Pacific Notes: Kings, Lakers, Fredette, Salmons
New Kings coach Michael Malone sat down with Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee over the weekend for a very interesting chat on the events that led up to his hiring and his vision for the future of the club. Kings fans haven’t seen their club in the postseason in seven years and they’ve had to deal with speculation over a possible move for the last couple, but things finally seem to be heading in the right direction for Sacramento. Here’s more out of the Pacific Division..
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld looks at trade situations to look out for in 2013/14 and writes that the Lakers have a few pieces that could be in play. They have some attractive expiring contracts in Steve Blake ($4MM), Jordan Hill ($3.5MM), and Jodie Meeks ($1.55MM) that could hold value around the trade deadline when the deals have mostly been paid off by the Lakers. None of those three are going net a major return, but a team with playoff aspirations might be willing to deal for one of them as a rental.
- Kyler also looks at the Kings, who are no longer focused on moving DeMarcus Cousins and see him as a big part of their future. They are rumored to be ready to move on from Jimmer Fredette, but he’ll have to play well early in the season to have trade value. John Salmons could be a trade chip as he makes $7.58MM this year with just $1MM of his $7MM in guaranteed in the following season.
- After playing in the Las Vegas and Orlando summer leagues, forward C.J. Aiken has decided to go to mini-camp with the Kings, the St. Joseph’s product tells Garrett Miley of City Of Basketball Love.
Western Notes: Lakers, Landry, Blazers, Frye
The Clippers signed Antawn Jamison earlier this week, and Jamison conducted a radio interview with ESPN 710 in Los Angeles on Friday, transcribed and given context by ESPN Los Angeles scribe Ramona Shelburne this morning.
In the interview Jamison spoke about last season under the microscope with the star-studded Lakers, applauded the competitive drive of Kobe Bryant, and discussed his sometimes strained relationship with coach Mike D'Antoni, who removed Jamison from the rotation late in the year. Said Jamison of Bryant:
"I would never count Kobe Bryant out of anything. I've played with some special players. Gilbert Arenas when he was [in Washington D.C], at the top of his game, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal [in Cleveland]. I've played with a lot but never played with an individual player who had the type of mindset, the drive that he has. If [Bryant] says he's going to win a sixth ring, believe me, he's going to do everything possible to get that ring."
Jamison also said there was little communication or rapport between the players and D'Antoni after Mike Brown was fired five games into the season.
"Mike was pretty much put in a difficult situation. There was no training camp where he could get a feel for guys. There was a breakdown of communication when we first got there. And throughout the season it was kind of up and down."
Here's more from around the Western Conference, including a possible D-League addition to the Lakers next season…
- The Los Angeles Times' Eric Pincus shares the offseason workout video (via Ryan Ellerbusch of Maximum Exposure) of Lakers summer league standout forward Marcus Landry.
- Landry – younger brother of Carl Landry – averaged 15.2 PPG in 5 games this summer and in February was named to the Futures All-Star roster for the 2013 D-League All-Star Game.
- Pincus adds that the Lakers are planning to bring 16-20 players to training camp despite having just 12 players under contract. They're expected to sign second round pick Ryan Kelly.
- Sam Tongue of Blazers Edge wonders whether Blazers President Chris McGowan can enhance fan experience by upgrading their digital properties to "talk with the fans, rather than at them."
- The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn tweets that Suns GM Ryan McDonough says they'll know whether Channing Frye will play in 2013/14 in the next few weeks, but he's "optimistic he'll be able to play."
Odds & Ends: Odom, Dentmon, T-Mac, Minnerath
On the heels of reports that Lamar Odom has been arrested on suspicion of DUI, at least one NBA general manager believes the veteran forward's NBA career is over.
"Just going by what he is giving you on the court, he would have been a risk anyway, maybe someone you give a partial guarantee to just to see if he can turn things around," the GM told Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. "But with the circus that’s around him off the court now, no way."
As Odom continues to work through his off-court issues, let's check in on a few more odds and ends from around the Association:
- Justin Dentmon, who briefly played for the Mavericks last season, has signed with Lithuania's BC Kauno Zalgiris, according to the team (via Twitter).
- In his latest lengthy piece for Grantland.com, Bill Simmons examines Tracy McGrady's legacy, which Simmons argues will be marred by T-Mac's underwhelming collection of teammates.
- Undrafted rookie Nick Minnerath, who had previously tweeted that he'd be attending training camp with the Lakers, has officially signed Spain's Obradoiro, the team announced (translation via Sportando). The statement from Obradoiro president Jose Luis Mateo suggests that Minnerath will forgo Lakers' camp.
- Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com likes the signing of Monta Ellis for the Mavericks, giving the team a grade of A- for the move.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Jeff Goodman takes a look at some candidates to become the next mid-major star, following in the footsteps of guys like Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
Odds & Ends: Roster Spots, Hunt, Mavericks
ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter) points out that the Lakers, Bulls, and 76ers are the three teams that still need to sign players in order to reach the league minimum of 13 players by opening night, although it's worth noting that L.A. is still yet to sign second round pick Ryan Kelly and Philadelphia is in the same boat with Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams. Also, as we pointed out a few days ago, Dexter Pittman accepted a training camp invite with Chicago and could fill that 13th roster spot if they end up offering him a guaranteed contract.
Here are more of tonight's news and notes from around the league:
- Jeff Haubner of ESPN.com offers a two part preview of the upcoming FIBA Americas tournament.
- Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel notes that the Bucks/Suns deal keeps Milwaukee about $1.9MM under the salary cap and saves Phoenix around $5.6MM in cap space. Gardner also has more comments from Caron Butler regarding his happiness with the trade.
- Former 76ers star Charles Barkley isn't happy with the way his former team handled their assistant coaching situation, saying that those who were released upon the Brett Brown hiring had worked for the team the entire summer and therefore didn't have the opportunity to look for another job (Michael Kaskey-Blomain of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
- Keith Schlosser of RidiculousUpside.com takes a look at Kyle Hunt, who while eligible for the D-League draft in the fall is also looking to earn an NBA training camp invite.
- Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW suggests Mavericks fans should be happy with 45 wins and a 7th seed in the Western Conference next season.
- Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com provides a brief breakdown of the Nets' depth at the center position, profiling Brook Lopez, Andray Blatche, and Mason Plumlee.
- Former Knick and now a member of the Canadian men's national basketball team, Andy Rautins tells Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun about how prepared he and his teammates feel heading into the FIBA Americas tournament.
- NBA.com posted an article from Atlanta-based freelance writer Jon Cooper about Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. Though he stressed the importance of forming good relationships with each player up to the 15th man, Budenholzer specifically mentioned Al Horford and Jeff Teague as two players that he's very much looking forward to working with.
- Suns.com passes along an article from the archives which delves into the mind of the late former Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons.
Poll: What Will Jamison Average As A Clipper?
As we detailed yesterday, Antawn Jamison decided to switch locker rooms at the Staples Center, going from the Lakers to the Clippers on a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum. Jamison is now 37 and saw his numbers drop drastically across the board last year as a part-time player for the Lakers. He averaged only 21.4 minutes-per-game in 2012/13, the lowest number of his career, but also shot 46.4 percent from the field, which was his highest shooting percentage since his 2008/09 campaign in Washington.
Our Chuck Myron compiled a list of reactions to the signing of Jamison and the consensus seems to be that, in light of the mystery that is Lamar Odom, Doc Rivers and the Clippers were able to land a consumate professional that will help do the little things it takes to win a championship. This was presumably the same reason the Lakers signed Jamison last year. The question is, were Jamison's career low averages (9.4 points-per-game) a reflection of a terrible situation with the Lakers or more simply a result of an aging player's diminishing skills? In short, what will his scoring average be this season with the Clippers?
What Will Antawn Jamison Average As A Clipper?
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5-10 points-per-game; his decline from last year will worsen 49% (482)
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10-15 points-per-game; should still be a useful piece for Doc Rivers 34% (339)
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< 5 points-per-game; at this point, he is washed up 15% (147)
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15+ points-per-game; nothing went right for the Lakers last year 2% (22)
Total votes: 990
Odds & Ends: Brewer, Bucks, McGrady, Heat
Ronnie Brewer considered signing with the Bulls, Jazz and Lakers before ultimately choosing the Rockets, the 28-year-old swingman tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. He also reiterated his assertion from June that the Thunder were in play to re-sign him, too, but Houston's up-tempo style of play helped sway him. Despite having only a partially guaranteed deal on a team with a league-high 19 players under contract, he's not worried about getting cut. "If I come in and I do what I'm supposed to do, all of that goes out the window," he said to Berman. As Brewer gets set to officially sign his contract, here's more on the league's comings and goings with about a month to go before training camp:
- The Bucks have hired David Morway as assistant GM and Jim Cleamons as the team's top assistant coach, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel.
- So much of Tracy McGrady's talent vanished long before he announced his retirement today, and he went underappreciated in Orlando during his peak years, as John Denton of Magic.com argues. The Magic, Raptors and Rockets are all left wondering what might have been, the Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat writes.
- Toure Murry still hasn't committed to the Knicks nearly a month after the club extended him a training camp invitation, but the 6'5" guard is expected to pick a team later this week, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
- In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman discusses the Heat's luxury-tax situation, their mid-level exception, and the possibility of the team signing Richard Hamilton.
- Now that 14 NBA teams have one-on-one relationships with their respective D-League affiliates, the remaining 16 teams are sharing three D-League clubs. Nonetheless, those squads with five or six NBA affiliations can still help young NBA players develop, as Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside outlines.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Pacific Rumors: Dragic, Suns, Warriors, D’Antoni
The Clippers have figured prominently in NBA headlines today, as they've reached a deal with Antawn Jamison amid troubling news about Lamar Odom, the other free agent power forward they've been targeting. Still, they're not the only Pacific Division team making waves, as we detail:
- The addition of Eric Bledsoe has led to speculation that Goran Dragic could become a trade candidate, but coach Jeff Hornacek and GM Ryan McDonough are optimstic that Dragic can start alongside Bledsoe in the backcourt, notes Matt Petersen of Suns.com. Dragic is on board with the changes in Phoenix this summer, calling Bledsoe "a mini-LeBron James."
- San Francisco city documents show that the Warriors' plan to build a new arena there is months behind schedule, with related costs that have jumped by $50MM, John Coté of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The team disputes the financial estimates and sees the delays as routine, Coté adds. Coincidentally, the Warriors announced today that they've made a few improvements to Oracle Arena, a building they hope to leave for their new home in 2017.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com weighs which NBA head coaching job will be the most challenging in 2013/14, ultimately giving the nod to Mike D'Antoni with the Lakers.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Reaction To Antawn Jamison’s Deal With Clippers
Minimum-salary signings usually don't generate much buzz, but when it's a player who averaged double-figure scoring for 13 consecutive seasons, the rules are different. Antawn Jamison put up a career-low 9.4 points per game last season in 21.4 minutes per contest, another low watermark, but he felt capable of a larger role. Here's more on his L.A. switch from the Lakers to the Clippers, as we detail here:
- The Clippers have had interest in signing both Jamison and Lamar Odom, but the effect that recent rumors of personal trouble for Odom will have upon his chances of joining the club is unclear, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Even with Jamison, the Clippers have an open spot on the regular season roster.
- Jamison was "hardly" interested in rejoining the Lakers, Medina writes in the same piece. The forward was turned off by infighting among his teammates and he didn't have the best relationship with coach Mike D'Antoni, who made him a healthy scratch for six straight games last season.
- The Bulls and Grizzlies had interest in Jamison, as a weekend report indicated, but his preference all along was to join the Clippers, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Jamison's meeting with Doc Rivers earlier this month essentially cinched the deal, as Rivers prioritized bringing aboard a veteran without an ego who's eager to win a championship, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). The Clippers envision Jamison as a mentor for Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, Shelburne adds in a separate tweet.
- Jamison is joining a contender, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors predicted. “This is a good fit for me. Hopefully, I’m the player that can help take the team over the edge (for a title),” Jamison told Spears (Twitter link).
Latest On Lamar Odom
Agent Jeff Schwartz has disputed media reports that Lamar Odom is missing, telling ESPN.com's Marc Stein that playing in the NBA next season "is still very much part of Lamar's plans." However, a source tells ESPN that Odom is currently in a Los Angeles hotel where friends are "trying to get him help for an unspecified drug problem."
The details of Odom's situation remain unclear, as Schwartz didn't disclose any specifics, but it seems his NBA career may be on hold until he resolves some off-court issues. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News hears from a source that the Clippers still have some interest in Odom, though a deal doesn't seem overly likely, since the club is also talking to Antawn Jamison. The Lakers touched base with Odom early in July, but no longer have interest in signing him, according to Medina.
A month ago, a report indicated that Odom only had interest in playing for a Los Angeles team, so if the Lakers are out of the mix, the Clippers may represent his last chance at an NBA contract for the coming season.
Odds & Ends: Pierce, Odom, Collins, Cavs
The Sixers took their time in appointing a head coach this summer so it's no surprise to see them making late additions to the staff. Today, Philadelphia plucked Grizzlies assistant Lloyd Pierce to work alongside head coach Brett Brown, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter). Here's more from around the Association..
- A close contact of Lamar Odom told Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork (on Twitter) that even though Odom "is going through a lot in his personal life" he wants to join the Lakers.
- Nets coach Jason Kidd acknowledged that Jason Collins was a candidate to join the team this offseason, but there's no longer a place for the center with 15 men on the roster, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “I think he can still play,” Kidd said. “His knowledge as a veteran. There’s always a veteran that can help a young team. I think he’ll find a job at some point here.”
- Contrary to a report back in May, the Cavs don't plan to bring Hungarian center Greg Somogyi in to training camp, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. The 7'3" big man was with the Lakers, and coach Mike Brown, in training camp last season. The Cavs are still putting together their training camp roster, but they have invited St. Mary's point guard Matthew Dellavedova and are considering former Georgetown forward Henry Sims.