Lakers Not Expected To Retain Duhon, Ebanks
The Lakers exercised their team option on Jodie Meeks and extended a qualifying offer to Robert Sacre yesterday, but it doesn't appear that they'll do the same for Chris Duhon or Devin Ebanks. Kevin Ding of the Orange Country Register reports (via Twitter) that the Lakers have decided not to retain Duhon and Ebanks for next season.
Duhon, 30, remains under contract for $3.75MM for next season, but only $1.5MM of that amount is guaranteed. The Lakers will have to release him on or before this Sunday in order to avoid paying the rest of Duhon's guarantee. As for Ebanks, the Lakers have the option of extending him a qualifying offer to make him restricted, like Sacre, but it appears the team won't make that offer.
Neither Duhon nor Ebanks played much for the Lakers last season, and neither player was particularly productive when he did play — Duhon finished with an 8.0 PER in 46 contests, while Ebanks posted a 6.3 PER in 19 games. Assuming the Lakers officially release Duhon and don't extend a QO to Ebanks, both players will become unrestricted free agents next week.
Lakers Extend Qualifying Offer To Robert Sacre
The Lakers have extended a qualifying offer to Robert Sacre, making him a restricted free agent, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Because Sacre only has a single year of experience under his belt, Sacre's qualifying offer is worth $988,872.
The qualifying offer from the Lakers ensures that L.A. will be able to match any rival offer for Sacre, up to the mini mid-level exception ($3.18MM). For most restricted free-agents-to-be, the qualifying offer is simply a formality, with the expectation being that they'll receive larger multiyear offers and won't consider accepting the one-year QO. In Sacre's case though, I wouldn't be surprised if the 24-year-old accepts the offer to return to the Lakers.
In 2012/13, Sacre split time between the Lakers and the D-League's D-Fenders. In 32 NBA games, he averaged 1.3 PPG and 0.8 RPG, appearing in just 6.3 minutes per contest.
Lakers Exercise Team Option On Jodie Meeks
The Lakers have exercised their 2013/14 option on Jodie Meeks, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (via Twitter). The move will keep Meeks under contract for one more season for a salary worth $1.55MM.
Meeks, 25, averaged 7.9 PPG and shot 35.7% on three-pointers in 78 games during his first season with the Lakers. Depending on what roster moves the team makes this offseason, Meeks could be relied upon for a few more minutes per game, with Kobe Bryant not expected to be ready to return from his Achilles injury by the fall.
Now that Metta World Peace has opted in for 2013/14 and Meeks' $1.55MM salary is guaranteed, the Lakers have over $77MM in commitments on their books for next season. That doesn't include the non-guaranteed portion of Chris Duhon's salary or the cost of bringing back Dwight Howard.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Suns, Jordan
A few notes from around the league's Pacific Division.
- Lakers.com reporter Mike Trudell sat down with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to discuss how the team is attacking the offseason. When asked about Dwight Howard, Kupchak called the free agent center "our future."
- According to a tweet from SI.com's Chris Mannix, the Suns have officially added Jerry Sichting, Mike Longabardi, Kenny Gattison, and Mark West to head coach Jeff Hornacek's coaching staff.
- Clippers center DeAndre Jordan was rumored to be headed to the Celtics in exchange for Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett last week. Now that the NBA has made such a deal impossible, Jordan says he hopes Rivers accepts him as his center instead of Garnett, tweets Los Angeles Times scribe Brad Turner.
Odds & Ends: Bynum, Ginobili, Heat, Joerger
It's already been a busy day of news and rumors, and things don't figure to slow down anytime soon. With the draft fast approaching and free agency to follow shortly thereafter, the NBA's roster-movement season is in full swing. As we try not to let anything slip through the cracks, let's round up a few Tuesday odds and ends from around the Association:
- Free-agent-to-be Andrew Bynum has completed rehab on his knee and is set to resume basketball workouts next week, writes Dan Gelston of the Associated Press. Agent David Lee indicated there's "not a concern in the world" that Bynum will be ready for training camp, and said he expects to meet with a couple teams when free agency opens next week.
- While it appeared during the playoffs that Manu Ginobili would consider retiring this offseason, the longtime Spur wrote in Argentinian newspaper La Nacion that he can't imagine not continuing his playing career. Mike Monroe and Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News have the details.
- Asked about the opt-out clauses the Heat's Big Three have in their contracts for 2014, Dwyane Wade echoed LeBron James' comments, indicating that it wasn't something he'd seriously considered or discussed yet (link via Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald).
- Dave Joerger's contract as head coach of the Grizzlies will have at least three guaranteed years, and could end up being for four years, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- If Channing Frye were unable to play for the Suns again next season after missing last year due to a heart condition, the team would receive salary-cap relief, but Frye tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that he's "extremely hopeful and optimistic" about his future and plans to return to action in 2013/14.
- In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman addresses the possibility of Ray Allen opting out and the Heat signing Greg Oden.
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps has met with draft prospects Ben McLemore, Anthony Bennett, and Victor Oladipo, Demps confirmed today to Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- Glen Rice Jr., who is working out for the Bucks for a second time, and Allen Crabbe headline Milwaukee's list of workout participants today (Twitter links via the team's official PR account).
- Agent Marc Cornstein spoke to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News about Metta World Peace's decision to opt in for 2013/14.
Metta World Peace To Opt In For 2013/14
Metta World Peace won't exercise the early termination option on the final year of his contract, meaning he'll remain under contract with the Lakers for the 2013/14 season, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. World Peace had until today to make a decision on his $7,727,280 option for next year.
While the man formerly known as Ron Artest was extremely unlikely to receive a $7.73MM salary on the open market, the decision wasn't a total no-brainer. Had he opted out of his contract, World Peace could have negotiated a new deal with the Lakers at a lesser rate, ensuring he remained in Los Angeles. Now that he has opted in, he risks becoming an amnesty victim next month if the Lakers decide they'd rather reduce their tax bill than keep World Peace on the roster.
With World Peace now officially on the books for '13/14, the Lakers have approximately $76MM in guaranteed salary committed to next year's roster. Decisions are still due on whether to bring back Chris Duhon and Jodie Meeks, and of course, a new max contract for Dwight Howard would push team salary into the $100MM range.
Odds & Ends: Kobe, LeBron, Rivers, Roy, Mavs
We covered many of the pertinent points from Sam Amico's latest NBA report at FOX Sports Ohio earlier today in a post that rounded up today's Cavs rumors. But Amico's piece also features a few more notable tidbits, including word of the Blazers exploring moving up in the draft, the Bucks preparing to make a splash, and league executives beginning to believe Dwight Howard will sign with the Rockets. In addition to Amico's notes, we're hearing plenty of news and rumors from around the league, with the draft just three days away, so let's dive in….
- Although Kobe Bryant has talked in the past about possibly retiring when his current contract ends in 2014, he recently said on Brazilian television that he could see himself playing for "another three or four years." Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times has the details and a link to the video clip.
- A year from now, we could be looking forward to a sequel to The Decision, as LeBron James decides whether to exercise the 2014 opt-out in his contract with the Heat. For now though, LeBron tells CNN's Rachel Nichols that he hasn't thought about potential free agency, and will address it when the time comes (link via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel).
- A source tells TNT's David Aldridge that Doc Rivers will have more say in the Clippers' basketball decisions than he did for the Celtics.
- While he stopped short of officially declaring his NBA career over, Brandon Roy acknowledged to ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton that it's no secret his basketball days are "numbered" (Twitter links).
- With Chris Paul seemingly on track to re-sign with the Clippers, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes that the Mavericks will have to move on to their Plan B at point guard, and identifies a few possible targets.
Western Notes: Mavericks, Clippers, Oberto
We've already mentioned the "draft and stash" philosophy earlier in the night, and that's what Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News thinks the Mavericks might do if they don't trade their 13th pick in this year's draft. He says they're eyeing German point guard Dennis Schroeder if they choose to keep the pick, which has been considered unlikely as they go for broke at another title with Dirk Nowitzki not getting any younger.
Nowitzki would help fellow German Schroeder mesh with the team, and the Mavs are looking for point guard help after Darren Collison failed to inspire a lot of confidence last season when the team missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1999/00 campaign. Schroeder can also be stashed if the Mavs don't feel he's ready to come in and play heavy minutes in the rotation.
- Former Spurs forward Fabricio Oberto may have hinted at a possible return to the NBA as a part of the Spurs' coaching staff in an interview with Argentinian journalist Julian Mozo, reports Dan McCarney of the Express-News.
- Bob Young of the Arizona Republic says the Suns will wear long-sleeved jerseys, like the Warriors did last season, in an effort to improve faltering merchandise sales.
- Lakers executive and owner, Jeanie Buss, spoke with the Los Angeles Times' Eric Pincus about her confidence in the team despite Dwight Howard's uncertain future as an unrestricted free agent, and their luxury tax issues after the CBA.
- Pincus also offers his thoughts on the Clippers' head coaching candidates after they failed to reach an agreement with the Celtics to let Doc Rivers out of his contract (Sulia link). As reported earlier today, the Clippers have started preliminary contract discussions with Brian Shaw and Byron Scott.
- Speaking of coaching searches, with all their interviews completed, the Grizzlies now only need to select a coach, writes Ronald Tillery in the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Jerry Sloan spoke with Mike Sorenson of the Deseret News about his decision to accept an advisory role with the Jazz.
- Joe Freeman at the Oregonian looks at draft prospect Peyton Siva as the Trail Blazers' possible 10th pick this Thurday.
- Star-Tribune reporter Jerry Zgoda goes through five possible draft selections with Minnesota connections, and details Flip Saunders' first draft with the Timberwolves as head of basketball operations after replacing David Kahn earlier this summer. Saunders was the coach for the Wolves under then-general manager Kevin McHale from 1995-2006.
Shawne Williams To Work Out For Several Teams
2:29pm: The Nets are in the mix for Williams as well, HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus tweets.
11:57am: Former Knick Shawne Williams will return to New York on Monday to audition for the orange-and-blue, agent Happy Walters told Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks are trying to add more scoring pop to the roster at the small forward position now that Carmelo Anthony is viewed as their power forward.
“Shawne loved his time there,’’ Walters said. “He’ll be the first to tell you. But it is also about where he’d get playing time.’’
The Williams camp is concerned because the Knicks found a promising forward in Chris Copeland. However, Copeland is a free agent and the Knicks may be unable to re-sign him because they would have to dip into their $3.1MM mini mid-level exception to keep him.
There's plenty of competition for Williams, however. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni coached Williams in New York and wants him back and has also has scheduled a workout for him. The Knicks also are competing against the Clippers and the Bulls for his services.
Williams has had personal troubles in recent years but thrived in New York in 2010/11, averaging 7.1 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 20.7 minutes per contest. His last NBA season was in 2011/12 with the Nets, where he didn't find the same success.
Lakers Notes: Howard, Goudelock, D’Antoni
Once again, we have a Dwightmare summer on our hands, and things are just as unclear as ever. Will he stay or will he go? Here's the latest out of L.A…
- Arash Markazi and Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com debated the merits of re-signing Dwight Howard versus the Lakers getting what they can in a sign-and-trade deal. There's some question as to how hard it will be to get free agents to play for Jim Buss and Mike D'Antoni and the first franchise player who will give his answer to that question is Howard. If his answer is to go elsewhere, that could be a bad sign of things to come for the Lakers.
- Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News sizes up the Lakers' potential restricted free agents. Andrew Goudelock is among the players on the fence as he could stay with the Lakers, though he won't receive his $1.1MM qualifying offer. L.A. wants to leave things open and see how the summer shakes out before committing that money to him.
- Howard says there's nothing that one team can say to sway him away from another team, writes Janis Carr of the Orange County Register (via Kevin Ding's Sulia).