Jazz Notes: Jones, Vonleh, Favors, Kanter
Jazz assistant Brad Jones is indeed a candidate for the head coaching position, but he could also be in line for an assistant job on the team’s new staff if they go with Alvin Gentry, Quin Snyder, or Adrian Griffin as the hire, tweets Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. After having spent the 2012-13 season in charge of player development, Utah promoted Jones to a full fledged assistant in July of last year. Being appointed as head coach would mark a very rapid climb up the organizational ladder for Jones. The latest out of Utah..
- A source tells Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link) that the Jazz saw Indiana big man Noah Vonleh workout privately last week in New York.
- After attending Utah’s pre-draft workout yesterday, Jones learned (link) that the organization sees Derrick Favors as a center, not as a power forward. Because of that, the Utah front office is confident that Vonleh can come in and play alongside Favors without any trouble (link). Meanwhile, if the Jazz see Favors as a five, that raises some questions about how they view Enes Kanter (link).
- Utah State big man Jarred Shaw and Weber State guard/forward Davion Berry are among the 12 players working out for the Jazz this morning, tweets Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. Neither player is featured on DraftExpress’ Top 100.
Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Clippers
Guaranteed Contracts
- Chris Paul ($20,068,563)
- Blake Griffin ($17,674,613)
- DeAndre Jordan ($11,440,123)
- J.J. Redick ($6,792,500)
- Jared Dudley ($4,250,000)
- Matt Barnes ($3,396,250)
- Reggie Bullock ($1,200,720)
Options
- Darren Collison ($1,985,500, Player)*
- Danny Granger ($1,316,809, Player)**
- Glen Davis ($1,227,985, Player)***
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Jamal Crawford ($5,450,000; guaranteed for $1,500,000)****
- Willie Green ($1,448,490)*****
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- No. 28 pick ($924,800)
- Ryan Hollins ($915,243)
- Hedo Turkoglu ($915,243)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (28th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $66,322,769
- Options: $4,530,294
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $5,398,490
- Cap Holds: $2,755,286
- Total: $79,006,839
Despite what the news might lead you to believe, the Clippers have things on their agenda that don’t concern embattled owner Donald Sterling. Yes, it’s true, the Clippers front office, led by coach Doc Rivers, has a whole to-do list that has nothing to do with this spring’s TMZ bombshell. The Clippers have needs to fill and while they don’t have a ton of cap space to do it, they will have their opportunities to improve.
The Clippers’ 2013/14 season ended at the hands of the Thunder in the second round and while there’s not much shame in losing to a Kevin Durant-led team, that’s no consolation to the Clippers, who, rightfully, had title aspirations. Part of their downfall came from an inability to keep KD in check (he averaged 33.2 PPG in the series, a tick higher than what he averaged during his MVP season) and Russell Westbrook had a field day as well. It’ll take more than a quick fix to slow down someone like Durant, but finding a strong perimeter defender would go a long way towards that effort. The Clippers’ trade of Eric Bledsoe badly hurt their defense on the outside and they’ve yet to fill that void.
The small ball lineup that worked so well with Bledsoe in 2012/13 didn’t run as smoothly last season. The offense continued to put up points but the team struggled in terms of rebounding and defense. None of the small forwards that the Clippers tried out – including Danny Granger, Hedo Turkoglu, and Stephen Jackson – were successful at playing as an undersized four. If the Clippers intend to continue playing with a smaller lineup, and there’s no reason to think they won’t, they’ll have to find a small forward with size and grit who can help open up the offense without being a liability elsewhere. That leads us to one of the more intriguing storylines of the offseason: the possible reunion of Rivers and his former star pupil, Paul Pierce.
Pierce was the key to the Nets’ small ball success last season and is hitting the open market at a time where there is total uncertainty around teammate Kevin Garnett and the team as a whole. If Garnett, who is slated to make $12MM next season, retires, many have theorized that Pierce will leave in search of familiarity, whether that’s joining up with Rivers in L.A. or ending his career in Boston. The Nets, meanwhile, may not be the biggest basketball mess in New York City, but they’re a mess nonetheless. Deron Williams just underwent double ankle surgery, free agents Shaun Livingston and Andray Blatche could very well bolt, and oft-injured center Brook Lopez is returning to a lineup that might be better off without him. Will the 36-year-old leave the land of plaid shirts and ironic mustaches behind? Pierce doesn’t have any pre-dating ties to Brooklyn, but his work ethic endeared him to scores of Nets fans who probably weren’t paying attention when Pierce was enemy No. 1 to the team while they were in New Jersey. He also ended the season with a bad taste in his mouth after his mouth wrote a check to LeBron James that his behind couldn’t cash. Avoiding a showdown with LeBron until the Finals would be the easy route; staying with the Nets, clashing with him in the conference semifinals or finals, and coming out on top would mean total redemption. And, oh yeah, the Nets can give him more money, but after banking $300MM+ over the course of his career, he’s not exactly starving. We’d venture to say that the Nets are still the frontrunners, but the Clippers have to be a very appealing option for Pierce, especially if KG hangs ’em up.
The Clippers could also use some shooting reinforcements. The Bledsoe deal that allowed for J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley to come to L.A. should have given them all the outside shooting they needed, but things didn’t quite work out that way. Redick played what was maybe the best basketball of his career with career-highs of 15.2 PPG and 45.5% shooting from the floor plus 39.5% from downtown…when he was healthy. That wasn’t the case for much of the season, as he played just 47 games thanks to different injuries. It was a similar story for Dudley as injuries slowed him down and he ultimately lost his starting job to Matt Barnes due to his slipping play. So what can the Clippers do? Sharpshooters like Anthony Morrow, Mike Miller, and Trevor Ariza (he shot 40.7% from downtown this year, despite a 32.5% average in previous seasons) are available on the open market. They could also bring in the aforementioned Pierce to kill two birds with one stone with his size and shooting ability.
The Clips can make additions with their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will allow them to sign any free agent to a contract with a starting salary as high as $5.3MM, but there’s little flexibility outside of that. Without significant wiggle room, the Clippers’ draft pick at No. 28 takes on a little extra importance. If they want a shooter with that pick, it might be slim pickins as Rodney Hood and Nik Stauskas will be long gone, unless they rob a bank in the next three weeks, and the pool of first-round caliber shooters is pretty shallow. They could instead use the pick to improve their front court situation and find a big body to help spell DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes, who spoke with Hoops Rumors back in April, is rising fast up draft boards but could be available at No. 28. Stokes is a bit undersized at 6’9″, but he brings high energy and very tenacious rebounding. Baylor sophomore Isaiah Austin offers rim protection and should also be available in that range, though his lack of physical strength and vision troubles are worrisome.
When it comes to their own free agents, the Clippers would surely like to retain veteran guard Darren Collison, who will decline his one-year player option. The 26-year-old averaged 11.4 points in a career-low 25.9 minutes per game in 2013/14 and was called upon to make 35 starts thanks to the injuries in the Clippers’ starting backcourt. Keeping him could be easier said than done, however, as the Clippers only hold his non-bird rights, meaning that they can only pay him 120% of last season’s paltry salary. Re-signing Collison likely means dipping into the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which they may choose to allocate elsewhere.
Fellow backup guard Jamal Crawford figures to be back and while it’s possible that some players will be anxious to leave L.A. in the wake of this year’s fiasco, the veteran has already come out and said that the ownership issues won’t dissuade him from returning. Of course, the Clippers are unlikely to waive his non-guaranteed deal, so he probably wouldn’t have much of a choice to begin with. Now that the messy situation has finally been resolved – we hope – with Steve Ballmer’s purchase, it stands to reason that no one will hesitate to stay with or join the Clippers.
The Staples Center’s other tenants are armed with Microsoft money now, but they’ll be restricted this summer as they try to build around their talented core. Still, with the right free agent pickup, a good selection at No. 28, and good health, the Clippers can put themselves at the top of the Western Conference next season.
Cap footnotes
* — Collison’s cap hold would be $2,280,000 if he opts out, as he reportedly intends to do.
** — Granger’s cap hold would be $915,243 if he opts out.
*** — The cap hold for Davis would be $915,243 if he opts out.
**** — Crawford’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 30th.
***** — Green’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 1st.
ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.
Pistons Hire Jeff Bower As GM
The Pistons have formally named Jeff Bower their next General Manager, the team announced. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported Monday that Detroit was on the verge of making the deal final. Bower will serve as day-to-day help for president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, who doubles as the team’s coach.
“Jeff brings great basketball knowledge and NBA experience to our organization and he’s enjoyed success in building teams,” Van Gundy said as part of the team’s statement. “He’s a great evaluator of talent and Jeff will bring solid leadership to our front office.”
Pistons management had to wait until Bower was formally released from his contract at Marist College to make the announcement. Before serving as Marist’s head coach, Bower was in the New Orleans organization for 15 years including a run as GM from 2005-10. He also served as coach of the then-Hornets for the final 73 games of the 2009/10 season, going 34-39.
His record as the primary front office decision-maker in New Orleans had its share of both hits and misses. He acquired a young Tyson Chandler in 2006 for P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith, then traded Chandler for Emeka Okafor in a regrettable 2009 deal. The team unearthed Darren Collison with the 21st overall pick in 2009, helping make up for the selection of Julian Wright at No. 13 in 2007.
Still, Bower will serve a secondary role to Van Gundy in the Pistons basketball operations department, having beaten out former Magic GM Otis Smith, with whom Van Gundy had worked in Orlando. Stu Jackson also interviewed for the position, while Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden and former Heat GM Randy Pfund were also reportedly candidates. Bower had been in the running for GM jobs with the Sixers and Magic the past two summers. Those jobs, unlike the one he wound up with in Detroit, would have given him full control over player personnel.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Jackson, Hayward, Fisher
Thunder guard Reggie Jackson made it clear that he wants to start and seems to want to do so at point guard, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Coach Scott Brooks was non-committal when asked about the possibility of adding Jackson, under contract through next season, to the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Thabo Sefolosha spoke of his time with the Thunder in the past tense and it seems likely that he’ll wind up elsewhere next season. More from around the league..
- Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets that the Jazz front office fully expects Gordon Hayward to be with the team going forward. Hayward is a restricted free agent this summer and there is mutual interest in a return.
- The Lakers haven’t reached out to the Thunder about getting permission to talk to Derek Fisher just yet, but that could be subject to change, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- Former Nuggets coach George Karl had an informal phone conversation with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak but has yet to have a formal interview, Medina tweets.
- Marist announced the resignation of Jeff Bower, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit Free Press. That should be the first step towards him taking over as Pistons GM.
- UCLA guard Jordan Adams was in Houston working out for the Rockets today, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.
- The Nuggets will host Rodney Hood for a private workout tomorrow, a source told Goodman of ESPN (on Twitter).
- The Raptors will host Jordan Clarkson and Canadian Khem Birch for workouts tomorrow, sources tell Goodman (on Twitter).
- A source told Goodman (on Twitter) that Elfrid Payton held his own in front of the Kings in a workout today against Marcus Smart. Aaron Gordon worked out for Sacramento but did not go head-to-head with Noah Vonleh. He instead matched up with Eric Moreland (link).
- The Lakers will be very busy on Wednesday as they audition many of this year’s top prospects, as Goodman tweets. Among the names not previously reported are Payton, Gordon, Tyler Ennis, Zach LaVine, James Young, and Rodney Hood.
Prospect Profile: Jordan McRae
Last season, the Tennessee Volunteers found their way to the Sweet Sixteen thanks in part to the leadership of senior guard Jordan McRae. McRae is something of a jack-of-all-trades player and, as a result, finds himself quite booked up on the workout circuit. As McRae told Hoops Rumors earlier today, he has already auditioned for the Heat, Bulls, Pistons, and 76ers with workouts for nine other clubs ahead of him.
The Chicago workout called for him to play 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 in different combinations against the likes of C.J. Fair, Rodney Hood, and Devyn Marble. After a strong showing, McRae got yet another reaffirmation of his abilities and he’s feeling confident as the draft approaches.
With a 7-foot wingspan at 6’5″, McRae was born to be a boxer or a stout perimeter defender. Fortunately for hoops fans, and for cruiserweights, he went with the latter. Over the last couple of years, McRae has learned to use his size to his advantage, disrupting passing lanes on defense and easily scoring over airborne opponents on the other end.
“With my long arms, I don’t really have to press up close on the man I’m guarding, I can give him some space and still hold him off,” McRae told HoopsRumors. “I’m always able to recover thanks to my length, so that’s a major luxury that I have.”
McRae was the Volunteers’ leading scorer last season, putting up 18.7 PPG, a few ahead of first-round prospect Jarnell Stokes. The senior is quick to point out that he got it done with a varied attack. Slashing to the rim is his strong suit, but he also did well with his jumper, save for a March slump that watered down the averages.
McRae was asked to call his own number early and often at UT but when he dished the ball, particularly last season, he showed strong instincts and solid court vision. That’s something he attributes to his junior year experience of playing out of position at point guard against tough SEC competition. After a year of running his college team’s offense, he was able to use that experience to make himself an even more well-rounded two guard. In fact, if he’s asked to cover some minutes as a third point guard for an NBA team, he’s confident that he can rise to the challenge.
“I definitely think that I can [play point guard]. I’m going to keep working hard on the one guard skills like ball-handling and passing while also watching film, but I definitely think that I can do it,” McRae said.
The guard will be spending a lot of time in the film room, but you can expect him to put in equal hours in the weight room and cafeteria. The 6’5″ guard currently weighs in at a wiry 179 pounds and he says that he intends on putting on 15-20 pounds between now and the start of the season. While his slender frame has allowed him to be aerodynamic in going up and down the floor, McRae knows that he’ll have to tack on mass in order to drive to the basket against 260 pound centers and withstand an 82-game season.
Even in his current svelte state, McRae has collided with first-round hopefuls at workouts and still managed to come out looking sharp. McRae figures to get his name called in the early-to-middle portion of the second round and plans on making an instant impact for the club that drafts him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eastern Notes: Heat, Love, Celtics, Brand
You might think that the Heat have been talking three-peat every day for the last three years, but you’d be mistaken. “We talked about it from the first day, we talked about the legacy of this team,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “The players that weren’t here that first year, they inherited all of those experiences. But it was only that first day. We’ve never brought it up since then. It was about now tackling the challenges of the day‑to‑day life of an NBA season.” More out of the Eastern Conference..
- If Rajon Rondo made a pitch to Kevin Love to sell him on the Celtics, he’s not admitting it, as the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn writes. “I talked to Kevin for about 39 seconds,” Rondo said. “It was all over the web? Well, we do work together. We played against each other. We compete, so when I saw Kevin, I spoke, wished him good luck on his time here in Boston.” Rondo also reiterated his desire to retire with the C’s.
- Elton Brand, who spent last season with the Hawks, intends to play a 16th NBA season, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Brand played 73 games, including 15 starts, for the Hawks last season after signing a $4MM deal. That was the most games Brand has played in since he appeared in 86 regular season and postseason contests with the Sixers in 2010/11.
- Shane Battier has signed on to be a college basketball analyst with ESPN next season and, as expected, will be retiring from the Heat, writes Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead. Before he gets set for the broadcast booth, he’ll try and help the Heat capture a third consecutive title. Battier received preliminary inquiries to run for a Senate seat in Michigan or work in the Pistons’ front office, but chose broadcasting first, tweets Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report. Out of respect for the Finals, however, he’ll says he’ll wait until it’s all over before he addresses the new ESPN gig (link).
- With the Clippers about to sell for $2 billion, John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com wonders how much the Sixers would go for if they were on the market. Ultimately, Gonzalez feels that a $1 billion price tag for the Sixers isn’t implausible.
Pacific Notes: Ballmer, Fisher, Sterling
The impact of Steve Ballmer‘s $2 billion purchase of the Clippers is causing a ripple effect throughout the league, writes NBA.com’s David Aldridge. Aldridge runs down the “winners” of the pending transaction, in order. At the top, of course, is the Microsoft magnate himself. After that, it’s the NBA owners, LeBron James, and then the Players Association. Here’s more out of the Pacific..
- The Lakers do plan to reach out to Derek Fisher this week as well as Larry Brown and Scott Skiles at some point about their coaching vacancy, but their search is proceeding slowly, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter links). The Lakers are focused more on player evaluation at present.
- In an email to Shelburne (Twitter link), Max Blecher, the lawyer for Clippers owner Donald Sterling said, “We are still considering our options,” with regard to legal action versus the NBA and Shelly Sterling.
- The Kings are without a second-round pick, but they’re on the lookout for one via trade, GM Pete D’Alessandro said, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee details. “Our ownership group has put their money where their mouth is,” D’Alessandro said.“For us there would be no need to look at second-round pick (talent) if there was no real option, and that is an option.” Some second-round prospects have avoided Sacramento, given the lack of a pick, but that hasn’t been the case with all of them, and D’Alessandro isn’t dismayed, Jones notes.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Offseason Outlook: Orlando Magic
Guaranteed Contracts
- Arron Afflalo ($7,500,000)
- (Glen Davis $6,600,000)*
- Victor Oladipo ($4,978,200)
- (Al Harrington $3,804,900)**
- Nikola Vucevic ($2,751,260)
- Tobias Harris ($2,380,594)
- Maurice Harkless ($1,887,840)
- Andrew Nicholson ($1,545,840)
Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Jameer Nelson ($8,000,000; guaranteed for $2,000,000)***
- Jason Maxiell ($2,500,000)****
- Ronnie Price ($1,316,809)*****
- Doron Lamb ($915,243)******
- Kyle O’Quinn ($915,243)*******
- Dewayne Dedmon ($816,482)********
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- No. 4 pick ($3,326,700)
- Fran Vazquez ($1,898,300)*********
- No. 12 pick ($1,803,400)
- E’Twaun Moore ($1,148,163 – QO)***********
- (Jeremy Richardson $915,243)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (4th overall)
- 1st Round (12th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $33,448,634
- Options: $0
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $12,463,777
- Cap Holds: $9,091,806
- Total: $55,004,217
While a lot of the teams that struggled last season are dreaming of a playoff berth, the Magic have a different timetable than most. Orlando, coming off of a 23-59 season, isn’t expecting a major transformation in 2014/15 and while they’d surely like to make the postseason, they know that the road back to contention may have to be a bumpy one for the next couple of years.
That’s not to say that Magic fans don’t have reason for optimism. Orlando has a promising young core featuring rookie Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, and Tobias Harris, and their continued development alone should mean an improvement over last year’s dismal mark. However, Orlando’s offseason moves will mean the difference between a five game bump and significant steps forward.
The Magic’s main problem in 2013/14 was a matador defense (Ole!) that allowed 104.6 points per 100 possessions. Their defensive lapses can’t be pinpointed to one player or one unit, but we can start the finger pointing with the front court. Orlando has just one real shot blocking threat in Kyle O’Quinn and that’s not enough to keep anyone at bay. The easy solution, after looking at O’Quinn’s stat sheet, would be to play him more than ~17 minutes a night. However, his offensive shortcomings mean that starters minutes would be a bad idea. Arron Afflalo and Oladipo were solid defenders on the outside last season, but they’ll need some big bodies behind them to keep opponents honest.
Speaking of O’Quinn’s offense, or lack thereof, it’d be great for Orlando if they could get a big man that can make an impact on both ends of the floor. If the ping pong balls went the Magic’s way, rather that the Cavs’, they could have an easy fix in Kansas big man Joel Embiid. Unfortunately for the Magic, they’ll be picking fourth. It’s not a bad consolation prize, especially in this year’s draft, but it seems like the KU big man won’t be on the board for them, unless his medicals leak out and appear questionable.
So, if Embiid is out, who is in play for the Magic at No. 4? Australian guard Dante Exum seems to be getting rave reviews from everyone and if he gets past the Sixers at No. 3, he could give Orlando their one-guard of the future. Exum is a dynamic athlete who can score but isn’t purely a chucker. The 19-year-old has great court vision and the ability to dish on offense and his 6’6″ frame should allow him to be a pesky defender at the NBA level.
Exum’s arrival, or the acquisition of any promising young point guard, could spell the end for Jameer Nelson‘s time in pinstripes. The veteran guard is set to make $8MM in 2014/15, but he’s guaranteed only $2MM, so the Magic could let him go elsewhere without much penalty. Orlando has until July 15th to decide his fate: that’s when his deal goes from $2MM guaranteed to fully guaranteed at $8MM.
If the Magic tab Exum at No. 4, they can get another talented international prospect at No. 12 in Jusef Nurkic. Nurkic, also 19, would give the Magic a big presence, serious strength, and a 7’2″ wingspan: just the type of enforcer that they can use on defense. The very fair knock on him is that he’s something of an unknown. Due to conditioning issues, the Bosnian saw limited minutes last season, averaging 15.4 minutes in Eurocup action and 16.6 minutes per night in the Adriatic league. Even with his question marks, teams have been drooling over Nurkic’s upside as his stock has shot up from a mid-to-late second round prospect to a very real lottery possibility. If the Magic intend to be patient with their timetable, they can afford to take the time to help the center realize his full potential.
Another major area of need for Orlando is outside shooting. The aforementioned Exum would give them a scorer, but not a three-point shooter. At No. 12, the Magic could be in line for Michigan standout Nik Stauskas or sharpshooting Duke small forward Rodney Hood. Stauskas is currently pegged to go No. 13 in DraftExpress’ mock. Hood is slotted at No. 15, but he told me in May that he could go as high as No. 6. That guarantees very little, but the possibility exists that he won’t be an option for Orlando with their second first-rounder.
Of course, with just ~$33.4MM in guaranteed salary for next season, the Magic aren’t just confined to the draft. They can turn to the free agent market to get impact veterans at their need positions and this summer is ripe with quality options. No, LeBron won’t be taking his talents to Epcot, but one has to think that the Magic could come away with a Luol Deng, Kyle Lowry, or Lance Stephenson, even if a recent report indicated that such a move would be a “shock“.
Dwight Howard is long gone and Orlando’s title contention hopes are as well – at least for now. With the right moves and responsible spending, the Magic can position themselves for a small step forward in 2014/15 and a big leap the following year.
Cap footnotes
* — The Magic waived Davis in February despite guaranteed salary remaining on his contract through 2014/15.
** — The Magic waived Harrington in August 2013 despite partially guaranteed salary remaining on his contract through 2014/15.
*** — Nelson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 15th.
**** — Maxiell’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 10th.
***** — Price’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 10th.
****** — Lamb’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 1st.
******* — O’Quinn’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 15th.
******** — Dedmon’s salary becomes guaranteed for $250,000 if he’s not waived on or before opening night.
********* — The Magic hold the draft rights to Vazquez, who’s yet to sign an NBA contract. He was the 11th overall pick in 2005, and his cap hold is equal to 100% of the rookie scale for the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft. The Magic can erase it from their books and still retain the draft rights to Vazquez if he and the team agree in writing that he won’t sign during the 2014/15 season.
*********** — Moore’s cap hold would be $915,243 if the team declined to tender his qualifying offer.
ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Rockets, Melo, Fisher, Corbin
Rockets owner Les Alexander says he wants to make a “big splash” this summer but wanting to doesn’t make it so, writes Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders. Carmelo Anthony is clearly target number one for Houston, but he is also the least likely to get Houston beyond the second round. Scoring was not the Rockets’ problem in 2013/14, so adding Anthony wouldn’t make them substantially better, Ingram argues. Others possible targets like Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving could make a huge difference, but it’ll be hard to land either one for different reasons. More from around the NBA..
- Derek Fisher told reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (on Twitter), that it’s too early to determine if he’s going to retire. Of course, if the Thunder veteran steps away from playing, he’ll find himself among the hottest coaching candidates in the league with vacancies on the Lakers and Knicks benches.
- Croatian forward Damjan Rudez will workout for the Cavaliers in the coming days, according to a report from Gigantes passed along by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Rudez, who went undrafted in 2008, ended his season with CAI Zaragoza averaging 10.4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He is under contract with the club but he does have a buyout clause.
- Former Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin is set to interview for an assistant coaching gig with the Kings, a source tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Corbin had spent the past ten years with Utah in various capacities.
Draft Notes: Smart, Randle, Jazz, Knicks
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders cautions us not to overlook Julius Randle. Randle, a surefire lottery pick and possible top five selection, has the killer instinct and confidence that NBA talent evaluators love. That fire is something Randle has had dating back to his high school days and he continued that at Kentucky. Here’s a look at the latest draft news..
- Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart knows that he’s a polarizing prospect heading into the NBA draft, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. A year ago, Smart might have been the No. 1 overall pick. Instead, he stayed in school and played out a sophomore season that raised more question marks than anything. Still, Smart is a talented point guard and a tenacious defender and appears to be a mortal lock for the lottery.
- The Jazz will work out second-round candidates Aaron Craft, LaQuinton Ross, Roscoe Smith, and Cam Bairstow tomorrow morning, tweets Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune. Ross and Smith will be the first two underclassmen that the Jazz have brought in (link). Ross has a connection to the state of Utah as his father, Chris Russell, played at Utah State.
- UNC’s James Michael McAdoo and Middle Tennessee State’s Shawn Jones worked out for the Knicks today, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.