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Eastern Notes: Curry, Henderson, Oden, Joseph

July 16th, 2013 at 8:16pm CST by Zachary Links

We've already had two amnesty provisions in the East announced tonight in Linas Kleiza and Drew Gooden.  Let's round up the rest of the Eastern Conference news here on Tuesday night:

  • The latest on the Sixers coaching search indicates that the team is no rush to make a decision, but that doesn't bother in-house candidate Michael Curry, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Curry, who conducted the team's pre-draft workouts and coached the Sixers summer league team, is expected to be interviewed and was told from the start by general manager Sam Hinkie that the coaching search would be a long process. 
  • The Bobcats and restricted free agent Gerald Henderson are having ongoing contract discussions about a return to Charlotte, but are still not close financially, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.  Just last week, we heard that the Bobcats and Henderson had reached a stalemate.  It doesn't look like things have changed much, but the report that the sides are still communicating is good news for Bobcats fans.
  • With the Heat now rumored to be the unofficial frontrunner to land Greg Oden, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders what type of message it would send if the team used the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth about $3.2MM, on the injury-prone Oden only days after re-signing Chris Andersen, who contributed to their second straight title run, for about half the price.  Winderman also speculates that the Heat could try to move Joel Anthony in a cost-cutting move that would easier allow them to ink Oden (Twitter links). 
  • Kris Joseph, waived yesterday by the Celtics, will likely look to latch on with an NBA team in a training camp this fall.  The Nets, with whom Joseph finished last season, are said to have interest in the forward, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, but are prohibited from signing him for a year after shipping him north in the deal to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. 
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Eastern Notes: Curry, Henderson, Oden, Joseph

July 16th, 2013 at 8:16pm CST by Alex Lee

We've already had two amnesty provisions in the East announced tonight in Linas Kleiza and Drew Gooden.  Let's round up the rest of the Eastern Conference news here on Tuesday night:

  • The latest on the Sixers coaching search indicates that the team is no rush to make a decision, but that doesn't bother in-house candidate Michael Curry, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Curry, who conducted the team's pre-draft workouts and coached the Sixers summer league team, is expected to be interviewed and was told from the start by general manager Sam Hinkie that the coaching search would be a long process. 
  • The Bobcats and restricted free agent Gerald Henderson are having ongoing contract discussions about a return to Charlotte, but are still not close financially, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.  Just last week, we heard that the Bobcats and Henderson had reached a stalemate.  It doesn't look like things have changed much, but the report that the sides are still communicating is good news for Bobcats fans.
  • With the Heat now rumored to be the unofficial frontrunner to land Greg Oden, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders what type of message it would send if the team used the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth about $3.2MM, on the injury-prone Oden only days after re-signing Chris Andersen, who contributed to their second straight title run, for about half the price.  Winderman also speculates that the Heat could try to move Joel Anthony in a cost-cutting move that would easier allow them to ink Oden (Twitter links). 
  • Kris Joseph, waived yesterday by the Celtics, will likely look to latch on with an NBA team in a training camp this fall.  The Nets, with whom Joseph finished last season, are said to have interest in the forward, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, but are prohibited from signing him for a year after shipping him north in the deal to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. 
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Eastern Notes: Pistons, Hawks, Tyler, Adams

July 16th, 2013 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Various recent reports have suggested the Pistons are looking for an upgrade at point guard, linking the team to Rajon Rondo and Brandon Jennings. Speaking to reporters today, including David Mayo of MLive.com, GM Joe Dumars confirmed he'd talked to the Celtics about Rondo, but adamantly denied offering Brandon Knight to Boston, or having any talks with the Bucks about Jennings.

Here's more out of the Eastern Conference:

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Raptors Sign Dwight Buycks

July 16th, 2013 at 4:14pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 16TH: The Raptors have officially signed Buycks, according to the team (via Twitter).

JULY 12TH: The Raptors have reached a contract agreement with point guard Dwight Buycks, according to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman (via Twitter). Buycks will have a chance to earn the backup point guard job with the Raptors, says Mayberry, while Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports it will be a multiyear contract.

Buycks spent last season with BCM Gravelines in France, averaging 18.0 PPG on 48.6% shooting. Prior to playing in France, the 24-year-old played in Belgium and spent time with the Thunder's D-League team, the Tulsa 66ers. The Marquette product also had been playing well for Oklahoma City in Summer League play in Orlando this month, prompting Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside to wonder if he'd earn an NBA contract.

The Raptors figure to head into 2013/14 with Kyle Lowry as the starting point guard, but may not have a veteran backing up, with Sebastian Telfair and John Lucas III on the open market. In addition to Buycks, the Raptors have also agreed to terms with Julyan Stone.

The Trail Blazers, Thunder, and Heat were also interested in Buycks before he agreed to sign with the Raptors, says Charania.

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Multiple Teams Preparing Offers For Greg Oden

July 16th, 2013 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

3:30pm: Oden's agent tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that it will likely still be a few weeks before his client picks a team, and stopped short of calling Miami the frontrunner, though Oden is "very interested" in the Heat (Twitter links).

9:50am: ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported yesterday that Greg Oden was expected to meet with the Mavericks, Kings, and Pelicans this week in Las Vegas, as the list of potential suitors for the former first overall pick grew. Stein and Yahoo! Sports scribe Marc J. Spears have updates on the Oden situation today, so let's dive in and check out the highlights from their respective pieces….

  • Oden has now had meetings with the Heat, Spurs, Celtics, Mavs, and Kings, according to Spears. The Pelicans had been hoping to meet with Oden on Wednesday, but he's heading back to Indianapolis today, which figures to postpone that meeting until later this week.
  • New Orleans' pitch to Oden figures to focus on the fact that the big man could start his comeback attempt away from the media spotlight and with no immediate pressure to contribute if he signed with the Pelicans, according to Stein.
  • The Pelicans are expected to make Oden an offer with a starting salary of about $3MM, reports Spears, noting that three other clubs will likely extend offers in the same ballpark.
  • Stein reports that the Kings are viewed as "long-shot contenders" for Oden, and may end up shifting their attention to Nuggets restricted free agent Timofey Mozgov. Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld mentioned that possibility yesterday (on Twitter), and Stein says Sacramento is "planning a hard push" for Mozgov.
  • The Mavericks are still hoping they'll be able to sign both Oden and Samuel Dalembert to solidify their frontcourt, writes Stein.
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Heat Amnesty Mike Miller

July 16th, 2013 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

2:11pm: The Heat have officially confirmed the move in a press release, with Riley calling the decision "very difficult" and adding that Miller will be "sorely missed."

1:48pm: Mike Miller's agent was informed by the Heat last night that the team will use the amnesty clause to release Miller, according to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Heat president Pat Riley told reporters last week that the team was leaning toward not using its amnesty provision this year, but left the door open to the possibility.

Miller was set to earn $6.2MM in 2013/14 and had a $6.6MM player option for '14/15. The Heat will still pay him those two years of salary, or perhaps a slightly smaller amount if Miller ends up signing with another team. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the veteran's reps are reaching out to gauge interest from other clubs.

The Heat won't create any additional cap flexibility this season to add another player by amnestying Miller, but will significantly reduce their tax bill. The exact amount won't be finalized until the end of the season, but like the Lakers with Metta World Peace, the Heat should easily save $10MM+ by removing Miller from their books.

Although Miller had some big moments in the postseason over the last couple years, injuries have limited his production since he signed a five-year deal with the Heat in the summer of 2010. During his three seasons with the team, he has averaged 5.4 PPG and shot 41.2% on three-pointers in 139 regular-season contests.

The Heat had five other amnesty-eligible players besides Miller, all of whom would have still been eligible next summer. Assuming the Miller move becomes official later today, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Joel Anthony will no longer be amnesty-eligible.

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Point Guard Rumors: Tinsley, Jazz, Mo Williams

July 16th, 2013 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld has passed along a few tidbits of free agent information related to the point guard market this morning, so let's round up the highlights….

  • The Mavericks, Rockets, Bobcats, and Suns have all expressed interest in signing Jamaal Tinsley, tweets Kennedy.
  • Tinsley spent last season in Utah, but after reaching an agreement with John Lucas III, the Jazz are no longer interested in bringing back Tinsley, according to Kennedy (Twitter link).
  • Mo Williams is considering taking a discount to join a contending team like the Heat or Spurs, says Kennedy (via Twitter). No deal is imminent, but it's one potential option Williams is weighing.
  • Earlier today, we heard that the Suns may have put Kendall Marshall on the trade block.
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Eastern Notes: MWP, Rondo, Ariza, Jennings

July 15th, 2013 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

As the third week of NBA free agency gets underway, let's round up a few items related to Eastern Conference teams….

  • Agent Marc Cornstein confirms to Marc Berman of the New York Post that there's mutual interest between the Knicks and his client, Metta World Peace. World Peace and his reps are expected to weigh several options before making a decision.
  • Celtics fans shouldn't have to worry about Rajon Rondo pulling a Ray Allen anytime soon. At his summer camp in Kentucky, Rondo declared that he "would never play for the Miami Heat" (link via WEEI.com).
  • The players the Celtics acquired from the Nets in their blockbuster trade aren't as valuable as the draft picks involved, but MarShon Brooks could end up being a hidden gem, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
  • With his free agency a year away, Wizards forward Trevor Ariza has signed with agent Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Ariza had previously been represented by David Lee.
  • Tom Ziller of SBNation.com examines a few potential outcomes for Brandon Jennings' free agency, including accepting the Bucks' qualifying offer.
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Greg Oden To Meet With Mavs, Kings, Pelicans

July 15th, 2013 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

Greg Oden will be in Las Vegas to week, and will meet with at least three teams while he's there, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. The Mavericks, Kings, and Pelicans will all meet with the former first overall pick this week, according to Stein, who adds that the Mavs' sitdown is scheduled for today.

While the Spurs and Heat still appear to be the frontrunners for Oden's services, a handful of other teams remain in the mix. In addition to the three teams he'll meet with this week, the big man also still has the Celtics and Bobcats on his radar, his agent indicated on Friday. As I noted at the time, the comments made by Mike Conley Sr. suggested to me that Miami remained atop Oden's wish list.

Given the number of teams interested in Oden, it seems possible he'll receive more than the minimum salary if and when he signs. But I imagine clubs are still wary of his medical history, so he'll likely have to show strong indications he'll be ready to play in the fall before a club is willing to roll the dice on him.

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Southeast Updates: Wall, Harrington, Bobcats

July 13th, 2013 at 9:36pm CST by Spencer Lund

Michael Lee of the Washington Post spoke with John Wall today about his expectations for this upcoming season, which will be Wall's fourth in the league. Wall was matter-of-fact about his focus for next season tell Lee (via Twitter):

"My whole goal is, this is my 4th year & I need to be in the playoffs. Nothing more & nothing else needs to be said about that.”

Wall will make $7.259MM this season with the Wiz and if he and the team don't reach a deal on an extension by October 31st this year, the Wizards have the option to extend him a QO of $9.698MM in the spring. 

Here are some more notes from around the Southeast division…

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