Atlantic Rumors: Woodson, Thorn, Nets, Morrison
The Celtics took a 3-2 lead in their series with the Sixers tonight with a 101-85 victory in Game 5. There's plenty happening off the court for Atlantic Division teams as well, so let's dive in:
- The Knicks and interim coach Mike Woodson are nearing agreement on a long-term deal, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone. The deal could become official in the next couple days.
- Sixers president Rod Thorn has no intention of retiring, as Tom Moore of phillyBurbs.com writes, denying a report to the contrary Sunday by the Philadelphia Inquirer that said coach Doug Collins would take over for Thorn, with assistant coach Michael Curry replacing Collins.
- The Nets held a minicamp for free agents who didn't play in the NBA this past season, headlined by 2006 No. 3 overall pick Adam Morrison, as Colin Stephenson of The Star-Ledger and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv note. Morrison and others at the camp, like Al Thornton, Hilton Armstrong and Julian Wright could wind up on Brooklyn's summer league team and audition for an invitation to join the Nets in training camp.
- Deron Williams, who was at Nets facilities this weekend as the team worked out draft prospects, was present again during today's free agent minicamp, fueling speculation he'll re-sign with the team, as Zagoria chronicles.
Dwight Howard Still Wants Out Of Orlando
Despite the exit of coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith today, Dwight Howard "desperately" wants to be traded before next season, a source tells Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com. While it seemed the moves were made with Howard in mind, the superstar center wants out of Orlando now more than ever, according to the source.
Sheridan says Magic execs are expected to meet soon with Howard in Los Angeles, where he's recovering from back surgery. If he reiterates then that he wants out, Sheridan says the team is expected to try to trade him to "the highest bidder." The source says the Nets are still the frontrunner for his services, but the Mavericks, Knicks and, to a lesser degree, the Clippers and Lakers, are destinations that also appeal to Howard.
Earlier today we heard that Magic CEO Alex Martins has called for Howard to make his decision regarding his future with the club. At the trade deadline this past March, Howard declined his early termination option for next season, committing himself to the last season of his contract with the Magic. The move appears only to have been a temporary stay of the drama surrounding his rumored departure. Howard missed the playoffs for the Magic this season after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back more than a month ago. He has been rehabbing in Los Angeles and has not returned to Orlando since the operation. The Magic said earlier he's staying there because he requires frequent checkups from his doctors in L.A., but Howard's choice of locations nonetheless fueled speculation he's estranged from the team.
Kirilenko Hopes To Sign With Jazz Or Nets
Forward Andrei Kirilenko, currently playing for CSKA Moscow, was interviewed by Sovsport.ru, and revealed that he hopes to return to the NBA next season as either a member of the Utah Jazz or Brooklyn Nets (translation of original Russian article courtesy of HoopsHype):
Those two teams [the Jazz and Nets] are my top priorities. Utah is where I blossomed, the Nets are owned by a Russian oligarch. But no one knows how life will unfold, so please let's wait a little until July 1st, the hot time of change in the NBA.
Kirilenko, 31, played 10 seasons with the Jazz, from 2001 to 2011, before signing in Russia in October during the NBA lockout. He has not played in the NBA in 2011/12.
Atlantic Rumors: Nets, Lopez, Young, Sixers, Draft
The Sixers and Celtics are taking the weekend off, but resume their compelling series tied at two games apiece Monday in Boston. Here's what's going on around the Atlantic Division:
- While noting that Pacers center Roy Hibbert is in line for much more, Chris Mannix of SI.com lets fly that the Nets are expecting to pay Brook Lopez somewhere between $8MM and $10MM a year in his next contract (Twitter link). Lopez, who played in just five games this season due to injuries, is a restricted free agent, so the Nets may not have a say in the terms of his deal if he chooses to sign an offer sheet with another team.
- The Sixers locked up Thaddeus Young for five years and $43MM before the season started, and he's making his presence known against the Celtics, as John Finger of CSNPhilly.com examines.
- Four second-round draft prospects — Scott Machado, Zack Rosen, Terrell Stoglin and Maalik Wayns — will work out tomorrow for the Sixers, the team announced. Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com has details.
Nets Rumors: Deron Williams, Bogdanovic, Lopez
The Nets, who hold the 57th overall pick, are holding a workout today at their practice facility for roughly two dozen fringe draft prospects. They'll also be hosting a free-agent mini-camp next week, the team announced, and it will likely involve another set of guys trying to play their way onto the end of a team's bench. Here's the rest of the day's news from Brooklyn:
- Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record rounds up what Deron Williams has said and done since the end of the season to indicate his willingness to re-sign with the Nets.
- GM Billy King said Bojan Bogdanovic, a 6'7" swingman currently playing in Turkey, would like to join the Nets, but he remains under contract with his European team, writes Sportando's Emiliano Carchia. The Nets acquired Bogdanovic's NBA rights through a draft-day trade last year, but King did not sound optimistic about him coming to Brooklyn for next season, Carchia says.
- Restricted free agent center Brook Lopez is "progressing nicely" in his recovery from the ankle injury that ended his season, King told reporters, including Brendan Prunty of the Star-Ledger. King qualified those remarks by saying Lopez is still not running or jumping, as we heard earlier today.
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News looks at Zack Rosen, a prospect whom the Nets could target to fill the backup point guard role. The 6'1" Rosen, who played through what might be a broken thumb at the combine today, hopes to follow the path of another Ivy League point guard: Jeremy Lin.
Odds & Ends: Nets, Lopez, Suns, Scalabrine
A look around the league as we await Game 3 of Spurs–Clippers..
- Nets General Manager Billy King says that center Brook Lopez's recovery is underway, but the big man is not yet up to running or jumping, tweets Andy Vasquez of the Star-Ledger. Lopez, 24, is a restricted free agent this summer.
- The Suns plan to match offers to restricted free agent Robin Lopez but will have someone different mentoring the center if he returns. After four seasons with the Suns, assistant coach Bill Cartwright's contract will not be renewed, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic.
- Bulls forward Brian Scalabrine, who is set to hit free agency, told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he plans to play in the NBA for as long as he can. The 34-year-old fan favorite would also like to explore coaching and color commentary after his playing career is through.
- The Nets' draft combine at their practice facility is jam-packed with team executives and coaches but many prospects declined their invitation and missed a great opportunity for exposure, says Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter links).
Atlantic Notes: Howard, Nets, Lin, Knicks, Celtics
The Celtics and 76ers are underway in Philadelphia as the C's look to go up 3-1 in their second-round series. Here's the latest out of the Atlantic Division..
- Despite all of the ups-and-downs of the Dwight Howard saga, Alex Kennedy of Hoops World (via Twitter) still expects to see the Magic big man land in Brooklyn with the Nets this summer.
- The Knicks should prioritize signing Steve Nash this summer rather than re-signing point guard Jeremy Lin, opines Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops. Although Nash will turn 39 years old next season, Hamilton argues that he is a known and proven commodity.
- Even though some have questioned the Celtics' ability to make a deep run in the playoffs due to their advanced age, Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com writes that head coach Doc Rivers isn't worried about his team's condition over the long-haul. Win or lose this year, Boston appears likely to seek out a youth infusion this summer.
- The Celtics will be holding a pre-draft workout in the next few days and will bring in a bunch of big men, sources tell Kennedy (via Twitter).
Deron Williams’ Maximum Salary
As we look for clues in Deron Williams' quotes, tweets, and summer travel plans to try to determine where this summer's top free agent might sign, it's worth examining exactly how his options break down financially. A number of reports in the last week or two have suggested that the Nets have the advantage over other teams since they can offer him five years and $109MM, as opposed to the four years and $81MM everyone else can offer. Those numbers, and perhaps the argument itself, aren't entirely accurate, so let's take a closer look at Williams' options for a maximum contract this summer.
As I outlined last week when I explained the idea of a maximum salary in the NBA, a player with Williams' NBA experience (seven years) is eligible for a starting salary worth 30% of the salary cap. In 2011/12, that amount was $15,506,632, and it's unlikely to rise in 2012/13. A player's maximum salary can never be less than 105% of his prior salary, and since Williams' 2011/12 salary was $16,359,805, he'll be eligible for a starting salary of $17,177,795 (105% of $16,359,805).
A free agent with Bird rights can sign a contract for up to five years with 7.5% raises with his previous team, or four years and 4.5% raises with a new team. So here's how the breakdown of a max contract would look for Williams, as confirmed by CBA FAQ author Larry Coon:
So Williams' options for a max contract this summer are re-signing with the Nets for five years and about $98.77MM, or signing with another team for four years and about $73.35MM. However, leaving Brooklyn doesn't necessarily mean that Williams will "lose" $25MM. While it's true he'll make that extra $25MM in guaranteed money, there's a very good chance he'll make most of it up in his next contract.
Looking at just the first four years of each hypothetical deal, Williams would earn $76,441,187 in Brooklyn and $73,349,185 elsewhere, a difference of only about $3MM. It's possible that an injury or decline in performance would mean Williams would have to take a pay cut on his next contract, but if he were to sign with a non-Brooklyn team this summer and ink another max deal in the summer of 2016, he'd be eligible for a starting salary of $20,471,637. Add that to his four-year salary of $73,349,185 and his five-year total would be $93,820,822, about $5MM less than he would have earned with the Nets.
It's true that Williams would be giving up some money if he were to leave Brooklyn in free agency this summer, but the difference isn't significant enough that it should be the deciding factor in his decision. After all, if money were Williams' only concern, he'd be best off exercising his $17,779,458 player option this summer — playing the final year of that contract and signing a max deal next offseason would result in his biggest payday.
Atlantic Notes: Deron Williams, Printezis, Knicks
The two remaining Atlantic teams in the postseason continued their second-round battle last night, with the Celtics dominating the Sixers in Philadelphia to take a 2-1 series lead. While we wait for the series to resume on Friday night, here are a few items of interest from the Atlantic Division:
- Deron Williams and his wife are currently on a vacation in Russia, home of Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov. Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes that the trip could bode well for Brooklyn's chances of re-signing Williams. Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record, on the other hand, says Nets fans should feel good about the team's chances, but not because of Williams' trip to Moscow.
- In December's sign-and-trade with the Mavericks for Tyson Chandler, the Knicks gained the rights to Greek forward Georgios Printezis. Marc Berman of the New York Post examines New York's chances of bringing the Olympiacos star to the NBA next season, and concludes that it's a long-shot for a Knicks team that's already restricted by the salary cap.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld discusses those cap limitations, noting that the new CBA could make things for teams like the Knicks, who have a lot of money tied up in long-term contracts. The Bulls and Lakers are other clubs who could be affected.
- Watching the Sixers this postseason, it's easy to see why they were frequently rumored to have interest in a scorer like Monta Ellis, says Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.
Odds & Ends: Deron Williams, Hawks, Harrington
A few Wednesday afternoon odds and ends, as we prepare for tonight's Celtics/Sixers and Lakers/Thunder contests….
- The Nets believe that re-signing Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace and upgrading at power forward could be enough to convince Deron Williams to re-sign, says Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution previews the Hawks' offseason, noting that the team won't have much flexibility to sign free agents this summer.
- Al Harrington underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, the Nuggets announced today.
- In an ESPN.com chat, Chad Ford touches on a number of topics, including how he thinks the Magic's offseason will play out.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com examines what the Bulls' 2012/13 season could look like if Derrick Rose is out for a significant chunk of the year.