Northwest Notes: Wolves, Robinson, Gasol
Flip Saunders, the Wolves‘ president of basketball operations, said it was “unfortunate” the club released rookie Glenn Robinson III when Minnesota claimed Justin Hamilton off waivers, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “We really like Glenn,” Saunders said. “It was unfortunate for him he never really had an opportunity, and we didn’t see that changing. When we drafted him, we didn’t have Andrew Wiggins, so the dynamics of that changed. It’s tough to develop three young players at the same position.” More from the Northwest Division..
- Thunder coach Scott Brooks and star guard Russell Westbrook were part of the team’s recruitment efforts for Pau Gasol over the summer, but neither one is sure how close they were to sealing the deal, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman writes. Brooks would only say that OKC was “one of a few teams” in the mix for Gasol while commending him on his play this season with the Bulls.
- So far, the Enes Kanter trade is looking like a win-win for the Jazz and the Thunder, Doug Robinson of the Deseret News writes. Since the February deal, the Jazz are 5-2 in what has easily been their best stretch of the season and OKC has been getting solid production out of the big man. Utah hasn’t gotten much in the way of on-court impact for this season, of course, but they’re playing better basketball without Kanter and they added assets for the future.
- Chauncey Billups joined Woody Paige and Les Shapiro of The Denver Post to address Kevin Garnett‘s comments about the Nuggets and the ouster of former coach Brian Shaw, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post writes.
Will Joseph contributed to this post.
Alexey Shved Not Planning Return To Europe
When the Rockets dealt guard Alexey Shved to the Knicks at the trade deadline, the club did so believing that he was likely planning a return to Europe next season, an NBA source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. However, Shved, a pending free agent, says that’s not the case.
“I don’t know who said this,’’ Shved said regarding rumblings that he’d be heading overseas next season. “But I’ve never said this. I’m not thinking about that. I want to stay here.”
Shved, 26, didn’t get much playing time in Houston but he’s seeing decent minutes in New York (10.0 minutes per contest through six games) and he says he’d like to make a future with the Knicks. From the Knicks’ perspective, they have to be pleased with the 6’6″ guard’s skill set and his ability to succeed in the triangle offense. Shved obviously won’t be retained at his current salary of $3.5MM, but president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills will be evaluating him for the remainder of the year and could look to re-sign him at a more reasonable price.
In six games for the Knicks, Shved is averaging 10 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per night. The Rockets sent Shved and second round choices in 2017 and 2019 to the Knicks for guard Pablo Prigioni last month.
Teammate Andrea Bargnani was also asked about his own level of interest in returning to Italy after the season and he made it clear that he wants to remain in the NBA, Berman writes.
“Absolutely, I don’t see this question at this point,’’ he said angrily. “What’s the point of the question at this point of season? But yeah, I want to play in the NBA.’’
Bargnani has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, playing just 119 games across the last four years and just eleven games this season. Still, the big man has scored at least 17 points in four of the last five games and hit for 25 twice, including Wednesday’s loss to the Pacers. Like Shved, Bargnani is slated to hit the open market this summer.
Jazz Willing To Pay Buyout For Ante Tomic
The Jazz have informed draft-and-stash prospect Ante Tomic that they’re willing to pay the buyout of his contract with FC Barcelona Bàsquet, according to Joan Solsona of Marca.com (Spanish link, h/t Orazio Cauchi of Sportando). If the two sides finalize a deal, Tomic will get to realize his NBA dream in the 2015/16 season.
The 28-year-old center was the 44th overall pick in the 2008 draft and the Jazz were said to be weighing all options after selecting him. After thinking about trading his rights or buying his Spanish contract out immediately, Utah decided to exercise some patience and wait an extra year to bring the center over the to the States. Back in January, Tomic told David Pick of Eurobasket.com that he still had NBA aspirations and was hopeful that he could make the jump next season.
The collective bargaining agreement allows NBA teams to contribute up to $625K towards an international player’s buyout for the 2015/16 season. Teams can contribute more than that amount, but anything extra counts against the cap and comes out of the player’s paycheck. The cost of Tomic’s buyout has yet to be made public.
Jazz Sign Jerrelle Benimon To 10-Day Deal
In addition to signing Bryce Cotton to another 10-day deal, the Jazz announced the signing of forward Jerrelle Benimon to a 10-day pact. Utah won’t have to release anyone as he’ll be taking over the roster spot previously occupied by Jack Cooley, according to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (on Twitter).
As the press release notes, Benimon is now the 32nd different player to be called up from the D-League this season. With the former Idaho Stampede standout in the fold, the Jazz are at the maximum 15-man roster.
The Towson product appeared in 35 games (29 starts) for the Stampede this season, averaging 19.9 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 34.9 minutes per contest while shooting 62.4% from the floor.
Jazz Sign Bryce Cotton To Second 10-Day
The Jazz announced that they have signed guard Bryce Cotton to a second 10-day contract. Cotton signed his first 10-day with the Jazz on Feb. 24 and has appeared in one game.
Cotton, who had three points, two boards and one assist in seven minutes against the Nuggets on February 27th, was picked up after he impressed as a member of the D-League’s Austin Spurs. In Austin, Cotton averaged 22.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 1.3 SPG in 40.5 minutes per contest. His scoring average placed him third in the D-League this season.
Cotton reportedly turned down several offers to play in Europe that came his way earlier this season in hopes of landing an NBA deal, and he eventually found that opportunity with Utah. The 6’1″ guard signed a partially guaranteed deal with the Spurs in July and although he was waived in October, he did walk away with $50K for his time. Cotton first displayed his skills for Utah when he worked out for the Jazz prior to the 2014 draft.
Brian Shaw Would Have Interest In Magic Job
Brian Shaw would “absolutely” be “very interested” in coaching the Magic if that job were to become available, a person close to the former Nuggets coach told Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Shaw, 49 in a few weeks, spent three seasons (1994/95-1996/97) with the Magic during his playing career.
Of course, it’s no guarantee that the Magic will be looking at Shaw or any other coaching candidate. Recently, GM Rob Hennigan said that interim head coach James Borrego could be considered a candidate to be hired on a permanent basis, Schmitz writes. The Magic are 4-6 under Borrego, who previously served as Jacque Vaughn‘s top assistant.
Magic CEO Alex Martins, meanwhile, told the Sentinel scribe that the team would not begin any search until after the season. However, he indicated that the Magic have received substantial interest in the position.
Shaw was in his second year of a three-year deal with the Nuggets when he was fired earlier this week. Denver dropped 17 of its last 19 games under Shaw and even though GM Tim Connelly said in February that they had no plans of firing Shaw before season’s end, the organization apparently had a change of heart. Shaw finished his Nuggets tenure at a combined 56-85 between this season and last.
Poll: Will The Celtics Make The Playoffs?
JaVale McGee and the Celtics were on the verge of a deal that would have taken the big man not only through this season, but through next season as well. With averages of 8.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG across seven seasons, McGee obviously hasn’t reached his potential, but team president Danny Ainge was confident that the 7-footer can do just that in Boston.
“JaVale is a long, athletic guy and we don’t have the type of player, an above-the-rim offensive and defensive player,” Ainge said in an interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Forsberg (on Twitter). “He’s been paid a lot of money in our league, had some injuries, hasn’t lived up to his potential yet and we’re hoping that he can under [Brad Stevens‘] tutelage. I think he’s in a good place, emotionally and mentally, and he really wants to get his career on the right path.”
Well, so much for that. The Celtics were offering McGee’s a team option on the 2015/16 season but his camp was pushing for a player option instead, so the marriage has been called off. Whether McGee can eventually blossom into the kind of difference maker that Ainge was hoping for is debatable, but adding a hyper-athletic big like him would have given the C’s a serious push as they fight to make the cut in the Eastern Conference. Now, barring something unforeseen, they’ll forge ahead without him (While McGee won’t be in the big man rotation, Kelly Olynyk is back in the mix to help support Brandon Bass, Tyler Zeller, and newcomer Jonas Jerebko in the frontcourt.)
The C’s missed out on that splashy addition, but Ainge has been hard at work remaking Boston’s roster, including the deadline deal that brought them guard Isaiah Thomas from the Suns. In his seven games with Boston, Thomas has averaged 20.1 PPG and 5.4 APG, numbers that improved from his first half of the year in Phoenix. His PER in this short sample size has picked up as well and his 21.7 rating is higher than any posting he’s had in a full season.
As of today, Boston sits 2.0 games back of the Hornets for the No. 8 seed with the Pacers and Nets standing in between them. According to John Hollinger’s playoff odds (at ESPN.com), the numbers aren’t in the C’s favor as they have a 13.5% chance of making the postseason. But, the Celtics have found ways to win challenging games, like Wednesday night’s 85-84 victory over the Jazz sealed by Zeller’s buzzer-beating reverse layup. Guided by the inventive Stevens, do you see the Celtics finding their way into the playoffs this season?
No Deal Between Celtics, JaVale McGee
2:47pm: Things are dead between the Celtics and McGee and talks will not be revived, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).
2:23pm: In addition to previously mentioned suitors like the Warriors, Mavs, Raptors, and Heat, Wojnarowski writes that the Spurs and Bulls also have expressed interest in McGee.
2:10pm: The Raptors are one of several teams that plan on circling back to McGee, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Toronto GM Masai Ujiri is familiar with McGee from their time together in Denver.
1:42pm: Multiple playoff teams remain interested in McGee, Wojnarowski tweets. He doesn’t want to give up his freedom for next season, however, and he wants a player option for 2015/16 in his contract.
Most contenders called on McGee, Wojnarowski adds (link). It’s easier to list the playoff teams that haven’t called on McGee, Wojnarowski tweets, and that includes the Clippers, Thunder, and Cavs.
1:20pm: There will be no deal between the Celtics and McGee after all, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (on Twitter). The two sides ultimately could not reach agreement on a contract.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears that the C’s wanted a team option for the 2015/16 season while McGee’s camp was pushing for a player option.
8:32am: Team president Danny Ainge confirmed that Boston is on the verge of signing McGee, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
Ainge told Toucher and Rich of The Sports Hub that he’s optimistic about what McGee can bring to the table, according to Ben Rohrbach of WEEI (on Twitter). “He hasn’t lived up to his potential yet, and we’re hoping that he can under Brad Stevens. We think he’s in a good place,” Ainge said.
8:30am: The Celtics are close to signing JaVale McGee, multiple sources told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal would take the big man through next season.
Multiple teams expressed interest in McGee after he was waived by the Sixers, but we haven’t heard much of the Celtics’ potential interest in him. The Mavericks were said to be “seriously interested,” the Warriors expressed serious interest, and the Raptors were weighing things, though they were skittish about crossing the $76.829MM tax line.
If and when McGee joins the Celtics, he’ll be putting on his third uniform of the season and, in fact, his third jersey in about a month. The Nuggets shipped McGee to the Sixers in a deadline deal and rumors of a potential buyout started swirling almost immediately. Both sides denied that they wanted to hammer out a buyout of his contract ($11.25MM in 2014/15 and $12MM in 2015/16), but those talks eventually took place. A buyout wasn’t agreed upon, but just prior to the deadline for playoff eligibility the Sixers waived McGee.
McGee, a B.J. Armstrong client, has averaged 8.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG across seven seasons. He played in six games for Philly, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 10.2 minutes per contest.
While the Celtics were never named specifically as a team with interest in the 27-year-old, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week that a third of the league was eyeing McGee.
Pacific Notes: Dragic, Frye, Whiteside, KG
Goran Dragic likes “everything” about the Heat, but he’ll still consider all options, including the Lakers, when he’s a free agent in the summer, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. Dragic did speak highly of the Lakers organization and their history of winning, but he was also highly complimentary of Miami. “I’m really comfortable. I feel great,” Dragic said. “Miami is a nice city. People are nice. The system is good. I like coach. I have all good words for them.” Here’s more from the Pacific Division…
- Channing Frye agreed to a four-year, $32MM deal with the Magic in July when the Suns could not commit to him as they pursued the likes of LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Later, Suns owner Robert Sarver said in an interview that the 31-year-old only gave him three minutes to match Orlando’s offer and Frye takes exception to that, as Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “We’d been talking for months ahead of time,” Frye said. “I don’t know where that came from. It didn’t go down like that. I just don’t do business like that. That doesn’t even make sense in the realm of business. Orlando did a good job of selling me on the future and showed that they wanted me.”
- After the Heat topped the Lakers 100-94 on Wednesday night, big man Hassan Whiteside took the opportunity to remind everyone that his breakout season could have gone down in purple and gold. “I worked out for the Lakers. I thought they could use me. I guess not,” Whiteside said, according to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter). Whiteside has become so valuable for Miami that he was made untouchable in trade talks around the deadline along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
- Clippers coach Doc Rivers would have loved to coach Kevin Garnett again, but he’s happy to see him back in Minnesota, calling the reunion “awesome,” Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Walker, Heat
Hornets guard Kemba Walker has been cleared to resume all basketball activities, moving him closer to a return from knee surgery, as The Associated Press writes. “I’m excited. I’ve been anxious,” Walker said. “I’ve been working hard trying to get back to competing with my teammates. And I got some great news, so I’m excited.” Coach Steve Clifford said the team will practice again Saturday and Walker’s return to action will depend on how the knee responds to an increased workload. Here’s more from the Southeast Division..
- Lance Stephenson is having a poor first season in Charlotte, but Clifford thinks that the 24-year-old needs some more time to adjust to his new surroundings, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes. ““I think first of all, in some ways expectations were a little out of whack,” the Hornets said of Stephenson, who inked a three-year, $27MM deal with Charlotte over the summer. “I think secondly, he’s a young player, and unlike a guy like Mo Williams, who has played for seven coaches, seven systems and is used to adapting to new teammates and new cities, this is the first time.” The Hornets shopped Stephenson at the deadline but they were unable to find a suitable deal.
- Jarell Eddie, who has inked a 10-day deal with the Hawks, took a path similar to Danny Green on his way to the NBA, Lorne Chan of Spurs.com writes. Green carved out a role for himself by knocking down shots from long range, but also doing the little things well. Eddie is now the third member of the Austin Spurs to reach the NBA this season after JaMychal Green and Bryce Cotton.
- David Pick of Basketball Insiders looked at the unusual path taken by Henry Walker, who just inked his second 10-day deal with the Heat.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asked Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if he believes the Heat will take advantage of the $2.65MM exception they have as a result of Josh McRoberts‘ knee surgery. Miami has until March 10th to use it, but Winderman doesn’t see them veering into tax territory to aid in a fight for the No. 7 or No. 8 seed.