Heat Eyeing Chris Andersen
FRIDAY, 8:04am: The Heat have inquired on Andersen, but have yet to schedule a visit or make an offer to the Birdman, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Andersen is "very interested" in the Heat, says Jackson.
THURSDAY, 6:02pm: Earlier today we mentioned that the Heat were interested in former Knicks backup center Josh Harrellson, but it appears they also have their sights on someone with a bit more experience. According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami is also intrigued with the possibility of adding free agent forward Chris Andersen.
Amnestied by the Nuggets earlier this offseason, Andersen has reportedly bypassed a lucrative offer overseas and is willing to take the veteran's minimum with Miami. No offer has been made at this time, and at 34 years old, coming off a season in which he played just 32 games, it's unclear as to how much the 10-year veteran has left. Andersen's off the court issues which have lingered in recent months, which may also help explain why no team has yet to sign him.
Odds & Ends: Sixers, Wade, Nuggets, Nash
Now that Andre Iguodala is with the Nuggets, CSNPhilly.com wonders how Denver's head coach George Karl will use the All-Star wing in his system. Here are a few more notes from across the league:
- Dwyane Wade told reporters on Thursday that even though Derrick Rose doesn't see himself as the type to recruit other players to join him in Chicago, it may be a necessary move later on in his career, writes ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell.
- After his involvement in the Dwight Howard trade, Andre Miller is excited to be reunited with Andre Iguodala in Denver, writes Nuggets.com's Aaron J. Lopez. The two were previously teammates in Philadelphia.
- NBA.com's John Schuhmann dives deep into the numbers to explain why the Lakers will truly benefit with the addition of Steve Nash.
- The Nets agreed to sign Donte Greene earlier today, and the New York Post's Tim Bontemps thinks it was a good move.
- NBA.com's John Denton offers various reactions to several recent NBA-related news items.
- Pistons second round pick Kim English is excited to start his career on a team that he believes to be headed down the right path, writes MLive.com's Brendan Savage.
Pincus On NBA Spending Power
We've gone over team spending here on Hoops Rumors before, but today, Hoopsworld.com's Eric Pincus broke down the remaining cap space that teams have across the league, including how much they've already spent and their current situation with regards to various exception levels. Some interesting notes from his piece:
- Before their reported agreement with Martell Webster, the Wizards were the only team left with their full $5MM mid-level exception. The Bucks have nearly all to spend, but fall just short with $4.35MM.
- Despite what appears to be a never ending spending spree that's lasted the entire summer, the Lakers still have $1.59MM left on their mini mid-level exception. They're also nearly $30MM over the tax line.
- The Hawks still have their Bi-Annual Exception, but should they choose to re-sign Ivan Johnson, will need to spend it on him.
- The Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Heat are unable to add any players unless it's through a trade or signing someone to the veteran's minimum.
- The Rockets have 20 players on their current roster, but could get between $6 and 7MM underneath the cap after waiving a few non-guaranteed players, as they recently did with Josh Harrellson. (The limit is 15 players by opening night.)
- The Cavaliers boast $11.1MM of cap space, the most in the league.
Poll: Which Team Will Rebuild Itself Faster?
Recently, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey showed a bit of public dismay at the haul Orlando pulled in from their Dwight Howard trade. Given that he was after Howard for so long, and a little disappointed at what eventually transpired, it'll be interesting to see which team builds its team up from the bottom quicker: Orlando or Houston.
Both teams are currently gutted, armed with draft picks, cap space, and young players. And both should be in the market to target available free agents in the summers ahead. Which one do you think ends up making the wiser decisions?
Hoops Rumors Originals: 8/13/12 – 8/19/12
Here's a look at all the original content created by our team of writers this past week.
- Daniel Seco asks how many games the Hornets will win this year.
- Sean Highkin asks which free agent acquisition will have the greatest impact on the Clippers next season.
- Zach Links gives his his weekly Hoops Links feature.
- Luke Adams takes a look at all the unsigned amnesty victims.
- Here's how teams in the Pacific Division have spent their offseason so far.
- A poll asking which 2013 free agent is most likely to switch teams next season.
- A transcript of our weekly Hoops Rumors chat.
- How teams in the Southwest Division have spent their offseason so far.
- I asked which team was the NBA's worst heading into next season.
- DeMar DeRozan is explored in our Extension Candidate series.
- Alex Lee asks how Brandon Roy will do in his first season with the Timberwolves.
- A look at free agent spending in the Northwest Division.
- Free agent spending in the Atlantic Division.
- Chuck Myron gives a good take on the best "under-the-radar" signings of the summer.
Week In Review: 8/13/12 – 8/19/12
Here's a look back at all the week's NBA news from the past week.
- Serge Ibaka and the Thunder agreed to terms on a four-year extension.
- The Jazz tried to acquire Ryan Anderson earlier this offseason.
- The Lakers re-signed Devin Ebanks. They also added Jodie Meeks.
- Former Magic assistant coach Steve Clifford will follow Dwight Howard to the Lakers.
- Coming off a devastating knee injury suffered in last year's playoff series against the Heat, Baron Davis hopes to make a return to the NBA at some point this season.
- The Rockets waived Josh Harrellson. They also came to terms on a contract with former Bucks swing man Carlos Delfino.
- After being traded to Philadelphia, Andrew Bynum says he's leaning towards signing a long term contract with the Sixers.
- The Suns waived Brad Miller and Jerome Dyson. They also improved their front court's depth with the official addition of Jermaine O'Neal.
- The Pistons signed Khris Middleton.
- Justin Hamilton signed with a team in Croatia.
- The Magic re-signed Ish Smith.
- The Lakers hired Bernie Bickerstaff and Eddie Jordan to be assistant coaches on their staff.
- The Hornets signed Brian Roberts.
- The Nuggets are looking to sign Andre Iguodala to a long term deal.
- According to his agent, Jeff Green should finally sign his contract with the Celtics this week.
- The Trail Blazers added three assistant coaches to their staff.
- Stephen Curry and the Warriors are expected to discuss an extension soon.
- Vernon Macklin is signing with a Turkish team.
- Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is nearly done hiring a staff.
- The Cavaliers and Alonzo Gee are close to terms on a new deal.
Odds & Ends: Richardson, Sixers, Mavs, Green
Jason Richardson is excited to play out the final three years of his contract on a team that's headed up instead of down, writes Philly.com's John Mitchell. The 31-year-old is especially looking forward to playing with another dominant center who's capable of drawing consistent double teams.
Here's a look around the rest of the league.
- In a chat with his readers, Dallas Morning News columnist Kevin Sherrington writes his belief that the Mavericks are wasting Dirk Nowitzki's prime by going after a big name free agent that may never sign in Dallas.
- Philly.com's Marcus Hayes thinks that the Sixers would be wise not to sign Andrew Bynum to a max extension until they know the full extent of his health.
- After making the most of his opportunity with the Nets last season, Gerald Green received a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract offer with the Pacers this summer. Green's feel good story has been well documented, but he's perfectly content coming off the bench and providing a spark next season, writes Pacers.com's Scott Agness.
- One of Raymond Felton's new teammates next season with the Knicks will be Kurt Thomas, who joined Felton in an offseason trade from Portland that landed the pair in New York. Thomas says Felton is "definitely motivated" for his second stint with the club, writes ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley. He better be, because the scrutiny will be high due to the fact that he's perceived to be Jeremy Lin's replacement.
- While down in Houston working with Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, Amare Stoudemire recently said he believes Lin will be a perfect addition to the Rockets, reports Fox 26 reporter Mark Berman.
Poll: Worst Team In The NBA?
While teams like like the Lakers, Thunder, and Heat dominate offseason headlines as preordained favorites to win the 2012/13 Finals, we ask which team will finish with the league's worst record next year.
Extension Candidate: DeMar DeRozan
In 2009, the Raptors drafted DeMar DeRozan with the intent of watching him eventually solidify a role as the team's primary wing scorer, an above average option in the backcourt who by the time his second contract came around could possibly surpass the team's former number one overall pick, Andrea Bargnani in terms of overall offensive responsibility. Unfortunately, things haven't quite worked out that way.
After showing very little to zero development from his second to third season, the Raptors have appeared to go in another direction, selecting Terrence Ross, a player who's skill set rivals Derozan's, with the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. DeRozan's field goal percentage dropped four points from 2010/11 to 2011/12, and his per game scoring went from 17.2 PPG to 16.7 PPG.
As SI.com's Zach Lowe points out, the Raptors will likely play a "wait and see" game with Ross before deciding what they want to do with DeRozan:
"… The Raptors’ drafting of Ross was a clear signal that the organization is ready to move on from DeRozan next summer if he doesn’t develop, or if his price in restricted free agency climbs too high. The Raptors are on pace to have a decent chunk of cap room — something like $10 million — even after overpaying for Landry Fields.
But they could have max-level room without DeRozan’s cap hold, and given that DeRozan is still just 22 with room to grow, he may be in line for one of those four-year, $28 million deals that can hamper a team’s flexibility. Smart organizations understand the value of replacing so-so veterans with nearly equivalent players on rookie deals."
As Lowe correctly points out, the chances of Toronto extending DeRozan before he hits restricted free agency are extremely small and highly unlikely. If he isn't willing to take a hometown discount, and doesn't show significant improvement this year, there's very little chance DeRozan signs his second contract with Toronto.
Latest On Joe Ingles
Fresh off a solid Olympic performance in London, Australian forward Joe Ingles is drawing interest from several NBA teams, writes The Sydney Morning Herald's Adrian Warren. The 24-year-old forward will play out his upcoming season with Barcelona, but afterwards will likely make a leap to the NBA.
In a tweet, ESPN Radio's Darren Wolfson suggests one solid fit might be the Timberwolves. Minnesota's general manager, David Kahn, has reportedly spoken with Ingles' agent. The 6'8" Ingles showed a complete offensive repetoire in the Olympics, averaging 15 PPG, 5 RPG, and 4 APG throughout the tournament.