Odds & Ends: Williams, Cavs, Terry, Blazers
The 2016 Summer Olympics may be four full years away, but with London's games behind us, it's not too early to start looking ahead to Rio de Janeiro. NBA players are expected to maintain Olympic eligibility at least through 2016, so Tom Zeller of SBNation.com provides an early preview of what Team USA's roster might look like in Brazil. Zeller predicts we could see five new faces on 2016's squad, including plenty of players who missed the London games due to injuries: Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Kyrie Irving.
Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio says there's "no validity" to the Derrick Williams-to-the-Cavs whispers we heard over the weekend (Twitter link).
- What are the expectations for the newly-tattooed Jason Terry in Boston? Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com weighs in and passes along input from a few other Celtics scribes.
- New Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts intends to take his time in hiring four assistant coaches in addition to Kaleb Canales, tweets Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune.
- Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register doesn't think the Lakers or their fans have to worry about Dwight Howard's health or role in Los Angeles.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Sixers, Jon Scheyer
The battle for the Atlantic Division title may end up being the most competitive race in the NBA next season. With all five teams making serious moves in the offseason, a strong argument could be made that the Nets are as likely to take the division as the Celtics. Let's catch up on the latest news and headlines from the Atlantic Division…
- Ray Allen spoke about his time with the Celtics and his decision to sign with Miami this offseason while visiting UConn on Saturday, writes Don Amore of the Hartford Courant. "I was a free agent," Allen said, "and I had to make a decision I definitely thought was best for me to move forward. I'm excited about where I'm going. … I don't know what to expect, but I know what I expect from myself."
- John N. Mitchell of The Philadelphia Inquirer says the Sixers should be excited by their acquisition of Andrew Bynum as he brings myriad qualities to the paint for Philadelphia. Not only does Bynum bring incredible size and the ability to score with ease to the Sixers, the seven footer has championship experience with the two rings he won with the Lakers.
- After spending the summer playing with the Sixers in Orlando for the NBA Summer League, former Duke star Jon Scheyer appears headed to Spain this season to play for Gran Cranaria, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside. Scheyer is looking to increase his playing time after struggling to earn minutes with Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in Israel last season.
Odds & Ends: Suns, Courtney Lee, Greene, Mavs
All non-Dwight Howard NBA news is something of an afterthought today, as we wait to see if the four teams involved in Howard trade talks will finally officially consummate a deal, having reached a tentative agreement last night. As we wait, let's round up a few other Friday odds and ends from around the NBA….
- Joking that Howard is now out of the mix for the Suns' backup center and 13th-man opening, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic examines a few other options for the spot, including Jerome Jordan, Hassan Whiteside, and Shelden Williams.
- Courtney Lee tells Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com that joining the Celtics was a "no-brainer" for him.
- Former Kings forward Donte Greene was planning a charity game at a college in Sacramento, but the league has forced its cancellation, citing stipulations in the collective bargaining agreeement, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Jonathan Santiago of Cowbell Kingdom adds detail, including word from Greene's Twitter account that players who took part without league approval would face suspensions and fines. Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas was one of the players scheduled to take part.
- Tim Colishaw of the Dallas Morning News argues that there would have been just as much risk for the Mavericks to keep their 2011 title team together as there was in breaking up the roster in an effort to land Deron Williams and/or Howard.
Delfino To Sign With NBA Team After Olympics
Carlos Delfino is focused on helping Argentina beat the USA tomorrow in the Olympic semifinals, but tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com he'll sign with an NBA team after the Olympics. Stein adds that the Rockets are "actively chasing" Delfino, and says the Celtics would like him but can't afford him, as we heard earlier this week (Twitter links).
The Cavs have also been linked to Delfino recently, but their interest may have cooled after signing C.J. Miles. Delfino has reportedly been seeking multiple years on a deal, and the notion that the Celtics can't afford him suggests he'll sign for more than the minimum salary, and likely more than the $1.957MM biannual exception as well.
Delfino averaged 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season with the Bucks, with an 11.7 PER. He's said he was playing through an injury for part of the season, and expressed disappointment that the Bucks haven't pursued him with more vigor after he was willing to play hurt for them. The 6'6" swingman is putting up 15.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 1.5 APG in six Olympic games this summer.
Odds & Ends: Green, Hummel, Bynum, Prospects
Let's check in on a few links from around the league on a Wednesday afternoon, as Argentina and Brazil battle for a spot in the Olympic semi-finals….
- Jeff Green spoke to Josh Zavadil of CelticsBlog about his heart surgery, having to sit out the 2011/12 season, and returning to the Celtics this summer. Green also praised Celts president of basketball operations Danny Ainge for the team's roster moves this summer.
- Purdue forward Robbie Hummel has signed with Spanish team Obradoiro, the club announced (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Hummel was drafted 58th overall by the Timberwolves in June, so Minnesota will hold his rights if he hopes to play in the NBA in the future.
- Kevin Ding of the Orange Country Register suggests that the Lakers' public courting of Dwight Howard is only giving Andrew Bynum reason to leave Los Angeles. Earlier today, I looked at a few scenarios for Howard's and Bynum's next contracts.
- In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford takes an early look at the rising and falling stocks of some of 2013's top prospects.
Training Camp Rumors: Varnado, Green, Young
Many of the players signed between now and the start of training camps will receive non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts, allowing them to attend camp with the opportunity to earn a regular-season roster spot. A handful of rumors about those candidates for training camp invites are swirling this morning, so let's round them up right here:
- Jarvis Varnado has received a training camp invitation from the Heat, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. We heard last week that the 24-year-old forward was hoping to sign with the Heat, who drafted him 41st overall in 2010. According to Carchia, Varnado has already informed his old club, Italy's Virtus Roma, of his decision.
- Former Florida point guard Taurean Green is contemplating accepting an invite to an NBA training camp, but also has offers from teams in Italy, Germany, France, and Belgium, according to Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.
- Jahmar Young, formerly of New Mexico State, has signed in France, but his contract includes an NBA opt-out if a team shows interest in bringing him to training camp, tweets Carchia.
- The Celtics have already signed a couple players to partially guaranteed contracts to compete for the team's final roster spot. Chris Forsberg and the ESPNBoston.com crew predict that Dionte Christmas will beat out Jamar Smith as the team's 15th man.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Nets, Atkinson
- Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston (via Twitter) noted Celtics guard Avery Bradley's thoughts on Ray Allen leaving Boston: "We’re a family before anything… It’s tough, but we all wish him the best."
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes that Nets GM Billy King and head coach Avery Johnson will be in London this week to attend the Olympics, presumably to watch Deron Williams play.
- According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, Tyson Chandler sees the departure of assistant coach Kenny Atkinson to Atlanta as a big loss for the Knicks (Sulia link).
Eastern Notes: Green, Deng, Howard
Nene found himself on the bench in London as Brazil beat Spain in Olympic basketball play this afternoon. The Wizards big man doesn't plan on playing again until the semifinals as he rests his left foot, currently feeling the effects of plantar fasciitis. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the Eastern Conference…
- The Celtics have yet to make their agreement with Jeff Green official, but A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com notes that Green's recent comments indicate he's looking forward to returning to action with Boston after missing last season with a heart ailment. "I actually feel a lot better than I did prior to the surgery. It was a blessing, and I'm doing better now," said Green.
- Luol Deng may not be missing any time this upcoming season as his performance during the Olympics has him thinking he won't need immediate surgery on his wrist, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The Bulls forward plans to be ready to play in eight weeks when training camp opens and may elect to have the surgery after the 2012/13 season.
- Dwight Howard will not be attending his summer youth basketball camp later this month for undisclosed reasons, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). The Magic big man will send teammate Andrew Nicholson to the camp as his replacement.
Atlantic Rumors: Garnett, Delfino, Knicks, Teletovic
It's not uncommon for NBA players to own a stake in other sports. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are joint owners of a racehorse, and LeBron James is a part of Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of baseball's Boston Red Sox and English soccer club Liverpool FC. Nonetheless, the NBA will not permit Kevin Garnett to invest in AS Roma, an Italian soccer team, because Celtics minority owner James Pallotta is already one of the club's owners, as Frank Dell’Apa of the Boston Globe reported this weekend. We've got more on the C's and their Atlantic Division rivals here:
- Celtics coach Doc Rivers tells the Argentinian website Ole (translation via HoopsHype) that the team has looked into signing Carlos Delfino and wishes they had the money to get a deal done. The Hawks, Pacers, Rockets and Cavaliers have also been linked to the 6'6" swingman, who's reportedly seeking a multiyear deal.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News hears Knicks assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is nearing a deal to take a similar position with the Hawks. Atkinson is the lone remaining holdover from the staff of former Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni. Jeremy Lin credited Atkinson for helping him to his sensational play this past season.
- Nets signee Mirza Teletovic spoke to Drago Perko of Kosarka.si, a Slovenian website, about his decision to come to Brooklyn (translation via NetsDaily). The 6'9" forward said he held off on jumping to the NBA for two or three years, and is focused on winning championships. He paid a $2MM buyout to Caja Laboral of Spain to get out his deal overseas and sacrificed close to another $2MM to sign for the taxpayer's mid-level exception instead of the full mid-level with the Nets so the team wouldn't be hard-capped this season.
Odds & Ends: Wizards, Smith, Christmas, Brooks
Matt Moore and CBS Sports continued their offseason report series today by taking a look at the Washington Wizards. The Wizards haven't made the playoffs since 2008 and have been relatively irrelevant over that time period, but they raised some eyebrows in the offseason with a series of moves that should put them in position to contend for the playoffs this coming season.
Here are some other links and rumblings from this Sunday evening…
- Josh Cohen from NBA.com addresses the Orlando Magic offseason by evaluating the importance of superstars in today's NBA, specifically mentioning how the Orlando franchise has thrived in recent history.
- J.R. Smith, who signed a two year extension with the Knicks in July, said the team has the pieces in place to win it all in an interview with ESPN New York, Ian Begley writes. Smith also conveyed his pleasure on hearing the news that the Knicks signed his younger brother, Chris Smith on August 1.
- Former Temple guard Dionte Christmas landed a partially guaranteed deal with the Celtics earlier this week. Greg Payne of ESPN Boston analyzed Christmas' prospects for the upcoming season with Boston and detailed his European journey that ended with his first NBA deal.
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman writes that with the Thunder going cheap in free agency, the growth and development of head coach Scott Brooks will be of increased importance.