And-Ones: Warriors, Dawson, D-Will, Bulls
Luke Walton has helped the Warriors get off to 26-1 start in Steve Kerr’s absence, but as Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report suggests, it’s been a more difficult task than it might appear on the surface. “When an assistant becomes a head coach, players hate it,” said Andre Iguodala, who went on to praise the job Walton has done at finding a balance between acting as head and assistant coach. As we wait to see if the Warriors can extend their historic start against the Cavs tomorrow, let’s have a look at a few items from around the NBA.
- The Clippers have recalled Branden Dawson from the D-League, the team announced on its website. Dawson averaged 4.9 points across seven contests while on assignment with the Grand Rapids Drive.
- Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post summarizes Deron Williams’ disappointing tenure in Brooklyn. Williams was supposed to be the face of the franchise, but he had a difficult time staying healthy and his performance on the court suffered as a result. “I felt like I didn’t know if I was ever going to be healthy again,” Williams said to Bontemps. The Mavericks signed Williams to a two-year, $11MM deal this summer.
- Jimmy Butler’s comments directed toward Fred Hoiberg have some fans wondering if one of the two will be ousted from Chicago, but Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes in a mailbag column that he’s confident both members of the pair will still be with the Bulls next season.
Mavs Notes: Nowitzki, Carlisle, Williams, Famous
Dirk Nowitzki left the door open last month to playing beyond his existing contract, which runs through next season, and he more recently told Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com that he values the idea of playing a 20th season with the Mavs, which would entail re-signing in 2017. Nowitzki has a player option worth about $8.692MM for next season and told USA Today’s Sam Amick in November that, “I’m going to definitely ride this contract out.”
“Yeah, I think 20 years is special, especially with one franchise,” Nowitzki said to MacMahon. “So that would mean I at least have to play one more [season after this contract expires], but I think that’s something I worry about later. I don’t want to look too far ahead because the end is near. I don’t want to look too far ahead.”
Nowitzki passed Shaquille O’Neal on Wednesday for sixth place on the NBA’s list of all-time scoring leaders. See more from Dallas:
- Mavs coach Rick Carlisle backed off Wednesday from comments he made Tuesday that suggested he’d push for roster changes if the team didn’t improve its effort, expressing his affection for the players and quipping, “I fly off half-cocked about every other day,” MacMahon observes in a separate piece. Owner Mark Cuban likes the roster and said to MacMahon that he doesn’t see a need for significant change, though he admitted inconsistent effort and energy have been problems. “Oh, it’s 100% about pressing buttons,” Cuban said about Carlisle’s Tuesday remarks. “The one thing you know about us, if we’re actually going to make a trade, nobody knows about it. And they were buttons that needed to be pressed, so I agree wholeheartedly with him.”
- Deron Williams wound up with the better end of the buyout that halted his Nets tenure, posits Andy Vasquez of The Record, who points to Brooklyn’s significant decline in offensive efficiency without the point guard and Williams’ contentment in Dallas. “I feel a lot better,” said Williams, who has a player option worth about $5.621MM for next season. “My mindset’s a lot better. I’m happy in Dallas, happy where I am right now, and enjoy playing with this team.”
- Jarrid Famous, who was with the Mavericks for the preseason, has signed with Yulon Luxgen in Taiwan, according to Sportando’s Orazio Cauchi. He had been playing with Fujian of China since shortly after Dallas waived his partially guaranteed contract prior to opening night.
Mavs Notes: Carlisle, Williams, Powell
Rick Carlisle was disheartened with the effort the Mavericks gave in Tuesday’s loss to the Raptors, and he threatened in the locker room and again in a postgame press conference to push for roster moves, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details. The Mavs, at 15-13, have for the most part played surprisingly well this season, but Carlisle’s message comes with the authority of a contract that runs through 2021/22 in the wake of the five-year, $35MM extension he signed last month.
“Look, if it’s going to be like that, these guys aren’t going to be Mavericks very long,” Carlisle said in his press conference. “I can promise you that.”
Several Mavs appeared surprised that Carlisle would take the sentiment public, MacMahon notes. It’s unclear whether Carlisle was suggesting that he’d try to talk the front office into midseason personnel changes or a roster shuffling in the summer, with only five Mavs in possession of guaranteed contracts for next season, as MacMahon points out. See more on Carlisle’s remarks amid the latest from Dallas:
- Carlisle praised a group of end-of-the-bench players who were on the floor late in the game, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News relays, so it doesn’t appear that part of the roster is the object of the coach’s ire. In any case, the rant signals that the Mavericks believe they’re better than their already impressive record shows, Sefko contends.
- Deron Williams felt a pop when he strained his left hamstring Tuesday, so he’s unlikely to play tonight in what would otherwise be his return to Brooklyn, MacMahon writes in a separate piece. Williams said to MacMahon this weekend that he was sure Nets fans would boo him, but he praised the Nets organization and GM Billy King. Williams spoke earlier about the repercussions of having struggled while playing on the max contract he signed in 2012, but he told MacMahon that the lucrative pact wasn’t a major factor in his troubles, since he’d previously signed a max extension with the Jazz.
- The Raptors probably erred when they didn’t draft Dwight Powell last year, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange opines. Toronto took Bruno Caboclo and DeAndre Daniels ahead of Powell, an Ontario native who’s blossomed this season with the Mavericks.
Mikhail Prokhorov Acquires Full Ownership Of Nets
5:50pm: The Nets have officially announced the sale. In the team’s official press release, Prohkorov said, “Today’s deal brings the ownership structure of the Brooklyn Nets and their state-of-the-art home in line with NBA guidelines and comes at an opportune time for all involved. We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Forest City and Bruce Ratner and worked together to open one of the most successful arenas in the country and to bring professional sports back to Brooklyn. We will continue to support arena management to provide a high level of service to our fans and the best sports and entertainment experience in the world. We also remain fully committed to community programs that were created as part of the arena. We believe a successful arena must be a destination, but also be part of the communities that surround it and more broadly the collection of neighborhoods that represent Brooklyn.”
5:44pm: The NBA has officially approved the ownership transfer of 100% of the Nets and the Barclays Center to Mikhail Prokhorov, Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg.com reports (Twitter Links). The valuation of the the team and the Barclays Center are a combined $1.7 billion, with $875MM for the team and $825MM for the arena, Soshnick adds. This amount is lower than the $1.9 billion that was originally projected for the sale. The $1.7 billion valuation makes the sale of the Nets second in historical value to only the Clippers, which sold to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion.
“As we continue to focus our portfolio on core retail, office and apartment assets in strong urban markets, and transition to REIT status, this transaction is a significant milestone,” said David J. LaRue, Forest City president and chief executive officer in the official press release (h/t to NetsDaily). “I want to thank the NBA for their support and I salute our New York team, led by Bruce Ratner, MaryAnne Gilmartin and David Berliner, as well as our partner and our associates and advisors involved in making this deal a reality.”
Bruce Ratner, executive chairman of the company’s New York subsidiary, Forest City Ratner Companies, added, “The development of Barclays Center enabled the return of major league professional sports and world-class entertainment to Brooklyn, and in just over three years of operations, it has become one of the top-grossing arenas in the country. As an anchor for the continued development of Pacific Park Brooklyn, Barclays Center stands as an iconic landmark for the borough.”
Prokhorov bought his original 80% stake in the Nets and 45% of Barclays Center in May of 2010 for $223MM. This new arrangement will permit Prokhorov to sell a minority stake, as much as 49%, in the team and the arena if he so chooses, NetsDaily notes. The NBA had reportedly blocked Prokhorov’s plan to borrow money against his share of the Nets to purchase Ratner’s portion back in November because it would have given the team more than $250MM in debt.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Bennett, Johnson
It’s been nearly 18 months without an appearance in a game since the Sixers made Joel Embiid the No. 3 overall pick in 2014, but Brett Brown sees signs of progress in the center’s mental approach to his rehab from a lingering foot injury, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays.
“I just know what I see, just a committed, hopeful athlete,” Brown said. “He sees that he’s doing the right thing. He feels like he’s doing the right thing. He is doing the right thing. So I just see somebody that’s got the edge where he wants to get going again. I think mentally it’s night and day from talking to him this time in December last year.
Embiid has drawn criticism for alleged poor work habits and a contentious attitude, but it seems the Sixers aren’t too worried at this point. See more from the Atlantic:
- Anthony Bennett became the first former No. 1 overall pick to go on D-League assignment this weekend, and the idea for the brief stint was his, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said, according to Jessica Patton of the Toronto Sun. Bennett wanted to see some court time, and Casey is pleased that Bennett and others have approached the team about spending time with the new affiliate in Mississauga. Bennett is one of five Raptors to go on assignment this season, as our log shows.
- The talent-poor Nets are asking a lot from Joe Johnson, and the burden is wearing on the soon-to-be free agent, as Andy Vasquez of The Record examines. Johnson, a 15th-year veteran, called it the toughest season for him since his first or second year in the league, though he insisted that he’s not complaining. The 34-year-old is averaging his fewest points per game since his second NBA season.
- Kristaps Porzingis still lacks bulk, and while he insists he’s not a project and has proven that already this season, his benching for the stretch run Monday is a reminder that the Knicks still have some player development to do with this year’s No. 4 overall pick, observes Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.
Atlantic Notes: Williams, Silver, Lopez, Caboclo
Deron Williams thought about quitting the game during his struggles with the Nets, as he tells Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. The 31-year-old isn’t concerned about the idea that he couldn’t hack it in New York and wishes his time with the team had gone better so that people didn’t feel as though he was “just stealing money,” as Lee details, with Williams once again saying that he’s pleased to be with the Mavericks now.
“It took a lot out of me, man, those three years [after re-signing with the Nets for the max in 2012]. Some of the hardest in my life,” Williams said. “Made me question if I even wanted to play basketball when I was done with that contract.”
See more from the Atlantic Division:
- Commissioner Adam Silver admits that he’s not a fan of the Sixers‘ rebuilding strategy of the past two and a half seasons but said that it doesn’t mean it’s not acceptable under league rules, and he once more denied that Philly’s hiring of Jerry Colangelo happened because of pressure from owners of other teams. Silver made his comments on FiveThirtyEight’s “Hot Takedown” podcast.
- The Knicks are thinking about removing Robin Lopez, who signed a four-year deal worth more than $54MM in the offseason, from the starting lineup in favor of Lance Thomas, who inked for less than $1.637MM on a one-year deal, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Thomas has a reputation as coach Derek Fisher‘s “favorite Knick,” Berman writes, and he showed up this season with an improved outside shot and 15 added pounds of muscle, as the Post scribe details, suggesting it’ll play to his benefit when he hits free agency again this summer.
- The Raptors have assigned Bruno Caboclo and Norman Powell to the D-League, the team announced. Caboclo has seen extensive D-League action this season, while Powell is making his second trip to Raptors 905, just two days after his first. Toronto recalled Powell, Caboclo and Anthony Bennett from the D-League on Sunday afternoon (Twitter link).
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, Nets
With the Knicks back at .500, it is evident that several of president Phil Jackson’s offseason moves are paying off and a camaraderie has formed despite nine new players on this year’s roster, Marc Berman of the New York Post details. Berman points to the Knicks’ signing of Arron Afflalo as a significant piece of the puzzle since the shooting guard has made a seamless connection with star Carmelo Anthony. The two players, of course, played together in Denver. Afflalo is such a good fit for the Knicks because he does not demand the ball, Berman adds.
“I’ve known [Anthony] for a while,’’ Afflalo said. “He’s very talented in so many ways. He makes players around him better, just by the attention he draws. For us to find a comfort zone, and making sure to stay out of his way so he can stay comfortable with his game, will only allow us to benefit playing with a player like him.’’
Here’s more on the Knicks and the Atlantic Division:
- One major difference between last season and this one seems to be Anthony’s trust in his teammates, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. The Knicks missed on a few of their marquee targets in the summer, but retooled with several role players, Begley adds. With that said, Anthony’s willingness to put trust in this group is an especially important aspect of the Knicks’ success, Begley notes.
- Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry applauded the Sixers‘ hiring of Mike D’Antoni as associate head coach, John Reid of The Times Picayune relays. ”He wanted to be in a situation where he thought he could help someone and not just come back in for the heck of it,” Gentry said. ”I think it’s a great situation for Philly and for Brett Brown.” Gentry was an assistant on D’Antoni’s staff with the Suns from 2003-2008.
- Nets reserve point guard Donald Sloan is in line to receive some playing time with Shane Larkin out with a concussion, Fred Kerber of the New York Post explains. The Nets signed Sloan for the minimum salary in August.
Atlantic Notes: Afflalo, Johnson, Ross, Bennett
After shaking off an early-season hamstring injury, Arron Afflalo is giving the Knicks the production they expected, writes Daniel Popper of The New York Daily News. Afflalo signed with New York as a free agent this summer, receiving a two-year deal worth $16MM. The hamstring problem forced him to miss the season’s first eight games and slowed Afflalo in finding his offensive rhythm, but he has raised his scoring average to 14.2 points per night and has been an important figure in the team’s four-game winning streak. “I knew what he can do,” said teammate Carmelo Anthony. “This is one of the reasons why [when] they asked me about him in the summer, I vouched for him. The way he’s been playing as of late, taking advantage of the mismatches out there, the way he’s shooting the ball, defending, I think it takes our team up another level.”
There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:
- Between added responsibilities and constant losing, the Nets‘ Joe Johnson is going through his most difficult season in more than a decade, according to Andy Vasquez of The Record. Johnson had to take over as the primary playmaker after Deron Williams was waived during the summer, and a recent rash of injuries has pushed his playing time to 34.5 minutes per game. “It’s tough, man,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to sit here and [put up a] front. But I just try to find things that’s positive in it and just keep rolling.”
- The Raptors probably made a mistake by committing three more years to Terrence Ross, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The reserve swingman received a three-year extension worth nearly $31MM just before the deadline last month. The decision came despite decreased production, as his playing time has been cut this season and his scoring, rebounding and assist averages have all declined. Smith thinks the only upside to the deal is that Toronto now has an asset under contract for three more seasons and another team is likely to become interested in Ross.
- The Raptors are sending Anthony Bennett to the D-League for an afternoon game and then will recall him for this evening’s game with the Kings, the team tweeted. Delon Wright was also recalled today from Raptors 905. (Twitter link).
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/19/15
Ty Lawson hasn’t impressed in 26 games with the Rockets and if the point guard’s camp has its way, the North Carolina product will be playing for another team before the end of the season. Although Lawson’s trade value has arguably never been lower, he is still a starting-caliber point guard and the Rockets should be able to garner a respectable return if they trade him. So tonight’s shootaround is about finding a new home for the troubled 28-year-old and here’s what I would do if I was sitting in GM Daryl Morey’s chair:
Rumors surfaced earlier in the week that Dwight Howard is unhappy with the current state of the franchise and although the center has since refuted those reports, the team expects him to turn down his player option, which would have paid him slightly more than $23.282MM next season. Signing a 30-year-old center with injury history to a long-term, possibly maximum salaried deal may not be the best option for the franchise, yet neither is losing him to another team in free agency.
The Rockets should attempt to trade both Howard and Lawson and build a new team around James Harden. The Nets were on Howard’s list of suitors when he was pushing for a trade from the Magic back in 2011 and while it’s unclear if Brooklyn remains a preferable destination, GM Billy King has the pieces to make a logical trade.
If Houston sends Howard, Lawson and Corey Brewer, who won’t be eligible to be traded until January 15th, to Brooklyn for Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, who also isn’t eligible to be traded until January 15th, both teams would be better off, even if the Rockets have to include another reserve in the deal to make the salaries align. The Nets would get a new face of the franchise in Howard and a talented point guard in Lawson, who could play beside Jarrett Jack to give the Nets a somewhat exciting backcourt, something they lacked for quite some time. The Rockets would add two proven scoring options to help ease Harden’s burden on the offensive end and they would get younger at the center position. Adding Lopez, whose Player Efficiency Rating is 20.49 this season, would give the team an All-Star whose career is on the same trajectory as Harden’s and they would form a more lethal duo than the Harden-Howard pairing.
The parameters around this trade are purely speculative, as there have been no reports linking the Nets and Rockets in trade discussions.
Be the Rockets’ GM tonight. Let us know what you would do with Lawson and Howard if you were running Houston and tell us what you think about this hypothetical trade. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Eastern Notes: Yormark, Harrellson, D-League
Nets CEO Brett Yormark is excited about the coming offseason and the free agent possibilities it brings, NetsDaily relays. “This will be the first time we’ve been able to test free agency and really realize the power of Brooklyn, the power of our brand and the commitment that ownership continues to make,” Yormark said. “We’ve got a good story to tell — with the addition of our $50MM practice facility and the D-League franchise — and I think we’ll be in a position where we’ll be able to add to Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Bojan Bogdanovic and some of the other younger pieces, and bring in the necessary pieces to turn things around quickly. I’m excited about that opportunity, but obviously we have to make all the right decisions and we have to plan now. … I think there’s a chance here to really build something special.” Brooklyn is currently projected to have between $32MM and $38MM in free cap space next summer.
Here’s more from the East:
- Wizards camp cut Josh Harrellson has signed with the Latvian club VEF Riga, the team announced (translation courtesy of Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 26-year-old averaged 3.9 points in 7.3 minutes per game over seven preseason appearances for Washington this year.
- Brandon Jennings‘ decision to accept a rehab assignment in the D-League is a testament to the point guard’s commitment and love of the game, according to Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. It also demonstrates the value of the franchise having its own D-League affiliate, Langlois adds. “I think it shows how important the commitment [team owner] Tom [Gores] was able to make to have a D-League team and putting money into it,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve already gotten a value of last year sending Spencer Dinwiddie and Quincy Miller there and this year sending Spencer and Darrun [Hilliard] down. Now you’ve got a guy who can be a big part of what you do and you’ve got somewhere close by where you can send him and he can play. Those kinds of things seem minor when we’re talking about ownership commitment, but that’s a big one. We can send Brandon there to get significant minutes.”
- The Raptors assigned shooting guard Norman Powell to their D-League affiliate, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link). This will be Powell’s first jaunt to the Raptors 905 this season.
- The Pistons have assigned Darrun Hilliard and Reggie Bullock to their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, the team announced via press release. This will be Hilliard’s fourth stint with the Drive and Bullock’s first.