Bobcats To Work Out Players For Possible 10-Day
THURSDAY, 3:40pm: NBA free agent Chris Johnson is part of the workout session today, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter).
WEDNESDAY, 7:19pm: The Bobcats plan to work out Ike Diogu, Mickell Gladness, and Denzel Bowles on Thursday for a possible 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link). The Bobcats currently have 15 players on the roster, so someone would need to be released. It’s possible they could let go of Justin Hamilton to make space when his 10-day contract expires tomorrow.
Diogu has been playing with Bakersfield in the NBA D-League. In 30 games he is averaging 16.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 1.4 APG in 30.2 MPG. The 6’8″ forward was taken in the first-round of the 2005 draft by the Warriors. He last saw NBA action during the 2011/12 season with the Spurs. His career numbers are 6.0 PPG, and 3.1 RPG over 12.4 MPG.
Gladness went undrafted in 2008 and has been playing for Reno in the D-League this season. His numbers in 30 games are 8.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 0.5 APG in 24.2 MPG. The 6’11” center saw limited NBA action during the 2011/2012 season with the Heat and the Warriors.
Bowles, a 6’10” center who averaged 26.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in the Chinese Basketball Association this season, is seen as a talented project, according to Charania. Bowles also has received interest from the Heat per Charania’s sources.
And-Ones: Draft, Dragic, Neal
The NBA draft is still more than three months away but the debate on who will be the first player taken rages on. According to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, scouts have told him that if the draft were held today, the first overall selection would either be Kansas center Joel Embiid or Duke forward Jabari Parker. While Embiid and Parker represented the top tier in this poll and Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle and Dante Exum represented the second tier, the six through ten choices were all over the board according to the article. There is a chance that neither Embiid, if his back proves too problematic, or Parker, if he decides to play one more season as he’s hinted, will even declare for this year’s draft.
More from around the league:
- According to La Opinion de Malaga (translated by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando) Slovenian guard Zoran Dragic is weighing his options in regards to entering the NBA next season. Dragic is averaging 11.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.3 APG this season with Unicaja Malaga.
- Bobcats guard Gary Neal was held out of tonight’s game against the Wizards for an “internal team matter”, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. About the benching, Neal said, “I made a mistake, me and coach talked about it and we’ll move forward from there.” According to Bonnell, head coach Steve Clifford said that this would not affect Neal’s minutes going forward.
- It wasn’t his health that made Chris Duhon break the contract he signed with JuveCaserta of the Italian League, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The reason, it turns out, is that Duhon’s wife, Andrea, was pregnant with twins, and Duhon decided he needed to remain near her rather than make the trip across the Atlantic. It turned out to be a sound decision, as last week, Andrea Duhon gave birth two months premature. According to Deveney, Duhon still intends to return to basketball, but it is unclear if that will be in the NBA or overseas.
Western Notes: Mavs, Lakers, Presti
It doesn’t matter whether the Mavericks go one-and-done, miss the playoffs or end up in the conference finals, the offseason game plan is the same, writes Eddie Sefko of Dallas Morning News. He says they are going to figure out a way to use the $34MM dollars of cap space they anticipate having to try and add a premier small forward and/or center. Sefko floats the possibility of Luol Deng and Marcin Gortat being their prime free-agent targets. The article also mentions that the deeper the team goes in the playoffs, the more appealing they will become to any free agent, including LeBron James, though Sefko admits that landing LeBron is a long shot at best.
Here’s some more from out west:
- With the news from earlier that Kobe Bryant wants Mike D’Antoni gone, it seems that he’s not the only Lakers player that would feel that way, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. He mentions that Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill would also like to see a new coach next season.
- Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times supports Bryant calling out Lakers management. He hopes the star player’s comments bring about the needed changes in the organization. Plaschke also thinks that it’s a good thing for the team that Kobe is done for the year as it will help them secure a higher lottery pick. The article also questions the decision to re-sign Bryant when they did. Plaschke believes that Bryant would have signed for less now in order to free up cap space to help the team sign players to make a run during his final years.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti shared his thoughts on tanking with Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Presti said, “Oddly enough, I think it’s a narrative that was created to tweak the league office, and they are showing to be quite reflexive to it. I’m actually a bit surprised they have fed into it and devoted so much public energy to it given the lack of evidence. The records of the teams in the bottom four of the league are in line with those over the last 20 seasons. If anything, they are actually slightly above those averages. I’m missing the epidemic on this, really. I would hope we’d focus our attention on a lot of the great things our players are ding and that the league has in place now.“
Eastern Notes: Noel, Maxiell, Bird
Jason Maxiell hasn’t played in the Magic’s last nine games and has only one appearance since January 29th, but he’s trying to maintain a positive outlook, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Maxiell stated, “I’m respecting that this is a year for the young guys to develop and improve for next year. With the coaching staff and [general manager] Rob [Hennigan] and [assistant general manager] Scott Perry, I think more of the bigger picture is moving forward for next year and having a mixture of experienced young guys mixed in with some vets.” Robbins mentions that the lack of playing time could hurt Maxiell in the long run because of his contract. He signed a free-agent contract with the Magic during the offseason, and his salary of $2.5MM for next year is non-guaranteed and he won’t be owed anything if the team waives him before mid-July.
More from the east:
- On Sunday the Sixers’ Nerlens Noel tweeted “4-4-14”, which hinted at a possible NBA debut date for the injured player. Marc Narducci and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer discuss the likelihood of seeing the big man on the court this season.
- On Thursday night, Zaza Pachulia will return to Atlanta for the first time since signing with the Bucks this summer. The former Hawks fan-favorite sat down with Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to answer some questions about his thoughts on his change of teams and what the future holds for him.
- Larry Bird might be in charge of the Pacers, but the Celtics will always be a part of him. He still pays close attention to his former franchise and has quite a few complimentary things to say about GM Danny Ainge and point guard Rajon Rondo, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.
- Speaking of the Celtics, team owner Wyc Grousbeck joked that he wants Andrew Wiggins in this years draft, tweets Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News. This was said in response to commissioner Adam Silver noting there were already two Canadians on the Celtics roster. Wiggins is projected as a top-3 lottery pick in this year’s draft and the Celtics currently rank sixth in Hoops Rumors’ Reverse Standings.
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Pacers, Hawks
With the Pacers going through a bit of a rough patch, team president Larry Bird expressed his frustration with the team’s players and coach Frank Vogel to Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star. “I’m sort of going to Frank’s side because he’s had so much success by staying positive,” Bird said. “We do have to stay the course. But I also think he’s got to start going after guys when they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do. And stay on them, whether you’ve got to take them out of the game when they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do or limit their minutes. I will say, he hasn’t done that enough.”
More from around the east:
- Bulls management doesn’t regret its deal with Carlos Boozer, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reveals as he answers reader questions in his mailbag column.
- Joakim Noah believes that the Bulls season was saved when D.J. Augustin was acquired in December, but Augustin believes that deal saved his career, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. He cited coach Tom Thibodeau and a locker-room culture that he had never experienced in his five previous NBA seasons as the reason for his turnaround.
- The Hawks were looking like a playoff lock in the weak Eastern Conference until Al Horford‘s season-ending injury. Now, even if the team maintains its hold on the eighth seed they aren’t realistic title contenders, which leaves GM Danny Ferry in a player evaluation mode to see who is in their long-term plans. Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders analyzes the roster and gives his thoughts on each player’s future with the team.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Knicks Sign Earl Clark To Second 10-Day Deal
MONDAY, 3:50pm: The signing is official, the Knicks announced on Twitter.
SATURDAY, 1:32pm: The Knicks are expected to sign Earl Clark to a second 10-day contract after tonight’s game in Cleveland, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link). Clark was signed by the team last week after the Knicks cleared roster space by waiving Beno Udrih and Metta World Peace. Clark can play either forward position for the team. It looks to be another prorated minimum-salary pact for the Kevin Bradbury client.
The 14th overall pick in the 2009 draft had some of the best performances of his career during the 2012/2013 season he spent with the Lakers. He then regressed after signing a two-year, $8.5MM deal with the Cavs during the summer. Cleveland then traded him to the Sixers at the deadline, who waived him less than 24 hours later.
In five games with the Knicks, Clark has averaged 2.63 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.4 BPG in 7.8 minutes per contest. There is still no word on the status of Shannon Brown, who also signed a 10-day contract with the team on the same day.
Western Notes: Bledsoe, Daniels, Mekel
Suns guard Eric Bledsoe is expected to make his return from injury Wednesday night against the Cavs. His minutes will be limited at first, but the player is ready to go “full-throttle”, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. How Bledsoe performs the rest of the season will have a huge impact on his next deal, writes Coro. Before he went down with an injury, the future restricted free agent averaged 18.0 PPG and 5.8 APG. After starting the season 19-11, the team has cooled slightly and gone 17-14 without Bledsoe.
More from around the west:
- The Rockets have sent Troy Daniels to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA D-League, tweets Jason Friedman of Rockets.com. In two games with Houston, Daniels has averaged 2.5 PPG in 3.5 minutes.
- Gal Mekel has been recalled from the Texas Legends of the D-League by the Mavericks, the team announced via press release. In 30 appearances for Dallas, he has averaged 2.4 PPG, and 2.1 APG in 9.6 MPG. Mekel has appeared in three games for the Legends this season and averaged 9.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG in 27.7 minutes.
- One name that is expected to be mentioned in future free-agent rumors is Bobby Brown, whose season just ended in China, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Brown has already been mentioned as a possible target of the Clippers. Brown averaged 30.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.6 SPG for Dongguan this season.
- Mavs owner Mark Cuban would like to see the NBA expand the draft from its current two round format, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’d like to see four rounds so you can draft guys overseas, get more guys drafted that are your property so you can try to develop them,” Cuban said.
Celtics Likely To Sign Babb To Second 10-Day
Today is the final day for Chris Babb’s 10-day contract and the team is expected to extend Babb with another 10-day deal, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Babb has appeared in three games for the Celtics and has averaged 3.7 PPG, and 2.0 RPG while playing 13.3 MPG.
Coach Brad Stevens said he hopes the club continues the relationship with another contract. Stevens also said, “He’s a perfect fit for what we need as far as, he’s not going to play 38 minutes a game — he’s going to come in, get open shots, hopefully knock those open shots down, play off of other people, and then be a feisty defender for us. He really is an outstanding defender for a young guy.”
Babb went undrafted in 2013, but played in the summer league for the Suns. He then signed with the Celtics on September 30th, 2013, but was subsequently waived by the team on October 26th. He joined the Red Claws on October 31st. Babb played in 32 games for the Red claws this season, and averaged 11.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.2 SPG, while logging 37.5 MPG. He signed his initial 10-day contract with the Celtics on February 28th.
Poll: Are Phil Jackson, Knicks A Good Match?
The biggest news of the week is that Phil Jackson is contemplating a return to the NBA. He has been rumored to have been offered the position of president of basketball operations for the Knicks. It’s still unclear if the deal includes Jackson returning to the sidelines as coach or if it is just for an executive position. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported that Jackson’s made it clear to any team that has approached him that he prefers a front-office role that would allow him to shape and mold a franchise the way Heat president Pat Riley has, but he is open to the possibility of coaching for a short period of time if it were necessary in a transition period for a franchise with championship aspirations.
Jackson is considering the role in New York under the condition that the “setup is right,” and that he will have final say on basketball decisions. It’s possible that Jackson would want full assurance that owner James Dolan wouldn’t interfere or undermine his role, considering Dolan’s reputation as a meddler in team affairs. Jackson also wants assurances that the team will be able to retain Carmelo Anthony when he opts out of his deal after the season.
The responses to the idea of Jackson becoming a front office executive have been mixed. Some league officials have disparaged Jackson’s temperament and lack of qualifications to become a GM. “Phil has never scouted, has zero agent relationships and can’t recruit. He should coach or go fishing in Montana and let the fish deal with his ego. He’s not Pat Riley. Doesn’t have his charm or charisma and Riley became a full-time exec at 58, not 68 like Phil wants.”
More positive opinions have cited Jackson’s ability to be an effective recruiter for free-agents, as well as Jackson being smart enough to surround himself with quality basketball people to help offset his inexperience in the position. Most of the debate has focused on Jackson’s ability to coexist with Dolan, as well as his inexperience being an added difficulty in functioning within one of the more difficult front office positions in the league.
There can be no denying Jackson’s impressive coaching accomplishments though. He has a career record of 1,155-485 in 20 seasons with the Bulls and Lakers, and has won 11 NBA championships on the sidelines. Jackson previously had said health considerations precluded him from seriously considering a return to coaching, saying “my stock answer has been I have no intention of coaching again.” But a source with knowledge of his thinking told Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com that after having several surgeries over the past few years, Jackson is “ready to go back to work.”
So what do you think? Is Jackson the right fit for the Knicks? Will his lack of experience hamper him and the team’s efforts to build a champion? Or is he the right man for the job? Vote below and also feel free to expand on your opinions in the comments section below.
Knicks Notes: Jackson, James, Dolan
With all the speculation regarding where Carmelo Anthony will end up next season, it’s removing a bit of the focus from what LeBron James intends to do this summer. Sam Smith of of Bulls.com thinks that James will end up in New York alongside ‘Melo. Smith cites LeBron’s desire to solidify his legacy, which winning in New York would greatly enhance. The article also breaks down potential superstar running mates for James, and Anthony makes the most sense, according to Smith. The need for LeBron to find a new running mate is due to Dwyane Wade‘s declining health, and the likelihood that Chris Bosh will sign elsewhere after the season, opines Smith. To make this pairing happen, LeBron would have to stay in Miami for one more season, then jump to the Knicks in 2015 when they will have enough free cap space to sign him.
More out of New York:
- Phil Jackson is being touted as the Knicks’ next franchise savior. He should think twice before accepting the job, writes Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News. Lupica cites owner James Dolan’s unwillingness to step back and allow his basketball people to do their job unhindered. The article illustrates this trend by examining the tenure of Donnie Walsh, who was also hailed as being the one to turn around the Knicks fortunes. Walsh left the team after being frustrated by Dolan’s constant interference.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com looks at why it would be better for the Knicks if Jackson didn’t return to coaching and limited his involvement to the front office.
- Quite a few people believe that Phil Jackson shouldn’t return to the sidelines, and Charley Rosen of Sheridan Hoops is one of them. Rosen believes the Knicks might be Jackson’s best opportunity to return to the game, but also thinks his ideal situation would be to hold out for a similar front office position with the Clippers, especially if the team disappoints in this year’s playoffs.