Trade Candidate: Chris Andersen
The question regarding veteran big man Chris Andersen is not whether the Heat believe he has anything left in the tank. It’s whether any other team feels that way, or is at least willing to take on his salary to acquire another rotation player off the Heat roster.
Miami tried to dump salary during the offseason in order to keep its core group intact. The Heat would like to make the 37-year-old Andersen part of that purge in order to improve their bottom line. They are over the luxury tax threshold and a repeat taxpayer. They have $91.1MM in salary guarantees for the upcoming season, including the remaining $5MM on Andersen’s contract.
They were able to move shooting guard Zoran Dragic to the Celtics and point guard Shabazz Napier to the Magic in July to gain some relief, though they had to throw in some cash in both deals to sweeten the pot. The Heat have actively shopped Andersen and point guard Mario Chalmers — who is owed $4.3MM in the final year of his deal — according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe. Miami is basically willing to give both of them away, according to Lowe, but obviously haven’t found any takers. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald recently reported that there was a soft market for the player nicknamed “Birdman.”
It’s not surprising, given that he’s 37 years old and in the twilight of his career. But according to advanced metrics, Birdman still has value. He had an above-average player efficiency rating of 16.12 last season on ESPN’s Hollinger rankings, when he averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 60 games. In fact, Andersen has posted an above average PER (with 15.0 being the baseline) in seven consecutive seasons.
This is mainly due to Andersen’s defensive prowess, even at his advanced age. He has posted a positive Defensive Box Plus/Minus rating every season of his career, according to BasketballReference.com. He has a career plus 2.8 Defensive Box rating and that was still at 2.3 last season, when the injury-riddled Heat needed him to start 20 games.
That still won’t guarantee him a rotation spot if the Heat fail to trade him during training camp. There’s plenty of competition at the center and power forward spots, especially with the free agent addition of Amar’e Stoudemire, who was signed to a one-year, $1.5MM contract in July. Hassan Whiteside is the starter at center and another veteran, Udonis Haslem, is still on the roster.
Add in starting power forward Chris Bosh, who’s back after his major health scare last season, along with Josh McRoberts and Stoudemire, and there’s not many minutes left for Birdman. Throw in the trend to use smaller lineups, which will often encourage coach Erik Spoelstra to use Bosh or Stoudemire at center, and Andersen’s role shrinks even further.
The good news for Miami is that it has time to move Andersen’s contract. The Heat have until the final day of the regular season to avert paying repeat-offender tax penalties by shedding salary.
Playoff contenders that lose a center or power forward to injury during the course of camp or the season could come calling for Birdman, knowing he can provide a steady veteran presence and solid post defense. For the time being, though, he’s an insurance policy the Heat cannot afford in the long run.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 10/5/15
It’s unusual for a prominent player to suffer a season-ending injury during the first week of training camp. That’s why the news on Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is so stunning and unexpected. Gilchrist has a torn labrum in his right shoulder and Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski calls it a season-ending injury. The Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell reports that a non-surgical alternative exists that would allow him to miss only six to eight weeks, though that would increase the possibility of tearing the labrum again.
Assuming that Kidd-Gilchrist will miss most, if not all, of the season, the Hornets suddenly have a major hole to fill. They are fortunate to have another quality small forward on the roster, as they traded for Nicolas Batum during the offseason. But the Hornets were planning to pair them together, giving them a dynamic defensive duo on the perimeter.
Jeremy Lamb is the leading candidate to start at shooting guard and Marvin Williams could wind up playing more at small forward than anticipated. P.J. Hairston and Troy Daniels could also see their minutes increase at the wing spots.
The other alternatives would be to make a trade or sign a free agent. The Hornets still have their mid-level exception to offer, though the market is pretty thin at this point.
Whichever road they choose, it will be nearly impossible to adequately replace Kidd-Gilchrist. He sets the tone for the Hornets’ defense with his ability to guard four positions. It’s no secret that the Hornets’ late-season slide during the spring coincided with Kidd-Gilchrist missing the last 11 games due to an ankle injury.
Thus, our question of the day is this: Can the Hornets still make the playoffs if Michael Kidd-Gilchrist misses the season?
Take to the comments below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
Western Notes: Thunder, Booker, Stephenson
Center Steven Adams and shooting guard Andre Roberson are working with the Thunder’s first unit, Anthony Slater of NewsOK.com reports. That puts two other prominent players, center Enes Kanter and shooting guard Dion Waiters, on the team’s second unit, Slater continues. New head coach Billy Donovan confirms that it’s no accident Adams and Roberson are playing alongside Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka in training camp practices and scrimmages, Slater adds.
In other news around the Western Conference:
- Rookie Devin Booker has shown maturity beyond his age in the early stages of the Suns’ training camp, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. “The kid knows how to play,” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek told Coro. “Most of the time defensively, he’s in the right spot. Offensively, he makes the little plays. Eighteen-year-olds sometimes get sped up and the game comes at them fast and the speed of these pro guys is a big adjustment for them. But when you watch him play, he’s in control.” Booker, the No. 13 overall pick from Kentucky, is battling Sonny Weems and Archie Goodwin for the backup shooting guard spot, Coro adds.
- Lance Stephenson is off to a slow start with the Clippers, Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times reports. Stephenson went scoreless Sunday during the Clippers’ 93-73 exhibition loss to the Raptors and has made two of 14 shots in two games. The second unit has no chemistry right now and that’s part of the problem, Bolch adds. “We’re struggling right now and we’re just getting to know each other and get in a groove,” Stephenson said to the team’s beat reporters. “I just have to take it slow, figure out my place and we all will figure out each other and I think everything will fall in place.”
- Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons is entering a pivotal season in his career, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News opines. Sefko believes that Parsons must show that he’s capable of making his teammates better as well as himself. Parsons will either take that step forward or settle in as a 15-point, 5-rebound role player, Sefko adds, with Parsons’ health being the determining factor. Parsons underwent a microfracture procedure on his right knee during the offseason.
Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Raptors, Hawks
Kristaps Porzingis‘ shooting ability has Knicks assistant coach Kurt Rambis comparing the lottery pick to Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports. “He might be a combination of both of them just because he can do so many things,” Rambis told the team’s beat reporters on Monday. “You guys haven’t seen it yet and probably all of it won’t come out for three or four or five years, either. He’s got to grow up, mature, develop, get stronger, get used to the NBA game. But he already understands basketball.” Rambis anticipates that opponents will have to craft their defensive gameplans around the team’s rookie power forward because of his “effortless 3-point range,” Bondy adds.
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- The Raptors’ unheralded free agent signings of veteran power forward Luis Scola and center Bismack Biyombo could pay large dividends, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca opines. Both are expected to play key roles off Toronto’s bench, as coach Dwane Casey values Scola for his experience and durability while Biyombo could anchor the second unit’s defense, Lewenberg continues. “His [role] is to be our defensive captain,” Casey told Lewenberg. “I think his talking, his shot blocking, his protecting the rim is off the charts.”
- Lamar Patterson has made a strong impression on his Hawks teammates as he battles for the 15th roster spot, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Kent Bazemore have all singled out Patterson as having an impressive camp, Vivlamore continues, but the 6’5” shooting guard faces competition from Terran Petteway, Earl Barron, DeQuan Jones, Edgar Sosa and Arsalan Kazemi.
- Tobias Harris is showing better accuracy on 3-point attempts above the break, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The Magic’s starting small forward became an above average 3-point shooter from the corners last season and wanted to improve in other areas around the arc, Robbins continues. He hit an above-the-break 3-pointer in the team’s preseason opener and showed that shot again in an open practice on Monday. “I think it’s a big weapon, and I think it’s only going to help our spacing on the court to extend that range out,” Harris said to Robbins. “It’s something that I’ve been working on all summer and I’m going to continue to work on.”
Central Rumors: George, Jackson, Cavs
Paul George has voiced some displeasure with the Pacers’ plan to move him to power forward, though he says he’s willing to stick with it, Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star reports. George felt overmatched trying to guard Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis in the team’s first preseason game but after meeting with coach Frank Vogel and president of basketball operations Larry Bird, George said on Monday afternoon that he would remain in that role, Buckner continues. “We’re going to still stick with it, see how it works,” he told Buckner. That fact that George lobbied to scrap the team’s entire offseason plan after one game is “lunacy,” Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel opines. But Vogel told Doyel that he’s not worried about George’s reluctance to play there. “Well, he’s going to buy in, so I’m not really sure how to answer that,” Vogel said. “We’re going to work together to figure out the best combination of all these things.”
In other news around the Central Division:
- Reggie Jackson can produce John Wall-type numbers because he has a top-notch pick-and-roll partner in Andre Drummond and plays in a system suited to his skills, according to Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com. Wall complained when the Pistons gave Jackson a five-year, $80MM contract this summer but Jackson doesn’t have to be as talented as Wall to put up gaudy statistics because the Pistons will surround him and Drummond with shooters, Tjarks continues. In contrast, Wall often plays with Nene Hilario and Marcin Gortat up front, which gives Wall less room to drive than Jackson will enjoy in Detroit, Tjarks points out. Even when the Wizards go small, they don’t have a roll man with Drummond’s talent, Tjarks adds, which means Jackson can live up to the contract just by the nature of Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy’s offensive system.
- Cavaliers center Sasha Kaun has no plans to play in Europe again, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Kaun joined the Cavs this summer as a backup to Timofey Mozgov on a two-year, $2.5MM deal after his contact with CSKA Moscow expired. “When I said I was done in Europe, I was definitely done in Europe,” Kaun told Lloyd. “Seven years was long enough. My wife [a Kansas native] made an amazing sacrifice in moving over there.” Kaun wanted to join the Cavs three years ago, Lloyd adds, but they only offered him the league mininum.
Grizzlies Waive Daniel Nwaelele
The Grizzlies waived shooting guard Daniel Nwaelele on Monday, bringing their roster down to 19 players, the team announced via press release. The 6’5” Nwaelele was signed as a free agent late last month but had little chance to stick, since Memphis has 14 players with guaranteed contracts.
Nwaelele is headed to the Warriors’ D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, international journalist David Pick reports.
Nwaelele has yet to appear on an NBA regular season roster, but he was with the Spurs for camp in 2013. He made the Warriors’ D-League team at an open tryout in 2012. He returned to the Warriors D-League team after his preseason stint with the Spurs, and in 2013/14, he averaged 12.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game. Prior to his D-League stints, Nwaelele played professionally in Israel.
The 31-year-old went undrafted out of the Air Force Academy in 2007 and then spent several years fulfilling his military commitment.
Nuggets Sign Mike Miller
10:05pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
4:51pm: Miller and the Nuggets have agreed to a one-year deal, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post reports (via Twitter).
WEDNESDAY, 3:55pm: Miller is already in Denver in anticipation of signing a deal once he clears waivers today, Stein tweets.
MONDAY, 8:22pm: The Nuggets have emerged as the strong favorites to sign veteran guard Mike Miller when he clears waivers on Wednesday, league sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. Miller, who was waived Monday by the Trail Blazers, is expected to sign a one-year contract with the Nuggets barring any late snags, Stein adds.
Miller was scheduled to make $2.8MM in the final year of his contract before he reached the buyout agreement with Portland. The move was expected when Miller was acquired by the Blazers from the Cavaliers in July.
How much playing time Miller can carve out with the Nuggets is a major question mark. Denver has four other shooting guards on its current roster — Randy Foye, Gary Harris, Will Barton and Nick Johnson. The Nuggets are also loaded at small forward, with Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler sharing minutes at that spot. However, Miller’s veteran leadership could be a bonus on a team striving to make the playoffs in the deep Western Conference.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Bryant, Warriors
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and coach George Karl called their relationship “solid” during the team’s annual media day on Monday, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. While Karl reportedly wanted to trade Cousins after he took over as the head coach late last season, they seem to have ironed out their differences, Jones continues. Cousins called Karl “my man” and said their offseason meeting in Las Vegas was vital to establishing a relationship. “When we met in Vegas, we came to a head and we talked our differences out like men,” Cousins said to Jones. “And at the end of the day, it’s about winning games. That’s one thing me and him can agree on – we want to win and that’s our goal and that’s all that really matters, winning.” Karl gave Cousins an A-plus for his offseason training and said Cousins has shown maturity, Jones adds. “I see a different player,” Karl said. “I see a different substance of character in this guy right now.”
In other news around the Pacific Division:
- Kobe Bryant feels more uncertainty about this season than any other in his career with the Lakers, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Bryant is unsure how the team will blend together after the franchise made a number of offseason moves and drafted D’Angelo Russell as their point guard, Medina continues. “It’s a big question mark,” Bryant said during the team’s media day. “We have a lot of young guys. It’s a good mix. We have some veterans as well. But guys have never played together before, so it remains to be seen.” Bryant is also unsure how he fits into that mix after enduring three season-ending injuries in as many seasons, Medina adds.
- Small forward Harrison Barnes claims that extension talks with the Warriors are “going well,” Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Barnes reportedly turned down a four-year, $64MM offer but expressed confidence during the team’s media day that a contract can be finalized before the Nov. 2nd deadline, Simmons continues. GM Bob Myers said last week that he expects the negotiations to go down to the wire, Simmons adds.
- Veteran power forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili, who is in training camp with the Clippers, feels he’s ready for the NBA again after playing in six countries over a nine-year span since leaving the United States, according to Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. “I’m just enjoying what I do,” he said to Kavner. “With this mentality, I got better. All of a sudden, I was like, ‘Yeah, I can do this.’ I think I’m ready for it.”
Southwest Rumors: Parsons, Lawson, Spurs
Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons had a “minor hybrid” microfracture operation on his right knee, sources told Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Parsons confirmed the procedure during the team’s media day session on Monday, MacMahon tweets. Parsons has not been fully cleared for the beginning of training camp but coach Rick Carlisle said he might be ready for the opener, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Wesley Matthews, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, might be ready by Christmas, Townsend reported in the same tweet. Matthews has already been ruled out for the opener by Carlisle, MacMahon adds (Twitter link).
In other news around the Southwest Division:
- Ty Lawson knows this season with the Rockets will be a pivotal one in his career, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Lawson was dealt by the Nuggets after he was arrested twice on DUI charges this year. “This is like a turning point. What kind of career are you going to have?” Lawson told Feigen.
- New Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry plans to install an up-tempo offense focused on spacing, ball movement and quick-strike scoring, John Reid of NOLA.com reports. Gentry believes he has the personnel to play that style, Reid adds. ”I think it’s going to be an exciting brand of basketball,” Gentry told Reid. “We’re going to try and get the ball up and down the floor.”
- Tim Duncan doubted that the Spurs would land free agent prize and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. “Honestly, I was betting against us … right up to the end,” Duncan told McDonald.
- Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich admitted the team needed to trade center Tiago Splitter to create financial flexibility, according to Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Splitter, who has two year and $17.35MM remaining on his contract, was shipped to the Hawks in July. “We knew if we wanted to change the team and add talent, [trading Tiago] was something we had to do,” Popovich said during the team’s media day.
Atlantic Notes: Lee, Anthony, Nets
The Celtics want David Lee to be an impact player after he accepted a reduced role with the Warriors last season during their championship run, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com reports. Lee, who was acquired from the Warriors during the summer, averaged 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game just two seasons ago, Forsberg points out. “I was very honest with the media last year. If I wasn’t frustrated there was probably something wrong with me,” Lee said during the team’s media day on Monday. “I got injured to start the season; it wasn’t like I lost my job. I got injured and the team went, I think, 19-2 to start the year and, if you’re a rookie head coach and your team is 19-2, I think the last thing you want to do is disrupt the starting lineup.” Boston is also looking for Lee to be a leader, Forsberg adds.
In other news around the Atlantic Division:
- Carmelo Anthony is convinced that Knicks president Phil Jackson still has faith in him as his franchise player, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports. Anthony doesn’t believe his window for a championship is closing or that his career is in decline because of knee issues, Bondy adds. “Even though you guys might not write about it, I think Phil still believes in me,” Anthony said during the team’s media day. “And that goes without even being said because I’m still here. For him to start this process with me, being the centerpiece of this, I respect that and I don’t want to let him down because I know that him putting me at the centerpiece of this is very big.”
- Nets rookie power forward Chris McCullough will return to the court sometime in January, coach Lionel Hollins told Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Twitter link) and the assembled media in Brooklyn. McCullough, who suffered a torn right ACL in January playing for Syracuse University, is playing it safe with his rehab and does not know of any timetable, Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com adds in a tweet.
- Anthony Bennett expected most of the summer that the Timberwolves would work a buyout deal with him and that he would join the Raptors, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets, adding that Bennett is looking forward to the fresh start. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri couldn’t pass up on the opportunity, according to Eric Koreen of the National Post (Twitter link).“For us to get a Canadian 22-year-old power forward that is athletic and can play at the minimum? We’ll take it,” Masai told Koreen.