and Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe thinks he'll be a bargain the Celtics will pursue (Twitter link). Still, Utah has Bird rights on Miles, who's on the last year of a four-year, $14.8MM contract and putting up 9.3 points a game and a 13.1 PER this season.
- In addition to rounding up the available free agents, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy checks in with J.J. Hickson, who's averaging 13 points a night and shooting 65.4% since the Blazers claimed him on waivers last week.
Traded 2012 First-Round Picks
With college underclassmen beginning to declare their intentions and the end of the regular season four weeks away, the draft picture is beginning to get a little clearer. We won't know the full order of selection until the May 30 Draft Lottery, but we'll soon know whether some traded draft picks will be changing hands or not. Teams commonly build protection into their draft-pick trades so they minimize the risk of losing out on a top prospect, meaning that if a pick falls into one of the top slots, it stays with its original team. There are ways to protect a draft pick, and one seems to be causing some confusion.
Back when the Clippers owned both their own 2012 first-round pick and the Timberwolves’ pick, they traded the less favorable of those picks to the Thunder for Eric Bledsoe. The Thunder then sent that pick to Boston in the Kendrick Perkins trade last year. The Clippers sent the other pick to the Hornets in the Chris Paul trade. It’s been widely reported simply that the Hornets get the Wolves’ pick; that's what most of the stories about the CP3 trade have said. For most of the season, it seemed clear the Clippers would finish with a better record than the Wolves, making the matter of the switch irrelevant. But, the Clippers have been sliding, and the Wolves, even without Ricky Rubio, are just four games in back of them. So, in the event that the Wolves’ pick is inferior to the Clippers’ pick (which they sent to the Celtics), it seems like the picks would switch places – the Celtics would get the Wolves’ pick, and the Hornets would get the Clippers’ pick. But it's not entirely clear, as Draft Express, NBADraft.net and RealGM all seem to be in disagreement. For our purposes, we'll include the possibility of a switch, but those picks are italicized to set them apart.
Below is a list of the first-round picks that could be coming and going to and from teams. In some cases, there are protections that extend to subsequent years (the Cavs, for instance, could still get a pick from the Heat down the road if, as expected, they don't choose to switch picks this year), but for simplicity's sake, only this year's protections are listed.
Blazers
Get pick from Nets (top-three protected)
Bobcats
Give pick to Bulls (top-14 protected)
Bulls
Get pick from Bobcats (top-14 protected)
Cavs
Get option to switch picks with Heat
Get pick from Kings (top-14 protected)
Get pick from Lakers (top-14 protected)
Celtics
Get less favorable of Clippers' pick (top-10 protected) and the Timberwolves' pick.
Clippers
Give Celtics the less favorable of their own pick (top-10 protected) and the Timberwolves’ pick.
Give Hornets the more favorable of their own pick (top-10 protected) and the Timberwolves' pick.
Heat
Give Cavs option to switch picks
Hornets
Get more favorable of Clippers' pick (top-10 protected) and the Timberwolves' pick.
Jazz
Give pick to Timberwolves (top-14 protected)
Get pick from Warriors (top-seven protected)
Kings
Give pick to Cavs (top-14 protected)
Knicks
Give pick to Rockets (top-five protected)
Lakers
Give pick to Cavs (top-14 protected)
Mavs
Give pick to Rockets (top-20 protected)
Nets
Give pick to Blazers (top-three protected)
Get pick from Rockets (top-14 protected)
Rockets
Give pick to Nets (top-14 protected)
Get pick from Knicks (top-five protected)
Get pick from Mavs (top-20 protected)
Spurs
Give pick to Warriors (top-14 protected)
Timberwolves
Give pick to Hornets or Celtics, depending on favorability vs. Clippers' pick
Get pick from Jazz (top-14 protected)
Warriors
Give pick to Jazz (top-seven protected)
Get pick from Spurs (top-14 protected)
Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Jackson, Casey
The Atlantic Division race could be the most exciting in the NBA, with the Sixers clinging to a half-game lead over the Celtics and the Knicks sitting just three games back. The winner gets, at worst, the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference — though for practical purposes, it could be the fifth seed, as winning percentage, not seeding, determines home-court advantage in the postseason. If the playoffs started today, the Sixers would go on the road for Game 1 against the fifth-seeded Hawks, who have a better record. Here's the latest from the NBA's northeastern corner:
- New Celtics center Ryan Hollins has always looked up to Kevin Garnett, and they bonded during the lockout, writes Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com. Their relationship might explain why the Celtics chose Hollins to shore up their front line this week.
- Phil Jackson looms as a coaching candidate for the Knicks and other teams, but girlfriend Jeanie Buss says no teams have been in contact with Jackson, David Singer of Los Angeles' 710 ESPN Radio tweets. (Hat tip to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com)
- In The New York Times, William C. Rhoden takes a look at how involvement in a scandal at the University of Kentucky set Raptors coach Dwane Casey on a path away from college and toward the NBA. In an appreciation, Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun wonders whether Casey might be the greatest coach in the team's 17-season history. That's a stretch for a guy who's 16-33 in less than one full season.
Odds & Ends: Bell, Cavs, Nocioni, Macklin
On this date in 1990, the Bulls re-signed sharpshooter Craig Hodges, who backed up Michael Jordan on Chicago's first two championship teams, in addition to winning three straight three-point contests at the All-Star Game. Here's what's happening around the league tonight:
- Jazz guard Raja Bell's bothersome left knee could require microfracture surgery that would end his season, according to Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. Apparently one doctor has recommended microfracture, but Bell has sought a second opinion, the results of which are due Monday (All four Twitter links).
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio shared a number of observations following the Cavs' 108-83 loss to the Suns today, including his thoughts on the team's needs in the draft. Even though they could use a center and a shooting guard, Amico believes the team should pursue the most explosive scorers at any position. The Cavs will have a pair of first-round picks this year thanks to the Ramon Sessions trade.
- Andres Nocioni, who signed to play in Spain this week, received offers from two playoff teams, but none of them would make any promises about playing time, he writes in Spanish on a blog on ESPNDeportes.com (translation courtesy HoopsHype).
- Pistons big man Vernon Macklin, a second-round pick in last year's draft, has been impressive in the D-League, notes Brendan Savage of MLive.com. The 6'10", 227-pound University of Florida product is averaging 17.2 rebounds a game. Still, the Pistons plan on leaving him with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for another five games, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- Jonathan Givony of Draft Express gives his best guesses about who will be a part of this year's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, an annual showcase for seniors coming out of college.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel mentions Anthony Carter as a candidate for the Heat should the team look to sign a point guard in the wake of its loss to the Thunder tonight (Twitter link).
Blazers Expect To Pick Up Babbitt’s Option
Blazers acting GM Chad Buchanan said the team "anticipates" it will exercise its $2.9MM option to retain forward Luke Babbitt past next season, tweets Jason Quick of The Oregonian. The option represents the fourth year (2013/14) of the rookie-scale contract Babbitt signed with the team after being selected with the 16th pick of the 2010 draft.
The University of Nevada product hasn't been used much in his first two seasons, averaging 1.8 points in just 5.9 minutes over 46 career games. Babbitt appeared to enter the rotation after the team cleaned house at the trade deadline, but with the addition of J.J. Hickson, he's seen his minutes diminish again in Portland's last two outings. LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews are the only Blazers on guaranteed contracts for 2013/14, so adding Babbitt to the mix wouldn't compromise the team's future flexibility much.
Thunder Notes: Battier, Fisher, Free Agents
Tonight, the Thunder are taking on the Heat in what some consider to be a preview of the Finals. Close to 60 percent of Hoops Rumors readers, however, feel that at least one of the teams will falter before June. Let's take a look at some of the news out of Oklahoma City:
- The Thunder offered only two years and didn't provide as much of a chance for Shane Battier to get crunch-time minutes, and that's why he signed his three-year, $9.4MM deal with the Heat instead, Battier told Ethan J. Skolnick of The Palm Beach Post.
- ESPN's Marc Stein has the details on Derek Fisher's contract, passing along that the deal is worth $2.3MM for the rest of the season.
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman tweets that Thunder coach Scott Brooks envisions new backup point guard Derek Fisher playing 13 to 20 minutes a night, which suggests we could see more D-League stints for Reggie Jackson.
- While 10 members of the Heat were acquired via free agency, Fisher and Royal Ivey are the only free agent acquisitions on the Thunder, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN, via Twitter.
Jeff Green Eyeing Return To Celtics?
Free agent forward Jeff Green is out for the year after surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, and the Celtics voided his contract when he failed a preseason physical. Nonetheless, he's been attending the team's home games this year, occasionally sitting on the team's bench, and CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely believes it's clear Green prefers to re-sign with Boston as an unrestricted free-agent this summer (Twitter link). Michael Lee of The Washington Post adds, via Twitter, that Green still has a home in the Boston area.
Green's pending unrestricted free agency comes about by an odd set of circumstances, and that's not simply because of his heart ailment. When the Celtics voided the one-year, $9MM offer after his failed physical, they also withdrew their qualifying offer to him, making him an unrestricted free agent instead of a restricted one, which allows any team to sign Green to a deal without giving the Celtics a chance to match it.
Perhaps Green feels a debt of gratitude over the move, which the Celtics didn't have to make. Still, with the expiring contracts of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics will have plenty of cap space this summer, and with Green coming off surgery, he won't command the type of contract he otherwise would. The former No. 5 overall pick has career averages of 13.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG, and was acquired by the Celtics last year at the trading deadline.
Productive Players On Minimum Deals
A slew of bought-out players, 10-day contract recipients and D-League call-ups have found new homes this past week, and many of them have signed minimum-salary contracts. That minimum is not the same for everyone, as veterans are entitled to more money based on the number of years they've been in the league, but with most of these contracts in six figures instead of seven, a productive minimum-salary player is almost always a bargain. Besides, the league compensates teams that sign minimum-salary veterans with three or more years of service for the difference above that of a second-year player's minimum deal, so qualified veterans won't be passed over for younger, cheaper talent. The most prominent minimum guy this year is, of course, Jeremy Lin, whose story has been well-documented. Let's take a look at some of the other cheap pickups who've paid off.
- Ian Mahinmi, Mavericks: Making $916K in the final season of a two-year contract, Mahinmi is the starter at center in Dallas, putting up 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and posting a 14.7 PER.
- Nate Robinson, Warriors: Picked up for $983K in January, the 5'9" spark plug has been inserted into the starting lineup because of Stephen Curry's injury and the Monta Ellis trade. He's averaged 11.7 PPG and 4.6 assists per game in March.
- Shelden Williams, Nets: A starter in the absence of Brook Lopez, the undersized 6'9" center pulls down 10.1 rebounds per 36 minutes, not too shabby on $993K.
- Gerald Green, Nets: He's been the jewel of the 10-day pickups so far this year. He's posted 10.6 PPG and 15.8 PER in 22 minutes a night.
- Steve Novak, Knicks: At $993K, he's another find for New York, the long-range bomber has touched on 48.1% of his three-point attempts this year, good for a career-high 8.6 PPG.
- Landry Fields, Knicks: Not many second-round picks can say they've started all but three of the games in their career. He's putting up 9.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 47% shooting this year on $762K.
- Michael Redd, Suns: He hasn't gotten too much playing time, but that he's playing at all is a marvel, considering injuries have forced him to miss the better part of the last three seasons. This year, he's averaging 18.9 points per 36 minutes for $1.3MM.
- Isaiah Thomas, Kings: Outplaying first-round pick Jimmer Fredette, this second-round selection has found his way into the starting lineup. His scoring has gone up in each month, and he's averaging 12.8 PPG and 4.4 APG for $474K.
- Danny Green, Spurs: San Antonio GM R.C. Buford is a master at finding value. Green makes $854K, and he's put up 8.6 PPG and 3.8 RPG while playing 23.8 minutes a game. He's made 18 starts, too.
Pacific Notes: Wright, Bryant, Bynum
One Pacific Division team, the Clippers, picked up a win over the Grizzlies in the day's only matinee, while two more Pacific teams, the Warriors and Kings, meet tonight. They're all chasing the first-place Lakers, who look well in control following the acquisition of Ramon Sessions last week. Here's what going on along the West coast:
- The Warriors have sent forward Chris Wright to the Dakota Wizards of the D-League, according to a statement released by the team. Wright, in his first NBA season, has averaged 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in limited action during 17 games this year. The team has signed big men Mickell Gladness and Keith Benson in recent days, pushing the 6'8", 226-pound Wright farther down the bench.
- Ben Golliver, writing for CBS Sports, takes a look at the desire of Lakers executive Jim Buss, son of owner Jerry Buss, to keep Kobe Bryant past his current contract, which expires after two more seasons. Golliver believes making Bryant a "Laker for life" will be an expensive proposition.
- The Lakers have a $16.1MM option on Andrew Bynum next season, but there's little doubt they'll exercise it, especially given his continued development this season, as chronicled by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
How NCAA Success Translates To The NBA
With the Final Four set to be determined this weekend and many NBA teams gearing up for the draft, let's take a quick glance at how some players who've had success at the college level have stacked up in the pros. Below is a list of each player currently on an NBA roster who has won an NCAA championship, along with the player's NBA career PER in parentheses. As we can see, guiding your team to a college championship doesn't mean you're going to succeed in the NBA. There are a lot of good, but not great, players here, and Carmelo Anthony is likely the only true superstar talent on this list. He was the only one to play in the All-Star Game this season. So when you hear about a player's draft stock improving as his team advances through the tourney this week and next, take it with a grain of salt.
Grant Hill, Duke 1991, 1992 (19.2)
Nazr Mohammed, Kentucky 1996, 1998 (15.5)
Mike Bibby, Arizona 1997 (16.1)
Jason Terry, Arizona 1997 (17.5)
Jamaal Magloire, Kentucky 1998 (13.5)
Richard Hamilton, Connecticut 1999 (16.7)
Jason Richardson, Michigan State 2000 (16.5)
Carlos Boozer, Duke 2001 (20.6)
Shane Battier, Duke 2001 (13.0)
Chris Duhon, Duke 2001 (11.0)
Mike Dunleavy, Duke 2001 (14.6)
Steve Blake, Maryland 2002 (11.3)
Chris Wilcox, Maryland 2002 (15.5)
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse 2003 (20.2)
Hakim Warrick, Syracuse 2003 (15.7)
Ben Gordon, Connecticut 2004 (15.3)
Emeka Okafor, Connecticut 2004 (17.1)
Charlie Villanueva, Connecticut 2004 (16.4)
Raymond Felton, North Carolina 2005 (14.3)
Marvin Williams, North Carolina 2005 (13.7)
Corey Brewer, Florida 2006, 2007 (11.2)
Al Horford, Florida 2006, 2007 (18.1)
Joakim Noah, Florida 2006, 2007 (17.5)
Marreese Speights, Florida 2007 (16.6)
Darrell Arthur, Kansas 2008 (13.2)
Mario Chalmers, Kansas 2008 (12.1)
Brandon Rush, Kansas 2008 (10.4)
Cole Aldrich, Kansas 2008 (13.4)
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina 2009 (15.8)
Ty Lawson, North Carolina 2009 (17.5)
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina 2009 (9.2)
Ed Davis, North Carolina 2009 (15.0)
Danny Green, North Carolina 2009 (14.1)
Nolan Smith, Duke 2010 (7.1)
Lance Thomas, Duke 2010 (11.5)
Kemba Walker, Connecticut 2011 (15.4)