Southwest Rumors: Mavs, Gasol, McHale
The Southwest Division should again be one of the league's toughest this season, with the Spurs, who've won the division twice in a row, bringing back their key parts and the playoff-tested Grizzlies doing the same. The Mavericks made plenty of changes but still figure to be in the playoff mix as long as Dirk Nowitzki is around, and the Hornets brought in No. 1 pick Anthony Davis, 2011/12 Most Improved Player Award winner Ryan Anderson, and others. The Rockets appear to be the division's soft spot, but they could be in the mix for a marquee player closer to the trade deadline with their stockpile of youth and draft picks. Here's the latest, with preseason on the horizon:
- After a summer of change, the Mavericks' roster for the start of the regular season appears set, but beyond that there's plenty of uncertainty, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News examines.
- Marc Gasol spoke about his desire to remain long-term with the Grizzlies to the Spanish website Marca.com (translation via HoopsHype). Gasol still has three years left on the four-year, $57.5MM deal he signed after the lockout last December, so it doesn't seem like he's going anywhere soon.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle heard from Rockets coach Kevin McHale about the team's overhauled and largely inexperienced roster as he prepares for the first full training camp of his coaching career.
Odds & Ends: Louisville, D-League, Raptors
Earlier this summer, we heard rumblings of Virginia Beach putting the wheels in motion to land an NBA team with an eye on the Kings. Today, Marcus Green and Dan Klepal of The Courier-Journal write that a group of community leaders in Louisville, Kentucky would like to land a team as well. However, one city spokesman says that there is no "active deal" between the city and any team in the Association. Here's this afternoon's look around the league..
- The Maine Red Claws of the D-League are set to hire Mike Taylor as their next head coach, league sources tell Paul Flannery of WEEI.com. Taylor has experience in Europe and the D-League and will now head the Red Claws in their first year under the full control of the Celtics.
- AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops brings us his All-Eurobasket Qualifying team, which features Omri Casspi, Danilo Gallinari, and Marcin Gortat. Finnish guard Petteri Kaponen, whose draft rights are owned by the Mavericks, also turned in a standout performance during the games.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star expects the Raptors to offer Jamaal Magloire an off-the-court role if he does not survive with the club. Magloire's deal hasn't been officially announced yet but it is expected to be a one-year, non-guaranteed pact.
- Jarvis Varnado is hoping to make the Heat on a non-guaranteed deal, but Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel doesn't like his chances. Winderman expects Miami to give the nod to Mickell Gladness rather than the defensive-minded Varnado.
- Last year's D-League call-up record will likely be broken this season, opines Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside. Part of the reason for that is that there will be an all-time high of eleven NBA teams with single affiliates.
Texas Rumors: Mayo, Brand, Collison, Spurs
"The Texas Triangle" has long been the NBA's equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle, as teams have rarely gone undefeated on a three-game swing through Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. It might not be as much of a challenge this year, with the Rockets in flux, but if road-weary teams have to go to Houston on a back-to-back after facing the Spurs or Mavs, the Rockets could pick up a few extra wins this year. Here's the latest Lone Star news:
- Chauncey Billups, recalling his growth under coach Rick Carlisle when they were together with the Pistons, persuaded O.J. Mayo to sign with the Mavs, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes.
- Elton Brand is entering the final year of his deal after the Mavs claimed him off amnesty waivers from the Sixers, but he told the Ben and Skin show on ESPNDallas 103.3 that he'd be willing to come off the bench, something he's done only 30 times in 860 career regular season games.
- Mavs point guard Darren Collison, also heading into a contract year, spoke about his goals for the season with HoopsWorld, as part of a larger roundup by Bill Ingram.
- The Spurs announced via press release that the Austin Toros, their D-League affiliate, have hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach.
- Carmelo Anthony gives the Rockets front office credit for snaring Jeremy Lin away from the Knicks, as we noted earlier.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Mavericks, Cuban, Davis
Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation interestingly points out that eleven NBA teams either have a coach, general manager, or both that have strong ties to the Spurs franchise. Former San Antonio assistant GM and current Thunder GM Sam Presti acknowledged t RC Buford, Gregg Popovich, and owner Pete Holt and the important role they played in his development as a front office executive, saying, "(They) have created an infrastructure that has afforded many of us tremendous learning and development opportunities…It is important to acknowledge that they generally have an even more profound impact on their people on a personal level than simply professionally.”
Here are other rumblings from the Southwest Division tonight…
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW writes that both Chris Kaman and O.J. Mayo are ready to take advantage of their new opportunity with the Mavericks. Mayo has already started working out with head coach Rick Carlisle for the last month.
- Sefko also documented some thoughts from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who implied that it's refreshing to observe practices and finally see centers on the team, namely Kaman and Elton Brand, being able to knock down a mid-range jump shot. Cuban also commented on the Lakers, adding that he's not sure "if all their guys want to be there."
- Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated relayed Maurice Evans' take on Hornets number one pick Anthony Davis, saying that the hype surrounding the former Kentucky star has been "over the top" (Sulia link).
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Higgins, Bogut, Carlisle
On the cusp of an earlier report this week that said most Knicks players were working out together before training camp, New York enters this season as a team with no excuses, writes Keith Schlosser of KnicksJournal.com.
Here are a few other notes from around the league.
- According to a tweet from the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell, Cory Higgins will be in Bobcats training camp competing for the team's third point guard spot.
- Warriors center Andrew Bogut is expected to be in uniform and ready to play in the team's season opener against the Suns, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has to deal with five incoming free agents, but unlike most coaches in the league, it shouldn't be a problem for the lead man in Dallas, writes ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett.
- In the midst of rebuilding, the Pistons are loaded with young players that should hopefully grow into a something special given the time they're putting in the gym this offseason, writes Pistons.com's Keith Langlois.
- The Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz tweets that the Magic are expected to sign one or two more free agents to fill out their training camp roster.
- The Clippers have added several veterans this offseason, like Grant Hill, Lamar Odom, and Jamal Crawford. NBA.com's Eric Patten writes that if the additions can stay healthy, the Clippers have positioned themselves to make a deep playoff run.
- Sam Amico of FoxSportsOhio.com covers the remaining free agents that have yet to be signed.
- Dwyane Wade believes the Bulls need Derrick Rose at full strength if they want to contend in the Eastern Conference Finals, let alone the NBA championship, writes ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell.
Amick On Martin, Fisher, Fesenko, Williams
In addition to reporting that Matt Barnes is closing in on a deal with the Clippers, SI.com's Sam Amick shared updates on a handful of other free agents in his latest piece. Let's dive in and round up a few highlights from the SI.com scribe:
- Most, if not all, of the teams interested in Kenyon Martin only have interest at the veteran's minimum. The Lakers and Celtics were among the teams in play earlier in the offseason, but now Amick wonders if Martin will wait until midseason or even retire if he doesn't find a situation he likes.
- Derek Fisher may be in the same boat as Martin, with retirement or signing halfway through the season both potentially in play. Fisher turned down an offer from the Bulls before Chicago signed Nate Robinson, and the chances of the veteran point guard returning to the Thunder are "remote."
- Kyrylo Fesenko is scheduled to work out with the Spurs next week, and may work out for the Cavaliers after that. The Hawks and Heat have also been in touch with the big man.
- The Pistons will work out Terrence Williams this week. The Mavericks and Celtics are also believed to have interest in Williams.
Rockets, Mavs Interested In James Harden
As the October 31st extension deadline approaches and we wait to see whether the Thunder and James Harden can work out a long-term deal, it seems rival suitors are already surfacing in the event that Harden reaches restricted free agency. According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Rockets and Mavericks are "huge Harden fans" and are candidates to sign him to a loaded offer sheet next summer.
Thunder GM Sam Presti talked about a potential extension for Harden earlier this week, and his comments suggested that it won't be easy to complete a deal, with compromises required on both sides. As Stein tweets, Harden is a "virtual lock" to receive a max offer sheet in restricted free agency, so he'd likely be accepting a discount if he signed an extension for anything less than that.
Unlike Oklahoma City, the Rockets and Mavericks are both in position to clear a good deal of cap space for next summer's free agent period. Houston has Kevin Martin's $12.44MM contract, among others, coming off its books, while many of the Mavs' summer acquisitions are on expiring deals. Both teams, along with the Suns and others, could be in competition for Harden's services if he becomes a free agent, though the Thunder would still have the right to match any offers.
If Oklahoma City becomes convinced that keeping Harden is impossible, the team could also entertain trade offers prior to this year's deadline, but I'd be shocked if Presti broke up the defending Western Conference champs. Stein confirms that a trade isn't in the cards at this point, tweeting that the Thunder "so far, won't entertain such thoughts."
Odds & Ends: Anderson, Mbenga, Heat, Harden
It's been a busier day than we've had for a while around the NBA, and with training camps opening as soon as September 29th, expect the faster pace of news to continue. Let's dive right into some of the latest from around the league:
- James Anderson's deal with the Hawks is a one-year, non-guaranteed pact, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
- D.J. Mbenga, who agreed to terms with the Mavericks earlier today, has already agreed to join the team's D-League affiliate if he doesn't make the NBA club out of training camp, reports Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
- An agent tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the Heat are only offering contracts without a guarantee, which makes sense, since they already have agreements with 18 players. Winderman also speculates that Raja Bell could be a fit for the Heat whenever he finalizes the buyout he continues to negotiate with the Jazz (Sulia link).
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com delves deep into Thunder GM Sam Presti's comments about a possible extension for James Harden, and says that while Isiah Thomas is unlikely to return in a formal capacity to the Knicks soon, he looms as a potential candidate to join an NBA team as a coach or executive down the road.
- Zach Lowe of SI.com runs down several players for whom 2012/13 will be an especially important season.
- After looking at 10 overpaid players earlier today, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News also shares his list of the 10 most underpaid players in the league.
Mavericks To Sign D.J. Mbenga
Back in 2004/05, D.J. Mbenga began his NBA career with the Mavericks, spending the first of three seasons with the club. Now, it appears he'll be heading back to Dallas. According to an RTBF report (French link), Mbenga said he has been working out with the Mavs and has signed a one-year deal with the team (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). ESPN.com's Marc Stein confirms that the Mavs will bring Mbenga to training camp.
Mbenga, 31, will likely receive no more than a non- or partially-guaranteed minimum-salary deal with a camp invite. The seven-footer has never been a serious contributor on an NBA team, but he has managed to stick around the league for seven seasons, most recently playing 41 games for the Hornets in 2010/11.
RTBF's report indicates that Mbenga turned down offers from teams in China and Greece in favor of joining the Mavericks. He may face an uphill battle making the Dallas roster, however, since the team already has 15 guaranteed contracts on its books. Still, according to Stein, the Mavs would like to find a way to add one more center to their roster for depth purposes.
Mavericks Notes: Collison, Mayo, Deron, Cuban
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban held a press conference this afternoon in Dallas and discussed the club's future as they look to rebuild. Here are some highlights..
- In referring to new additions Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand, and Dahntay Jones, Cuban said “Our goal is to have these guys in Mavericks uniforms for a long, long time," according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. However, all of those players are essentially on one-year deals with Mayo (player option for 2014) and Collison (restricted free agent) as the only exceptions.
- Collison said that he and Mayo will be entering this season with a chip on their shoulders as both will have to prove their worth in order to stay in Dallas for the long haul, writes McMahon. Mayo was almost certainly hoping for a better deal before he settled for the Mavs' one-year, $4MM offer.
- While the Mavs were unable to land Deron Williams in free agency, Cuban insists that the club is better off without him, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “You know, (it was) on the advice of our basketball people,’’ Cuban said. “No disrespect to Deron, but sometimes from a team perspective, the best deals are the ones you don’t get done. We would have made it work with Deron. But I think it’s better for our team the way it turned out.’’