Pacific Notes: Barnes, Evans, Kings, Warriors
Earlier this week, the Clippers inked forward Matt Barnes to a one-year, minimum-salary deal, beating out the Heat, Lakers, Nets, and others. The Knicks also appeared to be interested at one point, but agent Aaron Goodwin believes that coach Mike Woodson was never "truly on board" with the idea. Here's more on the Clippers and other items out of the Pacific..
- While Gary Sacks formally signed Barnes, it appears that Chris Paul had a significant hand in luring the veteran to Los Angeles, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. “Chris Paul was talking about how tough we were going to be next year, assuming I was a Laker,” Barnes said. “I told him I was a free agent and he said, ‘No, you’re about to be a Clipper.' "
- Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld thinks that the Kings are doing the right thing by holding off on an extension for Tyreke Evans. With fellow guards Aaron Brooks, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Thornton, John Salmons, Francisco Garcia, and Jimmer Fredette in the mix, Sacramento has other options in the event that Evans doesn't return to his rookie-year form.
- The HoopsWorld staff previewed the 2012/13 Warriors and Yannis Koutroupis opines that if it weren't for the Lakers, Golden State would have had the best offseason of anyone in the division. The Warriors rounded out their team with the re-signing of Brandon Rush along with the additions of Carl Landry, Jarrett Jack, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Draymond Green.
Hoops Links: Davis, Asik, Wizards, McGrady
This week, Hoops Links would like to wish happy birthday to Southern Methodist University coach Larry Brown, who has served as coach for an eye-popping ten NBA and ABA franchises. Brown, 73, began his coaching career in 1972 when he agreed to man the sidelines for Davidson after his four-year professional playing career came to a close. The Brooklyn-native never did settle in one place for too long and for many years, the Larry O'Brien trophy eluded him. Of course, that came to an end in 2004 when he guided the Pistons to the NBA championship.
If you have a great blog piece that you think we should feature in Hoops Links, then send it to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the blogosphere..
- At The Hive stacks Anthony Davis up against No. 1 picks of the past.
- Red94 looks at Omer Asik's limitations on the offensive end.
- Bullets Forever pits the Wizards against the Knicks.
- The Hoop Doctors explains why Tracy McGrady may be a necessity for the Knicks.
- Hardwood Paroxysm brings us their first ever mailbag.
- Stepien Rules is happy with the Cavs' deal for Alonzo Gee.
- Pounding The Rock would like to see more out of Stephen Jackson.
- Wages Of Wins has a bone to pick with Mark Cuban.
- Bucksketball is optimistic about Beno Udrih in 2012/13.
- Bright Side Of The Sun asks who has gotten the most hate in Phoenix over the years.
- Canis Hoopus would like to see the T'Wolves have a rival.
- Hoops Addict was surprised to learn Kevin Garnett is the NBA's all-time highest-paid player.
- Raptors Republic brings us gift ideas for the Raptors fan in your life.
- NBA 24 7 365 looks at the best remaining free agents.
- Fear The Sword fondly remembers one of the Cavs' best games in 2011/12.
- SLC Dunk talks Al Jefferson.
- Brew Hoop defends Luc Mbah a Moute.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, LeBron, Nets, Gordon
Here's this morning's look around the Association..
- Andrei Kirilenko spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune about why he ultimately chose to sign with the Timberwolves this summer. The forward said that he picked Minnesota in part because of his affinity for coach Rick Adelman, who he first started following when he was coaching the Kings.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't believe that LeBron James changing agents indicates that he's thinking about leaving Miami in 2014, but thinks that the Heat will have to hold their breath for at least few days during that summer. Earlier this week, James left CAA to join up with a newly-formed agency headed by childhood friend Rich Paul.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld identifies the coaches that need to win in 2012/13 in order to keep their jobs. The list is headlined by Nets coach Avery Johnson, who was never expected to win in New Jersey but will have to deliver in Brooklyn. Bucks coach Scott Skiles could also be looking for work if he can't guide Milwaukee to the postseason.
- Players from non-playoff teams got a bigger chunk of the free agency money pie this offseason than those hitting the market after taking part in the postseason, writes Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. The "losers" topped the "winners" $651MM vs. $608MM thanks in part to lucrative deals for Eric Gordon and Nicolas Batum.
Atlantic Notes: McGrady, Nets, Sixers, Celtics
The Knicks worked out Tracy McGrady yesterday to see if the 33-year-old could give the club some extra depth with Iman Shumpert and Ronnie Brewer recovering from injuries. A team source told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that even though McGrady appeared to be in good health, it doesn't appear that a signing is imminent. T-Mac also worked out for the Spurs this week and hopes to land a guaranteed deal with a contender. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..
- While the Nets are still expected to bring two or three more players to training camp, Josh Childress and Andray Blatche are solid bets to be on the roster when they open the season, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Childress fills a significant need for the Nets at backup small forward after Donte Greene, who was set to sign on a non-guaranteed deal, injured his ankle in a pickup game.
- Sixers head coach Doug Collins told Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News that he felt last year's team peaked, necessitating some significant changes this offseason. Collins also insisted that the club did not draft Moe Harkless as trade bait for the Magic but instead truly believed that he was the best player on the board at No. 15.
- Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe profiles center Jason Collins, who hooked on with the Celtics for the veteran's minimum this summer. The C's won't look for a ton of minutes out of the big man with Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass, Chris Wilcox, and Jared Sullinger playing in front of him.
Warriors Close To Signing Alex Renfroe
Guard Alex Renfroe is close to signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Warriors, a source told Sportando. The former Belmont University standout spent last season with Brindisi of the Italian League, putting up 12.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.6 APG. The deal would allow Renfroe to enter camp with Golden State and fight for one of their reserve roster spots.
Renfroe, 26, closed out his collegiate career with Belmont in 2008/09 and averaged 16.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 5.1 APG before going undrafted. The two-guard eventually worked his way overseas, however, and hooked on with KK Zagreb of the Adriatic League.
Knicks Continue To Pursue Kenyon Martin
TheKnicks continue to rate Kenyon Martin as the veteran free agent they like the most, but still haven’t sold him on playing for the veteran’s minimum, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Celtics and Lakers are among the other teams that have shown interest in the forward, but like the Knicks, won’t offer more than $1.35MM.
Martin hooked on with the Clippers mid-season last year for the team’s full room exception of $2.5MM. While the 34-year-old offered toughness to the Los Angeles frontcourt, he didn’t light up the stat sheet as he averaged just 5.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG. It’s quite possible that those career-low numbers hurt the veteran’s value heading into this offseason.
Knicks Notes: Ewing, Shurna, Paul
Knicks owner James Dolan would like to see Isiah Thomas back with the club in some official capacity, but surprisingly it's Thomas who has cold feet about the proposed reunion. As it stands now, it doesn't seem likely that we'll see Thomas re-hired by the Knicks, though the former coach will likely continue to be an unofficial consultant for Dolan. Here's tonight's non-Isiah news out of New York..
- The Knicks offered Patrick Ewing an opportunity to coach the D-League's Erie BayHawks, but the team's former star center turned it down, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Ewing, who previously worked for the Magic and interviewed for a couple of head coaching jobs this summer, would prefer to stay in the NBA.
- One source told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that Ewing felt slighted by the club's offer to coach in the D-League. "Patrick has paid his dues," the source said. "He was a little insulted."
- Earlier tonight, the Knicks signed former Northwestern forward John Shurna to a contract and Begley (via Twitter) notes that his deal will be for the minimum salary with a partial guarantee that becomes fully guaranteed if he is on the roster on January 10th.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com looks at some of the top Knicks storylines that just won't go away. Among them are the club's pursuit of Chris Paul, which Zwerling classifies as a longshot.
Mavericks Notes: Collison, Mayo, Deron, Cuban
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban held a press conference this afternoon in Dallas and discussed the club's future as they look to rebuild. Here are some highlights..
- In referring to new additions Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand, and Dahntay Jones, Cuban said “Our goal is to have these guys in Mavericks uniforms for a long, long time," according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. However, all of those players are essentially on one-year deals with Mayo (player option for 2014) and Collison (restricted free agent) as the only exceptions.
- Collison said that he and Mayo will be entering this season with a chip on their shoulders as both will have to prove their worth in order to stay in Dallas for the long haul, writes McMahon. Mayo was almost certainly hoping for a better deal before he settled for the Mavs' one-year, $4MM offer.
- While the Mavs were unable to land Deron Williams in free agency, Cuban insists that the club is better off without him, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “You know, (it was) on the advice of our basketball people,’’ Cuban said. “No disrespect to Deron, but sometimes from a team perspective, the best deals are the ones you don’t get done. We would have made it work with Deron. But I think it’s better for our team the way it turned out.’’
Thunder To Sign Andy Rautins
Guard Andy Rautins is expected to join the Thunder's training camp roster on a non-guaranteed contract, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (via Twitter). The former Syracuse product was a member of Oklahoma City's summer league team.
Rautins, 25, had a cup of coffee with the Knicks in 2010/11 when he appeared in five games and saw 24 total minutes of action. The guard wound up being traded to Dallas in the three-way deal that brought Tyson Chandler to New York but was promptly waived. Last season, Rautins hooked on with CB Lucentum Alicante in Spain to showcase his skills.
Knicks Sign John Shurna
The Knicks have signed forward John Shurna to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times (via Twitter). The former Northwestern star hooked on with the Hawks summer league team after going undrafted in June.
Shurna, 22, averaged 20 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.7 BPG in his final season at Northwestern. Most impressively, Shurna shot 46.3% from the field while draining 44% of his shots from downtown. While he offers an impressive shooting stroke for a 6'8" forward, it remains to be seen what position he can best fill at the next level.