Hoops Links: Turner, Thunder, Mavs, Rockets
On this date in 1983, the NBA and the Players’ Association established a landmark program in sports to battle drug abuse, providing treatment and rehabilitation that also mandated expulsion of repeat offenders and players convicted of using or selling drugs.
Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the web..
- Hoop76 explains why Evan Turner might be in line for a career year.
- Daily Thunder has some big questions heading into training camp.
- The Two Man Game looks at the Mavericks' narrative.
- Red94 previews the season ahead for the Rockets.
- Celtics Hub wonders if Jared Sullinger can be a center.
- Silver Screen And Roll wants to hear less from the Buss family.
- Blazers Edge asks if Portland's guards can play together.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Lakers, Gasol Have Yet To Discuss Extension
Lakers big man Pau Gasol has dealt with trade rumors for years and as he enters the final season of his contract, he’s no closer to getting an assurance of job security. The Spaniard told reporters today that the Lakers have yet to approach him about a contract extension, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
“If the team is interested, they will approach me and at some point there will be some kind of meeting,” Gasol said. “But I’m not sure when or how. I think it’s going to depend on how I perform during the season. The better I perform, I’m sure the more interested they will be to try to sign me, I guess.“
Gasol averaged a career-low 13.7 PPG last year and his 46.6% rate from the floor was his worst of any season. He didn’t fare much better on the boards, averaging 8.6 rebounds per game, his lowest average since 2007/08.
On the plus side, Gasol reports that his knees feel a whole lot better after undergoing treatment for tendonitis. The veteran will earn $9.3MM in the final year of his contract.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here's a roundup of the great original analysis produced by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Luke examined what a max extension might look like for Paul George.
- Corey Maggette has the most experience of any training camp invitee, Chuck Myron writes.
- Most of you feel that the Knicks made a big mistake with their GM change.
- Luke provided an update on the 2013 rookie scale contract extensions.
- Go get the Hoops Rumors iPhone/iPad app!
- If you haven't already, check out our International Player Movement Tracker.
Northwest Notes: Corbin, Shaw, Nuggets, Jazz, Biedrins
Josh Howard's 2012/13 campaign with the Timberwolves lasted just eleven games before he tore his ACL and now he's looking to figure things out for the upcoming season. The forward, who was once a prominent member of the Mavs, has had good workouts with the Spurs and Rockets, but hasn't gotten a training camp invite yet. Here's today's look at the Northwest Division..
- Agent Steve Kauffman said he hasn't begun negotiating an extension for client Tyrone Corbin with the Jazz and tells Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune that he doesn't expect such a deal to get done. Instead, Kauffman would rather Corbin receive a new, long-term contract with the team next summer.
- Brian Shaw is obviously happy to have his head coaching opportunity, but life has gotten quite busy since he joined the Nuggets, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. "It's been crazy," Shaw said. "It's been unusual. I wouldn't have imagined all of the stuff that doesn't really have to do with basketball that I've had to do. I knew administratively it would be a little different than what I was accustomed to, with the obligations."
- While Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson are several years past their primes, the Jazz are hopeful they can bounce back to their old form and provide veteran savvy, writes Jody Gennesy of the Deseret News. Utah is also optimistic that Brandon Rush can be a "3 and D" player who can help stretch defenses with his outside shooting and guard opposing two-guards vigorously.
Southeast Notes: Beasley, Mason, Wiggins
Erik Spoelstra was scheduled to hit the open market after the 2013/14 season, but the Heat realized that he would have a red-hot market if that were to happen. Today, Miami locked the coach up with a contract extension that will keep him in place for years to come, even if the future of the Big Three isn’t certain at this juncture. Here’s the latest out of the Southeast..
- In today’s mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel was asked by a reader which “longshots” have the best chance of hooking on with the Heat. Michael Beasley seems pretty likely to get the 14th spot on the roster and Winderman likes Roger Mason Jr.’s chances of getting the final one, if the heat are willing to carry 15. It’s not a great year for non-guaranteed guys in Miami with 13 guaranteed contracts already on the payroll.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel previews the season ahead for the Magic. Schmitz stops short of rooting for the team to tank, but he implores Orlando not to win too many games and hurt their chances of landing Andrew Wiggins in June.
- Guard Jeff Teague is excited about the new-look Hawks in 2013/14, writes HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy. Teague was left in limbo for a little while by Atlanta but ultimately re-signed on a four-year, $32MM deal. “I’m definitely glad [free agency] is over with,” Teague added. “I really didn’t think about it much last year, but during the summer it was a difficult time. I learned the whole business of basketball basically. I’m excited to have that done though.”
- There’s been a lot of change in Atlanta, but Al Horford is still a part of the Hawks after their makeover, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
International Notes: Ajinca, Ewing
We'll keep track of today's international news here..
- Former first-round pick Alexis Ajinca came up empty in his search for an enticing NBA offer and will return to play for Strasbourg of France this season, with eyes on a return to the NBA next summer, as Catch-and-Shoot.com reports (translation via Sportando's Enea Trapani).
- Patrick Ewing Jr. has decided to continue his career with Greece's Trikala, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Ewing has plied his craft around the world since finishing his college career at Georgetown, including a brief NBA stop in New Orleans in 2011.
- As always, you can keep track of all international player movement using Hoops Rumors' latest tracker.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Week In Review: 9/23/13 – 9/29/13
We've been expecting it for weeks, but the Pacers finally inked Paul George to a five-year, $90MM+ extension. The 23-year-old was scheduled to become a restricted free agent following the conclusion of the 2013/14 season and but the two sides got a long-term pact done well before the October 31st deadline. Here's the rest of our look back at the week that was..
- The Knicks shocked everyone when they replaced GM Glen Grunwald with Steve Mills.
- DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings reached agreement on a lucrative extension. The big man has had some issues in Sacramento during his young professional career but it sounds like the new regime is confident that they'll be on the same page going forward.
- The Heat and coach Erik Spoelstra agreed to a contract extension. Miami also promoted Andy Elisburg to GM.
- Tracy McGrady already announced his retirement from the NBA and he now says he won't play in China either.
- Corey Maggette is going to training camp with San Antonio.
- Josh Howard is still seeking a camp invite.
- Gilbert Arenas, on the other hand, is going to China. Here's to hoping he and Stephon Marbury will hang out.
- Hedo Turkoglu won't be in camp with the Magic and the buyout is close.
- Shaquille O'Neal bought a small piece of the Kings.
- Warriors 2012 second round pick Ognjen Kuzmic is closing in on a buyout that will allow him to sign a guaranteed deal with Golden State for the upcoming season.
- An extension for Avery Bradley appears unlikely at this point.
- The Knicks officially signed free agent center Cole Aldrich.
- Lou Amundson will camp with the Clippers.
- The Sixers officially signed rookie Michael Carter-Williams.
- As expected, the Blazers waived Terrel Harris.
- The Spurs signed Sam Young.
- The Heat will audition veteran guard Roger Mason Jr.
- Melvin Ely hasn't popped up in a while but he could join the Grizzlies for training camp.
- Pops Mensah-Bonsu will join the Wizards for training camp.
- The Mavs signed defensive specialist Renaldo Balkman.
- The Jazz signed Dwayne Jones to a non-guaranteed deal. They also inked Scott Machado.
- The Jazz waived Marquette product Jerel McNeal but added Justin Holiday.
- Undrafted rookie Adonis Thomas will show the Hawks what he's got.
- Charlie Westbrook will join Miami's loaded training camp.
- The Pacers signed Hilton Armstrong.
- Melvin Ely will try to hook on with the Grizzlies.
- The Bulls are bringing in D.J. White.
- Philly signed a pair of frontcourt players.
- Free agent big man D'or Fischer accepted the Wizards' camp invite.
- Mickael Pietrus wants a guaranteed deal.
- Former lottery pick Ike Diogu is going to camp with the Knicks.
- The Lakers signed big man Dan Gadzuric.
- The Knicks are looking at wing players.
- Xavier Silas will accept a camp invite from the Wizards.
- Larry Drew II will camp with the Heat.
- The Suns are bringing James Nunnally to camp.
- The Jazz signed Nick Covington.
- The T'Wolves inked A.J. Price.
- Justin Brownlee is coming to camp with the Knicks.
- Brian Cook will come to camp with Utah.
- The Warriors added two, including Joe Alexander.
Heat Rumors: Beaubois, Beasley, Mason, LeBron
The Heat signed Roger Mason Jr. and guard Charlie Westbrook over the weekend to round out their training camp roster, but they'll have their work cut out for them if they plan on making the team. Miami already has 13 guaranteed players under contract and with Michael Beasley almost definitely taking spot No. 14, Mason Jr. and Westbrook will have to vie with Larry Drew II, Eric Griffin, Justin Hamilton, and Jarvis Varnado for the 15th spot. Of course, there's also no guarantee that the Heat will carry 15 players on their roster. Here's the latest out of South Beach..
- The Heat wanted to bring point guard Rodrigue Beaubois in for an audition, but a wrist injury prevented that from happening, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The 25-year-old averaged 7.1 PPG for the Mavericks over the past four seasons.
- Miami could do worse than filling out the roster with Mason and Beasley, but it's probably not what Pat Riley had in mind when he spoke of "cannibalizing" the free agent market late in the summer, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
- More from Winderman, who explains why it wouldn't make sense for LeBron James to sign a new deal with the Heat before the start of the 2013/14 season. Of course, as soon as next summer, LeBron can opt out and return on a brand-new five-year contract. Even if King James went that route, however, it would probably have a series of out clauses like his current deal.
Sixers Sign Solomon Alabi, Mac Koshwal
The Sixers announced that they have signed Solomon Alabi and Nayal "Mac" Koshwal. Terms of the deals are not disclosed but they are almost certainly non-guaranteed training camp contracts.
Alabi, a 7'1" center, was drafted by the Mavs with the 50th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Toronto. The 25-year-old played two seasons for the Raptors in 2010/11 and 2011/12. Last season, Alabi played for the D-League's Idaho Stampede and Ikaros Chalkidas of the Greek League.
Koshwal, a 6'10" forward/center, spent time in the Las Vegas Summer League before spending time on several minor league teams. The native of Sudan jumped from DePaul after his junior year but went undrafted in 2010.
Philadelphia's training camp roster now stands at the maximum of 20 players.
Heat Sign Charlie Westbrook
The Heat are bringing Charlie Westbrook to camp, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter). The guard was in summer league with the Trail Blazers earlier this summer but did not advance further with the team.
The 6'4'' guard out of the University of South Dakota spent last season in Verona, Italy and appeared to be on his way back there this season. The 24-year-old turned down a pair of training camp invites in August to go back to Europe, but he may try and make things happen in the states this season. Westbrook isn't likely to hook on in Miami for this season, but he could make an impression and continue to build on his game in the D-League if he stays in the U.S.