And-Ones: Barea, White, Johnson, Walker
J.J. Barea has been the odd man out in Minnesota, especially after the Wolves signed Mo Williams back in July. But the veteran guard believes there is a roster spot for him on the team, Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press writes. “I see the players and know this team could use me,” Barea said. “I could help them a lot.” Barea is in the final year of his contract and there has been speculation that Minnesota would attempt to deal or reach a buyout arrangement with him.
Here’s what else is happening around the league:
- Also from Greder’s article, Williams said that he would like to try his hand at coaching once his career is over, though he did say that he still has a few more years left in him as a player.
- Former NBA player DJ White has inked a one-month deal with Baskonia of the ACB, the team announced via their website (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 6’9″ power forward spent the last two seasons playing in China, but did appear in two games for the Hornets in 2013/14 after signing a 10-day contract. In six NBA seasons White’s numbers are 5.9 PPG and 3.2 RPG.
- The Reno Bighorns, the D-League affiliate of the Kings, are hiring former NBA player Darrell Walker as head coach, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link).
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has prioritized continuity on his roster, but the team’s plans for Amir Johnson aren’t clear, Eric Koreen of The National Post writes. With Patrick Patterson under contract for three more years, Ujiri might decide against giving long-term contracts to both players since their games are so similar, opines Koreen.
Eastern Notes: Sixers, Rondo, Knicks
The Sixers might be the only franchise that is against revamping the NBA Draft lottery system, Tom Moore of Calkins Media writes. For any resolution to pass the league requires 75% of the teams to vote yes, which equates to 23 teams. Philadelphia’s Managing Owner Josh Harris commented on the possible change, saying, “It’s a change that flattens the lottery system. It would be a little bit worse for Philadelphia in the short run but long run, since we expect to be a consistent playoff or deep-caliber-playoff team, it’s actually better for us.” GM Sam Hinkie also added, “We are cognizant of being a good member of the league, but at the same time balancing that with what’s the right thing for Philly and the Philadelphia 76ers. We’re trying to draw that line the best we can.”
Here’s more from the east:
- One of the main Celtics storylines this season will be whether or not GM Danny Ainge will trade Rajon Rondo. Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders believes that in addition to Rondo proving himself healthy prior to the trade deadline, the main determining factor will be the play of rookie Marcus Smart. Smart is expected to see major minutes early in the season with Rondo out for at least the first two weeks with a broken hand.
- It isn’t likely that the Knicks will keep both Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. past this year’s trade deadline, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops writes in his team preview. New York has a logjam at the shooting guard position, and though the team would prefer to unload J.R. Smith, other teams around the league are wary of taking on a player whom many think of as undisciplined, opines Scotto.
- One of the main reasons that Danny Granger chose to sign with the Heat was their offensive system, Yi Tao of NBA.com writes. “I studied how hard it is to guard the three-point line when they’re moving the ball and spacing and everybody’s touching the ball,” Granger said. “It’s a very difficult offense to guard so now that I’m in it, I’m trying to learn it and hopefully I’ll be very efficient in it.”
Wizards Waive David Stockton, Vander Blue
10:47pm: Both players have been officially waived, the team has announced.
10:20pm: The Wizards began paring down their preseason roster tonight by deciding to waive Vander Blue and David Stockton, Chris Mannix of SI.com is reporting (Twitter link). Both of the guards came to camp on non-guaranteed deals. These moves will reduce Washington’s preseason roster count to 18, with 13 fully guaranteed contracts and one that is partially guaranteed still on the books. Blue and Stockton were longshots to make the regular season roster for a Wizards team that is projected to be one of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference this season.
Blue went undrafted out of Marquette in 2013 and spent the bulk of last season splitting time between Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli League and the NBA D-League, where he appeared in a total of 27 games for three teams. Blue’s D-League stats were 16.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 2.9 APG. His slash line was .393/.327/.763. Blue joined the Celtics in January on a 10-day contract, making three appearances and logging 1.7 PPG.
Stockton, the son of NBA legend John Stockton, went undrafted this year after four seasons at Gonzaga. His college numbers were an unimpressive 4.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, and 3.1 APG. His career slash line was .424/.306/.700. Stockton played for the Suns in the summer league, scoring a total of six points in less than 19 minutes over two games.
And-Ones: Sixers, Bender, Ballmer
Sixers managing owner Josh Harris believes the franchise has made remarkable strides in the 17 months since Sam Hinkie was hired as GM, Max Rappaport of NBA.com reports. “I think people see the early returns,” said Harris. “Certainly, we have a lot of cap room, we have two first-round picks next year, we have a slew of seconds, we have a number of players that we have the rights to in Europe, we have possibly two big men between Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel that will be franchise players for us over a long, long time, and we have the Rookie of the Year.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- 16-year-old Croatian forward Dragan Bender is turning heads over in the Israeli league, writes David Pick of Eurobasket. Pro scouts watching Bender play say his best-case NBA scenario would be to equal Andrei Kirilenko‘s numbers, while the worst-case would place him in Jan Vesely territory. Bender is currently projected by DraftExpress to be selected thirteenth in the 2016 NBA draft.
- Steve Ballmer acknowledged a passing interest in buying the Bucks earlier this year and wonders if the NBA would have allowed him and Chris Hansen to purchase the Kings and move them to Seattle if they had put up more money in a one-on-one with USA Today’s Sam Amick. The new Clippers owner also said that a long-term extension for Doc Rivers “seemed absolutely right to me” based on Rivers’ track record and recommendations from others. Ballmer had more to say to Amick for another piece that we passed along earlier.
- Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders shares his predictions on which players will have breakout seasons during the 2014/15 campaign. Topping the list are Jonas Valanciunas, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Steven Adams.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Young, Mavs, McHale, Fesenko
Lakers guard Nick Young has a torn ligament in his right thumb and will miss approximately six to eight weeks, Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). Young injured the thumb during practice when attempting a steal on Kobe Bryant. He’s scheduled to have surgery this Monday, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. With Young expected to be the Lakers sixth man and provide an offensive boost this isn’t a great start to the season, especially after the team missed a total of 319 games due to injuries last year, which was a major factor in Los Angeles’ rough 2013/14 campaign.
Here’s more from the wild west:
- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said that just because a player has a total or partially guaranteed contract doesn’t mean he’ll make the final roster, Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (Twitter link). Dallas has a total of 19 players on their preseason roster, with 15 of them carrying full guarantees and two with partially guaranteed deals.
- Kyrylo Fesenko is especially motivated to win an uphill battle for a spot on the Wolves regular season roster because of his desire to move his family out of war-torn Ukraine, as he details to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Fesenko is on a non-guaranteed contract, but the Wolves have their hands full with 15 fully guaranteed deals plus a partial guarantee for Glenn Robinson III, as Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron detailed.
- Rockets head coach Kevin McHale isn’t concerned that he’s in the final year of his contract despite Houston owner Leslie Alexander’s track record of not handing out second deals to previous coaches like Jeff Van Gundy and Rick Adelman, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. McHale said, “That has no bearing on me. I never believed that. If you’re going to play better in the last year of your contract because it’s the last year of your contract, I question who you are. If you are going to coach better because you’re in the last year of your contract, I question that guy. I’m going to do the same thing I’ve always done. I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can with these guys, try to get these guys to be the best possible team we can be and you know what, like as a player, you do the best job you can. If it’s not good enough, it’s not good enough.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Josh Howard Attempting NBA Comeback
Former NBA All-Star Josh Howard is working out in Las Vegas with hope of being picked up for an NBA training camp, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Howard also indicated that he would be open to returning to the NBA D-League, notes Spears. Howard played for the Pelicans’ entry in the summer league this year, but was unable to secure an invite to New Orleans’ training camp. He only saw the court in three of the team’s five contests, and after scoring 14 points in the opening game, he managed just six points combined over his next two appearances.
His last action in the league came during the 2012/13 campaign when he appeared in just 11 games for the Timberwolves. During his ten year career, Howard has appeared in 507 games and averaged 14.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His career slash line is .448/.332/.770.
Last season was spent with the Austin Toros, the Spurs’ D-League affiliate, where Howard made 24 appearances, averaging 14.7 PPG and 5.8 RPG while playing 29.5 minutes per night. Howard’s season came to an end when the Toros released him following an injury, which was another in a string of knee maladies that derailed the now 34-year-old’s career at its peak.
At this juncture it’s unlikely that he’ll be picked up by a team for training camp unless there are a run of injuries. Howard’s best opportunity may in fact be to return to the D-League, prove that he’s healthy enough to contribute, and possibly snag a 10-day contract later in the season and hope he can turn that opportunity into a long-term deal.
Eastern Notes: Webster, Heat, McDaniels
Martell Webster doesn’t envision himself playing basketball for much longer thanks to chronic back pain, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. Webster is still in the process of rehabbing from his third back surgery in four years, and says he’ll most likely retire when his contract with the Wizards runs out in 2017. “I’ve always wanted to retire young,” Webster said. “I love this game and I respect this game, but I only want to be in it as long as I can be effective and as long as I can feel comfortable.”
Here’s the latest happenings in the Eastern Conference:
- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra isn’t necessarily looking for his new players to replace the departed LeBron James, Ray Allen, and James Jones, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. “Number one,” Spoelstra said, “we have to look at this team differently. It’s in a different lens. So we might not have to fill in the same boxes that we’ve had in the past. I think that might be a dangerous way to look at it. It’s open to where to this group can go. We felt, secondly, that we have enough shooting, and we’re encouraged by the guys that, one, either have a resume for it, or, two, have really been working on it.“
- The Hornets and Hawks might live to regret only inking Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap respectively, to shorter deals than they could have, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders opines. While he believes the idea of short-term deals is a sound one, Jefferson is all but assured to exercise his player option next summer, and both are expected to test out the free agent market. Both franchises will face competition to re-sign their players, and the new deals might prove more costly than if both players had simply been signed to longer deals in the first place.
- Kyler also weighed in on K.J. McDaniels‘ deal with the Sixers. According to Kyler, McDaniels did the smart thing in rejecting Philly’s original four-year offer with very little in guaranteed money. McDaniels has an excellent chance at seeing significant playing time this season, and could easily parlay a decent season into a three or four year deal worth $4MM or $5MM, which would in essence double what the Sixers offered him, notes Kyler. By signing a one-year arrangement McDaniels will become a restricted free agent at season’s end.
And-Ones: Jordan, CBA, Hornets, Bulls
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan is entering the final year of his contract this season. Coach Doc Rivers was asked if there was any chance of Jordan inking an extension with the team prior to him hitting free agency, Rivers responded by saying, “He won’t ever accept an extension. Why would he?,” tweets Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Jordan could only add on three years via an extension, but if he waits to hit free agency he could re-sign with L.A. for five years. The 26 year-old Jordan is set to earn $11,440,123 this season, and will most likely seek a salary in the range of $12MM-$15MM per season on his new deal, though that is just my speculation and not something that Jordan has stated publicly.
Here’s more from around the association:
- In his weekly chat Larry Coon of Basketball Insiders opined that the NBPA would most likely opt out of the current CBA in 2017. Coon believes their reasoning for doing so would be that the players feel that they made concessions when the last CBA was inked back in 2011, but now that the league has become more profitable they will want a bigger slice of revenues. Coon also notes that the new national TV deals will be going into place by then, and the players will want to reap in some of that cash as well.
- Earl Watson and Jason Fraser have joined the Spurs‘ D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros, as assistant coaches, the team announced today.
- The Hornets depth in their backcourt rivals any team’s in the NBA, Scott Lauer of NBA.com opines. In the article, Lauer relays what each player brings to Charlotte and he believes that if the team gets solid production from the forward positions, it could turn out to be a very successful season for the team.
- In his season preview for the Bulls, Adi Joseph of USA Today predicts big things for the franchise. Joseph has the Bulls improving their win total to 57 and snagging the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Eastern Notes: Wright, Bass, Sixers
The Greek League team Panathinaikos is considering signing Bucks forward Chris Wright to a deal, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports (Twitter link). Wright is currently in training camp with Milwaukee on a non-guaranteed deal after averaging 6.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG in eight appearances last season for the franchise. The Bucks would have to release Wright before he could sign any arrangement.
Here’s more from the east:
- Brandon Bass is one of the senior members of the Celtics, but this doesn’t guarantee him a spot in Boston’s rotation, Brian Robb of Boston.com writes. “Every year I come into the season, I’m always in some kind of a situation,” Bass said. “I can’t really focus on those situations or I wouldn’t be motivated. For me, I kind of just simplify things for myself and I hope the other guys do the same.”
- Robb also points out that in light of the way Boston’s roster is constructed, GM Danny Ainge exploring trade possibilities for Bass makes sense. The forward is in the final season of his deal and isn’t likely to be re-signed next summer, so it would be wise for Ainge to try and flip Bass for an asset instead of allowing him to leave and receiving nothing in return, Robb opines.
- The Sixers are looking at the long term when it comes to rebuilding the franchise and this season looks to be another campaign in futility that the front office hopes will pay dividends in the seasons to come. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio predicts another dead last finish and lottery appearance for Philadelphia in his season preview of the team.
And-Ones: D-League, Blazers, Extensions
Whoever the league tabs as a replacement for former NBA D-League president Dan Reed is a very big hire for the NBA and the D-League, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com writes. The hope is to have a new president of the D-League in place before its season begins in mid-November, notes Arnovitz, who believes that it will be difficult to replace Reed’s sense of innovation, which is an important trait if the D-League is to continue to grow.
Here’s the latest from around the association:
- The Trail Blazers and Chris Kaman look to be a good fit, Jason Quick of The Oregonian writes. Kaman and GM Neil Olshey have a history together that extends back to when Kaman was drafted by the Clippers and Olshey was hired as Player Development Coach that same year, notes Quick.
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress runs down the top 2015 NBA Draft prospects in the Big East. Headlining the list are Isaiah Whitehead, Chris Obekpa, and Rysheed Jordan.
- In his season preview for the Blazers, Adi Joseph of USA Today predicts another 54-win season and Portland snagging the fifth overall seed in the playoffs.
- For the NBA Draft class of 2011 the deadline to sign an extension is approximately a month away. Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) runs down the contract status of each first-rounder from that draft year.