Western Notes: Bryant, Garrett, Craft, Smith
Kobe Bryant needs to take a step back and allow some of his teammates to take charge of the Lakers, opines Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Coach Byron Scott agrees. “I’ve talked to a couple individuals about just being a little bit more assertive, not relying on Kobe as much,” Scott said. “You guys can ask Kobe this. I think he wants to get those guys to step up. He really does. Take shots when they have them. Not defer to him as much.” Earlier this week in a loss to the Suns, Bryant took 37 shots, while the rest of the team’s starters combined to take only 35.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Diante Garrett will be returning to the Iowa Energy, who are the D-League affiliates of the Grizzlies, the team announced. The Blazers recently waived the Iowa State product after spending just a month on their roster.
- Aaron Craft is mulling a contract offer from Partizan Belgrade of the Serbian League, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando reports. Craft spent training camp with the Warriors and was set to play for Golden State’s D-League affiliate this season. Though the amount of Partizan Belgrade’s offer to Craft has not been reported, it’s likely for more than the guard would have earned playing in Santa Cruz this season, though that is just my speculation.
- Ish Smith is excited to be the newest member of the Thunder because of his relationship with his new teammates, writes Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman. “I’m really good friends with a lot of guys, played against them. Russ (Russell Westbrook), (Kevin Durant), Lance (Thomas), all in the ’06 class, so I know a lot of them,” Smith said.
- Canada is producing basketball prospects at unheard of rates, writes Dave Skretta of the Associated Press. Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett of the Wolves are the past two No. 1 overall NBA draft picks and are each of Canadian descent. Many, including Bennett, have attributed their interest in basketball to watching Vince Carter when he was on the Raptors. “That’s when we seen him doing all these types of dunks,” Bennett said of watching Carter. “We just had a love for his game.”
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Thunder Sign Ish Smith
FRIDAY, 10:04am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.
THURSDAY, 11:27am: The deal will be non-guaranteed, Mayberry writes.
WEDNESDAY, 11:58am: The Thunder have decided on Ish Smith as the player they’d like to sign once the league gives the go-ahead to add a 16th man, reports Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Smith took a physical for the team today and could be ready to play as soon as Friday presuming the physical turns up OK, Mayberry adds. The Thunder have been waiting for the league to approve their request for a hardship provision that would allow them to temporarily add another healthy body amid a rash of injuries. They finished last night’s game against the Raptors with six healthy players. The terms of the deal are unclear and the Thunder have the capacity to exceed the minimum salary, but it’s most likely for the minimum without a guarantee, since Oklahoma City would have to drop back to 15 players once they regain their health.
Smith will fill a void at point guard, where the Thunder are without Russell Westbrook, who’s out at least another month or so after undergoing surgery on his broken right hand. The 26-year-old Smith has spent his four seasons in the NBA on the fringe of his team’s rotation, at best, but he’s coming off a career year with the Suns that netted him a fully guaranteed minimum-salary contract with the Rockets this summer. Houston let him go before opening night amid a numbers crunch and strong play from Isaiah Canaan. A report earlier this week indicated that the Thunder had reached out to Smith, and Oklahoma City also apparently had interest in Gal Mekel that predated Westbrook’s injury.
The league provides for teams to sign an extra player if four or more players have missed at least three games and are expected to continue to miss time, according to Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ. The Pelicans received a 16th roster spot late last season, and the same benefit was accorded the Timberwolves in 2012/13. The Thunder have run up against difficulty in securing that provision because they first had to put three regular season games behind them, and because an independent physician reportedly believed Anthony Morrow would return sooner than expected. Once other players accrued their third missed game last night, it appeared the Thunder had satisfied the requirements to claim the hardship.
Western Notes: Rockets, Thunder, McLemore
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said he won’t judge coach Kevin McHale merely by how far the team goes in the playoffs this year and expressed support for the front office as he spoke with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Alexander pointed to Trevor Ariza and Kostas Papanikolaou as key additions in an offseason that, as the owner acknowledged, didn’t go as planned.
“It was a very difficult offseason,” Alexander said. “There were big decisions that really didn’t go our way. It was tough. It was tough going through it and hoping you’d be able to rebound and have a really good team. I liked the moves that we made. And we still have flexibility to make other moves, which I believe is important.”
The Rockets, with a league-best 5-0 record, put that unbeaten mark on the line tonight against a Spurs team that plans to rest Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- The Thunder would likely apply for a second hardship provision, which would give them a 17th roster spot, if they expect that a knee injury that Perry Jones III suffered Tuesday will force him to miss a significant amount of time, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. The team is poised to make Ish Smith its 16th player.
- Ben McLemore has hired the Klutch Sports Group for his representation, the agency announced (Twitter link). The second-year shooting guard recently left agent Rodney Blackstock. Klutch has close ties to the Cavs, but the earliest McLemore could reach unrestricted free agency by his own choosing would be the summer of 2018.
- Flip Saunders said uncertainty over the Timberwolves roster this summer prior to the Kevin Love trade helped keep him from hiring Lionel Hollins as Minnesota’s coach, observes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Saunders said he couldn’t promise Hollins, who interviewed for the coaching job that Saunders ultimately took for himself, that the Wolves would have the sort of veteran roster that Hollins is accustomed to, as Bontemps notes.
Lucas Eyes Bulls Amid Widespread Interest
Free agent guard John Lucas III has had inquiries from the Thunder, Pacers, and Grizzlies, but the player has declined those opportunities, Shams Charania of RealGM reports. Lucas has also received offers from teams in the Chinese Basketball Association, but the short-term nature of all the offers is what led him to pass on them, adds Charania. Lucas is believed to be hoping to ultimately return to the Bulls on a deal later this season, Charania notes.
Bernie Lee, Lucas’ agent, offered a slightly different take, telling Charania, “John has received interest from different teams, but to say he has declined any formal offers would be inaccurate. John is in a situation, after a crazy summer, of trying to make the right decision versus any decision, but he is willing to prove himself as requested. John owes a tremendous amount of his value in the NBA to the opportunity Chicago’s front office gave him there initially. Over time, it’s become clear that [GM] Gar Forman has a unique ability to find value in obscure places: He signed John out of China, and he might be the best in the NBA at this. In some ways John was at the beginning of this.”
Lee confirmed the offers from the CBA, saying, “I have not had a single conversation with Gar about John since John left. The different situations just haven’t lined up. Gar has found various ways to replace the role John left including this year and John has been under contract since leaving. I do have every belief that John will resume his NBA career soon, but to date the only opportunities John has declined have been lucrative money offers with Jilin in China earlier in the year and Fujian on Wednesday.”
Lucas, who has been working out in Houston since he was waived by the Wizards, would seem to be a logical target for all three of the NBA teams previously mentioned in light of their early season injury woes. But the 31-year-old out of Oklahoma State had the most success as a player for Chicago during the 2011/12 season, notes Charania. Lucas had four 20-point efforts that season, and averaged 7.5 PPG and 2.2 APG overall.
Chicago currently has 14 players on its roster, so no additional moves would need to be made in order to sign Lucas, but for now the interest would appear to be one-sided, with the Bulls already having Derrick Rose, Aaron Brooks, and Kirk Hinrich on their depth chart at the point.
And-Ones: Thunder, Durant, Butler
Let’s take a look at some news and notes from around the Association late on this Tuesday night:
- The injury-plagued Thunder might just become a “cautionary tale of prudence” this season, writes Scott Stinson of the National Post. Stinson argues that, in today’s NBA, a caveat of opting for competitive longevity over the aggressive pursuit of a title is that something out of a team’s control — injuries, in this case — might lay the best-laid plans to waste.
- There’s been no shortage of Kevin Durant news today, as the Thunder superstar is making the media rounds to promote the premiere of his HBO special. On ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike (via the Oklahoman), Durant was asked if the decision of LeBron James to return to Cleveland might impact the possibility that he could sign with the Wizards. To which, Durant said: “I really haven’t thought about that, to be honest. I hear it a lot. But I think I can make an impact on the community I grew up from anywhere. So I think I’m doing a good job of that in Oklahoma. My friends, my family, the kids in my neighborhood, are seeing that. I’m inspiring them from Oklahoma City. I really haven’t thought about it. I love where I am. I know that sounds cliche and the answer everybody gives, but that’s really true from my side of it. I’m sure everybody’s watching from afar.”
- Between the dearth of shooting guards in the NBA and Klay Thompson‘s near $70MM deal, Jimmy Butler‘s decision to turn down the Bulls‘ extension offer might prove to be a smart one if the swingman can stay healthy, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times.
And-Ones: Rondo, Thunder, Scott
Nine players signed rookie scale extensions before last week’s deadline, but the Magic’s four-year, $48MM arrangement with Nikola Vucevic stands out among them as the best deal from the perspective of the team, according to a plurality of Hoops Rumors readers. Not surprisingly, the Jazz’s four-year, $42MM extension with Alec Burks picked up the least amount of votes in that poll, with Ricky Rubio‘s four-year, $55MM pact with the Timberwolves finishing next to last. Time will tell on each of those extensions, especially since they don’t kick in until 2015/16, just a year before the league’s $24 billion TV deal takes hold. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Rajon Rondo made a quick return from left hand surgery to join the Celtics for the start of the regular season and he’s leading the league with 11.7 assists per game, but Boston isn’t budging and appears in no hurry to trade the star point guard, as Chris Mannix of SI.com hears (video link; hat tip to Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com).
- An independent physician’s opinion that Anthony Morrow will return sooner than expected from injury is holding up league approval of a 16th roster spot for the injury-depleted Thunder, reports Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Still, Oklahoma City is expected to qualify for that provision after tonight’s game, Mayberry writes.
- Mike Scott‘s versatility helped him come away with a new three-year, $10MM deal from the Hawks in free agency during the summer, and he’s paying dividends in the early going, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution examines.
Western Notes: Durant, Rockets, Thompson
The message in HBO’s “Kevin Durant: The Offseason” documentary shows the Roc Nation Sports agency’s heavy hand in Durant’s affairs and paints the reigning MVP as a player who’s eager to win, even if it means leaving the Thunder in 2016, as Ben Golliver of SI.com opines. Even though Durant says as the film’s credits roll that he has “no doubts” about the Thunder’s ability to win a championship eventually, the film makes it clear he’s ready to seek a title elsewhere if any such doubts creep in. We passed along more on Durant this morning, and there’s another Durant-related item amid the latest from the Western Conference:
- The Rockets are among the many teams planning a run at Durant when he can become a free agent in 2016, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com says in a video report.
- The maximum salaries for 2015/16 won’t be known until July, but the league is estimating that the 25% max that Klay Thompson is set to receive in his extension from the Warriors will give him a $15.5MM salary for next season, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). That would mean $69MM over the life of the four-year deal, as Pincus also illustrates. That’s up significantly from the $14.746MM that 25% max signees received for this season. Kyrie Irving is also in line for the $15.5MM starting salary in his five-year max extension, though he has a better chance than Thompson does to trigger the Derrick Rose rule, which he and the Cavs agreed would give him a max worth approximately 27.5% of the salary cap.
- Cory Joseph acknowledges that it wasn’t surprising when he didn’t sign an extension with the Spurs when he was eligible before the end of last month, and the ever-optimistic point guard looks ahead to restricted free agency as an opportunity. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News has the details.
Northwest Notes: Thunder, Jackson, Jazz, Ingles
The league has proposed setting the 2016/17 salary cap between $78MM and $82MM in discussions with the union about phasing in the increases that the league’s new TV revenue will bring about, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports. Those figures would still be quite a leap from next season’s projected $66.5MM cap, and they’d set up lots of teams with flexibility for the summer of 2016, when Kevin Durant is poised to hit free agency. Some teams are optimistic that Durant will consider a wide array of suitors, while others have heard that he’s already down to the Thunder and the Wizards, according to Lowe. In any case, there’s much on the line on Oklahoma City in the next 19 months or so left before Durant’s contract expires, as Lowe examines. Here’s more on the Thunder and their Northwest Division rivals:
- The Thunder are confident that they’ll be able to match other clubs’ offer sheets for restricted free agent-to-be Reggie Jackson next summer, sources tell Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Given the roughly $63.57MM of guaranteed salary the Thunder already have on their books for the 2015/16 season, retaining Jackson might require exceeding the luxury tax threshold, something they’ve been reluctant to do in the past.
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey isn’t planning simply to let his team’s young core grow on its own, and he says he’ll use it as a draw to attract free agents, as he tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News, promising to be “very aggressive” in free agency next year. Still, Alec Burks tells Genessy that the team’s commitment to youth is one reason why he was eager to sign his extension with Utah.
- The Clippers weren’t pleased when the Jazz claimed Joe Ingles off waivers, as coach/executive Doc Rivers admits his club had designs on re-signing the 27-year-old rookie, Genessy tweets.
- Thaddeus Young, who can become a free agent in the summer, sees a bright future ahead for the Timberwolves, as he tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Kobe, Durant, Spurs, Nuggets
Kobe Bryant rejects the notion that he should push for a trade to a contender and professes his loyalty to the Lakers in an interview with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The team’s lack of success in attracting marquee free agents this summer hasn’t left him questioning whether he wants to remain with the franchise.
“It was really tough to land those free agents just because of the opportunities that they had,” Bryant said. “You got [Carmelo Anthony] going back to New York, LeBron [James] going back home to Cleveland. The odds just weren’t in our favor. But I took comfort in the fact that the Lakers did absolutely everything possible to make it happen. Absolutely everything possible. We offered Pau [Gasol] an incredible deal. I saw them put the work in. It’s much different than in 2007 when I felt like they were just sitting on their hands. This is not that case. They were going after it and being aggressive. I will fight for that till the end. They tried, tried and tried and it didn’t work out. I stand behind them 110%. I bleed purple and gold.”
Bryant has been preaching patience amid an 0-4 start for the Lakers, but as the losses mount, we’ll see how long the Black Mamba can remain serene. Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Kevin Durant cited exhaustion when he withdrew from Team USA this summer, but he reveals in a documentary film that Paul George‘s gruesome leg fracture weighed heavily on his mind, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post chronicles.
- Injury marked the unofficial end of Spurs draft-and-stash prospect Erazem Lorbek‘s time with FC Barcelona before he officially left the Spanish club this summer, but he has his eye on joining San Antonio after he recovers, as he tells Gigantes Del Basket (translation via HoopsHype). The Spurs were reportedly close to signing Lorbek, a 2005 second-round draftee, in 2012, but the now 30-year-old re-signed with Barcelona instead.
- The Nuggets, who voted for the league’s failed lottery reform proposal, are one of the NBA’s most vociferous opponents to tanking, as Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post writes in his mailbag column. Still, most teams aren’t nearly as concerned about the phenomenon as fans and the media generally are, Dempsey adds.
Thunder Reach Out To Ish Smith
Ish Smith is among the veteran point guards with whom the Thunder have made contact as they seek to make up for their rash of injuries, according to TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Oklahoma City has also reportedly expressed interest in Gal Mekel, but the team has yet to make any decision as it waits for the NBA to give its approval for the club to add a 16th player. The team has applied for that special hardship provision, as had been expected, Aldridge writes.
Smith is a four-year veteran who saw a career-high 14.4 minutes per game across 70 appearances with the Suns last season. He signed a fully guaranteed one-year contract for the minimum salary with the Rockets this past offseason, but Houston waived him last week amid a numbers crunch after Isaiah Canaan made a late preseason push to unseat him as the team’s backup point guard.
Oklahoma City had just eight healthy players available for Saturday’s game against the Nuggets as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb, Mitch McGary, Anthony Morrow and Grant Jerrett all nursed injuries. All but Jackson and Lamb are expected to miss at least two weeks of time, making it likely the NBA will see fit to award the temporary 16th roster spot. That provision is for teams with four players who are sick or injured and who’ll continue to be out after already having missed three games, as Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ explains.
The Thunder have 14 fully guaranteed contracts, and their only non-guaranteed pact is with Lance Thomas, who is among the club’s few healthy players. Oklahoma City won’t consider signing 29th overall pick Josh Huestis to fill the void, according to Aldridge. Huestis made an unusual arrangement with the team to sign with its D-League affiliate, and it seems the Thunder don’t want to deviate from that plan to alleviate their injury concerns.