Odds & Ends: Lakers, Green, Celtics, Hornets
In tonight's column, Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld wonders what the future will hold for the Lakers, who appear to be going all-in for the short-term with their current roster. Assuming the Lakers sign Dwight Howard to a new deal and have him under contract for 2014, they'll likely have to ask Kobe Bryant to take a pay cut in order to keep the core together. Some may be wondering if the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is going to do anything to prevent supercharged teams from forming in desirable markets, but Ingram notes that the tax penalties for clubs in two years will make teams think twice about having a $100MM payroll. Here's more from around the Association..
- Gerald Green has found his way back in the league after GMs around the league all but gave up on him three years ago, writes Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. Green's path took him to Russia, China, and the D-League before hooking on with the Nets last season. The forward's 12.9 PPG in 31 games for the Nets last season led to him inking a three-year, $10MM deal in July with the Pacers.
- The Celtics have hired Jay Larranaga as an assistant coach, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Larranaga previously served as the head coach of Erie BayHawks of the D-League.
- Hornets Coach Monty Williams says that shortly after Tom Benson took over the club, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis told him he that would be around for awhile, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. Williams and the Hornets agreed to a four-year extension over the weekend that will keep him in New Orleans through 2016.
- The Cavs announced that they have promoted Mike Gansey to director of development league operations, according to the Associated Press. In his new role, Gansey will work closely with Cavs vice president David Griffin and Canton Charge (NBA D-League) coach Alex Jensen on personnel matters.
Latest On Howard, Mavericks, Lakers
Dwight Howard has been a Laker for just over a week, and all signs point to him staying in Los Angeles long-term. However, that has not put an end to the speculation that he may consider signing elsewhere next summer. Here's an update on Howard's situation as well as other notes concerning the Lakers and Mavs:
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW takes a look at the Mavs' case to lure Howard away from Los Angeles, noting that acquiring Howard in a trade will be difficult now that he is a Laker but pointing out that Dallas will have the cap room to offer him a max deal next summer.
- Sefko has a separate look at some of the other options the Mavs will have next summer during free agency.
- Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times praises the Lakers' acquisitions of Jodie Meeks and Antawn Jamison.
Page On Mavs, Lakers, Bulls
Derek Page of HoopsWorld conducted his weekly NBA chat Saturday, where he touched on several relevant topics, including the offseason moves and futures of the Mavs, Bulls, and Lakers, among other teams. Here are the highlights:
- Page thinks it is unlikely that the Mavericks will keep O.J. Mayo beyond this season, because if he plays well, he will command a higher salary than the Mavs would like to give him.
- He believes Antawn Jamison will be a better acquisition for the Lakers than Lamar Odom will be for the Clippers.
- Page doesn't foresee any more moves for the Lakers, who appear to have a set roster.
- It will be difficult for the Thunder to keep James Harden if he hits restricted free agency, writes Page.
- Page is surprised Leandro Barbosa has not been signed yet, pointing to the 29-year-old as a possible value signing.
- Page would like to see the present Bulls roster with a healthy Derrick Rose before weighing in on moves they should make.
Florida Notes: Heat, Magic, Big Three, Harris
Let's take a trip to the Sunshine State to check in on the Heat and Magic..
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at a few college players Magic fans should keep an eye on this season, including Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, Shabazz Muhammad, and James McAdoo.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel looks ahead to the summer of 2014 where the Heat's big three could be the biggest gets on the open market. Winderman sees the Magic as a potential threat to poach Miami's talent as they'll have the cap space to sign two top-tier free agents. The Lakers will also have payroll flexibility once the contracts of Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant expire and as unlikely as it seems that they would part with Kobe, Winderman notes that they are the same club that traded Shaquille O'Neal.
- More from Winderman, who is surprised that the Heat have yet to re-sign guard Terrel Harris. The 25-year-old is seeking a contract with some amount of guarantees, but the club may be holding its remaining two spots open for a different combination of players which may include Juwan Howard.
- Undrafted free agent Charlie Westbrook has agreed to a three-year deal with Italian team Tezenis Veronia, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Westbrook, who was in summer league with the Magic, tweeted earlier this week that he would be passing on two training camp opportunities to play overseas.
Free Agent Spending By Division: Pacific
After covering 2012's free agent expenditures in the Atlantic, Central and Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest divisions, we're round up our league-wide look at summer spending today. Using Hoops Rumors' Free Agent Tracker, let's head out west and examine the Pacific Division, where the biggest free agent contract signed this offseason might come as a surprise.
Once again, these figures only take into account free agent signings, so salary absorbed in trades or money used to sign draft picks isn't included in this list. Additionally, not all of this salary is necessarily guaranteed, which we'll try to note as we go along. Here are this summer's Pacific Division free agent costs, sorted by player salary:
Phoenix Suns: $57.999MM (Michael Beasley, Shannon Brown, Goran Dragic, Jermaine O'Neal, P.J. Tucker)
After missing out on Steve Nash, the Suns had money to spend, allowing them to sign Beasley and Dragic to big, multiyear deals while adding a handful of complementary players as well. Even after signing these free agents, trading for Wesley Johnson, and claiming Luis Scola off amnesty waivers, the Suns still have about $7MM in cap room, making them a candidate to take on salary later in the season.
Los Angeles Lakers: $41.236MM (Devin Ebanks, Jordan Hill, Antawn Jamison, Jodie Meeks, Darius Morris, Steve Nash)
How does a team that came into the season well over the tax threshold manage to make the biggest splash of the summer? The Lakers were able to re-sign some of their own free agents (Ebanks, Hill, Morris), get a couple veterans (Jamison, Meeks) to accept discounts, and land Nash using their $8.9MM trade exception. And, of course, the club's biggest move, acquiring Dwight Howard came outside of free agency, by parting ways with Andrew Bynum.
Sacramento Kings: $36.788MM (Aaron Brooks, Jason Thompson)
The Pacific's largest contract this summer wasn't inked by Nash, Dragic, or any Clipper or Warrior — it was signed by Thompson, whose five-year deal will pay him $30,187,500 if he's not released before the end of it (the fifth year is only partially guaranteed). While I'm not in love with that deal for the Kings, I do like their signing of Brooks, whose two-year, $6.6MM pact has a player option in year two.
Los Angeles Clippers: $35.936MM (Chauncey Billups, Jamal Crawford, Willie Green, Grant Hill, Ryan Hollins, Ronny Turiaf)
Tackling free agency without a general manger certainly isn't an ideal situation, and for the Clippers, it delivered mixed results. Green and Hill should be nice bench additions at affordable prices, but four years for Crawford seems ill-advised, even if the last two years are only guaranteed for $1.5MM each.
Golden State Warriors: $17.262MM (Kent Bazemore, Carl Landry, Brandon Rush)
After being linked to a number of free agents for most of July, the Warriors landed Landry and Rush nearly at the same time, and for the exact same price — two years and $8MM each, with 2013/14 player options on both deals. If both players opt out and Bazemore fails to stick with the Warriors for this year and next, Golden State will only end up paying about half of this $17.262MM figure.
Odds & Ends: Harris, Curry, Shumpert
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that the Heat are currently in talks with free agent Terrel Harris. The 25-year-old guard played in 22 games for Miami last season and was a member of the team’s summer league roster in Las Vegas. Winderman admits that he is suprised that Miami hasn't made a quicker commitment to Harris at this point (Sulia link). Here's what else we've heard from around the league this evening:
- 76ers guard Jason Richardson looks to continue to have the same success playing off of Andrew Bynum the way he was able to with Dwight Howard in Orlando, says John Finger of CSN Philly.
- Howard Beck of the New York Times points out that the Knicks have yet to offer a reasoned explanation for declining to match Jeremy Lin's offer sheet with the Rockets.
- Charlie Westbrook tweeted that he will pass on two opportunities to attend an NBA training camp and will head to Europe instead. Westbrook was not drafted by an NBA team in June but participated in Orlando as a member of the Magic's summer league roster.
- Although he had been considering a job with the Magic, Rob Murphy chose to remain with Eastern Michigan University as the school's head basketball coach (the Detroit Free Press reports).
- Marcus Thompson II of MercuryNews.com reports that Stephen Curry is optimistic that he will be ready for Warriors training camp and will undoubtedly be well enough to play by opening night. Curry, who says the only thing he hasn't done yet is play 5-on-5, had arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle in April and has been working out in Oakland.
- Newsday's Marcus Henry says that Knicks guard Iman Shumpert rehabilitation process is progressing on schedule. The All-Rookie first team selection suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during New York's first-round playoff series in April and is projected to be able to return as early as December or January.
- Greg Payne of ESPN Boston noted Jason Terry's thoughts on his role as a sixth man and what he can bring to the Celtics.
- Jodie Meeks spoke with the Kamenetzky Brothers of ESPN LA today about why he chose the Lakers and what he hopes to accomplish. Andy Kamenetzky provided a breakdown of the talking points from the interview, including a post-interview discussion about the potential effect that Meeks can have on the team.
Lakers Hire Eddie Jordan, Bickerstaff As Assistants
Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports that Eddie Jordan and Bernie Bickerstaff will join the Lakers as assistants to head coach Mike Brown. Jordan last coached the 76ers during the 2009-10 season and previously lead the Wizards to the playoffs in four of his five full seasons as Washington's head coach. Bickerstaff had most recently been an assistant coach for the Trail Blazers.
With the departure of Quin Snyder and Ettore Messina from the team this summer, Jordan and Bickerstaff fill voids on Brown's coaching staff. Jordan is especially valued for his "unique expertise and comprehensive knowledge" of the Princeton offense, and even met with Brown and Kobe Bryant during Team USA training camp to detail how the Lakers could incorporate it for next season. Ding also reports that the team is still expected to add one more assistant coach.
Odds & Ends: Iguodala, Smith, Gunning, Moser
To get an idea of the size and signficance of last week's blockbuster, consider the notion that Andre Iguodala heading to the Nuggets was probably the least publicized leg of the deal. Iguodala was not only an All-Star last season, but he was one of 12 members of a Team USA that has been fawned over by sports fans around the globe for the past month. According to Aaron Lopez of Nuggets.com, some of Iguodala's post-trade quotes were misconstrued and the veteran wing is, in fact, very excited to join what should be an ultra-athletic team in Denver. Let's round up some of the other links and happenings from around the Association on this Tuesday night:
- New Celtics sixth man Jason Terry spoke with Molly McGrath from Celtics.com and stated Boston's case for legitimate title contention in the 2012-13 season. Greg Payne from ESPN Boston transcribed the interview.
- Mark Medina from the L.A. Times spoke with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who sees a lot of similarities between his situation with the Lakers in 1975 and the one Dwight Howard is about to enter.
- Power forward Craig Smith, who saw less than 10 minutes per game with the Blazers last year, explained to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com why he passed up NBA offers to play in Israel in the upcoming season. Smith was tired of being an NBA "roster filler" and was willing to take less money for an opportunity to show what he can do with consistent playing time.
- The Magic have hired Brett Gunning as an assistant coach, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Gunning, who spent the last four seasons in various roles in the Rockets organization, will join first-time head coach Jacque Vaughn on the Orlando bench.
- According to UNLV head coach Dave Rice, Rebels swingman Mike Moser is preparing for what will likely be his last season in Las Vegas, reports Mike Youmans at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Moser is a rising junior, but Rice says he essentially considers him a senior. Moser averaged 14 points and more than 10 rebounds as a sophomore last season for the Rebels and briefly flirted with the 2012 draft. He projects as a late first-round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
- Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com writes that the Sixers, a franchise that has historically gotten burned in trades involving superstars, finally got the best player in a mega-deal in Andrew Bynum. Moore is only referring to what the team directly gave up and received, which eliminates Dwight Howard from consideration.
Steve Clifford To Follow Howard To Lakers
Former Magic assistant coach and defensive guru Steve Clifford will accept an invitation from Lakers head coach Mike Brown to join his coaching staff in Los Angeles, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Previously this offseason, Clifford was under consideration for the Magic and the Blazers head coach openings before both organizations went in different directions. Clifford was still in the mix for an assistant position in Portland before deciding to join the Lakers.
His decision comes in the wake of last week's blockbuster that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers, effectively "reuniting" Clifford with the anchor of his defenses in Orlando. With Howard at center and Clifford on the bench, the Magic never finished worse than 11th in the NBA in team defense spanning five seasons. According to Haynes, Clifford considers the Van Gundy brothers his mentors and models himself after Tom Thibodeau. It should be interesting to see how Clifford's expertise supplements the already defensive-minded Mike Brown in the Lakers quest for their 17th title.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Meeks, Curry, Suns
The Lakers are no stranger to the luxury tax, and with the tax penalties going up in 2013/14 and the team's recent commitments to high-paid veterans, owner Jerry Buss is facing a hefty bill. By my calculations, the Lakers already have $74,831,035 committed for 2013/14, and that doesn't include Dwight Howard, who's likely to command a max contract with a starting salary around $20.5MM. If D12 remains in L.A., salary cap expert Larry Coon estimates the Lakers will owe a record $185MM in salary and taxes (Twitter link). If Buss opens his wallet that wide, expect plenty of complaining from small-market teams whose owners would never dream of spending that much in single season. While we wait to see how high the Lakers will go, there's plenty more from around the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers made their signing of Jodie Meeks official today, and the 6'4" shooting guard tells Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that the team's decorated history and the chance to play with multiple future Hall-of-Famers lured him to L.A.
- Stephen Curry is stepping up his rehab from right ankle surgery as he works toward being ready for camp, Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com reports. Curry will spend four days in a row at the Warriors' practice facility, allowing the team a look at the point guard as they decide whether to pursue an extension. Michael Pina of Hoops Rumors profiled Curry's extension candidacy earlier this month.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic recaps the statements James Harden has made in the past few weeks about either signing an extension with the Thunder or considering the Suns in free agency, and shares a few other Phoenix-related observations from the summer.