Atlantic Notes: Young, Babb, Johnson, Knicks
While Thaddeus Young is focused on finishing the Sixers dismal season on a high note, he admits to Christopher A. Vito of The Delaware County Daily Times that his player option for the 2015/16 season has crossed his mind. “It’s a lot of money to leave on the table. At the end of the day, I’m not a guy that spends a lot of money,” Young said Friday. “Obviously, I want to be winning on a championship team. At the end of the day, like I said, it’s a card that could be played.” Young added that coach Brett Brown and GM Sam Hinkie have done their best to include the power forward on board with the rebuilding process. Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens says that the recently signed duo of Chris Babb and Chris Johnson were brought in to add character to the locker room and enhance practices with their good attitudes, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Babb and Johnson both hooked onto Boston with multi-year deals after each seeing a pair of 10-day contracts.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines the likelihood that the Celtics re-sign Jerryd Bayless for next season. Bayless will need to work on his defense if he wants to be in Boston long-term, says Forsberg.
- Steve Mills’ new role in the Knicks organization will likely turn out to be only ceremonial, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Team president Phil Jackson will look to bring in a different GM to handle day-to-day operations for the club, and Lawrence lists Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons, Ronnie Lester, and Mike Dunleavy as possible candidates for the job.
- Crafting his front office team is only one of the tasks Jackson will face in the early stages of his new role for the Knicks. Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders discusses the other challenges the Zen Master will deal with in the early stages of his tenure in New York.
- Harvery Araton of the New York Times thinks that the Knicks’ move to bring in Jackson has overshadowed the impressive recovery that the Nets have been able to make over the second half of the season. Brooklyn sits just one game back from third place in the East after an underwhelming start to the 2013/14 campaign.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
New York Notes: Jackson, ‘Melo, Pierce
Nets GM Billy King tells reporters, including Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (via Twitter) that the team hasn’t had any discussions with Paul Pierce about an extension. Pierce will become a free agent this summer if he doesn’t reach an extension agreement with Brooklyn by June 30. Here’s more from New York:
- King also said he has no idea if Kevin Garnett may be planning to retire this offseason or after his current contract expires following the 2014/15 season, per Washburn (Twitter link).
- In a recap of the Knicks close victory over the Sixers last night, The New York Post’s Marc Berman notes how some of the Knicks culture hasn’t changed yet following Phil Jackson‘s hiring as team president. GM Steve Mills is still traveling with the team while Jackson stays home in Los Angeles, and the team’s standoffish attitude toward the media is still in effect.
- Sources are split on whether Jackson will play a deciding role in Carmelo Anthony‘s free agent decision this summer, as Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reports.
- For his part, Jim Boeheim thinks the addition of Jackson adds credibility to a team with limited possibilities for roster improvement next season, telling Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that Anthony always wanted to stay with the Knicks.
- Bill Parcells tells Gary Myers of New York Daily News that the hardest part of Jackson’s new job might be watching Knicks games without the ability to jump in and coach. Parcells also took on a personnel role with the Dolphins after establishing himself as a great coach in the NFL, and eventually resigned due to the frustration of lacking hands-on control. “These are things not directly related to personnel acquisitions. Putting the right kind of player on the team — he will know what to do with all that,” says Parcells. “The ancillary issue is he’s not going to be coaching. So his vision for what might be done in certain situations might not be the same vision as the guy who is coaching. It doesn’t mean they are not on the same page personally from an organizational standpoint, but there may be things that he sees he can’t control.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Nets Prioritize Re-Signing Shaun Livingston
The Nets will make re-signing unrestricted free agent Shaun Livingston their top priority in the offseason, GM Billy King says, according to Newsday’s Rod Boone (Twitter link). The 28-year-old point guard suggested earlier this week that he’d seek a lucrative payday in the summer. Brooklyn will be limited to giving Livingston a starting salary of no more than $3.278MM via the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, since they hold only Non-Bird rights on the rejuvenated Henry Thomas client.
Livingston, a former No. 4 overall pick, is enjoying his best season since a gruesome knee injury in early 2007 derailed his career. He’s started 43 games, many of them as part of Brooklyn’s successful small-ball lineup, and while his numbers of 8.0 points and 3.1 assists in 25.1 minutes per game aren’t flashy, the Nets are 27-16 when he starts and 8-15 when he doesn’t.
Brooklyn signed Livingston to a guaranteed minimum-salary contract before this season after he finished up 2012/13 with the Cavs. Since he’s been with the team for just a single season and makes the minimum salary, Brooklyn has Non-Bird rights with Livingston that only allow them to give him a new contract with a starting salary worth 120% of the minimum. That makes it likely the team gives him at least a portion of its mid-level, which will almost assuredly be the smaller, taxpayer’s variety, since the Nets already have more than $85MM in commitments for next season.
The mid-level may get a deal done for Livingston, but he isn’t the only free agent the Nets will have, as Paul Pierce‘s contract also expires at season’s end. King says that he and Pierce haven’t talked about an extension, as Boone notes via Twitter, and the GM’s assertion that Livingston will be his No. 1 offseason focus might indicate that the Nets won’t put much effort into re-signing Pierce, though that’s just my speculation. The Nets have full Bird rights on the former Celtic, since they acquired him via trade, so they have much greater latitude to re-sign him, and Brooklyn hasn’t shown any reluctance to spend on its roster under owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
Andrei Kirilenko and Andray Blatche have player options worth about $3.3MM and $1.4MM, respectively, and both could probably command more if they opted out. If they decide to hit the market, they’ll join Jason Collins, who’s on a deal for just the rest of the season, as other Nets becoming free agents on July 1st.
Atlantic Notes: Stoudemire, Jackson, Livingston
The Knicks are riding the second-longest winning streak in the NBA at seven games, and the resurgence of Amar’e Stoudemire has been instrumental in their recent success. Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report sat down with Stoudemire and spoke about the big man’s tenure in New York. Stoudemire touches on why he was initially excited to play for the Knicks and reveals he’s interested in taking on a front office role for the team someday. Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times runs down the 2014 cap situation for each team in the Atlantic Division. The Celtics, Knicks, and Nets are likely to remain over the cap this offseason, while the Raptors and Sixers will probably have the chance to slip underneath.
- New Knicks president Phil Jackson is likely to be a big draw for free agents, but Jeanie Buss doesn’t think he’ll be able to match the allure that the Lakers franchise has, write Pincus and fellow LA Times scribe Mike Bresnahan. “I think the Lakers are a legacy franchise,” Buss told ESPN 710. “Players know when they come here this is the ultimate platform… I’m not worried about that in any way, shape or form.”
- Five analysts discuss Jackson’s hiring in a USA Today piece. Most of them don’t think bringing in Jackson will win the Knicks a championship, but the consensus is that it ultimately won’t harm the Zen Master’s legacy.
- Shaun Livingston was able to recover from a gruesome injury and become a key piece in the Nets’ rotation this season. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today elaborates on the point guard’s career.
Livingston Seeking Lucrative Offer This Summer
Playing for his ninth team in his ninth NBA season, Shaun Livingston has been all but a journeyman over the course of his professional career at this point. It’s a far cry from what some may have envisioned when the 6’7 point guard was selected fourth overall in the 2004 NBA Draft, ahead of future All-Stars Devin Harris, Luol Deng, and Andre Iguodala. Now 28-years-old, the Peoria native finds himself in a ‘renaissance’ season, being a mainstay in Jason Kidd‘s rotation and starting for the playoff-bound Nets. As much as he feels loyalty to the coach and organization that helped revive his NBA career, Livingston – who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer – tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that he’ll place a priority on his long-term security above all:
“(My enjoyment with Brooklyn and how I fit) definitely plays a factor. You have to weigh your situations, your options. The reason I’m in a situation where I can demand a contract is because I’m playing for this team, this coach, this system…I realize that and I’m not over my head. But at the same time, it’s a business. You have to look at it like (the next contract) could always be your last…Especially me.”
Bondy pointed back to the debilitating knee injury that Livingston suffered back in 2007, which involved a torn ACL, PCL, and meniscus, a sprained MCL, and a dislocated patella and tibia-femoral joint. He’s come a long way on the road to recovery since then, and as evidenced by his 42 starts in 64 games this year, Livingston has made a strong case for being a valuable and reliable role player. In 25.3 MPG, he’s averaging 7.9 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.2 SPG while shooting nearly 47% from the field. Over the last nine games, Livingston produced 10.2 PPG on 50.7% shooting in 29.4 MPG, helping the team to a 7-2 record.
Brooklyn signed Livingston to a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum last July. With a productive 2013/14 season to boot, Livingston may be in for a significant payday this summer. Unfortunately, says Bondy, the cash-strapped Nets will only have their mid-level exception to offer at most (roughly $10MM over three years). They won’t have Livingston’s Bird Rights, which would have otherwise allowed them to make an offer without dipping into the mid-level. The rest of the season and postseason still figure to play a role in determining Livingston’s value, and how his stock fares down the stretch will certainly be worth keeping an eye on, especially for Brooklyn.
Nets Re-Sign Jorge Gutierrez
8:50am: The Nets announced the deal via press release.
8:27am: It sounds like Jorge Gutierrez will be getting a second 10-day contract from the Nets, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (on Twitter). The former Cal star saw his first 10-day deal expire Saturday night.
Gutierrez, 25, has played in just one game for the Nets, logging five minutes versus the Kings last Sunday. The guard was with the Nets during the preseason and even though he saw limited action in exhibition games, his performance during camp was key in the team’s decision to bring him back.
Gutierrez has spent time the past two seasons with the D-League affiliate of the Cavs, and he’s averaged 13.9 points and 6.9 assists in 32.7 minutes per game so far this year. The 6’3″ Gutierrez went undrafted in 2012 out of Cal, where he received Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. He’s seen short minutes in summer league with the Nuggets and Kings the past two offseasons.
And-Ones: Harden, Collins, Daye, Williams
In a series of tweets, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders says there was more to the Thunder‘s decision to trade James Harden before last season than money concerns. Coming off their Finals loss, Harden wanted an increased role on the team, believing himself to be the superstar talent we now know he is. Kyler says Harden wanted to stay, but the Thunder didn’t want to change their roster dynamics to accommodate his wishes. Here’s more from around the league:
- Jason Collins is happy stay with the Nets for the rest of the season, he tells Roderick Boone of Newsday. “Thank you to the Nets organization, coaches and players,” Collins said.“Our team is playing really well right now and I’m glad to continue to be here.”
- The Spurs have assigned Austin Daye to their D-League affiliate per a team release.
- After showing promise in some extended playing time with the Raptors, Ed Davis has struggled to see many minutes with the Grizzlies, writes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. The lack of playing time has come because of a crowded frontcourt in Memphis, not a lack of skill on Davis’s part, says coach Dave Joerger. “It’s tough and he’s a similar style to the guys that are at that position,” said Joerger. “What his athleticism is, is a different look for us. But it’s tough with Marc [Gasol] and Zach [Randolph] in front of him.”
- Derrick Williams has been debated as a “true” small forward or power forward since coming into the league, but Kings coach Michael Malone tells Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that Williams’ versatility is a good thing. “You go back to his days at Arizona, when he was the No. 2 pick, he played a lot of four (power forward),” Malone said. “I see in the NBA if a bigger guy is guarding him, he can take that guy out on the perimeter. If you play him at the small forward, you can post him up some. He’s got that versatility and athleticism that is very attractive. The league is getting a lot smaller it seems, and I think Derrick’s versatility is a real advantage when you play him at the four.” If small forward Rudy Gay picks up his $19.3MM player option in Sacramento for next season, Williams will likely have to establish his ability to thrive at the power forward spot.
Eastern Notes: Lowry, Ridnour, Heat
At his introductory press conference, Paul Pierce said that he would be a “glorified role player” for the Nets. Now, as the Nets ascend the standings without the services of Kevin Garnett, it’s clear that he’s much more than that, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Here’s more from around the East:
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders suspects point guard Kyle Lowry will re-sign with the Raptors this summer for $7-$8MM per year (Twitter link).
- Luke Ridnour was happy to leave the Bucks and land with the Bobcats, he tells Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. “I was glad to get out of Milwaukee,” said Ridnour. “It’s a good situation here. I’ve only played five, six games here so I’m trying to get used to it. It’s a good city and I’ve been in the playoffs before, and just to be back in the hunt where every game is big, it’s just a lot different feeling… This has been fun.”
- The Bobcats are looking to add a third center now that it appears Brendan Haywood is done for the season, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
- In the same tweet, Bonnell says the Heat‘s signing of Justin Hamilton was made due to coach Erik Spoelstra‘s faith in the big man.
- Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel writes that Hamilton’s two-year deal is about the future. Winderman sees Hamilton and 2013 first-rounder James Ennis as having a shot to make the Heat’s roster next year, and notes that Pat Riley is scouting college tournaments in looking ahead.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Nets Sign Jason Collins For Rest Of Season
SATURDAY, 8:07am: The deal is official per a team release. Terms of the contract have not been released, but it is most likely a pro-rated deal for the veteran’s minimum.
FRIDAY, 11:32pm: It’s still not official, but Nets coach Jason Kidd confirmed to reporters, including Rod Boone of Newsday (on Twitter), that the club will sign Collins for the rest of the season once his 10-day expires.
TUESDAY, 7:15pm: The Nets plan to sign center Jason Collins for the rest of the season once his second 10-day deal expires on Friday, writes Ohm Youngmisuk and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. TNT’s David Aldridge (via Twitter) first reported the likelihood of a deal earlier this evening.
Brooklyn is reportedly operating under the premise that the 34-year-old center will finish the season as a Net even though he’s still a few days away from completing his current deal. According to Youngmisuk and Stein’s sources, the internal expectation from the moment that Collins signed his first 10-day contract was that he’d remain with the team for the rest of 2013/14 as long as he proved he could still be an effective defender, and did so immediately.
The Arn Tellem client has played a total of eight games since joining the Nets this season, averaging 9.8 MPG and shooting 28.6% from the field.
Paul Pierce Open To Return To Celtics
Nets star Paul Pierce says he’s open to returning to the Celtics as either a player or team employee, he told reporters including Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe. Responding to a question on the possibility of a return to Boston, he answered, “Yeah, why not? Maybe play for them, maybe work for them.” As final as the departure from Boston of Pierce and fellow star Kevin Garnett felt last summer, the small forward says he remains close with point guard Rajon Rondo and still has affection for the franchise he build his Hall of Fame career with.
The 36-year-old becomes a free agent this summer, and sees hope in Boston despite the losses that have piled up in their first year of rebuilding.
“They’re a young team. They’ve got a mix of some veterans, some young guys who are developing. They’re only going to get better,” Pierce said. “Rondo is ready to lead, he’s leading them right now, moving into the next generation of Celtics. I think their future is going to be very bright.”
A good chunk of Pierce’s 15 years with Boston was spent enduring similar rebuilding efforts before finally enjoying a championship, so he is optimistic about the Celtics current trajectory.
“When you’re in the middle of your prime, like Rondo is, and you’re frustrated with the losing, it’s about just staying patient, staying with the guys, helping them develop, helping them get better,” said Pierce.
Pierce averaged 21.8 PPG with the Celtics, and only experience three winning seasons during his first nine years in the league. After turning their assets and appeal into the Big-Three of Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen, the Celtics immediately won a title, reached the Finals again, and won nearly two-thirds of their games over his last six seasons in green.
Pierce is averaging career lows in points, assists, rebounds, and minutes per game this season. Although he has played better of late, it would seem out of character for Celtics GM Danny Ainge to consider adding an expensive contract for a veteran in the twilight of his career. Pierce makes $15.3MM this year, and would likely fetch a salary well north of the veteran’s minimum should he extend his career beyond this season. Ainge has vowed to stay patient and avoid shortcuts in the rebuilding process, which in most cases means prioritizing youth on a roster and reserving cap space for elite players that can help build a long-term contender.