Northwest Notes: Love, Joerger, Wolves
Former NBA player Jalen Rose is preaching patience when it comes to the Wolves and Kevin Love, writes Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press. “If you’re Minnesota, you have the asset, and between now and the trade deadline, teams are going to get more desperate,” Rose said. “But (don’t) allow it to turn into a Dwight Howard situation where he leaves and you don’t get anything.” More out of the Northwest Division..
- Grizzlies owner Robert Pera never should have given the Wolves permission to talk to Dave Joerger if he was going to play hardball on compensation, opines Sam Amick of USA Today (on Twitter).
- One source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link) that the Wolves value a second-round draft pick at $2MM. That could explain why they were so reluctant to part with one in order to land Joerger.
- Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders wonders if it’s time for the Thunder to trade guard Russell Westbrook. The dynamic athlete has been the primary fingerpointing target for OKC’s struggles due to his poor shot selection. When the Thunder were without Westbrook this season because of his knee injury, Reggie Jackson guided them to a 19-6 record.
Latest On Grizzlies, Dave Joerger
Earlier this afternoon, we got a bit of surprising news when Dave Joerger told the Wolves that he’ll be staying put in Memphis. Joerger appears to be staying put and General Manager Chris Wallace could conceivably stay as well, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The Grizzlies’ search for the next GM will include Wallace as a candidate.
Wallace is in the mix, but he’ll have a lot of people to beat out. It’ll be a broad search for the next GM and it’s one that will include Magic assistant GM Matt Lloyd as a candidate, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
In a Twitter Q&A with fans, Pera revealed that he hadn’t spoken to Joerger one-on-one until this weekend (link). The owner added that Joerger is a “great coach.” Pera went on to say that Joerger will “definitely” be manning the sidelines next season (link via Sam Amick of USA Today).
Dave Joerger To Stay With Grizzlies
Dave Joerger has decided to stay in Memphis and forgo the opportunity with the Wolves, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Joerger, the Grizzlies, and the Wolves have been trying all weekend to settle their differences (link), but it sounds like they were unable to come an agreement on a compensation package.
It’s a surprising twist since the ouster of CEO Jason Levien and assistant GM Stu Lash seemed to signal a complete overhaul of the club’s front office operations and coaching staff. Joerger met with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor for over two hours on Saturday and was said to be the frontrunner for the position. Team president Flip Saunders has a history with Joerger and saw a lot of himself in the young coach.
The Grizzlies seemed poised to go after another big name coach – possibly the Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau or former coach Lionel Hollins – but it sounds like they’ll be keeping things status quo instead. With Joerger out of the running for the Wolves’ gig, Minnesota may turn their attention to fellow candidate and owner Glen Taylor favorite Sam Mitchell.
Draft Notes: Heat, Celtics, Magic
With the draft roughly one month away, let’s keep track of today’s latest news here..
- Jordan Adams will work out for the Heat on Thursday, a source told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The shooting guard out of UCLA is currently slated to go to the Heat at No. 26 in DraftExpress’ mock.
- The Celtics will host Kyle Anderson and DeAndre Daniels for a workout on June 3rd, a source tells Goodman (Twitter link). Anderson will also workout for the Hawks on Thursday (link).
- The Magic will workout Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart tomorrow, tweets Goodman. Orlando will also meet with Duke’s Rodney Hood (link). Earlier this month, I talked with the shooting guard about his NBA goals and where he sees himself going in the draft.
- The Heat will host a draft workout on Tuesday that will include P.J. Hairston, Cleathony Early, and Daniels, a source tells Goodman (link).
Week In Review: 5/19/14 – 5/25/14
We knew that the Grizzlies would potentially face serious changes this offseason on the court, but earlier this week, their front office was totally overhauled. CEO Jason Levien and assistant GM Stu Lash were ousted by owner Robert Pera on Monday. General Manager Chris Wallace, who has been without real power since Levien’s arrival, was re-installed as the chief decision maker for the time being. The changes probably won’t stop there. More on that and the rest of the week that was..
- There appears to be mutual interest between the Grizzlies and coach Dave Joerger in parting ways. The Wolves have interest in Joerger. Minnesota owner Glen Taylor, meanwhile, prefers Sam Mitchell.
- The Cavs won the lottery.
- Memphis may be eyeing Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.
- The Cavs are making noises that they aren’t going to offer Kyrie Irving “max money’’ this summer via a long-term extension.
- Teammates doubt that LeBron James will leave the Heat.
- Both Grant Hill and Yao Ming are reportedly lining up investor groups to try and purchase the Clippers. Yao denied the report while Hill has partnered with billionaire investors and longtime Southern California residents Tony Ressler and Bruce Karsh.
- Wolves owner Glen Taylor is insistent that he won’t trade Kevin Love before the draft.
- Donald Sterling gave his wife Shelly Sterling the OK to sell the Clippers, but the NBA is not on board with their proposal. Mrs. Sterling wants to stay on as a minority owner. Sterling’s hearing is set for June 3rd.
- The Jazz and Cavs have interviews planned with Alvin Gentry.
- Nuggets president Josh Kroenke came out and said that Brian Shaw will not be the next coach of the Knicks.
- The Lakers spoke with Byron Scott.
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak interviewed Mike Dunleavy.
- The Cavs are unlikely to land LeBron without making some upgrades.
- The Celtics are willing to trade for a star without securing an extension.
- The Cavs will likely explore sign-and-trade possibilities for Luol Deng.
- The buzz is back.
- Tyronn Lue is scheduled to interview for the Cavaliers vacant head coaching position late next week.
- The city of Sacramento approved the Kings’ new arena plan.
- A report indicated that Francisco Garcia is planning to opt out of his contract with the Rockets and seek a new, multiyear deal. However, the swingman says he hasn’t made up his mind yet.
- Kevin Ollie signed a new deal with UConn, so he won’t be coming to the NBA anytime soon.
- The Cavs are interested in Billy Donovan, Fred Hoiberg, and Tom Izzo.
- Bucks GM John Hammond and assistant GM David Morway appear likely to stay for at least one more year.
- The Magic are a team “to watch out for” with the Warriors becoming more open to trading David Lee.
- The Pistons will interview Stu Jackson for their vacant GM role.
- Michael Carter-Williams headlines the All-Rookie team.
- Chinese league MVP Lester Hudson has caught the eye of the Pacers.
- Bobby Brown signed a three-year deal in China.
Offseason Outlook: Brooklyn Nets
Guaranteed Contracts
- Joe Johnson ($23,180,790)
- Deron Williams ($19,754,465)
- Brook Lopez ($15,719,063)
- Kevin Garnett ($12,000,000)
- Marcus Thornton ($8,575,000)
- Mirza Teletovic ($3,368,100)
- Mason Plumlee ($1,357,080)
- Marquis Teague ($1,120,920)
Options
- Andrei Kirilenko ($3,326,235, Player)*
- Andray Blatche ($1,437,506, Player)**
- Alan Anderson ($1,063,384, Player)***
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Jorge Gutierrez ($816,482)
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- Paul Pierce ($19,181,750)****
- Jason Collins ($915,243)
- Shaun Livingston ($915,243)
- (Jerry Stackhouse $915,243)
Draft Picks
- None
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $85,075,418
- Options: $5,827,125
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $816,482
- Cap Holds: $21,927,479
- Total: $113,646,504
After a summer of spending that was enough to make Mark Cuban blush, the Nets weren’t able to meet their lofty expectations for this season. The Nets powered their way to a winning record with a 15-game home winning streak, swept their regular season series with the Heat 4-0, and knocked off the Atlantic Division champs in the first round. However, their wildly entertaining up-and-down season came to a close with a second round ouster at the hands of the Heat. Now, the Nets are entering an offseason in which they have numerous question marks and very little flexibility to help address them.
Much of the Nets’ offseason will hinge on whether Kevin Garnett decides to play out the final year of his deal at $12MM or simply walk away. Yes, it’s true, KG is a shell of his former self. The 37-year-old averaged 6.5 PPG and 6.6. RPG in 20.5 minutes per game with a career-low PER of 13.3. However, his decision will have serious ramifications on the rest of the roster. Even though Nets owner and heli-skiing enthusiast Mikhail Prokhorov appears willing to spend whatever it takes to win, there has to be a limit at some point and that $12MM could conceivably be re-routed elsewhere, though, they can’t really reallocate those funds in free agency. Garnett’s call also figures to weigh heavily on the mind of free agent Paul Pierce.
Pierce, 36, knows that time is running out on his NBA career and as he told reporters after the Game 5 loss, he has “maybe one or two [years] at the most” left in the tank. The veteran is said to have interest in a reunion with coach Doc Rivers in Los Angeles and also likes the idea of finishing his career in Boston. Even though the Celtics will have to do some serious work to turn themselves into contenders for 2014/15, the Clippers are a bonafide contender who would only get stronger with the addition of Pierce. The Nets have a leg-up over the Clippers since L.A has $66MM+ in commitments for next season and can only sign Pierce to the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception. However, Pierce has earned more than $315MM over the course of his career, including $15MM last season, and it’s not hard to imagine him giving up a few million dollars to have a strong chance at a ring with his longtime coach.
Pierce and Garnett aren’t the only stars who could break out of black and white. According to a May report from Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, the Nets won’t rule out the possibility of shipping Deron Williams to his third career NBA team. When the Nets acquired Williams from the Jazz in 2011, General Manager Billy King called him “the best point guard in the NBA.” Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who would put D-Will in the same tier as Chris Paul and the rest of the league’s elite ones. Williams, 30 in June, averaged 14.3 points and 6.1 assists per game this season, bringing his career totals down to 17.4 PPG and 8.7 APG. Factor in the double-ankle surgery that he’ll undergo and the $63MM+ he’s owed over the next three seasons, it’s hard to see someone paying a hefty ransom to King for a player who posted a career-low 13.3 PER in 2013/14. However, it sounds like the Nets will at least explore the possibility of moving Deron and getting something of value to team up with Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, and hopefully, Garnett and Pierce.
The future of Williams’ understudy, Shaun Livingston, is also in question. Livingston seems to have fully recovered from one of the most gruesome looking injuries in NBA history and is poised for a big pay bump in free agency. While the Nets can outbid the Clippers and others for Pierce, they’re pretty handcuffed when it comes to the 6’7″ guard. The Nets only have Livingston’s Non-Bird rights, which provide for no more than 120% of the minimum salary he made this past season. Brooklyn could also use its taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which would allow for a starting salary of $3.278MM and a total of nearly $10.3MM over the course of a three-year deal. Other suitors can blow them out of the water. The Wolves, who are already said to have interest, have the non-taxpayer’s mid-level, worth $5.305MM in year one, at their disposal. If Livingston went to Minnesota, he could get a four-year deal worth $22.652MM on that exception. King says that keeping Livingston will be his No. 1 priority this summer, but he’ll have his work cut out for him.
While the Nets probably could have used the services of Lopez in the playoffs, there’s no denying that they performed better as a unit without him. It’s not Lopez’s fault – he’s an extremely adept scorer who can draw a double team every time he gets the ball inside. In fact, in his 17 games last season, the Stanford product averaged a career-best 25.4 PER which would have placed him at No. 7 in the NBA had it been for a full season. With a combined 96 games played over the last three seasons, could the Nets conceivably find a suitable trade? While a healthy Lopez would be a very welcome addition for most teams, he is set to earn ~$15.7MM and ~$16.8MM over the next two seasons. That’s a big risk for any team to take, so I wouldn’t bank on him changing uniforms.
So if Williams and Lopez are less than likely to get moved, who makes for a stronger trade candidate? Mason Plumlee, who enjoyed the highest PER (19.09) of any eligible rookie last season, would be very desirable to teams looking for a reserve big with a high motor on an affordable deal. The Nets also have an attractive asset in overseas stash pick Bojan Bogdanović. The Nets can only give the 24-year-old Turkish leaguer the $3.278MM mid-level exception, which may not be enough to outbid European teams for his services. The Nets would prefer to have both guys in the fold next season to fortify their bench, but figurative beggars (rich beggars, go figure) can’t be choosers.
There could be turnover when it comes to other guys on the reserve unit as well. Andray Blatche ($1.4MM) will opt out and Andrei Kirilenko ($3.3MM) and Alan Anderson ($1.1MM) could follow suit. AK47 turned down a much more lucrative offer from the Timberwolves last season and may seek to cash in this summer. Anderson, signed without much fanfare last offseason, became a vital part of the Nets’ rotation, and it’s not hard to see someone giving him more than the veteran’s minimum. Blatche, for all of his frustrating inconsistency, is still a very valuable piece for the Nets with athleticism that makes small-ball lineups possible.
And with all of these potential holes, the Nets probably can’t come away with an impact player in the draft since they traded away both of their 2014 picks. The Nets’ all-in risk didn’t pay off and they’ve got their work cut out for them if they want to contend in the East in 2014/15.
Cap footnotes
* — Kirilenko’s cap hold would be $3,819,600 if he opts out.
** — Blatche’s cap hold would be $1,788,285 if he opts out.
*** — Anderson’s cap hold would be $915,243 if he opts out.
**** — Pierce’s cap hold will be the lesser of $23,000,001, which is 150% of his 2013/14 salary, or the maximum salary for a veteran of 10 or more seasons, which won’t be determined until after the July Moratorium. The number here is this past season’s max. Next year’s max will likely represent Pierce’s cap hold, since it’s almost certain not to jump to more than $23MM.
ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.
Lawrence On Thibs, Irving, Love, Knicks
The Grizzlies are on a shoestring budget and don’t have the room necessary to bring coach Tom Thibodeau over from the Bulls, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “Do they realize how much that will cost?’” said one Chicago official, when word surfaced that the Grizzlies will look at Thibs if Memphis winds up allowing Dave Joerger to take the Timberwolves’ head coaching position. An Eastern Conference president, factoring in Stan Van Gundy’s $7MM/year deal in Detroit, estimated that it would cost Memphis $8MM per year to have Thibodeau serve as their coach and president. Here’s more from today’s column…
- The Cavs are making noises that they aren’t going to offer Kyrie Irving “max money’’ this summer via a long-term extension. They don’t want to deal the 2014 All-Star Game MVP, but it could come to that, especially if the guard and his family continue to tell people that he wants out. Irving hasn’t been a leader in his first three seasons and he’s also gained the unwelcomed reputation as a locker-room problem. “He was just handed too much, too soon,’’ said one source. “You’ve got to make these young guys earn it, and that’s where this team did a bad job with him.’’
- The Cavs are not looking for a coach with a strong veteran presence who wants to do things only his way. That probably rules out Jeff Van Gundy, George Karl, and Lionel Hollins, although Lawrence is a fan of all three. New GM David Griffin is looking for a college or NBA coach who agrees to accept input and instructions from himself and hands-on owner Dan Gilbert.
- The Cavs know they can’t get Kevin Love from the Wolves in a deal for the No. 1 pick. If they keep it, they’re expected to take Kansas big man Joel Embiid, unless the stress fracture in his back injury from last season has the chance to become a long-term issue. Meanwhile, agent Arn Tellem might not make his client’s medical records available to teams with which he doesn’t want Embiid to play.
- The Nuggets aren’t going to allow coach Brian Shaw to come to the Knicks if they fail to land Derek Fisher, even if the Knicks offer compensation. “We didn’t hire Brian for a one-year position with our team,’’ Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said. “We see Brian being with us for years to come.’’ If Fisher turns Jackson down, Kurt Rambis is the next in line.
- Just because Bucks GM John Hammond and Pelicans exec Dell Demps came to New York for the lottery doesn’t mean that they’re going to be around for the long haul. Lawrence gets the sense that both are on the hot seat.
Kevin Ollie Signs New Deal With UConn
THURSDAY, 4:59pm: The coach has signed a deal that runs through 2018/19 and calls for average annual salaries of $3MM, the school announced. He’d have to pay the university $5MM to jump to the NBA for next season, $4MM in 2015/16, and $1MM in each subsequent season covered under the contract.
TUESDAY, 11:23am: Ollie and UConn are close to a deal but have yet to reach agreement, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News hears, tapping the brakes on Wojnarowski’s report from Monday (Twitter link).
MONDAY, 4:44pm: Coach Kevin Ollie has committed to stay with the UConn Huskies, agreeing to a contract extension that will pay him $3MM per year, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (on Twitter) first reported that the two sides appeared to be nearing agreement.
Ollie was reportedly in the mix for multiple NBA openings and UConn knew that they’d have to pay big bucks to keep the man who led them to the 2014 National Championship. The Lakers, however, never made a formal inquiry regarding Ollie, Wojnarowski writes, adding that the Cavs were the team most aggressive in pursuing Ollie.
Aside from Ollie’s success in a short time at UConn, the coach appealed to some teams based on his relationship with Kevin Durant. Durant will be the most highly sought after free agent in a couple years, and some thought that a team might preemptively hire Ollie as a draw for the MVP. Ollie, who was reportedly looking for a contract greater than Steve Kerr‘s five-year, $25MM deal from interested NBA teams, maintained that it wouldn’t be easy to lure him away from Connecticut, and that turned out to be the case.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Prospect Profile: Sean Kilpatrick
On an individual level, Cincinnati’s Sean Kilpatrick left school on a high note and gave teams a strong reminder of what he can do at the NBA level. The guard put up 20.6 points per contest and was a workhorse for the Bearcats, playing 33.6 minutes per game. More importantly, he was able to do it all more efficiently than in his junior campaign. Kilpatrick’s percentages suffered in 2013 as he was asked to shoot more than ever at 14.4 attempts per game, but he turned things around while taking 14.9 shots per contest last season.
What Kilpatrick does better than most is score and his jump shot should put him in the mix for the mid-to-late second round. However, he wants to make teams aware of what he can do on the other side of the floor.
“They talk about me as a guy that can score in bunches because that’s the main thing that has been displayed for the last couple of years,” Kilpatrick told Hoops Rumors. “But, I’m a pretty good defender as well and that’s something I want to keep showing teams. It’s not just about scoring. If you can be a lock-down defender that will help you in the long run and that’s something I want to focus on.”
A fall writeup on Kilpatrick from Josh Riddell of DraftExpress expressed concern about Kilpatrick’s size, and it’s safe to assume that it’s a concern for teams as well. At 6’4″, the Cincinnati product is a two-guard with typical one-guard dimensions, but he’s not the least bit worried about that.
“It’s not a problem. If you can score with the basketball it shouldn’t matter how tall you are,” the 24-year-old said. “You got guys that are like 6’7″ out there playing the two, but a guy like Wesley Matthews on the Blazers, he’s a two but he can also shoot the ball and he’s a lot smaller than most. He can defend and shoot the ball when he gets open. You can’t base anything on height. If you can score, you can score.”
Because he was asked to lead the scoring charge every night for Cincinnati, Kilpatrick’s field goal percentage suffered a drop in his junior season. However, things leveled off this past season and Kilpatrick credits coach Mick Cronin for helping him improve his shot selection. That’ll be an extremely important asset for Kilpatrick as he makes the transition to the pros. In a draft that’s short on shooters in the first round, there’s a strong chance a team drafts Kilpatrick in the second round thanks to his ability to fire from long distance.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cavs Rumors: Love, D’Antoni, Hollins
The Cavs are in the lottery again, after declaring last year the end of their lottery run. While Cleveland is certainly disappointed to be watching ping pong balls yet again, they would still be thrilled in the unlikely case that they find themselves vaulted to the top-three in tomorrow’s lottery. Here’s more from Cleveland:
- Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal looks at the likelihood that the Cavs join in on the Kevin Love sweepstakes.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that Cleveland will “undoubtedly” try to leverage their assets into trade discussions for Love.
- Mike D’Antoni is not a candidate for the Cavs’ coaching job, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. D’Antoni and new GM David Griffin were together in Phoenix, but there are no reunion plans in the works.
- An NBA source says there’s mutual interest between the Cavs and Lionel Hollins regarding the coaching vacancy, but there’s no interview scheduled yet, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer.
- Earlier, we passed on news that Cavs coaching candidate Kevin Ollie won’t be leaving his college job this season.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.