Odds & Ends: Aldridge, Blazers, Redick, Henry
LaMarcus Aldridge hasn’t told coach Terry Stotts that he wants to remain in Portland long-term, but he hasn’t said he wants to get out, either, so the coach tells Jim Rome of CBS Sports Radio that he isn’t worried about a player he believes is content playing for the Blazers. Ben Golliver of Blazer’s Edge has a transcript of those comments, as well as the coach’s remarks on the contributions of new acquisition Robin Lopez toward what Stotts perceives as a changed culture on the team. Here’s more on other new additions around the Association:
- Doc Rivers arrived in L.A. this summer with J.J. Redick atop his list of targets within the Clippers‘ price range, and he convinced Redick over dinner to come to the team, finally landing the player he’d sought multiple times while with the Celtics. Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details.
- Xavier Henry didn’t perform nearly as well in New Orleans as he is with the Lakers, and while Pelicans coach Monty Williams takes responsibility for his role in that, Henry doesn’t blame him, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- Lester Hudson is headed to play in China for the third straight season, inking a deal with Xinjiang, agent Brad Ames tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Hudson’s first trip East in 2011/12 resulted in late-season NBA stints with the Cavs and Grizzlies.
- The Thunder have lost plenty with the departures of James Harden and Kevin Martin the past two offseasons, but Jeff Caplan of NBA.com thinks this could be the most complete Oklahoma City team yet, thanks to the team’s youthful bench.
- Steven Adams, a member of that Thunder bench, has seen more minutes than starter Kendrick Perkins this year, but Caplan passes along Perkins’ praise for the rookie, and coach Scott Brooks isn’t concerned that Perkins will pout, The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry notes.
Steve Nash Plans To Play Out Contract
At age 39, Steve Nash is no longer the same elite player that captured back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006, but the veteran point guard remains hopeful that he can be effective and contribute to the Lakers this season and next. As Nash tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, retirement isn’t something he’s considering at this point in his career.
“I don’t think so,” Nash said, when asked if he could see himself retiring before next season. “I still feel like I’ve got a lot of life left without basketball so I’m going to try to enjoy it and make the most of these last 18-20 months, whatever it is.”
Nash, who missed 32 games last season, has appeared in five of the Lakers’ six games this year. However, physical ailments forced him to sit out the second game of the team’s only back-to-back so far, and he’s playing just 24.2 minutes per game, his lowest average since 1997/98.
While a few trade rumors have swirled around Nash in the early going, there’s little chance of the Lakers finding a suitor for the Canadian. His $9.3MM salary this season, along with the $9.7MM he’ll earn next year, significantly reduces any value he’d have as a trade chip. If the Lakers want to remove Nash from the picture next summer as they look to claim a huge chunk of cap space, the club would likely have to release him, spreading out his cap hit using the stretch provision.
Western Notes: Timberwolves, Pekovic, Rockets
Timberwolves GM Milt Newton is content with how the roles have worked themselves out on the roster: “I see our team already falling into knowing their roles and playing their roles, so that’s good to see. I’ve spoken to guys from other teams, and there’s a period that a lot of teams go through when they’re trying to figure out who is the go-to guy, who is the guy who’s going to get the most shots. We don’t seem to have that problem” (Charley Walters of TwinCities.com).
It doesn’t seem to be as easy of an adjustment for everybody, however. With Kevin Love‘s return to the lineup and Kevin Martin securing a major role within the team’s offense, Nikola Pekovic has been struggling to return to the niche he found on that side of the floor last season. Though Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune points out that Pekovic’s scoring average (11.0) and shooting percentage (38.9%) are significantly lower than last year (16.3 and 52%), the 6’11 center insists that he isn’t unhappy and is focused on trying to find other ways to help the team win games.
Here’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN examines the Rockets’ offensive struggles while using a big lineup, and suggests that dealing Omer Asik for Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson or the Bucks’ Ersan Ilyasova would be ideal (Insiders only).
- Lakers star Kobe Bryant opened up about his health and Dwight Howard among other things in this video from Hoopsworld. Earlier this evening, Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles tweeted that Kobe had been sprinting as part of his rehab, but hasn’t begun any lateral/ cutting movement yet.
- As brilliant as the Clippers have been offensively, Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld gathers up some thoughts about their defensive struggles.
- Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram writes that the Mavericks have been able to develop chemistry by keeping the same starting five, which is worth noting considering that Rick Carlisle had shuffled through 23 different starting lineups last season.
Odds & Ends: Bynum, Warriors, Howard, Draft
Andrew Bynum has returned to the court for the Cavaliers this fall after a lost season in Philadelphia, but as the big man prepares to suit up against the Sixers tomorrow night, the news coming out of his camp isn’t exactly positive. Bynum indicated earlier this week that he doesn’t expect to ever regain his old explosiveness, and acknowledged that he’s still getting “little sharp” pains in his knees.
Today, speaking to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal and other media members, Bynum admitted that he considered retirement, and still thinks about it occasionally (Twitter link). I’m hopeful that the 26-year-old will get healthy and have a productive year in Cleveland, but his latest comments are a little ominous.
Here’s more from around the NBA:
- While eventually signing Klay Thompson to a long-term extension should be tenable, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com questions whether the Warriors will or should retain Harrison Barnes beyond his rookie contract.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports spoke to current and former Lakers in an attempt to determine why the marriage between Dwight Howard and the Lakers was destined for a divorce. Sources tell Spears that the Lakers’ brass told its employees to make Howard feel “special and important,” but that Dwight still felt undervalued by the team.
- Howard cites Kelvin Cato as the first person to suggest that he should join the Rockets, well before D12 neared free agency, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Over at ESPN.com, Chad Ford’s Insider-only list of the top wings for the 2014 draft is headlined, unsurprisingly, by Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Howard, Redd, Martin
It’s been an exciting night around the NBA. Let’s take a look at some headlines that have surfaced throughout the league:
- Lakers forward-center Pau Gasol wishes Dwight Howard luck in Houston and respects his decision to leave L.A., reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. Gasol, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2013/14 season, will have the opportunity to follow in Howard’s footsteps if he wants a change of scenery. It’s been reported that Gasol has expressed interest in remaining in Los Angeles, but it’s too early to make any assumptions.
- Speaking of Howard, the dominant big man sat down and told Sam Amick of USA TODAY that he was tired of talking about his decision to leave the Lakers: “It’s time for everybody to get over it. It happened. It’s in the past. I’ve gotten over it. It didn’t work out (with the Lakers last season). The timing was off. It just wasn’t (there). Everybody was injured.”
- Michael Redd has officially retired tonight tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. He goes on to say that several teams tried to lure Redd to camp last summer, and among them was the Spurs.
- Redd has interest in rejoining the Bucks in some capacity, but not in a coaching role, Woelfel also tweets.
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that Kevin Martin has clarified he was not speaking ill of former teammate Kevin Durant on Sunday when he said of the Timberwolves: “This is such a fun team to play on. Nobody is trying to lead the league in scoring here.” Wednesday morning, Durant told local reporters in Oklahoma City: “I know K-Mart. He’s not that type of guy.” Martin signed a four-year deal with the Wolves this offseason after a one-year stint with the Thunder.
Extension Candidate: Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant isn’t going anywhere. We haven’t seen him on an NBA court yet this fall, but the 15-time All-Star will play for the Lakers this season. And despite the fact that unrestricted free agency is looming in 2014, he’ll play for the Lakers beyond this season, assuming he wants to continue his career, which looks like a good bet.
The inevitably of Kobe remaining in Los Angeles removes a little of the drama from extension talks between him and the team, as well as from his looming free agency. But even if we’re 99% sure of what the end result will be, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll get there smoothly. Kobe and the Lakers are in a unique situation right now, and negotiations between the two sides could proceed in any number of directions.
The first key factor to consider is Kobe’s health. Much has been written about how difficult it is for players to recapture their previous form following Achilles injuries, particularly players at Bryant’s age (35). And equally as much has been written about Kobe’s otherworldly drive and work ethic — in other words, if anyone can return from an Achilles tear without losing a step, the longtime Laker is a pretty good candidate. Still, the Lakers will likely hesitate to engage in serious discussions until the team sees that Kobe is once again healthy and productive.
Assuming that happens at some point before the spring, the next question is whether Kobe will sign an in-season extension or wait until free agency to ink a new deal. Lakers co-owner and executive VP Jim Buss recently vowed that his star wouldn’t become a free agent, and an extension would certainly have benefits for both sides. For Kobe, who is unlikely to sign for the full five years he could get as a free agent, adding two or three more years to his current contract seems reasonable, and it would allow him to avoid the uncertainty of the free agent period. For the Lakers, it would mean they wouldn’t have to negotiate with their franchise player next July at the same time the club hopes to negotiate with other marquee free agents.
Of course, the question that dwarfs the others involves – surprise! – money. Bryant is making an incredible $30,453,805 this season, a figure that won’t be matched by another player for years to come, due in part to the limitations of the new CBA. Kobe will be eligible for yet another raise, but it’s more likely we’ll see his salary start to head in the other direction. But how low will Kobe be willing to go?
In the summer of 2012, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett both hit free agency at age 36, the same birthday Kobe will celebrate next August. Duncan and Garnett were coming off salaries of $21MM+, significantly less than Bryant’s, but still figures that exceeded the maximum. On their new deals, Duncan and KG signed for annual salaries in the $10-12MM range, a pay cut of about 50% in both instances.
That sounds about right to me for Kobe, depending on how strong he looks coming off his Achilles rehab. Something in the neighborhood of $10-15MM per year would allow the Lakers to retain plenty of potential cap space to pursue other free agents. It also wouldn’t represent too massive a pay cut for Bryant, who has said he still intends to negotiate the best deal possible.
Eric Pincus and Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times suggested over the summer that perhaps Kobe and the Lakers could work out a deal that would see Bryant sign a one-year, minimum salary contract in 2014. Los Angeles would still hold Kobe’s Bird rights, meaning the club could sign him to a max-salary contract in 2015. The end result would still be an annual salary in the $10MM neighborhood for those two seasons, but his paltry ’14 salary would give the Lakers a ton of cap room to add free agents or make trades. Of course, this type of prearranged move technically isn’t allowed by the NBA, and it’s risky to assume that the Lakers could convince the league to allow it. After all, we saw the NBA shut down the idea of the Celtics and Clippers circumventing league rules this summer to allow both Garnett and Doc Rivers to move to L.A.
A more traditional contract is the likely outcome for Kobe and the Lakers, but how they arrive at that deal is still anyone’s guess. Here’s my guess: Bryant returns to the court this season and remains very effective, if not quite the same dominant scorer that he was before the injury. Sometime before next July, I expect the two sides to announce an extension that will keep Kobe under contract for two or three more seasons, at around $15MM annually. That looks to me like a fair middle ground between the Lakers having to keep Kobe’s $32MM cap hold on their books next July, or the former MVP being forced to accept a mid-level deal or worse.
As we’ve seen with Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni, Phil Jackson, Dwight Howard, and others in L.A. over the last year and a half, things rarely play out that cleanly when it comes to the Lakers. Impending free agencies for LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony may draw more attention this season, but Kobe’s will be a fascinating case to watch.
Mavericks Links: Kaman, Carlisle, Ledo
The Mavericks scored an encouraging victory in their last outing, knocking off a Western Conference heavyweight with a win over the Grizzlies. Still, memories of last season’s failure resurfaced before tonight’s tilt against the Lakers and center Chris Kaman, part of a host of Mavs who didn’t return to the team after playing on expiring deals last season. Here’s the latest:
- Kaman takes issue with what he perceives as Rick Carlisle‘s tendency to “micromanage” and says the Mavs coach is “uptight and kind of plays games with people a little bit here and there,” as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com observes. Carlisle told reporters that he takes his share of the responsibility for Kaman’s poor fit in Dallas, notes Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (Twitter link).
- Kaman had more to say about Carlisle, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News shares the new Lakers center’s belief that the coach was duplicitous and played favorites. Kaman also doubted he would see many minutes if he re-signed with Dallas.
- Ricky Ledo is probably headed for a D-League assignment at some point this season, Carlisle says, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (on Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Osby, Nash, Perkins, Wittman
The Celtics‘ D-League affiliate in Maine has acquired a pair of players who were in NBA camps last month, according to a release from the team. 2013 Magic draftee Romero Osby and Bobcats camp invitee Abdul Gaddy are now on the Red Claws’ roster. While the deals ensure that Boston’s D-League team will get a first-hand look at the two young players, there’s nothing stopping either player from signing with an NBA team besides the Celtics.
Let’s round up a few more odds and ends as the NBA regular season enters its second week….
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star is the latest writer to dismiss a rumor connecting Steve Nash and the Raptors, tweeting that it took “about four minutes” to debunk.
- While he quickly removed the tweet, Kendrick Perkins said last night after playing a season-low 16 minutes against the Suns that it “might be time for a change.” Royce Young of Daily Thunder passes along a screenshot of the deleted tweet.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com predicts the Wizards‘ Randy Wittman will be the first head coach fired this season, and suggests three potential replacements for Washington. Sam Smith of Bulls.com also identifies Wittman’s seat as the hottest among NBA coaches.
- Quincy Douby was drafted 19th overall in 2006, but only lasted three seasons in the NBA before bouncing around among several international teams over the last few years. Now, he’s back in America and will play for the Sioux Falls Skyforce to start the D-League season. As he tells Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld, Douby is hoping the skills and maturity he has developed overseas will help him land an NBA job.
- A subpar group of 2014 free agent point guards will ensure that Eric Bledsoe and Greivis Vasquez make out well on their next contracts, despite not inking extensions last week, writes Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops.
- Oliver Braun, the GM of the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany, spoke to a German outlet about the tumultuous negotiations with the Hawks over Dennis Schröder‘s buyout, and Emiliano Carchia of Sportando provides a translation of some of Braun’s comments.
- Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival breaks down the offseason player movement among the NBA and the leagues considered to be the top European domestic leagues.
Odds & Ends: Hayward, Jazz, Nash
While the Jazz and Gordon Hayward fell short of agreeing on a contract extension last week, both Hayward and the franchise are still interested in getting something done eventually. Hayward told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: “(Not reaching an agreement) in no way changes the way I feel about Utah at all…I love being here. I love playing for them…Hopefully (an extension) will get worked out next summer.”
Utah GM Dennis Lindsey had this to say about Hayward’s agent Mark Bartelstein and future negotiations: “Mark’s been one of the best agents in the business because he negotiates hard. He was fair. He played by the rules. He’ll continue to play by the rules. We’ll be fair as well, and we’ll come back and start talking in July…Just because (Hayward) said no to our last offer, his character hasn’t changed. He is an outstanding person…He’s someone we can see being in a Utah Jazz jersey until he retires. That’s our hope. We think we’re great fits.”
We have a handful of miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight, and you can read them below:
- ESPN LA’s Arash Markazi weighed in on some of the rumblings which suggest that Steve Nash could eventually wind up in Toronto, saying that a deal between the Raptors and Lakers makes sense but isn’t sure if something gets done. Markazi opines that L.A. would like to clear Nash’s salary off their books while the Raptors would enjoy increased ticket sales by bringing the Canadian legend back to his home country (All Twitter links).
- Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld tweeted a list of players who may be traded this season, including: Omer Asik, Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo, Glen Davis, Evan Turner, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Bass, and Gerald Wallace.
- Kennedy also shared what 76ers rookie Michael Carter-Williams told him about his chances on winning the Rookie of the Year Award: “I think I have a pretty good chance at it. I’m just going to go out there, play my game and hope for the best” (Twitter link).
- Entering tonight’s game with a record of 1-2 before their win against the Wizards, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade acknowledged that some minor chemistry issues are affecting the team (Michael Wallace of ESPN.com). More specifically, Wade had this to say: “Let me give you an example…If you’re in a relationship with a woman for a long time, you start getting comfortable. You stop doing the little things that you should do, that you did in the beginning. It’s just like a relationship. We got a little comfortable. Now we have to get back on that edge a little bit.”
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes that Knicks forwards Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin will have their own individualized schedules as far as playing or sitting out games, a decision meant to preserve the health of both in the long run.
- Mavericks point man Jose Calderon appears to be regaining his groove after a sluggish start to the season, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram.
Western Notes: Westbrook, Nash, Lakers
Rejoining Oklahoma City for his first game since getting injured during last season’s playoffs, Thunder guard Russell Westbrook sat down with NewsOK’s Darnell Mayberry to discuss his return. When asked if he feels just as explosive as he was before the injury, Westbrook replied:
“Yeah. I feel great. I feel I’m in a good spot. I’m happy and blessed to be able to be able to play basketball again and go on the floor and fight for my teammates. First, I want to thank all the fans and all my family and friends and maybe some of you guys for your support throughout this period. It’s been a tough one, but I’m happy to be back.”
With that aside, here are some more links to share from around the Western Conference tonight:
- Though Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld had earlier intimated that Steve Nash has little trade value as of now, Alex Kennedy (also of Hoopsworld) tweets that the former MVP could indeed be traded and hears from multiple sources that the Raptors are a possible landing spot.
- Responding to his followers on Twitter, Kyler downplayed the likelihood that Pau Gasol and/or Nash get traded this season. Kyler reasons that Gasol and Nash make too much money for other teams to be interested, and that clearing Pau’s salary off their cap next July is much more valuable to the Lakers than shopping his expiring contract at the trade deadline (All Twitter links).
- Sam Amick of USA Today talks about what Westbrook’s return means for the Thunder.
- Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times provides a brief parallel between Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and the Rockets’ Dwight Howard as far as struggling to mesh with their respective coaches last season and being in better situations now. On a much lighter note, Howard credited “playing slower songs in his head” for his recent minor streak of improved shooting from the free throw line (Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets).
- Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw might consider re-shuffling his starting lineup to include Kenneth Faried at power forward, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post.