Southeast Notes: Bobcats, Wizards, Meeks, Jardine
Earlier today we learned that the Bobcats missed out on free agent forward Carl Landry, whom they've been eyeing for quite some time. Ultimately, the player regarded as the best remaining free agent decided to ink a two-year, $8MM deal with the Warriors. A sign-and-trade with the Hornets was a rumored possibility but that proved to be difficult after the club renounced his rights. More from the Southeast division..
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter) says there is no telling if the Bobcats will bring in another power forward after missing out on Landry. It's possible that Charlotte will stand pat and instead go with the bigs that they already have. That strategy would mean that the club is betting heavily on Tyrus Thomas bouncing back after he averaged 5.6 PPG last season.
- The Wizards, along with the Lakers and Bucks, are among the frontrunners for free agent Jodie Meeks, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. “There are five or six teams, but those three are at the forefront right now because I’ve been talking to them the most," said the soon-to-be 25-year-old. Kennedy adds that Meeks seems likely to sign this week.
- Scoop Jardine, who broke his right foot three days before the draft, will likely receive an invitation to training camp with the Bobcats, a source told John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The guard was hardly a lock to be drafted before the injury but was said to have impressed the Sixers.
Odds & Ends: Blazers, Przybilla, Gentry, Villanueva
With Olympic basketball underway in London, new Timberwolves Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved led the Russian squad to a victory over Great Britain in each team's first game. Former NBA veteran Pops Mensah-Bonsu scored 22 points for Britain, and has also reportedly agreed to play in Israel for the coming season. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter) confirms an Israel Today report suggesting that Mensah-Bonsu has agreed to terms with Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 28-year-old had played in regular-season games for the Mavericks, Spurs, Raptors, Rockets, and Hornets in four NBA seasons.
Let's round up a few more Monday odds and ends….
- The Trail Blazers will interview their final four coaching candidates today and tomorrow, starting with Steve Clifford today, tweets Jason Quick of the Oregonian. Kaleb Canales, Terry Stotts, and Elston Turner are the other finalists.
- Joel Przybilla says he's meeting with teams this week and will decide "really soon" where he'll play in 2012/13, though he didn't say if the Blazers are still in the running, according to Quick (Twitter links). We heard last week that the Bucks, Blazers, and Mavericks were all interested in the big center.
- Suns coach Alvin Gentry isn't concerned that the team hasn't extended his contract, which will expire at the end of the coming season. "My view is if a person has a three-year contract, you assess it at the end of three years," said GM Lon Babby, and Gentry is on board with that approach, as he tells Randy Hill of FOX Sports Arizona.
- Plenty of Pistons fans were disappointed that Detroit didn't amnesty Charlie Villanueva earlier this month, but the veteran forward tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that he plans to take advantage of the opportunity and use fans' scorn as motivation.
Woelfel On Bucks, Przybilla, Meeks
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times has a notebook about the Bucks' plans for the remainder of the offseason, including several players they have interest in:
- Woelfel writes that the Bucks remain interested in Joel Przybilla, as was reported earlier this week. They view him as a fit to back up Samuel Dalembert.
- The Bucks have explored the possibility of signing free-agent guard Jodie Meeks, Woelfel writes.
- Woelfel notes that the Denver Nuggets attempted to move ahead of the Bucks in June's NBA Draft to select John Henson, Milwaukee's eventual selection.
Extension Candidate: Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings seemed to throw his long-term future with the Bucks into question when he said in February he was "doing my homework on big-market teams." Jennings quickly backtracked a little, and more recently he's indicated a willingness to sign a long-term extension with Milwaukee. The 6'1" high-scoring point guard has never been an All-Star, and the Bucks have only made one playoff appearance in his three seasons with the team, but there are still compelling reasons for them to want to hang on to the player they took 10th overall in 2009.
Jennings made an early splash with a 55-point burst in just his seventh pro game, but averaged just 15.8 points per game for his first two seasons. He lifted that number significantly this past season, to 19.1, helped not only by 2.2 more shots per game, but by improved shooting as well. He's continually raised his field goal percentage, from 37.1% in his rookie year to 39.0% in 2010/11, and to 41.8% last season. His advanced metrics show similar upticks, as his true shooting percentage, PER and win shares per 48 minutes all show year-to-year improvement throughout Jennings' brief career.
The Bucks are looking forward to a full season of Jennings and Monta Ellis in the backcourt. While conventional wisdom might suggest Ellis would siphon some of Jennings' offense, that wasn't the case last year, as Jennings' scoring average and shooting percentage were both up after Ellis arrived in a trade with the Warriors. Ellis averaged more than four fewer points per game with the Bucks than with the Warriors last year, so it remains to be seen whether the pairing can work for both players. Unfortunately, the Bucks won't have the benefit of a sample size larger than last year's 21-game partial-season experiment if they want to sign Jennings to an extension, since the deadline to do so is October 31.
Milwaukee has never been a destination for top-flight free agent talent, so it makes sense for the franchise to do what it can to retain its own players, even if it has to overpay a little. Jennings turns 23 in September, and given his steady improvement, he could easily develop into an annual 20+ PPG scorer, a commodity at the point guard position. He's never been a high-assist player, topping out at 5.7 assists per game his rookie year, but his career assist-to-turnover rating of 5.4-to-2.3 suggests he can handle an offense with at least passable efficiency.
Based on Jennings' track record and potential, the Bucks can probably justify a four-year extension for the maximum. That would mean a first-year salary of 25% of whatever the salary cap is in 2013/14, when the extension would take effect, with 7.5% raises. That works out to about $14.5MM in the first year based on the current $58.044MM cap. In 2013/14, the Bucks will have $7.9MM committed to Ersan Ilyasova in the second year of his five-year deal, while Ellis has an early termination option worth $11MM for that season. Assuming Ellis stays with the Bucks and Jennings gets a max extension, that's $33.4MM for three players, which is not too expensive for the core of a team.
While Jennings, Ellis and Ilyasova are all under 30 and have room for improvement, no one's mistaking them for the cornerstones of a title winner. The Bucks have the flexibility to keep their team intact, but it's clear they'll need more. It's doubtful they can do much better than Jennings on the free agent market, but if they decide against extending him, or he decides to see what he can get from those big-market teams he talked about in February, he could be in for a tough go in restricted free agency.
Point guards Ty Lawson, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague could all become restricted free agents next summer, while Chris Paul, Jose Calderon, Mo Williams could be up for grabs as unrestricted free agents. Jennings could always sign his qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2014, but that seems unlikely. A maximum extension appears to be mutually beneficial for both the Bucks and Jennings, and I expect agent Bill Duffy and GM John Hammond to come to an agreement soon.
Bucks, Mavs, Blazers Interested In Joel Przybilla
FRIDAY, 1:02pm: Przybilla will meet with the Bucks on Monday, and is expected to meet with the Mavs and Blazers as well, though no dates have been set yet, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
MONDAY, 1:28pm: In addition to the Bucks, the Mavs and Trail Blazers have also expressed interest in Przybilla, according to agent Bill Duffy. Duffy tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that those three teams have shown the highest level of interest in his client.
12:23pm: A week after tweeting that unrestricted free agent Joel Przybilla was on Milwaukee's radar, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reports (via Twitter) that interest between Przybilla and the Bucks is mutual. According to Woelfel, the 32-year-old center is expected to meet with the Bucks later this week.
Rumors that Przybilla will return to the team with whom he started his career are nothing new — when the big man was deciding where to sign earlier this year, he narrowed his options to four clubs, including his hometown Bucks.
While Milwaukee has plenty of forward depth, the team could use a center to back up presumed starter Samuel Dalembert. Players like John Henson, Ekpe Udoh, and Larry Sanders may all see a few minutes in the middle, but are likely more suited for the power forward position.
Cavs Claim Jon Leuer Off Waivers
10:03pm: The Cavs confirmed their successful waiver claim on the team website.
6:35pm: Zgoda tweets that the Timberwolves didn't put in a claim for Leuer, correcting what he said earlier.
6:02pm: Jon Leuer is headed to Cleveland after being waived by the Rockets earlier this week, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Zach Lowe of SI.com says the Cavs will simply sign him (Twitter link), but Either way, it appears the 6'10" Leuer will suit up for the Cavs next season, likely on a minimum-salary deal. Zgoda says the Timberwolves also put in a claim, but since the Cavs had an inferior record last season, Cleveland's bid wins out.
The 6'10" power forward averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds with a 15.3 PER in 12.1 minutes a game as a rookie last season for the Bucks, who traded him to the Rockets as part of a deal for Samuel Dalembert. He was the 40th overall pick of the 2011 draft.
Agent Says Knicks Eyeing Shooting Guards
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com reports the Knicks have interest in unrestricted free agents Sonny Weems and Maurice Evans, according to Roger Montgomery, the agent for both players. The Knicks are seeking depth at shooting guard with Iman Shumpert out until January and J.R. Smith the only rotation-caliber two-guard on the roster, but have only the veteran's minimum at their disposal, as Zwerling points out.
The Knicks could also be a candidate for Randy Foye if the Clippers consent to a sign-and-trade, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, also identifying the Suns, Bucks and Bulls as Foye suitors (Twitter link). Foye spent most of last season in the starting lineup for the Clippers, averaging 11.0 points, 2.2 assists and 2.1 rebounds with a 13.5 PER.
The 26-year-old Weems spent last season playing overseas after averaging 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Raptors in 2010/11. Toronto withdrew its qualifying offer to Weems last week, making him an unrestricted free agent. Evans, who'll be 34 when the season starts, spent last season with the Wizards, putting up 4.9 PPG, 1.0 RPG and 0.4 APG in just 14.3 minutes a night.
Evans seems the more likely bet to settle for the minimum salary, as Zwerling notes. A twist to the story is that Montgomery is also the agent for Jeremy Lin, whose offer sheet the Knicks declined to match this week.
Free Agent Rumors: O’Neal, Bulls, Wallace
The Spurs have made a handful of signings so far this summer, but every contract agreement they've reached has been for one of their own players — unrestricted free agents Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw will return, along with restricted free agents Danny Green and Patty Mills. Even the team's one new addition, Nando De Colo, wasn't a free agent, since San Antonio held his NBA rights exclusively. The Spurs are standing relatively pat this offseason, not pursuing outside free agents, and that's just fine with coach Gregg Popovich, as he tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
So while the remaining free agents on the market aren't likely to draw a ton of interest from San Antonio, there are plenty of other potential destinations out there. Here's the latest on a few available players:
- The Bucks are taking a "long look" at Jermaine O'Neal's workout today, tweets Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
Earlier updates:
- The Bulls are eyeing shooting guards such as Marco Belinelli, Randy Foye, Delonte West, and Willie Green, according to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
- Despite indicating earlier this year that he intended to retire, Ben Wallace would like to return to the Pistons for the 2012/13 season, says Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. The Pistons have a full roster, so they'd have to make a move to clear a spot to sign the unrestricted free agent.
- The Warriors and Bobcats are still pursuing Carl Landry, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Charlotte, which could offer Landry more money, is attempting to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Hornets.
- A number of teams have expressed interest in Mickael Pietrus, but the Celtics are still "very much in the picture," says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com adds (via Twitter) that Pietrus has a "huge" offer from an overseas team, but that he wants to play for an NBA contender on more than a minimum-salary deal.
- The Clippers have reached out to Ryan Hollins and Darko Milicic, in hopes of adding a backup big man for the minimum salary, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Darko's agent Marc Cornstein says playing time will be a bigger factor for his client than money, since the Timberwolves are still sending him pay checks.
- A big-name free agent came off the market yesterday when the Trail Blazers matched Nicolas Batum's offer sheet. As Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes, Blazers GM Neil Olshey stressed that reports suggesting Batum didn't want to return to Portland were orchestrated by the Timberwolves and Batum's agent. "Nic never said that," Olshey said. "Let’s be very clear. Nic made a couple of comments at the behest of the Minnesota Timberwolves and his agent. That was their agenda; it was never Nicolas’s agenda."
Shannon Brown Close To Signing?
According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter), Shannon Brown is close to signing a contract with an unknown team. Woelfel notes that the Bucks have been eyeing Brown, who has also drawn interest from the Suns. I wouldn't be surprised to see Brown re-sign with the Suns, after the team fell short in its pursuit of O.J. Mayo.
Brown, 26, has played for five NBA teams in his six-year career, most notably appearing in every regular season game for the Lakers in 2009/10 and 2010/11. For the Suns last season, he started 19 of 59 games, setting or matching career highs in PPG (11.0), MPG (23.7), and PER (13.6).
Odds & Ends: T-Wolves, Griffin, Nuggets, Hollins
- After tearing his left meniscus during a Team USA practise last Wednesday, Blake Griffin was forced to remove himself from the Olympic games. The Clippers forward had successful surgery today, and is still expected to be ready in time for training camp, tweets Yahoo! Sports columnist Marc J. Spears.
- The Nuggets are considering using their amnesty provision on forward Chris Andersen, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Andersen has two years and $9MM left on his deal.
Earlier updates: