Atlantic Rumors: Green, Zarren, Sixers, Nets
- Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald hears insurance issues were part of the reason Jeff Green's deal with the Celtics was held up for more than six weeks until it finally became official yesterday. The new CBA and side issues also played a part in the delay, agent David Falk told Bulpett.
- Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe has more from Green on what kept him from going elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent this summer. "They helped me along my route," Green said of the Celtics. "It was a no-brainer for me to come back and support the fellas and the whole organization as a whole. They were there for me through my stress of going through the surgery. I did whatever I could to pay them back by being there to support those guys, trying to be a helping hand around the team. They searched high and low for the best doctor, for the best clinic to go to handle the procedure. Everything that I needed. I didn't want the surgery. I didn't want to have this, to have to miss the season. They made it easier every step of the way."
- Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren played a key role in the complicated details surrounding Green's contract, Falk told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, and Blakely has more on what the Sixers could gain, and the Celtics would miss, if Philadelphia hires Zarren, who's interviewing for the Sixers' GM job.
- A sports investment banker estimates the Nets are worth $575MM, 60% greater than a Forbes estimate last season and more than double the initial purchase price that owner Mikhail Prokhorov paid for the team in 2010, Josh Kosman of the New York Post reports. The team is projected to make between $10MM and $15MM this year, the franchise's first profit in a decade, Kosman adds.
Odds & Ends: Team Canada, Harrellson, Magic
A handful of players with NBA ties have been invited to a weekend training camp that will take place soon to give Team Canada officials a first glimpse at candidates for their national team, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports (Sulia link). Tristan Thompson of the Cavs, Joel Anthony of the Heat, Cory Joseph of the Spurs, Andrew Nicholson of the Magic and Kris Joseph of the Celtics are on the list. Robert Sacre, the 60th pick in this year's draft by the Lakers, remains unsigned, but he's been invited as well. The team has officially named former Raptors head coach and current Blazers assistant Jay Triano as head coach, Wolstat also writes, and Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson will also be an assistant with Team Canada. Lakers guard Steve Nash, serving as Team Canada's GM, said he wouldn't have accepted the position if Triano wasn't coming aboard, too, Wolstat notes. Here's more from around the Association this afternoon:
- The Heat conducted a workout with Josh Harrellson today, as we heard earlier, but the Timberwolves have no interest in the 6'10" University of Kentucky product, as they prefer a center with more length, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minneapolis. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel notes that Harrellson is just one of several big men the Heat are considering (Sulia link).
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel looks at the options the Magic have at power forward to replace Ryan Anderson.
- The Bulls, Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves and Warriors all have some significant injury issues with training camp about a month away, and Sam Amick of SI.com checks in on the status of Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard and others.
- Robin Lopez is recovering from left knee surgery that took place a week after the Hornets acquired him in a sign-and-trade, but he's expected to be ready for training camp, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune reports. Lopez expressed his enthusiasm about coming to New Orleans, saying, "I’m excited to be here. We’ve got a young, energetic group. The good thing is we’ve got some youth that has a little bit of experience as well. Hopefully we can parlay that into something special.’’
- Joe Dumars, Pistons president of basketball operations, traveled overseas with assistant GM George David to watch Jonas Jerebko and Slava Kravtsov in FIBA Eurobasket qualifying, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes.
Celtics Rumors: Green, Signings, Bremer
Jeff Green said it best a few hours before the long-awaited news of his official signing with the Celtics was announced, taking to Twitter with an emphatic "FINALLY!!!" The 6'9" forward signed a one-year, $9MM deal with the team before last season, but it was voided when doctors discovered he had an aortic aneurysm. Surgery to correct the heart problem forced him to miss the entire season, and after agreeing to a contract last month that gave him four years at the same annual salary he would have made under the deal that was voided in December, Green is poised to return to the Celtics at last. There's more on Green tonight, as well as a few other notes concerning the team that wears green:
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com says the Celtics are counting on Green to outperform his contract the way Rajon Rondo has done since signing a five-year, $55MM extension in 2009. Blakely also observes that Danny Ainge, the team's president of basketball operations, left the door open for additional moves between now and training camp. "I don't know the answer to that," Ainge said, when asked whether Green's signing would end offseason business. "It depends on what opportunities are out there, but I like where we are right now."
- It's unclear exactly what delayed the official announcement of Green's signing, but Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com believes the hangup could have revolved around whether to add a contract clause related to his health, as well as more common snags related to contract value and length. There's no word, at least not yet, about the deal including some kind of out for the Celtics if Green has more heart trouble.
- The agent for guard J.R. Bremer says his client will make a decision soon about which overseas team to sign with, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Bremer, now 31, started 41 games for the Celtics in 2002/03, but hasn't played in the NBA since 2003/04.
Celtics Sign Jeff Green
6:02pm: The Celtics have officially announced the signing on their website, finalizing the deal more than six weeks after an agreement was reached.
“We are thrilled to be able to have Jeff back with the Celtics,” Danny Ainge, the team's president of basketball operations, said in the press release. “Jeff’s versatility on offense and ability to guard players out on the perimeter is something that we are looking forward to having on the court this season.”
AUGUST 22ND, 12:34pm: Green's day should finally be made official in the next day or two, Falk tells Sam Amick of SI.com (Sulia link). The agent said that the cap issues holding up the deal were "nothing serious" and that the agreement is still expected to be for four years and about $36MM.
AUGUST 17TH, 8:45pm: Nearly a month after his last update on Green's contract status, Falk told the Boston Globe on Friday that his client's deal should become official next week, reports Washburn (via Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Green, Celtics, Hornets
In tonight's column, Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld wonders what the future will hold for the Lakers, who appear to be going all-in for the short-term with their current roster. Assuming the Lakers sign Dwight Howard to a new deal and have him under contract for 2014, they'll likely have to ask Kobe Bryant to take a pay cut in order to keep the core together. Some may be wondering if the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is going to do anything to prevent supercharged teams from forming in desirable markets, but Ingram notes that the tax penalties for clubs in two years will make teams think twice about having a $100MM payroll. Here's more from around the Association..
- Gerald Green has found his way back in the league after GMs around the league all but gave up on him three years ago, writes Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. Green's path took him to Russia, China, and the D-League before hooking on with the Nets last season. The forward's 12.9 PPG in 31 games for the Nets last season led to him inking a three-year, $10MM deal in July with the Pacers.
- The Celtics have hired Jay Larranaga as an assistant coach, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Larranaga previously served as the head coach of Erie BayHawks of the D-League.
- Hornets Coach Monty Williams says that shortly after Tom Benson took over the club, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis told him he that would be around for awhile, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. Williams and the Hornets agreed to a four-year extension over the weekend that will keep him in New Orleans through 2016.
- The Cavs announced that they have promoted Mike Gansey to director of development league operations, according to the Associated Press. In his new role, Gansey will work closely with Cavs vice president David Griffin and Canton Charge (NBA D-League) coach Alex Jensen on personnel matters.
Rockets Sign Carlos Delfino
AUGUST 20TH, 1:32pm: The Rockets have officially signed Delfino, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 15TH, 2:57pm: Delfino's deal with the Rockets is worth $3MM in year one, with a second-year option also worth $3MM, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). Since that amount exceeds the $2.575MM room exception, Houston is using leftover cap space to complete the deal.
The team has reportedly waived Josh Harrellson to clear a spot for Delfino, so the signing should become official any time now.
AUGUST 13TH, 7:29pm: The Rockets have agreed to a two-year deal with swingman Carlos Delfino that includes a team option for 2013-14, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. It's unclear how much the contract is worth, but it's likely for more than the minimum salary, as last week's reports suggested. The Rockets have their $2.575MM room exception available, so the deal could be for all or most of that amount, but that's just my speculation.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Thursday that the Rockets were "actively chasing" Delfino, who said he would sign with a team after the Olympics. The Celtics, Hawks, Pacers and Cavaliers were all reportedly in the running for Delfino at times this summer. The 6'6" Argentinian seemingly had his heart set on a multiyear deal, so the two-year pact with the Rockets offers a compromise of sorts, giving the team an out after this season.
Delfino, who spent the last three seasons with the Bucks, saw his role in the offense diminish last year after two straight seasons of double-figure scoring. His points per game went from 11.5 in 2010/11 to 9.0 in 2011/12, as his shots were cut from 10.5 a game to 8.4. Delfino played with an injured groin the last month of the season that required surgery in May, and was disappointed the Bucks didn't show more interest in re-signing him after he played hurt for them. The Bucks held his Bird rights, so they would have had no trouble bringing him back if they had interest. Milwaukee originally brought him aboard for three years and $10.5MM on a sign-and-trade from the Raptors in 2009.
The addition of Delfino gives the Rockets 21 players on the roster, Zach Lowe of SI.com notes via Twitter. That would seem to make them prime candidates to pull off a trade sometime between now and the start of the season.
Odds & Ends: Olympics, Blazers, Jason Terry
With the Olympics in the books and the start of the 2012-13 nearly three months away, we've hit a lull in the year where basketball of any sort still remains weeks, not days, away. Make sure you take a moment to catch up on our features and other original content to help you get your NBA fix. With Friday nearly in the books, here's the latest news and headlines from around the league…
- Much speculation has been made about a possible age limit for the 2016 Olympics in Rio where only players 23 and under would be eligible to play for their country. Patrick Baumann, the head of FIBA, conducted an in-house interview on Friday and announced that FIBA has no plans to implement an age restriction for 2016.
- Beyond adding three assistant coaches to the mix on Friday, the Trail Blazers will retain former NBA guard Hersey Hawkins as the player development director, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Dan Dickau's future as an assistant to Hawkins remains unclear as he is a part-time employee (via Twitter).
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld says Jason Terry will be key to the Celtics' title hopes given his experience with the Mavericks. Even though the Heat will remain the favorite entering the season, Ingram believes the Celtics will be contenders as the 2012-13 season approaches.
- Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren has emerged as a contender for the Sixers' general manager position, reports SI.com's Sam Amick. The position has become more desirable as a result of the team acquiring All-Star center Andrew Bynum via trade earlier this month.
Odds & Ends: Harris, Curry, Shumpert
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that the Heat are currently in talks with free agent Terrel Harris. The 25-year-old guard played in 22 games for Miami last season and was a member of the team’s summer league roster in Las Vegas. Winderman admits that he is suprised that Miami hasn't made a quicker commitment to Harris at this point (Sulia link). Here's what else we've heard from around the league this evening:
- 76ers guard Jason Richardson looks to continue to have the same success playing off of Andrew Bynum the way he was able to with Dwight Howard in Orlando, says John Finger of CSN Philly.
- Howard Beck of the New York Times points out that the Knicks have yet to offer a reasoned explanation for declining to match Jeremy Lin's offer sheet with the Rockets.
- Charlie Westbrook tweeted that he will pass on two opportunities to attend an NBA training camp and will head to Europe instead. Westbrook was not drafted by an NBA team in June but participated in Orlando as a member of the Magic's summer league roster.
- Although he had been considering a job with the Magic, Rob Murphy chose to remain with Eastern Michigan University as the school's head basketball coach (the Detroit Free Press reports).
- Marcus Thompson II of MercuryNews.com reports that Stephen Curry is optimistic that he will be ready for Warriors training camp and will undoubtedly be well enough to play by opening night. Curry, who says the only thing he hasn't done yet is play 5-on-5, had arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle in April and has been working out in Oakland.
- Newsday's Marcus Henry says that Knicks guard Iman Shumpert rehabilitation process is progressing on schedule. The All-Rookie first team selection suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during New York's first-round playoff series in April and is projected to be able to return as early as December or January.
- Greg Payne of ESPN Boston noted Jason Terry's thoughts on his role as a sixth man and what he can bring to the Celtics.
- Jodie Meeks spoke with the Kamenetzky Brothers of ESPN LA today about why he chose the Lakers and what he hopes to accomplish. Andy Kamenetzky provided a breakdown of the talking points from the interview, including a post-interview discussion about the potential effect that Meeks can have on the team.
Odds & Ends: Iguodala, Smith, Gunning, Moser
To get an idea of the size and signficance of last week's blockbuster, consider the notion that Andre Iguodala heading to the Nuggets was probably the least publicized leg of the deal. Iguodala was not only an All-Star last season, but he was one of 12 members of a Team USA that has been fawned over by sports fans around the globe for the past month. According to Aaron Lopez of Nuggets.com, some of Iguodala's post-trade quotes were misconstrued and the veteran wing is, in fact, very excited to join what should be an ultra-athletic team in Denver. Let's round up some of the other links and happenings from around the Association on this Tuesday night:
- New Celtics sixth man Jason Terry spoke with Molly McGrath from Celtics.com and stated Boston's case for legitimate title contention in the 2012-13 season. Greg Payne from ESPN Boston transcribed the interview.
- Mark Medina from the L.A. Times spoke with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who sees a lot of similarities between his situation with the Lakers in 1975 and the one Dwight Howard is about to enter.
- Power forward Craig Smith, who saw less than 10 minutes per game with the Blazers last year, explained to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com why he passed up NBA offers to play in Israel in the upcoming season. Smith was tired of being an NBA "roster filler" and was willing to take less money for an opportunity to show what he can do with consistent playing time.
- The Magic have hired Brett Gunning as an assistant coach, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Gunning, who spent the last four seasons in various roles in the Rockets organization, will join first-time head coach Jacque Vaughn on the Orlando bench.
- According to UNLV head coach Dave Rice, Rebels swingman Mike Moser is preparing for what will likely be his last season in Las Vegas, reports Mike Youmans at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Moser is a rising junior, but Rice says he essentially considers him a senior. Moser averaged 14 points and more than 10 rebounds as a sophomore last season for the Rebels and briefly flirted with the 2012 draft. He projects as a late first-round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
- Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com writes that the Sixers, a franchise that has historically gotten burned in trades involving superstars, finally got the best player in a mega-deal in Andrew Bynum. Moore is only referring to what the team directly gave up and received, which eliminates Dwight Howard from consideration.
Free Agent Spending By Division: Atlantic
Having already looked at 2012 free agent spending by teams in the Central and Southeast, we're using Hoops Rumors' Free Agent Tracker to move on to the Eastern Conference's biggest-spending division: the Atlantic. All five Atlantic clubs spent more in free agency this summer than any team in the Southeast.
Once again, these figures only take into account free agent signings, so salary absorbed in trades or money used to sign draft picks isn't included in this list. Additionally, not all of this salary is necessarily guaranteed, which we'll try to note as we go along. Here are this summer's Atlantic Division free agent costs, sorted by player salary:
Brooklyn Nets: $243.053MM (Keith Bogans, Reggie Evans, Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez, Jerry Stackhouse, Mirza Teletovic, Gerald Wallace, C.J. Watson, Deron Williams)
No team threw more money around this offseason than the Nets, whose $98MM+ commitment to Williams dwarfed every other contract signed this summer. Besides spending about $200MM on D-Will, Wallace, and Lopez alone, the Nets handed out deals for Evans, Humphries, and Teletovic worth more than the minimum, and took on Joe Johnson's remaining $89MM via trade. As the team makes its move to Brooklyn, no one can accuse the Nets of being thrifty.
Boston Celtics: $133.606MM (Brandon Bass, Dionte Christmas, Jason Collins, Keyon Dooling, Kevin Garnett, Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, Jamar Smith, Jason Terry, Chris Wilcox)
This total figure for the Celtics is based on a reported four-year, $36MM agreement with Jeff Green, but that deal has, somewhat bizarrely, yet to be finalized. Still, even without that deal, Boston has committed almost $100MM to new deals, including $15MM+ each to Bass, Garnett, Lee, and Terry. With a handful of minimum-salary contracts and partially-guaranteed deals rounding out their commitments, a little money figures to be reduced from the Celtics' offseason bill, but it was still a significant spending free for the club.
New York Knicks: $61.976MM (Ronnie Brewer, Marcus Camby, Chris Copeland, Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Steve Novak, Pablo Prigioni, Chris Smith, J.R. Smith, James White)
Without retaining Jeremy Lin or having any cap space available, the Knicks still managed to do their share of spending over the last few weeks. Novak and the elder Smith were retained with some form of Bird Rights, while Felton and Camby were acquired via sign-and-trades, allowing the team to use its mini mid-level exception on Kidd. New York managed to include just a partial guarantee on Camby's third year, and players like Copeland, White, and Chris Smith didn't receive full guarantees either. Still, the deals for Felton, Kidd, and Novak are all fully guaranteed, significant expenditures for a franchise that balked at Lin's price tag.
Philadelphia 76ers: $32.797MM (Lavoy Allen, Kwame Brown, Spencer Hawes, Royal Ivey, Maalik Wayns, Nick Young)
Prior to acquiring Andrew Bynum, the Sixers' offseason was a curious one. The club amnestied Elton Brand to make room to add free agents, but as the list above shows, that cap room was used primarily on Young and Brown, not exactly the kinds of impact additions you'd expect when you clear an $18MM+ salary from the books.
Toronto Raptors: $26.837MM (Landry Fields, Aaron Gray, John Lucas III)
The Raptors cleared cap room in the hopes of signing Steve Nash, but ended up missing out on the Canadian star, leaving them to spend on other players instead. While Fields at $6MM+ annually was probably an overpay, I like the rest of the Raptors' moves, which included using that aforementioned cap space to absorb Kyle Lowry's salary in a trade with Houston.