Raja Bell Close To Buyout With Jazz
JULY 30: Bell's buyout with the Jazz hasn't been finalized and there's a holdup in negotiations, a league source tells Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Utah would like to sign off on Bell's buyout and move on from last season's drama while Bell's camp has yet to agree to the terms, Smith tweets.
JULY 8: Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets that Raja Bell is on the verge of a buyout with the Jazz. The 6'5'' shooting guard averaged 6.4 PPG and shot 39.1% from three point range in 34 games last season. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo (via Twitter) says that Bell could be interested in returning to his hometown to play for the Heat. The Lakers could also be a possibility, as the 35-year-old guard would be reunited with former-Suns teammate Steve Nash.
Smith also mentions that Bell holds no ill-will toward the Jazz and greatly respects GM Kevin O'Connor. The 12-year-veteran elaborated further on his current situation with Smith (Sulia link):
"We typically play it pretty close to the vest. [Agent] Herb [Rudoy] and I are pretty private. But, in essence, [I'm] pretty much a free agent. I don't think the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed. But we've been given the greenlight by Utah to go ahead and find something that works for us. We've agreed to the terms. So I think it's safe to say now we are in the market again and we're entertaining our options at this point."
During the summer of 2010, Bell signed with Utah despite heavy interest from the Bulls and Lakers. In May of this year, we documented Bell's intentions of moving on from the Jazz and recalled the tension brewing between him and head coach Tyrone Corbin over the course of the season. Although Utah made the playoffs this year, Raja did not play in any of team's postseason games.
Odds & Ends: Vaughn, Heat, Jerebko, Pistons
The Magic have their head coach in former Spurs assistant Jacque Vaughn – now it’s on to the small matter of figuring out what to do with Dwight Howard. Here’s the latest from around the Association..
- While some outsiders might be surprised to see Vaughn get the head coaching job in Orlando over more high-profile candidates, the Spurs saw this coming, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “Jacque Vaughn is a star,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said upon hiring Vaughn two summers ago. “You can see the same qualities in him that you saw in Avery [Johnson].”
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn’t think that the Heat have to rush into adding a big man as it is July and there are still plenty of centers available.
- LeBron James had high praise for Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko and called him a “shining star,” writes Brian Manzullo of the Detroit Free Press. Jerebko inked a four-year, $18MM deal with Detroit prior to the start of the 2011/12 season.
- As far as Alonzo Mourning is concerned, the original Dream Team is the best USA basketball team ever assembled, Winderman writes. The former center believes that the second-best squad assembled is the 1994 USA team (also known as “Dream Team II”) which featured Mourning in the middle.
2011/12 Taxpaying Teams
While teams get their books in order for the 2012/13 season, navigating the salary cap and the luxury tax threshold, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com takes a look back at the league's 2011/12 finances. Deeks shares the official list of teams that paid the luxury tax in 2011/12, along with the amount each club paid. The list is as follows:
- Los Angeles Lakers: $12,557,264
- Boston Celtics: $7,365,867
- Miami Heat: $6,129,340
- Dallas Mavericks: $2,738,843
- San Antonio Spurs: $2,514,275
- Atlanta Hawks: $666,199
The more punitive luxury-tax penalties introduced in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement have yet to kick in, so the tax penalties for the aforementioned six teams come by way of the old system — teams are penalized $1 for every dollar they spend over the tax line. In 2011/12, that tax line was at $70,307,000, so the Hawks, for instance, spent $70,973,199 on their roster.
Tax penalties for 2012/13 will remain the same as in 2011/12, but next offseason the CBA's increased restrictions take effect in earnest. In the summer of 2013, teams over the luxury tax line are ineligible to acquire players in sign-and-trade deals, while clubs that exceed the tax threshold for the 2013/14 season will pay an incremental rate based on team salary.
Heat Notes: Lewis, Sign-And-Trades, Milicic
The rich got richer this offseason as the Heat reloaded for another run at the Larry O'Brien trophy heading into the 2012/13 season. With the proverbial monkey off LeBron James' back, the Heat will enter next season as the odds-on favorites to take home another championship with an even stronger supporting cast surrounding King James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel has the latest news and headlines from South Beach to catch you up to speed…
- The addition of Rashard Lewis to the mix for merely the veteran minimum doesn't mean the forward will strictly come off the bench for the Heat next season. Adding Lewis to the starting lineup would allow Shane Battier to return to his role of defensive stopper off the bench and allow Bosh to play at center given Lewis' length. Lewis, who is reportedly in good shape, will have to show something during training camp for any chance at securing a spot in the starting lineup.
- Joel Anthony and a first-round pick from the Sixers could be dangled as attractive pieces in a potential sign-and-trade if the Heat aren't satisfied with their current roster. While the team would benefit from acquiring a veteran point guard, the available options wouldn't make the team significantly better at this point. Andray Blatche, recently amnestied by the Wizards, could be a quality addition, but the team wouldn't have to do a sign-and-trade to acquire him.
- Look for Darko Milicic to end up in Miami now that Nazr Mohammed appears set to sign with the Bulls. Milicic could stand to benefit playing amongst a group of All-Stars who will push him to play to the best of his ability. At 27, the former second overall draft pick of the Pistons in 2003 still has a chance to have a respectable career if given the right opportunity.
Ben Wallace, Juwan Howard Considering Returns
Long-tenured NBA veterans Juwan Howard and Ben Wallace are considering whether to come back and play one more season. Howard, who'll turn 40 on February 7th, said he'd prefer to come back with the Heat if he opts against retirement, according to the Associated Press.
"I still have the itch," Howard said. "I still have the passion and the love for the game. More importantly, I still like staying in shape and I can't sit on my behind. I'm still iffy as far as if I want to come back and play or not, but I'll tell you one thing – once I decide, I want to be ready. So I am working out … ready for whatever happens."
Wallace recently indicated he'd like to return to the Pistons after previously saying he'd retire following last season. He tells WTVR, a Richmond, Va., television station near his home, that he's "50-50" about coming back. The Detroit Free Press says the team would have to make a trade to open a roster spot for Wallace, but that's contingent on the team signing second-round pick Khris Middleton, which is not a given. The Pistons are mulling whether Wallace fits in with their youth movement, but some in the organization would like him around to mentor ninth overall pick Andre Drummond, the Free Press report says.
Wallace averaged 1.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game last season for the Pistons, cracking the starting lineup 11 times. Howard was an afterthought in Miami, notching 1.5 PPG and 1.7 RPG in just 6.8 MPG in 28 appearances. If either were to play next season, it would almost certainly be on a veteran's minimum deal.
Four Teams In Running For Darko Milicic
No team submitted a bid for Darko Milicic when the Timberwolves placed him on amnesty waivers, but the former second overall pick is drawing interest now that he's a free agent. According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the Heat, Clippers, Bulls, and Nets are the frontrunners to sign Milicic.
We heard yesterday that the Nets and Clippers are targeting backup centers, so their interest comes as no surprise. The Heat are also in the market for a big man, after adding a pair of shooters, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, in free agency. The most interesting team of the four is the Bulls — K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wonders (via Twitter) if Chicago's interest in Darko is a hint that the team might let Omer Asik go to Houston.
While Milicic certainly hasn't had the sort of career that the other top-five picks in 2003 have, the 27-year-old is one of the more attractive centers left among this summer's unrestricted free agents. Nazr Mohammed, Ben Wallace, and Ryan Hollins are a few of the other available options.
With the T-Wolves still paying him for the next two years, Milicic is a good bet to sign a minimum-salary deal this summer.
Free Agent Rumors: Timberwolves, Rush, Mills
A couple more notable names came off the free agent market this morning, when Kris Humphries landed a two-year deal from the Nets and Grant Hill agreed to sign with the Clippers. While a number of solid rotation players are still available, the market is rapidly thinning for teams in search of starters. As clubs continue to jockey to sign the remaining available players, we'll track many of today's free agent rumors right here:
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune lists who the Timberwolves will target with nearly $14MM in cap space if they lose out on Nicolas Batum, specifically highlighting Courtney Lee, Jordan Hill, and Greg Stiemsma.
- Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times says that despite the delay on an official decision regarding Brandon Rush's future, the Warriors are still likely to retain him.
Earlier updates:
Mike Miller Won’t Retire
Despite being continually plagued by several injuries last season, Mike Miller does not plan to retire, according to an ESPN report (via the Associated Press). The Heat veteran dealt mostly with a debilitating back problem last season that would have caused him to lean toward retirement if surgery was required this summer. However, after discussions with his doctor and the conclusion that rest and rehabilitation were viable alternatives to surgery, Miller remains hopeful that he can recover well enough to play again soon.
Ray Allen Signs With Heat
JULY 15 12:40pm: According to a Miami Herald report, Ray Allen's contract has a player option for the 2013-14 season, giving the lethal three-point shooter an opt-out opportunity should things not work out after the first year.
WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Heat have officially signed Allen, the team announced in a press release.
FRIDAY, 8:52pm: The Heat have reached agreement on a deal with free agent guard Ray Allen, Heat owner Micky Arison announced via Twitter. The agreement was confirmed by agent Jim Tanner, tweets Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated. The veteran is widely expected to sign for the mini mid-level exception, worth $3.09MM per year.
Grant Hill Considering Knicks, Heat, Lakers
Grant Hill has narrowed down his list of potential teams to play for next season to three, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Hill, 39 and currently the second oldest player in the league, is interested in joining the Knicks, Heat or Lakers. According to Isola, Hill met with the Knicks in Las Vegas to discuss how the small forward would be a great addition to New York's roster. (Twitter link).
While all three teams are considered championship contenders heading into the 2012/13 season, Hill's wife prefers New York over Miami and Los Angeles. As we mentioned last week, the Lakers were considered the frontrunners for Hill given ex-Suns teammate Steve Nash's arrival in LA but it appears the Knicks are vying for the top spot given the preference of Hill's wife. Regardless of where Hill ends up, Hoops Rumors' Luke Adams predicts Hill will receive a one-year deal worth the veteran's minimum or a small cap exception.