Eastern Notes: Raptors, Wizards, Harkless
Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast hard, but it won't postpone Thursday's clash between the Knicks and Nets in Brooklyn, as had been feared. That's just one of many intriguing openers this week, including the Celtics' visit to Miami, where the Heat were presented with their championship rings. As the NBA tips off, we'll share some Eastern Conference news to go along with our update from the West earlier this evening.
- Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo admitted it's been difficult not to try to speed up his team's rebuilding process, as he tells Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. "We passed on multiple opportunities to bring in players via transactions that would have thwarted our efforts," Colangelo said. "At times, it was tempting. But we had to stick to the plan. There has had to be a patience and strategy to every decision we’ve made. The deals we could have made were more of a tonic than a long-term solution."
- Colangelo also shared his feelings about rookie Jonas Valanciunas, saying, "It’s become apparent that in order for us (to get better) Jonas needs to be thrown into the fire. The sooner he develops into a nightly contributor, the sooner we get closer to our goal.”
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman said injuries to John Wall and Nene Hilario influenced the team's decision to keep Jannero Pargo and Earl Barron over Shelvin Mack and Brian Cook, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic should give rookie Maurice Harkless significant playing time this season so they can figure out whether the 19-year-old small forward is a building block for the future.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com notes via Twitter that every player in the three-team trade that brought Courtney Lee to the Celtics has been waived except Lee and Sasha Pavlovic, whose presence on the Blazers roster is helped along by the fact the Celtics are paying his salary.
- Carlos Boozer's five-year, $75MM contract obscures the valuable production he brings to the Bulls, argues Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com.
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer saw lots of positives about the Cavs' youth movement in the team's opening-night win against the Wizards.
Odds & Ends: Harden, Gay, Wolves, Mavs, Gibson
We're a few days removed from the Rockets' acquisition of James Harden, but that doesn't mean that reaction pieces or additional details have stopped rolling in. Today, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wonders if the Thunder got as much for Harden as the Magic did for Dwight Howard, and DeMar DeRozan talks to Eric Koreen of the National Post about how he, Harden, and other members of the 2009 draft class approach their contract situations. Meanwhile, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game hears from one GM that Sam Presti didn't canvass the entire league for the best deal for Harden, presumably since Presti didn't want to create an avalanche of rumors (Twitter link). And finally, Bill Simmons of Grantland adds that Harden and his agent were seeking a 15% trade kicker as part of extension talks with the Thunder.
Now that we've rounded up today's Harden-related links, let's turn to the afternoon's non-Harden notes:
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld examines a few players who could be trade candidates between now and the deadline, including Rudy Gay, who Kennedy says would be open to a move.
- The Timberwolves have inquired on the recently-waived JaJuan Johnson, but don't figure to be a match, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram spoke to Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson about a number of topics, including the team's chemistry with so many new players on board.
- Extension talks between Taj Gibson and the Bulls are ongoing and are expected to push up against tomorrow's 11:00pm CT deadline, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports (Twitter links).
- Scottie Pippen is interesting in eventually becoming a head coach in the NBA, as he told The Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago (ESPNChicago.com has the details and quotes).
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweets the details on a pair of contract buyouts: Jordan Williams will receive $420K from Atlanta after being waived by the Hawks, while Keyon Dooling will receive $400K from the Celtics following his retirement.
- Dionte Christmas, who was released by the Celtics this month, appears headed for CSKA Moscow, according to Eurohoops.net (hat tip to Sportando).
- A Spurs' second-round pick in 2009, Jack McClinton is hoping to earn a spot in the D-League this year and eventually receive an NBA call-up, writes David Pick at Eurobasket.com.
Celtics Pick Up Option On Avery Bradley
The Celtics have exercised their fourth-year option on guard Avery Bradley, the team announced today in a press release. The move will ensure that the 21-year-old is on the books for a guaranteed $2.51MM salary in 2013/14.
With Bradley officially under contract for '13/14, the Celtics will receive the opportunity to sign him to a contract extension next offseason. If the two sides don't work out a deal at that point, Bradley will become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2014.
After undergoing surgeries on both his shoulders this offseason, Bradley will miss the start of the season as he continues to rehab. He hopes to return to the court for the Celtics at some point in December.
Atlantic Rumors: Kidd, Knicks, Richardson, Pierce
The seismic NBA news in the last 24 hours has come out of the West, but that doesn't mean the East is all quiet with the season two days away. Here's the latest from around the Atlantic Division.
- Jason Kidd turns 40 in March, but said he wants to play until the end of his three-year contract with the Knicks, and also spoke highly of his time with the Mavericks in a wide-ranging Q&A with Steve Serby of the New York Post.
- Chris Smith was waived by the Knicks this week, but he's rehabbing his injured patella at the team's facility, observes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
- Nate Taylor of The New York Times examines the unlikely training camp success story of 28-year-old rookie Chris Copeland, who made the team's opening-night roster on a non-guaranteed deal.
- Jason Richardson was pleased with the trade to the Sixers, where coach Doug Collins was sold on Richardson after a glowing recommendation from Grant Hill, reports John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Paul Pierce isn't a trade candidate, and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that the team had no serious discussions about trading Pierce last season, either, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes.
- Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft, knows he has a long way to go to live up to expectations as he begins his NBA career, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
Atlantic Rumors: Rivers, Allen, Nets, Knicks
Celtics coach Doc Rivers weighed in on Ray Allen's departure from the team in a radio interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, as Brian Robb of Celtics Hub transcribes (hat tip to ESPNBoston.com), but Allen is anxious to move past his acrimonius departure from Boston, as Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com writes. Here's the rest of the day's news from Atlantic Division clubs.
- A spokesperson for Mikhail Prokhorov insists the billionaire's return to politics won't have any bearing on his ownership of the Nets, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Deron Williams believes the Knicks got a better point guard when they switched out Jeremy Lin for Raymond Felton this summer, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post documents.
- With Amare Stoudemire sidelined up to five weeks, Rasheed Wallace would seem to be in line for a more significant role than originally planned for the veteran who appears to have made the Knicks on a non-guaranteed deal, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Still, it's unclear whether Wallace will be in condition to play by this week's opener.
- While delivering some parting shots to outgoing commissioner David Stern, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News says the Sixers face as significant a decision as any in the league about whether to re-sign Andrew Bynum, and adds that the team would be "crazy" to commit major money to him right now.
- Andray Blatche has made the Nets opening-night roster on a non-guaranteed deal, but in the wake of taunts from Knicks guard Iman Shumpert, Blatche knows he'll continue to face criticism for last year's subpar play with the Wizards, as Roderick Boone of Newsday examines.
- Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com passes along Rivers' reflections on the last five seasons with the Celtics.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks at how a deep bench could serve the Celtics well.
Atlantic Notes: Sullinger, Celtics, Sixers
A few bits of information from around the NBA's Atlantic Division:
- Despite having a little bit of success in the preseason, receiving commendable quotes from teammates such as Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett, Celtics rookie Jared Sullinger remains humble, realizing he has much to learn in the early years of his career, writes CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely.
- Celtics head coach Doc Rivers says his team could feature three different starting lineups this season, with Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett as the pillars, and a rotation of Brandon Bass, Jeff Green, and Sullinger filling in at power forward, writes WEEI.com's Mike Petraglia.
- The Sixers have a very professional roster, and it could make Doug Collins' job that much easier, writes the Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Cooney.
Celtics Waive Rob Kurz, Micah Downs
FRIDAY, 4:32pm: The Celtics have officially waived Kurz and Downs, the team announced today in a press release.
TUESDAY, 3:00pm: The Celtics are set to waive camp invitees Rob Kurz and Micah Downs, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link), who says an announcement will come soon. When the cuts become official, Boston will have 15 players remaining under contract.
We heard earlier this week that Kurz and Downs were likely to be released, which came as no surprise. Along with the 13 guaranteed contracts they carried into camp, the Celtics added Leandro Barbosa as a 14th man, and were expected to keep Kris Joseph using their 15th and final roster spot.
The Celtics had added Kurz and Downs to their camp roster in late September, and both players appeared in most of the team's preseason contests, though neither one made a particularly strong impression. In limited minutes, Downs averaged 3.0 PPG and Kurz posted 1.7 PPG.
Atlantic Links: Allen, Copeland, Chandler
- Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com thinks that 28-year-old rookie Chris Copeland has presented a strong case to make the Knicks roster.
- Despite leaving last night's pre-season game early after hurting his knee during a collision with Nets forward Gerald Wallace, Knicks center Tyson Chandler could be available for the season opener, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. An MRI revealed that Chandler did not suffer any structural damage.
- While Celtics coach Doc Rivers notes that having days off could have an effect on a team's ability to remain sharp, he likes having a week for his players to recuperate before the season starts (says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com).
- Brian Daly of the Toronto Sun writes about Kris Joseph earning a spot on the Celtics roster and what it means for Canadian basketball.
Eastern Notes: Jennings, DeRozan, Boozer, Jaric
Bucks GM John Hammond said Wednesday the team wants to keep Brandon Jennings around long-term, adding that he'll continue to have talks about an extension with Bill Duffy, the agent for Jennings, until either a deal is reached or the October 31st deadline passes, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. We've got more on another player up for an extension and other notes from the Eastern Conference tonight.
- DeMar DeRozan is eligible for extension before next week's deadline, but the Raptors reportedly "want to be wowed" by his performance this season before signing him to a long-term deal next summer. DeRozan is making strides toward that so far, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun observes.
- Carlos Boozer, an amnesty candidate for next summer, has looked sharp in preseason for the Bulls as he tries to pick up the slack for the injured Derrick Rose, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
- Marko Jaric was waived by the Bulls today, but expressed appreciation for his time in camp via Twitter, and wrote that he hopes he'll be back with the team next month, when it can afford him on a minimum-salary deal under its hard cap (hat tip to Shams Charania of RealGM.com). Until then, Jaric is free to sign with any team.
- When asked by reporters why he re-signed with the Celtics, Jeff Green pointed to Rajon Rondo, whom he called "the best point guard in the league," notes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal weighs the chances Kevin Jones has of making the Cavs opening-night roster. Jones has a diminutive partial guarantee of $50K on his deal.
- John Denton of Magic.com takes a look at Nikola Vucevic, the likely starting center for the Magic after coming over from the Sixers in the Dwight Howard trade.
- The Bobcats were the league's worst offensive team last year, and they haven't been much better in the preseason, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Celtics Rumors: Ainge, Grousbeck, Joseph
The Celtics are in the midst of a long layoff, having ended their preseason on Sunday, nine days before Tuesday's regular season opener against the Heat. That doesn't mean the stream of news has stopped coming out of Boston, where the Celtics begin their sixth straight year as title contenders. Coach Doc Rivers addressed a report this weekend that traced the Ray Allen/Rajon Rondo feud back to a 2009 trade proposal involving the Suns, saying he didn't know about any such trade and didn't think the report was true, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston writes. Here's the rest of the scuttlebutt surrounding the Celtics.
- In a Q&A with Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge addressed concerns that the team's window of opportunity to win a championship has closed. "Those were legitimate questions about the window on the team," he said. "But Paul Pierce had a great March and April last season before he twisted and tweaked his knee and wasn't the same in the playoffs. He was the player of the month in March and great in April. KG (Kevin Garnett) was one of the best big men in the league all year last season, including the playoffs. They certainly showed that the window is not closing on them. We've added depth this year, and that depth should take a little bit of pressure off them and prolong their ability to be good players in Celtics uniforms."
- Zillgitt also spoke with owner Wyc Grousbeck, who insisted that winning championships, not profit, is the organization's primary concern, and praised the team's players for having "the best chemistry in the league."
- We heard this weekend that the Celtics were keeping second-round pick Kris Joseph around for opening night, and now Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com reports the team has informed Joseph of their decision to do so. Joseph, the 51st overall pick this June, is on a minimum-salary deal that won't become guaranteed until January 10th. The team is expected to waive Rob Kurz and Micah Downs, its other two players on non-guaranteed deals, before Saturday's deadline to do so.
- Rivers, a member of the league's competition committee, said All-Star rosters may be expanded to 13 players this season, Forsberg reports.