Odds & Ends: Gordon, Cavaliers, Vazquez
- Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago discusses why the Bulls' title window will shrink over the next two seasons.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer describes the progress that Byron Mullens appears to be making with the Bobcats based on his performances at the Las Vegas Summer League.
- 76ers head coach Doug Collins says he feels "very good" about what the team has accomplished during this offseason, writes John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com.
Odds & Ends: Lin, Drummond, Joseph, Cavaliers
With ongoing uncertainty surrounding Jeremy Lin's tenure with the Knicks, ESPNNewYork.com's Jared Zwerling took the liberty of comparing the former Harvard point guard's skill set with the incoming Raymond Felton, who was acquired in a sign-and-trade with Portland last night. According to a few advanced statistics it's evident that Lin would be the better basketball option for New York, but the decision to let him go would be more of a financial one.
As we dig into this Sunday afternoon, here are a few more tidbits from around the league.
Pistons To Sign Viacheslav Kravtsov
JULY 14, 1:57pm: The team has announced the move is official, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
JULY 2, 9:54am: The Pistons will sign Viacheslav Kravtsov when the moratorium period ends, according to agent Jeff Schwartz (link via ESPN.com's Marc Stein). Pistons president Joe Dumars confirmed the agreement in a statement.
Central Notes: Scola, Cavs, Korver, Pistons
Yesterday, the Rockets officially used their amnesty clause to release forward Luis Scola. It's possible that the big man will clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent, but there are interested teams out there, including one out of the Central division..
Odds & Ends: Humphries, Pistons, Warriors, Celtics
Rick Bonnell from the Charlotte Observer tweets that the Nets may have offered Kris Humphries either a two-year, $20MM or a three-year, $26MM contract.
As summer league kicks off tonight in Las Vegas, here's some more news from around the league.
Odds & Ends: Nets, Villanueva, Warriors, Bulls
As busy as the Nets have been so far this month, we haven't heard much out of majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov. That changed today, however, as Prokhorov released an official statement discussing the team's offseason:
"I'm thrilled with the way our team has come together. My congratulations and appreciation go out to general manager Billy King, assistant general manager Bobby Marks and head coach Avery Johnson for their tenacity, nerve and heart throughout this process. With the re-signing of Deron Williams and the trade for Joe Johnson, we go into our new home led by an All-Star backcourt and with every hope of a great season for the Brooklyn Nets. I can't wait until opening night."
While Prokhorov starts counting down the days until opening night, we'll round up the rest of the morning's odds and ends right here:
Pistons Sign Kim English
The Pistons have officially signed second-round pick Kim English, the team announced today in a press release. The Missouri shooting guard was selected 44th overall in the June draft by Detroit.
As we heard from Mark Deeks of ShamSports yesterday, English's deal is guaranteed for his rookie season, but non-guaranteed for year two. He will likely earn the rookie minimum (about $473K) in 2012/13.
Pistons Sign Kyle Singler
JULY 11TH: The Pistons have officially announced the signing of Singler, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (via Twitter).
JUNE 29TH: The Pistons will sign 2011 second-round draft pick Kyle Singler on July 11, the first day free agents can officially ink contracts, said Joe Dumars, the team's president of basketball operations, as Larry Lage of The Detroit News reports. Singler played the 2011/12 season in Spain after Detroit took him with the 33rd overall pick last June. The 6'8" forward averaged 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in his final season of a four-year stay at Duke.
Contract Details: Taylor, Joseph, English
Contracts for first-round picks have minimal variance from team to team, as most first-rounders sign for 120% of the rookie scale amount, with two guaranteed years and two team options. However, deals for second-round picks aren't quite as predictable. While second-rounders generally sign for the rookie minimum, which is $473,604 for 2012/13, certain teams are more willing to give guaranteed years than others. Mark Deeks of Sham Sports has tweeted the details on a few contracts for second-round picks, so we'll round them up below….
Pistons Sign Andre Drummond
The Pistons have signed first-round pick Andre Drummond, reports Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (via Twitter). Detroit selected the former UConn star with the ninth overall pick in the June draft.
Drummond will earn approximately $2.4MM during his first year in the league if he signs for the full 120% allowed by the rookie scale amount. The 18-year-old center averaged 10 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Huskies.