Odds & Ends: Heat, Jazz, Bulls, NBPA, Collins
The potential expiring contracts for the Heat's Big Three will be a major topic of conversation throughout the 2013/14 season, but LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both downplayed the subject at Media Day in Miami today.
"You have concern when you feel people want to go elsewhere," Wade said, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). "I don't think nobody is looking to go elsewhere."
Here's more from around the NBA:
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey confirmed that the team is still in talks with Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward about possible rookie-scale extensions, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- In talking to reporters, including Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, about why he decided to sign with the Bulls, Mike Dunleavy Jr. pointed to the team's "high character."
- Dahntay Jones is ready to compete in training camp for a spot on the Bulls' regular-season roster, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune details.
- Former Illinois guard Brandon Paul, who went undrafted in June, explains to Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside why he's heading overseas rather than to NBA training camp. According to Paul, he received and passed on camp invites from the Wolves, Nets, Blazers, and Heat.
- After previously having tackled ten of the best contracts of the offseason, Mark Deeks of HoopsWorld shifts his focus and identifies ten of the worst contracts, including the Bobcats' signing of Al Jefferson, and the Pistons' deal with Josh Smith.
- The NBA Players Association is aiming to have a new executive director in place by the 2014 All-Star break, sources tell Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweets that Jason Collins continues to work out "a ton" as he attempts to stay in shape in the hopes that an NBA team will show interest in signing him once the season gets underway.
- Evaluating the Kings' signing of DeMarcus Cousins to a max extension, Daniel Leroux of RealGM.com gives the team a grade of D+ and the player a grade of A.
Central Rumors: Rose, Butler, Bucks, Bulls
The Bulls opened training camp today, and that meant a return to the practice court with a 100 percent healthy Derrick Rose. The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson relayed quotes from coach Tom Thibodeau, Bulls starters Carlos Boozer and others proclaiming the old Rose's return.
Rose was attacking the basket during scrimmages with a ferocity not seen when he was cleared to play in the spring.
“I got confidence in my (surgically repaired left) knee,” Rose told the Tribune. “There’s no testing anymore. It’s going out there and playing hard and attacking.”
“He attacked all day, in fact from the start,” Thibodeau revealed. “He made that clear.” Boozer added that "Pooh" – Rose's nickname – "had it going. It was like old times."
Rose is doing one thing differently from before tearing his ACL at the start of the 2012 Playoffs.
“I’m really taking stretching serious before and after — when I wake up, before I go to sleep. I just try to get my body as loose as possible because when you have ACL tears, your hamstrings will be the first things that go especially when you’re fatigued. Me building that tolerance up on my leg, I think that will help me in the long run.”
Here's more on Rose's return to practice, Jimmy Butler's excellent showing and divisional rivals, the Bucks…
- The sentiments expressed by the players and coach in the Tribune's piece on the first practice of the 2013/14 season were echoed by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. Derrick Rose is back attacking the rim, and despite some hard fouls was fine with the contact.
- Rose also offered some insight into his decision not to come back for the playoffs last season after being cleared to play. "I knew I wasn’t ready to take on a double team in the playoffs, so I had to make the decision not to come back," Rose said.
- Another player who impressed coach Tom Thibodeau at the first day of practice, was 6'7" swingman Jimmy Butler. Thibs told the Tribune's Johnson "[Butler is] an excellent athlete, very explosive, very quick to the ball. That tells you how he sees the game. His reaction to the ball is special. He's very quick, strong, can think ahead, very strong."
- The former Marquette player won the starting shooting guard spot last season with Chicago after some blanket defense on the wing, and improved 3-point shooting.
- The Sun-Times' Cowley also paid deference to Butler saying that – other than Rose – he got the most attention after the first day of practice.
- After the Bucks were again eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, GM John Hammond started the offseason ready to make big changes, writes the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Charles F. Gardner.
- After hiring a new coach – Larry Drew, formerly of the Hawks – the Bucks traded their point guard Brandon Jennings to the Pistons and let their other guard Monta Ellis leave for the Mavs. Hammond will see what a fresh start can do after the largest roster overhaul in his five years as GM.
Central Notes: Pistons, Monroe, Deng, Cavs
With just over one week left until the NBA's preseason schedule gets underway, let's catch up on a few odds and ends from around the Central Division….
- The Pistons and GM Joe Dumars must be prepared to either give Greg Monroe a max deal or trade him, according to Dan Feldman of PistonPowered (link via Detroit Free Press). If Monroe hits restricted free agency next summer, which appears likely, another team will almost certainly offer him a max deal, so the Pistons shouldn't let it get to that point if they don't intend to match, says Feldman.
- Luol Deng told reporters today, including Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, that he doesn't expect to be distracted by his upcoming free agency this season. "Honestly I would rather not talk about [my contract situation]," Deng said. "Everything will take care of itself." (Twitter links).
- The Cavaliers made a couple front office changes, promoting Trent Redden to assistant GM and Koby Altman to director of player personnel, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
Eastern Links: Wizards, Pistons, Heat, Raps, Bulls
The Wizards have a number of option decisions due before the end of the month, and not all of them will be easy, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com writes. Jan Vesely is coming off a disappointing year, and Chris Singleton has been sidelined by foot surgery, but president Ernie Grunfeld says the team already has a pretty good idea of where its players stand.
"We have a good feel for where [Singleton] is and what he brings to the table and it is an important year for these guys," Grunfeld said. "That's a decision we'll make at the appropriate time which will probably be at the end of [October]."
Here's more from around the East:
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News breaks down a few of the issues the Pistons need to address during training camp, including Brandon Jennings' fit, Greg Monroe's contract situation, and coaxing positive contributions out of Rodney Stuckey.
- The Heat had been hoping to bring in Rodrigue Beaubois "for an audition," but a wrist injury prevented it, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. It's not clear whether Miami would have invited Beaubois to camp or just had him in for a workout, but either way, the possibility doesn't seem to be on the table at the moment.
- In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses the importance of a title for the Heat's potential 2014 free agents, and examines the possibility of a Joel Anthony trade.
- New GM Masai Ujiri is taking a patient approach to retooling the Raptors' roster, and tells Eric Koreen of the National Post that he hopes to eventually wake a "sleeping giant" in Toronto.
- The Bulls may not be the favorites to come out of the East, but there's certainly no shortage of talent and depth on the roster as Chicago prepares to open camp, says Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Smith also fields readers' questions in a mailbag.
Bulls Sign Dahntay Jones
10:23am: The Bulls have officially announced the signing of Jones and their five other camp invitees: Patrick Christopher, Mike James, , Kalin Lucas, Dexter Pittman, and D.J. White. The team's camp roster is now finalized, according to a press release.
9:04am: 10-year veteran Dahntay Jones has found an NBA home for at least the next few weeks, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com, who hears from agent Mark Bartelstein that Jones will sign with the Bulls (Twitter link).
Jones, 32, has spent time with the Grizzlies, Kings, Nuggets, Pacers, Mavericks, and Hawks since being drafted 20th overall in 2003. He enjoyed his best run with the Pacers from 2009 to 2012, averaging 7.6 PPG and an 11.1 PER in three seasons with the team. In 2012/13, he played limited minutes in 78 total contests for Dallas and Atlanta, scoring 3.4 PPG and shooting just 36.9% from the floor, by far his worst mark since his rookie year.
The Bulls, who have traditionally been averse to paying tax penalties, are over the threshold this year, but may look to reduce their bill by carrying the minimum 13 players. In that case, there would likely only be one spot up for grabs for the team's camp invitees, since 11 players have guaranteed contracts, and rookie Erik Murphy has a $250K guarantee on his deal. That will make it an uphill battle for Jones to earn a regular-season roster spot, though his chances would increase if Chicago decided to carry 14 or 15 players.
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Wizards, Hawks
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune discusses the health of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, Luol Deng's uncertain long-term future with the franchise, how Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look to mesh with the roster, and how Jimmy Butler will handle a move to starting shooting guard as five things to look at for the Bulls going into fall. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago (via Twitter) says that Chicago's official training camp roster is expected to be released tomorrow but doesn't expect Malcolm Thomas or Chris Wright to be on the list.
- Michael Lee of CSN Washington wonders if John Wall is ready to lead the Wizards to the playoffs, who will step up in the absence of Emeka Okafor, if Bradley Beal is primed for a breakout season, what to expect from Otto Porter, and the health of Nene as the team's top storylines heading into training camp.
- Hawks GM Danny Ferry wouldn't set a timeline for the return of Louis Williams (who is still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery), though he did say that the eighth-year guard has been playing one-on-one games and has had no restrictions in doing so. Ferry also appeared encouraged about what Dennis Schröder can contribute to the team now as a promising prospect and said that Lucas Nogueira and Mike Muscala still need to continue their development overseas (USA Today via the Associated Press).
- As Tom Layman of the Boston Herald points out, Celtics coach Brad Stevens will look toward Avery Bradley to be the team's floor general while they wait for the return of Rajon Rondo. In another piece, a handful of college coaches had positive comments for Stevens regarding how they believe he'll be able to transition to the NBA game (NBA.com via the Associated Press).
- With Steve Mills in place as the Knicks' newest GM, Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld thinks that it will be important for Mills to start forming a strong relationship with Carmelo Anthony now, especially with the possibility that he could become a free agent this upcoming summer.
- Since arriving in New York City, Anthony has been able to build his brand and explore plenty of business opportunities, writes Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. From the sound of it, Zwerling doesn't think that Anthony will be leaving New York anytime soon, even with an opt-out clause at the end of the season.
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York examines the orange and blue's current situation at small forward.
- With the rest of the NBA's power elite growing tired of the Heat's dominance, Sam Amick of USA Today delves into why the 2013/14 season could be Miami's toughest campaign for a title yet. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the Bulls are especially eager to put a halt to the Heat's reign as the NBA's top dog.
Bulls To Sign D.J. White
Free agent forward D.J. White will join the Bulls for training camp, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). While it sounds as if White will be on a non-guaranteed contract, Stein reports that he'll be given a chance to earn a regular-season roster spot.
White, 27, appeared in 12 games last season for the Celtics after returning from China, but was included in the blockbuster trade that sent him to Brooklyn along with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry. The Nets waived him shortly thereafter, and White was said last month to be mulling another stint in China. Although the former first-rounder didn't see the court much in Boston, he has been reasonably productive in parts of five NBA seasons, recording a career PER of 14.6.
For the Bulls, White will be the 17th player on the camp roster, but only 11 of those 17 guys have fully guaranteed deals. Erik Murphy, who has a $250K guarantee, figures to make the team, but that still leaves as many as three open spots for camp invitees like White, Dexter Pittman, Patrick Christopher, Mike James, and Kalin Lucas. Even if Chicago doesn't carry a full 15-man roster due to tax concerns, at least one – and perhaps two – of those non-guaranteed players should end up on the roster to reach the minimum requirement.
Central Notes: Granger, Thibodeau, Pistons
A few notes from around the Central Division.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld spoke to a leading surgeon and sports medicine expert about Danny Granger's health, and how it will affect his on-court contributions going forward.
- According to the Detroit Free Press' Keith Langlois, the Pistons likely won't invite any more than the 15 players they currently have under contract to training camp.
- Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau speaks to HoopsWorld.com's Yannis Koutroupis about the new challenges his team will face this season, including improved competition in the Central Division.
Central Notes: Posey, Cavs, Deng, Pistons
Let's round up a few odds and ends from around the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers' D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, has officially hired James Posey as an assistant coach on Steve Hetzel's staff, according to a press release from the Cavs. The longtime NBA swingman last played in 2010/11.
- With the Bulls deciding to put extension talks for Luol Deng on hold, agent Herb Rudoy tells David Aldridge of NBA.com that he fully intends to take his client to free agency. "He loves being there, and he loves playing for [coach Tom] Thibodeau," Rudoy said of Deng. "Loves playing for him. But he has to see what the market is."
- If the Pistons plan to make trades at this season's deadline, the team's potential excess of small forwards and guards could create some opportunities, writes Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press.
Central Notes: Pacers, Watson, Rose, Bulls
Here's a quick look at the Central Division..
- The HoopsWorld staff previewed the season ahead for the Pacers. In the estimation of Joel Brigham, Indiana's best offseason addition was guard C.J. Watson. Even though George Hill has done better at point guard than most expected, it will benefit them to have a more traditional one-guard, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
- Former MVP Derrick Rose is ready to lead the Bulls once again, the Associated Press writes. The guard will step on to the court after a lengthy absence, but he says he has no doubts about being able to get back to top form. "I put so much into my craft," he said. "I'm working hard. I think I'm one of the hardest workers in the NBA, if not the hardest worker. I think you should see it in my game when I step on the court."
- Earlier today, Chuck Myron checked in on former Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson in the latest installment of Free Agent Stock Watch.