Odds & Ends: Anderson, Mbenga, Heat, Harden
It's been a busier day than we've had for a while around the NBA, and with training camps opening as soon as September 29th, expect the faster pace of news to continue. Let's dive right into some of the latest from around the league:
- James Anderson's deal with the Hawks is a one-year, non-guaranteed pact, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
- D.J. Mbenga, who agreed to terms with the Mavericks earlier today, has already agreed to join the team's D-League affiliate if he doesn't make the NBA club out of training camp, reports Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
- An agent tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the Heat are only offering contracts without a guarantee, which makes sense, since they already have agreements with 18 players. Winderman also speculates that Raja Bell could be a fit for the Heat whenever he finalizes the buyout he continues to negotiate with the Jazz (Sulia link).
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com delves deep into Thunder GM Sam Presti's comments about a possible extension for James Harden, and says that while Isiah Thomas is unlikely to return in a formal capacity to the Knicks soon, he looms as a potential candidate to join an NBA team as a coach or executive down the road.
- Zach Lowe of SI.com runs down several players for whom 2012/13 will be an especially important season.
- After looking at 10 overpaid players earlier today, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News also shares his list of the 10 most underpaid players in the league.
Odds & Ends: Harris, Aguilar, 2014 Draft, Bynum
Let's round up a few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association….
- Before he re-signed with the Heat, Terrel Harris turned down contract offers from the Cavaliers and teams in Spain and Russia, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link).
- Former Philippine Basketball Association first overall pick Japeth Aguilar is trying to earn an invite to an NBA training camp, writes Joseph Pimentel of ABS-CBN News. According to his agent, Aguilar has a workout scheduled with the Spurs and is trying to line one up with the Magic as well.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News lists his choices for the top ten most toxic contracts in the NBA.
- For the draft buffs who are already looking ahead to 2013 and beyond, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has published his mock draft for 2014.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic wonders if any of the Suns' new acquisitions will fill the leadership void left by Steve Nash's and Grant Hill's departures.
- Will Bynum should have a clearer path to playing time this season with Ben Gordon out of the picture for the Pistons, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside makes the case for why Marvin Phillips deserves an opportunity to earn an NBA roster spot.
Hassan Whiteside Working Out For Heat
Hassan Whiteside, who worked out for the Timberwolves last week, is in Miami today to audition for the Heat, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500. Whiteside's agent tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune that the Miami workout may not be his client's last, as there are a handful of other teams interested in having the former King work out for them (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves and Heat are among the teams still looking to add at least one more big man to their respective rosters. The T-Wolves are said to have interest in Mehmet Okur, but Okur is seeking more than a minimum-salary deal, which is all Minnesota can offer. The Wolves are still "very much in the mix" for Whiteside, according to his agent (Twitter link via Zgoda).
The Heat, meanwhile, have been frequently linked to former Knick Josh Harrellson, but he remains unsigned. Over the weekend, we heard that the Heat are considering bringing Harrellson on board, but Whiteside's workout suggests the team is still exploring its options.
In two seasons with the Kings, Whiteside recorded only 111 total minutes, but his height (7'0") and age (23) make him a potentially intriguing prospect for teams looking to add another frontcourt player.
Heat Re-Sign Terrel Harris
SEPTEMBER 10TH: The Heat confirmed the signing via press release.
SEPTEMBER 8TH: The Heat have agreed to re-sign guard Terrel Harris, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Terms of the deal are not yet known but yesterday we learned that the Heat were planning to offer him a non-guaranteed contract.
Miami now has 13 guaranteed contracts heading into 2012/13, leaving them with two vacant roster spots. One spot will likely go to a big man such as Mickell Gladness or Jarvis Varnado, who each signed make-good contracts with the team yesterday. The remaining spot will likely go to a wing player such as Harris. The 25-year-old averaged 3.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 14.5 minutes per contest last season.
Odds & Ends: Fegan, Childress, Anthony, Gee
Prominent NBA agent Dan Fegan has confirmed that he's no longer with Lagardère Unlimited, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (via Twitter). Fegan, who had been serving as the president of basketball at the agency, represents a number of NBA players, including big names like Dwight Howard and Nene. It will be interesting to see how many of those clients he takes with him.
Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Josh Childress will meet with Nets GM Billy King and coach Avery Johnson and work out for the team on Tuesday, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. We heard last week that Childress and Dominic McGuire would work out for the Nets, but McGuire has since reached an agreement with the Raptors.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel thinks the Heat could be angling to find a way to move Joel Anthony's contract. Anthony has three years remaining on his deal (including a third-year player option) for about $3.8MM annually.
- Sean Williams remains on the Timberwolves' radar, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500. Wolfson had reported late last month that the T-Wolves were eyeing the big man.
- Alonzo Gee's new deal with the Cavaliers, which was finally completed earlier today, was held up because Gee switched agents during the negotiations, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Sulia link). The Cavs wing is now represented by Happy Walters.
- After the Kings, Cavaliers, Wizards, Bobcats, and Hornets drafted in the top five in June, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines whether any of last year's NBA bottom-dwellers are ready to contend for the postseason in 2012/13.
Odds & Ends: Shaq, Howard, Gladness, Harrellson
Shaquille O'Neal, speaking with Rachel Whittaker of The Times-Picayune, refuted reports that he would play a couple of games for a team in the Mexican league next month while still leaving the door open for such a cameo to take place, saying "we could talk, but nobody has contacted me." While the future Hall of Famer ponders a cameo south of the border, he said he's had little time to consider the implications of Dwight Howard with the Lakers. Shaq is "flattered" that D12 followed his footsteps from the Magic to the L.A., but he said, "I don't have a reaction. You have to care to have a reaction. I've got businesses to run. I always tell people that in order to step in my shoes you have big shoes to fill. For him, he's going to have to at least win three to get people's respect."
Here's more news from around the Association:
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside takes a close look at Mickell Gladness, who returned to the Heat on Friday with a non-guaranteed contract.
- Despite the additions of Gladness and Jarvis Varnado, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the Heat are still thinking of signing Josh Harrellson, who worked out for the team last month and is expected to take part in a Heat "pre camp" the next couple of weeks with other free agents looking to earn an invitation the club's formal training camp.
- Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio says that he's targeting December for his return from knee surgery, Sergio Vera of the Spanish website Sport.es reports (translation via Joan Niesen of FoxSportsNorth.com). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune adds a word of caution, noting that Rubio hasn't yet been cleared to run (Twitter link).
- Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com breaks down Hakeem Olajuwon's recent comments to Yannis Koutroupis and Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, and disagrees with the Hall of Famer, arguing that elite talent doesn't need to be more evenly distributed throughout the league.
Knicks Rumors: Isiah, Camby, Giddens
Knicks owner James Dolan would like to have former coach and executive Isiah Thomas formally rejoin the organization in some capacity, but Thomas is reluctant come back, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Thomas might fear media backlash if he is rehired, and he has lingering resentment of some MSG executives from his previous tenure with the team, Isola writes. Thomas, who was college teammates with GM Glen Grunwald and coach Mike Woodson, is serving as an unofficial adviser to the team, according to Isola's report, and an eventual return in a official capacity seems likely. Here's more from the Big Apple:
- We passed along an item about Marcus Camby's enthusiasm for the Knicks roster last night, and in the piece Keldy Ortiz wrote for Newsday, Camby also talked about how close he came to signing with the Heat. Camby said it was a phone call from former teammate and current Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston that persuaded him to come to New York. "I knew that it would have been very hard for me to put on that Miami Heat uniform, especially all the battles we used to have back in the days with Houston and those guys," Camby said. "I'm happy things worked out."
- Camby also spoke about reuniting with some of his old Nuggets and Blazers teammates who are now with him on the Knicks, and adjusting to a bench role after starting for so long, as Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of the New York Post writes.
- Former Knicks guard J.R. Giddens, who the Celtics took with the final pick of the first round in the 2008 draft, could be headed to the Italian league to play for Centrale del Latte Brescia, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Cavs, Nelson, Heat
While there has been a great deal of championship talk surrounding the Heat, Lakers, and Thunder this summer, the Bobcats have a more modest goal of not repeating as the NBA's worst team in 2012/13. While the Bobcats are still a work in progress, this year's team in Charlotte isn't nearly as bad as last season's group, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. Offseason acquisitions including rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Ben Gordon, Brendan Haywood, and Ramon Sessions should all help lift the team a little bit further out of the basement. As for the new cellar dweller? Brigham suggests that the Magic seem to be a likely candidate. Here's today's look around the Association..
- The Cavs brought former University of Richmond point guard Kevin Anderson in for a workout this week, a source told Sportando. Anderson spent last season with French team SIG Strasbourg, averaging 12.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 4.0 RPG.
- From Lithuania to the Lakers, forward Reeves Nelson truly has come full circle, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside. Nelson was once viewed as a first-round talent, but off-court trouble led to him being kicked out of the UCLA program and a brief stint overseas. The Lakers signed Nelson to a non-guaranteed deal earlier this week.
- In today's mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel opines that the Heat did not make a "mistake" by whiffing on Andray Blatche, as he wouldn't have been a player of major consequence in the rotation anyway.
- David Mayo of MLive.com isn't sure what Ukrainian big man Vyacheslav Kravtsov brings to the table for the Pistons. Detroit signed the 24-year-old over the summer as their third center behind Jason Maxiell and rookie Andre Drummond.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Young, Heat, Beyer
It has been a busy day and night for the Lakers on this early-September Friday, which is certainly nothing new considering the influx of material since they landed Dwight Howard. Today they signed their second round pick, finalized their offseason coaching staff overhaul and their GM, Mitch Kupchak, spoke with SI.com's Sam Amick about all things Lakers. In addition to the earlier stories, Brian Kamenetzky of ESPN Los Angeles gives his take on three of the small, but meaningful issues facing the team.
But there are 29 other teams in the NBA, so let us round up some of the odds and ends from around the Association here tonight:
- Chauncey Billups is way ahead of schedule in his recovery from a left Achilles injury, writes Helene Elliot of the L.A. Times. Billups hasn't set a target return date yet, but said, "When my body feels right, that's when I'll be back. That being said, I'm far ahead of schedule. It's not even like I had a summer. I've been on the whole time, doing rehabbing and other work every day. I'm looking forward to getting back to playing and being with the guys and resuming my normal life as a player."
- Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld, via USA Today, writes that with the moves that the Knicks made – getting older and wiser – the team should be better equipped to compete and that the window to win is now. One interested tidbit from Beer – there are only five active NBA players over the age of 38 and the Knicks acquired three of them this offseason in Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd and Kurt Thomas.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News evaluates the chances of the Mavericks ending up with Kevin Martin and/or Josh Smith next summer, both of whom are free agents. After striking out this summer in free agency, the Mavericks should be in position to try again in a year with a similar level of financial flexibility.
- Dei Lynam of CSN Philly is doing a player by player breakdown of the revamped 76ers roster, and today she tackles swingman Thaddeus Young. The small forward position is much less crowded in Philadelphia after the departure of Andre Iguodala, and Young has made it an offseason goal to slide into that position as a starter.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside says that while the D-League has been increasingly effective as an NBA farm system, there is additional room for growth. He uses Andre Drummond as an example of a guy who would never be a D-League candidate, but for his development's sake, should be.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addresses a few questions about the world champion Heat, including his thoughts on what roles of Rashard Lewis and Udonis Haslem may play on the Miami bench.
- The NBA coaching carousel continues as the Warriors have reportedly hired Bob Beyer as an assistant coach, who spent the last five years in Orlando on Stan Van Gundy's staff, says Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area. Beyer will replace Wes Unseld Jr., who joined Jacque Vaughn's staff in Orlando.
Heat Sign Mickell Gladness, Jarvis Varnado
The Heat have signed a pair of bigs to make-good contracts, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Mickell Gladness and Jarvis Varnado have received invitations to the team's training camp, with a chance to earn a spot on the regular-season roster.
Gladness, 26, made his NBA debut in 2011/12, spending time with both the Heat and Warriors in his rookie season. The Alabama A&M product saw very limited minutes in his eight games for the Heat, but is viewed as a low-cost project, and didn't require a guaranteed contract.
Varnado, meanwhile, was the Heat's 41st overall pick in 2010, and has played overseas for the last two seasons. We heard a month ago from Emiliano Carchia of Sportando that Varnado would be leaving his team in Italy to join Miami's training camp, but the Heat didn't make it official until now.
The Heat now have 15 players under contract, but can continue to add players on non-guaranteed deals, up to a total of 20. Miami may not bring that many players to camp, but according to Winderman, the club is expected to offer non-guaranteed contracts to Terrel Harris and Robert Dozier, a 2009 second-rounder. The Heat have also worked out Josh Harrellson and Jerome Dyson this week.