Hoops Rumors Originals
Here's this week's look back at the original work produced by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Chuck Myron asked which notable FA is most likely to sign. Richard Hamilton and Daniel Gibson were the big winners.
- Luke Adams examined Andrew Bogut as an extension candidate.
- This marked the debut offseason for five NBA execs and Chuck looked at how they all fared.
- Chuck found that there weren't a whole lot of repeat camp invitees this summer.
- Here's a rundown of notable preseason trades, including the deal that sent James Harden to Houston last season.
- We'll be keeping track of 2014/15 contract options here.
- Luke looked at maximum salary rookie-scale extensions.
- Here's how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
- Luke updated us on the latest news for notable veteran free agents.
- Hoops Rumors is seeking part-time writers.
Week In Review: 9/30/13 – 10/6/13
After Glen Grunwald was replaced as GM by Steve Mills, many speculated that it could spell bad news for coach Mike Woodson, who was a Grunwald guy. He’s got nothing to worry about for now, however, as the Knicks exercised his option for the 2014/15 season shortly after making the GM change. More from the week that was..
- Gani Lawal has been on the NBA radar for quite some time with interest from a number of clubs. This week, the 76ers agreed to a deal with the forward that comes with a partial guarantee for year one. Lawal broke off his engagement with an Italian team to return to the states.
- Daniel Gibson is drawing interest from the Nuggets.
- The Jazz added three to camp.
- Pau Gasol wants to stay with the Lakers.
- Delonte West signed with a Chinese team.
- The Sixers waived former Raptors center Solomon Alabi.
- The Rockes waived Jordan Henriquez.
- Rodney Carney will camp with New Orleans.
- The Kings are bringing Brandon Heath.
- Lester Hudson will join the Jazz for camp.
- The Knicks signed Chris Douglas-Roberts and cut Justin Brownlee.
- Matt Carroll retired and took a job with Philadelphia.
- The Blazers exercised their options for for Damian Lillard, Thomas Robinson, and Meyers Leonard.
- The Rockets released B.J. Young.
- The Cavs signed DeSagana Diop and Michael Lee.
- The Clippers signed Mustapha Farrakhan.
- The Spurs added Marcus Cousin and two others to camp.
- Shavlik Randolph is headed to China.
- The Bulls waived a pair of camp invitees.
- Grant Jerrett will sign with a D-League team.
- The Pelicans signed former Marquette forward Lazar Hayward.
- The Nets signed Marko Jaric.
- The Cavs are bringing Henry Sims to training camp.
- There’s no guarantee that Shawn Marion will play beyond this season.
- Vladimir Radmanovic is set to retire.
- The Bobcats signed Abdul Gaddy.
- The Bucks cut Junior Cadougan.
- The Heat signed and released Ricky Sanchez.
- Rookie C.J. McCollum broke his foot.
Odds & Ends: Pistons, Budinger, Hardaway, Kings
The Pistons have engaged in discussions about acquiring exclusive control of an NBA D-League team, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. The Pistons' share their current affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, with the Bobcats, Pacers, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Magic. Here's more from around the Association..
- It looks like Chase Budinger's left knee issue isn't as bad as initially thought, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the T'Wolves are getting calls from representatives about the likes of Mickael Pietrus and DeShawn Stevenson. They'll decide on signing a free agent over the next week or so.
- Of the current 547 NBA players under contract, 398 played in the NBA last year, 62 come from NCAA teams, and 28 are from the D-League, according to Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival (via Twitter). Porcaro and Hoops Rumors teamed up in September to launch the Hoops Rumors International Player Movement Tracker.
- Tim Hardaway Jr. is showing great poise and professionalism as a rookie,writes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
- The Kings are loaded with guards, but Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee wants to see Jimmer Fredette get another opportunity to step up.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Plumlee, Woodson, Lawal
Nets rookie Mason Plumlee has been looking sharp this summer, but with a loaded bench in Brooklyn, he's likely ticketed to start the season with the team's D-League affiliate, GM Billy King told GoDuke.com (video link). "I think Mason has done a good job being a rookie and not getting in the way of the veterans and listening to them," King said. "For him to have Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, Brook Lopez, those guys can show him the right way to be a pro. It's going to help him for his long-term career. It's a great upside and the foundation for him will continue. This year, he'll have a chance. we're deep. But I think he'll play a lot of time in the D-League. If the opportunity arises, I'm sure he'll play for us as well." More from the Atlantic..
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson says that one difference between last season and this season is that the club is stacked at both point guard and shooting guard, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link). Woodson relied heavily on a two point guard lineup last season but with a healthy Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr., he won't have to sacrifice size or offense.
- Sixers GM Sam Hinkie is excited about what Gani Lawal can do for his squad, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Gani is another young athletic player who we hope to put in our pipeline and a guy that has a chance to develop and sees opportunity here, which is why he did what he did and is willing to come here and compete for a spot," said Hinkie. The Sixers formally announced the signing of Lawal earlier today.
- Assistant coach Ron Adams brings experience to the staff under new Celtics coach Brad Stevens, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Southeast Notes: Big Three, Beasley, Maynor
Today's look at the Southeast Division..
- Heat president Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison have a great deal to do with the future of the Big Three, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Arison has to be willing to spend an astronomical amount of money to keep all three in place because of the luxury tax and Riley, who turns 69 in March, may not want to keep his job in Miami forever.
- In today's mailbag, a reader asks Winderman if offseason acquisition Michael Beasley is engaged in Heat practices. If the low-risk signing fails, Winderman says that it won't be because of a lack of effort as Beasley is working hard to get himself ready for the upcoming season. What could hurt him, however, is making the transition to being a complementary player which will call for a greater emphasis on passing.
- After signing a two-year, $4MM deal with the Wizards this summer, Eric Maynor's goal is to be a steady complement to John Wall, writes Michael Lee from the Washington Post. Washington was sloppy on offense last season and the addition of Maynor, who has a career 2.81-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, should help to straighten out the offense.
- Rookie Victor Oladipo is ready to help the Magic turn things around, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
Sixers Sign Gani Lawal
SATURDAY, 8:56am: The Sixers confirmed the signing via press release.
FRIDAY, 2:18pm: The 76ers have agreed to sign Gani Lawal to a deal that is partially guaranteed for this season, a source tells Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Meanwhile, a source tells Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link) that it's a multi-year pact.
We heard earlier today that Lawal broke off an agreement with Latvia's VEF Riga in order to sign an NBA contract. The forward, who was taken with the 46th overall pick by the Suns in 2010, wasn't able to stick in the NBA coming out of school, but has found success overseas. Lawal spent this past season with Italy's Virtus Roma, averaging 13.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.4 blocks per game. He worked out for the Pacers, Raptors, and Magic this summer and possibly other clubs, but his reintroduction to the NBA will be in Philadelphia.
To keep up with the whereabouts of the top international talent, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors' International Tracker.
Northwest Notes: Shaw, Aldridge, Robinson, Orton
Brian Shaw was passed over for the Lakers coaching job back in 2011, but he's pretty happy with how things turned out for him, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. "It was hard for me, the way everything happened so suddenly," Shaw said. "It's hard for me, initially to accept the fact that, wow, I was in L.A. and now I'm going to Indiana. And then I got to Indiana and it was the best thing that could have happened to me. It really was, in terms of seeing a different way of doing things." Looking back on things, Shaw is grateful for his NBA coaching journey as it led him to the Nuggets' head job. Here's more from the Northwest Division..
- LaMarcus Aldridge maturely handled questions on Blazers media day about the trade rumors involving him throughout the summer and Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com believes that shows he's becoming a better team leader.
- Blazers forward Thomas Robinson is playing with a chip on his shoulder and isn't making any secret of it based off of his conversation with Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2012 draft is now on his third team in two years after stops in Sacramento and Houston.
- The preseason will be critical for Daniel Orton, who projects as a fourth-string center and has a non-guaranteed contract with the Thunder. The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry checks in with the two-year veteran.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southeast Notes: Allen, Gordon, Oden, Heat
It doesn't sound like Ray Allen plans to walk away anytime soon after changes to his diet this offseason have him feeling revitalized, Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald writes. The Heat guard says he's feeling great this offseason after switching to the protein-heavy Paleo diet and he's at his lowest weight since his days at UConn. Here's today's look at the Southeast Division..
- Bobcats guard Ben Gordon should benefit greatly from the defensive attention new center Al Jefferson should attract in the low post, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “Not having to work so hard to create a shot, that’s going to really open my game up,” Gordon said. “I’m looking forward to being a recipient of the (defensive) attention Al receives. He’s a very willing passer.”
- Miami has relied on small-ball out of necessity in recent years but the addition of Greg Oden could signal a change, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. "We now have that option," LeBron James said of going with a bulkier lineup. "To have two physical bigs that can rebound, can block shots, can finish at the rim, I think it's great for our team and I'm really excited about it."
- The Heat have been a man-to-man team for quite some time now, but a reader question prompted Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel to wonder if Miami might try out the zone a little more with Greg Oden in the mix. However, the Heat' have concerns about rebounding and stopping opposing 3-point shooters and zone defense would leave them vulnerable.
Pacific Notes: Afflalo, Kobe, Gortat, Lakers, Suns
Players who are oft featured on Hoops Rumors, like the Lakers' Pau Gasol, can attest to the fact that trade rumors can negatively impact your on-court performance. Magic guard Arron Afflalo was in headlines for a good portion of the summer as it was rumored he would be in a deal sending him to the Clippers for Eric Bledsoe. However, the talk didn't bother the 27-year-old at all, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. "I've seen a lot of trades go down within my own NBA circle with my team, whether I was in Detroit or Denver," Afflalo said. "It's part of the game. It's part of the business. At the end of the day, I'm very, very blessed to play this game no matter where I'm playing, and I'm proud of that. "You just have to be professional with those things. As long as you're wearing this Magic uniform, you give it your best." Here's more out of the Pacific Division..
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News wonders if Kobe Bryant will take a paycut for the Lakers' benefit. There is room for middle ground between Kobe asking for another deal with a $30MM salary and a bargain basement deal. A deal paying Bryant about $20MM wouldn't allow the Lakers to sign two max players in the 2014 offseason, but it would give them enough breathing room to get one max player plus someone else in the $10MM range.
- Suns center Marcin Gortat will have to fight to keep his job thanks to the additions of No. 5 overall pick Alex Len and Miles Plumlee, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Len's ankle issues could be an issue, but coach Jeff Hornacek says he's doing great. “Alex has done a great job of pushing through this,” Hornacek said. “For a ‘big’ that size and as much as we want to run, that gets tough. He’s winded quite a bit and that affects some of his shots when he does get the ball inside but he’s had some nice moves. He’s working every day to get better. I think he’s improved, obviously with conditioning, over these four days but also with being able to pick up the offense.”
- Are the aging Lakers better than the new-look Warriors? Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times pits them against each other. The verdict: the Warriors will probably win 50 games with a shot at 55 while the Lakers look like a team in the 40-50 range with a lot depending on the health of Kobe Bryant.
Atlantic Notes: Kidd, White, Raptors, Knicks
This morning, the league announced that new Nets head coach Jason Kidd will be suspended for the first two games of the 2013/14 season after pleading guilty to DWI charges. The move was expected and GM Billy King issued a statement saying, "The decision is consistent with what the league has done in the past and we look forward to Jason leading our team versus Orlando and the rest of the year." Here's more from the Atlantic Division..
- Forward Royce White did not travel with the Sixers on their trip to Europe, a source tells Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter). White, who suffers from a well-documented anxiety disorder that includes a fear of flying, was "given a pass" by the team. The Sixers acquired White from the Rockets this summer along with the rights to Furkan Aldemir.
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey says that he doesn't have a preference between Carlos Morais, Julyan Stone, or Chris Wright for the club's final roster spot, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Casey did say that the decision will be based on much more than talent as he's looking for someone with solid energy.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com looks at the pros and cons of starting defending Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith. The recently re-signed Knicks guard could shine with additional minutes, but he'd also cut into Iman Shumpert's time on the floor. Shumpert is one of the team's top defenders and is used to bottle up opposing guard/wing players.
- Offseason acquisition Metta World Peace says the Knicks have to play as smart as the 1973 team to win a championship in 2013, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.