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Odds & Ends: Tanner, Wizards, Teague, Heat

October 14th, 2013 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Agent Jim Tanner, who had previously been a partner at Williams & Connolly LLP, is opening up his own sports and entertainment management business, according to Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg Sports. Tanner will be taking all of his clients, including Tim Duncan, Ray Allen, and Jeremy Lin, with him to the newly-created Tandem Sports & Entertainment. You can view our full list of the new agency’s clients right here.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:

  • There hasn’t been much playing time available for the Wizards‘ camp invitees in the preseason, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Considering Washington already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, the team’s non-guaranteed players will likely just be waived before opening night.
  • Following up on a report that the Timberwolves had shown interest in Marquis Teague, Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities tweets that David Kahn may have had interest in the young point guard, but Flip Saunders hasn’t inquired with the Bulls.
  • The Heat‘s opening night roster may look fairly set, but Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel cautions that the team usually keeps its options open for at least one meaningful in-season move.
  • Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside has the details on a handful of prospects set to enter the D-League’s draft.
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Odds & Ends: Wolves, Teague, Sims, O’Quinn

October 13th, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Timberwolves, like the Jazz, have shown interest at one point or another in Bulls point guard Marquis Teague, a league source tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson doesn’t make it sound as though the Wolves are currently pursuing Teague, but if the Bulls aren’t sold on him, that bodes well for the chances that 38-year-old point guard Mike James makes Chicago’s opening night roster on his non-guaranteed deal. The Tribune scribe checks in with James, who would be the league’s fourth oldest player if he makes the squad, and we’ve got more from around the NBA:

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Eastern Notes: Aldrich, Anderson, Crawford

October 13th, 2013 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Five of the seven teams that are at the offseason roster limit of 20 players reside in the Eastern Conference, so the Sixers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Heat and Knicks will be making plenty of moves between now and October 26th, the deadline for teams to place their camp cuts on waivers. Here’s the latest from the East as cut-down day approaches:

  • Cole Aldrich chose to sign with the Knicks over the Bulls, Kings and Pistons, and though coach Mike Woodson has criticized his play and the team appears to be looking for other backup centers, Aldrich is still favored to make the club, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
  • Former first-round pick James Anderson is resurrecting his career and taking full advantage of the opportunity his non-guaranteed contract with the Sixers presents, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.
  • Celtics teammates and coach Brad Stevens insist Jordan Crawford‘s reputation as a brash ball-hog is off-base, and they’re confident he has the passing ability to thrive as a combo guard as he enters the final year of his rookie scale contract, observes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Grantland’s Zach Lowe notes the high level of optimism surrounding the ex-Wizard (Twitter link).
  • Bucks owner Herb Kohl is walking a fine line as he tries to secure public funding for a new arena in Milwaukee, and he and GM John Hammond are being careful to keep the team competitive while still overhauling the roster, as Michael Hunt of the Journal Sentinel examines.
  • Quincy Acy is about to start the last guaranteed season of his contract with the Raptors, and Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun chronicles the 2012 second-round pick’s efforts to crack the rotation before time runs out.
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Central Notes: Rose, Brown, Zeller

October 12th, 2013 at 9:37pm CST by Spencer Lund

After Derrick Rose sat out the Bulls‘ preseason win over the Wizards at HSBC Arena in Brazil, many thought it was the first dint in his road to recovery. But as the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson reports, it was just a precautionary measure by management:

“I’m good,” Rose told reporters in Brazil. “I could’ve played, but the front office made the decision to sit me out. I can’t complain about it. It’s nothing huge. I know that I should be able to go next game.”

GM Gar Foreman was pretty forthright about the decision, but didn’t want to alarm anyone. “If there’s soreness, then we’re going to rest. Any time you’re dealing with any type of injury or soreness you’re concerned. But it’s not a major red flag or huge concern,” he said.

Here’s what else is happening around the Central division including more on Rose:

  • Johnson tweets that Rose is trying to stay upbeat after experiencing  soreness in the knee on Friday towards the end of practice. But Rose says, “You wouldn’t expect it to happen...I’m trying to stay positive.“
  • Cavs coach Mike Brown tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that he’s determined to make the Cavs better on defense this year, something they’ve struggled with since Brown was let go the same summer LeBron James fled south.
  • The last year Brown helmed the Cavaliers, 2009/10, they ranked 7th in the league on defense. In the three years after he departed, they’ve finished in the bottom 5 each season, including last year’s woeful 27th place finish.
  • Cavs forward Tyler Zeller is out indefinitely after having his appendix removed.
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Central Links: Stuckey, Bulls, Mohammed

October 11th, 2013 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, we heard that Rodney Stuckey would undergo surgery on his thumb, and today the Pistons followed up with another press release announcing that the procedure was successful. With just 15 players under contract, the Pistons have room to bring in players to audition for a roster spot if they’re worried about backcourt depth, but Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) hears that there’s hope within the organization that Stuckey will return by opening night. As such, a roster move is very unlikely.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Within his weekly chat, Larry Coon of HoopsWorld identifies Luol Deng (Bulls) and Danny Granger (Pacers) as two trade candidates to watch as this season’s deadline approaches. However, Coon cautions that if Derrick Rose remains healthy and the Bulls are firmly in the hunt, trading Deng would be hard to justify.
  • Sam Smith of Bulls.com fields plenty of Bulls-related trade inquiries in his latest mailbag, including questions on Deng, Carlos Boozer, and Taj Gibson. Smith also extensively discusses the latest report of discord among the Bulls’ coach and GM, suggesting that it’s been overblown and shouldn’t affect the team. John Paxson also shot down the report this week.
  • Nazr Mohammed, who re-signed with the Bulls this offseason, is interested in pursuing an NBA management role after his player career ends, as he tells Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
  • Earlier today, I asked whether or not the Cavaliers will be a playoff team in 2013/14, and so far, more than 70% of you say yes.
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Eastern Notes: Mason, Irving, Cavs, Magic

October 10th, 2013 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

It took a while for Roger Mason Jr. to land with an NBA team this offseason, as Mason didn’t sign with the Heat until late September. However, that doesn’t mean there was no other interest in the veteran shooter. According to Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), Mason had also been considering the Bulls before a 45-minute conversation with Ray Allen sold him on Miami.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • When asked by a young fan at a community event if he’d leave Cleveland like LeBron James did, Kyrie Irving said he wouldn’t, as Sean Highkin of USA Today details. While we probably shouldn’t assume that’s set in stone, it’ll likely be a while before the Cavs guard hits the open market anyway. Irving still has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract and will be a strong candidate for a long-term extension a year from now.
  • While some observers believe that DeSagana Diop has the inside track on securing a reserve roster spot with the Cavs, Kenny Kadji is making a pretty strong case for the job, writes Bob Finnan of The Plain Dealer (Sulia link). We heard yesterday from another Cleveland scribe, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, that Henry Sims may be Kadji’s primary competition for a roster spot.
  • The Magic see Jacksonville as a good location for a potential D-League affiliate, but it’s not the only possibility, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The Magic’s D-League affiliate for the 2013/14 season is the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, a team they share with the Bobcats, Pistons, Pacers, Grizzlies, and Bucks.
  • New Celtics big man Vitor Faverani isn’t the most verbose guy in the league, but he offers Boston a lot in the way of physical play and pick and rolls, according to Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Traded 2014 First Round Picks To Watch

October 9th, 2013 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

As we saw in 2011 when the draft pick acquired from the Clippers by the Cavaliers ended up landing first overall, trading unprotected first-round picks is a risky proposition for NBA teams. That would explain why, heading into the 2013/14 season, only three ’14 first-round picks have been traded without protection, all by veteran teams expected to have strong years.

The Knicks’ first-round pick will be sent to the Nuggets, as part of New York’s debt from the Carmelo Anthony blockbuster. However, if the Knicks’ pick is less favorable than Denver’s own pick, the Nuggets will pass it along to Orlando, as part of last summer’s four-team Dwight Howard trade. Otherwise, the Magic will receive Denver’s pick.

The Warriors’ first-round pick will head to Utah, one of several picks Golden State sent to the Jazz in the cap-clearing summer deal that saw Andre Iguodala land with the Warriors.

The other unprotected first-rounder will come from the Nets, who agreed to send their pick to Boston in this offseason’s acquisition of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. As part of 2012’s Joe Johnson swap though, the Hawks have the opportunity to swap their own first-round pick with the Nets’ pick, leaving the Celtics with the lesser pick of the two. So if the Nets disappoint this season, it will be the Hawks, rather than the C’s, who benefit most.

Nine other teams have agreed to give up their respective 2014 first-round picks in certain scenarios, but given the protection on these picks, only a handful will actually change hands next summer. We’ll be keeping an eye on the standings all season to monitor whether or not these traded picks will fall under protection, but here’s an early look at the situations to watch this season:

Team: Charlotte Bobcats
Will be sent to: Chicago Bulls
Protection: 1-10
Forecast: Despite the addition of Al Jefferson, the Bobcats still likely project as a lottery team, meaning this pick has a good chance to stay put. That could be good news for the Bulls, since we continue to inch closer to 2016, when this pick will become unprotected.

Team: Dallas Mavericks
Will be sent to: Oklahoma City Thunder
Protection: 1-20
Forecast: Mark Cuban and the Mavs are optimistic about the new-look roster, but I’m skeptical that Dallas is a top-ten team. This pick will probably stay with Dallas.

Team: Detroit Pistons
Will be sent to: Charlotte Bobcats
Protection: 1-8
Forecast: If the Pistons were to finish as a bottom-eight team, I expect there’d be some jobs opening up in Detroit in 2014, given the expectations for the club. I have the Pistons penciled in as a low playoff seed in the East, so this pick should be ticketed for Charlotte.

Team: Indiana Pacers
Will be sent to: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 1-14
Forecast: While the Heat may be the No. 1 seed in the East again, the Pacers shouldn’t be too far behind them. As such, this pick will likely land in the mid-20s and be shipped to Phoenix.

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Will be sent to: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 1-13
Forecast: If the T-Wolves can avoid the injury problems that plagued them last season, they should be a playoff contender. The West will be competitive though, so there are no guarantees either way on this one.

Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Will be sent to: Philadelphia 76ers
Protection: 1-5
Forecast: I’m not bullish on the Pelicans’ postseason chances for 2013/14, but the offseason upgrades, along with continued development from Anthony Davis, should ensure that New Orleans isn’t a bottom-five team. The result could be a pair of lottery picks for the Sixers.

Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Will be sent to: Miami Heat
Protection: 1-14
Forecast: Speaking of those Sixers, it would be truly be a shocker if their own first-rounder changed hands next summer. Many pundits don’t expect the Sixers to win 20 games, let alone earn a playoff spot.

Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Will be sent to: Charlotte Bobcats
Protection: 1-12
Forecast: Like the Wolves, the Blazers expect to be in contention for the postseason, but again, it won’t be easy in the West. This is another pick I could see going either way.

Team: Sacramento Kings
Will be sent to: Cleveland Cavaliers
Protection: 1-12
Forecast: The Kings are entering the season with playoff aspirations as well, but their odds are significantly lower, in my view, than the Wolves’ or Blazers’. I expect we’ll see Sacramento keep this pick.

RealGM.com was used in the creation of this post.

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Eastern Notes: Bulls, Celtics, Pistons

October 8th, 2013 at 8:25pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes from around the Eastern Conference.

  • According to the Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan, Bulls general manager Gar Forman insists there’s no friction between Chicago’s front office and head coach, Tom Thibodeau, and that the team is excited about its young core and new starting five.
  • Celtics.com’s Mark D’Amico writes that new Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is among a new generation of head coaches who value film study more than ever.
  • According to a tweet from the Detroit Free Press reporter Vincent Ellis, the Pistons have yet to decide on a starting shooting guard for opening night, but will likely decide between Chauncey Billups and Rodney Stuckey.
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Bulls Waive Dahntay Jones

October 8th, 2013 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have officially released Dahntay Jones, the team announced today in a press release. The move reduces Chicago’s roster count to 15 players, including 11 on fully guaranteed contracts.

Camp invitees Patrick Christopher and Kalin Lucas had already been cut by the Bulls, so Jones becomes the third player waived by the team this month. With 15 players now under contract, the team could theoretically keep the current roster intact for the start of the regular season. However, the Bulls have traditionally been tax-conscious, so they may release one or two more players before opening night. As our list of non-guaranteed deals shows, Dexter Pittman, Mike James, and D.J. White remain on the bubble, while Erik Murphy is likely safe.

Jones, a former first-round pick, figures to clear waivers and continue to search for an NBA job. The Duke product has spent the last 10 seasons playing for the Grizzlies, Kings, Nuggets, Pacers, Mavericks, and Hawks, but is coming off a down year, having averaged just 3.4 PPG and a 6.4 PER in 2012/13.

We rounded up a few more Bulls-related items earlier this afternoon.

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Bulls Notes: Thibodeau, Forman, Pittman, James

October 8th, 2013 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve heard for months about some potential discord between Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and the team’s front office, but Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports went into more detail over the weekend, as our Chuck Myron outlined on Sunday. On the heels of Wojnarowski’s report, vice president of basketball operations John Paxson took exception with the idea that the relationship between Thibodeau and GM Gar Forman was heading toward a boiling point.

“We’re so far past that,” Paxson told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “To continue to try and keep it going, I don’t know what the agenda is…. If you’re really going to say something like that, then go on the record, be a man, put your name out there. Don’t hide behind that stuff. But from our perspective, from our seat, we’re doing great. The relationship is healthy.”

Here’s the rest of the latest out of Chicago:

  • While he acknowledged that the Bulls brass hasn’t always been on the same page when it comes to certain decisions, Paxson continued to downplay the idea that there’s any lingering disharmony: “No matter what you do in this business, when you’re making decisions, whether it’s based on personnel or anything like that, you’re going to have ideas, different opinions, and that’s what we do. We sit in a room and talk these things through. The thing is, right now we’re all on the same page, and there are no hidden agendas from Gar, myself and Tom.”
  • Within the same piece, Cowley cites a source who says there was some friction when Thibodeau assistant Ron Adams was let go. However, both Thibodeau and Forman “were over it in like a day,” according to the source.
  • Before he accepted a camp invite from the Bulls, Dexter Pittman received offers from the Hawks and Spurs, he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Pittman also spoke to Charania about his new offseason workout regime, and how he feels it’ll help his chances of earning a roster spot in Chicago.
  • Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com takes a look at veteran guard Mike James‘ quest to land a roster spot with the Bulls.
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