Poll: Where Will Jason Collins Play Next Season?
In April this year, Jason Collins came out as the first active male homosexual athlete in an American professional sport. So far, he's failed to find an NBA team that can use his defense, size, toughness and veteran leadership.
This isn't so much related to his sexual orientation, but the fact he's a 12-year journeyman big in a league that's increasingly made a backup center somewhat superfluous.
Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com wrote earlier today that an informal poll of league executives and general managers during Las Vegas' Summer League shows that Collins stands a good chance to land on an NBA roster as a 12th, 13th, or 14th man. The belief is he'll catch on as we progress towards training camp and teams look to flesh out their rosters. The informal poll by Arnovitz mirrors the one ESPN.com's Marc Stein conducted among general managers the day after Collins came out in Sports Illustrated.
Some teams have shown an interest already, but we're still more than a month from the start of training camp, and Collins is unsigned. Here's a look at some of the teams that have expressed interest, but so far failed to sign the veteran center.
- The last team he played for, the Wizards, do not appear likely to bring the big man back as he was included in the Jordan Crawford trade primarily to make the numbers work.
- The Nets were also interested in Collins since he last played with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce with the Celtics before being dealt to Washington.
- Y! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported that when the Celtics traded Collins to the Wizards in February, Garnett was said to have been "extremely frustrated."
- Collins also has a history with the Nets' Jason Kidd and new assistant coach Lawrence Frank, after playing under Frank during Kidd's run with the Nets earlier in the millennium.
- But because Reggie Evans was not ultimately included in the trade bringing Pierce and KG to Brooklyn, the need for Collins to backup KG and Brook Lopez dissipated.
- The Pistons expressed exploratory interest in Collins earlier this month. But after he worked out for them, they elected not to sign the 34-year-old out of Stanford.
- Collins expressed an interest in returning to the Celtics weeks before coming out as gay.
So Collins is still a free agent despite most executives believing he'll find a roster spot before the season starts.
The question remains: where will Jason Collins play next season, if at all?
Where Will Jason Collins Play Next Season?
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Retire 35% (198)
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Will play, but not in the NBA 20% (117)
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Another NBA team 20% (114)
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Brooklyn Nets 13% (77)
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Boston Celtics 7% (41)
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Detroit Pistons 4% (24)
Total votes: 571
New York Notes: All-Star Game, Carmelo, Nets
- New York may be hosting two All-Star games between 2015 and 2018,
writes Fred Kerber
of the New York Post. Multiple sources have maintained that the 2015
All-Star game will be played at Madison Square Garden, while the Friday night
and Saturday events will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Although nothing has been finalized, Kerber says the league, along with the Knicks and Nets, are in negotiations about a proposal involving
a reversal of roles in 2017 or 2018, where Barclays takes on Sunday's main
event and MSG hosts the other festivities. - Carmelo Anthony offers his
thoughts on the balance of power shifting toward the Eastern Conference
and gives some insight on his offseason workouts (Jared
Zwerling of ESPN New York). - Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com provides an infographic of the Nets' depth at power forward, including Kevin Garnett, Reggie Evans, and Mirza Teletovic.
Odds & Ends: Paul, NBPA, Butler
In discussing Chris Paul's election as the new NBPA president, ESPN's Brian Windhorst writes that neither Paul nor former union vice president Jerry Stackhouse would commit to a timetable nor discuss whether a search firm was in place to find a replacement for ex-NBPA executive director Billy Hunter. Stackhouse, who will remain active with the union in an advisory role, said they aren't in a rush but have already identified a number of candidates. Windhorst also says the union would ideally want a new executive director in place by February 1st, when Adam Silver is set to begin his job as the new commissioner. Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes, along with more from the above piece:
- Some comments from Paul: "I've been thinking about (running) for a while on and off…I've had a lot of dialogue about it with committee members. I wouldn't have taken on the role if I was going to do it alone."
- There are a few specific issues that were tabled during the 2011 CBA which still need to be resolved, especially blood testing for performance enhancing drugs (including human growth hormone) and the current age limit to declare for the NBA draft.
- Lakers guard Steve Blake and Bobcats forward Anthony Tolliver were added as new members to the executive committee, joining Paul, Roger Mason Jr., Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, James Jones, Matt Bonner, and Willie Green.
- The union has turned to Deloitte Financial Advisory Services to examine its structure and will make necessary changes, such as adding a human resources and information technology department (J.A. Adande of ESPN.com).
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today notes that the NBPA has hired Reilly Partners to help with restructuring and forming a job description for the executive director position, and that two names have surfaced as potential candidates for the opening: former NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson and former NBA and Madison Square Garden executive Steven Mills.
- Suns forward Caron Butler says he's looking forward to being a mentor to teammate Michael Beasley, gives his thoughts on the Clippers, and talks about how he's approaching the upcoming season in Phoenix. Butler adds that no one from the Clippers front office has spoken to him since he was notified by his agent about being traded, but insists there's no ill will: “I don’t leave with bitterness or anything, but a phone call would have helped the situation…But it’s cool, it’s no hard feelings because that’s the nature of the business" (NBA.com's Jeff Caplan).
- Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy looks at a list of 11 of the top 13 players drafted this past June and discusses their chances at winning Rookie of the Year.
- In the same piece, Kennedy relays a clip from Gary Payton's interview on FOX Sports, in which the Hall of Fame point guard reveals that he may have had something to do with Allen Iverson's "practice" rant on the 76ers several years ago: "(Iverson) asked me…'How do you keep your body is so good of a shape, and don’t get hurt, and stay always on the court?’ And I just told him for real, my coach George Karl didn’t let me practice. So that was it. I said, ‘You have to stop practicing." While watching the actual rant, Payton recalled thinking: ‘Don’t say it like this! Don’t do it like that, Allen…When he said it, I said, ‘No, that was not our conversation.’”
Odds & Ends: James, Bowen, Kidd, Lin, Wright
After tonight's announcement from the NBA Player's Association, we can officially shut the door on any talk that LeBron James should assume the union's head position. What we don't know about James, however, are his intentions after the upcoming season, when he can opt out of his current deal with the Heat. James kept quiet about his plans on an interview that aired on the new Fox Sports 1 on Tuesday night, writes HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy, who expects James to keep his options open.
Here are some other news and notes from around the league:
- The Kings have named Ryan Bowen as an assistant coach and assistant director of player development, the team announced today in a press release. Bowen spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Nuggets, where he spent two stints as a player. He also played in Houston, New Orleans and Oklahoma City in his NBA playing career.
- Jason Kidd is ready to make the transition from player to coach with the Nets, writes Fran Blinebury of NBA.com, who lists Tom Heinsohn, Billy Cunningham and Larry Bird among those who have walked a similar path with success.
- Speaking at a youth conference in Taiwan, Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin said he put too much pressure on himself in his first year in Houston and it resulted in his coaches losing faith in him, according to an ESPN news release. Lin will need to rediscover his confidence quickly considering the expectations in Houston this season.
- Dorell Wright says his trust in Blazers general manager Neil Olshey was a big factor in his agreement to sign with Portland, writes Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune. Wright said he envisions himself as a bench player, and that he expects the Blazers to vie for a playoff spot.
Odds & Ends: Sanders, Nets, Jazz, McCarty
Larry Sanders has a brand new deal with the Bucks that will make him the face of the franchise after the departures of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. However, he'll have to get accustomed to an entirely new system in Milwaukee this season, writes Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld. Many are expecting a drop off from last season based off what the Bucks lost, but if Sanders can take another step forward, they could still be in the mix for a playoff spot. Here's more from around the Association..
- The Nets announced that they have finalized their coaching staff by hiring assistants John Welch, Joe Prunty, and Charles Klask. That brings the total staff count underneath coaching neophyte Jason Kidd to six.
- The Nets also announced that Doug Overton has been appointed as the head coach of their D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor. Overton enjoyed a lengthy playing career that included two stints with the Nets.
- The Jazz announced that Justin Zanik will serve as an assistant GM. Utah GM Dennis Lindsey says that he's excited about being able to draw on the insight of a former agent, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- Walter McCarty confirmed to Jeff Goodman of ESPNBoston.com (on Twitter) that he'll be joining the Celtics staff as an assitant coach under Brad Stevens.
Atlantic Rumors: Rondo, Rivers, Pierce, Celtics
Training camps are still about six weeks from opening, but some Nets and Knicks are already gearing up in preparation for another crosstown battle. Nets players are organizing voluntary workouts this week in Los Angeles, with Deron Williams and Paul Pierce the driving forces, Josh Newman of SNY.tv reports via Twitter. Meanwhile, Raymond Felton expects the entire Knicks roster to get together for workouts shortly after Labor Day, the point guard tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). Here's more as the offseason starts to dwindle away:
- Pierce tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that Rajon Rondo's presence wasn't the force that prompted Doc Rivers to leave the Celtics, and says his goal is to outlast his contemporaries in the NBA, naming Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Nets teammate Kevin Garnett among those he hopes will precede him in retirement.
- A source familiar with the Celtics tells Washburn that the team is in dire need of an assistant coach who can form a strong relationship with Rondo. The C's are reportedly targeting an ex-player for the coaching staff, with James Posey a leading candidate, and fellow Globe scribe Baxter Holmes identifies Walter McCarty as another possibility. Boston is also seeking at least one more front office executive to assist GM Danny Ainge, Holmes adds (All Twitter links).
- Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams of the Sixers plus Kelly Olynyk of the Celtics are three Atlantic Division rookies among the five draftees from this June whom HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram believes could outperform their draft position.
Odds & Ends: Warriors, Cooley, CBA, Shengelia
On a night when Chris Hansen, the leader of the investment group who missed out on the Kings earlier this year, was making headlines, new Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadive was also peripherally in the news. Ranadive's former minority stake in the Warriors has been purchased by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Mark Stevens, according to an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com). Darren Rovell of ESPN.com adds that Stevens paid for his share based on a franchise valuation of $800MM, an impressive figure considering the team was sold for $450MM less than three years ago.
- After turning down several camp invites from NBA teams, undrafted free agent Jack Cooley reached an agreement to sign with Turkish team Trabzonspor, as we heard last weekend. That deal became official today, the team announced (translation via Sportando).
- Larry Coon's latest chat at HoopsWorld addresses a number of interesting CBA issues, including why teams keep the cap holds of retired players on their books, and why the salary cap for 2014/15 is expected to increase noticeably.
- A Spanish club has interest in prying Tornike Shengelia away from the Nets, according to a Gigantes del Basket report (translation via HoopsHype).
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News identifies a handful of trade candidates worth keeping an eye on in the coming months.
Atlantic Notes: Garnett, Nets, Sixers, Forbes
Here's the latest out of the Atlantic Division..
- Nets head coach Jason Kidd says prized offseason acquisition Kevin Garnett probably won't play in any back-to-backs this season, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Kidd added that he's already talked that plan over with the 37-year-old superstar (link).
- New 76ers head coach Brett Brown has decided to let assistants Michael Curry, Aaron McKie, and Jeff Capel go, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm doing that for obvious reasons," said Brown. "I want to hire my own staff and have a clean start going in that direction. … I feel like it's important that I come in with my own staff and start fresh and try to rebuild." Curry was a candidate for the head coaching job after Collins resigned on April 18th.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal wonders if Gary Forbes could be this summer's Ronnie Brewer for the Knicks. New York will audition the 28-year-old veteran early next week.
Western Notes: Pekovic, Rockets, Zanik, Aldrich
One of the biggest names on this summer's free agent market finally came off the board today when Nikola Pekovic reached a five-year, $60MM agreement with the Timberwolves. The deal will make Pekovic the highest-paid restricted free agent of the offseason, by both overall value and annual salary. He also landed the third-highest overall guarantee, behind only Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Here's more on Pekovic and other items from around the Western Conference:
- The new deal for Pekovic won't affect the Timberwolves' ability to keep Ricky Rubio or Kevin Love long-term, president Flip Saunders told reporters today, adding that the team views those three players as the franchise's cornerstones (Twitter links via T-Wolves PR). Saunders also confirmed that Pek's contract doesn't include any team or player options, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- About 15 months before they ultimately landed Howard, the Rockets reached a tentative agreement to acquire the All-Star center from the Magic at 2012's trade deadline, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Orlando planned to move D12 at the deadline if he didn't waive his early termination option, and had offers from the Rockets and Nets — Magic officials preferred Houston's offer, says Berger.
- Agent Justin Zanik, who has worked with Andy Miller at ASM Sports in recent years, is set to join the Jazz front office as the team's assistant GM, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Jody Genessy of the Deseret News has a few more details on the hiring of Zanik, who represented NBA players such as Omer Asik, Timofey Mozgov, and Sergey Karasev.
- Cole Aldrich worked out for Sacramento on Monday, according to Jonathan Santiago and James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom. The Kings have an open roster spot, though it's interesting that they'd need to work out Aldrich, considering they got an extended look at the big man last year after acquiring him at the trade deadline.
Odds & Ends: Union, Lucas, Draft, Brown
With the offseason winding down, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identified who the real contenders will be in 2013/14. The back-to-back champion Heat top the list with some of the other usual suspects, including the Spurs and Thunder. The Bulls should be vaulted back into contention with the long-awaited return of Derrick Rose. The Clippers are a bona fide contender after re-signing Chris Paul, landing Doc Rivers as coach, and adding J.J. Redick. The Nets, who now boast the most expensive roster in the NBA by far, hope to be among the league's elite with first-time coach Jason Kidd at the helm. And of course, the Rockets will be one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on after luring Dwight Howard away from L.A. Here's more from around the Association..
- NBPA executive committee member Jerry Stackhouse told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that LeBron James' comments about the union felt like a "kick in the stomach". "I don't think he's had any dialogue with anybody since the All-Star break, but it is what it is," Stackhouse said. "To make that statement about where we are as a union right now, he was misinformed."
- Point guard John Lucas III was a safe choice for the Jazz, in the sense that he won't threaten Trey Burke or expect to be the main one-guard for the long-term. However, Utah believes they have more than a capable stop-gap and more than a positive locker room influence in the veteran, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) runs down the 2014 NBA Draft and notes that its remarkable depth could make it the best ever. Ford's latest big board has Andrew Wiggins at the top, followed by Kentucky's Julius Randle, Australian Dante Exum, Duke's Jabari Parker, and Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News gives his immediate and long-term outlook for the league's 13 new coaches. The list starts with the latest hire, 76ers coach Brett Brown.
- Jordan Hill's summer assignment is to become the stretch four that the Lakers need, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Hill missed 53 games last year, mostly because of back and hip trouble.