Western Notes: Wolves, Suns, Akognon, Nash
Wolves owner Glen Taylor has had plenty to say of late, and while guaranteeing he'll be majority owner for the next two years to ESPN 1500 radio's Darren Wolfson, the owner also weighed in on the trade market. "Nobody is talking trade right now," Taylor said, adding that action should pick up once preseason begins. That could be interpreted as tough news for Anthony Tolliver, who'd like to return to the Wolves but has been unwilling to do so on the minimum-salary deal he'd have to take unless the team moved another of its contracts. While there hasn't been a trade since the Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum blockbuster was finalized on August 10th, that certainly hasn't stemmed the flow of news, and we've got more from the West tonight:
- Lon Babby, president of basketball operations for the Suns, said the team "will not do anything dramatic at this point" to the roster in response to Channing Frye's season-ending heart ailment, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic tweets. There's no need for the Suns to seek a disabled player exception since they're more than $8MM below the cap.
- Guard Josh Akognon, who's set to join the Mavericks in training camp, is headed back to China if he doesn't make the regular season roster, reports Christopher Reina of RealGM.com. D.J. Mbenga has already agreed to go to the Mavs D-League affiliate if he's waived, but Akognon apparently wouldn't be joining him. Both are longshots to make the team, since Dallas already has 15 fully guaranteed contracts.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld believes Steve Nash will have a greater impact on the Lakers than any other player changing teams this summer, and that includes new teammate Dwight Howard.
- Danny Green gave the Spurs more than eight times the value of his minimum-salary contract last season, according to advanced metrics compiled by Quixem Ramirez of Air Alamo. As Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News points out, the Spurs had a host of players whose work exceeded their paychecks.
No D12 Contract Talks Until Season’s End
When Dwight Howard was dealt to the Lakers last month, fans and media alike began to speculate about whether or not the All-Star center would be staying in Los Angeles long-term. That subject has been discussed less frequently lately, taking a backseat to speculation about the Lakers' 2012/13 chances on the court, and it seems that's the way Howard prefers it. As D12 tells Joe McDonnell of FOX Sports West, while he's open to a "long career" in L.A., he intends to put contract talks off until after the season.
"I think the best thing to do is talk about it at the end of the year," Howard said. "We just went through that last season, basically, and I don't want to go through it again or see anyone have to go through it…. This is going to be my decision, and I'm going to wait till the end of the year."
Howard will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, which means rival suitors, such as the Mavericks, will get a chance to make a run at the 26-year-old. But as I outlined in this piece, the Lakers will be able to offer significantly more money than other teams, and significantly more money than they could offer on an in-season extension. That doesn't guarantee that Howard will simply re-up with the Lakers, but all signs, including Howard's own hints, point to that being the likeliest scenario.
"I'm happy to be in L.A," Howard said. "This is a great place. I love the coaching staff and I love the organization for everything they've done for me since I got traded here. Hopefully I'll have a long career here in L.A."
Pacific Notes: Curry, Bogut, Howard, Clippers
It's been a busy night out West in the NBA. On the depressing side of things, we found out that Channing Frye of the Suns will likely be sidelined for the entire year with a heart issue. Here is hoping that Frye makes it back to full strength, as he says he should. In lighter news, the Kings will give free agent center Hamady N'Diaye a shot to make their roster in training camp.
Here is what else is going on in the Pacific division:
- We covered this yesterday, but the Warriors said today, via press release, that Stephen Curry has received full medical clearance on his right ankle. Curry is good to resume all basketball activities right away.
- Curry's teammate, Andrew Bogut, has had ankle issues of his own. Bogut spoke with Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury, saying that he should be ready for the team's opener, among other things.
- Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld transcribes parts of an interview that Lakers coach Mike Brown gave with ESPN LA, detailing where Brown outlines how newly acquired Dwight Howard will help the Lakers right now and in the future.
- John Hollinger of ESPN gives a detailed breakdown of the Clippers 2012-13 roster, insider only. Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill and Lamar Odom highlight the offseason additions for the Clips.
- HoopsWorld published their season preview for the Clippers. The HoopsWorld staff is predicting a second place finish across the board for the Clips, presumably with the Lakers finishing atop the Pacific pack.
Bobcats To Sign Jeff Adrien, Eyeing Three Others
4:44pm: The Bobcats have agreed to terms with Adrien on a non-guaranteed contract, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears, the Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics also showed interest in the forward.
3:53pm: Looking to bring at least 17 players to their training camp, the Bobcats are finalizing agreements with a handful of players expected to compete for a spot on the team's roster. According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Paris Horne, Josh Owens, Jeff Adrien, and DaJuan Summers are expected to be added to the Bobcats' roster in the near future.
Horne, 25, played in Germany last season after graduating from St. John's in 2011. He's a 6'3" guard. Owens, a 6'9" forward out of Stanford, was eligible for this year's draft and was ranked as a top-100 prospect by ESPN.com's Chad Ford, but went undrafted. Both players were part of the Bobcats' summer league squad.
Adrien and Summers both have previous NBA experience. The 6'7" Adrien, a UConn product, received limited playing time for the Warriors in 2010/11 and the Rockets in 2011/12. Summers, meanwhile, was drafted 35th overall in 2009 and has since played for the Pistons and Hornets. The 24-year-old forward has averaged 3.4 PPG in 81 career contests.
If the Bobcats finalize deals with these four players, they're likely to be non-guaranteed contracts. With 13 Charlotte players on guaranteed deals, there could be a roster spot or two available on the team for players who impress in training camp.
Odds & Ends: Bucks, Wolves, McGee, Cook, Mavs
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel checks in with several Bucks who are working out prior to the opening of training camp. Joining the workout are a few hopefuls who are auditioning for a formal invitation to camp, and that group includes Alando Tucker, the 29th overall pick in the 2007 draft, and Orien Greene, a four-year NBA vet who last played with the Nets in 2010/11. It's been a busy night as teams make their final moves before training camp, and we've got several more tidbits here:
- Chase Budinger might be new to Minnesota, but he's no stranger to the Wolves coaching staff, having played under coach Rick Adelman and some of his assistants while they were together with the Rockets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes.
- In the same piece, Zgoda adds Anthony Tolliver to the list of players whose agents remain in contact with Wolves GM David Kahn. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 reported earlier that Kahn was talking to the representatives of Hassan Whiteside and Sean Williams.
- Hakeem Olajuwon has worked with several NBA players, but none have spent more time under his tutelage than JaVale McGee, who re-signed with the Nuggets this summer on a four-year, $44MM deal, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com writes (Insider only).
- Brian Cook, who re-signed with the Wizards today, was initially apprehensive about getting sent to Washington from the playoff-bound Clippers in a deadline deal last season, but was quickly sold on the move when he realized his new teammates wanted to win, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post notes.
- Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside looks at Josh Akognon's circuitous journey to Mavericks training camp. The 5'11" point guard is set to join the Mavs, likely on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- Mark Montieth of Pacers.com examines the basketball roots of Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard, an Indiana native who played under former Pacers coach Larry Brown in college.
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel gives his take on the alliance of Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard, who are supporting the same local political issue in Orlando months after their acrimonious departures from the Magic.
- The company that owns the Staples Center, home of the Lakers and Clippers, is up for sale, as Walter Hamilton of the Los Angeles Times writes.
Lakers Notes: World Peace, 2013/14 Payroll
Metta World Peace is making headlines again, following an appearance on ESPN Radio in Los Angeles (link via Sports Radio Interviews). World Peace told Max and Marcellus that the Lakers were "definitely" aiming to beat the Bulls' record for winning percentage in a season, and want to finish 73-9 this year. While I'm not sure the rest of the Lakers would share the forward's optimism about the team's regular-season record, Los Angeles looks to be one of the teams to beat heading into the 2012/13 season. Here are a few more quotes from the man formerly known as Ron Artest, along with the rest of today's Lakers notes:
- World Peace on what pieces he feels the Lakers are missing: "Nothing. We feel great. I saw [Antawn] Jamison today and people forget that he is one of the best offensive rebounders in the game… He has the best touch out of all the big men in the game. So you figure a guy like that and then we have some great players off the bench, so we’re confident. I trust in myself and I trust in my teammates most importantly."
- World Peace also said he feels like he's in "really good" shape, particularly compared to where he was at the beginning of last season.
- According to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, if the Lakers keep their roster intact and re-sign Dwight Howard, they could end up paying around $200MM in 2013/14, between player salaries and luxury-tax penalties.
- If the skyrocketing cost of the roster is a concern, GM Mitch Kupchak isn't worried about it yet, as he told Bolch: "My feeling is that we'll continue to pursue the top players in the league. There will always be an emphasis on having the franchise be able to survive and prosper."
Odds & Ends: Howard, Jazz, Bell, Wallace, Heat
Sunday night linkage..
- Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com breaks down Dwight Howard‘s full interview with colleague Ric Bucher. In the interview, Howard says that he doesn’t plan on toning down his jovial behavior with the Lakers and while that has rubbed some the wrong way, Kamenetzky doesn’t think that will hurt his play.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Raja Bell‘s issues with the Jazz go back to two years ago when he was butting heads with Deron Williams and coach Jerry Sloan. Bell’s buyout theoretically should be a simple one as he is owed $3.5MM for the final year of his deal. The veteran has come close to accepting the buyout offer at several points but talks have now stalled.
- In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Dan Feldman runs down the five best landing spots for Ben Wallace. The veteran-friendly Celtics and Spurs come in at No. 5 and 4, respectively, with the Clippers at No. 3 as they could use a forward in place of Kenyon Martin. The Pistons are second to the Heat in Feldman’s eyes because Detroit won’t be a contender in 2012/13.
- The Heat are bringing 6’6″ swingman Chamberlain Oguchi in for another workout, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Oguchi starred for the Nigerian national team this summer and has previous experience in the D-League.
Odds & Ends: D-League, Cavaliers, Howard
There are still a number of big-name veterans left on the open market as we close in on the 2012/13 season, and Lang Greene of HoopsWorld opines that it is time for some of them – like Kenyon Martin and Mickael Pietrus – to take one of the minimum offers being put in front of them. Others, like Tracy McGrady, are still searching for a team to offer them a guaranteed one-year deal. Here's today's look around the Association as we wait to see where the best of the rest wind up..
- Former Kings guard Pooh Jeter announced via Twitter that he has signed with the Shandong Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association. The 5'11" guard has spent a great deal of time overseas and most recently suited up for Spanish team Joventut Badalona.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if NBA veterans should be allowed to play alongside promising young players in the D-League. Schlosser tips his cap to players like Mike James and Dan Gadzuric who used the D-League as a springboard back to the NBA but is less-than-supportive of vets such as Antoine Walker who have spent more than one year in the D-League without dominating the competition.
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer writes that the Cavaliers would still like to pick up a small forward. Alonzo Gee is the likely starter after re-signing on a three-year, $10MM deal and Omri Casspi figures to be his primary backup.
- Dwight Howard told ESPN.com's Ric Bucher that he doesn't have any regrets about moving on from the Magic but does wish that things unfolded differently. The Lakers big man is currently working to rehab from back surgery but will not return in time for the first preseason game of the year.
- Guard Manny Harris chose the right time to make the move overseas, opines Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside. The 22-year-old signed on with BC Azovmash of the Ukranian League earlier this week after shifting between the Cavaliers and the D-League over the last two seasons.
Heat Notes: Wade, Miller, Temple
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman has an update on where Heat guard Mike Miller's stands coming off offseason surgery. (Sulia link)
- The Heat are one of a handful of teams starting training camp on September 29th, getting a two-day jump on most teams, who get going on October 1st. The defending champs are afforded the extra preseason time because they're traveling overseas for a pair of exhibitions against the Clippers in China. Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the Miami braintrust will have a few decisions to make, since they have 18 players under contract, but only 13 on guaranteed deals, as I outlined earlier. With two weeks to go in the Heat's offseason, let's check in on South Beach:
- Dwyane Wade has been in the media spotlight quite a bit as he promotes his new book. He shares the latest on his recovery from left knee surgery this summer, the Heat's chances of repeating, and the Lakers' big moves with Joe Brescia of The New York Times.
- The Heat could have avoided a $5.8MM luxury tax payment on Mike Miller's salary or pursued a $2.9MM injury exception, but instead Miller is healthy and ready to start the season, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes.
- Earlier we passed along a Q&A from Winderman that touched on the battle between Jarvis Varnado and Mickell Gladness, and in the same piece, Winderman calls Garrett Temple a "longshot" to make the roster, despite his ability to guard point guards one-on-one.
Lakers Sign Darius Johnson-Odom
The Lakers announced on Friday that they have come to terms with second round pick Darius Johnson-Odom. A Marquette product, Johnson-Odom was taken by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick after acquiring the selection in a draft day trade with the Mavericks.
Johnson-Odom averaged 18.3 points per game in his senior year at Marquette, earning first team All-Big East honors. He more recently averaged 3.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists and 15.8 minutes as a member of the Lakers summer league team in Las Vegas.
The details of the agreement have yet to be released.