Odds & Ends: Heat, Jamison, Scott, TPEs
Sports, science, and technology are more closely linked than ever before and eight NBA clubs are at the forefront of the latest craze in athletics, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. The Spurs, Mavericks, Rockets, and Knicks plus four other teams that have kept their identities secret have invested in complex GPS tracking devices that track a player's movements to help better protect them. If a player is overexerting themselves – which is the time when injuries typically occur – then his activity can be shut down before anything goes south. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- In today's mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel points out that the Heat have tons of options if they want to carry more than the minimum of 13 players. Antawn Jamison is available, but he's joined on the open market by fellow veterans such as Lamar Odom, Stephen Jackson, DeShawn Stevenson, and Richard Hamilton.
- Hawks forward Mike Scott got a $100K guarantee on his contract when he wasn't waived on/before Thursday. Scott averaged 4.6 PPG in 9.4 MPG for Atlanta last season.
- The Thunder didn't make major upgrades this offseason, but that's not a problem at all in the eyes of Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.
- Luke Adams updated the Hoops Rumors' running guide of outstanding trade exceptions. The Celtics and Nuggets have the most to work with of any club.
- Do you have what it takes to play in the D-League? Probably not. But you can find out by trying out, as detailed by Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
Poll: Which Western Team Finishes Higher?
After the new five-year $60MM contract Nikola Pekovic agreed to earlier this week, the Timberwolves have their three core players, Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Pek, healthy and ready to compete for a Western Conference playoff spot this season. Sam Tongue of Blazers Edge, compared the 'Wolves with another team in a similar spot out West, the Trail Blazers.
During their podcast on Friday, Matt Moore and Zach Harper of CBS Sports (by way of the Dallas Morning News) discussed two more teams that are on the Western Conference playoff periphery coming into the new season: the Pelicans and Mavericks.
With most NBA observers confidently predicting playoff spots (barring a significant injury) for the Rockets, Thunder, Spurs, Grizzlies, Clippers and Warriors out West, that leaves 2 slots open for the rest of the Western Conference's remaining 9 teams.
The Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Lakers and Pelicans, all either made moves this offseason to improve, or in the case of the Nuggets and Lakers, lost enough personnel to be considered a fringe contender with the rest of these teams despite making the postseason last year.
So which of these teams on the cusp of the Western Conference playoffs, finishes higher during the 2013/14 season?
Which Western Team Finishes Higher?
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Los Angeles Lakers 25% (423)
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Minnesota Timberwolves 22% (376)
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Denver Nuggets 21% (354)
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Dallas Mavericks 12% (208)
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Portland Trail Blazers 12% (196)
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New Orleans Pelicans 9% (146)
Total votes: 1,703
Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Holiday, Evans, Mavs
Earlier this week, we learned that the Rockets nearly had Dwight Howard in the bag 15 months before actually signing him. The Rockets reached a tentative agreement to acquire D12 from the Magic at 2012's trade deadline, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, before the deal fell through. The Magic wanted to rid themselves of Howard at the deadline if he didn't waive his ETO and Orlando liked Houston's offer better than the one they had from the Nets. Here's today's notes out of the Southwest Division..
- Shaun Powell of Sports On Earth runs down ten offseason moves that will impact the 2013/14 season. Among them are the culture change (and, name change) that the Pelicans have gone through this summer. Their aggressive gameplan led to them snagging Jrue Holiday from the Sixers and Tyreke Evans from the Kings, which cost them two first-round picks and $84MM altogether. Powell doesn't see a really high ceiling for New Orleans this season, opining that their starting five might be good enough to get bounced by the Clippers in the first round.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com grades the Pelicans' offseason and gives them a B for their efforts. The grade could be anything from an "A+ to an F" with everything hinging on how well this very unorthodox lineup defends.
- In a press conference yesterday, new Mavericks guard Monta Ellis expressed confidence that he's ready to be the main guy (or, at least, the co-main guy) in Dallas, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas News. “I think I’m ready,” he said. “This is going to be the year, with the work I put in this summer and the relationship with me and Coach that’s building right now. And the relationship I’m going to build with my teammates. I feel great. I’m in a great spot.”
Western Notes: Kobe, Young, Mavericks
Sitting outside of Staples Center tonight with late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant says that he'll never accept being called the greatest Laker ever from Magic Johnson considering that he learned so much from him. As for his injury timetable, he's not sure if he'll be back by opening night at this point but is trying his best to get ready (ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi via Twitter). Here are the rest of tonight's miscellaneous tidbits from the Western Conference:
- Markazi and ESPN LA's Ramona Shelburne relay that Kobe would have picked North Carolina instead of Duke had he not decided to make the jump to the NBA out of high school, and shared that the Clippers feared they wouldn't be taken seriously if they drafted a 17-year-old despite telling him that he'd given them the best workout they've ever had (All Twitter links).
- Flabbergasted that his team was projected to finish 12th in the West this year, Nick Young is "upset and ready for the season," writes Markazi: "How are you going to be ranked that low with Kobe and Pau and Nash? There’s always going to be haters and we just have to keep proving them wrong."
- Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW thinks that the seventh or eighth-seed will be the best-case scenario for the Mavericks if all goes well this year. Jarret Johnson of the Star-Telegram looks at why there's optimism surrounding the team heading into the season.
- Noting that six general managers around the league have previous ties with the Spurs along with four former coaching assistants now leading teams of their own, Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation describes why San Antonio's structure is a model that many teams want to follow but will find hard to duplicate.
- Timberwolves' president Flip Saunders says that Kevin Love is now 242 lbs after playing last season at 250 (Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press via Twitter).
- Paul Coro of AZ Central tweets a picture of the Suns' new uniforms, which were debuted tonight.
Odds & Ends: Pietrus, Knicks, Johnson
Mickael Pietrus's agent Bill McCandless tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that the 6'6 forward has a workout scheduled with an undisclosed NBA team in September, and that two other teams have shown interest in bringing him in for a look as well. The 31-year-old swingman last played for the Raptors in 2012-13, averaging 20.3 MPG, 5.3 PPG, and 34.7% shooting from the field in 19 games. McCandless added that Pietrus is currently working out in France and is "100% healthy." Here are a few more news and notes from around the NBA:
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter) confirms that undrafted point guard Myck Kabongo has left agent Rich Paul and will now be represented by Bill Duffy, who also represents Lakers guard Steve Nash.
- Citing a source familiar with the Knicks' plans, Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York tweets that the Knicks could possibly be looking to add another big man, but it isn't clear if they're looking to do so now or during veteran's camp (Twitter link).
- Along with most free agents right now, Ivan Johnson isn't making much progress on any contract talks, as Zwerling (via Twitter) relays a source close to the situation who says that things are still in "slow motion right now."
- Grantland's Jonathan Abrams writes an excellent piece which revisits the circumstances that contributed to Jonny Flynn's struggles with finding a niche in the NBA and the hip injury in Minnesota that stifled his development. Despite the lack of opportunity with the Clippers in this year's summer league, the 24-year-old guard is still determined to make it out of an NBA training camp in the fall. However, he could possibly opt for China or Spain if it doesn't work out.
- Jeff Caplan of NBA.com thinks the change of scenery from Milwaukee to Dallas could be just what Mavericks guard Monta Ellis needed to become more efficient and consistent at this point in his career.
Odds & Ends: James, Bobcats, Bucks, Cavs
There are a lot of contenders to the Eastern Conference crown that LeBron James and his Heat teammates have worn the last three seasons. James knows he's got to keep getting better if he wants to remain on top next year and advance to his fourth NBA Finals in his four seasons in Miami.
Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel caught up James during his charity event in Akron today to discuss all the wheeling and dealing in the Eastern Conference this off-season.
James is aware that the Heat face an even harder field in the Eastern Conference next season, and he's doing everything in his power to meet the challenge, telling Richardson, "I've seen what so many teams have done to get better. I've seen the moves that we've made, so I've got to do my part."
Here's what else is happening around the league on Saturday night:
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer details how Bobcats GM Rich Cho and President of Basketball Ops Rod Higgins created a balanced roster with all their off-season moves this summer.
- Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel does the same for the Bucks writing that GM John Hammond has them ready for the future.
- The Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat live-tweeted much of Canada's game against Jamaica tonight during the Jack Donohue International Classic. Canada came back from a 17-point deficit to get the 77-72 win (Twitter link) as newly right-handed Cavs forward Tristan Thompson led Canada with 16 points and appeared productive (Twitter) with his new shooting hand.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer talks new Cavs coach Mike Brown in her latest mailbag for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Highly touted 6-6 Australian point guard Dante Exum is a top prospect in next summer's draft. Peter Rolfe of the Australian Herald Sun (by way of RealGM.com) reports that Exum is "50-50" to declare for the draft next June after some scouts pegged him as a top-5 prospect.
- Sam Tongue of Blazers Edge opines that Portland's acquisition of Mo Williams is a move only a playoff team would make, which the Trail Blazers might be after significantly improving their bench this off-season.
Mavs Notes: Cuban, Dirk, Dalembert, Kaman
The Mavericks have made some summer off-season moves to better surround Dirk Nowitzki with a cast of players that can help the 35-year-old make one last push for a second NBA title. Mark Cuban joined Norm Hitzges on KTCK-AM radio, as transcribed by The Dallas Morning News, to talk about some of those additions.
- Last season's hodge-podge of ancillary Mavs parts included oft-injured center Chris Kaman, who signed with the Lakers this summer. Cuban tells Hitzges that Kaman didn't pair well with Nowitzki last season because he continually dribbled during pick-and-roll sets with Dirk, instead of just picking and rolling to the rim or picking and popping for a jumper.
- Cuban feels Brandan Wright–who the Mavs re-signed earlier this summer–worked the pick-and-roll a lot better with Nowitzki.
- The Mavs owner also believes Dallas' signing of Samuel Dalembert will go better than the one-year Kaman experiment because Dalembert is primarily focused on rebounding and protecting the rim.
- The Cuban – Hitzges talk also touched on how Dirk wants to send a message next season that he's not done yet, and the Mavs can still be contenders for the Larry O'Brien Trophy despite two down seasons after their Finals win over the Heat in 2011.
- Dirk is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $22.721MM next season, but Cuban didn't offer up anything on what he'll likely pay his star forward next summer, despite assurances that he won't let the smooth-shooting German sign elsewhere.
Lowe On Ledo, Parsons, Draft Changes
The latest dispatch from Grantland's Zach Lowe explores the growing phenomenon of long-term deals for second-round picks, touching on many of the same points I made when I wrote last month about the subtle value of three-year contracts. Lowe focuses on Ricky Ledo's four-year deal with the Mavs, pointing to the Rockets' bargain-basement four-year pact with Chandler Parsons as a model many teams are trying to follow. "With players we think have a big upside, we will only do three- or four-year deals," Mavs owner Mark Cuban said to Lowe. "If their agents don’t like it, we let them go overseas." Lowe reveals more on the Mavs' negotiations with Ledo and the Rockets' plans for Parsons. His entire piece is worth a read, but we'll hit the highlights:
- Cuban pushed Ledo's camp even farther than usual, refusing to consider a three-year contract. “Mark Cuban was not going to back down on that fourth year,” agent Seth Cohen tells Lowe. “It wasn’t up for discussion. And if I gave up on anything, I gave up on that. But what I got in exchange was that $60,000 bump and security. And that’s important for Ricky, someone who didn’t play any college basketball.”
- Lowe suspects that the Rockets may end Parsons' contract a year early so he'll be a restricted free agent next summer instead of an unrestricted free agent in 2015. If they hang on to him, Lowe thinks that could be a sign the team will trade Parsons, as it did with Chase Budinger before he hit unrestricted free agency after the fourth year of his deal. Lowe refers to a team option on the final year of Parsons' contract, but according to ShamSports, it's a non-guaranteed season that becomes more than 50% guaranteed if Parsons isn't waived by New Year's Day. That could complicate any plans the team has for him next summer.
- Over the next couple of years, the NBA and the players union will discuss changes to the draft age limit and a baseball-style draft rule requiring high schoolers to either enter the draft or go to college for multiple years. An increase to the 15-man roster limit will also be on the table, as well as the idea of "hybrid" roster spots for players shuttled between the NBA and D-League affiliates.
Mavericks Sign DeJuan Blair
AUGUST 7TH, 3:52pm: The Mavericks have officially signed Blair, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 31ST, 9:15pm: For the second time in as many days, Blair has taken to Twitter to announce he has signed with the Mavs. While Blair's tweet indicates that it is official this time around, neither the team nor its beat writers have confirmed the deal.
JULY 30TH, 10:04pm: ESPNNY.com's Jared Zwerling is reporting that a deal between Blair and the Mavericks has yet to happen.
6:45pm: The Mavericks and DeJuan Blair have reached an agreement on a new deal. After ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported earlier today that the two sides were in serious talks, Blair himself broke the news via his Twitter account. Dwain Price from the Star-Telegram tweeted that the contract will be a one-year deal at $1.4MM, though if it's a minimum-salary deal, as expected, its value will be closer to $948K.
Blair's deal with the Mavs is the latest move in a busy offseason for the club. Although Dallas missed out on its top target, Dwight Howard, the team has used its cap space to add several free agents, including Jose Calderon, Monta Ellis, Samuel Dalembert, Gal Mekel, and Wayne Ellington. The Mavericks also re-signed Brandan Wright and Bernard James, and are on track to finalize a contract with ex-Mav Devin Harris.
Blair, 24, has spent the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Spurs, but saw his role reduced as Tiago Splitter emerged as a productive rotation player for the team. After he averaged 8.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and a 17.5 PER in his first three years, Blair's rates fell to 5.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and a 14.6 PER in 2012/13. As Kennedy tweets, the Happy Walters client looks poised to see a boost in playing time in Dallas, as part of a frontcourt that also features Dirk Nowitzki, Wright, James, and Jae Crowder.
The signing of Blair likely means the Mavs won't end up landing Greg Oden, who is drawing interest from several teams, most of whom can offer a larger salary than Dallas can.
Greg Oden Signs With Heat
AUGUST 7TH: The Heat have officially signed Oden, the team announced today (Twitter link).
AUGUST 2ND: Greg Oden will sign with the Heat, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. It's a two-year deal with a player option for the final season, Goodman adds. The two sides agreed on a minimum-salary contract, according to fellow ESPN.com scribe Marc Stein, who adds that Oden will officially sign the pact on Monday (Twitter links).
The deal is a coup for Heat president Pat Riley, not only because Oden chose Miami over five other finalists, but because he consented to the minimum salary, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. That allows the Heat to preserve their mini mid-level exception should an enticing player come available at some point this season.
The Spurs and Mavs appeared as of last night to be Miami's primary competition, with the Pelicans next in line, followed by the Kings and the Hawks. Sources from three Western Conference teams among those spurned finalists told Stein minutes before news broke of Oden's decision that they were informed that they wouldn't be landing the former No. 1 overall pick, and that they believed he was headed to Miami (Twitter link).
Oden tells former Ohio State teammate Mark Titus of Grantland.com that the Heat became the front-runners for him when he visited Miami during the NBA Finals. Three months ago, Oden told Titus that he wanted to play in Cleveland because he liked playing in Ohio. About a year ago, Oden let Titus know that the plan was to reunite in Memphis with Mike Conley, another of their Buckeye teammates. Conley's father, Mike Conley Sr., is one of Oden's agents.
The 7'0" center has only played 82 games in his NBA career, but he was on the Blazers roster for five seasons, meaning he qualifies for a minimum salary of $1,027,424 this season, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports confirms (Twitter link).