Odds & Ends: World Peace, Jennings, Barbosa
- Brandon Jennings is no lock to return to the Bucks, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, who says the team is still looking at other point guards.
- The Mavs won't comment on a Brazilian report that the team has been in contact with free agent Leandro Barbosa, notes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
- The Rockets have drawn mention as one of the front-runners for Marcus Camby this week, and agent Rick Kaplan confirms to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston that the team is a leading candidate, referring to Houston as Camby's "adopted hometown" (All Twitter links).
- Patrick O'Bryant, the ninth overall pick in the 2006 draft, is hoping to return to the NBA, but he's only drawn interest from foreign clubs so far the summer, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. O'Bryant last appeared in the Association with the Raptors in 2008/09.
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov will likely lose upwards of $50MM this year as he presides over an NBA-record expenditure on the team's roster, writes Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.com (hat tip to Nets Daily).
- Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth previews next year's star-laden free agent class, arguing that no team has greater stakes on the outcome of the summer of 2014 than the Lakers do.
- Mark Madsen earned a quick promotion after the Lakers hired him in May to coach their D-League team. The Lakers today officially named Madsen and Larry Lewis as assistants on coach Mike D'Antoni's staff.
Southwest Rumors: Oden, Pelicans, Mavs, Miller
The Spurs made a valiant run in the NBA Finals, and the Rockets made the most impressive splash of the summer when they signed Dwight Howard. The other three teams in the Southwest Division have a lot of catching up to do, and there's news tonight on each of them:
- The Pelicans have been expected to make an offer to Greg Oden, but they haven't done so yet, according to John Reid of the The Times Picayune, who hears that the team will meet with the former No. 1 overall pick next week in Indianapolis. The Pelicans are willing to offer a one-year deal with incentives that could lift the value to $3MM, Reid hears, which jibes with a similar report earlier this week from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Dallas announced the signing of Samuel Dalembert tonight, but as expected, the Mavs are still in the market for Oden, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- The Grizzlies have reached out to Mike Miller in an attempt to meet with the free agent sharpshooter, report Ron Higgins and Marlon W. Morgan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Thunder appear to be in the lead for Miller.
- Austin Daye became an unrestricted free agent when the Grizzlies declined to make him a qualifying offer last month, and he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that he's been in talks with several teams. Daye says he hasn't worked out for any teams, but Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com reported yesterday that he'd worked out for the Knicks.
Knicks Rumors: Brown, Murry, Tyler
The Knicks are bringing Jeremy Tyler to training camp, but they have their eyes on a few others who may join him. Here's the latest:
- Point guard Bobby Brown says the Knicks and his agent, Aaron Mintz, are meeting today to discuss a possible offer, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. New York can only give Brown the minimum salary, which isn't as much as a Chinese team is offering him. Still, the Euroleague standout is willing to sacrifice money to play in the NBA.
- Zwerling reported yesterday that five other teams had interest in Brown, but he tweets today that Brown has narrowed his choices to the Knicks and China. The Lakers and Clippers were in the mix for the Los Angeles native earlier this month, Zwerling writes, but their signings of Jordan Farmar and Darren Collison, respectively, took them out of the running.
- The Knicks are also in talks with Toure Murry about a deal, according to fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Ian Begley (on Twitter). Zwerling figured earlier today that Murry and Tyler, favorites of coach Mike Woodson, would wind up with the Knicks in training camp (Twitter link).
Knicks, Jeremy Tyler Agree To Deal
Jeremy Tyler tells Jonah Ballow of Knicks.com that the team has invited him to training camp (Twitter link). Most training camp invitations entail non-guaranteed minimum-salary contracts that cover one season, so it seems that's what Tyler's getting. Still, it's a chance to make the club and duplicate the success that Chris Copeland, a camp invitee last year, had en route to signing a two-year, $6.135MM deal with the Pacers this month.
Tyler's agent, Gabe Giordano, said this week that he was hopeful he'd be able to strike a deal with the Knicks within the next few weeks that at the very least entailed an invitation to camp. That the two sides agreed so quickly may indicate some kind of guaranteed money is involved, though that's just my speculation. Mark Berman of the New York Post also surmised that Tyler could get a partial guarantee, when he wrote this weekend that there was a "big chance" that the 22-year-old center would draw a camp invitation.
Tyler was a second-round pick of the Bobcats in 2011, but he made his NBA debut that fall with the Warriors, who traded for his rights on draft night. He made 23 late-season starts for a depleted Golden State squad his rookie year, but he averaged just 20.9 minutes per game as a starter, notching 7.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest. He played sparingly this past season, when the Warriors sent him to the Hawks at the trade deadline in a move to get under the tax line. The Hawks waived him two weeks later, but he's resurfaced with the Knicks summer league team, averaging 12.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG.
Odds & Ends: Kleiza, Iguodala, Dooling, Knicks
Let's round up a few Friday odds and ends from around the Association….
- After being amnestied by the Raptors, Linas Kleiza is drawing interest from several European teams, including CSKA Moscow, writes Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, passing along a report from Djordje Matic.
- Sam Amick of USA Today spoke to Andre Iguodala about his free agency, and some drama along the way related to the Kings and Nuggets.
- Keyon Dooling is receiving "serious interest" from two teams and will likely decide next week where he'll sign, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, who adds that a reunion with the Grizzlies is unlikely.
- There's nothing new on the Raja Bell front, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, noting that the Knicks no longer have any interest in Bell after signing Metta World Peace. The Knicks remain in the market for a point guard and a big man though, says Zwerling.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explains why he finds it unusual that the NBA decided to compensate the Thunder for a portion of Kevin Durant's contract.
- Multiple teams have inquired on undrafted free agent Khalif Wyatt, according to agent Stephen Pina. Wyatt played for the Sixers' Summer League squad in Orlando, but hasn't talked to Philadelphia yet about a more permanent contract (Twitter links via Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com).
Eastern Notes: Brown, George, Raptors, Blair
Although their pursuit of Bobby Brown is said to be gathering "momentum," the Knicks aren't the only team interested in the Euroleague star. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Brown also has offers from Chinese teams, and is drawing interest from other NBA clubs as well. Here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:
- Appearing on 1070 The Fan, Pacers president Larry Bird said the team is prepared to make a "major offer" to Paul George this offseason to try to lock him up before he hits restricted free agency (hat tip to Pro Basketball Talk).
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star hears that the Raptors saved about $2MM in guaranteed money in their buyout agreement with Marcus Camby.
- A report last weekend suggested that the Wizards are interested in DeJuan Blair, and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv confirms (via Twitter) that the interest is mutual. Washington has already used its full mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, leaving only the minimum salary to offer, unless a sign-and-trade can be negotiated.
- While Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio says Daniel Gibson is very unlikely to return to the Cavs, he names the Bucks and Pacers as potential suitors for the 27-year-old (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Expansion, Kings, Brown
USA Today's Sam Amick rounds up the news from the Board of Governors meeting today, which featured unanimous approval of Charlotte's name change from Bobcats to Hornets. Commissioner David Stern initially laughed off the idea of the switch, but fan support for the Hornets monicker persuaded him to take the issue seriously, Amick writes. Stern also offered hints that the league could consider expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas in the future, and he said the union's lack of an executive director has hung up the league's plans to implement human growth hormone testing by next season. Amick also passes along the league's rule adjustments, and we've got more from the meeting as we look around the Association this evening:
- In May, the league imposed a deadline of 2017 for the opening of a new arena in Sacramento, but Stern indicated today that he's pleased with the progress the Kings and the city are making, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee observes.
- The Nuggets, Wizards, Grizzlies, Suns and Knicks were all in attendance as Bobby Brown participated in a five-on-five scrimmage Wednesday, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. The Knicks also saw Brown workout Tuesday, and they're reportedly moving toward a deal.
- Eric Gordon tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that the Pelicans have assured him that he's a part of the team's long-term plans.
- Lakers VP Jim Buss said on NBA TV tonight that he strongly believes Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles will be healed in time for him to play in preseason games this fall, notes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.
- The Bulls may have promised a training camp invitation to Andrew Goudelock as an enticement to get him to play for their summer league team, according to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald (Twitter link).
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has maintained flexibility with his underwhelming free agent haul this summer, but his decision to keep the core of the team intact could have negative consequences, as Eric Koreen of the National Post examines.
Eastern Rumors: KG, Mo Williams, Hawks, Cavs
In his introductory press conference with the Nets today, Kevin Garnett admits he "absolutely" considered retirement this spring, and indicated that Paul Pierce's uncertain future with the Celtics was a major reason why. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has more from Garnett. Washburn rounds up Pierce's comments as well, and we'll take a look at the rest of the East:
- The last we heard on Mo Williams was that he's prepared to take a discount to sign with a contender, and HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler reiterates that, tweeting that Williams is telling people he'll look to sign with the Heat if offers from other clubs don't improve.
- The Hawks are mulling whether to sign 16th overall pick Lucas Nogueira this summer or let him play overseas this year, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution examines (subscription required).
- Atlanta paid $550K to buy 15th pick Dennis Schröder out of his European deal, and a larger buyout would be probably be necessary for Nogueira, Vivlamore writes in the same piece. NBA clubs can only pay up to $575K in a buyout without money coming out of the player's check.
- The Cavs are high on undrafted guard Matthew Dellavedova, and would like see him play for their D-League affiliate, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The St. Mary's product is drawing offers from overseas that could complicate matters, Lloyd notes.
- Foreign clubs are also showing interest in Chris Quinn, who's with the Cavs on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal. Quinn isn't likely to last long in Cleveland, and the Cavs may cut him soon to allow him to pursue other opportunities, according to Lloyd (Twitter link).
- Talks between the Knicks and Bobby Brown are gathering steam, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The Creative Artists Agency client was among a group who worked out for the Knicks this week, though five other teams have interest, Zwerling says.
- Toure Murry has also made a positive impression on the Knicks, Zwerling adds.
Atlantic Notes: Pierce, Garnett, Sixers, Knicks
Three new Nets were formally introduced at a press conference in Brooklyn today, with Jason Terry obviously receiving a little less attention than longtime Celtics Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. While Pierce appeared emotional about leaving Boston, both veterans spoke about having a great opportunity to compete for a title with the Nets, as Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com details. Here's more on Pierce and Garnett, as well as a few other notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- According to Pierce, he initially had to talk Garnett into waiving his no-trade clause to complete the deal, with the two teammates speaking on the phone for an hour and a half. Pierce added that he hopes to become a general manager someday, and that if he were Danny Ainge, he would've accepted the offer the Nets made (Twitter links via Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com).
- Pierce also said that he never spoke to Ainge about keeping the Celtics' core together and attempting one more run, but noted that it would have been tough to make the necessary improvements to return to title contention (Twitter link via Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe).
- No matter how many candidates the Sixers bring in, and they've been linked to plenty, Michael Curry and Brett Brown still appear to be the frontrunners, says ESPN.com's Marc Stein. According to Stein, Brown is expected to receive the last interview that the team conducts (Twitter links).
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com adds Austin Daye and Quincy Douby to the list of players who have worked out for the Knicks in Las Vegas (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Josh Newman of SNY.tv hears that the Lakers and Sixers are also expected to take a look at Douby this month (Twitter link).
Kyler’s Latest: Bucks, Magic, Knicks, LeBron
When I asked Hoops Rumors readers yesterday what Brandon Jennings' future holds, about half of you predicted a return to Milwaukee, either on a one-year contract or on a longer-term deal. And according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, the Bucks have indeed shifted their focus back to retaining Jennings, after their pursuit of Jeff Teague fell short. Here's more from Kyler on the Bucks and a few other situations:
- While the Bucks' three-year, $15MM contract with Zaza Pachulia was viewed as an overpay, sources tell Kyler that Pachulia had received two-year offers worth about the same amount annually, making that third year necessary for Milwaukee to get a deal done.
- The Magic haven't been very involved in free agency this summer, but they continue to work the phones on possible deals. According to Kyler, the team is hoping to reach a buyout agreement with Al Harrington that would reduce his guaranteed salary for the 2014/15 season.
- We've already heard that the Pelicans are preparing an offer in the $3MM range for Greg Oden. Kyler reports that the offer may be worth $3MM+ annually for two years, adding that Oden's camp is looking for a "safe" spot for the former first overall pick to continue his career. An organization with patience and the right kind of expectations is Oden's preference.
- Although the Knicks will continue to be active in looking to add talent this year and next, the team will be careful about taking on any salary beyond next season, says Kyler. With Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, and Andrea Bargnani set to come off the books by the summer of 2015, the Knicks barely have any salary on their books beyond that.
- It's been widely assumed that LeBron James will opt out of his contract next summer in search of a new long-term deal, but Kyler says that's not a lock. LeBron will also have the chance to opt out in the summer of 2015, and the continued health and production of Dwyane Wade figures to play a significant part in the MVP's decision.