Boyer On Cavs, Mike Brown, Oden
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer answered a handful of questions from Cavaliers fans earlier, pointing out that the team will most likely build through the draft and trades. If they were to find someone in free agency, Boyer opines, the Cavs definitely don't want to overpay in order to land their target. She also doesn't see Dwight Howard being a real option, nor does she think Kevin Love or LaMarcus Aldridge will be available on the trade market. You can find more of her noteworthy points below:
- With four draft picks in June, Boyer thinks that the team will look to package some picks in order to move up or make a trade.
- Mike Brown appears to be putting his wish list of prospective assistant coaches together, and although former assistant John Kuester has been mentioned, it's not clear if he's interested.
- Though mutual interest remains between the Cavs and Greg Oden, the team won't be willing to give him an opportunity at just any price.
- The team is in full support of Anderson Varejao and wants to see him fully healthy and ready to play as soon as possible.
Western Notes: Timberwolves, Mavericks, Curry
In a video interview, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune says that he isn't exactly sure what the hiring of Flip Saunders means for Rick Adelman. Zgoda also mentions that Saunders' offseason goal is to add perimeter shooters and "balance the roster," which he interprets to mean that the Timberwolves will try to land a shooting guard with good size and see what they can get for Derrick Williams. You can find more notes out of the Western Conference tonight below:
- Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune believes that if Saunders and Adelman can be kept together over the next three or four years, Minnesota will have the best combination of decision-makers in the history of the franchise.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas says that although the Mavericks' prospects at landing Chris Paul or Dwight Howard this summer are long shots, the team will have the ball in their court on July 1.
- This NBA.com piece highlights Warriors guard Stephen Curry and his ability to captivate league audiences with his shooting ability.
- Anthony Slater of NewsOK writes that Thunder guard Derek Fisher has gone from afterthought to necessity in Oklahoma City's playoff rotation.
Odds & Ends: Rockets, McLemore, Horford
- Eric Prisbell of USA Today reports that NBA draft hopeful Ben McLemore's AAU coach received cash and other benefits in order to help influence the former Kansas Jayhawk to leave college after one season and declare for the draft.
- Hoopsworld's Steve Kyler tweets that Al Horford is a player that the Hawks would like to keep rather than trade as the team handles a roster that could be in heavy flux.
- Kyler also says that the front runners to sign Josh Smith this summer will be the teams that miss out on Dwight Howard (Twitter link).
- Magic CEO Alex Martins doesn't foresee a long rebuilding period in Orlando and is confident that the team can return to title contention in the near future (John Denton of Magic.com).
- Hawks GM Danny Ferry feels that the 2012-13 season was a very significant year in terms of taking the initial steps toward becoming a contender and likes the flexibility that his team has moving forward (ESPN via the Associated Press).
- Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group looks back on the 10 most important moves the Warriors made to build the team that starts the second round Sunday against the Spurs.
- According to a report from Sportando, Leones de Ponce of Baloncesto Superior Nacional in Puerto Rico have released Garret Siler and replaced him with Mike Harris.
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.
Keeping Gasol A Top Priority For Lakers?
According to Mark Heisler of Sheridan Hoops (via Twitter), one source with knowledge of team discussions says that bringing back Pau Gasol and keeping the current team together has become "Plan A" for the Lakers this summer.
Last week, Gasol acknowledged that his future in Los Angeles was uncertain, even sharing that GM Mitch Kupchak wasn't able to make any guarantees about next season after the two met for an exit interview (Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times). However, we also noted how Kobe Bryant was a strong proponent of retaining the 7'1 forward-center, saying: “I want Pau here. It’s not a question or discussion. He gives us the best chance to win titles."
It's no secret that Pau endured some struggles during the season as he tried to become acclimated with coach Mike D'Antoni's style of play, but his performance over the final eight games of the season (17.5 PPG/12.1 RPG/6.6 APG/1.3 BPG/51.3% from the field) en route to a 7-1 record and a climb to the seventh seed in the Western Conference fueled the notion that Gasol can still be a key contributor on the Lakers roster. Though the team was eventually swept by the Spurs in the first round, he continued his production, averaging 14.0/11.5/6.5 with nearly one block per game in 36.5 MPG over four games.
Los Angeles Notes: Dwight, Meeks, Clark, Clippers
- When asked if Dwight Howard might try to force Mike D'Antoni out of Los Angeles, Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld (via Twitter) says that the soon-to-be free agent doesn't want to be involved in dictating the job security of the Lakers' coach. As for the player option of Jodie Meeks and the possibility of re-signing Earl Clark, Kyler points to the priority of determining Howard's future before taking care of anything else.
- Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles hears that Chauncey Billups would like to return to the Clippers next season, adding that he's feeling as good as he's felt in two years: "I would love to be back here and continue to help in this process…I feel like we are getting closer. I definitely want to be a part of it and I'll be able to show everybody who I've always been with a summer of getting myself together, so hopefully it works out like that."
- Billups also says that his goal is to play two more seasons and briefly touched upon his desire to be invovled in an NBA front office instead of coaching once his playing career is over.
- Though there were hints about Grant Hill's plans to retire after this season, Markazi writes that Hill could come back for another year if he feels healthy enough. Hill is currently under contract for about $2MM for 2013-14.
- Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that there's no truth to the rumor which suggests that Chris Paul will be leaving his agent Leon Rose for Rich Paul, who currently represents LeBron James and Clippers teammate Eric Bledsoe among others.
Chris Paul Unsure About Future
Earlier today, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times noted that Chris Paul is currently unsure about his future, especially after the 27-year-old guard told the media: "I don't know how this whole thing's going to play out" (Twitter link). Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles expounded further on Paul's comments about his impending free agency, prefacing with a reminder that the superstar point guard passed on a three-year, $60MM contract extension last season but will be eligible for a five-year, $107MM pact this summer.
"All season long, it's something that I said I would address after the season and I really didn't think about it all during the season…The season's not even 24 hours from being over, so I really haven't thought about it. The craziest thing is that this season is over. I still haven't got that wrapped around my brain."
Markazi writes that Blake Griffin, along with other Clippers players, plan to talk to Paul about re-signing with the team. For what it's worth, he also mentions that impending free agent Matt Barnes had hinted about Paul trying to recruit him for next season, though Markazi also notes that Paul might not have been necessarily recruiting to stay in Los Angeles:
"Chris and I have already been talking about it…We talked about it on the plan last night. He's obviously the franchise player but we also talked about what I was thinking about doing. Without giving anything away, he was doing his job (in recruiting me)."
With a disappointing end to the season still fresh in his mind, the six-time All-Star further maintained that he'll need time to reflect on his situation and is in no rush to determine what lies ahead:
"I don't know. This right here was unacceptable…We lost in the first round to a good Memphis team but a team we were capable of beating. There are no moral victories … I have nothing to do. This is unreal. We only played two weeks long than everyone else that didn't make the playoffs…I'm going to take my time…I haven't even thought about it…I don't know what to do. I purposely didn't put anything on my calendar because we're supposed to still be playing."
Western Notes: Mayo, Wright, Beverley
- Fresh off of his 16-point, 12-rebound, and six assists performance against Oklahoma City, Rockets guard Patrick Beverley isn't fazed at all by the playoff atmosphere, crediting the hostile environment from his experiences in Europe for his ability to handle the pressure now (Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets writes): “It’s different here. You have cities versus cities, states versus states. There, it’s countries against countries. I’ve played in games and got hit in the face with quarters, played with my face bleeding. I’ve played in hostile environments a lot. The first round of the playoffs I can deal with.”
- Max Ogden of Sheridan Hoops gives an update on Kostas Papanikolaou, the 48th selection of last year's NBA draft by the Knicks whose draft rights were later traded to the Trail Blazers. The 22-year-old forward has continued his progression for the defending Euroleague champion Olympiacos.
- NBA commissioner David Stern commended the Rockets for how they handled Royce White's situation, saying "we'll see what happens" with regard to White's future (Reid Laymance of Ultimate Rockets).
- This NBA.com article focuses on Andre Miller, who at age 37 is leading the third-seeded Nuggets in his quest to get out of the first round for the first time in nine playoff appearances.
Odds & Ends: NBPA, James, Datome, Love
- Knicks guard Jason Kidd credits Kenyon Martin for "saving our season," writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. It is difficult to imagine where New York would have been without Martin's contributions, especially as the team has dealt with plenty of injuries in their frontcourt.
- Eric Koreen of the National Post outlines the top ten legacies that are on the line during the NBA playoffs.
- Jon Humbert of KOMO tweets that the Longshore Union filed an appeal over the land use challenge for the Seattle arena. Last month, a report from The Seattle Times (via the Associated press) said that the Longshoremen have been in staunch opposition of an arena being built near the Seattle waterfront, due to the congestion of the area that would be caused by athletic events.
- Mike James proved to be a viable pickup for the Mavericks this season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.2 APG while helping the team finish 15-8 over their final 23 games. Although James said recently that he'd like to play two more seasons with the Mavs, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas discusses why the Amityville product doesn't figure to be in the team's long-term plans.
- Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is expected to travel to Rome next week to scout Gigi Datome, according to Sportando.net (hat tip to Il Corriere dello Sport).
- Following up on a hypothetical trade proposed by Grantland's Bill
Simmons, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com examines the possibility of
the Bulls trying to trade for Kevin Love, exploring whether a package of
Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, the rights to Nikola Mirotic, and
Charlotte's first-round pick would be more than Chicago would be willing
to give up. - Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at the evolution of Paul George into an All-Star and a leader in the Pacers locker room.
Tony DiLeo’s Status Uncertain As 76ers GM
Other than the team's search for a new head coach, John Mitchell of The Inquirer notes another lingering issue hanging over the 76ers franchise, specifically the uncertain status of GM Tony DiLeo – whose contract is set to expire in less than two months. Majority owner Josh Harris, who is currently working with DiLeo to find Doug Collins' replacement, didn't seem very commital when asked about DiLeo's future:
“I believe that we certainly made decisions that we all can learn from last year and things didn’t work out – so everything is on the table…We’re going to be looking at all aspects of the organization in trying to bring a winner to Philly. So that’s the way I would answer that.”
Free Agent Stock Watch: J.R. Smith
Among those who have helped keep the Knicks afloat during their bout with injuries this season was J.R. Smith, the only player on the team's roster to have played in 80 games this year. The 27-year-old New Jersey native arguably became the team's most important offensive weapon when Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire were inactive. With recent rumblings that Smith is likely to opt out at season's end, the winner of the NBA's 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year award will undoubtedly enter the summer an entirely different commodity than he did nearly one year ago.
The Knicks saw significant roster changes during the 2012 offseason, including the departure of starting shooting guard Landry Fields. Though Smith entered training camp with his eyes on an opportunity to earn a starting position (ESPN NY), head coach Mike Woodson ultimately decided it was best to bring him off the bench, a role which the enigmatic shooting guard accepted and consistently thrived in. Other than the Clippers, the Knicks were the only other team in the NBA to feature a two-guard reserve as their second leading scorer, with Smith averaging a career-high 18.1 PPG. The 6'6 guard had also been an important contributor in other areas, averaging 5.3 RPG (also a career high) and 1.3 steals per game.
Interestingly enough, Smith made around $2.8MM this season, which was less than the annual contracts of Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, Marcus Camby, and Steve Novak (in addition to Anthony, Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler). With a player option of $2.9MM next year, it was no surprise to hear talk that Smith plans to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Despite Smith's recent statement that he'd love to retire as a Knick, the possible financial overtures from other teams during the upcoming offseason may be too lucrative to pass up at this point in his career.
We've already mentioned New York's Early Bird rights on Smith, which would allow them to offer at least a two-year contract starting at 104.5% of this year's average salary. With that being said, there are more than a handful of teams from both conferences expected to have significant cap room this summer. Though June's draft could considerably play a role in determining team needs heading into free agency, a franchise like the Suns – who struck out last summer in their pursuit of Eric Gordon – could jump at the opportunity to land a scorer like Smith.
For his position and role as a scorer compared to several other prominent scoring wings in the league, an offer starting at around $5MM from the Knicks would be easy for teams with ample cap room to outbid. Looking at J.R's season averages more closely (18.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.7 APG in 33.3 MPG) and comparing that to Rudy Gay (16.1/6.1/2.7/35.8) and Joe Johnson (16.5/3.5/3.0/36.7), Smith has certainly made a case to earn the biggest contract of his career, considering the latter two are currently signed to max-contracts. While I'm not advocating that Smith receive a max-deal, his next contract should indubitably be more than what he has been earning over the last two seasons.
In March, Smith averaged 22.1 PPG and 6.0 free throw attempts per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 34.5% from long distance. In April, he averaged 22.0 PPG, 4.5 FTA, and shot 48.3% overall along with 40.0% from deep. Smith's production over the final two months of the season was very impressive, considering New York's 13-game winning streak and 16-2 finish over the remaining 18 games to help clinch the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The notable increase in his presence as a scoring threat can be majorly attributed to his focus on attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line in addition to a more disciplined shot selection (as Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld chronicled last month).
Though we've yet to see how he'll continue to perform for the rest of the postseason, Smith can market himself as having played the best regular season of his career. Set to turn 28 in September, the New Jersey native is settled into his NBA prime and has shown the ability to be an important and efficient contributor on a 50-plus win team. While I wouldn't necessarily label him among the summer's big fishes in free agency, he's definitely a significant one whether he remains in New York or decides to change addresses.