Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a look back at the original analysis produced by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Chuck Myron ran down 2012 camp cuts who earned 10-day contracts.
- Luke Adams notes that there are several clubs with preseason cap decisions to make.
- I asked if J.R. Smith‘s three-year, $17.95MM deal was a good idea for the Knicks and a small majority of you said it wasn’t.
- Chuck predicts that DeMarcus Cousins will be the most talented extension-eligible player not to get an extension this year.
- Luke would be surprised if Richard Hamilton doesn’t play in the NBA this year.
- Most of you see the Jazz extending both Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors.
- Rudy Gay is both a trade candidate and an extension candidate.
- Ryan Raroque asked you to pick the most improved player in the Pacific Division – most of you like Greivis Vasquez and Wesley Johnson.
- Here’s a look at teams with multiple clients from the same agency, courtesy of Chuck.
- There are still a number of second round picks that remain unsigned.
- The Suns and Wizards lead the way in rookie scale deals, Chuck notes.
- Would Hoops Rumors readers sign Michael Beasley? Opinions are split.
- Chuck ran down upcoming rookie-scale option decisions.
- Chuck examined Vasquez as an extension candidate.
- Play nice, everyone. Here’s a refresher on our commenting policy.
- Here’s a comparison of salaries for No. 2 overall picks over time.
- Here are non-guaranteed players on non-minimum deals.
- And this year’s non-guaranteed players, by team.
- Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
Odds & Ends: Hamilton, LeBron, Durant, Knicks
With the offseason winding down, most of the summer's impact free agents are off the board with deals in the NBA and, occasionally, overseas. However, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identified five free agents still out there that can contribute to a team in 2013/14. Richard Hamilton who was waived by the Bulls in July for financial reasons, leads the list of free agents. Tyrus Thomas, Rodrigue Beaubois, Jamaal Tinsley, and Sebastian Telfair also earned mentions as players that can make a difference this season. Here's more from around the Association..
- Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) runs down a host of arguments for why the NBA should eliminate the max contract. One major reason is that players like LeBron James are probably worth more than the top deal allowable by the collective bargaining agreement. By capping the type of deal that James can fetch, it unfairly distributes the wealth to lower-level players.
- In an interview with Italy's Gazzetta TV (video link), Thunder star Kevin Durant says that he would have liked to see Oklahoma City add guard Marco Belinelli this summer. The sharpshooter wound up signing a two-year deal with the Spurs this offseason.
- The Knicks knew they were taking a risk when they re-signed J.R. Smith to a lucrative three-year pact this offseason, argues Marc Berman of the New York Post. A slight majority of Hoops Rumors readers say Smith's three-year, $17.95MM deal wasn't a good move for the Knicks.
- Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld looks at six players on the comeback trail this season, including Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, and, of course, Derrick Rose.
Heat Notes: Beasley, Odom, Melo, Arroyo
Here's a look at the latest out of South Beach..
- It may surprise some to hear, but Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel says that Michael Beasley's production was never better than at the outset of his career with the Heat. The former No. 2 overall pick saw his PER drop annually from 17.1 as a Miami rookie in 2008/09 to 16.1 in his second and final season with the Heat, to 15.5, 13.0 and 10.8 over the past three seasons. For all of his struggles, he's managed to earn $33MM over the course of his career, to date.
- In today's mailbag, a reader asks Winderman what he would do if he were in Pat Riley's position and could add Lamar Odom, Beasley or Fab Melo to the Heat roster. Winderman's answer – none of the above. In his mind, the team doesn't need the drama that could come with any of those three free agent opitons.
- Another reader asks if Carlos Arroyo return would make sense as the Heat look to add a third point guard to their roster. Arroyo, however, has done his best work on the international stage rather than in the NBA. Furthermore, Miami needs a one guard in the mold of Garrett Temple who can be a strong defender.
- Winderman caught up with former Heat veteran Rasual Butler, who says that he is quite hopeful about his chances of getting back to the NBA for the first time since 2011/12 when he was with Toronto. The 34-year-old is in camp with the Pacers, who are in need of shooting off the bench.
Poll: Was J.R. Smith’s New Deal A Good Idea?
The Knicks' top priority this offseason was re-signing swingman J.R. Smith to a new deal. The unrestricted free agent was garnering a good deal of interest on the open market but the Knicks and agent Leon Rose agreed to a four-year, $24.7MM deal on July 4th. Done deal, right? Not quite.
Soon after, it was revealed that Smith would have to undergo offseason knee surgery. Suddenly, what seemed like a no-brainer deal for the defending Sixth Man of the Year was no longer a slam dunk. The patellar tendon surgery and arthroscopy for a tear in the lateral meniscus of his left knee will keep Smith out for at least the first few weeks of the 2013/14 season. After the news of the surgery was disclosed, Smith and Rose got the deal amended to a three-year, $17.95MM pact, which may be a positive for the Knicks, depending on how you look at it.
Yesterday, we learned that Smith will be out even longer than expected after being suspended for a drug violation. After his knee heals up, Smith will have to be sidelined for an additional five games and given Smith's reported proclivity for partying, one has to wonder if this could be a recurring issue.
By the same token, Smith is coming off of a career year in which he averaged 18.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.7 APG in 33.5 minutes per game off of the bench. It's not easy to find that kind of production elsewhere, especially when you don't have cap space to work with. All things considered, is Smith's three-year, $17.95MM deal a good idea for the Knicks?
Should The Knicks Have Re-Signed Smith To A Three-Year, $17.95MM Deal?
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No 54% (320)
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Yes 46% (278)
Total votes: 598
Bobcats Sign James Southerland
SEPTEMBER 5TH: The Bobcats have officially announced the signing of Southerland in a press release.
AUGUST 24TH: James Southerland has accepted a training camp invitation from the Bobcats, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Southerland went undrafted in June despite interest from a number of clubs.
The Spurs were amongst the teams interested in the 6'8" sharpshooter and they considered taking him with the 58th overall selection. San Antonio asked Southerland if he'd play overseas if they grabbed him, but he declined. He'll now try to find an NBA home with his late invite to camp with the Bobcats, though Bonnell notes that nothing is signed yet.
The Syracuse forward had an impressive 39.8% success rate from beyond the arc in his final college season. He also averaged career highs in points (13.3 PPG) and rebounds (5.2 RPG).
Odds & Ends: D-League, Liggins, 76ers, McGrady
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside asks if the D-League would be a worthwhile investment for a developing or well-established cable sports network. The NBA's farm system has had a number of homes over the years, from Versus to NBA D-League Futurecast to NBATV to the CBS Sports Network last season.
It's an interesting question to pose, particularly with the NBC Sports Network shelling out a fortune for the Premier League and the fledgling FOX Sports 1 putting a great deal of resources behind pushing the UFC. It's conceivable that a network out there will want to help the D-League realize its potential and, in turn, boost their profile in an increasingly crowded market.
Here's today's look around the Association…
- Speaking of the D-League, Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival (Twitter links) counts 51 D-League players from a year ago that have signed overseas contracts for next season. Others figure to be featured in the NBA this year, however. Jeremy Tyler (Knicks) and Glen Rice Jr. (Wizards) have NBA deals while Ron Howard (Pacers), Marcus Landry (Lakers), and Arinze Onuaku (Pelicans) got training camp invites.
- After his arrest last week, many believe that DeAndre Liggins has played his final game in a Thunder uniform, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.
- Adi Joseph of USA Today projects the records for every NBA team in 2013/14. In his estimation, the 76ers will have the best shot at Andrew Wiggins with a 16-66 record.
- Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld looks at the Hall of Fame cases for Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Chris Webber, Tracy McGrady, and others. There has been a great deal of debate over TMac's candidacy after he announced his retirement last week.
- Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops ranked the top ten offseason free agent signings. Some of the league's best bargains make the list such as Matt Barnes (three-year, $10.2MM deal; Clippers) but Dwight Howard of the Rockets takes the top spot.
Eastern Notes: Bobcats, Melo, Raptors, Celtics
In today's look at NBA trade candidates, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examined the Bobcats and found that they could have some interesting trade chips for when February rolls around. The $13.2MM owed to Ben Gordon certainly isn't palatable to teams right now, but, if he's playing well, he could draw interest when roughly 70% of that has been paid off. Ramon Sessions, who will make $5MM, is in a similar position. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference..
- In today's mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if there's a chance that Fab Melo could return to South Florida with the Heat. Winderman sees it as unlikely given the way that the big man looked in front of Heat decision makers while playing for the Celtics' summer league team. Melo is a free agent after clearing waivers yesterday.
- Someone in the know tells Doug Smith of the Toronto Star that he doesn't expect the Raptors to fill their remaining vacant roster spot. Toronto's roster dropped to 14 after cutting Quentin Richardson last week.
- In a piece for Celtics Hub, Michael Pina weighs the pros and cons of the Celtics offering Avery Bradley an extension before November 1st.
Pete Mickeal Drawing Interest From Lakers, 76ers
Pete Mickeal has been one of the top Americans playing abroad for the last decade and NBA interest has picked up considerably for him this season, agent Happy Walters tells HoopsHype (on Twitter). The Lakers and Sixers are among the teams that are fans of Mickeal and thinking about bringing him stateside.
Mickeal has struggled with injury last season but he's now 100% and clear to play, according to Walters (Twitter link). However, the small forward will only sign with an NBA team if he gets a guaranteed deal (link). A guaranteed deal could be hard to come by for the 35-year-old, but the Sixers still need to add players and salary to reach the league minimum. Philadelphia obviously isn't in a position to contend this season, but a veteran presence could be a welcome addition for the young club.
Mickeal was drafted by the Mavs in the second round of the 2000 Draft, waived, and picked up by the Knicks, but he never saw live action thanks to injury. He eventually wound up traveling around the globe with stints in the Philippines, Greece, Russia, and South Korea. He's spent the last few years with FC Barcelona, leading them to championship gold and capturing the Spanish Cup MVP last season.
Central Notes: Cavs, Asik, Dunleavy, Bulls
Here's a look at today's news out of the Central Division..
- In today's mailbag, a reader asks Mary Schmitt-Boyer of the Plain Dealer if the Rockets could be open to dealing an unhappy Omer Asik to the Cavs for Anderson Varejao. It's unlikely for a number of reasons, but a source in Houston says that while Asik is not pleased with backing up Dwight Howard, the Rockets still insist they're not going to trade him. Even if the Rockets changed their minds, they'd likely be looking for a better shooter than Varejao.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com looks back at the offseason that was for the Bulls. Their big get, obviously, was adding Mike Dunleavy on a surprisingly light two-year, $6MM deal. The Dunleavy signing gives Chicago a solid shooter who should be more consistent than Marco Belinelli and Nate Robinson, who signed elsewhere.
- Over the weekend, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe spoke with Bucks GM John Hammond, who spoke glowingly of Larry Sanders. The big man signed a four-year, $44MM contract extension with Milwaukee this offseason.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Lakers, Fredette, Salmons
New Kings coach Michael Malone sat down with Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee over the weekend for a very interesting chat on the events that led up to his hiring and his vision for the future of the club. Kings fans haven’t seen their club in the postseason in seven years and they’ve had to deal with speculation over a possible move for the last couple, but things finally seem to be heading in the right direction for Sacramento. Here’s more out of the Pacific Division..
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld looks at trade situations to look out for in 2013/14 and writes that the Lakers have a few pieces that could be in play. They have some attractive expiring contracts in Steve Blake ($4MM), Jordan Hill ($3.5MM), and Jodie Meeks ($1.55MM) that could hold value around the trade deadline when the deals have mostly been paid off by the Lakers. None of those three are going net a major return, but a team with playoff aspirations might be willing to deal for one of them as a rental.
- Kyler also looks at the Kings, who are no longer focused on moving DeMarcus Cousins and see him as a big part of their future. They are rumored to be ready to move on from Jimmer Fredette, but he’ll have to play well early in the season to have trade value. John Salmons could be a trade chip as he makes $7.58MM this year with just $1MM of his $7MM in guaranteed in the following season.
- After playing in the Las Vegas and Orlando summer leagues, forward C.J. Aiken has decided to go to mini-camp with the Kings, the St. Joseph’s product tells Garrett Miley of City Of Basketball Love.