Southwest Notes: Nunnally, Najera, Nowitzki
A few notes from around the Southwest division.
- According to RidiculousUpside.com's Keith Schlosser, James Nunnally, who spent last season playing for the Bakersfield Jam, will work out for several teams including the Spurs and Jazz.
- Former NBA player Eduardo Najera added general manager to his job title with the Texas Legends, along with head coach of the Mavericks' D-League affiliate, according to a tweet from Yahoo! NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.
- According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki says he won't rule out participating in the 2016 Olympic games, competing for his native Germany.
Teams Not For Sale, Pending New TV Contract
NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver announced today at the Bloomberg Sports Business Summit that no teams in the league are for sale, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst.
Several teams, including the Timberwolves, and possibly the Bucks and Raptors, have been taken off the market until after the league strikes its eventual lucrative television contract, when the monetary value of every franchise is expected to increase.
Television negotiations are expected to take place next year, after Silver replaces David Stern as the league's commissioner.
Mavericks Sign Melo, McConnell, Kennedy
According to the team, the Mavericks have officially signed Fab Melo, D.J. Kennedy, and Mickey McConnell, upping their roster total to 18 players.
Earlier today, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Melo and Dallas had reached a deal. Kennedy made the 2013 NBA D-League All-Star game as a representative of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the league's 2013 champions. He has experience with the Cavaliers.
McConnell spent last season playing for Tezenis VE in Italy, averaging 13.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 2.7 APG in 32 games.
Poll: Is PED Use Prevalent?
In light of NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver's recent comments to the New York Post regarding PED use and future testing throughout the league (the NBA is unable to enhance its testing system until the Player's Association appoints a new executive director and president), do you think basketball has a problem?
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Teague, Sixers
A few random notes from around the league.
- The Cavaliers are showing interest in former Georgetown forward Henry Sims, and could possibly invite him to their training camp, according to a tweet from the Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Ford writes that new Sixers head coach Brett Brown will bring a different tactical method to the organization, one that was successful in Brown's old position as assistant coach of the Spurs.
- Bulls backup point guard Marquis Teague spent the offseason adding new dimensions to his game, and also talks about how Derrick Rose continuously helps him prepare for opponents, writes Bulls.com writer Adam Fluck.
Silver Talks About PED Use In NBA
Performance enhancing drugs are an ongoing problem in contemporary professional sports, and according to Adam Silver, the NBA's deputy commissioner, the league will look to combat such drugs as human growth hormone (HGH) with blood testing in the future, writes New York Post reporter Tim Bontemps. The league does not currently test for HGH.
As Major League Baseball continues to battle through its own ongoing Biogenesis scandal, Silver says that, as far as he's aware, the NBA doesn't have any players involved. But even though the NBA has the same penalty structure as baseball, the implementation of HGH testing can't happen until the NBA Player's Association hires a new executive director and names a new president, something they're still in the process of completing.
Lakers Invite Nick Minnerath To Camp
According to his own Twitter account, the Lakers have extended a training camp invite to Nick Minnerath. He played for the Kings during the Las Vegas Summer League, and as a senior for the University of Detroit Titans last season he averaged 14.6 PPG and 5.9 RPG.
The undrafted 6'9" forward can bang inside, but what makes him attractive to the Lakers is most likely his ability to shoot. Through three years of college basketball, Minnerath shot 39.7% from beyond the arc, which, on paper, qualifies him as a perfect fit for Mike D'Antoni's offense.
Kim English To Sign With Montepaschi Siena
According to HoopsHype.com, free agent guard Kim English has agreed to sign with Montepaschi Siena of the Euroleague. The Italian club has won its league title seven years in a row, and is one of the better teams in all of Europe.
The 24-year-old English spent his lone NBA season last year with the Pistons, where he averaged 2.9 PPG in 41 games. He was selected with the 44th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. His contract with Montepaschi Siena will include an NBA out clause until August 22nd.
Poll: Best Team In The East?
With the Pacers upgrading their bench and adding Danny Granger, the Bulls getting Derrick Rose back, and the Nets overhauling their roster and adding a couple Hall of Fame caliber contributers, the Heat have some serious competition next season.
Heading into 2014, is Miami even the favorite?
Odds & Ends: Faried, Favors, Henry, Cook
A few random notes from around the league:
- Hoopsworld.com's Yannis Koutroupis has a piece on Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, who enters next season with a crowded front court and serious questions about his team's direction.
- SheridanHoops.com's Chris Bernucca wonders if the days of one player making over $30MM in a single season are over.
- Hoopsworld.com's Steve Kyler speaks with several young NBA players, including Arron Afflalo, Derrick Favors, and Jerryd Bayless about their expectations for next season, how they deal with trade rumors, and more.
- Xavier Henry, a former lottery pick and three-year veteran, has been impressive in Los Angeles pick up games this summer, but still hasn't latched on with a team. That could change shortly, tweets ESPNNY.com's Jared Zwerling.
- Free agent forward Brian Cook has switched agents. He's now represented by Herb Rudoy, according to HoopsHype.com. Rudoy counts Manu Ginobili and Luol Deng as two of his other clients.