Central Notes: Cavs, Asik, Dunleavy, Bulls
Here's a look at today's news out of the Central Division..
- In today's mailbag, a reader asks Mary Schmitt-Boyer of the Plain Dealer if the Rockets could be open to dealing an unhappy Omer Asik to the Cavs for Anderson Varejao. It's unlikely for a number of reasons, but a source in Houston says that while Asik is not pleased with backing up Dwight Howard, the Rockets still insist they're not going to trade him. Even if the Rockets changed their minds, they'd likely be looking for a better shooter than Varejao.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com looks back at the offseason that was for the Bulls. Their big get, obviously, was adding Mike Dunleavy on a surprisingly light two-year, $6MM deal. The Dunleavy signing gives Chicago a solid shooter who should be more consistent than Marco Belinelli and Nate Robinson, who signed elsewhere.
- Over the weekend, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe spoke with Bucks GM John Hammond, who spoke glowingly of Larry Sanders. The big man signed a four-year, $44MM contract extension with Milwaukee this offseason.
Odds & Ends: 76ers, Odom, Waiters, Evans
The 76ers took their time in naming a new head coach and they're still working on filling out the staff. New head man Brett Brown made yet another hire today by hiring former Nuggets assistant Chad Iske, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Iske served under George Karl in Denver and has built a great reputation for player development. Here's more from around the Association..
- We've now reached the point with Lamar Odom where it's pointless to talk about his free agency or immediate future in basketball, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein says that Odom might have been the one NBA player who never wanted the 2011 lockout to end as he was still working to rebound mentally from two personal tragedies.
- Cavs guard Dion Waiters isn't the biggest star in the Cleveland backcourt, but he's confident that he's the league's next great two-guard, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- Tyreke Evans is already bonding with his new Pelicans teammates, writes John Reid of the Times Picayune.
- Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival runs down the current list of players who have accepted training camp invites with an NBA team this summer.
Cavs, Kenny Kadji Agree To Terms
Undrafted free agent Kenny Kadji has agreed to sign a non-guaranteed contract with the Cavaliers and will be in camp with the club, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. According to Charania, Kadji turned down several "substantial" offers from overseas in favor of trying to earn a regular-season roster spot with the Cavs.
Kadji, 25, played his senior year at Miami in 2012/13, averaging 12.9 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 36 games with the team. The power forward worked out for the Lakers, Jazz, and Knicks in the weeks leading up to the 2013 draft, and was ranked as the 68th-best prospect in his class by ESPN.com's Chad Ford, but didn't hear his named called on draft night.
By our count, the Cavs have 14 players currently on their roster, and not all of those contracts are guaranteed, so there could be an opening for Kadji to earn a roster spot with a strong camp. The Miami product also played for Cleveland's Summer League squad in Las Vegas last month.
Eastern Links: Heat, Henry Bibby, Pistons, Nets
As we look forward to the Labor Day weekend, let's round up a few end-of-week items out of the Eastern Conference….
- Caron Butler and Lamar Odom are no longer options for the Heat, but neither player was ever a real possibility, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman adds that "there will be other Butler and Odom types that could shake free" over the course of the year for the Heat.
- Former Grizzlies assistant Henry Bibby will join Maurice Cheeks' coaching staff with the Pistons, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Making small adjustments to teams that already have a core in place is Joe Dumars' strength, so the Pistons GM should be well-positioned to handle the next stage of the team's development, writes Dan Feldman of PistonPowered (link via Detroit Free Press).
- Former Queens prep star Kyle Hunt will work out for the Nets in September, reports Joshua Newman of SNY.tv.
- Over at HoopsWorld, Lang Greene's list of potential training-camp logjams includes positional battles for the Celtics, Cavs, Bucks, and Knicks, among other teams.
Cavs, Spurs To Audition Josh Childress
The Cavaliers and Spurs are the latest teams to schedule workouts for Josh Childress, agent Chris Emens tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com (Twitter link). Despite the confirmation of the workout, Childress is one of 40 or more players that Cleveland will audition next month as training camp approaches, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer, so the team may not be especially interested.
Childress has already worked out for the Pelicans and been linked to the Knicks this offseason. He also reportedly turned down a lucrative offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiacos earlier this summer, instead opting to try to latch on with an NBA team. Childress, 30, spent two seasons overseas with Olympiacos but has yet to re-establish himself in the NBA since returning in 2010 with the Suns. It sounds like Childress has a handful of suitors, but as Schmitt Boyer cautions, it is tough to evaluate if he can land an NBA job until we figure out where he will spend training camp.
Odds & Ends: Pierce, Odom, Collins, Cavs
The Sixers took their time in appointing a head coach this summer so it's no surprise to see them making late additions to the staff. Today, Philadelphia plucked Grizzlies assistant Lloyd Pierce to work alongside head coach Brett Brown, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter). Here's more from around the Association..
- A close contact of Lamar Odom told Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork (on Twitter) that even though Odom "is going through a lot in his personal life" he wants to join the Lakers.
- Nets coach Jason Kidd acknowledged that Jason Collins was a candidate to join the team this offseason, but there's no longer a place for the center with 15 men on the roster, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “I think he can still play,” Kidd said. “His knowledge as a veteran. There’s always a veteran that can help a young team. I think he’ll find a job at some point here.”
- Contrary to a report back in May, the Cavs don't plan to bring Hungarian center Greg Somogyi in to training camp, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. The 7'3" big man was with the Lakers, and coach Mike Brown, in training camp last season. The Cavs are still putting together their training camp roster, but they have invited St. Mary's point guard Matthew Dellavedova and are considering former Georgetown forward Henry Sims.
Odds & Ends: Ivey, Cavs, Fredette, Lakers, Draft
Former second-round pick Royal Ivey has never scored more than 5.6 points per game in the NBA, nor has he averaged as many as 20 minutes a night. Still, the 6'3" combo guard has consistently found work in the league, as he's spent the entirety of the last nine seasons on an NBA roster. He's unsigned this summer, but it looks like he'll have a chance to make it an even 10 years in the Association. Ivey will soon work out for the Hawks and Spurs, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Here's more on a few others looking to stick around the NBA awhile:
- It was Carrick Felix's performance over the summer that prompted the Cavs to give the 33rd overall pick a slight bump in his first-year salary, the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto writes. Pluto refers to the contract as a four-year deal, as it was originally reported to be, but Mark Deeks of ShamSports and HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus have it as a three-year pact.
- Pluto has heard renewed chatter linking the Cavs to Jimmer Fredette. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported in early July that the Kings were dangling Fredette and Chuck Hayes in discussions with the Cleveland, but Pluto says the Cavs haven't spoken to Sacramento in more than a month.
- The deal Elias Harris signed with the Lakers isn't fully guaranteed, but he seems a strong bet to make the team, since he's one of only 12 players under contract. Lakers assistant Mark Madsen shares his thoughts on the undrafted Gonzaga power forward with Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
- HoopsWorld's Yannis Koutroupis checks in with a ranking of the top 40 prospects for the vaunted 2014 draft, and names 20 others who could hear their names called next June.
- This week's trade for Tony Wroten is further indication that the Sixers are all-in on player development, opines Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Kyler’s Latest: NBPA, Cavs, Magic, Raptors
Now that Chris Paul has been elected as the new president of the NBA Player's Association, the union's next order of business involves finding an executive director, and the search is expected to be thorough, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. According to Kyler, the hope among players and agents is that the NBPA's new leadership can change what has become a very adversial relationship with the league, so that when the two sides negotiate the next CBA (likely in 2017), they'll enter negotiations with some good will.
In addition to discussing the NBPA, Kyler also explored a few potential trade situations worth watching, so let's round up his key points….
- The Cavaliers have plenty of health questions surrounding players like Andrew Bynum, Anderson Varejao, and Anthony Bennett entering training camp. However, if the team enters the season relatively healthy, there may not be enough frontcourt minutes to go around for those guys, plus Tristan Thompson and Tyler Zeller, meaning trade opportunities could arise.
- There's "little doubt" that the Magic would like to move Glen Davis, according to Kyler. Davis is coming off foot surgery, but if he's on the court and is reasonably productive by February, he'd become a strong trade candidate.
- Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo are also worth keeping an eye on, says Kyler. The Magic like Nelson's leadership qualities, and have indicated that Afflalo is a long-term piece, but both guys would have trade value if the club decided to make them available.
- Kyle Lowry and head coach Dwane Casey didn't always see eye-to-eye last season, and both are in the final year of their contracts with the Raptors. Kyler suggests that if the season gets off to a rough start in Toronto, the club could part ways with one or both of them.
- The Raptors will also have to decide whether Rudy Gay is a core piece, since he has the ability to opt out of his contract next summer. Gay was acquired by old GM Bryan Colangelo, so it's unclear if new head of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is interested in keeping Gay long-term or if he may shop him.
Cavs Sign Anthony Bennett
The Cavaliers announced that they have signed No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett. With Sergey Karasev (No. 19) and Carrick Felix (No. 33) also in the fold, Cleveland has now signed all three 2013 Draft selections.
The Cavs surprised everyone with their selection of Bennett on draft night. While most reports had Cleveland zeroing in on Kentucky's Nerlens Noel or Georgetown's Otto Porter, they instead went with Bennett, an undersized forward out of UNLV. Scouts were enthralled with Bennett's athletcism leading up to the draft, but his shoulder issues prevented him from working out, which caused concern for some talent evaluators.
In his freshman year at UNLV, Bennett averaged 16.1 PPG and 8.1 RPG. The youngster has solid range for a power forward but will have to improve defensively.
Odds & Ends: Tolliver, Bennett, Brewer, Price
The Bobcats officially signed Anthony Tolliver to a one-year deal today and the veteran knows exactly what is expected of him in Charlotte, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “The thing I do that doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet is I space the floor for everybody else,” said the forward. “When I’m out there, (defenders) usually don’t leave me. So that gives the guards larger driving lanes and gives Al [Jefferson] more space under the basket. I take pride in that. I know it’s important to a team.” Here's more from around the Association..
- Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com conducted a Q&A with No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett about being picked first overall, his role with Team Canada and the Cavs, and his chances of winning the Rookie of the Year award. In a poll earlier today, Victor Oladipo, Kelly Olynyk, and others received more votes than Bennett as the ROY pick of Hoops Rumors readers.
- With today's addition of Ronnie Brewer, Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter) notes that the Rockets now have more than 15 players with guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals. They'll have to cut some players between now the start of the season, but one would assume that Brewer is safe.
- Excel Sports would love to steer another client, A.J. Price, over to the T-Wolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). However, the front office is reluctant to add a 15th player with a guaranteed deal. If Price doesn't get an NBA deal, he says that he's willing to explore his options overseas.
Luke Adams and Chuck Myron contributed to this post.