Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Nets, Knicks
- Nets rookie guard Tyshawn Taylor is recovering from a strained right quad, but remains anxiously eager to prove himself to the team's coaches. The former Kansas Jayhawk also said that watching the team practice while being sidelined is helping him become acquainted with how the team is expected to run (Tim Bontempts of the New York Post writes).
- According to John N. Mitchell of Philly.com, Spencer Hawes is excited about playing power forward next to Andrew Bynum. The former Washington Huskies big man has mostly been playing center since entering the league, but believes he has the skill-set to mesh well with the former Lakers star.
- John R. Finger of CSN Philly writes about how Maalik Wayns can contribute to the 76ers with his speed and scoring ability. Dei Lynam of CSN Philly says that Dorell Wright has been impressive in camp, especially with his shooting and playmaking ability. Also, Max Rappaport of NBA.com looks at how Dorell, Jason Richardson, and Nick Young form a remarkable combination of viable outside shooters.
- Knicks point guard Raymond Felton has lost 20 pounds since leaving the Trail Blazers and currently weights 207 pounds, according to Ben Golliver of the Blazers Edge. Felton admitted that his conditioning issues to start the 2011-12 season significantly affected his play early on.
Atlantic Notes: Thorn, Wallace, 76ers, Nets
For years, the Atlantic Division was dismissed as the weakest in the NBA, even during the Nets' run as back-to-back Eastern Conference champions. The architect of those teams, current Sixers president Rod Thorn, says that the division is now the toughest in the league, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Oh my goodness, I think the Atlantic Division is the best division in basketball right now,’’ Thorn said. “Every team is better. Jersey (Brooklyn) got way better. Even Toronto will be better. I think Boston also got better. Every team in the Atlantic got better, and until someone beats Boston, they should be favored.’’ Here's more out of the stacked Atlantic..
- Rasheed Wallace, who has had multiple teams offer to bring him out of retirement over the last two years, said that he only wanted to play for Knicks coach Mike Woodson, writes Nate Taylor of the New York Times. The two became close when Woodson served as an assistant coach for the 2004 Pistons championship team.
- Sixers coach Doug Collins likes the flexibility that he has with this year's roster, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. With Andrew Bynum sidelined, the club was able to move Spencer Hawes up to the center position with Thaddeus Young manning the four in the starting lineup. Outside of that, the Sixers' bench has several players who can move between multiple positions.
- After struggling to fill out the rotation for the last two seasons, Nets coach Avery Johnson now finds himself with the opposite problem, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. As it stands now, C.J. Watson, MarShon Brooks, Josh Childress, Mirza Teletovic, and Andray Blatche figure to be the first five off of the bench. However, others such as Keith Bogans and Reggie Evans could make a strong case for minutes as well.
Atlantic Notes: McGuire, Ross, Brown, Brewer
The Celtics have won the Atlantic Division five years in a row, but a sixth straight title could be a tall order, as the rest of the division made strides in the offseason. There's news about pickups from each of the four challengers to Boston's throne tonight.
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey is a fan of Dominic McGuire and is glad his team fought off the Nets and the Warriors for the defensive-minded wing, who's in camp on a partially guaranteed deal, as Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun details.
- The Raptors' focus is starting to shift away from player development and toward competing, so that means Terrence Ross, the eighth overall pick in the draft, is behind DeMar DeRozan on the depth chart, Ganter reports.
- Kwame Brown figured to start at center for the Sixers when he signed his two-year, $6MM deal earlier this summer, but now he appears to be out of the team's rotation plans, as Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com writes.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal shares insight from returning Knicks on the team's offseason acquisitions, including Carmelo Anthony's praise of Ronnie Brewer, who came over from the Bulls on a minimum-salary deal.
- Newsday's Roderick Boone examines the dynamic between the new Nets backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.
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.
Knicks Sign Rasheed Wallace
2:38pm: Wallace's contract is non-guaranteed, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com confirms (via Twitter). You can view the full list of Knicks on non-guaranteed deals right here.
12:24pm: The Knicks have officially signed Rasheed Wallace, the team announced today in a press release. The deal is expected to be for one year at the minimum salary, though it's not clear whether or not it's fully guaranteed. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported earlier today that the deal likely won't be guaranteed unless Wallace makes the team.
Although Wallace has flirted with the idea of a comeback over the last two years, he hasn't played in an NBA game since the 2010 playoffs, when he and the Celtics were defeated by the Lakers in the Finals. The veteran big man has played in nearly 1100 games since entering the league in 1995, but it'll be interesting to see if he's still able to contribute much at age 38, after two years out of the NBA.
With Wallace's signing, the Knicks now have 20 players in training camp. Of the other 19 Knicks contracts, 13 are believed to be fully guaranteed, so there should be a couple roster spots available for the remaining camp participants. If Wallace shows he's healthy and in shape, I imagine he'll earn one of those last two spots.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com first reported that Wallace had taken a physical with the Knicks last week, while Berman reported that Wallace had informed the Knicks he'd sign with them.
Eastern Notes: Blatche, Pacers, Allen, Nelson
The Magic were ripped by fans and pundits alike when they dealt Dwight Howard and failed to receive a true impact player like Andrew Bynum in the trade. However, as Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes today, the team's decision not to take on Bynum and his balky knees is looking better now than it did at the time. The former Laker, who has been ruled out for three weeks, may end up being fine, but it's something of an ominous start for the Bynum era in Philadelphia, says Bianchi. Here are the rest of the morning's notes out of the Eastern Conference:
- Former NBA head coach John Lucas believes the Nets' signing of Andray Blatche could be the "steal of the summer," as Howard Beck of the New York Times writes. Of course, Lucas may be a little biased — Blatche spent three months this offseason working out in Houston under Lucas' tutelage.
- The Pacers are keeping an "open mind" about whether to carry 15 players into the regular season or whether to keep an open roster spot, according to GM Kevin Pritchard. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says he would be "shocked" if Sam Young didn't earn a place on Indiana's roster.
- Ray Allen spoke on the Dan LeBatard Show in Miami about how Pat Riley influenced his decision to sign with the Heat, and Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews has the transcript.
- Raymond Felton will get the first shot to start at point guard for the Knicks, and fellow free agent signee Jason Kidd doesn't mind assuming the backup role, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Sulia link) explains why the Magic re-signed Jameer Nelson this summer and looks at whether they'd consider trading him later in the season.
- The Bulls' bench may include plenty of new faces, but Taj Gibson doesn't want to retire the "bench mob" moniker. Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Tribune writes that the team's new additions are looking to be just as productive as last year's second unit.
Knicks Expected To Sign Rasheed Wallace
WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: Wallace missed the Knicks' first practice on Tuesday because his contract has yet to be finalized. Agent Bill Strickland is working out some "minor details" of the agreement, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, who adds that Wallace's pact is unlikely to be guaranteed unless he makes the team.
MONDAY, 10:46am: Wallace has yet to sign with the Knicks, but the team still he expects him to, as GM Glen Grunwald told the media today (Twitter link via Al Iannazzone of Newsday).
FRIDAY, 11:48am: Rasheed Wallace has informed the Knicks that he'll come out of retirement and will be in attendance on Monday when the team opens training camp, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. As of this morning, agent Bill Strickland said he hadn't begun formal contract negotiations with the Knicks, but it appears Wallace will officially sign with the team within the next few days.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com had reported earlier today that Wallace took a physical on Thursday and that Knicks players expected the team to sign the veteran forward. Newsday's Al Iannazzone, meanwhile, heard from Strickland that if his client decided to come out of retirement, it would be for the Knicks (Twitter link).
If and when Wallace's deal becomes official, it would put the Knicks' roster at the offseason maximum of 20 players. Assuming the team guarantees Wallace's contract, 14 of those 20 players would be fully guaranteed.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reported today (via Twitter) that the Knicks could still attempt to sign Josh Howard if Wallace agreed to join the team, but it would likely be one or the other. If New York did still want to add Howard, the club would need to waive another player to make room.
Atlantic Links: Sixers, Ujiri, Wayns, White, Nets
Before the 76ers promoted Tony DiLeo to general manager last month, we heard a report that the Sixers had made a run at Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri. However, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said on Monday that Philadelphia's interest in Ujiri didn't get the Sixers far. According to Kroenke, the Nuggets didn't allow the Sixers to even talk to their GM, as Adrian Dater of the Denver Post writes.
"You hire good people for a reason, and sometimes other people take notice of that," Kroenke said. "But we never gave permission to Philly to talk to Masai."
Here are a few more Tuesday updates out of the Atlantic Division:
- 76ers backcourt mainstays Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner both had praise for Maalik Wayns, who grew up a Sixer fan and is excited to be in Philadelphia. Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News has the details.
- Even though the offseason didn't play out exactly how the Celtics anticipated, team president Danny Ainge feels like "the things that we lost we were able to replace in a big way" (link via CSNNE.com).
- James White tells Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside that he doesn't expect to play in the D-League if he fails to earn a roster spot with the Knicks.
- According to Nets GM Billy King, the Magic were "determined to send [Dwight Howard] west" when Brooklyn was trying to land D12. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports writes that King has done well to build a contender in the East without acquiring Howard.
- Nets forward Kris Humphries has hired Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media as his agent, according to Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick.
Odds & Ends: Morrison, Turkoglu, Lin, Ginobili
Let's round up a few odds and ends from a busy day around the NBA….
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts told the media today that summer signee Adam Morrison has a "legitimate" chance to make the team, according to Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge (Twitter link).
- Hedo Turkoglu says he'd like to finish his career with the Magic, tweets Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Asked about the Knicks' decision to let Jeremy Lin walk in July, GM Glen Grunwald told the media that the Rockets made a commitment to Lin that New York wasn't prepared to make, and that Raymond Felton was a better fit for the Knicks. Marc Berman of the New York Post has the quotes.
- Manu Ginobili expects to return to the Spurs if he continues playing when his contract expires at season's end, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal poses five burning questions facing the Cavaliers heading into the 2012/13 season. Among Lloyd's five: Whether Dion Waiters was the right choice in June's draft, and whether Anderson Varejao will finish the year with the Cavs.
- Ben Wallace won't be in camp with the Pistons, since the team doesn't want to put him a position where it may have to cut him, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
- Appearing on KJR in Seattle, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he didn't think any NBA owner would stand in the way of the city of Seattle getting another NBA franchise (link via Sports Radio Interviews).
- Former NBA veteran Jayson Williams tells ESPN.com's Matt Wong that he's healthy and misses the NBA, but stopped short of saying he's interested in making a comeback.
Josh Howard Unlikely To Sign With Knicks
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com hears that the Knicks are probably out of the running for swingman Josh Howard (Twitter link). Zwerling's source believes Howard will find a better fit elsewhere, but all offers are likely to be for the minimum salary.
Howard met with the Spurs and Sixers this month, and Zwerling indicates the Jazz and Bobcats are potential destinations as well. This week Howard was said to be negotiating with four unknown teams, and the Knicks appeared to be one of them. That was the case even after Rasheed Wallace told the team he would come out of retirement to fill its final preseason roster spot, though signing both Wallace and Howard would have required New York to part ways with one of its training camp invitees.
Several teams have been linked to Howard at different points throughout the summer, with as many as five teams in the running when he was reportedly close to a deal in July. The 32-year-old former All-Star has remained on the shelf after a season in which he averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds with a 10.5 PER in 23.0 minutes per game for the Jazz.