Pacific Notes: Lakers, Meeks, Curry, Suns
The Lakers are no stranger to the luxury tax, and with the tax penalties going up in 2013/14 and the team's recent commitments to high-paid veterans, owner Jerry Buss is facing a hefty bill. By my calculations, the Lakers already have $74,831,035 committed for 2013/14, and that doesn't include Dwight Howard, who's likely to command a max contract with a starting salary around $20.5MM. If D12 remains in L.A., salary cap expert Larry Coon estimates the Lakers will owe a record $185MM in salary and taxes (Twitter link). If Buss opens his wallet that wide, expect plenty of complaining from small-market teams whose owners would never dream of spending that much in single season. While we wait to see how high the Lakers will go, there's plenty more from around the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers made their signing of Jodie Meeks official today, and the 6'4" shooting guard tells Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that the team's decorated history and the chance to play with multiple future Hall-of-Famers lured him to L.A.
- Stephen Curry is stepping up his rehab from right ankle surgery as he works toward being ready for camp, Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com reports. Curry will spend four days in a row at the Warriors' practice facility, allowing the team a look at the point guard as they decide whether to pursue an extension. Michael Pina of Hoops Rumors profiled Curry's extension candidacy earlier this month.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic recaps the statements James Harden has made in the past few weeks about either signing an extension with the Thunder or considering the Suns in free agency, and shares a few other Phoenix-related observations from the summer.
Odds & Ends: Ginobili, Pierce, Gee, Warriors, D12
While others, notably Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, decry the use of NBA players in the Olympics, Spurs GM R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich believe they've reaped benefits from the pressure situations and team building Manu Ginobili has experienced while routinely playing for Argentina's national team, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports writes. Ginobili is adding to his Hall of Fame resume during the London Games, and his success this summer is further evidence he can still produce at a high level for the Spurs in 2012/13. Here's what's going on stateside this evening:
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has more from Paul Pierce, who also spoke at length with the Celtics team website. Pierce, whose current deal includes a team option for 2013/14, said he wants to "see what it feels like to be a free agent for once in my life" when his contract is up.
- Earlier today when Luke Adams looked at wing players who might be candidates to join the Lakers, restricted free agent Alonzo Gee wasn't on the list. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio says that's with good reason, since the Cavs are likely to match any offer the Lakers would make (Twitter link).
- There's been plenty of optimism from the Warriors this week, but Andrew Bogut acknowledges the team still has work to do if it's going to make the playoffs, notes Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group (Sulia link).
- Baseball crowds don't always mix with basketball fans, but if there's anything that can be gleaned from the boos Dwight Howard got at the Dodgers game tonight, as noted by Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com, L.A. might take a while to warm to D12 if he winds up with the Lakers (Twitter link).
Extension Candidate: Stephen Curry
Throughout his injury-plagued three-year career, Stephen Curry has proven to be one of the sharpest shooters in all of basketball. Two years ago he paced the entire league in free-throw percentage with an astonishing 93.4% mark, and his career three-point shooting percentage of 44.1% makes him a full-on priority for opposing defenses from almost anywhere on the court.
And still, it's because of those aforementioned injuries, specifically Curry's ankles, that the Warriors are unlikely to offer him the five-year extension he currently seeks. CBSSports.com's Ken Berger tweeted in early July that "early indications" suggested the Warriors would not agree to a contract extension this year. Despite Curry's incredible ability to make shots at an efficient rate, guaranteeing him a long-term deal is simply too big of a risk for any team to commit to, especially when you factor in the harsh tax penalties that will kick in through the life of his hypothetical contract.
And yet, one would think Curry is still a major part of the Warriors' future. He wants to play there for the long term, and time and time again the team has reportedly refused to part with Curry in deals for prominent stars like Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul. Then, in the face of a long-standing belief that Curry couldn't successfully co-exist in a winning backcourt with Monta Ellis, Golden State traded Ellis at last year's trading deadline.
For the next two years, the Warriors have eight-figure deals tied into Andrew Bogut, David Lee, and Richard Jefferson. Based on his skill level compared to equally experienced colleagues, Curry could command as much as $14MM on the open market. It's difficult to imagine him and the Warriors parting ways, but it might be even harder to picture a Golden State franchise paying four non-All-Stars annual salaries of over $10MM. All the while, the Warriors still haven't proved to be a playoff team.
One proposed possibility that's reportedly been discussed is an injury clause, which would give the Warriors some leeway in the event that Curry continues to miss significant time, or is forced to have another ankle surgery. It's a delicate situation for Warriors management to tip-toe around, and they only have until October 31 of this year to figure it out. The most likely scenario is the Warriors letting Curry become a restricted free agent, then matching the inevitable max offer sheet proposed by another team—a situation similar to what recently happened with Eric Gordon and the Hornets. This way Golden State saves a year's worth of salary, and Curry gets a hefty second contract.
Bob Myers On Warriors Offseason
Warriors general manager Bob Myers spoke today about several different issues regarding how his team's fared this offseason, and what the expectations are for next year, writes CSNBayArea.com.
On the re-signing of Brandon Rush: Obviously he had a great year shooting the basketball. It also gives us some continuity. There are some new players on the team. Bringing Brandon back—as a player who has been with our coaching staff and some of our other players was important.
On the signing of Carl Landry: We just think he’ll help our core group, and we’re thrilled to have him on our team. It’s nice see a player come to our team and not feel like we had to go crazy financially to get him. So we’re hopefully turning the corner to the playoffs—to where people want to play for us because they think we have a chance to win.
Myers went on to say that promising a playoff berth would be "counterintuitive", and that his team has made moves to improve the roster since last year's trading deadline.
Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Lakers, Clippers
We've heard plenty from the Warriors the last several hours, including official announcements of the Brandon Rush and Carl Landry signings, as well as an update on the team's plans for an arena in San Francisco. GM Bob Myers wouldn't promise a playoff berth, as coach Mark Jackson did last year, but said he thinks the team has a better chance of making it to the postseason this time around, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle notes (Sulia link). Rush, for one, will come into camp with plenty of confidence. Despite competition from Richard Jefferson and rookie Harrison Barnes, Rush told reporters he intends to be the starter at small forward, as CSNBayArea notes. There's more from by the Bay to pass along this evening, as well as items on the teams from Southern California:
- Myers gave mixed messages about whether the Warriors are done dealing, saying, "We made our moves and are content with our roster," but also, "We have flexibility. We can go deeper into the tax if we want. Or we can find ways to get out. We’ll keep our eye on that," as Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News group documents (Twitter links). Thompson, recapping the busy day for the Warriors, believes the latter quote from Myers indicates the team will look to dump salary come February if it's struggling.
- At the bottom of a piece that further examines last week's news that Andrew Bynum's agent is denying he and Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak have talked about an extension for his client, Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times says the Lakers are pursuing backcourt help. The team reportedly has serious interest in swingman C.J. Miles.
- Eric Patten of Clippers.com takes a look at the wealth of experience the Clippers' new additions bring to the team's bench.
Warriors Sign Carl Landry
WEDNESDAY, 7:04pm: The team announced the signing on its website, making the move official.
MONDAY, 5:30pm: Agent Mark Bartelstein has announced that Carl Landry is set to sign with Golden State, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The forward will receive a two-year deal worth $8MM with a player option in the second season, Stein tweets.
Landry has been the Warriors' top target in recent weeks and was widely considered to be the top player still available on the open market. The 28-year-old averaged 12.5 PPG with 5.2 RPG per contest last season for the Hornets. The Bobcats were also in the mix for Landry and were said to be exploring a sign-and-trade for his services, but those talks didn't get very far.
Golden State is also said to be eyeing another Bartelstein client in restricted free agent Brandon Rush. However, SI's Zach Lowe notes that the Warriors will have a hard time signing both players without surpassing the luxury tax threshold.
After finishing the 2011/12 season with a 23-43 record, the Warriors have made a noticeable effort to shake things up this summer. So far, General Manager Bob Myers has added six new players to the roster in Jarrett Jack, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Kent Bazemore, and Landry, with more possibly on the way.
Warriors Re-Sign Brandon Rush
5:10pm: The Warriors confirmed the signing on their website. The Bucks were closer to signing him than the Wolves or Lakers, Rush said, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
WEDNESDAY, 5:05pm: Rush tweeted that he "just signed on the dotted line," presumably meaning the deal is official (hat tip to Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group).
TUESDAY, 11:56am: The Warriors and Brandon Rush have agreed to terms on a new contract for the restricted free agent, according to agent Mark Bartelstein. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com was among the handful of reporters to tweet news of the agreement.
Berger adds (via Twitter) that the deal is for two years and $8MM, with a player option on the second year. Based on the reported salaries, it sounds as if the contract is identical to the one Carl Landry and the Warriors agreed to yesterday.
The move caps a busy couple days for the Warriors, in which the team not only retained Rush and added Landry, but also agreed to sign second-round pick Draymond Green to a multiyear contract. The team is likely done making moves this offseason, with the recent signings bringing them either very close to the luxury tax threshold or slightly over it. As Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link) notes though, if the clubs is concerned about being a taxpayer, there will be plenty of time between now and season's end to sneak under the tax line.
The Lakers, Raptors, and Timberwolves were among the teams linked to Rush at various times this offseason. However, a return to Golden State was always expected, after GM Bob Myers emphatically stated that the Warriors intended to match any offer sheet the 27-year-old signed. Steinmetz first reported yesterday that the two sides were closing in on an agreement.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Redd, Warriors
As we wait for basketball action to resume at the London Olympics, let's round up a few of Wednesday's stories out of the Pacific Division….
- Magic Johnson weighed in on the Lakers' offseason moves yesterday, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes. Johnson praised the Lakers' acquisitions of Steve Nash and Antawn Jamison, but said the team could still use a shooter.
- Michael Redd, who spent 2011/12 with the Suns, is taking his time and weighing his options in free agency, agent Kevin Poston tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link). According to Tomasson, after showing interest in Redd earlier, the Suns and Bulls appear to have backed off for now.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News confirms that the Warriors' recent roster moves put them about $400K over the luxury tax threshold. Golden State could trade a player before season's end to dip back under the tax line, but team co-owner Joe Lacob tells Kawakami that he's "prepared to spend money to win."
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com passes along a few comments from Warriors president Rick Welts on plans for the club's proposed San Francisco arena.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Jenkins, McGuire, Kings
With the most active weeks of the 2012 free agent period behind us, it's never too early to start looking ahead to 2013 free agency. Stephen Brotherson does just that today, ranking the best of the 2013 free agent class in a piece for HoopsWorld. There's a heavy Los Angeles presence at the top of his list, with Andrew Bynum coming in third, Chris Paul in second, and Lakers' trade target Dwight Howard in the top spot. I examined Bynum as a potential extension candidate earlier today, but here are a few other Tuesday notes on L.A.'s rivals in the Pacific Division:
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com notes that Charles Jenkins' contract with the Warriors becomes guaranteed if he's not waived by tomorrow. Despite the team's proximity to the tax threshold after agreeing to sign Carl Landry and Brandon Rush, Golden State will almost certainly be keeping Jenkins, according to GM Bob Myers. At this point, only about $200K of his 2012/13 salary is guaranteed, but as of tomorrow he'll be in line for his full $762,195 salary.
- Meanwhile, given their recent signings, the Warriors appear very unlikely to re-sign Dominic McGuire. According to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter), McGuire would like to return, but the Warriors think they can get similar production out of Draymond Green.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines what the future holds for the Kings, pointing out that there's no guarantee where the team will play starting in 2013/14. Kyler says to keep an eye on Seattle, which is making progress toward building a new arena.
Odds & Ends: McGuire, Wafer, Hinrich, Magic
The Metropolitan King County Council took the initial step towards bringing an NBA arena to Seattle, according to the Associated Press. Investor Chris Hansen's $490MM plan calls for nearly $300MM in private funds and $200MM in public contribution. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- If the Warriors re-sign Brandon Rush, they'll have 15 players on the roster and virtually no wiggle room under the luxury tax threshold. With that in mind, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group looks at moves that Golden State can make to keep Dominic McGuire.
- Von Wafer's deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese league will be for one-year at $2MM, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). The Chinese season wraps up much earlier than the NBA season, giving the 27-year-old a chance to sign with a team down the home stretch.
- Kirk Hinrich's new two-year deal with the Bulls is fairly balanced as he will make $3.94MM in year one and $4.06MM in the second season, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter).
- The Magic need to move Dwight Howard in order to give their new coach Jacque Vaughn a fresh slate to work with, opines Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.