And-Ones: Hornets, Favors, Hawks
Earlier today, we passed along word from coach Steve Clifford that the Hornets are seeking frontcourt help. Clifford’s interview with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer touched on some more of Charlotte’s roster, including how he’ll use newly signed Marvin Williams. “He’ll play both forward spots, but I see him primarily as a stretch [power forward],” said Clifford. “He’s a very smart player who makes smart, simple plays. And he’s very professional in his approach.” Here’s a rundown of league news and notes, including more from Clifford:
- Clifford revealed that Jeff Taylor‘s recovery from an Achilles injury has been interfered with by a personal matter. “Unfortunately, Jeff has a family situation in Sweden [keeping him away from Charlotte],” he told Bonnell. “Nothing can be done about that and you know he’s an exceptional worker, but he’s had to miss our five optional workouts. So it’s hard to get a feel for where he’s at. He did a couple of summer-league practices. Medically he’s fine. So it’s just a matter of having more continuity, so that when he plants and cuts and jumps he’s confident [in his recovery.]”
- Milos Teodosic is an NBA-caliber player lighting up the World Cup, but the Serbian star won’t consider a move stateside unless he’s offered upwards of $3MM in annual salary, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Grizzlies were the last team to make a serious run at the point guard, when he spurned them last summer.
- Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune profiles Derrick Favors, the big man whose four-year, $48MM extension will commence this season. The center tells Jones he’s comfortable taking the next step as a franchise cornerstone for the Jazz, a sentiment GM Dennis Lindsey seconds. “This is really the second stage for Derrick,” Lindsey said. “We’ve had patience with him and he’s had a natural progression. With Derrick, nobody can accuse the Jazz of skipping steps. We know that we’re making a significant investment in him by giving him the contract extension. Derrick has taken ownership of his development.”
- The Basketball Insiders team previewed the upcoming season for the Hawks.
- J.A. Adande of ESPN.com writes that the NBA’s slowness to identify and dismiss the source of the racial slur from the scouting report on Luol Deng that triggered the Hawks scandal indicates a willingness to harbor that sentiment in the league, contrary to the commissioner’s declaration to root out racism when he first banned Donald Sterling.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Emeka Okafor
Of the league’s remaining unsigned free agents, Emeka Okafor is at the very top of the list in earnings from last year. Despite not playing a single game with the Suns, Okafor raked in $14.5MM in the last year of the six-year, $72MM deal he originally signed with Charlotte. If and when Okafor does receive a new NBA contract, it will almost certainly be for a massive pay reduction.
A herniated disc in Okafor’s neck was the reason the center missed all of 2013/14 and will likely remain unsigned for the near future. After playing 79 games for the Wizards in 2012/13, the ailment was discovered last preseason and wrecked his entire 2013/14 campaign. Okafor was subsequently traded to the Suns, who planned on flipping his contract for another asset. The center was viewed by many as a hot commodity, but his value was exclusively tied to his substantial expiring salary, which would have been useful in clearing cap space for a potential recipient. Phoenix had extensive discussions with the Lakers about moving Okafor as part of a trade to acquire Pau Gasol, but a deal never materialized.
If the status of his health weren’t up in the air, Okafor would most likely be signed by now. An intimidating interior defensive presence, the former No. 2 pick has averaged 1.7 blocks for his career, a number bolstering a virtual double-double career average in points (12.3) and rebounds (9.9) per game. The veteran did show signs of offensive decline the last season he saw the floor, turning in a career-worst .278 rate of free throw attempts per field goal attempts and a .496 true shooting percentage, well below his career average of .535. However, he still produced an above average PER of 15.8 for Washington, and maintained an elite defensive impact. While his blocks per game dropped to a career-worst 1.0, he generated a 99 defensive rating, according to his Basketball-Reference page, and 3.7 defensive win shares, top-10 and top-25 marks for the season, respectively.
Ongoing concerns about Okafor’s neck have prevented the big man from securing a deal, but they haven’t kept roughly half of the league from registering interest in his services. Contenders including the Heat, Cavs, and Clippers are among the teams interested. Those teams make a lot of on-the-court sense, as a steady rim-protector is always high on a playoff hopeful’s wishlist. The Clippers are the only team that has reportedly worked out Okafor, and they have since signed Ekpe Udoh in a move that would presumably reduce their need for Okafor on the roster. The Heat were considering both Okafor and Udoh as potential interior additions, so while Udoh’s deal with Los Angeles may hurt Okafor’s prospects there, it could very well help his outlook in Miami.
While no word has surfaced on the impression Okafor’s workout left, the league is wary of his lingering medical issues. He isn’t expected to sign anywhere until mid-season, and it’s unclear if doctors have cleared him for full basketball activities at this point. As much as a big, defensively disruptive body excites general managers, the thought of a big, ailing body under contract distresses them.
All of the teams known to be interested in Okafor are limited to paying the veteran’s minimum, as are most contenders in general at this stage in the offseason. If Okafor were to alleviate concerns about his health, a minimum salary would seem to be a discount for a player of his caliber. Elton Brand doesn’t have the same ceiling as Okafor at this stage in his career, but he just received a $2MM contract for 2014/15 on the merits of being a sturdy big off the bench. Chris Andersen, another big man expected to fill a role that’s smaller or similar to the one Okafor might play, re-signed with the Heat for two years and $10MM. Of course, Okafor may be willing to play on a one-year deal for the minimum for the chance to contend and demonstrate his viability looking toward next summer and a more lucrative deal.
Okafor could end up with more options if he waits until midseason to look for a deal. In-season pickups earn prorated salaries, meaning a team without room to squeeze the big man under the tax line now could conceivably do so later in the season, when a minimum contract’s payout would shrink. As always, opportunities could open up for Okafor if any teams lose a frontcourt piece to injury. Teams currently unable to offer Okafor more than the minimum could gain that flexibility if granted a disabled player exception after a season-ending injury to one of their players.
At this point, we’re more likely to hear updates on Okafor’s health than any announcement of a signing. The center has bounced back from injury before throughout a solid career, and I expect him to do so again. Don’t be surprised if Okafor is unemployed as the regular season opens, but making a difference once the postseason arrives.
New York Notes: ‘Melo, Jordan, Teague
Both New York NBA teams will be playing for new head coaches and an altered roster this season. Here’s a rundown for the Knicks and Nets:
- Carmelo Anthony was angry following the Knicks disappointing 37-win season, as he tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. His displeasure with missing the playoffs led him to begin working out after a short two-week break, and he’s continued the ambitious training regimen ever since, spending time with teammates of late to get a head start on new coach Derek Fisher‘s triangle offense. “I haven’t been broadcasting it, man,” said Anthony. “But I’ve been at the facility for the last couple of weeks with the young guys, with the coaches, trying to figure out that triangle offense…When people say spots, I’m going to be all over the floor in the triangle. It makes it hard to guard, it keeps all eyes off of you. I’m looking forward to it, I’ve been saying it all summer. I can’t wait.”
- Anthony voiced his support of the extended All-Star break that will take effect this season. “I love it, I’m a big fan of that. I wish it was two weeks,” said Anthony, who isn’t worried about the increased back-to-backs in the schedule necessary to accommodate a longer break. “We play too many games as it is. So another back-to-back is not gonna hurt.”
- Reed Wallach of Nets Daily takes a look at Jerome Jordan‘s game, noting the Nets‘ camp hopeful has some traits that Brooklyn could use this season.
- In the same piece, Wallach passes on a report of new coach Lionel Hollins‘ interest in Marquis Teague. Hollins’ support could curb any rumblings that the backup point guard’s guaranteed contract could be waived, while boding well for the prospects of Teague’s 2015/16 team option being picked up by the October 31st deadline, which didn’t appear likely before Hollins was hired.
Western Rumors: Livingston, Hayward, Previews
The Clippers scandal that revolved around former owner Donald Sterling may be eclipsed by the Hawks race-fueled turmoil when all is said and done. The latter situation is still developing, and has extended down from the ownership box into Atlanta’s GM and scouting departments. Here’s a rundown of Western news and notes for the night:
- On an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Shaun Livingston said that he hopes to be able to return to the court by the start of the Warriors‘ season, the channel tweeted (H/T Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group). The veteran guard underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right big toe last month.
- On his personal blog, Jazz forward Gordon Hayward recounts his summer. In addition to waxing about signing a max offer sheet, spending time with Team USA, and an offseason training regimen focusing on strength and shooting, Hayward says that he’s eager to start the new season and play for new coach Quin Snyder.
- The Basketball Insiders crew previewed the 2014/15 season for the Pelicans, Nuggets, Jazz, Lakers, and Kings.
Eastern Notes: Hawks, Harris, Celtics, Knicks
Sports attorney Doug Davis, son of entertainment fixture Clive Davis, is an early candidate to purchase the Hawks, reports Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Vivlamore credits the New York Post as first to reveal that the younger Davis is assembling a potential ownership group. Davis sent out a pair of tweets that hints at his interest in the team (H/T James Herbert of CBSSports.com). Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Former Hawk and current director of player personnel and GM for the Kings D-League affiliate Shareef Abdur-Rahim penned an open letter to Yahoo! Sports regarding the Hawks scandal. Abdur-Rahim recalls his time with Atlanta as a player as having little fan support, pointing out that African-American cheerleaders and fans weren’t the cause for a struggling franchise then, and aren’t now. “I personally interacted with both Bruce Levenson and Danny Ferry on multiple occasions; my experiences with both have always been pleasant,” said Abdur-Rahim. “However, their comments represent a lack of respect and sensitivity for individuals with different experiences and backgrounds than themselves. I pray both individuals learn from this situation and work to regain the trust of the great people of Atlanta.”
- Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution finds it suspicious that the leaked scouting report on Luol Deng was released after the audio of the conference call was leaked, although he stops short of asserting it was doctored. Schultz thinks the purity of the report is ultimately beside the point, considering Ferry’s failure to filter the offensive comments before reading them in any case. The Journal-Constitution scribe is disappointed in the shifts in the story from team brass, and believes the damage control attempted by Atlanta will ultimately prove to be more harmful than a more transparent approach would have been.
- Tobias Harris tells Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel that he wants to reach an agreement with the Magic on a rookie scale extension, but isn’t sure if a deal will be struck this fall. “Obviously, I want to be here,” said Harris. “I love the fans, the city of Orlando and the guys. Management knows I want to be here. It’s the perfect situation for me…I don’t know. That’s up to [Orlando].”
- A group of Basketball Insiders writers previewed the upcoming season for the Magic, Celtics, and Knicks.
Clippers Sign Hedo Turkoglu
6:56pm: Sources confirm to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com that the deal is a one-year arrangement at the veteran’s minimum.
6:31pm: The Clippers have announced the signing in a team release.
“We are happy to welcome Hedo back to the Clippers,” said Clippers president and head coach Doc Rivers. “Hedo is a versatile, veteran presence who contributed to the championship culture we are building in Los Angeles.”
5:38pm: Hedo Turkoglu‘s agency, Tandem Sports, tweeted their congratulations on his official signing with the Clippers (H/T J. Michael of CSNWashington.com). The deal hasn’t been announced by the team, but a contract has been in the works since late August.
The final salary agreement is yet to be reported, but the Clippers are among the teams only able to offer the minimum. The one-year, $1.4MM figure reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports when the two sides began nearing an agreement is in line with the minimum for a veteran of Turkoglu’s tenure. It will presumably be a guaranteed contract, which would likely put Los Angeles at 14 guaranteed roster spots, one short of the max to keep for the regular season.
The forward will play his fifteenth season for the Clippers in 2014/15, hoping to contribute more than he has in recent years. As a member of the Magic and Clippers for parts of the last two seasons, Turkoglu has scored less than 3.0 PPG and averaged at or below career lows in minutes, field goal percentage, and rebounds per contest. The veteran has career averages of 11.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.0 APG, and his 38.2% career three-point percentage is his most valuable skill at this point in his career.
Greg Monroe Signs Pistons Qualifying Offer
MONDAY, 2:09pm: The Pistons followed up with a formal announcement today, via press release.
“I have said from day one that we have great respect for Greg as a person and like what he brings to this team as a player,” Van Gundy said in the team’s statement. “We have had good dialogue with Greg throughout the offseason with the understanding that there were multiple options for both parties involved, and we respect his decision. We look forward to a great year from Greg as we continue to build our team moving forward.”
FRIDAY, 8:29pm: Monroe actually signed the qualifying offer on Wednesday, but the news simply hadn’t broken before today, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
5:25pm: Greg Monroe has signed the one-year qualifying offer Detroit extended in June, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The big man will play for close to $5.48MM in 2014/15, and become an unrestricted agent next summer. The decision is historic, as Monroe will become the biggest name to have signed a qualifying offer, one of just 18 players ever to do so.
Wojnarowski tweets that the Pistons and Monroe were unable to reach an agreement on a new long-term deal, although it’s unclear if there were any renewed negotiations since Monroe initially signaled his plans of signing the offer. Monroe denied a report that the Pistons had offered a deal worth five years and $60MM, one that was reportedly upped to a more lucrative offer by Detroit in early August. Regardless of what deal was on the table for the fifth-year big, the one-year pact will pay him well below the annual salary he would have fetched from Detroit or any other team on a long-term deal. While the contract is still a raise from what he earned on the final year of his rookie contract, he is taking it with eyes toward a much more lucrative deal next offseason. Monroe immediately becomes one of the more attractive free agents in the 2015 class.
At some point, Monroe apparently soured on the team that drafted him No. 7 in the 2010 draft. Monroe “wanted out” of Detroit, according to Wojnarowski, who adds that the Pistons were unwilling to pay him as a top NBA forward. Rather than pursuing offer sheets from other teams that the Pistons could match, he was seeking sign-and-trade agreements that would land him in a new city. However, Monroe was never dead set against remaining a Piston, and saw new coach and president Stan Van Gundy as a positive presence. Monroe’s wariness of a long-term future in Detroit may have stemmed from the team’s decision to sign Josh Smith to play alongside Monroe and Andre Drummond before the 2013/14 season. The ultra-big experiment was a disaster on the court, and Monroe was reportedly cool to Van Gundy’s optimism that the three bigs could coexist within a winning system.
When our own Chuck Myron ranked Monroe No. 5 in the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings for the year, the possibility that Monroe wouldn’t sign a long-term contract this summer seemed faint. In fact, Chuck found it likely that Monroe would agree to a max deal in his Free Agent Stock Watch piece for the 24-year-old, a much more predictable outcome for such a young and productive interior player.
The qualifying offer, which a team must extend in order to preserve the right to match other offers for a restricted free agent, is typically a placeholder until the player signs an offer sheet elsewhere or comes to a separate agreement with his incumbent team. It is rare for a player to re-sign with a team after playing out the single year on an accepted qualifying offer. Spencer Hawes did so when he inked a two-year deal with the Sixers in 2012 after taking their qualifying offer the year before, but he’s the only one, and Monroe doesn’t appear poised to follow in his footsteps. As Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News points out (on Twitter), Monroe can only be traded to a team of his choosing this season, a factor that would limit any attempt of Detroit’s to deal him away for value before losing him for nothing in unrestricted free agency next summer. The Thunder, Pelicans, Hawks, Cavs, Blazers, and Magic have all been connected to Monroe, but like Eric Bledsoe‘s situation in Phoenix, Detroit’s willingness to match offer sheets iced his prospects with clubs around the league. Wojnarowski writes that Detroit sought multiple sign-and-trade options for Monroe, most notably serious discussions with Portland.
The David Falk client has career averages of 14.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG, and has been the starting center or power forward for Detroit in 277 of 312 games in his four years with the team. The signing will leave the Pistons with approximately $13.3MM in cap space for the season, though it gives them 16 fully guaranteed deals, as our roster counts show.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images.
Ryan Hollins Meets With Heat
Ryan Hollins met with the Heat yesterday, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The veteran center is also generating interest from the Kings, Bulls, and Spurs, according to the Yahoo! scribe.
These are the first rumblings we’ve heard since Hollins hit the open market, as evidenced by his sparse Hoops Rumors player page. The 7-footer played out a one-year minimum contract with the Clippers last season, and isn’t likely to fetch any more than that this summer. The Heat and Bulls would only be able to extend a minimum offer, and the Kings don’t figure to dip into their bi-annual exception considering their ongoing efforts to remain under the luxury tax line. The Spurs have both a bi-annual and mid-level exception at their disposal, and have more wiggle room beneath the tax line, but San Antonio likely wouldn’t splurge for Hollins considering their interest in some of the market’s remaining high-profile free agents.
Hollins has played for six teams in his seven-year career, averaging 3.8 PPG and 2.2 RPG. The Stealth Sports client played just 7.9 minutes a contest for Los Angeles last year, as both DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin made a leap in the frontcourt, reducing the team’s need for Hollins to shore up the interior defense off the bench.
And-Ones: Bledsoe, Ayon, Gallinari
Derrick Rose continued to struggle offensively in Team USA’s victory over Mexico today, but both Rose and coach Tom Thibodeau insisted to reporters including K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that his passiveness and shooting woes will not carry over in the Bulls‘ season.
“Being here is great,” said Rose. “It’s getting me a chance to really get in condition and get in that rhythm I’ve been talking about. Me getting better individually defensively and seeing how I can read the game and affect the game without scoring.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Despite looking into sign-and-trade options for disgruntled restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe, the Suns are still prioritizing signing the point guard long-term, and would likely increase their four-year, $48MM offer if negotiations were revisited, reports Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Bledsoe’s agent has been unwilling to discuss any deal for less than the max.
- Gustavo Ayon is still in contract discussions with Real Madrid, a source tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). The big man is deciding between a variety of NBA and international opportunities.
- Danilo Gallinari tells La Gazzetta dello Sport (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando) that he regrets having The Steadman Clinic of Vail perform the surgery on his torn ACL in late 2012. The Nuggets small forward was expecting a relatively quick recovery, but ended up sitting out all of last season after needing additional surgeries. Gallinari referenced Russell Westbrook‘s repeat surgeries with Steadman, along with other athletes’ bumpy recoveries, as another strike against the clinic’s reputation.
Poll: Which Coach Will Be On The Hot Seat?
The summer is the season of optimism for NBA fans, with draft picks and signings set to fit perfectly and improve teams all over the league–hypothetically. Once the season begins, however, the goodwill can dry up fast. Last year, blockbuster acquisitions in Detroit and Brooklyn had set expectations high for newly hired coaches Maurice Cheeks and Jason Kidd, but both teams struggled out of the gate, placing both coaches on the hot seat. Kidd survived the season and guided the Nets to the playoffs, but the root of conflict survived as well, and Kidd bolted for Milwaukee in a bizarre power struggle. Cheeks was fired in-season, and remains without a coaching job.
Mike Woodson faced constant speculation about his own job, and lasted through the season only to be let go by incoming team president Phil Jackson. Larry Drew bore the brunt of the Kidd move, and Tyrone Corbin was let go by the Jazz, despite his baby-faced roster performing about as well as expected. Mark Jackson led the Warriors to improvement for a second consecutive season, but pushing the Clippers to a Game 7 in the opening round of the playoffs wasn’t enough to salvage his position in Golden State after some turbulence between Jackson, the rest of the coaching staff, and the front office.
In the NBA, very few jobs are ever truly “safe,” unless your last name is Popovich. Let’s look at some of the coaches who could encounter early traces of job insecurity.
1. Winning Enough? Scott Brooks, Kevin McHale, and Frank Vogel. In parts of 13 seasons combined with their current teams, these coaches have only two losing seasons between them. Brooks receives plenty of flack for his in-game strategy and roster management, despite having coached a young Thunder team to a surprise appearance in the 2012 Finals, and regularly orchestrating dominant regular season performances that have been undercut by postseason injuries to Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. After Oklahoma City’s disappointing series loss to the eventual champions in 2013/14, GM Sam Presti voiced his support for the coach moving forward.
Vogel built a defensive juggernaut that gave the Heat one of its stiffest annual challenges in the playoffs, but Indiana struggled mightily for much of the second half of last season, and the team will suffer this year from the losses of Lance Stephenson and Paul George. The Pacers squelched rumors that the coach could be let go after the team lost in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year, but Vogel will be coaching on an expiring contract unless the team grants him an extension in the coming months.
McHale has failed to take the Rockets beyond the first round in his tenure, and expectations are that the team is due to build on its success around James Harden and Dwight Howard. The front office in Houston didn’t do McHale any favors this offseason, allowing mainstays Chandler Parsons, Jeremy Lin, and Omer Asik to depart while striking out on free agent Chris Bosh.
2. First-Year Coaches: David Blatt, Steve Kerr, Derek Fisher, and Quin Snyder. Blatt was signed to coach a team that failed to reach the playoffs last season, but Cleveland has since become a championship contender with the additions of LeBron James and Kevin Love. It’s rare for a first-time head coach to cut his teeth with such enormous expectations. Kerr takes over for a team that envisions a higher ceiling than they had attained with Jackson. Kerr’s involvement in the decision to withhold Klay Thompson from a potential Love trade could come back to haunt him, especially if the star power forward thrives in Cleveland while the shooting guard’s game doesn’t take off under Kerr’s tutelage.
Fisher and Snyder figure to operate with more patient front offices and fan bases, as both were hired to develop players within their systems with an eye toward the future. Of course, “low-pressure” isn’t typical of any coaching job in the New York market, and Fisher has insisted that his team should make the playoffs this season.
3. The Clock Is Ticking: Jacque Vaughn and Brian Shaw. Vaughn has been at the helm for a rebuilding Magic team the last two years, racking up an understandably poor .262 winning percentage. While Orlando is still far from contending, the team has shored up the rotation with veteran additions and has a number of young players on schedule to provide a bigger impact. A season spent at the very bottom of league standings might be unacceptable to Magic brass, especially if the young pieces fail to pop. Shaw took the reigns for one of the Western Conference’s best teams in 2012/13, but injuries and the departure of Andre Iguodala prevented them from reaching the postseason altogether this spring. The West should be no less fierce this season, but the Nuggets have high hopes that Shaw will be working to meet in just his second year on the sidelines.
4. Anything Can Happen: Jason Kidd and Dave Joerger. Both coaches are entering their sophomore seasons as NBA head coaches after having reached the playoffs on the first try. Aside from their teams’ performances, there are strange off-the-court similarities between the two. Kidd exited Brooklyn in the aforementioned stunner, and Joerger appeared destined to leave Memphis amid a series of puzzling revelations about his relationship with Grizzlies owner Robert Pera, before the two eventually hashed out their differences and agreed on a contract extension. Both would appear to have a long leash for the coming season, but the combustible personalities in play have undermined peaceful coaching situations before.
Who do you think will find himself on rocky footing soonest in 2014/15? As we have routinely seen, ongoing success is no guarantee that a coach is in the clear. If you think I’ve failed to mention the most likely name, vote “Other” and leave your choice in the comments.