Odds & Ends: Mayo, Larkin, Collison, Raptors
Patrick Beverley was a surprise starter for the Rockets tonight, and his performance was even more astounding, as he racked up 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to help Houston come within three points of beating the top-seeded Thunder at home. Beverley was playing in Russia at the beginning of the season, and didn't make his NBA debut until he completed a week-long stint in the D-League after the Rockets signed him in January. His play tonight underscores the importance of seemingly under-the-radar transactions. As always, we'll keep track of NBA moves both great and small, and here's the latest:
- The Jazz may make a strong push to sign O.J. Mayo this summer, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler hears (Twitter link). Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors wrote in March that Mayo could command better than the full mid-level, though that was before the shooting guard's April slump.
- Last week Chad Ford of ESPN.com heard University of Miami sophomore Shane Larkin was leaning toward entering the draft, but Larkin tweets that his decision is still up in the air, and that he'll make an announcement Sunday evening.
- Darren Collison probably won't return to the Mavericks unless he accepts a backup role, writes Tim McMahon of ESPN.com, who nonetheless believes Collison should be a well-paid backup, projecting that he'll sign a four-year, $15MM deal.
- There are plenty of philosophical differences between Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo and coach Dwane Casey, but ownership wouldn't look kindly upon Colangelo if he fired his third coach in less than five years, observes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
- Michael Jordan has hired four coaches, but none of them have lasted as long as three seasons, leading Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer to wonder if Jordan and the Bobcats front office are more deserving of blame than former coach Mike Dunlap.
Western Notes: Brand, Mavs, Nash, Suns, Grizzlies
Western Conference home teams are 5-0 in playoff games so far, after Chris Paul's buzzer-beater lifted the Clippers to a thrilling Game Two win over the Grizzlies last night. The Nuggets will look to make it six straight victories for favorites in the West tonight against the Warriors. While we wait for that game, let's check out some items from around the conference:
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com explores whether Elton Brand will be back with the Mavericks next season or wearing another team's uniform.
- Asked about his former team in Dallas, Steve Nash pointed to all the one-year contracts the Mavs handed out last summer, noting that it's a "difficult situation" when so many players have uncertain futures. Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the quotes from Nash.
- Nash also spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today about his injury-plagued 2012/13 season, stressing that he was "not even close" to considering retirement.
- In his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Lang Greene takes a look at the upcoming summer for the Suns and talks to J.J. Hickson about free agency.
- Given the Grizzlies' cap situation, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com wonders if the team's front office will explore moving Zach Randolph this summer.
Texas Notes: Mavericks, Spurs, Cuban, Jackson
Here's a look at some items on the Mavs and Spurs..
- The Mavericks have to make all the right moves this summer in order to get back to the postseason in 2013/14, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Price writes that the Mavs badly need a rim protector and dominant rebounder along with a point guard who can create his own shot off the dribble. They had those players two years ago in Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea, but they turned down one year offers from the Mavs.
- Former Mavericks forward Antawn Jamison believes that Mark Cuban will find a way to get Dallas back to the playoffs, Price writes. “I don’t ever count Mark out,’’ said Jamison, who is now with the Lakers. “That little rascal’s got something up his sleeves…You know him. He’s sitting there watching the playoffs like, ‘OK, they think I’m done.’ ‘’
- Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Sulia) disagrees with the Spurs' decision to cut Stephen Jackson loose.
Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Draft, Kidd, Martin
Links from around the Association as the Nets look to go up 1-0 on the Bulls..
- Mavericks General Manager Donnie Nelson told ESPN Radio’s Galloway & Company that he plans to come out with “both barrels” this summer to turn things around going forward, according to the Dallas News. He also said that the biggest priority for the club might be the point guard position as the club has been spoiled by the likes of Steve Nash and Jason Kidd in the past.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looked at the top European prospects at the Hoop Summit. Dennis Schroeder is among the players profiled and the guard announced this week that he’ll be entering the 2013 draft.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson explained that veterans Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martn were brought aboard primarily for their defense, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Sulia). “That was the whole reason for bringing them aboard. They have been in enough systems. Kidd has pretty much won everywhere he has been. Kenyon has been on some winning teams but not where he won the big one. It is a plus to have veteran guys,” said the coach.
Mavericks Tops In NBA Transactions In 2012/13
The Mavericks began the season looking to unload Dominique Jones in a trade, but wound up shuttling Eddy Curry, Troy Murphy and Derek Fisher on and off their roster. They picked up Mike James on a 10-day contract, signed him to another, and finally signed him for the rest of the season. They participated in a deadline-day trade, swapping Dahntay Jones for Anthony Morrow. They finally parted ways with Jones when they waived him in March, signing three different replacements to 10-day contracts before settling on Josh Akognon and inking him for the season.
That's merely a partial summary of the league-high 16 transactions the Mavs engaged in during the 2012/13 season. None of them were able to forestall the Mavs first non-playoff season since 1999/00. The Nuggets, meanwhile, sat back and made no moves en route to a franchise-record 57 victories.
Stability didn't necessarily translate into success. Of the five other teams that made two or fewer moves, only one finished with a record of .500 or better, and that team, the Lakers, would hardly call this season a rousing success. The 66-win Heat and the playoff-bound Celtics finished tied behind the Mavs for the second-most transations, with 13 apiece.
A few notes about our count of the number of transactions for each team this season: Since the Blazers waived Jared Jeffries the day after the regular season ended, that move isn't counted on this list. The list also doesn't include D-League assignments and recalls or instances in which a player leaves a team after his 10-day contract expires. But, if a team terminates a 10-day contract early, as the Pelicans (nee Hornets) did with Henry Sims, that transaction is counted here.
- Mavericks: 16
- Celtics: 13
- Heat: 13
- Timberwolves: 13
- Pelicans: 11
- Knicks: 10
- 76ers: 9
- Cavaliers: 9
- Grizzlies: 9
- Rockets: 9
- Wizards: 8
- Clippers: 7
- Hawks: 7
- Bobcats: 6
- Bulls: 5
- Spurs: 5
- Warriors: 5
- Jazz: 4
- Nets: 4
- Pacers: 4
- Raptors: 4
- Magic: 3
- Suns: 3
- Thunder: 3
- Kings: 2
- Lakers: 2
- Trail Blazers: 2
- Bucks: 1
- Pistons: 1
- Nuggets: 0
To keep tabs on every NBA transaction as it occurs, bookmark our transactions page, follow @hoops_trans on Twitter, or use our transaction-specific RSS feed.
RealGM.com was used in the creation of this post.
Mavs Notes: Point Guards, Cuban, Kaman
We've heard plenty of rumblings out of Dallas since the Mavericks' season ended about what's next for the franchise, including word that O.J. Mayo intends to decline his player option and become a free agent. Considering how high the expectations are for the team, and how comfortable owner Mark Cuban is talking to the media, that's hardly a surprise, and figures to continue throughout the offseason. In fact, we have another round of Mavs updates this afternoon. Let's dive in….
- The Mavericks' top priority this offseason will be finding a long-term solution for what GM Donnie Nelson calls the team's "point guard odyssey," writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. MacMahon identifies some potential targets for the Mavs, including Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, and Jeff Teague.
- The "Bank of Cuban" can only take Dallas so far, says Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, noting that it will be hard for the Mavs owner to dictate how the summer plays out.
- Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News speculates that Chris Kaman's exit meeting with the Mavs may not have gone well, since Kaman didn't make himself available to the media following the meeting. There's no guarantee Townsend is right, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kaman has played his last game as a Maverick.
Qualifying Offers And The Starter Criteria
As we explained a year ago when the 2011/12 regular season ended, new details of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement have slightly modified the usual process for restricted free agency. The qualifying offers teams extend to potential restricted free agents are now based, in some instances, on a newly-defined "starter criteria."
The CBA describes a "starter" as either starting 41 games or playing 2,000 minutes in a season, and rewards players for meeting those criteria. If a player achieved one of those benchmarks in the season prior to his free agency, or averaged one of those benchmarks in the two seasons leading up to his free agency, his qualifying offer will be affected as follows:
- A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter critera will receive a same qualifying offer equal to 120% of the amount applicable to the 15th overall pick.
- A played picked between 10th and 30th who meets the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to 120% of the amount applicable to the ninth overall pick.
- A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to 100% of the amount applicable to the 21st overall pick.
Because the 2009 class of first-round picks will be hitting restricted free agency this season, the 2009/10 rookie scale will dictate the qualifying offers received. Using RealGM's rookie scale chart for 2009, we can calculate the qualifying offers as follows:
- 120% of the amount applicable to the ninth overall pick is $4,531,459.
- 120% of the amount applicable to the 15th overall pick is $4,135,391.
- 100% of the amount applicable to the 21st overall pick is $2,785,146.
So which players will be affected by this new rule this summer? Using our list of free agents (restricted FAs are marked with R), the above calculations, and the starter criteria, this offseason's modified qualifying offers are listed below. Teams will have to offer these free agents a one-year contract worth the listed amount to make them restricted — otherwise they'll become unrestricted and can freely sign with any club.
Top-14 picks who failed to meet the starter criteria and will now be eligible for a QO of $4,135,391 (previously anticipated QO in parentheses):
- Tyler Hansbrough, Pacers ($4,225,423)
Players picked between 10th and 30th who met the starter criteria and will now be eligible for a QO of $4,531,459 (previously anticipated QO in parentheses):
- Brandon Jennings, Bucks ($4,330,469)
- Gerald Henderson, Bobcats ($4,267,426)
- Jeff Teague, Hawks ($3,469,568)
- Darren Collison, Mavericks ($3,342,175)
- Byron Mullens, Bobcats ($3,293,976)
Other free agents with three years or less in the NBA who met the starter criteria and will be eligible for a QO of $2,785,146:
- None. Although restricted free agents like Nikola Pekovic (Timberwolves) and Tiago Splitter (Spurs) also met the starter criteria, both players are already in line for higher QOs because they were signed to larger deals using cap space (Pekovic) or the mid-level exception (Splitter).
Mavericks Links: Collison, Brand, Mayo
Headed for free agency this summer, Mavericks point guard Darren Collison told reporters that he’s capable of starting on any team. Despite finishing the final 23 games of the season as a reserve, the former UCLA product hasn’t ruled out a return to the Mavericks, even if it means he’d continue that role (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reports). Also, as Jon Machota of SportsDayDFW notes, Collison hasn't had any discussions with his agent about where he could end up next season. Here are a few more links to share out of Dallas:
- Price also hears that Elton Brand would like to return to Dallas next season in order to make up for being unable to help the team make the playoffs this season. Picked up off of amnesty before the start of the season, the former number one overall pick averaged 7.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG, marking the first year in his career with his scoring average in the single-figures.
- Count head coach Rick Carlisle among the proponents of bringing O.J. Mayo back in a Mavs uniform next season, writes Price. This morning, we heard that the 25-year-old swingman plans to opt out of his contract in hopes of negotiating a long-term deal with Dallas.
Adande On Nowitzki, Cuban, Mavericks
In this ESPN video, J.A. Adande spoke about the chances that Dirk Nowitzki stays with Dallas, Mark Cuban, and key factors that have been and could be in play with regard to the Mavericks' lack of luck in free agency. Here are the highlights:
- Though Dirk recently stated that he "belongs to this city," the star forward could be give himself the option to leave Dallas if Cuban isn't able to surround him with players that would make the Mavericks a title contender again.
- Although the team preserved cap space by acquiring players on short term contracts after striking out on their major targets last summer, Adande wonders what would happen if they miss out again. With the likelihood that both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul stay with their respective teams, it remains to be seen if Dallas can land premium free agents this year.
- Interestingly, Adande points out that not being able to play for Team USA put Dirk at a recruiting disadvantage, specifically because it didn't allow him to form the same type of friendships that certain other players – namely LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh – did while spending time on the Olympic team together before the summer of 2010.
- The appeal of Dallas as a free agent destination may have taken a hit considering that the franchise didn't necessarily reward the players that eventually led them to a title, in addition to the fact that they lost out on free agents afterward.
O.J. Mayo To Opt Out, Become Free Agent
O.J. Mayo will not pick up his player option for next season, opting instead to hit free agency, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter link). Sneed adds that Mayo is hoping to sign a long-term deal with the Mavericks.
Mayo, 25, would make $4.2MM in the last season of his two-year contract with Dallas if he were to exercise his option. Instead, he figures to receive a raise, and should land a multiyear guarantee as well.
When I examined Mayo's free agent stock last month, I wrote that I expected him to easily exceed the mid-level deals signed by players like Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, and Louis Williams in 2012. However, his stock may have taken a bit of a hit since then. April was his worst month with the Mavs, as he averaged only 8.6 PPG on 38.5% shooting, both well below his full-season marks (15.3 PPG, 44.9% shooting). He also drew the ire of coach Rick Carlisle, who had some harsh criticism for Mayo after a loss this week.
According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Sulia), there's a noticeable divide in the perception around the league on how much Mayo could earn in free agency. Bucher writes that some GMs don't think he'll earn much more than the $4MM he made this season, while others think he could make up to $10-12MM annually.