Atlantic Notes: Lin, Nets, Valanciunas, Miller, Raptors, Jackson, Celtics
Jeremy Lin boldly stated that his Nets will make the playoffs this upcoming season while answering questions from fans in an Instagram Live video, relays A.J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today Sports.
“We’re making the playoffs. I don’t care what anybody else says to me,” said Lin. He went on to say, “We’re gonna do some serious damage next year… I’m pretty sure he’ll (D’Angelo Russell) start (at shooting guard), but it will be pretty interchangeable. And then when one of us is out of the game, the other person most likely will have the ball in their hands. It will probably be a little bit combo guard-esque.”
This offseason the Nets have added Russell, as well as DeMarre Carroll and Timofey Mozgov. Brooklyn will be coming off a season in which it finished 20-62, dead last in the NBA standings. Lin played in just 36 games due to injury, but averaged a furtive 14.5 PPG to go with 5.1 APG and 3.8 RPG. Furthermore, Lin managed to put up those strong numbers in a mere 24.5 minutes per contest.
- Raptors president Masai Ujiri addressed rumors that the team is trying to unload center Jonas Valanciunas, via Josh Lewenberg of The Sports Network. Ujiri said that he believes in Valanciunas’ talent and values his offensive rebounding. While admitting that the team looked at trading Valanciunas when they were in the tax, the team is now “very comfortable” keeping JV.
- Raptors guard Malcolm Miller underwent right ankle surgery, the team announced via press release (link via Twitter). Miller is expected to miss the next 12 weeks. He signed the team’s first two-way contract on July 9.
- Also via Josh Lewenberg of The Sports Network, the Raptors president says the team will “add a couple of different players. Maybe they’re non-guarantees, I don’t know.”
- The Celtics employed a creative use of the stretch provision on the contract of Demetrius Jackson, reports Bobby Marks of ESPN. A day prior to waiving the former Notre Dame guard, Boston exercised the 2019/20 non-guaranteed team option on Jackson. This allowed Boston to stretch the contract over seven years rather than five, lowering the cap hit per year to $92,857 instead of $130,000.
Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Porzingis, Draft, Perry
Knicks president Steve Mills had an aggressive plan that ultimately snared Tim Hardaway Jr., writes Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. Mills claims he reached out to Hardaway just after midnight on July 1. While Hardaway says that he didn’t hear from the Knicks until a few days into free agency, it is clear that Mills aggressively pursued the former Knick.
“We felt like there are not that many opportunities in free agency that you have the opportunity to go after a 25-year-old. We made the decision that if you want to pry a restricted free agent away from the incumbent team, you have to be aggressive. So we made a decision to be aggressive,” Mills said.
Reportedly, the Knicks brass believed that the Hawks would be willing to offer $45MM for four years, so Mills and company needed to be “aggressive” and offered $71MM over four years. Although Hardaway has started just 62 of 281 games in his career, Mills believes that he is a starting shooting guard in the NBA.
“As we look at the numbers, we believe Tim is a starting two-guard in this league. Our trajectory for him is to be a starting two- guard, the capability of being a starting two-guard for the rest of his career. And those guys average 16, 16.5 million dollars today. So that’s how we came to the decision,” the Knicks president said.
Here’s what else you should know regarding the Knicks:
- Also in Iannazzone’s Newsday piece, Mills speaks to his relationship with team cornerstone, Kristaps Porzingis. “Kristaps and I have a hectic texting relationship. I continue to text Kristaps over the summer and he and I have spoken two or three times over the summer,” Mills said. Phil Jackson confirmed he was fielding trade offers for Porzingis around the draft, but since Jackson left the team, the Knicks have stated that they will build around the Latvian center.
- By going young this season, the Knicks could score big in the 2018 NBA Draft, writes Adam Zagoria of FanRag Sports Network. If Carmelo Anthony is dealt, the Knicks could enter full-scale rebuilding mode, possibly setting them up for the first overall pick in the next draft. Zagoria mentions Michael Porter Jr., DeAndre Ayton, Mohamed Bamba, Luka Doncic, and Marvin Bagley as potential targets if the Knicks were to land the top selection.
- In a press conference, Mills spoke about new GM Scott Perry‘s role with the team, relays Steve Popper of USA Today. “I’m going to give Scott the room to make basketball decisions and make recommendations to me,” Mills said. “He’s going to have a chance to manage the coaching staff, manage the scouting staff, and make recommendations as to where we should go as a basketball organization. I think we’ll be partners in that in the sense that he’ll come to me with his recommendation and we’ll debate it back and forth. But at the end of the day, I’m giving him the room to make those decisions.” Mills also emphasized that the goal is for the Knicks to be a younger, more athletic team, while head coach Jeff Hornacek stressed hustle and defense as the lynchpins of the new team.
- Mills said that, if he were in charge, he “would’ve selected Frank [Ntilikina] at that point in the draft myself,” per Marc Berman of The New York Post. Mills continued, “He’s a guy that fits in everything that we’re talking about right now. He’s a smart basketball player. He focuses defensively and his approach to the game, his work ethic, fit exactly in the direction that we want to take this team.”
Agent: Noel ‘Very Disappointed’ With Mavericks Negotiations
Nerlens Noel and the Mavericks remain far apart in contract negotiations, reports Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. The 23-year-old big man is a restricted free agent, and as such, the Mavs can match any offer another team might tender for Noel’s services.
“We’re very disappointed with where things stand. Nerlens loves Dallas and spent June there working out, but we’re still waiting on a serious offer,” said Happy Walters, Noel’s agent.
For his part, Mavs owner Mark Cuban is unwilling to provide any details about the negotiations.
Sefko points out that 13 Mavericks currently have guaranteed contracts, meaning that only two roster spots remain. After the 76ers traded Noel to the Mavs in late February, he played 22 games, averaging 8.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 22.0 MPG, shooting a strong 57.5% from the floor. Noel, known for his defense, also posted 1.1 BPG and 1.0 SPG. Down the stretch, Noel’s minutes were lowered, so that the Mavs could get a look at up-and-coming players, as well as keep their win total down.
According to Sefko, Noel has limited options. He could accept whatever the Mavericks offer, despite these numbers not being to Noel’s liking. Noel could also sign the Mavs’ qualifying offer, which is about $6MM, and will remain on the table until October 16. Finally, the big man could sign an offer sheet with another team that has sufficient salary cap space.
Since none of these possibilities appear imminent, Sefko concludes that a continuation of the standoff between Noel and the Mavs is very likely. The stalemate could last well into the summer.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/8/17 – 7/15/17
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team compiles original content to complement our news feed. Here are some of our favorite segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams rounded up a list of Notable Remaining NBA Free Agents By Position.
- Here are the NBA Teams With Cap Room Remaining.
- Arthur Hill discussed the best free agent guard option for the Knicks, Derrick Rose‘s free agency fate, and Chandler Parsons’ fat Grizzlies contract in his weekly Sunday mailbag. Submit your questions via Twitter (@HoopsRumors) or by sending us an email (hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com).
- Check out our free Trade Rumors app available for IOS and Android.
- Here are the questions we asked you in our Community Shootaround discussions this week:
- Which team has improved the most this offseason?
- Who is the favorite to represent the East in the Finals? Have the Celtics closed the gap or should LeBron James and the Cavaliers still be considered king?
- What are your thoughts on the trade deadline being moved up to early February?
Five Key Stories: 7/8/17 – 7/15/17
Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last week at Hoops Rumors:
The Lakers signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. KCP, at 24 years old, had widely been considered the top unrestricted free agent still available. The former Piston signed a one-year, $18MM deal, which is now official. The Lakers still have their $4.3MM room exception available for free agents.
The Rockets have signed James Harden to a massive contract extension. The Designated Veteran Extension will keep the superstar guard with the Rockets through the 2022/23 season. The contract begins in 2019/20, replaces Harden’s player option, and will add four years to the guaranteed two years on his current deal. Harden is now on track to earn approximately $228MM over the next six seasons.
The Wizards have matched Otto Porter Jr.‘s offer sheet from the Nets. Brooklyn had offered Porter a four-year, $106.5MM deal, but the small forward is to remain a Wizard. Porter will be coming off a career season, which witnessed him averaging 13.4 points per game, while shooting 43.4% from three-point territory and 51.6% from the field.
Jamal Crawford has agreed to sign with the Timberwolves. Although the move cannot be official until the waiver process is complete, Crawford will be offered a two-year contract worth $8.9MM with a player option on the second season. After the Hawks placed Crawford on waivers, the Cavaliers had been the favorites to land him.
Scott Perry has agreed to become the Knicks’ new general manager. The Kings will receive a 2019 second-round pick and cash as compensation for Perry’s departure. With the shakeup, Steve Mills, who had been acting general manager, will become the Knicks‘ team president.
Ten More Stories
- Here is the latest on Carmelo Anthony trade talks and the forward’s reported frustration.
- The Hawks did not match Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s offer sheet, making him a member of the Knicks.
- In a trade, C.J. Miles was sent to the Raptors, while Cory Joseph landed with the Pacers.
- The Raptors traded DeMarre Carroll to the Nets.
- The Magic have agreed to sign Jonathon Simmons to a three-year contract.
- The Pelicans will sign Rajon Rondo to a one-year deal.
- The Cavaliers have agreed to sign draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman for three years.
- The Jazz agreed to sign three free agents this week: Thabo Sefolosha (link), Jonas Jerebko (link), and Ekpe Udoh (link).
- The Hawks will sign Dewayne Dedmon and re-sign Ersan Ilyasova.
- Paul George characterized his interest in joining the Lakers next offseason as “overstated.”
Southeast Notes: Wall, Porter, Bosh, Muscala, Riley, Ellington
Wizards star point guard John Wall is making no apologies for his aggressive recruitment of Paul George during free agency, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Many observers took Wall’s comments as a slight against the team’s current small forward Otto Porter, but Wall explained his comments in a different way:
“Otto’s going to be a great player for us, a great role player for a lot of teams. There’s a difference between a role player and a superstar. It’s a big difference. There’s a lot teams that will make a lot of trades for a superstar. Look at Kevin Love getting traded for Andrew Wiggins, you never know who that player going to turn out to be.”
Buckner also points out that Wall is not in a rush regarding his own extension. Last season Wall qualified for the designated player exception after making the All-NBA third team. Wall maintained that he’s devoted to the city of Washington and plans to carefully consider whether he wishes to remain a Wizard in the long term. An extension could keep Wall in the District for the next six years.
Here’s what else you should know from the Southeast division:
- Former Heat star Chris Bosh penned an open letter to the city of Miami, thanking its residents for the past seven years of support. The 33-year-old power forward credited Miamians for showing him “how to stay strong and push through in the toughest moments,” which has “made [him] a better man, the person [he is] today.” In the letter, Bosh did not broach the topics of his current health or his future plans.
- Hawks big man Mike Muscala viewed his return to Atlanta as a “no-brainer,” writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Last week, Muscala agreed to a two-year, $10MM contract to remain with the Hawks.
- Heat president Pat Riley opined on various Heat players, with his comments about Wayne Ellington particularly effusive: “It would have killed me to see him go. He committed himself unlike anybody else. And just like James Johnson and Dion [Waiters], changed everything about how he played…And he’s so in, so committed, and he can see what did for himself with our help, and how it improved his game. He’s one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the league.” Riley goes on to mention that the team has Early Bird Rights on Ellington and credits the player’s loss of 20 pounds with yielding many benefits on the court. Ellington’s $6.3MM contract was guaranteed on Friday.
Lakers Meet With Caldwell-Pope, Rondo
The Lakers met with unrestricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on Tuesday, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Also today, Lakers team president Magic Johnson met with free agent point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (link via Twitter).
According to Windhorst, several teams that were initially reluctant to engage on Caldwell-Pope have become more involved since the Pistons withdrew his qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Meanwhile, multiple teams with some cap room are exploring ways to create more in order to make a competitive offer, per Windhorst.
The Lakers have roughly $17MM in cap room left. The team will also be able to offer $4.3MM with its room exception once its cap space has been used. L.A. has been unwilling to offer multiyear deals that would compromise its cap flexibility for 2018.
Regarding the Rondo meeting, Mark Medina of The L.A. Daily news tweets that the Lakers expressed “serious interest” in the point guard and plan to follow up soon. The team has been on the lookout for a veteran point guard to pair with Lonzo Ball, serving as a mentor for the No. 2 overall pick.
Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Favorite
LeBron James and the Cavaliers have dominated the Eastern Conference playoffs for three consecutive seasons, advancing to the NBA Finals with ease each year. King James himself has represented the East for the past seven seasons in the the league championship.
Last season, however, the Celtics finished with the best record in the conference and have enjoyed a productive offseason. Boston landed prized free agent Gordon Hayward and drafted Jayson Tatum. In addition, Danny Ainge traded for Marcus Morris and signed Aron Baynes. While Boston did trade key two-way player, Avery Bradley, and lost Kelly Olynyk in free agency, the team may be prepared to contend for its first NBA Finals berth since 2010.
For Cleveland’s part, it re-signed Kyle Korver this offseason, inked veteran Jose Calderon to a one-year contract backing up Kyrie Irving at point guard, and brought in another vet in forward Jeff Green. Over their past three Eastern Conference Finals series, the Cavaliers have won 12 of 15 games.
Will the Cavs’ recent playoff domination continue or have the Celtics suddenly emerged as the favorite to represent the East in the Finals? Which team will finish with the better record this season and what, if anything, will home-court advantage mean if the teams face off in the postseason?
We look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section.
International Notes: Marbury, Randolph, Austin, Vesely, Goudelock, Griffin
Two-time NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury will reportedly sign with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beikong Fly Dragons, reports international basketball journalist David Pick (link via Twitter). This will be Starbury’s ninth season playing in China.
Marbury had played for the Beijing Ducks since 2011, but is now set to join his fourth different Chinese team. Since coming over to China, the star point guard has won three CBA championships, made six all-star teams, and been named both a CBA Foreign MVP and a CBA Finals MVP.
What else do you need to know from the international basketball scene?:
- Former NBA player Shavlik Randolph will be joining Marbury with the Fly Dragons, as he has signed a contract with Beikong, tweets 247 Basketball (link via Sportando).
- Former NBA prospect Isaiah Austin has also signed with a Chinese team, the Guanxi Rhinos, reports David Pick (Twitter link). The Rhinos play in the National Basketball League, which is the second-tier league to the Chinese Basketball Association. In November of 2016, Austin was medically cleared to return to basketball after his career had been on hold due to Marfan syndrome.
- Three-year NBA veteran Jan Vesely is close to making a final decision that will keep him playing in Turkey despite NBA interest in him this offseason, according to Nikos Varlas of EuroHoops.net.
- Former Lakers guard Andrew Goudelock announced on Twitter that he will be joining Olimpia Milano for next season, via Sportando. As first reported by EuroHoops, the deal is expected to be for two years.
- Eric Griffin might opt out of his deal with the Italian team, Pallacanestro Cantù, as a result of the significant interest he is receiving from several NBA teams, including the Jazz, according to David Pick (Twitter link). Last season, Griffin was an Israeli Premier League All-Star.
Clippers Sign Jawun Evans
The Clippers have signed rookie guard Jawun Evans, reports Marc J. Spears of ESPN (link via Twitter). Although the team hasn’t yet made a formal announcement, the NBA’s transactions log suggests the move is official.
Evans was drafted by the 76ers with the 39th overall pick in the second round and then traded to the Clippers for cash considerations. In his first three games of the Las Vegas Summer League, the Oklahoma State product has averaged 6.3 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 3.0 RPG on 50% shooting.
Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but with no cap room available, the Clippers will have to either offer a minimum salary or use part of their mid-level exception to lock up Evans. A minimum salary deal would be limited to two years, while the mid-level could be used to offer more years and a little more money. The club used $6MM of its $8.4MM MLE to sign Milos Teodosic.
For comparison’s sake, Diamond Stone – 2016’s 40th overall pick – received a fully guaranteed, two-year minimum salary contract when he signed with the Clippers last year.