Los Angeles Notes: Lakers, Howard, Odom
Chris Kaman wasn't exactly what Lakers fans had in mind this summer, but he'll help man the middle after the departure of Dwight Howard. Mitch Kupchak & Co. agreed to sign the former Clipper to a one-year, $3.18MM deal earlier today. Kaman had multiple suitors this summer but reportedly was excited about the idea of returning to Southern California. Here's more on the Lakers..
- After losing Howard, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com wonders where the Lakers go from here. While they'll have quite the challenge ahead of them, it's something that the club has long been prepared for. Shelburne writes that the relationship had become so toxic between D12 and the team that some Lakers officials were almost as afraid of what would happen if he decided to stay as the fallout if he left.
- The Lakers are still interested in signing Lamar Odom, but today's signing of Kaman means that they only have the veteran's minimum to work with, Shelburne tweets.
- The Clippers announced that they have hired Alvin Gentry as an associate head coach. He'll be on Doc Rivers' staff along with Kevin Eastman and Tyronn Lue.
- Earlier tonight, we learned that the Lakers will use the amnesty provision to trim Metta World Peace's contract.
Warriors Notes: Speights, O’Neal, Bynum
The Warriors made another free agent pickup this evening when they agreed to sign Marreese Speights to a three-year deal. While Speights wasn't a fit in Cleveland and turned down a player option of ~$4.52MM to go elsewhere, he played some of his best basketball there in the second half of last season. Here's more out of Golden State..
- The Warriors have begun reaching out to reserve point guards to find a replacement for Jarrett Jack, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). They've offered minimum contracts to a few one-guards already in the last week.
- One source close to the process tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the Speights deal does not impact their pursuit of free agent center Jermaine O'Neal. The veteran is expected to make his decision soon.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) is surprised that the Warriors haven't been linked to Andrew Bynum this summer. It's a signing that would make sense for them (though the Speights signing may change that) and they've been linked to every other free agent up to now.
Lakers To Amnesty Metta World Peace
The Lakers are set to use the amnesty clause on the contract of Metta World Peace barring some late change, according to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register (on Twitter). The forward's contract calls for him to make about $7.73MM in 2013/14.
Even without Dwight Howard in the picture, the Lakers are well into luxury tax territory and cutting MWP loose with the amnesty provision will save them about $21.5MM in total. Peace, of course, has a reputation as a tenacious defender but his performance has been in decline as of late and he's certainly not worth the cost for a club that doesn't figure to contend in 2013/14.
Using the clause on MWP means that the Lakers will eliminate his cap hit from the books while still paying him his full salary. For a refresher on the amnesty clause, check out the full explanation in the Hoops Rumors glossary.
Lowe On Howard, Wizards, Teague, Pelicans
The surprise of the summer might not have been Dwight Howard's departure from the Lakers, but the quickness with which he decided to join up with the Rockets. We're just a week into the free agency period, but executives are already taking the time to survey the entire landscape outside of their own milieu. Zach Lowe of Grantland checked in with basketball people to get their take on things and unearthed some very interesting tidbits..
- Lowe wonders why more clubs didn't put their toe in the water for Dwight Howard. His educated guess after poking around is that the Wizards gave it a go while the Bulls, who were once a rumored trade destination, did not. The Bulls have a stern culture, very good talent already on hand, and a tax complication, so Howard would have been a longshot and maybe not the best idea anyway.
- The Jazz could have used their cap space this summer to sign Jeff Teague, who sources say is nearly unwanted in the Hawks organization. We've heard previously that the point guard was upset with the lack of communication he's had with Atlanta this summer.
- Pelicans owner Tom Benson has told the front office that the team needs to take a significant step forward this season, according to several sources around the league. That would help to explain their sizable commitment to Tyreke Evans this summer.
- Other execs have pointed out that the Rockets tend to be sort of annoying, especially around draft day. Daryl Morey & Co. make many, many phone calls, poking the market and chasing tiny deals that move them two spots up in the draft or add an extra second-round pick. People knocked Morey for burning up the phone lines to chase the No. 9 seed a year ago and didn't seem long for Houston, but he has turned a roster with zero top-50 talent into a roster with two top-15 players.
- As much as Houston says they want to hang on to center Omer Asik, Lowe would be surprised to see him finish the year with the Rockets.
Andrew Bynum Meeting With Cavs, Hawks, Mavs
1:58pm: Bynum has also lined up face-to-face meetings with the Hawks and Mavericks this week, tweets Stein. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, the big man would like to have a contract agreement in place within the next few days.
MONDAY, 11:30am: Bynum is scheduled to be in Cleveland today for a face-to-face meeting with the Cavs, according to Stein (via Twitter).
SUNDAY, 10:48pm: The Cavaliers have joined the Mavericks as a team to watch in the race to sign free-agent center Andrew Bynum. Sources close to the process told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the Cavs are legitimate contenders to sign Bynum, who now finds himself as the top available center on the market despite not playing a minute in 2012/13.
Indications are that Cleveland won't offer more than a one-year deal to Bynum so that they can make a free agent splash in the summer of 2014, a class that includes LeBron James. But the Cavs have ~$15MM in available right now and sources say they have legitimate interest in the former All-Star.
The Mavs have serious interest in Bynum as well but they have begun an "exhaustive" evaluation process regarding his problematic knees and want to know that everything checks out before they think about a multi-year pact. The Hawks also like Bynum, but Monta Ellis is a bigger priority for them right now.
Clippers Talking With Antawn Jamison
MONDAY, 12:15pm: The Clippers and Jamison are making progress in talks on a one-year contract, but have yet to reach an agreement, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
SUNDAY, 5:20pm: The Clippers and veteran free agent Antawn Jamison are in contract talks, NBA executives told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The Clippers are over the cap so the most they could offer is the veteran minimum of $1.4MM as Jamison has more than ten years of NBA experience.
Jamison, 37, played for the Lakers last season and averaged 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game, mostly off the bench. The two-time All-Star has career averages of 18.8 points and 7.6 rebounds over 16 seasons in the league. The Wizards are also said to have interest in Jamison.
Odds & Ends: Jamison, Stiemsma, Douglas, Telfair
We learned earlier today that the Clippers have interest in signing free agent Antawn Jamison, but the veteran might not fit into their plans so easily. The club is also targeting Lamar Odom and since they're unlikely to get both, it's a one-or-the-other scenario for the Clippers, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Here's more from around the Association..
- The agent for Greg Stiemsma told Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter) that there's still a chance that his client could return to the Wolves after being waived earlier today. The conversation Zgoda had made it seem as though the move was procedural and that there is still mutual interest in a new deal.
- Meanwhile, the Wolves continue to talk with Minnesota's own Alan Anderson, agent Mark Bartelstein told Zgoda (on Twitter).
- A source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) that Toney Douglas is being looked at by a couple of teams to fill a backup role. The Knicks could be in play for him as he offers defense, three point shooting, and a decent transition game.
- More from Zwerling (on Twitter) who says that Sebastian Telfair might not be in play for the Knicks after all due to financial reasons.
Hoops Links: Howard, Draft, Oden, Seattle
On this date in 1978, the NBA approved a franchise swap in which Buffalo Braves owner John Y. Brown and Harry Mangurian acquired the Celtics, while the Celtics owner Irv Levin got the Braves, who were later moved to San Diego to become the Clippers.
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..
- True Sports Blog looks at the Warriors' crazy offseason after missing out on Dwight Howard.
- Wearing Film brings us a 2013 draft report card.
- Turnaround J runs down the second-tier free agents, including Greg Oden.
- Kingdome Of Seattle Sports is still hopeful that the NBA will return to Seattle.
- Red94 reflected on the Howard news the day after.
- The Dream Shake wonders if Kevin McHale can resurrect the Twin Towers in Houston.
- Pounding The Rock analyzes the Jeff Pendergraph pick up for the Spurs.
- Raptors HQ bid farewell to Andrea Bargnani.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Odds & Ends: Morrow, Ellis, Rivers, Collison
Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- The Grizzlies, Warriors, and Bobcats are the latest teams to show interest in Anthony Morrow, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Rockets, and Knicks have all reached out as well.
- Nothing is imminent at this point between the Hawks and Monta Ellis, but the two sides are engaged in talks, Kennedy tweets.
- Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck took a shot at former coach Doc Rivers, telling Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that "Doc left us, period." Still, Grousbeck is confident his team can rebuild, as Bulpett observes in a separate piece.
- Many around the league are surprised that the Clippers were able to snag Darren Collison for a starting salary of just $1.9MM, Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets.
- The Spurs called 6'8" sharpshooter James Southerland to see if he would consider playing overseas next season if they took him with the 58th pick in last month's draft. Southerland turned down the offer and went undrafted, and is trying to prove himself with the Sixers and Warriors in summer league, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
- Josh Smith's agreement with the Pistons shatters the notion that marquee free agents won't come to Detroit, observes MLive's David Mayo, who examines how Smith fits on the team and what moves might be next for Joe Dumars and company.
Celtics Sign Kelly Olynyk
The Celtics announced that they have signed first-round pick Kelly Olynyk. The 7'0" forward was the 13th overall pick in the 2013 draft.
Olynyk was a consensus All-American and the West Coast Conference Player of the Year during the 2012-13 season for Gonzaza. He averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game, while finishing third in the nation in field goal shooting at 62.9%.
Olynyk’s draft rights were acquired from Dallas in exchange for the draft rights to Lucas Nogueira and two future second round draft picks. If C's go to 120% of the rookie scale, Olynyk will earn $2MM in his first year.