Northwest Links: Williams, Roy, Harden, Jazz
The Blazers announced, via Twitter, that Elliot Williams underwent successful surgery on his left Achilles tendon today and will miss the entirety of the 2012-13 season. Williams ruptured his Achilles on Tuesday during a voluntary workout, which is the latest misfortune for the snakebitten former Memphis Tiger. CSN Northwest has more details on the surgery here. Here are some other links from the Northwest Division:
- Brandon Roy said on Thursday that he wants to "come in and make an impact right away" for the Timberwolves, writes Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press. Roy has expressed confidence all offseason: "I want to be ready to deliver. A lot of people think I'm going to be limited. I tell them, 'Go ahead and think that way.' I'm not cautious about anything. I'm confident everything will go well." I asked readers a month ago how Roy would fare this year, and about half of you thought he'd average around 10 points per game.
- The staff at HoopsWorld published their season preview for the Timberwolves, complete with strengths, weaknesses and predictions. The consensus is that Minnesota will finish right smack in the middle of the Northwest, which would be an improvement from last year's last place finish.
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News looks at five scenarios in play for James Harden and the Thunder. He predicts that the team will wait until next summer to re-sign him as a restricted free agent, getting rid of Kendrick Perkins and others to clear the necessary cap space to do so.
- Ben Golliver of CBS Sports gives his offseason report card for the Jazz. He gives Utah a B, concluding that it was a typically quiet but effectively offseason for the team. Golliver says that hiring Dennis Lindsey as their GM was a coup, especially considering the similarity in markets and the amount of current Jazz players that may hit free agency soon.
Perkins: Thunder, Harden “Getting Close”
THURSDAY, 1:51pm: Contrary to Perkins' "report," the Thunder and Harden aren't close to an extension agreement, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter). The two sides are talking and Harden wants to stay in Oklahoma City, but he's also seeking a max contract, says Broussard.
WEDNESDAY, 5:10pm: The James Harden rumors have been heating up this week, from Thunder GM Sam Presti hinting that an extension will be difficult to a Marc Stein report suggesting the Mavericks and Rockets are among the teams hoping to get a chance to land Harden. The latest to weigh in on the All-Star guard's contract situation? Teammate Kendrick Perkins, as Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman tweets.
"We're getting close with James," Perkins said (Twitter link). "And we're getting close to keeping our unit together."
Perkins doesn't necessarily have any inside info on extension negotiations, and could just be expressing optimism about the Thunder's chances of retaining Harden. But it still sounds like welcome news for OKC fans that don't want to see the team's core broken up at all in the next year. As I outlined when I passed along Presti's comments yesterday, the Thunder's cap situation will make it tricky to give Harden a fair deal without heading well into luxury-tax territory.
I looked at Harden as an extension candidate a few weeks back, though my analysis came before Oklahoma City agreed to a long-term deal with Serge Ibaka.
Amick On Martin, Fisher, Fesenko, Williams
In addition to reporting that Matt Barnes is closing in on a deal with the Clippers, SI.com's Sam Amick shared updates on a handful of other free agents in his latest piece. Let's dive in and round up a few highlights from the SI.com scribe:
- Most, if not all, of the teams interested in Kenyon Martin only have interest at the veteran's minimum. The Lakers and Celtics were among the teams in play earlier in the offseason, but now Amick wonders if Martin will wait until midseason or even retire if he doesn't find a situation he likes.
- Derek Fisher may be in the same boat as Martin, with retirement or signing halfway through the season both potentially in play. Fisher turned down an offer from the Bulls before Chicago signed Nate Robinson, and the chances of the veteran point guard returning to the Thunder are "remote."
- Kyrylo Fesenko is scheduled to work out with the Spurs next week, and may work out for the Cavaliers after that. The Hawks and Heat have also been in touch with the big man.
- The Pistons will work out Terrence Williams this week. The Mavericks and Celtics are also believed to have interest in Williams.
Thunder Sign DeAndre Liggins
The Thunder have officially signed DeAndre Liggins and Andy Rautins, according to a team release. We had heard that Rautins would receive a camp invite on a non-guaranteed deal, but the agreement with Liggins wasn't previously reported. I would guess Liggins will be a non-guaranteed contract as well.
Liggins, 24, spent his rookie season with the Magic after being drafted 53rd overall in 2011. The Kentucky product didn't see much action in Orlando, recording 115 total minutes in 17 games with the club. The team elected not to tender him a qualifying offer this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Thunder have 14 players on guaranteed deals, so it appears likely that Daniel Orton, Hollis Thompson, Liggins, and Rautins will be competing for the team's final roster spot.
Rockets, Mavs Interested In James Harden
As the October 31st extension deadline approaches and we wait to see whether the Thunder and James Harden can work out a long-term deal, it seems rival suitors are already surfacing in the event that Harden reaches restricted free agency. According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Rockets and Mavericks are "huge Harden fans" and are candidates to sign him to a loaded offer sheet next summer.
Thunder GM Sam Presti talked about a potential extension for Harden earlier this week, and his comments suggested that it won't be easy to complete a deal, with compromises required on both sides. As Stein tweets, Harden is a "virtual lock" to receive a max offer sheet in restricted free agency, so he'd likely be accepting a discount if he signed an extension for anything less than that.
Unlike Oklahoma City, the Rockets and Mavericks are both in position to clear a good deal of cap space for next summer's free agent period. Houston has Kevin Martin's $12.44MM contract, among others, coming off its books, while many of the Mavs' summer acquisitions are on expiring deals. Both teams, along with the Suns and others, could be in competition for Harden's services if he becomes a free agent, though the Thunder would still have the right to match any offers.
If Oklahoma City becomes convinced that keeping Harden is impossible, the team could also entertain trade offers prior to this year's deadline, but I'd be shocked if Presti broke up the defending Western Conference champs. Stein confirms that a trade isn't in the cards at this point, tweeting that the Thunder "so far, won't entertain such thoughts."
Odds & Ends: Anderson, Mbenga, Heat, Harden
It's been a busier day than we've had for a while around the NBA, and with training camps opening as soon as September 29th, expect the faster pace of news to continue. Let's dive right into some of the latest from around the league:
- James Anderson's deal with the Hawks is a one-year, non-guaranteed pact, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
- D.J. Mbenga, who agreed to terms with the Mavericks earlier today, has already agreed to join the team's D-League affiliate if he doesn't make the NBA club out of training camp, reports Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
- An agent tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the Heat are only offering contracts without a guarantee, which makes sense, since they already have agreements with 18 players. Winderman also speculates that Raja Bell could be a fit for the Heat whenever he finalizes the buyout he continues to negotiate with the Jazz (Sulia link).
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com delves deep into Thunder GM Sam Presti's comments about a possible extension for James Harden, and says that while Isiah Thomas is unlikely to return in a formal capacity to the Knicks soon, he looms as a potential candidate to join an NBA team as a coach or executive down the road.
- Zach Lowe of SI.com runs down several players for whom 2012/13 will be an especially important season.
- After looking at 10 overpaid players earlier today, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News also shares his list of the 10 most underpaid players in the league.
Northwest Rumors: Williams, Stotts, Roy, Conroy
The Blazers caught a tough break today, as guard Elliot Williams tore his left ACL during a voluntary workout, The Oregonian's Joe Freeman reports. He'll have surgery, but there's no date set for that and no timetable for his recovery (Twitter links). Williams missed his entire rookie year because of surgery on both knees, and this past season ended prematurely for him because of a dislocated left shoulder. He's played in only 24 games since the team drafted him 22nd overall in 2010, and though the $1.443MM he'll receive on his rookie scale contract this year is guaranteed, the Blazers have until October 31st to decide whether to pick up their option on his $2.374MM for 2013/14. There's more out of Portland tonight, along with news on other Northwest Division clubs:
- Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge speculates that the Blazers could choose to waive Williams now and pay his guarantee anyway, as they did with Jeff Pendergraph in 2010 (Sulia link).
- New Blazers coach Terry Stotts spoke with the team's broadcasters and had plenty to say about LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard and the transition into his new job, and Golliver has a transcript of the video that's on TrailBlazers.TV.
- Mark Remme of Timberwolves.com checks in on Brandon Roy, who's begun workouts with Wolves coaches.
- Will Conroy, Roy's close friend and former college teammate, tweeted about his excitement to join Roy in Minnesota, perhaps indicating that a training camp invite from the Wolves is in the offing (hat tip to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News). Conroy briefly spent time with the Grizzlies, Clippers and Rockets, but only has 12 career NBA games and hasn't appeared in the league since 2009/10.
- The Idaho Stampede, the Blazers' D-League affiliate, has hired Michael Peck, a high school coach at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, as its new coach, Golliver reports (Twitter link). He beat out former Blazers assistant coach Dan Dickau, who was also reportedly a candidate for the post.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti shared his thoughts on an extension for James Harden, as we noted earlier today.
Sam Presti Addresses Possible Harden Extension
The Thunder held a press conference yesterday to officially announce the team's extension for Serge Ibaka, and it didn't take long for the line of questioning to turn to the issue on everyone's mind: Can the Thunder keep James Harden too? GM Sam Presti stressed that Harden was an important part of the team and that Oklahoma City is hopeful he'll be around long-term, but cautioned that an extension won't be easy.
"We've been very upfront and transparent with everybody that we have some inherent challenges that we face as an organization as a result of the new collective bargaining agreement," Presti said, according to Jenni Carlson of the Oklahoman. "I know we'd love to have him here. I think James would like to be here as well. But at the end of the day… you have to find a way to make it work for everybody."
With Ibaka under contract for $12.25MM annually starting next summer, Oklahoma City already has over $62MM in guaranteed salary committed to its 2013/14 roster. Throw in team options for Cole Aldrich, Lazar Hayward, and Reggie Jackson, and the Thunder could end up approaching the luxury-tax threshold without even signing Harden. Amnestying Kendrick Perkins could free up some money, but the team would miss his presence in the middle, and if Harden gets close to a max deal, the luxury tax could be a concern anyway.
Presti is one of the league's most creative executives, and it won't be a surprise if he finds a way to lock up Harden this offseason or next. But as his comments suggest, it may not be as simple as handing the All-Star guard a long-term extension and living with the tax hit.
Thunder To Sign Andy Rautins
Guard Andy Rautins is expected to join the Thunder's training camp roster on a non-guaranteed contract, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (via Twitter). The former Syracuse product was a member of Oklahoma City's summer league team.
Rautins, 25, had a cup of coffee with the Knicks in 2010/11 when he appeared in five games and saw 24 total minutes of action. The guard wound up being traded to Dallas in the three-way deal that brought Tyson Chandler to New York but was promptly waived. Last season, Rautins hooked on with CB Lucentum Alicante in Spain to showcase his skills.
Odds & Ends: Camby, Thompson, Cavs
Marcus Camby believes the Knicks have assembled all the pieces they need to dethrone the Heat and win a championship, writes Keldy Ortiz of Newsday.
Here are a few more links from around the league this Saturday evening.
- The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry talks with undrafted rookie forward Hollis Thompson as he gets acclimated with the Thunder organization, the team he signed with in July.
- How can the Raptors improve on their disappointing season last year? Hoopsworld.com's Stephen Brotherston gives six valid reasons why Toronto should make the playoffs this season.
- The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers questions from readers regarding Luke Walton's contract and the Cavaliers' new gold colored home uniform.
- Dwyane Wade believes the work he put in this offseason on his jump shot should make him an even better offensive player for the rest of his career, writes Sun-Sentinel.com's Ira Winderman.
- NBA.com's Steve Aschburner makes the Hall of Fame case for longtime coach Johnny Bach.