Southwest Rumors: Carter, Howard, Pelicans
The latest news out of the Southwest Division..
- Even though Vince Carter is closing in on his 37th birthday and is in the final year of his contract, he doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. He won't talk about a timetable, but he says that his body is telling him he's got a few years of basketball left in him. Carter averaged 13.4 PPG last season off of the bench in just 26 minutes per night.
- Dwight Howard spoke to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report about the importance of coach Kevin McHale in his free agent decision. "I feel like me and Kevin just have a special relationship already, from just the first time we’ve talked until now," the Rockets center said. "He said he watched almost all my games. It was just a shock. You got Kevin McHale, one of the greatest players to play the game, our coach, dissecting my game and all my tapes."
- The Pelicans have an unprecedented amount of depth this season, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. Point guard Jrue Holiday says the 2011/12 Sixers are the only team he can remember being on with similar strength off the bench. "I think our first team, and our second team, if that's what you want to call it, are starters," Holiday said. "They're just as good as the first team. That definitely makes practice more competitive. It makes the starters better and the second team better, too."
Vladimir Radmanovic To Retire
Back in July, Agent Alexander Raskovic said that client Vladimir Radmanovic was still intent on remaining in the NBA and wasn't interested in returning to Europe. It now appears that the free agent didn't find an opportunity here in the states as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link) reports that he is set to retire from basektball altogether.
The 32-year-old spent last season with the Bulls on a one-year deal and while it seemed like he'd be a key cog before the season started, he wound up seeing just 5.8 minutes per game in 25 contests. The Bulls signed him to give them some outside shooting and even when they were struggling from beyond the arc, Radmanovic still didn't see significant burn.
For his career, Radmanovic averaged 8.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and shot nearly 38% from downtown across 12 seasons with the Sonics, Clippers, Lakers, Bobcats, Warriors, Hawks, and Bulls.
Hawks Rumors: Brand, Johnson, Carroll
The Hawks had a roster makeover this offseason that included the acquisition of former Jazz big man Paul Millsap. The forward views this as a brand new chapter in his career and isn’t interested in being compared to Josh Smith. “I don’t really try to compare myself to anybody else,” Millsap told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld this week. “We’re two different players and two different people. I’ll be myself and I know the things I’m capable of doing. When we get out there, I can shoot the basketball, be very energetic and rebound. There are some of the same similarities, but [we’re] different.” More out of Hotlanta..
- Forward Elton Brand says that he has no plans to retire at the end of the season, writes HoopsWorld’s Lang Greene. Brand signed a one-year, $4MM deal with Atlanta this summer after seeing the lowest minutes per game average of his career last season. Brand will be playing behind fellow newcomer Millsap and Al Horford.
- James Johnson chose a non-guaranteed two-year deal with Atlanta over several offers from overseas, Greene writes. Johnson has career averages of 6.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in stints with the Bulls, Raptors, and Kings.
- Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll is happy to have an opportunity to start this season, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The small forward is in his fifth season with his fifth NBA team.
Chris Kaman On Lakers, Clippers, Kobe
There have been a handful of players in recent seasons to go from one corner of the Staples Center to the other and the latest is center Chris Kaman. After eight years with the Clippers and stops in New Orleans and Dallas, the veteran is back in Los Angeles, but this time he's in purple and gold. The 31-year-old sat down with Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com this week to discuss his journey, his experience playing for both L.A. teams, and his unreal draft class. Here are some of the highlights..
On the differences between the Lakers experience and the Clippers experience:
I would say they [the Clippers] do a decent job of taking care of their players. I went to Dallas, which everybody knows is one of the best, so I can't say the best but they do a good job of taking care of their players. They've come a long ways since when I started and when I ended.
With the Lakers, they do a great job of taking care of their players. It's a first-rate organization. When teams have won like they have — this team, the Celtics, the Mavericks, all the different teams that are successful like that — I think there's something about them. The aura around the whole team and the organization is different. Everything changes. Here, everything is a little bit more professional, I guess I would say is the word I would use. Without being disrespectful to the Clippers, I think this is a little bit more professional of an organization. Now, the Clippers have turned things around and I think with Doc [Rivers] there and the changes in some cast members, I think they're going to be pretty solid as well.
How would you stack the 2003 draft class against 1984 and 1996?
Those are some good draft classes though, you know? But there's some other guys that people don't even realize [from 2003]. Jarvis Hayes had a decent career. David West was in there. Josh Howard was in there. I was in there. Kirk Hinrich's in there. Nick Collison. Luke Ridnour. There's some guys that people don't realize, and there's some guys in the second round. There's a couple [other] guys — [Marquis] Daniels had a solid first part of his career. Maurice Williams. There's other guys, I can't even think of them all, but if you look at the list it will be surprising to you how many good players that are in that draft class and guys that are still playing in this league and still getting it done.
The [1996] draft class was good because you got to give them credit with Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, there's some other great players with Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Kobe. So, I mean, it's hard to say. But, if you look at it, we've got LeBron who's won the MVP multiple times, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron and the Miami Heat won rings, two of them. Kobe's got five [rings], Ray Allen's got a few. I don't know. It's tough. That's a tough call. I think overall dominance, we got to wait and see what happens with LeBron and Wade and Bosh down there in Miami. If they get another ring this year, then what does that say? Where does that put them? Where does that put LeBron? I don't know.
On Kobe Bryant:
I always hated him. When you play against a guy like him, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, you don't like them because they're so competitive. I respect that, but I don't like playing against them. But when you're on their team, it's a whole different story. You love the people. They're good guys. Kobe, he's just been working hard trying to get himself ready. He comes to practice and he works his butt off. I respect that as well. I'm excited for him to play. I'm hoping sooner than later.
When do you expect to find out if you'll be starting or coming off the bench?
I don't know. That's a good question too because I'm sure there's some games where you play teams that have bigger lineups. Some teams run two big guys. Some teams run a big guy and a small guy, like if you go with the Knicks, they got [Tyson] Chandler and then they usually got Melo at the four, so obviously that's not a good game for me to be in the starting lineup unless they're willing to match up, or whatever. I think coach, he's going to have a make a decision on the different games and different situations. I think there's some games that I'll benefit the team starting. But, I don't know what's going to happen. I could come off the bench or I could start. I've done both last year in Dallas.
How would you rate this current Lakers team?
It's hard to tell right now, but I think we're going to be better than people think. I think we have a better team mentality than they had last year. I think the chemistry is going to better. I think guys really, truly want to be playing with each other and be in the same locker room with each other. It's not like, 'When can I get out of here?' I think that's going to help and I think we got a good, early start having all the guys here this summer for the most part. All that plays into it. And then obviously, when we get Kobe back, that's going to help us tenfold.
Gani Lawal To Sign With NBA Team
Forward Gani Lawal is signing with an unknown NBA team, a source told Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (on Twitter). Lawal just parted ways with VEF Riga shortly after agreeing to a deal.
To date, Lawal has a whopping two minutes of NBA experience to his credit. However, as we learned back in May, the forward caught the attention of several teams with his play overseas. The Pacers, Raptors, and Magic all scheduled Lawal for workouts and four or five other clubs were said to be considering it.
Lawal spent this past season with Italy's Virtus Roma, averaging 13.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.4 blocks per game. The 24-year-old has reportedly lost weight and added strength since he was drafted by the Suns with the 46th overall pick out of Georgia Tech in 2010.
Lawal was in training camp with the Spurs in 2011, but San Antonio cut him before the start of the regular season.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Evans, Stern, Beaubois
Pau Gasol is in his walk year and while he has yet to discuss a new deal with the Lakers, he's made it clear that he wants to come back, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. "It's nice to be here in the last year of my contract," Gasol said. "I'd love to continue to play with the Lakers [next year]. We've been through so much together. Mostly amazing moments and some hard moments too. It's like a relationship. If you're still together, it shows improved strength and consistency and how solid the relationship is. Hopefully we'll see if we can extend it." Here's more from around the Association..
- Offseason acquisition Tyreke Evans says that he would like to fill a "Manu Ginobili kind of role" for the Pelicans, writes Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype. Evans was also asked about why things didn't work out in Sacramento, but he took the high road and concluded that it was "just time for a change."
- As David Stern enters his final season as commissioner, he says that he is most proud of the game's international growth, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
- In a piece for The Score, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com focuses on free agent guard Rodrigue Beaubois, who looked like a promising up-and-coming prospect three years ago, and now can't find NBA work.
- More and more teams are stashing picks overseas, according to a recent numbers crunch from HoopsHype. This year, there was a record-setting eight stash picks in the draft.
- Forward Jeff Green had high praise for new Celtics coach Brad Stevens today, tweets Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe.
Owner Paul Allen Talks Trail Blazers
It's a good time to be Paul Allen. Well, it's never a bad time to be a billionaire, but Allen's Seattle Seahawks are looking great one-quarter of the way through the NFL season. Allen's NBA team, meanwhile, is looking to take another step forward this season with their promising core. The Trail Blazers owner met with reporters earlier today to talk about the state of the franchise as the 2013/14 season approaches. Here's a look at some of the highlights, courtesy of The Oregonian's Mike Tokito..
Is it playoffs or bust this year?
I wouldn’t put it that way. I talked to (GM) Neil (Olshey) right after the last game of the season, and we made a conscious decision and had a lot of determination that we wanted to improve the team. So we’ve brought a blend of veterans in and draft picks and so definitely we’ve got so much more depth this year, so much more talent 1 through 12 to complement our starters from last year. So we’re in a much improved place.
How has GM Neil Olshey done in his first 15 months on the job?
I think Neil and the scouts have done a great job in improve the talent. Now it’s the coaches’ turn to take that talent and see how far we can go, see how these guys blend in the preseason and how the young guys develop, how the veterans build in. There’s going to be a lot of great stories this year.
How do you feel the transition has gone with the new management and coaching staff?
Basically, I think there was – if you were the owner – some somewhat discouraging times there and you have to bear down and say, 'OK, we’re going to have to make some changes. We have to bring in a new GM, make a coaching change and so forth, executive changes, and that’s all come together. We need to see the full fruits of doing that. Obviously we’ve had some successes in Seattle in making wholesale changes and now we need to see how that’s going to evolve in Portland. But I’m very optimistic.
Do you have specific benchmarks for a successful season?
I don’t, because there are so many things that can intervene and change things, whether that’s injuries, as we’ve seen, we’ve just been plagued by injury problems, I hate to even bring it up, but things like that. And you don’t know how other teams are going to perform in your conference, too. But I think we’re going to be in the mix for a playoff spot, but other than that, I can’t predict.
Are you still opposed to spending into luxury tax unless you’re in contention?
We’ve basically made the moves for this season – free agents are all signed, or they’re playing overseas or they’re with new teams – so this is our team. Not to say something couldn’t happen during the season, but I’m really not expecting it at this point. But things could always change and evolve.”
With coaches and roster, do you think things are as stable with the franchise as they’ve been in a while?
Yes, I think we’ve turned the page and we’re in a new era here, and we’ve got some of our veterans like Nic and L.A. and Wes that joined us before, and obviously, Damian, I think we all believe that he’s going to continue to grow. We’ve got new players like Dorell and Robin and Mo that have just tons of experience. So you blend that experience with the talent that we already have and draft picks like C.J. McCollum, it’s going to be super interesting to see how the season evolves, and I hope the fans are as excited as I am.
Delonte West Signs With Chinese Team
Delonte West has signed a one-year deal with Fujian of China, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (on Twitter). The guard last played in the NBA in 2011/12 when he was with the Mavs.
The 30-year-old averaged 9.6 PPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.3 SPG in a shade over 24 minutes a night in that last go-round with Dallas. West would obviously like to make his way back to the NBA this season and the shortened season in the CBA will allow him to sign a mid-season deal here in the states – provided that a team wants him.
Talent doesn't appear to be the issue with West but behavior certainly is. After being cut by the Mavericks for his off-court activity in training camp last fall, West lasted just eight games with the D-League's Texas Legends for being late to practice. The Knicks and Grizzlies had some level of interest in West earlier this summer, but things never seemed to develop. West even made it known that he'd take a non-guaranteed deal and still didn't get an NBA opportunity.
In eight seasons with the Celtics, Sonics, Cavs, and Mavericks, West averaged 9.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.1 SPG. As always, you can keep track of deals all around the globe with Hoops Rumors' International Player Movement Tracker.
Pacific Notes: Kobe, Warriors, Bogut, Howard
Derrick Rose has said that he's not big on recruiting, but the Lakers' star guard has never been bashful about working the phones to bring talent to his team. Recently, a source close to Carmelo Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that Kobe Bryant may influence where Anthony plays next season. Here's more out of the Pacific Division..
- This year's Lakers are the definition of a one-and-done team as Steve Nash, Robert Sacre, and Nick Young are the only players with guaranteed contracts past this season, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol don't have assurances past this season and neither does the newly-acquired Chris Kaman, who experienced a similar situation in Dallas last season as the Mavs geared up for a Dwight Howard run.
- Warriors center Andrew Bogut sat down with Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News for a wide-ranging interview. When asked about the club's pursuit of Howard, Bogut didn't pull any punches. "In some ways, you look at it, and it does [tick] you off a little bit. But I don’t take it personal. They’re trying to get better.I’m still here and Dwight’s created his circus and the circus is past and we’re moving on. I’m not too worried about it," Bogut said.
- A Sacramento lobbyist who assisted with the city's efforts to keep the Kings is upset that he is now left without a piece of the club, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
Nuggets Rumors: Fogg, Shaw, Connelly
Here's the latest news out of Denver..
- The Nuggets announced their complete training camp roster which includes a new name in guard Kyle Fogg. The 6'3" guard averaged 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers last season. Fogg averaged 13.5 PPG in his senior season at Arizona in 2011/12, but went undrafted.
- Coach Brian Shaw won't say that this year's Nuggets squad will finish with less wins than last year (57), but he does acknowledge that there will be a focus on player development, writes Terry Frei of The Denver Post. The coach was also asked about a timetable for the return of Danilo Gallinari, but that's still an unknown at this point.
- General Manager Tim Connelly says that Denver was lucky to land Nate Robinson because he was being pursued by playoff teams, tweets Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post. The GM also acknowledged that the team isn't where he'd like it to be as the season draws near. While he likes the players he has, he won't hesitate to make a change if one is needed.