Pacific Notes: Salmons, Bogut, Marshall
Let's check in on a few Wednesday items out of the Pacific Division….
- John Salmons, who had been an amnesty candidate this summer, wasn't sure he'd back with the Kings, as he tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. "A little bit," Salmons said, when asked if he was surprised to be back. "I can't lie about that… I'm good with being here, but I am a little surprised."
- Andrew Bogut, who hopes to play a full 82-game slate for the Warriors this season, would also like to stay with the team beyond 2014, as he tells Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. Bogut admitted that there hadn't been extension talks with the team yet, but suggested he'd welcome them: "I like the organization, I like the direction, I like the owners, I love the coaches, I love the players."
- The next few weeks will be crucial for Kendall Marshall's future, according to Bob Young of the Arizona Republic, who writes that the Suns may decline the 2014/15 option on Marshall if they don't see enough from him during camp and the preseason.
- Eric Bledsoe of the Suns and Marcus Thornton of the Kings are among the players on Zach Lowe's All-Intriguing team in his latest piece for Grantland.com.
Pacific Notes: Kobe, Warriors, Bogut, Howard
Derrick Rose has said that he's not big on recruiting, but the Lakers' star guard has never been bashful about working the phones to bring talent to his team. Recently, a source close to Carmelo Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that Kobe Bryant may influence where Anthony plays next season. Here's more out of the Pacific Division..
- This year's Lakers are the definition of a one-and-done team as Steve Nash, Robert Sacre, and Nick Young are the only players with guaranteed contracts past this season, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol don't have assurances past this season and neither does the newly-acquired Chris Kaman, who experienced a similar situation in Dallas last season as the Mavs geared up for a Dwight Howard run.
- Warriors center Andrew Bogut sat down with Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News for a wide-ranging interview. When asked about the club's pursuit of Howard, Bogut didn't pull any punches. "In some ways, you look at it, and it does [tick] you off a little bit. But I don’t take it personal. They’re trying to get better.I’m still here and Dwight’s created his circus and the circus is past and we’re moving on. I’m not too worried about it," Bogut said.
- A Sacramento lobbyist who assisted with the city's efforts to keep the Kings is upset that he is now left without a piece of the club, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
Eastern Notes: Kirilenko, Bucks, Collins, Magic
Let's round up a few Tuesday items out of the Eastern Conference….
- In a column on the Nets' addition of Andrei Kirilenko, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report details the veteran forward's time on the open market, which initially saw him turn down overtures from the Nets. According to Zwerling, Kirilenko drew some interest from the Warriors and Spurs, and was in talks with three non-playoff teams for larger salaries before he reconsidered Brooklyn's mini mid-level offer.
- Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel rounds up several comments from Bucks owner Herb Kohl about the possibility of a new arena in Milwaukee, the offseason roster overhaul, and his aversion to tanking.
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein explains why Jason Collins isn't in camp with an NBA team, and identifies three clubs that could be fits for the big man once the season gets underway, including the Wizards and Nets.
- Player development is the primary focus in Orlando, but Magic executives tell Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that the team doesn't view developing young players and winning games as mutually exclusive.
- Pistons rookie forward Tony Mitchell is probably headed for a D-League stint at some point this season, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Pacific Links: Nunnally, Bogut, Rivers, Lakers
James Nunnally was a sought-after commodity before he agreed to join the Suns for training camp. The Grizzlies also extended a camp invitation, and he went through workouts out for the Spurs, Jazz and Pelicans this month. Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines the 6'7" forward's journey from the D-League's Bakersfield Jam to the Suns, one of four NBA franchises that counted Bakersfield as one of their affiliates last season. There's more from Phoenix amid our roundup of the latest from the Pacific Division:
- The Warriors are taking a "wait-and-see approach" to a possible contract extension for a reinvigorated Andrew Bogut, writes Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. An extension doesn't appear to be chief among Bogut's priorities, which is the case for most NBA veterans, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors explained.
- New Clippers boss Doc Rivers admits being "wishy-washy" as he recounts the back-and-forth decision process that led him to L.A. from the Celtics in a one-on-one with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Dwight Howard might be with the Rockets now, but he still casts a shadow over the Lakers as they open camp, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News details.
- The past 12 months have been unusually disappointing for a Lakers franchise that's been so successful, and with GM Mitch Kupchak's admission that the new CBA makes it difficult to attract free agents, the outlook is bleak for the purple-and-gold, opines Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic looks back on an offseason of sweeping change for the Suns.
Pacific Rumors: Kuzmic, Seth Curry, Kings, Clips
The Clippers, Warriors and Lakers all made roster moves today, but by far the most significant story involving a Pacific Division team to break in the past 24 hours is the Kings' decision to give DeMarcus Cousins a four-year max extension. When I examined Cousins' extension candidacy, I predicted that he'd hit restricted free agency next summer. If he had, the Kings could have matched another team's four-year max offer sheet, one that came with raises of no better than 4.5% of the starting salary. Instead, Cousins will get 7.5% raises for signing with the Kings directly, a more expensive outcome for Sacramento. Here's more from the Pacific:
- Center Ognjen Kuzmic's deal with the Warriors is a two-year, minimum-salary arrangement, reports Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group.
- Seth Curry is confident that he'll make the Warriors opening night roster, and his faith that GM Bob Myers and company will give him a fair shot prompted him to turn down other offers to head to Golden State, as Antonio Gonzalez of The Associated Press examines. Of course, the presence of brother Stephen Curry also surely helped influence him to accept his partially guaranteed contract with the Warriors.
- California Gov. Jerry Brown today signed into law a bill designed to remove legal hurdles to a new Kings arena in Sacramento, explains Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com takes a stab at predicting the Clippers opening night roster and writes that Byron Mullens is the most likely candidate to emerge as the team's most unheralded signing from the summer.
Warriors Sign Ognjen Kuzmic, Joe Alexander
The Warriors have officially signed 2012 second-round pick Ognjen Kuzmic and added Joe Alexander to their training camp roster, the team announced today in a press release. We heard back in August that Kuzmic was expected to join the Warriors, while Grantland's Zach Lowe reported this week that Alexander had received a training camp invite from the club.
Kuzmic, 23, averaged 6.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 27 Spanish League contests for FIATC Joventut Badalona in 2012/13. According to at least one report earlier this week, his salary for 2013/14 will be guaranteed, though that's not confirmed, and the specifics of his contract aren't yet known.
As for Alexander, he'll almost certainly be on a fully non-guaranteed camp deal, so he's far from assured a regular-season roster spot. Assuming Kuzmic's contract is guaranteed and Alexander's is not, the Warriors will head into camp with 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus five more players on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals.
Alexander, the eighth overall pick in 2008, appeared in only 67 NBA games for the Bucks and Bulls before falling out of the league. The 6'8" forward appeared to be headed to China last season, but a reported deal never materialized. As such, his most recent on-court action came in Russia with Krasnie Krilya in 2011/12.
Training Camp Invites: Byars, Gadzuric, Alexander
While we've has plenty of training camp signings today – from Louis Amundson to Dwayne Jones to Sam Young to Renaldo Balkman to Eric Boateng and Darius Johnson-Odom – there is also news of training camp invites that have yet to be accepted. Let's take a look at buzz from around the league that might help us determine who lands where in October:
- The Grizzlies have extended a training camp invite to Memphis-native Derrick Byars, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Byars, 29, has spent most of the time since his Vanderbilt days playing overseas, minus two games with the Spurs in 2011/12 and a handful of D-League stints. With only 13 guaranteed contracts, the Grizz have two potential open roster spots.
- The Lakers have invited Dan Gadzuric to training camp, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. With the additions of Boateng and Johnson-Odom, Gadzuric would make 19 players in camp for the Lakers should he accept. The UCLA product, 35, played in Venezuela last season after a decade in the NBA. The Lakers only have 11 guaranteed deals on their roster, but there will be plenty of competition for the remaining spots.
- Former Bucks first rounder Joe Alexander has received an invitation to training camp from the Warriors, tweets Zach Lowe of Grantland. Alexander, the No. 8 pick of the 2008 draft, lasted only two years in the NBA out of West Virginia. With Ognjen Kuzmic's arrival in Oakland reportedly imminent, the Warriors will have two potential regular season roster spots remaining.
Ognjen Kuzmic Close To Joining Warriors
According to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, 2012 second round pick Ognjen Kuzmic is closing in on a buyout with Unicaja Malaga, his team in Spain, that will allow him to sign a guaranteed deal with Golden State for the upcoming 2013/14 season, tweets Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. Myers said Kuzmic, who is in town rehabbing an ankle sprain, is expected to be in camp, reports Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
There were reports a month ago that the Bosnian big man might be headed west for the NBA this season, but this is the first we're hearing of it from the Warriors' brass. Thompson also adds, via Twitter, that Myers indicated Kuzmic would be guaranteed a roster spot should the buyout go through. Kuzmic would make 13 rostered players on guaranteed contracts in Golden State, leaving only two spots for Kent Bazemore, DeWayne Dedmon and Seth Curry, all of whom are believed to have partial guarantees on their deals.
Kuzmic, 23, averaged 6.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 27 Spanish League contests for FIATC Joventut Badalona in 2012/13.
Odds & Ends: Dwight, Bulls, Deron
Amidst the buzz surrounding the 2013 Basketball Hall of Fame induction a little over a week ago, you may have heard legendary Brazilian basketball player Oscar Schmidt proclaim that he could have been one of the best 10 players ever if he had joined the NBA. In hindsight, it's interesting to ponder some of the 'what ifs' and how they may have altered the landscape and history of the league.
One could think about how the NBA would have been different if Larry Bird didn't fall five spots to the Celtics during the 1978 draft, if Kobe Bryant hadn't fallen to number 13 in 1996, or if Michael Jordan hadn't retired before the 1993/94 season to name a few. Regardless, there are plenty of other possibilities to consider.
Jonathan Abrams of Grantland sheds light on one particular what-could-have-been, chronicling the rise and fall of Korleone Young, a promising 6'7" small forward who like Kobe, Tracy McGrady, and Kevin Garnett before him attempted to make the jump from high school to the NBA in 1998. In his comprehensive piece, Abrams supplements Young's story with commentary from several people who had crossed paths with him along his journey, including Young's prep-school rival Al Harrington, former Pistons head coach Alvin Gentry, and former Pistons assistant (and current Bucks GM) John Hammond, who had this to share based on what he'd seen in practices:
"We used to talk about the way in which (Young) defended (then-star) Grant Hill on a daily basis. We used to say it tongue-in-cheek but [also] somewhat seriously: 'No one defended Grant Hill in this league as well as Korleone Young."
With that aside, let's round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links from the NBA:
- Sam Amick of USA Today writes about how Dwight Howard has found greener pastures in Houston and why the rest of the NBA will have to lament the reality that another Western Conference contender has been born.
- A handful of HoopsWorld panelists put together a season preview of the Bulls for 2013/14. With much of the team's success hinging on how much Derrick Rose can return to form, three writers pick Chicago to finish second in the Central Division, while two have them running away with the division title.
- Nets guard Deron Williams was spotted at his charity dodgeball event earlier today with a walking boot over the same ankle that had been giving him problems last season, though he insisted that the boot was just precautionary: “As long as I’m ready (for the season opener), that’s all that matters to me…If it was up to me, I would be playing right now. I can walk fine. It doesn’t hurt. It’s just protecting me from myself” (Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News).
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW says that with Dirk Nowitzki healthy, the Mavericks won't take a backseat to anybody in the league in terms of talent at the power forward position.
- Tommy Dee of Ridiculous Upside presents a scouting report of free agent big man Hassan Whiteside, who had recently drawn reported interest from the Knicks, Heat, and Bucks.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside explains why the NBDL will continue to develop front office executives at a much more efficient rate than players at this point, mentioning that while prospective staffers can work to rise up the ranks while committed to a specific NBA franchise, the players can be called up at anytime and by any NBA team regardless of D-League affiliation.
- HoopsWorld's Moke Hamilton held his weekly chat with readers earlier this evening, offering his thoughts on why he thinks the Knicks will repeat as Atlantic Division champions, why teams might be shying away from Renaldo Balkman, the Western Conference playoff race, and the Warriors' ceiling among other topics.
- Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com continues his countdown of reasons why New Orleans fans should be excited about training camp, placing the offseason progress made by the team's quartet of sophomores – namely Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, Brian Roberts, and Darius Miller – at number 13.
Western Notes: Jazz, Lakers, Iguodala, Spurs
Let's round up a few Thursday notes from around the Western Conference….
- In a piece for The Score, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com explains how Utah's past has informed its present. As Deeks writes, the team is retooling by stocking up on draft picks rather than signing a slew of free agents. The Jazz did the same thing nearly a decade ago, but are doing it better this time around, says Deeks.
- Kobe Bryant's health and his ability to return to form in the 2013/14 season could play a significant role in next summer's free agent market, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who explains that the Lakers' plans could be significantly affected by whether or not Kobe shows signs of slowing down.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News spoke to Andre Iguodala about working out with his new teammates, as the swingman prepares to enter the first season of his four-year deal with the Warriors.
- The Spurs announced a number of front office promotions and hirings in a press release today. Among them: Director of scouting Brian Pauga has been named the new general manager of the Spurs' D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros.