Cavs Notes: Irving, Hawes, Miles
The Cavs used the No. 1 overall pick on Andrew Wiggins last week, but GM David Griffin is making a concerted effort to engineer other significant upgrades this summer. He’ll also be at work trying to keep some of his club’s existing talent around. Here’s the latest from Cleveland:
- New coach David Blatt is a part of the Cavs’ meeting tonight with extension candidate Kyrie Irving, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- Stretch big man Spencer Hawes is drawing interest from a bunch of contenders including the Blazers, Rockets, and Mavs, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Clippers and the incumbent Cavs were previously reported as also being interested in Hawes.
- Unrestricted free agent C.J. Miles will meet with the Pacers on Tuesday, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Southwest Rumors: ‘Melo, Deng, Harris, Lowry
The Mavs are prioritizing a meeting with Carmelo Anthony before locking in a date with LeBron James, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. That speaks to the belief around the league that LeBron is staying in Miami, Berger adds. There’s more on the Mavs within the latest from the Southwest Division:
- The Mavericks were the first team on the phone with Luol Deng‘s representatives tonight, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
- The Mavs‘ first face-to-face meeting tonight is between owner Mark Cuban and point guard Devin Harris, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey has traveled to Philadelphia to meet with free agent guard Kyle Lowry tonight, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Coach Kevin McHale is also there for the pitch, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
- Andray Blatche has been telling people around the league that he may end up with the Pelicans, sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard the Nets big man linked to New Orleans.
Celtics Rumors: Thomas, Bradley, Bazemore
The term “fireworks” has been a popular one to describe the offseason ahead for the Celtics, and with July 4th approaching, it seems like the appropriate time to set some off. Here’s the latest on Boston’s initial forays into free agency:
- The Celtics were the first team on the horn with restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas when free agency started, a source tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). President of basketball operations Danny Ainge made the call.
- Restricted free agent guard Avery Bradley has received calls from the Celtics and 76ers since free agency started, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter).
- Unrestricted free agent Kent Bazemore received a personal call from Celtics coach Brad Stevens after midnight, a source tells Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter). The Mavs and Hawks are also showing interest.
Bulls, Mavs, Wolves Eyeing Chandler Parsons
The Bulls and Mavs are among the teams to register interest tonight in Rockets’ restricted free agent Chandler Parsons, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The general rule of thumb, Stein says, is that any team interested in Carmelo Anthony also seems to be interested in Parsons. Meanwhile, Stein adds that the Wolves continue to monitor the forward in the event that the Rockets decide to make a run at Kevin Love. So far, Anthony has been the Rockets’ focus.
We heard earlier tonight that the Cavs are also eyeing Parsons. In the last three years with the Rockets, Parsons has averaged 14.1 points per night and shot 47.3% from the floor. The former second round pick played more minutes than any member of the Rockets last season. The Rockets presumably want to keep Parsons, but they also have their eye on bigger fish – like Melo – this summer.
West Rumors: Sterling, Williams, Afflalo, Miller
A new doctor has declared Clippers owner Donald Sterling mentally fit after a comprehensive medical examination in Las Vegas over the weekend, a source with knowledge of the situation told Shelby Lin Erdman of CNN. The testing was arranged by one of Sterling’s attorneys and conducted with one of the top dementia and Alzheimer’s disease specialists in the country. More out of the West..
- Free agent Mo Williams has no meetings set with other teams and his “only goal” is to sign a new deal with the Blazers, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (on Twitter).
- New Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo sounds intent on exercising his opt out after the 2014/15 season. “It’s probably something that I always anticipated, even beyond when I first signed this deal with Denver,” Afflalo told Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. “I knew my game, I knew my maturity, I knew I would grow as a player. And I wanted to have that option as I got older and I progressed as a player. So hopefully I’ll out-perform my contract and put myself in a better situation. That was my intent from the beginning, even before this year, was to play out the four years and progress as a player.”
- Grizzlies swingman Mike Miller tells Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal (via Twitter) that he’s meeting with his agent tomorrow in Los Angeles before talking with four or five clubs. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies can prevent him from looking around if they come to him with the right deal.
- A source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (on Twitter) that there are four or five suitors out there for Jordan Hill, including the Rockets and Mavs. He’s not ruling out a Lakers return and will take his time through the process with an eye on a longer deal.
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak says the club is putting Julius Randle through a series of physicals this week to test his foot though, right now, he doesn’t expect surgery, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- There is strong mutual interest in Vince Carter‘s return to the Mavericks, but several playoff teams are expected to express interest in the 37-year-old swingman, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. The Heat, Thunder, Blazers, and Raptors are among the playoff teams that are seen as potential fits for VC, according to a source.
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr is discussing an assistant coaching job on the staff with Luke Walton, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- Lakers unrestricted free agent Kent Bazemore is expected to draw interest from the Hawks, Celtics, and Suns among others, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
Free Agent Rumors: Lowry, Gasol, Parsons, Ariza
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is likely to make a strong push to re-sign Kyle Lowry just as free agency begins tonight to prevent the Heat and Rockets from having a chance to jump in, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Here’s more free agency chatter with 11 hours left to go until negotiations can begin:
- Pau Gasol will meet with the Thunder, Bulls and Warriors, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, who suggests the big man hasn’t ruled out a meeting with Lakers brass, either.
- Chandler Parsons would be on board with a sign-and-trade to the Wolves if the money is on the mark, a source close to Parsons tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Minnesota reportedly has interest in Parsons as a fallback trade target in a Kevin Love swap.
- The Rockets, Mavs, Lakers, Clippers, Cavs, Raptors, Suns and Pistons are all suitors for Trevor Ariza, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders hears (Twitter link).
- The Rockets and Mavs are gearing up to sign Jordan Hill, as are the Lakers, Hill’s incumbent team, Wojnarowski tweets.
- The Magic are likely to make a play for Rodney Stuckey, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes.
- Kent Bazemore is anticipating interest from the Suns, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter).
- Matt Bonner is interested in a return to the Spurs, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News observes (Twitter link). “I’d love to be back, especially if everybody is coming back.”
- Damian Lillard would like to see the Blazers go after Channing Frye, Vince Carter, Spencer Hawes and Ariza after re-signing Mo Williams, the point guard tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Carter would be open to signing with Portland, Haynes hears.
Latest On Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony is confident that the Knicks will offer him a maximum-salary contract to entice him to stay, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The team is reportedly willing to do so in spite of Phil Jackson‘s repeated public attempts to persuade the star forward to re-sign for less. Anthony is eligible for a deal worth more than $129.1MM over five years, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors explained.
The sought-after free agent is set to meet with the Bulls on Tuesday, Mavs and Rockets on Wednesday, and the Lakers at some point this week, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The visit with Lakers brass is likely to happen Thursday, Isola writes. The Knicks are nonetheless apparently upbeat about their chances to keep the 2012/13 scoring champ.
The Bulls appear to be in the lead to snatch him away from New York. Derrick Rose reiterated his stance that he doesn’t feel that it’s his place to recruit stars to the team while nonetheless praising Anthony’s game in an interview with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. A source close to Rose told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that Anthony understands that Rose would like to have him in Chicago and denied that Rose would prefer that the Bulls acquire Kevin Love instead of Anthony.
Draft Grades: Southwest Division
With the 2014 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to take a look back and see how each team used the draft to make improvements and fill needs. I’ve already run down the picks for the Atlantic, Central, Northwest, Pacific, and Southeast Divisions. We’ll finish up with a look at the Southwest Division:
Dallas Mavericks
Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Depth
Draft Picks:
- No picks
The Mavs owed this year’s first-round pick to the Thunder. They also traded last year’s first round selection, Shane Larkin, to the Knicks in the deal last week that netted them Tyson Chandler. Dallas is in win-now mode, and their biggest goal on draft night was to not burn up any cap space that they envision needing to lure Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James to the city. Dallas has tried this plan before and has so far been unable to get a second star or two to pair alongside Dirk Nowitzki.
It’s doubtful the Mavs will miss the second rounder they traded away, but the team has a hole at the point guard spot thanks to the Chandler deal, and the Dallas roster is getting up there in years. Sooner or later they’ll need to acquire some young, cheap depth.
Overall Draft Grade: D — No picks to work with, but getting Chandler back, two seasons too late though it may be, might ease the sting a little.
Houston Rockets
Team Needs: Defense, Power Forward, Point Guard, Center
Draft Picks:
- No. 25 Clint Capela (Power Forward)
- No. 42 Nick Johnson (Shooting Guard)
The Rockets are another franchise trying to clear cap space for a run at James or Anthony. Taking Capela, who will continue to play overseas for the next couple of seasons, was a smart pick. Capela is incredibly raw, but has off-the-charts athleticism, and has been compared to Serge Ibaka. Capela is a player I was very high on heading into the draft, and he might turn out to be a valuable addition or trade piece in the future.
Johnson was a solid pick. He’s very athletic, can shoot a bit, but he’ll spend more time in the D-League than with the first string this year.
Overall Draft Grade: C- — Capela is an intriguing prospect and Johnson was a good value pick. The team could have been a bigger player on draft night but instead is hanging its hopes on adding another star to the lineup instead.
Memphis Grizzlies
Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Scoring
Draft Picks:
- No. 22 Jordan Adams (Shooting Guard)
- No. 35 Jarnell Stokes (Power Forward)*
*Acquired via trade with Jazz for a future second round pick.
I’m not a fan of what the Grizzlies did on draft night. The team badly needs scoring and some athleticism. Adams could provide the scoring, but he won’t blow anyone away with his physical tools. I don’t know if Adams will be able to defend enough to stay on the court, and his lack of speed will make it difficult to get off his own shot. With some of the other players available at No. 22, such as Rodney Hood and P.J. Hairston, I can’t help but think the team overshot on Adams.
Stokes is a punishing inside presence, and should work his way into the team’s rotation by the end of the year. He’ll fit right in with Memphis’ style of play.
Overall Draft Grade: C — Not a fan of the Adams pick, but the team had him ranked fifth on its draft board, so maybe they know something others don’t. Stokes was a solid pick and should become a useful addition.
New Orleans Pelicans
Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Depth
Draft Picks:
- No. 47 Russ Smith (Point Guard)*
*Acquired in trade with Sixers that sent them the rights to Pierre Jackson.
The Pelicans dealt away their first-rounder to the Sixers in the Jrue Holiday trade last year. They also traded last year’s second-round pick, Jackson, for Smith. This begs the question, what do the Pelicans have against Jackson? Smith is almost an identical player to Jackson, and with work he could become a decent reserve guard when the team needs a change of pace.
Overall Draft Grade: D — The team could have had Elfrid Payton with the pick it traded for Holiday. Holiday has a proven track record, but has battled injuries and is more expensive. I also don’t get the logic in trading Jackson for Smith, so that was no help. Thankfully the Pelicans picked up Omer Asik via trade, so that will be their big addition for now.
San Antonio Spurs
Team Needs: Youth, Depth, Power Forward
Draft Picks:
- No. 30 Kyle Anderson (Small Forward)
The best organization in the league might have done it again. Anderson is a flawed player, for sure. He’s slow, not very athletic, and will have issues on defense. But he’s also a player who in the right system can make others around him better. That sounds like the prototypical Spurs player to me.
Anderson has been compared to Boris Diaw, who was a very effective and valuable piece for the team’s championship run. Heading into the draft my feeling was that Anderson needed to end up with a heavy ball movement team in order to be of any value. He would be a great fit in the triangle offense, but should benefit equally from San Antonio’s offensive scheme as well.
Overall Draft Grade: A- — With the last pick of the first round, the Spurs nab a player who fits their system perfectly. Anderson should develop nicely into a productive role player. The rich get richer it seems.
Western Notes: Lakers, Parsons, Honeycutt
If they are unable to land Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James, the Lakers are also expected to have a strong interest in Wizards free-agent forward Trevor Ariza, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, Pistons center Greg Monroe, and Suns forward Channing Frye, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
More from out west:
- Potential suitors are beginning to line up now that the Rockets have declined their team option on Chandler Parsons. Teams that are potentially interested in pursuing Parsons are the Timberwolves, Bulls, Mavericks, and Lakers, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Houston will have the opportunity to match any offer sheet that Parsons signs.
- Spears also notes that if the Timberwolves aren’t able to work out a trade that sends Kevin Love to the Warriors for Klay Thompson, then Minnesota might attempt to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Rockets for Parsons.
- Former NBA player, Tyler Honeycutt is weighing overseas offers versus making an NBA comeback, reports David Pick of Eurobasket (Twitter link). He has already auditioned for the Jazz, Rockets and Warriors.
Pacific Notes: Thompson, Gasol
Klay Thompson‘s father told Charley Walters of St. Paul Pioneer Press that the Warriors shooting guard would not object to being traded to the Wolves in a Kevin Love deal. “Klay’s attitude about it is very professional,” said Thompson’s father, Mychal. “He says if he’s traded, he’ll make the most of it and enjoy playing with Ricky [Rubio], and if he isn’t, he’s fine. Either way, he’s a pro and knows how to handle it.” Here’s a rundown of the latest in the Pacific Division:
- Steph Curry joined Andre Iguodala in voicing his preference to keep Thompson in Golden State when asked about the Kevin Love trade discussions between the Warriors and Wolves. “As great as Kevin Love is, it would be very hard to see your teammates and your brothers leave at this time,” Curry told reporters including Diamong Leung of Bay Area News Group. “So we’ll see what happens, but it’d definitely be a tough situation.” Of course, Curry’s public support for Mark Jackson didn’t stop the team from cutting ties with their former coach, and Curry acknowledged a decision on Love was not his to make.
- The Lakers remain open to re-signing Pau Gasol, and believe the former All-Star’s presence could aid the team in acquiring Carmelo Anthony this summer, a source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (video link) suggests the Mavs, Heat, and Lakers would all give the Knicks stiff competition if Gasol were willing to accept a discounted deal like the one Phil Jackson will reportedly offer the big man, and thinks there’s “no chance” Gasol signs in New York if Carmelo Anthony isn’t still there.