Hoops Links: Thunder, Williams, Harden, Hayward
This week 13 years ago, the Lakers announced the retirement of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jerry West and named Mitch Kupchak to succeed West in that position. While Lakers fans aren't always on Kupchak's side, it's hard to argue with his overall results since taking the reins in 2000. Under Kupchak's watch, the purple and gold have won four NBA titles (2001, 2002, 2009, 2010). However, he'll have his work cut out for him going forward as the Lakers must perform well enough this season and get creative financially in order to be in the mix for the elite free agents in 2014.
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..
- Rufus On Fire plays commissioner for a day.
- NBA Couchside uses advanced stats to forecast what's ahead for OKC.
- The Basketball Post breaks down the Blazers' signing of Mo Williams.
- Red94 compares James Harden and Dwight Howard to another standout Houston duo.
- Hardwood Paroxysm says it's time for Gordon Hayward to shine.
- The Brooklyn Game predicts what the upcoming season will hold for the new-look Nets.
- Pounding The Rock asks if the big three struggled as much as it seems.
- Blog A Bull breaks down Chicago's 2013/14 schedule.
- Bright Side Of The Sun wonders if Caron Butler is here to stay.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Thunder Notes: Abrines, Durant, Mid-Level
The Thunder couldn't do a whole lot this offseason, but they were able to make an intriguing late-summer addition when they inked Ryan Gomes to a one-year deal. Gomes, who first agreed to a deal in late July and formally signed last week, spent last season overseas. Prior to that, the seven-year vet had career averages of 10.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG for three different teams. Here's the latest out of OKC..
- Thunder second round draft pick Alex Abrines will remain overseas in 2013/14, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. The 6'6" swingman for FC Barcelona was drafted with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2013 Draft.
- Mayberry also spoke with Kevin Durant, who is confident about the Thunder this season, despite a changing landscape in the Western Conference. The Thunder were fairly handcuffed this summer, but he likes the squad as is. “People that really knew, as far as our money situation, knew that we couldn't sign anybody too big,” Durant said. “We got myself, Russell Westbrook, (Kendrick Perkins) and Serge Ibaka all locked in on big contracts so it's kind of hard to sign (someone). Everybody wants us to get the biggest free agents, but it's kind of hard to do that with the money that we have (committed) and the tax and the new CBA. So it was kind of difficult. But we knew the business side of it. But we know we have a really good team.”
- Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld notes that the Thunder have the largest exception of anyone to offer in their $5.2MM mid-level exception. However, the cap-conscious club is far more likely to trim its payroll than add to it.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a recap of all the original analysis produced by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Luke Adams examined Eric Bledsoe as an extension candidate.
- Luke looked at the moves the Sixers might make in order to reach the salary floor. It’s even possible that they won’t add salary in order to reach the minimum as the penalties aren’t terribly severe.
- Chuck Myron found that fewer teams were doling out lucrative one-year deals this summer.
- Here’s a look at the top distributors still left on the open market.
- Chuck gave us a new entry into the Hoops Rumors glossary: the Derrick Rose rule.
- The only question left with Larry Sanders‘ extension is whether he gets a four or five-year pact, Chuck writes.
- Most of you see the Sixers hiring a coach before the Nikola Pekovic situation gets wrapped up.
- Hamed Haddadi is among the top rebounders left in free agency.
- Luke compiled a list of veterans eligible for contract extensions.
- It may surprise you, but veteran Richard Hamilton is among the top scorers left in free agency.
- I asked Hoops Rumors readers to pick out the best non-minimum one-year deal of the summer.
- Here’s a rundown of how free agents have fared by height, courtesy of Chuck.
- We asked if the Heat are still the team to beat in the East.
- The overwhelming majority of you see Doc Rivers as the best Western Conference coaching hire.
- Here’s a refresher on our commenting policy.
- Did you know that you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors?
No Timetable For Sixers, Brett Brown
3:55pm: Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears talk indicating that the Spurs are bracing for Brown to take the Sixers job sooner or later (Twitter link).
9:04am: The Sixers coaching search is now at 110 days and ticking, and even though there is a very clear frontrunner for the position, it's still impossible to say when a hire could be made. Spurs assistant Brett Brown has been offered the job, but there is no time frame for the team to expect an answer, a source tells Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
Even if Brown decides to take the position today, there likely won't be an announcement until Monday, though it would make sense for them to wait until the first business day of the week to make everything public. Meanwhile, people close to Brown are urging him to say no to GM Sam Hinkie & Co. since the 76ers project to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. Waiting for another head coaching job could be a risky proposition, but Spurs assistants are highly coveted throughout the league and it's likely that he would be among the top available coaching candidates again next summer.
Atlantic Notes: Pierce, Nets, Knicks, Udrih
Former NBA guard Cuttino Mobley dropped his lawsuit against the Knicks this week in order to help facilitate a comeback to the league. The 37-year-old alleged that the Knicks pressured him into retirement in order to collect insurance on the $19MM owed to him. Now that Mobley v. Dolan is a thing of the past, the 6'4" guard can focus on trying to help a club in 2013/14. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..
- Paul Pierce admitted that uncertainty over Rajon Rondo's health helped influence his decision to get on board with the trade taking him from the Celtics to the Nets, writes Tom Layman of the Boston Herald. “If it’s up to me I would want to rebuild to win a championship by bringing players in. They were looking at the future, down the line. Rajon might not be here for the beginning of the year or however long he takes, so it would be tough for us to be a contender or get in a position to contend. Everybody saw that and I think that helped the decision on both sides," Pierce said.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com chatted with the newest member of the Knicks, Beno Udrih. The guard will make significantly less than he has in years past, but he is enthused about the opportunity to play in New York, where he feels that he has a real shot at a title.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal posits that the Knicks should hold off on adding anyone else in order to maintain roster flexibility. If the Knicks leave spot No. 15 wide open, then they can be in the mix for any intriguing late cuts that are made from rival training camps. They could also give promising youngsters C.J. Leslie and Jeremy Tyler more room to grow by electing not to add another veteran.
Pistons Have Exploratory Interest In Jason Collins
The Pistons have registered exploratory interest in free agent center Jason Collins, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Collins, of course, made headlines around the world when he became the first active athlete in one of the major U.S. sports to come out of the closet as a gay man.
Sources stressed to the ESPN.com duo that while no formal offer has been made, Detroit has opened a dialogue with the veteran big man. The Pistons, who have added Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings this summer, have one more potentially open roster spot. Detroit is said to be intrigued by Collins' defensive know-how and they seem him as quality insurance behind big men Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.
Despite the amount of discussion about whether or not the 34-year-old would get an opportunity to play in 2013/14 after announcing that he was gay, it's widely agreed that his free agent stock has been unaffected by his orientation. In actuality, Collins was likely to fight for a final roster spot late in the summer given his ability and age.
Thunder Sign Ryan Gomes
August 7th, 5:14pm: The Thunder have officially announced the signing of Ryan Gomes, according to a press release from the team.
July 29th, 9:05pm: The Thunder reached agreement with Ryan Gomes on a one-year deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The forward spent last season in Germany with the with the Artland Dragons.
Gomes last played in the NBA in 2011/12 for the Clippers and averaged 2.3 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 32 games. The seven-year veteran has career averages of 10.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG for three different teams.
The 30-year-old was released from the Clippers via the amnesty clause, allowing him to cash in on his $4MM salary for last season. Gomes worked out for the Bobcats and other clubs last fall, but was unable to find a taker in the NBA. The Spurs also had interest in Gomes during this go-round.
Odds & Ends: Jennings, Knight, Knicks, Tyler
The 2013/14 NBA season isn't too far away and we got a wonderful reminder of that today when the NBA released the schedule for the upcoming campaign. The season kicks off with Derrick Rose's expected return to the hardwood when the Bulls take on the Heat. Then, the battle of Los Angeles gets underway when the Lakers and, hopefully, Kobe Bryant, welcome Doc Rivers to the West Coast. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- Brandon Jennings and Brandon Knight have switched places, and both guards seem happy with their new clubs, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. "Well, for one, it was out of my control," Jennings said of the trade that brought him from the Bucks to the Pistons. "For two, Detroit has more championships, the Bad Boys. If you go back in the '80s when Joe Dumars (current Pistons general manager) and Isiah Thomas were playing, the best two-guard backcourt to play the game, (they were) just real feisty. It's actually a great sports town. They have a lot of tradition here."
- Within his introductory presser with the Pistons, Jennings also vowed to be more mindful of his shot selection, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com.
- There's a certain point next summer where the second year of Jeremy Tyler's new deal with the Knicks can become fully guaranteed, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). A source close to the big man told Zwerling (link) that his camp feels good about his future in New York.
- One scout compared the 6-foot-1 Bobby Brown to a taller Nate Robinson because of his innate ability to score and quick moves, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Brown is being targeted by the Knicks and could wind up being their third point guard.
Suns Notes: Beasley, McDonough, Hornacek
The Suns are still working on the rebuilding process and GM Ryan McDonough knows that Phoenix will need a star player to take them all the way. The club's stockpile of first round picks, he explained in a radio interview recently, can help make that happen.
"When teams have maybe a disgruntled superstar, what are they looking for in return? Well, they're looking for picks, that's what they want. None of those guys are available right now, but as you know, some of the time you don't always see that coming. You look at the Deron Williams situation or something like that, and these things just kind of happen out of the blue. I think we're well-positioned to strike if and when the next disgruntled superstar becomes available," said the GM
Here's more out of Phoenix…
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter) points out that the Suns have an option to waive and stretch the contract of troubled forward Michael Beasley. In that event, the Suns would pay Beasley $9MM over five years rather than two, allowing them to stretch out the cap hit.
- Meanwhile, it's unlikely that the Suns will be able to terminate Beasley's deal thanks to his arrest as it falls under the CBA (Twitter links).
- After a disappointing year in Phoenix that brought sweeping changes, McDonough says that he just hopes to see the team play hard and cohesively as a unit, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The 2013/14 season under new coach Jeff Hornacek will be measured more on that than wins and losses, according to the GM.
- Dan Bickley of AZCentral.com asks if Beasley could be the most pathetic player in franchise history. In Bickley's opinion, the Suns can't afford to have him anywhere near this club during their transitional phase.
Knicks Sign Jeremy Tyler To Two-Year Deal
After a standout performance in summer league with the Knicks, Jeremy Tyler has signed with the club, the team announced today. It will be a two-year deal, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Shams Charania of RealGM hears that it will be a partially-guaranteed deal "signifying the organization’s commitment for him to be part of the short- and long-term future".
The forward/center received a training camp invite from the Knicks back in mid-July and it appeared at the time that the big man would be receiving a minimum salary, non-guaranteed one-year pact. Tyler averaged 12.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG for the Knicks in summer league, showing firm post moves against decent competition.
As a high school talent, Tyler was once believed to be one of the more promising big men in his age group. The big man made waves when he decided to forgo his final year at San Diego High School and a commitment to Louisville to instead play professionally in Israel until he was eligible for the NBA Draft. Tyler wound up being the No. 39 pick in the 2011 Draft and spent more time playing for the Warriors' D-League affiliate than their varsity squad. He was traded to the Hawks at this year's trade deadline but his time there was short-lived, leading him back to the D-League.
Tyler is represented by Gabe Giordano, according to the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.