Southeast Notes: Richardson, Heat, Napier
It was concerns regarding his long-term health that led Jason Richardson to call it a career and retire, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports writes. “I didn’t want to limp the rest of my life,” Richardson told Spears. “I still have my whole life in front of me, God willing. I sat alone at a park in Atlanta thinking and no one said anything to me because they didn’t recognize me since I just got there. I talked to my wife for an hour on the phone and then I sat for five hours thinking while listening to music before deciding that retiring was the right thing to do.” The 34-year-old had signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Hawks for the league minimum back in August. “I worked hard and had love and passion for the game,” Richardson added. “But I didn’t want to be that guy who was just there collecting a paycheck.”
Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is excited about the team’s offseason additions of Amar’e Stoudemire and Gerald Green, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. “If you had told me a year ago we would have an opportunity to sign both those players, I would have said that’s not realistic,” Spoelstra said. “We recruited Amar’e in 2010 and were fans of his game back then. His game has evolved and he has found a niche and a role the last couple of years we definitely can take advantage of. Gerald Green is an explosive player. Those type of game changing players are tough to find in this league. He has been very committed to get to know us and also be in a great shape. To be part of a championship culture and a team with high expectations. I told him you put on this jersey, there are different expectations. He loves the challenge of that.”
- Point guard Shabazz Napier, whom the Magic acquired from Miami back in July, is expected to be the team’s third point guard behind Elfrid Payton and C.J. Watson, but the hope is that he can be developed into a future asset, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes.
- The Magic are pleased with the progress they have seen from Payton, who is entering his second season in the league, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel relays. When asked about the young guard’s outside shooting, coach Scott Skiles said, “It’s better. He’s put in a lot of time. He’s dedicated himself to it. Obviously, it doesn’t stop just because the season starts. Elfrid’s a talented guy. He’s still a young player. It’s a tough position to learn. Generally, guys aren’t totally polished at that in their second year in the NBA. But as I said before, ‘progress, not perfection.’ We just want him to continue to make progress, and we’re really high on him.“
Western Notes: Rivers, Grizzlies, Rush
Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that almost losing DeAndre Jordan to the Mavericks made him realize how fragile a franchise’s window of contention can be, and it pushed him to improve the team as a whole this summer. “Losing him would’ve always gnawed at me,” Rivers said. “But it wouldn’t have stopped me. I would’ve said, [expletive] that, we’re going to figure out a way to get this right.’ But it also triggered something else for me. It might have been my front-office wake-up call. I was not a pleasant guy to me, or my staff, after I thought we lost him – and even after we got him back. We had a lot of ‘come-to-Jesus’ meetings.”
“And we rolled up our sleeves, and we got better,” Rivers continued. “Listen, maybe it’s because when we got here, the team was pretty good and we didn’t think we had to get that much better. I don’t know why. At end of the day, even the way D.J. did it, it turned out to be a blessing for our franchise. For me, it made me understand fully. We’ve got to do this [expletive] right, and build this team. It’s our responsibility.”
Here’s more from out West:
- It remains to be seen if the Grizzlies can manufacture enough offense from the outside to take the next step toward a title, and while the team has improved in this area over the summer, Memphis may be lucky just to escape the first round of the playoffs, Tim Bontemps of New York Post (Facebook link) opines in his season preview.
- After a 2014/15 campaign that saw him shoot an abysmal 11.1% from beyond the arc, Brandon Rush hopes to emerge as a viable sixth man candidate for the Warriors this season, Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com writes. “It was a bad year for me, an awful year,” Rush told Poole. “It was one of the worst years I’ve ever had, individually. I’ve shot in the mid-40s [from three-point range] for most of my career. To be able to go out there last year and not be able to make a shot, not be able to play . . . it made me hungry to get into the gym and go hard this summer.”
Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 25)
The start of NBA training camps is less than a week away, and teams are in the process of finalizing their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.
We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the fifth worst overall record, or at No. 25 overall. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.
Previous Selections:
- No. 30: 76ers
- No. 29: Knicks
- No. 28: Nuggets
- No. 27: Lakers
- No. 26: Nets
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Lakers Sign Metta World Peace
6:18pm: The signing is official, the Lakers announced.
4:31pm: The Lakers and unrestricted free agent forward Metta World Peace have agreed to a deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. It will be a one-year, minimum salary arrangement that’s non-guaranteed, Wojnarowski adds. The contract is expected to be signed today and the veteran will take his physical on Friday, notes Wojnarowski.
The 35-year-old did not play in the NBA last season. He appeared in 29 games with the Knicks in 2013/14. Last season, he played 15 games for the Sichuan Blue Whales in the Chinese Basketball Association before a knee injury sidelined him. He finished out the season with Pallacanestro Cantu in the Italian League, averaging 13.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. World Peace does have a history with the Lakers, having played four seasons with them before joining the Knicks after Los Angeles used the amnesty provision to cut him loose. He appeared in 75 games with the Lakers in 2012/13, his final season in L.A., averaging 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists while making 66 starts.
World Peace is expected to make the regular season roster and play a role as a small forward off the bench, as well as to act as a veteran extension of coach Byron Scott in the young Lakers locker room, Wojnarowski writes. The addition of World Peace gives Los Angeles a roster count of 19 players, 12 of whom have fully guaranteed pacts.
Cavs To Re-Sign Tristan Thompson?
5:48pm: Broussard tweeted an update to his initial report, noting that Thompson is willing to sign a the previously reported three-year deal, but the Cavaliers have not yet agreed to that proposal.
5:25pm: Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal refutes the report that the two sides have agreed to a deal (Twitter link). Lloyd indicates that no deal has been struck, and that the Cavs are not interested in signing Thompson to the reported terms.
5:11pm: Power forward Tristan Thompson has agreed to re-sign with the Cavaliers, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It will be a three-year, $53MM deal, Broussard adds. The return of Thompson, who is a restricted free agent, will increase Cleveland’s roster count to 18 players.
The two sides apparently reached a compromise, with Cleveland having reportedly offered Thompson a five-year, $80MM deal previously, while the forward’s camp was reportedly holding out for a max deal worth $94MM over the same span, according to a report by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Cavs were operating under the threat that Thompson would sign the team’s one-year qualifying offer of nearly $6.8MM in order to become an unrestricted free agent next year.
His agent, Rich Paul, recently claimed that if Thompson would not re-sign with the Cavs for the long-term in 2016 if he signed that qualifying offer. Paul also has reportedly heard from three NBA teams that are willing to offer his client a max salary next summer if he hits unrestricted free agency. The agent reportedly believed that he could land a max deal from the Raptors for Thompson, a Toronto native, but it’s unclear if they were one of the three teams.
Thompson, 24, appeared in 82 games for the Cavs in 2014/15, averaging 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per contest. His career numbers through four NBA seasons are 10.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 0.8 APG to go along with a slash line of .488/.000/.633.
Magic Sign Jordan Sibert
SEPTEMBER 24TH, 4:16pm: The signing is official, the team announced in a press release.
AUGUST 29TH, 8:46am: The Magic have agreed to a deal with undrafted free agent guard Jordan Sibert, David Jablonski of The Dayton Daily News reports. The length and terms of the contract are unknown, but it is likely a minimum salary training camp deal, though that is merely my speculation.
Sibert, 23, played in three contests for the Magic’s summer league team in Orlando back in July and averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He spent his first two collegiate seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Dayton. Sibert’s career NCAA averages are 9.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists to accompany a slash line of .430/.364/.738.
Orlando already has a roster count of 16 players, including 13 with fully guaranteed pacts. The team is especially deep in the backcourt, and Sibert definitely can be considered a longshot to make the regular season roster. It’s quite possible that the team has designs on sending Sibert to its D-League affiliate in Erie for the 2015/16 campaign after getting a look at the guard in training camp, though that is purely speculation.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/23/15
The Grizzlies reportedly looked into acquiring Danilo Gallinari at the trade deadline this past season, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe, which corroborates a report from June indicating that Memphis was pursuing the combo forward as the draft neared. Denver instead held on to him, even though they “absolutely could have” scored first-round picks for Gallinari or Wilson Chandler, as Lowe wrote. Both signed renegotiations-and-extensions this summer with Denver, a place Gallinari loves, according to Lowe’s report, making him a relative rarity among top-level players and extra valuable to the Nuggets.
This brings me to the question/topic of the day: Should the Nuggets have dealt Danillo Gallinari last season when the opportunity was available?
While Gallinari’s strong second half of the 2014/15 campaign, as well as his excellent performance during this summer’s Eurobasket qualifying tournament, certainly bode well for the future, the 27-year-old’s injury history makes it difficult to count on the Italian forward for a full season. Would Denver, a team in the midst of a full rebuild, have been better served to deal Gallinari to Memphis for draft picks?
On one side of the argument, I can make the case that it would have been worth it for Denver to do so, as the extra draft pick(s), as well as the increased odds of securing next season’s No. 1 overall pick if Gallinari were indeed subtracted from the roster, would certainly aid in hastening the team’s overhaul. Dealing the forward would have also eliminated the yearly worry that Gallinari would miss significant time due to some malady. Of course, the argument could easily be made that the Nuggets have a great shot at securing the top overall pick in 2016 regardless of Gallinari’s presence, and having the forward on hand will at least make the team watchable on a nightly basis for its fans. In addition, Denver isn’t viewed around the league as a free agent destination, so retaining talent is paramount for the Nuggets as they move forward.
But what do you think? Should Denver have pulled the trigger on a trade? If so, what sort of return would they needed to have received to make such a deal worthwhile? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Eastern Notes: Wade, Celtics, Bulls
The Heat don’t plan on Dwyane Wade playing under a minutes restriction this season, and coach Erik Spoelstra wants to utilize the veteran shooting guard as much as possible in 2015/16, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. “Dwyane has to be our leader,” Spoelstra said. “He’s grown in that role and with new veteran players, everybody naturally turns to Dwyane as the cornerstone of our franchise and they turn to [Chris Bosh] and they turn to [Udonis Haslem]. He’s fully accepted that responsibility. Dwyane is coming into this season ready for whatever challenges it brings, and I’m not coaching him with restrictions in mind. We’ll adapt and be aware of anything that may come up as the season goes on.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Center Tyler Zeller thinks that the Celtics‘ stocked frontcourt will be a boon to the team, despite him having extra competition for playing time, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. “I think [the frontcourt will] be good,” said Zeller. “Hopefully we can learn from Amir [Johnson] and David [Lee]. I know David has had a lot of success all over the board in being an All-Star, winning a championship, those kind of things. Hopefully we can learn a lot from him and he can push us in the right direction and help us become a better team. I’m really looking forward to playing with them. I think they are going to be great assets to us and hopefully help us take that next step.“
- The Bulls are expected to have much more freedom on the offensive end under new coach Fred Hoiberg than they previously did under former coach Tom Thibodeau, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “Obviously it’s going to be different,” swingman Jimmy Butler said of his new coach. “I’ve studied some film with my trainer how [Iowa State] played in college. We go over some of the offensive schemes [Hoiberg’s] told me and my trainer about. So we work that into our workouts, but it’s definitely going to be different. I think it’s not going to be so much concentrated on defense like it was [with] Thibs. I think it’s actually going to be more offense [minded].“
- The Wizards believe that a healthy Bradley Beal and John Wall, along with the team’s stout frontline, give the team potential for significant growth, which is one reason the team held off from making a splash in free agency this summer, the crew at Basketball Insiders write in their season preview of the team. Washington has the capability to make it to the second round of this year’s playoffs, but advancing to the Conference Finals is unlikely with the current roster, the panel concludes.
Jason Richardson To Retire
10:26pm: Richardson had experienced pain in his right knee four to five days ago and then had an MRI that revealed bone spurs, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links). The guard made his decision on Tuesday after deliberating for six hours, and he informed Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer earlier today of his choice, Spears adds. Richardson, who already has issues with his left knee, feared that his ability to walk would be impaired for the rest of his life, which played a major factor in his decision, Spears tweets.
8:41pm: Veteran NBA shooting guard Jason Richardson has decided to call it a career, and has announced his retirement via his personal Instagram account. In his announcement, Richardson writes, “Today is a bitter sweet moment for me. I’m officially announcing my retirement from pro basketball. I like to thank the organizations and fans in Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando, Philly and especially The Bay Area for their loyal support the past 14 years. Walking away was the hardest decision I had to make but choosing my health and spending time with my family is more important to me! God bless!” There has been no statement released by the Hawks as of yet regarding Richardson’s retirement.
The 34-year-old had signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Hawks for the league minimum back in August. While Richardson was once one of the more dynamic scorers in the league, various injuries derailed his career the past few seasons, limiting him to appearing in an average of just 26.5 games per year since the 2011/12 season. His retirement reduces Atlanta’s preseason roster count to 18 players.
Richardson had appeared in 19 contests for the Sixers last season, averaging 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 21.9 minutes per games. He also played for Warriors, Hornets, Suns, and Magic during the course of his career. Richardson’s career numbers through 13 NBA campaigns are 17.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.7 RPG to go along with a slash line of .438/.370/.707.
Pacific Notes: Butler, Hibbert, Leuer
The Kings‘ locker room could be rather volatile this season given some of the strong personalities present, and the team is likely to rely on veteran forward Caron Butler to act as a stabilizing influence, Alec J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today writes. Butler, who inked a two-year, minimum salary deal with Sacramento this offseason, understands that he was brought in more for his intangibles than for his statistics, the USA Today scribe notes. “Off general principle, you get a certain respect for being around for so long and guys just respect you,” Butler said. “But at the same time, you gradually come to the position to address issues vocally. I’m more of a guy that likes pulling guys to the side to just talk to them one on one and educate them.”
Here’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- One storyline for the Lakers during the 2015/16 campaign will be how well center Roy Hibbert will fit in with the team, and if he’ll play his way into being either a part of the franchise’s future, or become a possible trade deadline asset, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes.
- Jon Leuer, after having spent the last month working out in Phoenix, is excited about what he can do in the Suns‘ offense given his strong outside shooting, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “Seeing how we can get up and down, just being able to run the floor and play at this pace are things that will really help,” Leuer said. “I feel one of the undervalued parts of my game is how I can get out and run. And seeing where the shots will come and how they come is something I feel really comfortable with.” The 26-year-old was acquired in a draft day trade with the Grizzlies. Coro recently took part in our interview series, “The Beat,” and weighed in on a number of topics related to the Suns.
- With the team’s stars now surrounded by a solid and versatile supporting cast, the Clippers will be expected to advance deep into the playoffs, writes Tim Bontemps of The New York Post (Facebook link) in his season preview. If Los Angeles is unable to do so, it may be time for the franchise to consider making significant roster changes, Bontemps adds.