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.
Odds & Ends: Harrington, Ebanks, Mo Williams
Al Harrington recognizes that he's a candidate to be traded or bought out by the Magic, but tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he's healthier and believes he can still contribute, wherever he lands.
"Whatever situation I can get to where I can help a team win, that's what I want to do," Harrington said. "I don't want to play 36 minutes or none of that. Play 20, 25 minutes, just help mentor the young guys and stuff like that."
Here's more from around the NBA:
- Former Laker Devin Ebanks has received interest from the Hawks, Bucks, Bobcats, and Nuggets, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- In his latest column on the Suns, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic says that agent Arn Tellem was "five minutes away" from a deal for J.J. Redick with another team before the Suns and Clippers proposed the three-team trade that sent him to Los Angeles. Coro also notes that the Pacers had expressed interest in Luis Scola for months before acquiring him.
- Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien met with Mo Williams today in Memphis, tweets Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Within an excellent piece on the Thunder, Grantland's Zach Lowe shares a few interesting details on Kevin Durant's max contract and Oklahoma City's cap and tax situation.
Western Notes: Aldridge, Griffin, Williams, Grizzlies
In today's chat, Luke Adams gave the Warriors credit for an aggressive offseason, but also noted that they'll have a tough hill to climb given the competition in the West this season. In his view, the best case scenario for Golden State is to capture the third seed with the bottom being something resembling the Lakers' 2012/13 campaign – lots of injuries and fighting just to squeak into the playoffs. The Warriors' summer saw them add Andre Iguodala, Toney Douglas, Marreese Speights, and Jermaine O'Neal while sending $24MM+ in expiring contracts (Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush) to the Jazz. Here's more from the Western Conference..
- Blazers GM Neil Olshey explored the possibility of a LaMarcus Aldridge-for-Blake Griffin swap with the Clippers this summer, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. However, the talks didn't go anywhere. Olshey, of course, was the Clips' assistant GM when the team drafted Griffin. It's not surprising to hear that Olshey put out feelers for such a deal given the questions surrounding Aldridge's future in Portland.
- Free agent Mo Williams is flying in to meet with the Grizzlies' front office tonight, tweets Chris Vernon of 92.9 ESPN Radio. Late last week we learned that Memphis is the mix for the guard while the Heat are also keeping an eye on him.
- There are plenty of obstacles in the way of a positive return to the NBA for Pelicans target Greg Oden, but as one team official tracking Oden told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, one can't help but get excited about a big man who can move as well as he can. "He's not that far off microfracture [surgery]," a team executive said in regard to the former No. 1 overall pick. "He still has a way to go to getting his knee where it needs to be, but there are possibilities."
Western Rumors: Neal, Miller, Teodosic
The Spurs, like the Thunder last season, have largely stood pat the summer after winning the Western Conference title. The substitution of Marco Belinelli for Gary Neal stands as the most significant change in San Antonio, but, just as Oklahoma City was frequently overlooked in favor of the Lakers in 2012, the Spurs don't appear to be clear favorites to make it back to the Finals. The Thunder are lurking, the Rockets and Warriors have made major upgrades, while the Clippers, Grizzlies and perhaps the Nuggets could also win the West. Here's more on the Spur who got away and other news from the Western Conference:
- The Timberwolves never spoke with agent David Falk or anyone else from Neal's camp about signing the guard before he reached agreement yesterday with the Bucks, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- Nikolaos Lotsos, the agent for Serbian-born guard Milos Teodosic, tells Sports.ru that his client rejected an offer from the Grizzlies so that he can continue his career overseas (translation via Sportando).
- Darius Miller's minimum-salary contract with the Pelicans became fully guaranteed for the coming season when the team elected not to waive him by the end of yesterday. Previously, the deal had been completely non-guaranteed.
Western Notes: Beasley, Grizzlies, Harden
Michael Beasley is entering the final fully guaranteed year of his contract, and he's in danger of seeing his NBA career come to an early end, as Jeff Caplan of NBA.com examines.
Caplan spoke with 33-year-old Suns GM Ryan McDonough about the their rebuilding efforts designed to add hardworking athletes who can run their up-tempo offense, led by their newest addition in the back-court, Eric Bledsoe.
But when asked if the 24-year-old Beasley–who averaged career lows across-the-board last season in Phoenix–would be a part of the Suns' rebuilding efforts, McDonough's message was loud and clear for the maladroit former No. 2 overall pick:
"I guess what I’ll say generally about that is we’re going to treat everybody the same,” McDonough explained.
“There won’t be any special treatment for anybody on the roster and as Jeff [Hornacek] and I told all the guys coming in, we don’t care how much money you’re making, where you were drafted, how long you’ve been in the league, what, if anything, you’ve been promised in the past. We’re going into this as an open competition, and when training camp comes, guys who buy in and play the right way and play hard will play, and those who don’t, won’t.”
Beasley signed a three-year $18MM contract with the Suns in July of 2012, but the 2014-15 season is only guaranteed for $3MM. According to Mark Deeks at ShamSports.com, the final year becomes fully guaranteed for $6.25MM if the Suns don't waive him on, or before, 5 p.m. Mountain Time on the second day after the team's final gaeme of the 2013-14 season, including playoffs, or June 15th.
Here's what else is happening around the Western Conference on Saturday night…
- Mike Krzyzewski's decision to remain as coach of Team USA has swayed Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he's leaning toward playing in the 2016 Olympics.
- Mike Miller is set to sign his deal with the Grizzlies on Tuesday, reports Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- James Harden reflects on the growing spotlight with his Rockets team while he’s in the Philippines, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News on the battle for Los Angeles when Dwight Howard returns to LA with the Rockets to go against some of his former Lakers teammates on November 7th next season.
Grizzlies In The Mix For Mo Williams
Unrestricted free agent, Mo Williams, has yet to make a decision about where he'll sign for next season, but Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears the Grizzlies are firmly in the mix for the veteran point guard who is unexpectedly still available.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says the Heat are also keeping an eye on the veteran guard, who has drawn interest from a number of other clubs. Last week, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld said that Williams was prepared to take a discount to sign with a contender like the Heat, but Williams is still looking to add a "solid, multiyear offer" before signing a one-year deal with a contender, added Kyler.
Williams is represented by Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports & Entertainment, according to Hoops Rumors' Agency Database.
Mo averaged 12.8 PPG in 30.8 MPG last season with the Jazz, while shooting 43 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from behind the arc. So a contender who needs shooting–like the Grizzlies–would love to add the 10-year vet.
Knicks, Grizzlies In Talks For Delonte West
The Knicks and Grizzlies have engaged in talks about bringing free agent guard Delonte West aboard, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Neither team has made an offer, and while Haynes hears the talks are still preliminary, they've begun to ramp up, Haynes writes.
West didn't play in the NBA this past season after his behavior in Mavs training camp prompted the team to cut him. West signed with the D-League's Texas Legends, but it took him several weeks to report to the team, and he averaged just 10.3 points and 4.4 assists in eight games with the squad.
The 30-year-old former first-round pick has an advocate for his case to join the Grizzlies. Tony Allen doesn't want to interfere with Grizzlies management, but he says he'd "love to have" West join the team, as Brandon Speck of Fox Sports Tennessee writes. Still, the Knicks are limited to giving him the minimum, and I'd be surprised if the Grizzlies or any other team offered him any more than that.
Odds & Ends: Kobe, Pekovic, Goudelock, Cooley
While this season is pretty much a write-off for the Lakers, 2014 is the dream season for Kobe Bryant & Co., write Mike Bresnahan and Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Much of what they can do, however, depends on the type of sacrifice that Kobe is willing to make. Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan made financial sacrifices in recent years and it remains to be seen whether Bryant is willing to do the same in order to help the Lakers build the best team possible. The L.A. Times duo has a very out of the box (and illegal) idea for Bryant: sign for the veteran's minimum in 2014/15 and ink a $19.5MM deal with the Lakers (who hold his Bird Rights) in the following year. Here's more from around the Association..
- Wolves owner Glen Taylor continues to say that he is confident a new deal with restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic will be reached, tweets Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press.
- Terms of Andrew Goudelock's deal with Russia's BC UNICS Kazan were not disclosed, but the offer is worth “considerably more” than his NBA minimum of about $1MM, a source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- Jack Cooley is weighing offers from "a half dozen" teams after strong play in summer league, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter). Cooley averaged 15 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.2 BPG for the Grizzlies' summer league squad.
- The Nets' luxury tax penalties for next season bring their total monetary commitment for 2013/14 to just over $189MM, notes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. The Nets added to their total after signing Alan Anderson.
International Notes: Celtics, Calathes, Goudelock
After publishing a pair of posts yesterday rounding up the latest international updates on current, past, or future NBA players, we have a few more items of note today, including a follow-up on yesterday's Colton Iverson report. Here are this afternoon's international notes:
- There were conflicting reports yesterday on whether or not Iverson was heading overseas, but Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes that the Celtics second-rounder has agreed to a deal with Besiktas of the Turkish League. It's a two-year contract with an NBA out after the first season, says Washburn.
- According to a report from RSport.ru (English translation via Sportando), Nick Calathes has informed Lokomotiv Kuban that he would like to come to the NBA for the 2013/14 season. The Russian club still hopes to hang on to Calathes, who would need to be bought out of his deal in order to join the Grizzlies.
- Ex-Laker Andrew Goudelock has signed a one-year contract with Russian club Unics Kazan, the team announced today (Twitter link). Goudelock was last season's D-League MVP and played well for the Bulls in this year's Summer League, so it seemed as if there would have been NBA opportunities available for him. However, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (via Twitter), Goudelock had yet to receive a guaranteed contract offer from an NBA team, prompting him to head overseas.
Potential Destinations For Gustavo Ayon
Before Gustavo Ayon's 2013/14 contract could become fully guaranteed yesterday, the Bucks made a somewhat surprising decision, electing to release him and avoid paying his modest $1.5MM salary. Ayon isn't a star, or even a starter, but he has size (6'10") and has exhibited an ability to be productive and efficient (15.1 PER) in limited playing time in his first two NBA seasons. As ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton tweeted last night, the 25-year-old would make a good, cheap fourth or fifth big man for many teams around the league.
Ayon is currently on waivers, set to become a free agent this weekend if he goes unclaimed. Considering we recently saw promising big man Bernard James clear waivers without any teams placing a claim, it's certainly not a lock that any club claims Ayon — particularly since his $1.5MM salary would be fully guaranteed for a team that grabbed him off waivers.
Still, let's assume that a number of teams are at least mulling the possibility of placing a claim, if not entirely committed to the move quite yet. Ayon isn't on a minimum-salary contract, which means not every NBA team is able to submit a claim. As we note in our glossary entry on the waiver process, only teams with at least $1.5MM in cap space or a traded player exception worth $1.5MM+ are eligible to claim Ayon.
Keeping those criteria in mind, and recalling that if two or more teams place a claim, the club with the worst record last season gets first priority, here are the teams who could claim Ayon, in order of priority:
- Charlotte Bobcats: Renouncing Gerald Henderson would be necessary to place a claim on Ayon, so the Bobcats probably won't be in the mix.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Like the Bobcats, the Cavs would have to make a corresponding move (waiving C.J. Miles' non-guaranteed contract) to create the necessary room for Ayon, so they're not a likely suitor.
- Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers still appear to have more than $11MM in cap room, per Mark Deeks of ShamSports.
- Utah Jazz: Within the same piece, Deeks notes that the Jazz should still be about $2.4MM below the cap, even without making additional cap-clearing moves.
- Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks have about $1.8MM in space, according to Deeks, and could create more by waiving their non-guaranteed players. That figure doesn't take into account Pero Antic's new deal with the team though.
- Golden State Warriors: Having created a pair trade exceptions in their three-way deal with the Nuggets and Jazz, the Warriors could use the smaller of the two ($4MM) to claim Ayon.
- Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers created a TPE worth Eric Bledsoe's salary (about $2.6MM) in the trade that sent him to the Suns.
- Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies have stockpiled a number of TPEs, but the $2.08MM exception created in last January's deal with the Cavs would make the most sense for claiming Ayon.
- Denver Nuggets: In the aforementioned three-way deal with Golden State and Utah, the Nuggets created a trade exception worth nearly $10MM.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: OKC has a pair of TPEs large enough to absorb Ayon — one was created when they moved Eric Maynor, while the more recent one came as a result of signing-and-trading Kevin Martin.
Even though 10 teams can technically place a waiver claim on Ayon, there's no guarantee that any of them actually will. Pelton thinks the Sixers, Jazz, Warriors, and Clippers represent the likeliest candidates for a claim, and I agree with him.
Philadelphia and Utah have room to add salary (in the Sixers' case, they need to add salary to reach the cap floor) and are heading into rebuilding years, which would allow them to take a long look at Ayon. Meanwhile, the Warriors and Clippers could each use one more big man, and Ayon's inexpensive salary wouldn't take Golden State into tax territory.
If Ayon goes unclaimed, I imagine he'd strongly consider returning overseas, since he'd at least have a chance to earn more playing time there. Don't be surprised to see one of the 10 NBA teams above take a shot on him though.
This post originally listed the Magic as a team eligible to claim Ayon, but because Orlando traded him in February, the club can't claim or re-sign him until the one-year anniversary of the deal.