Odds & Ends: Virginia Beach, West, Mavs, Maynor
Links as Tuesday turns into Wednesday..
- Voters in Virginia Beach, Virginia are largely against the idea of building an NBA arena in their city, according to a poll released earlier today, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. The poll showed that voters oppose the proposed arena by a 45-38 margin and oppose public funding for it by a margin of 58-32. It already seemed unlikely that an NBA team would move to the area, but the lack of public support further hurts the odds.
- Delonte West's suspension for conduct detrimental to the Mavericks didn't last long as he was reinstated this evening, writes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Sources said that West's suspension stemmed from an outburst in the locker room after the Mavs' 123-104 preseason win Monday over the Rockets.
- Eddie Sefko of the The Dallas Morning News writes that Mark Cuban should have been in attendance for Deron Williams' meeting with the Mavericks this summer, but the owner shouldn't be blamed for the point guard's decision to stay with the Nets. Recently, Williams indicated that his decision to pass on Dallas was influenced by Cuban's decision to attend a taping of his television show rather than meet with him.
- Point guard Eric Maynor's return from injury is as good as any free agent pickup the Thunder could have hoped for this summer, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. The former VCU star is entering his walk year after missing the bulk of the 2011/12 season.
- Kevin Garnett gave a strong endorsement of the new look Nets following their preseason game against the Celtics. “They’re going to be a force to be reckoned with. They’re nothing like last year. They’re gonna be strong," said Garnett, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
Eastern Notes: Blatche, Magic, Heat, Green
We rounded up a few items out of the Western Conference earlier this morning, so let's head east and check in on the Nets, Magic, Heat, and a few other teams in the Eastern Conference….
- So far in Brooklyn, Andray Blatche is enjoying being under less pressure than he was with the Wizards, as he tells Zach Braziller of the New York Post. "I have a new beginning, not as much stuff hanging over my head," Blatche said. "I can go out and play, I don’t have to think. It’s just fun."
- Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com looks into the Magic's $17.8MM trade exception, pointing out that the team could use it to take on a bad contract (along with draft picks) or to land a free agent in a sign-and-trade deal next summer.
- While Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel acknowledges that there may be better candidates for a roster spot than James Jones, he finds it unlikely the Heat will keep Rodney Carney or another player over Jones, given the financial implications. In a separate piece for the Sun-Sentinel, Winderman notes that comments by coach Erik Spoelstra suggest there are two roster spots up for grabs in Miami.
- Gerald Green, who signed a three-year deal with the Pacers this summer, appreciates the opportunity he has to play in the "best league in the world" again after a few years away from the NBA. Conrad Brunner has the story and quotes from Green at ESPN 1070 The Fan.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com poses the question of who the Knicks' 15th man should be.
Eastern Rumors: Harris, Novak, Valanciunas
Either the Celtics or a team with LeBron James or Dwyane Wade on the roster has won the Eastern Conference title every year since 2006, with the exception of 2009, when Dwight Howard and the Magic broke through. With D12 in L.A., it seems the path is clear for the Celtics and Heat to once again battle for Eastern supremacy, though there's a lot that could happen between now and June. Until then, here's the latest from around the East.
- Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald figures guard Terrel Harris' endorsement deal with Peak, a shoe company with promotional ties to the Heat, means he's a safe bet to make the opening-night roster. Harris has no guarantee on his minimum-salary deal.
- Steve Novak, a Wisconsin native who went to Marquette, explained his choice of the Knicks over the Bucks in free agency to the New York Post's Marc Berman. "We talked several times when I’ve been a free agent. I never know for sure at what level," Novak said of the Bucks. "But no, I wanted to be back. If I could choose Milwaukee or New York, hands down, New York. It’s the truth."
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star disagrees with a scout who thought Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas looked "soft" and "scared" in a preseason game this week.
- Nets guard Joe Johnson says he's eager to share the ball with Deron Williams and get away from the "iso-Joe" style of play that placed the offensive load on his shoulders when he was with the Hawks, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times.
- John Denton of Magic.com delves into Nikola Vucevic's rich basketball bloodlines, a pedigree that Magic coach Jacque Vaughn believes will serve him well as he attempts the Herculean task of replacing Howard at center.
Lawrence On Josh Smith, White, Lin, Nets, Cuban
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News shares tidbits from around the league in his Saturday roundup, and this time several of them have to do with the Hawks and Rockets. We'll hit the highlights here.
- Josh Smith has informed the Hawks he isn't going to sign an extension during the season, according to Lawrence. That's in line with a report last month from Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Smith and the team were unlikely to agree to an extension. Smith's stance makes sense, considering he could get five years if he re-signs with Atlanta next summer and only three if he signs an extension. In that same report, Vivlamore said Smith is open to a long-term future with the Hawks.
- The Hawks were one of several teams that weren't considering drafting Royce White because of his psychological disorders, Lawrence says, predicting the Rockets will look to trade White if fellow rookie Jeremy Lamb continues to impress.
- Lawrence argues that Jeremy Lin's knee, which has been slow to recover, is just another sign that the Rockets overpaid for the point guard with a three-year, $25.124MM offer sheet the Knicks declined to match.
- When Avery Johnson interviewed for the Hawks head coaching job in 2010, he said he'd only take the gig if the team intended to re-sign Joe Johnson. The pair, who aren't related, are now together with the Nets.
- Nearly a year after a sign-and-trade that sent him to the Knicks, Tyson Chandler still has hard feelings for Mavs owner Mark Cuban, as Lawrence notes. "He never called to thank me for helping his team win the title, or wish me luck, after I decided to sign here," Chandler said. "I thought he would call me, but he never did."
Free Agents Ineligible To Sign With Specific Teams
Among the myriad rules in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement is a stipulation that says teams that trade players can't claim those players off waivers or re-sign them until the earlier of the following two dates:
- One year after the trade was completed.
- July 1st after the player's contract ends.
In some cases, this rule is simple to apply to practical cases. For instance, the Nets traded Mehmet Okur's expiring contract to Portland last March at the trade deadline, and the Blazers waived Okur shortly thereafter. Because Okur's deal was set to expire at season's end, he was ineligible to re-sign with the Nets during last season, but regained that ability as of July 1st, when his contract expired.
Other cases are trickier, however. For example, Derek Fisher was traded to the Rockets by the Lakers last March 15th, and was bought out by the Rockets shortly thereafter. Fisher had a player option on his contract for 2012/13, which raises the question: When exactly is his contract considered to be "over"? In his CBA FAQ, salary cap expert Larry Coon provides an answer:
- For contracts with options or ETOs, the end date of the contract is interpreted as the June 30th before an option year, and the June 30th after an ETO year.
Fisher's option wasn't an ETO, so the June 30th before his option year should be considered the "end" of his contract, making him eligible to sign with the Lakers beginning in July, right? Well, not quite.
As confirmed by Coon, Fisher's player option for 2012/13 actually was exercised when he worked out his buyout with the Rockets, allowing the team to split his buyout amount in half between the 2011/12 and '12/13 seasons. That means Fisher is still on the Rockets' books for this season, and his contract isn't considered to be over until next June 30th. As such, the earliest date he can re-sign with the Lakers is March 15th, 2013, a year after the trade.
Since players acquired in trades generally aren't waived immediately, this situation doesn't arise all that often. And many of the players who found themselves in such a position have since signed with other teams — for instance, Josh Harrellson was ineligible to rejoin the Knicks after being waived by the Rockets, but ended up signing with the Heat.
By my count, the eight players listed below, plus Fisher, comprise the group of NBA free agents who are currently ineligible to sign with a specific team, but feel free to contact us if there are any I've missed.
- Jerome Dyson: Traded to the Suns and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Hornets until July 1st, 2013. Currently signed to play in Israel.
- Jordan Farmar: Traded to the Hawks and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Nets until July 1st, 2013. Currently signed to play in Turkey.
- D.J. Kennedy: Traded to the Grizzlies and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Cavaliers until July 1st, 2013.
- Brad Miller: Traded to the Suns and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Hornets until July 1st, 2013.
- Darryl Watkins: Traded to the Sixers and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Hornets until July 1st, 2013.
- Jordan Williams: Traded to the Hawks and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Nets until July 11th, 2013.
- Sean Williams: Traded to the Rockets and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Celtics until July 1st, 2013.
- Shawne Williams. Traded to the Trail Blazers and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Nets until March 15th, 2013.
Note: Players who were waived via the amnesty clause are also ineligible to re-sign with their old teams until the amnestied contract expires.
Odds & Ends: Blatche, Draft, Kaman, Milicic
Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com looks at the struggle homosexual athletes face as they decide whether to come out of the closet. Multiple league sources told Arnovitz that players who are believed to be gay have a tougher time landing deals. "From a front-office standpoint, anything that would take away from team chemistry, fair or not, is a concern," one source said. "The truth is that a lot of players don’t want that guy in the locker room. And, sadly, execs have to factor in how their star player and major guys are going to react." There's no telling whether that's had an effect on some of the players still seeking contracts this year or those who have already been cut. Here's the rest of the night's news from around the league.
- Nets big man Andray Blatche told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that a talk with Nets coach Avery Johnson led him to sign with Brooklyn instead of the Heat. "I came in and worked out (with the Heat). They told me where I’m at, where I need to get, that they’re interested, they need me," he said. "But the conversation I had with Avery was more what I needed from him. It was about putting together a personal plan for me. I felt that would help me get to where I needed to be."
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks the top five 2013 draft prospects in the SEC, led by Nerlens Noel and two fellow Kentucky freshmen (Insider only).
- Offseason signee Chris Kaman could give the Mavericks an offensive weapon at center like they've never had before, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News says.
- Though the Celtics fully guaranteed Darko Milicic's minimum-salary contract, the team had no expectations for him, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com, who adds that the former No. 2 has nonetheless made a strong showing so far.
- Reggie Jackson is making the most of his opportunity to challenge extension candidate Eric Maynor for the Thunder's backup point guard job, as The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry observes.
- Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel shares that Bucks coach Scott Skiles has hinted at an expanded role for guard Beno Udrih, who's entering the final season of his sizable five-year, $32.393MM contract.
Eastern Notes: Nets, Petro, Hinrich, Vesely
We've already covered a few stories out of the Eastern Conference today, including Rashard Lewis' desire to play for five more years, the latest on Rasheed Wallace's timetable with the Knicks, and camp cuts by the Sixers and Cavaliers. Now, let's round up another handful of East-related links….
- In the first episode of NBA TV's "The Association," which debuts next week, Nets GM Billy King says Deron Williams urged him not to wait on Dwight Howard and miss out on other opportunities to improve the roster, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Johan Petro tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that he wasn't caught off guard by the trade that sent him to the Hawks, though his destination was a bit of a surprise. "I knew Brooklyn was really trying to do something with Deron," Petro said. "I didn’t know half the team would be gone but I knew they were going to try and do something."
- Though it's been two years since he played for the Bulls, Kirk Hinrich is already feeling comfortable again in Chicago, and his teammates, new and old, are glad to have him on board. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com has the details.
- With Wizards owner Ted Leonsis recently conceding that his team is better equipped to develop its own stars rather than recruit them, Washington will be looking for continued growth from Jan Vesely this season, says Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald examines Dionte Christmas' quest to earn a spot on the Celtics' roster.
Odds & Ends: Martin, Celtics, Leuer, Lakers
In a piece for Grantland.com, Zach Lowe looks at the different tiers in the Association after a wild offseason. In Lowe's opinion, the real title contenders this year are the Heat, Spurs, Thunder, and Lakers. Further down the list, you'll find the Nets and the Knicks who are classified as having exciting upside but too many questions to be considered real title threats. The Nets, he argues, may not get much bench production outside of C.J. Watson and MarShon Brooks. Meanwhile, most of the Knicks' big name offseason additions strike Lowe as league-average types who won't really make a major difference. Here's more from around the league..
- In the wake of Jordan Hill's back injury, Sam Amico of FOX Sports (via Twitter) expects the Lakers to sign a veteran big man to a minimum contract, possibly Kenyon Martin. Martin plied his craft at the Staples Center last season with the Clippers and played well despite not lighting up the stat sheet.
- While giving credit to the Celtics' 2008 championship team, point guard Rajon Rondo opined that this year's club is the strongest yet, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. This year's Celtics squad underwent a number of changes, including guard Jason Terry taking the place of Ray Allen.
- After being claimed off of waivers by the Rockets this summer, Jon Leuer is making a strong impression with the Cavs in camp this summer, writes Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld. Coach Byron Scott believes that the team needs to help Leuer build confidence after bouncing around between a few clubs at the age of 23.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld believes that Kobe Bryant will have to play beyond 2013/14 if he hopes to capture two more championship rings. Bryant reiterated yesterday that he plans to retire after his current contract expires in two seasons.
Atlantic Rumors: D-Will, Bogans, Celtics, Rasheed
Commissioner David Stern, speaking to reporters in Milan, said European expansion is a long way off, but believes that when it happens, there should be five teams in Europe rather than just one, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com notes. That would be enough for an entire division. For now, the easternmost division of the NBA is the Atlantic, and we'll roundup up the latest rumblings from that group of five teams here:
- TNT's David Aldridge, as part of a lengthy look around the league, reveals that Deron Williams was recruiting Joe Johnson before the trade that brought Johnson to the Nets, and before Williams spurned the Mavs to re-sign with the Nets as well. "Four or five days before the trade, Deron called me," Johnson said, referring to the swap that the Hawks and Nets agreed to on July 2nd, the second day of free agency. "He said, 'what do you think about coming to Brooklyn?' I was like, 'man, where are you getting this from?' … I don't know what kind of strings he was pulling, but he made it happen."
- Nets trainers worked with Keith Bogans after the team waived him following a season-ending injury last year, and Bogans said that's why he's back with the team, according to NetsDaily. "From the time my ankle broke through the rehab and all the way back, I haven’t been treated the way I’ve been treated here in my whole career," he said.
- The early returns on Jared Sullinger indicate that he could be a steal for the Celtics, John Schuhmann of NBA.com says, while Darko Milicic is making a positive impact as well, as Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com writes.
- With a lack of depth up front and other aging players like Marcus Camby already beginning to break down, Rasheed Wallace will likely be more than an insurance policy for the Knicks if he makes the regular season roster, according to Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal.
Atlantic Rumors: Blatche, Wayns, Shurna
It's been less than a week since training camp started for most teams, but a few players are already staking claims to roster spots that were up for grabs. A pair of camp invitees appear to be making significant strides toward jobs in the Atlantic Division, according to reports.
- Former Wizards big man Andray Blatche is with the Nets on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal, but Tim Bontemps of the New York Post says "it's pretty clear" Blatche will be in the team's rotation to start the season, and is a "lock" to be on the floor whenever starting center Brook Lopez needs a break. Nets coach Avery Johnson says the team believes Blatche "could be one of the steals of free agency," echoing a comment from former NBA coach John Lucas, who spent the summer helping Blatche work back from last year's disappointing season in Washington.
- Undrafted rookie Maalik Wayns had a strong training camp with the Sixers, and could wind up as the backup to point guard Jrue Holiday at the start of the regular season, John Hollinger of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). Wayns signed a minimum-salary deal that's partially guaranteed for $75K. The Sixers only have 12 players on fully guaranteed deals, and Wayns is the lone camp invitee with a partial guarantee, so he seems a strong bet to make the opening day roster.
- John Shurna isn't turning quite as many heads in Knicks camp, but he's made a positive impression on coach Mike Woodson so far, as Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes. The 6'9" Shurna's minimum-salary contract is partially guaranteed for $50K, and Braziller believes he's competing with five others for the last spot on the team.