Hornets Notes: Lottery Victory, Final Four, #10 Pick
The city of New Orleans caught a rare break on Wednesday evening. In a place riddled by murder, inadequate public education and general blight, the redeeming nature of sports put everything else on hold if but for a moment when the Hornets won the draft lottery and the right to select Kentucky's Anthony Davis. The franchise that saw Chris Paul leave via trade and David West sign with the Pacers within the last year has the chance to build a foundation for success heading forward thanks to the pairing of a legitimate big man and a healthy Eric Gordon. With the addition of new owner and New Orleans businessman Tom Benson to rehabilitate the general health of the franchise, the future is surely bright for basketball in the Crescent City.
Draft Lottery Results
The results are in and New Orleans has won the right to draft Anthony Davis this June as the Hornets secured the top spot in the NBA draft. Count the Nets and Jazz among the lottery's losers as Brooklyn lost their draft pick to the Trail Blazers and Utah missed out on an opportunity to take the Warriors' selection. The Nets would have kept their pick if they had landed one of the top three spots in the draft whereas the Jazz would have netted a lottery pick if the Warriors fell outside of the top seven selections.
Pacers Notes: Bird, Gordon, Shaw, Hill
Since early 2012, numerous reports have surfaced suggesting Pacers president Larry Bird will step down from his position at season's end. However, based on comments made by Bird today, it sounds like the Executive of the Year is open to staying put as long as he and owner Herb Simon are on the same page, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. Here's what Bird had to say, along with a few other Pacers updates….
Atlantic Rumors: Sixers, Humphries, Landry, Knicks
The Celtics make their third appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in the last five years when they open up against the Heat tonight. Here's the latest from other teams in the division hoping to build toward that kind of consistent success.
- If the Sixers decide to use the amnesty clause to wipe the $18.16MM due Elton Brand next year off their cap, Nets power forward Kris Humphries will be their No. 1 target to replace him via free agency, writes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Carl Landry is also the kind of power forward the Sixers like, Mitchell says.
- Mitchell, in the same piece, says he doesn't put too much stock in Lou Williams' comments suggesting he'll be back with the Sixers, and hears that the 25-year-old combo guard will seek "a nice, long-term deal" after turning down his $5.35MM option for next season.
- Giorgos Printezis, a 6'9" forward who hit the game-winning shot for Olympiacos of Greece in the Euroleague championship earlier this month, told Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops he would entertain offers this summer from the Knicks, who hold his NBA rights (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld believes the Knicks, who officially removed the interim tag from coach Mike Woodson's title Friday, were the only "real option" for luring Phil Jackson out of retirement (Twitter link).
- Luke Adams looked at the summer ahead for the Sixers earlier today in the latest installment of our Offseason Outlook feature.
Los Angeles Notes: Del Negro, Brooks, Lakers
While Los Angeles residents may have loved to see a Clippers/Lakers Western Conference Final, it wasn't meant to be, given how strong the Spurs and Thunder look this season. As the L.A. clubs look to make roster improvements this summer to make another run in 2012/13, let's check in on the latest out of the city:
- A decision on Vinny Del Negro's job status will have to be made by next week, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.com. The Clippers have until June 1st to decide whether or not to exercise the coach's option for next year, and the decision could rest largely in the hands of owner Donald Sterling. That's probably good news for Del Negro, given his positive relationship with Sterling.
- If Del Negro doesn't return, the Clippers may look to currently-employed coaches rather than the strong crop of free agent candidates. Two potential targets are Thunder coach Scott Brooks and Hornets coach Monty Williams, according to Stein and Shelbourne. However, Brooks is widely expected to re-up with Oklahoma City, and the Clips would have to get permission from New Orleans to talk to Williams, which is no sure thing.
- Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times proposes five potential roster moves for the Lakers. While the list includes the usual Andrew Bynum/Dwight Howard proposal, many of the other suggestions are new ones, such as trading for Al Harrington or Beno Udrih.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Lin, Butler, Belinelli
A few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:
- After reporting yesterday that Dwight Howard still wants to be traded out of Orlando, Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com outlines why the Nets and Knicks may be the most logical trade partners for the Magic.
- If Howard is dealt this summer, it's probably bad news for the Mavericks, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. The Mavs could have the cap space for Howard next summer, but don't have the trade chips to get him right now.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, David Thorpe examines some potential landing spots for Jeremy Lin, concluding that the Raptors, Nets, and Suns might be the best fits besides the Knicks.
- Rasual Butler has heard from several teams and plans to be ready to sign in July, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. The Raptors released Butler in March, in time for him to catch on with another team for the postseason, but the 33-year-old didn't sign another contract before season's end.
- In an interview with Gazzetta.it, Marco Belinelli said he expects to receive offers from the Hornets and other NBA teams, and wants to determine where he'll sign before trying to join the Italian national team for the Olympics. Hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando for the translation.
Odds & Ends: Diaw, Collison, Hornets
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday night:
- NBA.com's Fran Blinebury writes that midseason acquisition Boris Diaw has been key to the Spurs' dominant playoff run.
- Alberto de Roa of HoopsHype interviews Thunder forward Nick Collison, who reflects on the years the organization spent rebuilding under GM Sam Presti.
- John Reid of the Times-Picayune reports that Hornets coach Monty Williams isn't as high on the 2012 draft class as many analysts and executives are. The Hornets are expected to have a high lottery pick.
Latest On Hornets Ownership And Front Office
New Hornets owner Tom Benson is revamping the team's front office with partners from other business endeavors, reports Mike Triplett of the Times-Picayune.
Benson, 85, who also owns the New Orleans Saints, is expected to make assistants Dennis Lauscha and Mickey Loomis prominent voices in the Hornets organization. He did give specific details of their roles or those of other executives that will be involved, because he has yet to assume ownership of the team officially.
Benson bought the Hornets from the NBA in April. The league previously assumed control of the franchise from cash-strapped owner George Shinn in 2010.
Pacers-Heat Notes: Gordon, Granger, Wade, Riley
There's been no shortage of drama in the Heat-Pacers series, and the leadup to this afternoon's pivotal Game 4 has been no exception. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that Juwan Howard and Lance Stephenson, who directed a choking gesture at LeBron James during Game 3, had a verbal altercation 90 minutes prior to tipoff, the latest chapter in a history of animosity between the two. With Erik Spoelstra going to his fourth staring lineup in four games this series, let's check in on the rumors surrounding these playoff combatants:
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald believes Hornets restricted free agent Eric Gordon, thought to be a Pacers target, might not get a max deal because of the knee problems he's dealt with the past two seasons. Finnan could see the Hornets and Pacers working out a sign-and-trade with Danny Granger headed to New Orleans, Gordon going to Indiana and Pacers shooting guard Paul George shifting to small forward.
- HoopsWorld's Stephen Litel argues that the Heat should try to trade Dwyane Wade if the team fails to come back to win the series.
- Shaun Powell of NBA.com says team president Pat Riley failed to stock the roster with competent role players, and that's one of the reasons Heat coach Erik Spoelstra may lose his job if he doesn't deliver a title.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Chris Kaman
2011/12 was far from the best year of Chris Kaman's career. He was traded to New Orleans, where the Hornets kept him out of action for a number of weeks while the team attempted to turn around and deal him again. When he was finally brought back, Kaman posted a .446 FG%, the lowest mark of his career, for a squad that finished last in the Western Conference.
The good news for Kaman? If you're a seven-footer and you're heading to NBA free agency, there's a great chance you'll do well for yourself. Given the dearth of quality true centers in the league, the 30-year-old is poised to land a lucrative multiyear contract this summer.
Of course, Kaman is coming off a year in which his salary exceeded $14MM, so shooting for a raise may not be realistic. But it's not like the big man will have to settle for the mid-level exception either. Despite shooting a career-low percentage from the floor, Kaman still averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in less than 30 minutes per game, and his PER (15.3) was above average for the third consecutive year. Last offseason, centers far less productive than Kaman, such as Samuel Dalembert and Kwame Brown, signed deals in the neighborhood of $7MM. A reliable big such as Kaman could earn an offer that pays him an eight-digit salary annually.
What sort of contract Kaman signs this offseason will also depend on his priorities. Having earned well over $60MM in his career, according to Basketball-Reference, Kaman could turn down the largest offer in search of a more modest payday from a title contender. The Heat, for instance, would likely jump at the chance to pay Kaman their mid-level exception. But the seven-footer would have to be willing to leave a lot of money on the table — as a taxpaying team, Miami could only offer a contract starting at $3MM using the MLE.
It's more likely that Kaman lands with a team willing to use a chunk of its cap room to sign him to a larger deal. The Rockets had interest in him prior to the trade deadline, and will have the space to make him a sizable offer, if they so choose. The Celtics are another team that could clear plenty of cap space, and will be searching for a presence in the paint. The Pacers and Nets could also have interest, though I expect both teams to re-sign their own restricted free agent centers, Roy Hibbert and Brook Lopez.
Kaman isn't the player that Steve Nash is, and isn't quite so close to the end of his career, but there are similarities in their free agent cases. Both players will likely receive significant offers from teams that could be playoff contenders, along with smaller offers from clubs that will be in great position to contend for a title. While the draw of a championship may win out in Nash's case, I can't see Kaman leaving a ton of money on the table at age 30. He should have time to chase a title later in his career — this summer, I think a team with cap room to burn will make him a lucrative offer that he won't be able to turn down.