Week In Review 7/26/15-8/1/15
The public funding plan for a new Bucks arena in Milwaukee received approval from the Wisconsin State Assembly by a 52-34 vote this past Tuesday. The measure passed the state senate two weeks ago and now heads to Governor Scott Walker for his signature. Walker has consistently supported the idea of a new building that would keep the team from leaving town. State, county and city leaders have been under pressure from the league to make sure an arena is ready by the start of the 2017/18 season, with the NBA having threatened to take the team away from owners Marc Lasry, Wesley Edens and Jamie Dinan and sell it to others who would move the team. The public is on the hook for half of the arena’s expected $500MM cost. Here’s more from the week that was…
Trades
- The Cavs dealt Brendan Haywood and Mike Miller to the Blazers and Cleveland created two trade exceptions as a result of the transaction — one for $10.5MM and another for $2.85MM — and also received cash from Portland.
- The Magic acquired Shabazz Napier from the Heat in exchange for a protected 2016 second-round pick.
- The Celtics acquired Zoran Dragic from the Heat in return for a protected 2019 second-round selection.
- The Warriors acquired Jason Thompson from the Sixers in exchange for Gerald Wallace. Philly also obtains the right to swap the lesser of the 2016 first-round picks coming their way from the Heat and the Thunder for Golden State’s 2016 first-round pick.
You can keep up with all of the offseason trades here.
Free Agent Signings
Eastern Conference
- The Pacers re-signed Lavoy Allen.
- Jae Crowder re-signed with the Celtics.
- The Pacers re-signed forward Shayne Whittington.
- Glenn Robinson III inked a deal with the Pacers.
- The Cavaliers re-signed point guard Matthew Dellavedova.
- Corey Walden inked a training camp deal with the Celtics.
- The Knicks signed Wesley Saunders.
- The Hornets signed a training camp deal with Elliot Williams.
- The Knicks re-signed Louis Amundson.
- The Bucks inked Chris Copeland.
- The Knicks and Sasha Vujacic agreed to a one-year deal.
Western Conference
- The Mavericks signed undrafted Arizona power forward Brandon Ashley.
- Jamil Wilson signed with the Mavericks.
- The Warriors agreed to sign shooting guard Ian Clark.
- The Clippers and undrafted center Yanick Moreira have a training camp deal.
- Will Barton re-signed with the Nuggets.
- The Spurs agreed to sign Youssou Ndoye to a training camp pact.
- Marcus Thornton signed a deal with the Rockets.
- The Mavericks inked veteran center Samuel Dalembert.
- The Thunder signed Josh Huestis.
- The Mavericks signed center Salah Mejri.
- The Rockets agreed to a deal with center Chuck Hayes.
- The Wolves struck a deal with guard Andre Miller.
- The Mavs signed Jeremy Evans.
You can stay up to date on all of the signings with Hoops Rumors’ free agent tracker.
2015 NBA Draft Pick Signings
- The Celtics signed No. 16 overall pick Terry Rozier and No. 28 overall pick R.J. Hunter to rookie scale contracts.
- The Pacers signed No. 36 overall pick Rakeem Christmas.
- The Nuggets signed No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay to a rookie scale deal.
- The Heat signed No. 40 overall pick Josh Richardson.
- The Sixers signed the 37th overall pick Richaun Holmes.
- The Knicks signed first-round picks Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant to rookie scale deals.
You can stay up to date on all of the 2015 NBA Draft signings here.
Waivers
- The Heat waived Henry Walker.
- The Trail Blazers waived Brendan Haywood.
- The Knicks waived Ricky Ledo.
- The Kings waived Eric Moreland.
- The Pelicans waived Toney Douglas.
International Signings
- Former No. 6 overall pick Ekpe Udoh signed with Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey.
- Former Warriors center Ognjen Kuzmic signed with Panathinaikos of Greece.
- Nikola Milutinov, whom the Spurs drafted with the No. 26 overall pick, signed a three-year deal with Olympiacos of Greece.
- Two-year NBA veteran center Justin Hamilton signed with Valencia Basket of Spain.
- Larry Drew II signed a deal with AS Monaco Basket in France.
- Olimpia Milano signed small forward Robbie Hummel.
- Shavlik Randolph signed with the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association.
- Germany’s Ratiopharm Ulm signed guard DeAndre Kane.
- Former Mavericks center Bernard James signed a deal with the Shanghai Sharks of China.
- Jerel McNeal signed to play for Aris Thessaloniki following his release from the Suns earlier this month.
Coaching News
- The Kings hired Nancy Lieberman to head coach George Karl‘s staff.
- Golden State promoted Luke Walton to lead assistant to replace Alvin Gentry.
- The Suns officially added Earl Watson, Nate Bjorkgren and Jason Fraser to their coaching staff.
- The Raptors hired Jerry Stackhouse, Rex Kalamian, and Andy Greer as assistant coaches.
And-Ones: Faried, Deng, DeRozan
The growing sense around the Nuggets is that the team wants to see if Michael Malone can mentor Kenneth Faried the way he reached DeMarcus Cousins with the Kings, and it seems highly unlikely that Denver will trade the power forward before the start of the season, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Heat want to hold on to Luol Deng and see how well the team can play, sources close to the organization tell Kyler, but if Miami underwhelms, Kyler believes Miami would put Deng on the block.
- The Raptors are not entertaining trades for DeMar DeRozan, sources close to the team informed Kyler.
- The additions that the Clippers made this offseason to bolster their bench have made them the NBA’s most improved team heading into the 2015/16 campaign, opines Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). Doolittle also calls out the Hornets and Mavericks as teams that have made positive strides this Summer, while listing the Nets, Sixers, and Suns as franchises that have taken a step back this offseason.
- With the NBA’s salary cap expected to increase dramatically next Summer there are a number of pending free agents who stand to benefit from the windfall, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) writes. Some under-the-radar players who can expect significant pay increases on their next contracts include Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Hornets), Harrison Barnes (Warriors), Langston Galloway (Knicks), and Jordan Clarkson (Lakers), Pelton opines.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: McDonough, Kings, Brown
The month of August will see GM Ryan McDonough transition to a new role with the Suns, with him taking over the responsibilities of departing president of basketball operations Lon Babby, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “It’s good for everybody to make the change that we made,” Babby said. “In any good leader’s job, the most important thing you can do is plan for the next leader, the next succession. I think we’ve done that. This next year will give us a chance to transition, not only with Ryan but also with Trevor [Bukstein, assistant GM] and Pat [Connelly, assistant GM] and our entire basketball-operations staff. I would not have proposed this to Robert [Sarver, Suns managing partner] unless I had complete confidence in the leadership we had. Ryan is constantly going into the role and extraordinarily impressively.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Divsion:
- The Kings have officially announced the hiring of Chad Iske as associate head coach and John Welch, Anthony Carter, and Nancy Lieberman as assistant coaches on George Karl‘s staff.
- It would take a “massive breakdown” in Phoenix for the Suns to trade Eric Bledsoe, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Conflicting reports had painted a confused picture of whether the Suns were talking about trading Bledsoe around draft time, but Kyler hears there’s nothing to his trade candidacy.
- Alec Brown, who was the No. 50 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Suns, has officially signed with the Spanish team Obradoiro, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Brown made 17 appearances during the 2014/15 campaign with Phoenix’s D-League affiliate in Bakersfield, averaging 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per contest.
Central Notes: Hill, Bulls, Whittington
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- While Pau Gasol understands the Bulls‘ reasons for firing former coach Tom Thibodeau, he doesn’t believe that simply revamping the team’s offense is enough to take the next step toward an NBA title, Mike McGraw of The Daily Herald relays. “Offense wasn’t too much of an issue last year,” Gasol said. “We can work on our offense all we want, but defense is going to make a difference in how we’re going to beat other teams.“
- The Bulls also face the challenge of fielding a roster loaded with big men in a league trending toward more scoring and smaller lineups, McGraw adds, but Gasol believes the team can benefit from its roster continuity. “We have a great opportunity,” Gasol said. “We have a very strong team. There were very few changes made as far as our roster and our players. We can build on what we had last year, so we have all the tools to be a much stronger team than we were and learn from our mistakes from last year. I think we have to understand we have talent offensively and we have to play with a better flow offensively. I think we’re going to have more freedom to play in transition and exploit our abilities as individuals. As long as we understand that defense is what wins championships and makes the difference … we should be fine.“
- Shayne Whittington is part of the Pacers‘ current frontcourt logjam, but he believes his ability to guard multiple positions will set him apart, Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com writes. “Honestly, I think the one thing that really will set me apart from anybody at the four and five is if I can start guarding guards on a consistent basis,” Whittington said. “If I start doing that, then, then you never know, I’ll be at the four quite a bit. We’ll switch a lot; I can actually guard those guards; [Coach Frank Vogel will] feel comfortable with me out there guarding people. If your President of Basketball Operations feels comfortable with you guarding guards out there, you’re going to be on the court, especially if you’re 6’11”. Playing defense, rebounding the ball — that’ll get me on the court.“
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Bernard James To Play In China
Former Mavericks center Bernard James has signed a deal with the Shanghai Sharks of China, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the arrangement are unknown, likewise if the pact contains an NBA out clause. Dallas had renounced its rights to James earlier this week.
The center had also signed with the Sharks last November after the Mavs waived him just before the season started. “You know, I’ve been talking to my agent a lot, and there’s a few teams interested,” James said at the time. “But, hopefully, I’d like to be back here with the Mavericks. We’ll see what happens in the draft, what’s their needs and whoever [Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle] find for next year. Whatever players they sign, hopefully there’s a spot for me and there’s a niche I can carve out. We’ll see what happens, man, but I’m expecting it not to be quite as crazy as the last two summers.”
James re-signed with the Mavs back in March for the remainder of the season after completing two 10-day pacts with the team. He made 16 appearances for Dallas, including two starts, and averaged 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per contest.
Pelicans Waive Toney Douglas
The Pelicans have waived guard Toney Douglas, the team announced. The release of Douglas reduces the Pelicans’ current roster count to 12 players.
The player’s 2015/16 salary of $1,185,784 would have become fully guaranteed if he remained on New Orleans’ roster through Saturday, as is shown by our schedule of guarantee dates. Douglas was originally signed by the Pelicans on February 4th, then was released on February 19th before subsequently re-signing with the team for the remainder of the season back on March 24th.
Douglas, 29, appeared in 12 games for New Orleans during the 2014/15 season, averaging 4.3 points and 2.0 assists in 14.8 minutes per game. His career numbers through six NBA seasons are 7.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 2.2 APG.
Sixers Likely To Move Carl Landry
The Sixers are looking to move veteran forward Carl Landry, who apparently doesn’t factor into the franchise’s plans for next season, Jake Fischer of SI Now reports (Twitter link). Philadelphia intends to try and trade Landry, and falling short of that, will look to reach a buyout arrangement with the player or waive him outright, Fischer notes.
Landry, 31, is set to earn $6.5MM for each of the next two campaigns, and was acquired by the Sixers as part of the trade that garnered the franchise shooting guard Nik Stauskas. The other veteran big man obtained in that deal, Jason Thompson, was dealt today to the Warriors in exchange for Gerald Wallace.
The veteran forward appeared in 70 contests for the Kings during the 2014/15 season, averaging 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 17.0 minutes per game. Landry’s career numbers through eight NBA seasons are 10.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 0.7 APG, and he owns a slash line of .534/.176/.788.
Knicks Re-Sign Louis Amundson
JULY 30TH: The Knicks announced that they have officially re-signed Amundson, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets.
JULY 11TH: The Knicks have reached an agreement with unrestricted free agent Louis Amundson, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports (Twitter link). It is a one-year, $1.65MM arrangement, adds the Newsday scribe.
Amundson appeared in 41 games for New York last season, averaging 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 20.9 minutes per contest, with a slash line of .432/.000/.463. His career numbers through nine NBA campaigns are 3.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.4 assists, with a shooting line of .478/.000/.441.
The 32-year-old had previously indicated that he would consider playing in Europe if he wasn’t re-signed by New York. “I would like to play. I’ve been in this league, so I know what that’s like,” Amundson said. “So, I think going overseas would be a new experience for me I think I’d enjoy. I’d get an opportunity to play. So yeah, everything’s on the table.’’
Pelicans Sign Kendrick Perkins
JULY 28TH, 11:13pm: The deal is official, the Pelicans announced.
JULY 21ST, 6:49pm: The Pelicans and unrestricted free agent Kendrick Perkins are in the process of finalizing a contract agreement, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). It will be a one-year pact for the veteran’s minimum, Stein adds.
The Clippers, Rockets, and Knicks had all expressed interest in the 30-year-old center. Instead, Perkins will add depth and grit behind starter Omer Asik, who re-signed with New Orleans this offseason for five years and approximately $60MM.
Perkins appeared in a combined 68 games for the Thunder and the Cavaliers, averaging 4.0 points and 5.5 rebounds for OKC and 2.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG for Cleveland. His career numbers through 12 NBA seasons are 5.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 1.2 BPG to go along with a slash line of .530/.000/.597.
Pacers Re-Sign Lavoy Allen
JULY 27TH, 2:17pm: The signing is official, the Pacers announced.
“We think he’s ready to step in and play more minutes at two different positions,” said Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird. “This is a great opportunity for him to play night in and night out at a high level.”
9:22pm: Allen’s deal will be worth a total of approximately $12MM, Spears tweets.
JULY 2ND, 7:12pm: The Pacers and free agent Lavoy Allen have reached an agreement on a multiyear deal, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The pact is for three years, and includes a team option for the final season, Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter). The Clippers were also reportedly interested in the 26-year-old’s services.
In 63 appearances for Indiana last season, Allen averaged 5.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, with a slash line of .472/.000/.702. His career numbers are 5.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.0 APG. His career shooting numbers are .459/.143/.702.
Allen was the 50th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The 6’9″ forward began his career with the Sixers before being included in the deal that brought Evan Turner to the Pacers.