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Southwest Notes: Williams, Parsons, McGee, Butler

September 29th, 2015 at 3:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Deron Williams admits he bought into the idea of himself as a reduced player the past few seasons with the Nets, but both he and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle are optimistic about what the 31-year-old point guard can do in Dallas, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details.

“I want to prove myself wrong,” Williams said Monday. “I started to doubt myself in the past. Mentally, it took a toll on me. I just got to get out of that rut that I was in the last couple years mentally, and I look forward to this situation. I think I’m past that. This fresh start has definitely helped that a lot. I’m looking forward to this year. It’s a better situation.”

The Mavs invested a two-year, $11MM deal in the hopes that Williams can indeed perform better. See more on the Mavs and their Southwest Division rivals:

  • Chandler Parsons spoke about his close relationship with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in an interview with GQ’s Alex Wong that further addressed the Mavs’ failed effort to recruit DeAndre Jordan this summer. “He didn’t do anything illegal. I’m not mad at him,” Parsons said of Jordan. “At the end of the day, he’s a grown man and he’s entitled to do whatever he wants,” Parsons says. “He’s one of the best young centers in the NBA, and I wanted to play with him. He could have made us great. But he screwed us over.”
  • JaVale McGee is unlikely to be healthy enough to play at the start of the regular season, MacMahon tweets. McGee, who continues to recover from a recurring stress fracture in his left tibia, has a partially guaranteed contract, and his continued place on the Mavs roster depends on how other players perform in camp, MacMahon says. McGee’s partial guarantee of $250K jumps to $500K if he remains under contract through the end of business today.
  • Rasual Butler‘s deal with the Spurs is non-guaranteed for the minimum salary and only covers this season, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
  • Jeff Adrien‘s one-year, minimum salary contract with the Pelicans is non-guaranteed, reports Pincus also reports (Twitter link). The team’s non-guaranteed pact with Corey Webster is for two years, not three, as initially reported, Pincus reveals.
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The Beat: John Reid On The Pelicans

September 28th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Chuck Myron
johnreid

John Reid

Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.

We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Jabari Young, who covered the Blazers last season for Comcast SportsNet Northwest and will cover the Spurs this season for the San Antonio Express-News. Click here to see all of the previous editions of this series.

Today, we gain insight on the Pelicans from John Reid of The Times Picayune. You can follow John on Twitter at @JohnReid64, and check out his stories right here.

Hoops Rumors: Most of the roster is back, and so is GM Dell Demps, so the shift from Monty Williams to Alvin Gentry was the most significant change for the Pelicans. Why do you think the front office singled out coaching as the one part of the team in need of a shakeup?

John Reid: After Monty Williams was fired in May, Pelicans executive vice president Mickey Loomis acknowledged that they thought their group needed something different to get them to the next level. If the Pelicans had not blown a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter in Game 3 against the Warriors in their first-round playoff series and not been swept in four games, Williams probably would have kept his job. The Pelicans’ front office felt they had enough talent, but the team wasn’t consistent enough despite finishing with a 45-37 record and landing the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Throughout the regular season, the Pelicans underperformed on the road, going 17-24, a record that included losses to the lowly Knicks and 76ers.

Hoops Rumors: Which player do you think will benefit most from the coaching change, and whose game is most liable to suffer with Williams out of the picture?

John Reid: Anthony Davis is likely to benefit the most from the coaching change because Alvin Gentry is going to get him the ball more in his choice spots that increase his usage rate. Davis is most effective in the open court and Gentry’s up-tempo offense is ideal for him. Also, Davis’ ofensive game will be more extensive and expect for him to take more three-pointers, which is something he worked on improving this offseason.

Omer Asik probably will not play as many minutes this season under Alvin Gentry as he did for Monty Williams. Asik’s minutes are going to be split with backup Alexis Ajinca, who is a more polished scoring threat in the post. Asik has limited offensive skills and with the Pelicans’ plan to push the tempo, Asik could struggle to emerge because he is more of a back-to-the-basket, low-post player who is more effective in the slow-down halfcourt game.

Hoops Rumors: Anthony Davis, Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca all signed long-term deals with the team this summer, but Ryan Anderson is on an expiring contract. Given the crowded frontcourt, do you think the Pelicans still see Anderson as part of their long-term plan?

John Reid: I think Ryan Anderson is part of the franchise’s long-term plans.

There are not many players in the league like Anderson, a stretch four with three-point shooting ability. However, it has been difficult for him the past two seasons trying to overcome injuries. Anderson admitted last week that he is in the best shape of his career and could be poised to have a breakout season. If that happens, Anderson will be a priority for GM Dell Demps to re-sign next summer.

Hoops Rumors: Is the qualifying offer a better deal for Norris Cole, a better deal for the Pelicans, or simply a fair outcome for both sides?

John Reid: The qualifying offer was a better deal for the Pelicans since they had the leverage from the start because Norris Cole was a restricted free agent. The Pelicans wanted Cole to let the market dictate his value but in the end he couldn’t land a deal that would play him more than the Pelicans’ $3MM qualifying offer. So in turn, the Pelicans signed him to a one-year deal at the price they thought was warranted without having to overspend to re-sign him. But next summer, Cole will become an unrestricted free agent.

Hoops Rumors: The Pelicans have traded their last three first-round picks. Do you think the team will be especially hesitant to trade this year’s first-rounder as a result?

John Reid: The Pelicans have not had a first-round pick since the 2012 NBA Draft when they selected Anthony Davis as the No. 1 overall pick. Although the franchise appears to be stable, they still have to look ahead and there is a need to develop young talent instead of just relying on trades and free agency.

Hoops Rumors: What are reasonable expectations for the season ahead? Can the Pelicans compete with the top six teams in the West, or will they once more find themselves fighting for one of the last playoff spots?

John Reid: The Western Conference is so tough and even with the Pelicans re-signing all of their top returning players in free agency this offseason, they will still be in a tough fight to earn a playoff spot. But I think this team is capable of landing a sixth or seventh seed under Alvin Gentry, if they can avoid injuries. I think the Pelicans are clearly ahead of Portland, who lost LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency and the Mavericks, who were unable to sign Clippers center DeAndre Jordan in free agency. The Pelicans will be in a fight with Phoenix and Oklahoma City for one of the final three seeds.

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Southwest Rumors: Parsons, Lawson, Spurs

September 28th, 2015 at 8:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons had a “minor hybrid” microfracture operation on his right knee, sources told Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Parsons confirmed the procedure during the team’s media day session on Monday, MacMahon tweets. Parsons has not been fully cleared for the beginning of training camp but coach Rick Carlisle said he might be ready for the opener, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Wesley Matthews, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, might be ready by Christmas, Townsend reported in the same tweet. Matthews has already been ruled out for the opener by Carlisle, MacMahon adds (Twitter link).

In other news around the Southwest Division:

  • Ty Lawson knows this season with the Rockets will be a pivotal one in his career, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Lawson was dealt by the Nuggets after he was arrested twice on DUI charges this year. “This is like a turning point. What kind of career are you going to have?” Lawson told Feigen.
  • New Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry plans to install an up-tempo offense focused on spacing, ball movement and quick-strike scoring, John Reid of NOLA.com reports. Gentry believes he has the personnel to play that style, Reid adds. ”I think it’s going to be an exciting brand of basketball,” Gentry told Reid. “We’re going to try and get the ball up and down the floor.”
  • Tim Duncan doubted that the Spurs would land free agent prize and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. “Honestly, I was betting against us … right up to the end,” Duncan told McDonald.
  • Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich admitted the team needed to trade center Tiago Splitter to create financial flexibility, according to Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Splitter, who has two year and $17.35MM remaining on his contract, was shipped to the Hawks in July. “We knew if we wanted to change the team and add talent, [trading Tiago] was something we had to do,” Popovich said during the team’s media day.
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And-Ones: Kings, Pelicans, Hornets

September 27th, 2015 at 7:45pm CST by Will Joseph

Kings president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac told Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee in a wide-ranging Q&A that he pulled the trigger on the trade that sent that sent Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Nik Stauskas to the Sixers because it allowed the team flexibility to acquire Kosta Koufos, Marco Belinelli and Rajon Rondo in free agency. Divac added that he also made the deal because he believes the Kings should be able to contend for a playoff spot and play above .500.

Speaking of Rondo, Divac added that he views the veteran as a leader and coach on the court and that is a big reason for the signing. Divac sees Darren Collison being able to share the floor with Rondo because of Collison’s versatility.

Here’s more on Jones’ interview with Divac and other notes from around the basketball world:

  • When asked about how he learned about free agency, the salary cap and trades, Divac told Jones that he leaned on assistant GM Mike Bratz. Bratz drew mention as someone who is now on the same page with coach George Karl and DeMarcus Cousins. On the Karl-Cousins saga, Divac said the problems between the two were the result of frustration from the previous season and that trust was built in a meeting over the summer.
  • Jeff Adrien‘s $1.1MM deal with the Pelicans is non-guaranteed, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
  • Hornets coach Steve Clifford believes this year’s group is the most talented and most versatile batch of players he has had in his three years with the team, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets.
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Pelicans Officially Sign Three For Camp

September 23rd, 2015 at 11:14am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pelicans have formally signed Jeff Adrien, Chris Douglas-Roberts and New Zealand prospect Corey Webster, the team announced. The moves, which had been expected, give New Orleans 18 players with training camp set to begin this coming Tuesday.

Adrien is receiving a one-year deal for the minimum after splitting last season between the Timberwolves and China. The 29-year-old power forward again drew interest from Minnesota this summer, as well as from the Magic, Mavs, Timberwolves, Knicks, Hornets and Sixers, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported when he first broke the story of the deal and its details. It remains unclear just how much, if any, of Adrien’s salary will be guaranteed.

Douglas-Roberts, 28, returns to the NBA on a two-year minimum salary deal after sitting out since January, when the Celtics waived him following the trade that sent him to Boston from the Clippers. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported the deal between the Pelicans and the 28-year-old, while John Reid of The Times Picayune added that it’s non-guaranteed.

Webster, a 26-year-old who attended college in the U.S. at the former Lambuth University in Tennessee, spent last season playing in Serbia as well as his native New Zealand. Marc Hinton of stuff.co.nz first revealed the shooting guard’s three-year, non-guaranteed deal. It’s not clear if Webster signed for any more than the equivalent of the rookie minimum salary, though the length of the contract dictates that the team used a portion of its mid-level exception.

Only 13 Pelicans are known to have fully guaranteed contracts, ostensibly giving Adrien, Douglas-Roberts and Webster decent chances of sticking for opening night. Bryce Dejean-Jones and Sean Kilpatrick are headed to camp without full guarantees in their deals.

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Pelicans Sign Corey Webster For Training Camp

September 23rd, 2015 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 23RD,: 8:03am: Webster has put pen to paper, as he revealed via Twitter and in an interview with stuff.co.nz. The Pelicans have yet to make a formal announcement.

SEPTEMBER 13TH, 8:59am: The Pelicans will sign New Zealand star Corey Webster for training camp, according to Marc Hinton of stuff.co.nz. Several NBA teams had expressed interest in Webster, who recently held a workout for New Orleans. He will receive a a three-year, non-guaranteed contract.

At 6’2″, Webster will be seeking a backcourt spot with the Pelicans, who have just 13 guaranteed contracts. His competition will include guards Bryce Dejean-Jones and Sean Kilpatrick, who both inked partially guaranteed deals this summer. Restricted free agent Norris Cole remains unsigned with barely two weeks remaining until training camp.

Webster, 26, attended college in the United States at the former Lambuth University in Tennessee, but has played his entire professional career overseas. He will continue to work out with the Pelicans staff until camp opens September 29th.

“I am not there yet but this is another positive step towards my dream of playing in the NBA,” Webster said. “The past week has gone well and the coaches have been impressed enough by the workouts to want me to stay for the training camp. It is again up to me now to prove my value to the organisation, to put my head down and give it my best shot at training camp. I came here this week with a three-day window to impress, this has bought me more time and a chance to take the jump into the actual NBA roster.”

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Southwest Notes: Cuban, Vaughn, Pelicans

September 22nd, 2015 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Clippers coach and executive Doc Rivers had been critical of some comments reportedly made by Mavs team owner Mark Cuban in the wake of DeAndre Jordan changing his mind about signing with Dallas in order to return to Los Angeles this offseason. In an interview on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Cuban fired back at Rivers (h/t Dallas Morning News), saying, “First of all [Rivers] obviously didn’t actually hear or see what I said.  Because I didn’t say a whole lot. I think I said — I responded to DJ’s Twitter apology, and that’s pretty much it. I haven’t said a whole lot about it at all, so I don’t know where he’s getting what he’s got. But I think the most interesting thing is, it shows you what someone will do when their entire future is vanishing in front of them. And that’s exactly what Doc did and I give him credit for it. His professional life was over if he didn’t get DJ. And so his back was against the wall and he did what he needed to do. More power to him. Sometimes the deals you don’t do are the best ones, so we’ll see. But Doc obviously hadn’t heard what I had said because I really didn’t say anything.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Mavericks will begin training camp without three key contributors being fully cleared for basketball activities, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Swingman Wesley Matthews, small forward Chandler Parsons and center JaVale McGee are all expected to gradually work themselves back into full participation in practices as they continue to recover from major injuries, MacMahon notes.
  • The Spurs announced today that former Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn has been hired by the team as a pro scout. The news that San Antonio was to hire Vaughn was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
  • Pelicans GM Dell Demps says that the blueprint of assembling an up-tempo team with ample depth that he envisioned three years ago is finally coming to pass, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. ”We set out a plan three years ago to be exactly where we are right now,” Demps said. ”This is a big year for us. We’re really looking for this group jelling and taking that next step. I think we have over 20 games on national television, which is a great sign that people have expectations on us. We look forward to it and embrace the opportunity. We can’t wait, we’re really excited. I think it’s really going to be exciting for the fans to watch. I think it’s going to be great for the players.”
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Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Davis, Mavs

September 20th, 2015 at 2:00pm CST by Will Joseph

When the Pelicans signed Anthony Davis to a max extension,  the move put the franchise in win-now mode for five years, writes Shaun Powell in his 30 teams in 30 days series for NBA.com. The Pelicans, Powell adds, are anticipating a better record than last year’s with Alvin Gentry as the new coach. That’s partially why the franchise decided to stand pat this summer. Another reason for not making a move, as Powell points out, is because the contracts of Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson expire after this season. Seemingly being counterproductive, however, the Pelicans decided to spend a lot of money to re-sign Omer Asik  and re-sign Alexis Ajinca, Powell adds.

Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:

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Southwest Notes: Perkins, Stefanski, Matthews

September 19th, 2015 at 12:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kendrick Perkins said it was the Pelicans‘ strong young core of players that led him to choose to sign with the team this summer, Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com writes. “You looked at every position from AD [Anthony Davis] to Jrue Holiday to Eric Gordon to Tyreke Evans and you just saw that they had a nice core, young guys that were good at every position,” Perkins said. “Raw talent. All they needed was a couple teaching points on the little things and professionalism. They had that [professionalism] already, because they work hard. But on the court, they needed a leader. The leader is not always the best player on the team, but more so the vocal side.”

“The young talent [was appealing],” Perkins continued. “You look at their team and [think about] having a veteran guy around to lead them and teach them how to be professionals, how to take care of their bodies, to be responsible on the road, to stay focused and don’t worry about the nightlife. Just the little things. You could tell they were a few things away from reaching a great goal. So I just felt like this was the place for me. I reached out to [GM] Dell [Demps] and he reached out to me. I felt wanted.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Grizzlies VP of player personnel Ed Stefanski is happy in Memphis and has no interest in the Bucks’ vacant assistant GM position, Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times tweets.
  • Wesley Matthews, who signed a four-year, maximum salary deal with the Mavericks this offseason, hopes to break out of the three-and-D label he had with the Blazers and show his full repertoire of skills this season, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com relays. “You know, I’ve never been one to allow someone to label me,” Matthews said. “I always continue to try to get better. I’m not a content type of person. If they come up with a term ‘three-and-D’ and they want to fit me in that category, that’s fine. But there’s not a thing that I don’t think I can do on the court, and I’m excited for the opportunity. You know, talking to coach [Rick] Carlisle, I’m obviously familiar with the system, having ran it in Portland. And talking to him, there’s opportunities that he sees how I can help this team. And I’m excited for those opportunities.”
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Norris Cole Takes Qualifying Offer From Pelicans

September 17th, 2015 at 3:00pm CST by Chuck Myron
Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

THURSDAY, 3:00pm: The signing is official, the Pelicans announced.

WEDNESDAY, 11:22am: Restricted free agent Norris Cole has accepted his qualifying offer from the Pelicans, a source tells Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Agent Rich Paul confirmed to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he’s signed the tender, worth $3,036,927, though the team has made no official announcement (Twitter link). The qualifying offer, which covers one season, sets Cole up for unrestricted free agency next summer, and it also gives him the right to veto trades this season.

The point guard’s free agency had been slow-going, as is common among Paul’s clients. However, the start of camp is less than two weeks away, and fellow Paul client Montrezl Harrell reached an agreement in principle Tuesday with the Rockets. Cavs restricted free agent Tristan Thompson, Paul’s most prominent unsigned client, remains in limbo.

Cole, once he officially signs the qualifying offer, will become the just 20th player to do so since 1995, joining Matthew Dellavedova, who signed his qualifying offer from the Cavaliers in July. Still, it’s no shock that Cole is doing so, as a source told Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops in late July that the 26-year-old saw the qualifying offer as a viable option. Grantland’s Zach Lowe suggests both sides have reason to be comfortable with it (Twitter link). Cole, a backup, will play this season on a salary that’s almost as much as the value of the taxpayer’s mid-level exception and hit the open market next summer, just as the salary cap is set to spike and teams will have money to burn. The Pelicans keep costs in check and preserve about $5MM worth of room beneath the luxury tax line.

The Sixers, Knicks and Lakers all reportedly had interest this summer in the former 28th overall pick, but New Orleans kept up its pursuit and had the right to match offers. New coach Alvin Gentry recently expressed a desire to have Cole re-sign, and Anthony Davis was also hopeful that Cole would be back. Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors examined Cole’s free agency in depth last month, concluding that he would do well to sign the qualifying offer.

Cole is becomes the 17th Pelican to have either a signed contract or a verbal agreement with the team, and his addition will give New Orleans 14 fully guaranteed deals. It’ll bump the Pelicans team salary to about $79.652MM, well beneath the $84.74MM tax threshold and their $88.74MM hard cap.

Who do you think benefits the most from a signed qualifying offer, Cole or the Pelicans? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

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