Raptors Rumors: Carter, Casey, Ujiri
The Raptors weren’t able to knock off the Nets in their first round matchup, but there’s no denying that things have changed in Toronto. The energy that the Raptors crowd had for Game 7 hasn’t been seen since reign of Vince Carter and we learned earlier today that a reunion could be in the works. Here’s tonight’s look at the Raptors..
- Carter wants to remain with the Mavericks and was surprised to learn of a report that the Raptors could be interested in him, according to Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Carter, 37, was one of the most productive Mavs players this season. The 15-year veteran averaged 11.9 points in only 24.4 minutes per game this season while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point range.
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey wasn’t GM Masai Ujiri‘s hire, but the two worked together previously and have been on the same page in Toronto, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports. Earlier today, the Raptors gave Casey a brand new three-year pact.
- The new deal wasn’t a surprise to the Raptors players who basically said Casey would be back when asked if he should return in 2014/15, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
Southwest Notes: Mavs, Dirk, Randolph, Grizzlies
The latest out of the Southwest Division..
- Dirk Nowitzki is staying put this summer, Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson tells reporters, including Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. “Obviously, you know, Dirk’s not going anywhere,” Nelson said. “He’s built this franchise and he’s been with us since Day 1. Certainly, there’s a negotiation that’s going to take place, but he loves this city and he wants to call it his home. We certainly reciprocate those feelings, and our hope is that we’ll get something done that’s not only in Dirk’s best interest but also affects the flexibility of the future of the Mavericks.”
- Count Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger among those hoping that Zach Randolph returns this summer, writes Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press. ”He knows he’s loved,” Joerger said Sunday. ”He knows he’s wanted here. We have a good relationship. A really, really good relationship. He was not difficult for me to coach at all. I really enjoyed coaching him. We’re really on the same page, so I hope we can continue that.” Randolph holds a player option worth $16.5MM. He led Memphis in scoring at 17.4 points per game and rebounding at 10.1 this season and was the team’s leading scorer against Oklahoma City with 18.2 points a game until his suspension.
- While it seems likely that Randolph will stay in Memphis, Ed Davis’ future with the Grizzlies is up in the air, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. If Memphis brings Randolph back, they may be priced out of keeping the 24-year-old restricted free agent. The Grizzlies can’t afford to spend a ton of money on a backup big man, so while they would love to keep Davis and do have the option to match any contract he receives, they can’t afford to go into luxury tax territory.
Mavs, Devin Harris Share Interest In Return
Point guard Devin Harris demonstrated his value to the Mavs in their seven-game challenge of the Spurs, scoring 11.4 points in 25.1 minutes per game and nailing 44.0% of his three-point attempts. That no doubt plays a role in his inclusion as part of Tim McMahon’s short list on ESPNDallas.com of Mavs free agents with whom the team has mutual interest.
Harris returned to Dallas, where he had played his first three and a half seasons, on a one-year contract for the minimum salary this past summer. It was supposed to be a three-year, $9MM pact, but a toe injury scuttled those plans and kept him out until January 18th. He returned to a role that was his most marginalized on an NBA team since his rookie season, scoring 7.9 points in 20.5 minutes per game with career-worst 37.8% shooting from the floor. The 10th-year veteran nonetheless compiled his best assists-to-turnover ratio, averaging 4.5 dimes and 1.5 turnovers per game.
McMahon reported the Mavs’ mutual interest with Shawn Marion last week, and Marion said this weekend that he would indeed like to come back to Dallas, though he added that he’s “weighing my options,” as fellow ESPNDallas.com scribe Bryan Gutierrez observes. The other Mav on McMahon’s list is Vince Carter, and Dallas GM Donnie Nelson said a month ago that he wants Carter back. Marc Stein of ESPN.com emphasizes Carter’s contentment in Dallas in passing along that the Raptors are considering the idea of pursuing the 37-year-old Carter in the offseason.
Harris probably won’t attract too much attention on the free agent market given his regular season numbers, but Dallas has his Non-Bird rights to trump any minimum-salary suitors. The Mavs can give him a contract of up to four years, with a starting salary of $1,526,735, or 120% of his pay this season. That’s only slightly more than the minimum, but it does provide for higher raises than a straight minimum-salary arrangement would, which might prove a key selling point for the Excel Sports Management client.
Western Notes: Sterling, Owners, Lakers
Donald Sterling has kept a low profile since NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned him for life and fined him $2.5MM on Tuesday. Sterling broke his silence in an interview with DuJour.com, saying, “I wish I had just paid her [V. Stiviano] off.” Stiviano, in an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, characterized Sterling’s current state of mind as “confused,” adding, “I think he feels very alone, not truly supported by those around him. Tormented, emotionally traumatized” (link via ESPN.com).
More from out west:
- On Friday morning, Clippers coach Doc Rivers met with team employees who were still upset and angry several days after Sterling was banned for life from the NBA, writes Greg Beachum of The Associated Press. According to the article, Rivers said employees on the team’s business side considered not working for the franchise after Sterling’s racist comments were exposed. Rivers also was quoted as saying, “What I witnessed today, you realize this thing has touched a lot of people. The people that didn’t do anything are being harmed by this, and I wish we could find the right solution, and I don’t have it.”
- Bernard James, the player representative for the Mavericks, hopes the NBA forces Sterling to sell the team, but he also thinks the owners are on a “slippery slope,” writes Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. James said, “I’m sure morally, most of them don’t agree with what Sterling said. But them voting for him to lose his team is hard for a lot of owners. And a lot of them are scared that maybe if I (the owner) do something, or I mess up or say something, or be caught on video doing something I shouldn’t be doing, if it comes to a vote they could take my team. And this would set a precedent for it.’’
- The Lakers search for a new head coach just adds to the uncertainty about the franchise’s future, writes Mark Lamport-Stokes of The New York Times. This is in addition to 12 of the 15 players on the roster expected to become free agents this summer, notes Lamport-Stokes.
Mavs, Shawn Marion Interested In New Deal
Shawn Marion is held in “extremely high esteem” by the Mavericks, and Marion would like to return to the team he’s played for over the past five seasons, reports Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Dallas unsurprisingly doesn’t want to shell out a salary close to the more than $9.3MM he’s made this season with his 36th birthday looming next week, McMahon writes, but it appears as though the Mavs are eager to bring him back at a rate closer to market price.
The Mavs have long been fond of Marion’s perimeter defense, having lobbied for him to win the Defensive Player of the Year award two years ago, and they’re dismayed that the league’s coaches have never voted him to an NBA All-Defensive team, according to McMahon. His defense was never more necessary than it’s been this season, when the Mavs have featured defensive liabilities Jose Calderon and Monta Ellis on the perimeter, and Marion has taken turns guarding Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in the first round.
“We’d love to have five Marions and put them out there and guard all of their guys,” coach Rick Carlisle said.
Dallas has hung on to Marion the past two seasons, even as he represented one of the team’s best trade chips. McMahon suggests leaguewide interest in Marion will be high, naming the Heat, for whom Marion played in parts of two seasons, as a possible suitor. It appears as though McMahon is merely speculating, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see contending teams offer mid-level exception money to the Dan Fegan client. I’m not sure he’ll warrant the full value of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level, which calls for a starting salary of $5.305MM, but a salary akin to the taxpayer’s mid-level amount of $3.278MM seems like a fit.
The Mavs have about $28.2MM in commitments for next season, though that doesn’t include a new deal for Dirk Nowitzki. Dallas envisions making another run at marquee free agents, but to open up cap flexibility, it’s possible the team winds up renouncing its Bird rights to Marion if he doesn’t quickly strike a deal for a discounted salary, which would reduce his cap hold. Such a maneuver would limit the Mavs to the $2.732MM room exception, but if Marion’s interest in returning is strong enough, that might be enough.
And-Ones: McHale, Harris, Blair
Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram thinks Devin Harris is proving that he deserved the initial three-year, $9MM contract that the Mavs revoked when a post-agreement physical revealed a foot injury. Harris and Dallas agreed to a one-year minimum deal instead, which is paying dividends for both the Mavs’ playoff performance and the point guard’s market value. Here’s more from around the league:
- DeJuan Blair is taking the Mavs first round matchup with the Spurs personally, he told reporters including Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “This is something that’s a dream, to always go against somebody who knows you well, just like you know them,’’ said Blair, who left San Antonio as a free agent after being bumped from the rotation last season. “I’m just excited like everybody else.”
- The Rockets haven’t picked up coach Kevin McHale‘s option for next season yet, but sources tell ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein that there is support for the coach within the organization, including from key players and owner Les Alexander. The ESPN scribes report that there has been an understanding that this year’s roster needs more than a year together to become a contender, so a first-round exit wouldn’t be alarming enough to let McHale go.
- Arash Markazi ESPNLosAngeles.com says the Lakers fans’ displeasure with the team’s decision not to fire coach Mike D’Antoni could build to a mutiny (via Twitter).
- Lee Jenkins of SI.com profiles Ron Howard, the 31-year-old D-League standout still hoping for a shot at the NBA. Howard, who was told by Scott Skiles that he was good enough to play in the league while with the Bucks for the 2008/09 preseason, admits that it’s frustrating to thrive in the developmental league while hundreds of younger players get called up.
And-Ones: Harper, Kerr, Rockets
Since Phil Jackson joined the Knicks, there has been ample speculation about him bringing along connections from his winning past to work for the organization. As we’ve noted recently, Steve Kerr appears to be the strongest candidate being considered for the team’s head coaching position. We also relayed that former Jackson-assistant Jim Cleamons has his sights set on joining the team in any capacity. Today, Ron Harper – who played for Jackson in Chicago and Los Angeles – told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he expects to interview for a position:
“I would expect so…A few guys are expecting to hear from (Jackson). We’re in a wait-and-see mode. Whatever he needs me to do, I will do. He knows that.”
Here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous notes:
- Though there are reports that the Kerr wants the Knicks job, Berman writes that his ideal preference would be a West coast team, echoing Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Kerr currently lives in San Diego, and an opportunity to stay close to home could present itself with Mike D’Antoni allegedly on thin ice in Los Angeles; however, it wouldn’t seem likely that Lakers president Jeanie Buss would try to compete with Jackson for Kerr’s services.
- If Carmelo Anthony doesn’t remain with the Knicks as expected, the Rockets would be in prime position to acquire him this summer, says Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW. Sefko imagines that the Mavericks would also try to land Anthony, but isn’t sure if putting hope in him as a number one guy would be the most prudent thing to do at this point.
- Kevin McHale doesn’t seem to be the right coach for Houston, opines Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders, who in his weekly chat addressed a scenario in which the Rockets attempted to pursue George Karl if they ultimately decided to make a coaching change. Such a courtship would be incompatible with the team’s interest in Carmelo, opines Ingram, to the point that Karl would not even consider accepting the job if they acquired the star forward.
- It’s worth pointing out that almost all of the potential coaching candidates for the Jazz opening are represented by Warren LeGarie, who also happens to be the agent of Utah GM Dennis Lindsey (Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune mentions via Twitter).
- Former NBA forward Dominic McGuire has signed with Gigantes de Guayana of the Venezuelan league, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Western Notes: Warriors, Young, Lakers
Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob told reporters that he, coach Mark Jackson and GM Bob Myers all get along, refuting reported dysfunction within the team, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group transcribes. Lacob referred to the re-assignment of assistant coach Brian Scalabrine and the firing of fellow assistant Darren Erman as “minor setbacks.” A little over a week ago, Myers gave Jackson a public vote of support, saying that he’s done a tremendous job; however, we’ve also relayed the belief from some writers who think that Jackson’s future in Golden State could be tied to how the team fares in this year’s postseason.
Here are a few other notes to pass along out of the Western Conference this evening:
- Lakers swingman Nick Young is “very confident” that he’ll reach an agreement to remain with the team beyond this summer, reports Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News. This isn’t the first time that the Los Angeles native has gone on record saying he’d like to stay, but he also hinted that it could be difficult to pass up a hefty pay raise somewhere else if the opportunity presented itself.
- Some members of Lakers brass are high on the idea of bringing in a young, up-and-coming head coach who wouldn’t command too much money, making him cheap to get rid of if he doesn’t pan out, according to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding.
- In addition to making the argument that Dirk Nowitzki ranks among one of the NBA’s 12 greatest players, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle thinks that Dirk – currently the 10th highest scorer in NBA history – has plenty left in the tank to surpass a few more names on that list: “He’s got a lot more good basketball left in him…A lot more great basketball. So I think he’s going to pick off a few more guys going up the ladder” (ESPN’s Marc Stein reports).
- The Kings have assigned Willie Reed to their D-League affiliate in Reno, according to GM Pete D’Alessandro.
- Former Spurs training camp invitee Courtney Fells has signed a deal with Bucaneiros de la Guaira in Venezuela, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Fells played in 47 games for the Spurs’ D-League affiliate in 2013/14, averaging 20.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 40.4 MPG.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Vesely, Age Limit, Woodson
Adam Silver tells Darren Rovell of ESPN.com that the NBA is willing to consider subsidizing costs for collegiate players’ career insurance and basic living necessities, as part of the league’s push to increase the age limit for the draft. “It does, in my mind, need to be a three-way conversation,” Silver said. “You heard college administrators at press conferences around the [NCAA] tournament say that it’s the NBA’s problem or the union is putting up resistance. It’s a more complex problem than that.” Here’s more from around the league:
- Nuggets forward Jan Vesely has many fans among Denver’s brass, tweets Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post. Vesely, who came over to the Nuggets at the trade deadline, will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
- Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders says that the Bobcats owe most of their dramatic turnaround to the addition of Al Jefferson, who signed a three-year, $40.5MM contract with Charlotte last summer. Kennedy argues that Jefferson’s impact has been worthy of MVP consideration.
- Mike Woodson tells Al Iannazzonne of Newsday that he still hasn’t had a sit-down with Knicks president Phil Jackson, but insists he’s focused on the immediate future and trying to get New York into the playoffs. “I gather he’s kind of staying out of the way and letting me do my thing in terms of trying to get this team in the playoffs,” Woodson said. “That’s okay. I’m sure when the time comes he and I’ll have a chance to sit down and talk and see where we are.”
- Woodson also responded to Larry Brown‘s recent comments, which were critical of the treatment Woodson has received from the Knicks. “Larry’s his own guy and I have a great deal of respect for Larry,” Woodson said. “But Mike Woodson’s his own guy as well. For me, it’s been a roller-coaster year — for all of us. I’ve never shied away from taking responsibility of this team. I’m the coach of this team and I take great pride in that.”
Western Notes: Lee, Gordon, Ledo
The Suns are locked into an exciting battle for one of the West’s final two playoff spots, something virtually no one anticipated before the season. Bob Young of azcentral.com details all of the moves that have panned out for Phoenix this year, leading to their surprising success. Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- David Lee tells Antonio Gonzalez of The Associated Press that there is no timetable for his return, but he does hope to play for the Warriors in the playoffs. After missing postseason action last year due to a torn hip flexor, the power forward is sidelined late in the year again, this time due to nerve damage that has a less straightforward recovery process. “That’s the only thing that has really worried me,” Lee said. “Just the fact that they say sometimes these heal in two days, sometimes it takes two months. We don’t know. But the good thing is, from what they’ve told me, as long as it continues to progress they think it’s going to be weeks still. So I have a good chance of being there when I need to be there.”
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes that rookie guard Ricky Ledo has had moderate success in the D-League this year, and needs a productive summer with the Mavs to earn a spot on the NBA roster next season.
- Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune writes that hindsight has proven matching Eric Gordon‘s four-year, $58MM offer sheet from the Suns was the wrong decision. Smith doesn’t believe the Pelicans can get anything close to equal value for the oft-injured Gordon, but says it’s time to move him out regardless of how little they get in return.