Eastern Notes: Harrington, Knicks, Sixers, Brown
Earlier today, we rounded up several Bobcats rumors and notes from Zach Lowe, and passed along word that Eric Griffin will participate in training camp with the Heat. Now let's check out a few more of the day's items from around the Eastern Conference….
- Al Harrington is closing in on a one-year contract with the Wizards and tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that he believes Washington is "definitely" a playoff team. Although Harrington's health forced him to consider retirement at times last year, he's looking forward to getting back on the court for the Wizards.
- The signing of Beno Udrih ensures that Knicks coach Mike Woodson will have plenty of lineups and styles of play at his disposal this season, writes Beckley Mason of the New York Times.
- Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News writes that Brett Brown will be a good fit as the Sixers' new head coach, while Tom Ziller of SBNation.com points out that just because Brown received a four-year deal, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll keep the job for all four years.
- Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld identifies Danny Granger (Pacers), Rajon Rondo (Celtics), and Joel Anthony (Heat) as a few players he thinks may be moved before next year's trade deadline.
Gary Forbes To Work Out For Lakers, Knicks
Unrestricted free agent Gary Forbes is expected to work out for the Knicks next week, after working out for the Lakers today, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter links). Both teams only have minimum-salary slots to offer free agents, so if either team were to bring Forbes aboard, it would have to be for the veteran's minimum or on a training-camp invite.
Forbes, 28, spent two seasons in the NBA, playing for the Nuggets in 2010/11 and the Raptors in 2011/12. In 111 career games, the 6'7" forward averaged 5.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG to go along with a decent 12.4 PER in 13.5 minutes per contest.
Forbes was sent to Houston by Toronto in the deal that netted the Raptors Kyle Lowry, and was released by the Rockets before spending the 2012/13 season playing international ball. He averaged 28.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 27 games for China's Zhejiang Guangsha Lions.
The Knicks and Lakers figure to work out plenty of players in search of a body or two to fill out their respective 15-man rosters. We heard last week that Sean May, D.J. White, and Lester Hudson were among the other former NBA players working out for New York.
Atlantic Rumors: Sixers, Brown, Pierce, Knicks
The Sixers and Brett Brown are negotiating the terms of a deal that would end the team's nearly four-month search for a coach, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. That jibes with what Marc Stein tweeted Friday, when the ESPN.com scribe wondered if the Sixers would make their offer tempting enough to pry Brown away from his assistant coaching position with the Spurs. Here's more from Philly and the rest of the Atlantic Division:
- Hinkie has been plain about his intentions, so no one should be shocked that the Sixers have waited so long to hire a coach, Pompey argues.
- Paul Pierce tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he sensed he was headed out of Boston months prior to the trade that brought him to the Nets, so much so that he told his wife to start packing up their stuff even before this past regular season ended. Pierce still isn't certain of what lies ahead. "Who knows what’s going to happen after this year?" Pierce said to Washburn. "I don’t know what the future is going to bring. I don’t know if I’m going to be back with the Nets. I don’t know if I’m going to retire, you never know what’s going to happen. I feel like I have more in the tank but you never know with injuries, how your body feels. Sometimes those things tell you a lot quicker. Right now, I’ve been feeling good. My legs, my body feels strong."
- Washburn had more from Pierce, who sympathizes with Celtics president of basketball ops Danny Ainge. "We were pretty much stuck on a treadmill as far as where we were and people don’t see the financial part of it," Pierce said. "That kind of straps a team from getting better. We were kind of in that position. How do we get better without spending money? So you have to determine if we want to stay right where we are, which is [a] four through eight seed? Or do we want to rebuild and hopefully get a player that can take us to that next level . . . This was pretty much almost inevitable."
- David Lee takes a trip down memory lane with Marc Berman of the New York Post to ponder what might have been if Knicks brass had stuck with Lee and others from a fast-starting team five years ago.
Eastern Notes: Irving, Knicks, Thompson, Zeller
It'll be another year before Cavs star Kyrie Irving is eligible for an extension to his rookie-scale contract, and he shied away from the topic when asked about it Saturday at his basketball camp in suburban Cleveland, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. He did offer a brief hint, telling campers, "I’ll be here awhile, so everybody get used to my face."
Bob Finnan of the News-Herald (link also includes video) also found time to chat with Irving at his summer camp. While discussing his impending eligibility for an extension next summer, Finnan asked Kyrie about John Wall's recent five-year maximum-salary extension. Irving was excited for Wall:
"We grew up together coming up the ranks. We were both guys who weren't rated at the top coming out of high school. We both burst onto the scene. He's the first guy to get a max deal out of all of us who came through the AAU scene. It was surreal for him."
After again impressing during Team USA tryouts in Vegas last month, Irving told Lloyd back in July that "Right now I'm a Cleveland Cavalier, and I'm happy to be here." The quote was in response to the rumor he was looking to head elsewhere once his rookie-scale contract concluded.
More from the Cavs and others around the Eastern Conference:
- Cavs fans may also have to get used to a much less familiar sight. Tristan Thompson has always shot left-handed, but he unveiled his new right-handed stroke Thursday with Team Canada, as SportsNet's Michael Grange details. He might be the first NBA player to make such a mid-career switch, and Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets that it has Cavs officials excited.
- The Knicks have locked up players to fill 14 of their 15 available roster spots, after signing Beno Udrih to act as a third guard with Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com looks at some of the available free agents and D-Leaguers the Knicks might target for that final roster spot, focusing on front-court players who could spell 31-year-old Tyson Chandler.
- No. 4 overall pick Cody Zeller spoke with the Charlotte Observer about the importance of going through the NBA's Rookie Transition Program before he suits up for the Bobcats next season. Zeller said the highlight of the four-day affair was the talk former Celtics and Nuggets guardChris Herren gave about his battle to overcome a long-standing drug addiction.
Atlantic Notes: Pierce, Nets, Knicks, Udrih
Former NBA guard Cuttino Mobley dropped his lawsuit against the Knicks this week in order to help facilitate a comeback to the league. The 37-year-old alleged that the Knicks pressured him into retirement in order to collect insurance on the $19MM owed to him. Now that Mobley v. Dolan is a thing of the past, the 6'4" guard can focus on trying to help a club in 2013/14. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..
- Paul Pierce admitted that uncertainty over Rajon Rondo's health helped influence his decision to get on board with the trade taking him from the Celtics to the Nets, writes Tom Layman of the Boston Herald. “If it’s up to me I would want to rebuild to win a championship by bringing players in. They were looking at the future, down the line. Rajon might not be here for the beginning of the year or however long he takes, so it would be tough for us to be a contender or get in a position to contend. Everybody saw that and I think that helped the decision on both sides," Pierce said.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com chatted with the newest member of the Knicks, Beno Udrih. The guard will make significantly less than he has in years past, but he is enthused about the opportunity to play in New York, where he feels that he has a real shot at a title.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal posits that the Knicks should hold off on adding anyone else in order to maintain roster flexibility. If the Knicks leave spot No. 15 wide open, then they can be in the mix for any intriguing late cuts that are made from rival training camps. They could also give promising youngsters C.J. Leslie and Jeremy Tyler more room to grow by electing not to add another veteran.
Odds & Ends: Pekovic, Paul, Ennis, Knicks
NBA teams hit the hardwood again in October, but some of the news tonight concerns courts of a different nature. Cuttino Mobley dropped his lawsuit against the parent company of the Knicks in the hopes that doing so will make it easier for him to play again in the NBA, while lawyers for the former owners of the Kings have allegedly funded an effort to stymie Sacramento's arena plans. While we await more on those legal matters, here's the latest from around the NBA:
- The Wolves and Nikola Pekovic's camp are making progress toward a deal, president of basketball ops Flip Saunders tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
- Four NBA teams invited undrafted Illinois shooting guard Brandon Paul to camp, but he's signing to play in Russia instead, Paul reveals via Twitter (hat tip to Zgoda). Paul doesn't say which Russian team he's joining.
- Scott Nichols, the agent for James Ennis, tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that there's a good chance the Heat will sign his client at some point this season, allowing him to invoke the opt-out clause in his contract with an Australian club. Ennis turned down "a lot more money" from Russia's BC Nizhny Novgorod and "a little more" from France's Nantere to sign with the Perth Wildcats, Nichols says to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida. A team from Germany also made a lucrative offer, according to Charania.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com chatted with readers today, dishing on possibilities for the final spot on the Knicks 15-man roster, and passing along word from a source that Jeremy Tyler's two-year deal makes it less likely that the team will sign Ivan Johnson.
Cuttino Mobley Drops Suit To Aid Comeback Bid
Cuttino Mobley today dropped his case against the corporate parents of the Knicks in an effort to draw offers from NBA teams as the 37-year-old guard attempts a comeback, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. A report in May indicated that Mobley would take part in a public workout with draft prospects and other veteran free agents, but so far no team has been willing to sign him.
Mobley had sued the Madison Square Garden company in 2011, alleging that the Knicks pressured him into retirement after they sent him to specialists whom the team knew would advise against him playing with his pre-existing heart condition. With the doctors' opinion that Mobley should not continue to play, the Knicks could collect the insurance on his contract and avoid about $19MM worth of luxury tax payments. Mobley had talks with other teams shortly after his retirement, but they were unwilling to sign him given concerns about his health, according to Zwerling's report.
Mobley is currently playing pickup games at the Clippers facility. The Clippers are the last team Mobley played for, and they sent him to the Knicks in November 2008 in a trade that touched off the controversy.
Several Teams In Mix For Anthony Tolliver
FRIDAY, 2:58pm: Rather than narrowing down his list of suitors, Tolliver seems to be heading in the other direction. The Magic, Spurs, and Knicks are also interested in him, according to Tomasson (via Twitter). Still, Tolliver expects to make a decision next week.
THURSDAY, 3:16pm: The Lakers have entered the mix for Tolliver, writes Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (via Sulia). According to Tolliver, talks with the Lakers are still preliminary, but he's considering them alongside the Bobcats, Bulls, and Jazz. Tolliver added that he visited Charlotte on Monday and the team made him a minimum-salary contract offer.
WEDNESDAY, 1:08pm: Anthony Tolliver has narrowed his free agent decision down to three teams, and is expected to finalize a deal this weekend, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Sierra reports that Tolliver will likely sign with either the Bobcats, Bulls, or Jazz.
Tolliver, 28, spent the 2012/13 season with the Hawks, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 62 contests (15.5 MPG). The last report we heard on Tolliver came nearly a month ago, and suggested that the 6'8" forward was in talks with five teams, including Atlanta.
Utah still has a little cap space left, along with its room exception, but Charlotte and Chicago appear to be capped out. As such, it looks like Tolliver will sign another minimum-salary deal, unless the Jazz outbid the other two finalists.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Amundson, Sanders, Heat
Let's round up a few Friday morning items from around the Eastern Conference….
- The Knicks are one of a handful of teams that have interest in Louis Amundson, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Zwerling adds that Amundson is hoping to make his free agent decision next week.
- When the Knicks conducted a workout featuring five free agents on Wednesday, the identity of the fifth player, a Lithuanian big man, wasn't immediately clear. Today, Zwerling identifies the player as Ovidijus Galdikas (Twitter link).
- According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter), Larry Sanders, who is reportedly nearing an extension with the Bucks, recently changed agents, switching from Andy Miller to Dan Fegan. Earlier in his career, Sanders was represented by Happy Walters, who now works with Fegan at Relativity Sports.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears that unrestricted free agent Stephen Jackson has talked to the Heat (Twitter link).
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reiterates that the Heat will sign at least one more veteran before camp, though he's not sure if it'll be another minimum-salary deal, or if the team will use some or all of its mini mid-level exception.
Odds & Ends: Ariza, Wiz, Udrih, Howard, Jackson
Here are some odds and ends from around the NBA on this Thursday night:
- The Wizards had a busy offseason, which kicked off with Trevor Ariza informing them that he planned to exercise his $7.7MM player option for 2013/14. Ariza didn't foresee this offseason as a good one to test free agency, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post, who sees Ariza ahead of rookie Otto Porter Jr. on the Wizards depth chart based on the team's summer league.
- Lee adds that if the Wizards plan to add a big man, they'll like only be able to offer a minimum salary. Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is willing to become a tax-paying team, per Lee, but would rather do so once he has a contender on his hands.
- Keith Schlosser of the Knicks Journal examines the addition of Beno Udrih to the Knicks' backcourt, arguing that Udrih is of borderline starter caliber. The Knicks got another bargain, Schlosser says, writing that Udrih's acceptance of a minimum salary implies he is on board with the "win now" mentality of the New York locker room. Filling a clearly defined role, previously occupied by Jason Kidd, should facilitate Udrih's transition, Schlosser opines.
- In an interview with ESPN Radio in Los Angeles, Lakers executive vice president Jeanie Buss said that the team would have had a much better chance to keep Dwight Howard if her father, the late Dr. Jerry Buss, had been healthy and involved, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN LA. Buss called her father "the best closer in the business" and also stated that her husband, former Lakers coach Phil Jackson, still has the itch to coach, but stopped short of implying anything about a return to the Lakers. Hear the full interview here.