Northwest Rumors: Blazers, Lawson, Miller, Batum
The Oregonian's Joe Freeman examines the decisions the Blazers face in advance of the October 31st deadline for exercising their 2013/14 team options on Luke Babbitt, Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams. According to Freeman, the team could come within $500K of having enough cap space to sign a free agent to a maximum-salary deal next summer if it declines all three options. Freeman seems to think, given the makeup of the Blazers roster, it would make the least sense to pick up Babbitt's option, despite the injury to Williams that's expected to keep him out the entire season. Check out other option decisions facing teams with our Rookie Contract Option Tracker, and read on for from the Blazers and other Northwest Division clubs.
- Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post suggests Ty Lawson and new agent Happy Walters could be in line for a five-year, $65MM extension from the Nuggets before the October 31st deadline. Hochman also passes along some advice for Lawson from new teammate Andre Iguodala, who re-signed with the Sixers in 2008 after failing to come to an extension agreement in 2007.
- Andre Miller has been an ironman over his 13-year NBA career, missing only six regular season games, but he's sitting out of select preseason games for the first time, Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com notes. The Nuggets signed the 36-year-old Miller to a three-year, $14.625MM deal this summer that includes a partial guarantee for the final season.
- Nicolas Batum told Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune he signed his offer sheet with Minnesota this summer knowing he'd be pleased to wind up with either the Timberwolves or the Blazers. "I chose Minnesota because I knew (Portland) could match," Batum said. "I knew those two teams were going to be the best options for me. I wouldn’t have signed with anybody else. And I wanted to challenge the Blazers, to see if they really like me or not."
Atlantic Rumors: Iguodala, Sixers, Moon, Bradley
Sixers swingman Jason Richardson made waves earlier today, telling reporters he expected the Magic to trade him because of his representation by Dan Fegan, who also serves as Dwight Howard's agent. He's not the only player involved in the Howard/Andrew Bynum blockbuster causing a stir, as news from around the Atlantic Division trickles in.
- Former Sixers star Andre Iguodala recently told Matt Moore of CBSSports.com that he hasn't really enjoyed the game the past couple of years and felt drained by constant criticism. Doug Collins doesn't perceive that as a swipe at him, telling Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News, "I feel great about our time together."
- Evan Turner also took Iguodala's remarks in stride, as Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com reports.
- Free agent Jamario Moon, who saw his best days with the Raptors, has switched agents as he continues to hold out hope of latching on with an NBA team, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets. He's now with Jared Karnes after having been represented by Wallace Prather.
- Avery Bradley and Celtics coach Doc Rivers agree on a mid-December timetable for the guard's return from surgery on both shoulders, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. There's no return date for center Chris Wilcox, who's suffering from back spasms as he battles back from heart surgery.
- Celtics coach Doc Rivers is searching for one more player to join Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green in the team's crunch-time lineup, Blakely writes.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether Chris Smith's injury will open the door for fellow shooting guard and training camp invitee Mychel Thompson to make the Knicks opening-day roster. Smith and Thompson are on non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals.
Odds & Ends: Harden, Spurs, Richardson, Nuggets
Of today's slate of preseason NBA games, three are scheduled for tonight, with one already in the books — the Heat defeated the Clippers 94-80 in Beijing in a contest that got underway at 6:30 CST this morning. As we await the rest of today's action, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the league….
- Grantland's Bill Simmons believes the Thunder should be able to absorb the tax hit that will come with extending or re-signing James Harden, and implores Harden not to settle for a hometown discount.
- Derrick Brown's ability to guard the three spot could set him apart in the battle to earn a roster spot among Spurs' bigs, says Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links). As Mike Monroe of the Express-News writes, however, Eddy Curry and Josh Powell also both played well in the team's preseason game with the Hawks.
- Jason Richardson has left agent Dan Fegan and is in the market for new representation, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post examines the Nuggets' quest to build a winning culture in Denver.
- Juwan Howard is remaining around the Heat in case the team decides to cut six players instead of five and has an open roster spot for him, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Agent Rich Paul, who recently began to exclusively represent LeBron James and other NBA players, is under investigation by the NCAA for his relationship with University of Texas guard Myck Kabongo, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Odds & Ends: Chandler, Paul, Spurs, Jamison
Let's round up a few Wednesday odds and ends from around the Association….
- Although Wilson Chandler, who signed a five-year deal with the Nuggets earlier in 2012, tells Adrian Dater of the Denver Post that he wouldn't have done anything differently when it comes to playing last year in China, he's looking forward to a bounceback season with the Nuggets.
- Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com debate whether Chris Paul's impending free agency will become a distraction for the Clippers this season. For his part, Paul has said he doesn't expect to pay much attention to his contract situation until season's end.
- The Spurs are still seeking a permanent solution for backup point guard behind Tony Parker, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Gary Neal currently has the leg up for the job, but Patrick Mills and Cory Joseph remain in the mix.
- Antawn Jamison spoke to Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register about his decision to sign with the Lakers after he received the OK from his family in North Carolina.
- In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford takes an early look at some of the top ACC prospects expected to be part of the 2013 draft class.
- The Santa Cruz Warriors are interested in selecting Japeth Aguilar of the Philippines in the D-League draft, according to Sid Ventura of Yahoo! Sports. Golden State's D-League affiliate officially received approval today to relocate to Santa Cruz for the 2012/13 season.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Iguodala, Blazers
The Northwest Division promises to be one of the most competitive in the league during the 2012/13 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to defend their Western Conference championship; the Denver Nuggets added Andre Iguodala to an already deep team; and the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves made key offseason changes that should have them in the playoff hunt. Here is the latest chatter from up north on Tuesday afternoon:
- Mike Sorensen of the Desert News writes that second-year center Enes Kanter is impressing Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin in training camp.
- Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune has a feature on Jazz second-round pick Kevin Murphy, who is fighting for a roster spot with the team.
- Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune examines the improved shooting stroke of DeMarre Carroll this offseason.
- Iguodala has taken on a leadership role in his first training camp as a Nugget, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
- The Oregonian's Joe Freeman reports (via Twitter) that Blazers coach Terry Stotts will limit all of his players to one half of action during Portland's preseason opener on Wednesday.
Jennings, DeRozan Unlikely To Land Extensions
With 25 days until the extension deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter) hears that Denver's Ty Lawson and Philadelphia's Jrue Holiday are likely to get new deals. Meanwhile, Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings and Toronto's DeMar DeRozan are not likely to get extensions done with their respective teams.
Jennings is set to earn $3.18MM in the final year of his rookie scale contract but the dynamic point guard is said to be seeking a maximum deal. While the one-guard has shown a great deal of promise, it seems unlikely that Milwaukee would spend that much to keep him in the fold, especially with Monta Ellis holding an option at the end of the year. Jennings has expressed dissatisfaction with the Bucks in the past but over the summer he publicly said that he hopes to reach a new deal with the club.
Earlier this week, we heard that the Raptors still view DeRozan as a key part of their future and have had extension talks with the guard. However, Bryan Colangelo said that he wasn't sure if he'd get a deal done with DeRozan prior to the deadline. For his part, the 23-year-old has said that he is happy with the Raptors.
It was reported that Holiday was seeking a max extension earlier this summer, an expectation that seemed overly ambitious at best. However, the 22-year-old recently clarified those remarks, explaining that it is simply a goal of his to be on that level as a player.
Lawson recently followed LeBron James' lead and opted to leave the powerful Creative Arts Agency as he enters his final year under contract. Luke Adams recently looked at what it'll take for the Nuggets to lock the point guard up and sees a deal with a ~$10MM average annual value.
Other 2009 draftees in the mix for extensions include Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Bulls forward Taj Gibson, and, of course, Thunder guard James Harden, Stein tweets. We've already seen fellow '09ers Blake Griffin and Serge Ibaka sign lucrative contract extensions with the Clippers and Thunder, respectively.
Northwest Links: Thunder, Nuggets, T’Wolves, Jazz
- Brad Miller was invited by Rick Adelman to Timberwolves camp in Mankato for a few days as a special assistant coach, although Adelman is unsure if the former center will maintain a recurring role with the team once they return to Minnesota (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune reports).
- Randy Hollis of the Deseret News says that Mo Williams will bring much needed leadership to a Jazz locker room that features several players in their early 20s with limited NBA experience.
- Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post takes note of Ty Lawson's development as seen by veteran guard Anthony Carter, who was a member of the Nuggets during Lawson's rookie season and finds himself back in Denver training camp after stints with New York and Toronto. In another article, Hochman says that according to George Karl, center Kosta Koufos has been the team's "best big guy in camp so far."
- Even without Ricky Rubio in practices, the Timberwolves haven't deviated from the "corner offense" that coach Rick Adelman installed last season. Adelman also lauded the shooting prowess of rookie Alexey Shved and the surprising passing ability of center Nikola Pekovic during Thursday's scrimmages (Ray Richardson of TwinCities.com reports). On a side note, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune tweets that Malcolm Lee missed practice due to groin tightness.
- Heading into his third year in the NBA, Jazz forward Jeremy Evans says that he understands his role and "knows what to expect now" (Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune writes).
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune reflects on how youth basketball coach Sandy Pyonin helped turn around Randy Foye's life around, as well as provides some background on how the Jazz guard refined his shooting abilities.
Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Nuggets, Thunder
Here's a look at some items out of the Northwest Division..
- A free agent in 2015, Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge says that he's happy with the direction of the organization, writes Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge. "I'm fine with it," Aldridge said. "We have some guys who are really, really good. They're young. Give them one or two years and we should be good to go." The 27-year-old has yet to advance in the playoffs with Portland and finds himself without a bonafide No. 2 star to play with as he enters his prime.
- For the first time in three years, the Nuggets could go four months without a significant roster overhaul, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. It remains to be seen how long that will last, however, with Ty Lawson in line for an extension, Andre Iguodala holding an option for 2013/14, and GM Masai Ujiri in a contract year.
- Thunder guard Daequan Cook doesn't expect James Harden's contract talk to be a distraction for the team this season, writes Susan Bible of HoopsWorld. Earlier this week, Harden says that he's confident that he'll get a deal done with Oklahoma City.
- After a slow rookie season, Derrick Williams appears to be on the right track heading int0 2012/13, writes Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press. The Timberwolves reportedly tried to trade the former Arizona star and two first-round picks to the Blazers over the summer for Nicolas Batum.
Northwest Rumors: Roy, Miller, Thunder, Blazers
- The Timberwolves are only two days into training camp, but Brandon Roy has yet to feel any pain or discomfort in his knees, and the team has been encouraged by what they've seen from him so far, as Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
- Brad Miller retired this summer after being used as a trade chip in a pair of deals, and now he's lending a hand at Timberwolves camp for a few days to see if he wants to get into coaching, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- The backup point guard job for the Thunder is an open competition between Reggie Jackson and Eric Maynor, coach Scott Brooks said, and Jackson's summer league experience is helping him, as John Rohde and Darnell Mayberry of the The Oklahoman write.
- DeAndre Liggins explains how his non-guaranteed deal with the Thunder came about in a Q&A with John Rohde of The Oklahoman.
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts retreated from earlier indications that J.J. Hickson would start at center, and the starting job appears to be an open competition between Hickson, Joel Freeland and Meyers Leonard, as Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge writes in his breakdown of all three candidates for the position.
- Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com looks at Andre Iguodala as he embarks on his first training camp with the Nuggets.
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune examines the logjam in Utah, where nine Jazz players averaged at least 30 minutes a game at some point in their careers. That's a group that doesn't include young big men Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, who'll push for more time this season.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Millsap, Carter
Israeli point guard Gal Mekel wasn't talked about much as a possibility for the NBA this summer but yesterday we learned that the Jazz have their eye on him. However, visa complications would make it difficult for Mekel to get into camp on time and make his case for a roster spot. If the 24-year-old does wind up with the Jazz or another club, he would become the league's second Israeli player after Cleveland's Omri Casspi. Here's more on the Jazz and other notes out of the Northwest division..
- Paul Millsap reiterated yesterday that he'd "absolutely" like to re-sign with the Jazz next summer, but it's unclear whether the Jazz will commit to both Millsap and Derrick Favors long-term, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune. Over the summer, the Jazz reportedly offered Millsap a three-year, $25MM contract extension.
- Millsap is among the players to keep an eye on as they enter a contract year, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The 27-year-old has shown progress in every season and another significant step forward can put him in line for a major payday in the summer. As it stands now, the powerful big man looks to be one of the bigger gets in the 2013 free agent class.
- Fan favorite Anthony Carter is excited to be back with the Nuggets in camp, even though he is fighting to crack the roster during this go 'round, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Denver's signings of Carter and Ben Uzoh yesterday brought the roster count to 17. The two are now in a three-horse race with point guard Julyan Stone for the final spot with the club.