Central Notes: Onuaku, Bulls, Bucks
Indiana’s loss to the Warriors on Tuesday kept the Pacers from clinching a playoff berth, but the team will lock up a trip to the postseason the next time it wins a game. Once that happens, that means the team’s first-round pick is guaranteed to go to Phoenix, as I noted today when I looked at protected first-rounders that could be changing hands. Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Cavs re-signed Arinze Onuaku to another 10-day contract Tuesday even though he saw just 50 seconds of playing time on his first 10-day deal, but the big man’s experience with the team’s D-League affiliate has already allowed the club to evaluate him. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has the details, noting that Onuaku’s presence on the roster is likely tied to the health of Anderson Varejao.
- The increasing value of Joakim Noah makes it less likely the Bulls would chase Carmelo Anthony this summer, as Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald explains.
- Improved chemistry with the additions of Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adrien has helped the Bucks improve their play since the trade deadline, observes Genaro C. Armas of The Associated Press. Of course, wins will come at the expense of the team’s lottery position. Our Reverse Standings show the Bucks have just one fewer loss than the Sixers as they try to hold off Philadelphia for the best chance at the No. 1 overall pick.
Cavs Sign Arinze Onuaku To Second 10-Day
TUESDAY, 10:40am: Cleveland has made the signing official, the team announced on its website.
MONDAY, 9:48pm: The Cavaliers will sign forward Arinze Onuaku to a second 10-day contract, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. Onuaku’s first 10-day deal expired on Monday.
Before hooking on with Cleveland, the undrafted 6’9″ forward also found his way to a deal with the Pelicans. In four games this season for the Cavs and Pelicans, Onuaku has scored three points and grabbed seven rebounds in 26 minutes.
The 26-year-old spent parts of the past two seasons with the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s D-League affiliate. This season, he has appeared in 27 games for Canton with averages of 14.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 24.2 MPG.
Odds & Ends: Wade, Colangelo, Deng
The Heat seem to be chief in Dwyane Wade‘s mind as he eyes his early termination option this summer, but the decision won’t necessarily be straightforward, as he tells TNT’s David Aldridge, who shared Wade’s thoughts in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.
“Well, I want to be here,” Wade said. “I think that’s always the things I’ve always said and I’ve always expressed. And after that, I want to win. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m starting over and I’m rebuilding. I want to win. And I want to be on a team that has an opportunity to do that, and feel like I’m a big part of that. This is where I want to be. But as players, [having] options is good. Because you don’t know what is to happen or what is to come. So for us, I think we’re in a great situation. Guys have options as players, and they can exercise those options. Who knows what that means? But right now, for us, we’re on a very good team. We enjoy each other. We enjoy this city and we enjoy playing for this organization, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Here’s more from Aldridge’s piece and other news from around the league:
- Bryan Colangelo spoke with Aldridge and attempted to walk back his comments from Friday in which he said he tried to tank as GM of the Raptors in 2011/12.
- The Pacers reportedly spoke with the Cavs about Luol Deng before the trade deadline, but Andrew Perna of RealGM hears Indiana had no interest in the soon-to-be free agent (Twitter link).
- The Rockets have recalled Troy Daniels from the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. Daniels had been with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers before the Rockets signed him last month. Houston immediately assigned him back there after inking the deal, which is for the minimum salary, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes in an update to the team’s salary page.
Eastern Notes: Fredette, Silver, Stoudemire
Commissioner Adam Silver not only defended the Sixers, but praised the organization’s strategy for attempting to build a championship contender, writes Jason Wolf of USA Today. This comes a day after former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy slammed the Sixers’ apparent willingness to field a non-competitive team and tank a season to improve its draft stock. “I don’t agree with Coach Van Gundy at all,” Silver said. “I just came from the locker room, I just spoke to the coach. It’s an insult to the entire league to suggest that these guys are going out on the floor and aren’t doing their very best to win games.” Tom Moore of Calkins Media tweeted that Silver said the team isn’t tanking, but rather “building from the ground up.” Silver also told Moore (Twitter link) that he “doesn’t believe a team has to go all the way to the bottom to get to the top.”
More from around the east:
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald relays why he thinks Jimmer Fredette would have been a bad fit with the Cavs. He cites the player’s size and lack of defensive ability making him a poor mesh with Mike Brown‘s system, in addition to the presence of Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles, who would limit Fredette’s minutes.
- Fredette will be available to play today against the Knicks, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Fredette put up a career high 24 points against them last month. Johnson also tweets that coach Tom Thibodeau doesn’t want to pre-judge Jimmer’s defensive abilities.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link) asked Fredette if the Knicks had shown any interest, and Jimmer said they hadn’t contacted him or his agent. Mike Woodson had indicated the Knicks didn’t want to wait on him, and they made their moves earlier with the signings of Earl Clark and Shannon Brown.
- With the Cavs Luol Deng set to become a free agent after the season, Bob Finnan of the News Herald thinks the team would be better served to re-sign Spencer Hawes instead. He cites Hawes’ production since arriving, as well as the age difference between the two. Finnan also notes that Hawes should come cheaper than Deng, which would allow for more cap flexibility.
- Brett Pollakoff of NBCSports.com discusses why the Knicks couldn’t deal Amar’e Stoudemire‘s expiring contract to a team that still hasn’t used its amnesty provision.
Central Notes: Bynum, Ilyasova, Fredette
Chronic knee injuries have taken a permanent toll on Andrew Bynum, who will have to play through pain for the rest of his career. The Pacers big man says he has the drive to push through the injuries and contribute at a high level again, despite a lost season with the Sixers and an ugly release from the Cavs this year, he tells Candace Buckner of The Indy Star. “My motivation is because I want a championship. I want to play.” Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Bynum admits to Buckner that he launched a half court shot and mocked an assistant coach in Cleveland out of frustration, which was rumored as the impetus behind the Cavs choice to suspend and then release him.
- Bynum found Cavs coach Mike Brown‘s system too complex, and the winning attitudes in Cleveland lacking. Alternately, Bynum is impressed with the Pacers culture. “It’s better, it’s more structured. You’re here, they do what they need to do with you and then you’re out. It’s not like something is going on forever. Everything has a plan and you try to stick to it and accomplish it, that’s always good.”
- Ersan Ilyasova tells Charles F. Gardner of Milwauke Journal Sentinel that he’s hoping the latest reset for the Bucks will be the last for a while. “Even last year being in the playoffs and we were hoping we were going to build on it. I came back to Milwaukee and it was like a new team. It’s really frustrating but at some point we have to find stability,” says Ilyasova. “We have a great organization. We have good fans, but we just have to be consistent with what we do. At some point I’m hoping we find the right pieces. I feel really comfortable being with the Milwaukee Bucks. We’ve had a lot of change, but I hope we find the right players.” Ilyasova requested a trade earlier in the year, but while Milwaukee shipped out guards Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour, they held on to the 26-year-old power forward they signed to a five-year, $40MM contract two offseasons ago.
- Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders thinks the Jimmer Fredette signing by the Bulls will be good for both the team and player. Chicago needs outside shooting, which Fredette can provide, and Fredette needs playing time to rebuild his value before becoming a free agent this offseason.
Kings Agree To Buyout With Jimmer Fredette
5:52pm: Fredette is “strongly leaning” towards joining the Bulls once he clears waivers, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link).
3:26pm: The Kings and Jimmer Fredette have reached agreement on a buyout, the team announced. Sacramento’s press release doesn’t specifically state that the team has placed him on waivers, but presumably that’s the case. The Kings and Fredette’s representatives with Octagon Sports have been engaged in buyout talks this week after Sacramento failed to find a new home for its former 10th overall pick before the trade deadline.
Fredette will likely become a free agent on Saturday, and the Cavs and Bulls appear to be the teams with the most significant interest in signing him. Fredette is reportedly cool on the idea of joining Cleveland and is strongly considering latching on with a playoff team from the Eastern Conference. Chicago is pursuing others on the buyout market, but its best shot at landing a player of note appears to be with Fredette. The Grizzlies had interest, but Fredette was leaning against signing with Memphis in the hours before the Grizzlies claimed Beno Udrih off waivers Thursday, likely short-circuiting any chance of Fredette ending up with them.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio nonetheless hears the Grizzlies, as well as the Nuggets, are intrigued, and he names the Jazz a likely suitor as well. The Cavs are a long shot, according to Amico.
It’s not clear how much of Fredette’s $2,439,840 salary he’s giving up in the arrangement. The Kings declined the fourth-year option on his rookie scale contract, so he was due to hit free agency this summer. He never lived up to his draft position in Sacramento, where he saw his playing time shrink with each passing season. Still, he’s shooting 49.3% from three-point range with a 16.5 PER this season in 11.3 minutes per game.
“This was a very tough decision, but we’re confident that the agreement reached today represents the most productive path forward, both for Jimmer and the Kings,” Sacramento GM Pete D’Alessandro said. “Echoing a sentiment that everyone who knows him appreciates about Jimmer, he’s a tremendous person and a consummate professional. We thank him for the meaningful contributions he made to the team and in the Sacramento community. On behalf of an entire organization, we wish him nothing but great success in the future.”
The move opens a roster spot, and a report earlier this week indicated the team was likely to fill it with a 10-day contract for fellow former first-round pick Royce White. Still, coach Michael Malone said Thursday that such a move wouldn’t be happening soon.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Jimmer Fredette, Kings Close To Buyout
10:31am: The Cavs are indeed interested in Fredette, according to a full story from Stein, who reiterates that the Bulls are also going after the sharpshooter. Stein hears Fredette is strongly considering a playoff-bound team in the East. Fredette and the Kings still haven’t reached agreement on a buyout, but that could happen as soon as today, sources tell Stein.
8:57am: The Cavs are unlikely to have interest in Fredette, unless today’s medical exams on the injured Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles go poorly, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal explains. Fredette wouldn’t want to sign with Cleveland anyway, according to an earlier report (linked below).
THURSDAY, 8:19am: The Bulls are a contender with an outside chance at landing Fredette, Stein tweets
1:01pm: The former BYU star is leaning against signing with the Grizzlies, according to Stein (on Twitter).
12:12pm: Fredette doesn’t have interest in joining the Cavs, Amico hears (Twitter link). Amico suggested Tuesday that Cleveland could get involved with the former BYU star, but it appears that’s not going to happen.
WEDNESDAY, 11:41am: The buyout is on track to be complete today, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
TUESDAY, 1:00pm: The Grizzlies are in on Fredette, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis has pursued Fredette via trade since last season, Stein adds in a second tweet.
11:46am: The Cavs had interest in Fredette before the trade deadline, too, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who suggests that Cleveland could be in the mix again, even though the trade talks didn’t make much progress. The Jazz have had no discussions about adding Fredette, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
11:32am: Some in the Warriors front office are high on Fredette, but the team is unlikely to have interest in signing him if he becomes a free agent, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link).
9:20am: The Nuggets had “significant” talks with the Kings about Fredette before the deadline, Wojnarowski notes, pointing out that Denver elected to trade for Aaron Brooks instead (Twitter link). Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders identifies the Knicks as a “team to watch” in a potential race for Fredette, citing New York’s desire to add three-point shooting as well as potential legal trouble surrounding Raymond Felton (Twitter links). Felton was arrested overnight and faces three counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
8:51am: Jimmer Fredette and the Kings are nearing a buyout agreement, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Several teams are expected to have interest in signing the former 10th overall pick for the rest of the season.
Fredette had been a frequent subject of trade rumors, but the Kings couldn’t find a taker for his expiring contract, worth $2,439,840 this year. The Kings declined his 2014/15 option before this season began, setting him up for unrestricted free agency this summer. Now it appears he’ll hit the market even sooner.
The one-time college superstar at BYU has yet to approach that kind of success in the NBA, averaging 7.0 points in 15.0 minutes per game over two and a half seasons. His minutes and scoring have declined in both seasons since his rookie year, and his numbers are just 5.9 PPG and 11.3 MPG in 2013/14. He’s nonetheless improved his three-point accuracy every year, and is up to an impressive 49.3% this season, albeit on just 73 attempts.
The timing of the news is somewhat surprising, since the Kings traded Marcus Thornton to the Nets last week and announced this weekend that Jason Terry will miss the rest of the season, which might have opened up minutes for Fredette. Still, Isaiah Thomas, Ben McLemore and Ray McCallum are all still competing for backcourt playing time.
Odds & Ends: Shaw, Vesely, Singleton
Nuggets coach Brian Shaw refuted the idea that he hates his roster and vice-versa, writes Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post. Dempsey says that the potentially harmful narrative arose out of a few radio interviews that the rookie head coach had done earlier this week. Shaw addressed the topic earlier today:
“I can’t remember who it was that asked me yesterday; he said ‘Would you have taken this job with the roster, if it was just the guys who are healthy and playing right now would you have taken this job?’…I said ‘Yeah, I most likely would have taken it.’ But the expectation and everything else would have been different, knowing if there wasn’t going to be (Danilo Gallinari, JaVale McGee, and Nate Robinson) for half the season and the situation be what it is…I don’t hate the roster. What I hate is having to beg guys to play. That simple. That shouldn’t be a part of what coaching should be. And circumstances are what they are. None of us asked for it.”
Here are some more miscellaneous news and notes to pass along this evening:
- Forward Jan Vesely intends to continue playing in the NBA rather than returning to Europe after his rookie scale contract runs out at season’s end, agent Alex Raskovic tweets.
- Chris Singleton will hit unrestricted free agency after the Wizards declined his fourth-year option before the season, so he knows his next contract is at stake as he attempts to fill in for an injured Nene Hilario, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com examines.
- The Thunder were prepared to give up their own 2014 first-rounder in a deadline deal, but Zach Lowe of Grantland hasn’t heard any suggestion that they were ready to part with the first-rounder the Mavericks owe them. That Dallas pick will likely come higher in the draft order.
- Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was complimentary about Earl Clark, who is reportedly finalizing a contract to join the Knicks: “He’s a good player…He’s going to help (New York), especially in that system playing pick-and-roll and spreading the floor.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Central Notes: Irving, Billups, Bucks
Kyrie Irving denies that he wants out of Cleveland, but those close to him have long made it known that he’d like to play elsewhere, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Some members of the Cavs organization aren’t sure that he’s deserving of a maximum-salary contract, though it’s likely that Cleveland will seek to extend Irving this summer and make him its Designated Player, Windhorst writes. The starting salary in such a deal would have to be for the max. Irving may prefer to sign a shorter deal that gives him the ability to opt out and hit unrestricted free agency more quickly, as Windhorst examines in a piece that looks forward to what promises to be one of the offseason’s marquee story lines. Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Chauncey Billups hopes to make it back from a torn left meniscus this season, but he acknowledges the injury may prompt him to retire, MLive’s David Mayo observes. The Pistons hold a team option worth $2.5MM for the final season of their contract with Billups next year.
- Former Bucks swingman Junior Bridgeman is interested in buying a minority stake in the team, reports Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel, who adds that the Bucks are high on the idea, too. Owner Herb Kohl has been seeking investors willing to buy minority shares of the team. Bridgeman owns a share of the Kings that he would have to divest before buying into the Bucks.
- Mike D’Antoni spoke to Pacers assistant coach Nate McMillan about a gig on the Lakers staff before he took his job with Indiana, as McMillan tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Amico On Deng, Lakers, LeBron, Bosh
Will Luol Deng stay in Cleveland beyond this year? While there has been speculation that he’ll bolt this summer, execs tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio the Cavs can hang on to him if things change. That means getting hot to close out the season and possibly shaking up the roster/coaching staff. More from Amico’s column..
- Most execs feel LeBron James will either return to the Heat or shock everyone and aim for the ultimate redemption story by returning to the Cavs. The Heat, however, are believed to be way in front of everyone.
- One GM told Amico that it’s hard to know whether the Lakers are a real possibility for Carmelo Anthony or if it’s just wishful thinking from Lakers fans.
- It seems most GMs feel Chris Bosh, and not Anthony, is the second biggest potential prize on the upcoming market. But if James goes back to the Heat, Bosh will, too. If James flees Miami, the Lakers are secretly interested, sources tell Amico.
- Kobe Bryant is probably the only one who can convince Pau Gasol to stay with the Lakers. Gasol would love a return to Memphis, but the Grizzlies aren’t exactly big spenders.
- If Kevin Garnett retires, Amico gets the sense that fellow Nets vet Paul Pierce could wind up anywhere.