Several Teams In Mix For Anthony Tolliver
FRIDAY, 2:58pm: Rather than narrowing down his list of suitors, Tolliver seems to be heading in the other direction. The Magic, Spurs, and Knicks are also interested in him, according to Tomasson (via Twitter). Still, Tolliver expects to make a decision next week.
THURSDAY, 3:16pm: The Lakers have entered the mix for Tolliver, writes Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (via Sulia). According to Tolliver, talks with the Lakers are still preliminary, but he's considering them alongside the Bobcats, Bulls, and Jazz. Tolliver added that he visited Charlotte on Monday and the team made him a minimum-salary contract offer.
WEDNESDAY, 1:08pm: Anthony Tolliver has narrowed his free agent decision down to three teams, and is expected to finalize a deal this weekend, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Sierra reports that Tolliver will likely sign with either the Bobcats, Bulls, or Jazz.
Tolliver, 28, spent the 2012/13 season with the Hawks, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 62 contests (15.5 MPG). The last report we heard on Tolliver came nearly a month ago, and suggested that the 6'8" forward was in talks with five teams, including Atlanta.
Utah still has a little cap space left, along with its room exception, but Charlotte and Chicago appear to be capped out. As such, it looks like Tolliver will sign another minimum-salary deal, unless the Jazz outbid the other two finalists.
Odds & Ends: Ariza, Wiz, Udrih, Howard, Jackson
Here are some odds and ends from around the NBA on this Thursday night:
- The Wizards had a busy offseason, which kicked off with Trevor Ariza informing them that he planned to exercise his $7.7MM player option for 2013/14. Ariza didn't foresee this offseason as a good one to test free agency, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post, who sees Ariza ahead of rookie Otto Porter Jr. on the Wizards depth chart based on the team's summer league.
- Lee adds that if the Wizards plan to add a big man, they'll like only be able to offer a minimum salary. Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is willing to become a tax-paying team, per Lee, but would rather do so once he has a contender on his hands.
- Keith Schlosser of the Knicks Journal examines the addition of Beno Udrih to the Knicks' backcourt, arguing that Udrih is of borderline starter caliber. The Knicks got another bargain, Schlosser says, writing that Udrih's acceptance of a minimum salary implies he is on board with the "win now" mentality of the New York locker room. Filling a clearly defined role, previously occupied by Jason Kidd, should facilitate Udrih's transition, Schlosser opines.
- In an interview with ESPN Radio in Los Angeles, Lakers executive vice president Jeanie Buss said that the team would have had a much better chance to keep Dwight Howard if her father, the late Dr. Jerry Buss, had been healthy and involved, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN LA. Buss called her father "the best closer in the business" and also stated that her husband, former Lakers coach Phil Jackson, still has the itch to coach, but stopped short of implying anything about a return to the Lakers. Hear the full interview here.
Pacific Notes: Pau, Rambis, Suns
Kurt Rambis, the recently hired assistant to Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni, sat down with the Sporting News' Sean Deveney to talk about meshing with the new Lakers' staff despite many who consider him a part of the old guard under former head coach Phil Jackson.
The differences stem from Jackson's slowed down Triangle offense, which Rambis used when he coached the Lakers and the Timberwolves, but which contrasts with D'Antoni's run and gun offensive style. Rambis tells Deveney the connection between him and Triangle is far from absolute, and he was probably overreacting when he said he was "shocked" at the assistant coaching offer.
Back in November Rambis had spoken out about the Lakers while doing analysis at ESPN, and the comments led to D'Antoni crossing him off his list for potential assistant coaching hires. But by mid-July, D'Antoni was already warming to the idea of bringing the former Lakers player and coach back to the bench.
Here's what else is happening around the Pacific Division, including more on the Lakers…
- Pau Gasol will have a lot more opportunities with the ball in the low-block for the Lakers this coming season now that Dwight Howard has headed to the Rockets, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Steve Nash seconded the notion that the offense ran more smoothly when it was just he and Pau while Dwight missed time with an aggravated shoulder last year.
- According to Eurobasket2013.org, Suns center Marcin Gortat has received permission from the Polish National Team to fly back to the United States to have his foot examined (hat tip: CBSSports.com's Zach Harper).
- According a source, Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports that Dwayne Davis–the Warriors' summer league guard–elected to sign a one-year deal with Murcia of the Spainish ACB rather than accept various training camp offers he'd received from NBA teams. His deal with Murcia does not have an opt out clause, so he'll try to make an NBA roster again next summer.
Odds & Ends: Thunder, Rondo, Ajinca, Sixers
TNT's David Aldridge ranks each team's offseason for NBA.com, and not surprisingly, the Rockets and Dwight Howard come out on top. There are still plenty of surprises among his picks, including the Bobcats at No. 8 — I'm not nearly as sold on Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller as Aldridge is. The Pelicans, for all their re-shuffling, check in down at No. 15. Here's more from the rest of the league:
- The Thunder's choice to cut corners and avoid the luxury tax stems from GM Sam Presti and his staff, not well-heeled owner Clay Bennett, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Curiously, Berger says the Thunder are getting $15MM from the league for the change to Kevin Durant's contract, conflicting with the $8MM figure Grantland's Zach Lowe reported last week.
- Rajon Rondo's name continues to wind up in rumors, so HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham looks at some possible trade scenarios involving the Celtics All-Star point guard.
- Alexis Ajinca spent the past two seasons playing for Strasbourg in France after three years in the NBA, and he's set to re-sign with the French club, HoopsHype's Jorge Sierra tweets. The deal will include an out in case Ajinca finds an NBA deal by September 30th.
- The Sixers coaching search has dragged on for months, but Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com bets the job winds up going to Michael Curry, who's an assistant with the team and has been able to give GM Sam Hinkie and company a first-hand look at his abilities.
- Former CBA commissioner Gary Hunter tells Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside that the D-League has become what he wanted his league to be. He also examines the effect that "hybrid" partnerships with NBA teams are having on the D-League.
- Amid reports that Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles tendon could be healed in time for him to play in the preseason, Arash Markazi and Mark Willard of ESPNLosAngeles.com debate whether he should take a hefty paycut next summer to help the Lakers (video link).
Pacific Notes: Redick, Clippers, Gasol, Kings
Antawn Jamison is one of the top names remaining on the free agent market and Doc Rivers hopes to steer him to Clipperland. Tonight, the 37-year-old will meet the Clippers coach/president of basketball ops for dinner and the club hopes it will vault L.A. higher on his list than the Bobcats, Grizzlies, and Bulls. Here's more out of the Pacific Division..
- Agent Arn Tellem was five minutes from closing a deal for J.J. Redick with another team when Suns exec Lon Babby convinced Tellem that the three-team deal that sent Redick to the Clippers could work, reveals Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Coro's piece, running in the USA Today, contains plenty of detail on that swap, and portrays former GM Lance Blanks as a poor fit in the Phoenix front office.
- Pau Gasol tells Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times that he doesn't hold a grudge against Mike D'Antoni for his decreased role on the team this past season, and hinted that he'd like to re-sign with the Lakers next summer. "I would love to play for the franchise that I love playing for, that I'm proud to be a part of," Gasol said. "It would be great to continue to play for the Lakers."
- Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee has the latest on a group's effort to challenge Sacramento's plan to fund a new arena for the Kings.
- The Kings hired one of their former players Friday as an assistant coach, bringing University of Central Arkansas head man Corliss Williamson aboard, the team announced.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Lakers Expected To Sign Marcus Landry
Marcus Landry is expected to sign a deal with the Lakers to attend training camp that contains a "small guarantee," tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. While she adds that it's more of a camp invite than a contract, Shelburne says the team has legitimate interest in the former Wisconsin Badger.
Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times, who predicted the signing last week, tweets the deal is not yet official but he fully expects Landry to be in Lakers camp and to have a realistic shot at a roster spot. With Elias Harris in the fold and the not-yet-signed Ryan Kelly a near lock to make the roster, Pincus opines that Landry could make the team as the 14th man if the Lakers don't add a veteran forward (Twitter links here).
Marcus, the younger brother of Carl Landry, appeared in 18 games in the 2009/10 season with the Knicks and Celtics. He has since bounced between the D-League and Europe, and played with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League last season.
Eastern Notes: Carmelo, Daye, Heat, Pistons
In his latest column for ESPN.com (Insider-only link), Chad Ford assigns grades to all 15 Eastern Conference teams for the moves they've made this summer. While I disagree with a few of Ford's grades, and think it may be a little early to assume each team's offseason work is done, his explanations are worth reading. It may come as no surprise that Ford, a draft expert, gives top marks to the Sixers, who snagged a pair of top-10 prospects in last month's draft and figure to have two lottery picks next year as well. Here's more from around the East:
- ESPN.com's 5-on-5 crew also breaks down a few questions relating to which Eastern teams made the best and worst offseason moves.
- While there's no real indication that Carmelo Anthony wants to explore the free agent market next summer, he also isn't saying he plans to be a long-term Knick, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Carmelo will have the chance to opt out of his contract in search of a new deal next summer.
- Before Austin Daye agreed to sign with the Raptors, the Heat were one team with interest, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who also cites the Lakers as a suitor for Daye.
- The Pistons have two roster spots open after trading three players for Brandon Jennings, leaving room to sign second-round pick Peyton Siva. However, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, the more pressing need for the team may be a big man to provide frontcourt depth.
Steve Nash Talks Retirement, Lakers, Howard
In addition to participating in a "tryout" for Italian soccer powerhouse Inter Milan this week, Steve Nash has spoken to a couple reporters about his future, the Lakers' offseason, and the pitch the team made to Dwight Howard at the start of free agency. Here are the highlights from Nash, courtesy of Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com and Grantland's Zach Lowe….
On the possibility of retirement:
"I don't really want to think about it…. I want to concentrate on this season and have a great season and then next year I'll worry about next year. After that there's a chance I could keep playing, but I'm totally open to not playing or playing again and I don't really want to predict. I just want to concentrate on the now and worry about the future when it arrives."
On the Lakers' offseason moves:
"There wasn't a lot of stuff we could do with our salary cap situation, so, to bring in the guys that we did — Jordan [Farmar], [Nick] Young, [Wesley] Johnson, and [Chris] Kaman — I think were great additions. I also think Kurt Rambis is a great addition and [Mark] Madsen, so on and so forth. So, I'm excited. I'm looking forward to getting back to work."
On the Lakers' presentation to Howard:
"We had a plan. First, Dwight met with the business side — Time Warner, the Lakers’ foundation. I don’t know if I’m allowed to give all these details, but it was kind of a pitch for all his off-the-court potential. The second part was Mike [D'Antoni], Kobe [Bryant], myself, Mitch [Kupchak], Jim [Buss], and Tim Harris, the president, and we gave him more of the basketball pitch."
On what he said to Howard during the pitch:
"I just said, number one, that I’m really, really disappointed in the season, and I wanted another shot at it. And that we should come back and right the ship, so to speak. Hopefully I didn’t use so many clichés [Laughs.] And my second point to him was that, when you look back on the career, and you can say you played for the Lakers for eight or 10 years, that’s an incredible opportunity. If I were 27, in the prime of my career, there wouldn’t even be another consideration. It would be the number one place you could play."
Western Notes: Grizzlies, D’Antoni, Mullens
A few notes from around the Western Conference.
- The Commercial Appeal's Geoff Calkins writes that Mike Miller's decision to sign with the Grizzlies, over several other contending teams, proves that Memphis is a destination free agents will start to consider.
- Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni still doesn't understand why Dwight Howard decided to leave Los Angeles, writes ESPNLA.com's Dave McMenamin.
- Eric Patten from Clippers.com writes about what Byron Mullens might be able to give the Clippers next season as their backup center.
Kupchak On Howard, Kobe, 2014 Free Agents
Mitch Kupchak has kept relatively mum this summer, but he agreed to have an in-depth chat on his extremely eventful offseason with Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The conversation covered the loss of Dwight Howard, using the amnesty provision on Metta World Peace, and the additions the club has made to try and fill the void as best they can. Here's a look at some of the highlights..
How disappointed were you to lose Howard in free agency to the Rockets?
It wasn't a surprise. I had a feeling that Houston was a frontrunner, and whenever a player is an unrestricted free agent, anything can happen. Clearly, we wanted to keep him here in Los Angeles, and I felt we did everything we could do within reason to show we did want to keep him here. Until the end, I kept up hope. I think we were as persistent as we could be within reason. I wasn't shocked but I was disappointed.
With Kobe Bryant coming back at an unknown date from a torn Achilles' tendon, is it time to write off next season and play for a top draft pick in 2014?
You know that's not our plan. Our plan was to bring back Dwight Howard and that would have sky-rocketed our payroll. That's never a plan here with our fan base, to throw in the towel before the season begins. We always try to win, and that's what we're going to do this year. We have challenges. There's no doubt. We don't know when Kobe's coming back, and we don't know what level he's going to come back at, although we're optimistic. Everything's good with Steve Nash. Pau Gasol should be fine. We've added some athleticism. We're hopefully putting ourselves in position where we can compete in every game.
Is a five month recovery for Kobe possible or it's really going to be eight or nine or 10?
We just don't know. When he gets back in September, we'll take another look at him, but he hasn't been on a basketball court. It's really premature to try to predict other than try to be optimistic that he'll be ready for opening night or the 15th of November or the 1st of December or the 15th of December.
On the talent-packed 2014 free agent class:
I'm not sure if you'll see that Howard type of player go from team to team, although it is possible. We do feel Los Angeles is a destination spot. We have complete confidence in the organization, the city, our fan base, that we would be considered as a destination for players in the future. So we're hopeful going forward that the flexibility that we have will be beneficial.
On the additions of Chris Kaman, Nick Young, Jordan Farmar and Wesley Johnson for a combined $6.5MM next season:
This off-season if we did one thing, between the small forward and wing spot and backcourt, we got quicker and more athletic, something I think we needed.