Thunder Hire Darko Rajakovic To Coach 66ers
The Thunder have reached an agreement with Serbian coach Darko Rajakovic, hiring him to coach their D-League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Rajakovic still has to go through the immigration process, so his hiring has yet to become official, but when it does, he'll be the first European to coach an NBA or D-League franchise.
According to Wojnarowski, Thunder GM Sam Presti has a long relationship with Rajakovic, dating back to Presti's time with the Spurs. The GM targeted the 33-year-old Serbian out of a belief that he could develop the players that Oklahoma City sends to Tulsa for extra playing time.
Rajoakovic has coached Torrelodones in Spain for the last three seasons. He'll follow in the footsteps of two 66ers head coaches, Dale Osbourne and Nate Tibbetts, who have earned assistant coaching jobs for NBA teams since working in Tulsa.
Jeremy Lin Talks Knicks, D-League, Free Agency
The latest issue of GQ features a familiar face on its cover: Rockets guard Jeremy Lin. In the cover story for the November issue, GQ's Will Leitch profiles Lin, who spoke about playing in the D-League, his desire to finish his career with the Knicks, and a confusing summer in free agency. Here are a few of the highlights:
On wanting to remain in New York:
"You can't ask for a city or a fan base to embrace somebody more than they embraced me. I know it's kind of silly to talk about it with only two years under my belt in the league, but going in before free agency, I was like, 'I want to play in front of these fans for the rest of my career.' I really did. I really wanted to play in front of the Madison Square Garden fans for the rest of my career, because they're just unbelievable."
On his ascension from benchwarmer to star:
"I mean, to literally go from 'If I score two, three, or four points today, it's a good day' to setting the record for the most points scored in your first five starts of any NBA player, I'd be a huge liar if I told myself, 'I knew I could do that.' You know what I mean? That's not realistic. Let's just be honest. I had no idea I could play like that. It was as amazing to me as it was to everybody else."
On playing in the D-League prior to his breakout season:
"I'm going to be honest, playing in D-League games is tough. We got way more fans at Harvard games. It feels like a demotion, and it feels like if you have one bad game then the thought gets in your brain: I might get cut."
On whether he would have played overseas if he hadn't received a shot from an NBA team:
"I absolutely would not have liked playing in Spain or somewhere like that, so I was just gonna do it a year. Then I was gonna be done."
On the difficulty he had securing offers this offseason in free agency:
"[Rival teams] figured the Knicks were just going to match anyway, so there's no point. We couldn't get anybody. At one point in time I thought, 'Are we going to have zero contract offers?'…. The Rockets thought I was going to be a Knick. They told me when I signed there, 'We think it's an 80% to 95% chance of that happening.' That was consistent with what everyone was saying to me."
On whether he'd do anything differently in free agency:
"I might have been a lot more reserved about [seeking out offers] in free agency. But the thing about it is, there was no other way to handle the situation. I didn't get an offer from the Knicks, so I had to go test my market."
Odds & Ends: Chandler, Paul, Spurs, Jamison
Let's round up a few Wednesday odds and ends from around the Association….
- Although Wilson Chandler, who signed a five-year deal with the Nuggets earlier in 2012, tells Adrian Dater of the Denver Post that he wouldn't have done anything differently when it comes to playing last year in China, he's looking forward to a bounceback season with the Nuggets.
- Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com debate whether Chris Paul's impending free agency will become a distraction for the Clippers this season. For his part, Paul has said he doesn't expect to pay much attention to his contract situation until season's end.
- The Spurs are still seeking a permanent solution for backup point guard behind Tony Parker, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Gary Neal currently has the leg up for the job, but Patrick Mills and Cory Joseph remain in the mix.
- Antawn Jamison spoke to Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register about his decision to sign with the Lakers after he received the OK from his family in North Carolina.
- In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford takes an early look at some of the top ACC prospects expected to be part of the 2013 draft class.
- The Santa Cruz Warriors are interested in selecting Japeth Aguilar of the Philippines in the D-League draft, according to Sid Ventura of Yahoo! Sports. Golden State's D-League affiliate officially received approval today to relocate to Santa Cruz for the 2012/13 season.
NBA D-League Approves Santa Cruz Warriors
The NBA D-League has formally approved the relocation of the Warriors' D-League affiliate from Dakota to Santa Cruz, according to a press release. The move had long been expected, since the Warriors bought the D-League franchise a year ago, but had required league approval before it became official. The former Dakota Wizards will play in Santa Cruz starting in the 2012/13 season.
"We’re excited to bring the NBA D-League brand of basketball to Santa Cruz and Northern California," said NBA D-League president Dan Reed in a statement. "The relocation of the team from Bismarck to Santa Cruz further demonstrates the Golden State Warriors’ commitment to developing top young NBA prospects in the NBA D-League. We thank the fans in Bismarck for their support of the team over the last six NBA D-League seasons."
As our list of D-League affiliates for 2012/13 shows, the Warriors are one of 11 NBA teams that has a one-on-one relationship with a D-League franchise for the coming year.
Odds & Ends: Ilyasova, Stevenson, Thunder, Calipari
After inking a lucrative five-year deal, Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova vows that he won't rest on his laurels, writes Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times. While some players have let themselves go after getting money similar to his guaranteed $31.6MM over four years (with an $8.4MM option for year five), Ilyasova plans to do just the opposite. “It doesn’t work that way for me,” Ilyasova said. “That’s not my nature. The thing with this contract … there comes responsibility with it. People are expecting more, so that’s why I spent the summer working with a coach to try and improve myself.” More from around the Association..
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription req'd) writes that a full NBA minor league system would make the draft deeper and help unearth a player like Jeremy Lin more quickly. Currently, NBA teams keep a database of between 100 and 150 players that they actively scout with the idea of narrowing the board down to 60 players. A deeper draft would obviously make use of more scouting reports.
- Hawks veteran DeShawn Stevenson was excited to join the club after coming over in the Joe Johnson trade, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While Atlanta is stocked with shooters, Stevenson is quick to note that he also played with a similar cast in Dallas.
- J.A. Adande of ESPN.com runs down ten things to watch for in the Western Conference this season. Adande cautions that this could be the end of the Thunder as we know them with James Harden's contract situation in limbo. Adande opines that it would make sense for Oklahoma City to lock up Harden, look to win a title with the current group, and trade him down the road.
- Kentucky coach John Calipari told 106.7 the Fan in Washington D.C. that he has no plans to ever return to the NBA, writes Chris Fedor of Sports Radio Interviews. Calipari's last stint in the league came with the Nets where his top achievement was taking the team to the playoffs in the 1997/98 season.
- If Derek Fisher and Raja Bell land in NBA rotations, they are likely to be victims of the new flopping rules, tweets John Hollinger of ESPN.com. Fisher is currently a free agent while Bell continues to work on reaching a buyout agreement with the Jazz.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Walton, D12, Jazz, Wright
As NBA training camps continue, the big stories around the league today involved the Association's new anti-flopping policy and the Knicks finally making Rasheed Wallace's signing official. In spite of the buzz surrounding Wallace's return to the NBA, Knicks coach Mike Woodson tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that he views 'Sheed as an insurance policy, rather than someone who will play big minutes. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:
- There's still a chance Josh Howard ends up on the Knicks, but the team would have to cut someone to make room for him, tweets Zwerling. For now, New York is in "wait-and-see mode" while the team evaluates its current players, a source tells Zwerling (Twitter link).
- If the Cavaliers have made Luke Walton a buyout offer, he isn't aware of it, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link). According to Amico, Walton leaves such matters to his agent, and is expecting to play out the final year of his contract with the Cavs.
- The timetable for Dwight Howard's potential return keeps moving up, if you ask Howard, who tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he could play in the preseason.
- While Jazz players like Chris Quinn, Brian Butch, Darnell Jackson, and Trey Gilder are long shots to make the club's roster, coach Tyrone Corbin says everyone has a chance, according to Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News.
- Israeli team Maccabi Rishon LeZion has announced the signing of 2007 lottery pick Julian Wright, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's David Thorpe explores the impact it would have if the D-League evolved into a full minor league system for the NBA.
Eastern Notes: Magic, Sixers, Nets, Celtics
The biggest NBA news of the day so far has come out of Philadelphia, where the 76ers are announced Tony DiLeo's promotion to general manger. SI.com's Sam Amick has a few additional details on the move, including some other names that the Sixers pursued. According to Amick, the Sixers were turned down when they asked permission to speak to Jazz executive Kevin O'Connor and Thunder exec Troy Weaver. Here are a few more Friday notes out of the Eastern Conference:
- Harkless' and Smith's injuries will not be healed in time for the regular season, keeping them out of the Magic lineup until mid-November, Schmitz writes, updating his earlier tweet (below).
Earlier updates:
- Amick adds that the 76ers may still hire a more analytically-inclined executive to work alongside DiLeo in the Philadelphia front office.
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov had praise for GM Billy King and coach Avery Johnson, whose contracts are set to expire at season's end. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News passes along Prokhorov's quotes in a pair of tweets.
- Al Harrington, Maurice Harkless, and Ish Smith, all recovering from offseason surgery, are expected to miss training camp, tweets Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. All three players were added by the Magic this summer.
- J.J. Redick understands that the Magic are in a transition year, but says he loves playing in Orlando and that he and GM Rob Hennigan are "on the same page" when it comes to his future (Twitterlinks via John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com).
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks into which Celtics on non-guaranteed contracts are the best bets to earn a roster spot, concluding that Dionte Christmas is a clear-cut favourite.
- Raja Bell tells Andy Slater of 640 AM Sports in Miami that the Heat would be his first choice in free agency if he can work out a buyout with the Jazz (Sulia link via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel).
- In his latest mailbag for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman debates whether the Heat or Celtics had the better offseason and examines where Miami's roster stands.
Free Agent Notes: D.J. White, Whiteside, Yi
As teams continue to fill out their training camp rosters with free agent signings, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld takes a look at which clubs still have cap space or various cap exceptions. Pincus' piece is worth checking out for an update on where your favorite teams stands, financially, and it also provides one important reminder: When the season begins, sign-and-trade deals are no longer permitted. Given the rule changes coming next summer, these next few weeks will be the last opportunity taxpaying teams will have to conduct sign-and-trade deals under the current CBA.
Here's the latest on a few free agents still looking for work:
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein passes along "word from China" suggesting that the Shanghai Sharks are strongly pursuing unrestricted free agent D.J. White (Twitter link). We heard earlier this week that White was drawing interest from Israel.
- GM David Kahn and the Timberwolves have been doing extensive due diligence on Hassan Whiteside, says Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500, who believes the big man is a good bet to join the T-Wolves (Twitter links).
- Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside looks at whether Yi Jianlian's NBA window could be closing, and wonders if the former lottery pick would give the D-League a shot if it provided the best path back to the NBA.
- Matt Dickey, who went undrafted out of UNC Asheville, is hoping to join the D-League for the coming season, according to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
Odds & Ends: D-League, Cavaliers, Howard
There are still a number of big-name veterans left on the open market as we close in on the 2012/13 season, and Lang Greene of HoopsWorld opines that it is time for some of them – like Kenyon Martin and Mickael Pietrus – to take one of the minimum offers being put in front of them. Others, like Tracy McGrady, are still searching for a team to offer them a guaranteed one-year deal. Here's today's look around the Association as we wait to see where the best of the rest wind up..
- Former Kings guard Pooh Jeter announced via Twitter that he has signed with the Shandong Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association. The 5'11" guard has spent a great deal of time overseas and most recently suited up for Spanish team Joventut Badalona.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if NBA veterans should be allowed to play alongside promising young players in the D-League. Schlosser tips his cap to players like Mike James and Dan Gadzuric who used the D-League as a springboard back to the NBA but is less-than-supportive of vets such as Antoine Walker who have spent more than one year in the D-League without dominating the competition.
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer writes that the Cavaliers would still like to pick up a small forward. Alonzo Gee is the likely starter after re-signing on a three-year, $10MM deal and Omri Casspi figures to be his primary backup.
- Dwight Howard told ESPN.com's Ric Bucher that he doesn't have any regrets about moving on from the Magic but does wish that things unfolded differently. The Lakers big man is currently working to rehab from back surgery but will not return in time for the first preseason game of the year.
- Guard Manny Harris chose the right time to make the move overseas, opines Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside. The 22-year-old signed on with BC Azovmash of the Ukranian League earlier this week after shifting between the Cavaliers and the D-League over the last two seasons.
Odds & Ends: Louisville, D-League, Raptors
Earlier this summer, we heard rumblings of Virginia Beach putting the wheels in motion to land an NBA team with an eye on the Kings. Today, Marcus Green and Dan Klepal of The Courier-Journal write that a group of community leaders in Louisville, Kentucky would like to land a team as well. However, one city spokesman says that there is no "active deal" between the city and any team in the Association. Here's this afternoon's look around the league..
- The Maine Red Claws of the D-League are set to hire Mike Taylor as their next head coach, league sources tell Paul Flannery of WEEI.com. Taylor has experience in Europe and the D-League and will now head the Red Claws in their first year under the full control of the Celtics.
- AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops brings us his All-Eurobasket Qualifying team, which features Omri Casspi, Danilo Gallinari, and Marcin Gortat. Finnish guard Petteri Kaponen, whose draft rights are owned by the Mavericks, also turned in a standout performance during the games.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star expects the Raptors to offer Jamaal Magloire an off-the-court role if he does not survive with the club. Magloire's deal hasn't been officially announced yet but it is expected to be a one-year, non-guaranteed pact.
- Jarvis Varnado is hoping to make the Heat on a non-guaranteed deal, but Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel doesn't like his chances. Winderman expects Miami to give the nod to Mickell Gladness rather than the defensive-minded Varnado.
- Last year's D-League call-up record will likely be broken this season, opines Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside. Part of the reason for that is that there will be an all-time high of eleven NBA teams with single affiliates.