Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers May Invite Gilbert Arenas To Camp

September 17th, 2013 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Gilbert Arenas didn't sign or play with an NBA team during the 2012/13 season, but unlike fellow 31-year-old Jared Jeffries, he's not ready to move on from his playing career quite yet. According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter), Arenas has looked good in workouts this offseason, and may receive a training camp invite from the Clippers.

Although he had a brief stint with the Grizzlies in 2012, Arenas hasn't played in a full NBA season since prior to the lockout. In 2010/11, he appeared in 70 total games for the Wizards and Magic, averaging 10.8 PPG, a significant step down from his career rate of 20.7 PPG.

The veteran guard played in China for the Shanghai Sharks last season, matching his NBA scoring average with 20.7 PPG in 14 contests. Our most recent headline on Arenas suggested that he had no plans to come back to the NBA, though at the time it sounded like that meant for the 2012/13 season, rather than indefinitely. Still, Arenas' quotes indicated that he'd have no problem returning to China in the future if NBA opportunties failed to arise.

The Clippers would have room to give Arenas a real shot at a roster spot if he came to camp with the team. L.A. currently has 15 players under contract, but Maalik Wayns' deal is non-guaranteed, while only $50K of Brandon Davies' deal is guaranteed. Of course, based on Arenas' previous comments, it's not clear if he'd even be open to accepting a camp invite with no guaranteed salary attached.

Contract Details: Warriors, Lakers, Davies, Lockett

September 12th, 2013 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Most of the contracts being signed these days are non-guaranteed and worth the minimum salary, essentially amounting to make-good deals for camp. However, a few players who recently joined NBA clubs received modest guarantees, ensuring they'll make some money whether or not they earn a roster spot. Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com has the details, so let's round them up….

The Warriors will pay partial guarantees to two recent signees, Seth Curry and DeWayne Dedmon. Both players inked one-year rookie minimum contracts, but Curry received the larger guarantee — $75K to Dedmon's $25K.
The Lakers guaranteed $100K of Shawne Williams' one-year, minimum-salary deal.
Brandon Davies' two-year deal with the Clippers is partially guaranteed for $50K in 2013/14.
Trent Lockett's two-year contract with the Kings is currently guaranteed for $35K, but he can increase that amount by earning a spot on the team's regular-season roster. Lockett's guarantee will become $100K if he's not waived by opening night, and if he keeps a roster spot all year, his 2014/15 salary will become guaranteed for $100K on the last day of the '13/14 season.
The Pelicans cut Lance Thomas in July to clear cap space for their new additions, then re-signed him to a new deal. Thomas received a guarantee of $15K for his trouble — his previous contract had been fully non-guaranteed.

Odds & Ends: Bynum, Thompson, Redick

September 11th, 2013 at 10:33pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are the latest odds and ends from around the NBA on Wednesday night:

The Cavaliers' addition of Andrew Bynum is the most underrated move of the 2013 offseason, according to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy. Kennedy writes that a healthy Bynum, who played for Cleveland head coach Mike Brown in L.A., could take the Cavs "to another level." With an incentive-laden contract, Kennedy expects Bynum to be more motivated than he was in Philadelphia.
Klay Thompson is excited about how the offseason additions of Andre Iguodala and Toney Douglas may help him on the offensive side of the floor, writes Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News. With Stephen Curry focused on scoring and running the point, Thompson frequently became gassed last season when he was asked to be a defensive stopper along with contributing on offense. Particularly with the defense-oriented Iguodala now in the fold for the Warriors, Thompson figures that relief in pressure may result in him shooting better than the 42.2 percent he shot last season.
While it seems like a stretch to compare J.J. Redick to Ray Allen, it probably isn't a coincidence that one of Doc Rivers' first moves as senior vice president of the Clippers was to acquire someone capable of filling the role Allen manned for Rivers' championship Celtics team, writes D.J. Foster for ESPN.com. Foster argues that Redick and that version of Allen are more similar than you'd think when you break down the statistics and that if Rivers and the Clips make finding Redick open looks a priority, the Duke product could be a pleasant surprise in Los Angeles.

Odds & Ends: Deng, Bulls, Ebanks, Redick

September 10th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Considering it's still early September, it's been a relatively eventful day when it comes to NBA news. The Bulls and Luol Deng have reportedly stalled on contract extension talks, the Mavericks have invited 2012 first-rounder Fab Melo to camp, and the Pacers have officially signed Darnell Jackson. Not to mention LeBron James shared a few thoughts on his free agency, which may be a rare occurrence this season.

Here are a few more of the day's miscellaneous stories:

Although Deng appears ticketed for unrestricted free agency next summer, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes that extension talks between Deng and the Bulls looked bleak in 2008 as well, but the two sides worked out a deal. While that doesn't mean it'll happen again, it also means negotiations shouldn't necessarily be considered over, says Johnson (Twitter links).
Devin Ebanks tweeted earlier today that he's en route to Orlando, which is notable, since the free agent forward has received a camp invite from the Magic, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets. For now, Ebanks, who has also drawn interest from the Mavericks and Hawks, is just in town to work out for the Magic, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link).
In a piece for The Score, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com explains why certain lesser-known players can't be traded without their approval, while superstars like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul don't have no-trade clauses. By Deeks' count, 18 players can't be traded without their approval this season.
Zach Lowe has published another interesting column for Grantland, making the case for why the NBA should consider reducing games from 48 minutes to 40. The chain reaction from such a move could have an effect on max contracts and the way teams use their cap space, as Lowe explains.
New Clipper J.J. Redick is looking forward to playing for a contending team again, as Eric Patten writes at Clippers.com.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Kings, Seattle

September 9th, 2013 at 6:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Suns decided last week that Michael Beasley's potential upside will take too long to surface and/or it's just not worth the hassle. The former No. 2 overall pick was waived by Phoenix but it may not take long for him to find a new home. The Heat, who drafted Beasley in 2008, are reportedly among the teams thinking about signing the talented and troubled forward. Here's today's news out of the Pacific Division..

After years of losing, Clippers fans are finally being rewarded for their patience, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. “This team’s depth is right up there [with the deepest teams I’ve been on],” Jamal Crawford said of the club's offseason additons. “Adding Jared [Dudley] and J.J. [Redick], those are two guys who can really shoot the ball, who can space the court and who can really play…We hate to see anybody leave and it’s unfortunate to see some of the guys from last year leave in different ways like trades and free agency, but anytime you can get some high-level additions like that it really helps your ballclub. I think it’s going to give us a lot of space."
Seattle investor Chris Hansen was fined $50K for putting $100K behind an effort to thwart Sacramento's efforts to build a new arena in the downtown portion of their city, according to the Associated Press.
Earlier today, we learned that the Suns, along with the Bucks, have interest in Royal Ivey.

Kyler’s Latest: Pacers, Granger, Clippers, Thunder

September 9th, 2013 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

With only a handful of teams remaining in his offseason look at trade situations to watch, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld focuses today on the Pacers, Clippers, and Thunder. Let's dive in and check out the highlights from Kyler's NBA AM piece…

While there's still a belief in some circles that the Pacers will try to trade Danny Granger this season, Kyler says that's not necessarily the case. There's almost no scenario in which Indiana could trade Granger's $14MM+ expiring contract and avoid taking back long-term salary, so the Pacers likely prefer to keep the veteran forward and let him help the club contend in 2013/14. Clearing his contract from the books next summer will free up money for players like Paul George and Lance Stephenson.
If the Pacers have injury problems during the season, their stance on Granger and other players could change, but for now it appears that the team will stand relatively pat, believing the roster is strong enough to contend for the title.
The Clippers are currently in luxury-tax territory, but only by about $1.5MM. If the team were to cut Maalik Wayns' non-guaranteed contract and move a player like Willie Green, it could slip below the tax. The Clips may have to give up an asset or two (such as cash or draft picks) to facilitate a deal. But L.A. has enough depth, particularly on the perimeter, that giving up a player to get below the tax line shoudn't hurt the club's on-court production.
With Kevin Martin no longer in OKC, the Thunder will be searching for a reliable third scorer behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The team would probably prefer to see a player from within, such as Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson or Jeremy Lamb, emerge as that third scorer. However, OKC also has several young inexpensive players that could be used as trade chips if necessary, including Perry Jones III, Andre Roberson, and Steven Adams.

Ainge On Pierce, KG, Rivers, Stevens

September 6th, 2013 at 11:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge presided over a summer of drastic change for his team, trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets, arranging a deal that saw Doc Rivers head to the Clippers, and making the surprise hire of new coach Brad Stevens. Ainge spoke with Grantland's Bill Simmons about those moves and other subjects for a podcast, and NetsDaily provides a transcript that covers the Brooklyn-related items. We'll pass along some of the highlights from that, along with a few more of Ainge's quotes:

On how the trade with the Nets came to be:

"Like a lot of trades, it evolved from something completely different into a bigger deal. (It was) something that I really didn't think would happen, simply because it takes sort of a special, unique circumstance in order for a trade like that to go through, and the tax ramifications of Brooklyn are I would call unique in today's day and age in the NBA right now with the new CBA. But (the Nets were) a team that was really going for it, and money was not an object, and that was probably the reason why we got a better offer today than we would've even gotten two or three years ago."

On the influence agent Jeff Schwartz had on the Nets deal:

"I also think that Paul has a connection with having the same agent as Deron Williams and Jason Kidd, and I think there probably was some discussion going on there. I don't know that for sure, but my guess is that they had some conversation about it. I know that Paul was the one who talked KG into wanting to do the deal or letting go of his no-trade clause to make the deal happen and that took some convincing to do."

On the current value of Pierce and Garnett:

"I just think it came to the point where those guys as the best two players on a team aren't going to go very far. Those guys as a 3rd and 4th, or 4th and 5th, however you look at it, are pretty dang good still, and I think (Brooklyn) is going to have a terrific team next year."

On losing Rivers:

"I thought Doc would be our coach for a long time. When Doc signed his new contract (with the Celtics), we'd even talked about him being Jerry Sloan, and Gregg Popovich, and breaking Red Auerbach's all-time record as a Celtic coach. We knew that our guys were getting older, but we thought that this time might come, so I had anticipated Doc being around for a long time. I never had any idea that he would want out, but I understand it, and I understand the Clippers have much more to offer right now than we do on the court. I just thought that Doc wanted to continue to participate with me and (owners) Wyc Grousbeck and (Stephen Pagliuca) and (continue) to try to rebuild this thing as we had done before. At the same time, I do understand that that's not fun, and that's not fun (for) coaches."

On his pitch to Stevens and the new coach's lengthy contract with the C's:

"I think that a six-year commitment might have made a difference. I'm not sure. We never had a negotiation. His wife was his agent, and his wife wanted to understand the language in one paragraph that we explained to her, and that was basically the entire negotiation."

Odds & Ends: Bucks, Kennedy, Knicks, Hunt

September 6th, 2013 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

As we continue counting down the days until NBA training camps open, let's round up a few Friday odds and ends from around the Association….

In an interesting piece at ESPN.com, Kevin Arnovitz speaks to Bucks executives John Hammond and David Morway about Milwaukee's aversion to tanking, and the team's "build-on-the-go" approach.
Sportando passes along a Gazzetta di Reggio report suggesting that Italian team Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia no longer seems to be pursuing D.J. Kennedy, who is focused on landing an NBA camp invite. Justin Holiday, who was released by the Sixers earlier this summer, may be a target for the Italian club, according to the report.
Despite the fact that Jeremy Tyler underwent foot surgery and will likely miss the next two months, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com argues (via Twitter) that the Knicks should wait to see how he heals rather than cutting him anytime soon. Begley notes that New York has made a "financial commitment" to Tyler already, though only $100K of the big man's $884K salary is guaranteed.
Whether or not the Knicks hang on to Tyler, the team appears likely to add another big man to compete for a roster spot, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
It's not out of the question that Gal Mekel turns out to be a better point guard for the Mavericks than Shane Larkin, according to Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com, who gives the Mavs a grade of B for the team's signing of the Israeli guard.
In addition to working out for the Nets, 6'10" forward Kyle Hunt will also audition for the Pacers, says Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
Recent Clippers signee Brandon Davies is prepared to make an impression in camp and earn a roster spot, as he tells Eric Patten of Clippers.com.

Poll: Most Improved Player In The Pacific?

September 5th, 2013 at 10:38pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The spotlight in the Pacific Division will surely be on former Clipper reserve Eric Bledsoe, who will now headline Phoenix's backcourt next to another young talent in Goran Dragic. Bledsoe's numbers last season (8.5 PPG/3.1 APG/20.4 MPG) wouldn't seem very comparable to what will be expected of him in 2013/14, especially considering some of his standout performances when given more than 30 minutes of playing time: 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in 38 minutes against the Celtics, 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in 37 minutes against the Rockets, 10 points, 10 assists, and six steals in 39 minutes against the Timberwolves, and a 27-point, 6 rebound, 6 steal, and 3-block performance in 41 minutes against the Magic to name a few. Now equipped with starter's minutes, it will be fascinating to see how the 6'1 guard will utilize his significantly increased role and responsibilities as a leader of a young team.

Keeping all this in mind, Bledsoe should undoubtedly be among the favorites within the whole league to have a breakout season. With that aside, it was unquestionably a summer of shakeups for the rest of the Pacific Division, as each of the other four teams will feature new key rotation players in 2013/14. Let's take a look at some of the other new faces looking to make a lasting impact on their respective clubs:

Marreese Speights, Warriors – The 6'10 power forward is entering his sixth year in the league and will be playing for his fourth NBA team after signing with Golden State this past July. Following a trade from Memphis to Cleveland halfway through last season, Speights averaged 10.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 18.5 MPG in 39 games and one start for the Cavaliers. Although Sean Deveney of the Sporting News and NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper have reported that the team is currently expecting Andrew Bogut and David Lee to be healthy enough to play without limitation, head coach Mark Jackson could possibly rely on Speights for extended minutes on some nights in order to preserve some of his older frontcourt veterans.

Considering his production in a limited amount of minutes last season, the former Florida standout could prove to be one of the most important reserves on a playoff contender this year and may open some more eyes in the process.

Byron Mullens, Clippers – Fresh off of career highs in points, rebounds, and minutes last season with the Bobcats (10.8/6.4/26.9), it remains to be seen just how Mullens' minutes and role will be handled in Los Angeles. The 7'0 big man put together a flurry of attention-grabbing performances last season, averaging 12.9 PPG/8.2 RPG/33.0 MPG in November and 10.0/7.3/28.6 in December before being sidelined with an ankle injury. Following a 19-game absence, Mullens picked up where he left off, posting 14.6/7.9/32.1 in February.

Although his overall shooting percentages were less than desirable last season (.385/.317/.636), one thing to consider is the possible improvement in the quality of shot attempts as a by-product of playing with a superstar playmaker in Chris Paul and his solid distributing backup, Darren Collison. Byron's confidence in attempting perimeter shots is far from lacking, as nearly four of his 10.6 shot attempts per game last year were taken from beyond the arc. With that being said, Mullens may very well be a viable threat who can stretch the floor provided he can improve his shooting efficiency and have better opportunities created for him. If given the minutes, he's shown that he can definitely put up some numbers.

Wesley Johnson, Lakers – Despite his lack of floor time for the first four months of 2012/13, the 6'7 swingman made the most of his situation after being given consistent starter's minutes in the final two months of the season, averaging 13.2 PPG/1.2 SPG/30.3 MPG in March along with 12.9 PPG and 27.3 MPG in April respectively. He did well enough that despite the Suns opting not to exercise his fourth year option, there was still mutual interest in a return to Phoenix this summer. Ultimately, the former lottery pick out of Syracuse wound up with the Lakers, where he should have his fair share of opportunities as an athletic player in Mike D'Antoni's system. With Johnson playing on a one-year contract, it'd certainly be in his best interest to continue his momentum from last season and perform well enough to earn a lucrative contract next summer, whether it'd be in L.A. or somewhere else.

Greivis Vasquez, Kings – It's more than reasonable to deem 2012/13 as a breakout year for Vasquez. The 6'6 point guard rose to the occasion in New Orleans, producing an impressive 13.9 PPG and 9.0 APG stat line in 34.4 MPG and 78 games played/started. It's important to note that he'll be entering a contract year, and one significant question is how Vasquez's numbers will fare with an entirely different cast of teammates, especially with the surplus of guards on the roster – namely Isaiah Thomas, Ben McLemore, Marcus Thornton, and Jimmer Fredette. Although the former Maryland star displayed his capabilities as a distributor and a tertiary scoring option last season, it appears that another major improvement within reach would be to raise his shooting percentages (.433/.342) as well as the amount of times he gets to the line (2.0). Following his career-best season to date, Vasquez will surely have to deliver in his most important one yet.

After Bledsoe, who would you expect to be the most improved player in the Pacific Division?

Most Improved Player In The Pacific?

Greivis Vasquez 35.48% (215 votes)

Wesley Johnson 31.35% (190 votes)

Marreese Speights 18.32% (111 votes)

Other 7.59% (46 votes)

Byron Mullens 7.26% (44 votes)

Total Votes: 606

Western Notes: Ledo, Ellington, Murray

September 5th, 2013 at 6:14pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Let's pass along some of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes from the Western Conference:

Brian Gutierrez of ESPN Dallas evaluates the Mavericks' signing of second-round pick Ricky Ledo and gives the team a "B" grade for the move.
Although Wayne Ellington wasn't one of the more heralded free agents signings for the Mavs this summer, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com underscores the value that the former UNC standout brings to the table as a shooter.
Ronald Murray and Dallas Lauderdale will be participating in Jazz mini-camp this week, according to Mary Schmitt-Boyer of the Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson tweets that former Timberwolves executive David Kahn had spoken with a few teams about front office roles in addition to interviewing for the 76ers' GM opening.
Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times thinks that Brandon Davies has a legitimate chance to make the Clippers' opening night roster. However, considering the team's luxury tax situation, Pincus is curious to see how the team will ultimately make their decision on him (Sulia link).