Suns Exercise 2016/17 Options On Trio
The Suns have exercised their 2016/17 options on shooting guard Archie Goodwin, center Alex Len and small forward T.J. Warren, according to a team release. Goodwin and Len will be entering their fourth seasons in 2016/17, while Warren will be entering his third season.
Phoenix adds approximately $9MM in salary commitments after already handing out nearly $51MM in guaranteed contracts next season. Most of that guaranteed money was delved out to four starters — the backcourt of Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe, power forward Markieff Morris and center Tyson Chandler.
Goodwin’s option is worth $2,094,089, while Len has a $4,823,621 salary for his fourth season. Warren will make $2,128,920 next season.
Goodwin averaged 5.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 13.0 minutes in 41 games last season. Len averaged 6.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 22.0 minutes in 69 games. Warren, the 14th pick of the 2014 draft, averaged 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 15.4 minutes in 40 games.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 10/19/15
The Southwest Division was undeniably the toughest in the NBA last season. All five teams made the playoffs and the last-place club, the Pelicans, finished eight games over .500. That division appears loaded once again and could very well produce five playoff teams for the second consecutive season.
The Rockets, who won the division last season, have the dynamic duo of Dwight Howard and James Harden. The Grizzlies retained their best player, Marc Gasol, by signing the unrestricted free agent to a five-year deal worth more than $100MM.
The Spurs are on everyone’s short list of serious contenders for the championship after signing free agent LaMarcus Aldridge to a four-year deal worth approximately $80MM. The Mavericks failed to land DeAndre Jordan but still have a wily group of veterans and one of the league’s premier coaches in Rick Carlisle. The Pelicans have the league’s best young player, Anthony Davis, and a highly-respected new coach in Alvin Gentry.
Deciding which division ranks as the second-toughest in the league is much more debatable. The East’s Central Division boasts the Cavaliers, Bulls and Bucks — all playoff teams last season — along with the improving Pistons and Pacers, who get Paul George back for a full season.
The Southeast has the Hawks, who won 60 games last season, plus the formidable Wizards and the Heat, who get back Chris Bosh after his major health scare. The Magic also have an intriguing group of young talent while the Hornets added Nicolas Batum.
The Pacific has the league’s reigning champion in the Warriors along with another of the league’s premier teams in the Clippers. The Suns finished close to .500 last season, while Kings and Lakers should be more respectable coming off poor seasons.
So, our question of the day is: Which division do you consider to be the next best or even better than the loaded Southwest?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
Southwest Rumors: Duncan, Mavs, Grizzlies
Tim Duncan is trying to sort out where he fits into the Spurs’ pecking order with the emergence of small forward Kawhi Leonard and the addition of power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. With high-scoring Aldridge at power forward, Duncan is likely to spend more time in the high post and use his passing skills, Wright continues. “My role has changed a little bit this year,” Duncan told Wright. “I’m trying to figure that part of it out. But it’s fun to be out there. It’s fun to be with the guys that I’ve been with for so many years and some new guys that I’m learning.” Even before Aldridge joined the Spurs, Duncan’s role in the offense was reduced, Wright notes. His usage rate of 22.2% last season was the lowest of his career but his true shooting percentage of .560 tied his best since 2006/07, Wright adds.
In other news around the Southwest Division:
- International veteran Salah Mejri has fought his way into the mix for a rotation spot with the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports. The 7’2” Mejri gives the Mavs length at center and has displayed shot-blocking and rebounding skills during the preseason, Sefko continues. However, he needs to work on his strength, Sefko adds. Mejri received a guaranteed rookie minimum of $525,093 from Dallas.
- Power forward Jarnell Stokes seems to have fallen out of favor with the Grizzlies and that could help journeyman center Ryan Hollins gain a roster spot, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Stokes only played six minutes in the team’s preseason game on Sunday, while coach Dave Joerger has made a point of praising Hollins, Herrington continues. With Marc Gasol as the only other true center on the roster, Hollins might fill a bigger need, Herrington adds. Stokes has a guaranteed contract worth $845,059 this season, while Hollins’ $947,276 deal is not guaranteed.
- Rookie center Joshua Smith is getting extensive court time as he battles for the Rockets‘ final roster spot, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Injuries to big men Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones and Clint Capela have allowed Smith, who has a non-guaranteed deal worth $525,093, to make an impression on the coaching staff. “You look at a guy in my position – just trying to make the team – any chance you get to start, you have to take advantage,” Smith told Feigen. “I’m humbled they’re giving me a lot of opportunities. I just have to keep trying to make the best out of them.”
Southeast Notes: Heat, Mack, Webster
Center Hassan Whiteside‘s injury-plagued preseason has prevented the Heat starting five from gaining any continuity, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Miami’s projected starting group of Whiteside, forwards Chris Bosh and Luol Deng, and guards Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic have only played together for one game, Winderman points out. Whiteside has appeared in one preseason game and that has affected the team’s chemistry on the court, Bosh told Miami reporters. “It’s knowing what sets we can go to when things get tight,” Bosh said. “And the only way to kind of do that is to go through what we’re going through, go through different situations, get frustrated, fail a couple of times, and then really go back to the drawing board and be honest with it. But we’re getting there.”
In other news around the Southeast Division:
- Hawks point guard Shelvin Mack had to work himself into playing shape during camp after recovering from shoulder surgery, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Mack, who was cleared for basketball activities at the start of camp, has scored 23 points in the last two preseason games after playing sparingly in the Hawks’ first three games. “I didn’t have a chance to play in the summer; my first day of playing was the opening day of training camp,” Mack told Vivlamore. “I wasn’t able to do a lot this summer.”
- Hawks camp invite Edgar Sosa has reached an agreement with Petrochimi in Iran, international basketball expert David Pick tweets. Sosa, a 27-year-old point guard, played in Germany and Italy over the past two seasons.
- Wizards small forward Martell Webster recently traveled to Nebraska for a second opinion on his ailing right hip, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. Webster, who had physical therapy this summer at the same location, hasn’t appeared in any of Washington’s five preseason games and his return remains unclear, Castillo adds. Webster appeared in just 32 regular-season games last season because of a back injury and shot a career-worst 23.3% on 3-point attempts.
Western Rumors: Warriors, Green, Ingles
The Warriors remain uncertain when coach Steve Kerr can return to the team on a full-time basis, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Ethan Sherwood Strauss report. Kerr, who underwent two offseason back surgeries, was with the club on its weeklong preseason trip through Southern California, but there’s no timetable on when he can coach on a daily basis, the story continues. ”He still doesn’t know,” interim coach Luke Walton told reporters after the team’s practice on Monday. “He’s not going to force a return.”
In other news around the Western Conference:
- Clippers coach Doc Rivers feels the Warriors are too thin-skinned about recent comments he made about them, according to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area Sports Group. In an interview with Grantland, Rivers insinuated that the Warriors were lucky they didn’t have to play his club or the Spurs in the playoffs last season, Leung continues. He told reporters on Monday that he’s taken aback by the Warriors’ strong reaction to that notion, Leung adds. “I’m really surprised how sensitive they are about it,” Rivers said. “They are the champions, so they can just be the champions.” Walton told Leung that Rivers is playing mind games with the champions. “It doesn’t make much sense if it’s not,” Walton said. “There’s no other reason to bring that type of stuff up.”
- Second-year point guard Erick Green is making a strong case for a Nuggets roster spot even though he doesn’t have a guaranteed contract, Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post writes. New coach Michael Malone has raved about Green during camp, though Green suffered a temporary setback with a minor knee injury, the story continues. Green, who could make $845,059 if he stays with the team through the season, bounced back with a 16-point, four-assist outing against the Thunder on Sunday night. But the club would have to move one of 15 players with guaranteed contracts in order to retain Green, Dempsey points out.
- Jazz forward Joe Ingles had more difficulty deciding to take the summer off than he did re-signing with the club, Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Ingles stayed put by inking a two-year, $4.3MM deal, then opted not to participate in the Australian national team’s Olympic qualifiers over the summer. “I’m not going to say it was like the hardest decision of my life, but it was something that weighed on me for a little bit,” he told Falk. “I did want to play.”
Warriors Sign Swingman Xavier Henry
The Warriors have signed swingman Xavier Henry to an undisclosed contract, the club announced Monday via press release. The Warriors apparently view Henry as an insurance policy. He was signed for the purpose of eventually playing for the team’s D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group tweets.
The 24-year-old Henry averaged 2.2 points and 9.6 minutes in nine games with the Lakers last season before rupturing his left Achilles tendon in practice last November. The Lakers waived Henry in late December while he was in the early stages of his recovery.
The 6’6” Henry has also played for the Grizzlies and Pelicans organizations. Originally selected by the Grizzlies as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Henry has appeared in 185 games during his career.
Presumably, Henry could eventually work his way into the mix on the Warriors’ 15-man roster if Golden State has injuries and Henry can show that he’s all the way back from his injury.
Golden State’s training camp roster now stands at 19 players.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 10/12/15
Every season seems to have at least one team that exceeds all expectations and challenges for the top spot in its conference. Last season, we saw that occur in both conferences.
The Warriors were considered a team on the upswing entering last season but there were still serious doubts about their ability to contend. They had a first-year head coach, Steve Kerr, who had no previous experience running an NBA club. The core of the team was young and talented but had yet to make a deep playoff run. Everyone knew their backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson could shoot but would a perimeter-oriented team thrive throughout an 82-game schedule? Could Andrew Bogut stay healthy for most of the season and carry their interior defense? And just how much more could Draymond Green, a second-round pick, expand his game?
The Warriors answered all the questions with an exclamation point and carried that success over to the postseason during their dream season.
Don’t forget that a similar story unfolded in the Eastern Conference. While the Hawks had a disappointing playoff run, they enjoyed a regular-season run that nearly matched the Warriors’ dominance. The Hawks won 60 games, seven more than the much-heralded Cavaliers.
What made it even more impressive was that the Hawks did it with a core group that even today, most casual fans would have trouble naming. Who considered DeMarre Carroll to be one of the better small forwards in the league prior to last season? How many people thought Jeff Teague and aging gunner Kyle Korver would form one of the league’s most potent backcourt duos? Who thought center Al Horford could make it through a season without another significant injury?
Atlanta’s sudden rise was an eye opener. But that was last year. Somewhere out on the NBA landscape, another team without much hype is about to make a charge toward the top spot.
That brings us to today’s question: Which team will be the league’s biggest surprise and emerge as a contender this season?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. Also, be sure to check back later on, as we’ll be responding to readers throughout the evening. We look forward to what you have to say!
And-Ones: Young, Afflalo, Pelicans
Rookie Joseph Young has earned the Pacers’ backup point guard job, according to Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. Pacers coach Frank Vogel announced on Monday that the second-round pick had taken that spot after making a strong impression through the first three preseason games, Taylor continues. Young, who is averaging 11.3 points, has displayed the quickness needed to get to the rim and make shots over taller defenders, Taylor adds. “He’s going to struggle at times,” Vogel told Taylor. “We’re committed to getting [Young and first-round rookie Myles Turner] some minutes early on as long as they keep proving themselves and having the right approach. We want to see how they develop early on.”
In other news around the league:
- The opportunity to play with Carmelo Anthony again was a major reason why Arron Afflalo signed with the Knicks, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports in his weekly column. Afflalo and Anthony were teammates on the Nuggets from 2009-11. “It was a mixture of individual opportunity, and maybe some unforeseen potential,” Afflalo told Aldridge. “I get to play with ‘Melo again, and I knew the coaching staff. I knew the management. I knew what they were trying to build.” Afflalo signed a two-year, $16MM contract with a player option in July.
- The Pelicans could add another point guard to their training camp roster in the next few days, John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. Backup Norris Cole suffered a high ankle sprain in practice on Sunday which could jeopardize his status for opening night, according to the team’s website.
- The NBA is exploring the possibility of having a D-League team in Omaha, Nebraska, Chris Reichert of UpsideMotor.com reports. Gary Green, who owns a minor league baseball team in Omaha, said in a recent interview with Omaha.com that he has talked to NBA and D-League representatives and a deal is in place, Reichert continues. However, Green is struggling to find an affiliation because NBA teams prefer to have their D-League team close to home, Reichert adds.
Northwest Notes: Gallinari, Kaman, Timberwolves
Danilo Gallinari will often move from small forward to power forward this season to take advantage of offensive skills, Pat Graham of the Associated Press reports. Gallinari played a lot of power forward for Italy at the EuroBasket tournament, where he averaged nearly 18 points a game, and new Nuggets coach Michael Malone plans to use the same tactic, Graham continues. “He’s 6’10”. He can handle the ball. He can play pick-and-roll. He can stretch the floor and shoot the 3,” Malone said in the story. “There’s not a lot he can’t do offensively.” Gallinari is eager to step into the role as a go-to guy, Graham adds. “I’ve always been trying to do that, since I came to Denver,” Gallinari told Graham. “That’s what I like to do. I feel good filling those shoes.”
In other news around the Northwest Division:
- Veteran center Chris Kaman is unlikely to get much playing time this season, but he still believes he can serve a valuable role with the Trail Blazers, according to Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Kaman is behind Meyers Leonard, Mason Plumlee, Ed Davis and Noah Vonleh at the power forward and center spots, and Al-Farouq Aminu is also likely to get minutes at power forward, Richman continues. But Kaman feels like he can contribute in other ways, as he told Richman. “I still feel like I can provide a lot on or off the court for this team,” he said. “If my role is to be the guy that’s helping guys off the bench and I get a little bit of minutes here and there, I’m going to play as hard as I can.”
- Nuggets point guard Jameer Nelson wants to go into coaching but he has no plans to retire at the moment, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post reports. He has already made an immediate impression on Malone with his mentoring skills. “I have the utmost confidence in Jameer Nelson as a leader,” Malone said to Dempsey. Nelson held a summertime team bonding session at his Philadelphia-area home and has been instructing rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay in camp, Dempsey adds.
- Anthony Bennett decided to explore a buyout with the Timberwolves after he met with his agent, Jeff Schwartz, following his stint with Team Canada this summer, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Schwartz recommended the change of scenery since the Timberwolves had a logjam at power forward, the story continues. Bennett had other options, including the Trail Blazers, after he cleared waivers before signing with the Raptors.
Southeast Rumors: Wizards, Lamb, Hawks
John Wall believes the Wizards will be able to play with a faster tempo now that aging small forward Paul Pierce has joined the Clippers, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports in his weekly column. The Wizards’ floor leader feels that with Otto Porter at that spot in place of Pierce, the club will be able to rely much more on its transition game. “We kind of wanted to be a halfcourt team because he couldn’t get up and down the floor,” Wall told Aldridge. “He’s not the young Paul any more. And he helped us out a lot in so many other ways, making big shots and being a leader. But now it’s going to be an opportunity to let Otto exhale, running the floor, being able to create off the dribble, him slashing to the basket, and just anybody that comes into that position.” The Wizards were just 16th in pace last season but coach Randy Wittman wants more possessions, Aldridge adds. “If you have the ball, and you have an open shot, you’re shooting it,” Wittman said to Aldridge. “If you don’t, you’ve either got to pass, or dribble penetration. You can’t hold it and dribble and dribble.”
In other news around the Southeast Division:
- Shooting guard Jeremy Lamb has the most upside among the Hornets’ offseason acquisitions, Ken Berger of CBS Sports opines. With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist likely out for the season, Lamb could be a starter on the wing alongside small forward Nicolas Batum. But Lamb either has to display an improved jump shot or develop his drive game and get to the paint in order to take full advantage of the opportunity, Berger continues. The Hornets’ front office tried to acquire Lamb long before he was finally made available by the Thunder, Berger adds. Lamb was dealt in June to Charlotte for Luke Ridnour and a protected second rounder.
- The Hawks are experimenting with a big lineup of Tiago Splitter at center, Al Horford at power forward and Paul Millsap at small forward but the results have been mixed thus far, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. “Obviously, we have a lot of good big guys,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told Vivlamore. “We are trying to figure out a way to play them together.” The Hawks were 28th in the NBA in rebounds last season and the big lineup could help improve that figure, Vivlamore adds.
- The Magic have not found any superstars with their recent lottery picks but they could all contribute the team’s revival, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports.