Pacific Notes: Lakers, Warriors, Suns, Clippers
After blowing a seven-point lead on Wednesday night, the Lakers will look to come out strong in tonight's Game 3 against the Thunder to avoid going down 3-0. Los Angeles has seen a great deal of turnover in recent years and while the Lakers have more playoff experience, Kobe Bryant recently noted that the Thunder have been playing together as a group for longer. Let's head out west for a look at items out of the Pacific Division..
- The Lakers only have one pick in the 2012 Draft (No. 60), but it sounds like they want to acquire another second-round pick, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops World. The Cavaliers own the Lakers' first-round pick this year (No. 24) thanks to the Ramon Sessions trade.
- Kennedy also notes (via Twitter) that the Lakers worked out several draft prospects last week including guards Tu Holloway, Marcus Denmon, and Charlie Westbrook.
- For the Warriors to have a real breakthrough, they'll have to overcome inexperience both on- and off-the-court, writes Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com. While head coach Mark Jackson enjoyed a 17-year playing career and GM Bob Myers was an NBA agent for more than a dozen years, both men are neophytes to their current roles.
- David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looks at the Suns draft needs, with and without Steve Nash at point guard.
- In a piece for ESPNLosAngeles.com, Justin Verrier talks with Clippers forward Reggie Evans about his career as a rebounding specialist and unlikely success story as an undrafted free agent.
Mavericks, Nets Among Teams Eyeing Jeremy Lin
If the NBPA is successful in its appeal to allow players claimed on waivers to retain their Bird rights, the Knicks will head into the offseason in much better position to keep their free agents. But either way, New York figures to make locking up Jeremy Lin a top priority this summer.
The Knicks won't be the only team looking to sign Lin though. According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, the Mavericks, Nets, Raptors, Trail Blazers, and Warriors are among the clubs eyeing the point guard.
Because Lin will be a restricted free agent that has played two years or less in the NBA, he'll be subject to the Gilbert Arenas provision. Rival teams will be able to offer Lin lucrative, back-loaded deals, but the Knicks will be able to match any offer sheet using their mid-level exception, since the first-year salary can't exceed $5MM.
We've heard the Raptors mentioned as a possible suitor for Lin, and the Mavs and Nets both make sense, depending on whether they miss out on Deron Williams. The Blazers also figure to have plenty of cap space and a need for a point guard, as I outlined earlier today. It's hard to imagine the Warriors being serious contenders for Lin, since they won't have cap room, and have a more glaring hole at small forward.
Warriors Notes: Lacob, Small Forwards, Draft
While the Warriors await the May 30th draft lottery with crossed fingers, hoping they don't slide below their projected seventh slot and lose their pick to the Jazz, there are a few items of note from the Bay Area:
- The team has promoted Kirk Lacob, son of co-owner Joe Lacob, to assistant GM, according to a statement. He previously served as director of basketball operations for the Warriors and general manager of the Dakota Wizards, the team's D-League affiliate. Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle provides detail.
- A "big" upgrade at small forward is on tap this summer, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. It's increasingly clear that the team has soured on Dorell Wright, Kawakami says, and the team will seek a replacement who can have an impact on both sides of the floor.
- In the same piece, Kawakami says the draft is the most likely means the team will use to get a new starter at the 3, and mentions Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones and Perry Jones as possibilities at No. 7, with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in play if the team moves up into the top three picks. If they make a deal to move into the middle of the first round, they're high on Meyers Leonard, Kawakami reports.
- San Francisco mayor Ed Lee, along with all 11 city supervisors, sent a letter to the Warriors that said the city would cooperate to help the team return to San Francisco by 2017, according to Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle. The city, home to the Warriors from 1962-71, is likely seeking a privately financed arena near the Bay Bridge. The news comes on the heels of the state's demand that Oakland return $3.5MM it had hoped to spend on planning for a new arena.
Offseason Outlook: Golden State Warriors
Guaranteed Contracts
- Andrew Bogut ($13,000,000)
- David Lee ($12,744,000)
- Richard Jefferson ($10,164,000)
- Andris Biedrins ($9,000,000)
- Dorell Wright ($4,106,000)
- Stephen Curry ($3,958,742)
- Klay Thompson ($2,222,160)
- Jeremy Tyler ($762,195)
Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Charles Jenkins ($762,195)
- Mickell Gladness ($762,195)
Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Brandon Rush ($7,391,645)
- Chris Wright ($937,195 – QO)
- Nate Robinson ($854,389)
- Dominic McGuire ($854,389)
- Mikki Moore ($854,389)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (Top-seven protected; pending lottery; 3.6% chance at first overall pick; 72.5% chance of keeping pick)
- 1st Round (30th overall)
- 2nd Round (35th overall)
- 2nd Round (52nd overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary (including likely options): $55,957,097
- Non-Guaranteed Salary, Cap Holds: $12,416,397
- Total (not including draft picks): $68,373,494
The Warriors' offseason didn't technically begin until after the team played its final regular season game on April 26th, but unofficially it was well underway by that point. With the Warriors out of playoff contention, the offseason was underway when the club promoted Bob Myers to general manager earlier in April, and it was even underway when the team completed a blockbuster deal in March, swapping Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut in a five-player trade.
Because Golden State got an early headstart on the offseason, the summer itself doesn't figure to be all that eventful. The Warriors will be looking forward to seeing how a healthy Bogut plays with the current nucleus, so they won't be shaking up the roster with any sort of major trades. The amnesty clause was used last December (Charlie Bell, anyone?), and with nearly $56MM in guaranteed contracts on the books, Golden State doesn't exactly have much cap flexibility.
The Warriors will have a few assets in play as they head into the summer. They hold four draft picks, though there's about a one-in-four chance their lottery selection will head to Utah if the ping-pong balls are unkind later this month. The team will also have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to spend in free agency.
With Bogut, David Lee, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry penciled in as four of the club's five starters, the small forward position represents the biggest hole on the roster. Richard Jefferson and Dorell Wright can play the position, but probably shouldn't be relied upon for heavy minutes, so the Warriors figure to target the three-spot in the draft or free agency.
If Golden State keeps its top-seven-protected pick in the draft, the team should be targeting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Harrison Barnes. Those two players are easily the top small forwards in this year's draft class, and either would be a terrific addition for the Warriors. If neither player is on the board when the Warriors draft at #7, perhaps Golden State could consider trading the pick, along with a contract or two, to obtain a veteran small forward.
While free agency is another route the team could go in its search for a small forward, the pickings will be slim. Gerald Green, Carlos Delfino, Boris Diaw, and Steve Novak are among the uninspiring names that highlight the list of threes available in unrestricted free agency. Nicolas Batum headlines the restricted free agents, but will command a larger contract than the Warriors can afford.
Perhaps the most intriguing candidates for the Warriors are Lamar Odom and Landry Fields. Odom is expected to be waived by the Mavericks, making him a free agent, and while there's no guarantee he'd be interested in Golden State, his value has dropped enough this season that the $5MM mid-level could be enough to land him. Fields, meanwhile, is a restricted free agent and will likely be re-signed by the Knicks, but a competitive mid-level type offer would make it tough on New York, who also want to re-sign Jeremy Lin and have major money committed to Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler.
2012/13 will be an important season for the Warriors, as they determine whether a squad led by Bogut can contend in the West, and decide whether to extend Curry's contract, which will expire in 2013. The team likely won't be too active this summer, simply looking to land a small forward and filling out the rest of its roster with rookies and veterans on minimum salaries. Those decisions aren't insignficant, but the team's major acquisition of 2012 (Bogut) has already been made.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
Bobcats To Interview Michael Malone, Brian Shaw?
4:11pm: The Bobcats have also requested permission to speak with Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, according to Sam Amick of SI.com. However, Shaw prefers to focus on the playoffs for now, so no interview has been scheduled yet.
1:42pm: A week after announcing that Paul Silas won't coach the team in 2012/13, the Bobcats' search for a new head coach has them eyeing Warriors assistant Michael Malone. According to Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo! Sports, the Bobcats will interview Malone for the position.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer identified Malone as a candidate for Charlotte's coaching vacancy last week, and new Warriors GM Bob Myers recently said he expects Malone to be "a hot commodity" this summer. Although Golden State has the assistant coach under contract, Myers says the team wouldn't hold Malone back if he received a head coaching opportunity.
According to Wojnarowski, Malone is believed to be the first candidate to receive a formal interview, though the team will reportedly interview Stephen Silas as well. Malone is expected to meet with Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and GM Rich Cho on Tuesday.
Best Second-Round Picks Of 2011
There's a bold line between the first and second rounds in the NBA draft. First-rounders get guaranteed contracts that last two years with team options for third and fourth seasons. Nothing's certain for second-rounders, who often fail to make the team out of training camp and find themselves scrambling for a job. Still, plenty of quality players emerge after pick No. 30, like Carlos Boozer, Marc Gasol and Monta Ellis. Here's a look at the top performers picked in last year's second round:
- The last player picked in the second round (and the entire draft) might be the best of them. Former University of Washington point guard Isaiah Thomas was impressive enough for the Kings to move Tyreke Evans to small forward to accomodate him in the starting lineup. He improved his PPG and APG each month, and wound up averaging 14.8 points and 5.4 assists in 37 games as a starter. He's on a three-year unguaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- The Rockets didn't treat Florida product Chandler Parsons much like a player picked 38th overall for the Rockets this year. They gave him a four-year deal worth more than $3.6MM that's guaranteed for his first two seasons, and he started all but nine of the team's games, averaging 9.5 PPG and 4.8 RPG. The 6'9" forward was particularly effective in March, when he shot 52.6% and put up 12.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG.
- Stephen Curry's creaky ankles opened up a spot in the Warriors starting lineup for Charles Jenkins, and the 44th overall pick out of Hofstra took advantage. He averaged 9.4 PPG and 6.3 APG in 16 April games, all as a starter. He has one more season left on his contract, which is an unguaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- Few expected much of a pro career from Josh Harrellson when he was at Kentucky, but the 6'10", 275-pound center is a playoff contributor for the Knicks. He started four games but has been primarily a bench option, though his 13.7 PER and 9.6 rebounds per 36 minutes show he's been productive when called upon. The last season of his two-year minimum-salary contract is not guaranteed.
- Lavoy Allen got the start in Game 1 of the playoffs for the Sixers, an unlikely fate when the team drafted him 50th overall out of Temple. He also started 15 games in the regular season, but saw only 18.9 minutes per game in those starts. Still, like Harrellson, he displayed a knack for rebounding in his limited floor time, collecting 9.9 boards per 36 minutes. He has no deal for next season yet, and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd is heading to the Hall of Fame soon. We just don't know where he's going on the way there. While both the Mavs and Kidd have reportedly indicated a willingness for him to return as a backup next year, it's unclear whether Dallas will be willing to meet his salary demands. Chris Mannix of SI.com reported earlier this week that Kidd is seeking a deal worth about the mid-level exception amount of $5MM a year. The Mavs figure to have plenty of cap room, but any team would be wary of paying that amount to a player who'll turn 40 before next season ends.
Kidd's skills have been in decline for a while now, and the aspect of his game that appeared to take the most significant step back is his playmaking ability, as he dropped from 8.2 APG to a career-low 5.5 this year. The improved outside shot that allowed him to shoot over 40% from three-point range his first three seasons in Dallas has been absent the last two years, as he's shot just 34.5% on treys. He still rebounds at a high rate for a point guard, grabbing 5.2 per 36 minutes this season, but it hasn't kept him from putting up a career-low PER (13.1) for the second year in a row. Perhaps his saving grace has been the ability to force turnovers. He led all postseason performers with 40 steals last year, and through Saturday he was doing so again this year, with 12 steals in four games. Steals, however, don't necessarily mean you're a quality defender, and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle uses cross-matches or a zone to make sure Kidd doesn't have to defend quick point guards.
It's likely most teams will find Kidd's greatest value is his ability to mentor a younger point guard in a role similar to the one Derek Fisher is playing in Oklahoma City. That's clearly what the Mavs have in mind when they think about bringing him back in the hopes that Deron Williams signs to take over the starting role. Kidd has had a Hall of Fame career and owns an NBA championship ring from last season, so he knows what it takes to succeed in the NBA. Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News group said earlier this week the Warriors will explore signing Kidd, a Bay Area native, but that's probably contingent on the unlikely event that Deron Williams signs with Golden State, too. Tayshaun Prince called upon the Pistons to go after a veteran point guard to mentor Brandon Knight, so maybe Kidd heads to Detroit. The Cavs, with young Kyrie Irving in tow, could use some of their ample cap space to go after Kidd, since even at his advanced age, he probably represents an upgrade over current backup point guard Donald Sloan. Kidd could also wind up as Williams' backup in Brooklyn instead of Dallas, as Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com suggests. Both point guards are clients of agent Jeff Schwartz.
Caplan's story also reports that Kidd would like to play two more seasons, which refutes the report earlier in the week from Mannix that Kidd will retire if he doesn't get that mid-level deal. Kidd doesn't think he'll be waiting too long, telling Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, "I'll land somewhere early, I would think." If that's the case, it suggests Kidd won't wait for Deron Williams to decide where he's going. Judging by his comments this week, my guess is he and the Mavs have talked about a deal and are haggling over specifics. If that's the case, I think Kidd's path to Springfield will continue to detour through Dallas.
Odds & Ends: Curry, Beal, Kidd-Gilchrist, Sloan
Warriors guard Stephen Curry had shown to be one of the league's most promising young talents after two years into his NBA career, but was limited by lingering ankle injuries during his third season. Rusty Simmons of SFGate reports that the former Davidson star views his recent ankle surgery as a relief and that he fully expects to be ready for training camp in October. Curry, who feels that backup power forward and depth are the team's biggest needs, also wants to be more involved with Golden State's draft process and plans to attend prospect workouts over the next two months (Sulia link). Here are the other significant links we've gathered up this evening:
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweeted that Bradley Beal from Florida has signed with Mark Bartelstein and Priority Sports. Beal is projected to be a top five pick in next month's NBA Draft.
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist announced via his Twitter account that he has signed with Creative Artists Agency.
- Following a season that likely included an innumerable amount of facepalms compared to high-fives, the Bobcats are now focused on adding a new head coach after recently parting ways with Paul Silas. Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News hears that Charlotte might try to pursue Jerry Sloan as a possible replacement, citing GM Rich Cho and Michael Jordan's admiration for the former Jazz coach. He also mentions that Sloan turned down six head coaching offers last season (among them Golden State and Detroit), which would imply that it will take a compelling proposal to convince him to join the league's biggest re-building project.
- Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas briefly touches base on the possibility of Rick Carlisle becoming a free agent this summer. Carlisle is finishing up his last year of a four-year contract, and despite president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson continually saying that the Mavericks coach isn't going anywhere, there has been no mention of talks regarding a new deal. Owner Mark Cuban declined to elaborate on the situation today, saying that he "doesn't talk about free agent coaches or otherwise." In a separate article by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, Cuban insists that he does not regret letting Tyson Chandler leave because of the financial flexibility he was able to preserve.
- David West has been one of the NBA's most significant free agent acquisitions from last year's offseason, helping the Pacers secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld discusses how West's presence has benefited the culture and confidence of the team.
- Despite a second straight lottery season for the Cavaliers, owner Dan Gilbert remains a popular figure in Cleveland, writes Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston. With such a close connection to the team's fan base, Livingston sees Gilbert as a more wealthy, modern-day version of legendary baseball owner Bill Veeck.
Pacific Notes: Lee, Fields, Odom, Kobe, Fisher
Tonight, the Lakers look to take a commanding 3-0 lead on the Nuggets, while the Clippers await the first home playoff game of the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era tomorrow. Here's what's happening off the court in the Pacific:
- Warriors big man David Lee might have been selected as a finalist for the U.S. Olympic team had it not been for his recent surgery to repair an abdominal muscle, Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida notes.
- Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group believes restricted free agent Landry Fields could be a fit for the Warriors if they don't bring back Brandon Rush or Dorell Wright.
- The Suns should pursue Lamar Odom despite the risks, argues Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Odom thrived under Suns coach Alvin Gentry when both were with the Clippers, and last season's Sixth Man of the Year should be available for a reasonable price, Coro contends.
- Kobe Bryant, one of the league's fiercest competitors, might have to work harder to shield his softer side in the next round of the playoffs if the Lakers match up with former teammate Derek Fisher and the Thunder, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com observes. “I’d be a little torn,” Bryant said.“I’ve always wanted to see him do well, I’m always pulling for him and so forth. But at the same time, being great friends, somebody has to win and I’d rather it be me.”
Kidd Wants Mid-Level Type Offer
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweeted that Mavericks guard Jason Kidd is not interested in playing for the veteran's minimum or a small exception, and that he will retire if he doesn't receive a deal for around the mid-level exception this summer.
Kidd is making a case for his ability to contribute based on his two performances against the Thunder this week. Despite his poor shooting percentages, Kidd has played 36 MPG while averaging 9 PPG, 6 APG, and 6 RPG.
Yesterday, Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times speculated that the Warriors could explore the possibility of bringing in Kidd (Twitter link). This offseason, Golden State will qualify as an over-the-cap team that would be able to offer the full mid-level. However, if Dallas fails to make a big splash in free agency, I could see them offering Kidd a one-year deal for around the same amount in order to let him finish his career with the Mavericks.