Mavericks, Nets Among Teams Eyeing Jeremy Lin
If the NBPA is successful in its appeal to allow players claimed on waivers to retain their Bird rights, the Knicks will head into the offseason in much better position to keep their free agents. But either way, New York figures to make locking up Jeremy Lin a top priority this summer.
The Knicks won't be the only team looking to sign Lin though. According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, the Mavericks, Nets, Raptors, Trail Blazers, and Warriors are among the clubs eyeing the point guard.
Because Lin will be a restricted free agent that has played two years or less in the NBA, he'll be subject to the Gilbert Arenas provision. Rival teams will be able to offer Lin lucrative, back-loaded deals, but the Knicks will be able to match any offer sheet using their mid-level exception, since the first-year salary can't exceed $5MM.
We've heard the Raptors mentioned as a possible suitor for Lin, and the Mavs and Nets both make sense, depending on whether they miss out on Deron Williams. The Blazers also figure to have plenty of cap space and a need for a point guard, as I outlined earlier today. It's hard to imagine the Warriors being serious contenders for Lin, since they won't have cap room, and have a more glaring hole at small forward.
Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Pietrus, Deron Williams
As two Atlantic Division teams go at it tonight in Game 2 of the Celtics-Sixers series, let's check on what's happening off the court:
- The Knicks stand to gain if the union prevails on its contention that players claimed off waivers may retain their Bird Rights, but only by so much. If the arbitrator rules in favor of the union, that could allow the Knicks to re-sign Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak while using the mid-level exception on another player. Yet, as Howard Beck of The New York Times points out, the team would have only the smaller taxpayer mid-level exception if retaining Novak and Lin, along with their other free agents, pushes them above the $74MM luxury tax apron. Currently, the team has approximately $58.7MM guaranteed to players next season, with seven free agents and two players on non-guaranteed deals (All Twitter links).
- Mickael Pietrus, a free agent after the season, will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this summer, and hinted that he may re-sign with the Celtics, according to Jackie MacMullan and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Pietrus underwent the same procedure on the knee during this past offseason.
- At the bottom of this piece by Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, Nets shooting guard Anthony Morrow offers a glimpse into the mind of top free agent target Deron Williams. Among other things, Morrow says that Williams "really likes Brooklyn," and loves the team and his teammates.
Odds & Ends: Rose, D’Antoni, Knicks, Nets, Lakers
We've got two games on the docket tonight, as the Sixers and Celtics kick off their second round series while the Lakers and Nuggets battle it out in Game 7. Here's a look at today's links..
- Derrick Rose underwent surgery on his left knee today, but projections for his return are varied, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune rounds up. Though Rose's brother insists Derrick will not miss the entire season, the Bulls released a statement today saying more details on his prognosis are coming next week.
- Though there has been speculation that Mike D'Antoni could be interested in the Magic if Stan Van Gundy doesn't return as the team's coach, he is just as likely to sit out the 2012/13 season, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Speaking of Knicks coaches, Mike Woodson is considering agent Steve Kauffman as well as CAA as he looks for new representation, according to Berman. Owner James Dolan never demanded Woodson part with former agent Joe Glass, but filled him in on the troubled history between the team and the agent. After hearing that, Woodson felt negotiations would be smoother without Glass.
- If the Nets do in fact plan to sign Andrei Kirilenko, they won't have much rebounding in their starting lineup with him alongside Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Reports that the team had a verbal agreement in place for a three-year deal were shot down last week.
- Andrew Bynum could find himself playing elsewhere if the Lakers get bounced tonight and he doesn't have a strong performance, opines Stephen A. Smith of ESPN Radio (via Twitter).
- Meanwhile, Magic Johnson believes that Bynum, head coach Mike Brown, and Pau Gasol will all be run out of town if the Lakers lose, writes Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
New York Notes: Williams, Nets, Bogdanovic
Yesterday, we learned that Nets point guard Deron Williams was set to meet with owner Mikhail Prokhorov and General Manager Billy King in Istanbul, Turkey. Here's more on the pow-wow and other items out of the New York area..
- Williams spoke with Prokhorov at the Euroleague game yesterday and had "a good conversation", but there was no formal meeting as other reports suggested, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- King tweeted that he had a good meeting with 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic. The swingman is currently under contract with Turkey's Fenerbahçe Ülker and came to the Nets through a pair of draft day trades.
- Phil Jackson's girlfriend Jeanie Buss told “Mason and Ireland” on ESPN 710 that she believes the former Lakers coach will eventually return to the sidelines, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. League sources told Kennedy that the Knicks haven’t contacted Jackson as of yet, but they’re expected to reach out to him in the coming weeks.
Williams Meets With King, Prokhorov In Istanbul
The Euroleague's Final Four is underway in Istanbul, and there are a few interesting names among those in attendance. Deron Williams, Nets GM Billy King, and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov are at CSKA Moscow's semifinal today against Panathinaikos, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
We already knew King would be on hand in Istanbul to meet with Nets' 2011 draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic, but to have Williams and Prokhorov there as well is a promising sign for the Nets. Even if it's not necessarily a concrete indicator that the star point guard is leaning toward re-signing with Brooklyn, Williams' presence alongside the Nets' brass can't hurt. It also suggests the team's front office is continuing to keep him in the loop on potential moves and roster decisions.
Besides meeting with Bogdanovic, the Nets also will be keeping an eye on Andrei Kirilenko, who is playing for CSKA Moscow. Recent reports suggesting the Nets had a handshake agreement with Kirilenko were shot down, but Bontemps says the team has been monitoring the Russian forward's play overseas. For his part, Kirilenko is undecided about where he'll be playing next year, as he recently told Reuters' Zoran Milosavljevic.
"I have a huge history with the Utah Jazz and they are a priority for me among the 30 teams competing in the NBA, while CSKA are just as close to my heart in Europe," Kirilenko said. "When the Final Four is over I will weigh my options and make a decision."
Odds & Ends: Blazers, Hibbert, Bulls, Farmar
Tonight we saw the 76ers and Celtics advance to the second round in a pair of closely-contested Game 6s. Here are some links from around the Association as we wait to see if the Lakers can put the Nuggets away in Denver..
- The Blazers hope to bring former first-round picks Joel Freeland and Victor Claver on to the roster for next season, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
- The Rockets could have interest in Pacers big man Roy Hibbert as he enters restricted free agency, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. However, it seems that Indiana is prepared to match any offer that isn't unreasonable.
- When asked if the Bulls should keep their core in tact this summer, Joakim Noah responded, "I'm not the GM," tweets Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
- Nets guard Jordan Farmar wants to be a starter and wasn't terribly happy with his role last season, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. However, it's unlikely that Farmar will decline his $4.25MM player option.
- Most agree that the Pistons' main need in the draft is another big man to pair alongside center Greg Monroe, but team president Joe Dumars says that isn't neccessarily the case, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Ellis writes that it wouldn't be a shock to see Detroit tab a shooter like North Carolina's Harrison Barnes if they don't like any of the big men on the board.
- One Western Conference exec told Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter) that there is no way that Columbus will land an NBA franchise. Earlier today, we learned that the mayor of Columbus has informed David Stern that his city is interested in adding an NBA team.
Offseason Outlook: Brooklyn Nets
Guaranteed Contracts
- Anthony Morrow ($4,000,000)
- Johan Petro ($3,500,000)
- MarShon Brooks ($1,160,040)
- Jordan Williams ($762,195)
Options
- Deron Williams ($17,779,458, Player)
- Gerald Wallace ($9,500,000, Player)
- Jordan Farmar ($4,250,000, Player)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Armon Johnson ($854,389)
Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Kris Humphries ($12,000,000)
- Brook Lopez ($7,692,458)
- DeShawn Stevenson ($3,000,000)
- Sundiata Gaines ($1,060,120 – QO)
- Shelden Williams ($854,389)
- Gerald Green ($854,389)
- Damion James (TBD)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (Top-three protected; pending lottery; 7.5% chance at first overall pick; 25.3% chance of keeping pick)
- 2nd Round (57th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary (including likely options): $13,672,235
- Non-Guaranteed Salary, Cap Holds: $53,595,203+
- Total (not including draft picks): $67,267,438+
The Nets will begin their first season in Brooklyn this fall, but it's not yet clear which players will be wearing those black-and-white uniforms when the team takes the floor. The Nets have only four players under contract, for less than $10MM in total guaranteed salary. Even if Jordan Farmar exercises his player option as expected, the team's guaranteed contracts amount to just $13.67MM.
Even with the opportunity to gain an incredible amount of cap space, the Nets don't plan to be overly active in signing other teams' free agents until they figure out where they stand with their own. Deron Williams sits atop not only Brooklyn's wishlist, but the list of any team with cap space this summer — and even some without it. With Dwight Howard locked into his contract for another year and Williams expected to opt out to explore free agency, the point guard is the clear-cut top free agent available.
It's impossible to say yet whether Williams, or the team's other big-name free agents like Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez, will end up re-signing with the Nets, but let's assume all three players are interested in returning. What might it cost the Nets to lock up their core players, and how much money would they have left over to spend on outside help?
As I outlined earlier today, a max offer for Williams would have a first-year salary of $17.18MM. Let's say Wallace agreed to a multiyear deal that started at about $8-9MM and that the Nets were forced to match an offer sheet for Lopez at around the same price. That would put the price tag for those three players at somewhere in the neighborhood of $35MM for 2012/13. Renouncing all of their non-Gerald Green free agents and taking into account minimum cap holds for empty roster spots would put the Nets' team salary at about $51MM — $7MM+ below the cap.
Of course, to take advantage of that $7MM+ in cap room, the Nets would have to renounce their bi-annual exception, traded player exceptions, and full mid-level exception. It would probably only make sense to do so if there's a desirable free agent out there who will choose the Nets' $7MM over another team's $5MM mid-level. Would $7MM be enough to land a big-name power forward like Kevin Garnett or Ersan Ilyasova? Maybe, but I doubt it. It makes more sense to attempt to re-sign Kris Humphries by taking advantage of his Bird rights, allowing the team to hang onto those cap exceptions.
There are a lot of moving parts involved in the Nets' offseason. I haven't even mentioned the team's first-round pick, which it has about a 25% chance of keeping. Lucking into Anthony Davis would sure provide a massive boost to the franchise as it moves to Brooklyn, but it's an extreme long shot.
It appears the Nets' likely best-case scenario involves re-signing its major free agents, and heading into Brooklyn led by Williams, Wallace, Lopez, Brooks, Morrow, Green, and perhaps a second-tier free agent or two. Would that nucleus be enough to contend in the East? The Nets would certainly need to stay healthier than they did in 2011/12, and even then, they don't match up favorably with rosters like Miami's and Chicago's.
Brooklyn's new team faces an uphill battle this summer, its offseason hinging on Williams' final decision and some good fortune. The best-case scenario could lead to a promising squad that makes a strong first impression in its new home. But if the Nets don't luck out in the lottery and Williams bolts for greener pastures, things could get ugly in Brooklyn in a hurry.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
Odds & Ends: Trail Blazers, Nets, Carter, Brooks
In a radio interview earlier today, Trail Blazers acting GM Chad Buchanan says his team has a "financial ceiling" in mind for restricted free agent Nicolas Batum, according to BlazersEdge.com's Ben Golliver. Portland will also be targeting "mid-tier" free agent big men this offseason.
- In a tweet, the Daily News' Stefan Bondy says Nets GM Billy King announced that Adam Morrison and Al Thornton will be working out at a free agent camp at the team's facility this month.
- The Toronto Sun's Frank Zicarelli believes it's unlikely the Mavericks will exercise the $3.1MM team option on Vince Carter's contract next season, making the guard a free agent.
- Michigan State senior forward Draymond Green says he's been told he'll be selected in the first round of this year's draft, according to Larry Lage from the Associated Press. Green has a workout scheduled with the Celtics
- With James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook all invited to participate in Team USA's training camp this July, The Oklahoman's John Rohde suggests the team take on Thunder head coach Scott Brooks as either a member of the coaching staff or a helpful observer. With three of his players all expected to compete for spots this year and in 2016, it makes sense to have Brooks on board.
- Tommy Dee from Sheridan Hoops gives us five underclassmen who've officially entered the NBA draft that could surprise some people as early as next season if they're selected late.
- In a story from today's Sacramento Bee by Tony Bizjak, it was revealed that the city of Sacramento spent $680K since September in its failed effort to build a downtown sports and entertainment arena.
- On OregonLive.com, several Trail Blazer scribes weigh in on what the team should do with J.J. Hickson.
- In an attempt to alleviate some pain caused by the patellar tendinitis he suffered through all of last season, Bucks forward Luc Mbah a Moute underwent knee surgery on Friday, according to JSOnline.com's Charles F. Gardner. He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for training camp in October.
Mavs Notes: Odom, Mahinmi, Kidd, Williams
There's been plenty of news out of Dallas today after the defending champion Mavs were swept out of the playoffs by the Thunder. Let's round up what we've heard today, with the latest news on top:
- Mavs players decided not to give Lamar Odom a share of the nearly $282K in playoff money the team earned in its first round loss to the Thunder, reports Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Ian Mahinmi probably isn't atop the lengthy offseason to-do list of the Mavs, but the unrestricted free agent center says he'd like to return to Dallas, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter link).
- Despite speculation to the contrary, Jason Kidd says he won't have any influence on where fellow free agent Deron Williams signs, but Shawn Marion has a to-the-point recruiting message he hopes will inspire the Nets point guard to come to Dallas, as Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes.
- Jason Kidd plans to continue his career with the Mavs and hopes that he can recruit Deron Williams to join him and Nowitzki in Dallas, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. There is speculation, though, that Kidd will sign wherever Williams ends up even if that means returning to the Nets organization in Brooklyn. Kidd and Williams share the same agent in Jeff Schwartz, which would seemingly make negotiations easier.
- Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News says Nowitzki wants the Mavs to sign players that can create their own shots and do something dynamic on the court like the Thunder's Big 3. "We need some guys that can make plays for themselves," Nowitzki said. "That's pretty obvious. If you look at all the top teams now, they have at least two-three guys they can throw the ball to and they do their thing."
- Jason Terry may have played his last game for the Mavs after spending eight seasons with the team, reports Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. The former Arizona star is set to become a free agent for the first time in his career and will explore his options before settling on a new home. Terry, 34, was traded to Dallas in 2004 by the Hawks after spending five seasons in Atlanta where he was the team's first-round pick in 1999.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd is heading to the Hall of Fame soon. We just don't know where he's going on the way there. While both the Mavs and Kidd have reportedly indicated a willingness for him to return as a backup next year, it's unclear whether Dallas will be willing to meet his salary demands. Chris Mannix of SI.com reported earlier this week that Kidd is seeking a deal worth about the mid-level exception amount of $5MM a year. The Mavs figure to have plenty of cap room, but any team would be wary of paying that amount to a player who'll turn 40 before next season ends.
Kidd's skills have been in decline for a while now, and the aspect of his game that appeared to take the most significant step back is his playmaking ability, as he dropped from 8.2 APG to a career-low 5.5 this year. The improved outside shot that allowed him to shoot over 40% from three-point range his first three seasons in Dallas has been absent the last two years, as he's shot just 34.5% on treys. He still rebounds at a high rate for a point guard, grabbing 5.2 per 36 minutes this season, but it hasn't kept him from putting up a career-low PER (13.1) for the second year in a row. Perhaps his saving grace has been the ability to force turnovers. He led all postseason performers with 40 steals last year, and through Saturday he was doing so again this year, with 12 steals in four games. Steals, however, don't necessarily mean you're a quality defender, and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle uses cross-matches or a zone to make sure Kidd doesn't have to defend quick point guards.
It's likely most teams will find Kidd's greatest value is his ability to mentor a younger point guard in a role similar to the one Derek Fisher is playing in Oklahoma City. That's clearly what the Mavs have in mind when they think about bringing him back in the hopes that Deron Williams signs to take over the starting role. Kidd has had a Hall of Fame career and owns an NBA championship ring from last season, so he knows what it takes to succeed in the NBA. Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News group said earlier this week the Warriors will explore signing Kidd, a Bay Area native, but that's probably contingent on the unlikely event that Deron Williams signs with Golden State, too. Tayshaun Prince called upon the Pistons to go after a veteran point guard to mentor Brandon Knight, so maybe Kidd heads to Detroit. The Cavs, with young Kyrie Irving in tow, could use some of their ample cap space to go after Kidd, since even at his advanced age, he probably represents an upgrade over current backup point guard Donald Sloan. Kidd could also wind up as Williams' backup in Brooklyn instead of Dallas, as Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com suggests. Both point guards are clients of agent Jeff Schwartz.
Caplan's story also reports that Kidd would like to play two more seasons, which refutes the report earlier in the week from Mannix that Kidd will retire if he doesn't get that mid-level deal. Kidd doesn't think he'll be waiting too long, telling Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, "I'll land somewhere early, I would think." If that's the case, it suggests Kidd won't wait for Deron Williams to decide where he's going. Judging by his comments this week, my guess is he and the Mavs have talked about a deal and are haggling over specifics. If that's the case, I think Kidd's path to Springfield will continue to detour through Dallas.