Atlantic Notes: Evans, Celtics, Kidd, Nets
Nets big man Reggie Evans today became the first, and assuredly not the last, player to draw a fine under the league's new anti-flopping measures, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported and the league confirmed with a link to the video of Evans' violation (hat tip to Howard Beck of The New York Times). If the league's video review catches Evans flopping four more times this season, he'll be suspended for a game, but it's not as if the Nets are in any danger of losing his services soon. We'll round up the rest of the night's items from the Atlantic Division here.
- We heard on separate occasions before the Celtics waived Darko Milicic that they weren't looking to immediately fill his roster spot should he leave, and now that the big man's gone, Celtics coach Doc Rivers reiterated that there have been no discussions about a replacement, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Rivers hasn't spoken to Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge on the matter. "Danny’s out looking at college players, so that tells you how much of an urgency (filling the roster spot is) for us right now," Rivers said. "We’re not thinking about it at all; we haven’t talked about it at all."
- Jason Kidd picked the Knicks over the Mavs because he thought New York had a better chance to win, and the veteran's presence betters the Knicks chances, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
- Kidd was looking forward to mentoring Jeremy Lin, but is just as pleased about the chance to do so with Raymond Felton, as Iannazzone documents.
- Nets Daily shares Mikhail Prokorov's comments about his Nets on Russian radio station Echo Moskvy.
Celtics Waive Darko Milicic
As expected, Darko Milicic has officially left the Celtics to attend to his ill mother in Europe. The Celtics announced today in a press release that they have officially waived Milicic, reducing their roster to 14 players.
"Darko has asked us to release him so he could deal with a personal matter," said Celtics president Danny Ainge. "The whole Celtics family wishes Darko and his family well."
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported on Monday that Darko was considering leaving the Celtics. In addition to wanting to be with his mother, the former second overall pick was also reportedly upset with the lack of playing time he was receiving in Boston.
It's not known whether or not the Celtics and Milicic worked out a buyout, or whether the C's will take the full cap hit for Darko's minimum-salary contract. Either way, Boston should have the financial flexibility to offer another player at least the veteran's minimum. Kenyon Martin has been mentioned as a potential replacement, though multiple reports have suggested it's more likely the team keeps its 15th roster spot open for now.
Offseason In Review: Boston Celtics
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team's offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- Jeff Green: Four years, $36.24MM. Signed via Bird rights. Fourth year is player option.
- Kevin Garnett: Three years, $36MM. Signed via Bird rights. Third year is partially guaranteed.
- Brandon Bass: Three years, $19.5MM. Signed via Bird rights.
- Jason Terry: Three years, $15.675MM. Signed via mid-level exception.
- Jason Collins: One year, $1.35MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.
- Chris Wilcox: One year, $1.35MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.
- Leandro Barbosa: One year, $1.23MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.
- Darko Milicic: One year, $1.23MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired Courtney Lee from the Rockets in exchange for JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Sean Williams, Sasha Pavlovic (sent to Trail Blazers), Bobcats' 2013 second-round pick, 2013 second-round pick (sent to Trail Blazers), and Timberwolves' 2013 second-round pick (sent to Trail Blazers). Lee was signed-and-trade for four years, $21.35MM.
Draft Picks
- Jared Sullinger (Round 1, 21st overall). Signed via rookie exception.
- Fab Melo (Round 1, 22nd overall). Signed via rookie exception.
- Kris Joseph (Round 2, 51st overall). Signed via minimum salary exception.
Camp Invitees
- Dionte Christmas
- Micah Downs
- Rob Kurz
- Jamar Smith
Departing Players
- Ray Allen
- Marquis Daniels
- Keyon Dooling (retired)
- Ryan Hollins
- JaJuan Johnson
- E'Twaun Moore
- Sasha Pavlovic
- Mickael Pietrus
- Greg Stiemsma
- Sean Williams
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Avery Bradley, $2.51MM: Exercised
For most of last season, GM Danny Ainge and the Celtics were inundated with questions about whether 2011/12 would be the Big Three's last run in Boston. With Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen on expiring deals, there was a chance the core of the Celtics team that won the NBA Finals in 2008 would be dismantled, with an eye toward rebuilding, or at least retooling, the roster.
In retrospect, speculation about the end of an era in Boston was probably overblown. Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce, who both had bigger roles on the club than Allen, weren't going anywhere, and it was hard to imagine Garnett retiring after putting up the numbers he did in '11/12. Allen headed to Miami in July, but you could easily argue that if there was still a "Big Three" in Boston, Allen was no longer a part of it.
With most of the team's key pieces returning, the potential cap space the C's could have gained by letting its major free agents walk didn't materialize, which may have been for the best. Rather than fighting for players on the open market, the C's looked to their own free agents, armed with the Bird rights to players like Jeff Green and Brandon Bass. Neither forward is a star, but both have proven to be very useful complementary players alongside the bigger names. The price for Green was a little high for my liking, but committing less than $20MM for three years of Bass is a solid investment.
Having managed to stay below the tax threshold, the Celtics also had the full mid-level exception at their disposal, allowing them to lock up Jason Terry. Not only can Terry do many of the things that made Allen a good fit in Boston, but he has the ability to handle the ball and create his own shot, something Allen didn't bring to the table.
Even after signing Terry, the Celtics had enough assets to bring aboard another player at a mid-level price, sending out four players and three draft picks, none of which were exceptionally valuable, to land Courtney Lee. Along with Leandro Barbosa, who signed a minimum-salary contract, Lee helps provide the Celtics with the sort of dynamic scoring backcourt the team didn't have a season ago.
There's not much upside to be had with Jason Collins, Darko Milicic, and Chris Wilcox, who all signed minimum-salary deals to bolster the Celtics' bench. However, in Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo, the team added youth to its frontcourt through the draft. Sullinger, who slipped to No. 21 due to a medical red flag, is ready to contribute immediately and could be a steal. Melo is too raw to enter the rotation right away, but having plenty of bodies to play NBA minutes allows the C's to develop the young center in the D-League for now.
The Celtics' original Big Three may not still be intact, but Ainge certainly didn't go until rebuilding mode this offseason in Boston. Retooling mode though? Sure. Only five players that finished last season with the Celtics returned to the club this year, meaning there figures to be a bit of an adjustment period while the new players adjust to Doc Rivers' system and Rivers figures out which groups of players best complement one another.
Once the Celtics work through that adjustment period though, this is a deep, talented team that looks better on paper now than it did when it took the Heat to seven games in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. They'll need to stay healthy and establish chemistry, but if they do, the Celtics are poised to make a deep run again in the playoffs in 2013.
Darko Milicic Considering Leaving Celtics
TUESDAY, 12:35pm: It "doesn't look like" Darko will be coming back to the Celtics, according to coach Doc Rivers (Twitter link via Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe).
MONDAY, 8:05pm: If Milicic leaves the Celtics, the team would be in no rush to fill his roster spot, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, confirming our earlier suspicions.
1:42pm: The Celtics may soon be without Darko Milicic, as the Serbian big man is "leaning toward" leaving the team for the season to be with his ill mother in Europe, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, Milicic recently met with coach Doc Rivers, who advised him to take time to make a decision on his family and future.
Milicic, 27, was amnestied by the Timberwolves early in the summer, and weighed his free agent options for much of the offseason before eventually landing in Boston. The Celtics locked him up on a one-year, minimum salary contract.
While Milicic's decision could leave the Celtics with one fewer body in their frontcourt, it wouldn't have a significant impact on the team's rotation, barring injuries. So far, Darko has appeared in just one game for the C's, playing less than five minutes against the Bucks back on November 2nd. Wojnarowski indicates that the seven-footer's frustration with his lack of role in Boston may also play a part in his decision.
If Darko were to leave the Celtics, there's a chance Boston would look into signing Kenyon Martin, according to Wojnarowski. The team considered Martin earlier in the offseason, and some of the C's veterans have been pushing for the club to sign him. However, it's more likely that Boston would simply keep the 15th roster spot open to see who else might become available.
Celtics Rumors: Darko, Martin, Cap Situation
We heard yesterday that Darko Milicic is considering leaving the Celtics to return to Europe to be with his mother, who is ill. It doesn't appear that Darko has made a definitive decision on his future yet, but we have a few notes on the subject, along with some other Celtics links:
- With three young children here, Darko's decision involves much more than just basketball, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Bulpett adds that if Milicic were to return to Serbia, the Celtics likely wouldn't immediately fill his roster spot unless it was with someone Doc Rivers would use regularly.
- Rivers will support whatever decision Milicic makes, as he told WEEI during his weekly appearance on the Boston radio station. "He has some family issues, more his [ill] mom, and not playing and being in another country," Rivers said. "The NBA hasn’t exactly gone great for him over his career. So it’s a lot of reasons for him to want to leave. I understand that, and I told him that. I pretty much left it up to him. He has my blessing either way" (link via ESPNBoston.com).
- The Celtics need more energy from their bench, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, who hints that Kenyon Martin could be an option, as we heard yesterday.
- Also at ESPNBoston.com, Chris Forsberg examines where the Darko situation stands.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld notes that the Celtics still have their bi-annual exception available, but points out that the team is also about $2MM into the luxury tax. Boston would likely reduce team salary slightly if Darko leaves (I'd assume a buyout would be negotiated). However, like the Bulls and a few other clubs, the Celtics remain hard-capped and are reluctant to use their BAE, reducing their flexibility when it comes to adding another player.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Turner, McGuire, Darko
None of the Atlantic Division teams are in action tonight, which might come as a relief to the rest of the league. Four of the five clubs are over .500, while the fifth team, the 3-7 Raptors, is coming off a win last night, albeit against the lowly Magic. Nonetheless, teams making an East Coast road trip this year don't figure to have an easy time of it. Here's more from what might be the NBA's toughest division.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com goes in depth on the Knicks' top-ranked defense, noting the contributions of offseason signees J.R. Smith, Ronnie Brewer, Pablo Prigioni and Rasheed Wallace.
- CSN Philly's Dei Lynam details how consistency is the key for Evan Turner, who's averaging a career-high 32.9 minutes per game this season, the last before the Sixers must decide whether to extend his rookie contract.
- The Raptors' decision to bring Dominic McGuire in on a minimum-salary deal is paying off for both player and team, observes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
- Rich Levine of CSNNE.com had much higher hopes for Darko Milicic, who may leave the Celtics to care for his ill mother after just five minutes of action this season.
Atlantic Notes: Bynum, Wilcox, Banks, Felton
Andrew Bynum on Sunday confirmed reports that he hurt his left knee while bowling, admitting that the activity, which isn't specifically prohibited in player contracts, probably wasn't wise. "In hindsight, I guess you really shouldn’t go bowling but it’s not anything more than what I’ve done in my rehab," Bynum said to reporters, including John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I’m kind of taking the position that if that happens bowling, what happens while dunking?" As Mitchell writes, that's the question the Sixers have been waiting to have answered all season. Here's more on Philly's Atlantic Division rivals.
- Even though his conditioning is still not right after heart surgery in March, Chris Wilcox has filled a frontcourt need for the Celtics and might be the team's most pleasant surprise, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Wilcox is one of five Celtics on minimum-salary deals, as we detailed earlier.
- Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside catches up with former Celtics lottery pick Marcus Banks, who recently signed to play with Panathinaikos in Greece two years after his last NBA action, which came with the Raptors in 2010/11.
- Pacers president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh, formerly in charge of the Knicks front office, said Raymond Felton was the player he most regretted giving up in the Carmelo Anthony deal in 2011, and the executive is glad Felton has returned to the team, notes Mark Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link).
- We passed along more from Walsh's chat with New York media today and a few other Knicks items this afternoon.
Atlantic Rumors: Felton, Lin, DeRozan, Lee
The Knicks lost their status as the league's only unbeaten last night, and they could be another loss away from falling out of first place, as the Nets are a game behind and the Celtics, winners in a matinee against the Raptors this afternoon, lurk a game and a half behind. The standings can change quickly in the first month of the season, and while we wait to see whether the early returns on New York were accurate, here's more on the Knicks and their Atlantic Division rivals.
- Raymond Felton has earned the respect of all his Knicks teammates, something predecessor Jeremy Lin failed to do, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. A return to New York, where the point guard has played his best, was Felton's first choice in free agency this summer, agent Tony Dutt tells Berman. "Raymond was born to be a Knick," Dutt said.
- DeMar DeRozan's lucrative extension drew criticism, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers sees plenty of value in the fourth-year swingman, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
- Courtney Lee, a career 38.6% three-point shooter, is just 3-for-16 in his first 10 games with the Celtics. Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe discusses Lee's struggles adjusting to his new team.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if the Celtics' use of their D-League affiliate could lead more teams to think of the D-League as a tool for long-term development rather than simply a way to bring along fill-ins.
Western Notes: Grizzlies, Wolves, Jefferson, Brand
In his latest Insider piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger explores the concept of the "second draft," an idea that involves acquiring players who had the talent to be high draft picks but who fell out of favor with their previous teams, for whatever reason. Hollinger points to the Grizzlies as one team taking full advantage of the "second draft" concept this season, with Jerryd Bayless, Quincy Pondexter, Wayne Ellington, and Marreese Speights making the club's bench one of the best in the NBA so far.
Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:
- Before the Timberwolves signed Josh Howard, they "politely turned down" interest from Kenyon Martin's camp, and made the same minimum-salary offer to Mickael Pietrus, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Howard accept the team's proposal first, as Pietrus' camp is still holding out for the mini mid-level.
- Al Jefferson was upset after the Jazz' game against the Celtics that Boston media had interpreted his comments about his C's history to mean he wanted to return to Boston, according to James Patrick of the Deseret News.
- While Mike D'Antoni won over the media when he was introduced in Los Angeles yesterday, it will be more important long-term for the Lakers' new coach to win over Dwight Howard, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
- After he didn't land the Lakers' coaching job, Phil Jackson is unlikely to be considered a serious candidate for the next Team USA coach, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, who says (via Sulia) that newly re-elected chairman Jerry Colangelo and Jackson aren't exactly close.
- Elton Brand appeared on ESPN Radio Dallas to discuss the eventual return of Dirk Nowitzki and the adjustments that fellow offseason acquisition O.J. Mayo has had to make with the Mavericks (link via Sports Radio Interviews).
Eastern Notes: Lopez, J.R. Smith, Wall, Harkless
It was a successful night for a pair of teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, as the Pistons blew out the Sixers en route to their first win after an 0-8 start, while the Bobcats dropped the Wolves for their third win in a row, moving to 4-3. The Wizards failed to join that group, and are the NBA's lone remaining winless team after losing to the Mavericks tonight. There's more on Washington and other news from the East right here.
- After committing to Brook Lopez this summer, the Nets have raised their expectations of the fifth-year center, according to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, who says the team signed Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche so they could help Lopez improve.
- J.R. Smith said in training camp he wanted to start at shooting guard, but now he says he's "loving" his role as sixth man for the unbeaten Knicks, for whom he's off to a hot start, observes Nate Taylor of The New York Times.
- As the 0-7 Wizards search in vain for their first win, the frustration is mounting for John Wall, who's without a timetable for a return from a stress fracture in his right knee, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Wall will be eligible for an extension to his rookie-scale contract next summer.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says rookie Maurice Harkless, who missed preseason while recovering from sports hernia surgery, is already starting to show his worth a week after his debut for the Magic.
- Hedo Turkoglu had hoped to be back from his broken left hand about two weeks from now, but after doctors had to put the hand back in a cast today, he could be out for another month, reports John Denton of Magic.com.
- Richard Hamilton, whose $5MM deal for next season is only guaranteed for $1MM, could be a free agent next summer, but he's okay with Tom Thibodeau's plans to limit his minutes to keep him healthy, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes.
- The Celtics are considering a D-League rehab stint for Avery Bradley once he's healthy, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.