International Notes: McGrady, Cooley, Snaer
The NBA free agent market is drying up, leading many players to look for work overseas. Here's the latest from the international scene:
- Tracy McGrady spent most of 2012/13 in China before hooking on with the Spurs in the final week of the regular season, and he's mulling whether to return to China or seek another NBA deal, according to the Global Times.
- We heard yesterday that undrafted big man Jack Cooley spurned several training camp invitations from NBA teams for a deal with a Turkish team, and agent Adam Pensack let Shams Charania of RealGM.com know the identity of those clubs, some of whom offered partially guaranteed contracts. The Blazers, Grizzlies, Spurs, Thunder, Nets, Heat, Lakers, Rockets, Pacers and Cavs all wanted to sign Cooley, Pensack says.
- The Nets also invited Michael Snaer to camp, but Sportando's Enea Trapani hears that he'll sign with Enel Brindisi of Italy instead (Twitter link).
- A report last month indicated that 42nd overall pick Pierre Jackson, whom the Pelicans acquired in the Jrue Holiday trade, would sign with ASVEL Villeurbanne of France, and Jackson added confirmation via Instagram. Tony Parker owns a share of the French team.
- Shooting guard Carlon Brown was in training camp with the Warriors last fall and spent the season in the D-League, but he'll be overseas for 2013/14, having signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv of Israel. The Israeli league announced the signing via Twitter (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
Atlantic Rumors: Sixers, Brown, Pierce, Knicks
The Sixers and Brett Brown are negotiating the terms of a deal that would end the team's nearly four-month search for a coach, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. That jibes with what Marc Stein tweeted Friday, when the ESPN.com scribe wondered if the Sixers would make their offer tempting enough to pry Brown away from his assistant coaching position with the Spurs. Here's more from Philly and the rest of the Atlantic Division:
- Hinkie has been plain about his intentions, so no one should be shocked that the Sixers have waited so long to hire a coach, Pompey argues.
- Paul Pierce tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he sensed he was headed out of Boston months prior to the trade that brought him to the Nets, so much so that he told his wife to start packing up their stuff even before this past regular season ended. Pierce still isn't certain of what lies ahead. "Who knows what’s going to happen after this year?" Pierce said to Washburn. "I don’t know what the future is going to bring. I don’t know if I’m going to be back with the Nets. I don’t know if I’m going to retire, you never know what’s going to happen. I feel like I have more in the tank but you never know with injuries, how your body feels. Sometimes those things tell you a lot quicker. Right now, I’ve been feeling good. My legs, my body feels strong."
- Washburn had more from Pierce, who sympathizes with Celtics president of basketball ops Danny Ainge. "We were pretty much stuck on a treadmill as far as where we were and people don’t see the financial part of it," Pierce said. "That kind of straps a team from getting better. We were kind of in that position. How do we get better without spending money? So you have to determine if we want to stay right where we are, which is [a] four through eight seed? Or do we want to rebuild and hopefully get a player that can take us to that next level . . . This was pretty much almost inevitable."
- David Lee takes a trip down memory lane with Marc Berman of the New York Post to ponder what might have been if Knicks brass had stuck with Lee and others from a fast-starting team five years ago.
Atlantic Notes: Pierce, Nets, Knicks, Udrih
Former NBA guard Cuttino Mobley dropped his lawsuit against the Knicks this week in order to help facilitate a comeback to the league. The 37-year-old alleged that the Knicks pressured him into retirement in order to collect insurance on the $19MM owed to him. Now that Mobley v. Dolan is a thing of the past, the 6'4" guard can focus on trying to help a club in 2013/14. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..
- Paul Pierce admitted that uncertainty over Rajon Rondo's health helped influence his decision to get on board with the trade taking him from the Celtics to the Nets, writes Tom Layman of the Boston Herald. “If it’s up to me I would want to rebuild to win a championship by bringing players in. They were looking at the future, down the line. Rajon might not be here for the beginning of the year or however long he takes, so it would be tough for us to be a contender or get in a position to contend. Everybody saw that and I think that helped the decision on both sides," Pierce said.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com chatted with the newest member of the Knicks, Beno Udrih. The guard will make significantly less than he has in years past, but he is enthused about the opportunity to play in New York, where he feels that he has a real shot at a title.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal posits that the Knicks should hold off on adding anyone else in order to maintain roster flexibility. If the Knicks leave spot No. 15 wide open, then they can be in the mix for any intriguing late cuts that are made from rival training camps. They could also give promising youngsters C.J. Leslie and Jeremy Tyler more room to grow by electing not to add another veteran.
Atlantic Notes: J.R. Smith, Pierce, Murry, Knicks
Earlier this afternoon, I asked Hoops Rumors readers to vote on the offseason's best head coaching hire in the Eastern Conference. While several choices are bunched together in the middle of the pack so far, Brad Stevens of the Celtics has emerged as the clear top choice. It seems that many of you are fans of Boston's bold decision to hire the 36-year-old Stevens away from Butler and place him in charge of the team's rebuild. Here's more from around the Atlantic:
- J.R. Smith tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that his free agent negotiations with the Knicks weren't a "long, drawn-out process," since he hopes to eventually retire with the club.
- In an interview with Adam Figman of SLAM Online, Paul Pierce says that he and Kevin Garnett didn't want to be part of a rebuilding process with the Celtics, and addresses a number of other topics of note.
- Bernie Lee, the agent for Toure Murry, tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that his client remains in discussions with the Knicks, and will visit two other NBA teams within the next week before hopefully deciding on a deal. After signing Beno Udrih, the Knicks may not have interest in Murry on anything more than a training camp invite, though that's my speculation.
- The Knicks officially announced Udrih's signing earlier today.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Udrih, Nets, Teague
The Pacers strengthened their bench, the Nets made a big splash by landing Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Andrei Kirilenko, and the Bulls will have Derrick Rose back. Nonetheless, the Heat remain the favorites in the Eastern Conference for 2013/14, according to Hoops Rumors readers. Nearly half of you named Miami the best team in the East in last night's poll, with Indiana receiving about 24% of the vote, followed by Chicago (about 16%) and Brooklyn (12%). Here are a few more items from around the East:
- Ivan Johnson has been in talks with the Knicks, but the possibility of the two sides reaching an agreement may be dwindling since Jeremy Tyler signed with the team, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Before Beno Udrih agreed to sign with the Knicks, the Grizzlies were the other primary suitor for him, and the Sixers also had interest, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). A chance to win with the Knicks was the deciding factor in Udrih's decision, says Begley.
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post spoke to future NBA commissioner Adam Silver about the Nets' offseason spending, and Brooklyn's willingness to pay substantial tax penalties. As Silver notes, the league sought a hard cap during 2011's CBA negotiations, in the hopes that "the teams that have disparate resources are all competing with roughly the same number of chips."
- Jeff Teague tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that he realizes his new long-term contract comes with a greater responsibility for the Hawks' success, and that he's ready for a larger role.
- In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman wonders if a healthy Greg Oden could affect Chris Bosh's role and future with the Heat. Of course, Oden would have to prove he can be healthy and productive before the effect on Bosh could really be evaluated.
Nets Invite Michael Snaer To Training Camp
The Nets have invited undrafted Florida State product Michael Snaer to training camp, according to Florida State's website. It's unclear whether he'll accept the invitation, but it seems likely he'll join the Nets and attempt to make the team's regular season roster, even though that figures to be an uphill battle, since Brooklyn is already carrying 15 guaranteed contracts.
The 6'4" shooting guard played four years at Florida State, averaging 14.8 points per game as a senior. He also grabbed 4.5 rebounds per contest this past season, an impressive number for his height. He exceled on the defensive end as well, earning ACC All-Defensive Team honors as a junior. Snaer played seven games in summer league action last month, notching 6.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG for the Thunder and Lakers.
Snaer is the 16th player on the Nets, but they, like every NBA team, can carry 20 players until opening night of the regular season, so a few more invitees will probably join him in Brooklyn's camp. Most of them will receive "summer contracts," which are one-year, non-guaranteed deals for the minimum salary.
Andrei Kirilenko On Signing With The Nets
It has been an extremely eventful offseason for the Nets, one that saw them add Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and a whole lot of dollars to their luxury tax bill. They weren't quite done after their blockbuster deal with the Celtics, however, as they added Andrei Kirilenko to the mix, making the roster even more dangerous from an offensive standpoint.
The move raised eyebrows all across basketball because AK47 signed for the mini mid-level exception of $3.18MM after turning down a player option for the Wolves worth $10MM+. I asked Kirilenko in a conference call earlier today if the whispers of a possible under-the-table agreement bothered him.
"I've been in these kinds of situations in my career when rumors happened when I've [changed teams] and you hear different kind of stories in the media," the Russian forward explained. "I can't do anything about what people think. You can't change it, so you can't control it."
During the call, Kirilenko spoke glowingly about the Nets and their potential to contend this season. However, he explained that he didn't walk away from Minnesota with an eye on Brooklyn. In fact, he said no to the one-year player option with the T-Wolves because he was seeking a multiyear pact with the club.
"I opted out not because I wanted to sign with the Nets. At that time, I wanted to be in Minnesota for a long time. But there was a change in Minnesota. I respect Flip Saunders' decision, but he decided not to sign me for a long time. I can’t do anything about that," said Kirilenko, who reportedly left the club in part because of David Kahn's departure.
Kirilenko wasn't specifically looking to play for the NBA's first Russian owner or to reunite with Deron Williams, but said both aspects appealed to him. While his decision to opt out cost him roughly $7MM this season, Kirilenko added that he has no regrets about how things played out. Ultimately, the former All-Star is thrilled to have a "legit chance" at winning a title, even if it leaves him a little lighter in the wallet.
Odds & Ends: Wall, James, OKC, Haddadi
With John Wall's long-awaited max contract finally on the books for the Wizards, NBA writers around the league have already begun to weigh in. Sean Highkin of USA Today writes that Wall is definitely worth the risk for the Wiz, while J. Michael of CSN Washington crunches the numbers to show why the team values Wall like they do. There is sure to be more where that came from. Until then, let's take a look at what else is going on in the Association on Wednesday night:
- Free agent point guard Mike James, who spent last season with the Mavericks, will not retire at age 38 and is determined to play his 12th NBA season next year, tweets Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. James emerged as a viable backup, starting 23 of the 45 games he appeared in last season for Dallas and averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 assists per contest.
- The Thunder have named Robert Pack and Mike Terpstra as assistant coaches, the team announced today in a press release. Pack spent the past three years on the Clippers staff after a year in New Orleans. This will be Terpstra's NBA coaching debut, but he has experience working in the D-League. “We’re excited to add Robert and Mike to our coaching staff for the upcoming season,” said head coach Scott Brooks in the release. “These additions bring diverse backgrounds to our group that will help the further development of our players.”
- The Knicks have shown interest in center Hamed Haddadi, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday, adding that nothing is imminent. Only able to offer minimum salary contracts, we heard today the Knicks were hoping to land Beno Udrih and yesterday that they had some interest in Delonte West. Haddadi finished last season in Phoenix after more than four years with the Grizzlies.
- Alan Anderson, who signed with the Nets yesterday, says he took less money to join a winner, writes Iannazzone. At 30 years old, it sounds like the veteran guard was more concerned with contention than playing time and therefore agreed to a contract in Brooklyn for the league minimum. He was a double-digit scorer in Toronto last season for the first time in his career, but the Raptors missed the playoffs. In his four NBA seasons, Anderson has yet to see the postseason.
Nets Sign Alan Anderson
JULY 30TH, 3:39pm: The Nets have officially signed Anderson, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 26TH, 6:05pm: The deal is for the minimum salary, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
11:48am: The Nets and Alan Anderson have reached an agreement on a two-year contract, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Brooklyn has already committed its mini mid-level exception to Andrei Kirilenko, so Anderson figures to receive a minimum-salary contract. The second year will be a player option, according to HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Anderson, 30, is the latest addition to a Nets roster that has undergone a significant overhaul this offseason. So far this offseason, the team has added Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, Kirilenko, Shaun Livingston, Mason Plumlee, and now Anderson to a core that already included Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, Andray Blatche, and others.
In 65 games last season for the Raptors, Anderson scored a career-high 10.7 PPG, albeit with a shooting percentage of just 38.3%. The swingman also shot 33.3% on three-pointers and recorded a career-high 12.6 PER. When I spoke to Anderson in April, he expressed a desire to return to the Raptors, but it appears the club's new decision-makers didn't have a whole lot of interest in bringing him back.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports initially reported (via Twitter) that Anderson was in the process of finalizing an agreement to join the Nets, after reporting the team's interest earlier in the month.
International Notes: Turkoglu, Bogdanovic
Could James White be taking off for a trip to China? Yesterday, we learned that the well-traveled 30-year-old could be headed back overseas as he mulls over all of his options. The small forward has career averages of 2.7 PPG and 1.0 RPG, but his real hoops legacy comes in the form of highlight reel dunks. Let’s take a trip around the globe for today’s international news..
- Hedo Turkoglu wants to record 1,000 games played before his NBA career ends, and then he intends to play for either Fenerbahce Ulker or Anadolu Efes in his native Turkey, as he tells Ajansspor.com (translation via HoopsHype). Turkoglu is entering the final season of his contract with the Magic. He’s played 895 regular season games, which would mean he’ll need to play beyond 2013/14 if he wants to hit 1,000, unless he’s counting the 93 playoff games in which he’s taken part.
- Bojan Bogdanovic tells Gol.hr that even though his deal with the Nets fell apart this summer, he still intends to play for Brooklyn at some point. His contract with Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey is set to expire next summer (translation via NetsDaily).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.