Central Notes: Cavs, Scott, Maggette, Rose
Last night, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving was asked if he'd be disappointed to see coach Byron Scott go and essentially issued a no comment. Scott is definitely on the hot seat as the season comes to a close, but will he survive? Here's more on that and other notes out of the Central..
- Scott could be hanging on to his job with his fingertips, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald (on Twitter). While many people are weighing in on whether Scott should keep his job, the only opinions that truly matter are those of Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert and GM Chris Grant. However, they're not saying anything publicly either. If they make a move, Finnan suggests that Nate McMillan and Stan Van Gundy would be strong candidates.
- Tom Van Riper of Forbes released a list of the NBA's most overpaid players and ranked the Pistons' Corey Maggette sixth. Van Riper notes that Maggette has never played a full 82-game season in his 14-year career and even though he can score, he has career averages of 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 45% shooting. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony is at the very top of the list, which is especially surprising given his recent play.
- Derrick Rose still isn't ruling out playing this season, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The guard also says that playing on a minutes limit wouldn't bother him.
Odds & Ends: Scott, Irving, Nowitzki, Gordon
There's a lot of concern over Danilo Gallinari's season-ending injury, but Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post doesn't think it puts much of a dent in the Nuggets' playoff chances. Most Hoops Rumors readers believe the Nuggets had no chance of a title anyway, though our readers picked Denver as the most likely "Cinderella" team to make the NBA Finals this year. Here's more from around the Association..
- When asked whether he supports Byron Scott and would be disappointed if he were fired, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving said he did not want to address the topic at this time, according to Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Scott is one of many NBA coaches perceived to be on the hot seat after the season and a lack of support from Irving could hurt his case.
- Dirk Nowitzki reiterated his desire to stay with the Mavericks, but also says that he wants to play for a championship again in his final couple of years, tweets Dwain Price of the Star Telegram.
- The Hornets will probably still be open to trading Eric Gordon this summer, sources tell John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer gives his take on end-of-season awards with the final night of the regular season just 10 days away. Not surprisingly, he has LeBron James winning his fourth MVP award in five years.
- Kobe Bryant says that he doesn't want to play point guard just to extend his career, but he has looked awfully good doing it, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
Samardo Samuels Signs To Play In Israel
Former Cavaliers power forward Samardo Samuels has signed with Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem, David Pick of Eurobasket reports. The move had appeared close since earlier this week. Samardo's deal will cover two months and pay him $50K, excluding any extra cash he may earn with the team in postseason play. That pales in comparison to the $356,833 worth of prorated minimum salary he garnered for a partial season in the NBA with Cleveland this year.
The Cavs waived Samuels in January, right before his contract would have become fully guaranteed for the season. He was in the third year of a deal he signed with the team after going undrafted out of Louisville in 2010. Samuels averaged 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game for Cleveland this year, a decline from the 7.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG he put up in 18.9 minutes per contest as a rookie. Despite interest from the Nets and Thunder, and later the Grizzlies, Samuels signed in the D-League shortly after his release from the Cavs and notched 19.8 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 32 games for the Reno Bighorns.
Hapoel Jerusalem had Craig Smith, another ex-NBA power forward, on its roster until he experienced a falling out with head coach Sharon Drucker, prompting the team to cut Smith loose in March. Among the other players the team considered before deciding on Samuels were Othello Hunter, who spent parts of two seasons with the Hawks in 2008/09 and 2009/10, and Rick Jackson, who was in camp this past fall with the Warriors.
Stein On Van Gundy, Clippers, Pistons, Grizzlies
In his Weekend Dime column, ESPN.com's Marc Stein takes us on a ride around the NBA coaching carousel. You must be this tall to check out the highlights..
- According to sources, Stan Van Gundy's availability already has the Clippers highly intrigued. That doesn't bode well for coach Vinny Del Negro, who might not even be able to save his job with a deep playoff run.
- No team in coaching circles is rated as more likely to make a change than the Pistons. Sources consistently say that Lawrence Frank is going to be ousted when the season is over based on the lack of responsiveness from his players. It would be a big surprise at this stage if the Pistons aren't soon in the market for a coach and they make target a former player.
- One coaching source says that it is "very likely" that Lionel Hollins will get a new deal from the Grizzlies after the playoffs. Word is that they'll still probably keep him in the event of a first round exit.
- More than one source says that Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is a coach in potential jeopardy, which undoubtedly stems from Michael Jordan's recent promise to season-ticket holders that major offseason changes are on the way. Stein doesn't think that the criticism for Dunlap is fair considering the group that he has to work with.
- Sources continue to link Kelvin Sampson to the Bucks' opening, but interim coach Jim Boylan could get the full-time gig still.
- One source with knowledge of the Suns said this week that Lindsey Hunter has a "good shot" to become the permanent head coach at season's end.
- Byron Scott is believed to have the support of the front office, but there is a growing sense in Cleveland that owner Dan Gilbert will make a change regardless. The coach had had to deal with the absences of Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejao, and Dion Waiters throughout the year.
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman appears to be safe and he should have less to worry about that the aforementioned coaches on the hot seat.
Central Notes: George, Rose, Cavaliers
As the Bulls take the court in Brooklyn tonight, here's a quick look around the NBA's Central Division.
- Pacers All-Star forward Paul George has been phenomenal on the defensive end all season long. Here he speaks with Indianapolis Star reporter Michael Pointer about how difficult it is to defend Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the game's premier scorer.
- ESPNChicago.com's Nick Freidell gives the latest on whether Derrick Rose will return to action this season.
- Bob Finnan, from The New-Herald, writes that Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson still has support for the team's head coach, Byron Scott.
Central Notes: Frank, Bucks, Scott, Cavs
The Pacers boast the second-longest current winning streak in the NBA at five games, but every other team in the division is on a losing streak, including the banged-up Bulls, who are down to sixth place in the Eastern Conference. There's news about the three Central Division clubs even further down in the standings, as we pass along:
- In response to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski and Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports that Pistons coach Lawrence Frank could be a "strong candidate" for the open coaching job at Rutgers, Frank said he has not been contacted by anyone and added, "I'm very happy as coach of Pistons," tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- With expansion off the table for the NBA, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler anticipates the Bucks will be the next team in the conversation to move once the future of the Kings is resolved. Kyler cautions that the Bucks have a lease that runs through September of 2017 (All Twitter links).
- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott isn't concerned with rumors questioning his future in Cleveland, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio notes via Twitter. "Not really. … Whatever happens happens," Scott said.
- Amico believes an attitude adjustment, rather than draft picks or cap space, is what the Cavs need in order to turn the franchise back into a winner. He points to the team's 10-game losing streak as a product of an "organization-wide collapse" that can't be pinned solely on Scott or anyone else.
Central Notes: Pistons, Calderon, Cavaliers
Last week, Pistons point guard Jose Calderon said that he wasn't ready to close the door on a reunion with the Raptors after spending an enjoyable seven-and-a-half years there. Even though Calderon might have an affinity for Toronto, it's unlikely that he'll be in red-and-black next year because of their cap situation. Besides, based on recent comments from Joe Dumars, it seems like he's appreciated in Detroit. Here's more on Calderon and the rest of the Central..
- The Pistons would like to re-sign Calderon, and even though the team's poor play of late hasn't dissuaded the point guard from coming back, Calderon is non-committal about his free agent plans, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press details. Ellis suggests Calderon could command an annual salary of $6MM-$7MM.
- The summer ahead is crucial for the Pistons, opines MLive's David Mayo, who believes coach Lawrence Frank will be retained, albeit with a short leash for next season, despite rumors that he won't be back for 2013/14.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal quotes an unnamed Cavs player who questions coach Byron Scott's grueling shootarounds and practices as well as his in-game strategy. Lloyd hears from another member of the organization perplexed by Scott's usage of Kyrie Irving. The Cavs picked up his $4.5MM option for next season, but it's not certain the team will retain him for 2013/14.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Amnesty Obligation Set To Expire For 3 Teams
The amnesty provision provides salary cap relief, but any team that uses the provision still must pay the player it waives. That extra money could be burdensome to owners who have to field rosters on top of their obligation to a player who is no longer around. As our amnesty tracker shows, precisely half of the league's 30 teams have used the one-time chance to erase a contract from the salary cap, if not the payroll. Some of those contracts were up after last season anyway, so those teams — the Knicks, Pacers and Warriors — are free of any amnesty-related burden. Three more teams will see their amnestied contracts expire at the end of the season. They're listed here, along with the player and the team's obligation in parentheses.
- Sixers: Elton Brand ($16,059,855)
- Cavaliers: Baron Davis ($13,900,000)
- Clippers: Ryan Gomes ($4,000,000)
The Clippers might have received a small portion of relief via set-off rights when Gomes signed last November to play in Germany. The value of Gomes' deal overseas is unclear, but it would have to be for more than $762,195 to let the Clippers off the hook for any of the money they owe him. I doubt Gomes earned that much from his German club, particularly since he and the team parted ways in January.
Getting released from the $4MM Gomes burden probably won't have much effect on the Clippers' offseason plans this year, but it will be interesting to see what the other two teams on that list do when they aren't paying eight-figure salaries to guys who aren't on the roster. Since Andrew Bynum is missing the entire season because of his troublesome knees, the Sixers actually have two high-dollar obligations that aren't paying dividends this year, totaling $32,948,855. Freed of that dead money, perhaps the Sixers will be willing to spend freely on Bynum or another sought-after free agent this summer. The same could be the case for the Cavs, who largely eschewed free agents last summer and, at little more than $54MM, have one of the smallest team salary totals this season. That number doesn't include Davis' amnestied salary, which, if it were applied to the cap, would bring Cleveland within a few million of the $70.307MM tax line.
Nine teams have to wait at least one more season for their amnesty burdens to disappear. Those squads are listed here with the amnestied player, plus the remaining salary obligation and the year the contract expires in parentheses.
- Magic: Gilbert Arenas ($43,154,456 — 2014)
- Mavericks: Brendan Haywood ($14,607,812 — 2015)
- Nets: Travis Outlaw ($8,000,000 — 2015)
- Nuggets: Chris Andersen ($4,818,000 — 2014)
- Rockets: Luis Scola ($1,847,619 — 2015)
- Suns: Josh Childress ($14,500,000 — 2015)
- Timberwolves: Darko Milicic ($1,755,000 — 2014)
- Trail Blazers: Brandon Roy ($37,206,258 — 2015)
- Wizards: Andray Blatche ($16,266,260 — 2015)
ShamSports was used in the creation of this post.
Eastern Links: Rose, Irving, Iverson
Thunder reserve Ronnie Brewer tells Shams Charania of RealGM he thinks that "it was unfortunate" that the Bulls announced Derrick Rose was cleared to play, elaborating that being 110% mentally ready is just as important as being physically ready: "I don’t think anybody really knows…I don’t think the doctors know. I don’t think any of the players know. Whatever it is, I don’t think he should rush back and not be confident to play, because if you’re not playing with confidence, then everything goes out the window.”
Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- There was some confusion about Kyrie Irving's status coming out of Cavaliers camp today, as forward Luke Walton hinted that Irving could be coming back soon shortly after Byron Scott told the media that there weren't any updates on the second year point guard (other than he was getting shots up at practice). Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer clarifies that Irving has been working out hard before games and made note that he has reached the third week of a three-to-four week recovery period since spraining his shoulder earlier this month.
- During tonight's game between the 76ers and Bobcats, Dei Lynam of CSN Philly caught up with Allen Iverson, who says: "If the road ends here (with regard to not playing again), I'm fine with it…I'm happy and content with everything that's going on in my life…If I get a chance to play again, then I would love the opportunity, but if not, I would continue to just be happy."
- Tom Moore of Philly Burbs looks at the options that Philadelphia has this offseason, whether it involves making a significant signing and filling out the roster with minimum contracts, dangling Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen, or possibly Evan Turner in trade talks, or look at one-year deals as a means of maintaining flexibility the following summer.
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel uniquely describes the value of cap flexibility for the Magic moving forward.
Central Rumors: Thibodeau, Jackson, Skiles, Scott
Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls agreed before the season to a four-year, $17.5MM extension, but Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported about six weeks ago that the coach had yet to sign the pact. The contract still remains unsigned, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, though it's not uncommon for Thibodeau to hesitate on such matters, Wojnarowski points out. Wojnarowski's entire piece, in which he also notes NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson is looking for a front-office job with a team, is worth a read, and there are plenty of other stories out involving Central Division clubs, as we round up here:
- Thibodeau says it's a "non-issue" that he hasn't signed his contract, explaining that he just received the paperwork back from lawyers who were reviewing it, tweets Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Thibodeau added that as soon as he gets an opportunity to forward the signed contract to GM Gar Forman, he'll do so.
- Plenty of NBA GMs like Scott Skiles' no-nonsense approach, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who wonders which NBA team the former Bucks coach will be piloting next year (Twitter link).
- The Cavs haven't given any indication Byron Scott is in trouble, but Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer, in response to readers questions, isn't certain he'll be back to coach the team next year.
Earlier updates:
- Chances are "beginning to look dicey" that Pistons coach Lawrence Frank will return next season, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Owner Tom Gores will decide at the end of the season whether to bring back Frank for the third season on his deal. It's the final guaranteed year on Frank's contract, which includes an option for 2013/14, according to Ellis. I'd assume that's a team option, though Ellis doesn't specify.
- Tobias Harris is seeing significantly more playing time with the Magic than he did before the Bucks traded him at the deadline, and Beno Udrih, who accompanied him from Milwaukee to Orlando in the same deal, thinks their old team wasn't giving Harris the minutes he deserved. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post has the details. "When I was in Milwaukee with him, I always knew he had the potential and talent to be a great player," Udrih said. "And in Milwaukee, I think they were just holding him back. They didn't give him a real chance to show what he can do. Here, he got a chance and he's definitely proving himself and taking advantage of the chance."
- HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham catches up with Malcolm Thomas, who speaks about the uncertainties of a 10-day contract. On Friday, Thomas signed his second 10-day deal with the Bulls.