Eastern Notes: Knicks, Pistons, Bucks, Heat
Let's round up some Wednesday links from around the Eastern Conference….
- Both seasons of Jeremy Tyler's two-year deal with the Knicks are partially guaranteed, confirms Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Begley adds (via Twitter) that it's "highly unlikely" the Knicks sign Chris Duhon, despite their reported interest.
- Speaking to Grantland's Zach Lowe, Pistons GM Joe Dumars says that he only started talking to the Bucks about Brandon Jennings four days before the deal was consummated, and adds that the team had some "good talks" with Andre Iguodala before Iggy decided to sign elsewhere.
- In his latest mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com field a handful of questions on the Pistons' trade and free agent options.
- Bucks coach Larry Drew has offered his top assistant coaching position to a former NBA coach and is awaiting a response, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. It's not clear who the unnamed candidate is, but according to Woelfel, Jim Cleamons and Dean Demopoulos are among those interviewed for the job.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel still expects the Heat to sign one more "proven veteran" at some point this offseason.
- The Bobcats intend to work out Seth Curry, Stephen Curry's younger brother, in the coming weeks, says Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
Mo Williams Close To Making Decision
More than half of you voted Mo Williams the best unrestricted free agent still on the market over the weekend, and it appears the veteran guard is close to coming off the board. ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman reports (via Twitter) that Williams could decide on where he'll sign as soon as today.
The Grizzlies are among the teams in the mix for Williams, having met with him in Memphis last week. Memphis could offer the 30-year-old part of its mid-level exception, but Goodman tweets that he doesn't believe Williams is leaning toward choosing the Grizz.
Eastern Conference teams like the Heat and Knicks have also been cited as suitors, even though they have limited financial flexibility. Miami could offer all or some of its mini mid-level exception (worth $3.18MM), while New York could only offer the veteran's minimum. Williams is reportedly open to taking a discount to join a contender though.
When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined Williams' free agent stock back in April, he predicted that the former Jazz point guard could receive a deal worth about $5MM annually, but it appears Williams will be hard-pressed to find a starting salary that high, wherever he decides to sign.
Greg Oden Signs With Heat
AUGUST 7TH: The Heat have officially signed Oden, the team announced today (Twitter link).
AUGUST 2ND: Greg Oden will sign with the Heat, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. It's a two-year deal with a player option for the final season, Goodman adds. The two sides agreed on a minimum-salary contract, according to fellow ESPN.com scribe Marc Stein, who adds that Oden will officially sign the pact on Monday (Twitter links).
The deal is a coup for Heat president Pat Riley, not only because Oden chose Miami over five other finalists, but because he consented to the minimum salary, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. That allows the Heat to preserve their mini mid-level exception should an enticing player come available at some point this season.
The Spurs and Mavs appeared as of last night to be Miami's primary competition, with the Pelicans next in line, followed by the Kings and the Hawks. Sources from three Western Conference teams among those spurned finalists told Stein minutes before news broke of Oden's decision that they were informed that they wouldn't be landing the former No. 1 overall pick, and that they believed he was headed to Miami (Twitter link).
Oden tells former Ohio State teammate Mark Titus of Grantland.com that the Heat became the front-runners for him when he visited Miami during the NBA Finals. Three months ago, Oden told Titus that he wanted to play in Cleveland because he liked playing in Ohio. About a year ago, Oden let Titus know that the plan was to reunite in Memphis with Mike Conley, another of their Buckeye teammates. Conley's father, Mike Conley Sr., is one of Oden's agents.
The 7'0" center has only played 82 games in his NBA career, but he was on the Blazers roster for five seasons, meaning he qualifies for a minimum salary of $1,027,424 this season, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports confirms (Twitter link).
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Heat, Bobcats
Let's round up a few Tuesday morning items from around the Southeast Division….
- While most major free agents have found teams since the start of July, Wizards coach Randy Wittman rightly points out that there's still plenty of time left in the offseason to make moves. "We're not done," Wittman tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post. "[GM] Ernie [Grunfeld]’s not done, and we’re trying to explore [upgrades], whether it’s through trades or free agency."
- The Heat aren't likely to pursue Stephen Jackson, add another big, or retain Jarvis Varnado, opines Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in his latest mailbag.
- Joel Anthony (Heat) and Shelvin Mack (Hawks) are two of the potential "odd men out" identified by Lang Greene of HoopsWorld as possible trade candidates.
- After re-signing with the Bobcats this summer, Gerald Henderson speaks to Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer about wanting to a part of the solution in Charlotte, rather than a part of the problem.
James Ennis Likely Heading Overseas
On draft night the Hawks sent the 50th pick, James Ennis, to the Heat in exchange for a future second rounder. Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson reports that Ennis' agent, Scott Nichols, has informed the Heat he is making phone calls overseas on Ennis' behalf.
No final decision on Ennis' future with the team will come until the end of the week when Nichols speaks to Heat president Pat Riley about the situation, but it looks highly unlikely Ennis will suit up for the Heat this coming season. If Ennis plays overseas, the Heat maintain his rights; if Ennis goes to training camp in the fall, they either have to sign him, or waive him.
Nichols tells Tomasson he's spoken with teams in France, Russia, Australia, Italy and Germany about the 6'7" swingman out of Long Beach State. But Ennis' agent was adamant that because the Heat have so many wings who are free agents next summer (Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and James Jones), Ennis will "definitely" be playing for the Heat in the 2014/15 season.
Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel agreed that the glut of wings on the Heat probably led to the decision (Twitter link). The Heat are trying to avoid paying more in luxury taxes, and they're hopeful they can convince any remaining free agents–like their recent interest in point guard Sebastian Telfair–to take the minimum.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Stevenson, Henderson
Earlier today, we learned that the Heat are still interested in free agent point guard Sebastian Telfair. Telfair would help shore up Miami's depth chart, but they're hardly alone in their pursuit of the Brooklyn native. Both the Knicks and Thunder have been tied to Telfair this summer and it seems likely that the guard will land somewhere in the next couple of weeks. Here's more on Miami and the rest of the Southeast Division..
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel figures that the Heat should be able to convince most of their remaining targets to take the minimum, so he doesn't foresee the team using its mini mid-level exception.
- DeShawn Stevenson took to Twitter to lobby for an opportunity to play for the Heat this season, but that could be a poor fit for a number of reasons. Jeff Caplan of NBA.com recaps the most notable reason of all – Stevenson's previous animosity with two-time MVP LeBron James.
- Gerald Henderson met with reporters in Charlotte today, expressing his excitement about the Bobcats' offseason moves and explaining why he convinced the team to give him less money in exchange for a player option in the final year of his new contract. "I’ve improved every year and I believe I’ll continue to improve," Henderson said. "I have that much confidence in myself." Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer has more.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Heat Rumors: Telfair, Oden, D-League
HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus ranks the top six front offices in the NBA. Not surprisingly, the Heat and team president Pat Riley are No. 1 after back-to-back championships. They scored another victory this week, beating out a handful of other suitors for Greg Oden and convincing him to sign for the minimum. They're not content to stop there, as we detail amid the latest from South Beach:
- The Heat remain interested in Sebastian Telfair, sources tell HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (Twitter link). A pair of reports bookending July show that Riley and company have been consistently eyeing the veteran point guard, while the Knicks and Thunder have drawn multiple mentions as well.
- Miami has little to lose in its minimum-salary commitment to Oden, opines USA Today's Sean Highkin, writing for the Indianapolis Star.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether the Heat will send Oden down to the D-League at some point this season as he works his way back to health. Oden's technically a five-year vet, even though he's played only 82 career games, so he and the player's union would have to consent to the assignment. Still, the Heat would have greater latitude to oversee his rehab stint now that they run the basketball ops of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, as Schlosser points out.
Odds & Ends: Sixers, West, Gordon, Jamison
Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool appears to have become the leading candidate in the Sixers head coaching search, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Most reports have cited Brett Brown and Michael Curry as the front-runners, but it seems there are still several hopefuls who could emerge with the job. We passed along news from Washburn earlier today on the continuing possibility of a Rajon Rondo trade to the Pistons, and here's more from the Globe scribe as we round up the morning's news from around the NBA:
- The Knicks and Grizzlies have reportedly been in talks with Delonte West, but the Knicks appear to be out, and according to Washburn, no team has shown serious interest.
- The additions of Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans make for a crowded backcourt in New Orleans, but Eric Gordon is glad to have his new Pelicans teammates, he tells Washburn.
- Clippers boss Doc Rivers didn't make an offer to Antawn Jamison when they met for dinner last night, but the Clippers and Jamison's reps plan to talk soon, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- The Hawks waived DeShawn Stevenson on Friday, and in the likely event that he clears waivers and hits free agency, he'd like to sign with the Heat, according to a pair ofdispatches from his Twitter account.
- Shelvin Mack appears in a tenuous position with the Hawks, since his contract is non-guaranteed and he plays the same position as Jeff Teague and first-round pick Dennis Schröder. If the Hawks waive Mack, he'll be the primary point guard target for Olimpia Milano of Italy, Enea Trapani of Sportando reports.
- Elston Turner has reached an agreement to become an assistant coach for the Grizzlies, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The defensively minded Turner also spoke about joining the Timberwolves staff.
- Stefhon Hannah has signed to play with Juve Caserta in Italy, the team announced (translation via Sportando's Emiliano Carchia). Hannah worked out for the Knicks this summer, and spent two weeks last fall in training camp with the Warriors.
Notes On Greg Oden
In wake of his decision to sign with the Heat yesterday, here are a few more notes to pass along regarding Greg Oden.
- Sam Amico from FoxSportsOhio.com writes that very few teams in the league had any actual interest in Oden's services, quoting a general manager who said, "If we got him, great…But if not, we sure weren’t gonna cry about it. I don’t think anyone is looking at him as anything more than an emergency backup. That’s nice to have, but it’s not like it’s impossible to find.”
- USAToday offers several reasons why Miami's decision to sign Oden was a good one that'll pay off dividends in the future.
- ESPN's play-by-play announcer Mark Jones tweets that after Miami, the Spurs and Mavericks were Oden's second and third choices.
Odds & Ends: Free Agents, PEDs, Diawara
A few random notes from around the league on this Saturday afternoon.
- Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy let off several tweets detailing notable free agents still up for grabs on the open market. Lamar Odom, Richard Hamilton, Sebastian Telfair, and Leandro Barbosa are included on the list.
- The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi has a column on PED use in the NBA, and why the league doesn't take swifter action against possible users.
- Yakhouba Diawara, a four-year NBA veteran who last appeared with the Heat in 2010, recently worked out for Doc Rivers, and he has an audition set for next week with Miami, according to Alexandre Lacoste of Catch-and-Shoot.com