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Central Notes: Pistons, Pacers, Bucks

October 30th, 2013 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons‘ 2013/14 season begins against the Wizards tonight in Detroit, and owner Tom Gores tells Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News that he’ll be hugely disappointed if the team doesn’t make the playoffs after its offseason upgrades.

“We took a philosophy, Joe [Dumars] and I, to win now without sacrificing the future,” Gores said of the Pistons’ aggressive summer. “I really think we accomplished that. Obviously the business is very tricky, but we had to create an urgency. The fans need it, the Pistons need it.”

Here’s more from Gores and from the rest of the Central Division:

Asked about Dumars’ contract situation, Gores suggested that even though the Pistons GM is in the final year of his contract, Dumars isn’t on the hot seat. “Joe and I collaborated on these moves, we talk every other day,” Gores said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked, and his basketball organization is really solid…. I don’t think I could’ve asked for more this summer.”
David West never seemed likely to head elsewhere in free agency before he re-upped with the Pacers this summer, and West is confident the team’s new additions will help the team toward the championship, HoopsWorld’s Yannis Koutroupis writes.
Luis Scola doesn’t feel like he’s close to retirement, and intends to play at least the remaining two years on his contract, but acknowledged to Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that he’s not sure how quickly his view could change. For now, he agrees with West that the Pacers could be on the cusp of something special, and hopes that he can be the team’s missing piece.
Noting that plenty is on the line in Milwaukee over the next few years, as owner Herb Kohl attempts to generate support for a new downtown arena, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel focuses on the Bucks‘ long-term basketball plan of surrounding promising young players with solid veterans.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Sanders, C’s, Heat, Knicks

October 29th, 2013 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Back in August, prior to signing a long-term extension with the Bucks, Larry Sanders changed agents, moving from Andy Miller and ASM Sports to Dan Fegan and Relativity Sports. While the switch seemed fairly innocuous at the time, ASM has filed suit against Relativity, claiming that the agency stole Sanders away with “flights on private planes, expensive dinners, invites to pre-ESPY awards parties, acting classes and trips to Disneyland for his family.”

According to Dareh Gregorian of the New York Daily News, ASM Sports is seeking the commission on Sanders’ new $44MM contract with the Bucks, claiming that “even in the hypercompetitive world of sports agents there are rules and boundaries that must be followed.” Sanders’ earnings shouldn’t be affected by the suit, but it’s a peek at what goes on behind the scenes at sports agencies when a big-name player is about to cash in.

As Sanders and the Bucks prepare for tomorrow’s opener in New York, let’s round up a few more items from around the Eastern Conference….

Celtics GM Danny Ainge continues to discuss a possible extension with Avery Bradley‘s camp, but won’t extend Jordan Crawford, tweets Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Ainge emphasized today that Bradley remains a big part of Boston’s future, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
In his latest piece for Grantland, Zach Lowe explores the Heat‘s roster-building options going forward, concluding that, as creative as Pat Riley is, it will be tricky for the team to make significant upgrades around LeBron James in the next couple years.
Chris Smith believes he earned his spot on the Knicks with his play, but some rival agents believe he came as a package deal with older brother J.R. Smith, says Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Responding to criticism from Charles Barkley, Carmelo Anthony said today that he thinks players would love to come play with him in New York, and that he has a “big rolodex” for when the time comes to recruit (Twitter links via Peter Botte of the New York Daily News).
According to Gigi Datome‘s agent (Twitter link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando), the Pistons didn’t offer the most money to his client this offseason, but they did offer the best opportunity for the Italian sharpshooter.
While news of his trade to the Wizards initially caught him off guard, Marcin Gortat is excited to join a team with playoff aspirations, as he tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post.

Central Links: Kadji, Cavs, Robinson, Pistons

October 26th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Here’s the latest out of the Central Division on a busy day of roster moves in the NBA:

The Cavs’ release of DeSagana Diop, Jermaine Taylor, Elliot Williams and Kenny Kadji means that Henry Sims and Matthew Dellavedova have made the Cavs’ 15-man roster, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. The Cavs like Kadji, however, and they’re expected to protect the power forward from the D-League draft and retain his rights for the Canton Charge once he clears waivers.
Bob Finnan of The News-Herald has more on Sims, who made the team on a non-guaranteed deal, and sizes up the chances the Cavs‘ other cuts have of ending up with the Charge.
Nuggets guard Nate Robinson misses Chicago but he understands why the Bulls didn’t re-sign him, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “It’s a business,” he said. “Everybody knew I wanted to come back, but they had other things in mind. They signed a great shooter in (Mike) Dunleavy. They got a good rookie (Tony Snell). They’ve got a great team. I miss it. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t. … I had a hell of a year and it was a great run.”
It’s too early to call the Pistons’ big frontline a success, but they’re optimistic about having Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, and Josh Smith on the floor together, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Smith, Kidd, Wiggins

October 22nd, 2013 at 12:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Heat were picked as the clear favorite to win the 2013/14 title in this year’s GM survey, writes John Schuhmann of NBA.com. There were a few dissenters with the Spurs and Pacers receiving 6.9% of the vote and the Bulls, Clippers, and Thunder also getting nods. LeBron James was the overwhelming pick to win the MVP trophy and Pelicans big man Anthony Davis was pegged as the breakout player of the year. Magic guard Victor Oladipo was picked to win the Rookie of the Year award and GMs feel that he’ll be the best player out of this class five years from now. Here’s more from around the Association..

Pistons forward Josh Smith spoke to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld about his decision to leave the Hawks this summer. “It wasn’t as hard as other people saw it,” Smith said. “It was time for me to experience a different thing in my life, a new situation, new opportunity and I’m happy where I’m at.” It also didn’t hurt that Detroit gave him a four-year, $54MM deal.
David Aldridge of NBA.com sat down with new Nets head coach Jason Kidd for a Q&A. The discussion covered his learning curve and former coaches that the point guard has apologized to now that he has discovered the difficulty of the job.
Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Dante Exum, Jabari Parker, and Aaron Gordon are all candidates to go No. 1 overall in next June’s draft, in Kyler’s view (Twitter link). Not everyone would agree with that assessment as Wiggins has long been viewed as the top talent in the 2014 class.

Stein On Bledsoe, Davis, Turner, Pondexter

October 21st, 2013 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Gordon Hayward and the Jazz are working on an extension, and it looks like the two sides will work something out within the next 10 days, as ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported overnight. However, Hayward looks like the only member of the draft class of 2010 likely to receive a new deal by the October 31st deadline, in Stein’s view. The ESPN.com scribe examined the remaining extension-eligible players in his latest piece, so let’s round up the highlights….

Besides Hayward, Eric Bledsoe of the Suns and Ed Davis of the Grizzlies appear to be the strongest candidates to re-up with their respective teams. Sources tell Stein that Memphis has been discussing a new deal with Davis’ camp this month.
As for Bledsoe, Stein notes that next year’s free agent crop of point guards looks thin, meaning it may be risky for the Suns to let the ex-Clipper hit the open market, even as a restricted free agent. According to Stein, Favors’ deal may help Bledsoe’s negotiating position, since Utah paid its big man based in part on the expectation that his role and production will increase this season.
Evan Turner is more likely to be traded by the Sixers than extended.
Having spent big already on John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins respectively, the Wizards and Kings probably won’t extend their other fourth-year players this month. Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin are eligible for Washington, while Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson fit the bill in Sacramento.
Greg Monroe (Pistons) and Avery Bradley (Celtics) also continue to look like strong bets to hit free agency next summer.
A new deal for Quincy Pondexter hasn’t been completely ruled out by the Grizzlies, but Ekpe Udoh (Bucks) and Jordan Crawford (Celtics) won’t get extensions, says Stein.

Odds & Ends: Carmelo, D-League, Oden, Wade

October 20th, 2013 at 9:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News doesn’t understand why the news that Carmelo Anthony would test the open market came as a surprise to anyone. Meanwhile, this season will be very telling for both the Knicks and Melo to figure out if they can win a championship together. Lupica openly wonders if New York can win a title with Anthony as their No. 1 player. Here’s more from around the Association..

Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival runs down the whereabouts of prominent members of each D-League team this offseason. It’s no surprise to see that many of the D-League’s standouts from last season have found NBA homes while others have landed lucrative deals overseas. To keep up on the latest in international player movement, check out the Hoops Rumors International Tracker, made with the help of Porcaro.
Heat offseason acquisition Greg Oden already knows he’ll have to wear a bulky knee brace when he gets back on the floor, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Oden signed a two-year deal with Miami with a player option on 2014/15.
In a Twitter Q&A, Dwyane Wade said he’s a big supporter of offseason pickup Michael Beasley and is a bigger fan of his than he was during his first stint in Miami, writes Winderman.
New Pistons forward Josh Smith says he has no issues with playing the three in Detroit, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.

Pistons Exercise Andre Drummond’s 2014/15 Option

October 19th, 2013 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Pistons announced that they have exercised Andre Drummond‘s third-year option worth $2.5MM. The move was expected for the No. 9 overall pick in the 2012 draft.

Drummond, 20, averaged 7.9 PPG and 7.6 RPG in 20.7 minutes per game during his rookie season. The UConn center made ten starts on the year but mostly came off of the bench. Drummond also missed significant time around the midway point of the season with a stress fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra in his back.

Drummond shows plenty of promise, but he also has a good deal to work on, including his free throw shooting. The big man shot just 37% from the charity stripe in 2012/13, a percentage low enough to make Chris Dudley wince.

Fallout From Derrick Favors’ Extension

October 18th, 2013 at 11:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz are probably going to struggle to win games this season, but they took a step forward tonight in their plan to return to playoff contention, agreeing to terms on a $49MM+ extension with Derrick Favors. He’ll likely sign the extension Saturday, according to an ESPN.com report, and when he does, there will be one fewer intriguing name on the list of players set to become free agents in the summer. There’s more on a couple of potential free agents tonight as we look at the ripple effects of Favors’ deal:

The Jazz and Mark Bartelstein client Gordon Hayward remain in negotiations on a possible extension, notes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
Favors bought a house in Salt Lake City this summer, and he made it clear then that he wanted to stay in Utah for a long time, Genessy points out in the same piece.
Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News figures the Favors deal sets the market for Greg Monroe, who appears much more likely to hit free agency next summer than to sign an extension with the Pistons (Twitter link).
Randy Hollis of the Deseret News examines the play of Favors and Jazz center Enes Kanter as they settle into their new roles as starting big men.

Eastern Notes: Watson, Billups, Taylor, ‘Melo

October 18th, 2013 at 7:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy looks at the upgraded bench in Indiana, and hears from C.J. Watson that the team’s desire to reach a deal with him on the first day of free agency influenced his decision to join the Pacers.

“I wanted to play for a contender and I wanted to go to a team where I could get playing time,” Watson said. “Also, I felt like I could help this team. They were a very good team already, they’re very young and getting better each and every year, but I felt I could help. I just want to come off the bench and score and defend and change the tempo whenever they need me to and also be a leader.”

In the same NBA PM piece, Kennedy checks in with Pistons offseason addition Chauncey Billups and Cavaliers camp invitee Jermaine Taylor. Here’s more from the East:

A recent report suggested Carmelo Anthony would be open to a recruiting pitch from Kobe Bryant next summer, but Anthony told reporters today, including Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, that he doesn’t expect Bryant to try to influence his decisions. It’s not clear whether Anthony isn’t expecting to hear a pitch from Bryant during the season — which would constitute tampering — or whether he doesn’t think he’ll hear from Bryant at all.
The Heat weren’t one of the teams that called on the league to investigate the Nets‘ signing of Andrei Kirilenko, notes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who also revisits the animosity over Ray Allen‘s decision to leave the Celtics for the Heat in 2012.
Josh McRoberts, who re-signed with the Bobcats this summer, is extra valuable on a team like Charlotte because of his passing and his veteran presence, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

Odds & Ends: Adams, Carmelo, Wiggins, Pistons

October 18th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Few NBA teams use their D-League affiliate more actively than the Thunder, who shuttled players like Jeremy Lamb, Daniel Orton, and Perry Jones III back and forth between OKC and Tulsa throughout the 2012/13 season. However, it doesn’t sound like the team is currently planning for rookie big man Steven Adams to spend significant time with the 66ers, as Royce Young of Daily Thunder details.

“It’s something that we never talked about,” coach Scott Brooks said of Adams and the D-League. “We just focus on what we do here. If players go down and play in the D-League in Tulsa that decision is made during that time. But right now, I’m not even going that way with any of our guys.”

Brooks’ comments leave the door open for Adams to join Tulsa at some point this season, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t make at least one D-League stop, but perhaps the team intends to get the Pittsburgh product more involved in OKC than rookies Lamb and Jones were a year ago.

Here’s more from around the NBA:

In his latest piece for SBNation.com, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com identifies a few contract trends, concluding that teams are less inclined than they were a few years ago to tie up their cap with long-term, overpriced contracts for mid-level type players.
Carmelo Anthony made a few more comments about his potential free agency today, noting that he’s assured coach Mike Woodson it won’t bother him during the season, and adding that he doesn’t expect to receive a recruiting pitch from Kobe Bryant this year. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
Andrew Wiggins is an excellent prospect, but he’s not a mortal lock to be the No. 1 pick in 2014, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Insider-only link).
Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival takes a look at Nikola Mirotic, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Kostas Papanikolaou, three notable overseas prospects who have been drafted (or acquired) and stashed by the Bulls, Nets, and Rockets, respectively.
In his weekly mailbag at MLive.com, David Mayo explores whether the Pistons need to acquire more shooting, among other questions.