Odds & Ends: Harden, Hornets, James, Olympics
Sad news today as former NBA Deputy Commissioner and Players Association executive director Simon Gourdine passed away at the age of 72. As deputy commissioner in 1976, Gourdine was instrumental in helping to facilitate the merger of the NBA and ABA, which brought the Nets, Pacers, Spurs, and Nuggets over to the Association. Here's more from around the league on this Sunday evening..
- If Eric Gordon is a max player, and Brook Lopez is a max player, reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden is certainly a max player, opines Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops. After signing Serge Ibaka to a four-year, $48MM contract extension, the Thunder will have to get creative if they hope to hang on to Harden. Of course, Oklahoma City may opt to trade the super sub to avoid the possibility of having to match a lucrative backloaded offer sheet down the line.
- The Hornets have gone to great lengths to revamp their club this summer and Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com runs down the newest additions to the hive. Eichenhofer notes that the recently-acquired Hakim Warrick may have to shift from power forward to small forward in order to see time in New Orleans.
- It may be four years away, but LeBron James already says that he hopes to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, according to the Associated Press. James joked that he has "done the math" and is well aware that he will be 31-years-old during those games. Of course, James could only play if there isn't an under-23 age limit applied for USA Basketball starting in 2016.
Odds & Ends: Wolves, Okur, Nuggets, Muhammad
It's been a slow day for NBA news and rumors, but there are still plenty of links worth checking out. Here are a few that have trickled in over the course of the day:
- The Timberwolves wouldn't mind adding another big man, and are "kicking around" the idea of Mehmet Okur, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500. As Wolfson notes, however, considering Minnesota only has the minimum salary to offer, Okur is an unlikely target for the team.
- If the Nuggets are able to lock up Ty Lawson and Andre Iguodala to long-term deals, it would ensure that a "thrilling nucleus" is in place in Denver, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
- UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad tells HoopsWorld that he's not expecting to necessarily be a "one-and-done" player, but I'd be surprised if the top prospect doesn't enter the draft after his freshman season. Plus, as Yannis Koutroupis writes, given the NCAA's current investigation that's putting Muhammad's amateur status in jeopardy, the star recruit could be fortunate to play even one year at UCLA.
- Dwyane Wade tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Sulia link) that his recovery from knee surgery is on schedule and he expects to "turn it up more" in the next couple weeks.
Iguodala On Future, Denver, George Karl
Earlier today, we relayed a report that the Nuggets plan to explore a long-term deal to keep Andre Iguodala in Denver.The 6'6 guard/forward is slated to have a player option after the end of this year, but during his introduction as a new member of the Nuggets, Iguodala was pretty clear on where he stands regarding his future. In addition to our earlier post, we were able to gather more noteworthy quotes from the former 76ers swingman (via Bill Ingram from HoopsWorld):
"We’re definitely already looking ahead and seeing how we can go forward and this not being just a quick stop for me, knowing this is a great organization. I got a lot of feedback from a lot of different guys, current players, former players, even other trainers about the organization, that this would be a great place for me to have some great years ahead of me and possibly ending my career here."
Iguodala also mentioned that he spoke to Carmelo Anthony about what playing in Denver would be like:
"(Anthony) said you would be a perfect fit for Coach Karl, you two would really gel with one another. Just small things like that. It got me thinking once the trade went through on a long flight back, looking at the team we have and how I can help the young guys grow. And, having some of my best years with Andre Miller is really one of the best opportunities that I’ve had the opportunity to take advantage of. I’m looking forward to it."
He added that he has been studying the Nuggets offense and has spoken with head coach George Karl about the expectations for the upcoming season:
"It was a really good conversation when we first spoke five or six days ago. The first thing when we spoke he spoke about what I needed to work on, which was great…he went straight to the things he thought I needed to do in order to get the most out of myself and help the team. Free throws was one thing, getting to the free throw line was another. Just being aggressive. That was something I took out of the conversation that I think will help us a lot, being up front and getting the most from each other."
Nuggets To Explore Long-Term Deal For Iguodala
Since last week's Dwight Howard trade, much has been made about whether Howard will re-sign in Los Angeles and whether Andrew Bynum will re-up with the 76ers, but Andre Iguodala's future in Denver hasn't received much of the spotlight. Asked about the topic at his introductory press conference today, Iguodala hinted that he'd be open to staying with the Nuggets for a while, saying, "We weren't coming into this thinking this will be a one-year deal" (link via Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post).
If Iggy would like to remain a Nugget down the road, there appears to be mutual interest in getting something done. GM Masai Ujiri, who was also at the presser, talked about wanting to lock the athletic forward up to a long-term deal, saying that it's something he'll look into during the coming season.
Iguodala has two years remaining on his contract, at $14.97MM this year and $16.15MM in 2013/14. However, he could opt out next summer, since he has an early termination option on the last year of his deal. Iggy is eligible to sign an extension now, but would have to waive his ETO and opt in for next year to do so, meaning he could only add two new seasons to his current contract. If the 28-year-old is seeking longer-term security, he could also exercise his ETO and sign a new deal with the Nuggets or another team in free agency next July.
Odds & Ends: Nuggets, Nelson, Van Gundy
Let's round up a few items of note from around the league on a Wednesday afternoon:
- Denver GM Masai Ujiri told KKFN in Denver (link via Sports Radio Interviews) that the Nuggets always had interest in Andre Iguodala and "kept poking" at the Magic's three-way Dwight Howard talks until they figured out a way to get involved and acquire him.
- Former NBA coach Don Nelson isn't interested in returning to a team's bench, even if someone calls, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Stan Van Gundy, meanwhile, recently said he still has the itch to coach, but has to weigh that desire against family considerations (link via Sports Radio Interviews).
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Chad Ford and John Hollinger share their Future Power Rankings, from the Heat at No. 1 to the Bobcats at No. 30.
- Having added two centers this summer, the Pistons may ask Greg Monroe to play at power forward, and the big man tells Keith Langlois of Pistons.com he's ready for it.
- Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com examines what all the offseason additions mean for the Mavericks' rotation.
Odds & Ends: Iguodala, Smith, Gunning, Moser
To get an idea of the size and signficance of last week's blockbuster, consider the notion that Andre Iguodala heading to the Nuggets was probably the least publicized leg of the deal. Iguodala was not only an All-Star last season, but he was one of 12 members of a Team USA that has been fawned over by sports fans around the globe for the past month. According to Aaron Lopez of Nuggets.com, some of Iguodala's post-trade quotes were misconstrued and the veteran wing is, in fact, very excited to join what should be an ultra-athletic team in Denver. Let's round up some of the other links and happenings from around the Association on this Tuesday night:
- New Celtics sixth man Jason Terry spoke with Molly McGrath from Celtics.com and stated Boston's case for legitimate title contention in the 2012-13 season. Greg Payne from ESPN Boston transcribed the interview.
- Mark Medina from the L.A. Times spoke with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who sees a lot of similarities between his situation with the Lakers in 1975 and the one Dwight Howard is about to enter.
- Power forward Craig Smith, who saw less than 10 minutes per game with the Blazers last year, explained to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com why he passed up NBA offers to play in Israel in the upcoming season. Smith was tired of being an NBA "roster filler" and was willing to take less money for an opportunity to show what he can do with consistent playing time.
- The Magic have hired Brett Gunning as an assistant coach, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Gunning, who spent the last four seasons in various roles in the Rockets organization, will join first-time head coach Jacque Vaughn on the Orlando bench.
- According to UNLV head coach Dave Rice, Rebels swingman Mike Moser is preparing for what will likely be his last season in Las Vegas, reports Mike Youmans at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Moser is a rising junior, but Rice says he essentially considers him a senior. Moser averaged 14 points and more than 10 rebounds as a sophomore last season for the Rebels and briefly flirted with the 2012 draft. He projects as a late first-round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
- Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com writes that the Sixers, a franchise that has historically gotten burned in trades involving superstars, finally got the best player in a mega-deal in Andrew Bynum. Moore is only referring to what the team directly gave up and received, which eliminates Dwight Howard from consideration.
Free Agent Spending By Division: Northwest
After calculating the numbers on 2012 free agent expenditures for teams in the Atlantic, Central and Southeast, we're moving over to the Western Conference. Using Hoops Rumors' Free Agent Tracker, our look at summer spending out West starts in the Northwest Division, where a pair of rivals spent a chunk of July battling over restricted free agent Nicolas Batum, who ultimately landed the largest contract in the division.
Once again, these figures only take into account free agent signings, so salary absorbed in trades or money used to sign draft picks isn't included in this list. Additionally, not all of this salary is necessarily guaranteed, which we'll try to note as we go along. Here are this summer's Northwest Division free agent costs, sorted by player salary:
Denver Nuggets: $63.875MM (JaVale McGee, Andre Miller, Anthony Randolph)
Miller's three-year, $14.625MM deal is only guaranteed for $12MM, so the Nuggets' overall bill may not ultimately be quite so high, but this is still a good chunk of money spent by an over-the-cap team that's not in a top market. Between their trades of Nene and Arron Afflalo though, the Nuggets have exhibited an ability to shed long-term contracts not long after they're signed, without taking long-term salary back in return. It's unlikely that happens with McGee's four-year, $44MM deal, but you never know.
Portland Trail Blazers: $54.572MM (Nicolas Batum, J.J. Hickson, Jared Jeffries, Ronnie Price)
After missing out on restricted free agent Roy Hibbert, the Blazers settled for bringing back their own RFA, Batum, at a cost of $45MM over four years. The team could end up only paying about $6.3MM for their other three signings — Hickson will receive $4MM, Price receives a minimum salary, to which the Blazers will contribute $854,389, and only Jeffries' first-year salary of $1,475,106 is guaranteed.
Minnesota Timberwolves: $45.666MM (Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Alexey Shved, Greg Stiemsma)
After weeks of cap maneuvering and a failed offer sheet for Batum, the Timberwolves signed Kirilenko to a two-year contract worth $20MM, a deal that looked a lot worse before the Olympics than it does now. Still, of the four players Minnesota signed this summer, only one (Stiemsma) played in the NBA this season, making the club's offseason approach one of the more high-risk, high-reward strategies in the league.
Utah Jazz: $8.000MM (Jeremy Evans, Randy Foye)
It was a modest summer on the free agent market for the Jazz, whose only outside signing so far is Foye, for $2.5MM of the team's mid-level. But Utah made up for its restraint in free agency by taking on plenty of salary via trades, acquiring Mo Williams (one year, $8.5MM) and Marvin Williams (two years, $15.79MM).
Oklahoma City Thunder: $7.598MM (Daniel Orton, Hasheem Thabeet, Hollis Thompson)
While other Western Conference rivals like the Lakers practically overhauled their entire rosters, the Thunder have had a remarkably quiet summer, and will rely on their young core to continue to improve. Oklahoma City's 2012 free agent bill figures to amount to significantly less than the $7.598MM listed above — of the three multiyear contracts they've inked, only Thabeet's is fully guaranteed for 2012/13.
Odds & Ends: O.J. Mayo, Kyrie Irving, Nuggets
The value Andre Iguodala brings to the Nuggets goes beyond the swingman's stat line, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Thanks to his strong defense and myriad intangibles, Iguodala made the All-Star team during the 2011/12 season even though he averaged just 12.4 PPG. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the NBA…
- Mavs shooting guard O.J. Mayo seems excited about taking his talents to Dallas and is poised for a breakout year, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld. “I felt like Dallas was the best situation for me,” Mayo said. "They have a good team, they have a great player in Dirk Nowitzki, they have a terrific owner with Mark Cuban."
- Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving has been warning rookies about the rigors of head coach Byron Scott's training camp nicknamed "Camp Scott," says Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. "All the warnings don't amount to much until you experience Camp Scott for yourself," Irving said. "You have to deal with it. He's a hard-nosed coach, and he's trying to get the most out of you."
- Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops examines the Nuggets' offseason and analyzes the moves the team made and how the roster looks heading in the 2012/13 season. He predicts Denver will make the playoffs but is not ready to compete for a championship as it doesn't have enough talent at this point.
Trade Notes: Howard, Sixers, Picks, Iguodala
The four-team Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum trade continues to have reverberations around the league, as teams and players begin to figure out what happens next. Though it's no surprise, Howard remains unwilling to commit to an extension with the Lakers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein says Howard wants to see how it goes with L.A. first, and says the Mavericks and Hawks would be fallbacks if Howard doesn't warm to the purple and gold. Here's more on the players and teams involved in the wake of the mega-deal:
- Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops analyzes the Sixers' offseason as the team made a series of moves and signings this summer beyond acquiring Bynum from the Lakers.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has more on the conditions of the draft picks going from the Lakers and Sixers to the Magic, and our post rounding up the deal has been updated to reflect the latest details.
- Robbins adds, via Twitter, that the Nets were offering three first-round picks in their offer to the Magic last month, instead of four as we heard previously. The picks would likely have been in the high to mid-20s, Robbins says.
Earlier updates:
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post asked Andre Iguodala if he was pleased about joining the Nuggets, and Kiszla didn't sense much enthusiasm from Iguodala's remarks. "I'm happy to play basketball," the Team USA swingman said. "I don't care if I was playing in Alaska." Iguodala has an early termination option for 2013/14.
- Bynum's agent David Lee says his client is excited to be close to his native New Jersey, though no talks about an extension with the Sixers have begun, as Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld writes. Koutroupis identifies the Hawks, Mavericks and Rockets as teams that could have the cap space and interest to sign Bynum if he tests free agency next summer.
- Magic officials never filed charges with the league stemming from their suspicion that the Nets had illegal contact with Howard this past December, but the hard feelings proved an obstacle in trade negotiations between the teams, a source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Four Teams Finalize Dwight Howard Blockbuster
1:34pm: Ken Berger of CBS Sports has tweeted a number of the details on the traded draft picks in the deal. We've updated the list below to reflect the protection on those picks.
12:19pm: The Magic, Lakers, Nuggets, and 76ers have completed their trade call with the league office, making Dwight Howard a Los Angeles Laker, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The Magic officially announced the transaction in a press release this afternoon.
The details of the massive four-team swap can be found in our post from yesterday that tracked updates as they came in. But here's a quick recap of how the deal looks from each team's perspective based on what's been reported so far, with players' 2012/13 salaries in parentheses. If anything changes when the teams make their official announcements, we'll update this post to reflect that.
Orlando Magic
Acquire: Arron Afflalo ($7,750,000), Al Harrington ($6,687,400), Josh McRoberts ($3,135,000), Maurice Harkless ($1,731,960), Nikola Vucevic ($1,719,480), Christian Eyenga ($1,174,080), protected 2014 first-round pick from Nuggets1, protected 2015 first-round pick from Sixers2, protected 2017 first-round pick from Lakers3, Warriors' 2013 second-round pick from Nuggets, conditional 2015 second-round pick from Lakers4
Trade: Dwight Howard ($19,536,360), Jason Richardson ($5,799,625), Chris Duhon ($3,250,000), Earl Clark ($1,240,000)
The Magic also create a trade exception worth about $17.8MM in the deal, as outlined here.
Denver Nuggets
Acquire: Andre Iguodala ($14,968,250)
Trade: Arron Afflalo ($7,750,000), Al Harrington ($6,687,400), protected 2014 first-round pick from Nuggets1, Warriors' 2013 second-round pick
Philadelphia 76ers
Acquire: Andrew Bynum ($16,889,000), Jason Richardson ($5,799,625)
Trade: Andre Iguodala ($14,968,250), Maurice Harkless ($1,731,960), Nikola Vucevic ($1,719,480), protected 2015 first-round pick2
Los Angeles Lakers
Acquire: Dwight Howard ($19,536,360), Chris Duhon ($3,250,000), Earl Clark ($1,240,000)
Trade: Andrew Bynum ($16,889,000), Josh McRoberts ($3,135,000), Christian Eyenga ($1,174,080), protected 2017 first-round pick3, conditional 2015 second-round pick4
1 The lesser of the Nuggets' and Knicks' first-rounders.
2 Top-14 protected in 2015, 2016, top-11 in 2017, top-8 in 2018; if the pick still hasn't been conveyed after four years, the Magic will receive 2018 and 2019 second-rounders instead of a first-rounder. The pick cannot be conveyed until the Sixers meet their draft pick obligations to the Heat, which could delay the Magic from getting a first-round pick until 2017.
3 Top-5 protected in 2017 and 2018, unprotected in 2019. The pick cannot be conveyed until the Lakers meet their draft pick obligations to the Suns, which would prevent the Magic from getting a first-round pick if the Lakers fail to make the playoffs the next three years. If that takes place, the Magic will receive 2017 and 2018 second-rounders instead.
4 Top-40 protected; if the pick isn't conveyed in 2015, the Magic will not receive it.